It easily could have had a lurid pulp fiction finish. Betrayed for the six-figure reward money. Caught in a rollicking gun battle with police. But the bank robber known in FBI offices across the western United States as the "AK-47 Bandit" may have contributed to his own downfall with an ill-advised jailhouse phone call.

Last week, Richard Gathercole was in a Nebraska jail, accused of trying to kill a Kansas state trooper, when he dialed up a woman identified by law enforcement as his mother. "Did you get all the guns out too?" the 39-year-old Montana man asked.

"No, not yet," she replied, according to a transcript of the call that reads like a castoff scene from a Coen brothers' film about low-IQ criminal behavior.

"You need to do that," Gathercole stated. "As soon as possible."

"Um, this is recorded," the mother reminded her son. "You know that."

Sure enough, two days later federal authorities cited the recorded dialogue in a court filing for a search warrant.

Local and federal authorities quickly raided Gathercole's small single-story house on a shady residential street in Roundup, Mont., a small cow-town ringed by the BullMountains. Thanks to Gathercole's directions, law enforcement found guns and bomb-making material, further evidence reportedly tying Gathercole to the "AK-47 Bandit" heists, brazen robberies committed since 2012 by a masked man in paramilitary gear, wielding his namesake Russian automatic weapon.

Although Gathercole has yet to be officially charged with any of the robberies, court records indicate investigators have tied him to two holdups and the Los Angeles Times reports investigators believe they now have their suspect.

The assault weapon wasn't the only hallmark of the bandit heists. Beginning in 2012, in each of the seven suspected robberies, the assailant brandished a weapon with a high-capacity drum magazine; he wore a black balaclava-style mask and a protective ballistic vest.

In his first known appearance, a holdup at a California Bank & Trust in Chino, Calif., the bandit shot and seriously wounded a police officer. In the last reported robbery, court records indicate the bandit targeted an Iowa Heartland Credit Union in Mason City, Iowa, on July 28, 2015. After demanding money at gunpoint from the tellers, the robber left behind a homemade bomb before disappearing in a black four-door Toyota Camry with $126,000.

In between, the bandit struck in Sacramento; Vacaville, Calif.; North Bend, Wash.; Rexburg, Idaho; and Nebraska City, Neb. Eventually, the reward for information about the culprit climbed to $100,000.

The circumstances surrounding Gathercole's arrest are just as dramatic as any of the robberies themselves. According to court records, on June 19 around 6 p.m., a Kansas Highway Patrol trooper eyeballing traffic shooting eastward on I-70 not far from the Colorado border spotted a black four-door Toyota Camry with an obscured back license plate.

The trooper began following the car to verify the registration. Pulling close, the trooper read a New York registration number, but when he ran the digits, they came back for an Acura - not a Camry. The trooper swung behind the Toyota, snapping on his emergency lights for a traffic stop. The Camry, however, kept going. The car suddenly jammed to a halt, then sped up. As the trooper tried to keep pace, he noticed the Camry's driver seemed to be reaching for something on the passenger seat.

A rifle barrel popped out of the Camry's window. Gunshots started blasting into the road. The trooper swung out of the way, then followed at a distance. When the Camry exited the highway and stopped at the off-ramp near Brewster, Kan., the trooper reached for his own rifle, exited his patrol car and used it as barricade while he traded bullets with the Camry driver. The trooper eventually lost the car on the rural back roads.

About an hour and a half after the dramatic highway shootout, a man later identified as Gathercole allegedly carjacked a green Ford F-150 at gunpoint in the area, according to court filings. The stolen vehicle was reported missing, and around 12:25 a.m. the next morning, a sheriff's deputy from Dawson County, Nebraska, saw a truck matching the description at a truck stop.

The deputy arrested Gathercole and found three loaded handguns in the stolen truck, as well as a computer bag, according to court records. Inside: a black balaclava-style ski mask. Gathercole also had a Toyota key fob on him, according to court filings. Back in Kansas, police found the 2009 Camry near where the Ford was stolen. Inside: an AK-47 and a homemade explosive device.

According to the Los Angeles Times, Gathercole was arrested on suspicion of possession of stolen property and stolen firearms.

Two days after he was booked, the Montana native placed his call to his mother. "If you can, if possible, get everything out of the house," Gathercole stressed over the phone, according to the transcript filed with the federal court.

"So they have you on solitary confinement?" his mother asked at one point. "How lovely."

"They're not really too, too nice, if you know what I mean," Gathercole replied.

Court documents filed Monday indicate Gathercole's family may not have an opportunity to carry out his request. An itemized document compiled by authorities lists the seized items, including guns, ammunition, tactical gear and a military helmet. The Los Angeles Times also reports authorities found so many homemade bombs they called in a bomb squad to clear the property.

"Multiple departments are investigating whether evidence found during the search in Montana may be linked to a series of bank robberies currently under investigation in California and other states," an FBI spokeswoman told the Los Angeles Times.
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The war in Yemen has morphed into two separate conflicts. In the northwest and along the Red Sea coast it is Iran-backed Shia rebels versus the Yemeni government backed by Saudi Arabia (and their local allies plus the United States). The rest of Yemen is a fight between Yemeni government (backed by the Saudi coalition) and Yemeni tribal separatists (backed by al Qaeda). At the same time Yemen has serious economic and social problems that are getting worse because of all the unrest since 2011 (and outright civil war since 2015). Before the civil war began in 2011 the Yemeni GDP was $37 billion. Now it is less than half that and falling. Hunger and disease are increasing as are associated deaths. Foreign aid efforts are often plundered by locals. Yemen has long been considered one of the most corrupt nations on the planet. In 2016 Yemen ranked 170th out of 176 countries. Most Yemenis will agree that corruption is a major problem. Yet most Yemenis are less willing to admit that Yemen is not a country but rather a collection of tribes that dont get along and cannot agree on how to work together to make a united Yemen work.

Poverty and hunger are nothing new for Yemen and the primary causes, in addition to corruption, have been around for a long time. The population problem is the result of a high birth rate, which is made possible by modern technology and encouraged by ancient customs and religious beliefs. The impact of conservative forms of Islam also means there has been little economic or educational improvements, at least compared to the non-Islamic world, for a long time. The economy is primitive and unproductive. Even before the unrest escalated in 2011 water, food and power shortages, as well as growing unemployment made life miserable for most Yemenis. Because of all these pre-existing problems and all the unrest since 2011 Yemen is now broke, disorganized, desperate and still fighting itself.

News From The Front

While most adult males in Yemen are armed (its an ancient tradition) few of those armed men are trained soldiers or even members of some kind of organized combat unit. What does exist is a lot of local tribal leaders who can quickly organize a few dozen to a few hundred armed men to oppose someone they fear or simply dont like. This means, and has always meant, that Yemen never had sufficient security forces (reliable soldiers or police) to impose order if large segments of the population disagreed with the central government. This has long been a problem with the Shia tribes of the north and many of the Sunni tribes in the south and southeast. Since 2011 both these groups have been very unhappy and since early 2017 the separatist Sunni tribes in the south have become more hostile to the government and more willing to tolerate the presence of Islamic terrorists, especially if these groups contain some locals and know how to behave themselves.

Because of this inability to occupy and police much of the country there are large areas where an armed groups can freely move (sometimes only at night) and thus threaten government claims that the area is under government rule because it is no longer occupied by Shia rebels or Islamic terror groups. This is most evident in the southwest where the Shia rebels and local allies can still wander about. A similar situation is evident in the southeast where large areas along the coast between the two largest ports in the country (Aden and Mukalla) are home to separatist tribes who are not only hostile to the government but often willing to tolerate the presence of AQAP (Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula) groups. Because of this until April 2016 AQAP controlled more territory than the Shia rebels. This included the southeastern port of Mukalla, about 600 kilometers of coastline and much of the surrounding Hadramawt province. AQAP took control of Mukalla in April 2015. For over a year AQAP controlled most of the roads near the southeastern coast. As a result government forces or anyone else was subject to attack or, if armed, a request for a contribution of cash or goods before passing without violence. As a result of this government forces had to move in heavily armed convoys to avoid ambushes or extortion attempts. Aid convoys are also subject to demands for taxes. AQAP was trying to operate like a government in the southeast but was hampered by a shortage of money and regular air attacks by Arab warplanes and American UAVs. AQAP obtained most of the cash needed to run its government by taxing everything (commercial goods and aid supplies) coming through Mukalla. This income enabled AQAP to pay most of its government workers on a regular basis. By the end of April 2016 AQAP lost control of Mukulla and with it a major source of income. After that AQAP was scattered to the countryside and actively seeking allies. These were found among separatist minded tribal leaders. For this reason AQAP can still travel regularly from the areas north of Mukulla all the way north to the Saudi border or all the way west to the outskirts of Aden.

Since early 2017 American UAVs have been more active in these areas, monitoring the traffic and carrying out more missile attacks on AQAP personnel. But it most cases the local tribesmen and the AQAP look identical from the air. It requires electronic eavesdropping and some informants on the ground to identify vehicles carrying just AQAP members who are worth a missile or two.

The Western Front

In the west the 2017 government offensive along the west coast has driven the rebels away from nearly all of the 450 kilometer Yemeni Red Sea coastline. But the government has not got enough troops to keep Shia rebels out of this area. This is why, since late 2015 much of the fighting has been in southwestern Taiz province, which has always been heavily fought over mainly because it has a lengthy Red Sea coastline which enabled smugglers to bring in weapons and other aid for the Shia rebels. The most heavily fought over area continues to be Taiz city, near the Red Sea. Government forces have been slowly driving rebels out of the city. Since early 2017 government forces have been pushing inland from the Red Sea town of Mocha to open a land route to Taiz. The major obstacle is the Khalid bin al Waleed military base, which was surrendered to the rebels in 2015 by soldiers loyal to the former dictator Ali Abdullah Saleh. The base is 30 kilometers east of Mocha and continues to hold out. Government forces are also advancing from east of Taiz as well in order to surround the Khalid base and force it to surrender. In the north government forces have taken high ground east of the capital (Saana) within sight of the city and established positions to observe and call in accurate artillery and rocket fire when large groups of rebels assemble or move. The fulltime observations posts also make it easier to keep track of the pro-government Sunni militias also operating in the area but not willing to operate like a military unit (and do what the senior army commander wants).

At this point the Shia rebels are largely confined to using the Red Sea port of Hodeida. This has been the main port for the delivery of foreign aid for civilians in rebel held areas and, in theory, government controlled areas. Government forces are closing in on Hodeida and that will make it more difficult for the rebels to smuggle in military supplies. The UN is trying to persuade the Shia rebels to peacefully give up control of Hodeida but the rebels are not interested. Even proposals that Hodeida be turned over to a neutral third party are turned down. This is not a matter of trust, its a matter of keeping control of the key port for handling foreign aid for most people in rebel controlled territory. Then there is the smuggling. The rebels have prevented UN personnel from inspecting aid shipments (for weapons and other contraband) and the government claims the rebels have been seizing aid shipments and preventing UN personnel from verifying that the aid is going to civilians. The rebels are putting up a strong defense around Hodeida and that slows down the advance but cannot stop it. As long as the rebels hold onto Hodeida and Iran still has powerful allies in the UN (mainly Russia and China, who can veto some measures) the smuggling can continue as can the use of food to control civilian populations that are hostile to the rebels.

Between the rebel west and the separatist tribes in the east there is a large area from the coast north to the Saudi border that is under government control. This is largely because of friendly (and often well compensated) local tribal leaders. Because of that government forces are now within 20 kilometers of the rebel held national capital Saana.

Living conditions in Saana continue to decline and in April there was an outbreak of cholera (that is spread by infected water and food) in the capital that has spread and intensified. This is because the rebels have not put a priority on maintaining the quality of the water supply and so far there have been over 250,000 cases of cholera with nearly 2,000 deaths. Iran blames the people fighting the rebels, especially Saudi Arabia. But the main problem is the corruption. Aid groups complain that they have to divert money from buying and importing food to medical supplies in order to deal with the cholera outbreak. Asking donor states (and private foundations or individuals) for more money doesnt work when the destination is a place like Yemen. Because of the Internet donors can more easily exchange information on the success or failure of their efforts. Yemen most frequently comes up on the losing side because of the rampant corruption and banditry.

Meanwhile Army and Arab Coalition forces recently pushed Shia rebels out of Morthed Mountain in Marib Province after days of intense fighting. The Shia were forced to leave a lot of weapons, ammo and other supplies behind and the government forces appear to be establishing a base on the mountain with the intention of holding onto the vantage point and surrounding areas. The government forces are still unable to gather enough troops or nerve to go after the national capital. That may change because the longer this lasts the more it benefits Iran, which is spending little (in terms of cash and Iranian lives) in Yemen compared to the Saudi led Arab coalition.

July 1, 2017: In the south (Abyan province) an American UAV used a missile to kill two AQAP men on a motorcycle. Another UAV attack in the area killed Ibrahim Al-Adani, a senior AQAP leader, along with two other AQAP who were travelling in a car.

June 30, 2017: In the south (Shabwa province) an American UAV used a missile to kill two AQAP men in a vehicle.

June 28, 2017: In the southeast (Hadramawt province) AQAP ambushed and killed three soldiers and then fled before they could be caught. Elsewhere in the south (Abyan province) a Presidential Guard officer was kidnapped, probably by AQAP.

In the northwest Shia rebels fired another unguided unguided rocket into the city of Najran (capital of Narjan province) and killed two civilians. This sort of thing has been increasingly common since 2014 and the Saudi government is under growing popular pressure to do something about it. To that end the Saudis recently ordered 26 American AN/TPQ-53 artillery spotting radar systems. It is unclear how soon these can be operating along the 1,450 kilometer Yemen border to reduce the ability of Shia rebels to fire rockets and mortar shells into Saudi Arabia. Since 2014 that has caused several hundred casualties in Saudi Arabia and that includes more than a hundred dead from this cross border fore. The American manufacturer and the current largest user (the U.S. Army) of the AN/TPQ-53 assure the Saudis that the TPQ-53 is combat proven, debugged and can get the job done. This is not new tech, artillery spotting radars have been around since the 1970s. But the TPQ-53 adds a high degree of automation in which the Saudis can quickly (within minutes) fire back at the position that a rocket or mortar shell was fired from. Moreover that position information can be passed to any warplanes or armed helicopters in the air nearby. Both the Saudis and the AN/TPQ-53 manufacturer are under a lot of pressure to make the system work, at least as well as it already has in Afghanistan and Iraq.

June 21, 2017: Sudanese media report that 17 Sudanese soldiers were killed in a battle on June 10 in northwestern Yemen while fighting Yemeni Shia rebels. Their bodies were returned to Sudan and they were buried today in an official military ceremony. The Saudi led coalition has contingents from most Moslem nations that have benefitted a lot from Saudi generosity in the past. These volunteers from outside Arabia are well compensated and their families receive large payments (a form of life insurance) if a soldier dies in Yemen.

June 16, 2017: In the south (Shabwa province) an American UAV used a missile to kill three AQAP men in a vehicle. One of the dead was Abu Khattab al Awlaq, the leader of AQAP operations in Shabwa province.

June 14, 2017: Off the west coast, near the Red Sea port of Mocha a UAE (United Arab Emirates) freighter that had just left the port at night was hit by what was apparently an RPG (rocket propelled grenade) fired from a Shia rebel speedboat. The RPG rocket wounded one of the crew but caused no damage to the ship, which had delivered medical and other supplies to the port. The rebels declared that their speedboat had fired a guided missile but video of the projective hitting the ship did not support that claim. In late 2016 the rebels hit another UAE transport in the same area using a Chinese anti-ship missile fired from the shore. That missile started a fire that did a lot of damage and forced the UAE to take the transport out of service for repairs. In response to this an effort was made to clear the Shia rebels from the Red Sea coast. By February government forces had driven rebels away from Mocha which was probably why the rebels had to use a speedboat, operating from some part of the coast where the rebels are still present, to come near the port at night looking for a ship to fire at, more for propaganda purposes than anything else.

In the northwest Shia rebels managed to sneak across the border and plant landmines on the Saudi side (Jarzan Province). As a result there were incidents today and yesterday in which Saudi army patrols along the border encountered landmines. In each incident one Saudi border guard was killed.

June 10, 2017: In the southeast (Hadramawt province) AQAP used two suicide car bombs and several gunmen to attack an army base. Apparently the attack failed to get past the main gate because killed ten Islamic terrorists died in the brief battle as did two soldiers. AQAP often attacks checkpoints and this has prompted the army and Arab Coalition troops to be better prepared for these surprise attacks that are usually led by suicide bombers on foot or in vehicles.
Jobs in the Bay of Plentys biggest employment sector have dipped 15 per cent on last year according to an analysis of Trade Me Jobs.

There are signs the Bay of Plenty may be slowing down a little, with listings up only 9 per cent year-on-year, says head of Trade Me Jobs, Jeremy Wade.

Thats still sensational growth, but the Bay of Plenty has been a star performer in the last couple of years so this is a bit of a dip for that region.

While new listings for transport & logistics and construction have grown this quarter, the biggest sector in the region, trades & services, was down 15 per cent year-on-year.

Every other region apart from the Bay of Plenty is outpacing the three main centres for the second quarter in a row. The Waikato is up 27 per cent year-on-year, and Otago is up 25 per cent.

New Zealands employment market continues to be extremely strong, according to analysis of over 72,000 vacancies listed on Trade Me Jobs in the April-June second quarter of 2017.

Many sectors are seeing strong growth in wages, says Jeremy.

We said last quarter that we expected to see employers dip into their pockets to try and attract staff and were seeing signs of that in some sectors.

While overall average pay was down one per cent, in sectors with huge demand for staff the wages have begun to shift markedly. For instance, the average wage in construction in Auckland has jumped 21 per cent in the last year.

New listings on Trade Me Jobs are up 12 per cent on this time last year, the fourth consecutive quarter of double-digit growth in new listings.

The job market has experienced unbelievable growth over the last year, and weve seen listings up in every region across the country which is very rare, says Jeremy.

The percentage of applications per listing was down in every region in New Zealand compared to this time last year, except for Gisborne (up a minute 0.5 per cent) and the West Coast (up a solid 24 per cent).

If youre thinking about making a move, now is a great time to do it. The dip in applications indicates that job seekers are being more selective and that its harder for employers to find the people they need. In many sectors there is a huge range of roles to choose from but not everyone will feel like winners in the market. Were still seeing a chunk of people applying for roles but experiencing little joy in the job market.

Sectors with the most demand for new staff are starting to offer more money.

Were not seeing the wage growth we expected yet, but were starting to see some green shoots in what has been a pretty barren landscape for Kiwi job hunters. The sectors needing people the most are starting to offer more.

The 13 sectors with the highest growth in new listings have all had jumps in wages, with automotive roles (average pay up five per cent year-on-year) and construction (up eight per cent) leading the way.

This trend should continue growing as employers try to entice the talent they want by offering more cash. We expect this to spill over into other sectors in the next couple of quarters.

In the highest earning area stakes, Auckland City ($71,725) has beaten Wellington City ($66,853) for the second quarter in a row. Auckland and Wellington again saw solid listing growth, up 11 per cent and six per cent respectively.

Aucklands increase is being driven by a huge jump in the average pay for construction roles in the Super City. This is up a massive 21 per cent year-on-year from approximately $82,000 to just under $99,000, says Jeremy.

The building boom has created massive competition for talent and some employers in Auckland are pushing wages up in a big way to get staff on board.

Around the 26 sectors on Trade Me Jobs, 18 saw an increase in the number of new listings year-on-year with transport up 33 per cent, manufacturing up 32.5 percent, automotive 31 per cent and construction 26.5 per cent.

Infrastructure work around the country is fuelling the growth in these sectors and manufacturing is being spurred on by big jumps in listings in Auckland and Canterbury, says Jeremy.

Meanwhile, IT is down 22 per cent, executive and management down 12 per cent and marketing and communications is down nine per cent.
Camera maker Red has made an unexpected announcement of a 'holographic' smartphone set to be released in 2018. The news comes as a surprise because Red is not a phone manufacturer. The company, established by Oakley founder Jim Jannard, specializes in high-end cameras and accessories. The Hydrogen One "holographic media machine," as they call it, will be Red's first entry into the smartphone market.

The company claims that the Hydrogen's screen will be capable of displaying standard 2D and 3D content as well as 2D/3D AR, VR, and MR without the use of glasses or a headset. The device will also be capable of showcasing Red's proprietary Hydrogen 4-View (H4V) images. Images in H4V are supposedly holographic, but the company has not released any details on how the format works. They have said that the holograms are viewable with the naked eye though. Red claims that nanotechnology is what makes the holographic display possible. It also allows for "seamless" switching between content types.

Red looks to complete the 3D experience with the handset's audio. The Hydrogen One will use Red's proprietary "H3O algorithm" that will be built into Android. This algorithm converts standard stereo sound into "multi-dimensional audio" similar to 5.1 surround sound on headphones. The company plans to release modular attachments for the phone as well.

Two models of the phone are available for preorders. An aluminum version goes for $1,195, and one encased in titanium will sell for $1,595. The company stresses that these are the preorder prices and cannot guarantee the same price after release. The Hydrogen One will use USB-C connectivity and have expandable storage via MicroSD.

Red also warned that due to "display production limitations." the company would likely not be able to fill post-release orders promptly. It sounds like Red has not secured a reliable display manufacturer or is producing screens in-house. In either case, delayed orders, regardless of warning, will likely have an adverse impact on the phone's initial critical response.

While I do like the rugged looking design of the handset, the phone's major selling point, the screen, does not impress me. Holographic and 3D displays have been tried before, but they have mostly come across as gimmicky and never produce the results that consumers expect. Unless Red has managed to pull off something unique with its display, I doubt it will go far considering the price point.

However, the device might have a built-in market within the cinema and professional photography industries. The Hydrogen One is built to interface with some of Red's professional-grade cameras. Owners of Scarlet (pictured above), EPIC, and Weapon series of Red cameras may like the fact that the phone can be used as a remote display and user interface. Whether this is enough to support the production costs remains to be seen.
This website is inclusive of tolerant people of all faiths, without exception. Neither anti-Semitism nor Islamophobia nor homophobia should ever be acceptable to anyone. We must all strive to live in peace and harmony with each other, regardless of religious affiliations, or none. Intolerance is the mother of strife and conflict.   Mark Alexander

We Britons are Europeans!Wir Briten sind Europaer! Nous, les Britanniques, sommes europeens !  Mark AlexanderEmail me at:markalexander.librabunda@gmail.com
SoundCloud in an effort to cut costs announced on Thursday that it has let go 173 employees and consolidated the remaining team into two offices - one in New York and the other in Berlin. SoundCloud reportedly had around 420 employees before the cuts.

Co-founder and CEO Alex Ljung said they've spent the last several years growing the business. The work has paid off as they've more than doubled revenue over the last 12 months but to ensure their long-term, independent success, cost-cutting measures were a necessity.

Ljung said they are extremely grateful for the contributions of each and every staff member who will be leaving SoundCloud and wished all of them the best.

The reduction in staff means SoundCloud is also closing its offices in San Francisco and London.

SoundCloud debuted in October 2008 and launched a paid music subscription service in March 2016. Word broke last fall that Spotify was in late-stage talks to acquire its streaming music rival but by December, the deal had been taken off the table. The rumor mill also labeled Twitter as a potential suitor years earlier but an agreement never materialized.

SoundCloud isn't the only online music entity struggling as of late. Internet radio pioneer Pandora, which sold a 19 percent stake to SiriusXM last month, recently saw co-founder and CEO Tim Westergren step down.
It feels like we were due another massive online database leak, and, sure enough, there's just been another one. On this occasion it's wrestling fans who have been exposed, after an unprotected WWE database was discovered containing the personal information of over 3 million users.

Bob Diachenko, Chief Security Communications Officer at security firm Kromtech (the same company that discovered a database containing 560 million login credentials back in May), found the trove of data, which included home and email addresses, dates of birth, educational background, ethnicity, earnings, and even customers' children's age ranges and genders, all stored in plain text.

Diachenko said the data was stored on an Amazon Web Services S3 server that had no username or password protection and could be accessed by anyone who knew the web address to search.

It appears that this database comes from one of the WWE corporation's marketing teams. The data matches that found in the account details of customers belonging to the WWE Network, the wrestling company's subscription streaming service.

Amazingly, Diachenko found another open WWE database on Amazon Web Services; this one containing the addresses, telephone numbers, and names belonging to European fans.

"This is yet another warning to any company or service provider that handles and stores personal data. Security experts warn that not only should they audit their security processes regularly, but they should also have an incident response process in the event of a data leak and follow simple cyber hygiene rules," Diachenko told me in a message. "With the wave of ransomware attacks on companies and businesses recently, it is clear that the corporate sector is being targeted by cyber criminals."

WWE says it has since taken down the databases, which were likely misconfigured by someone at the company or one of its partners. The organization is working with AWS and security firms Smartronix and Praetorian to investigate how the database was unsecured.

"Although no credit card or password information was included, and therefore not at risk, WWE is investigating a vulnerability of a database housed on Amazon Web Services, which has now been secured," the company said.

Last month, conservative marketing and data firm Deep Root Analytics exposed political data on over 200 million Americans by not password protecting its database, which was also stored on an Amazon server.
It seems Samsung has now put the Note 7 disaster completely behind it, as the company forecasts that its Q2 profits will break all previous records. The firm announced that its second-quarter operating profit likely rose 72 percent year-on-year to around 14 trillion won (around $12.1 billion), with revenue estimated to come in at 60 trillion won ($52 billion)

While the popularity Samsung's Galaxy S8 and S8+ played a part in its expected record-breaking quarter, the company owes a lot of its success to rival Apple and its upcoming new iPhones. The Cupertino company signed a deal with Samsung for 100 million OLED screen last year, before reportedly ordering 60 million more in February.

Samsung won't be revealing a financial breakdown of divisions until it reports audited results at the end of July, but more than half of the profits is expected to have come from its semiconductor business, especially in light of the increasing prices and high demand for DRAM and NAND memory chips.

Some analysts believe Samsung could, for the first time, bring in a larger quarterly profit than Apple, which is expected to report revenue of around $44.9 billion and an operating profit of $10.49 billion for Q2.

Despite the news and the potential for another record-breaking Q3, Samsung's shares dipped 0.3 percent this morning as the earnings outlook was already priced in. Company stock is, however, up 30 percent in 2017, and edging closer to an all-time high. Let's just hope that the Note 8 performs better than its predecessor.
Nougat, the latest stable release of Google's Android mobile operating system, is now installed on more than 10 percent of devices according to the latest information from the Android Developer Dashboard.

Data reveals that 10.6 percent of devices that visited the Google Play Store during the seven-day period ending July 6, 2017, were running Android Nougat 7.0 while 0.9 percent of devices had Nougat 7.1 installed. That brings the total distribution for Nougat to 11.5 percent, up from just 9.5 percent a month ago.

Android 6.0 Marshmallow remains the most popular version with a market share of 31.8 percent followed closely by Lollipop at 30.1 percent and KitKat at 17.1 percent. No other version has double-digit distribution.

Google last month ended support for the Android Market, the app store that predated Google Play for devices running Android 2.1 Eclair and earlier.

Adoption of Android Nougat has been slow, to say the least. The OS reached general availability on August 22, 2016, and just now broke into double-digit adoption. In comparison, Apple launched iOS 10 on September 13, 2016, and as of July 5, 2017, a whopping 86 percent of iDevices are running it.

Aside from not having access to the latest and greatest features Android has to offer, users running dated versions of Android are more vulnerable to security threats. Unfortunately, the issue is out of Google's hands as manufacturers and carriers are largely to blame for dropping the ball and not rolling out updates in a timely manner.

Lead image via AndroidPIT
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Nabors Industries Ltd. provides drilling and drilling-related services for land-based and offshore oil and natural gas wells. The company operates through five segments: U.S. Drilling, Canada Drilling, International Drilling, Drilling Solutions, and Rig Technologies. It provides tubular running, wellbore placement, directional drilling, measurement-while-drilling (MWD), equipment manufacturing, and rig instrumentation services; and logging-while-drilling systems and services, as well as drilling optimization software. The company also offers REVit, an automated real time stick-slip mitigation system; ROCKit, a directional steering control system; SmartNAV, a collaborative guidance and advisory platform; SmartSLIDE, an advanced directional steering control system; and RigCLOUD, which provides the tools and infrastructure to integrate applications to deliver real-time insight into operations across the rig fleet. In addition, it manufactures and sells top drives, catwalks, wrenches, drawworks, and other drilling related equipment, such as robotic systems and downhole tools; and provides aftermarket sales and services for the installed base of its equipment. As of December 31, 2021, the company marketed approximately 301 rigs for land-based drilling operations in the United States, Canada, and in 20 other countries worldwide; and 29 rigs for offshore platform drilling operations in the United States and internationally. Nabors Industries Ltd. was founded in 1952 and is based in Hamilton, Bermuda.
Williams-Sonoma, Inc. operates as an omni-channel specialty retailer of various products for home. It offers cooking, dining, and entertaining products, such as cookware, tools, electrics, cutlery, tabletop and bar, outdoor, furniture, and a library of cookbooks under the Williams Sonoma Home brand, as well as home furnishings and decorative accessories under the Williams Sonoma lifestyle brand; and furniture, bedding, lighting, rugs, table essentials, and decorative accessories under the Pottery Barn brand. The company also provides home decor products under the West Elm brand; kids accessories under the Pottery Barn Kids brand; and an organic bedding to multi-purpose furniture under the Pottery Barn Teen brand. In addition, it offers made-to-order lighting, hardware, furniture, and home decors inspired by history under the Rejuvenation brand; and women's and men's accessories, travel, entertaining and bar, home decor, and seasonal items under the Mark and Graham brand, as well as operates a 3-D imaging and augmented reality platform for the home furnishings and decor industry. The company markets its products through e-commerce websites, direct-mail catalogs, and retail stores. It operates 544 stores comprising 502 stores in 41states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico; 20 stores in Canada; 19 stores in Australia; 3 stores in the United Kingdom; and 139 franchised stores, as well as e-commerce websites in various countries in the Middle East, the Philippines, Mexico, South Korea, and India. Williams-Sonoma, Inc. was founded in 1956 and is headquartered in San Francisco, California.
It is often asserted that the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 proved that HWA was right and he really did see the future.

This of course is nonsense. Herbert W. Armstrong said that Christ would return within twenty years in his book Mystery of the Ages. (PCG has since deleted those words so someone in there knows HWA spoke nonsense.) How convenient for them to forget this.

Also Herbert W. Armstrong never said the Soviet Union would collapse. He thought it would survive intact until a few years after Christ's return. It shows how biased some many in the COGs are that they never seem to notice this. This inconvenient truth is just tossed into the memory hole.

It is true that HWA said that some Eastern European states would break away from Moscow's orbit and join the European Empire he said would arise at any moment. But he never talked of the Soviet Union collapsing. He did not teach that. Also he portrayed the rise of the European Empire to be far quicker then what has actually happened. In Mystery of the Ages Christ was supposed to return by 2005 at the most.

So assertions that the fall of the Berlin Wall somehow prove that HWA was right is just complete nonsense spread by people who, for whatever reason, are still in denial that HWA was a false prophet who merely talked out of his own "human reasoning".
It may be too ambitious a thing for summer to pick a book for every single weekend; still, sitting in the shade with a good read is something to aspire to. Heres a little help: a summer reading list with a mash-up of genres and styles to satisfy any summer mood.

Saints and Misfits, S.K. Ali (out now) This debut novel is a lovely and important addition to the YA canon  you know, the kind that even adults will enjoy. In this first-person story Janna, a Muslim teen, offers a compelling voice, a likeable character and a story that teens and adults can relate to. Its also the first book in a new imprint from Simon and Schuster, called Salaam Reads, which focuses on Muslim experiences.

New Boy, Tracy Chevalier (out now) Dont be put off when I say that this is a reframing of Shakespeares Othello  this highly readable book is by the same writer who brought us Girl With the Pearl Earring. Tracy Chevaliers highly readable and immaculately researched historical fiction this time takes place in 1970s Washington, D.C., at an integrated school. Chevalier grew up in that environment; this book, though fictional, is a powerful exploration of betrayal and bullying  and casual racism.

The Redemption of Galen Pike, Carys Davies (out now) Sometimes you want something that packs satisfaction in a short burst of reading. This book is it. Welsh writer Davies short stories are beautifully crafted and pull you in, delivering twists and insights that you simply didnt see coming. One of the best books to come out this year.

American War, Omar El Akkad Canadian (out now) There are few books as prescient as this novel by Canadian writer El Akkad. It looks into America in the near-ish future (2074) when a second civil war breaks out. The country is experiencing a devastating plague, people are being uprooted from their homes and fleeing to refugee camps. The book asks the question: What if what is happening in the rest of the world were to happen in the U.S.  the answer holds up a mirror that doesnt always reflect back a comfortable image.

The Home That Was Our Country, Alia Malek (out now) Alia Malek has penned a powerful and necessary read that sheds light on and helps our own understanding of the people behind the crisis in Syria. In this memoir, she tells of generations of her own family and stories of the wide range of residents in their apartment block, interweaving with the political analysis.

The Lightkeepers Daughter, Jean E. Pendziwol (July 4)  This is one for reading in cottage country  it features Lake Superior after all  and traverses land that Pendziwol, who hails from Thunder Bay, knows well. While shes best known for her childrens books including Once Upon a Northern Light, this debut novel takes her to the other end of the generational spectrum, where Elizabeth, along with a teenage friend, dives deeply into her familys decades-old diaries in an effort to solve a family mystery

Gutenbergs Fingerprint, Merilyn Simonds (out now) This ones a treat for book lovers that sits in the middle of the technological shift from print to digital. Simonds takes a personal and philosophical approach to exploring how books have changed  and how the way we read might change in the future. With lovely anecdotes, she looks at everything from the invention of writing to the invention of the Internet.

The Only Cafe, Linden McIntyre (August 8) The author of the Giller Prize-winning The Bishops Man is back, this time with a family saga. Cyril, a young intern in a television newsroom, is delving into his dead father Pierres mysterious past. The story takes us from present-day Toronto to Lebanon in the 1980s and the massacre at Sabra and the Shatila camps as Cyril tries to untangle the truth about his family.

The Good Daughter, Karin Slaughter (August 8) Slaughter has such a following  her books have sold 35 million copies  people eagerly await her next story. This stand-alone novel begins in 1989 with a violent tragedy that sees a mother die and two girls forced into the woods at gunpoint. One of them  Charlotte  gets away. We meet up with her again almost 30 years later when another violent act rips open old memories.

A Stranger In The House, Shari Lapena (August 15) This Toronto writers The Couple Next Door dominated bestseller lists  including the New York Times, over the last year. This book, too, mines the darkness in relationships, featuring a wife with secrets and a husband who refuses to believe youre anything but wonderful. Great suspense and lots of twists.

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Other Houses

By Kate Cayley

Brick Books, 60 pages, $20

The cover of Toronto writer Kate Cayleys second book of poetry features a photo of houses seen at a steep angle from the ground up. It has a vertiginous effect, and as such its the ideal image for a collection that puts an odd but striking tilt on a range of subjects. Many of these spare, coolly luminous poems portray characters from folk tales or historical figures associated with the power of illusion; or, as she puts it dryly in one poem, the chicanery that lends itself to art. Her own poetic sleight of hand is subtly on display in a suite of poems called The Library of the Missing, a contemplation of loss and the narratives we construct around artifacts. She tends to be oblique, but she can also be affectingly forthright: if prayer is a way to see ghosts, Ill pray, she writes in an elegy for a friend.

Liminal

By Jordan Mounteer

Sono Nis Press, 160 pages, $15.95

In the first poem in this debut collection, Jordan Mounteer writes of an inclination of the heart/to track its bearing in the world. Thats exactly what these restless, lyrical meditations do, whether reflecting on the turning tides of love, his many global ports of call (from Japan to Ecuador) or his home territory of British Columbias Slocan Valley. Mounteers phrasing is colourful and evocative, especially when describing the natural world. He conveys the brute violence of clear-cuts in a series of poems about tree-planting, writing of a knot of slash, angles of fragged larch and the tracks of logging trucks wended into bald slopes like fissures/in the skull. Elsewhere, a mountain range perches like a row of owls/asleep in their wings. Throughout Liminal, theres the sense of a young writer striving to capture experience in words; if he occasionally overreaches with his figurative language, his unabashed romanticism is still disarming in our irony-inflected times.

A Place Called No Homeland

By Kai Cheng Thom

Arsenal/Pulp Press, 88 pages, $14.95

This debut collection by Toronto spoken word artist Kai Cheng Thom is impassioned testimony, fiercely polemical and often raw, on the charged subject of identity. Many of the poems chronicle a forlorn longing to feel connected to the sun-tinted histories of her Chinese heritage while wrestling with feelings of shame and rejection as a girlboy, and struggling with the internalization of self-hatred. The in-your-face directness and energy of strong feeling carries them, and there are hard-hitting observations that strike home; as Thom puts it plaintively in one poem about the private battlefield of a love affair: Why is it fear/stops us from hurting each other/and love seems to do the opposite? Elsewhere, Thom confronts not only homophobia (Id like to wear heels in public/but Id also like to live is how one man puts it) but also the violence and racism inside the gay community.

Comma

By Jennifer Still

BookThug, unpaginated, $20

For six years Jennifer Stills brother was in a coma, and the Winnipeg poet read his handwritten notebook of prairie plants for companionship, signs of consciousness, attention. His text and drawings are the foundation of Comma, her compelling third book of poetry. (The typeface  in all bold but one letter m in regular face  reflects both coma and the pause of the punctuation mark.) Still replicates pages from that notebook but selectively deletes words, leaving delicate, fragmentary evidence of a flickering presence. Breath is a recurring motif, as a sign of life (her brothers breath is a white flare in the/tube: cocoon, fog patch, misty field) and a vital element of poetry (the word is only the mule the breath rides in on). In the section Papery Acts, Still muses on the act of writing, quoting extensively from other writers and examining her own practice in the face of grief. As she puts it, I am listening for where the poem and life crossover.

Barbara Carey is a Toronto writer, and the Stars poetry columnist.

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Integral Man: One of Torontos most famous houses gets some close scrutiny in Integral Man, a Hot Docs festival hit that returns for an extended run. Commissioned by the late mathematician and Rosedale resident Jim Stewart in the early 2000s, Integral House was designed by Brigitte Shim and Howard Sutcliffe and constructed at a cost of $34 million. The 17,000-square-foot house was a testament to its owners love of music, with an intimate concert hall serving as its main showpiece. Joseph Clements film examines the story of this architectural marvels creation along with the saga of its original owner, who only had a few years to enjoy concerts there before dying of cancer in 2014. Clements film plays July 7-19 at the Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema  select screenings on the runs first weekend include Q&As with Shim and local architecture scholars Alex Bozikovic and Larry Dean Richards.

Outdoor screenings: Just in case you were wondering, the city is now reaching peak al fresco when it comes to outdoor screening choices this summer with the arrival of two more series. On July 7, Downsview Park begins its Movies in the Meadow program with La La Land. Further south, the Regent Park Film Festivals Under the Stars series in Regent Park opts for Space Jam as its season opener on July 12. Elsewhere in Toronto under this weeks night skies, the Christie Pits Film Festival presents The Maltese Falcon on July 9 and City Cinema at Yonge-Dundas Square goes for Whip It on July 11. Also that night, the Open Roof Festival at 99 Sudbury matches The Bad Batch with a live set by Blonde Elvis. On July 12, Harbourfront Centres Free Flicks at the Concert Stage gives you some Garth with the original Waynes World. Finally on July 13, Corktown Commons fills a screen with Hairspray (the Divine version rather than the John Travolta one).

Blood Hunters: A local filmmaking team that earned some love from genre-movie fans for their 2013 thriller Silent Retreat, director Tricia Lee and writer Corey Brown return to provide more thrills in a new feature that opens at the Carlton. Blood Hunters stars Lara Gilchrist as a young woman whos abducted and wakes up in a strange hospital to discover that shes inexplicably very pregnant. Pregnant with what is a whole other problem that emerges in the grisly proceedings which  in accordance with what may be a local bylaw for low-budget horror productions  also feature an appearance by the indispensable Julian Richings. Blood Hunters opens July 7 at the Carlton.

Tickling Giants: Surely every country in the world could use its own version of The Daily Show. No nation may need one quite as badly as Egypt, which explains why cardiologist-turned-comedian Bassem Youssef and his satirical news program Al-Bernameg (The Show) was both celebrated and attacked when it ran from 2011 to 2014. A new documentary directed by Daily Show senior producer Sara Taksler, Tickling Giants provides a look at Youssefs quest to defend free speech and be funny at the same time, all without getting sent to jail  it runs July 7-13 at the Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema.

The Postmans White Nights: A great Russian filmmaker whose achievements range from co-writing Andrei Tarkovskys 1966 classic Andrei Rublev to directing Sylvester Stallone in the not-quite-as-classic Tango & Cash, Andrei Konchalovsky made a strong return when his drama The Postmans White Nights won the Silver Lion at the 2014 Venice film festival. Two years later, he did it again with his film Paradise. To celebrate the directors 80th birthday, both films are getting theatrical runs in Toronto, beginning with the July 7 release of The Postmans White Nights at Cineplex Canada Square.

Chasing Coral: From the makers of Chasing Ice comes another compelling eco-doc that recently debuted at Hot Docs and returns for a special screening. In Chasing Coral, director Jeff Orlowski portrays the efforts of several defenders of the oceans ecosystems from coral bleaching, a phenomenon thats caused by rising water temperatures and whose deadly impact on underwater lifeforms may lead to a comparable catastrophe to those of us living on land. An associate professor in the department of biology at the University of Victoria, Julia Baum participates in a Skype Q&A after it plays the Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinemas Films Changing the World program on July 13.

In Brief:

July 8 is a fine night for freaky movies at the Lightbox thanks to rare screenings of the directors cut of The Exorcist and Olivier Assayas prescient cyber-thriller Demonlover.

Broken Social Scene get their big-screen moment in This Movie Is Broken, which plays the Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinemas This Film Should Be Played Loud music-flick series on July 8.

Director Brian Yuznas on hand for the Royals July 11 showing of Society, a wickedly warped 1989 cult fave whose mix of genre thrills and ruthless social satire anticipates Get Out.

Cineplexs Scotiabank and Queensway VIP locations invite patrons to go bananas on July 12 at a triple feature of the recent Planet of the Apes prequels, culminating in locals first chance to see War of the Planet of the Apes.

Author Diana Beresford-Kroeger introduces the Lightboxs July 13 screening of Call of the Forest, the hit doc about her mission to teach people about the value of trees.

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Live music highlights July 6 to 12:

Ed Sheeran

Galway Gal END

Algorithmically attuned Brit returns from manspreading all over the charts to extend a scorecard few pop stars can dream of with this pretty much sold-out two-night arena stand, bringing his total to five ACC turns in less than three years. The formula is as dependable and bland as lukewarm oatmeal: guitar and looper, a collection of scruffy shirts and a jukebox of hits delivered with a stadium-sized smile on the giant screens above and behind. Pal James Blunt joins him this tour, another popular but critically derided type who is at least having a laugh about it, ending last year by tweeting, If you thought 2016 was bad  Im releasing an album in 2017. Here you go then. (Friday and Saturday, Air Canada Centre, 7:30 p.m.)

IFE

House of Love (Ogbe Yekun) END

At home in Puerto Rico, Otura Mun is a producer crafting songs for some of the islands top artists, but this project is all his: an ensemble, with Ifa priest Mun on percussion, that combines R&B and Afro-Caribbean musical and Yoruba spiritual elements. All together, its a layered patchwork that sways in the breeze. Like the fine Belgian chanteur Nicolas Michaux, making his local debut at the Burdock Sunday night, theres a language barrier for Anglos to surmount, but it goes down so easily you may as well just feel it. And theres a lot of that from what Mun has called not so much a band as a type of meditational state. (Saturday, Mod Club, doors 9 p.m.)

The Harpoonist & the Axe Murderer

Forever Fool END

Lee Watson

Falling South END

For years, Vancouvers Shawn Hall and Matt Rogers have matched their well-worn blues-rock esthetic at local clubs, but this free show has them outdoors on the lakefront, where attentions can wander. Give em a space and theyll sonically punch way above their weight, though, so expect the usual groovy and crowd-pleasing rambling, much of it drawn from recent release Apocalipstick. The Prairies to Pacific festival theyre part of has more to offer, with Lee Watson at Harbourfronts Boulevard Tent. Formerly with rootsy West Coasters the Breakmen, Watson has a second solo recording just out shot through with Canadiana sounds. As the Stars Ben Rayner puts it, The mans got a pleasingly melancholic voice and a talent for melody that seems like its been around forever. (Saturday, Harbourfront Centre Boulevard Tent, 5:30 p.m., and Concert Stage, 7:45 p.m.)

Quinn Bachands Brishen

Fading Light

At 21 years old, Victoria native Bachand is seasoned way beyond his years: a guitarist, multi-instrumentalist and composer of uncommon precocity, breadth and pedigree, including a Berklee scholarship, and acclaim and awards alongside his violin-playing sister Qristina for their Celtic folk stompers. The spotlight for this show shines a little hotter, as the gypsy jazz and western swing stylings of Bachands band get their unveiling. Off a listen to their Blue Verdun record and last months warm-up at the jazz festival, the five-piece seems primed to reimagine the Bloordale spot as a vintage Paris-meets-the-panhandle honky tonk. (Monday, Burdock, doors 7 p.m.)

Gorillaz

Ascension END

This unique pairing of the slick sonic and artistic visions of Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett surfaced around the turn of this century. Turns out there are some legs in them yet, with new album Humanz just out and this first big tour in nearly seven years. As ever, theres a starry crew of real-life sidemen and accompanists, including rapper Vince Staples, who joins this visit to open and finds himself on the set list alongside the cartoonery for his turn on Humanz cut Ascension. Pick of the week. (Monday, Air Canada Centre, 7 p.m.)

Jeff Rosenstock

Pash Rash

Laura Stevenson

Torch Song END

Long Islander Rosenstock is the accidental provocateur, going the PWYC album route during the early days of the Internet long before such practice was noted, let alone cool, and continuing as the brains behind mutable DIY crew Bomb the Music Industry! Heading into his mid-30s and still as nuanced, knowing and subversive an everyman figure as ever with last years Worry, Rosenstock joins former Bomb bandmate Stevenson with Toronto punk foursome Deforesters to start at a sold-out house. (Tuesday, Hard Luck Bar, doors 7 p.m.)

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Will the mainstream media prevail in its highly toxic and abusive relationship with the president of the United States?

Some days, with a small clutch of fear, I wonder.

Last week, Trump tweeted a viscerally brutal attack on MSNBC host, Mika Brzezinski, describing her as low I.Q. Crazy Mika and saying falsely that the last time he saw her at Mar-a-Lago, his Florida estate, she was bleeding badly from a face-lift. He also called her on and off air partner Joe Scarborough Psycho Joe. Both hosts had been critical of him.

This week he tweeted a bizarre video showing him wrestling and battering a CNN logo to the ground. Subtle hes not. Critics accused him of inciting violence against journalists.

Ive met men like Donald Trump in real life (or IRL as they call it on Twitter.) Not necessarily as rich or powerful as the bizarrely behaved president, but certainly with the same bullying glint in their eye.

You know instantly that if challenged, they will attack, that if they attack it will be nasty, and that if youre a woman it will be even nastier.

Men like Trump almost always go first for a female critics looks. Its as if a woman who does not rate a 10 to such a man is deprived not only of the right to be in his presence but even to do her job. Her intelligence is the next thing to be savaged.

This is not only sexist, its emotional abuse.

When journalists  male or female  are verbally insulted or threatened by Trump or his surrogates, they cant do what domestically abused women are advised to do: you know, move out, rent an apartment or find an otherwise safe place, take their belongings, leave no trace of where theyve gone, dont let him find them, start over.

Brian J. Karem, a correspondent for Sentinel newspapers and for Playboy, bravely summed it up during a contentious televised White House press briefing in late June when Deputy Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders was flagellating CNN for a story it had retracted and quickly apologized for.

Sanders normalized her bosss behaviour, and repeated by rote the standard Trump team line that mainstream media delivers fake news.

Visibly upset, Karem interjected: Any one of us are replaceable, and any one of us, if we dont get it right, the audience has the opportunity to turn the channel or not read us. You have been elected to serve for four years at least. There is no option other than that. Were here to ask you questions. Youre here to provide the answers.

In other words, the press cannot look away, let alone walk away, even as they are maligned. They are only there on behalf of the publics right to know.

I wouldnt be surprised if any of Trumps more frequent media targets is in therapy.

Yet all Ive ever heard from my colleagues is a calm collective determination to carry on reporting and analyzing the facts.

There is little self-pity. But there a continued insistence that much of what the U.S. President is doing is not normal.

Right from the start this battle between Trump and the press has been about an outsider candidate who benefited hugely from free and endless media exposure, and at the same time viciously attacked, defamed and even incited violence against the press.

Using a familiar playbook, Trump has, in the best authoritarian tradition, sought to make verbal cruelty routine, and delegitimize the mainstream press.

We know by now that Trump bullies with abandon, insults without boundaries, and lies constantly. He is the id who ate Washington.

But what is the best strategy for opposing such behaviour?

I spoke with parenting expert and speaker Barbara Coloroso, author of The Bully, The Bullied and the Bystander (since upgraded to The Not-So- Innocent Bystander) to ask what strategies work against Trump.

Coloroso, speaking from her home in Colorado, said that meeting the presidents aggression with aggression wont work, because aggression begets aggression. Passivity wont work either  it just invites more name-calling and abuse.

What Trump is doing is sheer outright bullying said Coloroso. The only thing that works, she says, is assertiveness  the press must continue to report the facts and call him out on lies.

Trumps bystanders, enablers and henchmen include his press secretaries and other surrogates, most of his cabinet and the GOP members of congress who still wont break with him.

Coloroso refers to the trap of comradeship  slogans, songs, gatherings, that lead to a feeling of solidarity among Trump supporters. Fake news is so much easier to repeat than to attempt to evaluate the veracity of each news story.

Trump has succeeded among his followers in making the mainstream press the villain, says Coloroso.

For the first time in my life, I am fearful.

I always had confidence that the system would work, says Coloroso, but Trump doesnt care, he just doesnt care.

The only way to break this cycle of bullying is for people willing to stand up at great cost to themselves, brave-hearted people.

We all have to support a free press.

Coloroso, long a favourite with Canadian audiences, looks forward to doing more public speaking about a bullying ethos that has gripped her country.

She muses, only half in jest, I could go to jail  my kids are all raised.

This is what it comes down to when the schoolyard bully makes it into the Oval Office.

Judith Timson writes weekly about cultural, social and political issues. You can reach her at judith.timson@sympatico.ca and follow her on Twitter @judithtimson

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ELORA, ONT.I kick my legs as I float down the Grand River with flippers fastened to my feet and webbed gloves snug around my wrists. I feel like a duck.

Im in a one-man inflatable cata-raft (catamaran raft) called a RiverBug, with my feet dangling below the surface like propellers as I drift with the whitewater to Elora, Ont., a village northwest of Guelph full of cute little shops and historic buildings at the top of a picturesque gorge.

I visited the area many times as a kid in the 90s, but never like this. Im not here to shop for tchotchkes. This is a day trip full of outdoor adventures.

In my wetsuit, I can barely feel the frigid water. All I feel is my gut drop as I approach a series of waterfalls.

This RiverBug ride  the first of its kind in Canada  is the newest offering for the 2017 summer season in Centre Wellington township that already offers plenty of escapism for the adventurous, from rappelling and ziplining, to small-cliff jumping and more. Bring a bike if you can. This adventure is even better with wheels.

Bug out

Though much of the ride down the river is calm, the rapids and small waterfalls are intense. As my guide Ken Thompson and I approach the first set of four drops, we dismount the RiverBugs to inspect the best route down. He tells me to look for the part of the water that makes a V, where the way over is most calm.

He goes first and I watch him disappear over the first edge. I cant see him and Im unsure if hes tumbled upside down, pulled under by a snaky current. After a long minute, his head bobs up just past the falls and he signals that its my turn to make the descent. As I approach the first drop Thompson motions for me to turn my raft around  to go blind down the falls. The RiverBugs are constructed with strong seatbacks that make going over backwards instead of feet-first the better way to brace the fall.

The first drop is a cinch, but the second lurches me forward and back and I almost lose control. I frantically reroute the direction of my RiverBug, kicking the flippers and tossing up water with my gloves. I bumble over the third drop, then the fourth, and suddenly Im next to Thompson at the base.

Theres water up my nose and my stomach is aflutter but Im fired up. I feel like I could take on a beast. But there are none here in quaint Elora. The RiverBug jaunt is a brief thrill in an otherwise calming atmosphere. The rest of my ride along the Grand River is peaceful, a welcome leisure cruise. The sun peeks through treetops. Teenagers sneak into secret caves under bridges. The town seems quiet, but I know beyond the dolomite walls of the river is a bustling tourism industry ready for a loud summer of adventure.

Thompson, owner of Elora Raft Rides, is one of the areas original outdoor explorers. Hes lived here since 1969, a landed-on-the-moon type resident, he jokes.

It was a little farming community then, and it had almost no tourists, he says with the wry grin that many locals don when discussing tourism. Elora has changed big time.

Quarry glory

The main attraction for many visitors is the Elora Quarry, the kind of place locals wish they could keep secret. When the light or Instagram filter hits the emerald green water just right, it looks like a tropical oasis thats a few flights away.

Its no secret. Over the last two summers, the number of visitors has skyrocketed, according to the Grand River Conservation Authority. The Huck Finn-esque watering hole saw more than 85,000 visitors in a three-month period last year  almost twice the count from 2015.

Most recently, overcrowding of this popular summer swimming location has begun to put significant pressure on the local environment around the park, the GRCA said in a June statement.

Its why officials are enforcing a limit for the first time this year. The first 1,300 guests per day will receive admission wristbands and the rest will be encouraged to visit the surrounding area.

(The area is) so quintessential Ontario and is one of the most spectacular natural backdrops, says tourism co-ordinator Deb Dalziel, noting the Floridian quality of life in Centre Wellington that keeps the locals there and the tourists coming.

Its more than just going to the quarry for a swim, she says.

Rock the rappel

Dabbling in the water below Elora Gorge isnt the only way to experience it. You can also rappel right down the side with Frederick Schuett, co-owner of One Axe Pursuits, and the man who helped Canadian explorer George Kourounis rappel into a pit of lava known as the Door to Hell in Turkmenistan.

Tethered to a couple of ropes, I dont feel confident at the top, but Schuett makes it look easy as we rappel side by side over Irvine Creek, with the David Street bridge over our left shoulder and a lookout called The Lovers Leap to our right. The folklore goes that an Indigenous princess is said to have leapt to her death there after her lover died in battle. I cant help but picture tumbling to my rocky demise, but the rappelling is easier  and more relaxing  than it looks.

You wont be setting any Guinness Records with Schuett in Elora, but youll still get a rush as you approach the edge of drops that measure more than 60 feet (18 metres) into the Gorge. One Axe Pursuits also offers ziplines, rock climbing, caving, and a new rappel experience that ends with a river feast inside the Gorge.

The bike trail

One of the best ways to see the sights of Fergus and Elora is by bike. This year, the pros at The Bicycle Tailor are offering a picnic ride in partnership with Fraberts Fine Foods from nearby Fergus, Ont. Rent a bike at the tailors, strap on a set of bags filled with baguettes, cheeses, pasties, bean salads and sparkling apple cider and cruise along the Elora Cataract Trailway, a flat, smooth track thats perfect for a picnic ride. Lined with purple wildflowers and snippets of history (the old rail line its sitting on was leased to Canadian Pacific Railway for 999 years in 1884), the 10- to 15-kilometre loop is an active way to see the area in one afternoon.

Grab a pint

Reserve a table in advance at the Elora Brewing Company to end a day of adventure with a congratulatory pint. The restaurant-brewery opened in August 2015 in a space that used to house hardware and drug stores for most of its long history. Now the drug of choice at the Geddes Street spot is craft beer. Try the Ladyfriend IPA (a silver-medal winner at the 2016 Ontario Brewing Awards) for something hoppy, or the lighter Three Fields Lager.

Theres plenty of food to quench an adventurers hunger  from pan-seared duck and smoked pork tenderloin, to tacos and creamy mac and cheese.

Pick from a selection of Elora-branded souvenirs at the brewery bottle shop on the way out: hats, sweatshirts, glassware, or a growler (2L bottle of beer).

ELORA: ADVENTURERS ESCAPE

CN Tower to Elora: 113 kilometres

Alternate transportation: There isnt any public transportation to Elora, but you can get close. Take Go Transit or Via Rail to Guelph Central Station and rent a car or hire a taxi for the final 22 kilometres. Or, if you brought a bike, you can ride the final leg.

Budget: Less than $350. That includes $175 rappelling, $85 RiverBug ride, $30 bike rental, $25 beer flight and burger, and $25 gas.

Thrilling adventures dont come cheap, but you can always choose parts of the journey that appeal the most for more affordable day trips. Budget about $200 per person for rappelling, a picnic bike tour and quarry visit. For $125 a person you can do the RiverBug ride, a bike tour and quarry visit. And about $65 will get you a zip line ride, picnic bike tour and quarry visit.

Souvenir: Elora Brewing Co. five-panel hat, because every summer adventurer needs extra sun protection. $25 + tax

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OGULIN, CROATIA-There I was, settling into my seat on an early morning train that just left the sleepy town of Ogulin in northwestern Croatia. I had one more transfer to make before I arrived in Split: the triumphant mid-point of my rail journey from Slovenia down to the Dalmatian coast of Croatia.

I was proud of myself for, thus far, having navigated the extensive rail system of Eastern Europe without a hitch. Some of which, I had conceded, might have been thanks to the ease with which Id been able to flash my Eurail pass, but mostly, I thought to myself, it was because I was awesome.

Despite the blasphemy Id feel when closing my eyes on these trains  because picturesque villages with crumbling stone churches and sparkling aqua lakes appeared with each passing kilometre  I began to let my lids droop. I felt comforted by the elderly nun to my left, who was snoozing with her feet up on the seat beside her. With the warm glow of sunrise on my face, I closed my eyes, fell asleep, and missed my next stop.

Excuse me, can you please help? I whimpered in the direction of a stone-faced train attendee, explaining my mistake through blurry eyes as the speeding train moved further and further away from my station. With a youre-basically-screwed expression, she told me to stay put and wait, proceeding to disappear into another cabin. I sat slumped over in my royal-blue passenger seat like a child in detention, waiting on my teacher before determining my next move.

Here, discombobulated and dishevelled, I turned my thoughts, for comfort, back to Ljubljana, Slovenia, where my journey had begun a week prior. On my first venture out into the opulent and bustling city, I had sat on a patio by the canal under heat lamps and devoured a platter of kielbasa, pickled cabbage and fresh cheese, washing it down with a frosty Slovenian beer.

The day after that had seen me take my first Eastern European train journey to Slovenias Lake Bled. With all the spectacular scenes I would take in that day  a postcard-worthy church on an islet in the middle of an emerald lake, for example  I was most taken aback by how simple it was to travel to this paradise in the Julian Alps. A quick nod of recognition and stamp on my Eurail Select Pass, which allows rail passengers multiple travel days in bordering European countries within a two-month period, was literally all I needed to circle to and from this must-see destination.

With the tangled check-in procedures of cross-country travel evidently off the table, I had continued my journey with gusto. My next rail line, speedy and speckled with local families, had taken me to Croatia  where 21 million passengers travel by train annually. First I had found myself in its enchanting capital, Zagreb, where I passed lovestruck couples necking in the shadows of every moonlit corner while making my way through a maze of cobblestone walkways.

Then, using Zagreb as a jumping-off point, I visited Croatias Plitvice Lakes National Park, where I spent a day strolling amongst gigantic waterfalls and aqua-blue pools. Finally, there was Cres Island, a jewel in the northern Kvarner Gulf, where a local I had befriended hiked with me to a ghostly abandoned manor in the mountains. I arrived to Cres by ferry from the seaport town of Rijeka  another major station on Croatias rail line. It had all seemed so easy then, with the world, my train oyster.

Bolted back to the present, my tight-bunned train attendee reappeared from the depths of the cabin ahead. By this point, I had come to accept that my epic journey had gone off the rails. I was far out from my perfectly mapped route, unsure of where I was now headed and would certainly have missed my connecting train, which departed only once a day  and my ego, once convinced of my prowess as a railway connoisseur, was surely damaged forever.

Get ready to get off, she said, as she closed in on my seat. Confused as I was, I obeyed, asking her where I was and what I was supposed to do next as I gathered my things. But she was busy on her walkie-talkie and unable to hear my desperate questions. Surely I was doomed.

The train stopped and the dust settled around me as I hopped out onto train tracks in who-knows-where Croatia. Confused and feeling defeated, I glanced to my left to see, in the clearing, a train on a neighbouring track flanked by three railway workers who were waving me over in unison. I made out that the train marquee said Split, and with the encouragement of my attendee, I ran with my suitcase across the tracks and was hoisted up into the train, which took off as soon as the door shut behind me. I was sweaty and tired, but somehow I had ended up, ahem, back on track.

I tried to work out exactly what happened that day throughout the rest of my trip  at one time while sipping a glass of red wine on a balmy night within the ruins of Diocletians Palace in Split, and on another occasion when I was traversing the ancient walls of Dubrovniks Old City, looking down at hundreds of vibrant orange rooftops complemented by the crashing waves of the Adriatic.

From what I could work out, my seemingly disinterested train governess had quickly alerted the train I had been meaning to take of my error. The trains conductor must have then opted to stall briefly on the tracks, waiting for the moment my current train would pass it, just moments before the two would divert in their differing directions. Boarding, once again, had involved a nod of recognition at my Eurail Select Pass, and I was on my way southward down the coast.

There are three lessons I took away from this rail-life experience. The first being that the people of Eastern Europe, though occasionally stoic in their first impressions, will routinely go above and beyond to lend a hand to strangers. Second, rail adventure, as in any other travel, does not necessarily have to stay on a linear track. Mishaps, chaos and the taking of routes less travelled can often give way to your greatest adventures. And lastly, and perhaps most importantly, I learned that when a destination as spectacular as Eastern Europe is passing you by, its best to keep your eyes open.

Liz Beddall was hosted by Eurail, which did not review or approve this story.

When you go

Do this trip: Eurail Select Passes can be purchased online (eurail.com) and delivered to you at home. You can buy certain Eurail Passes at European train stations, but you can save an average of 20 per cent on the price by buying them online.

Get there: To arrive in Slovenia, I flew from Toronto to London, England, via WestJet (westjet.ca) and then from London to Ljubljana, Slovenia, via EasyJet (easyjet.com). Once I had completed my train journey, I flew back from Dubrovnik, Croatia, to London with British Airways (britishairways.com) and from London to Toronto via WestJet.

Get around: Every city I hit along my way was highly walkable, but taxis are widely available, as well as rental vehicles. Destinations outside city cores can be reached by numerous bus services, by train or by ferry.

Stay: I stayed exclusively in accommodations I sourced using airbnb (airbnb.ca), which allowed me to scoop up quick and useful tips and off-the-beaten-path recommendations in every city I visited.

Train travellers tip: Most regional rail lines in Slovenia and Croatia dont come with on-board beverage or snack services. Grab some food from the station and bring it on board for your longer journeys.

Not to miss along your way: The Museum of Broken Relationships (brokenships.com) in Zagreb, Croatia, is a must for those looking for a unique, quirky and emotive experience. The exhibit, located at the top of a romantic cobblestone stairway in the citys downtown, houses donated objects that played a central role in the dissolution of a relationship. From stiletto heels to stuffed animals to kitchen utensils, each item is accompanied by its own story of loss. And while the exhibit has toured the world and found a secondary home in Los Angeles, it was originally founded by a couple in Zagreb who, as you may have guessed, broke up.

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A spate of suicides is the latest crisis to rock remote First Nations in northern Ontario.

Over the course of about one week, three youths and a young man took their lives, said Alvin Fiddler, Grand Chief of Nishnawbe Aski Nation, a political organization that represents 49 communities in the region.

Two 12-year-old children from Pikangikum died over the Canada Day weekend; and a 15-year-old girl from Nibinamik died on Tuesday, said Fiddler.

A family member confirmed that one of the Pikangikum victims was 12-year-old Mikaia Pascal.

Its becoming overwhelming, Fiddler said. Communities like Pikangikum and Nibinamik are just trying to cope right now and address the immediate crisis.

Nibinamik, a First Nation of about 300 people, lost a youth to suicide two years ago. The community has confronted issues concerning suicidal ideation since that date, said Chief Johnny Yellowhead, who did not disclose the identity of the 15-year-old who died, out of respect for the family.

Its been very shocking for all of us, he said. We want any kind of support from outside resources, especially government agencies. We want them to recognize the situation that were in, and the lack of resources we have.

An autopsy is being performed in Kenora and a funeral is slated to take place in Thunder Bay, he said.

Pikangikum First Nation deputy chief Brian Keeper confirmed that two 12-year-olds  a boy and a girl  took their own lives.

Keeper said the whole community is taking the deaths hard.

They were very young, he said.

Keeper did not confirm the names of the deceased out of respect for their grieving families and the community.

Both children were transported to Winnipeg, but neither survived. Their bodies will be returned home Thursday.

There are no immediate plans for funerals, but the childrens bodies will be brought to their familys homes, where crisis intervention teams will be available, Keeper said.

Theyve been mobilized towards the families that are hurting, he said.

Health Canada, which has responsibility for mental health and suicide prevention in First Nations communities, said in an emailed statement that it is deeply saddened by the news of the four deaths.

Health Canada has reached out to the communities and is actively working with Nishnawbe Aski Nation (NAN), the Sioux Lookout First Nations Health Authority, the Kenora Chiefs Advisory, the province and other partner organizations to ensure they have the necessary mental health resources in each community, as soon as possible, the statement said.

The department is also working with the Nishnawbe Aski Nation and other partners on a number of fronts to help improve mental health on reserve, and created a 24/7 crisis hotline (1-855-242-3310) that includes counsellors who speak Cree, Ojibwa and Inuktut, as well as English and French, the statement said.

Keeper said the deaths in his community are the result of multiple complex factors, including the ongoing housing crisis in his community.

People need space. We have multiple families in one house, Keeper said.

Pikangikum is about 500 kilometres northwest of Thunder Bay, while Nibinamik First is about 350 kilometres northeast of Thunder Bay.

In an emailed statement, Indigenous Affairs said it has committed $267 million toward 965 First Nation-led projects across the country for the construction, renovation and service of homes in First Nation communities across Canada.

The rash of suicides didnt stop with Pikangikum and Nibinamik. When Fiddler and other First Nation leaders met in Thunder Bay to discuss community safety for students on Wednesday, another youth  a 23-year-old man from Fort Severn First Nation  took his own life at a city hostel.

I suspect the reason why he stayed at hostel was that he was in Thunder Bay for medical reasons, said Fiddler. Its always concerning when you lose loved ones, but when its away from home, its even more of a concern.

Fiddler said since January, 18 First Nation members have been lost to suicide.

Many of our communities are small and close-knit. When there is a tragic loss it has an impact right across the community, he said. Our goal is to stabilize the situation on the ground to address the immediate crisis.

Fiddler reiterated a point hes made before to both the media and Ottawa: We need to start addressing the long-term strategies. We cannot continue to operate in the crisis state. Its exhausting, and its not a healthy place for our children, especially.

Children as young as 10 are patrolling Wapekeka First Nation, he said, another remote community grappling with clusters of suicides and suicide pacts. The body of 12-year-old Jenera Roundsky was found in a community ice rink last month, triggering 35 children to be sent into a mental health crisis.

Theyre trying to protect their friends, peers and siblings, he said. These children should be enjoying their childhood. They should be going out to play and having fun.

Northern Ontario NDP MP Charlie Angus (Timmins-James Bay) said the federal government has these deaths on its hands, and there will be more if the government doesnt soon commit additional resources.

We need more coherent supports in place to address those shock waves, but thats not happening at the federal level, Angus said.

Angus said the issues underlying the deaths from suicide are the same ones contributing to Indigenous deaths in foster care, and the high number of First Nations students who have died while living in Thunder Bay to attend school.

Chronic underfunding for Indigenous education, on-reserve infrastructure, and mental health supports are all driving up the death toll, Angus said.

These funding decisions have consequences, and those consequences are being counted in lives, he said.

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OTTAWACanadian foreign affairs officials were contemplating a one-on-one meeting between Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Russian President Vladimir Putin, documents obtained by the Star show.

Warming relations between Ottawa and Moscow had senior public servants envisioning a leaders level encounter between Trudeau and Putin as recently as August 2016.

Re-engaging (with Russia) is a complex undertaking which understandably elicits a range of views on how best to proceed, the heavily censored documents read.

High-level engagement between our prime minister and his Russian counterpart is an important component of re-engagement.

The documents, stamped secret and obtained under access to information law, lay out the action plan for re-engaging Russia taken by the Liberal government under former foreign affairs minister Stephane Dion.

They repeatedly stress Canadas support for Ukraine, and Ottawa opposition to Russias behaviour and actions in that country. Russia continues to lay claim to Ukraines Crimea region, an annexation viewed as illegitimate by Canada and its allies.

Speaking on the condition of anonymity, Canadian officials said no such bilateral meeting is in the works. Even if public servants pushed for such a bilateral meeting, their political masters would not likely approve the move.

A one-on-one meeting with Putin could make for some difficult optics for Trudeau, politically and diplomatically, given the ongoing probe into allegations of collusion between Russia and U.S. President Donald Trumps election campaign.

Although thats not stopping Trump. The embattled president met with the Russian president at the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany, Friday.

Still, foreign affairs officials outlined several benefits to Canada resuming diplomatic relations with Moscow.

Multilaterally, an informed and engaged Canada can bring insight and can better support a firm and co-ordinated approach among our partners and allies to address challenges posed by Russia, and to encourage Russia to contribute constructively to international peace and security, including in Syria, the documents suggest.

Its not clear if officials were envisioning a formal bilateral meeting, or a conversation on the margins of one of the several international meetings attended by both Trudeau and Putin, such as this weeks G20 summit.

Trudeau and Putin met shortly after the 2015 election. At the G20 meeting in Turkey in November 2015, Trudeau said he told Putin directly to end Russias interference in Ukraine according to a CBC report from the event.

And much has changed over the last year that makes future formal meetings between the two leaders unlikely.

First, Trudeau replaced Dion with Chrystia Freeland, who has been an outspoken critic of the Putin regime and its annexation of Crimea. In fact, Canadas new foreign minister is banned from entering Russia.

In a statement, a spokesperson for Freeland said Canada has re-established channels for direct dialogue with Russia, and those efforts are guided by Canadas national interests including in the Arctic and national security issues. Freeland has also met Putin, as well as Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, at separate international meetings.

Second, in an interview with The New York Times in Toronto in June, Trudeau publicly accused Russia of interfering in Western elections using cyberattacks  something Canadas spy agencies were reluctant to do only a week before that interview. Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Jonathan Vance has said Canadian troops on a UN mission in Latvia expected a Russian propaganda campaign to undercut support in that country.

Seva Gunitsky, a University of Toronto professor and a close observer of Russia, said he sees little room for improving diplomatic or political relations with Russia so long as they remain in Ukraine.

It would be extremely difficult, unless theyre thinking something along the lines of a Nixon in China approach that, since weve made our position clear (on Ukraine), we wont be accused of selling out to Russian interests, Gunitsky said in an interview Tuesday.

Given Freelands appointment, especially, shes despised in Russia . . . so its hard for me to see the two countries spearheading any kind of meaningful joint initiative beyond public rhetoric.

The documents mention specific areas of focus, including re-engagement on Arctic issues, co-operation on the International Space Station, and bilateral talks on visa and consular issues.

Potentially more significant, Global Affairs suggests working with the Department of National Defence to understand how they are affected by the continuing red-line on bilateral military co-operation with Russia.

Multiple interview requests to the Prime Ministers Office and a spokesperson for Freeland were not immediately returned on Tuesday.

Vasily Kultyshev, the second secretary at the Russian Federations Ottawa embassy, refused to comment on any plans for future bilateral meetings between Trudeau and Putin.

We appreciate your interest in Russia-Canada relations, but unfortunately we have no comment on the specific case you mentioned, wrote Kultyshev in an email in June.

P.S.: Happy Canada Day!

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Council has voted to disband the Toronto Parking Authority board while the city manager reviews the findings of the auditor general into the purchase of a parcel of land near Finch Avenue West and Hwy. 400.

Council unanimously backed Mayor John Torys motion to temporarily suspend the eight-member board and appoint a small group of high-level city bureaucrats to oversee the authority while the probe is underway.

Its our responsibility to determine what happened and to determine what lessons should be learned to determine if there was any misconduct or incompetence or both, Tory said Thursday on the floor of council.

He added there has been no evidence of wrongdoing by TPA board members, but installing city officials will allow for a very pure review that is the best way to maintain public confidence, Tory said.

Read more:

Toronto Parking Authority keeps executive salaries secret

Senior Toronto parking execs suspended during land deal investigation

Toronto council should get the police involved in the parking authority land deal: Keenan

City Manager Peter Wallace will chair the newly constituted TPA board along with the citys chief corporate officer and deputy city manager. They will submit their findings to council.

Council also voted to ask the integrity commissioner and lobbyist registrar to delve into circumstances around the land purchase, that was halted by Auditor General Beverley Romeo-Beehler after she criticized the TPA for not exercising due diligence in the way it handled the deal.

Romeo-Beehlers 76-page report found the TPA, a city agency, would have overpaid $2.63 million for the land that was supposed to be acquired at fair market value.

Her report found the deal was rife with conflicts and potential conflicts. On Wednesday, Romeo-Beehler told council there was a hairball of relationships involved.

She also detailed her difficulty in obtaining information or consistent explanations during the investigative process.

The land deal involved: Councillor Giorgio Mammoliti; the Emery Village Business Improvement Area, of which Mammoliti is a board member; lobbyist Paul Sutherland; sign consultant Blair Murdoch; landowner Frank De Luca; and Toronto Parking Authority executives, president Lorne Persiko and vice-president Marie Casista.

When asked on the council floor what the ultimate aim was behind the land deal, the auditor general said while there was a keen focus on purchasing the land, I couldnt see that there were other benefits beyond that, she told council on Wednesday.

Despite the consensus on the need for a board shakeup and review, council remained divided on what may or may not have happened during the real estate transaction or if anything nefarious took place.

Theyre also differing opinions on the role of Councillor John Filion, one of two council TPA board members ousted Thursday, despite being a self-described whistleblower who triggered the auditor generals investigation.

Several councillors, including Speaker Frances Nunziata, who blew the whistle on municipal corruption in York years ago, along with Councillor Josh Matlow, praised Filion for showing courage by taking his concerns about the property being over-valued to Romeo-Beehler.

Matlow repeated his earlier suggestion that the land deal was deeply problematic.

Other councillors were less certain that a whistle needed blowing after the release of a confidential report by Toronto lawyer Gavin MacKenzie. Retained by the TPA, MacKenzies report put a much different spin on events.

His report found that Filion complained to Romeo-Beehler about the land deal before TPA staff had an opportunity to complete its due diligence and present it to the board, in accordance with its standard practice.

Romeo-Beehler, in one of her two reports on the matter, had depicted Filion and herself as officials whose interventions prevented the TPA from overpaying for the property, MacKenzie wrote.

As will be apparent from this report, in my view this rather self-congratulatory conclusion is in no way justified by facts.

Filion said he hoped intelligent people see the TPA-commissioned legal opinion for what it is.

Mammoliti, on the other hand, said it is a legal document that paints Filion as a headhunter, not whistleblower. He said he welcomes the review by senior staff.

The misinformation needs to be answered  theres a whole bunch of misinformation, Mammoliti said.

Councillor Gord Perks said while there are different views about the valuation of the land and whether members of the board did their job, the most critical information to come out of the auditor report was the role played by Sutherland, a former member of city council.

The auditor found that Sutherland, now a lobbyist, received $1 million in public money from the Emery Village BIA, to lobby another public entity, the Toronto Parking Authority.

That shocks the mind, Perks told council. We need to absolutely make it clear to members of the public that we do not condone that and we want to understand how that happened and what we have to do to make sure it never happens again.

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Note: This article has been edited from a previously published version.

Veteran city councillor Pam McConnell will be remembered for her fierce advocacy for social justice and her passion for family.

McConnell, who represented Ward 28 (Toronto Centre-Rosedale), was first elected to city council in 1994, after serving 12 years as a school trustee.

She died July 7 after suffering from a continuing lung problem. She was 71.

Today, I lost my mother, my mentor and my best friend, her daughter Heather Ann said Friday afternoon.

She loved everyone and thought everyone was important. She knew the name of all the cleaners at city hall and all the taxi drivers who lived in her community.

Outside of work, her mom loved travel and fancy Italian Ferragamo shoes, she said.

Despite her hectic schedule as one of the citys deputy mayors, McConnell always made time for family  her husband Jim, daughters Heather Ann and Madelyn, and her five grandchildren.

Her top priorities were her children and grandchildren, but there was no person she loved more than my dad, her husband of 50 years, said Heather Ann.

McConnell was born in Carlisle, England. Her father died after serving in the Second World War. Her mother, Margaret, later remarried and her second husband Harry Ritchie adopted Pam. They had five more children, giving McConnell two sisters and three brothers.

She first moved to the Cabbagetown and Regent Park neighbourhoods 50 years ago and never left the area.

It was there that she met her best friend and co-conspirator Noreen Dunphy.

The two shared a passion for housing, politics, protests and a love for this city.

It is unspeakably sad to lose her now to an inexplicable illness, Dunphy said.

At city hall, her council colleagues mourned the loss of an advocate and friend.

Throughout her 35 years of public service she moved mountains  in her ward with Regent Park, the Distillery District and Corktown Common and across the city as deputy mayor working on poverty reduction, said Councillor Paula Fletcher, a longtime friend and colleague.

She was well respected by all councillors and always took the time to be kind even in the heat of argument in city council.

As a scheduled debate at city council continued after lunch Friday, councillors who had received the news could be seen quietly spreading the word to their colleagues.

Staff made their way into the chamber as Mayor John Tory announced McConnells death, calling her an example of public service in every respect.

Pam was a friend to all of us, but also a friend to many, many others and of course was a wife, a mother, and a grandmother  and how proud she was of her family, Tory said.

We knew her as well as a woman who proudly and enthusiastically and energetically served her city.

I dont think theres any question whatsoever that Toronto is a better and fairer place and city thanks to her service and also thanks to her advocacy.

When Tory made his announcement, everyone in the chamber stood for a moment of silence. When it was over, councillors wrapped their arms around each other. Others remained motionless in their seats.

As the room slowly cleared, a T-shirt was placed over McConnells desk as a shroud, with bold type facing upwards: End poverty.

McConnell was a passionate advocate for social justice and led the way, in her seventh and final term, for the citys poverty-reduction strategy.

Poverty is everybodys business, McConnell told the Star in 2015 after the strategy was released.

The survival and prosperity of Toronto demands that we pay attention to moving as many Torontonians as possible down the road from poverty to prosperity, she said.

McConnells fight to reduce poverty and her attention to issues affecting women and children lasted decades, from her days as a school trustee to the revitalization of Regent Park.

Pam was an exceptional advocate for her constituents and for those less well off city wide, said former mayor David Miller, in a statement.

Her passion to make a meaningful, positive difference in peoples lives will be sorely missed at city hall.

Suzanne Kavanagh, president of the St. Lawrence Neighbourhood Association, said McConnell will be missed across her ward.

Its just a huge, huge loss for our area, said Kavanagh, who considered McConnell a mentor and worked closely with her on neighbourhood issues.

Shed wink at me and say. Remember 23, Kavanagh said  the number of votes needed to get an item passed at council and one of the things she will remember fondly about McConnell.

A long time member of the NDP, McConnell was known for her ability to bring people together, regardless of their political affiliation or their particular views on an issue.

Pam had an ability to work with anybody, regardless of political differences, said her brother, Phil Ritchie.

I think growing up in a house with five siblings and one bathroom, that might have set the stage, he said, joking that it was sometimes hard for her brothers and sisters to get in a word edgewise.

Councillor Jaye Robinson, who sat near McConnell in the council chamber for the past six years, remembered her as feisty and passionate about her work.

She invested the time that was needed to be invested to move her issues through council, which is not always easy when youre dealing with 44 people.

Its an approach she took to her work as a member of the Toronto Police Services Board, where she served from late 2003 to 2010. There, McConnell fought to address racial profiling and bring community policing back to Torontos neighbourhoods.

Early in her tenure, McConnell served as vice-chair of the board under the chairmanship of Toronto lawyer Alan Heisey, who said he was a big fan of McConnell despite being on the opposite end of the political spectrum.

Some people make politics a career, and, for her I think it was a vocation.

With files from Laurie Monsebraaten, Betsy Powell and Toronto Star.

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Mayor John Tory is claiming to have scored a big victory in his effort to convince the province to kick in more funding for Toronto transit, after the federal government announced it will require Queens Park to contribute at least one-third of the cost of new rail projects.

Ottawa confirmed Thursday it will provide $8.3 billion to Ontario under the second phase of the federal Liberals public transit infrastructure fund.

More than half of that money, or $4.8 billion, is earmarked for Toronto, according to the mayors office.

Read more:Toronto transit funding is great news, right? Not so fast, the city now has to find more than $4 billion: Keenan

The figure is in line with city estimates produced in March, when Prime Minster Justin Trudeaus government unveiled its 2017 budget, and will go to support councils priority transit projects, which include the relief line subway and Torys SmartTrack plan.

Crucially, federal Infrastructure Minister Amarjeet Sohi said in a letter to his Ontario counterpart that the government intends to mandate that provinces provide a minimum of 33.3 per cent of the cost of new transit projects paid for under the fund.

At a press conference Thursday, Tory called the funding historic and described the one-third provincial funding requirement as a victory for Toronto commuters.

Its just fair and appropriate and the right thing to do, Tory said.

For months, the mayor has been pushing Queens Park to commit to matching federal public transit funding, but Premier Kathleen Wynnes Liberals havent budged.

Ontario Infrastructure Minister Bob Chiarelli again would make no commitments Thursday, saying in a written statement that Sohis letter merely starts the conversation on how the second phase of the federal transit fund will be allocated.

This is the first step in negotiating a bilateral agreement, and we will be working very closely with both the federal government and Ontarios municipal partners over the course of the next year to negotiate the best deal for Ontarians, Chiarelli said.

Ottawa expects to conclude the negotiations by March 2018.

In the past, provincial officials have responded to Torys prodding by asserting that no provincial government in history has contributed more to Toronto transit projects than the Ontario Liberals. The $5.3-billion Eglinton Crosstown LRT is being fully funded by the Ontario government, and the province has also made contributions of $3.7 billion for GO regional express rail within the city, $1.48 billion for the Scarborough subway extension, and $870 million for the Spadina subway extension.

Tory said he was confident that the province will come around, however, and told reporters he would be astounded if Ontario decided to (leave) billions of dollars on the table by not agreeing to meet the one-third requirement, particularly because the Liberals are facing an election next year.

Tory said he would continue to press the province to agree to provide more than the one-third requirement outlined by Ottawa. He and other big city mayors have advocated for 40-40-20 agreements that would see federal and provincial governments each provide 40 per cent funding, with cities picking up the remaining 20 per cent.

City council has submitted four priority projects for the federal transit fund: the relief line ($6.8 billion), SmartTrack ($3.7 billion), the Eglinton East LRT ($1.7 billion), and Waterfront transit ($1.5 billion). Together, the projects are estimated to cost $13.7 billion.

While the mayors office said that the $4.8 billion in federal money would be put toward these four projects, Sohis office has previously stated that the citys portion of the transit fund includes $660 million previously announced for the Scarborough subway extension. That would leave just $4.1 billion for the four priority lines.

A spokesperson for the mayor said the citys position is funding for the Scarborough project should be considered separate. That is the subject of ongoing discussions with the federal and provincial governments, he said.

Asked how the city would come up with the billions of dollars for its share of the cost of new transit projects, Tory said: Well, I cant answer that question as yet.

He criticized the province for quashing councils efforts to raise money for infrastructure projects by imposing road tolls on the Gardiner Expressway and Don Valley Parkway, and said we have our work cut out for us in devising another funding stream.

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SAULT STE. MARIE, ONT.The RCMP say two men from the Greater Toronto Area are facing charges following a two-year human trafficking investigation.

The Mounties say the investigation began on May 31, 2015, after a lone woman illegally entered Canada on a vessel that left Neebish Island in Michigan, and landed on St. Josephs Island in Ontario.

They say the crossing was spotted by members of the United States Border Patrol and relayed to the RCMP in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont.

Investigators from the Sault Ste. Marie RCMP detachment arrested a 38-year-old man from Vaughan, Ont., and a 65-year-old Toronto man late last month.

They are charged with smuggling in persons, trafficking in persons, and counselling an Immigration and Refugee Protection Act offence.

The accused are to appear in court in Sault Ste. Marie on Aug. 28.

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More than 27,000 people in Toronto were arrested for possessing marijuana from 2003 to 2013, a Star analysis reveals. Nearly one-quarter of them were aged 12 to 18.

The data obtained by the Star also indicates that possession arrests and charges rose wherethe carding of residents by police was widespread. And just as this police practice of stopping, questioning and documenting impacted Black people disproportionately, so did marijuana charges.

About one in five people arrested were released unconditionally with no charges going to court, but their names and noted offences remain in a police database.

All of the offences  40,634 for possession and possession for the purpose of trafficking, over the decade covered by the data  are documented in the Toronto Police Service arrest and charge database, regardless of whether a charge was tested in court.

Read more:

Toronto marijuana arrests reveal startling racial divide

Canada's crime rate is falling  but drug charges are rising

Of those charges, 34 per cent of them were against Black people. During that period, Torontos Black population was around 8 per cent.

Police note that in about half of the cases, an arrested individual was facing another criminal charge or charges, not related to marijuana possession. Outcomes of court cases are not part of the data released to the Star in a freedom-of-information request.

This rare, race-based glimpse at those most impacted by marijuana arrests and charges confirms anecdotal evidence of systemic bias, and highlights a challenge faced by the federal Liberal government. As it moves to legalize marijuana by July 2018, what should it do for citizens with possession records? Pardons are an expensive and bureaucratic process, so some have suggested a widespread amnesty.

There are calls for the government to tackle the almost century-long legacy of marijuana laws, and their disproportionate impact on poor and non-white communities, particularly Black and Indigenous peoples.

A poll in May by Nanos Research and the Globe and Mail indicated 62 per cent of Canadians support or somewhat support a pardon  now known as a record suspension  for people with a criminal record for marijuana possession. Of the respondents, 35 per cent were opposed or somewhat opposed to a pardon.

The C.D. Howe Institute in a 2016 report also called on the federal government to pardon people whose only Criminal Code charge or conviction is for marijuana possession.

Such individuals would benefit in terms of not experiencing possible travel restrictions and being able to access more labor market opportunities, resulting in economic benefits to governments as well, said the report, written by Anindya Sen, an economics professor at the University of Waterloo.

A criminal record for marijuana further marginalizes already targeted and over-policed black people by making them ineligible for many good-paying jobs, says Kofi Hope, executive director of the CEE Centre for Young Black Professionals.

Faced with high unemployment, some Black youths turned to selling marijuana to make ends meet, says Hope, whose centre provides skills training and career development programs for young Black people.

It doesnt require a resume, it doesnt require a job interview, sometimes it doesnt even require start-up capital  someone will just give you something on consignment, he says. Besides, Black people are constantly confronted with the expectation of being dealers: You walk down Yonge St. and people come up to you all the time, Hey man, you got weed?

Selling, at least in some forms, will soon become legal. But when it comes to the legalized marijuana industry, marijuana convictions will likely exclude people from jobs. Meanwhile, everyone from the Tragically Hip to Shoppers Drug Mart is poised to cash in on the new economy.

Hope says this further injustice isnt lost on the Black community. You often hear people say, People in the community have had their lives ruined by consuming this substance or being involved in distributing it. And now, folks from outside of the community are going to be making hundreds of millions of dollars off of this. This is messed up.

He wants the federal government to give people with marijuana records a chance to work in the new economy through programs similar to Smart Serve Ontario, which trains and certifies people for work in businesses that serve alcohol.

In Toronto, a first arrest for simple possession often results in an unconditional release or diversion  a donation to charity, for example. The accused walks away without a criminal record, but the arrest remains in police databases and can haunt, particularly during carding stops.

(Aggregate data from 2014 to 2016 sent to the Star by Toronto police shows a sharp decline in the use of unconditional releases for marijuana possession charges. Police were not immediately able to explain the reasons for the decrease.)

Those with influence and the money to afford good lawyers are especially assured of diversion, as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made clear earlier this year. He told the story of how his father, former prime minister Pierre Trudeau, had the resources to make sure marijuana charges against Justins late brother Michel did not lead to a criminal record for life.

He reached out to his friends in the legal community, got the best possible lawyer and was very confident that he was going to be able to make those charges go away, said Trudeau, who has also admitted to smoking pot.

People from minority communities, marginalized communities, without economic resources, are not going to have that kind of option to go through and clear their name in the justice system, he said, adding that a fundamental unfairness of this current system is that it affects different communities in a different way.

What will Trudeau do for those without his familys privilege and wealth?

The government has hinted that some sort of plan to address criminal records would be rolled out once marijuana is legal. Caitlyn Kasper, a lawyer with Aboriginal Legal Services in Toronto, says there hasnt been serious thought about what that should look like.

It just seems like that discussion hasnt been happening at all and it really feels like theyre riding this wave of legalization, and how great its going to be with the Cannabis Act, and how this is putting us forward into the future  and theyre not taking a look at what its done in the past at all, says Kasper. And that is seriously concerning.

Defence lawyers and academics call marijuana possession a gateway charge, because it often leads to more serious charges and convictions when bail conditions are broken, particularly for whose who cant afford lawyers. Automatic jail time often results.

A growing number of voices are calling for amnesty, a way of wiping possession records clean and giving people a fresh start, particularly in the job market.

Amnesty is an economic and social imperative, says Hope. But first and foremost its a moral imperative.

There should be an amnesty because the application of the (marijuana) law was unjust and biased, he says, adding it was arbitrarily enforced along race lines.

Untangling criminal records for pot offences from other offences is going to be difficult and expensive.

Without an amnesty, the only route to clearing a record would be applying for a pardon, or record suspension  an expensive and onerous option that costs hundreds of dollars and require legal help. The application processing fee alone costs $631. The poor and racially marginalized would again lose out.

Its the same story all the time in the justice system, says Kasper. Those who can pay for and afford justice will get it.

If they were serious about this, why are they not engaging with more groups who are directly legally representing the people who have been most affected by these laws?

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ST. PAUL, MINN.Family and friends of Philando Castile on Thursday marked the one-year anniversary of his fatal shooting during a routine traffic stop, organizing vigils and celebrations and pushing to name a new police training fund in his memory.

Castile, a 32-year-old school cafeteria worker, was shot to death by St. Anthony police Officer Jeronimo Yanez last July 6, seconds after informing Yanez that he was carrying a gun. Castile had a gun permit. Yanez was acquitted of manslaughter last month after testifying that Castile ignored his commands not to pull out the gun.

It was the second high-profile fatal shooting of a Black man by Minnesota police officers in less than a year and worsened a divide between law enforcement and the black community. It followed the November 2015 death of 24-year-old Jamar Clark, who was shot and killed by Minneapolis police officers after what onlookers described as a struggle.

The officers involved in that shooting were not charged. Castiles shooting drew immediate attention because his girlfriend, Diamond Reynolds, livestreamed the aftermath on Facebook. She was in the car with her then 4-year-old daughter.

Read more:

Judge in Castile shooting trial offers support for jurors after officer acquitted

Gov. Mark Dayton speaks about a $15 million state police training fund one year after Philando Castile was fatally shot by St. Anthony police Officer Jeronimo Yanez during a routine traffic stop, as members of Castile's family listen on Thursday.





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Castiles mother, uncle and other family members gathered with Democratic Gov. Mark Dayton at the Capitol Thursday as they encouraged the states police training board to name the recently created $15 million training fund after Castile. His family members sounded both sombre about his death and hopeful that such shootings can be prevented in the future.

This is not about my son anymore, said Valerie Castile, his mother. This is about the next generation of children.

Minnesotas Legislature set aside $15 million this year to help better train police officers in diverse communities, though its up to the states Peace Officer Standards and Training Board to formally name that fund. The specifics of the training would be also be worked out by the board itself, in conjunction with individual departments. Castiles family will have a say because Dayton appointed Clarence Castile, Philando Castiles uncle, to the 15-member board.

Dayton, who drew criticism last year for quickly suggesting Castiles race was a primary factor in his death, called it among the most traumatic events he has dealt with in his nearly seven years in office.

I believe this is a very positive step forward to begin healing, Dayton said Thursday. We have a responsibility, all of us who are in public service, to bring Minnesotans together.

Castiles family members planned to gather Thursday evening in Falcon Heights, the suburb where he was shot, for what was billed as a day of love and healing. It includes a candlelight vigil near the shooting scene. The family also planned a lantern release Friday night.

Reynolds was also hosting a memorial event Thursday afternoon in a St. Paul park.

Its been a nightmare waking up every day without him being there, having to explain to my daughter that hes not coming back, but he lives in her heart, she said in an interview with The Associated Press before the event. Hes in heaven watching over her.

She said her daughter, who could be seen consoling Reynolds in squad car video after the shooting is doing great. Shes a kid. She has a lot of energy.

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ACAPULCO, MEXICOFighting erupted between rival gangs inside a state prison before dawn Thursday, and 28 inmates were killed and three wounded, officials in the Pacific resort said.

Authorities had initially reported five deaths, but later raised the toll more bodies were found scattered throughout the prison.

Robert Alvarez Heredia, the Guerrero state security spokesperson, said in a statement that the fighting broke out around 4 a.m. He said security forces later regained control and slowly began discovering bodies in a kitchen, a cellblock and other areas.

The incident began because of the constant dispute between rival groups inside the prison, Alvarez said.

State police said the prison population is more than 2,000.

A brawl between rival drug gangs at an overcrowded penitentiary in northern Mexico in February resulted in 49 inmates being killed, Mexicos deadliest prison melee in years. That clash was between inmates aligned with the Zetas and Gulf drug cartels.

In June, Mexicos governmental rights agency issued a report that said many of the countrys prisons are unsafe, overcrowded and understaffed. The report warned of insufficient staff, unsafe procedures and poor medical care at many facilities.

The National Human Rights Commission said it surveyed conditions at over 190 state, local and federal jails. It found that inmates often controlled some areas of prisons or had contraband inside.

Guerrero has been one of Mexicos most violent states and the once-glamorous resort of Acapulco has struggled with a high number of killings.

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United Airlines has apologized to a passenger who was forced to give up her 2-year-old sons seat and hold the child on a flight  until her leg and arm went numb.

Shirley Yamauchi, a middle school teacher from Hawaii, was bound for a teachers conference in Boston last week, she told Hawaii News Now. Her travelling companion was 27-month-old Taizo, whose ticket she said cost as much as hers  nearly $1,000.

The first leg of Thursdays trip  Hawaii to Houston  went fine.

So did the layover.

But as Yamauchi and her son sat waiting for takeoff to Boston, a man walked up with the same seat number as Taizo, the mother told ABC affiliate KITV.

I told him, I bought both of these seats, she told the station. The flight attendant came by, shrugs and says, flights full. 

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A United spokesperson told the Washington Post that Taizos boarding pass had been improperly scanned and that because the toddler wasnt logged into the system, his seat was released to a standby passenger.

The airline said it is trying to compensate the family for its mistake.

But at the time, Yamauchi said, she had only bad options.

I was told if we refund you anything right now, were going to have to cancel the rest of your flight arrangements to Hawaii, she told KITV.

She told Hawaii News Now that she considered protesting, but was scared to make a scene. I started remembering all those incidents with United on the news. The violence. Teeth being knocked out, she said.

In April, a passenger named David Dao refused to give up his seat on a United flight. He was dragged, battered and bloody, down the plane aisle by police  an incident that scandalized the airline for weeks, until it settled the passengers lawsuit.

Daos experience was among the worst in a long string of passenger horror stories on multiple airlines.

In the past few months alone, a pilots rant before takeoff caused her passengers to flee the plane; a man in a wheelchair was forced to crawl up a staircase using his hands; and a beloved giant rabbit apparently died in mid-air.

I didnt want those things to happen to me, Yamauchi told Hawaii News Now, referring to Daos dragging.

So the man with a standby ticket sat down in Taizos seat, and the child crammed in with his mom.

That was against the safety advice of the Federal Aviation Administration, which strongly urges a separate seat for children; but Yamauchi said she had no better options.

Hes 25 pounds; hes half my height, she told Hawaii News Now. She sent the station pictures of her son wedged in various positions on her lap, a container of milk balanced on the arm rest above him, somehow managing to sleep.

Meanwhile, Yamauchi said, her arm was smashed between the plane wall and her son for most of the three-and-a-half hour flight to Boston.

At the very end, he was standing up between my knees, she told KITV.

A United spokesperson told the Post that the airline would compensate Yamauchi as a goodwill gesture and will work with employees to avoid a repeat of the mistake.

We deeply apologize to Ms. Yamauchi and her son for this experience, the spokesperson wrote in a statement, although he did not answer questions about why the child was allowed to fly without a seat and whether it was safe.

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EL-ARISH, EGYPTIslamic militants attacked a remote Egyptian army outpost in the Sinai Peninsula with a suicide car bomb and heavy machine-gun fire Friday, killing at least 23 soldiers in the deadliest attack in the turbulent region in two years.

After nightfall, Daesh, also known as ISIS or ISIL, issued a claim of responsibility, saying in an online statement that it had carried out the attack as the Egyptian army was preparing an assault on IS positions in Sinai.

The co-ordinated attack suggested the Sinai-based militants are among the regions most resilient, after Daesh in Iraq and Syria, where the so-called caliphate is now witnessing its demise. And it underscored the struggles Egyptian forces face in trying to rein in the insurgency.

Egypt has for years battled militants in Sinai, where the jihadis have exploited the vast arid and underdeveloped region and its disgruntled Bedouin population as an ideal incubator for Islamic insurgency. Recently the Daesh affiliate has emerged at the forefront of the insurgency.

Fridays assault began in the early morning, when a suicide bomber rammed his vehicle into a checkpoint at a military compound in the village of el-Barth, southwest of the border town of Rafah.

Dozens of masked militants then descended on the site in 24 Land Cruiser SUVs and opened fire on the soldiers with machine-guns, according to security officials.

The shooting lasted nearly half an hour, the officials added, speaking on condition of anonymity because of regulations. The troops at the compound were estimated to have numbered about 60.

When the attack subsided, the militants apparently looted the checkpoint, snatching weapons and ammunition before fleeing, the officials said. It was unclear if they also took armoured vehicles. A number of militants were killed in the shootout, indicating the soldiers had fought back, and some of their vehicles were abandoned at the scene.

The suicide blast at the start of the attack likely disabled the checkpoints military communications system, prompting an officer to use his own cellphone to record an audio message and send it to a colleague via WhatsApp, seeking help and asking for prayers. The message, which was later widely circulated on social media, is said to belong to one of the five officers killed in the attack, identified as Lt. Col. Ahmed el-Mansi of the special forces.

This might be the last seconds in my life, a mans voice calmly says in the recording. Quickly, oh men, anyone who knows how to reach the command centre, notify them to use artillery as we are still alive.

He then praises God and ends by saying we will either avenge them or die, referring to his fallen colleagues.

In Washington, State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert said the United States strongly condemns the Sinai attack and continues to stand with Egypt as it confronts terrorism.

The security officials initially put the death toll at 10 but later told The Associated Press that more bodies were pulled from under the rubble of a nearby building that was used as a rest house for troops.

Earlier, Egyptian army spokesperson Tamer el-Rifai confirmed the attack on his official Facebook page, saying that 26 army personnel were killed or wounded. He didnt prove a breakdown.

He said the army on Friday foiled attacks that targeted a number of other checkpoints in the Rafah area and that 40 militants were killed. Local Sinai residents, speaking on condition of anonymity for fear for their safety, said they saw Apache helicopters carrying out airstrikes across Rafah after the attack. On his page, al-Rifai posted photographs of allegedly slain militants, dressed in military uniforms, typically worn by Daesh extremists.

The Defence Ministry posted a video on its official website showing aircraft taking off and striking vehicles and positions allegedly belonging to the militants who carried out Fridays attack.

The attacked checkpoint was set up two months ago to serve as a key militant supply line between the outskirts of Rafah, where entire neighbourhoods are known to have a heavy Daesh presence, and central Sinai, where militants have found safe havens in the mountains, according to tribal leader Hassan Khalaf of the Swaraka, one of Sinais largest tribes.

The security officials said some senior officers had expressed opposition to the location of the checkpoint, arguing that it provided no real cover for the troops. The nearest army compound was an hours drive away, leaving the checkpoint with only the support of local armed tribesmen from the Tarabeen, with their own small checkpoints nearby.

The area was also the site of fierce battles in the spring between the tribesmen and militants.

Despite the insurgency, Daesh has so far not succeeded in seizing territory in Sinai but maintains a strong presence in the western and southern areas of Rafah, on the outskirts of the town of Sheikh Zuweid, and even inside the residential areas of Sinais largest city, el-Arish.

Over the past months, Daesh has focused its attacks on Egypts Christian minority and carried out at least four deadly attacks that killed dozens, prompting army chief-turned-President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi to declare a state of emergency in the country.

The restive northern Sinai has been under a state of emergency since October, 2014, after Islamic militants killed more than 30 soldiers in a single attack. There was a significant decline in attacks this year in Sinai, with the one major assault killing eight policemen in el-Arish in January.

On July 1, 2015, Daesh carried series of attacks, killing over 50 soldiers in Sinai. Daesh said at the time that it attacked some 15 army and police positions and staged three suicide bombings. However, the army denied the high death toll.

The Sinai attack came as Daesh militants are fast losing their once vast territory in Syria and Iraq. The groups offshoot in Libya has been uprooted in months-long battles in the central city of Sirte, while its branch in Yemen has failed to seize territories or compete with its Al Qaeda rivals.

Faced with the challenge in Sinai, the Egyptian government has accused several Arab and Muslim countries of financing and providing safe haven to Islamic militants  including Qatar, Turkey, and the Hamas group in neighbouring Gaza Strip.

Hamas, which is seeking to improve relations with Cairo, quickly condemned Fridays attack.

We considers it a criminal, terrorist, and cowardly attack that doesnt target Egypt only, but the security and stability of the entire Arab nation, Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum said.

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LAWRENCEVILLE, GA.A woman charged with killing four of her young children and their father smiled and flashed a double thumbs up to news cameras during her first court appearance Friday before telling a judge she doesnt want an attorney.

Also, an immigration official said the woman, who is from Mexico, entered the U.S. illegally.

Isabel Martinez, 33, appeared before Gwinnett County Magistrate Court Judge Michael Thorpe a day after police said she stabbed the five to death and seriously injured another child at her home outside Atlanta. The injured child, a 9-year-old girl, survived but remained hospitalized with injuries police described as serious.

Before the hearing began, Martinez sat with other inmates and struck poses for cameras  smiling, giving the thumbs up, putting her hands in a prayer position and spreading her arms out wide.

Read more:Mother charged in stabbing deaths of 4 children, man in Georgia

As Thorpe listed the charges against her  five counts of malice murder, five counts of murder and six counts of aggravated assault  Martinez smiled, shook her head no and wagged her finger at him. The judge advised her sharply not to perform for the cameras.

Maam, Im going to caution you to cut out the display for the cameras, he said. Its really not a good idea, probably not to your benefit.

When Thorpe informed her of her right to have an attorney, she said through a Spanish-language interpreter, that she doesnt want one. She later added that her attorney will always be the people and her faith.

You are the hope of the world, each one of you, she said in Spanish, appearing to address the news cameras. It doesnt matter what colour you are because God loves us all.

Thorpe advised Martinez to hire a lawyer or to allow one to be appointed for her.

Meanwhile, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesman Bryan Cox said in an email Friday that Martinez  whom he identified as Maria Isabel Garduno-Martinez  is from Mexico and entered the country illegally. This is her first encounter with immigration authorities, and its not clear how long she has been in the U.S., Cox said.

Local officials called the killings horrendous.

What prompts a person to take the life of such innocent children and her spouse is something we may never understand, Gwinnett County police said in a statement. This is a horrendous crime not only for the victims but for the extended family, neighbourhood and community.

Psychologists and others who study cases of mothers accused of killing their children say its not as uncommon as people might believe. But media coverage often focuses on dramatic cases, such as Andrea Yates who was found not guilty by reason of insanity for the 2001 drowning deaths of her five children in her suburban Houston home.

Other cases get less attention, as when a woman kills a newborn or in childrens deaths blamed on neglect, said Cheryl Meyer, co-author of two books on mothers who have killed children based on about 1,000 cases during the 1990s.

That amounts to roughly one death every three days. If anything, the total based on media reports at the time underestimates the reality, said Meyer, a psychology professor at Wright State University in Ohio.

In cases when mothers kill intentionally, Meyer said there is often another influence, such as mental health issues, postpartum depression or the loss of a close loved one.

We like to classify these women as pariahs, that they arent at all like us, Meyer said. I found that was not the case.

Some neighbours in the small, largely Hispanic neighbourhood in Loganville, about 48 kilometres east of Atlanta, said they had no clue anything was amiss in the home until police mobbed the scene Thursday morning. The neighbours said the Spanish-speaking family had moved to the community recently, and their children seemed happy playing with other neighbourhood kids.

Victoria Nievs said Martinez had recently suffered the death of her father.

Gwinnett County Police Cpl. Michele Pihera confirmed that the 911 call came from a woman who was inside the home at 4:47 a.m. Thursday to report a stabbing. Police believe Martinez made that call.

Pihera said the caller was speaking Spanish, which initially made it difficult for 911 operators to communicate with her. The county sheriffs office said Martinez is on a hold for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

The hospitalized girl, Diana Romero, was in serious but stable condition Thursday evening, police said.

The four children killed were identified as Isabela Martinez, 10; Dacota Romero, 7; Dillan Romero, 4; and Axel Romero, 2. Their slain father was Martin Romero, 33, Pihera said. Police said Romero and Isabel Martinez were married.

Early indications are that a knife was used to attack the five, though a medical examiner will make the final determination about the cause of death, she said.

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WASHINGTONSeeking influence with U.S. leaders who are not President Donald Trump, Justin Trudeau will be the first Canadian prime minister to deliver a speech to a major conference of American state governors.

Trudeau will give the keynote address at the National Governors Association meeting in Providence, Rhode Island next Friday, just over a month before the expected opening of North American Free Trade Agreement renegotiation talks.

Read the latest news on U.S. President Donald Trump

Trudeaus address will focus on trade, his government said in a news release, and he will also emphasize the importance of the Canada-U.S. partnership in cross-border security and the potential for common solutions on climate change.

The address is part of Trudeaus effort to build relationships with U.S. officials at the state and local levels. On the whole, state governors are far more pro-NAFTA than Trump, who calls the deal a catastrophe.

But the appearance will also give Trudeau another chance to make his trade case to Trumps administration, with which his aides have been in frequent contact on trade. Vice-President Mike Pence is thought to be planning to attend, and economic officials may also be present.

Trudeaus government described the attempt to build ties with governors as a complement to, rather than a replacement for, its healthy ties with the presidents team.

Our government has worked hard to establish a constructive working relationship with all orders of the U.S. government, especially with the administration, and the president and his team directly, said Trudeau press secretary Cameron Ahmad. He added: The prime ministers attendance at the National Governors Association summer meeting next week is part of that effort, and only builds upon our direct engagement with the administration.

Justin Trudeau and Donald Trump both say a phone call they had in April helped convince the U.S. president to renegotiate rather than scrap NAFTA. The prime minister says he told Trump killing the deal would cause ?pain? for families. (The Canadian Press

Trump has alternated between praising the trade relationship and portraying Canada as an economic predator taking advantage of Americans. In his weekly radio address, released Friday, he said he is pursuing a total renegotiation of NAFTA.

And if we dont get it, we will terminate  that is, end NAFTA forever, he said.

Association spokesperson Elena Waskey said Trudeau was invited to speak by the chair of the National Governors Association, Democratic Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe, and the vice-chair, Republican Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval, because of the meetings strong international focus.

Thirty-three of the nations 50 governors are Republicans.

Former diplomat Colin Robertson called Trudeaus appearance a smart tactic that can only help Canada in NAFTA talks. Canada is the top export market for most of the states Trump won, he noted, and governors are very conscious about trade and jobs generated by trade.

We are seeing governors talking about the importance of Canada-U.S. trade to their states, Robertson said.

While Canadian federal governments have long pursued ties with U.S. state governments, Trudeau, confronted with a president skeptical of multilateral pacts and the international order more generally, has made sub-presidential connections a greater priority than his predecessors.

Canadian premiers and federal legislators regularly attend National Governors Association meetings, and Trudeaus government has sent representatives. But no Canadian prime minister has spoken there since its founding in 1908, according to U.S. State Department records.

Not in modern times have we had a sitting Canadian Prime Minister deliver a keynote address at either our winter or summer meeting, Waskey said.

Trudeau signalled his intention to work with states on climate change in his June statement responding to Trumps decision to withdraw the U.S. from the Paris climate accord.

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HAMBURGAt long last face to face, President Donald Trump confronted Russian President Vladimir Putin directly on Friday over Moscows meddling in the 2016 presidential campaign, as the two leaders sought to use their historic first meeting to move past the issue and forge closer co-operation on Syria.

In a two-hours-plus meeting in Germany, Trump and Putin had a robust and lengthy discussion about the interference, though Putin denied involvement, said Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. His Russian counterpart, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, said Trump had accepted Putins assurances that Russia didnt meddle in the U.S. election  a divergent description of the conversation that illustrated each countrys effort to show its leader had held his ground.

I think the president is rightly focused on how do we move forward from something that may be an intractable disagreement at this point, said Tillerson, who took part in the meeting along with Lavrov.

Read the latest news on U.S. President Donald Trump

Trumps decision to raise the issue directly with Putin fulfilled ardent demands by U.S. lawmakers of both parties that the president not shy away from the issue in his highly anticipated meeting with Putin. Trump has avoided stating unequivocally in the past that Russia interfered, even as investigations proceed into whether Trumps campaign colluded with Russians who sought to help him win.

On one point, Putin and Trump agreed, Tillerson said: The issue has become a hindrance to better relations between the two powers. The two leaders agreed to continue the discussion, with an eye toward securing a commitment that Russia wont interfere in U.S. affairs in the future, Tillerson added.

Still looking back, though, the Russians asked for proof and evidence of Moscows alleged involvement in the 2016 election. Just a day earlier, Trump had said Russia probably meddled in the election, but that other countries likely did, too.

With the world watching closely for signs of their emerging rapport, Trump and Putin shook hands firmly but briefly as reporters were allowed in briefly for part of their meeting. Seated in front of a Russian flag, Putin slightly hunched in his chair and rubbed his fingers together as he listened to Trump, who appeared informal and relaxed and said it was an honour to be with Putin.

We look forward to a lot of very positive things happening for Russia, for the United States and for everybody concerned, Trump said.

Putin, too, described the mere fact they were meeting as positive, adding that he hoped it would yield positive results.

Phone conversations are never enough definitely, Putin said. If you want to have a positive outcome in bilaterals and be able to resolve most international policy issues, that will really need personal meetings.

The meeting, originally scheduled for 35 minutes, clocked in at 2 hours and 16 minutes.

There was so much to talk about, said Tillerson. Neither one of them wanted to stop.

He added that at one point, aides sent in first lady Melania Trump to try to wrap things up, but the meeting went on another hour after that, so clearly she failed.

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In their meeting, the two also struck an agreement on a ceasefire in southwest Syria. Though the U.S. and Russia have held conflicting views on Syria in the past, Tillerson said Russia had an interest in seeing the Mideast nation become a stable place.

The ceasefire goes into effect Sunday at noon Damascus time, according to U.S. officials and the Jordanian government, which is also involved in the deal.

It is the first U.S.-Russian effort under Trumps presidency to stem Syrias six-year civil war.

Tillerson, who accompanied Trump in his meeting with Putin, said the understanding is designed to reduce violence in an area of Syria near Jordans border and which is critical to the U.S. allys security.

Its a very complicated part of the Syrian battlefield, Tillerson told reporters after the U.S. and Russian leaders met for about 2 hours and 15 minutes on the sidelines of a global summit in Hamburg, Germany.

Of the agreement, he said: I think this is our first indication of the U.S. and Russia being able to work together in Syria.

For years, the former Cold War foes have been backing opposing sides in Syrias war. Moscow has staunchly backed Syrian President Bashar Assad, supporting Syrian forces militarily since 2015. Washington has backed rebels fighting Assad. Both the U.S. and Russia oppose Daesh, also known as ISIS, militants and say theyre focused on rooting out the extremist group.

Russias top diplomat, who accompanied Putin in the meeting with Trump, said Russian military police will monitor the new truce. All sides will try to ensure aid deliveries to the area, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said.

Both the Russians and the Americans took pains to describe the meeting as constructive, cordial and wide-ranging, covering key topics including cybersecurity and North Korea. Still, Tillerson said no next meeting for Putin and Trump had been scheduled.

The two leaders connected very quickly. There was a very clear positive chemistry, said Tillerson. The former Exxon Mobil CEO has done business in Russia and is one of the only senior members of Trumps administration who has prior experience dealing with Putin.

The heavily anticipated meeting has been closely scrutinized for signs of how friendly a rapport Trump and Putin will have. Trumps predecessor, President Barack Obama, had notoriously strained ties to Putin, and Trump has expressed an interest in a better U.S.-Russia relationship.

But deep skepticism about Russia in the U.S. and ongoing investigations into whether Trumps campaign co-ordinated with Moscow during last years election have made a U.S.-Russia detente politically risky for Trump.

The Putin meeting came midway through a hectic, four-day European visit for Trump, who addressed thousands of Poles in an outdoor speech in Warsaw, Poland, on Thursday. He met in Germany with Chancellor Angela Merkel, the summit host, and had dinner with two Asian allies  Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and South Korean President Moon Jae-in  to discuss North Koreas aggression.

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JERUSALEMThe UN cultural agency on Friday declared the old city in the West Bank town of Hebron as a Palestinian world heritage site, a decision that outraged Israeli officials who say the move negated the deep Jewish ties to the biblical town and its ancient shrine.

The move was the latest chapter in Israels contentious relationship with UNESCO, an agency it accuses of being an anti-Israeli tool that makes decisions out of political considerations.

While the Palestinians welcomed the action, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called it another delusional decision by UNESCO.

Both Jews and Muslims revere the same site in Hebron as the traditional burial place of the biblical patriarchs and matriarchs  Jews call it the Tomb of the Patriarchs, while for Muslims it is the Ibrahimi Mosque.

The 12-3 vote, with six abstentions, came on a secret ballot at an annual UNESCO World Heritage Committee meeting in Krakow, Poland. The proposal came from the Palestinian side. Israel contended that its historic links to Hebron were ignored and its ambassador to UNESCO left the session.

UNESCO spokeswoman Lucia Iglesias confirmed that Hebrons old city was put on the agencys World Heritage list and on the list of sites in danger. She would not elaborate, saying the exact wording would be decided later.

The decision obliges the World Heritage committee to review its status annually.

This is a historical development because it stressed that Hebron and the Ibrahimi Mosque historically belong to the Palestinian people, said Palestinian Minister of Tourism Rula Maayah.

Read more:U.S., Israel slam new UNESCO resolution on Old City of Jerusalem

But Israels Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely said UNESCOs automatic Arab majority succeeded in passing the proposed resolution that attempts to appropriate the national symbols of the Jewish people.

She added: This is a badge of shame for UNESCO, who time after time chooses to stand on the side of lies.

Netanyahu expressed outrage that UNESCO determined the Tomb of the Patriarchs in Hebron is a Palestinian site, meaning not Jewish, and that the site is in danger.

Not a Jewish site?! he asked sarcastically. Who is buried there? Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Sarah, Rebecca and Leah  our patriarchs and matriarchs!

Netanyahu pointed to extremists blowing up religious sites in the Middle East and said, It is only in those places where Israel is, such as Hebron, that freedom of religion for all is ensured.

Nikki Haley, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, said the vote does no one any good and causes much harm.

It represents an affront to history. It undermines the trust that is needed for the Israeli-Palestinian peace process to be successful. And it further discredits an already highly questionable UN agency, she said in a statement.

She had sent a letter to two senior UN officials before the vote, urging them to withhold the designation from UNESCO, according to the U.S. Mission to the UN.

Hebron is part of the West Bank, a territory captured by Israel in the 1967 Mideast war. The international community considers it to be occupied.

Palestinians claim the West Bank is an integral part of a future independent state, a position that is widely backed internationally.

Israel says the territorys fate, along with other core issues like security, should be resolved in negotiations.

In the meantime, Israel has built dozens of settlements in the West Bank housing about 400,000 Israelis. The Palestinians  and most of the world  consider these to be illegal obstacles to peace. Israel says the future of the settlements also must be decided through talks.

Hebron is especially contentious. Several hundred ultranationalist settlers live in heavily guarded enclaves in the city, amid about 170,000 Palestinians. There is frequent friction between the two populations.

Many viewed Fridays UNESCO decision as the latest example of an ingrained anti-Israel bias at the UN and its institutions, where Israel and its allies are outnumbered by Arab countries and their supporters.

Although their rocky relationship goes back decades, recent resolutions by UNESCO also drew outrage in Israel for diminishing the deep Jewish ties to Jerusalem.

In September, Israel suspended co-operation with UNESCO after it adopted a resolution that Israel says denies the deep historic Jewish connection to holy sites in Jerusalem.

The UNESCO resolution, titled Occupied Palestine and sponsored by several Arab countries, used only the Islamic name for a sacred hilltop compound in Jerusalem. The compound is the holiest site in Judaism and the third-holiest in Islam, after Mecca and Medina in Saudi Arabia.

Israeli Education Minister Naftali Bennett, who heads Israels national UNESCO committee, said after Fridays vote that Israel will not resume its co-operation with UNESCO so long as it remains a political tool, rather than professional organization.

In a statement, Netanyahu said he would cut another $1.29 million from the membership money Israel sends to the UN and use it to establish a Museum of the Heritage of the Jewish People in Hebron and Kiryat Arba and Hebron and for other heritage projects related to Hebron.

Yitzhak Reiter of the independent Jerusalem Institute for Policy Research said UNESCOs decision would allow the Palestinians to score points in negotiations over the future of West Bank territory, since they could claim that UNESCO has sided with them.

It also could bolster their efforts to fight what they believe are Israeli attempts to take over disputed religious sites in the Holy Land.

Israel strongly rejects Palestinian claims it is trying to change the status quo in either Hebron or in Jerusalems Old City.

They want to make sure that there will be an international forum to monitor the situation in Hebron and the Cave of the Patriarchs that will prevent Israel from future transgressions or overstepping its current presence in the city, Reiter said.

Hebron has a long history of violence.

In 1929, Arabs killed 67 Jews in a rampage still seared into Israeli minds. In 1994, an Israeli settler shot and killed 29 Palestinian worshippers at the holy site before he was beaten to death.

Many of the Palestinians involved in the current wave of attacks that began in 2005 came from Hebron. The attacks on Israeli civilians and security forces since then have killed 43 Israelis, two visiting Americans and a British student, mainly in stabbings, shootings and vehicle assaults. In that period, 251 Palestinians were killed by Israeli fire. Israel identified most of them as attackers.

Israel blames the violence on incitement by Palestinian religious and political leaders, compounded by social media. Palestinians say it stems from anger over decades of Israeli rule in lands they claim for their state.

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HAMBURGThe United States and Russia have reached agreement on a ceasefire in southwest Syria, three U.S. officials said Friday as U.S. President Donald Trump held his first meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The deal marks a new level of involvement for the Trump administration in trying to resolve Syrias civil war. Although details about the agreement and how it will be implemented werent immediately available, the ceasefire is set to take effect Sunday at noon Damascus time, said the officials, who werent authorized to discuss the ceasefire publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

Jordan and Israel also are part of the agreement, one of the officials said. The two U.S. allies both share a border with the southern part of Syria and have been concerned about violence from Syrias civil war spilling over the border.

The deal is separate from an agreement that Russia, Turkey and Iran struck earlier this year to try to establish de-escalation zones in Syria where violence would be reduced. The U.S., wary of Irans involvement, was not a part of that deal. Followup talks this week in Astana, Kazakhstan, failed to reach agreement on how to finalize a ceasefire in those zones.

Read more:

Crucial Trump-Putin meeting, set for a half-hour, ends after more than 2 hours

G20 leaders have very difficult talks on climate, trade at Hamburg summit

Syrian military declares temporary ceasefire ahead of peace talks

Previous ceasefires in Syria have collapsed or failed to reduce violence for long, and it was unclear whether this deal would be any better.

Earlier in the week, Syrias military had said it was halting combat operations in the south of Syria for four days, in advance of a new round of Russian-sponsored talks in Astana. That move covered southern provinces of Daraa, Quneitra and Sweida. Syrias government briefly extended that unilateral ceasefire, which is now set to expire Saturday  a day before the U.S. and Russian deal would take effect.

The new agreement to be announced Friday will be open-ended, with no set end date, one U.S. official said, describing it as part of broader U.S. discussions with Russia on trying to lower violence in the war-ravaged country. Officials said the U.S. and Russia were still working out the details as Trump and Putin concluded their more than two-hour meeting on Friday.

Implications for Syria aside, the deal marks the biggest diplomatic achievement for the U.S. and Russia since Trump took office. Trumps administration has approached the notoriously strained relationship by trying to identify a few limited issues on which the countries could make progress, thereby building trust for a broader repair of ties.

For years, the U.S. and Russia have been backing opposing sides in Syrias war, with Moscow supporting Syrian President Bashar Assad and Washington supporting rebels who have been fighting Assad. Both the U.S. and Russia oppose Daesh, also known as ISIS or ISIL, in Syria.

The U.S. has been resistant to letting Iran gain influence in Syria  a concern shared by Israel and Jordan, neither of which wants Iranian-aligned troops amassing near their territories. A U.S.-brokered deal could help the Trump administration retain more of a say over who fills the power vacuum left behind as the Daesh is routed from additional territory in Syria.

Though U.S. and Russian officials had been discussing a potential deal for some time, it didnt reach fruition until the run-up to Trumps meeting with Putin on the sidelines of the Group of 20 economic summit in Germany, officials said.

Yet ahead of the meeting  Trumps first with the Russian leader  Secretary of State Rex Tillerson signalled that Syrias civil war would be high on the agenda and potentially the most fruitful area for co-operation given the dismal state of relations between the U.S. and Russia overall.

Tillerson said in a statement before departing for Germany that the U.S. remained open to co-operating with Russia through joint mechanisms to lower violence in Syria, potentially including no-fly zones.

If our two countries work together to establish stability on the ground, it will lay a foundation for progress on the settlement of Syrias political future, Tillerson said on Wednesday.

The Trump administration has struggled to determine how actively to involve itself in Syrias civil war, beyond the U.S.-led fight against the Daesh group there. Although Trump has backed away from the previous U.S. administrations steadfast demand that Assad leave power, the limited U.S. military forces on the ground in Syria have grown more assertive in recent months, especially as the prospect that IS will soon be defeated has increased the urgency of discussions about Syrias political future.

In recent weeks, U.S. forces have shot down a Syrian aircraft that got too close to U.S. forces as well drones believed connected to Iranian-backed forces aligned with Assad  another sign of U.S. concern about Tehrans influence in Syria. Earlier this year, Trump also ordered airstrikes for the first time against Assads forces, aiming to punish him for using chemical weapons.

Some of those steps have deepened the rift between the U.S. and Russia over Syria, complicating efforts to work together. Russia, which has bolstered Assad through an aggressive air campaign in recent years, had troops at the Syrian airbase when the U.S. struck. And after the U.S. shot down the Syrian plane, Russia warned it would start considering U.S.-led coalition aircraft over Syria as potential targets.

Tensions have been on the rise recently in southern Syria amid a renewed government offensive on the contested province of Daraa where western backed rebels as well as Islamic militants challenge the Syrian governments control. Iranian-backed Hezbollah fighters have shifted south after the Russian-backed ceasefire that was announced in May and have been getting closer to the border with Jordan, raising concerns in the kingdom.

Israel has also struck Syrian military installations on several occasions in the past few weeks after shells landed into the Israeli-controlled side of the Golan Heights Golan Heights.

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Ontarios Minister of Health Eric Hoskins recently announced the government may oblige the pharmaceutical industry to disclose all payments to physicians. The initiative is long overdue, but to be effective, it must be broader, backed with adequate enforcement, significant penalties for those who break the law, and further conditions for payment transparency.

Sunshine rules only do so much. We must examine the damage done by industry-related financial conflicts of interests on health care, and restore integrity that wins back the publics trust.

Physician sunshine rules address problems that have been extensively examined. Studies find that financial ties between doctors and industry lead to over-diagnosis of disease  a process called disease mongering  and over-prescription.

A recent analysis even found that the more money a doctor receives, the more likely that physician is to prescribe expensive brand name drugs. Pharmaceutical industry money has also been used to create marketing material that is cleverly disguised as medical research or educational tools, and to help skew how safety and efficacy data gets presented to the public.

Committees that evaluate drugs and medical devices or write prescribing guidelines are regularly stacked with physicians who have financial relationships with companies benefitting from committee decisions.

Inappropriate use of pharmaceuticals is a leading trigger of hospitalization in North America and causes more deaths each year than traffic accidents. The political pressure for Minister Hoskinss initiative was sparked by the latest example of pharma corruption. North Americas opioid crisis largely results from opioid manufacturers funding physicians to act as their lobbyists and to push for more widespread prescription.

In 2010, the United States passed the Physician Payments Sunshine Act, forcing companies to disclose money and gifts they provide to doctors. France, Portugal and Slovakia enacted related laws. Other countries may follow suit. For years, Canadian commentators called upon governments to do the same, but many Canadians seem to believe that health-care corruption is an American phenomenon. In May 2015, we met with Minister Hoskins to provide lessons from the U.S. experience, and argued Ontario sunshine regulations should extend beyond the disclosure of physician payments.

Here is why. Industry funds physician education and helps create free medical textbooks that favour corporate products. These subtle forms of pay-for-play fill out industrys marketing strategy that includes free lunches for residents and the funding of patient advocacy groups that lobby governments for drug and device approval and funding. Even medical journals are often beholden to industry interests, making money by selling reprints of industry-sponsored studies. Not all financial ties are so problematic, but transparency helps disentangle fraud from responsible corporate citizenship.

We recommend that Ontario and Canada adopt the French approach, which requires disclosure of industry contributions to all health-care providers, academic institutions, medical researchers, patient groups, PR agencies, professional societies, and media outlets. Provincial and federal governments in Canada should collaborate to ensure full transparency in health care. Partial transparency provides false assurance and creates complacency.

Will transparency work? The U.S. law has fairly strict penalties and reporting compliance to capture different types of transactions. Companies have to know that they are being watched and that they will feel it in their wallet if they try to evade the law. Canada must do the same, and even more.

Transparency is only a first step. As hidden payments come out of the shadows, it will be clearer why money in health care can be just as corrosive as it is in politics. A recent study examined a state sunshine law passed in the U.S. and found that, after payments to doctors became public, physicians began writing fewer prescriptions. This reaction makes sense because American doctors have become leery of becoming too cozy with pharmaceutical companies. The U.S. government has fined companies billions when they were caught in behavior that sunshine rules aim to curb, and in some instances, physicians have been prosecuted.

Despite similar problems and practices here in Canada, rules are enforced much more timidly. Health Canada, health professions regulatory colleges, and academic institutions rarely sanction industry, physicians and researchers after they are caught in questionable activities.

If we want to address the pharmaceutical industrys influence on our health-care system, its time to pass new rules to shine a light on these practices that harm patients and increase health-care costs. A more transparent process will force leaders to stop ignoring corrosive behavior.

Trudo Lemmens is a professor at the University of Toronto where he holds the Scholl Chair in health law and policy at the Faculty of Law and the Dalla Lana School of Public Health. Paul D. Thacker is a journalist, and former U.S. Senate Staffer, who first drafted the Physician Payments Sunshine Act.

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Modern states last an average of 60 years. After that, they collapse or transform fundamentally, through war or constitutional crisis.

As we celebrate Canadas 150th birthday, this means that our beloved country is pushing its historical luck. We can rightly applaud our (relative) longevity and success, but we should not presume that Canada will easily survive this century  or that if it should, its borders and constitutional makeup will be recognizable to the Canadian of 2017. And we can be sure that in order to survive this century with flying colours, we Canadians will have to be extremely strategic and prudent in the moves we make.

What could cause the loss of the Canadian state in the next several decades? Three things.

First, should Quebec ever secede (far from impossible, contrary to received wisdom in certain quarters), Canada would collapse into multiple blocs. With the largest province excised from the federation, and with no territorial continuity remaining between east and west, it would be hard to imagine a group of leaders who could re-stitch this continent-sized country according to its erstwhile constitutional understandings.

Second, the growing pressure for reconciliation with Canadas Indigenous peoples, including through various species of constitutional or nation to nation accommodations, while extremely compelling in moral terms, could before long put the country into some vexing strategic pickles. It is by no means manifest that the pas a deux compact originally struck by the Fathers of Confederation would survive the pas a trois or pas a cent logic commended by a full and proper reconciliation among nations. Nor is it clear that such a Canada of highly variable geometry, were it acceptable to the original two founding nations (formally understood), would even be governable.

Third, war. It is coming. Perhaps not in the next year or two, but certainly over the course of this century. That our country was essentially exempt from war on Canadian territory for the entirety of the last century was historically exceptional. Every other continent, and nearly every other country, has suffered some description of terrible bloodshed on its territory over the last hundred-plus years. And in many cases, defeat in war led to irreversible transformations of states once perhaps fancied enduring.

Whats to be done for Canada to survive and succeed over the next 150 years? Two things, at least.

First, we will need to both be bigger and think bigger. We have two new borders this century  one with Russia in the north, where the Arctic ice is fast melting, and one to the west with a China that is returning to the strategic and economic vocation enjoyed by its dynastic predecessors before the Opium Wars that preceded Canadian Confederation.

Precious few countries have defended or properly managed a huge international border without a population to populate it. This means that while this century may not see southern-border-style settlements along our northern border, Canadas northern population will have to be far larger than it is today. The same may be true of our western population. In short, the vision of Canada at 100 million people by centurys end is not merely about policy fetish, but indeed about the strategic survival of the country.

A bigger Canada, in the most meaningful sense, must also mean a Canadian mindset or mentality that, stripped of its colonial complexes or instincts, increasingly sees itself as term-setting in international and human affairs. We will no longer see ourselves as helpful fixers but as leaders in planning, developing and, at the coal face, delivering the political, business and legal frameworks for real solutions to the worlds major challenges.

Second, we will have to be extremely flexible  in our thinking and in our governance. Rigidity, dogma and excessive political piety will be the death of us. Instead, we must set about maximizing not only bilingualism in the country, but indeed multilingualism, in foreign and indigenous tongues alike.

All our jurists must know both the common and civil law systems, easily incorporating Indigenous understandings over time. And our political, business and intellectual leaders must be cultured in the sciences, social sciences and humanities without artificial isolation, just as they must learn to break bread with, negotiate, teach and also learn from not only the democrats who look like us today, but indeed the non-democrats who will, for better or worse, be in the global majority tomorrow.

Irvin Studin is editor-in-chief and publisher of Global Brief Magazine and president of the Institute for 21st Century Questions.

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Leaders of the 20 biggest economic powers meet in Hamburg today and all eyes will inevitably be on the first face-to-face encounter between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin. The world will also be looking for any sign that the leaders can calm rising tensions in Korea, and whether they can still look to the United States under Trump for global leadership.

Amid all that, one crucial issue risks being shuffled aside  climate change. It may be the most serious long-term problem for the planet, but the other G20 leaders may be tempted to downplay it just to make sure their summit isnt derailed by an open confrontation with Trump.

They shouldnt duck the issue. No one can stop Trump from pursuing his reckless path, pulling out of the most important global attempt to slow the impact of climate change. His decision to withdraw from the Paris Accord was perhaps the most destructive action he has taken in his presidency so far  and thats saying a lot.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, chair of this years G20 summit, wanted to put climate change at the top of the leaders agenda. She needs the support of other countries, including Canada, to resist attempts by the Trump administration to water down what they finally agree to.

The evidence is mounting that the world simply cant afford to ignore the problem, regardless of the political difficulties. Better to risk a break with Trump than to kick this can down the road once again.

In the past week alone, dozens of leading scientists, business leaders, economists and thinkers issued an appeal in the journal Nature under the headline Three years to safeguard our climate. They argue persuasively that action is needed now to make sure greenhouse gas emissions do not continue to rise beyond the year 2020. Otherwise, they say, the temperature goals set in Paris become almost unattainable.

The good news, they write, is that theres still time to act. The bad news is that the window is small and closing. If world leaders avoid the issue to avoid a clash with Washington, they will be abdicating a major responsibility.

Putting the brakes on progress now would be particularly tragic because real gains are being made. As the scientists and others write in Nature, the shift away from carbon-based energy is already underway and is having positive effects in many parts of the world. Emissions fell by 3 per cent last year in the United States, and even in China they were down by 1 per cent as that country moved toward hydro and wind power.

At the same time, investors are becoming increasingly wary of betting on companies that rely on fossil fuels. Big hedge funds are demanding that energy companies account for the impact of measures to fight climate change on their future profits. Money speaks loudly  and more and more it is demanding action on climate issues.

The Nature writers lay out six areas for urgent action  including making renewable energy 30 per cent of the worlds total by 2020, dramatically increasing the number of electric vehicles, and widening the market for green bonds to finance climate-mitigation efforts. Without such steps, they warn, the conditions for human prosperity will be severely curtailed.

Underscoring their message, more and more evidence is emerging that the effects of climate change are real.

Sea levels are rising more quickly, caused in part by melting of the ice sheet that covers Greenland. Carbon in the atmosphere is rising, even though the amount of carbon being pumped into the atmosphere has leveled off, possibly because the oceans and other natural sponges that absorb the chemical have reached their limit. And scientists are drawing direct links between climate change and extreme weather  such as the recent heat wave in Europe.

In light of all this, its vital that the G20 leaders dont bow to the Trump administrations insistence that climate change is an illusion  even, in the presidents own words, just a hoax concocted by China to cripple the American economy.

Trumps decision in June to withdraw the U.S. from the Paris Agreement on climate change was the logical result of that thinking. At the time, other leading countries vowed to continue efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and one of the first tests of their resolve will come at the Hamburg summit.

Its far from clear what the outcome will be. Merkel has vowed to uphold the accord, calling it irreversible. And in an obvious reference to Trump she told the German Parliament last week that we cant, and we wont, wait until the last person on Earth is convinced of the scientific evidence for climate change.

But Trumps climate skepticism has given some other countries cover to back away from the accord, as many had feared. Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Russia and Turkey, according to the New York Times, are watering down their support for the agreement.

And there are other reports that an action plan on climate prepared for discussion at the Hamburg summit contains major concessions to Trump. According to one report, it removes a 2025 deadline for ending fossil fuel subsidies, eliminates a call for carbon pricing, and even defines some coal power as clean technologies. It would, in other words, kneecap global climate goals in order to avert a head-on confrontation with the Trump administration.

Such an outcome would be an enormous mistake. It would fly in the face of scientific evidence on the issue and take the wind out of the sails of countries (like Canada) that have pledged to meet their goals under the Paris accord regardless of Washingtons position.

Trump is taking the United States down an irresponsible path on climate change, one that will harm both his country and others. He is abdicating leadership on the issue and the rest of the world should resist him, not allow themselves to be led astray.

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Even though school boards incessantly complain about the lack of funds for educational purposes, scores of trustees are presently attending the annual Canadian School Boards Association Congress at a posh hotel in Whistler, B.C.

Funded by the fed up taxpayer and voted in by a weak democracy, they will return home with absolutely nothing tangible for their schools, classrooms or students.

With elected, anachronistic school boards becoming increasingly irrelevant, and provincial governments justifiably shrinking board influence, it is time to rethink our public school system.

Consider todays high-tech communication tools where everything is done in real time.

Then ask, what is it that these distant elected trustees do, that if given the money, parents, teachers, school principals and support personnel cannot do, for their own schools?

We must rid the system of these unnecessary intermediaries, give schools a greater say in decision-making and ensure those closest to the students are at the centre of the public education network.

Chris Eustace, retired teacher, Montreal

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It's a good day for BeiGene Ltd. (BGNE) - Get Free Report whose stock soared nearly 25% to $65.02 on Thursday, July 6, following announcement of their new cancer collaboration with Celgene Corp.

Celgene (CELG) - Get Free Report is shelling out $263 million cold hard cash along with a $150 million equity stake and up to $980 million in other payments and royalties for a 5.9% stake of BeiGene shares: that's pricing Beigene at $59.55 a share. The strategic immuno-oncology collaboration will propel Celgene into the PD-1 market with its acquisition of worldwide rights to BeiGene's PD-1 checkpoint inhibitor, BGB-A317.

In return, BeiGeine will gain rights to Celgene's China-based operations, which will further efforts for Celgene's budding oncology portfolio.

With five therapies on the market, Celgene's checkpoint will join the ranks of checkpoint leaders Merck & Co. (MCK) - Get Free Report and Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMY) - Get Free Report along with emerging contenders Roche Holding AG (ROG) - Get Free Report , Pfizer Inc. (PFE) - Get Free Report , and AstraZeneca (AZN) - Get Free Report . All five leaders were down during mid-morning trading.

According to a report from research analyst Alethia Young of Credit Suisse, a PARP inhibitor may be on the horizon for Celgene.

"From speaking to Celgene it sounds like they do expect to start combination studies but are discussing specific plans there," wrote Young. "Of course Tesaro and Clovis remain options with PARP inhibitors if Celgene is interested in one. Tesaro has PARP and PD-1 programs along with other antibodies in house. With the announcement of the PD-1 only, perhaps Clovis would make more sense for Celgene since they have a fully unpartnered PARP."

Neither Celgene nor BeiGene were unavailable for immediate comment.

Worried about how to finance your golden years? Register hereto watch a webinar in which TheStreet's Jim Cramer talks with Ken Fisher, founder of Fisher Investments, about the market trends shaping retirement planning today.
Mobile carrier T-Mobile (TMUS) - Get Free Report raised the price of its unlimited data plan "One Plus" to $10 from $5 per month Thursday. The plan complements the company's $70 per month base One plan.

The price change represents an end of a "promo" period for the plan, a company spokesperson told Business Insider. The price change only applies to new customers, so those who signed up for the $5 plan will continue to pay that price.

Investors have had a lukewarm reception to the price increase so far in trading as it puts the company's prices in line with rivals. T-Mobile, which has positioned itself as a cheaper alternative to industry leaders Verizon Communications Inc. (VZ) - Get Free Report and AT&T Inc. (T) - Get Free Report , shares were down 0.52% to $59.63 early Thursday afternoon.

What's Hot On TheStreet

Apple is OK for the time being: For those silently worrying how the Apple (AAPL) - Get Free Report iPhone 8 will sell, simmer down -- the tech giant still has several huge advantages. On the hardware side, for instance, the iPhone still feels ahead of the pack thanks not only to Apple's design skills and the visible features of its hardware, but also what's under the hood points out TheStreet's tech columnist Eric Jhonsa. From the looks of things, the iPhone 8 should extend that lead, Jhonsa predicts.

Tesla is looking wobbly: Tesla (TSLA) - Get Free Report shares are looking a little shaky (again) after its Model S didn't get a top rating from Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), reports TheStreet's James Skinner. The IIHS cited issues with the small overlap front test, which is meant to simulate crashes into trees, poles and other vehicles, as why the Model S did not receive the highest rating. IIHS Executive Vice President David Zuby said the front test remains a "hurdle" for some vehicles.

"Tesla made changes to the safety belt in vehicles built after January with the intent of reducing the dummy's forward movement," IIHS said. "However, when IIHS tested the modified Model S, the same problem occurred, and the rating didn't change."

Costco finally scores some good news: After watching its stock crash about 13% inside a month thanks to fears Amazon (AMZN) - Get Free Report and Whole Foods (WFM) will dominate society, Costco COST scored a nice win. Costco said same-store sales in June rose 6.5% in June. Canada saw sales up 3.2%, while international sales rose 6.2%.

The numbers should serve as a reminder how resilient Costco's business has been in the face of Amazon's rise.

Apple is aholding in Jim Cramer'sAction Alerts PLUS Charitable Trust Portfolio.Want to be alerted before Cramer buys or sells AAPL? Learn more now.

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Carrefour SA (CRRFY) can't seem to win. Europe's biggest supermarket operator and the second biggest retailer in the world behind Walmart (WMT) - Get Free Report on Friday, July 7, posted an unexpected uptick in second quarter sales but saw its shares tank all the same.

Carrefour stock fell almost 5% to 21.33 ($24.35) in early trading, making it the worst performer on France's key CAC 40 index, as investors disregarded the top line growth and chose to fret over the group's under pressure profit margins.

Not that anyone knows what they are. Carrefour's CFO Pierre-Jean Sivignon late on Thursday declined to tell analysts on a call whether earnings would match consensus expectations of 2.49 billion for 2017. That information will have to wait until August 30, when the company releases its first half-earnings, he said.

That no comment was enough to overshadow a 2.8% increase in second quarter sales on a like-for-like basis, which pushed revenues to 21.76 ahead of expectations of about 21.5 billion. The fear is that the sales increase has come at the expense of margin, particularly in Carrefour's key home market of France, where hypermarket sales reversed recent declines to climbed 0.5% after a 1.6% decline in the first quarter.

Sivignon did little to bolster confidence by telling analysts that the increase in France had come against a difficult backdrop and reflected price cutting.

In the absence of hard information analysts were left to speculate on how deeply margins had been cut. Deutsche Bank shaved its earnings per share forecast by 5% for 2017 by 3% for 2018. Goldman Sachs said the lack of information likely confirmed its pessimistic EBIT prediction of about 2.44 billion.

Carrefour's ongoing home front woes have also overshadowed plans, announced last month, to float its Brazilian operation in an IPO that could value the unit at as much as 37.6 billion reais ($11.5 billion). Because of that pending IPO Carrefour is banned from releasing sales figures for the Brazilian unit.

The company is also preparing to change its CEO. Alexandre Bompard will replace the current head Georges Plassat on July 18. If analysts' earnings fears are confirmed the new man will have his work cut out for him.
Attention, Apple (AAPL) - Get Free Report .

Samsung Electronics (SSNLF) said Friday that it expects to see record quarterly profits as rising demand for its memory chips and flagship Galaxy S8 boosts its bottom line amid its battle with Apple Inc. for global smartphone dominance.

Samsung said profits for the three months ending in June, its last fiscal quarter, are likely to top 14 trillion Korean won ($12.1 billion) thanks in part to a near 20% surge in revenue to 60 trillion won. Both figures, if confirmed, will beat analysts expectations and likely add to the stock's 32% year-to-date gains.

Samsung shares slipped around 0.26% into the close of trading in Seoul to change hands at 1,889,000 won each, valuing the group at just over 348 trillion won ($300 billion). While that's less than half of Apple's market cap, Samsung shares have outpaced those of the iPhone maker by around 10% so far this year and by more than 85% over the past two years.

Samsung's second quarter results, which will be published on July 28, will also provide the first full quarter for sales of Samsung's Galaxy S8 smartphone, a critical release for the company after the spectacular failure of its Galaxy Note 7 last year.

Samsung is also expected to overtake Intel Corp. (INTC) - Get Free Report as the world's number one chipmaker by revenue -- a title held by the Silicon Valley icon since 1991 -- as it reaps the benefits of soaring memory chip prices and increased consumer demand for faster smartphones.

The South Korean chipmaker is estimated to have generated about $15 billion in total semiconductor sales during the second quarter, which would surpass Intel's estimated $14.4 billion in chip sales, according to semiconductor market research firm IC Insights.

Watch TheStreet's daily 'Five Before the Bell' market preview with London bureau chief Martin Baccardax below, where he talks European markets, Samsung and Apple, Trump and the G-20, the U.S. jobs report and previews the opening of trading on Wall Street.

Apple is a holding in Jim Cramer's Action Alerts PLUS Charitable Trust Portfolio. Want to be alerted before Cramer buys or sells AAPL? Learn more now.

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Apple Inc (AAPL) - Get Free Report hit out at its supplier Imagination Technologies Group plc (IMGTY) Friday, July 7, saying the company knew the contract was coming to an end.

Imagination shares were down 5.4% in London, changing hands at 149 pence and extending an almost 40% fall over the past six months.

Imagination lost more than 500 million from its market value in less than 15 minutes after the shares plunged 70%, after it said in March that Apple would not be using Imagination's intellectual property in its new products in two years time and that it will not be eligible for royalty payments under the current license and royalty agreement.

However, Apple on Friday told Bloomberg that it had informed Imagination in late 2015 that it would no longer be buying the company's latest technology but that it would still use older systems.

Apple said that it then told Imagination in 2016 that it would further diminish the relationship by triggering a clause in the contract that allows Apple to pay a less royalties for using a smaller amount of intellectual property.

"We began working with Imagination in 2007 and stopped accepting new IP from them in 2015," Apple told Bloomberg. "After lengthy discussions we advised them on February 9 that we expected to wind down our licensing agreement since we need unique and differentiating IP for our products. We valued our past relationship and wanted to give them as much notice as possible to adapt their future plans."

Imagination said Tuesday that it was still in dispute with Apple. In May, the company said it had started dispute resolution proceedings with Apple over issues relating to intellectual property.

The company said it believes it would be "extremely challenging" for Apple to "design a brand new GPU architecture from basics without infringing its intellectual property (IP) rights."

Imagination in June put itself up for sale following Apple's move.

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European benchmarks were broadly lower heading toward the European close Friday after a risk-off mood hung in the air across markets throughout much of the session.

Defensive shares were bid higher while oil and gas and some elements of retail hung like weights around the ankles.

The day's price action was brought on by unease over the potential for geopolitical rifts to emerge between international leaders at the G20 conference in Hamburg, as well as ongoing concerns over the outlook for European monetary policies.

London's FTSE 100 was the only major index to buck the trend, with a late-day gain of 0.16%, to 7,348.

In Paris, the CAC 40 index was down by 0.21%, at 5,142, while the DAX dropped 0.07% in Frankfurt, to 12,375. The FTSE MIB and IBEX, in Milan and Madrid, respectively, were both lower in noon trading.

In individual stocks, British Gas owner Centrica (CPYYY) proved a beneficiary of defensive price action as well as a recent government decision to all but abandon its pre-election harsh rhetoric toward the utilities sector. The shares gained close to 4% during the session.

WPP undefined , the advertising agency led by Martin Sorrell, was one of the biggest fallers on the FTSE 100 Friday as investors dumped the shares in response to concerns over the impact last week's cyber attack might have on its current quarter and after the shares were downgraded by analysts at Exane BNP Paribas.

The broker cut its long-term growth forecasts for the company over concerns about technological disruption in the advertising industry.

Carrefour (CRRFY) shares were down nearly 5% heading into the close after investors overlooked a surprise 2.8% increase in sales during the second quarter and instead chose to focus on risks to margins after the group's CEO hinted on an earnings call that top-line growth may have come at the expense of selling prices.

Advertising agency Publicis (PUBGY) stock was also among the big fallers on the Parisian blue-chip index, after also suffering a downgrade from analysts at Exane BNP Paribas.

In Frankfurt, broadcaster and digital media business Prosieben (PBSFY) stock extended its recent decline with a nearly 2% fall Friday. After having gained more than 10% in the first-quarter, the stock has sank to a 6% year-to-date loss during recent months as fears over advertising revenue have built.

Prosieben was accompanied at the bottom of the DAX by clothing retailer Adidas (ADDYY) , whose stock had fallen just more than 1% in late afternoon trading, although Friday's price action comes after the shares rose by more than 5% over the course of the week.

Meanwhile, Jim Cramer and the AAP team dig into energy often. Get their insights or analysis with a free trial subscription to Action Alerts Plus.

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Wisconsin State Assembly members formally acknowledged that Foxconn Technologies Co. (FXCOF) is considering opening a plant in the state, potentially bringing with it 10,000 jobs.

Michigan and a few other states are still in the running for the plant until the Taiwanese electronic part contractor makes an official decision.

"Recently, technology company, Foxconn, has indicated its desire to locate in southeastern Wisconsin with up to 10,000 jobs, and yet the (funding) of I-94 North-South through Racine and Kenosha counties continues to be delayed," wrote Assembly Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, Assembly Majority Leader Jim Steineke and Rep. John Nygren, the co-chairman of the Legislature's budget committee.

What's Hot On TheStreet

The biggest deal-maker around strikes again: Berkshire Hathaway Energy, a division of Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Inc., (BRK.A) - Get Free Report (BRK.B) - Get Free Report , confirmed Friday that it will purchase Oncor Electric Delivery Co. LLC in a deal that values the bankrupt unit's equity at $11.25 billion. "Oncor is an excellent fit for Berkshire Hathaway, and we are pleased to make another long-term investment in Texas - when we invest in Texas, we invest big!", Buffett said in a statement. "Oncor is a great company with similar values and outstanding assets."

Clearly, Buffett is still bullish on America's future. TheStreet takes a look at the billionaire's biggest bets on America.

Who cares, Elon: Tesla (TSLA) - Get Free Reportagreed to build the world's largest lithium-ion battery park in South Australia on Friday, signing off on a deal to finish the installation within 100 days or give it away for free. Failure to deliver the project on time would cost his company about $50 million, said CEO Elon Musk, though neither the state government nor Tesla released details of the contract.

Meanwhile, Tesla's stock is in a bear market. The company's highly anticipated first Model 3 electric cars will begin production on Friday.

Qualcomm battle with Apple gets even nastier: Qualcomm (QCOM) - Get Free Report added a couple of unexpected wrinkles into its legal salvo with Apple (AAPL) - Get Free Report , TheStreet's tech columnit Eric Jhonsa says. One of these wrinkles aims to neutralize some of the legal arguments Apple, as well as certain regulators, have been making against Qualcomm. The other, says Jhonsa, aims to both lower the odds of a political intervention in Apple's favor, as well as boost Qualcomm's near-term chip sales at Intel Corp.'s (INTC) - Get Free Report expense.

TheStreet's founder and Actions Alerts PLUS charitable trust portfolio manager Jim Cramer makes some great points on Apple here.

Apple is a holding in Jim Cramer's Action Alerts PLUS Charitable Trust Portfolio. Want to be alerted before Cramer buys or sells AAPL? Learn more now.

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Wolf Creek nuclear power operator in Kansas is one of at least a dozen U.S. power firms breached in a cyber-attack, Reuters reported.

Wolf Creek was among the first firms to be identified as a victim of the large-scale hacker attack that began in June. The hacking campaign targeted nuclear, power and critical infrastructure sectors. Hackers used tainted emails to find credentials that allowed them to access targets' networks.

"There has been absolutely no operational impact to Wolf Creek," according to a Wolf Creek Nuclear Operating Corp spokeswoman.

A nuclear industry spokesman said hackers have never gained access to a nuclear plant. The FBI and Department of Homeland Security said there's currently no threat to the public.

What's Hot On TheStreet

The biggest deal-maker around strikes again: Berkshire Hathaway Energy, a division of Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Inc., (BRK.A) - Get Free Report (BRK.B) - Get Free Report , confirmed Friday that it will purchase Oncor Electric Delivery Co. LLC in a deal that values the bankrupt unit's equity at $11.25 billion. "Oncor is an excellent fit for Berkshire Hathaway, and we are pleased to make another long-term investment in Texas - when we invest in Texas, we invest big!", Buffett said in a statement. "Oncor is a great company with similar values and outstanding assets."

Clearly, Buffett is still bullish on America's future. TheStreet takes a look at the billionaire's biggest bets on America.

Who cares, Elon: Tesla (TSLA) - Get Free Reportagreed to build the world's largest lithium-ion battery park in South Australia on Friday, signing off on a deal to finish the installation within 100 days or give it away for free. Failure to deliver the project on time would cost his company about $50 million, said CEO Elon Musk, though neither the state government nor Tesla released details of the contract.

Meanwhile, Tesla's stock is in a bear market. The company's highly anticipated first Model 3 electric cars will begin production on Friday.

Qualcomm battle with Apple gets even nastier: Qualcomm (QCOM) - Get Free Report added a couple of unexpected wrinkles into its legal salvo with Apple (AAPL) - Get Free Report , TheStreet's tech columnit Eric Jhonsa says. One of these wrinkles aims to neutralize some of the legal arguments Apple, as well as certain regulators, have been making against Qualcomm. The other, says Jhonsa, aims to both lower the odds of a political intervention in Apple's favor, as well as boost Qualcomm's near-term chip sales at Intel Corp.'s (INTC) - Get Free Report expense.

TheStreet's founder and Actions Alerts PLUS charitable trust portfolio manager Jim Cramer makes some great points on Apple here.

Apple is a holding in Jim Cramer's Action Alerts PLUS Charitable Trust Portfolio. Want to be alerted before Cramer buys or sells AAPL? Learn more now.

Visit here for the latest business headlines.
Facebook (FB) - Get Free Report VP of Public Policy Joel Kaplan met with Pakistani government representatives to discuss the company's efforts to prevent blasphemous content after a 30-year-old Pakistani man was sentenced to death by a counter-terrorism court for posts he made on the site, Reuters reported.

Pakistani Interior Minister Nisar Ali Khan said his country believes in freedom of expression, but not insulting Islam or creating religious tensions.

"We raised our concerns over the recent court cases and made it clear we apply a strict legal process to any government request for data or content restrictions," Facebook said of the meeting it called "constructive."

Pakistan has cracked down on social media content to reduce blasphemy, but critics say the move has implicated writers and bloggers who may criticize the government. One writer and activist who recently went missing claimed Pakistani intelligence agents kidnapped him and tortured him.

Facebook is a holding in Jim Cramer's Action Alerts PLUS Charitable Trust Portfolio. Want to be alerted before Cramer buys or sells FB? Learn more now.

What's Hot On TheStreet

The biggest deal-maker around strikes again: Berkshire Hathaway Energy, a division of Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Inc., (BRK.A) - Get Free Report (BRK.B) - Get Free Report , confirmed Friday that it will purchase Oncor Electric Delivery Co. LLC in a deal that values the bankrupt unit's equity at $11.25 billion. "Oncor is an excellent fit for Berkshire Hathaway, and we are pleased to make another long-term investment in Texas - when we invest in Texas, we invest big!", Buffett said in a statement. "Oncor is a great company with similar values and outstanding assets."

Clearly, Buffett is still bullish on America's future. TheStreet takes a look at the billionaire's biggest bets on America.

Who cares, Elon: Tesla (TSLA) - Get Free Reportagreed to build the world's largest lithium-ion battery park in South Australia on Friday, signing off on a deal to finish the installation within 100 days or give it away for free. Failure to deliver the project on time would cost his company about $50 million, said CEO Elon Musk, though neither the state government nor Tesla released details of the contract.

Meanwhile, Tesla's stock is in a bear market. The company's highly anticipated first Model 3 electric cars will begin production on Friday.

Qualcomm battle with Apple gets even nastier: Qualcomm (QCOM) - Get Free Report added a couple of unexpected wrinkles into its legal salvo with Apple (AAPL) - Get Free Report , TheStreet's tech columnit Eric Jhonsa says. One of these wrinkles aims to neutralize some of the legal arguments Apple, as well as certain regulators, have been making against Qualcomm. The other, says Jhonsa, aims to both lower the odds of a political intervention in Apple's favor, as well as boost Qualcomm's near-term chip sales at Intel Corp.'s (INTC) - Get Free Report expense.

TheStreet's founder and Actions Alerts PLUS charitable trust portfolio manager Jim Cramer makes some great points on Apple here.

Apple is a holding in Jim Cramer's Action Alerts PLUS Charitable Trust Portfolio. Want to be alerted before Cramer buys or sells AAPL? Learn more now.

Visit here for the latest business headlines.
The United States and Russia have reached a cease-fire agreement to halt military operations in southwest Syria, meant to reduce violence in an area near Jordan's border, U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said, according to the Associated Press. The agreement comes following a two-hour meeting between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

"This is our first indication of the U.S. and Russia being able to work together in Syria," Tillerson said.

Tillerson also said that Russia denied interfering in the U.S. election, something several U.S. intelligence agencies have agreed for months that Russia did. President Trump "accepts" Putin's statements that Russia did not interfere in the U.S. election, a Russian diplomat said.

Tillerson said that it's not likely the U.S. and Russia will come to an agreement on whether the country interfered with last year's election, according to CNN's Jim Acosta.

What's Hot On TheStreet

The biggest deal-maker around strikes again: Berkshire Hathaway Energy, a division of Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Inc., (BRK.A) - Get Free Report (BRK.B) - Get Free Report , confirmed Friday that it will purchase Oncor Electric Delivery Co. LLC in a deal that values the bankrupt unit's equity at $11.25 billion. "Oncor is an excellent fit for Berkshire Hathaway, and we are pleased to make another long-term investment in Texas - when we invest in Texas, we invest big!", Buffett said in a statement. "Oncor is a great company with similar values and outstanding assets."

Clearly, Buffett is still bullish on America's future. TheStreet takes a look at the billionaire's biggest bets on America.

Who cares, Elon: Tesla (TSLA) - Get Free Reportagreed to build the world's largest lithium-ion battery park in South Australia on Friday, signing off on a deal to finish the installation within 100 days or give it away for free. Failure to deliver the project on time would cost his company about $50 million, said CEO Elon Musk, though neither the state government nor Tesla released details of the contract.

Meanwhile, Tesla's stock is in a bear market. The company's highly anticipated first Model 3 electric cars will begin production on Friday.

Qualcomm battle with Apple gets even nastier: Qualcomm (QCOM) - Get Free Report added a couple of unexpected wrinkles into its legal salvo with Apple (AAPL) - Get Free Report , TheStreet's tech columnit Eric Jhonsa says. One of these wrinkles aims to neutralize some of the legal arguments Apple, as well as certain regulators, have been making against Qualcomm. The other, says Jhonsa, aims to both lower the odds of a political intervention in Apple's favor, as well as boost Qualcomm's near-term chip sales at Intel Corp.'s (INTC) - Get Free Report expense.

TheStreet's founder and Actions Alerts PLUS charitable trust portfolio manager Jim Cramer makes some great points on Apple here.

Apple is a holding in Jim Cramer's Action Alerts PLUS Charitable Trust Portfolio. Want to be alerted before Cramer buys or sells AAPL? Learn more now.

Visit here for the latest business headlines.

Don't miss these top stories from TheStreet:
Brookdale Senior Living Inc. owns, manages, and operates senior living communities in the United States. It operates in three segments: Independent Living, Assisted Living and Memory Care, and Continuing Care Retirement Communities (CCRCs). The Independent Living segment owns or leases communities comprising independent and assisted living units in a single community that are primarily designed for middle to upper income seniors. The Assisted Living and Memory Care segment owns or leases communities consisting of freestanding multi-story communities and freestanding single-story communities, which offer housing and 24-hour assistance with activities of daily living for the Company's residents. This segment also operates memory care communities for residents with Alzheimer's and other dementias. The CCRCs segment owns or leases communities that provides various living arrangements, such as independent and assisted living, memory care, and skilled nursing; and services to accommodate various levels of physical ability and healthcare needs. It also manages communities on behalf of others. As of December 31, 2021, the company owned 347 communities, leased 299 communities, and managed 33 communities on behalf of others. Brookdale Senior Living Inc. was incorporated in 2005 and is headquartered in Brentwood, Tennessee.
Global Payments Inc. provides payment technology and software solutions for card, electronic, check, and digital-based payments in the Americas, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific. It operates through three segments: Merchant Solutions, Issuer Solutions, and Business and Consumer Solutions. The Merchant Solutions segment offers authorization services, settlement and funding services, customer support and help-desk functions, chargeback resolution, terminal rental, sales and deployment, payment security services, consolidated billing and statements, and on-line reporting services. This segment also provides an array of enterprise software solutions that streamline business operations of its customers in various vertical markets; and value-added services, such as point-of-sale solutions, and analytic and engagement tools, as well as payroll and human capital management services. The Issuer Solutions segment offers solutions that enable financial institutions and retailers to manage their card portfolios through a platform; and commercial payments and ePayables solutions for businesses and governments. The Business and Consumer Solutions segment provides general-purpose reloadable prepaid debit and payroll cards, demand deposit accounts, and other financial service solutions to the underbanked and other consumers, and businesses under the Netspend brand. It markets its products and services through direct sales force, trade associations, agent and enterprise software providers, referral arrangements with value-added resellers, and independent sales organizations. The company was founded in 1967 and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia.
WABCO Holdings Inc., together with its subsidiaries, supplies electronic, mechanical, electro-mechanical, and aerodynamic products worldwide. The company engineers, develops, manufactures, and sells braking, stability, suspension, steering, transmission automation, and air management systems primarily for commercial vehicles. The company's products include pneumatic anti-lock braking systems, electronic braking systems, electronic stability control systems, brake controls, automated manual transmission systems, and air disc brakes; and various conventional mechanical products, such as actuators, air compressors, and air control valves for medium and heavy-duty trucks, buses, and trailers. It also offers pneumatic and hydraulic braking and control systems for off-highway vehicles; conventional braking systems; electronic and conventional air suspension systems; steering technologies; and vehicle electronic stability control and roll stability support products, and advanced driver assistance systems. In addition, the company supplies electronic suspension controls and vacuum pumps to the passenger car and SUV markets, as well as provides remanufacturing services. Further, it offers replacement parts, fleet management solutions, diagnostic tools, training, and other expert services for commercial vehicle aftermarket distributors and service partners, and fleet operators. The company sells its products primarily to truck and bus original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), trailer OEMs, and car manufacturers; and manufacturers of heavy duty and off-highway vehicles in agriculture, construction, mining, and other industries. WABCO Holdings Inc. was founded in 1869 and is headquartered in Brussels, Belgium.
Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company provides solutions that allow customers to capture, analyze, and act upon data seamlessly in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Asia Pacific, and Japan. The company offers general purpose servers for multi-workload computing and workload-optimized servers; HPE ProLiant rack and tower servers; HPE BladeSystem and HPE Synergy; and solutions for secondary workloads and traditional tape, storage networking, and disk products, such as HPE Modular Storage Arrays and HPE XP. It also offers HPE Apollo and Cray products; and HPE Superdome Flex, HPE Nonstop, HPE Integrity, and HPE Edgeline products. In addition, the company provides HPE Aruba product portfolio that includes wired and wireless local area network hardware products, such as Wi-Fi access points, switches, routers, and sensors; HPE Aruba software and services comprising cloud-based management, network management, network access control, analytics and assurance, and location; and professional and support services, as well as as-a-service and consumption models for the intelligent edge portfolio of products. Further, it offers various leasing, financing, IT consumption, and utility programs and asset management services for customers to facilitate technology deployment models and the acquisition of complete IT solutions, including hardware, software, and services from Hewlett Packard Enterprise and others. Additionally, the company invests in communications and media solutions. It has a partnership with Striim, Inc. to offer high performance and mission-critical solutions with real-time analytics. It serves commercial and large enterprise groups, such as business and public sector enterprises; and through various partners comprising resellers, distribution partners, original equipment manufacturers, independent software vendors, systems integrators, and advisory firms. Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company was founded in 1939 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas.
AmerisourceBergen Corporation sources and distributes pharmaceutical products in the United States and internationally. Its Pharmaceutical Distribution segment distributes brand-name and generic pharmaceuticals, over-the-counter healthcare products, home healthcare supplies and equipment, and related services to various healthcare providers, including acute care hospitals and health systems, independent and chain retail pharmacies, mail order pharmacies, medical clinics, long-term care and alternate site pharmacies, and other customers. It also provides pharmacy management, staffing, and other consulting services; supply management software to retail and institutional healthcare providers; and packaging solutions to various institutional and retail healthcare providers. In addition, this segment distributes plasma and other blood products, injectable pharmaceuticals, vaccines, and other specialty products; provides other services primarily to physicians who specialize in various disease states, primarily oncology, as well as to other healthcare providers, including hospitals and dialysis clinics; and offers data analytics, outcomes research, and additional services for biotechnology and pharmaceutical manufacturers. The company's Other segment provides integrated manufacturer services, such as clinical trial support, product post-approval, and commercialization support; specialty transportation and logistics services for the biopharmaceutical industry; and sells pharmaceuticals, vaccines, parasiticides, diagnostics, micro feed ingredients, and various other products to customers in the companion animal and production animal markets, as well as demand-creating sales force services to manufacturers. AmerisourceBergen Corporation was incorporated in 2001 and is headquartered in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania.
Navistar International Corporation, through its subsidiaries, manufactures and sells commercial trucks, diesel engines, school and commercial buses, and service parts for trucks and diesel engines worldwide. The company operates through four segments: Truck, Parts, Global Operations, and Financial Services. It manufactures and distributes Class 4 through 8 trucks and buses in the common carrier, private carrier, government, leasing, construction, energy/petroleum, and student and commercial transportation markets under the International and IC brands; and designs, engineers, and produces sheet metal components, including truck cabs and engines. The company also provides customers with proprietary products needed to support the International commercial truck, IC bus, and engine lines, as well as other product lines; and a selection of other standard truck, trailer, and engine aftermarket parts. In addition, it manufactures and distributes mid-range diesel engines, as well as provides customers with additional engine offerings in the agriculture, marine, genset, and light truck markets; sells engines to original equipment manufacturers (OEM) for various on-and-off-road applications; and offers contract manufacturing services under the MWM brand to OEMs for the assembly of their engines. Further, the company provides retail, wholesale, and lease financing of products of its trucks and parts, as well as financing for wholesale and retail accounts receivable. Additionally, it exports trucks, buses, and engines. The company markets its commercial products through an independent dealer network, as well as through retail outlets; and its reconditioned used trucks to owner-operators and fleet buyers through its network of used truck dealers. It operates approximately 1,052 outlets in the United States and Canada, and 89 outlets in Mexico. Navistar International Corporation was founded in 1902 and is headquartered in Lisle, Illinois.
The Samsung Galaxy Note 8 is the best big-screen phone yet, thanks to its versatile dual cameras, S Pen improvements and beautiful 6.3-inch screen.

Why you can trust Tom's Guide Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test .

Samsung's Galaxy Note 8 is a big-screen phone that commands your attention  and not just because it's a sequel to a device the company was forced to recall. It's because the Note 8 ushers in a new class of smartphones that is super-premium.

Priced between $930 and $960 (depending on the carrier), Samsung's new phablet has the loftiest price tag of any mainstream Android handset yet. But the Note 8 tries to justify its high price with the first dual-camera setup ever on a Samsung phone; the biggest screen ever offered by Samsung, at 6.3 inches; and a host of new tricks for the S Pen. The Note 8 also offers more RAM than the Galaxy S8 and S8+, as well as a smart new way to multitask.

Is all of that worth about $80 to $100 more than the already large-and-in-charge Galaxy S8+? After living with the Note 8 for more than a week, I would say "yes."

We've updated our review of the Galaxy Note 8 based on our in-depth smartphone drop tests. See the results below.

Design: The pinnacle of phablets

With its curved Infinity Display that goes from nearly edge to edge, the glass front of the Galaxy Note 8 is simply stunning. In fact, it makes other big-screen phones like the LG V30, Google Pixel XL and iPhone 7 Plus look downright dowdy.

I know what you're wondering: Is 6.3 inches too big? Not really, and I have pretty small hands. That's because this phone has the same narrow 18.5:9 aspect ratio as the Galaxy S8 and S8+. I found I could reach across the screen with my thumb, but because the Note's design is so tall, I sometimes had to reposition the phone in my hand to target items on the top or bottom of the display.

Samsung purposely made the curves on this screen less severe than those on the S8 or S8+, which gives you more usable real estate for the pen. I dig these more slanted edges, as they also help visually differentiate the Note 8 from its siblings. However, I do wish Samsung would offer more color options in the U.S. to make this phone truly pop. U.S. carriers are offering midnight black and orchid gray, but I want to see the gold and blue versions that are available overseas arrive stateside, too.

Around the back, you'll find the dual-lens cameras and a fingerprint reader to the right of the flash. I'm not a fan of this somewhat awkward placement, as it would be easier if the sensor were beneath the camera. It also didnt always work on the first try; fortunately, you can log in via facial recognition or iris scanning.

MORE: Which Carrier Has the Best Note 8 Deal?



Measuring 6.4 x 2.9 x 0.34 inches and weighing 6.9 ounces, the Note 8 is on the heavy side, but it feels pretty balanced in my hand. By comparison, the S8+ is slightly shorter, at 6.3 inches, but significantly lighter, at 6.1 ounces. That's to be expected, though, because the Note 8 carries a stylus.



Durability: It could be tougher

As with the Galaxy S8, the Note 8 is water-resistant. It's also pretty tough; I accidentally stepped on the screen, and it didn't crack.

But to get a better sense of the phone's durability, we tested the toughness of the Galaxy Note 8 by dropping it on its face onto wood from a height of 4 feet and 6 feet; we then dropped it on its edge and face onto concrete from 4 feet; we then dropped it on its edge and face from 6 feet onto concrete.

Samsung's phablet withstood 4- and 6-foot drops on its face onto a wood surface without any difficulty. A 4-foot fall on its edge onto concrete caused some minor scratches on the bottom edge, but a 4-foot drop on its face cracked the screen in a number of places, including in front of its front-facing camera, which gave selfies a very artistic look. A 6-foot face drop onto concrete caused the Note 8's screen to start flashing white, black and green, and the touch screen was completely unresponsive.

As a result, the Note 8 earned a low toughness score of 4.3 out of 10. To see the results of other smartphones, as well as our complete scoring methodology, check out our smartphone drop tests.

Galaxy Note 8 Specs

Swipe to scroll horizontally Price $930 to $960, depending on carrier

Display: A big and beautiful canvas with more purpose

The 6.3-inch Infinity Display on the Note 8 makes your jaw drop even before you put it in your hands, and Samsung devised a clever new way to make the most of the phone's billboard-like real estate.

For starters, the Note 8's screen is deliciously colorful. I was mesmerized by the multifaceted silver armor of Cyborg in the Justice League trailer, as well as his piercing red eye. When playing Mortal Kombat X, I marveled at how grotesquely awesome the gooey brains of my splayed enemy looked when they spilled out of his head.

MORE: The Best Smartphones Available Right Now



In our lab tests, the Note 8's display covered 204.8 percent of the sRGB color gamut. By comparison, the Moto Z2 Force's OLED screen hit 199.7 percent, and the LG G6's LCD displayed 134 percent. The Note 8's display delivers accurate hues, too, as it registered a Delta-E score of 0.5; a score of 0 is perfect. The Z2 Force notched 1.06, and the LG G6 scored 1.1.

Because the Note 8's panel supports HDR (high dynamic range), you should be able to enjoy better contrast and more colors when streaming HDR content.

To maximize this phone's ultrawide screen, Samsung introduced a feature called App Pair with the Note 8. When you swipe in from the right side of the screen, you can launch two apps on the screen at once  side by side or on top of each other, depending on how you hold the phone. It's also pretty easy to create pairs.

I liked being able to have the Email app open on the left and the Calendar app on the right, or the browser on one side and YouTube on the other.

Dual Cameras: Amazing photos, great flexibility

Samsung isn't just playing catch-up with the dual cameras on the Note 8. It has leaped ahead of the iPhone  at least for now. That's because both 12-megapixel cameras on this device offer optical image stabilization; the iPhone 7 Plus' telephoto lens doesn't have that feature.

What can you do with these dual shooters? For starters, you get a 2x optical zoom with a simple tap on the screen. In Union Square, I could easily zoom in on a statue from afar without losing any detail.

You also get a new Live Focus mode, which is similar to the Portrait mode on the iPhone 7 Plus, which blurs the background and makes your subject pop. But only the Note 8 lets you adjust the intensity of this effect both before and after you snap the photo.



I felt like a pro when I snapped an image of purple flowers in front of a fountain. The iPhone 7 Plus did a better job than the Note 8 of blurring the background more consistently through the frame, but I liked that I could control how much of the fountain I could see.



I also really like the Dual Capture feature on the Note 8, which snaps both a close-up and a wide-angle photo at the same time, and then lets you toggle between both views in the gallery. One pic I took of the New York City skyline looked so good that a woman sitting next to me on the bus asked me to text it to her. Even in a moving vehicle, the picture turned out fairly sharp, thanks to the optical image stabilization.

My only complaint is that I sometimes had to tap more than once on the screen to switch between the close-up and wide-angle views.

In terms of image quality, the Note 8 delivered the same type of remarkably sharp and colorful pics that made the Galaxy S8 our top camera phone.

Compared with a shot taken with the iPhone 7 Plus, a Note 8 photo of trees and a statue in Union Square had richer greens and slightly more refined details around the edges when zoomed in. However, as with most iPhone photos, its colors were warmer than the Note 8's, and the Samsung image ran a bit cooler and nearly blew out some of the highlights.



S Pen: Neat new tricks (with some kinks)

Samsung has been broadening the appeal of the S Pen for the past few years, and the Note 8 takes it to the next level.

For starters, you can now take up to 100 pages of notes using the Screen Off memo feature. You just take out the pen and start writing. It's easy to pin notes to the always-on display and to edit notes in place. I found this feature handy when crossing off items on my to-do list and shopping lists.

The coolest new S Pen feature is Live Message, which turns your scribbles into animated GIFs to share with others. For example, I wrote "Love you" on top of a photo with a fun sparkle pen tip and then tried to send it to my wife via text message. I say "tried" because I got an error message that said "Maximum total size of attachments exceeded." Strangely, other times, I didn't get that error, so it might depend on the size of the image captured.

The other noteworthy new S Pen feature is the ability to translate full sentences into different languages just by hovering the pen above the screen. This worked well when I visited the French site Le Monde and highlighted a few rows of text.

For those so inclined, the S Pen remains a viable tool for sketching and drawing. I handed the Note 8 off to a colleague to create a couple of sketches, and he found the pen to be fairly accurate. However, he wished that the pen offered more nuanced control, as the Apple Pencil does on the iPad.

Battery Life: Surprisingly good

We'll have to wait and see whether the Note 8's battery lives up to Samsung's safety claims, but I can say that the phone lasts quite a long time on a charge. Although the battery's 3,300-mAh capacity is a bit lower than that of the battery inside the ill-fated Note 7, as well as the battery in the Galaxy S8+ (both 3,500 mAh), it turned in excellent results.

On the Tom's Guide Battery Test, which involves continuous web surfing over 4G on 150 nits of screen brightness, the Note 8 lasted a very strong 11 hours and 11 minutes on T-Mobile's network. That's even better than the 11:04 that the S8+ turned in and the 10:39 runtime from the S8, both also tested on T-Mobile. It's possible that the Note 8's extra RAM makes it slightly more efficient.

MORE: Smartphones with the Longest Battery Life

By comparison, the iPhone 7 Plus lasted 10:38, and the Moto Z2 Force ran for 10:23. The LG G6 mustered only 8:39.

Performance: More RAM, serious power

The Note 8 has the same Snapdragon 835 processor as other current Android flagships, but it ups the ante with 6GB of RAM. Most other phones make do with 4GB of RAM; exceptions include the OnePlus 5, which comes with up to 8GB of RAM.

In everyday use, the Note 8 was very swift, whether I was jumping right into the camera from the lock screen instantly (just double-press the home button) or playing Injustice 2 with silky-smooth frame rates. However, there were more than a couple of times when I had to tap the screen more than once for the phone to do what I wanted.

On Geekbench, which measures overall performance, the Note 8 scored 6,564 on the multicore portion of the test. That's better than the Galaxy S8 (6,124), a bit better than the Moto Z2 Force (6,489) and just slightly faster than the OnePlus 5 with 8GB of RAM (6,542).

When it comes to graphics performance, the Note 8 more than holds its own. It notched 39,834 on the 3DMark Ice Storm Unlimited test, which beat the Galaxy S8 (35,903) and edged out the Z2 Force (39,807) and the OnePlus 5 (39,576).

Software: Bixby is underrated

Other than the added capabilities of the S Pen and the App Pair feature for split-screen multitasking, Bixby is the highlight software feature on the Note 8, which runs Android 7.1.1. It's best not to think of Bixby as a direct Siri competitor but rather more of a personal assistant that speeds up tasks that typically take multiple taps.

For instance, I said, "Capture a screenshot, and show it to me in the gallery," and the Note 8 did both tasks in succession successfully. I also liked that I could add specific items to my to-do list by saying them aloud, such as "Add 'approve vacation day' to my task list." At first, Bixby thought I said "A prove," but the mistake was easy to correct.

MORE: Galaxy Note 8: Features to Enable and Disable

The other main highlight is the Apps Edge menu, which makes it easy to pull up your favorite apps without having to go back to the home screen. You can also quickly access your favorite contacts from this menu.

Accessories Aplenty

The Galaxy Note 8 has a new design, so you're definitely going to need a new case for this 6.3-inch monster. The good news is that there are plenty of options to choose from already, including a suede-like Alcantara cover that's available in multiple colors. My favorite is green.

MORE: 11 Best Galaxy Note 8 Accessories

The Note 8 also supports a new version of the Gear VR headset ($129) for people who want to get into virtual reality. The headset comes with a motion controller to make the VR experience more immersive.

DeX Station

If you want to leverage the full power of the Note 8 on a bigger screen, check out the DeX Station, which costs about $125. With this dock, you can run Android apps on a full-size HD monitor, and get a desktop-like experience with a mouse and keyboard connected to the peripheral. More developers are starting to support this accessory, including Zoom, which lets you seamlessly continue your conference call after you plug the phone into the dock.

Bottom Line

Spending nearly $1,000 on a smartphone seems a bit nuts when you can get a very good phone, like the OnePlus 5, for less than $500. But the Note 8 isn't just very good  it is awesome. The combination of its glorious 6.3-inch Infinity Display, excellent dual cameras and more versatile S Pen makes it the big-screen phone to beat. Some people may want to wait for the iPhone 8, but if you're an Android fan, you need look no further.

The Note 8 could be better in some ways. The fingerprint sensor is located in an awkward spot, and the Live Message feature (as novel as it is) doesn't always work the way it should. Then, there's the price. If you don't have a need for the S Pen and you just want a big screen, you'll be plenty happy with the $850 Galaxy S8 Plus. But I'd spend the extra dough on the Note 8 simply because of its dual-lens camera and what you can do with it.

Credit: Shaun Lucas/Tom's Guide


A fire broke out on Thursday at the Avenues Mall located in the Al-Rai district of Kuwait, where construction work is under way to expand the shopping complex, said a report.



The blaze which engulfed the building under construction did not result in any casualties, but left seven firemen suffering from thermal stress due to the scorching heat, reorted state news agency Kuna on Thursday.



The fire first broke out at a warehouse where stocks of electrical and wooden products are stored, before spreading to the building, stated the report citing a senior official.



"The flames quicly spread to more than 200 sq m while columns of thick black smoke were seen billowing from the site," said Civil Defence deputy director general for firefighting Major General Jamal Al-Balahis.



The Avenues Mall, the largest shopping centre in Kuwait, is located in the Al-Rai area extending from the Fifth Ring Road from the south and Al-Ghazali Highway from the east. It was inaugurated April 2007.
BYOC wherever you go, instead of using disposable plastic utensils that never biodegrade while littering the world's beaches.

While visiting Lake Louise last summer, one of the most famous sights in the Canadian Rockies, I was horrified to see a plastic spoon float by in the pale green water, close to shore. Whether someone had purposely thrown the spoon into the water, or if it was blown in by the wind, the sight jolted me. It was an awful reminder of the reach that plastic pollution has; it does not stay within the boundaries of a landfill site, but rather infiltrates the entire planet, even this most iconic of places. Try as I might, I could not reach that spoon, and had to watch it drift away.

Plastic forks, knives, and spoons are one of those things that we tend to think are inevitable when eating on the go or feeding a crowd. Even though alternatives do exist, these are not widely known or accessible, which is a pity, considering the impact that plastic cutlery has on the environment. It does not biodegrade, and a recent study found plastic cutlery to be among the 10 most common types of plastic trash found on California beaches.

Along with shopping bags and straws, disposable plastic cutlery is yet another part of the pollution puzzle thats threatening the worlds oceans and waterways. And, like bags and straws, its a direct consequence of our societal obsession with convenience, something that wouldnt need to exist if everyone took a few moments to plan ahead before leaving the house.

Grist wrote about the problem of plastic cutlery in an article called Its tine to take Americas plastic fork problem seriously:

Its hard to say exactly how many forks, spoons, and knives Americans throw away, but in 2015 we placed nearly 2 billion delivery orders. If at least half those meals involved single-use utensils, that would mean were tossing out billions of utensils each year. They dont just disappear: A recent study of the San Francisco Bay Area found that food and beverage packaging made up 67 percent of all litter on the streets.

What are the alternatives?

Most obviously, disposable plastic cutlery should be made illegal, which is precisely what France has done. All single-use plastic cutlery, along with plates and cups, will be banned soon: "Manufacturers and retailers have until 2020 to ensure that any disposable products they sell are made of biologically sourced materials and can be composted in a domestic composter."

We should start carrying our own cutlery for eating in restaurants or on the go. Many people travel with water bottles, so why not forks and knives, too? Grist references Greenpeace Chinas recent push to get people to carry reusable chopsticks, in order to reduce the 20 million trees currently cut down each year to make disposable chopsticks. The campaign has been hugely successful, thanks to celebrity backing. Visit Life Without Plastic for a number of great portable cutlery sets.

More restaurants should offer metal cutlery for people eating in-house. This may require changes in washing and sterilizing practices for takeout places. My sisters pizza company ran into issues with the health department for offering metal spoons for ice cream, but its not an insurmountable problem.

Better disposables are available and should be purchased only when necessary. For your next big event, consider California-made SpudWare, made from potato starch, wooden cutlery from The Container Store or Amazon, or Bakeys edible vegan cutlery made with various flours, to name a few.
When you visit the site, Dotdash Meredith and its partners may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your devices and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. You can find out more about our use, change your default settings, and withdraw your consent at any time with effect for the future by visiting Cookies Settings, which can also be found in the footer of the site.
- Three Kenyans have been abducted by Congolese rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo

- The Kenyans working as truck drivers for Tanzanian company were captured after the rebels ambushed their convoy

- The rebels also abducted 21 Tanzanians during the ambush

The government of Tanzania has confirmed that three Kenyans are among the truck drivers abducted by Congolese rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Tanzanian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Mindi Kasiga in a statement said the Kenyans and 21 Tanzanians were captured by the Mai-Mai militia on Thursday, June 29 in Lulimba, South Kivu province.

READ ALSO: Politician dies in road accident heading to campaigns

Kenyans abducted in DRC by Mai-Mai rebels. Photo/Red Paper.

READ ALSO: These photos of Rachel Ruto leading a prayer crusade will melt your heart(photos)

Kasiga said the rebels attacked soldiers escorting the convoy of trucks as it was heading to goldmine in Maniema province.

"They were kidnapped by Mai-Mai fighters on June 29 in Lulimba, in South Kivu province, while they were on their way to the Namoya gold mine in Maniema province,

"According to information coming from the Tanzanian embassy in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Mai-Mai rebels attacked the convoy which was being escorted by soldiers from the Congolese army,'' Kasiga said.

READ ALSO: Presidential debate organisers to lose millions if event is stopped

The government of Tanzania has confirmed that three Kenyans are among the truck drivers abducted by Congolese rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Photo/Africa Review.

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TUKO.co.ke has learnt that the Kenyans were working for registered Tanzanian companies, the government of Tanzanian said negotiations were underway to secure the release of the drivers.

DRC has in the last few weeks seen clashes between the Mai-Mai rebels and government forces that has already claimed lives of 12 people.

Have something to add to this article or suggestions? Send to news@tuko.co.ke

The only way Uhuru Kenyatta will win the elections;

Source: TUKO.co.ke
- NASA principal Musalia Mudavadi has called out Uhuru and Ruto for reportedly being childish during the campaigns

- Mudavadi says that the two are well into their fifties but all they do is childish

- He was particulary incensed by a recent comment from Ruto- that Kalonzo Musyoka was still a minister when Ruto was in school

- Note that Ruto is 50 while Kalonzo Musyoka is 63

NASA principal, Musalia Mudavadi has called out Uhuru and Ruto for calling themselves youthful leaders.

READ ALSO: Politician forced to run after armed bandits open fire during political rally

He was speaking at an ANC fundraiser at the Panafric Hotel where he fired shots at the current regime.

Mudavadi says that Ruto's lies that he was in school when Kalonzo was a minister showed the kind of leaders that Jubilee has.

"Ruto is 50, Kalonzo Musyoka is 62, you want to tell me that Ruto was in school when Kalonzo was a minister?" Mudavadi asked.

ANC leader Musalia Mudavadi enjoys a hearty moment with Uhuru Kenyatta in this past photo. Photo: Nation Media

READ ALSO: IEBC warns Joho over billboards

The bile seemed to stem from the fact that Jubilee bases its campaigns on the fact that its leader are younger and resonate with the youth more.

"These guys are grown-ups but what they do is utoto (childish). It is ridiculous!" Mudavadi is quoted by Nation.

Mudavadi also expressed optimism that NASA would carry the day in August. He claimed that Kenya cannot survive another term with Uhuru as president.

Deputy President William Ruto addresses a gathering in this past photo. Image: Standard media

READ ALSO: Uhuru's crisis meeting at William Kabogo's house and why Raila is so difficult to beat

He also dismissed reports from Jubilee that Isaac Ruto had run Bomet County down in his tenure as Governor.

"Isaac Ruto is really shaking the ground, we are going for the jugular, We will camp in the Rift Valley to ensure that the people see the light. The Maasai belt is already in our grip." He added.

Wavinya Ndeti finally explains the "Yaliyo Ndwele Sipite" proverb:

Have anything to add to this article or suggestions? Share with us on news@tuko.co.ke

Source: TUKO.co.ke
- Raila Odinga will after all participate in the now controversy ridden presidential debate

- The NASA presidential candidate had earlier opted out of the debate citing discomfort with the format

- President Uhuru Kenyatta is yet to change his mind after pulling out on Wednesday July 5

NASA presidential candidate Raila Odinga has changed his mind and says he will now participate in the presidential debate.

Raila had opted out of the debate on Wednesday July 4 hours after President Uhuru Kenyatta said he would not participate.

The NASA presidential candidate said he was against the proposed format which will see the show divided in two parts; one pitting candidates with more than 5% popularity rate according to opinion polls and the other one featuring those with with less likeability.

READ ALSO: Raila Odinga snubs Uhuru again!

But Raila seem to have changed his mind after a Mombasa High Court dismissed a court case filed by Abdouba Dida, another presidential candidate who argued the format was discriminatory.

The debate has also been postponed from July 10 to July 24 with organisers saying they are consulting with the presidential candidates.

In a statement to newsrooms on Friday July 7, Raila through his advisor Salim Lone said he had welcomed the court ruling and was willing to participate in the event.

READ ALSO: Battle lines drawn:Joho defies IEBC order

Raila. Photo: Raila Odinga/Facebook.

READ ALSO: Victory for NASA as court halts printing of ballot papers

NASA presidential candidate Raila Odinga welcomes the ruling this morning by the High Court allowing Debate Media Limited and the Presidential Debate Secretariat to proceed with the proposed debate plan. This allows all presidential candidates the opportunity to present their idea to Kenyans and the worlds, said Lone.

He added that Raila was ready to take on Uhuru and urged the president to change his mind and prepare for the duel.

READ ALSO: Caroline Mutoko's daughter 'graduates'(photo)

Uhuru.

At the same time, the two main contenders for the presidency will be accorded more time to speak to the country on their records and vision. Mr Odinga is looking forward for this one-on-one debate with relish and he urges the President to accept this opportunity to debate him on multiple national crises facing Kenya, added Lone.

Wavinya Ndeti finally explains the "Yaliyo Ndwele Sipite" proverb

Source: TUKO.co.ke
Many people have been left without pipe-borne water in northern and eastern parts of Trinidad and some areas in Tobago.

The Water and Sewerage Authority indicates this is a result of an impact to twelve of its plants due to adverse weather, which has caused flooding in some areas.
In the 2016/2017 marketing year (MY, September-June), Ukraine exported 738,500 tons of sugar, which is almost 10 times more than during the same period of the previous marketing year.

Ukrinform learned this from the National Association of Sugar Producers of Ukraine (Ukrsahar).

"In total, in the 2016/2017 marketing year (MY, September-June), Ukrainian producers exported 738,500 tons of sugar, which is almost 10 times more than during the same period of the previous marketing year  71,300 tons," the report reads.

According to Head of the Analytical Department of the National Association of Sugar Producers Ruslana Butylo, the next supplies in the current marketing year will be insignificant.

She stressed that in June of 2017 the volume of sugar exports from Ukraine already decreased compared to the previous month. For the first summer month of this year, the volume of sugar supplies abroad from Ukraine amounted to 6,355 tons, while in May it was 48,400 tons.

ish
British Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Boris Johnson has said that Ukraine has made significant progress in the implementation of reforms over the past three years and is now on the right track.

He said this at a joint press conference with Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman in London on July 6, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

Johnson said that Ukraine had made unique and amazing progress over the past three years, more than in the past 23 years.

He said that there was still a lot to be done in the reform sphere, but, he added, Ukraine is on the right track.

Johnson noted positive changes in public procurement and the introduction of electronic declarations.

He stressed that successful reforms would bring international investors to Ukraine and added that a number of UK companies were already preparing to enter the Ukrainian market.

Ukraine has a big future, he added.

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The World Bank mission is going to assess the effectiveness of the reforms implemented in Ukraine and their impact on the ease of doing construction business in Ukraine.

The materials collected upon the results of the meetings in Kyiv will form the basis of the Doing Business 2018 report of the World Bank, the press service of the State Architectural and Building Inspection of Ukraine reports.

"The mission, which should assess the effectiveness of the reforms implemented in Ukraine and their impact on the ease of doing business, will work in the capital until the end of the week. The economists of the organization plan to familiarize with the progress of reform implementation in such areas as business registration, construction, international trade, registration of property, protection of minority shareholders and payment of taxes as these components are taken into account while preparing the Doing Business rating," the statement reads.

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U.S. President Donald Trump urges Russia to stop destabilizing activities in Ukraine.

He said this during his speech at Warsaws Krasinski Square, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

"We urge Russia to cease its destabilizing activities in Ukraine and elsewhere and its support for hostile regimes, including Syria and Iran, and to instead join the community of responsible nations in our fight against common enemies and the defense of civilization itself," the President of the United States said.

He has stressed that today "the West is also confronted by the powers that seek to test our will, undermine our confidence and challenge our interests."

"To meet new forms of aggression, including propaganda, financial crimes and cyber warfare, we must adapt our alliance to compete effectively, in new ways and on all new battlefields," the president said.

ish
The world will be more secure and more stable if Ukraine becomes a full member of NATO.

Such an opinion was expressed by President of the Ukrainian World Congress Eugene Czolij, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

"The Ukrainian World Congress supports Ukraines decision to seek NATO membership which will significantly contribute to peace and stability in the world," he said.

In this way, Czolij welcomed the signing by Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko of the law on Ukraine's membership of the North Atlantic Alliance.

As reported, on June 8, 2017, the Verkhovna Rada adopted draft law No. 6470 introducing amendments to certain legislative acts regarding Ukraines foreign policy course. The law amends the laws of Ukraine on the principles of domestic and foreign policy and on the basics of Ukraines national security aimed at restoring Ukraines purposeful pragmatic course for gaining membership of NATO as a strategic foreign policy priority of the state.

The law will also contribute to the expansion and deepening of Ukraine's cooperation with NATO, strengthening of the countrys national security, and consequently guarantee its sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Senior officials of Ukraine have congratulated Ukrainians of Australia on the 70th anniversary of the settlement on the Green Continent.

In particular, President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko stressed that "Ukraine highly appreciates your efforts to recreate the Ukrainian identity and the particle of your native land in Australia", an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

The congratulatory address of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine says: "Living in one of the remotest corners of the world, the community has formed a powerful infrastructure of cultural, educational, scientific and religious institutions, established book publishing in the Ukrainian language, launched an active campaign to popularize Ukrainian culture, language, history thereby facilitating the process of formation of a positive image of Ukraine as a democratic and European country with ancient roots."

Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Andriy Parubiy stressed that the Ukrainian community contributed to the fact that Australia was among the first states to recognize Ukraine's independence and declare Holodomor of 1932-1933 the genocide of Ukrainians at the parliamentary level.

All the congratulations will be read at the solemn event on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the settlement of Ukrainians on the Green Continent, the celebration of which has started in Melbourne.

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UNICEF/Sokhin

HAMBURG, Germany/NEW YORK, 7 July 2017  Funding shortfalls are threatening education for millions of children caught up in conflicts or disasters, UNICEF said today ahead of the G20 summit in Hamburg.

Of the $932 million needed this year for its education programmes in emergency countries, UNICEF has so far received recorded voluntary contributions of less than $115 million. The funds are necessary to give 9.2 million children affected by humanitarian crises access to formal and non-formal basic education.

Without education, children grow up without the knowledge and skills they need to contribute to the peace and the development of their countries and economies, aggravating an already desperate situation for millions of children, said Muzoon Almellehan, UNICEFs latest  and youngest  Goodwill Ambassador, speaking from Hamburg, Germany, where she is representing UNICEF at the G20 Summit. For the millions of children growing up in war zones, the threats are even more daunting: Not going to school leaves children vulnerable to early marriage, child labour and recruitment by armed forces.

Funding gaps for UNICEF education programmes in some of the worlds hot spots vary from 36 per cent in Iraq, to 64 per cent in Syria, 74 per cent in Yemen and 78 per cent in the Central African Republic.

Pursuing educational opportunities has been cited as one of the push factors leading families and children to flee their homes, often at great risk to their lives. A survey of refugee and migrant children in Italy revealed that 38 per cent of them headed to Europe to gain access to learning opportunities. A similar survey in Greece showed that one in three parents or caretakers said that seeking education for their children was the main reason they left their countries for Europe.

For children who have experienced the trauma of war and displacement, education can be life-saving.

When I fled Syria in 2013, I was terrified I would never be able to return to school. But when I arrived in Jordan and realized there was a school in the camp, I was relieved and hopeful, said Muzoon. School gives children like me a lifeline and the chance of a peaceful and positive future.

As an education activist and Syrian refugee, Muzoon joins forces with UNICEF to speak out on behalf of the millions of children who have been uprooted by conflict and are missing out on school.

I urge world leaders to invest in the futures of children living in emergencies -- and by doing so invest in the future of our world, Muzoon said.

###

Note to editors:

Education is one of six key actions that UNICEF is urging governments to take to protect child refugees as part of its Agenda for Action which calls for the protection of every child uprooted by war, violence and poverty. The Agenda for Action requests governments to:

Protect child refugees and migrants, particularly unaccompanied children, from exploitation and violence; End the detention of children seeking refugee status or migrating, by introducing a range of practical alternatives; Keep families together as the best way to protect children and give children legal status; Keep all refugee and migrant children learning and give them access to health and other quality services; Press for action on the underlying causes of large scale movements of refugees and migrants; Promote measures to combat xenophobia, discrimination and marginalization in countries of transit and destination.

Key facts:
Cambodia needs to build some 1 million more homes by 2030 in order to meet the demands of a booming population, a minister has said.

Chea Sophara, minister of land management, urban planning and construction, told a housing forum this week that Phnom Penh alone would require an additional 800,000 dwellings built over the next 13 years.

The population of Cambodias capital city, he added, was due to increase by more than 50 percent to 7.9 million by 2030.

To respond to this demand, the ministry has been very active in implementing the national housing policy, linking to urban planning policy to promote and support every type of housing development, especially affordable houses, he said.

Sophara added that the government had entered into two public-private partnerships to build the new affordable houses: World Land Bridge and PNPN.

The efforts to build affordable modern homes were met with skepticism in some quarters, with experts pointing to a history of urban land grabs and dispossession.

An estimated 700,000 to 800,000 Cambodians have been affected by development projects, according to local rights groups.

Sia Phearum, director of the Housing Rights Task Force, told the same forum that the resolution of a dispute over Phnom Penhs White Building, where residents recently accepted compensation to relocate after years of dispute with the authorities and a private developer, was a good sign.

If we can solve other disputes like the White Building, then I believe there will be no more disputes, he said.

The government must do all it can to minimize corruption in order to bring in tax income to assist people in building decent homes, he added.

Phearum went on to suggest that the houses could be built if incentives and tax breaks were offered to developers.

Tep Makathy, director of the Cambodian Institute for Urban Studies, told the forum it was the burden of the government to ensure developers met their obligations.

Sophara said the government was increasing investment in construction year-on-year.
President Donald Trump labeled North Korea's behavior a threat and promised, "we will confront it very strongly."

North Korea carried out a test launch Tuesday of its first intercontinental ballistic missile, complete with a re-entry vehicle that would allow it to be equipped with a nuclear warhead.

U.S. military officials estimated the missile had a range of 5,500 kilometers, potentially putting parts of the northwestern United States within Pyongyang's reach.

Speaking at a news conference Thursday in Warsaw with Polish President Andrzej Duda, Trump warned North Korea he is considering "some pretty severe things."

"They are behaving in a very, very dangerous manner and something will have to be done," he said. "There are consequences for their very, very bad behavior."

The U.S. president did not elaborate on which options are under consideration, but Defense Secretary Jim Mattis told reporters later Thursday at the Pentagon there was still time for a diplomatic solution despite North Korea's continued provocations.

"I do not believe this capability in itself brings us closer to war because the president's been very clear, the secretary of state's been very clear, that we are leading with diplomatic and economic efforts," he said.

"We are working with allies. We are working with the Chinese," Mattis added. "But obviously any kind of effort by North Korea to start a war would lead to severe consequences."

WATCH: 'Severe Things' Considered for North Korea, Trump Says

Mattis said the U.S. military has readied several options in case diplomacy ultimately fails but noted U.S. defenses were not being buttressed as a result of the ICBM test and that the launch itself did not take the Pentagon by surprise.

"We knew it as soon as he [North Korea's Kim Jong Un] fired it," said Mattis. "We assume these sorts of things from him right now."

The United States has 28,500 troops stationed in South Korea, and about 50,000 in Japan.

The U.S. and South Korea also have deployed some components of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, or THAAD, anti-missile system in South Korea. Other missile defenses include the Aegis ballistic missile defense system, which can be deployed on naval vessels.

And, in a test last month, a U.S.-based missile interceptor knocked down a simulated incoming North Korean ICBM. Other tests of the system, however, have met with mixed results.

"We do have confidence in our ability to defend against the limited threat, the nascent threat that is there," Pentagon spokesman Capt. Jeff Davis said Wednesday.

On Wednesday, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said the U.S. is prepared to defend itself and its allies.

"One of our capabilities lies with our considerable military forces," she told an emergency meeting of the Security Council. "We will use them if we must, but we prefer not to have to go in that direction."

Haley said the United States will propose new sanctions against North Korea shortly. A new draft resolution will be circulated among Security Council members "in the coming days," she noted, adding the measure "raises the international response in a way that's proportionate to North Korea's escalation."

Among new sanctions under consideration, U.S. officials indicated, are restrictions on the flow of oil and other energy supplies to Pyongyang's military and weapons programs, tightened controls over air and maritime traffic to North Korea, and further moves to hold senior officials of the Kim Jong Un regime accountable for the country's defiance of international demands to shut down its nuclear-weapons development program.

The U.S. and China remain far apart on what to do about North Korea, and Beijing's response to the next U.S. move on North Korea will be key to the success of the American effort.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un boasted Wednesday about the missile launch.

He told a group of scientists and technicians the new rocket was "a package of gifts" timed to coincide with the U.S. Independence Day holiday.

The regime's Korean Central News Agency said Kim expected the U.S. would be "displeased" by Pyongyang's achievement, and he urged his scientists to conduct further tests as "big and small 'gift packages' to the Yankees."
In a remote district of eastern Afghanistan's Tora Bora mountains, where Osama bin Laden once took refuge, hundreds of local villagers freed from Islamic State control have been enlisted as a militia force to fight the terror group, provincial authorities said.

The Afghan National Directorate of Security (NDS) is arming dozens of local men in the Pachiragam district of Nangarhar province, which shares a border with Pakistan. The move comes after Afghan forces backed by U.S. military air attacks ousted IS fighters from the area recently.

We have enlisted 300 local uprising members in the Pachiragam district who have been equipped and will soon start their activities, said Attaullah Khogyani, the Nangarhar governor's spokesperson. The National Directorate of Security will finance them and provide them weapons.

Khogyani added that the militia, which was formed in coordination with local elders, would be deployed in the Tora Bora region to maintain security and keep IS fighters at bay.

Tora Bora

Last month, IS launched attacks on villages and Afghan Taliban positions in the region. The assault prompted local residents, who see IS militants as a serious threat to their region, to take up arms and join forces with the Taliban to push IS out.

Tora Bora, known for its complex set of mountain caves and rough terrain, was the site of a U.S. military offensive in December 2001, where now-deceased al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden reportedly was hiding before he sneaked into neighboring Pakistan.

The ongoing Taliban insurgency in Afghanistan has stretched the security forces thin on several front lines across the country, pushing locals in Tora Bora to take matters into their own hands and defend their region in the absence of an Afghan military presence. Parts of the area also have been in the Taliban's control from time to time in recent years.

IS atrocities in the east

IS has been active in several districts in Nangarhar, as well as nearby Kunar and Nuristan provinces, repeatedly storming villages and government facilities. Hundreds of people have been killed and abducted in the attacks. The group has set homes and markets on fire, destroyed local schools and pushed thousands of local people to flee their homes in eastern Afghanistan.

IS militants also have taxed farmers in areas under their control, and have been involved in cutting down trees in some parts of the province in a timber-smuggling operation to neighboring Pakistan.

U.S. and Afghan forces continue anti-IS ground and air operations in Nangarhar's Haskamena and Achin districts, and reportedly have cleared several remote and mountainous areas of IS fighters. The forces have reached areas that had been under the control of anti-government groups for years.

Locals ask for arms



In April, the U.S. Air Force dropped a Massive Ordinance Air Bomb (MOAB), informally known as the mother of all bombs, on an IS stronghold in Achin, killing at least 95 IS fighters, mostly foreign nationals.

Locals in Pachiragam have vowed to fight IS if they are supplied with weapons to counter militant attacks.

We ask the government to support us, provide us with arms and equipment. We will fight IS more effectively, Malek Sherzai, a tribal elder in Pachiragam, told VOA.

In a similar arrangement, about 500 local men were recruited by Afghan security forces last year and deployed in several security checkpoints in Pachiragam to defend their lands against IS fighters.



VOA's Zabihullah Ghazi contributed to this report from Nangarhar.
Residents and civil society activists staged a protest Friday in southern Afghanistan to denounce neighboring Iran's President Hassan Rouhani for criticizing Afghan water management and dam projects.



Hundreds of demonstrators peacefully marched through the streets of Lashkargah, capital of Helmand province near the Iranian border. They chanted, Death to Hassan Rouhani and Death to enemies of Afghanistan.



The protesters called on President Ashraf Ghanis government to not be deterred by the Iranian warning and to implement water management and storage projects along Afghan rivers.



At an international conference on sandstorms and environmental issues in Tehran on Monday, the Iranian leader warned that construction of several dams in Afghanistan could destroy civilizations in Iranian border provinces, forcing people to abandon their homes.



We cannot remain indifferent to the issue, which is apparently damaging our environment, the Iranian leader said before an audience that included Afghan delegates.



Rouhani was referring to Afghan dams such as Kajaki, Kamal Khan, Bakhshabad and Salma in provinces that border Iran.



Afghan politicians also have been criticizing the Iranian president for his comments, which they say amount to direct interference in the internal affairs of Afghanistan.



Afghan media have also expressed outrage through special commentaries and editorials.



We can continue living brotherly, but the use of the things that belong to us is our immediate right. We need our waters; we need electricity, irrigation and greenery. Thus, we should be the first ones that use our rivers, English daily Afghanistan Times wrote in an editorial published Friday.



The paper went on to say that 80 percent of Afghan water flowed to Iran and neighboring Pakistan without being used inside Afghanistan.



Tehran has not commented on the criticism Rouhani's comments provoked in Afghanistan.



Afghanistan and Iran signed a water-sharing treaty in 1973, stipulating that Iran not make claims to water from the Helmand River in excess of the amount agreed upon in the treaty, even if additional water becomes available in the future.



President Ghani has recently noted that Iran continues to receive its fair share of water from the river and that the country cannot claim more than what has been agreed upon.



We want domestic production...We will manage our water and control it, Ghani said.



After assuming office in 2014, the Afghan president vowed to construct 21 new dams, calling them key to efforts to boost the troubled economy and produce jobs for unemployed youth.



The controversy over the construction of new dams comes as Kabul accuses Iran of increasing contacts with the Taliban fighting the Afghan government and international forces.



Provincial officials and politicians have alleged that Iranian security forces are arming and providing medical assistance to insurgents, allegations Tehran denies.



Afghan officials say Iran wants to bolster the Taliban to prevent Islamic State militants from threatening Iranian territory.
Clashes broke out in Hamburg as U.S. President Donald Trump arrived in the German port city for the start of the G-20 summit of the world's leading economies. After a successful visit to Poland, the U.S. leader faces a difficult scenario at the G-20 that includes meetings with leaders of China, Germany, and Russia and a long list of contentious issues. VOA Europe Correspondent Luis Ramirez reports from Hamburg.
President Donald Trump described to Poles an America that does not exist  one where everyone is getting richer except himself.

Despite his claims at an energy meeting with European leaders, in a Warsaw speech and at a news conference, the stock market is not lifting all boats, his stated commitment to NATO has not been tested by action, and the pipeline he said was approved on his first day in office was not.

A look at some of his points Thursday:

TRUMP: "When I say that the stock market is at an all-time high, we've picked up in market value almost $4 trillion since November 8, which was the election. Four trillion dollars  it's a lot of money. Personally, I picked up nothing, but that's all right. Everyone else is getting rich. That's OK. I'm very happy. "  Energy meeting

THE FACTS: First, everyone else is not getting rich. Most Americans lack meaningful stock market investments. Research by New York University economist Edward Wolff found that just 10 percent of the U.S. population owns 80 percent of stock market wealth. A sizable chunk is concentrated with the top 1 percent of earners. The stock market has indeed climbed during Trump's time in office, as it did for most of Barack Obama's presidency after the recession bottomed out in March 2009.

Second, his suggestion that he has not benefited from a rising stock market is dubious.

Financial disclosures show the president has multiple brokerage accounts and extensive stock holdings. He owns shares in Apple Inc. (up 23 percent year to date), Caterpillar Inc. (up 15 percent) and Microsoft Corp. (up 10 percent), among other companies. Even if Trump didn't buy into the recent stock market gains, his existing shares probably received a boost.

As for his own businesses, Trump gave his two adult sons and a senior executive control of his global real estate, property management and marketing empire when he took office in January. But Trump did not divest his businesses. Instead, he placed his financial assets in a trust that he can seize control of at any time.

And there are signs that Trump's businesses are making money off his presidency. The Trump International Hotel hosted a major-donor event in June. His annual financial disclosure shows that Mar-a-Lago, the Florida resort he owns and routinely visits, saw its revenues increase to $37 million from $30 million during the period covered in his previous filing.

TRUMP: "To those who would criticize our tough stance, I would point out that the United States has demonstrated not merely with words but with its actions that we stand firmly behind Article 5, the mutual defense commitment."  Public speech in Warsaw

THE FACTS: Rather than showing a commitment with his actions, Trump has sown confusion with his words. Article 5 has only been used once  by other NATO members, to come to the defense of the U.S. after the 2001 terrorist attacks.

Trump suggested during the campaign that NATO members lagging on their own military spending might not be able to count on the U.S. to come to their aid if attacked. And he pointedly did not endorse Article 5 at a NATO meeting in May, unnerving some allies. In June, though, he said: "I'm committing the United States to Article 5." Those words won't be tested with action until or unless a NATO member is attacked.

TRUMP: "We just approved a big pipeline also  the Keystone Pipeline. It was under consideration for many, many years, and it was dead, and I approved it in my first day of office."  Energy meeting

THE FACTS: He did not approve it on his first day in office. During his first week, on January 24, Trump signed an order asking TransCanada to resubmit its application to build Keystone XL, which Obama had blocked. Trump suggested at the time that more negotiations would be required with TransCanada before he would approve the project. The project actually got the go-ahead in late March.

TRUMP: "Americans know that a strong alliance of free, sovereign and independent nations is the best defense for our freedoms and for our interests. That is why my administration has demanded that all members of NATO finally meet their full and fair financial obligation. As a result of this insistence, billions of dollars more have begun to pour into NATO. In fact, people are shocked. But billions and billions of dollars more coming in from countries that, in my opinion, would not have been paying so quickly."  Warsaw speech

THE FACTS: The notion of money pouring into NATO because of his tough talk is one of Trump's most frequent fictions. The actual issue is how much NATO countries spend on their own military budgets. They agreed in 2014, well before he became president, to stop cutting military spending, and have honored that. They also agreed then to a goal of moving "toward" spending 2 percent of their gross domestic product on their own defense by 2024. Most are short of that and the target is not ironclad. His tough talk is aimed at nudging them toward that goal.
At least 28 inmates were killed in a brutal prison fight on Thursday in the Mexican Pacific resort of Acapulco, in one of the worst outbreaks of violence in the country's troubled penal system in recent years.

Acapulco is the biggest city in Guerrero, one of Mexico's most lawless states and a center of opium poppy production that has been a major concern to U.S. officials.

The prison carnage was particularly embarrassing to Mexico as it came the same day U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary John Kelly was visiting Guerrero, which lies in the southwest of the country.

Guerrero state security official Roberto Alvarez told reporters that the fight broke out between rival gangs in the maximum security wing of the prison.

Authorities discovered bodies throughout the wing, including inside and just outside the kitchen, as well as the area for conjugal visits, he said.

A law enforcement official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Reuters that four of them had been decapitated.

U.S. official in Mexico

Kelly, one of the main links between the Mexican government and the Trump administration on migration and security cooperation, arrived in Mexico on Wednesday and has held meetings with top officials including President Enrique Pena Nieto.

Two Mexican officials said Kelly would be able to observe Mexico's efforts to eradicate poppies during his visit and two other officials said he had gone to Guerrero on Thursday.

A U.S. embassy official could not provide details about the Homeland Security chief's activities on Thursday.

Upsurge in violent crime

The killings in Acapulco are the latest example of an upsurge in violent crime that has turned 2017 into one of the bloodiest years in the country's modern history.

Acapulco, one of Mexico's most famous beach resorts, was once a playground for Hollywood stars. However, in recent years it has been roiled by vicious gang warfare, and is now ranked one of the most murderous cities in the world.

Early last year, 49 people died in a battle between members of the feared Zetas drug cartel and rivals at a prison in the northern industrial city of Monterrey.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions is visiting Guantanamo Bay Friday in a show of support for the prison he has called a fine place to detain new terrorism suspects, as opposed to having them prosecuted by the Justice Department in U.S. courts.



Sessions is traveling to the detention facility in Cuba with his deputy, Rod Rosenstein, to gain an up-to-date understanding of current operations, Justice Department spokesman Ian Prior said. They will meet with the people on the ground who are leading our government-wide efforts there. It is Sessions' first trip there since becoming attorney general.



Recent attacks in Europe and elsewhere confirm that the threat to our nation is immediate and real, and it remains essential that we use every lawful tool available to prevent as many attacks as possible, Prior said.



Sessions has long been a vocal supporter of the continued use of Guantanamo, calling it a very fine place for holding these kind of dangerous criminals.



We've spent a lot of money fixing it up, Sessions told the conservative talk show host Hugh Hewitt in a March interview. And I'm inclined to the view that it remains a perfectly acceptable place. And I think the fact that a lot of the criticisms have just been totally exaggerated.



The support for Guantanamo now represents a complete reversal of eight years of efforts to close it. The Obama administration sent no new detainees there, and though it didn't fulfill a promise to shut it down, whittled the population from 242 to 41.



Obama's Justice Department maintained that the U.S. civilian court system was the most legally sound forum in which to prosecute terror suspects captured in the U.S. and overseas and cited hundreds of convictions in New York and other cities as proof.



Former Attorney General Eric Holder sought unsuccessfully in 2009 to move the suspected ringleader of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, from Guantanamo to New York for trial, and though the plan was derailed by political opposition, has since expressed vindication as the military tribunal system at Guantanamo stalled.
Brazils federal police announced Thursday that they are shutting down the primary task force assigned to a mammoth corruption investigation, drawing criticism from prosecutors who said it would undermine the probe.

The investigation, known as Operation Car Wash, is Brazils largest-ever corruption probe. It has jailed top politicians and business executives and led to allegations against President Michel Temer.

Officers from the task force based in the southeastern city of Curitiba will be folded into an existing division that investigates corruption, federal police announced.

Symbolic significance

The move has important symbolic significance because the investigation has been led by the task force, along with prosecutors and judges in Curitiba. Coming just months after a reduction in the size of the task force, the elimination of the dedicated group of investigators has again raised concerns that authorities are trying to stifle the probe.

The decision means the officers will no longer focus exclusively on Car Wash cases. Prosecutors assigned to the probe called it an obvious step backward, saying investigators were already struggling to keep up with the workload.

The number of inquiries and investigations is restricted by the number of available investigators, the prosecutors said in a statement. There is a long list of pending material to analyze and the police officers on the case arent able to develop new lines of investigation.

The federal police force tried to head off criticism by saying that it reaffirmed the public commitment to combat corruption and that officers would not see their workload increase. It also said there were enough officers to respond to the demands in the Curitiba office.

In May, prosecutors and police complained when the task forces size was cut, saying it would make their jobs harder. The prosecutors Thursday statement noted pointedly that Temers government was responsible for the cuts in May and the end to the task force.


This Sunday marks two years since China began a sweeping crackdown on human rights lawyers, sparking an international outcry about the mistreatment of detainees in custody.

The release two months ago of human rights lawyer Li Heping is one case that highlights those concerns, and it has renewed calls for an investigation into torture allegations of jailed dissidents in China.

According to Li's wife, Wang Qiaoling, her husband "was constantly subject to beating, verbal insults and other forms of intimidation, including punching and kicking. But those weren't the worst. He said during his 22-month detention, his most life-threatening moment or near-death experience was when he was forced to take [unknown] medicines," Wang told VOA.

Forced medication

In some cases, he was forced to take doses of up to six pills for medical conditions, including heart disease and high blood pressure  conditions with which he was not affected.

The forced medication continued for almost 20 months, even if he complained of side effects such as dizziness, blurred vision and muscle pains, she added.

She said other forms of torture Li endured included demands that he remain still and stiff for long hours while awake and asleep. During one month, his hands and feet were cuffed 24 hours a day, and he was deprived of sufficient food, sunlight and blankets to keep him warm.

After learning how Li was treated, Wang repeatedly appealed to the Supreme Court and the top procuratorate in China, demanding a further investigation. So far, authorities have refused to investigate the accusations of police torture, which she said is common among rights lawyers arrested during the sweeping crackdown that began July 9, 2015.

Late last month, though, multiple judicial bodies issued a provision that excluded from court sessions illegal evidence extracted through torture. Some see that as a small sign of progress as China moves into the third year of the lawyer crackdown.

Yet that progress, observers say, may only be China paying lip service to a pervasive problem that it is unlikely to quickly solve.

Common acts of torture

According to the Hong Kong-based China Human Rights Lawyers Concerned Group, at least 320 lawyers, rights defenders and their family members have been detained, questioned or held under house arrest over the past two years.

As of Thursday, Jiang Tianyong, Wang Quanzhang, Wu Gan, Wang Fang and Li Yanjun remain detained. All except Jiang are awaiting trial.

Among those who have openly accused police of torture is Xie Yang. However, Xie recanted his allegations when he appeared in court. He was released on bail in early May.

Xie's wife, Chen Guiqiu, is trying to press for accountability and punishment of the police she said tortured her husband.

"The police and investigators are torture offenders, who should be held responsible. We can only take legal actions against them. But after we filed lawsuits, the procuratorate had harbored and colluded with the public security agency. We can only hope for rule of law and continue to disclose [their acts of torture]," said Chen, who has fled China and is now in the U.S. with her two daughters.

Chen said she will continue her fight for justice overseas and urged Chinese authorities to set Xie free as he is still under tight surveillance by secret police and being held at a designated location in Changsha in Hunan province.

Both Chen and Wang say that they are proud of their husbands and their efforts to fight for justice and basic rights of the socially-disadvantaged groups in China.

International pressure

Following renewed allegations of torture, international rights groups have recently submitted a joint report to the UN's Committee Against Torture, which they say should be used for China's next rights review.

While urging China to end its crackdown, they called on other U.N. bodies and governments around the world to sanction and hold rights abusers in China accountable.

"This crackdown was clearly an attempt to eliminate lawyers that the CCP [Chinese Communist Party] felt were a threat to the one-party dictatorship," said Frances Eve, a researcher with Chinese Human Rights Defenders.

Illegal evidence

On July 27, authorities in China issued a provision stipulating that courts shall exclude confessions extracted through torture and that interrogations of criminal suspects must take place in regulated settings with video and audio recording. In addition, health checks for detainees should be conducted to detect potential torture, among other measures.

According to the provision, however, courts will be left to determine whether evidence has been illegally extracted.

Albert Ho, a member of Hong Kong's Legislative Council, said that he finds it hard to believe China will implement the non-torture regulation.

"They [China] only pay lip service to international conventions on human rights or against torture. They're doing totally different things. They are the most well-organized liars in human history," Ho said.
A jump in first-quarter trade between China and North Korea was unexpected and masks a declining trend, a state-run Chinese newspaper said Friday, after U.S. President Donald Trump denounced Chinas trade with its isolated neighbor.

Trade between China and North Korea grew almost 40 percent in the first quarter, Trump said via Twitter Wednesday, casting doubt on Chinas assertion it is working to press North Korea to rein in its nuclear and missile programs.

37.4 percent blip

Data released in April by Beijing showed Chinas trade with North Korea grew 37.4 percent in the first quarter over the corresponding 2016 period, the Global Times said, adding that subsequent data showed declining trade in April and May.

First quarter data cannot speak for the whole year, the paper said in an editorial that carried the headline China-NK Q1 trade data must be read fairly.

The trade volume for 2017 is unlikely to grow significantly from last year, it said.

Sanctions implemented

While the first-quarter rise was somewhat unexpected, the newspaper said China had been strictly implementing U.N. sanctions against North Korea, and that a ban on imports of its coal had taken a toll on two-way trade.

The newspaper said trade between China and North Korea had declined during the previous three years.

China has not imported North Korean coal since it banned imports of the fuel Feb. 18, the General Administration of Customs said in April.

The Global Times, published by the official Peoples Daily, reiterated that sanctions should not affect normal trade activities with North Korea, especially those concerning peoples livelihoods.

Americas public opinion mistakenly depicts U.N. sanctions on Pyongyangs nuclear and missile activities as a total embargo, it said, citing a four-fold increase in Chinas grain exports to North Korea in the first quarter. Beijing will never export materials to Pyongyang that could be used for nuclear and missile activities.
Chinese scientists are defending the nation's high-tech exploration activities in the South China Sea against criticism, insisting the effort is a legitimate bid to advance science rather than a ploy to bolster China's claims to sovereignty over the contested waterway.

A deep-sea bathyscaphe and an underwater observation network developed by Chinese scientists will gather data on the worlds deepest seas for possible use in tapping minerals, said Lin Qi, assistant researcher with the state-run National Institute for South China Sea Studies in Hainan province.

"You could say to some extent that helps protect our sovereignty claim, but actually the goal of these projects designs is not mainly one to show the countrys claim," said Lin, whose institute falls under the central governments purview.

What China is chasing with new technology

That technology will probe undersea mounts and trenches including some in the East and South China Sea, Lin told VOA in an interview. China claims more than 90 percent of the South China Sea, overlapping waters that Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam call theirs. Japan and China dispute parts of the East China Sea.

Scholars from state-run institutions often reflect the views of the Chinese government.

Observers outside China see the Jiaolong deep-sea exploring bathyscaphe and the planned underwater observation network as gambits to tighten the countrys control over the 3.5 million-square-kilometer South China Sea.

The Jiaolong, an undersea observation vehicle, just completed five years of tests in preparation for a global mission in 2020, Chinese state-controlled media reports said in June. The observation network would transmit back to land "real time" seabed information and explore its chemistry, physics and biology "for the comprehensive needs of multiple applications," the governments China Oceanic Information Network said earlier this year.

Why China will plumb the depths of disputed seas

Chinas deep-sea technology led to attention internationally because of the plans to deploy it in contested waters, Lin said.

Deployment there makes sense because the Yellow Sea and Bohai Gulf near China are relatively shallow, not requiring much of a probe, Lin said.

China especially hopes to take photos from the farther-reaching, deeper oceans, he said. Research eventually will be "very helpful" for finding minerals, he added, though he sees little relation to undersea oil exploration. Oil and gas typically come from under continental shelves and continental slopes rather than deeper ocean floors.

Chinese officials want to find new resources for their 1.37 billion people and a manufacturing-reliant economy thats forecast to grow 6.7 percent this year, analysts say. For example, they need sources of cleaner-burning fuel to offset the air pollution from coal burning.

Lin rejected fears abroad that data would be used to strengthen the military. The armed forces operate largely in secrecy and has been gaining a foothold on some of the larger South China Sea islets.

"Because peoples level of knowledge is insufficient, you can say that in terms of the deep sea field a lot of countries have painstakingly done this kind of research, and the Jiaolong is Chinas representative program," Lin said.

Multiple purposes for deep-sea exploration

Experts outside China believe Beijing is using technology to pursue resources as well as chances to prove sovereignty.

"Number one, there is an economic aim to it and number two, it is an act of exhibiting sovereignty," said Oh Ei Sun, international studies instructor at Singapore Nanyang University.

China has upset rival Southeast Asian claimants over the past decade by creating artificial islands for military use and passing coast guard vessels through the exclusive economic zones of other governments.

Chinas search for resources could ruffle other countries, too, he said. Prospecting for undersea oil touched off a boat-ramming incident in 2014. Beijings discovery of the "combustible ice" natural gas hydrate in the South China Sea could spark a race for the resource with the less technologically advanced Southeast Asian claimants, some experts say.

The Chinese Academy of Sciences quoted a government official in May calling that discovery a "major breakthrough that may lead to a global energy revolution."

Chinas deep sea work helps it show off to the world, as well as inspire its citizens to believe in the Communist Partys leadership, said Fabrizio Bozzato, a Taiwan Strategy Research Association fellow specialized in Asian political issues.

"Beijing is trying to kill several birds with one stone," Bozzato said. "It is trying to enhance its soft power and national prestige but also is further marking the territory in that maritime domain."
Chinese authorities this week forbade some Tibetans from carrying out a traditional cultural and spiritual festival that happened to be on the Dalai Lama's birthday this year.

The affected area includes Nagtran village, Lungtan township, and Tawu county, Ganze prefecture.

On Thursday morning, Chinese soldiers patrolled an area designated for the festival, according to a Tibetan in exile who has close contacts in the area.

Bangchen, a newspaper in Dharamsala, India, which is home to the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan government in exile, reported Friday that the Tibetans attempted to launch a modified incense-burning festival at a different location, but Chinese troops arrived shortly after it began and quashed the burning. A photo published in the newspaper shows curling smoke coming from a distant hillside.

The festival is so important to the Tibetans in Nagtran that they secretly carried on a modified version, even during the Cultural Revolution, according to the exiled Tibetan, who asked to remain anonymous.

Since the 1980s, local residents were allowed to bring back the festival and carried it on at Geki Thang (also called Gesar Thang), a location that was established 100 years ago by 5th Zogchen Rinpoche, a well-known Buddhist master in the Kham region of Tibet. The festival includes burning a massive amount of incense, a horse race and a dance performance.

The festival falls on the 13th day of the fifth month of the Tibetan traditional calendar, which this year happens to be July 6, the Dalai Lama's birthday. Bangchen reported that the area became "like a battlefield" on Thursday, as police and soldiers "terrorized" the festival.

In 2013, Chinese police opened fire on Tibetans in the same place as they were celebrating the Dalai Lama's 78th birthday. At least 10 Tibetans were injured, according to International Campaign for Tibet.

China considers the Dalai Lama a "separatist" and attempts to prevent his influences in Tibet. His birthday is especially sensitive for the Chinese authorities. Nonetheless, many people in Tibetan areas hold different forms of celebration annually on July 6.
The Department of Justice is reviewing letters from 10 local jurisdictions that said they are in compliance with U.S. immigration law to determine whether to cut federal funding, officials said Thursday, heating up a dispute between so-called sanctuary cities and President Donald Trump's administration.

In April, the department had asked a handful of states and cities to document by June 30 their compliance with a statute that says local governments cannot prevent their employees from sharing information with U.S. immigration officials.

The Trump administration has said jurisdictions that do not fully cooperate are shielding "criminal illegal aliens," and has promised to crack down on cities that do not comply. The sanctuary jurisdictions say they are following the law and do not want to spend local resources on immigration enforcement.

"It is not enough to assert compliance. The jurisdictions must actually be in compliance," U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions said in a statement on Thursday. He said the 10 jurisdictions had written in with "alleged compliance information" and that the government would "examine these claims carefully."

Sessions' statement said "some of these jurisdictions have boldly asserted they will not comply with requests from federal immigration authorities." If the government finds the cities are violating the statute, known as Section 1373, it could decide to cut federal funds.

In the letters seen by Reuters, the jurisdictions said they were following the law, even though some had not honored all "detainer" requests sent by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE.) A "detainer" asks local authorities to hold people in jail up to 48 hours beyond when they are set to be released so immigration officials can take them into custody.

Many of the letters noted that compliance with detainer requests is voluntary and is not required under the statute. The jurisdictions targeted are the states of California and Connecticut; Chicago and Cook County in Illinois; and the cities of New Orleans, Philadelphia, Las Vegas, Miami, Milwaukee and New York.

At least one of the jurisdictions  Nevada's Clark County, which is dominated by Las Vegas  has a long-standing formal agreement with ICE in which local police officers help with federal immigration enforcement.

New York City said it complies with detainer requests for people who have been convicted of certain "violent or serious" crimes, as long as the request is accompanied by a judicial warrant. Like other cities, New York said its priority is creating trust between immigrant communities and local police to encourage residents, even if they are living in the country illegally, to report crimes.

Mitchell Landrieu, the mayor of New Orleans, made a similar argument in a letter to Sessions. He said the administration has erroneously characterized sanctuary cities as havens for Central American gangs. Landrieu said an audit of gangs in New Orleans did not find a single Latino-dominated group.

"Undocumented people who commit violent crimes must face the criminal and immigration legal systems of this country. But that does not mean that all people are illegal immigrants that are part of violent gangs," Landrieu wrote.

Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele called the Justice Department's statement on Thursday "inflammatory."

The county is at risk of losing more than $6 million in revenue if the Justice Department follows through, a June 28 letter from its lawyers said. It said Milwaukee would "avail itself of all legal options available" to "protect its grant funding."

Trump's executive order early in his presidency pledging to cut funding to sanctuary cities has been challenged in the courts. In April, a federal judge in San Francisco said in a case brought by Santa Clara County that cities were likely to succeed in proving Trump's order unconstitutional.

The California county wrote in a court filing on Thursday that top administration officials had repeatedly stated that federal funding should be tied to local willingness to honor ICE detainer requests.
Thousands of Tibetans living in exile in India waved white scarves, lit incense and offered prayers in celebration of the Dalai Lamas 82nd birthday.



The Dalai Lama, the spiritual head of the Tibetan community, cut a cake and watched a performance of cultural dances and songs by young followers Thursday in Leh, a town in the Indian-ruled portion of Kashmir where a large number of his followers live.

Many Tibetans and local Ladakh people cheered the Dalai Lama as he walked nearly one kilometer (0.6 mile) along a street to a big park for his birthday celebration. He joined prayers for his long life and heard speeches by Tibetan community leaders lauding his role in promoting the Tibetan cause, said Tseten Chhoekyaba, a Tibetan spokesman.



In New Delhi, the exiled Tibetan community gathered in a school and offered prayers and performed traditional dances as they celebrated the Dalai Lamas birthday. Volunteers distributed sweet rice to supporters while schoolchildren danced.



Similar celebrations were held in the northern Indian town of Dharmsala, where the Dalai Lama has been living since he fled from Tibet after a failed 1959 uprising against Chinese rule. Beijing accuses him of seeking to separate Tibet from China, which he denies.



China doesnt recognize the Tibetan government-in-exile and hasnt held any dialogue with the representatives of the Dalai Lama since 2010.
A federal judge has extended a stay of deportation for Iraqi nationals, blocking their removal for another two weeks.

U.S. District Judge Mark Goldsmith in Detroit on Thursday halted deportations nationwide until July 24, saying he needs more time to decide whether he has jurisdiction in the case. The judge had issued an injunction against Iraqi deportations on June 22; that stay was set to expire Monday.

In his opinion, Goldsmith wrote that he found "good cause" to extend the stay.

"In light of the complexity of the issue involved and the time necessary to prepare an opinion, along with the essentially unchanged facts," Goldsmith wrote, "the Court is faced with the same circumstances that were extant when the stays were entered."

Besides determining whether his court has jurisdiction in the case, Goldsmith is also taking into consideration the possibility that the Iraqis would be physically harmed if they were sent back to Iraq.

Most of the Iraqis are Chaldean Christians and some are Shi'ite Muslims; both groups face persecution in their native Iraq.

The lawsuit invokes the international treaty against torture and could have far-reaching consequences for thousands of other foreign nationals.

New repatriation agreement

The Iraqis, who have all been accused of or convicted of various crimes, are not appealing their deportation orders per se, but are asking for the right to contest those orders in court on the grounds that returning to Iraq would place them in mortal danger.

Up until very recently, Iraq would not accept citizens who were deported by the U.S. That changed after the administration of President Donald Trump issued its first order restricting travel in January. The order banned travel from seven countries, including Iraq.

Rather than be included in the travel order, Iraq negotiated a repatriation agreement with the U.S. government and when the revised order was issued, Iraq was no longer on the list.

Since then, immigration agents have been rounding up Iraqi foreign nationals, who have committed crimes and consequently are under deportation orders.

A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) official said in an email to VOA that the Iraqis who have been detained are part of "an effort to process the backlog of these individuals."

According to immigration officials, an estimated 14,000 Iraqi immigrants have final orders of removal.

Goldsmith is set to decide if he has jurisdiction in the case by July 24.
U.S. President Donald Trump "pressed" Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Moscow's meddling in last year's U.S. presidential election at their first face-to-face meeting Friday, according to U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.

Tillerson said Putin denied Russian involvement in the election, although the two leaders had a "very robust and lengthy exchange on the subject."

"The president pressed President Putin on more than one occasion regarding Russian involvement," Tillerson told reporters after the two leaders' meeting that overshadowed the gathering in Hamburg, Germany, of the leaders of the world's 20 largest economies.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who also attended the meeting, later said that Trump accepted Putin's statements that Russia had not interfered in the election.

Tillerson said the two leaders agreed to continue the discussion, with the intent of securing a commitment from Russia not to meddle in U.S. affairs in the future. He said there was no sign that the two countries would ever agree on the issue, so both leaders were focused on moving forward.

There are several ongoing investigations into whether the Trump campaign colluded with Russia and interfered in last November's U.S. presidential election.

At a joint news conference Thursday in Warsaw with Polish President Andrzej Duda, Trump addressed Russia's involvement. "I think it was Russia, but I think it was probably other people and/or countries," Trump said. "Nobody really knows for sure."

Trump's stance on the issue has been somewhat at odds with the U.S. intelligence community's conclusion that Russia meddled in the election and with testimony his own nominees presented before Congress.

The meeting also produced an agreement designed to de-escalate fighting in Syria. The two leaders agreed to a cease-fire in southwestern Syria, a deal that increases U.S. involvement in the effort to resolve the Syrian civil war.

Israel and Jordan, which share a border with southern Syria, also have agreed to the cease-fire, which is set to take effect Sunday.

Although both the U.S. and Russia oppose the Islamic State militant group in Syria, the two countries have thrown their support behind opposing sides in the war. The U.S. supports rebel forces who are opposed to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who has the support of Moscow.

The agreement could give the U.S. more influence over who fills a leadership void that is developing as Islamic State is forced out of its most important Syrian strongholds.

The U.S. and Russia have been negotiating the cease-fire for some time, and it came to fruition at the formal bilateral meeting that was highly anticipated by the international community.

The meeting was fraught with symbolism as Trump, still new to the world of global diplomacy, sat down with Putin, a former KGB agent, who came to power in what amounted to a Kremlin coup 17 years ago.

The meeting was closely scrutinized for signs of how the two leaders interacted. Relations between Putin and former President Barack Obama were strained, and Trump repeatedly has said he would like to improve ties with Russia.
Islamic State militants attacked a village south of Mosul, killing several people including two journalists, even as they were about to lose their last redoubt in the city to an Iraqi military onslaught, security sources said on Friday.

The assault on Imam Gharbi village appeared to be the sort of diversionary, guerrilla-style strike tactics Islamic State is expected to focus on as U.S.-backed Iraqi forces regain control over cities IS captured in a shock 2014 offensive.

Security sources said IS insurgents had infiltrated Imam Gharbi, some 70 km (44 miles) south of Mosul on the western bank of the Tigris river, on Wednesday evening from a pocket of territory still under their control on the eastern bank.

Two Iraqi journalists were reported killed and two others wounded as they covered the security forces' counter-attack to take back the village on Friday. An unknown number of civilians and military were also killed or wounded in the clashes.

In Mosul, IS clung to a slowly shrinking pocket on the Tigris west bank, battling for every meter with snipers, grenades and suicide bombers, forcing security forces to fight house-to-house in densely-populated blocks.

The Iraqi military has forecast final victory this week in what used to be the de facto capital of IS's "caliphate" in Iraq, after a grinding eight-month, U.S.-backed offensive to wrest back the city, whose pre-war population was 2 million.

But security forces faced ferocious resistance from roughly several hundred militants hunkered down among thousands of civilians in the maze of alleyways in Mosul's Old City.

Air strikes and artillery salvoes continued to pound Islamic State's last Mosul bastion on Friday, a Reuters TV crew said.

Mosul was by far the largest city seized by Islamic State in its offensive three years ago where the ultra-hardline group declared its "caliphate" over adjoining parts of Iraq and Syria.

Asymmetric attacks

Stripped of Mosul, IS's dominion in Iraq will be reduced to mainly rural, desert areas west and south of the city where tens of thousands of people live, and the militants are expected to keep up asymmetric attacks on selected targets across Iraq.

Adhel Abu Ragheef, a Baghdad-based expert on jihadist groups, said Islamic State was likely to carry out "more of these raid-type attacks on security forces to try to divert them away from the main battle", now in Mosul and then in other areas west of Mosul including near the Syrian border still IS control.

Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi declared the end of Islamic State's "state of falsehood" a week ago, after security forces took Mosul's mediaeval Grand al-Nuri mosque - although only after retreating militants blew it up.

Months of grinding urban warfare in Mosul have displaced 900,000 people, about half the city's pre-war population, and killed thousands, according to aid organizations.

The United Nations predicts it will cost more than $1 billion to repair basic infrastructure in Mosul. Iraq's regional Kurdish leader said on Thursday in a Reuters interview that the Baghdad central government had failed to prepare a post-battle political, security and governance plan.

The offensive has damaged thousands of structures in Mosul's Old City and destroyed nearly 500 buildings, satellite imagery released by the United Nations on Thursday showed.

In some of the worst affected areas, almost no buildings appear to have escaped damage, and Mosul's dense construction means the extent of the devastation might be underestimated, U.N. officials said.
U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Friday that there would not be many good options left for dealing with North Korea if the peaceful pressure campaign the United States has been pushing to curb Pyongyang's nuclear and missile programs failed.

"We have not given up hope," Tillerson told reporters after U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin met on the sidelines of a summit of the Group of 20 developed nations, just days after North Korea conducted what it said was its first test of an intercontinental ballistic missile.

Tillerson said the U.S. approach of stepping up pressure on North Korea through sanctions required patience.

"I call it the peaceful pressure campaign. ... This is a campaign to lead us to a peaceful resolution, because if this fails, we don't have very many good options left," he said.

"It's one that requires calculated increases in pressure, allow the regime to respond to that pressure, and it takes a little time to let these things happen."

Tillerson said Trump and Putin differed about how to deal with North Korea's weapons programs in their talks, but Washington would continue to press Moscow to do more to curb Pyongyang's activities.

"The Russians see it a little differently than we do, so we're going to continue those discussions and ask them to do more. Russia does have economic activity with North Korea," he said.

The United States, Japan and South Korea agreed Friday to push for a quick U.N. Security Council resolution to apply new sanctions on North Korea. But the three nations might struggle to persuade Russia and China, permanent members of the Security Council, to back quick sanctions.

U.N. diplomats said Friday that the United States had given China a draft sanctions resolution.

Russia on Thursday objected to a Security Council condemnation of North Korea's missile launch because the U.S.-drafted statement labeled it an ICBM, a designation that Moscow disagrees with. Diplomats said Friday that negotiations on the statement had stalled.

Tillerson said a Chinese-Russian proposal for the United States to suspend military exercises with South Korea in return for a freeze on North Korean weapons testing was unacceptable because it would freeze North Korea's programs at too high a level of capability.

"We're asking North Korea to be prepared to come to the table with an understanding that these talks are going to be about 'How do we help you chart a course to cease and roll back your nuclear program?' That's what we want to talk about.

"We're not interested in talking about 'How do we have you stop where you are today?' "
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The European Commission is currently carrying out a feasibility study for a new portal to which the European Committee of the Regions is contributing.
The United States is arranging for an American doctor to visit China to examine ailing Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo, and a German cancer specialist is at the hospital in northeastern China that is treating the Nobel Peace laureate, U.S. and German sources said Friday.

Liu, 61, was jailed for 11 years in 2009 for "inciting subversion of state power" after he helped write a petition known as "Charter 08" calling for sweeping political reforms.

He was recently moved from jail to a hospital in China's northeastern city of Shenyang to be treated for late-stage liver cancer.

"The U.S. Department of State is facilitating travel for an American medical expert to come to China," said Anna Richey-Allen, a spokeswoman for the U.S. State Department's East Asia bureau. "We have asked that China grant these doctors unhindered access to Liu."

A source at Germany's foreign ministry said that the German cancer specialist is at the hospital that is treating Liu.

"We hear that his condition has deteriorated rapidly. We are very concerned about that," the German source said.

The hospital has invited doctors from the United States and Germany to help with Liu's treatment, the Shenyang city justice department said Wednesday.

On Friday evening, the hospital said that Liu's appetite was "quite poor" and that abdominal fluid that had built up had been drained.

A woman who answered the hospital telephone earlier Friday said she did not know about Liu's case.

Brother-in-law weighs in

On Thursday, Liu's brother-in-law, Liu Hui, denied that doctors had halted medication for him, in a letter released by the hospital, following rumors that the dissident was too ill for treatment to continue.

A family friend of Liu said his medication had been halted as his liver was unable to take it.

"The Chinese government often pressures family members to write statements or record videos to make claims in its favor," Patrick Poon, a China researcher for rights group Amnesty International, said in a message, referring to the letter.

"If Liu Hui is free, why can't he talk to journalists?" added Poon, who is based in Hong Kong.

Calls have grown from rights groups, international bodies and western governments for China to allow Liu and his wife, Liu Xia, to be treated overseas if they wish.

The European Parliament on Thursday urged China to immediately release the couple from house arrest, and allow Liu to seek treatment freely.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang declined on Friday to comment about Liu's treatment and media access to his family.

However, he expressed displeasure at the involvement of the United Nations, after Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein, the U.N. high commissioner for human rights, met Chinese officials about Liu.

"Relevant U.N. officials should strictly abide by the U.N. charter's purposes and principles, should respect China's judicial sovereignty and not interfere in China's internal affairs," Geng told a daily news briefing.

U.N. seeks access

The U.N. human rights office on Friday said it was very concerned about reports of serious deterioration in Liu's health.

"The High Commissioner has requested that a senior U.N. official be urgently granted access to Liu Xiaobo and to Liu Xia," it said in a briefing note.

"However, we have so far received no response from the Chinese government to this request."

Diplomatic sources in Beijing say China has been nervous that the concerns over Liu could overshadow President Xi Jinping's appearance at a summit of the Group of 20 nations in Hamburg, Germany, on Friday and Saturday.

At the meeting, Xi will seek to project Chinese leadership on issues such as climate change and free trade.
The head of a panel investigating deadly chemical weapons attacks in Syria complained Thursday that he is working in what he calls a highly politicized environment.

We do receive, unfortunately, direct and indirect messages all the time from many sides telling us how to do our work, Edmond Mulet said after talking to the U.N. Security Council Thursday. Some of these messages are very clear in saying that if we don't do our work according to them ... they will not accept the conclusions.

Mulet did not tell reporters exactly who was pressuring the panel, but he did say it was coming from everywhere.

He appealed to those harassing the panel to let it do its work independently, impartially and objectively.

Sarin gas attack

Mulet is heading a joint investigation by the United Nations and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.

The panel is looking into the April 4 sarin gas attack on Khan Sheikhoun that killed at least 87 people.

Video of the attack, which included pictures of children foaming at the mouth and struggling to breathe, shocked the world.

US airstrike

The United States and its allies blamed the Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad, prompting President Donald Trump to order an airstrike on the Syrian base from where the poison gas attack was apparently launched.

Syria and its Russian allies deny Assad's forces were responsible.

The investigators also plan to look into several other chemical weapons attacks in Syria.

They concluded that the Syrian military was behind two previous gas attacks and blamed Islamic State for using mustard gas in 2015.
An suspected top human trafficker who was arrested in South Sudan has been handed over to Somalia for prosecution, according to officials in Mogadishu.

The Somali government says the man, identified as Abdulkadir Omar Abdulle, led a trafficking network in South Sudan that helped smuggle thousands of people across East Africa to Libya, where they awaited a possible journey to Europe.

Abdulle, a Somali citizen in his early 40s, was wanted on charges of trafficking and alleged abuses  including rape and murder  against the people his network was smuggling.

The Somali ambassador to South Sudan, Hussein Haji Ahmed, told VOA's Somali Service that Abdulle ran a network of more than 30 smugglers based in South Sudan.

Abdulle was arrested in South Sudan's capital of Juba last week. Ahmed said police told him that Abdulle was expecting new arrivals from the border with Uganda when he was captured at one of the secret homes he maintained for the smugglers.

"Police surrounded the house. He tried to jump over the wall, but was captured," the ambassador said.

Abdulle was flown Thursday to Mogadishu, where Somali authorities took him into custody and are now holding him in a prison run by the National Intelligence and Security Agency.

Suspect 'wanted for a long time'

"He was wanted for a long time by Interpol police from Somalia and South Sudan, and they have coordinated on his handover," said the ambassador.

"He was a man who is conscious of his security. He was discreet and has managed to protect himself. When there is an anti-trafficking operation, he goes to a hideout in a border area between Uganda and South Sudan. He hides there."

Ahmed said police obtained information about the phone Abdulle was using and tracked it, leading to his capture in Juba.

Officials said Abdulle's network smuggles 600 to 700 people every month. About 90 percent of them are Somalis, most of them trying to leave Somalia due to insecurity and a lack of jobs.

Many of the people being smuggled were subjected to beatings or rape, and were sometimes held hostage for ransom.

The traffickers took videos of the abuses and sent them to the victims' relatives, to pressure them to send money quickly.

"It's appalling the kind of treatment women receive in the hands of these traffickers, it's inhumane," Ahmed said. "Some of their victims are young people, 13, 14 years old. They suffer unspeakable abuses."

Asked whether Abdulle will be prosecuted in Somalia or handed over to other countries, Ahmed said the Somali government wants to prosecute him in Somalia pending an investigation.

"We want him for illegal trafficking, we want him for the death of people being smuggled, we want him for forging documents, and we want him for abuses against the young people in South Sudan and Sudan both, and other abuses which happened along the border between South Sudan and Uganda," he said. "He will face justice in Somalia."

Three other Somalis suspected of involvement in the trafficking network are being held in Juba, where they are under investigation, Ahmed said.
India-based Infosys, an information technology outsourcing firm, announced Thursday it will hire 2,000 workers over the next four years for a technology hub in North Carolina, the second of four planned hubs in the U.S.



Infosys executives were joined by North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper at a news conference in which they said the hub will be developed in the state's Research Triangle region. The company expects to hire the first 500 North Carolina workers within two years as part of an overall strategy leading to eventual creation of 10,000 job overall across the four sites. The first was announced for Indiana in May and the other two locations haven't yet been announced.



Infosys already has more than 1,100 jobs in North Carolina and will begin hiring later this year, company President Ravi Kumar said in the appearance before reporters at North Carolina's old Capitol Building with Cooper.



Kumar stressed that the jobs created as part of its U.S. expansion would go to American workers. While workers could come to North Carolina from all over the country, Kumar emphasized the company aimed to fill positions in part through recruiting local university graduates and training workers via a customized community college program.



"This was an easy one for us,'' Kumar said. "That's one of the key reasons why we chose North Carolina  there's such an excellent ecosystem of colleges and schools.''



The jobs will be created in Wake County, which contains Raleigh and parts of the Research Triangle Park, with average salaries of $71,000. A state incentives panel earlier finalized an agreement whereby Infosys could receive more than $22 million in taxpayer-funded grants if they meet job creation, investment and wage thresholds. Another $3 million from the state would help create the community college training program.



Infosys said it will use the technology hubs to work with its clients on products such as artificial intelligence, big data analysis and shared computing.



Previously, Infosys announced its first hub as part of plans to hire 2,000 new workers by the end of 2021 in the Indianapolis area, home turf of Vice President Mike Pence, a former Indiana governor. President Donald Trump has blasted an American visa program that tech companies have heavily relied upon to temporarily bring in workers from other countries at lower wages.
Entertainer Bill Cosby will be retried on charges of sexually assaulting a former employee of his alma mater in November, five months after his first trial on those charges ended in a hung jury, a Pennsylvania judge ruled on Thursday.

Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas Judge Steven O'Neill said the 79-year-old comedian would be tried again beginning on Nov. 6. He is accused of the sexual assault of Temple University administrator Andrea Constand in his Philadelphia-area home in 2004.

Cosby built a long career on a family-friendly style of comedy exemplified by the 1980s TV hit "The Cosby Show" before dozens of women came forward to accuse him of sex assault in a series of incidents dating back to the 1960s.

The vast majority of those alleged incidents were too old to be the subject of criminal prosecution, but Cosby has faced one criminal trial because prosecutors in Pennsylvania charged him in December 2015, just days before the statute of limitations was to run out on Constand's claim.

The jurors who heard Cosby's first trial in Norristown, Pennsylvania, who were bused in from Pittsburgh, 300 miles (480 km) away, failed to reach a unanimous verdict last month after 52 hours of deliberations that often stretched late into the night.

Cosby has long denied any criminal wrongdoing and has said that any sexual contact he had with his accusers was consensual.

His spokesman, Andrew Wyatt, hailed the hung-jury outcome as a victory for Cosby, who has not performed to a paying audience for more than two years.

Cosby is also awaiting two trials over civil lawsuits filed against him by accusers, with both scheduled for the summer of 2018.
Kenyans will vote in August for posts at all levels of government, from the president down to local officials. But there is something different on the ballot this year: a surge in the number of independent candidates. A quarter of the more than 15,000 people cleared to run for office by the electoral commission are independent.

Peter Kenneth is among them. Kenneth is one of five candidates  three of whom are independents  challenging the incumbent in Kenya for the governorship of Nairobi County.

Kenneth, a former member of Parliament, ran for president in 2013 under the banner of the Kenya National Congress; however, he didn't make the cut during this year's primaries, so he is running as an independent.

"The big parties conspire against individuals," he said, "but I think you can see with this particular sham, it was across the board in many of the leading political parties. So, you have more independent candidates than the political parties have and what will be a lasting ramification is that in [the] future, people will not go for party nominations."

That remains to be seen. These are only the second nationwide elections since 2010, when Kenya's new constitution allowed people to run as independents.

Some voters, such as Okath Obado, are embracing the added choice.

"It's not about party because at the end of the day, party will not sort out my issues," Obado said. "I have to look at a leader who can look at the nature of the young people, a leader who can fight for the environment, education and security."

The ruling Jubilee coalition and the opposition National Super Alliance currently dominate the political landscape. But this year's primaries were plagued with allegations of irregularities and favoritism, leading to court challenges.

The governor of Kiambu County, William Kabogo, broke off from Jubilee to run for re-election. He now chairs the newly formed Kenya Alliance of Independent Candidates, which he says counts nearly 5,000 members.

"People are beginning to now think about candidates and not forums, not parties, not euphoria," Kabogo said. "And if this happens successfully, in terms of the number of people who we get into parliament or the number of people who will succeed in this general election having participated as independent candidates, then that will create a different level in terms of how mature we are in electioneering."

But analysts say the rise of independents is not enough to alter Kenya's political landscape. Political analyst Levi Obonyo, a professor at Daystar University, says many Kenyans still choose parties and candidates based on ethnicity.

"In terms of the arrival into the space of independents, that possibly it might be able to raise the debate simply beyond the ethnic orientation, and if that happens, we have not yet seen it happen strongly," Obonyo said, "because the independents who come from specific regions have also tended to fall simply into the same alignments and carry the same ethnic conversations."

Kenyans will have their say at the polls August 8.
The world's top medical technology companies are turning to robots to help with complex knee surgery, promising quicker procedures and better results in operations that often leave patients dissatisfied.

Demand for artificial replacement joints is growing fast, as baby boomers' knees and hips wear out, but for the past 15 years rival firms have failed to deliver a technological advance to gain them significant market share.

Now U.S.-based Stryker and Britain's Smith & Nephew believe that is about to change, as robots give them an edge.

Robots should mean less trauma to patients and faster recovery, although they still need to prove themselves in definitive clinical studies, which will not report results for a couple of years.

Fares Haddad, a consultant surgeon at University College London Hospitals, is one of the first in Britain to use the new robots and has been impressed. However, he agrees health care providers need decisive data to prove they are worth an investment that can be as much as $1 million for each robot.

"The main reason for using a robotic system is to improve precision and to be able to hit very accurately a target that varies from patient to patient," he said. "It is particularly useful in knees because they are more problematic [than hips] and there are a chunk of patients that aren't as satisfied as we would like with their knee replacement."

Satisfaction rates are only around 65 percent for knee operations, against 95 percent for hips, according to industry surveys.

The rival types of robots vary in cost and sophistication, assisting surgeons with precision image guidance for bone cutting and the insertion of artificial joints.

Prestige machines

Orthopedic companies hope to emulate the success of Intuitive Surgical, an early pioneer of robots in hospitals, which now has more than 4,000 of its da Vinci machines installed around the world for procedures including prostate removal, hernia repair and hysterectomies.

In addition to selling into big Western markets, they also want to expand robot use in India, China and other emerging markets, where owning a prestigious high-tech system can be a marketing advantage for private hospitals.

Stryker is leading the charge with its MAKO robotic arm, a platform it acquired for $1.65 billion in 2013 and which has pioneered robot-assisted whole-knee operations by determining optimal positioning and then helping with bone cutting.

But it has competition from smaller rival Smith & Nephew, which last week launched a cheaper product called Navio for total knee replacements in the United States. The British group bought the company behind Navio for $275 million in 2016.

That has kicked off the battle in earnest, since both companies are now able to do total knee replacements, which represent the vast majority of knee procedures.

MAKO, which uses only Stryker's joints and implants, costs around $1 million to install, while Navio, which does not have as many features and is not tied exclusively to Smith & Nephew's products, is less than half the price.

Both companies believe their robots will help them capture a bigger share of an orthopedic market that has been split between four big players for more than a decade.

Indeed, Smith & Nephew Chief Executive Olivier Bohuon said it was his company's most important strategic investment for a decade.

"We are now basically head to head with Stryker," he said in an interview. "I do believe we are going to gain market share due to the fact we have robots, whether it's Stryker or us."

Cost-effectiveness question

Stryker, meanwhile, expects its MAKO system to start delivering market share gains from the end of 2017.

"As we exit this year, we expect to start to see evidence in our knee market shares," Katherine Owen, head of strategy at Stryker, told an investment conference in June. "Our goal with MAKO on knees is to capture hundreds of basis points of market share. What that time frame looks like, we haven't been specific about."

Zimmer Biomet and Johnson & Johnson, the two other big players in orthopedics, are lagging in the robotics race but both have plans to enter the area in different ways.

J&J is working on surgical robotics with Verily, the life sciences arm of Google parent Alphabet, while Zimmer last year bought a majority stake in France's Medtech, a specialist in neurosurgery.

Analysts at Morgan Stanley believe robots have the potential to disrupt a market in artificial joints that has arguably become commoditized, with no knee or hip implant emerging as supreme in recent years.

That chimes with the view of Smith & Nephew's Bohuon, who argues that robots give his company a chance to punch above its weight, despite ranking No. 4 in reconstructive surgery.

He reckons robotics could account for 20 to 40 percent of knee operations.

Much will depend, however, on how the rival systems stack up.

Jefferies analysts said the semi-automated bone resection offered by MAKO might well win out in the long term, but Navio offers a far cheaper option and is still well ahead of anything the other two major manufacturers have today.

Orthopedic surgeon Haddad, who has experimented with both, said the machines were very different and health care systems would need to assess their cost-effectiveness in the light of clinical trial results.

"I think the clinical benefit will be pretty obvious, but whether that justifies the upfront outlay is a big question," he said.
U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said on Friday he had chosen an envoy to lead U.S. diplomacy on the Ukraine crisis, adding that he had moved to fill the position at the urging of Russia's leader.

Former U.S. Ambassador to NATO Kurt Volker, a longtime diplomat, will be responsible for advancing U.S. interests as set out in the 2015 Minsk agreement to curb the conflict in Ukraine's Donbass region. He will accompany Tillerson to Kyiv on Sunday, the State Department said.

Russia annexed Ukraine's Crimea region in 2014, and Kyiv accuses it of backing pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine, an allegation the Kremlin denies. The Minsk agreement called for a ceasefire in eastern Ukraine, the withdrawal of heavy weapons from the front line and constitutional reform to give eastern Ukraine more autonomy.

"At the request of President [Vladimir] Putin, the United States has appointed ... a special representative for Ukraine, Ambassador Kurt Volker," Tillerson told reporters after a meeting between Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko welcomed the choice, writing in a message on Twitter that it would help end what he called Russian aggression and restore Crimea to Ukraine.

"Important & timely move in the interests of ending Russian aggression and restoration of Ukraine's territorial integrity, including Crimea," Poroshenko tweeted.

Volker was a career diplomat who served as permanent representative to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization under Republican President George W. Bush and Democratic President Barack Obama. He is currently a foreign policy and national security expert at the McCain Institute for International Leadership at Arizona State University.

"Kurt's wealth of experience makes him uniquely qualified to move this conflict in the direction of peace," Tillerson said in a statement. "The United States remains fully committed to the objectives of the Minsk agreements, and I have complete confidence in Kurt to continue our efforts to achieve peace in Ukraine."

Julie Smith, a former Pentagon official who worked on European and NATO policy during the Obama administration, praised the choice of Volker as Ukraine envoy, but said she was puzzled at Tillerson's statement that he filled the position at Putin's request.

"So Ukraine didn't matter enough to this administration to have them appoint a special envoy in the first place?" said Smith, now a senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security. "It was a bizarre word choice."
The state of Minnesota is battling the biggest outbreak of measles since 1990, and state health officials are hoping it is tapering off. Seventy-eight people caught the disease, mostly Somali-Americans, and nearly a third were hospitalized.

The Somali-American community in Minneapolis, Minnesota, is tight-knit. At one time, they had the highest rates of vaccinations against measles than any other group in the state until they heard this:

Autism is caused by vaccines administered (to those) under 3 years of life.

Anti-vaccination groups believe that vaccines expose children to health risks and can cause harm, and they convinced Somali-Americans in Minneapolis that the vaccine for measles, mumps and rubella (MMR), caused autism. So while they continued getting their children vaccinated for everything else, the rates for this particular vaccine dropped dramatically.

Patsy Stinchfield is a nurse in Minnesota. She blames the states measles outbreak on anti-vaccination groups.

I would say almost exclusively the whole responsibility lands on the anti-vaccine movement, she said, and the reason is misinformation and myths spread about a link between MMR and autism, of which there is none, and science has proven that not to be true, she added. She spoke to VOA via Skype.

Since March, Stinchfield has been at the forefront of Minnesotas measles outbreak. She says the Somali-Americans came together fast to hold community meetings where doctors could talk about the safety and effectiveness of the measles vaccine.

Since then, they have been getting to clinics to get their children vaccinated.

Since the outbreak, the message has gotten out that measles, mumps, rubella vaccine is safe, Stinchfield said. Its effective, and typically in a week in Hennepin County, which is the Minneapolis county, there would be 500 MMRs given, and for three weeks in a row, there were 3,000 MMRs given for three weeks in a row, so that is a tremendous response.

Stinchfield said measles took the Somali-Americas by surprise.

They did not think that measles would be in the United States, she said, and so the level of fear was greater for autism. This has now shifted, because the level of fear and the level of fear for measles is great because these families know measles. Theyve had loved ones die of measles in Somalia.

Measles was wiped out in the U.S. 17 years ago, but outbreaks still happen when someone carries the virus back from a country where measles still circulates.

Fortunately, no one who caught measles in Minnesota had any serious complications, and state officials are hoping to declare the outbreak over by the end of July.
Myanmar tycoon Serge Pun, one of the wealthiest men in Asia, said on Thursday the government led by Aung San Suu Kyi has neglected the nation's much-needed economic reform.

Pun, Pun, head of property-to-banking conglomerate First Myanmar Investment, urged authorities to give more attention to growth in one of the region's poorest countries.

He said Myanmar's economy has not performed well enough more than one year after its first de facto civilian leader Suu Kyi swept to power in a historic vote.

Myanmar's economic growth, albeit still relatively strong, has slowed since she took power, while foreign direct investment has fallen sharply.

Its gross domestic product growth fell to 6.3 percent in 2016, a full percentage point lower than the previous year, according to the International Monetary Fund.

They have definitely neglected on the economy side. They have not realized the importance of the economy, Pun told an event held by Singapore Management University in the country's commercial hub, Yangon.

Peace process important

Suu Kyi has made the push to end decades of fighting between the military and myriad rebel groups a priority for her administration, but Pun said the country's economic development is the most effective tool to attain those goals.

While Suu Kyi has achieved a lot in Myanmar's peace process, Pun said, without (a) vibrant economy, those objectives can be very vulnerable. Peace may not be sustainable.

Pun spoke out at a time when Suu Kyi has struggled to match the sky-high expectations that accompanied her National League for Democracy (NLD) to power a year ago.

In additional to a slowdown in growth, the Nobel Peace Prize winner is grappling with increased fighting with armed ethnic groups and a festering crisis in troubled Rakhine state, where tensions between Muslims and Buddhists have been running high.

'Mr. Clean'

Dubbed as Mr Clean for his adherence to clean business in a country long known as anything but, Pun said the government needs to build more efficient bureaucracy and a conducive legal framework to facilitate investment.

In a recent report, Singapore-based Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation said Myanmar's recent economic victories, including the lifting of U.S. sanctions, have yet to translate into a meaningful improvement in terms of economic data.

Actual data proved to be a wet blanket on the optimism when these changes were first announced, it wrote.
Native American tribes, clans and leaders from seven states and Canada say the U.S. government's recent decision to lift protections for grizzly bears in the Yellowstone National Park area violates their religious freedom.

They are suing to block the government from removing Yellowstone grizzlies from the endangered and threatened species list, which would allow Montana, Wyoming and Idaho to hold grizzly bear hunts.

The Native American plaintiffs argue that trophy hunting for grizzly bears goes against their religious and spiritual beliefs. The lawsuit filed June 30 asks a federal judge to rule that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service must consider the Native Americans' beliefs and consult adequately with them before removing grizzly protections that have been in place since 1975.

"He is our relative. For us Bear Clan members, he is our uncle," Ben Nuvamsa, a former chairman of the Hopi Tribe in Arizona, said Wednesday. "If that bear is removed, that does impact our ceremonies in that there would not be a being, a religious icon that we would know and recognize."

The three states have not planned any hunts for this year, but have agreed to quotas and to cease all hunting if the Yellowstone population falls below 600 bears. There are now about 700 in the region.

Basing a legal challenge of an Endangered Species Act decision on religious beliefs and inadequate tribal consultation has not been tried before, said the plaintiffs' attorney, Jeff Rasmussen. It's an argument that differs from those of the conservation and wildlife advocacy groups who have also filed intentions to sue over last month's U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service decision.

"They don't feel like they've been listened to, both with regard to their religious beliefs and spiritual beliefs, and with regard to some of the issues in this case," Rasmussen said. "They feel the U.S. is not listening to them, and we're hoping to change that."

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Department of Interior officials declined to comment on the lawsuit. U.S. Department of Justice officials did not return a call or email for comment.

The government began the process of delisting the bears in March 2016 under the Obama administration, and received 650,000 public comments. The Fish and Wildlife Service says on its website it offered an opportunity for government-to-government consultation to 53 tribal governments through letters, phone calls, emails and webinars during that time.

It is government policy to conduct direct consultations with tribes, which are sovereign nations, on Endangered Species Act issues.

The lawsuit alleges that government officials contacted only four tribes initially, and contacted the others only after the decision had been made.

"They promised us that they would consult with us before they made the decision," Nuvamsa said. "They reneged on it."

The plaintiffs are 17 tribes, clans and individuals from Montana, South Dakota, North Dakota, Wyoming, Arizona, New Mexico and Canada. Rasmussen said two more tribes from Nebraska and South Dakota are being added.
Disused military tunnels snake beneath the crater of Diamond Head, out of sight of the tourists lounging near the volcano on Waikiki Beach but very much on the mind of Gene Ward, a state representative from Honolulu.

Alarmed by North Koreas latest missile tests and claims that its newly developed intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) can carry a large nuclear warhead, Ward believes it is time to refurbish the tunnels as civilian shelters in case of a North Korean attack.

Weve had wake-up calls before but what happened on July 3 is shaking us out of bed, said Ward, referring to Pyongyangs latest missile test.

Striking distance

North Koreas state media said the missile reached an altitude of 2,802 km (1,741 miles), and some Western experts said that meant it might have a range of more than 8,000 km (4,970 miles), which would put Hawaii and Alaska within striking distance.

Americans from the Alaska tundra to the tropics of Hawaii have had years to contemplate North Koreas accelerating missile program, which has generated angst and shrugs given that the reclusive governments true capabilities and intentions remain unknown.

Ward, a Republican in a Democratic-majority state, said he supports reviving state legislation that would reopen the bunkers built by the U.S. military before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941 that prompted U.S. entry into World War II.

The tunnels are among many military bunkers and batteries carved into Oahu as part of a buildup that began after Hawaii became a U.S. territory in 1898 and continued through World War II.

Alaskans less worried

If Hawaiians have a stronger sense of vulnerability stemming from Pearl Harbor, then some Alaskan seem largely unperturbed.

Doyle Holmes, a retired U.S. Navy pilot and hardware store owner who lives about 50 miles (80 km) north of Anchorage, sums up his advice to fellow Alaskans this way: Go back to sleep and dont keep worrying about it.

Holmes, 79, a Republican Party activist who retired in March from the Alaska State Defense Force, said his attitude is rooted in his abiding faith in the U.S. militarys ability to counter any attempt by North Korea to strike American soil.

It would be self-annihilation if they launch a missile at the United States, Holmes said.

I think we are going to be OK. I went through the nuclear fallout classes and the bomb shelter stuff in the 1950s and 1960s, he said, referring to U.S. preparations for a potential Cold War-era Soviet attack that never came.

More missile defense funds

Last week the U.S. Senates Armed Services Committee proposed $8.5 billion of funding for the Missile Defense Agency to strengthen homeland, regional and space missile defenses.

Some of this would pay for 28 missile interceptors to augment 32 at a base in Fort Greely, Alaska, a Hill staffer said. The department already had plans to place 40 interceptors at the Ground-based Midcourse Defense (GMD) battery by the end of 2017.

Some experts on Northeast Asian political and security issues believe political leaders and the media have been too quick to qualify North Korea as a nuclear power, questioning whether it can genuinely delivery a functional nuclear warhead with accuracy or whether North Korea would risk certain U.S. retaliation.

Hawaiians vigilant

But Denny Roy, a senior fellow with the East-West Center think tank in Honolulu, said the public discourse had definitely changed with the latest episode.

The milestone is that Americans seem to believe that North Korea can hit the U.S. homeland, whereas up until now it was all theoretical and potential, Roy said.

Hawaiians are mindful that the islands could make an enticing target given their large concentration of U.S. military power, including the Pacific Command responsible for U.S. forces in Asia.

Im not building a bunker yet, but we definitely have to stay vigilant, said Reece Bonham, 24, a retail manager in the city of Kailua-Kona on the Big Island of Hawaii.

Caelen McHale, 21, a University of Hawaii business management major, was skeptical of North Koreas claims and confident in U.S. military power, but still worried how the United States might respond.

Our administration is scarier than North Koreas, she said.
More than 120 countries are expected to adopt the first treaty to ban nuclear weapons Friday despite a boycott by all nuclear-armed nations, including the United States, which has pointed to North Koreas escalating nuclear and ballistic missile programs.

Elayne Whyte Gomez, president of the U.N. conference that has been negotiating the legally binding treaty, told reporters Thursday that we are on the verge of adopting the treaty on the prohibition of nuclear weapons.

This will be a historic moment and it will be the first multilateral nuclear disarmament treaty to be concluded in more than 20 years, she said. The world has been waiting for this legal norm for 70 years, since the use of the first atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945 at the end of World War II.

Whyte Gomez, Costa Ricas ambassador to the U.N. in Geneva, said she hoped the treaty would be adopted by consensus, but she said the rules of procedure for the conference also allowed for a vote.

December resolution

In December, U.N. member states overwhelmingly approved a resolution calling for negotiations on a treaty that would outlaw nuclear weapons, despite strong opposition from nuclear-armed nations and their allies who refused to participate in the talks.

Whyte Gomez said 129 countries signed up to take part in drafting the treaty, which represents two-thirds of the U.N.s 193 member states. But all nuclear states and NATO members have boycotted the negotiations except for the Netherlands, which has U.S. nuclear weapons on its territory and was urged by its parliament to send a delegation to the negotiations.

Following Wednesdays final review of the text after nearly three weeks of intense negotiations, Whyte Gomez said she was convinced that we have achieved a general agreement on a robust and comprehensive prohibition on nuclear weapons.

I am really confident that the final draft has captured the aspirations of the overwhelming majority of those participating in the conference, including civil society, she said.

Final language

The final draft treaty requires all countries that ratify never under any circumstances to develop, test, produce, manufacture, otherwise acquire, possess or stockpile nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices. It also bans any transfer or use of nuclear weapons or nuclear explosive devices  and the threat to use such weapons.

Retired British Royal Navy Cmdr. Rob Green, who flew nuclear strike aircraft and is now co-director of the Peace Foundations Disarmament and Security Center, said at a news conference Wednesday that the heart of this treaty was the prohibition on threatening to use nuclear weapons.

Richard Moyes, managing director of Article 36, a British-based organization that works to prevent harm from nuclear and other weapons, said it isnt plausible to think the world can maintain security based on mutually threatening to incinerate hundreds of thousands of people with nuclear weapons when we know there have been near-misses, errors of judgment  theres been accidents  and theres a degree of instability in the political leadership in the world.

But not one of the nine countries believed to possess nuclear weapons  the United States, Russia, Britain, China, France, India, Pakistan, North Korea and Israel  is supporting the treaty.

The United States and other nuclear powers instead want to strengthen and reaffirm the nearly half-century-old Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, considered the cornerstone of global nonproliferation efforts.

That pact sought to prevent the spread of atomic arms beyond the five original weapons powers  the U.S., Russia, Britain, France and China. It requires non-nuclear signatory nations to not pursue atomic weapons in exchange for a commitment by the five powers to move toward nuclear disarmament and to guarantee non-nuclear states access to peaceful nuclear technology for producing energy.

North Koreas nuclear and ballistic missile tests, including its July 3 launch, have become a timely argument for proponents and opponents of the treaty to ban atomic weapons.

Beatrice Fihn, executive director of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, said 15,000 nuclear weapons around the world have not managed to deter Pyongyangs nuclear ambitions and a new approach is needed starting with prohibition as the first step to eliminate nuclear arms.
Pakistan has hailed a United Nations Security Council decision to declare the group Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, or JuA, a global terrorist organization. The anti-state militant group has claimed responsibility for a majority of recent terrorist attacks in the country.

The group, which split from the outlawed Pakistani Taliban in 2014, is associated with Islamic State and operates out of Afghanistan's eastern Nangarhar province as well as Pakistan's tribal border district of Mohmand, according to information posted on the U.N. website Thursday.

The designation subjects JuA to an assets freeze, travel ban and arms embargo.

"Pakistan welcomes the listing of Jamaat-ul-Ahrar by the U.N. Security Council.  Pakistan had proposed this listing," said a Foreign Ministry statement Friday in Islamabad.

JuA has not yet commented on the U.N. decision.

The Pakistani government banned JuA last November following a series of attacks that killed dozens of people, including members of the minority Christian community.

Authorities maintain that militants fleeing security operations have found refuge in "ungoverned" Afghan border areas where they have joined with Islamic State and launch terrorist attacks against Pakistan.

Military officials allege the Afghan intelligence agency is backing JuA extremists in plotting the violence and cross-border raids on Pakistani security forces.

The group also took credit for last year's Easter suicide bombing in the city of Lahore that killed more than 70 people, including Christians and Muslims.

Kabul rejects allegations it harbors JuA and, in turn, blames Islamabad for sheltering Taliban insurgents and the dreaded Haqqani network involved in deadly attacks in Afghanistan.

In April, the Pakistani military announced the capture of Ehsanullah Ehsan, a central leader and JuA spokesman.

The detained militant, in a video confession, said the Afghan spy agency, with the support of Indian counterparts, harbored and used fugitive militants to orchestrate terrorist activities inside Pakistan.

Kabul and New Delhi rejected the accusations.
Efforts by Thailand's government to curb sales of ivory have been successful, following criticism of widespread trafficking in the country, police said Friday.

Police announced that since January, officials have seized two elephant tusks and 422 tusk fragments in a single case, while in all of last year they seized 99 tusks and 22 tusk fragments in multiple cases.



Deputy Police Commissioner Gen. Chalermkiat Sriworakhan said the drop in the number of cases showed that strict enforcement had deterred traffickers.



We have made serious efforts to block elephant ivory from being smuggled into the country and sent on to another country, Chalermkiat said, referring to past smuggling schemes. Now, if they do get in the country, we do not let them leave, he said.

If we are able to block ivory from being smuggled out of the country then we will destroy it, he said. We have been able to effectively arrest more and more suspects with tangible results.

New laws, amendments

Thailand had been considered to have the largest unregulated ivory market in the world and had been threatened with sanctions on the trade of protected wildlife species, but it introduced new laws and amendments in 2014 and 2015. The Elephant Ivory Act regulates the domestic ivory market and criminalizes the sale of African elephant ivory.

The wildlife trade monitoring network TRAFFIC praised Thailand for a large drop in sales of ivory items resulting from the crackdown aimed at shedding the country's image as a center for the illicit trade in wildlife goods.

Its survey of Bangkok markets found a decline in the amount of ivory openly for sale from a high of 7,421 items in 2014 to 283 products in June 2016. Measured over a slightly longer period of time, the drop was even more dramatic. In December 2013 the number of ivory items openly on sale was 14,512, according to earlier surveys by TRAFFIC.

Thailand's legal reforms have paved the way for greater control of the domestic ivory market and it's certainly something other countries in the region should emulate, especially Laos, Vietnam, and Myanmar, Kanitha Krishnasamy, acting regional director for TRAFFIC in Southeast Asia, said in an email Friday. Further to these efforts, it's important also to test products in the market to ensure that no African elephant ivory is in the marketplace.

Biggest demand from China

Poachers have killed tens of thousands of African elephants for their tusks to meet demand for ivory in Asia, putting the species at great risk. Thailand became a major transit hub and destination for smuggled tusks, which are often carved into tourist trinkets and ornaments. The biggest demand comes from China.

Krishnasamy said illegal online trade is another part of the problem affecting Thailand.

Monitoring and enforcement of trade taking place online is extremely crucial to make sure that ivory items not on sale in the physical market haven't moved online, she said.
Activists have launched a campaign in South Asia to appeal to men to stand up for the property rights of their daughters, wives and sisters and ask women to demand their share as a way to curb violence against women in the region.

Property for Her was launched on social media this week, with messages on Twitter and Facebook, as well as a petition on change.org.

The petition asks parents to promise to leave their daughter an equal share of property, and brothers to stand with their sisters in ensuring her rights.

"A lot of violence against women is related to property," said activist Kamla Bhasin, who helped launch the campaign.

"We have a lot of legislation guaranteeing equal rights, but it is not implemented because the lawmakers, the police, the judges, the citizens are not gender just. With this campaign, we want to change people's mindsets about property for women."

Across India, only 13 percent of farmland is owned by women, according to census data.

With their names missing from property titles, women are in danger of being thrown out when the husband dies, with the property going to the sons or the husband's brothers.

Despite a 2005 national law that gave women equal inheritance rights, customary law often prevails and women are forced by their brothers or fathers to give up their claim on ancestral property.

Among Muslims, who are governed by their personal law in matters on inheritance, women are only entitled to half the man's share of property,

"Despite the laws, our rights are not guaranteed and women are made to feel bad when they demand their share of property," said Arti Pandey, co-founder of women's rights group Bitiya, who launched the petition on change.org.

"We have to depend on the charity of our brothers and our husbands. Property rights can give us economic independence so we don't have to depend on anyone," she told Reuters.

The #PropertyforHer campaign is being promoted with slogans such as: "Beti dill mein, beti will mein" (Your daughter in your heart and in your will).

Several states offer lower-rate mortgages and cheaper registration charges when a property is registered in the name of a woman to encourage this practice. Land and property that is distributed by the state also have joint ownership titles.

"This campaign is not going to guarantee property rights for women right away, but it can be a spark to bring about a change in the patriarchal mindset that prevents its adoption," said Sandeep Chachra, executive director of right group ActionAid India, which is backing the campaign.
Street violence and gang shootings are on the rise in many big cities worldwide. Brazil's Rio de Janeiro sees an average of 15 gun battles a day, and innocent bystanders are often caught in the crossfire. But people in Rio can now avoid street violence thanks to several smartphone apps. VOA's Zlatica Hoke has more.
Ali Said fled his war-torn Somalia two decades ago after his right leg was blown off by a grenade. Last year, the father of seven was shot in his other leg by robbers while living in a Kenyan refugee camp.



As Said rolled his wheelchair up to a desk in a San Diego office hours after arriving in California from Kenya, he felt unbelievably lucky: He and his family are among the last refugees allowed into the United States before the Trump administrations latest travel ban rules kick in.



Until this moment, in this interview, I still dont believe that Im in the United States, Said told The Associated Press through a translator Thursday, smiling while his two sons hung at the back of his wheelchair. So during the flight, we all were saying that we are in a dream and its not true yet until we finally landed at LAX and we all said to each other: Yeah, were finally here. We made it.

Refugee program suspended soon



The U.S. refugee admissions program will be suspended July 12 when a cap of 50,000 refugee admissions for the current fiscal year  the lowest in a decade  is expected to be reached, according to the U.S. State Department.



Once the cap is hit, only refugees who have a relationship with an immediate family member or ties to a business in the United States will be eligible for admission during the 120-day suspension, the State Department guidelines say.



Those guidelines come after the Supreme Court partially reinstated the Trump administrations executive order banning citizens of six mainly Muslim countries and refugees from coming into the U.S.



The high courts ruling allowed for an exemption: Those with a bona fide relationship to the United States. Under State Department guidelines that was defined as immediate family such as a parent, spouse, child, sibling or business.

The difference a week could make



Said is aware of the difference a week could have made. He, his wife and children, ages 2 to 15, have no ties to the U.S. beyond the refugee resettlement agency, which the U.S. government says is not sufficient.



I was afraid our case would be closed, he said. It would have been a rough life.

He said refugees at the Kakuma refugee camp where he lived have talked every day about President Donald Trumps travel ban since it was first issued in January. It was blocked several times by U.S. courts before the Supreme Court partially reinstated it in June. The Trump administration says the travel ban is necessary to keep Americans safe and to allow the federal government to review the vetting process for refugees and others.

Travel ban and most vulnerable



Advocates say the ban will close the doors on many of the most vulnerable.



A record 65 million people are displaced by war and persecution worldwide, according to the U.N. refugee agency. It selects the most at-risk refugees to be recommended to governments for resettlement, which traditionally have included victims of gender-based violence, LGBT refugees, members of political opposition groups and people with medical issues.



But the new requirements could mean many of those refugees could be passed over for those who have an immediate family member in the United States.



Said, who spent eight years being vetted for refugee resettlement, had feared he would never leave Kakuma, a 25-year-old camp that is home to about 172,000 refugees.



About a year ago, robbers broke into his home at the camp and tried to rape his wife, he said. Said, who was on crutches after losing his right leg to a grenade explosion in 1993, was shot in his good leg while fighting off the men. A neighbor coming to their aid shot to death one of the robbers. Saids children were home at the time.



The shooting left him with a fractured hip that has still not healed. He plans to get medical help now that he is in the United States. On his first night in his new country, Said and his family said they slept peacefully in a San Diego motel.



But the feelings of happiness and relief are tinged with sadness, too.



I dont like it that others like me wont be able to make it here, he said. The life there is so hard. No matter how hard you work, you dont have enough to meet your basic needs.
The U.S. State Department was asked to clarify on Thursday comments made by Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who said the U.S. was prepared to discuss no-fly zones in Syria with Russia.

Tillerson said in a statement on Wednesday: "The United States is prepared to explore the possibility of establishing with Russia joint mechanisms for ensuring stability, including no-fly zones, on-the-ground cease-fire observers, and coordinated delivery of humanitarian assistance."

He said if the two countries could work to "establish stability on the ground, it will lay a foundation for progress on the settlement of Syria's political future."

When asked by reporters on Thursday, State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said the secretary's statement "describes how our interactions with Russia on Syria are at the moment."

The U.S. is "considering a lot of things," Nauert said. "The policy has not changed. Some of the words and some of the phrasing may have changed at this point, but overall it's just one of a series of options that the United States will now consider."

Moscow has questions

Tillerson's comments seemingly took Moscow by surprise, however, as Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov also sought clarification of the U.S. envoy's comments.

"We have asked but we haven't got an answer to the question of what no-fly zones are envisioned, because there has never been any talk of them," Lavrov said, according to Russian news agencies.

He said the statement showed "an orientation of cooperation" between the two countries on Syria and was "a step in the right direction."

Washington and Moscow have been on opposing sides regarding Syria. Russia, along with Iran, is an ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. The U.S. and an international coalition of other Western states, along with Turkey and Gulf monarchies, have long supported some of the rebels fighting the Assad regime. All sides claim to be fighting Islamic State terrorists.

Tillerson's statement came two days before a much-awaited meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Group of 20 economic summit in Hamburg, Germany.

VOA's Nike Ching at the State Department contributed to this report.
Nearly six years after her son slipped and fell around 100 meters (yards) into a raging mountain river in India, never to be seen again, Elizabeth Brenner is still wondering how such an accident could have happened.

Brenner's son, Thomas Plotkin, was one of the millions of American students who have studied abroad on university-sponsored programs in the last decade  part of a growing global youth travel industry estimated to be worth $183 billion a year.

He wanted to experience another culture, "unlike anything that he'd ever known," Brenner said.

Others want to study a new language or learn about different political systems. Universities generally encourage study abroad because they believe it improves leadership skills and employment prospects.

When her son died, Brenner began looking into how many other students died overseas, and who might be keeping track of the deaths.

"The answer was that nobody was keeping track of this at all," she said.

The number of American students studying abroad each year has doubled in the last decade. But while U.S. colleges and universities must report deaths on their campuses, they are not required to disclose most student deaths that occur abroad, and data collected by industry organizations are incomplete.

More than 313,400 American students earned academic credit for studying abroad in 2014-15, according to the Institute of International Education, which creates study-abroad programs and manages U.S. government study-abroad scholarships.

Most student deaths or injuries overseas are only briefly discussed or mentioned in local newspaper reports. The U.S. Department of Education keeps no such statistics.

A group called the Forum on Education Abroad has attempted to gather such data for 2014 from two insurance companies, which together cover half of the U.S. study-abroad market. The group  with about 100 study-abroad companies and 570 schools as members  used the partial data from only one year to argue in a 2016 report that students are less likely to die overseas than on a U.S. campus, and "to understand more about the student experience, so that programs can be improved and risk can be mitigated," its chief, Brian Whalen, told The Associated Press.

It calculated a mortality rate of 13.5 deaths for every 100,000 college students studying abroad, versus 29.4 deaths on campus, to argue that studying overseas was actually safer.

Brenner and other parents slammed the report, saying the findings are misleading because a full half of the study-abroad market was ignored, giving parents the idea that programs are safer than they may actually be.

The Forum on Education Abroad has since expanded its study to cover the five-year period from 2010 to 2015, and will be releasing a new report in the fall. A preliminary analysis of that report was presented in June and showed a mortality rate for college students studying abroad of 18.1 deaths per 100,000. However, the report will still cover only half the number of students studying abroad.

Whalen said his group tried to get the exact number of student deaths overseas from the U.S. State Department, but it was not available.

Deaths, dangers 'overwhelming'

Ros Thackurdeen hasn't been able to sleep through the night since her youngest son, Ravi, drowned while on a school-sponsored excursion to a beach in Costa Rica in 2012.

"I began searching the internet," Thackurdeen said. Within five years, she amassed seven binders of newspaper articles and travel alerts counting 3,200 other students who had died or been kidnapped, drugged, injured or assaulted abroad over the last few decades.

For 2014, she counted 14 student deaths  far higher than the four listed by the Forum on Education Abroad among the nearly 150,000 students it was able to track that year. The forum calculated a mortality rate of 13.5 per 100,000 from those four deaths in an effort to compare on-campus deaths with those during study-abroad programs, which often last less than a full school year.

"What I discovered about study-abroad safety was disturbing," Thackurdeen said from her home in Newburgh, New York. "The numbers of incidents and deaths on study abroad are overwhelming."

She and other grieving mothers began demanding more transparency about what happens when students go overseas.

"Coffee beans and bowling balls have more rules than any program, school, professor or teacher escorting our kids into foreign countries," said Sheryl Hill, who has built a business called Depart Smart around providing safety advice to students going abroad after her 16-year-old son, Tyler, fell ill and died while studying in Japan in 2007. She said he had Type-1 diabetes and died from dehydration when he did not receive medical attention in time.

Grieving parents successfully lobbied for legislation in Minnesota in 2014 and in Virginia two years later to regulate the study-abroad industry. A similar measure has been introduced in New York, and one member of Congress is now pushing a nationwide bill.

"Knowing which areas are hotspots for violent crime is important information for kids and parents to know when they're making decisions on where they'll study abroad," said Rep. Sean Maloney, a Democrat from New York, who first introduced the Ravi Thackurdeen Safe Students Study Abroad Act in Congress in 2014. The bill failed to pass in the Republican-led House of Representatives, and Maloney plans to reintroduce it in September.

"If our kids are consistently getting hurt in a particular city or at a particular university, American families have a right to know that information so they can make informed choices about where to study," Maloney said.

Gregory Malveaux, study-abroad coordinator at Montgomery College in Maryland, published a 2016 book titled Look Before Leaping: Risks, Liabilities, and Repair of Study Abroad in Higher Education, covering study-abroad risks and preventative measures that could offset them.

Malveaux backs the idea of mandating institutions to release data on student deaths and injuries while studying abroad.

"If this data exists on-campuses, it needs to also cover off-campuses," Malveaux said. "Study abroad is no more dangerous for students than on-campus activities and occurrences. But it is beneficial to know the level of safety, and safety measures available, for the entire institution, including study abroad."

Push to increase studying abroad

The lure of studying abroad is as strong as ever, and universities are eager to accommodate. At least 1,000 American universities and colleges currently offer credit for studying overseas, up from 700 a decade ago, according to the Institute of International Education. In addition, "many campuses" with fewer than 10 students studying abroad aren't on the list, institute spokeswoman Sharon Witherell said.

Last year, new federal legislation was introduced by Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin, a Democrat, and Mississippi Sen. Roger Wicker, a Republican, to make studying abroad an integral part of higher education by creating more university grants and incentives. The goal of the bill is to increase the number of Americans studying overseas to 1 million a year.

Educators believe the experience increases students' chances of landing management-level employment.

"Study abroad is a priority" at the University of Iowa, said Downing Thomas, the dean of international programs at the school, which sends more students to India than any other U.S. institution. "Far too few executives have the skills to be truly successful in unfamiliar cultural waters."

But the benefits of study abroad are not limited to landing good jobs.

"It contributes to personal growth through greater independence, deeper self-knowledge and greater tolerance for ambiguity," said Brad Farnsworth, vice president of the American Council on Education. "There is evidence that study abroad is a high-impact practice that contributes to overall academic success."

Third parties often oversee trips

There is much about study-abroad programs that parents may not know  including that their child's university may not actually be overseeing the program. Many American universities and colleges find it too expensive or difficult to manage such programs. Instead, they refer students to independent, third-party operators such as the Institute for the International Education of Students, the Council on International Educational Exchange or Semester at Sea.

These independent program operators are not authorized to give college credits. So they partner with accredited institutions, often different from the school where the student is enrolled.

Thackurdeen said the setup was duplicitous. "These universities offer these programs as if it's theirs," she said.

Her 19-year-old son had been studying chemistry and pre-med at Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania, but his tropical medicine course in Costa Rica was being accredited through Duke University. "They give you a sense that they have done their due diligence," she said.

After Ravi Thackurdeen died, Swarthmore stopped backing the program he'd been on, offered by the Organization of Tropical Studies, but continued backing others offered through that same nonprofit consortium.

When Plotkin died on his 2011 trip to the Indian Himalayas, the University of Iowa, where he had been enrolled, cut off all ties with the National Outdoor Leadership School and stopped accepting academic credits earned from its courses.

Thackurdeen and Brenner both sued the program providers for negligence, and their cases were moved to courts in the states where the programs were based. Thackurdeen's case is pending in North Carolina, while Brenner was forced to settle after a court-ordered mediation.

"It is as if the state itself doesn't want you to prevail," Brenner said. "Safety will come from transparency."

Earlier this year, Brenner spent two months tracing the winding, 1,670-kilometer (1,037-mile) trail along the Goriganga and Ganges rivers to where the water empties into the Bay of Bengal.

Brenner said she believed this was the path her 21-year-old son's body traveled after he fell more than 90 meters (300 feet) from the trail in September 2011.

"He lived 30 days after I put him on the plane and sent him to India," said Brenner, from Minnetonka, Minnesota. Now fatigued and unsure of what she was searching for, she said she was trying to gain any knowledge she can about those 30 days leading up to his death.

"Did he suffer? Was he awake when he hit the river? That part breaks my heart over and over again, thinking about him being alone during those last few seconds," said Brenner.

"I still feel a tremendous amount of grief. I'll have to figure out how to carry that for the rest of my life."
Heads of state of the worlds 20 leading economies are gathering in Hamburg, Germany, Friday for two days of meetings seeking compromises and answers to a range of issues, including financial market regulation, counterterrorism, climate change, supply chains and fighting pandemics.

Host German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Thursday she hopes the leaders will be able to find compromises and answers on many of the issues, although the prospects of finding common ground on climate change and trade were uncertain.

U.S. President Donald Trump has been at odds with other world leaders since pulling the United States out of the 2015 Paris climate agreement aimed at curbing greenhouse gas emissions, and his America First policy regarding international trade. Trump has said he has bold plans to impose steep tariffs or quotas on steel imports, the latest and perhaps most serious of threats to protect U.S. industry, which has G-20 partners nervous.

The U.S. leaders first face-to-face meeting Friday with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, is also highly anticipated. The U.S. intelligence community concluded Putin personally directed a campaign to discredit the quadrennial U.S. election and to damage the reputation of Trumps opponent, former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

Watch: Poland Offers Warm Welcome as Trump Backs NATO

In a speech Thursday in Warsaw, Poland, Trump accused Russia of engaging in destabilizing behavior in world affairs, a claim Moscow rejected.

The summit also brings together Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping at a time when Washington is ratcheting up pressure on Beijing to rein in North Korea, after it test-launched an intercontinental ballistic missile, and is threatening the Chinese with punitive trade measures.

Meanwhile, police used water cannons to disperse dozens of anti-capitalist protesters blocking a road intersection in Hamburg. In all, more than 100,000 protesters are expected in Hamburg for the summit, with some 8,000 considered part of Europes violent left wing, according to police.

The northern port city has boosted its police with reinforcements from around the country and has 20,000 officers on hand to patrol Hamburgs streets, skies and waterways.
More than 2,000 illegal migrant workers in Malaysia are facing deportation amid one of the largest crackdowns in recent years, with campaigners concerned this has forced immigrants into hiding and increased the risk of human trafficking.

Malaysia relies heavily on migrant workers from countries including Indonesia, Bangladesh and Nepal for jobs shunned by the locals such as those on plantations and in construction.

It has some two million registered migrant workers but also an equal number of undocumented ones.

A senior immigration official said 2,309 undocumented workers have been arrested during mass raids across the country since July 1 in places like factories and restaurants.

"[They] will be investigated within 14 days and prosecuted before deportations take place," Saravana Kumar, the Immigration Department's enforcement, investigation and prosecution chief, told Reuters on Thursday.

He said the majority of those arrested are from Bangladesh and Indonesia, and entered the country with tourist visas and without proper work permits.

He said 52 employers were also picked up during these raids on suspicion of hiring undocumented workers.

Activists, however, said most of the undocumented workers were victims of human trafficking and fraud, who have incurred massive debts after paying off recruitment agents in the hope of getting a job abroad to escape poverty at home.

"The onus is on the employers and agents to get the work permits. How do you expect migrant workers to do this when their hands are tied?" said Aegile Fernandez, a director from Kuala Lumpur-based migrant rights group Tenaganita. "It's unjust to arrest and handcuff them, then put them in detention centers and deport them. They have paid money to employers and agents to get permits but it is not done."

Local media said some workers had left their dormitories during the raids and gone into hiding.

Fernandez said these workers were at increased risk of human trafficking as some were now trying to leave the country.

Kumar of the Immigration Department said authorities will find out whether those who are held are trafficking victims.

Malaysia was upgraded to Tier 2 in the U.S. State Department's 2017 trafficking report last week from Tier 2 Watch List, meaning it was not fully complying with U.S. standards but was making significant efforts to do so.

Tier 3 is for the worst offenders of forced labor and trafficking, while nations at Tier 1 are meeting U.S. standards.

In neighboring Thailand, tens of thousands of migrant workers  most of them from Myanmar  have fled the country in recent days after new labor regulations aimed at regulating the foreign workforce were introduced.
Leaders from the worlds top economies prepared for tough talks with U.S. President Donald Trump on climate change and trade Friday as a Group of 20 summit got underway in Germany amid the threat of violent protests.

The meeting in the port city of Hamburg comes at a time of major shifts in the global geo-political landscape, with Trumps America First policies pushing Europe and China closer together.

Trump will meet Russias Vladimir Putin for the first time Friday afternoon, an encounter that will be intensely scrutinized following allegations by U.S. intelligence agencies that Moscow meddled in the U.S. election to help Trump win.

The summit also brings together Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping at a time when Washington is ratcheting up pressure on Beijing to rein in North Korea after it test-launched an intercontinental ballistic missile and threatening the Chinese with punitive trade measures.

Merkels task

Amid the big egos and seemingly intractable conflicts, the host, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, faces the daunting task of steering leaders toward a consensus on trade, climate and migration  all issues that have become more contentious since Trump entered the White House half a year ago.

Trumps bilateral with Putin was scheduled 15 minutes after the start of the discussion on climate, a scheduling conflict that could complicate a deal.

Merkel, as the G-20 host, must not sacrifice ambition for unity. Instead, we need a G-19 commitment to climate action that demonstrates the intent to implement and even go beyond what 195 nations agreed to in Paris, said Jennifer Morgan of Greenpeace, referring to the climate accord Trump has pledged to leave.

Facing her own election in two months, Merkel met with Trump for one hour at a hotel in Hamburg Thursday evening to try to overcome differences that envoys have been unable to settle in weeks of intense talks, including a last minute trip to Washington by the chancellors top economic adviser.

The two leaders shook hands and smiled for the cameras, showing none of the tension that hung over their first two meetings, in Washington in March and Trumps first trip to Europe in May. After that, the usually cautious Merkel said the United States was no longer a reliable partner and urged Europe to take its fate into its own hands.

There is quite a delicate balance that Angela Merkel will have to navigate in a way, because it is not clear that being confrontational wont just create even more of a credibility problem for G-20 cooperation, Indonesian Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati told Reuters in an interview.

A senior German official involved in the talks said he expected negotiators would be working around the clock to try to break the deadlock before Saturday, the final day of the summit.

Watch: After Warm Welcome in Poland, Trump Arrives in Less-friendly Hamburg

Trade war

On climate, sources told Reuters that U.S. officials were pushing for a mention of fossil fuels as a viable alternative to cleaner energy sources and that the Europeans were resisting. In addition to the United States, Saudi Arabia was proving difficult to get on side.

On trade, the sources said that Washington was backtracking on language condemning protectionism that Trump agreed to at a Group of Seven meeting in Sicily in late May.

Hanging over the trade discussions is a threat by Washington to use a Cold War-era law to restrict steel imports based on national security concerns, a step that would hit the Chinese as well as partners in Europe.

German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel suggested Thursday that the measures could trigger a transatlantic trade war.

Merkel was born in Hamburg and she chose the city, a trading hub that helped launch the career of the Beatles, to send a message of openness.

The summit is being held only a few hundred meters from one of Germanys most potent symbols of left-wing resistance, a former theater called the Rote Flora, which was taken over by anti-capitalist squatters nearly three decades ago.

Welcome to Hell

As leaders arrived Thursday, riot police fired water cannon at a group of about a thousand black-clad protesters who hurled bottles in a demonstration organizers had dubbed Welcome to Hell.

Some 20,000 police from all of Germanys 16 states have been deployed on the streets of Hamburg. They will be facing off against up to 100,000 protesters, including an estimated 8,000 who police say are prepared to use violence.

After sessions on terrorism, the global economy and climate Friday, the leaders will be joined by their spouses for dinner at the Elbphilharmonie, a striking new glass concert hall perched atop an old warehouse building overlooking the Elbe River.
As President Donald Trump wraps up his European trip Saturday, he will return to tackle a stalled domestic agenda in Washington that includes health care reform, a Republican effort that has bogged down in the Senate.

While Trump's European trip was a mix of pageantry, protests and a high-stakes meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, the focus at home was on health care with protests in several states opposed to Republican overhaul efforts in the Senate.

Anti-Trump demonstrators were also out in force over the July 4th holiday, some calling for his impeachment, a reminder that the country remains divided over his presidency.

Shortly before he left for Europe, Trump offered an upbeat assessment of his first six months in office.

"The economy is blazing and on every front we are doing well. And we do have challenges, but we will handle those challenges, believe me," Trump told a crowd gathered for an Independence Day picnic at the White House on July 4th.

There was also no letup in Trump's battle with the news media, including his promotion of a mock video on Twitter in which he was portrayed knocking down someone with a CNN logo over his face.

The president continued his critique during a news conference in Poland.

"We want to see fair press. I think it is a very important thing. We don't want fake news."

Some Republicans see that as a distraction.

"You know, I just hope he grows into this job and understands you need to be a unifier," Ohio Governor John Kasich said in an interview on ABC's "This Week" program.

Stalled agenda

Senate deliberations on health care resume this coming week and what eventually emerges from the process could have a major impact on whether Trump can claim victory in delivering on a central campaign promise.

Republicans are divided over a plan that could cost more than 20 million Americans health insurance coverage.

"Even if ideologically they might have been opposed to the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) in the first place, they are very concerned about rolling back that coverage going forward," said Matthew Fiedler, an expert on health care policy at the Brookings Institution in Washington.

Trump's public approval rating hovers around or in many cases below 40 percent in most polls. The Gallup Daily Tracking poll has had him at below 40 percent approval for most of the last week.

But his core supporters, for the most part, appear to be sticking with him.

"I think the first six months is not a perfect gauge of when to judge a president on these matters," said John Fortier of the Bipartisan Policy Center. "It often takes a long time to get legislation done. So at this point he is not doing so well but it is still relatively early in the legislative game."

Fortier was a guest on VOA's "Encounter" program.
President Donald Trump said Friday he and Russian President Vladimir Putin have discussed "various things" and he anticipates future developments that are beneficial to both countries.

I look forward to a lot of positive things happening for Russia and the United States, Trump said at the beginning of his first official face-to-face meeting with Putin, a formal bilateral discussion that is overshadowing the gathering in Hamburg, Germany, of the leaders of the worlds 20 largest economies.

The meeting is fraught with symbolism as Trump, still new to the world of global diplomacy, sits down with Putin, a former KGB agent, who came to power in what amounted to a Kremlin coup 17 years ago. Putin has a reputation for keeping negotiating partners off balance.

Observers are closely scrutinizing the meeting for signs of how the two leaders interact. Relations between Putin and former President Barack Obama were strained, and Trump repeatedly has said he would like to improve ties with Russia.

There is skepticism in the U.S. about Russia's intentions, primarily as a result of ongoing investigations into whether the Trump campaign colluded with Russia as it interfered in last Novembers U.S. presidential election. Trump aides said the president might bring up the election-meddling issue, but he is not likely to dwell on it.

Lawmakers in both political parties have said Trump must confront Putin over the election interference. Republican House Foreign Affairs Committee member Adam Kinzinger said this week he would raise holy hell if Trump does not tell Putin that Russia must stop meddling in elections in the U.S. and elsewhere.

At an earlier stop in Poland, Trump accused Moscow of engaging in destabilizing behavior.



"We urge Russia to cease its destabilizing activities in Ukraine and elsewhere and its support for hostile regimes including Syria and Iran, and to instead join the community of responsible nations in our fight against common enemies and the defense of civilization itself," he said.



Russia denied the charges.



The U.S. leader had other meetings scheduled with the leaders of Mexico and Britain on Friday.



Trump was also to join a discussion on climate, an issue driving many of the protesters who took to the streets of Hamburg again on the first day of the summit.

Protesters aim to disrupt



Leftist demonstrators were out in force again Friday, forming human chains to block access by delegations to the summit site. Riot police moved in and used water cannons to disperse the protesters.

German officials had been anticipating big protests in the city in the run-up to the two-day gathering and have deployed 20,000 officers, including some brought in from other European countries.



Police officials said 8,000 demonstrators were already in the city, and they were expecting a second wave of demonstrations on Friday afternoon.



Officials said protests were expected to peak on Saturday, with as many as 100,000 protesters descending on the streets of the city.



Protesters have set up camps in central Hamburg where they have been sleeping in tents and lining up for free vegan meals.



Most demonstrators approached by a reporter at two camps were reluctant to be interviewed. People are really suspicious about the media. They feel that the media is more against us than with us, that the media is more with the G-20 and not with the protests and that makes people suspicious, a demonstrator told VOA.



The protesters aim is to disrupt the G-20 summit.Most support leftist and anarchist causes and see the grouping as a gathering of the worlds wealthy elite who they blame for global economic disparities.Their target is largely President Trump, and many said they are outraged by his decision to pull the United States out of the Paris climate accord.



The demonstrators, who are largely German, also took aim at Chancellor Angela Merkel.She is representing all the connections and all the work with lobbyists, with the automobile industries, with the war industries. She is also representative for lobbyism, for capitalism, said a demonstrator.
No more mini-skirts and large earrings for female civil servants in Uganda. Male staff are now required to wear a jacket and tie. The Ugandan government instituted a new dress code for public workers this week, and it continues to anger some people.

Women activists in Uganda have criticized the new dress code as a distraction from the real issues in the country.



Perry Aritua, executive director of Womens Democracy Network, was one of them.

Is [a woman] saying that men do not have any type of self-control? When a girl is dressed a certain way, that doesnt mean shes calling for your attention. Let us focus on the real issues that Ugandans are grappling with - the theft of our public resources, the inefficiency in service delivery, the absenteeism in public service, the capacity needs that public service has, Aritua said.

The Ministry of Public Service issued the directive on decent dressing Tuesday. It prohibits female staff from wearing tight clothing, open-toed shoes, and skirts or dresses above the knees. Bright-colored nail polish, hair extensions, exaggerated make-up, and chandelier earrings are also on the banned list.



The directive didnt spare men either. All male officers are required to dress in neat, dark trousers but not ones that are tight-fitting. And only closed-toe black and brown shoes should be worn to the office, along with a jacket and tie.



Adah Muwanga, the human resource manager at the Ministry of Public Service, defends the new measures.

People in Uganda have a perception of what a public officer should look like and this is the image we are trying to protect and preserve. We are saying not above the knee, and for one reason, above the knee - you know what it means, it can also [be] tantamount to sexual harassment, because when you sit you are exposing your thighs, which is not generally accepted and it can distract others from work, Muwanga said.

Rights groups say the previous 2010 public order requiring dress to be neat and practical for ones job was sufficient.

Ugandans have penned opinion pieces in local media against the dress code with one lawyer writing that rights aren't taken away overnight. They are taken away in small bits.



The state-owned newspaper published photos it said were taken Wednesday of three civil servants - a man and two women - not adhering to the new dress code.



VOA caught up with one public worker on the issue.



Me I think, my bright nails cannot distract someone, so the government should not discuss about that, said the woman, declining to give her name.

The penalties for disobeying the new dress code are unclear. The directive simply said cases would be referred to the permanent secretary of the Ministry of Public Service.
Two U.S bombers flew over the disputed South China Sea, the U.S. Air Force said Friday, asserting the right to treat the region as international territory despite Chinas claims in the busy waterway.

The flight from Guam Thursday came as U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping prepare for a likely meeting on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Germany.

The two leaders were expected to discuss what China can do to rein in North Koreas missile and nuclear weapon programs.

North Korea fired an intercontinental ballistic missile Tuesday that some experts believe has the range to reach Alaska and Hawaii and perhaps the U.S. Pacific Northwest.

While Trump has been seeking Chinas help to press North Korea, the U.S. military has been asserting its freedom of navigation rights in the South China Sea, at the risk of angering China.

Asked about the flight by the two U.S. bombers, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said there was no problem with freedom of navigation or overflight for the East and South China Seas.

But China resolutely opposes individual countries using the banner of freedom of navigation and overflight to flaunt military force and harm Chinas sovereignty and security, he said.



China claims nearly all of the South China Sea, through which about $5 trillion in ship-borne trade passes each year, a stance contested by Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam. Beijing usually protests against freedom of navigation operations such as bomber flights.

The United States has criticized Chinas build-up of military facilities in the South China Sea, concerned that they could be used to extend Beijings strategic reach.

The two Lancers that made the latest flight had earlier trained with Japanese jet fighters in the neighboring East China Sea, the first time the two forces had conducted joint night-time drills.

This is a clear demonstration of our ability to conduct seamless operations with all our allies, U.S. Air Force spokesman Major Ryan Simpson said in a statement.

Two U.S. B-1B Lancer bombers flew from Guam over the South China Sea last month, while a U.S. warship carried out a maneuvering drill within 12 nautical miles of one of Chinas artificial islands in the waterway in late May.
A federal judge on Thursday halted the deportation of all Iraqi nationals detained during recent immigration sweeps across the United States until at least July 24, extending a stay that was originally set to expire Monday.

U.S. District Judge Mark Goldsmith in Detroit said there was "good cause" to extend the stay, which was sought by the American Civil Liberties Union. The ACLU says those arrested in immigration enforcement operations last month mostly in Michigan and Tennessee face persecution, torture or death if they are deported to Iraq.

Many of 199 Iraqis detained  largely in the Detroit area and in Nashville  were Chaldean Catholics and Iraqi Kurds. Both groups say they could be targeted for attacks in Iraq because they are visible minorities.

Those arrested by immigration authorities had outstanding deportation orders and many had been convicted of serious crimes, ranging from homicide to weapons and drug charges, according to the U.S. government.

Some of those affected came to the United States as children and committed their crimes decades ago, but they had been allowed to stay because Iraq previously declined to issue them travel documents.

The U.S. government considered Iraq one of the recalcitrant countries that refused to accept people ordered deported by U.S. immigration courts.

That changed after Iraq agreed in March to start accepting U.S. deportees as part of a deal that removed the country from President Donald Trump's revised temporary travel ban.

Goldsmith ruled earlier that the stay should be applied to allow detainees time to find legal representation to appeal against their deportation orders.
A federal judge in Hawaii on Thursday left Trump administration rules in place for a travel ban on citizens from six majority-Muslim countries.

U.S. District Court Judge Derrick Watson denied an emergency motion filed by Hawaii asking him to clarify what the U.S. Supreme Court meant by a bona fide relationship in its ruling last month.

The Supreme Court ruled the administration could mostly enforce its travel ban, but said those with a credible claim of a bona fide relationship with a person or entity in the United States could enter.

Watson says the relationship question would be better posed to the Supreme Court, not him.

This court will not upset the Supreme Courts careful balancing and equitable judgment, Watson said in his order.

Hawaii attorney general Doug Chin objected to the administrations omission of grandparents, aunts and uncles from the administrations list of people meeting the definition of a close relationship.

The Trump administration had said the exemption to the ban would apply to citizens of the six countries with a parent, spouse, child, adult son or daughter, son-in-law, daughter-in-law or sibling already in the U.S.
A pre-emptive military strike may be among the pretty severe things President Donald Trump says he is considering for North Korea, but it's a step so fraught with risk that it ranks as among the unlikeliest options.

Even a so-called surgical strike aimed at the North's partially hidden nuclear and missile force is unlikely to destroy the arsenal or stop its leader, Kim Jong Un, from swiftly retaliating with long-range artillery that could kill stunning numbers in South Korea within minutes.

An all-out conflict could then ensue. And while Trump's Pentagon chief, Jim Mattis, says the U.S. would prevail, he believes it would be a catastrophic war.

Trump met with the leaders of South Korea and Japan in Germany on Friday, and in a joint statement, they condemned the North's unprecedented launch, calling it a major escalation and a global threat that demands maximum pressure on Pyongyang.

'Mugger's mentality'

Firing back, North Korea said its July 4 missile test-launch was the final gate to completing the state nuclear force. A lengthy statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs also said its intercontinental ballistic missile is meant to overcome U.S. hostility, which it likened to a mugger's mentality, and enable the North to strike the very heart of the U.S. at any given time.

In Poland on Thursday, Trump said the time has arrived to confront North Korea.

I don't like to talk about what I have planned, but I have some pretty severe things that we're thinking about, the president said. That doesn't mean we're going to do them.

Trump didn't mention which severe options he is weighing following North Korea's July 4 test-launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile. The administration has been reviewing its overall North Korea policy for months, having declared earlier attempts at strategic patience with the North to have failed. The administration has spoken about starving North Korea of cash for its nuclear program and getting other countries to add diplomatic and economic pressure.

But Trump and his aides have not have ruled out the possibility of war with an adversary that is openly defying U.N. Security Council resolutions and threatening the United States.

It's a shame that they're behaving this way, Trump said, but they are behaving in a very, very dangerous manner and something will have to be done about it.

A new reality

Trump was referring to North Korea's test-launch Tuesday of an unarmed ballistic missile that for the first time demonstrated the range needed to reach U.S. soil. The ICBM was launched on a lofted trajectory so that it fell short of Japan. U.S. analysts calculated that if it is launched on a standard attack trajectory, the missile could reach Alaska. With further testing, they say, North Korea will achieve even longer ranges.

The missile launch created a new reality for the U.S. and its South Korean and Japanese allies, which already are in range of the North's missiles. With a population of more than 20 million, Seoul is in easy range of North Korea's massive array of artillery guns north of the Demilitarized Zone that forms a buffer between North and South. Japan could also be a target. Beyond the nuclear threat, the North also is believed to have chemical and biological weapons.

Cost of war hard to imagine

The U.S. has about 28,000 troops in South Korea, and Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, says about 300,000 U.S. citizens are in Seoul alone. Dunford predicted June 12 that war casualties would be heavy  and many of those casualties will be in the first three, five, seven days of the war where all those people in the greater Seoul area (are) exposed to the North Korean threat that we will not be able to mitigate initially.

Mattis told a House committee last month that if it came to a fight, the U.S. and its allies would prevail, but at a cost that is difficult to imagine.

It will be a war more serious in terms of human suffering than anything we've seen since 1953, he said, referring to the final year of the Korean War. Then, U.S. forces siding with South Korea fought North Korea to a stalemate. It was an era when the North had no nuclear or chemical weapons.

Trump has said he will not allow North Korea to achieve what it calls its ultimate objective: a nuclear-armed missile capable of reaching the United States. Although the North has now shown it can reach U.S. soil, it probably isn't capable yet of arming such a missile with a nuclear warhead. If allowed to stay on its current course, analysts say, the North probably will reach its goal within a few years.

US to pursue diplomacy

In an impromptu encounter at the Pentagon on Thursday, Mattis told reporters that this week's missile launch didn't threaten the U.S. He said it doesn't change the administration's determination to pursue diplomacy to resolve the nuclear threat, but he suggested North Korea might eventually push too hard.

Any effort by North Korea to start a war would lead to severe consequences for that country, he said.

Mattis said the North's intercontinental missile capability doesn't in itself bring us closer to war.

As of Thursday, there were no outward signs of U.S. moves to put more air, ground or naval forces in South Korea.
The United States plans to carry out a new test of its THAAD missile defense system against an intermediate-range ballistic missile in the coming days, two U.S. officials told Reuters on Friday, as tensions with North Korea climb.

Despite being planned months ago, the U.S. missile defense test will gain significance in the wake of North Korea's launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) on July 4 that has heightened concerns about the threat from Pyongyang.

The test will be the first of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) to defend against a simulated attack by an intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM), one of the officials said. The THAAD interceptors will be fired from Alaska.

The United States has THAAD interceptors in Guam that are meant to help guard against a missile attack from a country such as North Korea.

The officials who disclosed to Reuters the precise nature and timing of the test spoke on condition of anonymity.

Asked by Reuters, the U.S. Missile Defense Agency confirmed that it aimed to carry out a THAAD flight test "in early July."

Chris Johnson, a spokesman at the Missile Defense Agency, said the THAAD weapon system at the Pacific Spaceport Complex Alaska in Kodiak, Alaska, would "detect, track and engage a target with a THAAD interceptor."

"The test is designated as Flight Test THAAD (FTT)-18," Johnson said, without elaborating.

In May testimony to Congress, however, Vice Admiral James Syring, then the director of the Missile Defense Agency, said FTT-18 would aim to demonstrate THAAD's ability to intercept a separating IRBM target.

THAAD is a ground-based missile defense system that defends against short-, medium- and intermediate-range ballistic missiles at the terminal stage of flight.

Syring, in his testimony, said THAAD had a 100 percent successful track record in its 13 flight tests so far.

Lockheed Martin Corp is the prime contractor for the THAAD system.
With many Venezuelans angry at the government and planning to sit out a July 30 vote for a new superbody assembly, President Nicolas Maduro has ordered all state workers to take part, seeking to avoid an embarrassingly low turnout.

After three months of anti-government unrest that has killed at least 90 people, Maduro has called for the Constituent Assembly, with powers to reform the national charter and supersede other institutions, in an election he says will bring peace.

Opponents plan a rival, unofficial referendum on July 16 to give Venezuelans a say on what they view as a sham poll by the leftist president, accusing him of trying to formalize a dictatorship in the South American OPEC nation.

Maduro has been trying to drum up his base, mostly state workers and poorer Venezuelans.

"If there are 15,000 workers, all 15,000 workers must vote without any excuses," he told red-shirted supporters in the jungle and savannah state of Bolivar on Thursday night.

"Company by company, ministry by ministry, governorship by governorship, city hall by city hall, we're all going to vote for the Constituent Assembly. Do you understand? Do you agree," he said to a chorus of "Yes!".

Roughly 2.8 million state employees, a sizeable part of Venezuela's population of around 30 million, are often obliged to attend government rallies. Some have said they have already come under pressure to vote on July 30.

"This is crazy. [They're saying], workers who don't go to vote will be sacked," said one employee of state oil company Petroleos de Venezuela S.A., asking to remain anonymous because he is not authorized to speak to media.

"I'll vote, but null. I'm not going to vote for any of these nuts running for the assembly," he added.

A second PDVSA worker, who supports the opposition, said company auditoriums were being used to give presentations about the constituent assembly. "I'm worried ... but I'm committed to the cause and I won't vote," he said.

Church Objects

Many familiar faces of the ruling Socialist Party are vying for a seat, including former Foreign Minister Delcy Rodriguez and powerful party No. 2 Diosdado Cabello. Maduro's wife and son are also running.

The opposition has said Maduro's pressure on workers is another sign he is violating democracy. Opponents are calling on him to agree to elections to replace him amid a brutal economic recession that has Venezuelans unable to afford basic food and medicine.

According to a recent survey by pollster Datanalisis, 67 percent of Venezuelans oppose the new assembly to rewrite the constitution, which was reformed by late leader Hugo Chavez in 1999.

The Catholic church has also come out against the plan.

"This congress has been pushed forward by force and its result will be to render constitutional a military, socialist, Marxist and communist dictatorship," Archbishop Diego Padron, who heads the main church authority Venezuela's Episcopal Conference, said on Friday.

The opposition coalition is hoping to further delegitimize Maduro's plans with their own vote, which will ask Venezuelans their views on rewriting the constitution, the opposition's alternative push for an election, and the military's responsibility for "recovering constitutional order."

Should Venezuelans overwhelmingly vote against Maduro, lawmaker Freddy Guevara said the opposition would call for a national strike to pressure the president.

Voting for the referendum will take place in some 1,766 sites and Venezuelans abroad, many of whom have fled Venezuela's meltdown, can participate, opposition lawmakers announced on Friday.

University deans will oversee the process.

"This is a civic rebellion," Guevara said during the press conference. "We're at a historic moment, I'm sure there will be a before and after July 16."

State prosecutor Luisa Ortega has also broken ranks with Maduro over the constituent assembly. Amid an apparent bid to oust her, the Supreme Court named a deputy prosecutor, whom Ortega has rejected as illegitimate.

On Friday, the court-appointed deputy prosecutor entered the headquarters of the state prosecutor by hiding in the trunk of a car but was expelled by security personnel, a source at the prosecutor's office told Reuters.
Americo de Grazia, an opposition lawmaker injured when armed supporters of the president stormed the National Assembly building Wednesday, vowed that Venezuelans would continue to fight for the recovery of democracy and freedom in their country.

This fight doesn't end today, de Grazia told VOA shortly before he was discharged Thursday from a hospital here in the capital. He was treated for three fractured ribs and a head wound, as well as bruising from multiple blows elsewhere.

De Gracia was among at least 12 people injured in the fracas after dozens of supporters of socialist President Nicolas Maduro carrying sticks, metal pipes and homemade explosives burst into the building Wednesday during a special session marking Venezuela's Independence Day. Five of the wounded were opposition lawmakers.

The armed gangs, or colectivos, left the building but surrounded it for hours, taking hostage at least 112 lawmakers, staff and journalists, including this reporter.

Daily street protests

The violent encounter followed three months of almost daily street protests, which have led to almost 100 deaths, mostly of civilians. Maduro's foes angry about Venezuela's collapsed economy and increasingly authoritarian rule demand that he schedule democratic elections, release political prisoners and allow access to humanitarian aid.

Maduro's most ardent supporters, including the colectivos, have called for dissolving the opposition-led assembly.

Maduro has scheduled an election July 30 to choose members of a constituent assembly to rewrite Venezuela's constitution the only way, he says, to fix the country's problems. Opposition leaders, who contend Maduro ordered the revision to tighten his grip on power, have called for an unofficial referendum July 16 so Venezuelans can indicate whether they want a new charter.

Actions of colectivos' defended

At a rally Thursday to defend the constituent assembly, Diosdado Cabello, a prominent pro-Maduro member of the National Assembly, endorsed the colectivos' actions.

Yesterday, the people defended themselves  from the constant aggressions of the Venezuelan right, Cabello said, criticizing right-leaning opposition lawmakers and their backers. At the event, broadcast on state-run television, he added that the people will continue to defend Maduro in the streets.

OAS urged to hold meeting

Also Thursday, Luis Almagro, secretary general of the Organization of American States urged its permanent council's current president to convene an emergency meeting as early as Friday to address Venezuela's political crisis. He wrote to Brazil's ambassador to the OAS, Jose Luiz Machado Costa, to formally request the meeting.

Foreign ministers of the OAS's 34 member states have met several times about the crisis most recently in Mexico mid-June but have not reached consensus about whether or how to intercede.

We strongly condemn the new attack that shows a new dictatorial action in Venezuela, Almagro tweeted late Wednesday.

Alfredo Romero, executive director of the rights group Venezuelan Penal Forum, told VOA that the colectivos' attack constituted a gross violation against the National Assembly and the country's sovereignty.
As Indian television broadcast images of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi arriving to a red carpet welcome in Tel Aviv, wading barefoot in the Mediterranean sea with his Israeli counterpart, Benjamin Netanyahu and of warm hugs as they set the stage for wider strategic and economic partnerships, commentators noted that New Delhi had shed much historical baggage.

An Indian Prime Ministers first-ever visit to the Jewish state this week was not just a public acknowledgment of a relationship that grew largely behind closed doors for 25 years, it represents "a normalization of Israel within the Middle East," says professor P.R. Kumaraswamy at New Delhis Jawaharlal Nehru University.

Kumaraswamy, who was in Israel at the time of the visit, says the most important message of Modis high profile visit was that "India is going to deal with Israel like it deals with any other country in the region, like UAE, like Saudi Arabia without worrying about the third party."

That was underscored by the fact that unlike most world leaders, Modi chose not to travel to Ramallah or even mention Palestine during the 49 hours he spent in Israel. A brief mention in the joint statement issued by the two countries spoke only about a "just and durable peace in the region."

The message underlined was that India, long a supporter of the Palestinian cause, was delinking the two relationships and moving ahead to openly consolidate a partnership that has much to offer New Delhi in areas spanning from defense and counterterrorism to water and agriculture technology.

"Modi decided to do away with even lip service. He is responding to a ground reality that the Palestinian cause is marginalized," said Kumaraswamy.

Modis stand was widely endorsed at home, where in the past fears of upsetting Arab countries and its own Muslim population had prompted it to keep quiet the relationship with Israel.

"Given what Israel can and does contribute in the way of solutions to Indias many problems, New Delhi is right to no longer hold the bilateral relationship hostage to idealistic concerns," said an editorial in the leading newspaper Hindustan Times.

At the same time, analysts stressed that India is not abandoning its support for the Palestinian cause  they point out that Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas visited India ahead of Modis Israeli visit in May when New Delhi assured him of its support for a two-state solution.

While the foundations of a relationship with Israel have already been in place, Modis visit has set the stage for a quantum leap in ties, say analysts.

"The fact that India and Israel are finally normal friends is an important point to underscore," said Harsh Pant, head of the Strategic Studies Program at New Delhis Observer Research Foundation. "I think India sees the relationship with Israel in its own right."

And that will not be restricted to a relationship based on their growing defense ties, although that has grabbed the most attention given that Israel is now Indias third largest weapons supplier, selling arms worth roughly $1 billion annually.

In fact, dominating the conversation were more mundane areas, such as water and agriculture technology, where India could desperately use Israeli expertise.

Among Modis stops in Israel were a flower farm and a desalination plant. The two sides signed seven pacts covering areas like water conservation, agriculture and space. India and Israel also agreed to set up a $40 million fund for industrial Research and Development.

Modis meeting with a 10-year-old Israeli boy, Moshe Holtzberg, who was saved by his Indian nanny in Mumbai during a 2008 terror attack, also got wide attention in New Delhi and was seen as symbolically underscoring a partnership that also gets momentum from shared concerns over Islamic terrorism. Moshes parents were killed when a Jewish Center in the city became one of the several targets attacked by heavily armed gunmen. The two-year-old baby who escaped was one of the positive stories to emerge from the terror trail.

The Indian-Israeli bonhomie could get another boost later this year when the Prime Minister Netanyahu is tentatively scheduled to travel to New Delhi.



"There is a sense in which the political class have developed a consensus. Past hesitation in terms of acknowledging Israel has gone, and that paves the way for more substantial outcomes," said Pant.
Some members of civic society organisations and politicians in Bulawayo say they welcome Dr. Nkosana Moyos presidential aspirations, saying his candidature will provide Zimbabweans with more options of presidential candidates.

They told VOA Studio 7 in Bulawayo after holding a meeting with the former minister of Industry and International Trade that Dr. Moyo appears to have fresh ideas of reviving Zimbabwes economy and bringing sanity to the declining standard of living in a nation once regarded as the jewel of southern Africa.

Moses Mzila Ndlovu, leader of the Alliance for National Salvation, said he was happy about Dr. Moyos thrust to transform Zimbabwe, adding that he will find a way of working with members of the Alliance for the Peoples Agenda, which is Moyos campaign tool for the 2018 presidential election.

Several representatives of various non-governmental organizations said Dr. Moyo is bringing up a lot of issues that may encourage a large number of people to vote in the 2018 general elections with the hope of bringing socio-economic and political transformation in Zimbabwe.

They noted that Dr. Moyo has a democratic right to seek the top office in Zimbabwe and his entry into politics appears to be motivating many people to vote in the council, parliamentary, senatorial and presidential election.

The former Zimbabwean cabinet minister resigned his post under protest in 2001 and left for South Africa after claiming that he was unable to work under Mr. Mugabe, saying the ruling party lacked vision and trust of the electorate.


Jehan Li and Mia Qi took advantage of a U.S. law, nicknamed the golden visa, that offers green cards to foreigners who invest $500,000 in the United States. They say they want to give their son, Oscar, a shot at a brighter future. (Giulia Marchi/For The Washington Post)

Their son was barely a year old when Jehan Li and Mia Qi plunked down a half-million dollars for the boy to have a shot at a brighter future in America  away from the grinding competition of a Chinese education and this citys smog-choked air.

Last December, having made just a single visit to the United States on their honeymoon, the Chinese couple took advantage of a U.S. law, nicknamed the golden visa, that doles out green cards to foreigners who invest $500,000 in the United States.

Critics say the fast track to citizenship favors the ultra-rich. It is also emerging as one of the most attainable paths to U.S. residency for members of Chinas growing professional class  and now it could disappear.

The nearly three-decade-old program has come under new scrutiny in recent months, in part because of a sales pitch to Chinese investors by White House senior adviser Jared Kushners family real estate business.

Congress and the Trump administration are considering changing the rules for the investor visas as a means of cracking down on money laundering and visa-for-sale fraud. Potential changes, such as raising the investment threshold, would have little impact on Chinas wealthiest. But they could shut out families such as Li and Qi, who despite riding the curve of upward socioeconomic mobility in China still see the United States as their best opportunity and this visa program as their best option.

The debate over the investor visas raises basic questions about the purpose of U.S. visa policies. Some say this program should be eliminated in favor of other immigrant groups, such as high-skilled workers or refugees escaping persecution  and not let people buy their way into the United States. Others say those with substantial amounts of money are best positioned to boost the American economy, by investing their wealth and creating jobs.

Are we looking for the people? Or are we looking for the money? said William Cook, former general counsel of the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service under President George H.W. Bush when Congress created the EB-5 visa program.

In the end, the simple truth is the government is looking for the money. And that may unfortunately exclude people who can no longer afford it, even if they may be the best people in the world.

During his lunch break at a Pizza Hut in one of Beijings ubiquitous shopping malls, Li, a 38-year-old civil engineer, explained the draw of the EB-5 investor visas for upwardly mobile Chinese without vast inherited fortunes.



Jehan Li and Mia Qi and Oscar in the courtyard of the apartment building where they live in Fengtai district of Beijing. (Giulia Marchi/For The Washington Post)

There are a lot of ways to immigrate to America, but this EB-5 program is the easiest, said Li, who invested in a Miami residential skyscraper under construction.

The only requirement is cash. Unlike other immigration visas, one does not need to have relatives in the United States or have any extraordinary ability, educational degree or professional achievement.

The EB-5 program became attractive to U.S. real estate developers after the 2008 financial crisis as a reliable source of cheap capital when bank loans were difficult to come by. The developers pay low annual interest on investments from EB-5 visa holders, typically just 4 to 8 percent compared with 12 to 18 percent for conventional financing. After authorities confirm that the money has created at least 10 American jobs, a visa holder will be eligible for permanent residency  and to recoup his or her investment.

It is good to own some U.S. dollars as the U.S. economy recovers from the financial crisis, Li said.

Far from being scions of Chinas ruling class, Li and his wife, a customer service representative at a Beijing real estate company, earn about $100,000 a year. That is well above average for Beijing but not in the ranks of the wealthiest elites.

They were able to scrounge up the $500,000 by selling a four-bedroom house on the outskirts of Beijing that Lis parents had helped him buy a decade ago. (It is common in China for parents to help their children, especially sons, buy homes.)

The family of three rents a modest, two-bedroom high-rise apartment in a middle-class compound in the southwestern part of Chinas sprawling capital city. Although homeownership is prized among Chinese as a secure financial investment, Li and Qi said they view renting as a sacrifice for the sake of their son, Oscar.

The couple, who married in 2014, said they committed to immigrating during their 10-day honeymoon in California, where they soaked up the grandeur of Yosemite National Park, visited the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and even checked out the University of California at Los Angeles.

We went to America to vacation with the purpose of understanding the country, said Li, whose notions about the United States came only from movies and television news. The values of independence, equality, freedom and democracy have attracted me deeply. I was already hoping to raise our child there.

Qi, also 38, said they knew then that they needed to find a way for their future child to study in America.

Everyone hopes their children can get the best education, and the best education is in the United States, she said. There are too many people in China, and the competition is fierce, so all they do is study, study, study.



Jehan Li, 38 years old, plays with Oscar. Everyone in China has the American Dream, he says. (Giulia Marchi/For The Washington Post)

Chasing the American Dream

Of the 8,500 EB-5 visas issued in 2016, 82 percent went to investors from mainland China, according to the State Department. A decade ago, Chinese nationals accounted for just 12 percent of such visas.

Chinese immigration brokers say upper-middle-class investors have flocked to the program in recent years as their incomes increased and their real estate appreciated.

But that route to the United States may soon close for families such as Li and Qi.

Congressional authorization for the EB-5 visa expires in September, and lawmakers, as well as the Department of Homeland Security, are weighing new rules that could raise investment requirements from $500,000 to as much as $1.35 million.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), who assailed the investor visa as citizenship for sale to the wealthiest bidders, has introduced a bill with Sen. Charles E. Grassley (R-Iowa) to scrap the program.

Legislators who have long agitated for change were further riled in May after one of Kushners sisters pitched a New Jersey luxury apartment project managed by the familys real estate company to potential Chinese investors in Beijing.

Such sales presentations by U.S. developers seeking to woo Chinese investors are common, immigration brokers say. But the Kushner Companies event drew criticism for attempting to cash in on Kushners White House connections. One speaker advised those in attendance to invest early  under the old rules requiring $500,000  in case regulations change under President Trump, Kushners father-in-law.

Michael Short, a White House spokesman, told The Washington Post that the Trump administration is evaluating wholesale change of the EB-5 program, including exploring the possibility of raising the price of the visa.

The uncertainty has prompted a scramble among some Chinese investors, said Jerry Liu, an immigration consultant in Beijing.

Right now, the market is really hot, and more people can afford it because of Chinas growing economy, Liu said. Everyone in China has the American Dream.

Because of a cap on the number of visas by nationality, Chinese applicants must wait seven to 10 years from the time they invest to when they secure green cards, Liu said. The program has a big backlog; until 2015, the wait time was five years.

That has prompted parents, worried about their children turning 21 and aging out of the visa program before their green cards are approved, to start applying years before their children reach high school.

About a third of Chinese applicants are even applying in their teenage childrens names, anticipating that their green cards would not be available until they are adults and can move to the United States on their own, said Ronnie Fieldstone, a Miami attorney representing developers and Chinese immigration agents involved in EB-5 projects.

Li and Qi are relieved to have gotten in line before the United States changes the investment rules.

The Miami development they invested in is slated to be finished in early 2019, according to Paramount Miami Worldcenter, the developer. Construction is complete for 12 of its 60 stories. More than 60 percent of the luxury condominiums 500 units have sold.

Once the U.S. government approves the familys petition, they will receive two-year conditional green cards.

The couple have already researched housing and schools in Los Angeles, where they hope to settle. And they are exposing Oscar, 21 months old, to English through nursery songs. He is learning the alphabet and likes to sing a counting song about catching fish.

We hope to be in America, Qi said, by the time our son finishes elementary school.

This story was reported during a fellowship sponsored by the East-West Center, a nonprofit funded by Congress and private donors to foster understanding between the United States and Asia.


Val Lewtons Breezewood & Truck Stop #1 (2011), on view through July 13 in From Hollywood to Breezewood at Addison/Ripley Fine Art. (Val Lewton/Addison/Ripley Fine Art)

For decades, Val Lewton (1937-2015) was an exhibition designer at what is now as the Smithsonian American Art Museum, and he showed his paintings at the then-nearby Studio Gallery. He often documented that neighborhood, and a few downtown Washington pictures are included in the memorial exhibition split between Addison/Ripley Fine Art and the American University Museum. Yet From Hollywood to Breezewood takes its title from places far from Eighth and F streets NW.

Hollywood refers to the artists upbringing as the son of a producer, also named Val Lewton, known for cult B-movies such as 1943s I Walked With a Zombie. Breezewood is the Pennsylvania highway junction where the painter found inspiration in big rigs, truck stops and even traffic lights.

As a chronicler of the commonplace, Lewton also investigated the Washington suburbs, notably Dale City. Tract homes, and the cars parked outside them, appear often in his work. So do demolition sites and industrial structures, some of which he painted again and again from different vantages. The two shows include eight views, mostly details, of a hulking hospital identified as Bee Bee. At AU, there are a half-dozen renderings of paint cans in the artists studio.

Lewtons loosely realistic style recalls Edward Hoppers, but there are no nighthawks and no diners in Lewtons unpeopled world. His landscapes often appear neglected or even abandoned. (This might show the influence of seeing so much of downtown Washington torn down while he worked there.) Cars stand in for their occupants, notably in Whitehurst Freeway, a huge 1970 canvas whose dull shades of red and green resemble the hues of a faded snapshot.

Is it just a typical rush hour or a mass exodus from devastation? Many of Lewtons paintings have a gritty, everyday quality. But pictures such as Exxons Last Stand, depicting the aftermath of a fire, project a zombie-movie vibe.

Val Lewton: From Hollywood to Breezewood Through July 13 at Addison/Ripley Fine Art, 1670 Wisconsin Ave. NW. 202-338-5180. www.addisonripleyfineart.com. Through Aug. 13 at the American University Museum at the Katzen Arts Center, 4400 Massachusetts Ave. NW. 202-885-1300. american.edu/museum.

Jason Falchook

An untitled work by Jason Falchook on view at Civilian Art Projects. (Jason Falchook/Civilian Art Projects)

Some years later and a few states away, photographer Jason Falchook is similarly drawn to the ordinary and slightly shabby. His Indivisible From the Sheen of Plastic, at Civilian Art Projects, gazes intently at architectural minutiae, often mundane and graceless. Falchooks pictures could show Anytown of a certain vintage, but all were made in Brooklyn, where the Corcoran graduate lives.

The photographer is keen on signs, but he shoots them from behind, so their messages are unavailable. (One is draped to further conceal its content.) Nature is generally absent, save in the form of sunlight and its effects. Shadows sketch lines atop existing patterns, notably a set of steps painted, alternately, red and white.

Such blocks of strong color are common in these untitled pictures, whose blue bars, scarlet rectangles and lone yellow swoop suggest an accidental history of hard-edged modernist color painting. But line dominates in other compositions, which use fencing and siding as elements in found drawings. Falchooks photos turn flimsy facades and decrepit details into ideals of urban form.

Jason Falchook: Indivisible From the Sheen of Plastic Through July 22 at Civilian Art Projects, 4718 14th St. NW. 202-607-3804. civilianartprojects.com.

Lewis Colburn

Some historical theme parks were built from scratch, others erected on genuine foundations. Lewis Colburn lives in one of the latter, Philadelphia, which inspired the decidedly mixed-media sculpture in two hundred forty-one years,  his VisArts show. The artists vision of 1776 arises from both Colonial history and the tourist-oriented simulations of the Independence Hall area.



Lewis Colburns Eight Dead White Men I Found on the Internet, and Two Averages, on view at VisArts at Rockville. (Lewis Colburn/VisArts at Rockville)

Using contemporary technology, Colburn makes precise replicas of items from the 18th century, complemented by a few more recent pieces. Most are hewed from wood, but the artist contrasts actual, veneer and engineered forest products with translucent crimson urethane. Thus a fire extinguisher is all wood, while a wooden ax is embedded in a plastic tree stump. The juxtaposition was inspired by that fiction about young George Washingtons inability to tell a lie.

Colburn isnt arguing that American history is a falsehood, just that its incomplete and oversimplified. Thus, The Colonist, cast in red urethane, in which a hand rests contentedly on a waistcoat over a plump belly. The 241-year-old man appears as satisfied with his well-fed prosperity as his ancestors are with their national myth.

Lewis Colburn: two hundred forty-one years Through July 16 at Kaplan Gallery, VisArts at Rockville, 155 Gibbs St., Rockville. 301-315-8200. visartscenter.org.

Jenny Walton

A days worth of skies in a single room, Jenny Waltons installation wraps the three main walls of the District of Columbia Arts Centers gallery in air, clouds and twilight. In the Space of a Day includes seven graphite or silverpoint drawings of cloud formations, but its main event is 31 vertical panels that are figuratively and literally light. Theyre made of rice paper, painted with watercolor that saturates the gauzy material and designed to flap in the artificial wind of the air conditioning.

The piece dawns with black and then adds yellow. Most of the panels are simply blue on white, with forms that seem to billow from one to the next. Most dramatic are the last few, in which pink, red and purple lead back to black. This evocation of nature is in the tradition of Romanticism but also draws on post-painterly abstraction and conceptual art. Gazing heavenward, Walton aims to capture grand scale and transience.

In the Space of a Day: Jenny Walton Through July 16 at District of Columbia Arts Center, 2438 18th St. NW. 202-462-7833. dcartscenter.org.

In the Space of a Day: Jenny Walton On view through July 16 at District of Columbia Arts Center, 2438 18th St. NW. 202-462-7833. dcartscenter.org.



Janis Goodmans Horizontal Movement, graphite on paper, on view at Gallery Neptune & Brown. (Janis Goodman/Gallery Neptune & Brown)

Summer Bounce

Summer Bounce, Gallery Neptune & Browns dog-days group show, consists mainly of works on paper, and includes prints by such internationally known 20th-century artists as Helen Frankenthaler and Joan Mitchell.

Most of the participants are represented by a single piece, but local artist Janis Goodman contributed eight. All but one of these depict tidal flats, elegantly reduced to elemental forms in either paint or pencil. Stark but evocative, these pictures suggest that all of Goodmans work  even the large abstract drawing in this selection, matter-of-factly titled Horizontal Movement  is derived from nature.

Summer Bounce On view through July 15 at Gallery Neptune & Brown, 1530 14th St. NW. 202-986-1200. galleryneptunebrown.com.


At Parks Barbecue in Los Angeles, prepare for an array of side dishes. (Melina Mara/The Washington Post)

Our favorite places on our cross-country trip:

San Francisco

Restaurant Eiji

317 Sanchez St., 415-558-8149

The sushi is fresh daily and always changing, and theres a great sake menu, but the real draw in this low-key jewel box is the house-made tofu. Its more like a creamy custard and comes with toppings such as sesame seeds, seaweed and scallions.

Tartine Bakery & Cafe

600 Guerrero St., 415-487-2600; tartinebakery.com

Its all so good, it almost doesnt matter what you order: real deal croissants, addictive banana cream pie and more. Its worth waiting in line.

[A road trip with a question: Is American regional food alive and well?]

Tartine Manufactory

595 Alabama St., 415-757-0007; tartinemanufactory.com

Youll happily wait again for famous sourdough breads, salads and sandwiches (such as porchetta and fried egg with salsa verde).

Ice Cream Bar Soda Fountain

815 Cole St., 415-742-4932; theicecreambarsf.com

A reconstructed 1930s ice cream soda fountain (originally from Mackinaw City, Mich.) in Cole Valley with homemade ice cream, ice cream sandwiches, ice cream drinks and lunch sandwiches. This might be the best ice cream Ive ever had in this country. Try butterscotch, mint chocolate chip, burnt honey or a seasonal fruit flavor.



A bowl of curried noodles with braised hanger steak at Night + Market Song in Los Angeles. (Melina Mara/The Washington Post)

Los Angeles

Parks Barbecue

955 S. Vermont Ave., 213-380-1717; parksbbq.com

Korean barbecue in a strip mall with fabulous kimchi and side dishes. Great quality meat.

Sqirl

720 N. Virgil Ave. No. 4, 323-284-8147; sqirlla.com

Famous for avocado toast, chickpea stew, homemade toast with ricotta cheese and seasonal jam, rice bowls with fried eggs and more.

Night + Market Song

3322 W. Sunset Blvd., 323-665-5899; nightmarketsong.com

Crowded, noisy and seriously spicy, with innovative Thai food probably unlike anything youve tasted.

Grand Central Market

317 S. Broadway, 213-624-2378; grandcentralmarket.com

A landmark since 1917, it offers most every type of food you can think of: tacos, pizza, raw fish, vegan, Asian, Southeast Asian, Californian and more.

Santa Fe, N.M.

Cafe Pasquals

121 Don Gaspar Ave., 505-983-9340; pasquals.com

Sophisticated New Mexican cuisine with an emphasis on organic and local.

La Choza

905 Alarid St., 505-982-0909; lachozasf.com

The local favorite spot for lunch or dinner. Try the enchilada plate, green chile stew, sopaipillas and any of the margaritas.

Austin

Uchi

801 S. Lamar Blvd.; 512-916-4808; uchiaustin.com

Sushi bar and restaurant with innovative and stunning Japanese food. Great cocktails.

Justines Brasserie

4710 E. Fifth St.; 512-385-2900; justines1937.com

Super-hip French bistro with a great bar and outdoor tents decorated with chandeliers and billowing fabrics. Try the pork chops with potatoes gratin, steak frites and tuna tartare.

Lockhart, Texas

Smittys Market

208 S. Commerce St.; 512-398-9344; smittysmarket.com

Award-winning barbecue and meat shop since 1924. Be sure to try the brisket and the jalapeno sausage.

Blacks Barbecue

215 N. Main St.; 512-398-2712; blacksbbq.com/site/lockhart

Opened in 1932 by Edgar Black, this barbecue joint is still run by his family. Order the nine-inch-long giant beef ribs, baby backs, pinto beans, black-eyed peas and an ice-cold beer. Theres a second location in Austin.



Maypop restaurant in New Orleans. (Maypop)

New Orleans

Clancys

6100 Annunciation St.; 504-895-1111; clancysneworleans.com

A white-tablecloth, neighborhood Creole restaurant where youll find classics such as shrimp remoulade and crab salad as well as Clancys famous smoked duck, local grilled fish and not-to-be-missed frozen lemon pie.

Maypop

611 OKeefe Ave.; 504-518-6345; maypoprestaurant.com

Less than a year old and making waves by successfully mixing classic Creole dishes of Louisiana with Vietnamese and Southeast Asian flavors.

Chattanooga, Tenn.

Beas Restaurant

4500 Dodds Ave.; 423-867-3618; eatatbeas.com

All-you-can-eat fried chicken and other Southern specialties, served family style for $12 a person. The place hasnt been touched since the 1950s, and everything is made in-house.



The deviled egg at Nightbell in Asheville, N.C. (Evan Sung)

Asheville, N.C.

Nightbell

32 S. Lexington Ave.; 828-575-0375; heirloomhg.com/nightbell

Wildly creative and sophisticated takes on Appalachian and Southern food. The Caesar salad is served in a jicama shell with Parmesan crisps and anchovy. The steamed clams with Bentons bacon, smoked cream, tarragon and cider is like a Southern take on a New England clam chowder.

Chai Pani

22 Battery Park Ave.; 828-254-4003; chaipaniasheville.com

Indian street food and snacks cooked with local ingredients.

Richmond

Perlys

111 E. Grace St.; 804-912-1560; perlysrichmond.com

A hip Jewish deli with a slight Southern twist. Everything is made in-house, including light blintzes filled with preserved orange and blueberry sauce. Try a deli sandwich, the Benny Goodman  two poached eggs piled on homemade latkes with a killer hollandaise, house-smoked salmon and salmon roe  or pastrami.

Mamma Zu

501 S. Pine St.; 804-788-4205

A classic old neighborhood Italian joint serving gigantic bowls of pasta with homemade sauce. Try the spaghetti with a spicy red sauce topped with a generous amount of Maryland crab and a salad of arugula, white beans and tender squid.

Kittery, Maine

Bobs Clam Hut

315 U.S. Route 1; 207-439-4233; bobsclamhut.com

Since it opened in 1956, a winner every time. Try the chowder (clam or fish, or the lobster stew), lobster rolls (buttered, grilled rolls and fresh meat prepared daily), fish sandwich or fried clams.


Half Chicken with Black Beans, Sweet Plantains and Yucca Fries at Chicken + Whiskey, a new fast-casual South American restaurant along the bustling 14th Street corridor. (Deb Lindsey /For The Washington Post)

Millennials were on the minds of the owners of the Maryland-based Star Restaurant Group when it opened its latest attraction on 14th Street NW last month. As managing principal Desmond Reilly puts it, Chicken + Whiskey fuses cheap, good, fast cooking with an alcoholic element.

[The 2017 Spring Dining Guide]

The first half of the recipe unfolds up front: a self-service South American eatery announced by an outsize Incan bird on the wall, mustard-yellow stools fronting narrow wood ledges, and a flock of birds tanning away on an oak-fired oven imported from Lima, Peru. Kudos to the owners for recruiting Enrique Limardo, the chef of the thrilling Alma Cocina Latina in Baltimore, as their kitchen talent just as the Venezuela native was looking to open a chicken place of his own.



Chef Enrique Limardo comes to the District from Baltimores Alma Cocina Latina. (Deb Lindsey /For The Washington Post)

Managing principal partner Kris Carr creates a Smoke Show cocktail in the back bar of the restaurant. Drinks are allowed up front, but food is not permitted in the back bar area. (Deb Lindsey /For The Washington Post)

The second part of the equation is accessed via a refrigerator door (a sight gag) in back: a bar featuring nearly 70 whiskies, a vinyl collection of some 1,500 records and a trio of skylights. While they wait for their cocktails, customers can watch a big block of ice winnowed down to perfect cubes with the help of a saw and a staff members sweat.

You can visit one or both venues, and fetch a cocktail from the bar to eat with your meal in the dining area, a greeter at the door might explain. But you cant take your chicken to the rear. The owners say they dont want the bar to become a chicken joint.

[Fresh seafood makes the Salt Line a hot new summer attraction]

The signature chicken, available in three sizes, combines the best of Peruvian style (cumin, garlic, beer) with the flavors of Venezuela (bay leaf, honey and sugar cane). The finished product emerges from the fire bursting with flavor and, thanks to the honey, crisp of skin. Throw in some black beans, bold with sofrito and cilantro, and yuca fries, hit with lime and chile, and youve got a feast.



Freshly tossed Chifa Salad with Shrimp, Chicken, Nuts and Mango. (Deb Lindsey /For The Washington Post)

Another early hit on Limardos brief menu is a sandwich made with a chicken breast breaded in  move over, panko!  powdered cassava, then deep-fried and bundled with lettuce and tomato in a jalapeno-cheddar cheese brioche. Mayonnaise fueled with aji amarillo enriches every mouthful.

[New Orleans flavor gets lost in translation at the new French Quarter Brasserie]

In a nod to Asias influence on South America, there are also thin rice noodles tossed with a treasure trove of goodies: roasted peanuts, breezy mint, juicy mango, shrimp, an Asian vinaigrette and . . . oh, yeah, some sliced poultry. Chicken lured us in, but Chicken + Whiskey is more than the name implies, and more than just for the kids.



Kris Carr saws a block of ice in the back bar. (Deb Lindsey /For The Washington Post)

Bowmore 12 Whiskey on the rocks (with custom carved ice). (Deb Lindsey /For The Washington Post)

1738 14th St. NW. 202-667-2456. chickenandwhiskey.com. Chicken with two sides, $8.99 to $12.99.
A diamondback terrapin swims after being released July 6 on Chenier Ronquille Island near Grand Isle, Louisiana. The turtle was one of 31 rescued as eggs last summer because the island was being restored. (Scott Threlkeld/The Advocate via AP)

Twenty-one 11-month-old turtles returned this week to the Louisiana barrier island where their mothers laid the eggs from which they hatched.

The diamondback terrapin nests were dug up to protect the eggs during restoration of Cheniere Ronquille after the 2010 oil spill. Now that work is finished, and the 4- to 5-inch-long turtles  hatched and raised by volunteers  returned Thursday.

Diamondback terrapins, which live along the coast from Texas to New England, are the only U.S. turtle that lives in brackish waters. They may be best known as the University of Marylands mascot and as the turtles that stop traffic at New Yorks John F. Kennedy Airport when females trundle across the tarmac to look for sandy ground to lay their nests in June and July.

Theyre listed as near threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, as a species that could become threatened unless commercial trade is restricted. Habitat loss and sales to the Asian pet trade are among the biggest problems, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services application for that listing.

These turtle eggs were turned up about a year ago, when restoration crews supervised by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration dug trenches around the island to ensure that no ground-nesting shorebirds would be laying eggs there, said Keri Landry, an endangered species biologist with the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.

A diamondback terrapin turtle released to a grassy area looks for the water July 6 on Chenier Ronquille Island. Twenty-one of the turtles that hatched in captivity 11 months ago were released on the barrier island. (Scott Threlkeld/The Advocate via AP)

She said dredged sediment was to be layered over the island, which would have buried the turtles nests about two feet deep, far beyond a hatchlings ability to escape.

The crews turned up 10 or 12 nests, roping off each so Landry could collect the eggs. When she did, she marked each egg to show which end was up.

After maybe a day or so, if you roll them, theyre not going to be viable, said Stephen Creech, who hatched and raised the eggs. He said he and wife Rachael, owners of Adventure Pets in Mandeville, Louisiana, received 31 from Dave and Karen Milliken, whose incubators held the eggs for about a week last July.

Twenty-four hatched in August, and three hatchlings died. The rest have been growing since then in 150-gallon tubs with shallow brackish water, rocks and oyster shells for them to climb on, and ultraviolet lights and heated water to keep them warm.

Theyre beautiful. Mostly black and tan. Their heads are gray, Creech said.

Creech says he also has a 10-inch-long full-grown female but plans to return her to the breeder who gave her to him.

He said hed love to keep her in the pond in front of his store, but she keeps chomping on my koi.
Dear Amy: At some point during the last few years, my middle-aged aunt adopted a particular word to express mild annoyance. For example, when our plans to meet up for Sunday brunch had to be canceled, she used this word. It is a word you hear occasionally in British movies or television shows, but I dont think it is widely used in North America.

Ive been suspicious that she doesnt know the origin or meaning of this word, and I assume she would be embarrassed if she said it in front of someone  like a Brit  who did know and took offense.

For context, I have never heard my gentle aunt say even the mildest expletive (darn is as close as she has come to swearing in front of our family), so I do not think that she is aware of what she is saying.

To be sure, I looked up the word, and it is deemed a term of abuse, derogatory, and is considered to be homophobic. I believe that my aunt would be horrified to know this, but I also dont want to police the words of the people around me. What should I do to handle this gracefully?

Concerned Niece

Concerned Niece: Thank you for supplying the word in question, which I have redacted from your letter, for the reasons you state. To describe it, however  basically your non-swearing aunt is flinging the f-bomb, with a (potentially) homophobic twist. Its a very long way from darn to this expression.

The way to gently correct someone is to do so privately, one time only and with no extra commentary.

You might say to her, I notice you occasionally say that word; have you ever looked up what it means? She can then either ask you, or quietly look it up on her own. Ultimately, she might relate that she heard Hugh Grant say it in a movie, and if Hugh said it, it must be okay.

Dear Amy: Last year my brother married a lovely woman whom he had met overseas. They made their home here in the United States and had a baby shortly thereafter.

We had thought the marriage was a happy one, but she misses her family and her home country very much.

She and my brother are now ending their marriage, and she and the baby will be moving back to her family.

As the years pass and this child grows up, how best can we (aunt and uncle) maintain some contact with the child?

Wed like there to be some relationship, no matter how great the distance.

Eager Aunt and Uncle

Eager Aunt and Uncle: The best way to maintain a relationship with this child (and the best predictor of how this relationship will evolve) is the friendship you will be able to maintain with the childs mother. She will be the conduit to the child.

Always remember birthdays and other special occasions. Send cards and short letters (even before the child can read). Ask the childs mother if you can occasionally Skype with the family to check in, and electronically share photos back and forth.

I hope that as this child grows, they will have a positive relationship with their father and the rest of their American family. Visits back and forth will be important, and your notes, cards and modest gifts will help to sustain the relationship between visits.

I want to reassure you that while it is challenging to build a relationship internationally, a child can feel loved, even from a distance. I applaud your desire to try.

Dear Amy: OMG. I shuddered when I read the letter from Once and Future Girlfriend, whose boyfriend stole her car and was currently in jail for other offenses. I admit I was worried about how you might respond to this doozy.

Thank you for suggesting various brands of sneakers she might wear for the fastest getaway. And when you suggested that she and the jailbird guys other girlfriend should Thelma and Louise it, I laughed out loud.

I think that a good general rule is that if your guy steals your car, thats a dealbreaker.

Fan

Fan: Lets get the T-shirt made!


The former Patterson Mansion on Dupont Circle is now Ampeer, a 92-unit luxury resident for highly-transient urban professionals. (Courtesy of Saul Urban/Courtesy of Saul Urban)

Remember when apartment buildings with pools and gyms were a big deal? Then real estate developers threw in flat-screen TVs and free wireless. Then concierge services.

And now: instant friends.

The latest entry in the urban rental market is not a tiny apartment in a hip neighborhood. Its a tiny apartment in a historic mansion with like-minded housemates looking to connect with one another. In the platonic sense, of course.

Thats the concept behind Ampeer, the new luxury residences on Dupont Circle opening this weekend. The magnificent former home of newspaper heiress Cissy Patterson has been transformed into a 92-unit property for highly-transient urban professionals  people living in the District for just a few months, relocating to the nations capital or uninterested in conventional apartment living.

In addition to fully furnished apartments, residents get to hang out in the mansions gourmet kitchen, library and ballroom (where a private mixologist will serve drinks nightly) and bond over cooking lessons, author readings and other programs to keep them engaged and entertained.

We are a hybrid between an apartment, a hotel and a social club, explains Dan Rigaux, a senior veep at Saul Urban, which co-developed the building with Rooney Properties. We have people using it as a pied-a-terre, we have consultants and contractors, we have people moving to the area who are going to use this as a launching pad. Our hope is that they find it so convenient and enjoyable that they will stay much longer.

None of this comes cheap, of course. Starting at $2,800 a month, flats at the Ampeer are less than a room at a nice hotel, but more than many apartments in the area. Its a $40 million gamble that short-timers are willing to pay top dollar not just to live in the heart of Washington, but to become part of it.



The original ballroom is now a shared living room, complete with a private mixologist and free hors doeuvres in the evenings. (Courtesy of Saul Urban/Courtesy of Saul Urban)

The original inspiration for Ampeer was the lonely businessman, bored and sad in the flickering blue light of the television, aimlessly flipping the remote in his soulless executive apartment. From that, the list expanded to graduate students, lawyers, diplomats or anyone weary of hotel living, regardless of whos footing the bill. I dont know if youve ever lived in a hotel, says Rigaux, but it gets old really fast.

The question is whether professionals are willing to pay as much or more for the added value of living with other grown-ups in a classy version of temporary housing. Its the upscale sibling of dorms and cruise ships, where small rooms are used primarily for sleeping, and most of the fun stuff happens in communal spaces.

Unlike in dorms, the shared spaces here come with an impressive history. In 1903, renowned architect Stanford White built the 36,470-square-foot, four-story mansion for Robert Patterson, editor of the Chicago Tribune, and his wife, Elinor Medill Patterson. It was designed to impress, with curving staircases, marble fireplaces and glittering crystal chandeliers. The Pattersons daughter, Cissy, entertained Washingtons elite in the house and lent it to President Calvin Coolidge while the White House was being renovated. (A Warhol-like portrait of Cissy hangs in the library, which has been painted black and converted to an open office space.)

[From ladies club to luxury apar tments: The Washington Club says farewell ]

In 1951, the property was sold to the Washington Club, a private ladies social organization. It thrived for decades as an elegant meeting place for well-connected women, but maintenance costs and an aging membership forced the club to sell in 2014 for $20 million. The developers poured another $20 million into converting and expanding the mansion into Ampeer. (The name is a play on ampere, as in electricity, and peer  as in, well, your peers.)

The new design retains the classic exterior and the large public rooms, which got a facelift from Washington interior designer Darryl Carter. The original ballroom is now an elegant living room where residents and their guests can enjoy complimentary hors doeuvres and (not complimentary, alas) custom cocktails. The former dining room, which overlooks Dupont Circle, is a modern kitchen with a huge table where everyone gets a free breakfast or can host private dinner parties.

Upstairs, the original bedrooms and maids rooms have become 22 small one-bedroom or studio apartments; the new adjoining tower has another 70 studios. Theyre Manhattan-size spaces  350 to 600 square feet  in the ubiquitous beige of modern decor  and come with a bed, a couch, a TV, a mini-kitchen, sheets, towels, dishes, pots, pans, everything you need in a place you dont plan to spend a lot of time in.



A portrait of Cissy Patterson hangs in the library, which is now a shared office space. (Courtesy of Saul Urban/Courtesy of Saul Urban)

A studio apartment in the mansion, with original windows and moldings. (Courtesy of Saul Urban/Courtesy of Saul Urban)

But the developers are banking that even short-term renters want more than just a room with a view. They want to meet people, have fun, explore the city. They want friends.

Hotels arent designed for guests to develop relationships. Apartment buildings these days have a long list of glossy amenities, but aside from workout rooms and pools, many arent big draws.

Corporate housing can command 20 percent to 30 percent more than traditional rentals, says Jon DeHart, an agent with Long and Foster, because executives demand convenience and a certain level of luxury. But their after-hours lifestyle hasnt traditionally been part of the marketing.

Which is why Ampeer executives think theyve found a void in the marketplace.

Its a fascinating model, says DeHart. Its an opportunity for a real estate developer or owner to invest in a market that is very underserved. I think its really cool.

After market research, company executives settled on a three-month minimum rental, with contracts accepted for up to one year. The target audience is people here for an extended stay. Our offerings are intended to open up the city to them, Rigaux says.

Ampeer is teaming up with local businesses and institutions  Politics and Prose bookstore, the Phillips Collection, restaurants  to bring in speakers, artists and chefs. There will be field trips to Nationals games and local distilleries.

Theres a premium for all these extras. For long-term renters, studios in the tower addition start at $2,800 per month, including all utilities. The same flats for three months? $3,422 per month.

The apartments in the mansion proper are more expensive because they feature many original design elements  molding, high ceilings, fireplaces, views of the circle. Studios start at $3,000 a month for a year and $3,667 a month for three months. The mansions six one-bedrooms (half are already rented) start at $5,200 per month for 12 months and jump to $6,600 a month for three months.

Rigaux says that short-term renters are responding to the social aspect, while longer leasers tell him that the all-inclusive prices arent dramatically higher than standard apartments in the neighborhood.

The developers are so confident of the concept that theyre already deep in the planning stages for another one in Shaw, on Blagden Alley, and are scouting a third location on Capitol Hill  and then, world domination.

Betting, of course, that people will pay more for a prefab social life.
THE DISTRICT

Plea in attempted sex abuse at museum

A Southwest D.C. man pleaded guilty Friday to attempted second-degree child sex abuse for grabbing a 14-year-old girl at the National Museum of Natural History.

Authorities say on April 4, Devone L. Foote, 35, walked up to a group of 13- and 14-year-old girls from California and touched their buttocks as the teens toured the Smithsonian museums butterfly exhibit. Prosecutors say Foote also pressed his groin against one of the teens buttocks.

Foote, who has remained in jail since his arrest, is scheduled to be sentenced Sept. 15 in D.C. Superior Court.

 Keith L. Alexander

MARYLAND

Arrest in July 4 shooting death

A Maryland man was arrested in connection with a fatal shooting in Prince Georges County on Independence Day.

On July 4 at around 3:40 p.m., officers learned two shooting victims were driven to a hospital, Prince Georges County police said in a statement. One suffered injuries that were not life threatening, the statement said; another, 33-year-old Demarco Robinson of Lanham, died.

An investigation showed the victims were shot inside a car near a liquor store in the 7300 block of Landover Road after they argued with people in a van, according to the statement.

On July 6, an officer spotted the van sought in connection with the shooting being towed on St. Barnabas Road in Temple Hills, police said. After the tow truck was stopped, officers learned from the tow-truck driver that the van belong to his son, 24-year-old Thomas Tyrone Sanders of Landover, who was arrested Friday, according to police.

 Justin Wm. Moyer

Two arrested in fatal shooting

Two men were arrested in connection with a fatal shooting during a drug deal in December in Prince Georges County, police said.

On Dec. 30 at around 10:10 p.m., officers found 27-year-old Carrington Carter II of Fort Washington shot in the 7100 block of White Pearl Place in Fort Washington, Prince Georges County police said in a statement. Carter was transferred to a hospital, where he died, the statement said.

On Friday, police said Julius Senior, 28, of Upper Marlboro was charged with first- and second-degree murder in connection with Carters shooting, and Jamal Garner, 22 of Northwest Washington was charged with attempted first- and second-degree murder.

 Justin Wm. Moyer

VIRGINIA

Suspected killer found dead

A suspect in the killing of a 77-year-old man at a Fairfax-area retirement community in April fled to Vietnam after the slaying and is now dead, Fairfax County police announced Friday.

The person of interest, whose identity was not released, was well known to the victim, Cong Huu Nguyen, and police said the motive for the killing might have been financial gain, but declined to elaborate.

Police said they are awaiting the results of an autopsy to be performed on the man in Vietnam before officially releasing his name. Police declined to discuss the mans relationship to Nguyen.

On April 20, Nguyen was found dead in his apartment at Little River Glen, a 120-unit retirement community, police said. He had suffered upper body trauma.

 Justin Jouvenal
Protesters outside the federal courthouse in San Antonio oppose a new Texas sanctuary cities law that aligns with President Trumps tough stance against cities and towns that refuse to cooperate with immigration officials. (Eric Gay/AP)

The Department of Justice said Thursday that some sanctuary cities have boldly asserted they will not comply with requests from federal immigration agents, setting the stage for a new dispute between localities and the Trump administration.

The clash centers on whether local jurisdictions are required to provide information to federal deportation agents about a persons immigration status, particularly the status of someone who has been arrested in connection with a local crime.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions had given 10 state and local governments until June 30 to prove that they share information with federal immigration officials  or risk losing some Department of Justice grant money this year.

Federal law bars localities from creating policies that restrict the sharing of immigration-related information. But some local officials say the law does not require them to collect details such as a persons immigration status.

Sessions said the governments of all 10 targeted jurisdictions, including California, Connecticut and New York City, maintained that they comply with the law requiring such information-sharing.

(Claritza Jimenez/The Washington Post)

But he signaled that the Justice Department may disagree.

Some of these jurisdictions have boldly asserted they will not comply with requests from federal immigration authorities, and this would potentially violate federal law, the statement said.

Sessions said the department is reviewing the jurisdictions letters. It is not enough to assert compliance, the jurisdictions must actually be in compliance, he said in the statement, which cited U.S. Code 8, Section 1373. That law says government officials may not prohibit, or in any way restrict employees from sharing information with federal immigration agents about a persons immigration status.

The Justice Department did not make the letters from individual jurisdictions public or identify the allegedly recalcitrant jurisdictions.

But Philadelphia shared its 15-page letter with The Washington Post. It said that the city does not violate Section 1373, even though its policy bars officials from collecting immigration information from the people it encounters or arrests, unless such information is relevant to a criminal investigation.

The federal statute does not require cities to inquire about or collect immigration status information, but only prohibits cities from restricting the sharing of that information if they have it, City Solicitor Sozi Pedro Tulante wrote.

Federal law also does not require local governments to detain immigrants so that U.S. deportation agents can pick them up, but the Trump administration is trying to make those requests mandatory.

Hundreds of cities and towns have adopted sanctuary policies that include refusing to continue holding immigrants arrested for local crimes after their release dates so that federal deportation agents can take them into custody. Such jurisdictions say detaining immigrants for that purpose may be unconstitutional and burdens local jails with additional costs.

Sanctuary jurisdictions also say cooperating with immigration authorities makes cities less safe, because fewer immigrants are willing to work with local police and report crimes.

But the Trump administration says sanctuary policies endanger U.S. communities by returning accused criminals to the streets, where some have allegedly committed heinous crimes.

On Jan. 25, Trump issued an executive order threatening to strip federal funding from jurisdictions that refuse to cooperate with federal agents.

In April, Sessions wrote to nine jurisdictions he said were identified during the prior administration as potentially uncooperative, demanding proof that they follow existing federal law. The jurisdictions are New Orleans; Philadelphia; Chicago; New York City; Clark County, Nev.; Miami-Dade County, Fla.; Milwaukee County, Wis.; Cook County, Ill.; and the state of California. Connecticut, the 10th jurisdiction on the Justice Departments list, had already told the federal government it complied.

In response to a legal challenge filed by San Francisco and Santa Clara County, Calif., a federal judge temporarily halted Trumps executive order as overly broad.

But the judge said the government could restrict funding under the narrower definition the Justice Department says it is using with the 10 jurisdictions.

Some U.S. states and cities have joined the Trump administration to push for tougher sanctions against sanctuary cities.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) signed a law in May banning sanctuary cities in the state, triggering another federal lawsuit, which the state defended last month with the support of the Justice Department. The government of Mexico, concerned about its nationals being caught in an expanding immigration dragnet, is siding with the plaintiffs in the case.

Last week, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill that would bar sanctuary cities from receiving many federal grants and make them liable if an undocumented immigrant who is released from jail without notice to immigration agents goes on to commit additional crimes.
Maryland Attorney General Brian E. Frosh (D) said Friday that it would be illegal for the state to pay two executive appointees who never received Senate confirmation, setting up another confrontation between Gov. Larry Hogan (R) and the states Democratic majority.

Hogan and the Democrat-controlled General Assembly have tangled over education funding, transportation priorities and redistricting. They now are battling over whether Wendi Peters, the secretary of planning, and Dennis Schrader, the secretary of health, should receive paychecks next week.

Asked whether the two secretaries can receive their paychecks based on the 2018 budget bill, Frosh said: The answer is no.  The budgetary restriction included within the Budget Bill is a valid exercise of the Legislatures power.

Frosh also raised questions as to whether the appointments, made while the legislature was not in session, are valid.

Doug Mayer, a spokesman for Hogan, said Friday that the attorney general is just one attorney. Its one mans opinion. The governors legal counsel feels differently, and so do we.

Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh. (Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg)

The Comptrollers Office, which administers the state payroll, said absent any judicial action it plans to issue the checks to Peters and Schrader.

The budget calls for withholding the salaries of secretaries in situations similar to those affecting Peters and Schrader. It includes a provision that reads: No funds in this budget may be expended to pay the salary of a Secretary or Acting Secretary of any department who was a recess appointment in 2016 and whose nomination as Secretary was put forward and was not acted upon by the Executive Nominations Committee.

Legislative aides say similar language was added to the budgets during the terms of former governors Robert L. Ehrlich (R) and Martin OMalley (D). Ehrlich threatened to keep a controversial secretary, who was rejected by the full Senate, but instead withdrew the nominees name.

The law is the law, said Sen. Bill Ferguson (D-Baltimore City), the chairman of the Senate Executive Nominations Committee. And I would expect the governor to follow the law  Just like Id tell my four-year-old who has a temper tantrum, follow the rules, theyre there to protect you. 

Mayer called the back and forth "ridiculous" because he said an assistant attorney general advised the governor's office earlier this year that the governor had the authority to withdraw and reappoint.

Robert F. Scholz, chief legal counsel for Hogan, said he thinks the budget language violates separation of powers and questioned whether the General Assembly had the constitutional authority to include it in the budget bill.

It is inappropriate and violative of the separation of powers doctrine for the legislature to attempt to control whom the Governor appoints through the budget, Scholz wrote.

Even though Peters and Schrader did not receive Senate confirmation, Hogan reappointed them two days after the General Assembly adjourned its 90-day session in April.

In March, the Senate Executive Nominations Committee rejected Peters, acting secretary at the time, as unqualified. The committee said she lacked the planning and managerial experience to lead the state agency. Hogan withdrew her nomination weeks later and did not submit another name until after the session ended.

The governor withdrew Schraders nomination before the committee voted.

Scholz asked Frosh for immediate authority to obtain outside counsel to represent Peters, Schrader and Hogan.

Mayer said the governor, Peters and Schrader do not plan to seek legal action, but will seek outside counsel as a precaution.

Deputy Comptroller Sharonne R. Bonardi said the Comptrollers Office is caught in the middle of an unprecedented situation.

She said in a letter to Frosh that her office has been told that there could be legal ramifications if it issues the checks, but she wonders if there could be consequences if it denies payment without judicial clarification of the legal questions surrounding this matter.

Bonardi asked Frosh to seek judicial review, given the conflicting positions of the executive and legislative branches.
Pope John Paul II was making an apostolic visit to Colombia in 1986 when a spontaneous encounter with a 10-year-old boy signaled the arrival of a new era in the papacy.

I know you; youre the Pope, the child exclaimed as he approached the pontiff. Youre the same one I saw on television.

Several of his predecessors had appeared on radio and TV, but John Paul more than any pope before him harnessed the power of the media to reach the faithful and to project the image of vitality and holiness that defined him during his 26-year pontificate.

The co-architect of that image, John Pauls confidant and chief spokesman, was Joaquin Navarro-Valls  a former psychiatrist, journalist and onetime bullfighter who led the Holy Sees media office for more than two decades.

Dr. Navarro-Valls, described during his tenure as the most visible Vatican official after the pope, died July 5 at his Roman residence. He was 80. Opus Dei, the Catholic organization to which he belonged as a celibate numerary, said the cause was pancreatic cancer.

Dr. Navarro-Valls holds a media conference at the Vatican in 2014. (Gregorio Borgia/AP)

Dr. Navarro-Valls was working as Rome correspondent for the Spanish daily ABC in 1984 when John Paul, then six years into his papacy, persuaded him to oversee the Vatican media operations.

The appointment of a suit-clad Spaniard was a startling change for the ordained members of the Italian-dominated Roman Curia. But John Paul had grown dissatisfied, according to biographer George Weigel, with what other Vatican officers called the way we do things here.

It was revolutionary, Weigel, the author of Witness to Hope: The Biography of Pope John Paul II, wrote in an email, not only because Dr. Navarro-Valls was a layman but because he was a competent layman.

Weigel joked that Dr. Navarro-Valls helped bring Vatican communications into the twentieth century  the first-half of the twentieth century. Even under his leadership, some journalists complained about the opacity of operations at the Vatican, comparing it to the Kremlin.

Particularly during the sexual abuse scandal that emerged in the early 2000s, in which church officials were shown to have systematically covered up rampant abuse by priests over generations, the hierarchy was widely seen as being slow to publicly and fully address the crisis.

But in the context of the Catholic Church, a supremely traditional organization whose leaders had long communicated with the congregation through formal addresses and by such means as the papal bull, John Paul represented an astonishing revolution.

Through Dr. Navarro-Vallss careful choreography, John Paul became the pope millions of Catholics saw speaking to reporters aboard airplanes, cradling children, praying at the Wailing Wall, hosting millions at an open-air Mass, chatting to Castro in Havana, a reporter for the London Guardian once wrote.

John Paul, who was a patron of the conservative Opus Dei movement, displayed a deep affinity with Dr. Navarro-Valls. The two shared a direct phone connection and conferred with one another for up to two hours a day.

Under Dr. Navarro-Vallss leadership, the Vatican opened its online information service, offered daily bulletins and issued statements in multiple languages. (Dr. Navarro-Valls spoke five.) It also became increasingly willing to challenge world leaders on behalf of the pontiff.

One noted incident came in 1994, when Vice President Al Gore represented the United States in Cairo at a United Nations conference on population concerns. The United States supported a U.N. statement of a womans right to fertility regulation, a position the Vatican considered tantamount to the defense of abortion rights.

Dr. Navarro-Valls rebuked Gore for suggesting, in that debate, a tie between the genocide in Rwanda and the African nations dense population.

To this I could respond that the population density of Japan is much greater than that of Rwanda, Dr. Navarro-Valls said, and there is no danger of people killing themselves there.

He was similarly blunt with Cuban officials when John Paul made his historic visit to the Communist nation in 1998. When the Cuban government proposed limiting TV coverage of the trip, Dr. Navarro-Valls wryly noted, according to Weigel, that the Cubans could not pretend to be unequipped for the event, as they had given blanket coverage to the reinterment of Che Guevara.

During the sexual abuse scandal, Dr. Navarro-Valls was criticized when he attempted to link homosexuality with child abuse, arguing in an interview with the New York Times that people with these inclinations just cannot be ordained.

But he played perhaps his most prominent role in the final days of John Pauls life, as the pope succumbed to Parkinsons disease. With the gravitas of his medical training, Dr. Navarro-Valls offered detailed updates on the popes health. At least one time, in a fashion uncharacteristic of a spokesman but revealing of his relationship with the pope, Dr. Navarro-Valls lost his composure.

John Paul died April 2, 2005. Dr. Navarro-Valls led the media office for not quite two years into the pontificate of his successor, Pope Benedict XVI, before retiring.

Joaquin Navarro-Valls was born in Cartagena, Spain, on Nov. 16, 1936. He studied medicine, specializing in psychiatry, at the universities of Granada and Barcelona and studied journalism at the University of Navarre in Spain, according to Opus Dei.

He joined the religious organization in his 20s and worked on its communications efforts after transitioning to journalism from medicine. He once told the Times that he was interested in the question that arises in psychiatry of how the media in general, including advertising, influence human attitudes, both for better and for worse.

He became president of the Foreign Press Association of Italy, a post that helped bring him to John Pauls attention.

Survivors include three brothers.

In keeping with the traditions of spokesmen, Dr. Navarro-Valls sought to keep attention on his boss. An interviewer once asked him why John Paul cared so much about relations with the media.

Your question could easily be turned around, Dr. Navarro-Valls replied. How is it that the media cared so much about John Paul II? . . . The reason for this interest, certainly, had to do with his magnificently expressive ways. But also, and perhaps most importantly, because of . . . the ideas and thoughts that his wonderful expressiveness clothed so well.

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this obituary incorrectly reported Dr. Navarro-Vallss survivors. Relying on information provided by Opus Dei, the obituary reported that he had one surviving brother. According to Opus Dei, he had three surviving brothers.
A Russian-born hacker who took control of half a million computers and stole tens of thousands of credit card numbers was sentenced Friday to nine years in prison.

Alexander Tverdokhlebov, 29, said in federal court in Alexandria on Friday that he would try to redeem myself.

The Russian-born U.S. citizen spent almost a decade in Russian Internet forums where hackers form alliances and sell software and stolen information. To join, he had to get a current member to vouch for his criminal bona fides, prosecutors said.

Over the years, Tverdokhlebov put up for sale at least 40,000 stolen credit cards and control of 500,000 private computers through malicious software. He also hired two Russian students studying in the United States to cash out funds from a compromised bank account. He stole sensitive financial information from at least 100 people, prosecutors said.

[Two charged with hacking; Russia claims kidnapping.]

Tverdokhlebov took in about $1 million in wire transfers from Russia and China. His bitcoin funds, which he agreed to forfeit to the government, are worth about $4.5 million.

He was arrested in California in February and pleaded guilty in March.

Before his arrest, he lived a lavish life in Los Angeles, prosecutors said, taking expensive vacations and driving a BMW. He kept $272,000 in cash in various safe-deposit boxes in Los Angeles and Las Vegas for a rainy day.

In court, Tverdokhlebov struggled to explain his actions.

I had all the skills and all the resources to live the same lifestyle legally, he said.

In a court filing, defense attorney William Cummings noted that his client was a regular user of marijuana, cocaine and alcohol.

Youre a talented young man, U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis said after sentencing Tverdokhlebov to 110 months in prison. You never thought that you would be caught.

Cummings, who had asked for a lighter sentence, said he understood the judges decision, given the amount of money involved. But he said he believed his client truly had turned the corner.

In fact, just before sentencing, Tverdokhlebov told prosecutors that he should be handing over more illicit profits than they had demanded.
Police apprehend Eulalio Tordil in the fatal shootings of three people over a two-day stretch in the Washington area on May 6, 2016, in Silver Spring, Md. (Alex Brandon/AP)

As he unsuccessfully tried to carjack a woman at a busy mall and good Samaritans came running toward her screams, the gunman shot and wounded her  and smiled.

Still trying to snatch an SUV less than an hour later, after he had killed one of those helpers and wounded the other, he turned his gun on another woman and killed her  then grabbed some chicken and doughnuts for lunch.

Eulalio Tordil was described as a calculated, coldblooded and cowardly serial killer at a court hearing Friday before he received four back-to-back life sentences in a murderous Maryland shooting rampage in 2016 that started with the slaying of his wife in a high school parking lot and ended a day later with the deaths of two strangers as he fled police.

There was absolutely no reason for him to do what he did other than cowardice and selfishness, Montgomery County Circuit Court Judge Sharon V. Burrell said before sentencing Tordil in the deaths of the strangers. Life got too tough for him so he decided to solve his problems by killing people.

Tordil, 64, will be imprisoned without the chance of parole.

Tordil pleaded guilty in April to two counts of first-degree murder in the shootings of Malcom Mike Winffel, 45, and Claudina Molina, 65.

Winffel was shot as he went to the aid of the woman whom Tordil tried to carjack in the parking lot of a Montgomery County mall.

Unable to steal a vehicle at the mall, Tordil later fatally shot Molina as he tried to steal her SUV outside a grocery store where the mother had gone to buy milk.

[Suspect in custody in shootings at mall, grocery store, high school]

Tordils public defender Theresa Chernosky asked the judge to consider Tordils life beyond the two-day shooting rampage. Chernosky said that Tordil was a Catholic school choir boy, former member of the military and a devoted father who postponed retirement to help pay for his stepdaughters college costs.

He was so proud of his daughters, Chernosky said, that he put a photo of himself and his family at a martial-arts tournament into the backpack he stocked and carried as he fled police.

A person is not as bad as his worst deed, Chernosky said quoting a line from the movie Dead Man Walking. Two horrible days do not define him.

Tordils tear of violence that panicked the region and put businesses and schools in suburban Maryland on lockdown began on May 5, 2016, when he shot his wife, Gladys Tordil, 44, outside of High Point High School in Beltsville. Gladys Tordil was picking up her daughters when her estranged husband confronted her in the parking lot at the Prince Georges County school.

After shooting his wife in front of one of his stepdaughters and shooting at a bystander who tried to intervene, Tordil, a former Federal Protective Service police officer, fled.

He wound up the next day in neighboring Montgomery County, where he killed Winffel and Molina as he tried to dodge police.

If the judge looked beyond the two days of shootings, Montgomery County States Attorney John McCarthy said, she would see terror seeded months earlier.

Two months before the shooting, Tordil turned in a stash of guns to law enforcement under the requirement of a protective order his wife won against him, yet kept the one weapon he would eventually use to kill three and wound three others.

A journal of Tordils writings addressed to his wife showed he felt that the fallout of their relationship had reached a point of no return and asked God and the potential victims . . . for forgiveness, McCarthy said, reciting the passages.

And Tordil said he planned to die in a hail of bullets via suicide by cop, McCarthy said.

Its not just two days, McCarthy said. This is something that brews and simmers for weeks.

Winffel, Molina and others were lauded as heroes who fought back against Tordil. Winffel had heard a woman screaming in the mall lot and ran to help.

In his attack on Molina shortly after, she clawed at Tordil and ripped off his eyeglasses as he tried to carjack her. She was later found dead, still clutching his glasses, a last act that police later said prevented Tordil from driving far after the shootings.

My mother fought because she was brave, Claudina Molinas daughter Melissa Molina said, directed at Tordil, at Fridays sentencing hearing. Not like you.

She said that her mother was an immigrant and a single-mother who worked two jobs to provide for her children, also struggled financially.

And she pushed back against the portrayal of Tordil as burdened by problems.

We all have problems, but we dont go around and kill just randomly, she said.

[Maryland rampage suspect pleads guilty in murders of strangers]

Tordil pleaded guilty last month in Prince Georges County Circuit Court in his wifes slaying and the wounding of the bystander. He is set to be sentenced in that case Sept. 6.

Tordil on Friday appeared in court wearing a dark-green prison jumpsuit.

During the two-hour hearing, he stared straight ahead, never turning to look at video slide shows featuring photos of the victims he killed or glancing at family members of the dead as the relatives spoke.

When asked if he wanted to speak, Tordil declined, although another of his attorneys, David Booth, said his client wanted to express his complete sorrow.

His defense team said that Tordil spiraled into depression and destruction after his family suffered financial problems and his wife issued a protective order that eventually led to his suspension from work.

He finds himself trapped in his own mind, Chernosky said.

Family members shared photo slide shows of Winffel and Molina set to soft music at the hearing. As the images of their relatives flashed by  blowing out birthday candles, cutting a wedding cake or smiling in front of Christmas trees  sniffles and tears sounded in the courtroom.

Throughout the hearing, prosecutors and the family of those slain drew several comparisons between Tordil and their loved ones. Those wounded or killed by Tordil went down fighting, preventing others from harm, they said. And though they all faced family problems or financial issues, none of the victims thought about injuring others the way Tordil did.

Tordil was a coward, they said. But Winffel, Molina and the others were heroes.

Were not the victims, we are the victors, Norma Winffel said. Today, we take our own lives back.

Dan Morse contributed to this report.
A person believed responsible for the killing of a 77-year-old man at a Fairfax-area retirement community in April fled to Vietnam after the slaying and is now dead, Fairfax County police announced Friday.

The person of interest, whose identity was not released, was well known to the victim, Cong Huu Nguyen, and police said the motive for the killing might have been financial gain, but declined to elaborate.

Police said they are awaiting the results of an autopsy to be performed on the man in Vietnam before officially releasing his name and giving the cause and manner of his death. Police declined to discuss the circumstances under which the man died in Vietnam or his exact relationship to Nguyen.

On April 20, Nguyen was found dead in his apartment at Little River Glen, a 120-unit retirement community for moderate-income seniors, police said. He had suffered upper body trauma.

Police said the person of interest took a flight to Vietnam the day after the killing. Police said they believe the man is the only person involved in Nguyen's killing.
A Southwest D.C. man pleaded guilty Friday to attempted second-degree child sex abuse for grabbing a 14-year-old girl at the National Museum of Natural History.

Authorities say on April 4, Devone L. Foote, 35, walked up to a group of 13- and 14-year-old girls from California and touched their buttocks as the teens toured the Smithsonian museums butterfly exhibit. Prosecutors say Foote also pressed his groin against one of the teens buttocks.

[Man arrested for sexually assaulting teens at Smithsonian]

The girls chaperon reported the incident to a museum security office. Minutes later, Foote was arrested outside the museum after the girls noticed him sitting on a bicycle as they were leaving.

Foote, who has remained in jail since his arrest, is scheduled to be sentenced Sept. 15 in D.C. Superior Court.
A Maryland man was arrested Friday in connection with a fatal shooting in Prince Georges County on Independence Day.

On Tuesday around 3:40 p.m., officers learned that two shooting victims had been driven to a hospital, Prince Georges County police said in a statement. One victim had injuries that were not life-threatening, the statement said; the other victim, 33-year-old Demarco Robinson of Lanham, was pronounced dead at the hospital.

An investigation showed that the victims were shot inside a car near a liquor store in the 7300 block of Landover Road after they argued with people in a van, according to the statement.

On Thursday, an officer spotted a van fitting the description being towed on St. Barnabas Road in Temple Hills, police said. Officers learned from the tow truck driver that the van belonged to his son, 24-year-old Thomas Tyrone Sanders of Landover. Sanders was arrested Friday, according to police. He was charged with first- and second-degree murder.

Police asked anyone with information about the shooting to contact them at 301-772-4925.
Flash-bang grenades go off at the intersection of K and 13th Streets in Washington, as police confront protesters on President Trumps Inauguration Day, January 20. Hundreds of protesters were arrested. On Friday a Tampa man was sentenced to four months in prison for his role in the rioting. (Michael Robinson Chavez/The Washington Post)

A 31-year-old Tampa man became the first protester arrested during the Jan. 20 inauguration of President Trump to receive a jail sentence Friday when he was ordered to serve four months.

Dane Powell asked Judge Lynn Leibovitz for leniency as he stood next to his attorneys in the crowded courtroom and awaited his sentence.

I stand before you today asking for forgiveness for anyone who was scared, hurt or felt threatened by me on that day, Powell said in D.C. Superior Court, his voice choking with emotion.

The rioting during President Trumps inauguration festivities lasted about 30 minutes. Powell and other rioters traveled 16 city blocks, prosecutors said. Six police officers were injured, and vehicles and store windows experienced tens of thousands of dollars of damage.

Authorities said 234 people were arrested and accused of rioting. Of those, 198 cases are pending.

Police in riot gear contain a group of protesters at the corner of 12th and L Streets NW on Inauguration Day in January. Many protesters filled a courtroom on Friday to support a Tampa man who was sentenced for the rioting. (Jahi Chikwendiu/The Washington Post)

In April, Powell pleaded guilty to assault on a police officer and inciting a riot, both felonies. Fifteen other people have pleaded to misdemeanor charges; 20 cases were dismissed.

During Fridays sentencing, Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Kerkhoff played a 10-minute compilation video in which she identified Powell throwing rocks and bricks at police and shattering store windows. Powell was dressed in black and his face was covered, but Kerkhoff identified him because his eyes were exposed, he was wearing brown boots and carrying a black flag.

He initiated violence, Kerkhoff said. He came to the District of Columbia to engage in violence by hiding his face, throwing rocks and running. Hes a violent coward.

Kerkhoff said Powell was seen in Logan Circle the day before the inauguration carrying gas masks, a hammer and the same flag that was seen in the video.

He was throwing rocks and bricks at windows where people, customers and children were inside. He charged the police line with bricks, she said. Mr. Powell is among the most violent of the defendants, she added.

Powells attorney Ashley Jones said her client, who spent nine years in the Army, has spent his life protesting and demonstrating for peace in an effort to create a world where everyone is treated with humanity.

Jones said Powell did not travel to Washington to participate in violence, but to protest because he was worried about the direction of this country.

Jones blamed the police for some of the violence, saying the protesters were at times responding to the officers. Mr. Powells motivation was to protest the inauguration. And during that protest he got carried away.

Kerkhoff said one police officer was knocked unconscious after he was struck with a heavy rock or brick. Kerkhoff conceded, however, there is no evidence that Powell threw the rock that struck the officer.

[Challenging case for prosecutors in inauguration riots]

Giving Powell credit for pleading early in the case, Kerkhoff asked the judge to sentence Powell to six months in jail.

Security was heightened in the courtroom where supporters of Powell and supporters of police officers took up all 50 seats and spilled over into another 20 seats in a second courtroom. Two U.S. marshals descended on one person in the courtroom who they observed taking pictures in the courthouse, they said, which is prohibited except during weddings and other similar occasions. The marshals ordered the man to delete the photos.

Leibovitz, who is overseeing the rioting cases, praised Powell for quickly agreeing to a plea deal, which she said factored into her sentence. Leibovitz also noted that it was unclear if any of the rocks Powell threw struck or injured the police officers. But she also criticized his violent actions.

He separated himself from others and deliberately destroyed property, the judge said. He deliberately tried to hurt people, although he did not personally succeed. Leibovitz also sentenced Powell to two years of supervised probation.

The trials for others charged in the protests are scheduled to begin later this year and will run through 2018.

Powells attorney requested he be allowed to report to jail in August so he could finish his college classes later this month. Leibovitz denied the request and ordered Powell to jail immediately. One Powell supporter cried out in the overflow courtroom.

Correction: An earlier version of this article stated that Dane Powell and other rioters destroyed property on 16 city blocks, according to prosecutors. They actually said the rioters traveled 16 blocks but did not destroy property on all of them.
Yousif al-Mashhadani, Marie Monsen, al-Mashhadanis wife, Enas Ibrahim, Adil Hasan and an unidentified friend are shown in an undated photograph filed with U.S. District Court in Alexandria, Va. Al-Mashhadanis son is in the foreground. (U.S. District Court filing)

Eleven years ago, two Iraqi brothers stranded at a refugee camp in Jordan made a fateful choice they thought was really no choice at all.

Determined not to return to a country where they thought they would be killed, they obscured their relationship with a third brother, who was accused of terrorism ties and ultimately linked to the kidnapping of a U.S. contractor and others in Iraq.

The brothers, with their wives and children, were allowed into the United States. And over the past decade, they built a life in Fairfax, Va., finding work and making friends, having picnics and visiting the zoo. Each brother has two children born in the United States.

Now, Yousif al-Mashhadani, 35, his brother, Adil Hasan, 39, and Hasans wife, Enas Ibrahim, 32, have been convicted in federal court in Alexandria on fraud charges. With all three at risk of deportation, friends and supporters say a good family is being torn apart and are pushing for them to be allowed to remain in the country.

Justice cries out for compassion in this case, Marie Monsen, who worked with the refugees as a church volunteer, wrote in a letter to the court.

Federal prosecutors said they pursued the cases in hopes of catching Majid al-Mashhadani, who the government believes was involved in the kidnapping and had been released from prison in Iraq after only a couple of years. But authorities have given no indication that the three refugees have provided useful information about the crime or Majids whereabouts.

Im not sure how it accomplished anything, said Ibrahims attorney, Lana Manitta. I dont think theyre any closer to getting the answers they need.

[Iraqi refugees in Va. accused of hiding ties to a kidnapper to get into U.S.]

Judge Leonie M. Brinkema last month sentenced the brothers to only the three months they have spent in jail for their crimes, but acknowledged that they would be transferred immediately to immigration custody.

This is a tragic case, she said in court. But the law is what it is.

She questioned why Ibrahim, who has not yet been sentenced, was targeted at all. She was prosecuted in large part to give incentives for her husband and brother-in-law to give information on the kidnapping and torture of an American citizen, Assistant U.S. Attorney Gordon Kromberg said in court.

He said she was also complicit in the decision to lie to a United Nations refugee agency.

The brothers and their families fled Iraq in 2006, when sectarian violence in the country was at its height. When the family arrived in Jordan, Ibrahim was pregnant with her first child. She and her sister Rashad, Yousif al-Mashhadanis wife, both had their first children at the refugee camp.

While pleading guilty, Hasan explained his fear of being sent back to Iraq.

I am Sunni, and I will be killed by the Sunnis because I was working in the Green Zone, he said. The Shiites will kill me because I am Sunni.

Both brothers had worked for a U.S.-supported anti-corruption agency in Iraq known at the time as the Commission on Public Integrity. Dozens of their co-workers were assassinated to keep investigations from coming to fruition.

In court, Hasan said he personally knew 56 people who had been killed. According to court filings, 65 members of the watchdog agency have been assassinated. Arthur Brennan, who worked on corruption in Iraq for the State Department in 2007, wrote to the judge that Iraqis connected to law enforcement at the time were in an extremely dangerous situation.

So, knowing their brother had been arrested and accused of involvement in terrorism, Hasan and Mashhadani hid their relationship. For good measure, they exaggerated the intensity of the threats they had faced for working with Americans in Baghdad. And when they filled out their U.S. naturalization forms, they did not correct the errors.

Hasan has pleaded guilty to naturalization fraud, Mashhadani to conspiracy to commit immigration fraud. Both agreed to cooperate with immigration authorities. Ibrahim admitted lying about her income to secure a car loan two years ago, a charge that does not automatically trigger deportation proceedings. The families declined to comment for this story.

While in Virginia, the families lived a spartan existence so they would not rely on charity for too long, Monsen recalled, although they always scrounged to serve volunteers huge home-cooked meals. They went on to help new refugees as they were helped, and neighbors say they were always willing to lend a tool or offer a ride.

Yousif and his family had very little during this trying time, but this never stopped their generosity, said Aaron Weiss, who met the family as a volunteer with the International Rescue Committee.

Ninos Youkhana, whose parents fled Iraq in the 1970s, met Hasan working at the Iraqi Embassy in Washington. Only weeks later, when she was having trouble with her roommate, Hasan and Ibrahim invited her to live with them.

For six months they housed her and cooked her meals, and not once did they ever ask for any financial reimbursement from me, she wrote in a letter to the court.

She said Hasan also helped fight an attempt to block Iraqi Christians abroad from voting in 2014 parliamentary elections.

When interviewed by FBI agents this year, Hasan described a life of fear in Iraq, telling them he was once shot at while driving to work and was detained for several hours by members of a Shiite militia.

But while in Jordan applying for refugee status, the brothers fabricated a far more elaborate tale in which Hasan was kidnapped for a month and their parents home was set on fire.

Although they have admitted those lies and expressed regret, both brothers maintain that they know nothing about the actions or whereabouts of Majid al-Mashhadani, who according to prosecutors had admitted his involvement in the 2004 kidnapping of an American contractor and four others.

A paper with Yousif al-Mashhadanis fingerprint on it was found in the farmhouse where the hostages were kept. However, there is no evidence the print was left during the kidnapping and he has not been charged in connection with that crime.

Another brother, according to court filings, listed Majid al-Mashhadani on his immigration papers and is now a U.S. citizen.

Roy Hallums, the contractor who was kidnapped and rescued 10 months later, was unable to see or understand his captors. But he is sure the brothers are lying now.

In the Middle East and in Iraq, everything is based on family, Hallums said. So I dont believe for one second that these guys didnt know what was going on.

Even if they didnt, immigration foes see justice being done.

Their first interaction with the U.S. government was to lie, said Mark Krikorian of the Center for Immigration Studies, a think tank that opposes most new immigration.

Until this March, the family would not have had to worry about being sent back to Iraq. Only in April, after years of refusal, did the Iraqi government agree to start cooperating with American deportation efforts.

But a federal judge in Detroit has temporarily halted those deportations in response to a lawsuit from the American Civil Liberties Union arguing that it is too dangerous to deport people to the country.

Although it is unclear what will happen to the three refugees, in court last week Hasan spoke as if he was saying goodbye.

Thank you to the United States for hosting me for nine years, he said.

Before he was taken back to jail and then to immigration custody, he shook the hands of the prosecutors who had put him there.

Im really thankful, he said, and I love this country.


Ismail Royer, 44, was part of the Virginia Jihad Network and was indicted on terrorism-related charges in January 2004 with other members of the group. (Salwan Georges/The Washington Post)

He had been transferred from prison to prison, each with a higher level of security than the last, and now, in the most secure of them all, Ismail Royer was quickly finding out that the men in the neighboring cells were some of Americas most notorious extremists.

Terry Nichols, an accomplice in the Oklahoma City bombing.

Eric Rudolph, who bombed abortion clinics and the Atlanta Olympics.

Richard Reid, the shoe bomber.

It was Reid with whom Royer  convicted of his role in the Virginia Jihad Network in the paintball terrorism case  would eventually begin a lengthy correspondence in 2010 that would theologically and philosophically explore how terrorists justify their acts of violence. Why, Royer asked, do terrorists kill civilians? Doesnt that just bring more foreign soldiers to the Middle East and make a world more hostile to Muslims?

The answer is that the benefit is in the fact that they cause damage to the Kufaar and place fear in their hearts and show the Muslims that they are not invincible, Reid wrote Royer, using a word that means disbeliever. Furthermore, they are the only means of inflicting any major injury on them.

Ismail Royer at Allenwood federal prison in Pennsylvania, where he was serving a 20-year sentence. (Courtesy of Royer family)

The dozens of letters, which Royer shared with The Washington Post, gave Royer an unfiltered insight into the terrorist mind-set that he would bring out of a federal supermax prison in Colorado and into a nonprofit organization steps away from the White House, where this spring he began a new career in extremism  this time, as an advocate against it.

Royers apparent transition illustrates what has become a nascent phenomenon in America as the struggle against radical Islamists nears the end of its second decade and more people convicted of terrorism-related crimes approach their release dates. Last year, George Washington Universitys Program on Extremism hired Jesse Morton, once an al-Qaeda recruiter, to research Islamist radicalization before he was arrested earlier this year on a drug charge. Then Bryant Neal Vinas, who joined al-Qaeda and advised in a terrorism plot before becoming an FBI informant, told a judge in May that when he is released this summer he would like to become a counterterrorism analyst to turn a bad thing into a good thing.

I think we could see more, and we should. . . . They have a unique credibility that no government official will ever have. They have the street cred, said Mitchell D. Silber, the former director of intelligence analysis at the New York City Police Department.

Conversion as redemption has long been baked into the American narrative. Reformed gang members counsel at-risk students. Former white supremacists show extremists how to think differently. But in the United States, reformed terrorists advocating against terrorism represent something new.

All over Europe, this is very common, because the problem is bigger and the justice system is different, said Lorenzo Vidino, director of George Washington Universitys extremism program.

A lot of guys spent two or three years in jail, and in the States, for the same offense, you get 15 or 20 years, he said.

Thats what Royer got. He went away in mid-2003 and came out in late 2016, and in the in-between he came into contact with numerous terrorists. He observed as the ideology of his fellow inmates evolved from Osama bin Ladens style of jihad  careful, methodical planning  to the barbaric, chaotic terrorism that characterizes the Islamic State. And now that hes out, he says hes ready for the next step in his own evolution.

Ive learned a lot through this whole thing, said Royer, now 44, a man with a short-cropped beard and hardened features. It would be a critical mistake not to hear what I have to say.

Drawn to extremism

The son of a photographer and a teacher, Royer grew up in comfortable suburban St. Louis, where even at a young age he was drawn to extremism.

Ismail Royer, right, with his father, Ramon Royer, at Allenwood federal prison in Pennsylvania. (Courtesy of Royer family)

One day, he was, like, You know what? . . . One day well both be in the situation of being at the bottom of the pile with cops whaling away at us with their billy clubs,  Chris Coleman recalled. But in the back of my head I was, like, Hell, no. I will do what it takes to stay out of that. And he would be right there.

Coleman watched as that psychology worked its way from talk to action. Royer, who had converted to Islam after reading The Autobiography of Malcolm X, changed his name from Randall to Ismail and left for his freshman year at American University. He flipped on the television one day and saw scenes of Muslims under attack in the Bosnian war during the 1990s. Feeling restive and useless, he made a decision that would put his life on a different course.

He left for Bosnia, joined the mujahideen, fought several battles, became more enamored of the militant life, turned 21, brought home to Virginia a Bosnian wife and soon came to the attention of the authorities.

According to prosecutors, he went overseas again in 2000, this time to Pakistan, where he met with Lashkar-e-Taiba, a militant Islamist group that U.S. authorities later classified as a terrorist organization and that orchestrated the 2008 Mumbai attacks. When he came back to Virginia, he started playing paintball in the woods with fellow Muslims, whom he encouraged to join Lashkar-e-Taiba. Then followed the 9/11 attacks, and he distributed a message by a Lashkar-e-Taiba leader that condemned the mass killings but said it was time to gather against the non-Muslims. So he helped the paintball friends  who planned to fight the U.S. military in Afghanistan  connect with Lashkar-e-Taiba, and off the pals headed to Pakistan.

After flying to Bosnia, where he tried and failed to get a visa into Pakistan, Royer returned to the United States and was indicted on a charge of conspiracy to train for and participate in a violent jihad. Years later came ADX Florence, a supermax prison in Colorado known as the Alcatraz of the Rockies. It was here, in solitary confinement, that he used his time to reflect, undergoing a period that some experts say is vital to the reformation process.

Youre sort of thrashing out your ideas once youre stagnant, said Adam Deen, a former member of al-Muhajiroun, an extremist Islamist group, who is now the executive director of London-based Quilliam, a counterextremism organization.



Ismail Royer holds his daughter in 2000 at a zoo. (Courtesy of Royer family)

Ismail Royer at Lafayette Square in the District. (Salwan Georges/The Washington Post)

What Royer said he thought about: Richard Reid, a different kind of jihadist whom he met in the exercise yard. Royer believed in politically motivated violence between military combatants, but said he found attacking innocents reprehensible, and now here was someone who had tried to blow up a plane full of passengers. He had to find out why.

I apologize for raising my voice in our discussion today, he wrote in a letter passed to Reid through an inmate who did custodial work in the cells. But I am somewhat emotional on this issue. . . . The issue of attacks on civilians. The issue of attacks by people who sneak into other lands, or who attack their land of residence, pretending to be law-abiding and at peace.

Jihad becomes [dutiful] when the enemies attack the lands of the Muslims, Reid wrote him back. And that if those who are in the land attacked fail to carry out the duty upon them, then it spreads to those closest to them, and them closest to them, and this is not an issue about which there is any room for dispute.

In another note, Royer wrote: The precepts of Islam, as to conduct in war, and specifically, did not permit the sort of actions against women, children, elderly, churches, etc., undertaken by the extremists, which they somehow allow themselves.

I dont think America will withdraw its forces from the Muslim world . . . unless its power is severely diminished so it has to busy itself with its own affairs, Reid said.

It is not the object of Islam to annihilate people, but to guide them to the truth, Royer said.

There is little point in going over the same ground repeatedly, Reid said finally.

Royer spent days thinking about the letters, and then a realization hit him: Theyre portraying themselves as champions of Muslims when, in reality, they are the criminals. Theyre delusional, he said, recalling what he had thought.

Their idea is getting [Muslims] to wake up to the fact that they need to remove the Muslim rulers, he said. They think that polarization is success, even though it has resulted in the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Muslims. War, pain and suffering is a form of cleansing that will shock people awake.

Instead it was Royer, released in December 2016, who had awakened.

Empathy, not confrontation



Ismail Royer with the White House behind him. His office has a view of the executive mansion. (Salwan Georges/The Washington Post)

A few months after Royer got out, a former interrogator, named Jennifer Bryson, at the Guantanamo Bay prison in Cuba saw a blog post on American Muslims that she found interesting. Bryson, now the director of operations at the Center for Islam and Religious Freedom, sent the author a friend request on Facebook. A little later, she saw an article about him.

She wrote Royer a message asking if he wanted to meet. There was so much about him that seemed familiar from her years at the U.S. facility  the most radical encounter I ever had with humanity, she said  when she came to recognize the diversity of ideology among those who had been ensnared by the war on terror. Some terrified her. Others questioned the violence. Still others reformed. Which one was Royer?

She saw on his social media that he had traveled to the University of Southern California for a panel discussion on how someone can be led into extremism. She saw his postings. Here he was, mocking the Islamic State. Or encouraging Muslims to resist extremism: Any Muslims whose hearts incline toward ISIS, know that youre being duped.

They met on the roof of the Islamic centers building and talked for hours  about terrorism, about religion, about political violence, about Royers life since his release. She learned that he was working as a construction worker mixing cement, and that evening, she offered him a job as a program assistant at the center doing advocacy work and policy analysis.



Ismail Royer, center, at his desk at the Center for Islam and Religious Freedom. (Salwan Georges/The Washington Post)

He has insight into Islam and Muslims today, and that is essential to our work reaching out to Muslims . . . especially political Islamists, she said.

And so thats how Royer found himself on a recent Monday morning, walking back into that office building, wearing a gray button-down, navy-blue slacks and a tie. He took the elevator to the eighth floor, went past rows of offices, past millennials hunched over laptops, and he stepped into the center. He took a seat, turned to his computer and opened the centers social-media account.

As he got to work, there was a book on his desk. Islam Without Extremes, it said.
A Southern Airways flight takes off for Pittsburgh from Hagerstown Regional Airport around an Allegiant flight on the taxi way in Hagerstown, Md, in June. Hagerstown is one of more than 100 airports that might lose flight subsidies under proposed budget cuts. (Katherine Frey/The Washington Post)

It took decades, but in June, Clifton Gee landed his dream job  as a pilot for Southern Airways Express ferrying passengers on short-hop flights between the tiny one-gate airport in Hagerstown, Md., and two larger hubs in Baltimore and Pittsburgh. The work enables Gee, who grew up the western Maryland community, a rare opportunity for a commercial pilot: to fly all day and still be home for dinner almost every night. And Gee is eager to hold on to it. But a proposal by the Trump administration would do away with the program that made Gees job possible. As part of an effort to reduce government spending, Trump has proposed cutting $175 million in funding for the Essential Air Service (EAS) program, which offers subsidies to airlines to connect smaller airports such as Hagerstown to larger ones. The plan, unveiled in late May, is part of $2.4 billion in cuts proposed for the U.S. Transportation Department.

The Administration believes that airport and air service support for small and rural communities can be provided in a better and more efficient way, and the Department anticipates a portion of the upcoming infrastructure bill will be dedicated to the transportation needs of rural communities, a Transportation Department spokeswoman said.

[Trump budget slashes aid for rural airports, Amtrak long-distance routes]

A bipartisan group of lawmakers, many of whom represent rural communities and states that use the program, opposes the cuts and have vowed to save it.

The USDOTs Essential Air Service program connects over 170 small communities in the United States to the National Air Transportation System, providing them an essential connection point for travel throughout the country, wrote a bipartisan group of senators including Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), Benjamin L. Cardin (D-Md.) and Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) in a letter to the top members of the Appropriations Committee. Without this program, these communities would lose air service as airlines would move to only serve more profitable markets. That would leave some communities hundreds of miles away from the nearest large- or medium-hub airport.

Southern Airways Customer Service Agent Buck Macht leads four passengers at Hagerstown Regional Airport to an nine-passenger Southern Airways plane that will take them to Pittsburgh. (Katherine Frey/The Washington Post)

Added Rep. John Delaney (D-Md.), whose district includes Hagerstown: Eliminating the Essential Air Service might look good on a spreadsheet, but in the real world, in places like Hagerstown, you see how it will hurt local economies that need every boost they can get. The Essential Air Service [program] has been good for Hagerstown and good for the region.

EAS was established in 1978 in the wake of airline deregulation to ensure that smaller communities such as Hagerstown didnt lose service. But in its budget proposal, the Trump administration argued that now is the time to end what was designed to be a temporary program.

The program offers a per-passenger subsidy to offset the cost of offering service in smaller markets. The amount of the subsidy varies by location and is capped. In general, airports must be at least 70 miles from a larger airport to qualify for the program. Hagerstown Regional Airport is about 77 miles on most commonly traveled roadways from Washington Dulles International Airport and 88 miles from Baltimore-Washington International Marshall Airport.

EAS has been a frequent target for those seeking to reduce government spending. Numerous reports over the years have questioned whether the subsidized flights are the most cost-effective way to connect people to the nations transportation network. Despite Congresss efforts to tighten requirements and control costs, a recent report by the Congressional Research Service said that costs have continued to climb.

As airports go, Hagerstown, which opened in 1928, is a travelers dream: friendly service, free parking and cheap fares. Walk in the front door and youre just steps from your gate.

[Hagerstowns airport hopes for Hub overflow ]

Like the airline industry, Hagerstown has experienced its own cycle of boom and bust. At its peak, 50,000 to 60,000 passengers passed through the tiny airport each year. At its lowest point, it lost both its EAS subsidy and regular commercial air service. Even after it won back the subsidy and christened a $62 million runway extension in 2007, it still had trouble attracting a commercial carrier.

A Southern Airways flight carrying one passenger heads to Baltimore-Washington International Marshall Airport from Hagerstown Regional Airport in June. (Katherine Frey/The Washington Post)

But in 2008, Allegiant Air began offering service to several cities in Florida. A year later, it brought on a second carrier, Cape Air, through the EAS program.

Today, Allegiant offers flights four times a week to Florida, along with Southern Airways, which offers daily flights to BWI and Pittsburgh International.

The latter is made possible because of EAS. According to the most recent data from the Transportation Department, Hagerstown receives $1.7 million in subsidies through the program.

We believe HGR is a strong market as it has already demonstrated with Allegiant service there, said Mark Cestari, executive vice president for business development at Southern Airways Express. EAS support enables us to maintain the frequency of our operation  and our low fares. Changes to the current system would obviously necessitate a fresh look at our operation and many other market and economic factors.

Cestari said about a dozen people work for Southern at Hagerstown. The airline also contracts with a local outfit that paints the companys nine-seat planes.

Theres definitely a risk that [Southern] would go away, said Phil Ridenour, the airports director. The goal is for that airline to do so well, it can sustain its operations if EAS goes away, but theyre not close to that point at this time.

Any loss of passengers could put federal dollars that help pay for airport upkeep at risk, he said. As long as Hagerstown records 10,000 enplanements a year, it is eligible to receive $1 million in Federal Aviation Administration grant money. But if those numbers dip below 10,000, the airport would receive only $150,000.

Hagerstown is one of the oldest airports in the country, but it doesnt show its age. The vast parking lot looks freshly paved and striped. The stone accents at the front entrance give it a rustic feel.

The busiest days are at about 8 a.m. Sunday, Monday, Thursday and Friday, when the terminal fills with travelers headed to Florida on Allegiant. A smaller rush of business and vacation travelers fills the terminal the rest of the week for Southern Airways short-hop flights to BWI or Pittsburgh.

Among those is James Lovejoy, 13, whose father, Steven Law, likes the airport because it is smaller than Dulles and BWI.

Its safe, and they really keep an eye on your child, Law said.

Just the thought of having to drive to Dulles or BWI makes Lorraine Beauparlant shudder. The traffic, the hassle, the crowds.

Thats what I like about [Hagerstown], she said. I can avoid all of that.

But that convenience is not without cost.

The Trump plan would replace EAS with Transportation Aviation Assistance to Remote Areas (TAARA), a program focused on airports in the countrys neediest communities. Such a shift could mean the end of subsidized service at Hagerstown.

Ridenour said he knows that his airport is only a small piece of a larger effort to reduce federal spending, but sometimes budget documents dont capture the full picture, he said. A 2015 report summed up the economic impact of the airport in Washington County  1,447 jobs and more than $8.4 million in state and local tax revenue.

Austin Heffernan, owner of Royal Aircraft, is another beneficiary of the EAS program. His Hagerstown business, which specializes in aircraft maintenance and rebuilding, is responsible for repainting Southern Airwayss fleet.

Were looking at expanding our paint shop here and with that would come more employees, Heffernan said. Thats a direct result of EAS.

Heffernan said people who come to Hagerstowns airport might be pleasantly surprised.

If you stand around at the main terminal and watch how many people get on and off these little airplanes, it really is amazing, he said. It really is used.

And then there are the intangibles, such as the ones that matter to Gee, the pilot, who used to commute to Frederick about 40 miles away, where he handled insurance claims for airlines. Now he lives just three miles from work.

Said Gee: I paid my dues, but this [job] is a dream come true.
Amtrak track workers at work Friday inside the tunnel at New York's Penn Station, the nation's busiest train hub, which will be closing tracks for repairs causing massive disruptions to commuters in New York City. (Brendan Mcdermid/Reuters)

GEORGIA

Man dead after a bomb threat, standoff at bank

A man who claimed to have a bomb that could take out the room barricaded himself inside a suburban Atlanta bank early Friday, sparking an hours-long standoff that forced police to bust through a brick wall of the building and later ended with the suspects death.

Cobb County Police Chief Mike Register did not offer details of how the man died.

Two people were freed shortly after TV footage showed a military-type vehicle smashing its way through the wall, raining bricks onto its hood. However, its not clear if they escaped through the wall opening.

Several heavily armed police officers had converged on the bank earlier in the day.

Police said the man inside the bank branch near Marietta made threats and was inside with an unknown number of employees.

WSB-TV in Atlanta reported the station received a call Friday morning from a man who said he was inside the bank and talked for more than 30 minutes.

The man told the stations assignment desk that he had a bomb and two people with him.

The man said he didnt intend to hurt anyone, the station reported. He also said he was a homeless Marine Corps veteran who had served in Iraq and that he was unhappy with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, which provides health care to veterans. The mans identity had not been released.

 Associated Press

IOWA

Trump voter guilty of election misconduct

An Iowa woman charged with voting twice for Donald Trump last fall pleaded guilty to election misconduct and is scheduled to be sentenced next month.

In exchange of Terri Lynn Rotes guilty plea to the felony charge, prosecutors agreed to drop a perjury charge, court records show. Judge Michael Huppert accepted her plea on June 27 and set sentencing for Aug. 15.

Rote is a registered Republican and a Trump supporter. She was arrested on Oct. 21 after showing up at a Polk County election satellite office in Des Moines and tried to cast a second ballot for the November election. She told police she believed Trumps claims that the election was rigged and thought that her first ballot would be changed to a vote for Hillary Clinton. Trump easily beat Clinton in Iowa.

Election fraud carries a penalty of up to five years in prison, but court documents indicate attorneys are recommending the judge either suspend or defer any prison sentence and give Rote probation, community service and ask her to pay a fine.

 Associated Press
Tamara Pearce watches as a wildfire rages over a private property in the Palomino Valley, on Wednesday, near Reno, Nev. A day after beating back flames to prevent damage to dozens of rural homes, fire officials on Wednesday advised more residents to evacuate with their animals ahead of one of several blazes sweeping across hot, dry northern Nevada rangelands. (Jason Bean/Associated Press)

IMMIGRATION

Judge denies bid to curtail travel ban

Grandparents and other extended relatives of people in the United States are not exempt from President Trumps travel ban, a federal judge effectively decided Thursday as he denied a bid to curtail enforcement of the executive order meant to keep out citizens of six Muslim-majority countries.

U.S. District Judge Derrick K. Watson wrote that he would not usurp the prerogative of the Supreme Court, and if those suing over the ban wanted relief, they should take their claims there.

That means the government, at least for now, can use the travel ban to block citizens of the affected countries if they are the grandparents, grandchildren, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins, brothers-in-law or sisters-in-law of people in the United States. Officials can also block refugees with a formal assurance from a resettlement agency.

The administration had wanted to keep such people out, and thought a recent Supreme Court ruling partially lifting lower courts freezes on the travel ban allowed them to do so. But those who had sued over the ban disagreed, and they asked Watson to intervene  which he declined to do.

The Supreme Court ruled late last month that the government could begin enforcing the measure, but not on those with a credible claim of a bona fide relationship with a person or entity in the United States.

The court offered only limited guidance on what type of relationship would qualify. The administration put the measure into effect on June 29.

 Matt Zapotosky

ILLINOIS

Lawmakers override Rauners budget veto

The Illinois House voted Thursday to override Gov. Bruce Rauners (R) veto of a budget package, giving the state its first spending blueprint in more than two years and ending the nations longest fiscal stalemate since at least the Great Depression.

The action eases some financial woes, but its fueled by a permanent 32 percent increase in the income tax rate, raising $5 billion more annually, and it reduces spending by more than $2 billion.

Illinois is staring down a $6.2 billion annual deficit and $14.7 billion in past-due bills.

Lawmakers, culminating two straight weeks of a special session that began ahead of the July 1 start of the fiscal year, approved the bill to raise taxes by a 71-42 vote. A plan to spend $36 billion in the fiscal year that began July 1 was approved 74-37. An override requires 71 votes.

 Associated Press

4 children, father slain; mother charged: Four young children and their father were found stabbed to death in a home in Loganville, Ga., outside Atlanta early Thursday, and police say the mother  now charged with their deaths  was the one who called 911 to report the killings. A fifth child, a girl, was hospitalized with serious injuries. Police charged Isabel Martinez, 33, with five counts of malice murder, five counts of murder and six counts of aggravated assault. The slain children appear to be under age 10 and the father was in his mid-30s, police said.

 Associated Press


Kansas state Reps. John Barker and Dan Hawkins, both Republicans, confer during a debate on tax issues in May in Topeka. Lawmakers struggled to agree on a plan to raise new revenue to close projected budget shortfalls. (John Hanna/AP)

It has become a summer ritual: State lawmakers, unable to agree, labor late into the evening to hash out a last-minute budget deal to ensure debts get paid, school buses show up, the elderly get their daily meals and parks stay open for tourists.

But the political theater  which just played out in dramatic fashion in Illinois and New Jersey  is a symptom of a worsening problem, state fiscal policy experts say. Years after the housing crisis undermined the U.S. economy, state budgets are still being battered, facing the strain of plummeting energy prices, generous tax cuts and a boom in online shopping that has depressed sales tax collections.

The particular factors are as diverse as the states. But one thing is clear: More states are facing financial trouble than at any time since the economy began to emerge from the Great Recession, according to experts who say the situation will grow more dire as the Trump administration and GOP leaders on Capitol Hill try to cut spending and rely on states to pick up a greater share of expensive services like education and health care.

When you look at so many states already really not providing in the way that they need to in terms of investments that support our communities, and then you potentially have the rug pulled out from under them with federal cuts . . . thats going to really magnify the crisis at the state level, said Misha Werschkul, executive director of the left-leaning Washington State Budget and Policy Center.

On Thursday, lawmakers in Illinois  which is infamous for budget dysfunction  took the historic step of overriding the governors veto of the states first budget since 2015. Gov. Bruce Rauner (R) had objected to a tax increase included in the spending plan, but some Republicans joined with the legislatures Democrats to support the measure in the face of $15 billion in unpaid bills and threats from credit-rating agencies that the state could be reduced to junk status.



State Rep. Steve Andersson (R), center, shakes hands with Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan (D) after the state House voted to override Gov. Bruce Rauner's veto and pass a budget for the first time in two years. (Justin L. Fowler/AP)

In New Jersey, a clash between Democratic leaders in the state Assembly and Gov. Chris Christie (R) last week led to a government shutdown, including the closing of state beaches the weekend before the July 4 holiday. The dispute, which has since ended, grabbed headlines when Christie was spotted soaking in the sun with his family on one of the beaches ordered closed.

[Chris Christie flew close to the sun. Now he sits under it, defiantly.]

Other states are in similarly bad straits, though their situations havent gotten the same public attention. In some cases, states are facing a drop in revenue caused by lower-than-expected tax collections or other economic problems. In others, the issue is largely political as lawmakers clash along party lines about whether to tax more or spend less.

Thirty-three states faced revenue shortfalls in 2017, bringing in less money than they projected for public services, according to the National Association of State Budget Officers. Thats more than any year since 2010.

With just hours to go before the new fiscal year began July 1, 11 states still had no budget  an unusually high number, even considering the brinkmanship that routinely overtakes the state budget process. Even now, six states have yet to agree on a new spending plan.

(Patrick Martin/The Washington Post)

Alaska is facing a multibillion-dollar budget hole because of the steep decline in the price of oil, which accounts for 90 percent of the states revenue. Trading at more than $100 per barrel in July 2014, oil is now at less than $50 per barrel. The state, which lacks income and sales taxes, has tried to make up for that loss by drawing from a rainy-day fund and cutting services.

The savings are all but gone now, and Alaskans have a hard time envisioning further service cuts. Courts now close at noon on Fridays, thousands of low-income families no longer receive subsidized heat, and school districts have grown accustomed to the annual rite of doling out pink slips to teachers: Anchorage laid off 99 teachers this summer, while rural Lake and Peninsula District  home to 13 schools in an area the size of West Virginia  saved money by shrinking its academic year by 20 days.



Alaska Gov. Bill Walker (I) speaks to reporters last month in Juneau. Walker called a special session, limiting its agenda to the state operating budget. (Becky Bohrer/AP)

The pain is shared in its energy-dependent brethren such as Louisiana and Oklahoma. Lawmakers remain deeply divided about what to do, as raising taxes remains unappealing for many, even as others argue that states have no other choice.

[With state budget in crisis, many Oklahoma schools hold schools just four days a week]

There are times when youre in political office you have to do things that are politically unpopular, said Alaska Gov. Bill Walker (I), who is pushing to tax Alaskans personal income for the first time in nearly four decades. Thats what its going to take, to step up and say this is not about me and this is not about my political future. This is about fixing our state.

Lawmakers in Washington state narrowly averted a government shutdown after coming to a last-minute agreement to raise property taxes, a move meant to help the state fulfill a court order to invest more in its public schools.

The tax will be capped after 2021, leading some lawmakers to fear that it will fail to keep up with escalating costs, turning the new budget into just another short-term Band-Aid. Speaking on the floor of the Senate, state Sen. Jamie Pedersen (D) called it not sustainable and a ticking time bomb.

Several Republican-led states approved a wave of tax cuts in recent years, expecting that they would kick-start economic growth. But some of those states have since seen their revenue stagnate, leaving yawning gaps in their budgets that have forced draconian cuts to social service programs and infrastructure.

Perhaps best known among these states is Kansas, which enacted deep tax cuts in 2012 and 2013. But the cuts did not yield the hoped-for windfall, and persistent budget shortfalls led officials to cut back on social safety net programs such as Medicaid and food stamps as well as spending on courts, roads and bridges. The reductions led to a voter backlash and an about-face by the legislature, which raised some taxes this year.

A growing number of states  including some led by Republican governors  have produced forecasts in recent weeks warning that the GOP health-care bill before the U.S. Senate would have damaging effects on their budgets and on low-income residents covered by Medicaid. The plan would phase out federal money that allowed 31 states to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act and shift the program from an open-ended entitlement, most likely to one with per-person spending limits.

Its an unmitigated disaster, Connecticut Gov. Dan Malloy, chairman of the Democratic Governors Association, said in an interview. It is not too strong to say this will kill people. What Republicans are debating in backrooms is a plan the result of which will cause people to die.

An analysis by Connecticuts Office of Policy and Management estimates that, by 2026, the Senate bill would shift up to $2.9 billion in annual costs to the state, potentially forcing up to 230,000 people off its Medicaid rolls. Connecticut already is struggling; a week into the new fiscal year, its lawmakers have yet to agree on a budget to deal with a considerable revenue shortfall.

Arizona, California and Minnesota have issued similar analyses. Late last month, the National Association of Medicaid Directors issued a statement saying that the Medicaid changes contemplated by the Senate would be a transfer of risk, responsibility, and cost to the states of historic proportions.

Republican leaders in Washington argue that capping federal Medicaid payments would impose needed discipline on the program, forcing states and providers to become more efficient.

Many on the right also say that state-level tax cuts have been unfairly demonized.

Joel Griffith, director of the Center for State Fiscal Reform at the conservative American Legislative Exchange Council, or ALEC, said Kansass mistake wasnt making steep cuts. Rather, he faulted state leaders for flinching in the face of criticism.

Now is certainly not the time to be raising taxes, Griffith said. The focus should be on how do they continue the reforms that were started.

[These are the people who suffered when Kansass conservative experiment failed]

Since 2011, 11 states have enacted large tax cuts meant to be phased in over a period of years, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

Phasing in tax cuts aims to ease their impact. But critics say that states often fail to plan for the resultant decline in revenue and that lawmakers are shielded from accountability when the full consequences of their votes wont be felt for years.

One of those states is Mississippi, which this year faced a shortfall of $170 million. It has led to steep reductions in state spending, from cuts to firefighter positions to shuttered health clinics. Now, the state is set to absorb a massive $415 million tax cut to be phased in over the next decade.

The elimination of 650 positions in mental health, announced in April, has sparked fear among advocates for people with disabilities.

Janie OKeefe, executive director of Disability Connection, an advocacy nonprofit in southern Mississippi, said even something as innocuous-sounding as a reduction in fuel funding could harm disabled people, because gas money helps those who live in institutions get out into the world and interact with the broader population.

I understand that our country needs to start cutting somewhere, OKeefe said. But I think its very sad if they are looking at disabilities, people who are very sick, the elderly, veterans  supporting them is the very thing the country has to do.

Amy Goldstein contributed to this report.
EGYPT

At least 23 soldiers killed in Sinai attacks

At least 23 Egyptian soldiers were killed when two suicide car bombs tore through checkpoints in North Sinai province Friday, security sources said, in one of the bloodiest assaults on security forces in years.

Islamic State militants are waging an insurgency in the rugged, thinly populated Sinai Peninsula. They have killed hundreds of soldiers and police since 2013, when the military ousted Islamist President Mohamed Morsi after mass protests against his rule.

The two cars blew up as they passed through two checkpoints outside a military compound just south of Rafah, on the border with the Gaza Strip, the sources said. No group claimed responsibility for the attacks.

Security sources also said another 26 soldiers were wounded in Fridays attacks. The military put the casualties lower, saying the attacks had killed and wounded 26 soldiers without giving a breakdown of the figure.

 Reuters

AFGHANISTAN

Taliban hits civilian car, killing 4 students

The Taliban fired a rocket at a civilian vehicle, killing four students in the northern province of Faryab and wounding a fifth, an Afghan official said.

Abdul Karim Yourish, spokesman for the provincial police chief, said the attack occurred in the remote Khwaja Sabz Posh area Thursday night.

Yourish said that police had warned the students not to travel in the volatile area, where security forces are fighting the Taliban, but that the students ignored the warning.

He blamed the attack on the Taliban, although the insurgent group had not claimed responsibility for the assault.

 Associated Press

ITALY

No moral duty on migrants, Renzi says

Former prime minister Matteo Renzi, head of the ruling Democratic Party, said Friday that Italy has no moral duty to take in migrants, sharply toughening his stance over surging numbers of asylum seekers.

Critics accused Renzi of adopting the language of rightist opponents less than a year before national elections, ahead of which the growing migration crisis is likely to dominate campaigning.

We need to free ourselves from a sense of guilt. We do not have the moral duty to welcome into Italy people who are worse off than ourselves, Renzi wrote in a new book, excerpts of which were released on the Democratic Party website ahead of publication.

 Associated Press

10,000 to be evacuated in Poland as bomb neutralized: Authorities in eastern Poland ordered the evacuation of 10,000 people and temporary closure of the road to Belarus on Sunday to allow for the removal and disarming of a massive World War II bomb. The 1,102-pound German ST-500 bomb was found late Thursday during roadwork in Bialystok, 117 miles northeast of Warsaw. Bialystok authorities said Friday that about 10,000 people live within the bombs range of about 0.8 miles. They will be evacuated in buses early Sunday to allow sappers to remove the bomb and take it to a test range to be neutralized.

Ex-Gitmo inmate gets apology, millions from Canada: A former Guantanamo Bay prisoner who pleaded guilty to killing a U.S. soldier in Afghanistan received an apology and a multimillion-dollar payment from the Canadian government after a court ruling said his rights had been abused. An official familiar with the deal had said previously that payment was for $8 million. Another official confirmed that the money had been given to Omar Khadr. Both spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the deal publicly. The government also released a statement apologizing to Khadr. The Canadian-born Khadr was 15 when he was captured by U.S. troops after a firefight at a suspected al-Qaeda compound in Afghanistan that resulted in the death of Army Sgt. 1st Class Christopher Speer, a Special Forces medic.

More than 120 nations adopt treaty against nuclear weapons: More than 120 countries approved the first-ever treaty to ban nuclear weapons Friday at a U.N. meeting boycotted by all nuclear-armed nations. Elayne Whyte Gomez, president of the U.N. conference that has been negotiating the legally binding treaty, announced the results of the historic vote: 122 nations in favor, the Netherlands opposed and Singapore abstaining.

 From news services
James Mann, a fellow at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, is the author of The China Fantasy and About Face: A History of Americas Curious Relationship With China.

China may be timeless and enduring, but American perceptions of it and assumptions about it change with stunning speed  particularly when it comes to Chinas military power and its role in the world.

As recently as three decades ago, China was thought to be hopelessly backward and weak. In 1984, when American officials were trying to decide what level of arms to supply to the Chinese, former secretary of state Alexander Haig told a Pentagon official: We ought to give them whatever they want. Theyre not going to use it against us.

A decade later, when Chinas leading diplomat, then-Foreign Minister Qian Qichen, asserted in 1995 that Beijing no longer accepted Americas claim to be keeping the peace and stability in East Asia, American officials thought this was just for show. The U.S. assumption at the time was that, whatever China might say in public, it wanted and needed the U.S. presence in Asia, above all to keep a lid on the rise of an independent Japan.

As late as 2005, American leaders believed that China might be satisfied with merely getting a seat at the table inside existing international institutions. In the phrase of then-Deputy Secretary of State Robert Zoellick, China could become a responsible stakeholder in the post-World War II order built by the United States.

*Destined for War, by Graham Allison (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)

So, it is a telling sign of how far American perceptions of China have been transformed, even over the past decade, that a prominent Harvard professor, Graham Allison, has now written a book about America and China with the title Destined for War.

Allisons book is devoted to the question of whether an established power and a rising power are bound for conflict. The books subtitle, Can America and China Escape Thucydidess Trap?, refers to the fact that Sparta, the established power in ancient Greece, was gradually drawn into conflict with Athens, the rising power, in a chain of events recounted by the historian Thucydides.

[US, China grow further apart as North Korean threat rises]

Allison traces a dozen examples over the past 600 years in which powerful nations similarly ended up at war with rivals who seemed to be threatening their supremacy: Britain with Germany in the late 19th and early 20th century, for example, and the United States with Japan in the early 20th century. He also lists four cases in which rivalries between established and rising powers did not result in shooting wars: Britain and the United States in the late 19th century, for example, or the United States and the Soviet Union after World War II.

As these conflicting precedents demonstrate, Allison does not argue that war is inevitable between China and the United States (though the title of the book may suggest otherwise). Rather, he says the sheer existence of an established power and a fast-rising one creates built-in structural conflicts that can lead to military conflict.

The book is extremely uneven, a hodgepodge of borrowed history, gee-whiz cliches about current China and, occasionally, some genuine insights. Allison has worked or consulted for the Pentagon in several administrations, and he is at his best in writing with authority about defense issues. The book contains a useful rundown of several scenarios that could lead to war between America and China: a collision at sea, the collapse of North Korea, a formal declaration of independence by Taiwan, an economic conflict, or a war between China and a U.S. ally.

In the best section of the book, Allison critiques Americas strategy toward China since the end of the Cold War (he calls it engage but hedge) and lays out alternative strategies. These run the full spectrum, from accommodating China by limiting U.S. commitments to Taiwan and withdrawing troops from South Korea, on the one hand, to undermining the regime by seeking to foster democratic change and even promoting insurgencies. (Fissures in the Chinese state already exist. Tibet is essentially occupied territory, Allison writes.) It is to Allisons credit that, whatever he may think personally of these vastly different strategies, he lays them out equally and in neutral terms.

The primary defect of the book is that it is weakest in the chapters on China itself. The view of China that Allison conveys too often reflects the distant, top-down view of outside elites, in which the Chinese Communist Party is all-powerful, enjoys public support and is firmly in control of the country.

The authority on China he cites most often is the late Singaporean president Lee Kuan Yew, whom Allison treats as an all-knowing oracle. (Allison wrote a previous book called Lee Kuan Yew: The Grand Masters Insights on China, the United States, and the World, a title that should give some indication of his adoring view of the man.) At one point, Allison informs us that Lee likened Chinese President Xi Jinping to Nelson Mandela, a person with enormous emotional stability, who does not allow his personal misfortunes or sufferings to affect his judgment. One wonders if Allison realizes that the views of Xi may not be so glowing on the streets in China or for that matter within the Chinese bureaucracy; Xi has also been portrayed as the most cunning and power-hungry of Chinas princelings, more Machiavelli than Mandela. There are prominent China scholars in the United States whose work Allison might have consulted ( Minxin Pei, David Shambaugh or Roderick MacFarquhar, for example), who possess a much greater sense of the limitations and the weaknesses of the Chinese Communist Party.

[China cant tame North Korea. The U.S. has to.]

Allison also accepts at face value the proclamations by the regime and its top leader. He says that Xi is committed to restoring a livable environment by tackling rampant pollution, though ordinary Chinese, or leading outside experts such as Elizabeth Economy, could have offered him a different perspective. Allison credits Xi, as he took power in 2013, with the insight that the Chinese Communist Party must study the collapse of the Soviet Union and prevent the rise of a Chinese Gorbachev  although this has been a consistent strand of thinking among top leaders of the Chinese Communist Party since the early 1990s.

Allison does not seek to ask whether some of the attributes of Chinas overseas behavior observable today are permanent or temporary. For example, Chinas recent growth has been fueled by debt, and there are indications it cant continue; Moodys recently cut Chinas debt rating for the first time since 1989. The book takes for granted that China has long been motivated by an unending desire to overcome the grievances of a century of humiliation after the Opium Wars. Yet in the 1980s, under Deng Xiaoping, that phrase was rarely heard, as China turned its attentions outward.

In short, it is possible that the aggressive nationalism China often displays today is a reflection not so much of the regimes strength but of its underlying weaknesses. Chinese leaders have exhibited different traits in the past  an august serenity, for example  and they may do so in the future.

Citing Chinas growing power, Allison asks, Could the U.S. become number two?  and he suggests that in some ways, it already is. Such forecasts inevitably call to mind another book written nearly four decades ago by one of Allisons colleagues, Harvard professor Ezra Vogel. It was called Japan as Number One. That book is now widely seen as time-bound and outdated. One wonders if Allisons book will have a similar destiny.
ONE OF the most disturbing lessons to emerge from the Ebola virus disease epidemic in West Africa in 2014-2015 was how unprepared the world was for it. David Nabarro, special adviser to the U.N. secretary general, told a Senate panel recently that the virus was missed in late 2013 and played down in 2014, even in July of that year when numbers of cases were doubling every three weeks. Ultimately, 11,314 people died in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.

When it was over, several studies concluded that the world needs a well-funded, rapid-reaction mechanism, a firefighting team ready to deploy quickly in the face of spreading disease. The World Health Organization proposed a $100 million contingency fund but so far has raised only $31.5 million, Mr. Nabarro said. In multilateral work, funding is oxygen, he added. When it comes to responding to outbreaks, WHO is starved of oxygen.

Now comes the World Bank with a novel program that could help realize the goal of rapid response to such emergency health threats and save lives. The bank has announced the issuance of $500 million in specialized bonds and derivatives that will help poor countries cope with a pandemic such as Ebola. The effort will create a trust fund, the Pandemic Emergency Financing Facility, that can be quickly deployed for pandemic response, complementing the WHO fund. Investors who buy the bonds and provide the trust-fund financing upfront will reap premiums (at first, Japan and Germany are covering the premiums) but will also be taking a risk. If there is a major outbreak, the investors will lose some or all of their cash. This is the first time such an approach has been tried for pandemic risk, but a similar idea underlies insurance against other natural disasters and catastrophes. One big advantage is that instead of waiting around for slow-moving national governments to fund a disease response, the resources necessary for saving lives will be available quickly, when they can do the most good. The trust-fund money will be used to respond to six viruses that are most likely to cause a pandemic, including influenza, Ebola, severe acute respiratory syndrome and Middle East respiratory syndrome. The financing to 77 eligible countries will be triggered depending on how far and fast a disease spreads and whether it crosses international borders.

When putting the program together, World Bank officials back-tested it against the history of the Ebola pandemic in 2014. They think, had it been in place, money would have flowed three months sooner than it did. Of course, money isnt everything  political decisions, biomedical research, proper alerts and communication are also critical factors in a rapid response. But having a robust fund to send in the first teams is a promising and innovative step forward by the World Bank, and a worthy legacy of the Ebola catastrophe.
Regarding the July 6 editorial North Koreas intercontinental threat:

Lets set the record straight: Either we acquiesce in North Koreas having nuclear-armed intercontinental ballistic missiles that can reach California, Oregon and Washington state, or we take military action. There is no third way.

For 35 years, weve tried penalties, diplomacy, meetings, getting China to act, etc., and the result is that North Korea now has an ICBM that can likely reach U.S. soil. To try similar measures again and expect a different result is insanity.

The measures suggested in the editorial, though well-intended, are simply not strong enough to stop North Korea from advancing its nuclear apparatus.

Daniel S. Smith, Northville, Mich.

Anybody who thinks North Korea is threatening the continental United States with intercontinental missiles fired from North Korea is greatly misinformed and is deliberately misinforming our country.

North Korea knows any aggressive action toward the United States or South Korea will be met with complete destruction. North Korea has been threatening to attack South Korea for more than 60 years knowing war would lead to its own destruction. If North Korea really intended to pose a threat to the United States, it would develop submarines with short-range missiles capable of reaching the United States from off our Pacific Coast. We have not heard of any development of this capability.

North Koreas testing of missiles and nuclear warheads is just bluster intended to keep the worlds attention focused on a failed state that has no status in the world community and is willing to spend millions of dollars to get attention.

Joel Lasko, Silver Spring

Some of us recall Red China, which was characterized by fanatical, reckless crazies with an utter disregard for consequences and who welcomed nuclear war because a good part of their vast population would survive and then rule the world. Amazingly, many in the United States, particularly in the U.S. government, bought this far-fetched idea. Eventually, we got over Red China.

However, we never lost the Red China Syndrome. We recently applied it to Iran. When Iran finally achieves nuclear status, we believed it would wreak havoc on Israel and maybe parts of Eastern Europe. The fact that another country would utterly destroy the Islamic republic wouldnt dissuade Iran in the slightest.

Now, North Korea has joined the club. Once it gets an intercontinental ballistic missile with a nuclear warhead, its goodbye, Hollywood. The fact that North Korea has had nuclear weapons for some time and has never used them against another nation doesnt seem relevant to those with the syndrome. North Korea is no more likely than Iran to use nuclear weapons and invite total destruction. North Koreans are not crazy, but we are if we go to dangerous lengths to stop the inevitable.

Steve Baldwin, Springfield
Across 25 years and five administrations, we have kicked the North Korean can down the road. We are now out of road.

On July 4, North Korea tested an intercontinental ballistic missile apparently capable of hitting the United States. As yet, only Alaska. Soon, every American city.

Moreover, Pyongyang claims to have already fitted miniaturized nuclear warheads on intermediate-range missiles. Soon, on ICBMs.

Secretary of State Rex Tillersons initial reaction to this game changer was not encouraging. Global action is required to stop a global threat, he declared.

This, in diplo-speak, is a cry for (multilateral) help. Alas, there will be none. Because, while this is indeed a global threat, there is no such thing as global interests. There are individual national interests and they diverge. In this case, radically.

Take Russia and China. If there were to be external pressure on North Korea, it would come from them. Will it? On Tuesday, they issued a joint statement proposing a deal: North Korea freezes nuclear and missile testing in return for America abandoning large-scale joint exercises with South Korea.

This is a total non-starter. The exercises have been the backbone of the U.S.-South Korean alliance for half a century. Abandonment would signal the end of an enduring relationship that stabilizes the region and guarantees South Korean independence. In exchange for what?

A testing freeze? The offer doesnt even pretend to dismantle North Koreas nuclear program, which has to be our minimal objective. Moreover, weve negotiated multiple freezes over the years with Pyongyang. It has violated every one.

The fact that Russia and China would, amid a burning crisis, propose such a dead-on-arrival proposal demonstrates that their real interest is not denuclearization. Their real interest is cutting America down to size by breaking our South Korean alliance and weakening our influence in the Pacific Rim.

These are going to be our partners in solving the crisis?

And yet, relying on Chinas good graces appeared to be President Trumps first resort for solving North Korea. Until he declared two weeks ago (by tweet, of course) that China had failed. At least I know China tried! he added.

They did? Trump himself tweeted out on Wednesday that Chinese trade with North Korea increased by almost 40 percent in the first quarter, forcing him to acknowledge that the Chinese havent been helping.

Indeed not. The latest North Korean missile is menacing not just because of its 4,000-mile range, but because it is road-mobile. And the transporter comes from China.

In the calculus of nuclear deterrence, mobility guarantees inviolability. (The enemy cannot find, and therefore cannot preempt, a mobile missile.) Its a huge step forward for Pyongyang. Supplied by Beijing.

How many times must we be taught that Beijing does not share our view of denuclearizing North Korea? It prefers a divided peninsula, i.e., sustaining its client state as a guarantee against a unified Korea (possibly nuclear) allied with the West and sitting on its border.

Nukes assure regime survival. Thats why the Kims have so single-mindedly pursued them. The lessons are clear. Saddam Hussein, no nukes: hanged. Moammar Gaddafi, gave up his nuclear program: killed by his own people. The Kim dynasty, possessing an arsenal of 10 to 16 bombs: untouched, soon untouchable.

What are our choices? Trump has threatened that if China doesnt help well have to go it alone. If so, the choice is binary: acquiescence or war.

War is almost unthinkable, given the proximity of the Demilitarized Zone to the 10 million people of Seoul. A mere conventional war would be devastating. And could rapidly go nuclear.

Acquiescence is not unthinkable. After all, we did it when China went nuclear under Mao Zedong, whose regime promptly went insane under the Cultural Revolution.

The hope for a third alternative, getting China to do the dirty work, is mostly wishful thinking. Theres talk of imposing sanctions on other Chinese banks. Will that really change Chinas strategic thinking? Bourgeois democracies believe that economics supersedes geostrategy. Maybe for us. But for dictatorships? Rarely.

If we want to decisively alter the strategic balance, we could return U.S. tactical nukes (withdrawn in 1991) to South Korea. Or we could encourage Japan to build a nuclear deterrent of its own. Nothing would get more quick attention from the Chinese. They would face a radically new strategic dilemma: Is preserving North Korea worth a nuclear Japan?

We do have powerful alternatives. But each is dangerous and highly unpredictable. Which is why the most likely ultimate outcome, by far, is acquiescence.

Read more from Charles Krauthammers archive, follow him on Twitter or subscribe to his updates on Facebook.
DO WE have the confidence in our values to defend them at any cost? President Trump asked during his speech in Warsaw on Thursday. Thats an important question, and so is this: Which values is he summoning us to defend?

There were encouraging elements in his address suggesting that he was referring to the universal values that America celebrated earlier this week, on the anniversary of its declaration of independence. Repeatedly, Mr. Trump invoked the parallel Polish and American devotion to freedom. He spoke of Americas commitment to your security and your place in a strong and democratic Europe. Unlike during his first trip to Europe as president, he embraced NATOs Article 5, which binds the United States and its allies to treat an attack on one as an attack on all.

Mr. Trump warned against powers that use propaganda, financial crimes and cyberwarfare against the United States and its allies  and, in case that wasnt clear enough, explicitly warned Russia to cease its destabilizing activities in Ukraine and elsewhere and its support for hostile regimes, including Syria and Iran. He assured his audience, We treasure the rule of law and protect the right to free speech and free expression.

Yet elements of his address left doubt as to whether Mr. Trump views such values as truly universal. The fundamental question of our time is whether the West has the will to survive, he said. If by the West he means anyone embracing the values of human rights, freedom and the dignity of every individual, he may be right. But those are hardly the property of the United States and Europe. They are treasured by the ailing Liu Xiaobo in China, by bloggers fighting for freedom in Uganda and by legislators fighting off the Maduro regimes thugs in Venezuela. They belong to people of all colors, all sexual orientations and all  or no  religion. When Mr. Trump urges us all to fight like the Poles, for family, for freedom, for country and for God, does all truly mean all?

Perhaps what gives the most doubt is that he celebrated the right to free speech and free expression without mentioning that the government welcoming him has worked worryingly to narrow those freedoms, along with the independence of its judiciary  and without mentioning that, at home, Mr. Trump himself has been far from a tribune of the free press. Above all, he said, we value the dignity of every human life, protect the rights of every person and share the hope of every soul to live in freedom. Many people will cheer those words  and will watch to see how his administration lives up to them in its interactions with Saudi Arabia and China, Russia and Egypt, and at home.
BALTIMORE, MD - APRIL 27: Firefighters work to put out a fire on the corner of Baker Street and N. mount Street as protestors for Freddie Gray protest around the city in Baltimore, MD on Monday April 27, 2015. Gray died from spinal injuries about a week after he was arrested and transported in a police van. (Photo by Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post) (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post)

Baltimore is experiencing the worst wave of violent crime of any city in the United States. One day last month, in only 24 hours, six people were murdered. Its as if mortal dice are rolled every day across the citys streets. Stray bullets have injured a girl as young as 3 and a woman as old as 90. The homicide rate has gone up by almost 70 percent since 2014.

A city facing such shootings would ordinarily put more cops on the streets. But in Baltimore, it is both practically and politically impossible to meaningfully increase police presence. The police department is already understaffed. Over the past 15 years, the city has steadily cut the number of police positions in the budget. Even with fewer overall positions, the department has struggled to meet hiring quotas; on any given day, the department can field between 80 and 85 percent of its authorized force.

Meanwhile, growing violence has increased demand for policing, and the only way to generate more police hours with fewer officers is to have officers work more. Since 2013, overtime costs have roughly doubled. Soaring overtime looks bad for the department  especially after the FBI indicted seven Baltimore Police Department officers on suspicion of, among other things, brazen overtime fraud. There are officers taking advantage of the situation, but many others are simply overworked. A case in point: After the day six people were killed, Mayor Catherine Pugh (D) and Police Commissioner Kevin Davis extended officer shifts from 10 hours to 12 hours for a week. That was a prudent move that nevertheless aggravated overtime costs and sapped morale. To reduce overtime while meeting the demand for policing services, the police department must expand its force.

The department is taking smart steps to bring more people on board, including speeding up the hiring process, but in the long term, it will need to provide financial incentives for new recruits and veterans, such as housing and education benefits and better pay. Baltimore City residents and leaders are understandably skeptical of the police and unlikely to provide those new resources. As a recent Justice Department investigation highlighted, and organizations such as the No Boundaries Coalition in Baltimore have long argued, Baltimore police officers have an ugly track record of civil rights abuses and violence. These abuses came into the national spotlight in 2015 with the tragic death of Freddie Gray.

The result is a political stalemate in which everyone is unhappy. The police department is understaffed but spending too much on overtime. City leaders can neither defend spending more to rebuild the police force nor avoid paying the overtime bills. The public vacillates among anger at police abuses, outrage at overtime costs and concern over mounting violence.

City and state leaders can work together to break this deadlock. In past crises, Maryland State Police have taken over routine duties such as traffic patrol, freeing up city police officers for beat policing and other higher priorities. Putting more officers on the streets could help deter would-be shooters  and reassure scared people.

Thats a short-term solution. The longer-term challenge is to shape a police department that both respects civil rights and polices effectively. Recently, Baltimore City and the Justice Department signed a consent decree mandating new protocols and new training for the police department. The consent decree is an important step toward reform, but it will create challenges. Detroit took 11 years to meet the stipulations of its consent decree. Conforming to a consent decree cost Los Angeles $300 million.

Here is a new idea: Maryland could create a Baltimore police reform fund that would tie a stream of annual grants for the Baltimore Police Department to successful implementation of the consent decree. The grants would be dedicated exclusively to recruiting, training and retaining officers. Such a fund could motivate the Baltimore Police Department to execute the consent decree in a timely fashion. It could address the root of the departments personnel problems while bringing down the unpopular overtime costs. By tying new money to police reforms, the fund could break the current political impasse and reassure state leaders and residents that public monies were being well spent.

As summer heats up, we must do something to bring the violence under control while helping the Baltimore Police Department rebuild for the future. Working together, city and state leaders can do both.

The writer was director of the White House Taskforce for Baltimore City under President Barack Obama.
It is sometimes argued that the media should spend less time on President Trumps transgressive tweets in order to devote more attention to real issues, such as North Korea. In fact, it is necessary to focus on Trumps tweets precisely because they shed light on the mind that is doing the deciding on North Korea. It is a distasteful exercise. But we cannot look away. We need to know the state of mind were dealing with.

Trumps tweets reveal a leader who is compulsive, abusive and easily triggered. Trump describes all this as modern day presidential. Lincoln had his Gettysburg Address. Franklin Roosevelt had his Four Freedoms. But modern schoolchildren will learn the Mika bloody face-lift tweet.

What we are witnessing is not a new age in presidential communications. It is an ongoing public breakdown. And the question naturally arises: Is this the result of mental dysfunction?

Most psychiatrists are (understandably) uncomfortable with diagnosing from a distance. And the particular diagnosis of narcissistic personality disorder requires significant impairment  which is a hard case to make of a figure at the pinnacle of American politics.

And yet. There are judgments that must be made about the fitness of leaders. Citizens are under no ethical obligation to be silent when they see serious dysfunction. The challenge here is not merely the trashing of political norms. The main problem is the possibility that America has an unbalanced president during a period of high-stakes global testing. This is not a clinical diagnosis. It is a civic and political judgment, made necessary by the presidents own words and acts. Trump holds a job that requires, above all else, the ability to unite and steady the nation in a time of crisis. There is no reason to believe he can play that role.

Much of the prudence and courage required to confront this problem will need to come from Republicans and conservatives. Where to start? How about refusing to play down revolting lunacy?

It is not merely an occasional ad hominem for a president to employ the tremendous power of his office to target individual American citizens who oppose him. It is an abuse of power.

It is not merely uncouth for a president to tolerate, even to hint support for, violence against political opponents (Id like to punch him in the face). It creates an atmosphere of intimidation.

It is not merely exaggeration for a president to issue a series of eye-stretching lies, including that his predecessor spied on him and that a popular-vote victory was denied to him by widespread electoral fraud. It indicates either a deep cynicism or a tenuous connection to reality.

It is not being coarse for a president to engage in consistent misogyny. It is a sign of a disturbing and deep-seated dehumanization of women.

Many conservatives would respond to this critique by saying, At least he fights! The question is: For what? Trump evinces no strong or consistent policy views. He fights for himself  for admiration and adulation  which is the only cause his extreme narcissism allows.

Many conservatives would also respond by saying, At least he does conservative things! But if health care is any indication, Trump lacks conviction, knowledge and the ability to persuade. Other than that, he is Ronald Reagan incarnate.

Trumps conservative defenders are attempting something extraordinary: to politically normalize abnormal psychology. Their sycophancy enables a sickness.

What next? Applying the 25th Amendment (containing the procedure to remove an unfit president from office) is a practical impossibility, since it involves the Cabinet turning against the president. But House and Senate Republicans should be prepared to aggressively challenge unbalanced or unhinged presidential language and decisions, rather than trying to dismiss them as simply a distraction.

And responsible officials in the executive branch  particularly at the State, Defense and Justice departments and in the various intelligence services  may also need to provide an internal check on foolish, precipitous orders. The option here is to refuse, to defy, to resign (or be fired) and then to publicly provide the reasons.

No one really knows how to deal with this situation, which still feels more like an unnerving political novel than our political reality. Trump has led our country into unexplored territory. If this is modern day presidential, all progress moves toward the past.

Read more from Michael Gersons archive, follow him on Twitter or subscribe to his updates on Facebook .
Regarding the June 24 news article U.S. backs sanctuary cities ban in Texas, an informative piece about developments in the ongoing battle over sanctuary cities:

Although the article generally attributed views and opinions to actual people, its opening paragraph included a whopper with no attribution. The article began: Attorney General Jeff Sessions said Friday that the Trump administration fully supports Texass harsh new ban on sanctuary cities.

Clearly, the attorney general doesnt think the ban is harsh. That leads the reader to believe that the writer has that view. Outside of the editorial and opinion pages, The Post has an obligation to report the news and not the opinions of its writers. When I read the opening paragraph and spotted that whopper, I almost dismissed it as fake news and stopped reading the rest.

In my view, the ban is not harsh because it merely frees law enforcement officers to do their jobs, which includes inquiring about the immigration status of those they arrest, among other possible criminal violations, be they local, state or federal. Had the article attributed the view that the ban was harsh to a public official or other person, it would have been fine and helped the reader understand who thinks what about the ban. Instead, the article stated as fact that the ban was harsh, which really should be left up to the public to determine.

Mark Lytle, Alexandria
A mom, a dad, 2.4 children, and an energetic but well-behaved dog compose what we long have recognized as the classic American household: a nuclear family nestled in a suburban bungalow, living on a street with similar houses that contain similar households. Grandma and Grandpa live on their own matching street somewhere over the river. When the kids reach adulthood, they will establish their own independent nuclear habitations.

We tend to see any deviation from that pattern as an unfortunate aberration, whether its the cohabitation of elderly grandparents who can no longer live independently or young-adult children experiencing a failure to launch, stuck in the basement. A Wall Street Journal headline recently rued that the Percentage of Young Americans Living With Parents Rises to 75-Year High. The New York Times fretted, Its Official: The Boomerang Kids Wont Leave. And the Fiscal Times warned: The Kids Arent Alright. When House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) wanted to summon a worst-case scenario that could follow a repeal of President Barack Obamas Affordable Care Act, she asked her fellow Americans: You want Grandma living in the guest room?

But is living in a household with grandparents, parents and kids really so terrible? Judging by the numbers, it cant be all bad: More than 60 million Americans currently live in multigenerational households, the highest proportion since the Korean War. Demographic patterns indicate that share should continue to rise in the years ahead. And historical data suggests that the wholly independent nuclear-family household may be the aberration  that patterns of close familial support are the more natural arrangement.

Why are we so down on a practice that has been so common? Those sentiments flow from the peculiar history of postwar America, when nuclear-family households became the norm in spite of, well, everything.

Throughout the 20th century, several scholars claimed that nuclear households had been the historical standard, pre-dating postwar America. Indeed, according to University of Minnesota historian Steven Ruggles , by the mid-1970s, the theory of long-run [nuclear] stability in Western family structure had found its way into every one of the basic sociology textbooks.

But these days, that theory doesnt seem to wash. Ruggles has found that multigenerational households were a nearly universal experience in mid-19th-century America and that the great majority of families went through a multigenerational phase if the parents lived long enough. It turns out that lifespans and large broods, not preferences, might explain why nuclear-family households appeared widespread before the postwar years: A parent of seven can, of course, reside in the home of only one adult child at a time; some of the adult childrens households would have been purely nuclear, but not necessarily by choice. And the demise of multigenerational households appears to have been less about shifting preferences than historical and political changes.

Most of the collapse in multigenerational arrangements took place in the four decades after World War II, when unique circumstances combined to transform the patterns of everyday American life. The tremendous demographic pressure built up by a generation raised during the Great Depression and then sent overseas to wage war was suddenly released, as servicemen returned home to settle down and seek quiet stability. The GI Bill sent many vets to college and provided housing subsidies that spuured construction of vast quantities of housing, quickly. The construction industry, which had been constrained by wartime supply rationing, was now encouraged by Federal Housing Administration programs and others that offered unprecedented subsidies and new, government-guaranteed 30-year fixed mortgages for single-family homes.

With a booming economy, Social Security in place and Medicare soon to come, Americans had incentives to follow an unusual pattern of generational segregation. The elderly became more financially independent and less reliant on their children as filial retirement accounts, while the young-adult generation took the plentiful jobs available outside any family business. The wealth transfers that once kept children close to their inheritance were reversed, and families were quickly spread across fresh suburbs that offered cheap access to new wealth. As Ruggles reflects, Material conditions, family behavior, and attitudes were changing simultaneously, and it is likely that the changes were mutually reinforcing. Multigenerational living reached its nadir in 1980, when only 15 percent of older Americans lived with their children, and only 12 percent of households overall contained multiple adult generations.

In the postwar years, new local ordinances also reinforced nuclear-family households. These laws didnt intentionally target multigenerational arrangements, but the growth of rules built around one model of living crowded out others. Zoning codes initially written to keep industrial factories out of residential areas increasingly dictated what residences could be built in a neighborhood, and grew the distances between houses and between activities. This made neighborhoods less walkable  and thus less friendly to the youngest and oldest  and moved families farther apart.

The town of Urbana, Ill., illustrates how this unfolded, as the University of Chicagos Emily Talen recounts in her book City Rules. Urbanas first zoning ordinance, in 1936, allowed great flexibility. The 1950 code included six districts, two each for residential, business and industrial. In 1979, the towns zoning code expanded to 16 districts and two overlay codes, banned apartments in single-family areas, and introduced minimum lot sizes and floor-area ratios that crowded out small additional living spaces. The multiplication of rules to keep renters out and enshrine the privileges of single-family homeowners gradually blocked multigenerational-friendly add-ons and neighborhood patterns.

Where once a non-driving resident, whether a child or an elder, could help around the house by walking to the corner store for a gallon of milk before supper, the expanding development as the 20th century went along separated a home from a supermarket with an interstate highway.

Today, those same legal frameworks constrain families seeking homes for their multigenerational households primarily by forbidding the construction of houses with dedicated spaces for live-in relatives.

For as much as some families want to live together, they recognize the need for a certain degree of separation and privacy to stay, well, sane. Amenities to help achieve that might take the form of a separate entrance or an extra kitchen. But this versatility is just what many local codes are written to prevent. That such accessory units will probably be occupied by people at a different stage of life or income level than the owners of the surrounding houses is seen as a threat to neighborhood stability and home values, rather than an opportunity.

Neighbors and planners complain about the potential of such units to degrade an areas single-family character, to induce unsightly crowding or to overwhelm street parking, even though none of these concerns have sound empirical foundations. Granny flat expert Martin John Brown found that parking issues were the most frequently raised objection in public deliberations, despite a total absence of evidence, and Portland, Ore., builder and recent Harvard Loeb fellow Eli Spevak notes that his city, by far the leader in American accessory-unit construction, has not seen a public backlash in response to such units being built once city-wide approval was granted. Nevertheless, as the Wall Street Journal has reported, the growing number of Americans seeking to build accessory units onto their homes, even for family use, frequently are told by builders that theyll never get the permits approved.

Some companies, such as industry giant Lennar, are beginning to specialize in constructing homes to serve multigenerational demand, but even these experienced builders frequently are refused permission unless they twist their designs into a conforming shape. The Journal recounts stories of builders being required to disguise a two-unit property behind a single front door or to strip out ovens or other kitchen appliances. Even cities that do allow such units, such as Columbia, Mo., often charge their owners large utility-impact fees equivalent to those levied on a whole new house. And some homeowners have discovered, neighbors often are at the front of the line to file complaints about perceived problems with aesthetics, parking or overcrowding that an accessory apartment could inflict on their single-family street.

And thats a shame. There are good reasons to live multigenerationally, from the mundanity of sharing costs and chores to the sublimity of shared witness to each milestone of a childs growth. At a time when parents are working longer hours and grandparents are seeing their retirement extend, the oldest sharing economy offers benefits to both. But thanks to our postwar legal and cultural heritage, many people still seem to fear Granny or Junior sticking around. They shouldnt: Living with your parents, it seems, isnt an aberration. Its downright natural.

outlook@washpost.com

Read more from Outlook and follow our updates on Facebook and Twitter.
An intern for Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) waits for a tour group at the U.S. Capitol Visitors Center in 2013. (Melina Mara/The Washington Post)

Former congressman Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) made headlines when he said members of Congress should receive a monthly $2,500 housing stipend.

Days before retiring from the House, he argued that members of Congress often have to pay for housing in their home town and in the District. Chaffetz has a point; the District is the second-most-unaffordable city when it comes to housing. His $174,000 annual salary, however, is more than enough for him to live comfortably in the District.

Now, imagine having to live in the same city as the congressman, but instead of his comfortable six-figure salary, youre making $0.

Who works and makes no money? Interns.

Every summer, thousands of students from across the country come to Washington to intern in Congress. With housing, food and transportation hitting $6,000, the cost of a summer congressional internship is prohibitive for many of our nations students.

But because interning on Capitol Hill is considered a rite of passage for anyone who wants to pursue a career in politics, members of Congress know they can get away with not paying their interns, hiding behind the cliched excuse that interns will gain invaluable work experience. Often overlooked: Only some students can afford to take unpaid internships, especially in cities where they dont already live.

The experience interns receive while working for free has created an elitist, harmful system at the heart of our republic.

Unpaid internships make the point of entry into politics out of reach for college students who cannot afford to work for free. Students are left with the choice of forgoing valuable experience, taking out loans or working side jobs.

As a 17-year-old interning for my congressman, I devoted 25 hours per week to my internship, 20 hours to my part-time job and 16 to earning college credits.

There were days at my internship where it felt as if my eyelids had 50-pound weights attached to them.

The sad reality is that students from low-income families cant participate in the congressional internship experience. That makes the vast majority of Hill interns students from wealthy families who can afford to put their children up in the District during the summer.

Because interning on the Hill is an unspoken prerequisite to working on the Hill after graduation, this means that the legislative-staffer jobs almost exclusively go to students from wealthy backgrounds.

This affects policy and your community.

Staffers wield power in many ways most Americans dont know about. They craft policy, advise members on what to vote for and even help craft the federal budget. They are the eyes, ears and sounding boards for every member of Congress.

Can we really be a representative democracy when the elite few are writing laws? Can we close the racial wealth gap when most internships go to students with the same economic background? Will we have a truly diverse Congress if, year after year, interns look the same?

These are the questions our members of Congress must ask.

The inequality inherent in congressional internships is why I decided to found Pay Our Interns, a bipartisan nonprofit that advocates for paid internships in the public, private and nonprofit sectors.

Last week, we released our report on who pays  Chaffetz did  and who doesnt, because Americans should know which members are relying on unpaid labor.

Fortunately, there is a solution. From 1974 to 1993, the Lyndon B. Johnson congressional intern program funded thousands of internships that allowed students from all walks of life to participate in our legislative process firsthand. That program gave students the ability to intern without worrying about paying their bills.

If members of Congress care about our young people and about having a diverse and healthy democracy, then they will do the right thing and start paying their interns.

We should expect more from our members of Congress, whether its through a program such as the LBJ internships or by setting aside money in the office budget for a stipend (as many lawmakers do).

They need to show their constituents that they care about having the same diversity that exists in their districts and states in their offices on Capitol Hill.

The writer is the founder of Pay Our Interns and previously interned for free in Congress, the European Parliament and the White House.
Regarding the July 2 front-page article  Love thy neighbor? :

The story of Ayaz Virji trying to explain Islam to his Minnesota neighbors was disturbing  heartening and disturbing. I was thrilled reading how Mr. Virjis from-the-heart, no-nonsense talk to the folks in Granite Falls, Minn., quieted them and elicited sympathetic responses. And it confirmed my feeling that many efforts to reach out to Trump voters fail because they are sugarcoated to the point of condescension and falseness. As Mr. Virji said, to understand someone elses religion, You have to use your brain.

The people in one audience were basically just saying, Im sorry. They were not necessarily using their brains to learn about Islam and Muslims but just reacting emotionally to his pain and anger. That, unfortunately, is not very different from reacting emotionally to President Trumps expressions of frustration and anger.

As long as Americans avoid using their brains to reason critically, they will remain vulnerable to emotional demagogues.

Steve France, Cabin John

The article about Ayaz Virji struck a strong empathetic chord with me. Mr. Virji, a physician and a Muslim, set out to educate his neighbors about his faith when he sensed that they were distancing themselves from him after Donald Trump won the presidential election, He felt he could choose to run away from a small town where he and his family had begun to grow roots or provide a better understanding. But you have to be sincere and use your brain to understand, he said.

His first lecture drew nearly 400 people from his town of 1,400, the majority of whom voted for Mr. Trump. He addressed misinformation and was roundly applauded at the conclusion. He faced a potentially tougher audience in another rural community, also mostly Trump supporters. This talk, too, was well received by an audience that agreed these conversations are very much needed. This points to a widespread misinformation infection that attacks fact and depends on a complacent and often willfully ignorant public to allow its spread.

I noticed after church on Sunday that friends were saying how unusually moving the singing of America the Beautiful was to them this year, many hiding tears. All agreed that they have become fearful of what the future holds for our nation when our leadership is self-serving and anything but sincere. Our feckless administration condones violence. In this atmosphere, unsurprisingly, the Ku Klux Klan feels free to request that our neighbor, Charlottesville, permit a rally there.

Murray Hulse, Earlysville, Va.

Ayaz Virji represents what has always been great in the United States. Our nation of families from different religions, different regions and different races, often termed a melting pot, and our compassion and empathy for folks of different paths have always been the beacon that has brought the best and brightest to this country.

Of course in a country of more than 325 million people, not everyone sees this mix as positive, and many think that it results in their getting a raw deal in their own situation. That is unfortunate. It should be the goal of both political parties to focus on making sure that those who have been here for generations do not feel left out.

President Trump has used this undercurrent of discontent for his political advantage with a wink and a nod from his fellow Republicans, which is a huge disappointment. Mr. Trump did not win the popular vote and has an approval rating today that is lower than the percentage of voters who selected him. He does not represent the majority of Americans.

Meanwhile, courageous individuals such as Mr. Virji are taking grass-roots approaches to educate fellow Americans on the differences that do not make any of us less American. It is a shame that this message is not coming from our leaders.

David Sackett, Chesapeake, Va.

The article about Ayaz Virji brought me to tears. I live close to Harrisburg, Pa., where Mr. Virji worked before he moved his family to Minnesota to help a rural community in need of doctors.

Like Mr. Virji, whose suffering I cannot fully comprehend because I am white and non-Muslim, I feel heartsick and betrayed. A few months ago, I returned from a trip to India, where I never felt unsafe or unwelcome, to learn that a man with a gun had reportedly told two Indian immigrants to get out of his country and shot them, killing one.

This article opened our minds to what its like to be Muslim in America and convinced me that I need to more fully engage the few Muslims in my area. But I wake up in the morning not recognizing the country I live in.

Eileen Graham, Gardners, Pa.
The assertion in the June 25 Travel article Where Luther is a name brand  that Martin Luther propelled Europe from Middle-Ages darkness to Renaissance humanism, inspired the Enlightenment and . . . gave birth to the modern Western world was absolutely wrong on three counts and partially wrong on a fourth. The High Middle Ages were not dark. Renaissance humanism had begun at least 150 years earlier in Italy. What inspired the Enlightenment more than anything else was the publication of Isaac Newtons Principia Mathematica in 1687. Thus, Luthers Reformation is only partially responsible for giving birth to the modern Western world.

Donald L. Ross, Bethesda

I very much enjoyed and appreciated the June 25 Travel article about Wittenberg, Germany. However, I would challenge the description of Martin Luther as an anti-Semite. True, Luther said some horrible things about Jews in his later writings, but he said even worse things about others, including the pope, Turks and peasants who rose up against their masters. For Luther, the criterion for criticism wasnt a persons race but rather if he put them in the category of enemies of the gospel. In 1523, much earlier than the essay the Travel article quoted, Luther wrote a wonderful piece called That Jesus Christ Was Born a Jew, a very enlightened treatise for a man of his time and one in which he glowingly praised the Jewish people. (At that time, Luther hoped that after reading his works, they would suddenly all convert. When they didnt, he turned against them and put them in the same category as the pope: enemies of the gospel, in his opinion.)

So, while Luther was a man of his time, he was no anti-Semite as we would understand the term today. Also, the global Lutheran communion has officially repudiated Luthers harsh comments about Jews in the essay that is cited in the otherwise very informative article.

James B. Vigen, Orangeburg, S.C.
Paul Di Filippos June 23 Style review of Lidia Yuknavitchs The Book of Joan, A Hundred Years War for a new century, provided another example of how Joan of Arcs real achievements have been denigrated in recent decades. The review said, Surely, Joan of Arc, that maundering Maid of Orleans, falls solidly into the category of fascinating, exemplary misfit.

Joan of Arc has been portrayed as a victim and puppet. Despite a historical record more exhaustive than that for anyone else of her time, common perceptions of Joan these days play down what she accomplished.

You dont have to take my word for it. Take the words of Mark Twain, whose last completed novel (what he called a labor of love) was Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc. Twain summed up Joans impact as only he could: France was a wreck, a ruin, a desolation. The half of it belonged to England . . . the other half belonged to nobody. . . . Now came the ignorant country maid out of her remote village and confronted this hoary war, this all-consuming conflagration that had swept the land for three generations. Then began the briefest and most amazing campaign that is recorded in history. In seven weeks it was finished. In seven weeks she hopelessly crippled that gigantic war that was ninety-one years old. At Orleans she struck it a staggering blow; on the field of Patay she broke its back. . . . It was an ogre, that war, an ogre that went about for near a hundred years, crunching men and dripping blood from its jaws. And with her little hand that child of seventeen struck him down; and yonder he lies stretched on the field of Patay, and will not get up any more while this old world lasts.

No, not a misfit. An amazing individual. One whose character even that old curmudgeon Twain judged to be flawless. Joan deserves to be remembered for who she really was.

John G. Hemry, Owings
The June 30 news article Trump picks Indiana official to be surgeon general said, Some surgeons general, such as C. Everett Koop, who rallied the country against smoking and AIDS in the 1980s, became influential. Not to take anything away from Koop, but about two decades before Koop served as surgeon general, Surgeon General Luther L. Terry appointed an advisory committee that resulted in the famous surgeon generals report Smoking and Health: Report of the Advisory Committee to the Surgeon General of the United States, which started this nations government  and the rest of the world  on the path to warning the public about the hazards of smoking, limiting advertising for cigarettes, increasing taxes on cigarettes and researching the effects of secondhand smoke. And by the way, Medicare was signed into law on Terrys watch, too.

Ed Merlis, McLean
A little learning is a dangerous thing, wrote the poet Alexander Pope. Three centuries later, Popes aphorism perfectly  and dangerously  describes President Trumps understanding of history as a zero-sum clash of civilizations in which the West can triumph by imposing its will.

The speech Trump delivered Thursday in Warsaws Krasinski Square might have been appropriate when Britannia ruled the waves and Europes great powers held dominion over lesser peoples around the globe. It had nothing useful to say about todays interconnected world in which goods, people and ideas have contempt for borders.

The fundamental question of our time is whether the West has the will to survive, the president said. Do we have the confidence in our values to defend them at any cost? Do we have enough respect for our citizens to protect our borders? Do we have the desire and the courage to preserve our civilization in the face of those who would subvert and destroy it?

Trump added what he probably thought of as a Churchillian flourish: I declare today for the world to hear that the West will never, ever be broken. Our values will prevail. Our people will thrive. And our civilization will triumph.

Triumph over whom? Trump mentioned radical Islamic terrorism as one of the enemies posing dire threats to our security and to our way of life, but he didnt stop there. He went on to add Russia and  weirdly  the steady creep of government bureaucracy to the list. It is appalling that the president would describe patriotic public servants as a kind of fifth column that drains the vitality and wealth of the people, and I guess some precious bodily fluids as well.

But what does Trump mean when he speaks of the West and its civilization? Americans, Poles and the nations of Europe value individual freedom and sovereignty, he said. We must work together to confront forces, whether they come from inside or out, from the South or the East, that threaten over time to undermine these values and to erase the bonds of culture, faith and tradition that make us who we are. . . . We write symphonies. We pursue innovation. We celebrate our ancient heroes, embrace our timeless traditions and customs, and always seek to explore and discover brand-new frontiers.

Thats what I mean about a little learning. If the president read a few history books, hed know that for most of the past 2,000 years, China and India were the worlds leading economic powers and Europe was a relatively primitive backwater. Hed know that Europe rose to dominance not by erecting walls but by opening itself to the rest of the world  its resources, products and people.

There is nothing pure about Western civilization. Its ability to absorb and incorporate outside influences has proved a great strength, not a weakness. Imagine Italy without tomato sauce, a gift from the New World  or the United States without the high-tech companies founded by immigrants, gifts from the Old.

Of course Trump is right to call for a united front against terrorism. But the solution, in a globalized world, cannot be to hunker behind walls, however big and beautiful those walls might be. Industrial supply chains cross borders and span oceans. Words and images flash around the globe at the speed of light. Global issues, such as nuclear proliferation and climate change, demand global solutions. Like it or not, we are all in this together.

The correct response to the terrorism threat, which is real, is to isolate it as an abomination that is as much a grievous insult to Islam as to any other faith  and that has taken the lives of far more Muslims than non-Muslims. The wrong response is to posit that the West is besieged by, and therefore at war with, a hostile civilization. Thats a fight in which everyone loses.

Trump did finally make clear that the United States remains fully committed to Article 5 of the NATO treaty, which states that an attack on one member of the alliance is tantamount to an attack on all. He was tougher on Russia than in the past, and he cited propaganda, financial crimes and cyberwarfare as new forms of aggression that must be countered.

But viewing the fight against terrorism as some kind of civilizational Armageddon is wrong. Trump seems to view himself as the Wests defender against 1.6 billion Muslims, almost all of whom want only to live in peace. We need a capable president, not a crusader in chief.

Read more from Eugene Robinsons archive, follow him on Twitter or subscribe to his updates on Facebook. You can also join him Tuesdays at 1 p.m. for a live Q&A.
Michael Windle and Matthew Caulfield were part of a team of six Wharton School students who wrote The Business of Voting, a report sponsored by the Penn Wharton Public Policy Initiative.

Across two counties in Virginia, last months primary elections brought new voting technology to the polling places, replacing some machines that had been in use for 12 years and were made with technology designed in the 1990s. This development is important not because of problems with the new machines  none were reported  but because of the urgent need for election administrators nationally to update old voting technology.

The age of Americas voting machines has been thoroughly studied, and the landscape of the voting technology industry is a major contributor to what has been deemed by an Obama-era presidential commission an impending crisis. Unfortunately, most election administration officials in the United States are unlikely to easily do what leaders in two counties did in Virginia last month: replace their voting machines.

A recent report by a team of researchers at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania details that the market structure of the voting-technology industry is a core cause of the stagnation that keeps voters across the United States using machines more than 10 years old.

Since 2002s Help America Vote Act, considerable vendor consolidation has brought the three largest U.S. election technology firms to reach about 92 percent of eligible voters (those who have access to some form of electronic voting machine). For comparison, the market reach held by the three largest election technology firms exceeds that of Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile (which together hold about 84 percent of U.S. market share for wireless subscriptions) as well as Southwest, Delta, American and United (which hold a combined 68 percent of the domestic airline market share in the United States).

Additionally, election technology firms face an industry with severely limited growth (the U.S. voting population is relatively stable) and with several thousand potential customers (county and state election officials) who have limited budgets and idiosyncratic needs and desires.

Election technology firms are slow to innovate because of a lack of consistent funding for their products, and a lengthy and expensive certification process for new machines. High switching costs lead local election administrators to stay with their current vendors when making purchases or upgrades, further discouraging innovation in the market.

All this is despite voters themselves wanting newer voting machines. A November 2016 poll revealed that nearly 80 percent of Americans who voted in the presidential contest believed it was time for the United States to upgrade its election systems, and more than 80 percent thought that these updates would not only increase trust in the system, but also improve the overall election process and strengthen U.S. democracy.

Despite election administration recently being labeled a piece of our nations critical infrastructure (to the chagrin of the National Association of Secretaries of State), the United States does not have a cohesive plan or strategy to bring newer voting machines to polling places. As a result, voting technology has been updated on an ad hoc and piecemeal basis, often one county at a time, as is the case in two Virginia counties ahead of last months primary elections.

Potentially fruitful strategies have been identified, however. For example, significant improvements to our voting technology could come as a result of purchasing coalitions and the development of open-source systems (which is taking place in large counties such as Travis County, Tex., and Los Angeles County). Or the countrys reliance on old voting machines could be shaken via regulatory shifts toward the approval of off-the-shelf technologies and supporting modular technology over end-to-end monolithic systems.

But notwithstanding the occasional forward-thinking voting technology replacements, such as those in Augusta County (75,000 residents) and Mathews County (9,000 residents), if there is no intervention in the current market structure, swaths of the United States are destined to have old and malfunctioning equipment for many elections to come.
Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach (R), photographed in Topeka, Kan., on May 17, is the vice chair of President Trump's election fraud commission. (Orlin Wagner/Associated Press)

Regarding the July 3 editorial The opening salvo on voting:

After a five-year investigation into voter fraud in federal elections, President George W. Bushs Justice Department announced that there was little evidence of it. Officials charged about 100 people with fraud out of millions of voters. Most cases involved people not canceling their registrations when they moved. There were very few cases of people trying to commit voter fraud.

President Trump claimed that millions voted illegally in the 2016 election to support his claim that he won the popular vote. Mr. Trump selected Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach (R) to investigate voter fraud to validate his assertion.

Mr. Kobach was already a known believer in the myth of voter fraud. In Kansas, he had used a database to invalidate voter registrations, mainly excluding minority voter registrations. Thousands of Asians and African Americans were targeted in this process. When these people arrived at polling places, they were given provisional ballots that were not counted.

Reexamination of this issue is a waste of taxpayer money. America would be better served if money were spent on a national voter-registration system rather than a reinvestigation of voter fraud to support the presidents egotistical assertion.

Bill Klein, Olney

Demanding the last four digits of individual citizens Social Security numbers? Intruding in the states sovereign right to run elections? Conservatives should be angered and appalled by this blatant advance of Big Brother government. Where are the indignation and outcry? I hope that conservatives are not buying the Orwellian-like defense: You have nothing to worry about if youre not hiding anything.

John Schaupner, College Park

My husband died five years ago, when we lived in Fairfax County. Not long thereafter, correspondence was mailed to our house, reporting that he had been deleted from the voter rolls because of the information on his death certificate. At the time, I was quite happy to learn Virginia was efficiently using records from one aspect of governance to keep another aspect secure. I hope other states are doing likewise.

Nancy Ingrisano, Falls Church
Gary Reback is a Silicon Valley antitrust lawyer at Carr & Ferrell LLP. He represents one of the companies that filed a formal complaint against Google in the European Commission.

After an extensive investigation, the European Union found last week that Google has, for many years, violated European antitrust law by rigging its general search results to favor its own comparison shopping service over rivals. But a recent Post editorial faults the E.U. for imposing a $2.7 billion fine on the company.

The editorial board questioned whether Googles conduct hurt either competitors (who were just unlucky, according to The Post) or consumers. It claimed that users may well prefer to see Googles results first and that the fine seems to be a case of punishment without crime.

This view ignores the facts. Google painstakingly executed a strategy to increase its search-ad revenue by making it both possible and necessary for merchants to raise prices to consumers, as a review of studies from the E.U., the U.S. Federal Trade Commission and others show. And as a result, Googles ad revenue has soared at the expense of its users.

Before 2007, if a user searched for a product on Google, other sites listing prices for that product would appear among the general search results, ranked in the order of their quality to users. These comparison shopping sites were designed to identify merchants with the lowest prices. The more accurate and comprehensive their results, the higher they were ranked and the more traffic they generated.

But the more successful that comparison shopping sites became, the more they threatened Googles business plan. Google makes money by selling ads placed next to its free search results, and merchants could not be expected to bid for ad placement if the listings in comparison shopping sites on the same search undercut their prices.

To address this, Google developed a cunning plan, the first phase of which was documented in a report by the FTC. Portions of the report were published by the Wall Street Journal more than two years ago.

Quoting internal Google documents and emails, the report shows that the company created a list of rival comparison shopping sites that it would artificially lower in the general search results, even though tests showed that Google users liked the quality of the [rival] sites and gave negative feedback on the proposed changes.

Google reworked its search algorithm at least four times, the documents show, and altered its established rating criteria before the proposed changes received slightly positive user feedback. Internal Google documents predicted that the proposed changes would reduce rivals user traffic up to 20 percent and subsequently reported producing the desired results once the changes were implemented.

At the same time, Google started putting the results from its own comparison shopping service at the top of search results. After these changes, the only source of low-price information readily available on Googles search platform came from Googles own comparison shopping service, known at the time as Google Product Search, which listed the lowest prices for products in its database at no charge to merchants.

Googles conduct certainly hurt its rivals, particularly after a second round of search-listing demotions documented by the European Union. Many companies have been forced to lay off all of their employees and even shut down operations.

In 2012, Google took the extraordinary step to kill Google Product Search, replacing it with Google Shopping. This new service did not display the lowest price (or even a low price) in the general search results; rather, it displayed ads at the top of the search results page in response to the users search term. The ads were carefully placed by Googles algorithms to minimize price competition among merchants, by, for example, showing ads next to each other that featured different product models at different price points.

Google Shopping also permitted merchants to purchase ads on a separate shopping page. Merchants  no longer promoted in search results for having lower prices  now must pay for better placement. Not surprisingly, they have raised prices to cover these costs.

Googles competitors argued in a study, which I submitted to the European Commission a few years ago, that the prices in Google Shopping ads for specified products on search results pages were among the highest in Googles database. Googles displayed prices for everyday products, such as watches, anti-wrinkle cream and wireless routers, were roughly 50 percent higher  sometimes more  than those on rival sites. A subsequent study by a consumer protection group found similar results. A study by the Financial Times also documented the higher prices.

The Posts editorial board claimed that the online availability of large merchant sites might restrain Googles power over consumers. But those sites havent stopped Google from executing its plan so far. There is no denying that Google eliminated services showing the lowest prices, free to merchants, and replaced them with high-priced ads.

Nor can consumers quickly catch on when Google skews its results. How could they if the rival services that would have provided the information necessary to catch on were forced to shut down?

Rather than invent justifications for Googles conduct, The Post should take note of the public record.
Archaeologists at Thomas Jeffersons Virginia plantation, Monticello, are unearthing the room where Sally Hemings is believed to have lived, allowing for a new way to tell the story of the enslaved people who served our third president. The excavation has once again reminded us that 241 years after the United States was founded, many Americans still dont know how to reconcile one of our nations original sins with the story of its Founding Fathers.

Just before the Fourth of July, NBC News ran a feature on the room, setting off a spate of coverage about the dig. Many of these stories described Hemings, the mother of six children with Jefferson, as the former presidents mistress. The Inquisitr, the Daily Mail, AOL and Cox Media Group all used the word (though Cox later updated its wording). So did an NBC News tweet that drew scathing criticism, though its story accurately called her the enslaved woman who, historians believe, gave birth to six of Jeffersons children. The Washington Post also used mistress in a headline and a tweet about Hemingss room in February.

Language like that elides the true nature of their relationship, which is believed to have begun when Hemings, then 14 years old, accompanied Jeffersons daughter to live with Jefferson, then 44, in Paris. She wasnt Jeffersons mistress; she was his property. And he raped her.

[The U.S. has 35,000 museums. Why is only one about slavery?]

Such revisionist history about slavery is, unfortunately, still quite common. In 2015, Texas rolled out what many saw as a whitewashed  version of its social studies curriculum that referred to enslaved Africans as immigrants and workers and minimized slaverys impact on the Civil War. One concerned parent spoke out, forcing a textbook publisher to revise some of the teaching materials.

(Ashleigh Joplin/The Washington Post)

In a speech at the Democratic National Convention last year, Michelle Obama reminded Americans that no less a symbol of our government than the White House was built by those in bondage. In response, then-Fox News host Bill OReilly offered a softer, gentler take: Those enslaved workers were well fed and had decent lodgings provided by the government, he said. That they had no choice in their food, lodging or whether they even wanted to do the backbreaking work of building Washington by hand was nowhere to be found in OReillys version.

That same sanitization of history happened again with the Hemings news. On Twitter, some users defended the mistress label, suggesting, essentially, that Jefferson and his slave may have truly loved each other. One person even went so far as to wonder whether Hemingss exalted wisdom and beauty compelled Jeffersons love and whether she was perhaps not a victim but an agent of change?

Jefferson could have forced Hemings into a sexual relationship no matter what she wanted, though. And its impossible to know what Hemings thought of Jefferson. As with many enslaved people, her thoughts, feelings and emotions were not documented. According to Monticello.org, there are only four known descriptions of the woman who first came to Jeffersons plantation as a baby on the hip of her mother, Elizabeth Hemings, whom Jefferson also owned.

[Why do people believe myths about the Confederacy? Because our textbooks are wrong.]

Jefferson, an avid writer, never mentioned Hemings in his work. He did, however, grapple with issues of emancipation throughout his life. In his Notes on the State of Virginia, Jefferson spent a substantial section attempting to answer the question, Why not retain and incorporate the blacks into the state, and thus save the expence [sic] of supplying, by importation of white settlers, the vacancies they will leave? Despite fathering Hemingss children, Jefferson argued against race mixing because black people were inferior to the whites in the endowments both of body and mind.

Other slave-owning founders rose above the times to change their minds about the dreadful institution  including Ben Franklin, who became an outspoken abolitionist later in life, and George Washington, who freed his enslaved servants in his will. But Jefferson did no such thing. He owned 607 men, women and children at Monticello, and though some argue that he loved Hemings, he granted freedom to only two people while he was alive and five people in his will  and never to her.

Romanticizing Hemings and Jeffersons so-called relationship minimizes the deadly imbalance of power that black people suffered under before the Civil War. It also obscures our collective history as a nation that moved from being built on the blood, bones and backs of enslaved African Americans and indigenous people, to being the imperfect, hopeful and yet still unequal country we are today.

Twitter: @BritniDWrites

Read more from Outlook and follow our updates on Facebook and Twitter.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said Thursday that if his party fails to muster 50 votes for its plan to rewrite the Affordable Care Act, it will have no choice but to draft a more modest bill with Democrats to support the laws existing insurance markets.

The remarks, made at a Rotary Club lunch in Glasgow, Ky., represent a significant shift for the veteran legislator. While he had raised the idea last week that Republicans may have to turn to Democrats if they cannot pass their own bill, his words mark the first time he has explicitly raised the prospect of shoring up the ACA.

If my side is unable to agree on an adequate replacement, then some kind of action with regard to the private health insurance market must occur, McConnell said. No action is not an alternative. Weve got the insurance markets imploding all over the country, including in this state.

McConnell, who pledged in 2014 to eradicate the law also known as Obamacare root and branch, initially raised the prospect of having to work with Democrats last week after he pulled a measure he had crafted behind closed doors. That bill would jettison the ACAs requirement that most individuals prove they have health coverage, would repeal or delay billions in taxes imposed under the current law and would make deep, long-term cuts to the nations Medicaid program.

But while he previously declared that Republicans need to come up with a solution if they wanted to make real changes to the nations health-care system, McConnell on Thursday acknowledged how difficult it is proving to craft an alternative that can satisfy the GOPs conservative and centrist camps.

His suggestion that he and his colleagues might instead try to bolster the insurance exchanges created under the ACA is at odds with Republican talking points that they are beyond repair. The marketplaces were built for people who do not have access to affordable coverage through a job, and at last count slightly more than 10 million Americans had health plans purchased through the exchanges. More than 8 in 10 customers bought their plans with federal subsidies the law provides.

Until now, both congressional Republicans and the Trump administration have contended that the collapse of the ACA marketplaces is a main reason to erase much of the 2010 law.

[A town hall in Kansas shows Republican struggles with health-care bill]

McConnell said Thursday in Glasgow that he continues to twist the dial to build support for his legislation. But with no Democrats willing to back it, he can lose no more than two of his 52 caucus members. Vice President Pence would then cast the tiebreaking vote.

A spokesman said Thursday evening that there was literally no difference between McConnells remarks this week and last week, when he said that either Republicans will agree and change the status quo, or the markets will continue to collapse and well have to sit down with Democrats.

Both times he was talking about passing something, Don Stewart said. His point was: The only way Democrats would work with us is [to] prop up Obamacare, not fix it.

Yet the Fourth of July recess has not bolstered the political prospects for McConnells legislation; GOP senators have been peppered with questions by constituents anxious about the potential impact on their coverage. In the past several days, some senators have implied that considerable work would still be required before the Better Care Reconciliation Act could pass the Senate.

Sen. Patrick J. Toomey (R-Pa.), a conservative who has played a key role in the chambers health-care negotiations this year, said Wednesday during an appearance before a live audience at WHTM-TV in Harrisburg, Were still several weeks away from a vote, I think.

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.), who opposed McConnells original draft bill, also is voicing skepticism about the chances of reaching a consensus. If we cannot bring the conference together and agree on repeal legislation, then I think President Trumps absolutely right that we should pass a clean repeal, Cruz told reporters Thursday, adding that such a repeal should be delayed either a year or two years to allow time for a replacement.

Earlier in the day, Cruz said in an interview with KTSA radio in San Antonio that though he was feeling hopeful, I dont know if we get it done or not. The situation, he said, is precarious.

Meanwhile, Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) told a town hall meeting in rural Palco that there are people who tell me they are better off with the ACA, and I believe them. Moran, who said last week he did not support the GOP measure in its current form, called for a national debate that includes legislative hearings. . . . It needs to be less politics and more policy.

President Trump has repeatedly pronounced the ACA dead. And in contrast with their predecessors in the Obama administration, who talked up the laws marketplaces, Health and Human Services officials have been issuing maps, detailing in red the number of U.S. counties in danger of being without marketplace offerings for 2018. The most recent map, released Wednesday, showed 40 bare counties in Ohio, Indiana and Nevada.

[Cruz calls for clean repeal of ACA if Senate talks fall apart  aligning him with Trump, not McConnell]

This naysaying is at odds with official forecasts of the marketplaces likely future. In estimating the effects of McConnells bill, the Congressional Budget Office said that, if the ACA were left intact, its exchanges would remain stable in most areas.

The forecast noted that a small number of people live in parts of the country in which few insurers have been interested in selling individual policies. Some of the companies now may withdraw, in part because of the changes that Republicans have been considering. Those include eliminating the ACAs requirement that most Americans carry health insurance and abolishing $7 billion in cost-sharing subsidies that have helped lower-income consumers afford their health plans deductibles and copays.

Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) on Thursday called McConnells statement encouraging and said his caucus is eager to work with Republicans to stabilize the markets and improve the law. At the top of the list should be ensuring cost-sharing payments are permanent, which will protect health care for millions.

But there has been no outreach yet from GOP Senate leaders to their Democratic counterparts, and the two parties remain far apart in terms of which policy solutions each prefers when it comes to revamping the ACA. Still, more than half a dozen rank-and-file members from both parties huddled privately in May to discuss finding common ground.

Among those were some of the most outspoken GOP critics of McConnells bill, such as Shelley Moore Capito (W.Va.), Susan Collins (Maine) and Bill Cassidy (La.), as well as Democrats such as Joe Donnelly (Ind.), Heidi Heitkamp (N.D.) and Joe Manchin III (W.Va.).

Before the recess, Heitkamp said in an interview that she would be telling constituents that she remained open to bipartisan negotiations  if certain conditions are met.

The real thing here is making sure people understand that there are choices, she said. That we can fix whats wrong with the Affordable Care Act without taking away Medicaid for disabled kids. That we can fix whats wrong with the Affordable Care Act without giving billions of dollars of tax breaks to the wealthiest among us. That we have an opportunity to work together here if we can figure out how to collaborate. And that the way to do it is not in some backroom; the way to do it is in a markup in a hearing with regular order.

Ed OKeefe and Sean Sullivan contributed to this report.
President Trump brought a starkly populist and nationalistic message to Europe on Thursday, characterizing Western civilization as under siege and putting the United States on a potential collision course with European and Asian powers that embrace a more cooperative approach to the world.

Speaking in Warsaw ahead of his arrival here in Germany for a contentious Group of 20 summit, Trump delivered an address that was both provocative and short on specifics  arguing that Western values are increasingly imperiled by radical Islamic terrorism and extremism and casting himself as a champion in a vaguely defined clash of cultures.

The fundamental question of our time is whether the West has the will to survive. Do we have the confidence in our values to defend them at any cost? Trump said, speaking at a monument to a past struggle, the 1944 Polish resistance to Nazi occupation in World War II. Do we have enough respect for our citizens to protect our borders? Do we have the desire and the courage to preserve our civilization in the face of those who would subvert and destroy it?

Later in the day, Trump took to Twitter to proclaim that THE WEST WILL NEVER BE BROKEN. Our values will PREVAIL.

The fiery address to a friendly crowd stacked with supporters of Polands populist ruling party did not define those Western values in any detail, however, and was devoid of the kind of explicit endorsement of democratic ideals common among past U.S. presidents. Unlike President Barack Obama last year, for example, Trump did not direct any criticism at his host, Polish President Andrzej Duda, for a crackdown on press freedoms and for other restrictive policies.

From left, South Korean President Moon Jae-in, President Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe together ahead the Group of 20 summit in Hamburg on Thursday (Carlos Barria/Reuters)

And on the eve of a planned 30-minute meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Trump again refused to say definitively whether Russia had interfered in the U.S. elections, as U.S. intelligence agencies strongly assert, though he did rebuke Moscow for its destabilizing activities in Ukraine and elsewhere.

[Phone taps, power plays and sarcasm: What its like to negotiate with Vladimir Putin]

Trumps foreboding message in Warsaw stood in stark contrast to the more optimistic notes struck by Germanys Angela Merkel and other European leaders at the start of the G-20 summit here in Hamburg. The days events included the formal announcement of a trade agreement between the European Union and Japan, a deal akin in size to the North American Free Trade Agreement and other multilateral pacts that Trump has vilified and sought to scrap or alter.

Besides trade, the two-day G-20 meeting highlights several other fissures between Trump and European leaders, including on climate change and immigration.

As protesters clashed with police armed with pepper stray and water cannons outside the summit Thursday, Trump and Merkel met directly for about an hour, according to German officials, who characterized the meeting as friendly but contentious, particularly on trade.

The question is whether the Americans are still convinced that world trade always needs to be assessed according to one question, namely whether the U.S. is the winner, or whether well manage to convince the Americans that when everyone plays by the same fair rules, everyone will be better off, German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel told German broadcaster ARD afterward.

A U.S. account of the meeting made no mention of the tensions.

The stop in Poland  which Trump called the geographic heart of Europe  was both a symbolic and strategic choice for the new American president. The Eastern European nation is a critical U.S. ally and perhaps the European capital most welcoming to Trumps nationalist message.

Leaving little to chance at a tightly choreographed speech, Polish government officials arranged for buses to bring supporters into the city from the rural parts of the country, where the ruling partys support is strongest.

[Trump needs some nice pictures from Europe, and Poland is happy to oblige]

Poland is one of the few NATO countries that has met an agreement to contribute at least 2 percent of its gross domestic product to defense spending, an issue that Trump has repeatedly raised since the campaign. It was one of many things Trump praised Poland for on Thursday.

But Trump also said military spending alone is not enough to preserve Western civilization.

Our own fight for the West does not begin on the battlefield, he said. It begins with our minds, our wills and our souls. Today, the ties that unite our civilization are no less vital and demand no less defense than that bare shred of land on which the hope of Poland once totally rested.

Speaking with nationalist overtones, Trump praised Poland as an example of a nation that had persevered despite grave challenges, saying it offered the story of a people who have never lost hope, who have never been broken, and who have never forgotten who they are.

Polands current right-leaning, populist government has proven a natural ally for Trump. The countrys Law and Justice Party has embraced some of the main pillars of Trumps candidacy, including a similar resistance to accepting Muslim refugees.

While we will always welcome new citizens who share our values and love our people, our borders will always be closed to terrorism and extremism, Trump said Thursday. He also decried the steady creep of government bureaucracy that drains the vitality and wealth of the people.

Trumps speech was also notable for its explicit commitment to Article 5, the collective security provision of the NATO treaty. The United States has demonstrated not merely with words, but with its actions, that we stand firmly behind Article 5, the mutual defense commitment, Trump said.

Trump had notably left out a mention of Article 5 during a speech in late May at NATOs new headquarters in Brussels. Every U.S. president since Harry Truman in 1949 has pledged to honor the policy that an attack on an alliance nation is an attack on all of them.

[Ahead of meeting with Putin, Trump still wont say Russia interfered in 2016 election]

In a day of mixed messages toward Russia, Trump used his Warsaw speech to offer his firmest rebuke of Moscow.

We urge Russia to cease its destabilizing activities in the Ukraine and elsewhere and its support for hostile regimes, including Syria and Iran, and instead join the community of responsible nations in our fight against common enemies and defense of civilization itself, Trump said.

Earlier in the day, Trump struck a different tone. When asked during a joint news conference with Duda about Russian meddling in last years U.S. election, Trump refused to say definitively that he believes Russia was responsible.

I think it could very well have been Russia, but I think it could well have been other countries Trump said. Nobody really knows. Nobody really knows for sure.

Trump also used the appearance to continue his feud with CNN, saying the network has been fake news for a long time. He called NBC equally as bad, despite the fact that I made them a fortune with The Apprentice,  a reference to the long-running reality show that starred Trump.

Shortly after arriving in Germany, Trump met with Merkel, with whom Trump has had a chilly relationship during his first months in office. Appearing briefly before the media, the pair appeared casual with each other and chatted freely. They shook hands while looking directly at each other  in contrast to their first meeting in Washington, when Trump declined a handshake in front of news cameras.

In a statement afterward, the White House said Trump and Merkel discussed a number of foreign policy and national security priorities, including the ongoing conflict between Qatar and Persian Gulf and Arab states, the North Korean crisis and the conflict in Ukraine.

[Japan and Europe counter Trump with colossal trade deal]

Gabriel, the German foreign minister, said discussion of climate and trade issues are still clearly contentious. He and U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson were among those who attended the meeting.

Gabriel has often advocated for better relations between the West and Russia, and he said Germany was very happy about the Friday meeting scheduled between Trump and Putin.

If relations between the United States and Russia continue to be as bad as they are now, this is bad for the whole world, he said.

Trump is also scheduled to meet Friday with Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto. An earlier meeting between the two was canceled over Trumps insistence that Mexico pay for a vast new wall along the border between the two countries.

On trade, Trump is attempting to leverage the United States economic power to negotiate deals in the countrys favor, but foreign leaders appear increasingly ready to bypass the U.S. president.

On the eve of the G-20 summit, leaders from Japan and the E.U. announced their agreement on the broad strokes of a trade deal that will cover nearly 30 percent of the global economy, 10 percent of the worlds population and 40 percent of global trade.

The announcement appeared to be a calculated rebuke of both the United States and Britain, which voted to leave the E.U. last year.

For Trump, another priority is shoring up support for his effort to contain North Korea after its defiant test of an intercontinental ballistic missile. Trump warned Thursday that North Korea could face some pretty severe consequences, but Washington also confronted firm opposition from Russia and China over any possible response.

Appearing briefly before the press before a dinner Thursday, Trump was asked by a reporter whether he had given up on Chinese President Xi Jinping to lean on North Korea to cease its activities.

Never give up, Trump said.

Are you disappointed? the reporter persisted, referring to Trumps complaints in recent days that trade between China and North Korea has increased.

Trump didnt answer.

Wagner reported from Washington. Ana Swanson in Washington and Stephanie Kirchner in Berlin contributed to this report.
(Nathan Schwarz/YouTube)

During a week most Republican senators spent in the political equivalent of the witness protection program, Sen. Ted Cruz willingly stood trial before his constituents all across this sprawling state over his push to repeal much of the Affordable Care Act.

He debated a self-described dirty liberal progressive. He met a psychologist who told him that he and his colleagues were scaring the living daylights out of her. He encountered protesters in a border town, a conservative Dallas suburb and this liberal stronghold.

Some who attended his events took the opposite view  that not shredding the law known as Obamacare would be the real misdeed. But Cruzs main offense, in the view of the most vocal and most frustrated attendees, has been to participate in the GOP effort to undo and replace key parts of the ACA  which will resume when lawmakers return to Washington on Monday.



Bill Kelberlau, 68, of Georgetown, Tex., speaks with a reporter after the Ted Cruz town hall in Austin. (Ilana Panich-Linsman/for The Washington Post)

Cruz, who did two Sunday news show interviews, is suddenly at the center of a last-gasp attempt to work out differences among GOP senators and pass a bill by the end of July  a goal that Sen John McCain (R-Ariz.) said on CBSs Face The Nation is probably going to be dead.

The Texas Republican is pushing a controversial amendment that would prompt a deeper rollback of the ACA. The measure could bring reluctant conservatives on board, but it also threatens to alienate key GOP moderates.

I think really the consumer freedom option is the key to bringing Republicans together and getting this repeal passed, Cruz said on ABCs This Week with George Stephanopoulos. His proposal would let insurers sell narrower plans that dont comply with ACA coverage requirements  to cover maternity or dental or preventive care, for instance  so long as they also offer even one plan that does.

I think that reopens an issue that I cant support, that it would make it too difficult for people with preexisting conditions to get coverage, Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) told the Charleston Gazette-Mail.

Cruz is grappling with a state that, much like the rest of the country, has been deeply divided and firmly gripped by the months-long GOP effort to fulfill its signature campaign promise. Virtually everywhere he traveled over the July Fourth recess, no matter where the conversation started, it inevitably veered to health care. That may help explain why so many of his colleagues kept much lower profiles.

But Cruz, who built a national reputation on strident conservatism and has fiercely criticized the ACA for years, seemed to relish debating health care with vocal liberal critics. In a red state where he holds little crossover appeal, Cruz sees his best path to a second term, which he will seek next year, in rallying his conservative base to turn out for him. Even as he antagonizes a growing number of voters concerned about the fate of the ACA, doing his part to push for a full or even partial repeal is one key way his allies think he can make that happen.

Whether such legislation can pass is increasingly uncertain  to both Cruz and Senate GOP leadership. I believe we can get to yes, said Cruz last week. I dont know if we will.

Engaging with foes

Cruz spent Thursday evening in a hotel ballroom here at a town hall hosted by Concerned Veterans for America, a group backed by the billionaire conservative Koch brothers. The organization held two events for Cruz over the past week, with one more coming Saturday, with the aim of offering a more controlled environment than typical town hall meetings.



Cruz takes questions from audience members in Austin. (Ilana Panich-Linsman/for The Washington Post)

To attend, people were required to register in advance. The groups policy director, Dan Caldwell, moderated the discussions, keeping them mostly focused on veterans issues and selecting a handful of audience questions submitted in advance.

The first half of Thursdays event here so closely resembled Wednesday nights version in suburban Dallas that Cruz even cracked the same joke about banishing bureaucrats to Iceland  and received similarly limited laughter.

But the predictability ended when Gary Marsh and others jumped in without being called on by Caldwell and engaged Cruz in a tense back-and-forth over health care.

Can I please request that you refer to it as the Affordable Care Act, Marsh told Cruz at one point. Cruz declined, drawing some applause. The senator said he did not believe in deceptive speech  prompting outraged laughter from his critics.

Cruz, dressed in a dark blazer, khaki pants and brown cowboy boots, then launched into a detailed defense of his opposition to Obamacare and the imperative to roll it back.

Caldwell tried to redirect the conversation to the questioner he had originally called on. But Cruz overruled him, allowing Marsh a chance to respond. Marsh, a 67-year-old retiree, said he knew he could not change Cruzs mind, but he hoped to sway others in the room.

Repealing Obamacare was the single biggest factor producing a Republican House, a Republican Senate and I think ultimately a Republican president, Cruz said. He said the central focus of Republicans now should be to lower premiums.



A police officer keeps people from demonstrating on hotel property at the Renaissance Austin Hotel, where Cruz held his town hall. (Ilana Panich-Linsman/for The Washington Post)

Marsh proudly called himself a dirty liberal progressive in a conversation with reporters after the event. John Walker, 69, walked over to confront him. The self-described conservative wasnt pleased.

You monopolized the meeting. Thats the problem I have with you and everybody else that does that, Walker told him. In an interview, Walker, who is retired and on Medicare, said he favors replacing Obamacare with something better that would make coverage affordable for his adult children, who cant manage premiums. He said he is not yet convinced that the Senate GOP bill would accomplish that.

A similar flash of discord appeared Wednesday in McKinney, the Dallas suburb. After Cruz finished speaking, Buddy Luce was not happy with what he heard from the senator about overhauling Obamacare.

Im not impressed with a plan that takes away  the 65-year-old attorney started explaining to a reporter. Before he could finish his thought, Ivette Lozano had rushed over to argue with him.

Im a family practitioner, she told him. Obamacare is putting me out of business.

Dont you think health care is a human right? he asked her.

No, I think its personal responsibility to take care of you, she responded.

If you dont think health care is a human right, then were just on a different wavelength, Luce retorted.

Manifest disaster

For 47 minutes, the McKinney town hall was free of controversy. As Cruz spoke to Caldwell about veterans matters, the audience listened quietly. But then came a query from a far corner of the hotel ballroom. And the mood quickly shifted.

You all on the Hill are scaring the living daylights out of us with the health-care nonsense that youre doing, said Misty Hook, who described herself as an overflow psychologist who works with veterans unable to obtain services through the Department of Veterans Affairs. She worried about the GOP push to allow insurers in some states to opt out of certain coverage requirements.

What are you going to do to help make sure that mental-health-care services are reimbursed at a proper rate so that we can continue to provide services for veterans? asked Hook, the urgency apparent in her voice.

Cruz, leaning forward in his armchair, offered an extended defense of the effort to undo key parts of Obamacare. He called it a manifest disaster, prompting some to shake their heads in disagreement.

You didnt answer her question about how mental health is going to be covered, one woman interjected.

Well, I am answering it right now, Cruz replied. But before he could continue, Luce abruptly jumped into the conversation from the other side of the room. He continued breaking in, eventually drawing a warning from the senator: Sir, Im happy to answer your questions, but Im not going to engage in a yelling back-and-forth.

Outside the event, a few dozen protesters lined up about an hour before it started and displayed signs with such messages as GOP Care Treats the Rich Kills the Weak and Yea! ACA fix it dont nix it. Pam Slavin, who helped organize the protest, estimated that about 150 people showed up for it by the time it ended. Cruz had encountered similar protests when he visited McAllen on the U.S.-Mexico border.

After the event, Cruz called the health-care back-and-forth a good and productive exchange.

This is an issue that inspires passion, and quite understandably. People care about their health care, Cruz said.

As Republican senators prepare to return to the Capitol, there is ample doubt among them that they will be able to strike a deal.

A 50-50 prospect?

I would probably put that as 50-50, Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) said on Fox News Sunday. Cassidy is among the GOP senators who have voiced concerns about Cruzs amendment.

But to many on the right, Cruzs idea could be key to winning over hesitant conservatives who want to see a more forceful strike against Obamacare. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) is expected by some to place greater responsibility on Cruz to pitch his amendment to skeptics, which could put more of a burden on the Texan to help save the broader effort. Cruzs team said he looks forward to continuing his push.

Many close observers say they think Cruz is likely to support the final version of the bill, even though he does not support the initial version McConnell released.

[At parades and protests, GOP lawmakers get earful about health care]

[A town hall in Kansas shows Republican struggles with health-care bill]



Bob Kafka, 71, a disabled Vietnam veteran, talks with an Austin police officer as he and others try to enter the Renaissance Austin Hotel property, where Cruz held a town hall meeting Thursday. Ted Cruz is hosting veterans today, but he doesnt represent all veterans, Kafka said. (Ilana Panich-Linsman/for The Washington Post)

Cruz, like President Trump, thinks that if Republicans fall short, the Senate ought to vote on a narrower bill to repeal the law  what he calls a clean repeal  and focus on replacing it afterward. But McConnell has embraced a very different kind of backup plan: Working with Democrats on a more modest bill to stabilize insurance markets.

Broad disagreements over how to structure the nations health-care system are sharpening the contrasting way lawmakers such as Cruz are viewed at home.

As she stood in line with her husband to talk to Cruz after the Wednesday town hall, Jennifer Beauford, 42, said she wants a full repeal and I dont want a replacement.

Health care is not a constitutional right. Its a privilege, said Beauford, who identified as a conservative Cruz supporter.

Outside among the protesters stood Kerry Green, 46, a history teacher who wore a shirt printed with the Declaration of Independence. A self-identified Democrat, Green held up a sign urging health care for the 21st Century rather than the 20th. She sharply criticized the GOP bill.

As for Cruz? He needs to go, she said.

David Weigel in Washington contributed to this report.

Read more at PowerPost
The Islamic State mounted a counterattack in the flash-point city of Mosul on Friday, delaying the prospect of an imminent Iraqi victory, according to military officials.

Commanders said the militant group launched a wave of suicide attacks in the Old City around midday, threatening the governments gains in an area that has become the Islamic States final redoubt in the city.

They sent some suicide bombers today along with fighters, and our forces killed them all, said Brig. Gen Shakir Rodhan of the armys 16th Division, dismissing the pushback as a normal thing in any battle.

The development appeared to underscore the fragility of military victories against the Islamic State in Mosul, where forces exhausted by the grueling eight-month offensive there find themselves vulnerable to counterattacks as they try to reestablish control.

The Islamic States capture of the northern Iraqi city in June 2014 capped the groups efforts to seize control of large swaths of territory it would come to describe as its caliphate. Three years on, the loss of the city would represent a near-fatal blow to its territorial pretensions.

1 of 48 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad  The battle for Mosul View Photos Iraqi forces continue their most ambitious fight against the Islamic State. Caption Iraqi forces continue their most ambitious fight against the Islamic State. Iraqi Federal police celebrate in West Mosul. Alaa Al-Marjani/Reuters Wait 1 second to continue.

[U.S.-backed forces breach wall of Raqqas Old City in the heart of Syrian ISIS capital]

Iraqi units have cornered the militants in a sliver of land near the Tigris River. The offensive has been led by elite U.S.-trained special forces, but as the Islamic State mounts a final stand, territory to the north is being held by Iraqs regular army and the police.

Iraqi commanders said Friday that the fight for the last 10,000 square yards of Islamic State territory had slowed considerably because of the number of civilians still trapped in the area  as many as 20,000, according to U.N. estimates.

There are too many families there, and we came to liberate, not to kill, said Lt. Gen. Sami al-Aridhi, a special forces commander.

U.S.-led coalition airstrikes in Mosul have shattered neighborhoods and left hundreds of civilians dead, according to monitoring groups. In a report released Friday, the Pentagon said that coalition airstrikes had killed 119 civilians between April 19 and May 23, nearly half of them in or near Mosul.

Monitoring groups say the toll is far higher and have urged the coalition to investigate more of its strikes.

In four recently recaptured neighborhoods of western Mosul visited this week, many of the houses had been reduced to rubble and rebar, making it hard to tell where one ended and another began.

The bodies of Islamic State fighters lay where they had fallen, rotting in the sun.

Read more

Iraqi forces recapture iconic Mosul mosque, now little more than rubble

Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world

Like Washington Post World on Facebook and stay updated on foreign news
Waseem Al-Ja'bari, a maintenance technician, surveys the damage June 28 at the empty racks for solar panels confiscated last week by Israeli authorities from the Dutch-funded solar project that was powering this Palestinian village. (Anne-Marie O'Connor/For The Washington Post)

The residents of this dirt-poor Palestinian village waited decades for electricity. But in November, a Dutch-funded solar project finally gave them round-the-clock power to refrigerate food or do a load of laundry.

That ended last week when Israeli military administrators in the West Bank sent soldiers with assault rifles and a team of workers to shut down the $400,000 project, ripping out its electrical components and driving away with 96 solar panels, some of them broken, villagers said.

Israeli officials called the construction illegal, but the builders contested the charge, saying they are providing desperately needed humanitarian aid that is required under international law.

It was a disaster. We are all in mourning, said Fadia al-Wahsh, head of the local womens committee, hours after the soldiers left, as villagers discussed how to save food and medicine from the stifling summer heat.

The confiscation was the latest round of a widening conflict between European donors and the Israeli government over projects that benefit Palestinians in Area C, about 60 percent of the West Bank under full Israeli control.





The Netherlands immediately protested to the Israeli authorities and demanded the return of the confiscated goods, said Dirk-Jan Vermeij, a spokesman for Foreign Minister Bert Koenders, who he said told Dutch parliament Tuesday that this confiscation is simply unacceptable. He said Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte had discussed the issue with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Emmanuel Nahshon declined to comment in a text exchange but referred questions to Israels military Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories, known as COGAT. A spokesman for COGAT said in an email that the solar and electric panels were installed without the necessary permits.

COGAT said the parties involved could file a request for releasing the equipment as long as the organization will promise that the illegal construction will not be established without the necessary permits again.

[20 minutes from modern Jerusalem, a Palestinian village is stranded in the past]

The incident illustrates a Catch-22 in the West Bank: For years, Israel has denied most permit requests for Palestinian construction in Area C. But if Palestinians build homes or other structures without permits, Israeli authorities say the structures are subject to demolition because they lack permits.

The European Union said in a recent report that there has been an exceptional upsurge in seizures or demolitions of European-funded projects by the Israeli government, which faces pressure from Israeli settlers to shut them down.

The report said Israeli forces have seized or demolished 117 European-funded humanitarian projects for Palestinians from September through February: latrines, animal shelters, agricultural projects and emergency shelters for families displaced by Israeli home demolitions.

A Dutch-funded solar energy system was installed in this impoverished Palestinian village in November. Its panels were seized last week by Israeli authorities who called it illegal construction, saying the village did not have the necessary permits. The village women's committee has been trying to acquire electricity for the village, which first requested power three decades ago. (Courtesy of Comet-ME/Courtesy of Comet-ME)

E.U. humanitarian activities are carried out in full accordance with international humanitarian law, the E.U. said in a February statement, calling on Israel to halt demolitions of Palestinian houses and property in accordance with its obligation as an occupying power under international humanitarian law.

Israels ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, told Army Radio that he saw political motives behind E.U. construction, the Times of Israel reported.

Like thieves in the night, they are building illegal buildings . . . to create territorial contiguity for the Palestinians, he was quoted as saying. They are creating facts on the ground.

A May U.N. report said Israeli authorities reportedly rejected permits for 391 of the 428 requests for building in Palestinian communities in Area C in the first half of 2016, the most current figures available.

Most of the permits approved were reportedly issued by Israeli authorities to transfer Bedouin populations, the United Nations said.

 Lack of permits is the cynical pretext used by Israeli authorities to create the illusion that proper procedures exist, BTselem, an Israeli human rights group, said in a statement.

[A new Jewish settlement begins to rise in the West Bank ]

A Israeli government proposal to allow thousands of new housing units in the Palestinian town of Qalqilya recently drew outraged public statements from Israeli settler leaders  who call for Israel to annex Area C  and was openly criticized by several right-wing ministers in the Netanyahu government.

Jubbet adh Dhib, a village of 170 people, has requested a hookup to the electrical grid numerous times since 1988, according to Human Rights Watch. European-funded solar streetlights were dismantled in 2009 at the request of Israeli authorities, European diplomats say.

A few hundred yards from it is the Jewish settlement of Sde Bar, founded in 1998, according to the nongovernmental Settlement Watch. Residents say they received Israeli utilities and protection for years before Sde Bar was legalized retroactively in 2005.

Michael Sfard, the legal counsel for Comet-ME, the Israeli-Palestinian nonprofit that installed the solar electricity system, said he would fight the decision to shut it down and would appeal to Israels highest court, if necessary, on the grounds that Israel was violating international law by damaging humanitarian aid without providing an alternative.

This has nothing to do with law enforcement, Sfard said. We have two neighboring communities in the West Bank, one with all the privileges, and another that has nothing. Its cruel.

COGAT said Jubbet adh Dhib has an electricity alternative, an apparent reference to a generator that consumes $100 a day in diesel fuel  villagers say they can afford to run it only a few hours a day.

I explained to them that we had medicine in the refrigerator, insulin for diabetics, said Amna al-Wahsh, a member of the womens committee. They said, Move away; let us do our job. 

Anat Ben Nun, external relations director of Peace Now, said demolitions of Palestinian homes reached record levels in 2016, while unauthorized Israeli outposts with roads, water and electricity, all built completely illegally  are being retroactively legalized.

The solar project in Jubbet adh Dhib was touted as an inspirational success for the womens committee, which is trained to cope with medical emergencies, such as delivering babies.

At a March International Womens Day event in Ramallah, Amna al-Wahsh described the transformation of her village.

We have refrigerators, washing machines, she said. Our children can study whenever they like. I used to be afraid to let my children go to the bathroom with a candle, because they could burn down the house.

We are indescribably happy, she said, as the audience, including European and American donors, applauded.

Read more:

The $1.4 billion bet on a new Palestinian future

Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world

Like Washington Post World on Facebook and stay updated on foreign news
Grandparents and other extended relatives of people in the United States are not exempt from President Trumps travel ban, a federal judge effectively decided Thursday as he denied a bid to curtail enforcement of the executive order meant to keep out citizens of six Muslim-majority countries.

U.S. District Judge Derrick K. Watson wrote that he would not usurp the prerogative of the Supreme Court, and if those suing over the ban wanted relief, they should take their claims there.

That means the government, at least for now, can use the travel ban to block citizens of the affected countries if they are the grandparents, grandchildren, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins, brothers-in-law or sisters-in-law of people in the United States. Officials can also block refugees with a formal assurance from a resettlement agency.

The administration had wanted to keep such people out, and thought a recent Supreme Court ruling partially lifting lower courts freezes on the travel ban allowed them to do so. But those who had sued over the ban disagreed, and they asked Watson to intervene  which he declined to do.

[Travel ban takes effect as State Department defines close family]

Because Plaintiffs seek clarification of the June 26, 2017 injunction modifications authored by the Supreme Court, clarification should be sought there, not here, Watson wrote.

Neal Katyal, a lawyer for those challenging the ban, noted on Twitter the ruling offered no decision on the merits of dispute, but simply said it was the Supreme Courts place to decide.

The Supreme Court had ruled late last month that the government could begin enforcing the measure, but not on those with a credible claim of a bona fide relationship with a person or entity in the United States.

The court offered only limited guidance on what type of relationship would qualify. Close familial relationships would count, the court said, as would ties such as a job offer or school acceptance letter that were formal, documented, and formed in the ordinary course.

The government put the measure into effect on June 29, suspending the refugee program and barring the issuance of new visas to residents of Iran, Somalia, Sudan, Libya, Yemen and Syria without U.S. connections. But for opponents of the ban, the administrations interpretation of who had a connection was too narrow.

The administration said it would let into the United States from the six affected countries parents, parents-in-law, siblings, spouses, children, sons and daughters and sons-in-law and daughters-in-law of those already here. (Officials initially wanted to keep out fiances, but later relented.)

Still banned, though, were grandparents, grandchildren, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins, brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law. And the administration also said it would keep out refugees that had a formal assurance from a resettlement agency.

[What the Supreme Courts travel ban ruling means]

Hawaii, which had initially sued over the ban, objected in court, asking Watson to clarify that such people could not be blocked.

The Government does not have discretion to ignore the Courts injunction as it sees fit, lawyers representing the state wrote.

The government shot back that it was drawing lines on who counted as a close family member based on its interpretation of the Immigration and Nationality Act. Justice Department lawyers asserted that the Supreme Court had made clear not all people with U.S. connections should be allowed in.

As the Supreme Court instructed, not all relationships with a person in the United States suffice to fall outside the stay and within the injunction, Justice Department lawyers wrote. Indeed, not even all familial relationships suffice; rather, a close familial relationship is required.

The matter is likely bound for higher courts. The government had asked Watson to put his ruling on hold pending an immediate request to the Supreme Court for clarification of its ruling, and even those suing agreed that any disputes remaining after Watsons order should be dealt with through expedited appellate review.

The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear arguments in the fall on whether Trumps travel ban can pass legal muster. So far, it has only temporarily blocked lower courts injunctions. Some of the justices predicted there might be problems before that.

Justice Clarence Thomas, in an opinion joined by justices Samuel A. Alito Jr. and Neil M. Gorsuch, wrote that he would have restored Trumps travel ban in full, in part because he felt the courts move to restore it only partially would prove unworkable

Todays compromise will burden executive officials with the task of deciding  on peril of contempt  whether individuals from the six affected nations who wish to enter the United States have a sufficient connection to a person or entity in this country, Thomas wrote. The compromise also will invite a flood of litigation until this case is finally resolved on the merits, as parties and courts struggle to determine what exactly constitutes a bona fide relationship, who precisely has a credible claim to that relationship, and whether the claimed relationship was formed simply to avoid the executive order, he wrote.

This story has been updated.
U.S. Marshals monitor activity outside the Martin Luther King, Jr. Federal Courthouse before opening statements are heard in the "Bridgegate" trial on Sep. 19, 2016 in Newark, New Jersey. (Mark Makela/Getty Images)

More than 1,400 law enforcement officers with the U.S. Marshals Service are wearing expired body armor, despite months of internal warnings, according to documents obtained by the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Ballistic vests have become a staple of law enforcement work, but the equipment can wear out or age so much that it becomes less effective at stopping bullets.

A senior employee of the U.S. Marshals recently provided documents to the Judiciary Committee showing that many of the agencys 3,900 operational employees have body armor with expiration dates in 2016 and 2017. The employee told committee staff he had been pressing the marshals for months to update the vests without much response.

The committees chairman, Sen. Charles E. Grassley (R-Iowa), is now pressing David Harlow, the head of the agency, to explain why so many of his employees have outdated body armor, and why he had previously testified to Congress that he was not aware of such problems.

More than 1,400 operational U.S. Marshals Service employees reportedly were wearing expired soft body armor at the end of June, Grassley wrote this week to Harlow.

(National Institute of Justice)

The Marshals Service guards courthouses, judges and witnesses, but it is best known as a fugitive-hunting agency. Apprehending fugitives, which often involve knocking down doors and searching houses, is particularly dangerous, and ballistic vests are essential gear for that work.

Body armor is something of a misnomer, because Kevlar and other products are tightly woven fiber panels designed to stop bullets from handguns. But those panels  made to go inside cloth vests  come with expiration dates, typically five years. How a vest is worn and stored can also change the effective life of a ballistic vest.

Michelle Coghill, a spokeswoman for the marshals, said safety of their personnel remains our agencys primary concern as we routinely pursue the most dangerous fugitives in the nation. She said the agency has replaced about 1,540 body armor vests through February and has funding to replace all expired vests by the end of September.

James Gagliano, a former FBI supervisor, said its important to keep up-to-date equipment but that how a vest is used and stored can be a bigger factor than age in determining its effectiveness.

The two biggest things that degrade them are exposure to water and direct sunlight, Gagliano said. Letting them sit in the trunk of a hot vehicle also isnt good.

Gagliano compared expiration dates on ballistic vests to expiration dates on medicine, adding youd rather err on the side of turning them in too early than turning them in too late.

Federal agencies tend to be conscientious about replacing older vests, Gagliano said, but local law enforcement agencies sometimes try to put off such purchases to save money. Its not going to become a cause celebre until the first cop is killed by a round that wasnt stopped and should have been stopped, he said.

Depending on the amount of wear and tear on a ballistic vest, expired body armor can fail at a higher rate. Tests have shown that tests on five-year-old soft body armor resulted in 11 penetrations out of 84 shots taken, according to Grassleys letter, which says the agency has been replacing some, but not all, parts of their deputies body armor.

Grassley said he was also concerned because the issue was raised at an April hearing.

When a member of the House subcommittee asked you about expired equipment on April 26, you stated you were not aware of it, Grassley wrote in his letter to Harlow. The senator added that the Marshals Service budget suggests the agency knowingly underfunded the plan, resulting in expired armor that the agency knew had a significant failure rate.

The issue has simmered behind closed doors since March, when a senior U.S. Marshals employee first provided information about the ballistic vests to Grassleys committee. The employee was removed from his acting duties and given different responsibilities, prompting Grassley to complain to the agency that this type of behavior is Retaliation 101, and it interferes with congressional oversight activities.

Grassley is also demanding answers about concerns raised inside the Marshals Service that the agencys fugitive-apprehension training program is inconsistent, leading to greater risks, particularly when deputies from different regions work together.

In a separate letter, Grassley wrote that the training program apparently has not been implemented as designed, un-vetted instructors are not teaching the standard training, deputies are learning disparate techniques and there is little oversight of what is actually taught and deployed in high risk fugitive operations. The result is more risk, not less.

Grassley said the apparent lapses may have contributed to the 2015 death of a deputy marshal in a high-risk fugitive apprehension operation in Baton Rouge.

Coghill, the spokeswoman, said the agencys fugitive-hunters receive comprehensive, state-of-the-art training to ensure our deputies can safety executive high risk fugitive operations, and she said the agency conducts vigorous reviews of incidents in which deputies are killed.
Former FBI Director Robert Mueller, the special counsel probing Russian interference in the 2016 election, has submitted a proposed budget to the Justice Department. The department declined to make it public Friday, but a special counsel spokesman said officials would release expenditure reports later. (Andrew Harnik/AP)

Special Counsel Robert Mueller has turned in a proposed budget to the Justice Department, but officials declined to make the document public and committed only to releasing reports of the teams expenditures every six months.

That means the public wont get a window into how much money Mueller thinks he will need to spend, though he will provide information on what he is spending. The first report will come sometime after Sept. 30, said Peter Carr, a spokesman for the special counsels office.

Mueller is less than two months into his investigation of possible coordination between the Trump campaign and the Russian government to influence the 2016 election, and his every move has come under scrutiny. President Trump has decried the probe as a witch hunt, and he and his supporters have raised questions about whether Mueller and his hires can be impartial.

[As Mueller builds his Russia special-counsel team, every hire is under scrutiny]

A Justice Department spokesman declined to comment.

Carr said Mueller has hired 16 lawyers to work with him. Together, the team is a formidable collection of legal talent with experience prosecuting national security, fraud and public corruption cases, arguing matters before the Supreme Court and assessing complicated legal questions.

Trump and his allies have pointed out that many are Democratic donors.

Seven special counsel team members have donated to Democratic campaigns  five of those to Hillary Clintons  and their giving totals nearly $53,000, according to Federal Election Commission records. The others have not donated at all, the records show.

[Here are the people investigating Russian meddling in the 2016 election]

The special counsels budget also could become a source of contention. Shortly before Mueller was appointed, Trump seemed to express disdain that tax dollars were being spent on the Russia investigation, writing on Twitter, The Russia-Trump collusion story is a total hoax, when will this taxpayer funded charade end? He will likely soon have specific dollar figures to pair with his tweets.

The regulation under which Mueller was appointed does not specifically detail how the special counsel must disclose expenses to the public. It requires only that Mueller be provided all appropriate resources by the Department of Justice, that he submit a proposed budget within his first 60 days and that he make a budget request 90 days before the start of the fiscal year.

When Patrick J. Fitzgerald, at the time a U.S. attorney, was appointed as special counsel to investigate the leak of the identity of CIA Officer Valerie Plame, the U.S. Government Accountability Office audited his expenditure statements every six months and released them publicly.
The United States and Russia have agreed to collaborate on backing a new cease-fire in southwest Syria, to begin Sunday, according to officials from both countries.

The agreement was reached a week ago but was not announced until after President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin held their first face-to-face meeting Friday in Hamburg, at the Group of 20 summit. It would mark the first collaborative operation between Washington and Moscow during the Trump administration.

Similar efforts, albeit on a much more ambitious scale, failed spectacularly under the Obama administration, as agreed cease-fires quickly fell apart. The United States and Russia are on opposing sides in Syrias civil war, which began almost six years ago.

This is our first indication of the U.S. and Russia being able to work together in Syria, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, in Hamburg with Trump, told reporters after the meeting. We had a very lengthy discussion regarding other areas in Syria [where] we can continue to work together, he said.

A senior State Department official, who was authorized to speak to reporters only on the condition of anonymity, emphasized the deliberately modest scale of the agreement. We made a conscious decision to focus on one part of the conflict, the official said, a more manageable part of a very, very complicated battle space.

(The Washington Post)

The cease-fire is to take place in and around the southwestern city of Daraa, in a part of Syria where the front lines are more cleanly drawn and have been relatively stabler between Russian-backed forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and U.S.-backed opposition fighters than elsewhere in the country.

At the same time, there is a lower proportion of outside actors involved in the fight in the southwest than in other parts of the complex Syrian battlefield. They include Iranian-backed militias such as Hezbollah fighting on Assads behalf and terrorist groups such as the former Jabhat al-Nusra fighting against Assad. Those numbers have been increasing lately in Daraa province, however, providing more impetus to the cease-fire negotiations.

While it has been largely out of the public eye compared with other parts of Syria, the fighting in Daraa has claimed the lives of scores of people. The Syrian air force has been pounding the area with the barrel bombs that brought the rebels to surrender in Aleppo last year. Large parts of rebel-controlled areas have been reduced to rubble.

Russian aircraft also have conducted bombing operations around Daraa in support of Syrian forces.

Daraa province lies along the western end of Syrias lengthy border with Jordan, which fears a new influx of Syrian refugees. The government in Amman helped negotiate the deal and is one of the signatories, along with Moscow and Washington.

Israel was a behind-the-scenes player. Israeli warplanes have struck Syrian government forces several times in the area in recent months, including three weeks ago in retaliation for what Israel said were 10 projectiles that flew across the border into the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.

The cease-fire, if it works, would freeze the fighting in a way that leaves the rebels in control of the Jordanian border and the de facto border with Israel, as well as portions of the surrounding countryside.





After lengthy negotiations over the past several months, the senior official said, the United States, Jordan and Russia last week reached agreement on a line on the map that separates the opposing forces. At that point, there was a certain logic in implementing it immediately. Then it was incumbent on us to move as quickly as possible, to make arrangements to ensure that it can be durable, the official said.

While the agreement calls for a robust monitoring component, that will not be in place when the cease-fire is scheduled to begin Sunday at noon Damascus time. The senior official said that talks on monitoring would continue.

Other U.S. officials said there was no intention of using U.S. troops on the ground as monitors or enforcers, although it was unclear who would do the job.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, in a news conference after the Trump-Putin meeting, said that at first, security around this de-escalation zone will be ensured by forces and means of Russian military police in coordination with Jordanians and Americans.

Later, at his own news conference, Tillerson said that we have a very clear picture of who will provide the security forces. But we have a few more details to work out. He declined to specify what those forces would be.

The senior official, briefing reporters in Washington, said that we hope to have that finalized in the next couple of days. Let me leave it at that.

Israel, however, has said it does not want Russian troops to deploy in the vicinity, according to a report Friday in the Israeli newspaper Haaretz.

The senior official said that a successful cease-fire could provide a template for further U.S.-Russia cooperation in Syria. The basis of the whole understanding is that each side uses its influence with those parties on the ground. We and Jordan have good relationships with the principal armed faction in southwest Syria, which he said was supportive of a cease-fire.

For its part, this official and others said, Russia would cease all air operations in the area and prevent Syrian planes from flying  effectively instituting a no-fly zone. Russia would be responsible for keeping Assad and allied ground forces within the cease-fires parameters, and both sides would be responsible for ensuring the free movement of humanitarian assistance to civilians.

Syrian opposition supporters in Daraa expressed skepticism about the agreement.

There have been deals and truces before, but the regime forces never committed to any of these deals, said Iyad al-Rifai, an optician who lives in Daraa. On the contrary, they always try to take advantage of the truce deals to advance.

The Syrian government made no immediate comment on the announced agreement.

Liz Sly in Beirut contributed to this report.
Protesters torched cars and blocked roads Friday as German authorities called in reinforcements to try to control running street battles while leaders of the worlds biggest economies met for talks.

Rallying against global capitalism, protesters played a game of cat-and-mouse with riot police, trying to shut down major streets and disrupt the first day of the Group of 20 summit.

By midnight, Schanzenviertel, a center of the citys left-wing activism, had become a battlefield, where about 1,500 militant protesters had set up barricades, smashed store windows and lit fires in the streets. Special forces carrying firearms were trying to clear the area, as authorities shut down some of the surrounding train stations. Police said heavily disguised protesters were attacking officers and throwing Molotov cocktails.

[The main story lines as Trump returns to Europe]

Across Hamburg, smoke billowed from cars set ablaze. Armored police vehicles fanned out across the city and helicopters patrolled. At least 196 officers  and many protesters  were reported injured since clashes began late Thursday, and about 100 protesters had been arrested, police said Friday evening.

Cars burn during anti-G20 protests in Hamburg on July 7, 2017. (Social Media/Reuters)

Both numbers were expected to rise, as tussles continued late into the evening. Protesters persisted in their attempt to seize intersections and other public spaces after beginning the day by trying to penetrate a broad police cordon clearing traffic along routes linking the summit venue to the airport and hotels.

The G-20 says it stands for 80 percent of the world, or the world economy, said Jana Schneider, 26, a criminology student in Hamburg. Well, not me.

One street blockade caused first lady Melania Trump to miss an event with the spouses of other world leaders. President Trump was the target of many protests.

Hamburg police called in reinforcements from across the country to join 20,000 officers already deployed. Forty-five water cannons were available to disperse crowds, and a no-fly zone was in place over portions of the city.

Crowds were expected to receive a high-profile boost after New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said he would join a major rally planned for Saturday.

The discord has produced an anguished debate, unfolding on the sidelines of the summit, about security and free expression, in a port city that, for a thousand years, has connected northern Europe to the far reaches of the globe. Its trademark openness is being tested as protesters  who could number as many as 100,000 by Saturday  turned the old merchant city into a site of a global contest over capitalism and environmental degradation, among many concerns.

Past summits have drawn similar demonstrations. But this years protest has targeted a triad of divisive figures: Russias Vladimir Putin, Turkeys Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Trump.

They are among the foreign leaders being hosted by German Chancellor Angela Merkel at a downtown conference center and the lofty Elbphilharmonie concert hall, a crown jewel of the city, which is among the countrys most affluent and yet burdened by an unemployment rate higher than the national average.

This week is about Angela Merkels austerity policy going global via G-20, said Jan van Aken, a member of the German Parliament from the far-left Die Linke party.

He accused the German government of seeking to suppress protest, saying its approach was autocratic and would make Erdogan, Putin and Trump feel at home here.

The government is sensitive to this point. Merkel appealed for calm, saying on Friday that she respected peaceful demonstrations but considered violence unacceptable.

The main issue is that the summit is again, after Brisbane, in a democracy, said Wolfgang Schmidt, a Hamburg politician involved in summit planning. Summits in Turkey and China followed the 2014 meeting in Australia. You want to make sure that protest and dissenting views are heard, but you also need to maintain security, and with 42 highly protected heads of state and finance and foreign ministers, its a challenge.

Tensions boiled over Thursday near Hamburgs harbor, as police tried to isolate a group of black bloc activists  known for their anarchist sympathies and for concealing their faces  from more than 10,000 protesters gathered for a Welcome to Hell demonstration.

The police behaved very badly last night, said Christian Buettner, 33, as he sat with other protesters blocking access to a bridge.

Some of the protesters played cards and drank iced tea. Elke Steven, who was monitoring the police response for a legal watchdog group, said police continued on Friday to turn too quickly to force. An officer deployed from Cologne said she sympathized with some of the activists complaints  but not their unwillingness to obey warnings to clear the streets.

Meanwhile, authorities defended their policing tactics. Hamburgs interior senator, Andy Grote, told reporters that the amount of criminal energy and the potential for violence among protesters had been shocking.

But the approach of many protesters made for a stark contrast with scenes of looting and rioting in pockets of the city.

Rather than being dragged from an intersection that police were trying to clear, Mona Jostem, 26, chose to leave of her own accord. Im not protesting the police, she said. But if we can delay the meetings or disrupt them in some way, maybe we can make them feel how fed up we are.

Michael Steiger, 52, said he sympathized with the officers. But he said they would be wise to remember Germanys history of political dissent  on issues as diverse as nuclear power and reunification  and the dangers of the states use of force against its own citizens.

I understand they have to do it, said Steiger, who works with the Boy Scouts in Greifswald, in northeastern Germany, in an effort to engage young people in the struggle against racism. He was born in Hamburg but moved east several years after reunification to join in advocacy work.

For years now, Germany has proudly allowed protest, after great repression, he said. Why stop now that the world is watching?

Read more

At G-20 summit, it looks more and more like Trump against the world



As concern about North Korea deepens, the U.S. and China are at odds



Europes fixer, Merkel, faces test in preparing the continent to confront Trump



Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world

Like Washington Post World on Facebook and stay updated on foreign news
Homeland Security Secretary John F. Kelly, shown testifying before a Senate subcommittee in May 2017, spoke in an interview in Mexico City on July 7, 2017, about the Trump administrations enforcement of U.S. immigration laws. (Matt McClain/The Washington Post)

Homeland Security Secretary John F. Kelly on Friday defended the Trump administrations policy of targeting immigrant families that pay to bring their children up from Central America, saying that the United States is finally enforcing the law on illegal immigration in that and other ways.

During an interview at the conclusion of a three-day visit to Mexico, Kelly described the migration flow, which has sent hundreds of thousands of people north to the United States in recent years, as an overwhelmingly economic phenomenon rather than a matter of people fleeing violence, as many in Central America insist.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents have focused on detaining and deporting people with criminal records, he said, despite allegations from the Mexican government and others about a wider crackdown. But they have also begun arresting people who pay smugglers to bring their children or other young relatives into the country.

If they do have family in the United States that then says, Well take them and sponsor them, were going to look at the family, Kelly said of youngsters apprehended at the border. If the family is illegal in the United States and we can make the case, which I think is very easy to make, that they were part of this human-smuggling process, then they broke the law. And well take the appropriate measures.

President Trumps executive orders and harsh rhetoric on immigration have alarmed many immigrants and their advocates. While deportations are roughly similar to levels under the Obama administration, the number of arrests of undocumented immigrants has risen sharply under Trump.

[Fact Checker: Trumps claim that illegal immigration is down 64% because of his administration]

Mexican officials have grown increasingly concerned about who is being deported from the United States and raised that issue with Kelly during his visit. The Mexican government, through its embassy in Washington, has compiled a list of deportees who may have been subject to a violation of due process and are looking for relief from the U.S. government, said Carlos Sada, a deputy foreign minister in charge of North American affairs.

These cases are something where the law has been applied dramatically, Sada said in an interview.

Sada said that ICE agents are applying the law more strictly than in the past and that they should use more flexibility, particularly in cases of immigrants who have lived for years in the United States, have children, are not violent and do not pose a threat to the country.

Kelly, in the interview, said that ICE doesnt do sweeps, doesnt do roadblocks, doesnt do raids into places of employment where they round everyone up and check on them.

But in the course of an arrest, an agent can ask other people in the vicinity about their immigration status and detain those people, Kelly said.

We much prefer to do these in jails, but since many jails dont cooperate with us, then we have to do this in neighborhoods, he said.

The other population of deportees, he said, consists of people who have gone through the immigration court process and been ordered to leave the country.

These are court-ordered deportations, he said. I get a lot of calls from members of Congress on individual cases. What I say to them is: Ive got a court order. I cant ignore it. 

Im going after the people who have broken U.S. law, in addition to being in the United States illegally, he said. So when members of Congress and others threaten me and chastise me for not using my discretion, I am.

Kelly said that under the Trump administration, about 45,000 people of Mexican descent have been detained in the United States but that the Mexican government has called to question only a handful of the cases.

Before Trumps private meeting with Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto at the Group of 20 summit Friday in Hamburg, Trump told reporters that he absolutely still wants Mexico to pay for his proposed border wall. Kelly said that in his discussions with Mexican officials since Wednesday, we didnt once talk about the wall.

Kelly  who was accompanied for parts of his visit here by CIA Director Mike Pompeo and Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee  held a number of meetings with top Mexican officials, including Pena Nieto and Foreign Minister Luis Videgaray.

On Thursday, Kelly met with the leaders of Mexicos army and navy at a military base in Acapulco, which has been the deadliest Mexican city for several years running. On the same morning as his visit, a prison riot in Acapulco left 28 people dead, several of them beheaded, according to Mexican officials.

Along with the Mexican military leaders, Kelly flew to the opium poppy fields of Guerrero and watched as Mexican soldiers burned crops. Guerrero produces more than half of Mexicos poppy and supplies much of the heroin consumed in the United States. Kelly described the U.S. opioid epidemic  in which some 60,000 people died last year  as a crisis that needs more attention.

We should be ashamed of ourselves at not having gotten our arms around this problem, he said.

Read more:

Texas is getting a new sanctuary cities law, and the Mexican government isnt happy

House GOP backs bills to crack down on illegal immigration

Feds will now target relatives who smuggled in children

Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world

Like Washington Post World on Facebook and stay updated on foreign news
Marijuana club operator Marco Algorta is seen growing a strain known as "Colombian Red" in a rooftop greenhouse on June 22 in Montevideo, Uruguay, the world's first nation to fully legalize cannabis. (Nick Miroff/The Washington Post)

In coming weeks, cannabis-seeking citizens in this small South American nation will be able to walk into a pharmacy and buy government-approved marijuana for the state-mandated price of $1.30 a gram. No questions asked. No doctors note required.

If that sounds like an attempt to create a stoner republic on the South Atlantic, would-be tourists should know a few things.

Uruguay is the worlds first country to fully legalize the production, sale and consumption of marijuana. But under its strict rules, there will be no Amsterdam-style smoking cafes, and foreigners wont have access to the national stash.

Nor will there be shops selling ganja candies, psychedelic pastries or any of the other edible derivatives offered in pot-permissive U.S. states such as Colorado and Washington, where entrepreneurial capitalism fertilizes the United States incipient marijuana industry.

Instead, Uruguays government has developed a legalization model whose apparent goal is to make marijuana use as boring as possible. A vast regulatory bureaucracy will determine everything from the genetic makeup of the plants to the percentage of psychoactive compounds in their flowers.





The endeavor puts Uruguay (population: 3.4 million) at the forefront of a growing list of nations and U.S. states experimenting with marijuana. Pot has been legalized for recreational or medical use in more than half of U.S. states and the District of Columbia, but it remains essentially prohibited under federal law. American activists have been bracing for a confrontation with the Trump administration and Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who opposes the liberalization trend.

Canada, Mexico, Colombia and other nations across the Americas also are moving to legalize cannabis on a limited basis. But only Uruguay has set up a comprehensive system to regulate every facet of the plants life cycle, from tiny seed to smoky haze.

[The movement to legalize pot gains speed in the Americas]

Uruguayans say their model is designed to strike a balance between prohibition and the kind of exuberant marijuana economy emerging in some U.S. states, where well-funded businesses may have incentives to encourage consumption.

In Uruguay, anything that smacks of commercial marijuana branding or advertising is banned. The two private firms authorized to supply the pharmacies with industrial quantities of dope  four tons annually  cant even put their company labels on the packaging.

The risk of what theyre doing in Colorado is that you end up with something like the tobacco industry, said Julio Calzada, one of the public health officials who designed Uruguays regulatory model after lawmakers approved legalization in 2013. He said the country wont allow a competitive industry peddling pot versions of Marlboro and Camel. The concept here is totally different.

To us, marijuana is a vegetable substance with a capacity to generate addiction, so what were trying to do is control the production, distribution and consumption of that substance as effectively as possible, he said.

A potent strain of marijuana known as "Colombian Red" with flowers ready to harvest at a cannabis club greenhouse in Montevideo, Uruguay, on June 22. (Nick Miroff/TWP)

Socially liberal, but regulated

Its no fluke that this is happening in socially liberal Uruguay. Gambling and prostitution are legal and regulated here. Uruguay is also the only Latin American nation outside Cuba that has broadly legalized abortion, and it was one of the first to recognize civil unions and adoption by same-sex couples.

Uruguay also is accustomed to relatively high levels of regulation and a big state role in the economy, with an array of government-owned banks, gas stations and utilities. Over the years, activists began to argue: Why not weed?

The experiment is not without skeptics and detractors  one reason it has taken longer than expected to fully implement the countrys legalization model. Marijuana cultivation and consumption has been allowed for personal use, and the country now has at least 60 cannabis clubs that provide members with a monthly supply. But the government has been slow to roll out its system of pharmacy-based commercial sales to the general population.

Uruguay developed its pioneering model under ex-president Jose Mujica, a former Marxist guerrilla turned statesman. His successor, Tabare Vazquez, a trained physician, largely has sought to play down the legalization experiment, seemingly wary of a potentially negative impact on Uruguays image. Legalization advocates close to the government say officials also have been hung up by international banking rules that sanction entities with ties to the narcotics trade.

Still, Uruguayan officials say the nations pharmacies will be stocked with cannabis sachets and ready to begin dealing in the second half of July. The newly created Institute for the Regulation and Control of Cannabis (IRCCA) will coordinate distribution.

Anyone over age 18 who registers in a government database will be able to buy up to 40 grams per month at one of three dozen participating commercial pharmacies. Instead of showing ID, buyers will place their thumb on a scanner that links to a government database and tells the pharmacy how much marijuana they are eligible to purchase.

More than 4,600 Uruguayans have registered for the system, according to the IRCCA website, and officials are expecting that number to increase substantially once marijuana users realize that the product sold in pharmacies is vastly superior to the low-grade weed available illegally on the streets.

Some marijuana users have chafed at the idea of registering with the government. But even legalization advocates concede that such a safeguard is necessary to prevent traffickers from buying up pharmacy stocks and smuggling Uruguays crop into Brazil and Argentina, the countrys much-larger neighbors.

A lot of consumers here dont like the fingerprint system and point out that they dont have to do anything like that to buy a bottle of wine, said Martin Fernandez, a human rights attorney in Montevideo who has become an expert on the countrys cannabis law. But we see it as something transitional that could disappear with time.

Access to the user database will be provided only with a judges order and as part of a criminal investigation, Fernandez said, so it is not something a prospective employer or government social service agency could check. The police dont even have access to it, he said.

[Legalized marijuana is making it harder for the police to search your car]

New industry

Officials say the new system will drain away customers from the black-market marijuana economy, where a kind of pot known as Paraguayan Pressed predominates. It is similar to cheap, low-potency marijuana that reaches U.S. streets from Mexico and is cultivated on large outdoor farms. The final product is littered with seeds and plant stems.

Its levels of THC, the main psychoactive ingredient, are typically below 5 percent, while the state-approved version soon to be sold in pharmacies will be available in seedless flowers (buds) at strengths of 5 and 10 percent THC, according to Eduardo Blasina, an agronomist who set up one of the two growing operations on state-leased land adjacent to the countrys maximum-security prison.

Its one of the most secure places in the country, he said.

Industrial-scale marijuana production is far more complicated than one might assume, Blasina explained.

Growing it outdoors in large fields is not an option, he said, because marijuana pollen can be carried by the wind, and once it reaches female plants, their THC levels fall and their flowers fill with undesirable seeds. The entire operation must be contained in climate-controlled greenhouses.

Any male plants that pop up must be culled to make sure they dont pollinate the flowering females, and Blasina likened tending them to being an emperor who wants to be surrounded by virgins and kills off all the males. He is now the director of Uruguays new Cannabis Museum, where tourists and curiosity seekers are often disappointed to find out the gift shop does not sell anything they can smoke.

One irony of the Uruguay model is that its pharmacies will be selling marijuana even though the country has not approved commercial sales of medical or health products derived from the plants. But it was pharmacy owners who petitioned the government to give them responsibility for retail sales, citing their experience handling controlled substances, said Alejandro Antalich, whose pharmacy trade association represents 300 stores. The neighborhood pharmacist is one of the most trusted figures in Uruguayan society, he said.

Uruguays cannabis connoisseurs have little interest in this marijuana-for-the-masses. Nearly 7,000 have registered to grow plants for personal use (limit: six flowering plants), while others have signed up for one of the clubs that provide them with a monthly supply of pot far stronger than what the pharmacies will sell.

Marco Algorta, who started one of the countrys first clubs, said that he and several of his fellow founders come from prominent Uruguayan families and that this has helped their young industry gain acceptance in elite circles. Now he wants the government to create the legal infrastructure for marijuana-derivative businesses to take off.

Uruguay has an opportunity to become in cannabis what Switzerland is for chocolate or France is for wines, Algorta said. We need to stop seeing it as a drug and start seeing it as an industry.

Read more

An 8-year-olds tragic illness tests Mexicos ban on marijuana use

Mexico just legalized medical marijuana

Losing marijuana business, Mexican cartels push heroin and meth

Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world

Like Washington Post World on Facebook and stay updated on foreign news
It was March 2020, and the world was closing down as the COVID-19 pandemic spread. At first, the news of...
SunTrust Banks, Inc. operates as the holding company for SunTrust Bank that provides various financial services for consumers, businesses, corporations, institutions, and not-for-profit entities in the United States. It operates in two segments, Consumer and Wholesale. The Consumer segment provides deposits and payments; home equity and personal credit lines; auto, student, and other lending products; credit cards; discount/online and full-service brokerage products; professional investment advisory products and services; and trust services, as well as family office solutions. This segment also offers residential mortgage products in the secondary market. The Wholesale segment provides capital markets solutions, including advisory, capital raising, and financial risk management; asset-based financing solutions, such as securitizations, asset-based lending, equipment financing, and structured real estate arrangements; cash management services and auto dealer financing solutions; investment banking solutions; and credit and deposit, fee-based product offering, multi-family agency lending, advisory, commercial mortgage brokerage, and tailored financing and equity investment solutions. This segment also offers treasury and payment solutions, such as operating various electronic and paper payment types, which comprise card, wire transfer, automated clearing house, check, and cash; and provides services clients to manage their accounts online. The company offers its products and services through a network of traditional and in-store branches, automated teller machines, Internet, mobile, and telephone banking channels. As of December 31, 2018, it operated 1,218 full-service banking offices located in Florida, Georgia, Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Maryland, South Carolina, and the District of Columbia. SunTrust Banks, Inc. was founded in 1891 and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia.
Aetna Inc. operates as a health care benefits company in the United States. It operates through three segments: Health Care, Group Insurance, and Large Case Pensions. The Health Care segment offers medical, pharmacy benefit management service, dental, behavioral health, and vision plans on an insured and employer-funded basis. It also provides point-of-service, preferred provider organization, health maintenance organization, and indemnity benefit plans, as well as health savings accounts and consumer-directed health plans. In addition, this segment offers Medicare and Medicaid products and services, as well as other medical products, such as medical management and data analytics services, medical stop loss insurance, workers' compensation administrative services, and products that provide access to its provider networks in select geographies. The Group Insurance segment offers life insurance products, including group term life insurance, voluntary spouse and dependent term life insurance, group universal life insurance, and accidental death and dismemberment insurance; disability insurance products; and long-term care insurance products, which provide the benefits to cover the cost of care in private home settings, adult day care, assisted living, or nursing facilities. The Large Case Pensions segment manages various retirement products comprising pension and annuity products primarily for tax-qualified pension plans. The company provides its products and services to employer groups, individuals, college students, part-time and hourly workers, health plans, health care providers, governmental units, government-sponsored plans, labor groups, and expatriates. Aetna Inc. was founded in 1853 and is based in Hartford, Connecticut.
Regions Financial Corporation, a financial holding company, provides banking and bank-related services to individual and corporate customers. It operates through three segments: Corporate Bank, Consumer Bank, and Wealth Management. The Corporate Bank segment offers commercial banking services, such as commercial and industrial, commercial real estate, and investor real estate lending; equipment lease financing; deposit products; and securities underwriting and placement, loan syndication and placement, foreign exchange, derivatives, merger and acquisition, and other advisory services. It serves corporate, middle market, and commercial real estate developers and investors. The Consumer Bank segment provides consumer banking products and services related to residential first mortgages, home equity lines and loans, consumer credit cards, and other consumer loans, as well as deposits. The Wealth Management segment offers credit related products, and retirement and savings solutions; and trust and investment management, asset management, and estate planning services to individuals, businesses, governmental institutions, and non-profit entities. The company also provides investment and insurance products; low-income housing tax credit corporate fund syndication services; and other specialty financing services. As of March 01, 2022, it operated through a network of 1,300 banking offices and 2,000 automated teller machines across the South, Midwest, and Texas. Regions Financial Corporation was founded in 1971 and is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama.
Indian and Chinese troops remain in a tense standoff on the remote Doklam or Donglang Plateau in the Himalayas, in what is being described as the most serious border dispute between New Delhi and Beijing since the two countries fought a month-long border war in 1962.

Both countries have made repeated bellicose statements, insisting that the other must stand down.

Yesterday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang reiterated Beijings demand that India immediately withdraw its 3,000 troops from the contested area, so as to avoid there being an even more serious situation, creating more serious consequences.

Only after an Indian withdrawal would negotiations on the border dispute begin, said Geng. He went on to dismiss any possibility of a meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minster Narendra Modi on the sidelines of this weekends G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany, saying that the atmosphere is not right for bilateral talks.

At issue is control of an 89-square kilometer (34.5-square mile) section of Himalayan grassland that China says is hers and India insists rightfully belongs to the tiny kingdom of Bhutan.

While nominally an independent state, Bhutan is effectively a protectorate of India. It does not have formal diplomatic relations with China, Britain, the US or any other major power apart from Japan and India.

Only on June 29, days after Indian troops had intervened to stop Chinese labourers building a road on the Doklam Plateau, did Bhutans Foreign Ministry issue a statement charging that the construction was on its territory.

India is accusing China of trying to push the tri-junction of the Indian-Chinese and Bhutan border further south. This, it claims, would place Chinese troops in a much better position, in the event of war, to seize control of the strategic Siliguri corridora narrow slice of Indian territory, squeezed between Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan and China, that connects West Bengal and the rest of India to its seven northeastern states.

India and Bhutan are also charging Beijing with violating a 1998 accord between Bhutan and China committing them to maintaining peace, tranquillity, and the status quo in disputed areas pending a final settlement of their common border.

Beijing counters that India long ago recognized Chinese sovereignty over the whole plateau, pointing to the Anglo-Chinese Convention of 1890 and a 1959 letter from Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru to his Chinese counterpart accepting the validity of that Convention.

China also notes that not until the fourteenth round of Sino-Bhutan border negotiations, held in November 2000, did Bhutan even extend its border claim to include the Doklam area. Implicit in this is the suggestion that it was India that pressured Bhutan to expand its territorial claims.

The flaring up of the Sino-Indian border dispute is only the latest in a long and rapidly growing list of bilateral disputes.

Whatever the immediate issue, they are being propelled forward by the polarization of the regions geopolitics, with India under Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party-led government emerging as a veritable frontline state in American imperialisms military-strategic offensive against China, and Beijing responding by deepening its military-strategic partnership with Indias archenemy, Pakistan.

China publicly denounced India for intruding on its territory and blocking its road-building project in Doklam June 26, the very day Modi met US President Donald Trump at the White House and vowed to further expand the Indo-US alliance.

Beijing has long been aware that Washington is intent on building up New Delhi as a strategic counterweight to China and making it the fourth member, along with Japan and Australia, of a US-led NATO-style anti-China alliance.

Until recently, Beijing responded to the expansion of strategic ties between India and the US with offers of investments and collaboration, choosing not to push back aggressively for fear of propelling India into Washingtons embrace.

But over the past two yearswith India parroting Washingtons provocative line on the South China Sea dispute, throwing open its military bases and ports to use by the Pentagon, and the US proclaiming India a Major Defense PartnerBeijing has adopted an increasingly aggressive stance.

During the current border dispute, Chinese officials have repeatedly made threats of military action. These have included direct references to the 1962 border war, as well as to the provocative comments of Indias new army chief, General Bipin Rawat, who has repeatedly proclaimed India ready to fight a two-front war against China and Pakistan.

On July 5, Chinas Ambassador to India, Luo Zhaohui, made a strongly worded statement saying that there was no scope for compromise in the standoff in Doklam and that the only way to defuse the grave situation was for India to unconditionally withdraw its troops.

When asked about suggestions in the media that the conflict could end in war, Ambassador Luo sought to give the impression that China is not fazed by such a possibility. There has been talk about that option, said Zhou. It is up to your government to decide whether to exercise (the) military option.

The day before, the Peoples Liberation Army website had published a comment by a prominent strategic analyst affiliated with Shanghai Institutes for International Studies, Wang Dehua, that said those in India seeking confrontation with China over the border should be fully aware  another armed conflict between China and India is not completely out of the question. Wang went on to boast, The Indian side didnt get the upper hand in the past. And it wont get an advantage today when the Chinese military has made remarkable progress on modernization over the past few decades.

Chinas state-owned press, especially the Global Times, have been churning out belligerent anti-Indian commentary. On Wednesday, the Times published an editorial titled China can rethink stance on Sikkim, Bhutan. It denounced the unequal treaties between India and Bhutan, saying they should be abolished, and said China should consider revoking its 2003 recognition of Indian sovereignty over Sikkim, a neighbouring one-time Himalayan kingdom, that New Delhi annexed in 1975.

The Times editorial said Beijing would have a powerful card in dealing with New Delhi were it to fuel pro-independence appeals in Sikkim and should not refrain from doing so because of fears about India interfering in Tibet, as this card is already overplayed.

Indias government and military were quick to raise the threat of military action when the Doklam border dispute first flared. Army chief Rawat personally flew to Sikkim to meet with Indian commanders and Defence Minister Arun Jaitley boasted that India in 2017 is very different from 1962a reference both to its nuclear-armed military and its strategic partnership with the US.

In recent days, Indian government and military officials have been somewhat more restrained in public, but they have also underlined that they consider Indias strategic interests to be at stake in the dispute and will not back down.

Across the table we can solve all the problems, Indian Minister of State for Defence Subhash Bhamre told a press conference Wednesday, then added, China is approaching towards Bhutanese territory. We want them not to come forward. This is our security concern and this is our stand.

The Indian media, for its part, has been whipping up a bellicose anti-China atmosphere. This includes repeatedly showing footage of Indian and Chinese troops jostling each other, while concealing that this incident happened long before the recent events in Doklam.

The Indian government and elite are also seeking to exploit the situation to gain US support for their hegemonic ambitions in South Asia.

Writing in Wednesdays Wall Street Journal, Harsh V. Pant of the Delhi-based Observer Research Foundation hails Modi for standing up to China, including by refusing to support its One Belt One Road initiative, but says Washington must do more to assist it. The Trump administration, he claims, may have inadvertently given China a green light to bully its neighbors, by signaling that it is ready for a transactional relationship with Beijing. As Washington reviews its stance on China, he continues, it needs to be aware that Asia is being shaped by Chinas rise much faster than many anticipated even a few years back.

Indias opposition parties, especially the Congress Party, are urging the BJP government to take a tough stand against China. At a July 3 press conference, Congress spokesperson and parliamentarian Dr. Abhishek Manu Singhvi complained of a humongous number of Chinese border violations, and demanded that the BJP take strong, corrective measures on national security for national interest, with respect to our border situation.

The Stalinist Communist Party of India or CPM, which last fall endorsed the Modi governments reckless and illegal surgical strikes inside Pakistan, has not made a single statement or comment about the current border crisis, which exemplifies how the Indian bourgeoisies alliance with US imperialism threatens to embroil the people of Asia in catastrophic military conflict.
Donald Trump delivered a speech in Warsaw Thursday morning, but it will be studied far more carefully in Berlin and Moscow. So hostile was the population of the Polish capital to the visit by the US president that the ruling (Law and Justice) PiS party, which shares Trumps outlook of semi-fascistic nationalism, had to bus in supporters from the rural areas to make a respectableand suitably enthusiasticcrowd.

The speech touched several bases required of any US president, and particularly Trump, battered by months of allegations by the intelligence apparatus and mediaaimed at pushing him to take a more aggressive stance against Moscowthat Russia intervened into the US presidential election to favor his candidacy. He reaffirmed, in categorical fashion, the obligation of the US government under Article Five of the NATO charter to respond militarily to any attack on any member of NATO.

Trump had previously cast doubt on the possibility of the US going to war with Russia, a potential nuclear cataclysm, in response to a border clash in Estonia, Lithuania or Latvia, the three Baltic republics ruled by viciously anti-Russian right-wing governments. Article Five does not cover Ukraine, which is not a NATO member.

The US president claimed that his previous criticisms of NATO were sparked by the disparity between the US financial contribution and those of its European allies, and that this had been vindicated by a flood of promises of greater military spending from these countries. He then added, To those who would criticize our tough stance, I would point out that the United States has demonstrated not merely with words but with its actions that we stand firmly behind Article 5, the mutual defense commitment.

Trump also singled out Russia for criticism, declaring, We urge Russia to cease its destabilizing activities in the Ukraine and elsewhere and its support for hostile regimes, including Syria and Iran, and instead join the community of responsible nations in our fight against common enemies and defense of civilization itself.

The most important passages in the speech, drafted for Trump by his foreign policy team and delivered without any obvious deviations, declared sympathy for the plight of Poland, trapped geographically between more powerful nations, Germany and Russia, sometimes partitioned or overrun by them. The speech was delivered at the site of a memorial to the Warsaw uprising by the Polish Home Army in 1944, which was bloodily suppressed by the Nazis.

Trump himself knows next to nothing of the geography or history of Poland, or any other country, for that matter. These lines were undoubtedly prepared for him by the National Security Council and fascistic aides like Stephen Bannon, and the clear purpose of the material was to fan the flames of anti-German and anti-Russian sentiment, both in Poland and more broadly in Europe.

This is in keeping with the new orientation of US foreign policy, which regards the European Union as a major economic and (potentially) strategic adversary dominated by Germany, and therefore makes common cause with the EU members most antagonistic to Brusselsfirst of all Britain, which is pursuing Brexit, and secondly Poland, which has repeatedly clashed with the EU over the ultra-right and antidemocratic measures of the PiS government.

Trump deliberately associated himself with the viciously anti-immigrant policies of the PiS, claiming that, like his own administration, the government in Warsaw was not persecuting immigrants but rather fighting terrorism, which both Trump and the PiS identify with the Muslim countries and Muslim minorities in Europe and the United States.

Trump invoked religion repeatedly as the key to the history of the Polish people, claiming that the collapse of the Stalinist regimes should be dated on June 2, 1979, when one million Poles gathered around Victory Square for their very first mass with their Polish Pope, and one million Poles sang three simple words: We Want God.

He continued, Their message is as true today as ever. The people of Poland, the people of America, and the people of Europe still cry out We want God. Actually, Europe is a largely secular society, and Poland is a relative backwater with its powerful Roman Catholic hierarchy and priest-ridden rural populationthe price paid for decades of persecution of socialist and left-wing thought by the Stalinist bureaucracy.

From his glorification of (Christian) religion, Trump went on to demonize Muslims, declaring, We are confronted by another oppressive ideologyone that seeks to export terrorism and extremism all around the globe. America and Europe have suffered one terror attack after another. He urged Russia to join the Western powers in our fight against common enemies and in defense of civilization itself.

In perhaps the most remarkable passage of a fascistic speech, Trump announced he has identified yet another danger  invisible to some but familiar to the Poles: the steady creep of government bureaucracy that drains the vitality and wealth of the people.

In one paragraph, the US president managed to conflate the danger of ISIS terrorism and the apparently equal menace of environmental regulations by the Environmental Protection Agency. He told his audience, We must work together to confront forces, whether they come from inside or out, from the South or the East, that threaten over time to undermine these values and to erase the bonds of culture, faith and tradition that make us who we are.

There was a definite anti-Semitic subtext in the speech, thinly disguised by a perfunctory one-sentence reference to the Holocaust and the extermination of the Jews of Poland. But there was no mistaking the undertones of an address that hailed the Polish people, their culture and religionthe word Polish appears 25 times in the seven-page text of the speechand makes exactly one reference to the Jews, and no mention of anti-Semitism. In addition, Trump did not visit either the memorial to the Warsaw Ghetto uprising or the recently opened Museum of the History of Polish Jews, honored as the 2016 European Museum of the Year.

The speech referred to the Holocaustthe systematic murder of six million Jews, half of them in Polandas merely one in a list of evils beyond description.

The speech was concluded on a note likely supplied by Bannon, a devotee of the pronouncements of Mussolini and other Italian fascists. Trump argued the defense of the West ultimately rests not only on means but also on the will of its people to prevail and be successful and get what you have to have. The fundamental question of our time is whether the West has the will to survive.

The evocation of will as the decisive category is significant. It is not for nothing that Leni Riefenstahls propaganda film on the German Nazi Partys 1934 congress in Nuremberg was given the title Triumph of the Will. Trump may not know, but Bannon certainly does, the fascist pedigree of this particular piece of right-wing rhetoric.
18 states sued U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos and the education department Thursday after she halted the student loan relief program last month that would have canceled debts for people defrauded by for-profit schools.

The District of Columbia, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, along with 17 states filed the suit in Washington, D.C., Consumer groups Public Citizen and Project on Predatory Student Lending also sued over the delaying of the program which was drafted and then finalized towards the end of former President Barack Obamas administration.

It was after one of the for-profit schools in question, Corinthian Colleges collapsed in 2015.

Read: Leaked Education Budget Suggests Trump May Scrap Obama's Student Debt Forgiveness Program

The rules were to prevent students from getting loans they could not repay and specifically targeted for-profit and career colleges who charged high tuition because of their claims of high employment rates after graduation, Reuters reported.

The now-defunct Corinthian Colleges was ordered to pay $1.1 billion in March 2016 for misleading students and breaking the law with its advertising practices. San Francisco Superior Court Judge Curtis Karnow had ruled Corinthian lied to students as well as investors with false job placement rates for graduates, Los Angeles Times reported.

Corinthian was ordered to pay $820 million in restitution for students along with just over $350 million in civil penalties for advertising non-existent programs or degrees, including ones for X-ray and dialysis technicians. Corinthian and its subsidiaries were also judged to have unlawful debt collection practices which included students not allowed to attend classes when behind on loan payments.

Later in 2015, the U.S. Department of Education fined Corinthian $30 million for its Heal College system inflating official placement rates by paying temporary employment agencies to hire its graduates on a short-term basis. A month later, the company filed for bankruptcy.

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The revelations led to what is known as the borrower defense rule which canceled federal loans students had taken out to go to the schools that deceived them with illegal practices. However, just before the rule went into effect July 1, DeVos postponed it, saying it was so the Department of Education could respond to a lawsuit from for-profit colleges who were fighting the rule, according to ABC2 News.

Read: The Full Text Of Betsy DeVos' BUC Speech Where She Was Booed

At the same time, DeVos herself reportedly had problems with the borrower defense rule because it "puts taxpayers on the hook for significant costs" with the Obama administration estimating the program would cost $16.6 billion over 10 years.

The lawsuit, however, said, in putting the rule on pause, the education department violated federal rules. It also claimed there was not enough justification given for the decision and that enough public opinions were not considered either. Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey said: "Secretary DeVos has sided with for-profit school executives against students and families drowning in unaffordable student loans."

At the time of pausing the borrower defense rule, DeVos had said the delay was needed to allow current litigation on the rule could go through the legal process, according to Reuters.

The Education Department Press Secretary Lizz Hill said in a statement: "With this ideologically driven suit, the state attorneys general are saying to regulate first, and ask the legal questions later," and that the rules came "through a heavily politicized process."

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An accused rapist in North Carolina publicly responded to his own wanted poster, which cops put on Facebook earlier this week.

Derek Helms of Stanly County has outstanding warrants charging him with first-degree kidnapping and second-degree rape.

Read: Man with Super Smiley Mugshot Allegedly Threatened to Kill Lawmaker on Facebook: Cops

But after the Cabarrus County Sheriff's Office posted his photo in their effort to find him, a man who identified himself as a local resident wanted folks to know that his experience of Helms was wholly positive.

"This is a great guy. I met him on a job where I was the Foreman and he worked hard for me," the message read. "Through our time of working together, he always was speaking of his kids and how much he loved them. I'd be willing to speak up for this man. I will not believe that any of these charges are true."

To the astonishment of police and Facebook users alike, Helms  or someone using an account in his name  responded with a thank you.

"Thanks bud really appreciate it enjoyed working with yall guys aswell (sic)," the post read.

Unsurprisingly, the post appeared to also dispute the charges against Helms.

"Truth coming out bfor (sic) long vindictive and spitfullness (sic) and some croked cops," it continued.

The Cabarrus County Sheriff's Office was the first to respond, writing: "Derek Helms you need to turn yourself in."

Sheriff Brad Riley told InsideEdition.com that his office makes no assumptions about why Helms has yet to surrender, but said he hopes social media can be used to achieve a positive outcome.

"Been doing this 27 years and seen this a bunch of times," Riley said, referring to suspects who know they're wanted for questioning but choose to keep away from police. "That's what's making it different: Facebook... our hope is to use social media to try to reach out."

An avalanche of other comments followed the interaction on Facebook as people quickly realized, some with amusement and others with disgust, what was happening.

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As of this writing, police are still trying to locate Helms, who is described as a white, 28-year-old male.

Watch: This Man is Behind Bars After Sending Selfie to Police for Better Mugshot

Helms may be driving a silver or gray four door 2005 Mercedes.

Anyone with information concerning Helms or his location, is asked to contact Cabarrus County Sheriff's Office at 704-920-3000 or the Cabarrus Area Crime Stoppers at 704-93-CRIME.

Watch: Teacher Smiles in Mugshot After Being Arrested for Sexual Relationship With Teen

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Refugee advocates aim to strike down Safe Third Country Agreement, which they say encourages migrants to take long, risky routes to enter Canada

A family of four from Pakistan walk down Roxham Road in Champlain, New York, towards the US-Canada border on 28 February 2017. Photograph: Geoff Robins/AFP/Getty Images

Refugee advocates are taking legal action in the hope of striking down a longstanding pact between Canada and the US that has prompted thousands of asylum seekers to brave freezing temperatures, fields of waist-deep snow and icy rivers to cross into Canada by foot.

Since the start of the year, more than 3,000 people in the US  many of whom are anxiously fleeing Donald Trumps crackdown on immigrants  have entered Canada at remote, unguarded locations along the border. By doing so they aim to skirt a 2004 agreement between Canada and the US that forces most migrants to apply for asylum in the first country in which they arrive.

Advocates have long warned that the pact, known as the Safe Third Country Agreement, encourages migrants to take long, riskier routes to enter Canada and file claims inland, where the agreement does not apply.

On Wednesday, after months of unsuccessfully pressing the Canadian government to consider suspending or rescinding the agreement, three advocacy groups took their battle to court.

The US was never safe for all refugees, and is now even less safe, said Loly Rico of the Canadian Council for Refugees, one of the groups backing the legal challenge. It is wrong, morally and legally, to send claimants back to the US, knowing as we do that they may face serious violations of their basic rights.

Along with Amnesty International and the Canadian Council of Churches, Ricos group has joined a court challenge filed by a woman who fled to the US from El Salvador in November.

The woman  whose name is being withheld to protect her identity  and her two daughters attempted on Wednesday to seek asylum in Canada at a border crossing.

She worried that filing a refugee claim in the US would come with a higher risk of being detained and eventually deported to her home country, where she was terrorised by a gang whose members raped her and threatened to kill her family.

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The Safe Third Country Agreement meant her application was automatically rejected. Soon after she filed a federal court challenge of the agreement and lawyers are now pushing to allow her and her daughters to stay in Canada while the months-long challenge is heard.

On Thursday, Canadas ministry of immigration, refugees and citizenship responded to the legal challenge, saying it continues to stand by the agreement and describing it as an important tool to manage refugee claims made in Canada and the US.

Similar agreements are used by countries around the world to deter against asylum shopping, and control pressures on asylum systems, a spokesperson from the ministry said in an email. Canada has carefully analyzed recent developments in the United States, including the executive orders related to immigration and refugee matters, and determined that the US remains a safe country for asylum claimants to seek protection there.

This weeks court challenge marks the second time that advocacy organisations in Canada have taken on the Safe Third Country Agreement. The first challenge, launched shortly after the agreement came into effect in 2004, saw a federal court judge rule that the US was not safe for refugees and move to quash the agreement. The Canadian government successfully appealed the decision on a technicality and the countrys supreme court declined to hear any further appeals.

Those concerns that were raised in 2004 remain, and in many ways have gotten worse, said Gloria Nafziger of Amnesty International, pointing to recent steps taken by the Trump administration to significantly expand the detention and expedited removal of migrants.

She described Trumps actions as being symptomatic of a broader move by many countries around the world to close their doors to refugees.

According to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police 3,461 asylum seekers were intercepted in the first six months of the year.
Republican Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan of Alaska leave the chamber after a vote on Capitol Hill on May 10. (Photo: J. Scott Applewhite/AP)

ANCHORAGE  After a bruising and tiring fight in D.C. over health care legislation, both of Alaskas Republican senators returned to the land of the midnight sun to celebrate Independence Day with parades and other activities, including a chainsawing competition.

But the lawmakers are finding that the bill drawn up by the GOP leadership is deeply unpopular with their constituents and with Alaskas independent governor, Bill Walker, who said it would leave the state sorely damaged.

Both of Alaskas senators have played pivotal roles in the debate and could be deciding votes if the bill finally reaches the Senate floor, giving this often-overlooked state with its unique needs and concerns a disproportionate say in shaping the legislation. Sens. Dan Sullivan and Lisa Murkowski have indicated they were reluctant to support the bill in its current form and praised the decision to hold off on a vote until after the July 4 recess, which ends July 10.

As we move forward, I will continue to work on the draft of the Senate bill to make it better for Alaskans by continuing to focus on whats worked under the Affordable Care Act  like continued coverage for those with preexisting conditions  and to replace it with a bill that will better serve our state, Sullivan said in a statement last week.

Murkowski, speaking to the Washington Post at a holiday event in Wrangell, acknowledged the negative impacts the bill may have on Alaska.

Most people dont ask for or against,  she said. They just say, Make sure youre taking care of our interests. In fairness for those that do the for or against, everybody is pretty much [saying] they dont think this is good for us.

But while Murkowski and Sullivan were marching in parades, Alaskans expressed concern about cuts to Medicaid and how they would affect children, the elderly and the disabled.

Related slideshow: Protesters across the country oppose GOPs health care plan >>>

Cutting Medicaid is one of the key pieces of both the Better Care Reconciliation Act, the Senate health care proposal touted by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and the House-passed American Health Care Act. This could affect the more than 180,000 Alaskans on Medicaid, almost a quarter of the states population.

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The Senate version would slash Medicaid payments by $3.1 billion over six years, according to a state-commissioned report released last week. The cut is even larger than the one proposed in the AHCA.

The expansion, which Walker pursued in 2015 over the objections of the Republican-controlled state legislature, affected more than 34,000 people who previously lacked coverage. Those people would lose care by 2020, according to the report. The analysis noted that further cuts were possible given the states bleak budget outlook, which has been hurt by low energy prices.

Facing a $2.5 billion budget deficit, Walker signed off last week on a spending plan that included almost $16 million in cuts for the state Medicaid program. Advocates are concerned that the state will not have the money to help those who could lose care under either the House or Senate bills.

Dr. Anne Musser, director of the Alaska Family Medicine Residency and a doctor at Providence Health Family Medicine Center in Anchorage, said cutting into the Medicaid expansion would especially hurt many of the children she sees at her clinic. According to a 2015 state report, 57 percent of those on Medicaid are children who take part in the Denali KidCare program, which provides free or low-cost doctors visits and screenings for children statewide. Musser said many people dont realize that Denali KidCare receives Medicaid funding as part of the federal Childrens Health Insurance Program.

When people talk about Medicaid and people read about Medicaid in the newspaper, they dont really realize what Medicaid is, Musser said. So when people hear about Medicaid and think, That doesnt affect me, they may well be on Denali KidCare and not even put the two together.

Rolling back Medicaid could overwhelm clinics like Mussers, or Anchorages community health center, as families lose coverage and are no longer able to afford private care.

More and more private physicians, physicians in smaller practices, wont be able to sustain taking care of patients, Musser said. Even though they are good people and even though they have good hearts and want to provide access to people, they also have to keep their businesses open.

In most states, patients can go to the next town if they cant find the care they need nearby, but Alaskans have few options outside of Anchorage, the only big city.

There are no other places to go here  its Anchorage. You dont get to go to the next nearest city because there isnt a next nearest city, she said.

The increase in patient load would compromise the clinics ability to provide behavioral and social support to patients, which Musser said is an important function.

There has to be some sort of social work and behavioral health and all sorts of support mechanisms so the person can stay healthy between doctor visits, she said. And Medicaid expansion was allowing us to provide those kinds of services in the community.  Theyre going to lose all of the support services in between [those visits].

Cutbacks in funding for Medicaid would also affect those with disabilities. Alaska has almost entirely switched to home- and community-based care for the disabled.

Harborview Center, a state-run institution for the disabled, was closed in in 1996, something Lizette Stiehr, executive director of the Alaska Association for Developmental Disabilities, said is a point of pride for the state.

This is something were proud of, including in the community this group of people, Stiehr said.

This system helps patients live in more comfortable settings but also presents a problem, as Medicaid funding for many of these programs is optional.

Stiehr said that if states like Alaska find themselves in a budget crunch, they may be forced to cut funding for optional programs, which could leave the developmentally disabled without services.

The fear is people fall through the cracks. Do they become homeless? Do they go back home? she said. Without this system  what would their options be without a safety net?

This is also a concern for elderly Alaskans, who often forgo expensive nursing homes in favor of remaining in communities that theyve been a part of for decades. This has helped keep those towns vibrant but also means that the state has few nursing homes  18, according to data collected by the Kaiser Family Foundation. By comparison Vermont, a state with a comparable population but an area roughly 69 times smaller, has 37 homes.

Terry Snyder, volunteer president of the states AARP chapter, said rolling back Medicaid could endanger the states ability to provide home-based care. States, especially those embroiled in financial hardship, could use the additional flexibility in the BRCA to make it harder for home health care providers to get funding.

We put a lot of energy into home care and keeping them in their own places and letting them age in place, Snyder said. We dont know how thats going to be affected.

This concern is particularly sensitive in Alaska, as it has one of the fastest-growing elderly populations in the country. The Kaiser Family Foundation notes that the number of Alaskans age 85 and older is expected to grow by 135 percent by 2030, more than any other state in the nation.

Drawing an analogy to school funding, Snyder said, We have a robust home-schooling system  but if everyone decided to go into brick-and-mortar schools, wed have a crisis. So its a balance. I dont know that the state has a backup plan for that if people couldnt get home care. I think that should be part of the discussion.

As Murkowski and Sullivan head back to Washington next week to work on changes in the bill, Snyder said Alaskans will be paying attention to their final decision.

I can hardly go somewhere where people dont want an update, she said.

_____

Read more from Yahoo News:
Warsaw (AFP) - US President Donald Trump can expect a large and enthusiastic crowd for a landmark speech in Poland on Thursday, thanks in part to local allies who are bussing in supporters from around the country.

Trump will take the stage at Warsaw's historic Krasinski Square, hoping that a sea of thousands -- perhaps tens of thousands -- of jubilant foreign fans will burnish his credentials as an admired and respected global statesman.

In that quest, the embattled US president will get a sizeable assist from Poland's ruling conservative party, which said it is laying on free buses to ferry in admirers.

"It is important that President Trump feel good about his visit to Poland," Stanislaw Pieta, a member of parliament for the Party of Law and Justice told the AFP.

Conservative Poles, he said, want to say "thank you" to the ideologically aligned US president, for opposing the "policy of demoralization and de-Christianization advocated by Western Europe."

Pieta and others in the Law and Justice party see the speech as an important event to consolidate the party's own grassroots support. He and his neighboring MPs are helping transport 500 people from the southern region of Bielsko-Biala to the capital alone.

A similar trend has emerged across the country, with Polish media suggesting that each party lawmaker has been told to provide 50 people, for a total crowd of 15,000.

Deputies from Czestochowa, also in the south, say they have filled eleven buses. From Lodz, central Poland, there are still a few seats left, but a local party official stressed the transport was free when asked.

Meanwhile in Warsaw -- the opposition-ruled Polish capital -- pro-Trump posters have popped up, urging people to "be at the center of things," to go and later enjoy a picnic organized by the ministry of defense.

Law and Justice senator Adam Bielan denied suggestions that Trump and his Polish allies were effectively renting a crowd, a practice that was common in Poland's communist past.

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"There is no harm in organizing this transport. The same happens in the United States or in France" Bielan told AFP.

"We do not force anyone to come, we do not pay people for them to come... People want to see Trump for themselves, he's the most important man in the world."

- Global stage, domestic audience -

Trump's remarks are expected to focus on the Polish-US alliance and his vision for transatlantic relations and will take place on a square that memorializes the city's valiant uprising against Nazi occupation.

Politically, the White House hopes the event will bolster a relatively rare like-minded European government and serve as a counterpoint to critics at home, who accuse Trump of tarnishing America's reputation around the world.

Trump has a natural ally in Poland's anti-immigrant, pro-catholic ruling party which is also hostile to the media, but he is viewed extremely negatively across much of Europe.

Twenty-three percent of Poles say they have confidence in Trump's ability to do the right thing on global affairs, according to a recent Pew Research Center poll.

That figure is just 11 percent in Germany, the second and final stop on Trump's four-day European swing.

There, anti-globalization protestors are already amassing on the city of Hamburg, where Trump will attend a G20 meeting, and are planning a "welcome to hell" rally.

For the White House, the sight of flag-waving Polish acolytes could ease the perception that Trump's ability to travel has been curbed by the prospect of mass demonstrations.

His first foreign trip was to Saudi Arabia and a mooted state visit to the United Kingdom appears to have been put on the backburner.

A small gathering in Poland would be a political disaster for Trump, who is notoriously prickly about crowd sizes.

On the campaign trail and now in the White House he frequently declares his events to be the "biggest ever" in that venue.

The first days of his presidency was marked by a furious response to suggestions that his inauguration crowd was much smaller than that of Barack Obama eight years earlier.

Trump's Warsaw appearance is sure to draw further Obama comparisons.

In the 2013, before becoming president, Obama's speech at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin drew an estimated crowd of 200,000.
New information about what may have happened to missing Malaysian Airlines Flight MH370 was released Tuesday in an independent analysis. A team of aviation and mathematical experts concluded in the analysis that the aircraft was in a spiral dive in the moments just before it crashed into the ocean and that there was likely nobody in control of the plane.

The findings by the Independent Group confirmed the Australian Transport Safety Bureaus conclusion about the planes final moments. In the wake of the planes disappearance, skeptics emerged with theories that the plane had been piloted by someone and landed on the ocean.

Read: MH370 Plane Wreckage Search Area Narrowed Down

The analysis was based on data that was previously secret and unreleased.

Considering that the newly available data generally support the conclusions of the official investigators, it remains a mystery as to why Malaysia withheld the data for so long and why it chose to release the data at this time, said Victor Iannello if the Independent Group, according to the West Australian.

GettyImages-514242302

Photo: Getty Images

The data included information transmitted by a satellite link on the planes previous flight, MH371.

Using the satellite data from MH371, we have a higher level of confidence that for MH 370 the aircraft was in an increasingly steep descent at its final log on, said Iannello.

The Boeing 777 disappeared in March 2014 on its way from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing with 239 passengers on board. Only a few pieces of the airliner were ever recovered despite authorities searching more than 46,000 square miles. A fragment of the planes wing was found on Reunion Island off the coast of Africa in 2015.

The search, led by Australia, was officially called off by Malaysian authorities in January 2017.

New information released in April, however, purported to discover a new area in the Indian Ocean that should be searched. Researchers at Australias national science agency, the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) said in a blog post they had narrowed down the search area for the plane using a technique called drift testing research.

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Our final recommendation is way more precise than I dreamed we would be able to achieve, Dr. David Griffin, team leader of the study, said in the blog post. It is causing a lot of grief for the families of the 239 people on the flight and it has captured the imagination, perhaps ghoulish curiosity, we have for these disasters.

Read: Plane Disappears Over Bermuda Triangle, Leaving 2 Adults And 2 Toddlers Missing

Others, however, were skeptical of the claims. Australias transport safety minister Darren Chester said the findings were not sufficient enough to mount a new search for the aircraft.

The decision to suspend the underwater search has not been taken lightly nor without sadness, Chester said in a press release. Whilst combined scientific studies have continued to refine areas of probability, to date no new information has been discovered to determine the specific location of the aircraft.

GettyImages-481715499

Photo: Getty Images

Related Articles
Energy Secretary Rick Perry has a reputation for verbal gaffes, so the internet pounced on his latest remarks.

In a visit to a coal-fired power plant in West Virginia, the former Texas governor and two-time presidential candidate appeared to misstate a fundamental economic principle.

Heres a little economics lesson: supply and demand. You put the supply out there and the demand will follow, Perry said, according to a reporter on the scene.

DOE Rick Perry at coal plant:"Heres a little economics lesson: supply and demand. You put the supply out there and the demand will follow."  Taylor Kuykendall (@taykuy) July 6, 2017

Though the broader context of Perrys remarks was not yet available, many on the internet used the poorly worded sentence to criticize Perry, who infamously forgot part of his own platform during a 2011 presidential debate. (The Department of Energy did not respond to a request for comment.)

I'm starting to think that Rick Perry was the inspiration for Will Ferrell's impersonation of George W. Bush. https://t.co/54UAXWk3UY  Jason Pinter (@jasonpinter) July 6, 2017

not to hit him with a low blow but yes, unsurprisingly, Rick Perry got a D in "Principles of Economics" at TxA&M https://t.co/uTf1U9GxWt https://t.co/sQcHg97X8O  Chris B. Brown (@smartfootball) July 6, 2017

If Rick Perry really believes thats how supply and demand works, hes exactly as dumb as we all thought back in 2012.  Chris Fuhrmeister (@ccfuhr) July 6, 2017

Perry is in West Virginia on an energy tour, his first official visit to the state. He is touring local facilities and participating in discussions about ways to increase energy infrastructure in the state.
Arizona Republican Sen. Jeff Flake takes a question from the audience during a town hall in April in Mesa, Ariz. (Photo: Ross D. Franklin/AP)

As the GOP continues to struggle to pass some sort of Obamacare repeal bill, there is no Republican senator in a tougher bind than Jeff Flake  and there has been no clearer illustration of how tough that bind has become than whats been happening back in his home state of Arizona during Congresss July 4 recess.

Ever since the House GOP unveiled its American Health Care Act earlier this year, Flake  one of only two swing-state Republican senators up for reelection in 2018  has remained noncommittal, repeatedly declining to say whether he would vote for any of the various proposals on the table.

Now Arizonans on both sides of the aisle are demanding an answer.

On Wednesday, roughly 20 progressive activists, many with physical disabilities, flooded into Flakes Phoenix office as part of a nationwide protest organized by the disability-rights group ADAPT. They installed a cardboard coffin in the lobby, with a headstone reading Cuts to Medicaid = Death. They waved signs that said Dont Kill 22 million + Americans. They chanted about free[ing] our people and find[ing] Jeff Flake. They stayed for 14 straight hours. Five were cited by police for trespassing.

I just want to know  a simple yes or no would suffice for me  his position, said Demeris Herrera of Tucson.

(Two unaffiliated protesters were arrested Thursday morning outside Flakes office in downtown Tucson, including one who allegedly threatened a staffer.)

Meanwhile, Flakes far-right, pro-Donald-Trump GOP primary opponent, Kelli Ward, made the same point in an interview with Yahoo News, insisting that after years of campaigning and raising money on fully repealing Obamacare, Flake is instead giving sanctuary to Obamacare because he is unwilling to speak up and take a stand.

Amina Kruck protests in the lobby of U.S. Sen Jeff Flakes office in Phoenix on July 5, 2017. (Photo: Loren Townsley/Arizona Republic)

Hes too weak to lead right now, Ward charged.

As for Flake himself? According to his spokesman, the senator spent most of the week in Utah mourning his father, who died on June 26. Flakes only response to the ongoing health care debate was a statement (released to both Yahoo News and the protesters in his office) that consisted mainly of recycled talking points.

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While I have not yet seen a revised version of the bill I can say my decision will be based on how it balances two principles, it said. (Flake declined to be interviewed for this story.) The first is that the legislation needs to ensure that those who currently have coverage do not have the rug pulled out from under them. The second is that the Senate must agree on a solution that is fiscally sustainable.

The fact that Flake is staying silent on the Senate repeal bill  and catching flak from both the left and the right as a result  neatly encapsulates the unique political challenge hes facing in the runup to the 2018 midterms.

At first, the GOPs other vulnerable swing-state senator, Dean Heller of Nevada, tried to avoid the subject as well. But soon after Senate Republicans released their version of the House repeal bill late last month, Heller came out against it, announcing that he cannot support a piece of legislation that takes insurance away from tens of millions of Americans.

Hellers break with GOP brass reflected basic electoral math: Given recent trends in Nevada, the greatest threat to his reelection effort is more likely to come from a Democrat than a Republican. To wit: Nevada freshman Rep. Jacky Rosen announced Thursday that she would be running against Heller in 2018, and Rep. Dina Titus, a long-serving Democrat, has also signaled her interest in the race. So far, Heller has yet to draw a GOP primary opponent.

Flake, on the other hand, is being squeezed from both sides. Already Ward is attacking him from the right, while Deedra Abboud, a Phoenix attorney and community activist, is angling for the Democratic nod. They probably wont have the field all to themselves. Arizona State Treasurer Jeff DeWit, a Republican who is close to President Trump, is said to be eyeing a bid, as are two top Democrats, Rep. Kyrsten Sinema and Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton.

Kelli Ward, a former senator from Arizona, speaks during a campaign stop in Phoenix, Ariz., in 2016. (Photo: Patrick T. Fallon/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

I dont predict the future, Sinema told Yahoo News when asked whether she might challenge Flake. Im currently running for reelection [to the House]. Thats my current status.

Hence Flakes hemming and hawing: His strategists have likely concluded that theres little benefit to weighing in on the Senate repeal bill  and angering one side or the other  until it actually comes up for a vote (which may never happen).

And that calculation has, in turn, raised an even bigger question about politics in the age of Trump.

With the GOP in ideological disarray and polarization at an all-time high, can a conservative Republican who prides himself on his independence  from both the president and party orthodoxy  still cobble together a winning coalition in a swing state like Arizona? Or is he just going to make everybody angrier?

Two years ago, I spent a day with Flake in the back of an aides rented Ford Explorer, driving across Arizona from event to event. It seemed then, as it seems now, that Flakes betwixt-and-betweenness  his reluctance to conform to political expectations  is just the way he is. As a young congressman, Flake tried to tame his own partys extravagant Bush-era spending, regularly shaming earmark sponsors on the floor of the House. In 2013, as a senator, he joined the bipartisan Gang of Eight to craft a comprehensive immigration reform bill that included a pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants. In 2015, he was the only Republican who accompanied then-Secretary of State John Kerry to Cuba to preside over the reopening of the U.S. Embassy after a 54-year diplomatic freeze. He advised his fellow Republicans to back down on same-sex marriage, regardless of their personal views, and voted to ban discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and to repeal dont ask, dont tell. During the 2016 campaign, he famously refused to endorse or vote for Trump, and he has continued to criticize the president for the last six months.

Jeff is as straight a shooter as there exists in this place, Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy once said of Flake. I dont know where Jeff will end up, but I know it will be because hes made a decision on the merits, not the politics.

Refusing to follow the partisan script has never made Flake especially popular at home. He barely edged out his Democratic Senate opponent Richard Carmona in 2012, and after revoking his support for a gun background-check bill the following year, Flake briefly held the lowest approval rating of any senator in the country. Even today, Flake ranks as one of Americas six or seven least popular senators (among their constituents).

From left, Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., and Minority Whip Richard Durbin, D-Ill., conduct a news conference on legislation to end the U.S. travel ban on Cuba, in 2015. (Photo: Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)

Back in 2015, Flake insisted that his flagging poll numbers would not affect his politics. Thats the beauty of being the Senate, he joked in Tucson. Six years between elections.

But pretty soon, those six years will be up  and more than any other issue, health care may determine whether Flake gets to spend another six years in Washington.

The irony is that in Arizona, there isnt as much partisan disagreement about Obamacare as there is nationally (or even in most other states). There are two reasons for this. The first is that last year most insurers fled Arizonas Obamacare exchanges, leaving virtually all enrollees with only a single choice of carrier; at the same time, premiums for some plans increased by 116 percent, the highest rate hike in the country. As Tom Snook, a Phoenix-based actuary for consultants Milliman Inc., told the Wall Street Journal in October, The Arizona market is the poster child for the problems the exchanges are experiencing nationally.

The second reason is that Obamacares Medicaid expansion has helped more than 400,000 high-need Arizonans get health insurance  and it has been Republicans who have implemented and perpetuated that expansion. During the Great Recession, former Gov. Jan Brewer, a staunch conservative and early Trump supporter, cut the states Medicaid funding and froze enrollment; between 2011 and 2013, 150,000 adult Arizonans on Medicaid nearly two-thirds of the childless adults in the program  lost their coverage.

But eventually Brewer had a change of heart, and she fought tooth and nail to push Obamacares Medicaid expansion through the legislature, telling her fellow Republicans, You have to look at the reality. You have to do the math. [And] its not only a mathematical issue  its a moral issue. Brewers Republican successor, Gov. Doug Ducey, has since come out against the Senate repeal bill in part because, by slashing federal funding for the Medicaid expansion, it will prevent Arizona from pay[ing] for the real-world costs of providing care.

As a result, Arizona politicians in less precarious positions than Flake actually sound somewhat alike when it comes to Obamacare  regardless of which party they belong to.

Its no secret that Arizonans have been frustrated with Obamacare over the last seven years, because the law has real problems, Rep. Sinema, the Democratic congresswoman from Maricopa County, tells Yahoo News. But parts of the law  like the Medicaid expansion  are still very, very popular. So the message Im getting in Arizona is, We didnt love Obamacare, but the GOP plan is bad.

A lot of us  both Republicans and Democrats in the House and Senate  want to find a bipartisan solution, Sinema adds. The problem is that none of us are in the leadership.

Audience members stand up to shout down Arizona Republican Sen. Jeff Flake during a town hall in April 2017 in Mesa, Ariz. (Photo: Ross D. Franklin/AP)

At a contentious two-and-a-half-hour Mesa town hall in April  his only such event of the year  Flake could have said something similar. Again and again, his constituents asked about Obamacare.

Will you commit to vote against any plan that does not cover essential benefits, womens health, preexisting conditions, hospitalization and medication? asked a woman suffering from autoimmune kidney failure.

How are we going to work together across the aisle to insure these children and adults have coverage? asked the mother of a girl with autism. We cannot afford to let Obamacare implode, because without Obamacare my daughter would not be able to speak.

I do not understand how you can allow 24 million Americans go through life without affordable health care, said a military veteran.

But again and again, Flake dodged the question.

Obamacare is not sustainable in its current form, he said in several different ways. It needs to be changed. It needs to be reformed. Thats what were trying to do.

Someday soon, Flake may have to get more specific. If and when that day comes, perhaps he can explain his long-held concerns about the growth of entitlement programs. Perhaps he can propose a fiscally conservative way to address those concerns without pulling the rug out from under the nearly 2 million Arizonans who get their health care coverage through Medicaid. Perhaps he can even push for the sort of bipartisan fixes he has championed on immigration.

Right now, however, the politics of the moment seem hostile to that kind of clarity. The question for Flake is whether he can survive the current storm with his reputation as a straight shooter intact  or whether, by waiting to weigh in, hell wind up looking like the very thing he has always insisted he isnt: another typical politician.

_____

Read more from Yahoo News:
Jerusalem (AFP) - A beach stroll by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu caused online waves on Thursday, with the two men seen wading barefoot into the surf together.

The beach trip came on the last day of Modi's visit to Israel, the first-ever by an Indian prime minister. They had gone to the beach to see a demonstration of a mobile water desalination unit.

It was closed to journalists, but images and video were distributed by the Israeli government showing the two men walking together into the water barefoot at Olga beach in northern Israel.

Some on social media took Netanyahu to task for not sufficiently rolling his pant legs, with the images showing them getting wet. Others joked about a budding "bromance".

They later drove together in the mobile water desalination unit -- which looked like a dune buggy -- and sipped samples from wine glasses, even toasting before they did.

Modi and Netanyahu have sought to extend Indian-Israeli cooperation beyond the billions of dollars in defence deals between them during the three-day visit.

The two leaders presented a series of agreements for cooperation on satellite technology, water and agriculture, as well as the creation of a $40 million innovation fund.

Israel already sells India an average of $1 billion per year in military equipment. The country has also excelled at water and agriculture technology, which India has shown an interest in.

Modi's visit marks 25 years since India and Israel established diplomatic relations.
Phtobuckets ransom image. Source: Digital trends

A major photo-sharing site is altering the deal. Pray it doesnt alter it any further.

Unfortunately for Photobucket, it didnt have a Darth Vader level of leverage when it recently started asking users to switch to a $400-a-year plan if they wanted to keep embedding their images on other sites.

This Denver-based firms more likely fate: serving as a lesson to others about the risks of an ad-based business modeland about how not to pivot to a different financial footing.

Getting thumbnailed

Photobucket broke the news of this change to its users in about the worst way possible: by breaking links and erasing images embedded on third-party pages, both popular options when the site launched in 2003.

As irked British stamp-collecting blogger Ian Billings wrote June 30, Photobucket images embedded in a philatelic forum had all been replaced with the same thumbnail graphic of a maxed-out gauge and the caption Please Update Your Account To Enable 3rd Party Hosting. He labeled it a new sort of ransom.

The only heads-up provided to users seems to have been a cryptic June 26 post on Photobuckets blog that said We have updated our Terms of Service, effective June 20, 2017 and advised reviewing those new policies as they may affect your account.

I didnt get an email about the new terms at either of two long-dormant Photobucket accounts. Most users seem to have been just as surprised, to judge from their outraged tweets.

The actual change was far more severe than that posts vague phrasing would suggest. Simply linking to a Photobucket image from elsewhere would now require paying $100 a year, while embedding images on other sites would entail the $400 annual fee.

Photobuckets enforcement may be inconsistent, as some images Id embedded elsewhere years ago remain viewable.

Failure to communicate

The company has since compounded its mistakes with some epically awful communication. After a few days of silence, its Twitter account surfaced to invite followers to Learn more about the latest changes at Photobucket.

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Users were not amused, to judge from replies like Do you guys HONESTLY think this is going to work out in the end for you?

The company answered a query I sent to its tech-support email address (after finding no press-contact info on its site and having calls to its main phone number met with a recording advising I email support) by pointing me to a July 6 press release.

That document quotes CEO John Corpus blaming this shift on the rise of ad blockers and the Companys explosion of 3rd party hosting that generates zero revenue.

Photobucket didnt say how many people had signed up for its $400 plan since this revision. It doesnt seem to have been any more open with other news outlets; the Denver Posts story quotes the same statement I got.

Boom to bust

A decade ago, things looked much brighter for Photobucket. In early 2007 the traffic-measurement firm Hitwise acclaimed it as the webs top photo-sharing site, with 41% of the market, not long before the News Corp. (NWS) subsidiary Fox Interactive Media paid $250 million for the company.

Photobucket missed the rise of mobile apps, but its easy embedding still made it an easy choice for adding images to sites like eBay (EBAY) that limited their own picture storage at the time.

Two years later, News unloaded Photobucket for $60 million. In 2011, Twitter (TWTR) picked Photobucket to run its new photo-sharing featurethen switched to an in-house system the next year.

Photobucket kept on touting its easy linking and embedding, suggesting in a 2013 e-mail that I let my photos out to mingle with your friends wherever they are on the web.

It still claimed 60 million unique visitors a month in 2015, although by then my occasional Photobucket use had long since stopped.

Ailing ads

Revisiting the site for the first time in years week made it painfully obvious how far management had gone to soak up ad revenue.

Not only are its photo galleries overrun with ads that obscure images and sometimes block the whole page, I even saw its terms-of-service page temporarily hidden by a tacky ad gallery.

If trying to monetize that unloveable legalese isnt a cry for help, I dont know what is.

It can be tempting to write off this sad saga as one companys mismanagement. But Photobucket isnt the only smaller site to find that online ads dont yield enough revenue while, as the music-sharing site SoundCloud just reported, subscriptions dont cover their bills either. Not all of these sites will be so easy to blame for their fates.

Giant companies like Facebook (FB) and Google (GOOG, GOOGL) may continue to prosper from online ads. But you have to wonder how much room the web will leave for sites without big-name brands behind them.

More from Rob:

Email Rob at rob@robpegoraro.com; follow him on Twitter at @robpegoraro.
Some commentators have suggested the 25th Amendment could be used to oust Donald Trump: AFP/Getty

Support is growing for a congressional bill that could lead to Donald Trump being removed from office.

Democrats in the House of Representatives have tabled proposals for the creation of an 11-member, cross-party body called the Oversight Commission on President Capacity, which would be responsible for examining the US presidents mental and physical health.

Tabled by Maryland congressman Jamie Raskin and backed by 21 members of the House, the bill would see Mr Trump or any other US president forced from the Oval Office is he or she is deemed to be mentally or physically unfit for the role.

The bill was first introduced in April but support for the proposal has grown in recent weeks after Mr Trump launched a tirade of angry tweets against various opponents. Critics say his frequent Twitter outbursts and references to violence are a sign of a man who is not fit for office.

The billionaire businessmans public row with the hosts of MSNBC show Morning Joe and his tweeting of a mocked-up clip of him tackling and punching a figure with a CNN logo covering its face were widely condemned, including by members of Congress.

It comes amid speculation that the 25th Amendment to the US Constitution could be used to oust Mr Trump.

The amendment allows the Vice President to remove the president, with the backing of the majority of the cabinet or such other body as Congress if they believe the commander in chief cannot discharge the powers and duties of the office.

The proposed Oversight Commission could act as the body that gives consent for such an action.

It would be responsible for investigating whether a president "is temporarily or permanently impaired by physical illness or disability, mental illness, mental deficiency, or alcohol or drug use to the extent that the person lacks sufficient understanding or capacity to execute the powers and duties of the office of President.

Numerous experts have questioned Mr Trumps mental state and suitability for the job. Last month, a group of psychiatrists claimed the Republican has a dangerous mental illness and was paranoid and delusional.

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One Democrat congressman, Darren Soto of Florida, told NBC: "Given Donald Trump's continued erratic and baffling behaviour, is it any wonder why we need to pursue this legislation?"

"The mental and physical health of the leader of the United States and the free world is a matter of great public concern."

Mr Raskin, a professor of constitutional law, said the bill was not only about Mr Trump and would help remove other presidents who are deemed unfit for office.

We've got to make sure that we have a president who is able faithfully to discharge the duties of office," he told CNN. This is not just for one president  it's for all of the presidents. And I think we can come together in a bipartisan way."
Hong Kong (AFP) - China's sole operational aircraft carrier arrived in Hong Kong for the first time Friday in a display of military might less than a week after a high-profile visit by president Xi Jinping.

Xi's trip marked 20 years since Hong Kong was handed back to China by Britain, and analysts said his visit left little doubt that Beijing viewed the city as a destabilising hotbed of unacceptable political dissent.

His three-day stay culminated in a 30-minute speech warning that any challenge to Beijing's control over the city crossed a "red line", seen as a salvo against a new wave of activists calling for self-determination or independence, concepts intolerable to Beijing.

President Xi also inspected 20 squads of troops last Friday at the city's biggest military parade in the past two decades, where helicopters and armoured vehicles were displayed.

The 305 metre-long (1,000 feet) Liaoning, a secondhand Soviet ship built nearly 30 years ago and commissioned in 2012, arrived in Hong Kong early Friday, as a rainbow appeared overhead.

The aircraft carrier sailed through the East Lamma Channel, passing by residential buildings located on the south coast of Hong Kong island, and was berthed near the Tsing Yi region.

State news agency Xinhua said the carrier was accompanied by two destroyers and one frigate. J-15 fighter jets and two helicopters were seen on the carrier's flight deck.

"With the fleet's visit to Hong Kong, I believe residents will experience first hand China's tremendous achievements in defence, in the armed forces, and especially in the navy," the city's new leader Carrie Lam said at a welcoming ceremony.

Lam, who was sworn in by Xi on Saturday, said it would help "reinforce" residents' understanding of the nation.

China's national defence ministry had said the Liaoning, named after a northeastern Chinese province, was part of a flotilla on a "routine training mission".

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Its arrival in Hong Kong would mark the 20th anniversary of China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) entering the city, defence ministry spokesman Wu Qian told reporters last Thursday.

Enthusiasm for the aircraft carrier was high with people queueing overnight at the PLA garrison in central Hong Kong for public tour tickets earlier this week.

But ticket-holders are banned from bringing cameras when they board the aircraft carrier on Saturday, reports said, while foreign media outlets have not been invited to cover the event.

Authorities have also set up a temporary no-fly zone in the area where the Liaoning will be berthed near the city's Tsing Ma suspension bridge.

After the handover in 1997, some feared the PLA would be heavy-handed given the army's crackdown on student protesters in Beijing's Tiananmen Square in 1989.

Instead they have maintained a low profile and are barred from interfering in local affairs.

China launched its first domestically built aircraft carrier in April, though it is not expected to enter service until around 2020 once it has been fully equipped and armed.
By Mica Rosenberg and Jonathan Allen

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The Department of Justice is reviewing letters from 10 local jurisdictions that said they are in compliance with U.S. immigration law, to determine whether to cut federal funding, officials said Thursday, heating up a dispute between so-called sanctuary cities and President Donald Trump's administration.

In April, the department had asked a handful of states and cities to document by June 30 their compliance with a statute that says local governments cannot prevent their employees from sharing information with U.S. immigration officials.

The Trump administration has said jurisdictions that do not fully cooperate are shielding "criminal illegal aliens," and has promised to crack down on cities that do not comply. The sanctuary jurisdictions say they are following the law and do not want to spend local resources on immigration enforcement.

"It is not enough to assert compliance, the jurisdictions must actually be in compliance," U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions said in a statement on Thursday. He said the 10 jurisdictions had written in with "alleged compliance information" and that the government would "examine these claims carefully."

Sessions' statement said "some of these jurisdictions have boldly asserted they will not comply with requests from federal immigration authorities." If the government finds the cities are violating the statute, known as Section 1373, it could decide to cut federal funds.

In the letters seen by Reuters, the jurisdictions say they are following the law even though some do not honor all "detainer" requests sent by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE.) A "detainer" asks local authorities to hold people in jail up to 48 hours beyond when they are set to be released so immigration officials can take them into custody.

Many of the letters noted that compliance with detainer requests is voluntary and is not required under the statute. The jurisdictions targeted are the states of California and Connecticut, Chicago and Cook County in Illinois, New Orleans, Philadelphia, Las Vegas, Miami, Milwaukee and New York.

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At least one of the jurisdictions  Nevada's Clark County, which is dominated by Las Vegas  has a long-standing formal agreement with ICE in which local police officers help with federal immigration enforcement.

New York City said it complies with detainer requests for people who have been convicted of certain "violent or serious" crimes, so long as the request is accompanied by a judicial warrant. Like other cities, New York said its priority is creating trust between immigrant communities and local police to encourage residents, even if they are living in the country illegally, to report crimes.

Mitchell Landrieu, the Mayor of New Orleans made a similar argument in a letter to Sessions. He said the administration has erroneously characterized sanctuary cities as havens for Central American gangs. Landrieu said an audit of gangs in New Orleans did not find a single Latino-dominated group.

"Undocumented people who commit violent crimes must face the criminal and immigration legal systems of this country. But that does not mean that all people are illegal immigrants that are part of violent gangs," Landrieu wrote.

Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele called the Justice Department's statement on Thursday "inflammatory."

The county is at risk of losing more than $6 million in revenue if the Justice Department follows through, a June 28 letter from its lawyers said. It said Milwaukee would "avail itself of all legal options available" to "protect its grant funding."

Trump's executive order early in his presidency pledging to cut funding to sanctuary cities has been challenged in the courts. In April, a federal judge in San Francisco said in a case brought by Santa Clara county that cities were likely to succeed in proving Trump's order unconstitutional.

The California county wrote in a court filing on Thursday that top administration officials have repeatedly stated that federal funding should be tied to local willingness to honor ICE detainer requests.

(Reporting by Mica Rosenberg and Jonathan Allen in New York; additional reporting by Dan Levine in San Francisco; editing by Grant McCool)
A newly found back-and-white photo taken on the Marshall Islands may help solve the mystery of Amelia Earhart's disappearance, but not everyone is convinced that the famous aviator is in the photo.

The 80-year-old photo shows what may be Earhart and her navigator, Fred Noonan, surrounded by a group of people on a dock on Jaluit Atoll in the Marshall Islands in 1937, according to History channel researchers, NBC reported today (July 6). The researchers suggest that Earhart was taken hostage by the Japanese, who had a military presence there.

However, experts contacted by Live Science say they'll need to learn more about the photo and the History investigation before saying whether the evidence meets scientific scrutiny. [Photos: The Incredible Life and Times of Amelia Earhart]

"The new photo has certainly caused a stir," Richard Jantz, director emeritus of the Forensic Anthropology Center at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, who is also studying Earhart's disappearance, told Live Science. "I look forward to their putting it out before the scientific community, so we can see what they did and how they did it."

Other experts had a more skeptical take.

"What bothers me is that it is a side view and not a full lateral/side at that," Ann Ross, director of the Forensic Sciences Institute at North Carolina State University, told Live Science in an email. "A frontal view would be necessary for a good image comparison."

Earhart's adventures

Earhart set several aviation records for speed and distance in the early 1930s, including her famous solo flight across the Atlantic Ocean in 1932  the first time a woman had accomplished such a feat, Live Science previously reported.

But her disappearance during a later adventure  her goal to become the first female pilot to fly around the world  continues to intrigue the public and scientists alike. Earhart and Noonan began the 29,000-mile (46,000 kilometers) journey hugging the equator from Miami on June 1, 1937. After flying for 29 days on her plane, the Electra, they landed in Lae, New Guinea, in the Pacific Ocean.

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The duo planned to fly to Howland Island, but weather, and possibly a damaged radio antenna and inaccurate maps, seem to have led them astray. They were last heard from on July 2, 1937. The United States declared her dead on Jan. 5, 1939, but her remains were never found.

Recovered photo

The newly recovered 8-by-10-inch (20 by 25 centimeters) photo is dated to 1937, and was reportedly taken by a U.S. spy keeping an eye on the Japanese military in the Marshall Islands, History channel investigators told NBC.

History's researchers discovered the photo in a U.S. National Archives file. Former FBI Executive Assistant Director Shawn Henry will describe the investigation during the 2-hour History special "Amelia Earhart: The Lost Evidence," airing at 9 p.m. EDT/ 8 p.m. CDT Sunday (July 9).

In the photo, a woman with a short haircut that resembles Earhart's is seen sitting on the dock. She is also wearing pants, as Earhart often did, and the proportions of her body match those from other photos of Earhart, Henry told NBC. Nearby, a man who resembles Noonan (he has the same prominent nose and receding hairline) stands next to a group of people, Ken Gibson, a facial recognition expert, told NBC.

The yellow circles show the individuals that may be Amelia Earhart and Fred Noonan. National Archives

But Ross said this analysis was open to interpretation. [7 Extreme Female Explorers]

"The image of Noonan is very dark and you cannot see any facial features," Ross said. She added that she's not certain how common short haircuts for women were during that period. Moreover, Earhart's posture does not suggest she was being held hostage, Ross said.

"I would say this is not convincing nor is it definitive," Ross said.

The Electra?

On the right side of the photo, the Japanese ship Koshu tows a barge with a plane-like object on it, which photo analysts estimated to be 38 feet (11.5 meters) long, the length of Earhart's Electra. The analysts added that the photo does not appears to be doctored, NBC said.

If the individuals in the photo really are Earhart and Noonan, then perhaps the team survived a crash-landing in the Marshall Islands, as islanders say they did, NBC reported. The events were even memorialized in postage stamps released by the Republic of the Marshall Islands in 1987 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of her last flight.

"We believe that the Koshu took her to Saipan [in the Mariana Islands, about 1,800 miles/3,000 km northwest of the Marshall Islands], and that she died there under the custody of the Japanese," Gary Tarpinian, the executive producer of the History special, told NBC.

The yellow circle shows what may be Amelia Earhart's plane, the Electra. National Archives

It's unclear whether the U.S. government knew who was in the photo, NBC said. Its news team reached out to the Japanese foreign ministry, the Japan Ministry of Defense and the National Archives of Japan, and all three organizations said they had no evidence that Earhart was in their custody, NBC reported. Still, it's possible that such records were lost, NBC noted.

There are myriad ideas on what happened during Earhart's last flight. The International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery (TIGHAR), a Pennsylvania-based group, has floated the idea that Earhart and Noonan ran out of fuel and landed on Gardner Island (now known as Nikumaroro), about 400 miles (640 km) south of Howland Island, where they died as castaways.

The group, in conjunction with National Geographic, is now bringing forensic dogs to Nikumaroro to sniff for human bones, and to see if any such bones match those of Earhart and Noonan, Live Science previously reported.

The distance between Jaluit Atoll, where the photo was taken, and Howland Island, where Amelia Earhart was supposed to land. Some researchers suspect that Earhart landed on Nikumaroro. Google Maps

Original article on Live Science.

Editor's Recommendations
Consumer Reports has no relationship with any advertisers on this website.

A report out today from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention finds that use of these highly addictive narcotic pain meds dropped in the last few years. But a closer look at the numbers in the CDC study reveals another, more troubling trend: Some doctors are still overprescribing opioids, which puts lives at risk.

Overall, the use of OxyContin, Percocet, Vicodin, and other opioid pain medications decreased by 13 percent between 2012 and 2015. Yet even with that drop, prescribing remains alarmingly high, according to the CDC. In 2015, U.S. doctors prescribed enough opioids to medicate every American around the clock for three weeks.

The amount of opioids prescribed in the U.S. is still too high, with too many opioid prescriptions for too many days at too high a dosage, said the CDC's acting director, Anne Schuchat, M.D.

Safer Pain Relief

Last year, the CDC released guidelines advising doctors to not prescribe more than three days' worth of opioids for most patients.

Healthcare providers have an important role in offering safer and more effective pain management while reducing risks of opioid addiction and overdose," Schuchat says.

But because some doctors are too quick to prescribe opioids, patients need to speak up and ask about other options for relieving pain, advises Consumer Reports medical director, Orly Avitzur, M.D.

"The thinking on opioid prescribing has changed in recent years as the severity of the risks of the drugs has come to light," Avitzur says. "We also have far more research supporting the effectiveness of safer medications and even nondrug measures."

For example, research shows that the combination of over-the-counter acetaminophen (Tylenol and generic) and an anti-inflammatory drug such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB and generic) or naproxen (Aleve and generic) can actually work better than an opioid to relieve pain after a dental procedure.

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And the American College of Physicians now recommends avoiding opioids for most cases of back pain. Instead, the APC recommends trying nondrug options such as heat, acupuncture, massage, spinal manipulation, and yoga before resorting to any medication.

However, that updated advice can be slow to trickle down to all doctors' everyday practices, Avitzur says: "Prescribing habits become deeply entrenched. So it's important to remind your healthcare providers that you don't wantor needa lengthy opioid prescription."

Longer courses and higher doses of opioids are appropriate for people suffering severe pain from cancer or a terminal illness, she says. "But even after surgery or an injury, most other patients can transition to safer OTC pain relievers within three days, says Avitzur. "Very few patients need powerful prescription painkillers for more than a week."

Editor's Note: These materials were made possible by a grant from the state Attorney General Consumer and Prescriber Education Grant Program, which is funded by a multistate settlement of consumer fraud claims regarding the marketing of the prescription drug Neurontin (gabapentin).





More from Consumer Reports:

Top pick tires for 2016

Best used cars for $25,000 and less

7 best mattresses for couples





Copyright  2006-2017 Consumer Reports, Inc.
It was a tense scene in a Florida parking lot this week as police were forced to break a window to rescue a dog that had been locked in a hot car.

On July 3, Ilisa Diamond was in Boynton Beach on vacation and heading to a diner for breakfast when her husband spotted the pit bull locked in a Buick with the windows rolled up as temperatures climbed.

Read: 11-Year-Old Boy Invents Device to Prevent Hot Car Deaths After Death of Neighbor's Baby

"It was extremely hot, extremely humid down there," Diamond told InsideEdition.com. "You can't even imagine the heat. It was absolutely surreal."

She called the police, who responded with Animal Control to save the male pup.

It was easily 110 degrees inside that car  if not more," the Boynton Beach Police Department said in a statement posted to Facebook.

While another officer went into nearby stores to find the owner of the dog, Sgt. John Dunlop used his baton to break the rear window on the passenger side of the vehicle as Diamond recorded the rescue on her cell phone.

"He was just sitting there," Diamond said about the dog. "He was almost oddly calm."

After he was able to unlock the back door, Animal Control provided water for the hound and he was removed from the car with his tail between his legs.

"What was most shocking on this was the extreme heat we were experiencing and the windows were not even cracked," Boynton Beach Animal Control Officer Liz Roerich told InsideEdition.com.

Roerich added that the dog's chest cavity was expanding rapidly and he was extremely overheated.

"When [a dog's] body temperature starts to rise and it gets to a certain level, it quickly turns from 'boy their panting heavy' to in-distress," she said. "We're not gonna sit there and watch a dog get to that point."

The owner, who lives about 12 blocks away from the parking lot, came back to her car and told the police she ran into Bank of America because the drive-thru was closed.

Story continues

Roerich told the owner about Palm Beach County Ordinance 98-22, Section 24  leaving a dog in a car unattended  before returning her pet.

"All people should just put themselves in the animal's shoes," she said. I don't know anybody in their right mind that is going to sit in their vehicle in South Florida in July, windows up and just sit there."

Roerich said they often receive calls of animals being reported in hot cars, sometimes as many as three or four a day.

She said that whether the temperature is 40 degrees or 90, it's an ordinance violation if a dog is in a vehicle alone  even the air conditioner is on and there's water in the car.

"They just dont understand what those few minutes can do to their pets' health and that was the case here," she said.

Boynton Beach Police Department posted the rescue and provided information to the public to remind the community of the law in Palm Beach County.

"It is never OK to leave your pet in an unattended vehicle," the post read. "It is illegal and if you do it in the City of Boynton Beach, you are going to be cited for it  at a minimum."

The dog's owner was presented with a citation that included a $108 fine. If she decides to contest the citation, however, the fine can cost her as much as $500 if a judge sees fit.

In its Facebook post, the department also provided a tip to the community concerning their pets and the heat.

"Stop being lazy (harsh, yes, but true). Bring your pet home and then go back out to run whatever errands you need to do," it said.

Diamond posted the dog's liberation on her Facebook page as well.

Someone put me in the right place at the right time. Omg!" she said in her post.

Diamond told InsideEdition.com that she believes the owner did not mean any harm, but she just made a poor decision.

"I cant imagine how long the dog could have been in the car before we got there," she said.

Read: 2-Year-Old Boy and Dog Rescued From Hot Car After Grandmother Accidentally Locked Them Inside

Florida is one of 11 states that allow citizens to legally break into hot cars to save an animal or a child as part of a "good Samaritan" law, while 20 states allow only law enforcement to make the rescue, according to the Animal Legal Defense Fund.

"If we can just educate people, we're going to save a lot of animals from distressing and dying and the owners from experiencing the grief and guilt." Roerich said.

Watch: See Rescuers Revive Dog Found Alone and Unconscious in House Fire

Related Articles:
Over the past couple of weeks, the prevailing meme among some Donald Trump-defending reporters and commentators has shifted in a subtle but important way. For months, such folks have hewed to the line that no evidence had yet surfaced of collusion between the Trump campaign and Russian efforts to interfere with the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Now, they say, collusion wouldnt be such a big deal if it did occur  certainly not illegal.

Take Fox News. In discussing a reported grand jury investigation, Brit Hume confidently declared: But what crime? Can anybody identify the crime? Collusion, while obviously it would be alarming and highly inappropriate for the Trump campaign, of which there is no evidence by the way, of colluding with the Russians. Its not a crime.

Sean Hannity made a similar point:

What was the collusion? That maybe somebody in the Trump campaign talked to somebody in Russia because Russia supposedly had the information that Hillary Clinton had destroyed on her server when she committed a felony and tried to cover up her crimes? And that they might say as a Trump campaign representative, Wow, you have that? Tell the American people the truth. Let them see it themselves, release it. Is that a crime, to say release it? To show the truth?

Earlier, Gregg Jarrett took to the network to assert the same: Collusion is not a crime. Only in antitrust law. You can collude all you want with a foreign government in an election. There is no such statute.

There are two important points to make about this new conservative argument. The first is that it seems to have conveniently appeared only a few days before the emergence of some actual evidence of collusion  the first such evidence we have seen so far. The second is that the argument actually has some legal merit  though whether its legally correct depends on facts yet to surface.

The new evidence of collusion is far from conclusive. But its fair to say that the public evidence last week got a lot stronger that people in the Trump campaign  or people on the periphery of the campaign, at least  were not simply passive beneficiaries of Russian intelligence efforts.

Story continues

On June 29, the Wall Street Journal reported that prior to the 2016 election, a Republican opposition researcher named Peter Smith attempted to obtain emails he believed were stolen from Hillary Clintons private server, likely by Russian hackers.

The report contains two significant allegations: first, that Smith  who died shortly after talking to reporter Shane Harris  implied to associates at the time that he was working in coordination with Michael Flynn and with Flynns son in his efforts to obtain stolen emails from Russian hackers. Second, the Journal reports that, according to multiple officials, the U.S. intelligence community is aware of conversations among Russian hackers in which they discussed how to obtain emails from Mrs. Clintons server and then transmit them to Mr. Flynn via an intermediary. It is not clear whether the U.S. intelligence reporting refers to the same operation as Smith described to the Journal, but they took place during the same time frame.

The Journal published a follow-up story the next day, on Friday, regarding documents that Smith sent to others he was attempting to recruit to the effort. One of the documents names Trump campaign advisors  including Flynn, Steve Bannon, Kellyanne Conway, Sam Clovis, and others  as being involved in the effort.

On Lawfare Friday evening, the original recipient of that document, information security expert Matt Tait, elaborated on his bizarre experience with Smith.

Taits account itself contains a number of remarkable points. He writes that he counseled Smith to seriously consider the possibility that this may have been part of a wider Russian campaign against the United States but that Smith didnt seem to care about who had taken the emails or their motives:

It is no overstatement to say that my conversations with Smith shocked me. Given the amount of media attention given at the time to the likely involvement of the Russian government in the [Democratic National Committee] hack, it seemed mind-boggling for the Trump campaignor for this offshoot of itto be actively seeking those emails. To me this felt really wrong.

Perhaps the most startling and significant part of Taits story is his own perception that Smith genuinely knew both Flynn and his son well and that his effort seemed to be genuinely connected to some degree to the Trump campaign itself, not just an independent rogue operation:

My perception then was that the inclusion of Trump campaign officials on this document was not merely a name-dropping exercise. This document was about establishing a company to conduct opposition research on behalf of the campaign, but operating at a distance so as to avoid campaign reporting. Indeed, the document says as much in black and white. The combination of Smiths deep knowledge of the inner workings of the campaign, this document naming him in the Trump campaign group, and the multiple references to needing to avoid campaign reporting suggested to me that the group was formed with the blessing of the Trump campaign. In the Journals story this evening, several of the individuals named in the document denied any connection to Smith, and its certainly possible that he was a big name-dropper and never really represented anyone other than himself. If thats the case, Smith talked a very good game.

Is all this the smoking gun in the Trump-Russia investigation? No. It definitely moves the collusion ball down the field, especially given the corroboration  at least to some degree  by independent intelligence collection. But it also forces people to scratch their collective heads and ponder the new Fox News talking point that collusion isnt really that big a deal. If all this is true, one might ask, so what?

In order to understand the answer, its necessary to break down the term collusion a bit. First, we can dispense with collusion as a strict legal term. Jarrett is actually correct that, from a statutory standpoint, collusion is a legal term of art only in the realm of antitrust. No one is accusing Trump and Putin of price fixing.

In the general public conversation, however, the term collusion is being used in a broader colloquial sense to mean forms of secret cooperation between the Trump camp and Russia. Collusion has become the favored term, thus far, more because of this colloquial appropriateness than because it gives any guidance about what is and is not lawful conduct. Especially as more concrete allegations emerge, using the term collusion denotes some general form of secret, or otherwise improper, cooperation. When used in that sense, the term conveys a mood of impropriety and illegality but might cover both legal and illegal conduct.

It may seem absurd that it could be possible to collaborate with a foreign intelligence service in its efforts to interfere with a U.S. election by coaxing the release of stolen emails without violating any law. But its not that absurd. There are plenty of activities that might be highly inappropriate and politically consequential but do not violate any criminal law. After all, if the actor seeking the information were the New York Times, not a shadowy group of Republican political operatives, wed call it journalism.

At the same time, its also easy to imagine activities that fall within the colloquial meaning of collusion that would actually be criminal. So its worth considering whether theres a more precise legal taxonomy, other than collusion, to discuss the situation at hand.

Former FBI Director James Comey, in his congressional testimony announcing the investigation, used a different word: coordination. This word is more precise in some respects, but it also does not necessarily convey illegality. There is, after all, no crime of coordination either. Coordination, of course, does not even need to be secret. And neither, most particularly, does cooperation. Indeed, the public evidence of at least tacit cooperation between the Trump campaign and the Russians is overwhelming and requires no investigation to prove.

Recall, after all, that Trump overtly and publicly called on Russia to obtain Clintons emails multiple times. In a July 27, 2016 news conference, Trump said, Russia, if youre listening, I hope youre able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing. I think you will probably be rewarded mightily by our press. Later the same day, he tweeted, If Russia or any other country or person has Hillary Clintons 33,000 illegally deleted emails, perhaps they should share them with the FBI! Throughout the campaign, Trump celebrated WikiLeaks and sought to make the emails, hacked and released by a hostile foreign intelligence service, a campaign issue. In short, he quite openly invited and encouraged Russian help, and he flagrantly relied on the fruits of Russian efforts. The only real question is whether these were parallel, symbiotic activities taken cooperatively by independent actors with common interests in a particular outcome or whether there was some kind of active coordination behind the cooperation.

So if collusion is not, in and of itself, a crime, and cooperation and even secret coordination are not either  at least not without more evidence  what are the possible crimes here?

One possibility, of course, is that the Fox pundits are right and there were no crimes  that the underlying investigation really is predominantly a counterintelligence matter and nothing more. The possibility that Americans cooperated with Russian intelligence in a covert action against their own country and ended up at the highest echelons of government is, to be sure, a matter of grave counterintelligence and national security concern even if their collusion or coordination or cooperation actually violated no criminal law. So the investigation could primarily be noncriminal in character.

But there are also areas of criminal law that any responsible prosecutor would want to examine as evidence of collusion or coordination begins to emerge  and examine with specific and granular reference to facts that are not yet known to the public or maybe even to the investigators themselves.

For example, the law of conspiracy covers agreements to engage in future crimes; an agreement to commit a crime, combined with some overt step toward committing it, is itself a crime. Then there is solicitation, which is the attempt to induce another to commit a crime. And there is clearly underlying criminal activity in the instances of Trump-Russia cooperation we already know about: Violations of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act certainly took place when the DNC computers were hacked, and laws were certainly broken when large volumes of emails were stolen, too. Helping thieves dispose of stolen property is generally criminal, as is  generally speaking  knowing receipt of stolen property, though journalism again offers something of an exception to this rule when the property in question is forms of information.

There are other areas of law, too. Normally, we evaluate efforts to coordinate with or assist foreign intelligence services under the rubric of espionage  though that typically involves giving information to the foreign power, not helping the foreign power distribute it to others. While theres no indication that happened here, investigators are always interested in both information flows and money flows when foreign intelligence services have relationships with Americans in positions of power. Moreover, many such relationships with foreign governments, to avoid criminal liability, require disclosures under the Foreign Agents Registration Act, which the Trump campaign team seems not to have contemporaneously filed. And, of course, anyone who tries to hide collusion or coordination by lying about it to investigators commits a crime in doing so.

At the moment, there simply arent enough facts to make any kind of judgment regarding anyones criminal conduct. So for the time being, we suspect that special counsel Robert Muellers team is more interested in assembling facts than in reaching any conclusions regarding what sort of collusion or coordination would be actionable under what sort of law.

The key point, for present purposes, is that collusion, in and of itself and to the extent it took place, is a political problem, not a legal one. The president will not have to answer for collusion as such in any court. His legal problem, rather, will arise  if it ever arises  only once we know the manner of any collusion and how that activity maps onto the criminal code. Either way, Trump may have to answer to the country if the evidence shows he was willing to do business with an adversary foreign intelligence service to release dirt on a domestic political opponent. Disloyalty of that sort may well be a crime in the eyes of the presidents fellow citizens, if not under the letter of the law.

Photo credit: John Moore/Getty Images
Cambodia has deported more than 70 Chinese citizens accused of defrauding people back home in an internet scam.

Gen. Ouk Haiseila, chief of the Cambodian Interior Ministrys Immigration Investigation Bureau, said the 74 suspects were flown out of the capital on yesterday on a plane sent by the Chinese government.

Police did not release any details on the alleged scam.

Since 2012, Cambodia has deported at least 982 Chinese and Taiwanese to China.

Deportations of Taiwanese to China are controversial because Cambodia defers to Chinas claim to sovereignty over the self-governing island. But the immigration investigation bureau chief said none of the suspects deported yesterday are Taiwanese.

China is a key diplomatic ally of Cambodia and has provided millions of dollars in aid and investment over the past decade. AP
Mr Trump spoke at the site of a memorial to a 1944 uprising against Nazi occupation: Getty

Donald Trump has made his most explicit commitment yet that America will come to the defence of its Nato allies - a day before a much-anticipated meeting with Vladimir Putin.

The US President had been criticised during his first visit to Europe when he failed to refer to Natos Article 5, that part of its charter that commits members to the idea of mutual defence.

Yet after having defended his berating of those members of the 29-member organisation he said were not sufficiently contributing financially, he spelled out that he - in line with every other US President before him - was committed to Natos solidarity.

The President's comments were the most explicit yet about his commitment to Nato (Getty)

To those who would criticise our tough stance, I would point out that the United States has demonstrated - not merely with its words but with its actions - that we stand firmly behind Article 5, the mutual defence commitment, Mr Trump said.

Words are easy, but actions are what matters. And for its own protection, Europe - and you know this, everybody knows this, everybody has to know this - Europe must do more.

Mr Trumps speech came heavy with symbolism. He spoke in Krasinski Square, just feet from a memorial to the 1944 Warsaw uprising against the Nazis. Mr Trump spent much of his speech devoted to applauding the spirit and strength of the Polish people, and talked about their repeated takeovers and occupations.

However, on the eve of what is believed to be his first meeting with Mr Putin - and certainly his first as US President - Mr Trump also spoke about a broader threat to Western values and of the need to defend them.

Our freedom, our civilisation and our survival depend on these bonds of history culture and memory and more than ever. Poland is in our heart and its people are in that fight, he said.

I declare today for the world to hear the West will never, ever be broken, our values will prevail, our people will thrive and our civilisation will triumph.

Mr Trump spoke in a country that for decades was under Soviet rule. Its turn to the West after the fall of the communist government in 1989, its joining of Nato a decade later and the increased deployment of US troops on its soil, have angered Moscow.

Story continues

Ahead of his scheduled meeting with Mr Putin in Hamburg, Mr Trump - who has spent the first months of this presidency fighting off allegations of collusion with Russia - also took the opportunity to call on Moscow to stop fomenting unrest around the world.

According to Reuters, while Mr Trump stopped stopped some way short of condemning Russia for allegedly meddling in the US election, he said Western interests were being tested by propaganda, financial crimes and cyber warfare.

We urge Russia to cease its destabilising activities in Ukraine and elsewhere, and its support for hostile regimes including Syria and Iran, and to join the community of responsible nations in our fight against common enemies and in defence of civilisation itself, he said.

He added: Americans, Poles, and the nations of Europe value individual freedom and sovereignty. We must work together to counter forces, whether they come from inside or out, from the South or the East, that threaten over time to undermine these values and to erase the bonds of culture, faith and tradition that make us who we are.
SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images

Donald Trump has said the US is thinking about pretty "severe things" with regards to North Korea.

He said the country was displaying "very, very bad behaviour", and that he would wait a few weeks or months to see what happened.

The comments were the president's first public comments since North Korea tested an intercontinental ballistic missile that could reach Alaska.

The president said that something will have to be done about the country. But he would not draw red lines and would not reveal exactly what he was planning, he said.

"It's a shame that they're behaving this way," Trump said of North Korea's leaders. "But they are behaving in a very, very dangerous manner, and something will have to be done about it."

The U.S. has been considering a range of possible sanctions, economic measures and other steps in response to Pyongyang. The test of an ICBM marked a major technological advancement for North Korea that U.S. officials have described as intensifying the threat against the U.S. by bringing the North closer to being able to mount a nuclear warhead atop a missile that could hit American soil.

Trump's comments in Poland came as he opened his second visit to Europe, a trip that will include meetings with several European leaders including Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Later on Thursday, Trump planned to deliver a speech from Krasinski Square, the site of a monument commemorating the 1944 Warsaw Uprising against Nazi occupation. Polish media reports said the government, as part of its invitation to Trump, promised the White House a reception of cheering crowds. Plans call for ruling party lawmakers and pro-government activists to bus in groups of people from outlying provinces for the speech.

In his speech, Trump planned to call on Poland and all of America's European allies to stand united against extremism and other "shared enemies" that pose a threat to freedom and sovereignty  whether "from the South or the East," according to excerpts of his speech released by the White House in advance.

Story continues

Trump started his first day in Europe at the Royal Castle, welcomed by President Andrzej Duda and a vigorous handshake in front of a white marble bust of Stanislaw August Poniatowski, the last king of Poland. The leaders then retreated to a room decorated with red walls for their private talks.

Additional reporting by Associated Press
Experts agree everyone should start saving for retirement as early as possible, but those approaching age 50 without saving for their golden years are facing a full-fledged financial emergency.

The good news is it's never too late to get your retirement on track -- even at 50.

"Saving and building a nest egg is a lot like trying to lose weight -- there are no shortcuts," says Owen Murray, director of investments for Horizon Advisors. "[People] have to spend less and save more. It is necessary to change their behavior and to stick with the changes."

The majority of Americans retire between ages 61 and 65, according to LIMRA Secure Retirement Institute. Even at age 50, Americans have a 15-year window to get all their financial ducks in a row and still retire by age 65. While that window may not be large enough for everyone to get where they need to be by 65, taking full advantage of the opportunity can make the difference between retiring at 68 or retiring at 80.

[See: The Best ETFs Retirees Can Buy.]

At the same time, just because some people may not be able to get fully prepared for retirement in 15 years doesn't mean they should be discouraged from doing whatever they can. Garrison Urette, president of Garrison Asset Management, says anything people can do to prepare for retirement is better than doing nothing. It's also important to be realistic about expectations.

"Because of the delay in saving, it often makes more sense to delay retirement," Urette says. "If they were hoping to retire soon, I would strongly suggest they revisit that idea."

In terms of making the most out of those retirement savings by investing them, he says most 50-year-old investors can still comfortably take on a certain amount of investing risk.

"In general, I would expect someone in their 50s to have at least a 25-year time horizon and thus be able to have a well-diversified portfolio that takes on a moderate level of risk," Urette says.

Story continues

Another way to look at the predicament of starting retirement savings at age 50 is to adjust retirement lifestyle expectations, says Jeff Carbone, managing partner for Cornerstone Financial Partners.

"I will start the conversation with the client by helping them to understand it is not only what you have that makes a difference but what you would spend or expect to spend in retirement," Carbone says.

By breaking down the costs associated with a lavish retirement lifestyle, clients often get a reality check about how serious the situation actually is.

[See: 11 Tips for the Sandwich Generation: Paying for College and Retirement.]

In terms of making up for lost time, Carbone says pretax savings accounts can be a client's best friend.

"First and foremost, make sure to maximize the company savings plan [i.e. 401(k), 457, etc.]," he says.

But no matter how much retirement-savers cut spending and adjust retirement lifestyle expectations, a 15-year window may simply not be long enough for all savers.

According to Antwone Harris, a senior financial consultant for Charles Schwab, starting from scratch at age 50 would require the average person to set aside roughly 60 percent of his or her income to retire at the typical age.

"According to the Schwab Center for Financial Research, your retirement portfolio should be 25 times larger than the amount you expect to withdraw from it in your first year of retirement," Harris says.

People who can't afford to save that much of their income may need to think outside the box about retirement.

"Many people are retiring later in life these days to build a bigger retirement portfolio or working part time during retirement to supplement their savings," Harris says.

For people who find themselves in the unfortunate situation of having no retirement savings at 50, another obstacle to overcome may be a mental one. There's no sense in dwelling on missed opportunities, but there's also no time to waste in getting started on an emergency retirement savings plan.

"People too often lament their fate rather than taking action," says JJ Kinahan, chief strategist for TD Ameritrade.

"Viewpoint is everything in these situations," he says. "Rather than looking at it like you don't have enough time, set a realistic goal of what you can do in the time available."

[See: 13 Ways to Take the Emotions Out of Investing.]

The idea of delaying retirement, making dramatic lifestyle changes or working part time after age 65 may be disappointing. However, just because it might not go as planned doesn't mean savers can't start at age 50 and still have a long, enjoyable retirement.

Wayne Duggan is a freelance investment strategy reporter with a focus on energy and emerging market stocks. He has a degree in brain and cognitive sciences from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and specializes in the psychological challenges of investing. He is a senior financial market reporter for Benzinga and has contributed financial market analysis to Motley Fool, Seeking Alpha and InvestorPlace. He is also the author of the book "Beating Wall Street With Common Sense," which focuses on the practical strategies he has used to outperform the stock market. You can follow him on Twitter @DugganSense, check out his latest content at tradingcommonsense.com or email him at wpd@tradingcommonsense.com.
Former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper disagreed with President Trumps claim that another country besides Russia may have been involved in meddling in last years U.S. election.

In an appearance on CNNs The Situation Room with Jim Sciutto on Thursday night, he reaffirmed his confidence in the intelligence communitys report that Moscow launched a multifaceted campaign to disrupt the presidential election to hurt Hillary Clintons candidacy and bolster Trumps. He said there was absolutely no doubt about Russias role.

That has been reaffirmed by those who are still in positions of responsibility in the intelligence committee. Theres absolutely no doubt about it, he said. And the high confidence levels, the multiple sources of information we had and its high fidelity still leave me very convinced of the veracity of that report.

When asked to respond to Trumps suggestion Russia likely was not alone in meddling with the U.S. election, the former top U.S. intelligence official said, Boy, thats news to me.

We saw no evidence whatsoever that it was anyone involved in this other than the Russians, said Clapper, who served under President Barack Obama.

Trump made the claim earlier in the day at a news conference with Polish President Andrzej Duda in Warsaw, before the G-20 summit in Germany.

I agree. I think it was Russia, Trump said. But I think I think it was probably other people and/or countries. And I see nothing wrong with that statement. Nobody really knows. Nobody really knows for sure. He also insinuated that U.S. intelligence agencies are not to be fully trusted because of their erroneous assertions that then-Iraqi President Saddam Hussein had been stockpiling weapons of mass destruction (WMD) in the early 2000s  precipitating the Iraq War. Trump has made similar comments in the past.

Clapper said its hard not to reach the conclusion that Trump had effectively thrown the U.S. intelligence community under the bus. He added that national intelligence had taken great pains to address the shortcomings of the WMD report of 2002 to make sure such mistakes did not happen again.

Story continues

Yes, its true that was a big mistake, Clapper said. But we have learned from it and inserted  the intelligence community has, I should say  injected a lot of safeguards to prevent that from ever happening again. Because of that experience, and my having lived through it, thats why my confidence level is so high in the veracity and fidelity of the information that went into that intelligence community assessment.

Clapper said theres no doubt in his mind that Russia will try to interfere with the 2018 and 2020 U.S. elections and that it may go after Republicans next time. He said the election process is a fundamental pillar of American life and that all Americans should take the issue of Russian interference seriously.

This is an assault on us, our nation, our country, regardless of party, he said. And we need to get to the bottom of this and figure out what to do to prevent it in the future.

Read more from Yahoo News:
By Roberta Rampton and Jeff Mason

HAMBURG (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are set to size each other up in person for the first time on Friday in what promises to be the most highly anticipated meeting on the sidelines of the G20 summit.

Trump has said he wants to find ways to work with Putin, a goal made more difficult by sharp differences over Russia's actions in Syria and Ukraine, and allegations Moscow meddled in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

That means every facial expression and physical gesture will be analyzed as much as any words the two leaders utter as the world tries to read how well Trump, a real estate magnate and former reality television star, gets along with Putin, a former spy.

The fear is that the Republican president, a political novice whose team is still developing its Russia policy, will be less prepared than Putin, who has dealt with the past two U.S. presidents and scores of other world leaders.

"There's nothing ... the Kremlin would like to see more than a (U.S.) president who will settle for a grip and a grin and walk away saying that he had this fabulous meeting with the Kremlin autocrat," Representative Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the House of Representatives' Intelligence Committee, said in an interview on MSNBC.

As investigations at home continue into whether there was any collusion between Trump's presidential campaign and Russia the U.S. president has come under pressure to take a hard line against the Kremlin.

Moscow has denied any interference and Trump says his campaign did not collude with Russia.

On Thursday, Trump won praise from at least one Republican hawk in the U.S. Congress after his speech in Warsaw in which he urged Russia to stop its "destabilizing activities" and end its support for Syria and Iran.

"This is a great start to an important week of American foreign policy," said Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, who has often been critical of Trump on security issues.

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But earlier in the day, Trump declined to say definitively whether he believed U.S. intelligence officials who have said that Russia interfered in the 2016 election.

"I think it was Russia but I think it was probably other people and/or countries, and I see nothing wrong with that statement. Nobody really knows. Nobody really knows for sure, Trump said at a news conference, before slamming Democratic former President Barack Obama for not doing more to stop hacking.

SENATORS' CONCERNS

Ahead of Trumps meeting with Putin, three U.S. senators wrote to Trump to express deep concern about reports that his administration planned to discuss the return to Russia of diplomatic compounds in Maryland and New York that were seized by the Obama administration last year in response to alleged Russian election meddling.

Republican Senators Johnny Isakson and Marco Rubio and Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen said returning the facilities would "embolden" Putin and encourage further efforts by Russia to interfere in Western elections. All three are on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

The White House declined to offer details on what Trump would request of Putin and what he might offer in exchange for cooperation.

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Trump wanted to talk about how the two countries can work together to stabilize war-ravaged Syria.

"The United States is prepared to explore the possibility of establishing with Russia joint mechanisms for ensuring stability, including no-fly zones, on-the-ground ceasefire observers, and coordinated delivery of humanitarian assistance," Tillerson said before leaving the United States to join Trump in Germany.

Trump was also grappling with a response to North Korea's successful test of an intercontinental ballistic missile, which analysts say had a long enough range to reach Alaska.

Curbing Pyongyang's nuclear ambitions has been Trump's most pressing foreign policy priority, and he met with leaders from Japan and South Korea on Thursday evening to discuss it. He is also slated to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the G20.

"Id like to see the president figure out how to engage Russia on North Korea, said Representative Francis Rooney, a Republican from Florida who is on the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

"What I suggested to the president here a while back was that since we have all these conflicting issues about Russia right now and were still reeling from the fact that they took Crimea, maybe this is an opportunity to reset the Russia relationship in a positive manner, Rooney said in an interview.

(Additional reporting by Patricia Zengerle, Susan Heavey and Doina Chiacu in Washington; Editing by Jonathan Oatis)
Buddhist spiritual leader, the 14th Dalai Lama, turns 82 Thursday. He was born July 6, 1935, at Taktser village in northeastern Tibet. Born Tenzin Gyatso, at the age of two, he was recognized as the reincarnation of the 13th Dalai Lama, Thubten Gyatso. He was formally recognized as the 14th Dalai Lama in 1939.

Read: Dalai Lama's Visit To UCSD Sparks Chinese Students Matter Backlash In San Diego

Following a failed Tibetan uprising against the Chinese government in 1959, he fled to India and has been living there ever since. On several occasions, he fought for the rights of Tibetans and has even appealed to the United Nations to take action over the situation. He has also been seeking autonomous recognition for Tibet.

In 1989, the Dalai Lama received the Nobel Peace Prize for his campaign against freedom and democracy in Tibet. Following are the quotes by the Dalai Lama gathered from DalaiLamaquotes.org, Brainy Quote, AZ Quotes:

Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible.

The true hero is one who conquers his own anger and hatred.

A good friend who points out mistakes and imperfections and rebukes evil is to be respected as if he reveals the secret of some hidden treasure.

When we feel love and kindness toward others, it not only makes others feel loved and cared for, but it helps us also to develop inner happiness and peace.

Compassion is not religious business, it is human business, it is not luxury, it is essential for our own peace and mental stability, it is essential for human survival.

Our prime purpose in this life is to help others. And if you can't help them, at least don't hurt them.

This is my simple religion. There is no need for temples; no need for complicated philosophy. Our own brain, our own heart is our temple; the philosophy is kindness.

A lack of transparency results in distrust and a deep sense of insecurity.

We can live without religion and meditation, but we cannot survive without human affection.

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Don't ever mistake my silence for ignorance, my calmness for acceptance or my kindness for weakness. Compassion and tolerance are not a sign of weakness, but a sign of strength.

Read: Beijing Officials Angered Over Dalai Lama's Chinese Hardliners Comment

Do not let the behavior of others destroy your inner peace.

If you think you are too small to make a difference, try sleeping with a mosquito.

When you think everything is someone else's fault, you will suffer a lot. When you realize that everything springs only from yourself, you will learn both peace and joy.

Anger cannot be overcome by anger. If someone is angry with you, and you show anger in return, the result is a disaster. On the other hand, if you control your anger and show its opposite - love, compassion, tolerance, and patience - not only will you remain peaceful, but the other person's anger will also diminish.

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Acapulco (Mexico) (AFP) - Brawling inmates at a Mexican prison beheaded and mutilated their rivals Thursday, leaving five dead and one wounded, officials said.

The pre-dawn brawl erupted in the maximum-security wing at the CERESO federal prison in Acapulco, a resort town on Mexico's Pacific coast that has been hit by grisly violence between warring drug cartels in recent years.

The victims were stabbed and beaten to death, said Roberto Alvarez, security spokesman for the state of Guerrero.

"Order has now been restored," he said in a statement.

Guards said four of the victims had their throats slit, according to an internal state police report. It also said gunshots had been fired in the maximum-security wing, apparently by prisoners.

Mexico's chronically overcrowded prisons are frequently hit by riots and jailbreaks.

In June, seven people were killed, including three police, when officers stormed the Ciudad Victoria prison in the northern state of Tamaulipas to regain control from prisoners who had been stockpiling guns inside.
The New York Times published an op-ed by former Clinton adviser and associate Mark Penn Thursday arguing that Democrats should "reject the siren calls" of politicians on the far left  like Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.)  and to move the party back to moderate positions.

"Candidates inspired by Senator Bernie Sanders, Senator Elizabeth Warren and a host of well-funded groups have embraced sharply leftist ideas," Penn wrote. "But the results at the voting booth have been anything but positive: Democrats lost over 1,000 legislative seats across the country and control of both houses of Congress during the Obama years."

He continued, saying that Democrats "need to reject socialist ideas" and "adopt an agenda of renewed growth."

READ: Bernie Sanders May Have Won, Even Though Jon Ossoff Lost

Penn's touting of centrist positions comes after serving for years as an integral part of the Democratic party's political establishment. He advised former President Bill Clinton in the 1990s and served as Hillary Clinton's chief strategist and pollster during her failed bid as the Democratic nominee in the 2008 primaries.

GettyImages-78789781

Photo: (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

The former pollster said that the leftist positions have "weakened the party," and said that similar leftist ideas touted during the early Clinton era lead to the party losing the House of Representatives to the Republicans. He then touted the mid-1990s as a time in which the Democratic Party moved back to the center after years and got legislation accomplished.

READ: Bernie Sanders Reacts To Alexandria Shooter Serving As A Campaign Volunteer

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The reaction op-ed got less than positive reviews on Twitter, with users pointing to his failed strategy during the 2008 primaries.

The New York Times giving space to Mark Penn suggests some people have forgotten who he is. This was his strategy for Hillary to beat Obama. pic.twitter.com/HcEBdN5929  Alan Smithee (@ActualFlatticus) July 6, 2017

Democrat strategist Mark Penn is being blasted by Clinton voters because he said his party needs to go back to being the party of Clinton._  Ryan (@RyP1984) July 6, 2017

remember when mark penn was paid an absurd amount of money to not understand how primaries worked and cost hillary the 2008 primary  Atrios (@Atrios) July 6, 2017

Some users on Twitter pointed out that this is something that members of the liberal and leftist side of the Democratic party could agree upon.

But thank you, Mark Penn, for giving liberals & leftists something to unite over (that Dems should do none of this): https://t.co/YmdJUDQKNq  Jill Filipovic (@JillFilipovic) July 6, 2017

Yes, Democrats tried GOP-lite and neo-liberalism for far too long and all it got us was an ever declining share of the vote. Ignore Penn.  Jim Tarrant (@InigoMontoya316) July 6, 2017

One sticking point was Penn's slamming of "socialist ideas" which drew a reaction on Twitter.

the thing people like mark penn always leave out of their very bad political analysis is that republicans will always call us socialists. pic.twitter.com/LQ0CGcNHmS  mike casca (@cascamike) July 6, 2017

it's a very good sign that mark penn felt the need to write the words "reject socialist ideas" in a dang @nytimes op-ed.  mike casca (@cascamike) July 6, 2017

"After years of leftward drift by the Democrats culminated in Republican control of the House under Speaker Newt Gingrich, President Bill Clinton moved the party back to the center in 1995 by supporting a balanced budget, welfare reform, a crime bill that called for providing 100,000 new police officers and a step-by-step approach to broadening health care. Mr. Clinton won a resounding re-election victory in 1996 and Democrats were back," Penn said.

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Hamburg (AFP) - World leaders at the G20 summit acknowledged US President Donald Trump's divergent stance on climate change, according to a draft communique seen by AFP Friday.

The draft underlines that the 2015 Paris climate accord is "irreversible" and affirms that other G20 nations are committed to the deal while taking note of Washington's decision to quit the agreement.

Ahead of the summit, a key concern among Western allies was whether they would be able to convince G20 members to stand firm on the Paris agreement on combating global warming.

If the draft is confirmed in the final statement due to be published Saturday afternoon, it would reflect the 19-versus-the-US split over the issue.

British Prime Minister Theresa May meanwhile said world leaders will redouble efforts to persuade Trump to rejoin the Paris deal.

"I believe the collective message that will be given to President Trump around this table will be the importance of America coming back into that agreement, and I hope we will be able to work to ensure that can happen," she told the BBC.
Donald Trump had trouble booking a hotel room for the G20 meeting in Hamburg, Germany: SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images

Donald Trump has reportedly had trouble getting a hotel room for the upcoming G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany.

His team apparently waited too long to book accommodations for the President and his travelling staff and were told none of the major hotels had vacancies, Buzzfeed reported.

The local newspaper Hamburger Abendblatt reported that the Four Seasons had to turn him away as they were full.

In an ironic twist for the hotel chain owner, every luxury hotel in town seemed to be booked up. There do not appear to be any Trump-owned properties in the northern German city.

Buzzfeed did some digging and found that King Salman of Saudi Arabia and his massive entourage are staying at the Four Seasons as well two other high-end hotels.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is staying at the Park Hyatt and German Chancellor Angela Merkel will make camp at the Atlantic Kempinski with India and Canada.

However, the Hamburg government's Senate House will reportedly host him, while staff will likely stay at the US Consulate there.

This is not the first time a US official has had trouble with hotels in Germany. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson had to stay several miles away - at a sanitarium outside of Bonn - from other leaders at the February G20 ministers' meeting.
The leaders of the European Union and Japan are lauding their agreement in principle on free trade between the economic juggernauts as the best antidote against the protectionism seen to be promoted by the United States. The leaders said in a statement that the EU and Japan demonstrate to the world  and to our citizens  that free trade, with clear and transparent rules fully respecting and enhancing our values, remains an important tool to promote prosperity. Countering calls for protectionism, EU Council President Donald Tusk said that the political agreement proves that the world doesnt need to go back 100 years back in time, when open trade was not as prevalent. Japans Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said that it sends a strong message to the world.
A 33-year-old Georgia woman, Isabel Martinez, was charged Thursday with multiple counts of murder for allegedly stabbing four of her children and her husband to death. She also severely injured another child at the family's residence outside Atlanta, police confirmed, multiple reports said.

Isabel was charged with five counts of murder, five counts of malice murder and six counts of aggravated assault. The hearing in the case is scheduled for Friday. Police said the nine-year-old injured girl  identified as Diana Romero  who survived the stabbing was being treated at a hospital. The police identified other victims as Isabela Martinez (10), Dacota Romero (7), Dillan Romero (4), and Axel Romero (2), and their father Martin Romero (33).

Police detained Isabel till the bodies were discovered inside her home in Loganville, Georgia, Gwinnett County police Cpl. Michele Pihera told reporters. "She was quickly taken into custody and right now she's at Gwinnett County Police Headquarters being interviewed," Pihera told the reporters at the scene of the incident.

Authorities said the accused cooperated with the investigators; however, the motive behind the killings was not revealed. "Right now, we believe we have everybody involved in this crime," Pihera said, and assured the people in the neighborhood that no dangerous person was at large.

Police claimed there were indications of use of a knife for the attack, however, a medical examiner would make the final call.

Neighbors said they had not been aware of the situation until the police came to investigate the scene. They also mentioned the Spanish-speaking family moved to the neighborhood recently and they had not observed any unusual behavior among the children. The children appeared to be happy when they played with other kids in the community, the neighbours said, according to the Associated Press.

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"She seemed so normal, like regular mother," said a neighbor, Letty Perez, referring to Isabel, according to ABS-affiliate WSBT-TV. "She was good, went to our church last weekend, she was there with us."

Jim Hollandsworth, a spokesman at the Path Project  a nonprofit organization in the neighborhood that runs an after-school program  said the children also participated in the program and spoke English as their second language, the AP reported.

"It's awful. It's devastating. Everyone is in complete shock," Hollandsworth said. "The kids were engaged in what we're doing. They were happy. They were fantastic kids with a bright future."

One of the neighbors, Pedro Ramirez, told the police that Isabel was depressed as her father had died recently, but she seemed like a "happy person," Atlanta Journal Constitution reported.

Read: Afghan Mother Kills 25 Taliban Fighters In Seven-Hour Gunbattle After Watching Her Son Slain In Ambush

A campaign has been started on the GoFundMe site to help the sole survivor in the family. "The burden of funeral costs is a lot for our family, and any help would be greatly appreciated. The sole survivor of this tragic event, Diana, is still in the hospital and expected to stay there for another 2-3 weeks to recover from her injuries. Your donations would cover any medical costs incurred from the hospital as well as the funeral costs for the five deceased," a post on the website read.

Related Articles
HAMBURG (Reuters) - German police used water cannon to disperse around 500 anti-capitalist protesters overnight in the port city of Hamburg where Chancellor Angela Merkel will host leaders of the G20 leading economies in a two-day summit starting on Friday. Tens of thousands of protesters are expected to march in the city this week against globalization and what they say is corporate greed and a failure to tackle climate change. German authorities believe around 8,000 demonstrators were prepared to use violence, the interior minister said on Tuesday. Some 20,000 police officers will be deployed. Hundreds of mainly young left-wing activists gathered and marched on a main street shortly before midnight on Tuesday in the first major protest ahead of the summit, which will be attended by U.S. President Donald Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan. Der Spiegel magazine reported that the Germany army fears protesters will use unarmed drones and that it has deployed a radar to locate any possible aerial intrusions. A spokesman for the German military declined to confirm the report. (Reporting by Chris Stern and Hannibal Hanschke; Writing by Joseph Nasr; Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky)
Hamburg (AFP) - Demonstrations turned violent late Thursday ahead of a tricky first G20 summit for US President Donald Trump, as German police clashed with a hard core of masked anti-capitalist activists hurling bottles and stones.

What should have been a peaceful march by around 12,000 people in Hamburg protesting against globalisation was halted as police used water cannon and tear gas to disperse around 1,000 far-left militants.

Seventy-six police officers were injured, a spokesman for Hamburg's police told AFP.

"Police are still being attacked," he said.

Officers called with loudspeakers on protestors to remove their masks but this was ignored and after more objects were thrown, authorities decided to separate them from the other protestors, police said on Twitter.

"Unfortunately it has come to the first clashes. We are implementing corresponding measures," read another tweet.

Protesters were seen scrambling to leave the scene, while others defiantly stood in the way of water cannon trucks as they moved in surrounded by riot police with helmets and batons.

Police tweeted a photo of a car and flames and said shop windows were smashed.

The main "Welcome to Hell" march was then called off but thousands of people remained as night fell and demonstrators engaged in smaller skirmishes in the back streets of Germany's second city, AFP correspondents said.

Up to 100,000 demonstrators are expected before and during the two-day Group of 20 meeting gathering Trump, Russia's Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping of China starting on Friday.

There were 20,000 police on standby together with armoured vehicles, helicopters and surveillance drones. A holding centre for detainees has been set up in a former hardware store with space for 400 people.

"War, climate change, exploitation are the result of the capitalist system that the G20 stands for and which 20,000 police are here to defend," demonstrator Georg Ismail told AFP.

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- 'Welcome to hell' -

Major events like the G20 have in recent years usually been held in remote locations, but Germany was forced by its logistical demands to host it in a large city with a big venue and dozens of hotels.

Hamburg is desperate to avoid a rerun of the kind of major clashes seen at the 2001 G8 summit in Genoa or the Frankfurt opening of the new European Central Bank building in 2015.

In Hamburg, some 30 demonstrations have been announced, organised by anti-globalisation activists and environmentalists, trade unions, students and Church groups.

"Welcome to Hell" organiser Andreas Blechschmidt said the motto is "a combative message... but it's also meant to symbolise that G20 policies worldwide are responsible for hellish conditions like hunger, war and the climate disaster".

- Trump to meet Putin -

The main focus of attention inside the G20 venue on the first day of the summit on Friday will be Trump's first face-to-face meeting with Putin.

Speaking in the Polish capital earlier on Thursday in front of 10,000 people, Trump didn't mince his words about Moscow.

"We urge Russia to cease its destabilising activities in Ukraine and elsewhere, and its support for hostile regimes -- including Syria and Iran -- and to instead join the community of responsible nations in our fight against common enemies and in defence of civilisation itself," he said.

Arriving in Hamburg later Thursday, Trump headed to talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who has vowed to defend the 2015 Paris climate accord despite the US leader's decision to withdraw.

Merkel said before meeting the US president that Trump was facing isolation within the G20 over the issue -- one of several topics where the new US leader is likely to clash with his fellow leaders.

"We are not going to paper over the differences but rather, we will call discord discord. Because there are also different opinions on some important questions," Merkel said.

Trump held a dinner with leaders of South Korea and Japan, focusing on North Korea's successfully test of an intercontinental ballistic missile this week. He tweeted afterwards only that the meeting was "great".

In his first public remarks since the test, Trump said in Warsaw that Pyongyang's military sabre-rattling must bring "consequences" and warned he was considering a "severe" response to its "very, very bad behaviour".
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Every year some 350,000 people suffer cardiac arrest, when the heart suddenly stops working, while away from the relative safety of a hospital. Whether those people receive cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) right away can literally mean the difference between life and death.

Research has found that the willingness of bystanders to perform CPR can result in a two-fold increase in a victims chance of survival.

But research also shows that many people are afraid to jump in and help. Less than a third of people who go into sudden cardiac arrest receive CPR from a bystander, according to recent studies.

Often people hesitate to do CPR because they havent had training, are afraid of doing it wrong, or even fear they might get sued if they cause an unintentional injury, says Orly Avitzur, M.D., medical director for Consumer Reports.

Thanks to Good Samaritan laws enacted in every state, you actually cant be sued if you act in good faith in an emergency. And the risk of injuring someone is quite lowyou can really only make them better, not worse, says Jonathan L. Epstein, senior director of science and content development for the Red Cross.

For this reason, experts say fearand even a lack of formal trainingshouldn't stop you from intervening in an emergency. In fact, evidence has emerged in the past 10 years that a technique called "hands-only CPR," where you do chest compressions without mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, can be just as effective as doing both.

Hands-only CPR is much less complicated, making it a good choice if you have limited (or even zero) training. Here's what you should know the next time you have an opportunity to save someone's life.

A Simpler Way to Do CPR

We want to get the message out to the public that doing anything is far superior to doing nothing, says Epstein. If youre more comfortable doing the hands-only technique, that can help buy the victim precious minutes until the ambulance arrives.

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A growing stack of evidence, including a 2017 review of the research from the Cochrane Collaboration, an independent panel of experts, supports this approach.

One 2010 study published in the New England Journal of Medicine looked at 1,941 patients who went into cardiac arrest outside of the hospital. Roughly half were given traditional CPR (chest compressions plus rescue breaths) by bystanders who were guided by the 911 dispatcher, while the other half were given just chest compressions by bystanders who were guided by the 911 dispatcher.

We observed no significant difference between the two groups in the proportion of patients who survived to hospital discharge, the authors wrote.

Another benefit of the hands-only technique is accessibility.

Getting full CPR training is a barrier for many people, and older people, as a group, are much less likely to be trained, says Benjamin S. Abella, M.D., director of the Center for Resuscitation Science at the University of Pennsylvania and author of a recent study on age disparity in CPR training. While the mean age of sudden cardiac arrest victims is around 64, people 60 and older are about 50 percent less likely to be trained in CPR compared with those under age 49, according to Abella. Teaching hands-only CPR could help increase knowledge and confidence in all age groups.

The barriers are much lower for learning the hands-only technique, says Abella. In fact, says Abella, when people who took a full CPR certification course and others who took an abbreviated 30-minute class on the hands-only technique were tested 30 days later, both had retained similar skills.

CPR: Putting It Into Action

Its important to note that hands-only CPR is to be used only on adults and teenagers. The recommended technique for younger children and babies still includes both chest compressions and rescue breaths. But don't hesitate to use hands-only CPR on everyone else. Just keep these tips in mind:

Know the signs. If someone collapses in front of you and theyre unresponsive when you yell at them or tap them on the shoulder, you should call 911 and immediately start chest compressions, says Epstein.

Don't go at it alone. Epstein recommends putting your phone on speaker and placing it right next to the victim, so that you are able to speak to the 911 dispatcher and receive directions without stopping compressions.

Keep the beat. You want to push down on the center of the chest, hard and fast, trying to compress at least 2 inches down, says Epstein. The goal is to work at a pace that allows for 100 compressions per minute. You can get a metronome app on your phone that will keep the beat or try singing The Bee Gees Stayin Alive (a song with 100 beats per minute) and compressing in time to the song.

Refresh your knowledge. While you can perform hands-only CPR with nothing more than the help of a 911 dispatcher, if you want to have more confidence in your skills, a brief training courseor even a review of all the steps involvedmight help. Check out the American Heart Association (www.cpr.heart.org) and the Red Cross (redcross.org/take-a-class) for a list of courses as well as videos and step-by-step directions for performing hands-only CPR technique.





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A gun-toting Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte made a surprise visit Friday to a military camp close to a city where Islamic State group-inspired militants are battling security forces.

Photos and video footage released by his office showed the 72-year-old wearing camouflage fatigues with a submachine gun slung over his shoulder.

Duterte walked with soldiers and aides at an army camp about 25 kilometres (15 miles) from Marawi, saying bad weather stopped him flying into the battlefield.

But he said he could not wait until the fighting was over to visit the wartorn area, adding his trip was designed to show solidarity.

"Placing yourself in jeopardy is one thing, but somehow you need to show yourself ... in our desire to protect the republic," Duterte said.

More than six weeks after hundreds of IS-styled gunmen attacked Marawi, the militants are still holding out in about 1,000 buildings, and up to 300 civilians remain trapped, the military said Friday.

The fighting has left 353 militants, 87 soldiers and police, and 39 civilians dead, according to government officials, while nearly 400,000 residents of Marawi and nearby areas have fled the fighting.

Duterte declared martial law over Mindanao within hours of the start of the Marawi fighting on May 23 to stop what he said was an IS bid to carve out territory in the Mindanao region.

"If the armed forces and the police tell me the situation is no longer critical, then that is the time I will lift (martial law)," he said Friday.
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Work hard, play hard  thats South Koreas formula for success.

For one South Korean entrepreneur, it only made sense to bottle that formula from his home country and bring it to the hands of hard-working, hard-playing Americans.

Sisun Lee's product, Morning Recovery, is a hangover cure based on some of the many traditional remedies in South Korea's heavy drinking culture.

The idea is to chug a bottle of it after a big night, before you go to bed. Lee claims that you'll wake up without the typical effects expected.

SEE ALSO: Music festivals: expectations vs. reality

The former Tesla and Uber product manager appears to have hit upon nascent demand for the drink outside of South Korea. Morning Recovery's Indiegogo campaign now stands at 300 percent of its $25,000 goal, less than 24 hours after the page went live.

Image: 82 labs

Morning Recovery's magic ingredient is Dihydromyricetin (DHM), a chemical extracted from a fruit called heotgae in Korean, of the Hovenia dulcis tree, or Japanese raisin tree.

It also packs milk thistle  said to be beneficial for the liver, which works hard when you drink alcohol  vitamin B complex, prickly pear extract, and taurine.

Unfortunately for Lee and his team at San Francisco's 82 Labs, testing the product meant many nights of heavy drinking.

It was really all about testing samples on myself, so I literally just got drunk every night and wanted to see if this worked. That's really the only way you do it, he says.

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Eventually, after realising that he's stumbled upon something huge, Lee left his job at Tesla in June to go full out on launching Morning Recovery.

The drink isn't the first of its kind to hit the western market. Other hangover solutions such as Before Elixir , Resqwater and First Aid Shot Therapy have surfaced in the U.S., but Lee says Morning Recovery differentiates itself by its entire compound of ingredients.

Story continues

The origins of Morning Recovery: South Korea's drinking culture

With some of the longest work hours and heaviest drinking habits in the world (not to mention drinking frequently for work ), South Koreans have long needed a workaround to get through the week.

When a hangover is no excuse to stay home, they turn to sukchwi haeso eumryo  hangover remedy drinks, which have understandably become a $120 million industry in South Korea.

Office workers take the small glass bottles, branded Condition, Bacchus or Vita 500, before a night out or the next morning to relieve the pain. Japan has its own version .

A post shared by  (@olivia_min_912) on Jul 4, 2017 at 1:09am PDT

People swear by them. People like Kim Duck-hyeon, a 37-year-old office worker in Incheon, west of Seoul, who has been drinking them for 10 years.

The hangover drinks really work. They help me cut the hangover fast and relieve my headache much better the next day, he said, while nursing a glass of somaek  a signature Korean concoction of soju and cheap beer  at a work function on a Tuesday night.

Salespeople who need to drink for work have them every day just to survive!

So when Lee visited Korea for the first time in his adult life last December and discovered just how intense the drinking culture was, he was blown away by the lightly sweet mystery juice that softened the blow of a heavy night out.

He returned to the U.S. and ordered some for his friends, who reacted positively too, he says.

Because Korean drinking culture is so severe and intense, this thing came to market way before everyone else and there's just been a lot of innovation around it, he says.

The alcohol market in Korea is about $9 billion and the U.S. alone is 25 times bigger than that, and yet there are no synonymous hangover drinks and beverages in the U.S.

Eunwoo Hwang contributed to this article.
The long awaited trial for those accused of murdering Holly Bobo was postponed Thursday thanks to new evidence that emerged in the case. Zach Adams was set to stand trial Monday, but a recently discovered gun forced the judge to delay the trial.

The gun was reportedly discovered by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation underwater sometime during Memorial Day weekend. Adams' defense team argued that it needed extra time in order for experts to analyze the gun and the area where it was located. The judge granted the motion to continue the trial until September.

Read: California Father Armazd Andressian Sr. To Plead Not Guilty In Sons Murder

I want to try this case professionally and correctly, Judge C. Creed McGinley said Thursday before sending jurors home.

Jury selection for the trial was rescheduled for September 9, while the trial would start two days later. McGinley said the trial would take no longer than two weeks once it commenced, according to WREG-TV.

Need to get this behind us, said Decatur County Sheriff Keith Byrd, according to WKRN. Its been long enough.

Bobo, a nursing student, disappeared in 2011 in the woods near her West Tennessee home. Bobos brother told investigators he saw his sister go into the woods near their home with a man dressed in camouflage. At the time, he said, he thought the man was her boyfriend.

A short time later, her brother said he realized something was wrong and called his mother, who then called 911. A search party soon formed in the woods surrounding the familys home. Investigators at the time said they had ample evidence Bobo did not walk away of her own volition.

He actually had an arm holding her, John Mehr of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said at the time. So we feel she knew she was in fear of her life, so she was compliant with his commands.

The then-20-year-olds remains were not found until 2014 when authorities discovered a human skull near Adams home. Through dental records, the skull was confirmed to belong to Bobo.

Story continues

Adams was arrested in March 2014 and charged with especially aggravated kidnapping and first-degree felony murder. His brother, Dylan Adams, and a third man, Jason Autry, were also charged in relation to the case. All three men pleaded not guilty.

Forensic testing in the case remained sealed, though Adams attorneys said there was no DNA that linked him to Bobos death, according to WTVF.

Read: Baby Doe Bella Bond Murderer Michael McCarthy To Be Sentenced

Cindy Adams, the mother of two of the suspects, said she didnt believe her sons were responsible for Bobos death based on the evidence she had seen.

They would have found DNA in that house, Adams told WMC-TV in May. They would have found hair in that house. They would have found a fingernail. They would have found something that placed Holly in that house. Theres no chemical cleanup in that house. Theres nothing that ever indicated Holly has been in that house.

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By Nidal al-Mughrabi GAZA (Reuters) - A series of meetings between Hamas and senior officials in Cairo in recent weeks are showing an improvement in ties between Egypt and the Islamist Palestinian movement, with implications for Gaza, Palestinian politics and the wider region. Ismail Haniyeh, who has recently assumed the post of Hamas's leader, said in a speech in Gaza on Wednesday that relations with the Gaza Strip's neighbor to the south-west were warming. "We have launched a new chapter with Egypt and the relations have witnessed a big move," he said. For much of the last decade, Egypt has joined Israel in enforcing a land, sea and air blockade of the Gaza Strip, a move to punish Hamas and its armed wing, which seized the territory in 2007 and has controlled it since. The situation has worsened in the past month as Israel, at the request of the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority (PA), has cut electricity to Gaza, leaving it with barely four hours of power a day. The sanctions are part of a years-long effort by the PA, led by the rival Fatah party, to force Hamas to relinquish power in Gaza and join a unified government. Power cuts have hit hospitals and water treatment plants, squeezing Gaza's two million people amid a draining heatwave. Sensing the need to act, and worried about losing popular support, Hamas sought to mend ties with Egypt, which controls their one border crossing and has, under President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, been highly wary of ties between Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood, which Sisi ousted from power after mass protests. Hamas's newly appointed leader in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, whose background is with the group's militant wing, met Egyptian officials, including the intelligence chief, last month. POTENTIAL CHALLENGE TO ABBAS The meetings in Cairo were believed to have been facilitated by Mohammad Dahlan, 55, a former senior Fatah official who is originally from Gaza and is now a staunch opponent of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, Fatah's leader. Hanieyh said that Egypt has been helping improve Gazans' living conditions and the talks have already led to alleviating some hardships caused by the blockade. "We have found complete readiness by Egypt and their authorities have issued orders to implement a package of measures that has began with allowing fuel into Gaza." In his speech, Hanieyh also thanked Qatar and Saudi Arabia for financial support. Dahlan, who spends much of his time in the United Arab Emirates and is close to Egypt, has emerged as a powerbroker in the region, determined to bridge differences between Hamas and Cairo and potentially challenge Abbas for leadership. In that respect, closer ties between Hamas and Cairo are a serious threat to Abbas, regional analysts said. Not only because they help to bolster Hamas's credibility in the region, but because they empower Dahlan and undermine the ability of the Palestinian Authority to cast itself as the dominant political body for Palestinians, they said. Israel, which signed a 1979 peace treaty with Egypt and coordinates closely with it on security, is maintaining a wary eye on discussions between Egypt and Hamas. Like the United States and the European Union, it regards Hamas as a terrorist group and wants to keep its influence contained. "MESSAGE OF ASSURANCE" After the last round of meetings in Cairo, Hamas cleared land on its side of the border, creating a buffer zone with watchtowers, cameras and barbed-wire fences in a concession to security-conscious Egypt. "These measures serve as a message of assurance to the Egyptian side," Tawfiq Abu Naeem, the Hamas-appointed head of security services in Gaza, told reporters. Sources with knowledge of the talks said Hamas wants Egypt to open its Rafah crossing for longer and to increase energy supplies and imports. Egypt wants information on "radical elements" entering and leaving Gaza and help with tracking Islamic State-affiliated militants attacking Egyptian forces in northern Sinai. Egyptian officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the discussions. An Israeli foreign ministry official declined to comment. In a sign that the talks are rattling Palestinian politics, Abbas, 82, will visit Egyptian President Sisi this week. Akram Attallah, an independent analyst in Gaza, said that "for the first time we can say there is joint action between the two sides, a joint cooperation. That has never been official since the Hamas movement was founded 30 years ago." DAHLAN'S ROLE Attallah sees Dahlan's mediation as critical. As Abbas has grown more frustrated with Hamas and tried to increase pressure on the group, it has strengthened Dahlan's role as a broker. Abbas expelled Dahlan from Fatah in 2012 and Dahlan has been in self-imposed exile since. The last thing Abbas wants is for him to return to Gaza, with Egypt's approval, as a hero. "Dahlan employed this moment to present himself as the most efficient party in the Palestinian arena and a savior for Hamas," said Attallah, suggesting each side had gained: Dahlan in terms of leverage and Hamas as a political partner. Regional analysts are closely watching what closer ties with Egypt may mean for Hamas's relations with Qatar, which in recent years has spent more than $500 million improving infrastructure and building clinics in Gaza. Egypt and Saudi Arabia are now leading a Sunni-Arab drive against Qatar over its ties with Iran, accusing it of fomenting terrorism, a charge Doha denies. The analysts say if Egypt is forging better relations with Hamas, it may well insist on Hamas giving up its friendship with the emirate. (Additional reporting by Ahmed Mohamed Hassan in Cairo; Editing by Luke Baker and Peter Millership)
Warsaw (AFP) - Ivanka Trump on Thursday visited the Warsaw ghetto memorial, a day after Polish Jews condemned her father, US President Donald Trump, for leaving the monument off his to-do list while in the Polish capital.

The 35-year-old businesswoman and Trump advisor, who converted to Judaism before marrying a grandson of Holocaust survivors, laid flowers with the message "From the United States" at the monument dedicated to the victims of the 1943 Warsaw Ghetto Uprising.

She then recited the Kaddish prayer with Poland's chief rabbi Michael Schudrich before touring the POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews located next to the memorial.

Ivanka was accompanying her father on his trip to the Polish capital to meet with regional leaders and deliver a speech at Krasinski Square before continuing on to his first G20 summit in Hamburg.

Schudrich called Ivanka's presence at the memorial "very, very important... not only because she's a Jew, because her grandparents-in-law are survivors of the Holocaust, but also as a human being it's important."

"But it's sad because her father President Trump is the first US president in 25 years not to visit the Warsaw Ghetto Heroes Monument," he told AFP.

Schudrich released a joint statement with other Jewish community leaders on Wednesday saying they "deeply regret that President Donald Trump, though speaking in public barely a mile away from the Monument, chose to break with that laudable tradition, alongside so many other ones."

"We trust that this slight does not reflect the attitudes and feelings of the American people," said the statement co-signed by Leslaw Piszewski, president of the Union of Jewish Communities of Poland, and Jewish Community of Warsaw president Anna Chipczynska.

POLIN spokeswoman Zaneta Czyzniewska told AFP that the museum only "found out today" that Ivanka Trump would be visiting the monument dedicated to the Jewish partisans who took up arms against Nazi German forces in a doomed revolt.
A sand sculpture of New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie soaking up rays on the beach during the state government shutdown went viral Tuesday.

The sculpture comes after pictures of the former presidential candidate were snapped that showed him lounging on the empty Island Beach State Park on July 4th weekend. The pictures were met with widespread outrage and gleeful indignation.

Lifeguards at the Seaside Heights beach said the sculptors  only identified as Larry and Tom  began their work at 9 a.m. Tuesday and finished by 1 p.m. The artists included on the sculpture the script "Beach Closed," "I Love New Jersey" and "July 4th."

What talent! A "topical" sand sculpture on the Seaside Heights beach today. (Photo: Dave Bobal) pic.twitter.com/RGrRjpi4D9  JSHN (@JSHurricaneNews) July 4, 2017

Inspiration in SeasideHeights from @GovChristie stay at a closed state park beach house during budget crisis @NBCNewYork @JSHurricaneNews pic.twitter.com/MViaOTlDrh  Brian Thompson (@brian4NY) July 4, 2017

READ: July 4th Fireworks In New Jersey Canceled? Chris Christie Says It's Possible

Christie was caught by a photographer on Island Beach State Park over the weekend during a three-day government shutdown over a dispute over the budget between the governor and the Democratically controlled State Assembly. Christie signed the $34.7 billion budget proposal Tuesday, opening the beaches just in time.

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie says he doesn't care about the "political optics" of beach photos. https://t.co/7HRvTKf4fo pic.twitter.com/1FZz5QjS6C  ABC News (@ABC) July 5, 2017

After three days, the budget was solved but the pictures of Christie on the empty beach prompted plenty of reactions from those on social media who weren't pleased with the governor's handling of the situation.

Story continues

In addition to sand sculptures, Twitter also provided a large number of funny memes and reactions to Christie's beach photo, posting a photoshopped image of him on the beach in politically zeitgeist moments, different television shows, movies and others.

In other news, new photo suggests that Trump inaugural crowd size was much closer to Obama's 2009 crowd size than originally thought. ______ pic.twitter.com/QqZRedMUsZ  Ctl+Alt+Denise (@SashPointO) July 4, 2017

I don't know about you, but the Sopranos reboot looks awful. #ChrisChristie pic.twitter.com/hNPo53SQR7  brandon (@brandojerg) July 3, 2017

READ: Twitter Reacts To Chris Christie Sunbathing On Beach He Closed To Public

Before the shutdown, Christie's approval rating had already been abysmal, with a recent poll finding that only 15 percent approval rating in the state. Following the picture, the governor showed disdain for the Star-Ledger, the largest circulated newspaper in New Jersey.

"What a great bit of journalism by The Star-Ledger," Christie said Monday. "They actually caught a politician being where he said he was going to be with the people he said he was going to be with, his wife and children and their friends. I am sure they will get a Pulitzer for this one."

GettyImages-664130184 (1)

Photo: (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

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Singapores luxury home prices, which have been the worst hit by the governments property curbs in recent years, are finally showing signs of a recovery, according to developer Guocoland Ltd.

High-end home sales in the city-state had been on an upswing even before the government in March eased some of its cooling measures in place since 2009, according to Cheng Hsing Yao, group managing director at Guocoland. The changes in March may have added more fuel to the buying sentiment, he said.

The change in sentiment wasnt caused by the tweaking alone, Cheng said in an interview in Singapore. The tweaking has contributed but sales for our projects started picking up toward the end of last year.

Singapore-listed Guocoland is part of Malaysias Hong Leong Group, a Kuala Lumpur-based conglomerate with interests in financial services, manufacturing, real estate and hotels. The company is helmed by Malaysian billionaire Quek Leng Chan, whose fortune is worth about USD4.7 billion, according to the Bloombergs Billionaire Index. Guocoland develops luxury homes and offices in Singapore, Malaysia, China and Vietnam.

Guocoland acquired a prime Singapore land site for SGD595 million ($430 million) a year ago, paying the highest price for a purely residential site in a government auction since 2009. It will start marketing its 450-unit Martin Modern project on this site on July 22 and expects to complete construction by 2021. Cheng expects that the majority of the apartments will be bought by Singaporeans and Singapore-based permanent residents.

Demand is there, with lots of people waiting on the sidelines, Cheng said. Prices have bottomed, and we can see a slight firming up already. The relative value of high-end properties has become attractive, as the price gap between mass-market and luxury homes has narrowed, he said.

Cushman & Wakefield Inc. defines luxury homes as being in prime districts, with sizes of at least 2,000 square feet, and prices starting at SGD1,500 per square foot. Prices of such homes have dropped between 15 percent and 20 percent from their peak in 2013, the broker said.

Singapore home prices fell in the three months ended June, extending the drop in property values to a record 15th quarter as most measures to cool the market remain in place despite the slight loosening in March. Prices in prime areas declined 0.9 percent in the period, data released by the Urban Redevelopment Authority on July 3 showed.

In March, the government reduced stamp duty imposed on sellers, helping stoke optimism that Singapores property market is rebounding, with home sales jumping and developers making more aggressive bids at land auctions. Still, the central bank cautioned that the adjustments earlier this year dont signal an unwinding of the measures.

Many countries have started to introduce their own versions of cooling measures. In terms of pricing, Singapore is quite attractive when compared to Hong Kong and some of the cities in China, Cheng said. Pooja Thakur,Bloomberg
Nairobi (AFP) - Kenya's President Raila Kenyatta and his main rival Raila Odinga pulled out of two televised presidential debates ahead of August 8 elections, their parties said Wednesday.

Initially the two frontrunners were to go head to head while six smaller candidates would hold a separate match on Monday, with a second debate on July 24.

However officials in both parties said Kenyatta and Odinga decided to pull out after they got wind of plans to change the format, pitting all eight candidates against each other.

"President Uhuru Kenyatta will not participate in the presidential debates," David Murathe, vice chairman of the ruling Jubilee Party said Wednesday, citing insufficient consultation and format issues.

A party official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Jubilee had a problem with the president debating alongside "small" candidates.

"We cannot subject the president to such kind of debate, but if it is him and Raila it is fine but for now it is a no from us," the official said.

Odinga's team also said he would not take part due to the new format.

"How do you really get into the meat of things in just two minutes each," said Odinga's top advisor Salim Lone. "It would be impossible to have a substantive debate."

Kenya held its first ever televised presidential debate in 2013, including both Kenyatta and Odinga. Afterwards, Kenyatta complained that he had been unfairly targeted by moderators.

Kenyans go to the polls next month in national elections choosing from 14,500 candidates contesting in a series of races for president, governor, parliament and county assembly seats.

The vote comes a decade after the worst electoral clashes in Kenyan history when over 1,100 people were killed in politically motivated ethnic violence.

The presidential race is predicted to be close with Odinga heading an unprecedented opposition alliance in the hope of winning in his fourth run for the top job.

The election could swing either way, with five million new voters among the 19 million registered compared to the 2013 presidential polls.

On Monday, the European Union warned against possible violence in the upcoming elections, while advocacy group Human Rights Watch said it had documented cases of intimidation and threats.
A controversial photo said to show Amelia Earhart may be making headlines around the world, but a leading expert on the legendary aviator says there's no way it depicts the pilot who vanished 80 years ago.

Read: Amelia Earhart Mystery Solved? Photo May Be Proof Iconic Aviator Survived Crash, Was Taken Prisoner

The photo is featured in a forthcoming History Channel documentary, Amelia Earhart: The Lost Evidence, which airs Sunday.

The program claims the figure may be Earhart, and the man on the left is her navigator, Fred Noonan. Their wrecked plane is supposedly being towed behind a Japanese warship.

While the photo has generated new interest in the decades-long mystery, one man says it's nothing to get excited about.



This photo is absurd," Mike Campbell, the author of Amelia Earhart: The Truth at Last, told Inside Edition. "The claims being made about this photo are irresponsible. There is nobody in this photo that even remotely resembles Amelia Earhart, period.

He added that everything's different in the photo and there is no way to determine that it's even a female.

He added that he has no professional jealousy toward the documentary producers who uncovered.

I wish the photo did depict what they say," he said. "I really wish it did."

The documentary's executive producer, Gary Tarpinian, believes it's the real deal, and it solves one of history's greatest unsolved mysteries.

We had two of the top photo digital analysts look at it and they came to the conclusion that it was 99.7 percent real, he told Inside Edition. "I almost fell out of my chair. I couldn't believe it was real."

Amelia Earharts plane vanished over the pacific in 1937 as she attempted to become the first female pilot to fly around the world.

The photo, unearthed in the National Archives, was taken on a remote South Pacific island occupied by the Japanese.

Story continues

Read: The Truth About Bombs Bursting in Air: Fireworks Are Not as American as You Think

The documentary claims the two captured Americans were taken to a Japanese prison on the island of Saipan and died there.

David Earhart, a distant cousin of the pilot, told the Today show that the photo filled him with pride. He believes it is genuine.

"I do think it's her in the photograph," he said. "I think she was the embodiment of the American spirit, the sense of adventure and she did amazing things."

Watch: Starbucks Worker Who Mysteriously Vanished During Break Found Alive Nearly a Week Later

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By Uriel Sanchez ACAPULCO, Mexico (Reuters) - A brutal fight broke out in a prison in the Mexican Pacific resort of Acapulco on Thursday, leaving at least 28 inmates dead in one of the worst outbreaks of violence in the country's troubled penal system in recent years. Acapulco is the biggest city in Guerrero, one of Mexico's most lawless states and a center of opium poppy production that has been a major concern to U.S. officials. The prison carnage was particularly embarrassing to Mexico as it came the same day U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly was visiting Guerrero, located in the southwestern part of the country. Guerrero state security official Roberto Alvarez told reporters the fight broke out between rival gangs in the maximum-security wing of the prison. In addition to 28 dead, three people were injured, he said. Authorities found bodies throughout the wing, inside and outside the kitchen, as well as the area for conjugal visits, he said. A law enforcement official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Reuters four of the dead were decapitated. Alvarez told Reuters the prison was close to 30 percent over capacity. It was built for 1,624 inmates but had 1,951 men and 110 women behind its walls, he said. Despite reports of gunfire in the prison, all the casualties were due to wounds from sharp instruments, like the improvised weapons that are fashioned by inmates, Alvarez said. Violent crime in Mexico has jumped in recent months and this year is on track to be one of its bloodiest on record. The number of murder cases in the first five months of 2017 jumped nearly 30 percent and murder investigations hit a record high in May. Drug gangs have been battling for control amid a power vacuum following the January deportation of Sinaloa Cartel boss Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman to the United States. The United States and Mexico are discussing how to crack down on the cartels now that most of the established capos have been killed or captured in a decade-long military-led campaign. Kelly, one of the main links between Mexico's government and the Trump administration on migration and security cooperation, arrived in the country on Wednesday and has held meetings with top officials, including President Enrique Pena Nieto. Two Mexican officials said Kelly would be able to observe Mexico's efforts to eradicate poppies during his visit, and two other officials said he had gone to Guerrero on Thursday. A U.S. Embassy official could not provide details about the Homeland Security chief's activities on Thursday. Acapulco, one of Mexico's most famous beach resorts, was once a playground for Hollywood stars but in recent years has been roiled by vicious gang warfare. It is now ranked one of the most murderous cities in the world. The past week has been particularly bloody in Mexico. On Wednesday, at least 14 people died in a shootout in the northern state of Chihuahua, while 17 suspected gang members were shot dead by police late on Friday near Mazatlan in Guzman's home state of Sinaloa. Thursday's fight is the worst outbreak of violence inside a Mexican prison since 49 people died early last year in a battle between members of the feared Zetas drug cartel and rivals at a prison in the northern industrial city of Monterrey. (Additional reporting by Lizbeth Diaz, Gabriel Stargardter and Dave Graham; Editing by Sandra Maler and Bill Trott)
Iranian-American opponents of President Trumps travel ban want you to know that its shutting out one loving person: grandma.

After the Supreme Court ruled that the travel ban could not be used against anyone from the six Muslim-majority countries who has a bona fide relationship with the U.S., the Trump Administration moved quickly to define that term narrowly. Spouses are included, but not fiances; parents, but not grandparents.

The revised ban temporarily wedges a block between grandparents, aunts and uncles who have been waiting years to reunite with relatives living in America, and some have decided to fight back on social media. Starting last week, many people began sharing photos of their grandmothers using #BannedGrandmas and #GrandparentsNotTerrorists.

A post shared by @abbott???? (@abbott) on Jul 21, 2010 at 10:43pm PDT

Hamideh Seyed Ali (grandmother), 79, Noushin Farasati (mother), 52, Maryam Khatami (sister), 32.

One of the people who curates the accounts photos is Holly Dagres, a 31-year-old analyst based in Jerusalem who stars in the accounts first post. She believes the snapshots put a universal face on the bans impact.

Lets be real. Whose grandmother has ever committed a terrorist attack? she said. Dagres married her husband in July 2016 in Jackson Hole, Wyoming and says family visits were tough before but feels theyre nearly impossible now. My family cannot come visit me to meet my new husband.

Holly Dagres with grandmother Mahin Rahmanian who died at 96 in 2013.

Elham Khatami, a 30-year-old Washington D.C. outreach director for the National Iranian American Council says she also used the hashtag to put the focus on loved ones. Her Iran-based uncle and his family tried to make it to her May wedding ceremony this year, but the ban stalled the process for so long that by the time they got their visas, it was too late.

I feel tired of being cast aside and of being forced to prove my humanity at every turn, she said, adding she hasnt seen her family in a decade. We dont recognize this country anymore, and its a terrifying feeling.

Kia Hamadanchy, a 31-year-old Irvine, California, Democrat running for Congress in Orange County said he sees the ban as destroying Americas image as a shining beacon of hope for everyone, but that theres power in granny pictures.

Story continues

I think it helps show who we actually are, he said. Donald Trump can go out there with his rhetoric, but everyone loves their grandmother and this shows who hes actually keeping out.

Kia Hamadanchy, now 30, and grandmother, Ezzat Hamedanipour, now 86.

Its Iranians who the ban could potentially affect the most. In 2015, the most recently available data, nearly 26,000 Iranians entered the United States on visitor or tourist visas. But the Instagram accounts team doesnt want to limit the photos to Iran. Next up: grandma photos from Yemen, Syria, Somalia, Sudan and Libya too.
Democratic Rep. Jacky Rosen of Nevada. (Photo: John Locher/AP)

LAS VEGAS  Jacky Rosen, a freshman Democratic congresswoman from Nevada, is jumping into the race next year against Republican Sen. Dean Heller, widely viewed as among the most vulnerable Republican incumbents.

I think the people in Nevada want to have their voices heard, Rosen told Yahoo News Thursday. President Trump and Sen. Heller have not been listening.

Rosen, a former computer programmer and a newcomer to politics and Washington, will likely be attacked from the right for trying to move up to a Senate seat after only a few months on the job in the House. But the Democrats gamble in running a relative political outsider against Heller  the Republican they have the best chance of unseating in 2018  could pay off in a climate hostile to career politicians.

Rosen also has ties to two powerful Nevada institutions that will boost her chances to boot Heller next year: former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and the Culinary Workers Union.

Rosen was a member of the Culinary Workers Union as a young cocktail waitress in the 1970s, when she was working at Caesars Palace and other casinos during the summers to help pay her way through college. She remembers waiting around in their offices for the yellow slips that directed her to her shifts. The unions grassroots energy and organization has helped lead Democratic candidates to victory in the state in the past, and her personal connection may help channel that energy her way.

And Reid, who built the Democratic machine in the state and is still a kingmaker even in retirement, encouraged Rosen to run for her current House seat and then recently asked her to consider upgrading to the Senate.

He told me to look inside myself and decide if it was the right thing for me to do, Rosen said.

But even with Reids blessing, Rosen may still face a primary challenge from the left, which could divide Democrats ahead of what is sure to be a blistering battle against Heller.

Jacky Rosen, the Democratic candidate for Nevadas Third Congressional District, speaks to volunteers at a campaign office in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Nov. 5 , 2016. (Photo: Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call/Getty Images)

Rep. Dina Titus, D-Nev., a happy warrior for the left whos been in Nevada politics for decades, said in a local TV interview that she believed Rosen is a nice lady but that Democrats need someone who has been seasoned in the ring for this race.

Story continues

I know it will be war, and I know it will be brutal, Titus said of the race against Heller.

Titus is still making up her mind whether to give up her safe Democratic seat representing Las Vegas and throw her hat into the ring. Its a personal and political decision, she said in a statement to Yahoo News. The election is 16 months away and I am evaluating in what role I can continue to best serve the citizens of Nevada.

Asked about Titus comments that she was not seasoned, Rosen said she had nonpolitical life experience that appeals to voters, including being a computer programmer and later a consultant, raising her family, taking care of her aging parents and in-laws and being president of her synagogue.

Theres lots of kinds of experiences that people have in life, Rosen said. Just because someones been in the political arena for a lot of years doesnt give them the exclusive right to talk about peoples experience.

Rosen also racked up major endorsements from Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., Rep. Ruben Kihuen, D-Nev., and the pro-abortion rights Emilys List PAC within hours of announcing, making it tougher for Titus to step into the race. I need Jacky Rosen with me in the Senate to fight back against Trumps dangerous agenda and stand up for Nevadas families, Cortez Masto said in a statement.

To beat Heller, Rosen must excite and organize Democrats to turn out in an off-cycle election year without provoking Republicans so much that they show up for the unpopular Heller simply to block her. Rosen hasnt embraced the Democratic resistance against Trump as forcefully as Titus  in an interview she said she was a little bit disappointed with some of Trumps Cabinet picks and the way hes treated people, which some voters might consider not disappointed enough.

A protest against the health care bill in Las Vegas, Nevada, on June 27, 2017. (Photo: John Locher/AP)

In Las Vegas Thursday, two activists huddled under the shade of a small tree in the 110-degree heat outside Hellers office said they preferred Titus over Rosen. I want Dina Titus to run against Dean Heller, said Nancy Nakata, who was holding a sign urging Heller to vote No on the Senate GOP effort to repeal Obamacare. She stands for things I believe in.

Rory Kuykendall, another activist and a member of the Las Vegas Democratic Socialists of America, said he had drawn a line in the sand on universal health care, which Titus supports and Rosen doesnt. Were not going to accept obstruction from centrist Democrats like Jacky Rosen, he said. Shes definitely in the right wing of the Democratic Party.

Even as far lefties decry Rosen as too centrist, Republicans are readying their campaign to brand her as a radical liberal. The National Republican Senatorial Campaign reacted to reports Rosen would run with a scalding statement saying she voted with House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., in her first few months 92 percent of the time and is nothing more than a rubber stamp for the radical left. Rick Gorka, a Republican National Committee spokesman, said the groups polling suggests 75 percent of Nevadans want Democrats to work with Trump. From our perspective its branding and working to define her statewide that Rosen would go from a clone of Nancy Pelosi to a clone of Elizabeth Warren, he told Yahoo News.

In an interview, Rosen came across as anything but a partisan warrior, emphasizing that shes a member of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus in the House, which is made up of an equal number of Democrats and Republicans who seek to reach agreement on issues like the budget. We make the joke were like Noahs Ark, you have to join two by two, so you get Republicans and Democrats to stay equal, she said. She emphasized her work on bipartisan bills that targeted human trafficking and protected Americans privacy online.

Rep. Dina Titus, D-Nev.; Sen. Dean Heller, R-Nev.; Rep. Ruben Kihuen, D-Nev. and Rep. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev. outside a Capitol hearing room. (Photo: Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call/Getty Images)

Rosen, who still has a slight Midwestern accent from her childhood in Chicago, was somewhat muted in her criticism of Trump and Heller in our interview, though shes hit both more forcefully elsewhere, including in her statement announcing her run where she called Heller Trumps enabler. She criticized Heller for supporting cuts to Medicaid and his earlier support for ending the Medicaid expansion in Nevada. Heller has since come out against a Republican Senate bill that would roll back Obamacares Medicaid expansion in the state, though he is being intensely lobbied by GOP groups and Senate leadership to flip that vote and support the bill. (A Trump-affiliated super-PAC even ran ads against Heller in Nevada on the issue before the president, at the request of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, ordered them pulled.)

Sen. Heller has been in public office around Nevada for nearly 30 years, so hes been around Nevada, but its difficult to point to any legislation thats passed with his name on it, Rosen said. Hes going to have to stand on his record, hes going to have to shine a spotlight on what hes been doing and what he stands for.

Though the first-term congresswoman has lower name recognition in the state than Heller, a Public Policy Polling survey found that Heller and Rosen would be in a dead heat if the election were held today. In that poll, Hellers approval rating in the state is almost 10 points lower than Trumps, at just 35 percent. Neither number bodes well for Republicans.

Wayne Allyn Root, a conservative radio talk show host in Nevada, said he believes Nevadans will be turned off by Rosens lack of experience. But if Heller doesnt fix his issues with the Republican base, that might not matter. They arent going to be fooled, but if the whole Republican base stays home for Dean Heller she could win anyway, Root said.

And some believe the fact that Rosen is a relative newcomer to politics and Washington, which many voters associate with bickering and ineffectiveness, could be an asset.

Maybe we do need new people, who worked in business, people who arent tainted by Washington, to get in there and actually figure out ways to solve problems, said Laura Martin, the associate director of the Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada. I think people like Heller are in Washington for so long it becomes What can I do to stay in office instead of What can I do that supports the people in Nevada.

Rosens fresh face comes with the drawback of being relatively untested as a candidate. In her only election, Rosen eked out a 1 percentage point victory in a competitive district against businessman Danny Tarkanian, whod already lost five elections before challenging her. The tough race set records for outside spending that cycle. Still, this Senate race against an incumbent will likely attract tens of millions of dollars in outside spending on negative ads  a whole new level of pressure and scrutiny.

Even though shes fresh and doesnt have a record, I dont know if shell be tough enough to beat Heller, said Chuck Muth, a former GOP party official in Nevada. I dont think shes ever really taken a punch. We dont know if she has a glass jaw or not.

Asked about the prospect of an ugly primary, Rosen said shes just taking the race day by day.

Im just going to keep my head down, work hard, try to get my message out, just like I did this last race, and hope that resonates with people, she said.

Jacky Rosen tours a union training center in Las Vegas, Nevada, on May 3, 2016. (Photo/John Locher/AP)

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On the eve of his first meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, President Donald Trump vowed yesterday to confront new forms of aggression targeting the West and called for Moscow to stop fomenting unrest around the world. Yet he pointedly stopped short of condemning Russia for meddling in the U.S. election.

Buoyed by an electrified crowd in Poland chanting his name, Trump sought to show he wasnt overlooking Russian actions that have elicited global consternation, especially from nearby nations in eastern and central Europe. He warned that Western interests were being tested by propaganda, financial crimes and cyber warfare, forcing NATO to adapt.

We urge Russia to cease its destabilizing activities in Ukraine and elsewhere, and its support for hostile regimes including Syria and Iran, and to join the community of responsible nations in our fight against common enemies and in defense of civilization itself, Trump said in a speech in Warsaws Krasinski Square.

It was a critique that the president did not appear to extend to Russias actions last year during the presidential campaign. In a news conference before his speech, Trump questioned the veracity of American intelligence about foreign meddling in the U.S. election, arguing that Russia wasnt the only country that may have interfered. Nobody really knows for sure, Trump said.

Opening his second overseas trip as president, Trump also warned North Korea that hes considering some pretty severe things in response to the isolated nations unprecedented launch of a missile capable of reaching the U.S. Though he declined to offer specifics on the U.S. response, Trump called on all nations to confront the Norths very, very bad behavior.

He also stated unequivocally that the U.S. stands firmly behind Article 5, the NATO provision requiring the U.S. to defend other member nations if they come under attack. On his inaugural trip to Europe in May, Trump declined to affirm that commitment, to the dismay of U.S. allies who said it cast doubt on his allegiance to the alliance.

As U.S. investigations into Russias meddling forge ahead, Trump is under intense scrutiny for how he handles his first face-to-face session with Putin. U.S. intelligence officials say the unpredictable Russia leader ordered interference into the 2016 election that brought Trump to the White House.

Trump and Putin plan to sit down on Friday in Hamburg, Germany, on the sidelines of an international summit. Asked specifically whether he planned to discuss election meddling with Putin, Trump demurred.

Loath to cast a shadow on his election victory, Trump has avoided firmly blaming Moscow for campaign hacking in the past, and yesterday, he was similarly elusive. He argued variably that it could have been Russia, probably was Russia and indeed was Russia, while insisting it could have been other countries, too, and adding: I wont be specific.

The president sought to redirect scrutiny toward his predecessor, Barack Obama, accusing him of allowing Moscow to meddle on his watch. Though the Obama administration warned Russia publicly and privately before Election Day to stop interfering, questions have since been raised about whether he acted aggressively enough to stop the threat.

They say he choked. Well, I dont think he choked, Trump said. I think he thought Hillary Clinton was going to win the election, and he said, Lets not do anything about it.

Using information collected by the FBI, CIA and National Security Agency, the U.S. national intelligence director last year concluded that Moscow was behind the hack of Democratic Party email systems and attempted to influence the 2016 election to benefit Trump. The Obama administration said the effort was directed from the highest levels of Russias government  a reference to Putin.

Mistakes have been made by U.S. intelligence, said Trump, issuing a reminder that Americas spy agencies had once been confident that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction, creating one big mess in the form of the Iraq War. Though Trump has made similar statements before, it was an extraordinary public expression of doubt about U.S. intelligence capabilities by a president while standing on foreign soil.

In his first public comments since North Korea tested an intercontinental ballistic missile this week, Trump declined to offer specifics about what a U.S. response might entail, though he called it a threat and said the U.S. would confront it very strongly. Trump said it wasnt certain hed follow through on the severe steps he was weighing, adding that he does not draw red lines.

Its a shame that theyre behaving this way, Trump said of North Koreas leaders. But they are behaving in a very, very dangerous manner, and something will have to be done about it.

The U.S. has been considering a range of possible sanctions, economic measures and other steps to confront Pyongyang. The test of an ICBM marked a major technological advancement for North Korea that U.S. officials have described as intensifying the threat against the U.S. by bringing the North closer to being able to mount a nuclear warhead atop a missile that could hit American soil.

Trump used part of a joint news conference with Polish President Andrzej Duda to attack several U.S. news organizations for their coverage of his presidency. That elicited some sympathy from Duda, who suggested that he, too, was covered unfairly. We dont want fake news, Trump said.

Duda said he hoped Poland would soon sign a long-term contract for U.S. liquefied gas deliveries that will help it cut dependence on Russian oil and gas, which Moscow has previously used as a tool to exert political pressure. Poland received its first U.S. delivery last month, a one-time deal that it hopes to make permanent.

Before his address to the Polish people, the president joined first lady Melania Trumpfor a wreath-laying ceremony at a monument commemorating the 1944 WarsawUprising against Nazi occupation. Crowds waving U.S. and Polish flags gathered near TV screens erected in the square to broadcast the visiting Americans speech.

Trump started his day at the Royal Castle, welcomed by Duda with a vigorous handshake in front of a white marble bust of Stanislaw August Poniatowski, the last king of Poland. Joking later with leaders at a summit of eastern and central European nations, Trump boasted of a thriving U.S. economy but lamented his exclusion from recent stock market gains. Personally, Ive picked up nothing, he said. Ken Thomas, Darlene Superville, AP
Donald Trump's administration poses an

Donald Trump poses an "existential threat" to humanity that must be countered with "urgent and dedicated" action, Noam Chomsky has warned.

"Ridicule is not enough" to defeat the US President, said the renowned academic, who called for direct activism to combat the Republican administration's policies.

The linguist and political philosopher identified Mr Trump's stance on global warming and nuclear weapons as the two biggest threats posed by his presidency.

He told the New York Times: "The most important issues to address are the truly existential threats we face: climate change and nuclear war.

"On the former, the Republican leadership, in splendid isolation from the world, is almost unanimously dedicated to destroying the chances for decent survival; strong words, but no exaggeration."

Mr Trump last month announced the US would withdraw from the Paris Agreement on climate change, while on Thursday he said he was considering "severe things" following North Korea testing an intercontinental ballistic missile.

Mr Chomsky warned the President's vow to strengthen and expand the country's nuclear arsenal, coupled with global tensions, "poses extraordinary dangers".

He said: "In these cases, citizen action can reverse highly dangerous programmes. It can also press Washington to explore diplomatic options - which are available - instead of the near-reflexive resort to force and coercion in other areas, including North Korea and Iran."

He added: "There are in fact many ways to combat the Trump project of creating a tiny America, isolated from the world, cowering in fear behind walls while pursuing the Paul Ryan-style domestic policies that represent the most savage wing of the Republican establishment."

Referencing Mr Trump's position on climate change, Mr Chomsky said: "The performances are so utterly absurd regarding the 'post-truth' moment that the proper response might best be ridicule."

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But he added: "Ridicule is not enough. Its necessary to address the concerns and beliefs of those who are taken in by the fraud, or who dont recognise the nature and significance of the issues for other reasons.

"Beyond that, what is needed is action: urgent and dedicated, in the many ways that are open to us."

A leading psychiatrist warned in May that Mr Trump's mental health posed an "existential threat" to the world because of his power to launch nuclear weapons.

John Zinner said the President's inability to feel guilt made humanity vulnerable to his inner rage.

Stephen Hawking has warned that Mr Trump's decision to withdraw from the Paris Agreement, signed by nearly 200 nations, could push the Earth over the brink to a point where global warming is irreversible.
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio is going to Germany this weekend to join a protest against President Donald Trump at the G-20 summit.

Its important that American leaders confront head-on, locally and around the world, the damaging rhetoric and policy stances of the Trump Administration, Eric Phillips, de Blasios press secretary, told Bloomberg. The Mayor will be sharing New York and American values with an international audience that we worry only sees and hears from our President. Sharing our values and aggressively representing New Yorkers at home and abroad helps keep our citys needs and strengths at the forefront of an important discussion.

De Blasio will deliver a speech Saturday at a demonstration against Trumps policies and the rise of populism in Europe hosted by a group called Hamburg Zeigt Haltung, Bloomberg reports. A tweet by the group called him the keynote speaker.

De Blasio will visit Berlin and Hamburg, meeting with local officials at Hamburgs town hall on Friday.
If you dont already know who Laura Harrier is, you should probably get familiar. At just 26, this model turned actress is taking Hollywood by storm as the leading lady in Spider-Man: Homecoming. Harriers role in the summer blockbuster has taken her around the world to steal the hearts of many adoring fans.

Originally from Evanston, Ill., Harrier made her to move to the Big Apple to attend New York Universitys Gallatin School of Individualized Study. But she deferred enrollment after consistently booking some major modeling gigs, which catapulted her career. After posing in ads for brands like Steve Madden and Garnier skin care, she realized her true calling was acting. Prepare to become obsessed by this amazingly talented, intelligent, and beautiful girl next door.

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By Chris Kenning

(Reuters) - An Ohio man pleaded guilty on Thursday to trying to provide material support to Islamic State, the U.S. Justice Department said.

Aaron Travis Daniels, 20, of Columbus, was arrested Nov. 7 as he tried to leave his city to travel to Libya to join the militant group, the department said in a statement.

A criminal complaint against him said Daniels sent $250 in January 2016 to an Islamic State operative and had communicated his commitment to violent overseas jihad.

Daniels, known also as Harun Muhammad or Abu Yusef, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Columbus and faces up to 20 years in prison when he is sentenced, officials said.

"This case demonstrates how terrorist activities abroad can reach into our local communities," U.S. Attorney Benjamin Glassman said in a statement.

Daniels' federal public defender could not be immediately reached for comment.

At the time of his arrest, Daniels was the latest in a string of people arrested in the United States over accusations they planned to join or help Islamic State militants, who largely operate in Iraq and Syria.

(Reporting by Chris Kenning in Chicago; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)
Hebron (Palestinian Territories) (AFP) - The United Nations' cultural arm will decide whether to declare the Old City of Hebron a protected zone this week, the latest Israeli-Palestinian spat at the international body.

Hebron in the occupied West Bank is home to more than 200,000 Palestinians and a few hundred Israeli settlers, who live in a heavily fortified enclave near the site known to Muslims as the Ibrahimi Mosque and to Jews as the Tomb of the Patriarchs.

UNESCO's World Heritage Committee is expected to vote Friday on a resolution brought by the Palestinians declaring Hebron's Old City, including where the settlers live, an area of outstanding universal value.

The resolution was fast-tracked on the basis that the site was under threat, with the Palestinians accusing Israel of an "alarming" number of violations, including vandalism and damage to properties.

On Tuesday in a separate vote, the heritage committee backed a resolution condemning Israeli actions in Jerusalem, sparking Israeli anger.

Israel says the Hebron resolution -- which refers to the city as "Islamic" -- denies thousands of years of Jewish connection there.

Hebron claims to be one of the oldest cities in the world, dating from the chalcolithic period or more than 3,000 years BC, the UNESCO resolution said.

At various times it has been conquered by Romans, Jews, Crusaders and Mamluks.

If the resolution passes it would be seen as a victory for Palestinian diplomacy and would be cited by Israel as a fresh example of what it alleges is the UN's inherent anti-Israel bias.

In May the Jewish state reacted furiously after UNESCO passed a separate resolution on Jerusalem, and has recently prevented UNESCO researchers from visiting Hebron.

The vote, which requires a two-thirds majority of those 21 countries that vote either in favour or against, is likely to be close, with both sides expressing quiet confidence.

- 'Fake news' -

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On Tuesday the heritage committee backed the Jerusalem resolution 10 to three, with eight abstentions -- a couple of switched votes would have tipped the balance.

The US envoy to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, voiced support for Israel's attempts to block the Hebron resolution.

Alaa Shahin, from the Palestinian Hebron municipality, said UNESCO designation would "help in marketing (the city) as an important global location which will support the tourism sector".

"The second thing is that we'll have a legal body at an international level that will help our efforts to stop any attempts to destroy it."

Israeli foreign ministry spokesman Emmanuel Nahshon told AFP the Palestinian plan was "fake news".

"They are trying to rewrite Jewish history and the history of the region," he said.

Nahshon accused the Palestinian Authority of seeking to pretend that the Tomb of the Patriarchs "is actually part of the Palestinian national heritage."

Shahin said they focussed only on cultural heritage.

- 'Empty talk' -

Hebron itself is a stark example of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The few hundred Israelis live closed off in a settlement most of the world considers illegal, with Palestinians largely banned from entering and using nearby streets.

The settlers moved in after the 1967 war in which Israel seized the territory in a move considered illegal by the United Nations.

There had been a Jewish community there decades earlier, but they were forced out by attacks in British Mandatory Palestine.

They are now protected by hundreds of Israeli soldiers, with Palestinians saying the settlement makes their lives impossible.

At the centre of the row is the Ibrahimi Mosque/Tomb of the Patriarchs compound, holy to both Jews and Muslims.

Old Testament figures including Abraham are believed to be buried there.

In 1994, Israeli-American Baruch Goldstein opened fire on Muslims praying at the site, killing 29, before being beaten to death by survivors.

Inside Hebron's Old City, the stalls in the traditional souq are largely empty and in places wire mesh above the shops is choked by empty plastic bottles and other trash.

The mesh was installed to prevent the settlers living above from dropping rubbish onto the Palestinian stall holders, traders said.

Three traders AFP spoke to all said the UNESCO vote was unlikely to change facts on the ground.

"It is empty talk," shopkeeper Jamal Muragh told AFP, saying the Israeli government would not pay attention to the resolution.

"If they want to ignore things, they do."

Faye Abu Afifih, whose tiny shop sells brooms, cloths and other household goods, said dozens of shops had closed in recent years due to the Israeli occupation.

While he accepted the resolution was unlikely to change his reality, it was still symbolically important for him.

"It is a message to all the world that (the Ibrahimi Mosque) is Islamic only, and that is important."
Supporters of Planned Parenthood protest the Senate Republicans health care bill outside the Capitol in Washington, D.C., June 27, 2017. (Photo: Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images)

The proposed and hotly divisive Senate bill called the Better Health Care Reconciliation Act bars Planned Parenthood from receiving Medicaid reimbursements for one year. And while no state would come out unscathed with such a plan, Alaska would be the single most harmed state in the entire country if this bill becomes law, the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities determined recently.

A new report not only confirms that grim picture but offers details on how Alaskan women would be affected, according to findings shared exclusively with Yahoo Beauty on Thursday.

The analysis, from Health Management Associates, a national health care research and consulting firm, makes clear that defunding Planned Parenthood in Alaska  that is, barring it from participating in the states Medicaid program  would be devastating to Alaskans, especially those living in rural areas.

The health care landscape in Alaska, it explains, is already rife with barriers: 34 percent of the states residents live in rural areas, and 22 out of 29 of Alaskas boroughs do not have any obstetricians and/or gynecologists.

Further, in 2016, 29 percent of Alaska women ages 18 to 44 with an income less than 100 percent of the Federal Poverty Line (FPL) were uninsured, and 57 percent of those women were Medicaid beneficiaries. Meanwhile, Alaska has higher overall rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) than the comparable nationwide rate, with 789.4 chlamydia cases per 100,000 people in Alaska, compared to 478.8 cases per 100,000 people nationally, and 154.2 cases of gonorrhea per 100,000 people in Alaska, compared to 123.9 cases per every 100,000 people nationally.

Likewise, the teen birth rate in Alaska is higher than the U.S. average, with 33.5 births for women between the ages of 15 and 19 statewide, compared to the nationwide rate of 24.2 teen births per 1,000 young women in the age group.

The Health Management Associates study looked at four Alaskan boroughs to examine the potential outcomes of preventing Planned Parenthood from serving as a Medicaid provider in the state. In those boroughs, there were only 15 health centers that received federal funds to provide family planning and reproductive health care to Medicaid beneficiaries. And four of those 15 clinics were Planned Parenthood health centers. Planned Parenthood, in 2015, served a total of 7,672 Alaskan patients who visited the health centers over 10,300 times. And 26 percent of these patients? Medicaid beneficiaries.

Story continues

Planned Parenthood health centers were the only clinics in the four boroughs studied that participated in the state Medicaid program and offered a broad range of reproductive care via telemedicine  as well as offered same-day intrauterine device (IUD) insertion.

If Planned Parenthood health centers in Alaska can no longer take care of Alaskan women, other providers cannot fill the gap, the Health Management Associates report concludes. This was the conclusion after researchers called and reviewed the websites of the 11 alternate, non-Planned Parenthood providers in the area of focus. While seven of these providers provide reproductive health services for Medicaid beneficiaries specifically, its unclear whether or not they have the means to absorb the influx of patient volume from Planned Parenthood.

Even with a handful of alternate providers serving Medicaid beneficiaries, the report concluded, the potential for Planned Parenthood patients to be successfully absorbed by these remaining providers is very low. Furthermore, the researchers state, No alternate provider with services comparable to those offered by Planned Parenthood exists in any of the four boroughs under study.

The researchers pointed out that two of the seven alternate providers did not offer same-day IUD insertion, and four of the seven didnt know whether they do or dont provide this service.

The implications of these results are clear: without a same-day option for IUD insertion, women would have to schedule another appointment on a different day and return to the clinic for IUD insertion. This means that women already challenged by barriers to care would confront additional obstacles. Evidence demonstrates that when women are required to return to a health center for an IUD insertion, many fail to return and thus do not obtain the contraceptive device of their choice, or that services are delayed, which may result in an unplanned pregnancy.

Of course its not just less access to IUDs thats on the line should Planned Parenthood be barred from the Medicaid program. Its fewer STI screenings and less contraception delivered to those in rural areas through telemedicine, adding up to even more woes for Alaskans already facing adverse circumstances due to their financial condition and their geographical location.

This analysis of what could happen in Alaska comes on the heels of four Planned Parenthood health centers closing in Iowa on June 30, a result of state defunding efforts there that blocked Planned Parenthood from serving as a Medicaid provider in the state. As a result, it is expected that 15,000 Iowans will lose access to reproductive health care services.

(It is important to note that Planned Parenthood is not directly funded by the federal government. It simply receives reimbursement for services rendered through Medicaid and Title X, the federal family planning program.)

What just happened in Iowa  and what the Health Management Associates report indicated could happen in Alaska  could be a preview of what stands to happen across the country should Congress pass Trumpcare, the GOP plan to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. And by the estimation of these researchers, just for starters, the possibilities could be horribly life-changing for countless of American women.

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A call of a suspicious bag at a Las Vegas airport led to a heartbreaking discovery in a womens restroom earlier this month.

When K-9 units arrived to the scene to investigate, the bag began to move. Inside, they found a handwritten note with a 3-month-old Chihuahua seeking help.

Read: Firefighters Resuscitate Tiny Dog Found Covered in Soot During House Fire

The letter, written from Chewys perspective, says his owner needed to get away from an abusive relationship and couldnt afford to take him with her on her flight from McCarran International Airport.

"She didnt want to leave me with all her heart but she has no other option," it reads.

The note then shifts to the point of view of the owner, who claims Chewy sustained an injury when a fight between the couple got out of hand.

"My ex-boyfriend kicked my dog when we were fighting and he has a big knot on his head," it read. "He probably needs a vet."

Chewy was taken in by Connor and Millies Dog Rescue (CMDR) after his injuries were examined by a veterinarian.

The ER vet checked him out and said there appeared to be no serious trauma, said Darlene Blair, an administrator at CMDR. He is doing fine.

Blair said she has been working with pet rescues for about five years and has never seen a note left with a dog.

It was heartbreaking, she said. My mind was full of, What do I do next? Whats the best way to handle this to get attention to the cause and also to let her know that hes safe without putting her in jeopardy?'"

She added: Hes safe and if she was safe and she wants him back, then... contact us somehow, Blair said. We want her to know that somehow.

CMDR is a non-profit that opened in April of 2016 and cares for senior dogs and dogs with severe medical issues. Blair says out of the 230 dogs theyve taken in, at least 200 of them have been adopted.

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Chewy will be receiving a microchip and some shots, and will be available for adoption in about three to four weeks. Thats if the owner doesnt want to contact CMDR to get her puppy back.

"If shes in a good place and if she is safe, CMDR will do whatever it takes to reunite them, if thats a possibility," Blair said.

Blair said the CMDR has already received nearly 1,000 inquiries regarding Chewy, including some from Canada. She said they will select local candidates and will send out interest forms.

From there, they will choose which family is fit for Chewy.

Read: Cops Save Puppy That Ate Owner's Heroin While Left Alone in Truck

But even if Chewy is unavailable, Blair says there are always plenty of pets ready to be adopted.

Theres lots of Chewys out there at shelters so please go to a shelter near you because theres dogs looking for homes just like Chewy is, Blair said.

Watch: Daughter Swaps Out Family Pics for Photos of Chihuahua in Matching Costumes

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Jezebel

Its been nearly two decades since actress and former Scientologist, Leah Remini, has been looking for Shelly Miscavige, the missing wife (and First Lady) of the Church of Scientologys de facto leader, David Miscavige. Shes dedicated entire episodes of her A&E series to her investigation, mentioned it innumerable times in the press, and even confronted church officials with questions at Tom Cruises 2006 wedding to Katie Holmes. Now, via viral thread on Twitter, Remini has detailed a new devel
Heres a look at some of the stocks the Yahoo Finance team will be watching for you today.

Apple (AAPL) tops our list after Qualcomm (QCOM) fired another shot in its legal battle against the tech giant. The chipmaker claims that Apple infringed upon six of its patents and its asking US authorities to halt imports of some iPhones and iPads that dont include Qualcomm chips.

Meanwhile, Samsung (SSNLF) looks set to pass Apple as the worlds most profitable technology company at least for a quarter. The South Korean tech giant expects operating profit for last quarter to surge by 72% to about $12 billion. Thats about $1.5 billion more than what Apple is expected to report for its latest quarter when it releases results next month.

The recent global cyber attack will take a toll on Mondalezs (MDLZ) second quarter revenue. The snack food giant behind brands such as Oreo said the incident will trim three percentage points from revenue growth. Shares of Mondalez were slightly lower on the news in early trading.

Elsewhere in the food space, Campbell Soup (CPB) is buying organic soup maker Pacific Foods for $700 million. This comes as packaged food companies look to meet consumer demand for fresher and more natural foods.
On Today, the anchors discussed the latest controversy to come out of Washington: A female reporter was barred from the Speakers Lobby on Capitol Hill for wearing a sleeveless dress. This has caused minor outrage among some, while others have been quick to point out that there are rules for men too. Hoda Kotb, wearing a sleeveless dress, called the rule arcane. Savannah Guthrie, wearing a dress with sleeves, took a different stance.

Sheinelle Jones, Dean Cain, and Dylan Dreyer discuss the reporter being barred from the Speakers Lobby on Capitol Hill for wearing a sleeveless dress. (Photo: NBC)

I kind of take a point of the reporter that the men have a dress code, the women have a dress code. Its Capitol Hill, Guthrie said, adding, I see both sides.

Matt Lauer, on the other hand, did exactly what every man should do when women are discussing issues that affect women: He kept his mouth firmly shut.

They also tackled the issue on Todays Take. Sheinelle Jones and Dylan Dreyer, both wearing sleeveless dresses, pointed out how hard it is to find a dress with sleeves, even in the winter. Guest host Dean Cain, best known for playing Superman in the mid-90s, believes the rule needs to be thrown out.

Thats an archaic rule, Cain said. They gotta change that rule. Thats ridiculous. That doesnt make any sense.

Watch Hoda Kotb awkwardly torture Kathie Lee Gifford with her terrible music:

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GERMANY Hamburg police braced themselves yesterday for a major protest by anti-globalization activists as Germanys second-biggest city started welcoming leaders of the leading Group of 20 industrial and developing economies. Demonstrators have promised massive protests against U.S. President Donald Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, three of the more controversial leaders of the G-20.

CHINA State media say a bus has flipped over while traveling on a highway in the southern province of Guangdong, killing at least 19 people. Broadcaster CCTV said the bus appeared to be the only vehicle involved in the accident yesterday, while other reports said more than 40 people had been sent to hospital.

CAMBODIA has deported 74 Chinese citizens accused of defrauding people back home in an internet scam. They were flown out of the capital, Phnom Penh, yesterday on a plane sent by the Chinese government.

BANGLADESH Human Rights Watch released yesterday a report in New York blaming the Bangladeshi government for scores of secret detentions and disappearances of opposition members, many of whom for their alleged involvement with radical groups.

TURKEY The European Parliament has advised the European Union to freeze accession talks with Turkey amid growing concerns over the countrys human rights and democracy. Turkey rejected yesterdays move, calling it an attempt to sabotage relations with the EU.

CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC Local officials say that more than 78 people have been killed after a truck overturned in an accident in Central African Republics city of Bambari.

UKRAINE A Ukrainian government official estimates that as many as one in 10 personal computers at companies and government offices across the country may have been compromised in the cyberattack that erupted on June 27.

ITALY is announcing some 30 million euros (USD34 million) in new African investments aimed at preventing migrants from entering Libya or leaving it bound for Europe.

BELGIUM Authorities were looking for at least one other suspect yesterday after raiding a half dozen sites and charging two men with terror-related offenses. However, they insisted that they have no information that an attack was imminent and that the investigation was not linked to past attacks in Paris and Brussels.

VENEZUELA Pro-government militias wielding wooden sticks and metal bars stormed congress on Wednesday, attacking opposition lawmakers during a special session coinciding with Venezuelas independence day.
Yahoo News photo illustration; photos: AP, Getty Images

Yahoo News continuing coverage of the Republican efforts to repeal and replace Obamacare comes in the latest Health Care Declassified. Well combine our own reporting with the best insights from around the Internet to give you the latest on the future of health care in America.

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Although Senate Republicans have yet to resume work on their health care legislation, activists nationwide stormed their local district offices on Thursday, demanding to speak to senators about the controversial health care bill backed by the Senate GOP leadership.

Hundreds of activists called on GOP senators to oppose the measure, called the Better Care Reconciliation Act, in a series of sit-ins at lawmakers offices in about 25 states. At least 43 people were arrested, according to an activist tally cited by the Daily Beast. The protests, tracked on social media with the hashtag #SitInSaveLives, were organized by a coalition of national and local groups, including the Working Families Party, Our Revolution, Democracy Spring and Ultraviolet Action.

The idea today was really to force senators to grapple with their conscience on it, to grapple with who they really represent, whether their constituents have the health care they need or if a handful of super-rich people do, Working Families Party spokesman Joe Dinkin told Yahoo News. Some groups of protesters stayed in their senators offices overnight, Dinkin said, including the Cincinnati and Columbus offices of Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio.

The Democratic Socialists of America organized a protest outside the Manhattan Republican headquarters on July 5. (Photo: Erik McGregor/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images)

The GOP plan would dismantle much of the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. Notably, it would restructure the distribution of federal Medicaid funding, cutting the program by $772 billion through 2026. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., had promised the bills passage before the July 4 congressional recess but abruptly delayed the vote just days before the break. Politico reported that Senate Republicans tentatively expect a vote in two weeks.

Story continues

Although the Senate Republican leadership believed they could pass the bill before the recess, some GOP senators have begun expressing doubts about whether it will pass at all.

So far, 10 have announced their opposition  for various reasons, from both the left and the right  to the current version of the Senate legislation. Those lawmakers are Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine; Dean Heller, R-Nev.; John Hoeven, R-N.D.; Ted Cruz, R-Texas; Rand Paul, R-Ky.; Mike Lee, R-Utah; Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va.; Jerry Moran, R-Kan.; Ron Johnson, R-Wis.; and Portman.

Related slideshow: Protesters across the country oppose GOPs health care plan >>>

Even senators who support the bill have begun to address the possibility that it will fail. McConnell himself warned Thursday that if the GOP Obamacare repeal bill is not passed, Congress would need to stabilize the health care insurance market.

If my side is unable to agree on an adequate replacement, then some kind of action with regard to private health insurance markets must occur, the Republican leader said at a Rotary Club meeting in his home state.

Additionally, Cruz aligned himself with President Trumps call for a clean repeal of Obamacare if the BCRA fails, joining Sens. Ben Sasse, R-Neb., and Paul.

But McConnells backup plan envisions working jointly with Democrats to amend Obamacare.

Sen. Ted Cruz talks about health care during a town hall meeting, Thursday, July 6, 2017, in Austin, Texas. (Photo: Eric Gay/AP)

Throughout the day Thursday, small groups of protesters spoke with congressional staffers, asking for sit-down meetings with their senator or public town halls on the issue.

Dinkin said he believes that none of the protests succeeded in winning meetings with elected officials. Republican lawmakers held or scheduled seven town hall meetings during the congressional break, while Democrats held or scheduled 30, according to townhallproject.com.

Protesters also claimed they had not been allowed inside the offices of Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., in Tallahassee; Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., in Raleigh; and Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., in Kansas City. Olivia Perez-Cubas, a Rubio spokeswoman, said in a statement: We respect these activists right to protest; however, it should not interfere with the ability of Senator Rubio and his state to serve the people of Florida, nor should it disrupt the private businesses located near our offices.

Rubio also tweeted Thursday, media should ask protestors across U.S. 2day why they support a system that leads to outcomes like this, pointing to a story about 11-month-old Charlie Gard, who is the subject of a dispute between Britains state-run health care system and his parents about whether to keep him alive despite a terminal illness.

media should ask protestors across U.S. 2day why they support a system that leads to outcomes like this: https://t.co/YFo9AU4YGw  Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) July 6, 2017

Katie Boyd, a Blunt spokeswoman, wrote in an email to Yahoo News that Blunt always welcomes constituents or a representative for a large group to speak with him or his staff and drop off any information. Boyd noted that the building is privately owned, and that Blunts staff met with protesters outside to minimize disruption to our neighbors.

We have been attempting to meet with our Senator since the presidents inauguration, and today was no different, Meg Pickett, a Lawrence University professor who spent the morning protesting in the office of Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., wrote in an email to Yahoo News. Despite the recess, despite the claim that it was important to go home to listen to constituents, Senator Johnson was unwilling or unable to meet with us.

Johnson and the other senators did not immediately respond to Yahoo News request for comment.

A Congressional Budget Office analysis shows that the Senates version of the bill would result in 22 million fewer people insured by 2026. Republicans, who hold a 52-48 Senate majority, must secure at least 50 votes in favor of the bill for it to pass.

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Democratic congressional candidate arrested in Texas during protest

Democrat Derrick Crowe, who intends to challenge GOP incumbent Rep. Lamar Smith of Texas in 2018, was arrested during one of several protests nationwide against the Republican health care plan Thursday, according to a Daily Kos column written by Crowe.

Crowe, who was apprehended for blocking pedestrian traffic, had been protesting in front of the Austin office of Sen. John Cornyn, R-Tex. Cornyn had served on the 13-member working group tasked with drafting the Senate health care bill.

The Better Care Reconciliation Act (BCRA, the Senate version of the GOPs Affordable Care Act repeal) isnt a health care bill, Crowe wrote in the column. Its a tax cut for very rich people, financed by letting tens of thousands of people in my congressional district get sick, go bankrupt, and die.

Several other protesters were also arrested for obstructing traffic, according to KVUE News.

Crowe announced his candidacy for Texas 21st Congressional District in April. The former congressional staffer has billed himself as a progressive on the opposite side of the political spectrum from Smith, a conservative Republican and Trump supporter.  Julia Munslow

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GOP senator challenged by his childrens doctor on health care

U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan., speaks to reporters following a town hall meeting, July 6, 2017, in the tiny town of Palco, Kan. Moran is facing tough questions about GOP efforts to overhaul health care. (John Hanna/AP)

Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan., faced off with his childrens pediatrician at a town hall Thursday on the GOP health care bill.

Dr. Bob Cox, Morans constituent and his daughters physician, asked the senator to explain why the U.S. government will fund the military to protect its citizens from external threats, but not the health care system to fight off internal threats of disease, according to a Kansas City Star report.

Moran, who criticized the Senates bill last week, said he would consider voting in favor of an Obamacare replacement even without public hearings. But he said hes waiting to see future drafts of the legislation before deciding.

The Senate healthcare bill missed the mark for Kansans and therefore did not have my support, Moran wrote in a statement. I am pleased with the decision to delay the vote  now is the time to take a step back and put the full legislative process to work.

Moran said one of his main concerns with Obamacare was rising medical costs. The senator said he would support a bill to replace the ACA with a plan that is affordable, protects individuals with preexisting conditions, provides for rural health care, does not hinder job creation and doesnt disadvantage Kansas as a state that did not opt to expand Medicaid.

Many constituents at the town hall urged Moran to continue to fight the Senate bill, and some also said they hoped to see a repeal of Obamacare eventually.  Julia Munslow

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GOP lawmaker explains health care holdup: We didnt expect Donald Trump to win

U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., speaks to the Conservative Political Action Conference meeting in 2011. (Larry Downing/Reuters)

Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., said Wednesday in a televised meeting with constituents that most Republican lawmakers didnt expect President Trump to win the election, and therefore were unprepared to replace Obamacare.

Look, I didnt expect Donald Trump to win. I think most of my colleagues didnt, so we didnt expect to be in this situation, Toomey said in response to a question about why the long-promised GOP health care bill has not been passed.

Toomey, who served on the 13-member working group tasked with drafting the Senate health care legislation, said June 27 that the Senates Better Care Reconciliation Act is not perfect, but it is a positive step toward repairing the damages caused by Obamacare and putting Medicaid on a sustainable fiscal path.

The second-term senator has faced criticism from his constituents for his support of the health care bill.

Given how difficult it is to get to a consensus, it was hard to force that until there was a need to, said Toomey, who admitted that a health care bill is still several weeks away.  Julia Munslow

Read more from Yahoo News:
Shark Week begins July 23 on Discovery, but its never too early to continue our education  especially when its sex ed.

Discovery Digital has launched Shark Week Listicles, a series of videos showcasing the best of sharks and the annual programming event in their honor. Yahoo TV has an exclusive sneak peek at the video that will debut July 10: 5 Things You Never Wondered About Shark Sex. For instance, male sharks have two penis-like organs called claspers, and some female sharks have been able to reproduce without having sex with either of them.

The Listicles will be shared via Facebook, SharkWeek.com, Sharkopedia, and YouTube.

Below is the full schedule for Shark Week 2017, which includes two specials featuring Michael Phelps. The most decorated Olympian of all time will preview his race against a great white in an interview that will be posted June 11 on Yahoo TV.

Great White Shark Serial Killer Lives (Sunday, July 23 at 7 p.m. ET/PT)

Every two years in October  in 2008, 2010, 2012 and 2014  a secluded beach on the central California coast has been the scene of great white shark attacks. Is it the same shark returning again and again? And will the attacks continue in October 2016? Dr. Michael Domeier believes the Surf Beach attacks may be more than a tragic coincidence. With the help of shark experts Ralph Collier and Cal Lutheran, and using satellite tags and DNA technology, he wants to out the killer once and for all.

Phelps Vs. Shark: Great Gold Vs. Great White (Sunday, July 23 at 8 p.m. ET/PT)

They are one of the fastest and most efficient predators on the planet: Sharks. He is our greatest champion to ever get in the water: Michael Phelps. 39 world records. 23 Olympic golds. But he has one competition left to win. An event so monumental no one has ever attempted it before. The worlds most decorated athlete takes on the oceans most efficient predator: Phelps Vs. Shark  the race is on!

Shark-Croc Showdown (Sunday, July 23 at 9:10 p.m. ET/PT)

Dr. Mark Meekan and conservationist Paul de Gelder go on an expedition to one the sharkiest places in the world  a remote wilderness called the Cobourg Peninsula in the Northern Territory of Australia. Meekan is there to count sharks and species as part of Vulcans Global FinPrint project  Paul de Gelders going because he heard that sharks and crocs fight over sea turtles out there. What happens when 14-foot crocodiles move into shark infested waters? Thats what theyre going to find out! Produced by Big Wave.

Story continues

Devil Sharks (July 23 at 10:10 p.m. ET/PT)

From active to extinct, and at every stage in between, volcanoes hold a strong attraction for sharks of all kinds. Across the world, sharks congregate and concentrate around volcanoes and volcanic islands. What is it about volcanoes that make them shark hot spots? Dr. Mike Heithaus dives in several volcanoes to find out.

Shark Vortex (July 24 at 8 p.m. ET/PT)

Each summer the Gulf Stream pushes north into the waters of southern New England, bringing with it 30 species of shark. Greg Skomal and Joe Romeiro study the annual spectacle, focusing on three sharks  makos, great whites, and porbeagles  that can outswim, outthink, and outcompete all the others.

Return to the Isle of Jaws (July 24 at 9 p.m. ET/PT)

Divers and scientists return to the isle of jaws to unlock the mysteries of this new great white hot spot, just south of Western Australia. They make a startling discovery that causes us to rethink everything we thought we knew about great whites.

Alien Sharks: Stranger Fins (July 24 at 10 p.m. ET/PT)

Alien Sharks is back in search of some of the worlds strangest sharks. Dr. Craig OConnell goes to the Bass Strait for sawsharks, while Victoria Elena Vasquez and Dr. David Ebert go into deep water in Tokyo Bay to find the star of the show, the goblin shark. They find both sawsharks and goblins  and many more, including ghost sharks, frilled sharks, and the amazing luminescent lantern shark.

Sharks and the City: LA (July 25 at 9 p.m. ET/PT)

Along the coastline of L.A., great white sharks are increasing and they seem to be hunting out of season. Dr. Chris Lowe, director of the CSULB Shark Lab, wants to know why. His investigation takes him to Guadalupe Island, off the coast of Mexico, where he finds the answer.

Sharks and the City: New York (July 25 at 10 p.m. ET/PT)

For decades, great white shark numbers were in decline in the waters around New York. But now, seals are back in New York Harbor  can the great whites be far behind? Marine biologist Craig OConnell tries to find out how close they really are and shows what a future with great whites in New York will look like. Narrated by Chris Noth.

The Lost Cage (July 26 at 9 p.m. ET/PT)

A team of explorers float in a one-of-a-kind shark cage, 500 miles into the Gulf of Mexico. Acting as human lures in the open ocean, will they encounter its deadliest shark?

Great Hammerhead Invasion (July 26 at 10 p.m. ET/PT)

Early every November, giant hammerheads arrive off Bimini, in the Bahamas. But why? Leading shark scientist Tristan Guttridge tags and follows these normally solitary sharks to find out. Many appear to be pregnant females, as an ultrasound of a female hammerhead shows. Guttridge believes they spend winter in Bimini to feed the growing young in their bellies, and then move on to the Florida coast to prey on migrating blacktips  and the evidence is unmistakable.

Shark Exile (July 27 at 9 p.m. ET/PT)

In Brazil, Dr. Hazin has successfully reduced the number of shark encounters by simply catching and moving sharks out to the open sea. Whats his secret? And can this solution work in Australia, where encounters are a problem?

Shark Swarm (July 27 at 10 p.m. ET/PT)

At various times of the year and in different locations around the world, sharks of many kinds gather, swarm, and spiral. Dr. Tristan Guttridge conducts a study of just what brings them together, and whats going on in these shark societies.

African Shark Safari (July 28 at 9 p.m. ET/PT)

Madagascar is not known as a location for great white sharks. According to the shark sanctuary here, both great whites and tigers are extinct in Madagascan waters. So why has a great white shark, tagged in South Africa, traveled 1500 miles up the African coast to Madagascar? Craig OConnell and the team make the long journey to the remote island nation to investigate whether Madagascar will be the next big great white shark hot spot.

Lair of the Sawfish (July 28 at 10 p.m. ET/PT)

Experts unravel the mystery behind one of the seas strangest creatures, the sawfish, from its evolutionary links to sharks and rays, to its key role in the marine ecosystem. Their goal is to bring the sawfish back from the brink of extinction.

Sharkmania (July 29 at 9 p.m. ET/PT)

A rundown of the greatest moments from Shark Week 2017, featuring the closest calls, biggest bites, greatest gadgets, and viewers top picks for the best of Shark Week history.

Shark School With Michael Phelps (July 30 at 8 p.m. ET/PT)

Michael Phelps joins Doc Gruber and Tristan Guttridge of the Bimini Shark Lab to get a crash course on everything shark. Theyll dispel the myths and common misconceptions, teach him how to safely dive with sharks  including how to stay calm when a hammerhead swims two feet above his face  and get Michael Phelps up close and personal with the incredible power of a great white.

Shark After Dark, the late-night talk show hosted by Eli Roth, returns this year to close out each of the first five nights of Shark Week.
By Fathin Ungku SINGAPORE (Reuters) - The siblings of Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong welcomed on Thursday moves to settle a row over their late father's house privately, but also said any unresolved dispute over his will should be thrashed out in court. Singaporeans have been riveted since mid-June by a public battle between the heirs of Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore's long-serving first prime minister, over whether to demolish the old family home or let the government decide whether it should become a heritage site. Lee Kuan Yew's daughter, Lee Wei Ling, and his youngest son, Lee Hsien Yang, insist that the house should be demolished in accordance with their father's will. Prime Minister Lee has said the government must decide what to do with the property. The siblings had accused their elder brother of abusing his powers, prompting the prime minister to call an extraordinary special sitting of parliament on Monday and Tuesday to "clear the air" over an issue that some people say has tarnished Singapore's image. The premier said that debate failed to find any substantiated evidence of abuse of power, but he wanted to avoid taking his siblings to court for defamation. Responding in a seven-page statement posted on Facebook, Hsien Yang and Wei Ling described the parliamentary debate as a "whitewash" and said they had more evidence of abuse of power that they would only divulge if there was an independent investigation. However, they also reacted positively to the prime minister saying that he wanted to settle the matter privately. "We therefore welcome Hsien Loongs stated desire on 4 July 2017 to manage his disagreement with us in private ... without the involvement of lawyers or government agencies," they said in the statement. They also repeated allegations of abuse of power in a separate 10-page document titled "Evidence", without making any fresh revelations. "It seems that releasing further evidence on social media at this time will only muddy the facts," they said, and that there was "much evidence" they had not made public. "We reserve this to show to a truly open and independent investigation, if there ever is one," they said. QUESTIONED WILL Before his death in 2015, Lee Kuan Yew had made public his desire for the humbly furnished home at 38 Oxley Road, near the bustling Orchard Road shopping district, to be demolished rather than turned into some kind of museum. He stated that in his last will, but the prime minister has said there were "deeply troubling circumstances" over how the document was drawn up. The prime minister's siblings said in their latest Facebook posting that any dispute over the will should be resolved in court if it could not be settled otherwise. Prime Minister Lee has said that, while he personally favored the house being demolished, it was up to the government to decide whether it should become a heritage site. He maintains that his father was aware that the government might make that decision, and was prepared to consider alternatives if the government decided the site should be preserved in any way. The siblings dispute that account. "Were our father alive today, he would be furious about this situation. His wishes are crystal clear: He wanted to demolish the house because he knew it was the right thing for Singapore," they said in their latest statement. "He did not want Singaporeans to create a cult around him." The prime minister has recused himself from a committee looking at options for the house, but his siblings say the committee is made up of subordinates who cannot be impartial. "If Hsien Loong wishes to challenge the will, the correct forum was and is the courts," they said. Prime Minister Lee was in Germany on Thursday for a meeting of the G20 countries. (Reporting by Fathin Ungku; Editing by Simon Cameron-Moore and Paul Tait)
Screengrab from Donaldjtrump.com.

Did you win a trip to Washington last month to meet President Trump at the Trump Victory Dinner at Trump International Hotel?

Someone did, or was supposed to, according to a post on the official website of Donald J. Trump for President. But the Trump campaign wont say who it was.

The Trump campaign, which advertised the effort on Facebook, promoted a drawing to win round-trip transportation and accommodations and tickets to attend a dinner with President Trump at the June 28, 2017, Trump Victory Dinner in Washington, D.C. (approximate retail value $3,000).

The lucky winner might have had to come up with another $3,000 to bring a spouse, since the rules specified that One (1) winners [sic] would get the flight, room, dinner and opportunity to meet President Trump, and have your picture taken with him so you can remember this moment forever.

It was part of a fundraising pitch common to presidential campaigns throughout the years: Anyone who met the requirements (U.S. citizens or lawful residents over 18) and clicked on a box to make a contribution (suggested amounts ranged from $35 to $2,700) was automatically entered to win, although a donation was not required.

The entry period ran from June 2 to midnight on June 25. This apparently gave the campaign less than three days until the June 28 dinner to choose and notify a winner and arrange the travel logistics, Secret Service vetting and other details. The winner would have had even less time to pick out what to wear.

The dinner was to be held in conjunction with a fundraiser where tickets prices started at $35,000. The lavish event drew criticism because it was held at Trumps own hotel in Washington and continued a trend of Trumps businesses making money from his campaign events. Trumps ventures earned more than $14 million from his presidential bid last year.

The Trump hotel event benefited a pair of joint fundraising committees that mainly distribute their income to Trumps campaign and the Republican National Committee. When Trumps predecessor, President Barack Obama, raised money for his campaign and at Democratic Party events, press was generally allowed to cover his speeches. After pressure from the press corps, the White House said media would be allowed into Trumps event. They changed their mind at the last minute and disinvited reporters.

Story continues

Since the fundraiser was closed to the press, there is no public record of who the lucky winner was, or how much he or she enjoyed the experience. Many reporters flocked to Trumps hotel on the night of the event though they were not allowed in the area where the event was held, and at least one was allegedly kicked out. Yahoo White House correspondent Hunter Walker set up shop in the hotels steakhouse, where Trumps preferred table was reserved. Multiple sources said they expected Trump to dine at the steakhouse that evening, but the president never showed up.

Giving away dinners with political figures has become a common fundraising tool. Both Obama and Hillary Clinton, Trumps Democratic opponent in last years race, held similar contests. And both Obama and Clinton have revealed the names of the winners of these events.

Yahoo News contacted the Trump campaign to see if they would share the name of the lucky dinner winner. Michael Glassner, executive director of Trumps campaign, referred us to the Republican National Committee, which he said organized the event, but the RNC has not responded to multiple requests for comment.

Someone must have won. Was it you? If youd like to tell us about the dinner, let us know at: Iwasthere2017@yahoo.com

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Read more from Yahoo News:
Tom Holland stars as Spider-Man/Peter Parker (Photo: Sony Pictures)

Spider-Man: Homecoming finally swings into theaters this weekend, and thus sets the Marvel Cinematic Universe on a direct course not only for 2018s Avengers: Infinity War (and its May 3, 2019 sequel), but also for what comes after that  namely, Phase IV of the sprawling series, which will reportedly commence with Spider-Man: Homecoming 2 (July 5, 2019). So how, exactly, does Tom Hollands first solo outing as the famed wall-crawler set the stage for the studios forthcoming plans? From mysterious cameos to bombshell revelations, we break down the films hints about the MCUs future.

Warning: Major spoilers for Homecoming follow. Please beware.

Where Homecoming Fits Into the MCU

Jon Wattss film opens in the immediate aftermath of the Battle of New York from 2012s The Avengers, with Michael Keatons Adrian Toomes (soon to be the Vulture) being robbed of a construction contract to clean up the alien mess left by Earths Mightiest Heroes. This is the reason for his decision to embrace a life of crime, and specifically, to become a black market inventor-dealer of weaponry made from extraterrestrial technology  including, of course, his own winged suit. Given that its primary action takes place eight years after these prologue events (and, thus, The Avengers), the film implies that Homecoming is set in a near-future 2020.

Adrian Toomes (Michael Keaton) with some heisted Iron Man swag (Photo: Sony Pictures)

However, when pressed by Yahoo Movies Ethan Alter, Marvel head honcho Kevin Feige said that the MCU timeline is somewhat elastic, and shouldnt be analyzed in too exacting a fashion.

Donald Glover, and the Miles Morales Connection

Even before Homecoming, Donald Glovers relationship to Spider-Man was a tangled one. Thanks to a social-media campaign to get him cast as the web-slinger in 2010s The Amazing Spider-Man (a role that ultimately went to Andrew Garfield), the actor wound up inspiring the look and style of Marvel Comics multiethnic Spider-Man, Miles Morales, whom Glover subsequently voiced in the Ultimate Spider-Man animated series. Hell again lend his pipes to the character in an upcoming animated feature from directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller (a.k.a. the duo that was just fired from the Han Solo spinoff movie). And in Homecoming, he turns up for two brief scenes as Aaron Davis, a crook looking to buy some weapons from Toomes.

Story continues

Aaron Davis (Donald Glover) and Jackson Brice/The Shocker (Logan Marshall-Green) test out some of the Vultures merchandise. (Photo: Sony Pictures)

As comic-book fans will know, Davis is a thief who, in the comics, goes by the moniker The Prowler. Given that Glovers appearance in the new film seems to be a set-up for sequel-y business, it could be that hell eventually factor into Spider-Man: Homecoming 2 as one of the heros many adversaries. More interestingly, though, Davis is also the uncle of Miles Morales  meaning that his purpose in this new Spider-Man series could be to help facilitate the eventual debut of Morales in the MCU  perhaps as the kid sidekick/student of Hollands Spidey (in the same way that Robert Downey Jr.s Tony Stark mentors Peter Parker in Homecoming). Time will tell.

Miles Morals/Ultimate Spider-Man and Aaron Davis/The Prowler (Image: Marvel)

Zendaya  Bratty Comic Relief or Budding Love Interest?

Ahead of Homecomings release, Marvel went out of its way to downplay Zendayas role as Peter Parkers potential love interest, and to be sure, she functions solely as comedic relief in the film. Channeling the sarcastic attitude of Ally Sheedys anti-social Allison Reynolds from The Breakfast Club, Zendaya is largely asked to deliver cutting one-liners directed at Hollands Parker in various high school-centric sequences. Nonetheless, in her final scene, we learn that her name is Michelle, and that her friends call her M.J.  which, of course, is the same nickname of Parkers canonical girlfriend, Mary Jane Watson.

Zendaya as Michelle M.J. Jones (Photo: Sony Pictures)

On the one hand, this disclosure makes it clear that the MCUs new Spider-Man franchise is going to reconfigure the heros mythology in unique ways. On the other hand, it also suggests that, no matter their bickering rapport in Homecoming, Hollands Parker and Zendayas M.J. are probably destined for amour.

And that hunch was confirmed when Yahoo Movies Kevin Polowy spoke to Homecoming screenwriters John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein, with Daley stating about Zendayas MJ, I think it should be a reinvention. Its not up to us, but thats certainly how we planted the seeds in this movie. Just to make her wholly different, and Goldstein concurring, saying, And a different kind of love interest. A love interest you dont even see coming. So that the love interest youre focused on for this movie goes away

The Sinister Six  Assemble

In The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Sony laid the groundwork for what was intended to be a spin-off focused on the Sinister Six, a cabal of Spider-Mans greatest villains. That movie never came to fruition, but Homecoming resurrects that plan  sort of  by introducing a number of characters who might go after Spidey (alone, or as a gang) in the sequels. Aside from Glovers aforementioned Prowler, both Logan Marshall-Green and Bokeem Woodbine play versions of The Shocker. Additionally, their concussive gear comes courtesy of Toomess weapons inventor Phineas Mason (Michael Chernus), whos more traditionally known as The Tinkerer.

Adrian Toomes (Michael Keaton) and Phineas Mason (Michael Chernus) hack Chitauri tech into super-weapons. (Photo: Sony Pictures)

Better Call Sauls Michael Mando has a brief cameo as Mac Gargan, whose name will be familiar to comic-book fans as the alter ego of Scorpion (hence his scorpion neck tattoo). And, of course, in Homecomings post-credits stinger, Keatons Toomes is in jail (with Mandos Scorpion), and still aware of Spider-Mans real identity  which means that he too could make a return to the series, perhaps as the ringleader of the Sinister Six.

The Scorpion and Spidey have been battling since the 1960s. (Image: Marvel)

When speaking with Yahoo Movies, Feige tried to squash the notion that the films stinger means Scorpion might appear in his traditional costumed form:

Maybe that guy becomes the Scorpion, maybe he doesnt. To us, that was more about the evolution of Adrian Toomes, the man, and that he actually, somewhere in there, is a good man, was doing things from his family, and that hes protecting Peter Parkers secret because he knows Peter saved his life. And he knows Peter saved his daughters life, and he knows Peter was doing the right thing, and that he makes, in that moment, a decision to keep that secret. For us, that was all that was about.

Oh, and then theres Parkers geeky best friend Ned (Jacob Batalon). Although Ned is giddy about his buddys superhero secret identity, his name intimates that he might actually be Ned Leeds, who in the comics turns out to be the third version of Spideys nemesis Hobgoblin. Whether the MCU takes Batalons Ned down that route is anyones guess for now, and when speaking with Alter, director Watts tried to tone down all this Sinister Six talk, stating, None of it is a specific tease to anything in the future, certainly not a Sinister Six movie. But it is sort of just this idea that we can create a world full of villains from the ground up. Spider-man is what it looks like when a regular kid becomes a superhero like now we can what does it look like when regular guys start to become supervillains, which I think could be really cool.

Ned (Jacob Batalon) and Peter (Tom Holland) spring into action. (Photo: Sony Pictures)

Current denials notwithstanding, theres no doubt Homecoming plants the seeds of various villains for future adventures.

To Infinity War and Beyond

At the conclusion of Homecoming, Hollands Spider-Man declines Tony Starks invitation to officially join the Avengers (replete with a swanky-looking new costume). That decision both stuns and impresses Stark, who understands that his mentorship has been a success. This moment also signals that Stark now views Parker as ready for planet-protecting duties, which should provide a smooth segue into next Mays Avengers: Infinity War  an epic team-up spectacular thatll feature Hollands Spider-Man alongside Earths Mightiest Heroes. Furthermore, the last-scene reappearance of Gwyneth Paltrows Pepper Potts  who was supposedly on the skids with Tony during Captain America: Civil War, but who appears to be accepting an impromptu wedding proposal from Stark here  implies that the recently MIA character may also factor into Infinity War.

Happy Hogan (Jon Favreau) looks on as Peter Parker (Tom Holland) turns down Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.)s invitation to join the Avengers. (Photo: Sony Pictures)

And as if joining up with Iron Man, Thor, and the rest of the Avengers crew wont be enough for Hollands Parker to deal with in the years ahead, the closing moment of Homecoming  in which Marisa Tomeis Aunt May discovers her nephew wearing his webbed costume  suggests that, in the not-so-distant future, hell also be dealing with some conflicts at home. Who said being a teenage superhero was easy?

Watch: The Spider-Man: Homecoming Stars Give Dramatic Reading of Classic Cartoon Theme Song:



Read more from Yahoo Movies:
In the brutal throes of the Washington, D.C. summer, female reporters are reportedly getting barred from the Speaker's lobby for  wait for it  wearing sleeveless dresses.

According to a CBS News report, one "young, female" reporter even tried to craft makeshift sleeves out of notebook paper to avoid being ejected. (It didn't work.) On Twitter, CQ Roll Call reporter Kellie Mejdrich said she was told she'd be removed from the Speaker's lobby if she wore a sleeveless dress again.

SEE ALSO: Woman kicked out of a mall for wearing what women wear in warm months

Can confirm I was warned the next time I would be removed https://t.co/M0BTcFYchO  Kellie Mejdrich (@kelmej) July 6, 2017

It's clear the issue of attire in the House is important to Speaker/muscle shirt wearer Paul Ryan. In late June, he even took time to remind lawmakers to wear "appropriate business attire"  which means suits for men, sleeved dresses or suits for women, and closed-toed shoes for all.

But, unfortunately, we can't quite blame Ryan for the Great Sleeve Crackdown of '17. Like many bullshit dress codes, Sleevegate rears its ugly, patriarchal head every summer when the weather heats up, no matter which party is in charge.

Meanwhile, Ivanka Trump, Melania Trump, and towel charm mogul Karen Pence continue to wear as many sleeveless dresses as they want. To play us out, a short gallery:

WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 13: U.S. President Donald Trump and daughter Ivanka Trump walk toward Marine One before departing from the White House on June 13, 2017 in Washington, DC. President Trump is traveling to Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Trump will visit Waukesha County Technical College and also appear at a political fundraiser. (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

Image: Mark Wilson/Getty Images

HAMBURG, GERMANY - JULY 06: U.S. President Donald J. Trump and the first lady Melania Trump arrive at Hamburg Airport for the Hamburg G20 economic summit on July 6, 2017 in Hamburg, Germany. Leaders of the G20 group of nations are meeting for the July 7-8 summit. Topics high on the agenda for the summit include climate policy and development programs for African economies. (Photo by Morris MacMatzen/Getty Images)

Image: Morris MacMatzen/Getty Images

WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 19: Ivanka Trump sits in between Alphabet Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt and IBM CEO Ginni Rometty during a meeting of the American Technology Council with her father, U.S. President Donald Trump in the State Dining Room of the White House June 19, 2017 in Washington, DC. According to the White House, the council's goal is "to explore how to transform and modernize government information technology." (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Image: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 4: U.S. Vice President Mike Pence and his wife Karen Pence observe the playing of the national anthem before remarks from President Donald Trump on July 4, 2017, in Washington, DC. The president was hosting a picnic for military families for the July 4 holiday. (Photo by Zach Gibson/Getty Images)

Image: Zach Gibson/Getty Images

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - APRIL 23: U.S. Vice President Mike Pence (L) signs the visitors book at Government House with the Governor of New South Wales David Hurley (2nd-L) and their wives Karen (2nd-R) and Linda (R) on April 23, 2017 in Sydney, Australia. Pence is visiting Australia on a three-day official tour during which he is holding talks with high officials on bilateral and international issues. (Photo by Peter Parks-Pool/Getty Images)

Image: Peter Parks/Getty Images

Must be nice!
President Donald Trump gave a brief history lesson on Poland's recent invasions during a Warsaw speech Thursday. In a few brief lines, he discussed Adolf Hitler, the Holocaust, and the Soviet invasion of Poland. Ultimately, Trump deemed the attack was "tough."

Trump on Hitler and Stalin invading Poland: Thats trouble. Thats tough. pic.twitter.com/prE4uOhVnV  Bradd Jaffy (@BraddJaffy) July 6, 2017

Twitter reacted with both confusion and sarcasm. Some users noted that it didn't make sense for the president to be telling the Polish crowd their own history, while others wrote that it sounded like a speech written for an elementary school.

Why is he telling them polish history? Why????  _cinnamongirl_ (@angelamego107) July 6, 2017

Sounds like a he reading a book report on the history of Poland to people of Warsaw.  Eli (@ealban8) July 6, 2017

Wondering if the book he read about Poland on the flight over was a "pop-up" book  RunBeast (@RunBeast11) July 6, 2017

@KatyTurNBC who wrote this speech? Eric Trump? It is so bad, not a potus speech, like they wrote is on napkins with crayons  Larry (Lars) Chaffin (@LarryChaffinCEO) July 6, 2017

READ: Trump Slams North Korea Missile Launch During Poland Visit: Something Will Have To Be Done About It

Others users found that his brief analysis was reductive and superficial, with some users calling his speech a "history for dummies."

Story continues

Gotta love our leader's firm grip on the brutal realities of history.  Jamie Iseler (@JamieIseler) July 6, 2017

Oh my, he is so eloquent. Such a way with words ,a historian's perspective. He should write a book .History for dummies.  Lily concerto (@UrgreatU) July 6, 2017

Others users said that they felt ashamed at the way the president was representing America overseas.

I have never been more ashamed to be an American than I am this morning listening to this elementary school speech/paid cheering crowds  Rob1963 (@Rob162816) July 6, 2017

"Then 19 years later, in 1938, you were invaded yet again; this time by Nazi Germany from the west and the Soviet Union from the east. That's trouble. That's tough," Trump said before commenting on the Holocaust.

"A vibrant Jewish population, the largest in Europe, was reduced to almost nothing after the Nazis systematically murdered millions of Poland's Jewish citizens, along with countless others during that brutal occupation," he said.

"In the summer of 1944, the Nazi and Soviet armies were preparing for a terrible and bloody battle right here in Warsaw. Amid that Hell on Earth, the citizens of Poland rose up to defend their homeland."

READ: Ahead Of Trump-Putin Meet At G20, Trump Organization Renews Websites For Potential Russia Business

Trump's speech was rapturously received by the Warsaw crowd, although a report by Newsweek wrote that the ruling party in Poland guaranteed the response for Trump Thursday by bussing people to stock the crowd full of pro-Trump supporters.

"Supporters will be bussed to Warsaw, the scene of Trumps speech Thursday, from all over Poland to participate in what has been deemed a 'great patriotic picnic,'" read the report.

This factor got quickly picked up on Twitter, and overshadowed much of the chatter about the speech.

They were bussed in for the entertainment.  Arleen's Liberal AF (@PaidProtester69) July 6, 2017

Related Articles
Hamburg (AFP) - US President Donald Trump arrived Thursday in the German port city of Hamburg to attend what is expected to be the most fractious G20 summit in years.

The US leader, accompanied by his wife Melania, was greeted by the mayor of the northern city-state, Olaf Scholz, on arrival at Hamburg airport where Trump and the US First Lady boarded a US military helicopter for the city centre.

Trump's "America First" stance and climate scepticism have rattled Western allies who have pledged to uphold free trade principles and implement the 2015 Paris climate accord.

On the sidelines of the G20 gathering of leaders, Trump will also meet face-to-face with Russia's President Vladimir Putin on Friday for the first time in a closely watched meeting amid accusations of Russian meddling in US elections.

The two leaders also face an array of contentious foreign policy issues, from Syria to Ukraine to North Korea.

Ahead of his visit to Germany, Trump warned in a landmark speech in Warsaw that the future of the West was at risk.
By Roberta Rampton and Jeff Mason HAMBURG (Reuters) - In a meeting that ran longer than either side had planned, U.S. President Donald Trump and Russia's Vladimir Putin discussed alleged Russian meddling in the U.S. election on Friday but agreed to focus on better ties rather than litigating the past. Trump, a Republican who called it an "honor" to meet with the Russian president, drew swift criticism from Democrats at home, who accused him of dismissing U.S. intelligence and giving Putin's denial, reiterated on Friday, of Russian interference too much weight. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson told reporters at a summit of leaders of the Group of 20 major economies in Hamburg that Trump had "positive chemistry" with Putin during the meeting, which lasted some two hours and 15 minutes. He opened their discussion by pressing Putin about "the concerns of the American people regarding Russian interference in the 2016 election" and had a robust exchange, Tillerson said. The Russian president has denied any meddling in the U.S. democratic process last year and Moscow has asked for proof that it took place. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Trump accepted Putin's assertions that the allegations, backed by U.S. intelligence agencies, were false. Tillerson said they both sought to move on. "The presidents rightly focused on how do we move forward from what may be simply an intractable disagreement at this point," Tillerson said. That explanation did not sit well with Democrats. Working to compromise the integrity of our election process cannot and should not be an area where agree to disagree is an acceptable conclusion," said U.S. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer in a statement. On Thursday in Poland Trump gave lukewarm support to the view that Moscow interfered in the 2016 U.S. political process. Trump promised a rapprochement with Moscow during his campaign but has been unable to deliver because his administration has been dogged by investigations into the allegations of Russian interference in the election and ties with his campaign. Trump says his team did not collude with Russia. Tillerson said they agreed to work on commitments of "non-interference in the affairs of the United States and our democratic process as well as those in other countries." Andrew Weiss, a former National Security Council official responsible for Russia, said Trump had sent the wrong signal with upbeat body language and by not pushing Putin harder on alleged Russian interference in the U.S. presidential election. "The atmospherics were chummy," said Weiss, who is now at Washington's Carnegie Endowment for International Peace think tank in Washington. "The clear push from Trump to normalize U.S.-Russian relations was on display in the meeting." "GOING VERY WELL" The two leaders spent a lot of time discussing Syria, and after their meeting an agreement between the United States, Russia and Jordan on a ceasefire in southwestern Syria was announced. The face-to-face encounter was one of the most eagerly anticipated meetings between two leaders in years. Trump and Putin spoke through translators with their respective foreign ministers present for six minutes before reporters were allowed into the room for their statements. Afterwards the reporters were ushered out and the meeting continued. "President Putin and I have been discussing various things, and I think it's going very well," Trump told reporters, sitting alongside the Russian leader. "We've had some very, very good talks. ... We look forward to a lot of very positive things happening for Russia, for the United States and for everybody concerned. And it's an honor to be with you." Putin, through a translator, said: "We spoke over the phone with you several times," adding: "A phone conversation is never enough." "I am delighted to be able to meet you personally, Mr. President," he said, noting that he hoped the meeting would yield results. Both men sat with legs splayed. Trump listened intently as Putin spoke. The encounter went longer than expected, and first lady Melania Trump came in at one point to urge them to conclude, Tillerson said. The two men later joined other G20 leaders at a concert. Mrs. Trump sat next to Putin at dinner. Before the get-together, some feared the U.S. president, a political novice whose team is still developing its Russia policy, would be less prepared for the talks than Putin, a former KGB agent who has dealt with previous U.S. presidents and scores of other world leaders. Amid criticism of Russia's actions in Ukraine and Syria and the investigations into its role in the U.S. campaign, Trump has come under growing pressure to take a hard line against the Kremlin. On Thursday, Trump delivered some of his sharpest remarks about Moscow since becoming president, urging Russia to stop its "destabilizing activities" and end its support for Syria and Iran. But Trump stopped short on Thursday of any personal criticism of Putin and declined to say definitively whether he believed U.S. intelligence officials' assertion that Russia had interfered in the 2016 U.S. election. "I think it was Russia but I think it was probably other people and/or countries, and I see nothing wrong with that statement. Nobody really knows. Nobody really knows for sure, Trump said on a visit to Poland. (Additional reporting by Doina Chiacu and Arshad Mohammed in Washington and Andrea Shalal and Denis Dyomkin in Hamburg; Writing by Jeff Mason and Noah Barkin; Editing by James Dalgleish)




President Trump went on a Twitter burst Friday from Hamburg, Germany, where he is attending the G-20 summit.

Among other things, Trump asserted that a hot topic among the worlds most powerful figures was the disgraceful response of Hillary Clintons campaign manager to the phishing attack that led to thousands of campaign emails being leaked last year. Trump also appeared to conflate that attack with a separate hack that targeted the Democratic National Committee.

Everyone here is talking about why John Podesta refused to give the DNC server to the FBI and the CIA, Trump tweeted. Disgraceful!

Everyone here is talking about why John Podesta refused to give the DNC server to the FBI and the CIA. Disgraceful!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 7, 2017

While the attacks targeting Clinton campaign chair John Podesta and the DNC were somewhat similar, they were separate events, and Podesta was not in charge of nor did he work for the DNC. The U.S. intelligence community accused the Russian government at its highest levels of spearheading the hacks, which led to WikiLeaks publishing thousands of leaked emails.

Related slideshow: Trump visits Europe for G-20 summit on 2nd overseas trip >>>

It seems unlikely that Podesta would be a big topic of discussion at the G-20 summit, which brings together the leaders of 20 leading world economic powers.

Adrienne Watson, a DNC spokeswoman, responded to Trump on Twitter. She wrote: 1) Podesta never ran the DNC. 2) DNC worked with FBI to kick out Russians. Worked with DHS. 3) Putin make you tweet this before mtg?

1) Podesta never ran the DNC. 2) DNC worked with FBI to kick out Russians. Worked with DHS. 3) Putin make you tweet this before mtg? https://t.co/0IUEYpSpgQ  Adrienne Watson (@Adrienne_DNC) July 7, 2017

Watson didnt have any immediate further comments on Trumps tweets, but noted that the committee has commented extensively in the past.

Story continues

The DNC has and will continue to cooperate with law enforcement on Russias interference in our election. The DNC has been in regular contact with the FBI for many months and the FBI confirmed the DNC has provided all the information it needed to make its assessment, the DNC said in one past statement.

Related Slideshow: Riot police clash with G-20 protesters in Hamburg, Germany >>>

Donald Trump, John Podesta, (Yahoo News photo Illustration; photos: Michael Sohn/AP, AP)

Trumps tweet came hours before he was scheduled to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The White House has not definitively said whether Trump will confront Putin about his alleged meddling in the U.S. election.

For the president, the missive marked a return to familiar territory from the campaign: attacking Clinton. In the 10 months since the election, Trump has continued to rain Twitter fire on his former opponent, often when news bubbles up about the FBI and Congress investigations into whether his campaign associates colluded with Russia during the race.

The reason that President Obama did NOTHING about Russia after being notified by the CIA of meddling is that he expected Clinton would win..  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 26, 2017

and did not want to "rock the boat." He didn't "choke," he colluded or obstructed, and it did the Dems and Crooked Hillary no good.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 26, 2017

Hillary Clinton colluded with the Democratic Party in order to beat Crazy Bernie Sanders. Is she allowed to so collude? Unfair to Bernie!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 25, 2017

Crooked H destroyed phones w/ hammer, 'bleached' emails, & had husband meet w/AG days before she was cleared- & they talk about obstruction?  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 15, 2017

Did Hillary Clinton ever apologize for receiving the answers to the debate? Just asking!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 3, 2017

What about all of the contact with the Clinton campaign and the Russians? Also, is it true that the DNC would not let the FBI in to look?  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 20, 2017



Read more from Yahoo News:
Hamburg (AFP) - US President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin engaged in a "very robust exchange" over claims Moscow meddled in America's elections, during their first face-to-face talks Friday at a fractious G20 summit marred by violent street protests.

From the outset of the blockbuster encounter, the US property tycoon fired the key question that has weighed on his presidency, pressing the ex-KGB agent "on more than one occasion" on the vote interference claims, said Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who was in the meeting.

But Tillerson's counterpart Sergei Lavrov quickly added that Trump "accepted" Putin's denial of Moscow's role in propelling him to the White House, after hearing the Russian out.

Over the course of two hours and 15 minutes of talks that covered not only the damaging claims but also a slew of global crises including the Syrian war, the two leaders clearly engaged, said Tillerson.

"Let me characterise: the meeting was very constructive, the two leaders I would say, connected very quickly," said Tillerson, adding "there was a very clear positive chemistry between the two".

"There are so many issues on the table... Just about everything got touched upon... Neither one of them wanted to stop," he said.

"I believe they even sent in the (US) First Lady at one point to see if she could get us out of there, but that didn't work either... We did another hour. Clearly she failed!"

- Growing rift -

On the presidential election campaign trail last year, Trump said he hoped relations with Putin could be rebuilt after Russia's acrimonious ties with his predecessor Barack Obama.

But the billionaire had faced increasing pressure to take a tough line on Russia after allegations it interfered in the vote.

In the talks on the sidelines of the G20 summit, Trump pressed Putin on the issue, "and then... felt like at this point, let's talk about how do we go forward," said Tillerson.

Story continues

"I think that was the right place to spend our time, rather than spending a lot of time having a disagreement that everybody knows we have a disagreement," added the secretary of state.

But Senate Democratic leader Charles Schumer ripped into Tillerson over the case.

"For Secretary Tillerson to say that this issue will remain unresolved is disgraceful -- to give equal credence to the findings of the American intelligence community and the assertion by Mr. Putin is a grave dereliction of duty and will only encourage Russia to further interfere in our elections in the future," he warned.

- Climate deal 'irreversible' -

Friday's encounter could have an impact on issues ranging from the North Korean crisis and conflicts in Syria and Ukraine to US-Russian disarmament treaties, world trade and global warming, analysts say.

How the "contrasting styles of machismo interact... will likely be the defining feature of their relationship," noted Derek Chollet from think-tank German Marshall Fund.

But if Trump and Putin have established a rapport, the distance between the US leader and America's long-standing allies have appeared to widen with his climate-sceptic opinions and "America First" policy.

The growing rift has turned this year's G20 summit -- normally a ripple-free event in the diplomatic calendar -- into one of the stormiest in the forum's history.

"We are not going to paper over the differences but rather, we will call discord discord," said German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

A draft communique seen by AFP Friday appeared to reflect the 19-versus-one stance on climate.

The draft underlines that the 2015 Paris climate accord is "irreversible" and affirms that other G20 nations are committed to the deal while taking note of Washington's decision to quit the agreement.

- Not given up hope -

Meanwhile, North Korea's successful test of an intercontinental ballistic missile this week also casts a dark shadow over the US leader's first G20 summit.

Trump had warned Thursday that Pyongyang's military sabre-rattling would bear "consequences", saying he was considering a "severe" response to its "very, very bad behaviour".

After repeatedly urging Beijing to ratchet up the economic pressure on North Korea, Trump will hold what promises to be a testy meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the G20's sidelines on Saturday.

Tillerson said the US will continue to press China to do more to rein in Pyongyang.

"Our engagement is unchanged with China and our expectations are unchanged. We have not given up hope," he added.

- Unacceptable violence -

Meanwhile, outside the heavily guarded G20 conference hall, protesters wreaked havoc, engaging in running battles with police in the all day as the rattle of helicopters was heard overhead.

The activists blocked US First Lady Melania Trump at her residence for hours as they torched cars, smashed shop windows, fired flares at police helicopters and even slashed tyres on vehicles belonging to the Canadian delegation.

The violence forced Hamburg police to call in reinforcements from other German states, and G20 organisers to drastically curtail an official programme for spouses of visiting dignitaries.

G20 host Merkel condemned the violence, saying she could understand peaceful protests, but demonstrations that "put peoples' lives in danger, put the protesters' own lives in danger... are unacceptable".
For a man who owns a boatload of hotels, you'd think President Donald Trump would have no problem finding a comfortable room to crash.

According to reports from local media, Trump had a little trouble finding a hotel room in Hamburg, Germany for his stay during the G20 summit this week. The Hamburger Abendblatt reports that Trump was initially trying to stay at the Four Seasons, but it was apparently already filled up by Saudi Arabias King Salman's huge crew.

SEE ALSO: Donald Trump and the first lady of Poland just had the most awkward handshake

Ahead of G20 summit in Hamburg: Local media reports that Trump got rejected by city's top luxury hotel & has to stay in a state residence  Mathieu von Rohr (@mathieuvonrohr) June 26, 2017

According to the Financial Times, Salaman won't even be attending the summit, but will be represented by a former finance minister Mohammed al-Djadaninstead. Regardless, Saudia Arabia rolls deep, and is reportedly occupying all 156 rooms at the Four Seasons.

The White House apparently tried to book a room at other luxury hotels in Hamburg, but was unsuccessful because they were all filled up with other world leaders and their guests. BuzzFeed reports that this was due to White House staffers dragging their feet, and anyone who has ever booked a late hotel room can probably understand this pain. But this is the White House. The White House did not immediately respond to Mashable's request for comment or confirmation on Trump's accommodations while in Germany.

Rumors spread weeks ago that the White House was considering putting Trump up at a hotel in Berlin, then flying him into the summit every day via helicopter. But alas, it seems Trump finally found a comfy bed to sleep on in Hamburg.

Trump will reportedly be staying at the Senate Guest House, a building that was erected in 1868, but has served as the Hamburg Senate guest house since 1965, according to the Associated Press.

Story continues

Here's a photo of the house where Trump is reportedly staying. It looks really nice!

Exterior Guest house of the Senate of Hamburg where president Trump is supposed to stay during the upcoming G20 Summit.

Image: action press/REX/Shutterstock

So how could this happen? Well, as Vox points out, it's possible that this was possibly a major oversight from the State Department, that has only confirmed a handful of positions and is severely understaffed.

The G20 summit, which was announced in February of 2016, requires 9,000 hotel rooms to accommodate world leaders, their guests, staff, and security.
By Ece Toksabay and Tulay Karadeniz ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkey rejects any proposals to drop European Union accession talks in favor of cooperation in other areas, its EU Affairs Minister Omer Celik said on Thursday ahead of a European Parliament vote on suspending Turkey's membership bid. Speaking during a visit to Ankara by EU enlargement commissioner Johannes Hahn, Celik said it was wrong for EU lawmakers to call for the suspension of Turkey's membership talks, adding such approaches would benefit neither side. "We reject with the back of our hand any proposals that there should be strong cooperation between Turkey and the EU in other areas instead of accession talks," Celik told reporters. On Wednesday, EU lawmakers called for a suspension of Turkey's membership talks with the European Union, saying President Tayyip Erdogan's crackdown on opponents meant Ankara did not meet the bloc's democratic criteria. A vote on the proposal is expected to pass comfortably on Thursday, but the parliament has limited influence on the issue. The European Commission and EU governments have ignored calls for a formal suspension of a process already in limbo. Turkey's ties with its European allies have deteriorated since last July's abortive putsch, with Turkey accusing some European states of not showing enough support. "The European Parliament has failed in its solidarity with Turkey following the coup attempt. We had expected strong support, but the call to end membership talks instead is wrong," Celik said. Relations soured further in the run-up to an April 16 referendum that narrowly handed Erdogan sweeping presidential powers, as tensions between Turkey and the bloc escalated when some European states barred Turkish ministers from delivering speeches to drum up support ahead of the vote. In an interview on Wednesday, Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus told Reuters that Turkey was not responsible for the escalation of tensions between the two sides. "Europe displaying inappropriate behavior toward Turkey is not a situation we can accept. Being against our President Erdogan is also not a rational stance from Europe. Europe must decide: ... do they really want to enlarge?" Kurtulmus said. EU commissioner Hahn said he hoped the interaction between the two sides would lead to a higher level of political dialogue. "I don't know what will be decided, but I have to stress that the European Parliament is one of the institutions elected by the European citizens. Members of the European Parliament represent the view of their voters," Hahn said. Kurtulmus said he believed sincere negotiations between the two parties would help resolve issues, and that Europe should take notice of the helping hand Turkey has extended. EU leaders have been critical of Erdogan and his behavior toward opponents, both before and after the abortive coup. But they do not want to undermine an agreement struck last year whereby Turkey effectively stopped migrants reaching Greece, easing a crisis that had threatened EU unity. Celik said Turkey had noted the bloc's criticism regarding its judiciary and freedom of press and expression, but added the EU was blocking the process by not opening new chapters. (Reporting by Ece Toksabay and Tulay Karadeniz; Writing by Daren Butler and Tuvan Gumrukcu; Editing by Dominic Evans and Toby Chopra)
By Roberta Rampton and Jeff Mason

WARSAW (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump will get a chance to patch up trans-Atlantic ties this week when he meets with NATO allies still rattled by his failure on an earlier trip to embrace the principle that an attack against one member is an attack against all.

Trump arrived on Wednesday in Warsaw, Poland, where the White House said he would showcase his commitment to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in a speech and in meetings with a group of nations closest to Russia on his way to the G20 summit in Germany on Friday and Saturday.

"He will lay out a vision not only for America's future relationship with Europe, but the future of our trans-Atlantic alliance, and what that means for American security and American prosperity," Trump's national security adviser, H.R. McMaster, told reporters last week.

Aside from shoring up the U.S. relationship with NATO allies, the speech is symbolically significant given Poland's proximity to Russia and regional fears about Moscow's ambitions following its 2014 annexation of Crimea from Ukraine.

It was only six weeks ago when Trump, meeting with NATO leaders in Brussels, scolded them for failing to spend enough on defence during a speech in which the Republican president was expected to explicitly endorse NATO's Article 5, the collective defence provision of the treaty.

He slammed Germany for its trade practices, and shortly after returning home, pulled out of the 2015 Paris climate deal, leaving his officials to try to smooth ruffled feelings.

"They have spent a lot of their time trying to undo or explain away some of the images and the mood that came out of the last trip to Europe," said Derek Chollet, a top defence official for former Democratic President Barack Obama.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, the host of the Group of 20 meeting of leading economies, has signalled she will not back down on climate and trade.

Story continues

Shortly before leaving for Europe on Wednesday, Trump dug in on trade, tweeting: "The United States made some of the worst Trade Deals in world history. Why should we continue these deals with countries that do not help us?"

UNDER PRESSURE

That is not the only tough meeting for Trump during his trip. He will meet for the second time with Chinese President Xi Jinping, with whom he has expressed some frustration for failing to use enough leverage to curb North Korea's nuclear programme.

Pyongyang said on Tuesday it successfully test-launched a newly developed intercontinental ballistic missile, which analysts said could put all of the U.S. state of Alaska in range for the first time.

Trump is under pressure at home to take a tough line in his first face-to-face meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on issues such as Moscow's support for President Bashar al-Assad in Syria's civil war and allegations of Russian meddling in last year's U.S. election.

But first, there is Poland: a NATO member near Russia that meets its defence spending goals, hosts close to 1,000 U.S. troops and is eager to buy liquefied natural gas from U.S. companies to counterbalance Russian gas supplies in the region.

"The threat that Russia poses cannot be overstated," Poland's ambassador to the United States, Piotr Wilczek, told reporters last week.

"Now is the time for allied solidarity," Wilczek said.

(Additional reporting by Jan Pytalski and Susan Heavey; Editing by Chris Sanders, Peter Cooney and Lisa Shumaker)

Related:

Watch news, TV and more Yahoo View, available on iOS and Android.
By Mike Stone

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Not everybody asserts as confidently as the Pentagon that the U.S. military can defend the United States from the growing threat posed by North Korea's intercontinental ballistic missile capability.

Pyongyang's first test on Tuesday of an ICBM with a potential to strike the state of Alaska has raised the question: How capable is the U.S. military of knocking down an incoming missile or barrage of missiles?

Briefing reporters on Wednesday, Pentagon spokesman Navy Captain Jeff Davis said: "We do have confidence in our ability to defend against the limited threat, the nascent threat that is there."

Davis cited a successful test in May in which a U.S.-based missile interceptor knocked down a simulated incoming North Korean ICBM. But he acknowledged the test program's track program was not perfect.

"It's something we have mixed results on. But we also have an ability to shoot more than one interceptor," Davis said.

For more news videos visit Yahoo View, available on iOS and Android.

An internal memo seen by Reuters also showed that the Pentagon upgraded its assessment of U.S. defenses after the May test.

Despite hundreds of billions of dollars spent on a multi-layered missile defense system, the United States may not be able to seal itself off entirely from a North Korean intercontinental ballistic missile attack.

Experts caution that U.S. missile defenses are now geared to shooting down one, or perhaps a small number of basic, incoming missiles. Were North Korea's technology and production to keep advancing, U.S. defenses could be overwhelmed unless they keep pace with the threat.

"Over the next four years, the United States has to increase its current capacity of our deployed systems, aggressively push for more and faster deployment," said Riki Ellison, founder of the Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance.

MIXED RESULTS

The test records of the U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA), charged with the mission to develop, test and field a ballistic missile defense system, also show mixed results.

Story continues

MDA systems have multiple layers and ranges and use sensors in space at sea and on land that altogether form a defense for different U.S. regions and territories.







One component, the Ground-based Midcourse Defense system (GMD), demonstrated a success rate just above 55 percent. A second component, the Aegis system deployed aboard U.S. Navy ships and on land, had about an 83 percent success rate, according to the agency.

A third, the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, or THAAD, anti-missile system, has a 100 percent success rate in 13 tests conducted since 2006, according to the MDA.

Lockheed Martin Corp is the prime contractor for THAAD and Aegis. Boeing Co is the lead contractor for GMD.

Since President Ronald Reagan's administration in the 1980s, the U.S. government has spent more than $200 billion to develop and field a range of ballistic missile defense systems ranging from satellite detection to the sea-based Aegis system, according to the Congressional Research Service.

Funding for MDA was on average $8.12 billion during President Barack Obama's administration that ended on Jan. 20. President Donald Trump has requested $7.8 billion for fiscal year 2018.

'ANOTHER YEAR OR TWO'

Last month, Vice Admiral James Syring, then director of the Missile Defense Agency, told a congressional panel that North Korean advancements in the past six months had caused him great concern.

U.S.-based missile expert John Schilling, a contributor to the Washington-based North Korea monitoring project 38 North said the pace of North Korea's missile development was quicker than expected.

"However, it will probably require another year or two of development before this missile can reliably and accurately hit high-value continental U.S. targets, particularly if fired under wartime conditions," he said.

Michael Elleman, a fellow for Missile Defence at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, said that although North Korea was several steps from creating a dependable ICBM, "There are absolutely no guarantees" the United States can protect itself.

In missile defense, "Even if it had a test record of 100 percent, there are no guarantees."

(Reporting by Mike Stone; Additional reporting by Phil Stewart in Washington; Editing by Chris Sanders, Howard Goller and Peter Cooney)
President Trump on Friday repeatedly pressed Russian President Vladimir Putin on Moscows alleged interference in the 2016 election, only to be rebuffed, U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson told reporters.

At a separate briefing, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told reporters that Trump described the multiple investigations into Moscows alleged interference as strange and bizarre because thus far not a single fact has been presented to prove the charge.

Putin made clear declarations that the Russian leadership and Russian government has not interfered in the elections, Lavrov said, according to an official translation. And Trump accepts the things that Mr. Putin has said, according to Lavrov.

Tillerson, the only other senior U.S. official present as the two leaders held their first face-to-face talks, said Trump now aimed to move forward from the seemingly intractable dispute.

What the two presidents, I think rightly, focused on is, how do we move forward? How do we move forward from here? the former ExxonMobil CEO said.

I think the relationship  and the president made this clear as well  is too important. And its too important to not find a way to move forward, Tillerson added, before stressing he was not dismissing the [election] issue in any way.

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks with Russian President Vladimir Putin during the their bilateral meeting at the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany July 7, 2017. (Photo: Carlos Barria/Reuters)

Related Slideshow: Riot police clash with G-20 protesters in Hamburg, Germany >>>

Putins denial runs directly counter to a U.S. intelligence community finding, made public on Jan. 6, that the former KGB spymaster ordered an influence campaign in 2016 aimed at the U.S. presidential election and aspired to help President-elect Trumps election chances with attacks on Hillary Clinton, his Democratic rival for the White House.

They had a very robust and lengthy exchange on the subject, Tillerson told reporters. The president pressed President Putin on more than one occasion regarding Russian involvement. President Putin denied such involvement, as I think he has in the past.

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The secretary reported seeing very clear positive chemistry between the two in the meeting.

There was not a lot of relitigating of the past. I think both of the leaders feel like theres a lot of things in the past that both of us are unhappy about. Were unhappy; theyre unhappy, he added.

Trump and Putin met for two hours and 16 minutes, well past the officially scheduled 30 minutes, on the sidelines of the G-20 economic summit in Hamburg, Germany. The only other people in the room were Tillerson, Lavrov and interpreters on both sides  even though both Russian officials speak English.

Tillerson also confirmed reports that Russia, the United States and Jordan had agreed to a cease-fire in southwestern Syria. I think this is our first indication of the U.S. and Russia being able to work together in Syria, the top U.S. diplomat said.

He also said Trump and Putin discussed Russias military intervention in Ukraine, which resulted in Western economic sanctions, and the crisis over North Koreas nuclear and ballistic missile programs.

We did have a pretty good exchange on North Korea. I would say the Russians see it a little differently than we do, he told reporters.

President Trump, third from right, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, far right, Russian President Vladimir Putin, third from left, and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, far left. (Photo: Sputnik/Mikhail Klimentyev/Kremlin via Reuters)

Slideshow: Trump visits Europe for G-20 summit on 2nd overseas trip >>>

During a brief joint public appearance at the top of the meeting, the two leaders shared a handshake, smiles and small talk.

President Putin and I have been discussing various things, and I think its going very well, Trump told reporters, according to a pool report from the Washington Post.

Trump did not specifically cite Syria but said, We look forward to a lot of very positive things happening for Russia, and for the United States and for everybody concerned. And its an honor to be with you.

Speaking through a translator, Putin declared that he was delighted to be able to meet you personally and that he hoped for positive results from the discussion.

Phone conversations are never enough, definitely, the Russian leader said. If you want to have a positive outcome in bilaterals and be able to resolve most international policy issues, that will really need personal meetings.

The two presidents ignored shouted questions about whether Trump would raise the issue of alleged Russian interference in the 2016 election. As reporters were ushered out, Trump leaned in to Putin and said something to Putin, who chuckled.

The light tone of their public remarks contrasted with Trumps tougher language a day earlier in a speech in Warsaw.

Today, the West is also confronted by the powers that seek to test our will, undermine our confidence and challenge our interests. To meet new forms of aggression, including propaganda, financial crimes and cyberwarfare, we must adapt our alliance to compete effectively in new ways and on all new battlefields, Trump declared.

We urge Russia to cease its destabilizing activities in Ukraine and elsewhere, and its support for hostile regimes  including Syria and Iran  and to instead join the community of responsible nations in our fight against common enemies and in defense of civilization itself, he added.

Russian President Vladimir Putin shakes hands with first lady Melania Trump during a meeting on the sidelines of the G-20 summit in Hamburg, Germany. (Photo: Sputnik/Mikhail Klimentyev/Kremlin via Reuters)

The meeting in Hamburg came amid multiple congressional investigations into Russias alleged meddling in the 2016 election, as well as a Justice Department special counsel probe into whether Trumps campaign colluded with Moscow.

On Thursday, Trump conceded that Russia could have interfered  but suggested that some unnamed other countries might have been involved as well.

Ive said it very simply. I think it could very well have been Russia. I think it could well have been other countries. I wont be specific. But I think a lot of people interfere, Trump said. Nobody really knows. Nobody really knows for sure.

Russia has asked for proof and evidence, Tillerson told reporters. Ill leave that to the intelligence community to address, on the answer to that question.

Read more from Yahoo News:
United Airlines has apologized once again after a distraught mom says the airline gave up her toddler's seat on a recent flight, forcing her to endure the three-and-a-half-hour trip with the child on her lap.

Read: Woman Feared for Son's Life After He Passed Out on Hot Airplane: "The Worst Moment of My Life'

Shirley Yamauchi bought two tickets in March on United Airlines  one seat for her, and the other for her son, Taizo  when they flew from Hawaii to Boston last week.

The mother and son had a stopover in Houston, Texas, when a United flight attendant informed the passenger that her son's seat was being given away to a standby passenger and hed have to sit in her lap for the entire three-and-a-half hour flight from Houston to Boston.

"I was surprised, shocked, worried and scared," the distraught mom told Inside Edition. "She said the flight is full and then she walked away and a man hastily sat next to me. I moved my childs legs and got them out of his way and before you knew it, we were taking off. It happened very quickly."

She said her son weighs about 25 pounds and is up to her waist. The positioning made sleeping and changing his diaper incredibly difficult.

Yamauchi, a seventh grade teacher who was on her way to a conference, says she was too scared to make a fuss because she remembered the now-infamous video earlier this year when Dr. David Dao was beaten up on a United flight when he refused to give up his seat.

She said that she was nervous to speak up.

Being Asian-American, I was worried and scared for my safety," Yamauchi said. "I saw the footage of Dr. Dao. I realized that he had his teeth knocked out... My family in Japan saw the footage.

"On a recent flight from Houston to Boston, we inaccurately scanned the boarding pass of Ms. Yamauchi's son," United said in a statement. "As a result, her son's seat appeared to be not checked in, and we released his seat to another customer, and Ms. Yamauchi held her son for the flight.

Story continues

"We deeply apologize to Ms. Yamauchi and her son for this experience. We are refunding their tickets and providing compensation as a goodwill gesture. We are also working with our employees to prevent this from happening again."

Yamauchi, however, was not satisfied.

Read: Superstitious Woman Throws Coins Into Plane Engine for 'Good Luck,' Causes 5-Hour Delay

"I am very disappointed," she said. "I am seeing a pattern of bullying of passengers."

She and her son are flying back home Thursday. She says they each have their own seat.

Watch: Plus-Size Model Turns the Tables on Man Who Fat-Shamed Her on Plane

Related Articles:
Beijing (AFP) - US warplanes have flown over the disputed South China Sea, the US Air Force said Friday, a move aimed at asserting freedom of navigation rights in the hotly-contested area.

The flights come as both US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping attend the G-20 meeting in Hamburg.

A US B1-B bomber and two F-15 fighters with the Japan Air Self-Defense Force departed Guam's Andersen Air Force Base and flew over the neighbouring East China Sea late on Thursday, the US Pacific Air Forces Public Affairs office said.

This is "the first time US Pacific Command-directed B-1B Lancers have conducted combined training with JASDF fighters at night," the statement read.

When the bilateral operations concluded, "the B-1Bs proceeded to the South China Sea before returning to Andersen Air Force Base," the statement read.

It was not immediately clear when or if a second US B1-B bomber joined for the South China Sea leg of the operation.

The mission "demonstrates how the US will continue to exercise the rights of freedom of navigation anywhere international law allows," the US statement read.

"Flying and training at night with our allies in a safe, effective manner is an important capability shared between the US and Japan," said Major Ryan Simpson, Pacific Air Forces chief of bomber operations.

The joint military flight demonstrates US-Japanese "solidarity ... to defend against provocative and destabilizing actions in the Pacific theater," the statement added.

Beijing claims nearly all of the South China Sea, parts of which are also claimed by Taiwan and Southeast Asian nations including the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam.

China has rapidly built reefs in the area into artificial islands capable of hosting military planes.

China also lays claim to tiny islands in the East China Sea between Japan and the Korean peninsula, and between Japan and Taiwan.

Both freedom of navigation and freedom of flight over the East and South China Seas were "indisputable," Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told a regular press briefing in Beijing on Friday.

"China always respects freedom of flight," he said.
By Silene Ramirez and Carlos Garcia Rawlins CARACAS (Reuters) - Pipe-wielding government supporters burst into Venezuela's opposition-controlled congress on Wednesday, witnesses said, attacking and besieging lawmakers in the latest flare-up of violence during a political crisis. The melee, which injured seven opposition politicians, was another worrying flashpoint in a traumatic last three months for the South American OPEC nation, shaken by opposition protests against socialist President Nicolas Maduro. At least 90 people have died in the unrest, with fighting and barricades frequently blocking cities across Venezuela. National Assembly president Julio Borges said more than 350 politicians, journalists and guests to the Independence Day session were trapped in the siege that lasted until dusk. "There are bullets, cars destroyed including mine, blood stains around the (congress) palace," he told reporters. "The violence in Venezuela has a name and surname: Nicolas Maduro." The crowd had gathered just after dawn outside the building in downtown Caracas, chanting in favor of Maduro, witnesses said. In the late morning, several dozen people ran past the gates with pipes, sticks and stones and went on the attack. Several injured lawmakers stumbled bloodied and dazed around the assembly's corridors. Some journalists were robbed. After the morning attack, a crowd of roughly 100 people, many dressed in red and shouting "Long Live The Revolution!", trapped people inside for hours, witnesses said. Some in the crowd outside the legislature brandished pistols, threatened to cut water and power supplies, and played an audio of former socialist president Hugo Chavez saying "Tremble, oligarchy!" Fireworks were thrown inside. The worst-hurt lawmaker, Americo De Grazia, was hit on the head, fell unconscious, and was eventually taken by stretcher to an ambulance. His family later said he was out of critical condition and being stitched up. Downtown Caracas is a traditional stronghold neighborhood for the government and there has been a string of clashes there since the opposition thrashed the ruling Socialist Party in December 2015 parliamentary elections. In a speech during a military parade for Independence Day, Maduro condemned the "strange" violence in the assembly and asked for an investigation. But he also challenged the opposition to speak out about violence from within its ranks. In daily protests since April, young demonstrators have frequently attacked security forces with stones, homemade mortars and Molotov cocktails, and burned property. They killed one man by dousing him in gasoline and setting him on fire. "I want peace for Venezuela," Maduro said. "I don't accept violence from anyone." FOREIGN CONDEMNATION Numerous foreign nations repudiated Wednesday's events. "I condemn the grotesque attack on the Venezuelan assembly," tweeted UK ambassador John Saville. "This violence, perpetrated during the celebration of Venezuela's independence, is an assault on the democratic principles cherished by the men and women who struggled for Venezuela's independence 206 years ago today," the U.S. State Department said. Venezuela's opposition is demanding general elections to end socialist rule and solutions to the OPEC nation's brutal economic crisis. The government says its foes are seeking a violent coup with U.S. support. Earlier, a Venezuelan police officer who staged a helicopter attack on government buildings in Caracas last week appeared in an internet video vowing to continue fighting. "Once again we are in Caracas, ready and willing to continue our struggle for the liberation of our country," police pilot Oscar Perez said in the video, wearing a military uniform and wool cap, with a Venezuelan flag and rifle behind him. Perez had not been seen since he hijacked a helicopter last week and flew through Caracas pulling a "Freedom" banner. He opened fire and dropped grenades on the Interior Ministry and Supreme Court but nobody was injured. Maduro, 54, the successor to Hugo Chavez, called that attack a terrorist assault to overthrow him and lambasted Western nations for not condemning it. But many government critics doubt the official version, and some even suggested it may have been staged to divert attention from the country's economic and political crises. In the video, Perez said the attack was "perfectly achieved" with no collateral damage "because it was planned, because we are not murderers like you, Mr. Nicolas Maduro." Perez said he had staged an emergency landing on the Caribbean coast following the attack, and returned to the capital after hiking through mountains. The Information Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Perez, who has portrayed himself as a James Bond-cum-Rambo figure on social media, also is an actor who starred in a 2015 movie about the rescue of a kidnapped businessman. Although he has claimed wider support within the security forces, Perez's actions so far appear to be a rogue stunt organized by a small group of disaffected policemen. Venezuela's opposition says Maduro is seeking to consolidate control through a Constituent Assembly, a superbody that will be elected at the end of July. The opposition has promised to boycott the vote, which it says is rigged in favor of the ruling Socialist Party. Before the attack on them, opposition lawmakers held a session denouncing the president as a "dictator" and approving a plebiscite that the opposition is organizing for July 16, asking Venezuelans what they think of Maduro's plans. (Additional reporting by Diego Ore, Brian Ellsworth and Andrew Cawthorne in Caracas, Eric Beech in Washington; Writing by Andrew Cawthorne; Editing by James Dalgleish and Andrew Hay)
By Mai Nguyen, Nidhi Verma and Sanjeev Miglani HANOI/NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Vietnam has extended an Indian oil concession in the South China Sea and begun drilling in another area it disputes with China in moves that could heighten tensions over who owns what in the vital maritime region. The moves come at a delicate time in Beijing's relations with Vietnam, which claims parts of the sea, and India, which recently sent warships to monitor the Malacca Straits, through which most of China's energy supplies and trade passes. Vietnam granted Indian oil firm ONGC Videsh a two-year extension to explore oil block 128 in a letter that arrived earlier this week, the state-run company's managing director Narendra K. Verma told Reuters. Part of that block is in the U-shaped 'nine-dash line' which marks the vast area that China claims in the sea, a route for more than $5 trillion in trade each year in which the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia and Taiwan also have claims. A senior official of ONGC Videsh, who asked not to be named because of the sensitivity of the matter, said interest in the block was strategic rather than commercial, given that oil development there was seen as high-risk with only moderate potential. "Vietnam also wants us to be there because of China's interventions in the South China Sea," the official said. Vietnam's state-run PetroVietnam declined to comment on the concession, which was first granted to India in 2006 but had been due to expire in mid-June. Conflicting territorial claims over the sea stretch back many decades but have intensified in recent years as China and its rivals have reinforced their positions on the rocks and reefs they hold. Far to the south of block 128, drilling has begun in a block owned jointly by Vietnam's state oil firm, Spain's Repsol and Mubadala Development Co [MUDEV.UL] of the United Arab Emirates. Deepsea Metro I, operated by Odfjell Drilling Ltd., has been drilling in the region since the middle of last month on behalf of Spain's Repsol SA, which also has rights to neighboring block 07/03, Odfjell said. Odfjell declined to comment on the specific location of its vessel, but shipping data from Thomson Reuters Eikon showed it was in oil block 136/3, which also overlaps China's claims. Odfjell's Eirik Knudsen, Vice President for Corporate Finance and Investor Relations, referred further queries to Repsol, which declined to comment. PetroVietnam made no comment. COMPETING MARITIME CLAIMS When asked about the activity, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said China opposes anyone "carrying out unilateral, illegal oil and gas activities in waters China has jurisdiction over". "We hope the relevant country can act on the basis of maintaining regional peace and stability and not do anything to complicate the situation," he told a briefing in Beijing. Chinese General Fan Changlong cut short a visit to Vietnam and a friendship meeting at the China-Vietnam border was canceled around the time the drilling began. The centuries-old mistrust between China and Vietnam is nowhere more evident than in their competing maritime claims, despite their shared communist ideology and growing trade. Asked about the most recent drilling, Vietnamese officials said their Chinese counterparts have started raising concerns about cooperation with both Repsol and ExxonMobil Corp. of the United States, which is developing the $10 billion "Blue Whale" gas concession off central Vietnam. They said Chinese officials also expressed concern at Vietnam's evolving security relationships with the United States and Japan, both of which have offered moral support for its South China Sea claims and help for Vietnam's coastguard. Tensions with China were being contained, however, and had not yet reached crisis proportions, they said. "We know they are unhappy again, but we are resisting the pressure  it is a traditional part of our relations with Beijing," one official said privately. "Other parts of the relationship remain strong." Underlining the relationship between India and Vietnam, Vietnamese deputy prime minister Pham Binh Minh told a forum in New Delhi this week that India was welcome to play a bigger role in Southeast Asia - and specifically the South China Sea. Hanoi's growing defense and commercial ties with India are part of its strategy of seeking many partnerships with big powers while avoiding formal military alliances. The pace has picked up since Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's administration took office in 2014 and sought to push back against China's expanding presence in South Asia by raising its diplomatic and military engagement in Southeast Asia. India is providing naval patrol boats, satellite cover to monitor Vietnam's waters and training for its submarines and fighter pilots - more military support than it is giving to any other Southeast Asian country. On the agenda are transfers of naval vessels and missiles under a $500 million defense credit line announced last year. Next week, the navies of India, the United States and Japan will hold their largest joint exercises in the Bay of Bengal. (Additional reporting by Ben Blanchard in Beijing, Greg Torode in Hong Kong; Writing by Matthew Tostevin; Editing by Sonya Hepinstall)
By Ian Simpson (Reuters) - The state of Virginia executed a man on Thursday convicted of the 2006 killings of a security guard and a sheriff's deputy, despite claims that he was mentally ill and questions over whether the execution drugs would work as planned. William Morva, 35, was pronounced dead at 9:15 p.m. EDT, Virginia Department of Corrections spokeswoman Lisa Kinney said. Morva declined to make a final statement, she said. Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe refused to block the execution earlier on Thursday, saying that examinations by prison doctors since Morva's 2008 conviction had shown no sign that he suffered from severe mental illness or delusional disorder, an ailment akin to schizophrenia, as his lawyers had claimed. Morva's death sentence, for killing an unarmed security guard and a sheriff's deputy in a 2006 escape from custody, had triggered renewed debate about capital punishment. "The record before me does not contain sufficient evidence to warrant the extraordinary step of overturning the decision of a lawfully impaneled jury following a properly conducted trial," McAuliffe, a Democrat, said in a statement. A review of the autopsy of Ricky Gray, a Virginia inmate executed in January, showed fluid in his lungs and blood on his lips, suggesting the drugs had not stopped his heart quickly as intended, the newspaper said. A spokesman for McAuliffe did not respond to a request for comment. More than 34,000 people, along with U.N. human rights experts and the daughter of the slain deputy, had asked McAuliffe to spare Morva's life. Morva held dual U.S.-Hungarian citizenship, and the European Union and the Hungarian Embassy in Washington had called on McAuliffe for clemency. Morva's deadly rampage took place after he was taken to a hospital while being held in the Montgomery County Jail on robbery charges. He stole a gun at the hospital and shot the security guard. Morva shot the deputy sheriff during a search for him the next day. In February, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to take up his case. Morva's execution was the 13th in the United States this year, and the 113th in Virginia since the Supreme Court allowed the resumption of the death penalty in 1976, according to the Death Penalty Information Center. That number places Virginia second among states on the U.S. executions list behind Texas, which has had 542. (Reporting by Ian Simpson in Washington and Dan Whitcomb in Los Angeles; Editing by Steve Orlofsky, Bill Trott and Paul Tait)
Will the United States ever send humans back to the moon or to explore Mars? If you ask Vice President Mike Pence, the answer is yes  we will visit those places and more.

Pence gave a speech at NASAs Kennedy Space Center on July 6 in which he called the current moment the dawn of a new era of space exploration in the United States of America and repeatedly emphasized his view that President Donald Trump would demonstrate American leadership in space, with the U.S. pushing exploration and discovery forward.

Read: Mars Astronauts Will Use Nuclear Energy, Not Solar

Spacecraft have landed on Mars and taken trips around the outer solar system, but humans themselves have yet to go any farther than the moon. At the same time, the U.S. remains the only nation to have set foot on Earths natural satellite but has not returned since the early 1970s.

According to the vice president, that will change.

Our nation will return to the moon and we will put American boots on the face of Mars, he said. His remarks went beyond our neighboring planet as well: We will still go further to places that our childrens children can only imagine. We will maintain a constant presence in low Earth orbit, and well develop policies that will carry human space exploration across our solar system and ultimately into the vast expanse of space.

Pence said public and private parties working together would make those things happen. We will continue to make space travel safer, cheaper and more accessible than ever before, he said.

NASA and other space agencies around the world have worked with private companies toward those goals, although they are in the beginning stages. For example, in a step toward making space travel more sustainable and less expensive, Elon Musks SpaceX recently reused a rocket for the first time, after launching it and then landing it vertically in a previous flight. His company has also launched cargo to the International Space Station, on which NASA is just one of many international partners.

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Musk is a vocal supporter of sending humans to Mars as well.

Pences comments come shortly after Trump announced he was re-launching the National Space Council, a group that will help form the governments space policy and goals. As he announced the executive order that brought back the dormant council, the president also made repeated remarks about it being a measure that would re-establish American leadership in space. His remarks received some more attention because it appeared that former astronaut Buzz Aldrin, the second man to walk on the moon, was making exasperated or skeptical faces behind Trump as he spoke.

Read: How to Travel to Another Planet? Ride a Beam of Light

During his speech at Kennedy Space Center, Pence expressed support for the newest class of NASA astronauts, saying they will have all of the American people behind them as they head into space.

We won the [space] race a half century ago and now we will get back to winning, in the 21st century and beyond, Pence said. I know in my heart that today the heavens are closer than ever before.

That comment referred to the race in the 1950s and 1960s between the United States and the Soviet Union to reach space and the moon first, but the U.S., which works as a partner with Russia to send astronauts up to the space station ever since the American shuttle program ended, will have more competition this time around  countries like China and Japan are trying to kick their own space programs into high gear and catch up to the other superpowers, recently announcing projects and goals that will get humans to the moon and to Mars.

Related Articles
President Trump drew international headlines for declining to shake the hand of German Chancellor Angela Merkel when she visited the White House earlier this year.

Now it seems the tables have turned. Polands First Lady, Agata Kornhauser-Duda, appears to have at first passed by Trumps offer of a handshake during his visit to Warsaw.

The President and First Lady Melania Trump were standing on stage with Polish President Andrzej Duda, and his wife Agata Kornhauser-Duda Thursday in Warsaw. As the four were exiting the stage, Trump and Andrzej Duda exchange a handshake. He then extended his hand to Agata Kornhauser-Duda, who promptly ignores the gesture, opting instead to simply shake Melania Trumps hand, before turning to shake the Presidents hand after all.

This handshake is one of several Trump has exchanged since he was inaugurated that has gone viral or been scrutinized. In addition to the incident with Merkel, French President Emmanuel Macrons knuckles famously turned white after he shook Trumps hand at the G-7 meeting, which he later characterized as a moment of truth. The Presidents handshakes with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Japanese Prime Shinzo Abe were also the subject of thorough handshake analyses on the internet.

Watch the interaction on the video above.
The presidents foreign policy credentials are about to face their sternest test yet as global opinion of the US plummets

Michael H Fuchs is a former US deputy assistant secretary of state

Donald Trump in Warsaw on Thursday. Will he continue to prioritise dictators over Americas democratic allies? Photograph: Petr David Josek/AP

Donald Trump will travel to Germany this week to participate in his first G20summit. While most multilateral meetings are full of lofty rhetoric about global cooperation  and feature slightly awkward group photos that resemble a high school yearbook  the G20 meeting appears uniquely engineered to challenge Trumps foreign policy instincts. Trump may face his most difficult in-person foreign policy test in Hamburg.

Presidential travel is often filled with pomp and circumstance, but such trips can also reveal a presidents true colors. Saudi Arabia  a repressive dictatorship  was Trumps choice for his first stop in office. While there, Trump made time for meetings with some of the worlds less savory leaders, but had no time for meeting with the members of civil society systematically repressed in the Middle East. In Europe afterwards, he removed language affirming Americas commitment to defend Nato allies from his speech, sending shudders through the continent.

If Trumps first foreign trip was worrisome, Americans and allies alike should brace themselves for when Trump goes to Hamburg. The lineup of participants and issues at this weeks G20 are likely to feed some of Trumps most dangerous foreign policy impulses, and there are four key issues to watch as the president touches down in Germany.

First, will Trump continue to prioritise dictators over Americas democratic allies? The G20 is made up of the worlds largest economies, and so Trump will find himself sitting next to the leaders of democracies like France, Germany, and Japan  as well as some of the worlds most ruthless authoritarians, such as Russias Vladimir Putin, Chinas Xi Jinping, and Saudi Arabias King Salman. The leaders Trump meets and aligns with on policy issues will speak volumes about those he sees as his closest partners.

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Second, does Trump have a reasonable, comprehensive international economic and trade agenda? The G20 summit was created in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis so that the worlds largest economies could coordinate in strengthening economies. The G20 has made important progress in reining in financial risks, stopping international tax evasion, and restoring growth.



Trumps economic mantra on rolling back regulation, cutting taxes for the wealthy, and shutting off trade has yielded few economic results to date, and left many wondering whether Trump has a coherent economic agenda for the US and our key trading partners other than simply enriching his cronies.

Should Trump succeed in rolling back key economic progress made by the G20 or undermining the open world we live in, not only will this undermine our friends and allies abroad, but America will be exposed to a heightened risk of financial crisis, lost tax revenues, and greater income inequality. It would only be a matter of time before this kind of a dangerous international economic agenda comes home to roost for American workers and the middle class.

Third, will Trump continue to deny the existence of climate change and thumb Americas nose at an existential challenge recognised by just about every other country in the world? The G20s focus on climate change and clean energy has increased in recent years as it has become clear that any hope of tackling climate change requires the largest economies to adopt sustainable growth strategies.

Trump seems unlikely to go along with that. He just pulled the US out of the Paris climate agreement, and his administration is already hard at work trying to dismantle many of the clean energy policies enacted by his predecessor. As much of the rest of the G20 works to combat climate change, Trumps opposition may see him standing alone with his friend King Salman, whose kingdom relies on the world running on fossil fuels.

Trump seems completely unwilling to confront Putin over election meddling, Ukraine, or anything else

And fourth, what happens when Trump meets face to face with Putin? Trumps administration has been mired in an ever-growing scandal over whether the president and his campaign colluded with Russia in its attempt to help Trump win the election.



At the same time, Trump continues to pursue policies helpful to Russia, from opposing more sanctions to trying to obstruct the FBI investigation into possible collusion. A meeting between the two now is highly inappropriate  especially since Trump seems completely unwilling to confront Putin over election meddling, Ukraine, or anything else  and will only reinforce signals that Trump is willing to sacrifice the interests of America and its allies.

A new Pew Research Center opinion poll reveals that, after less than six months in office, global opinion of the US has plummeted over concerns about Trumps personality and destabilising policies. People across the world have lost faith in Trump, and the G20 meeting could reveal the depths of just how dangerous the American president is to American leadership.
Speaker Ryan is being blamed for the sleeveless top ban. But is it fair? (Photo: Getty Images)

All across America, womens rights activists are turning up at protests over the proposed healthcare bill, wearing white bonnets and red robes, their heads bowed low. Their outfits are chosen in accordance with what the handmaids are forced to wear in Margaret Atwoods 1985 novel, The Handmaids Tale, now a Hulu series, which imagines a dystopian American future in which women have lost all rights. The point being made via the demonstrators wardrobe is, obviously, that its where were heading, with womens rights being slowly chipped away.

That Handmaids Tale symbolism was evoked once again on Thursday, this time in reference to a series of reports coming out of Washington about women being barred from entering the Speakers Lobby, a room adjacent to the House chamber. Why? For wearing sleeveless dresses and blouses that expose their shoulders, as well as open-toed shoes.

The official written rule for dress code in Congress is that people should wear proper attire as determined by the Speaker. For men that means coats and ties, and for women that means, well, proper attire as determined by the Speaker. And that would be, at this point, Paul Ryan. But many women who have been reporting on Capitol Hill for years have come forward to tamp down the fresh outrage, noting that the no-sleeveless rule is nothing new, and is in fact well understood by the journalism vets in town for years (under a series of different speakers, including Nancy Pelosi).

CBS News first reported the latest sleeveless story, though, detailing the account of a female reporter who was not permitted to enter the area due to her exposed shoulders. Forced to improvise, she ripped out pages from her notebook and stuffed them into her dresss shoulder openings to create sleeves, witnesses said. An officer whos tasked with enforcing rules in the Speakers Lobby said her creative concoction still was not acceptable.

This is real. Fellow female reporters barred from Speakers lobby for wearing sleeveless dresses while doing their jobs. (Its hot in DC) https://t.co/8evY6wQmA8  K Tully McManus (@ktullymcmanus) July 6, 2017

Can confirm I was warned the next time I would be removed https://t.co/M0BTcFYchO  Kellie Mejdrich (@kelmej) July 6, 2017

Jezebel quickly followed the CBS story with a similar report, this time with a headline that read, The House Has a New No Sleeveless Dress Code for Women  although it was swiftly changed to The House Has a No Sleeveless Dress Code for Women, as the claim that the policy was new turned out to be inaccurate.

Story continues

New or old, The Handmaids Tale parallels quickly began: The U.S. House of Reps has a new no sleeveless, no open toe shoes dress code cuz going straight to red robes & white bonnets was too drastic, one woman tweeted. Blessed be the fruit, tweeted another, calling out the religious refrain people are forced to recite in the world of the novel.

The complexity here is that, again, this rule is not new, and the debate about what to wear in D.C. seems to rage annually when the city begins to feel like the swamp that it is; former Speaker John Boehner often reminded members of the dress code. After Thursdays report from CBS, many women came forward to share experiences they have faced of being told to cover up while at the House, some of which occurred years ago.

That has been the rule forever. Its not Paul Ryan.s ruleevery reporter knows that that works on the hill for any length of time. https://t.co/3aOlvMl4Zw  SalenaZito (@SalenaZito) July 7, 2017

1. this rule is 100 percent not new. 2. ive seen congressmen be forced to put jackets on before going to the floor. https://t.co/QiYTLMVzJF  Kate Nocera (@KateNocera) July 6, 2017

The Speakers Lobby has one of the most ridiculous and backwards dress codes around. Did when I covered Congress. Still does. https://t.co/88yv6YSuz1  Lizzie OLeary (@lizzieohreally) July 6, 2017

Wore a sleeveless, work-appropriate dress to Speakers Lobby six years ago and was advised to please cover up next time. https://t.co/66biNrmbtQ  Patricia Mazzei (@PatriciaMazzei) July 6, 2017

The vagary, of course, is in the wording  appropriate attire  and the fact that while, for men, that is explicitly defined as coats and ties, the interpretation of appropriate for women is left up to the speaker. Just a few weeks ago, Speaker Ryan reminded those in the House that members should wear appropriate business attire. Still, with no definition of what that means.

What likely makes the policing of toes and shoulders so striking this time around is that it seems to be in keeping with a Republican trend. At the 2016 Republican National Convention, female reporters were told by volunteers that their shoulders needed to be covered at RNC events. Similarly, President Trump famously prefers that the women he works with dress like women, which apparently means in dresses.

While what many are calling #Sleevegate seems to come up annually, the lack of definition for appropriate attire becomes inherently sexist when it becomes about policing body parts. And when the definition is determined by the speakers themselves, its virtually impossible to be anything but a reflection of their politics.

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Qualcomm has ratcheted its legal war with Apple up way past 11. The chipmaker has asked the US International Trade Commission to ban imports of some iPhone and iPad models from the US, on the grounds that they violate six Qualcomm patents.

A related lawsuit was also filed in a California court Thursday seeking monetary damages, in addition to the import ban.

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Qualcomm is specifically seeking a ban on an Apple products that use baseband modems  the chips that connect to cell networks  that are made by companies other than Qualcomm. In addition to seeking a ban on imports, Qualcomm is also seeking to immediately stop any retail sales or advertising of the infringing products.

Qualcomm has not confirmed exactly which models of iPhone would be affected, but assuming that any non-Qualcomm modem is excluded, iPhone 7 models for AT&T and T-Mobile (but not Verizon and Sprint) would be banned.

Apple has precedent with this kind of action. In 2013, it successfully won a ban from the ITC against certain Samsung smartphones over patent violations. Given the complexity involved in a patent case of this magnitude, an ITC investigation would likely be necessary, a process that takes months at the least.

But regardless of the timescale, this is a major escalation in a long-running legal battle between Apple and Qualcomm. At the heart of the matter are patents that Qualcomm holds, and the rates that it is willing to license them for. Qualcomms patents are key to the manufacturing of any competitive flagship smartphone, but Apple contends that Qualcomms licensing rates are exorbitant and not fair  something that would be in violation of trade law.

Apple and Qualcomm have both sued each other over the issue before, and Apple has even got to the point of instructing its overseas manufacturing partners to not pay royalties to Qualcomm while the issue is resolved.

Analysts have suggested that the legal battle could cause real problems for Apples next generations of device. Qualcomm is easily the largest and most advanced manufacturer of baseband chips for mobile devices, and a breakdown in relations between the two companies could cause massive supply shortages for Apple. Reports have suggested that Apple is seeking other alternatives, but sourcing the necessary volume of components is something that takes years, not months.

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A federal judge gave Apple the first round in a patent battle with Qualcomm over technology for the iPhone, refusing to block Apple's legal efforts in other countries (AFP Photo/CHRIS J RATCLIFFE) (AFP/File)

Washington (AFP) - Qualcomm on Thursday escalated its legal battle with Apple, filing a patent infringement lawsuit and requesting a ban on the importation of some iPhones, claiming unlawful and unfair use of the chipmaker's technology.

Qualcomm said it filed two separate legal actions including a complaint asking for the iPhone import ban with the US International Trade Commission, a quasi-judicial government agency which hears cases involving trade disputes.

The complaint alleges that iPhones, which are made in China, should not be allowed to be brought into the United States if they infringe on Qualcomm's patents.

The chipmaker also filed a complaint against Apple in the US District Court for Southern California seeking damages from the same patent infringement allegations.

"Qualcomm's inventions are at the heart of every iPhone and extend well beyond modem technologies or cellular standards," said Don Rosenberg, executive vice president and general counsel of Qualcomm.

"The patents we are asserting represent six important technologies, out of a portfolio of thousands, and each is vital to iPhone functions. Apple continues to use Qualcomm's technology while refusing to pay for it."

It was not immediately clear which iPhones would be affected. But Qualcomm alleges that it has six patents developed in the past four years that improve battery life in mobile devices and that "Apple uses these technologies in its devices but is not paying for them."

The fresh legal actions sharply escalated the war between the two California technology giants, which began in January when Apple filed a lawsuit accusing Qualcomm of abusing its market power to demand unfair royalties.

Responding to the latest legal actions, Apple repeated its allegations against Qualcomm.

"Qualcomm's illegal business practices are harming Apple and the entire industry," an Apple statement said.

"They supply us with a single connectivity component, but for years have been demanding a percentage of the total cost of our products -- effectively taxing Apple's innovation."

Story continues

Apple chief executive Tim Cook earlier this year said Qualcomm provides "one small part of what an iPhone is," and that the chipmaker "has nothing do with the display or the Touch ID or a gazillion other innovations that Apple has done."

The Apple suit echoed charges filed by antitrust regulators in the United States and other major markets around the world.

Qualcomm responded in April that Apple had been providing "false and misleading information" to antitrust authorities in an effort to reduce its royalty payments to Qualcomm.

The iPhone maker relies on Qualcomm for chip-based modems that enable its devices to communicate with telecommunications networks.
Israel's ambassador to UNESCO Carmel Shama-Hacohen insisted Thursday the UNESCO resolution denying Israel sovereignty over Jerusalem and condemning archaeological excavation in the Old City should not be viewed as a "loss," as many nations did not support the Palestinians' position.

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"This is a loss only if we look at it coldly and not deeply. This may be an achievement, but those who live here know that the Arabs left with disappointed faces; they expected a consensus. However, there are three countries that voted in favor of Israel against the proposal. Another eight countries abstained, including all of Europe. Meaning, the majority of countries in the committee did not support the Palestinian position," Shama-Hacohen told Ynet in an interview.

He also argued the resolution was mostly a symbolic gesture meant to influence world public opinion, but he did caution it could have tangible consequences. "This decision is primarily a struggle for opinion; a narrative that cannot be accepted. We have no problem that only one country supports us as long as the decision does not get a consensus. That is the real struggle here," he said.

Photo: Yoav Dudkevitz

The proposal was submitted to the UNESCO World Heritage Committee by three Arab states. In the wake of Israeli pressure and an attempt to arrive at a consensus, the Arab states and the Palestinians softened the proposal's language.

Ten states supported the proposal: Azerbaijan, Indonesia, Lebanon, Tunisia, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Turkey, Vietnam, Zimbabwe and Cuba. Three voted against the proposal: The Philippines, Jamaica and Burkina Faso. Another eight countries abstained: Angola, Croatia, Finland, Peru, Poland, Portugal, South Korea and Tanzania.

"This is an extremely important issue. These are decisions that determine awareness in regards to Jewish holy sites, the capital of Israel and Hebronthe second holiest city," Shama-Hacohen explained.

Hebron

He also addressed a resolution scheduled to go to a vote on Friday to declare Hebron's Old City, where the Cave of the Patriarches is located, as a Palestinian World Heritage Site.

"The professional consensus also views the Palestinian request as one that ignores the Jewish and Christian connection to Hebron. This is an attempted Islamization and an effort to expand the conflict to one of culture and religion. We need the other international organizations the Palestinians are trying to be accepted into as a state to understand that this is an attempt to cause harm to Israel."
The Heritage Committee of the UN's Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) adopted on Friday a Palestinian request to declare Hebron's Old Cityand with it the Cave of the Patriarchsas a Palestinian World Heritage Site, raising ire in Israel

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Israel's efforts to foil the resolution failed after 12 member states voted in favor of the resolution, three voted against it, and six abstained.

By the same decision, Hebron's Old City was also put on UNESCO's list of world heritage in danger. The resolution was fast-tracked on the basis that the site was under threat, with the Palestinians accusing Israel of an "alarming" number of violations, including vandalism and damage to properties.

The Cave of the Patriarchs (Photo: Gil Yohanan)

"We've done all we could and beyond that," Israel's Ambassador to UNESCO Carmel said after the vote, visibly upset. "The Poles reneged on our agreement with them and sold us out to benefit the Arab gang."

The Israeli ambassador also said a phone call he had just received from his plumber was more important than the "disgraceful" decision UNESCO made.

"I'm sure the Israeli government will consider how to respond, including sticks and carrots to the relevant bodies, to ensure Jewish life and heritage in Hebron will not only not suffer, but prosper," he added.

Shama-Hacohen also slammed the mayor of Hebron, who was at the UNESCO gathering, reminding member states the mayor was a convicted terrorist with Israeli blood on his hands.

Shama-Hacohen speaks at UNESCO (: UNESCO)

X

The Palestinians called the decision made by UNESCO despite US and Israeli opposition a "success" for Palestinian diplomacy.

"This vote is a success for the diplomatic battle fought by Palestine on all fronts, in the face of Israeli and American pressure on member states," the Palestinian Foreign Ministry said.

"Despite a frantic Israeli campaign spreading lies and distorting the facts about the Palestinian rights, the world has recognized our right to register Hebron and the Ibrahimi Mosque under Palestinian sovereignty. The Israeli occupation of our country does not grant it sovereignty over any part of our land," the statement added.

Rula Maayah, the Palestinian Minister of Tourism, said in a statement the decision was a "historical development because it stressed that Hebron" and its historic mosque "historically belong to the Palestinian people."

Hebron claims to be one of the oldest cities in the world, dating from the Chalcolithic period or more than 3,000 years BC, the UNESCO resolution said.

At various times it has been conquered by Romans, Jews, Crusaders and Mamluks.

The city is home to the imposing Tomb of the Patriarchs, the resting place of key Biblical figures Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and one of the most important religious sites to Muslims and Jews alike.

The Cave of the Patriarchs, known to the Muslims as the Ibrahimi Mosque, is holy to both faiths and has long been a flashpoint of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Failed Israeli efforts to foil vote

While Poland, Croatia and Jamaica asked for a secret ballot vote on the resolution to enable at least one nation that doesn't have diplomatic ties with Israel to vote against the resolution, the vote was not held in a voting booth, but rather out in the open with each representative marking their vote on the ballot from their seats.

"Despite the agreement with the Polish chairman, who promised to ensure the secret ballot vote will be done in a voting booth, the 'secret' vote was held in front of all, in the middle of the hall, with dozens of eyes and cameras around every voting representatives," Shama-Hacohen said. "This nixed the possibility one Arab nation would vote for us."

Arab nations were also able to thwart Israeli efforts to soften the resolution's language, bringing the original resolution draft from June 30 to a vote instead of an amended version.

The initial version distorted and misrepresented an International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) report, which determined the Palestinian claim does not meet any of the three criteria needed for recognition of the Cave of the Patriarchs and Hebron's Old City as a Palestinian World Heritage Site. Furthermore, ICOMOS determined, the Palestinian request ignores most of the Jewish and Christian history of the site.

The recommendations section of the Palestinian resolution draft removed findings from the report unfavorable to the Palestinians, leaving only the claim that Israel refused to allow the ICOMOS delegation access to the site.

Upon discovering this, Shama-Hacohen turned to UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova, who ordered the document be altered accordingly. But the Arab nations protested the change, and the committee decided to vote on the original language.

Comparison between Holocaust victims and Palestinians

Before the vote, Shama-Hacohen slammed Cuba for refusing to stand during a minute of silence in memory of the victims of the Holocaust and instead asking to stand in memory of Palestinian victims.

Shama-Hacohen, who himself refused to stand in the moment of silence for the Palestinian victims, said he did not regret his decision.

"No one here has any right to preach me for refusing to take a part in a cynical shameful act of political charade, which has nothing to do with human dignity and everything to do with a deep contempt for humanity," he said, further asserting that "The request for a moment of silence was made maliciously and timed deliberately."

Israel's Ambassador to UNESCO Carmel Shama-Hacohen

"Cuba, a state whose glory stands only for being a criminal dictatorship and a violator of human rights, stooped so low as to create a parallel  a shocking and deplorable parallel  between the victims of the Holocaust and victims of a violent political confrontation," he continued.

"The Holocaust stands alone in its atrocities; stands alone in its cruelty; stands alone in its systematic and industrial human butchery. It is like nothing else nor should it ever repeat itself. Never again," he stressed.

The Israeli ambassador also charged that "It is no secret that the Palestinian Authority, including its leader, Mahmoud Abbas, view as heroes these terrorists who cold-bloodedly murder babies in their cribs, sniping at toddlers held in their fathers arms. To them they are 'Shaheeds' and victims. Are these the kind of people you expect me to pay tribute to? Fatah, Hamas, ISIS, al-Qaeda?"

Shama-Hacohen didn't spare his rod from the German ambassador either, after the latter failed to condemn the Cuban ambassador's behavior.

"Does Germany really see no difference between the victims of the Holocaust and Palestinian murderers and terrorists?" Shama-Hacohen asked the German ambassador in anger. "Is there no difference between Anne Frank and a Palestinian teenager stabbing innocent Jewish children with knives? I asked you to clarify your shameful act and you insist not to do it."






- All his claims turned out to be false

- The minister tasked GAEC officials to ensure that he is declared persona non grata at GAEC

- The minister has tasked GAEC to review all agreements and contract with parties, especially international partners

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The minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, Professor Kwabena Frimpong  Boateng has called for the removal of a fake Iranian scientist from the premises of the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission (GAEC).

Prof. B.J.N Nyarko, the Director-General of GAEC

News of the supposed scientist, Mehran Tavakoli Keshe, came to the attention of the minister who decided to scrutinize his portfolio. It was discovered that several of his claims were untrue.

Keshe claims to have studied nuclear physics at the Queen Mary College, University of London. Checks at the university indicate that they dont even have courses in atomic physics.

Reports reaching the minister indicated that the Iranian was preparing to set up an Energy Space Centre at the Atomic Energy.

READ ALSO: Media personality, Gifty Anti is pregnant, according to reports

The objective was to ensure that Ghana goes to space next year. Checks indicated that no one at the presidency was aware of such a course of action.

According to the minister, the same scientist is reported to have predicted in the United States two years ago that the continent was about to split into two.

He also added that an earthquake was imminent. Both predictions were found to be false.

In Belgium, Keshe is reported to have sold items to people, claiming they could assist with power consumption.

READ ALSO: Nineteen year old delivers quadruplets

He consequently brought samples to the Director  General of GAEC, and made the same claims. The truth or otherwise is yet to be ascertained.

Another instance, according to professor Frimpong, was when Keshe presented a liquid, claiming it was plasma water and available at a cost of $10 each, and capable of curing diabetes and hypertension.

It was analyzed by both the Ghana Standard Authority (GSA) and the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) and found to be ordinary water.

The minister advised the commission to be careful in its dealings with the man, as all of his actions have so far proven to be questionable.

He also recommended that all agreements and or contracts should be reviewed in order to ensure clarity in the execution of duties.

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Ryan Quintana , 34, Buhl; unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, appeared in person, public defender appointed, own recognizance release, preliminary July 14.

Jason Eugene Frisby, 38, Twin Falls; enticement of a child through use of the Internet or other communication device and dissemination of material harmful to minors, appeared in person, public defender appointed, $75,000 bond, preliminary July 14.
TWIN FALLS  A Twin Falls man is being charged with raping a teenage boy he met online.

Tod Lee Weber, 50, was arraigned Tuesday on a charge of felony rape. He is being held in the Twin Falls County Jail in lieu of $100,000 bond.

According to a police affidavit supporting the arrest warrant, Weber met the 15-year-old on Craigslist and they met up in person at a gas station in Twin Falls in late 2016 or early 2017. The teen, who told police he thought the two were just going to get to know each other, said Weber had represented himself as being 18 in their online conversations, court documents said.

The boy told police Weber brought him to his home on Seventh Avenue North. Weber asked the boy to perform oral sex on him, which he did, and then Weber had anal sex with him even though, the boy said, he told Weber to stop and tried to push him away.

A preliminary hearing is set for July 14.
TWIN FALLS  The College of Southern Idahos Refugee Center doesnt expect to be impacted much by the U.S. Supreme Courts decision to allow a limited 120-day refugee ban.

A June 26 ruling allows President Donald Trump to forge ahead with a version of his executive order banning travel from six mostly Muslim countries to the U.S. for 90 days and halting refugee resettlement for 120 days.

But unlike the original order he issued in January, refugees could be exempted if they have a credible claim of a bona fide relationship with a person or entity in the United States, the Associated Press reported.

That means a close family member such as a spouse, parent, child or sibling.

Its very common for refugees coming to Twin Falls to have family already in town, said Zeze Rwasama, director of the CSI Refugee Center. We have many families that are waiting for loved ones to come.

Thats the case for one family scheduled to arrive Tuesday in Twin Falls. Theyre joining a family member who already lives here.

During interviews with federal officials, refugees are asked if they know someone in the United States, which city that person lives in and what their relationship is, Rwasama said.

When it comes to the CSI Refugee Centers overall operations, I really dont see anything that has been affected because of the Supreme Court decision, Rwasama said. But I am just very sad to hear that.

The Times-News contacted more than a dozen local refugees asking for their reactions and the vast majority didnt respond. And a few either werent available or declined to comment Thursday.

Rick Martin is a local opponent of refugee resettlement and head of the Committee to End the CSI Refugee Center.

He ran unsuccessfully for election to the CSI board of trustees and circulated a petition last year for a ballot measure seeking to ban refugee centers in Twin Falls County.

That happened after controversy arose in 2015 following a CSI Refugee Center announcement it expected it could receive Syrian refugees. So far, none have been resettled in Twin Falls.

Martin said hes really satisfied with the Supreme Courts decision about the refugee ban. It will allow Congress time to look at tightening security measures, he said.

Theres some confusion, though, in deciphering whos an immediate family member, he said. That ought to be interesting how they work with that.

Martin said he thinks it would be beneficial for CSI to use the time during the refugee ban to look at its program, and consider getting out of the refugee business and focusing on education.

Many refugees are destitute and desperate for help, he said, adding he believes many are falling through the cracks and CSI isnt meeting the needs of all refugees in Twin Falls.

Trump hailed the Supreme Courts decision as a victory for national security, the Associated Press reported, but its likely to set off a new round of court disputes over anti-terror efforts and religious discrimination.

Supreme Court justices will hear full arguments in October in the case that has stirred heated emotions across the nation and pointed rebukes from lower courts saying the administration is targeting Muslims.

The president initially announced the travel ban a week after he took office in January and revised it in March after setbacks in court.

For the CSI Refugee Center, we are ready to receive refugees at any time when they are sent to us, Rwasama said.

But its sad the Supreme Court has broken the countrys tradition of welcoming refugees, he said. He thinks the justices interpreted the law to conclude there wasnt anything legally they could do.

CSIs Refugee Center has provided services to thousands of refugees since the 1980s. Typically, it resettles up to 300 newcomers each year.

Since the fiscal year began in October, it has received 217 refugees  many of whom are from the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Beyond the family arriving Tuesday, no-one else is scheduled to come to Twin Falls this fiscal year, Rwasama said, but that could change.

Across Idaho, the number of refugees slated to arrive this year is expected to hover between 750 and 800  down from an original projection of 1,175.

Jan Reeves, director of the Idaho Office for Refugees, wasnt available to comment Thursday.

One reason for the drop: One of the Treasure Valleys three resettlement agencies, World Relief, closed its Boise office as a result of Trumps executive order.
TWIN FALLS  College of Southern Idaho dental assisting students will hold a free sealant clinic for local children July 14.

Students will join with the Idaho Dental Hygienists Association for the clinic. Its slated for 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at the dental clinic lab inside the colleges Health Sciences & Human Services building on North College Road in Twin Falls.

The clinic is open to children ages 5-18 on a first-come, first-served basis. No appointments are necessary.

Dental sealant is a varnish-like substance painted onto teeth to help prevent cavities.

Registered dental hygienists will help CSI dental assisting students apply sealants. And all procedures are done under the observation of a supervising dentist.

For more information, call 208-732-6708.
TWIN FALLS  For the past 15 years, people who were held at the Minidoka internment camp and their families and friends have returned to Idaho to make the pilgrimage to the site of the camp.

In 1942, nearly 13,000 people of Japanese-ancestry were removed from their homes and sent to live in internment camps. President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066 in February 1942 following the attack on Pearl Harbor.

The Minidoka Relocation Center  also known as Hunt Camp  was one of 10 camps. The camp operated from 1942 until November 1945.

The 2017 Minidoka Pilgrimage continues Friday through Sunday, with several workshops held from 9:45 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday at the College of Southern Idaho Fine Arts Center. Organizer Bif Brigman said the public is welcomed to attend the sessions at no charge. Lunch is available for $15.

Some speakers include Fumiko Groves, who was sent to Minidoka at 8 years old, along with her mother and younger brother. Groves will present Kamishibai, a Japanese form of storytelling, which combines the use of hand drawn visual with narration, from 1 to 3 p.m. in Room 113. Groves will tell the story of Minidoka with the illustrations of Satoru Ichikawa, who was also incarcerated at Minioka as a child. Diana Cole was born in Minidoka in 1944 will read from her book and tell stories from 12:30 to 1:20 p.m. in Room 119.

Guided tours for Pilgrimage attendees will be held Saturday, though the Minidoka National Historic Site is open for anyone to wander about. In the 1940s, the camp comprised about 600 structures spanning 33,000 acres. After it closed, many of the buildings were moved, and only a few remain.

A closing ceremony from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Saturday at the site is open to the public, though seating is limited because of priority seating for elders.
POLICE and military officials in Central Luzon want to issue mandatory IDs to the regions 26,000 Muslims as a way to flush out terrorists, in a move that a human rights group condemned Thursday as discriminatory.

Police Regional Office 3 Director Chief Supt. Aaron Aquino said the ID can help local Muslim communities identify suspicious individuals so they could be reported to the authorities.

Military and police officials said the practice of issuing IDs is being successfully implemented in Paniqui, Tarlac.

This must also be the practice in the region not only to protect the civilian populace but also vital government installations against terrorism, Aquino said.

But Human Rights Watch said the ID system would discriminate against Muslims based on religion, which is prohibited by the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and other human rights treaties to which the Philippines is a party.

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The IDs could also violate the rights to equal protection of the law, freedom of movement, and other basic rights, said Carlos Conde, Philippine researcher for Human Rights Watch.

Conde said the ID proposal stems from the ongoing fighting in Marawi City in Mindanao between government troops and ISIS-linked Maute-Abu Sayyaf terrorists.

In June President Rodrigo Duterte had lambasted Muslim leaders in Marawi City and elsewhere in Mindanao for allegedly allowing the Islamist fighters to enter the city and cause trouble.

President Rodrigo Duterte

But requiring Muslim-only IDs in response to a perceived failure of Muslims to prevent Islamist fighters from entering Marawi City is a form of collective punishment, he said.

Conde said it is irrelevant from a rights perspective that during the consultation, some Muslim leaders did not object outright to the proposal.

Since Duterte declared martial law throughout Mindanao on May 23, there have been reports of discrimination against Muslims. ID requirements for Muslims should be rejected outright, said Conde.

Aquino said the ID proposal was posed during a dialogue in San Fernando, Pampanga, attended by 70 Muslims and military and police officials as a way of distinguishing long-time residents from new arrivals who could be terrorists.

Aquino and Brig. Gen. David Diciano, acting commander of the 7th Infantry Division of the Philippine Army, who presided over the dialogue, said that under the scheme, the ID cards must be signed by the local chief of police and government units for easy, proper and efficient authorization.

Aquino said the wearing of ID cars of our Muslim brothers and sisters is not a sign of moral degradation but rather to deepen the unity, understanding and cooperation among us.

The police chief said the holding of the peace and progress dialogue was not a sign of an impending terrorist treat in Central Luzon, but rather stepping up with the situation to prevent any untoward incidents in the future.

Aquino requested the full support of the Muslim leaders in the governments campaign against illegal drugs, criminality, and terrorism by reporting any suspicious personalities to the nearest local police and local government offices for immediate action. With PNA

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The Dutch government Friday announced that Dutch lawmakers have opposed a visit by Turkish deputy Prime Minister to attend commemoration by Turkish expatriates of last year failed coup as diplomatic tension between the two countries continues.

Tugrul Turkes and other members of Turkish leadership establishment were not welcome in the Netherland, Turkish media Daily Sabah reports, citing the Dutch foreign ministry.

The Dutch foreign ministry based the decision on the current diplomatic relations between the two countries.

The two countries are at loggerheads following a series of incidents. Dutch authorities in March opposed that Turkish officials campaign in the Netherlands for the April referendum which bolstered President Erdogans power.

Dutch officials cancelled permission for Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglus flight and deported Family and Social Affairs Minister Fatma Betul Sayan Kaya, who hoped to address Turkish expatriates before the referendum, justifying their decision by security issues and concerns for public safety, Daily Sabah recalls.

There are around 400,000 Turks living in the Netherlands.

Erdogan criticized the decision and accused the Dutch government of acting Nazi remnants.

Ankara following the Dutch March decision threatened to retaliate with sanctions including a ban on the Dutch ambassador and diplomatic flights from the Netherlands.

The Dutch cabinet Friday said the decision is a natural consequence of events in March.
A bomb attack against a police patrol in Al-Musawara neighbourhood, in Qatif, eastern region, left one officer dead on Thursday, making the second attack in the same area this week.

Officer Abdullah Treiki Al-Turki died in the attack, which also injured six other police personnel after the bomb device hit their vehicle.

Saudi security forces are facing insurgency in Al-Musawara where minority Shias oppose demolishment of buildings reportedly used by terrorists to traffic drugs and store weapons. Authorities claim the demolishment of the building will give rise to a new and modern town.

Attacks against security forces have become rampant recently in the neighborhood and in the entire Qatif province, home to Saudi Arabias minority Shia population, which complains about marginalization.

Tuesday another early attack in the same area targeted security personnel, killing one agent on the spot, and injuring three others, one of whom died two days later.

The region has been a flashpoint between the Shia militants called terrorists and security forces since 2011. Revolts calling for life improvement and rights are generally severely crushed. Tensions have heated again since the execution of Shia top cleric Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr early January last year on terrorism charges.
Southern separatists in Yemen are preparing for a massive mass rally organized by the Southern Transitional Council (STC) on July 7 to mark the 23rd anniversary of the countrys reunification.

The rally comes after a series of verbal exchanges between STC and the Hadi-led government.

Leader of the STC, General Aidarous al-Zubaidi, had on Wednesday stated that they will continue to pursue the independence of Southern Yemen through secession as he claimed that their patience was running low with the government.

Zubaidi formed the Southern Transitional Council in May when he was dismissed from his Aden municipal leadership post by exiled President Hadi. Residents of Lahj, Dali and Abyan provinces started heading to Aden on Thursday to participate in the Friday march.

Zubaidis actions have not been applauded by the Hadi-led government which considers the STC is supplementing the Iranian and Houthi power grab that has led to the chaos that the country has been experiencing over the past couple of years.

Yemens Prime Minister Ahmed Obeid bin Daghr has appealed for calm and urged the southerners to continue supporting Hadi until Allah finds an end to the Yemen crisis.

Zubaidi claimed that Daghr supports terrorism and also accused the Islah party of spreading turmoil in Yemen and to influence policies in southern Yemen in collaboration with Hadi. According to him, the party is a partner to the Muslim Brotherhood which has no support in the southern part of the country.

South Yemen was united to North Yemen at the end of a four-year civil war which broke out in 1990. North Yemen won the war but the sentiment of the south for self-rule still persists.
The aspiration for independence of the semi-autonomous Kurdistan region in Iraq is still being strongly supported by the ruling Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) amid international reticence from encouraging the planned referendum on independence.

Hoshyar Siwaily, the head of Iraqi Kurdistans foreign relations and senior member of KDP, said gaining their independence depends on the negotiations they will have with Baghdad. The negotiations will determine the magnitude of the task that lies ahead, he said.

Siwaily outlined a series of steps towards independence, which begins with a referendum followed by negotiations with Baghdad before trying to persuade regional countries and the international community. This will lead to the actual declaration of independence as a fourth stage before finally seeking recognition from the international community and the United Nations.

Iraqs central government is also against the project and warned that no party can, on its own, decide the fate of Iraq in isolation.

Neighboring Turkey has strongly opposed the referendum for independence and President Erdogan has warned that the Kurdish government would regret it because it is the wrong way to go.

UKs Foreign Minister Boris Johnson said efforts towards independence must be agreed with the government of Iraq in Baghdad while underlining that Kurdistans timing of the referendum will distract from the more urgent priorities of defeating Daesh.

Hemin Hawrami, a senior adviser to Iraqi Kurdistans president, Masoud Barzani, said all the reactions were expected. He claimed that the remarks made are not against democratic principles but the timing. He said Barzani has been engaging with high government officials of other countries on the reasons behind their decision to gain independence as he claimed that the Arab part of Iraq is divided already, and sticking to the one Iraq policy is just beating around the bush without solving the issues that have led to regional instability.
Rwandas President Paul Kagame has warned diplomatic missions in the capital Kigali against interfering in the countrys August general elections, Africanews reported on Wednesday.

The diplomatic missions here are not and should not replace the electoral commission, Kagame was quoted as saying.

Paul Kagame has held strong stance against western influence in Africa. He has recently ban importation of used clothes in the EastAfrican nation.

The 59-year-old was unanimously nominated by the ruling RPF-Inkotanyi party to contest in upcoming polls he is expected to win by a landslide.

It took a constitutional referendum in 2015, to allow Kagame to run for another seven-year term.

His main contender in this year election is Frank Habineza, leader of the Green Democratic Party, the only opposition party authorized four years ago.

Political observers peg Habinezas vote tally at about 5%.

Kagame has won previous polls in landslides, 95% of votes in 2003 and dropped by 2% points to 93% in 2010.

35-year-old Diane Rwigara, the daughter of a businessman has recently announced her decision to contest the polls too.

If elected, Kagame will be left to retain his seat for another seven year term, after 17 years in power.
The U.N. peacekeeping mission in Cote dIvoire, known as UNOCI, came to an end this week, 13 years after it intervened to implement a peace agreement in the West African nation.

The main mission of the 6,900 peacekeepers in 2004 was to help restore state authority in the country following years of civil war.

The departure of UNOCI shows the remarkable progress that has been accomplished in Cote dIvoire on the path to peace, lasting stability and economic prosperity, said Aichatou Mindaoudou, the U.N. secretary-generals special representative for the country.

The mission that cost about $153 million a year left the country after the U.N. Security Council last year voted unanimously to end the mission.

For many local experts and Human Rights organizations, the departure of the peacekeepers is a positive sign even as worries flare about the recent military tensions in the Country.

However, Human Rights Watch, the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), the Ivorian Movement for Human Rights (MIDH) and the Ivorian League for Human Rights (LIDHO) have called on the government to redouble its efforts to address the serious rights issues at the root of past political violence.

Cote dIvoire has distanced itself from the violence and conflict that blighted so many lives and tore communities apart, but its too early to say whether the recovery is sustainable, said Drissa Traore, Vice-President of FIDH.

The peace dividends that the United Nations has contributed to could be reversed unless the Ivorian government addresses pervasive immunity and the armys lack of discipline, warned Traore.

Before its departure, the peacekeeping mission has conducted extensive training for the security forces, including on compliance with human rights.
Equatorial Guineas ruling party, the Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea (PDGE), has re-elected President Teodoro Obiang-Nguema as head of the party for an indefinite term in the Central African oil-rich nation.

PDGEs founding president, Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, is the president of the PDGE for an indefinite period, said Jeronimo Osa Osa Ecoro, party general secretary, on national television.

The 74-year-old leader, who founded the party, which has ruled the oil-rich nation since 1979, was handed the indefinite term after the 6th Ordinary Congress of the PDGE.

The Congress of the PDGE, which coincided with the 31st anniversary of the founding of the party, brought together 13,000 delegates.

The Congress is to evaluate the journey traveled and define the new policies facing the new horizons, declared the president of Equatorial Guinea at the opening of the Congress.

Since taking the mantle of power, Teodoro Obiang Nguema has won all the presidential elections, sometimes as the sole candidate. On at least two occasions, in 2002 and 2009, he won more than 97% of the votes. He was re-elected with 94% of votes last year.

His leadership is considered by observers as corrupt and repressive while disappearances, torture and extra-judicial executions are widespread.
@amysherman1

A new TV ad accuses a Miami house candidate of lying about where he lives because he identified his residence as a home under construction.

The ad by Jose Mallea attacks Daniel Perez, his Republican rival competing in the House District 116 primary.

"He said his opponent Jose Mallea didn't live in the district," the ad narrator says. "Lie. It's actually Perez who doesn't live in the district -- unless he lives in a house with no roof."

The Kendall home where Perez says he lives has no roof and is under construction, the Miami Herald reported. Perez listed the home on campaign documents and his voter registration and gets a homestead exemption on the property.

Perez previously told the Herald that while the home is under construction he is staying in an apartment with his father in the district but wouldn't provide the address.

Florida requires legislators to live in the districts they represent by Election Day. If Perez wins the July 25 primary, he would then advance to the Sept. 26 general election. Perez previously told the Herald he's unsure if construction on his new home will be finished by Sept. 26.

Perez previously debuted a TV ad attacking Mallea for not living in the district -- though Mallea says he moved into a Doral rental apartment within district boundaries on June 15.

The ad, which starts running on TV Friday, also attacks Perez for a trip he took to Cuba.

Perez, a lawyer, and Mallea, a former aide to Jeb Bush and Marco Rubio, are competing in the district being vacated by Jose Felix Diaz who is running for state senate.
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Later in July, Vault Comics, an indie publisher, will unveil its latest title at the San Diego Comic-Con.

"Alien Bounty Hunter" was co-created Hollywood producer Stephen Levinson of "Boardwalk Empire" and "Ballers," with creative direction from Mark Wahlberg. The two have an eye toward developing it for movies or television.

Because of the names involved, the tongue-in-cheek adventure/sci-fi title has garnered the most attention yet for Vault, which officially launched earlier this year.

"Alien Bounty Hunter" is co-written by Adrian Wassel, who's also the Missoula-based editor-in-chief of Vault. He and family members officially launched the company with six titles that have caught attention from comics sites like The A.V. Club. The vision is a fantasy/science-fiction company where artist and writers pursue own their ideas and split the revenue with Vault.

"We aim to be like the Tor or DAW of the comics world, a genre-focused publisher that everyone can trust to deliver good content," Wassel said.

The other co-founders at Vault are Wassel's brother Damian, a philosophy Ph.D. who serves as publisher. Their cousin, Nathan Gooden, a Pratt Institute graduate, is art director. Their father, Damian Sr., is principal and helped line up investors.

Adrian, 25, grew up in Virginia and spent time in Colorado before coming to Missoula to study literature and creative writing at the University of Montana. While he was still in school, he teamed up with Damian and Gooden to create "The Gifted," a graphic novel they self-published in 2012. The second volume, released two years later, won an award for best graphic novel from Foreword Reviews, an alternative publishing site. They also took it to a comic con in San Francisco, and found an enthusiastic audience for its unorthodox style.

With only a minimum of words, it tells a story of a lone wolf in a post-apocalyptic world, where "humanity has ruined the earth and run it dry of all its color and beauty and resources," Adrian said. The book begins in black-and-white and shifts into a fuller palette as the wolf encounters others of its kind, who are developing human-like consciousness and language. The protagonist, further along this path, emerges as a messiah figure.

Adrian wrote short stories and prose in school and had a few published, but "ended up having way more success with comics, which I was happy with. I've been in love with comics since I was a kid."

Both he and his brother, seven years his senior, grew up on comic strips and gradually switched to comic books and graphic novels. For his part, Adrian was attracted to more obscure and weird titles.

While creating and self-publishing "The Gifted," they laid the structure for Vault. That title's success also convinced Adrian to put off thoughts of an MFA. Now that Damian is done with his doctorate at the University of Michigan, he plans to move out to Missoula.

***

From connections they developed at conventions and word-of-mouth, they found artists and writers for their first round of Vault titles.

Adrian serves as editor-in-chief. He oversees the development of its catalog, vets submissions, edits titles with the writers, illustrators and colorists. As publisher, Damian works with their distributor, overseeing production schedules, and helps design books when necessary. Gooden handles the art direction and contributes art to several titles.

"I like to shape our brand and each issue and help the creative team deliver the best possible book they can. If, at the end of the day, they're like 'screw you, I want to do it this way,' then I'm not going to push the issue. I brought the book on because I had faith in it in the first place," Adrian said.

Their most popular so far is "Heathen," by writer-illustrator Natasha Alterici. Based in Nordic mythology, Alterici's story employs a lesbian viking protagonist on a hero's journey.

Adrian approached Alterici after her publisher canceled the title. In classic, dropped-by-the-label fashion, it's proven to be Vault's best-seller, with two sold-out printings.

Adrian said he's "so glad that she is getting the success that she deserves." It was featured on the AVClub.com's "Big Issue" feature, which takes an in-depth look at a new comic.

As a whole, Vault wants a broad, inclusive set of titles and creators.

"Our vision from the very beginning was to ensure that we gave all the voices that deserve to be telling stories the opportunity" to be telling stories, Adrian said.

Adrian recruited two Missoula artists and writers for titles. Tim Daniel, who also does Vault's book design, wrote three titles.

He also created "Fissure," an allegory about President Donald Trump's proposed border wall, which is set in a small Texas town that is "withering under the shadow" of the structure, Adrian said. A fissure develops in the ground overnight, literally separating two halves of town: the Texans and the Mexican-Americans, including a young couple expecting their first child. A dangerous pheromone emerges from the deep, but the woman's pregnancy may hold the key to protecting the family from the resulting threats.

"Atoll," meanwhile, is "grind-house horror fun," Adrian said.

"An Olympic athlete gets abducted for this really creepy game where they see how long these amazing human specimens can survive in a tank with a great white shark," he said.

Daniel's third title, "Spiritus," is a science-fiction scenario with lettering work by Missoula resident Lauren Norby.

Daniel, who has worked with major publishers like Image for his debut, "Enormous," said Adrian is keenly involved with the books.

"Editorial involvement is key to any book's success and as a creator with several books at Vault, Adrian has been instrumental in shaping the narrative of each of my titles. His instincts are so good he very quickly builds trust amongst the creative teams," Daniel said.

He said Adrian "contributes notes from cover art conception to line edits. He's fast and thorough, capable of delivering a close-reading at every stage of a book's development."

"With that kind of editorial support, as a writer you develop a trust and subsequently a shorthand communication which allows everyone involved to focus their respective contributions  from letters to colors, design and production," he said.

Tony Gregori, another Missoulian, co-created "Karma Police" with writer Chris Lewis. The book follows Jack Allen, a monk-turned-assassin, who discovers a dagger from her past. Gregori described it as a "trippy Buddhist road-trip fantasy adventure."

***

"Alien Bounty Hunter," meanwhile, is a first foray into comics for Levinson and Wahlberg.

Levinson produced "Boardwalk Empire" and "Ballers," along with "Entourage," which was based on Wahlberg's experiences as a wealthy young actor.

One of Vault's writers, F.J. DeSanto, knows Levinson through a parallel career as a TV/film producer. The two talked about creating a comic, but Levinson was new to the media. Wassel said Levinson has been a trusting creative partner, just the way he would if he was producing a television show.

"He wants to develop it into film and television, and they same way we would trust him to do that, he's been trusting of us to put out the comic. It's been a really, mutually beneficial relationship," he said.

Wassel co-wrote the book with David M. Booher, while Nick Robles handles the art.

Regarding the subject matter, "the title sort of says it all," he said. "It's wearing its heart on its sleeve. It's kind of an homage to and send-up of all the classic adventure flicks" and iconic characters from Han Solo and Indiana Jones, or "Jewel of the Nile" or "Romancing the Stone," with an overarching science-fiction vibe.

The protagonist, Ben Madsen, is indeed an alien bounty hunter. At the outset, readers meet him in present-day California, when he's still hunting fellow terrestrials. Soon, he realizes his latest prey isn't human at all, and is sent down into Lustrem, a city beneath the arctic tundra that the broader galaxy uses as a jail of sorts, like "Australia in the 1800s," Adrian said. Soon, Madsen realizes that all isn't what it seems.

The penal colony will have separate "wards" and world types for different species, allowing the comic to explore a new world and poke fun at another genre with each issue.

Adrian compared the tone to "Guardians of the Galaxy," with its action, humor and likable characters. "Like a 'Blade Runner' that isn't taking itself too seriously," he said.

The announcement for "Alien Bounty Hunter" is part of a larger ramp-up for the fledgling company.

In the first half of 2017, Vault rolled out its first six series and will have 12 out by the end of the year. In production for 2018, they have 27 series.

Thus far, the media and reader reception and the market penetration have been "excellent," he said, and far exceeded their low-ball targets.

"We ended up hitting our grand ambition. We know that's not going to maintain indefinitely, but it has meant that we've been scrambling to keep up," he said.
HELENA  Republicans are injecting instability into federal insurance marketplaces by suggesting lowering subsidies for people who buy coverage, and its a slick trick to ensure the failure of the exchanges, the head of one of Montanas largest hospitals said Thursday.

Republicans favor the phrase death spiral when discussing the health of the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. One of the key provisions of the law, passed in 2010, was setting up marketplaces where people who didnt get insurance from their job or through federal programs like Medicare or Medicaid could buy coverage, often with subsidies covering much of the cost.

Great Falls-based Benefis CEO John Goodnow said the lifespan of the Affordable Care Act has been shortened because insurance companies are pulling out of the exchanges because of all the fear thats been created over funding.

All you have to do is threaten to defund the subsidies, he said Thursday on a panel in Helena organized by the Montana Nurses Association to discuss the bill.

The Better Care Reconciliation Act is the Senate version of a Republican bill to execute that partys long-promised repeal and replace of the Affordable Care Act. The Senate did not vote on the bill before their Fourth of July break because of a lack of enough support in light of a Congressional Budget Office estimate it would reduce the number of people with health insurance by 22 million.

Most of the discussion about the bill in Montana has focused on expected cuts to Medicaid by ending sufficient funding of an expansion of the program that offered coverage to the working poor and cuts to the overall program of $5.3 billion in federal funds in Montana alone over six years. About 120 groups in the state have come out against the bill. On Thursday, state Department of Public Health and Human Services director Sheila Hogan said the bill would cause 133,000 Montanans to lose coverage by 2022.

The Senate bill keeps the marketplace, which about 8 percent of Montanans use to buy coverage, but would reduce subsidies for people who purchase insurance on it.

About 85 percent of Montanans that buy on the exchange get subsidies. There are three insurance companies that sell on the exchange: PacificSource, Montana Health Co-op and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Montana. Last summer Blue Cross said it needed to raise its rates an average of 62 percent, while PacificSource requested a rate change of almost 20 percent.

Blue Cross spokesman John Doran said at the time the increases were because the marketplace population used far more medical and pharmacy services than anticipated.

Increased rates and companies dropping out of the exchanges entirely, something that has not happened in Montana, have been cited repeatedly by Republicans as evidence of the Affordable Care Act's incipient demise.

On a tele-town hall earlier this month, Montanas Republican Sen. Steve Daines mentioned several times that a third of the counties in the country only had one insurer on the marketplace.

I would just ask Sen. Daines to think about the people of Montana and think less about politics and do the right thing for the people he represents, said Todd Wampler, a member of the Montana Medical Association and a doctor in Helena.

On Thursday Daines reiterated what he wants to see in a final version of the bill, which Senate Republican leadership has said will be amended further in the coming week or so and will need to be re-scored by the Congressional Budget Office.

There are three things Im looking to see in the Senate healthcare bill," Daines said. "We need to reduce premiums and make healthcare more affordable for Montana families, take care of those with pre-existing conditions so that they have access to care and save and protect Medicaid for who it was originally intended for: the most vulnerable in our society.

Laura Terrill, vice president of external affairs for Planned Parenthood of Montana, was the most outspoken in discussing Daines.

While the senator did not take a stance on the bill during his tele-town hall, he did say that if the bill changed to no longer cut off Medicaid reimbursements to Planned Parenthood, which treats 15,000 Montanans annually, he could not support it.

Our patients dont come to us to make a political statement, Terrill said. They come to us to receive the health care they need and deserve.

Terrill called the bill the worst in a generation for women's health.

Its not surprising to me not a lot of U.S. senators want to go back to their constituents and talk about the benefits of this bill because it has very few, she said.

Daines, who has spoken out against abortion and Planned Parenthood in the past, has argued for moving funding to the 17 community health centers around the state, saying there are only five Planned Parenthood locations.

Goodnow told people to reach out to their senators. The time to get to your senators is right now. People really need to be getting to their senators, particularly during this recess.

Testers not the issue, Goodnow said of Montanas other senator, Democrat Jon Tester. Tester is dead set against this.  This is an issue for Montana with just Sen. Daines.

Dick Brown, president and CEO of the Montana Hospital Association, estimated a vote could come at the end of July.
Damage was minimal, but the magnitude 5.8 earthquake centered south of Lincoln early Thursday was the most violent yet in Montana west of the Continental Divide.

It nosed out the 5.7 quake that struck the Swan Range south of Bigfork on April 1, 1952, and a 5.5 tremor in September 1945 that shook what later became the Bob Marshall Wilderness.

Montanas most destructive quakes have occurred farther east. The deadliest and strongest at 7.5 triggered a landslide above Hebgen Lake that killed 28 campers near Yellowstone National Park just before midnight on Aug. 17, 1959. It created a new lake on the upper Madison River called Quake Lake.

In late June 1925, brick school buildings in Manhattan, Logan, Three Forks and Lombard were ruined when the states second-worst quake at magnitude 6.9 hit near Townsend. And a series of quakes in the fall and winter of 1935, the largest a 6.3 on Oct. 19, caused four deaths and $4 million in property damage in Helena.

Dont make too much of the paucity of major seismic events in the Columbia River drainage, said Rebecca Bendick, a geologist and associate professor at the University of Montana.

Thereve been devastating quakes on this side of the mountains since the last ice age, just none when people roamed these parts.

Its possible, for sure, but it is not probable in our lifetime, Bendick said. These events happen so infrequently in time in terms of how long humans live.

And just because weve had a moderate event like the one high on the divide near Stemple Pass on Thursday, it has no impact on the likelihood of another event, Bendick said.

Though it quickly became a major social media attraction, the earthquake and its aftershocks disrupted little in western valleys.

Missoula Fire Chief Jason Diehl said his department received only one related call. An elevator in Missoula Manor quit working and went into seismic mode. MFD couldnt fix it, so an elevator tech was called in. No one was trapped in the elevator.

That was pretty much the extent of it on our end, Diehl said, adding, I was a little worried about the pharmacy building at the former Missoula Mercantile site. It, too, was unscathed.

Sgt. Travis Welsh, public information officer with the Missoula Police Department, said there were no reports of injuries or major property damage from the earthquake.

We had lots of people calling in here to our non-emergency line, wondering what we could tell them about what happened, which at the time wasnt much, Welsh said.

In the event of an incident like an earthquake, officials ask people not to call 911 unless they require immediate assistance.

Adriane Beck, director of the countys Office of Emergency Management, said the Missoula 911 Center received 154 calls in the hour after the quake shook the area at 12:30 a.m., a figure she termed significantly higher than what would usually be seen at that time of night.

It certainly didnt overwhelm our lines or anything. Some people were calling to let us know there had been an earthquake. A lot of people were calling in saying they didnt really know what was happening, she said.

Butch Larcombe, spokesman for NorthWestern Energy, issued a statement Thursday that the company had not found any damage to its electrical or natural gas systems across the state. The earthquake did cause a power outage in the Lincoln area that was fixed within 45 minutes.

Missoula County Public Schools reported no immediate safety concerns at the district schools, including those undergoing construction.

Hatton Littman, the districts director of technology and communications, said all renovations to the schools are being done with earthquake safety considerations in mind. Prior to the 2015 passage of the Smart Schools 2020 Bond Project, engineers assessed the schools for how the structures would survive a severe earthquake. Earthquake safety upgrades were worked into the cost of the projects, Littman said.

The issue of earthquakes causing damage to public buildings is something the district became concerned about after Central Elementary in Helena had to close down in 2013, when a structural engineering report revealed a quake would cause serious structural damage. It is imperative to check the condition of structures following a seismic event in order to assess their integrity for public safety, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

The school district will make a plan for a more thorough assessment of its buildings on Monday, Littman said.

Eric Hoover, Ravalli Countys Disaster Emergency Services Coordinator, said no reports of infrastructure damage were received.

Weve been in communications with our partners from the state about potential impacts on our dams, Hoover said. There have been inspections of the Painted Rocks and Lake Como dams, but there doesnt seem to be any findings of any issues.

The impacts were more severe the closer you get to the Lincoln area, Hoover added. We were monitoring the situation throughout and we were ready to implement whatever part of our emergency management plan that was necessary.

In the Flathead, the earthquake left frayed nerves but no damage. Rick Sacca, Flathead Countys emergency management director, said the dispatch center in Kalispell received 76 calls from people anxious to report they had felt the earthquake.

As of right now, we have zero injuries and zero reports of damage, Sacca said at about 9 a.m. Thursday. Im pretty happy about that.

Steve Stanley, Lake Countys emergency management director, said that countys dispatch center was also overwhelmed by calls.

It shut us down for awhile, he said. I dont know how many calls we received, but it was a lot. There were no requests for service.

At his home in St. Ignatius, Stanley said the earthquake was strong enough to send his daughter and their children under a table.

They are visiting from Alaska, he said. Thats the thing they do up there.

The earthquake didnt appear to cause any damage at the Selis Ksanka Qlispe Dam, five miles southwest of Polson, said Energy Keepers CEO Brian Lipscomb.

Workers began checking the dam immediately following the earthquake and were continuing that process Thursday morning, Lipscomb said.

Glacier National Park spokesperson Lauren Alley said there was no confirmed damage at the national park.

There was a power outage for a small portion of the park. It was small enough that visitors may not have even noticed. Its also not clear if the outage was caused by the earthquake, she said.
 

 :      

  ,         ,       .
Wow. We are going to be hearing from U.S. Sen. Jon Tester almost daily now after the Democrats lost again in Georgia. His support of Obamacare in his recent article seems like he is going to try to come across as the "champion" of the Montana people. Wow, that is far from the truth. Let's replace him with a veteran.
As musicians from around the world descend on Butte with fiddles, flutes, and tablas in tow for the Montana Folk Festival, Nick Spitzer, producer and host of the radio show American Routes, is preparing for 13 hours of live broadcast of the event, which he'll co-host with Montana Public Radio's Michael Marsolek.

Spitzer is a folklorist and professor based in New Orleans whose weekly radio show traces the roots of American music, and Marsolek says his presence in Butte and on the airwaves is a boon to Montana listeners.

"One of the great things about partnering with someone like Nick Spitzer is that, through his program and also through his background in history and ethnomusicology and anthropology, he brings a depth of musical knowledge and historical knowledge that adds a wonderful depth to what we're able to offer on the radio," Marsolek said.

Spitzer previously worked with MTPR in 2009, when Butte hosted the National Folk Festival. That was his first time in Montana, and he's been wanting to come back.

On that first visit, Spitzer said even the drive from the airport made an impression: "It was a great revelation simply driving from Bozeman to Butte." This time, his 12- and 14-year-old sons are with him.

Spitzer sees this festival as a way for locals and visitors to experience the diversity of culture available to them. In some ways, he said, in a city that's lived through rags and riches. "Culture is the great richness" of Butte, he said.

This weekend, people have a chance to peek inside other cultures and see their own from the outside along with an audience, Spitzer said. And music is the perfect way to do it.

"Music doesn't have to challenge people in a big way," Spitzer said. "You can listen passively, you can dance, you can join the circle. It's like food: people like to share it."

At a festival like this one, everybody's hungry.

"I think it makes us remember as a listener or as a concert-goer that we are more connected than we think, and music is the language that's known by all," Marsolek said. "Music and arts festivals and things like this can really connect our world in a meaningful way, especially when things on a national and international stage can be very complicated."

The broadcast will run from 7 to 9 p.m. on Friday and 1 to 5 and 6 to 11 p.m. on Saturday. For 15 to 20 minutes each hour, Spitzer and Marsolek will air interviews and stories from MTPR reporters in Butte. The Friday broadcast will also air in Spokane.

"For us, it's a major undertaking to set up a studio in another town and have 13 hours of broadcasting," said Marsolek. He credited Main Street Uptown Butte with helping make it happen.

Spitzer said that Montana audiences have long been supportive of American Routes, but he's happy to be back in Butte for more than the performances this weekend. He recognizes something here that feels familiar.

"People aren't uptight in Butte. It's like New Orleans that way," he said. "I like the fact that you can walk out of a bar with a beer and no one bothers you."
It appears that our most recently elected Secretary of State has revised his job description to read: Persecutor of perceived voter fraud in Missoula County, Montana  only Missoula County. Apparently, according to his letter in the Missoulian, Corey thinks a single instance of possible fraud constitutes the need for him to make sarcastic, misleading statements about the Missoula County Elections Administrations ability to run an election.

Lets put a few publicly available facts on the table (something Corey failed to do):

 First: There were over 45,000 votes cast  38,000 of which were absentee ballots (approximately 84%).

 Second: The woman who complained was allowed to vote a provisional ballot, which was presented to the County Canvass Board for approval.

 Third: That 1 ballot equals 0.0026% of the absentee ballots  scarcely rampant fraud or worthy of Coreys taxpayer paid time.

 Fourth: Missoula County had 91 rejected ballots due to signature issues (0.24%), including missing signatures and non-matching signatures. We all know that signatures change over time and this is possibly a reason for many rejections  not automatically considered fraud.

 Fifth: Missoula County Elections Administration pursues contacting each rejection (trying multiple times, if necessary), including  if time permits  calling them to resolve the issue.

 Sixth: Other counties had more rejections than Missoula: Yellowstone, 538; Gallatin, 202; and Lewis and Clark, 98, for example. Strangely, they have not heard from Corey about their rampant fraud.

I am beginning to believe Corey doesnt realize he is no longer in high school playing petty games, but is instead playing with the big boys at the top of Montana State Politics. Our Secretary of State could do many things to improve the circumstances of the one million souls he has sworn to care for instead of playing childish games

-- C. Burt Caldwell, Missoula
When you throw a stone in the water, you can clearly see the ripple effect radiating out.

The removal of Alex Sienkiewicz as the Forest Service District Ranger, for following Forest Service policy in administrating our federally managed public lands for multiple users, is just such a stone. The ripple effects of this orchestrated removal, are the latest public land grab attempt, which could affect the entire United States federally managed public lands under this administration.

Under Enhancing Montana's Wildlife & Habitat, I have been researching the Crazy Mountain public access issues for years, eventually filing my first FOIA on the area early last fall. This proved providential considering the machinations that were already under way to increase privatization of the Crazy Mountains and other public lands.

Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT) and Rep. Pete Sessions (R-TX, Dallas) are spearheading an effort to gain greater control of our federally managed public lands by cutting off access. First, Daines took letters from certain Crazy Mountain landowners who outfit the area and are also ranking members of organizations, such as the Montana Outfitters & Guides Association, Montana Farm Bureau Federation and the Stockgrowers Association. Those letters, along with Daines own, were sent to the newly appointed Secretary of Agriculture, Sonny Purdue, who just happened to be in Montana for an Ag Summit in May, where District Ranger Alex Sienkiewicz was addressed, in relation to the FS administration of the Crazy Mountains.

The letters provide a piece of gotcha evidence, or so they thought, against District Ranger Sienkiewicz. It was a screenshot of a Public Land/Water Access Association's Facebook post, which none of the accusers bothered to verify, before falsely ascribing it to Sienkiewicz. The truth is easily proven by the administrative screenshot (emwh.org), showing a PLWA member took a copy of Sienkiewicz's yearly summer email reminder to FS employees and their seasonal help, instructing them when on FS roads and trails and entering FS administrated public lands, do not ask permission, nor sign in, per Forest Service policy and documents. This is a management action that many other FS employees, including previous District Rangers and Supervisors, prior to Sienkiewicz, have followed for decades. Ranger Sienkiewicz was simply doing his job.

Using this gotcha false allegation post, Sen. Daines, in his official capacity, without any due diligence towards the truth, forwarded the lie to the highest levels, the Ag Sec. Sonny Perdue, and Sienkiewicz, was removed from his position. This lie was picked up on by TX Rep. Pete Sessions, who not only forwarded it to Perdue, but included the Sec. of Interior Ryan Zinke, suggesting legislation against the historical prescriptive easements and Statements of Interest process, but also possible agency directives.

Another larger ripple, if such directives were adopted by these two Secretaries of our public lands and resources, not only would the public have historical access cut off across the country, but this would also hamstring our federal agencies from the same historical public access, to properly manage our public lands. In effect, increasing the privatization of our public lands.

Yet another ripple emanates from the targeting of Sienkiwicz. This removal effectively makes Sienkiewicz a poster child, sending the message - Do your job, according to policy, and we will come after you too! This will increase the culture of fear that is growing within our natural resource agency employees.

What will we be left with, as public landowners? Will the stewards stop stewarding or simply leave for safer employment? Then who will ensure, as public landowners, that we have access to our own public lands?

-- Kathryn QannaYahu, Bozeman, founder of Enhancing Montana's Wildlife & Habitat (emwh.org)
John Ries is running for mayor again in Walkerville, but there aren't enough candidates for that post and two town council seats to have a primary election in September.

Why, there might not even be a need for a general election either for the town of 670 people that sits atop Butte.

It's kind of par for the course for Walkerville, where an alderman seat went unclaimed right after the 2013 election after three voters wrote in the name "Loggins." There were two Walkerville residents with that last name, and regardless, votes for write-ins don't count without a first name.

Sally Hollis, the county's clerk and recorder, sent a recent memo to the 12 elected commissioners who preside over most of Butte-Silver Bow that updated the status of Walkerville's election schedule this year. Since there are only three candidates for three seats  the mayor and two alderman positions  there's no need for a primary.

The Montana Secretary of State will soon set a deadline for people to file as write-in candidates. If nobody does that in Walkerville, Hollis could decide this fall that no general election is needed, either.

As it stands, Ries is the lone candidate for mayor, and incumbent council members Annette Bolton and Don Horne are running for two of the four alderman seats on the ballot this year. Horne was appointed to the council several months ago after Alderman Chris Campbell moved to Anaconda, Ries said this week.

As a consolidated city-county in Montana, commissioners who oversee Butte-Silver Bow are elected in even-numbered years, just as state legislators and members of Congress are. But many municipalities in Montana hold elections in odd-numbered years.

Walkerville has its own boundaries, its own mayor, and its own town council, having rejected a merger with the rest of Butte and Silver Bow County in 1976. Butte-Silver Bow's charter says it may exercise all the powers of a city in Montana, but it may not do that in Walkerville without the town's consent.

In the past year, Walkerville officials agreed to become part of Butte-Silver Bow's zoning ordinances and classifications. Ries said they wanted some of the order, planning control, and predictability that zoning regulations bring to land use.

A petition has been circulated in recent weeks asking residents if they want to become part of Butte's garbage collection system, but no final decision has been made.

Ries, a former president of the town council, was elected to his first full four-year term as mayor in November 2013. He had been chosen for the post prior to that after mayor Bernie Harrington died.

There used to be three wards with two alderman positions each, but when there weren't enough candidates for seats in 2013, the town consolidated to two wards with two alderpersons each.

Ries said there are only two paid city positions in Walkerville  a full-time street maintenance official and a part-time clerk/treasurer. He is running again in part, he said, because town records are being transferred to computers and he wants to ensure that process is complete.

But, he said, "I was kind of concerned if anyone was going to file. I just felt I would give it one more go."
MUSCATINE  A Washington, Iowa, man was sentenced to 10 years in prison Friday for two separate cases involving sexual abuse and theft.

In the first case, Anthony Avalon Drayton, 25, pleaded guilty to sexual abuse in the third degree. An investigation by the Muscatine Police Department showed Drayton had sexual intercourse with a 15-year-old child.

In the second case, Drayton pleaded guilty to theft in the second degree, after an investigation found he was in possession of stolen property.

Muscatine County District Court imposed concurrent prison sentences for a term not to exceed 10 years. Drayton will be required to register as a sex offender and is prohibited from having contact with the victim, according to the County Attorney's office.

 Sarah Ritter
MUSCATINE  In high school, Jessica Padilla was reserved. She didnt relish the thought of talking to strangers, and she certainly didnt want to speak in public.

So when Muscatine High School teacher Pam Joslyn encouraged her to run for student council, Padilla wasnt sure.

It never really occurred to me. I just never really thought it was something that was for me, or that it was something that I needed to be a part of, she recalled.

Padilla, who is Latina, said she'd not seen others like her in student council. But Joslyn handed her the application and Padilla decided to go for it. She ran and won, and served on student council for two years.

That was the first thing I ever ran for, she said.

The Muscatine native went on to be the first of her family to graduate from high school, college and graduate school. Now she works at University of Iowas Womens Resource and Action Center, helping with programs that train women to be leaders in their communities through mentoring relationships.

When someone sees something in you and lets you know that they believe in you, it makes you have the confidence and believe in yourself as well, she said.

That has been the case in her own life. After high school, Padilla would participate in Upward Bound, a program that supports first-generation college students. In college, she met others with similar backgroundsLatinos in higher education. They and others were her role models, and her life's mission became clear.

I want to be a person thats a mentor, connecting you to the resources that you need regardless of if thats my role or not, she said.

She encourages women, particularly women of color, to run for local office and improve their leadership skills. Women have made some strides in the politics, but remain underrepresented. According to data from the Rutgers University Center for American Women and Politics, women hold less than a quarter of all statewide elected positions across the county. Among them, six female governorsincluding Iowa Governor Kim Reynoldscurrently serve.

There continues to be a very wide gap, Padilla said. It took us quite a while to be able to get the right to vote and so I think were definitely behind. We have yet to have our first woman president, and even if we did, that wouldnt make up for everything else.

Some women want to run but dont know how to go about it, Padilla said. In the course of her job, hosts five-day programs to develop leadership skills and learn those things. The women often support each other in their aspirations.

Its not only about the numbers, but also paving the way for future generations of women to be able to see themselves in these positions, she said.
MUSCATINE  One of Muscatine Police Department's top officers has received an award from former Gov. Terry Branstad for being one of the best shooters in the state.

Lt. Jeff Jirak has been one of the top 20 competitive shooters in Iowa since the 1990s. Last month, Jirak received a plaque and signed declaration honoring him as one of the "Governor's 20 Team" for 20 consecutive years. He is one of 11 people in Iowa to receive the recognition.

Jirak started training with firearms as a college student in 1990 before the Muscatine Police Department hired him two years later. He landed on the Governor's 20 for the first time in 1997, and discovered a passion for competitive shooting.

I remember the first year because the program was extremely competitive and in order to get on the list a person had to practice constantly and have a very clear mind while on the range, Jirak said. It was extremely competitive and I loved every moment of that.

He did not think about making the list long-term until he was serving as president of the Iowa Police Combat League in 2000.

I got to know, at a personal level, some of the best shooters and competitors statewide and nationally, he said. It inspired me at a very young age  wanting to be part of that elite group.

Jirak helped organize the banquet honoring the first groups of shooters who had been on the list for 20 years, and that inspired him to want to be among them, some day.

As your talents progress, youre able to do better at what youre trying to achieve. It didnt get easier but it became more manageable, to where I know Im going to get on the list, but now my goal is to be number one on the list, he said. Thats what drove me through this point today.

In 2009, Jirak topped the list. Since the late 1990s, he has competed across the country, from New Mexico to Maryland, and has faced competitors from across the world, including Germany, Austria, New Zealand and Australia.

Jirak was ranked 238 in the world in the distinguished semi-automatic badge category in 2005. He was 714th best revolver shooter in the world in 2004, and has also been listed in the "President's 100" ranking of the top national shooters.

But Jirak said he is mostly proud to bring his experience back to the Muscatine Police Department.

If people are able to be successful because of what Ive taught them, Ill get more satisfaction from that than getting any award, he said.

Jirak said several officers have participated in the Iowa Police Combat League training, learning the fundamentals.

There are several disciplines out there, but this program interested me the most because of the training when it comes to accuracy, stress management and the ability to act in a very short period of time, he said.

The program, Jirak said, equates to how officers perform their duties on a daily basis.

Unlike in Hollywood (movies), we arent afforded the opportunity to miss, Jirak said. If we miss, we have the misfortune of something happening, pedestrians being injured, property being damaged and the list goes on.

Jirak attributes the Muscatine Police Departments rare use of force, including deadly force, to the firearms training. With budget cuts making access to training difficult for police departments across the state, Jirak appreciates the opportunity to share his experience with officers in Muscatine.

We have very professional and extremely competent people in this department that are there for (residents) each and every day, he said. With the presumed hatred that society may show against police, we are there 24 hours a day, seven days a week to make sure their lives, home, properties and families are safe.

Along with the police department, Jirak has been passing along his knowledge to his sons and daughters, plus women learning self-defense tactics.

Jirak and his wife, Alissa Jirak, have conducted all-female concealed carry classes for about seven years.

In each session, Jirak begins by explaining the class is a safe space, where no woman has to prove she is worthy to be there or hide feelings of fear and anxiety.

I tell them you dont have to feel like youre being talked down to or have something to prove to anyone else, he said. When I break the ice with that, you see the group take a deep breath and everyone loosens up and has a great time.

While Jirak's main mission is passing along his training to people who need it, he continues to set new goals for himself.

His next goal is to receive a distinguished badge in high power rifle shooting, and he continues to work on his long-distance shooting skills. Jirak has set the personal goal of shooting a 12-inch-by-12-inch plate from a mile away. The task is harder than expected, but Jirak said he is half-way there.
MUSCATINE  Mayor Diana Broderson's return to Muscatine City Council meetings brought an unusually large crowd to the council chambers Thursday night, with residents offering the mayor support and discussing concerns over fireworks usage.

Residents stood and applauded as Broderson took her seat in the middle of Muscatine's aldermen. The mayor's return to office and the legalization of fireworks resulted in more residents coming forward to address concerns Thursday night than in the past several months.

Last month, the city council agreed to allow people to shoot off fireworks in city limits from July 1 to July 8. Aldermen, city staff and police have received complaints about illegal or disruptive fireworks usage since sales began in the city June 1.

In an interview, City Administrator Gregg Mandsager said from June 1 to July 6, the Muscatine Police Department received 217 reports of fireworks, issued eight citations and gave 65 warnings. In all of last year, police only received 121 calls related to fireworks.

Spokesman for UnityPoint Health Trinity in Muscatine, Brian Boesen, said the hospital has treated two patients for fireworks-related injuries in the past few weeks.

Muscatine resident Jean Mosch, 80, was one of the first to address the council, explaining she was representing several of her friends and neighbors who were too distressed to speak publicly about their concerns with fireworks.

Mosch has felt anxiety hearing fireworks go off near her house every night for the past couple weeks.

"I found my heart and chest just tightening up because of all the adrenaline there," she said.

Mosch had to comfort her dog throughout the explosions surrounding the July 4 holiday. Her neighbors, Mosch said, received damage to their homes and cars, had children who could not sleep or knew veterans with post traumatic stress disorder struggling to make it through each night.

Mosch's husband has a chronic illness and she said she was grateful he was not home to hear all of the fireworks.

"I'm glad he wasn't home because he couldn't have handled what was going on," she said. "And we had a reasonable neighborhood, others didn't."

Mosch said she knows of a Muscatine resident who had a horse die due to anxiety and stress caused by fireworks explosions.

Other residents described Muscatine as a "war zone" because of the explosions, and some said they watched people shoot off fireworks dangerously close to gas stations.

Sue George, of Muscatine, said her Fourth of July was not a fun celebration due to the loud noise and disturbances. She has watched fireworks fly over her house and onto her property for weeks.

"What do we do when there's 20 mph winds, or what if it hasn't rained for two weeks and it's dry and fireworks are going off?" George asked.

Residents complained the city was not helping owners who received property damage pay for repairs caused by other people using fireworks near their homes. Some suggested prohibiting fireworks completely, while others said the city should limit it to only the day of July 4.

Derek Lentz, an Allsteel employee, was the only resident to ask the city to keep the fireworks ordinance the same. He said once the "hype" of the newly legalized fireworks sales dies down, residents will start to use fireworks more responsibly.

Aldermen responded by saying the city will take time to review the current ordinance, talk to city departments and come up with a plan before the next sales and use period surrounding New Year's Eve.

Council member Santos Saucedo said one of the biggest struggles is Muscatine cannot prohibit the sale of fireworks in city limits. But, he said the city will review other options for restricting the use.

"We can't just make a knee-jerk reaction, we want to get everyone's input in," he said. "We want to follow up with citizens, we're not just going to make a decision."

Mandsager said the city will be meeting with law enforcement and other department heads to review the ordinance and see if improvements can be made before this winter. He is also looking into lawsuits against other Iowa communities that have prohibited the use of fireworks.

The city of Davenport decided to ban fireworks this week following several resident complaints, and other cities, such as Bettendorf, are considering tighter restrictions.

Residents will be notified, Mandsager said, when a public meeting is set regarding the use of fireworks in city limits.

The Muscatine City Council is working to start a new chapter following Broderson's reinstatement as mayor and did so Thursday night by moving forward with several new projects. Read Saturday's edition of the Muscatine Journal for the other items discussed.
MUSCATINE  It's been a trying couple of months for crews working to reconstruct the Mississippi Drive Corridor in Muscatine. Unexpected storms, high river levels and other nearby construction projects have pushed the project behind schedule.

"Completion of the whole project as designed, including Chestnut Street, will not be complete by Aug. 31, definitely not," City Engineer Jim Edgmond told city officials this week.

KE Flatwork was contracted to complete the first phase of the $8 million project by Aug. 31. Edgmond said the project is about 11 percent complete, with work on the first phase now scheduled to wrap up in Septmber.

With multiple storms and flooding, Edgmond said, crews have only used about 7 percent of the days allotted for the project. With the July Fourth holiday over and drier weather this week, he said workers are getting back on track.

"It delayed us six weeks, the river coming up like that," Edgmond said in an interview.

Rain in May stopped construction on the sanitary storm sewer near the Mississippi River, which Edgmond said is about 20 feet deep. Workers were unable to pump water out of the sewer.

"In this instance when you're so close to the river, it's just almost impossible to put a pump in there to de-water it," he said. "We would have had to find a way to get the water across the (railroad tracks) and that is just a bad idea."

Crews began working on the sewer once the river dropped, but another storm hit three weeks ago and river levels rose once again.

"It's a frustrating process because there isn't anything you can do about it," he said.

Dry weather this week allowed construction to return to the sanitary storm sewer. And Edgmond said in the meantime, the crew worked on other areas that were not yet scheduled to be done.

Storm sewer work and underground utilities were placed between Iowa Avenue and Sycamore Street, plus a portion of the street was paved. Crews also placed the water main from Iowa Avenue to Chestnut Street, then up Chestnut.

"The contractor felt they could at least do the water main," Edgmond said. "It was far enough away (from the river) so they could get away with it. But, it will cost him some money and time to do it that way."

Mississippi Drive construction has also been delayed because the city has had to coordinate with the construction of the Merrill Hotel. Edgmond said coordinating schedules with the hotel's crew has been a daily task.

"I think it's working really well," he said. "It's just important the hotel and the street project come out at the same time, we don't want one done and the other not."

Edgmond said despite the delays, everything is going fine with the project.

"Keep fingers crossed there won't be another big rain storm to cause the river to come up again," he said. "But I think we're close to a point where we don't have to worry about that anymore."

The city of Muscatine has been holding bi-weekly meetings with business owners affected by the Mississippi Drive construction.

Mississippi Drive is now closed to traffic from Pine to Sycamore streets.
MUSCATINE  The Muscatine Community College has limited scholarships for students interested in attending two of the upcoming summer camps at Muscatine Community College.

The classes are:

Minecraft Designers, July 31  Aug. 4

Students learn to design their own Minecraft world with custom maps, create basic 3D models, blocks and custom textures to import at home or share with friends.

Star Wars Stop Action, July 31  Aug. 4

Students bring their own Star Wars adventure to life in a short stop action film. They can recreate a scene from Star Wars or design a new world of their own.

The classes are available for different age groups, 8  10 and 11  14. The application is one page.

For more information go to www.eicc.edu/mccsummercamp or contact Lisa Wiegel, 563-288-6001 or lwiegel@eicc.edu.

Scholarships will be award on a first-come first-serve to those who qualify.
MUSCATINE  Chad Bishop remembers reading Norman Bakers promise on the wall of what used to be Muscatines Baker Institute.

It said Cancer is Curable.

By the time Bishop saw the message, Baker, who claimed he could cure cancer, was long gone and so was his hospital. Only the building, which stood on Front Street  now Mississippi Drive  remained.

It was his first introduction to Norman Bakera charismatic Muscatine native known for wearing purple, lavender and pink, who once owned a radio station and newspaper and invented the Tangley calliaphone. Baker also ran a hospital that touted cancer cures that were a concoction of watermelon seeds, clover, corn silk and water, which led the Journal of the American Medical Association to accuse him of "quackery." While operating a similar hospital in Arkansas, Baker was convicted of mail fraud and served time in a federal penitentiary.

Bishop, a filmmaker, said Bakers colorful personality, combining vaudevillethe showman with a little bit of immorality, captivated him. So did his exploits, which included opening the skull of a man in front of at least 15,000 people in Weed Park in May 1930.

Bishop wants to make a movie about Baker, focusing on Baker Institute, which operated 1929 to 1932. The project had already received about $4,000 from Humanities Iowa and Bishop has set up a crowdfunding campaign, seeking an additional $2,000.

Bishop said he will make two movies: A short film The Man in Purple that will feature a dramatic retelling of Bakers life, with some creative liberties taken.David Lane, theater instructor at MCC, will write the script and may direct. The second will be a documentary, including interviews with people who knew Baker or studied his life. Bishop said he will use footage from The Man in Purple to illustrate key points in the documentary.

To Bishop, Baker is the father of modern day wellness because he introduced people to alternative medicine before it became mainstream.

He sees himself in Bakers pursuits.

He had a six-sided desk, Bishop said. So back in his era, he had (many) businesses going on at once. So obviously, he was manic. So Im a manic person, so when I (am in the up cycle)  a lot of artists, they capitalize on their high state to express themselves and normal people appreciate that. So thats kind of what resonated with me, that I can kind of appreciate his pathologies.

Not everyone agrees. Max Churchill, who has studied Baker extensively, said he wants Baker to be portrayed accurately.

Baker was a crook who told people who came to his clinic seeking expensive cures that they had cancer, he said.

When they checked in (he told them) theyve got cancer, cancer, cancer, but it turned out most of them didnt, Churchill said. He met (patients) at the door when they came in by the bus loads and the train loads. He was very bad.

Bishop argues Bakers story is an important piece of Muscatine history. He wants the film to spur an entire Baker-centric industry, complete with purple rooms at the new hotel and maybe even a Baker-themed bar or restaurant.

Weve got the pearl button industry  but (Baker) should be a big draw, he said.

He plans to debut "The Man in Purple" at the 2018 Muscatine Independent Film Festival.
Les blattes ou cafards (Blatta orientalis) sont des insectes qui appartiennent a la famille des Blattoptera. Ils se caracterisent par leur forme allongee, leurs ailes []
Douglas B. Haberman died on July 2, 2017 at Queen of the Valley Hospital. He was surrounded by his loving family. He was 93 years old. He grew up in Farmington, Michigan. At the age of 17, Doug joined the Navy and served in the South Pacific through World War II. After the war, he met Alma Lujan. The two were married in September of 1948 and settled in Napa, where they raised their four children, Terry Ann (Terry), Ronald (Helen), Jeffrey (Cindy) and Sandra (Marc). They have watched 10 grandchildren and 14 great grandchildren grow up over nearly 70 years of marriage. Following his Naval discharge, Doug spent the next 33 years working at Mare Island. Following his retirement, Doug was an active member of the Napa Rifle and Pistol Club, serving as Secretary//Treasurer for more than 25 years. He also volunteered for the Napa County Sheriffs Aero Squadron for many years. His family will miss him dearly, but remember him fondly for his sharp wit, love of history, and ace shot. Services will be held at Claffey and Rota on July 10 at 12:30 pm. Graveside services with military honors to be held at Napa Memorial Park. Memories and notes of sympathy may be shared at claffeyandrota.com.
AMERICAN CANYON COMMUNITY CHURCH

Worship at 10 a.m. Programs for children and youth during worship service. 2 Andrew Road, American Canyon.

ARBOR ALLIANCE

Join us Sundays at 5 p.m. Why 5 p.m. worship? It is a good time for busy people and young families. Kids church and nursery available. The Arbor Alliance Church is located at 721 Trancas St., Napa. A place of joy and refreshment in Christ. thearborchurch.org, 530-304-4704.

BEIT ABBA

Messianic Jewish ministry of The Fathers House is held the first and third Friday of each month at 7 p.m. Child care provided for ages infant to 7 years old. The Fathers House, 2557 Napa Valley Corporate Drive, Napa. tfh.org/beitabba.

CARMELITE MONASTERY

Mass times: Sunday, 9 a.m.; Monday through Saturday, 8 a.m. (except for the first Saturday of the month, Mass will be at 11 a.m.). Morning of recollection every first Saturday of the month: Spiritual Talk, 9-10 a.m.; Confessions, 10-11 a.m.; Mass, 11 a.m. Bible study, on Tuesdays with Father Michael Buckley: Tuesdays, 8:30-9:30 a.m. following the 8 a.m. Mass (contact the office to confirm time and day at 944-2454, ext. 103). Confessions-English: Monday, Wednesday, Friday; 10 a.m.-noon, 3-5 p.m., 8-9 p.m. Confessions-Spanish: Wednesday, 10 a.m.-noon, 3-5 p.m., 8-9 p.m. 944-2454; oakvillecarmelites.org.

CENTER FOR SPIRITUAL LIVING

Services are 9 and 10:30 a.m. with Youth Program and Teen Group at 10:30. Rev. Jay Lang will be speaking on From Racism to Gracism. Karen Drucker is guest musician and speaker on Sunday ,July 16 for both services. Movie night is July 14. Mens Group will meet July 8, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. 1249 Coombs, 252-4847.

CHRISTIAN SCIENCE CHURCH

Sunday service and Sunday school for youths up to age 20 at 10 a.m. The Wednesday evening service is at 7:30. Child care provided at all services. New hours for the Reading Room, located in our church building, open to the public weekdays except Wednesdays, 1-4 p.m. All current Christian Science literature, including the writings of Mary Baker Eddy and the renowned Christian Science Monitor, are available to all to read or purchase; 2210 Second St., Napa; 255-5255; christiansciencenapa.com.

CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS, NAPA  SECOND WARD

Sacrament meeting is each Sunday at 10 a.m., followed by Sunday School at 11:15 and Priesthood and Relief Society at 12:10 p.m. Young mens and young womens programs are on Tuesdays at 7 p.m. Corner of Trower Avenue and Dry Creek Road, Napa. 224-6496.

COMMUNITY CHURCH OF LAKE BERRYESSA

This Sunday, we will welcome Pastor Gerald Chan who is filling in for Pastor Bob, sharing a message titled Redeem The Time. We are a non- denominational Christian church welcoming all to enjoy the eternal life changing power of Jesus Christ. A weekly food distribution is available along with groups and activities. 6008 Steele Canyon Road at Moskowite Corners. 252-4488.

CONGREGATION BETH SHALOM

We welcome our new Rabbi Niles Goldstein leading Worship Services, with Music Director, Gordon Lustig, Friday, July 7, with Oneg Shabbat at 5:30 p.m. The community is welcome. Monday, July 10, 7 p.m., Soul Sisters Book Club will meet to discuss reading selections for the coming year.1455 Elm Street, Napa, 253-7305, cbsnapa.org.

CORNERSTONE MINISTRIES

Sunday service is at 10:15 a.m. Spanish Church begins at 1:30 p.m. Sunday school and childcare are available at both services. Our midweek service is at 6:30 on Wednesday nights. There is childcare and childrens activities at this service. Middle school and high school study meets on Wednesday nights as well at 6:30 p.m. in the Youth Room. On Thursdays at 6:30 p.m., Freedom From Bondage meets in our Youth Room. 3305 Vista Ave, 252-2909. cmnv.org.

COVENANT PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

We open our doors to all who wish to join in worship on Sunday mornings at 10:30 a.m. The service on July 9 will be led by the Rev. Dr. Don MacInnes, preaching from Genesis and Matthew; he has called his sermon Living Freely and Lightly, and liturgist Liz Groelle. During the summer, families remain in worship together, with a variety of quiet activities available for the worship needs of young children. Sunday School will resume in the fall. 255-9426; cpcnapa.org; facebook.com/cpcnapa. 1226 Salvador Ave., Napa.

CREEKSIDE COMMUNITY CHURCH

Join us for Sunday services at 9 and 10 a.m.. Childrens programs during the 10 a.m. service. On Wednesdays at noon and at 6 p.m. CrossWalk Talk, come and talk about some of the most provocative themes from the book, The Shack. Your faith will stretch. Visit us; our primary mission is to usher people into a growing, life-enhancing, world-improving relationship with God. 1050 Hagen Road, Napa. CreeksideChurchNapa.org; 255-7266.

CROSSWALK COMMUNITY CHURCH

Join us on Sundays at 10 a.m. for services in the courtyard. Childrens programs also available during the service. Meet with Pastor Pete on Wednesday at noon in his office for continued discussion of Poverty in America. 2590 First Street, 226-1812.

FIRST CHRISTIAN CHURCH

Envision is our current sermon series, focusing in on the vision of First Christian Church. Well be looking closer at 1 and 2 Timothy and how each of us has a place in the larger picture. Sunday services are at 8:45 and 10:30 a.m. 2659 First Street, Napa. fccnapa.org.

FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

Please join us this Sunday. Two services, 9 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Pastor David will be preaching at both services, and his sermon topic will be Growing Old As God Intended. Scripture reference will be Ecclesiastes 12. After both services, in our Welcome Center, there will be coffee and treats. Childcare for newborn to age 5 is available all morning. Sunday School: Friendship Class meets at 10; class for kindergarten through grade 5 will meet at 10:30 a.m. 1333 Third St., 224-8693, fpcnapa.org.

GRACE CHURCH OF NAPA VALLEY

Sunday services: Worship service at 9 a.m. and 10:40 a.m. Adult Sunday school classes at 9 a.m. Childrens service at 9 and 10:40 a.m. Nursery and preschool care available. Junior high ministry meets Tuesday, 7 p.m.; high school meets Wednesday at 7 p.m. at 3765 Solano Ave., Napa. 255-4033, GraceNapa.org.

HIGHLANDS CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP

We continue a six-week teaching series titled Vision. What could the church be? What should the church be? Where is the church going and how do we get there? We hope to bring clarity to some of these questions as we chart a new direction. If youre a regular church attendee, never been or maybe its just been awhile, we invite you to come join us this Sunday and start the adventure with us at 10:30 a.m. Spanish speaking service on Sunday evenings starting at 6:30 and an Alcoholics Anonymous group that meets weekly on Monday and Wednesdays from 6-7 p.m. 970 Petrified Forest Rd., Calistoga.

HILLSIDE CHRISTIAN CHURCH

We meet at 9 a.m., 11 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. at 100 Anderson Road, Napa. 255-3036; hccnapa.com.

HOLY GROUND CHRISTIAN CENTER

Sunday worship begins at 10 a.m., and Bible study is Wednesday at 7 p.m. 3860 Broadway, Suite 111, American Canyon. 373-2015.

LIVING VINE CHURCH

We meet every Sunday morning at 10. 3305 Linda Vista Avenue, Napa. 226-5551.

MEMORIAL CHAPEL AT VETERANS HOME OF CALIFORNIA, YOUNTVILLE

Sunday worship service, 10:15 a.m. Coffee fellowship one hour before service. Bible study on Wednesday at 1 p.m., Fellowship Room, with refreshments served; prayer meetings Thursday at 1 p.m. The memorial chapel is on the Veterans Home at Yountville campus on California Drive, across from the administration building. 944-4840.

MONT LA SALLE CHAPEL

Roman Catholic liturgical services are open to all in this chapel of the De la Salle Christian Brothers at 4401 Redwood Rd., Napa. Sunday Mass is celebrated at 11 a.m.

NAPA COMMUNITY SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH

From the very beginning of time through to eternity, Jesus is the source, builder and goal of our lives. From beginning to end He remains faithful and consistent in His love towards us. You are warmly invited to attend the 11:15 a.m. worship service this coming Sabbath, July 8 for Pastor Jim Pedersens sermon entitled To End Right You Must Start Right. Pastor Jims sermon scripture is Revelation 22:10-14. napacomm.com, 1105 G Street, 252-2444.

NAPA METHODIST CHURCH

We are a progressive and reconciling church, where all are welcome. Two Sunday morning services: a 9:30 a.m. Sanctuary service and an 11 a.m. modern-style Fusion Worship service held in the Asbury Room. Childrens Worship and Nursery are available during both services. Silent Meditation is Mondays at 5:30 pm in the Sanctuary. Creators Art Camp for children in first through sixth grade is July 10-13 from 10 a.m. to noon; Vacation Bible School is July 24-28. 625 Randolph Street. 253-1411, napamethodist.org.

NAPA-SONOMA FRIENDS MEETING (QUAKERS)

Sunday worship at 10 a.m. Silent meeting in the custom of Friends. Meet at the VOICES Youth Center, 780 Lincoln Ave. Enter at parking lot on left side of building, using door at end of wheelchair ramp. Quaker signs will be posted on Sunday mornings. We welcome visiting friends or those who are new to Quaker practice. nvquaker@gmail.com; 253-1505.

NAPA VALLEY BAPTIST CHURCH

Join us Sundays at 9:30 a.m. for Bible Study for all ages, 10:30 a.m. for worship service and a fun, interactive and energetic childrens program for preschool through fifth grade. Nursery provided for all Sunday services. Sunday evenings at 5 p.m., join us for A Study in Revelation with Steve McCoy. Steve will guide you verse by verse through the book of Revelation. Learn all about what the Bible says about the end times and what it means. The public is invited. 303 Trower Ave., Napa. napavalleybaptist.org, 252-2100.

NAPA VALLEY BIBLE CHAPEL

Dr. Don Tinder will continue with his series on the Gospel of Mark in the 11 a.m. service on Sunday, July 2. We start services by remembering the Lords death, burial and resurrection during a time of worship and thanksgiving at 9:30 a.m., followed by a fellowship and coffee time starting at 10:30 a.m. At 11 a.m., we enjoy a time of Bible teaching. On Wednesdays at 6 p.m., we meet for a brief Bible study and a time of prayer. A movie night/home Bible study is held in downtown Napa at 6 p.m. on Fridays. 1559 Second Street, Napa. napavalleybiblechapel.com.

NAPA VALLEY COMMUNITY CHURCH

Join is this Sunday for a very encouraging study of Gods Word as found in Hebrews 6. So often our concerns in life come from a self-determination to forge a better future for ourselves. In Hebrews 6, God tells us instead to depend on Him, the only sure source of hope for our future! Service is at 10 a.m., Sunday school and child care provided. Open Forum at 11:20 a.m. 4149 Linda Vista Ave, Napa. 337-4328. NapaValleyChurch.org. NVCC is a family oriented ministry affiliated with the Christian Reformed Church.

NAPA VALLEY LUTHERAN

Sunday worship at 10 a.m. Fellowship time follows. All are welcome because all belong to God. The church is located at the corner of Jefferson and Elm, Napa. 226-8166, napavalleylutheran.org.

NAPA VALLEY UNITARIAN UNIVERSALISTS

July 9, Things that Matter Most, traditional Service with Rev. Jeanelyse Doran Adams and Service Assistant Iris Barrie. The NVUU Assistant Minister experiment is drawing to a close. Join Rev. Jeanelyse as she reflects on the things that matter most in life, shared ministry, and experimentation. Infant care, child care, and religious education provided. 1625 Salvador Ave., Napa; nvuu.org; 226-9220.

NEW LIFE TABERNACLE

Sunday school at 10 a.m., followed by worship service at 11 a.m. Sunday evening service the first Sunday of every month. Bible study on Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m. at 2625 First St., Napa. 255-1062; NewLifeNapa.com.

ST. APOLLINARIS CATHOLIC CHURCH

Join us each third Saturday at the crossroads of faith and culture. St. Apollinaris Catholic Church 3700 Lassen St. Napa. 257-2555.

ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST

St. John the Baptist Church holds daily masses in English at 7:30 a.m. and 12:05 p.m. Weekend masses are Saturday at 5 p.m. (English) and 7 p.m. (Spanish) and Sunday 8 a.m. (Spanish), 10 a.m. (English), noon (Spanish), and 5 p.m. (English). Wednesday evening mass at 7 (Spanish). Corner of Caymus and Yajome downtown.

ST. JOHNS LUTHERAN CHURCH

Sunday at 8:30 a.m. and 10:15 a.m. Childrens Church during the 10:15 a.m. service at 3521 Linda Vista Ave., Napa. 255-0119; StJohnsLutheran.net.

ST. MARYS EPISCOPAL CHURCH

Worship on Saturdays at 5:30 p.m. or Sundays at 8 a.m. or 10 a.m. (organ and choir). Childrens Chapel (Sunday school) is at 9:50 a.m. Sunday. Nursery care is provided during the 10 a.m. service. Coffee hour follows the worship services on Sunday at 1917 Third St., Napa. 255-0991; StMarysNapa.org.

ST. STEPHENS ANGLICAN EPISCOPAL CHURCH

Sundays at 8 a.m. and 10:30 a.m., sing using the 1928 Book of Common Prayer. Refreshments and social time after the 10:30 Service. Evensong and Bible Study Wednesdays at 6 p.m. at 1250 Oakville Grade, Oakville. 944-8915, ststephensoakville.org.

ST. THOMAS AQUINAS CHURCH

Mass times are Saturday at 4 p.m. (English), Sunday at 8 a.m. (English), 11 a.m. (English) and 1:30 p.m. (Spanish). Daily mass is at 9 a.m., except on the first Friday, which is at noon and in English at 2725 Elm St., Napa. 255-2949; stthomasaquinasnapa.com.

SALVATION ARMY

Join us for services Sundays at 10 a.m. at 590 Franklin St., Napa. napasalarmy.org.

THE FATHERS HOUSE

Service times are Saturday, 6 p.m., Sunday at 9 and 11 a.m. Child care and Kids Church are available (ages infant through sixth grade). Youth ministry Encounter meets every Wednesday night at 7. Celebrate Recovery meets on Monday nights at 6:30. The Fathers House, 2557 Napa Valley Corporate Drive, Napa. tfh.org.

UNITY SPIRITUAL CENTER IN NAPA VALLEY

Sunday, July 9, We welcome back Rev.Margie Brach as our guest speaker. Her message title is The Freedom of Self Awareness. In our continuing series on the book, Living Originally, we are focusing on Radical Self Awareness. Our Sunday Service music is selected and performed by Lon Eakes. 11:40 a.m. Forum. After a Refreshments break, Rev. Margie facilitates a one-hour Forum exploring the insights and perspectives of the attendees concerning her Sunday Service message. Historic Grange Hall, 3275 Hagen Road (1/2 mile east of the Silverado Trail), Napa. Parking next to the building. UnityinNapaValley.org, 255-6881.

YOUNTVILLE COMMUNITY CHURCH

July 9 Contemporary Worship, 9:30 a.m. and Traditional Worship, 11 a.m. Lead Pastor Jim Huckaba is continuing a sermon series called Armed And Dangerous. Sundays sermon is titled Faith That Believes. Adult Bible Class, 9:30 a.m., in the New Ministry Outreach Room. Childrens classes, 9:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. in the Callison Ministry Center Room 1 Jesus and Me. (birth-kindergarten), and first-fifth grades are offered. Vertical Student Ministry 11 a.m.; fifth-eighth grades and high school students in the new Ministry Outreach Room. 6619 Yount Street, Yountville, 944-2179.
ROCKDALE TOWNSHIP -- The reign of the all-time hide-and-seek champion continues as recent efforts to find a Bigfoot in Crawford County have failed.

After three days of searching, baiting and filming with trip cameras and thermal imagery, no creatures were caught, detained or otherwise encountered, according to T.J. Biscardi of Bigfoot Project Investments Inc. The company is offering a bounty of $1 million to anyone who provides "information leading to the capture or delivery of a bona fide Bigfoot" and came to Crawford County in late June to follow up on what Biscardi considered credible reports of a sighting last fall.

The fact that no creatures were captured during the expedition shouldn't be taken as evidence that they're not out there, Biscardi said.

"We found castable tracks -- about three -- and more markers," he said, referring to both footprints and arrangements of sticks that he believes are created by the creatures. "The casts were 19 inches long and 8 inches wide, traveling in a westerly direction."

"Vocalizations" and "tree knocks," both apparent forms of communication by the nocturnal creatures, were also observed during the visit, according to Biscardi.

The massive creatures range as much as 80 to 150 miles in a day and may be heading to a Canadian crossing area as part of their northern migration, he hypothesized.

"This is all speculation, theory, conjecture, based on my 10 years of experience in the field," Biscardi said from his Kentucky home. The ongoing search for the creature had already taken him to Arkansas since his Crawford County visit. After spending the holiday at home, he planned a return to the Ozark Mountain woods that he believes could be home to a Sasquatch gathering spot.

Dismissed by nearly all credible scientists as a myth produced through a combination of hoaxes, tall tales and imaginations gone wild, the legendary creature has eluded the best efforts of people like T.J. Biscardi and his father, Tom, for a half-century. Along with Tommy, the Biscardis make up a three-generation team of Bigfoot hunters that follows up on reports from around the continental U.S. for 10 months out of the year.

Fifty years -- that's how long Tom Biscardi, who calls himself "The Godfather of Bigfoot," says he has been hunting for concrete evidence of the camera-shy creature. His search began when he saw the famous footage of an ape-like creature walking upright through the northern California forest shown on "The Tonight Show" in 1967. The 60 seconds of film from the redwood forests of northern California made Bigfoot a household word. They were later widely debunked -- including by Biscardi himself in his 2012 film, "Hoax of the Century" -- but belief in a hidden reality behind the hoax persists, even across the country in Crawford County.

It was not belief but visual confirmation that led Robin and Kevin Morgan to invite the Biscardis to their rural Hogback Road home near the county's northern border.

"I told my husband, I know what I saw that night and nobody's going to change my mind at all," said Robin Morgan several days after the Biscardis' visit failed to turn up a creature.

The evening she referred to occurred last fall, when an investigation of strange noises led her to within a few feet of an immense creature that she saw from behind, its back covered in thick black fur. Walking upright on two legs, the creature was not a bear, she insisted -- and still insists despite what she describes as "snickering" directed at her by some of her Amish neighbors since news reports of the Biscardis' visit appeared.

"They were looking at me and kind of laughing," she said. "They asked my husband, 'Have you seen any Bigfoots lately?'"

The plaster footprint cast resting nearby on her wood stove is more than enough to salve the sting of any mocking snickers for Morgan, as is her memory of the encounter last fall.

"You can't make a believer out of everyone," she said. "You have to actually see them or see the castings."

Mike Crowley can be reached at 724-6370 or by email at mcrowley@meadvilletribune.com.

___

(c)2017 The Meadville Tribune (Meadville, Pa.)

Visit The Meadville Tribune (Meadville, Pa.) at meadvilletribune.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Notwithstanding his penchant for obscure philosophical aphorisms, sometimes delivered in Latin, at his core Jerry Brown is a largely conventional politician.

Therefore, while he repeatedly denies it, as political protocol dictates, he certainly is concerned with the legacy hell leave when his record-long, bifurcated governorship ends 18 months hence.

Of course, there will be the paper record of budgets and bills, of executive orders, and of elections won and lost. But politicians instinctively want to leave behind more than yellowing files in dusty boxes  or their electronic equivalents. They want concrete reminders of what they wrought while in office.

For Brown, that means two massive public works projects  twin tunnels beneath the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta to carry Sacramento River water southward, and a north-south bullet train.

Both are highly controversial, sparking regional and ideological conflict, both face daunting regulatory hurdles and, perhaps most importantly, there are no clear pathways for covering their combined costs approaching $100 billion.

The water tunnels would more or less complete the state water system that was the most visible accomplishment of Browns father and gubernatorial predecessor, Pat Brown.

The tunnels got a boost last week when two federal wildlife agencies concluded that they wouldnt worsen the Deltas already damage habitat.

However thats just one of the many regulatory hurdles for WaterFix, as its officially dubbed, the most important being an incredibly complex evaluation by the state Water Resources Control Board of its impacts.

Even if the $17 billion project clears all those hurdles, it still faces litigation from environmental groups and other opponents and must receive commitments from San Joaquin Valley agricultural water districts and Southern Californias Metropolitan Water District for construction funds.

The once-vigorous support from both factions has cooled markedly because of project costs and the likelihood that they would be paying for more reliability of deliveries, but little or no new water.

The Metropolitan Water Districts largest member, the San Diego County Water Authority, is openly critical, doubting whether the tunnels are worth raising bills of residential and commercial water customers, and the Met, as its called, has yet to make a final commitment. Nor have the San Joaquin Valley farm water groups.

The bullet train would cost at least four times as much as WaterFix, and while the state has enough state bond and federal grant money to continue a starter line in the San Joaquin Valley, authorities have yet to pin down funds to extend it north or south.

So far, the hoped-for investment from private sources or other governments, such as China, has not materialized, largely thanks to skepticism about ridership projections and a law that bars operating subsidies from the state.

The project gets a big chunk of proceeds from auctions of greenhouse gas emission allowances under the states cap-and-trade program, but auction results have been spotty and will dry up altogether if the program is not extended beyond 2020.

Brown is seeking reauthorization of cap-and-trade, and officials have talked about using its revenues to service a massive construction bond for the bullet trains next phase. But so far, the governor has not been able to make a legislative deal.

Both projects, then, are iffy. Brown may depart before their fates are known. And even if they are built, there are no guarantees that they will be viewed positively by future generations or as Browns twin follies.
CNN has gained rare access inside the Old City of Raqqa, as rebels and international forces tightened their circle around ISIS' de facto capital.

US-led airstrikes breached the 1,300-year-old Rafiqah Wall on Monday and allowed the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to enter the city from the south. CNN is the first Western media organization to film inside the fortification since then.

After pushing through one of two small gaps in the wall, CNN journalists met with the rebels leading the assault just 200 meters from ISIS positions, as they heard gunfire and explosions nearby.

The rebels have seized control of territory around 300 meters into the Old City since Monday, but have been confronted with fierce resistance from ISIS.

CNN saw US forces in this area and it appears they have been calling in the airstrikes that have cleared the way for the rebels' advances. US personnel did not want to be filmed.

The battle for Raqqa will be the most significant phase in the fight against ISIS to date and it is expected to take months. ISIS has held the city since 2014 and considers it the heart of its envisaged caliphate.

Reporters have had little access to Raqqa, and occasional satellite images and smuggled videos have provided the few glimpses into one of the world's most isolated cities.

For years, phones and cameras were banned and anyone caught with videos or images would have faced death under ISIS' brutal regime.

The SDF has encountered significant ISIS opposition since entering the city on Monday, a US defense official told CNN. Other US officials say overhead imagery shows ISIS has laid booby traps and improvised explosive devices, as it has in other battles. There is now concern that the fighters may use civilians as human shields to defend the city.

The international coalition has nevertheless begun planning for an internal security force of local recruits that could "hold" Raqqa once military operations are over.

"We're already starting to work on something that's called the Raqqa Internal Security Force," Canadian Armed Forces Brigadier General D.J. Anderson told Pentagon reporters.

"This will be locals that will work for the Raqqa Council. So it'll work for local governance, and they'll be ready to establish that policing function, if you will, that safety and security element."

Retaking Raqqa will be a significant blow to ISIS, but it may not mark the group's demise in Syria. US officials have long said they have intelligence showing hundreds of ISIS fighters have fled Raqqa in recent months into the Euphrates River Valley, including some top leaders.

Nick Paton Walsh reported from Raqqa, while Angela Dewan wrote from London. Barbara Starr contributed reporting from Washington.
Thank you for printing Chris Edwards' letter and excerpts from Dr. Martin Luther King's "A Christmas Sermon on Peace" on the anniversary of our nation's independence ("A sermon of peace," July 4).

Dr. King's words hold even more of an importance now as our country experiences a rapidly growing divisiveness and disconnection with each other and the world. To quote Dr. King, "Yes, as nations and individuals we are interdependent. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied into a singular garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all individually."

In my hometown of Belleville, New Jersey, every eighth grade class in Public School #8 made a field trip to Morristown, N.J. We were in awe of the site of one of George Washington's headquarters and the huts of the soldiers who were stationed there during the War for Independence.

What I remember also was standing at the statue of Thomas Paine. It was over 65 years ago but I think I remember he was seated and had in his hands a copy of the essay, "Common Sense."

Recently, I came across a copy of "Common Sense " and the words have not lost any of their value in the 240-plus years since they were published. "These are the times that try men's souls, the summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered: yet we have the consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. 'Tis the business of little minds to shrink; but he whose heart is firm, and whose conscience approves his conduct, will pursue his principles unto death."

Sadly, there is a battle being waged but not with guns. It's for the integrity of our beautiful country. I read somewhere that integrity means being whole, unbroken and undivided. It describes a person who has united the different parts of his/her personality, so that there is no longer a split in the soul.

Gandhi said it better. "When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and love always won. There have been tyrants and murderers and for a time they seemed invincible, but in the end, they always fall. They always fall ... think of it, always."

A reminder that the bi-monthly Peace Vigil that usually occurs on the last Sunday of every other month, will take place on Sunday, July 23 from 2-4 p.m. (so as not to interfere with the Porch Fest on the 30th).

It will be from 2-4 p.m. on the corners of Third Street and Soscol Avenue. Not everyone is inclined to stand with us but we are connected in many ways such as positive thoughts and peaceful, loving actions.

Teresa Cahill

Napa
Greatness, greatest and great (all by itself) account for some of the most overused terminology in the world of wine. And for that matter, the same is true when seen as descriptors relating to many other treasured aspects of our lives including art, architecture, music, sports, literature, dining (both the restaurant and its cuisine) etc.

Several weeks ago, I was having a discussion with a group of wine enthusiasts regarding memorable wines weve enjoyed. And then came the question, What would you consider the greatest wine in the world? My answer was simple, It has yet to be produced and probably never will.

When we consider the definition of great (an extent, amount, or intensity considerably above the normal or average) we find it has no objective measurement. So in a subjective context, how can one wine then be universally considered the greatest of all?

The true measure of greatness rests in the mind of the beholder. We all have our own interpretation based on personal history and experience. Some wine fans may turn to the experts and their critical scoring models for a bit of insight and opinion, but that doesnt address the question: Is that wine really great, let alone the greatest?

According to New York Times Chief Wine Critic Eric Asimov in his keynote address to the recent Unified Wine & Grape Symposium and reported by Eric Stern in the April 2017 Wine Business Monthly: Wine scores are not very useful. They unfairly deprecate the wines that score less than 90 points and dont really help people to understand or enjoy wine more. Asimov then expanded on his thoughts regarding wines emotional vs. rational response, By permitting consumers to indulge their own enthusiasms they can eliminate the need for authorities like me. Bravo Mr. Asimov!

Greatness in wine, as in other facets of our lives, is somewhat arbitrary, will vary by our personal experiences and change greatly over time. On a hot summer day, a chilled glass of dry riesling may be considered great as will a glass of Port in front of the fire on a cold winters night. This may be the personal side of greatness.

A great wine (and many do exist both young and old) must exemplify the common qualities of a seamless expression of balance and structure from its aromatic impression on the nose to defined flavor and textural components on the palate and following through with a lingering finish that leaves you wanting another glass. Regardless of the grape variety or growing area, a great wine must exhibit a sense of breed and character (not necessarily perfection) that elicits emotion, drawing you into the glass while peaking your curiosity of whats to come with the next sip.

Quite often in todays expanding wine market, we encounter greatness where least expected. We need only look to the previously little known whites and reds from Italy, Spain, Portugal, Greece, less-famous regions of France and other areas of the New and Old Worlds. Sparklers from outside of Champagne are another example as is the wave of Roses in all shades of pink from the historic areas of Provence, Tavel and other previously unexploited growing areas around the world.

The revelation found with these little known but great wines captures the imagination and leads me to search for others exhibiting the same level of surprise and admiration. Matt Kramer, Wine Spectator contributor, summed it up on his June 20 winespectator.com post that ...these very wines are actually greater than the so-called great wines, if only because they are so unexpectedly over achieving.

When enjoying some of the worlds most heralded wines we expect greatness. But we are often disappointed if those expectations fall short; just as we are surprised at how some of the lesser known wines capture our senses and deliver a new dimension of something great.

True greatness cannot be expressed by a high price tag or a critics score but rather must be based on our own experience and impression of what is exhibited in our glass. Personal taste ultimately determines our impression of whether a certain wine is great regardless of the opinion of others.

Share your experiences with other readers by commenting on this article at napavalleyregister.com/wine-exchange or email me at allenbalik@savorlifethroughwine.com.
Madeira is an historical island off the coast of Portugal. Its history as a traditional wine-producing region dates to the 15th century. Documents show that it was the wine enjoyed by Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, Benjamin Franklin and John Adams. The Founding Fathers toasted with Madeira during the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776.

The island of Madeira is not large. It is 35 miles long and 14 miles wide with an approximate population of 260,000. There are only a small number of producers on the island, half of which have existed for more than 200 years [Pereira dOliveira (1820), Henriques & Henriques (1850), Justinos (1870), HM Borges (1877)]. The other producers are 70-100 years old [Madeira Wine Company (1913), Barbeito (1946), J. Faria & Filhos (1949)].

A volcanic subtropical island with mountainous terrain and an oceanic climate with tropical influences, it is not an easy place to grow grapes. And change is not something typical for the region.

But, in 2013, Madeira Vintners, a new Madeira producer, was founded. This is the first new producer on the island since 1946. But what also makes Madeira Vintners all the more unique is that it is the Islands first all-female team.

Madeira Vintners was founded and funded by the Cooperativa Agricola do Funchal (CAF), a 19,000-member cooperative founded in 1951 and an integral part of the Islands agro-economic development. Madeira Vintners, however, is not a cooperative. They own some vineyards, which are new, and purchase grapes from some of the islands best growers.

At the head of Madeira Vintners is Lisandra Goncalves, a young enologist who was born in Madeira and received her degree in enology in Portugal. After internships in Algarve and Alentejo in Portugal, she spent two months in New Zealand. Upon completion of school, she worked in Tunim in France and returned to New Zealand before receiving a call to come home to Madeira.

Goncalves has been the winemaker at Madeira Vintners for two years. She is young and still has a lot to learn, but has found the experience open and welcoming. Despite 500-plus years of producing wine and being one of the oldest wine regions in the world, Madeira seems to be more progressive than many other regions. Less generationally driven by patriarchal lines, Madeira seems to be open to age and gender, explained Dale Sparks, founder of 220 Imports who imports Madeira Vintners into the U.S.

Last year, Goncalves and her team realized that they were all women, 10 in total, including the agronomists, general manager, financial manager and marketing, sales and promotions team.

Because Madeira Vintners is new, one of the challenges is not having an old inventory of wines to work with, as Madeira is traditionally a blend of vintages. But Goncalves wants to do something different, something new. Madeira in itself is something different, Goncalves said. The biggest challenge is to make something different from what people expect. Not something completely out of the box, but different and I think people will like it.

At Madeira Vintners, Goncalves is a solar-powered winery at hand and works with growers who have an organic focus. To keep the wines as natural as possible, she does not use any caramel additives, resulting in wines that are lighter in color than other Madeira wines. Goncalves is making Madeira the same way as others, using estufa, a stainless-steel vat that heats the wine by circulating hot water in a jacket surrounding the tank, as well as American and French Oak. By law, the wine is heated to a temperature between 45-50 degrees Celsius, and Goncalves slowly increases the temperature two degrees each day up to a maximum of 45 degrees over a two-month period. She is also keeping all of her wines at 17 percent alcohol, the minimum required level in Madeira.

Madeira Vintners currently has four wines released. Each of the wines are three-year blends and there is Dry, Medium Dry, Medium Sweet and Sweet.

Madeira Vintners Dry (sugar 54 g/l, acidity 5.2 gr/l)  Golden amber color, the wine has notes of dry fruit, orange peel and honey, with a mouth-watering finish that hits the back of the palate and lingers.

Madeira Vintners Medium Dry (sugar 73 g/l, acidity 5.94 g/l)  A soft amber color, this wine has notes of tangerine, orange, nuts and dry figs and has a long finish that sits in mid palate.

Madeira Vintners Medium Sweet (sugar 94 g/l, acidity 5.94 g/l)  With aromas of orange peel and citrus, this wine is bright and rich on the front palate.

Madeira Vintners Sweet (sugar 116 g/l, acidity 5.58 g/l)  A slightly darker color than the other wines, the searing, linear acidity cuts through the sugar of this wine and the result is pure deliciousness.

Madeira Vintners may be young but they are energizing the Madeira category. If you are a fan of Madeira already, these wines may not be what you are expecting but they are quite tasty. And, the wines all retail for $20, an amazing value. Pick up a few bottles and see how well Madeira pairs with seafood, meats, nuts, cheeses and desserts.
Anna Beanie Little Eric Michelle Nicholas Sisters Anna and Michelle , and their brothers Beanie , Little Eric , and Nicholas , are very affectionate babies who love giving you kisses. We rescued their pregnant mother, a Cocker Spaniel named Mary Poppins from a government-funded shelter. She had reportedly been bred with a Scottish Terrier. We placed Mary Poppins in a loving foster home and she gave birth to these five angels and raised them there. Mary Poppins is going to be adopted by her foster family. Her puppies are now 3 months of age, spayed/neutered, and ready for adoption. Please carefully puppy-proof your home and yard for their safety and protection.
Fast facts: Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship Program at Emory Who may apply?  Rising juniors in Emory College (and from Oxford College) with a 3.2 preferred minimum GPA  Study in one of many designated disciplines  Commitment to increasing presence of underrepresented groups in the academy  Serious interest in pursuing graduate studies leading to a PhD Benefits:  Stipend each academic year for conducting a research project  Rising seniors receive summer funding toward research project development  Financial support toward GRE prep, attending scholarly conferences  Ongoing mentoring, research support and professional guidance from faculty, coordinators and graduate students  Fellows who enroll in PhD programs up to 39 months after receiving a bachelor of arts degree are eligible for loan forgiveness program  Opportunity to participate in additional affiliate undergraduate programs For more information, or to learn how to apply for next years MMUF cohort, visit the Mellon Mays Graduate Fellowship Program website.

How do you grow a professor?

At Emory this summer, undergraduate scholars are finding out how it all begins through the UNCF/Mellon Summer Institute, also known as academic boot camp  an immersive four-week program designed to introduce students to life as an academic and sharpen their research skills.

The program also marks the formal point of entry into the Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship Program (MMUF), the centerpiece of the Andrew W. Mellon Foundations initiatives intended to increase faculty diversity at colleges and universities.

In June, Emory hosted 31 MMUF fellows from UNCF (United Negro College Fund) institutions across the nation and South Africa, including five rising juniors at Emory College of Arts and Sciences, in a rigorous living and learning environment.

Created by the late Emory professor Rudolph Byrd, the summer institutes aim is to help grow the number of underrepresented minority scholars  and those dedicated to eradicating racial disparities  within the academy, says Dianne Stewart, associate professor of religious studies, who co-directs the MMUF program at Emory with Carol Anderson, Charles Howard Candler Professor and Chair of African American Studies in Emory College.

Since the MMUF programs inception in 1988, a total of 716 Mellon Fellows from across the nation have earned PhDs, 106 of whom began their journey at Emorys summer institute. This fall, 20 MMUF scholars who participated in the summer institute will be enrolled in PhD programs. Emorys MMUF program alone has produced seven PhD graduates so far.

Yet throughout the academy, the numbers remain strikingly low, Stewart notes.

According to a report by the National Center for Educational Statistics, in fall 2015, among full-time faculty at degree-granting postsecondary institutions, black males and females accounted for about 3 percent each; Hispanic males and females comprised about 2 percent; and American Indian/Alaskan natives made up less than 1 percent.

Together, the three groups of concern are still under 10 percent, Stewart says. But we absolutely know when there are programs that offer mentorship, funding and support to assist students through the process of education, they can fly.

Academic reality check

The summer institute offers an important reality check for exactly what the path to academic success will entail, Stewart explains.

Mellon fellows attend lectures and seminars on topics such as research design, preparing for graduate school, the art and philosophy of teaching, and achieving professional balance. They also engage in weekly writing critiques, creating a prospectus that forms the foundation for a two-year research project with faculty mentors. The month-long summer program concluded at the end of June with micro-teaching sessions for students to present their research, followed by a final banquet, which the students planned and hosted.

We call it an academic boot camp because were trying to provide a firm foundation for these students as they begin the first step in their journey of completing their undergraduate degrees as MMUF fellows and going on to graduate school to obtain their PhDs, says Cynthia Neal Spence, associate professor of sociology at Spelman College and director of the UNCF/Mellon programs.

Were so pleased to be able to host a summer institute at Emory, she adds. Its a major research university with wonderful library resources and were able to house everyone together, so our fellows know what its like to live in a community of scholars.

By helping forge a supportive intellectual community, the institute nurtures bonds across institutions and disciplines, says historian Leroy Davis, associate professor of African American studies in Emory College and UNCF/Mellon Summer Institute director.

He notes that under Byrds early leadership, the UNCF/Mellon Summer Institute became a major component of Emorys Department of African American Studies research outreach initiatives.

There is a camaraderie these students will experience this summer that will not be matched by any other organizational affiliation, he says. The institute brings everyone together in a safe space to talk about a lot of issues they may not feel as comfortable talking about in other spaces.

Nurturing a passion for scholarship

When Camila Reed-Guevara arrived at Emory two years ago, she took an introduction to classics course on a whim. It proved to be a game-changer.

I read The Iliad for the first time," she recalls, "and saw all these connections with modern times that I have never really considered before, and thought, This is for me.

But becoming a professor?

I hadnt thought a lot about academia as a profession, she says. But I began to love my major so much that I thought I never want to finish this  I want to read and learn and teach.

Serving as a Mellon Fellow at Emory and attending the summer institute opened her eyes to that possibility. Theyve shown us that it will be a long road, and its not for the faint of heart, but I really do believe that education is one of the best ways to change society, and being on the front lines of education is one of the best ways to do that, she says.

Reed-Guevara especially appreciated a candid roundtable discussion amongst MMUF Fellows  including several Emory graduates  that explored experiences of completing doctoral dissertations, finding academic employment, navigating campus politics, and balancing the demands of personal and professional lives.

It definitely cemented the idea that this is something you have to be dedicated to, she says. But the people who are true heroes in our society are often those whove dedicated their lives to something. This is a way to dedicate my life to something that will be valuable.

And though the summer schedule has been demanding  theyre in classes, seminars or work sessions about six hours a day  Reed-Guevara, who hails from Salt Lake City, Utah, says the time spent on a research prospectus has been invaluable.

It will become my senior thesis, she says of her research into how the writings of the Roman philosopher Seneca the Younger inform modern education. In fact, Reed-Guevara now heads to Spain, where she will conduct archival research on the subject  travel funded through the MMUF program. Its going to be really helpful to have started my research so early and to have so much writing done, she says.

Putting dreams within reach

For most of her life, Mawuko Kpodo planned to be a lawyer.

Even as a child, thats what I would talk about, says Kpodo, whose friends call her Momo. It wasnt until I took my first anthropology class my first semester at Oxford College that I started thinking about what else was out there.

As far as creating a world better than what I see around me now, I felt I could do more with my time and talents in the academy, she says. I still may go to law school, but I love the Mellon program because it understands the value of voices that havent been included, which bring a wealth of ideas and knowledge.

While Kpodo, a native of Ghana whose family lives in Loganville, Georgia, acknowledges the intensity of the summer institute, the Emory MMUF scholar finds something invigorating about being with a group of peers so passionate about the scholarship they are doing.

Inspired by a memoir course that she took with Oxford College lecturer Stacy Bell, herself a 1987 Oxford graduate, Kpodo has chosen to research issues of incarcerated women.

Working from philosopher Michel Foucaults ideas about modern disciplinary societies and their power, shes now studying the ways social control is made evident in prison and is tracing the lineage of those forces in larger society.

My topic wasnt as complex when I first came into the program a few weeks ago, Kpodo laughs. But now my research has so many different moving parts and theories  but in a good, complicated way.

Before the program, I would try to imagine myself as an anthropology professor, she says. But Mellon has made it real and made it possible, like its not a pipe dream. And thats invaluable.
Posted by Mark Williams | May 12, 2015

Vehicles Affected: Approximately 8,900 model-year 2015 Ford F-150 pickup trucks built from March 19 to 21, 2015, at the Kansas City Assembly Plant in Missouri and from March 21 to 30, 2015, at the Dearborn Truck Plant in Michigan

The Problem: The upper I-shaft of the steering column may have been riveted and attached improperly, potentially causing it to separate. If that happens it could result in sudden loss of control, increasing the risk of a crash.

The Fix: Dealers will inspect the I-shaft and replace it if necessary at no cost to the owner. Ford is not aware of any accidents or injuries related to this issue but is aware of one report of loss of steering believed to be related to it.

What Owners Should Do: Ford is notifying owners immediately through the mail, but owners can get more information by calling Ford at 866-436-7332 or contacting the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration at 888-327-4236.

Need to Find a Dealer for Service? Go to Cars.com Service & Repair to find your local dealer.

Manufacturer image
19:55

Senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal today said the GST was 'goodbye to simple tax' and not a 'good and simple tax' as described by the prime minister, stressing that it was good for the government and bad for the common

man.

He said the advent of the GST had hit business hard, and small and medium traders across the country were facing harassment.

"The prime minister said this is a good and simple tax, our take on that is that it is a goodbye to a simple tax.

"The idea behind the GST is to have a simple tax which the UPA government also wanted. Here it is good for government and bad for the simple man," Sibal told reporters.

Training his guns on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he said, "Whenever this government has taken a big step that changes the basic economic structure of the country, the people are upset and the prime minister travels abroad."

Sibal claimed "the launch of a multilateral GST was for the rich, by the rich and of the rich" and was against the interests of the poor and small traders who were facing anxious times due to unpreparedness of the government.

He said the Congress would press for the GST legislation as earlier envisaged by it and that will happen when its government comes to power at the Centre.

The former Union minister said the GST was not a one-nation-one-tax regime. He said it was painful that the state governments were entitled to levy municipal tax over and above the GST, as had happened in Tamil Nadu in the case of cinemas which was the only entertainment for the common man.

He also talked about Maharashtra imposing a 2 per cent tax on registration of new cars.

Citing a media report, he said private investment in India today was the lowest since 1992 according to the data of 1,000 non-financial firms.

"This is because of the economic situation which has brought the private sector to its knees and sapped the wherewithal to make that investment. They have taken data of 1,000 non financial private sector firms.
Photo taken on June 19, 2017 shows the Soubre hydroelectric power station near the city of Soubre in Cote d'Ivoire. (Xinhua)

ABIDJAN, July 1 (Xinhua) -- A ceremony was held Friday in Cote d'Ivoire to officially mark the initiation of electricity generation at Soubre hydroelectric power station, which was built by a Chinese company.

Amadou Gon Coulibaly, prime minister of Cote d'Ivoire, attended the event and spoke highly of the cordial cooperation between the the two countries.

He said that the government of Cote d'Ivoire was satisfied with the quality of the project, expressing thanks for the diligence of the workers from both countries.

Launched in February 2013, the project started generating electricity on May 25, about eight months ahead of schedule, according to the constructor Sinohydro Corporation Limited, which is under PowerChina.

Chinese Ambassador to Cote d'lvoire Tang Weibin said the completion of the power station would greatly improve the power supply in the country, providing solid foundation for the industries, including mining, in the country to develop and injecting vitality into its socioeconomic development in the long run.

"The project also laid foundation for China and Cote d'Ivoire to strengthen their cooperation," said Tang, who described the power station as an benchmark achievement of the bilateral cooperation.

The power station have won applause from international experts. The hydroelectric project is "of high quality," said Alexis Tesson, a design engineer with Tractebel Engineering.

Tesson has been working on site for about three years and is in charge of quality control. He applauded the "China speed" displayed in the construction of the power station.

With an installed capacity of 275 MW, the 4.5-km-long Soubre dam is the largest of its kind by far in the western African country.

The cost of the project is about 572 million U.S. dollars, of which 85 percent percent is financed by China and 15 percent by Cote d'Ivoire.

The construction of the power station has generated thousands of jobs and is expected to improve people's lives in the country.

According to the government of Cote d'lvoire, part of the electricity produced in the country is supplied to Ghana, Togo, Benin, Burkina Faso, Mali, Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-06 18:05:44|Editor: Yamei

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JALALABAD, Afghanistan, July 6 (Xinhua) -- Fourteen civilians were injured in a mortar shelling attack in Afghanistan's eastern province of Nangarhar on Thursday, a local official said.

"A mortar shell fired by militants struck a populated area in Ghani Khel district early Thursday morning, wounding 14 innocent civilians," provincial government spokesman Attahullah Khogyani told Xinhua.

Six of the injured, who suffered serious wounds, were shifted by security forces to a regional hospital in provincial capital Jalalabad to receive intensive medical treatment, the spokesman added.

He blamed Taliban militant group for the attack in the province, 120 km east of Kabul.

The attack came as the war-weary Afghans have been witnessing a surge in attacks by Taliban fighters and Islamic State (IS) affiliates across the country recently.

About 715 civilians were killed and over 1,460 others injured in conflict-related incidents across Afghanistan in the first three months of the year, according to figures released by the United Nations mission in the country.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-06 18:41:10|Editor: Song Lifang

Syrian soldiers check the site of the bomb attack in Hama, Syria, on July 6, 2017. At least three people were killed and nine others wounded on Thursday when a suicide bomber attacked a bus station in the central city of Hama, state news agency SANA reported. (Xinhua/Ammar Safarjalani)

DAMASCUS, July 6 (Xinhua) -- At least three people were killed and nine others wounded on Thursday when a suicide bomber attacked a bus station in the central city of Hama, state news agency SANA reported.

The bomber detonated his explosive vest in the western bus station in Hama, said the report, adding that some of the wounded are in critical conditions.

The bus station is also adjacent to a popular marketplace in the city.

Hama city is one of the few areas that didn't witness much violence during the country's long-running war, except for its countryside, where battles are incessant.

A day earlier, Russian warplanes struck very important positions of the Islamic State in the Akairabat area in the northern countryside of Hama, including weapon depots and command centers.
Libyan military spokesman Ahmed al-Mesmary speaks at a press conference in Cairo, Egypt, on July 4, 2017. Libyan military spokesman Ahmed al-Mesmary on Tuesday accusedQatar, Sudan and Turkey of supporting terrorism in the conflict-torn Arab country. (Xinhua Photo)

CAIRO/DOHA, July 6 (Xinhua) -- The month-long standoff between Qatar and a bloc of Arab countries led by Saudi Arabia is to continue despite intensified diplomatic activity to resolve it.

After a meeting in Cairo Wednesday, foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain and Egypt expressed regret over Qatar's "negative" response to their ultimatum issued two days ago.

They said the blockade imposed on Qatar would continue until Doha reverses its course, while indicating that they would take further steps in "a timely manner."

Analysts said that, despite the latest diplomatic efforts, the prospect for quickly resolving the crisis remains dim.

Though the Saudi-led alliance's response was milder than previously expected, the standoff could still escalate if the United States is unwilling to strongly get involved in meditating the crisis.

MILDER RESPONSE FROM SAUDI-LED BLOC

Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry told a news conference in Cairo Wednesday after the four-nation foreign ministers' meeting that Qatar's response to their demands was "generally negative" as it lacks content.

Doha's response reflected its failure to realize the gravity of the situation, and does not provide a basis for Qatar to retreat from its policies, Shoukry said.

The Saudi-led alliance cut their diplomatic ties with Qatar in early June, accusing Doha of supporting terrorism, interfering in their domestic affairs and cultivating close ties with Iran, a Saudi rival. Doha has strongly denied the accusations.

Those countries also imposed sanctions on Qatar, by cutting off their air, sea and land links to the gas-rich tiny Gulf nation.

The four countries issued a list of 13 demands later last month to Qatar urging change of its policies, including closing Al-Jazeera TV, cutting diplomatic ties with Iran and ending its support to terrorism.

They gave Qatar another 48 hours to respond to their demands after a 10-day deadline expired on Sunday. Kuwait, which is not part of the bloc, relayed Qatar's response to the four countries on Tuesday, a day after Qatar's Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani visited Kuwait.

It was not disclosed what is in Qatar's response, but it was nearly impossible for it to fully comply with the 13 demands.

But the Saudi-led bloc's response was much milder than expected, as it refrained from raising the tone of criticism about Doha and making further threats to widen the blockade.

On Wednesday, German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel concluded his three-nation tour to Qatar, UAE and Kuwait, in an attempt to mediate Doha's disputes with its neighbors.

Gabriel said there are sufficient possibilities to defuse the situation, while pressing for joint regional efforts against terror financing.

Analysts said that the Saudi-led bloc's restraint was based on two reasons. First, they need more time to further study Qatar's response and coordinate their position.

Second, the bloc needs to consult with the United States first, which hopes to calm down the situation, before making decisions on the next steps. The four foreign ministers agreed on Wednesday to hold another meeting in Bahrain soon.

Many believed that the measured response from the Saudi-led alliance was largely a result of pressure from the United States.

On Wednesday, U.S. President Donald Trump held a phone talk with his Egyptian counterpart Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi, the host of the four-nation foreign ministerial meeting, to discuss the Qatari crisis.

Trump highlighted the need for "constructive negotiation" between Qatar and its Arab neighbors, while calling on all the countries to follow their commitments to stopping financing terrorists and discrediting extremist ideology.

Mohamed Hussein, a professor of political science at the Cairo University, said Trump has not toned down criticism of Qatar for financing terrorism, while calling for talks to resolve the crisis.

Washington, which has a military base in Qatar to launch counter-terrorism operations, intends to benefit from the division among Gulf nations, while hoping to contain the current standoff from worsening to damage its interests, Hussein said.

POSSIBLE TO TOUGHEN BLOCKADE ON QATAR

Though the four Arab nations did not announce new sanctions on Wednesday, still they could strengthen the blockade on Doha, politically and economically, analysts said.

Hussein said the measures that could be taken by the Saudi-led bloc include freezing Qatar's membership of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and Arab League, two major organizations of Arab countries, and imposing sanctions on certain Qatari companies and individuals.

But tightening sanctions on Qatar could backfire politically and economically. Qatar could be pushed closer to Iran and Turkey, which have publicly sided with Doha in the latest standoff. But both Saudi Arabia and Egypt do not want to see Tehran and Ankara involved in Arab affairs.

Economically, as Qatar and its neighboring countries have close trade and economic relations, the Saudi-led alliance's blockade on Qatar would have negative repercussions on themselves. So they will be very careful in deciding on further economic sanctions on Doha.

Hussein also downplayed the possibility of resorting to the military option to resolve the crisis, citing Saudi Arabia and the UAE are deeply involved in the fighting in Yemen, while Egypt is facing increased threat of terrorism.

"As for a war, it is unlikely for several reasons. A war cannot start except through Egypt, and Egypt will not risk waging a war," he said.

QATAR'S POSSIBLE COUNTER MEASURES

Analysts said that three of the 13 demands put forward by the Saudi-led bloc would be very difficult for Qatar to accept, namely closing the Al-Jazeera TV station and affiliated channels, cutting off ties with the Taliban in Afghanistan and Hamas movement in Gaza Strip, and stopping financial support to extremists.

Hussein said those demands are "hasty, exaggerated, tough and provocative," so that Qatar will not back down because it is humiliating and even related to the issue of sovereignty.

He said these countries should detail their accusations against Qatar and hold talks to discuss them before making the decision to cut off diplomatic ties.

Learning a lesson from the crisis, Qatar could revise its grand goals of becoming a great nation in terms of influence in diplomacy, media and sports, which are regarded by many as unproportionate to its size and power.

But as a super-rich nation, Qatar has enough wealth and confidence to hold some of its ground, analysts said.

Owning the third largest natural gas reserve in the world, Qatar could use it to counter the pressure from Saudi Arabia. It has decided to increase sharply the natural gas production by 30 percent by 2024.

Abdullah Saleh Badr, professor of economics at the Qatar University, told Xinhua that Qatar's increased gas export could have huge impact on the global oil and gas market and heighten pressure on Saudi Arabia and other Gulf nations, which have already reduced their output to contain a price slide.

As part of its counter measures, Doha could also forge closer ties with Iran, Iraq and Turkey to stand up to the Saudi-led bloc. It is also possible that Doha quits the GCC in protest.

Hussein criticized Western countries, including the U.S., Germany and Britain, for their role in the Qatari crisis.

"They play on both sides. They want the crisis to prolong so they can play the mediation-and-pressure role and make benefits," Hussein said.

"This is why the crisis does not seem to be resolved very soon," he added.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-07 02:32:19|Editor: yan

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ROME, July 6 (Xinhua) -- African and EU foreign ministers have agreed on a new scheme to manage migration, the Italian foreign ministry announced at the close of an Italy-chaired conference here on Thursday.

Participants have agreed that the way forward is to provide legal alternatives for people who turn to human traffickers, to make it easier for people to return to their homelands, and to enhance border controls.

The new scheme expected to go into effect in February 2018 includes measures to "assist migrants and refugees in transit countries" and to improve "existing channels of regular migration," according to the ministers' final declaration tweeted by the Italian foreign ministry.

Under the new scheme, participating countries agreed to back UN refugee agency (UNHCR) "activities to ensure effective and safe access to asylum" and to "provide legal alternatives to onward movements -- including asylum seekers stranded in transit countries -- with the support of the international community."

Measures also include speeding up voluntary returns, swiftly issuing travel documents to people stranded in transit countries in Africa, and giving them assistance in reintegrating into their homelands.

The conference was attended by several African and EU foreign ministers.

Also present were EU foreign affairs chief Federica Mogherini, International Organization for Migration (IOM) chief William Lacy Swing, and the United Nations special representative for international migration Louise Arbour.

Italy faces continuous arrivals of tens of thousands of people fleeing war and famine in Africa and the Middle East via unseaworthy boats run by human traffickers.

Most of the vessels leave from Libya, with Italy as the nearest European landfall on the so-called Central Mediterranean route.

In a bilateral meeting held with Italian Foreign Minister Angelino Alfano prior to the conference, his French counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian said "our action must relate to Libya first and foremost."

In a statement released by the French embassy in Rome after the bilateral meeting, Le Drian said solving the situation in Libya, where two governments are at odds with each other, is "our priority, Europe's priority, not just the priority of Italy and France."

A UNHCR study released Monday found that Libya is by far the preferred jumping off point for refugees and migrants hoping to reach Europe, in spite of the fact that it is particularly unsafe for them.

"The foreign nationals going to Libya are part of mixed migration flows, meaning that people with different backgrounds and motivations travel together along the same routes," UNHCR wrote. "They include refugees, asylum seekers, economic migrants, unaccompanied minors, environmental migrants, victims of trafficking and stranded migrants."

At least 2,030 people have died or gone missing in the attempt to reach Europe so far this year, with the greatest number of fatalities occurring along the Central Mediterranean route through Libya, according to UNHCR.

Thursday's conference came on the heels of a plan to curb migrant arrivals that Italy, France and Germany hammered out on July 3.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-07 02:42:21|Editor: Song Lifang

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WARSAW, July 6 (Xinhua) -- Energy security, the Three Seas Initiative and NATO's role were major issues raised during U.S. President Donald Trump's visit to Poland on Thursday.

Trump arrived in the Polish capital on Wednesday and held a series of events on Thursday, including meetings with Polish President Andrzej Duda.

During a joint press conference held with Duda, Trump confirmed Poland was a U.S. ally and friend and acknowledged the role of NATO in avoiding conflicts. He also praised Poland as one of the few countries fulfilling their financial obligations and commitments and called on NATO countries to bear the adequate costs. He said the West must show "the will to survive."

During the Three Seas summit, Trump underlined U.S. support for the initiative, declared more access to energy markets, fewer barriers and assured that the United States would never use energy to exert pressure on these countries.

The Three Seas Initiative is a joint idea of the presidents of Poland and Croatia, which seeks to strengthen ties among countries between the Black, Baltic and Adriatic Seas. It brings together 12 countries in Central and Eastern Europe as well as the Balkans, including Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Croatia, Slovenia, Bulgaria, Romania and Austria.

During the speech at Krasinskich Square, which wound up Trump's visit to Poland, he stated that Poland and the United States stand side-by-side in mutual defense commitment. Trump also emphasized that strong Poland was "a blessing to a strong Europe, and strong Europe is a blessing to strong West."

He called on Europe to do more to demonstrate that it believes in its future and to invest money to secure its position.

For his part, Polish President Duda thanked his U.S. counterpart for the visit, which he said highlighted the alliance between Poland and the United States. The topics discussed during the meeting of the two leaders included regional security, presence of American soldiers in Poland, tightening economic cooperation and U.S. LNG transports.

Polish Defense Minister Antoni Macierewicz also announced on Thursday morning a deal signed with the United States, concerning the purchase of Patriot missiles.

Meanwhile, a large group of people protested against Trump's climate policy, with the protesters carrying banners saying "global catastrophe","down with Trump" and "there is no planet B".

Greenpeace activists illuminated the Palace of Culture and Science with words "No Trump Yes Paris".

Trump is next headed for Hamburg, Germany, where he will attend the G20 summit.
S-400 surface-to-air missile systems on streets of St. Petersburg, during preparation of Victory Day parade at Palace Square. Russia, St. Petersburg, on May 5, 2016. (Xinhua/SIPA)

MOSCOW, July 6 (Xinhua) -- Russia's newest Kh-101 cruise missiles used in anti-terror strikes in Syria showed a high degree of reliability, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday.

"The application of this missile showed a very high degree of reliability. This is really the most modern weapon, with high-precision and high-power, and a decent range of 4,500 kilometers," Putin told a meeting of the Commission on Military Technical Cooperation of Russia with Foreign States, according to a transcript posted on the Kremlin's website.

Russian strategic Tu-95 missile carriers struck terrorist targets in Syria using Kh-101 cruise missiles from a distance of around 1,000 km, destroying three large stockpiles of weapons and ammunition as well as a terrorist command post on the border of provinces of Hama and Homs, Russia's Defense Ministry said Wednesday.

Putin said that armaments of this level should be at the center of manufacturing of the defense ministry and defense enterprises.

Highlighting the use of Russian weapons in anti-terror fights in Syria, the president underlined the importance of analyzing combat experience in the Middle East country to develop its first-class modern weapons.

"Russian weapons are demonstrating reliability and great opportunities during the anti-terror operation in Syria ... It is necessary to carefully analyze this combat experience both for the modernization of existing systems and for the development of promising types of military products," he said.

The Kh-101 is the latest Russian strategic air-launched cruise missile, manufactured using modern technologies to reduce radar visibility.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-07 03:38:02|Editor: yan

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LILONGWE, July 6 (Xinhua) -- Malawi's President Peter Mutharika on Thursday expressed grief over the stampede at Bingu National Stadium in the country's capital Lilongwe that killed eight people and injured at least 62.

In his condolence statement, Mutharika said the Malawi government would assist in meeting funeral expenses of the deceased eight, seven of whom are children between 7 and 15.

"I want to offer my condolence to the families affected by the tragedy and death of our brothers and sisters at the stadium this morning," he said.

The country's police are yet to issue an official statement on what really caused the stampede.

Eyewitnesses said the stampede happened as a crowd struggled to squeeze through a gate into the stadium, where the main event marking the celebrations was to take place with the country's President Peter Mutharika as guest of honor.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-07 03:53:09|Editor: yan

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CAPE TOWN, July 6 (Xinhua) -- South African Parliament on Thursday refuted a ruling by the International Criminal Court (ICC) that the country had failed in its duty to arrest Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir when he was in the country.

The ICC on Thursday ruled that South Africa had a duty to arrest Bashir in June 2015 when he was attending an African Union Summit in Johannesburg and surrender him to the ICC.

Parliament's Portfolio Committee on International Relations and Cooperation has noted the ICC ruling on the matter, Committee Chairperson Siphosezwe Masango said.

"We should remember that President Al-Bashir did not visit South Africa on an invitation from government, but was attending an African Union summit. He therefore enjoyed immunity like any other head of state," Masango said.

The principles of diplomatic immunity applied in this matter, he stressed.

The committee remains convinced that South Africa acted in the best interests of African states and her people by not arresting a sitting head of state, said Masango.

If the ICC ruling is insistent that South Africa must have arrested the president of Sudan, then that is justification enough for the South African government to leave the ICC "as a matter of urgency," Masango said.

"South Africa ought to have been treated like the United Nations where presidents attend important meetings in the United States and can not be arrested while on those assignments," he said.

Nelson Kgwete, spokesperson of the Department of International Relations and Cooperation, said the South African government will seek legal opinions on available options regarding the dispute.

"In the meantime, South Africa reiterates its total commitment to the principles of international justice," Kgwete said.

Also on Thursday, the opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) welcomed the ruling, saying it "is an indictment" on the government led by the African National Congress (ANC).

"This judgement reiterates what the DA has long held -- that the actions of the ANC-led government in June 2015 showed a disregard for the rule of law and for the principle of justice," the DA said.

South Africa rejected an ICC request to arrest Bashir when he was attending the 25th AU Summit in Johannesburg in June, 2015. Bashir is wanted by the ICC for alleged anti-humanity crimes.

The South African government argues that in addition to complying with its obligations to the ICC, the country has obligations to the AU, which rules that no organization can arrest any sitting head of state in African countries.

In October last year, the government announced that it had begun the process of withdrawing from the ICC.

But later the government revoked its intent to withdraw from the ICC after the High Court in Pretoria ruled that the government's move to withdraw from the ICC was "unconstitutional and invalid without prior Parliament's approval."
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-07 04:33:36|Editor: An

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Chinese President Xi Jinping (L) meets with Hamburg's mayor Olaf Scholz in Hamburg, Germany, July 6, 2017. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi)

HAMBURG, Germany, July 6 (Xinhua) -- China welcomes Hamburg to participate in the Belt and Road Initiative and stands ready to strengthen pragmatic cooperation with this major German port city to help boost the relations between the two countries, Chinese President Xi Jinping said here Thursday.

Xi made the remarks while meeting with Hamburg Mayor Olaf Scholz ahead of the annual summit of the Group of Twenty (G20) major economies scheduled for July 7-8 in the northern German city. Xi arrived here Thursday noon from Berlin after paying a state visit to Germany. He was received by Mayor Scholz at the airport.

Xi said that Hamburg in history was one of the earliest European cities that started cooperation with China, and it is today an important bridgehead in China-Germany and China-Europe cooperation, which gathers most Chinese-funded businesses in Germany and even in Europe at large.

Hamburg enjoys a unique geographical advantage in Asia-Europe connectivity and the Belt and Road Initiative as it is not only an important port along the China-Europe Maritime Silk Road but also an important terminal for China-Europe freight trains, the president said.

China appreciates Mayor Scholz's remarks on multiple occasions that Hamburg is always open to Chinese businesses, Xi said.

China supports Germany in hosting a successful G20 summit and hopes more positive outcomes can be achieved on the basis of last year's summit in Hangzhou, China, and a "Hamburg hallmark" can be left on global economic governance.

Scholz said that Hamburg has an outstanding position in Germany-China and Europe-China trade, and the city supports the Belt and Road Initiative and is willing to participate in cooperation in this regard.

Hamburg will increase cooperation with China in various areas, thus contributing to the relations between Germany and China, and between Europe and China, he added.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-07 05:19:17|Editor: Song Lifang

Missile force of Korean People's Army attend a military parade in central Pyongyang, April 15, 2017. The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Saturday showcased its military muscles by parading all of its most-advanced ballistic and tactic missiles, including a submarine-launched ballistic missile which could strike targets 1000 km away. (Xinhua/Cheng Dayu)

WASHINGTON, July 6 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said on Thursday that the launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) does not bring the United States and the DPRK "closer to war."

"I do not believe this capability in itself brings us closer to war because the president's been very clear, the secretary of State's been very clear, that we are leading with diplomatic and economic efforts," said Mattis to reporters at the Pentagon.

While stressing that the United States remains "in a diplomatic effort engaging allies and partner nations across the board," Mattis said that the U.S. military stands ready to provide options if they are necessary.

Mattis' remarks came hours after U.S. President Donald Trump said at a press conference earlier Thursday in Warsaw, Poland, that he was considering "pretty severe" responses to the DPRK's ICBM test.

Trump did not mention what "pretty severe" responses could be. However, in the past months, Mattis warned on several occasions that a conflict on the Korean Peninsula would be "the worst kind of fighting" in most people's lifetimes, and that military solution to the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue would be "tragic on an unbelievable scale."
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-07 05:19:19|Editor: yan

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PRAGUE, July 6 (Xinhua) -- The Czech Republic proposes to provide up to 800,000 euros in support of EU activities in Libya, and also promises to send police to Italy, the Interior Ministry said on its website on Thursday.

The Ministry said that the migrant pressure in the Mediterranean is enormous, which affects mainly Italy. The Czech Republic is aware of this serious and complex situation, and Interior Minister Milan Chovanec expressed his support to his Italian counterpart Marcus Minniti, and offered him concrete help.

Chovanec wrote about the proposals in a letter to Minniti. In the letter, Chovanec said the Czech Republic will continue to help Italy in the hotspots to return illegal migrants and is also prepared to send the necessary number of police officers to Italy.

Among other things, the Czech Republic is prepared to increase the financial contribution of up to 800,000 euros to support the activities of the EU in Libya aimed to lower the influx of migrants from Libya to the EU.

However, Chovanec continues to reject the redistribution of refugees based on quotas, saying the quota system is totally non-functional.

Minniti called on European countries on Sunday to open their ports to boats saving migrants in the Mediterranean and so ease Italy's situation. (1 euro = 1.14 U.S. dollars)
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-07 05:24:25|Editor: yan

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MAPUTO, July 6 (Xinhua) -- President of Mozambique Filipe Nyusi issued a message of condolence on Thursday to the Chinese president, the government and its people following a landslide that killed more than 100 people late in June.

"It was with deep sorrow that I learned about the landslide in Sichuan province killing more than 100 people and leaving thousand injured, causing destruction to social and economic infrastructures," reads the presidency message.

"In the name of Mozambican people, the government of Mozambique and my own, I would like to express our deepest sorrow and solidarity to your excellence and through you extend them to the friendly people and the government of the People's Republic of China," the message said.

The president also expressed his profound feelings to the families of the victims and wished the injured to recover soon.
Missile force of Korean People's Army attend a military parade in central Pyongyang, April 15, 2017. The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Saturday showcased its military muscles by parading all of its most-advanced ballistic and tactic missiles, including a submarine-launched ballistic missile which could strike targets 1000 km away. (Xinhua/Cheng Dayu)

WASHINGTON, July 6 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said on Thursday that the launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) does not bring the United States and the DPRK "closer to war."

"I do not believe this capability in itself brings us closer to war because the president's been very clear, the secretary of State's been very clear, that we are leading with diplomatic and economic efforts," said Mattis to reporters at the Pentagon.

While stressing that the United States remains "in a diplomatic effort engaging allies and partner nations across the board," Mattis said that the U.S. military stands ready to provide options if they are necessary.

Mattis'remarks came hours after U.S. President Donald Trump said at a press conference earlier Thursday in Warsaw, Poland, that he was considering "pretty severe" responses to the DPRK's ICBM test.

Trump did not mention what "pretty severe" responses could be. However, in the past months, Mattis warned on several occasions that a conflict on the Korean Peninsula would be "the worst kind of fighting" in most people's lifetimes, and that military solution to the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue would be "tragic on an unbelievable scale."
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-07 05:49:43|Editor: yan

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HAMBURG, July 6 (Xinhua) -- Protest in Hamburg resulted in clashes with security forces on Thursday evening, on the eve of the G20 summit to be held here, with several injuries reported.

The anti-globalization "Welcome to Hell" rally kicked off on Thursday afternoon peacefully, but turned into violence in the evening. The police had to use water cannon, pepper sprays and batons to disperse demonstrators.

The police of Hamburg said on its Twitter account that the number of protesters rose to 12,000 in the evening. Police called on all peaceful demonstrators to distance themselves from these violent protesters.

"Violent men equip themselves with scaffolds and stones. We are appalled at the obvious violence," the Hamburg police said. Damages of vehicles were reported at various areas of the city.

In various places in Hamburg, attacks on emergency personnel and property damage were reported, the Hamburg police said on twitter, adding a total of 15 policemen were injured and three of them must be treated in hospital.

The n-tv quoted Andreas Blechschmidt, a co-organizer of "Welcome to Hell" demonstration as saying that there were several injured demonstrators, including those injured by the use of police batons.

The n-tv reported late Thursday night that after the demonstration "Welcome to Hell" was dissolved, peaceful demonstration is still going on in several locations in the city.

As of the press time, the march is continuing under a heavy police presence, but remains peaceful for the time being. Meanwhile the police reported new outbreaks of violence by "a large number of masked people." The violence has been directed against cars and shops. En
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-07 06:04:59|Editor: yan

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LONDON, July 6 (Xinhua) -- A museum in the small Yorkshire town of Wakefield was celebrating Thursday after beating the Tate Modern in London to Britain's prestigious Museum of the Year award.

Announcing the winner Wednesday night at the British Museum in London, the director of the Art Fund Stephen Deuchar said the Hepworth Wakefield gallery had been "a powerful force of energy from the moment it opened".

London's Tate Modern, which in the last year has attracted almost 6 million visitors, had also been short-listed for the top prize. Other contenders were the Lapworth Museum of Geology in Birmingham, Sir John Soane's Museum in London and the National Heritage Center for Horseracing and Sporting Art in Suffolk.

The Hepworth Wakefield, which opened six years ago, won a prize worth 130,000 U.S. dollars, but being named Museum of the Year also projects it into the national limelight as an important arts venue.

The gallery is named after the British sculptor Dame Barbara Hepworth who was born in Wakefield and died in 1975. Her work embraced modernism and in particular modern sculpture, earning her recognition as one of the few female artists of her generation to achieve international prominence.

Last year the gallery increased its visitor numbers by 21 percent and also launched its own major new award for British sculpture.

Announcing the award, Deuchar said:"The Hepworth Wakefield has been a powerful force of energy from the moment it opened. The building has proved a perfect stage, both for its collections and a breathtaking sequence of special exhibitions. The Hepworth serves its local community and contributes to regional tourism too... It's the museum everyone would dream of having on their doorstep."

Simon Wallis, the gallery's director said: "It's a great honor that our work throughout our fifth anniversary year has been rewarded by becoming Art Fund Museum of the Year 2017. Something very special is happening in our part of Yorkshire as we've now got two Museums of the Year with our near neighbor Yorkshire Sculpture Park who won it in 2014."
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-07 06:09:58|Editor: yan

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SAN FRANCISCO, July 6 (Xinhua) -- California Governor Jerry Brown said Thursday his state on the U.S. west coast will convene the world's climate leaders for the 2018 Global Climate Action Summit.

"It's up to you and it's up to me and tens of millions of other people to get it together to roll back the forces of carbonization and join together to combat the existential threat of climate change," the gorvernor told his audience at the Global Citizen Festival in Hamburg, Germany, via a video message. "That is why we're having the Climate Action Summit in San Francisco, September 2018."

The announcement came on the eve of the scheduled summit in the northern German city by G20, which includes major economies of the world.

"President Trump is trying to get out of the Paris Agreement, but he doesn't speak for the rest of America," Brown said about the U.S. president's withdrawal from the international agreement on climate change in early June, adding that "we in California and in states all across America believe it's time to act, it's time to join together and that's why at this Climate Action Summit we're going to get it done."

To be held ahead of the 24th United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP 24), the summit in San Francisco, a city in Northern California, will be the first time a U.S. state hosts an international climate change conference with the direct goal of supporting the Paris Agreement.

The event is expected to gather representatives from subnational governments, businesses, investors and civil society to demonstrate the groundswell of innovative, ambitious climate action from leaders worldwide, highlight the economic and environmental transition already underway and spur deeper commitment from all parties.

"We need people that represent the whole world because this is about the whole world and the people who live here," said Brown, who has been building his alliance against cliamte change both within the United States and with other countries around the world. "We have to do something and we can do it."

The announcement, according to a news release from the governor's office, is the product of months of discussions between Brown and Christiana Figueres, former United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Executive Secretary, who encouraged the governor to host a summit in 2018 in California to drive further climate action.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-07 06:25:09|Editor: yan

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WASHINGTON, July 6 (Xinhua) -- Walter M. Shaub Jr. announced his resignation as director of the U.S. Office of Government Ethics on Thursday, nearly six months before the scheduled end of his five-year term.

Shaub has repeatedly challenged U.S. President Donald Trump over his administration's potential ethics violations, and on his Twitter Thursday he said to step down effectively from July 19th.

As director of the ethics watchdog, Shaub has kept urging Trump to divest from his business practices and called out a senior Trump adviser for violating ethics rules.

Though his outspokenness provoked the ire of administration officials, the career civil servant said he was not leaving under pressure during an interview with the Washington Post Thursday.

Shortly after sending out his resignation letter, Shaub re-tweeted a press release published by the Campaign Legal Center, saying that he is set to work as senior at the Washington-based nonprofit legal advocacy group.

"In working with the current administration, it has become clear to me that we need improvements to the existing ethics program," Shaub said in the release.

Responding to Shaub's resignation, White House spokeswoman Lindsay Walters said: "The White House accepts Mr. Shaub's resignation." She added Trump would nominate a successor soon.

An independent agency within the executive branch of the federal government, the ethics office is responsible for promoting and protecting laws intended to prevent conflicts of interest by government officials, but its enforcement authority is limited.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-07 06:30:07|Editor: yan

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PARIS, July 6 (Xinhua) -- A molten metal furnace exploded on Thursday evening in the steel factory Ascometal in Fos-sud-Mer, a southern French town, with two people slightly injured, local media reported.

The explosion, which was not followed by fire, took place around 8:30 p.m. local time, said the radio France bleu.

About 13 people were involved, with two of them slightly injured and the 11 others unharmed, said the journal Le Parisien, quoting firefighters.

These two people were shocked when the explosion occurred, and one of them had a noise impact, added the same source.

According to Jean-Marc Senateur, sub-prefect of Istres who went to the site, "it is a phenomenon of condensation. The explosion is purely accidental."
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-07 06:40:11|Editor: yan

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PARIS, July 6 (Xinhua) -- French Ecology Minister Nicolas Hulot presented to the press here on Thursday the "Climate Plan" of the new government, a program which sets ambitious objectives to "accelerate the implementation of the Paris Agreement and adopt new objectives" to "make France the leader of the green economy."

At the press conference scheduled to present the new climate plan, Hulot first lamented the U.S. withdrawal from the Paris Agreement on climate change as "a regression," "a painful signal," and "a fairly violent message to those, the United States included, who suffer the consequences of a phenomenon which is often the result of a mode of development which is sometimes made at their expense."

"This Climate Plan is not an end in itself. It is a program which will structure itself on the five years of the government's term, a calendar, a spinal column," he said, adding that "It is a plan allowing France to take its role and maintains its leadership," a plan aiming to "accelerate the implementation of the Paris Agreement" and to "render it irreversible" and "revise our ambitions to a higher level" in setting the example, said the minister.

Hulot announced a "perennial energy plan" to begin by the end of 2018. "The finance bill to be unveiled in September will specify certain measures," he added.

The minister confirmed the announcement made by French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday, of the transformation of the Economic, Social and Environmental Council (CESE) into the "Chamber of the Future" to "associate consumers and citizens with the oversight of the Climate Plan thanks to a panel of citizens."

The ecology minister also detailed a series of objectives: "to improve the day-to-day of the French, the day-to-day of their transportation, to accelerate the development of incentives for lower-pollution cars for the least well-off, to eradicate completely energy precariousness within 10 years, to fight against thermal losses..."

He insisted on the importance of "the circular economy which is at the heart of energy transition." "We much change the focus and the software. Each one of us will from now on see our competitive advantage," he added.

Hulot also called to "definitively put an end to fossil fuels."

"France decided to ban all new exploration permits and thus, exploitation of gas, oil... A law will be proposed to Parliament in early autumn," he announced.

The minister mentioned a goal of carbon neutrality on the horizon of 2050. A low carbon strategy will be published in 2018.

He also confirmed the convergence of tax laws on diesel fuel before the end of the government's term, and announced "the end of the sale of diesel cars by 2040."

"We want to make France the leader of the green economy," he said. "To reconcile the economy and ecology," "to support research and innovation," "to make Paris the capital of green finance," "to accelerate the development of renewable energy sources, the principal solution for the future," and other objectives were set out by the minister, while raising the question of agriculture and of support for developing countries.

"The energy revolution is a blessing for world peace," he said. "It will allow us to return fairness to the relationships of geopolitical force."

The financing of the Climate Plan was not presented during the press conference.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-07 06:50:22|Editor: Song Lifang

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HAVANA, July 6 (Xinhua) -- Cuban lawmakers and government officials rejected on Thursday the EU Parliament's "interventionist" stance on human rights while also celebrating the Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement approved by the EU on Wednesday.

Elio Rodriguez, head of European and Canadian relations at the Cuban Ministry of Foreign Affairs, called the adoption of the agreement "positive."

Rodriguez also said Cuba would seek to expand relations with the EU in areas of common interest.

On Wednesday, when the deal was passed, EU lawmaker Elena Valenciano said that "Europe has a great opportunity to demonstrate to the United States...that it is possible to maintain the highest level of expectations on Cuba."

However, the Cuban foreign ministry official slammed the EU for its "unnecessary and interfering...resolution on human rights to ensure that the new bilateral relations will improve the lives of Cubans."

The clause warns that the cooperation agreement will be suspended in case Cuba violates its human rights provisions.

Rodriguez dismissed this as being "harmful to the principles of respect, equality and reciprocity contained in the Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement."
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-07 07:20:35|Editor: Song Lifang

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LOS ANGELES, July 6 (Xinhua) -- Started in Europe a few weeks ago, the "Watermelon Dress" craze is sweeping across America, thanks to Instagram and other social media platforms.

The next question is: whether fashion designers will pick up on the new trend.

"Watermelon" dresses have been summer wear for decades with their bright red color and fringy appeal. But a real watermelon -- as an article of clothing? As ridiculous as that may sound, look on the internet.

Of course, no one is really wearing a watermelon. People are using their smart phones, often taking selfies, then superimposing a slice of watermelon to cover their bodies.

The most common clothing adopted has been a dress, although shirts, pants and undergarments have also been made from the watermelon slices.

ABC News said last week that the "new social media trend" was just in time for the summer, but reviews internationally have been mixed.

"Hard proof that the world is full of people with way too much time on their hands," tweeted Lady Penelope from Gold Coast, Australia.

But the prevailing attitude was adopted by "strawberrisc" from UK.

"I don't know what made me laugh more, the watermelon clothes or the indignant commentators!" she tweeted.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-07 07:45:44|Editor: Song Lifang

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ROME, July 6 (Xinhua) -- The South-South Cooperation is proving an inclusive and cost-effective tool to support the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, FAO Director-General Jose Graziano da Silva said Thursday.

"South-South and Triangular Cooperation offers the possibility of an approach that is not the traditional way followed by donors. It is more horizontal and it is based on the concept of solidarity," the chief of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said.

The director-general made the remarks on the sidelines of the FAO Conference that took stock of the achievements of FAO-China South-South Cooperation Program and sought ways to involve more countries and international organizations in similar partnerships.

The FAO chief praised China's pioneering role as the largest contributor in supporting the program, and thanked the Chinese government for the establishment of the FAO-China South-South Cooperation Trust Fund with a total financial grant of 80 million US dollars.

According to FAO, China is one of the earliest participants of the FAO's South-South Cooperation Program since its establishment over 20 years ago, and China has sent over 1,000 experts and technicians to 26 countries in Africa, Asia, South Pacific, and Latin America and the Caribbean, through FAO's South-South Cooperation Program.

Meanwhile, FAO and China have promoted triangular cooperation with developed countries and other international organizations, to expand partnerships and promote global sharing of agricultural expertise and knowledge, FAO said in a press release on Thursday.
Source: Xinhuanet| 2017-07-07 10:39:09|Editor: ZD

Since the establishment of the first park in California over 60 years ago, Disneyland parks around the world have greeted billions of adults and children.

There are now six Disneyland parks in total, scattering in California, Florida, Paris, Tokyo, Hong Kong and Shanghai.

Disneyland in California

Located in Anaheim, California, it is the first Disneyland ever built. The magical kingdom is divided into eight extravagantly themed landsMain Street, U.S.A., Tomorrowland, Fantasyland, Mickey's Toontown, Frontierland, Critter Country, New Orleans Square and Adventureland.

Opened in 1955, the park makes your wildest dream come true, whether it is sailing with pirates, or meeting fairy-tale princesses.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-07 09:06:14|Editor: An

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A member of the Communist Party of China arranges a flower basket at Lugou Bridge in Beijing, capital of China, July 7, 2013. China was the first nation to fight against fascist forces. The struggle started on September 18, 1931, when Japanese troops began their invasion of northeast China. It was intensified when Japan's full-scale invasion began after a crucial access point to Beijing, Lugou Bridge, also known as Marco Polo Bridge, was attacked by Japanese troops on July 7, 1937. (Xinhua)

by Xinhua writer Deng Xianlai

BEIJING, July 7 (Xinhua) -- Friday marks the 80th anniversary of the "July 7 Incident" that triggered Japan's full-scale invasion of China in 1937, compelling the Chinese people over the next eight years to fight back while enduring tremendous suffering and sacrifice.

Eighty years later, few eyewitnesses to the Japanese onslaught remain, yet they remind the Chinese and all peace-loving people not to forget the historic event as memories fade.

Such remembrance should not merely be a bitter recollection of a past tragedy, but also galvanize us to guard against ongoing revisionist sentiments among Japan's right-wing, who also commemorate the incident but with a shameful twist: one that whitewashes the perpetrators' war crimes.

The Marco Polo Bridge Incident, in which the Japanese army absurdly demanded to search for what they claimed was a missing soldier in the town of Wanping near Beijing, sparked Japan's full scale invasion of China, impacting the trajectory of modern Chinese history.

The incident marked the start of China's full-scale War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, despite the fact that Japan occupied Northeast China -- then commonly referred to as Manchuria -- by force as early as 1931 and colonized the resource-rich region with utter brutality under the puppet "Manchukuo" regime for 14 years until its defeat.

The Chinese government, in tribute to the sacrifice made by those fighting against Japanese invaders before 1937, decided in January to rewrite history textbooks and extend the start of the war back to 1931.

Commenting on China's decision, Yasuhisa Kawamura, then press secretary of the Japanese ministry of foreign affairs, said China did not have the power to decide when the conflict started, while urging the two countries not to "focus excessively on the unfortunate past."

By frivolously describing the profound suffering that Japanese militarism brought to China and other Asian countries as "unfortunate," these official comments roundly show how reluctant and insincere Tokyo is in facing its war crimes.

Ever since Japan unconditionally surrendered to the Allied Forces in August 1945, war-obsessed right-wing groups have engaged in justifying the country's heinous war deeds. The fact that such efforts show no signs of abating soundly refutes Kawamura's assertion that China excessively focuses on the past.

In total disregard for historical facts, the Japanese right continues to distort what happened during the Marco Polo Bridge Incident by claiming that China fired the first shot, thereby blaming the country for the expansion of the war.

China wasn't the only victim of Japanese aggression.

The Japanese militarists viewed the peoples of neighboring countries as belonging to "inferior nations." Japan justified its subsequent colonization and invasion of the Asia-Pacific as a means to help its Asian neighbors establish civilized countries on the sophistry that they were unable to do so themselves.

The Japanese right today has been working feverishly to alter the past, claiming Japan's hegemony in Asia was justified on the grounds of liberating Asian countries from Western colonial rule.

Japan's aim is simple: to overturn the postwar international order as well as the sentences handed to Japanese war criminals by the International Military Tribunal for the Far East.

China today is no longer as weak and vulnerable as it was 80 years ago, but the adversarial attitude of Japan's right-wing toward China remains largely unchanged.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's relentless pursuit to revise Japan's pacifist Constitution is gaining ground. It won't be long before Japan's so-called "self-defense forces" are empowered to invade other countries.

Given what the country did 80 years ago, both China and the international community must not take the ascendancy of Japan's right-wing groups lightly lest the historical catastrophe of 1937 repeat itself.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-07 09:11:31|Editor: Song Lifang

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TOKYO, July 7 (Xinhua) -- "I feel sorry for what Japan has done to China," 97-year-old war veteran Kei Jinguji told Xinhua in an interview ahead of the anniversary of the 1937 Lugou Bridge Incident, which marked Japan's full-scale invasion of China 80 years ago.

The war of aggression launched by Japan, which brought tremendous sufferings to the Chinese people, has also changed Jinguji's life.

Jinguji was born in 1920 in Kofu, a small city some 130 km west of Tokyo. He had graduated from college and was working in a government department in charge of telecommunications before joining the army at the age of 21.

Jinguji's unit was dispatched to China in 1943. As a communication soldier, Jinguji witnessed the atrocities committed by the invading Japanese army in China and the unconditional surrender of Japan in 1945, and returned to Japan with nothing but nightmarish war memories.

"The Japanese soldiers killed Chinese civilians and burnt down their houses...It was definitely an invasive war, and a unjust war. I feel sorry for being a part of the invading army," he said.

Back in Japan, while the war memories often stung him, the peaceful life brought with him many opportunities to reflect. Jinguji started reading history books and especially drew inspiration from Chinese leader Mao Zedong's article "On Protracted War."

"As Mao said, Japan's invasive war was unjust and could hardly get support from the international community, whereas China's anti-invasion stance could win support and sympathy from most of the countries in the world. China was destined to have the final victory," Jinguji stated.

"I feel sorry for what Japan has done, and my family and I want to contribute what we could to prevent the war between Japan and China from happening again," Jinguji said.

Since then, Jinguji and his family have been active advocates of friendship between China and Japan. Jinguji's eldest daughter is a member of the local Japan-China Friendship Association, and his youngest daughter used to study traditional Chinese medical science in Beijing and can speak fluent Mandarin.

Jinguji himself used to pay visits to China every year. "I've been to many places in China, but the Lugou Bridge has always been the one memorial spot that I was the most emotional about," he said, sorrowfully, as Japanese army attacking Chinese forces at the bridge on July 7, 1937 marked the outbreak of the full-scale invasion.

"My Chinese friends told me that it was a relief for them to hear that one of the Japanese invaders acknowledged the invasive war and apologized. I'm 97 years old now, and there's not much time left for me. Their words gave me some sort of inner peace," he admitted solemnly.

But the current situation in Japan worries the 97-year-old war veteran.

"The Abe administration is hyping up the so-called 'China threat' and is trying to revise Japan's peaceful constitution and make Japan a country that could start wars again. As a person who has experienced war in the past, I think it's a dangerous trend," he warned.

"The Japanese government should signal to the world that Japan will never start wars again. I really hope that Japan could be a peaceful country with no wars," he added, resolutely.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-07 09:41:41|Editor: Song Lifang

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TIRANA, July 7 (Xinhua) -- Non-performing loans (NPLs) in the Albanian banking system dropped to 15.9 percent in May, the lowest level since May 2011, experts of the Bank of Albania (BoA) told reporters Thursday.

"The central bank measures over the past few years are yielding stable results in the efforts to lower the level of non-performing loans. NPLs ratio fell to 15.9 percent in May 2017, from 18.2 percent in December 2016," experts said.

Experts said that the reduction in bad loans is expected to enhance lending capacity of second-tier banks.

"Cleaned from the write-off effects, the annual growth of the total loan portfolio in April remained modest, at 3 percent. However, the BoA expects lending activity to improve gradually in the quarters ahead, reflecting the expected expansion of demand and improvement of supply," experts said.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-07 10:27:43|Editor: Song Lifang

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MELBOURNE, July 7 (Xinhua) -- Rental affordability in Melbourne has hit an all-time low, according to a government report released on Friday.

The report, compiled by the Department of Health and Human Services' (DHHS), found that 5.7 percent of rental properties that hit the market in the first quarter of 2017 were deemed affordable, the lowest figure in the 17-year history of the report.

In comparison, more than 16 percent of new rentals were affordable when the report was first compiled in 2000.

The DHHS defines affordable as costing less than 30 percent of government assistance.

The median weekly rent in the Victoria State has increased 75.7 percent since 2007 while household income grew just 38.8 percent during the same time.

Adrian Pisarski, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of housing affordability advocacy firm National Shelter, said slow wage growth was responsible for the lack of affordable housing.

He said recently introduced government incentives such as tax breaks for investors in public would not have an impact for three to five years.

"In the meantime, I would suspect that these numbers (would) keep deteriorating," Piskari told Australian media on Friday.

Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) data obtained via the 2016 census found that social housing in Australia had dropped to the lowest level in 60 years.

Dandenong, in Melbourne's south-east, experienced the biggest drop in affordable housing from 58.1 percent in the first quarter of 2000 to 8.5 17 years later.

Kate Colvin, policy and communications manager for Council to Homeless Persons, said rental affordability was the main driver of rising homelessness in Victoria.

"It's just indicative of broader government policy failure," Colvin said.

"The way the tax incentives are structured means there are more incentives to invest at the more expensive end of the market."
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-07 10:32:46|Editor: Song Lifang

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COLOMBO, July 7 (Xinhua) -- On the design drawing, numerous high-rise buildings are skylined against the cloudless sky of Colombo Port City, and a curved brook flows through the city.

The International Urban Design Idea Competition ended here on Thursday. The Competition is to collect ideas for the future design of Colombo Port City.

The United States design firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP(SOM), finally took the crown.

The area of the competition was confined to the Financial District and The Marina of the Port City.

The Director of Planning and Development of China Harbor Engineering Company (CHEC) Port City Colombo, Lim Kian Siew said in the awards ceremony, world renowned design firms were invited to take part in the competition, with their experience and expertise, to contribute news thoughts and ideas for the design of the Port City.

Five jurors, after deliberate consideration, decided to give the crown to the design from SOM, as it presents a dynamic new vision for the Port City to accommodate future growth and change within a sustainable development framework.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-07 10:52:53|Editor: Song Lifang

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YANGON, July 7 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar and Norway have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on cooperation in development of fishery sector, Myanmar News Agency reported Friday.

The MoU was signed in Nay Pyi Taw Thursday during the current visit of Norwegian Foreign Minister Borge Brende to Myanmar.

Under the Fish for Development Program, it will allow increased implementation of managing information related to fishery sector, ocean research, sea water fish species breeding.

The cooperation period is for five years from 2017 to 2022, the report said.

The MoU signing came after experts of Myanmar and Norway jointly conducted fishery survey in Myanmar waters and exclusive economic zone in April 2015, which was aimed at creating a long-term vision for the establishment of a national fishery research and management system.

During his visit, Brende also met with Myanmar's State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi and the two exchanged views on promoting bilateral relations and peace process.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-07 10:52:55|Editor: Song Lifang

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TOKYO, July 7 (Xinhua) -- Tamaki Matsuoka could never forget about her first visit to Nanjing, China in August 1988, where she saw evidences of the atrocities committed by the invading Japanese army to the city in 1937 and was deeply shocked.

Matsuoka was then a primary school teacher and taught six-graders history in Japan. She found history textbooks vague and ambiguous about the invasive war against China and decided to find out more about the truth.

"The textbooks only mentioned that Japan lost the war, but nothing about the invasion, they described the U.S. atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, but miss out the sufferings of the people victimized by Japan's invasion," she told Xinhua in a recent interview.

"As a teacher, I taught the children about justice, but the textbooks in Japan seemed not just," she said.

When seeing for the first time in her life at an exhibition in Nanjing the evidences of the atrocities committed by the Japanese army, including photos of the heads cut down and the women raped, Matsuoka could not help shedding tears of pain and shame.

"I made up my mind at that time that I have to tell my students in Japan what had really happened, and what pain and sorrow were associated with the historical truth," said Matsuoka.

Matsuoka spent the next 30 years interviewing hundreds of survivors and victimizers of the 1937 Nanjing Massacre, and based on their testimonies, wrote books and produced documentaries to convey the historic truth.

The first testimony that Matsuoka heard from a victim was from Li Xiuying, who, born in 1919, was stabbed 37 times by Japanese soldiers and lost her baby in the 1937 massacre.

To get testimonies from the victimizers was more difficult. It was not until eight years later that Matsuoka started interviewing Japanese war veterans, and Yoshiharu Matsumura was one of them.

"I interviewed him for over 20 times and witnessed the change of his attitude. At first, he showed little remorse, talking about the atrocities he committed with his fellow soldiers and showing off the spoil of war he plundered from China," she said.

"But after seven or eight years, as he learned more about the tragedy he had brought to the victims, he started to feel sorry. He asked me at his deathbed to write down his war experience and let people know what had happened," she added.

Matsuoka hopes that more Japanese could find out the truth about the history through her books and documentaries and therefore learn from the history and prevent the wars from happening again.

"Without knowing the terror of the war, they can not understand the preciousness of the peace," she said.

But the current situation in Japan worries Matsuoka, as people's historical view was led astray by the administration of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who has called for the younger generations not to be burdened by historical issues such as the "comfort women" issue.

"We have caused tremendous suffering to the people in other countries while suffering ourselves during the war. It would be selfish to just stress our own sufferings while trying to erase the fact that people of other countries suffered," said Matsuoka.

"Such a kind of selfish historical view won't be accepted by other countries in the world," she said.

She also pointed out that the social atmosphere for conveying historical truth was tightened in Japan, with media under pressure from political forces and school textbooks revised.

Eighty years has passed since the 1937 Lugou Bridge (also known as Marco Polo Bridge) Incident broke out, which marked Japan's full-scale invasion of China, and Japan still has to acknowledge the true history, said Matsuoka.

"Victims of the invasive war launched by Japan and their families are still waiting for a true closure of the war. We have to keep fighting for achieving this goal," she said.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-07 12:08:23|Editor: ying

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CRANS-MONTANA, Switzerland, July 7 (Xinhua) -- The new round of peace efforts aimed at unifying Cyprus ended here in the early hours of Friday,failing to reach the expected framework agreement.

UN secretary-general, Antonio Guterres, told the press early Friday morning that he was disappointed that the intensive diplomatic efforts over the last eight days in the Swiss resort town of Crans Montana had not yielded an essential result for the future of the Mediterranean island.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-07 12:08:26|Editor: ying

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SYDNEY, July 7 (Xinhua) -- Australian scientists have created genetically modified bananas with high levels of provitamin A, as a strategy to overcome vitamin A deficiency in developing countries, researcher Professor James Dales from the Queensland University of Technology told Xinhua on Friday.

Beginning in 2005, the project has begun to plant the new bananas in Uganda and are looking to expand across East Africa.

"The worst outcome of vitamin A deficiency is death and the second worst outcome is permanent blindness," Dales explained, "It also leads to impaired immune systems and impaired brain development."

"Even conservative estimates say that around 700,000 kids die every year of vitamin A deficiency."

The reason why vitamin A deficiency is such a large problem in developing countries, is because subsistence farmers depend on a limited number of staple foods like rice, potatoes and maize, or cooking-bananas.

"These are very, very starchy foods, high in energy, however they are low in micronutrients like provitamin A and iron," Dales said.

Despite the significant health issue, Dales is adamant the problem can be fixed simply by increasing the intake of either vitamin A or provitamin A.

"We are working on provitamin A, which is alpha beta-keratin, the plant source which is converted into vitamin A in the human body," Dales said.

"To do this we generate embryogenic cell suspension, which are single cells from bananas, a little bit like stem cells."

"Then we insert a gene from another type of banana that's high in provitamin A into that cell and we can generate a whole banana from that process."

Despite hugely successful results during growing trials in Australia's North Queensland, the fruit will not be available to eat in Uganda for a further six years, due to the nation's regulatory testing system.

But Dales expects locals to receive the positive health effects by 2025.

Although the researcher admits he's been met with some skepticism from people with concerns about genetically modified food, "when I go through what we are doing, why we are doing it and how we are doing it, rarely do I get criticism."

"Our project is so different to all of the projects that people are concerned about," Dales said.

"We don't work for a large multinational, we aren't controlling the genetic resources and we are doing something that is both for the farmer and the consumer."

When it comes to the flavor of the new designer banana and whether the increased level of provitamin A has any affect, Dales said, "they taste exactly the same!"
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-07 13:09:02|Editor: Song Lifang

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SEOUL, July 7 (Xinhua) -- South Korea's unification ministry urged the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to positively respond to President Moon Jae-in's peace initiative on the Korean Peninsula, which was proposed in Berlin, Germany.

Lee Yoo-jin, deputy spokesperson of the Unification Ministry, told a regular press briefing Friday that inter-Korean cooperation would be mandatory to draw up a breakthrough for peace on the peninsula, expressing an anticipation of the DPRK's positive response to South Korea's proposal for the peninsula's peace.

The proposal referred to the so-called "Korean Peninsula Peace Initiative" suggested Thursday by President Moon who was visiting Germany to attend a summit of Group of 20 (G20) leading economies.

Moon, who took office on May 10, explained his government's policy direction to establish a permanent peace on the peninsula, saying he will make the peninsula free from threats of nuclear weapons and war by acknowledging and respecting each other between the two Koreas.

The new South Korean leader proposed to implement the agreements reached by his two predecessors, Kim Dae-jung and Roh Moon-hyun, when they met with late DPRK leader Kim Jong Il in Pyongyang in 2000 and 2007.

Moon vowed to pursue the denuclearized Korean Peninsula that guarantees the DPRK regime, urging Pyongyang to stop all nuclear provocations and hold bilateral and multilateral dialogues for the denuclearization.

He offered to establish a permanent peace regime on the peninsula to end the armistice, which stemmed from the 1950-1953 Korean War. The peninsula is technically in a state of war as the fratricidal war ended in truce, not peace treaty.

Moon suggested to deepen inter-Korean economic cooperation by linking railways and shipping routes of the two Koreas, while strengthening non-political inter-Korean exchanges separately from political and military situations.

The unification ministry deputy spokesperson said the government would make efforts to materialize and implement Moon's DPRK policy, based on a public consensus and communications with the political arena.

The South Korean government, the deputy spokesperson said, will make efforts to gain support and understanding of the international community and relevant countries such as the United States.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-07 13:34:10|Editor: Song Lifang

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CRANS-MONTANA, Switzerland, July 7 (Xinhua) -- A new round of peace efforts aiming to unify Cyprus ended here in the early hours of Friday without reaching an expected framework agreement.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told the press early Friday morning that he was disappointed that the intensive diplomatic efforts over the last eight days in the Swiss resort town of Crans-Montana had not yielded an essential result for the future of the Mediterranean island. ' "I am deeply sorry to inform you that, despite the very strong commitment and the engagement of all the delegations and the different parties, the Conference on Cyprus was closed without an agreement being reached," he told reporters after long hours of intensive meetings.

Guterres arrived on Thursday morning in Crans-Montana for the second time within one week to push forward the peace talks on Cyprus.

During the past 14 hours he chaired a session of the conference, held a series of bilateral meetings and a working dinner which went into the early hours of Friday.

"Unfortunately, as I said, an agreement was not possible and the conference was closed without the possibility to bring a solution to this dramatically long-lasting problem," he said.

In response to a question, the UN chief said it was still possible that "other initiatives" could yield results for the long-standing confrontation between the two ethnic communities of Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots.

"The United Nations role is the role of a facilitator and we will be always be at the disposal of the parties willing to come to an agreement, if that would be the case," he noted.

The new round of the Conference on Cyprus under the auspices of the United Nations started on June 28, which UN official described as "a historic opportunity" and a "best chance" for solving the Cyprus problem.

Participants of the conference include Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci, Greek Cypriot leader Nicos Anastasiades, as well as foreign ministers and senior representatives from Turkey, Greece, Britain and the European Union.

Cyprus was divided when Turkey mounted a military operation in 1974, in response to a Greek-inspired coup, resulting in the occupation of 37 percent of the island's territory.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-07 14:39:39|Editor: Song Lifang

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SEOUL, July 7 (Xinhua) -- South Korea's military on Friday indicated the stop of propaganda broadcasts in border areas according to the response from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).

Defense Ministry spokesman Moon Sang-kyun told a regular press briefing that though predictably speaking it was not possible at the current stage, it would need to watch what response the DPRK would make.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in proposed a so-called "Korean Peninsula Peace Initiative" in Berlin, Germany as he was visiting the European country to attend a summit of Group of 20.

As part of the initiative, Moon offered to stop any hostile acts near the military demarcation line (MDL), which has divided the Korean Peninsula for seven decades, from July 27, a date marking the 64th anniversary of the armistice agreement that ended the 1950-53 Korean War.

South Korea resumed propaganda broadcasts with loudspeakers in frontline army units following the DPRK's fourth nuclear test in January last year.

After the DPRK's long-range rocket launch in February last year, South Korea deployed more mobile loudspeakers, mounted on trucks, in frontline units along the inter-Korean border to strengthen psychological warfare.

In response, the DPRK restarted the broadcasting of propaganda messages across the border with loudspeakers.

The defense ministry spokesman said South Korea's military could take proper actions in accordance with the DPRK's response though he noted that it would be hard to definitively say whether to stop the psychological warfare.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-07 14:59:46|Editor: Zhang Dongmiao

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SEOUL, July 7 (Xinhua) -- South Korean police on Friday raided the headquarters of Korean Air Lines, the countrys biggest airline, on suspicion of embezzlement and breach of duty.

According to local media reports, police investigators stormed the Korean Airs headquarters in western Seoul earlier in the day to confiscate contract and materials relevant to construction work for the home of Korean Air Chairman Cho Yang-ho.

It was alleged that a significant amount of costs for interior construction of the chairmans home was paid with the airlines funds from May 2013 to August 2014.

How much company money was misappropriated and who the suspects were had yet to be determined.

Korean Air shares declined over 2.5 percent on news that its headquarters were raided.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-07 16:05:32|Editor: Zhang Dongmiao

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BEIJING, July 7 (Xinhua) -- After a three-week stand-off with China on Chinese territory, India should immediately pull back its trespassing troops.

The face-off was caused by Indian border guards who crossed the border at the Sikkim section into Chinese territory and obstructed routine road construction in the Doklam area of China's Tibet Autonomous Region.

In contrast to previous confrontations, the current border dispute is at a long-demarcated section of the China-India border, where no incidents had occurred over the past years.

India has tried to justify its incursion in the name of protecting Bhutan, arguing that Doklam is Bhutanese territory.

However, according to the Convention between Great Britain and China Relating to Sikkim and Tibet (1890), Doklam undoubtedly belongs to China. The agreement was inherited by India after its independence and has been repeatedly confirmed in writing by successive governments of the former British colony.

Documents between the Chinese and Indian governments show former Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru confirmed several times, on behalf of the Indian government, that the Sikkim-Tibet border was defined by the 1890 convention.

It is a basic principle of international law that binding treaties must be executed in good faith.

India's sudden disregard of the 1890 convention runs counter to the ongoing position of the Indian government. It has breached the basic norms of the UN Charter and international laws and will pose a significant threat to bilateral relations.

By creating disputes in Doklam, India seeks to obstruct border negotiations between China and Bhutan, and follow its own ulterior motives in the area.

The claim can not hold water. Doklam has long been under the effective jurisdiction of China. Both Bhutan and China have a basic consensus on the functional conditions and demarcation of their border region.

Moreover, India has no right to interfere in China-Bhutan boundary issues, nor is it entitled to make territorial claims on behalf of Bhutan.

India's current actions have not only encroached on China's territorial sovereignty, but also impaired the independence of Bhutan, one of the world's smallest countries, which is closely allied with India.

India has also argued that Chinese construction would represent a "significant change of status quo with serious security implications for India" in a statement by its Ministry of External Affairs. That argument is unconvincing.

Chinese construction is being conducted within its own territory. It is India that has broken the status quo by trespassing onto Chinese soil. It is not acceptable to any sovereign country that India has crossed a demarcated border into another country on the grounds of its "security concerns."

Indian troops should immediately withdraw to the Indian side of the border as a precondition for any meaningful dialogue between the two countries.

It is clear that if the "Chinese Dragon" and the "Indian Elephant" co-exist harmoniously and achieve peaceful, cooperative development, it will benefit not only their combined 2.7 billion people, but also those living beyond their borders.

Otherwise, a spiral of bilateral rivalry would definitely result in a slow down in their growth.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-07 16:10:35|Editor: Zhang Dongmiao

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by Matthew Rusling

WASHINGTON, July 6 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday, in a meeting that will be the first test of whether Trump can improve strained relations with Moscow, experts said.

Trump campaigned last year on promises to mend relations with Russia, in a bid to team up with the Kremlin to defeat the terror group Islamic State, given Russia's clout in the Middle East.

"Trump's meeting with Putin is a major test of the administration's relationship with Russia," Brookings Institution Senior Fellow Darrell West told Xinhua.

Indeed, there are many sources of tension between the two nations, such as what the United States believes to be Russia's alleged meddling in its 2016 election. The Syrian war, the role of Iran, and tensions on the Korean Peninsula are also issues of contention between Moscow and Washington.

"It will be hard to make progress on all these issues, but everyone will be looking to see what problems get highlighted and whether there are any points of agreement between the two countries," West said.

Nile Gardiner, director of the Margaret Thatcher Center for Freedom at The Heritage Foundation, told Xinhua: " This will be a major test for President Trump, up against a far more experienced adversary," adding that Putin has been participating in such meetings for a couple of decades.

"Putin views these exchanges as games of chess, lots of moving pieces across the chessboard," Gardiner said.

TRUMP TAKES JABS AT RUSSIA IN POLAND

Trump is heading to the Group of 20 summit on the heels of a short stopover in Poland, where he made a speech Thursday that analysts already are calling reminiscent of how former U.S. President Ronald Reagan used to speak of the region.

In a speech from Warsaw that was broadcast in the United States and Europe, Trump said he was "committed" to securing Polish access to sources of energy other than Russia, so that Poland "is never held hostage" to one source of energy. The statement was an obvious message to Putin the day before the two leaders are to meet, analysts said. Russian state-owned energy company Gazprom is the leading supplier of natural gas to Europe.

West also noted that Trump and Poland's leader have some things in common, and the visit to Warsaw was in part geared toward scoring points on U.S. domestic policy.

"Trump visited Poland because he shares an affinity with the Polish leader, who also has taken a tough line on immigration and frequently attacks the news media and courts. It is a way (for Trump) to tell the world that his views on these topics are not out of line with what is happening elsewhere," he said.

The speech also heard Trump mention the historically adversarial relationship between Russia and Poland.

"If Russia challenges its neighbors, Trump likely will move to a much tougher stance against it. He would like a better relationship with Russia, but signaled (during the Warsaw speech) that he understands the past and knows there is a lot to overcome," West said.

Trump also said his administration would re-invigorate the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, an organization that Russia has frequently criticized.

MAJOR BREAKTHROUGHS UNLIKELY FROM MEETING

It remains unknown what Trump and Putin will discuss on the sidelines of Friday's G20 summit in Germany.

"I think a number of issues are going to be on the agenda," Gardiner said.

Those include tensions on the Korean Peninsula, Europe's refugee crisis, and the war in Syria, he said, noting that the United States has been more aggressive recently in combating Russian influence in Syria.

Other issues include the Ukraine, and the Russians will be angling for a reduction in U.S. sanctions over that issue, although Gardiner does not expect Moscow to get any concessions on that front.

"If anything, Washington has been tougher on the sanctions front in recent weeks," Gardiner said. "I would expect that President Trump would hold the line on the sanctions issue when he meets with Putin."

West said it's hard to know what to expect from such meetings.

"There likely will not be major policy breakthroughs, but this get together could pave the way for later negotiations," West said.

Trump wants to get Russia's help on Syria and on the nuclear weapons issue with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, West noted.

"The question is what is (Trump) willing to give up in return. He won't be able to lift sanctions (on Russia) because that would be opposed by Congress. But he could offer non-military equipment sales or other kinds of business deals," West said.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-07 16:35:52|Editor: Zhang Dongmiao

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BEIJING, July 7 (Xinhua) -- While some of the stakeholders of the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue have thrown harsh words such as to act "very strongly" following the latest missile launch by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), dialogue and peace remains an international consensus.

The DPRK test-fired what it claimed to be an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) Tuesday, irking the United States as experts believed the missile, the Hwasong-14, was capable of reaching the U.S. state of Alaska and Hawaii.

U.S. President Donald Trump told a press conference with his Polish counterpart, Andrzej Duda, on Thursday that the DPRK "is a threat, and we will confront it very strongly."

Trump said he is considering "pretty severe things" in response but didn't elaborate on what they might be. The Associated Press (AP), however, warned in a Friday report that a pre-emptive U.S. strike on the DPRK would be "catastrophic," adding it is a step "so fraught with risk that it ranks as among the unlikeliest options."

Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis said Thursday the missile launch does not bring Washington and Pyongyang close to war, while reaffirming that his country will prioritize political and economic measures.

"I do not believe this capability in itself brings us closer to war because the president's been very clear, the secretary of State's been very clear, that we are leading with diplomatic and economic efforts," he told reporters at the Pentagon.

At a United Nations Security Council meeting on Wednesday, U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley warned the use of force if necessary to deal with a nuclear-armed DPRK and pledged to continue working with China.

"But we will not repeat the inadequate approaches of the past that have brought us to this dark day," she added.

While Haley didn't specify the new sanctions she said would be proposed in the coming days, she did imply some of the possible measures, including cutting off the major sources of hard currency to the DPRK, restricting the provision of oil to the country's military and weapons programs, increase air and maritime restrictions, as well as holding senior DPRK officials accountable.

China, which has made tremendous efforts in resolving the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue, has been a staunch advocate of dialogue and peaceful means in solving regional and international conflicts and crisis.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said at the daily press briefing Thursday that Beijing upheld U.N. sanction resolutions "in a comprehensive and earnest manner."

While urging Pyongyang to strictly comply with the Security Council resolutions, Geng said denuclearization, peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula represent the biggest common interests of all relevant parties. He called for calm, restraint and avoiding escalation.

When meeting South Korean President Moon Jae-in in Germany on Thursday ahead of the G20 Summit, Chinese President Xi Jinping said China is committed to denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula, promoting peace and stability there, and settling the problem through dialogues and consultation.

He also proposed that all relevant sides should strictly stick to the related resolutions adopted by the UN Security Council, saying that China supports the new South Korean government's efforts to restart contact and dialogue with the DPRK.

In response, Moon said Seoul shares the view that the issue should be fixed via talks, adding that he is ready to work closely with China to deliver denuclearization in the peninsula and to maintain regional peace and stability.

On the same day, Moon said in a speech that he is willing to meet with DPRK leader Kim Jong Un, the AP reported.

"The current situation where there is no contact between the relevant officials of the South and the North is highly dangerous," Moon said. "I am ready to meet with Chairman Kim Jong Un of North Korea at any time at any place, if the conditions are met and if it will provide an opportunity to transform the tension and confrontation on the Korean Peninsula."
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-07 16:40:58|Editor: Yang Yi

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NANJING, July 7 (Xinhua) -- Twenty-five people have been detained by police in east China's Jiangsu Province for allegedly stealing and selling more than 10 million pieces of personal health information.

This is the first case handled by police since China issued a judicial interpretation on personal data protection in May amid increasing public outcry regarding the rampant theft of personal information.

The information leaked is related to andrology, gynecology, and plastic surgery, according to police in Kunshan.

In April, a plastic surgery hospital reported to police that their clients' online counselling messages had been "stolen" by other hospitals.

After a preliminary investigation, police found that an Internet company in Kunshan had purchased the leaked information and sold it to more than 100 hospitals in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen among other cities.

The source of the leaked information was a suspect surnamed Li, who had covertly accessed hospital computer systems and obtained chat data between hospitals and patients, according to police.

Since October 2015, Li has earned more than one million yuan (around 150,000 U.S. dollars) by selling the illegally obtained personal health information.

Under China's Criminal Law, those convicted of selling or providing personal information could face up to seven years in prison if "the circumstances are especially serious."

According to the new judicial interpretation, situations considered "especially serious" include illegally obtaining, selling or providing 5,000 or more items of communication records, accommodation, health or transaction information.

Investigation into the case continues.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-07 17:11:21|Editor: Zhang Dongmiao

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HAMBURG, Germany, July 7 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping said here Friday that the BRICS members should consolidate the role of the Group of 20 (G20) mechanism as the premier platform for international economic cooperation.

He made the remarks at an informal leaders' meeting of the emerging-market bloc, which groups Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, ahead of a G20 summit in the German port city of Hamburg.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-07 17:16:27|Editor: Zhang Dongmiao

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LOS ANGELES, July 7 (Xinhua) -- A federal judge in the U.S. state of Hawaii on Thursday denied a motion filed by the state seeking to clarify the definition of a "bona fide" relationship mentioned in President Donald Trump's partially reinstated travel ban.

The travel ban restricted people from six Muslim-majority countries from entering the United States for 90 days and all refugees for 120 days, unless they can prove a "bona fide" relationship with close relatives or entities like a school or business in the United States.

The six countries are Syria, Sudan, Somalia, Libya, Iran and Yemen.

The Supreme Court gave a partial green light to the Trump administration's travel ban on June 27, which does not consider grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces or nephews as "bona fide" relatives.

The state of Hawaii challenged the definition, arguing that it is wrong to exclude these relations from the list of close family members.

U.S. District Judge Derrick Watson said in a ruling on Thursday in Honolulu that the Supreme Court was the proper venue to deal with the issue.

The adjusted version of Trump's controversial and harshly criticized temporary travel ban came after more than five months since it was first announced on Jan. 27, which instantly sparked shock and anger all over the world.

Trump called the first version of the travel restriction a counter-terrorism measure which banned visitors from seven Muslim-majority countries including Iraq.

The ban was later blocked nationwide by U.S. District Judge James Robart on Feb. 5, and became the subject of a long-term legal battle in the country.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-07 17:36:47|Editor: Zhang Dongmiao

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CAIRO, July 7 (Xinhua) -- Egypt's armed forces killed 40 militants Friday after suicide bombing and shooting on an army check point in North Sinai which left at least ten soldiers killed and twenty others wounded, the army said in a statement.
Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir, UAE Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed al-Nahyan, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and Bahraini Foreign Minister Khalid bin Ahmed al-Khalifa attend a press conference after their meeting that discussed the diplomatic situation with Qatar, in Cairo, Egypt July 5, 2017. (REUTERS photo)

DUBAI, July 7 (Xinhua) -- United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Egypt confirmed on Friday Qatar's "intransigence and rejection" to any settlement, Al Arabiya local news reported.

In a joint statement issued after reception of the Qatari response, the Arab quartet, led by Saudi Arabia, said the intransigence of Qatar "reflects their association with terrorist organizations and their continued attempts to sabotage and undermine security and stability in the Gulf and the region."

The statement added that they stress "that the Qatari government has thwarted all efforts and diplomatic efforts to resolve the crisis," Emirates state news agency WAM reported.

The response was handed to Kuwait, which acts as a mediator of the crisis.

The four countries also deplore Qatar's lack of tact and respect for the diplomatic principles towards the Kuwaiti efforts, as it leaked the list of demands, compromising the mediation efforts.

The statement said that the "justified demands" are the result of "hostile Qatari government practices," and their continued transgression, particularly in regard to the Riyadh Agreement signed by Qatar in 2013, as well as the supplementary agreement and its executive mechanism in 2014.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-07 18:02:02|Editor: Zhang Dongmiao

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HANOI, July 7 (Xinhua) -- The Vietnamese foreign ministry has strongly condemned the murder of two Vietnamese citizens by the terrorist group Abu Sayyaf.

Deputy Foreign Minister Vu Hong Nam said that after being informed of the murder of the sailors suspected to be Vietnamese on Tuesday in the Philippines, the ministry summoned a charge d'affaires of the Philippine Embassy in Hanoi on Wednesday, Vietnam News Agency reported on Friday.

At the same time, the Vietnamese Embassy in the Philippines contacted the host country's authorized agencies to ask for coordination to preserve the bodies and identify the victims, he said.

The two victims were confirmed to be Hoang Trung Thong and Hoang Van Hai, two Vietnamese sailors of Vietnamese cargo ship Royal 16 who had been kidnapped by Abu Sayyaf in November 2016.

On June 22, Hoang Vo, one of the Royal 16 sailors kidnapped by the terrorist group in November 2016, was rescued and returned home.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-07 18:27:12|Editor: Zhou Xin

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TUNIS, July 7 (Xinhua) -- Tunisian President Beji Caid Essebsi said Thursday that Tunisia will spare no effort to support the Palestinian cause and push for a two-state solution.

He made the remarks at a joint press briefing with his Palestinian counterpart Mahmoud Abbas on Thursday.

Abbas arrived in Tunisia on Thursday for an official two-day visit at the invitation of the Tunisian president.

Referring to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the Tunisian president highlighted his country's position in favor of a two-state solution.

For his part, Mahmoud Abbas expressed his gratitude to efforts made by the Tunisian administration to reach a consensual resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The president of the Palestinian Authority also said "the peace process and the end of division within the Palestinian political landscape depends on the establishment of a National Unity Government as well as the organization of an early election."
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-07 18:32:15|Editor: Zhou Xin

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YANGON, July 7 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar has been making efforts to promote the role of tourism development amid challenges for further sustainable development of the quality tourism industry.

As ASEAN Economic Community will emerge after 2017, the country needs to establish a market with skilled labor, capital and investment in order to develop the tourism service business.

At present, the Ministry of Hotels and Tourism is exerting efforts to collaborate with private sector in promoting the country's tourism sector for the development of levels of financial status, human resources and infrastructure.

Transport infrastructure, lodging facilities, human resources and security for visitors in some tourism sites play the main role for attracting more foreign visitors in the country's historical landmarks.

Myanmar expects a total of 3.5 million tourist arrivals this year against over 3 million registered last year.

In accordance with the official statistics, visitors from Thailand topped the list of foreign visitors from Asia, followed by those of China, Japan, South Korea, Singapore and Malaysia while among Western travellers, those of the United States mostly visited the country, followed by France, Germany, Italy and Spain.

Meanwhile, the country is also striving to promote eco-tourism, cultural tourism and community-based tourism in resource-rich areas such as historical landscapes, rivers, lakes, beaches, islands and forests.

Due to the fact that there are only a small number of foreign visitors entering the country in terms of ecotourism, the authorities concerned have been planning to boost environmental conservation and ecotourism awareness in resource-rich areas as the sustainable management of the natural environment plays the key role for development of eco-tourism.

With the collaboration of the Ministry of Hotels and Tourism and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation, Myanmar has planned to open the Bago Yoma Eco-Resort in the central part at the end of July for better conservation of the nature and to create more job opportunities for the local people.

The ministries also plan to implement cultural tourism and community-based tourism in Yangon, Pyay, Tayaykhittayar and Taungoo regions.

At present, Myanmar has altogether implemented eco-tourism in 10 regions and states including Yangon, Mandalay, Bago, Magway, Ayeyawassy, Taninthayi, Kachin, Chin, Mon and Shan.

As Myanmar's three ancient Pyu cities-- Hanlin, Beikthano and Sri Kestra, respectively located in Sagaing, Magway and Bago regions, have been listed as world heritage of Myanmar in 2014 for the first time and archaeological excavation of the three Myanmar ancient cities continued for tourism development under a cultural heritage preservation plan.

In another attempt to bring the number of tourist arrivals not less than that in green season, the country now is introducing low season fare with tourism during the current monsoon season to visit destinations covering Bagan, Mandalay, northern Shan state, Kalaw and Inle Lake.

Though there are many challenges to promote the country's tourism industry, Myanmar can still attract foreign visitors with its impressive landscapes, observers said.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-07 18:32:18|Editor: Yang Yi

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BEIJING, July 7 (Xinhua) -- A legal expert said China should strengthen its regulation on the use of plastic bags.

According to a survey conducted by China Youth Daily last week, 86.4 percent of the 2,007 people interviewed called for further restrictions on plastic bags.

An order went into effect in 2008, aiming to reduce "white pollution." It banned the offering of free plastic bags in supermarkets and farmers' markets.

The order was successful at first, with many customers bringing their own shopping bags instead of purchasing from vendors, said Zhang Hongyan, a supermarket employee in Beijing.

However, this initial success has declined in recent years. Some shops have continued to offer plastic bags for free due to lax management. Increasing incomes have also allowed people to afford the extra cost of plastic bags, said Liu Junhai, a law professor at Renmin University of China.

"A few cents is not significant for some young consumers, so they would rather purchase plastic bags due to convenience," Zhang added. Plastic bags are most frequently used in supermarkets, farmers' markets, and by street hawkers, according to the survey.

"The limitation order intends to eradicate the indiscriminate use of plastic bags. However, the bags are still being produced, sold, and used, and producers continue to benefit," Liu said.

More than 60 percent of those interviewed blamed insufficient government regulation for the noneffectiveness of the plastic limitation order.

Liu proposed the government transform the "plastic limitation" into a "plastic ban." Recyclable cloth and paper bags should replace plastic ones so that a green business model including "green manufacturing," "green selling," and "green consuming" can be achieved.

A total of 71.6 percent of those interviewed said consumers are not environmentally aware, and nearly 40 percent said environmental education should be strengthened.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-07 18:52:37|Editor: Zhou Xin

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MOSCOW, July 7 (Xinhua) -- Methane gas blew up in a nickel mine above the Polar Circle in northern Russia on Friday, killing three workers and injuring some others, said the mine operator Norilsk Nickel in a statement.

All the workers were evacuated from the mine to the surface and the first aid was provided to the injured, the company said.

"All necessary rescue work is now being carried out and the causes of the incident are being verified," said Sergei Gradyushko, deputy director of the company's polar division.

Norilsk Nickel is the world largest producer of nickel and palladium as well as a leading producer of platinum and copper. It has two main divisions in Russia located above the Polar Circle.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-07 18:52:38|Editor: Zhou Xin

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NAIROBI, July 7 (Xinhua) -- South Sudan said on Friday at least two youth leaders have been arrested over the latest wave of ethnic hatred after they wrote letters ordering the UN and humanitarian agencies to expel all Equatorians working in the northern Jonglei state.

Deputy Minister of Information Paul Akol Kordit told Xinhua in Juba that they were very concerned and condemned the actions of the Bor Youth Community (BCY) which on July 4 authored an ethnically charged letter to the UN demanding expulsion of all its workers from the Equatoria region based on unconfirmed reports of the latter killing members of the Dinka tribe in Equatoria.

"We are very much concerned. We condemn these (Bor) youth, they are inciting ethnic division within the nation," Akol said.

The Equatorian community youth also angrily responded to the letter on July 6 by calling upon their members to unite and expel all Dinkas from the region which prompted government to act quickly to contain the simmering tension.

"The government of Jonglei has already arrested those youth who authored the letters," he added.

Since the outbreak of conflict in December 2013, and the renewed July clash last year have threatened to derail the harmony that existed long among various ethnic communities.

"This country was liberated by all South Sudanese together. There is no single ethnicity that fought and liberated South Sudan alone," Akol added.

In November last year, the UN Special Advisor on Prevention of Genocide Adama Dieng warned of the likeliness of ethnic hatred and killings increasing that could lead to genocide but experts ruled out genocide occurring since no leaders have organized such systemic killings along ethnicity.

Jacob Dut Chol, political Science don at Juba University said the youth of Jonglei deserve condemnation because other ethnic groups could eventually take it up and act in similar manner.

"There is need for government to sensitize South Sudanese to love themselves and accommodate people from other areas," he said.

He added that the government should focus on improving livelihoods, social development and recovery programs and equal employment opportunities in a country facing economic hardship and bulging youth unemployment.

South Sudan descended into violence in December 2013 after political dispute between President Salva Kiir and his former deputy Riek Machar led to fighting that pitied mostly Dinka ethnic soldiers loyal to Kiir against Machar's Nuer ethnic group.

The 2015 peace agreement to end the violence was again violated in July 2016 when the rival factions resumed fighting in the capital forcing the rebel leader Machar to flee into exile.

The conflict has killed tens of thousands and displaced millions that have sought refuge in neighboring countries.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-07 19:07:45|Editor: Zhang Dongmiao

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CAIRO, July 7 (Xinhua) -- Egypt's armed forces killed 40 militants Friday after suicide bombing and shooting on an army check point in North Sinai that killed at least ten soldiers, the army said in a statement.

"The armed forces have foiled a terrorist attack launched by Takfir elements on some army security points in south Rafah city, bordering Palestinian Gaza Strip," Tamer el Refai, spokesperson of the armed forces said.

"During the security operation, some forty militants have been killed, and other six vehicles used by the terrorists have been destroyed," the statement added.

The army statement said the car bombing killed and wounded some 26 soldiers.

It added the forces were tracking the militants in the nearby villages.

Earlier, an official security source told Xinhua that at least ten Egyptian soldiers were killed and twenty others injured in two car explosions and a later shooting at army checkpoint in North Sinai's city of Rafah.

"A car broke into an army checkpoint in the village of Al-Bars, south of Rafah," the source said.

The explosion was followed by heavy gunfire from dozens of masked militants.

Ambulances rushed into the scene, and the security forces were combing the nearby roads in search for perpetrators.

The sources said the militants belong to Sinai-based Sinai State group, which declared loyalty to the Islamic State (IS) group in 2014.

However, no group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack.

Egypt faces waves of anti-security attacks led by IS in North Sinai, since the army-led ouster of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in 2013 in response to mass protests against his rule.

Hundreds of soldiers and police have been killed during the attacks.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-07 19:22:54|Editor: Zhang Dongmiao

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JUBA, July 7 (Xinhua) -- An international charity said Friday there is little to celebrate six years after South Sudan seceded from Sudan amid conflict and food crisis.

In a statement issued ahead of Independence Day on Sunday, Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) said while independence brought hopes of peace and development six years ago, today's ongoing conflict has resulted in four million South Sudanese having to flee their homes.

"South Sudan's Independence Day is overshadowed by conflict and an unprecedented food crisis. With more people facing a severe food crisis every month, there is unfortunately little reason to celebrate," NRC Country Director Rehana Zawar said in a statement issued in Juba.

Zawar said close to two million people have fled South Sudan, about half of them finding refuge in Uganda.

She said humanitarian agencies need free and secure access to communities in need to be able to deliver life-saving assistance effectively.

"The Norwegian Refugee Council urges all parties to the conflict to suspend hostilities, ensure protection of civilians, engage in meaningful dialogue, and work towards a lasting peace," Zawar added.

The charity said the number of refugees has more than doubled since renewed fighting broke out in the capital Juba in July 2016.

Another two million people have fled their communities seeking safety in swamps, remote areas and other parts of the country.

"South Sudan needs continued support for the humanitarian response more than ever before from international donors. The country will likely face a new famine on a greater scale in the coming year if relevant support is not provided," said Zawar.

She said aid agencies face increasing difficulty and risks to reach those in need, warning that without lasting peace the humanitarian emergency will continue and worsen.

The charity said fighting and displacement have prevented many farmers from planting crops and people from accessing markets, contributing to a desperate food emergency.

"Today six million people, roughly half of the population, do not have enough to eat. Although famine conditions recently subsided in Leer and Mayendit counties thanks to humanitarian assistance, the number of people on the brink of famine has increased to 1.7 million," it said.

NRC said cholera is spreading as more than 11,000 cases of cholera having been confirmed since South Sudan's worst cholera outbreak began about year ago, and 190 people have died to date.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-07 19:38:04|Editor: Zhang Dongmiao

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COLOMBO, July 7 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka will import 200,000 metric tons of rice immediately from India, Pakistan and Myanmar to address the rice shortfall in its domestic market, a statement from the Ministry of Industry and Commerce said on Friday.

Due to heavy floods this year, Sri Lanka is facing a severe rice shortage. Sri Lanka will purchase 100,000 metric tons of rice from India immediately, Minister of Industry and Commerce Rishad Bathiudeen said, adding the rice will be purchased from private Indian importers.

The other 100,000 metric tons of rice will come from Pakistan and Myanmar. A four-member team from Sri Lanka will leave for Pakistan and Myanmar on Friday evening to pick rice varieties for the Sri Lankan market, and the purchase with Pakistan and Myanmar will be at government to government levels, Bathiudeen said.

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka has also commenced government level talks on the possibility of purchasing rice from Thailand, Bathiudeen added.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-07 19:48:14|Editor: Zhang Dongmiao

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VIENTIANE, July 7 (Xinhua) ---- The Lao government and the United Nations Development Program on Friday signed a new support project on unexploded ordnance (UXO) in the Lao capital Vientiane, Lao News Agency reported.

The project, comprising a financial envelope by UNDP to Laos of 84 million U.S. dollars, will focus on enhanced support to livelihood activities for affected populations, improved efficiency of clearance operations and progress in the effort to establish a national baseline of UXO contamination, among others, the report said, quoting Lao Minister of Labor and Social Welfare Khampheng Xaysompheng.

The project duration will last until the end of 2021.

The project builds on UNDP's 20-year experience in the UXO sector in Laos, the minister said.

"This new project will concentrate on the clearance of the most contaminated provinces, supporting a new, evidence- based survey methodology to focus clearance on high-risk areas. This new approach has resulted in a four-fold increase in the number of UXO cleared per hectare of land already," said the minister.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-07 19:48:16|Editor: Zhang Dongmiao

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HAMBURG, Germany, July 7 (Xinhua) -- European Council President Donald Tusk called on leaders of the Group of 20 (G20) on Friday to be "ruthless" in the fight against migrant smugglers in Libya, the main springboard for migrants to reach Europe.

Tusk made the remarks at a press conference along with European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, before attending the plenary session of the G20 summit in the German port city of Hamburg.

The migrant inflows via the central Mediterranean route linking Libya to Italy remains a critical situation, he said, adding that the main task of the European Union (EU) was to effectively stop this wave at its source.

"Italy can count on Europe's help in every dimension. But this cannot mean a wider opening of Europe's door towards illegal migration," Tusk said, "That is why, here at the G20, I will call on all leaders to be ruthless in the fight against smugglers."

Branding migrant smuggling as an "organized business" which generated 1.6 billion U.S. dollars in Libya alone last year, Tusk said these profits allowed the smugglers to control some parts of the country.

The smugglers also cooperate with terrorists and further undermine the stabilization of Libya, Tusk said, calling for more efforts at the international level to break the smugglers' business model.

He proposed that all G20 leaders pursue targeted UN sanctions against smugglers.

"By this I mean asset freezes and travel bans," adding that these restrictive measures were "the very minimum that can be done at the global level."

Tusk, however, is not optimistic he will have the full support of G20 members.

"If we do not get it, it will be a sad proof of the hypocrisy of some of the G20 members," he said.

Migration is among a host of topics to be discussed at the two-day G20 summit themed "Shaping an Interconnected World."

According to the European Commission, since January there have been 85,183 migrant and refugee arrivals in Italy through the central Mediterranean Sea route and more than 2,000 migrants died taking the risky journey. In 2016, over 181,000 people, most of whom use Libya as a springboard to get to Europe, arrived in the EU through the same route.

The top five countries of origin coming to Italy this year are Nigeria, Bangladesh, Guinea, Cote d'Ivoire, and the Gambia.

In the context of the unprecedented refugee crisis, Africa has been on the EU radar after an EU-Turkey deal in March 2016 led to a sharp drop in the number of asylum seekers coming to Europe via the eastern Mediterranean route linking Turkey to Greece.

As the deadliest route for migrants last year, the central Mediterranean claimed the lives of 4,576 people, according to the International Organization for Migration.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-07 19:53:24|Editor: Zhang Dongmiao

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TEHRAN, July 7 (Xinhua) -- Iran has started to export domestically-made catamaran ship to Turkey, Tasnim news agency reported on Friday.

The ship was the first of its kind sold at around 10 million U.S. dollars to Turkey by Iran's Arvandan Shipbuilding Company, the managing director of the firm, Hossein Qorbani, was quoted by the report as saying.

One of the features of the Iranian-made catamaran is that it is able to sail into shallow waters about two meters deep, Qorbani said.

Another advantage of these vessels is that they can travel in bad weather conditions, he said, adding the catamaran's speed capability is 30 knots (55 km/h).

It takes about 12 to 18 months to build a catamaran, and under particular circumstances, the Arvandan Company can manufacture them in eight months, he said.

The quality assurance of the body of the ship has been certified by France's Bureau Veritas, he added.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-07 20:23:53|Editor: Zhang Dongmiao

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ISTANBUL, July 7 (Xinhua) -- Turkish police on Friday captured 29 Islamic State (IS) suspects who were allegedly planning a "sensational attack" in Istanbul, local media reported.

Police launched simultaneous raids in 20 different places across the city and also seized one unregistered gun, digital equipment and several documents linked to the militant group, the Hurriyet daily said.

Twenty-two foreigners were among those detained, and the suspects had previously fought with the IS in Syria and Iraq and were preparing to return there, the daily said.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Thursday that Ankara had deported 5,000 suspected terrorists and banned 53,000 others from entering the country in its counterterrorism efforts.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-07 20:23:59|Editor: Yang Yi

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BEIJING, July 7 (Xinhua) -- Chinese tech giant Xiaomi posted record-high quarterly smartphone sales in the second quarter of this year, the company announced Friday.

Xiaomi's smartphone shipments reached 23.16 million in Q2, surging 70 percent compared with Q1, according to Xiaomi chairman and CEO Lei Jun, who said that the company is once again embarking on a rapid growth trajectory.

Lei attributed the rebound in smartphone sales to enhanced investment in research and development, integration of online and offline retail as well as growing overseas expansion.

The company released its first smartphone chip Surge S1 in February, becoming the fourth company in the world capable of producing both smartphones and chips.

In Q2, Xiaomi increased cooperation with other platforms which helped it rank number one in terms of smartphone sales on e-commerce platforms JD.com, Tmall, and Suning during the mid-year online shopping festival in June.

Meanwhile, the company has been expanding its offline presence, with 123 Mi Home stores open across China as of July 7.

Xiaomi's revenue in India in the first half of the year went up 328 percent year on year, becoming the second top brand overall in the Indian smartphone market, according to Lei.

Competing for global market share represents the third wave of opportunity that will shape the Chinese smartphone industry, following the first wave of urban Chinese smartphone adoption and the second wave of new smartphone users from China's third and fourth-tier cities, Lei pointed out.

Xiaomi will need to hire thousands of research and development professionals for its smartphone business in the next 12 months and further bolster its innovation capabilities, according to Lei.

He said he is confident in the company achieving its revenue goal of 100 billion yuan (14.71 billion U.S. dollars) for the year and it aims to ship 100 million smartphones in 2018.
Refugees from South Sudan wait to be settled outside the Khour Al-Waral refugee camp in Al-Salam locality, some 69-kilometers south of Rebek, capital of White Nile State, Sudan, May 18, 2017. The Khour Al-Waral refugee camp accommodated 50,000 refugees. The majority of them are from Upper Nile State of South Sudan on the border with Sudan. (Xinhua/Mohamed Babiker)

JUBA, July 7 (Xinhua) -- An international charity said Friday there is little to celebrate six years after South Sudan seceded from Sudan amid conflict and food crisis.

In a statement issued ahead of Independence Day on Sunday, Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) said while independence brought hopes of peace and development six years ago, today's ongoing conflict has resulted in four million South Sudanese having to flee their homes.

"South Sudan's Independence Day is overshadowed by conflict and an unprecedented food crisis. With more people facing a severe food crisis every month, there is unfortunately little reason to celebrate," NRC Country Director Rehana Zawar said in a statement issued in Juba.

Zawar said close to two million people have fled South Sudan, about half of them finding refuge in Uganda.

She said humanitarian agencies need free and secure access to communities in need to be able to deliver life-saving assistance effectively.

"The Norwegian Refugee Council urges all parties to the conflict to suspend hostilities, ensure protection of civilians, engage in meaningful dialogue, and work towards a lasting peace," Zawar added.

The charity said the number of refugees has more than doubled since renewed fighting broke out in the capital Juba in July 2016.

Another two million people have fled their communities seeking safety in swamps, remote areas and other parts of the country.

"South Sudan needs continued support for the humanitarian response more than ever before from international donors. The country will likely face a new famine on a greater scale in the coming year if relevant support is not provided," said Zawar.

She said aid agencies face increasing difficulty and risks to reach those in need, warning that without lasting peace the humanitarian emergency will continue and worsen.

The charity said fighting and displacement have prevented many farmers from planting crops and people from accessing markets, contributing to a desperate food emergency.

"Today six million people, roughly half of the population, do not have enough to eat. Although famine conditions recently subsided in Leer and Mayendit counties thanks to humanitarian assistance, the number of people on the brink of famine has increased to 1.7 million," it said.
File photo shows people injured in a school bus crash being attended to by medical staff in Karatu District, northern Tanzania, on May 6, 2017. (Xinhua)

DAR ES SALAAM, July 7 (Xinhua) -- Regional medical officers in Tanzania on Thursday appealed to the government to urgently employ 7,304 new health workers to fill the gap left by workers sacked over fake academic certificates.

Leonard Subi, the Chairman of Regional Medical Officers in Tanzania Mainland, said the 7,000-plus health workers should be employed promptly before the situation in hospitals was out of hand.

Some 7,304 health workers were expelled earlier this year after being discovered to have earned employment using fake academic certificates, leaving a shortage in the sector's workforce to reach 49.5 percent.

"The situation has gotten worse in dispensaries and health centers," Subi said in a statement to George Simbachawene, Minister of State in the President's Office in charge of Regional Administration and Local Government.

Subi said 285 dispensaries did not have skilled workers as they were now led by medical attendants, adding that 1,505 health centers have completely no clinical officers or clinical assistants and they were instead being led by nurses.

For his part, Simbachawene admitted that the provision of health services in the country was not encouraging enough.

Nevertheless, the minister assured medical officers that the government was paying attention to the matter by identifying non-efficient staff, who would give room to those with capability.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-07 20:44:20|Editor: Zhou Xin

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HANOI, July 7 (Xinhua) -- Vietnam will auction smuggled foreign cigarettes for domestic sales or export on a trial basis, instead of destroying them as currently.

Enterprises which involve producing, distributing or exporting cigarettes will be allowed to auction smuggled cigarettes, Vietnam's Finance Ministry said on Friday.

Auctioned cigarettes can be sold in the Vietnamese market or outside, but not to countries which share land borders with Vietnam, according to a new regulation drafted by the ministry.

Nearly 1 billion smuggled cigarette packets are consumed in Vietnam each year, causing losses of some 450 million dollars to its state budget, and resulting in losses of 1 million jobs for farmers and workers in the domestic tobacco industry, said the Vietnam Tobacco Association.

According to the global adult tobacco survey in Vietnam conducted by relevant Vietnamese and foreign agencies, including the Health Ministry, the country has 15.6 million smokers aged more than 15, with 85.3 percent smoking daily, who annually spend some 31,000 billion Vietnamese dong (nearly 1.4 billion U.S. dollars) on their habit, the Vietnam Office of HealthBridge Foundation of Canada told Xinhua recently.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-07 20:44:22|Editor: Zhou Xin

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PYONGYANG, July 7 (Xinhua) -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on Friday warned the United States against further resorting to military gambling.

A spokesman for the Korea Asia-Pacific Peace Committee said in a statement that "the U.S. Defense Department is loudly trumpeting a military attack option" advocated by U.S. President Donald Trump to cope with the north's "provocations."

The DPRK said that the U.S. promise that it would not invade "is a whopping lie and a trick to cover up its sinister intention to put its war ambitions into practice through a surprise attack," said the spokesman.

A spokesman for the DPRK Ministry of Foreign Affairs also said Friday that the launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) on Tuesday by Pyongyang is a "victory achieved by the army and people of the DPRK in their more than half-a-century long anti-imperialist, anti-U.S. showdown."

He also said the DPRK's nuclear and missile intentions are "confined to the DPRK and the U.S." only, and the U.S. has no reason to raise any concern at the UN Security Council.

U.S. Representative to the UN Nikki Haley said Wednesday at the UN Security Council that Washington was considering using its military force to tackle the DPRK's nuclear and missile programs.

U.S. President Donald Trump Thursday also called the DPRK's launch of its first intercontinental ballistic missile on Tuesday a "shame" that has to be stopped, during his meeting with South Korean and Japanese leaders in Germany on the sidelines of the G20 Summit.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-07 20:54:36|Editor: Yang Yi

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Chinese Premier Li Keqiang presides over a meeting with experts and entrepreneurs on analyzing current economic performance and suggestions about future economic work on July 6, 2017. Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli attended the meeting. (Xinhua/Li Tao)

BEIJING, July 7 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has said that the government should attach more importance to encouraging innovation, optimizing the business environment and raising growth quality and efficiency.

Li made the remarks Thursday in a meeting with experts and entrepreneurs on analyzing current economic performance and suggestions about future economic work, according to a press release issued Friday.

After the economy stabilized in the first half, "we should not only have firm confidence, but also be well prepared for dealing with all kinds of difficulties," Li said.

China should reduce transaction costs with intensified efforts to streamline administration, delegate power to lower levels and improve regulation and services, Li said.

The government should also strive to create an internationally competitive business environment in which domestic and foreign companies are treated on an equal basis, the premier added.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-07 20:54:37|Editor: Zhou Xin

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KHARTOUM, July 7 (Xinhua) -- Three armed groups in Sudan's Darfur region on Friday announced their unification as Sudan Liberation Force, rejecting the cease-fire recently declared by Sudan government.

The new group said in a statement that the meeting held on June 29-July 2 decided unification of the Sudan Liberation Movement for Justice, the Sudan Liberation Movement/Unity Command and the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM).

The statement reiterated that the new group would continue fighting against the Sudanese government, saying that it is not concerned with the cease-fire announced few days ago by Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, which lasts till October 2017.

They also called on major Darfur movements, which include the Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM)/Abdul-Wahid Mohamed Nur faction, the Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM)/Minni Arko Minnawi faction and the JEM, led by Gibril Ibrahim, to unite.

According to the statement, Al-Tahir Abu Bakr Hajar has been elected as chairman of the new group.

There are tens of armed movements in Sudan's Darfur due to splitting from the two major movements which led the armed conflict in the region in 2003 including the SLM and the JEM.

The Sudanese government has been fighting the Darfur armed groups since 2003, as the major movements refused to negotiate with the government.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-07 21:04:58|Editor: Mengjie

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BEIRUT, July 7 (Xinhua) -- The Lebanese General Security Directorate said Friday that it has arrested a Lebanese suspect linked to the terrorist organizations fighting in Syria.

The Directorate said in a statement that "the suspect had obtained a passport via which he left for Turkey and then entered the Syrian territory with the help of a smuggler."

He went to the Al-Raqqa area and then headed to Iraq, where he stayed in the city of Mosul and fought alongside the terrorist organization, the statement said.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-07 21:05:00|Editor: Mengjie

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THE HAGUE, July 7 (Xinhua) -- Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Tugrul Turkes is not welcome to deliver a speech in the Netherlands next week, the Dutch government said Friday.

Turkes planned to attend a meeting organized by the Union of European Turkish Democrats (UETD) on Tuesday in Apeldoorn in the province of Gelderland to commemorate the failed Turkish coup on July 15, 2016.

"Last year's coup attempt was an unjustifiable attack on Turkish democratic institutions. The Netherlands has therefore directly condemned it," said the Dutch cabinet.

"However, given the current circumstances of the bilateral relationship between our countries, the cabinet considers a visit by Deputy Prime Minister Turkes or another member of the Turkish government at the moment not undesirable. This decision is a logical consequence of the events in March," the Dutch cabinet added.

Their objective remains to be normalizing diplomatic relations with Turkey, according to the Dutch cabinet. "We are prepared to talk about this with the Turkish authorities," said the Dutch government.

Tensions between the Netherlands and Turkey rose to a peak in March when the cabinet refused to let Turkish officials campaign in the Netherlands for a Turkish constitutional referendum.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavosoglu could not land in the Netherlands and Minister of Family Affairs Fatma Kaya had to leave Rotterdam and went to Germany. The incident led the two countries into a diplomatic row.

In March, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called the Dutch government "Nazi remnants" after Turkish officials were denied entry. Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte replied that Erdogan's "verbal attacks" were unacceptable and called for de-escalation of tensions.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-07 21:45:27|Editor: Zhou Xin

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CAIRO, July 7 (Xinhua) -- Unknown militants shot an officer at Egypt's National Security Sector dead on Friday, official news agency MENA reported.

"Militants opened fire on Sherief Azazy, an officer in the National Security Sector, after Friday prayers in Qalyoubia province," the report added.

Earlier in the day, a suicide bombing followed by shooting on an army checkpoint has left at least ten army officers killed in North Sinai.

Egypt faces waves of anti-security attacks since the army-led ouster of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in 2013 in response to mass protests against his rule.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-07 22:00:34|Editor: Zhou Xin

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FREETOWN, July 7 (Xinhua) -- The World Bank has in a press release issued Friday announced a 30 million U.S. dollars support to Sierra Leone.

According to the release, the amount is a budget support credit to the government of Sierra Leone, meant to improve the agriculture, energy and educational support to the country.

In a telephone interview with the World Bank Country Manager for Sierra Leone, Parminder Brar said that the funding consists of a 22 million dollars loan to be paid back over the next 38 years and an 8 million dollars grant.

The budget support program aims at reversing the post-Eola economic trends and a 3-percent increase in poverty in 2015.

Brar outlined the specific programs the amount will cover over the next year. He said the budget plan will help to "expand agricultural production and at the same time support private sector seed production and dispersal to increase crop yeilds among others." He hopes it will also promote the use of high-quality fertilizers from the private sector and move forward with land policy implementation.

"The funding will support critical reforms in productive sectors and in governance to promote sustainable and inclusive growth and build economic resilience," he said.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-07 22:25:44|Editor: Zhou Xin

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BEIRUT, July 7 (Xinhua) -- Iran renewed here on Friday calls to release its four kidnapped diplomats, who were believed to be jailed in Israel, local media reported.

The Iranian Ambassador to Lebanon Mohammed Fathali made the remarks on the 35th commemoration of the abducted diplomats, according to the National News Agency (NNA).

Fathali said the four diplomats, Mohsen al-Moussawi, Ahmed Metwsalian, Kazim Ikhwan, and Taqi Rastakar Muqaddam, were on a "humanitarian mission in Lebanon" before they were abducted in 1982.

He said the kidnapping, which happened during the Israeli invasion and occupation of the Lebanese capital Beirut, violated all international conventions governing immunity of diplomatic missions.

Fathali added that Iran holds Israel "primarily responsible for the crime," calling on "concerned international community institutions to carry out their duties revealing the fate of the kidnapped Iranian diplomats."
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-07 22:25:51|Editor: Yamei

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CAPE TOWN, July 7 (Xinhua) -- MPs of the ruling African National Congress (ANC) will not vote with the opposition to remove South African President Jacob Zuma from office whether such a motion is voted upon through an open or secret ballot, the Office of the ANC Chief Whip said on Friday.

The ANC and its Parliamentary Caucus has been on record that its stance on the upcoming motion of no confidence in Zuma is that "we will not vote with the opposition in favor of such a motion," spokesperson Nonceba Mhlauli said.

This came after ANC MP Makhosi Khoza has gone on a publicity spree in the past week stating that she will not toe the party line when voting in the anti-Zuma motion of no confidence, scheduled for August 8.

The ANC has warned that ANC members who support a motion of no confidence in Zuma risk being disciplined by the party.

Khoza reportedly said she doubts that ANC MPs have the necessary morality to make their own decisions.

"We take serious exception to such utterances as they seek to question the calibre of our MPs," Mhlauli said. "ANC Members of Parliament are tried and tested cadres of the movement who have in their own name and right contributed immensely to the attainment and advancement of our democracy."

Furthermore, the ANC Caucus has on numerous occasions said that it is not averse to a secret ballot and would positively engage in parliamentary processes on the question of the secret ballot, said Mhlauli.

Mhlauli also refuted Khoza's allegation that she was not allowed to raise her views in ANC Caucus meetings.

"This is absolutely not true. Comrade Khoza like any other member of the ANC Caucus has never been barred from raising their views in caucus meetings," Mhlauli said.

Referring to claims by Khoza that she received death threats on a daily basis, Mhlauli said nobody in the ANC or in the country has the right to vilify or threaten her and her family.

"We again, as we have done before, call upon the organization and the police authorities to act with the necessary speed to ensure that the safety of comrade Khoza and that of her family is guaranteed. The ANC and the police authorities must also act against those who have threatened and intimidated her and her family," said the spokesperson.

Opposition parties have pressed for a vote of no confidence in Zuma through secret ballot in the hope that ANC MPs would be encouraged to support the motion.

The Constitutional Court ruled on June 22 that Parliament Speaker Baleka Mbete is empowered to decide whether a vote of no confidence in Zuma should be conducted by secret ballot.

Mbete has set July 14 as the deadline for political parties to submit their views regarding their preferred means of voting on this particular motion, that is, whether by a secret or open ballot.

Seven votes of no confidence against Zuma have failed in Parliament dominated by ANC MPs.

Opposition parties fielded another vote of no confidence against Zuma in April after Zuma reshuffled the cabinet, sacking Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan and other ministers.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-07 22:30:54|Editor: Yamei

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DUBAI, July 7 (Xinhua) -- The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has condemned two terrorist attacks on an army checkpoint south of Rafah in northern Sinai on Friday, UAE state news agency WAM reported.

The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation expressed its solidarity with Egypt in confronting this "heinous criminal act," according to its statement.

''We stand with the Egyptian state and people against extremism and terrorism,'' it said.

The statement deplored this "criminal act" as a "new crime, adding to the black record of terrorism and terrorists."

The ministry called on countries around the world to stand united in eradicating this dangerous scourge.

Egypt's armed forces killed 40 militants Friday after suicide bombing and shooting on an army check point in North Sinai that killed at least ten soldiers, the army said in a statement.

The UAE praised the Egyptian armed forces for thwarting the terrorist attack "by destroying several vehicles and killing the militants who attacked the checkpoint."

The Ministry concluded its statement by expressing the UAE's condolences to the leadership, government and people of Egypt, and the families of the victims.

The UAE and Egypt are both part of the Saudi-led Arab quartet which has cut diplomatic ties with Qatar on June 5, accusing the Gulf state of supporting "extremism and terrorism."
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-07 22:41:05|Editor: yan

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PHNOM PENH, July 7 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia exported 94,720 tons of milled rice to China in the first six months of 2017, up 101 percent compared to the same period last year, according to a government report on Friday.

China is the top buyer of Cambodian rice, followed by France, Poland, Britain and the Netherlands, said the report compiled by the Secretariat of One Window Service for Rice Export.

According to the report, Cambodia exported a total of 288,562 tons of milled rice to 56 countries and regions during the January-June period this year, up 7.6 percent over the same period last year.

The Southeast Asian country produced over 9 million tons of paddy rice a year. With this amount, it has more than 3 million tons of milled rice left over for annual export, according to the Agriculture Ministry.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-07 22:51:15|Editor: yan

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ISLAMABAD, July 7 (Xinhua) -- Pakistan on Friday shared its concern with a visiting senior Facebook official over the anti-religious contents posted on the social media, officials said.

Vice President of Facebook Joel Kaplan met Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan in Islamabad and discussed steps and actions being taken to remove blasphemous content that is illegal in Pakistan, the interior ministry said.

This is for the first time that a senior member of Facebook management dealing with global public policy has visited Pakistan to discuss way forward towards addressing the issue of misuse of social media platforms especially Facebook which has over 33 million users in Pakistan at the moment, the ministry's spokesman said.

He said the interior minister told the Facebook's official that the Islamic nations were "greatly disturbed" and has serious concerns over the misuse of social media platforms to propagate blasphemous content.

During the meeting Kaplan highlighted various initiatives of Facebook that are aimed at skill development and economic growth programs in Pakistan, working with developers, small businesses and women in the country.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-07 23:01:26|Editor: An

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Chinese aircraft carrier Liaoning arrives in Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), south China, July 7, 2017. A flotilla including China's first aircraft carrier Liaoning on Friday arrived in HKSAR for a visit, during which Liaoning will, for the first time, be open for the public to visit. According to the Navy's plan, sailors of the flotilla will attend local activities to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the People's Liberation Army being stationed in the HKSAR. (Xinhua)

HONG KONG, July 7 (Xinhua) -- A flotilla including China's first aircraft carrier Liaoning on Friday arrived in Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) for a visit, during which Liaoning will, for the first time, be open for the public to visit.

At 7:20 a.m. local time, more than 700 officers and sailors spelled out Chinese characters "Hello, Hong Kong" on Liaoning's flight deck when the flotilla was entering Hong Kong SAR.

The naval formation also includes destroyers Jinan and Yinchuan, and frigate Yantai.

The Hong Kong SAR government held a ceremony to welcome the flotilla at the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Hong Kong Garrison's naval base in Stonecutters Island where the destroyers and frigate docked.

The Liaoning was anchored in an open sea area outside the Victoria Harbor.

According to the Navy's plan, sailors of the flotilla will attend local activities to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the PLA being stationed in the Hong Kong SAR.

However, the most exciting moment for Hong Kong people will come this weekend when Liaoning will host some 2,000 Hong Kong residents for a ship tour.

Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, chief executive of the Hong Kong SAR, said at the welcoming ceremony that Hong Kong appreciates the central government's support and care in arranging the aircraft carrier formation's visit and allowing Hong Kong people to enjoy the aircraft carrier's first public ship tour.

The visit will allow Hong Kong people to experience great achievement the country has made in national defense, especially the navy's development, Lam said, adding that she believed the aircraft carrier's visit will greatly enhance Hong Kong people's understanding and recognition of the nation.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-07 23:01:29|Editor: An

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BEIJING, July 7 (Xinhua) -- A Foreign Ministry spokesman on Friday objected to India's attempts to stir up disputes over the Doklam region.

The Indian sides claims that, according to a 2012 India-China agreement, the tri-junction point of China, India and Bhutan will be decided by consulting with the Bhutan side, which means China and India have recognized their divergence on the issue.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said the so-called tri-junction point, just as its name implies, is a point, rather than a line or an area.

He said, on the tri-junction, the Convention Between Great Britain and China Relating to Sikkim and Tibet(1890) stipulates that the Sikkim section of the China-India boundary commences at Mount Gipmochi in the east.

However, the trespass by the Indian troops took place at the Sikkim section of the China-India boundary over 2,000 meters away from Mount Gipmochi and has nothing to do with the tri-junction, said Geng.

The Indian side, by disregarding of the boundary convention, assumes the whole Doklam region as part of the tri-junction. This is obviously an attempt to confuse the public, he added.

Some opinions hold that the 1890 convention has ceased to have any significance, because the situation changed after the Sino-Indian Border Conflict in 1962.

In response to a question on whether India has recognized the delimitation of the Sikkim section of the China-India boundary since 1962, Geng said successive Indian governments had repeatedly confirmed the 1890 convention in written form, with no disagreement on the boundary alignment at the Sikkim section.

Once the border treaty was signed, its legitimacy and effectiveness was not affected by changes of governments or state systems, said Geng.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-07 23:11:32|Editor: yan

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PYONGYANG, July 7 (Xinhua) -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Friday retaliated against a "trafficking" report, saying the U.S. is the "kingpin of flesh trafficking."

The Korean Central News Agency quoted a researcher at the Human Rights Institute of the Institute for International Studies here as saying that the African slave trade has been replaced with modern-day slavery in America, whose main victims are women and children.

"Endemic in the U.S. professing to be a 'champion of human rights' ... is a modern-day slave trade, making it top the world list of flesh trafficking," said the article written by a researcher named Kang Kum Chol.

Flesh trafficking in the U.S. is now more concealed through the use of the Internet, Kang said.

Kang quoted Polaris, a Washington-based non-governmental organization engaged in fighting human trafficking, as saying that flesh trafficking in U.S. increased by 35.7 percent in 2016 against the previous year.

"What is all the more serious is that the U.S. administration connives and does not take legal action against flesh traffickers, thereby fostering the crime," the researcher said.

The U.S. State Department recently published a "2017 report on trafficking in persons" which accused the DPRK of "human trafficking with forced labor."
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-07 23:21:40|Editor: An

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Chinese Premier Li Keqiang presides over a meeting with experts and entrepreneurs on analyzing current economic performance and suggestions about future economic work on July 6, 2017. Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli attended the meeting. (Xinhua/Li Tao)

BEIJING, July 7 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has said that the government should attach more importance to encouraging innovation, optimizing the business environment and raising growth quality and efficiency.

Li made the remarks Thursday in a meeting with experts and entrepreneurs on current economic performance and suggestions about future economic work, according to a press release issued Friday.

After the economy stabilized in the first half, "we should not only have firm confidence, but also be well prepared for dealing with all kinds of difficulties," Li said.

China should reduce transaction costs and streamline administration, delegate power to lower levels and improve regulation and services, Li said.

The government should also strive to create an internationally competitive business environment in which domestic and foreign companies are treated on an equal basis, the premier added.

China should continue to implement the strategy of innovation-driven development, improve the environment for entrepreneurship and innovation and upgrade the manufacturing and service sectors, Li said.

He also called for more progresses in technology, product upgrading and raising the quality and efficiency of growth.

China's economy grew 6.9 percent year on year in the first quarter, the fastest pace in six quarters and higher than the government's annual target of around 6.5 percent.

Q2 economic growth rate will be released on July 17.

"China should consolidate the foundation for the stable economic performance with sound growth momentum," Li said.

The country will continue to stabilize macroeconomic policies, market expectations and the financial market, by sticking to its proactive fiscal policy and prudent monetary policy, taking forward-looking and effective macroeconomic regulation measures, and properly defusing risks, he added.

Efforts will also be made to ensure stable employment, reduce corporate burden, expand effective investment and make consumption play a larger role in economic growth.

The government should make sure that people get the benefits from development by fulfilling the promises of poverty relief, rundown area renovation and pollution control, among others, Li said.

"We should reduce the pains and difficulties in people's lives, while increase their senses of gain and happiness," the premier added.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-07 23:52:01|Editor: yan

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HAMBURG, Germany, July 7 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said here Friday that China is ready to work with France to support multilateralism and economic globalization and to advance global governance reform.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-07 23:57:04|Editor: ying

Chairman of Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) Denis Zvizdic (R) shakes hands with Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic during their meeting in Sarajevo, BiH, on July 7, 2017. Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) and Croatia on Friday pledged here on Friday to strengthen bilateral cooperation. (Xinhua/Haris Memija)

SARAJEVO, July 7 (Xinhua)-- Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) and Croatia on Friday pledged here on Friday to strengthen bilateral cooperation.

Five agreements were signed at the end of the session on European integration, the search for missing persons, tourism, and the protection of classified information.

BiH Chairman of the Council of Ministers Denis Zvizdic said more than 50 items were discussed and that there was a readiness between the two governments to continue working on all current projects.

"We talked about important issues in the area of economic cooperation in the field of stronger infrastructure connectivity and in solving issues that can significantly improve the flow of goods, people and capital," said Zvizdic.

Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic said his country "strongly supports BiH as a full and functional state on its reform path and on its way to EU membership."

Both agreed that all bilateral issues would be solved as partners and good neighbors, respecting territorial integrity and sovereignty of both countries.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-07 23:57:06|Editor: yan

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MADRID, July 7 (Xinhua) -- Chinese ideas favor cooperation over confrontation, Manuel Montobbio, the Spanish Ambassador in Andorra explained in an interview with Xinhua.

Montobbio is the writer of a recently published book: "Chinese ideas: the global rise of China and the Theory of International Relations," in his native Spanish.

In his work, Montobbio highlights that Chinese ideas include "a capacity to make differing concepts work together," which allows them to avoid the need for confrontation.

"We consider things to be dichotomous, while the Chinese consider that something can be united and opposed at the same time and in that sense there is a capacity to see that everything can be transformed," he explained.

He gave as an example the "Art of War" by Sun Tzu, a Chinese general, military strategist and philosopher who lived in the Spring and Autumn period of ancient China.

Sun Tzu explained that a good strategy is one which wins wars and obtains victory without needing to fight. This idea contrasts sharply with the western thinker Carl Phillipe von Clausewitz, who believed that war was merely the continuation of politics by other methods.

However, even though there are differences between western and Chinese ways of thinking, that doesn't mean they cannot coexist.

"Chinese ideas lead us towards cooperation, but that is only possible with an understanding of other cultures," explained Montobbio, who warned that it is "difficult for this understanding to happen if one person is playing chess, while the other plays 'wei qi' (a traditional Chinese boardgame)."

He considers the work carried out by Chinese to promote its ideas and culture is positive. "Their global expansion also implies forming part of the international society and being able to explain themselves," Montobbio commented, adding that the management of international affairs cannot happen without China's involvement.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-08 00:02:12|Editor: yan

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by Denis Elamu

NAIROBI, July 7 (Xinhua) -- South Sudanese rebels (SPLA-IO) on Friday called for full demilitarization of Juba to help revive the stalled peace deal.

The rebels said without full demilitarization of the South Sudanese capital, they will not take serious the recent peace deal revival efforts by the East African bloc Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD).

The deputy SPLA-IO spokesman Lam Paul Gabriel told Xinhua from his hideout that unless government soldiers moved 25 km out of Juba under the 2015 peace agreement, they would not be part of the new approach to end violence in the world's youngest nation.

"We will start from where we ended in July 2016 before the fight. That means we have to be in Juba and continue with the implementation of the agreement. However this time round we would like to see that all the prerequisites of the deployment of SPLA-IO forces in Juba are first met by the government of Juba like demilitarization of Juba, and moving of government soldiers to 25 kms out of Juba," he said.

Gabriel added the same would apply to their forces and that it is the only path to avoiding repeat of the clash in July 2016.

"This is to stop government from thinking of doing what they did in July last year in Juba," he said.

The SPLA-IO has also been demanding the region to help release their leader and former first vice president Riek Machar from forced exile in South Africa.

He also said that the recent failed efforts by the national dialogue to meet Machar in South Africa were long overdue since they view the national dialogue initiative by President Salva Kiir as inconsequential to bringing an end to the more than three years of violence.

Meanwhile, the South Sudan army (SPLA) said recently that it will continue to fight the rebels in a bid to flash them out of their bases after the two sides traded accusations of recruitment in the refugee camps in northern Uganda near the South Sudan Kajo-Keji area where intermittent fighting continues.

"If they (rebels) are left not attended to, they become even security threat to neighboring countries," said SPLA Acting spokesman Santo Chol.

South Sudan descended into violence in December 2013 after political dispute between President Kiir and his former deputy Machar led to fighting that pitied mostly Dinka ethnic soldiers loyal to Kiir against Machar's Nuer ethnic group.

The 2015 peace agreement to end the violence was again violated in July 2016 when the rival factions resumed fighting in the capital forcing Machar to flee into exile.

The conflict has killed tens of thousands and displaced millions others that have sought refuge in neighbouring countries.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-08 00:12:20|Editor: yan

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WASHINGTON, July 7 (Xinhua) -- A U.S. South Carolina state prisoner who escaped from a maximum-security prison for the second time earlier this week was recaptured in the state of Texas, authorities said Friday.

"Escaped inmate Jimmy Causey was apprehended and is no longer at large," the South Carolina Department of Corrections said in a tweet early Friday.

An agency spokesperson said 46-year-old Causey was apprehended by the Texas Department of Public Safety at around 3 a.m. (0800GMT). But there are no further details available on his apprehension.

Causey was serving life sentences in the Liebert Correctional Institution in Ridgeville, about 48 km northeast of Charleston, for holding a Columbia lawyer and his family at gunpoint in their home in 2004.

Causey was found missing from the South Carolina prison at around 2 p.m. (1900GMT) Wednesday. Authorities are still trying to figure out how he had managed to escape.

On Thursday, state officials sought the public's help for Causey's apprehension, but asked anyone who sees him to call the police rather than approach him.

This is the second time that Causey broke out of prison. In 2005, a year after he entered prison, he and a fellow inmate escaped from Broad River Correctional Institution in Columbia by hiding in a dumpster carried off by a trash truck.

They were recaptured at a motel about 160 kilometers away from Broad River after a three-day manhunt by authorities.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-08 00:32:29|Editor: yan

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TIRANA, July 7 (Xinhua) -- Albania has been engulfed by an unusual heat wave that has caused massive fires in many areas of the country.

Many hectares of land, pastures and trees have been burnt, local authorities said.

"Around 12 fires have broken out on a national level in the past 24 hours in Albania, "the country's General Department of Civil Emergencies confirmed Friday.

Many fires have been identified in Shkodra, Dibra (northern Albania), Berat, Tirana, Durres, Fier (central Albania) and Vlora and Gjirokastra (southern Albania).

According to sources from Civil Emergencies department, the situation of fire is difficult to manage given that fires are favored by high temperature all over the country.

Weather forecasts showed Friday that the temperature during weekend would reach 40 degrees Celsius.

This has made Albanian authorities engage around 95 firefighters, 19 vehicles, 30 army officials, 20 voluntary forces and local residents to fight with the fires.

Civil Emergency service also urged citizens to be cautious and immediately report potential blazes by calling emergency numbers.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-08 00:42:33|Editor: yan

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TOKYO, July 7 (Xinhua) -- Japanese civil groups called upon the nation to learn from the history and never let war tragedies happen again here on Friday on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the Lugou Bridge Incident, which marked the beginning of Japan's full-scale invasion of China.

Over 100 citizens rallied in front of the House of Councilors building in Tokyo Friday evening, holding banners written with slogans such as "Face up to the past wrongdoings," "Never let the July 7 Incident happen again", "No more wars."

"We shall commemorate the day the invasive war started, just as we commemorate every year the day the war ended on August 15, and vow never to start wars again," said Seiji Uematsu, one of the organizers of the rally.

"Historical revisionism is expanding in Japan now. Although many of us have not participated in the war ourselves, we and our younger generations are still obligated to make Japan shoulder the responsibility of making up for the past mistakes and prevent Japan from making those mistakes again," he added.

Atsushi Koketsu, professor emeritus at Yamaguchi University, said at the rally that the current Japanese administration is occupied by historical revisionists who deny the true history and refuse to learn from the past.

"It's a common understanding in the world that invasive wars are the worst crimes. Peace could only be achieved and preserved based on such a common understanding. If Japan makes mistakes on this issue, it could go back to its old road (of militarism)," he warned.

Tetsukazu Suzuki, a citizen of Tokyo in his 70s, said that he learned on social network sites about the rally and the fact that July 7 was the day when Japan launched the full-scale invasion of China 80 years ago.

"Unlike other war anniversaries, July 7 was often ignored in Japan. Japanese people shall learn more about the history," he said.

Earlier in the day, a number of commemorative events were held by civil groups including the Association for Inheriting and Propagating the Murayama Statement, among others, with representatives from the groups urging the Japanese government to face up to the history and reflect upon and apologize for the past war.

Nobuo Okinatsu, a member of the Japan-China Friendship August 15 Association, said at a gathering that true friendship between Japan and China could not be achieved if Japan refuses to acknowledge the history.

"Japan's younger generations shall have a correct knowledge of historical events such as the 1937 Lugou Bridge Incident," he said.

Tokushi Kasahara, professor emeritus at Tsuru University, said that many Japanese people nowadays have insufficient knowledge of the past as a result of the government's whitewashing of the history and revising of school textbooks.

"It's dangerous for Japan to deny the true history and whitewash its war crimes. It would bring another disaster to the world," he warned.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-08 00:42:35|Editor: yan

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HARARE, July 7 (Xinhua) -- Zimbabwe's opposition parties have cried foul over the decision by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) to allocate less than 12 percent of voter registration centers to Harare and Bulawayo.

ZEC announced on Thursday that of the 9,663 registration centers to be established, Harare will be allocated 700 and Bulawayo 400.

The figures were released at a ZEC high-level meeting with political parties and media houses ahead of the biometric voter registration (BVR) for the 2018 elections.

Local media NewsDay reported Friday that Murisi Zwizwai, national executive member in the main opposition party MDC-T, queried the allocation of fewer registration centers in the two metropolitan provinces that had the highest population densities.

The MDC-T has generally done well in urban areas where it has won the majority of legislative and local government seats in the past.

"We don't understand the rationale why registration centers in Harare are not equal to the number of polling stations in the province like what has happened to other provinces," Zwizwai said.

He said his party would consult its structures with a view to making representations to ZEC over the matter.

Speakers from other smaller opposition parties and the Elections Resource Center also queried the allocation of the registration centers.

ZEC deputy chief elections officer Utloile Silaigwana said the allocation of registration centers is premised on population density, settlement patterns, expansiveness of provinces and districts and population census projections.

Harare had 788,959 voters registered for the 2013 elections, while Bulawayo had 300,743.

An audit of the voters' roll used in the 2013 elections by non-governmental organization Research and Advocacy Unit (RAU) said there was a marked registration bias in favor of rural constituencies, from which the ruling ZANU-PF is regarded as drawing the bulk of its support.

According to the voters' roll, there were about 3.9 million registered voters in rural constituencies as opposed to about 1.4 million in urban constituencies and about 559,000 in mixed constituencies, giving a registration rate of 91.9 percent for rural constituencies, 78.3 percent for urban constituencies, and 80.7 percent for "mixed" constituencies.

ZEC chairperson Rita Makarau said they were anticipating to register about 7 million voters over a period of ten weeks.

Zimbabwe will for the first time use biometric voter registration and is in the process of acquiring 3,000 BVR kits from the Laxton Group of China, which won the tender to supply them.

Given the five-year tenure of Parliament, elections are due to be held in July 2018 at the latest.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-08 00:57:42|Editor: An

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Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (3rd R) meets with his French counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian (2nd L) in Hamburg, Germany, on July 7, 2017. (Xinhua/Fei Maohua)

HAMBURG, Germany, July 7 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said here Friday that China is ready to work with France to support multilateralism and economic globalization and to advance global governance reform.

During a meeting with French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, Wang said Chinese President Xi Jinping and his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, have engaged in positive interactions soon after the new French government was formed, laying a sound foundation for the development of bilateral relations in the new era.

China is willing to work with France to implement the consensus reached by Xi and Macron, prepare for the upcoming high-level exchanges between the two sides, and promote bilateral pragmatic cooperation, he said.

The two sides will also make concerted efforts to ensure the ongoing Group of 20 summit held in Hamburg a full success, he added.

For his part, Le Drian said the new French government will continue to boost France-China relations.

He said that in line with the consensus reached by the two heads of state, France and China will facilitate exchanges at different levels and pragmatic cooperation in various areas, and enhance communication and coordination in international affairs.

The two foreign ministers also exchanged views on international and regional hotspot issues like the Korean Peninsula, Syria and Afghanistan.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-08 02:23:33|Editor: yan

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TIRANA, July 7 (Xinhua) -- The phenomenon of cannabis cultivation in Albania is set to be eradicated by the end of this year considering the positive results yielded by the national action plan undertaken by authorities here, Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama told reporters Friday.

Rama said if they keep on strictly implementing the national anti-cannabis plan, then they will succeed to put an end to the history of cannabis cultivation.

"What I want to do is to completely erase Albania's stigma and then tackle this phenomenon when it emerges in marginalized areas, "Rama told police heads while he praised their efforts in making the action plan to crack down on cannabis cultivation a success.

Further on, Rama called on police officials to adopt a zero tolerance approach to any police officers involved in illicit activities and any one of them hesitating to carry out their duties whenever receiving a report on cannabis growing or trafficking-related activities.

Rama launched the national plan to fight cannabis cultivation in March.
ROME, July 7 (Xinhua) -- Eight people, including two children, are missing, after a four-storey residential building partially collapsed in the town of Torre Annunziata near Naples on Friday.

The third and fourth floors of the building collapsed at 6:20 a.m. local time (0420 GMT), while residents were still sleeping, local media reported.

"Torre Annunziata search ongoing with no results. Two firefighters injured. USAR (Urban Search and Rescue) teams on the way," firefighters tweeted shortly after noon, six hours after the collapse.

The missing include a couple with two children aged 8 and 11 years, the wife and 25-year-old son of an architect, a 65-year-old seamstress, and a man who works for the municipality, according to RAI public broadcaster.

So far, the only successful rescue was that of a dog, whose elderly owner escaped unharmed because he had gone out at around 5:00 a.m. local time, RAI reported.

"I saw the building crumble and I heard them screaming for help," a woman who lives across the street told Italian news agency ANSA. "I know everyone in that building. My seamstress lives alone on the second floor."

Torre Annunziata Mayor Vincenzo Ascione said the first two floors were uninhabited and were being renovated, according to ANSA.

Televised images showed firefighters, police, and volunteers digging through the rubble with their bare hands in search of survivors, with rescue dogs sniffing out the area.

Seventy people are taking turns in the search for survivors in the sweltering heat, RAI public broadcaster reported.

It is still unknown what caused the collapse.

Naples prosecutors have opened an investigation in an effort to clarify who may be at fault, ANSA reported. The building's foundations are on a lava outcrop overlooking the Gulf of Naples, and reportedly date back to the 1960s.

The building also overlooks a railway line, where train traffic was interrupted after rubble from the collapse fell on the tracks.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-08 02:43:42|Editor: yan

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KIGALI, July 7 (Xinhua) -- Rwanda on Friday introduced "Investor Open Day" as part of the country's efforts to attract new investments.

The day, dedicated to every Friday, dwells on tending to questions from investors regarding investing in Rwanda by the top management of the Rwanda Development Board (RDB).

RDB is a government agency responsible for fast tracking the country's economic development.

Speaking to reporters shortly after the launch of the open day, RDB chief executive officer Clare Akamanzi said that the day aims at addressing investor's concerns and gathering suggestions.

According to RDB, the day seeks to encourage investor participation and transparency in doing business.

Last month, RDB announced 14 business reforms that are currently under implementation.

Among the reforms are reduction in costs and time to obtain a construction permit which had previously been termed as costly and time-consuming.

RDB says that investor concerns and questions within all the cross-cutting economic sectors shall be addressed at the open day.

Data from RDB indicates that Rwanda has registered investments worth 644 million U.S. dollars in 2017 alone. However, the small African country targets to generate direct investments worth about 1.5 billion dollars this year.

The country boasts a good business environment with less corruption. In the report of Doing Business 2017 released by World Bank Group, Rwanda ranked 56th out of 190 countries' economies in ease of doing business.

Rwanda has also opened strategic business offices in various countries like Turkey, Canada, Britain, the United States, South Africa, Singapore and China, with the aim of promoting investments.

The country targets to double the current average annual GDP from the current 5.4 percent growth rate to more than 10 percent to be able to reach upper middle income status by 2035.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-08 02:48:46|Editor: An

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File photo shows snow mountains and rivers in Hoh Xil of northwest China's Qinghai Province. The 41th session of the World Heritage Committee on July 7, 2017 decided to put China's Qinghai Hoh Xil on the prestigious World Heritage List as a natural site. So far, China has 51 sites inscribed to the List. (Xinhua/Hoh Xil National Reserve Administration)

KRAKOW, Poland, July 7 (Xinhua) -- China's Qinghai Hoh Xil was put on the prestigious World Heritage List as a natural site on Friday by the 41th session of the World Heritage Committee here.

Becoming the 51st Chinese site inscribed on the list, Hoh Xil can be characterized by three major features, Du Yue, secretary-general from the National Commission of China for UNESCO, told Xinhua.

Firstly, with its high altitude of more than 4,000 m, the site is a rare plateau with a special ecosystem, unique plants and valuable animals. The second is its surface, as this area is almost one of the largest on the list of world natural heritage, which proves the dedication of the Chinese government to environmental protection, Du said.

According to Du, the third aspect was that while climate change affects many countries, China has taken a very important step and contributed to the protection of the world's nature and environment. It is also to protect this very important land for the Chinese people. "I think this is very meaningful. Protecting this place is our responsibility," Du added.

Vice-Governor of Qinghai Province Han Jianhua said: "We made a commitment that we would protect the ecological environment heritage in strict accordance with the relevant requirements of the Convention on the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage."

Hoh Xil is a region in the northwestern part of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in China. As the world's largest, highest and youngest plateau, it hosts many endemic species, is home to more than 230 species of wild animals.

Some of the most valuable include wild yak, wild donkey, white-lip deer, brown bear and the endangered Tibetan antelope or chiru.

The committee, meeting in Krakow, southern Poland between July 2 and 12, is supposed to assess the nomination of 34 sites for inscription on UNESCO's World Heritage List.
U.S. troops walk from a Chinook helicopter in Uruzgan rovince, Afghanistan July 7, 2017. (REUTERS Photo/Omar Sobhani)

WASHINGTON, July 7 (Xinhua) -- The White House had put limits on the Pentagon's future deployment of extra U.S. troops to Afghanistan despite delegating to U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis the authority to manage troop numbers, according to the Wall Street Journal.

According to the report, the White House sent a classified memo to the Pentagon days after President Donald Trump gave Mattis unilateral authority to set new U.S. troop levels in Afghanistan last month, stipulating that Mattis could send no more than 3,900 extra U.S. troops to Afghanistan without conferring with the White House.

Mattis said in mid-June that he would soon present to the White House a new Afghanistan strategy, including setting new troop levels.

Former U.S. President Barack Obama had planned to reduce the current number of 9,800 U.S. troops in Afghanistan to some 5,500 by the end of 2015 and withdraw all troops by the end of 2016 when his presidency came to an end.

However, given the deteriorating security situation in Afghanistan, the Obama administration repeatedly postponed the withdrawal.

Currently, there are about 8,400 U.S. troops and another 5,000 forces of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) on the ground in Afghanistan to train and assist the Afghan forces against the Taliban, and conduct counter-terrorism missions.

The prospect of new U.S. troop levels in Afghanistan came at a time when senior U.S. officials warned of dire security situation in Afghanistan.

In a congressional hearing last month, Mattis said that United States is still "not winning" the longest U.S. war in Afghanistan.

U.S. National Intelligence Director Dan Coats also warned in May that the security situation in Afghanistan would most likely deteriorate in the future even if the United States and its allies offer more military aid.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-08 03:09:00|Editor: An

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HAMBURG, Germany, July 7 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday delivered a speech at the 12th Summit of the Group of 20 (G20) major economies.

The following is the full text of the speech:

Promoting Openness and Inclusiveness

To Achieve Interconnected Growth

Statement on the State of the Global Economy by H.E. Xi Jinping

President of the People's Republic of China

At the G20 Hamburg Summit

Hamburg, 7 July 2017

Chancellor Merkel,

Dear colleagues,

It is a great pleasure to be with you in Hamburg, the City of Bridges, to discuss ways of building a bridge of cooperation to advance our shared prosperity. First of all, I express heartfelt appreciation to you, Chancellor Merkel, and the German government for your warm hospitality.

The global economy is showing signs of moving in the right direction. The related international organizations forecast that it will grow by 3.5 percent this year, the best performance that we have seen in several years. This would not be possible without the efforts of the G20. On the other hand, the global economy is still plagued by deep-seated problems and faces many uncertainties and destabilizing factors.

Facing such challenges, the G20 agreed in Hangzhou last year on the path forward: building an innovative, invigorated, interconnected and inclusive world economy. This year, building on the theme of the Hangzhou Summit, the Hamburg Summit has made "Shaping an Interconnected World" its theme. What we need to do now is to work together to translate our vision into action. With this in mind, I wish to state the following:

Firstly, we should stay committed to building an open global economy. This commitment of the G20 to build open economies saw us through the global financial crisis, and this commitment is vital to reenergizing the global economy. Various international organizations have revised upward forecast for this year's global growth, mainly because of a projected 2.4 percent growth for global trade and 5 percent growth for global investment. We must remain committed to openness and mutual benefit for all so as to increase the size of the global economic "pie". As the world's major economies, we should and must lead the way, support the multilateral trading system, observe the jointly established rules and, through consultation, seek all-win solutions to common challenges we face.

Secondly, we should foster new sources of growth for the global economy. Innovation, more than anything else, is such a new source of growth. Research shows that 95 percent of the world's businesses are now closely linked with the Internet, and the global economy is transitioning toward a digital economy. This means we should boost cooperation in digital economy and the new industrial revolution and jointly develop new technologies, new industries, new business models and new products. Another source of growth derives from making greater efforts to address the issue of development and implement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and such efforts will both benefit developing countries and generate business and investment opportunities for developed countries. In other words, this will be a win-win game for all. At the Hangzhou Summit last year, we reached important consensus on innovation and development. This momentum of cooperation created has been sustained this year under the German chairmanship of G20. Going forward, we should see that more substantial and concrete outcomes are delivered.

Thirdly, we should work together to achieve more inclusive global growth. Currently, global economic growth is not balanced, and technological advances work against job creation. According to the projection of the World Economic Forum, artificial intelligence will take away more than 5 million jobs in the world by 2020. The G20 has an important mission, which is to reaffirm the vision of pursuing inclusive growth agreed upon at the Hangzhou Summit last year, and strike a balance between fairness and efficiency, between capital and labor, and between technology and employment. To achieve this goal, we must ensure synergy between economic and social policies, address the mismatch between industrial upgrading and knowledge and skills, and ensure more equitable income distribution. The G20 needs to place more importance on cooperation in education, training, employment, business start-up and wealth distribution-related mechanisms, as progress on these fronts will make economic globalization work better.

Fourthly, we should continue improving global economic governance. In the wake of the global financial crisis, the G20 has done a lot to improve macroeconomic policy coordination, reform international financial institutions, tighten international financial regulation and combat tax avoidance, thus ensuring financial market stability and recovery. We should build on these achievements. In particular, we should strengthen coordination of macroeconomic policies, forestall risks in financial markets and develop financial inclusion and green finance to make the financial sector truly drive the development of the real economy.

China recently hosted a successful Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. Acting in the spirit of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits, the forum participants achieved fruitful outcomes in terms of boosting the connectivity of policies, infrastructure, trade, finance and people. Guided by a new vision of governance, we built a new platform of cooperation to tap into new sources of growth. The commitment of the Belt and Road Forum is highly compatible with the goal of the G20.

A German saying goes to the effect that, "Those who work alone, add; those who work together, multiply." In this spirit, let us work together to promote interconnected growth for shared prosperity and build toward a global community with a shared future.

Thank you.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-08 03:19:06|Editor: yan

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TALLINN, July 7 (Xinhua) -- The ministers for justice of the EU members Friday agreed that the rules on online and offline sales should be coherent, said a senior Estonian official.

At the informal meeting chaired by Estonian Minister for Justice Urmas Reinsalu, the ministers council discussed issues surrounding the digital content proposal, which reached a general agreement in June.

"The ministers agreed that the rules on online and offline sales should be coherent, although there are some procedural questions of extending the scope," Reinsalu said.

The officials also discussed the future of e-justice, mutual recognition of freezing and confiscation orders.

Ministers exchanged views on possible options for data retention for the purpose of prevention and prosecution of crime, underlining that this does not concern the content of the messages.

Estonia has considered data retention an important element in fight against serious crime and will be looking into different options for addressing the current situation of legal uncertainty, during the Estonian presidency from July 1 until Dec. 31 this year, he added.

Ministers focused on the fight against cybercrime, corruption and key judicial reforms, pledging to enhance cooperation between the EU and Eastern Partnership countries.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-08 03:29:10|Editor: Song Lifang

Representatives attend the fifth edition of the forum "Tunisia-China: A Partnership for the Future" in Tunis, capital of Tunisia, July 7, 2017. Tunisia and China signed on Friday three agreements to boost commercial cooperation between the two countries during the forum. (Xinhua/Adele Ezzine)

TUNIS, July 7 (Xinhua) -- Tunisia and China signed on Friday three agreements to boost commercial cooperation between the two countries.

The agreements were signed at the fifth edition of the forum "Tunisia-China: A Partnership for the Future" hosted by the Arab Institute for Business Leaders (IACE) in the capital Tunis.

The agreements involve a mega-project to build a commercial complex worth 65 million U.S. dollars in Tunisia, which covers an area of 200,000 square meters.

According to IACE President Ahmed Bouzguenda, the long-awaited agreements benefit from China's Belt and Road Initiative, which aims to build a trade and infrastructure network connecting Asia with Europe and Africa along ancient trade routes.

Tunisian senior officials and representatives from a dozen of Chinese multinational enterprises and banks attended the forum.
A cargo ship is seen crossing through the New Suez Canal, Ismailia, Egypt. (Reuters photo)

CAIRO, July 7 (Xinhua) -- Egypt's Suez Canal Authority (SCA) is committed to the state's decision to ban all Qatari ships to dock in ports within the Suez Canal's economic zone, chairman of SCA Mohab Mamish said on Friday.

In a press statement, Mamish said that all Qatari vessels are banned from harboring at the Suez Canal's economic zone for national security reasons.

Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain cut off diplomatic ties with Qatar on June 5 and imposed punitive measures, accusing the gas-rich country of "supporting terrorism and interfering in their internal affairs."

The four Arab countries then issued a list of 13 demands to end rift with Doha including closing Al-Jazeera television and reducing diplomatic ties with Iran.

The Arab quartet confirmed on Friday Qatar's "intransigence and rejection" to any settlement, adding that the intransigence of Qatar reflects its association with terrorist organizations as well as continued attempts to sabotage and undermine security and stability in the Gulf and the region.

Meanwhile, Mamish said the decision does not include a ban on passing through the canal, as under the Constantinople 1869 agreement it is illegal to ban ships coming from any country from passing through.

The revenues of the zone will not be negatively affected by the ban due to the low number of Qatari ships already docking at the ports.

Egypt's administration, led by President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi, is at odds with Qatar for the latter has allegedly supported and hosted fleeing members of the Muslim Brotherhood group, an organization currently blacklisted by the Egyptian government.

The Brotherhood supports former Islamist President Mohamed Morsi, who was toppled by the military in July 2013 in response to mass protests.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-08 03:39:15|Editor: yan

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by Alessandra Cardone

ROME, July 7 (Xinhua) -- China's support for the South-South Cooperation (SSC) Program has been highlighted during a meeting at a side event at the recently concluded 40th session of the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Conference here.

As one of the earliest participants in the program -- and as one of its largest contributors -- China played a vital role in allowing the achievements the SSC has reached so far, according to officials.

"The government of China has largely contributed to the SSC Program and to the Triangular Cooperation," FAO Director-General Jose Graziano da Silva said in his speech.

He stressed China was one of the first countries to establish "a strategic alliance with FAO," providing a total 80 million U.S. dollars financial grant to the SSC Cooperation Fund since 2006.

Launched in 1996, FAO's SSC Program aims at boosting sustainable agricultural and rural development, tackling food insecurity and poverty, and improving resilience of agriculture to natural disaster in countries around the so-called Global South.

Besides providing a framework for financial support to developing projects, it promotes exchanges of knowledge, experts, and technologies to encourage an independent growth of countries in the south.

According to the FAO chief, the SSC would provide an innovative model in terms of international cooperation as well, for its being based on a "horizontal approach, and on the concept of solidarity."

As for the specific FAO-China SSC Program, by the end of 2016 it supported developing projects in 28 countries in Africa, Asia, South Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean, according to FAO officials.

"Over 1,000 long-term Chinese experts and technicians were deployed in 28 countries, accounting for over 50 percent of the total South-South cooperation," Dongxin Feng, deputy director of FAO Office for Partnerships, Advocacy and Capacity Development Division, said.

Projects concerned several areas of production, such as livestock, horticulture, irrigation, aquaculture, agricultural mechanization and food processing.

The China-FAO SSC Program so far allowed the training of 100,000 local farmers and agricultural technicians, as well as the testing of more than 300 varieties of crop, according to Feng.

Some 450 agricultural technologies, and 200 sets of agricultural machineries were also transferred from China to the supported countries, and over 1,500 training activities were organized in the field.

Ambassador and Permanent Representative of China to FAO Niu Dun told the audience that "one million farmers and smallholders have overall benefitted from the program."

Testimonies of the FAO-China SSC Program's achievements were provided by governmental representatives from developing countries.

"Namibia, China, and FAO signed a Triangular Agreement within the SSC Program in June 2014," said Sophia Kasheeta, Deputy Permanent Secretary at Namibia's Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry.

The first phase of the Namibian project concerned developing rice production, increasing horticulture crop yields, and improving technical capacity in both residual and virology analyses.

"Fifteen Chinese rise varieties were tested, of which three were found suitable for Namibia's climate conditions," Kasheeta said, "Cultivation techniques and technologies were also successfully transferred and adapted in the country, and training in rice production was provided to local farmers and technicians."

Another SSC project was launched between Uganda and China in 2012. Since then, FAO said 31 Chinese experts and technicians were deployed in the eastern African country to assist farmers in several agriculture, livestock, and agribusiness activities.

Some 25 new technologies were transferred to Uganda, and 17 new varieties of crops introduced. According to Ethel Kamba, Uganda's Under Secretary of Agriculture, Animal Industry, and Fisheries, the government of Uganda believed the SSC project with China "contributed to increase our agriculture production and productivity."

"The success of this initiative in Uganda is attributed to the fact that, right from the beginning, the project was an interactive one," Kamba explained.

"It involved all of the interested stakeholders, from the ministry in charge of agriculture to local governments and local farmers, and the Chinese experts."
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-08 03:39:17|Editor: yan

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by Ronald Njoroge

ELDORET, Kenya, July 7 (Xinhua) -- Africa should roll out more Special Economic Zones (SEZs) to attract Chinese investment, a Chinese investor has suggested.

Zhu Layi, president of the Guangdong New South Group, told Xinhua in Kenya that the economic zones offer a lot of tax and infrastructural incentives that are very appealing to Chinese investors seeking to set up business in Africa.

"SEZs are a very good model to push for Chinese industries to establish manufacturing plants in African countries," Zhu said.

Kenya on Friday launched a SEZ project, a joint venture between Kenyan-based company Africa Economic Zone and Guangdong New South. It is expected to attract about 2 billion U.S. dollars of foreign investments upon its completion.

Kenyan experts have said the SEZs are expected to aid in doubling the current manufacturing sector jobs to approximately 1 million, adding year-on-year 2-3 billion U.S. dollars to Kenya's GDP in the next decade.

Zhu noted that SEZs are ideal as they tackle the numerous handles that enterprises face while operating in Africa.

"They improve the business environment in the manufacturing sector and hence are likely to become magnets for Chinese investors seeking opportunities in Africa," he said.

Moreover, Zhu said Africa can fully exploit SEZ to attract Chinese firms that are seeking to relocate overseas due to rising labor costs at home.

"In addition, SEZs can help to spur transfer of Chinese industrial technology into Africa," the company president said.

The rapid industrialization witnessed in China over the past 30 years has been partly attributed to the effective use of SEZs.

"China has used SEZs to catalyze the growth of industries and achieve global manufacturing competitiveness," Zhu said.

Guangdong New South Group currently operates SEZs in Nigeria and plans to establish new facilities in Kenya in collaboration with local partners.

Special Economic Zones (SEZs) are designated areas where businesses enjoy tax benefits and other favorable policies.

By creating an SEZ, Kenya has hoped to increase its export volume, diversify the range of exports currently dominated by agriculture produce, expand job creation and facilitate tech transfers.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-08 03:39:18|Editor: yan

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NEW YORK, July 7 (Xinhua) -- A U.S. federal appeals court Friday upheld the convictions of three Orthodox rabbis found guilty in a conspiracy to force Jewish husbands to divorce their wives.

The convictions were affirmed by a three-judge panel from the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia.

Rabbis Mendel Epstein, Jay Goldstein and Binnaymin Stimler were convicted in a trial in 2015 of conspiring to commit kidnapping.

Epstein, the accused ringleader, was sentenced to 10 years. Goldstein got an eight-year prison term and Stimler a three-year sentence.

Prosecutors said at the trial that Epstein oversaw a group of people who used brutal methods that sometimes included the use of handcuffs and electric cattle prods to torture men until they would agree to grant their wives a divorce. The attacks were carried out from 2009 to 2013 in New Jersey, New York City and other locations, prosecutors said.

Under Orthodox Jewish law, only a husband can grant a divorce, and a wife trapped in a failed marriage is regarded as an "agunah," or "chained" woman, forbidden by Orthodox Jewish law to remarry.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-08 04:10:03|Editor: yan

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WASHINGTON, July 7 (Xinhua) -- Although China is the world's largest steel-producing country, less than one percent of its steel products were exported to the U.S., a recent study from a leading U.S. think tank showed, making China irrelevant to the steel investigation conducting by the U.S. government.

Trump administration initiated an investigation on whether steel imports threaten to impair national security on April 20, by invoking a rarely used section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962. President Donald Trump claimed that "both the United States and global markets for steel products are distorted by large volumes of excess capacity -- much of which results from foreign government subsidies and other unfair practices."

Although Trump said the investigation has nothing to do with China, Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross who has been leading the investigation suggested that China was a major target.

However, the U.S. purchased just 0.9 percent of Chinese steel exports in 2016, according to a report from Peterson Institute for International Economics (PIIE), a leading think tank based in Washington D.C.

China's steel exports to the U.S. plunged by 57 percent from 2.21 million tons in 2015 to 0.95 million tons in 2016, because four trade remedies, including anti-dumping (AD) and countervailing duty (CVD) imposed by Obama administration went into effect in 2016. At the end of 2016, 20 U.S. trade remedies against steel mill imports from China were in effect.

The U.S. Commerce Department on May 10 launched the lastest anti-dumping duty and countervailing duty investigations against imports of cold-drawn mechanical tubing from China, Germany, India, Italy, the Republic of Korea and Switzerland.

The Chinese Ministry of Commerce has kept urging Washington to abide by its commitment against protectionism and help maintain a free, open and just international trade environment.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-08 04:30:14|Editor: Song Lifang

Chinese Ambassador to Cyprus Huang Xingyuan (R, front) gives out toy pandas to students at an event called "China day" in Platres village, some 80km southwest of the capital Nicosia, Cyprus on July 7, 2017. Chinese Embassy in Cyprus has offered a "Chinese ambassador scholarship" to the Cyprus Red Cross Society (RCS), Cyprus RCS president said on Friday. (Xinhua/Zhang Zhang)

NICOSIA, July 7 (Xinhua) -- The Embassy of the People's Republic of China has offered a "Chinese ambassador scholarship" to the Cyprus Red Cross Society (RCS), Cyprus RCS president said on Friday.

The president of Cyprus RCS, Fotini Papadopoulou, the wife of the late Cypriot President Tassos Papadopoulos, told a ceremony marking the end of a camping at Platres village, that the Chinese Embassy had made a generous contribution towards the organization.

Chinese Ambassador Huang Xingyuan and his wife Ma Li attended the ceremony along with the Platres mayor and RCS officials.

The Chinese ambassador said "The Chinese Embassy and I personally have always been concerning about public welfare undertakings of Cyprus, I hope the 'Chinese ambassador scholarship' can help the needy students to fulfill their dreams, so they could contribute to the development of their country and the China-Cyprus friendship."

"His excellency the Ambassador Mr. Huang Xingyuan and his wife Ma Li had the gracious kindness to visit us and support the work of the Cyprus Red Cross Society," Papadopoulou said.

She added that they had also visited RCS Children's Therapy Center, offering treatment to children in the seaside city of Limassol.

"I welcome them and thank them for the presence here," Papadopoulou said.

The Cyprus Red Cross Society, mainly responds to disasters and cares for refugees and people in need as well as runs an establishment offering treatment for children up to the age of 18 with severe physical disabilities.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-08 06:51:50|Editor: yan

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BANJUL, July 7 (Xinhua) -- A Senegalese electricity company has agreed to supply the Gambia's power utility through Power Purchase Agreement (PPA), Gambian Ministry of Petroleum and Energy said on Friday.

According to the ministry statement, the development came after the Gambian minister of petroleum visited Dakar, capital of the Gambia, earlier this month.

"The outcome of the visit was the finalization of a memorandum of understanding between the two national utilities and the initializing of a highly concessional draft Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) between the two Utilities," it said.

The supply from the Senegalese electricity company SENELEC will significantly complement Gambian power utility NAWEC`s efforts and most parts of rural Gambia will soon start enjoying 24 hrs of electricity supply, a significant milestone in the rural electrification program, it said.
Landmark ruling for Customs

This decision is an important win for the Customs and Excise Division since it means that for offences where prohibited goods are imported or smuggled into the country, the prosecution does not have to prove that the offender had knowledge for a successful conviction, the division said in a statement on Wednesday.

As a result of the courts ruling, a company and one of its employees are to face a fresh trial for importing gaming machines but falsely declaring that they were furniture on a Customs declaration form.

Canserve Caribbean Limited and Darren Nurse are to face another trial in the magistrates court after the court of appeal ruled that the magistrate erred when she upheld a no case submission in favour of the two.

Another person, Cindy Gibbs, who was charged with importing goods not corresponding to Customs declarations will not face a retrial.

This was the order of Justices of Appeal Rajendra Narine, Prakash Moosai and Mark Mohammed.

The trio were charged in violation of the Customs Act when on July 10, 2009, they allegedly imported a number of gaming machines and not furniture as was stated on the invoice.

In her decision, the magistrate held there was no evidence to prove that the gaming machines were prohibited under the Customs Act as they could not be tested.

But in their ruling, the judges said there was sufficient evidence to support the charges against Canserve and Nurse.

They also held the magistrate was wrong to find sections 213 and 214 of the Customs Act required proof of knowledge and agreed the company and Nurse ought to have been called on to answer the charges.

Mohammed, who delivered the 64 page ruling, said the magistrate also failed to consider each of the charges separately.

While the judges pointed out that almost all offences required an element of intent, they held that strict liability should be imposed by parliament and inferred in some matters.

The offences in question deal with issues of social concern namely smuggling and revenue control and constructing them as offences of strict liability would be effective in helping to promote the objectives of the statute and in helping to promote vigilance in respect of the activities giving rise to those offences, the judges said.

In their ruling the judges also dealt with the legal principle of the Halfway House approach which leaves an accused to prove he took all reasonable care to avoid conducting a criminal act.

In our view adopting a principled approach, the alteration of such pivotal principles of criminal law and in particular, the imposition of a reverse burden of proof ought to be a mater for Parliament to consider and not for the courts to develop incrementally as a matter of law, Mohammed stressed. Senior Counsel Gilbert Peterson represented the Customs and Excise Division while Jagdeo Singh appeared for Canserve, Nurse and Gibbs.
HAMEL-SMITH, STOLLMEYER QUIT JLSC

The Office of the President in a media statement yesterday, announced the resignations of both men effective June 30. They tendered their resignations on June 22, 21 days after the Law Association passed a historic vote of no-confidence in Hamel-Smith and Stollmeyer and called on them to step down.

A call was also made for Chief Justice Ivor Archie as head of the JLSC to resign from that body as well as the post of Chief Justice. The resignation calls against Archie and the JLSC came after bungling in the appointment of former Chief Magistrate Marcia Ayers-Caesar as a judge and her subsequent resignation after it was revealed she left behind 53 unfinished cases.

ALL EYES ON ARCHIE Following the vote of no-confidence on June 1, Archie remained defiant in the face of calls for his resignation, going on record as saying, I dont think you can expect any resignation. The statement from Presidents House yesterday indicated that Stollmeyer by virtue of resigning from the JLSC, also resigned as a member of the Defence Force Commissions Board (DFCB).

Both judges alluded to reasons personal to them, for their resignations and thanked President Carmona for the opportunity to serve the country. Hamel-Smiths resignation concludes 27 years of public service while Stollmeyer served 16 years as a puisne judge and judge of the Court of Appeal, the statement revealed.

Sources close to Hamel-Smith and Stollmeyer said both men were very concerned with developments surrounding the Ayers-Caesar brouhaha and did not want their reputations tarnished. The remaining JLSC members are CJ Archie, head of the Public Service Commission Maureen Manchouck and Ernest Koylass, SC. Sources say the JLSC can continue to function as three members constitute a quorum.

This issue was raised recently in the Court of Appeal which dismissed a challenge to the JLSCs composition by former Opposition Senator Devant Maharaj.

THEY DID RIGHT THING Martin Daly, SC, who was one of several senior counsel to hold a historic meeting on the issue yesterday said, I am happy Hamel- Smith and Stollmeyer have done the right thing. Their resignations demonstrate the value of resolute public opinion.

The dates of the resignation letters and belated release announcing the resignations suggest to me there must have been some arm twisting for them to stay on the limp ship the JLSC has become, he said.

Former attorney general Anand Ramlogan, SC, said yesterday, This is a significant development and a red letter day for our democracy.

It is good to know institutions and individuals who hold high public office can respond to the voice of the people and respect the weight of public opinion. Ramlogan said it was unfortunate the two did not make full and frank disclosure and explain why they resigned.

The JLSC has suffered a terrible blow and must reassess its ability to fulfill its constitutional mandate.

There is an urgent need to reform this critical institution which at present, does not enjoy public confidence as a result of its own negligence and recklessness which resulted in a number of terrible blunders.

The Chief Justice must now re-evaluate his own tenure and see whether he can salvage anything from this disaster. The loss of public confidence by the legal profession and public will not be easy to restore and the administration of justice has been brought into disrepute, Ramlogan said.

BRING IN POLICE Attorney Israel Khan, SC, who has been extremely vocal on the issue, said yesterday, The president must move immediately to fill these vacancies. He also called on the DPP to instruct the Ag Police Commissioner to initiate an investigation into the conduct of the JLSC and Ayers-Caesar.

Khan said if the DPP sees no need for such an investigation, there should still be an inquiry.

Khan said he too wants to know the reasons behind both mens resignations.

Ayers-Caesar was selected as a judge and sworn in at Presidents House on April 12. Two weeks later, on April 27, she resigned and the CJ sent out a media statement saying she would be restored to the magistracy.

This later changed after it was revealed she was not forthcoming on the actual number of part heard cases left on her docket. She was accused of misleading the Chief Justice and JLSC. A statement from the JLSC on May 9, said Ayers-Caesar will not be returning to the magistracy.

The JLSC noted there is no electronic case management in the magistracy, thus making it impossible for it to check the case files of a successful applicant from the Magistracy. The imbroglio deepened when it was revealed that a meeting was held with stakeholders on May 24, and a statement from the Judiciary, the following day, said all of Ayers-Caesars 53 cases will proceed de novo (from the start). The discontent by this decision saw a repeat of what led to the prisoners first riot.

Since then the cases remain stagnant as Director of Public Prosecutions Roger Gaspard has sought clarification of Ayers-Caesars status before he can exercise his jurisdiction under section 90 of the Constitution. The morass took a new turn when Archie admitted on June 12, to having made an error when the Judiciary announced a consensus had been arrived at to restart all 53 cases.

Archie said, No such decision was made. It was said that the Judiciarys media statement was not properly worded. Ayers-Caesar has since initiated legal action as she insists she was forced to resign.
Daddy, look the man who touched me

Police said that during the church service the man allegedly led the boy to a secluded area on the church compound where he unzipped his pants and exposed himself to the child. The man also fondled the child.

Yesterday at 9.30 am, the boy was in company with his father when he saw the man who was walking along Marc Street in Chaguanas. The child, police said, quickly turned to his father and said, Daddy, look the man who touched me in Church. The shocked father immediately stopped Chaguanas Municipal Police Constables Rambahal and Nandlal and told them what his son had just revealed.

The officers, who at the time, were on foot patrol quickly apprehended the man.

He was handed over to Chaguanas police and is said to have confessed to interfering with the child.

Officers later called in officials from the Child Protection Unit (CPU) who spearheaded investigations.

The suspect, who gave two home addresses one in Caroni Savannah Road, Chaguanas and the other at Preysal, Couva has since been charged with sexual touching and is expected to appear today before a Chaguanas magistrate.

The suspect who was a regular member of the church, had stopped attending service since the incident in which he exposed himself to and also fondled the six-yearold boy.
Archbishop: My resignation letter is still pending

Harris told Newsday he has not received any letter from the Pope confirming his resignation letter has been accepted.

He announced his resignation after turning 75 in March in accordance with church law.

When that happens, normally a letter is sent to you saying Nunc Pro Tunc which is Latin for fine, you remain there until we tell you. I did what I had to do because it is the law. I have not been told anything so I remain in the post until I get the news from Rome. However, on record, Benedictine Abbot Fr John Pereira told reporters of the Popes acceptance of Harris resignation after a thanksgiving ceremony commemorating the service of Bishop-elect of St Georges, Grenada, Fr Clyde Harvey.

Harris explained only when someone is appointed, Rome will inform him what to do.

They will tell me they have appointed X to replace me and when his date is going to be, and that is the date when the resignation becomes effective.

It could take a month or two. I sent in my resignation in March and we are in July. It could take from now till the end of the year, I dont know. Rest assured that as soon as I know I will place it into the public domain.

I will call in the press and present the new person...that is the only time we will know when the new Archbishop will take over.
TTMA hails biggest trade convention despite poor economic climate

Speaking yesterday at the launch of the 2017 Trade and Investment Convention (TIC) organised by the Trinidad and Tobago Manufacturers Association (TTMA) at the Centre of Excellence in Macoya, she said the new national economic zones will not only provide new physical spaces for private sector expansion, but create opportunities through which businesses can team up or even partner with public agencies to develop, manage and promote zones in strategic areas of commerce.

She said special economic zones had worked throughout the globe and it is time they are tried here in a pragmatic and strategic fashion.

Despite the tepid economic climate here and in the region, the TTMA said TIC 2017 is the biggest trade convention it has held since the show started in 1999. The association said the show opened yesterday with 240 booths and 42 companies participating from 30 countries. TTMAs chief executive officer Dr Ramesh Ramdeen said it was surprising that the show was sold out since March/April, Which tells me that although the economy is experiencing some challenges, businesspeople are ready to step up to the plate and engage themselves and prepare for any opportunities which are to be had. On the issue of foreign exchange for manufacturers, Ramdeen said the association was disappointed when the Central Bank said it could not direct the commercial banks to create any special arrangement to ensure a dedicated supply of foreign exchange for the manufacturing sector.

However, he remains hopeful that this could materialise and he continues to have dialogue with the authorities. He said the TTMA believes that a framework could be created to ensure that foreign exchange goes to the manufacturing sector. Ramdeen said the foreign exchange goes into a black hole and sometimes it disappears and the non-manufacturing sector and every body else gets it.

Group chief executive officer of First Citizens Karen Darbasie said the persistent imbalance in the supply and demand for foreign exchange makes it imperative to find other sustainable sources which must come from the export sector.

She said the country must be disciplined in its use of foreign exchange and continue to promote export-related activities. She said compounding the countrys problems is having to deal with declining commodity prices on which the economy depends, an OPEC grouping which no longer has the ability it once had to influence global energy prices, an unpredictable U.S. administration and increasing geopolitical tensions. She said the effect of all this has been an unpredictable climate for all generators of foreign exchange and the impact on the local economy has been a contraction of all sectors, including the manufacturing sector and this is likely to continue for some time.

She said difficult times present opportunities for those who are prepared to seize the opportunities and the opportunity today is for the manufacturing sector to step up and shore up the decline in the foreign exchange sector.

Rakesh Goswami, an executive vice president at TSTT, welcomed the foreign companies and said it was a wonderful opportunity for the local business community to connect and network with businesses across the globe. He said he hoped the visiting businesses would be appreciative of what was being offered here.
Japan's fiscal 2016 tax revenue came in around 2.1 trillion yen ($18.5 billion) below the initial forecast, casting doubt over Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's plan to replenish government coffers by spurring growth in the corporate sector.

This was the country's first drop in tax revenue in seven years, falling by 800 billion yen from the previous year to roughly 55.4 trillion yen, the Ministry of Finance announced Wednesday. When the government drew up the budget in December 2015, it estimated fiscal 2016 tax revenue at 57.6 trillion yen. In January 2017, that figure was revised down by 1.7 trillion yen and again later by 400 billion. The ministry has blamed the decline largely on special factors. But critics say the government's projections were overly optimistic.

Corporate tax revenue, in particular, fell short, falling 1 trillion yen below projections. The economy is doing well, and corporate earnings are not falling. But Japan Inc.'s earnings structure has changed drastically, making it unlikely that strong company performance translates into higher tax receipts.

When a Japanese parent company receives dividends from a subsidiary overseas, the foreign dividend is almost entirely tax-exempt in order to avoid taxation by authorities from both countries. When treated as taxable income, 95% of dividends are taxed.

In fiscal 2015, the amount excluded from taxable income, including foreign dividends and other revenues, rose 5% to 6.17 trillion yen. That is a 57% increase since fiscal 2011, rising at a faster pace than listed companies' pretax profit. Improved earnings at Japan Inc. will unlikely be reflected in tax revenue should companies continue to expand their presence abroad.
Japanese companies have never been in better financial shape. Their sky-high ratio of capital to assets testifies to that fact, with the average figure topping 40% for the first time last fiscal year. There's a catch, however: They are inveterate hoarders, which critics say points to a corporate governance problem.

Saving money itself is not a bad thing, of course. Diligently socking away profits helped Japan Inc. absorb the collapse of the economic bubble at end of the 1980s and the global financial crisis that erupted in 2008. But companies have done a poor job of putting that money back into the economy by funneling it into investment or returning it to shareholders.

After the collapse of Lehman Brothers sent the global economy reeling some nine years ago, Mazda Motor booked a net loss of over 70 billion yen ($623 million at current rates), with its capital ratio tumbling to the lower 20% range. But the crisis stirred the automaker into action. Determined to get its earnings back on track, Mazda began developing its Skyactiv environmental technologies and initiating innovative design projects. The moves have paid off, with the company logging record global unit sales in fiscal 2016. Its capital ratio, meanwhile, has surged to 41%.

Major chemical maker Tosoh also resuscitated its finances after the crisis, which sent the company's capital ratio plunging to 20%. But it paid off its debt with money saved by forgoing investment, sending its capital ratio past 50% at the end of last fiscal year. "We would like to further strengthen our financial foundation," said Tosoh President Toshinori Yamamoto.

Statistics collected by The Nikkei show that the average capital ratio for listed Japanese businesses, excluding financial companies, for 2016 rose 0.8 percentage point on the year to 40.4%. That is the highest since fiscal 1982, the first year for which data is available, and far higher than the 32% for the top 500 U.S. companies.

Investors are not applauding, however. Although the Nikkei Stock Average has improved to around 20,000, that is still well below the all-time high of 38,915 recorded in 1989. By contrast, markets in the U.S. and many Asian economies have been hitting new highs.
An observation rocket developed by Japanese startup Interstellar Technologies Inc. is scheduled to blast off from a launch site in the town of Taiki, Hokkaido, northern Japan, in the morning of July 29, the company said Thursday.

It will be the first time for a rocket developed by a private company almost alone to make it into space.

The launch will mark a "major milestone" in the shift from state-led space development, Takahiro Inagawa, chief executive officer of Interstellar Technologies, told a press conference in Tokyo.

The move will "warm up the industry," celebrity entrepreneur Takafumi Horie, who has a stake in the company, said.

The 10-meter rocket using ethanol as fuel is expected to reach an altitude of 100 kilometers some four minutes after the launch and fall into the sea in about six minutes and 40 seconds, according to the company.


A group of local assembly members in Tokyo and Saitama prefectures who have publicly identified their sexual-minority status said Thursday they launched an inter-assembly league to promote policies supporting lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.

The five politicians were joined by nearly 80 other members of prefectural and municipal assemblies across the country who support the group's cause, they said at a press conference in Tokyo.

Taiga Ishikawa, a 43-year-old member of Tokyo's Toshima Ward assembly, said, "We would like to call on local assembly members nationwide to join the group." Ishikawa was involved in launching the effort.

The organization aims to promote the enactment of ordinances and implementation of measures that will serve to ensure the rights of LGBT people are observed.

"We need to change our society, including its system and awareness levels," said Aya Kamikawa, a 49-year-old transgender woman who was elected to the Setagaya Ward assembly in Tokyo in 2003. "We would like to work on what we can at regional levels."

At the same press conference, Kunihiro Maeda, a 51-year-old member of the Bunkyo Ward assembly in Tokyo, publically stated for the first time that he is gay.

Jul 07 (ANNnewsCH) - LGBTaacsazaaZaaaaaaeaccsaaaasaaaZeaaaYaaaeaaeaecYaceaaaaYaaaceaaaSaaaaeisaLGBTaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaYea aaaaaaaaa
A 27-year-old man was arrested Thursday in Shizuoka Prefecture on suspicion of fatally stabbing a total stranger with a knife, police said.

Murder suspect Yuki Hanami from Mishima in the prefecture was quoted by investigators as saying, "I wanted to test my guts by killing someone," according to an NHK report.

The victim, Kenji Masuyama, 53, was a company president in Mishima. He was stabbed in abdomen on a street in the city at around midnight Thursday on his way home, the police said. He was rushed to a hospital but later died from loss of blood.

Before being taken to the hospital, Masuyama had called an ambulance by himself, saying, "I've been stabbed by a total stranger."

Hanami turned himself in to police shortly after the incident. He brought two knives with him. Another two knives were also found near the murder scene, the police said.

Jul 07 (ANNnewsCH) - caac2aaaaaaaaaYaaacaeeaaaaaaYaaaeacaaeaaaYaaaeacaaaaascaaeSecaacei27iaaa
A 26-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of kidnapping a minor after he enticed a high school girl to live with him for a month, police said Thursday.

According to police, Makoto Oshida, a restaurant employee, met the girl online and invited her to stay over at his house in Koshigaya, Saitama Prefecture, after she told him that she had family troubles and did not want to be at her home. The girl reportedly accepted Oshida's offer and stayed at his house for approximately one month.

She returned home by herself on June 18, Fuji TV reported. She was unharmed.

The girl's mother had filed a missing person's report with the local police. When she returned home, police questioned her and found out about Oshida.

Jul 07 (ANNnewsCH) - aYcZceSeaaaaaaaaaaacYaSaaaYaae cYaeaaaaaaaaaaaYaaaaeaYa75aeacaaeeYaaaaSce acei26iaeaaYa
As North Korea tests new ICBM capable of reaching Alaska, Trump phones leaders of Japan, China: Is war on the horizon? Preppers be warned

For years U.S. leaders have repeatedly warned North Korea to end its development of nuclear weapons and the intercontinental ballistic missiles with which to deliver them.

Successive North Korean dictators have ignored those warnings.

Not only has the countrys current leader, Kim Jong-un, refused to heed warnings by President Obama and President Donald J. Trump, hes actually sped up development of his ballistic missiles and his nuclear infrastructure.

However, unlike Obama, Trump appears to mean business when he warns of grave consequences should Pyongyang continue to ignore his warnings.

Now, the situation may have progressed to the point of a full-blown crisis.

Over the weekend North Korea conducted yet another ballistic missile test, but this missile traveled much farther than previous designs and is believed by U.S. intelligence to be capable of reaching Alaska. If true, that means for the first time, U.S. soil is within reach of North Korean missiles; eventually, when the North perfects the miniaturization process of placing a nuclear device atop those missiles, it will possess the ability to strike America with nuclear missiles.

Trump has said repeatedly that is an unacceptable risk to U.S. national security. He has made clear that the era of strategic patience with North Korea is over.

Hes not alone; Defense Secretary James Mattis has called North Korea a clear and present danger both to the U.S. and the rest of the world. And Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has said the same thing as the president: Let me be very clear: the policy of strategic patience has ended. We are exploring a new range of diplomatic, security, economic measures. All options are on the table.

In an interview with the Independent Review Journal, Tillerson added: Were not sure if we can get ahead of them. If they just continue, you know, were headed to a place no one wants to be if they continue with their testing and continue the development of both their weapons and their delivery systems, then were going to find ourselves in a place thats even more dangerous than we are today. During the interview, he used the word imminent at least four times.

Thats a war warning, pure and simple. And this weekend, following the Norths more recent in-your-face test, the president is moving.

As reported by Voice of America, Trump held phone calls with the leaders of Japan and China; presumably, the leader of South Korea will either be contacted or has already been contacted about U.S. intentions should the situation escalate to a point where it is now.

While the U.S. really only needs the permission of South Korea to launch military strikes against the North, it would be helpful to get at least tacit approval from Japan and especially China, the Norths principal benefactor.

China, however, is key to all of this: It is the only country with any hope of pressuring Kim to drop his nuclear weapons development, and thats only if Beijing wants to exert that kind of pressure. If China cant or wont, its likely Trump will make good on his promise to end the threat with the use of massive U.S. firepower.

Should that happen, it is liable to be sooner rather than later. And if the U.S. attacks, North Koreas response wont be limited to military retaliation against South Korea; remember, North Korea retains a substantial cyberwar capability that it will surely utilize if attacked. (RELATED: Did America Lose Its First Cyberwar When Sony Surrendered To North Korean Hackers?)

That means U.S. electronic infrastructure ranging from our electric grid to banking systems to air traffic control, water purification and regulating dam flows, among many other things, will be targeted and much of it likely compromised. Or destroyed outright.

Preppers be forewarned: Check and double-check your gear, weapons and other equipment. If youve not yet purchased portable solar panels to help power some of your electronics, now would be a good time to do that.

If U.S. infrastructure suffers a major hit by North Korea, the ensuing societal chaos will be monumental. And North Korea would want exactly that to happen.

J.D. Heyes is a senior writer for NaturalNews.com and NewsTarget.com, as well as editor of The National Sentinel.

Sources Include:

Infowars.com

NaturalNews.com

IRJ.com

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Nokia (News - Alert) and Xiaomi have just announced that they have signed a business collaboration agreement and a multi-year patent agreement, including a cross license to each companys cellular standard essential patents. In the deal, Xiaomi also acquired patent assets from Nokia.





Nokia has been working to get involved in as many areas of technology as possible lately, and in doing so has teamed up with several different companies. Xiaomi was an obvious choice for Nokia to align itself with, as the company has a presence in over 30 countries and regions. Xiaomi is well known for its smartphones, which are said to be full of innovative new technologies at a reasonable price. Xiaomi also dabbles in the Internet of Things (IoT), which is an area of great interest to Nokia. In fact, Xiaomis Mi Ecosystem IoT platform has crossed 60 million connected devices, and there are now over 8 million daily active connected devices on the Mi Ecosystem platform.

Just by looking at the companys interests, its plain to see why Nokia wanted to partner with Xiaomi. Xiaomi is one of the world's leading smartphone manufacturers and we are delighted to have reached an agreement with them, said Rajeev Suri (News - Alert), President & CEO of Nokia. In addition to welcoming such a prominent global technology company to our family of patent licensees, we look forward to working together on a wide range of strategic projects.

But what, exactly, are those strategic projects going to be? Under the terms of this agreement, Nokia will provide network infrastructure equipment designed to deliver the high capacity, low power requirements expected by large Web providers and data center operators. According to the announcement, Nokia and Xiaomi will work together on optical transport solutions for datacenter interconnect, IP Routing based on Nokia's newly announced FP4 network processor, and a data center fabric solution. In addition, the companies have agreed to explore opportunities for further cooperation, in areas such as Internet of Things, augmented and virtual reality, and artificial intelligence.

This partnership seems like a successful endeavor for both companies. With Nokia and Xiaomi both having such strong interested in IoT, AI, VR and AR, were bound to see some great, innovative new ideas coming out of this team.

Edited by Maurice Nagle
New post, The Adversarial System and the Torah Ethic of Justice on Nishma Policy
A military checkpoint in the village of el-Barth, an area between Rafah and Sheikh Zuweid in the northeastern Sinai Peninsula, was attacked by an unidentified group in the early hours of Friday and few hours later, Egypts Interior Ministry said a police officer was gunned down in a drive-by shooting in Cairo as he was heading to a mosque near his home.

The ministrys statement says assailants on a motorcycle drove by, opened fire and killed Capt. Ibrahim Azazi as he was leaving his house on Friday and heading to the mosque, reports AP, adding that security forces are searching for the assailants.

The attack against the checkpoint was launched when two vehicles, believed to be driven by suicide bombers, detonated, before dozens of masked militants who were on foot opened fire. At least 23 soldiers, among whom a Colonel of the Special Forces, were killed and 33 more wounded.

After the attack, the militants reportedly looted the checkpoint, taking weapons and ammunition.

Army spokesman Tamer el-Rifai declined to comment on the attack.

Egypt has been tightlipped about the casualties that it suffers in the ongoing fight against terror groups in the Sinai Peninsula.

Although no group has claimed responsibility for the attack, most of the attacks that have been carried out in the Sinai are claimed by the Islamic State group, whose Sinai branch seems

to be the most resilient outside Syria and Iraq, where the so-called caliphate is witnessing its demise. The groups offshoot in Libya has been uprooted in months-long battles in the central city of Sirte while its branch in Yemen has failed to seize territories or compete with its al Qaeda rivals.

As Egyptian authorities tightened control and increased military presence in the Sinai, the Islamic State group shifted its focus away from senior government officials by attacking the Christian Coptic minority killing scores of them over the past eight months.

Egypt is part of the Saudi-led bloc that severed ties with Qatar, it accused of supporting and financing terror groups in their territories.

Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry lamented recently about the level of damage and the level of human suffering that has been associated to Qatars interventions in Syria and Libya and the heavy price that Egypt has to pay in the loss of civilian life. He added that the last instance being the tragic events of the Egyptian Christians on their way to a monastery for prayer that were targeted so brutally by terrorists.

Cairo terror concerns gained momentum in 2013 after El-Sisi ousted President Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood in a military-backed coup detat.
The US State Department Thursday voiced concern over possible continuation of the crisis between Qatar and the Saudi-led bloc after boycotting countries consider new sanctions following Qatars refusal to commit to the demands put forward by the bloc.

We remain very concerned about that ongoing situation between Qatar and GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) countries, said spokeswoman Heather Nauert.

Weve become increasingly concerned that that dispute is at an impasse at this point. We believe that this could potentially drag on for weeks. It could drag on for months.

The US and Kuwait have been trying to bridge the divide between Qatar on one hand and Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt on the other hand.

The quartet singled out Doha for funding terrorism and imposed on the tiny gulf country air, sea and land blockades. They conditioned lifting of the blockades on 13 demands deemed unrealistic and unenforceable by Qatar.

Wednesday, the four countries, meeting in Cairo at the level of Foreign Ministers, said Qatars refusal to abide by the demands was not serious.

In a statement, the quartet blamed Qatar for seeking to undermine their internal security and stability and vowed to take further political, legal and economic sanctions.

All political, economic and legal measures will be taken in the manner and at the time deemed appropriate to preserve the four countries rights, security and stability, the statement said.

The Foreign Ministers convened to hold another meeting in Bahrain to decide the next steps.

Saudi Arabia Thursday accused Qatar of using Twitter to stoke dissent and cause unrest in the country. The Saudi information minister Awwad Saleh Al-Awwad said Doha was behind over 23,000 Twitter accounts trying to stoke dissent in Saudi Arabia.

According to Saudi authorities, 32 percent of the fake accounts come from Qatar, 28 percent from Lebanon, 24 percent from Turkey and 12 percent from Iraq.

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is set to fly to the region on Monday to meet Kuwaiti authorities that are conducting a mediation in the Gulf rift.
Wolf Creek nuclear power plant in Kansas, one of the targeted facilities. Photo: Mark Reinstein/Corbis via Getty Images

While the United States was focused on concerns that Russia may have hacked the last election, since May, hackers have breached the computer systems of at least a dozen U.S. power plants, including nuclear facilities. This raised concerns that someone is looking for ways to disrupt the U.S. electric grid, and there are signs that Russia may be the culprit.

The New York Times and Bloomberg reported on Thursday night that last week the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI issued an urgent alert to utilities about potential hacking. The report concluded that the hackers were trying to map out the facilities computer networks for future attacks. According to the Times, they obtained the credentials of industrial control engineers using a variety of methods, such as redirecting the engineers internet traffic through their own computers and planting malicious code in fake resumes attached to emails about open positions.

Industrial control engineers have access to systems that could cause safety issues if compromised. However, as Wired explains, at nuclear facilities, the computer systems are separate from far more obscure, less internet-connected systems that actually manipulate its physical equipment. Edwin Lyman, a nuclear expert with the Union of Concerned Scientists, told Bloomberg that there are various safeguards at nuclear sites that ensure, you cant really cause a nuclear plant to melt down just by taking out the secondary systems that are connected to the grid.

DHS and the FBI issued a joint statement saying, There is no indication of a threat to public safety, as any potential impact appears to be limited to administrative and business networks. Bloomberg said special teams from the two agencies are working to extricate the hackers from the facilities systems, in some cases without informing local and state officials.

The report did not say exactly how many systems have been compromised or speculate on the hackers motives. It did say an advanced persistent threat actor was responsible, which suggests U.S. officials believe the hackers are backed by a foreign government.

Three people told Bloomberg that Russia is the chief suspect, and according to the Times, the hackers techniques look similar to those of the Russian hacking group Energetic Bear, which has been linked to attacks on the energy sector in recent years.

Critical infrastructure systems are frequent targets for hackers, and Russia certainly isnt the only nation launching such cyberattacks (for instance, the U.S. and Israel are believed to be behind the Stuxnet computer worm that significantly damaged Irans nuclear centrifuges). But their potential involvement is particularly concerning because Russian hackers are suspected of disrupting Ukraines power grid at least twice since 2015. The hackers may be testing methods in Ukraine to prepare for a larger attack on the power grid.

During his speech in Warsaw on Thursday, President Trump called on Russia to cease its destabilizing activities in Ukraine and elsewhere. Trump could raise the issue of potential cyberattacks when he meets Russian president Vladimir Putin on Friday, but they have a lot to discuss.
Look out, Alaska. Photo: STR/AFP/Getty Images

Donald Trump may not have given much credence to the pointed personal warnings about North Korea he heard from his predecessor. After getting briefed on Pyongyangs efforts to build a nuclear weapon capable of reaching the United States, Trump blithely tweeted, It wont happen! All that North Korea has done since should have overcome both his skepticism and his assurance. Every few weeks since January 20, it has launched a new and better missile. U.S. spy satellites have registered flurries of activity around its underground nuclear-test site. A visiting American college student detained for stealing a poster arrived home in a life-ending coma. And this week, a smiling Kim Jong-un marked July 4 with what he called a gift for the American bastards: the first test of a ballistic missile, a Hwasong-14 as handsome as a good-looking boy, that most analysts believe could hit Alaska.

After years of mocking Barack Obama for passivity in the face of North Koreas growing nuclear-weapons stockpile, Trump confronts the same grim set of choices. As seemingly every article on the July 4 missile test has stressed, those choices are few and risky and have been for years. Yet, after six months of Trumps presidency, they are grimmer than ever before. His degradation of language, his destruction of American diplomacy, his disdain for alliances: Trumps foreign policy has wrecked the very tools needed to navigate a crisis that would be frightening even under the stewardship of the most judicious commander-in-chief. The options were always bad, but Trump has made them considerably worse.

The era of strategic patience, Trump recently declared, is over. Strategic patience was the Obama administrations attempt to put the best possible spin on a tacit admission of paralysis. North Korea tested nuclear weapons (first under Bush, then repeatedly under Obama), developed missiles, issued flamboyant threats, and repressed its citizens by outlandishly brutal means. In turn, Washington toughened sanctions and, according to subsequent reports, waged a cyberwar on the North Korean missile program. But major changes to U.S. policy were seen to carry disqualifying drawbacks or intolerable risks  drawbacks and risks that persist today.

Candidate Trump, like candidate Obama before him, said hed be willing to talk to Pyongyang directly. But returning to negotiations without insisting that North Korea give up weapons, or at least stop further development, would reward bad behavior and undermine nonproliferation on the basis of minimal hope that a sustainable compromise would emerge. Successive U.S. presidents have hoped that stronger economic pressure would make Pyongyang more pliant, but its economic lifeline comes via China, which prioritizes North Korean stability. Looking to Beijing as his deus ex machina, Trump has tried alternately to browbeat (If China is not going to solve North Korea, we will) and to sweet-talk (he is trying very hard) Chinese president Xi Jinping into increasing pressure on Pyongyang. (Whatever his disregard for Obamas attempt to educate him, Trump was readily swayed by Xi: After listening for ten minutes, I realized its not so easy.) As it has become clear that China is not going to solve the problem on its own, the administration has instead started sanctioning Chinese companies that do business with North Korea; Beijings calculus has not changed.

Trump has also warned of a major, major conflict with North Korea. But even an overwhelming strike on the known nuclear stockpile would have little chance of destroying North Koreas ability to respond with thousands of weapons, including any surviving nuclear weapons, currently trained on both American troops stationed in the region and tens of millions of citizens of American allies; half of South Koreas population lives within easy range of North Korean artillery. The ensuing battle would, Secretary of Defense James Mattis explained last month, result in probably the worst kind of fighting in most peoples lifetime  a catastrophic war. (One interpretation of why Mattis, who speaks sparingly in public, has issued such a stark warning: Hes alarmed by chatter from others in the administration.) American-led regime change would be similarly catastrophic.

As Mark Bowden concludes in his chilling Atlantic report about U.S. policy options toward North Korea, If there were a tolerable alternative, it would long ago have been tried. And so, after decades of successive U.S. presidents reiterating that a nuclear North Korea is unacceptable, North Korea today has one or two dozen nuclear weapons, which it insists it will not give up. This weeks test suggests that even sooner than previously thought  perhaps within a couple of years  it could also have an intercontinental ballistic missile that could reach some major U.S. cities, along with nuclear warheads compact enough to put on top.

The Trump administration followed the July 4 test with a barrage of statements and actions that offer little that is truly distinct from past policy. Generals ordered joint U.S.South Korean missile exercises and reminded the North Koreans of what American firepower could do to them. United Nations ambassador Nikki Haley called for an escalated diplomatic and economic response and put other governments on notice that Washington would act alone if it had to. Trump complained of Pyongyangs very, very bad behavior and promised he was considering some pretty savage things. Crudeness aside, these are standard sentiments and proclamations from U.S. officials  but in this case, coming from an administration that has undermined its own ability to act on them effectively.

Americas word has been devalued under Trump, creating a degree of uncertainty that sharply raises the risk of calamitous miscalculation. Credible deterrence hinges on the person youre trying to deter believing that you will do what you say youll do. Yet politicians in Trumps own party ignore his threats; why would enemy governments take them any more seriously? When Trump issues a statement, even members of his own administration are frequently unsure what its supposed to convey. Last month, American officials reported that they were still trying to gauge the meaning of the presidents tweet about China and North Korea  just before a high-level meeting with their Chinese counterparts to discuss, among other things, that very topic. In April, White House officials trumpeted news of an aircraft carrier heading toward North Korea  at a time when the ship was in fact sailing in the opposite direction.

American diplomacy, meanwhile, has been debilitated. Trump has sidelined the State Department and proposed cutting its budget by almost a third, while stocking his administration with active-duty and retired military officers. He has left the senior diplomatic ranks unfilled; acting career officials, however capable, are left to do their jobs with no political support, and foreign officials are well aware of their relative powerlessness. And Trumps recent public undermining of Rex Tillersons attempt to resolve the Qatar crisis sent a strong message of how little he cares about the efforts or opinions of his secretary of State. But these are the very officials and tools Trump would need to rely on in a crisis  not only in the case of a new push for negotiations, but even more so were he to prepare for a military offensive or attempt to step up economic pressure, which requires skillful diplomacy to ensure that sanctions are enforced rather than ignored.

Finally, American alliances have been destabilized. Any constructive policy depends on the trust and cooperation of American allies in Asia, but Trump has sowed unprecedented doubt about American commitments. He has repeatedly questioned the value of alliances globally. He has suggested that Japan and South Korea should consider developing their own nuclear arsenals instead of relying on American security guarantees. He has demanded retroactive payment for an American missile-defense system in South Korea. He has issued threats with potentially fatal implications for American allies without ever consulting them. The supposed adults in the Trump administration have worked feverishly to persuade allied governments not to take such statements seriously, but given the existential stakes for South Koreans and Japanese, its easy to see why they might not fully trust American alliance commitments in a crisis. When such commitments are in doubt, an adversary is more likely to attack an ally, and allies are more likely both to cut side deals, undercutting pressure, and to act alone, upsetting restraint.

Secretary of State Tillerson was right when he declared this week that global action is required to stop a global threat. But here, too, Trump has made bad options worse. The rest of the globe is less inclined than at any other time since the lowest point of the Bush administration to follow where Washington leads. According to the most recent Pew survey, international confidence in American leadership plummeted from 64 percent at the end of Obamas presidency to 22 percent today. Dyed-in-the-wool America Firsters may not think they particularly care what the citizens of foreign countries think  until suddenly we are calling for global action in a crisis and find that few of them are willing to come forward and join us.
All aboard. Photo: Red Huber/TNS via Getty Images

Vice-President Mike Pence announced Thursday plans for the U.S. to return to the moon and put American boots on the face of Mars.

His remarks came days after President Trump appointed him the head of the revived National Space Council. Last seated in 1993, the council is charged with guiding U.S. space policy, and Pence laid out ambitious goals for NASA in a speech at the Kennedy Space Center, which he called the heart and soul of our space program, where science fiction has become science fact for generations.

America will get back to winning in space, Pence said, and usher in a new era of space leadership. He said space exploration will help the U.S. by strengthening the economy, unlocking new technology, inspiring children to love science, and helping keep America safe.

Today, I come to assure you, the men and women of NASA, and all those at this gateway to the stars, where the aspirations of the American people have taken flight, that under President Donald Trump, America will lead in space once again, he said.

Pence didnt go into detail about how the U.S. will achieve those goals or provide any timetables. Despite the grandiose language  America will take our rightful place as the vanguard of humanitys historic rendezvous with the future, Pence said  the particulars of the Trump administrations space plan remain murky. He also did little to reconcile the apparent importance of NASA with proposed budget cuts.

But maybe Pence was just trying to give a rousing speech heavy on symbolism, leaving the policy to the NASA administrator. Theres one problem with that theory though: Six months into the Trump presidency, NASA still doesnt have an administrator.
Rand Paul, pragmatic deal-maker? Photo: Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call,Inc.

Late last week, Donald Trump revived repeal and delay  the GOPs short-lived plan to kill Obamacare first, and draft a replacement second. GOP senators Mike Lee, Rand Paul, and Ben Sasse promptly endorsed this way out of their partys health-care quagmire.

Most observers saw these developments as threatening Mitch McConnells fragile hopes of bridging his caucuss divide on health-care policy. Politico declared, Trump further disrupts Obamacare repeal efforts.

But it now looks like the opposite may prove true: The reemergence of the strategy of repealing Obamacare in one bill, and replacing it in another, might just lay the foundation for the Senate GOPs grand bargain over health care. Observe how Rand Paul described his vision for clean repeal on Fox News Sunday:

Lets do clean repeal like we promised, and, I think, you can get 52 Republicans for clean repeal. You can have a simultaneous bill  or a concurrent bill  that they can call replace, and that I think, perhaps, if its big spending, they could probably get Democrats to go along with big spending. Im not for that, but Im saying, I want repeal to work, and the way you do it is you separate into two bills and you do it concurrently.

In other words, Paul is asking leadership to give conservatives one more chance to register their symbolic opposition to Obamacare, for old times sake  and then, immediately pass a big spending bipartisan bill that props up the existing law, with moderate Republican and Democratic votes.

Its hard to imagine a better way for an arch-libertarian  who represents Kentucky  to have his ideological purity and keep his states rural hospitals running, too.

But Paul wasnt the only one endorsing this sort of scheme.

Id like to say lets do the repeal and then lets try to get 60 out of 100 senators, Sasse told CNN. The Nebraska senator suggested that, unlike Paul, he would favor an extended period of legislative deliberation between Obamacares repeal and its replacement. But, nonetheless, his suggestion that the bill pass with 60 votes is a tacit endorsement of a legislative process that ends with technocratic fixes to the existing law (which Trump could then rebrand as his own).

Its possible that Sasses insistence on 60 votes has less to do with an attraction to bipartisanship than frustration with the limits of reconciliation  the legislative process that allows the Senate to pass bills with a simple majority. Right now, Senate conservatives have their hearts set on rolling back Obamacares regulatory protections for people with preexisting conditions. But under the rules of reconciliation, the Senate can only pass measures that have a direct impact on the budget, and its unlikely that regulatory reforms would meet that standard.

Still, whatever Sasses motivation, a modest bill fortifying the private market is the only thing that could get eight Democratic votes.

And, over the weekend, White House Director for Legislative Affairs Marc Short endorsed such a legislative endgame.

If the replacement part is too difficult for Republicans to come together, then lets go back and take care of the first step and repeal, Short told Fox News Sunday. And then at that point, if youve repealed it, you can come back with a replacement effort that could be more bipartisan.

Maine senator Susan Collins has long favored a bipartisan bill. Kansass Jerry Moran expressed a similar sentiment this week.

And on Thursday, even McConnell seemed to signal that a bipartisan bill may be nigh, saying, If my side is unable to agree on an adequate replacement, then some kind of action with regard to private-health-insurance markets must occur.

Republican senators appear to have irreconcilable disagreements about health-care policy. But thats only true to the extent that they actually care about health-care policy. It seems possible that what the conservatives really care about is performing rituals of ideological purity  while the moderates just want to avoid throwing hundreds of thousands of their constituents off health insurance for the sake of affirming some lies they sold voters about Obamacare.

If thats the case, then pseudo-repeal and bipartisan replace might be the grand bargain theyve been searching for.
Prohibited. Photo: Universal History Archive/Getty Images

The United Nations on Friday finalized a landmark treaty calling for the complete destruction and outright prohibition of nuclear weapons until the end of time. The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons was approved by 122 of the U.N.s 192 nations.

The world has been waiting for this legal norm for 70 years, said Costa Ricas Ambassador Elayne Whyte Gomez, who led negotiations for the treaty. We have managed to sow the first seeds of a world free of nuclear weapons.

Theres one major problem with the treaty though: None of the nations currently in possession of nuclear weapons approved it. In fact, those countries (the U.S., Russia, North Korea, China, Britain, France, India, Pakistan, and Israel) boycotted the negotiations of the treaty. So too did all of the NATO member nations except for the Netherlands, which was the only country to participate but vote against finalizing the treaty.

Open to signatures in September and needing 50 signatures to come into force, the treaty says all ratifying nations should never develop, test, produce, manufacture, otherwise acquire, possess or stockpile nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices.

Nikki Haley, the United States ambassador to the U.N., criticized it in March when negotiations began. There is nothing I want more for my family than a world with no nuclear weapons, she said, but we have to be realistic.

On Friday, the U.S., United Kingdom, and France put out a joint statement saying the three nations do not intend to sign, ratify or ever become party to the treaty.

This initiative clearly disregards the realities of the international security environment, the statement says. A purported ban on nuclear weapons that does not address the security concerns that continue to make nuclear deterrence necessary cannot result in the elimination of a single nuclear weapon and will not enhance any countrys security, nor international peace and security.
Trump with his friend Enrique Pena Nieto. Photo: Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images

As President Trump and Mexican president Enrique Pena Nieto sat down for a meeting on the sidelines of todays G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany, reporters were allowed in the room to take pictures and shout questions.

Mr. Trump, do you still want Mexico to pay for the wall? one reporter asked Trump.

Absolutely, he said before flashing a smile at Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.

Trump is practiced in the art of ignoring questions, so his willingness to answer this one with Pena Nieto sitting right next to him seems notable, particularly given the drama this issue has created.

It was the wall, and Trumps continued insistence that Mexico pay for it, that led Pena Nieto to cancel a planned meeting with Trump in January. They spoke on the phone instead.

Mexico does not believe in walls. Ive said time again; Mexico will not pay for any wall, Pena Nieto said at the time.

Before making things awkward with Pena Nieto over the border wall, Trump painted a rosy picture of the U.S.-Mexico relationship. He called the Mexican president a friend, and said the two men have made very good progress in working together. Pena Nieto added that the meeting will help continue a flowing dialogue between the two nations.
I can tell that we are going to be friends. Photo: Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images

On Thursday afternoon, Donald Trump refused to concede that Russia tried to interfere in Americas 2016 election, saying, I think it could have been other people and other countries. On Friday morning, the president declined to publicly criticize Russian agents for hacking the Clinton campaign or Democratic National Committee  but did condemn Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta for refusing to hand over the DNCs email server to the CIA. (An allegation that is incoherent on myriad levels.)

Everyone here is talking about why John Podesta refused to give the DNC server to the FBI and the CIA. Disgraceful!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 7, 2017

And yet, when Trump met with Vladimir Putin at the G20 Friday afternoon, the first thing he did was express his concerns about Russian meddling in American elections. Or so Rex Tillerson said Friday, following a meeting that ran 90 minutes longer than expected. The secretary of State told reporters that the president opened his first face-to-face with his Russian counterpart by raising the concerns of the American people regarding Russian interference in the 2016 election.

Tillerson said that the ensuing exchange was robust and lengthy; that Putin denied any involvement in Russian hacking; and that Trump made clear that to move the U.S.-Russia relationship forward the Kremlin would need to refrain from interfering in our democratic process, or that of any other country.

Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov, however, is saying that Trump accepted Putins claim that Russia had no involvement in the hacking. Whats more, according to The Guardians Alec Luhn, Russian media is reporting that Trump assured Putin that many in the U.S. are exaggerating about the attack. That would be a bizarre thing for the president to say, most obviously because Putin is in a much better position to know whether Russias activities are being exaggerated than Trump is.

Trump administration officials have disputed Lavrovs claim. One easy way for the president to clarify this matter would be to say, publicly, whether he has more faith in his own CIA director than in Vladimir Putin. As of this writing, he has declined to do so.

"These are the ones that insulted you?" Putin asked Trump, gesturing at the journalists being ushered out of the room. Chuckles all around https://t.co/yNiAF3Skfr  Alec Luhn (@ASLuhn) July 7, 2017

Regardless, Trump and Putin left their meeting with a tangible achievement  albeit one that appears to have been arranged in advance: an agreement between Russia, Israel, Jordan, and the U.S. on a cease-fire in southwest Syria, which is set to go into effect by noon on Sunday. As to the broader conflict, Tillerson said Friday that the two leaders discussed how to deescalate the violence once we defeat ISIS and to work towards a political process that will secure the future of the Syrian people. The secretary of State stipulated that, in Americas view, Assad and his family cannot retain power in Damascus in the long run. If Tillerson didnt mean that in the sense of in the long run, well all be dead, then the remark would stand in tension with a recent report from the Daily Beasts Spencer Ackerman, which detailed the secretarys master plan for resolving the Syrian conflict:

After a dizzying series of policy shifts on Syria, administration and congressional sources tell The Daily Beast that Team Trump is introducing the beginnings of a new strategy for Syriaone that, in the short term at least:

 leaves dictator Bashar al-Assad in power;

 acquiesces to the idea of safe zones proposed by Russia and its allies;

 leans on cooperation from Moscow, including the use of Russian troops to patrol parts of the country.

 Expect Tillersons plan to be discussed at Trumps meeting with Putin on Friday, when the secretary of state will be the only other American official in the room. After the confab, Tillerson will fly to Turkey, where the Syria plan is likely to be raised as well.

Appearing beside Putin ahead of their talks, Trump said that it was an honor to meet with the Russian leader, and predicted that very positive things would come out of their discussion.

Trump says he has had some "very very good talks," with Putin. Follow our live blog: https://t.co/IsYd6WQGGd https://t.co/sWOIuyiI0C  CNN (@CNN) July 7, 2017

Beyond Syria, the two leaders discussed the situation in Ukraine, counter-terrorism and cyber crime, according to Russian state media. The meeting was scheduled to last a half-hour, but ran two hours and 15 minutes. Tillerson credited this fact to the extraordinary rapport between the two men.

There is little more to report on the tenor or details of the two leaders discussions. In speculating about either, its worth remembering:

Trump is a former reality star who has a hard time reading sentences that exceed 140 characters  and/or, that do not have his name in them. The president prefers to play high-level diplomatic meetings by ear; is infamously conflict-averse in face-to-face settings; and appears to value flattery and easily marketable wins above most any substantive policy goal. The last time he met with officials from the Kremlin, he provided them with unsolicited, highly classified Israeli intelligence that the United States had no permission to share.

Putin, by contrast, is a former KGB agent with decades of experience in manipulating whoever is seated across from him. The Russian president is said to prepare meticulously for his meetings with other heads of state, entering with a list of concessions to extract  and a sense of his counterparts psychological liabilities. This is the man who brought a black labrador retriever to his meeting with the cynophobic German chancellor Angela Merkel. He is known to begin meetings with American officials by reminding them of every injustice Washington has ever done Moscow, from the mid-20th century to the present day, each summarized on an individual notecard that he slams on the table between them.

Given this mismatch, if Trump managed to get through the affair without reciting Americas nuclear codes or promising to withdraw from NATO, then you have to give him credit for beating the spread. Especially since Trump had no experienced diplomat or Kremlinologist by his side  in defiance of some White House aides wishes, Trump refused to allow senior director for European and Russian affairs (and Putin critic) Fiona Hill to attend the meeting.

According to the New York Times, Russia pushed to open up the sitdown to more officials, but the U.S. insisted on limiting it to Putin, Trump, Tillerson, and Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov (and their translators) so as to minimize the potential for leaks.
Mitch McConnell is facing a bleak prognosis. Photo: Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call,Inc.

Last week, just as the Senate appeared to be racing toward the stealth repeal of Obamacare, it came to a screeching halt. Mitch McConnell has tried to use the July Fourth recess to regroup and find a way to assemble the 50 votes he needs to roll back the Affordable Care Act. But today appears to be another turning point: His plan suddenly looks like its on the verge of death. It is not one single development that indicates the sharply worsening outlook for Trumpcare, but several.

The most damaging development is a new statement by Mike Lee, one of the arch-conservative holdouts. Lee has been angling to make McConnell include provisions in the bill to weaken Obamacares protections for people with preexisting conditions. Lees ideas are a complete nonstarter for many, perhaps most, members of the Republican Senate. Today his spokesman told Axios reporter Caitlin Owens, The entire bill is unacceptable without the Consumer Freedom Option.

Lees position makes it almost impossible for McConnell to find his 50 votes. Blue-state senators Susan Collins and Dean Heller already appear irretrievably opposed to anything resembling McConnells plan. If Lee demands that the bill let insurers charge higher prices for coverage of treatments needed by sicker people, then he drives away at least one more vote on the partys opposite wing: Lisa Murkowski or Shelley Moore Capito, among others, have expressed reservations about yanking coverage away from people who have obtained it through Obamacare.

That is not the only indication of trouble for McConnell. Kansas senator Jerry Moran, the only Republican senator who has held a town hall meeting during the recess, is nobodys idea of a swing-state vote. But Moran faced a packed audience, and advocated a bipartisan approach in health care: Health care would be almost impossible to try to solve when youre trying to do it with 51 votes, he told the audience, instead proposing this chamber figure out where there are 60 votes to pass something.

Bipartisanship might sound like a mom-and-apple-pie concept that a nervous Republican could throw around to mollify angry constituents without committing himself to anything specific. But in this case, 60 votes has a clear meaning. McConnells plan has been to use a 50-vote procedure to avoid the need for Democratic support. Indeed, he has threatened his caucus with the prospect that he will resort to bipartisan negotiations if the 50-vote strategy fails.

And today McConnell himself made the same point again. Only this time, he didnt phrase it quite like a threat. If my side is unable to agree on an adequate replacement, he announced, then some kind of action with regard to private-health-insurance markets must occur.

This is, of course, a comical admission that the entire premise of the Republican onslaught has always been a lie. Republicans have insisted for seven years the law was totally beyond repair, and that the entire thing must be repealed, including its Medicaid expansion. The truth is that the marketplaces have largely stabilized, and they face long-standing challenges providing competition in rural areas, but nothing like the death spiral Republicans have claimed. Even Trumps own health-care experts have admitted the Obamacare exchanges are healthy.

If Republicans want to give up their long-standing boycott of any tinkering with the bill and instead pass some simple patches, they might anger some conservatives, but they will also steer clear of inflicting humanitarian disaster on their own constituents, who might not appreciate it.

Trumpcare isnt dead until its dead. But the Senate Republicans look like a group of politicians who have decided they dont care enough about health-care policy to absorb the political blowback that passing a law snatching insurance from millions of Americans would instigate.
A perfect curve from Polands First Lady. Photo: Time

Canadas Justin Trudeau went for the skeptical-stare approach. Japans Shinzo Abe tried a shake for the entire duration of Trumps term maneuver. Panamas Juan Carlos Varela opted for verbally owning Trump while shaking his hand. But none of them can top todays viral Trump handshake, or rather non-shake, starring the First Lady of Poland, Agata Kornhauser-Duda. During a visit to Warsaw this week, Trump shook Polish president Andrzej Dudas hand, but when he went to shake Kornhauser-Dudas, she passed over his hand and went for the shake with Melania Trump instead. (Its unclear if she just didnt see Trump extending his hand, but either way, the optics are, well, not great for the U.S. president.) Kornhauser-Duda eventually did end up shaking Trumps hand, but only after people online recorded many, many excellent video clips of her skipping the initial handshake.

This Trump handshake fail is the best one yet. pic.twitter.com/mbQzw7FShO  Ian Laking (@IHLaking) July 6, 2017

Was it a handshake snub?



OR...



Is Trump's hand so damn small Poland's First Lady didn't even see it? pic.twitter.com/17F2qcD6zN  Adam Best (@adamcbest) July 6, 2017

That Donald Trump snub on loop  pic.twitter.com/1lQrzbzu7R  George Bowden (@georgebowden) July 6, 2017

Perhaps the First Lady studied up on the Tiffany Trump Curve Method before meeting with the president today. Trumps daughter knows a thing or two about avoiding physical contact with her dad while the cameras are rolling.
What is the Loch Ness Monster?

Why is the cherry on top?

Where is Amelia Earhart?

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Who put the bop in the bopshoobopshoobop?

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you did!



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i had EVERY VHS lol

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I don't buy it. She's dead, accept it.

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I don't really buy this either but I didn't read it as "she's alive!", more like "hey she didn't die the way we thought"

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Oh I didn't really read it as she's alive either - I meant her plane crashed and she died. There's no way she was captured and lived out her life without anyone knowing.

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Well no shit she's dead. She was born in 1897. She'd be 120. But did she survive the crash?

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I don't think the theory is that she lived out her life in Japan until old age or something either. Americans weren't allowed in Japan at that time and they could've crashed and been taken prisoner.



\_()_/

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But was she Dad?

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She was kidnapped by aliens!

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Big, if true.

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dying

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Nobody really knows for sure.

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but if they were still alive surely someone would have said something to the press....

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Similar to the Franklin expedition which the Inuit knew for years where the ship remains were but until a yt guy went up there with a film crew no one believed them.





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Yeah. I heard that the story was even part of the souvenir paraphernalia they sold.

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they have lol. this was on unsolved mysteries in the 80s and saipan locals have been talking about this shit since the 1940s

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If you squint you can see Tupac in that pic

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lmao

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I believe it's Keanu Reeves



Edited at 2017-07-07 04:07 am (UTC)

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LOL

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lol

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SCREAMING

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i see it tbh

he's fishing with kurt cobain

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R. Kelly was on Facebook today posting Tupac conspiracy theories lmao

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No it's Jesus, but I can see why one would make that mistake

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I see Elvis in the picture too

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Lmao y'all are killing me in this post

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lmfao omg

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LMAO STOP

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I was just reading this, I wonder what happened to them if they survived why didn't they telegraph the us or something like that? Maybe they weren't allowed?

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I think the suggestion was they were captured by the Japanese and since it was during WW 2, they'd have been prisoners. Weird though that Japan would not have said they had an American hero as their prisoner. Unless she didn't reveal her identity.

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The photo is from 1937. WW2 hadn't jumped off yet. Japan was involved in a land war with China which would explain why they wouldn't want American planes flying around for any reason.

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Wasn't it international news she was missing? Who knows who that is but it's interesting to speculate

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if she was captured in japan they would've almost definitely been thought spies, tortured, and thrown in prison.

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they were prisoners

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This...feels like a stretch, at best, but ngl I love this kind of ~conspiracy stuff. (I just watched "The Real Beauty and the Beast" on Netflix, about Petrus Gonsalvus who might have inspired the fairy tale. I wouldn't have gotten away with that tenuous-ass connection in a 9th-grade paper, but it was interesting.)

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That photo is blurry and from behind. They're doing some gymnastics to get to Amelia.

Im intrigued by true crime and ~mysteries so I'll have to check out that neflix.

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The Royal Family is lizard people!

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I mean we have seen them hatch out of eggs looking particularly reptilian so I believe this.

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That could be anyone. You can't see their face.

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One of the dudes in the photo is supposedly her...something, like her second or assistant or whatever, idk what his title/role was, navigator maybe? Anyways they're not saying they can say for sure it's her, they think identifying the dude as her whatever is what might mean it is her

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from what i understand, the facial recognition and other identifying details they're referencing actually have to do with her co-pilot, fred noonan, who had a fairly distinctive hairline and they claim to have aligned his nose.



it's interesting to me, but i'm not convinced - like you said, it's a super old pic. but they aren't claiming to have done facial recognition on the person in the picture with their back turned/saying it's amelia (though they are saying the haircut generally matches and the person could be caucasian)

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ugh i think he was the navigator, not copilot. whatever. the guy who was in the plane with her.

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I discovered a couple months ago Amelia Earhart was bi

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I thought she was gay \_()_/

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I'm so going to watch it but I don't want it to be true. The idea that she crashed & died doing something she loved seems less awful than the idea that she died as a prisoner somewhere hoping to be rescued.

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The idea that she crashed & died doing something she loved seems less awful than the idea that she died as a prisoner somewhere hoping to be rescued.



mte

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Yeah, that would be a horrible end to this story.

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Don't worry, she definitely crashed and died.

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I don't think the photo shows anything. I'd love it if she had lived (maybe not as a prisoner) but I think that's wishful thinking.



Edited at 2017-07-07 03:33 am (UTC)

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she would be 120.

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LEGENDS ONLY! when will your favs?!

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she's def not alive. she was born in 1897.

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lmaooooo the responses you got

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and eating peach cobbler under flickering fluorescent lights

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This weeks oil price rally started to unwind on Friday as a result of rising OPEC exports, increasing U.S. shale output and a rising rig count.

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The oil price rally continued into this week, although ran into trouble by Friday. Crude prices surged on the EIA report on Thursday showing a significant drawdown in crude inventories. Oil storage dipped by 6.3 million barrels and gasoline inventories fell by 3.7 million barrels. The drawdowns added a lot of positive momentum to the oil market and traders seized on those bullish factors. But by Friday the markets turned their eyes back on the news from OPEC showing a recent surge in oil exports. U.S. oil production also rebounded after dipping last week. Crude benchmarks sank on the news.

Wall Street pours money into shale drilling. Wall Street has continued to shower the shale sector with cash, fueling another drilling boom that could be self-destructive. An estimated $57 billion poured into the sector over the last 18 months, some of it into high-yield debt. That has led to a flurry of drilling and a rebound of oil production. But many shale companies are still posting financial losses even though production is increasing. A growing number of oil executives and analysts say that investors need to be more discriminating because the tidal wave of capital is causing prices to crash again. The biggest problem our industry faces today is you guys, Al Walker, CEO of Anadarko Petroleum (NYSE: APC), told investors at a conference in June. You guys can help us help ourselves. Its kind of like going to AA. You know, we need a partner. We really need the investment community to show discipline.

BNEF: EV sales to capture majority of car market by 2040. There was no shortage of news in the electric vehicle sector this week. First Tesla (NYSE: TSLA) announced that its first Model 3 cars would be rolling off the assembly line this week, with large-scale production to ramp up by the end of the year. Then Volvo announced its decision to phase out gasoline and diesel vehicles. By 2019, the Swedish carmaker would only build electric and hybrid vehicles. In addition, Bloomberg New Energy Finance published new findings that predict that EVs will make up a majority of light-duty vehicle sales by 2040. The accelerated adoption of EVs will be possible because of the dramatic decline in battery costs. The end result will be the displacement of 8 million barrels oil demand per day by 2040.

Qatar announces plans to grow LNG. Qatar Petroleum announced plans to scale up natural gas production and exports in the coming years. The plans call for a doubling of gas production from its North Field in the Persian Gulf. That will allow Qatar  already the worlds largest LNG exporter  to raise its LNG export capacity by nearly 30 percent from 77 million tonnes annually today to 100 million tonnes annually by 2022-2024. More LNG capacity could worsen the already oversupplied LNG market, keeping prices depressed for years to come. Top executives from ExxonMobil (NYSE: XOM), Royal Dutch Shell (NYSE: RDS.A) and Total SA (NYSE: TOT) reportedly met with Qatari officials and expressed interest in working on the gas project. Related: U.S. Rig Count Must Drop 150 For Oil Markets To Balance

Super-spec rigs slash drilling times. Interest is growing in new drilling equipment that reduces the drilling times of oil wells. So-called super-spec rigs from companies like Canada-based Xtreme Drilling Corp. (TSE: XDC) have a larger load capacity and faster drilling systems, according to the Houston Chronicle. The result is that an oil well can be drilled in as little as 10 days or less, more than a week faster than the average drilling time in 2010. That will allow companies to drill more wells in a shorter timeframe. The super-spec drilling rigs can cost 20 percent more than the average rig, but with bookings are up, oil producers apparently feel that the premium is worth it.

Yergin: U.S. shale, Libya and Nigeria preventing oil price rally. Renowned oil historian Daniel Yergin says that two major things are keeping a lid on oil prices. The lower breakeven costs for U.S. shale drillers is allowing supply to come back online. Also, new supply from OPEC members Libya and Nigeria is offsetting cuts elsewhere. "It looked like the world was making progress toward rebalancing, but (these) two things have really pushed out rebalancing," Yergin told CNBC.

China buying U.S. crude oil. U.S. oil exports are higher than they have been in recent memory and a growing volume of American crude is making its way to China. China has imported an average of 100,000 barrels per day from the U.S. for much of 2017, with imports jumping to 180,000 bpd in May.

Cold winter could push natural gas prices to $4 or $5 per MMBtu. Natural gas has been stuck in a range of $2 to $3 per MMBtu in recent years, but energy trader Mark Fisher thinks that if winter temperatures return to normal levels, the natural gas market could tighten significantly. At some point nat gas is going to trade with a four-, five-handle on it and surprise a lot of people, Fisher told CNBC. In energy, natural gas has the potential for the most upside, he added. Related: Russian Energy Minister: No Additional Output Cuts Are Needed

U.S. to accelerate drilling on public lands. The Trump administration is planning to step up drilling activity on federally-controlled land. Secretary of Interior Ryan Zinke signed an order calling for more lease sales, offering up more tracts on a faster timetable to the industry. "I'm directing the [Bureau of Land Management] to conduct quarterly lease sales and address these permitting issues," Zinke said in a statement, referring to lengthy permitting times.

Tesla wins grid storage contract in Australia. Tesla won a contract in South Australia to install the worlds largest energy storage project. The 100-megawatt battery will be closely watched as a test case for the viability of large-scale energy storage combined with renewable energy. The battery will back up a wind farm, and will have the capacity to provide 30,000 homes with electricity. Tesla CEO Elon Musk, in characteristic style, garnered a lot of attention on the project by promising to have it delivered within 100 days or he would offer it for free.

By Tom Kool of Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
While the whole world talks about how the global supply glut needs to come down, oil production is actually expected to increase, and soon, says a new report from Platts.

The OPEC production survey released by Platts on Thursday said that Libya and Nigeriathe African duo exempt from the blocs production cutcould continue to increase oil production in the coming months.

Total production from OPEC countries jumped 220,000 barrels per day between May and June, Platts figures showed. Surging output from Libya and Nigeria has caused the bloc to exceed the 31.9 million-bpd production limit it had promised last November by 600,000 barrelsfigures that include OPECs newest member, Equatorial Guinea, and do not include OPECs suspended member, Indonesia.

Despite the higher production for June, OPECs official compliance is at 116 percent because the exemptees production increases do not count against the blocs pledged maximum output. As OPECs largest producer, Saudi Arabia has shouldered the lions share of the cuts, compensating for new output and exports from No. 2, Iraq.

June averages for Libya  a war-torn nation struggling to rebuild its economy since the toppling of Muammar Gaddafis regime in 2011  ran as high as 810,000 bpd, a three-year high. Nigerian output for the same month rose 50,000 bpd, averaging 1.78 million bpd, the highest since January 2016 before separatists in the Niger Delta began attack foreign oil projects in fossil fuel-rich areas.

Related: Saudis Refuse To Relinquish Grip On Key Asian Market

Combined January through June output from Nigeria and Libya stood 380,000-bpd higher than it did in October  when OPEC members negotiated the production quotas currently in place.

All price gains from January, when the 1.2 million-barrel cut went into effect, have been erased due to high output from Nigeria, Libya, and shale producers in the United States.

By Zainab Calcuttawala for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
U.S. crude oil exports rose to 1.02 million bpd in May compared to 1.00 million bpd in April, according to foreign trade data from the U.S. Census Bureau out on Thursday.

Canada was the biggest market of U.S. crude exports, taking in 372,000 bpd, according to Census Bureau figures quoted by Reuters. U.S. oil exports to China stood at 147,000 bpd, and U.S. crude exports to the Netherlands came in at 108,000 bpd. Other countries to which the U.S. exported crude oil in smaller quantities included Malaysia, the UK, Colombia, Curacao, Peru, Bahamas, Spain, Norway, Italy, France, South Korea, Japan, and Argentina.

U.S. imports of crude oil were also up, averaging 8.548 million bpd in May, compared to 7.641 million bpd in April, Census Bureau trade data showed. Between January and May, U.S. crude oil imports averaged 8.267 million bpd.

The EIA will publish its monthly crude oil figures for May at the end of this month. The EIA bases its numbers on data by the Census Bureau.

Restrictions on exporting U.S. produced crude oil were lifted in December 2015, and last year the United States exported an average of 520,000 bpd of crude, EIA data shows. U.S. crude oil exports reached 1.1 million bpd in February 2017, the highest monthly level on record. While Canada remains the largest destination for U.S. crude oil exports, Canadas share of U.S. crude oil exports has declined sharply, from 92 percent in 2015 to 58 percent in 2016, the EIA said last week.

According to the latest available EIA datathrough Aprilby export destination, China overtook Canada as the biggest buyer of U.S. crude oil in two of the months so far this year, in February and in April.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

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Raymond Davis book is a pack of lies: Rehman Malik

ISLAMABAD: Terming CIA contractor Raymond Daviss book, The Contractor, a pack of lies, former interior minister Rehman Malik has claimed that Indias Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) had paid Davis to write the book in order to malign Pakistans army and democratic institutions.



Mr Malik, who was interior minister in 2011 when Davis was acquitted of shooting two people in Lahore, issued a detailed statement on Thursday regarding so far undisclosed developments that had unfolded in the aftermath of Daviss arrest.



Mr Malik claimed that the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) government and the military establishment had decided not to release Davis till he was acquitted by a court of law. A high-level meeting had decided that neither would Davis be deported nor would he be granted diplomatic immunity, and that we would wait for the decision of the court in the matter and no action would be taken through any executive order, he said, adding that the name of Davis had been placed on the Exit Control List immediately.



He said that later in a meeting at the President House, the then Inter-Services Intelligence director general, Gen Shuja Pasha, had told the political leadership that the Americans wanted to exercise the right of Diyat (blood money) under Islamic law. The matter was dealt with the cooperation of the Punjab government, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Interior, he said.



Commenting on Daviss claim regarding Gen Pashas role in pushing for diplomatic immunity, Mr Malik said: No such role was played by the then ISI DG in the release of Raymond Davis, as claimed in his controversial book, said the PPP senator.



He urged the nation not to fall prey to Indian conspiracies and not to project Davis as a hero. He is nothing but an agent to the RAW, he claimed. I have documentary proof that Davis was approached by Indian agency RAWs Additional Secretary Jagnathan Kumar for writing the book The Contractor in order to malign Pakistans premier agency ISI, the Pakistan military and the civilian leadership, he said.



Mr Malik claimed that after returning to the US, Davis had fallen on hard times and had attempted suicide several times. Only last year, Raymond Davis was under a huge debt of $700,000 and his wife Rebecca has taken separation from him. Due to his miserable financial condition, he became an easy prey and was sponsored by RAW and the book was written through a ghostwriter.



He said he was astonished how an impoverished Davis had decided to circulate a free PDF version of his book on the internet and via WhatsApp.



Earlier, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf general secretary Shah Mehmood Qureshi, the then foreign minister, had claimed that he had resigned from the ministry on the issue of immunity granted to Davis. Commenting on this, Mr Malik said: I would like to clarify that nobody wanted to give immunity to the US spy as claimed by Mr Qureshi and that he never resigned from the ministry over the issue of Raymond Davis... prime minister Gilani had dissolved the cabinet on Feb 9, 2011 to reshuffle and Mr Qureshi was offered the portfolio of Ministry of Water & Power or Agriculture...in the presence of other cabinet members, he had resented and walked out insisting that he wanted to be foreign minister.



He said Mr Qureshi had left the political party due to his own political gripes eight months after Daviss acquittal.



The former interior ministry also revealed that back then he had been approached by Dr Fozia Siddiqui, sister of detained Afia Siddiqui, who had proposed that government consider an exchange of her sister with Davis.



It was a good idea to get Siddiqui back to Pakistan, subject to the clearance of the court, he added. I had earlier gotten her two sons recovered from Afghanistan and handed them over to her family. He said he had spoken about this to former US secretary of state John Kerry, who had promised to take up the matter with Washington. However, Mr Malik said, he never heard back from him on the subject.
From Greg Swank, 12-4-2 You are about to read a list of 45 goals that found their way down the halls of our great Capitol back in 1963. As...
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Teachers unions will be watching closely this fall the outcome of a U.S. Supreme Court case over the ability of unions to charge mandatory fees.

The high court, which only had eight members with vacancy of Antonin Scalia, deadlocked 4-4 in March 2016 over a case brought by a California teacher who objected to paying union fees after she quit the union.

Rebecca Friedrichs, a California teacher in Orange County, filed a lawsuit because she was still required to pay about $650 to cover bargaining costs in negotiating a new contract.

The case had support from conservative groups who said that forcing them to collect the dues violates free speech rights of members who disagree with the political positions and policies of the unions. Unions worried that they would be weakened if members did not have to pay these fees, but could continue to enjoy the benefits of the contract.

The court plans to rehear the case in the fall now that Judge Neil Gorsuch has been seated.

The National Education Association, the countrys largest teacher union, is already bracing for a defeat in this case, as Gorsuch restores a 5-4 conservative tilt to the court.

Treasurer Princess Moss recently said she was budgeting for a drop in revenue of about $1.5 million because of a combination of this ruling and legislation in various states that would prevent union dues from automatically being deducted from paychecks. The union projects losing 20,000 full-time equivalent members, according to a blog post by Stephen Sawchuk on the Education Week website.
Two major aviation unions that are campaign contributors to U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-Willsboro, have endorsed legislation Rep. Bill Shuster, R-Pa., introduced June 22 to privatize federal air controller operations as a provision of renewing and modifying comprehensive federal aviation legislation.

After extremely, careful consideration and deliberation, we have decided to support this bill because it fully alligns with National Air Traffic Controllers Associations policies, practices and core principles, said Paul Rinaldi, the unions president, in a press release issued June 22.

The Airline Pilots Association International commends the House Transportation Committee and Chairman Bill Shuster for crafting a Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization bill that advances the safety of air transportation in the United States, said Tim Carol, the unions president, in a press release issued June 27.

The legislation  HR 2997  had 19 co-sponsors, as of Friday  17 Republicand and two Democrats, according to the Library of Congress government information website.

In New York, Rep. John Faso, R-Kinderhook, co-sponsored the legislation June 29.

Click here to read a previous post about Stefaniks thoughts about privatization.

Click here to read a previous post about U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., opposing privatization.
This is the most recent in a series of posts about the suffrage movement in Warren, Washington and Saratoga counties.

Mrs. Charles Noel Edge, a devout Christian musician from New York City would be the main speaker at a suffrage mass meeting at the Hudson Falls courthouse on Nov. 2, The Post-Star reported on Oct. 31, 1917.

Edge, was born in New York and brought up in a fashionable girls school. On her graduation she turned her attention to music, and her delightful speaking voice is one of the gifts she brings to suffrage, The Post-Star reported, in the article on file at the New York State Historical Newspapers website, a project of public libraries.

Edge said voter approval of the states suffrage amendment would be a step toward improving conditions for women around the world.

My interest in suffrage in New York state is primarily not an interest in my enfranchisement or yours. It is to do something for women the world over, she said.

A suffrage meeting also was planned at the Granville Grange Hall on Saturday, with Mrs. Willis G. Mitchell and Mrs. Brodie G. Higley of Hudson Falls and Miss Florence Tuscomb of Boston as speakers.

Click here to read a previous post about the Granville Grange endorsing woman suffrage.

Click here to read the most recent previous post in the series.
The effort to keep people out of the Glens Falls watershed property in Queensbury has continued in recent days, but not everyone is getting ticketed.

Two people contacted The Post-Star newsroom in recent days to inquire about the crackdown by the Glens Falls Water Department, which has been sending more personnel to check popular trails along Butler Pond Road and Beartown Road. They apparently missed our article about the issue last month, reporting about the effort and the rationale behind it.

One reported he got a ticket for trespass. The other said she got a stern warning from a Water Department staffer near Butler Pond Road.

The city of Glens Falls has undertaken similar efforts on-and-off over the years. It will be nice when/if the land around the reservoirs is used for passive recreation, as properties around many reservoir systems around the country are used. The planned Halfway Brook Reservoir is a step in the right direction, though it seems to be taking a lot longer to come to fruition than many of us thought it would.

 Don Lehman

Stop the Stigma

A Stop the Stigma event to raise money for local charities, addiction treatment and the Lake George Skateboard Park will be held Saturday.

The event will take place at noon at the skateboard park. It will feature a skateboarding competition, prizes, live music, food and recovery treatment information.

It will raise money for the skatepark, Lake George High School and local charities including Nicos House, which is an initiative to help the families of addicts. It is named after Nicholas Nico Scroggy, who died during drug rehabilitation in 2016.

For more information, call 518-603-5334 or visit Lake George Skate Plaza or Nicos House on Facebook.

 Michael Goot

Easy rider

New Granville Superintendent of Schools Thomas McGurl has been using two wheels to get to work.

McGurl, who started work on Monday, has been riding his BMW tour bike while his station wagon is in the shop.

Board of Education President Audrey Hicks asked him if he rode while wearing his suit.

No, I changed, he said.

It would be quite a look going down the road, Hicks said.

McGurl said he has been riding a motorcycle for about 12 years.

Its a very relaxing way to get home after the day, when you need to decompress, he said. Its a little more entertaining than just simply sitting in a car.

 Michael Goot

Floating classroom launches

The Lake George Associations Floating Classroom program started Wednesday.

The LGA provides two-hour programs for the public every Wednesday in July and August on its 40-foot boat, Rosalia Anna Ashby. People perform easy experiments to show water clarity, microscopic aquatic life, temperature, acidity levels and oxygen levels of the lake, according to a news release. The tours also provide an outline of Lake Georges history and diversity of life.

The programs are perfect both for regional residents who have never been on the Floating Classroom and new visitors to the area, said Kristen Wilde, the Lake George Associations education director, in a news release. We would like to share our love for Lake George with them and encourage them to protect Lake George while they are here, and share their lake stewardship with others.

The program leaves from the Lake George village dock just north of Shepard Park, at the end of Amherst Street.

Two other trips are leaving from other docks  one from Hague on Aug. 7 at 1 p.m. and another from the Bolton dock in Bolton Landing on Aug. 11 at 10 a.m. The cost is $17 for adults, $16 for seniors and $10 for children under 18. Reservations are required and can be made by calling 518-668-3558 or through the LGA website at www.lakegeorgeassociation.org.

 Michael Goot

Equipment donated

Silver Bay YMCA recently donated exercise equipment to Ticonderoga Middle School.

Principal Herb Tedford learned that the YMCA was planning to replace some of its equipment and he inquired whether the organization would be willing to donate the used equipment. The YMCA was happy to oblige.

Silver Bay CEO Steve Tamm said it was an easy decision to make.

We partner with the Ticonderoga Central School system in so many different ways. It is our pleasure to be able to support local youth in being physically fit; its one of the cornerstones of our mission, he said in a news release.

Superintendent of Schools John McDonald said the district appreciates and is thrilled with the donation.

As we all know, the local school budgets are quite tight and oftentimes items like exercise equipment get pushed to the bottom of the list. This donation allows us to expand our physical education program to a critical age group, he said in a news release.

 Michael Goot
GLENS FALLS  The citys mayor has decided not to pay a disputed bill from a local animal welfare organization that responded to an emergency request from the Glens Falls Police Department over a dog attack.

Mayor Jack Diamond sent a letter to Warren County SPCA in which he called the organizations $1,200 bill for services arbitrary and outrageous and said the city would not pay it. The bill related to the SPCAs June 8 response with three staff members to a call for a pit bull that had bitten someone and cornered people in a bedroom of a Glens Falls apartment, after the dog control agency the city contracts with could not be reached.

The city has a contract with another agency, SPCA of Upstate New York in Kingsbury, to provide dog control services. Warren County SPCA is based in Glens Falls, and its operators have said they have been contacted numerous times to provide service without compensation when SPCA of Upstate New York did not respond. The Upstate New York organizations director said no messages were left for her or her agency about the urgency of the call.

Diamond and Jim Fitzgerald, Warren County SPCAs president, have traded letters in recent weeks over the situation, copies of which were obtained by The Post-Star.

Diamond wrote that Fitzgeralds contract with Warren County compensates his organization for services, and city residents pay county taxes. He wrote that Glens Falls also would not pay boarding costs for the dog, because Warren County SPCA did not take the dog to the facility with which Glens Falls contracts.

If you feel this very expensive invoice is legitimate, please forward it to Warren County for payment or if you feel it is the responsibility of the dog owner to pay, then please forward to that individual, the mayor wrote.

Fitzgerald said the countys contract with Warren County SPCA was for cats and wildlife only.

Im a bit surprised that, out of this potentially damaging situation where a great deal more injury could have been sustained, your focal point seems to be balking at a price for an outside organization to step in and respond in the absence of your contracted dog control, and supporting your police department, he wrote.

Fitzgerald said the dogs owner told him she called SPCA of Upstate New York twice before the dog became violent but got no response. He said Glens Falls Police called him three times before he agreed to respond, initially declining to do so because he feared it would turn into a dispute, as it has.

I initially told her we could not respond as per the contractual situation, but they implored for assistance, Fitzgerald wrote.

Fitzgerald said he has not gotten any response from Diamond to his letter, and the agency is looking into its options.

The mayor apparently doesnt care about the safety of his police officers or the public, Fitzgerald said.

The dog, which had been adopted through an online social media post, was euthanized after a series of attacks.
LAKE GEORGE  A new invasive species is on the doorstep of Lake George, and may already be here, which could threaten the water quality for local lakes and streams.

Environmentalists are worried about hemlock woolly adelgid, or HWA for short. The aphid-like insect only attacks hemlocks. It was introduced from Japan sometime in the 1950s and first found in Virginia, according to Warren Rosenthal, conservation manager for the Lake George Land Conservancy.

Its been spreading up and down the East Coast for decades, he said.

The invasive species was discovered in New York in 1985 in the lower Hudson Valley and Long Island, according to the state Department of Environmental Conservation.

The insect has killed almost all the hemlock in the Great Smoky Mountains and West Virginia. It has been found as far north as Schenectady, according to Rosenthal.

It usually kills hemlock within 5 to 10 years, depending on the health of the tree, he said.

Rosenthal said the Lake George Land Conservancy has been trying to build awareness of the problem. It is particularly concerning because the Lake George has one of the largest concentrations of hemlock.

If they were to die, particularly in large numbers, it would have a very negative impact, most likely, on water quality for many streams and lakes, he said.

Hemlock can be found along many of the streams that feed into Lake George, according to Rosenthal.

The hemlocks are basically holding the soil together, keeping it from eroding, keeping the temperature down significantly, he said.

A cooler temperature is necessary for species such as trout to survive and that could affect the entire ecosystem, Rosenthal said.

Damage to the hemlock ecosystem can also affect moose, black bears, salamanders and migrating birds, as well as lichen and plants, according to the state Department of Environmental Conservation website.

Rosenthal said there could also be an economic impact as Finch Paper uses a lot of hemlock in their manufacturing of paper.

Juvenile HWA look to attach themselves to a host tree at the base of the needles. They insert their long mouthparts and feed on the trees starches, according to the DEC. They stay in that same spot their entire lives.

To spot HWA, Rosenthal said people should look for white fuzzy balls on the underside of branches.

Its relatively easy to identify if you see it, he said.

Among the other signs of infestation are loss of needles, branch dieback and gray-tinted foliage, according to the DEC.

People who believe they have spotted HWA are asked to take pictures, note the location and contact DEC Forest Health at 1-866-640-0652 or online at iMapInvasives at www.NYiMapInvasives.org.

Rosenthal said the long-term solution is producing a type of beetle that will eat the HWA.

The problem is that you have to produce it in a laboratory and then ramp up the production level where you can produce enough of the predators, he said.

But thats going to take five years, maybe longer, to get to that point, he added.

In the meantime, Rosenthal said there should be teams on the grounds doing monitoring and early detection.

Its been proven that if you detect an early outbreak, you can stop it, he said.

The solution is to apply a couple of insecticides directly to the tree bark. Rosenthal said the Lake George Land Conservancy has asked the DEC if it would take the same approach to an area of northern Saratoga County up to the Great Sacandaga Lake and east to the southern Lake George basin. Rosenthal said the HWA could already be here.

Its somewhat of a needle-and-haystack scenario. Obviously the more eyes on the ground you have looking, the better the chances, he said.

The Adirondack Mountain Club has had a volunteer forest pest identification program for a few years, according to Rosenthal.

Theres no substitute for professionals on the ground full time, he said.

One issue is there are restrictions on what can be done on forest preserve land in the Adirondack Park, Rosenthal said.

Some of the highest concentrations can be found in Moreau Lake State Park, along the Great Sacandaga Lake and along West Brook in Lake George, according to Rosenthal. The Lake George Land Conservancy is trying to figure out how it can map some of the largest concentrations of hemlock.

Rosenthal said people can get what he calls invasive species fatigue trying to fight all these predators. However, in this case, something can be done about the problem  unlike the emerald ash bore, which is likely to wipe out every ash tree in the United States.

If you put enough resources into it, I think we can stop it from getting into the park, he said.
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A chance to take over the Illinois Office of Tourism's social media for a day? No one had to ask Quad-City tourism chief Joe Taylor twice.

The president and CEO of the Quad-Cities Visitors and Convention Bureau offered to be the first of Illinois' tourism bureaus to take up the new initiative when it was announced at the spring meeting at Starved Rock State Park in Utica, Illinois.

"For one day, June 28, we had a takeover of all their social media channels," Taylor said last week.

The results are in and taking over the Enjoy Illinois' Facebook and Twitter accounts for the day drew an additional 50,000 web visits to the Quad-City tourism bureau's visitquadcities.com.

"Visitquadcities normally gets 500,000 visits a year, and we had 10 percent of that in one day," he said, crediting his staff for crafting various content for the intitiative.

Rolled out by state tourism director Cory Jobe and its public relations partner, TimeZoneOne, the one-day takeover is available to all 40 of the state's bureaus.

Going first, the Quad-City staff promoted its own website and singled out a variety of experiences, including family adventures, attractions such as Backwater Gamblers, trails and bike-riding and a free family getaway to the new visitors. "These are people we would not have normally reached," Taylor said.

Interest was especially high in Floatzilla, a paddle sport festival on the Mississippi River, and related information on canoeing, kayaking and boating on the Mississippi. Nearly a fourth of the additional web visits  or some 13,000-plus hits  clicked a link about the Aug. 19 event, which will again go for a world record.

"We accomplished some great marketing for the Quad-Cities thanks to our partners, the Illinois Office of Tourism and TimeZoneOne," Taylor said, adding that the visitor numbers continue to grow from that one-day exposure boost.

Iowa board includes Q-C leadership

The Quad-City region is well represented on the Iowa Association of Business and Industry executive committee.

At its 114th annual meeting last month in Dubuque, ABI elected a new slate of officers and directors. Local representation includes Steven Bradford, of HNI, Muscatine, who was elected secretary. Two new business leaders were elected to join the executive committee: John Riches of Arconic, Riverdale; and Jack Hasken of Jackson Manufacturing, Maquoketa.

Elected chair was longtime ABI member David Zrostlik of Stellar Industries, Garner.

Exelon honored for volunteer service

Exelon, the parent company of the Quad-Cities Nuclear Generating Station in Cordova, has joined the ranks of the Civic 50  the country's 50 most community-minded companies as determined by Points of Light.

Exelon was singled out as the utility sector leader on the 2017 list, announced at the Points of Light Conference on Volunteering and Service, held last month in Seattle. Points of Light is the world's largest organization dedicated to community service.

Civic 50 winners are selected based on four criteria including: investment in community engagement; integration of community engagement programs into business functions; company support through policies and incentives; and social and business impact.

"Being accountable to the communities where we live and work is one of Exelon's values," said Maggie FitzPatrick, Exelon's senior vice president of corporate affairs, philanthropy and customer engagement.

In 2016, Exelon companies and Exelon Foundation donated more than $46 million to nonprofits in the areas of education, environment, culture, arts and community development. Employees contributed more than 170,000 hours of community service and pledged almost $8 million through charitable donation and giving campaigns.

Stanley designs generation station

Stanley Consultants, headquartered in Muscatine, is providing design services for a new generating station being built in Ottumwa, Iowa.

Alliant Energy, along with the facility's co-owner MidAmerican Energy, have launched construction of the $150 million environmental technology project. The owners are building a selective catalytic reduction system to reduce nitrogren oxides by at least 75 percent and is part of Alliant's plan to move toward cleaner energy.

As a joint venture team, Stanley will provide design services and Alberici Constructors will construct the project.

The project is scheduled for the end of 2019.
Church ministries to merge in Rock Island

Word of Life Church and Heart of Hope Church have now joined forces in Rock Island. Heart of Hope's president and founder, Lynda Sargent, has joined the pastoral team at Word of Life, founded in 1978 in Rock Island and with lead pastor, the Rev. Tanner Payton.

Payton said Sargent's church will add diversity to Word of Life, and for her part, Sargent will continue with her Heart of Hope Ministries. The venture will be celebrated with a dessert reception following the service from 7-8:30 p.m. Sunday, July 9, at the church, 1804 7th Ave., Rock Island.

Davenport's Buddhist Center on negative karma

The Lamrim Kadampa Buddhist Center, Davenport, presents a workshop, "Understanding negative karma and how to purify it," from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, July 15. Mental and physical pain and suffering are a result of negative karma, it is believed.

Lunch is included; cost is $5 per session or $15 for the entire retreat, held at the Lamrin Kadampa Buddhist Center, 502 W. 3rd St., Davenport. For more information, call 563-322-1600 or email info@meditateiniowa.org. Information also is available online at MeditateInIowa.org.

Reformation revue seeks singers

An ecumenical mass choir is being formed as part of the celebration for the 500th anniversary of the Reformation. This choir will perform at 4 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 24, at Augustana Lutheran Church, Andover, Illinois.

It is directed by Ben Holmes, director of choirs in Moline's Wilson Middle School. Interested participants should contact Carol Brockhouse, 563-332-5520 or brock5274@gmail.com. Participants should provide information, including name, phone and voice pitch. Deadline is Aug. 1.

Grant helps build retaining wall at Winnie's Place

A $2,500 grant will be used to build a retaining wall at Winnie's Place, a shelter for women, both single and with children, located in the Illinois Quad-Cities. The grant is from Modern Woodman of America and given to Churches United of the Quad-City Area, which owns and operates the shelter. For more information, call 563-332-5002 or go online to cuqca.org.
Christian music outreach in Geneseo, Illinois, must have hit a sweet spot as the Praise Band Jam now celebrates its fifth anniversary.

The Praise Band Jam is set for 3 p.m. Sunday, July 16, in Geneseo's City Park. It's a fundraiser for worthy projects; the Geneseo Food Pantry is this year's recipient, and the money will help to stock the shelves of a new pantry to be built.

The jam is sponsored by five local churches, and the 2017 event includes nine bands, nearly double the number that kicked off the first year.

While the first few festivals offered pie-and-ice cream desserts for food choices, that has evolved to an entire meal where free-will offerings are taken.

"Yes, we are now serving food with pie and ice cream," said Glenn Kluge, who founded the event after being challenged by his minister at First United Methodist Church. That minister invited church members with good ideas to act on them.

Kluge got involved in church music seven years ago after he was invited to be a drummer at First United Methodist Church. The former Chicago resident moved to the area in 2004 and has come to love the region.

The participating bands provide different takes on Christian music, but none is too raucous.

The five churches involved share organizing duties, and this year, it is St. Malachy's Catholic Church's turn. The other church partners are First United Methodist, First Lutheran, Evangelical Free Church and Grace United Methodist Church.

The host church is the one that decides on spotlight charities, provides some of the food and desserts and lines up at least two volunteers to bake pies.

The Pleasant Valley Men are to perform this year, and that's new, too, Kluge said. The male performers have been together 40 years and have played for more than 50 churches in the Quad-Cities.

Last year's event raised $3,600, and Kluge estimates that 650 people attended. The pretty park setting is one reason it's so popular.

The day will include a pie auction; the bakers come from each of the five organizing churches.

"That adds to the overall support," Kluge said.

Pie is a much favored dessert choice.

"We have found, for the people who come to the Geneseo socials, if they can choose between pie, cake or cookies, they almost always pick pie," Kluge said.
"From the Quad-Cities, the eclipse will not be total. The moon will cover approximately 90 percent of the sun. This means it will not be totally dark here like it will be in the area of totality (100 percent coverage). Totality will be about 200 miles southwest of the Quad-Cities. The path of totality will pass through the state of Missouri from Kansas City to St. Louis. Folks wanting to experience totality will need to be in this path. From the Quad-Cities, it will not be possible to experience a total eclipse. However, if you are here on Aug. 21, head to the Moline Public Library to safely observe the eclipse. The Popular Astronomy Club will be there with the PACMO (mobile observatory) equipped to directly observe the sun. We will also have specially designed eclipse glasses which allow folks to directly look at the sun (safely) during the eclipse (which as I have already pointed out will be partial here). The moon will start to cover the sun at approximately 11:48. It reaches maximum coverage of the sun at 1:14 p.m. and ends at 2:38 p.m. Come to the Moline Public Library to see the partial solar eclipse on Aug. 21. Otherwise, head out to Missouri to view a total solar eclipse."
A federal magistrate judge on Friday ordered that a Davenport elementary school teacher will be released from custody on a personal recognizance bond pending trial on charges of child pornography.

The release of Michael Loren Ross, who was arrested June 26, comes with several restrictions.

Magistrate Judge Stephen B. Jackson Jr. ordered during a lengthy detention hearing in U.S. District Court, Davenport, that the 43-year-old must live in a transitional housing facility and abide by a curfew; remain on GPS monitoring; and obtain a substance abuse and mental health screening and comply with any recommended treatment.

The judge further ordered, among other conditions, that Ross cannot have contact with any minors without approval by the probation department, cannot use a computer or phone with access to the internet and cannot loiter near areas frequented by minors, such as schools, parks or playgrounds.

He will remain in custody of the U.S. Marshals Service until space is available at the transitional housing facility.

Ross is charged with possession of child pornography and receipt of child pornography.

The investigation began in late March after a special agent with the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation received a cyber tip through the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that a user named "Mike Ross," who had a Hotmail email address, uploaded a video depicting child pornography to his Dropbox account on Feb. 7, according to an affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint.

The case was forwarded to the Davenport Police Department, and on June 20, police searched his home and seized a laptop, cellphone, thumb drive and a camcorder, according to the affidavit.

Davenport Police Detective Erin Pape testified Friday that a forensic examiner found 851 images of child pornography and 35 images of child erotica. The earliest image found by the examiner was from Jan. 8, 2015, and the latest was from Oct. 31, 2016, she testified.

The examiner also found 196 videos of child pornography involving children aging in range from infants to early teens, Pape testified.

The examiner also looked at the web history on Ross phone and saw some websites that appeared to have child pornography, she testified.

Pape further testified that Ross told police the day of the search that he had been viewing child pornography for some time and that he both received and distributed it.

He also told police that he exchanged child pornography through Dropbox links being shared on Kik, a freeware instant messaging mobile application, Pape testified.

Ross, a fifth-grade teacher at Wilson Elementary School, was placed on administrative leave the day of his arrest.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Melisa Zaehringer asked that Ross remain in custody and argued Friday that he was a flight risk and a danger to himself and the community.

Zaehringer also said Ross had been involuntarily committed to a local hospital to be evaluated.

Assistant Federal Defender Diane Helphrey argued for his release, saying that Ross has long ties to the community and no prior criminal history.

She said Ross himself had sought counseling before his commitment and the physicians who evaluated him discharged him with a treatment plan the day of his arrest.

Jackson expressed concern about Rosss mental health but noted that he had sought help for himself and the discharge and treatment plan from the physicians.

He also found that the transitional housing facility is a stable, structured environment for Ross.

The judge warned Ross that any violation of the facility rules, his mental health treatment plan or the conditions of his pretrial release will result in a warrant being issued for his arrest.
The Colonel Davenport Historical Foundation will open the historic Quarters One mansion to the public for guided tours on Sunday, July 30. Tours will begin at 10 a.m., noon and 2 p.m. Cost is $10 per person. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Active military can attend for free, but must register. Tour size will be limited. Tickets can be purchased in advance at www.davenporthouse.org or by calling 309-737-4280.

Completed in 1872, Quarters One served as the home to the highest ranking officer at the Rock Island Arsenal, as well as providing space for official gatherings and functions. Over the years, the Italianate-designed mansion hosted many dignitaries and notable personalities. Charles Lindbergh in 1927 stayed at the mansion, and King Carl XVI Gustav and Queen Silvia of Sweden in 1996.

Thirty-eight different senior officers, from Gen. Rodman on, have called Quarters One home until 2008 when Maj. Gen. Robert M. Radin and his wife were the last to live there. It was the second-largest federal residence in the U.S., behind the White House. In 2006, the Army discontinued its use as a residence.

The Rock Island Arsenal is an active military installation. Guests may enter Arsenal Island with their U.S. picture ID at any gate and tell the guard they are attending the Quarters One event.
1. Sunny and warm weekend

A good Friday to all. Here's the forecast from the National Weather Service  it features sunny skies and more warm temperatures.

Today there will be isolated showers and thunderstorms before 7 a.m., then sunny skies with a high near 86 degrees and a low around 59 degrees. Northwest winds will gust as high as 25 mph. The chance of precipitation is 10 percent.

Saturday will be sunny with a high near 83 degrees and a low around 65 degrees. There's a 30 percent chance of overnight showers and thunderstorms after 1 a.m.

Sunday brings a 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Otherwise the day will be mostly sunny with a high near 87 degrees and a low around 68 degrees.

2. Illinois House overrides veto, adopts first budget since 2015

The Illinois House has voted to override Gov. Bruce Rauner's vetoes of a budget package. The action Thursday gives Illinois its first annual spending plan since 2015.

The House voted to override the Republican governor's veto of a $5 billion increase in income taxes and a $36 billion spending plan.

The veto overrides mean the nation's longest state budget crisis since at least the Great Depression has ended. The budget is retroactive to July 1, the start of the fiscal year. That's also the date that the 32 percent increase in the personal income tax rate takes effect. Read more.

3. Davenport council to vote on contract for 76th Street extension

Construction for the long-awaited extension of West 76th Street may begin soon as the Davenport City Council will award its contract next week to Valley Construction Co for $3.77 million.

The construction project extends 76th Street from Division Street to Hancock Court, completing the connection from Northwest Boulevard to Brady Street. Read more.

4. Scott County Park wants archers for its upcoming deer hunt

Attention Iowa bow hunters: In hopes of maintaining the deer population at Scott County Park, the Scott County Conservation Board is looking for 25 hunters to participate in its annual controlled hunt this fall.

The program, approved by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, will allow hunters to remove as many as 50 antlerless deer from the 1,280-acre park between Oct. 14, 2017, and Jan. 10, 2018.

This marks the park's third consecutive archery-only hunt. A total of 12 deer were harvested during each of the past two seasons, according to county records. Read more.

5. Bettendorf supports more restrictive fireworks ordinance

The city of Davenport is not alone in its disapproval of the state's new fireworks law. After fielding complaints about fireworks abuse, the Bettendorf City Council is on board with Davenport and Scott County in wanting to enact a more restrictive fireworks ordinance. Read more.

6. Augustana residence project in final phase

A three year, $13 million project to upgrade a 1960s-era residence hall on the Augustana College campus is in its final phase. The Rock Island college is finishing up an almost complete renovation of the Westerlin Residence Hall, located just yards away from the PepsiCo Recreation Center, in an area called "up campus."

This project originally started in 2015 in the Jenny Lind wing. It progressed to the Immanuel wing in 2016, and now, the Westerlin wing, named for J. Martin & Elsie Westerlin. Read more.
Under heavy fire from politicians, including President Donald Trump and his administration, some national political reporters are trying to defend their profession without becoming activists.

Its a fine line.

From afar, Ive watched with interest and curiosity as some national political reporters have become more expressive in defense of themselves, their media organization and their industry.

It has become increasingly trendy for politicians to slam journalists  figuratively, although Guardian reporter Ben Jacobs will tell you it happens literally, too. Although far from alone in this practice, President Trump and his administration regularly offer heavy criticism of journalists and media organizations.

Trump, of course, seems to have particularly charged feelings about CNN. He is fond, particularly on Twitter, of calling CNN fake news. And he raised something of a ruckus recently when he tweeted a video that showed him participating in a professional wrestling performance in which he slammed a persons head into the wrestling ring. In the video, the persons head was covered by a CNN logo.

As Trump and other politicians have turned up the heat on reporters, I have noticed more reporters responding in various ways.

I think thats admirable to a certain degree. Ive certainly used Twitter on occasion to dispute and sometimes refute accusations levied against other journalists or the media at large. (Shameless plug: @ErinDMurphy.)

However, I think such activity presents a certain degree of danger for journalists as well.

It boils down to this: Journalists report the story. Journalists are not the story  at least, not ideally. (Right, Ben Jacobs?) And if, as a reporter, you cross that line too often, you make yourself the story.

Political reporters such Chris Cilliza, formerly of The Washington Post and now at CNN, and NBCs Chuck Todd regularly use Twitter to defend their networks and other media against attacks from politicians. Based on what I have seen, they have done a good job of defending their craft while not going so far as to come across as activists.

But I think that line has been crossed.

Jim Acosta, CNNs chief political correspondent, has been at the forefront of Trumps dispute with the cable news network. In Trumps first news conference as president, he declined to call on Acosta for a question, calling CNN fake news. Acosta tried, to no avail, to press Trump into allowing him to ask a question.

That wasnt so bad. Its not at all uncommon for reporters to shout questions during news conferences. The Trump-CNN feud added a unique wrinkle to this instance, but it was not otherwise unusual.

But this past week, Acosta drew some attention when, on Twitter, he criticized Trump for, during a news conference, calling on a reporter who Acosta clearly thought was friendly to the White House. Trump also once again called CNN fake news during the news conference.

Isn't it a fake news conference to take a question from a reporter who is essentially an ally of the White House? Acosta tweeted. He apparently was referring to the Daily Mails David Martosko, who recently was considered for a job in Trumps communications department.

While CNN was attacked at the news conference, this example, to me, feels like a step too far. Rather than defending his organization, Acosta is creating a storyline by turning the fake news accusation back on Trump.

Similarly, I think it was a step too far when reporter Brian Karem recently went off on White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders during a news briefing.

During one of many instances in which Sanders was criticizing the media, Karem responded in full throat.

Youre inflaming everybody, right here, right now with those words, Karem said.

Its not that I disagree with what Karem said; whether or not I do is irrelevant. Its that I dont think its a journalists role during a news briefing to stand up and provide a lecture on or a defense of the medias role in covering the White House.

Good journalism is worthy of defense. But as the old cliche goes, there is a time and place.

It is a fine line, indeed.

Former Iowa journalists in White House

Speaking of the White House press corps, it contains a couple of recent former Iowa reporters.

For those who may not already know: Catherine Lucey, who was The Associated Press state capitol and politics reporter in Des Moines for a couple of years, and Jennifer Jacobs, who was The Des Moines Registers chief political reporter, both cover the White House now.

Lucey is still with The Associated Press. Jacobs reports on the White House for Bloomberg News.

They join a couple of Register alumni in the White House press corps: CNNs Jeff Zeleny and John McCormick, who also reports for Bloomberg.
DES MOINES  Fireworks lit up the night skies across Iowa this past Fourth of July holiday week, thanks in part to a new state law that allows more home fireworks displays.

But the real fireworks may have come in the days immediately after the Fourth.

Amid widespread public backlash and heightened public safety and emergency activity, multiple cities across the state are considering reinstating a ban on home fireworks.

But no changes to the state fireworks law appear imminent, according to state lawmakers who supported the new law. They say the law is working as intended by giving local communities the option to restrict home fireworks displays as they see fit.

In 1938, Iowa banned home fireworks, leaving Fourth of July home celebrations to only novelty items such as sparklers. That ban, which was implemented a few years after devastating, fireworks-ignited fires in the northwest Iowa towns of Spencer and Remsen, stood for nearly eight decades.

During this years legislative session, the Republican-led Legislature eliminated the ban, allowing Iowans to display consumer-grade fireworks such as bottle rockets and Roman candles and more.

The law included a provision that allows local governments  cities and counties  to restrict home firework displays further than what is written into the state law.

Cities are reacting

Apparently, Iowans took advantage of their newfound freedom and, in some cases, went too far.

In the days immediately following the Fourth of July, noise complaints were abundant, and local officials in cities across the state have stated their desire to reinstate the fireworks ban or at minimum reduce the time frame in which residents can display home fireworks.

 The city of Davenport wasted little time in reinstating its fireworks ban. On Wednesday, the day after the Fourth of July, the City Council stated its intent to enforce its longstanding fireworks ban that it had suspended after the Legislature acted in May.

We felt it was important we gave our citizens an opportunity to see if responsible use could happen under those guidelines, and I think we have all been concerned with some of the irresponsible use that we have experienced over the last few weeks, Davenport Mayor Frank Klipsch said Wednesday.

 Muscatine already had limited the use of fireworks in the city to one week, as opposed to the five weeks allowed under state law. Still, council members heard complaints from residents at their meeting Thursday and will consider changing the city's ordinance.

 Bettendorf leaders also expect to bring a more restrictive ordinance to the City Council ahead of the New Year's holiday. The city wants to develop a policy that would mirror those in Davenport and Scott County to reduce confusion for residents and emergency personnel.

 Sioux City mayor Bob Scott took to social media to announce his intention to propose a fireworks ban.

I will be proposing ... a ban on fireworks next Monday, Scott said in a Facebook post Monday night, the day before the Fourth. If people wont adhere to our rules then it makes no sense to allow them going forward. I am sorry for those citizens that have to endure this for one more day.

 Officials in Waterloo and Cedar Falls said they will explore changing their home fireworks regulations. Although none mentioned an outright ban, some said they will look into reducing the hours and days in which home fireworks can be displayed.

We noticed a large amount of illegal use, and when possible, we tried to tell people to knock it off, Waterloo Fire Chief Pat Treloar said. I hope the state made a boatload of money on this mess because all it did for us as the city was cost money.

 In Cedar Rapids, an online petition to ban home fireworks had nearly 5,000 signatures by Thursday. Local officials there said they think more restrictions on home fireworks use are needed.

Law is working

State Sen. Jake Chapman, R-Adel, has for multiple years supported the repeal of the state fireworks ban. He guided the bill through the Iowa Senate this year.

Chapman said he is disappointed that some cities are making what he called knee-jerk reactions to fireworks complaints, but he added that is why state lawmakers built local control into the new fireworks law.

Its a local issue, and we put language within the bill that allows for cities to ban and restrict the use of fireworks. Obviously, we have heard from people that are upset about it, Chapman said. I suspect if its a big enough issue, those residents will have their local voices heard, both in direct contact and also at the ballot box.

However, Chapman said, he also heard from many people who were happy to have the ability to display home fireworks for the first time this Fourth of July.

If you walked outside the Fourth of July, or the night before, or depending on where you live even a few nights before, you could both see and hear just how loudly Iowans support their freedom to shoot off fireworks to celebrate the Fourth, Chapman said.

Chapman said his only concern is that cities are reacting to illegal home fireworks use, not residents who displayed fireworks within the parameters of state law and local regulations.

It doesnt really bother me what cities decide to do. We gave them that authority, Chapman said. But I think there are several cities that have knee-jerk reactions, if you look at their reasoning.

Chapman said just as speed limits do not prevent all speeders and the states seat belt law does not force every driver and passenger to buckle his or her seat belt, no fireworks law is going to stop all individuals from displaying fireworks outside the laws boundaries.

I understand the frustration, Chapman said. "I dont want people shooting off fireworks after the time we allowed, either."

Chapman said because of that local control, he does not see a need to revisit the law during next years legislative session.

State Sen. Roby Smith, R-Davenport, agreed.

The law is working exactly how we thought it would, in a sense of giving local control to cities to decide if they want to ban them completely or limit the use. That was the whole reason we made sure that was in the law, so I have no problem with that, Smith said. At the state level, we took the big-picture approach to it, and then we allowed local communities to fine-tune it.

A spokeswoman for Gov. Kim Reynolds said the office does not have a comment on the fireworks law because its now being handled on the local level.
CEDAR RAPIDS  Manchester native Brig. Gen. Benjamin Corell is scheduled to become deputy adjutant general of the Iowa Army National Guard.

Corell, 55, who enlisted in the Iowa Army National Guard in 1986, will succeed Brig. Gen. Steven W. Altman, who is retiring Sept. 1 after 38 years of service.

Corell, who grew up in the Strawberry Point area, received his officers commission from the Iowa Military Academys Officer Candidate School in March 1989.

He has commanded at the company, battalion and brigade level, and most recently commanded the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry Division, Iowa Army National Guard, from June 2010 to June 2012 during which time he deployed this unit to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

Corell was assigned as the deputy commanding general-support for the 34th Red Bull Infantry Division in September 2012 and later served as the deputy commanding general-maneuver for the 34th Infantry Division. His currently is completing an active duty tour as the deputy commander, NATO Multinational Division Southeast, in Bucharest, Romania.

Corell earned his bachelors degree in business management from Upper Iowa University in Fayette and his masters degree in strategic studies from the U.S. Army War College.

Corell has earned numerous military awards, including the Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal with oak leaf cluster and Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters.

At the time of his promotion to brigadier general in 2013, Corell said he had known since his dad took him to visit World War II veterans at the Veterans of Foreign War post in Strawberry Point, that he would serve in the military. He wanted to live by the same values and standards that he admired in those vets.

Corell and his wife, Beth, have three sons. Two of his sons serve in the 1st Battalion, 133rd Infantry, Iowa Army National Guard, and the third son serves in the Recruiting and Retention Battalion of the Iowa Army National Guard.
The Chadron Record is joining in the Fur Trade Days fun again this year, with the return of the fourth annual TCR Treasure Hunt.

Scheduled for Friday, July 6 at noon, the TCR Treasure Hunt is open to all ages and will take participants through Chadrons downtown area searching for clues to solve a puzzle and win $100 in Chadron Chamber Bucks.

You can participate individually or in teams, and the activity is a great family-friendly event that can be completed on foot or by bike (though the use of cars isnt against the rules).

The Record began the Treasure Hunt in 2014 to mark its 130th anniversary serving northwestern Nebraska and has continued the tradition since. Last years race attracted roughly 50 people to downtown Chadron.

Anyone interested in taking part needs to be at The Chadron Record office at 248 West Second St. at noon Friday to receive instructions and their first clue. The TCR Treasure Hunt is free to everyone, so come on down and join us in exploring Chadrons history.
Interested in studying fossils? Head to Agate Fossil Beds National Monument July 9 for Paleontology 101.

Park Ranger Trevor Williams will present Paleontolgy 101 at 2 p.m. starting in the theater and continuing on the Daemonelix Trail as part of the ongoing Niobrara Meanderings program.

After a concise introduction to the subject of Paleontology in the visitor center theater, Williams will lead the visitors on the Daemonelix Trail for a one-mile round trip hike. Participants will examine the first fossils that interested the paleontologists who came to Agate Springs Ranch to see what James Cook had found. This trace fossil was the subject of excavation, theories and discussions over the years

Williams is a seasonal park ranger with a background in geology, philosophy of science and pseudoscience, biology, ecology and paleontology.

He received his bachelor of science from Purdue University and was in an exchange with the University of Canterbury in Christchurch, New Zealand. He has a museum collections certification from Northwestern University. Last year he worked at the Mammoth Site in Hot Springs, S.D.

Williams will be studying geosciences, paleontology of fish, amphibians and reptiles and osteohistology (the study of the bone growth of fossilized bones) at Fort Hayes State University in Kansas.

Agate Fossil Beds National Monument is located just 22 miles south of Harrison, or 34 miles north of Mitchell, Nebraska, on State Highway 29, then east on River Road for three miles to the visitor center. The visitor center is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The parks two trails are open from dawn to dusk. Admission to Agate Fossil Beds is free. For more information, call 308-668-2211 or 308-436-9760, go to www.nps.gov/agfo or visit Agate Fossil Beds on Facebook and Twitter.
ELLSWORTH AIR FORCE BASE, S.D. | The 28th Bomb Wing hosted Combat Raider 17-3, a large force exercise executed over the Powder River Training Complex June 26-30, 2017.

This exercise is the sixth iteration of Combat Raider that consisted of five mission objectives: counter-air, strategic strikes, strike coordination and reconnaissance, close air support, and personnel recovery.

This exercise involves a lot of communication with other units while meeting training objectives, said Capt. Devin Ivy, the executive officer assigned to the 28th Operations Group. The point of the exercise is to explore thinking outside the box.

The exercise took place over parts of North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming and Montana, with a total of 22 aircraft, eight military units and over 100 service members coming together to strengthen communication and interoperability.

Integration and communication are the big challenges these aircrews face, Ivy said. We are so stove piped at times, worried about our own assets and airframe; however during these exercises, we can learn how other aircraft operate.

Knowing with whom and how to communicate is crucial in real-world scenarios such as the ones replicated during Combat Raider, Ivy explained. If aircrews cant properly communicate with one another, it can extend an operational timeline by hours as opposed to minutes with effective communication.

Combat Raider provides Airmen exposure to these kinds of scenarios, said 1st Lt. Ryan Mauity, a C-130 Super Hercules pilot assigned to the 71st Rescue Squadron, Moody Air Force Base, Georgia. You dont want your first experience to be in the field. Its better to get familiarized with it so everything can flow together.

Because of the nature of the exercise, the aircrew involved will be fully prepared and equipped to handle any situation down range.

Integration is the key for us to be successful in the future, especially with the enemies we may face, said Capt. Collin Neu, a B-52 Stratofortress weapons officer assigned to the 11th Bomb Squadron, Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. Practicing the tactics, techniques and procedures of all the players we are working with will facilitate that integrated fight and allow our Airmen to rain pain on the enemy.
I know what shaking in your boots means," recalled Becky Flanagan. "I was scared, I was sitting with my M-16 between my knees. Scuds were going right over us, flaming debris was falling all around. I remembered my training  that this will be the time of the enemy attack if there is to be one. So thats when I nearly took out the camels.

It was this mind-rocking experience and many that followed that led to her current endeavor: training service dogs for veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD.

Like tens of thousands of other combat soldiers, Flanagan, 46, of Rapid City saw things nobody should have to see, and did things that nobody should have to do. She joined the Army in 1990 and fought in the first Gulf War (when Iraq invaded Kuwait) as an ammunition specialist, handling everything from bullets to missiles as big as your car.

Flanagan was among the first American soldiers to enter the fray, being assigned to a company that was constantly on the move in that desert area. A special mission came up and her squad of a dozen soldiers was broken off the company and sent north where the action was. We could see the Kuwait/Iraq area, we could see the glow at night from the carpet bombing. The concussions made our knee joints flex, she said.

One of our ammo bases had to be cleared out. There were too many targets around it that were attracting fire, like an air base and a Patriot (missile) base and Cement City, where there were a lot of our soldiers.

Nobody wanted to risk the ammo exploding.

It was here the situation really got serious, resulting in experiences that would follow the then-19-year-old Flanagan the rest of her life.

Normally, an ammo site would be guarded by MPs or infantry, but we had to guard it ourselves at the same time we were clearing it out. We were working shifts of 36 hours and more under the constant threat of attack. And after that shift, we took turns standing guard. This went on for days, we lost all track of time, of what day it was. You were just working on living.

It was during this period that Flanagan became so befuddled that she nearly shot the camels, which first appeared to be enemy soldiers. Just before pulling the trigger she blinked, and the soldiers turned into camels. Their humps looked like heads, their butts looked like shoulders.

Under circumstances like that, everybody is going to snap sooner or later. It was impossible to stay awake and alert. One of our guys was driving a forklift and woke up to find he was hauling a load of bombs.

Of all the bad memories she accumulated, Flanagan thinks the one that tipped her into her own PTSD problems was when a semitrailer bearing a Multiple Launch Rocket System jackknifed, flipped over and ejected the driver. He was trapped underneath, injured and slowly bleeding to death, and there was no proper equipment to move the vehicle.

The MLRS is a bad boy, and you dont want to risk setting it off," Flanagan said. "If we tried to get the guy out it could have exploded and killed huge numbers of people. So all we could do was talk to him while he died. He talked about his wife, his unborn son; he wanted us to pass messages to his friends. But we knew we couldnt. It had a big effect on me, on all of us.

Like so many others, Flanagan was plagued with nightmares and flashbacks. For example, anyone in a combat unit knows that when you wake somebody up, you do it from the foot of the bed, not the side. Theres a chance the sleeper has a gun in one hand and a knife in the other, as did Flanagan. And if startled awake ....

The years passed and most of her problems faded, but there was something that kept nagging at her. She figured out it was survivors guilt, probably attributable to the soldier bleeding to death under the truck. Survivors guilt, she pointed out, is the cause of so many veteran suicides today.

Flanagan decided there are two things you can do about survivors guilt. You can either destroy yourself or you can live your life in honor of that person," she said.

So, in honor of those who died, she chose to honor the dead and has formed a nonprofit corporation to help her fellow vets: Super Dogs for Super Heroes.

The idea that service dogs can help veterans through difficult times gains credibility and expands around the country with every day that passes. Flanagan relies on one of her dogs to sleep by her left leg at night so when she wakes up she knows where she is.

Veterans, Flanagan knows, often face pressures that can move them to sudden flashes of violence. A trained dog can recognize what is happening, and simply by touching the master, can break the spell. She has trained one dog to react when it sees its owner clench his fist  a sign of building tension.

Another common action a dog can learn is how to snap its master out of a nightmare, doing anything from barking to actually leaping onto the troubled dreamer. Perhaps a person just freezes. A dog can be trained to lean against the person, which usually works, or to push hard if it doesnt.

For some years, Flanagan worked at professionally training problem dogs, specializing in aggressive or fearful animals. She has learned that her skills, acquired through a lifetime of experience with canines, transfer nicely into working with PTSD service dogs.

She selects suitable shelter dogs to train for her clients, or trains the veteran and his or her own dog. She does not charge for the service, although donations are welcome to defray the expenses of acquiring and training the dogs. And, of course, she trains the client at the same time.

Veteran Charles Humes of Rapid City and his boxer dog, Gastone, are among Flanagans students. Basically, Humes explained, Gastone, a constant companion, keeps him calm. An observer noted that as Humes was engaged in conversation with another person, Gastone quietly moved between them  keeping everybody cool.
BADLANDS NATIONAL PARK | No one was injured Thursday during a three-hour slow-speed chase and standoff in Badlands National Park with a man who was threatening to shoot himself, a release from the Pennington County Sheriff's Office said.

The man, William Bibb, 62, of McKinney, Texas, was eventually taken into custody after he held a revolver to his head at a scenic viewing area crowded with tourists, the release said.

The incident started about 3 p.m. when Bibb's son called authorities saying his father was threatening to commit suicide. When county deputies and park rangers arrived at a campground, Bibb drove away.

Authorities pursued him at speeds of 30-40 mph for about nine miles, until Bibb pulled into an overlook and was seen holding a gun to his head, the release said. He abruptly left and drove another three miles, to the Pinnacles Overlook, where he got out of his car, still holding the gun to his head.

Officials cleared the area of tourists, and Bibb never threatened anyone but himself, the release said. After about 30 minutes of negotiating, Bibb put the gun down and was eventually detained and taken to Rapid City Regional Hospital. Officials took a loaded .357 Ruger handgun into evidence, the release said.

The investigation was continuing Thursday night.
The hulking mass of a bridge materializes in the open air of a classroom, rotating over the students on an invisible axis. With a flick of the instructors wrist, the ghostly bridge sheds layers of pavement and structural concrete to reveal a skeleton of steel struts beneath.

It may sound like a scene from a science fiction movie, but at South Dakota School of Mines & Technology, it could soon become reality.

Augmented reality, that is. Referring to the capability to superimpose computer simulated imagery into the real world, augmented, or mixed reality technology will soon be the object of intensive testing and development efforts by a team of Mines faculty and students, thanks to a recent influx of $40,000 in grant funding.

If those efforts bear fruit, augmented reality could someday be in regular use in Mines classrooms and will serve as a launch pad for some students looking to break into the small but burgeoning industry surrounding this cutting-edge technology.

Thats what Jeff McGough envisions, at least. A professor of mathematics and computer science, McGough is the principal investigator who is spearheading Mines augmented reality project. He believes that augmented reality, as opposed to virtual reality, has the potential to act as a powerful tool for educators.

Virtual reality separates you from the environment, which is not a good choice for the classroom because you want students to be engaging with the teacher, McGough said. Augmented reality brings everyone together to learn in the same space, creating that level of engagement.

But realizing that vision will require some legwork. Augmented reality is a young technology thats light on content. To use it in the classroom, the Mines team will have to develop many of the software tools and applications from scratch.

One of the fundamentals that has to be nailed down is the development of a common computing architecture for all of those applications to snap onto.

We need to develop something to get these things talking to each other, McGough said. HTML is the common language that everything on the web uses.Theres some attempts at that in the VR and augmented reality world, but its not uniform. We need to find the HTML of augmented reality.

Thats part of phase one, McGough said. That, and building content that can be used in multiple learning environments, so students can someday examine that ghostly bridge for weaknesses or dive headlong into a 3-D rendering of a complicated artificial intelligence algorithm.

According to the grant, McGough and his team plan to build augmented reality applications for arts and humanities, calculus, civil engineering, machine design and mechanics, methods engineering and robotics courses.

The main goal, McGough said, is to not only determine if and how augmented reality could be used in the classroom, but also if it should.

We need to find out if these things that are helpful for education or are just flashing lights, he said.

But McGough is confident that the technology will prove useful, enough so that he has helped a group of interested students create a business called InTouch L.L.C that will someday offer augmented reality services to industry partners in South Dakota.

They can cut their teeth on this educational application, and there are businesses in town that have need for mixed reality, but theres no one in town that does that right now, McGough said.

McGough said the first $20,000 of the grant will be spent on purchasing augmented reality gear such as a Microsoft Hololens unit, tablets and augmented reality tags.

Augmented reality tags show the augmented reality gear where the object is oriented in space, McGough said. Its kind of like a pedestal for the augmented reality space. You activate it and all the sudden theres an engine there.

Given the high price tag of the Hololens and other augmented reality visors, McGough imagines that most students will view the augmented reality using the video cameras on their phones, tablets or computers.

If the concept catches on, McGough hopes the technology will emanate from Mines into classrooms across the region.
Dean Heller is a 57-year-old Mormon, husband and father of four who  because he is a U.S. senator from Nevada (having won in 2012 by a paper-thin 46-45 percent margin), a state that Barack Obama carried twice, and because he is the only GOP senator running in 2018 in a state that Hillary Clinton carried  is commonly referred to as the most vulnerable Republican incumbent facing re-election. Because Heller represents one-half of the two-seat majority by which Republicans now control the U.S. Senate, his re-election matters greatly to Mitch McConnell, the senator from Kentucky who desperately wishes to remain Senate majority leader.

Seeing as the most recent USA Today/Suffolk University national poll showed that a dismal 12 percent of Americans support the Senate Republican plan to replace Obamacare and seeing as Nevada's Republican governor, Brian Sandoval, with a 66 percent favorable job rating, maintains that a big reason the number of Nevada's uninsured children has been cut in half since 2012 is that his was the first GOP state to embrace Medicaid expansion under Obamacare, it should not have shocked anyone, least of all the White House, that the embattled Heller joined Sandoval in publicly opposing the widely unpopular bill.

Let history note that neither Heller nor Donald Trump  who, as he admits, has personally known just about everybody important  never met Hymie Schorenstein, the legendary Brooklyn Democratic "boss" who could regularly produce winning margins of up to 20-1 for Franklin D. Roosevelt. He is also credited with the Schorenstein rule, which, simply put, is the professional politician's overriding preference for a strong and popular candidate to head the party's ticket on Election Day. Schorenstein explained his rule to a judicial candidate he had picked to run on the Democratic ticket but who  even after he gratefully had made a generous contribution to the party  had seen no buttons, bumper stickers or billboards with his name on them and questioned Schorenstein's strategy.

"Listen," Schorenstein bluntly lectured, "did you ever go down to the wharf to see the Staten Island Ferry come in? You ever watch it and look down in the water at all those chewing gum wrappers and the banana peels and the garbage? When the ferryboat comes into the wharf, automatically it pulls all the garbage in, too. The name of your ferryboat is Franklin D. Roosevelt. Stop worrying!"

On Election Day 2016, Trump was, for most Republicans running with him on the ticket he headed, no ferryboat. Of the 22 Republicans who won Senate seats in 2016, 18 of them  including John McCain in Arizona and Rob Portman in Ohio, who rescinded their endorsements of the presidential nominee  ran ahead of Trump, who had very short coattails.

Ronald Reagan, who carried 44 states and 49 states in consecutive landslide victories and was one heck of a "ferryboat," admonished his loyal supporters, "The person who agrees with you 80 percent of the time is a friend and an ally  not a 20 percent traitor." President Trump obviously disagrees. America First Policies, a political nonprofit (which means it does not have to reveal donors) staffed entirely by Trump loyalists, launched a million-dollar scorched-earth campaign in Nevada against Dean Heller, accusing him of "standing with Nancy Pelosi," the House Democratic leader. In political terms, going after Heller is the equivalent of shooting your own wounded. Mitch McConnell and other GOP senators objected strenuously to the anti-Heller attack ads, which were eventually pulled down, but not before Republicans everywhere had read the unmistakable message: This president will be your ally off and on, not exactly the sort of guy  with a 38 percent favorable job rating in the Gallup Poll  you look to as your Election Day ferryboat.
This 2010 Black Hills State University history graduate was glad to read recently in the Journal that Black Hills State University will rename its Center for American Indian Studies. The article told how the South Dakota Board of Regents had approved renaming the center in honor of retired professor Jace DeCory.

Professor DeCory recently retired after 33 years of work. She was one of my first professors at BHSU when I started attending part-time while working in food service. She helped this food service worker get going in the world of higher education and really inspired me to pursue my dreams of a college degree. I know that she helped many of my fellow students and I'm glad that she will be honored in this way by BHSU.

David Nickel

Spearfish

Do not dishonor free speech

I glanced down at the receipt. "Wisdom is knowing what path to take; integrity is taking it." If we exchanged "morality" for "wisdom" and "ethics" for "integrity" it would work just as well. The fact that the quotation was on a grocery receipt led me to believe that maybe a lot of other people are as concerned as I.

Whenever "morality" is mentioned to Americans we get all in a dither about sex, forgetting, if we ever cared, that it means knowing the difference between right and wrong. Purportedly Jesus said, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." His contemporary Rabbi Hillel said, "Do not do to others what you would not have done to you."

Aristotle said, "Do what is good, don't do what is bad." Don't judge others, don't take cheap shots in public forums because of gender, race, ethnicity, religion, education, disability, political philosophy or the mole on someone's nose. Don't dishonor "free speech." If someone in highest office is dishonoring some of us he is dishonoring all of us, and if others in high office keep silent, they are complicit. Silence gives consent, no political "Yeah-buts!" Speak out, the silence is deafening.

Graham Thatcher

Rapid City
Russian court pardons defendants in Total CEO crash case

MOSCOW, July 7 (RAPSI, Oleg Sivozhelezov)  The Solntsevsky District Court of Moscow has ruled to pardon two defendants in the Total CEO airplane crash case, RAPSI learnt from the court on Friday.

Snow plow driver Vladimir Martynenko and Vnukovo lead airfield service engineer Vladimir Ledenev, who had earlier pleaded guilty and signed a plea bargain, were sentenced to 4 and 3.5 years in penal colony and were immediately pardoned as part of the broad amnesty program on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the victory in World War II.

Martynenko and Ledenev were charged with violation of traffic safety rules resulted in the death of two or more persons. The widow of Total CEO Cristophe de Maergerie, relatives of the deceased flight crew members, Vnukovo airport and Unijet air carrier have been recognized as victims in the case.

Earlier today, it was revealed that Patrick Vervel, the husband of a stewardess, who died in the crash, filed a lawsuit seeking to collect 30 million rubles (about $500,000) from the Vnukovo airport.

Earlier, the Moscow City Court upheld the ruling to send a case against other defendants, airport flight manager Roman Dunayev, air traffic controllers Alexander Kruglov and Nadezhda Arkhipova, back to prosecutors.

Christophe de Margerie died in a plane crash at Vnukovo airport on October 21, 2014, when his planes wing hit a snow plow. Among the victims were three crew members, all French citizens.

On October 25, 2016, the Interstate Aviation Committee (IAC) published its final report on investigation into the death de Maergerie. Authors of the report listed several factors, which, when combined, may have resulted in the plane crash. Among potential causes of the crash are: violation of regulations over control of alcohol use by drivers of special equipment, absence of equipment for listening to traffic controllers in snow plow machines, inefficient organization of work with subsystem of observation and control of airfield, no measures taken by the planes crew to prevent takeoff after receiving information about machine that intersects a road.
Bill on criminal punishment for cybercrimes against Russia adopted in second reading

MOSCOW, July 7 (RAPSI)  The State Duma passed in the second reading on Friday a bill on criminal penalty of up to 10 years in prison for cyberattacks against Russias critical information infrastructure.

The bill submitted by the Government envisages criminal responsibility of Russian nationals, foreigners, and stateless persons for attacks on crucial IT infrastructure, alongside disciplinary, civil, and administrative responsibility for such actions.

An explanatory note to the bill reads that it is deemed feasible to introduce respective amendments to the Russian Criminal Code and Criminal Procedure Code taking into account the urgent need to step up legal protection of the crucial Russian IT infrastructure security in criminal law.

A new Criminal Code Article Illegal influence upon the crucial information infrastructure of the Russian Federation would introduce various types of punishment for creating and distributing software or computer information deliberately aiming to have negative impact on such infrastructure, or to obtain unauthorized access to computer information protected by law contained therein, as well as misuse of equipment for storage, processing, or transmission of the respective data ranging from fines between 500,000 and 1 million rubles ($8,300 to $16,500 at the current exchange rate), compulsory work for up to five years, or prison terms for up to 10 years.

The proposed legislation is in line with the new Russian Information Security Doctrine recently approved by President Vladimir Putin, which is aimed at reinforcing the countrys sovereignty, territorial integrity, maintaining political and social stability, protecting human and civil rights and liberties, as well as crucial IT infrastructure.

The document states that information technologies have extended over the globe becoming an integral part of all spheres, in which individuals, societies and states are active.

According to the new doctrine, the opportunities of cross-border circulation of data are increasingly used to achieve geopolitical, military and political (in contravention of international law), terrorist, extremist, and other illegitimate goals to the detriment of international security.

The state authorities are to strengthen the hierarchical structure of management of the computer systems, data processing and communications operators. Besides, the doctrine states, the state authorities are to improve certain aspects of functioning of the system ensuring information security.
State Duma passes bill on meetings between imprisoned parents and their children

MOSCOW, July 7 (RAPSI)  The State Duma has passed in the second reading a bill allowing meetings between imprisoned parents and their children, a statement of the lower house of parliament reads on Friday.

The bill introduces changes to the Penal Code of Russia. According to the chairman of the State Duma Committee on Security and Counteracting Corruption Vasily Piskarev, these amendments are enforcing Article 9 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. In particular, they allow to maintain connection between children and parents and avoid potential negative consequences for a childs emotional and psychological state caused by a prolonged separation.

Authors of the bill propose to allow convicted mothers of a child under the age of 14 or a child with disabilities to visit their children outside a penal colony for 15 days, two times a year in the first case and four times in the second one.

Convicted fathers will receive the same right if they are single parents.

The bill does not concern people convicted of crimes against children and teenagers as well as several other categories of inmates convicted of crimes of increased public danger.
The Strawberry Festival is a relaxing evening of music, fresh fruit and community visiting that serves as the annual fundraising event for the Darby Fire Department on July 15.

Fire Chief Chad Harrell said the Strawberry Festival has been happening since 1940.

It is a tradition but we are having a lot of changes this year because Firp (Redman) left, Harrell said. He has been our bluegrass musician for 20 years.

This year the new band is Tin Cup from Connor.

Another change is that the Strawberry Festival usually coincides with Logger Days which is on the following weekend this year.

The Strawberry Festival always happens on the third Saturday in July, Harrell said. Logger Days changed their date but we chose to keep our tradition.

The Strawberry Festival is from 5 to 8 p.m. in the city park, across from Mr. Ts Convenience Store.

Well be selling strawberry shortcake, Harrell said. This year we are not buying strawberries at the store but are using caterer Connie Gallagher, owner of the Darby Mercantile, so everything will be fresh, homemade and local.

Harrell said all firefighters will attend the Strawberry Festival.

Hopefully, having Connie do the catering frees up the firefighters so they can be more social during the event, he said. It seems they are too busy during the event usually and we want them to be able to mingle.

There will not be fire trucks at the festival due to tight parking.

We just ordered a new truck and we were hoping it would be here for the event but it is just not ready yet, Harrell said.

A big draw to the Strawberry Festival is the raffle.

People can purchase raffle tickets at the Bitterroot Community Federal Credit Union, Darby Espresso or at the event.

We try to get all our donations from local vendors, Harrell said. We have Jimmy Harrison from the Double H Custom Hat Company. He donates a certificate for a custom hat.

The Stitch-n-Time quilting group in Darby donated a large quilt that is traditional with a modern edge. It was designed by Meredith Johnson and Brooke Adams and long arm quilted by Carole Vining.

Quilter Paula Nelson said the quilt is a log cabin pattern to celebrate Darbys history in the timber industry.

We are celebrating Darbys history in the timber industry - the beautiful forest as well as the logging, recreation and log home industry, Nelson said. We offered it to the Fire Department in remembrance of firefighter Mike Stark who passed away recently and who valued quilts and got our group making quilts for them a few years ago.

The quilt is on display around Darby and will be at the Strawberry Festival.

It is absolutely beautiful, Harrell said. It is definitely one of the main raffle prizes. It will be moving around town so everyone gets a chance to look at it.

Another key prize is a deacons bench from Jerry Hinman Woodworking.

Hes a retired firefighter who has done that for years and years, Harrell said.

Farmers State Bank donated a $500 gift certificate and the Bitterroot Community Federal Credit Union donated a $200 gift certificate.

Harrell encouraged the community to attend the Strawberry Festival.

Its a good way to meet volunteer fire fighters who volunteer their time and energy and support the community, he said. Enjoy fresh strawberries and a great event.
Structure and discipline inspired a pay-it-forward attitude in Analiza Anglea, a recent Hamilton graduate of Montana Youth Challenge Academy.

While she attended, Analiza Anglea won the National Physical Fitness Award twice, the title of Senior Cadet and the Challenge Leadership Award, which is voted on by staff members and only awarded to one student per platoon.

In addition to the recognition she received from staff members, Analiza Angleas peers elected to be her companys Warrant Officer, the position which holds other cadets accountable for their behavior.

She wasn't always a positive leader. Six months ago. Analiza Anglea couldnt get along with anyone.

I wouldnt listen to my parents and I started fights over what? I dont even know, Analiza Anglea said. If I didnt change there was no way my parents would have me in their home."

Analiza Anglea was adopted from an orphanage in the Philippines when she was 12 years old. Her adoptive mother, Bronwyn Anglea, said she thinks a lot of the problems they had in the past stemmed from not having the opportunity to raise her from a younger age.

We missed her whole childhood, Bronwyn Anglea said. And by the time she turned 18, we realized there were no longer going to be child-size problems with child-size consequences.

Since her daughter's return from MYCA, shes shown self-discipline and has taken responsibility for her actions, according to Bronwyn Anglea.

The Montana Youth Challenge Academy assists at-risk youth ages 16-18 in building the academic and life skills necessary to be successful. MYCA, located on the University of Montana-Western campus in Dillon, starts with a highly structured 22-week residential phase followed by a year-long mentorship.

MYCA is one of 35 Youth Challenge programs in 27 states across the U.S. The program is funded by in-state tax dollars and federal support for the National Guard, its umbrella organization.

Ron Carroll is the marketing coordinator for MYCA. At the end of each semester he selects 10 graduates from across the state of Montana to represent the program.

Of the 73 graduating cadets at this years graduation, five were from the Bitterroot Valley this spring. Analiza Anglea was selected as one of the top 10 graduates.

For the Hamilton area, it was a no brainer, Carroll said.

The first 11 days of MYCA is known as acclimation and takes place at the Dillon Readiness Center, a property of the Montana National Guard.

Borrowing tactics from the U.S. Army, the academy staff put the cadets through a rigorous program. Cadets live in a one-room hall with 30 other platoon members, dress in uniforms, and are woken at 5:30 a.m. to begin a long day of training.

During acclimation, cadets do not have any contact with family or friends, which was challenging for Analiza Anglea.

The first two weeks I thought it would never end, Analiza Anglea.  I wanted to go home.

Prior to attending MYCA, Analiza Anglea went to Bible study and youth group at Cornerstone Bible Church, but she said she didnt have a steady relationship with God at the time.

At MYCA, her faith helped her get through those times when she wanted to leave.

Faith in God was there for me the whole time. Otherwise I would have quit, Analiza Anglea said. I thought about my future and all the consequences and knew that was not me. I know Im better than that.

Analiza Anglea is now in the mentoring phase at MYCA, which Carroll said is the backbone of the MYCA program. Most other programs help students for a given time and then say, good luck.

For a year, she and her mentor, Kayla Hixon, will meet at least four times a month, two of which have to be face-to-face.

Hixons known Analiza Anglea for the six years shes lived in the U.S. and has seen a big difference in her since she left for MYCA.



Ive seen a shift from Analiza wanting to help others, but being so inwardly focused that she cant, Hixon said.

Analiza Anglea is now ready to act on that desire to help others, according to Hixon. Since she returned from MYCA shes worked part-time as a youth counselor at the Summit Independent Living Center.

A core component of the MYCA program involves service to community, which operates as both a way for MYCA to give back to the Dillon area, and as a learning experience for cadets. Analiza Anglea said she loved the service projects she worked on, and that social work could be a path for her in the future.

I want to leave a legacy of an amazing life and Youth Challenge makes me feel confident that I can do that, Analiza Anglea said. People have helped me when I needed it, and I know I want to return that favor.

The next semester of MYCA begins July 18 and applications will be accepted up to the last few days before it starts. More information can be found at youthchallenge.mt.gov
Courtesy Kellye Pummill (MESA, Ariz.) -- Kellye Pummill will never get to see her deceased daughter, Marissa Pummill, walk down the aisle but she did get to watch the man whose life was saved by one of Marissa Pummills organs walk his own daughter down the aisle.



It was bittersweet, Kellye Pummill, of Mesa, Arizona, said of attending Kiasa VanCleaves wedding last month in Idaho. And very emotional.



Kellye Pummills daughter took her own life in October 2014 at the age of 21. Just one week after her death, Marissa Pummills liver was transplanted into VanCleaves dad, Troy Westover.



It means that she lives on. She lives on in six other people, Kellye Pummill said of her daughter, whose organs were donated to six people in total. "Troy would have never been able to walk his daughter down the aisle."



Troy Westover, 43, of Oakley, Idaho, was diagnosed with end-stage liver failure in September 2014 after experiencing stomach pains. He was given between two days and two weeks to live before receiving Marissa Pummills liver, according to his wife, Karen Westover.



They told us right away that the donor was a 21-year-old female, she recalled. And we got a card from Kellye not long after the transplant.



The two families continued corresponding through the organ donation service and then found each other on Facebook.



It was VanCleave, 20, who decided she wanted to have Kellye and Marissa Pummill play a prominent role in her wedding day.



If it wasnt for Marissa and Kellye, my dad would not have been there to walk me down the aisle, she said. I wanted Kellye to feel like Marissa was there and to know the love that I feel for Marissa even though I didnt know her.



VanCleave included a photo of Marissa Pummill in a charm on her bouquet that she carried down the aisle. She then gave the charm to Kellye Pummill on a necklace after the wedding.



Marissa actually got to walk down the aisle, in a way, said Kellye Pummill, adding that VanCleave and her family also included Marissa Pummill in a memorial at the wedding that honored deceased loved ones.



Though the two families had never met before the wedding, there was an instant bond.



She just feels like part of the family, said Karen Westover, who lost her own brother to suicide. I dont even know how to describe it.



Troy Westover, who could not be reached by ABC News, met Kellye Pummill the night before the wedding.



They just hugged and they just visited, said Karen Westover. [Troy] had always been a little bit leery about meeting Kellye because he was worried about not knowing what to say so he was a little overwhelmed, just knowing that he finally got to meet her.



The families say they now talk by text or phone daily and plan to keep it that way.



In the beginning it is overwhelming, VanCleave said. But now [three years later] its an overwhelming feeling of happiness and joy and love for Kellye and her family.



ABC Breaking News | Latest News Videos

Copyright  2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
Two people were issued felony citations for criminal endangerment and driving under the influence in Ravalli County during the Fourth of July holiday weekend.

According to court documents, at 11:30 a.m. July 3, Montana Highway Patrol Trooper Ryan Janes responded to a single-vehicle crash on Highway 93 near Chief Looking Glass Road.

Witnesses reported that a vehicle driven by Susan Ann Gifford, 54, of Salmon, Idaho, drove through a stop sign  literally  and also a street sign, knocking down both of them. Her vehicle eventually came to rest on nearby railroad tracks.

When the trooper spoke with Gifford, he allegedly noticed her fidgeting, with erratic and jerky movements. He also noticed that she was talkative with exaggerated reflexes, and was repeatedly grinding her teeth. Janes suspected Gifford was under the influence of stimulants.

Gifford later told Hamilton Police Sgt. Bob Liercke that she was on day three of a meth-bender.

Along with the criminal endangerment and DUI charges, Gifford was cited for careless driving, no insurance and failing to wear a seatbelt. Her bond is set at $10,000 and shes required to wear a patch that detects drug use.

A 26-year-old Missoula man faces felony charges of criminal endangerment and driving under the influence after he passed vehicles at high rates of speed on Highway 93 on July 4.

According to court documents, the Ravalli County Sheriffs Department received a call about 4:45 p.m. that a vehicle heading north from Lost Horse Hill south of Hamilton was passing other vehicles on the double yellow lines, both where the road splits into four lanes, and also where it changes back to two lanes.

Deputy Matt Reynolds positioned himself at Skalkaho Road and Highway 93, and watched as Matthew Ryan Dutra, 26, of Missoula drove past him. Reynolds followed Dutra into the Lone Pine parking lot, where he allegedly detected an odor of an alcoholic beverage on Dutras breath.

After Janes conducted field sobriety tests, Dutra was arrested. A preliminary breath test resulted in a blood-alcohol level of .184, which is more than double the legal limit.

His bond was set at $10,000.
Im a retired librarian from the Hamilton School District. After graduating from Hamilton High School in 1981, I went to the University of Montana and graduated with double degrees in political science and secondary education. I am a veteran, having served our country in the Army as well as in the National Guard and Army Reserve.

I am currently serving my first term as a city councilman in Ward 2. I also serve on the board at the Bitterroot Aquatic Center and work as a substitute teacher in the valley. My wife is a retired music educator and we both regularly attend Faith Lutheran Church. We have lived in an historic house on North 4th Street for 25 years. I am by nature a quiet and thoughtful man. I listen way more than I talk, but my wife would add that I definitely speak up about matters that are important to me!

In 2013, a former city councilman and leader in the Hamilton business community asked me to consider seeking a position on the city council. After attending a few meetings and giving some serious thought to this commitment, I felt a call to shape policy for the city of Hamilton. During my first term of office we oversaw a number of positive changes for the Hamilton community. The council worked with the Hamilton Downtown Association in completing the Downtown Master Plan. We facilitated The Bitterroot Community Colleges move downtown into the former Westview School building. We also added the Steve Powell Park to the city, thanks to a partnership with the Bitter Root Land Trust.

The city council is currently working on a number of projects: shoring up the 3rd Street water main, Fairgrounds Road and sidewalk improvements, and the anticipated purchase of Claudia Driscoll Park and National Guard Armory. We hope to remodel the Armory into a multi-use Justice Center, which would house the police department, the city courts, and city attorney.

Thank you for entrusting me to make good decisions for all citizens in Hamilton. I carefully study all sides of the issues brought before me, and listen to input from the people involved before I cast my vote. I believe I am fiscally conservative with city finances. I have gained valuable knowledge about how city government runs, and have enjoyed my time on the city council. I would be honored to be elected for a second term.
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video via Facebook

... Where there are no tears, just love flourishes the Hindi film song from Door Gagan Ki Chhaon Main (1964) was re-popularised in India by Anand Patwardhan the documentary film maker and peace movement activist after the 1998 nuclear tests by India. The song is now occasionally sung by social movement activists.And was sung at the Bombay protest against mob lynchings

listen to the original sung by Kishore Kumar https://youtu.be/wXr1kLS-p7Q

o o o

Prominent Dastangoh, raconteur, actor, poet and writer Danish Husain rendering poems of Anshu Malvia:

o o o

News coverage:

Not in my name: 5,000 turn up in Dadar to protest lynching of Muslims and Dalits http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/not-in-my-name-5000-turn-up-in-dadar-to-protest-lynching-of-muslims-dalits/articleshow/59432349.cms
Khedut Samaj a Gujarat

Khet Bhavan, Opp. Cargo Motors, Near Gandhi Ashram, Ahmedabad

7th July, 2017

PRESS STATEMENT

To,

Editor/Bureau Chief,

A footmarch (padyatra) of farmers from Gandhi Ashram to Gandhinagar started today;

Permission denied; Freedoms denied;

Leaders and marchers detained;

The issues of farm distress in Gujarat are multiplying. Farmers are committing suicide, reeling under the enormous burden of nearly two decades of neglect of the farm sector by the ruling dispensation. Instead of addressing their issues and, at the very least, entering into a dialogue with them, the state government is using every repressive tactic at its disposal.

The ongoing agitation of farmers has been organising a series of protest actions a rallies, demonstrations, footmarches a to highlight the pitiful conditions of farmers in the state at various locations in Gujarat. Today, 7th July 2017, they had planned to take a footmarch from Gandhi Ashram to Gandhinagar to ask the elected representatives of the people as to what they are doing and intend to do for the farmers of Gujarat. Todayas footmarch is jointly led by Khedut Samaj-Gujarat (KSG) and the OBC Ekta Manch.

The footmarch started from Khet Bhavan near Gandhi Ashram and went to Gandhi Ashram where they garlanded the statue of Mahatma Gandhi. They then began to move towards Gandhinagar. They had just about reached near the Collectoras office when the police detained the leaders of the footmarch a Shri Sagar Rabari of KSG, Shri Alpesh Thakore of OBC Ekta Manch and other leaders and fellow marchers. The ostensible reason for the detention given by the police is that they were marching without police permission.

This is now the new normal in Gujarat. The police routinely deny permission and then crack down on protests. The voice of dissent in Gujarat is being smothered and democracy itself is in danger today. We urge the citizens of Gujarat to raise their voice and register their protest at this anti-democratic and unconstitutional acts of the Government of Gujarat.

Jayesh Patel

President, Khedut Samaj a Gujarat
Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita on Tuesday (July 4) in Addis Ababa expressed Moroccos satisfaction at the decisions taken on the Sahara at the 29th Summit of Heads of State and Government of the African Union (EU).

Morocco is very pleased with the debates and decisions that have been taken place at this session, Nasser Bourita told a press conference after the summit, saying that maneuvers and procrastination (by Moroccos opponents) have been discarded. Today, we have positions that go in the right direction.

The head of Moroccan diplomacy also welcomed the wording of the resolution on the Sahara in which African Heads of state call for appropriate support for the UN Secretary-General to resolve the Sahara dispute. The resolution, he said, is very important and is an evolution, since it recognizes the leadership of the United Nations and the handling of the issue in New York.

Actually, contrary to the South African Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma who was completely aligned with the Algerian position in the Sahara issue and openly displayed her hostility to Morocco, the new chairman of the AU Commission, Chadian Moussa Faki Mahamat, adopted a more balanced tone in addressing this issue.

Faki Mahamat affirmed to have taken note of the solid arguments of Morocco and of its serious and credible efforts, acknowledged by the international community, to settle definitively this issue.

He also welcomed the calming down of tension in the Guerguerat area and welcomed the intention of the new representative of the UN Secretary General, German Horst Kohler, to launch a new initiative to find a peaceful solution to the conflict.

Moreover, after it had been manipulated for a long time to side with the separatist theses of the Polisario and the geostrategic interests of the Algerian regime, in collusion with South Africa, the AU commission broke with this alignment and pronounced itself for a consensual solution to the artificial Western Sahara conflict.

Morocco also succeeded to have the AU Executive Council delete the words occupied territory from the report of the African Commission on Human and Peoples Rights and from the Summit resolution on the Sahara.

The wording of this resolution and the AU Commissions call for a consensual solution to the Sahara conflict are certainly not to the taste of the leaders of Algiers and their proteges, the Polisario, who perceive there the beginning of a turnaround on the African chessboard in favor of Morocco.
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Jul-06-2017 22:15 TweetFollow @OregonNews All Invited to Oregon's Beach Bill 50th Birthday Bash Saturday Celebrate Oregon's Beach Bill, making the coastline open to all



(SALEM, Ore.) - This is the year to celebrate Oregon's beautiful--and singularly protected--beaches. It's the 50th anniversary of Oregon's Beach Bill, signed into law in July 1967 to safeguard beaches from development. But it easily could have been a different story. When lawmakers first introduced it, the bill faced steep opposition. Ultimately Oregonians fought for their beloved beaches. And so it is that today, 50 years later, this beach is yours and mine and everyone's, to treasure and protect, forever. This free event is open to everybody. Event Begins @ 10:00 a.m.: Oregon State Capitol, 900 Court St NE, Salem, Oregon 97301

11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Slater Smith -- Concert on the Lawn

Beach Bill-themed tours of the Capitol. Visit the Pioneer!

Learn the story of Oregon's beaches and how you can protect them.

Giant sandbox, kites, and face painting

FREE birthday cupcakes & scoops of really creamy Tillamook Ice Cream (limited supply)

Interactive demos and activities

Join SOLVE's "pledge for trash-free seas"

Photos with the Tillamook Yum Bus, a giant Dungeness crab, and a 7-foot salmon sculpture made from beach trash

Food trucks, including Mo's Chowder

Raffle for limited edition glass floats Free parking in the Capitol Mall and underground garage at the corner of Winter and Chemeketa. _________________________________________

Oregon | Health | Environment | Most Commented on





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And here it is: a big box, sealed with magnetic lids. Keeping those lids closed is a damn fine-looking badge/clasp. The box, opened. I expected the big lid on the top, but the remaining bit at the bottom turned out to be a magnetic lid as well, covering a secret drawer with a bag of goodies in it. All contents taken out of the box. There are three digipaks and a cardboard box in there: two for season 1, one for season 2, and the box for the film. There is also a small aluminium flask (with its own box) and the aforementioned goody-bag. All contents opened! Each digipak (and the film's box) has three disks: two DVDs and one Blu-ray. The reverse sides of the digipaks and box. Nice! A closer look at the aluminium flask. One third is covered by the logo, the other thirds by character art. The goody-bag has three items: two pins and a key-chain. Included in the digipaks are two booklets: one 64-page one covering the series, and a 36-page one covering the film. Together, they provide 100 pages of character art, backgrounds, and interviews. Again, pretty nice. The end, or rather the underside. That's one damn swell package!

(...If you read or speak French, that is...)In France, anime got a foothold far earlier than in most English-speaking countries. Even today, the market for buying DVDs and Blu-rays of Japanese animation is roughly estimated to be thirty times as big in France than it is in the United Kingdom, despite those two populations having almost the same size (around 66 million). On top of that, rights for using French subtitles are often cheaper than for English ones, as English subs unlock Australia and the US as well.What this means is that France has a very healthy collectors' market. Many titles unavailable anywhere outside of Japan have France as the sole exception. And those titles which ARE internationally famous can count on having a blinged set available in France.For an example, just look at what Kana Home Video did with theanime.Now be warned. While the set is great and actually not bad value-wise, it is NOT English-friendly. No English dub and no English subs can be found on it. I bought it because it had been erroneously advertised as having Dutch subs (I'm Dutch...) so my discovery that this was French-and-Japanese-only was actually a nasty one.(But it looks glorious, and has been severely limited to 1000 pieces... so I'll hold on to it as an investment, heh...)I'm still putting up a gallery for it here as it may inspire people about what such a boxset can look like, and... well, we're a part Canadian site, so I expect there are plenty of French-speaking readers here, non? Click on the edge of the pictures to scroll through them, or at the centre of each to see a bigger version!
Seguin, TX (78155)

Today

Windy. Rain showers this evening with clearing late. Low near 40F. Winds N at 20 to 30 mph. Chance of rain 40%. Higher wind gusts possible..

Tonight

Windy. Rain showers this evening with clearing late. Low near 40F. Winds N at 20 to 30 mph. Chance of rain 40%. Higher wind gusts possible.
 Texas continues to demonstrate how state "smart on crime" reforms can lead to less imprisonment and less crime | Main | "Criminal justice reform starts before the trial and sentence" 

July 7, 2017

Split Third Circuit panel finds numerous problems with short federal sentences for child-abusing Army couple

A remarkable and unusual federal sentencing involving a child-abusing couple led yesterday to a remarkable and unusual federal circuit sentencing opinion in US v. Jackson, No. 16-1200 (3d Cir. July 6, 2017) (available here). Here is how the 80-page(!) majority opinion by Judge Cowen gets started:

John and Carolyn Jackson (John and Carolyn) were convicted of conspiracy to endanger the welfare of a child and endangering the welfare of a child under New Jersey law offenses that were assimilated into federal law pursuant to the Assimilative Crimes Act (ACA). The United States District Court for the District of New Jersey sentenced Carolyn to 24 months of imprisonment (as well as three years of supervised release). John received a sentence of three years of probation (together with 400 hours of community service and a $15,000 fine). The government appeals from these sentences. We will vacate the sentences and remand for resentencing. Concluding that there is no sufficiently analogous offense guideline, the District Court declined to calculate Defendants applicable sentencing ranges under the Guidelines. Although we adopt an elements-based approach for this inquiry, we conclude that the assault guideline is sufficiently analogous to Defendants offenses of conviction. Furthermore, the District Court failed to make the requisite findings of fact  under the applicable preponderance of the evidence standard  with respect to this Guidelines calculation as well as the application of the statutory sentencing factors. We also agree with the government that the District Court, while it could consider what would happen if Defendants had been prosecuted in state court, simply went too far in this case by focusing on state sentencing practices to the exclusion of federal sentencing principles. Finally, the sentences themselves were substantively unreasonable.

Here is how the dissenting opinion by Judge McKee gets started:

It is impossible for anyone with an ounce of compassion to read through this transcript without becoming extraordinarily moved by allegations about what these children had to endure. Had the defendants been convicted of assault, or crimes necessarily involving conduct that was in the same ballpark as assault as defined under New Jersey law, I would readily agree that this matter had to be remanded for resentencing using the federal guidelines that govern assault. However, the district court held a ten and a half hour sentencing hearing in an extraordinarily difficult attempt to sort through the emotion and unproven allegations and sentence defendants for their crimes rather than the conduct the government alleged at trial and assumes in its brief. I believe the court appropriately did so pursuant to 18 U.S.C. 3553(a). Accordingly, I must respectfully dissent. Before I begin my discussion, however, I must note that the defendants in this case were acquitted of the only federal offenses with which they were charged: assault with a dangerous weapon, with intent to do bodily harm, and assault resulting in serious bodily injury. As I discuss more fully in Section II, these assault charges seem to drive the governments argument and the Majoritys analysis. In order to minimize confusion about the precise nature of the charges in this case and the conduct that was proven, a chart listing each of the charges and their outcomes is attached as an addendum to this dissent.

There are lots of lots of interesting elements to this unusual case, but the rarity of reversals of sentences as substantively unreasonable led me to read that part of the majority opinion most closely. The majority here repeatedly finds flaws in how the district court weighed various permissible  3553(a) considerations. And the discussion begins by noting that the guidelines called for sentences of perhaps 20 or more years for these defendants so that "probation for John and 24 months imprisonment for Carolyn represented enormous downward variances, which require correspondingly robust explanations for why such lenience was warranted."

July 7, 2017 at 10:52 AM | Permalink

Comments

Can anyone explain to me why, in the name of everything holy and federal, there is an assimilative crime act? And why these people weren't tried by the State of New Jersey?

I can't help but think that New Jersey sentencing law/guidelines affected this.

Posted by: Fat Bastard | Jul 7, 2017 1:22:18 PM

The opinion notes that such laws go back to the early part of the 19th Century to fill in gaps in federal law involving acts that might occur in federal enclaves and such.

Here, the father was a member of the army & "these offenses occurred (at least in part) within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States."

Posted by: Joe | Jul 7, 2017 2:05:07 PM

This seems like another acquitted conduct case. Defendants are bad people and so they should be given harsh sentences even though the government couldn't actually prove most of the alleged crimes but hey the crimes they could prove were bad crimes and bad people deserve harsh sentences.

Honestly, if I were the district judge I would be depressed. To wade through all the BS, come up with a sentence, and then have the appeals court whine that you weren't cruel enough to cruel people is enough to make me depressed just reading about it.



Posted by: Daniel | Jul 7, 2017 7:07:23 PM

Federal abstention is a seriously underused doctrine. Was there actually anything preventing the State of New Jersey from prosecuting these people? Trying to apply the sentencing guidelnes to a state crime is folly.

Posted by: Fat Bastard | Jul 7, 2017 9:27:02 PM

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 Virginia Gov decides claim of delusional disorder does not justify halting scheduled execution of double murderer | Main | Split Third Circuit panel finds numerous problems with short federal sentences for child-abusing Army couple 

This Dallas Morning News article, headlined "With crime, incarceration rates falling, Texas closes record number of lock-ups," highlights why the Lone Star state should be viewed as a shining star for anyone eager to see states find paths to having less crime and less incarceration. Here are excerpts:

Texas will shutter more prisons this year than it has in any single year in history, a response to the state's tight budget and shrinking inmate population. In the state's two-year budget, which lawmakers approved in May, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice was ordered to close four prison facilities by Sept. 1. When all four are closed, tough-on-crime Texas will have shuttered eight prisons in just six years.

Criminal justice reform advocates, agency officials and lawmakers say the closings are possible because of a combination of factors, including falling crime rates and legislative efforts to reduce the number of people who spend time behind bars. "This is something we have done incrementally over the last decade," said Derek Cohen, deputy director at the Center for Effective Justice at the right-leaning Texas Public Policy Foundation. "We're not any less safe publicly for that."

The drop in Texas' prison population began around 2007, when lawmakers were faced with an expensive decision. The state had spent decades and millions of dollars building hulking prison edifices across rural Texas. Tens of thousands of cells were quickly filling, and without changing the way Texas operated its criminal justice system, the state would soon be forced to spend millions more to house a burgeoning inmate population.

A state known for its lock-'em-up-and-throw-away-the-key approach to crime began to shift its approach. Instead of erecting more massive prisons, lawmakers invested in diversion programs to help troubled Texans get back on track and avoid incarceration. They spent more on initiatives to provide services to people whose mental illnesses landed them crosswise with the law. Lawmakers in 2015 updated a decades-old property crime punishment scheme that had resulted in felony punishments for thieves who had stolen penny-ante items. "What we saw was almost within 18 months, just an immediate decrease in the number of people sent to state jail on property offenses," said Doug Smith, a policy analyst with the Texas Criminal Justice Coalition.

At the same time, crime rates fell across the state. Texas Department of Public Safety data shows that crime rates have fallen each year since at least 2012. The overall crime rate in Texas fell nearly 6 percent from 2013 to 2014. And it dropped another 4.7 percent the following year.

Texas closed its first prison in 2011 after much hand-wringing. The Central Unit was a 79-year-old, sprawling behemoth on valuable land in the growing Houston suburb of Sugar Land. The prison population had begun to fall already, dropping 8 percent from 2004 to 2011. Legislators were facing a budget shortfall of up to $27 billion, and closing the Central Unit could save them about $50 million over two years. For the first time in Texas history, it made political and fiscal sense to close a prison. It turned out, lawmakers were just getting started.

Two years later, they shuttered the Jesse R. Dawson State Jail in Dallas and a pre-parole unit in Mineral Wells. Earlier this year, the criminal justice department closed a privately operated intermediate sanctions facility in Houston that was right next to Minute Maid Park. As the closings continued, inmate population continued to drop, from 156,000 in 2011 to about 146,000 today, according to department spokesman Jason Clark....

It's unclear, though, whether the shuttering trend will continue in Texas. Lawmakers this year did not approve any changes that criminal justice reform advocates said would keep the prison population on the decline. Among the measures lawmakers rejected were proposals to reduce drug offense penalties and to keep 17-year-olds in the juvenile justice system, as most states do, instead of sending them to adult prisons.
Screenings

Free blood pressure screenings, 9:30-11 a.m. Wednesdays at Countryside Senior Living, front lobby. No appointment necessary.

Programs/Self-Help Groups

Al-Anon Information Center, call 712-255-6724.

Al-Anon and Alateen, meetings locally. For times, dates and locations of area meetings, call 712-255-6724.

Alcoholics Anonymous, beginners information, call 712-252-1333.

Arc of Woodbury County, serving the mentally challenged, 5:15 p.m. meeting, second Monday of the month at Mid-Step Services, 4303 Stone Ave. For families and interested persons.

Child Care Resource and Referral, provides resources, education and advocacy for children, parents, and child care providers. Assists in child care needs. For more information, call 712-277-1180.

Co-Dependence Anonymous, 7 p.m. Mondays and Thursdays at First Lutheran Church, Fireside Room.

Co-Dependents Anonymous (CODA), 10 a.m. Saturdays at Hawkeye Club, 420 Jones St.

Compassionate Friends, 7 p.m. fourth Wednesday of each month (third Thursday in November and second Sunday December) in Mercy Medical Center's Leiter Room. For families who have lost children. Contact Nancy Webb 712-212-4032 or Don Mulder 712-541-5512.

Clinics

Siouxland District Health immunization clinics, call for appointment, 712-279-6119 or 1-800-587-3005.

Information

Family and Addictive Illness series, for more information, call 234-2300.

Iowa Fathers, 6 to 8 p.m. fourth Tuesday of each month at Hope Lutheran Church, Education Building, 218 W. 18th St., South Sioux City, Neb. Support group to help single, divorcing and divorced parents residing in the state of Iowa.

Mercy Pathways Outpatient Program, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, on the third floor, Mercy's Central Medical Building, 801 Fifth St., Suite 360. Provides hope, help, opportunity to connect through group therapy for individuals experiencing personal, relationship, psychiatric issues. For more information, call 712-279-5991.

Narcotics Anonymous, meetings daily, various times, dates and locations. For more information, call 712-279-0733.

Overeaters Anonymous, 1 p.m. Tuesdays at Wesley United Methodist Church, 3700 Indian Hills Drive; 6 p.m. Tuesdays at St. John's Lutheran Church, 402 Lane Ave., Storm Lake; 7 p.m. Tuesdays at Church of the Nazarene, 226 N. Main St., Viborg, S.D.; 5:30 p.m. Thursdays and 9 a.m. Saturdays at Newman Center, 320 E. Cherry St., Vermillion, S.D.; 10:30 a.m. Saturdays at Hawkeye Club, 420 Jones St. A 12-step recovery program for people who have problems with food and weight. No fees.

St. Lukes Outpatient Behavioral Health Program, 9 a.m. to noon Monday, Tuesday and Thursday on fifth floor of St. Luke's, located at 2720 Stone Park Blvd. Offers several levels of outpatient care including partial hospitalization, intensive outpatient, and group therapy. This program provides support and integrated treatment to individuals experiencing personal or relationship issues as a result of their mental illness. For more information and admission criteria, call 712-279-3906.

Sobriety By Faith, 8:30 a.m. Saturdays at Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church, 1421 Geneva St. For more information, call James Mothershead at 712-577-9715.

The Link-Recovery and Freedom, 1603 Glen Ellen Road; 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Saturday workshop, and Christian 12-step meeting 7 to 8 p.m. Tuesday. For all ages. Call Dee at 389-7432.

Tarahouse Meditation Center, 8 a.m. Mondays through Thursdays; 6:30 p.m. Fridays; 10 a.m. Saturdays and Sundays, all at 3112 Rebecca St. Three easy 10-minute sessions in small group; beginners welcome. For more information, call 490-6410.

Blood pressure and blood sugar screening, 9 to 11 a.m. Wednesdays in the lobby at Westwood Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. Free to public.

Support Groups

Food Addicts in Recovery Anonymous, 7-8:30 p.m. Wednesdays at Hawkeye Club basement, 420 Jones St. For more information, call 277-5935.

Celebrate Recovery, Bible-based 12-step recovery group. Thursdays at 6 p.m. at Sunnybrook Community Church, 5601 Sunnybrook Drive. Childcare provided. 712-490-3343. All welcome.

PFLAG of Siouxland, (Parents & Friends of Lesbians and Gays), 7 p.m., fourth Monday of January, March, May, July, September and November. St. Mark ELCA Church, 5200 Glenn Ave., in the upstairs meeting area. 712-258-3116.

Singles widowed and divorced, all ages, 4 p.m., Sundays. McDonald's at Sixth Street and Lewis Boulevard. 712-252-2675.

GriefShare, 6:30 -8:30 p.m. every Tuesday until Dec. 6 at Sunnybrook Community Church, 5601 Sunnybrook Drive, Sioux City. 712-276-5814.

H.E.L.P. Ministries, spiritual NA support group, "Sunday on Saturday" service 6-8 p.m every Saturday at 513 Main St., Sioux City. Donald, 712-574-1744.

HIV/AIDS Support Group, meets weekly. For more information, call Darla or Teri at Siouxland Community Health Center, 712-252-2477 or 888-371-1965.

Hospice of Siouxland, seeking volunteers. For more information, call 712-233-4144 and ask for a volunteer coordinator.

La Leche League of Siouxland, breastfeeding support group meets every third Thursday at 11 a.m. at Morningside Lutheran Church. Children are welcome. For more information, call Mary at 712-546-7280 or Jacquie at 712-255-2998.

Living Each Day Cancer Support Group, 7-8 p.m. second Thursday of the month, Floyd Valley Hospital, Conference Center Room 2, Le Mars, Iowa. Open to all cancer patients, cancer survivors and family members. No charge. Pre-register by calling 712-546-3441 or 800-642-6074, ext. 441.

Mom and Baby Support Group, 10-11 a.m. last Monday of the month at the Orange City (Iowa) Hospital, lower level. For new moms and babies. 712-737-5260.

Tri-State Sober Project, 12-step meeting, 7:30-8:30 p.m., Tuesdays, Friendship Community Church, 305 Sergeant Square Drive, Sergeant Bluff. 6-7 p.m., Thursdays, Transitional Services of Iowa, 1221 Pierce St., Sioux City.

Doug's Donors Support Group, information for organ donors and recipients, 12:30-1:30 p.m. Fridays, 5:15-6:30 p.m. second Thursdays of the month at Mercy Cafeteria Woodbury Room. 712-277-1050.

Divorce Care, 6:30 -8:30 p.m. every Tuesday until Dec. 6 at Sunnybrook Community Church, 5601 Sunnybrook Drive, Sioux City. 712-276-5814.

NAMI Siouxland, (National Alliance on Mental Illness) Support Group meets 6:30 p.m., second Tuesday of the month at Friendship House, 1101 Court St. For individuals and family members dealing with mental illness. 712-255-4209.

Orphan Sunday, 3:30-5 p.m. Sunday at Sunnybrook Community Church loft, 5601 Sunnybrook Drive.

Post Polio Support Group, 11 a.m. first Thursday of the month at Perkins Restaurant by Menards. 712-490-8213.

Relationship Support Group, 7 p.m. Fridays at Marketplace Mall. For more information, call 239-3129.

Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence, Individual and Support Groups. For more information, call CSADV in Sioux City at 712-258-7233; Plymouth County at 712-546-6764; Monona County at 712-423-3443. Advocacy and support available 24 hours a day at 1-800-982-7233. All services free of charge and confidential.

Sickle Cell Disease Support Group, 11 a.m. third Saturday of each month at St. Luke's Hospital, meeting room 1. For patients, their family and any concerned member. Call La'Keshia Rainey at 712-203-2019 for more information.

Single and Parenting, 6:30 -8:30 p.m. every Tuesday until Dec. 6 at Sunnybrook Community Church, 5601 Sunnybrook Drive, Sioux City. 712-276-5814.

Sioux City Association of the Deaf, 7 p.m. third Saturday of the month at Morningside Church of Christ, 5015 Garretson Ave. Regular meeting, September-May; no meeting, June, July, August and December.

Siouxland Autism Support Group, second Thursday of the month at Northwest Area Education Agency, 1520 Morningside Ave. For more information, call Julie Case at 712-490-8939.

Siouxland Epilepsy Support Group, 5 p.m. third Tuesday of the month at Prestwick Apartment Clubhouse, 4230 Hickory Lane. For anyone diagnosed with seizures or epilepsy and family or friends. For more information, call Steve at 274-6927.

Siouxland IC support group, meets quarterly in Sioux City. For patients struggling with interstital cystitis. For more information, call Jacque Dundas 316-641-9766.

Siouxland Informational Group for the Blind, 2-5 p.m. second Tuesday of the month at Northern Hills Retirement Community, 4002 Teton Trace. For more information, call 712-266-8926 or 258-8151.

Grief support group, 5:30-7:30 p.m., beginning Oct. 5 for 13 weeks (may join at any time), Crescent Park United Methodist Church, 2826 Myrtle St., Sioux City. Scott, 712-899-6315.

Siouxland Ostomy Association, 2 p.m. first Sunday of each month (except September, which will be second Sunday; and no meetings June, July, August), in Room 300 at Mercy Medical Center, 801 Fifth St. For more information, call Dick Lindblom at 251-2453.

Siouxland Parkinson Disease Support Group, 1 p.m. fourth Monday of the month at Siouxland Center for Active Generations, 313 Cook St. For more information, call Sally Reinert at 402-987-3516.

South Sioux City Weight Support Group, 8:30 a.m. Wednesdays at St. Paul United Methodist Church, South Sioux City. For more information, call 494-1401 or 494-2133.

Disabilities Resource Center of Siouxland, 520 Nebraska St., Suite 101: Women's Support Group, 1:30 p.m. first Wednesday of the month; LGBT Support Group, 1:30 p.m. first Friday of the month; Adult ADHD, 6 p.m. second Tuesday of the month; Advocacy Group, 1:30 p.m. third Tuesday of the month. For more information, call 712-255-1065.

Take Off Pounds Sensibly, group meetings various times, days and locations in Siouxland. For information on the chapter in your area, call 1-800-932-TOPS.

Voice Disorder Support Group, meets as needed at Mercy Medical Center, Buena Vista Room. 712-279-2686.

Women's Peer Support Group, in Wayne and South Sioux City, Neb., for those who have experienced domestic abuse. For more information, call the Wayne office at 402-375-4633 or 1-800-440-4633; in South Sioux City, call 402-494-7592. Help and support available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Services free and confidential.

Woodbury County D.M.D.A., noon-2 p.m. first Saturday of the month at Country Friendship Acres, 4501 West St.; 7-8 p.m. first Tuesday of the month at 515 Court St. in the Community Room; 7-8 p.m. second Tuesday of the month at 441 W. Third St. in the Community Room; 7-8 p.m. third Tuesday of the month at 409 W. Third St. in the Community Room. Support group for people with disabilities and mental disorders.

Natural Mamas in Siouxland, 1 p.m., third Tuesday of each month in the Garretson room of the Morningside Public Library. All ages of children are welcome to come with moms. For sharing natural living tips, recipes, natural remedies and health, homemaking, mothering, etc. For more information, call 402-913-0038 or visit their Facebook page.

A Step Beyond support group, 3:30 p.m. second Tuesday of the month, except for August, November and December when it meets at 5:30 p.m. (no meeting in January) at the Christy-Smith Resource Center, 1819 Morningside Ave. For more information, call 712-276-7319.

Divorce care, 5 p.m., Sundays. Fireside room, Morningside Lutheran Church, 700 South Martha St.

Gamblers Anonymous meetings, 4 p.m. Thursdays at Immanuel Lutheran Church, 315 Hamilton Blvd.; 7 p.m. Wednesdays, Morningside Presbyterian Church, 4327 Morningside Ave.; 7 p.m. Tuesdays, St. John Lutheran Church; 7 p.m. Sundays, Hawkeye Club, 420 Jones St.. 712-277-2901.

Art therapy support group, 5:30 p.m. second Thursday of the month at the June E. Nylen Cancer Center. Registration required, call 252-9387.

After Breast Cancer Support Group, 5:30 p.m. third Tuesday of the month at the June E. Nylen Cancer Center. For more information, call Brenda, 252-9370.

After Prostate Cancer Support Group, 5:15 p.m. first Tuesday of the month at the June E. Nylen Cancer Center. For more information, call 252-9426.

Alzheimer's Association, Big Sioux Chapter Support Group, 2 p.m. second Tuesday of the month; 4 p.m. third Tuesday of the month (under age 65) at 201 Pierce St., Suite 110 (Famous Dave's building); and 6 p.m. first Tuesday of the month at the Barnes and Noble Cafe. For more information, call Emily Lord at 712-279-5802.

Christy-Smith Funeral Homes of Sioux City, extensive grief library at the Morningside location. Open to the public during weekday hours. For more information, call 276-7319.

Chronic Pain/Chronic Illness Support Group, 7:30 p.m. fourth Wednesday of the month in the lower level of the Orange City Hospital. For more information, call 712-737-5260.

Connections Area Agency on Aging, and Mercy Medical Centers Older Adult Services Welcome to Medicare, 1:30-4 p.m., the first Friday of every month at Connections Area Agency on Aging, 2301 Pierce St. To pre-register, or for more information, contact Connections Area Agency on Aging at 712-279-6900.
Vacation Bible School

SIOUX CITY | Operation Arctic Answers Vacation Bible School will be held from 9 a.m.- noon July 11-14 at First Evangelical Free Church, 401 Ninth St. Children age 3 through sixth grade are invited to attend.

For additional information, call 712-255-7239 or visit firstevangelicalfreechurch.org.

Akron area women's luncheon and program

AKRON, Iowa | The Women's Guild of New Horizons United Church of Christ, 141 Reed St., will host an area women's luncheon and program at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday.

Daniel Jung, Ph.D., assistant professor of biology at Briar Cliff University, will be the presenter. The program will be "Prairie Turnips: Hidden Weapons for Fighting Pathogens."

For more information, contact 712-568-3446.

Food & fun series

SIOUX CITY | The Food and Fun Series at Grace United Methodist Church, 1735 Morningside Ave., will feature the southern gospel music of the Triumphant South Quartet, at 6 p.m. Wednesday. The public is invited to attend.

A light meal of hamburgers or hot dogs, salad and desserts will precede the concert at 5:30 p.m.

Traditional Jewish music duo

SIOUX CITY | Traditional style Jewish music will be performed by The Lumbrosos at 7 p.m. Friday at Glendale Baptist Church, 1600 Glendale Blvd.

Patrick and Christine Lumbroso will sing original and traditional style Jewish music reflecting the heritage of the Early Believers. For additional information, call 251-6667.

Iowa Great Lakes Music Festival

MILFORD, Iowa | The "Arts of St. Joseph" will present the fourth annual Iowa Great Lakes Music Festival concert at 4:30 p.m. Sunday at St. Joseph's Catholic Church, 1305 Okoboji Ave.

The free concert will feature Trio Jinx and cellist Thomas Fortner. A reception will follow in the Parish Center; a free will offering will be accepted.

Ice cream social and silent auction

SIOUX CITY | Whitfield United Methodist Church, 1319 W. Fifth St., will hold an ice cream social and silent auction of baskets, from 4:30-6:30 p.m. Sunday. Adult admission will be $5, children 10 and under $3. A la carte menu will be available.
WICHITA, Kan.  Marita Rother remembers how her big brother made fudge when her parents went shopping. Somehow, the 11-year-old Stanley Rother always managed to finish making the candy before their parents returned home  and the four siblings usually ate all of it.

Marita suspects her parents knew. After all, you couldnt help but smell the fudge in the house.

Today, a small statue of Stanley Rother stands in the Wichita Center of the Adorers of the Blood of Christ alongside pamphlets describing his life and prayer cards bearing his face. The cards include prayers that he will be canonized as a Catholic saint, something Marita says couldnt happen to a nicer guy.

You dont think of those things when youre growing up, do you? she said. The trouble is we think saints are that way all their life, but theyre not. The one thing that has really been said a lot about him is he was a normal kid. There was nothing extraordinary, but its what he did with the ordinary things that make the difference.

Marita, a nun who is a member of the Adorers, says shes still surprised that her brother is on the path to sainthood. Stanley Rother was declared a martyr in 2016 and will be beatified this September  the final stage before canonization as a saint.

He is the first American-born martyr and first U.S. priest to be beatified, and Marita says shes learned much from being the sister of a possible saint-to-be.

THE SHEPHERD CANNOT RUN

When Stanley Rother decided to serve as a priest in Guatemala in 1968, Marita had to look up the country on a map.

She saved every letter her brother wrote her about his work in the country: helping farmers with irrigation, using his farm background to increase crop yield, starting a cooperative of weavers that still exists.

Stanley worked with the Tzutujil people, descendants of the Mayans. He learned to celebrate Mass in the native Tzutujil language, even helping to translate the New Testament into that language for the first time.

At first, his letters addressed her as Sister Marita. Later, he changed his greeting to simply Dear Marita. Finally, he wrote Dear Sis.

Yet all wasnt well in Guatemala. The country was in the midst of a civil war between the right-wing government and the left-wing guerrillas. Working with the Tzutujil was perceived as political, and Catholics were often targeted.

The December before Stanley died, Marita was supposed to visit Guatemala. She canceled the trip because of turmoil in the country.

Eventually, Stanley Rothers name appeared on a death list, and he was urged to return home to Oklahoma.

He came back to Oklahoma, but not for long.

The shepherd cannot run at the first sign of danger, he wrote in a letter in late 1980.

In July 1981, three men broke into Stanleys rectory in Guatemala, fought with and killed him.

Marita says she and her parents werent surprised by his death. They had known that he put his life on the line.

I think I learned how to live and how to die in dignity, Marita said. He didnt go back to die; we knew that. He went back to live, to live for his people.

LOVE FOR THE PEOPLE

Although Marita didnt visit Guatemala that December before her brothers death, she did visit two other times.

The Adorers had nuns in the area, so Marita went to work with them in the summer of 1973 and in 1977.

She got to know her brother as an adult, having meals with him daily and spending their day off on adventures like climbing a volcanic mountain.

He was serious at times, Marita recalls. I knew when things were really heavy on him. Yet he responded well with others. He had a great love, great love for the people.

Marita remembers an elderly man with no family who was a daily dinner guest at her brothers home. Stanley would cut up the mans food for him, treating him like a grandfather. It allowed Marita to see the real, gentle part of Stan.

When Stanley died, the Tzutujil parishioners asked that his heart be kept in Guatemala, where it is enshrined today.

HE DIDNT GIVE UP

Stanley Rother largely kept his interest in the priesthood to himself while growing up, just as his sister didnt tell many that she wanted to enter a religious community.

The siblings, only 14 months apart in age, became interested in the religious life because they were surrounded by strong religious leaders, Marita said.

They grew up in the solid German settlement of Okarche, Okla., with sets of grandparents living only a mile away in two different directions.

Both brother and sister were taught by Adorers of the Blood of Christ, the religious order that Marita eventually joined. The parish priest was a good friend, often coming by to help with the wheat harvest on the family farm.

Every day after eating together, the family knelt around the table to pray the rosary together.

It was a simple childhood, with the family milking cows, raising chickens and growing wheat not long after the Great Depression.

In some ways, Marita sees similarities between her brothers childhood and that of Father Emil Kapaun, Kansas potential saint. Both were farm boys raised in simple circumstances, and both were taught by Adorers of the Blood of Christ.

When Stanley Rother went away to seminary, he struggled because he hadnt previously studied Latin. He was even asked to leave seminary.

I thought that was the end of it, but he didnt, Marita said. He didnt give up.

He enrolled in a second seminary, graduated and was ordained in 1963, spending five years as an associate pastor in Oklahoma before heading to Guatemala.

That same persistence defined his time in Guatemala as a shepherd who would not, as he put it, run at the first sign of danger.

Sometimes we have to work for a better situation, Marita said. He taught me how to stay there and keep trying.
KENNEWICK, Wash. | At the start, it was one foot in front of the other  a way to get through days without end, nights dark with loneliness. For the young military widow, her constant companion on a trail of tears was a broken heart wet with grief.

Lisa Halletts world was shattered on Aug. 25, 2009 when a roadside bomb exploded thousands of miles away in Afghanistan.

It was news no military wife ever wants to hear.

Excuse me, the colonel had said quietly, the tap on her shoulder interrupting Lisas carefree moment at the U.S. Armys Point of Contact dinner, her first since the baby had been born. I need to talk with you, his words benign.

Quickly, Lisa rose from the table to step away for a side conversation. Only when he spoke again did a whisper of worry add its voice to the social gathering.

Youll need to bring your things, Lisa, the officer in dress uniform told her, his hand reaching to help.

Gathering her two-week old daughter, diaper bag and infant seat, the slender blonde matched his steps as they walked.

Tell me John is OK! Lisa said, her fear insistent in the evening air, the face of the colonel unreadable in the fading light.

When the conference room doors swung open, she found her answer in the eyes of two men in the official green Army attire, a white sheet of paper in their hands.

We believe Captain John Hallett was killed when his Stryker was  their words lost in the pounding of Lisas heart.

It was so surreal, Lisa said in 2013, remembering the emotional moment. This couldnt be my story. John had a baby hed never met.

But it was real even though Lisa clung to the word believe, hoping the report of her husbands death could be a mistake. A next day telephone call came from the military.

General Mattis called me, and I reminded him the Army only believed that John had been killed, Lisa said, remembering vividly the scene as she sat weeping on the stairway near a collage of Johns pictures, 3-year-old Jackson and younger Bryce at her side. He said, Yes, but we do know. Im sorry, Lisa. 

It was final. Her forever friend, husband and father of their three small children was gone.

When John died I lost the bookends of my life, Lisa said, a catch in her voice, recalling his phone calls, his kiss when he came through the door, his welcome hugs upon return from deployment. Every day was now the same, it all blurred together.

Until she began to run one Saturday 

Donning Johns royal blue physical training shirt, she began to jog, often with her friend Erin OConnor by her side; a friend who promised to help Lisa run through her journey of grief.

Soon other wives joined the widow for the early morning runs.

Little did the group know then, but before the 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team out of Ft. Lewis, Wash., finished its yearlong deployment, 41 soldiers would be lost in Operation Enduring Freedom in Southern Afghanistan. Twenty-three of those casualties would be from Johns 1-17 Infantry Battalion.

Those fallen heroes were more than just a statistic to the wear blue: run to remember runners who faithfully gathered at the flagpole each Saturday morning in a sea of blue attire. Signature shirts display the names of the 41 soldiers.

We always start with the Circle of Remembrance and prayer, Lisa said as she reflected on the living memorial, one that continues to this day. Each person receives a slip of paper with the name of a fallen hero in the Global War on Terror, or they call out the name of their loved one.

Then the running begins on a family friendly three-mile course at the army base, stretching on to a 10-mile and 18-mile path marked by volunteers holding a U.S. flag, the name of a soldier who paid the ultimate sacrifice displayed on each one.

This living memorial has been met with open hearts and dedicated footsteps.

The Saturday scene now repeats across the nation and overseas at other military bases and locations  a vision wear blue: run to remember CEO Lisa and COO Erin share for the non-profit and all volunteer organization, one that helps thousands heal from, and work through the more challenging aspects of military life during a time of war.

Its grown so much, Lisa said, awed by the countless community and military people who come together in remembrance, some sharing stories about their lost loved one.

Memories that wear blue: run to remember wants to live on.

Through Saturday runs and special race events  this group runs to honor all military members killed in combat and it has evolved into a powerful network of active duty and retired service members, military families, Wounded Warriors, Gold Star families and community members, the wear blue run to remember website said.

When the children and I do our Saturday morning with their daddys name on their back, they know theyre surrounded by a community that knows him and understands, Lisa said, reflecting on the support it has offered.

And along the marked paths across America and beyond, many footsteps  and sometimes tears  mingle as runners remember proudly the men and women who lived, loved and served their country.

On the back of the deep blue signature shirts are 41 fallen heroes, the scripture verse John 15:13 and an extra-large footprint filled with white stars. For Lisa and her children who have step by step mourned and remembered CPT John Hallett, his memory will forever be their huge heart-print.
Clearly, our City Council members and most state representatives have not served in the military, a forward unit, or seen combat. If they had they would both understand and appreciate the trauma potential when "shell," "cannon," "artillery" and similar fireworks explode next door to a vet's residence.

Yes, ex-military so afflicted can choose to avoid patriotic displays at Saturday in the Park, Xs games, or the riverfront, but they have no choice who their neighbors are or do.

The electeds' actions (votes) speak louder than their words (solicitous) when it comes to respecting those who actually served and fought for others' freedoms, some bearing lifetime scars unseen (some seen). - Burt Burwell, Sioux City
The gravity of the existential threat we face from Islamic Jihad is truly of epic proportions. It is essentially a battle pitting free-civilized man against a totalitarian barbarian. What is at stake is the struggle for our very soul - namely who we are and what we represent. The lives that were sacrificed for individual rights and freedoms that we've come to cherish are being chiseled away from right under our noses by the stealth jihadists. And many of us are in denial and totally clueless.



The left's appeasement and pandering to evil is nothing new. What makes their utopian delusions so infuriating and unpardonable is that it is not only they who will have to pay the consequences, and deservedly, so, they are thwarting and undermining our best efforts at resistance and are thus dragging us down in the process as well.







By Peter Lancz,, the head of the Raoul Wallenberg World Campaign Against Racism.
John Baxter Owen passed away peacefully on Saturday, July 1st at his daughter's home in Hollywood, Maryland. He was 99 years old. John was born in Monroe City, Missouri in 1918 to the late Archibald and Effie Owen. He grew up on the family farm with his parents and his two aunts.



He graduated from Northeast Missouri State Teachers college in 1940, with a Bachelor of Science in Education. His plans to continue his graduate studies were interrupted by the beginning of World War II, and he was assigned to a troopship headed toward the Philippines. He was on this ship when the attack on Pearl Harbor occurred. The ship returned to San Francisco, California, and he served there and at other stateside posts for the duration of the war.



Major Owen retired from military service, including the Missouri National Guard (1938-1940), Army Active (1941-1946), and the U.S Army Reserve (1946-1969). He was proud of his Army service. After the war he resumed his educational goals, completing his M.S at the University of Kentucky in 1948. After this he worked for Public Health in Cincinnati and the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service in Pierre South Dakota. In 1953, he returned to graduate school and earned a Ph.D. in Biology from Iowa State University.



It was at Iowa State that he met Alice Koning, whom he married in 1955. They moved to Alaska where he worked as a biologist for the U.S. Bureau of Commercial Fisheries at Auke Bay, Alaska. In 1965, he moved his family to Grand Forks, North Dakota to teach fisheries biology at the University of North Dakota. He taught, conducted research studies and worked with many graduate students in fields related to the science of biology, particularly in fresh water fish habitats in the Midwest.



John was predeceased by his wife in 2011. He is survived by his son, John A. Owen of Edina, Minnesota; his daughter, Nancy Owen Jackson of Hollywood, Maryland; grandsons Christopher (Emily) Owen of Houston, Texas and David (Erin) Owen of Cedar Rapids, Iowa; as well as three great-grandchildren.



Internment at Arlington National Cemetery is planned and the ceremony schedule will be released when available. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Hospice of St. Mary's County or the Alzheimer's Association of America. Arrangements by the Brinsfield Funeral Home, P.A.
For many of the young LGBT community, the election of Donald Trump as president has been frightening.

The Trevor Project, an organization created to prevent suicide in the LGBT community, has been receiving an increase in suicide hotline calls following the presidential election.

After the election it became clear to me that young people needed our help more than ever, said the new CEO of The Trevor Project, Amit Paley.

The call volume doubled the day after the presidential election, and has increased since then, The Daily Beast reports. Paley reported the lifeline received more calls in May than it had in its entire 19-year history.

The young community often calls to talk about Donald Trump or anti-LGBT policies throughout the nation, such as anti-transgender bathroom bills and the banning of same-sex marriage benefits in Texas.

The policies of this administration, no doubt about it, are directly harming young LGBTQ people, Paley told the publication. Whats so upsetting and shocking for them is that up until this point they had been growing up in a time of increasing acceptance and tolerance. Our mission is to end suicide among LGBTQ young people, and we are concerned by any activities that might reverse the progress we have made.

According to the Human Rights Campaigns Growing up LGBT in America 2012 survey of 10,000 LGBT-identified-youth between ages of 13 and 17, 42 percent reported growing up in a not-accepting community. They are more than two times as likely to have been verbally harassed at school compared to their non-LGBT counterparts.

Imagine being a teenager, going through puberty, the challenges of that, especially if your gender is different to how the world sees you, said Paley. Imagine hearing from the leaders of the country that you dont deserve to go to the bathroom that conforms to your gender identity, so you literally have to hold it all day. Forget the medical issues that causes. Forget how that makes people feel. Think about how that makes you feel not listened to. Its heartbreaking.

Paley said that when they have a president and politicians who impact the LGBT communitys self-worth, its the reason why the project is there to say, No matter what anyone in Washington says, you are worthy, you are loved, you have dignity, and you are who you are and who you love does not lessen you as a person.

If you or someone you know needs help, you can reach out to http://www.thetrevorproject.org/pages/get-help-now.
Vice President Pence NASA

Vice President Mike Pence thanked employees at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida for their commitment to Americas continued leadership in the space frontier during a visit to Americas multi-user spaceport on Thursday.



Let us do what our nation has always done since its very founding and beyond: Weve pushed the boundaries on frontiers, not just of territory, but of knowledge. Weve blazed new trails, and weve astonished the world as weve boldly grasped our future without fear, the Vice President told employees, government dignitaries and space industry leaders in remarks at the facilitys iconic Vehicle Assembly Building, where the new Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft will be prepared ahead of launches to the moon, and eventually to Mars and beyond. From this Bridge to Space, our nation will return to the moon, and we will put American boots on the face of Mars.

Acting NASA Administrator Robert Lightfoot thanked Vice President Pence and the administration for their strong support, and pointed out the evidence of government and industry cooperation on display at Kennedy.

Here, of all places, we can see were not looking at an and/or proposition, Lightfoot said. We need government and commercial entities. We need large companies and small companies. We need international partners and our domestic suppliers. And we need academia to bring that innovation and excitement that they bring to the next workforce that were going to use to actually keep going further into space than we ever have before.

Vice President Pence also got a first-hand look at the public-private partnerships at Kennedy during a tour that showcased both NASA and commercial work that will soon lead to U.S.-based astronaut launches and eventual missions into deep space. The Vice President started his visit with a concrete example of public-private development, as Air Force Two touched down on the Shuttle Landing Facility, the former space shuttle landing strip now leased and operated by Space Florida. After his remarks in the Vehicle Assembly Building, the Vice President shook hands with employees before departing on a tour, accompanied by Lightfoot, Kennedy Space Center Director Robert Cabana, and NASA astronauts Pat Forrester and Reid Wiseman.

The Vice President visited the centers Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building, where the Orion spacecraft is being prepped for its first integrated flight with SLS in 2019. Orion has elements made in America by workers at more than 1,500 companies in 48 states, and some of that work, including components of Orions protective heat shield, were on display during the tour.

A driving tour showcased the mobile launch platform being readied for SLS flights as well as two commercial space facilities: Launch Complex 39A, the historic Apollo and shuttle pad now leased by SpaceX and used for commercial launches, and Boeings facility, where engineers are prepping the companys Starliner capsule for crew flights to the space station in the same facility once used to do the same thing for space shuttles.

We are in a great position here at Kennedy, we made our vision a reality; it couldnt have been done without the passion and energy of our workforce, said Kennedy Space Center Director Cabana. Kennedy is fully established as a multi-user spaceport supporting both government and commercial partners in the space industry. As Americas premier multi-user spaceport, Kennedy continues to make history as it evolves, launching to low-Earth orbit and beyond.

The Vice President also discussed President Trumps executive order signed on June 30, re-establishing the National Space Council to coordinate all aspects of the nations space power. The Vice President said the Council will bring a renewed sense of purpose to Americas space policy by strengthening our economy and unlocking new opportunities, inspiring our children, enhancing our common defense and advancing the security of the American people.
2017 feels like a banner year for coffee projects in Washington State located beyond the urban hegemony of the city of Seattle. That citywhere this website was first plotted and launchedhas become an at-times unrecognizable techno-future parody of itself, with rents up 300% and vast swaths of the city transformed into sprawling CondoLands. Seattle is still a beautiful and delicious place but running a small business there is, as the kids say, problematic AF RN.

So it makes sense that all this cool stuff would be popping up in places like Everett, and Tacoma, and now Bellevue, home to todays featured Build-out. Third Culture Coffee is a multi-cultural, international new cafe concept from founder/partners Radhika Kapur and Varun Das, fusing Indian cafe culture with cutting edge third wave coffee sensibilities from around the world. It opens this week in Old Bellevue, just across the I-90 bridgeand a world awayfrom Seattle.

As told to Sprudge by Radhika Kapur.

For those who arent familiar, will you tell us about your company?

The story of Third Culture is a love story. Its a story about connecting with people, reliving cherished memories, getting excited about discovering the world and about exploring different cultures all through medium of coffee and tea. We believe that love and care are the most important ingredients in a recipe and that these ingredients hold the power to impact flavors, create memories and truly make a difference.

All through our life, we (my husband and myself) have experienced different cultures across the world from India, Asia, to Australia, to Europe and now Americas. Third Culture is a culmination of all those experiences coming a full circle, of us giving in to our passion to provide an experience to our guests, a moment that our guests can cherish, with freshly roasted flavorful coffee or with delectable single origin teas, a moment when they can indulge in luxury.

Can you tell us a bit about the new space?

The flagship store is located in Park 88 building in Old Bellevue, just off the Main Street, right next to Bellevues Downtown Park. Old Bellevue is a beautiful place that hosts world class independent shops, restaurants and cafes that add charm to the rapidly expanding Bellevue downtown. The shop is located right next to some of the most popular restaurants in Bellevue and is also a skip and a hop away from the revived Bellevue Downtown Parka newly expanded park that now includes a world class innovative playground for kids of all ages and abilities to explore and enjoy.

The shop itself is around 1,700 square feet, with floor-to-ceiling windows at the front and a large bar. We have shelves at the back of the bar that are topped off with a Blackboard menu. Since we represent a global view on coffee, we have chosen furnishings to represent that vision. We will have a traditional Kerala wooden copper swing, Parisian cafe chairs, comfy sink in leather armchairs and a long community table which encourages interaction between guests. We will also have a play area dedicated to our little guests featuring toys, books, a blackboard and kids activity table.

Whats your approach to coffee?

Our vision is to showcase different cultures of coffee that are prevalent across different countries , all under one roof, while being respectful to the authentic traditional recipe and amazing high quality ingredients. We want to highlight the flavors that different drink styles and brew methods can bring to a cup.

We let the coffee shine through thoughtful and precise execution. We feature single origin coffees, along with our house blend on our espresso machine and pour overs. We work very closely with True North Roasters to bring exceptional coffee to our guests, that has been expertly roasted to highlight the flavors of the coffee. All of our offerings change seasonally to keep things fresh and exciting.

We want to bring the story of coffee to the forefront and go on a journey with our guests around the world. We will be exploring flavor variations of the same bean, different brewing methods, or different beans, same execution through cold and hot flight offerings. We are also venturing in the exciting space of coffee and spirits, offering some traditional and some innovative spiked coffee beverages that allow us to explore coffee flavors in another dimension.

Any machines, coffees, special equipment lined up?

As per our vision to bring our menu to life we will be using a mix of traditional brewing equipment like the traditional Indian Meter Coffee brewing vessel, Vietnamese phin, etc. For single origin pour-over we will be using Saint Anthony Industries Phoenix and Filibuster. We are obsessive about consistency and quality so will be venturing into the world of distribution tools and high precision scales like the Acaia. For espresso, we are going with our first love, the La Marzocco Linea PB with scales. For grinders we have chosen to go with a Mazzer Robur and Kony and a Mahlkonig EK-43. For crockery we are going with the NotNeutral cups for espresso based drinks, for the ease and execution of latte art and effortless cup hold for our guests. For cold brews, we will be using the Bodum double walled glasses, keeping the guest comfort and execution in mind.

Whats your hopeful target opening date/month?

July 2017.

Are you working with craftspeople, architects, and/or creatives that youd like to mention?

Third Culture Coffee was a dream which is being brought to life by a group of extremely talented people.

My husband Varun Das, our partner and friend Adarsh Nair, and I have worked on the vision for more than year now, from identifying the perfect menu, to dialing in the recipes to the look and feel of the place. Dustin Chapin from Clark & Chapin Architects got us started on the vision of the space and the build out. Stephen Brakebill of Brakebill Construction, our longtime friend and general contractor, stepped into commercial retail build outs with this as his first project. His team of Jim, Josh, Tom, Lauren are all superstars without whom this would not be turning into a reality Shahzad Qadri from Wong & Fleming, entrepreneurial lawyer, who got us in shape for turning this dream into a reality. Megan Ruhlach for getting us started on our logo journey and Eric Fisher for his amazing design aesthetic and turning us into a brand that was a true representation of us.

Thank you!

Thank You so much for setting up this kind of a program. It is absolutely fantastic!

The Build-Outs Of Summer is an annual series on Sprudge. Live the thrill of the build all summer long in our Build-Outs feature hub. Got a Build-Out of your own? Get in touch.
Longtime harness racing industry participant Ben Earl Whitehead, of Harriston, passed away at Palmerston District Hospital on Tuesday, July 4, 2017 at the age of 71.

Beloved son of Virginia Whithead (nee Brindley). Loving father of Lisa (Fred) Subject of Monkton and David (Crystal) of Fordwich. Proud grandfather of Dairian, Keirsten, Christian, Skylar and Danika. Ben will also be lovingly remembered by his four brothers, eight sisters and many nieces and nephews.

Ben was predeceased by his father Earl Whitehead.

Ben's family will receive relatives and friends at the Cameron Funeral Home (1106 Yonge St. S, Walkerton) on Saturday, July 8, 2017 from 9:00 a.m. until the time of the funeral service at 11:00 a.m. Rev. Doug Bott officiating. Interment in Walkerton Cemetery. Reception to follow at the funeral home.

As expressions of sympathy, donations to Canadian Cancer Society or The Kidney Foundation would be appreciated by the family. Visit cameronfuneralhomes.com to view the Book of Memories for Ben.

Please join Standardbred Canada in offering condolences to the family and friends of Ben Whitehead.
The Meadowlands' Saturday night card is loaded with fast horses racing for big money both in and out of stakes competition.

The track's signature race, the Crawford Farms Meadowlands Pace, drew thirteen declarations resulting in a single ten horse $50,000 elimination race. The top seven finishers from that race will join Downbytheseaside, Classic Pro and Miso Fast, who were granted a bye into the $738,550 final on July 15.

Although Huntsville was offered a bye based on 2017 earnings, trainer Ray Schnittker chose to race his prize colt in the Pace elimination aiming to have him as sharp as possible for the final. Another perk is a clause in the conditions that rewards the elimination winner with drawing from post positions 1-6 for the final. He'll leave from post position one for driver Tim Tetrick on Saturday.

Huntsville was named last year's top freshman after a season that saw him win the PASS and Breeders Crown finals as well as the International Stallion Stakes at The Red Mile in a world record 1:49. He has returned in fine form at three, a winner in three of five seasonal starts, was a close second in the North America Cup final and comes in to the Pace fresh having bypassed Pocono's Hempt stakes.

The really big money this week comes in the form of twin $240,000 Graduate Series finals. These finals close out the series conceived to play a transitional role for four-year-old horses as they graduate from three-year-old competition into the Free-For-All ranks.

Trotters are up first in race nine where Marion Marauder returns to the scene of his greatest victory the $1 million Hambletonian, the first jewel in his magical Triple Crown season of a year ago.

He's been brought back purposefully by trainer Paula Wellwood with his first race of this season a win in the Tioga leg of the Graduate in mid-June followed by a closing third last week at Mohawk. He's drawn the far outside post nine for the final, challenging driver Scott Zeron to map out a winning trip. Marion Wellwood and Devin Keeling own the career winner of nearly $2 million.

The competition is led by Trolley, Broadway Donna and Dayson, all of whom won preliminary legs and have had a bit of a freshening leading into the final.

The Graduate Pacing final (race 11) is going to be fun to watch. It's a very even field of ten awfully good horses, many of them with an affinity for racing on or near the front. Something has got to give.

Dr J Hanover (PP#4, Doug McNair) won twice in three series starts including his epic 1:46.4 win in the Mohawk leg which is the fastest mile in the long and distinguished history of Canadian harness racing.

Trainer Tony Alagna used a qualifier to prep him with a bit of time between races and Dr J had to fight right to the wire with a 26-second last quarter to eek out a win, but he did it and that had to sharpen his edge.

Owners Brad Grant, Robert LeBlanc, Steve Wienick and Irv Samelman gave $280,000 for Dr J Hanover at the Tattersalls sale in January.

It is not going to be easy for Dr J Hanover with fellow leg winners Sintra and Check Six lying in wait, Boston Red Rocks poised to break from his bridesmaid role and speed merchants Lyons Snyder and Western Fame posted inside and out.

The $41,880 Mary Reynolds Memorial three-year-old filly trot opens the evening with six debutantes preparing for next week's Del Miller Memorial and later, nine fleet pacing mares square off in a $20,000 Preferred (race 7) led by Lady Shadow prepping for the Golden Girls stake on Pace night.

As if that wasn't enough, we will also get to see the enigmatic Walner make his first pari-mutuel appearance of his sophomore season in the second race conditioned trot. The winter book Hambletonian favourite has been vicious in morning trials and seems to have overcome those pesky obstacles on his Hambo trail. Owner Ken Jacobs and trainer Linda Toscano is likely as anxious anyone to see him race.

It all happens on Fan Appreciation night with fireworks after the live races. Early post time for this and next Saturday is 6:30 p.m.

To view entries for The Meadowlands' Saturday card, click the following link: Saturday Entries - Meadowlands Racetrack

(with files from The Meadowlands)
Delegation of Faith Leaders and Human Rights Activists Applaud New York City Hospital for Offering to Provide Charlie Gard Medical Care

Contact: Rev. Patrick Mahoney, 540-538-4741LONDON, July 7, 2017 / Standard Newswire / -- New York Presbyterian Hospital / Columbia University Medical announced they would accept Charlie in a public statement on Thursday.A delegation of Americans including Bobby Schindler, President of Terri Schiavo Life & Hope Network; attorney Catherine Glenn Foster, President & CEO of Americans United for Life; and Rev. Patrick Mahoney, Director of the Christian Defense Coalition, arrived in London on Friday morning at the invitation of Charlie's parents, Connie and Chris.The delegation calls for officials in Great Britain to honor the wishes of Charlie's parents and allow him to travel and receive the medical help he needs.The delegation will be working with and alongside the family to facilitate their desire to obtain medical care for Charlie and oversee a campaign to ensure the family is not removed from the critical decisions being made concerning Charlie's future and well-being.For more information or interviews in London or remotely, call:Rev. Patrick Mahoney at +1 (540) 538-4741
Pro-life Activists to Hold Prayer Vigil and Sit-In at Sen. McConnell's Office Calling for Defunding of Planned Parenthood in Health Care Bill

Contact: Rev. Patrick Mahoney, 540-538-4741; Mark Harrington, 614-419-9000, mark@createdequal.org



WASHINGTON, July 7, 2017 /Standard Newswire/ -- On Thursday, July 13, at 11:00 A.M. dozens of anti-abortion activists will hold a press conference in front of the Russell Senate Office Building followed by a prayer vigil and sit-in at Sen. McConnell's office.



Activists will be asking the Senate to not subsidize abortion and redirect abortion giant Planned Parenthood's taxpayer funding to community health centers.



Some of the participants will peacefully risk arrest as they stand in solidarity with the 329,000 innocent children that are aborted every year at Planned Parenthood abortion clinics across the nation.

Who: Created Equal, Christian Defense Coalition, and other anti-abortion groups/activists.



What: Prayer/sit-in for the defunding of America's abortion giant, Planned Parenthood.



Where: Sen. Mitch McConnell's office located at Constitution Ave. and 1st NE entrance to the Russell Senate Building in Washington, D.C.



When: Thursday, July 13, at 11:00 A.M.

Rev. Patrick J. Mahoney, Director of the Christian Defense Coalition and pastor of Church on the Hill in Washington, D.C., states;

"We call upon Senator McConnell and the republican majority in the Senate to defund Planned Parenthood which is the largest abortion provider in the world. The $550,000,000 of taxpayer money that goes to Planned Parenthood should be redirected to federally licensed clinics that provide for more comprehensive services for women."

Mark Harrington, National Director of Created Equal said;
Reports are coming in of armed police blocking off Ohauiti Road this morning.

Callers to the 0800 SUNLIVE news hotline says police are stationed at the top of Ohauiti Road, near the intersection of Welcome Bay Road.

A police spokesperson says police are in the area to conduct a "pre-arranged search warrant".

We will update this story as soon as more information is available.
Play at the new site will be free and first come, first served through the...
Even government agencies can't always agree on whether "soy milk" is an appropriate term.

The dairy industry wants terms like soy, almond and rice milk to vanish from supermarket shelves because it says federal regulations define "milk" as derived from cows. But emails released in response to a lawsuit show the U.S. Department of Agriculture wanted to use "soy milk" in consumer education materials in 2011. That's even though the Food and Drug Administration warned that doing so would undermine its regulatory authority.

It's not the only disagreement around language in the food industry. Here are some other examples.

JUST MAYO

Hellmann's mayonnaise maker Unilever, sued the maker of a vegan spread called Just Mayo, saying that mayonnaise is defined as having eggs under federal regulations. That lawsuit was dropped. Later, however, the maker of Just Mayo worked out an agreement with the FDA to keep its name, so long as it made some changes to its label to make clear the product does not contain eggs.

"CHEESE FOOD"

In 2002, the FDA sent a warning letter to the maker of Kraft Singles, which the agency noted contained an ingredient that was not listed in the definition for "pasteurized process cheese food." Kraft now labels the Singles as a "pasteurized prepared cheese product."

WYNGZ

In 2011, The Colbert Show called out DiGiorno's new frozen meals with pizza and boneless "wyngz." The comedian cited a page on the USDA's website that said the odd spelling could be used for a product that is "in the shape of a wing or a bite-size appetizer type product," but not made entirely from wing meat.

"No other misspellings are permitted," the page says.

STRAINING FOR YOGURT

It was a milk protein concentrate at issue in a lawsuit over Yoplait Greek.

That ingredient isn't listed in the FDA's standard of identity for yogurt. What's more, the suit said General Mills relied on the ingredient to thicken its yogurt, rather than straining it the way other Greek yogurts are made.

"Not only was it not Greek yogurt, it wasn't yogurt at all," said Brian Gudmundson, the Minnesota lawyer who filed the suit.

The case was ultimately dismissed by the judge, who said the matter would be better handled by the FDA. Gudmundson said he reached out to the agency afterward, but nothing came of it.

Yoplait Greek's maker, General Mills, says it has since made recipe changes to its yogurts and it no longer uses milk protein concentrate in Yoplait Greek. The company had also noted in legal filings that the FDA said during a seminar that milk protein concentrate could be used in yogurt.

In 2002, the presence of milk protein concentrate in Kraft Singles was also called out in a warning letter from the FDA, which noted it was not listed as an ingredient in the definition for "pasteurized process cheese food." Kraft now labels the Singles as a "pasteurized prepared cheese product."

"COUNTERFEIT BUTTER"

It's not just soy and almond milk that have drawn the ire of the dairy industry. In 1886, dairy producers supported a federal tax on margarine, which was dubbed "counterfeit butter" by representative William Price of Wisconsin, a major dairy state. In 1902, that law was amended to increase the tax on margarine dyed to look like butter, says Ai Hisano, a business historian at the Harvard Business School.

Some states went so far as to prohibit the sale of dyed margarine, which was naturally white. Hence a vintage ad that declares Parkay margarine "Golden Yellow and ready to spread!"  with an asterisk noting, "in 26 states ."

To get around state bans, Hisano said margarine makers provided yellow solution capsules so people could dye the margarine themselves.
tech2 News Staff

A Russian custom phone company by the name of Caviar has come out with a version of the popular Nokia 3310 called as the "Putin-Trump summit edition" which has been created in honour of the meeting between the president of the US and Russia at G20 international summit. The phone has been pegged at a whooping price of $2,468 which is approximately around Rs. 1.6 lakhs.

The phone is encased in shell of gold and titanium and features a 3D picture of Vladmir Putin and Donald Trump looking in the same direction on the back. The phone is now available in a number of countries including India and Pakistan. However, Caviar has made only 20 such phones available.

The company states on their website The fact that theyre looking in one direction undoubtedly expresses everyones desire of a progress in Russian-American relations.

Even though the phone comes is customized lavishly it will still be featuring the same specifications as the newly rebooted version of the Nokia 3310. The company has also pegged the phone as a memorable gift for "everyone who is not indifferent to modern history and politics."

Caviar had earlier come out with the same luxurious gold casing of Trump and Putin on Apple's iPhone 7. The phone is being sold at nearly Rs 2 lakh.
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A senior Facebook official met with Pakistan's interior minister on 7 July, 2017 to discuss a demand the company prevent blasphemous content or be blocked.

The meeting comes after a Pakistani counter-terrorism court sentenced a 30-year-old man to death for making blasphemous comments on Facebook, part of a wider crack-down.

Joel Kaplan, Facebook's vice president of public policy, met Interior Minister Nisar Ali Khan, who offered to approve a Facebook office in Pakistan, which has 33 million users of the network.

Khan said Pakistan believes in freedom of expression, but that does not include insulting Islam or stoking religious tensions. "We cannot allow anyone to misuse social media for hurting religious sentiments," Khan said.

Facebook called the meeting "constructive". "Facebook met with Pakistan officials to express the company's deep commitment to protecting the rights of the people who use its service, and to enabling people to express themselves freely and safely," the company said in an email.

"It was an important and constructive meeting in which we raised our concerns over the recent court cases and made it clear we apply a strict legal process to any government request for data or content restrictions."

Pakistan's social media crack-down is officially aimed at weeding out blasphemy and shutting down accounts promoting terrorism, but civil rights activists say it has also swept up writers and bloggers who criticise the government or military.

One of five prominent writers and activists who disappeared for nearly three weeks this year later told a U.N. human rights event in March that Pakistan's intelligence agencies had kidnapped him and tortured him in custody.

Others' families said right-wing and Islamist parties had filed blasphemy accusations against them to punish them for critical writings.

Anything deemed insulting to Islam or the Prophet Muhammad carries a death penalty in Pakistan, and sometimes a mere allegation can lead to mob violence and lynchings. Right groups say the law is frequently abused to settle personal scores.

In April, a Pakistani university student, Mashal Khan, was beaten to death by a mob after being accused of blasphemous content on Facebook. Police arrested 57 people accused in the attack and said they had found no evidence Khan committed blasphemy.

Reuters
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Volkswagen is recalling 766,000 vehicles of its core passenger-car brand worldwide for a software update to their braking control systems, a spokesman said.

The braking control system may not function properly in certain driving conditions, such as when the driver oversteers, understeers or slams on the brakes, the spokesman said. The car maker is recalling 288,000 VW-brand cars in Germany over the issue. Including the Audi and Skoda brands, the German recall impacts about 385,000 cars, the spokesman said.

Out of 1.2 million technical measures which have to be applied, as of today, we have applied 470,000 and at the current rate, we are applying these measures to 20,000 cars a week, Willis. The recall in Germany was first reported by news agency DPA on Saturday.

Volkswagen had earlier admitted installing a software in diesel engines on nearly 600,000 Volkswagen, Porsche and Audi vehicles in the US that activated pollution controls during government tests and switched them off in real-world driving.

The software allowed the cars to spew harmful nitrogen oxide at up to 40 times above the legal limit. The company had agreed to pay a $4.3 billion as fine to the US Government in the wake of pleading guilty of the scandal. In all, some 11 million vehicles worldwide were equipped with the software, making the company's recall the largest in automotive history.

With inputs from Reuters
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Mattis affirms US-Qatar cooperation: Pentagon

US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis has reaffirmed America\'s strategic security partnership with Qatar.

AFP, Washington :

US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis reaffirmed America's strategic security partnership with Qatar on Thursday, the Pentagon said, amid a diplomatic crisis in the Gulf.

It was also announced that Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will travel to Kuwait-the key mediator in the crisis-on July 10 to discuss the row.

Mattis, who spoke with his Qatari counterpart Khaled bin Mohammed al-Attiyah by phone, discussed the status of operations against the Islamic State group.

Qatar hosts a vital US-led command center at the Al-Udeid air base, where the anti-IS coalition launches raids against the jihadists.

"Secretary Mattis and Minister al-Attiyah affirmed their commitment to continued US-Qatar cooperation and deepening their strategic partnership," a Pentagon readout of the conversation stated.

Saudi Arabia is leading a four-country blockade of Qatar in the region's biggest crisis in years.

Mattis stressed the importance of de-escalating tensions "so all partners in the Gulf region can focus on next steps in meeting common goals," the readout stated.

Reuters report adds: The United States is increasingly concerned that a rift between Qatar and other Arab states is at an impasse and could drag on for a long time or intensify, the U.S. State Department said on Thursday.

Underscoring U.S. concerns about a crisis involving key allies in the Middle East, the department said Secretary of State Rex Tillerson plans to visit Kuwait, which is mediating in the dispute, on Monday.

In the latest top-level U.S. contact with officials of the countries involved in the dispute, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis discussed the importance of easing tensions in a phone call with Qatari Minister of State for Defense Affairs Khalid al-Attiyah on Thursday.

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, and Bahrain broke diplomatic relations with Qatar last month and launched a drive to boycott the gas-producing state, which they accuse of supporting terrorism and allying with regional foe Iran.

Qatar denies the charges and has accused the four countries of "clear aggression."

"We remain very concerned about that ongoing situation between Qatar and GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) countries," State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert told a briefing.

"We've become increasingly concerned that dispute is at an impasse at this point. We believe that this could potentially drag on for weeks. It could drag on for months. It could possibly even intensify," she said.

Mattis discussed the state of relations among Gulf Arab states and "the importance of de-escalating tensions" in his call with Attiyah, the Pentagon said in a statement.

The two officials "affirmed the strategic security partnership" of their countries and Mattis emphasized the importance of Qatar's contributions to the U.S.-led coalition fighting Islamic State, it added.

Qatar hosts the largest U.S. Air Force base in the region. Saudi Arabia has been a close U.S. ally for decades, and U.S. President Donald Trump sealed a $110 billion arms deal with the kingdom during a visit in May.

The rift opened days after Trump met Arab leaders in Riyadh in May and called for unity against Iran and hardline Islamist militant groups.
Views exchange meet on 'Quality in Higher Edn' held at WUB

Participants at a views exchange meeting on \'Quality in Higher Education\' in the auditorium of World University of Bangladesh in the city on Friday.

City Desk :

World University of Bangladesh (WUB) organized a views exchange with educationists on 'Quality in Higher Education' in auditorium on Friday. The ceremony was graced by the Vice-Chancellor of the university, Professor Dr. Abdul Mannan Choudhury as the chief guest. Professor Dr. M Nurul Islam, Pro-Vice Chancellor, WUB; Morsheda Choudhury, Treasurer, WUB; the Senior Executives and the Senior Faculties of WUB and Educationists of different educational institutions were present on the occasion.

The participants including principals, vice-principals, professors and heads of departments of different institutions and leaders of Swadhinata Shikshak Parishad held lively discussion on the utilitarian and quality education.

They further dealt on the various elements or determinants of quality enhancement and suggested specific means, methods or strategies for quality education and attracting student, especially in the departmental of Mechatronics Engineering, Master of Business Education, Tourism and Hospitality Management and Architecture.
Industrial Bangladesh Council formed a human chain in front of the Jatiya Press Club on Friday demanding adequate compensation to the victims of Multi Fabs Factory in Gazipur.
England 458 all out against South Africa

Morne Morkel removed Joe Root for 190 on the 2nd day of the 1st Investec Test between England and South Africa at Lord\'s on Friday.

AFP, London :

England were dismissed for 458 on the second day of the first Test against South Africa at Lord's on Friday.

Joe Root top-scored with 190 in his first innings as England captain, Moeen Ali made 87, all-rounder Ben Stokes 56 and Stuart Broad finished on 57 not out-his first Test fifty in four years.

Morne Morkel was South Africa's most successful bowler with four for 115 from 25.3 overs.

This is the first of a four-Test series.




No sign of relief in kitchen market

Staff Reporter :

Green chilli was selling at Tk 120 to 130 per kilogram in the city's South Goran on Friday, with no sign of immediate relief. Rather, a wholesaler hinted of further rise in the event of unabated inclement weather.

The price of fish, egg, green chilli and potato also rose in the city's kitchen markets at the weekend on Friday. Price may go up if rain continues, said a wholesaler.

Pabda Fish was selling at Tk 600 to 700, tengra at Tk 400-Tk 500, shing and magur at Tk 600-Tk700, shoal at Tk 350 to 450, sheat (boal) at Tk 500 to 700, lobster at Tk 450 to 600, shrimp (river) at Tk 350 to 400, puti at Tk 250 to 450 per kg, cultivated koi at Tk 150 to 180, fali chanda (rupchanda) at Tk 900 to 1100 per kg, lata fish at Tk 250 to 350, Eel at Tk 450 to 550, batashi at Tk 400 to 500, koi (river) at Tk 600, aire fish at Tk 500 to 700, baila at Tk 400 to 550, coral fish at Tk 450 to 600, river pangas at Tk 350 per kg, cultivated pangas at Tk 140, Rajputi at Tk 300, and telapia at Tk 150 to Tk 200 per kg.

Hilsha is selling at Tk 1000 kg weighing one kg per piece while Tk 1400 per if weight is 1.3 kg. Hilsha fish is almost beyond the purchasing capacity of most of the people of he country. Once the Padma at Paksey, divisional railway town, abounded with hilsha. But nowadays, the fishermen pass idle time staring in the sky.

Of the vegetables, brinjal and tomato were selling at Tk 50 to 60 per kg, sajina at Tk 90 , potato at Tk 25 to 30, teasel gourd at Tk 50 to 60, carrot at Tk 60 to 70, bitter gourd at Tk 50 to 60, cucumber at Tk 25 to 30, potal at 40, green papaya at Tk 45 to 50, french at Tk 50 to 60, snake gourd at Tk 40 to 50, okra at Tk 40, pumpkin (medium size) at Tk 50 to 60 per piece, bottle gourd at Tk 40 to 50, ash gourd at Tk 30 to 35, cauliflower at 25 to 30, coriander leaves at Tk300 per kg, capsicum (red) at Tk 350 and capsicum (green) at Tk 250 to 280. Lemon was selling at Tk five to eight per piece.

Farm chicken was selling at Tk 150-Tk 155 a kg and Pakistani chicken was selling at Tk 150 to 225 piece. Beef was selling at Tk 480-Tk 520 per kg and mutton at Tk750 to 800. Egg local at Tk 60 per hali (four piece), farm egg at Tk35 hali, egg (duck) at Tk 44 per hali and Pakistani chicken eggs in four were selling at Tk 44-Tk 46.

Rice price is static. Fine variety of rice like minicut was selling at Tk 58 to 63 per kg, while najirshail at Tk 58 to 64. The minicut and najirshail were selling at Tk 56 to Tk 58 at Pabna district town while at Tk 52 to 56 at Paksey, a railway town.

Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB) Secretary Humayun Kabir Bhuiyan told the reporter that the living costs of people have increased significantly in the last one year following spike in commodity prices including rice, meat, fish, and household utilities.

He said farm eggs, chicken and cultivated fish are the key protein sources for the poor people in the country. But prices of such items have also increased, he said.

The government should strictly monitor the market by keeping an eye on big players so that they cannot resort to manipulation.


Poor library facilities at most pvt varsities

M M Jasim :

Most private universities are grappling with poor library facilities though library is the major means for research.

Students and teachers of many private universities alleged that the varsity authorities are busy with raising tuition and other fees and making the academic building and its outside areas are gorgeous.

Lubana Tabassum, a student of a renowned private university, told The New Nation that she is disappointed, as she does not study properly in the university due to scarcity of books.

"There is no sufficient books in our library. We several times requested varsity authorities to increase the number of books. We also explained that it is very difficult to achieve higher education without appropriate books. But they are yet to fulfill our demand," she said.

A senior teacher of a private university wishing anonymity told this correspondent that maximum varsities are running their academic activities in rented floors. "The authorities' motto is to do business not to provide knowledge. It also needs huge space to establish a library. They prefer to use the space as classroom instead of library," he said.

According to officials at the University Grants Commission, despite allocation of sufficient money for enriching libraries at the private varsities, most of the universities do not go by the Commission directives.

UGC Chairman Professor Abdul Mannan said a rich library is a must for any university as the students collect information from the books and use reference in their research paper.

"The UGC has been asking the private universities to set up world standard libraries for their teachers and students which will help them make research paper and make them knowledgeable. But many varsities are showing reluctance," Professor Mannan said.

He also warned stern measurers against the universities failing to enrich their libraries.

Commission sources cited example of the International University of Business Agricultural and Technology (IUBAT) which spent 42,871 for a student in 2014. It spent Tk 1,12,791 for a student in 2015, which is almost double. But the authorities did not improve library facilities during the time.

There are approximately 18,000 books in the library of IUBAT, a prime private university in the country.

According to the annual report of the UGC, the private universities on average bought 4.35 books for a student. In 2015, while the number of books has decreased as the average books for a student was 4.25.


China's first aircraft carrier Liaoning arrives in HK

The Liaoning will be in Hong Kong waters for five days.

BBC Online :

China's first operational aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, has arrived in Hong Kong. Its first trip outside mainland China is part of the events marking the 20th anniversary of Hong Kong's handover from Britain to China.

It follows Xi Jinping's visit last week, his first as Chinese president.

During his trip, which was marred by protests, he warned that any challenge to the Beijing central government was "impermissible". Hong Kong's political climate has grown tense in

recent years with increasing calls for self-determination and even independence. In 2014, Beijing said it would allow Hong Kong to elect its leader directly, but only from a list of pre-approved candidates. That led to mass protests - known as the umbrella movement - demanding universal suffrage. Mr Xi's visit to the city came amid tight police security. Following his departure on Saturday, thousands of people marched in an annual event calling for more democracy.

The Liaoning's presence has been viewed by some as a show of force by Beijing, but many in Hong Kong have also queued for free tickets to tour the ship.

It is accompanied by three warships, and will be anchored near Hong Kong's Tsing Yi island for five days.

'Unprecedented show' - Juliana Liu, BBC Hong Kong correspondent

The People's Liberation Army (PLA) has been stationed in Hong Kong since the 1997 handover. But it keeps an extremely low profile. PLA soldiers are very rarely, if ever, seen on the streets in uniform.

That is why the very public visit of the Liaoning is so significant, just days after President Xi warned the city against independence forces. China watchers say its very presence is an unprecedented show of military force in rebellious Hong Kong. That it will be open to the public is an additional demonstration of China's soft power.
Hajj pilgrims face uncertainty this yr

Religious Ministry blamed

Kamruzzaman Bablu :

The fate of some 1 lakh 20 thousand and 868 pilgrims under private management is facing uncertainty over performing of Hajj in Saudi Arabia this year due to negligence and mismanagement by a section of officials of the Ministry of Religious Affairs, insiders claimed.

Private hajj agency owners alleged that many of the pilgrims have not yet got visa, which caused disruption in flights amid lower passenger turnout.

Meanwhile, the Civil Aviation and Tourism Ministry has announced the upcoming hajj flight schedule. The hajj flight will start from July 24.

According to the Hajj Agencies Association of Bangladesh (HAAB), most of the local agencies could not yet ensure residence for pilgrims in Makkah and Madina. Muazzem's (representatives) of different hajj agents could not go to

Saudi Arabia as the Religious Ministry has not paid Moallem fee, including house rent. Now every agency has to pay additional Tk 3,607 against per pilgrim through Saudi IBAN due to the negligence of the ministry.

Sources said, each hajj pilgrim has deposited Tk 30,752 to the ministry during their pre-registration. Of them, Tk 20,351 was supposed to send to Saudi Arab for Muallem fee through concern agencies. But the ministry delayed to send the money. So every Hajj agency will have to pay additional Tk 3,672 for each Hajj pilgrim's Muallem fee due to the higher exchange rate of Saudi Riyal. The private agencies now have to pay the sum through IBAN. The IBAN charges around Tk 3 more against each real.

The anomalies in this situation regarding thousands Hajj pilgrims have come to light just before the Hajj flights, which is scheduled to begin on July 24.

Md. Abdul Jalil, Secretary of Religious Affairs Ministry, told The New Nation yesterday that they have already started to pay the Muallem fee to all private hajj agencies.

'We will take stern action against the concerned officials if they are involved in forgery of this or in any kind of fraud," he warned.

HAAB Secretary General Sahadat Hossain Taslim told The New Nation that pilgrims and hajj agencies are facing immense difficulties for the "irresponsible and whimsical" behaviour of some officials of the Ministry of Religious Affairs. "They have not resolved the problems related to Mahram, Moazzem and pilgrim replacement issues and didn't finalise the hajj quotas yet, which is delaying visa process a lot," he said.

He also said the hajj agencies could not finalise their list of pilgrims as they didn't know the actual number of pilgrims yet.

"Among the over one lakh pilgrims, only few agencies have received visa till now. So how could the agency owners would treacle the situation, I don't know? He added.

Hajj agencies booked air tickets for the pilgrims who got visas, he said, adding that many of the hajj aspirants have not got visas yet, which results in vacant seats on Biman flights. He said the government has not resolved the problems related to Mahram (close relative of a pilgrim), which forced many to miss hajj flights.

Around 127,798 Bangladeshi people will perform hajj this year, of which 5,800 will go under the government management, while rest of 121,998 will go under private arrangement.

According to HAAB, around 120,000 people got pre-registered for hajj under private management, while the government couldn't fill up its 4,800 quotas among 5,800 in time.

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia allotted Bangladesh with additional 11,000 quotas, but the government officials are not interested to fill up the additional quotas considering it to be extra hassle.

State carrier Biman Bangladesh Airlines authorities instructed that, from now on, all the hajj agencies will have to confirm the visas and plane tickets 72 hours before the day of flight.
UNESCO puts some terms to protect Sundarbans

Staff Reporter :

The UNESCO has given some conditions to Dhaka that it implements Rampal power plant project in the vicinity of the Sundarbans by protecting the world heritage site, State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources claimed on Friday.

In a press release, the foreign ministry on Thursday said the World Heritage Committee of UNESCO had withdrawn its earlier objection to construction of the coal-based power plant near the Sundarbans, a project that triggered widespread criticism and protests at home and abroad.

However, no official statement on the actual latest position of the

UNESCO's body with regard to claims of withdrawal of objection to Rampal plant was available as yet.

Talking to journalists in his Gulshan residence on Friday, Nasrul Hamid said, the government of Bangladesh has accepted the conditions from UNESCO to protect the forest.

"The power plant can be constructed where it is being constructed at present (at its existing site)," he said.

The State Minister said "Some conditions have been put forward from the UNESCO side to ensure that the forest is protected. The government has accepted the conditions and we have assured them that we'll comply with the conditions."

A Bangladesh delegation briefed the UNESCO about the Rampal power plant in the 41st session of the World Heritage Committee in Krakow, Poland on Wednesday.

"The delegation has been able to convince the UNESCO that Rampal power plant is being constructed giving the highest priority to protection of environment. There won't be any negative impact of the plant on the Sundarbans," the State Minister said.

The foreign ministry press release earlier also claimed that the UNESCO had spared the Sundarbans from the list of World Heritage in Danger.

The UNESCO's site has said nothing new about whether the Sundarbans would be dropped from the heritage site or not.

Meanwhile local rights groups who demanded cancellation of the project, are till rigid on their previous stance saying that they opposed construction of the plant in the current site on basis of independent environmental and scientific report prepared by UNESCO and local experts.

The National Committee to Protect Oil, Gas, Mineral Resources Power and Ports in a statement said, UNESCO has to take the liabilities for destroying Sundarbans if the UN body took decision ignoring their scientists' reports.

Convener Engineer Sheikh Muhammad Shahidullah and member Secretary of the committee Professor Anu Muhammad said though UNESCO withdrew their objection regarding power plant near the Sundarbans by lobbing some influential groups, the people of Bangladesh will not

backtrack their movement to protect Sundarbans in the greater national interest.

They said, "We can build many power plants like Rampal coal power plant but we cannot make Sundarbans again once it is destroyed."


Rampal plant BNP to continue opposition: Rizvi

Staff Reporter :

The BNP on Friday vowed to continue its opposition to the Rampal power plant even after the government claimed that the UNESCO had withdrawn its objection about the project located near the Sundarbans.

"Our party will continually oppose the Rampal coal fired power plant near the Sundarbans as the experts and intellectuals have warned about the negative impacts of the plant and the adverse environment. It does not matter what does an international body or organisation say about the project,' said BNP Senior Joint-Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi during a human chain programme in front of the National Press Club in the city.

Swadhinata Forum organised the programme demanding release of BNP leader Barkatullah Bulu, Jainul Abdin Faruk and others.

Abu Naser Muhammad Rahmatullah, the President of the forum presided over the programme, while BNP leader Abdus Salam and Shahiduddin Chowdhury Anee and others were present.

"Our party supports the campaign by experts, intellectuals and environmentalists who have warned about the negative impacts of this plant on the environment," he said.

Some researchers from India and other country and organisations are also worried about its serious effects on both human bodies and animals, he added.

Rizvi alleged that the government's plan to set up the thermal power plant was destructive and illegal.

The government signed an agreement with India in 2016 to set up the thermal power plant jointly at Bagerhat's Rampal.

The Bangladesh government has since been rejecting environmental activists' protests that the plant is a threat to the Sundarbans, the world's largest mangrove forest.

The UNESCO too opposed the plant's location near the Sundarbans, a world heritage site.

The government on Thursday announced that the UNESCO has endorsed the project during its 41st session of the World Heritage Committee in Poland.
Chikunguniya takes serious turn

It's now spreading across country: No effective steps taken yet

Reza Mahmud :

Chikunguniya fever, a mosquito-borne tropical disease, has taken a serious turn in the last few days as it is now spreading throughout the country.

But the government has not taken any effective measures to combat the diseases caused by Aedes mosquito menace.

Earlier the Health and Family Welfare Minister Mohammad Nasim had asked the city corporations to destroy the mosquito breeding grounds from the capital Dhaka as well as other metropolitan cities.

Both Dhaka North City Corporation and Dhaka South City Corporation are spreading the pesticides to destroy the mosquito breeding hubs but no results have yet been yielded rather the disease is spreading fast.

The Health Minister remains idle after giving the instruction. Even, he did not express any concern over the burning issue

relating to the chikunguniya fever.

According to the Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR), around 2500 people have been inflicted with the chikunguniya virus in the country.

But practically the number of the patients are much more higher than the government statistics as most of the families in capital Dhaka suffer from the disease.

When contacted, the Control Room of Health and Family Welfare Ministry, an official preferring not to be named said more than five thousand patients and their family members were given advices over phone between 10:00 am and 7:00pm on Wednesday.

"As we are receiving phone calls from the patients in large number, it does means the disease is now spreading fast in the city. Besides, the disease is also spreading to every corner of the country," he added.

When contacted, Professor Dr. ABM Abdullah, Dean of Faculty of Medicine of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) said the disease has taken a serious turn and spread fast.

"Aedes mosquito is responsible for the disease. And this mosquito is also responsible for dengue disease. But there are many difference between the two diseases", he mentioned.

He said when people are inflicted with the dengue, they do not feel pain in their different parts of the bodies.

"However, people inflicted with chikunguniya feel acute pain in their bodies. Chikunguniya patients suffer from pain for long even after the recovery from fever," the physician said.

Apart from these, he also said the patients also loss their normal work capability for long.

Visiting the city's different hospitals on Thursday, this reporter found the government and private hospitals struggling to provide treatment to the increased number of chikunguniya patients.

Experts said as the government physicians and Health officials asked patients not to admit to the hospitals for this disease, the real figure of chikunguniya patients could not be identified.

"The government opened 'Emergency Operation Centers' across the country which now remain open round the clock," said Professor Dr. Sanya Tahmina, Director (Diseases Control) and Line Director (Communication Disease Control).

The experts said as most of the patients are not being admitted to the hospitals or clinics, the real number of patients could not be known.

The City Corporations assigned to destroy the mosquito breeding are not working, they alleged.

"Specially, DNCC has not taken the issue seriously. Although 21 places have been identified as Aedes mosquitoes breeding grounds in the DNCC area, it did not take any effective steps. But the authority has cut the budget this year by more than three crore taka," said a physician from BSMMU.

Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) have identified 21 as the most risky places in the city for chikunguniya disease.

The risky areas are Uttara-9, Middle Badda, Gulshan-1, Lalmatia, Pallabi, Moghbazar, Malibagh, Rampura, Tejgaon, Banani, Nayatola, Kuril, Pirerbagh, Rayer Bazar, Shyamoli, Uttara-4, Monipuripara, Mohammadpur, Mohakhali, Mirpur-1 and Korail Slum.

Tk 20 crore has been sanctioned for destroying the mosquito breeding hubs in the DNCC budget for the fiscal 2017-18 while Tk 23.25 crore was for the last fiscal year.

Replying to a query about the present situation of chikunguniya, DNCC Mayor Annisul Huq said they have reduced the budget this year.

"We have spent around Tk 16.85 crore last year. And Tk 6 crore had remained unused last year. So, this year's budget is not less than the amount we spent last year," the Mayor said.

On the other hands Dhaka South City Corporation Mayor Sayeed Khokon said their men are destroying the mosquito breeding grounds. Chikunguniya would be controlled within 4 weeks, he hoped.

DSCC has appointed 108 more workers on temporary basis for spreading pesticides to kill Aedes mosquitoes. Besides, the Imams of one hundred mosques of old Dhaka delivered lectures on chikunguniya awareness before Jumma prayers on Friday.

Leaflets were also distributed on Friday in the areas.

The awareness programme will be held on Saturday (today) also in the city's 10 schools.

Many people of Narsingdi and Narayanganj districts have already been inflicted with the chikunguniya.

Besides, chikunguniya also spread to Kishoreganj and Brahmanbaria districts.

Abul Kalam Azad, Director General, Directorate General of Health Services said that physicians and students have taken various programmes to create awareness among the people across the country.

"The patients do not need to go to hospital. The patients should stay home," he said.


Water levels in 51 rivers rise, 32 fall

BSS, Dhaka :

Water levels at 51 river stations monitored by Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre (FFWC) have marked rise while 32 stations recorded fall.

Among the 90 monitored stations, one river station has been registered steady while water levels at seven river stations are flowing above danger level, a bulletin issued by the FFWC said here yesterday.

The Jamuna at Bahadurabad and Sariakandi, the Surma at Kanaighat, the Kushiyara at Amalshid, Sheola, Sherpur- Sylhet,

the Kansha at Jariajanjail are flowing above danger level 21cm, 6cm, 50cm, 61cm, 62cm 4cm and 50cm respectively.

The Brahmaputra-Jamuna and the Ganges-Padma are in rising trend while the Surma-Kushiyara rivers are in falling trend.

Significant rainfall was recorded at some stations in different districts during the last 24 hours ending at 6 am yesterday.

A total of 130.4 millimetres (mm) rainfall was recorded at Teknaf, 55mm at Bogra, 67.5mm at Pabna and 40mm at Khulna.
More crime and corruption but no government for safety

Editorial Desk :

The Detective Branch of Dhaka Metropolitan Police has launched a full investigation into the abduction on Monday of litterateur and columnist Farhad Mazhar, according to a local daily. Investigators are trying to piece together the events of the 18 hours between his abduction and eventual rescue, and the motives behind the kidnapping. The 69-year-old was rescued by a RAB team from Noapara in Jessore at around 11:30 pm. The following day, Farhad testified in front of Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Court Judge Ahsan Habib.

According to the latest report of the Human Rights Watchdog Ain O Salish Kendra (ASK) apart from 68 people killed in "shootouts" and "crossfire" encounters with the police and other law enforcing agencies in the first six months of 2017, 44 persons were picked up, allegedly by people identifying themselves as members of the law enforcing agencies, according to ASK, during this period.

The encounter deaths, most of them either in

"shootouts" or "crossfire", are actually a euphemism for extra-judicial killings that betray the state agencies' disregard for the rule of law. The frightful aspect of these phenomena is that deaths and disappearances have continued to occur, as evident from the ASK report. For example, between January and November 2016 there were 173 deaths in similar circumstances while 88 people were abducted during that period, according to family members, colleagues and eyewitnesses of the victims.

Similarly, incidents of rape increased alarmingly as 1,050 women were raped in the previous year. As many as 4,896 women and girls were subjected to multiple forms of torture throughout 2016, a women's rights group has said on Sunday last. 2016 was the worst for women in the last four years in terms of several forms of violence. Overall, according to police statistics there was an almost 50 percent jump in all crime statistics from 2002 to 2015 -- a shocking increase.

Incidents such as crossfire and enforced disappearances have generated tremendous debate but still continue unabated --with such disappearances continuing, mostly of opposition supporters. It is unacceptable that disappearances like that of Farhad Mazhar continue unabated. Who does it? From where do they get the courage? How is it that police and others are part of it? Why can't we find even the dead bodies of the abducted -- even after a year or more?

A Bangladesh court sentenced 26 people, including three senior officers from the country's elite security force, to death early this year after convicting them of murdering seven people who were abducted in Narayanganj for financial gains. Earlier this year Swedish Radio brought out a report citing a RAB officer who cited the brutal ways by which RAB would make people disappear and kill them. RAB high officials promised to investigate the report, but as of now we have no results.

More people are part of the security forces, their budgets are increasing, they are better trained than before, and the number of arrests are also increasing. If we can flush out the main architects of the Holey Artisan incident so quickly after the incident how is it that such disappearances are unsolved after years. Even worse, the security agencies first deny that they have arrested and abducted anyone, then claim that the disappeared were arrested -- as has been proved true in many incidents.

No civilized society can sit back silently and watch its own citizens disappear and world condemns us for such gross violation of human rights. It is a black hole in the very heart of our nation for absence of the rule of law. So many lies are swirling around and so little accountability of the authorities, but what is obvious is the failure of the government to revive the economy and ensure public safety. People must try to help themselves.


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Rawpixel/iStock/Thinkstock(FOREST PARK, Ohio) -- Family is more than just blood, and the Sanders family is living proof.



Christina and Christopher Sanders of Ohio received their first foster placement -- of four brothers -- in 2014, and it changed their lives forever. They took in the boys' two sisters in 2016. And now they have legally adopted all six siblings, which will ensure the brothers and sisters stay together.



"This whole experience has been so rewarding for us because taking care of the kids and caring for the kids through these past couple years, we got so close to them and developed such tremendous love for these children," Christopher Sanders told ABC News. "There's nothing we wouldn't do for these children. We just want the best for them. We felt like we had to do whatever we thought we could do to help.



"Theyre definitely my children," he added.



Chloe, 9, Carson, 10, Caylee, 12, Caleb, 13, Christian, 14, and Coby, 16, join the five biological children whom the Sanders already had and who have welcomed their new brothers and sisters. Christopher Sanders said the gang is getting along well despite their large number and "their sister and brother fights."



Theyre just really happy, Christina Sanders said.



The family has started a GoFundMe account to raise funds to purchase a van to accommodate everyone, and then business will continue as usual, Christina Sanders said.



Ill be getting a van and continuing to live and doing what weve been doing, she said.



Christopher Sanders said despite the rough patches that sometimes accompany foster parenting, he would encourage others to do it.



This whole transition has been so beautiful, he said. I cant complain about anything. I would definitely recommend foster parenting to anyone.



Copyright  2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
SPRINGFIELD  The Illinois House voted Thursday to override Gov. Bruce Rauner's vetoes of a budget package, giving the state its first spending blueprint in more than two years and ending the nation's longest fiscal stalemate since at least the Great Depression.

Although the vote will help ease some financial woes, the new budget will be fueled by a permanent 32 percent income tax increase, and it includes spending cuts. Illinois' finances are significantly worse than when the impasse started in 2015.

The Legislature has been meeting in a special session called to deal with the budget crisis. The session was widely seen as a battle between the first-term Republican governor, a former private equity investor, and longtime Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan of Chicago.

Lawmakers approved the bill to raise taxes by a 71-42 vote. The spending bill passed 74-37. It takes 71 yes votes to override a veto.

Rauner rejected the measures because, he said, he saw no indication that the Democratic-controlled Legislature would send him the "structural" changes he's demanded. Those include a statewide property tax freeze, cost-cutting restrictions on compensation for injured workers, changes to pension benefits for state employees, and reforms making it easier for voters to merge or eliminate local governing bodies.

Rauner described the override vote as "another step in Illinois' never-ending tragic trail of tax hikes."

The income tax increase means individuals will pay 4.95 percent instead of 3.75 percent. The corporate rate jumps to 7 percent from 5.25 percent.

Madigan's plan "is not balanced, does not cut enough spending or pay down enough debt, and does not help grow jobs or restore confidence in government," the governor said in a statement. "It proves how desperately we need real property tax relief and term limits."

Speaking from the House floor just after the vote, Madigan said the budget was the result of bipartisan efforts to end the "destructive" impasse.

The standoff, which entered a third fiscal year on July 1, had effects statewide. Road construction work shut down. Public universities were cut to the bone and faced a loss of academic accreditation. The United Way predicted the demise of 36 percent of all human-services agencies in Illinois by year's end.

"We now have the much needed financial stability we having been requesting for the last two years which means we will also be able to support the healthcare, business development, research and cultural opportunities we provide throughout the southern and central regions of Illinois," SIU System President Randy Dunn said in a statement sent by email.

Credit-rating houses threatened to downgrade the state's creditworthiness to "junk," signaling to investors that buying state debt is a highly speculative venture. Two agencies gave Illinois some breathing room Monday after House votes over the weekend.

But on Wednesday, a third credit-rating agency, Moody's Investors Service, put Illinois under review for a downgrade even if lawmakers overrode the veto. Moody's said that while lawmakers have made progress, the House package does not address the state's massively underfunded pensions or do enough to pay down bills.

Illinois has a $6.2 billion annual deficit and $14.7 billion in overdue bills.

Rep. Jerry Costello II, D-Red Bud, who voted against the bill package, said in an emailed statement, "While I supported cutting nearly $3 billion of bloated government bureaucracy, I did not support permanently increasing the income tax rate as an additional way of revenue for our state."

At least a few House Republicans voted against their GOP governor, whose massive personal wealth has largely funded the state Republican Party.

Rep. David Harris of Arlington Heights said he supported the budget plan because it is "immoral" for the state to carry a huge backlog of bills and pay $800 million in late-payment interest.

"There's no joy in voting to override a gubernatorial veto. There's no joy in voting for a tax increase. But how long can this impasse go on? We are looking into a financial abyss. The state is imploding financially and action is required," Harris said Thursday.

The governor already faces several Democratic heavyweights hoping to displace him in the 2018 election.

Government has limped along for two years on the strength of court-ordered spending.

Voting was delayed for several hours as authorities investigated a report of a woman throwing a powdery substance in the governor's office. Emergency workers in protective gear inspected the office before the building was declared safe.

Rauner was not at the Capitol, his staff said.

One person was taken into custody, said Dave Druker, a spokesman for the Secretary of State's office, which oversees Capitol security.

 Associated Press Writer Sara Burnett in Chicago also contributed to this report. The Southern also contributed.
The North Korean Dearest Leader  or whatever theyre calling the new one  cant lob a nuke onto the U.S. mainland.

Yet.

But he can probably hit Alaska. Or will be able to, soon enough.

The North Korean people may be starving, but Kim Jong Uns regime is pouring resources toward the development of long-range Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs) with a range sufficient to strike the U.S. mainland as well as Intermediate Range Ballistic Missiles (IRBMs) that could strike regional allies such as Japan and the U.S. base on Okinawa.

Some experts  including Riki Ellison, founder of the Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance outside Washington -- believe the North Korean regime already has operational missiles capable of striking the Aleutian Islands in Alaska.

The apparently successful test on July 4 by the North Koreans of an ICBM confirms this fear.

The countrys nuclear program, meanwhile, may have already developed devices with a yield in the 10-15 kiloton range, comparable to the bombs that leveled Hiroshima and Nagasaki at the close of World War II.

These devices probably havent been miniaturized yet sufficiently such that they could be mounted on a missile  and the long-range ICBMs needed to fly them to targets on the U.S. mainland may still be a work in progress.

But that work continues.

Meanwhile, what is being done to defend against this threat?

How about shipping the latest ground-based anti-missile defense system to ... Eastern Europe? Romania and Poland, to be specific.

Yup.

Anti-ballistic missiles tested in Hawaii  at the Pacific Missile Range Facility  are being shipped to Europe for their operational deployment. Once again, American taxpayers are on the hook for defending Western Europe ... at the expense of their own West Coast.

This was done while Barack Obama was president  alongside massive cuts in missile defense generally. Western Europe would be protected, Cold War-style, against a not-as-likely nuclear attack by Russia (Vladimir Putin is many things but he is not a Dr. Evil outfit-wearing loon, as the current North Korean Dearest Leader appears to be) while the West Coast of America would left, essentially, wide open.

In addition to cutting missile defense funding by more than 25 percent and moving missile defenses away from the most obvious threat areas, the former president also took a kind of stealth ax to the development of ground-based missile defense programs by imposing a bureaucratic mandate called disaggregation, which would have Pentagon bureaucrats micromanage the program at each level of the development and procurement process.

This was put into effect in the waning days of the Obama presidency as kind of last-minute attempt to impose the administrations priorities: more spending on entitlements  including the president's signature entitlement, Obamacare  at the expense of national defense programs) ex post facto on the current administration.

Though touted as a way to reduce cost-overruns, disaggregation adds layers of bureaucracy to a process that had been more streamlined. And that invariably costs money. Which may have been the intended-but-unspoken purpose.

Its harder to outright defund a program such as missile defense that most people  including politicians on both sides of the aisle  accept as a necessary expense. Its easier to slowly strangle it with red tape and delays.

Meanwhile, the Dearest Leader continues to play with his newest toys.

The irony is that defending against this very real threat  as opposed to the lesser threat of Putins Russia  wont cost a fortune or require a monster legislative sell.

With regard to defending regional allies such as South Korea and Japan  and Hawaii and Alaska  from the possibility of a North Korean missile attack, all that would be needed is to deploy/activate some of the already developed and already-paid-for Aegis missiles to defend the U.S. rather than ship them all to Eastern Europe.

Ellison, of the Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance, points out that we have the crews, we have the missiles and we have the radar  the fact is we have capabilities that can be turned on and made fully operational in an emergency.

A creepy low-rent Stalinist who has repeatedly threatened to launch a pre-emptive nuclear attack against the United States surely qualifies as just such an emergency.

And with regard to developing efficiently a full-spectrum ground-based missile defense shield that would protect both coasts of the U.S. mainland as well as deter regional Dr. Evils such as Kim Jong Un, all thats necessary is for President Donald Trump to countermand the last-minute disaggregation edict his lame-duck predecessor tossed out on his way out.

The former president had no mandate to lay his dead hand (so to speak) on the tiller of American defense policy as he was packing his bags and getting ready to hit the rubber-chicken speaker circuit.

Trump, on the other hand, has exactly such a mandate  and his campaign slogan, putting America first, surely ought to apply to defending America first.
They copped the 2017 Junior Band of the Year title  the fourth in a row for BMC Amerijet 103.7 FM Blondie Bird and Friends  but the mas camp is not resting on their laurels.





In fact, they see this victory as the first step towards retaining their Senior Band of the Year title.

Blondie Bird and Friends, with its 2017 presentation It is what it is came out ahead of SVG Players International (2nd) with their presentation Star Date 2525: The future is now. Digicel Nelson Bloc, with a presentation entitled Imagine Dis, came in in third position.





Rounding off the top six positions were Xtreme FM 104.3 G&T Enterprise Lynx Mas Band with From the Movies; Melbourne Artisans with See One See All; and Imagination Mas Band with Social Media, in that order.





As far as the individual categories, Blondie Bird and Friends, with the exception of the Junior King which was won by Alien Intelligence from SVG Players International, ruled over all comers in the Junior Mas competition staged at the Victoria Park last Saturday.





They took the Individuals 5 to 9 years category, the 10 to 15 and the Junior Queen title with Warmth, played by Meesha Young.





Second place in the Junior Queen category went to SVG Players Electro Magnetic Pulse, and third went to Metrocint High Voltage ,with their portrayal of PPP.





Bird and Friends took second place in the Junior King of the Bands with a presentation Somewhere out there, portrayed by Crey McDonald.





The top two positions in the Best Junior section went to Bird and Friends with Warmth and Paradise, followed by SVG Players International who took the third and fourth spots with Star Wars  The Empire Strikes Back and Star Gate  The Return of RA.





A competition Band





And according to Garth Niles, Co-band leader, 2017 was officially the bands fourth junior title, yet it felt like it was the first a few years ago.





"We pride ourselves as a competition band. Some people are in it for the business; we do this for the love of country, he said.





"We know the people and we cant be selfish.

According to Niles, it was about producing good mas, and the team at Blondie Bird and Friends is committed to setting a higher standard.





Even the judges expect a quality presentation each year; "And we will be looking to keep it that way, Niles told THE VINCENTIAN.





Looking ahead to the remaining mas competitions, Niles assured that all is calm at the camp.

He did admit some inconvenience in working on larger costumes (King and Queen of the Bands), given their cramped working area, but they remained enthused.





After all, they boast the youngest ever King in Jelani Niles, and a Queen who technically remains undefeated after taking a year off in 2016 to pursue maternal duties.





But for now, it remains work as usual  more so than usual, and it is only after they have prevailed that they will get some much needed and deserved rest, according to Niles. (DD)
The Brooklyn, New York-based Caribbean Diabetes Initiative, Inc. (CDI) has described as "very successful, fulfilling its recent medical mission to St. Vincent and the Grenadines.





CDI president Kisha L. Carrington, a Tobago-born Family Nurse Practitioner, told THE VINCENTIAN, in an exclusive interview, that the May 30-Jun. 4 mission was "a reminder of the magnificent God we serve, who has guided us along the way in acquiring the tools necessary to reach the people in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.





Carrington, who works at the expansive Kings County Hospital Center in Brooklyn, said the Diabetes/Hypertension Care Program in St. Vincent and the Grenadines was conducted in partnership with the Diabetes and Hypertension Association-SVG (St. Vincent and the Grenadines).





Seventeen CDI volunteers  14 adults and three children  participated in the mission.

"Our host, the SVG Diabetes and Hypertensive Association, members of the SVG Retired Nurses Association, along with the nurses at each of the clinics, received us, and we worked tirelessly to ensure that each day went smoothly, Carrington said.





"The teams (SVG) pharmacist, foot specialist and nutritionist worked hand-in-hand, making the collaboration all the more successful, she added. "I can assure you, none was disappointed.

Some 338 patients altogether were screened in Chateaubelair, Stubbs and Biabou. One hundred and ninety-one (191) of those screened received treatment.





With the claim that St. Vincent and the Grenadines is renowned as "the amputation capital of the Caribbean, the CDI president said the team, therefore, "knew that there was a need for intervention before the point of losing a limb.





"Unfortunately, many patients referred for podiatry screening did require intervention by a vascular surgeon. However, all lacked the know-how of [protecting and inspecting] their feet, she said.

"Needless to say, our educational presentations were priceless and highly valued by all, she added,

"We understand that there are limitations in access to specific resources, like an endocrinologist, podiatrist and ophthalmologist, but knowledge is power, she said. "If people can better understand what living with diabetes really means, our hope is that they will feel empowered to do better and, ultimately, that can be saving a limb.

She continued, "If there are so many amputations taking place, then that says a lot about the number of diabetics  their understanding of how to protect and inspect their feet and also the stage at which they may be when diagnosed.





The teams findings were "not far off, stating that, "in fact, most of the people we encountered, who were diabetics, seemed clueless about the little things they could do to protect their feet.

An educational conference on Jun. 4, at the Knowledge Institute, was "an intense, information-filled day for nurses, doctors and other health care-related personnel.





"By the end of our trip, it was clear that more is needed, Carrington added.

"As successful as our mission was in giving to the people of St. Vincent [and the Grenadines], sustainability within the country remains a concern, she lamented. "Research is the premise upon which treatment is derived, and we understand that acquiring statistics within the country is vital. We hope to continue partnering with the Ministry [of Health] to develop their focus on wellness, research and statistics.





Besides Carrington, the CDI volunteers to SVG were: Diamond Knights (college student); Shirley Francis (Licensed Practical Nurse); Folayemi Akinbolaji (Pre-Med student); Carol Priestley (Registered Nurse);

Suzanne Forde (Certified Physician Assistant); endocrinologists Samy McFarlane and Lisel Hope; Hopes husband and daughter, Dain and Danielle, respectively; Catherine Williams (Patient Care Associate, native Vincentian); Yolande Carrington (Registered Nurse, Kisha Carringtons mother); Yvette Davson (Public Health Educator); Gregory Luma (pediatrician/Emergency/Internal Medicine); Ashaki Nehisi (events coordinator and Kisha Carringtons daughter); and Kisha Carringtons sons, Kye and Seth Shaw.




June 19th is World Sickle Cell Day, as declared by UNESCO.





In commemo-ration of this day, the Ministry of Health and the Environment, during the past week, has been delivering information on Sickle Cell disease (SCD), through its Health Word and other programmes.





What really is sickle cell disease?





According to www.webmd.com, "Sickle cell disease (SCD) is the most common inherited blood disorder. That means its passed down through families. Youre born with SCD. It is not something you catch or develop later in life.





SCD affects the bodys red blood cells which contain molecules called haemoglobin. This molecule allows the red cells to carry oxygen throughout the body. A healthy persons hemoglobin is smooth, round, and flexible, allowing them to glide easily through the bloodstream. A person with SCD has abnormally shaped haemoglobin, which form rods that clump together. This clumping causes the red cells to become rigid and curved. The sickle shape which the cells adopt gives the disease its name. The sickle cells block the flow of blood, causing terrible pain, anaemia, and other complications. A person suffering from Sickle Cell Disease is normally called a "sickler. The child would have inherited the disease from both parents, each of whom would have had, at least, a sickle cell trait.





A parents story





President of the SVG Sickle Cell Association and mother of two "sicklers - Mrs. Ann Marie Millington spoke with THE VINCENTIAN about her childrens journey, from birth to the current time.





About her firstborn, she said, "It was when my daughter was about fifteen months that I noticed her fingers were swollen, Mrs. Millington said. "They were black and blue, (so) I took her to the doctor but was told it was an allergy. Being advised to see another doctor, I did so, and immediately the problem was identified.

A period of counselling followed.





"We had now to try to get through the first five years of her life, she recollected. She said that a book, The First Five Years of a Sickler, provided tremendous assistance in her provision of care for her children.

Mrs. Millington described her daughters illness as a very painful one during those critical five years. "She suffered several painful crises in her joints, her hands, feet and back; from lack of oxygen, she explained, adding, "A parent has to be very vigilant, dedicated and caring. The journey entails a lot of changes that you must recognize and act upon very quickly. Home remedies help, but sometimes the crisis exceeds their capacity.





Her second child, a boy, was also born with SCD. "No crisis showed up in my son as early because he was covered under foetal haemoglobin, but he had symptoms of a sickler, she affirmed.

By two and a half years old, however, his spleen swelled and began to fail, and his eyes became pale, the mother related.





"He was hospitalized and had to have blood transfusions. The spleen was removed, she continued.

Mrs. Millington said that she has stuck with the regimen for care prescribed by the doctor, and her son has not had too many complications except when he got chikungunya and, being predisposed, got really sick, resulting in him missing an entire term of school.





Parents advice





Both daughter and son in the Millington family are alive and well today. The daughter, now 21 years old and having completed primary and secondary education, is currently pursuing an online Bachelors Degree, while she works at a local company.





"As she grew, the crises were far fewer. She allowed God to play an important role in her life. She was hospitalized a number of times, but that happens, the energized mother proffered.

Her son, now 16 years old, is still in secondary school.

She advises that persons who come into contact with these children understand several things: keep them warm; keep them away from the sea  cold water causes pain; do not expose their skin to the elements; do not use supplements with iron; use naturally occurring iron from spinach, beets, broccoli, callaloo and the like, which are full of antioxidants; shift the childs lifestyle to suit his/her disease.





She encourages parents and teachers who encounter a "droopy child, to be alert and question him/her about how they feel. To teachers especially, she cautioned, "Keep them hydrated  let them drink their water, and dont be too upset with their frequent requests to go to the bathroom.





Obviously, the Millington family provides the evidence that there is still a great life to be lived, even if you have Sickle Cell Disease.
Paul Chet Greene, Minister of Culture in Antigua and Barbuda, made a strong case for additional funding to his Cabinet colleagues. (Credit: ABS TV/Radio)

Antigua and Barbuda is celebrating the 60th anniversary of their Waddali Carnival (Summer Festival) this year.





And that countrys government is ensuring that it provides funding to ensure that the occasion is a gala one.

The Antigua Observer reported in its edition of two weekends ago, that the Festival Commission, tasked with organising the annual Summer Festival, will get an additional EC$700,000, to its already allocated subvention of EC$1.7 million, towards this effect.





The 60th anniversary activities are estimated to cost some EC$7.2 million

Reporting on the Cabinet Meeting which approved the additional funding, Information Minister Melford Nicholas said, according to the Observer, "I believe in the detailed presentation that the Minister (Minister of Culture Paul Chet Greene) made yesterday, based on a number of initiatives they wanted to undertake, there was acceptance of some of the additional programmes and some rejection in a number of other instances.





The list of initiatives included: the return of Jam Pond popularised by Antigua and Barbudas premiere band Burning Flames; the publication of a commemorative magazine; increased build-up to the festival around St Johns beginning from the of 1st July; improved lighting of capital St Johns; increased participation of children in all areas of Childrens Carnival; a Jubilee Banquet honouring the forerunners of Carnival; creation of an Emancipation (cultural) Village; and erection of a Carnival Wall of Fame.





ANTIGUA CARNIVAL 2017 officially begins on Friday 28th July 2017 and climaxes on Tuesday 8th August.

Antigua and Barbuda is the first English-speaking Caribbean island that changed from a Pre-Lenten carnival to a July-August (Summer) festival.





It was originally fixed to coincide with August 1, which marks Emancipation Day across the Commonwealth Caribbean.
The murder Preliminary Inquiry (PI) involving the stabbing death of Real Estate agent Sharlene Greaves has been further adjourned.





The adjournment was effected after the accused, Veron Primus of Vermont, made no appearance at the Serious Offences Court when the matter was scheduled to resume before Chief Magistrate Rechanne Browne, on Tuesday, June 27.





THE VINCENTIAN understands that Primus, who is remanded at Her Majesty Prisons, Kingstown, had indicated that he was not prepared for Court. No date has yet been set for the next hearing.

When the matter continued at the Serious Offences Court on May 31, the prosecution was granted an adjournment to make an application under the Witness Special Measures Act in relation to a certain witness. That is still pending.





Greaves body was discovered at her Bijou Real Estate office at Arnos Vale, November 13, 2015.

The 36-year-old Dorsetshire Hill woman had sustained multiple stab wounds.





Several witnesses have already testified for the prosecution, including the investigator Constable Edmund Ollivierre.





Primus is conducting his own defence, while Senior Prosecutor Adolphus Delpleche prosecutes.




By Azernews





By Laman Ismayilova

Murder of little Zahra Guliyeva and her grandmother Sahiba Allahverdiyeva as a result of another Armenian provocation, carried out on July 4 in the Alkhanli village of Azerbaijans Fuzuli district, must be strongly condemned., said Ali Ahmadov.

Azerbaijans deputy prime minister announced about this while addressing a board meeting of the ruling New Azerbaijan Party (NAP) on July 6.

The Armenian armed forces, using 82-mm and 120-mm mortars and grenade launchers, shelled the Alkhanly village of Azerbaijans Fuzuli region on Kuly 4 As a result of this provocation, the residents of the village Sahiba Allahverdiyeva, 50, and Zahra Guliyeva, 2, were killed. Salminaz Guliyeva, 52, who got wounded, was taken to the hospital and was operated on.

Ahmadov noted that this brutal act once again proved that Armenian terrorists are murderers of children.

The shelling of the territories adjacent to the line of contact between the Azerbaijani and Armenian troops by the occupying military forces of Armenia, and killing Azerbaijani civilians became the state policy of Armenia, he said.

The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding regions. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and over 1 million were displaced as a result of the large-scale hostilities. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations.

Armenia still controls fifth part of Azerbaijan's territory and rejects implementing four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding districts.

The Minsk Group, the activities of which have become known as the Minsk Process, spearheads the OSCE's efforts to find a peaceful solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. It is co-chaired by France, the Russian Federation, and the United States. Although the OSCE Minsk Group deals with the issue for over two decades, its activities have brought no breakthrough results so far.








Head of the Administration of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, academician Ramiz Mehdiyev has made the following statement to Azertac regarding a provocation committed by the Armenians on the line of contact on July 4.

- On July 4, the Armenian army committed another armed provocation on the line of troops` contact by shelling Alkhanli village in Fuzuli region from large-caliber weapons, which resulted in the killing of two civilians, including a toddler and an old woman, and the wounding of another, and caused a considerable damage to the population`s property.

The Azerbaijani government has stepped up its efforts towards ensuring a peaceful solution to the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict based on the norms and principles of international law over the past years. Due to President Ilham Aliyevs resolute, principled and well thought-out policy our country has gained considerable advantages in diplomatic and military areas. In April 2016, in response to the Armenian militarys continued provocations, the Azerbaijani armed forces launched a successful counter-attack to liberate thousands of hectares of land, strategic heights from occupation. The historical April victory was a turning point in the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflicts settlement, and strengthened Azerbaijans position in the negotiations.

Now life is back to the territories that were freed from the occupation and where security has been ensured. According to President Ilham Aliyevs instructions, in a short period of time Jojug Marjanli village in Jabrayil was restored, and the villagers enjoy it now. Jojug Marjanli has become a symbol of return to our ancestral lands for more than one million Azerbaijani refugees and IDPs, and for the whole of our society.

Having been isolated from the region`s political and economic life, having lived in economic recession and social tension for many years, Armenia now continuously faces a defeat in political and military areas. The current situation has seriously shaken Sargsyans criminal regime inside Armenia and its strongholds outside the country. It seems that by continuously authorizing bloody slaughters of civil Azerbaijani population, Sargsyan is trying to neutralize internal pressure on him and prolong his tenure on the one hand, and to cause anxiety and psychological tension among Azerbaijanis living in the vicinity of the line of troops` contact on the other.

In fact, this is the continuation of the policy of terrorism and genocide that the Armenian criminal regime has been pursuing against peaceful Azerbaijani population for many years. Genocides committed in Malibayli, Yukhari and Ashaghi Gushchular, Garadaghli villages and in Khojaly in 1992, as well as numerous terrorist acts committed in different parts of Azerbaijan are the facts that expose the Armenian state`s policy of genocide and terror and its true fascist essence. This policy continued in the following years too. In April 2016, the Armenian armed forces shelled the residential areas near the front line, killing five civilians and wounding more than 30.

Armenia ignores the demands and calls of the world's influential organizations, including the UN Security Council, violates international law, and continues the occupation of the Azerbaijani lands for 25 years. Unfortunately, neither the international community, nor the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs, who are directly mediating the problem, have taken any effective steps to end the occupation and to restore justice so far. However, there are numerous facts of quick settlement of similar conflicts taking place in different parts of the world, facts of punishment of aggressors and imposition of effective sanctions on them.

What is the reason behind such overt double standards against Azerbaijan? Why do the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group turn a blind eye to Armenia's increasingly aggressive policy of terror and genocide, its ruthless behavior against peaceful people, and do not react adequately? What is the reason behind the fact that no sanctions are applied on this country, and no compulsory action is taken against it?

We can say with confidence that the double standard policy on the settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and impunity are the key reasons encouraging the new crimes of the military-political regime of Armenia. In the conditions of the world community`s indecision, the Armenian government not only refuses to execute the decisions and resolutions of international organizations, but also grossly violates the international humanitarian law, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Geneva Conventions, the requirements of the additional protocol No1, and its commitments under the Convention on the Rights of the Child, by taking punitive action against the peaceful Azerbaijani population.

What is reason behind the fact that the circles, which campaign against independent states at every opportunity under the pretext of human rights and freedoms, and the law-enforcement organizations that are under their influence, remain indifferent and silent when it comes to the brutal murder of women and children?

The reality shows that the processes have already reached an unbearable level. The international community must be decisive and take immediate and effective measures in order to put an end to the policy of occupation and terrorism that Armenia pursues at a state level. It's high time to realize that the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is not a frozen conflict and can flare up again at any moment, having serious implications for the entire region.

I can say unequivocally that the Azerbaijani state will never reconcile with the fact of occupation, will not allow the establishment of the second Armenian state on its territory, and will take all necessary measures to ensure the territorial integrity and security of the population. This is not just words, but a principled and immutable position repeatedly voiced by President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev.

The international community, the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs and the criminal regime of Armenia should realize this reality.








By Azernews





By Kamila Aliyeva

Ankara and Moscow continue to coordinate their actions in Syria as Russia reportedly agreed with Turkish army's operation to neutralize the armed Kurdish formations in the Syrian canton of Afrin.

Russia is not against the new military operation of Turkey in Syria, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told journalists in Germany, Turkish media reported on July 7.

The President of Turkey is currently in Hamburg to attend the next G20 summit.

Erdogan noted that Ankara and Moscow discussed details of a possible new military operation in Syria.

Earlier, Erdogan said that Turkey can launch a new military operation in Syria jointly with the Free Syrian Army in case of threat to the national security by the YPG (Kurdish Peoples Protection Units).

He posted on his official Twitter account: I am calling on the whole world. We will never allow setting up of a [Kurdish] state in northern Syria no matter what the cost may be.

While the PKK is recognized as a terrorist organization, the YPG have received U.S. support as the dominant component of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus said on July 6 that Turkey is in detailed talks with Russia over the conflict in Syria.

It has been suggested that Russian and Turkish troops could cooperate in northern Syria to create buffer zones between Russian-backed regime forces to the south and opposition forces in the north.

The Turkish and Russian sides agreed that if a new military operation of the Turkish Armed Forces begins in the Syrian city of Afrin, the Russian military contingent will have to relocate to another city.

Starting from June 21, Turkey began to pull military equipment to the border with Syria.

Military equipment is concentrated in the Turkish province of Kilis, bordering the Syrian territory controlled by the YPG (Kurdish Peoples Protection Units) and PYD (Kurdish Democratic Union Party) forces.

The Turkish Armed Force launched an operation to liberate the city of Jarabulus from the IS militants in northern Syria, near Aleppo on August 24, 2016. The operation was dubbed the Euphrates Shield.

The Turkish-led Euphrates Shield was aimed to improve security, support coalition forces, and eliminate the terror threat along the Turkish border using Free Syrian Army fighters backed by Turkish artillery and jets.












Swiss investment major Rivoli Group has appointed Mourad Malloul, a private equity strategist, as its new president. He will be supported by a 14-strong expert team on the administrative board.



Malloul has been active in the group as a senior partner since 2014. While responsible for the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) operations, he built up a wide-reaching network on-site in the key markets for the Rivoli Group, said a statement from the company.



An international consulting and investment company based in Zurich, Switzerland, Rivoli focuses on innovative companies in the seed and early phase, and makes available its equity capital, know-how and networks to its portfolio companies.



The service portfolio of the Rivoli Group also includes project developments in emerging countries with above-average growth opportunities.



He had been instrumental in setting up innovation-oriented projects, especially in high-growth emerging and developing countries, and now his focus will be on venture capital, said the company statement.



In the future, he will also be personally responsible for the business presence  on a temporary basis at least  in the African markets, it added.



Malloul said his priority is to develop venture capital and private equity transactions in the 12 current locations. Also he aims to invest together with the investors in project development in emerging countries with high growth potential.



"Our aim is to develop the Rivoli Group into one of the leading venture capital investors in Europe, with more effective networking in selected developing markets," stated Malloul.



"Also we are keen to extend the competence of the Rivoli Group AG to support SMEs in European capital market transactions and in financing measures independent of the banks," he added.


President Donald Trumps efforts to increase U.S. energy production got a boost Thursday from Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, who pledged to streamline permitting for oil and gas drilling and hold more frequent sales of drilling rights on federal lands.

Zinke signed an order calling for faster and more efficient oil and gas permitting to clear a backlog of federal drilling permits in U.S. Bureau of Land Management offices out West.

There has to be a process that doesnt over-delay things so we cant get anything done in this country, Zinke said.

The move should resonate with Wyomings oil and gas industry. Companies often argue that the delays in permitting hurt their ability to do business in the Cowboy State.

Federal law requires permits to be decided upon within 30 days, Zinke said, but the average wait for oil and gas companies has grown to 257 days.

State regulators in Wyoming average between 30 and 60 days to permit applications to drill, said Mark Watson, supervisor of the Wyoming Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, in a recent meeting with lawmakers in Casper.

The permitting delays for federal minerals have gotten worse in part due to new industry practices like horizontal drilling, which increase the number of wells potentially crossing into federally owned minerals.

The backlog of oil and gas permits awaiting approval at the BLM office in Casper tops the list of western offices facing delays, with 526 applications to drill pending, according to Interior.

Zinke promised not to sidestep the main law regulating development on federal lands, the National Environmental Policy Act, and said the order wont open up national parks or other major federal holdings to drilling. Yet some regulations stifle the innovation needed to make energy development more environmentally friendly, he said.

Were going to be a fair and prudent partner, but were not going to be an adversary to creating wealth and opportunity on some of our public lands, Zinke said.

The order also will require federal oil and gas lease sales be held in each state at least quarterly. Sales toward the end of President Barack Obamas administration in some states occurred somewhat less often even as the government switched to holding the auctions online.

The Independent Petroleum Association of America said the order will restore certainty and efficiency to the federal permitting process.

The move could also end a lawsuit filed last year by a petroleum industry group, the Denver-based Western Energy Alliance, which asserts four times a year is the minimum required by law.

It gets to the heart of our lawsuit. We are very much open to seeing if it is indeed implemented and settling appropriately, said Kathleen Sgamma, the groups president.

Wyomings delegation was quick to voice support for Zinkes order. Rep. Liz Cheney called the delayed permits unacceptable and praised the regulatory rollback of the administration.

With the federal government out of the way, Wyomings energy industry can begin to thrive again, bringing back jobs and economic growth and ensuring our nation has access to reliable energy for generations to come, she said in a statement.

Federal oil and gas leasing policies notwithstanding, oil produced from onshore federal and Indian lands climbed steadily from 98 million barrels in 2007 to 175 million barrels in 2015, according to the federal Office of Natural Resource Revenue.

Production slumped to 157 million barrels last year amid weak oil prices.

Environmentalists criticized Zinkes order as a giveaway to oil and gas interests.

As much as Zinke talks about valuing our public lands and emulating Teddy Roosevelt, the truth is that he and Donald Trump share the same priority: giving Big Oil free rein on our publicly-owned lands, whatever the cost to our health and our environment, Kelly Martin with the Sierra Club said in a statement.

Permits to drill are not a guarantee of production, some point out.

Nada Culver, senior director of agency policy for the Wilderness Society, said the order offers a solution in search of a problem.

The oil and gas industry has been sitting on thousands of approved permits on their millions of acres of leased land for years now, she said in a statement. The real problem here is this administrations obsession with selling out more of our public lands to the oil and gas industry.

Star-Tribune staff writer Heather Richards contributed to this report.
The Casper City Council officially signed off this week on a land swap, securing the land needed for part of the downtown plaza.

The deal will also allow owners of the historic fire station on David Street to uncover and renovate a recently discovered extension of the 1920s structure, currently hidden within the former Plains Furniture store.

Im not going to worry about the details too much because I think its pulling together a whole bunch of things downtown, said Mayor Kenyne Humphrey.

But not everyone was a fan of the transaction.

Questions over parking

Jesse Morgan voted against part of the swap, concerned that a long-term lease of 14 parking spaces on public land might inhibit the citys future plans.

What I dont like is the city cant at some point say, This isnt working for us, Morgan said.

Councilman Dallas Laird also voiced concern over the parking lease, noting that fire station owner Phil Schmidt could terminate the 20-year lease with 30 days notice, whereas the city is locked in for two decades.

The swap affects almost all of a downtown block that has become something of linchpin for managing growth in the city core.

The Downtown Development Authority originally approached Schmidt about acquiring the parking lot on the fire stations northern side, which is needed to build part of the David Street Station downtown plaza.

Schmidt agreed to trade the one parking lot for another located behind the building.

Then Casper bought the Plains Furniture building, which is on the other side of the fire station and takes up much of the block.

DDA director Kevin Hawley said he remembered the day in early 2016 that then-City Manager V.H. McDonald called to say the city had purchased the building. He said downtown aficionados had inklings that an extension of the historic fire station was housed within part of the Plains building and the citys acquisition was largely met with excitement.

 except for the city saying, Oh boy, that opens a big can of worms, Hawley said.

Downtown Casper furniture building hides 1920s fire station garage The former Plains Furniture store in downtown Casper is hiding a piece of local history.

Schmidts deal with the DDA quickly became more, well, wriggly.

Once he knew the city owned a piece of the historic building he had painstakingly renovated, Schmidt wanted to amend the trade. So last fall he offered the parking lot next to his building for the portion of the Plains building containing the fire station extension.

Officially a municipal garage, the extensions facade matches the fire station with arches and brickwork.

The Plains building had been built over the extension, but an inspection revealed that the municipal garage remained largely intact behind the store walls.

City Council was open to allowing Schmidt to renovate the garage and unify his building. But then-Mayor Daniel Sandoval repeatedly described the question of how to get there as a Gordian knot.

Vice Mayor Ray Pacheco pointed out that a Gordian knot was literally one that was impossible to pull apart.

Is that what you meant? Pacheco asked to laughter.

Though perhaps not truly Gordian in nature, the knot proved difficult to untangle.

A struggle to untangle

First, the city needed to figure out how to give Schmidt the land. Usually sales of public land require an open bidding process that would potentially allow a third party to swoon in and buy a chunk of the Plains building.

That issue was solved by categorizing the transaction as a trade  parking lot for garage extension  with Schmidt throwing in about $15,000 to make up for the difference in value.

But even with that out of the way, the garage still sat inside the Plains building, owned by the city. The question of whether to somehow demolish only a portion of the building to allow the historic garage to be extracted or to tear down the entire Plains structure was complicated by the fact that City Council didnt have a plan in mind when it bought the building.

Earlier this year, Council decided to tear down the entire structure to avoid an unsightly, half-demolished building in the heart of downtown.

Historic, hidden Casper fire station garage close to being saved When Casper City Council decided to buy the Plains Furniture store about 18 months ago, memb

The empty lot could be used for parking, several Council members proposed.

In the meantime, though, Schmidt still needed to replace the spaces in the parking lot that he was losing in the trade. While the plan is to convert the municipal garage into parking, it wont have enough spaces for the fire stations tenants, and construction  complete with asbestos abatement  will take time.

To solve that problem, the city agreed to lease Schmidt parking spaces on public land behind his building for a 20-year term.

Morgan chafed at what he saw as the contradiction between the city looking to convert the Plains furniture building into parking while simultaneously granting Schmidt an irrevocable lease on land  and an easement on an alley running through the middle of the block  that might be needed to build a public parking lot or garage.

But as local businessman Pat Sweeney pointed out, Schmidt is giving up his parking lot for the construction of David Street Station.

He obviously didnt say it but Ill say it: He has something you need, hes willing to trade, Sweeney told Council. I think youre getting a heck of a deal.

Morgan backed the land swap itself but cast the sole vote against the lease.

Deal celebrated

Councilman Charlie Powell, who was involved in the decision to purchase the Plains building, viewed completion of the deal as vindication of what was a controversial decision to spend $3 million on a building with no clear purpose and during an economic downturn.

The fact we are going to preserve that garage reinforces the importance of taking action and sometimes taking risk, Powell said. Its going to be a beautiful combination of historic structures, plaza and well-designed parking.

Most of the land on the block in question, bound by David and Ash streets and Midwest Avenue and Yellowstone Highway, is publicly owned. The David Street Station, on the north end of the block, will partially open in August around the same time as the nearby Wonder Bar and the new Galloway-backed bar across Ash Street.

The Lyric civic auditorium site is north of Yellowstone Highway and the Old Yellowstone Garage is expected to open a bar and grill in the coming months.

All that will put a strain on available parking downtown. Adding to the uncertainty is the states pending decision on whether to continue allowing parking on the empty lot immediately south of Midwest Avenue.

A recent spat over whether to allow the Cercy family to eliminate five parking spots in front of the Wonder Bar on Center Street has highlighted the increasingly controversial nature of parking  or lack thereof  downtown, and added some heat to the fire station transaction.

But Humphrey attributed part of her relaxed attitude to the fact that the deal made possible the downtown plaza and the historic garage renovation, while only possibly imperiling the construction of a public parking garage on the block  a more remote possibility given the citys current economic climate.

Im going to assume in five years were not going to have the money to build a parking garage, Humphrey said.
The Wyoming Supreme Court could choose to review the states laws regarding sexual assault in detention centers after a Casper attorney representing a woman charged under those laws argued that they are unconstitutional.

Attorney Thomas Smith is representing Andrea Morgan, a Casper woman facing two felony sexual assault charges for allegedly having a sexual relationship with an inmate at the Casper Re-Entry Center while she worked there as a contract health services administrator. All details in available court documents appear to show the relationship was consensual.

In court filings, Smith argues that the applicable statutes violate defendants state and federal due process rights because they are overly broad and do not differentiate between public and private locations or take into account consent.

Wyoming law forbids sexual contact between inmates of any corrections facility and any person who works or volunteers at the facility, even if the sex is between two consenting adults.

The compelling state interest is prevention of prison rape  not prevention of consensual sex between adults, Smith wrote. Instead of being narrowly tailored to prevent prison rape, the statutes are a broad prohibition of consensual sex between adults. The statutes as written may catch a few rapists, but the statutes also catch the more innocent, the unwary or unwise.

Natrona County District Court Judge Daniel Forgey agreed at a hearing Thursday to send Smiths issues with the law to the Wyoming Supreme Court. The court will then decide whether to review the questions at hand.

Ill just say I wouldnt do this unless there was some basis to ask the Supreme Court to consider it, Forgey said after making his decision. In the end, I think its worth asking.

Investigators with the Wyoming Department of Corrections alleged that Morgan and the inmate, who is not named in charging documents, held hands and kissed while he was living at the private correctional facility. They also alleged that the two had sex at a private home the night he was released on parole  the day before she submitted her resignation from the facility.

Smith also wrote that previous Wyoming case law recognized that sexual relations between consenting adults are a fundamental and protected liberty.

How absurd to say an adult felon cannot consent to sex with another adult? he wrote.

Assistant District Attorney did not file a response to Smiths request prior to the hearing Thursday.

Smith and Johnson will now create a document outlining the legal issues to send to the Supreme Court. After it receives the document, the Court will have 30 days to decide whether to review the issue.
The Casper College board of trustees hopes to fill the vacancy left by former president Matthew Loucks in the coming weeks, a spokesman said.

Loucks resigned from the board on June 20, because he was moving his business, Wyoming Insulation, to Sheridan. He could not serve on the board if he was going to live out of the district, per state rules. Loucks was first elected in 2012 and has served as both the chairman and treasurer.

The board is in the process of choosing a replacement for Loucks. Spokesman Chris Lorenzen said a subcommittee of trustees Suzanne Sandoval, Scott Bennion and Kathy Dolan have received a substantial number of letters from interested candidates. The group will sort through them and likely will conduct interviews with selected aspiring members.

Lorenzen said theres no hard and fast process for selecting a replacement, as it can often vary from board to board. Generally, though, the subcommittee, which met earlier this week, will make a recommendation to the rest of the board, which will then vote to approve the replacement.

That person will hold Loucks seat until 2018. An election in that year will determine if the replacement member will sit on the board for the remainder of Loucks term, which ends in 2020.

Lorenzen said that Susan D. Miller was selected as the new president of the board after Loucks announced his resignation at the boards June meeting. The members will meet again on July 19, at Casper College.
HAMBURG, Germany (AP)  At long last face to face, President Donald Trump confronted Russian President Vladimir Putin directly on Friday over Moscow's meddling in the 2016 presidential campaign, as the two leaders sought to use their historic first meeting to move past the issue and forge closer cooperation on Syria.

In a two-hours-plus meeting in Germany, Trump and Putin had a "robust and lengthy" discussion about the interference, though Putin denied involvement, said Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. His Russian counterpart, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, said Trump had accepted Putin's assurances that Russia didn't meddle in the U.S. election  a divergent description of the conversation that illustrated each country's effort to show its leader had held his ground.

"I think the president is rightly focused on how do we move forward from something that may be an intractable disagreement at this point," said Tillerson, who took part in the meeting along with Lavrov.

Trump's decision to raise the issue directly with Putin fulfilled ardent demands by U.S. lawmakers of both parties that the president not shy away from the issue in his highly anticipated meeting with Putin. Trump has avoided stating unequivocally in the past that Russia interfered, even as investigations proceed into whether Trump's campaign colluded with Russians who sought to help him win.

On one point, Putin and Trump agreed, Tillerson said: The issue has become a hindrance to better relations between the two powers. The two leaders agreed to continue the discussion, with an eye toward securing a commitment that Russia won't interfere in U.S. affairs in the future, Tillerson added.

Still looking back, though, the Russians asked for "proof and evidence" of Moscow's alleged involvement in the 2016 election. Just a day earlier, Trump had said Russia probably meddled in the election, but that other countries likely did, too.

With the world watching closely for signs of their emerging rapport, Trump and Putin shook hands firmly but briefly as reporters were allowed in briefly for part of their meeting. Seated in front of a Russian flag, Putin slightly hunched in his chair and rubbed his fingers together as he listened to Trump, who appeared informal and relaxed and said it was "an honor" to be with Putin.

"We look forward to a lot of very positive things happening for Russia, for the United States and for everybody concerned," Trump said.

Putin, too, described the mere fact they were meeting as positive, adding that he hoped it would "yield positive results."

"Phone conversations are never enough definitely," Putin said. "If you want to have a positive outcome in bilaterals and be able to resolve most international policy issues, that will really need personal meetings."

The meeting, originally scheduled for 35 minutes, clocked in at 2 hours and 16 minutes.

"There was so much to talk about," said Tillerson. "Neither one of them wanted to stop."

He added that at one point, aides sent in first lady Melania Trump to try to wrap things up, but the meeting went on another hour after that, "so clearly she failed."

In their meeting, the two also discussed a ceasefire deal for southwestern Syria that was reached by Russia and the United States and first reported Friday by The Associated Press. Though the U.S. and Russia have held conflicting views on Syria in the past, Tillerson said Russia had an interest in seeing the Mideast nation become a stable place.

Though Tillerson said details about the ceasefire need to be worked out, Lavrov said that Russian military police will monitor the ceasefire, with a monitoring center set up in Jordan  another party to the deal.

Both the Russians and the Americans took pains to describe the meeting as "constructive," cordial and wide-ranging, covering key topics including cyber security and North Korea. Still, Tillerson said no next meeting for Putin and Trump had been scheduled.

"The two leaders connected very quickly. There was a very clear positive chemistry," said Tillerson. The former Exxon Mobil CEO has done business in Russia and is one of the only senior members of Trump's administration who has prior experience dealing with Putin.

The heavily anticipated meeting has been closely scrutinized for signs of how friendly a rapport Trump and Putin will have. Trump's predecessor, President Barack Obama, had notoriously strained ties to Putin, and Trump has expressed an interest in a better U.S.-Russia relationship.

But deep skepticism about Russia in the U.S. and ongoing investigations into whether Trump's campaign coordinated with Moscow during last year's election have made a U.S.-Russia detente politically risky for Trump.

The Putin meeting came midway through a hectic, four-day European visit for Trump, who addressed thousands of Poles in an outdoor speech in Warsaw, Poland, on Thursday. He met in Germany with Chancellor Angela Merkel, the summit host, and had dinner with two Asian allies  Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and South Korean President Moon Jae-in  to discuss North Korea's aggression.
The Burro Fire in the Santa Catalina Mountains has grown to more than 26,000 acres, and is now 19 percent contained, officials said Friday.

Nearly 700 firefighters and other personnel are assigned to the fire, along with dozens of fire engines and water tankers as well as multiple helicopters. The fire started June 30 on the eastern slopes of the mountains.

Authorities are preparing to conduct burnout operations near the closed highway to Summerhaven to protect the evacuated summer-retreat community from the wildfire.

Fire management officials say crews have cleared miles of containment line and will begin burning vegetation in advance of the fire if it reaches predetermined trigger points east of the Mount Lemmon Highway.

Another community meeting will be held at 5:30 p.m. Friday at Sahuaro High School, 545 N. Camino Seco.

Fire officials said near-record high temperatures are a concern Friday. An excessive heat warning is in effect for the Burro Fire area. Temperatures are forecast to reach record levels across Southeastern Arizona. Thunderstorms may develop over the fire area, generating lighting strikes during the afternoon and evening hours. The storms are expected to generate little rain but may produce gusty outflow winds, fire officials said.

The most active fire behavior was observed on the northwestern perimeter. Fire crews were able to limit growth to about 800 acres Thursday and crews will work Friday on minimizing growth in this area.

Today crews will be patrolling the eastern boundary of the fire. Southeasterly winds are assisting firefighting efforts by pushing the fire back onto itself. Containment lines have been built on the fire's edge near Redington Road and no growth of the fire is expected in that area.
Pima County faces a potential lawsuit after denying a permit to build a home on a protected ridge last November. The decision came roughly a month before the supervisors OKd a comparable request in another protected area.

Dr. Sam Moussa thought he had found the perfect incentive to bring his three daughters closer to him when he purchased a package of three lots in the Tucson Mountains in 2009. The plan was to give each daughter a piece of land for a home.

I could never imagine that you could buy a piece of land you couldnt build on and that you can be restrained in what you do with it, Moussa said.

In protected peaks and ridges areas, development can proceed only with a special-use permit approved by the supervisors.

While Chris Poirier, development services planning director, said the information about the restrictions was available all along in the plat of the property, Moussa said they didnt find out about them until about three or four years ago from an architect.

Though two of the lots were fine, daughter Renee Moussas needed the supervisors consent. The property is north of West Speedway and east of North Camino de Oeste.

On Nov. 22, the Board of Supervisors went against the recommendation of the development services staff and voted 3-2 to deny the permit. Supervisor Richard Elias moved to deny it with little discussion; Supervisors Ally Miller and Ray Carroll were the no votes.

My architect worked with Pima County staff and whatever they told him to do he did, Moussa said. Its purely political because they know there is no way they can prevent an owner in the free world who has ... land and pays property taxes from using it.

Architect Richard Burton worked with the Moussas and Pima County to create a design intended to minimize impacts to the protected ridge, and also presented it to the supervisors and would-be neighbors, who were largely opposed.

Peter Chesson, president of the Tucson Mountain Association, said that while his group is not entirely opposed to development, the ordinances must be followed. Along with a number of nearby residents, the association sent a letter to the supervisors formally objecting to the permit.

The residents in the local region, and lets face it, people outside the region, dont want to see houses all over the hill, Chesson said.

According to Chesson, the main concerns with Moussas proposed development are potential aesthetic impacts for residents and tourists, as well as threats to biological diversity of the area. Building on ridges can degrade important habitat.

If the supervisors had approved the request, then every person can say, Oh, Im going to buy this piece of land because I know the county doesnt really mean its regulations, he said.

But denying the permit was also not without consequences. In May, the Moussas filed a notice of claim with the county  a precursor to a lawsuit  requesting at least $300,000 to compensate for county actions that preclude any reasonable or economically viable use of the property.

Though the Moussas cannot build on the property, its assessed full cash value in 2017 is $38,700, spelling sizable annual property tax bills for the family. To lower the taxes, the Moussas requested a re-evaluation with the Pima County Assessor for the 2016 tax year to reduce the propertys value from $45,000 to $500, which was unsuccessful.

County Assessor Bill Staples said the current full cash value was a reduction from the previous figure of $45,000, which it will likely return to next year.

The lot has a unique history. In 2002, development rights were granted for Lot 9, along with three others, while the area was being considered for protected peaks and ridges designation. Those rights were relinquished, however, after no development occurred within the established time frame.

In the case of Ely Badilla, who received a special-use permit to build on his lot on Dec. 13, 2016, information on the restrictions was not available in the propertys plat, but was available elsewhere. He previously told the Star that he wouldnt have bought the land had he known about the ordinance.

While Moussa conceded that more due diligence was probably needed, he assumed all three properties were developable because two proceeded without issue.

In both cases, information about peaks and ridges restriction boundaries was publicly available through online county maps. Nevertheless, Elias said more could be done to make would-be property buyers aware of potential development restrictions.

We need to make sure thats on the record so that these title companies pick that up, because thats where most people look for reliable information on a property that they purchase, he said. Somehow that fell through the cracks a couple times and thats not been good.

County Administrator Chuck Huckelberry said the Moussas claim will most likely expire, and then they can file a lawsuit in Superior Court. The 60 days required by state statute for a notice of claim to be deemed denied recently lapsed.

The Moussas attorney Lawrence Schubart, who told the Star on Wednesday that his client would be filing their lawsuit in the near future, is hoping for an amicable resolution.

They have exhausted all avenues to make a viable property and if its not resolved they have no other options but to get the value of the parcel, he said.

For Sam Moussa, the best outcome would be to get permission to build the home that development services approved.

Renee is definitely coming back and she wants to live on that lot, he said. If it goes to court, no doubt in my mind we will prevail. How can you own a land, pay tax on it the rest of your life and you cant use it?
Marana police said in court documents that a man's fatal shooting at a shopping plaza last week stemmed from a traffic dispute between two drivers.

Shortly after 2 p.m. Friday, police responded to the Arizona Pavilions shopping center parking lot, which is west of Interstate 10 and North Cortaro Road, according to an interim complaint filed in Pima County Justice Court.

Police found 40-year-old Martin Padilla dead on the ground with two gunshot wounds to the torso area, according to the complaint.

The investigation revealed that 26-year-old Marcus Dickson  who was arrested on a manslaughter charge in connection with the incident  was following Padilla's vehicle at the intersection of Cortaro and Arizona Pavilions, when Padilla failed to go through the green arrow.

Dickson began honking at him to move and stayed behind his car while they turned into the Walmart parking lot, the complaint said.

Padilla pulled his car to the side to allow Dickson to pass, after which Dickson pulled into front of Padilla and blocked his car in. Both men got out of their cars and started arguing before they began pushing and throwing punches, the complaint said.

Padilla was able to get Dickson to the ground and tried to subdue him by sitting on top of him while they continued to fight. Dickson  who is described in the documents as being 6-foot-5-inches tall and weighing 300 pounds  told police he was unable to get the 5-foot-11-inch, 215-pound Padilla off of him, so he pulled out his gun and shot him in the torso.

As Dickson started to get up, Padilla leaned forward and Dickson shot him again to stop him from getting off the ground, Dickson told police.

Dickson told police that after he shot Padilla, he attempted to flag down officers and called 911, the complaint said.
A meteorologist for the Burro Fire is predicting a 50 to 60 percent chance of rain Saturday in the Santa Catalina Mountains  which will be a tremendous help in battling the Burro Fire, officials said.

The news was delivered at a public meeting Thursday at Sahuaro High School, and brought applause from the audience members. They wanted to know how soon they could return to their homes and businesses in Summerhaven atop Mount Lemmon.

The good news is we are one day closer to rain, said Bea Day, the incident commander for the wildfire. The bad news is I dont have a date when we are going to lift the evacuations. If we get significant moisture, we will be able to get you quicker back to your homes, Day said.

The blaze is about six miles from Summerhaven and about three miles from Catalina Highway. Monsoonal winds with gusts up to 50 mph will drastically affect the fire, but firefighters have built containment lines and continued working along Catalina Highway to protect structures, officials said.

During Thursday mornings briefing, Day reminded fire crews that 23 years ago, 14 firefighters died on the South Canyon Fire near Glenwood Springs, Colorado, battling a blaze much like the Burro Fire with high temperatures, low humidity and an extremely receptive fuel bed.

There is nothing on that mountain worth dying for, Day said. Keep your head on a swivel, watch out for each other and come back here safe tonight at end of shift.

The blaze, which has burned more than 25,000 acres as of Thursday, broke out June 30 in the foothills of Redington Pass near Burro Tank. The fires cause is undetermined.

The fire is 19 percent contained, officials said late Thursday.

Mount Lemmon residents were evacuated Monday morning. Catalina Highway and Redington Pass Road remain closed.

Nearly 700 personnel are assigned to the Burro Fire, the No. 1 priority fire in the state, officials said. Resources include 47 engines, 27 water tenders and eight helicopters.
Your kids gateway to imagination at the Joel D. Valdez main library is about to get a serious upgrade.

A $57,800 grant for the librarys childrens room will provide an early literacy space, imagination station, tween hangout zone and greater access to technology.

The library, 101 N. Stone Ave. downtown, received the grant through Arizona State Library, Archives and Public Records. Its federal money coming from the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

An in-kind donation from Pima County will fund some additional sprucing up with paint, installation of new flooring and other cosmetic details, says Caitlin Burns, a librarian and the childrens services manager at the main library.

Since the main library opened at its current location in 1990, the childrens area has never received any sort of substantial upgrade, says Holly Schaffer, the community relations manager for the Pima County Public Library System.

We are creating a space that inspires creativity and makes them lifelong library learners, Shaffer says. We can show a child what is possible at the library.

When you enter the childrens area on the left side of the librarys main floor, a tunnel ferries you into a sunny room with minifurniture, bookshelves topped with giant stuffed animals and a rainbow of books wedged together. The childrens collection at the main library boasts 25,169 books.

The plan for the renovation is still in the works, but Burns has some ideas about how she would like to see the space transformed. Library staff estimates the childrens room is about 9,000 square feet.

The childrens nonfiction section on the left will likely move across the room, leaving an open space that will become an early literacy center with age-appropriate materials and a fun space with imagination-sparking play sets and tactile toys.

The tween-friendly part of the upgrade will create a hangout spot for kids not yet old enough for the main librarys teen 101Space. Mostly, Burns hopes to bring in some bigger-kid furniture that will create an area for tweens to lounge and attend library activities geared toward them.

Both the early literacy and tween zones will get technology boosts from the grant. In addition to the computers the library already has in the childrens area, the grant allows it to purchase additional tablets and AWE Learning stations  computers with interactive software promoting literacy, especially for young kids.

And then theres the touch table that will be donated by Cox Communications. Think table-sized tablet.

Its a way for kids to learn and play and problem-solve together, Burns says.

The library has until August 2018 to use the grant money, so changes will begin soon. The plan is to do as much as possible without ever needing to close the area for renovation.

Libraries are the great equalizer and they can provide access to equal resources for families Burns says.

All they have to do is get down here.
Tucson tied a 2005 record for the date with a high of 109 degrees Thursday, the National Weather Service says.

Thursdays low was 84 degrees, said Aaron Hardin, a meteorologist for the weather service based at Tucson International Airport.

On Friday, July 7, the forecast calls for a high of 110 degrees. If the temperature hits, it would tie a record set on July 7, 1942, Hardin said. The low Friday is predicted at 82 degrees.

Saturdays forecast calls for a 30 to 40 percent chance of rain in the Santa Catalina Mountains, and a 20 percent chance in the Tucson metropolitan area.

On Sunday, there is a 50 percent chance of rain in the mountains, and a 30 percent chance in the Tucson valley, Hardin said.

In the Phoenix area, 116-degree conditions are expected on Friday.
Credit: John CrawfordSomething's going on in Nine Inch Nails land, and it could be arriving next week. In a typically cryptic tweet posted Friday, frontman Trent Reznor writes, in all caps, "NEXT WEEK."

Last month, Reznor revealed that he'd be releasing a new Nine Inch Nails EP in time for the band's first tour date of the summer. That show will be a headlining set at the FYF Fest in Los Angeles on July 23, so if the EP were to be released next week, it would arrive right on time.

The new EP will be NIN's first batch of new material since last year's Not the Actual Events EP. A third, related EP is also in the works.

Nine Inch Nail's touring schedule also includes stops at Panorama in New York City, Chicago's Riot Fest and Aftershock in Sacramento.

Copyright  2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
In March 2015 Italys highest court declared that Raffaele Sollecito was completely innocent of all charges brought against him in the case of slain British student Meredith Kercher. The courts decision to exonerate Raffaele stemmed from the fact of not just a lack of evidence, but that nothing had ever existed to implicate Raffaele in the horrible crime. Nevertheless, it has come to light that in Italy clearly being declared completely innocent as a result of non-existent evidence, doesnt necessarily mean persecution will be viewed as a deplorable injustice.

Not wanting to acknowledge their wrong doing on 28 June 2017 Italys highest court shamelessly once again denied Raffaele Sollecitos claim for compensation for the years he was unjustly held in an Italian prison.

Since the Italian prosecutors allowed Raffaele to remain in jail when they knew was innocent, dragged him and his family to court for unjustified baseless accusations, thereby resulting in enormous legal fees. The court needs to pay up simple as that. Raffaeles request is not unusual as a matter of fact it is quite normal for the party that was in the wrong to pay financial compensation to the side that was victimised.

Clearly, high corruption has completely enveloped the Italian judicial system

Once again, this ridiculous decision demonstrated the incompetent three ring circus which seems to pass for an Italian courtroom these days. The prosecutions absurd excuses for Raffaele bringing this injustice upon himself was once again utilised. Seriously dont Italys corrupt prosecutors realise that after a while this does get old.

How on earth do they continue to get away with the undeniable fact that they stole so many precious years from Raffaele which he is never going to get back? All because of their narcissistic need to send Raffaele Sollecito to jail for a crime that deep down from the start they knew he did not commit.

The reasons for the courts denial are completely absurd and baseless.

Such as their ridiculous claim that Raffaele wanted to go to jail? From a legal and layman point of view, the absurdity of that statement is plain as day. I suppose they have also chosen to turn a blind eye to that fact that Raffaele was denied legal representation during the beginning of their investigation. When it came time to record any of the interrogations that was tossed out the window as well. Since none of Raffaeles interrogations were recorded.

The amnesia of Italian prosecutors

These thugs that encompass the Italian Judicial System wanted to hide the threats and scare tactics they continued to bombard Raffaele with. This is another point theyve decided to forget. Now that its time to pay up for what they did to Raffaele suddenly Italian prosecutors and Law Enforcement officials have amnesia when it comes to anything associating them to his persecution.

I guess victim blaming is the norm in Italy?

Once again Italys spineless law enforcement and prosecutors have underestimated Raffaeles resilience to receive the compensation he undoubtedly deserves. Upon this decision being handed down. Raffaeles lawyer, Giulia Bongiorno promptly stated they would appeal this decision to the ECHR (European Court of Human Rights).
US President Donald Trump and Russian President vladimir putin are finally sitting down for a face-to-face meeting today while the world leaders are in Hamburg together for the G20 summit. This meeting has been hotly anticipated ever since Trump took office back in January after what some believe to be an illegitimate election whose result was tampered with by Russian intelligence. The allegations are still being investigated by US intelligence agencies.

This is the two leaders first official meeting

While they are suspected to have been in bed since long before Trump took office, with Russian spies who have ties back to the Kremlin believed to have been pulling the strings and tweaking the result of Trumps Presidential campaign, this is the first time they are sitting down together to meet in the public eye.

The US President himself has adamantly claimed to have never met Putin before, although he did tell Jesse Watters on his Fox News Channel show Watters World that he thinks the Russian leader is a tough cookie.

Now, having been in the White House for a full six months (and spent that time running the country into the ground), Trump is finally sitting down with Putin. Who knows how long the meeting wouldve taken to come to fruition had they not both happened to have been in Hamburg for the G20 summit with a spare bit of time on their hands? Anyway, this meeting could clear the air a bit with regards to Trump and Putins relationship, since the lies and deceit will show in how they act around one another and speak to each other.

Journalists were only allowed in to see and listen to a very brief segment of the meeting, so all the shady stuff was discussed after they got shunned out. Trump was quoted as saying that he and his administration are excited about a lot of very positive things happening for Russia, for the United States, and for everyone concerned. While the meeting between Trump and Putin was going on (and the G20 summit as a whole), police had their work cut out for them as protestors stormed the scene to protest capitalism.

Authorities were blasting them away with hoses while they exercised their human right to demonstrate.

Its an honour to be with you

Trump told Putin, Its an honour to be with you. Putin replied, saying that he was delighted to be able to meet you personally, Mr. President. He added, echoing what Trump had already said, that he was looking forward to their meeting in the hopes that could yield concrete results. Trump said that he was having very, very good talks with Putin.

But he usually says great. He calls everything great, but not this? So, Trumps talks with Putin are very, very good, but not great.

Trump and Putin did not meet alone. They were joined by Rex Tillerson, the Secretary of State appointed by Trump, and Sergei Lavrov, the Foreign Minister for Russia. It should be an interesting and heated sit-down, since just yesterday Trump referred to Russia as a destabilising force bent on crushing the west. How good does that sound?

Trump was disconcertingly vague about the topics they would cover during their meeting. He simply said that he had been discussing various things with Putin. Putin was less vague than Trump, but still pretty vague, telling journalists via a translator that he had been discussing bilateral problems and international crises.

Putin also noted the importance of a face-to-face meeting with the US President, saying that a phone conversation is never enough. That shows that good things could come of this meeting. Lets see what US intelligence find following their investigation into the Trump/Russia collusion before we get too excited.
Today, US President Donald Trump and Russian President vladimir putin officially sat down together for the first time (that we know of) as they were both in Hamburg, Germany for the G20 summit. Reporters were only allowed in for a brief period of the meeting and then asked to leave when it came to the time to talk about shady stuff that they didnt want the fake news media to catch wind of.

According to Putin, he and Trump discussed the situation in Syria, which wouldve been heated since Trump hates Syria and hates the Assad and has ever since Syrian President Bashir al-Assad used chemical weapons to slaughter a bunch of his own people, including children.

However, Putin is conversely all for Syria and loves the Assad.

They also talked about the Ukraine situation

Putin also said that Ukraine was discussed. Yesterday, Trump accused Putin of destabilizing Ukraine, so that wouldve been equally heated as Trump wouldve had to put his money where his mouth is. Also discussed were the topics of counter-terrorism measures and cybercrime (interesting, since its cybercrime that Russia is accused of using the tamper with the results of the US Presidential election and getting Trump into office).
On Tuesday, a rare piece of bipartisan legislation passed the Senate as the bill now makes its way to the House Of Representatives. The bill, which aims to clear up the Department of Veterans Affairs, was recently promoted by the Donald Trump on social media, but that didn't stop critics from speaking out.

Trump on the VA

One of the main talking points used by Donald Trump during the 2016 presidential election centered around his views on the military, veterans, and the issues plaguing the Department of Veterans Affairs. After publicly clashing with former Fox News host and debate moderator Megyn Kelly, Trump found a way to avoid attending a debate last year and held a fundraiser for veterans instead.

Trump came under fire just months later after millions of dollars that were allegedly raised went missing, resulting in the former host of "The Apprentice" having to make up the difference. Since being sworn into office just over five months ago, Trump has faced mounting scandals and controversies that continue to pile up in his administration, while dealing with criticism over his policies, which include what he has proposed to do with veterans. In the "Department of Veterans Affairs Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act," the bill would make firing federal employees and other executives easier, which drew support following years of mismanagement at the VA. As seen during a tweet on June 6, Trump decided to focus his attention on the bill in question and demand that the House take action.

Senate passed the VA Accountability Act. The House should get this bill to my desk ASAP! We cant tolerate substandard care for our vets.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 7, 2017

Taking to Twitter on Tuesday night, Donald Trump called on the House of Representatives to quickly pass the aforementioned bill so he could sign it into law as soon as possible.

"Senate passed the VA Accountability Act. The House should get this bill to my desk ASAP!" Trump tweeted, before adding, "We can't tolerate substandard care for our vets."

Senate poised to make firing Veterans Affairs employees easier https://t.co/4nRgpqAGDu  PBS NewsHour (@NewsHour) June 7, 2017

Twitter reacts

Just minutes after Donald Trump sent out his tweet about the veterans' bill, social media critics hit back, which coincidentally took place on the 73rd anniversary of D-Day.

"Is that why you cut 800 BILLION from healthcare that includes vets? How exactly do you define 'substandard'?" Jules Suzdaltsev tweeted out, while adding, "Maybe you should *increase* funding for one of the most marginalized and in need of care groups in America?"

What about the substandard care of child cancer victims you've swindled money out of? How do you sleep at night? https://t.co/FENQhqGPXh  Mike P Williams (@Mike_P_Williams) June 7, 2017

This looks really bad. Probably because it is really bad. For you. And the future of your presidency.https://t.co/0ozGTE4FBc  Caroline O. (@RVAwonk) June 7, 2017

Maybe you should *increase* funding for one of the most marginalized and in need of care groups in America? https://t.co/Wrib6Sdqdi  Jules Suzdaltsev (@jules_su) June 7, 2017

"We can't tolerate presidents who try to compromise the independence of our nation's intelligence agencies.

Like you've done. Repeatedly," another Twitter user wrote. "What about substandard care of the entire nation? Or the planet? As taxing as this may seem, you ought to think more," writer Mike P. Williams added.

#DanCoates will be confirming that Donald tried to obstruct the FBI #TrumpRussia investigation at tomorrow's hearing.  FailingDJTrump (@WorkTurns2War) June 7, 2017

America can't tolerate the unintelligent piece of shit that you are.



*sits back and watches Trumpanzees get triggered.  Rod Blackhurst (@rodblackhurst) June 7, 2017

"Nobody cares about your distraction tweet Donald. Rachel Maddow is breaking a story that seals the deal on your exit. Far more interesting," an additional tweet went on to read. The backlash continues as the rift between the political left and right moved forward.
Ever since Donald Trump returned from his first foreign trip as president just over two weeks ago, he's spent extra time on social media pushing his agenda and lashing out over random topics. Trump's unhinged behavior on Twitter caught the eye of one host on Fox News who didn't seem too happy and continued the attack the following night.

Fox News on Trump

It's no secret that Donald Trump and the mainstream media don't see eye to eye. It all started two years when the former host of "The Apprentice" found himself announcing his campaign for president on the floor of Trump Tower in New York City.

During his speech, he brought up his views on immigration reform before labeling those who come to the United States illegally from Mexico as "rapists" and "murderers." As expected, the media didn't react positively and the seed was planted that eventually grew into a war of words between the press and the Trump administration. Over the last five months since being sworn into office, Trump's social media use has been an issue for the president, with his advisers and associates expressing concern over the ramifications. After Islamic terrorists attacked London last weekend, Trump lashed out on Twitter, going as far as insulting the city's mayor and ripping into the media for how they reported on his tweets.

As seen during a Fox News segment on June 7, one host is speaking out.

On Tuesday, Fox News host Neil Cavuto ripped into Donald Trump over his Twitter use, accusing the president of going too far in how he has reacted. In response, angry network viewers and supporters of the president weren't pleased, with some even labeling Cavuto "fake news." On Wednesday, Cavuto response to the critics, while doubling down his criticism of the commander in chief.

Neil Cavuto on Blowback for Criticizing Trump Tweets: 'What Is Fake Is When You Stop Being Real' https://t.co/KzaTqWXpnG (VIDEO) pic.twitter.com/Y8H4fTQEci  Mediaite (@Mediaite) June 7, 2017

"What is fake is when the media forgets that real momentum, Neil Cavuto said, before adding, "What is also fake is when the president himself disrespects that momentum.

It works both ways." Not stopping there, the Fox News host continued, saying that there's been a "wealth" of "fake news" created since Trump got into office.

Double down

"Fake can also be tweets and remarks that he makes that compound the coverage he doesnt like," Neil Cavuto said of the president's Twitter habits. "What is fake is when you stop being real. Including being honest with yourself from the president to the media covering the president," he went on to say. While Cavuto did defend Trump's right to tweet and acknowledge that some of the media is hard on him, it doesn't appear as if the die-hard fans of the president will be cheering the host on anytime soon.
Ivanka Trump is on the cover of Us Magazine with the title, "Ivanka Takes A Stand: Why I disagree with my Dad." It's already the subject of memes and ridicule on Twitter with users trolling her with sarcasm.

After failing to convince her father to remain in the Paris Agreement, many are disgusted with the first daughter working in Washington, D.C. as the special assistant to the president.

Ivanka was "disappointed" over Paris Agreement

In the article, a source says Ivanka Trump was "disappointed" in her father's decision to withdraw from the Paris Agreement, but has learned to not to dwell on her defeats.

She and her husband, Jared Kushner, are a "big influence on Donald," the source goes on to explain. While the president takes their advice into account, he also listens to the opinions of others and winds up doing something they may disagree with. "The win some, they lose some," the insider quips.

Ivanka has gotten into heated discussions with her dad on many issues ranging from LGBT rights to the North American Free Trade Agreement. Kushner, Trump's senior adviser, did sway him to remain in the free trade agreement, however.

A friend of Ivanka's insists the 35-year-old is the best person giving the president advice, claiming shes the person he listens to more than anyone." Ivanka told Gayle King in an April interview that she expresses herself with "total candor" on issues that she and Trump disagree with.

In an interview with The New York Times, the first daughter shares that she "goes to the mat" on certain issues, but may be unable to make her father agree with her point of view. She prefers to think that maybe she "modified a position just slightly" as a coping mechanism.

Ivanka's cover trolled on Twitter

The Us cover has drawn widespread criticism with trollers on Twitter.

One is seen below with the caption, "Ivanka thank you so so much." Others have manipulated the magazine cover with their own title versions, with one making the title read, "Why I Publicly Pretend to Disagree with My Dad." Another one had superimposed a finger over Ivanka's mouth as though she's saying, "shhhh," adding on the magazine cover, "Why I Silently Disagree with My Dad."

Ivanka thank you so, so much pic.twitter.com/L3t5hP8pIy  Patrick Monahan (@pattymo) June 7, 2017

Several more mocked Ivanka Trump as a hero and for being the one person in the White House they can't live without because she's doing so much. Countless memes have been posted on Twitter over the cover. Ivanka Trump told Gayle King that politics is a tough business and it's not getting any easier for her in Washington, D.C.
It's no secret that MSNBC host Joe Scarborough is not a fan of Donald Trump. As the scandals and controversies continue to surround the White House, Scarborough doesn't seem to be letting his foot off the gas of criticism.

Joe on Trump

When Donald Trump first announced his plan to run for president, he did so by getting off on the wrong foot with most of the mainstream media. Trump's comments about illegal immigrants from Mexico being "rapists" and "murderers" received instant backlash, which planted the seed for the rift between both sides to grow into the uncomfortable situation that it has become.

However, some hosts and members of the media took time before they got off the Trump train, including MSNBC host Joe Scarborough. During the early states of the 2016 presidential election, the former host of "The Apprentice" would make regular stops on "Morning Joe," joining Scarborough and fellow co-host Mika Brzezinski. Despite this, the friendship between the hosts and the billionaire real estate mogul quickly deteriorated, as Trump's controversial rhetoric and policies proved too much for the Scarborough and Brzezinski to support. Since Inauguration Day, the two hosts have become some of the president's most vocal critics, bashing the president on an almost routine basis which was seen during the June 7 edition of "Morning Joe."

While speaking with guest panelist and former Republican adviser Steve Schmidt, MSNBC host Joe Scarborough ripped into Donald Trump, accusing the president of trying to bribe people with food and invites to the White House.

In response to the news that Sen. Marco Rubio and Sen. Tom Cotton recently had dinner with the president at the White House, Scarborough didn't hold back.

"Donald Trump, again, being a schmuck thinking he can buy peoples integrity by inviting them over to the White House and wowing them?" Joe Scarborough said as Steve Schmidt looked on.

"I'm sorry, that's how he thinks," Scarborough continued. The host went on to say that he has had personal experience with Trump trying to bribe people to get them on his good side, adding, "He thinks if he invites you to the White House and gives you food that you are going to cut him a break, cut him slack."

Moving forward

While Joe Scarborough and other media critics continue to hold Donald Trump's feet to the fire, it doesn't appear that the president will be changing his ways anytime soon.

The next step for the president is dealing with the public testimony of James Comey, the former FBI director who was recently fired and is scheduled to give his thoughts on the Russian investigation to congress on Thursday.
After six months in office, Donald Trump finally met with Russian President Vladimir Putin as the scandal surrounding the Kremlin continues. Trump sent out a tweet just prior to the meeting, which instantly triggered criticism.

Trump on Putin

Ever since the early days of the 2016 presidential election, Donald Trump has been forced to deal with an onslaught of criticism dealing with the growing scandal surrounding Russia. As expected, the former host of "The Apprentice" has denied any wrongdoing, as has Vladimir Putin. Despite this, Trump has been hit with even greater backlash following his upset election win over Hillary Clinton and his inauguration last January.

Congress is currently investigating whether or not Russia hacked the election in favor of Trump, while several well-respected news outlets and government agencies have doubled down on the claim. On Friday, Trump met with Putin during the G-20 summit in Hamburg, Germany, where he allegedly questioned the Russian leader about the accused election interference. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said that Putin once again denied that he had a hand in any hacking of the election. Prior to his meeting with Putin, Trump took to Twitter to give his thoughts on July 7.

I look forward to all meetings today with world leaders, including my meeting with Vladimir Putin. Much to discuss.#G20Summit #USA  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 7, 2017

As seen on his Twitter feed on Friday, Donald Trump announced his plan to meet with Vladimir Putin.

"I look forward to all meetings today with world leaders, including my meeting with Vladimir Putin," Trump tweeted out, before adding, "Much to discuss." As expected, the reaction from many Americans was not positive.

Twitter reacts

Not long after Donald Trump sent out his tweet about his meeting with Vladimir Putin, critics of the president were quick to lash out on social media.

"YOU 'FINALLY' GET TO MEET YOUR MENTOR AND BOSS!" Jules Suzdaltsev sarcastically tweeted, before adding, "(just kidding, we all know you've been feeding Russia info for months)"

(just kidding, we all know you've been feeding Russia info for months)  Jules Suzdaltsev (@jules_su) July 7, 2017

Try not to give him the launch codes during that convo, k?  The EMOTION Movie (@JustinCaffier) July 7, 2017

"Trump and Putin will discuss: 1.

Hacking the next election 2. Eliminating pesky reporters 3. Making Autocracy Great Again," another Twitter user wrote. "What he's trying to do here, consistent over the past year, is normalize Putin to the point that his base will actually applaud collusion," writer Beau Willimon replied.

Yup! It was an "honor" for you to meet Putin, but he was just "delightful" to meet you.

Disgraceful pic.twitter.com/H2mxYOQdnm  Jenny Q. Ta (@JennyQTa9) July 7, 2017

What he's trying to do here, consistent over the past year, is normalize Putin to the point that his base will actually applaud collusion.  Beau Willimon (@BeauWillimon) July 7, 2017

Trump and Putin will discuss:

1. Hacking the next election

2. Eliminating pesky reporters

3. Making Autocracy Great Again  Eugene Gu, MD (@eugenegu) July 7, 2017

"Try not to give him the launch codes during that convo, k?" an additional tweeted added. As the backlash continued, it was clear that the rift between Donald Trump and many Americans was not going to end anytime soon.
At 9:15 p.m. last night, 35-year-old William Morva was pronounced dead after he was executed by lethal injection at Greensville Correctional Center in Jarratt, VA. Virginia Department of Corrections (DOC) executed the convicted killer. His last word was, No, when he was asked if he had any final words, said Lisa Kinney, spokeswoman for the states DOC. He was executed without complications, but he was gasping for air at one point, according to Drew Wilder, a media witness from Richmonds WWBT.

In 2008, Morva was sentenced to die after he murdered Derrick McFarland, a security guard, and Eric Sutphin, a sheriffs deputy in Montgomery County, VA, following his 2006 prison escape.

Governor denied clemency petition for the condemned inmate

Governor Terry McAuliffe, VA, stated that, because Morva received a fair trial, it was his decision to allow the execution to proceed. He also said that the jury had heard substantial evidence about, the now-deceased, killers mental health. He was sentenced in accordance with the laws of the state.

The governor also relayed that there was insufficient evidence for him to take the extraordinary step of reversing the jurys decision to impose the death penalty on Morva. He weighed the petition, for overturning the sentence, and after careful evaluation with his team, concluded that the diagnosis of mental illness was rendered seven years post-trial and conviction and would not have affected the sentencing.

McAuliffe was the killers last hope, but he denied the clemency petition. The U.S. Supreme Court and lower courts rejected also his appeals, though a legion of people sought to have Morvas life spared, including two experts from the United Nations along with diplomats from Europe; Morva had dual citizenship in the United States and in Hungary.

Over two dozen lawmakers also appealed to the governor to keep the condemned man alive.

Killers attorneys asserted client was mentally ill

Lawyers representing Morva asserted that he believed he was acting in self-defense and was in the throes of mental illness when he murdered the security guard and the sheriffs deputy. Their contention was also that he was sentenced to die after jurors were only informed that he had a personality disorder.

Amnesty International, appalled over McAuliffes decision, considers the clemency denial and execution the norm for a broken death penalty system.

Before Morva murdered the security guard and the deputy sheriff, he was in jail with a trial pending for attempted robbery. During transport to a hospital, he overpowered an officer and shot and killed McFarland, who was not armed. The following day is when Morva used the officers gun, then, shot and killed Sutphin, during a manhunt.

Though a psychiatrist evaluated and diagnosed the killer seven years after he was already convicted, his attorneys argued that the homicides were the outcome of their client having severe mental illness that didnt allow him to differentiate reality from his delusions.

Killer first to experience states new injection protocol

Morva was the first condemned inmate In Virginia to undergo the states new lethal injection protocol, which lends the procedure to more secrecy. Critics claim that the protocol is designed to shield execution mishaps from the public.

Though Morva said he had no last words, Wilder said the soon-to-be executed Morva said something, yet no one could hear what he was said. He wore a blue shirt and jeans to his execution.
"Bachelor in Paradise" season has been canceled amid allegations of "misconduct." The news surfaced Sunday Night when it was learned that all of the contestants were sent home from filming in Mexico. Apparently, two of the contestants are mired in the scandal that is being investigated. Details are scant on exactly what happened, but it has to do with a producer suing the franchise.

Investigation launched

Reality Steve kept his followers in the loop on Sunday night by tweeting that "Bachelor in Paradise" has been canceled and unlikely to resume filming.

He didn't know what went down but shared that it wasn't good. In another message, he revealed that no one was hurt during filming, but an investigation has launched. Warner Bros. said in a statement that once a "thorough investigation" is complete, they'll take the appropriate "responsive action."

According to Amy Kaufman, a writer for the Los Angeles Times, Corinne Olympios and DeMario Jackson had footage shown of a hookup during one of their interviews for "Bachelor in Paradise." It's being characterized as "soft-core porn." In her words, the two contestants got naked and started behaving sexually. A producer who saw the footage didn't show up to work the next day and is now suing the show over "misconduct."

Contestants film 'raunchy' scene

Circumstances surrounding the "Bachelor in Paradise" cancellation have a lot of blanks at this point.

Sex is a huge part of "The Bachelor" franchise, so it's strange that a producer would take legal action over Corinne and DeMario's hook-up. Kaufman also claims that the couple didn't have sex, but the scene was "raunchy."

As fans remember, Corinne wasn't afraid to show her overt sexuality to Nick Viall during his season of "The Bachelor." She took off her top in the pool during one group date and was straddling him in a bouncy structure on another group date.

Corinne was aggressive and made enemies with several of the other contestants.

Don't know all the details. Hopefully for all parties involved it gets resolved. But certainly doesn't look like BIP is happening.  RealitySteve (@RealitySteve) June 11, 2017

As for DeMario, viewers didn't get a chance to see that side of him because he was kicked off Rachel Lindsay's season of "The Bachelorette" early for not being honest about having a girlfriend when joining the show.

He did return for the next episode pleading for Rachel to take him back, but she refused.

Whatever the footage showed of Corinne and DeMario, it was bad enough to halt filming. Are you shocked to hear the bombshell report that "Bachelor in Paradise" Season 4 is canceled?
"Bachelor in Paradise" Season 4 has officially halted filming. Filming has been suspended and the cast has been flown out of Mexico. ABC didn't announce many details about suspending the show, but they did reveal that it had to do with some "misconduct" allegations. Reality Steve, a well-known Bachelor nation spoiler, and blogger revealed that production had been stopped on Sunday and that the cast was flown out of Mexico to Houston.

Sources are telling Reality Steve that the "Bachelor in Paradise" situation "isn't good" and that Corinne Olympios and DeMario Jackson are the contestants who are allegedly behind the misconduct allegations.

Steve says that the "details are still sketchy, but this is not a good situation." Steve isn't diving into everything he's hearing just yet, but he did tweet out that he believes the show has officially been canceled and that ABC has sent all of the contestants home. "Drinking, sex, cameras, etc. You get the picture," the blogger wrote via social media.

"Paradise" canceled after serious allegations halt production?

Reality Steve went on to say that "Bachelor in Paradise" fans are likely "thinking the worst," but he doesn't think that is the case, at least from what his sources are telling him. However, while no one was hurt, production has been stopped and the show is canceled. There is also an investigation going on.

Meanwhile, Amy Kaufman, a writer for the LA Times says her sources are telling her that on the first day of production DeMario and Corinne got very drunk. Corinne made the first move by kissing DeMario at the bar and then the two headed off to the pool, where things got heated. The two allegedly stripped off their clothes and things got hot and heavy.

The writer says the two did not engage in intercourse, but it was "raunchy."

Producer filed a lawsuit over what they allegedly saw

The day after the hook-up, a producer who reportedly witnessed Corinne and DeMario's "Bachelor in Paradise" hook-up didn't show up for work. Sources say that the producer went on to sue production for misconduct over what she witnessed between Corinne and DeMario.

Both Olympios and Jackson were reportedly shown footage of their hook-up during interviews in the days that followed, and an investigation is currently taking place.

There is no official word on what the misconduct may have been that the producer allegedly witnessed, but things are not looking good for production. More than likely this scandal will cost ABC the entire season of "Bachelor in Paradise," and fans will miss out on one of the hottest summer reality shows. It seems safe to say that a lot more details will be coming out in the days that follow.
Last week the Austrian Constitutional Court, the top court in the country, ruled to uphold a law that allowed the government of Austria to expropriate the purchase of the house that Nazi leader Adolf Hitler was born in. This decision came following a legal challenge by the former owner of the home. This news comes only about two weeks after a treasure trove of Nazi artifacts were found in the South American country of Argentina.

The league challenge over Hitler's birthplace

The former owner of Adolf Hitler's birthplace, Gerlinde Pommer-Angloher, had submitted a legal challenge to the Austrian Constitutional Court back in January shortly after it was seized by the government.

The retired local woman brought the house back in 1977 and was arguing that the expropriation of the three-story home was unconstitutional. This all came to a head after the government had been locked in negotiations with Pommer-Angloher for years over the house, located in the Austria-German border city of Braunau am Inn. She has turned down multiple offers from the government to buy it.

Pommer-Angloher refused any kind of renovations to the house, including any kind of monumental plaque. Eventually, the Austrian government put an inscribed stone on public land directly in from of the house that says "Never again fascism. In memory of millions of dead." The building had accommodated a day center for people learning disabilities until 2011 and since then the Austrian government has paid rent to keep any Neo-Nazis from moving in. However, this has not allowed the government to prevent them from visiting the site.

The Austrian Constitutional Court's ruling

As mentioned in the opening, the Austrian Constitutional Court ultimately decided to uphold the law allowing for the compulsory purchase of the birthplace of Adolf Hilter. In their judgment, the court said that the government's decision to take control of the house was a necessary step to stop it from potentially being used to as a Neo-Nazi shrine or to glorify Nazi ideology.

In response to the losing verdict, Pommer-Angloher's lawyer said that he expected her to take her case to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).

Regardless of the case being taken to the ECHR, the two sides will begin negotiations on July 26 for payment compensation. Pommer-Angloher's lawyer has already stated that the previous offer of about 300,000 euros ($342,090) was not good enough for his client. Austria plans to refurbish the house and turn it into a full-time center for people with learning disabilities.
A student of the Sichuan Fine Arts Institute in southwest China's Chongqing has been praised for creating a short personalized animated film by viewers on Sina Weibo, the Chinese equivalent of Twitter.

Zhang Shuang said she decided to craft a one-minute film showcasing her daily life - focusing on washing, cooking, studying, eating hotpot and making hotdogs for dinner - as a project for studying creative art. She is studying art education at the Sichuan Fine Arts Institute.

"I wasn't sure what I wanted to do at first and started to draw some food, such as coffee and hotpot, and suddenly got an idea, she said.

In the animated video, Zhang acts out a miniature-sized version of her daily routine, with her hands playing with small cut-out drawings of food, utensils, toiletries and her bedroom on a white background. The video jumps from scene to scene, and a lot of netizens believed the flipbook animation-style video made Zhang's hands look as if they were cooking on paper.

Zhang said she filmed her hands in her dorm room.

"It took me three days to finish the film and uploaded it to Sina Weibo," she said.

"It was fun and I never thought people would love it so much."
The information board is red after heavy rain forces cancelation of many flights at the Capital International Airport in Beijing on July 6, 2017. [Photo/VCG]

Heavy rainfall in Beijing and surrounding regions on Thursday severely disrupted public transport systems, with hundreds of trains and flights canceled, while rain continued to pound southern regions.

A downpour hit the capital on Thursday morning, bringing an end to a recent heat wave in northern China, and causing the cancellation of 601 flights as of 6 pm.

According to the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters, Beijing and surrounding regions, including Tianjin, Hebei, Shandong and Henan provinces, will be hit by heavy rainfall on Friday.

In the south, while the rain in Hunan, which started on June 29 and resulted in severe flooding, has stopped in most areas of the province, it continues to fall in Chongqing and Sichuan province.

The accumulated rainfall in Hunan flooded a tunnel along the Beijing-Guangzhou high-speed railway early on Thursday, leading to 150 trains being suspended or having to take detours as of 2 pm, according to the Guangzhou Railway Corp.

Some trains heading from Beijing to Changsha on the railway had to stop in Wuhan, the provincial capital of Hubei, which neighbors Hunan.

The incident left many people who were traveling from Beijing West Railway Station to Changsha stranded and having to join a queue more than 100 meters long for a taxi or line up for at least 20 minutes to enter the subway station and return home.

Some passengers complained about China Railway Corp, saying the network operator should have sent passengers a message to notify them about the suspension of services, given that when purchasing tickets via the company's online system, passengers are required to input their cellphone number.

"I was just about to step on the train when I glanced at the information board," said a passenger, surnamed Yang, who was heading to Changsha, but found out that her train could only take her to Wuhan.

"There was no broadcasting of the changes and the information board is easily missed," she added.

Zhang Yu, 47, who was traveling back home to Wuhan with her friends, was lucky enough to change her ticket for another train, but only because she had arrived three hours in advance and had time to locate the information board.

"Fortunately, we saw the cancellation notice. Otherwise, we might not have been able to go today," she said.

Contact the writers at houliqiang@chinadaily.com.cn
China strongly condemned the Democratic People's Republic of Korea for launching an intercontinental ballistic missile, calling it a "flagrant violation" of UN Security Council resolutions, and called on other parties to "exercise restraint (and) avoid provocative actions and belligerent rhetoric".

Liu Jieyi, China's permanent representative to the United Nations, said on Wednesday at an emergency Security Council meeting that China finds the DPRK's launch "unacceptable" and called for the country to abide by Security Council resolutions and to cease actions that may worsen current tensions on the Korean Peninsula.

The DPRK said on Tuesday that it test-fired a new type of intercontinental ballistic missile that flew nearly 580 miles and reached an altitude of as high as 1,740 miles before landing in the sea.

Miroslav Jenca, assistant secretary-general of political affairs at the UN, said that the missile had a range of around 4,160 miles.

"This action is yet another brazen violation of the relevant Security Council resolutions and constitutes a dangerous escalation of the situation. The DPRK leadership must cease further provocative actions and comply fully with its international obligations," Jenca said.

China and Russia on Tuesday jointly called for de-escalation by the DPRK in its ballistic missile program, as well as on the United States and the Republic of Korea (ROK) to suspend military exercises.

The joint initiative was announced by the Chinese and Russian foreign ministries after President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin met in Moscow.

"The current situation on the peninsula is complex and sensitive, and the dialogue process is at a standstill," Liu said.

"The China-Russia joint initiative is aimed at addressing both the symptoms and the root causes and taking integrated measures to strive for a solution. It is objective, fair, reasonable and feasible. We hope that it will get the support of the international community and help open a realistic route towards the resolution of the problem of the Korean Peninsula," he said.

Liu said that China is firmly opposed to chaos and conflict on the Korean Peninsula and also said that the THAAD anti-missile system deployed in the ROK undermines the security interests of the region, including China's.

"As such, it's not conducive to the realization of the denuclearization of the peninsula and the regional peace and stability. China urges the countries concerned to hold and cancel its deployment immediately," he said.

Nikki Haley, US permanent representative to the UN, denounced the DPRK for its actions in the region, saying it is a "threat to all nations in the region and beyond".

She said that the country's moves are closing off the "possibility of a diplomatic solution" and warned that the US is prepared to use "the full range" of the country's capabilities to defend itself and its allies.

"One of our capabilities lies with our considerable military forces. We will use them if we must, but we prefer not to have to go in that direction," she said.

Cho Tae-yul, representative from the ROK, stated that the it is "a source of our profound disappointment that the DPRK once again has chosen the wrong path by test firing another long-range ballistic missile" just days after an ROK-US summit in Washington between ROK President Moon Jae-in and US President Donald Trump.

"We urge the DPRK to no longer test the unwavering resolve of the government of the Republic of Korea, as well as the international community, to achieve denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula," he said.

amyhe@chinadailyusa.com
As much as everyone loves pandas, Sichuan province offers more than the roly-poly bears.

Located in Southwest China and known as the home base of giant pandas, it is also the center of China's aviation, electronics, machinery and automobile industries.

Sichuan also has strong economic ties with the United States.

About 50 percent of Apple's iPad tablet devices are made in Sichuan, and 50 percent of the computer chips are assembled and tested in Sichuan, according to Yin Li, provincial governor, who led a delegation from China in a promotional event in Washington on Thursday.

Sichuan has trade relations with 221 countries and regions, with the US being its largest trade partner.

"Among the Fortune 500 companies, there are 72 US companies that have their branches in Sichuan," Yin said.

When President Xi Jinping met with Alaska Governor Bill Walker in April, he said that the regional collaboration is the most active part of China-US relations.

Li Kexin, minister at the Chinese embassy in Washington, said that there are great potential opportunities for Sichuan-US collaboration.

Since 1986, Sichuan has established relations with more than 130 US schools.

"In 2016, there were 330,000 tourists from US to Sichuan. And there were over 20,000 people traveling from Sichuan to the US," Yin said.

Brian Kenner, deputy mayor of Washington, has been to China twice in the past two years. Later this year, he will return and have a chance to visit Sichuan.

"We want to make sure that we can build and strengthen our relationships; we want to seek new sources of investments; and we also want to try some of the delicious food," said Kenner.

Yin, Kenner and Li, together with other officials from the Sichuan government, Chinese embassy and the Washington city government, witnessed the signing of two agreements.

Sichuan Railway Investment Group and AECOM signed a memorandum of understanding, and the HRHZ Group signed an agreement with Neuromorphic LLC.

Marwan Jabri, founder and CEO of Neuromorphic LLC, is working with HRHZ Group to establish the Sichuan Artificial Intelligence Center.

"The governor mentioned that there is an emphasis on the integrated or emerging industry of research and education in Chengdu. We're actually doing exactly the same thing that the governor suggests for artificial intelligence," Jabri said.

"This is really an opportunity for Sichuan, as artificial intelligence is said to be leading the fifth industrial revolution and has a very deep impact on humanity," he said.

Jabri, whose wife is from Chengdu, has been to Sichuan many times and was hard-pressed to name his favorite thing about the province.

"The Giant Buddha probably is the most impressive. But of course every time you go to Sichuan, it's just breathtaking from a nature perspective. The people are also very welcoming. The food is great, and the culture is strong," Jabri said.
How to address issues involving DPRK among think tank points of discussion

One area that stood out as Chinese and American think tank scholars discussed their findings on US-China relations was the Korean Peninsula.

China's role in issues concerning the Democratic People's Republic of Korea was one of the most heated topics.

"China and the US could do a lot more to collaborate on the issue of North Korea. The key is how to measure, how to define China's cooperation," said Zhu Feng, professor of International Relations at Nanjing University.

"It's not easy for China to cut off all the trade relations with the DPRK overnight," Zhu said, who added that trade with DPRK "is China's leverage".

For the past year, experts from think tanks in the US and China have been working on parallel reports on US-China relations, a project initially proposed in May, 2016, by Fu Ying, chairperson of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the National People's Congress.

Several teams from both sides developed analyses and policy recommendations on critical areas that shape the relationship: military relations, the Asia-Pacific region, economic relations, global governance and domestic politics.

The US side's report, entitled Joint US-China Think Tank Project on the Future of US-China Relations: An American Perspective, was released in Washington on Thursday.

The Chinese side's report, China-US Relations: Exploring a New Pathway to a Win-win Partnership, was issued in May 2017.

"Both sets of papers really come to the same endpoint: This is an enormously important relationship. How America and China will work together in the next 20, 30, 50 years will fundamentally shape the well being of the human community. We have to figure out how we're going to work together," said John Hamre, president and CEO of the Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS).

Zhu, the Nanjing University professor, said that he has a lot of hope for the second meeting between US President Donald Trump and President Xi Jinping, and the two sides could increase cooperation.

The military relationship between China and the US has been viewed as generally stable by the two sides.

Bonnie Glaser, senior adviser for Asia and the director of the China Power Project at CSIS, said that both sets of papers insist on a peaceful resolution of disputes to avoid military conflict.

"Both call for more candid strategic dialogue on the major issues in the Asia-Pacific region," she said.

David Finkelstein, vice-president at the Center for Naval Analyses and director of its China Studies Division, said the US-China military-to-military relationship is more stable than it has been in decades.

Finkelstein wrote that there has never been more high-level contact, dialogue and positive operational interaction between the two militaries than there is today.

Moreover, defense ties are more resilient than in the past. Over the past few years, the relationship has been able to absorb high amounts of stress without fracturing, as was typically the case for many years.

Zhang Tuosheng, director of research and a senior fellow at the China Foundation for International Strategic Studies, said that there is much consensus and similar observations in the two reports.

"Both sides believe the mutual military relations are very complicated relations, with both cooperation and competition," Zhang said.

"Both sides agree that US-China commercial relations have been largely beneficial to both sides, despite the large trade deficit bilaterally. That (is how) we judge whether the relationship is beneficial or not," said Scott Kennedy, deputy director of Freeman Chair in China Studies at CSIS.

leshuodong@chinadailyusa.com
After a closed-door briefing at the UN Security Council on Thursday on recent chemical attacks in Syria, Council members reiterated their strong condemnation of the use of chemical weapons.

Liu Jieyi, China's permanent representative to the UN, said that the council members were briefed on the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) and the UN's fact-finding mission in Khan Shaykun in Syria, which suffered a chemical attack in early April, believed to be the largest in Syria at that time.

The OPCW and the UN are also continuing to examine a September 2016 attack in Umm Hawsh.

"The Council members reiterated their support for the work of the OPCW and the OPCW Joint Investigative Mechanism (JIM)," said Liu, who is serving as president of the Security Council for the month of July. The JIM is comprised of the OPCW and the UN.

"The Council members look forward to the investigation into the attacks in Khan Shaykhun and Umm Hawsh that the JIM will conduct," he said. "The Council members reiterated that there must be no impunity for the use of chemical weapons or chemicals as weapons and that those responsible must be held accountable."

Edmond Mulet, head of the JIM on chemical weapon use in Syria, said in an earlier press briefing that the panel "absolutely condemns" the use of chemical weapons and is working to identify the attacks' perpetrators. The panel's findings will be presented to the Security Council in October, he said.

The council was also briefed on the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) about violence in Kasai Province. The UN had opened an international investigation in June into the killings and destruction of entire villages in the province. A May report said that more than 500 people had been killed in central Kasai since the beginning of the year.

"The members of the Security Council expressed their deepest concern at the seriousness of the situation, and strongly condemned the violence affecting civilians, the state institutions and law enforcement personnel," said Liu.

"The members of the Security Council reaffirm that the government of the DRC bears the primary responsibility for the protection of civilians within its territory, and for law and order in the country. They call upon all actors in the DRC to refrain from committing acts that affect the civilian population in Kasai," he said.

amyhe@chinadailyusa.com
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Both foreign and domestic banks are racing to develop retail sales strategies in Viet Nam.  Photo cafef.vn

HA NOI  Both foreign and domestic banks are racing to develop retail sales strategies in Viet Nam.

With more than 93 million people and sharply increasing consumption, Viet Nam is considered a hot destination for the retail segment of banks, which is why banks have strategically planned to boost the retail segment in the country.

Among foreign banks, HSBC and Standard Chartered have the strongest expansion plans in Viet Nam. Standard Chartered Bank officials told Vietnam News Agency that the bank plans to recruit more in the retail sales cluster. Meanwhile, with an in-depth understanding of the domestic market, HSBC leads foreign banks in retail sales revenue.

Shinhan Bank, from the Republic of Korea (RoK), also wants a slice of Viet Nams retail sector. Recently, the bank purchased the retail business of the Australia and New Zealand Banking Group (ANZ). Last year, the bank outstripped domestic banks by earning more VN1 trillion (US$43.9 million) from retail services.

Woorie, another bank from the RoK, is also making a beeline to branch out its retail products in the country this year.

Among domestic banks, retail is also being considered as a core strategy to increase revenue in the near future as room to develop the wholesale segment shrinks.

Even large banks that previously specialised in wholesale, such as BIDV, VietinBank and Vietcombank, are shifting steadily to retail.

Apart from VIB, which on Monday announced that the State Bank of Viet Nam approved its acquisition of the Commonwealth Bank of Australias HCM City branch, many domestic banks are also looking to acquire other banks with strength in retail.

Clearly, retail is currently the target of both domestic and foreign banks in the market; however, this will lead to significant competition.  VNS
If the shrimp industry does not change it will be unable to export and will also need to be rescued like its pork, dragon fruit and watermelon counterparts.  Photo cafef.vn

HCM CITY  If the shrimp industry does not change it will be unable to export and will also need to be rescued like its pork, dragon fruit and watermelon counterparts, a seminar on establishing a disease-free shrimp production chain for export heard in HCM City on July 5.

Pham Van ong, head of the Department of Animal Health, said earnings from shrimp exports have increased significantly in recent years, but the industry faces many challenges in breeding due to the impact of climate changes and diseases.

Companies have also faced difficulties in exports due to the increasingly strict technical barriers related to diseases and antibiotic residues put up by importing countries, he said.

Recently six markets -- Australia, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, China, Brazil, and Mexico -- have said they would buy only products with disease-free certification in accordance with World Organisation for Animal Health regulations or recognised as free of diseases by their authorised agencies.

These markets account for 25 per cent of the countrys total shrimp exports, or equivalent to US$800 million a year.

Truong inh Hoe, general secretary of the Viet Nam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers, said shrimp processors and exporters are deeply worried about the disease-free certification requirement.

It is hard for them to meet the demand in a short time, he said.

With the small average scale of production, if the country does not have comprehensive national measures, exporters would face difficulties in exporting in future.

ang Quoc Tuan, deputy general director of Viet Nam-Australia Seafood Corporation (Viet-Uc Seafood), said the survival rate of shrimp in Viet Nam is very low at just 25-30 per cent due to the low professional level of farmers. Vietnamese shrimp mainly competes on price, and the new regulations mean they cannot be exported whatever their price, he said.

The industry would therefore be forced to change, he said.

Nguyen Van Long, head of the departments seafood veterinary division, said the department has a programme to enable firms to meet regulations set by importing countries since 2014, but enterprises remain unmindful of this.

Only Viet-Uc Seafood and Huy Long An Company have participated in the programme to develop disease-free shrimp breeding facilities.

Viet-Uc Seafood has basically met the criteria to be recognised by animal health department.

Farmers and businesses in the country are generally not aware of the importance of building disease-free shrimp breeding facilities.

But if the industry persists with its current production methods, it would need to be rescued sooner rather than later.  VNS
BERLIN  Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc expressed hope that Germany, as the largest economy and an influential member of the European Union (EU), will help attract global resources into Viet Nam.

Addressing the Viet Nam-Germany Business Forum in Berlin on Thursday, which saw the participation of nearly 600 German firms and 100 Vietnamese partners, the PM said that after the two countries established a comprehensive strategic partnership in 2011, Germany has become Viet Nams top trade partner in the EU. The countries two-way trade hit US$9 billion in 2016, which makes up 20 per cent of all Viet Nam-EU trade.

Both sides vowed to increase two-way trade to $20 billion from the current $14 billion.

Twenty-eight co-operation documents valued at around 1.5 billion euros were signed at the event.

Phuc said major German businesses such as Siemens, Mercedes and Deutsche Bank had invested $1.8 billion in Viet Nam.

The Viet Nam-Germany University (VGU) in the southern province of Binh Duong and several schools opened by German businesses in HCM City are helping Viet Nam improve the quality of its workforce and deal with issues in energy, transport, environment resources, urban planning and sustainable development, according to the Prime Minister.

Since the opening of the Goethe Institute in Ha Noi in 1997, bilateral cultural exchanges have also strengthened. More than 100,000 Vietnamese students have graduated from German universities. The country is particularly keen to attract resources in mechanical engineering, automation, vocational training and tertiary education.

Talking about the countrys economy, the PM said Viet Nams gross domestic product (GDP) had grown by more than 6 per cent annually for 30 consecutive years, and rising 6.21 per cent to $220 billion in 2016. With increasing consumption and the rise of average per capita income to nearly $2,300, Viet Nams trade value is roughly $400 billion, about 1.6 times higher than its GDP.

The country has 23,160 foreign-invested projects from 120 countries and territories, worth around $320 billion, many of them from German corporations.

The PM stressed on the fact that Viet Nams business climate had improved, and is up nine places from 91st to 82nd among the 190 countries in the World Banks Doing Business rankings 2016-17. The World Economic Forum ranked Viet Nam 60th of 138 countries in competitiveness.

Viet Nam had signed 12 free trade agreements, as part of its global integration commitment, Phuc pointed out. It had cleared barriers in many sectors, including services, telecommunications and finance-banking, by raising foreign ownership caps or selling state-owned enterprises strategic stakes.

It is now working to waive licences to open securities accounts for foreign investors and clear capital control measures, which are contrary to international practices, according to the Prime Minister. The domestic banking system is also being restructured to meet modern banking standards, in line with international practices.

Mergers and acquisitions have been sped up in infrastructure, transport, airport, highway, seaport, electricity, telecommunications, food, agriculture and services.

The PM used the platform to speak of businesses that are leading Asian trademarks, such as Vietnam Airlines, Vietjet Air, Petrolimex, Vinamilk, Masan, TH Truemilk, Trung Nguyen coffee, Mobiphone and Vietcombank, among others.

Phuc believed that Germanys experience in technology and governance would help Viet Nam during the fourth industrial revolution.

Viet Nam hoped the country would encourage German investment in the support industry, as well as in joint ventures in renewable energy such as solar and wind energy.

German firms said they hoped the Vietnamese government would continue fine-tuning laws and improving the business climate. The German House project in HCM City and the VGU were a strong driving force for bilateral economic-trade ties.

In her speech, Brigitte Zypries, Germanys federal economic affairs and energy minister, hailed Viet Nam for its vibrant growth and its large, young workforce. She affirmed that Germany would be always a partner that Viet Nam could trust.

After the forum, the PM met executives of several German corporations and banks and expressed hope that they would soon set up operations in Viet Nam. - VNS
President Tran ai Quang (R) receives Interpol Secretary General Jurgen Stock at a meeting in Ha Noi on Thursday.  VNA/VNS Photo Van iep

HA NOI  Interpol will help Viet Nam hunt fugitive criminals around the world and enhance information sharing with the country, the organisations Secretary General Jurgen Stock told President Tran ai Quang at a meeting in Ha Noi on Thursday.

Jurgen Stock acknowledged the close co-operation between Viet Nams Ministry of Public Security and relevant departments under the Interpol Secretariat in exchanging information on crime prevention and fighting, as well as in implementing Interpol programmes in the Asia-Pacific region.

He also praised Viet Nams seconded officers at the Interpol Secretariat in Lyon, France and its Singapore-based Interpol Global Complex.

Close co-operation between Interpol and its member nations is important amidst increasing threats from terrorism, non-traditional security risks and organised crime, Stock said.

President Quang expressed his delight at the co-operation between Viet Nams public security ministry and Interpol in the fight against transnational crime and praised the effective support the Interpol General Secretariat has provided for the ministry over the past years.

The President also asked the organisation to give priority to helping Viet Nam train law enforcement officers and create favourable conditions for Vietnamese officers to work at the Interpol Secretariat.  VNS
Viet Nams National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan and her Lao counterpart Pany Yathotou co-chaired a seminar held in the northern mountainous province of Son La.  VNA/VNS Photo Van iep

SON LA  Viet Nam and Laos on Thursday discussed the role of peoples councils in making decisions and supervising land issues at a seminar held in the northern mountainous province of Son La. Viet Nams National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan and her Lao counterpart Pany Yathotou co-chaired the event.

Speaking at the seminar, the Vietnamese NA Chairwoman said following the two seminars on public debt management held in September last year in Laos and management decentralisation held in March in Viet Nam, the two countries parliaments had gained valuable experiences, which helped enhance the activity of their elected officials and of State agencies.

Thursdays seminar, according to Ngan, was a chance for representatives from the NA, Government and Peoples Councils to share experiences and lessons in the area of land management in each country, as well as of role and functions of local peoples councils in deciding and monitoring the implementation of laws and policies on land.

Ngan said the seminar not only helped clarify the role and responsibility of the two countries parliaments on important issues, but also reflected increasingly practical and effective co-operation between their NAs and Governments.

The Vietnamese Chairwoman asserted that the Party, the State and the NA co-operate closely with the Lao Party, State and Parliament and would contribute to the consolidation of the traditional friendship, and special and comprehensive relations.

The Chairwoman of the Lao National Assembly Pany Yathotou, for her part, said land played a very important role in the socio-economic development of each country. Both Laos and Viet Nam had experienced periods of change in land management and use, she noted.

Although the two countries have encouraging achievements in socio-economic development in the new era, including the conversion of land into capital for construction and development, they also face many challenges in planning, management and use of land, according to the Lao top legislator.

She said that land issues in her country were similar to those that Viet Nam had faced in the past. Thus, she said, the seminar was an opportunity for representatives of the two countries to exchange experience and learn from each other how to solve land management and use issues.  VNS
Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc (R) meets with Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy, Brigitte Zypries in Berlin on Thursday.  VNA/VNS Photo Thong Nhat

BERLIN  Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy, Brigitte Zypries, told Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc in Berlin on Thursday that she would encourage German firms to increase investment in Viet Nam. The two discussed measures to increase trade and investment between their countries, especially in the energy field.

The minister said both sides should work to increase trade to 15-20 billion euros by 2020, especially given that Viet Nam and the EU are about to sign a free trade agreement.

The two sides should also implement an agreement just signed between Viet Nams Ministry of Industry and Trade and Germanys Ministry for Economic Affairs to quickly remove bottlenecks for businesses investing and doing business in each others country, she said.

Prime Minister Phuc hailed big German companies such as Siemens, Mercedes Benz, Bosch, Braun and Adidas for making effective investments in Viet Nam. However, he noted that German investment has only reached US$1.4 billion, modest compared to the bilateral potential.

The two sides agreed to promote delegation exchanges and business presence at each others trade fairs and exhibitions to encourage German small-and medium-sized enterprises to invest in Viet Nam.

Phuc thanked the German Government for providing official development assistance (ODA) for Viet Nam, which made significant contributions to its socio-economic development. He proposed Germany further help Viet Nam in vocational training, climate change adaptation and waste treatment.

Minister Zypries pledged to provide more assistance for Viet Nam to carry out vocational training programmes.  VNS
HAMBURG  Viet Nam attaches special importance to developing the relations with Germany, which is its leading partner in Europe in politics-external relations, trade-investment, education-training and science-technology, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said.

He made the remarks during his talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Hamburg city on Thursday (local time) as part of his working visit to Germany.

The Vietnamese Government leader hailed the warm welcome of Chancellor Angela Merkel and thanked the German leader for inviting Viet Nams high-ranking delegation to attend the G20 Summit.

Chancellor Angela Merkel expressed her hope that the visit would serve as an impetus to strengthen Viet Nam-Germany strategic relations in various fields.

Regarding ways to enhance the countries connections, the leaders agreed to maintain delegation exchanges and meetings, especially at high level, and improve the effectiveness of existing co-operation mechanisms such as the Viet Nam-Germany Strategic Management Group, Rule-of-Law Dialogue, and working groups in economics-trade and science-technology.

They said that the move aims to realise the strategic action plan practically between the two countries and enhance mutual understanding and trust.

The German side pledged to support Viet Nam in developing relations with the EU and speed up the early signing of the free trade agreement between Viet Nam and the EU.

The leaders were glad that Germany had been Viet Nams top trade partner in the EU with two-way trade standing at $9 billion in recent years.

Germany is the fifth largest investor in Viet Nam with a total registered capital of $1.4 billion.

The leaders agreed that the two nations boast huge potentials in cooperation and need to work to connect businesses from both sides.

They expressed satisfaction over the upbeat results of the Viet Nam-Germany Business Forum held during the Vietnamese leaders visit with 28 agreements inked worth 1.5 billion euros.

On the occasion, Prime Minister Phuc asked Chancellor Angela Merkel to encourage German small- and medium-sized enterprises to increase investment in Viet Nam in fields of Germanys strengths and Viet Nams demand including the support industry, railway, tourism infrastructure, transport-seaport, renewable energy and food industry.

Viet Nam would create favourable conditions for foreign businesses, including those from Germany, the Vietnamese leader said, affirming that the Vietnamese Government would facilitate the German House project in HCM City so that it could become operational in the third quarter of this year, and would hold dialogues to address German investors challenges.

At the talks, the leaders were delighted at the efficient collaboration in education-training, labour and science-technology, pledging to continue making efforts to make Viet Nam-Germany University become Germanys top research and education centre in Viet Nam and Southeast Asia.

They will consider the signing of a Government-level agreement or a trilateral agreement to create an important, long-term legal foundation for the university.

The leaders expressed their support for the teaching of Vietnamese and German in schools in both countries and further cooperation in vocational training for Vietnamese labourers to work in Germany.

In science-technology, they agreed to promote technology transfer in fields of wind power, food industry, IT application, as well as biology for sustainable development. A Memorandum of Understanding on wind power turbine production was signed between the Viet Nam National University, Ha Noi and the University of Rostock during Prime Minister Phucs visit.

Regarding security-defence co-operation, the two sides will support each other in criminal justice and consider the possibility of negotiating an extradition agreement and an agreement on the transfer of sentenced persons with a view to completing the legal framework for cooperation in preventing cross-border crimes.

Chancellor Angela Merkel spoke highly of the Vietnamese community in Germany for their significant contributions to cultural diversity in the host nation, highlighting their roles in promoting the friendship between the two nations.

Upon regional and international issues of mutual interests, the leaders were unanimous in tackling disputes by peaceful means based on international law. Germany affirmed its support for freedom of navigation in the East Sea and backed Viet Nams stance of settling disputes in the spirit of respecting international law, particularly the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea 1982 (UNCLOS 1982) and the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC).  VNS
BERLIN  Viet Nams consistent policy is to consider Germany its leading important and trusted partner in Europe and hopes to deepen the bilateral strategic partnership, affirmed Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc while meeting with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier in Berlin on Thursday.

The German President spoke highly of the achievements Viet Nam had made during its socio-economic development, confirming that Germany always attaches importance to consolidating and developing its friendship and co-operation with Viet Nam  a partner with an increasingly important role in the Asia-Pacific region.

Both sides expressed their delight at positive growth in the bilateral relations in the fields of politics-diplomacy, trade, investment, development co-operation, education-training, labour-vocational training, and science-technology.

Germany has been Viet Nams leading trade partner in the European Union for years, with two-way trade reaching US$9 billion last year. It is also the fifth biggest EU investor in the country with total registered capital of $1.4 billion.

President Steinmeier said that there was great potential for bilateral cooperation, considering a free trade agreement between Viet Nam and the EU is about to be signed and the German House in HCM City will be put into use in the third quarter of 2017.

PM Phuc expressed his hope that Germany would encourage its businesses to intensify investments in Viet Nam, especially the fields that it has strength and Viet Nam has demand such as processing, manufacturing, clean energy, and food industry.

The PM pledged that Viet Nam would create an open and favourable environment for foreign investors, including those from Germany.

The two leaders agreed to make joint efforts to turn the Viet Nam-Germany University into a leading training and research establishment in Viet Nam and the region, in order to train internationally-recognised engineers who can meet Viet Nams development requirements in the fourth industrial revolution.

They reached a consensus on boosting technology transfer and cooperation in fields of Germanys strength such as wind power, information technology and communications, and manufacturing.

Discussing several regional and international issues of shared concern with Phuc, President Steinmeier affirmed Germanys support for maritime freedom in the East Sea, and the settlement of disputes by peaceful means on the basis of international law, especially the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea 1982 and the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea.  VNS
HCM CITY  The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has asked the Viet Nam Southern Food Corporation (Vinafood 2) to review and punish individuals or groups associated with the corporations mistakes that have caused losses to the State budget.

The ministry has demanded that the State-run corporation, which has 14 subsidiaries, report the results of its findings and penalties to the ministry before August 15. The report will then be submitted to the Prime Minister.

Ha Cong Tuan, deputy minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, recently approved the inspection results of Vinafood 2s operations.

In addition to the corporations wrongdoings related to the sale of property and site clearance compensation, Vinafood 2 also mismanaged rice exports.

According to the inspection, in 2014 Vinafood 2 sold land assets and transferred the rights to use three land lots in contravention of regulations, at a value of VN114.7 billion (US$5 million).

The inspection results showed that Vinafood 2 did not report the case to the ministries of Agriculture and Rural Development and Finance and the provincial Peoples Committees, which was against the PMs decision on rearranging and handling houses and land owned by the State.

As for high-end hotels, office buildings and commercial centres for lease at 34, 36 and 42 Chu Manh Trinh Street and 33 Nguyen Du Street in Ben Nghe Ward in HCM Citys District 1, the inspection also pointed out that Vinafood 2 issued a resolution dated October 22, 2015 to pay for site clearance compensation to 34 households in contravention of regulations, causing losses of VN54 billion ($2.37 million) to the State.

The chairman of Vinafood 2 was mainly responsible for the breach in these cases, the inspection found.

In addition, according to the ministrys conclusions, Vinafood 2 also made a series of mistakes in the implementation of rice export contracts, causing losses to the State.

Specifically, Vinafood 2 has not fully fulfilled the responsibilities of a key trader. For example, it did not develop bidding plans or negotiate effectively on contracts to export rice.

It also did not develop any plan of action immediately after signing the contract, and did not have any assessment of the price of exported rice under the contract.

In addition, in 2014 Vinafood 2 suffered a combined loss (before tax) of VN873.3 billion ($38.4 million), of which 11 out of 14 affiliates had business losses.

In 2015, Vinafood 2 had pre-tax profit of VN155 billion ($6.81 million), but that was mainly from the sale of assets worth VN121 billion ($5.32 million).

In the first quarter of 2016, while the parent companys pre-tax profit was VN51 billion ($2.24 million), its affiliates lost VN46 billion ($2.02 million).

According to the ministry, the main responsibility should be held by the council members, general director of Vinafood 2 and the chairman of the Viet Nam Food Association.  VNS
A doctor performs eye surgery in HCM City Eye Hospital.  VNA/VNS Photo Phuong Vy

HA NOI  Promoting healthcare services at the grassroots level and bolstering preventive medicine should be the main task for Viet Nams healthcare sector over the coming years, said Deputy Prime Minister Vu uc am.

The Deputy Prime Minister met on Thursday with leaders of the health ministry and discussed a draft resolution on healthcare and improved health for Vietnamese citizens. am said that changes in mechanisms and policies must be made to boost grassroots healthcare and preventive medicine.

For example, funds from the State budget should be allocated to preventive medicine while the costs of medical examinations and treatment should be covered by the Health Insurance Fund. A higher amount of the State budget and health insurance should be given to primary healthcare, am suggested.

He added that the draft resolution, which would be submitted and approved by the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of Viet Nams Central Committee, must focus and prioritise investment for primary and preventive healthcare, especially in disadvantaged areas.

Deputy Health Minister Nguyen Thanh Long said that Viet Nam had been expanding its preventive healthcare network to better control diseases, increase life-span and height.

However, primary and preventive healthcare was facing difficulties as Viet Nam was now paying more attention to medical treatment than preventive healthcare.

In Viet Nam, hospitals are still considered the face of the healthcare sector, Long said, implying that the Government spent more on medical examination and treatment.

When primary and preventive healthcare are not given proper attention and investment, they fail to work effectively, resulting in more people with illnesses. The increased number of new hospitals would not meet demand, and visibly, hospitals are usually overcrowded, he said.

In Viet Nam, about 30 per cent of the population do not get regular health checks and usually only went to the hospital when their illness had become more serious.

Other countries usually invest in preventive medicine to minimise the number of people needing care and shorten treatment time.

Also during the meeting, Deputy PM am pointed out major problems in Viet Nams healthcare sector including the distribution and pricing of medicines, drug-resistance and overcrowded hospitals.

He asked for measures to better control the distribution and trade of drugs, especially prescribed medicines.

He also suggested that the draft resolution should evaluate the combination of western and traditional medicine, and the effectiveness of evidence-based traditional remedies so that they could be more widely used.

In 2005, the Political Bureau approved Resolution 46-NQ/TW on healthcare and improved health for people in Viet Nam with a focus on family planning and population policies. Meanwhile, the draft of the new resolution for the coming years focuses on improving primary and healthcare services as well as increasing health insurance coverage so that more people could access comprehensive healthcare.  VNS
The Government held a meeting on Thursday to discuss urgent measures to limit illegal sand mining in the country, which has reached epidemic proportions in response to a boom in construction demand.  Photo vietnammoi.vn

HA NOI  The Government held a meeting on Thursday to discuss urgent measures to limit illegal sand mining in the country, which has reached epidemic proportions in response to a boom in construction demand.

The online meeting, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh, sought solutions to tighten State control over sand and gravel exploitation and trading. Participants said the demand for sand and gravel had dramatically increased and the trend would continue due to the burgeoning demand of infrastructure contruction.

Rampant illegal exploitation has been posing major challenges for law enforcement bodies. According to a report cited at the meeting, the country has 824 licensed sand and gravel mines and about 90 authorised projects of river-bed dredging.

However, Deputy Minister of Public Security, Senior Lieutenant General Le Quy Vuong, said the police had detected more than 4,300 violations in more than 8,000 inspections in the past year. The violations involved nearly 3,000 people and more than 1,000 facilities and equipment were seized. Criminal proceedings were only initiated in two cases.

Violations include excessive exploitation, exploitation at banned areas, or failing to follow proper procedures in trading exploited sand. They are particularly popular in the rivers of Hong, a, Lo, and Thai Binh in the north, Lai Vu, Lam, Tra Khuc, Huong in the centre, and Sai Gon, ong Nai, Tien, Hau in the south, Vuong said.

Violence and corruption

Violators use different tactics to avoid detection, such as conducting their activities at night, on weekends or holidays. Some resorted to violence when facing authorities or engaged in turf fights with competitors.

More seriously, there were cases where illegal activities were covered and protected by corrupt officials at commune and provincial levels and higher ones, too, and even by law protection bodies, Vuong said.

If the current situation continues, our countrys resources will soon be depleted, erosion will occur along river banks, natural water flows will be changed, adversely affecting buildings along river banks and harming the life and property of people in adjacent areas, Deputy PM Binh said.

The Ministry of Public Security (MoPS) proposed that the Government ask the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MoNRE) to ban exploitation in areas highly prone to erosion and subsidence, or those where physical features of water and hydraulic power are likely to change.

The ministry also proposed that authorities inform police before granting permission to companies/organisations to exploit minerals, particularly sand and gravel, so that the police can monitor their activities.

Deputy Minister of Construction Bui Pham Khanh said the high demand for sand was due to the great amount needed for levelling the ground at construction projects. For example, tens of million of cubic metres of sand were used to level the ground for construction of National Highway 5, he said.

The Ministry of Construction proposes that sand not used to level the ground, but only for building, he said.

The MoNRE asked the Government to encourage research on alternative materials to replace sand and gravel in construction and levelling. The ministry also proposed banning sand export, even saline sand.

Many Vietnamese businesses have taken advantage of a 2013 law allowing them to export saline sand dredged from river/sea projects to reap profits, resulting in serious environmental impact due to overexploitation.

o Van uong, deputy head of National Assemblys Ombudsman Committee, suggested the MoPS increase criminal proceedings against illegal exploiters. Investors of exploitation projects which cause land erosion must compensate local residents for damage, he said.  VNS
HCM CITY  Authorities are alarmed at the declining fertility rates in HCM City and southern provinces.

The issue was brought to the forefront following comments by the Secretary of the HCM City Party Committee this week encouraging more births in the countrys largest metropolis.

Pham Thi My Le, deputy head of the HCM City Department of Population and Family Planning, said total fertility, or the number of births per woman, was 1.45 in 2015  significantly lower than the national replacement fertility rate of 2.1 for the country. Similar rates have been observed throughout the southeastern region as well as 13 provinces of the Mekong Delta region, with fertility rates hovering at around 1.8 and 1.9, respectively  two regions with the lowest fertility rates in the country.

For a small country that occupies 14th place in the global ranking in terms population and has already posted a stable annual population increase of over 1 per cent in the last decade, clamouring for more childbirths seem counter-intuitive.

However, experts are concerned because the low fertility in the south is occurring even though this region is more developed and people can afford the costs of child-rearing. On the other hand, the Red River Delta region (barring the capital city of Ha Noi) does not enjoy the same level of development as HCM City, the southeastern region and Mekong Delta region, but posted a fertility rate of 2.3 and the trend is looking up. The same thing is true of mountainous areas in the north or Central Highlands, with their remote locations and high concentration of ethnic minorities, suffering economic hardship.

Low fertility rates in more developed areas, such as HCM City, the biggest economic hub of Viet Nam, are attributed to high living costs as well as high demands of the population regarding education and other child-rearing aspects. In addition, the number of women waiting longer to get married and bear children due to job pressures, or those who decide not to bear children, are also on the rise as modernisation and urbanisation expands.

Two children each

This situation has made authorities in some localities change their motto to every couple should have two children, from the previous a couple should bear one or two children for better rearing.

Two children in one family will help prevent the undesired 4-2-1 pyramid structure, where a sole child is expected to care for four grandparents (both on his/her mothers and his/her fathers side) in addition to his/her parents, Nguyen Viet Tien, Deputy Minister of Health, said.

Secretary Nguyen Thien Nhan told the media after a HCM City Peoples Council meeting that Government efforts to maintain replacement fertility in the last decade are important for the so-called "golden population" period  where for every two people of working age, there is one dependent person, and is considered by the United Nations as the once-in-a-countrys lifetime "golden opportunity" for socio-economic development.

Nhan said HCM City already has a balanced gender ratio of childbirths, but the citys declining fertility rate might spell a negative future for the country if the fertility rate fails to counter the ageing process. An ageing population would leave the country short of labour, adversely impacting the economy and a progressively onerous burden on the countrys social security system.

However, it should be said that family planning will not be forgone in favour of increasing fertility rates, at least for the time being, since the government has not yet officially allowed HCM City to conduct birth promotion measures. In the meantime, local media will be tasked with calling for the citys citizens to be dutiful to the two-child policy.

The national policy should be malleable to adapt to each localitys situation, said health deputy minister Tien.

Childbirth is not just a familial private matter but also a national concern that decides the existence of a country, as Secretary Nhan once said.  VNS
HA NOI  Viet Nams regulations on the standard and condition of foreign equipment, facilities and technological lines to be imported to the country are facing objections from foreign enterprises.

A number of enterprises and associations have requested the Prime Minister to loosen up regulations on the matter, which were stated in Circular 23, issued by the Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST) in November 2015, according to o Hoai Nam, director of MoSTs department of technology appraisal, examination and assessment.

These associations, especially the Japanese Association in Viet Nam, said that the strict regulations are preventing new foreign investments from coming to Viet Nam, such as a new wave of Japanese enterprises planning to move their entire factories to the country, Nam said.

The problem is whether those factories  after being dismantled, moved, and re-assembled in Viet Nam  can operate as well as before, Nam said during a press conference on Thursday.

If they can, they will bring about some immediate benefits. But if the equipment brought to Viet Nam through this investment wave is unsafe and outdated, it will waste energy, cause environmental pollution and affect the next generation, he said.

Circular 23, which took effect in July 2016, is the first Government document to regulate the standards and conditions of foreign equipment and facilities imported to Viet Nam, which helps limit the amount of outdated, low-quality equipment and facilities imported to the country.

Nam introduced new content in the revised Law on Technology Transfer approved on June 19. The law and relevant laws and decrees are hoped to contribute to strongly boosting technology transfer activities in the future, he said.

Technology transfer

Measures to help Viet Nam solve challenges in applying foreign technologies in domestic production and build relevant policies were discussed at a workshop in Ha Noi on Thursday.

Ta Viet Dung, director of MoSTs State Agency for Technology Innovation (SATI), mentioned the fact that technology transfer in Viet Nam is yet to achieve desired results, reflected by the limited application of study findings in reality and the small number of technology transfer contracts.

Enterprises have not paid due attention to investing in research and technology transfer activities, he said, underlining the responsibility of management agencies for establishing a legal foundation to support technology transfer, thus promoting the process in the coming years.

Technology development in Viet Nam should go in the direction of make one, get one, according to representatives from the Asia-Pacific Centre for Technology Transfer (APCTT).
DUNKERTON  A laptop computer with thousands of dollars worth of programs that was stolen from a Waterloo business means more charges for a Dunkerton man.

Black Hawk County sheriffs deputies arrested Patrick Ryan Lindquist, 36, on Monday for first-degree theft.

The charge stems from a December 2015 burglary to Thompson Trucking on K Line Drive in Waterloo. The burglar pried open a locked file cabinet and took $100 in cash, and a Panasonic laptop computer also was removed from the business. The computer had diagnostics programs valued together at more than $10,000, court records state.

The computer was recovered in December 2016 when Lindquist was arrested in connection with burglaries to a truck repair business and another trucking company.

Boy clinically dead

after ATV crash

CHARLES CITY  A Charles City teenager has been declared brain dead after an ATV accident Tuesday.

Logan C. Luft, a Charles City student entering ninth grade this fall, was involved in an ATV accident Tuesday, according to a statement Charles City Schools released on its Facebook page.

The Charles City Police Department on its Facebook page shared a statement from family, which said Luft was declared brain dead at 4:54 p.m. Wednesday.

But with great tragedy comes great heroism, the familys statement said. Logan Christian Lufts legacy will continue to impact others through organ donation.

The statement said Luft would be kept on life support until this morning as organ recipients are chosen.

Our thought(s) and prayers go out to our extended family as the Lufts persevere through this tragedy, the police department said in their post. We love you guys.

Floyd County is conducting an investigation of the accident. A dispatcher said the report wasnt complete Thursday afternoon.

Murder suspect

caught in Chicago

CHARLES CITY  A man wanted in connection with the June 30 slaying in Charles City has been detained in Chicago.

Chicago police arrested Antoine Williams, 36, Wednesday night on a warrant for first-degree murder out of Floyd County, according to the Charles City Police Department.

Police said Williams is suspected in the death of 36-year-old Nathaniel Fleming, who was shot in the 2100 block of Clarkview Drive.

A 2006 Chevy Equinox Williams was driving was found in the 900 block of Oneida Street in Waterloo on Monday morning.

Waterloo man

reports robbery

WATERLOO  Police are investigating the robbery of a Waterloo man at gunpoint from last week.

Jacob Cress, 35, told police he had just pulled up in the 1500 block of Wakonda Drive around 10:55 a.m. June 30 when two men approached him. One was armed with a handgun, and they took his wallet, phone and a digital camera and fled.

No arrests have been made in the robbery.
WATERLOO  Faith of Fire, the annual citywide revival event, is set for 7 p.m. Monday through July 14 on the grounds of the African American Historical and Cultural Museum, at the corner of East Fourth and Adams streets.

Evangelist will be the Rev. Brandon Crowley of Myrtle Baptist Church in West Newton, Mass.

There will be local ministers, choirs, rap artists and drill teams.

WATERLOO  Members of the Gospel Temple Church of God in Christ, 1107 Linden Ave., will host a church building fund event at 4 p.m. Sunday.

The Rev. Gerald Hill of Evangelistic Temple in Des Moines will be the guest speaker. Pastor at Gospel Temple is the Rev. O.G. Evans.

WATERLOO  Friends in Faith, the singles ministry of the Catholic parishes in Waterloo, will host a singles picnic and potluck Saturday at Jon Steimels home.

The event starts at 3 p.m.; plan to grill at 5 p.m.

Singles attending should bring a dish to share, meat to grill, beverage and table service. For information and directions, call Steimel, 239-3001.

CEDAR FALLS  Bible talks will take place from 7 to 8 p.m. Sunday and July 16 at the Cedar Falls Municipal Band Hall, 211 Washington St.

All are welcome to come.

For inquiries, call M. Chardeen at (402) 594-3909 or G. Henderson at (763) 331-4410.

WATERLOO  The Catholic Parishes in Waterloo will host the 2017 Summer Forum Series. All events will take place from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at COR, 220 E. Fourth St.

The Importance of Mercy in The Lord of the Rings will be presented by Mary Ducey of Mount Mercy University on Monday.

Dave Cushing, director of Adult Formation, will present How Religious Faith Shapes Attitudes on Climate Change on July 17.

David Cochran of Loras College will present The Common Good  the Catholic Challenge to Libertarianism on July 25.

Teresa Culpepper with the Waterloo Human Rights Commission will present Growing Up As a Catholic of Mixed Heritage in Waterloo on Aug. 9.

For more information, go to www.waterloocatholics.org/summer-forum-series.

WATERLOO  The Music Ministry of the Antioch Baptist Church, 426 Sumner St., will host an evening of worship and praise Saturday with the Male Chorus.

It will feature area vocalists and groups from the city.

For more information, contact the church office at 233-2587 or Reatha Phillips at 433-5406.
WATERLOO  If there was a honeymoon period for Iowas new fireworks law, its over as far as local officials are concerned.

Officials in Waterloo, Cedar Falls, Evansdale and Elk Run Heights have received numerous complaints. There were reports of fireworks being shot off outside the days and hours prescribed by local and state law, neighborhoods strewn with fireworks debris and clouds of smoke hanging overhead.

Military veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder also have complained.

While there may be no immediate changes, Waterloo and Cedar Falls officials are considering clamping down before the next state-permitted period for using fireworks rolls around over the Christmas/New Years holidays. Evansdale plans to act in the coming month.

This year was a trial year to say the least, said Waterloo Fire Chief Pat Treloar. In the near future, we will make a number of recommendations to Mayor (Quentin) Hart and Waterloo City Council regarding the use of fireworks in city limits.

I was personally surprised by the amount of smoke hanging in the air from fireworks, especially on the Fourth, Treloar added.

He said Waterloo bans burning for air quality reasons, and any fireworks policy also should consider air quality. Also, the trash left behind from the use of fireworks was very noticeable and certainly an eyesore, Treloar said.

On a positive note, there were no calls for significant fires or injuries related to fireworks. Similarly, none were reported in Cedar Falls.

We noticed a large amount of illegal use, and when possible we tried to tell people to knock it off, Treloar said. I hope the state made a boatload of money on this mess because all it did for us as the city was cost money.

Waterloo Police Chief Dan Trelka said his department has handled 784 complaints since June 1, issuing six citations. Cedar Falls received 61 complaints, said Jeff Olson, public safety director, mostly for fireworks discharged after 10 p.m. Police there issued warnings only.

Most were very cooperative and quit as soon as police asked, Olson said. Most were between 10 and 11 p.m.

Trelka said he will recommend allowing repeated fireworks complaints to be designated as a chronic nuisance. It adds an additional penalty and allows us to bill for police services. That is actually on the council agenda for this Monday.

But he is unsure if the City Council will make any other changes.

Numerous people have contacted them and have complained about fireworks being allowed in Waterloo. I will watch how it all transpires with interest, Trelka said.

Waterloo allowed fireworks to be set off from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. June 30 and July 3 and from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. on July 1, 2 and 4. The mayor said the city is tracking all fireworks complaints for future City Council deliberation.

Legislation signed May 9 by Gov. Terry Branstad legalized the sale and use of fireworks statewide from June 1 through July 8 and from Dec. 10 through Jan. 3 but allows cities to institute further restrictions.

Some cities, including West Des Moines, Urbandale and Ames, banned fireworks use. Others, like Cedar Falls, allowed residents to shoot off the explosives during the entire statewide window.

Cedar Falls Mayor Jim Brown said people are taking full advantage of that window, and then some. Residents complained about the noise since well before the legal fireworks period began, and complaints have continued since it ended.

I personally have heard from many concerned citizens regarding the after-hour fireworks and understand the extreme frustration, Brown said. Ive also inquired about raising the fines to those going later than allowed. Although its ultimately up to the City Council, Ill be conveying my thoughts to them.

That window for shooting fireworks may narrow in Cedar Falls.

Weve been inundated with phone calls, emails, said council member John Runchey. This is the most hot-button issue in quite a while.

He wants to narrow the window to three or four days in July, perhaps two days at the end of the year and make the cut-off time 10 p.m.

I kind of wish people would respond to their neighbors and be a little more careful, Runchey said. Ive got some people talking about how the garbage has come down all over their yards. Its not the way people in Cedar Falls behave. Im going to recommend we reduce it drastically.

Veterans concerns

Kevin Dill, executive director of the Black Hawk County Veteran Affairs Commission, wrote to Waterloos mayor noting hes received many complaints from veterans with PTSD. That resonated with Runchey as well.

Im a veteran, Runchey said. I think of what these kids (veterans) have done for us, and then us shooting off, celebrating what theyve done. And its so stupid.

Evansdale Mayor Doug Faas said his city, which adopted the state window like Cedar Falls, will narrow it soon as a result of a consensus reached at Tuesday nights City Council meeting.

Evansdale will allow fireworks from June 30 to July 4 and Dec. 28 to Jan. 1. Use must end at 10 p.m. except on July 4 (11 p.m.) and Dec. 31-Jan. 1 (12:30 a.m.). Penalties will include confiscation of fireworks and a fine of $250. Repeat offenses could result in a fine of $750.

The first reading of the ordinance will be July 18. It requires approval on three readings for adoption.

The city of Elk Run Heights may take similar action.

We will also be looking at what we could do such as cutting back on the days, Mayor Tim Swope said. I will admit its out of control.

State Sen. Jeff Danielson, D-Waterloo, a Cedar Falls firefighter and a proponent of the fireworks law, said it allows total local control by cities and counties, including a ban on discharging fireworks. He said the issue may be less of a concern in rural parts of the state.

He said the situation is better than the old wink and a nod law that allowed possession of fireworks but not their sale or discharge.

For local elected officials, my advice would be to try and stay as uniform as you can if you share borders, Danielson said. For me, personally, I would think the week surrounding the Fourth of July is probably enough. ... Lets let calmer heads prevail, and allow local officials to hear people out, and that people do it respectfully.
CHARLES CITY -- The Iowa Court of Appeals Thursday vacated the prison sentence a Charles City man received last year for child pornography, stating he is eligible for a deferred judgment.

Jeffrey Kirk, 54, is to be re-sentenced in Floyd County District Court. A hearing date has not been set.

Kirk received a prison sentence of up to two years after pleading guilty to one misdemeanor count of sexual exploitation of a minor.

He had pornographic images of children on his cell phone. Investigators say Kirk had downloaded the material from the internet.

During sentencing District Court Judge Peter Newell stated some crimes are so serious that the defendant should not receive a deferred judgment even if he or she doesn't have a prior criminal history.

Thursday's appeals court ruling states it's up to the state Legislature to determine which crimes are not punishable by a deferred judgment.

When someone receives a deferred judgment and successfully completes probation, the charge is stricken from his or her record.
WATERLOO  A Waterloo man has been sentenced to prison in a 2016 liquor store robbery.

Kemonte Vantrece Todd, 19, was sentenced to up to 25 years in prison on June 30 after pleading to a reduced charge of second-degree robbery and interference, first-degree theft and extortion. He will have to serve at least seven years in prison before he can be considered for parole.

Another person charged in the case, 17-year-old Elijah Javon Wilson of Waterloo, was sentenced to up to 25 years in prison with no mandatory minimum in March after pleading to a single count of first-degree robbery.

Authorities allege the two used a BB gun and a stun gun to rob Alis West Side Liquor, 919 W. Fifth St., on July 28. The two had disabled a nearby surveillance camera, police said. Todd is accused of holding the BB gun while Wilson used the stun gun to shock the clerk.
WATERLOO  The entire block where Waterloos convention center is located will be named for Waterloos five Sullivan brothers killed during World War II.

The city of Waterloo and prospective buyers Leslie Hospitality Co. of Omaha, Neb., announced Thursday the block will be dedicated as Sullivan Brothers Plaza and incorporated into the convention centers new name: Waterloo Convention Center at Sullivan Brothers Plaza.

The compromise was reached after meetings last week and Wednesday between officials from the city, Leslie Hospitality and members of the Sullivan family. There was initial discussion of dropping the Sullivan Brothers name from the building.

Were at a win-win right now, said Kelly Sullivan of Cedar Falls, granddaughter and grandniece of the five brothers and a family spokesperson. We are pleased we can continue to honor the five Sullivan brothers as well as all veterans of our armed forces.

Leslie Hospitality and Mayor Hart have done everything possible to accommodate our requests, Sullivan said. She thanked the Waterloo-Cedar Falls community and people from throughout the country for their support, including current and former military personnel who contacted city officials.

Were where we should have been months ago, she said. The family was not initially consulted about the proposal to revitalize the convention center. The plan initially excluded the Sullivan name to give the facility a fresh identity as well as a new look. It did include a tribute to the brothers at the site.

Now I feel theres a synergy and that theyre working with us as a team. My goal is to be a voice for the veterans and the Sullivan family. Im glad theyre doing some things to continue to honor the Sullivans and all veterans.

Sullivan said she became a little emotional as officials from the city and Leslie Hospitality discussed some of the concepts proposed to honor the Sullivans. They could involve a statuary memorial similar to one at the nearby Sullivan Brothers Iowa Veterans Museum. A dedication was discussed, possibly in conjunction with the 75th anniversary of the brothers deaths later this year.

Wednesdays meeting included Mayor Quentin Hart, Edwin Leslie, president and CEO of Leslie Hospitality, and representatives of the Sullivan family, including Kelly Sullivan and former Mayor John Rooff, a Sullivan family cousin.

That followed conversations last week also involving Kellys father, Jim Sullivan, a retired city employee, Navy veteran and son of Albert Sullivan. Albert and brothers George, Francis, Joseph and Madison died after the cruiser USS Juneau was torpedoed and sunk by a Japanese submarine Nov. 13, 1942.

Their deaths are generally considered the greatest combat-related loss of life by one family at one time in U.S. military history.

Kelly Sullivan said the deal is supported by her brother, John, and cousins Tom and Murray Davidson, sons of Genevieve Sullivan Davidson, the five brothers sister.

The purpose of Wednesdays meeting was to assure the family and supporters a tribute to the brothers would continue after the change in ownership. Hart had received messages from around the country supporting retaining the Sullivan name.

Designating the grounds of the convention center Sullivan Brothers Plaza will ensure that the property will always honor the sacrifice of the Sullivan brothers and their families, Hart said in a prepared statement. The Waterloo Convention Center at Sullivan Brothers Plaza will honor the Sullivans and be a living monument to all the brave men and women who valiantly defend our country.

Leslie Hospitality has demonstrated their commitment to be a community partner, Hart said.

Leslie Hospitality has a $20 million plan to renovate the 42-year-old convention center and adjoining Ramada hotel. The plan hinges on City Council members approving the sale and economic development incentives at a July 17 public hearing.

We hope to start immediately by making initial improvements to the buildings exterior and technology, and by delivering exceptional customer service through a passionate and highly-trained staff, said Edwin Leslie. Renovated facilities and our intensive marketing efforts will increase the awareness of the Sullivan family as well as the city of Waterloo. Its a win-win for all involved.

Kelly Sullivan credited Hart with taking the responsibility to resolve the initial miscommunication and bring the parties together.

They get it, Sullivan said. They get that the Sullivan name is not about one family who lost five boys, but all veterans who served and continue to serve.
WAVERLY  U.S. Rep. Rod Blum, R-1st District, was recognized by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce on Thursday for his pro-business votes in Congress.

But he is not content to rest on his laurels despite getting a trophy and hard hat. The awards signal Blum voted in favor of U.S. Chamber of Commerce-supported policies 100 percent of the time.

Blum, a businessman from Dubuque, said theres lots of work left to do.

If we get off of businesses backs, with excessive regulation, get out of businesses back pockets with the highest tax rate in the developed world  and just get out of their way, theyll do the rest, Blum said. Youll grow your business and create great-paying jobs. Its that simple.

Blum was honored at TDS Automation, part of Waverly-based Doerfer Companies, before touring the business. Dave Takes, president and chief executive, said the award epitomizes what the company does.

Blum told area business leaders about pro-business legislation ahead. While he mostly talked about big-picture plans  like growing the economy, cutting taxes, reducing regulations and welfare reform  he pointed to two specific bills he expects to pass this year.

He said he talked with U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., about repealing the federal health care law known as Obamacare and reforming the federal tax code. The speaker absolutely believes both will be on the presidents desk by the end of the year.

He believes tax reform, for example, will be law by Thanksgiving. Law. Not just passed the House. So, good stuff, Blum said.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has voiced its support for the House-passed American Health Care Act and the Senates Better Care Reconciliation Act. It also supports tax reform.

Blum noted work already has been done to address the regulatory burden businesses face, pointing to more than a dozen bills signed this year by Republican President Donald Trump to reduce regulations.

Thank you very much for the award. Rest assured, I support business. Im an advocate for business. Im a small businessman, Blum said.

Steve Dust, president of the Greater Cedar Valley Alliance and Chamber, also showed his appreciation.

I just cant say enough  how much we appreciate your pro-business stance, and to get that kind of voting record from the U.S. Chamber is just icing on the cake, a recognition of that appreciation, Dust said.
DES MOINES  The former commander of a Waterloo-headquartered Iowa Army National Guard unit and decorated veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan has been named to the one of the highest posts in the Iowa National Guard.

Gov. Kim Reynolds selected Northeast Iowa native Brig. Gen. Benjamin J. Corell to succeed Brig. Gen. Steven W. Altman as deputy adjutant general of the Iowa Army National Guard when Altman retires Sept. 1 after 38 years of service. There are two deputy adjutant generals for the Army and Air National Guards, respectively, both under the adjutant general.

Corell was born in Manchester and raised in Strawberry Point. He enlisted in the Iowa Army National Guard in January 1986 and received his officers commission in March 1989.

He has commanded at the company, battalion and brigade level.

Then-Lt. Col. Corell commanded the 1st Battalion, 133rd Infantry Regiment headquartered in Waterloo from February 2003 to September 2007, which included deployments to the Sinai Peninsula (Egypt) from May 2003 to March 2004 and Operation Iraqi Freedom from September 2005 to July 2007.

He was promoted to colonel in June 2008, assigned as the deputy commander, 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry Division in June 2009, then became the commander of the 2nd Brigade in June 2010 and deployed to Afghanistan for Operation Enduring Freedom in 2010-2011.

Corell was assigned as the deputy commanding general-support for the 34th Red Bull Infantry Division in September 2012 and later served as the deputy commanding general-maneuver for the 34th Infantry Division.

He is completing an active duty tour as the deputy commander, NATO Multinational Division Southeast, Bucharest, Romania.

Corell earned a bachelors degree in business management from Upper Iowa University in Fayette and received a masters degree in strategic studies from the U.S. Army War College, Carlisle, Pa.
All eyes will be focused on the meeting between President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin at the coming Group of 20 in Hamburg, Germany.

Whether or not this is their first encounter depends on your Trump statement of choice  Yes (we met), a long time ago. We got along great, by the way (October 2015) or I never met Putin. I dont know who Putin is. He said one nice thing about me. He said Im a genius. (July 2016).

Whether Trumps campaign actually colluded with Russia, all 17 U.S. intelligence agencies agree it tried to influence the election and is a danger to our democracy.

Europe has been way ahead of the United States on that learning curve with programs to counter Russian disinformation  dezinformatsiya or weaponized information  to create societal unrest and drive divisions within the European Union and NATO.

Moscow views world affairs as a system of special operations, and very sincerely believes that it itself is an object of Western special operations, Gleb Pavlovsky, who helped establish the Kremlins information machine before 2008, told the New York Times. I am sure that there are a lot of centers, some linked to the state, that are involved in inventing these kinds of fake stories.

According to the Washington Post, European intelligence agencies believe Russian government news outlets Russia Today and Sputnik use automated bots and Twitter and Facebook accounts to disseminate stories to far-right and far-left websites.

RT, of course, invited Michael Flynn  before he became Trumps short-lived national security adviser  to its 2015 gala dinner, where he sat next to Putin and earned $40,000.

The Post reported researchers in Britain, France, Germany, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Finland, Sweden, Ukraine, Lithuania and Latvia are working to expose Russian disinformation.

Re:Baltica, a news consortium in the three Baltic states  Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia  that were once part of the Soviet Union, revealed three Russian-language websites as fronts for Russian disinformation.

Nearly 1,400 advertisers in Slovakia agreed to boycott a list of false, conspiratorial websites compiled by a nonprofit research organization.

Ukraines StopFake.org and Germanys Correctiv.org use fact-checking digital tools and cross-border journalistic partnerships to bring Russian disinformation to light.

Mainstream news organizations such as Le Mondes Decodex in France and the BBCs RealityCheck in Britain identify fake news outlets.

In Ukraine, its a full-time job separating truth from Russian fantasies  such as blaming the CIA for the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 and later that Ukrainian fighter pilots mistakenly believed it was the Russian presidential aircraft.

In 2014, the Ukrainian election commission blocked a Russian attempt to post fake election results on its website showing a pro-Russian candidate leading. It was simultaneously featured on a Russian news network.

Sweden has a nationwide program to teach schoolchildren how to identify Russian propaganda. Its Defense Ministry has established units to counter Russian attempts to undermine Swedish society.

Sweden learned its lesson after the Russians planted a series of forged letters  supposedly signed by Defense Minister Peter Hultqvist on ministry letterheads  and news articles about the possibility of joining NATO. The stories alleged NATO could attack Russia from Sweden without its approval and NATO soldiers would be free to rape Swedish women while having immunity from prosecution.

According to Mikael Tofvesson, head of Swedens Civil Contingencies Agency, websites are monitored for exaggerated news stories about refugees and crime, subjects the Swedish population is afraid of right now.

Sweden is taking the Russian threat so seriously that it resurrected the military draft and increased defense expenditures by 11 percent.

A recent Washington Post story reported President Barack Obama did little about Russian interference in the U.S. election, except for telling Putin to back off and imposing diplomatic sanctions. Cyberweapons were inserted into Russias critical infrastructure, but never launched, perhaps because of the fear of retaliation.

I feel like we sort of choked, a senior Obama adviser said.

That prompted Trump to go on an illogical offensive against Obama  not Putin.

The reason that President Obama did NOTHING about Russia after being notified by the CIA of meddling is that he expected Clinton would win ... and did not want to rock the boat. He didn't choke, he colluded or obstructed, and it did the Dems and Crooked Hillary no good, Trump tweeted, adding, I should be given apology!

Yet, unlike the Europeans, Trump has given little indication he is interested in countering Russian disinformation. Instead, he had a Washington meeting with Russian diplomats in which he revealed classified information.

Well soon see if Trump has the courage of new French President Emmanuel Macron  whose opponent, Marine Le Pen, was partially bankrolled by Moscow and lauded by Trump  to call out Putin or just continue to fawn over him.
By West Kentucky Star Staff Jul. 07, 2017 | 05:54 AM | GRAVES COUNTY, KY

A traffic stop Thursday night in Graves County led to the arrest of two fugitives.

Graves County Sheriff Dewayne Redmon said deputies conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle on US 45 North. The vehicle was occupied by two fugitives from Graves County, 29-year-old Steven Davis and 34-year-old Mandie Lee. Both were arrested on warrants.

Deputies searched the vehicle and found methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia. They also found several knives, a machete and a hatchet.

Lee was served a warrant for bail jumping. She was also charged with possession of meth and possession of drug parapharnalia. Davis was served a warrant for trafficking meth. He was served a criminal summons for probation violation. He was also charged with carrying a concealed weapon.

Both were lodged at the Graves County Jail.
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A startup needs to test an idea quickly. For this, an MVP is created. MVP, Minimal Viable Product  a test version of a product or service with a minimum set of functions (up to one or two), which allows you to see the product's value for consumers and the market. MVP is created to test hypotheses and check the viability of the intended product: is it worth developing the project further, what changes should be made? The sooner a startup brings its MVP to market and tests the idea, the better. This article will look at how no-code technology can help founders achieve their business goals.

This article will try to cover everything that a founder needs to know about no-code at the initial stage of creating a startup.

What is no-code?

No-code, zero-code platform is a tool for creating websites, applications, chatbots, and other programs without the need for direct code writing by programmers. No-code is a valuable alternative to traditional development.

No-code is confused with low-code, but there is a difference in these terms. Low-code includes no-code and the ability to "finish code", add parts of code and the functionality.

A user of a no-code platform usually does not need to know layout, programming languages, or hire a team of programmers. The user of the no-code tool creates an application using a visual block constructor, which he fills with the necessary content and functions, and the no-code platform itself does the processing of requests, compiling the application and other "magic." It generates code using AI and/or contains blocks of code pre-written by programmers.

No-code allows the startup founder to create an MVP himself, entrust it to his employee with basic technical literacy and understanding of the project, or hire a no-code developer. Even in the case of hiring a no-code developer, the cost of creating an MVP will be significantly lower than with classical development with programmers. For example, you can read the interview of a startup and no-code developer on our website, who initially worked as a Product Manager and was able to master no-code for his project himself.

Benefits of no-code for a startup founder

There are the following key advantages for a startup founder in using no-code technology:

a large selection of no-code tools, platforms, and their integrations at the moment  already in 2022, there are many tools and platforms for creating an MVP, a larger project, or even a finished product on no-code, but few people still know about them, and others are far from all startups and founders use their potential;

cost  no-code development saves the money by speeding up the development process, not hiring professional programmers or no need to maintain a developer department, monitoring functions and quick bug fixes, avoiding or reducing the growth of technical debt;

speed is the main advantage over classical development  no-code allows you to build a simple application in a weekend, and a more complex one can be built in a month. In this way, you can test an MVP and even several versions of an MVP very quickly;

low entry threshold  to master a no-code platform, you often do not need technical education at all, but only an understanding of a company's business processes or product from the inside. In the case of pro-level no-code platforms, technical education is required, but you can get used to it hundreds of times faster than with any programming language. This makes no-code available to almost everyone who wants to work with technology;

ease of use  no need to write hundreds of code lines  just move the blocks and assign links between them. Work on a project can be entrusted to your employee without communicating with a team of third-party developers. You can speak "in your language" without the need to understand the "inner kitchen" of developers;

flexibility  with the help of no-code, it is easy for a startup founder to add new functionality and new features right during a project or a MVP testing without a significant increase in development costs.

Possible disadvantages of no-code for a startup founder

As often, any property can be, under certain conditions, both a disadvantage and an advantage. In no-code, many of the benefits with the wrong choice of tool can turn into disadvantages:

no-code is not always a budget solution for a project. Sometimes in a no-code development package, you get unnecessary functions and additions (on AppMaster.io you can separately connect the frontend and pay only for the backend or only for those functions that you are using); if you do not understand the needs of your project, then you can make a mistake with the choice of a no-code tool and not be able to implement the necessary functions on it, or it will be too difficult to implement them; often, no-code tools fail to ensure proper data security and contribute to data leakage (but AppMaster.io allows you to host a finished application on any server); no-code tools often do not provide the ability to upload source code or provide uploading in an inconvenient format, which makes it difficult to move to another tool or to your development. You have to choose a no-code tool "once and forever immediately" (AppMaster. io gives you the ability to download the source code. Also, we generate human-readable code and you will not have any difficulties with its transportation); most no-code tools on the market are not suitable for creating a finished product, and there are significant difficulties with scaling the project if the MVP is successful (AppMaster.io is a professional no-code platform and our capabilities allow us to implement and support the finished product and scale it in the future).

Forewarned is forearmed. Choose your no-code tool wisely and take full advantage of your choice.

Types of no-code platforms

Conventionally, all no-code tools can be divided into several types: no-code devices with a low entry threshold (you can create frontend and not very powerful backend on them), integrators that help connect applications and services, and professional no-code platforms (they strive to replace the code completely, provide the ability to create a robust backend and high bandwidth).

The basic principle of operation of your MVP and the choice of a no-code platform depend on such a conditional division into types. For example, if you make a simple application like a diary, you can limit yourself to a no-code tool with a low entry threshold and a beautiful design.

If your application has powerful potential, high bandwidth, multi-user interface, and works with large amounts of data or real-time data, it is better to choose a professional no-code platform like AppMaster.io or Direcual.

If you use several services at once, link them on integrators like Integromat and Zapier.

Adalo

An easy-to-learn designer with a relatively user-friendly interface. The free version is helpful for learning. The free version contains Adalo watermarks and does not allow you to upload your applications to GooglePlayMarket and AppStore. Beginners often choose this no-code platform to create their first applications with simple logic.

Bubble

It will take more time to learn Bubble , but the platform allows you to work with the backend, databases, business processes, and layout. There are many plugins. The free plan allows you to master the tool, and you can start developing at the middle rate. The price increase is due to the rise in the number of users.

Integromat

It is an integrator. Experts talk about it as a simple and affordable platform for linking applications and services. Scenarios can be created personally, or you can use templates. If you need to connect an application with a service not from the Integromat database, fill out the form and connect to its API via HTTP.

Zapier

This is an integrator for linking applications with each other or with other external services. You can transfer data between thousands of applications. There is a script constructor (one event starts a chain of necessary actions).

Directual

The no-code platform positions itself for creating MVP applications (Minimal Viable Product, minimum viable product) and full-fledged applications of finished products. Scenarios are the backbone of the platform. Using scripts, you can automate the backend logic of the application, create and combine workflows. The Directual catalog includes out-of-the-box connectors, HTTP requests, webhooks, database listeners, and integration with popular services.

AppMaster.io

No-code next-generation platform for creating native and web applications on a real backend. Visual drag-and-drop designer, user-friendly business process designer, one-click app publishing to AppMaster Cloud, or integration with any cloud platform. Push notifications, authorization using social networks. Networks, email, and more. Connect applications to hundreds of services or programmatically access them using APIs. The ability to upload source code and documentation in a human-readable format and transfer it to your servers. Documentation auto-generation. Modern and fast language GoLang at the core.

No-code perspectives for startups

No-code development is gradually gaining popularity around the world. There are already more than 500 no-code tools for creating websites and various types of applications.

According to the forecasts of IT world experts, no-code will develop more and more actively and capture parts of the market responsible for medicine, small online business, small business, and all niches where it is possibly necessary to optimize and automate development processes.

The mass shift of businesses and their customers online and to gadgets has increased the demand for the fast and inexpensive creation of mobile applications that would work according to a single quality standard and have a simple, understandable, user-friendly interface.

Conclusion

No-code is visual programming in the form of a constructor without directly writing code. Usually, basic knowledge in development is enough to build applications on no-code.

The logic of no-code constructors is intuitive: the application interface is assembled from blocks, icons, buttons, and text which are connected to the database. Usually, you can choose a suitable template or do everything from scratch. Speed and economy are the main advantages of no-code tools.

No-code is suitable for creating an MVP, testing an idea or new features in a product, saving time for solving standard tasks. PRO level no-code platforms can provide you with a finished product, an application.

If you don't have an account on AppMaster.io yet, join us. After registration, you will be given a free trial period for 14 days, in which all the basic functionality of the platform is available. It will allow you to learn the intricacies of working with a professional-level no-code platform and understand its potential.
Blackened Recordings Metallica's new album Hardwired...to Self-Destruct has surpassed sales of 1 million copies in the U.S. According to Billboard, the record, which was released in November, reached the milestone this week after selling 4,000 copies during the latest tracking frame.

While Hardwired just reached the 1 million sales mark, the album was actually certified platinum in April. That's because the Recording Industry Association of America announced last year that on-demand audio and video streaming, and not just sales, would be counted as part of its gold and platinum certification process.

Hardwired becomes the 12th Metallica release to sell at least 1 million copies since Nielsen Music began tracking sales in 1991. The other 11 discs include the band's previous nine studio albums, their 1998 covers collection Garbage Inc. and the 1999 live album S&M.

Metallica is currently on a North American stadium tour in support of Hardwired...to Self-Destruct.

Copyright  2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
Many of the best wineries here are located within a few miles of each another, in and around Los Gatos, making it easy to get a real fee; for the region in a single day. (Plus, morning fog and high elevation keep the vineyards cool during summer month.) Want to make a weekend of it? Head back to Los Gatos, where you'll find chic hotels and restaurants for days.



Where to Taste

Fancy a glass on the terrace?

(Courtesy of Wright's Station)

Wrights Station Winery

Named for the small town of Wrights Station, once a waypoint on a railroad stretching between Santa Cruz and the Santa Clara Valley, this vineyard produces some of the region's oldest chardonnay. Enjoy a tasting in their elegantly remodeled 1947 farmhouse or on the large patio outside. // 24250 Loma Prieta Ave. (Los Gatos), wrightsstation.com





Burrell School Vineyards and Winery

In 1973, a 127-year-old institute of learning was converted into a winery, making tasting at Burrell the coolest thing we've done in school lately. The tasting room is set up inside the original Teacher's Carriage House, and wines also take a cue from the building's heritage: Grapes for the 2012 Honor Roll Merlot were lovingly grown on site. // 24060 Summit Rd. (Los Gatos), burrellschool.com





Loma Prieta Winery

Award-winning Loma Prieta is the largest producer of pinotage in North America, but a visit to the winery offers more than just delicious wine. On a clear day, you can see all the way to the Pacific Ocean from Loma Prieta's spacious patio, where you can also play of bocce or life-sized chess, and hope for an appearance by Bill the Oyster Man. Keep an eye out for their 2011 Karma Vineyard Pinotage, an award winner with aromas of plum jam, chocolate cake and roasted pecans. // 26985 Loma Prieta Way (Los Gatos), lomaprietawinery.com





MJA Vineyards

MJA'a founder, Marin John Artukovich, grows grapes both here and at his Napa Valley vineyard, and also produces Kona coffee at his Hawaiian estate. Stop by on Saturday afternoons for live music and a taste of the 2014 DaVine Zinfandel, with flavors of dried berries and spiced nougat. // 24900 Highland Way (Los Gatos), mjavineyards.com





Villa del Monte Winery

Open for tastings just one weekend per month, this small producer of cabernet and pinot noir hides out at the end of a private drive with no sign to point the way. Villa del Monte's 2013 Pinot Noir, with its fog-soaked flavors of plum and cranberry, are a loosely held secret. // 23076 Summit Rd. (Los Gatos), villadelmontewinery.com



Regale Winery and Vineyards

Regale's Tuscan-inspired villa puts a European spin on things. Explore the gardens or, on a foggy day, enjoy the warmth of the outdoor fireplace while sipping an estate-grown, cherry-tinged 2013 Pinot Noir. The Winery also produces olive oil from estate-grown olives. // 24040 Summit Rd. (Los Gatos), regalewine.com







Silver Mountain Vineyards

Two-thousand feet above Monterey Bay, Silver Mountain Vineyards is best known for its organically grown estate chardonnayswith light notes of vanilla and citrus peeland their Bordeaux-style blend, Alloy, with notes of cherry, cassis and cocoa. Enjoy the view from the deck or bring a picnic to eat among the flower gardens at the open-air amphitheater. // 269 Silver Mountain Dr. (Los Gatos), silver-mountain.squarespace.com





Click for more on where to eat and stay in the area.
U.S. National Archives

The makers of the documentary, Amelia Earhart: The Lost Evidence, which airs Sunday night at 9 p.m. ET on the History Channel, make the case that the woman in the background is Earhart, and that the photograph proves that she survived a crash-landing and may have been held by the Japanese as a prisoner.

It's not necessarily an outlandish scenario, nor is it a brand new one: For years, some island residents have claimed to have witnessed the crash landing, and some say they saw Earhart while she was held captive there. In 1987 the Republic of the Marshall Islands issued a series of commemorative postage stamps to mark the 50th anniversary of Earhart's crash landing, even though the U.S. government has always classified Earhart's disappearance as an unsolved mystery.

Positively identifying a person with their back to the camera seems dubious, but the filmmakers compared the woman's frame to pictures of Earhart to conclude that a match was possible. And they brought in facial recognition experts to provide compelling evidence that a man pictured in the front of the photo is Fred Noonan, Earhart's only co-pilot on the flight  it looks like a match, right down to Noonan's distinctive receding hairline and prominent nose. Lee Kinney, a retired government investigator who has spent two decades tracking the long-cold Earhart case, told NBC News this week that the image "clearly indicates that Earhart was captured by the Japanese."

Others disagree, however, and point to the fact that there is no date on the photo, even though the documentarians claim it was taken in 1937. A spokesman for the National Archives told the website Gizmodo that there is no way to officially determine when the photograph was taken.



Despite the headlines, there is no confirmation on either a date or content in the photograph from the National Archives, said James P. Pritchett, the National Archives director of public and media communications. As online discussion and debate raged among amateur sleuths this week, the Archives posted the photo (front and back, though the back contains only the word "Confidential") to its web site to allow people to examine it for themselves.

After all the 80th anniversary hoopla, the only certainty seems to be that people remain fascinated by Earhart's flight and unknown fate. In addition to the History Channel documentary, a new episode of the Smithsonian Channel's America in Color series  including never-before-seen color footage of Earhart's departure  premieres Sunday night at 8 p.m. ET.
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'That's madam governor to you': Record 12 women elected to serve in 2023
June 26, 2017

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani spoke with the emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, and stressed the expansion of their ties amid a Saudi-led effort to politically and economically isolate the tiny country in the Persian Gulf.

During the phone call on June 25, Rouhani said, Helping Qatars economy and expanding relations  especially in the private sector between the two countries  can be a joint goal. Iran has been reportedly sending 1,100 tons of fruits and vegetables to Qatar daily ever since Saudi Arabia blocked off its borders to the country, according to Irans directors of ports in Bushehr province. Qatars only land border is with Saudi Arabia.

Rouhani noted that he sees a continuous relationship between Iran and Qatar and that there is a great deal of capacity to strengthen ties.

On the crisis between Qatar and Saudi Arabia, which has dragged in regional states as well as Western countries, Rouhani said, We believe if a dispute takes place between regional countries, pressure, threats and sanctions is not the path to resolve the dispute. He added that Iran is ready to help to reduce tensions.

However, one of the 13 demands that the team of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain presented to Qatar is that they cut all relations with Iran. Other demands included they shutter Al Jazeera news network, suspend cooperation with those groups designated as terrorists and pay Saudi Arabia reparations.

Rouhani also said the blockade on Qatar is unacceptable for our country. Our airspace, seas and land will be open to Qatar as a brotherly and neighborly country.

Thani said that his country is ready to expand ties and work together to resolve problems facing Muslim countries, noting, The Islamic world is in a challenging situation and to resolve problems wise leaders and dialogue are needed.

Based on the phone conversation between the Iranian and Qatari leadership just days after the Saudi list of demands was published shows that Qatar so far is refusing to cut ties with Tehran. The Saudi demand that Qatar stop plans to build a Turkish military base in the country has irked Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who said the demands were against international law. Erdogan continued that to ask Turkey to pull out its troops from Qatar is disrespectful behavior toward us.

Ankaras reaction has caught the attention of Irans media. Erdogans comments in support of Qatar made headlines on a number of Iranian websites. Comments by Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu that the imposed blockade on Qatar is a humanitarian mistake also made headlines.

Some Iranian websites even had fun with the new trade relations between Qatar and Iran. Mashregh News published the tweet from a popular Qatari account that showed a picture of an Iranian yogurt drink with the caption, Iranian Safavid yogurt is delicious  a joke in reference to sectarian slurs that refer to Iranians as Safavids, the 16th-century Iranian dynasty that expanded Shiism.
July 3, 2017

CAIRO  Despite a recent news report, the Coptic Church of Egypt has no intention of arming or training its parishioners to fight, according to Bishop Anba Makarios, the top Coptic Orthodox cleric in Minya governorate.

Terrorist attacks on St. Mark Church in Alexandria, St. George Church in Tanta and St. Peter and St. Paul Church in Cairo have led to widespread fears of recurring violence. In a society highly sensitive to the dangers posed by militias, controversy flared after Al-Dostor reported June 20, Well-informed church sources revealed that the Egyptian Interior Ministry denied a request from Coptic Church leaders to provide church scouts with military training and training on carrying weapons following the attacks on Copts in Minya last month.

Observers said it's possible that some individuals, even individual clergymen, in the church called for arming groups of Christian young people after the attack, but if they did so, it was without the church's permission. These young people are members of the church scouts  known as kashaafa in Arabic  a youth group designed to build character by providing training in social skills, creativity and self-reliance.

Church leaders have stressed their opposition to having scouts carry weapons, undergo military training or play any formal security role.

The Interior Ministry did indeed extend to the church leadership an offer, which was rejected, to provide military training to members of the scouts, who provide assistance to church members and visitors. After the terror attacks, Egyptian police began closely screening attendees at some churches before services. The scouts help streamline the process by identifying regular parishioners, who are then subject to less scrutiny. Sometimes scouts might also help search bags and keep their eyes open for anything unusual.

In a June 17 statement, Makarios said the church had turned down an offer from the Minya Security Directorate to select a group of church scouts to be trained at the Interior Ministry's Department of Civil Protection in responsee to attacks on churches.

Makarios said the church fears that sick-minded people might interpret such training as an attempt by the church to form an armed military wing, something the church categorically rejects.

Some had previously accused the church of storing weapons, but the destruction of dozens of churches in different governorates across the country" in recent years "has proven conclusively that this is not true," Makarios said. "Terrorists did not find any weapons, or they would have immediately revealed them. If churches had weapons stored on their premises, logically they would have used them to defend themselves during attacks."

Makarios went on, Scouts do not assume the role of police, whether inside or outside church premises.  Securing church premises is the responsibility of police, while young scouts assist internally and distinguish between the church community members and outsiders."

The Rev. Boulos Halim, a spokesman for the Orthodox Church, also denied the claims by Al-Dostor about church leaders asking the ministry to arm the scouts.

He told Al-Monitor, The bishop of Minya turned down the offer to train church scouts and denied any accusations and allegations that the church is seeking to obtain weapons. This is the stance of the entire Orthodox Church. He said it doesn't make sense for church leaders to decline training and then three days later demand that the Interior Ministry provide scouts with weapons.

Any training the scouts receive relates to organizational matters, such as how to escort guests on church visits and identifying strangers or suspicious persons  it is not security training. Organizational training relates to identifying and reporting dangers, while security training involves repelling and dealing with these dangers. The latter is the job of the police, so we are opposed to training [scouts] in these matters, he added.

A source close to the church told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity, Some church leaders may have separately demanded that the ministry arm scouts, but this does not reflect the opinion of the Orthodox Church leadership, which would never make such a request.

Retired Col. Khaled Okasha, director of the National Center for Security Studies, told Al-Monitor the churches are vulnerable because security is disorganized. Terrorists were able to enter churches through the security gaps created by tasking numerous parties with protecting and securing church premises, such as the Interior Ministry, church scouts and church administrative security. Reorganization is needed and security services and tasks should be entrusted only to the Interior Ministry to avoid any confusion," he said.

Mustafa Alawi, a political science professor at Cairo University, also denied that church scouts are forming militias. I think the military training offer was limited to the basics of ensuring security and protection of facilities, such as how to deal with suspected explosives or use electronic devices to detect weapons, metals and explosive materials, he said.

Like Okasha, Alawi said it would be best for the Interior Ministry and church leaders to change how church premises are secured by making the ministry responsible for this task inside and outside churches, so as not to burden scouts with a responsibility that they are not prepared for, putting their lives at risk.
July 6, 2017

Business is increasingly intermixed with politics in Irans relations with the world  to the potential detriment to both. For instance, recent developments in bilateral ties indicate that Irans longtime economic partner Germany is keen to take advantage of the opening provided by the nuclear deal. At a June 27 meeting with his Iranian counterpart in Berlin, German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel said his country is eager to bring investment into Iran. However, Gabriel made the latter conditional on further efforts by Tehran to help end regional political crises. The strongest European economy is thus in effect offering the investment Iran needs to create jobs in exchange for the country's playing a constructive role in the Syria, Yemen and Lebanon crises.

These types of demands for change in Irans regional policies have escalated in recent months. Some of them are considered in Tehran as violating the spirit of the nuclear deal. Nonetheless, the fact of the matter is that the Islamic Republic is not in a good bargaining position on the global political stage. This is particularly the case since the Iranian economy remains in bad shape. Although there is a fragile recovery, there is a need for major foreign investment to be able to create a million jobs per year through 2022, as projected in the countrys sixth five-year development plan.

Iranian officials say the country needs to attract $50 billion in foreign direct investment annually; this would be 11.7% of gross domestic product. In comparison, this figure was 1.9% in 2003, when no nuclear-related sanctions against Iran were in place. As such, it is clear that expectations dwarf the real investment Iran has so far attracted in the post-sanctions era. In the last Iranian year, which ended March 20, the administration of President Hassan Rouhani managed to approve $9.1 billion worth of foreign investment proposals. However, only $3.1 billion of the amount was actually transferred to the country in the same year, the official Islamic Republic News Agency reported May 15, citing Mohammad Khazaei, head of the Organization for Investment, Economic and Technical Assistance. This trend has been apparent since the implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. Between January 2016 and June 2017, the Iranian government approved over $13 billion in investment agreements with foreign partners. Although the majority of the amount has not yet been transferred into the country, incumbent moderates see it as an unprecedented achievement that can fund some of the 165 projects the government has put forward for foreign investment.

Irans mining industry is widely believed to be one of the key potential fields for investment. Most recently, the deputy minister of industries, mines and trade, Mehdi Karbasian, announced that the ministry plans to attract $30 billion in foreign investment  nearly $3.5 billion per year on average  for the development of the mining sector by 2025. The figure, however, is almost twice the average total annual foreign investment trickling into Iran  $2 billion  in the past two decades. To make the impossible possible, administration officials appear to have realized that they need to consider the political concerns of the West as a prerequisite for the expansion of economic ties with the world  although domestic hard-liners still remain a major obstacle to such a reconciliation. Karbasian acknowledged that attracting foreign investment would be possible only after engagement with the world, as quoted by the Iranian Students' News Agency on June 28.

Political flexibility has to some extent worked out for Iran, bringing the Islamic Republic out of isolation. For instance, Spain and Germany have surpassed China as top investors in the country in the post-sanctions era, indicating that the Europeans appear to be moving to gain a fair share of the Iranian market. The major remaining obstacle thus appears to be outstanding political disputes between Iran and Europe. Given that many of these disputes have roots in geopolitical conflicts of interest, no permanent solution is on the horizon. Germany and other European giants are well aware of the latter. Yet their rhetoric suggests that they are attempting to use Irans weak economic standing to press for Tehran to abandon some of its foreign policy posturing.

Conditioning of trade and investment will not necessarily lead to the desired foreign policy adjustments. Indeed, European leaders should not overlook that Rouhanis authority is limited. Pushing through the nuclear deal and the softer approaches toward the West cost the Iranian president a major portion of his political capital, and the relatively meager dividends so far have not reinforced his position. Given that Rouhani will clearly not be an eternal opportunity, Western states ought to make better use of the remainder of his tenure.

If they fail to convince the Iranian public and political groups that their approach is capable of sustainably reviving the economy, the incumbent moderates might be replaced by politicians who do not favor rapprochement with the West. Of note, in the days before the May 19 presidential election, there was a discernible sentiment among voters that Rouhanis main hard-line rival would reverse the incumbents foreign policy achievements if elected. As such, unless Rouhani seriously revives the economy during his second term, there is a danger of a bitter setback for both the country and the world.

The Iranian government is actively seeking to expand trade and economic relations with Europe, but it expects its European partners to maintain a reasonable balance between pressure and incentives. Foreign investment in Irans petrochemical, green energy, environment, transportation and automotive sectors is seen by many Iranians as not only a win-win proposition, but also a potential crutch for the countrys fragile young democracy. In other words, more than ever, European leaders ought to recalibrate their approach to doing business with Iran, adopting a longer term vision that looks beyond the immediate policy changes that are sought and focuses on the fruits of entrenched moderation within the Iranian political system. Perhaps more importantly, European leaders should also consider how their actions might affect who is selected as Rouhani's successor, should their pressure for change in Irans foreign policy behavior not square up with offered incentives, thus undermining the president.
July 6, 2017

The enthusiastic response to the fact that the two candidates who will take part in the second round of Labor Party primaries on July 10 are from Mizrahi origins does an injustice to Knesset members Amir Peretz and Avi Gabbay. It ensures that the old debate over ethnic issues remains within the boundaries of an outdated political discourse and diminishes the candidates' achievements.

It is no coincidence that Shas Party Chairman Aryeh Deri was quick to jump on the Mizrahi bandwagon. He responded to the two candidates' victory with this festive tweet: "Forget about politics and political blocs. The very fact that the Labor Party, the party that continues the legacy of [the predominantly Ashkenazi] Mapai party, elected Peretz and Gabbay tells us that weve made significant headway on the Mizrahi issue."

Deri heads an ultra-Orthodox Mizrahi party. He was the foremost campaigner to bring ethnic discrimination to the forefront of the political discourse. He did it for the past three decades, and he continues to do it today. Without that festering sense of victimhood, Shas would lose the very reason for its existence. When Deri congratulates the Ashkenazi Labor Party, he is bringing the ethnic demon to the forefront again and perpetuating it.

Deri should have been more precise. Gabbay and Peretz were not the first Mizrahim chosen to lead the Labor Party. Late Minister Benjamin Ben Eliezer, who was born in Iraq, did it in the early 2000s. Peretz, who was born in Morocco, already once headed the party after defeating Shimon Peres, one of the most powerful icons of the Ashkenazi Mapai establishment, in 2005.

So what actually happened now? Gabbay and Peretz were able to defeat the Ashkenazi candidates  two (ousted Labor Party head Isaac Herzog and Knesset member Omer Bar-Lev) of whom were Mapai "princes"  and the reason they won was not their Mizrahi origins. Peretz won because he is planted deeply within the party establishment. He has political, diplomatic and security experience as a former defense minister (2006-2007). As for Gabbay, he was the "hot new item," the freshest product on the shelf. At 50, he is a relatively young candidate who has already succeeded financially. During their campaigns, both men claimed that they knew how to attract new communities of voters from the periphery  or in other words, Mizrahi Likud voters. But at the same time, that was not their ticket to the second round of primaries. The candidates they faced were simply less impressive and less able to win mass support. As for Herzog, the current party chairman who was deposed, he paid the price for his feeble performance as chairman of the opposition.

Neither Peretz nor Gabbay have any need to wave about their Mizrahi identity. It is evident in their very names, which were never changed to Hebrew in their bios, and even in the culture that they bring with them. Gabbay didn't need to be photographed with his Moroccan mother singing in the polling station during the primaries in an attempt to send an unspoken message to "new communities of voters." He should not be branded as a "the fresh and young Mizrahi" against Peretz, something he himself hints at privately according to political sources.

Gabbay deserves to be assessed on the basis of his talents and skills. Voters should ask whether he is capable of leading the State of Israel and making decisions concerning matters that he was never anywhere near handling. In contrast, Peretz is far more experienced, but he already ran for the office of prime minister and failed.

Now more than ever, with two Mizrahi candidates competing for the leadership of the most Ashkenazi party in Israel's history, any excessive focus or promotion of their ethnic origins  whether by them or by the people surrounding them, whether overtly or covertly  will only end up harming them. It might diminish their abilities to attract Likud supporters, and it belittles them when, in fact, they have many more abilities than that.

Apart from ultra-Orthodox Shas supporters, Mizrahim do not constitute a homogeneous community driven by a herd mentality. Anyone who treats their votes like that will only end up distancing them.

From a symbolic perspective, the election of Peretz and Gabbay is a very interesting development. The 2017 model of the Labor Party is the current incarnation of the historically Ashkenazi Mapai party. The ethnic vote was an open secret in the Labor Party, particularly in its strongholds in the kibbutzim and in cities along the central coast where there is an Ashkenazi majority. Peretz himself is proof of this. When he was elected head of the Labor Party in 2005, he lost several seats, which in language less than politically correct could be described as "white/Ashkenazi voters." These voters were replaced by new "Mizrahi" supporters from the development towns. At the time, Peretz had the good sense not to talk about that explicitly. The same is true of former Chief of Staff Shaul Mofaz, a member of Israel's Persian community. He also got caught in the ethnic obstacle when he headed Kadima (2012-2013), a party that had a hardcore Mapai base. This "white tribe" had a hard time voting for him despite his talents and skills.

Ever since the assassination of former Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin in 1995, the Labor Party has been unable to find an identity. It has changed leaders, forged new alliances and appointed inexperienced candidates as its leaders, like they did in 2013 when they elected Shelly Yachimovich to head the party. Time after time, Labor suffered disappointment and defeat at the ballot box.

The ethnic issue is not the key to Labor becoming an alternative to the Likud, and it must not be allowed to become that. The party will be judged by the ability of the person who leads it to convince the public that he has a path of his own and can be trusted when it comes to security matters. Mizrahim vote for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu precisely for that reason and because the Likud has been able to provide them with a home that meets their emotional and cultural needs  not because of Netanyahu's ethnic origins. Former prime ministers of the Likud, such as Menachem Begin, Yitzhak Shamir, Ariel Sharon and Netanyahu, were all perceived as strong leaders. People believed that they could be trusted to handle Israel's most complex security and diplomatic affairs.

That is why any candidate with the ambition and pretension to head the government of Israel will not focus attention on his ethnic origins. In the case of Mizrahi politicians, however, the temptation to do so is strong. By promoting their ethnic origins, they hope to evoke an emotional and cultural reaction among voters they want to attract. Nevertheless, Israelis have proven time and again that when they elect a prime minister, they still consider security matters the most important gauge in making their decision.

Gabbay and Peretz are looking ahead to the next election and presenting themselves as viable opponents to Netanyahu. The unspoken message of each candidate that they know how to attract Likud supporters because of their ethnic origins only serves to belittle them. Some things never need to be said or even insinuated. If they are true, they simply happen.

Gabbay and Peretz must explain to the public why they are better candidates than Netanyahu or head of the centrist Yesh Atid Party Yair Lapid to lead Israel in these turbulent times in a changing Middle East, when negotiations with the Palestinians are at a standstill. And they have to prove that they can do a better job handling the Israeli economy.
July 6, 2017

Iraqi Minister of Planning Salman al-Jumaili, in an interview with Al-Monitor from his office in Baghdad, said that his country will require a massive amount of funds to rebuild the areas liberated from Islamic State (IS) control. While he noted that it was too early to arrive at a precise estimate, he estimated the amount would be around $100 billion, adding that this figure includes all the areas that were damaged during the presence of [IS], either by direct occupation or due to terrorist acts.

Jumaili also addressed poverty in the country and methods by which the government is tackling it. While the minister said poverty rates had been on the decline leading into 2014, the rise of IS shifted this and poverty increased, particularly in Ninevah, Salahuddin and Anbar provinces. The minister also commented on the current financial crisis, saying that while the fact that the country will recover is a given.  The question is how long it will take to get over such a tough, deep and complicated crisis.

A transcript of the interview follows.

Al-Monitor: What is the level of damage left by the fighting with IS? And how much money will Iraq need to rebuild the areas affected?

Jumaili: It is too soon to talk accurately about the level of damage at this point, but the damage to the infrastructure and state institutions alone between 2004 and 2016 has been set at 42 trillion Iraqi dinars [$36 billion], 60% of it between 2014 and 2016. Regarding the scale of the damage to private property, it is very large, and there are committees charged with estimating it and working out its actual scale.

Different areas are damaged to different degrees depending on how much fighting took place there and because the military operations to liberate territories are ongoing. Some areas have still not been liberated, so figures on the scale of destruction will be lacking until those operations are finished.

Iraq needs $100 billion to rebuild the liberated areas, a figure that includes all areas that were damaged during the presence of Daesh [IS], either by direct occupation or due to terrorist acts, so the funds will be allocated according to the scale of the damage in each province.

Al-Monitor: Have you put in place a plan and timeline for repairing the liberated areas? How much participation do you expect from the international community?

Jumaili: I have prepared a paper on the general framework of the national plan for reconstruction and development for the areas affected by terrorist operations. It covers 10 years [2018-2027], and the funds needed were estimated at $100 billion over a decade. This plan will be carried out on three simultaneous tracks: the human development and social track, the basic infrastructure track, and the economic development track.

Iraq depends a lot on international support in light of the economic crisis it is facing. There will be meetings soon with donor states, most importantly the donor conference hosted by Kuwait in the coming months. We are hoping for good international support to result from that conference.

Al-Monitor: There were reports that the poverty level has risen in Iraq. What official statistics do you have? And when was the ministrys last survey? What are the reasons for the rise in poverty?

Jumaili: The rate of poverty had fallen to 15% by the start of 2014, but because of the twin shock of IS and the fall in the oil price, poverty began rising again to reach 22.5% by the end of the year. It rose to 41% in the Ninevah, Salahuddin and Anbar provinces.

The last survey in Iraq was in early 2015, and the level of poverty was 31% in the southern provinces, 17% in the center, 12% in Baghdad, 17% in Diyala and Kirkuk, and 13% in the Kurdish regions. Hopefully a new survey can be done to work out the levels of poverty in Iraq this year or early next year, as the issue is linked to stability in the liberated areas.

Al-Monitor: At what income level does Iraq set the poverty line? Does it follow international standards? Or does it set its criteria according to domestic social and economic conditions?

Jumaili: An income of 105,000 dinars [around $90] per person per month was set as the poverty line, meaning that an individual whose income averaged more than that figure is not considered in poverty. But if the persons income is under that, he is considered impoverished. And that figure takes into account the need for calories and the basics needed for subsistence.

Defining the poverty line and basic human needs is done with international experts from the World Bank and the World Food Program. It should be mentioned that most of the poor are close to the poverty line. The 2016 survey on food security in Iraq found that 2.5% of the countrys residents are not food-secure, most of them living in the countryside.

Al-Monitor: What is Iraqs population density today? And why has there not been a census in Iraq for almost 20 years? When will there be one?

Jumaili: Iraqs population was estimated at 37,883,543 in 2017. A census was planned in 2009 after a count and inventory of the countrys buildings and installations, but because of political interference in the census and a dispute over the naming of certain national groups, as well as a fear that the results of the census would be used for political purposes, the project was dropped in the second stage  the counting of Iraqis at home and abroad  and the numbers from the count and inventory were used to give us a good idea of the population in 2009 and estimates for the following years.

Al-Monitor: Does the standardization and quality control agency play its basic role in the life of the Iraqi consumer? Or has it rolled back its work and become prey to political quota-setting?

Jumaili: In order to control the quality of goods imported into Iraq, the agency made a deal with several international testing agencies to start implementing a program for pre-emptive testing of goods in their home countries, which has been running for four years. The four companies test goods for export to Iraq before their export and they issue certificates of conformity to Iraqi standards. Using dedicated laboratories, they have issued more than 130,000 certificates for half a million trucks for delivery to Iraq. Under a deal signed with these companies, the agency is monitoring their performance through random testing of goods coming through the borders to check up on their performance.

Al-Monitor: There are many informal housing areas, or slums, in Iraq. What numbers does your ministry have on these areas? And what is your plan for tackling them without making their residents homeless?

Jumaili: According to statistics gathered by the central statistics authority in 2013, informal housing accounts for 7% of total housing in Iraq and their residents make up 8% of the population.

Given that these areas are wells of poverty, the high steering committee that was set up to tackle this problem launched a national project to renovate these areas. A roadmap was put forward by the Cabinet under decision 279 in 2015, which adopted solutions and sustainable ways of tackling the phenomenon from four main angles: technical and administrative, legal and legislative, financial, and institutional.

Al-Monitor: What is the level of trade between Iraq and the rest of the world? And what are Iraqs main trading partners? Has Iraqs high level of imports affected the countrys economy?

Jumaili: The Iraqi market is flooded with imported goods, which has lowered local production of goods due to the inability of local producers to compete. Furthermore, the wheels of production for most local manufactured goods, factories and workshops, especially in the private sector, have stopped. That has been reflected in growing levels of unemployment due to workers being laid off.

Iraqs top trading partners for goods other than oil in 2015 were China with $8.5 billion and the United Arab Emirates with $6.5 billion.

Al-Monitor: Do you think Iraq can recover from its financial crisis? And can the conditions set by the World Bank for the coming years be a basis for a strong economic plan for the future?

Jumaili: That Iraq can recover from its financial crisis is a given, but the question is how long it will take to get over such a tough, deep and complicated crisis. The collapse in the oil price meant the states income fell by 70%, while terrorist threats required massive defense spending as well as the burden of displaced people and immigrants.

The Iraqi government has taken several measures in the last two years, including a review of investment spending and the canceling of many investment projects and finding new sources of finance thanks to the help of the international community and the provision of several low-interest loans. All these steps have helped tackle and shorten the crisis.

The gradual improvements we can see in the global oil price mean that there is an opportunity for a better Iraqi economy in the future, especially given that Iraq has many investment opportunities and the resources it needs to put in place a suitable economic plan that will help it create a better economy in the future.

Al-Monitor: How would you describe the investment situation in Iraq? Do you think it has an attractive or hostile climate for foreign investment? Why have investment opportunities reportedly fallen?

Jumaili: Iraq is an attractive destination for investment for several reasons due to its natural conditions. Furthermore, its investment climate is able to absorb investment projects, both local and overseas, because of the vast damage that has hit the countrys infrastructure as well as the shutdown of many productive activities.

Despite these advantages and the opportunities Iraq offers, there are some barriers, most importantly the security situation in all its complexity and the legislation and laws that are needed to provide a legal environment suitable for investors.
July 6, 2017

The Hammam al-Alil spa  historical baths near Mosul  has hosted an average of 200 people every day since its reopening in April. But this is still a far cry from its days of glory, when thousands of people came to the hot springs and the beautiful scenery around it every day.

The clientele, mostly locals and the soldiers in the region, pay an entry fee to the spa of 1,000 Iraqi dinars, about 85 US cents.

Hammam al-Alil, which literally means bath of the ailing," is 21 miles (34 kilometers) south of Mosul. The town was liberated Nov. 5 from the control of the Islamic State (IS), which captured it in June 2014. After the liberation, the Iraqi fighters who liberated the town were the first to bathe in its hot springs, and photos of their doing so circulated in the media. Then, displaced people from Mosul and Iraqis from other parts of the country started flowing into the area to enjoy the spas sulfur springs, mud baths and the beautiful scenery without waiting for a full restoration of the spa and the town.

Before IS' occupation of the area, Hammam al-Alil spa was a major attraction for health tourism, with visitors coming from inside Iraq and abroad, according to the director of the Hammam al-Alil district, Khalaf al-Jabbouri.

Jabbouri told Al-Monitor, The visitors first destination in the area is to the spa and the treatment center; then, re-energized, they go sightseeing and join tours of the picturesque natural surroundings. The area used to receive thousands of visitors a week.

The revenue from health tourism was a major contributor to the citys economy before the IS occupation. There were projects to expand and develop the spa, adding saunas and modern hotels, as well as bringing in specialists in medical treatment and establishing sophisticated treatment centers, he said.

But now the town and the spa need a major overhaul before they can get back to their pre-destruction state and attract more visitors. He said now that the town is liberated, "the resorts are attracting more and more people. If the security in the region improves, we can have an average of about 500 people a day. If each visitor pays about a dollar for the entry fee, which is a modest amount, we can return to the heyday of the spa, he said.

Jabbouri said it is inevitable that the refugees who now use Hammam al-Alil will be replaced by tourists. There are hundreds of refugees who have fled from IS to Hammam al-Alil camp. They visit the spa for treatment, overcrowding the place for tourists, he added. When security and stability are restored across Ninevah province, the displaced will return home and the military presence in the city will decrease. This, in turn, will boost tourism.

His target is to reach 1,000 tourists a month, which he thinks can happen if the area, greatly damaged by IS and the war against the Islamist forces, can be completely rehabilitated.

Faleh al-Shammari, head of the Ninevah Antiquity Department, underlined that the presence of the spa has in the past boosted the number of tourists visiting archaeological sites nearby. Al-Alil spa contributed to the increased numbers of visitors to Ninevah archeological sites. People who visit for medical tourism dedicate part of their itinerary to visit historic landmarks, he said.

Sulfur springs have existed in northern Iraq since ancient times, and people started using them after they found out their effect in the treatment of diseases, Shammari said. The ancient inhabitants of Ninevah, according to historical information and writing on artifacts, used to visit the springs in Hammam al-Alil to heal themselves, especially in times of epidemics and wars.

Shammari said the sources of mineral waters are under the Tigris River, from where water emerges to the surface through several springs near the riverbanks. The outflowing water is nearly boiling. These waters have existed for hundreds of years in the area. The authorities established the medical treatment spa to benefit from the hot springs. The resort was built in the 1970s and has spacious halls and water-fed pools from the springs through pipes and pumps. There are separate rooms for men and women, he said.

Shammari added, People are also keen on visiting archaeological sites in Hammam al-Alil, most notably Tal al-Sabet, which is rumored to help young women get married sooner rather than later.

Some scientific studies maintain that the sulfur water in different regions of the world contains dissolved minerals, considered an appropriate treatment for many chronic diseases such as rheumatism, arthritis and some skin diseases such as psoriasis. Some studies indicate that the waters might also help stimulate blood circulation, heal wounds, sterilize the body from germs and relax muscles.

Younis Mahmoud Abdullah, an employee at the water treatment center in al-Alil Spa, told Al-Monitor that both the baths and the town need work to restore the old times. Some necessary work needs to be done, such as getting rid of weeds, reforestation, restoring old buildings and the Corniche road along the bank of the Tigris. Should the situation remain the same, the number of visitors will remain low, Abdullah said.

Nahla al-Hababi, a legislator for Ninevah, told Al-Monitor that the spa resort needs a facelift through strategic planning. The pictures published by Reuters showing people bathing in natural hot springs shifted the worlds attention to the historical springs, she said.

Another project is underway to restore al-Alil spa, turning it into a tourist attraction, with special emphasis on health tourism, including expanding its rooms, renewing the pipelines, restoring hotels and establishing hotels, in addition to linking the different resorts with modern pathways along the banks of the Tigris River, she added, noting that this would boost tourism and create job opportunities for the locals who suffered under the fighting.
July 7, 2017

The office of Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat announced July 6 that it expected approval for the construction of 800 new housing units in neighborhoods across the Green Line, but the statement received very little attention. The White House has not condemned the move, even though Barkat said in his statement, "Construction in Jerusalem is necessary, important and will continue in full force so as to enable more young people to live in Jerusalem, build their future there and strengthen the capital of Israel."

The plan includes the Jewish neighborhoods of Pisgat Zeev, Neve Yaakov, Ramot and Gilo, in addition to the construction of 114 housing units in East Jerusalem. Still, this number is minuscule, considering the housing crisis in the city's Arab neighborhoods, and certainly when compared to the planned scope of construction in its Jewish neighborhoods.

Netanyahu's office was informed of the construction plan and gave it the green light, so that this was not a case of Barkat taking advantage of the situation. The procedure for updating the prime minister went into effect in 2010, during the Barack Obama administration. It was instigated by a serious crisis that broke out between Netanyahu and the White House, following an announcement that construction of 1,600 housing units in East Jerusalem had been approved. That announcement was made on the day that Vice President Joe Biden arrived in Israel for an official visit in March 2010. The Americans were furious. Netanyahu claimed he knew nothing about it. To appease the Americans, he ordered the creation of a committee to investigate the chain of events that led to the approval.

Tracking Netanyahu's attitude toward construction in the settlements ever since he was elected in 2009 is a fascinating exercise. It reveals that he adopts the same tactic time and again, maneuvering between the Israeli hard right and the US administration.

Unlike the chairman of pro-settlement HaBayit HaYehudi, Naftali Bennett, Netanyahu is not an ideologue who advocates construction in the West Bank. Nevertheless, as leader of the right, he is expected to show that he identifies with the settlement enterprise and is taking action to support it. On the other hand, Netanyahu is also well aware of how sensitive the international community and the United States in particular are to anything to do with construction across the 1967 Green Line, which is considered detrimental to the implementation of a two-state solution.

During the Obama administration, the White House showed zero tolerance toward construction in the settlements. For his part, Netanyahu agreed to freeze construction in the West Bank as proof of how serious he is to advancing the idea of a two-state solution, as he declared in his Bar Ilan speech in 2009. As far as the right was concerned, it was nothing less than a disaster.

The freeze lasted 10 months, during which Israel kept its commitment. Even after that period, however, Netanyahu continued to act in a balanced manner. He showed restraint and would not allow a frenzy of construction across the Green Line.

The prime minister is using the same tactic today, during the Donald Trump administration. With the end of the Obama administration, the settler right, led by Bennett, called for a new wave of construction and annexation in the territories, arguing that Trump was pro-settler and that this was a historic window of opportunity, which they would probably never see again. To their chagrin, Netanyahu was unwilling to remove all restraints. He showed moderation, even before Trump asked him to do so.

Right after Trump's inauguration, the Municipality of Jerusalem took the symbolic step of approving the construction of 566 housing units in Jewish neighborhoods in East Jerusalem. It was a measured step, taken with Netanyahu's knowledge. Several weeks later, Netanyahu took steps to block a law proposed by Bennett to annex the settlement town of Maale Adumim by presenting the Cabinet with plans to build new housing in the settlement blocs. At the time, he explained that it was important that the Israeli government not surprise the new US administration with an annexation proposal. Bennett was appeased and Netanyahu scored another successful maneuver to his credit.

Netanyahu and Minster of Defense Avigdor Liberman later approved the planning and construction of 2,500 housing units in the West Bank. Nevertheless, settlement umbrella organization the Yesha Council responded that the program was deceptive, as it failed to meet the settlers' needs. Once again, they called on the government to approve all construction plans already on the shelf and to release construction tenders throughout the entire territory of Judea, Samaria and the Jordan Valley.

From his perspective, Netanyahu once again showed his commitment to construction in the settlements. At the same time, however, he made sure not to get carried away. He restrained himself even before Trump asked him to do so explicitly, during the prime minister's visit to the White House in February. "We will make an effort and assess it," Netanyahu responded to Trump at the time.

One month later, the Cabinet approved the construction of a new settlement, the first in two decades, for the Amona settlement evacuees. At the same time, Netanyahu notified his ministers of the marketing of 2,000 housing units out of the 5,700 units planned for the West Bank.

As a result, the White House said that Trump expressed his concerns about the settlements both publicly and privately. Netanyahu got the message and immediately presented his Cabinet with the understandings he had reached with the US administration to restrain construction in the settlements. At the time, his office announced that in consideration of the president's positions, Israel would take significant steps to limit construction sites beyond the existing allotted to construction in the settlements, all in an effort to advance the peace process. Furthermore, it was announced that Israel would not allow the creation of any new illegal outposts.

Netanyahu informed his Cabinet about the new policy, which took the position of the US president into consideration. He stressed to his ministers that the Trump administration will be keeping close tabs on its implementation and that "the policy of restraint should be implemented. We should not try to deceive the Americans, because they know about every house that is built in the settlements."

In advance of Trump's May visit to Israel, Netanyahu's office even ordered that a discussion about construction in the settlements be postponed to avoid a conflict with the Whitehouse.

So far, Netanyahu has managed to maneuver successfully. He can use the pressure applied to him by Bennett to show the Americans how complicated his situation is, given the demands of his right-wing coalition partners. At the same time, in dealing with the settlers, he uses Trump's demand to restrain construction and explains why he must act responsibly. He really is a whiz at survival.
July 5, 2017

The Kremlin is seeking to flesh out the idea of creating four de-escalation ("safe") zones in western war-torn Syria while trying to help President Bashar al-Assad regain control of lost territories in the east. When it comes to the west, Moscow is talking about the de facto end of the civil war and aims to covertly weaken the Syrian opposition. As for eastern Syria, Russia is trying hard, though discreetly, to distance itself from the US-Iranian confrontation and preserve communication channels with Washington. It is also advocating decreasing the influence of both the United States and Kurds and urging pro-Kremlin oligarchs to help fix the economy.

Russia's policy in Syria seems successful, and that appearance is meant to impress the Russian population ahead of the 2018 presidential election. In reality, however, Moscow is confronted with a range of problems as it proceeds with its purely tactical plans. Syrian government troops continue fighting in Daraa province, and the Southern Front  the rebel alliance that until recently had hardly opposed the regime  boycotted the fifth round of negotiations in Astana, Kazakhstan, which resumed July 4.

Some Russian analysts, referencing their sources in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Defense, argue that Russian military and political leaders are well aware that Iran and Assad intend to prevent the UN's peace plan from succeeding. (The UN Security Council unanimously adopted the plan, Resolution 2254, in late 2015.) The analysts worry that Tehran and Damascus might try to convince Moscow to not cooperate as well.

Russia openly stands by its allies. For instance, to justify the Syrian governments blocking of Tabqa, Moscow went so far as to accuse the United States and the Kurds allied with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) of colluding with the Islamic State (IS). Moreover, Russia has warned that it will target US planes flying west of the Euphrates  though US aircraft hardly ever operate there anyway.

One of the weakest points of Russias de-escalation zone plan is the problem of how to fight radical forces if Assad would have to launch an offensive through territory controlled by moderate opposition, given that Assad and moderates have signed a truce. The exacerbation of relations between the Kurds and Assads forces will give Turkey more leeway regarding Idlib, positioned deep in enclaves controlled by the radical opposition alliance Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). Yet such exacerbation would discourage new players from engaging in the peace settlement, which the Kremlin would have welcomed.

Turkey is dissatisfied with the outcome of Operation Euphrates Shield. Ankara was only able to secure an area of 2,015 square kilometers (778 square miles) in northern Aleppo  half the planned area of 5,000 square kilometers (1,931 square miles). The operation also failed to dissuade the new US administration from relying on the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) during the storming of Raqqa. During the Astana talks, Ankara insisted on extending the northern de-escalation zone not only to Idlib province, but also to the adjacent, opposition-held territories in Latakia, Aleppo and Hama. Turkey sees these territories as areas of its potential influence, given that local populations and moderate militant groups there are cooperating with the Turks.

A source close to Russian intelligence services told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity that Moscow has considered two options for Idlib. The first was to back the advancement of pro-Assad forces, which would inevitably trigger escalation, drag Russia further into the Syrian conflict, and affect its foreign policy, economy and internal security. The second option implies close cooperation with Turkey. Ankara is reluctant to welcome new Syrian refugees to its territory, still, it is ready to send its special forces to support the "moderate" rebel groups against HTS in exchange for concessions related to Syrian Kurds.

In Syria's east, the race to maximize territorial gains creates favorable conditions between Damascus and Ankara. Both have difficult relations with the Kurds and could find common ground by cooperating against them.

After the US downing of the Su-22 that allegedly attacked the SDF, the al-Muatasim Brigade  a faction of the Turkey-supported Free Syrian Army,  withdrew from talks with the SDF about al-Muatasim taking over control of 11 villages from the Kurds. Moreover, Assad's troops closed off the Aleppo-Afrin road, while Turkey started redeploying its troops and equipment south and west of Azaz for an offensive against the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) in Tell Rifaat and Afrin.

A source in the Russian Defense Ministry confirmed for Al-Monitor that Moscow and Ankara have coordinated a joint offensive designed to allow Turkey to achieve two goals: weaken the US-supported, Kurdish nationalist Democratic Union Party (PYD), an offshoot of the Kurdistan PKK; and gain a sufficient foothold for further peacekeeping activities against HTS, which isn't a party to the truce.

The preliminary agreement implies that a small group of Russian military advisers will stay in Afrin to act as an intermediary between the Kurds and Assad. In its turn, Turkey will gain control of the sites it deems vital, the source said.

However, it was uncertain whether the agreement addressed 41 PYD/PKK facilities in northern Aleppo province and provided for a corridor from Azaz to Idlib. A corridor would link Turkey's zone of influence north of Aleppo with opposition enclaves in Idlib, which could weaken the Kurds and make them more cooperative with Russia and Assad.

"Moscow is keen to secure Kurdish loyalty to Damascus, and in a way would want to punish Kurds for prioritizing relations with the US over dealings with Syrian and Russian military. But it equally opposes fighting across the entire Afrin canton," the source added.

Ankara is aiming to control only the eastern and southern parts of Afrin canton, to link Idlib with the area recovered during Operation Euphrates Shield. However, the Kurds say Turkey wants to control all of the Afrin canton. If they halt the offensive on the IS stronghold of Raqqa to shift troops to Afrin, that action "could bring about heavy civilian casualties and trigger a tough US response, the source said.

In theory, Turkish troops can't join the operation against the HTS if they are deployed in the safety zone in Idlib. If they were stretched thin trying to do both, the troops would be easy prey for radical groups. Al-Monitor sources in Turkey close to military officials say Ankara is considering establishing several military facilities in Idlib. Turkey would be backed by the opposition troops that previously engaged in Operation Euphrates Shield.

A joint Turkish-Russian military group reportedly has deployed to Sheikh Barakat Mountain on the border of Idlib province. Turkish troops may access Idlib from two areas  either from the border village of Atma to the town of Darat Izza and Sheikh Barakat Mountain west of Aleppo, or through Salqin and Harem. Moscow has no choice but to rely on Turkey in terms of separating opposition groups, which may presuppose the military crackdown on notorious jihadists, as well as lure some non-al-Qaeda groups to join Ahrar al-Sham. Such attempts have been made already, and as the pressure over the HTS continues, some of its fighters may want to join other moderate groups.

However, such complicated scenarios  currently, diverse HTS units control about 80 out of 156 local councils in Idlib  with an ill-conceived cease-fire mechanism undermine Moscows peacekeeping efforts to involve its closest allies from among post-Soviet states: Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.

On June 22, Vladimir Shamanov, the head of Russia's State Duma Defense Committee, said proposals were being worked out for Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, Russias allies in the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), to join the military campaign in Syria. The next day, authorities of both states denied reports about the negotiations. A similar proposal was made to Armenia, whose security forces have long conducted undercover operations in Syria to protect Armenian ethnic enclaves. The Armenian forces accumulated considerable experience in peacekeeping in Iraq, Kosovo, Afghanistan and Lebanon. Kazakhstans peacekeeping battalion took part in minesweeping in Iraq. Even though Astana has used a multifaceted approach and spared no effort to be perceived as a reliable mediator, it can be forced to deploy a small military contingent. Kyrgyzstan can be compelled to follow suit, as Russia has recently written off [Kyrgystan's] new debts, an official from the Russian military-industrial complex told Al-Monitor.

In sum, its possible that if there's a flare-up between the Kurds and Damascus, Turkey may make the most of the situation and take its own actions, reneging on its agreements with Moscow. In turn, Russia may convince CSTO allies of the need to send troops to Syria  even though it wont be easy.

That said, however, Russias position on the Kurds isnt linear. Moscow doesnt strictly oppose a Turkish operation as Turkey's way to make the Kurds pay for their dealings with Washington. Yet the presence of Russian forces in Afrin is still supposed to be a formal demonstration of defending the Kurds, even though the Russian forces wont hamper Turkeys offensive. However, theres a serious risk that outside interference into Idlib will create new alliances in the opposition, not their separation into moderate and radical factions.
July 6, 2017

WASHINGTON  The United States is prepared to deepen coordination with Russia to try to stabilize Syria, and that will be a key topic of discussion when US President Donald Trump meets Russian President Vladimir Putin in Hamburg, Germany, on Friday, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson says.

The United States and Russia certainly have unresolved differences on a number of issues, but we have the potential to appropriately coordinate in Syria in order to produce stability and serve our mutual security interests, Tillerson said Wednesday in a lengthy statement before departing to join Trump at the G-20 meeting in Hamburg.

Trump and Putin are expected to meet for about an hour Friday afternoon on the sidelines of the G-20 summit for the first time since Trump came into office. Plans for the much-anticipated meeting have drawn intense scrutiny amid Trumps reluctance to embrace the US intelligence communitys assessment that the Kremlin interfered in the 2016 US presidential election to boost him and hurt his rival. Whether any Trump campaign associates colluded with the Russian campaign is the subject of multiple investigations by Congress, the FBI and a Justice Department special counsel. Amid the controversy, Syria may ironically turn out to be one of the safer issues for the two leaders to discuss.

Tillerson cited recent progress between the US and Russian militaries to reduce the possibilities of conflict in their operations in Syria and to resolve misunderstandings that have emerged as a reason for increased US willingness to explore increased coordination.

The United States and Russia have already achieved progress in establishing de-confliction zones in Syria that have prevented mutual collateral damage, Tillerson said. Our military leaders have communicated clearly with one another to make sure no accidents occur between our two countries in the Syrian theater.

This cooperation over de-confliction zones process is evidence that our two nations are capable of further progress, Tillerson said. The United States is prepared to explore the possibility of establishing with Russia joint mechanisms for ensuring stability, including no-fly zones, on-the-ground cease-fire observers, and coordinated delivery of humanitarian assistance. If our two countries work together to establish stability on the ground, it will lay a foundation for progress on the settlement of Syria's political future.

Washingtons expressed willingness to consider establishing joint mechanisms with Moscow to conduct Syria stability operations comes amid accelerating gains in the US-backed coalitions operations to seize territory from the so-called Islamic State (IS) in Mosul, Iraq, and Raqqa, Syria, and intensified planning for the day after IS is defeated.

Trump has indicated to subordinates that he wants to finish off IS and get out of Syria, regional experts who consult with the administration tell Al-Monitor.

Trump is against escalation, at least when he calls Tillerson and [Secretary of Defense Jim] Mattis to ask about the recent shoot-downs, a US analyst, speaking not for attribution, told Al-Monitor, referring to incidents in May and June when the United States shot down a Syrian regime war plane near Tabqa, fired on Iranian-backed militias advancing on a US garrison near al-Tanf and shot down an Iranian drone. His guidelines are kill IS and leave with as few troops as possible. Dont own Syria.

Tillersons statement Wednesday reflected the Trump administrations decision to prioritize the fight against IS and to stabilize Syria instead of pushing for regime change against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and confronting Iran in Syria, as some hawks have urged.

Actors in Syria must remember that our fight is with ISIS, Tillerson said. We call upon all parties, including the Syrian government and its allies, Syrian opposition forces, and Coalition forces carrying out the battle to defeat ISIS, to avoid conflict with one another and adhere to agreed geographical boundaries for military de-confliction and protocols for de-escalation.

But Tillerson said Russia has special responsibilities to deliver the Syrian regimes compliance with any cease-fire plan. The United States believes Russia, as a guarantor of the Assad regime and an early entrant into the Syrian conflict, has a responsibility to ensure that the needs of the Syrian people are met and that no faction in Syria illegitimately retakes or occupies areas liberated from ISIS' or other terrorist groups' control, he said. Russia also has an obligation to prevent any further use of chemical weapons of any kind by the Assad regime.

While Russia will welcome further cooperation with the United States on Syria, the Trump administration may find Moscows leverage on Assad and his Iranian allies is more limited than it hopes, said Russia expert Michael Kofman.

There is a strong and unfortunate consistency between the [Trump] administration's approach to the North Korea problem, thinking that China will deliver something it most certainly can't and wont, and what's going on in Syria, Kofman, with the Kennan Institute, told Al-Monitor. There is a widely held and completely baseless belief that Russia is in a position to shape, curtail and otherwise restrict Iranian influence and would do so if properly rewarded.

That is not the case, and this administration is going down the same path as the previous one with notions that Russia can control local or regional actors and, more importantly, would even consider trading a partnership with Iran in exchange for what so far appears to be 'nothing' in terms of what the US president can feasibly deliver, Kofman said. One of the long poles in US policy for Syria seems to be containing Iran, and this will result in a familiar trajectory of completely unreasonable expectations placed on Russia, followed by disappointment and recriminations.

Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis, speaking to reporters en route to Europe last week, said the US military was focused on fighting IS and would avoid getting entangled in Syrias civil war. He alluded to increasingly detailed discussions with the Russians to try to avoid skirmishes between Russian- and Iranian-backed pro-Assad forces and US-led coalition-backed forces on the ground in Syria.

How do you avoid mission creep? Mattis told reporters June 27 on his plane to Germany for a NATO meeting. You stay focused on where the enemy is. And you set up any number of coordination efforts if you're getting near converging forces  either Assad regime or Russian, and we have to assume there are Iranian either officers or Lebanese Hezbollah elements with them.

He said, So what we do is we keep moving against ISIS. We de-conflict with the Russians; it's a very active de-confliction line.  And you just make certain there's open communication: We're here, you're there, we know where you're at.

He said, So we just refuse to get drawn in to a fight there in the Syria civil war. We try to end that one through diplomatic engagement.

With the US-led coalition and Syrian Democratic Forces now focused on liberating Raqqa, pro-Assad forces may intensify their push to try to take Deir ez-Zor, Mattis said. Field commanders using established "de-confliction" lines will help determine when one side or the other needs to shift their allies 10 kilometers south here, five kilometers north there, to avoid skirmishes.

It's probably not going to look that neat, Mattis said of the increasingly complex map of forces in the Euphrates River Valley. You know, it'll be based on where does the river bend here and  which side of the river is a town on there.  So, it may look a little more squiggly.

Following the Trump/Putin discussions in Hamburg on Friday, talks between the Syrian regime and opposition are due to resume in Geneva on Monday, UN Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura said.

In the meantime, talks this week in Astana, Kazakhstan, on implementing an agreement for four Syria "de-escalation" zones, ended July 5 without a signed agreement. The Astana parties, led by Russia, Turkey and Iran, are due to meet there again in August. Stuart Jones, the US acting assistant secretary of state for Near East affairs, attended the Astana meeting as an observer.

De Mistura said it is not surprising that getting agreement on how to reduce violence in the more than 6-year-old Syrian conflict may require more time.

I think you should not be disappointed, de Mistura told journalists at a press conference in Astana on Wednesday. Every step in this discussion, even in Astana, like we have in Geneva, are small steps but are important ones.  What is required now is the implementation, and as you know, as usual, the devil is in the details. So lets not downgrade what we have seen today, which is some progress, but I understand there was more expectations.

Without a political process, even de-escalation is not sustainable, he said.
The Alabama Supreme Court today struck down part of a 2014 jury verdict against Mazda Motor Corporation that stemmed from a fiery 2010 crash that killed one woman and burned another.

In a decision today, the court ruled that punitive damages in the case were not applicable because there was not enough evidence to prove Mazda's fuel tank design for the Mazda 3 was done with no attention to possible design flaws.

The court decision does not affect a $3.9 million verdict for John and Barbara Hurst, the parents of Natalie Hurst, who died in the Nov. 22, 2010 accident.

Sydney McLemore, the driver in the accident, was awarded $3 million in compensatory damages in the verdict. An additional $3 million in punitive damages was struck down.

The crash occurred on Ross Bridge Parkway at about 3 a.m. Hurst was a passenger in a 2008 Mazda 3 that crashed into a power pole in front of Deer Valley Elementary School and caught fire. The 16-year-old driver, McLemore, escaped the vehicle and had burns over 15 percent of her body. Hurst was trapped inside the vehicle and died of burns.

In the 2014 trial, a Bessemer jury awarded $6 million in favor of Sydney McLemore and a $3.9 million verdict for John and Barbara Hurst.

Ben Baker, who represented McLemore, said the accident was a terrible moment for both the McLemore and Hurst families.

"The McLemores are grateful that the Alabama Supreme Court unanimously determined that the evidence established a design defect in the Mazda fuel system," he said. "However, we are disappointed that a majority of the Court did not agree with the jury's determination that punitive damages were appropriate for Mazda's failure to follow written industry fuel system design standards. Had Mazda followed these standards, there would not have been a fire following this wreck."

The Supreme Court largely upheld the 2014 verdict against several challenges by Mazda, whose lawyers had argued an expert witness' testimony on the vehicle design should have been excluded. The suit dealt with the proximity of the vehicle's fuel tank in relation to its steel muffler's protruding edges. The plaintiff's lawyers contended the design contributed to the fire.

However, a majority of the court found that Mazda had not exhibited "wantonness" in its vehicle design, which the plaintiffs' attorneys said contributed to the fatal fire. Associate Justices James Allen Main, Tom Parker and Tommy Bryan stated in a minority opinion they thought "wantonness" had been proven.

McLemore had sought punitive damages under her extended manufacturers' liability doctrine claim.

The court ruled the Hursts' compensatory $3.9 million award was not "constitutionally excessive," as Mazda contended, and was allowed to stand.

This post was edited at 3 p.m. July 7 to correct an error about which part of the damages was struck down and add a comment.
Deft Dynamics' business is hard to pin down.

Their first products to market don't seem to have anything to do with one another: a lightweight AR-15 handguard, and an artificial intelligence device used in racecars.

The owners  Austin Gurley and Ross Wesson  have a long list of ideas they want to bring to market one day, again in totally different industries. One big patent-pending idea is for a cheaper, more efficient design for a way to harvest solar power.

But it goes with the owners' vision for the company, and for their lives: build a business by inventing things.

"All engineers want to make inventions and do this fun part, but no one knows how to sell anything," Gurley said. "That's why this is working so far, and why it's going to work out great. It's half people who are coming up with ideas and half who are selling them."

Gurley and Wesson grew up together until they left for college, Wesson to study finance at the University of Alabama, and Gurley to study engineering at Auburn University. After college, Gurley got his master's in mechanical engineering (he's now a Ph D. candidate at Auburn), and Wesson worked on Wall Street. In his Master's research, Gurley worked on carbon fiber open structures.

So Gurley made a prototype using that technology: a 15-inch structure that can't be crushed with 1,000 pounds, but it's the weight of a Coke can. The products are used for AR-15-style rifles; the open nature of it allows heat to leave the gun quickly. When he was designing the structure, he didn't have the gun applications in mind.

Gurley was in school. Wesson was working full-time in New York. But in January of 2016, the pair took their product to the SHOT Show, a gun industry trade show in Las Vegas, and that's when the business took off. It's sold locally in Hoover Tactical Firearms and Mark's Outdoors, but nationally it's been picked up by larger vendors including Brownell's, one of the country's largest online stores for gun accessories.

That invention  now marketed as Brigand Arms  allowed Gurley and Wesson, both 26, to really launch Deft Dynamics how they envisioned it. They put their own money into the first product, and its sales have allowed the company to launch its second product. Their company is entirely self-funded, and they recently opened their first office in Mountain Brook. Their production is still done in Auburn, where Gurley lives, but they hope to move it up to Birmingham soon. Wesson just moved back to Birmingham in the last few months.

"The momentum that we got from the Brigand Arms business gave me the confidence I needed to quit my job in New York and move back here and do something else," Wesson said. "Deft, the bigger picture, is a platform. We can take really good ideas, inventions and innovations, and not just leave them as good ideas but turn them into products or whole business or intellectual property. The more of these we do, we've fallen into a process. Austin's got a list a mile long of ideas, some that we'll tuck right into Brigand Arms, some into new industries. Apex was the next idea to start developing."

Apex Pro  a product Deft has just recently launched  is a tiny computer you place on a car's dashboard that performs real-time data analysis. Gurley started developing the technology for that while competing in Formula SAE, a design competition where students develop a small Formula-style race car. Professional racers, constantly trying to shave seconds off their race time, collect a huge amount of data while practicing. Most racing systems require an engineer to interpret this data and turn it into usable feedback. The Apex learns the track after a round or two and gives the driver feedback immediately: red bars turn green when the car is being used optimally.

"That's the main thing that drivers need, in most cases up to the top tier of racing, is to know if the car is being used up to its full potential," Gurley said. "The idea is to figure out what's the potential of the car and show you where you as a percentage of that."

Apex will fund Deft's next invention. Wesson views Deft as a sort of investment company, but at this point it's only investing in Gurley's ideas. Right now, the company has four employees. Eventually, the pair could see Deft developing specialized engineering technologies for other companies' or organizations' needs.

But whatever it's going to be, it's going to be in Birmingham.

"I love Birmingham. I'm going to be in Birmingham for the rest of my life, as far as I know. When I think about what Birmingham could be truly world-class in, what could our city be? What do its companies excel at? The list is short. It's never going to be Silicon Valley, that's where you go for a certain type of business," Wesson said. "When you think about what Birmingham has, it's the industrial infrastructure and the labor force ... it's really the one thing Birmingham could be truly world class in from an infrastructural advantage. That's really exciting for us, because we want to be the best in the world. It's not going to be creating the next Uber, but these things that require actually making things? There's no reason that shouldn't be us."
Two more Kmart stores in Alabama will close as the retailer focuses on returning to profitability.

Sears Holdings Corporation, the parent company of Sears and Kmart, announced this morning it will shutter an additional eight Sears and 35 Kmart stores. The closure list includes unprofitable Kmarts in Athens and Tuscaloosa.

In a transformation update, Sears Holdings CEO Eddie Lampert said the closures are "part of a strategy both to address losses from unprofitable stores and to reduce the square footage of other stores because many of them are simply too big for our current needs."

"After several months of hard work to bring our costs into line, we continue to take actions to realize our vision of an integrated retailer focused on quality member experiences," he wrote in a blog post. "Changes in consumer behavior are driving our vision and actions, and we continue to transform our business model so that our physical store footprint and our digital capabilities match the needs and preferences of our members."

The stores will close down by early October, except for one Sears location that will shutter in early August. Liquidation sales will begin as early as July 13.

Eligible store associates will receive severance from the company and will have the opportunity to apply for open positions at area Kmart or Sears stores.

The latest closures are in addition to 265 closings already announced this year by Sears Holdings, according to Business Insider.

Click here for the full store closure list, or see below:

Kmart

104 Highway 31 North Athens AL

635 Skyland Blvd Tuscaloosa AL

3340 E Andy Devine Ave Kingman AZ

2526 W Northern Avenue Phoenix AZ

4325 Broadway Eureka CA

7200 Arlington Avenue Riverside CA

12412 U S 19 Hudson FL

4717 South Florida Avenue Lakeland FL

20505 South Dixie Hwy Miami FL

8245 N Florida Ave Tampa FL

2500 Airport Thruway Columbus GA

1300 S Madison Avenue Douglas GA

W-201 Neider Road Coeur D'Alene ID

2828 N Broadway Anderson IN

2520 Nicholasville Road Lexington KY

2760 Frederica Street Owensboro KY

140 Whalon Street Fitchburg MA

1277 Liberty Street Springfield MA

801 N Lincoln Road Escanaba MI

1290 N Monroe Street Monroe MI

1515 W Bell Street Glendive MT

1000 3Rd Street Nw Great Falls MT

2975 E Sahara Blvd Las Vegas NV

200 S Washington St Herkimer NY

601 Woodman Dr Dayton OH

12501 Rockside Rd Garfield Heights OH

1801 W Alexis Road Toledo OH

501 S E Washington Blvd Bartlesville OK

2323-2327 N Harrison Shawnee OK

4401 Buffalo Road Erie PA

2011 Hoffmeyer Road Florence SC

732 Old Hickory Blvd Jackson TN

4670 S 900 East Salt Lake City UT

3533 Franklin Road S W Roanoke VA

2450 Foothill Blvd Rock Springs WY

Sears
A modern Italian restaurant that also pays tribute to Birmingham's industrial past is the latest addition to downtown's Pizitz Food Hall.

The restaurant, Fero, will open for dinner beginning this Saturday, July 8.

"Fero is Latin for steel, and we wanted to pay homage to and recognize the city's history as a steel town," Matt Wagman, a co-owner of the restaurant, said in an interview with AL.com. "Somebody told me that Birmingham was known as the Pittsburgh of the South, and that stuck with me.

"We wanted a name that felt a little old, not too modern, something that harkened back to the history of the town."

Wagman and chef Akhtar Nawab, both of New York City, are the principal partners in the restaurant. Their Fourth Earl Hospitality group also owns and operates the Choza Taqueria food stall and The Louis bar at the Pizitz Food Hall.

The food hall, which opened in mid-February, has 12 food stalls that serve range of international cuisines -- everything from Nepalese dumplings and Israeli shawarma to ramen noodle bowls and Alabama biscuits. Guests order their food at the counters of the individual stalls and then sit down to eat in communal spaces throughout the hall.

Fero, which is located on the northwest corner of the building along Second Avenue North, is the second restaurant to open in the food hall, and like Ghion Cultural Hall, the Ethiopian restaurant that opened in March, it has its own dining area.

"This (Fero) is different because it's part of the food hall, but not," Wagman said. "It's obviously not a stall that's operating as the other operators do. I think, though, that it's a great complement to everything going on here, in that it's another part of this great experiment called the Pizitz."

The 85-seat restaurant features an open kitchen with counter seating, as well as table seats and banquettes, a bar, and a private dining room with a sidewalk-level view of the McWane Science Center across the street. In a couple months, the restaurant will add outdoor seating for another 40 guests.

Nawab -- a Louisville, Ky., native who has worked in kitchens from San Francisco to New York -- has developed what he calls an Italian-inspired menu that also reflects passion for Indian and Mexican cuisine, as well as his experience at such influential New York City restaurants as Gramercy Tavern, Craft and Craftbar.

"We want to have a bustling, busy place that appeals to a wide range of people," Nawab said. "We chose a menu that I think will be accessible and make sense to everybody and still have some creativity and fun."

The menu features starters such as a burrata panna cotta with cherry tomato and a citrusy salsa verde; tuna crudo with watermelon, olives and dandelion; and a buckwheat crepe with Fudge Family Farms pork belly, black cabbage, parmesan, and chicharron (pork rind).

Pasta dishes range from an asparagus carbonara with tarragon, cured egg yolk and brown butter/hazelnut pesto to a cacio e pepe (cheese and pepper) with Szechuan and long peppers, as well as roasted corn.

Main courses include black grouper with curry leaves, fava beans and baby eggplant, and a ribeye served with smoked shiitake mushrooms and pickled mustard gnocchi.

Price points will be in the $23 to $27 range for most entrees, with the ribeye priced at $32, Wagman said.

"Akhtar can bring a very refined approach to his cooking, but we want to make sure we don't fall into that special-occasion category," Wagman said. "The room has a lot of exposed wood, and we want it to feel very accessible and very casual, so that people feel as comfortable coming here on a Tuesday night as they do on a Saturday night anniversary celebration."

Most of the pork on the menu comes from Fudge Family Farms near Madison.

"I have been buying from Henry Fudge in New York for seven or eight years," Nawab said. "So I knew him long before (Fero). We were buying all of his pork shoulders in New York until he said, 'I don't have any more pork shoulders."

Birmingham chef and artist Roscoe Hall II, who calls himself "the punk rock voice of food," is the operations manager for all three of Wagman and Nawab's projects at the Pizitz Food Hall -- Fero, Choza Taqueria and The Louis.

The grandson of Dreamland Bar-B-Que founder John "Big Daddy" Bishop, Hall has previously worked everywhere from Bottega and Hot and Hot Fish Club to Woodlawn Cycle Cafe and Jones Valley Teaching Farm.

Hall has helped connect Nawab with several local farmers and food suppliers.

"We are fortunate to have Roscoe," Nawab said. "It seems like he knows everyone. He's been a real help getting us local butter, local milk and cream. We got some steaks that are from not too far away. So we are fortunate to have him on our team."

Doug Hesselgesser, who previously worked with Nawab at the Washington, D.C., restaurant Table, is Fero's chef de cuisine.

Appleseed Workshop, the Birmingham design and build firm that worked with several of the Pizitz Food Hall tenants, also created the design for Fero. The restaurant features reclaimed wood along the walls that dates to when the Pizitz building opened in 1923, as well as butcher-block table tops and saddle leather banquettes and bar stools.

"One of the things we asked for, and that they (Appleseed) delivered in spades is an open kitchen," Wagman said. "The kitchen is literally like a theater here, so much so that we set up a food bar so that people can actually dine at the kitchen. People are as close to the action as they can get without grabbing a pot.

"They also took the word 'Fero' literally, and all of the bar and counter tops are all cold rolled steel," he added. "They are really beautiful in their simplicity and their industrial feel."

Yet another Birmingham connection is bartender Eric Bennett, who heads Fero's cocktail and wine program. Bennett, who has worked at Carrigan's Public House and Bettola, also represented Birmingham in the Nation's Most Inspired Bartender contest sponsored by Bombay Sapphire gin in 2012.

"Eric is one of Birmingham's own," Wagman said. "He put together a beautiful cocktail program for us at The Louis, and he has done another version at Fero. He is wildly creative."

Fero will be open for dinner from 5:30 to 11 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays and from 5:30 to 11:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.

In about three weeks, the restaurant will begin lunch service, Wagman said. Those hours will be 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Mondays through Fridays.

Later this summer, Fero will also open for brunch on Saturdays and Sundays.

A menu and more information will be available soon at www.ferorestaurant.com. For reservations, call 205-582-9250.

The Pizitz Food Hall is at 1821 Second Ave. North in downtown Birmingham.
Paen Long is building an aircraft from scratch using second-hand parts and YouTube videos, determined to see it fly.

Prey Veng Province, Cambodia  In March, after a year of hard work, Paen Longs creation, an eye-catching machine that he built from scratch, stood facing down a long straight dirt road, wider than most in rural Cambodia.

On the sidelines, dozens of neighbours from the nearby villages waited in ever-growing expectation, to see a handmade plane, built by a Cambodian car mechanic, fly.

It was a chance for Paen Long to prove that he could build a plane that could fly and also, fulfil a childhood dream, the pursuit of which has permeated the lives of those around him.

At his house in Prey Veng province, east of the capital Phnom Penh, after entering a metal sheet garage where old engines, pistons, and chains coexist with chickens, dogs and his second sons baby walker, the 30-year-old mechanic talks about his background and the series of events which led to this important day.

Paen Long was born in Svay Rieng province, in a village close to the eastern border with Vietnam. The third of six children, Paen Long started herding his neighbours cattle at the age of seven to earn money for his family.

READ MORE: Then and now  Finding love during the Khmer Rouge

Fascination for building planes

Shortly after he started, one day while herding the cows, he saw a helicopter fall out of the sky.

Many people went to see it [the crash site] and they felt scared, but for me, I was not scared, he says, explaining that his encounter with the flying contraption made him happy.

From that day, Paen Long knew he wanted to build his own plane.

At age 12, he relocated to a different village with his cousin to train to be a mechanic. While working as a teenager, he learned how to read and write. But the idea of pursuing a higher degree that would allow him to one day build planes wasnt a feasible one for him in a country where, according to USAID, 80 percent of the population still live in rural areas and 70 percent rely on agriculture, fisheries or forestry.

Two years after he got married and the couple had their first child, Paen Long revealed his master plan to his wife. At first, she tried to stop him, believing it was too dangerous.

I didnt allow him to do it. Later on, he still kept insisting. Its his dream since he was young. So, I allowed him to follow his dream, says Hing Mouy Heng, Paen Longs wife. He promised me that he would not let it threaten his life.

Each night, Paen Long spent hours on a tablet, watching YouTube videos about planes, accidents and the construction of an aircraft in English, as well as other languages.

Even though I dont understand the language, I can see and guess what they mean and how they do it, since I am a mechanic, therefore, I can easily understand the working process, says Paen Long, whose only hobby is building things in his spare time.

But he says this wasnt the first time he became interested in planes or attempted to build one.

INTERACTIVE: Temples of Cambodia

Putting the pieces together

As a practising Buddhist, Paen Long believes in reincarnation. He believes that in one of his previous lives, he was a Muslim man who knew the technology behind the construction of planes.

I used to know [how to build planes], he says. [So] I can know it now.

Combining his newfound knowledge  and what he says are experiences from his past life  he began to build. The first breakthrough was a remote-controlled plane. Following its success, he decided to build an aircraft that could transport people.

In the back of one of his six garages, pieces of his early attempts are scattered around, evidence of his determination and persistence. He wasnt satisfied with the result of his second attempt, so never tested it. His third model, the human piloted plane which he tested in March, took a year to complete.

That single-seating light aircraft is a hybrid of recycled metal, wood and second-hand parts from other vehicles. The wheels come from a motorcycle, the 35 horsepower engine from a boat, the pit is a petrol drum and the control stick comes from the gear shift of a car. Paen Long acknowledges that the quality overall is a bit mediocre, but he argues that what ultimately matters is that the plane can fly.

So far, he has spent $18,000 of a budget of $30,000, from the money he makes from his successful mechanics shops. He asked his wife for the money since, as is often the case in Cambodia, women manage the household finances.

Funding has not been the only challenge. He says that since he started pursuing his dream, most of his friends have distanced themselves from him; others in nearby villages call him crazy.

They talked behind my back and people came to tell me this. Sometimes, my tears fell because of this. But I still didnt give up, he says.

Close to his house, in a small village along a national road, everyone knows about the plane creator. A coffee shop owner says that Paen Long is a clever guy and a good mechanic. But he says some people think he had no technical skills related to aeroplanes to make it fly and that villagers are concerned about the aircraft crashing on their houses.

The chief of Prey Chhor commune, Sek Kheang, doesnt agree. He says Paen Long is a good person and dismisses the idea that people think he is crazy, as, if people did, they wouldnt give him business. His garage never lacks customers, he says.

IN PICTURES: Local election tests change in Cambodias politics

Attempted takeoff

Back in March, Paen Long explained that he decided to test the plane a month ahead of schedule after a local production company asked him to be part of an advertising campaign. It was for a telecom company ad featuring the struggles young people endure when they pursue their dreams.

They just asked me to drive [the plane] back and forth normally. However, the production manager thought if the plane only ran on the ground, there was nothing great, he explains while walking along the same dirt road from where he attempted the takeoff.

I felt that I may not be able to control it or that there were some technical problems, but I told myself, I must test it, if I dont test it, I wont know.

I've already made up my mind. I've already made up my mind about dying in a plane crash. Because what's important is that I finish my dream. by Paen Long, mechanic

Paen Long recalls how he accelerated to the point where the plane had enough speed to be able to fly. Then the aircraft lifted from the ground but he says he was worried about the audience so he lowered the speed, losing control and causing the plane to fall in a pond beside the road. With a flat tyre and a damaged wing, the trial was over. The ad doesnt show the crash, but just the moments before takeoff.

The director of the commercial, Somchanrith Chap, says it was Paen Longs initiative to try to fly the plane. They paid him $200 for his participation, according to the mechanic.

Paen Long wasnt injured, but he could not bear losing face publicly. He left the plane behind with some friends and rode home on his motorbike on his own. I could not sleep that night, I was sitting for the whole night until my wife told me: Go to bed, dont think too much.

That night, Paen Long went to check the plane again to see what went wrong. I kept looking at it, and I thought, I will create it again. I will make the plane again, he says.

Now, in the middle of one of his garages, the skeleton of a new aircraft stands out among minivans, private cars and motorcycles. The fourth attempt will be a seaplane. It is more advantageous, he says with confidence. The building time will be faster. The plane is lighter. The risk is low.

Paen Long says if he is successful, he hopes one day to manufacture aeroplanes in Cambodia. He sees it as a way towards development so that the neighbouring countries wont look down on us.

When asked if he is afraid of crashing, he replies that there shouldnt be any fear around the topic of dying because it is inevitable.

Ive already made up my mind. Ive already made up my mind about dying in a plane crash, he says. Whats important is that I finish my dream.

Horm Sreynich contributed to this article.
Theofilou walks free after five years in jail, but Greek anarchists accuse the government of a crackdown.

Athens, Greece  A cloud of tension hovered inside an Athens courtroom as an anxious crowd waited to hear the appeal verdict in the case of 34-year-old Tasos Theofilou, an anarcho-communist and novelist who has been in prison since 2012.

Several police officers suited in riot gear entered the room, while lead judge Ourania Papadaki warned the 200 solidarity activists and supporters who were present to remain calm ahead of Fridays verdict.





We find the defendant innocent of all charges, Papadaki said, prompting tears of joy throughout the crowd.

His supporters chanted in unison: The passion for freedom is more powerful than any prison cell.

Three of the five judges ruled in Theofilous favour, while the other two voted to uphold his guilty verdict.

In February 2014, Theofilou was first sentenced to 25 years in prison after being found guilty of robbing a bank and killing a taxi driver on the Greek island of Paros in August 2012.

For half a decade, he rejected the charges against him, and many Greek activists considered him a political prisoner due to his involvement in the anarchist movement.

Disbelief was sketched across the faces of Theofilous parents, who were sitting in the front row.

Its impossible to believe it, his mother said, smiling and visibly relieved as she hugged a handful of her sons supporters.

READ MORE: Inside Greeces resurgent anarchist movement

Speaking to Al Jazeera in his Athens office before the hearing, Kostas Papadakis, one of three lawyers on Theofilous defence team, argued that his clients case was politicised from the outset. He said Theofilous imprisonment was meant to send a message to the [anarchist] movement.

Greeces anarchist movement enjoys a long history that can be traced back to the mid-19th century. Throughout the 20th century, anarchists played noteworthy roles in political upheaval, including fighting the WWII-era Nazi puppet regime (1941-44) and helping to topple the Greek military government (1967-74).

Controversial trial

On a warm morning in August 2012, three men dressed in what witnesses described as unusual clothing  one of them in a cowboy hat and a fake moustache  entered a local Alpha Bank on Paros island. Armed with a pistol, they robbed the bank and made their getaway.

When a taxi driver attempted to intervene, he was shot and killed. The assailants disappeared.

I by Kostas

characterising Theofilou as killer, bank robber, and terrorist after his arrest in 2012]

A few days later, Theofilou was arrested in downtown Athens by several masked officers from Greeces Special Anti-Terrorist Unit. He was subsequently charged with murder, attempted murder, robbery and membership in the Conspiracy of Cells of Fire (CCF), a banned anarchist group accused of bomb attacks and shootings.

He was later found guilty of felony charges for participation in the robbery and abetting manslaughter as well as a handful of misdemeanour charges.

During the appeal process, prosecutor Anna Kalouta described Theofilou as a violent ideologue, often referencing his taste in literature and political beliefs, saying he possessed murderous intent and special coldness.

Although several witnesses were present during the robbery and killing, none of them were able to place Theofilou at the scene of the crime.

The conviction was based largely on DNA evidence obtained from the cowboy hat and an anonymous phone call identifying him as a culprit.

His lawyers argued that the bank was never sealed off as a crime scene and was accessible to witnesses and others who provided the police with statements.

Theofilou and his supporters maintained he was targeted by Greek security forces for his political beliefs and his acquaintances, including his friendship with Kostas Sakkas, who was arrested in December 2010 and charged with membership in the CCF.

READ MORE: Greek anarchists organise for refugees as state fails

Critics say accusations of CCF membership are used loosely to target political dissidents with no affiliation to the group.

Activists have also rallied around Irianna, a 29-year-old PhD student whose last name has been withheld in local media, after she was accused of membership in the CCF and dealt a slew of charges.

Last month, she was sentenced to 13 years in prison after the court found her guilty of weapons possession charges. The conviction relied on DNA evidence obtained from an arms cache seized at a local university.

Theodoros Mantas, Iriannas lawyer, said Theofilous acquittal gives hope for her clients case. We are optimistic, he said.

Media played a very dirty role

Lawyer Papadakis welcomed Fridays ruling and praised his clients supporters.

I would also like to condemn work of local media characterising Theofilou as killer, bank robber, and terrorist after his arrest in 2012, Papadakis said.

Throughout the initial trial that led to his conviction, Greek media outlets relied heavily on information provided by state security sources.

Noting the scarce media interest in Theofilous appeal case, he added: I am honestly wondering if they will report about his exoneration today as they are obliged to.

Ionnas Kontos, an Athens-based journalist, said the Greek media played a very dirty role in stoking a public perception of Theofilous as one of the worst criminals around.

Theofilous case is not an isolated one, however, and other anarchists and anti-authoritarian leftists have found themselves in the Greek governments crosshairs, Kontos told Al Jazeera.

READ MORE: Greek anarchists cook in solidarity for refugees

Comparing Theofilous case to well-documented violence perpetrated by the neo-fascist Golden Dawn party, such as the murder of anti-fascist rapper Pavlos Fyssas by a Golden Dawn member in September 2013, Kontos charged the media and politicians with hypocrisy.

They hesitate to use the term terrorism when it comes to neo-Nazi or ultra-right-wing violence, he said. Its almost exclusively reserved for anarchists, anarchist groups or organisations and [their] actions.

Crackdown on anarchists

Fridays verdict comes at a time when anarchists say they are under increasing pressure from the Greek government, which has been led by the left-wing Syriza party since January 2015.

Among the measures taken by Greek authorities is the rapid uptick in eviction orders for squats across Athens, many of which house refugees and migrants and are administered by anarchists and other leftists.

In January, well-known anarchist Panagiota Roupa was arrested again and charged with theft, forgery and membership of a terrorist group.

She is accused of being a leader in Revolutionary Struggle, an armed organisation the government says has carried out a string of shootings and bombings, including firing an anti-tank missile at the US embassy in 2007.

In July 2016, dozens of anarchists were arrested in the northern coastal city of Thessaloniki for interrupting a mass at a Greek Orthodox church.

Kyriakos Mitsotakis, the leader of Greeces New Democracy opposition party, has vowed a more sustained crackdown in Exarchia, an anarchist stronghold, if he comes to power.

A new generation of terrorists is being bred in Exarchia. Heavy weapons are being circulated and police are not taking action because there is no political will, he told the local Alpha TV in January, promising to clean up the terrorist-infested neighbourhood.

READ MORE: Exarchia  A space for urban resistance

Seraphim Seferiades, a politics professor at Panteion University, argued that the Syriza party has increasingly attempted to pursue a law-and-order policy of appeasing right-wing critics who accuse it of being soft on the anarchist movement by focusing on increased policing and coercion.

This is a failed strategy because it will inevitably lead to more anarchist disruptive direct actions without winning over [critics on the right], Seferiades said.

By trying to be more authoritarian than the authoritarians, Syriza will create more problems than it solves.

Theofilous case had sparked a broad solidarity movement that has held direct actions and protests on his behalf. On June 24, more than 2,000 people marched in central Athens and called for his release. Others also held a number of direct actions outside Alpha Bank locations in the capital.

In the courtroom on Friday, Theofilou stood up and joyfully raised his shackled hands as the verdict was announced. Armed police officers escorted him back to the prison to collect his belongings before releasing him that afternoon.

Although Theofilou denounced the charges as trumped up time and again throughout his imprisonment, he also refused to describe himself as innocent.

I have committed a crime bigger than all of the others combined: I am an anarchist, he said during one of the hearings.

I am not innocent. In a class war, I chose the side of the underprivileged, the oppressed, the excluded, the haunted, the guilty and the damned ones.

Follow Patrick Strickland on Twitter: @P_Strickland_

Follow Katja Lihtenvalner on Twitter: @Lihtenvalner








Tel Aviv is on a charm offensive in West Africa, taking advantage of Arab absence to court ECOWAS states.

The presence of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at last months Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) summit in Liberia was a clear sign of strengthened ties between Israel and the African organisation.

The Israeli prime minister became the first ever non-African head of state to address the ECOWAS summit.

I believe in Africa, I believe in its potential  present and future. It is a continent on the rise, Netanyahu said during his speech in Monrovia, adding that he had made strengthening Israels ties with the continent a top priority.





But Netanyahus presence at the summit, coupled with the absence of any Arab leaders, sent a clear diplomatic message.

Traditionally, Israeli leaders have not been well-received in Africa. North African states have Muslim majorities, close ties with the Middle East, and are supportive of the Palestinian cause.

Sub-Saharan African states fell out with Israel in the wake of the 1973 October War, referred to by Israelis as the Yom Kippur War.

But since 2016, Netanyahu has pursued a campaign of rapprochement with African nations, in the hopes of strengthening ties and winning African support for Israel.

Before his visit to Liberia, he said that his goal was to dissolve this majority, this giant bloc of 54 African countries that is the basis of the automatic majority against Israel in the UN and international bodies.

He is scheduled to return to the region in October to attend an Africa-Israel summit in Togo, where he is set to meet with leaders of 25 African countries to discuss cooperation in the areas of technology, development and security.

There are several main motivators behind Israels interest in West Africa.

Tying resistance to terrorism

Israel has seized on the appearance of jihadi groups in West Africa over the past few years as a golden opportunity.

The threat has provided a convenient opening to brand Palestinian resistance movements as terrorists, and to paint them in a similar light to violent West African movements.

In doing so, Tel Aviv has taken advantage of the fact that Africas political elite, swayed by Western media advancing an Israeli agenda, may not possess a deep knowledge of the Arab-Israeli conflict.

READ MORE: Israels Africa policies an exercise in cynicism

Israeli officials who have visited Africa in recent years have focused on equating resistance with terrorism. Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman described Palestinian resistance movements, including Hamas and Islamic Jihad, as terrorists during a 2010 visit to the Nigerian capital, Abuja, when he was Israels foreign minister.

This was done to rein in sympathy for the Palestinian cause among the majority-Muslim ECOWAS economic bloc, which represents a quarter of Africas inhabitants.

West Africa is also seen as a hub for the Lebanese community accused of financing Hezbollah, whose foreign funding has been a long-standing point of concern for Israel. Israeli intelligence and economic influencers have focused on the countries most prone to this Lebanese influence, such as Liberia and Cote dIvoire, establishing a number of investment institutions and encouraging Israeli businessmen to invest.

It has also set up security companies that collect intelligence on the presence of Hezbollah supporters in the country, while an Israeli-Canadian company, Visual Defence, handles security at Abidjans international airport and port, making the flow of individuals and goods through the country subject to Israeli monitoring.

Increasing trade with West Africa

Israeli trade with West Africa is still weak, as it has relations with only a few countries in the region. A 2015 report by the Israeli Export Institute found that Israeli exports to Africa represented only 1.6 percent, while imports from Africa were 0.5 percent.

This means that Israel has yet to take significant advantage of the 340 million-strong consumer base of the ECOWAS bloc, as well as its economic potential and varied natural resources.

But Israeli diplomacy over the past few years has paved the way for further progress.

On a visit to Africa seven years ago, Lieberman said that Israel was intending to enter the ECOWAS region in a strong and active manner, noting that friendly African nations, such as Nigeria and Ghana, would play a large role in facilitating the building of ties between Israel and ECOWAS.









Israels presence in West Africa is neither deep nor historical. However, Israel does have good relations with influential countries such as Nigeria, having formed a relationship after its independence from Britain in 1960.

Israel was a generous supporter of Nigerian separatists in the Biafran War of 1967 and has a large and economically influential community there. Tel Aviv has established important economic installations in the country, such as the huge construction firm Nigersal, and the electrical and mechanical engineering firm Etco Limited.

Israel also has strong relations with Ghana, cemented by then Israeli Foreign Minister Golda Meirs attendance at Ghanas independence celebrations in 1957. The founding father of Ghana, Kwame Nkrumah, who was raised in Protestant missions that believe in the return of the Jews to Palestine, was also influenced by the thinking of pro-Israel Jamaican activist Marcus Garvey.

The influence wielded by these two countries on decision-making in ECOWAS, as well as the strong relationship between Tel Aviv and President Alassane Ouattara of Cote dIvoire, doubtless contributed to the warm welcome Netanyahu received at the recent summit.

READ MORE: Its OK to be racist in Israel

After a period of neglect, Israel wants its return to Africa to be built on solid foundations.

It has limited its focus to security, military and economic aspects, with a special emphasis on the economy in countries where it will not be able to achieve much popularity among the mostly Muslim populations.

For example, agriculture is a key aspect of the relationship between Israel and Senegal. By focusing on agriculture, Israel not only hopes to penetrate an economy that relies heavily on farming, but also to gain a foothold in the more conservative rural areas of Senegal, where 95 percent of the inhabitants are Muslim and 70 percent rely on agriculture or herding.

Africa-Israel summit

The upcoming Africa-Israel summit in Togo this October represents an advanced stage of normalisation between Israel and West African countries, in a vein similar to previous French-African, Indian-African, Chinese-African and Turkish-African summits, all aiming to establish economic influence.

Africas level of acceptance of Israel will depend on the size of its economic investments, the money it will be able to pump into regional infrastructure projects, and whether Netanyahu will fulfill his promise to spend $1bn in the region to improve green energy projects over the next four years.

An absence of Arab policies to contain Israeli influence in this region may allow Israel to expand its African footprint to other countries, such as Mali, Niger and Guinea.

North African nations such as Morocco, Mauritania, Tunisia and Algeria have failed to capitalise on the common historical, cultural and social ties that bind them with the West African region, which may contribute further to Israels rise in the region.

Still, Israeli penetration of the region will not come without challenges: West African regimes may worry that a close relationship with Israel could make them a target for armed Islamist groups, whose attacks have become a major source of concern for ECOWAS leaders.
A flurry of diplomacy this week marks the first possible turning point in the five-week-old standoff between a defiant Qatar and four Saudi Arabia-led Arab states that have tried to bring it to its knees, accusing it of promoting terrorism and threatening their security. While accusations and denials continue to fly around, we may be facing a turning point towards a possible negotiated diplomatic resolution that satisfies the legitimate minimum demands of both sides  if all concerned respond maturely to the new positive developments.

The heart of this possible shift is a list of six principles issued on Thursday by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain, and Egypt, which address in broad and universally acceptable terms the same concerns of regional security and stability that had prompted the initial assault on Qatar in early June. These six principles seem to replace for now the 13 non-negotiable demands on Qatar that it had squarely rejected in any case, and that had found virtually zero support among any other major countries.

This is significant because the six broad principles clearly can be supported by Qatar and all its Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) partners, once the details are clarified and negotiated quietly. This would reverse the boisterous, aggressive, and defiant tones that defined the past five weeks of public sparring, while a seemingly detached United States watched from the sidelines and also sent conflicting signals.

Three trends that peaked last week may have pushed the feuding parties towards a possible new path to resolution. The Qataris showed that they could and would resist both the siege and the unreasonable demands from their GCC neighbours, for years if need be, and many important countries supported them.





The Saudi-led group pressuring Qatar found themselves almost totally isolated internationally, with nothing to show for their previous month of aggressive demands on Qatar. They probably realised that any new sanctions they imposed would only backfire on them politically and economically, and tarnish their reputation globally as reliable partners. And the United States engaged more directly and clearly for a negotiated resolution of the feud, following weeks of mixed signals and seemingly detached American reactions to what Washington initially described as an in-house feud within the GCC; strong European support for a negotiated solution also reinforced the US position.

The announcement on Thursday that US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson would fly to Kuwait on Monday  the formal mediator in this issue  followed the German Foreign Ministers statement that Qatar would allow German experts to inspect Qatari financial accounts to investigate any credible allegations of support for terrorist groups. These developments coincided with statements at a private conference in Washington, DC on Thursday by former US officials who handled terror financing probes that several countries in the GCC seem to have allowed their citizens to fund extremist Islamist groups or other designated terrorists.

OPINION: The GCC crisis  Draconian demands and juvenile politics

The accelerated direct involvement of the US, Germany, and other foreign powers in resolving this dispute is a critical component of the diplomatic process  but the interests of regional powers such as Iran and Turkey that have come to Qatars assistance in riding out the Saudi-Emirati-led failed siege should also be taken into consideration.

An opening now exists for all sides to acknowledge that money and tough-guy talk can never substitute for a rational, principled, and balanced discussion of legitimate grievances that are resolved through dialogue and negotiations. by

The six principles statement opens the door for Qatar and its GCC erstwhile partners  should they wish  to achieve critical goals that have been sidelined during the past five weeks. They can agree to core principles of promoting mutual security, stability, and sovereignty, while also fighting terrorism, preventing cross-border provocations and incitements, and refraining from interfering in the internal affairs of other countries.

The six principles broadly but also specifically respond to the demands of both sides, as well as the global commitment to fight terrorism and political violence. They also significantly include references to 2013/14 and 2017 agreements on these issues that all six GCC states had agreed to implement, so all sides could move ahead to a resolution by reaffirming positions they had all already accepted.

How those broad principles are defined in practice will determine whether or not this is indeed an opening to a new path to resolve this conflict. So, for example, will the Saudi-led side insist that closing Al Jazeera is critical to ending incitement against ones neighbours, as they did in their original, and widely ridiculed, demands that Qatar rightly rejected out of hand? Will Qatar negotiate an agreement that commits all the GCC states to the same principles as they want it to implement? Do foreign military bases across the entire GCC threaten any one countrys security?

The past five weeks have confirmed again that unilateral hard demands issued within an aggressive siege of Qatar have no chance of being accepted. They have also shown that Qatar is willing to comply with international measures to prevent funding of terrorist groups  inspections, audits, embedded foreign technical experts  but very reasonably it wants those measures to be applied universally across the GCC and other states. Achieving an agreement that sticks will require the same kind of mutual respect and balanced, realistic diplomacy that allowed Iran and its international negotiating partners to reach their agreement on nuclear/sanctions issues  because both sides concerns were taken into account, and international principles of legitimate or forbidden actions were applied equally to both sides.

OPINION: What is the Qatar-GCC showdown really about?

Saudi-Emirati-led bravado across the Gulf during the past five weeks unsuccessfully used tough talk and siege measures to force Qatar to comply with the unreasonable initial demands. Not only did Qatar refuse to comply; also every important power in the world emphasised its support for a political resolution of the conflict and ending the siege.

An opening now exists for all sides to acknowledge that money and tough talk can never substitute for a rational, principled, and balanced discussion of legitimate grievances that are resolved through dialogue and negotiations. This is a spectacle of many characters in the Arab world and abroad, including mature established leaders, dysfunctional new leaders, and brash young men who know little about the workings of the world. Let us hope the mature leaders among us prevail, which they now have a chance to do if they follow up diligently to build on the six principles that have just been announced.

Rami G Khouri is senior public policy fellow and professor of journalism at the American University of Beirut, an internationally syndicated columnist, and a nonresident senior fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School.

The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial policy.
Hawaii judge leaves rules in place for Trump administrations Muslim ban on citizens from six majority-Muslim countries.

A US judge has rejected the state of Hawaiis bid to exempt grandparents from President Donald Trumps Muslim ban, but he said the state could directly ask the US Supreme Court to clarify its ruling.

US District Judge Derrick Watson in Honolulu had been asked to interpret a ruling from the Supreme Court that revived parts of Trumps March 6 executive order banning people from six Muslim-majority countries for 90 days.

The highest court let the ban go forward with a limited scope, saying it could not apply to anyone with a credible bona fide relationship with a US person or entity.

Trump said the measure was necessary to prevent extremist attacks. However, opponents including states and refugee advocacy groups sued to stop it, disputing its security rationale and saying it discriminated against Muslims.

READ MORE: Muslim Ban  US sets strict rules for visa applicants

Watson said in Thursdays ruling he declines to usurp the prerogative of the Supreme Court to interpret its own order.

Hawaii said late on Thursday it would appeal against Watsons ruling to the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco, according to a court filing.

The Justice Department said in a statement it was pleased with the ruling.

We are confident that the US Supreme Court will again vindicate the president and his constitutional duty to protect the national security of the United States, it said.

Bona fide relationship

The government said after last months Supreme Court ruling that a bona fide relationship meant close family members only, such as parents, spouses, fiances, siblings and children.

Grandparents, grandchildren, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews and cousins from Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen would still be banned.

The state of Hawaii asked Watson last week to clarify the Supreme Courts ruling, arguing the governments definition of bona fide relationship was too narrow.

OPINION: The Muslim ban  Did Trump really win?

Justice Department lawyers said its definition hews closely to language found in US immigration law, while Hawaiis attorney generals office said other parts of immigration law included grandparents as close family.

The government reversed its position on fiances before the ban went into effect last week, saying they could also qualify for exceptions.

The rollout of the narrowed version of the ban was more subdued last week than in January, when Trump first signed a more expansive version of the order.

That sparked protests and chaos at airports around the country and the world.
Official says at least 28 inmates killed and several wounded after feud between rival groups in Acapulco prison.

At least 28 inmates have been killed in a brutal prison fight in the Mexican Pacific resort of Acapulco, in one of the worst outbreaks of violence in the countrys troubled penal system in recent years.

Rioting inmates beheaded and mutilated their rivals on Thursday and bodies were found strewn around the maximum-security wing, the kitchen, a prison yard and a conjugal visiting area after the pre-dawn riot at the CERESO federal prison in Acapulco, said the security spokesman for the state of Guerrero, Roberto Alvarez.

The incident was triggered by a permanent feud between rival groups within the prison, he told a news conference.





State police regained control of the prison, backed by federal police and the army, which set up a security cordon outside, he said before adding that the governor ordered an investigation, including of prison staff.

Guards said some of the victims had their throats slit, according to an internal state police report.

Mexicos chronically overcrowded prisons are frequently hit by riots and jailbreaks.

Acapulco, a resort town on Mexicos Pacific coast, has been hit by grisly violence between warring drug cartels in recent years. It is the biggest city in Guerrero, one of Mexicos most lawless states and a centre of opium poppy production.

The killings in Acapulco are the latest example of an upsurge in violent crime that has turned 2017 into one of the bloodiest years in the countrys modern history.

Acapulco was once a playground for Hollywood stars. However, in recent years it has been roiled by vicious gang warfare, and is now ranked one of the most murderous cities in the world.

Early last year, 49 people died in a battle between members of the feared Zetas drug cartel and rivals at a prison in the northern industrial city of Monterrey.
A 19-year-old rape survivor has been sentenced to 30 years in prison in El Salvador after she suffered a stillbirth due to complications during her pregnancy.





Evelyn Beatriz Hernandez Cruz was convicted of aggravated homicide on Wednesday under what Amnesty International called El Salvadors retrograde anti-abortion law.

Local rights groups say Hernandez Cruz had been raped months before going into labour, but had not told police out of fear.

She also said she did not know she was pregnant when she suffered severe abdominal pain and fainted in her bathroom in April 2016.

Hospital staff reported her to officials and she was charged after the body of the feotus was found in a toilet.

According to local media, Hernandez Cruz was convicted on grounds that she did not get prenatal care. Prosecutors also argued that the baby may have died after birth.

El Salvador is one of five countries where abortion is criminalised in all cases.

Under the countrys law, which was implemented in 1998, women can be charged for murder and other related charges even when a pregnancy is the result of rape, incest or when the life or health of the pregnant woman or girl is at risk.

A woman can be punished by up to eight years, and in some cases women have been given sentences of up to 40 years if a judge determines homicide was committed.

Politics in El Salvador are highly influenced by the Catholic Church.

El Salvadors anti-abortion law is causing nothing but pain and suffering to countless women and girls and their families, Amnestys Americas Director Erika Guevara-Rosas said in a statement on Thursday.

It goes against human rights and it has no place in the country or anywhere.

Human Rights Watch has also called the law a risk to womens life and health.

Evelyn was sentenced 30 yrs for an obstetric emergency today. This is Justice in #ElSalvador When will it end? #Las17 pic.twitter.com/AK4xLhfJkC  Kristen Thompson (@herequeer) July 5, 2017

According to the Citizens Group for the Decriminalisation of Abortion (CDFA), Hernandez Cruzs attorneys plan to appeal the ruling.

Evelyn has been charged unfairly, defence attorney Dennis Munoz said, according to CDFA.

Its a decision based on morality, not the law or justice.

Pressure mounts

El Salvador-based Alliance for Womens Health and Life documented at least 147 cases where women were charged with crimes under the abortion law between 2000 and 2014.

Among them was Maria Teresa Rivera, who was sentenced to 40 years in prison for aggravated homicide in 2011 after having a stillbirth in her bathroom. She did not know she was pregnant at the time.

She was released in 2016 after serving four-and-a-half years.

Pressure from women and rights groups has mounted across Latin America for governments to relax abortion laws.

READ MORE: Dying woman denied abortion in El Salvador

Earlier this year, a bill was introduced in the El Salvador that would change the law to allow abortion in some circumstances, such as rape or when a womans health was a risk.

The proposed legislation remains in committee and there has been no decision as to whether it will be sent to parliament.

In May, a group of UN experts urged El Salvador to allow the termination of pregnancy in specific circumstances.

The criminalisation of the termination of pregnancy imposes an intolerable cost on the women, their families and the society, the experts said.

It restricts womens access to sexual and reproductive health services and information, they added, saying El Salvadors law is in contrary to international human rights standards and violates the countrys international obligations.

A protest against the courts decision in Hernandez Cruzs case is expected later on Friday.
Scores of Uighurs forced to flee in Cairo and Alexandria after police sweep on Beijings request, rights groups say.

Egyptian police have detained scores of Chinese students from the Uighur ethnic minority on Beijings request, forcing dozens into hiding or to flee to Turkey, activists have said.

The sweep began on Tuesday when police raided two restaurants frequented by Uighur students in Cairo and detained at least 37 people, Abduweli Ayup, a Uighur activist in Turkey, told Al Jazeera on Friday.

Dozens more have been arrested since, Ayup, said, including 20 from Cairos Al-Azhar University who were stopped in the city of Alexandria on their way out of the country late on Wednesday.

They were told they would be deported to China, Ayup said.

Students, especially those who study religion, are being targeted, Ayup said. The police are searching apartment by apartment  In Cairo, people are in hiding. They are terrified. They are afraid to go out.

READ MORE: For Uighur exiles, Kashmir is heaven

The detentions come amid reports that authorities in the Uighur homeland of Xinjiang in western China are seeking the immediate return of Uighurs studying abroad.

China blames unrest in Xinjiang, which has included bombings and vehicle and knife attacks, on exiled Uighur separatist groups.

A traditionally Muslim group, many Uighurs complain of cultural and religious repression and discrimination by China.

Forced return

Lucia Parrucci, a spokeswoman for the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization advocacy group, said rights groups have moved some 60 Uighur students out of Egypt to safety in Turkey on Thursday alone.

Many of those remaining in Cairo told us that they are afraid to sleep at home out of fear of their own arrest, she said in an email to Al Jazeera.

Some 80 Uighur students have been arrested since the sweep began, she said.

The Chinese government has forced thousands of Uighur students abroad to return home since January 2017, she said, adding that some 90 percent of the estimated 7,000  8,000 Uighurs living in Egypt had returned to China.

READ MORE: ISIL video threatens China with rivers of bloodshed

We have learned that many of the students have been arrested directly at the airport upon their return and sent to re-education camps. None of them have been able to see family members and no information was provided to their families about their whereabouts, she said.

Human Rights Watch urged Egypt on Wednesday not to send Uighur detainees back to China, saying they faced persecution and torture there.

Sarah Leah Whitson, HRWs Middle East director, also urged authorities to disclose the whereabouts of Uighur detainees and grant them access to lawyers.

Unverified videos shared on Twitter showed more than 70 Uighurs sitting on a floor in a government building and others being driven in a truck in handcuffs.

Azhar's uyghur students taking away with police vehicles

 pic.twitter.com/4NemvlIw08  Uyghur from E.T (@Uyghurspeaker) July 6, 2017

Uyghur in Egypt

here I am. We are 70-80 uyghurs here. We all arrested by Arabs (Egyptian). May Allah protect us. Inshaallah  pic.twitter.com/5tFL2bbWeV  Uyghur from E.T (@Uyghurspeaker) July 6, 2017

Ayup said rights groups lost touch with the detainees on Friday.

Abdullah, an Asian student of Islam at Al-Azhar university, told the Associated Press news agency that Uighurs were being detained in the Hay el Sabia area of Cairos Nasr City district. He gave only his first name for fear of reprisals.

Theyre mostly arresting the young men, Sumaya, a Uighur woman living in Cairo, told The Middle East Eye on Thursday. But I know of women who have been taken too, though we hide when we hear the government knocking on our door.

A Chinese foreign ministry spokesman appeared to acknowledge on Thursday that Chinese citizens had been detained in Egypt, saying at a regular briefing that consular officials would visit them.

Geng Shuang, a foreign ministry spokesman, said that as far as I know, Chinas embassy in Egypt has sent consular officials to conduct consular visits. He gave no further details.

The Egyptian police denied requests for comment.
At least 159 police officers injured, 45 protesters arrested as leaders from worlds largest economies meet in Germany.

Thousands of people have taken to the streets of Hamburg, Germany, to protest against capitalism, climate polices and globalisation among other issues as world leaders gather for the two-day G20 summit.

Demonstrators and officers clashed in some neighbourhoods on Friday, prompting the Hamburg police to request additional reinforcements to help cope with the scale of the protests.

According to officials, about 20,000 police officers were already on duty for the two-day summit where the leaders of the worlds top economies will tackle everything from trade to climate change to major conflicts.

Some activists smashed windows and torched patrol cars and other vehicles on Friday morning, while riot police used water cannon and pepper spray on activists.

A police spokeswoman also said that at least 159 officers had been injured and at least 45 people had been arrested.

More than 100,000 people are expected to take part in demonstrations and marches across Hamburg on Friday and Saturday.

Those in the streets are protesting against a number of issues, including capitalism, climate polices and globalisation.

There are so many issues involved politically in the G20 summit, said Al Jazeeras David Chater, reporting from Hamburg .

They are against the globalist capitalist system, they are against Trumps attempts to pull out of the climate change accords. Theyre essentially protesting every single issue thats going to be raised in this G20 summit.

Trump-Putin talks

President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin had a brief first encounter on Friday when they shook hands and exchanged pleasantries.

Al Jazeeras James Bays, reporting from Hamburg, said Trump and Putin have important issues to discuss, particularly Ukraine, but also the issue of Syria where it is believed that there may be a new initiative coming from Russia and the US to try to get the political track moving and to try to get some stabilisation zones around Syria.

Trumps meeting with Putin will take place at the same time as a closed-door meeting on climate change, which could be a bit of a sign about Trumps policies on the climate, Bays said.

Also on Friday, protesters blocked the route of US First Lady Melania Trump, according to the German DPA news agency.

A White House spokeswoman told Al Jazeera that the first ladys motorcade could not be given clearance to leave because of the security situation.

Many other groups are calling for peaceful protests and are pushing the G20 leaders for action to fight climate change and address economic disparities in the world.

Some are even calling for the dissolution of the G20 itself so that the United Nations becomes the platform for such discussions.

The G20 summit comes at a time of major shifts in the global geopolitical landscape, with US President Donald Trumps America First policies pushing Europe and China closer together.
Presidential race went into a runoff after none of the three candidates won a majority in last months election.

Mongolians voted on Friday in the countrys first ever presidential runoff after the first round of elections failed to produce a clear winner following campaigns tainted by corruption allegations.

The presidential race went into a runoff after none of the three candidates won a majority in last months election in the resource-rich country.

A populist former martial arts star, Khaltmaa Battulga of the opposition Democratic Party, won the most votes but fell short of the required majority.

Voters regard Battulga as a resource nationalist who is suspicious of southern neighbour China.

He faces the candidate of the ruling Mongolian Peoples Party (MPP), Miyeegombo Enkhbold, who came second.

Enkhbold has stood behind the current government, pledging to stay the course for economic recovery following a $5.5bn rescue package from the International Monetary Fund and partners in May.

Battulga has captured the attention of voters who feel Mongolia has got a bad deal on investments, promising greater government control of strategic mines, such as Rio Tintos, Oyu Tolgoi copper mine.

Enkhbold, for his part, has promised to deliver money owed from a universal child welfare fund.

Even thought they make promises, they wont do anything, Dagvadorj Gandi, 23, a voter in the capital Ulaanbaatar told Reuters news agency. Honestly, theres nobody to choose from, Gandi added.

Rentsen Ichinkhorloo, a 49-year-old engineer, said he thought elected officials were just putting themselves ahead of the countrys interests: They make their promises to get peoples votes, but afterwards wont keep them.

Results are expected some time on Saturday.

White Ballot

The race has been clouded by allegations of corruption and voter fraud by all sides, with many voters dismayed by their choice of candidates and the governments inability to bring them prosperity.

But the countrys 1.9 million voters also have a third option, according to the so-called White Ballot campaign  to leave their votes blank.

Our goal is to have every voter know they have an option to vote for none of the above, Mogi Badral Bantoi, spokesman for the campaign, said.

For many voters, handing in blank ballots is a last-ditch effort to deny either candidate a majority, so forcing a re-run of the poll from scratch, with selection of fresh candidates.
The settlement was given to Khadr on Wednesday and was cashed immediately, according to the Globe and Mail.

Canada has paid a settlement of C$10.5m ($8.1m) to former Guantanamo Bay inmate Omar Khadr, reports say.

The payout was given to Khadr on Wednesday and was cashed immediately, the Globe and Mail newspaper reported on Thursday, citing a source involved in the transaction.

The government and Khadrs lawyers negotiated the deal last month, based on a 2010 Supreme Court ruling that said Canadian intelligence officials obtained evidence from Khadr under oppressive circumstances.

According to the ruling he was subjected to sleep deprivation during interrogations at Guantanamo Bay in 2003, and information obtained from him was then shared as evidence with US officials.

A Canadian citizen, Khadr was captured in Afghanistan in 2002 at age 15 after a gun battle with US soldiers.

He pleaded guilty to killing a US Army medic and became the youngest inmate held at the military prison in Cuba. Khadr later recanted and his lawyers said he had been grossly mistreated.

READ MORE: Canada to apologise, pay Omar Khadr

Khadr spent a decade in Guantanamo before being returned to Canada in 2012 to serve the rest of his sentence and was released in 2015.

Toronto-born Khadr was taken to Afghanistan by his father, an al-Qaeda member, who apprenticed the boy to a group of bomb makers. The father died in a battle with Pakistani forces in 2003.

His case has divided Canadians. Human rights advocates such as Amnesty International say the one-time child soldier was denied due process while the then-Conservative government dismissed calls to seek leniency, noting he had pleaded guilty to a serious crime.

After his 2015 release from prison in Alberta, Khadr apologised to the families of the victims. He had said he rejects violence and wanted a fresh start to finish his education.

He currently resides in an apartment in Edmonton, Alberta and is studying to be a nurse.
Thousands of protesters descend on the German city for a second day as Putin and Trump hold first face-to-face meeting.

Fires burned across Hamburg for a second day as police and protesters clashed while the leaders of the worlds top economies met for the G20 summit.

Police said at least 196 officers have been injured in clashes, with 83 protesters temporarily detained at the scene and 19 taken into custody. Dozens of protesters have also been injured.

On Friday, the day the summit kicked off, some protesters torched cars and trucks, looted retail stores, lit off firecrackers and blasted music from Jimi Hendrix in a bid to drown out the classical music playing at a concert hall where world leaders met.

Thousands are protesting capitalism, climate polices and globalisation, among other issues.

Police used water cannon and tear gas to try to disperse protesters as reinforcements poured in from across the country to aid Hamburg police.

The protests marred a gathering that German Chancellor Angela Merkel had hoped would demonstrate her countrys unshakeable commitment to freedom of speech and assembly.

I have every understanding for peaceful demonstrations but violent demonstrations put human lives in danger, she said.

Participants in the G20 meeting praised the work of police in keeping the event safe but said they had never seen protesters closer to such a summit than in Hamburg.

In the touristy Pferdemarkt area, activists faced off against police in riot gear who were unable to put out fires, with billowing thick smoke dramatically reducing visibility.

In the nearby Schanzenviertel, a supermarket was ransacked and a cash machine was burned out. Several police helicopters patrolled overhead.

German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble cancelled an appearance in downtown Hamburg on Friday morning due to security concerns. Police also declined to clear US First Lady Melania Trumps motorcade to leave her hotel for a tour of the citys historic harbour, her spokeswoman said.

Marine police units intercepted 22 divers from the environmental pressure group Greenpeace who had also been trying to reach the concert hall, police said.

Three officers required treatment in hospital, police said.

Violent anti-capitalist protests that have plagued the G20 host city of Hamburg https://t.co/zVwO9IEFqC pic.twitter.com/eCXr7M7yOp  AFP news agency (@AFP) July 7, 2017

Robust exchange

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin, in their first face-to-face meeting, engaged in a very robust exchange over claims Moscow meddled in US elections, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said.

Trump called the meeting tremendous.

Tillerson said that the US president opened the discussion by pressing Putin about the concerns of the American people regarding Russian interference in the 2016 election.

The Russian president has continually denied any meddling in the US democratic process and Moscow has asked for proof that it took place.

Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Trump accepted Putins assertions that the allegations, backed by US intelligence agencies, were false.

Tillerson added that the presidents rightly focused on how [to] move forward from what may be simply an intractable disagreement at this point.

The two-hour meeting also covered a slew of global crises including the Syrian war, Tillerson said.

US and Russia also agreed on a ceasefire deal covering southwestern Syria during the talks.

Let me characterise: the meeting was very constructive, the two leaders I would say, connected very quickly, said Tillerson, adding that there was a very clear positive chemistry between the two.

Al Jazeeras Dominic Kane, reporting from Hamburg, said the duration of the discussion indicated there were a number of items Trump and Putins agenda.

Discussions ranged from Ukraine, the fight against terrorism and the involvement, if any, of Russia in the US presidential elections, he said.

It is clear that lots of issues were discussed and the standout element was the ceasefire deal in southwest Syria.

Meanwhile, talks on global trade at the 20 summit proved very difficult and differences on climate change were also clear, Merkel said.

She told leaders of the G20 economic powers that they must be prepared to make compromises as she worked towards a summit outcome that everyone present could accept.

Protests are expected to continue on Saturday.
Hamad Port chief says nothing changed since start of the Gulf crisis but transit port is now Omani instead of Emirati.

Qatars main commercial port is operating at full capacity and the only change has been that the Doha-bound ships were transiting through two Omani ports, rather than the Emirati Jebel Ali port  a regional hub, its head said.

Abdulaziz Nasser Al-Yafei, Hamad Port director, said on Friday that there has not been an increase in traffic since the beginning of the blockade by Saudi Arabia and its allies.

The only thing that has happened is that the ships in the past were depending on Jebel Ali Port (in Dubai) as a hub port, but now we are cooperating with our brothers in the Sultanate of Oman, and we thank them, of course, for their generous cooperation with us and the quickness of their action, he said.

Al-Yafei also said that there were plans to increase the ports capacity, and that they were continuing on schedule.

READ MORE  All the latest updates on the Qatar-Gulf crisis

Qatar depends almost entirely on food imports to feed its more than two million residents. The majority of the imports came through its only land border with Saudi Arabia.

It had been forced to look elsewhere for food since Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt cut ties with Qatar early last month and imposed air, sea, and land blockade against the country.

Qatar has increased imports by air of foodstuffs from Turkey, Iran and China since the crisis began. Turkey also started shipping products to Qatar by sea.

On Friday evening, at least five large ships were docking at Hamad Port, unloading sheep from Australia, food products from Turkey, and a ship carrying cars made in South Korea.

Port officials say that the port received 212 ships in June, and can process 7.5 million containers a year.
Accusations by Saudi Arabia and allies are baseless and amount to defamation, foreign ministry source says.

Qatar has expressed regret over false claims in statements issued by Saudi Arabia and its allies in Cairo and Jeddah, describing the accusations by the anti-Doha quartet as defamation.

Qatars state news agency quoted a foreign ministry source as saying on Friday that the claims by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt about Qatars interference in internal affairs of other countries and financing terrorism are baseless allegations.





Qatars position of rejecting and condemning all forms of terrorism is consistent and known, the source said, adding:

The State of Qatar is an active member committed to combating terrorism and its financing at regional and international levels. The international community attests to that.

Qatar remains ready to cooperate and review all claims that do not contradict the sovereignty of the State of Qatar, the source continued.

The source also criticised the anti-Qatar group for accusing Doha of leaking the list of demands, saying the claims were baseless and could be refuted with evidence.

In a joint statement released late on Thursday, Saudi Arabia and its allies said that Qatars refusal of their list of 13 demands was proof of its links to terror groups and threatened to impose further sanctions on Doha over its refusal to bow to their ultimatum for ending the Gulf crisis.

READ MORE  All the latest updates about the Gulf crisis

All political, economic and legal measures will be taken in the manner and at the time deemed appropriate to preserve the four countries rights, security and stability, the statement said.

A similar document was issued on Wednesday after the foreign ministers of the quartet met in the Egyptian capital Cairo.

Crisis could intensify

Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt cut ties with Qatar on June 5 and imposed a land, air and sea blockade on the country.

They also ordered Qatari citizens to leave their territories and took various steps against Qatari firms and financial institutions.

On June 22, they issued a 13-point list of demands, including the shutdown of Al Jazeera, as a prerequisite to lift the sanctions. The quartet now considers the demands null and void.

The US state department warned on Thursday that the Gulf crisis is at an impasse and could potentially drag on for weeks or even months.

The US believes the crisis could possibly even intensify, Heather Nauert, a spokesperson for the state department, said.

Nauert did not specify what type of escalation the US fears, but she said Secretary of State Rex Tillerson remains in close contact with the countries involved.
Finance minister tells The Times newspaper that economic fundamentals of Qatar are in better position than its rivals.

Qatars finance minister has said that the economic fundamentals of his country are in a better position than its rivals and that Doha is rich enough to face the threats of the blockade.

Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt cut ties to Qatar a month ago, accusing it of funding terrorism and spreading unrest.

Qatar has denied allegations and refused to comply in whole with a list of demands.

Speaking to The Times newspaper, Ali Sharif al-Emadi said the states huge financial reserves, built on the sale of natural gas over decades, meant it could withstand sanctions.

READ MORE: Qatar-Gulf crisis  All the latest updates

We have sovereign wealth funds of 250 percent of gross domestic product, we have Qatar Central Bank reserves, and we have a ministry of finance strategic reserve, he told The Times.

Although credit ratings agencies have downgraded Qatars assessment of its financial outlook, Ali Sharif said the country was rich enough to sustain despite sanctions.

He even compared his country with the status of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain and Egypt.

Bahrain and Egypt are at junk-bond level, he said.

If you look at Saudi Arabia, they are having genuine issues with their finances. We are the fastest-growing country in the region, 40 percent faster than the nearest Gulf Co-operation Council country [the UAE].

Protect Qatar

On Monday, Qatar delivered its response to a list of 13 demands from Saudi Arabia and the three other Arab countries that cut have ties with it and imposed a land, air and sea embargo amid a major diplomatic crisis.

Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said the country will do whatever it takes to protect our people, as he accused the Gulf states of trying to undermine his nations sovereignty.

They also ordered Qatari citizens to leave their territories and took various steps against Qatari firms and financial institutions.

READ MORE: Saudi-led group vows appropriate measures

On June 22, they issued a 13-point list of demands, including the shutdown of Al Jazeera, as a prerequisite to lift the sanctions, which include the closure of Qatars only land border and suspension of all flights to and from the country.

Saudi Arabia and its allies now consider the demands, sent via mediator Kuwait, null and void as the Qatari government had thwarted all diplomatic efforts to resolve the crisis, the statement added.

Earlier on Thursday, the US state department warned that the Gulf crisis was at an impasse and could potentially drag on for weeks or even months.

The US believes the crisis could possibly even intensify, Heather Nauert, a state department spokesperson, said.

Later on Thursday, a state department statement said Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will be travelling to Kuwait on Monday to discuss efforts to resolve the Gulf crisis.
First meeting between Trump and Putin wrapped up with the announcement of a truce deal covering southwestern Syria.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart Donald Trump have agreed on a ceasefire deal covering southwestern Syria, during talks at the G20 summit, officials from both countries said.

The deal was reached during the two leaders meeting in Hamburg on Friday on the sidelines of the G20 summit of industrialised and developing nations.

Russian, American and Jordanian experts  agreed on a memorandum of understanding to create a de-escalation zone in the regions of Deraa, Quneitra and Suweida, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Friday.

There will be a ceasefire in this zone from midday Damascus time [9:00 GMT] on July 9, he added.

READ MORE: US would consider no-fly zone in Syria if Russia agrees

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson confirmed the agreement, saying that it showed that the US and Russia were able to work together in Syria and that they would continue to do so.

We had a very lengthy discussion regarding other areas in Syria that we can continue to work together on to de-escalate the areas and the violence, once we defeat ISIS, he said, using an acronym for the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group.

Resident feel unsafe

Previous ceasefires in Syria have collapsed or failed to reduce violence for long, and it was unclear whether this deal would fare any better.

Al Jazeeras Natasha Ghoneim, reporting from Gaziantep, Turkey, said that despite such announcements of ceasefires, fighting continues and residents feel unsafe.

This week there were peace talks in Astana and ahead of those talks, a ceasefire was announced, but in the west of the country, rebels are in a fierce battle with the Syrian forces who are trying to regain control, she said.

Along the southern border there is sporadic fighting going on. The Syrian opposition is in control for the most part along the border with Jordan, but clearly fighting continues despite these ceasefires.

READ MORE: Russia  No deal on de-escalation zones in Syria talks

We have spoken to residents in the southwest portion of Syria and they say that despite a ceasefire, they dont feel safe and humanitarian aid doesnt reach them.

The United Nations welcomed the agreement between the US and Russia, saying it would enable upcoming peace talks.

The UNs deputy special envoy to Syria Ramzy Ramzy said the agreement was a positive development.

He said he hopes other areas in Syria will see similar agreements to reduce violence.

Ramzy is in Damascus ahead of a new round of UN-sponsored peace talks in Geneva on Monday.

The Syrian conflict has killed nearly half a million people, according to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, and forced millions of others to flee the country.

Russia is one of Syrian President Bashar al-Assads most important backers and the survival of his regime is critical to maintaining Russian interests there. The US has argued that Assads regime must be toppled and backs moderate rebels fighting Syria government forces.








UNs cultural arm voted 12 to three to give heritage status to the Old City of Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

The United Nations cultural arm declared the Old City of Hebron a protected heritage site in a secret ballot, an issue that has triggered a new Israeli-Palestinian spat at the international body.

UNESCO voted 12 to three  with six abstentions  to give heritage status to Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

Hebron is home to more than 200,000 Palestinians and a few hundred Israeli settlers, who live in a heavily fortified enclave near the site known to Muslims as the Ibrahimi Mosque and to Jews as the Tomb of the Patriarchs.

The resolution, brought by the Palestinians and which declares Hebrons Old City as an area of outstanding universal value, was fast-tracked on the basis that the site was under threat, with the Palestinians accusing Israel of an alarming number of violations, including vandalism and damage to properties.

On Tuesday in a separate vote, the heritage committee backed a resolution condemning Israeli actions in Jerusalem, sparking Israeli anger.

Israel says the Hebron resolution  which refers to the city as Islamic  denies thousands of years of Jewish connection there.

Hebron claims to be one of the oldest cities in the world, dating from the chalcolithic period or more than 3,000 years BC, the UNESCO resolution said.

The resolution is seen as a victory for Palestinian diplomacy and would be cited by Israel as a fresh example of what it alleges is the UNs inherent anti-Israel bias.

In May Israel reacted furiously after UNESCO passed a separate resolution on Jerusalem, and has recently prevented UNESCO researchers from visiting Hebron.
Rights Committee says 85 violations against Qatari students were committed in UAE, 29 in Saudi Arabia and 25 in Bahrain.

The National Human Rights Committee (NHRC) in Qatar has submitted a report to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) detailing the violations committed by educational institutions against Qatari students in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The report was filed by the NHRCS Chairman Ali bin Smaikh al-Marri during a meeting with Eric Falt, UNESCO Assistant Director-General for External Relations and Public Information, in Paris on Thursday.

Al Marri said that violations against students included preventing them from taking final exams, withholding certificates of graduation, closing their educational accounts and arbitrarily terminating their registration without giving reasons.

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain cut diplomatic ties with Qatar and imposed a blockade against it on June 5 over allegations that it funds terrorism.

READ MORE: US warns Gulf crisis could last for months

The three Arab Gulf countries, along with Egypt, who have severed relations, have not provided any evidence for their claims, while Qatar has repeatedly denied the allegations as baseless.

Al Marri said that the file was submitted to UNESCO as it is the competent international organisation to resolve those kind of issues and put an end to the inhumane violations committed by the siege countries.

At least 85 violations against Qatari students were committed in the UAE, followed by 29 violations in Saudi Arabia and 25 in Bahrain, according to the report.

Last month, the NHRC in Qatar said it has monitored several serious violations against Qatari students in three neighbouring countries amid a major regional fallout.

Qatars National Human Rights Committee, which has previously called the moves against Qatar worse than the Berlin Wall, said that the unjust siege was affecting the right to education for Qatari students in the three countries, and especially in the UAE.

It also urged universities and educational institutions in the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain to put aside political differences and take into account the rights of Qatari students and not put obstacles in the way of their right to education.
Leaders of worlds 20 largest economies meet in Germany for discussion on everything from climate to trade policies.

Leaders of the worlds top economies have arrived in Germany for the start of the G20 in Hamburg, where large groups of protesters are rallying against the summit.

The meeting in the port city in the countrys north comes at a time of major shifts in the global geopolitical landscape, with US President Donald Trumps America First policies pushing Europe and China closer together.

More than 100,000 demonstrators are also expected to descend on the city to protest against everything from climate change policies to capitalism.

Amid seemingly intractable conflicts, the host, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, faces the daunting task of steering leaders towards a consensus on trade, security, climate and migration  all issues that have become more contentious since Trump entered the White House in January.

Merkel said she hopes to find compromises and answers on a range of issues at the two-day meeting.

All eyes on Trump

All eyes will be on the US president, who will make his maiden appearance at the summit.

Al Jazeeras James Bays, reporting from Hamburg, said the highlight of the Friday will be the meeting between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, an encounter that will be intensely scrutinised following allegations by US intelligence agencies that Moscow meddled in the US election.

Trump said in a tweet he was looking forward to the meeting.

Bays said Trump and Putin have important issues to discuss, particularly Ukraine, but also the issue of Syria where, it is believed, there may be a new initiative coming from Russia and the US to try to get the political track moving and to try to get some stabilisation zones around Syria.

Trumps meeting with Putin will take place at the same time as a closed-door meeting on climate change, which could be a bit of a sign about Trumps policies on the climate, Bays said.

READ MORE: Its time for G20 leaders to embrace civil society

The summit is the first meeting of world leaders since Trump announced that the US would withdraw from the 2015 Paris climate agreement, deeply disappointing Merkel, Frances Emmanuel Macron and other US allies who had hoped to maintain momentum in the battle against climate change.

The summit will also bring together Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping at a time when Washington is ratcheting up pressure on Beijing to rein in North Korea after it test-launched an intercontinental ballistic missile.

Among the other issues expected to be discussed at this years G20 are the conflicts in Syria and Ukraine, and the state of the global economy.

Mass protests continue

Large widespread protests have already taken place across Hamburg and more are expected throughout Friday and Saturday.

On Friday morning, police clashed with protesters who torched patrol cars and blocked roads.

Late on Thursday, a peaceful marched turned violent when police used water cannon, pepper spray and batons to disperse marchers who they say attacked them with bottles and other objects.

More than 75 officers and dozens of protesters were injured.

Al Jazeeras David Chater said that these protesters want to be heard and make an impact.

There are so many issues involved politically in the G20 summit, he said.

They are against the globalist capitalist system, they are against Trumps attempts to pull out of the climate change accords. Theyre essentially protesting every single issue thats going to be raised in this G20 summit.

Many other groups are calling for peaceful protests and are pushing the G20 leaders for action to fight climate change and address economic disparities in the world. Some are even calling for the dissolution of the G20 itself so that the United Nations becomes the platform for such discussions.

Hamburg has boosted its police with reinforcements from around the country and has 20,000 officers on hand to patrol the citys streets, skies and waterways.
In this episode we tackle the GCC blockade, discuss if the region can mend relations, and debate US role in the crisis.

There appears to be no sign of resolution to the standoff that began on June 5.

The Saudi-led coalition accuses Qatar of regional meddling, citing this as the source of the diplomatic rift. Qatar, however, claims the blockade is an effort to undermine its autonomy and impede freedom of speech.

Part One

In part one of this Upfront Special, Mehdi Hasan delves into the core issues behind the feud.

For Qatars Ambassador to Russia, Fahad bin Mohammed al-Attiyah, the sudden blockade is a Saudi power-move and an attack on the countrys sovereignty.

We are not a province of Saudi Arabia. We are not a province of the UAE. We are an independent nation with our own foreign policy that does not undermine the security of our neighbours in the region, Fahad bin Mohammed said.

You cannot have sovereignty if you are going to undermine the security of your neighbours. When your three neighbours, your only three physical neighbours, turn against you, in addition to Egypt, somethings wrong, argued Saudi analyst Ali al Shihabi.

You can give Qatar credit for backing revolution everywhere but Qatar, added Shihabi, who is also Director at the Arabia Foundation, and accuses the Gulf nation of undermining its neighbours security.

With the Qatari government continuing to view the demands as unrealistic, the future of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) seems uncertain.

They will be held accountable for all the violations theyve committed against Qatar in breach of all the international conventions, said Fahad bin Mohammed.

In this segment of UpFronts GCC special Qatars Ambassador to Russia, Fahad bin Mohammed al-Attiyah, and Director at the Arabia Foundation Ali al Shihabi debate the issues behind the ongoing crisis.

Part Two

Many argue that the US plays a key mediating role in the path to a solution, despite the clear divisions within the administration. When the Saudi-led coalition announced its blockade against Qatar, US President Donald Trump voiced high praise for the decision. Trumps own State Department, however, quickly called for dialogue.

In part two, Middle East policy experts Bernard Haykel and Barbara Slavin discuss Washingtons role in Gulf politics, and the future of the GCC as regional alliances appear to shift.

Haykel, a historian and professor of Near Eastern Studies at Princeton University, argues that a more cohesive American policy could mean a swift end to divide in the Gulf.

I think if Donald Trump and [US Secretary of State] Tillerson and [US Secretary of Defense] Mattis were on the same page, it wouldve ended much quicker, he said.

When asked about the timing and motivation behind the blockade, Haykel said consolidation of power was a key factor.

Saudi Arabia and the UAE want to consolidate and unite all Sunni powers against both Iran and against ISIS, show Trump that theyre united, and Qatar was the one, sort of, squeaky wheel in that configuration, said Haykel.

Slavin, Director of the Future Iran Initiative at the Atlantic Council, argues that despite GCC intentions, Iran is a beneficiary of the rivalry.

The Iranians look like theyre humanitarians, theyre coming to the aid of this little country which is being bullied by its big neighbours, she said.

In the second segment of the UpFront GCC special, Middle East policy experts Barbara Slavin and Bernard Haykel debate the regional implications of the crisis, and whether US involvement is helping or hindering progress.

Follow UpFront on Twitter @AJUpFront and Facebook.
Los Angeles, CA. July 8th, 2017. This is going to be one of the most difficult summers ever for Green Card and visa holders in all categories. What few foreigners are aware of is Presidential Order 13768, states Steven Riznyk, lead immigration attorney at Waiver-Strategy.com, which is perilous for foreigners. Under that Order, anyone who has any kind of a criminal record, or has even been charged but not convicted is a priority for removal (previously called deportation). Many people leaving for vacation have no idea they will not be returning home to their careers and families.



As a result, states Steven Riznyk, people with careers, jobs, homes, cars, and children who leave the United States will most likely not be able to re-enter for approximately 8 months time. Many immigration issues have been covered in the press and as a result, Presidential Order 13768 has been overlooked by many. It is a very dangerous provision. A simple shoplifting charge can keep someone out of the United States. Unless a visa or Green Card holder applies for a waiver (a complex legal document that uses legal precedents to ask the government to overlook a charge or conviction) and has it approved, he or she will most likely not be able to re-enter after their vacation is over. Mr Riznyk has received a number of calls from people all over the world who have been denied re-entry into the United States, feeling it was an error.



Only about 1% of immigration lawyers are qualified to create waivers, and they are the legal equivalent of open-heart surgery. There are various sub-categories of waivers but not all immigration offences qualify for waivers. Some waivers are only for visa holders, and not available for Green Card holders. It takes, on average, 8 months to be able to re-enter after filing a waiver, which itself takes 3-4 weeks to prepare. Once a foreigner is outside the country, he or she will not be able to enter, even while waiting for the results of the waiver. For people in the United States on a student visa or with a serious career and family obligations, this situation can be extremely destructive.










English News China, Russia team up to challenge the dominance of Western media

Alwihda Info | Par peoplesdaily - 7 Juillet 2017



The Chinese and Russian media cannot let others interpret the international order and international rules on their behalf, and should take the initiative in this fierce international competition over discourse, Lu added. This new media era has redefined the way in which information is disseminated and acquired, creating a rare opportunity for developing countries and emerging market countries to win the right to speak.

By Curtis Stone In an article published in the Russian newspaper Izvestia on Tuesday, Russian Senator Konstantin Kosachev wrote that the Western mass media distorts information about the intentions of countries as the main weapon in their information war.



According to Kosachev, the main objective behind this distortion is the creation of a myth that portrays certain countries as dangerous aggressors. Thanks to all these Orwellian statements we are now living in some sort of an inside-out reality, the Russian senator wrote, according to an English translation of the Russian-language report in RT.



Though Kosachev was talking specifically about how the Western mass media distorts Russias intentions, his comments apply to all key potential U.S. rivals, including, and perhaps especially, China, which is often cast as a rising power with malign intentions and commonly singled out as the biggest threat to U.S. hegemony.



His comments also come at a time of profound time change in discourse, as media from all corners of the world battle to gain the dominant position in a fast-changing global media landscape.



On July 4, Lu Xinning, deputy editor-in-chief of the Peoples Daily, urged the Chinese and Russian media to work together to break the dominance of Western discourse in a speech at the third China-Russia Media Forum in Moscow, Russia.



Lu said China and Russia should work together to seize the opportunity of this new media era. As two big powers, strategic collaboration between our two countries is related to global stability. This same logic applies to discourse, which can have a global impact, Lu said.



Lu noted that in recent years, the Western discourse against China and Russia has been strong and the West is trying to force its Hobbess war of all against all view on China and Russia, creating a distorted view of the two world powers.



The Chinese and Russian media cannot let others interpret the international order and international rules on their behalf, and should take the initiative in this fierce international competition over discourse, Lu added. This new media era has redefined the way in which information is disseminated and acquired, creating a rare opportunity for developing countries and emerging market countries to win the right to speak.



But Lus call to action will be far from simple, as one reader pointed out. No doubt [this effort] will be portrayed in the Western Privileged Press as a vast communist conspiracy against freedom, rule of law, and of course democracy through the spreading of evil propaganda, the user wrote on Peoples Daily Online. Then added: [But] I certainly hope this effort helps to refute the false narrative of the 'Empire of the Exceptionals.'



The Russian senator in his comments also talked about countering a false narrative: The demagogy about attacks on values and freedoms should be countered with the truth about the geopolitical motives of Western nations actions, Kosachev wrote.



The practice of demonizing other countries in the Western mass media plays a key role in keeping the myth of exceptionalism alive and well, but comes at the cost of other countries image and progress. In the U.S., for example, elite policymakers and the mainstream media passionately believe in American exceptionalism. They are convinced that the U.S. is a shining city upon a hill, morally superior to every other country on earth, and this thinking is reflected in their powerful and influential discourse.



But the tide may be turning. On Tuesday, visiting Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin witnessed the signing ceremony of a media cooperation agreement in Moscow. The agreement, signed between Peoples Daily President Yang Zhenwu and Sergey Mikhaylov, director general of Russias TASS news agency, will allow both sides to form a comprehensive strategic partnership under the principles of equality and mutual trust. Eighteen other agreements were also signed at the China-Russia media forum in Moscow on July 4.



(Source: People's Daily)



Dans la meme rubrique : < > China, Germany should keep to overall direction of bilateral ties from strategic height: Xi CIIE turns more exhibitors into investors China is ready to work with all countries to practice true multilateralism, build more consensus for openness Pour toute information, contactez-nous au : +(235) 99267667 ; 62883277 ; 66267667 (Bureau N'Djamena)










English News China slams latest NK missile test

Alwihda Info | Par peoplesdaily - 7 Juillet 2017



The communique reiterated China and Russia's opposition to the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile defense system and accused its deployment of bringing serious harm to the strategic security interest of countries.

By Guo Yuandan and Zhang Hui Source: Peoples Daily and Global Times China and Russia issued a joint communique on Monday and called on North Korea, South Korea and the US to negotiate on Korean Peninsula issues, including denuclearization, after North Korea announced it successfully tested an intercontinental ballistic missile.



The communique urged all parties to adopt China's plan that would see Pyongyang suspend its ballistic missile program and the US and South Korea simultaneously call for a moratorium on large-scale military exercises.



The communique reiterated China and Russia's opposition to the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile defense system and accused its deployment of bringing serious harm to the strategic security interest of countries.



North Korea on Tuesday declared that it has successfully launched an intercontinental ballistic missile, the Hwasong-14, calling it a milestone in its missile development program.



China said it opposes North Korea's missile launch which runs contrary to UN Security Council resolutions.



"China urges North Korea to refrain from acts that violate UN Security Council resolutions so as to create necessary conditions for resuming dialogue and negotiations," Geng Shuang, Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson, said at a news briefing.



UN Security Council resolutions ban North Korea from conducting any launches that use ballistic missile technology, nuclear tests or any other provocation.



North Korea has conducted four ballistic missile tests since May. The country fired four missiles into the sea east of the peninsula on June 8, which the South Korean military believes were surface-to-ship cruise missiles.



Tuesday's launch happened three days after South Korean President Moon Jae-in met with Trump in Washington, DC and only a few days before the opening of the G20 summit where Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe are scheduled to meet. North Korea chose a time to protest what it sees as concerted efforts by the world's powers to put pressure on Pyongyang.



"North Korea's missile test will escalate tensions on the Korean Peninsula, which will be reflected in US and South Korean determination to deploy the THAAD system," Jin said, adding that the test will also dampen ties between China and the US, as the US may adopt tougher policies to pressure China.



US President Donald Trump tweeted on Tuesday that China might put a heavy move on North Korea to "end the nonsense once and for all."



However, Geng said that China has played an indispensable role in solving the nuclear issue on the peninsula, and it hopes all relevant parties work together to bring the issue back to the negotiating table.



"While we denounce North Korean missile tests, we should also demand that the US and South Korea act in the right way," Lu Chao, a researcher at the Liaoning Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times.



An ICBM?



Tuesday's missile reached an altitude of 2,802 kilometers and flew 933 kilometers for 39 minutes, according to the Korean Central News Agency.



However, Yang Chengjun, a Chinese missile expert and quantum defense scientist, told the Global Times that the missile tested could not have been an intercontinental ballistic missile because an intercontinental ballistic missile should reach at least 8,000 kilometers in altitude based on international standards.



But the test showed that North Korea achieved progress in the missile's range if the data is proven accurate, he added.



"Based on available data of the latest test, North Korea's missile may reach the US with a bigger thruster," Jin Qiangyi, director of the Asia Research Center of Yanbian University, told the Global Times.



But experts pointed out that North Korea's missile technologies remain immature.



North Korea has failed to solve missile launch problems, such as accurately detonating and safely separating the rocket without causing harm to subjects on the ground, Yang said.



Dans la meme rubrique : < > China, Germany should keep to overall direction of bilateral ties from strategic height: Xi CIIE turns more exhibitors into investors China is ready to work with all countries to practice true multilateralism, build more consensus for openness Pour toute information, contactez-nous au : +(235) 99267667 ; 62883277 ; 66267667 (Bureau N'Djamena)










English News G20 comes to Hamburg time

Alwihda Info | Par peoplesdaily - 7 Juillet 2017



The G20 should continue to pursue innovative growth and long-term governance. Given the hard-won growth momentum, each country should continue to promote innovation, boost new industrial revolution and digital economy, so as to achieve strong, sustainable, balanced and inclusive growth of the world economy.

By Zhang Jun The G20 Summit will be held soon in Hamburg, Germany. Given the groundbreaking achievements made in terms of innovation, structural reform, development, trade and investment last year in Hangzhou, China, the world now has shifted its focus on the approaches of the Hamburg Summit to implement the previous results and make new contribution to the strong, sustainable, balanced and inclusive growth of the world economy.



The world economy now continues to grow, with positive signs having been shown in both developed countries and emerging markets. In other words, the world is now in the best economic situation since the international financial crisis.



However, the global economic growth is still fragile, with emerging uncertainties including rising tide of anti-globalization and trade protectionism.



In addition, G20 has also been challenged by problems such as intensified policy differentiation of its members and the different pace of each member in implementing previous G20 promises. The organization also has to improve its mechanism and draw a clearer picture of its future development.



Now G20 is still the best platform for major economies to conduct cooperation on global economic governance. The organization should stay true to its original intention and make joint efforts to cope with challenges, in a bid to bring the world economy back to the right track of stable growth.



Economic globalization, a natural outcome of historical development, has boosted economic growth, social progress and cultural exchanges. Economic globalization has brought substantial conveniences and benefits, and it is not wise to take the current difficulties and challenges its facing as an excuse to reject it.



Against the trade and investment downturn and the growing trend of anti-globalization, the G20 should keep advocating the construction of an open global economy, oppose protectionism, and facilitate trade and investment which serves as an engine for economic growth.



The G20 should continue to pursue innovative growth and long-term governance. Given the hard-won growth momentum, each country should continue to promote innovation, boost new industrial revolution and digital economy, so as to achieve strong, sustainable, balanced and inclusive growth of the world economy.



G20 is a mechanism that enables both developed economies and emerging markets to discuss global economic affairs on an equal-footed basis, and its development is of great significance to the world economy. In retrospect, the organization has never stopped its contribution to the global economy since its first summit. The fruitful results achieved in Hangzhou last year were significant public products provided by China to promote global economic governance. Now its time for Hamburg to present the world with its wisdom. Lets wait and see.



(The author is the director-general of the Department of International Economic Affairs under Chinas Ministry of Foreign Affairs)



Dans la meme rubrique : < > China, Germany should keep to overall direction of bilateral ties from strategic height: Xi CIIE turns more exhibitors into investors China is ready to work with all countries to practice true multilateralism, build more consensus for openness Pour toute information, contactez-nous au : +(235) 99267667 ; 62883277 ; 66267667 (Bureau N'Djamena)










English News Hangzhou consensus continues to lead global economy forward: experts

Alwihda Info | Par peoplesdaily - 7 Juillet 2017



The theme of the G20 Hangzhou Summit reflected Chinas scientific outlook about the sustainable development of global economy. China, through the Hangzhou Summit and the Hamburg Summit, has not only demonstrated its power to continuously guide global economy but also shared its wisdom about building a more just and reasonable system for global economic governance, he pointed out.

Source: People's Daily The two-day 12th G20 Summit is expected to start in Hamburg, Germany on July 7. Analysts believed that the consensus reached last year in Hangzhou, China will continue to lead global economy forward since this years meeting will follow and translate those constructive proposals into actions.



This years summit came as the global economy is showing inspiring momentum. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) forecasts the growth rate of the global economy at 3.5 percent this year and 3.6 percent next year, both higher than previous prediction.



Analysts pointed out that if the anticipation comes true, all the G20 members will report the first-ever positive economic growth this year.



Last years G20 Summit in Hangzhou was held amid a sluggish global economy and rising protectionism. At that time, people around the world felt pessimistic about global economic recovery and were worried about the lack of an effective way to solve that problem, said Gu Qingyang, an associate professor of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at National University of Singapore.



The China-led Hangzhou consensus offered a slew of measures and policies to facilitate global economic recovery and pursue inclusive and sustainable development, providing solutions for global economic growth, Gu recalled.



In light of prominent problems faced by the world economy, Chinese President Xi Jinping came up with an initiative of jointly building an innovative, open, interconnected and inclusive world economy during the G20 Hangzhou Summit.



The core and essence of the initiative is to take innovation as the driving force, follow the path of opening up, uphold the spirit of interconnection and pursue the goal of inclusiveness, so as to let growth and development benefit all countries and their peoples.



The great deal of consensus reached at the Hangzhou Summit injected new impetus into the steady recovery of global economy, said Duncan Freeman, senior research fellow with the Brussels Academy for China and European Studies.



Since the beginning of this year, the Chinese economy has maintained a momentum of steady and sound growth as a continuation of the second half of last year. In the first quarter, the countrys GDP increased by 6.9 percent, kicking off the year with a positive opening.



Freeman believes such a strong performance of Chinas economy serves as a persuasive proof that the future of the global economy will be bright as well.



Many experts think Chinas proposals, either the vigorously promoted supply-side structural reform or the Belt and Road initiative that is constantly being pushed forward around the world, are all delivering a positive signal to the international community and bracing up confidence in global market.



The international balance of power has changed and the current global economic governance pattern is very much outdated, said Zivadin Jovanovic, president of the Belgrade Forum for a World of Equals based in Belgrade of Serbia.



President Xi also once called for an equitable and efficient global financial governance to uphold the overall stability of the world economy.



German Chancellor Angela Merkel noted that the theme and results of the Hangzhou Summit are echoed by the vision of the Hamburg Summit and Germany will commit itself to implementing related action plans.



George N. Tzogopoulos, a scholar of international studies at the European Institute in Nice, France, said the Hamburg Summit comes down in one continuous line with the Hangzhou Summit.



Lots of constructive concepts put forward at the Hangzhou Summit will again be mentioned at the Hamburg Summit and will be turned into action plans, the scholar told the Peoples Daily.



The theme of the G20 Hangzhou Summit reflected Chinas scientific outlook about the sustainable development of global economy. China, through the Hangzhou Summit and the Hamburg Summit, has not only demonstrated its power to continuously guide global economy but also shared its wisdom about building a more just and reasonable system for global economic governance, he pointed out.



(By Pei Guangjiang, Zhang Mengxu, Yu Yichun, Ren Yan, Yuan Jirong, Li Yingqi and Zhang Xiaodong from Peoples Daily)



Dans la meme rubrique : < > China, Germany should keep to overall direction of bilateral ties from strategic height: Xi CIIE turns more exhibitors into investors China is ready to work with all countries to practice true multilateralism, build more consensus for openness Pour toute information, contactez-nous au : +(235) 99267667 ; 62883277 ; 66267667 (Bureau N'Djamena)










English News Idioms cited by Xi serve as a window for German academicians to learn Chinese civilization

Alwihda Info | Par peoplesdaily - 7 Juillet 2017



Only the very aged people in Germany could cite German classics such as poems and proverbs, which is generally impossible for younger generations, Mittag said, adding that unlike the Chinese, German politicians seldom refer to classics in their speeches.

By Feng Xuejun from Peoples Daily The sinologists and students in Germany now have a stronger interest in studying the works related to Chinese President Xi Jinping, through which they understand Chinas 5,000-year-long civilization, the philosophy of contemporary China as well as the countrys culture to pursue peace.



Bashtil, a student majored in Chinese studies at the University of Tubingen, chose the application of ancient Chinese classics and idioms in Xis speeches as the research topic of his graduation thesis.



After reading the German version of Xi Jinping: The Governance of China, Bashtil was enchanted by the cultural elements contained in the presidents illustrations on Chinese dream, paths and reform, and cultural confidence in particular. The book contains 79 speeches, talks, interviews, notes and letters of the Chinese leader between November 2012 and June 2014.



By composing his thesis, Bashtil hopes to present a clear picture of modern Chinese philosophy and the countrys pursuit of peace to his fellow Germans through the idioms and allusions frequently cited by Xi.

He also found a book, published by the Peoples Daily Press, which collects the allusions cited by the president as reference materials when writing the paper.



The German student found his interest in studying Chinese idioms and allusions after coming to China for study.



I was engaged in an exchange program with Peking University in 2014, where I found that idioms solitaire was the most popular spare-time activity among the foreign students, Bashtil recalled.



Back then, he knew little about Chinese idioms. In order to catch up with his fellow students, he bought a book and made cards to learn these idioms, which unexpectedly aroused his interest.



Though many of the idioms derive from ancient stories, they are still working well in modern society. As a result, Bashtil decided to have a study on ancient Chinese idioms, especially their application in modern society.



Being a famous German sinologist, Achim Mittag was invited to attend the symposium between President Xi and some German sinologists, teachers of Confucius Institutes and Chinese-major students when the Chinese President visited Germany in 2014.



Mittag was deeply impressed by the idioms cited by Xi in the symposium three years ago. He referred to a number of idioms and allusions, showing a remarkable accomplishment in ancient Chinese, the sinologist said.



Mittag then suggested Bashtil to thoroughly read the German version of Xi Jinping: The Governance of China, and take the idioms and allusions in Xis remarks as his specific research subjects.



The sinologist said that the realistic and political significance of the idioms cited by the Chinese top leader is of more research value. In his eyes, Xis citation has a considerable realistic significance for the understanding of the modern China.



Only the very aged people in Germany could cite German classics such as poems and proverbs, which is generally impossible for younger generations, Mittag said, adding that unlike the Chinese, German politicians seldom refer to classics in their speeches.



Given the different historic and cultural backgrounds, both countries hold different attitudes towards ancient classics, he said.



Mittag has noticed the literacy of Chinese leaders. In his eyes, they are not merely politicians. The speeches of Xi, former top leaders Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping all carried some similarities, said Mittag, adding that it is an inheritance of Chinese top leaders.



The sinologist believes that the research on the realistic significance of Xis citation of idioms will help understand Chinas political philosophy and policy principles.



Dans la meme rubrique : < > China, Germany should keep to overall direction of bilateral ties from strategic height: Xi CIIE turns more exhibitors into investors China is ready to work with all countries to practice true multilateralism, build more consensus for openness Pour toute information, contactez-nous au : +(235) 99267667 ; 62883277 ; 66267667 (Bureau N'Djamena)










English News President Xis visit cements Russia-China ties: Russian official

Alwihda Info | Par peoplesdaily - 7 Juillet 2017



Currently, the RCFA has 19 branches in Russia and the number will be doubled by the end of 2017, said Mezentsev, adding that the next important step for the organization is to advance communications between the youths of the two countries.

By Zhang Xiaodong and Qu Song from Peoples Daily Chinese President Xi Jinping's state visit to Russia will make an additional contribution to bilateral relations, said Chairman of the Russia-China Friendship Association (RCFA) Dmitry Mezentsev in a recent interview with Peoples Daily.



His remarks came as Xi started his two-day state visit to Russia on Monday. This year also marks the 20th anniversary of Russian-Chinese Committee of Friendship, Peace and Development as well as 60th birthday of RCFA.



Mezentsev attended the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation held in Beijing this May, during which he listened to speeches by President Xi and Russian President Vladimir Putin. He said that the speeches have inspired him and made him optimistic about the future of bilateral ties.



In his speech, Putin spoke highly of the China-proposed Belt and Road initiative, saying it will benefit all countries along the route of Belt and Road initiative and as help avoid unnecessary competitions, Mezentsev recalled.



Mezentsev said that the Belt and Road initiative will undoubtedly inject impetus into the economic and social development of all participating countries.



Russia, together with other involved nations, are all earnestly looking forward to Chinas proposals in promoting interconnectivity and high-tech cooperation, he added.



This October, the RCFA will embrace its 60th birthday, Mezentsev said. The RCFA has made considerable progress since its establishment, playing an important role in bolstering friendly exchanges between the two countries on provincial (state) and city levels, the chairman said.



Currently, the RCFA has 19 branches in Russia and the number will be doubled by the end of 2017, said Mezentsev, adding that the next important step for the organization is to advance communications between the youths of the two countries.



He noted that the RCFA is now working on cultural projects in a bid to promote cooperation in museums and movie industry.



Based on the existing regional mechanisms and exchange platforms such as the Yangtze-Volga Rivers and Northeast China-Russia's Far East, the RCFA hopes to facilitate the cooperation modes on provincial (state) levels, Mezentsev added.



Mezentsev said that he hopes Xis visit to Russia will yield plentiful outcomes. Every meeting between the two leaders would inject new impetus into the development of bilateral relations, he noted.



Based on the current mechanisms and achievements, the RCFA will make additional contributions to bilateral relations, the chairman said.



In the just-concluded Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit held in Astana, India and Pakistan officially joined in the SCO membership ranks. As the former secretary-general of the SCO, Mezentsev said that the new members will inject strength and power into the organization.



The SCOs development has entered a new phase and it will conduct more effective contacts with other international organizations, Mezentsev added.







Dans la meme rubrique : < > China, Germany should keep to overall direction of bilateral ties from strategic height: Xi CIIE turns more exhibitors into investors China is ready to work with all countries to practice true multilateralism, build more consensus for openness Pour toute information, contactez-nous au : +(235) 99267667 ; 62883277 ; 66267667 (Bureau N'Djamena)










English News Xis Russian, German trips to facilitate global governance

Alwihda Info | Par peoplesdaily - 7 Juillet 2017



As members of the G20 troika, China and Germany voice the same appeal on agendas including anti-protectionism, protection of free trade system and economic globalization, which will help establish an open global economy and guarantee the success of the Hamburg Summit.

Source: People's Daily Chinese President Xi Jinpings trips to Russia and Germany, against the complicated international arena, will not only upgrade Chinas relations with the two countries, but also facilitate global governance, propel worlds economic growth and promote worlds peace and stability, an expert said on Tuesday.



Xi started his state visit to Russia on Monday, after which he will fly to Germany for a state visit and attend the 12th G20 summit in Hamburg.



The ties between China and Russia, the biggest neighbor to each other, are best-ever in history, which can be demonstrated by their frequent high-level mutual visits, wrote Ruan Zongze, executive vice president of China Institute of International Studies (CIIS), in a signed article published on Peoples Daily Overseas Edition.



The two are both major countries with great influence in global agendas, added Ruan, also a senior research fellow at CIIS.



Both countries, guided by the strategic plans made by the two heads of state, have made active efforts to dovetail the Belt and Road initiative and the Eurasian Economic Union, pushed forward the all-round cooperation and tightened the bonds of their common interests.



Russian President Vladimir Putin, during his annual "direct line" call-in session on June 15, vowed that Russia would undoubtedly launch effective cooperation with China as they not only have strategic ties, but also many overlapping goals and complementary opportunities.



Both nations, according to the visiting schedule, would sign a series of important cooperation documents on economy, trade, energy, investment, connectivity, media and education, so that the high-level political mutual trust will be translated into outcomes and the public will benefit from such collaboration.



China and Germany are now striving to build their ties into an upgraded version characterized by mutual benefits and win-win outcomes, Ruan stressed.



In the past three years after both countries upgraded their ties to an all-round strategic partnership during Xis visit to Germany in 2014, the two nations have made remarkable achievements.



So far, more than 70 dialogue mechanisms have been established between China and Germany, covering multiple fields including economy, security, disarmament and culture. In addition, China has become Germanys largest trading partner last year.



In todays world filled with uncertainties, China carries a weight in the diplomacy of Germany and Europe, said Ruan, adding that against such backdrop, China-Germany ties will not only boost cooperation between China and Europe, but also accelerate the growth of global economy.



The researcher admitted that as the host of this years G20 Summit, Germany is facing an extremely complicated situation, but China and Germany will join efforts to reap positive results from the meeting.



As members of the G20 troika, China and Germany voice the same appeal on agendas including anti-protectionism, protection of free trade system and economic globalization, which will help establish an open global economy and guarantee the success of the Hamburg Summit.



Themed with Shaping an Interconnected World, the Hamburg Summit follows the spirits of the Hangzhou Summit hosted by China last year.



Xi will, during this years meeting, explain Chinas proposition on world economy and international economic cooperation, in a bid to promote policy coordination, push for strong, sustainable, balanced and inclusive growth of world economy, and build confidence for international community, said the article.





Dans la meme rubrique : < > China, Germany should keep to overall direction of bilateral ties from strategic height: Xi CIIE turns more exhibitors into investors China is ready to work with all countries to practice true multilateralism, build more consensus for openness Pour toute information, contactez-nous au : +(235) 99267667 ; 62883277 ; 66267667 (Bureau N'Djamena)
John Shearer/BBMA2017/Getty Images for dcpCher's autobiographical Broadway musical is set to debut next year, but ahead of that, it'll be presented this October in a workshop-type setting.

The Cher Show will run from October 2 through October 29 in what's called a "lab presentation," according to Playbill. The production will feature hits from the diva's entire career, and a book by Tony Award-winner Rick Elice, who worked on Jersey Boys. It's directed by Jason Moore, who did Avenue Q.

According to Playbill, the show won't just feature one person playing Cher. Instead, different actors will appear as archetypes who represent different incarnations of Cher at different phases of her career.

For example, a character called "Babe" will be Cher as a teenager. "Lady" will be Cher as a music industry success, and "Star" will be the legend we all know and love. Someone also will play Cher's mother, Georgia, and her late ex-husband Sonny Bono.

Currently, the team is casting for the role of "Babe," described as "fiercely independent, but insecure about her looks...Determined to be famous, drawn to Hollywood and the movies...Seeing Sonny the first time is her 'Romeo and Juliet moment.'"

Copyright  2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
Are America's "narcissistic" youth a by-product of the counterculture revolution and the New Left movement?

Social scientists describe our younger generations as narcissistic. Infused with self-esteem since birth and awarded with participation trophies for failing, they are self-centered, self-immersed, and focused on self-improvement. They score significantly higher on narcissistic traits than do older generations on psychological testing. They are the "Me" generations.

But is their overt behavior really an expression of narcissism, or are other dynamics at play? Following World War II, Americans of all ages identified with nation and with the civil institutions of family, community, and church. The American Dream was a reality as the nation experienced unprecedented economic growth. The Cold War solidified patriotism. In the wake of the 60s, though, the landscape began to change with the rise of the New Left movement. Traditional attitudes and institutions came under attack. Authority at all levels was questioned and rejected.

Left-wing activists seeking to change the world populated and gained control of the education system and the media. Anti-Americanism and anti-capitalism crept into the school curriculum. Students became indoctrinated on the evils of America, not its greatness. America was cast as an imperialistic global predator, not as a world leader. America was built on slavery. The Founding Fathers are to be admonished as slave owners, not honored as founders of a uniquely conceived nation having the capacity to condemn slavery and combat segregation. Many students believe America is the only nation to have practiced slavery. The capitalistic "system" traps the common man in subservience. Capitalistic greed has caused global warming which will soon destroy the planet. Many millennials espouse socialism, although they cannot define it. They view businessmen and bankers as evil forces.

The traditional family structure has felt the assault of the feminist movement which, facilitated by household technical advances, lured women out of the home into the marketplace. The "pill" broke the marriage, sex, childbearing cycle. Out-of-wedlock births and single moms are commonplace. Left-wing secular/atheism has launched an attack on Christianity and the authority of the church, which the left holds to be oppressively dogmatic and "unscientific," having no place in an enlightened society.

The younger generations have thus grown up without the level of stability once provided by traditional civil and social institutions, and with a deep distrust for remaining centers of authority. They display a loss of trust in governments ability to equitably resolve complex social problems. (I'm with them on that.) Our current left/right ideologic civil war, generated primarily by left-wing overreach, has the young growing up in a political household in which their ideologically driven policymaker "parents" are throwing dishes at one another instead of finding common cause and moving forward. They submerge themselves in Facebook and Twitter and turn away from political and social issues. Big Oil, Big Pharma, Big Food are out to get them. Drink gallons of water to flush out those industrial toxins! Get in your 10K steps a day to stay healthy! Eat gluten-free organic! It is quite possible that the self-centered behavioral traits they display are more a manifestation of withdrawal from society and a retreat into "selfism" rather than an egotistical expression of true narcissism and an exalted sense of self-importance. Lacking trust in the external world, they have taken to a form of self-reliance as a default position and a safe harbor. Campus safe spaces may in part represent an extreme expression of the insecurity of those perceiving themselves to be additionally racially or ethnically marginalized.

Then, too, the alarming increases in drug addiction, drug overdose, and suicide in the young and middle-aged are not readily explained in the general context of narcissism. Much of this self-destructive behavior is related to economic stagnation and hopelessness, especially in middle-age white males, but the trend in others cannot be looked upon as symptomatic of narcissism. People in love with themselves do not seek to escape reality in drugs or by taking their own lives. Such behavior is more consistent with the notion that the young are resigned to withdrawing and escaping from a society in chaos, a society whose very foundations they have been led to believe are immoral, a society destablized to a significant extent by the New Left movement. The left has fostered the erosion of America's infrastructure, but has failed to replace it with something of value. Those growing up in such a milieu can only turn to self for direction and purpose. They are driven not by self-love, but by a primal sense of self determination.

All wars can have unintended consequences. The behavior of our youth might to a great extent be a consequence of the nation's most pervasive conflict, the cultural revolution.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who took office in May 2014, received an enthusiastic grandiose response and warm embrace from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu when they met at Ben-Gurion International Airport on July 4, 2017. After greetings by namaste, the salutation spoken with hands pressed together, the two prime ministers remained close during Modis productive and fence mending three-day official visit to Israel.

Logically, the two countries, both democratic, officially secular, pluralistic, with diverse populations and substantial Muslim minorities (180 million in India), have much in common. Both have absorbed substantial numbers of refugees. Both have and potentially still face threats of Islamic terrorism. Both promote a distinct national identity, one Hindutva, referring to the Indian nationalist movement, the other, the Israeli national identity, Jewish. Both have a free press, religious freedom, representative government, and an impartial judiciary.

Relations between the two countries were not always as harmonious as they appear today. Everyone knows of Albert Einstein, the scientist with the long, unruly hair, the inventor of the theory of relativity who won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1921. Not everyone knows he was a modest man who rejected in 1952 the invitation to become president of the State of Israel. He lacked, he wrote in replying to the invitation in a letter on November 17, 1952 to Israeli Ambassador Abba Eban, "both the natural aptitude and the experience to deal properly with people and to exercise official functions."

Yet, Einstein was deeply moved by the invitation since his relationship to the Jewish people had become his strongest human bond. An early example of this bond was his attempt in 1947 to persuade Jawaharlal Nehru, leader of the Indian National Congress party and prime minister, to support the establishment of a Jewish state. In a long letter of June 13, 1947 Einstein asked Nehru to favor "the rights of an ancient people whose roots are in the East," and support the "glorious renascence which has begun in Palestine."

However, Einstein was not able to convince Nehru, who despite having "a very great deal of sympathy for the Jews," was concerned with India's "national or selfish interests," the problem of his country's large Muslim minority, the need for support from Arab and Muslim countries, and concern about a likely conflict with Pakistan. The result was that India voted on the historic UN General Assembly Resolution 181 of November 29, 1947 against partition of Palestine, and the establishment of Israel.

India did not recognize the State of Israel until September 1950. Nehru explained the delay: "We refrained because of our desire not to offend the sentiments of our friends in the Arab countries." Throughout the period of the Cold War, India supported the Palestinian side. As one of the founders in 1956 and member of the Non-Aligned movement India tilted towards the Soviet Union and the Palestinians.

India would not allow its citizens to enter Israel on an Indian passport.

This unfriendliness persisted though Israel provided modest military assistance to India in its wars in 1962, 1965, and 1971, and was quick to recognize Bangladesh after India's victory against Pakistan in 1971. Israel was the first country to recognize Bangladesh as East Bengal, India. In contrast, Arab nations did not support India in its dispute with Pakistan. Yet, despite Israels friendly actions, India did not establish full diplomatic relations with Israel until 1992, an act that coincided with the fall of the Soviet Union, an ally of India.

India's subsequent relations with Israel have varied depending on the party in power, as well as on the changing international situation. Bilateral ties improve when a Hindu nationalist party or coalition, particularly the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is in power. The first senior Indian minister after 1992 to visit Israel was L.K. Advani, BJP leader and Home Secretary, who went to Israel in 2000. A game changer in relationships resulted from Israeli help during the Kargil war, in the district of Kashmir, when Israel, which was the first country to help India directly, supplied India with artillery shells, drones, mortars, and transport facilities.

Part of Indias response was refusal to join the condemnation of Israel during Operation Protective Edge, the war in the Gaza Strip, in July-August 2014. Henceforth, India dropped the word condemn but was only deeply concerned about the fighting in Gaza. Noticeably, it has abstained from anti-Israeli resolutions at the United Nations, such as the one at the UN Human Rights Council in 2015 that blamed Israel for war crimes.

For two decades, Indias relations with Israel have increased in a variety of ways. Bilateral trade has expanded significantly. In the 1990s, the trade between the countries was about $200 million; in 2016, it was $4.5 billion. India accounts for 41% of Israels global weapons sales, and the two countries cooperate in production of high-technology weapons systems.

India is still close to the Arabs because of its need for oil, and the presence of the large Muslim minority, 180 million, which is the highest number in any other non-Muslim country, in India. Yet its rapport with Israel, and its declared admiration for Israels accomplishments, have developed into an open friendship. Interestingly, by coincidence already there are 12,000 Indian Jews in Israel, while 4,000 Jews remain in India.

Cooperation stems from mutual interest. Both countries, created after World War II as independent entities, have built their nation state on democratic principles. Both are troubled by being surrounded by military dictatorships, theocracies, and failed states. Both countries are imbued with a spirit of innovation. It is said in jest that in Silicon Valley the two most frequently heard languages are Hindi and Hebrew, occasionally interrupted by English.

India is conscious that closer relations with Israel yield not only political benefits by increased trade. Cooperation extends from practical issues such as water supply, agricultural productivity, and business, to security issues, counterterrorism, cybersecurity, and innovations such as encryptions and robotics. Indian businesses and entrepreneurs, like Tech-Mahindra, Reliance Industries, and the Tata Group have links with Israels private sector. Ignoring the biased Palestinian and other BDS groups, these firms enjoy ties with Israeli academic research units. At the same time, MASHAV, Israels agency for international development cooperation in developing nations, operates centers for technology for farmers in 19 of the states in India. An agreement was reached in July 2017 between Water-Gen, an Israeli company based in Rishon Lezion that manufactures atmospheric water generators, and Indias sun group, by which the technology of Water-Gen will be used in the Indian market.
In recent days, liberal American Jewish leaders have done everything in their power to portray the prime minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, and his ruling coalition as purposely causing significant harm to the strong alliance between diaspora Jewry and the State of Israel. These leaders have leveled accusations that Netanyahu's actions constitute a slap in the face to American Jewry, have shaken the historical alliance between American Jewry and Israel, and have attacked the very essence of what defines Jewish identity.

The recent conversion law controversy and egalitarian praying area at the Western Wall are indicative, complainers claim, of what Israel has become. These serious accusations seem to serve the political opponents of Israel's ruling coalition rather than reflect the facts concerning the Western Wall, where the status quo remains in effect. Concerning the conversion law controversy, the relevant parties are mainly former Russian Olim (that is, immigrants making aliyah to Israel) living in Israel and not American Jewry or American Olim.

These same liberal American Jewish leaders have joined hands with Israel's leading opposition political parties to challenge the viability of Israel's democratically elected ruling coalition, all in the name of what they define as Jewish unity. While disagreements may arise, there is no justification for the contempt and condescension being leveled at the Israeli government by this liberal diaspora leadership threatening to rethink their support for the State of Israel.

A senior official of the Chicago Jewish federation and one of the most influential leaders in the American Jewish federation world was quoted stating that "the federation in Chicago will not be hosting any member of Knesset that votes for this bill. None. They will not be welcome in our community." He added: "We're past the time when we're standing and applauding and being nice because they're members of [the] Knesset or because they hold this position or that position." In other words, Israel's elected political leaders are not welcome in his community, and he is calling for a boycott of Israel's Knesset members. Again, all in the name of Jewish unity. Declaring war against the government, lecturing to Israel about how Israeli society is intolerable while not living in Israel, while not being part of the daily effort to live with the complex reality here in Israel is nothing short of chutzpah.

In response to many of the declarations made by American Jewish leaders, United States ambassador to Israel David Friedman was quoted stating, "We will defeat our enemies. I have no doubt that we will defeat our enemies." Friedman continued, "The question is: Can we survive ourselves?" without identifying any particular organization. He was apparently referring to comments by Rabbi Rick Jacobs, president of the Union for Reform Judaism, who said in an Israeli TV interview that the repercussions of the Western Wall and conversion decisions pose a strategic danger to the well-being of the State of Israel.

"Yesterday," Friedman said at a B'nai B'rith journalism awards ceremony in Jerusalem, "I heard something that I never thought I'd hear. And I understand the source of the frustration and the source of the anger. But I heard a major Jewish organization say that they needed to rethink their support for the State of Israel. That's something unthinkable in my lifetime, up until yesterday." Boycotts, questioning the legality of governmental decisions, encouraging members of Congress to threaten to withdraw their support of Israel  all are strikingly similar in content and in language used by the BDS and anti-Israel movements in America that promote the delegitimization of the State of Israel. For many liberal diaspora leaders, Israel has become an "oppressor" of Jewish rights. These people have repeatedly attempted in recent days to brand Israel as an intolerant society.

What seems to escape these diaspora leaders is the very fabric of democratic life here in Israel. Their suggested dialogue is based on recriminations and false accusations. They suggest that they can save Israel from itself so as to survive as a democratic state. For these liberal Jewish leaders, the status of religious pluralism in Israel has become the defining lens through which unwarranted criticism about Israel becomes justified. Rather than perceiving Israel as representing the very embodiment of a moral world, they unjustly label Israel undemocratic. Orthodox, secular, Jews, Arabs, veteran Israelis, new immigrants all enjoy equal rights and are subject to judicial review should they feel that their democratic rights are being impinged. Israel's Supreme Court of Appeals has adopted "judicial activism" in its orientation and is at the forefront of protecting the rights of all sectors of the population in Israel.

Dividing Israel into good cop, bad cop, making out the ruling coalition as an amalgamation of Dirty Harry and The Chosen so as to make Israel palatable to young liberal American Jews, is avoiding the real issue at hand. The problem, as arch-Jewish liberal Peter Beinart puts it, is that young liberal American Jews "are not especially connected to Israel because they are not especially connected to being Jewish." Supporting Israel, including Jews who are Dat-Leumi or Haredi, is messy and complicated. It raises too many questions concerning Jewish identity and Jewish affiliation. Israel that accepts the Reform and Conservative movements, Israel the start-up nation, is a Jewish nation agreeable to the palate of liberal American Jews who would prefer to remain Jewish from afar.

I can assure my liberal Jewish brethren in North America that most Israelis inhabit not "tolerant Israel" or "intolerant Israel." Rather, they inhabit the vast landmass of "middle Israel," the place where all Jews can live together, providing maximum liberty and religious rights.

The writer, a 25-year veteran of the IDF, served as a field mental health officer and commander of the Central Psychiatric Military Clinic for Reserve Soldiers at Tel-Hashomer. Since retiring from active duty, he provides consultancy services to NGOs implementing psycho-trauma and psycho-education programs to communities in the North and South of Israel and is a strategic adviser to the chief foreign envoy of Judea and Samaria. Contact: medconf@netvision.net.il
To preserve his irrational sense of honor, the Muslim man must blame others for any wrongdoing. Conforming to this perverse logic, United Nations Human Rights Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women, Dubravka Simonovic, blames Israel for the violence committed by Palestinian men against their own women. If Israels retaliatory attacks were indeed the cause, shouldnt the Israeli women be even more abused by their husbands? But that is not the case.

It begins in the home. Family life is a microcosm of the surrounding culture. Inside and outside the Islamic home, there is oppression, subordination, envy, animosity, shame, enslavement, and emotional and physical pain for any deviation. Muslim women are among the poorest, most oppressed, and least educated in the world, caged by their cumbrous shrouds in the insufferable desert heat, by their misogynist sharia laws, and by their chauvinist husbands. The 7th-century Bedouin womans attempt at privacy and protection has become a symbol of humiliation, servitude, and protection from men who are raised to lack restraint. Thus clad and maltreated, there is no natural interaction between the sexes, such as is found elsewhere. Not only are the women deprived of freedom and individuality, but they are also denied sunlight and Vitamin D, and more likely to develop osteoporosis, experience pelvic fracture during childbirth, and have babies who are disposed to seizures.

The Muslim family is a hatchery for abnormal behavior, its dynamics providing constant frustration. Just as Islam seeks to dominate all other religions, so the man seeks to dominate all within his dominion -- the employer who humiliates his employee, the husband who beats his wife, and the father who kills his daughter for his honor. It is seen in the pain needlessly inflicted on cattle brought to slaughter during the Islamic holiday of Eid. The sounds of the mens sadistic torture, and animals bleating and bleeding in the streets, increase their indifference to cruelty and the value of life. All of these are nurtured within the family.

While the Jewish state sounds alarms to take immediate shelter from incoming rockets, the Palestinians provide no shelter. Rather, they often position their launch sites at schools or hospitals, adding women and children as human shields to increase the death toll from Israels reprisals and garner more world compassion. While Israel provides playground shelters, Hamas teaches children to decapitate with swords, handle automatic rifles, and employs them to construct terror tunnels. Irreverence for life is widespread throughout Islamic culture, and is both cause and consequence for Palestinian anger and aggression. It cannot be attributed to Israels retaliations.

Another assault on Islamic women is the Female Genital Mutilation performed on young girls -- an excruciating, barbaric procedure of castration done without anesthesia to suppress her sexual desires, guarantee her virginity and ensure faithfulness before marriage. The risks include interference with normal female bodily functions, infections, exsanguination, and death, and psychological impairment as the young cannot emotionally rebel against their parents. They face another agonizing reversal surgery prior to marriage. How long before this, too, is blamed on Israel?

While boys and girls in Western cultures learn to communicate and socialize with each other, pursue their choice of careers and mate for marriage, Muslim youths are kept apart. The sexual attraction found throughout the entire natural world is spurned by Islam as shameful; they attach an unhealthy negativity to all aspects of sexuality. Social segregation leads to discomfort, fear, and hostility. Arab men learn to hate women and indulge in homosexual behavior with boys or effeminate men (considered an acceptable substitute), thereby emasculating the victimized male. The result is sexual confusion. The intense sexual repression and misogyny emerge as the rage and rape seen in the youths who are sent to the lands of the infidel. The husbands remain unhappy, confused, and violent. Yet Israel is blamed for the degenerate behavior with which Islamic society is riddled.

In some Muslim societies, consanguineous marriages are encouraged, often producing sick, dysfunctional children -- suitable, perhaps, for jihad martyrdom. Polygamous marriages with as many as four wives are also acceptable but deprive all of the intimacy and security found in faithful monogamous marriages. The effects of polygamy are favoritism and divisiveness, neglect, deprivation, jealousy, and bitterness. The women are stuck in a loveless marriage, beaten into submission, and robbed of friendships. Further, the Koran and Hadith sanction beating wives, with encouragement and guidelines provided on television by the Mufti of Gaza.

The children in such arrangements often grow to be resentful of their half-siblings, disrespectful of or deeply angry at their father, while feeling contempt and shame at their mothers subservience. A loveless household breeds scorn and provides the perfect setting for the young male to become a stern husband and father, an unquestioning suicidal murderer, or a deranged sadist who receives sexual satisfaction from causing pain and degradation.

All the aforesaid fester in the daily life of the Islamic home.

For fourteen centuries, Mohammeds examples of looting, enslavement, decapitation, and conquest have been the paradigm for his followers. The price of constant war and bloodshed has been their humanity. Islam keeps its adherents unschooled and severely restricted, lacking in compassion, courtesy, industry, and deficient in empathy for the suffering of others. Instead of yielding happiness, comfort, and security for its people, this religious, political, cultural, and economical ideology produces indoctrinated partisans, dedicated to hate the infidel and conquer land for their god. To feed the war machine, there must be constant illiteracy, stress, anger, blame, shame, and no bonds to love or family. The individuals are kept focused on their own anxieties and the states passion for a caliphate, taught during prayers five times daily.

A study conducted by Oxford University has shown that the male must make as many as 34 head-to-prayer mat contacts five times per day, often resulting in a zebibah (or prayer bump) and traumatic brain injury along with mental disorders. The practice is known to cause irritation, aggression, depression, and cognitive impairment, all to feed the cult and war mentality. Known as TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury), it can affect thinking (memory, reasoning), sensation (touch, taste, smell), language (communication, expression, understanding), and emotion (depression, anxiety, personality change, aggression, social inaptness). It can cause epilepsy, and increases the conditions for age-related Alzheimers and Parkinsons disease and other brain disorders.

Simonovic is sympathetic to the culture but cannot define it. Apart from prayer rugs, Islam has produced nothing but state-of-the-art terrorism techniques over the centuries. Their cultural accomplishments are kept to a minimum with half the peoples brain power confined under hijabs and burqas, and the other half driven to riot, kill, or commit suicide, as the outworking of the aberrant behavior that is inculcated from cradle to grave. Creativity flourishes in a free society; slave states produce tears.

The greatest fear to Muslim men may now well be the threat of modernization and the liberation of women. Throughout fourteen hundred years of history, the men have had their humbled dhimmis, the social and sexual inferiors that have bolstered their self-worth and warped sense of honor. The culture of the West and of Israel threaten Muslim male dominance. Add to this, their sense of resentment that their beleaguered and despised neighbor, Israel, has proven to be culturally, economically, and militarily superior to the Palestinians, a horde that has failed to produce a similar or better society during the same time, despite the worlds generosity.

It is obvious that the violence inherent within the Muslim male has its roots in the lurid instability of the home, the mosque, and their society in general. Tragically, instead of addressing the real source of the problem, Muslims are trained to blame anything but themselves. Islam has had many whipping boys. Blaming Israels retaliatory actions for Muslim violence, as proclaimed by Ms. Simonovic, is like accusing the victim of antagonizing his attacker by defending himself.

Disturbingly, Islam appears to have been masterfully crafted to be the antithesis of Judaism and Christianity that preceded it. The Bible celebrates life; the Koran sacrifices it. Wife-beating is merely one of innumerable components that form the atrocity of Islam and threaten the survival of humankind.
Like lemmings marching over a cliff, leftists from all over the world are descending on Berlin to take part in left-wing protests at the G-20 summit.

One of those leftists is New York mayor Bill de Blasio, who skipped a swearing in ceremony for new police officers  in the wake of the assassination of a policewoman last week  to jet off to Berlin to participate in the demonstrations.

New York Post:

De Blasio will be the keynote speaker, organizers of the demonstration  Hamburg Shows Attitude  tweeted. The mayor also made sure the free trip will include a visit with his son, Dante, a Yale University student who's spending the summer on an internship in Berlin, a City Hall spokesman said. Presumptive Republican challenger Nicole Malliotakis accused de Blasio of abandoning pressing issues in the Big Apple to pursue his progressive agenda in Europe. "Unbelievable. Instead of jet-setting around the world, he should be here doing his job," said the Staten Island assemblywoman. "A police officer was murdered, street homelessness has skyrocketed and people continue to get delayed on the trains." Malliotakis  who later tweeted a doctored image showing de Blasio in an Alpine hat and lederhosen, grinning behind a plate of bratwursts, wienerschnitzel and Pilsner glasses  also blasted him for blowing off the NYPD ceremony at the Police Academy in Queens. "The mayor should be embarrassed by the way he has treated the men and women of our police department," she said. The head of the NYPD sergeants union also attacked de Blasio. "As the city mourns, its leader flees," Ed Mullins said. "And then he wonders why he has a problem with the police. A real leader stays with the city in this time of hardship." Less than five hours before de Blasio's flight to Berlin, NYPD Commissioner James O'Neill offered reassurance to 524 new recruits in the wake of Wednesday's slaying of Officer Miosotis Familia.

We've come to expect this sort of adolescent behavior from de Blasio, who apparently doesn't realize he's the mayor of a major American city and not some hepped up college student going overseas to mount the battlements and wave the bloody shirt, protesting Trump and capitalism.

De Blasio was joined on the trip by spokesman Eric Phillips and two other aides, whose travel expenses are also being picked up by Hamburg Shows Attitude. Phillips said the gifts were approved in advance by the city Conflicts of Interest Board, whose general counsel said it was "prohibited by law from disclosing any information regarding advice we provide." In October, de Blasio told a class of NYPD recruits, "We honor you for making this choice," before adding that "what we owe to you is every effort to keep you safe." Following Familia's slaying, her sister, Adriana Sanchez, ripped de Blasio, saying that "the mayor has to do something for this madness to stop," and that windows on NYPD vehicles should have been made bulletproof "a long time ago."

De Blasio is being mentioned by some Democrats as a possible presidential candidate in 2020. If he keeps this up, he will have trouble being re-elected as mayor despite weak opposition by other Democrats and the Republicans.
The Illinois House overrode a veto by Governor Bruce Rauner of a spending plan that included a $6-billion increase in personal and business taxes. This follows a veto override by the state Senate, which means that for the first time in more than two years, the state has a budget.

Despite the congratulatory pats on the back by Democrats, the spending plan doesn't even come close to fixing the state's money problems. There is still a $15-billion backlog of unpaid bills the state owes contractors and small businesses. And at some point, the legislature is going to have to address the $250 billion in unfunded pension liabilities for public employee unions.

Bond rating agencies say they could still make Illinois the first state to receive junk status for its bonds because no one is confident that the bitter partisanship that has marked the last two years in the legislature will be fixed anytime soon.

Fox 2:

Moody's said on Wednesday that it may still make Illinois the first state with a "junk" credit rating despite the $5 billion being raised by the tax hike. A downgrade would make Illinois the first state to receive a "junk" rating and could likely trigger higher borrowing costs for America's fifth-largest state. The problem is that the budget compromise lacks "broad bipartisan support" and that may "signal shortcomings" in its effectiveness, Moody's warned. Rauner, the Republican governor, called the budget a "disaster" that will "solve none of the problems" because it doesn't include methods to reform the state's unsustainable spending. Under the terms of the agreement, Illinois personal tax rates will rise from 3.75% to 4.95%, while the corporate tax rate will go from 5.25% to 7%. Rep. Steven Andersson, a Republican who supported the override of the GOP governor, said on the House floor that the past few days were "brutal" and that he received death threats and hate mail. But he said he felt he had no choice in his vote. "We are going into freefall if we don't do this. Our options are this -- or financial meltdown," said Andersson. Moody's raised concern that the budget deal doesn't address the $251 billion in funded pension liabilities the state faces. "So far, the plan appears to lack concrete measures that will materially improve Illinois' long-term capacity to address its unfunded pension liabilities," it wrote. On Thursday, Moody's warned it may downgrade the credit rating of the Chicago Board of Education, citing the state's inability to provide operating aid to the district amid the budget standoff. While the budget deal offers relief for the school district, Moody's said it may be "insufficient to alleviate its distressed financial position." S&P Global Ratings said in a recent report that even with a budget it's likely Illinois finances will "remain strained and vulnerable to unanticipated economic stress." The good news is the end of the budget standoff could ease pressure on social services and public colleges that rely on state funding. Everything from Illinois mental health services and domestic violence to public universities had been hurt by the crisis.

The legislature still bestowed a gift on Chicago schools by changing the funding formula for state aid to local public school systems. The new formula will siphon a half a billion dollars from suburban and rural school districts and put the money in the coffers of the CPS.

The massive tax increases will almost certainly accelerate the flight of residents and businesses from the state. Governor Rauner insisted that a property tax freeze is still a viable plan, but Democrats, of course, have other ideas for that money.

All in all, the contentious debates, the name-calling, and the political maneuvering have done little to improve the state's financial outlook. The pension bomb that has already been lit is set to go off during the next serious economic downturn, as a combination of unfunded liabilities and possible junk status for the state's bonds means that government will be unable to beg, borrow, or steal enough to keep the pension system afloat.

And what of the billions in unpaid bills? The only solutions offered so far involve more tax increases. The thought of cutting even a dollar from the state budget just hasn't entered the minds of legislators from both parties.

The bottom line: Virtually nothing has changed. The state is still in deep fiscal trouble, and it appears that only a serious financial meltdown will force the legislature to come to grips with their own incompetence and corruption.
Tens of thousands of supporters of Iran's main opposition group, the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), gathered in a massive convention hall in Villepinte, Paris over the weekend to call on the international community to back the Iranian people's democratic aspirations and recognize the NCRI as a real alternative to the mullahs' theocracy.

The grand gathering of Iranians, which takes place annually in Paris, was this year attended by more than 50 parliamentary delegations from all around the world, including the U.S. and the Middle East, as well as by the former mayor of New York, Rudy Giuliani; the former chairman of the U.S. Democratic Party and former governor of Pennsylvania, Ed Rendell; the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, John R. Bolton; a member of the European Parliament, Gerard Deprez; and many prominent political dignitaries.

The keynote speaker at the event was NCRI president Mrs. Maryam Rajavi. In her speech, which was also broadcast inside Iran, she underscored that "regime change [in Iran] is within reach because the mullahs have gotten themselves stuck in three wars of attrition in the Middle East. Their withdrawal from these conflicts in whatever form or shape will undermine their own existence."

In the U.S., an Iran policy remains unclear, but it is obvious that the current White House does not want to appease the Iranian regime.

Regionally and internationally, the Iranian regime is in the worst situation because it has destroyed all bridges with the U.S. and its neighboring Arab countries. Today, the regime in Tehran is terrorizing its own people and is a major threat to the Middle East and the world peace.

The NCRI is fighting to bring about democratic change by overthrowing the mullahs' theocracy. For over three decades, the Iranian resistance has urged the international community to adopt a firm policy toward the regime; hence, it is not surprising that Mrs. Rajavi welcomed the statement following the recent Islamic-American Summit.

"We have welcomed the statements made at the Arab-Islamic-American Summit in Riyadh against the Iranian regime's terrorist and destabilizing activities," she said in her speech. "Nevertheless, we emphasize that the ultimate solution to the crisis in the region and confronting groups like ISIS is the overthrow of the Iranian regime by the Iranian people and resistance."

The realities on the ground in the Middle East show that Mrs. Rajavi is accurate. As the campaign to destroy the Islamic State (ISIS) ultimately succeeds, the most serious threat facing the world and the U.S. president will become Iran's destabilizing actions in the region  for example, in areas in Syria and Iraq that are liberated from ISIS. If the Iranian regime is allowed to usurp these areas, then Iran will pose an even greater danger to the U.S., Europe, and Gulf countries.

Consequently, to protect their national interests, the U.S. is and should looking for a solution to stop the mullahs. Until now, U.S. policy has been to accommodate Iran's actions; evidently, this policy has failed. The U.S. hoped to reform Iran's behavior by cozying up to President Hassan Rouhani, but on the contrary, this policy has increased Iran's intervention in the Middle East. That is why the U.S. and its Arab allies have taken steps to change their policy.

Hence, a few weeks ago, the U.S. secretary of state, Rex Tillerson, announced that "our policy towards Iran is to push back on this hegemony, contain their ability to develop obviously nuclear weapons, and to work toward support of those elements inside of Iran that would lead to a peaceful transition of that government. Those elements are there[.]"

It is an obvious fact that the NCRI and its democratic platform for Iran provide a viable alternative for this policy. The former U.S. ambassador to the U.N., John Bolton, highlighted a crucial aspect about this policy at the gathering in Paris. "There is a viable opposition to the rule of the ayatollahs, and that opposition is centered in this room today," he said in his speech.

The most vitriolic remarks at the gathering came from Mayor Giuliani, who pointed to the Iranian regime's malign activities in the region, stressing that the mullahs are the source of instability and crisis in the region and have kept their grip on power over the past 38 years through widespread repression and blatant disregard for human rights at home and the export of extremism and terrorism abroad.

"I am happiest to be here because finally I can probably say that the government of United States supports you. We are behind you. We agree with your values. Finally, I can stand here and say that you, my government and your leadership, we see Iran exactly the same way. The regime is evil, and it must go," he said, addressing the tens of thousands gathered in Paris.

How the Iranian regime can be overthrown with minimal risks?

It is time for the international community to make decisions on Iran. It is a known fact that the Iranian regime is root of the problems in the region. Therefore, it is necessary that Mrs. Rajavi's voice be heard.

To end the mullahs' regime in Iran, Mrs. Rajavi made three recommendations. "Recognize the resistance of the Iranian people to overthrow the mullahs' religious dictatorship. Expel the regime from the U.N. and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and hand over Iran's seat to the Iranian people's resistance. Designate the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps [IRGC] as a terrorist organization and evict it from the entire region."

If the international community wants democracy and human rights to take root and progress in the Middle East, it should heed these recommendations.

Freelance journalist Hamid Bahrami is a former political prisoner in Iran. He is human rights and political activist.
In a novel way to blame Trump, Pennsylvania senator Patrick Toomey, a Republican, explained why the Senate Republicans are having difficulty repealing Obamacare. Toomey said:

Look, I didn't expect Donald Trump to win. I think most of my colleagues didn't, so we didn't expect to be in this situation.

According to Toomey, the Senate Republicans did not expect Trump to win, therefore they did not prepare before the election how to repeal Obamacare. This means that Toomey and his fellow Republicans were not honest when they promised to repeal Obamacare during the Obama administration. The House and Senate voted to repeal Obamacare, but it was an empty gesture with Obama as president ready to veto it. Worse, it was an empty gesture because the Toomey Republicans were not serious. Simply stated, they promised to repeal but did not prepare to repeal because they did not believe that Trump would win.

This is an incredible admission. Why have the Toomey Republicans been unable since the November election that Trump won, to their surprise, to unite to repeal Obamacare? What have these Republicans been doing since the November election?

Toomey did not support Trump in the election and has not supported him since the election against the vicious attacks by the Opposition Party that seeks to destroy Trump. Maybe if Toomey, and others like him, had supported Trump after the nomination, they would not have been surprised at his win and been ready to act.

It seems Trump must call the these Republicans to the White House to explain that he won, that they should get over the shock of his winning, and that he will win again in 2020. Maybe this will spur them to repeal Obamacare, fund the wall, and reduce tax rates.
The refugee crisis in France is getting worse as authorities say that up to 500 migrants arrive in Paris every week and join makeshift encampments that pose a "security and public health risk" to residents.

The camps are situated on the sidewalks near a refugee processing center. Paris police are now conducting round-ups of the migrants, moving them to temporary lodgings all over the city.

Reuters:

The migrants were being escorted onto buses to be taken to temporary lodgings such as gymnasium buildings in Paris and areas ringing the capital. Live TV footage showed what appeared to be a peaceful evacuation. Interior Minister Gerard Collomb said earlier this week the situation was getting out of hand with more than 400 arrivals a week in the area. "It's always the same problem," he said on Thursday. "First off you say 'I'm going to open a center for 500 people' and next thing you know you have 3,000 or 4,000 people and you're left having to sort the problem out." He has been asked by President Emmanuel Macron to produce a plan to accelerate processing of asylum requests with a view to deciding within six months who will be granted refugee status and who gets sent back. The camp in Paris has swollen despite the creation of two new centers by Paris City Hall to register and temporarily house migrants arriving in the city. Local authorities have also reported a rise in recent weeks in the number of migrants roaming the streets of the northern port city of Calais, where a sprawling illegal camp was razed to the ground last November and its inhabitants dispatched to other parts of France. Calais, from which migrants hope to reach Britain, has come to symbolize Europe's difficulty in dealing with a record influx of men, women and children who have fled their native countries.

Last year, police cleared a huge refugee camp outside Calais, but it didn't do much good. Another one has sprung up to take its place.

As for Paris, police made no mention of it, but the city has become a "no-go" zone for tourists because of the increase in crime. It doesn't help that authorities allow the refugees to sleep and congregate on the sidewalks in the middle of the city. Spreading the problem out by moving the migrants to various places around the city is likely to increase crime in those areas, too.

France has been stricter than some European countries in granting asylum requests, but the number of refugees keeps climbing. Immigration was not the top issue in the recent presidential and parliamentary elections, but it's still there as a problem. Eventually, it's probable that, like almost everywhere else in Europe, there will be a voter backlash. What, then, will new president Macron do?
Linda Sarsour is the flavor of the month of the progressive Trump-haters. She was co-chair of the infamous pussy-hat Women's March against Trump and claims to be "Palestinian," even though she was born in Brooklyn. Sarsour, who successfully led the fight to close New York City public schools on two Muslim holidays, is gleefully linking resistance to President Trump to Islamic triumphalism.

This may be good for fundraising and certainly delights her Muslim constituency, but its appeal to the rest of America is limited, shall we say, and creates a problem for the progressives who wish to pose as genuinely in the tradition of American politics.

Video of Sarsour addressing the Muslim Brotherhood-linked Islamic Society of North America (INSA) meeting over the weekend has reached the general public and reveals her real plans and the end point of leftist agitation. Jordan Schachtel of Conservative Review summarizes the high points of her call to jihad there:

Addressing the 54th Annual ISNA (Islamic Society of North America) Convention this past weekend, Sarsour delivered a 22-minute screed attacking the Trump administration and called on the Muslim community to unite against the White House. Sarsour began the speech thanking her "favorite person in this room  Imam Siraj Wahhaj, who has been a mentor, motivator, and encourager of mine." She does not mention that Wahhaj was listed as an unindicted co-conspirator in the 1993 World Trade Center bombings.

Good that she reminds us who killed 3,000-plus Americans in 2001.

Then, in a particularly vague, yet terrifying, segment of her speech, Sarsour said, "I hope, that when we stand up to those who oppress our communities, that Allah accepts from us that as a form of jihad."

Jihad against...?

"We are struggling against tyrants and rulers not only abroad  but here in the United States of America, where you have fascists and white supremacists and Islamophobes reigning in the White House," she continued. "When I wake up in the morning, and I remember who is sitting in the White House, I am outraged," Sarsour exclaimed. "This is not normal, sisters and brothers. Those people sitting in the most powerful seats in this country, is not normal." "We are struggling against tyrants and rulers not only abroad  but here in the United States of America, where you have fascists and white supremacists and Islamophobes reigning in the White House," she continued. "When I wake up in the morning, and I remember who is sitting in the White House, I am outraged," Sarsour exclaimed. "This is not normal, sisters and brothers. Those people sitting in the most powerful seats in this country, is not normal."

OK, so the darling of the left wants to conduct holy war against the POTUS, and the progressives think she is so swell that they put her in charge of the first big march against Trump.

I am not following the logic whereby the left rides to electoral triumph on the back of jihad.

Here are the highlights:
After making such a fuss about the integrity of elections, what with their Russians-hacked-the-election scenario, why are Democratic blue states now fighting federal access to voter rolls to investigate that same legitimacy they claim to care about?

These blue states are telling investigators they really don't need to know who's on those rolls. It just goes to show they don't care about the legitimacy of elections.

In Illinois, our Democratic senator, Dick Durbin, is one of the worst. He's trying to block information from investigators based on claims that he is concerned for the "privacy" of his constituents.

It's typical of what Democrats do when something isn't likely to go their way. We all know how illegal voters vote. And every illegal vote cancels out the vote of a legitimate citizen-voter. It goes to show that Democrats are playing a double-game with their stance on this issue. Why again are Democrats trying to block any means to get to the bottom of this fiasco?
If the public would like to see how the fakest of fake news gets to the mainstream, look no farther than the Russian collusion story, which shows a pattern often repeated in other news stories.

Last fall, we started hearing from many sources that 17 out of 17 intelligence agencies agreed that Russia meddled in the U.S. election of 2016.

It has a lot to do with the pecking order of the press and the overwhelming monopoly power some media outlets have. Once the Washington Post, the Associated Press, or the New York Times reports something, the other news outlets and news networks pick it up and report it as the truth.

Recently, the AP and the Times have quietly put out a correction saying it wasn't 17 agencies; it was just four.

This correction is not reported much in the media, not the same media that printed the original error from its source, whether the Times, Post, or AP. So much of the public believes that 17 out of 17 intelligence agencies held a consensus on collusion.

So when the public reads that 100% of the U.S. intelligence community believes this, the public has a right to conclude that some actual research went into the claim before it ever managed to see print.

Obviously, this was not done. They just made up a story.

Almost all current news on Russian meddling comes from this original story. It's an echo chamber. We also know from subsequent news reports that the Democratic National Committee never gave intelligence agencies the right to look at their computer. Reporters haven't seen the computers any more than intelligence agencies have. They have no idea if a third party got some access.

And something else the public should know: intelligence agencies show they had the capability of making what appears to have come from one place actually come from someplace else.

This is just talking, of course. Yet if you look at what the media focus on next, all you will hear about is that President Trump gave a call to Vladimir Putin to get hacking. I have no idea if it will be the news or the networks. But the 17 out of 17 intelligence agencies claim was false from the start.

Al Franken is still repeating the 17 out of 17...
(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) The CSME is the Communitys best response to the inevitable changes in its traditional markets in Europe, the prevalence of economic liberalization and the emergence of economic blocs, Outgoing Chairman of the Caribbean Community said Tuesday evening.

Speaking to the opening of the 38th Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government at the Grenada Trade Centre in Grand Anse, the President of Guyana said the CSME is still the best vehicle to allow small states like those of CARICOM to compete in the global economy while promoting economic and social development.

CARICOM Heads of Governments, who began the first business session of their two-day meeting on Wednesday, are expected to examine the findings of a comprehensive review of the CSME.

Describing the deepening of economic integration by advancing a single market and economy, as the most ambitious project attempted by the Community, President Granger said, It must not become its most ambiguous.

The CSME, especially given the present uncertainties facing the Regions international relations, must be accelerated in order to create a single economic space.

With an encouraging tone, he said: The Community, with a total land area of 462, 352 km2, is larger than Sweden and, if it were a single country, would be the 56th largest in the world. Size matters. The Community be the 56th largest in the world. Size matters.

Given the accumulative land, the labour, the talent and the capital the Community possess, it could guarantee food security for its citizens, the Guyanese Head of State posited.

Within this context, he bemoaned the Communitys annual food import bill, which he said exceeded US$4B.

Noting that such a situation was a notorious indictment, the outgoing Chairman said non-tariff barriers continued to constrain trade in food. The need was urgent, therefore to re-examine how it can dismantle the non-tariff barriers to trade in agricultural products while generating employment for citizens, he said.

Emphasising the critical importance of removing barriers to foster more efficient intra-regional trade, he said: Small internal markets consign states to high dependence on external trade. Intraregional trade, therefore, is important. The Caribbean Common Market was established to ensure markets for regional production, inter alia. Intraregional trade provides a basis for increasing national production, augmenting investment and generating employment. The environment is an inescapable economic reality.

As he reflected on his semester as Chairman of the Community, President Granger said current international realities provided ample opportunities for the Community to work together to protect vital interests at the levels of citizen, country and the community.

Expressing confidence in the future he said, With such a clear vision and commitment, CARICOM can confront the future with confidence.

The President of Guyana reminded his colleagues to keep citizens at the centre of the Community and to reject the odious notion of statelessness.

Providing a nexus between the rights of the citizen and the freedom of movement regime of the CSME, he said that the respect of the right of citizens obliged leaders to dismantle restrictive immigration practices, which impede free movement.

Referencing the original Treaty of Chaguaramas, he said the founding fathers envisioned the strengthening of bonds among the people of the Caribbean to fulfil aspirations for full employment and improved standards of work and living

He also recalled that the Charter of Civil Society of the Caribbean Community established the respect for every citizens fundamental human rights, including the right to life, liberty and security of the person.

Therefore, he stated: The perverse notion of a stateless person is anathema to the Communitys concept of human dignity. The Community must never cease condemning inhuman treatment meted out to Caribbean citizens in the Dominican Republic or anywhere else.

The Guyanese Head of State said: The Caribbean, our home, must be secure. It must remain a zone of peace through our unstinting solidarity in defence of the territorial integrity and sovereignty of member states.

At the same time he said that security cooperation, under the CARICOM Implementation Agency for Crime and Security (IMPACs) and through international agreements such as the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI), which have helped to keep citizens safe, were not sufficient in an age of international terror.

Underscoring the importance of advancing the Roadmap for a Single ICT Space, he said could help the region to straddle the 3,200 km2 of sea space, which separates Nassau in the north from Paramaribo in the south, through information and communications technology.

Caption: Please see the full text of the speech delivered by Outgoing Chairman of the Caribbean Community, H.E. David Granger, President of Guyana at the opening of the 38th CARICOM Summit.

Photo caption: Outgoing Chairman of the Caribbean Community, H.E. David Granger, President of Guyana delivering his remarks at the Opening Ceremony of the 38th Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of CARICOM, Tuesday 4 July 2017, Grand Anse, Grenada.
CAIRO - Twenty-three Egyptian soldiers were killed or wounded on Friday in a suicide attack on northeastern Sinai, Egyptian army sources said. Thirty-three people were wounded, and some are in critical condition.



A carbomb was reportedly driven into a checkpoint south of the town of Rafah on the border with the Gaza Strip.



Dozens of masked militants then opened fire on the soldiers, Associated Press cited official sources as saying.



The Egyptian military responded by attacking and killing "more than 40" alleged Islamic terrorists and destroying "six vehicles", according to an official statement posted on facebook.
The airline gained the exemption earlier today after U.S. officials inspected the security measures in full operation at Qatars state-of-the-art Hamad International Airport (HIA), an airport recently awarded five stars by Skytrax, the first airport in the Middle East to be bestowed with this recognition.

With the lifting of the electronics restrictions, passengers departing from HIA to all Qatar Airways U.S. destinations will be able to carry their personal electronic devices on board, and have uninterrupted use of them for business and leisure purposes throughout their flight.

Qatar Airways Group chief executive Akbar Al Baker said: We are pleased to announce that the electronics ban has been lifted from Qatar Airways flights departing to all destinations in the U.S. Safety and security are always our highest priority. They are expressed throughout all of our corporate values, and must never be compromised.

The security measures in place in Doha allow us to continue to provide our renowned world-class service for all our passengers travelling to the U.S. We look forward to providing our passengers an even greater choice of U.S. destinations soon, with the addition of San Francisco to our expanding network, on board the most modern of aircraft including the Airbus A350 and our Qsuite retro-fitted Boeing 777 aircraft.
The UKs Airways Aviation and Dubai-based Emirates Aviation Services have formed a partnership to offer a direct route to a private pilot licence (PPL) in the UAE.

Emirates Aviation Services will deliver the Airways Aviation core multi-crew pilot licence (MPL) training programme in Dubai.

This concept of local foundation course and initial training follows the model created by Airways Aviation. It helps student pilots through the early stages because they can usually stay at home, reducing costs, and they also have the support of family and friends.

And, if they decide during the training that a career as a professional pilot isnt for them, then the financial outlay isnt huge.

However, if the student pilot does make it through to achieve the PPL, then he or she has the option of further training with Airways Aviation, either at its European flying base at Huesca, Spain, or at one of three locations in Australia.

The student will undertake a course for the MPL, the latest route through to an airline pilots licence.

The UAE is an important region for Airways Aviation, explained CEO Ian Cooper. Middle Eastern airlines are highly desired by prospective pilots, so it makes complete sense for us to partner with Emirates Aviation Services, an established training provider in the UAE. We are now working together to provide high-quality airline pilot training for local students and a direct pathway on to the flight line.

We already have one of our foundation schools in Dubai and this adds a flying base to feed through to one of our hubs.

Abdullah Al Ansari, director, Emirates Aviation Services, said: This partnership with Airways Aviation will enable us to achieve our vision of being a leading training provider of airline pilots. Utilising the companys exceptional quality of training programmes and senior teaching staff, were confident that we will produce some of the best pilots in the UAE.

Airways Aviation is continuing to expand its network of foundation schools, with two more due to open this year  one in Europe and the other in Kuwait, at the College of Aviation Technology.

Its also pursuing relationships with airlines; important for students to feel confident about gaining employment as a first officer once theyve completed training.

We have more agreements with airlines coming on line in 2017, said Cooper. The are four agreements, with both Middle Eastern and European airlines, which we will announce soon.

The company, headquartered at London Oxford Airport, UK, is also rolling out an ambitious set of sponsorship packages for student pilots. These were launched in Paris, France in February, the initial stop in an international recruitment roadshow, the first staged by Airways Aviation. The roadshow visits five other European countries, finishing in Prague, in the Czech Republic on May 13.

The sponsorship is for 40,000 ($43,460) towards the cost of a European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) integrated pilot training course starting later in 2017. The company intends to follow this first roadshow with others in countries where it has foundation schools, including the Middle East.

We are inviting prospective airline pilots to attend one of our recruitments days to discover more about our training programmes and how we tailor them to the individual student, as well as apply to win a scholarship on to our airline pilot training course, said Cooper.

These scholarships form part of Airways Aviations commitment to creating equal opportunities and reducing barriers to entering the pilot profession. We will extend this programme beyond the initial locations to offer financial scholarships to potential aviators in a bid to encourage both domestic and international students to pursue their career goals to the highest level.

At each of the roadshow events, would-be airline pilots will be able to take an aptitude assessment, using the industry-standard COMPASS test, for which they will need to pay a 50 ($54) administration fee. Only the top-scoring candidates will be invited to apply for the scholarship programme. The application process will be rigorous, involving a strict English test and a panel interview in Oxford.


RBI said revised directions are being issued amidst recent surge in customer grievances due to fraudulent transactions,

New Delhi: Customers will not suffer any loss if unauthorised electronic banking transactions are reported within three days and the amount involved will be credited in the accounts concerned within 10-days, the Reserve Bank said on Thursday.

In case the third party fraud is reported with a delay of four to seven working days, a customer will face liability of up to Rs 25,000. However, in cases where the loss is due to negligence by the account holder (such as sharing of payment credentials), the customer will bear the entire loss until the unauthorised transaction is reported to the bank.

Any loss occurring after reporting of the unauthorised transaction will be borne by the bank, RBI said while issuing revised directions on 'Customer Protection - Limiting Liability of Customers in Unauthorised Electronic Banking Transactions'.

RBI said the revised directions are being issued amidst recent surge in customer grievances relating to unauthorised transactions resulting in debits to their accounts/cards.

There will be "zero liability of a customer" in case of third party breach where the deficiency lies "neither with the bank nor with the customer but lies elsewhere in the system". However, the customer will have to notify the bank within three working days of receiving the communication from the bank regarding the unauthorised transaction.

A customer's entitlement to zero liability will also arise where the unauthorised transaction occurs due to "contributory fraud/negligence/deficiency on the part of the bank (irrespective of whether or not the transaction is reported by the customer)", RBI said.

The maximum liability of a customer will be Rs 25,000 in cases where the responsibility for the unauthorised electronic banking transaction lies neither with the bank nor with the customer, but lies elsewhere in the system and when there is a delay of four to seven working days.

If the fraud is report after seven days, the customer liability will be determined as per the banks board-approved policy.

The maximum liability of a savings bank account customer will be Rs 10,000 in such cases.

Referring to reversal timeline for Zero Liability/ Limited Liability of customer, RBI said the bank should credit (shadow reversal) the amount involved in the unauthorised electronic transaction to the customers account within 10 working days of reporting of the fraud. This has to be done without waiting for settlement of insurance claim, if any, RBI added.

RBI further said that banks must ask their customers to mandatorily register for SMS alerts and wherever available register for e-mail alerts, for electronic banking transactions. "The SMS alerts shall mandatorily be sent to the customers, while email alerts may be sent, wherever registered," it added.
Here is what you should know when you notice unauthorised transactions from your account.

Mumbai: How many times have we wondered what to do when we notice suspicious transactions from our accounts?

In response to consumer concerns regarding unrecognised transactions, the Reserve Bank of India revised directions to make electronic banking transactions safer and reduced consumer liability in bank fraud cases.

Electronic banking transactions include internet banking and mobile banking as well as ATM and point-of-sales transactions.

Here is what you should know when you notice unauthorised transactions from your account:

How do I know if I to bear the liability of the unrecognised transaction?

If the unrecognised transaction has been made due to contributory fraud or involves negligence or deficiency on the banks part, you have zero liability to bear, even if you do not notify the bank about the same. Suppose a third party has breached your account and the fault is neither yours or the banks, you are required to notify the bank within three working days of receiving the communication from the bank regarding the unauthorised transaction. This will ensure zero liability on your part. In case the responsibility of the fraud can neither be attributed to the bank or you and you report it within four to seven working days, your maximum liability range will be between Rs 5000 to Rs 25,000 depending on the type of your account and your credit card limit. Moreover, if the delay in reporting the above is beyond seven working days, your liability shall be determined as per the banks Board approved policy. Banks shall provide the details of this policy at the time of opening the accounts. Banks shall also display their approved policy in public domain for wider dissemination. The existing customers must also be individually informed about the banks policy. In case an unrecognised transaction occurs because of your negligence in the form of sharing payment details with others, you are liable to bear the entire loss till the time that you notify the bank. Post your notification, further loss occurred will be borne by the bank.

What happens once you notify the bank about the unauthorised transaction (both in cases where you are partially or wholly liable and when you have zero liability)?

On receiving the notification, the bank shall credit the amount involved in the unauthorised electronic transaction your account within 10 working days from the date of notification. Banks may also at their discretion decide to waive off your liability in case of unauthorised electronic banking transactions even in cases of customer negligence.

Who proves my liability?

The burden of proving customer liability in case of unauthorised electronic banking transactions shall lie on the bank.

How will I get to know details of the banks Board approved policy in case the liability is mine?

The policy shall be displayed on the banks website along with the details of grievance handling/ escalation procedure. You should also receive a notification regarding the same if you are an existing customer. In case you are opening anew account, you will be notified about the same at that time.

What are other ways to keep a tab on my transactions?

The central bank has requested banks to put in place a suitable mechanism and structure for the reporting of the customer liability cases to the Board or one of its Committees. Ensure your SMS alerts from the bank are on.

Banks must ask their customers to mandatorily register for SMS alerts and wherever available register for e-mail alerts, for electronic banking transactions. The SMS alerts shall mandatorily be sent to the customers, while email alerts may be sent, wherever registered, said RBI.

Notify the bank in case of any unauthorised electronic banking transaction at the earliest after the occurrence of such transactions. RBI has asked banks to provide customers with 24x7 access through multiple channels (at a minimum, via website, phone banking, SMS, e-mail, IVR, a dedicated toll-free helpline, reporting to home branch, etc.) for reporting.
She said if critics treat it as a taboo, then how are people going to have the strength to report such assaults.

Sophie Turner and Iwan Rheon in a still from the controversial scene in 'Game of Thrones.'

London: Sophie Turner has defended 'Game f Thrones' season five controversial rape scene, saying if critics treat it as a taboo, then how are people going to have the strength to report such assaults.

The fantasy drama sparked controversy after featuring a scene, where Turner's character Sansa Stark was sexually assaulted by Ramsay Bolton (played by Iwan Rheon), on their wedding night.

It prompted outrage from viewers as they found it so offensive, reported The Independent.

Talking to The Times magazine about the show's content, the 21-year-old star said, "The more we talk about sexual assault the better. And screw the people who are saying we shouldn't be putting this on TV and screw the people who are saying they're going to boycott the show because of it.

"This sort of thing used to happen and it continues to happen now, and if we treat it as such a taboo and precious subject, then how are people going to have the strength to come out and feel comfortable saying that this has happened to them?"
From Sridevi's profession to the execution of the plot, the film is picked up from Maatr.

Rating:

Director: Ravi Udyawar

Cast: Sridevi, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Akshaye Khanna, Abhimanyu Singh, Adnan Siddiqui, Sajal Ali and Pitobash Tripathy

'Maatr,' 'Neerja,' Akira, Begum Jaan, Anaarkali of Aarah; quite a few female-centric stories in the past year have embraced the audiences. Along with the Indian filmmakers who're willing to tell such tales, the audience also seems to be willing to accept such heroic tales of women. 'Mom is definitely one such.

Director Ravi Udyawar's debut film, Mom, is an eye-opener of sorts in todays misogynistic society where preconceived notions about how women should carry themselves still exist. Starring Sridevi, this film primarily revolves around the menacing issue of gang rape, set rightly in the heart of Delhi and Uttar Pradesh, Indian states that is most notorious for abuse against women.

Devki (Sridevi), a school teacher, resides in Delhi with her husband Anand and two young daughters. The elder daughter Arya is Anand's real daughter and was raised by Devki after her mother passes away. Devki's life changes upside down when a bunch of local ruffians attack Arya in a party. Abhimanyu Singh, a rich spoilt lad along with his goon gang rape Arya and leave her unconscious in the middle of an isolate road.

Mathew Francis (Akshaye Khanna), a tough cop, makes an entry to solve the mystery but fails to prove Abhimanyu and his gang guilty. Soon after, Devki decides to seek revenge from the criminals. She seeks help of a popular detective Dayashankar (Nawazuddin Siddiqui). How Devki emerges a winner is what 'Mom' is all about.

Ravi Udyawar's directorial debut tracks the journey of a mother seeking revenge for her daughters gang rape. The movie is perhaps a reflection of the society and the upbringing of a huge male population who still looks down upon women and treat them as mere sexual objects. Ravi has done a brilliant job. He sensitively handles the grievous subject without compromising on the ghastly truth behind these acts of pure evil. The interesting part of the film is that the plot of the film is not extraordinary, but the great performances and gripping subject line make 'Mom watchable.

If you thought you have seen it all from Sridevi, think again. She pumps in so much life into the film that it is her performance that steals the show. Her screen presence, her personality, the way she projects her character, her facial expressions are top-notch. Turning your eyes elsewhere will be criminal when she is on screen in the film.

Kudos to Abhimanyu Singh, the main antagonist, who makes you feel disgusted throughout, thats the beauty of his villainous character. Not undermining the efforts of other talents who make the film, as a whole, a very gratifying watch. Akshaye Khanna, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Adnan Siddiqui, Sajal Ali and Pitobash Tripathy were too good in their respective roles. They deliver a power-packed performance in crucial scenes of the film.

The biggest hiccup of the film is that it is exactly the replica of Raveena Tandon's last release Maatr. From Sridevi's profession to the execution of the plot, the film is picked up from Maatr. Mom will surely face the battle of plagiarism. First half deals with rape of the daughter and second half with the revenge saga, the only difference in this one is that Nawaz and Akshaye's characters were prominent enough to make Mom stand out. The pace of the film is slow too. First half is dragged in a lot of aspects, the pain of seeing her miserable daughter is stretched a bit too much.

Although the production of the film makes it look grand and fancy, the climax is too dramatic for such an intense film. But the one to save this old wine in a new bottle is Sridevi's stellar performance. You may put the film on your to-do list this weekend.
The CBI earlier on Friday conducted searches at 12 locations across Patna, Delhi, Gurgaon and other places.

The FIR alleged that Lalu Prasad Yadav as railway minister abused his official position for extending undue favours to Kochhars. (Photo: PTI)

New Delhi: The Central Bureau of Investigation carried out searches at the residence of former Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav and 11 other locations after registering a case of corruption against the RJD chief and his family.

It is alleged that Yadav as Railway Minister had handed over maintenance of two Railway hotels BNR Ranchi and Puri to Sujata Hotel (a company owned by Vinay and Vijay Kochhar) after receiving a bribe in the form of prime land of three acres through a benami company.

The FIR alleged that Lalu Prasad Yadav as railway minister abused his official position for extending undue favours to Kochhars, acquired a "high value premium land" through a benami company Delight and as a quid pro quo, dishonestly and fraudulently managed award of leasing BNRs at Ranchi and Puri to the company of Kochhars.

The CBI has registered the case against Lalu Yadav, his wife Rabri Devi, son Tejashwi Yadav, now Deputy CM Bihar, Sarla Gupta, wife of Prem Chand Gupta, former union minister.

Others named as accused in the FIR include Vijay Kochhar, Vinay Kochhar, both directors of Sujata Hotels and owner of Chanakya Hotel, Delight marketing company, now known as Lara Projects and the then Managing Director P K Goel.

In 2001, a decision was taken to handover management of catering services of Indian Railways, including its hotels to IRCTC.

Two such hotels namely BNR Hotels in Ranchi and Puri were also identified and a MoU was signed between the Railways and IRCTC on March 19, 2004.

Lalu Yadav, the then railway minister, entered into criminal conspiracy with owners of Sujata hotels, Sarla Gupta, wife of his close associate Prem chand Gupta (an RJD MP in Rajya Sabha) and IRCTC officials for "undue pecuniary advantage to himself and others", the CBI FIR alleged.

It is alleged that Vinay Kochhar on February 25, 2005 sold commercial property in the form of three acres of land in Patna through 10 sale deeds for Rs 1.47 crore to Delight marketing in which Sarla Gupta was a director as a front benami holder on behalf of Lalu Prasad Yadav.

The FIR alleged that the land was sold to the company at a price which was below circle rates and market rates and was falsely shown as agriculture land to evade substantial stamp duty.

It was disclosed during the preliminary enquiry of the CBI that the land was sold by the Kochhars to Delight and the payment for the same was arranged "surreptitiously" by the company in the form of investment of Delight through Ahluwali contractors and its promoter Bikramjeet Singh Ahluwalia.

"On the day when the sale deeds were executed by the Kochhars in favour of DMCL on February 25, 2005, the Railway Board on the same day informed IRCTC about its decision for transfer of BNR hotels to IRCTC on "as is where is basis", the FIR alleged.

The BNR hotels were transferred to Sujata Hotels through a rigged and manipulated tender process managed by P K Goel, the then MD IRCTC, the CBI alleged.

The CBI enquiry shows that Railway sought bids for developing, operating and maintaining Rail Ratna Hotels on September 16, 2006.

To "restrict" competition for BNR hotels in Ranchi and Puri, the IRCTC officials issued a corrigendum making a reference about commencement of sale for bid documents for BNR hotels, it alleged.

The conditions were further tweaked through another corrigendum in order to make Sujata Hotel contender for the bid, the agency alleged.

The CBI has alleged that Yadav, as Railway Minister, was aware about the whole process and was keeping a track of the tender proceedings.

It surfaced while over 15 bid documents were received for both the hotels, IRCTC has no records of bidders other than Sujata Hotels.

It is also alleged that with an intention to render undue pecuniary gains to Sujata hotels, bid of another hotel was deliberately and unreasonably given low marks under technical evaluation.

"As a result, Sujata Hotel remained the only bidder in financial evaluation and was qualified," it alleged.

After the tender was awarded to Sujata Hotel, the ownership of Delight marketing also changed hands from Sarla Gupta to Rabri Devi and Tejaswi Yadav between 2010 and 2014.

By this time Lalu Prasad Yadav had demitted the office of Railway Minister.

The value of property which was sold by Kochhars to Delight Marketing at 1.47 crore in 2005 had spiralled to Rs 32.5 crore as per circle rate and Rs 94 crore as per market rate.

"The shares of a company having a networth of Rs 32.5 crore was transferred by the family member of P C Gupta to the family members of Lalu Prasad Yadav for a nominal amount of Rs 64 lakh," it alleged.
Beijings spy ship to keep watch on India, US, Japan Navy exercise.

Malabar 2017 is of unusual significance amid seething tension between India and China with troops of both the countries engaged in a standoff in a tri-junction near the Chumba Valley across Sikkim.

New Delhi: The 10-day-long Operation Malabar, which will take off on Monday in the Bay of Bengal, besides being the most complex version till date, holds out strong promise of staging a cat and mouse game like no other versions of the 20 preceding it.

While the US, Indian and Japanese Navies will together field at least 15 ships in the exercise focused on submarine detection and adopting counter measures, Beijing will deploy high tech surveillance ship CNS Neptune besides Yuan class submarines and satellites in the sky to keep watch over the unfolding mega exercise. The Chongming Island submarine rescue ship is also likely to be present in the region during the time of the exercise.

Chinese experts, like military commentator Chen Guangwen, believe Malabar 2017 is aimed primarily at countering underwater threats. This time by the India-led Malabar joint military exercise is to find a way to deal with Chinese submarines, Mr Chen has said.

Malabar 2017 is of unusual significance amid seething tension between India and China with troops of both the countries engaged in a standoff in a tri-junction near the Chumba Valley across Sikkim.

Besides CNS Neptune (also known as Haiwangxing), the PLA Navys snooping fleet comprises a fleet of five more sophisticated electronic reconnaissance vessels  Polaris (Beijixing), Uranus (Tianwangxing), Sirius (Tianlangxing), Mizar (Kaiyangxing) and a fifth one which is known only by its hull code of 855.

Commissioned on December 26, 2015, Neptune is capable of conducting continuous all-weather reconnaissance of various targets within a certain range and the ability to collect information of air, water and underwater assets.

About 400 feet in length, Neptune has large bulbous structures that are believed to house advanced antennae to intercepting radar and radio signals broadcast by ships within its range.

According to a recent Pentagon report, the Chinese Navy currently possesses five nuclear-powered attack submarines, four nuclear powered ballistic missile submarines, and 54 diesel-powered attack submarines. By 2020, this force will likely grow to between 69 and 78 submarines.

The US is believed to be sending F / A-18 fighters onboard the USS Nimitz aircraft carrier, guided-missile cruiser USS Princeton, guided-missile destroyers USS Howard, USS Shoup, and USS Kidd, a P-8A Poseidon aircraft, and a Los Angeles-class fast-attack submarine.

While India will be fielding its sole aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya with MiG-29K fighters onboard, six to seven first-line warships and a Russian-made Kilo-class submarine, Japan is expected to send a helicopter carrier JS Izumo and a Takanami class destroyer JS Sazanami for participating in the exercise.
In Srinagar, restrictions have been imposed on movement of people in five police station areas.

Curbs on the assembly of people under Section 144 CrPc have been imposed in Pulwama and Shopian districts in south Kashmir and in Baramulla district in north (Photo: PTI/Representational)

Srinagar: Authorities on Friday imposed restrictions in parts of Kashmir to maintain law and order as the Valley braces for the first death anniversary of Hizbul Mujahideen 'commander' Burhan Wani on Saturday.

Restrictions have been imposed in many parts of the Valley to maintain law and order, officials said.

In Srinagar, restrictions have been imposed on movement of people in five police station areas, the officials said.

They said the curbs have been imposed in the police station areas of Nowhatta, M R Gunj, Rainawari, Khanyar and Safakadal.

The officials said similar restrictions have been imposed in Anantnag town in south Kashmir.

Curbs on the assembly of people under Section 144 CrPc have been imposed in Pulwama and Shopian districts in south Kashmir and in Baramulla district in north, they said.

The officials said the restrictions in these areas have been imposed as a precautionary measure to avoid any untoward incident.

They however, said life was going on normally in the rest of the valley.

Security forces have been deployed in strength at sensitive places across the Valley to thwart any protests, the officials said.

Wani's killing in an encounter with security forces on July 8 last year, triggered massive protests and prolonged period of curfews and shutdowns across the Valley.

As many as 85 persons were killed and thousands others were injured in daily clashes between security forces and protestors for a period of over four months.

Security has been beefed up in the Valley, especially in south Kashmir districts.

Police and other security forces have intensified area domination to prevent assembly of people at Wani's ancestral village in Tral area.

Separatist groups have called for a strike on Saturday.
State environment minister said, memoranda will be submitted to bank officials demanding display of list of beneficiaries outside banks.

Senior Sena leader and state Environment minister Ramdas Kadam said party chief Uddhav Thackeray has given instructions to hold drum beating protests across the state. (Photo: PTI)

Mumbai: The Shiv Sena, which shares power with BJP in Maharashtra, on Thursday said it would hold 'dhol bajao' (drum beating) protests outside major district co-operative banks across the state on July 10 to demand the list of beneficiaries of the state's loan waiver scheme.

Senior Sena leader and state Environment minister Ramdas Kadam said party chief Uddhav Thackeray has given instructions to this effect.

"Uddhav ji has instructed that all zilla pramukhs (district heads), along with MPs and MLAs of every district, should stage a 'dhol bajao' protest outside the DCC banks, wherein drums will be played at 11 am on Monday by party workers to demand that these banks release names of all the farmers, who are entitled for the loan waiver scheme," Kadam said in Mumbai.

He said memoranda will also be submitted to the bank officials to demand that lists of beneficiaries be displayed outside the banks for everyone to see.

Sena MP Vinayak Raut said that office-bearers of the party's consumer protection unit will set up tables outside all major DCC banks to assist and solve problems of farmers in availing the benefits of the debt write-off scheme.

Meanwhile, senior Congress leader Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil said, "Instead of holding a protest outside the banks, the Sena should rather use its might and get the cabinet to approve a resolution for speedy disbursal of loan waiver amount."

The former state agriculture minister, who met Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to submit a memorandum suggesting changes in the loan waiver scheme, said, "We demanded that the government waive loans borrowed by farmers till June 30, 2017." He said the Sena is also making a similar demand now.

"The CM had made the announcement in June that loans borrowed until June 30, 2016, would be waived. Sena ministers, who accompanied him, had welcomed the decision. But they are now demanding that loans borrowed until 2017 to be waived," Vikhe-Patil said.

The Fadnavis government had in June announced the historic loan waiver of Rs 34,022 crore for farmers and subsequently laid down the eligibility criteria for availing it. On Wednesday, the government expanded the ambit of the loan waiver scheme to include even those farmers who had taken loans after 2008.

Earlier, the loan waiver scheme, titled the 'Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Sanman Yojana', covered only those farmers who have the loan outstanding between April 1, 2012 and June 30, 2016.

The CM also extended the date to repay overdue of loans taken by farmers in the year 2016-17 and who are regular payees from earlier June 30, 2017 to July 31, 2017.
Meanwhile, Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi said on Twitter, 'Why is our Prime Minister silent on China?'

New Delhi: The Congress on Friday hit out at the Central government over its "indifference" towards Chinese incursions with vice president Rahul Gandhi questioning

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "silence" on the issue.

The Modi government's foreign policy is defined by "the prime minister's search for holiday destinations and photo opportunities" instead of serving India's interests, the

Congress said in an article on its website.

"His (Modi's) foreign policy is defined by 'hyperbole and empty rhetoric'. He believes, falsely, that talking tough in election rallies is the same as being tough on China on the

diplomatic front," it said.

Meanwhile, Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi said on Twitter, "Why is our Prime Minister silent on China?"

During the 10 years of the UPA government, the party said, former prime minister Manmohan Singh had ensured that India balanced its relations with all major world powers.

"We ensured that any transgression on the part of China was deftly handled and the UPA understood the nature of global politics and diplomacy," the article stated.

Realising that Modi was a "master bluster rather than a man of action", China, through its government-controlled media made open threats to India and talked of teaching us a "bitter lesson", it said.

"What has surprised and shocked the nation is the meek response of the Modi government. This is the same Narendra Modi whose spin doctors said that he would show 'red eyes' to China, and they would go running back. The only 'red' we have

seen is the aggression of China," the article said.

The Congress also stated that in the face of these provocative statements by China, "Home Minister Rajnath Singh merely said that Chinese intrusions were about perception."

"Perception? Tell that to our brave jawans who had to resist the Chinese aggression," the party said.

In the last 45 days, there have been nearly 120 Chinese incursions, it added. Indian bunkers have been destroyed and Chinese warships and submarines reportedly spotted in the Indian Ocean, the Congress said.

"China recently halted the passage of religious pilgrims of the Mansarovar Yatra and posted pictures of the destroyed bunkers. In June, 2017, two Chinese Army choppers also violated the Indian air space in Uttarakhand," the article said further.

Hailing the foreign policies of the UPA government, the Congress said realising the potential threats to India's territorial integrity, "the UPA had approved a Mountain Strike

Corps, which would enhance the Indian Army's capability by adding 90,000 personnel."

The Opposition party also alleged that since the Modi government came to power, there had been a "squeeze on release of funds and thus a shortfall in ammunition and equipment for units already raised".

"If indeed India's economy is booming, according to the BJP, why are the funds to defend India not being spent," the party questioned.
Yadav, who is facing trial in the fodder scam case, was in Ranchi when CBI raided his residential premises in Patna.

RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav arrives to appear before the CBI court in Ranchi. (Photo: PTI)

New Delhi/Patna: RJD chief Lalu Yadav and his family members, including wife Rabri Devi and son Tejashwi, faced fresh trouble on Friday as the CBI charged them with corruption in connection with a land scam and raided 12 of their premises in Patna and other cities.

Simultaneous raids were conducted in Ranchi, Bhubaneswar and Gurgaon over alleged irregularities in tenders allotted to a private company  Sujata Hotels  for development, maintenance and operation of two railway hotels in Ranchi and Puri.

CBI additional director Rakesh Asthana alleged that the tender process was rigged in favour of Sujata Hotels by Mr Yadav during his tenure as Union railway minister in 2004.

Besides Mr Yadav and his family members, others named in the fresh FIR were former Union minister Prem Guptas wife Sarla Gupta, Sujata Hotels directors Vijay Kochhar and Vinay Kochhar and former managing director of Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) T.K. Goyel. Sujata Hotels is owned by Ms Gupta.

Mr Yadav, who is facing trial in the fodder scam case, was in Ranchi when CBI raided his residential premises in Patna.

The CBI suspects that in exchange for the contract favour, Mr Yadav received a prime plot of land in Patna from Ms Guptas marketing firm  Delight Marketing. The three-acre plot was handed over to a company allegedly owned by Mr Yadavs wife and son Mr Tejashwi, who is also Bihars deputy chief minister.

While there was complete silence from the RJDs alliance partner and Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar, Mr Yadav described the raids as politically motivated that were carried out at the behest of the Prime Minister. The BJP has demanded Mr Tejashwis dismissal from the government.

Information and broadcasting minister M. Venkaiah Naidu, responding to the RJDs charges, made it clear that neither the government nor the BJP had anything to do with the CBI raids.

Where is the political vendetta? BJP is nowhere involved in this. CBI is doing its duty, Mr Naidu said.

In Patna, BJP leader and former deputy chief minister Sushil Modi demanded that chief minister must now sack Tejashwi Yadav from the cabinet.

Speaking to this newspaper, the BJP leader said that Nitish Kumar must sack Tejashwi Yadav from his cabinet after the CBI registered FIR against him and his family members.

The CBI began its raids simultaneously at Patna, Ranchi, Bhubaneswar and Gurugram. The raids included the premises of the Yadav family as well as one of Mr Gupta.

The CBI additional director said after Mr Yadav favoured the hotel company the owners of Sujata Hotels gave three acres of land in western Patna to a company - Delight Marketing  which is known to the family of Mr Yadav at a very low cost. Subsequently, between 2010 and 2014, this land was transferred to another company - Lara Projects  owned by family members of Mr Yadav.

The three-acre land was allegedly sold at Rs 1.47 crore, much lower than the prevailing market rate. In the last one year, the market price of this land has shot up to Rs 32.5 crore, the CBI director claimed.
The perpetrators later threw the woman out of the car near a traffic signal and fled.

Police have registered a case of rape and kidnapping but no arrests have been made yet. (Photo: File/Representational)

Mumbai: In a shocking incident, a 20-year-old woman was allegedly gangraped in a car in suburban Charkop in Mumbai on Thursday.

As per the woman's complaint, three men- one of whom was known to her- abducted her from near her house in Charkop at around 7 am, took her to a deserted place in a car and raped her, a senior police official said.

Later they threw her out of the car near a traffic signal and fled, he said.

Police have registered a case of rape and kidnapping but no arrests have been made yet. Further probe is on.
Chatterjee was carrying charges of culpable homicide not amounting to murder on his head and was also charged with dangerous.

Kolkata: Actor Vikram Chatterjee, who is facing a culpable homicide charge for the car crash in which model and TV anchor Sonika Chauhan was killed, has been arrested, police said on Friday.

Chatterjee was absconding after the police had charged him in the case. The television and film actor was arrested after Kolkata Police personnel intercepted a cab outside Acropolis Mall on Rashbehari Avenue connector in south Kolkata midnight on Thursday night, a senior Kolkata Police officer said.

Chatterjee had earlier been charged with causing death due to rash and negligent driving. The actor was driving Sonika home after a party on April 29 when the accident took place.
The war of words had started when Nitish Kumar supported BJP's Presidential canidate Kovind instead of the Opposition candiate Meira Kumar.

Congress VP Rahul Gandhi hinted that action would be taken against leaders issuing statements against Nitish Kumar. (Photo: PTI)

Patna: Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi is understood to have warned his party leaders of action not to continue to target Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, to smooth ruffled feathers of the crucial ally.

The JD(U), of which Nitish Kumar is the president, reciprocated by hinting that it would go with the Opposition in the upcoming vice-presidential election.

Media reports said Gandhi intervened in favour of Nitish Kumar and instructed party leaders not to criticise the Bihar chief minister.

Read: Rahul Gandhi tries to pacify Nitish Kumar, admits mistakes

Bihar Congress president Ashok Choudhary confirmed to PTI that he had a meeting with Rahul Gandhi earlier this week in Delhi but refused to divulge what transpired there.

The reports said that Rahul Gandhi, during his meeting with Choudhary, hinted that action would be taken against leaders issuing statements against Nitish Kumar.

Rahul Gandhi was absent when the Congress-JD(U) spat broke out.

Read: Cracks in Opposition deepen as Nitish Kumar takes aim at Congress

The sparring began after senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad attacked Nitish Kumar for breaking ranks with the opposition and supporting NDA's pick Ram Nath Kovind for the July 17 presidential poll.

He had alleged that Nitish Kumar wanted to ensure the defeat of 'Bihar ki Beti' Meira Kumar, who is the opposition's candidate for the poll.

People having one ideology take one decision while those with many ideologies take different decisions, Azad had said, apparently referring to JD (U)'s long association with the BJP.

Some state leaders of the Congress subsequently attacked Nitish Kumar, who returned the fire by questioning Congress's shift from the ideologies of Mahatama Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru.

The JD(U) chief made it clear that his party was no "pichlagoo" (camp follower) of any party.

The war of words between the JD(U) and the Congress threatened the Grand Alliance government in Bihar, which includes the Congress and the RJD of Lalu Prasad.

Nitish Kumar's bonding with Rahul Gandhi is well known in political circles.

It is also known that it was at Rahul Gandhi's intervention that the Congress had put pressure on Lalu Prasad to announce Nitish Kumar as the chief ministerial candidate on the eve of the 2015 Bihar Assembly poll.

The patch up between the two parties seems to have come at the right time as the combined opposition presidential candidate Meira Kumar is arriving in Bihar on Thursday on a three-day visit.

She is scheduled to meet Congress and RJD legislators and parliamentarians. However, no meeting with chief minister Nitish Kumar has been fixed.

Reacting positively to the Congress gesture, JD(U) has hinted that it could side with the opposition in the August vice-presidential poll.

"If our party is invited to participate in a meeting of the opposition to discuss the issue of vice-presidential election, we will certainly attend," JD(U) national spokesman KC Tyagi told PTI over the phone.

JD(U) would support the united opposition's candidate in the vice-president election, provided it is invited and consulted, he said.

Asked who would represent JD(U) in the proposed opposition's meeting, Tyagi said that it would be decided by Kumar and senior party leader Sharad Yadav.

Choudhary, who is also the education minister in the Nitish Kumar-led government, told PTI, "We expect JD(U) would be with us in the vice-presidential poll."
Footage shows baby kangaroo waving its hand from pouch in its struggle to survive.

With loss in habitat for animals becoming a stark reality with each passing day, human-animal conflicts are on a rise.

Recently, a car hit a kangaroo in Australia and then the heartless person who was responsible just left the marsupial to die and drove away. By the time the help arrived, the animal was dead. However, then the rescuers saw the tiniest hand reaching out for help

Melanie Fraser, a rescue worker with Macedon Ranges Wildlife Network and Wildlife Victoria in Australia, was the first to see it. When she checked the kangaroos pouch, she found a pink baby fighting to survive. He was waving his tiny hand in the air as if in a struggle to survive.

According to the Networks official Facebook page, Little "Dawson" was left for dead in his mothers pouch on Burke & Wills Track in Lancefield. The driver responsible continued driving leaving both the joey alive and the mother in agony. Thankfully however a lovely man Steven, saw the mother in trouble & called Wildlife Victoria for help. One of our rescuers attended, and this is how she found the little life that also would have been lost had no call been made, says their Facebook page.

Dawson is currently doing well in care and despite his long journey ahead, he has already been paired up with another little orphan of similar size.

Check the video below
Taking a jibe at Congress, Mr Jaitley said that GST was in the partys election manifestos.

New Delhi: Union finance minister Arun Jaitley, on Thursday, said that it was only Prime Minister Narendra Modis faith that economic integration in the country became a reality with the implementation of GST from July 1.

Speaking at a function organised by the Delhi BJP on the birth anniversary of party ideologue Shyama Prasad Mookerjee at Talkatora Stadium, Mr Jaitley said that it was due to the efforts of Indias first Union home minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel that the country has been politically integrated since 1950.

Now, GST has economically integrated the nati-on with one tax, one rate, he said.

He emphasised that the implementation of GST in the whole country after the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly passed it, is a step towards Dr Mookhej-ees dream of one nation.

He said, Since day one, PM Modi was clear that India has to be unified economically. He devised not just a compensation formula that was put in the Constitution Amendment Bill, but also got all the 29 states and seven Union territories on board to agree with the new tax regime.

Giving a background of GST, Mr Jaitley said that the Atal Behari Vajpayee government took the first step by constituting a task force, which submitted a report in 2003 saying that Central and state levies should be merged or unified into one goods and services tax (GST).

Taking a jibe at Congress, Mr Jaitley said that GST was in the partys election manifestos. However, at the last moment it flipped as it was not sure if the new tax regime would pay off.
The woman, Macha Manjula, sent an SOS to her husband describing the physical abuse she is going through and how she is locked up in a bathroom.

Hyderabad: A 36-year-old housewife from Hyderabad who had been trafficked to Saudi Arabia to work as a nanny for children, is being tortured by her employer.

The woman, Macha Manjula, sent an SOS to her husband describing the physical abuse she is going through and how she is locked up in a bathroom. Her husband and kids, who are worried about her safety, appealed to the government for help.

Macha Manjula, wife of Macha Ravi, a borewell mechanic, hails from Kushaiguda. She is the mother of two children, Srujana, 16, and Sravan, 13. She was employed in tailoring at home till she was lured with a job in the Gulf with an attractive salary. She sold her gold jewellery and paid an agent and travelled to Saudi Arabia in June 2016 on a work visa valid for one year. But after a few days, her employer started harassing her for more work and kept her without food and basic amenities.

In June 2017, when the visa period was nearing completion, she expressed her wish to return home, but the employer did not agree and threatened to file a theft case against her. However, she demanded that she be sent back home. Angered over this, the employer doubled the torture. She told her husband that the employer had branded her with an iron rod. They also snatched her phone.

After this she used to call from a servants mobile, but the employer found this out and snatched that mobile too and she is not able to communicate with us now, said Ravi.

In her last call to her family, she described how she was tortured by her employer and the ill treatment and the physical abuse she was being inflicted with.

We dont know how to contact her. If she does not return home, suicide will be the only option left for me and my kids. I appeal to the Telangana government to help my wife to come back home safely, added Ravi.
Police has listed some petrol pumps suspected of using electronic chips to manipulate discharge of fuel.

Mumbai: The Thane police has arrested three more accused in the petrol pump scam. Of the trio, one was involved in the making of software used to tamper with legit petrol pump machines while the other two were chip fitters.

The arrested accused have been identified as Pune resident Anil Sona-wane, Nagpur resident Kumar Thakrey, and Navi Mumbai resident M. Nemade.

A police officer said, After interrogating 19 accused, including the main accused Vivek Shetey who used to make the cheat chips, we came to know about these three accused. Thakrey was detained earlier as he used to fit the chips in petrol machines. During interrogation, he admitted to having installed several chips in Nagpur and we arrested him.

Nemade is a software engineer and used to make software to tamper with petrol pump machines. He has been doing this for the past three years and was arrested after we got information about him during interrogation of the other accused. Nemade was in touch with Shetey. Sona-wane too is an engineer and was involved in fitting chips in the machines, the officer said.

Thane police crime DCP, Abhishek Trimukhe, said, We are interrogating these accused. We arrested them Thursday morning. Our team is working to find other chipmakers, whom we will arrest soon. Our police teams are working on different aspects of the case to unearth the scam. Till now, more than 80 petrol pumps have been sealed all over the state.

Police has listed some petrol pumps suspected of using electronic chips to manipulate discharge of fuel. Shetey, who has a Master of Science degree in electronics, was earlier arrested from Dombivali by UP police for having manufactured such chips at his workshop.

The chips were allegedly sold for Rs 50,000 to the accused in UP.
While earlier she would do portraits, Keira Rathbone now creates streetscapes with a typewriters letters and symbols.

Brighton: Paint-brushes and chisels are the familiar tools of painters and sculptors through the ages, but one British artist is creating pictures using an unusual instrument for the visual arts: a typewriter.

Keira Rathbone, born in 1983, creates portraits and streetscapes with a typewriter's letters and symbols. Though infrequently seen in the digital age, typewriter art was popular in the 1940s and was used by artists like the American Paul Smith.

Completing a picture can take Rathbone hours or even days, and even a tiny mistake can result in significant effort going to waste, as errors are extremely difficult to remove or cover.

Rathbone said that her unusual artistic discipline means that at times she sees her surroundings in typographic terms.

"So, I'll be looking at you and seeing bracket, bracket, bracket... or, yeah, my eye gets more honed in and I'll be thinking 'I', 'I', hyphen", she said.

Rathbone began typewriter art in 2003, and has had her work exhibited in galleries around the UK. Though she focuses on street scenes now, in her early career she did portraits of high-profile figures and close-ups of eyes.
Spokeswoman Heather Nauert said Tillerson would visit Kuwait on Monday after stops in Ukraine and Turkey.

Washington: The Trump administration is being drawn further into the crisis engulfing Qatar and many of its Gulf Arab neighbors, a diplomatic tussle that it wanted to avoid.

Despite numerous US appeals for Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt to resolve their issues with Qatar on their own, the State Department said Thursday that Secretary of State Rex Tillerson would visit the region next week in a bid to mediate a solution.

Spokeswoman Heather Nauert said Tillerson would visit Kuwait, which has been trying to broker an agreement, on Monday after stops in Ukraine and Turkey.

She said Tillerson would meet with Kuwaiti officials, but his presence in the region leaves open the possibility that he may try to shuttle between the neighboring countries to forge a resolution.

The four nations cut off diplomatic ties to Qatar a month ago, accusing the tiny nation of funding terrorism and spreading unrest. Qatar has refused to comply in whole with a list of demands from its neighbors.

The US has been supporting Kuwait's mediation efforts, but Tillerson's trip will mark a new level of US involvement in trying to broker a resolution.

Earlier Thursday, Nauert warned that the crisis over Qatar may not be quickly resolved.

"We've become increasingly concerned that that dispute is at an impasse at this point," she said. "We believe that this could potentially drag on for weeks; it could drag on for months; it could possibly even intensify."

She didn't specify what type of escalation the US fears. But she said Tillerson remains in close contact with the countries involved.
A collective expenditure of Rs 1.3 million were incurred on security arrangements.

Islamabad: The Pakistan government issued millions from national exchequer for the security of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharifs family members during their appearances before Panamagate Joint Investigation Team (JIT), media reports said on Thursday.

All members of the Sharif family appeared in personal capacities but as many as 2,523 security persons of rangers, Intelligence Bureau (IB), Frontier Corps (FC), traffic and special police were deployed in Islamabad during their appearance before the Panamagate JIT on June 15, thus costing national exchequer an overall expenditure of Rs 3.8 million. Likewise, 2,547 personnel from the aforementioned departments were deployed at judicial academy and in its vicinities when Prime Ministers daughter Maryam Nawaz showed up at judicial academy on July 5. Maryams protocol cost national exchequer a total of Rs 2.5 million.

Several security persons were deployed in the federal capital during appearances of the PMs sons Hassan Nawaz and Hussain Nawaz, Punjab chief minister Shabaz Sharif and Federal finance minister Senator Ishaq Dar. A collective expenditure of Rs 1.3 million were incurred on security arrangements.

Officials said directives were issued from the PMs house to the law enforcement agencies to beef up security in Islamabad during appearances of the Sharif family members.
Massive demonstrations with more than 100,000 protesters are expected in Hamburg during the meeting of 20 nations on Friday and Saturday.

Police use water cannon against demonstrators during a protest against the G-20 summit in Hamburg, northern Germany (Photo: AP)

Hamburg: As many as 76 people were hurt in clashes with the German police here after the security force used water cannons on the people protesting against the G20 summit taking place in the city were pelting them with water bottles.

What should have been a peaceful march by around 12,000 people in Hamburg protesting against globalisation was halted as police used water cannon and tear gas to disperse around 1,000 far-left militants.

Fifteen police officers and two demonstrators were injured, a police spokeswoman told AFP. There were five arrests.

Police called with loudspeakers on protestors to remove their masks but this was ignored and after more objects were thrown, authorities decided to separate them from the other protestors, police said on Twitter.

"Unfortunately it has come to the first clashes. We are implementing corresponding measures," read another tweet.

Protesters were seen scrambling to leave the scene, while others defiantly stood in the way of water cannon trucks as they moved in surrounded by riot police with helmets and batons.

Police tweeted a photo of a car and flames and said shop windows were smashed.

The main "Welcome to Hell" march was then called off but thousands of people remained as night fell and demonstrators engaged in smaller skirmishes in the back streets of Germany's second city, AFP correspondents said.

Up to 100,000 demonstrators are expected before and during the two-day Group of 20 meeting gathering Trump, Russia's Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping of China starting on Friday.

There were 20,000 police on standby together with armoured vehicles, helicopters and surveillance drones. A holding centre for detainees has been set up in a former hardware store with space for 400 people.

"War, climate change, exploitation are the result of the capitalist system that the G20 stands for and which 20,000 police are here to defend," demonstrator Georg Ismail told AFP.

- 'Welcome to hell' -

Major events like the G20 have in recent years usually been held in remote locations, but Germany was forced by its logistical demands to host it in a large city with a big venue and dozens of hotels.

Hamburg is desperate to avoid a rerun of the kind of major clashes seen at the 2001 G8 summit in Genoa or the Frankfurt opening of the new European Central Bank building in 2015.

In Hamburg, some 30 demonstrations have been announced, organised by anti-globalisation activists and environmentalists, trade unions, students and Church groups.

"Welcome to Hell" organiser Andreas Blechschmidt said the motto is "a combative message... but it's also meant to symbolise that G20 policies worldwide are responsible for hellish conditions like hunger, war and the climate disaster".

- Trump to meet Putin -

The main focus of attention inside the G20 venue on the first day of the summit on Friday will be Trump's first face-to-face meeting with Putin.

Speaking in the Polish capital earlier on Thursday in front of 10,000 people, Trump didn't mince his words about Moscow.

"We urge Russia to cease its destabilising activities in Ukraine and elsewhere, and its support for hostile regimes -- including Syria and Iran -- and to instead join the community of responsible nations in our fight against common enemies and in defence of civilisation itself," he said.

Arriving in Hamburg later Thursday, Trump headed to talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who has vowed to defend the 2015 Paris climate accord despite the US leader's decision to withdraw.

Merkel said before meeting the US president that Trump was facing isolation within the G20 over the issue -- one of several topics where the new US leader is likely to clash with his fellow leaders.

"We are not going to paper over the differences but rather, we will call discord discord. Because there are also different opinions on some important questions," Merkel said.

Trump held a dinner with leaders of South Korea and Japan, focusing on North Korea's successfully test of an intercontinental ballistic missile this week. He tweeted afterwards only that the meeting was "great".

In his first public remarks since the test, Trump said in Warsaw that Pyongyang's military sabre-rattling must bring "consequences" and warned he was considering a "severe" response to its "very, very bad behaviour".
China has praised India on the sideline meet of the G20 summit among BRICS leaders on Friday.

Beginning with BRICS. PM Narendra Modi speaks at BRICS grouping meeting on sidelines of G20 (Photo: Twitter/MEA)

Hamburg: Amid Sikkim standoff, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping greeted each other and exchanged words of praise at the informal meet of the BRICS nations - Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa - in Germany's Hamburg where the two-day G20 summit is being held.

While host German Chancellor Angela Merkel welcomed the leaders to open the 12th G20 summit , a separate meeting of BRICS leaders took place on the sidelines.

Chinese President Xi Jinping appreciated India's strong resolve against terrorism and momentum in BRICS, introduced under India's Chairmanship.

Modi on the other, promised full cooperation and said, "There has been positive momentum in BRICS under chairmanship of President Xi Jinping, best wishes to him for upcoming BRICS Summit".

PM urged leaders from the BRICS nations to show leadership in fighting terrorism and boosting global economy even as he asked the G20 nations to collectively crackdown on terror financing, safe havens, "support and sponsors" of terrorism.

Modi emphasised that it was necessary to work together for sustained global economic

recovery. He also referred to the reforms carried out by his government, including implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST).

Besides, he advocated a collective voice against the practice of protectionism, especially in the spheres of trade and movement of knowledge and professionals.

At d BRICS leaders' informal gathering @ Hamburg hosted by China, PM @narendramodi and President Xi had a conversation on a range of issues pic.twitter.com/ervZw46PH0  Gopal Baglay (@MEAIndia) July 7, 2017

China and India have been engaged in a standoff in the Dokalam area near the Bhutan tri-junction for past 19 days after a Chinese Army's construction party attempted to build a road.

Earlier, China had 'cancelled' a sideline bilateral meet between Xi and Modi saying that 'the atmosphere was not right', referring to tension stemming from the stand-off.

Read: Atmosphere not right: China rules out Modi-Xi Jinping meet at G20 Summit

However, India had responded by saying But we did not ask for any meeting, so where is the question of atmosphere being conducive or not.
iStock/Thinkstock(PHILADELPHIA) -- Family and friends of the 18-year-old killed in an alleged road rage shooting in Pennsylvania gathered to mourn her death on Friday.



The funeral for Bianca Roberson was attended by more than 300 people, ABC Philadelphia station WPVI-TV reported, and her brother, Rodney Roberson Jr., spoke about her.



Wreaths of purple and white flowers adorned the church, which was also decorated with photos of Roberson. She was killed on June 28 after a highway confrontation escalated on Route 100 in Chester County, Pennsylvania, police said.



"She was just one of our classmates, and whether we were close friends with her or not we just wanted to come and support her and her family," a schoolmate of Roberson told WPVI-TV.



Roberson's car was still moving when she was allegedly shot by 28-year-old David Andrew Desper, police said. She was found dead in the vehicle, which had veered off the road and into a wooded area after the shooting.



Desper allegedly fled the scene, sparking a manhunt, but he later turned himself in early Sunday. He is currently being held at a Chester County jail without bail, a representative for the Chester County Clerk of Courts told ABC News Friday.



Roberson had recently graduated from high school and was planning to attend Jacksonville University in Florida in the fall, WPVI-TV reported.



Desper was charged with first-degree murder and his arraignment has been set for July 11. It is unclear if he has retained an attorney or entered a plea.

Copyright  2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
A White House source confirmed that Trump will only be joined in the meeting by Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and a translator.

US also extended a hand of cooperation to Russia, voicing willingness to work together on establishing 'no-fly zones' in Syria.

Hamburg: US President Donald Trump meets Russian leader Vladimir Putin for the first time Friday, in an eagerly awaited encounter at a G20 summit marked by the growing divide between America and its Western allies.

On the eve of a face-off that carries consequences for world crises including the wars in Syria and Ukraine, Trump set the tone Thursday with a strong attack against Moscow for its destabilising actions.

The property tycoon and the ex-KGB agents first meeting promises to be dissected frame by frame, with their handshake and body language to be scrutinised for any sign of rapprochement or estrangement.

While Trumps pro-wrestling approach is showy, bombastic and impulsive, Putin thrives on judos discipline and mental toughness, where a core technique is to keep an opponent off-balance and exploit his weakness, noted Derek Chollet from think-tank German Marshall Fund.

How these contrasting styles of machismo interact... will likely be the defining feature of their relationship moving forward.

The Kremlin said the meeting was crucial for regional security and stability, with Putin saying earlier this year that US-Russia ties appeared to have deteriorated under Trump.

The blockbuster bilateral comes on the sidelines of what is expected to be the most fraught G20 summit in years in the German city of Hamburg.

Read: PM Modi arrives in Germany for G20 Summit

Trumps America First and climate sceptic stance are set to test the relationship with longstanding allies, while North Korea adds more volatility to global security.

Scenes outside the heavily guarded conference hall were also stormy, as anti-globalisation protesters fought running battles overnight with police, who fired tear gas and used water cannon to disperse extreme-left Black Bloc militants late Thursday.

- End destabilising action -

Trump had alarmed Western partners wary of a resurgent Moscow with his refrain on the campaign trail pledging to have a great relationship with Putin and Russia.

But amid accusations that Moscow had a hand in propelling him to the White House, Trump finds himself in a tight spot over his complex relationship with the Russian leader.

In a key speech in Warsaw marking his first stop on his European tour, Trump fired a rare salvo of criticism.

We urge Russia to cease its destabilising activities in Ukraine and elsewhere, and its support for hostile regimes -- including Syria and Iran -- and to instead join the community of responsible nations in our fight against common enemies and in defence of civilisation itself, he told a cheering crowd of 10,000.

He admitted that Moscow may have tried to influence the 2016 election that brought him to power, but also suggested others too may have been involved and blamed predecessor Barack Obama for failing to act.

Read: 76 people hurt in clashes with police over G-20 protest in Germany

- Pros in the room -

When Trump and Putin sit down for their afternoon meeting, they will not be short of crucial issues to discuss, including the wars in Syria and Ukraine, North Koreas nuclear programme and efforts to combat terrorism.

A White House source confirmed to AFP that Trump will only be joined in the meeting by Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and a translator, an extraordinarily small cast list that raised concerns among experts.

Neither Tillerson or Trump have any experience of foreign policy. That is one reason why they need pros in the room when meeting Putin, said Thomas Wright of the Brookings Institution, who added that Trump was now more likely to appease Putin.

Former US ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul expressed concern that Trumps National Security advisor HR McMaster and his team -- seen as moderating influences in the White House -- were being sidelined.

Putin likes small meetings. This means WH is letting Kremlin dictate the terms of this meeting. HR, at a minimum, should also be there, he wrote on Twitter.

Ahead of the talks, the US also extended a hand of cooperation to Russia, voicing willingness to work together on establishing no-fly zones in Syria as part of a joint effort to stabilise the war-ravaged country.

Read: G20: All you need to know about the annual summits of leading powers

- Very bad behaviour -

North Koreas successful test of an intercontinental ballistic missile also casts a dark shadow on the US leaders first G20 summit.

In his first public remarks since the test, Trump said in Warsaw that Pyongyangs military sabre-rattling must bring consequences and warned he was considering a severe response to its very, very bad behaviour.

After repeatedly urging Beijing to ratchet up the economic pressure on North Korea, Trump will hold what promises to be a testy meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the G20.

At a dinner meeting grouping north-east Asian leaders but which excluded Xi, Trump was asked if he had given up on the Chinese leader, but replied: Never give up.
The draft statement included a strong condemnation of launch, setting the stage for a draft resolution on tougher sanctions on North Korea.

The nuclear missile launch, described by leader Kim Jong-Un as a 'gift' to Americans as they prepared to celebrate Independence Day (Photo: AP)

United Nations: Russia on Thursday blocked a UN Security Council statement calling for "significant measures" in response to North Korea's test launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile, arguing that the missile was in fact of medium range.

The United States had circulated the statement for adoption by the 15-member council after announcing plans for a new sanctions resolution, but Russia raised objections, UN diplomats said.

The draft statement recalled that the council had agreed to take "further significant measures" in the event of another nuclear test or missile launch and that the top UN body would "begin to work immediately on such measures."

Read: To punish North Korea, US considers sanctions on Chinese companies

Russia contested the statement's reference to an intercontinental missile launched by North Korea, diplomats said.

The Russian mission to the United Nations insisted it had not blocked the statement but rather suggested that the United States "make appropriate amendments to it."

"The Russian delegation could not agree to define the launch as an intercontinental ballistic missile test," the mission said, adding that the Russian defense ministry believed, based on its tracking systems, that the missile was of medium-range.

The United States refused to drop the reference to the intercontinental missile and negotiations on the proposed text ended, diplomats said. Security Council statements must be agreed unanimously.

Read: Nikki Haley warns China on trade with North Korea if it wants US trade

The United States and the United Nations have said the Hwasong-14 launched on Tuesday was of intercontinental range.

The draft statement included a strong condemnation of the launch, setting the stage for a draft resolution on tougher sanctions that the United States said it planned to present in the coming days.

Addressing an emergency council meeting on Wednesday, Russian Deputy Ambassador Vladimir Safronkov said Moscow opposed the move, arguing that "sanctions will not resolve the issue."

"Any attempts to justify a military solution are inadmissible and will lead to unpredictable consequences for the region," warned Safronkov.

"In the same manner, attempts to economically strangle North Korea are equally unacceptable, as millions of North Koreans remain in need of humanitarian aid," he added.

US Ambassador Nikki Haley called the launch "a clear and sharp military escalation" and warned that Washington was ready to use military force "but we prefer not to have to go in that direction."

The launch, described by leader Kim Jong-Un as a "gift" to Americans as they prepared to celebrate Independence Day, marked a milestone in Pyongyang's decades-long drive for the capability to threaten the US mainland with a nuclear strike.
The meeting offers a glimmer of hope that all may not be lost in Sino-Indian ties as the two nations refuse to blink first near the Sikkim border.

New Delhi/Hamburg: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping had a conversation on a range of issues separately at the Brics leaders informal gathering in Hamburg, hosted by China on the sidelines of the G-20 summit, the external affairs ministry said Friday even as the two leaders praised the contribution of each others country towards the Brics forum. It is unclear whether the contentious Doklam faceoff at the border found any mention during the conversation. Later, a report by Chinas state-run Xinhua news agency said President Xi had called on the Brics countries to push for peaceful settlement of regional conflicts and disputes, and to consolidate the role of the G-20 mechanism as the premier platform for international economic cooperation.

A photograph put out by the MEA of the Modi-Xi conversation showed the two leaders standing and shaking hands, with some Chinese officials looking on with grim faces. While Mr Modi was shown greeting Mr Xi warmly, the Chinese President put on a half-smile. The meeting offers a glimmer of hope that all may not be lost in Sino-Indian ties as the two nations refuse to blink first near the Sikkim border.

Read: G20 leaders pledge to eliminate all terror safe havens

China had indicated earlier on Thursday that a pre-scheduled bilateral meeting was not possible between the two countries in the current situation, but India too made it clear then in response that no meeting was asked for or planned. However, it was speculated that an impromptu pull-aside could be possible at the informal Brics meeting on the G-20 summits sidelines in Hamburg. As it turned out, the two leaders did finally meet separately even if it was just a conversation while standing. But the circumstances of how it happened remain unclear.

At the Brics leaders informal gathering @ Hamburg hosted by China, PM @narendramodi and President Xi had a conversation on a range of issues, MEA spokesman Gopal Baglay tweeted.

The MEA also issued a statement on the formal speeches of the two leaders at the Brics deliberations, saying: The Prime Minister appreciated the momentum in Brics under the chairmanship of President Xi and extended full cooperation and best wishes for the Brics Xiamen summit. Concluding the meeting immediately after the PMs remarks, President Xi appreciated Indias strong resolve against terrorism and the momentum in Brics introduced under Indias chairmanship and through the outcomes of the Goa Summit in 2016. He also appreciated Indias success in economic and social development and wished India even bigger success.

The statement added: The leaders of the five Brics (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) countries held an informal meeting on the sidelines of the G-20 summit in Hamburg, Germany. This was in run-up to the forthcoming 9th Brics summit in September in Xiamen, China. President Xi of China said he looked forward to welcoming the Brics leaders. In their interventions, the leaders discussed preparations and priorities for the forthcoming Xiamen Brics summit.

Read: Modi targets Pak at G20, says some nations use terror to reach political goals

Prime Minister (Modi) mentioned that Brics has been a strong voice and needs to show leadership on terrorism and global economy. He stressed that G-20 should collectively oppose terrorism financing, franchises, safe havens, support and sponsors. Referring to reforms in India, including the recent introduction of GST, the PM stated it was necessary to work together for sustained global economic recovery. He advocated collective voice against the practices of protectionism, specially in the spheres of trade and movement of knowledge and professionals. He reiterated Indias commitment to implementing Paris Agreement in letter and spirit and described its implementation globally as essential to fighting climate change. He called for expeditious action to establish a Brics ratings agency and said cooperation on development of Africa should be a priority. He also called for greater people-to-people exchanges, the MEA statement added.
A senior official of ONGC Videsh said 'Vietnam wants us to be there because of China's interventions in the South China Sea'.

China claims most of the energy-rich South China Sea through which about $5 trillion in ship-borne trade passes every year. (Photo: Representational Image)

Hanoi: Vietnam has extended an Indian oil concession in the South China Sea and begun drilling in another area it disputes with China in moves that could heighten tensions over who owns what in the vital maritime region.

The moves come at a delicate time in Beijing's relations with Vietnam, which claims parts of the sea, and India, which recently sent warships to monitor the Malacca Straits, through which most of China's energy supplies and trade passes.

Vietnam granted Indian oil firm ONGC Videsh a two-year extension to explore oil block 128 in a letter that arrived earlier this week, the state-run company's managing director Narendra K Verma told Reuters.

Part of that block is in the U-shaped 'nine-dash line' which marks the vast area that China claims in the sea, a route for more than $5 trillion in trade each year in which the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia and Taiwan also have claims.

A senior official of ONGC Videsh, who asked not to be named because of the sensitivity of the matter, said interest in the block was strategic rather than commercial, given that oil development there was seen as high-risk with only moderate potential.

"Vietnam also wants us to be there because of China's interventions in the South China Sea," the official said.

Vietnam's state-run PetroVietnam declined to comment on the concession, which was first granted to India in 2006 but had been due to expire in mid-June.

Conflicting territorial claims over the sea stretch back many decades but have intensified in recent years as China and its rivals have reinforced their positions on the rocks and reefs they hold.

Far to the south of block 128, drilling has begun in a block owned jointly by Vietnam's state oil firm, Spain's Repsol and Mubadala Development Co [MUDEV.UL] of the United Arab Emirates.

Deepsea Metro I, operated by Odfjell Drilling Ltd., has been drilling in the region since the middle of last month on behalf of Spain's Repsol SA, which also has rights to neighboring block 07/03, Odfjell said.

Odfjell declined to comment on the specific location of its vessel, but shipping data from Thomson Reuters Eikon showed it was in oil block 136/3, which also overlaps China's claims.

Odfjell's Eirik Knudsen, Vice President for Corporate Finance and Investor Relations, referred further queries to Repsol, which declined to comment. PetroVietnam made no comment.

Competing maritime claims

When asked about the activity, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said China opposes anyone "carrying out unilateral, illegal oil and gas activities in waters China has jurisdiction over".

"We hope the relevant country can act on the basis of maintaining regional peace and stability and not do anything to complicate the situation," he told a briefing in Beijing.

Chinese General Fan Changlong cut short a visit to Vietnam and a friendship meeting at the China-Vietnam border was canceled around the time the drilling began.

The centuries-old mistrust between China and Vietnam is nowhere more evident than in their competing maritime claims, despite their shared communist ideology and growing trade.

Asked about the most recent drilling, Vietnamese officials said their Chinese counterparts have started raising concerns about cooperation with both Repsol and ExxonMobil Corp. of the United States, which is developing the $10 billion "Blue Whale" gas concession off central Vietnam.

They said Chinese officials also expressed concern at Vietnam's evolving security relationships with the United States and Japan, both of which have offered moral support for its South China Sea claims and help for Vietnam's coastguard.

Tensions with China were being contained, however, and had not yet reached crisis proportions, they said.

"We know they are unhappy again, but we are resisting the pressure  it is a traditional part of our relations with Beijing," one official said privately. "Other parts of the relationship remain strong."

Underlining the relationship between India and Vietnam, Vietnamese deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh told a forum in New Delhi this week that India was welcome to play a bigger role in Southeast Asia - and specifically the South China Sea.

Hanoi's growing defense and commercial ties with India are part of its strategy of seeking many partnerships with big powers while avoiding formal military alliances.

The pace has picked up since Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's administration took office in 2014 and sought to push back against China's expanding presence in South Asia by raising its diplomatic and military engagement in Southeast Asia.

India is providing naval patrol boats, satellite cover to monitor Vietnam's waters and training for its submarines and fighter pilots - more military support than it is giving to any other Southeast Asian country.

On the agenda are transfers of naval vessels and missiles under a $500 million defense credit line announced last year.

Next week, the navies of India, the United States and Japan will hold their largest joint exercises in the Bay of Bengal.
China and India have been engaged in a standoff in the Dokalam area near the Bhutan tri-junction for the past three weeks.

Beijing: Amid the Sikkim standoff, the Chinese army is carrying out exercises simulating real battle scenarios at high-altitude areas in Tibet, testing new equipment, including a light battle tank.

The exercises were being carried at an altitude of 5,100 metres, the Chinese language service of the state-run Xinhua news agency reported from the Tibetan capital Lhasa. Besides testing the new equipment, the exercises involve conducting live firing exercises.

The exercises also involve combat operations command, combat synergies, live fire shooting training, and comprehensive inspection of arms integration, the report said. The simulation also involves offensive and defensive training.

Read: Ready for talks; 'Chinese troops should leave Bhutan', says India

Last week, Chinese Defence spokesman Colonel Wu Qin told the media here that the trials of the tank, reportedly weighing about 35 tonnes, were taking place during military exercises.

Xinhua has also released photos of the exercises on its website. The exercises were being held in the backdrop of heightened India-China tensions at Dokalam area in the Sikkim sector.

Read: Chinese media says India manipulated Sikkim under its control

China and India have been engaged in a standoff in the Dokalam area near the Bhutan tri-junction for the past three weeks after a construction party of the Chinese Army attempted to build a road.

Doka La is the Indian name for the region which Bhutan recognises as Dokalam, while China claims it as part of its Donglang region.
by Mathias Hariyadi

The remote central province has only 24 diocesan priests and 11 Passionists. The pastoral mission of the Church is made difficult by the lack of priests. The ceremony drew thousands of Catholics. Frs Hendrik and Fransiscus talked to AsiaNews about their path of faith.

Ketapang (AsiaNews)  The ordination of new priests in the Diocese of Ketapang (West Kalimantan) is an "extraordinary" event for both the local Church and their community. It is not only a "prestigious" event for the family and for the relatives of the priest, but also a festive celebration of faith, to which the whole community is called to participate.

St Mikael's Parish in Simpang Dua experienced this joy on 29 June when Mgr Pius Riana Prabdi, bishop of Ketapang, ordained two local tribal men as diocesan priests: Fr Hendrix Yusri Basri Rius and Fr Fransiscus Suandi.

The pastoral mission of the Catholic Church in the province of West Kalimantan is difficult because of the lack of priests to serve the vast and remote area, which includes four dioceses (Pontianak, Sanggau, Sintang and Ketapang).

Because of poor road and travel infrastructures, the few priests that are available visit local communities every three or four months, and only when weather conditions allow them, trekking for hundreds of kilometres on rough roads and barely navigable rivers.

Together with Mgr Pius Riana Prapdi, AsiaNews made a ten-day trip to some of the farthest and most inaccessible parishes, where they met the two new priests and gathered their testimonies of faith.

Frs Hendrik and Fransiscus hail from local Catholic Dayak ethnic families. They completed their elementary education at the school in their native village, and later attended a Catholic school in Ketapang. Both of them later entered the St Laurentius Minor Seminary at Payak Kumang, in central Ketapang.

After graduating, the two were sent to Malang, East Java, to attend a one-year spiritual course for novices. In Malang, they also completed their philosophical and theological studies before moving to Pontianak for postgraduate studies in theology.

The two priests say that the seeds of their religious vocation are attributable to three main factors: the teaching of spiritual values by a good Catholic family, the testimony of the mission by local priests and communities, and a Catholic education.

Fr Fransiscus said that his father's spiritual life contributed decisively to his personal desire to become a priest. Because the number of clergymen in the diocese was very limited, he used to go along with his father in his trips to the islands remote areas to perform pastoral services.

In the absence of a celebrant, no Eucharistic celebration was celebrated on these occasions, but his father used to bring the Word of God to the faithful.

For his part, Fr Hendrik said that the serious shortage of priests in the Diocese of Ketapang led him to become one.

Although its territory is much bigger than Central and West Java provinces, West Kalimantan has only 24 diocesan priests (some of whom come from the Diocese of Semarang in Java on temporary assignments) and 11 Passionists.

According to Fr Joko, pastor of Simpang Dua parish, the ceremony of priestly ordination of the two and the following celebration drew thousands of Catholics from across the Regency. The head of the local district Martin Rantan SH took part in the festivities, along with dozens of nuns, some men religious and 46 priests.
The authorities plan to fingerprint and face-scan mobile phone owners as well as set up a social media watch centre to monitor content they deem inappropriate. This follows a press law. Source tells AsiaNews that the country is moving towards thought control.

Bangkok (AsiaNews/Agencies)  The reform body established by Thailands military junta has almost unanimously approved a set of restrictive measures for the use of mobile phones and the Internet, including mandatory fingerprinting and face-scans for every owner of a mobile phone.

On Monday, the National Reform Steering Assembly (NRSA) passed the 84-page set of proposed new rules for online conduct by a vote of 144-to-1.

If adopted by the junta, known as the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), and its appointed National Legislative Assembly (NLA), smartphone and internet users are in for some major changes.

The NRSA measures impose stringent restrictions on internet usage, intended in part to identify those who post content on services such as Facebook and YouTube.

The package of wide-ranging measures would make Thai censorship and online restrictions even worse than those of nations like China and Iran that try to tightly control their citizens' access to information.

The proposal would require that all mobile phone numbers be registered with not only users' 13-digit citizen identification numbers - as is already the case - or (for foreigners) passport details, but also their biometric fingerprints and facial recognition data.

Other measures to be taken later include the establishment of a central social media watch centre to look for content considered inappropriate by the government.

The changes would upgrade the technology used to intercept internet communications. The government already has several offices engaged in monitoring online activity and also encourages members of the public to report material considered offensive.

Ostensibly, the major target of the authorities is lese majeste offences, but since seizing power in 2014, the ruling junta has in practice criminalised political dissent and criticism of its actions.

The expanded censorship proposals follow earlier NRSA plans to set up an appointed council to regulate print and online media. It would require journalists to be licensed or risk prison.

Thai media organisations have urged its rejection, noting that its definition of who needs a licence is too broad and it restricts freedom of expression.

Sources told AsiaNews that the new rules have sparked a major controversy in Thailand. They legitimise censorship and government control, which were already present but had no legal basis yet. For Thai society, the future seems one of more and tighter controls.

The first anniversary of the death of King Bhumibol Adulyadej is fast approaching. The country, which is still in mourning, is getting ready to mark the event.

The heir to the throne, who has recently approved a new militarist constitution, is not as popular as his late father. This complicates an already delicate political situation. The military regime wants to restrict Thais ability to criticise the government.

The authorities justify the new rules, including those against mass media, by the need to fight the proliferation of false news and defend the morals of the Thai people. In reality, this is not the case. We are moving instead towards thought control."
by Christopher Sharma

In Surkhet district tens of thousands humiliated for caste reasons ask to be baptized. The decision was taken during a secret meeting with 200 representatives. Hindu prohibition makes their lives impossible. The fact is symptomatic of a more general phenomenon. In Nepal there is a law against discrimination, but police do not intervene and complaints are never taken into account.

Kathmandu (AsiaNews) - The Dalits have decided to organize a secret meeting to pray for Jesus to save them. Conversions and renunciations of the Hindu faith are occurring in the Surkhet district of western Nepal. The Dalits are marginalized because of their caste belonging. And they are tired of suffering serious discrimination and threats.

Sanu Nepali, 21, was beaten by some senior caste members on Wednesday, July 5. They accused him of bathing in public drinking water, polluting it physically and above all "spiritually." He ended up in the hospital.

Two months ago, a nine-year-old Dalit boy, Bhim Bahadur, was brutally beaten with perhaps only because he dared to enter the kitchen of a family of a higher caste of his, in the village of Barahatal, in the same district.

It is estimated that about 50,000 Dalits in Surkhet District, who were victims of serious discrimination, have decided to leave the Hindu faith and embrace the message of Christianity. The decision was taken in the meeting with a large number of representatives.

Lal Babu BK, one of the participants said, "We were more than 200. We have come together to convert to Christianity to save ourselves. We have all practiced Hindu faith for generations since it was mandatory, but today the country is secularized and Hindu faith can not save us. Those who torment and who humiliate us are Hindus like us. By being named untouchables we are judged from the bottom down. We can not even touch lower caste people, can not enter their homes, we can not touch public drinking water and can not have access to public places. So what is this belief? Are we certain in this faith? We concluded 'no' and decided to convert to Christianity. " "We are in danger everywhere," he added, "and we are discriminated at any time, so we ask for the grace of Jesus because we have seen that there is no discrimination in Christianity. We believe that Jesus can protect us." "The decision is made even if we have not yet contacted the Christian priest who can baptize us," concluded Lal Babu BK, "we will do it and we hope the priest will welcome us."

Sudip Pathak, a human rights activist, commented: "People are free to take all necessary protection measures when they are threatened and the state can not protect them."

Binod Pahadi, a Dalit and former parliamentary activist, said: "It is not only the question of the district of Surkhet, but it is symptomatic of the situation in the whole country. There is a law against discrimination and for equality, but in practice there is a strong oppression of low caste people. "

Jayasara, mother of Bhim Bahadur BK, said: "We made this decision from the moment we had no alternatives to save us."

A few months ago, a similar case had occurred in the capital of Kathmandu. Kamala Nepali, a Dalit woman was violently beaten for having touched the water taps in Chandeshwori in Tokha Municipality in Kathmandu. Shanta KC, the woman who beat her has never been punished.

There are legal provisions against such discrimination, but when victims present their complaints, they are not heard.

Police Officer Bhattarai, involved in this case said, "Victims can not produce evidence and we can not punish anyone in the absence of evidence."

However, there are thousands of people who are victims of such aberrations in Nepal.
Following the request of Angela Merkel, Pope Francis writes to heads of state and government in Hamburg for the summit of the world's major economies. A "heartfelt appeal" to address the tragic situations of South Sudan, Lake Chad, Horn of Africa and Yemen, where there are 30 million people who have no food and water to survive. " The contradiction between apparent unity in the "common economic forums" and the persistence of "armed conflicts". Take an example from the great leaders of the recent past: Schuman, De Gasperi, Adenauer, Monnet. Bear in mind the great majority of the population, even though it represents only 10% of the world economy.

Vatican City (AsiaNews) - For "inclusive and sustainable global economic growth" attention must be paid to "ongoing conflicts and the global migration problem", giving " absolute priority to the poor, refugees, the suffering, evacuees and the excluded, without distinction of nation, race, religion or culture, and to reject armed conflicts. "These are some of the suggestions Pope Francis offers to heads of state and government in Hamburg at the G20 in a letter sent by the Pope to Chancellor Angela Merkel after her request during their recent Vatican meeting last June 17 (see photo).

The pontiff expresses " I would like to offer some considerations that, together with all the Pastors of the Catholic Church," by referring them to "fo four principles of action for the building of fraternal, just and peaceful societies ", which he listed and explained in the Evangelii gaudium: "Time is greater than space; Unity prevails over conflict; Reality is more important than ideas; And whole is greater than the part. "

The first principle, time is superior to space, expresses that " there can be no immediate and completely satisfying solutions. " to problems of poverty, migration, and wars. That is why it is necessary - the Pope explains - to "set in motion processes that are capable of offering progressive and non-traumatic solutions." But for their effectiveness, it is crucial that the final objective of the process is clearly present in its planning ". "In the minds and hearts of government leaders, and at every phase of the enactment of political measures, there is a need to give absolute priority to the poor, refugees, the suffering, evacuees and the excluded, without distinction of nation, race, religion or culture, and to reject armed conflicts. "

In particular, the Pope calls with "a heartfelt appeal" for the tragic situation in South Sudan, the Lake Chad basin, the Horn of Africa and Yemen, where thirty million people are lacking the food and water needed to survive ".

On the second principle, unity prevails over the conflict, Francis asks the world "to put an end to the useless slaughters" of "current or potential conflicts". But this will not be possible "unless all parties commit themselves to substantially reducing levels of conflict, halting the present arms race and renouncing direct or indirect involvement in conflicts, as well as agreeing to discuss sincerely and transparently all their differences."

Explaining the consequences of the third principle, reality is more important than ideas, Francis recalls that "the fateful ideologies of the first half of the twentieth century have been replaced by new ideologies of absolute market autonomy and financial speculation (cf. Evangelii Gaudium, 56). In their tragic wake, these bring exclusion, waste and even death. The significant political and economic achievements of the past century, on the other hand, were always marked by a sound and prudent pragmatism, guided by the primacy of the human being and the attempt to integrate and coordinate diverse and at times opposed realities, on the basis of respect for each and every citizen. I pray to God that the Hamburg Summit may be illumined by the example of those European and world leaders who consistently gave pride of place to dialogue and the quest of common solutions: Schuman, De Gasperi, Adenauer, Monnet and so many others."

From "the whole is greater than the parts", it follows that all solutions to the problems "must likewise consider eventual repercussions on all countries and their citizens, while respecting the views and opinions of the latter." For this reason, although the G20 embraces countries "which account for 90% of world production of goods and services", it must take into account the "great majority, which in economic terms counts for only 10% of the whole", but which are precisely the ones who suffer most from the harmful effects of economic crises for which they bear little or no responsibility". Hence the call to work closely with the UN, to "respect and honor international treaties" and to "continue to promote multilateralism".

At the conclusion of the letter, Francis invokes the "Gods blessings upon the Hamburg meeting and on every effort of the international community to shape a new era of development that is innovative, interconnected, sustainable, environmentally respectful and inclusive of all peoples and all individuals".
by Nirmala Carvalho

Judges welcome the request of a 33-year-old due to "psychological harm". The baby, if born, would have serious cardiac complications. Auxiliary Bishop of Mumbai: "God is the author of life." "If people are no longer useful or considered as a weight, they try to eliminate them."

Mumbai (AsiaNews) - The Supreme Court of India has accepted a 26-week pregnant woman's request to end the pregnancy due to serious heart failure. On July 3, the judges Dipak Misra and A M Khanwilkar motivated their decision with the possible "deep psychological damages" to which the mother, a 33-year-old Calcutta woman, could incur.

Commenting to AsiaNews Msgr. Savio Fernandes, Auxiliary Bishop of Mumbai, and President of the Commission on the Family of the Indian Bishops Conference, states: "The Catholic Church considers human life sacred from the beginning to the end. No one under no circumstances can afford the right to destroy an innocent human being."

The judgment has provoked out roar. According to the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act of 1971, pregnancy interruption is allowed in India until the 20th week. Over this period, abortion may only be allowed if gestation constitutes a danger to the mother and the fetus. Bishop Fernandes, who is also president of the Diocesan Commission for the Family and Human Life, recalls that "abortion is a profound evil for the teachings of the Catholic Church, as it is the killing of a helpless and innocent human being ". "God - the bishop underlined - is the author of life and he who created humans in his image and likeness. Therefore, human life must be respected and protected in an absolute way, from conception to the natural end of existence. The Church is not in favor of abortion under any circumstances, because eliminating an innocent human life is always a bad thing. "

Bishop Fernandes argues that "unfortunately the life of a still unborn person, the sick and the elderly, the needy and the disabled, is seen in terms of 'utility'. If people are no longer useful or considered as a weight, they try to eliminate them. " Instead, he points out that "God, who created us in his image and likeness, has infused his life into us. Therefore every person on this earth carries his mold. Every human person - young or old, mentally or physically disabled, healthy or sick - must be respected and treated with dignity and love, precisely because they carry the imprint of God. " According to the bishop, the judges of the Supreme Court "only assessed the mental health of the mother. But the unborn, the disabled, the sick, the elder and all living beings must be sustained and protected. " "For us  he concludes - the challenge is always finding new ways and means to give Jesus love for all people. The Church in India is an ardent defender of the culture of life and cares [for children] lovingly through different homes and orphanages, such as those of Mother Teresa's nuns. The Missionaries of Charity have many reception centers and would be happy to take care of them."
by Vladimir Rozanskij

Vladimir Putin has been in office for almost 20 years. In all likelihood, next year he will once again emerge victorious in the presidential election. Navalnyj's opposition cannot win, but reveals the dissatisfaction of young people. With Putin, the Russian government is slipping from a "corporatistic" system to a sort of "Sultanism", similar to Erdogan's in Turkey. The Orthodox Church is taking its distance.

Moscow (AsiaNews) - In a recent Altaj Mountains Forum in Barnaul, Siberia (17-18 June), political scientists questioned the possible scenarios of Russia over the next twenty years. This is because in recent years the Russian political system has been put to the test by events and issues that question stability and future prospects. This is even more urgent because the Putinian power is set to mark twenty years (which began in 1999), and in all likelihood Vladimir Putin will again be elected to power in 2018 (formally the fourth time, the so-called Putin 4.0).

Organized by the Russian section of the Friedrich-Ebert Foundation, the conference focused on "Russia's development paths in the context of international tensions", and the reflections proposed at that venue have been discussed on various platforms and media. The starting point is the change in power of the Russian power system, which until 2014 could be termed "corporatist" and post-Soviet, while today it seems to take the form of "Sultanism", imitating Erdogans Turkey. In other words, it can be said that from continuity with the Soviet Politburo, the Putin regime seems to regress to a resemblance with the court of the pre-revolutionary tsars. The leader appears increasingly farther distant from his subordinates and collaborators, in search of more immediate and populist forms of consensus.

Two possible scenarios would appear to be forming: to open up economic reforms that will allow Russia to exit from the current crisis - and this requires a change in the political system, opening to a more real democracy, ending contrasts with the West; Or what seems to be the ongoing project, emphasis on Russia's isolationism, suppressing all forms of dissent.

Putin's regime increasingly resembles a Tsarist "autocracy," as it is increasingly dependent on other political and social elites, and is increasingly relying on personal popular consent. Moreover, a typical feature of absolutism is the continuing violation of the same laws and rules approved by the regime, depending on what is most convenient. In this sense we see Putin's attempt is to consolidate his power, above any reform or legislative authority. This perspective is increasingly risky, not so much because of the very marginal opposition, but because of the need to sustain and revitalize his popularity with continued victories and demonstrations of strength against everything and everyone, given the progressive loss of credibility of the figure of "Tsar" in the eyes of the people and of the various social and economic bodies. After exaggerating the Crimea's annexation in 2014, Putin's star in recent times has begun to fade.

The opposition on the streets organized by Aleksej Naval'nyj, who is especially capable of mobilizing the youngest, is not significant from the point of view of the real possibilities of political change but lays bare the weakness of the motivations that led to the president to the height of consensus, which seems far less profound than the official propaganda and the court's servility in all its components. A question then arises: Can Putin endure an electoral round, which, without questioning his re-election, exposes him to criticisms and doubts about the "sacred" role he embodies? According to some experts, this uncertainty might push the president to even retire: for he does not need victory, but consecration.

To avoid questioning, Putin would have two options: the most common one, to invent an opposition candidate at his own discretion (as were the various Zjuganov, Zhirinovskij and others to date), or to raise the challenge by allowing for a real and fair plebiscite, choosing a vibrant goal for an even bigger Russia. Only at this point no "shining" and reassuring goal seems to be available. Inevitably, it would proclaim other forms of war and conquest, from Eastern Europe to the Middle East. And even the autocrats may not have the courage to risk a new Afghanistan, the land where Soviet power ended.

Meanwhile, faced with the corruption charges laid against members of his (which for the time being have not yet directly involved him), Putin is attempting to revive Russia's "moral superiority" card, using himself as the model. In this, the president aims to exploit the support and shared sentiments with the Orthodox Church, which however appears ready to distance itself from his excesses of personalization and chauvinism. Patriarch Kirill, who had shown little enthusiasm about the Crimean annexation, sought rather to reiterate the moral superiority of the Church to any other institution in the country: the harsh debate over the return of the St. Isaac cathedral in St. Petersburg is symbolic. Putin has reiterated that it is a state property, given that when it built the Tsar was was head of the Church. The president has recently approached even the Old-Believing Schismatic Church, who for almost 500 years have accused the Patriarch of betrayal of the true Russian Orthodoxy.

In a meeting last June 21 with teachers, Putin fell into a sort of revealing lapus, claiming that "education to patriotism is a priority over the transmission of knowledge: we have no other and cannot have any other unifying ideal, which is not patriotism. This is our national ideal. " The schools themselves are very much in favor of the formation of a paramilitary association for children and young people, the Junarmija (Youth Forces), as the old communist pioneers have now come to an end in the renowned, too ideologically motivated, scouting associations. For the elevation of moral dignity, Putin has also presented a bill to the Duma that bans swearing and vulgar expressions in public and at home. Will the beautiful words, and the infantry bayonets, be enough to glorify the sultan?
The sites belong to the Syriac Orthodox community of Mardin, southeastern Turkey. The dispute will be settled by legal means. Until the ownership question is not settled, the properties will not be "transferred" to the Religious Affairs Directorate. For the Federation of Arameans (Syriacs) in Switzerland, any confiscation would be illegitimate. Turkeys Christian cultural heritage is at risk.

Istanbul (AsiaNews)  Turkish authorities have put on hold the transfer of more than 50 churches and monasteries belonging to the Syriac Orthodox community of Madin, in Tur Abdin, a region in south-eastern Turkey, to the Religious Affairs Directorate for (Diyanet), the Dogan news agency reported yesterday.

The Mardin Governor's Office said the issue must be legally resolved. Until then, the properties in question will not be turned over to the Directorate. Thus, the expropriation of more than 50 buildings  including churches, monasteries and cemeteries that are part of the regions ancient Christian cultural and religious heritage  will not go ahead. They will still be registered with the Treasury until a final solution is found.

The decision to transfer the properties dates back to 2014 and follows Mardins administrative re-organisation as a metropolitan municipality incorporating surrounding villages, which became city wards. The move sparked protests and outrage among local and international Christian communities.

Kuryakos Ergun, head of the Mor Gabriel Monastery Foundation (pictured), one of the places of worship in question, said that the dispute has not yet been resolved, although the place of use of the places of worship would continue as it stands.

He said that hopes that ownership would be transferred to the Foundation and that the same would happen to all the other churches and monasteries, which are part and parcel of the regions Christian cultural and historic heritage.

The Federation of Arameans (Syriacs) in Switzerland also intervened in the dispute. In an official statement sent to AsiaNews, it expressed its opposition to what it considers an "illegitimate expropriation" of Turkeys Christian cultural heritage.

In announcing legal battle, the Federations president, Melki Toprak, called the unchanged situation "alarming" because now it is now up to Ankara to decide on ownership.

The leaders of the Christian places of worship sent a joint statement to the Turkish Interior Ministry to stop seizing assets and properties. If the appeal were ignored, all this would lead to "the final extinction of Christianity, of our ethnicity and Aramean culture in Turkey".

"So far, Arameans in Turkey, as well as other minorities, are still not recognised and therefore do not fully enjoy human rights, including freedom of worship and property rights, the Federation statement said.

The acquisition, preservation and construction of properties by the churches is hampered by huge bureaucratic difficulties." The situation remains "critical" from a human and legal point of view.

At the start of the 20th century the Aramean population in Tur Abdin was around half a million. At present, a small community of about 2,000 people survives, whilst another 20,000 live in Istanbul.
1. Its a summer hot spot. A great way to take advantage of the summer is by spending as much time at South Jerseys many local beach bars as possible. And as far as beach bars go, Laguna Grill & Rum Bar is top notch. Look for it among the palm trees at 14th Street South beach in Brigantine.

2. Big musical acts are coming up. Laguna will offer some of the best live music in the area this summer, with national acts coming in to entertain. Check out performances by the likes of The Wailers on July 12, Fuel on July 16 and Soul Asylum & Cracker on July 25. Coming up, head to the Wailing Souls show 6 p.m. Thursday, July 6.

Three hands are better than one Q. I heard about a new blackjack game where you play three hands at once. Do you know it?

3. The cocktail menu is a tropical paradise. Enjoy the beach views while sipping on one of Lagunas summer-ready cocktails  many of them rum-based, as the bars name suggests. Drinks include the Laguna Mojito Grande with Bayou Silver rum, fresh mint, lime juice with agave and a splash of soda; the Da Painkiller with dark rum, pineapple and orange juices, cream of coconut and grated nutmeg; and the Rum Bar Rum Runner with light and dark rums with banana and blackberry liqueurs, real fruit juices and a bit of grenadine.

Wailing Souls play at Laguna No summer is complete without a little reggae, so bring the friends to Luguna Grill & Ru

4. Beer is served by the bucket. The cocktail menu is complemented by a full list of wines and beers. Draught beers at Laguna include Goose Island, Bud Light, Stella Artois and Shock Top. However, you can also get a Bucket o Beer  a full bucket of ice stuffed with bottles like Bud Light, Dos Equis, Yuengling and Rolling Rock.


(Wavebreak Media Ltd/Bigstock.com) (Wavebreak Media Ltd/Bigstock.com)

Students from around the world planning to study in Australia are being reminded that the country now has a new visa system in place.The Simplified Student Visa Framework (SSVF) began at the beginning of July and means that there is now only a single visa programme for international students, regardless of the applicant's chosen course of study.Previously, there were seven types of Australian student visas, which depended on the applicant's level of study such as high school, higher education, vocational education, English language or post graduate level.The number of the student visa subclasses has been reduced to two, from eight previously. They are the student visa (subclass 500) and the new Student Guardian visa (subclass 590).Students who think they may have a long term future in Australia also need to be aware that if they stay on after graduation there have been a number of changes that affect what visas they can apply for relating to permanent residency.Meanwhile, the higher education sector is pleased that the Australian Government has bowed to pressure and included lecturers, vice-chancellors and other leading staff categories in the new four year temporary visa that will replace the 457 visa in March 2018.There had been concerns that excluding these occupations from the Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL) would have a serious effect on the higher education sector's ability to recruit top talent from abroad.Universities Australia chief executive Belinda Robinson said that the change was welcomed. 'It sends an important signal of reassurance to an estimated 3,000 researchers and university staff on current 457 visas who had faced an uncertain future,' she pointed out.'Australia needs policy settings that allow us to remain competitive, and ensure we are able to snap up the best global talent to work alongside our brilliant home grown researchers,' she added.Scientific, technical and professional occupations are now listed as eligible occupations in the MLTSSL as well. However, university tutors, real estate agents and psychotherapists have been removed from all lists of eligible occupations.There has also been a commitment from the Government that PhD studies will count as work experience when applying for the new skilled visas. According to the Association of Australian Medical Research Institutes restoring medical research roles into the eligible occupation list allowed the country's research institutes to remain globally competitive.
Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 3 1 of 3 Beaumont Police Department Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Beaumont Police Department Show More Show Less 3 of 3





Two Beaumont men were arrested during a burglary after they triggered the alarm system early Friday morning.

Beaumont Police were sent to K & K Designs on the 1300 block of Calder Ave. after the burglar alarm was set off, according to a news release. When officers arrived around 1:07 a.m., they found one suspect was found trying to leave. The security footage was able to show a description of the second suspect who was found shortly after in the area.
When this North Texas man found out he was going to be a grandpa, he got to work on a very special play area just for her.

Jimmy White, who lives in Decatur about 70 miles northwest of Dallas, has no formal training as an engineer, but that didn't stop him from building a backyard amusement park -- complete with roller coaster, Ferris wheel and carousel -- for his now 2-year-old granddaughter, Sophia, WFAA reported.
Numerous healthcare organizations recently received donations to fund research, advance treatments, improve patient care and start renovations.

Here are seven recent donations, grants or gifts given to healthcare organizations by various entities in the past week, beginning with the most recent.



1. $80k awarded to Cincinnati Children's Hospital and Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center

Researchers at Cincinnati Children's Hospital and Boise, Idaho-based Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center received a total of $80,000 from the Mary K. Logan Research Awards Program to support research and initiatives to improve patient safety and reduce mortality associated with healthcare technology.

2. Researchers at University of Virginia Medical School receive $8.6M NIH grant

The National Institutes of Health awarded two researchers at Charlottesville-based University of Virginia Medical School grants totaling $8.6 million to improve lung transplantation, according to NewsMedical.net.

3. Lucile Packard Children's Hospital Stanford receives $10M gift

Palo Alto, Calif.-based Lucile Packard Children's Hospital Stanford received a $10 million donation from local philanthropist Bonnie Uytengsu to help finance a new surgery center, according to The Almanac.



4. Rural Massachusetts hospital receives $100k federal grant

Great Barrington, Mass.-based Fairview Hospital received a $99,871 federal grant to expand access to healthcare in rural towns, according to iBerkshires.com



5. Salisbury University nursing program receives $3.8M in grants

The Salisbury (Md.) University nursing program received $3.8 million from the Maryland Higher Education Commission to establish two new programs, according to WMDT.

6. High school students help raise $40k for New Jersey hospital

Overlook Medical Center in Summit, N.J., received a $40,000 grant from the Overlook Foundation, with help from 15 local high school students, to support the hospital's Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, according to the Basking Ridge Patch.



7. Harvard Medical School, Boston Children's Hospital receive $10M to finance joint brain center

Cambridge, Mass.-based Harvard Medical School and Boston Children's Hospital received a $10 million gift from the Paul G. Allen Frontiers Group to establish The Allen Discovery Center for Human Brain Evolution, according to the Boston Globe.
Here are eight recent news updates on health IT companies.

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services selected Cerner for a 10-year, $33 million contract.

The U.K. Information Commissioner's Office ruled London-based Royal Free NHS Foundation Trust failed to comply with the U.K. Data Protection Act when it provided patient information to Google-owned DeepMind.

Greenway Health's EHR received certification under ONC's 2015 edition health IT product criteria.

Grupo Angeles Servicios de Salud will be the first healthcare organization in Latin America to deploy IBM's Watson for Oncology platform.

Kyruus, a provider search and scheduling solutions startup, appointed Soojin Chung its first general counsel and chief administrative officer.

Roche, a Basel, Switzerland-based pharmaceutical company, signed an agreement to acquire all shares of mySugr, a mobile diabetes platform.

Nokia appointed Gregory Lee president of Nokia Technologies June 30, effective immediately.

Royal Philips acquired Health & Parenting, a London-based healthcare and family mobile app developer.
Sacramento, Calif.-based UC Davis Health alerted roughly 15,000 patients of a privacy breach July 5 after an employee's email account was compromised in a phishing scam.

A phishing email was sent to the employee  who has helped with informational and event mailings on behalf of UC Davis Health  May 15. After gaining acess to the account, the perpetrator proceeded to send emails to UC Davis Health employees, in which they made fraudulent requests for large transfers of funds.

The university's data security team has since secured the employee's account. The account contained limited patient information, such as names, addresses, phone numbers, and some Social Security numbers. The breach did not involve medical records or financial information, UC Davis Health told Becker's.

Health system officials said there is no indication the perpetrator accessed or acquired patient information, but UC Davis Health is offering identity and credit protection services to those affected. The health center also established a dedicated call center to answer patient questions.

"While an investigation continues into the unauthorized access, UC Davis Health is reviewing its cybersecurity capabilities, including employee awareness and training, to help further strengthen its overall electronic security and ensure patient privacy is maintained at all times," UC Davis Health told Becker's.

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A week after a physician opened fire in Bronx-Lebanon Hospital in New York City, the facility hosted a vigil against gun violence, according to ABC News.

Hundreds attended the vigil Thursday, according to News 12 coverage of the event. Mourners paid their respects to victims of the shooting, which killed one and wounded six last Friday. Gunman Henry Bello, MD, a former hospital employee, entered the hospital through a rear entrance and opened fire before setting himself on fire and shooting himself in the head.

Dr. Bello killed Tracy Tam, DO, a family medicine physician who was at the hospital covering another physician's shift.

The vigil was held at a pavilion adjacent to the hospital emergency room.

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Select Specialty Hospital-Winston-Salem (N.C.) will close Sept. 1, according to a Worker Adjustment Retraining and Notification Act notice filed Monday by the hospital's owner, Mechanicsburg, Pa.-based Select Medical.

According to the notice, the closure will result in 76 layoffs. The layoffs will affect many positions, including nurses, nursing assistants, physical therapists and other support personnel, according to WXII.

Select Specialty Hospital-Winston-Salem is part of Select Medical's network of more than 100 long-term acute care sites.

Select Medical did not immediately respond to Becker's Hospital Review's request for comment.

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Stay in the know with Becker's Hospital Review's weekly roundup of the nation's biggest healthcare news. Here's what you need to know this week.

1. Billionaire Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong's company acquires majority stake in Integrity Healthcare

Patrick Soon-Shiong, MD, and his company NantWorks, acquired a majority stake in Integrity Healthcare July 5.

2. Shooting at Bronx-Lebanon Hospital: 9 things to know

A physician opened fire in a crowded Bronx-Lebanon Hospital in New York City June 30, killing one and wounding six others at his former workplace before setting himself on fire and shooting himself in the head.

3. MD Anderson eliminates EVP roles

Houston-based MD Anderson Cancer Center eliminated its executive vice president roles and provided senior vice presidents with more focused areas of responsibility as part of an organizational restructuring plan June 30.

4. CHS divests 9 hospitals

Franklin, Tenn.-based Community Health Systems completed its sale of nine hospitals June 30.

5. Washington health system files for bankruptcy

Kennewick, Wash.-based Trios Health filed for Chapter 9 bankruptcy, a bankruptcy proceeding that offers distressed municipalities protection from creditors while a repayment plan is negotiated, June 29.

6. The first step to eliminating nurse bullying, burnout in hospitals

Nearly 3 million people in the U.S. are registered nurses, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and most of them (61 percent) work in a hospital setting. Creating a healthy work environment for those millions of nurses should be a top priority for employers.

7. Former patient stabs nurse at Pennsylvania hospital

A former patient stabbed a nurse at Lehigh Valley Hospital-Muhlenberg in Bethlehem, Pa., June 30.

8. Quorum Health sells Georgia hospital

Brentwood, Tenn.-based Quorum Health completed the sale of 231-bed Trinity Hospital of Augusta (Ga.) to The Richmond County Hospital Authority June 30.

9. CHI St. Luke's Health CFO steps down a week after CEO's sudden resignation

Jenny Barnett-Sarpalius, senior vice president and CFO of the CHI Texas Division at Houston-based CHI St. Luke's Health, resigned June 30.

10. 9 hospital bankruptcies so far in 2017

A list of nine hospitals that have filed for bankruptcy since Jan. 1.
The union representing nurses at the Iowa City-based University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics is suing the state's Board of Regents for allegedly not honoring their contract, according to KCRG.

The union alleges that earlier this year it agreed on a new contract with the hospital, with union members ratifying it, but that the hospital later informed them that there was never a formal agreement. The contract was negotiated at the same time the Iowa legislature was passing a bill restricting collective bargaining rights to basic wages and not benefits.

Nurses at the hospital say it is difficult to fill full-time positions with so much uncertainty surrounding their contract, and that relying on travel nurses signed to temporary contracts is not a sustainable solution.

"It's a real struggle to try and persuade people to come work there and stay there if you don't know what your future is gonna look like, so we've been kind of using this band-aid of travel nurses, and we love our travel nurses but we've been relying on them so heavily now," Britney Bowen, a nurse and union negotiator, told KCRG.

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John H. Johnson, MD, an anesthesiologist from Hollidaysburg, Pa., was sentenced to seven years in prison for employment tax fraud and accepting kickbacks, according to the Department of Justice.

Dr. Johnson, 55, owned and operated several pain management clinics. He knowingly received $2.3 million in kickbacks from May 2011 to November 2013 for referring Medicare and Medicaid patients to Universal Oral Fluid Labs, a drug testing lab in Greensburg, Pa., according to the DOJ report. Dr. Johnson received monthly checks from UOFL under a joint-venture agreement with the lab owner and operator, William Hughes.

Dr. Johnson also willfully failed to pay federal income taxes for Central Anesthesia, his group of pain management clinics, and its employees. For the third quarter of 2013 alone, he withheld more than $135,000 in income taxes, according to the report.

As part of his sentence, Dr. Johnson was ordered to pay restitution of $2.3 million to HHS and more than $722,000 to the Internal Revenue Service. The first 60 months of his prison time will overlap with a sentence from the Southern District of Florida.

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Aetna Better Health, the managed care subsidiary of Hartford, Conn.-based Aetna, filed a notice of intent to terminate its four Medicaid contracts with Illinois due to $698 million in outstanding payments.

Here are four things to know.

1. Illinois' more than two-year budget gridlock resulted in $2 billion in owed Medicaid payments to healthcare organizations. State lawmakers ended the stalemate Thursday by overriding a budget veto by Republican Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner.

2. Aetna Better Health's notice stated if it "is compelled to exercise its termination rights under the state contracts, it would do so with the hope that those terminations would ultimately be unnecessary upon an interceding, mutually agreeable resolution of the pending Medicaid-funding crisis before year end  either through a fiscal year 2018 budget or through state compliance with this court's orders."



3. If Aetna Better Health terminated its contracts, 235,000 Illinois Medicaid beneficiaries would be required to move to another health plan.



4. In response to passage of a state budget Thursday, Aetna spokesperson T.J. Crawford told Becker's Hospital Review the company will "continue to monitor and evaluate our options."
Here are spine surgeons and neurosurgeons who recently received awards or promotions.

Ara Deukmedjian, MD, of Deuk Spine Institute in Melbourne, Fla., was selected to be among the first neurosurgeons included in the Expert Network.

Continental Who's Who honored Kamal R. Woods, MD, among Pinnacle Professionals in healthcare. Dr. Woods serves as medical director of neuroscience at Cincinnati-based Kettering Health Network.

Newton-Wellesley Hospital in Newton, Mass., welcomed Louis Jenis, MD, as new chief medical and innovation officer. Dr. Jenis has practiced orthopedic surgery for 20 years, specializing in spine surgery.

David Duffner, MD, received the honor of a 2017 Top Doctor in Palms Spring, Calif. Equipped with more than 37 years of experience, Dr. Duffner was a founding member of the North American Spine Society.

The Congress of Neurological Surgeons granted Paper of the Year awards to highlight the best original science published in Neurosurgery over the past year. A multitude of authors received honors. Read about the winning papers, here.




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Britain needs to stay inside the single market and customs union until a final deal with the EU is in force, a leading business group has warned.

The CBI said even with the greatest possible goodwill on both sides of the Brexit talks, it is "impossible" to imagine the details of a new trade deal will be clear by the time the Article 50 process ends on March 29 2019.

CBI director-general Carolyn Fairbairn urged negotiators to agree transitional agreements as soon as possible, in order to reduce uncertainty and protect jobs.

"Instead of a cliff edge, the UK needs a bridge to the new EU deal," Ms Fairbairn said in a lecture at the London School of Economics.

"Our proposal is for the UK to seek to stay in the single market and a customs union until a final deal is in force. This would create a bridge to the new trading arrangement that, for businesses, feels like the road they are on."

Ms Fairbairn also highlighted the importance of firms making only one transition, rather than forcing them to adapt twice - first to the transition, and then to the final plan.

She said: "Making two transitions, from where firms are now to a staging post and then again to a final deal, would be wasteful, difficult and uncertain in itself.

"One transition is better than two and certainty is better than uncertainty."

On the deal itself, Ms Fairbairn echoed the language of Brexit Secretary David Davis who has promised an agreement "like no other in history".

"We're seeking the most ambitious and comprehensive free trade deal ever agreed in history," she said.

But she warned the prospect of a damaging cliff edge is casting "a long shadow" over businesses, resulting in investment decisions being deferred or lost.

She said: " Agreement is needed fast - waiting until March 2019 is too late.

"The exact mechanisms to achieve this can be debated and negotiated. But for businesses making daily decisions about where and how much to invest, this is the simplest answer to the uncertainty they face today."

Ms Fairbairn will attend a conference of business leaders on Friday, hosted by the Brexit Secretary at Chevening House in Kent, as part of a series of events to "intensify" government engagement with industry.

It comes after reports that corporate leaders wanted ministers to consult them more on Brexit and amid suggestions of a power struggle in the Cabinet over the shape of the UK's exit from the EU.

Prime Minister Theresa May said: "What we want to do of course is ensure that at the end of the negotiating period we've got not just the arrangements for our exit from the European Union but also the future relationship with the European Union.

"We're going in to negotiate a comprehensive free trade agreement so we can continue to see that trade - we want to see tariff-free trade, we want to see as frictionless border as possible.

"We will then be able to discuss what I sent out in my Article 50 letter which is implementation period because of course what we want to ensure is that that process of not just withdrawing but moving to a new relationship is as smooth and orderly as possible and that means ensuring that where there are practical reasons why you need to have an implementation period - those will be discussed, those can be agreed and people can put in place the necessary practical steps that they need."
The Giants Causeway was one of the big visitor attractions

Belfast still dominates Northern Ireland's tourism industry with one in three trips taken in the city, according to the latest figures.

There were 1.5 million overnight trips taken to the city in 2016, 31% of all visitor numbers.

That's up from 1.36 million the previous year, figures from the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (Nisra) show.

And while more than 800,000 people visited the Causeway Coast, figures were down from a year earlier.

Belfast, along with Antrim & Newtownabbey, attracted the bulk of business trips, which accounted for around 16% of overnight trips to the two areas.

Nisra says around 851m was spent across Northern Ireland on overnight trips during 2016.

Around 334m of that was in Belfast, with the Causeway Coast and Glens on 138m.

As for hotels, some 43% of rooms sold were based in Belfast.

Breaking down visitor numbers for the city, 41% came from Great Britain, with 28% from elsewhere in Northern Ireland.

Overall, hotel occupancy rates stood at 70%. A total of two million rooms were sold across Northern Ireland during 2016.

But it is estimated that guest houses, bed and breakfasts and guest accommodation had average room occupancy of just 34% in Northern Ireland, while self-catering accommodation had average unit occupancy of 36%.

The Giant's Causeway remains our most popular tourist spot, with almost a million visitors a year. But while the overall number of trips here rose to 4.6 million, up marginally on the previous year, tourists stayed fewer nights than in 2015.

There was a drop of 2% in overall nights spent in Northern Ireland, falling to 15.2 million last year. The number of those coming to Northern Ireland on holiday increased by 10%.

The number of overnight trips from Northern Ireland residents fell by 11%. And that was attributed to a rise in the number of outgoing flights, in particular the return of Ryanair to Belfast.

While the number of visitors from the US and the rest of Europe rose, they made up just 16% of total overnight stays here.

Aside from the Giant's Causeway, Titanic Belfast was the next most popular tourist attraction, with 667,000 visitors in 2016.

Belfast Zoo saw numbers fall by 6%, to 223,000. The Ulster Museum had 460,000 visitors. Londonderry's Walls welcomed 403,000 visitors.

In 2016, 81 cruise ships docked in Belfast port, with five in Londonderry and seven vessels at other Northern Ireland ports.

Nisra said that 73% of overnight trips to Causeway Coast & Glens were for holiday purposes, while 72% of overnight trips to Armagh City, Banbridge & Craigavon were for visiting friends and relatives. Colin Neill, chief executive of Hospitality Ulster, welcomed the increase in visitors and spend.

"Today's tourism statistics show the importance of the sector to Northern Ireland's economy and demonstrate not only how more tourists are visiting the region, but are also spending more money as the hospitality sector continues to grow and add value to the economy.

"In Belfast there was an increase of almost 60m in terms of tourism spend in 2016 compared to 2015."

The statistics also show that the district of Derry/Londonderry city and Strabane saw an increase of more than 60,000 overnight trips in the same period.

But Mr Neill added: "While the overall numbers are most certainly positive, they also show that there is more need for investment and promotion in regions of Northern Ireland that aren't as well established as tourist destinations, in order that the benefits of tourism and hospitality are more evenly spread."

Meanwhile, significant growth in the number of new hotels being built in Belfast is expected to bring changes to the tourism experience in the city.

Around 25 new hotels are in the planning system for the city, including a new hotel by Slieve Donard owners the Hastings Hotel Group. The company is opening the Grand Central Hotel in the city's Bedford Street, on the site of the former Windsor House.

Close by, Liverpool developer Lawrence Kenwright is to open a George Best themed hotel at the former Scottish Mutual Building, while Irish company Dalata Hotel Group is opening a Maldron Hotel off Bedford Street. In Clarendon Dock, hotel group Marriott will launch its first hotel in the city next year after work is completed at City Quays 2.
Northern Ireland's construction industry is to demolish the 50-year tradition of observing the Twelfth fortnight as an annual holiday, it can be revealed.

Northern Ireland's construction industry is to demolish the 50-year tradition of observing the Twelfth fortnight as an annual holiday, it can be revealed.

It will introduce just two fixed days off for the annual holiday in 2018.

Most construction companies will be downing tools today until July 24, as they stick to a custom of shutting up shop for two weeks, which has all but died out in other industries.

The Joint Council for the Building and Civil Engineering Industry (NI) maintains a policy of 29 fixed days off for brickies, labourers and other members of the construction trade.

But from next year it will observe just 18 fixed days and 12 flexible days.

The fixed days include Thursday, July 12 and Friday, July 13. However, companies will still be able to treat further holidays over the Twelfth fortnight as part of their flexible days off.

No one was available for comment from the council on the reasons behind the change - but it's understood the increasing trend for Northern Ireland building firms to get work in Britain is one factor driving the change.

Northern Ireland's biggest manufacturer, aerospace giant Bombardier, said it was closing for next week alone, and that it was at least 20 years since it had observed the Twelfth fortnight by closing for 10 working days.

And Sensata - a maker of tyre-pressure monitoring systems in Antrim - said it closed for just July 12 and 13, a policy it had maintained for at least 15 years.

Caterpillar NI in Larne, meanwhile, also closes for one week.

But construction firms including Hagan Homes said they were shutting their sites for two weeks - though managing director Jamesy Hagan said its office was closing for just one week.

Economist John Simpson said he believed the industry had observed the custom of a fortnight's closure over the Twelfth for around half-a-century.

He said: "Yes, it can make sense for all members of the same industry to take the same fortnight off, yet in some other ways it can become a luxury.

"In addition, many construction companies are now finding they are getting more work in Great Britain, so they don't want to stop work for a whole two weeks when no one else is."
As Gru and his Minions return for a third outing in the series, Susan Griffin asks members of the cast, including lead actor Steve Carell, and the film-makers about how they make the acclaimed animation.

Seven years after super-villain Gru and his Minions first appeared on the big screen, the third movie in the franchise has hit cinemas to great acclaim.

Chris Meledandri, the founder of Illumination, the studio behind the Despicable Me franchise, as well as the Minions spin-off, The Secret Life Of Pets and Sing, says the key to success is its pitch-perfect tone.

"While on the one hand they're broad, funny and fun, there's also an emotional resonance that runs through their centre," explains the Academy Award nominee.

This time, Gru meets a twin brother he never knew existed, comes up against a villain who's obsessed with the Eighties, faces a revolt from the Minions and tackles life without a job.

"In the first movie, Gru discovered what it's like to be a parent and what unconditional love is. In the second, we explored Gru falling in love," explains Meledandri. "Now, we start off with Gru having an identity crisis because he finds himself fired from his job, as well as discovering a new-found sibling rivalry."

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To celebrate the return of Gru and his crew, we go behind the scenes to bring you some facts about the film.

1. Carell, who's played Gru since 2010's Despicable Me, jumped at the chance to play his twin brother, Dru. "I thought that was fun, to play an identical twin of Gru, and then they just said, 'Whatever you want to do with the voice, we'll work on it together'," says the actor.

2. Dru's voice reportedly emerged from a moment when Carell was messing about in the studio. "It grew from a laugh in the middle of the recording session," recalls editor Claire Dodgson. "I was able to play it back to the directors and Steve and say, 'There's something here' ... it was the perfect foil to Gru, just this internal joy."

3. Carell was shown images and illustrations of Dru to help form his voice. "It was sort of a natural extension because Gru is so dour and cynical and I thought his brother with the long, flowing blond hair and this big smile on his face would be really excited all the time," he says.

4. There are many scenes in which Gru and Dru appear together, so Carell would record all the lines as Gru first, then start from the top of the scene as Dru "to give a separate feeling to them", reveals co-director Kyle Balda. "It was fascinating to watch him go back and forth."

5. Trey Parker was chosen to bring the villainous Balthazar Bratt, a former Eighties child star who's seeking revenge on the audience who rejected him, to life. An animator and co-creator of South Park, this movie marks the first time he's been directed by anyone but himself.

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6. Kristen Wiig reprises the role of Lucy, who used to work for the Anti-Villain League and married Gru in the last film. She doesn't think her animated alter-ego is set to show her bad side any time soon. "No, I don't think she's got it in her at all," she says. "I think she's that girl at school that told on everybody. I think she's just straight and narrow. She likes to follow the rules, but she has a good time with it. She's not in a bad mood about it. She's overly positive and loves to be right and the do-gooder."

7. Miranda Cosgrove, who returns as Margo, the eldest of Gru's adopted children, was 13 when she began work on Despicable Me. She's now 24.

8. The UK contingent is out in force again, with both Julie Andrews and Steve Coogan reprising their roles as Gru's mother and Silas Ramsbottom, the head of the Anti-Villain League. Coogan also lends his vocal talents to Dru's butler, Fritz.

9. Co-director Pierre Coffin once again voices the lovable Minions and is the man behind the Gilbert And Sullivan musical sequence during the talent competition. "When we first saw this storyboarded vision and Pierre had recorded all the voices, it was one of the funniest things I've seen," says co-writer Cinco Paul. "I'm so excited for people to see this scene in the movie."

10. The Despicable Me franchise is inspired by the physical comedy of Buster Keaton, Charlie Chaplin, Peter Sellers and Rowan Atkinson.

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11. Every six to eight weeks during the latter stages of production, the team would watch the film in its entirety. "After those screenings, we would look at a scene and discuss if it was connecting emotionally with us, supporting other stories, or keeping the tension going ... or if it slowed the movie down," reveals Claire Dodgson. "Everything was up for grabs to make sure it was all working the best it could."

12. Dru has a mane of blond hair, much to the annoyance of his brother, Gru. Co-director Eric Guillon admits it was a challenge to create a haircut on a head that doesn't have a forehead. "I came up with the idea of a part in the middle, (and) longish hair - a bit cheesy, but it gives Dru a teen look," he says.

13. The creative team gave characters little details that, as Meledandri puts it, "sneak up on you emotionally". One example is Balthazar Bratt's bald spot which was "to make him look older and to demonstrate a sign of weakness and vulnerability, while his moustache strengthens his personality and supports his expressions", says Guillon.

14. The look of Minion Mel, who leads the revolt against Gru, is actually inspired by Meledandri. "I designed a birthday card for Chris a few years ago," explains Guillon. "I drew Chris as a Minion and used the same design and haircut for Mel that I used on the card."

15. The music is the combination of a score from composer Heitor Pereira and multiple Grammy Award-winner Pharrell Williams. They have collaborated on each of the Despicable Me movies.
The Killers have announced they will be touring the UK and Ireland later this year and will include a show in Belfast.

The Mr Brightside hitmakers will be performing at the SSE Arena in the city on Friday, November 17.

Tickets go on sale from Friday, July 21 at 9am via Ticketmaster and are priced at 60 including booking fee.

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The band will also be performing at Dublin's 3Arena on Thursday, November 16, as well as dates in London, Manchester, Aberdeen, and Newcastle.

The upcoming tour will follow the release of The Killers' fifth album Wonderful Wonderful - their first album release since 2012s Battle Born.

The Killers recently released the video for their new single, The Man. The video was shot in and around Las Vegas and sees the band collaborate with the award-winning director Tim Mattia for the first time.

Fresh from their surprise appearance at Glastonbury last week, The Killers are set to perform a sold out show in London's Hyde Park on Saturday.
Everyday life in the shadow of the bonfire at Highfield, captured by Polish photojournalist Mariusz Smiejek

They say some Northern Ireland people are infatuated with bonfires, but one Polish man has taken his particular obsession to another level entirely.

Photojournalist Mariusz Smiejek has spent the last seven years snapping thousands of pictures of the huge wooden pyres as part of an investigation into our post-conflict society.

Originally from Gniezno, the 39-year-old photography tutor made Belfast his home in 2011, and since then he has been documenting the transition of everyday life here.

But it's his focus on our bonfires - the massive turrets that can stand 40m tall - that is particularly noteworthy in the run-up to the annual Twelfth of July celebrations.

So what is it about Northern Ireland that so captivates this award-winning National Geographic-trained photographer, who is hoping to turn his project into an exhibition?

"I discovered that the world's media isn't particularly interested in Northern Ireland, apart from once a year - the run-up to The Twelfth," he said.

"You always see pictures of parades, then the occasional rioting and the trouble on the streets.

"And at the beginning I photographed that too, but then I really wanted to do something different."

Mariusz lived in England and spent two years travelling around Europe before eventually settling here, after commuting between London and Belfast throughout 2010.

By coming here initially, he followed in the footsteps of his ex Aleksandra (43), an NGO worker/mediator and the mother of his four-year-old son Isaac.

He stayed here for his son, and for his project, which he has been devoted to ever since.

"People always ask me why I decided to come to a place as difficult as Belfast," he said.

"But I trained with the best photographers and I wanted to become involved in a challenging project.

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"I remember seeing the news when I lived in Poland in the Eighties and Nineties and about bombs in Belfast and the IRA and the Troubles, and I wanted to learn more about what was going on in Northern Ireland."

Aleksandra took him to the areas she thought might be of interest and that recce spawned a project that he has now been focusing on for seven years.

"When I came I was shocked to find that Northern Ireland had separate areas and divided societies; I didn't expect that," he said.

He teamed up with Greater Shankill Alternatives (part of Restorative Justice) three years ago, which has allowed him "to meet the people behind the bonfires led and run by the community".

"I wanted to meet the wood collectors, the bonfire builders... I wanted to learn the whole story," he said. "I saw how every year, the fact that bonfires exist is so difficult for the Irish community. I also saw that there aren't very many tourists who watch the bonfires. They are mostly in what the media calls no-go areas."

North Belfast-based Mariusz says his personal project - The Bonfires Of Belfast - is a study of "ordinary people who want to celebrate their culture".

And he says he was given "a warm welcome" by those involved in the Protestant community, while he also met young people from the Catholic community who "want a taste of the bonfires".

"My project is about showing who the people behind the bonfires are; what they are doing and why they are building these bonfires," said Mariusz. "I want to tell the story behind it by taking very personal pictures... of people in their houses, of the children. I want to see who these people are, how the bonfires are built, why they are built and explore the history and story behind them."

As a "foreign photographer", Mariusz acknowledges that he has been given unlimited access to a community that may not otherwise welcome outsiders with open arms.

"I don't take sides; I want to be an observer," said Mariusz, who funds his study by teaching at his private academy in Belfast, offering courses and workshops in an introduction to photography, portraits and street photography. He began five years ago and now has 300 students in the UK and Ireland. He travels to London, Dublin, Edinburgh and Sicily for work.

His bonfire project has been centred on the greater Shankill and the Village area of south Belfast, and he said he's keen on the differences in approach between paramilitary organisations' "districts".

"I have a good working relationship with former paramilitaries; I'm very comfortable with them," he said.

"I'm focused on post-conflict societies like Northern Ireland. There's a lot more that can be learned after a war than during it."

For more information on Mariusz's work and photography courses, visit www.betweenpictures.co.uk
An Ulster Unionist MLA has slammed a council chairman for his "wicked and insensitive" comments about the Enniskillen bombing and accused him of "glorifying one of the IRA's most evil" killers.

Sinn Fein's Stephen McCann has provoked outrage by refusing to "go down the road of condemning" the Remembrance Day bombing which killed 11 people and left 63 injured in 1987.

Many of those who died in one of the most notorious atrocities in the Troubles were pensioners.

The West Tyrone councillor, who was appointed the chair of Fermanagh and Omagh District Council last month, declined to "condemn this or condemn that" during an interview with the Impartial Reporter newspaper. "The root cause of the problem was the British involvement in Ireland," he claimed.

The accomplished piper, who led the funeral cortege of Martin McGuinness through the streets of Londonderry earlier this year, also praised the man Arlene Foster believes tried to kill her father for doing his part to "set the tone for a peaceful resolution".

Seamus McElwaine was shot dead by the SAS in 1986 as he and current Sinn Fein MLA Sean Lynch tried to ambush an Army patrol near Roslea, Co Fermanagh. Lynch, a former IRA commander, was seriously wounded in the botched attack.

"It's people like Seamus McElwaine who have made it possible for people like me to come forward and do what I have to do without having to worry about going to jail," said Mr McCann. The council chair did describe the massacre as a "dreadful day" and said it was wrong - a point he stressed has already been acknowledged by Sinn Fein - but he stopped short of condemnation and refused to say other acts of IRA violence were wrong.

Fermanagh and South Tyrone MLA Rosemary Barton branded his comments as proof of "a wicked and deeply flawed sense of reality". She said: "For the new chairman of the council to now refuse to condemn it and those who planted the bomb in the knowledge that civilians would die, is disgusting."

Ms Barton condemned the Poppy Day bombing as a "crime against humanity" and said McCann's "glorification of sectarian killer Seamus McElwaine is also particularly disturbing."

"He was one of the most evil of all the IRA's hit-men, creeping up and shooting innocent people when they were at their most vulnerable, before then cowardly running away into hiding again," she added.

"Sinn Fein claim they stand for equality, respect and integrity. But based on these comments, those words are meaningless when Sinn Fein use them."
Police are appealing for the public's help after three armed men robbed a Carnlough shop.

Three masked men, some carrying suspected firearms, entered the premises on Harbour Road and threatened members of staff just before 11pm on Thursday.

They made off with cash and a quantity of cigarettes in the direction of Waterfoot. The members of staff were not injured but left shaken by their ordeal, police said.

A red Hyundai Accent car, believed to have been involved in the incident, was found on fire on Tower Road a short time later.

Detective Constable Douglas is appealing for anyone who witnessed the robbery or anyone with any information that can assist with the investigation to contact Detectives in Ballymena on 101 quoting reference 1601 of 06/07/17. Information can also be passed anonymously via the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
It's claimed the workers have withdrawn from the area.

There has been allegations of threats made against council workers in east Belfast, forcing the local authority to pull them out of the area, the BBC has reported.

The BBC Stephen Nolan show reported on claims from community workers that council staff had told them threats were issued by the east Belfast UVF forcing the council to withdraw workers from the area.

Loyalist commentator Jamie Bryson told the show he had been in contact with "people who mediate on behalf of ex-combatants in the area linked to the UVF," denying he had spoken directly to the illegal organisation.

"This threat doesn't exist, it is a fantasy, it is absolute nonsense," he added.

"There is no threat coming from the east Belfast UVF."

The council refused to comment to the BBC. The Belfast Telegraph has also asked for a response from the council and the police.

A PSNI spokeswoman said: "We do not discuss the security of individuals. However, if we receive information that a persons life may be at risk we will inform them accordingly. We never ignore anything which may put an individual at risk. No inference should be drawn from this."

There has been controversy in the area surrounding a bonfire site.

The Bloomfield Walkway site at Comber Greenway has been at the centre of the controversy after it was revealed the council was storing around 3,000 pallets for the site at a ratepayer owned facility. They were subsequently stolen from the council storage facility and an investigation launched by the council into why it was holding the bonfire material in the first place.

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Fire crews tackle the factory blaze at Belfast Crystal on Blackstaff Road in Kennedy Way industrial estate in West Belfast

More than 5,000 has been donated to a factory-owner whose business burned to the ground in West Belfast.

Tony Abbate was left without even a chair to sit on in the blackened shell of what was the Belfast Crystal manufacturer.

Police are treating the catastrophic blaze as suspicious.

A GoFundMe crowdfunding webpage has seen well-wishers rally round, pledging 5,610 in just four days.

Mr Abbate said: " I cannot express the sincere gratitude to everyone who has donated to this appeal. From people we know and lots of people we don't, it has touched me so much."

The money will help towards the purchase of a piece of machinery that will help bring back a part-time colleague as they begin a massive clean-up operation.

Mr Abbate added: "It has been so hard trying to clear the rubble and destruction and, more importantly, salvage some stock to sell."

The firm, at the Kennedy Way industrial estate in the west of the city, was engulfed in flames on Saturday night as 40 firefighters battled to save it.

A nearby shopping centre was evacuated as the blaze threatened neighbouring buildings.

The father of a three-year-old daughter said only the facade of the hand-cut glassware company was left.

Three generations of the family worked at the factory, said Mr Abbate.

He said his Italian father Antonio, who is now aged 83, came to Northern Ireland when the conflict was at its height to train glassblowers.

He moved from Tyrone Crystal to establish his own firm. It would have been open 40 years next year.

Fire appliances, a high-reach aerial machine and a command unit attended and the firefighting operation was "extensive", a statement from the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) said.

Fire crews arrived at about 6pm and were confronted by a well-developed fire in the property.

Gas cylinders were on the premises.

Officers appealed for anyone with information to contact them.

The crowdfunding page can be found at https://www.gofundme.com/belfast-crystal.
A major funding cut to a scheme to help lower income families buy school uniforms has sparked a political blame game. Stock image posed by by model

A major funding cut to a scheme to help lower income families buy school uniforms has sparked a political blame game. Stock image posed by by model

A major funding cut to a scheme to help lower income families buy school uniforms has sparked a political blame game.

The Education Authority says it has been instructed by the Department of Education to slash the Clothing Allowance Scheme by 3m - from the 4.9m spent in 2016/17 to just 1.9m in 2017/18.

About 98,000 pupils in Northern Ireland received a grant to help them buy their uniforms during the last school year.

The amount of help ranges from 35.75 for a primary school child to 56 for a post-primary pupil over the age of 15.

The department said it faced "major financial pressures in 2017/18 if it is to operate within its budget".

All Stormont departments are operating on a reduced budget due to the collapse of the power-sharing arrangements.

DUP MLA Peter Weir has blamed Sinn Fein for both the cuts to school uniform grants and the threat facing Sure Start staff. South Belfast Sure Start announced it had placed its 50 staff on protective notice on Monday, meaning they may not have a job after the end of the month.

Mr Weir said: "This uniform grant is being cut by unelected officials because Sinn Fein refuse to form an Executive.

"Instead of requesting meetings with civil servants [they] could be sitting around the Executive table with the other parties actually taking the decisions on these matters. The DUP wanted to form an Executive four months ago and again last Thursday. This has been blocked on each and every occasion by Sinn Fein."

However, Sinn Fein MLA Alex Maskey blamed "Tory austerity" and the DUP allying with the Conservatives for the cut.

"The DUP, in their support for Theresa May's Tory government, has handed them a blank cheque for their cuts and a Tory Brexit," he said. Mr Maskey said he has asked for meetings with the Education Authority and the Department.

Alliance MLA Chris Lyttle said families have been let down by both the DUP and Sinn Fein.

The Northern Ireland branch of the Parent Teacher Association UK has described the cut to the uniform grant as "ill-advised".

Jayne Thompson, its Northern Ireland programmes manager, said: "Parents should be consulted and encouraged to work in partnership with schools to better understand what impact these cuts will have, and instead work with them to reduce the financial burden."

Meanwhile, Julieann Brownlee, chair of the Friends of Regent House School group, said their first pre-loved uniform sale was inundated last month. They started selling second hand uniforms - including blazers for 7 - after hearing a parent say they could not afford to send their child to secondary school. Julieann has two boys at the school and said their uniforms can cost 200/300 each.
Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) -- Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., has become the tenth Republican senator, according to ABC News' whip count, to publicly announce his opposition to the health care bill drafted by the leaders of his conference.



The Bismarck Tribune reported that at a roundtable with health care leaders Wednesday, Hoeven said he doesnt support the bill as it stands, but that he believed Senate would ultimately meet its goal of improving access to health care.



Earlier this week, Hoeven took some tough questions from constituents calling into a radio show on which he appeared.



One caller asked why Republicans didnt have an A plan coming in the door given that they had seven years of a Republican-dominated Congress that could have been drafting a repeal bill for when they took the White House.



I think we have a lot of ideas to get to a good plan, and again, its going to be a process, Hoeven responded.



Youve got a lot of changes and a lot of players, he added, noting that not everyone, including President Donald Trump, was in office when Republicans originally started campaigning on scrapping Obamacare.



Hoeven joins the following other Republican senators who have publicly announced their opposition to Senate leaders bill: Sens. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, Rand Paul of Kentucky, Mike Lee of Utah, Ted Cruz of Texas, Dean Heller of Nevada, Susan Collins of Maine, Rob Portman of Ohio, Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia and Jerry Moran of Kansas.



Copyright  2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
A rainbow flag fluttering proudly at Palace Barracks yesterday has caused controversy and delight in equal measure.

The flag recognising the LGBT community is one of hundreds on display at military bases across the UK in support of the Pride in London festival, which ends tomorrow with a massive parade in the capital.

But one former soldier in Northern Ireland was a little surprised to see the symbol of gay rights flying on the Co Down barracks' flagpole. The veteran - who asked not to be named - said he did a double take when he saw that the regimental flag had been replaced by the LGBT emblem at the Holywood military base.

"This flagpole has only ever been used to display the regimental banner," he said.

"I don't have anything against the gay community, but this is throwing hundreds of years of tradition out of the window."

Last night a Ministry of Defence spokeswoman explained that the multicoloured flag was flying this week at all its UK bases.

"As a one-off Army initiative to coincide with Pride in London 2017 the LGBT flag has been raised across the Army estate between July 3 and 9.

"Raising the flag is intended to send a broader message of the Army's inclusive approach to all groups, regardless of preference or difference." Army sources said that the rainbow flag was being flown at all bases which had more than one flagpole.

It is understood that bases with only a single flagpole continue to fly the Union Flag, which takes precedence. John O'Doherty of the Rainbow Project, an advocate for the LGBT community in Northern Ireland, welcomed the move.

"The Ministry of Defence take diversity and inclusion very seriously, and have done for quite a number of years," Mr O'Doherty said.

"When you're talking about the armed forces you're talking about people who come from all communities and minority communities, and it's important that people who are risking their lives for the safety of everyone else have the dignity and respect that we would all expect from our country.

"They are working to ensure the safety of all of us."

Mr O'Doherty said he had not been aware of any active involvement in the past by the MoD in Pride events in Northern Ireland, but said that he recognised its engagement at a UK-wide level.

As equal opportunity employers, the UK's armed forces have taken part in many Pride events since the ban on gays and lesbians in the services was lifted 16 years ago.

The MoD is on record as saying that it "proudly encourages diversity at all levels".

Last year the Red Arrows gave a breathtaking display at the London Pride event, and the facade of the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst was lit up in the colours of the rainbow flag.

The MoD says it has worked hard over the past 16 years to establish a culture and climate in the armed services where those who choose to disclose their sexual orientation and/or gender identity are able to do so without running any risk of intimidation.
Egypt has in recent years been battling a stepped-up insurgency in northern Sinai

Islamic militants have unleashed a suicide car bomb and heavy gunfire on an Egyptian military checkpoint in north-eastern Sinai peninsula, leaving 10 troops dead, authorities said.

Officials said the blitz began when a suicide car bomber rammed his vehicle into a checkpoint at a military compound in the southern Rafah village of El-Barth, followed by heavy gunfire from dozens of masked militants on foot.

The dead included a high ranking special forces officer, Colonel Ahmed el-Mansi, and at least 20 others were wounded in the attack.

Army spokesman Tamer el-Rifai confirmed the attack and said 26 army personnel were killed or injured in the attack, without providing a breakdown.

He also said the army foiled attacks targeting a number of other checkpoints in southern Rafah and that 40 militants were killed.

No group has claimed the attack but Egypt has been battling a stepped-up insurgency in northern Sinai, mainly by militants from an Islamic State affiliate.

Security officials said the militants arrived at the site - in a remote desert area - in 24 SUVs, and opened fire on the soldiers with machine guns for nearly half an hour. The force at the compound is estimated at 60 troops.

After the attack, the militants looted the checkpoint, taking weapons and ammunition. It was unclear if they took over armoured vehicles as well.

Witnesses said they saw Apache helicopters carrying out air strikes across Rafah after the attack.

The next army compound is an hour's drive away, which left the soldiers with no support except for local tribesmen from Tarabeen who have their own small checkpoints nearby.

The area of the attack is an IS stronghold and the location of fierce battles in the spring between tribesmen and militants.

Officials said some senior officers have voiced opposition to the location of the checkpoint, arguing it has no real cover.

While failing to seize territories, IS militants in Sinai have a strong presence in western and southern Rafah, the outskirts of Sheikh Zuweid, and inside the residential area of the Sinai's largest city, El-Arish.

Over the past few months, IS has focused its attacks on Egypt's Christian minority and carried out at least four deadly attacks that killed dozens, prompting army chief-turned-President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi to declare a state of emergency in the country.

The restive north-eastern Sinai has been under a state of emergency since October 2014 after Islamic militants killed more than 30 soldiers in a single attack.

The Sinai branch of IS appears to be the most resilient outside Syria and Iraq, where the so-called caliphate is in retreat.

AP
Russian president Vladimir Putin steps off a plane upon arrival for the G20 summit in Hamburg (AP)

President Donald Trump has accepted Russian president Vladimir Putin's assurances that Moscow did not meddle in the 2016 US presidential election, the Kremlin's foreign minister said.

Sergey Lavrov made the claim to reporters following Mr Trump and Mr Putin's lengthy meeting on the sidelines of an international summit in Germany.

That account appears at odds with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson's description of the meeting.

Mr Tillerson said the president was "rightly focused on how do we move forward from what may be simply an intractable disagreement at this point".

US intelligence officials have blamed Russia for election hacking and other efforts to influence the election to help Mr Trump win.

Mr Lavrov said the Russian military police will monitor a ceasefire in southwestern Syria, after a Russia-US deal.

He described the lengthy talks as "very constructive" and said they touched on cybersecurity, Ukraine, North Korea and other issues.

Under the ceasefire deal Mr Lavrov says was brokered by Russia, the US and Jordan, Moscow and Washington will ensure the cessation of hostilities and humanitarian access.

A monitoring centre will be set up in Jordan, and the Russian military police will oversee its implementation.

AP
Turkey has been hit by a series of deadly attacks carried out by Islamic State and Kurdish militants

Turkish police have detained 29 suspected Islamic State militants in raids in Istanbul, the country's state-run news agency reported.

Anadolu Agency said 22 of the suspects are foreign nationals but did not provide details on their nationalities. Seven are Turkish.

The suspects were detained in a police swoop targeting 20 addresses around Istanbul, the agency reported. Police seized IS documents, digital material and one firearm during the raids.

The suspects are believed to have fought with IS in Syria and were said to be making plans to return to the conflict-torn country.

Turkey has been hit by a series of deadly attacks carried out by IS or Kurdish militants and has stepped up anti-terrorism operations across the country.

About 750 people with alleged IS links were detained in a major police sweep earlier this year.

IS claimed responsibility for a new year mass shooting at an Istanbul nightclub that killed 39 people.
Is President Trump mad? Not mad in the American sense of raging, angry, seriously aggrieved - though he frequently appears to be all three of those things, and then some. No, I'm simply asking - along with a lot of other people both in the US and around the globe - if the leader of the free world is, in fact, a sandwich or two short of the full picnic?

Julia Gillard, the former prime minister of Australia, is the latest public figure to acknowledge that there are questions about the mental health of the US president, after Mr Trump tweeted a video of himself 'body-slamming' a man with a CNN logo superimposed on his head.

The bizarre and not-so-subtle attack on the independent media was variously condemned as un-American, an attempt to undermine democracy and an incitement to violence.

Certainly, it wasn't the sort of behaviour you'd expect from the US President, at least until Trump came along and rewrote the etiquette book.

Brash and bullish, aggressive and crude - definitely. Trump is clearly also narcissistic, thin-skinned, and given to absurd fits of grandiosity. But does this all add up to crazy? None of us are in a position to say.

Gillard, who's now the chair of Beyondblue, an Australian mental health support service, was rightly wary of those who use the word 'mental' as an insult, a crude way to dismiss or disparage opponents, or those who seek to make an unqualified psychological diagnosis of someone they have never even met.

But also said: "I know that some people in the US  are not proffering that analysis by way of insult: they are actually saying it because they are genuinely concerned."

And yes, it is rather concerning - some would say utterly terrifying - that the man with the nuclear codes at his fingertips might be, you know, a tiny bit unstable.

So should candidates for the US presidency, or indeed all political leaders, be required to undergo a mental health assessment?

The idea is not a new one, but it is gaining currency. In the 1990s, former US President Jimmy Carter pushed for the creation of a panel of physicians to monitor a leader's mental competence while in office.

More recently, Frederick Burkle, a senior fellow of Harvard University, called for the psychiatric testing of candidates "as both a global security and a strategic priority", noting that there is a "unique and poorly understood subset of the population who are driven to seek the ultimate opportunity to control, dictate, and live out their fantasies of power on the world scene".

Earlier this year, during a conference at Yale University, a group of psychiatrists warned that Mr Trump has a "dangerous mental illness" and was not fit to lead the United States. The experts said that it was their "ethical responsibility" to warn people that the US President was "paranoid and delusional" and thus a danger to the country.

They spoke out in defiance of the American Psychiatric Association's Goldwater rule, which forbids psychiatrists from offering professional opinions on individuals they have not personally evaluated.

Whatever Mr Trump's psychological status, there's no doubt that it takes a certain kind of personality to go into politics. A deep commitment to their local community, or a desire to make the world a better place are often cited as reasons by politicians seeking election.

But there are other less benign, much more invidious traits which can inspire a run for office. Most of them revolve, as Professor Burkle indicated, around fantasies of power and control, as well as the desperate need to be admired or endorsed by followers.

In this sense, many politicians are psychologically similar to television presenters: they are performers with fragile egos, craving the adrenalised buzz that comes from popular attention, even when that attention is negative.

I have no doubt whatsoever that our own politicians are every bit in thrall to the exercise of power as they are anywhere else. But in Northern Ireland there is the added complication of ingrained sectarianism and the damaging legacy of the Troubles. Some of our representatives cling to their motivating ideologies, whether republican or unionist, with the obsessive, fanatical force of a psychiatric mania. This is when intransigence becomes pathological.

To my knowledge, there has never been a mental health audit carried out among politicians at Stormont, and my guess is there never will be. I'm sure they all believe that they are perfectly normal, well-adjusted people, even when they end up doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.

Sound familiar? It's the very definition of insanity.
As our story today points out, some uniforms can cost up to 200-300 for the usual blazer, shirt/blouse, trousers/skirts, socks and shoes

School uniforms serve two purposes - they are the brand of the particular institution and they bring (literally) uniformity to the dress code in the classroom. Every child, irrespective of background or affluence of their parents will look the same.

But it comes at a price, and often quite an eye-watering one for parents who may be struggling on benefits or low income. As our story today points out, some uniforms can cost up to 200-300 for the usual blazer, shirt/blouse, trousers/skirts, socks and shoes. But there may be additional costs for PE gear and teaching aids such as electronic tablets. Factor in other extra-curricular costs such as trips and hard-pressed parents may blanche at the price of their children's education.

Many will be up in arms at the decision announced yesterday to radically reduce funding for a scheme which grant-aids needy parents towards the cost of uniforms.

The reduction in the Clothing Allowance Scheme from 4.9m in the last financial year to 1.9m this year will mean a drastic reduction from the 98,000 grants which were given last year.

That proves the need for the scheme, but unfortunately the political impasse at Stormont, which has prevented power-sharing being restored, has led to a reduction in the budget available to the Department of Education.

It is yet another example of how ordinary people throughout the province and of all political persuasions are being hit by the reluctance of the two main parties - Sinn Fein and the DUP - to reach compromise on their conflicting demands. As ever, there is the usual blame game being conducted, with each pointing the finger at the other, but everyone is tiring of the posturing and just wants a working administration restored.

While the grants available for school uniforms may not have been large, they still make a significant impact for parents on low incomes or with several children at school.

It would be disastrous if any child was to miss out on going to the school of their choice because their parents could not afford to buy the uniform.

Schools should be aware of the financial pressures on parents in the current economic climate and make uniforms as affordable as possible, and a scheme run by one school offering second-hand uniforms at bargain prices should be more widely adopted.

Meanwhile, as pupils are often told, the political parties must try harder next term.
Half-a-century ago the British Labour Government presided over the passing of the Abortion Act 1967.

The Liberal MP David Steel brought the Private Member's motion before the House of Commons in the mid-1960s.

Like many other parliamentarians, he was persuaded by the medical arguments, which were concerned with taking the matter out of the hands of backstreet abortionists.

Despite the heated moral and political hiatus surrounding the issue, most MPs chose to vote on the principle of minimising the risk to the health of the mother.

In Northern Ireland this medical argument immediately ran up against the moral connotations connected with the termination of pregnancies before 24 weeks.

Back then, the unionist government at Stormont refused to extend the Act to Northern Ireland.

The British Labour Party did not push the matter and instead took refuge behind a convention operating in the Westminster Parliament that prevented Northern Ireland affairs from being discussed in the house.

This suited Harold Wilson's Labour Party, which had little desire to rock the boat.

The tenor of all Westminster dealings with the unionist government was about keeping Irish affairs firmly at arm's-length, something that would contribute to the unravelling of the security situation by the end of that decade.

As a result Northern Ireland remained out of step with the rest of the United Kingdom on this important health issue, as well as many other legislative matters.

Fifty years ago the Unionist Party's principal Opposition, in the form of the pro-Union Northern Ireland Labour Party (NILP), lobbied the Stormont government to extend all political, social and economic legislation pertaining in Britain.

The NILP made "British rights for British citizens" the central plank in its campaign to force the Unionist Party to remain in-step with Britain.

Ironically, the British Labour Party was content to leave its sister party in the form of the NILP to deal with devolved matters at Stormont.

The year 1967 was significant, because it had earlier witnessed the formation of the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association (NICRA).

NICRA called for the extension of Westminster legislation on employment practices, housing allocation and electoral rights.

Interestingly, the NILP had already been calling for a redistribution of what it called "citizens' rights" four years before NICRA arrived on the scene.

The difference between the NILP and the NICRA was that the local Labour Party wished to hold true to its principles of gradual change by peaceful means and a strict adherence to parliamentary democracy.

This proved untenable amid a mixture of British Labour prevarication, violence and sectarianism that drowned out the NILP's peaceful message by the late-1960s.

Throughout the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s, Labour and the Conservatives sought to contain the Northern Ireland "problem" by adopting a bipartisan approach towards the province's affairs.

Both parties were primarily motivated to stop the so-called "toxicity" of Northern Ireland politics from affecting the body politic in Britain.

This meant avoiding rocking the boat when the local sectarian parties were united on issues of common concern, including the Abortion Act.

At the same time, the fringe Left within British Labour moved the party in a green nationalist direction.

With the emergence of New Labour under Tony Blair, the party moved towards a more conciliatory position, which fully embraced the consent principle.

The shift in Labour policy encouraged many former members of the NILP to lobby for the extension of membership rights to British citizens living in Northern Ireland.

They were eventually successful in securing individual membership rights after a trade union legal challenge to the party in the early-2000s.

However, they were continually blocked from securing the redistribution of many other political, social and economic rights enjoyed by British citizens in the rest of the UK.

British Labour continued with the facade that like-minded labourists should join their new sister party in the form of the SDLP, a consistent supporter of socially conservative and gombeen-style politics.

When Labour MP Diane Abbott tabled a cross-party amendment to the Abortion Act in 2008, Gordon Brown's Labour Government defeated it.

Ms Abbott said at the time that the extension of the Act "would be to give women in Northern Ireland exactly the same rights to abortion with NHS funding that women elsewhere in Britain have".

Interestingly, Ms Abbott was supported by people like John McDonnell and Emily Thornberry. These are now senior members of the Labour shadow Cabinet.

Fast-forward to 2017 and Stella Creasy's attempt to bring another amendment to the Abortion Act before the House.

Pre-empting the prospect of defeat in the debate on the Queen's Speech, the Chancellor announced the release of funds that would support women from Northern Ireland travelling to Britain to seek access to abortion services.

Some have suggested that the threatened amendment mirrored the Biblical adage, "Let me take the speck out of your eye", when, all the time, there is a plank in your own eye.

However, it is important to recognise that this is an issue about securing British rights for British citizens living in Northern Ireland.

By arguing that it is purely a devolved matter directly affects the rights and health of women while the Assembly sits parked in cold storage.

To be sure, the issue does raise serious questions about why the Labour Party is content to turn so-called devolved matters into a political stick with which to beat its Tory-DUP opponents.

Liberal-Left commentators would be the first to chide the DUP for its socially conservative policies, but the faux outrage being expressed by a resurgent Leftist fringe is not based on a full appraisal of the facts.

British Labour would, perhaps, make better use of its time by educating its members and supporters about their own party's flip-flopping on Northern Ireland affairs over the past half-century than engaging in cynical political posturing.

As profound changes continue to transform politics in Britain and Ireland, the Labour Party might also wish to extend its hand of friendship to embattled progressive forces in Northern Ireland.

The Left-leaning Progressive Unionist Party and People Before Profit have shown more leadership on the rolling-back of austerity measures, an unconditional support for the NHS and the plight of public sector workers in this part of the United Kingdom than Labour have in the past.

In lieu of the British Labour Party organising on a "One Nation" basis, the party might consider throwing its weight behind the policies of these locally progressive forces.

This would go some way to helping to improve the lives of all working people in Northern Ireland.
The video that led to Kaesang Pangarep being reported to police is seen on a cell phone in Jakarta, July 6, 2017.

Indonesian authorities say they have found nothing criminal in a vlog post by President Joko Widodos youngest son, after a police report alleged that he had insulted religion and spread hate speech in a video uploaded on his YouTube account in May.

In the video, Kaesang Pangarep, 22, criticizes behavior of some Muslims during protests against former Jakarta Gov. Basuki Ahok Tjahaja Purnama, who was convicted of blasphemy in May in a case that exposed the rising clout of conservative Islam in Muslim-majority Indonesia.

Fanning conflict, throwing around infidel accusations. Refusing to pray at the death of fellow Muslims, just because of differences in choosing a leader. Whats that about? Kaesang says in the video, in a line cited in the police report.

He goes on to characterize such behavior as ndeso, a slang word meaning backwards or not modern.

The investigation is not being continued. No criminal element was found, Jakarta Metro Police spokesman Raden Prabowo Argo Yuwono said Thursday.

Police consulted three linguists about the remark and determined it was not an insult, Argo was quoted as saying in the Indonesian news outlet Tempo.

There is no criminal element, Deputy Police Chief Syafruddin told reporters at police headquarters in Jakarta.

Kaesang  whose YouTube channel has 31 videos, more than 300,000 subscribers and 21 million views  is currently accompanying his father on a working trip to Europe.

Presidential spokesman Johan Budi declined to comment on the case. Wait for the president or Kaesang to come home from Turkey and Germany, he said.

Critical, not criminal

The police report was filed July 2 in Bekasi, a city adjacent to Jakarta, by local resident Muhammad Hidayat, who has filed some 60 hate speech complaints against different individuals, Jakarta police spokesman Argo told BenarNews.

The police report identifies the perpetrator as Kaesang and includes a line from his vlog Dad Asks for a Project, a short video that skewers nepotism and intolerance.

Authorities need to get serious about hate speech on social media, Hidayat told Metrotvnews on July 6.

I dont take into account if the perpetrator is the son of the president. I think spreading hate speech on social media is a crime that needs to be stopped, he said.

In the video, Kaesang also comments about a group of kids who chanted Kill Ahok during a pre-Ramadan parade, seen in a video that went viral in late May.

Im not trying to protect Mr. Ahok. But Im asking why kids of that age are like that. Its very unfortunate when young kids are taught to spread hate. Whats that about? Basically ndeso! he says.

The deputy chief of the Democratic Party urged police not to investigate the case further.

Dont look at who it is. It has to be handled, Syarief Hasan told Tribunnews.

Social media expert Enda Nasution said the police decision to drop the investigation was the right one.

I see a political element to this, a desire to shake Jokowi, he told BenarNews, using the presidents nickname.

Nukman Luthfie, another social media observer, said the video did not insult religion or contain hate speech.

Ive watched it. What expressed there is normal. Whats not normal, is that its Jokowis son, he said.

Pratiwi Febry, an activist with the Jakarta Legal Aid Institute, also praised the police decision to drop the case.

They know what is criticism, and what is criminal. They arent getting into suppressing freedom of opinion, she said.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (left) and Indonesian President Joko Jokowi Widodo walk past an honor guard during a welcoming ceremony at the presidential complex in Ankara, July 6, 2017.

Indonesia and Turkey agreed to bolster bilateral counter-terror cooperation and defense ties during President Joko Jokowi Widodos visit to Ankara, officials said Friday.

The two nations also agreed to develop a high-tech system for sharing intelligence to curb terrorism and help prevent foreign militants from crossing international borders, according to a statement sent to BenarNews by officials at Indonesias Presidential Palace.

Jokowi, the leader of the worlds most populous Muslim-majority nation, made the state visit in Ankara before attending the G-20 Summit in Hamburg, Germany. He met Turkeys President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday.

Fighting terrorism was no longer one countrys issue, the two leaders said during a joint news conference in the Turkish capital.

Indonesia and Turkey have agreed to improve efforts in anticipating the infiltration of foreign terrorist fighters through cooperation in intelligence sharing, Widodo told the news conference, according to the statement released on Friday by the Presidential Secretariat Press Bureau in Jakarta.

Erdogan said he discussed various counter-terror efforts with Widodo, including cooperation in defense system and sharing ideas.

We have agreed on those important steps for the sake of both nations, Erdogan said, according to the statement.

Indonesians deported

The two presidents met a day after Indonesias Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported that Turkish authorities had caught about 300 Indonesians, from 2015 to early 2017, while they were trying to cross into Syria via Turkey to join the extremist group Islamic State (IS).

All of the Indonesians have been deported from Turkey, the ministry said. It said no charges could be pressed against the deportees because there was no law prohibiting Indonesians from crossing borders while allegedly planning to join militants in Syria.

Indonesia announced the deportations as U.S.-backed Syrian forces inched closer to the heart of the extremist groups de facto capital of Raqqa.

Well-educated Indonesians were among those who have been deported from Turkey this year. Upon their return from Turkey, the deportees usually receive guidance on the countrys ideology of Pancasila, Indonesias state philosophy that emphasizes national unity and pluralism, and how to integrate themselves back into their communities.

On Wednesday, Agung Sampurno, a spokespesman for Jakartas Directorate General of Immigration, said officials were challenged in identifying Indonesians returning from Syria and other conflict zones.

The problem is there is no direct flight. They must transit in a third country, including Malaysia, before flying back here, Agung told reporters.

When they transit in the third country, their whereabouts remain unknown. It can only be identified when there is intelligence shared by the Turkish or Syrian government, he said.

Agung said Indonesians returning from Syria and Turkey were classified under the high-risk category, which means their personal data cannot be shared with the public.

Its part of anticipation, because no one can guarantee that any of their family members are not involved. If their data is made public, they might disappear, he said.

As many as 83 Indonesians with alleged links to IS were on a wanted list of 243 people circulated by the national police, the immigration department said.

The agency said it had stopped hundreds of suspected foreign militants  including 127 from Afghanistan and 40 from the Philippines  from entering Indonesia.

Thousands of suspects expelled from Turkey

At Thursdays meeting between the two presidents, Erdogan revealed that Turkey had deported 5,000 suspected terrorists, according to a report by Anadolu, the official Turkish News agency

During Widodos visit, Turkeys leading defense companies Aselsan and Turkish Aerospace Industries also signed a deal with Indonesias PT Dirgantara and PT Len to collaborate on defense products, Anadolu said.

Widodo, according to the statement from Jakarta, appreciated the deal signed by both nations to produce a medium-size tank, known as KAPLAN MT, a prototype of which was unveiled during the 13th International Defense Industry Fair in Istanbul on May 9.

Other details about the deal were not disclosed.
New Peoples Army rebels stand in formation during an event to celebrate the founding anniversary of the Communist Party of the Philippines, in the hinterlands of Surigao del Sur province, in the southern Philippines, Dec. 26, 2009.

A communist guerrilla leader has been arrested in the southern Philippine city of Surigao, military officials said Thursday, as President Rodrigo Duterte hinted at a resumption of stalled formal peace negotiations.

Joint police and military personnel arrested Arpel Rabago, an alleged commander of the New Peoples Army (NPA) who was wanted for a string of atrocities, at a road checkpoint on Wednesday, military spokesman 2nd Lt. Jonel Castillo said.

Rabago (alias Ka Yoyo) had a pending arrest warrant for murder, Castillo said.

Ka Yoyo is responsible for the series of harassment and extortion in certain parts of (Surigao) province, Castillo said. He led numerous attacks against government troops who are conducting peace and development activities during the previous years.

The government-owned Philippine News Agency said Rabado was a vice commander of an NPA platoon operating in the province.

The NPA, armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), has been waging a guerrilla campaign in the countryside since the late 1960s. Its numbers are believed to number more than 3,200.

About 40,000 soldiers, rebels and civilians have been killed over the course of the conflict, and peace talks have been on and off since the early 1990s.

Rabagos arrest is a wake-up call to all NPA members, Lt. Col. Allen Tomas, commander of the local infantry unit, told reporters. It is the right time to lay down your arms and be with the government.

Rabagos arrest came more than a month after troops captured Rommel Salinas, one of the highest-ranking NPA commanders, at a military checkpoint in Ozamiz City, also in the southern Philippines.

It also came on the same day that Duterte called on the communist party to show sincerity in peace talks aimed at ending its almost half a century of insurgency.

I have to talk to the communists, but this time I hope you do it in a modality that is sincere, Duterte said Wednesday.

We are all Filipinos. You know every time I see a dead soldier or a dead NPA, I feel sorry because were Filipinos and we are fighting an issue as a matter of principle, he said while visiting troops in the southern province of Bukidnon.

Duterte said the communist leadership often sulk and then disappear whenever they cant get want they want and then come back wanting to talk. He apparently was referring to the rebels decision to break off from talks early this year only to agree to back-channel negotiations.

Stalled talks

The negotiations are currently suspended and both sides are looking at meeting again in August.

The negotiations collapsed in February after the guerrillas killed several government forces in a series of attacks.

Amid an apparent stalemate in talks, the government has accused the NPA of stepping up attacks in the absence of the negotiations, despite a mutual commitment on both sides in April to commit to work towards a bilateral truce.

Targets of the intensified NPA offensives were not only government forces but innocent civilians and private properties, said Jesus Dureza, the chief presidential adviser on the peace process.

This equally raises questions as to whether their leaders have control over their forces on the ground, Dureza told reporters. Overall, this disrupts the conducive and enabling environment in peace making and peace building.

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana has accused the guerrillas of continuing to commit terroristic acts, including burning of properties, extortion, kidnapping and attacks on government forces.

He has also publicly called for terminating the peace talks in the face of the rebels relentless attacks.
Myanmar refugees sit with their belongings near temporary shelters at the Mae Surin camp in Mae Hong Son province, Thailand, March 24, 2013

The head of the U.N.s refugee agency said he met with the Thai prime minister in Bangkok on Friday to discuss efforts to repatriate refugees from Myanmar voluntarily and improve conditions for tens of thousands of foreigners sheltering in Thailand.

Filippo Grandi, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, told a post-meeting news conference that Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-o-cha said that his government would be willing to aid Myanmar refugees return home on their volition. The PM also agreed to develop a procedure to better evaluate claims for refugee status and protection put in by people who seek refuge in Thailand, Grandi said.

During a stop in Myanmar earlier this week, Grandi had met with Aung San Suu Kyi, Myanmars state counselor, who said her government would welcome back people who had fled the country.

The Thai prime minister agreed to pursue the continued return of Myanmar refugees to Myanmar  it was very clear that he agreed with the message he heard from Myanmars government, that return must be voluntary, sustainable and gradual, Grandi, who was making his first visit to Thailand as chief of the U.N. refugee agency (UNHCR), told reporters.

In October 2016, a group of refugees returned home to Myanmar, according to Grandi who said both countries were preparing for the return of another 200.

During the press conference, Grandi said Prayuth had reiterated Thailands commitment to create a mechanism for evaluating refugee status for people sheltering inside the country. He said UNHCR was working with the government to train officials to ensure that this happens.

On top of that, the Thai government is taking steps to allow refugees to have access to education while reducing risks for refugees and asylum seekers who are detained, Grandi said.

He praised the government for its efforts to grant Thai nationality status to stateless persons, pointing out there were more than 500,000 such people in the country.

UNHCR commissioner Filippo Grandi talks to reporters at the Anantara Bangkok Hotel, July 7, 2017. (Nontarat Phaicharoen/BenarNews)



Incidents of forced repatriation

Thailand is home to about 102,000 refugees, a majority of whom are from neighboring Myanmar and live in temporary shelters along the border, according to statement issued Friday by Human Rights Watch (HRW) and a dozen other rights organizations and NGOs. According to them, in Thailand there are 8,000 urban refugees from countries including Pakistan, Vietnam, Somalia, Iraq, Palestine, Syria and China who live in the Bangkok region.

The joint statement issued ahead of the meeting between Grandi and Prayuth, called on the Thai government to demonstrate a commitment to protecting refugees by ending abusive practices as well as instituting and implementing laws that guarantee rights of refugees.

Despite pledges by Thailands military-run government to protect refugees and improve conditions for them, the junta has failed in these efforts and put some of them at risk by forcing them to return to their home countries, the NGOs said jointly.

In recent years, Thai authorities have forcibly returned refugees, asylum seekers and others based on the requests of foreign governments, despite the credible risk of torture or other grave human rights abuses, the 13 NGOs said.

The groups cited a May 26 case where the Thai government returned Turkish national Furkan Sokmen to the custody of authorities in Turkey, despite warnings by U.N. agencies that he would face human rights violations.

In 2015, Thailand returned about 100 Muslim minority Uyghurs to China, where they faced prosecution, the rights groups alleged. In other instances, Thai authorities have intercepted boats carrying refugees and have towed them out to sea, endangering the lives of those on board, the NGOs said.

The groups also expressed concern about Thailands protracted detention of some refugees in immigrant detention centers. Some refugees have spent years in the centers that are designed for stays of up to 15 days.

They called on the government to work with UNHCR, civil groups and refugees to develop an effective and fair procedure to evaluate claims of refugee status and protection, pointing out that Thailand lacks a legal framework to assess asylum claims.

Their five-page statement ended with a series of requests for the Thai government, including asking Prayuth to instruct relevant ministries and state security forces to discontinue a policy of forcing boats back to sea and the practice of unofficial deportations.

In addition, the NGOs asked the government to end arbitrary and indefinite detention and assure that all refugees were provided access to legal documentation, health care, work permits, educational opportunities and other forms of assistance.

Maj. Gen. Weerachon Sukhonthapatipak, a spokesman for the Thai government, told reporters that it would focus on education, public health and basic needs, including providing temporary shelter for refugees. He also thanked UNHCR for its assistance.
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For Immediate Release, July 6, 2017 Contact: Jenny Loda, (510) 844-7100 x 336 or jloda@biologicaldiversity.org New U.S. Toad Species Discovered for First Time in 50 Years Nevada's Dixie Valley Toad Already Threatened With Extinction RENO, Nev. Researchers at the University of Nevada, Reno and Paul Smiths College published a paper today in the journal Zootaxa describing the Dixie Valley toad as a new species in the Great Basin of northern Nevada. While introducing this new species, the paper also highlights the authors' concerns for the toad's conservation: The animal's survival is urgently threatened by proposed development of a geothermal energy facility in its range. I'm excited to hear about the discovery of this new toad, as it increases our knowledge about the vast diversity of amphibians that we have in this country, said Jenny Loda, a Center attorney and scientist focused on protecting amphibians and reptiles. But at the same time, I'm concerned for its survival. I hope it was discovered in time to save it from the threats it faces. The Dixie Valley toad is found in remote wetlands fed by thermal desert springs on the western edge of the Dixie Valley Playa in Churchill County. Its range is restricted to less than 1,500 acres, making it especially vulnerable to impacts to its habitat. Like many of Nevada's groundwater-dependent species, it relies on consistent spring flow for survival. This little toad has large, prominent eyes and an olive-colored body dotted with black freckles and rust-colored warts bordered by black halos. The Bureau of Land Management is currently reviewing the proposed Dixie Meadows Geothermal Utilization Project, which would hurt the toads by constructing facilities and infrastructure on or near their habitat. This project would pump almost 46,000 acre-feet of water per year from the natural underground geothermal reservoir, altering groundwater flow patterns and potentially draining the toad's wetland habitat. We hope the BLM will recognize the importance of this new toad and go back to the drawing board on its review of the Dixie Meadows Geothermal Project, said Loda. It's horrible to think that we may lose this new species just as we're beginning to learn about it. The Center is working to protect the Dixie Valley toad through participation in the environmental review process for the proposed geothermal project and will submit a petition to U.S. Fish and Wildlife to protect the toad under the Endangered Species Act. Read more about the Center's campaign to address the amphibian and reptile extinction crisis.
For Immediate Release, July 6, 2017 Contact: Jonathan Evans, Center for Biological Diversity, (510) 844-7118, jevans@biologicaldiversity.org New Study: Weak U.S. Standards for Ground-level Ozone, Particulate Matter Contribute Directly to Thousands of Premature Deaths New England Journal of Medicine Study Released Same Month Trump EPA Delayed Plans for Meeting More Protective Ground-level Ozone Standards BOSTON A new study published in the New England Journal of Medicine has found that weak U.S. standards for ground-level ozone and particulate matter contribute directly to thousands of premature deaths. The study, published June 29, estimates that 1,900 lives could be saved every year if ground-level ozone levels were lowered by just 1 part per billion nationwide. The study comes the same month Environmental Protection Agency administrator Scott Pruitt announced he was delaying compliance with the more protective 2015 ground-level ozone standard of 70 parts per billion. The 2008 standard, now in place, is 75 parts per billion, which Pruitt said he is considering returning to. The 13-year study by Harvard University scientists of all 61 million Americans on Medicare, age 65 and older, also found that a reduction of just 1 microgram per cubic meter in the level of airborne particulate matter nationwide would save about 12,000 lives annually. This study leaves no doubt that the Trump EPA's reckless policies will lead directly to thousands of premature deaths and illnesses, said Jonathan Evans, legal director of the Center for Biological Diversity's environmental health program. Before Pruitt's decision to delay the new ozone standards, states were required to submit information to the EPA this year on whether they were meeting the new 70 parts per billion standards. Under the Clean Air Act, after providing this information, states must develop plans to reduce pollution and meet the new standards. As attorney general of Oklahoma, Pruitt sued to block the updated 2015 ozone standards. An EPA study found that Clean Air Act programs to reduce ozone pollution prevented more than 4,300 deaths and 3.2 million lost school days in 2010 alone. The Clean Air Act has also helped to keep the U.S. economy healthy by creating jobs, with more than 1.7 million Americans employed in the environmental technology industry helping to keep our air clean. It's never been clearer that the anti-science policies of the Trump-Pruitt team are bad for the health of Americans, said Evans. Increasing dangerous air pollution is just bad policy, even for American industries.
For Immediate Release, July 7, 2017 Contact: Nathan Donley, (971) 717-6406, ndonley@biologicaldiversity.org Arkansas Bans Monsanto's Drift-prone Pesticide Dicamba Has Prompted Nearly 600 New Complaints in Arkansas LITTLE ROCK, Ark. In response to more than 590 complaints of crop damage from the highly toxic and drift-prone pesticide dicamba, Arkansas officials announced today the state will enact a 120-day emergency ban of the controversial pesticide, effective July 11. The emergency measure moved forward today after a subcommittee of the Arkansas Legislative Council took no action on a recommendation by the Arkansas State Plant Board to ban the pesticide, a recommendation that was approved by Gov. Asa Hutchinson. Problems with the dangerous pesticide began last year, after Monsanto released soybean and cotton seeds that had been genetically engineered to resist dicamba, triggering a jump in use of the pesticide and hundreds of complaints from farmers claiming crop damage from pesticide drift. This is a perfect example of the danger of crops genetically engineered for herbicide tolerance  they trigger massive increases in use of these dangerous pesticides, said Nathan Donley, a senior scientist at the Center for Biological Diversity. Not only is this chemical polluting hundreds of thousands of acres of our environment, it's actually reducing crop yields by drifting and damaging neighboring fields. It's a lose-lose situation. Dicamba, which is well known for its tendency to evaporate and drift to nontarget fields, is highly toxic to virtually all fruits and vegetables, as well as many crops that have not been genetically altered to resist it. The pesticide is also linked to increased rates of cancer in farmers and poses increased risks to some of the nation's most endangered species. Of the roughly 3 million acres of soybeans planted by Arkansas farmers this year, about 1.5 million acres come from Monsanto's dicamba-tolerant seeds. According to Monsanto's estimates, the adoption of dicamba-tolerant soybean and cotton crops will cause annual dicamba use on soybeans and cotton to jump from under 1 million pounds to more than 25 million over the next three years. The 596 complaints of dicamba misuse in 23 counties Arkansas regulators have received so far this year are more than 16 times as many as in all of last year. Earlier this month dicamba drift ruined more than 100 acres at an Arkansas agricultural research station plot, where conditions are tightly controlled. Missouri, Mississippi and Tennessee regulators are also already reporting complaints about damaging drift from applications of the toxic pesticide. Missouri, which led the nation last year with more than 120 dicamba-related complaints, has already received more than 100 complaints. Use of the pesticide has already spurred three lawsuits and a dispute over crop damage that led to the murder of an Arkansas farmer. Today Arkansas gave relief to many farmers and homeowners who are sick of having Monsanto's chemicals drifting on to their land, said Donley. We hope additional states will take action to ensure that dicamba drift doesn't continue to wreak havoc on fields and the environment across the U.S.
For Immediate Release, July 7, 2017 Contact: Nathan Donley, (971) 717-6406, ndonley@biologicaldiversity.org Missouri Joins Arkansas in Emergency Ban of Monsanto's Drift-prone Pesticide Dicamba Has Prompted More Than 130 New Complaints in Missouri ST. LOUIS In response to more than 130 complaints of crop damage from the highly toxic and drift-prone pesticide dicamba, Missouri officials today announced an immediate ban on the sale and use of the controversial pesticide that has damaged thousands of acres of crops across the Midwest and South.. The dicamba ban, which Missouri officials said was temporary pending the determination of a more permanent solution, was announced on the same day Arkansas approved an emergency ban on the pesticide, effective July 11. When you have two states enacting emergency bans of dicamba on the same day, it leaves no doubt this drift-prone pesticide has no business being sprayed anywhere, said Nathan Donley, a senior scientist at the Center for Biological Diversity. This is just the latest evidence of the escalating dangers of our unreasonable addiction to pesticides. The Missouri soybean association has estimated that around 200,000 acres of soybean are suspected to have been damaged by dicamba in 2017. Complaints about the pesticide in Missouri have already exceeded the 120 received by the state last year, when Missouri led the nation in dicamba-related complaints. Earlier today, Arkansas' emergency ban of dicamba came in response to nearly 600 complaints from farmers claiming their crops have been damaged by dicamba drift. Problems with the dangerous pesticide began last year, after Monsanto released soybean and cotton seeds that had been genetically engineered to resist dicamba, triggering a jump in use of the pesticide and hundreds of complaints from farmers claiming crop damage from pesticide drift. This is a perfect example of the danger of crops genetically engineered for herbicide tolerance  they trigger massive increases in use of these dangerous pesticides, Donley said. Not only is this chemical polluting hundreds of thousands of acres of our environment, it's actually reducing crop yields by drifting and damaging neighboring fields. It's a lose-lose situation. Dicamba, which is well known for its tendency to evaporate and drift to nontarget fields, is highly toxic to virtually all fruits and vegetables, as well as many other crops that have not been genetically altered to resist it. The pesticide is also linked to increased rates of cancer in farmers and poses increased risks to some of the nation's most endangered species. According to Monsanto's estimates, the adoption of dicamba-tolerant soybean and cotton crops will cause annual dicamba use on soybeans and cotton to jump from under 1 million pounds to more than 25 million over the next three years. The 596 complaints of dicamba misuse in 23 Arkansas counties received by regulators so far this year are more than 16 times as many as in all of last year. Earlier this month dicamba drift ruined more than 100 acres at an Arkansas agricultural research station plot, where conditions are tightly controlled. Mississippi and Tennessee regulators are also reporting complaints about damaging drift from applications of the toxic pesticide. Use of the pesticide has already spurred three lawsuits and a dispute over crop damage that led to the murder of an Arkansas farmer. Today Arkansas and Missouri gave relief to many farmers and homeowners who are sick of having Monsanto's chemicals drifting on to their land, said Donley. We hope additional states will take action to ensure that dicamba drift doesn't continue to wreak havoc on fields and the environment across the United States.
UN Committee Gives Mexico a Year to Help Vaquita Porpoise

A United Nations committee this week gave Mexico one year to improve protections for the only remaining home of the critically endangered vaquita or face an "in danger" designation for a Gulf of California World Heritage site.



The Islands and Protected Areas of the Gulf of California site was created, in part, to protect critically endangered vaquita and a fish called the totoaba. In 2015 the Center and Animal Welfare Institute petitioned the committee to list the site as "in danger" due to the species' decline.



"These charismatic porpoises are on the precipice of vanishing from the Earth forever," said the Center's Tanya Sanerib, who attended the committee meeting in Poland. "The World Heritage Committee's decision adds yet another urgent call to the chorus, demanding Mexico drastically step up enforcement and save the vaquita before it's too late."



Read more in our press release.
Starting your day with a cup of mushroom coffee can give a much-needed twist to your daily regimen. Many speak of its benefits, and some even prefer it to regular coffee. But given its unique
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India needs to connect OPD with the cashless insurance network to bring them into the digital economy

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The programme will connect 1151 Kendriya Vidyalayas with 38 CSIR Laboratories targeting one lakh students and nearly 1000 teachers annually

Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has joined hands with Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS) to launch a student-scientist connect programme JIGYASA. It will focus on connecting school students and scientists so as to extend students classroom learning with that of a very well planned research laboratory based learning.

Memorandum of Understanding signing ceremony was held in the presence of Dr. Harsh Vardhan, Minister of Science & Technology, Earth Sciences, Environment, Forests and Climate Change and Prakash Javadekar, Minister of Human Resource Development in Delhi recently.

Addressing the gathering, Dr Harshvardhan said, Jigyasa programme was inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modis vision of a new India and Scientific Social Responsibility (SSR) of scientific community and institutions. It is a historic day when two ministries are collaborating on the Youth who are the future of the nation. The day also coincides with the birthday of Shri Shyama Prasad Mukherjee who is an inspirational figure and a role model for all Indians

Speaking on the occasion, Prakash Javadekar said, To inculcate scientific temper among the students we have to make them aware about the impact of science on the society. Science has played a very important role in changing our lives. Access to these premier institutions is only the beginning. CSIR will also talent hunt among the visiting students for furthering the cause of scientific development. I will personally review the status periodically

The Programme is expected to connect 1151 Kendriya Vidyalayas with 38 national laboratories of CSIR targeting 100,000 students and nearly 1000 teachers annually. This will also enable the students and teachers to practically live the theoretical concepts taught in science by visiting CSIR laboratories and by participating in mini-science projects.

Student Residential Programmes, scientists as teachers and teachers as scientists, lab specific activities / Onsite Experiments, visits of scientists to Schools/Outreach Programmes, science and maths Clubs, projects of National Childrens Science Congress and tinkering laboratories are some of the activities included under the programme.
NAIROBI, Kenya  The Abraaj Group, a Dubai-based private equity investment firm, has announced the acquisition of Java House restaurant chain from Emerging Capital Partners (ECP) for an undisclosed amount.

 Pravit Kimtong via 123RF

Mustafa Abdel-Wadood, managing partner and global head of private equity at The Abraaj Group, commenting on the transaction, noted that, "The landmark transaction is a compelling opportunity to build on Java House's success story across sub-Saharan Africa, to create a true regional champion."

The move, he said, is inspired by Africa's rapidly expanding middle class, sustained population growth and increasing urbanisation which is creating compelling investment opportunities in multiple sectors.

"We believe Java House is ideally positioned to benefit from these trends," he said.

According to Bryce Fort, a founding partner of ECP and head of the pan-African firm, Java House moved from just one city and 13 locations to spread its wings across East Africa to three countries and 60 sites today.

"In partnership with Java's founder Kevin Ashley and a talented management team, we have taken the business from one city and just 13 locations when we originally identified the deal and scaled it across East Africa, to three countries and 60 sites today," noted Fort.

Ken Kuguru, the chief executive officer (CEO) of Java House expressed optimism on the new partnership.

"As Java House aims to accelerate into its next phase of growth, we were seeking a partner that has the scale, platform and sector expertise to enable us to achieve our aspirations. The Abraaj Group is that partner of choice and we look forward to working closely with their team to extend our market leadership position across the continent," noted Kuguru, CEO of Java House.

Founded in 1999, Java House has 60 outlets in Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda. In 2012, Java House founder Kevin Ashley sold a 90% stake to Africa-focused ECP for an undisclosed amount. Ashley will continue to hold 10% stake in the coffee chain.

Java House currently serves over 320,000 guests per month and has a workforce of 2000 people.

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP and Bowmans Kenya acted as legal advisors, while PwC acted as financial and tax advisors to Abraaj on the transaction.
Stakeholders in the Yaba technology cluster in the Nigerian city of Lagos are coming together to develop an Open Yaba Manifesto they hope will promote the future development of the cluster.

The Yaba technology cluster has developed relatively organically in the last few years, around key organisations such as the Co-Creation Hub (CcHub). The community is not working on an initiative that will further develop the Yaba tech scene.

A Yaba Townhall took place on June 23 at CcHub, identifying seven different objectives as the main articles of the future manifesto. They are, Culture, Infrastructure, Funding, Talent, Policy Creation, Yaba As A Test Bed For A Smart City, and Research and Development.

The Yaba community is now being encouraged to come together to develop a coherent roadmap for the tech cluster, taking place on the Radar entrepreneurial forum. Deliberations of each pillar are being led by key Yaba stakeholders, such as the likes of Mark Essien, Olufunbi Falayi and Gbenga Sesan, and will then be grouped in a dedicated Yaba Manifesto category.

The Open Yaba Manifesto will be discussed over the next month, while a website will be built to house the completed manifesto.
Imagine a world without advertising. No billboards cluttering the roadside; no radio ads breaking your groove; no squeeze-backs interrupting sporting highs. Well, Walter Pike, a leading industry practitioner and commentator wrote in Bizcommunity last week that he believes this Utopia is imminent. And predicts that creativity will soon become redundant too. Which of course means that creative award shows such as Cannes and Loeries, which recognise excellence in creativity, are also redundant.

Pike was therefore thrilled when the new Publicis Groupe CEO, Arthur Sadun pulled out of Cannes saying the money would be spent instead on artificial intelligence technology. Pike adds, certainly this is a huge blow to the egos of the people in creative departments, but should we care?

Yes, we should care! Pikes vision of a world with no advertising interrupting people is exciting, but unfortunately, its a vision based on dangerous fallacies. Pike is right about some things. Hes right to point out the age of big data, artificial intelligence and programmatic media is upon us and this digital trinity will be the key to future brand growth. Big data gives us more insight into what people need and when they need it. This creates an opportunity for AI content creators to deliver relevant advertising that satisfies relevant needs, in the right way; and programmatic media that targets specific people at the right time. Marketers that dont adapt to this new world will become redundant. Pike and Saduns provocation is therefore a rallying cry to embrace the change that is upon us. We share his enthusiasm. But unfortunately, there are some dangerous fallacies in his conclusions and if were not careful, we could follow Pike in throwing the baby out with the bath water.

Errors in Pikes logic

Lets take a closer look at the errors in Pikes logic:

The digital trinity enables us to deliver relevant messages, to the right people, at the right time. Therefore, interruptive advertising is unnecessary.

Creativity was necessary for interruptive advertising, but its not necessary for relevance advertising. Therefore, creativity is unnecessary.

The underlying belief seems to be that there will be no more need for provocative advertising that gets attention, because brands will no longer need to sell stuff to uninterested people anymore. Instead brands will be responding to an implicit invitation from a potential consumer. The key to success is therefore a better algorithm to optimise relevance.

In general, the biggest weakness in Pikes logic is the either/or framing of the options.

Just because the digital trinity optimises relevance advertising, it does not follow that interruptive advertising becomes redundant. The history of technological innovation suggests the co-existence of both modes of advertising is far more likely. The conclusion that relevance advertising makes interruptive advertising redundant is therefore unsupported.

The belief that creativity is not necessary for the success of relevance advertising is unproven, and current evidence suggests the opposite  that creativity and relevance together, deliver the best returns. In A Case for Creativity by James Hurman, the data clearly shows the annual stock growth of the Cannes Advertiser of the Year, tracked over a period of almost 10 years, was more than 40% higher than the S&P 500 average. The conclusion that creativity will become a weak driver of success is therefore a highly risky bet.

Creativity will always optimise returns

At FCB Africa, we confidently believe creativity will always optimise returns, regardless of the content delivery system. We embrace relevance and creativity; big data and storytelling; AI technology and creative awards.

Our evidence is based on what we know about human behaviour, and specifically buying behaviour. Nobel prizewinner, Daniel Kahneman argues that most of our decisions are made intuitively based on what satisfies our immediate needs in the easiest possible way. Intuition is an emotional thinking system that operates below the level of conscious thinking and directs our behaviour. Most of our buying decisions are made by this intuitive system. What does this mean for marketing?

In relation to Pikes argument that interruptive advertising and creativity will become redundant, there are two main implications:

Firstly, if most of our buying decisions are made intuitively, then we need to market brands to appeal to the intuitive mind. What does it like? It likes stories. Decision-scientists argue that stories are our favourite means of absorbing information about the world because stories humanise information by putting it into context and in a subjective experience. This is why we believe creative storytelling in advertising will never go away  because it is the most effective way to share ideas. The algorithm will not kill the story. The algorithm will deliver stories more effectively, but creativity will never be redundant.

FCB Africa CEO, Brett Morris argues, Its hard to think of a way in which creativity is not good for business. Its arguably the last true advantage you have over your competition. Applied correctly it can create exponential value for any brand or business. Which is why we will still need awards because they raise the bar on creativity. Great talent wants to be challenged, benchmarked and recognised. Long live creative awards.

Finally, decision-science argues that most of the information we have about brands is absorbed passively, at low levels of attention. What this means is that were continuously absorbing impressions about brands, which over time, build an emotional brand memory that guides our choices. Interruptive advertising, which sends people messages when they are not looking for them, is very effective because if feeds brand memories. Contrary to popular belief, passive media is a good thing because it means very little is demanded from the audience. Most of the information we receive about brands is passive  we dont look for it, it comes to us. And again, contrary to voguish beliefs, thats exactly how most people prefer to take in their information about brands  because its easy.

So, we dont agree with Pike that interruptive advertising will be replaced by relevance advertising. We believe the two systems will co-exist. However, we do agree with Pike and Sadun that interruptive advertisings share of investment will continue to decline, and more investment will shift to search and targeting technologies. The age of AI is upon us and its very excitrifying.

To conclude, we believe creativity and relevance together deliver the best returns. Creativity will always optimise returns, regardless of the content delivery system. For example, one of the biggest opportunities available to brands is cheap digital reach from earned media. But to earn that reach, you have to be creative. Our most successful Facebook campaign last year, which performed in the top 20 global Facebook campaigns at the time, featured a cute, farting guinea pig. Go figure.

On a more serious note, our Toronto office won a Cannes Lion last week for their powerful search campaign on Down Syndrome. If your obstetrician tells you your baby will be born with DS, youre given a few days to decide if you want to keep it. Most people go online to search DS and are hit by a terrible wave of frightening news. Wouldnt it be better if parents could actually experience some humanity in their search for information? So FCB Toronto created 20 short videos about DS delivered by DS kids. They all have a subtle, wry humor that is very moving. The DS kids shot up to the top of the search rankings.

We believe creativity will always optimise returns. We embrace relevance and creativity; big data and storytelling; AI technology and creative awards. That is the future.

*Note that Bizcommunity staff and management do not necessarily share the views of its contributors  the opinions and statements expressed herein are solely those of the author.*
South African financial technology company, Sureswipe, has announced a new integrated payment and POS solution that boasts 2-second transaction speed to growing and independent retailers.

The system integrates with eight of the most popular point-of-sale systems: Micros, GAAP, Arch Retail, Pilot Software, Vission POS, React POS, Legend POS and InfoDynamics.

Paul Kent, MD of Sureswipe, says, Our new integrated payments product has been developed for higher volume businesses that use a point-of-sale system. It reduces manual hours spent on reconciliations, makes customer payments quicker and safer and cuts both costs and complexity. We have brought functionality and efficiency to a market where in the past it would have been cost-prohibitive to implement.

Until now, a retailer or franchise needed a number of partners to run an integrated point-of sale system  specifically a connectivity partner, a card acceptance partner and a processor. Moreover, each of these partners has separate contracts costs.

What we have done is to offer a one point of contact contract  essentially one service provider that offers it all. Retailers and many franchises have been using a card machine that does not link to the point-of-sale system because costs for such a system have been very high. But not anymore and, for growing businesses with increasing customer volumes, this is their answer.

Keeping queues moving

A payment and point-of-sale solution that is integrated keeps queues moving and customers happy. It also makes it easier to reconcile transactions and reduce the risk of fraud, particularly in high-volume businesses. This means businesses can circumvent some of the problems that lead to revenue loss, such as fraud or human error, or customers leaving, or not returning to, establishments due to long queues.

Kent concludes, Because we know what it takes to run more than one business, we offer our customers a 24/7, 365 call centre support line, a dedicated account manager, online reporting and on-site support within one business day.
The third batch of Nigerian entrepreneurs has graduated from GE Lagos Garage Training Programme, which provided participants the opportunity to interact directly with the latest manufacturing technologies, including 3D printers and laser cutters that enable innovation through rapid prototyping.

Lagos Garage is a hub for advanced manufacturing-based innovation, strategy development, idea generation and collaboration. Participants are exposed to a variety of world-class instructors and technical experts who provide mentorship and support on developing their business ideas.

The new graduates, who joined the programme in the first week of June, following a rigorous selection process, received four weeks of training on advanced manufacturing technology and business development. Participants learnt how to design and create products, which will help position them as vital players in the advanced manufacturing and innovation ecosystem.

Speaking during a media tour of the Garage in Lagos, the director, communications & public affairs, GE Africa, Patricia Obozuwa said that the GE Lagos Garage initiative was created to build Nigerian knowledge and capability, which will ultimately lead to the creation of more businesses and jobs. She expressed the belief that the GE Lagos Garage programme will create new innovators who will lead and drive Nigerias manufacturing sector in the near future.

Obozuwa re-emphasised GEs commitment to skills development, saying, We are passionate about skills development in Nigeria and are proud to have trained 95 young Nigerian entrepreneurs to date, since the launch of the Lagos Garage hub in November 2016. The Garage graduates have been empowered to transform their ideas into practical business models which in little time will have a positive impact on the Nigerian economy by empowering people to create jobs for themselves, she concluded.

GE created the Garages experience in March 2012 to reinvigorate Americas interest in invention, innovation and manufacturing. In 2014, Garages went global with its first international exhibition in Lagos, Nigeria. Given the success of the 2014 pilot programme, in November 2016, GE launched the permanent installation of The Lagos Garage in alignment with the Federal Governments focus on driving localisation and job creation.
YANGON, Myanmar - With Myanmar emerging as a manufacturing hub for mass-produced clothes, a crop of young designers are using homegrown fashion to preserve the country's sartorial heritage and reshape the sweatshop model.

Inside her boutique in downtown Yangon, Pyone Thet Thet Kyaw crafts her own designs using traditional patterns and fabrics, many from ethnic minority groups, to make A-line skirts, dresses and tops.

On another she adds the high-collared neckline of the inngyi - a tight top usually worn by Myanmar women along with a fitted, sarong-like skirt - to a flirty pleated dress.

"We Burmese really care about our own ethnic and traditional clothes," she told AFP in the shop, over the whir of sewing machines. "When you modernise the traditional patterned clothes you have to be careful they're not too flashy - or too modern."

Myanmar is fiercely proud of its traditional garb, which was largely protected from the influx of homogenous Western fashion now ubiquitous across Southeast Asia by the former military junta. For 50 years they shut the country off to foreign influences and tightly controlled what was worn in all official media.

Designer Ma Pont said she was not allowed to show even a flash of shoulder or armpit when she used to make clothes for military-controlled TV channels in the 1990s. "We were not really free," she said.

Fashion was particularly politically charged in that era, when many women would secretly ask their tailors for designs that imitated the distinctive style of opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi. Local media reported the purple outfit she wore the day she was released from almost two decades of house arrest soon became a popular sight on Yangon's streets.

Today the democracy icon, who last year became the de facto leader of Myanmar's first civilian government in generations, is still widely admired for the elegant Burmese outfits she wears at public appearances. But while many still prefer traditional clothes, especially the sarong-like longyi worn by both men and women, fashions are starting to change.

Shopping malls aimed at Yangon's growing middle class are sprouting up around the city, while on its fringes factories are churning out clothes for international brands drawn to its pool of young, cheap labour.

It is a flip-side of the industry which boutique designer Pyone Thet Thet Kyaw has seen first-hand. As a teenager she spent months toiling in garment factories on the outskirts of the commercial capital - a job that earned her 2,000 kyat a week (now worth $1.46).

The experience made her determined to open her own boutique and train young women in the art of clothes-making to make sure they never suffer the same fate.

"I started to see things, like how you could only spend 10 minutes for your lunch or you could not go to the toilet whenever you wanted because it would disrupt their production line," she said. "If fast fashion and unethical fashion continues, then we're the ones to be suffering."

Impoverished but emerging Myanmar is swiftly becoming a new hub for massive garment factories making cheap clothes as quickly as possible for fashion giants like H&M and Primark. Exports more than doubled to $1.65 billion last financial year, according to official data, and are expected to surge after the US ended sanctions in October.

But while the sector is helping to drive rapid economic growth, critics say few benefits are trickling down to workers who earn some of the lowest wages in Asia and have little legal protections. A recent report by multinational watchdog SOMO warned of "significant risks of labour rights violations being committed in Myanmar's garment industry that need to be addressed as a matter of urgency".

Other local designers, like Mo Hom, are working to save Myanmar's centuries-old traditional fabric industry from the influx of cheap imported clothes from Thailand and China.

Her boutique in Yangon is filled with colourful designs in cotton and silks sourced from Chin and Shan states, where they can take months to weave by hand using traditional wooden looms. Many are dyed with natural substances like green tea and strawberries to give subtle colours, which she mixes with traditional ethnic patterns and silhouettes.

"Local mills are actually dying because there is no market demand anymore," said Mo Hom, who trained and worked as a designer in New York before moving back to Myanmar in 2012. "A lot of the mills are actually closing down."

Source: AFP
ACCRA - Rescuers have called off a search for miners who were trapped underground after an illegal goldmine collapsed in western Ghana, declaring 17 dead, a local lawmaker told AFP.

Photo: New Mail Nigeria

Nsuta representative Williams Adomako said teams that were trying to rescue the miners after the pit caved in on Sunday managed to locate the body of one miner and bring it to the surface.

But they were unable to reach 16 others in the stricken mine, which is more than 80 metres deep.

Government and local officials decided to stop the rescue in agreement with the families, said Adomako.

"Seventeen people have died... We cannot bring them up. All those here agree we should cover them," he added.

Firefighter Ebenezer Yenzu, who was part of the rescue team, said the decision to stop the search was taken because of the risk of further collapses and on health grounds.

"As the days are going by the bodies are decaying. It can cause communicable diseases too," he added.

On Wednesday, five bodies were spotted in the mine but they and others were surrounded by stone debris.

Local resident Francis Eshun said covering the abandoned mine would prevent others from entering in the future.

"If they left it open they would definitely go back in to mine there," he added.

The accident has been blamed on small-scale gold mining, known in Ghana as "galamsey", which has recently been the target of a government crackdown on environmental grounds.

One of the miners who escaped said he heard "unusual sounds" from the ground that prompted him to call on his colleagues to stop and go to the surface.

But as they climbed out, the walls of the mine collapsed.

Ghana is Africa's second-largest gold producer, and exports of the commodity, along with minerals and oil, drive the country's economic growth.

The industry involves a number of major global players but small-scale, illegal mining has been a persistent problem and accidents are frequent.

In 2010, at least 45 people were killed when an illegal mine collapsed after heavy rains.
Jerusalem is a good distance from the sea, but residents and visitors will soon be able to view specimens of Israel's marine life in a mass aquarium to open in the Holy City.

Photo: Fun in Jerusalem

The new compound, part of the city's Biblical Zoo, contains 30 tanks comprising a 7,000 square-metre aquarium with fish and sea creatures living in half a million gallons of seawater.

The aquarium's inception was nearly 10 years ago, a combination of the zoo receiving additional grounds and a national plan to increase awareness of marine life.

With all the growing awareness to biodiversity, "we are ignoring the sea as a habitat," Shai Doron, CEO of the zoo, told reporters on Wednesday.

Israel is located between the Mediterranean Sea to the west and the Red Sea to the south, and also has two other bodies of water nearby in the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea.

Varieties of fish, sea turtles, manta rays and seahorses are among the creatures found in the aquarium's vast tanks, with sharks expected to join soon.

The indoor complex, decorated in hues of blue and wavey lines, is expected to be a boon to the zoo and local tourism.

The zoo is already Israel's most visited paid tourism site, with over 750,000 people entering its gates each year.

Doron said the aquarium was the first of its kind in the Middle East and would open in a number of weeks.

Decorating the walls by the tanks are displays on themes such as jellyfish, corals, the dangers of plastic bags, and Jewish laws regarding eating seafood.
Swissport Tanzania plans to invest Sh6.2bn in equipment and training this year. It will do so despite a drop in cargo revenue in 2016 due to unfavourable economic conditions, the company's chief executive officer, Mrisho Yassin, told BusinessWeek.

It will spend Sh4bn and Sh800m on purchasing new equipment and training respectively. Some Sh650m will be used to improve the company's export perishable facility, according to its 2016 financial statement. Yassin said the investment would improve efficiency.

Swissport Tanzania's cargo revenue fell to Sh20.1bn last year from Sh22bn the previous year due to the decreased cargo volume.

According to Yassin, the company handled 20,145 tonnes of cargo last year, down from 24,874 tonnes in 2015. "Investment in modern equipment and training remains our top priority. Our strategies, alliances with customers and our dedicated team will steer the company to success."

However, he said the company would continue to feel the pinch of changes in fiscal policies.

Cargo volume to stagnate

The company expects cargo volume to stagnate this year and fall to 16,000-17,000 tonnes next year.

"This is not impressive at all. Our capacity is to handle 80,000 tonnes," noted Yassin.

However, he said the company maintained its market share of more than 90%. "We were not caught by surprise in 2016 when a new ground handler entered the market. Our investment in equipment is heavy and we haven't been affected by competition."

But the company is aware that increased competition will affect ground handling service providers in the future. Over a decade, Swissport was the only ground handler at Julius Nyerere International Airport (JNIA).

In November last year, Airco Company of Mwanza signed a 10-year contract with the Tanzania Airports Authority (TAA) to offer services at JNIA

Airco formed a joint venture with National Aviation Services (Nas) of Kuwait to form Nas-Dar Airco Company, which became operational in July last year.

That was a response to the Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority (TCAA) directive on the liberalisation of ground handling services, which required TAA to add another ground handler at the airport to meet the increased demand for the services.

Increased competition

"Increased competition will hit our plans of improving our ground-handling business at Julius Nyerere, Kilimanjaro, Songwe and International Airports," he said. In 2016 the company handled 17,019 flights, up from 16,534 flights handled in 2015.

Ground-handling revenue increased to Sh37.1bn in 2016 from Sh34.7bn in 2015. Total operating revenue for the year grew to Sh57.3bn from Sh56.7bn during the same period.

The increase in ground-handling revenue was contributed by the increase in the number of flights handled.

However, due to the harsh economic situation, its revenue is expected to drop to Sh55bn this year, from Sh56.7bn and Sh57.3bn in 2015 and 2016 respectively.

The company will invest more to remain competitive.
A deadly bacteria that infected thousands of olive trees in Italy has been detected for the first time in mainland Spain, the world's top producer of olive oil, a regional government official said Thursday, 6 July.

The Xylella fastidiosa pathogen, which dries out trees leaving their leaves looking scorched, was found in June in almond trees near the town of Guadalest in the eastern region of Valencia, Elena Cebrian, head of the regional government's agriculture department, told AFP.

Tests carried out on olive trees in the same area came back negative.

All trees and plants within a 100-metre radius of the almond tree that was found to be infected in Valencia are being destroyed.

The area is also being treated against insects which are suspected of transmitting the bacteria.

The bacteria, which emerged in 2013 in southern Italy and has also been detected in France, was found on Spanish soil for the first time in October in a cherry tree in the Balearic Islands.

The affected trees in two islands of the archipelago were destroyed as well as those in a 100-metre radius.

Local authorities also banned exports of plants from the Balearic Islands to prevent the bacteria, dubbed "olive tree leprosy" by some farming associations, from reaching mainland Spain.

Spain is home to around 340 million olive trees. It produces about half of the world's olive oil.

Source: AFP
Im proud to receive this award for the civic-based organizations and individuals who are working with us on health, education and human rights issues, she told KIC News.

Dr Cynthia Maung was presented the award on July 5 at the Baptist World Alliances annual meeting in Bangkok. Dr Cynthia Maung established the Mae Tao Medical Clinic in Mae Sot in 1989.

The Baptist World Alliance hailed the clinic for treating up to 150,000 patients per year, including locals, migrant workers and refugees. The award announcement also noted the role the Mae Tao Clinic played in helping bring the malaria epidemic along the border under control.

In addition to its medical services, where it trains medical interns, nurses and hygienists, the clinic addresses issues of domestic violence and human rights, and feeds more than 500 people twice each day, the Baptist World Alliance said.

Mann Shwe Hnin, head of the Child Development Centre, congratulated his close friend on the award.

We are very happy for her since she has been doing her best for public health, he said.

The Baptist World Alliance Denton and Janice Lotz Annual Human Rights Award was established in 2006 and is given out annually to peacemakers and human rights defenders.

Dr Cynthia Maung is the recipient of over 30 international awards recognizing her work at the clinic, including the Jonathan Mann Award in 1999, Southeast Asias Ramon Magsaysay Award in 2002, the Sydney Peace Prize in 2013 and the South Korean POSCO TJ Park Prize in 2015.

She currently serves as chair of the Burma Medical Association and the Back Pack Health Worker Team.
We believe the fire was caused by negligence. The residents barely managed to escape, said a committee member at the camp. No one was injured.

The families whose homes were destroyed are staying with other residents of the camp have been provided with food and clothes.

They lost everything they own in the fire. They dont even have clothes. We have to arrange everything for them. I think they need counseling, said the committee member.

Saw Mann Saw, chair of the Karenni Refugee Committee, said the committee will meet with donors, Thai authorities and leaders at the camp in order to arrange a swift rebuilding effort.

The Karenni No 1 refugee camp houses 17,045 people.

A similar fire broke out in April 2015, destroying over 100 houses and leaving over 700 people homeless.

Similarly, over 400 houses were destroyed and over 30 refugees were killed in a fire at the Karenni No 2 refugee camp in March 2013.
Mikhail Svetlov/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) -- President Trump and members of his national security team will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin Friday at the G-20 summit in Germany, in what is sure to be a high stakes first meeting between the two leaders.



An administration official told ABC News that the only attendees for the meeting will be Trump, Putin, Secretary of State Tillerson, Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov and two translators and it is expected to last just over 30 minutes.



The official also told ABC News that the president has a single briefing binder that he is using for the entire G20 summit and does not have one specific to his meeting with Putin. Trump is not pouring over materials and potential demands since he feels more comfortable speaking off the cuff, the official added, which some note could be a disadvantage since Putin is known to prepare extensively for such meetings.



The focus of the meeting will likely be Syria and Ukraine, though Russia's aggressive cyber activity is also expected to be addressed in a broader sense -- which may or may not include the 2016 presidential election.



The meeting comes as Trump chided Russia earlier today during a speech to the Polish people for "destabilizing activities in Ukraine and elsewhere, and its support for hostile regimes including Syria and Iran."



The official "doubted" any movement toward returning two Russian diplomatic compounds seized by former President Obama last December.



Despite the tough talk on the eve of his meeting with Putin, many are focused on what appeared to be yet another attempt by President Trump to downplay Russias meddling in the 2016 election.



Taking questions alongside the Polish president before his speech in Moscow, Trump questioned whether or not Russia was solely responsible for meddling in the U.S. election, bringing up the possibility that other countries could have been involved.



"Well I think it was Russia and I think it could have been other people and other countries," Trump said. "Could have been a lot of people interfered."



As Trump meets with Putin, questions about the Trump campaigns involvement with Russians continue to dog the administration and Special Counsel Robert Mueller continues his investigation.



The president also met with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, as well as the leaders of Japan and South Korea.



Copyright  2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.


An IAI photo

NEW DELHI (PTI): Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) and Kalyani Strategic Systems Ltd (KSSL) have signed a deal for setting up a facility in Hyderabad for maintenance of advanced air defence systems.



The two companies have also agreed on expanding their joint operations for development, manufacturing and marketing of precise ammunition systems, KSSL, a subsidiary of Bharat Forge Limited, said in a statement on Thursday.



In February 2017, IAI had inked an MoU with Kalyani Strategic Systems to set up a joint venture to manufacture air defence systems for the Indian Air Force.



"This joint venture with IAI furthers the idea of Indian government's 'Make in India' initiative and will provide world class solutions including life-cycle support to Indian defence," said Baba Kalyani, Chairman and MD of Bharat Forge Limited, a part of the Kalyani Group.



IAI president and CEO Joseph Weiss said India has been a key market for his company and it will work closely with KSSL in line with the 'Make in India' initiative.



"We have been revamping all of our operations in India," he said.


Microsoft is to cuts thousands of jobs outside the US in order to focus on its cloud computing sector.

It is reported the move will impact sales and marketing teams, but its not known what countries will be affected.
Delivery firm Deliveroo has sparked a fresh row over the status of workers in the UK's gig economy after calling on the government to update legislation.

The company said changes would give self--employed people greater security while maintaining the flexibility they want.

Current employment laws prevent companies from extending some of the entitlements that are open to "workers" without calling into question the status of its riders, who are classed as self--employed, it said.

But unions countered that there was nothing stopping Deliveroo from paying its workforce the minimum wage and guaranteeing them basic rights like holiday and sick pay.

In evidence to a review by Matthew Taylor into the gig economy, Deliveroo said extending entitlements under the current law would undermine the flexibility that comes with riders being able to log in and log off at will, where they are paid according to work, not hours completed.

If riders were reclassified, they would be required to work in compulsory sessions arranged with Deliveroo in advance and to work exclusively for the company during those sessions.

Deliveroo is calling for a change in employment law that would allow it to offer new benefits to its riders, such as sick pay, insurance or shares for longstanding riders, describing it as a significant shift in UK employment practices.

Chief executive Will Shu said: "I still do deliveries every week so I know better than anyone the hard work that Deliveroo riders put in every day. It's only right that they're given the security they deserve whilst keeping the flexibility that they value.

"The on--demand economy has changed the way people work and live. We want an environment in which both workers and businesses benefit from the opportunities these changes provide."

Mr Taylor's review is expected to be published next week.

Maria Ludkin, legal director of the GMB, said: "The only people who think the law is out of date are the companies like Deliveroo, who are trying to subvert the law and exploit workers.

"The law, when properly enforced, does the job of ensuring working people are paid national minimum wage and given the most basic employment rights."

TUC general secretary Frances O'Grady said: "This reads like special pleading. Plenty of employers are able to provide genuine flexibility and security for their workforce. Deliveroo have no excuse for not following suit.

"The company's reluctance to offer benefits now is because they want to dodge wider employment and tax obligations by labelling staff as self-employed."

Neil Carberry, of the CBI, said: "It's absolutely right that businesses engage in the debate about how we foster a labour market that drives growth and opportunity for everyone.

"We warmly welcome Deliveroo's willingness to play a role in this, as it will help to move the discussion on to how to make the most of the opportunities of flexible forms of work, rather than demonising them as low quality."

Jason Moyer-Lee, of the Independent Workers' Union of Great Britain, said: "Deliveroo's claim that unfortunately the law prevents them from giving employment rights and benefits is utter hypocritical nonsense.

"In case after case the law has come down on the side of workers in the gig economy. There is nothing to suggest, either logically or legally, that flexibility and employment rights are mutually exclusive."
A groom has been reunited with his suit after leaving it in the boot of a taxi on his way to his wedding in Dublin.

CAN. YOU. IMAGINE?

The man got a silver taxi from Gardiner St. to the Regency Hotel in Whitehall at around 3pm but left his suit in the boot of the car.

The sound lads of An Garda Siochana quickly issued an appeal this afternoon for the driver to bring the outfit to the Regency Hotel in Whitehall where the man was getting hitched.

Grooms Suit Taxi dropping male passenger to Regency Hotel

today left wedding suit in boot Wedding 4pm today HELP! Pls

return ASAP to Hotel  An Garda Siochana (@GardaTraffic) July 7, 2017

The taxi driver obliged and the man is now happily married.
The Special Criminal Court trial of a Dublin man accused of IRA membership has heard a day of legal argument.

Defence lawyers at the trial of Vincent Banks (47), who the prosecution allege purchased the car from which Northern Irish prison officer David Black was shot dead, are objecting to the legality of the accused man's arrest.

Mr Black, a 52-year-old father of two, was killed on November 1st 2012. He was driving to work at Maghaberry prison when the incident occurred.

David Black

Mr Banks, of Smithfield Gate Apartments in Dublin 7 has pleaded not guilty to membership of an unlawful organisation styling itself the Irish Republican Army, otherwise Oglaigh na hEireann, otherwise the IRA on December 18, 2012.

Padraig Dwyer SC, for Mr Banks, told the three-judge, non-jury court that his client was challenging the legality of his arrest.

Evidence was heard today as part of a voir dire - or 'trial within a trial' - to help the judges determine the matter.

The legal argument will resume on Monday in front of Ms Justice Isobel Kennedy, presiding, sitting with Judge Gerard Griffin and Judge Gerard Haughton.
A jury has convicted an Egyptian national of raping a woman he met after she became lost on a night out in Dublin city.

Mohamed Okda (30) was staying in a friend's flat in the city in February 2014 when he met the woman in an upset state.

Okda, formerly of Coolfin, Rathdowney, Co Laois had pleaded not guilty to two counts of raping the woman and one count of sexual assault at a flat in Dublin city centre on a date on February 9, 2014.

After a seven day trial at the Central Criminal Court a jury took just under three hours to return unanimous guilty verdicts on all counts.

Mr Justice Michael Moriarty thanked the jurors for their care and diligence and told them it was a verdict he agreed with. He remanded the man into custody for sentence on July 28th.

Gardai had objected to a defence application to allow Okda remain on bail. Sean Guerin SC, prosecuting, told the court that there was an issue regarding his residency here and gardai considered him a flight risk.

In her evidence the married mother said that she lived outside Dublin and was visiting the city with two female friends for a night out. At the end of the night she said she was drunk and tired.

She lost her friends and became upset because they weren't responding to texts or phone calls. The accused man approached her and offered to help her find her friends, she said.

He suggested she come back to the flat where she could continue to try to contact her friends on her phone. The woman said that back at the flat she lay down on a sofa bed in the living area of the house and blacked out.

She said that when she came to she could feel Okda trying to touch her and move her clothes. She said she told him to stop and said she was married and had children.

I told him that I wanted to go, I wanted to leave, to find my friends, she testified. She said he took her glasses away and she couldn't see at all without them.

When I tried to say no, he kept pushing me back down, she said. She tried to use her mobile phone but he took it off her.

She said he was telling her to open her mouth to perform oral sex and he was aggressive. She became frightened and and stopped resisting in the hope that he would finish and let her go

I asked him not to kill me. I told him I had children and a husband. He had this dazed look. I was afraid if I didnt do he would kill me.

She said he then raped her and after ejaculating she asked could she leave and he said yes. She partly dressed herself hurriedly and left the house without her glasses, she said.

She said she was disoriented and as soon she left the house she ran across the road and started trying to stop cars. Four cars passed her before a taxi stopped and she told him she had been raped, she testified. The driver took her to the local station.

After his arrest the man told gardai that he had consensual sex with the woman. He said she started touching him first and that he didn't do anything she didn't want him to do.

Under cross-examination by Ciaran O'Loughlin SC, defending, she said she wasn't sure whether she said to the taxi driver that she had been attacked or raped.

She said she did tell him my husband will never forgive me and said the driver replied it's not my fault, I was attacked. She denied that her version of events on the night was untrue or inaccurate.

Mr O'Loughlin put it to her that in the course of having sex with Okda she suddenly became horrified at what she was doing.

Okda denied to gardai that he had done anything to frighten the woman and said she had behaved in a confused way during sex.
More tests are planned on the former mother and baby home site in Tuam, in Co Galway.

The Department of Children says further geophysical surveys will begin this month at the site where infant remains were confirmed last March.
Gardai have renewed their appeal for information in their search for Yu Xin Li, who is missing from her home in Bray since June 22.

Yu is 16 years old and 5'3". She is of slight build with brown eyes and her hair is black.
Update: 8.15pm Divisions between Fianna Fail and Fine Gael are widening tonight over the Taoisach's intervention in the Jobstown case.

Last night Leo Varadkar called for an investigation into the Garda handling of the case while Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin today accused the Taoiseach of 'interfering' and setting a dangerous precedent.

Speaking tonight fellow Fianna Fail TD, Jim O'Callaghan, said he agreed.

"His (Leo Varadkar) comments clearly implied that the gardai who gave evidence in that trial ... deliberately gave false evidence. That is why we think it was unwise ... to make those comments.

Update: 1.15pm Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin has said Taoiseach Leo Varadkar's comments about the Jobstown trial set "a dangerous precedent", writes Daniel McConnell Political Editor.

Speaking in Cork today, Mr Martin has taken issue with Mr Varadkar's pointed criticisms of the Garda handling of the Jobstown protest, which saw six defendants cleared of all charges last week.

In an RTE PrimeTime interview, Mr Varadkar said that both the Gardai and Garda Commissioner Noirin O'Sullivan should now "look into" the evidence given by officers at the marathon trial.

The Taoiseach also said consideration should be given as to why the high-profile and elongated prosecution of former Anglo Irish Bank boss Sean Fitzpatrick was unsuccessful.

However speaking today, Mr Martin said the Taoiseach's public comments were "very serious" and clearly had potential implications for the Gardai involved in the trial.

"I think it (the comments) were ill-judged," he said.

"The courts process is first of all independent. The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) is independent. I think politicians need to be extremely careful when wandering into that domain," he said.

"In particular, just taking particular aspects of evidence from what was a very lengthy trial. I was concerned about the Taoiseach's comments - I think they were not fair to the Gardai who gave evidence during that trial, Mr Martin added.

Mr Martin said that the Taoiseach has left an impression - although he heavily caveats what he says, to be fair - but he nonetheless leaves the impression that maybe those Gardai didn't give the full truth in accordance with the facts."

"That is unfair and, in my view, the jury made a decision. We shouldn't second-guess the jury," the Fianna Fail leader said.

"Those who were accused were acquitted and I accept the court decision. The judge is in charge of that particular domain and the Taoiseach should not have interfered in my view. There could be other cases coming down (the tracks) in relation to that incident. He may have prejudiced such cases, he said.

Mr Martin went further saying he felt it is a very dangerous precedent to set - he has authority as Taoiseach and he was unfair to the Gardai."

"Those Gardai have their civil liberties too - they have their rights. There are all kinds of things being said on social media about them and I don't think it is on for somebody with the authority of the Taoiseach to add fuel to that and pander to those who suggested that this was some State conspiracy."

Mr Martin was speaking at University College Cork where he delivered the Jack Lynch lecture.

Update: 12.37pm Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams has said that the Gardai and the DPP have serious questions to answer regarding their handling of the Jobstown prosecution.

Mr Adams welcomed the Taoiseach Leo Varadkar's intervention saying the Garda Commissioner Noirin OSullivan should look into the evidence given by members of the force during the trial.

The Sinn Fein President said: "He (The Taoiseach) has acknowledged the need for an examination of what went on regarding the Jobstown prosecutions. That is very significant. However, it is not appropriate for the Gardai to be investigated by the Gardai. I believe the call for a public inquiry is a very reasonable demand.

"The controversy around the Jobstown prosecution and the role of the Gardai and the DPP is not an isolated incident. The Gardai and the DPP have serious questions to answer regarding the events leading up to the murder of Garda Tony Golden in Omeath in 2015. There are also grave concerns about the decisions taken by the Gardai and the DPP surrounding the hit-and-run incident that resulted in the death of Shane OFarrell outside Carrickmacross in 2011.

"Indeed, in November of last year, the then-Taoiseach Enda Kenny met the family and told them he would ask the Attorney General to request the Law Reform Commission President Mr Justice John Quirke to examine how we can reform the law to provide enhanced public understanding for significant decisions made whilst fully preserving the independence of the Director of Public Prosecutions. Nothing has materialised since that commitment was made.

Mr Adams welcomed the GSOC investigation into the Jobstown case, but pointed out that it does not have the capacity to bring criminal charges.

Mr Adams said: "Public confidence in the administration of policing and justice in this state is on the floor. Part of the process in repairing that confidence must be to ensure that citizens have the truth.

"The decisions taken by the DPP, in all the cases I have outlined, demand further scrutiny, and answers must be provided to these very important questions."

Earlier: The Garda Representative Association says calls for a public inquiry into the Jobstown case are "farcical".

An internal Garda inquiry is already underway, but those involved in the protests want it to go further.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar says he would be worried if Gardai misled the court during the trial.

John O'Keeffe from the GRA has said he is "flabbergasted" at calls for a public inquiry.

Mr O'Keeffe said: "I just couldn't help wondering how the families of Bloody Sunday, or those across the water in Hillsborough or the Grenfell Tower disaster, how would they feel that their truly tragic causes now seem somehow to get public billing beside ther acquittal of a number of men in Dublin on allegations that were made about false imprisonment?

"I mean it's farcical."
The High Court has heard objections to a legal bid by an Irish man, described by the FBI as the world's 'largest facilitator of child pornography', aimed at halting his extradition to the United States.

Eric Eoin Marques, who is alleged to be the owner and administrator of an anonymous hosting site known as Freedom Hosting, is wanted by the US authorities to face charges relating to conspiring to distribute and advertise child pornography and advertising and distributing child pornography.

The charges against Mr Marques relate to images on more than 100 anonymous websites described as being extremely violent, graphic and depicting the rape and torture of pre-pubescent children.

The 30-year-old with an address at Mountjoy Square in central Dublin, has been in custody since his arrest in August 2013.

His surrender was ordered by the High Court in December 2015, which he opposed. His appeal against that order was dismissed by the Court of Appeal.

Mr Marques also brought actions over the DPP's decision not to prosecute him in respect of the offences for which his surrender is sought. He had offered to plead guilty to the alleged offences in Ireland.

Both the High Court and the Court of Appeal dismissed that action. Last month the Supreme Court turned down Marques bid to bring an appeal on that issue before it.

An application to the European Court of Human Rights, that would have put a stay on the extradition, had also been unsuccessful, the High Court has heard.

Mr Marques has launched fresh judicial review proceedings aimed at halting his surrender over the Minister for Justice's alleged refusal to use her discretion to halt his extradition.

Previously, Micheal P OHiggins SC, for Mr Marques, has argued that his client should have access to records that were before the minister when she allegedly refused to use her discretion.

Mr Marques was not present in the High Court for today (Fridays) hearing before Ms Justice Aileen Donnelly, during which objections to the grounds for judicial review were raised.

Counsel for the Minister for Justice, Patrick McGrath SC, told the court that discovery of documents may be granted where there is a factual dispute in a case.

That is not even suggested in this case, he said.

Mr McGrath added that a judicial review is concerned with the decision-making process, not the merits of a case, and therefore discovery is not necessary.

A further objection, he told the court, was that Mr Marques' application to access the records was a "fishing-expedition".

He said that Mr O'Higgins' suggestion that the Minister may have had regard to "irrelevant considerations" amounts to "speculation, which isn't borne out by any reasonable interpretation of the facts".

The barrister said that Mr Marques has been told the basis for the decision.

He said that the Minister did not ask for the DPP's reasons to not prosecute Mr Marques in this jurisdiction. The Minister "believed it was inappropriate to ask for the DPP's reasons," Mr McGrath added.

Ms Justice Donnelly said that she would notify the parties when she is ready to give a judgement.
A 39-year-old Irishman is among those who have been injured on the first day of bullrunning in the Spanish city of Pamplona.

He was taken to hospital for treatment but his injuries are not thought to be severe.
There are calls for the Minister for Agriculture, Michael Creed, to engage immediately with tillage farmers hit by last year's bad weather.

Independent Deputy, Mattie McGrath, says Mr Creed's failure to meet with protesters at the Department's headquarters in Dublin has only fuelled their anger.
A male nurse who contacted a female patient on Whatsapp and Facebook was today found guilty of professional misconduct.

Gilbert Hategekimana was working as an agency nurse at the Mater hospital in Dublin on October 3, 2015 when the student teacher presented at the hospital's Emergency Department.

During the Nursing and Midwifery Board's fitness to practice inquiry Mr Hategekimana admitted that he took the mobile phone number and address of the student from her patient file. He then sent her messages, rang her and sent her a friend request via Facebook.

Mr Hategekimana was also found guilty of non-compliance with the nurses professional code of conduct. Sanctions will be determined at a later date.

The student, now a 24-year old primary school teacher, attended the Mater suffering from high blood sugar issues relating to Type 1 diabetes, and came under the care of Mr Hategekimana, who was employed as an agency nurse with CPL Healthcare.

The student, referred to as Patient A, remained in hospital for several days. On 14 October 2015, she attended an appointment at the Diabetes Day Centre at the Mater, and was in the waiting room when she received a WhatsApp message from Mr Hategekimana.

He texted her: Hey. How are you?

Patient A didnt recognise the number, but she recognised Mr Hategekimana from the profile picture.

Wanting to confirm whether it was him, she replied: Fine. Who is this?

Mr Hategekimana then replied: Gilbert. Remember me in Mater Emergency? When did you go home?

Patient A told a nurse about the messages, and then met with the patient liaison officer.

On 20 October 2015, Patient A received another WhatsApp message from Mr Hategekimana, which said: Im so sorry from the bottom of my heart.  I didnt mean to hurt you.

The same day, Patient A received a friend request from the nurse via Facebook and, a few moments later, received a call from a number she didnt recognised. A friend rang the number back and put it on speaker, and Patient A recognised the voice of the person who answered as that of Mr Hategekimana.

During her evidence, which she gave via Skype, Patient A said Mr Hategekimana spoke with her a little bit on the night of 3 October 2015, while he provided medical care to her. He never asked me for my personal details, she said.

She said she felt very frightened after she received the first message from him.

I felt very frightened and confused as to why he would be texting me.

I felt my privacy had been breached and violated. I never expected this to happen. I felt quite vulnerable at the time and I felt like I was left with loads of questions, she said.

Patient A said that after she received the friend request on Facebook and phone call from the nurse she felt even more violated at this stage because then I knew he had my full name.

I was afraid he would come to my address because he was so persistent. I felt very scared for my safety, she said.

She said she felt so scared that she stayed with a friend for several days. She did not receive any communication from Mr Hategekimana following this.

Mr Hategekimana trained as a nurse at St Jamess hospital in Dublin, and registered with the Nursing Board in October 2012. At the time of the incident, he was working at Beaumont Hospital, and as an agency nurse with CPL Healthcare.

The inquiry heard that he only contacted Patient A out of concern for her health, and felt that a special relationship had formed while he provided care for her in A&E.

His legal counsel, Femi Daniyan, BL, told Patient A that the nurse wished to sincerely apologise for his actions.

Its been impressed upon me by my client that he wishes to apologise to you today, Mr Daniyan told Patient A. Im saying sorry on his behalf. He appreciates that what he has done is completely wrong.

Mr Daniyan added: Hes realised his mistake and commits to it not happening again.
The 19-year-old man was arrested at Liverpool John Lennon Airport on Friday on suspicion of offences contrary to the Terrorism Act and remains in custody, Greater Manchester Police said.

A property on Thelwall Avenue in Fallowfield is being searched as part of the investigation.

Police said, as it stands, 23 people have been arrested in connection with the investigation, of which two were quickly de-arrested, and 20 were released without charge.

Anti-terror officers have already said police suspect suicide bomber Salman Abedi did not act alone and detectives want to speak to his brother in Libya.

Detective Chief Superintendent Russ Jackson, head of the North West Counter Terrorism Unit (NWCTU), said on Thursday that while detectives do not now think Abedi was part of a large network, they do suspect the involvement of others in the attack which had been planned for months.

He said officers were "engaged" with the authorities in war-torn Libya where Abedis brother, Hashem, is currently being held.

Mr Jackson said: "We dont have evidence of a large network. We do however suspect others were either aware or complicit in the knowledge of this attack."

And he did not rule out further arrests.

Abedi killed 22 people when he detonated a bomb in the foyer of Manchester Arena at the end of an Ariane Grande concert on May 22.
A woman charged with killing four of her young children and their father smiled and posed for cameras during her first court appearance before telling a judge she did not want a lawyer.

Isabel Martinez, 33, appeared before Gwinnett County Magistrate Judge Michael Thorpe a day after police said she stabbed the five to death and seriously injured another child at a home near Atlanta, Georgia.

The injured child, a nine-year-old girl, survived but remained in hospital with injuries described by police as serious.

Before the hearing, Martinez sat with other inmates and struck poses for news cameras - smiling, giving a double thumbs up, putting her hands in a prayer position and spreading her arms out wide.

As Judge Thorpe listed the charges she faces - five counts of malice murder, five counts of murder and six counts of aggravated assault - Martinez smiled, shook her head "no" and wagged her finger at him.

The judge advised her sharply not to perform for the cameras.

When the judge informed her of her right to have a lawyer, she said through a Spanish-language interpreter that she did not want one. She later added that her lawyer will always be the people and her faith.

Judge Thorpe strongly advised Martinez to hire a lawyer or allow one to be appointed for her.

Gwinnett County police said in a statement: "What prompts a person to take the life of such innocent children and her spouse is something we may never understand.

"This is a horrendous crime not only for the victims but for the extended family, neighbourhood and community."

Martinez was detained after the bodies were found inside the home in Loganville, about 30 miles east of Atlanta, Gwinnett County Police Corporal Michele Pihera told reporters at the scene on Thursday morning.

Authorities have not said if Martinez was injured or discussed a motive.

"Right now we believe we have everybody involved in this crime," Cpl Pihera said.

She confirmed that the 911 call came from a woman who was inside the home to report a stabbing. Police believe Martinez made the call.

Cpl Pihera said the caller was speaking Spanish, which initially made it difficult for 911 operators to communicate with her.

The injured girl, Diana Romero, was in serious but stable condition on Thursday evening, police said.

The four children killed were identified as Isabela Martinez, 10, Dacota Romero, seven, Dillan Romero, four, and Axel Romero, two. Their father was Martin Romero, 33.

Early indications are that a knife was used to attack the five, although a medical examiner will make the final determination about the cause of death.

Some residents in the small, largely Hispanic neighbourhood said they had no clue anything was amiss in the home until police arrived on Thursday morning.

The neighbours said the Spanish-speaking family had moved to the community recently, and their children seemed happy playing with other neighbourhood children .

- AP
Update 7.20pm: President Donald Trump opened his first meeting with Russian president Vladimir Putin on Friday by raising US concerns about Moscows meddling in the 2016 presidential election, US secretary of state Rex Tillerson said.

He said Mr Putin denied being involved.

Mr Trumps decision to confront Mr Putin directly over election interference fulfilled ardent demands by US politicians of both parties that the president not shy away from the issue in his highly anticipated meeting with Mr Putin.

Mr Trump has avoided stating unequivocally in the past that Russia interfered, even as investigations proceed into whether Mr Trumps campaign colluded with Russians who sought to help him win.

Mr Putins denial of culpability notwithstanding, he and Mr Trump agreed that the issue has become a hindrance to better relations between the two powers, said Mr Tillerson, who attended the more-than-two-hour meeting along with Russias foreign minister.

Mr Tillerson said the discussion about the election meddling was "robust and lengthy".

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Mr Tillerson said the two leaders had agreed to continue the discussion, with an eye toward securing a commitment that Russia will not interfere in US affairs in the future.

"I think the president is rightly focused on how do we move forward from something that may be an intractable disagreement at this point," Mr Tillerson said.

In their meeting, the two also discussed a ceasefire deal for southwestern Syria that was reached by Russia and the United States and first reported on Friday by The Associated Press.

Though the US and Russia have held conflicting views on Syria in the past, Mr Tillerson said Russia had an interest in seeing the Mideast nation become a stable place.

The heavily anticipated meeting has been closely scrutinised for signs of how friendly a rapport Mr Trump and Mr Putin will have.

Mr Trumps predecessor, President Barack Obama, had strained ties to Mr Putin, and Mr Trump has expressed an interest in a better US-Russia relationship.

But deep scepticism about Russia in the US and ongoing investigations into whether Mr Trumps campaign coordinated with Moscow during last years election have made a US-Russia detente politically risky for Trump.

The Putin meeting came midway through a hectic, four-day European visit for Mr Trump, who addressed thousands of Poles in an outdoor speech in Warsaw, Poland, on Thursday.

He met in Germany with Chancellor Angela Merkel, the summit host, and had dinner with two Asian allies, Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe and South Korean President Moon Jae-in, to discuss North Koreas aggression.

- AP

Update 5.11pm: The US and Russia have reached an agreement for a ceasefire in south-west Syria, according to officials.

The ceasefire is set to take effect at noon on Sunday.

Word of the ceasefire emerged as US President Donald Trump met Russian President Vladimir Putin at the G20 summit.

The deal marks a new level of involvement for the US in trying to resolve Syrias civil war.

A separate deal to create "de-escalation zones" was brokered by Russia, Turkey and Iran, but not the US.

Follow-up talks this week in Kazakhstan to finalise a ceasefire in those zones failed to reach a deal.

The US and Russia have been backing opposing sides in Syrias war.

Jordan and Israel also are part of the agreement, one official said.

The two US allies both share a border with the southern part of Syria and have been concerned about violence from the civil war spilling over the frontier.

Moscow has been supporting Syrian President Bashar Assad and Washington is backing rebels who have been fighting Assad. Both the US and Russia oppose the Islamic State group in Syria.

Previous ceasefires in Syria have collapsed or failed to reduce violence for long, and it is unclear whether this deal will be any better.

Earlier in the week, Syrias military said it was halting combat operations in the south of Syria for four days, in advance of a new round of Russia-sponsored talks in Astana. That move covered the southern provinces of Daraa, Quneitra and Sweida.

Syrias government briefly extended that unilateral ceasefire, which is now set to expire on Saturday - a day before the US-Russian deal would take effect.

The new agreement will be open-ended, one US official said, describing it as part of broader discussions with Russia on trying to lower violence in the war-ravaged country.

Officials said the US and Russia were still working out the details as Mr Trump and Mr Putin concluded their more than two-hour meeting on Friday.

The US has been wary of letting Iran gain influence in Syria - a concern shared by Israel and Jordan, neither of which wants Iranian-aligned troops massing near their territories.

A US-brokered deal could help the Trump administration retain more of a say over who fills the power vacuum left behind as Islamic State is routed from additional territory in Syria.

Though US and Russian officials had been discussing a potential deal for some time, it did not reach fruition until the run-up to Mr Trumps meeting with Mr Putin on the sidelines of the G20 summit, officials said.

- AP

President Donald Trump meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the G20 Summit today. Picture: AP

Earlier: Donald Trump has claimed there are "very positive things" in store for the US and Russia as he sat down with Vladimir Putin for a historic first meeting.

Seated next to the Russian president on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Germany, Mr Trump said it was "an honour" to be with Mr Putin.

As journalists were briefly allowed in to witness part of the meeting, the US president said that he and Mr Putin had already held "very, very good talks".

"We look forward to a lot of very positive things happening for Russia and the United States," Mr Trump said.

He offered no details about what issues he and the Russian leader had discussed, describing them only as "various things".

Mr Putin was similarly vague, telling reporters through a translator that they were discussing international problems and bilateral issues.

But he described the fact they were meeting as a positive sign in itself.

"Phone conversation is never enough," Mr Putin said, adding that he hoped the meeting would "yield positive results".

With secretary of state Rex Tillerson at his side, Mr Trump sat in front of an American flag with his hands clasped together.

Mr Putin, slightly hunched in his chair, rubbed his fingers together as he listened to Mr Trump address reporters. His foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov, sat nearby.

The highly anticipated meeting is the first between the pair, taking place under the shadow of US outrage about Russian election meddling and nagging questions about potential Trump campaign collusion.

The White House had said there was no set agenda for the session, although Mr Tillerson said the Syria war would be a key topic.

- AP
Financial advisers working at firms owned by National Australia Bank failed to clearly tell at least 150,000 clients they were recommending products that had been manufactured by the bank.

NAB has agreed to tell customers about the mistake, after the corporate regulator investigated how various NAB-owned advice businesses disclosed their business relationships to customers.

Clients of NAB-owned advice firms were not properly informed about the firms' business relationships with the bank. Credit:Carla Gottgens

The NAB-owned advisers ASIC looked at included JB Were, Meritum Financial Group, GWM Adviser Services, Apogee Financial Planning, and Godfrey Pembroke.

Advisers at these businesses were recommending financial products created by NAB, including those sold under the MLC brand.
Investors have hammered Coca-Cola Amatil on Friday after a double-shot of bad news the day before.

On Thursday it emerged that not only did supermarket giant Woolworths decline to stock its new sugar-free drink, but pizza chain Domino's was switching its beverage preference to Pepsi as part of a cost-saving drive.

The company's share price had fallen by more than 5.6 per cent to $8.44 by lunchtime on Friday following a dip of more than 3 per cent on Thursday. The price rallied to finish the day down 2.7 per cent at $8.67.

Morgan Stanley analysts described the loss of the Domino's contract as a "turning point", even though the soft drink giant could probably weather the 1 per cent loss of revenue.
A former Audi AG manager is being charged with fraud by the Justice Department for his alleged role in helping Volkswagen AG cheat US emissions standards, a person familiar with the matter said.

Giovanni Pamio is facing charges of conspiracy, fraud and violating the Clean Air Act in a criminal complaint filed in Detroit, said the person, who asked not to be named because the matter hasn't been made public. Pamio is the eighth person charged in the US case, which has cost Volkswagen more than $US24 billion in government penalties and owner restitution. He was based in Germany for Audi, which is a division of VW.

The scandal has cost Volkswagen more than $US24 billion ($31.2 billion) in US government penalties and owner restitution. Credit:Getty Images

Audi spokesman Toni Melfi declined to comment and said he couldn't provide a contact for Pamio.

Audi, which is the main profit generator at the larger carmaker, has suffered setbacks in its efforts to emerge from the emissions-cheating scandal. German prosecutors raided the company in March in connection with consumer-fraud investigations related to the case.
For all the money spent on investigating whether fast rail between Sydney and Melbourne could ever happen, the idea has always taken on a luxurious, pie-in-the-sky quality.

It's treated as the kind of project that might happen when there's more money lying around. Expensive reports giving a price tag to a fast rail track get shelved and gather dust. When companies like Consolidated Land and Rail Australia say they could build fast rail, or when a government report is tabled, the ensuing silence is a good sign of how seriously the project is taken. It gets deferred, until the next politician's thought bubble, or the next costing exercise.

Such a meandering, leisurely path to high-speed rail is possible because until now there hasn't been any deadline or threat to the project to add urgency to the debate. That changed on Friday, when Infrastructure Australia said rapid growth on the fringes of Melbourne and Sydney threatened to add billions of dollars to the cost of building a high-speed rail line between the two cities.

The agency's warning that developers could buy up the corridor within the next three to five years and jeopardise high speed rail changes the debate about the project. Hopefully it will sharpen the nation's thinking about whether it really wants a fast train.
The federal government has answered calls to release greenhouse gas pollution data it had been sitting on since last year.

Energy and Environment Minister Josh Frydenberg released the quarterly updates on Friday, less than 24 hours after a Fairfax Media exclusive revealed documents confirming the department had failed to release data for the two quarters leading up to the end of 2016.

On Friday, Mr Frydenberg announced Australia's greenhouse gas emissions had increased by 0.4 per cent in the September quarter and by 0.3 per cent in the December quarter of last year.

"Interestingly, electricity sector emissions fell by 1.3 per cent over the December quarter and fell 0.6 per cent in the September quarter as a result of the use of more hydro and less brown coal," Mr Frydenberg said.
The Greens will launch a fresh assault on the Labor Party over Adani's Carmichael coal mine on Saturday, mounting a door-knocking campaign in some of the opposition's most marginal, inner-city seats in an effort to force their hand on the potentially toxic issue.

More than 100 campaigners - including Greens leader Richard Di Natale and climate change and energy spokesman Adam Bandt - are expected to descend on the inner suburbs of Melbourne. They will target three marginal Labor seats, Peter Khalil's Wills, Michael Danby's Melbourne Ports and David Feeney's Batman, as well Mr Bandt's own electorate of Melbourne.

The Greens are on the brink of seizing the inner Melbourne seats from Labor, and they wants the federal opposition to commit to opposing the $22 billion Queensland project. While Opposition Leader Bill Shorten has expressed support for the mine if it "stacks up", several MPs and climate change and energy spokesman Mark Butler have hit out at the project.
"This is not a step that has been taken lightly," Mr Alley said. "It has been taken after considering expert legal advice from senior counsel about the constitutionality of Dr Gillespie's election in 2016. Attorney-General George Brandis says Dr Gillespie has no constitutional concerns. Credit:Andrew Meares "I don't believe I have a choice but to make this application. Over 100,000 people who voted in Lyne last year deserve to know that the member for Lyne was eligible to be elected. This is their democratic and constitutional right." Mr Alley said the government had sought to turn a blind eye to Dr Gillespie's constitutional problems and the High Court was "the most appropriate venue for it to be properly and fairly considered". Labor candidate Peter Alley is bringing a legal challenge against Nationals MP and minister David Gillespie.

The ALP has assembled a high powered legal team to argue the case, led by barristers Bret Walker, SC, and James Mack. Ray Finkelstein, QC, is assisting. If there is a byelection, the Nationals will be well-placed to retain the seat but it would be an enormous political headache for the Coalition. The seat was previously held by independent Rob Oakeshott. Assistant Health Minister David Gillespie with former Liberal leader Tony Abbott. Credit:Port Macquarie News Dr Gillespie won the seat only after Mr Oakeshott announced his retirement in 2013. Dr Gillespie and his wife, through their company Goldenboot, lease the shop space in question to a woman who is an Australia Post licensee - meaning he has no direct financial link to the postal service.

Nonetheless, prominent constitutional law expert George Williams believes Dr Gillespie has a case to answer based on the broad definition of "indirect pecuniary interest" the High Court applied in the Bob Day test case. Fellow constitutional lawyer Anne Twomey on Friday said: "You never can tell what the High Court will do." In the court's April decision, Mr Day was ruled ineligible to be elected because he had an indirect financial interest over a taxpayer-funded electorate office leased to the Department of Finance. Section 44(v) of the constitution says any person who "has any direct or indirect pecuniary interest in any agreement with the Public Service of the Commonwealth otherwise than as a member and in common with the other members of an incorporated company consisting of more than 25 persons shall be incapable of being chosen or of sitting as a senator or a member of the House of Representatives". The section is an anti-corruption measure, designed to stop people sitting in Parliament and at the same time making money through contracts with the Commonwealth. At a Senate estimates hearing on May 23, Attorney-General George Brandis revealed he had urged Dr Gillespie to seek his own legal advice on the matter. He did, from prominent Sydney barrister Guy Reynolds, SC.
An anxiety-burdened Malcolm Turnbull has ordered a supersonic private jet to remain on standby at Hamburg airport during his visit to Germany for the G20, its motors running and its pilots on 24-hour alert.

High-level sources refer to the jet as the "Barnaby and Tony Emergency Express".

Should Barnaby Joyce, who is acting prime minister while Turnbull is absent from Australia, or Tony Abbott, who is thought to have stopped taking his pills, so much as utter another word, Malcolm will offer urgent apologies to his G20 hosts and jump an Uber Black Tesla direct to the airport.
One day we will reach a point where entire business etiquette courses are taught solely using footage of US President Donald Trump trying to shake the hands of world leaders.

This time, the US President was meeting his Polish counterpart, President Andrzej Duda, in Warsaw, before his attendance at the G20 Summit in Germany, which begins on Friday.

However, it was Trump's attempted handshake with Duda's wife, Polish first lady Agata Kornhauser-Duda, which has attracted attention.

Footage appears to show Trump extending his hand to Kornhauser-Duda, a high school teacher, who walks straight past it to greet his wife, Melania Trump.
The drug industry is spending $72 million a year "educating" doctors, with one company splashing $750,000 on a weekend conference.

A new database of pharmaceutical company-funded events created by Sydney University researchers shows 42 companies shelled out $286 million on 117,000 events for doctors and nurses over a four-year period. The average cost of an event was $2500.

"This suggests an epidemic of drug company influence that is extremely unhealthy and extremely worrying," said Dr Ray Moynihan, an over-diagnosis expert at Bond University.

Swiss giant Roche organised the most expensive event each year, spending an average $750,000 on the two-day event (plus welcome dinner), the "Annual Haematology & Oncology Targeted (HOTT) symposium" for about 300 doctors.
A man has pleaded not guilty to murdering his former partner and a 17-year-old boy at a home in southern Sydney.

Stephen Boyd, 51, is charged with murdering Tina Kontozis, 51, who was found dead at Bundeena in April 2016, and assault occasioning actual bodily harm and wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm of the teenager.

Bundeena victim: Tina Kontozis. Credit:Instgram

Mr Boyd is also charged with numerous driving offences relating to an alleged police pursuit.

He pleaded not guilty to all charges at the Supreme Court in Sydney on Friday.
A Canberra man pleaded guilty earlier this week over a crime spree across NSW that included the theft of a 1971 Bedford fire truck.

Appearing via video link from Junee Correctional Centre, Steven James Babic, 34, pleaded guilty to all 22 charges against him in Queanbeyan Local Court on Tuesday.

Steven Babic covered thousands of kilometres to commit crimes throughout?NSW, the court heard.

The charges related to a series of aggravated break, enter and steal offences committed throughout southern and western NSW in December 2015 and January 2016.

Court documents showed Babic targeted safes and ATMs in NSW clubs, in towns as far ranging as Braidwood, Parkes, Tumut and Boorowa.
Gatecrashers at a birthday party in Sydney's east have punched and stomped on a 16-year-old boy, causing serious facial injuries.

Police say six to eight uninvited males entered a home in Matraville on Friday night that was hosting a 16-year-old's birthday party.

Police attend the scene of the party and attack in Matraville. Credit:Screenshot, 7 Network

After refusing to leave, they punched a 59-year-old man in the face and assaulted a 32-year-old security guard, according to police.

Other guests became involved and a 16-year-old boy, who was a guest at the party, was punched to the ground where his head and neck were stomped on before the intruders fled.
The University of Sydney's vice-chancellor Michael Spence has rejected claims that he wants to get rid of the scandal-plagued institution St Paul's, saying he has no plans to take over the residential colleges as claimed by a senior television executive and a college alumnus.

In a wide-ranging interview with Good Weekend, Channel Seven executive Bruce McWilliam, who attended St Paul's and was on its council until March, said a university-wide review of college culture being led by former sex discrimination commissioner Elizabeth Broderick was "a complete overreaction".

Bruce McWilliam and his wife Nicky at a wedding at Sydney University in May. Mr McWilliam has conducted a wide-ranging interview with Good Weekend. Credit:James Brickwood

The review follows repeated reports of sexual misbehaviour at the colleges, including the establishment of "pro-rape" Facebook page by St Paul's students, which Mr McWilliam dismissed as a "nothing issue".

"It wasn't a college site, and all the comments were left by ex-students," he said in the interview.
Dozens of guards have been locked out of Queensland's second-largest prison as tensions between staff and management escalate over safety concerns.

Queensland's entire prison system has suffered from overcrowding, with most jails as much as 20 per cent over capacity.

Prison officers protest at Arthur Gorrie Correctional Centre.

The privately run Arthur Gorrie Correctional Centre in Wacol was at 120 per cent capacity in May but staff concerns centred on the "dangerous" staffing levels.

Several stop-works have taken place in recent weeks as the United Voice union attempted to force operator GEO Group to increase staffing levels.
A Brisbane researcher has made bananas golden in an attempt to end vitamin deficiencies that causes blindness and death in children around the world.

Queensland University of Technology Distinguished Professor James Dale, backed by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, has spent the past 12 years trying to improve the levels of pro-vitamin A in bananas, a staple food of rural Uganda and greater east Africa.

Distinguished Professor James Dale worked out of labs at QUT and on far north Queensland farms to develop the golden banana. Credit:Patria Jannides

"It was part of a program called the Grand Challenges in Global Health and one of those grand challenges is alleviating micronutrient deficiencies around the world," he said.

"Somewhere around 700,000 kids under five die of vitamin A deficiency every year.
A woman has been seriously injured after a two-vehicle crash, which also forced the closure of the D'Aguilar Highway in the Moreton Bay region.

Emergency services were called to the scene near the intersection with Raaen Road in D'Aguilar about 12.30pm.

The D'Aguilar Highway has been closed and woman taken from the scene in a serious condition. Credit:Jorge Branco

The highway was quickly closed, as paramedics stabilised a woman before taking her to the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital in a serious condition with leg injuries.

Australian Traffic Network reporter Adam Smith said there were "pretty horrid conditions out there" and described the crash as "a nasty one" after receiving a call from a passing motorist.
Top cyber security experts have thrown their weight behind Apple and Google's privacy defence, saying users' encrypted communications data should stay private and turning it over to police would not help fight terrorism.

At the INTERPOL World Conference held in Singapore this week, Eugene Kaspersky, founder of global security firm Kaspersky Lab, rejected Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull's suggestion that technology giants should better co-operate with police by sharing digital behaviour of some of their customers.

Eugene Kaspersky, chairman and CEO of Kaspersky Lab. Credit:Reuters

"I don't believe disclosing communications and making connections between different people would help fight terrorists," Mr Kaspersky told AFR Weekend. "Terrorists simply ignore open communications and it is impossible for forbid all cryptographic systems.

"The citizen has already lost so much privacy, they give so much of themselves. Besides, really smart law enforcement agencies use different data analysis to target malicious actors. Knowing what is inside individual messages is not that important, and criminals will always use different encrypted platforms to communicate. Products should be made secure, not with secret ways to break them."
Dressmaker The Phong Vuong may have been murdered up to 11 days before his body was found inside his Deer Park home.

The 49-year-old man ran his business out of his Erin Square house, and police say they now want to speak to anyone who may have had business dealings with Mr Vuong.

He was found dead from gunshot wounds on June 26.

Police said he was last seen on June 15, 11 days before neighbours and a visitor found his body.
The Perth man who shoved a pie in Qantas boss Alan Joyce's face over gay marriage 'propaganda' has been fined $3600 following the highly publicised stunt back in May.

Tony David Overheu appeared in Perth Magistrates Court on Friday afternoon where he pleaded guilty to charges of trespassing at the Grand Ballroom of the Hyatt Regency Hotel, damage to a microphone, common assault and giving false details to police.

He was fined a total of $3600 and was granted a spent conviction.

The 67-year-old was caught on film emerging from behind a curtain at a business breakfast event on May 9 at the hotel, at which Mr Joyce was delivering a speech.
Appeals to normally generous Australians to donate towards the desperate African food crisis are falling on deaf ears.

"In 2012, when we had a similar level of displacement and drought in east Africa, we had a significant profile, and despite a big effort this time, it just doesn't cut through," said Stefan Knollmayer, manager of CARE Australia's emergency response unit.

Nyereka Maliyah, 20, with her one-year-old baby Dictor Geng. Dictor is being treated at the CARE stabilisation point at Bentiu Hospital in South Sudan. Credit:Kate Geraghty

About 20 million people could starve across South Sudan, Nigeria, Yemen and Somalia as a result of drought or conflict. In South Sudan, conflict has driven millions from their homes into camps or across the border into Ethiopia.

But CARE Australia says that since famine was declared in South Sudan in March, the agency has raised just $113,000 for its East Africa Hunger Crisis appeal. By comparison, during the last African famine six years ago it raised $1.68 million in six months.
Washington: As the world examined the first face-to-face encounter between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Group of 20 summit, the internet turned its attention to a different interaction between two world leaders.

Cameras captured a candid exchange between Mr Putin and German Chancellor Angela Merkel - one that is as humourous as it is fleeting. Mr Putin, with one hand in his pocket and the other emphatically gesturing, appears to be discussing a topic that Mrs Merkel seems to find less than riveting based on her reaction.

One thing that we can't assume is that the two were speaking German, a language that Mr Putin, a former KGB spy who lived in East Germany from 1985 to 1990, speaks fluently. Dr Merkel also speaks Russian.

The internet wasted no time in guessing the conversation topic that prompted Mrs Merkel's eye roll.
Three sites in the UK will be linked up via 5G test beds for the first time thanks to 16m investment from the Government. The funding, announced by Minister for Digital Matt Hancock today, will bring three leading universities together for the development of the world's first trials of end-to-end 5G system.

Three sites in the UK will be linked up via 5G test beds for the first time thanks to 16m investment from the Government.

The funding, announced by Minister for Digital Matt Hancock today, will bring three leading universities together for the development of the worlds first trials of end-to-end 5G system.

The investment will fund leading edge technological developments at each of the three universities, linking all three sites through cutting edge design and research, and will see all three work in partnership to keep the UK at the forefront of 5G technology development.

Bristol University will deploy 5G capability in the extensive Smart City and Smart Campus test beds in the city, targeting full 5G and fibre infrastructure convergence. Bristol will also contribute to the key Software Defined Network technologies for end-to-end 5G service delivery. Public demonstrators will be the focus of delivery, targeting media, gaming and transport applications.

Kings College London is driving the vision for ultra-low latency 5G tactile internet developments with Internet of Skills applications. Through the Kings College London 5G Tactile Internet Lab, the university is also pioneering several important 5G co-design approaches with various industries, including smart cities, smart transport, performing arts and health.

The University of Surreys 5G Innovation Centre (5GIC) will lead the project and develop 5G radio technologies and a fully virtualised mobile core network at 3.5GHz and 700 MHz frequency bands for enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB) and Ultra Reliable Low Latency Communications (URLLC).

Minister for Digital Matt Hancock said:

We want to be at the head of the field in 5G. This funding will support the pioneering research needed to ensure we can harness the potential of this technology to spark innovation, create new jobs and boost the economy.

We know 5G has the potential to bring more reliable, ultrafast mobile connectivity, with quicker reaction times and larger data capabilities, and Im thrilled to announce Kings College London and the universities of Surrey and Bristol have agreed to collaborate on this project.

The 5G Hub will be integrated at the system level and connected across the three university sites. It will build sufficient capability and capacity for further nationwide test and trials of 5G technologies and advanced applications.

The initial end-to-end testing will be carried out early next year across the three Universities sites. It will be ready for connection of external test beds and applications across the UK. An important aspect of the 5G Hub will be the test bed, which will develop innovative solutions for the operation and management of 5G networks with new levels of efficiency and resilience.

Professor Dimitra Simeonidou, Director of the Smart Internet Lab at the University of Bristol and Chief Scientific Officer for Bristol Is Open, said: University of Bristol has an international reputation for research on telecommunications and has recently demonstrated pioneering research on 5G technologies and networks. This exciting new partnership and investment will leverage the Universitys plans for investment in Smart City infrastructure and the Temple Quarter Enterprise Campus, which aims to create more opportunities for the regions businesses and citizens.

Professor Mischa Dohler, Head of the Centre for Telecommunications Research at Kings, said: Kings is a university within an international community that serves the world and through this alliance we will continue to research to inform and innovate as we carry out world-leading and outward-looking research focused on meeting societal need.

Were delighted to be part of this unique partnership, which allows us to make substantial contributions to the UK and global 5G innovation ecosystem which otherwise would not have been possible. This activity is part of a major expansion of our engineering and business activities on our Strand Campus, enabled by the acquisition of Bush House, the former headquarters of the BBC World Service.

Professor Rahim Tafazolli, Director of the 5GIC at the University of Surrey, said: As the Hub leader from 5GIC at the University of Surrey, it is really exciting to be collaborating with our colleagues to develop this national asset that can mobilise intense testing and trials for mobile broadband as well as other applications such as connected and autonomous cars, new games, connected health and many more applications. We already have a proven track record of developing, trialling and testing 5G technology here at the 5GIC, and this will see us grow that across the country to further develop and realise the end-to-end 5G.

The test bed will benefit the UKs 5G ecosystem by enabling trials of secure, interoperable technology and services, hardened against cyber-attack.

The 5G Hub will be the foundation to create and support projects in multiple areas, such as connected cars and autonomous driving, Industry 4.0, Health and many others, addressing major socio-economic and productivity challenges.

The 5G Hub will use collaborative partnership of working between the three Universities to develop the described 5G capabilities, but ready for expansion to include other organisations from next year onwards.
Airman 1st Class Jacob Skovo/Air Force(WASHINGTON) -- Two U.S. bombers flew over the East and South China Seas on Thursday in a direct challenge to China.



The B-1B Lancers flew from Andersen Air Force Base in Guam to the East China Sea, linking up with Japanese fighters in what was the first time U.S. Pacific Command-directed Lancers conducted training with Japanese partners at night, according to the Air Force.



The training mission occurred the day before President Trump and Chinese President Xi met at the G-20 summit in Germany.



Flying over the East China Sea challenges China's Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ), a 200-mile airspace off the coast of China that requires aircraft to identify themselves.



The U.S. does not recognize China's ADIZ in the East China Sea. It does, however, recognize those of South Korea and Japan.



This is not the first time the U.S. has flown B-52 bombers over the East China Sea to oppose China's restrictions on that airspace.



In a further challenge to China, the B-1B Lancers and Japanese fighters continued their flight south over the South China Sea where China claims the Spratly Islands.



The Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam and Taiwan all claim to occupy portions of the island chain. This area of ocean is valuable for its fisheries and possible oil and gas reserves. In recent years, China has been building ports, runways and radar facilities on several of the manmade islands, a move other nations have condemned.



For its part, the U.S. has continuously sailed through and flown over the South China Sea to ensure its right of passage through international waters and airspace.



"The recent mission demonstrates how the U.S. will continue to exercise the rights of freedom of navigation anywhere international law allows," Pacific Air Force said in a statement on Friday. "These actions are consistent with long-standing and well-known U.S. freedom of navigation policies that are applied to military operations around the world."

Copyright  2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
United States Australia Hong Kong Canada United Kingdom

Global real estate investment from Chinese nationals is expected to hit $104.5bn this year, according to a new report from property portal Juwai.com.These figures are lower than the record highs of 2016 when China poured $133.7bn into property across the world. Australia received the second largest share of this outflowing capital, Juwais Chinese Global Property Investment Report found.For specific amounts invested in Australian property, data from the Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB) found that Chinese buyers were approved to purchase $23.8bn of property in 2015-2016 and $18.4bn in 2014-2015.Juwais estimate of $104.5bn is calculated from real estate purchases made by both corporate and individual investors and is based on the firms own data as well as that of industry and government.This is the first time in history that Chinese buyers acquired more than AU$130bn of international real estate, said Sue Jong, chief of operations for Juwai.com. The 2016 total represents a 25.4% increase over 2015 and an 845% increase over five years. Our forecast suggests 2017 will also be one of the top three years on record.Although investment flows in Australia had dropped significantly from their peak, they still remained strong by historic standards, she said. This decrease has been helped by tighter capital controls, bank lending standards and higher foreign buyer taxes.Jong expected significant Chinese investment in the years to come and told Australian Broker that Australias share of that money would remain more or less the same.However, it's too early to predict what exactly will happen over the next 10 years. What we can say is that we are confident that if current trends are maintained, Chinese real estate investment in Australia in 2017 will be about the same as 2015.Last year, the top five countries for Chinese investment by dollar amount were as follows:Australia has maintained the second spot for the past four years, Jong said. While this could change, she predicted that the country would retain this ranking in the years to come.Overall, Chinese investment globally remains at relatively high levels, she said.Current trends suggest that Chinese property investment this year will be on par with the levels of 2015, or about $105bn. That would make 2017 one of the top two or three years in history. While levels are lower than in 2016, they will still be extremely high by any standard, Jong said.A conservative estimate for Chinese investment over the next decade is more than $2trn across the globe, she continued, with half of these investment dollars possibly going into property.
Over 1,200 mail-in votes added to Montco totals; Bucks still in limbo

Two of Montgomery County's three commissioners said they did not support disenfranchising more than 1,200 voters because of a handful of rule breakers
In the latest episode of Fear the Walking Dead, Red Dirt, Madison appears to be using Troy and attempting to take over as leader of the ranch. Weve seen her try to do this before at the hotel, but she failed when Travis went crazy. So, will she succeed this time around? And what is her goal after that, besides staying alive?

Fear the Walking Dead Recap: Can Madison Manipulate Troy to Keep Her Family Safe?>>>

Revenge

Madison is in mourning. Someone killed Travis and she wants that person or people to pay. She believes its the Indians, and it appears shes using the ranch as her sort of army to take down that group. I know that anger, hurt and pain can drive a person to get stronger, and even do things they normally wouldnt do, but I have to wonder if there is something else going on with Madison. Revenge cant be her end goal, because what happens if she does successfully usurp Jeremiah, Troy and Jake? She would be leader of the ranch, but she has no experience leading a group. She was a school counselor before the apocalypse, so perhaps she can use those experiences. But it takes a strong person to lead, and I just dont think Madison is ready.

Security

Perhaps Madison is just getting people on her side because she wants to stay at the ranch. Maybe she thinks theres security there. But I know shes leery of the Ottos, which is why she wants to take over the reigns. She knows that Jeremiah is a little off his rocker with his end of the world propaganda and tendencies toward domestic violence. She also knows that Troy is crazy, but easy to control. And Jake is just trying to keep the peace. Perhaps Jake could be her key, but now that Alicia has taken a liking to Jake, things could get messy.

Though things seem secure at the ranch, its clear its not safe. The Indians want their land back, and they will kill anyone in their way. Madison feels that if the community at the ranch joins her in the fight to save their land, then she can get not only the security that she wants back, but perhaps shell get the groups respect.

Power

Madison likes to control people. She likes for people to view her a certain way. Before the apocalypse, Madison was caring for her drug-addicted son, but she didnt want people to know who he was. She controls her daughter too. But both of her children are realizing that sometimes Madison doesnt always know best. Nick left the first Mexican compound they stayed at because he didnt agree with Madisons plans and thinking. Alicia stayed, but during their time at the Mexican resort, she quickly realized she wasnt number one in her mothers eyes, Nick and Travis were.

Thought her children are back together with her at the ranch, they still seem to be slipping away. Alicia is exploring her options with Jake, while Nick is torn between staying with his family or going out to find his lover Luciana. Madison realizes this, and I guess feels like she needs to take better control of the situation by leading the ranch community into a battle they may or may not be ready for. She feels like she can gain power that way.

Normalcy

Maybe Madisons end goal is to get her life back to normal, whatever that is now. Perhaps she feels like if she can take over the ranch and keep the land safe from the Indians, then maybe everyone can live in peace and harmony.

But every Walking Dead fan knows that normalcy and peace dont last very long. There are always more groups out there, some good and some bad.

Quiz: Which Walking Dead Character Are You?>>>

Possibilities

So what will happen if Madison does successfully take over the ranch? Will the community members respect her? Will they cooperate and agree with her decisions?

And if she doesnt succeed, what happens then? Will she and her family leave the community? Perhaps shell just have to leave. Maybe Alicia will choose to stay with Jake, while Nick will search for Luciana. And then Madison will be alone. Would she be able to survive on her own?

The possibilities for Madison are endless. I honestly think she wont be successful, and somehow her meddling will make things worst for the Ottos and their community, as it did with the resort. I just cant see her leading an entire community the same way Rick does on the Walking Dead.

Im sure the mid-season 3 finale will answer some questions as to Madisons end goal, and if shell be successful in whatever plan shes got cooking.

What do you think Madisons end goal is? Do you think she would make a good leader of the ranch? Do you think thats even what she wants? Do you think she will successfully save the ranch from an Indian takeover? Let us know in the comments below.

Fear the Walking Dead airs Sundays at 9/8c on AMC. Want more news? Like BuddyTVs The Walking Dead Facebook page.

(Image courtesy of AMC)
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NJ man pushing shopping cart across America to help homeless vets

Morris County native Tommy Pasquale said he wanted to do something impossible. So he set off on a 3,000-mile journey from the Jersey Shore.
I havent been watching any movies lately as Im currently road tripping across American East Coast for the very first time in my life. But I have had more than a pit stop at Washington DC where I decided to visit art galleries the size of Texas across the nations capital.
With hope of getting a special economic zone (SEZ) in West Bengal fading away, information technology (IT) major on Thursday said it was working on an alternative plan to set up a second campus in the state.
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American cult bike brand Indian Motorcycle on Friday reduced prices of three of its models in India by up to Rs 2.21 lakh after implementation.

Polaris India, which sells the brand in the country, said the price reduction in the three models -- Indian Scout, Indian Dark Horse and Indian Chief Classic -- ranges between 9 per cent and 12 per cent.

The post price of Indian Scout model will be Rs 12.99 lakh as against Rs 14.75 lakh earlier, a reduction of 12 per cent, the company said in a statement.

Similarly, the Indian Dark Horse model will now be tagged at Rs 21.25 lakh, down 9 per cent from Rs 23.4 lakh before.

The Indian Chief Classic model will cost Rs 21.99 lakh in the era, down 9 per cent from Rs 24.2 lakh earlier, it added.

Indian Motorcycle sells a total of nine models in India.

Other two-wheeler manufacturers TVS Motor Company, Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India, Hero MotoCorp, Bajaj Auto, Royal Enfield, Yamaha and Suzuki Motorcycle have already cut prices to pass on GST benefits to consumers.

Likewise, passenger vehicles makers Nissan, Skoda, Isuzu Motors, Tata Motors, Renault, Mahindra & Mahindra, Honda Cars India, Ford, Maruti Suzuki, Toyota Jaguar Land Rover, BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi have also cut prices of their vehicles in India following implementation of GST on July 1.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Joint-ventures have a finite shelf life. It is best to look at them as an entry-strategy, no more. But this is a difficult perspective for Indian partners to understand.

Disclaimer: Views expressed are personal. They do not reflect the view/s of Business Standard.
The Chennai-based Shriram Capital and IDFC Bank are set to begin 90 days of exclusive negotiations next week for an all-stock merger that could create a Rs 60,000-crore financial powerhouse, with both groups filling gaps in each others businesses.

According to an investment banking source, the lending business of the Shriram group, which includes listed such as Shriram Transport Finance and Shriram City Union Finance, could be merged with IDFC Bank, while the unlisted life and general insurance could be merged with IDFC.

Post-merger, both Shriram Capital, the holding company of the group, and the BSE-listed IDFC will emerge as holding of the new entity.

A board meeting of Shriram Capital has been called on Saturday to discuss the merger. IDFC Bank and IDFC did not inform the stock exchanges of any board meetings till Thursday evening.

If the merger fructifies, it will provide liquidity to Piramal Enterprises 2014 investment of Rs 2,014 crore for a 20 per cent stake in the unlisted Shriram Capital.

The Piramal group had started investing in the Shriram group by acquiring a 10 per cent stake in Shriram Transport Finance Company for Rs 1,636 crore in 2013. Shriram Transport Finance Company has a Rs 30,000-crore truck financing business.

A year later, the Piramal group invested another Rs 790 crore in Shriram City Union, a consumer and gold finance company, for a 10 per cent stake.

In 2015, Ajay Piramal finally took over as chairman of Shriram Capital. Rajesh Laddha, former chief financial officer of Piramal Enterprises, was appointed managing director and chief executive officer of the company last month.

After merger, Piramal Enterprises would not be able to own more than a 10 per cent stake in the merged entity under the Reserve Bank of Indias norms on corporates owning stakes in banks, said a banking source.

The merger with Shriram Capital will help the IDFC group to meet its financial inclusion targets and increase its retail portfolio. IDFC Banks loan portfolio is made up predominantly of corporate and infrastructure advances.

With problems in the infrastructure sector and tepid demand for corporate credit, the bank has been aggressively looking at the retail and SME (small and medium enterprises) segments to expand business.

An IDFC Bank statement said the bank kept evaluating opportunities and if anything concrete fructified it would inform the stock exchanges. At this point, there is nothing that can be disclosed, it said in a statement to the stock exchanges. Under the circumstances, we are unable to confirm or deny the reports. Meanwhile, we cannot comment on market speculations, it added. A similar statement was issued by the Shriram groups listed companies.

The stock prices of all the companies reacted positively following reports of the merger talk on Thursday.

Piramal Enterprises shares were up 4.5 per cent to Rs 2,938 a share and its market capitalisation crossed Rs 50,000 crore.

The stock price of IDFC, the holding company of IDFC Bank, was flat at Rs 60 a share, while IDFC Banks shares were up 1.7 per cent.

Among the Shriram group companies, the Shriram Transport Finance Company stock was up 1.2 per cent, while Shriram City Union Finance was down by 1 per cent.

Taking into account todays market capitalisation, the merger will create a Rs 60,000 crore plus entity. Shriram Capital and its operating entities have a customer base of over 12 million, more than 60,000 employees in 3,000 offices, net profit of Rs 2,200 crore and assets under management in excess of Rs 90,000 crore. Its chit fund business is housed directly under the Shriram Ownership Trust and is not expected to be affected by the merger.
(India), a supply chain solutions provider for information technology (IT) and non-IT products and a major distributor of Apple products in the country, has said that growth in the non-Apple smartphone distribution business has started contributing to its mobility business significantly.
After five long years of trying to champion the online-only model of selling furniture to Indian consumers, has decided to break character by launching its first offline experience centre in Bengaluru.

The centre represents Urban Ladder's first big bet in offline retail where it plans to invest around $10-15 million over a period of one year. According to the company, its entry into the offline sector became inevitable as the size of the online market turned out to be smaller than what was predicted earlier.
Trouble is mounting for India's carrier after reports said paintings worth over Rs 750 crore went missing from Air India's Mumbai headquarters on Thursday.

The paintings included work by prominent artists such as MF Husain and Jatin Das. "They were kept in a hall in the headquarters," reported The Quint

While has not yet confirmed media reports, it has initiated an inquiry to verify allegation about the theft of paintings from its vast collection. "As regards the painting mentioned... the matter is being inquired into and details should also be available shortly," the airline said in a statement.

Sources told India Today , the paintings could have gone off the radar and entered the black market for famous works when the airport terminus building was shifted.

Mystery of the missing paintings

The theft came to light after painter Jatin Das was contacted by a curator to verify a piece of work he had done for prior to its sale. Das had painted it in 1991 and till a few years ago, it was hanging at the Air India lounge in the International Airport in Mumbai. Das claimed that one of his paintings commissioned by Air India had gone missing and was available on the open market, which, he said, could be a result of "indifference, negligence and theft".The horizontal oil painting is titled 'Flying Apsara'. It was commissioned in 1991 by Air India.

Das is now looking for answers on how a 3 feet x 6 feet painting reached the art market when it was part of Air India's collection.

"Jatin Das has recently written a letter (June 24, 2017) to the CMD (Air India) asking for photographs and details of the paintings in our collection that were made by him," Air India said in a statement.

"This information is being compiled and would be sent to him shortly."

India Today, quoting sources, said Air India at one time had 7,000 odd paintings and artefacts, and the ongoing audit has so far tracked only 3,500 odd pieces in the Mumbai headquarter of Air India and in other Air India offices, according to India Today.

The allegation of missing artworks against the carrier come at a time the Cabinet has given an in-principle approval for disinvestment of Air India, which is under a debt of Rs 52,000 crore.

Air India Museum

Two years ago, Air India had decided to throw open for public viewing the wealth of paintings and artefacts it had collected over the past six decades in its offices in India and across the world. The collections included works by the biggest names of Indian art including Arpana Caur, Anjolie Ela Menon, B Prabha, KA Ara, MF Husain and V S Gaitonde.
India's aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya, Japan's largest warship JS Izumo and super- carrier Nimitz of the US will be part of the Malabar exercise, a mega naval war game beginning Monday, amid increased Chinese activities in the Indian Ocean.

A number of other frontline ships, submarines and fighter jets of the three countries will be part of the over week-long drill in the Bay of Bengal which is taking place in the backdrop of a major military face-off between armies of India and China in the Sikkim section.

China has deployed a surveillance ship to keep an eye on the while the Indian Navy has detected deployment of increasing number of Chinese warships in the Indian Ocean Region.

Beijing has been suspicious about the purpose of Malabar exercises as it feels that the annual war game is an effort to contain its influence in the Indo-Pacific region.

American Navy's guided-missile cruiser USS Princeton, guided-missile destroyers USS Howard and USS Shoup and USS Kidd will be part of the drill, as per a statement by the US Embassy here.

A P-8A Poseidon aircraft, designed for surveillance and anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare and a Los Angeles- class fast-attack submarine will participate in the exercise.

The US Navy's USS Nimitz is a supercarrier and one of the largest warships in the world.

The Indian Navy's two Shivalik class multi-role frigates a Kora class missile frigate, two destroyes, P8I maritime surveillance aircraft, anti-submarine warfare corvettes, tanker INS Jyoti and nuclear submarine will also be part of the exercise, official sources said.

However, the major highlight will be participation of the over 44,000-tonne aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya with its Mig 29Ks onboard.

Japan is sending its carrier JS Izumo and destroyer JS Sazanami for the drill.

"Each iteration of this exercise helps to advance the level of understanding between our Sailors, and we hope to be able to continue this process over time.

"As members of Indo-Asia-Pacific nations, our maritime forces are natural partners, and we look forward to continuing to strengthen our bonds and personal relationships," the US Embassy said.

The exercise will cover activities like combined carrier strike group operations, maritime patrol and reconnaissance operations, surface and anti-submarine warfare.

It will also include aspects like medical operations, damage control, special forces operation, explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) and helicopter operations.

The aim of the is to achieve deeper military ties and greater interoperability among the three navies in the strategically-important Indo-Pacific region.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Maharashtra Chief Minister on Friday escaped unhurt in a freak incident that saw his helicopter allegedly start taking off and tilting over him as he waited near its door.

Seeing the chopper tilt over the chief minister, his security personnel rushed and pulled him away to safety, said an official. The chief minister's office, however, denied occurrence of any such incident, saying there was no accident at all.

But the official insisted, When Fadnavis was near the helicopter door, it began taking off and tilted sideways. The alert security personnel rushed to put the CM out of harm's way, he added.

Fadnavis had gone to Raigad on Friday to attend the birthday celebrations of Peasants and Workers Party of India leader Jayant Patil and to inaugurate an auditorium.

The chief minister's office issued a statement to refute the occurrence incident.

"Rumours are being spread that the CM's helicopter was involved in an accident. There was no such accident. People should not believe rumours," it said. In case it occurred, it was the second chopper incident involving Fadnavis in just over a month.

On May 25, Fadnavis had a narrow escape when his chopper got entangled in overhead wires and crash-landed in Latur district of Maharashtra after the pilot tried to descend due to bad weather soon after the take-off.

Friday's alleged incident came after an initial probe conducted by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) last month into the crash-landing of Fadnavis chopper in Latur district found prima-facie lapses on the part of the pilot.

"The pilot failed to assess the load on the helicopter on a day of high temperature. Since heat makes it harder for a chopper/aircraft to get off the ground, he should not have taken off with almost full load," an AAIB official had said.

The state government's six-year-old Sikorsky chopper was damaged beyond repair in the May 25 accident.
After the clashes on June 17, in which three supporters of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha were killed in police firing and many others injured, an indefinite strike was announced in the hills of Darjeeling. The renewed demand for a separate state of Gorkhaland left the tourists scurrying home, while all commercial establishments and educational institutions shut down. Vehicles also stayed off the roads. Instead of the packs of tourists, the hill streets now only had khaki-clad security forces marching on them.
India is not "entitled" to make claims on behalf of Bhutan, a commentary by a state-run news agency today said, asserting that Doklam area in Sikkim sector where the Indian and Chinese soldiers are having face-off belongs to China.

After a three-week stand-off with China on Chinese territory, India should immediately pull back its trespassing troops, the commentary by Xinhua news agency said.

The timing of the commentary coincided with the G-20 meeting in Hamburg, Germany being attended by Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"The face-off was caused by Indian border guards who crossed the border at the Sikkim section into Chinese territory and obstructed routine road construction in the Doklam area of China's Tibet Autonomous Region," said the Xinhua commentary, the second in the last few days.

It said that by creating disputes in Doklam, India seeks to obstruct border negotiations between China and Bhutan, and follow its own "ulterior motives" in the area.

"The claim cannot hold water. Doklam has long been under the effective jurisdiction of China. Both Bhutan and China have a basic consensus on the functional conditions and demarcation of their border region," the commentary said.

"Moreover, India has no right to interfere in China- Bhutan boundary issues, nor is it entitled to make territorial claims on behalf of Bhutan," it said.

India's current actions have not only "encroached on China's territorial sovereignty, but also impaired the independence of Bhutan", one of the world's smallest countries, which is closely allied with India, it said.

"Chinese construction is being conducted within its own territory. It is India that has broken the status quo by trespassing onto Chinese soil. It is not acceptable to any sovereign country that India has crossed a demarcated border into another country on the grounds of its "security concerns," it said.

Indian troops should immediately withdraw to the Indian side of the border as a precondition for any meaningful dialogue between the two countries, it said.

"It is clear that if the 'Chinese Dragon' and the 'Indian Elephant' co-exist harmoniously and achieve peaceful, cooperative development, it will benefit not only their combined 2.7 billion people, but also those living beyond their borders," it said.

"Otherwise, a spiral of bilateral rivalry would definitely result in a slowdown in their growth", it said.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Murder is easy but parenting is hard in advertising filmmaker Ravi Udyawars debut feature. Mom is the latest in a series of rape and sexual assault revenge dramas, but it tries to rise above its shocking subject matter by looking at the subject from on high (literally so: top-angle shots are plenty). The rape that triggers Devakis righteous wrath is suggested but never shown  an eye in the sky follows an SUV that contains four men and Devakis 18-year-old daughter Arya (Sajal Ali) and interminably winds down deserted streets. As a capsule of agony and unspeakable violence, its one of the most effective scenes in the movie, second only to Devakis anguished howls after she sees her daughters tattered body in the hospital.
A Gurgaon-based company that owns the Blackberrys clothing brand has fallen prey to a ransomware attack, the Hindustan Times reported. The company's servers were hacked by the attackers, who demanded Rs 25 lakh to be paid in Bitcoins.
Police and Indian Police Service (IPS) officers are routinely transferred. While its within the rights of a government to do so, the practice is most common after a regime change. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanaths arrival was no different.
China said on Thursday it was absurd for India to use the excuse of Chinese road-building to cross over their border, and accused India of militarising its side of the frontier.
Bombay High Court last week ruled that once an arbitrator is appointed at the request of a disputing party and he recuses from the post, the ...
The (RBI) on Thursday held that banks are responsible for liability arising out of any unauthorised electronic banking transactions that cause distress to customers. The regulator also said that a customer will have to inform banks about such transactions within a reasonable time period.
US President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin held their first face-to-face meeting today at a G20 summit marred by violent protests and a rift between America and its Western allies over climate change and trade.

"We look forward to a lot of very positive things happening for Russia, for the United States and for everyone concerned," Trump said. "It's an honour to be with you."



Putin told the US leader: "I'm delighted to be able to meet you personally Mr President. And I hope as you have said, our meeting will yield concrete results."



The blockbuster encounter could sway issues ranging from the North Korean crisis and conflicts in Syria and Ukraine to US-Russian disarmament treaties, world trade and global warming, analysts say.

Public images of the interaction between the brash property tycoon and ice-cool ex-KGB agent are likely to be dissected frame by frame for any sign of rapprochement or estrangement.

How the "contrasting styles of machismo interact... Will likely be the defining feature of their relationship," noted Derek Chollet from think-tank German Marshall Fund.

Normally a ripple-free event in the diplomatic calendar, this year's G20 summit in the German port city of Hamburg promises to be one of the stormiest in the forum's history.

Trump's "America First" approach on trade and his climate-sceptic stance are straining relations with longstanding allies, especially in Europe.

And his tough response to North Korea's missile programme  an issue where Russia and China are urging calm  throws a further volatile ingredient into the mix.

Outside the heavily guarded G20 conference hall, protesters wreaked havoc, blocking US First Lady Melania Trump at her residence as demonstrators torched cars, smashed shop windows, fired flares at police helicopters and even slashed tyres on vehicles belonging to the Canadian delegation.

The violence forced Hamburg police to call in reinforcements from other German states, and G20 organisers to drastically curtail an official programme for spouses of visiting dignitaries.

"The Hamburg police could not give us clearance to leave," said the first lady's spokeswoman, Stephanie Grisham, explaining why she had been forced to miss a cruise tour.

On the presidential election campaign trail last year, Trump said he hoped relations with Putin could be rebuilt after Russia's acrimonious ties with his predecessor Barack Obama.

But Moscow faces mounting accusations that it interfered in the election to help propel Trump into the White House. As a result, Trump faces pressure at home and from US allies to take a combative tone.

In a key speech in Warsaw yesterday, Trump fired a rare salvo of criticism at Russia, but did not name Putin specifically.

"We urge Russia to cease its destabilising activities in Ukraine and elsewhere, and its support for hostile regimes  including Syria and Iran  and to instead join the community of responsible nations in our fight against common enemies and in defence of civilisation itself," he told a cheering crowd of about 10,000 people.

Trump is joined at the Putin meeting only by Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and a translator, an extraordinarily small cast list that raised concerns among experts.

"Neither Tillerson or Trump have any experience of foreign policy. That is one reason why they need pros in the room when meeting Putin," said Thomas Wright of the Brookings Institution.

North Korea's successful test of an intercontinental ballistic missile this week also casts a dark shadow over the US leader's first G20 summit.

Trump had warned Thursday that Pyongyang's military sabre-rattling would bear "consequences", saying he was considering a "severe" response to its "very, very bad behaviour".

After repeatedly urging Beijing to ratchet up the economic pressure on North Korea, Trump will hold what promises to be a testy meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the G20's sidelines.

Beyond the complex diplomatic waltz, the US leader also faces tough talks in the main G20 conference room, where a united front is forming against his dismissive attitude to global warming.

Trump may have vowed to pull the US out of the 2015 Paris climate protection accord, but G20 host German Chancellor Angela Merkel stressed that "many many other countries want to go on implementing" it.

"We are not going to paper over the differences but rather, we will call discord discord," said Merkel.

British Prime Minister Theresa May, meanwhile, said world leaders will redouble efforts over the two-day summit to persuade Trump to rejoin the Paris deal.

"I believe the collective message that will be given to President Trump around this table will be the importance of America coming back into that agreement, and I hope we will be able to work to ensure that can happen," she told the BBC.
The G20 Summit began on Friday in this port city as world leaders assembled to discuss fight against terrorism and ways to improve open trade while Prime Minister Narendra Modi met his counterparts from the BRICS bloc.

While host German Chancellor Angela Merkel welcomed the leaders to open the 12th G20 Summit, a separate meeting of BRICS leaders took place on the sidelines.

The official details of the BRICS meet could not be immediately ascertained.

Outside the Summit venue, violent protests continued by various rights groups, including anti-capitalist groupings. The police had to resort to water canons, tear gas and pepper spray.

Modi reached here last evening and has bilateral meetings lined up with various leaders, including from Japan, South Korea and Vietnam.

Modi will participate in the leaders' retreat and the sessions on Global Growth and Trade and on Sustainable Development, Climate and Energy. Later in the evening, he will attend a concert for leaders at Elphilharmonie.

This port city has been converted into a fortress for the Summit, which is being attended by 4,800 journalists from more than 67 countries.

Fighting terrorism, climate change and global trade are expected to be the key areas of discussion at the two-day Summit, whose theme is 'Shaping an Inter-connected World'. The meet is taking place at a time when differences have emerged among several leaders expected to be present -- mostly on publicly stated views of US President Donald Trump -- including on issues like climate change and open trade.

Russia's Vladimir Putin, Turkey's Recep Tayyip Erdogan, France's Emmanuel Macron and the UK's Theresa May will be participating in the Summit.

While Hamburg happens to be city of birth for the Summit host Merkel, it is also known as an 'anti-establishment bastion' of Left-wing radicals.

At least 30 protests are expected to be held here ahead of the Summit that may attract thousands of people, including from anti-capitalist groups. Local authorities expect these protests to remain peaceful and around 15,000 police personnel will be deployed to protect the venue. Besides, nearly 4,000 personnel will keep a tab on the airport and train security.

While counter-terrorism and economic reforms will dominate the discussions, the Summit will also discuss issues like free and open trade, climate change, migration, sustainable development and global stability.

Prior to the Summit, Modi had said he was looking forward to "engaging leaders from other G20 countries on the vital issues affecting our world today that have a bearing on economic growth, sustainable development, and peace and stability".

The prime minister had said the world leaders would review progress on decisions since the Hangzhou Summit last year and deliberate on issues of terrorism, climate, sustainable development, growth and trade, digitisation, health, employment, migration, women's empowerment, and partnership with Africa.

Modi is to hold meetings with leaders of countries like Canada, Japan, and the UK on the sidelines of the Summit.

"The prime minister is visiting Hamburg from July 6-8 for the G-20 Summit. His pre-planned bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the Summit are with Argentina, Canada, Italy, Japan, Mexico, ROK (Republic of Korea), the UK and Vietnam," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Gopal Baglay said on Thursday.
Upping the ante over its border stand-off with India and Bhutan in the Doklam area near Sikkim, China on Thursday said the atmosphere was not right for a bilateral meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Hamburg, Germany.

India, however, retorted by saying such a meeting had neither been sought nor planned. Modis preplanned meetings, on the sidelines of the two-day summit beginning Friday, are with Argentina, Canada, Italy, Japan, Mexico, South Korea, the UK and Vietnam, said the spokesperson for the ministry of external affairs.

In addition, the PM will participate in the BRICS leaders meeting. There is no change in the PMs schedule, the spokesperson said.

BRICS comprises Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. It was earlier speculated that Modi and Xi might have a pull-aside meeting at the BRICS leaders event on Friday.

It is not unusual for leaders to have informal, unstructured discussions on the sidelines of structured meetings. A Modi-Xi pull-aside, despite denials from the two sides, remains possible. The Chinese president is also slated to have bilateral meetings with other heads of government.

China and India have been engaged in a stand-off in Doklam, near the Bhutan tri-junction, for the past three weeks after a Chinese Army's construction party attempted to build a road. Doka La is the Indian name for the region which Bhutan recognises as Doklam, while China claims it as part of its Donglang region.

In Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Geng Shuang expressed hope that India can immediately withdraw the border troops to the Indian side of the boundary to uphold the peace tranquillity of the China and India border areas.

I think this is the precondition for any meaningful peace talks between the two sides, he told a media briefing, when asked about the meeting between Modi and Xi on the sidelines of the G20 summit. Geng confirmed that Xi would be attending the BRICS leaders meeting.

India said it was deeply concerned at the recent Chinese actions and has conveyed to the Chinese government that such construction would represent a significant change of status quo with serious security implications for India.

Amid Chinas aggressive posturing in the Asiatic region, India and Vietnam discussed concrete and feasible steps to protect their interests while seeking to bolster their strategic bilateral ties. Vietnam and several other countries are involved in territorial dispute with China in the South China Sea. China has also been objecting to India's oil exploration projects in maritime areas offered by Vietnam in the South China Sea.

Chinese Army conducting drills simulating battle scenarios



Amid the Sikkim stand-off, the Chinese Army is carrying out exercises simulating real battle scenarios at high-altitude areas in Tibet, testing new equipment, including a light battle tank.

The exercises were being carried at an altitude of 5,100 metres, the Chinese language service of the state-run Xinhua agency reported from the Tibetan capital Lhasa.

Besides testing the new equipment, the exercises involve conducting live firing exercises. The exercises also involve combat operations command, combat synergies, live fire shooting training, and comprehensive inspection of arms integration, the report said. PTI


Amid a border standoff between their armies and a day after either side had rejected the possibility of a pull aside meeting between their two leaders, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday shook hands on the sidelines of an informal BRICS leaders meeting. Both are in Hamburg to attend the G20 Summit.
Flying to and from is set to get cheaper, as the Supreme Court has ordered the government to slash fees for flyers and parking charges for airlines.



The apex court has asked Airport Economic Regulatory Authority (AERA) to implement the tariff of the second control period (2014-2019) with immediate effect.



Under the second control period AERA has cut the User Development Fee (UDF) levied on domestic and international passengers at to Rs 10 and Rs 45, respectively. Also, arriving passengers will no longer be charged any fees.



At present, Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL) levies Rs 275-550 as UDF on each departing passenger and Rs 233-466 on each arriving one, on domestic flights.



International passengers departing are charged Rs 635-1,270 and arriving passengers pay Rs 518-1,048 as UDF. This includes service tax component.



AERA's order for Delhi formally covers the 2014-19 period. However, the implementation was delayed as Delhi International Airport was locked in a legal battle with the airlines regarding this. State-owned carrier Air India challenged this in the Supreme Court, which on 3 July vacated a stay granted by the Delhi HC, allowing the revised tariffs to kick in.



GMR Infra which holds the majority stake in the consortium that runs said in an exchange filing that it will pursue the matter with an appellate tribunal. "DIAL would engage constructively with the regulator to endeavour a balanced implementation and will work expeditiously with the appellate tribunal to reach a fair and positive outcome in the two months directed by the Hon'ble Supreme Court", GMR Infra said.



Overall, the charges on passengers and airlines have been reduced by 89.4 per cent. These include levies on landing and parking of aircraft, common use of terminal equipment charges, UDF and fuel throughout charges.



DIAL had sought a 42 per cent increase in rates and over and above the 346 per cent rise granted to it by the regulator for the first control period (2009-14).



AERA rejected the plea and initially ordered a 96 per cent reduction. DIAL pleaded these would make airport operations unviable and lead to a downgrade in credit ratings and default on loan payments. AERA then modified its decision.
A philosophical Rakesh Gangwal  a veteran at running international airlines -- invoked Shakespeare, cited example of five international carriers to justify the case of acquiring Air Indias international business through which wants to foray into long-haul, low-cost operations.
As the third cut-off list announced by the (DU), the students applying for various courses are left with not too many options. However, some of the colleges have re-started the admission process for certain academic courses that were closed after the 2nd cut-off list was made public. Following the release of third cut-off list by DU, there sprang up a descending trend as most of the colleges bringing down the minimum required percentages. to some colleges are still open, on-campus and off-campus. The prestigious Shree Ram College of Commerce is no longer taking admission to B.A. (Hons), Economics and B.Com (Hons) for Open Category applicants. Only five courses of fourteen offered by Lady Shri Ram College can still be grabbed, though the cut-offs plunged slightly.
21st India-Myanmar National Level Meeting held in Myanmar

21st India-Myanmar National Level Meeting took place at Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar on July 5-6, 2017. Indian delegation was led by Shri Rajiv Gauba, Home Secretary designate, while Myanmar delegation was led by Maj Gen Aung Soe, Deputy Minister of Home Affairs, Myanmar.During the meeting, security, cooperation in prevention of drug trafficking, boundary matters, wildlife smuggling, visa and prisoners in jail of respective countries were discussed.

Two sides mutually agreed that all steps should be made to ensure tranquillity along the border and safety and wellbeing of people in the border areas. India attaches utmost importance to the discussions under the framework of National Level Meetings which involve representation from all agencies with relevance to security and border management. It was agreed that the next National Level Meeting will be held in India in 2018.
Informal BRICS Leaders Meeting in Hamburg

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The leaders of the 5 BRICS countries held an informal meeting on the sidelines of G20 Summit in Hamburg, Germany. This was in run up to the forthcoming 9th BRICS Summit in September in Xiamen, China. President Xi of China said he looked forward to welcoming the BRICS leaders. .

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In their interventions, the leaders discussed preparations and priorities for the forthcoming Xiamen BRICS Summit. .

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Prime Minister mentioned that BRICS has been a strong voice and needs to show leadership on terrorism and global economy. He stressed that G20 should collectively oppose terrorism financing, franchises, safe havens, support and sponsors. Referring to reforms in India, including the recent introduction of GST, PM stated that it was necessary to work together for sustained global economic recovery. He advocated collective voice against the practices of protectionism, especially in the spheres of trade and movement of knowledge and professionals. He reiterated India's commitment to implementing Paris Agreement in letter and spirit and described its implementation globally as essential to fighting climate change. He called for expeditious action to establish BRICS rating agency and stated that cooperation on development of Africa should be a priority. He also called for greater people-to-people exchanges. .

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The Prime Minister appreciated momentum in BRICS under the Chairmanship of President Xi and extended full cooperation and best wishes for the BRICS Xiamen Summit. .

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Concluding the meeting immediately after PM's remarks, President Xi appreciated India's strong resolve against terrorism and the momentum in BRICS introduced under India's Chairmanship and through the outcomes of the Goa Summit in 2016. He also appreciated India's success in economic and social development and wished India even bigger success. .

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Officer Trainees of Bangladesh Foreign Service attending a special course at the Foreign Service Institute, New Delhi call on President

Officer Trainees of Bangladesh Foreign Service attending a special course at the Foreign Service Institute, New Delhi called on the President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee at Rashtrapati Bhavan today (July 7, 2017).Welcoming the young diplomats of Bangladesh, the President said that he was delighted to see so many young faces from the Bangladesh Foreign Service. He said that they were worthy representatives of a great nation. They will bring new ideas and a new system of governance. He emphasized that to create a happy society is also the responsibility of modern governance. He said that he was confident that they would be able to carry forward the legacy of trust and amity between our two countries, as they pursue their career in the Bangladesh Foreign Service.The President said that today, when Bangladesh is free and liberated and is engaged in its own development, the sacrifices of its martyrs are vindicated.

It is heartening to see impressive strides made by Bangladesh on human development, healthcare, education, women empowerment and other socio-economic fronts. He reminded the young diplomats that the future of Bangladesh is in their hands. The President said that India attaches highest importance to its relations with Bangladesh, a close neighbour and with which we share a lot in common. Bangladesh is Indias closest friend and relationship between the two countries is exemplary in many ways. India-Bangladesh shares a common bond of history, language, culture and strong people-to-people ties. This shared history unites us in unique and special ways.
One of the few things I recall fondly about the Trump campaign  a short list, Ill admit  was the candidates apparent glee in ridiculing the war-mongering of his rivals and predecessors.
France is set to ban the sale of any car that uses petrol or diesel fuel by 2040, the media reported.

On Thursday, Ecology Minister Nicolas Hulot announced the planned ban on fossil fuel vehicles as part of a renewed commitment to the Paris climate deal, reports the BBC.

Hulot, a veteran environmental campaigner, said France planned to become carbon neutral by 2050.

Hybrid cars make up about 3.5 per cent of the French market, with pure electric vehicles accounting for just 1.2 per cent.

According to Hulot, poorer households would receive financial assistance to replace older, more polluting vehicles with cleaner ones, the BBC reported.

Earlier this week, car manufacturer Volvo said all of its new models would be at least partly electric from 2019.

He said he believes French car manufacturers - including brands such as Peugeot-Citroen and Renault - would meet the challenge, although he acknowledged it would be difficult. Renault's "Zoe" electric vehicle range is one of the most popular in Europe.

However, traditional fossil fuel vehicles account for about 95 per cent of the European market.

Norway, which is the leader in the use of electric cars in Europe, wants to move to electric-only vehicles by 2025, as does the Netherlands. Both Germany and India have proposed similar measures with a target of 2030.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
German Chancellor Angela Merkel pressed fellow Group of 20 (G20) leaders to compromise at the start of talks on climate and trade that have pitted US President Donald Trump against virtually every other country in the club of leading economies.
There are very few political leaders who have perfected the art of having their political cake and eating it too. German Chancellor is one of these.
North Korea got the worlds attention  and President Donald Trumps  when it said on July 4 that it had successfully launched an intercontinental ballistic missile for the first time. The weapon, potentially equipped with a nuclear warhead, could reach Alaska.
President Donald Trump points to his ear piece as he waits to listen for the translation while participating in a joint news conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in the East Room of the White House in Washington
Global chip maker Qualcomm has filed a new patent infringement lawsuit against Apple, asking the US authorities to ban imports of some iPhone and iPad models.

According to a Fortune report late Thursday, Qualcomm filed a complaint with the US Trade Commission, accusing Apple's iPhones and iPads of infringing six of its mobile patents.

Qualcomm said all iPhones and iPads that contain competing mobile communications chips should be barred from the country.

But any decision on the ban which could cover iPhone 7, 7 Plus and some future iPhones would at least take up to 18 months to come into practice, hence the upcoming iPhone 8 is not under any immediate threat.

Apple responded to this, saying that the company had tried to negotiate before suing and that Qualcomm is abusing its position.

"They supply us with a single connectivity component, but for years have been demanding a percentage of the total cost of our products - effectively taxing Apple's innovation," Forture reported, citing an Apple statement.

"We believe deeply in the value of intellectual property but we shouldn't have to pay them for technology breakthroughs they have nothing to do with," the statement added.

In April, Apple stopped paying royalties to contract manufacturers for phone patents owned by Qualcomm over an "unresolved issue".

Apple reportedly stopped paying royalties starting with devices sold during the March quarter.

Qualcomm is one of the world's biggest provider of mobile chips and derives revenue majorly from licensing that technology to hundreds of handset manufacturers and others.

The US chip manufacturer had lambasted Apple for breaching deals between the two and urged that the lawsuit filed in January against them by the iPhone maker should be rejected.

Qualcomm also accused Apple of harming its business and sought unspecified damages.

Apple sued Qualcomm in January for nearly one billion dollars over royalties, with the Cupertino-based tech giant alleging the wireless chipmaker did not give fair licensing terms for its processor technology.

But Qualcomm refuted the allegations, saying that Apple had intentionally mischaracterised the agreements and negotiations, as well as the enormity and value of the technology they had invented, contributed and shared with all mobile device makers "through our licensing programme".

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Sheila Michaels, who half a century ago, wielding two consonants and a period, changed the way modern women are addressed, died on June 22 in Manhattan. Ms. Michaels, who introduced the honorific Ms. into common parlance, was 78.
Inc has won an Australian contract to install the world's biggest grid-scale battery, in what experts say will be a litmus test for the reliability of large-scale renewable energy.

Tesla's CEO Elon Musk, known for his bold approach to cars, clean energy and space exploration, trumped dozens of competing for proposals to build the gigantic lithium-ion battery that will serve as emergency back-up power for South Australia - a state racked by outages.

But under the agreement, must deliver the 100-MW battery within 100 days of the contract being signed or it will be free - a commitment Musk made in a Tweet in March.

"There will be a lot of people that will look at this -'Did they get it done within 100 days? Did it work?'" Musk told reporters in South Australia's capital city of Adelaide.

"We are going to make sure it does."

The battery, designed to light up 30,000 homes if there is a blackout, will be built on a wind farm operated by France's Neoen - parts of which are still under construction.

Musk said failing to deliver the project in time would cost his company "$50 million or more", without elaborating.

It will be the largest lithium-ion battery storage project in the world, overtaking an 80 megawatt-hour facility in California, also built using batteries.

Over the last three years, South Australia has decided to shut down its coal-fired power stations and instead rely on wind, solar and gas. In particular, it has raced ahead of the rest of the country in turning to wind power, which supplies 40 percent of its energy.

The move has been applauded by environmentalists but left the state prone to outages as there is no way to store enough energy when the wind doesn't blow. In September, South Australia's 1.7 million residents were left without power, some of them for up to two weeks, when the grid overloaded and collapsed.

The battery is aimed at getting around the problem of inadequate storage.

"Cost-effective storage of electrical energy is the only problem holding us back from getting all of our power from wind and solar," said Ian Lowe a professor of science at Australia's Griffith University.

"This project is a significant innovation to demonstrate the feasibility of large-scale storage."

LITHIUM AMBITIONS

Dozens of from 10 countries, including privately owned Lyon Group, working with US power company AES Corp, expressed interest in the project.

Now the sector is waiting to see if Musk can make good on his promise.

"Tesla has been telling the world that it can and will finish the project within three months, said a source at a Korean competitor to Tesla, declining to be identified due to the sensitivity of the matter.

"It seems that confidence helped Tesla win, but typically this kind of project takes six months so we have to wait and see whether or not Tesla can do it," the source said.

Lithium-ion batteries have been in widespread use since about 1991, but mostly on a small scale, such as in laptops and cell phones. A typical lithium-ion battery can store 150 watt-hours of electricity in 1 kilogramme of battery, representing more than double the capacity of nickel batteries.

For their proponents who have long been pushing for grander use, the success of Musk's big South Australian experiment will be key to greater acceptance.

"For lithium technology to take off on a global scale, they clearly need the storage capacity to make sure renewables can deliver 24 hours a day, seven days a week," said Adrian Griffin, a geologist who specialises in lithium extraction.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
For years before North Korea fired its first intercontinental ballistic missile this week, the Pentagon and intelligence experts had sounded a warning: Not only was the North making progress quickly, spy satellite coverage was so spotty that the United States might not see a missile being prepared for launch.
President Trumps review of American policy in Afghanistan should involve adopting a tougher approach to Pakistan. Although the Taliban are said to control or contest 40 percent of Afghanistans territory, Taliban leaders operate from the safety of Pakistan. United States incentives since the Sept. 11 attacks have failed to dissuade Pakistan from supporting the Taliban, and Mr Trump must now consider alternatives.
US President Donald Trump has again slammed mainstream media for not writing accurately about him and covering him negatively, but said he will fight for his country's interests.

Trump tweeted ,"I will represent our country well and fight for its interests! Fake News Media will never cover me accurately but who cares! We will #MAGA!"

Trump, who is in Hamburg for the G-20 summit, will skip the first session of discussion on global warming to have a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Syria and other issues.

Laying emphasis on the meetings with world leaders, specially Putin, Trump tweeted, "look forward to all meetings today with world leaders, including my meeting with Vladimir Putin. Much to discuss."

Referring to 2016 presidential candidate Hillary Clinton's campaign manager John Podesta's allegations that hackers linked to Russia intruded into his computers that resulted into Clinton losing the election, Trump tweeted," Everyone here is talking about why John Podesta refused to give the DNC server to the FBI and the CIA. Disgraceful!"

Podesta has revealed how the Russian linked hacker was successful in intruding into his computer and lapses by the IT department of not sharing FBI concerns with the DNC's senior leadership

Elaborating on his meetings with leaders,Trump posted ," After Poland had a great meeting with Chancellor Merkel and then with PM Shinzo Abe of Japan & President Moon of South Korea.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Vice President Mike Pences office has confirmed the White House commission on voter fraud intends to run the state voter rolls it has requested against federal databases to check for potential fraudulent registration. Experts say the plan is certain to produce thousands of false positives that could distort the understanding of the potential for fraud, especially given the limited data states have agreed to turn over.
North Koreas test this week of an intercontinental ballistic missile has reignited interest and debate on the feasibility of ballistic missile defence systems, and whether countries such as Australia should seek to acquire them.
Sugar stocks moved up by up to 20 per cent on Friday on expectations of an increase in customs duty to curb cheap imports and estimates of lower production than previous projections.
The Anti-Human Trafficking operation team of 20th Battalion Sitamarhi led by Commandant H.B.K Singh yesterday rescued 13 minor boys and apprehended four traffickers from Sitamarhi district's Bairgania Railway Station in Bihar.

The rescued minors were being taken by the Karambhoomi Express train to Mumbai for child labour at construction sites and big factories. The traffickers were handed over to GRP Sitamarhi after lodging an FIR and the rescued victims were handed over to a Non- Governmental Organisation (NGO) Childline.

The rescued minor boys were between the age group of 13 to 17 years. Out of the 13 boys, nine were Indian while four were Nepalese.

Among four apprehended traffickers one was Nepalese and rest were Indian nationals from Bihar.

During the preliminary interrogation, apprehended persons revealed the names of persons to whom these children were to be handed over at Mumbai.

The Mumbai Police were intimated about the details of the person. The nexus between Indian and Nepalese traffickers is being investigated by GRP Sitamarhi and help of Mumbai police is also being taken to break this nexus.

A special drive against human traffickers on Indo-Nepal and Indo-Bhutan has been launched by the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) on the initiative of DG, SSB Archana Ramasundaram.

Leading a campaign against human traffickers on Indo-Nepal Border and Indo-Bhutan Border, the SSB has rescued 359 victims and apprehended 113 human traffickers in 82 cases this year so far.

In the year 2016, the SSB has rescued 533 victims and apprehended 160 human traffickers in 87 cases.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
After Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan condemned Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Israel visit by calling it 'anti-terrorism ally with a terrorist state', the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday lashed out at the former stating that this remark shows he has anti- sentiments and the left in known for it.

Speaking to ANI, BJP leader, Gaurav Bhatia said, "It is very unfortunate that Chief Minister of a state fails to understand the constitution of India. The world sees this meeting as a success story when Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Benjamin Netanyahu recently. India is very optimistic regarding the mutual gains that both the countries will have but it is sad that Kerala CM is trying to critise and take contrary stands. This shows that he has anti- sentiments and the left party has always been known for it".

Resonating similar views, another saffron party leader Nalin Kohli slammed the left party asserting that this is how hollow their ideologies are and proved rightly.

"It's a statement clearly confirming that the left party's thinking is locked in a time war that does not exist anymore. In any case they have made themselves a left out ideology; they are hardly prevalent anywhere in the world. The left are only exposing how hollow they own ideology is and what they political stances are?," Kohli told ANI.

Yesterday, Vijayan condemned Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Israel visit, saying that forming an 'anti-terrorism ally with a terrorist state' is not a fun thing to do.

In a Facebook post, Vijayan said that the Indians have always supported the Palestinians, who have been always suppressed by Israel.

"India's mind is against the Israeli outrage that is branded as a threat to the Palestinian people's struggle to survive in their own soil. Zionist aims not only to build the Jews of the Jews but also to completely eliminate Palestine. Recognizing this, the Indian people have always supported Palestine resistance," his Facebook post read.

Linking the 'Sangh's' ideology with that of Israel, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPM) leader said the unity of despotism, hatred and civil liberties have become unanimous.

"It is because of the mood of the Sangh Parivar that we live in front of the gunfire of the Israeli Army, Unity in the Modi-Netanyahu joint statement is unity between the Sangh Parivar and Zionism ideologies. The unity of despotism, hatred and civil liberties became unanimous," it read.

Here is a translation of Vijayan's Facebook post:

It is not fun to use a "anti-terrorist" ally with a terrorist state that is killing innocent people. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Israel has been transformed into a strategic partnership with Israel's global advisers Israel and transformed the US-Israeli-India axis into a strategic partnership.

India's mind is against the Israeli outrage that is branded as a threat to the Palestinian people's struggle to survive in their own soil. Zionist aims not only to build the Jews of the Jews but also to completely eliminate Palestine. Recognizing this, the Indian people have always supported Palestine resistance.

India is also the opposite of a non-aligned nation, with the Israeli policy of denying citizenship to the Palestinians and continuing to pursue the racist lounges without considering UN resolutions and internationally. From this point of view, the slogan of the Narendra Modi has changed.

It is because of the mood of the Sangh Parivar that we live in front of the gunfire of the Israeli army, Unity in the Modi-Netanyahu joint statement is unity between the Sangh Parivar and Zionism ideologies. The unity of despotism, hatred and civil liberties became unanimous.

Modi's visit to Israel is a huge celebration in the background of democratic states ignoring the invasion of Israel in close proximity to Israel. The Zionist sympathetic attitude of Narendra Modi without visiting Ramadama, the head of the Palestine Authority, continued to support Israel from indirectly supporting Israeli UN resolutions condemning Israel's human rights violation.

India, living in different religions, can never accept the path of Zionism.

The decline of the Zionist nation and cruelty can be seen as a blind way for the RSS's communal agenda to gain acceptability.

Israel has now become the leading nation in the world after India.

The profit from arms sales is being used to suppress the Palestinian people. It is a dangerous indication that helplessness for colonizing the occupying forces is a signal. In the name of food and religion, these are the politics of hatred which points to the way out of the country. People have a strong emotion towards this tendency.

After concluding his three-day visit to Israel, Prime Minister Narendra Modi headed to Germany to attend the G-20 Summit.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A day ahead of former Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani's death anniversary, authorities have beefed up security in the Valley to prevent terrorists and separatists from observing the day.

According to reports, terror outfits have plied to observe the day. Hurriyat leaders and Hizbul supreme commander Syed Salahuddin have called for a complete shutdown tomorrow and chalked out a week's protest calendar.

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh yesterday chaired a high-level meeting to review the security scenario in Jammu and Kashmir ahead of Wani's first death anniversary on Saturday.

Minister of State Home Affairs Hansraj Ahir, Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi, Inspector General of Security Guard ( NSG) and other senior officers were also present in the meeting.

The concerns of the Centre and Jammu and Kashmir Government have augmented as the annual Amaranth Yatra is going on in the state.

The security forces and intelligence agencies are apprehending trouble in the Kashmir Valley on Wani's death anniversary.

Wani, who was the poster boy of the HM in Kashmir Valley, was gunned down in an encounter in Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir on July 8, 2016.

Widespread protests erupted in the Kashmir valley after Wani's death. Kashmir Valley was placed under curfew for consecutive 53 days and it was lifted from all parts on August 31, 2016. However, the unrest continued for about five months after Wani's death in which 78 people, including two police personnel, were killed.

Considering the unrest post Wani's death, the Jammu and Kashmir government has ordered house arrest of separatist leaders like Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, and Yasin Malik.

The Centre and the state government are leaving no stone unturned to make the annual Hindu pilgrimage secure and safe.

Providing security for this year's yatra has been a major concern for the Home Ministry as the pilgrimage is facing a terror threat, according to an intelligence warning.

The security officials, especially the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), have mobilised the highest level of security measures, including tracking systems through satellites and drones for the safe conclusion of the Yatra.

Even, before the commencement of the Yatra, Rajnath had chaired a security review meeting in which Ahir, Rajiv Mehrishi, Director of the Intelligence Bureau, Joint Secretary Kashmir and Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) officials participated.

Ahir had earlier said the Amarnath Yatra is on the radar of Pakistan, but the Indian Government is prepared to tackle the issue.

This year till June, Pakistan supported terror outfits like Hizbul Mujahideen and Lashkar-e-Taiba have launched around 22 attacks in Jammu and Kashmir in which 16 civilians, 57 security personnel have been killed. The security forces also 102 terrorists.

The security forces got a big fish on May 27, when they killed HM 'commander', Sabzar Ahmad Bhat and his aide Faizan Muzaffar in Soimoh village of Tral in Pulwama District in an encounter. Sabzar was the successor of Burhan Wani.

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The police custody of all the six accused named in the FIR regarding the murder of inmate Manjula Shetye inside the Byculla Jail has been extended till July 14.

Earlier on June 30, a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) was filed in the Bombay High Court seeking Criminal Investigation Department (CID) inquiry in the murder case of Shetye.

The High Court observed that the issue of security of jail inmates has become important and it needs to be looked into.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis assured the truth in the Byculla jail violence, involving Sheena Bora murder accused Indrani Mukerjea, would come out soon.

"Whatever the truth is, will come out soon," Fadnavis said.

However, Mukerjea's lawyer demanded the special CBI court to record her statement and to conduct a medical examination.

Mukerjea's lawyer had filed an application in the special CBI court, claiming that she was assaulted by the jail authorities after the death of a convict, Manjula Shetye, sparked a protest in the prison.

Reportedly, over 200 women inmates, including Mukerjea, were booked for rioting and criminal conspiracy inside the Mumbai's Byculla jail.

The Nagpada Police also filed an FIR against six women prison staffers, including the jailor for the murder of Shetye.

On August 25, 2015, Mukerjea was arrested by the Mumbai Police in connection with the alleged murder of her daughter in 2012.

She was charged under Sections 302, 201 and 34 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Since September 2015, Mukerjea has been held in judicial custody at a women's-only prison in Byculla Jail.

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A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) was heard today on the Darjeeling issue at the Calcutta High Court by the acting Chief Justice Nishita Mhatre's division bench over the deployment of forces in the region.

The Additional Solicitor General submitted that 11 companies of the Central Force have been deployed in the hills and eight companies in Basirhat. So currently, it is not possible for additional forces to be deployed, unless the Centre feels it absolute necessary to send forces.

The Advocate General submitted a report and said that if the central force was not possible then the three companies of women central force exchanged with three companies of men and three companies of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) be sent.

After hearing the submission of both the sides, acting Chief Justice Nishita Mhatre observed that people are in a sad situation. It seems as if the Centre and the State are not worried.

The acting Chief Justice also ordered the district judge of city sessions court to submit a report in one week in the Madan Tamang case - that how many days the accused Bimal Gurung and others were supposed to be present in court and how many days they were actually present.

On July 3, the West Bengal District Administration extended the restriction imposed on internet services for another eight days in Darjeeling to halt rumours from spreading through social media.

Earlier in the week, the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, which has launched the protest demanding a separate Gorkhaland, announced continuation of its indefinite strike after conclusion of the all party meeting in Darjeeling.

On Wednesday, the Public Works Department (PWD) office of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) was set ablaze by the GJM workers. They also burnt copies of the tripartite GTA accord at several places.

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Bihar Additional Director General of Police S.K. Singhal on Friday said an alert has been issued across the state to prevent any possible political ramification amid the CBI raid on RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav.

"There is possibility of political ramification amid the CBI raid on Lalu Yadav. Keeping this in view we have issued the alert across the state. As of now there is situation is normal," Singhal told ANI.

He further said that police is also patrolling in some of the sensitive areas to prevent any untoward incidents.

Earlier in the day, the alert was issued from the Bihar Police headquarters to all police posts cautioning them of possible protests and retaliation from RJD supporters across the state.

The move comes hours after the CBI carried out raids at the residences of Lalu Prasad and his family members in connection with a new case of alleged irregularities in awarding the tender for the maintenance of hotels.

The raids were also carried out at the residence of his younger son and Deputy Chief Minister Tejaswi Yadav.

The CBI also registered a corruption case against Lalu; his wife and former Chief Minister Rabri Devi; Tejaswi Yadav; former Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) Managing Director P.K. Goyal; and the wife of Lalu's confidante Prem Chand Gupta, Sujata on allegations of awarding the tender for development, maintenance and operation of hotels in Ranchi and Puri in 2006.

The RJD chief , however brushed aside the allegation and tore into the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), saying that it was a political conspiracy against him

Yadav while addressing a press conference said that the BJP is targeting him because he has united the opposition to oust the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government.

"All this has come in the wake of me and my party amalgamating all other opposition parties of similar mentality to unite and oust the Narendra Modi government. All this is political vendetta against me and my family. They want to break us down and make us kneel down in front of BJP. My rivals want to send me to jail, they want me to surrender in front of BJP and RSS," said Yadav.

Meanwhile, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Friday called senior officials for a meeting in Nalanda's Rajgir, amid the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) raids against Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav.

The chief minister called Chief Secretary Anjani Kumar Singh, Principal Secretary (Home) Amir Subhani and Director General of Police (DGP) PK Thakur.

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A Delhi Court on Friday allowed the Enforcement Directorate's plea in Disproportionate Assets case involving Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh.

The Court also adjourned the matter and the extended judicial custody of LIC agent Anand Chauhan till September 4.

The Enforcement Directorate told the Delhi court that it wants more time to file a supplementary charge-sheet.

The Court earlier on Monday dismissed Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh's plea seeking quashing of a money laundering case against him.

The High Court earlier on July 3 rejected the plea seeking quashing of proceedings registered by the Enforcement Directorate under Prevention of Money Laundering (PMLA).

The bench of Justice RK Gauba said the plea against his possible arrest and attachment cannot be allowed.

"It would be wrong if not naive to consider cognizable case so simplistically. Mere classification of offence as cognizable would not conference right of arrest on the police officer. Meaning of "cognizable" needs to be seen. Authority of arrest remains subject to restricts under law. Cognizable cannot have static meaning. Only because there are prerequisites to arrest in cognizable case, it does not mean that empowered agency cannot investigate without authorisation of a court. PMLA offences are different from general offences. PMLA is a special code, establishes own authorities with adjudicatory powers," the bench observed.

The Court also informed that the Enforcement Directorate has the authority to arrest and freeze assets in a cognizable case.

The Enforcement Directorate had filed the case after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) booked Singh on disproportionate assets charges.

The Court bench had earlier said plea against possible arrest and attachment cannot be allowed.

The CBI had in March filed a chargesheet against Singh, his wife and seven others for allegedly accumulating assets of over 10 crore disproportionate to his known sources of income. An FIR by the CBI was registered in 2015.

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Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry has blamed Qatar for human suffering in several parts of Syria and Libya.

According to the CNN, Shoukry said Qatar's support to the radical organisations helped it to reinforce a wider range of extremism that led to violence against minorities in Egypt and terrorism in Europe.

"We see the level of damage and the level of human suffering that has been associated to interventions like Qatar in Syria and Libya and the heavy price that Egypt has to pay in the loss of civilian life," said Shoukry.

"The last instance being the tragic events of the Egyptian Christians on their way to monastery for prayer that were targeted so brutally by terrorists," he added.

Egypt has also boycotted Qatar along with the Saudi Arabian countries over alleged ties to terrorism.

Early in June, countries suspended diplomatic relations and cut off land, sea and air travel to Qatar.

Meanwhile, Qatar has rejected those accusations.

Earlier, four Arab nations, including Saudi Arabia, have said that they would continue their diplomatic and economic blockade of Qatar after the nation gave a "negative" response to their list of demands.

On June 5, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Egypt and Bahrain severed their ties with Qatar, accusing it of supporting terrorism.

On 22 June, the four nations put forth a 13-point list of demands - including ending support for the Muslim Brotherhood, closing of al-Jazeera, a reduction in diplomatic ties with Iran, and the halting of a Turkish military base in Qatar -and gave Qatar 10 days to comply.

That deadline was extended by 48 hours on Sunday, when Qatar responded to their demands.

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A Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) assistant director has been placed under arrest for allegedly harassing an Afghan national sexually at the Islamabad Airport here.

The arrest and suspension of the FIA officer was carried out after the incident came to the notice of Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, who ordered a detailed probe, reports the Dawn.

In the first information report filed with the police, the complainant said she had arrived in the Pakistan capital with her sister from Afghanistan and both were taken by FIA officials to a secluded room in the airport and made to wait for five hours.

Later, the officials removed the victim's sister from the room on the pretext of stamping her visa. Subsequently, the accused assistant director entered the room and attempted a sexual assault on the complainant, who managed to flee from the scene after raising an alarm.

Airport officials, she claimed, laughed at her plight instead of coming to her help.

The complainant said she and her sister were detained for not having the phone number of the hotel where they were supposed to stay.

Police said they arrested the accused after examining CCTV footage of the airport and confirming the victim's account. The arrested official will be produced before a magistrate today.

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Pakistan's sanctuary, support, and employment of insurgents and terrorists is a strategic impediment to ending the war in Afghanistan, according to a former U.S. Army officer, Col. Robert Cassidy, who has dealt with Islamabad while in service.

In article appearing in the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) Report and reproduced as a blog by the website smallwarsjournal.com, Col. (Retired) Robert Cassidy has suggested that Afghanistan's stability and security can only be assured and ensured by the United States, and for that, the latter must 1) Stop paying for malice; 2) Stop major non-NATO ally status (for Pakistan); 3) State intention to make the Line of Control in Kashmir permanent; 4) Shut down ground lines of communications via Pakistan; 5) Declare Pakistan the state-sponsor of terrorism that it is; 6) Issue one final ultimatum to Pakistan to end the sanctuary and to stop supporting the Taliban; 7) Invite Indian Armed Forces into Afghanistan for security operations in the Pashtun east and south and 8) Reciprocate Pakistan's malice using lethal coercion, both indirectly and directly.

In his article titled "DoD Report: Pakistan is Reason for Afghanistan Stalemate", Col. (Retired) Cassidy squarely blames Washington for not devising an effective Pakistan strategy "that uses its substantial resources to modify Pakistan's loathsome strategic malfeasance."

"A strategy that does not address that malign influence is no strategy at all. A realizable strategy needs to bring the full weight of the U.S. and regional actors to compel Pakistan to cease supporting the Taliban," he maintains.

"The Taliban would have been diminished to a marginal nuisance without the full support that Pakistan rendered to the group in pursuit of its quixotic notion of strategic depth to assert control over Afghanistan. Sanctuary remains the biggest obstacle to the defeat of the Taliban, and it is the reason for the (existing) stalemate," he adds.

Though seemingly welcoming the Pentagon's move to enhance American troop levels by another 4000 personnel, Col. (Retired) Cassidy, however, says ".More action and more troops in and of themselves will not gain strategic momentum."

"Strategic momentum requires a strategy which includes more regional cooperation and a much more coercive strategic approach to curb Pakistan's machinations. This requires a sea change in strategic thinking to shock, compel, and instill fear in Pakistan's security establishment to break it out of its ingrained strategic-cultural pathologies. Pakistan's duplicitous incubation and export of proxy terrorists and insurgents is the most significant obstacle to peace in Afghanistan and South Asia," he adds.

Pakistan, he categorically states, has nurtured and relied on a host of Islamist insurgents and terrorists for decades.

"The Inter-Services Intelligence Directorate (ISI) has maintained links between Al Qaeda, its longtime Taliban allies, and a host of other extremists inside Pakistan. It is only possible for Pakistan to become a non-pariah state among the community of states and a helpful partner to the Coalition and the U.S. if it significantly modifies its regional conduct and ceases its support of proxy terrorists and insurgents," he adds.

Cassidy describes Washington's decision to offer 33 billion dollars in aid to Pakistan since 9/11 as a complete "miscarriage of trust and reliability", and believes that the DOD report actually shows the mirror to Washington on its failure to be aware and alert to the grave consequences of failing to address what he calls "Pakistan's odious collusion with the Taliban, The Haqqani Network, and groups like the Lashkar-e-Taiba."

Cassidy, who has served as an army officer in Afghanistan four times, in Iraq, and elsewhere in the Central Command area before switching over to authorship and analytical writing, highlights that the crux of the stalemate as per the DOD report is that "Afghanistan continues to face an externally enabled and resilient insurgency."

This, to his mind, clearly points a finger at Pakistan, and to back his point, he refers to a section in the report which states, "Afghan-oriented militant groups, including the Taliban and The Haqqani Network retain freedom of action inside Pakistani territory and benefit from support from elements of the Pakistani Government."

That, he says, explains Pakistan being the most influential external actor affecting Afghan stability, a factor that poses strategic risk and precludes a successful end to the war.

He reveals that the report's executive summary says, "Afghanistan faces a continuing threat from as many as 20 insurgent and terrorist networks present or operating in the Afghanistan-Pakistan region, including the Taliban, the Haqqani Network, ISIS-K, and al Qaeda, in what is the highest concentration of extremist and terrorist groups in the world", and this is eroding the Afghanistan-Pakistan relationship.

Maintaining that capacity and will are an utmost requirement to "defeat the enemy" (Read Pakistan), Col. (Retired) Cassidy says that "Without a policy-strategy match that compels Pakistan to stop the sanctuary and support, this war will continue in perpetuity, with or without more troops."

He concludes by saying that only an "offensive tactical over-match" will disrupt the enemy, but without strategic change in reducing the sanctuary in Pakistan, these gains will be fleeting."

"To break the strategic stalemate, the Coalition should cast off its anxieties and illusions about Pakistan's potential fragility or comity...it is essential to go heavy on sticks and light on carrots with Pakistan. With the support of other major regional actors, sticks will work where carrots, cash, and cajoling have not.

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Hussain Nawaz, the elder son of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is likely to meet Qatar's former premier Prince Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani for discussions on the investigation going on into the Sharif family's assets and allegations of money laundering against it.

Hussain left Islamabad for Doha on Thursday.

He left for Doha aboard the Qatar Airways flight QR-615, on Thursday morning, reports the Dawn. It was also reported that Hussain Nawaz met some important people during his five hour stay in Doha before leaving for London.

Nawaz will meet the former chairman of the Ehtesab Bureau, Saifur Rehman, in London.

Leaders of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz claimed that investigations into the Panama Papers case would remain incomplete without recording of a statement to be made by the Qatari prince.

The Qatari prince has submitted two letters to the Supreme Court, offering clarification on the Sharif family's business ties and money trail in the Middle East.

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The India Foundation has cancelled its visit to China after two of its junior researchers were denied visas by Beijing.

The India Foundation delegation was to visit Fudan University in Shanghai for an event on July 11.

Earlier it was reported that Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) General Secretary Ram Madhav was not part of this delegation.

Madhav holds a valid visa for China till November.

He visited China for a BRICS meet recently.

Reports of visa being denied to Madhav were untrue, said sources.

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The Nineveh Court of Appeals in eastern Mosul reopened after a three-year closure.

"The reopening of government institutions in Nineveh province, including the Court of Appeals, reflects Mosul's improving security situation," reported Anadolu, quoting secretary-general of the Iraqi cabinet Mahdi al-Alaq, at the reopening ceremony.

The reopening ceremony was also attended by Nineveh Governor Nawfal al-Sultan.

"It also serves to reassure the local populace and represents a vital step toward Mosul's total liberation," he added.

al-Alaq said that the next step is the process of reconstruction and the return of those displaced (by the conflict) to their homes.

As per Abdul Zahra al-Hindawi, a spokesman for Iraq's Planning Ministry, the anticipated cost of Mosul's reconstruction would be about $50 billion to $100 billion over the next 10 years.

For the last nine months, the Iraqi army has fought to drive Daesh militants from Mosul, which the terrorist group overran -- along with other parts of the country -- in mid-2014.

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The Janata Dal (United) (JD(U)) on Friday held the Congress responsible for the unrest in the Kashmir Valley.

Reacting on Congress leader Saifuddin Soz's statement that he would have held a dialogue with Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist Burhan Wani had he been alive, JD(U) Kashmir wing president G.M. Shaheen said, "The main root cause of this matter is the Congress. Since 90s, many Burhan Wanis have emerged - what the Congress did during its own regime. Bilateral talks have stopped since long. It's not new."

Earlier in the day, Congress leader Soz said he would have held dialogue with the Hizbul terrorist, if he was alive.

"If it was in my hands, I would have not let Burhan Wani die. I wanted to hold a dialogue with him. I would have made him understand that a bridge of friendship between Pakistan, Kashmir and India can be built and he could also be useful in that. But now he has died. We should understand the pain of Kashmiris," Saifuddin Soz told ANI.

Meanwhile, the security has been beefed up in the Kashmir Valley ahead of Wani's death anniversary.

Wani, who was the poster boy of the terror outfit Hizbul Mujahideen, in Kashmir Valley, was gunned down in an encounter in Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir on July 8 last year.

Widespread protests erupted in Kashmir after Wani's death and curfew was imposed for 53 days. However, the unrest continued for about five months after Wani's death in which 78 people, including two police personnel, were killed.

Considering the unrest post Wani's death, the Jammu and Kashmir government had also ordered house arrest of separatist leaders like Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, and Yasin Malik.

This year till June, Pakistan supported terror outfits like Hizbul Mujahideen and Lashkar-e-Taiba have launched around 22 attacks in Jammu and Kashmir in which 16 civilians, 57 security personnel and 102 terrorists have been killed.

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Union Minister of State Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (Independent Charge) Rajiv Pratap Rudy on Friday said Rashtriya Janta Dal (RJD) Chief Lalu Prasad Yadav is a well-known corrupt and not above the law.

Rudy's comments came after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) filed a corruption case against Lalu and his son Tejashwi Yadav, who is a minister in Bihar, and raided the Yadavs' home in Patna and at other properties belonging to them. Lalu has termed the CBI case as a political witch-hunt.

Rudy refuted Lalu's charge and said the RJD chief is well-known corrupt and just being the supremo of a political party doesn't put him above the law.

'It is well-known fact that Lalu has been convicted in Rs 1000 crore fodder scam and served jail term. Therefore, he can't fight elections. The case is yet not finished and the Supreme Court has ordered to complete the probe in all the five cases in the scam within eight months," Rudy told ANI.

He added that the action against Lalu and his family members is as per law.

"Recently, it has been revealed that Lalu and his family members have illegally acquired property worth crores through the shell companies. The Central Bureau of Investigation and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) have probed the allegations and hence have taken action," Rudy said.

The Union Minister, who also hails from Bihar, further asserted that "the laws are enacted to take action against criminals and if Lalu Yadav thinks that he is a big leader and makes Chief Ministers in Bihar then he must realise that he is not above the law".

When asked about Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's mum over the allegations of corruption against Lalu, Rudy said the Bihar Chief Minister is silent just only to remain in power.

"Nitish Kumar doesn't want to acknowledge or speak about the crimes of Lalu just for the sake of being in power. Nitish may have been holding the post of Chief Minister but actually it is Lalu who is running the government. I don't think that Nitish would ever muster courage to speak against Lalu's corruption while he is Chief Minister with Lalu's support," Rudy said.

The RJD is a coalition partner in Bihar's Nitish government.

The CBI has alleged that when Lalu was Railways Minister in 2008 then he got a two acre plot in Patna as a favour from an entrepreneur Harsh Kocchar, whom Lalu helped in getting 15-year-lease to run two Railways' hotels in Puri and Ranchi.

Currently, the Yadavs are building a mall on that two acre land. Kocchar allegedly sold land to a company owned by wife of a RJD MP and then the land was transferred in the name of Lalu's wife Rabri Devi and son Tejasvi.

The CBI case has brought a bunch of new concerns for the Yadavs who have been facing Income Tax probe for allegedly becoming owner of property worth Rs. 1000 crore via shell companies.

Bihar's senior Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) leader Sushil Kumar Modi has alleged that Lalu family has become owner of over 125 properties in last 12 years.

It is Sushil Modi only who, from last three months, has been making series of revelations about the alleged illegal empire of the Yadavs.

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Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav has held Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah responsible for the raids conducted by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) at 12 locations across Patna, Delhi, Gurgaon and other places in connection with a case linked to a hotel maintenance contract awarded by him when he was the Railway Minister in 2006.

Lalu on Friday said that he would eradicate the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for interfering in the grand alliance of his party with the Janata Dal (United) (JD(U)), adding he would do everything to break the arrogance of Prime Minister Modi.

"With illogical statements, the BJP Government is trying to destroy the alliance of the RJD and the JD(U). We will eradicate the saffron party as they are trying to interfere in our alliance. Listen Modi and Amit Shah, I and the public will break your arrogance even if I have to get hanged for that," Yadav told media here.

"I have made you (Prime Minster Modi) walk away from Bihar and you are trying to create disturbances in our alliance. I will break your arrogance," he added.

He added that there was no reason to involve Rabri Devi and Tejaswi Yadav in the investigation as his wife is "not even a public servant."

The CBI, earlier in the day, registered a corruption case against Lalu; Rabri Devi; Tejaswi Yadav; former Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) Managing Director P.K. Goyal; and the wife of Lalu's confidante Prem Chand Gupta, Sujata on allegations of awarding the tender for development, maintenance and operation of hotels in Ranchi and Puri in 2006.

The CBI later questioned Lalu Prasad Yadav's wife and former Bihar chief minister Rabri Devi and his son and Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejaswi Yadav.

The case was registered on the allegations of awarding the tender for development, maintenance and operation of Hotels at Ranchi and Puri to a Private Company dealing with Hotels in the year 2006.

The investigative agency also conducted searches at 12 locations across Patna, Delhi, Gurgaon and other places.

These raids have comes weeks after the Income-Tax department searched locations in New Delhi and adjoining areas in regard with corruption charges against Yadav's daughter Misa Bharti and her husband Shailesh Kumar.

The RJD chief, however, brushed aside the allegation and tore into the BJP, saying that it was a political conspiracy against him.

Meanwhile, Bihar Additional Director General of Police S.K. Singhal said an alert has been issued across the state to prevent any possible political ramification amid the CBI raid on RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav.

He further said that police is also patrolling in some of the sensitive areas to prevent any untoward incidents.

The alert was issued from the Bihar Police headquarters to all police posts cautioning them of possible protests and retaliation from RJD supporters across the state.

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A college girl was allegedly kidnapped and gang-raped inside a moving car in suburban Charkop in Mumbai yesterday.

The incident took place around 7 a.m. when the victim was on her way to college. An Eeco car, with three men inside, drew up near her and allegedly kidnapped and raped her.

According to the police, after pulling the victim into the car, she was sexually assaulted by the three perpetrators.

Later, the captors took her near Madh Island in Malad and allegedly raped her.

The police are waiting for the medical reports of the victim and have registered a case of rape and kidnapping, but no arrests have been made yet. Further probe is on.

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Rehman Malik, Pakistan's former interior minister has accused India's intelligence agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) for paying CIA contractor Raymond Davis to write the book, 'The Contractor', in order to malign Pakistan's army and democratic institutions.

PPP Senator Malik has urged the nation not to fall prey to Indian conspiracies and not to project Davis as a hero. "He is nothing but an agent to the RAW," he claimed.

"I have documentary proof that Davis was approached by Indian agency RAW's Additional Secretary Jagnathan Kumar for writing the book The Contractor in order to malign Pakistan's premier agency ISI, the Pakistan military and the civilian leadership," he said.

Malik termed CIA contractor Raymond Davis's book, 'The Contractor', a pack of lies.

Raymond Allen Davis is a former United States Army soldier, private security firm employee, and contractor with the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).

On January 27, 2011, Davis killed two reportedly armed men in Lahore, Pakistan.

The U.S. government argued that he was protected by diplomatic immunity, but Davis was jailed and criminally charged by Pakistani authorities with double murder and Malik was then the interior minister in 2011 when Davis was acquitted of shooting two people in Lahore.

Pakistan freed the CIA contractor after a deal was sealed to pay $2.34 million in "blood money" to the men's families.

The agreement, nearly seven weeks after the shootings, ended a tens

After six years, Davis's book prompted Malik to issue a detailed statement on Thursday regarding so far undisclosed developments that had unfolded in the aftermath of Davis's arrest.

Malik claimed that the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) government and the military establishment had decided not to release Davis till he was acquitted by a court of law and Davis had been placed on the Exit Control List immediately. "A high-level meeting had decided that neither would Davis be deported nor would he be granted diplomatic immunity, and that we would wait for the decision of the court in the matter and no action would be taken through any executive order," he said.

He said that later in a meeting at the President House, the then Inter-Services Intelligence director general, Gen Shuja Pasha, had told the political leadership that the Americans wanted to exercise the right of Diyat (blood money) under Islamic law. "The matter was dealt with the cooperation of the Punjab government, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Interior," he said.

On March 16, 2011, Davis was released after the families of the two killed men were paid $2.4 million in diyya or blood money.

In his book, Davis has claimed that General Shuja Pasha played a significant role in pushing for diplomatic immunity . But Malik defended Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) director general,saying "No such role was played by the then ISI DG in the release of Raymond Davis, as claimed in his controversial book."

Malik even claimed that after returning to the US, Davis was facing hard times and had attempted suicide several times. "Only last year, Raymond Davis was under a huge debt of $700,000 and his wife Rebecca has taken separation from him. Due to his miserable financial condition, he became an easy prey and was sponsored by RAW and the book was written through a ghostwriter."

Malik said that how an impoverished Davis can circulate a free PDF version of his book on the internet and via WhatsApp.

When asked that Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf general secretary Shah Mehmood Qureshi, the then foreign minister, had claimed that he had resigned from the ministry on the issue of immunity granted to Davis.

Malik said: "I would like to clarify that nobody wanted to give immunity to the U.S. spy as claimed by Qureshi and that he never resigned from the ministry over the issue of Raymond Davis.Prime Minister Gilani had dissolved the cabinet on Feb 9, 2011 to reshuffle and Qureshi was offered the portfolio of Ministry of Water & Power or Agriculture...in the presence of other cabinet members, he had resented and walked out insisting that he wanted to be foreign minister."

He said Qureshi had left the political party due to his own political gripes eight months after Davis's acquittal.

The former interior ministry also revealed that back then he had been approached by Dr Fozia Siddiqui, sister of detained Afia Siddiqui, who had proposed that government consider an exchange of her sister with Davis."It was a good idea to get Siddiqui back to Pakistan, subject to the clearance of the court," he added. "I had earlier gotten her two sons recovered from Afghanistan and handed them over to her family," the Dawn reported.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the G-20 Summit on Friday spoke about India's initiatives for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) targets through consistent roadmap for implementation and the National Review as per United Nations guidelines.

At Session II on Sustainable Development, Climate and Energy, the Prime Minister emphasised on need for cooperation in of opposing realities. He also speaks about tech facilitation, ODA commitments, infrastructure, labour mobility and health.

He proposed an international coalition of countries that can identify technology, develop systems and build capacities, adding that India is ready to lead.

Prime Minister Modi also stressed on the need to be forthcoming on climate change action and that developing countries must have enough room to grow.

He emphasised that Skill India, Digital India, and financial inclusion measures are India's own initiatives in consonance with the SDGs.

Earlier, speaking at the first session on global growth and trade at the G-20 Summit, Indian leader highlighted his government's ambitious rollout of the Goods and Services Tax (GST), saying it would create a unified market of 1.3 bn people and build resilience.

He also said that growth and development for all in India is central to his pursuit of eco-prosperity and for this, his government aims to lift 100 million households out of poverty by 2019.

The vision also includes doubling farmers' income by 2022 and equip the 500 million youth of the country with productive skill set.

On the sidelines of the summit he also held talks with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

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Prime Minister is set to attend an informal meeting of BRICS leaders expected to last for about 45 minutes. The Prime Minister will thereafter leave for the G-20 Leaders Retreat where the topic of discussion is likely to focus on 'fighting terrorism'.

Prime Minister Modi is likely to hold bilateral meetings with several leaders, including Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe and South Korean President Moon Jae on the sidelines of the G-20 Summit. Thereafter, he will take part in G-20 sessions like 'Global Growth and Trade', 'Sustainable Development Climate and Energy', 'Partnership with Africa, Migration and Health' and 'Digitalization, Women's Empowerment, Employment'.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to take part in two official G-20 sessions and one informal meeting to discuss political issues, such as global terrorism and the situation in the Middle East. He will also hold talks with the leaders of the BRICS group of nations, comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, TASS reported.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel will officially welcome the G-20 participants and the members will gather for the first session on global growth and trade.

The two-day meeting between the 19 most important industrial and emerging economies in the world, including the European Union will begin with a discussion on the fight against global warming.

U S President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin will skip the discussion on global warming to have a formal meeting with each other instead where they will be discussing Syria and more issues.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel suggested on Thursday evening that officials would have two long nights ahead of them as they attempt to settle on a declaration wording that all parties can agree on. "The negotiations are not easy," DW quoted Merkel, as saying.

Disagreements are bound to exist between the participating nations, not only on climate change policy, but also on world trade and migration.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Speaking at the first session on global growth and trade at the G-20 Summit, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlighted his government's ambitious rollout of the Goods and Services Tax (GST), saying it would create a unified market of 1.3 bn people and build resilience.

He also said that growth and development for all in India is central to his pursuit of eco-prosperity and for this, his government aims to lift 100 million households out of poverty by 2019.

The vision also includes doubling farmers' income by 2022 and equip the 500 million youth of the country with productive skill set.

Talking about the fight against black money, the Indian leader said, "With base erosion and profit shifting adopted, we are ready to carry forward the fight against black money and corruption. Global implementation of Automatic Exchange of Financial Account Information on a reciprocal basis will help curb Black money and illicit flows."

He asserted that demonetisation has dealt a blow to corruption in India, boosted digitisation and enlarged the formal economy.

PM at Session I on global growth and trade: GST will create a unified market of 1.3 bn people& build resilience pic.twitter.com/bKO7C8uxHV  Gopal Baglay (@MEAIndia) July 7, 2017

PM :We r ready to carry forward fight against black money and corruption.Hope that #G20 will assume leadership to act on all imp issues pic.twitter.com/6pseNtVYgc  Gopal Baglay (@MEAIndia) July 7, 2017

He also urged the G20 to voice support for a regime of openness as he said that the rise in protectionism threatens gains from globalisation.

Ahead of the session, Prime Minister Modi met with Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe on the sidelines of the summit.

Earlier speaking on terrorism, at Leaders Retreat here the Indian leader also presented an 11-point action agenda for counter-terrorism as he stated the need to strengthen inter-governmental cooperation amongst the G-20 nations.

Prime Minister Modi's 11-point action agenda included deterrent action against countries supporting terrorism and banning entry of leaders of such countries to the G-20 nations; exchange of suspected terrorist list among the G-20 nations and joint action against them and to simplify and expedite extradition and other legal processes.

The Prime Minister also, earlier in the day, attended the informal gathering of BRICS leaders in Hamburg. The Indian leader also had a conversation on a range of issues with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the gathering.

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After the internet exploded with the video of Polish First Lady appearing to snub Trump's handshake offer and greeting Melania instead, Polish President Andrzej Duda has cleared the air over the seemingly awkward development.

The footage appeared to show Trump extending his hand to Kornhauser-Duda, who walks straight past it to greet his wife, Melania Trump.

Now, while some have perceived it as a snub, it seems equally possible that Kornhauser-Duda did not see the US President's hand extended to her.

In an attempt to clear the air surrounding his wife, the Polish President took to Twitter and training his guns on 'fake news'.

"Contrary to some surprising reports my wife did shake hands with Mrs. and Mr. Trump @POTUS after a great visit. Let's FIGHT FAKE NEWS." Duda said.

The President then re-tweeted a video where after greeting the US first lady, Kornhauser-Duda then turns to shake Trump's hand.

So it seems to appear that President Duda has joined Trump's anti-'Fake News' campaign.

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Civil society activists from Afghanistan and residents of different provinces have reacted after Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said that dam projects in Afghanistan are damaging the environment.

"The remarks by the Iranian president show that Iran is not paying respect to the Helmand River agreement signed between Afghanistan and Iran in 1970. Their demands are a lot," said Rahmatullah Zaland, member of Paktia associations. Neighbouring .Iran receive much water from Afghanistan's two water zones - Helmand and Harirrod Zones.

This comes after the Iranian president had criticized Afghanistan's dam project at a conference on sandstorms in Tehran, Rouhani said: "We cannot remain silent about the thing which is apparently damaging our environment. Establishment of several dams in Afghanistan such as Kajaki, Kamal Khan and Salma in the north and south of Afghanistan."

Economic affairs analysts said the remarks by Rouhani could be considered as a violation of the Helmand River Treaty.Based on Article 5 of the Helmand River Treaty, Iran cannot claim to the water of the Helmand River in excess of the amounts specified in this Treaty.

The activists called on Tehran to respect the rights and freedom of the people of Afghanistan. They asked the Afghan government to seal agreements on all waters which flow to Iran in order to prevent possible tension between the two countries.

"National projects have positive impacts on Afghans' lives wherever they are. We support these projects," said Zia-ul-Haq Fazli, a resident of Paktia.

"No country has the right to interfere in this respect. It is the right of Afghans and they are free to manage the waters in the way that they want," said Nabi Sadat, an economic affairs analyst.

On average basis, the scale of water resources in Afghanistan is estimated up to 70 billion cubic meters annually. But 80 percent of these waters are flowing to Iran, Pakistan and other neighboring nations in the Central Asian countries.

Iranian President Rouhani has even criticized Turkey for its major dam projects on the Euphrates and Tigris rivers.Rouhani has demanded that Turkey stop construction of both dams, saying that they were "dangerous" for the entire Middle East.

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The Supreme Court on Friday allowed the petitioners challenging the making of Aadhaar as mandatory, to mention it before the Chief Justice of India (CJI) for the Constitution bench to hear the matter.

A three judge bench of the apex court, headed by Justice J. Chelameshwar and also comprising Justices A. M. Khanwilkar and Navin Sinha asked the petitioners to mention it before the CJI court.

Earlier today, the top court was likely to pass an order whether or not Aadhaar Card is mandatory for availing government social benefit schemes.

Earlier in the month, the apex court pronounced its order on mandatory requirements of Aadhar card for Income Tax Return (ITR).

The Income Tax Department has stepped up its efforts to encourage people to link their PAN with Aadhaar.

In the recent days, while many taxpayers have received emails on how to do the PAN-Aadhaar linking online, advertisements in leading dailies have described how it can be done via SMS.

Urging the taxpayers to link Aadhaar with PAN as soon as possible, an email from the Income Tax Department's e-filing team reads: "This (linking of Aadhaar and PAN) will be useful for E-Verification of Income Tax returns using Aadhaar OTP ( One-Time Password)."

The government had earlier decided to lower the limit on cash transaction from Rs. 3 lakh to Rs. 2 lakh, and make Aadhaar number mandatory for filing income tax returns and applying for a PAN card.

The decisions were part of amendments moved to the finance bill, which puts into effect the Budget proposals.

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While hearing a petition filed by the Tamil Nadu Centre for Public Interest Litigation (CPIL), the Supreme today observed that the Government's approach towards the farmers' crisis should be preventive rather than compensatory.

The petitioner, TNCPIL, had knocked the doors of the apex court seeking a direction to the Central government to take effective steps to stop farmer suicide.

A division bench of the apex court, headed by Justice Dipak Misra and comprising Justice A. M. Khanwilkar, observed that various financial institutions, giving loans to farmers, should not resort to taking any 'coercive step' for recovery of loans from these farmers in case their crop failure.

The Supreme Court yesterday expressed deep concern over the farmers' suicides in India and said that now the time has come to move from paper to the implementation of the pro-farmer policies.

However, the apex court admitted that the Union Government was doing good work but suicide cases of farmers are increasing day by day.

The court was hearing the appeal, filed by NGO 'Citizens Resource and Action and Initiative' on issues related to farmers in Gujarat.

The apex court said that the government has come up with good schemes for farmers including crop insurance and PMKSY (Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana), but these need to be implemented properly.

"We want to move from paper to implementation,'' the court observed.

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Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has said that the ongoing victimization of his family in connection with the Supreme Court-ordered Panama Gate investigations is having an overall negative impact across Pakistan.

Speaking on the sidelines of a two-day state visit to Tajikistan, Sharif said the issue has not only had a depressing effect on the nation, but also on the national economy.

Emphasizing that his family has nothing to fear "as our hands are clean", Sharif said he was hopeful that his family and he would come out of all this unscathed.

The Dawn quoted him, as asking, "What are the allegations against me? Have I looted the national exchequer? Have I done some corruption or got kickbacks?"

Defending his integrity, he said accountability was being asked of a person who had made Pakistan a nuclear power, and added that it was regrettable that his family business matters were being exploited for political gain.

Sharif said that he had a public mandate to serve as the Prime Minister of Pakistan for a full five-year term, and this was so because the people firmly believed in his development-oriented policies.

He said that the election results in 2018 would be no different to what had taken place in 2013, as the public is aware of his ability to deliver and bring about a change in their lives.

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Jammu and Kashmir Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh on Friday dubbed the statement of senior Congress leader Saifuddin Soz on Burhan Wani as 'anti national' and asserted there is no scope of relief for a terrorist, as he will be dealt in the manner he deserves.

Singh said that Soz should have not even thought of making such a comment, while adding that by backing Wani he is trying to glorify him.

"Such people who speak for terrorists like Burhan Wani are anti-nationals. They should not even think like this. What are these people intending to do? Are they trying to glorify the terrorists? Such statements bring good for nobody. Terrorists will be dealt the way they should be," said Singh.

Soz earlier today said the decision to kill Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani was not one he would have chosen, while averring that initiating dialogue with him should have been better.

"If it were up to me, Burhan Wani would have been kept alive and a dialogue would have taken place," said Soz.

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U.S. President Donald Trump has again slammed mainstream media for not writing accurately about him and covering him negatively, but said he will fight for his country's interests.

Trump tweeted ,"I will represent our country well and fight for its interests! Fake News Media will never cover me accurately but who cares! We will #MAGA!"

Trump, who is in Hamburg for the G-20 summit, will skip the first session of discussion on global warming to have a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Syria and other issues.

Laying emphasis on the meetings with leaders, specially Putin, Trump tweeted, "look forward to all meetings today with leaders, including my meeting with Vladimir Putin. Much to discuss."

Referring to 2016 presidential candidate Hillary Clinton's campaign manager John Podesta's allegations that hackers linked to Russia intruded into his computers that resulted into Clinton losing the election, Trump tweeted," Everyone here is talking about why John Podesta refused to give the DNC server to the FBI and the CIA. Disgraceful!"

Podesta has revealed how the Russian linked hacker was successful in intruding into his computer and lapses by the IT department of not sharing FBI concerns with the DNC's senior leadership

Elaborating on his meetings with leaders,Trump posted ," After Poland had a great meeting with Chancellor Merkel and then with PM Shinzo Abe of Japan & President Moon of South Korea.

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The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Congress Party and Communist Party of India (Marxist), that were heading towards violence-hit Basirhat in West Bengal to take stock of the situation, were barred to enter the area by the security force today.

BJP MP Roopa Ganguly was stopped and detained near Michael Nagar while Congress delegation led by Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury was barred near Barasat.

The Left delegation led by CPI (M) MP Mohammed Salim made a second attempt to reach Basirhat but were also stopped by the security force, and so was the Congress delegation led by Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury.

Heavy security forces have been deployed in and around the area in the wake communal violence that broke out in Baduria and Basirhat areas of North 24 Parganas district over a Facebook post last week.

Earlier, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had appealed the warring groups to maintain peace and communal harmony in the area.

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A delegation of opposition parties will visit the violence-hit areas of North 24 Parganas district today.

The Left Front delegation will be led by CPI (M) MP Mohammed Salim, Left Front legislative party leader Sujan Chakraborty will represent his cadre, Congress will be represented by Adheer Ranjan Cahudhary and Rupa Ganguly will be the face of the Bharatiya Janat Party.

The delegations will visit the affected areas of Baduria in North 24 parganas and Darjeeling .

West Bengal, in the recent few days, has witnessed violence and serious clashes either taking place between two religious groups or between people and the administration.

The boiling pot of it is the Darjeeling unrest, with the Gorkhas, under the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM), demanding a separate Gorkhaland for themselves.

The Gorkhas have demanded for a separate land with the claim that they should get what was promised to them i.e. a separate land.

The situation is still intense in the region with the widespread shutdown entering the 22nd day today.

Another incident of violence which erupted was in the North 24 Parganas area on Monday.

Communal violence broke out in its Baduria and Basirhat areas over a Facebook post.

Earlier, Mamata had appealed the warring groups to maintain peace and communal harmony in the area. She also held the local police responsible for failing to block Facebook in the beginning only.

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Congress leader Saifuddin Soz on Friday said that he would have kept Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist Burhan Wani alive if it was in his power.

The Congress leader further said he would have held dialogue with the Hizbul terrorist, if he was alive.

"If it was in my power I would have not let Burhan Wani die. I wanted to hold a dialogue with him. I would have made him understand that a bridge of friendship between Pakistan, Kashmir and India can be built and he could also be useful in that. But now he has died. We should understand the pain of Kashmiris," Saifuddin Soz told ANI.

Meanwhile, security has been beefed up in the Kashmir Valley ahead of Wani's death anniversary.

Wani, who was the poster boy of the terror outfit Hizbul Mujahideen, in Kashmir Valley, was gunned down in an encounter in Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir on July 8 last year.

Widespread protests erupted in the Kashmir valley after Wani's death and curfew was imposed for consecutive 53 days. However, the unrest continued for about five months after Wani's death in which 78 people, including two police personnel, were killed.

Considering the unrest post Wani's death, the Jammu and Kashmir government had also ordered house arrest of separatist leaders like Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, and Yasin Malik.

This year till June, Pakistan supported terror outfits like Hizbul Mujahideen and Lashkar-e-Taiba have launched around 22 attacks in Jammu and Kashmir in which 16 civilians, 57 security personnel have been killed. The security forces also 102 terrorists.

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All the seven Union Territories accounting for 16 Urban Local Bodies including the three Municipal Corporations of Delhi will become Open Defecation Free (ODF) by March next year. Respective Governments have committed to this effect during a two day review of progress of new urban missions that concluded here today.

Shri Venkaiah Naidu urged all the seven UTs to speed up implementation of various urban missions meant for improving infrastructure relating to sanitation, water supply and sewerage and affordable housing. He assured that all support will be provided to address capacity constraints of smaller UTs to help them pick up momentum.

During the review Delhi Government officials informed that 6.22 lakh households in Delhi will be provided with water taps over the next two years under Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT). At present 23.78 lakh households accounting for 58% of the total 41 lakh households have water connections and this will be increased to 73% under AMRUT. Sewerage connectivity will be increased from the present 57% to 65% under AMRUT. Shri Naidu requested LG of Delhi to sort out issues related to forest and ridge lands and unauthorized colonies to ensure full coverage under water supply.

Progress of works under AMRUT in Delhi for which the Ministry of Urban Development approved an investment of Rs.802 cr for the five year period 2015-20 has been reviewed in detail.

Noting sanitation as a major area of concern in Delhi, Shri Naidu asked the Delhi Government and municipal bodies to focus on solid waste management and segregation of municipal waste at source.

It was assured that South and East MCDs will become Open Defecation Free by October this year while North MCD will do so by December this year. Only three of 201 individual household toilets for which demand has so far been received have been so far built besides 11,138 of the 22,891 community and public toilet seats required.

Of the 16 urban local bodies in the UTs, only three viz., New Delhi Municipal Council, Chandigarh and Mahe in Puducherry have become ODF so far. During the review, respective governments committed to make other 13 ULBs ODF by March next year.

Concern was also expressed over the three MCDs of Delhi not so far initiating work relating to Credit Rating and replacing old water pumpsets by energy efficient ones. It was assured that MoU in this regard will be signed with EESL by September this year.

Noting that an affordable housing need of over three lakh units in Delhi has been indicated based on earlier surveys, Shri Naidu urged DDA and Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board to act fast and in tandem and send all proposals at the earliest so that construction of houses can be completed by 2022.

NDMC has been asked to speed up execution of its smart city plan with focus on impactful projects like smart roads and smart parking, pedestrianisation of Connaught Place etc.

Shri Venkaiah Naidu thanked LG of Delhi Shri Anil Baijal for ensuring focus on sanitation in and overall development of Delhi since he assumed office and said that his experience and wisdom will help the cause of national capital.

Shri Naidu complimented Chandigarh for being the first city to ensure water taps to all the households under AMRUT. City officials informed that over 1,600 households have been provided with water taps further to which all the 2.10 lakh households now have taps.

Under the smart city plan of Chandigarh, 50 kms of cycle tracks have already been laid and work in respect of another 40 kms is in progress at a total cost of Rs.18 cr.

Smart parking is being developed at 25 locations to accommodate over 50,000 vehicles. City officials also informed that work on retrofitting of Sector -43 at a cost of Rs.4,500 cr will begin by the end of current financial year. Chandigarh's smart city plan has been approved at a cost of Rs.6,272 cr, the highest of the 90 smart cities so far approved.

Shri Venkaiah Naidu stressed on the importance of quality urban infrastructure in UTs. He said that Delhi being the national capital is the point of convergence of hopes and aspirations of the people o0f the country leading to rising migrant population while Chandigarh, Andaman & Nicobar Islands and other smaller UTs are major tourist destinations.

He urged the Ministry officials to ensure necessary support to and hand holding of smaller UTs to speed up implementation of projects under the newly launched urban missions.

Reacting to the suggestion of taking up sweeping during night time, LG of Delhi Shri Anil Baijal asked municipal bodies to introduce mechanized sweeping during night time in identified areas to start with. He stressed on the need to look at the staffing norms and quality standards to enhance the capacities of municipal bodies in the context of new urban planning and execution approaches being introduced under Smart City Mission and other initiatives.

LG of Andaman & Nicobar Islands Prof. Jagdish Mukhi suggested deployment of Project Management Units to smaller UTs for two years to address constraints in this regard besides strengthening broadband connectivity.

Puducherry Chief Minister Shri V. Narayanasamy referred to the problem of sand availability in the UT and the efforts being made to ensure toilet construction in time. He assured that LED lighting will be completed at the earliest.

Urban Development Minister of Delhi Shri Satyendra Jain stated that the focus in the national capital is on building community and public toilet seats since those who have land built individual household toilets. He suggested changes in Master Plan of Delhi so that government hospitals and other institutions are not required to meet parking norms at par with private entities.

With this review, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu has completed review of progress of urban missions in 29 States and UTs so far.

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Bharat Forge rose 1.48% to Rs 1,124.05 at 9:32 IST on BSE after the company's subsidiary signed pact with Israel's Aerospace Industries to build new maintenance centre in India for selected advanced air defense systems.

The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 6 July 2017.

Meanwhile, the S&P BSE Sensex was down 45.26 points, or 0.14% to 31,324.08.

On the BSE, 19,000 shares were traded in the counter so far, compared with average daily volumes of 67,136 shares in the past one quarter. The stock had hit a high of Rs 1,130.25 and a low of Rs 1,115.05 so far during the day. The stock hit a 52-week high of Rs 1,220.45 on 8 June 2017. The stock hit a 52-week low of Rs 716.70 on 4 August 2016.

The stock had underperformed the market over the past one month till 6 July 2017, falling 8.48% compared with 0.31% rise in the Sensex. The scrip had outperformed the market in past one quarter, rising 3.83% as against Sensex's 5.60% rise. The scrip had also outperformed the market in past one year, rising 49.21% as against Sensex's 15.32% rise.

The large-cap company has equity capital of Rs 46.56 crore. Face value per share is Rs 2.

Bharat Forge announced that its subsidiary, Kalyani Strategic Systems and Israel Aerospace Industries have signed a new memorandum of understanding (MoU) addressed to expand the joint venture that the companies are establishing. The new MoU covers the establishment of a maintenance center for selected advanced air defence systems at Hyderabad in Telengana. The two companies have also agreed on expanding their joint operations for development, manufacturing and marketing of precise ammunition systems. In February 2017, Israel Aerospace Industries has inked an MoU with Kalyani Strategic Systems (KSSL) on establishing a joint venture that will develop, build, market and manufacture selected Air Defence Systems and light-weight special purpose munitions, in accordance with the Indian Government's 'Make in India' policy.

Net profit of Bharat Forge rose 25.32% to Rs 207.50 crore on 11.31% rise in net sales to Rs 1125.66 crore in Q4 March 2017 over Q4 March 2016.

Bharat Forge is a technology driven global leader in metal forming having transcontinental presence across ten manufacturing locations, serving several sectors including automotive, power, oil and gas, construction & mining, rail, marine and aerospace.

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On 13 July 2017

Epic Energy will hold a meeting of the Board of Directors of the Company on 13 July 2017 Shifting of the Registered Office within the local limit from '119, Patilwadi, Office No. 1 to 3,Near Rabale Railway Station, Rabale (West), Navi Mumbai-400701 to Office No. 1,Ground Floor, 'SUNSHINE WILLOWS', Plot No. 18, Sector-8, Ghansoli, Navi Mumbai,400701, Maharashtra.

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Hindustan Foods hit an upper circuit limit of 10% at Rs 176.30 at 14:49 IST on BSE after the company said it bagged orders from two new customers for manufacturing and supply of leather shoes.

The announcement was made during trading hours today, 7 July 2017.

Meanwhile, the S&P BSE Sensex was up 26.44 points, or 0.08% to 31,395.78.

On the BSE, 2,556 shares were traded in the counter so far, compared with average daily volumes of 799 shares in the past one quarter. The stock had hit a low of Rs 173 in intraday trade. The stock hit a record high of Rs 228.80 on 6 February 2017. The stock hit a 52-week low of Rs 91.40 on 8 July 2016.

The stock had outperformed the market over the past one month till 6 July 2017, rising 12.37% compared with 0.31% rise in the Sensex. The scrip had, however, underperformed the market in past one quarter, falling 1.11% as against Sensex's 5.60% rise. The scrip had outperformed the market in past one year, rising 66.81% as against Sensex's 15.32% rise.

The small-cap company has equity capital of Rs 12.99 crore. Face value per share is Rs 10.

Hindustan Foods received the orders from Reliance Brands (under Steve Madden brand) and Arvind Lifestyle Brands (under US Polo & Arrow brands).

In December 2016, Hindustan Foods had acquired certain moveable and immovable assets of Ponds Export, a subsidiary of Hindustan Unilever. Post this acquisition, the company started manufacturing leather shoe uppers and accessories at Puducherry. The company has been able to integrate the operations and has managed the transition without any disruption of supplies to the European Customers.

Net profit of Hindustan Foods declined 55.23% to Rs 0.77 crore on 277.88% rise in net sales to Rs 17.08 crore in Q4 March 2017 over Q4 March 2016.

Hindustan Foods manufactures cereal-based food products and a range of instant mixes, baby foods, instant porridges, breakfast cereals and health drinks.

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IDFC Bank rose 2.68% to Rs 65.05 at 9:44 IST on BSE after the bank refused to comment or deny reports of merger with Shriram group companies.

Meanwhile, the S&P BSE Sensex was down 34.94 points, or 0.11% to 31,334.40.

On the BSE, 12.45 lakh shares were traded in the counter so far, compared with average daily volumes of 12 lakh shares in the past one quarter. The stock had hit a high of Rs 66 and a low of Rs 64.50 so far during the day. The stock hit a record high of Rs 83.45 on 28 September 2016. The stock hit a 52-week low of Rs 46.30 on 7 July 2016.

The stock had outperformed the market over the past one month till 6 July 2017, rising 7.46% compared with 0.31% rise in the Sensex. The scrip had also outperformed the market in past one quarter, rising 4.88% as against Sensex's 5.60% rise. The scrip had also outperformed the market in past one year, rising 33.65% as against Sensex's 15.32% rise.

The large-cap company has equity capital of Rs 3,401 crore. Face value per share is Rs 10.

Media reports suggested that Shriram Transport Finance, Shriram City Union Finance will merge with IDFC Bank; and Shriram Capital's Life, General insurance business will merge with IDFC.

IDFC Bank clarified after market hours yesterday, 6 July 2017, that it keeps evaluating opportunities from time to time and should anything concrete fructify, it will inform the exchanges as appropriate. At this point, there is nothing that can be disclosed. Under the circumstances, it is unable to confirm or deny the news reports. Meanwhile, it cannot comment on the market speculations.

Net profit of IDFC Bank rose 6.60% to Rs 175.95 crore on 16.7% rise in operating income to Rs 2279.65 crore in Q4 March 2017 over Q4 March 2016.

IDFC Bank, a subsidiary of IDFC, is a universal bank, offering financial solutions through its nationwide branches, internet and mobile.

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Union Labour and Employment Minister Mr. Bandaru Dattatreya today said, out of 44 labour laws, we are going to amalgamate, simplify and rationalise into four labour course at an ASSOCHAM event.

The government plans to create 65 million jobs by 2026, said Mr. Bandaru Dattatreya, Minister for Labour and Employment. He further said, the government recognises the importance of skilling the workforce, has allocated Rs. 16,000 crore for skilling.

Mr. Dattatreya further said that Industry should focus more on social security of employees to increase productivity.

Mr Girish Shankar, Secretary, Ministry of Heavy Industries & Public Enterprises said, there is a huge gap, which the auto industry must address to ensure 'Make in India' is really creating and developing in India. The Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) need to make substantial investments in engineering R&D for designing and developing in India, so that India graduates to a truly Auto Engineering hub rather than continue to be a place to manufacture to prints only.

We request the auto majors to consider this seriously and fast enough. Also, suggest to us as to how to support this through an appropriate policy framework. We are already working towards this direction, said Mr.

Shankar.

Secretary, Ministry of Heavy Industries & Public Enterprises said, Department of heavy industries being the administrative ministry for the automotive industry has onus of leading and steering the policy alignment for the industry to meet the expectations towards Green Mobility in India.

We have finalised the net automotive mission plan (AMP) 2016-2026. AMP 2026 is, as was the case for the previous one, a combined effort of the government of India and the industry to chart a growth path that we jointly seek to achieve. It also seeks to define the trajectory of evolution of the automotive ecosystem in India including the glide path of specific regulations and policies that govern a wide range of parameters that affect the industry.

As an outcome of the AMP 2026 we are planning that the Indian Automotive industry will grow 3.5-4 times in value from its current output of around Rs. 4,64,000 crore in 2015 to about Rs. 16,16,000- 18,89,500 crore by 2026 considering an average GDP growth ranging between 5.8% to 7.5% during the period.

The Auto industry generates demand for the rest of the manufacturing sector. Being the leading sector for overall economic growth, this sector is the driving engine for the Make in India programme, targeting an annual production of RS. 16 to 19 lakh crore in terms of its size and establish itself firmly on the global stage. By 2026 India could stand first in the world in production and sale of small cars two wheelers, three wheelers and buses, third in passenger vehicle and heavy trucks all adding up to 12% of GDP.

Exports of the automotive vehicles which was at the level of Rs 62,500 crores in 2015, is targeted to go up to between Rs. 2,23,300 crores by 2026. Besides it would also be a key player in skill India programme targeting an additional 65 million jobs said Mr. Shankar.

The government of India plans to introduce a new Green Urban Transport Scheme with a central assistance of about Rs. 25,000 crores aimed at boosting the growth of urban transport along low carbon path for substantial reduction in pollution and providing a framework for funding urban mobility projects at National , State and City level with minimum recourse to budgetary allocation support by encouraging innovative financing projects.

Mr R S Kalsi, Chairman, Auto Council ASSOCHAM, thanked the government for being considerate to the needs of industry and cited path breaking efforts in highway development, progressive regulations and tax reforms as major positives.

Mr Kalsi assured that the industry was fully committed to Greening India and that the increase in taxation on hybrid cars under GST has surprised automobile manufacturers as well as the component industry. He drew attention to the National Electric Mobility Mission Plan 2020, and said in response to the government's call, industry had invested in hybrid technologies and was now planning to step up investment and bring newer products.

Emphasising the close connection between electric and hybrid technology, Mr Kalsi said key components such as electric motor and lithium ion battery are common to both these clean technologies. Encouraging hybrid technology now, which is relatively less expensive and does not require charging infrastructure, will lead to localization of parts and reduction in cost, thus helping build the eco system for electric mobility in India.

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File photo shows Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim speaks during a joint news conference with his Greek counterpart Alexis Tsipras after their meeting at the Maximos Mansion in Athens, Greece, June 19, 2017. [Photo/Agencies]

ANKARA - The Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said Thursday that the report calling on EU member states to suspend Turkey's accession talks was "null and void."

European Parliament on Thursday voted to accept a proposal of 2016 Commission Report, which is suggesting the suspension of accession talks with Turkey if constitutional changes endorsed in an April 16 referendum go ahead.

Ankara says the vote, which is not legally binding, is an attempt to "sabotage" the recent positivity surrounding talks between the EU bloc and Turkey.

Turkey cared about the decisions made by EU leaders, not about those made by the members of the European Parliament, Yildirim said in Ankara, state-run Anadolu Agency reported.

He also emphasized that Turkey was determined to be a member of the "EU family." However, he said, Ankara has alternatives, joining the bloc is not the country's sole option.

Omer Celik, Minister of EU Affairs, criticized the European Parliament's decision, describing it as "wrong call," while vowing that Turkey will return the report.

"Such demands can only be described as disrespect to the will of the Turkish nation," Celik said.

Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman Huseyin Muftugolu said the decision was based on "false claims and allegations" and undermined the European Parliament's reputation.

The report, with voting 477 to 64 in favor, calls on member states to "formally suspend accession negotiations with Turkey without delay if the constitutional reform package is implemented without changes."

It is a reference to the collection of wide-ranging constitutional proposals approved by the Turkish electorate in April.

It also calls on EU institutions to suspend pre-accession funds if the negotiations are suspended.
Tata Motors announced price reduction in commercial vehicles (cargo) in the range of 0.3% to 4.21% and in commercial vehicles (passenger transportation) in the range of 0.6% to 8.2% post GST to pass on the benefits to its customers. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 6 July 2017.

HPCL announced that it has raised fixed rate senior unsecured notes aggregating to $500 million. The notes will bear interest of 4% per annum payable semi-annually commencing on 12 January 2018. The company intends to use all of the proceeds to fund capital expenditures for its ongoing and future domestic projects in accordance with the ECB guidelines of India. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 6 July 2017.

Shares of Lakshmi Vilas Bank turn ex-dividend today, 7 July 2017, for dividend of Rs 2.70 per share for the year ended March 2017.

Bharat Forge announced that its subsidiary, Kalyani Strategic Systems and Israel Aerospace Industries have signed a new memorandum of understanding (MoU) addressed to expand the joint venture that the companies are establishing. The new MoU covers the establishment of a maintenance center for selected advanced air defence systems at Hyderabad in Telengana. The two companies have also agreed on expanding their joint operations for development, manufacturing and marketing of precise ammunition systems. In February 2017, Israel Aerospace Industries has inked an MoU with Kalyani Strategic Systems (KSSL) on establishing a joint venture that will develop, build, market and manufacture selected Air Defence Systems and light-weight special purpose munitions, in accordance with the Indian Government's 'Make in India' policy. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 6 July 2017.

Navin Fluorine International said its shareholders approved sale of unit located at Dahej in Gujarat. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 6 July 2017.

IDFC Bank will be watched after it refused to comment or deny reports of merger with Shriram group companies. Media reports suggested that Shriram Transport Finance, Shriram City Union Finance will merge with IDFC Bank; and Shriram Capital's Life, General insurance business will merge with IDFC.

IDFC Bank clarified after market hours yesterday, 6 July 2017, that it keeps evaluating opportunities from time to time and should anything concrete fructify, it will inform the exchanges as appropriate. At this point, there is nothing that can be disclosed. Under the circumstances, it is unable to confirm or deny the news reports. Meanwhile, it cannot comment on the market speculations.

Techno Electric & Engineering Company said that its board approved the scheme of amalgamation of the company with Simran Wind Project, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the company. The scheme will come into effect on receipt of necessary approvals for the same, including approval of the stock exchanges and such other statutory authorities as may be required. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 6 July 2017.

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Tata Teleservices (Maharashtra) rose 15.32% to Rs 8.43 at 14:14 IST on BSE on reports that the Tata group and Bharti Enterprises are in discussions to form an alliance across telecom and direct-to-home television businesses.

Meanwhile, the S&P BSE Sensex was up 26.05 points, or 0.08% to 31,395.39.

On the BSE, 35,000 shares were traded in the counter so far, compared with average daily volumes of 8.14 lakh shares in the past one quarter. The stock had hit a high of Rs 689.45 and a low of Rs 670.30 so far during the day. The stock hit a 52-week high of Rs 10.48 on 2 March 2017. The stock hit a 52-week low of Rs 5.42 on 30 September 2016.

The stock had outperformed the market over the past one month till 6 July 2017, rising 10.93% compared with 0.31% rise in the Sensex. The scrip had underperformed the market in past one quarter, falling 2.14% as against Sensex's 5.60% rise. The scrip had also underperformed the market in past one year, rising 1.53% as against Sensex's 15.32% rise.

The small-cap company has equity capital of Rs 1954.93 crore. Face value per share is Rs 10.

According to reports, Tata Group and Bharti Enterprises have held exploratory talks to evaluate a mega alliance involving their telecom, overseas cable & enterprise services, and direct-to-home TV businesses.

Discussions between both sides have revolved around a possible merger between Tata Teleservices, Tata Sky and Tata Communications with the Sunil Mittal-owned Bharti Airtel, which includes its wholly-owned DTH arm, reports added.

Telecom major Bharti Airtel was up 0.94% at Rs 385. Tata Communications was down 0.63% at Rs 671.40.

Tata Teleservices (Maharashtra) reported net loss of Rs 1365.57 crore in Q4 March 2017 as against net loss of Rs 21.98 crore in Q4 March 2016. Net sales declined 18.60% to Rs 596.53 crore in Q4 March 2017 over Q4 March 2016.

Tata Teleservices (Maharashtra) (TTML) spearheads the Tata group's presence in the telephony sector in the telecom circles of Maharashtra (including Mumbai). The company offers integrated telecom solutions to its customers across wireline and wireless networks on GSM, CDMA & 3G platforms.

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At least 10 Egyptian soldiers were killed and 20 injured in suicide bombing and shooting at an army checkpoint in North Sinai's Rafah city on Friday, an official source said.

"A car broke into an army checkpoint in the village of Al-Bars, south of Rafah city which borders Palestinian Gaza Strip," the source told Xinhua news agency.

The explosion was followed by heavy gunfire from dozens of masked militants.

--IANS

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At least three civilians were killed and another injured when a blast rocked northern Afghanistan's Takhar province on Friday, police said.

The blast took place inside a house in Chahab district, Xinhua news agency quoted a senior police official as saying.

With civilians often bearing the brunt of war in conflict-hit Afghanistan, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (Unama) documented 2,181 civilian casualties (715 dead and 1,466 injured) in the first quarter of 2017, a report said.

--IANS

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China on Friday said India was claiming Doklam as part of the tri-junction with Bhutan out of "ulterior motives".

Beijing reiterated that New Delhi had violated the 1890 treaty between the British and China.

Beijing said the place where Indian troops "trespassed" was 2,000 meters from the point marked by China as a tri-junction between India, China and Bhutan.

"The so-called tri-junction point, as its name implies, is a point instead of a line or area. The convention between Great Britain and China relating to Tibet and Sikkim in 1890 states that Sikkim section of the China-India boundary commences at Mount Gipmochi," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said.

"The illegal trespass by India border troops took place at the Sikkim section of the China-India boundary that is 2,000 meters away from Mount Gipmochi. It has nothing to do with the tri-junction point," he added.

"In disregard of the boundary convention, the Indian side takes the entire Doklam region as part of the tri-junction, that is out of ulterior motives.

"The Indian side introduced the idea of tri-junction point into the incident and attempts to enlarge the point into an area. That is absurd and out of ulterior motives," he said.

Beijing and Thimphu claim Doklam, where the Chinese were stopped by the Indian Army from building a road.

New Delhi's objection to road building by the Chinese army in Doklam, a strategic point near India's crucial Siliguri corridor, is because of the pending ownership of the area.

Beijing calls the road construction "just", saying Doklam is part of its territory.

China has been asking India to withdraw its troops from the area in order for a dialogue to take place.

Indian and Chinese troops have been engaged in a stand-off in Doklam in the Sikkim sector since the middle of June.

India has said Beijing's action to "unilaterally determine tri-junction points" violated a 2012 India-China pact which says the boundary would be decided by consulting all the concerned parties.

The two countries, which fought a brief but bitter war in 1962, share a little over 200 km of border in the Sikkim sector.

(Gaurav Sharma is the Beijing-based correspondent of IANS. He can be contacted at sharmagaurav71@gmail.com and gauravians@yahoo.com)

--IANS

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Chabad House terror attack survivor baby Moshe Holtzberg will visit India soon, along with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, an official said here on Friday.

The present Mumbai Chabad-Lubavitch House Co-Director and Rabbi Israel Kozlovsky said they look forward to the visit by Moshe and the Israeli Prime Minister.

"We look forward to welcoming Israel's Prime Minister (Benjamin Netanyahu) in his visit to Mumbai with Moshe Holtzberg," Rabbi Kozlovsky told IANS in an email.

"We're glad that Prime Minister Modi met with Moshe and recognized the sacrifice of his parents, an exceptional couple and our personal role-models, to establish Chabad-Lubavitch in Mumbai and their service to the Jewish people," Rabbi Kozlovsky added.

Moshe, the son of Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg and his wife Rivka - who were gunned down by Pakistani terrorists in Chabad House in the 26/11 terror attack - met Prime Minister Modi during the latter's trip to Israel this week.

Rabbi Kozlovsky added that he and his wife Chaya "are humbled" to be a part of and to continue the work of Rabbi Gavriel and Rivka Holtzberg and "are working diligently on actualizing the dream of a Memorial Museum and help continue their legacy" at the Chabad House in Colaba.

Though Netanhayu's schedules are not yet known, the Israeli Prime Minister had instantly accepted Modi's invitation earlier this week.

The then two-year old Moshe, now a bubby young 11-year old boy, was saved from the terrorists' bullets by his Indian nanny Sandra Samuels.

Earlier this week, when they met in Jerusalem, a bespectacled and grinning Moshe welcomed Modi in Hindi: "Aapka swagat hai hamare desh mein."

A beaming Modi hugged Moshe and responded warmly: "Come and stay in India and Mumbai. You are most welcome... You and your all family members will get long-term visas. So you can go and come anytime and anywhere."

According to local media reports in Israel, Moshe is keen to serve his community by becoming a Rabbi and after growing up even hopes to come to the Mumbai Chabad House where his parents once served before their tragic end.

"It is our hope that this historical visit and meeting will create awareness of this project, and the Lubavicther Rebbe's vision for a better, more peaceful world," Rabbi Kozlovsky said.

--IANS

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China has denied visa to two researchers of a seven-member India Foundation delegation for visiting Fudan University in Shanghai.

China has also put the visa of India Foundation Director, Alok Bansal on hold.

Following the developments, India Foundation on Friday called off the visit.

BJP General Secretary Ram Madhav, who is on the Board of Directors of India Foundation, denied media reports that he was denied visa by China but confirmed that visas of two of their researchers were rejected.

"I was not in the delegation. It was supposed to be an academic delegation. After the denial of visa to two researchers, Foundation called off the visit," Madhav said in a tweet.

India Foundation and Fudan University held the third edition of their bilateral interaction in Delhi on December 4-5 last year. In continuation of this bilateral interaction agreement, a seven-member delegation of the Foundation was to visit Shanghai.

Alok Bansal, whose visa was put on hold, told the media: "No idea why the visa was denied. It's the discretion of the Chinese government to give visa. It's a shock because we didn't think that visa would be a problem."

"We had a word with Fudan University, they are disappointed. We will just wait for the clearance. Seeing the sudden developments on the border, the possibility of a hidden political vendetta cannot be denied," he added.

The denial of visa to Indians comes amid rising tensions between the two countries due to a border stand-off.

Union Ministers Suresh Prabhu, Nirmala Sitharaman, Jayant Sinha and M.J. Akbar are among the Board of Directors of India Foundation.

--IANS

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The Congress has hit out at Narendra Modi government for being "indifferent towards Chinese incursions" and mocked it for forgetting its earlier bravado over the issue.

"What has surprised and shocked the nation is the meek response of the Modi government. This is the same Narendra Modi whose spin doctors said that he would show 'Red Eyes' to China, and they would go running back.

"The only 'red' we have seen is the aggression of China. In the face of these provocative statements, all that the Home Minister Rajnath Singh had to say was, "Chinese intrusions are only perception". Perception? Tell that to our brave Jawans who had to resist Chinese aggression," said an article on the party website.

It also said: "In the past the three years, Modi Government's foreign policy has been defined more by the Prime Minister's search for holiday destinations and photo opportunities rather than actually serving India's interests."

--IANS

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To provide effective legal aid, the Delhi State Legal Services Authority is to inaugurate Traffic Challan Help Desk on July 10, an official said on Friday.

The Traffic Challan Help Desk will provide legal assistance to the litigants who approach Traffic Courts for disposal of their challans.

"The Help Desk would be operated by one legal aid counsel along with one para-legal volunteer to explain the nature of accusation in the challan, the right to be represented by a counsel, the procedure of disposal of challan, possible punishment and implications to the challaned person," a DLSA spokesperson said.

The Traffic Help Desk for central and west Delhi districts would be inaugurated on July 10 by the Delhi High Court Acting Chief Justice, Justice Gita Mittal, at Tis Hazari Courts complex.

--IANS

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A flash strike by restive staff of Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (BMRCL) led to stoppage of service for six hours on early Friday, affecting around three lakh commuters, said an official.

The service was resumed post-noon on the north-south and east-west corridors of the 43 km metro network after the staff withdrew the strike and resumed duty.

"The service was stopped from 6 a.m. to 12 p.m. after the operational staff went on flash strike in protest against the arrest of two employees for allegedly assaulting two security men at the Central College station on Thursday," BMRCL spokesman U.A. Vasant Rao told reporters here.

About 200 employees also staged a sit-in demo at the Baiyappanahalli station and refused to budge till their colleagues were released.

On a complaint by the injured Karnataka State Industrial Security Force (KSISF) men Anand and Lakshman, police took two metro staffers Rakesh and Harish into custody on Thursday night.

On a counter complaint by the metro staff, police also arrested Anand and Lakshman.

"The operational staff refused to resume duty till their colleagues were released since they were first assaulted by the security men," said Rao.

The incident occurred on early Thursday when Rakesh, an electric maintenance staffer, refused to allow his sling bag to go through the scanner machine and be frisked claiming he was an employee and not a commuter to be subjected to security checks.

A heated argument between Rakesh and Anand turned into a fight between the two and led to Harish and Lakshman intervene but resulted in free-for-all among them.

The sudden stoppage of metro service without prior notice or information about its resumption caught thousands of commuters unawares as they scrambled for alternative modes of transport on a working day.

"I was shocked to see the metro station's shutters down with no official to explain why the service was stopped or when it would resume," S. Govindraj, a techie, told IANS at the Indiranagar station in the city's eastern suburb.

Hundreds of irate commuters took to social media and vented their fury on BMRCL for stopping the service and not alerting them through its website, twitter account or announcements at the stations.

--IANS

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Senior officers of Haryana and Punjab met here on Friday to review preparations following the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) threat to prevent entry of Punjab government vehicles into the neighbouring state on July 10 over the SYL Canal issue.

The meeting was attended by the Home Secretaries and Directors General of Police of Haryana and Punjab.

Haryana's main opposition party INLD had earlier announced its activists will stop vehicles from Punjab at the Shambhu barrier near Ambala to press the state's demand for construction of the Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) Canal, as has been directed by the Supreme Court.

Private vehicles would not be stopped during the day-long protest, the opposition party said.

Haryana Home Secretary Ram Niwas said all precautionary measures were being taken to ensure smooth passage of traffic through Haryana on Monday.

Officials indicated that some road diversions could be made if the INLD activists reached National Highway-1 and tried to block it near Ambala, 45 km from here.

People travelling from Punjab have to cross Haryana to go to Delhi and beyond. The busy National Highway-1 or Grand Trunk Road links Delhi with Amritsar and passes through Haryana.

INLD General Secretary Abhay Singh Chautala said his party will go ahead with its call to block traffic.

"We will not allow any (Punjab) government buses or other vehicles, nor any minister or MLA to enter Haryana. Even if Punjab Chief Minister (Amarinder Singh) tries to come, he will be stopped at the Haryana border," Chautala said earlier.

"We will stop private vehicles also but let them go after handing over pamphlets, justifying Haryana's stand on the SYL issue and water-sharing, and flowers. We will urge them to impress upon the Punjab government to allow the canal construction," Chautala said.

The INLD had taken hundreds of activists towards the Punjab border at Shambhu, 10 km from Ambala, on the NH-1 on February 23, saying it will start digging the SYL canal in Punjab.

Following a Presidential Reference, the Supreme Court on November 10 last year held the passage of the Punjab Termination of Water Agreements Bill, 2004, by the Punjab assembly as "unconstitutional".

It directed that the SYL canal be constructed but the Punjab government has flatly refused, saying the state has no more water to share with Haryana.

While the Bharatiya Janata Party is in power in Haryana, Punjab has a Congress government.

--IANS

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India on Friday expressed concern over North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile programmes, saying it posed a grave threat to international peace and stability.

"DPRK's (Democratic People's Republic of Korea's) continued pursuit of nuclear and ballistic missile programmes and its proliferation links pose a grave threat to international peace & stability," the External Affairs Ministry said in a statement.

"They have also adversely impacted India's national security," it stated.

On July 4, North Korea claimed that it successfully test-fired its first intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) on the orders of leader Kim Jong-un.

According to state broadcaster KCTV, the Hwasong-14 missile was fired around 9.40 a.m. (local time) from North Pyongan province and it reached an altitude of 2,802 km and flew 933 km for about 40 minutes before hitting a target in the East Sea.

According to Takahiro Hirano, public affairs officer from Japan's Ministry of Defence, the missile flew into waters east of the Korean Peninsula and may have landed in the country's Exclusive Economic Zone, which extends 200 nautical miles from its coastline.

"India calls upon DPRK to refrain from such actions that undermine international peace and stability," Friday's External Affairs Ministry statement said.

"We also urge the international community to work together to hold accountable all those parties that have supported these programmes."

Earlier in the day, speaking at an informal meeting of the leaders of the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) nations on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Hamburg, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed similar concerns.

"Current developments in the Gulf and North Korea and East Asia as a whole are a cause of concern," he said.

--IANS

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India should immediately pull back its "trespassing troops" from Doklam area for any meaningful dialogue to take place, Chinese state-run news agency Xinhua has said in a commentary.

The commentary says the three-week face-off was caused by Indian border guards who crossed the border at the Sikkim section into Chinese territory and obstructed routine road construction in the Doklam area of China's Tibet Autonomous Region.

It says India has tried to justify its incursion in the name of protecting Bhutan, arguing that Doklam is Bhutanese territory.

It, however, maintains that according to the Convention between Great Britain and China Relating to Sikkim and Tibet (1890), Doklam belongs to China.

It further refers to documents between the Chinese and Indian governments which, it says, show that late Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru confirmed several times, on behalf of the Indian government, that the Sikkim-Tibet border was defined by the 1890 convention.

It said that a basic principle of international law holds that binding treaties must be executed in good faith.

The commentary said that India's "sudden disregard" of the 1890 convention is a breach of the basic norms of the UN Charter and international laws and will pose a significant threat to bilateral relations.

"By creating disputes in Doklam, India seeks to obstruct border negotiations between China and Bhutan, and follow its own ulterior motives in the area.

"The claim can not hold water. Doklam has long been under the effective jurisdiction of China. Both Bhutan and China have a basic consensus on the functional conditions and demarcation of their border region.

"Moreover, India has no right to interfere in China-Bhutan boundary issues, nor is it entitled to make territorial claims on behalf of Bhutan," it said

It said the stand-off has also "impaired the independence of Bhutan, one of the world's smallest countries, which is closely allied with India".

It termed as "unconvincing" India's stand that Chinese construction activity in the area would represent a "significant change of status quo with serious security implications for India".

It accused India of breaking status quo "by trespassing onto Chinese soil" and termed it unacceptable.

Indian troops should immediately withdraw to the Indian side of the border as a precondition for any meaningful dialogue between the two countries, it said.

It said a spiral of bilateral rivalry would definitely result in a slowdown in the growth of the Chinese dragon and the Indian elephant, which can co-exist harmoniously and achieve peaceful cooperative development for their people and region.

--IANS

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A boy named Hal Warden, 16, successfully divorced his wife, who was 13. They had been married a year.

It was actually the boy's second marriage. His first marriage had been to an "older woman". He'd been 12, she was 14.

Both marriages produced children. But family life was all too much for Hal.

His first wife complained to the judge about her 12-year-old husband: "He was acting like a 10-year-old."

That's a true story from the US state of Tennessee which is remembered with great affection by columnists such as the present writer, who specialise in amazing-but-true tales from around the world.

That's because it appeared in the very first News of the Weird syndicated newspaper column, in 1988. I was reminded of it by the news that that column's writer, Chuck Shepherd, has just announced his retirement.

This is bad news for the planet. The less weird news there is, the more people will discuss boring, serious things such as the impending end of civilisation, etc.

Individual odd-but-true news items have always appeared in the media, but some streams ran for decades, such as Chuck's series, and that of the present writer, who has been writing funny-but-true columns since the 1980s, including the Traveller's Tales column in the Far Eastern Economic Review.

That column featured funny stuff that travellers had seen -- such as the amused Chinese reader who sent in a photo of a German hostelry called The Bad Hotel. (Bad in German means spa-bath.)

And the Western traveller who found a medical practice specialising in sexual diseases in Taiwan called the Happy VD Clinic.

Earlier this year, two of the Internet's best weird news websites, Nothing To Do With Abroath and The Presurfer, stopped abruptly after the deaths of their respective writers (Kevin Gray and Gerard Vlemmings).

Does all this mean that the world will become less weird?

The opposite seems to be true: Life is getting increasingly bizarre.

Just in recent weeks, readers wrote to me about a mass outbreak of transgenderism in a river's fish population, the discovery of a tribe which evolved to be immune to poison, and a man who "identifies as an alien".

People are weird. Life is strange. There's really nothing quite like it.

But let's give the last anecdote to Chuck Shepherd. In 1995, he alerted the world to the antics of jailbird Robert Lee Brock, who filed a $5 million lawsuit against Robert Lee Brock.

Yes, Brock sued himself, arguing that his dark side, by committing numerous crimes, had violated the rights of his good side. "I ask the state to pay it on my behalf since I can't work and am a ward of the state," he said.

Judges threw out his lawsuit. But at least his cheekiness gave people a smile.

In the meantime, thanks to Google Translate and Autocorrect, the number of funny menu items sent in by readers, particularly in East Asia, continues to grow. From Japan, we have "Roasted Husband", from China we have "Stir-Fried Wikipedia With Pimientos" and an item on a Taiwanese menu is translated: "I Can't Find On Google But It's Delicious."

(Nury Vittachi is an Asia-based frequent traveller. Send ideas and comments via his Facebook page)

--IANS

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The Supreme Court on Friday said that it has no control over the language being used by counsel if it was not unparliamentary.

"We have no control over the language (being used by counsel) unless it is unparliamentary," said the bench of Justice J. Chelameswar, Justice A.M. Khanwilkar and Justice Navin Sinha.

Its response came after Attorney General K.K.Venugopal objected to senior counsel Shyam Divan describing the country becoming a "concentration camp" with the imposition of the otherwise voluntary Aadhaar scheme.

Taking "strong objection" to Divan's description, Venugopal said: "My friend is getting hyperbolic". He also said that in such a situation, he will not join him in making a joint request to Chief Justice Jagdish Singh Khehar to set up a larger bench (of 9 judges) to decide whether iris scan and fingerprints - collected under Aadhaar scheme violated one's right to privacy and whether privacy was a fundamental right or not be decided by a larger bench.

Favouring that the issue of privacy and the nature of its right be decided by the larger bench, the bench asked Divan to mention the matter before the Chief Justice. At this, Venugopal said he will also approach Chief Justice Khehar.

"We believe that the matter be heard and decided for once," the bench said referring to the long history of the Aadhaar litigation.

The court said this as Divan, appearing for National Commission for Protection of Child Rights' first chairperson Shanta Sinha and feminist researcher Kalyani Sen Menon, pointed to the series of notifications issued by the Central government mandating the use of Aadhaar number for social welfare schemes.

However, Venugopal said that all this was being done to make 350 million people living below poverty line get benefits of social welfare schemes.

An apex court bench of Justice Chelameswar, Justice S.A. Bobde and Justice C. Nagappan had on August 11, 2015 referred to the constitution bench the challenge to the constitutional validity of the Aadhaar scheme.

The matter now needs to be heard by a nine judge bench as back in 1954, an eight judge bench and in 1964, a six judge bench held that right to privacy was not a fundamental right. However, from the mid-1970s, smaller benches of two to three judges gradually asserted that privacy was a right that can be read into the Constitution's Article 21 or its other provisions relating to fundamental rights.

--IANS

pk/vd

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Friday warmly received Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, along with leaders of other countries, ahead of the 12th G20 Summit here.

"A warm welcome by a gracious host. Chancellor Merkel receives PM @narendramodi at the beginning of G20 Summit," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Gopal Baglay tweeted along with pictures of the two leaders.

Modi will attend a leaders' retreat in which heads of state and government of the G20 countries will informally interact with each other.

Later on Friday, the first day of the two-day Summit, two working sessions will be held -- one on global growth and trade and another on sustainable development, climate and energy.

Modi will also hold bilateral meetings with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on the sidelines of the Summit on Friday.

Earlier in the day, Modi attended an informal meeting of the leaders of the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) nations in which he called for strengthening the fight against terrorism and climate change and for BRICS to play its role in the global economic recovery.

--IANS

ab/dg

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday met Canadian Premier Justin Trudeau on the sidelines of the G20 Summit here.

"PM @narendramodi meets PM @JustinTrudeau of Canada on the sidelines of G20," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Gopan Baglay tweeted.

Modi last met Trudeau on the sidelines of the Nuclear Security Summit in Washington in April 2016.

The two leaders also spoke over phone to discuss the Paris Climate Agreement ahead of Modi's visit to the US last month.

Trudeau assumed office as the second youngest Prime Minister of Canada in November 2015.

Canada is home to around 1.2 million persons of Indian origin.

Earlier on Friday, Modi met Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on the sidelines of the Summit.

--IANS

ab/vt

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Patna, July 7 IANS) RJD chief Lalu Prasad on Friday blamed Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP President Amit Shah for the CBI raids at his residence following a fresh case of alleged irregularities in award of tenders for maintenance of railway hotels in 2006.

"Amit Shah aur Modi kee sheh pe CBI ne chhapemari kiya (CBI raided with the backing from Shah and Modi)," the former Railway Minister told the media here soon after his return from Ranchi.

He dubbed the Central Bureau of Investigation raids as witch-hunt and a conspiracy by the Bharatiya Janata Party, and said the allegations against him are baseless.

"The CBI raids are part of the BJP's conspiracy to defame me and my wife and former Chief Minister Rabri Devi and my children on baseless allegations," he added.

"I have done nothing wrong and am open to any probe," the former Bihar Chief Minister said.

"BJP aur Modi humko nest-e-nabood karna chahti hai. Lekin suno Modi, hum phansi ke phande par latak jayenge lekin jhukenge nahi. Modi, tumhara ahankar khatam kar denge, BJP ko khatam kar denge (The BJP and Modi are trying to finish me off. But listen Modi, I will hang by a noose but will never bend. I will finish your arrogance, I will finish the BJP)," the Rashtriya Janata Dal supremo said.

He said the BJP has been trying to break the Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance) of the RJD, Janata Dal-United and the Congress in Bihar by saying various things.

"The alliance is intact in Bihar but some people have been cooking stories of its imminent break-up and dreaming of its end," he said.

Lalu Prasad also denied news channel reports that the CBI teams had questioned Rabri Devi and their son Tejaswi Yadav for 10 hours.

The RJD chief denied involvement in alleged irregularities in awarding of tender for the maintenance of hotels during his stint as the Railway Minister.

"The decision to hand over the hotels to private party was taken in 2003 during the rule of BJP-led National Democratic Alliance government at the Centre, whereas I became the Railway Minister in 2004. In 2006, the award was finalised through an open tender. So, the allegations against me are baseless."

Lalu Prasad said the case against Rabri Devi and Tejaswi was wrong.

"After over a decade, the CBI has filed a case in this matter. Rabri Devi was not a public servant at that time and Tejaswi was a minor," the RJD leader said.

He asserted that the RJD's proposed 'BJP bhagao, desh bachao' rally will be held here as scheduled on August 27.

"We will hold the rally in August against the BJP, in which lakhs of people from rural Bihar will participate," the former Union Minister said.

The CBI registered the case against Lalu, Rabri Devi, Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejaswi Yadav, former Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation Managing Director P.K. Goyal, and Lalu Prasad's confidant Prem Chand Gupta's wife regarding award of the tender for development, maintenance and operation of railway hotels in Ranchi and Puri in 2006.

In the same year, the hotels were transferred to the railway corporation.

Lalu Prasad was the Railway Minister between 2004 and 2009.

--IANS

ik/tsb/vt

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Amid the chill in ties, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday came face to face in Hamburg, Germany, at the BRICS leaders meeting in which the Indian leader offered full cooperation for the successful holding of the summit of the five-nation bloc in China later this year.

The two leaders also complimented each other's nation's roles in furthering the objectives of the grouping and the fight against terrorism.

The two leaders are however not scheduled to hold a bilateral meeting with Beijing citing that the bilateral "atmosphere" is not good due to the face-off between their armies in Doklam region in the Sikkim sector.

The two leaders had last met in the Kazakhstan capital last month during the SCO summit.

Addressing the meeting, Modi appreciated the momentum in BRICS under the chairmanship of President Xi and extended full cooperation and best wishes for the BRICS Xiamen Summit.

Concluding the meeting immediately after Modi's remarks, President Xi appreciated India's strong resolve against terrorism and the momentum in BRICS introduced under India's chairmanship and through the outcomes of the Goa Summit in 2016.

He also appreciated India's success in economic and social development and wished India even bigger success.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Amidst a chill in ties over their border row, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President met here on Friday, and "had a conversation on a range of issues" on the sidelines of a BRICS leaders meeting.

"At BRICS leaders' informal gathering @Hamburg hosted by China, PM @narendramodi and President Xi had a conversation on a range of issues," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Gopal Baglay tweeted.

At d BRICS leaders' informal gathering @ Hamburg hosted by China, PM @narendramodi and President Xi had a conversation on a range of issues pic.twitter.com/ervZw46PH0  Gopal Baglay (@MEAIndia) July 7, 2017

At the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) leaders' meeting, Modi and Xi also complimented each other's nation's roles in furthering the objectives of the grouping and the fight against terrorism.

The two leaders were not scheduled to hold a bilateral meeting with Beijing citing that the bilateral "atmosphere" is not good due to the face-off between their armies in Doklam region in the Sikkim sector.

During their meeting here, however, both leaders were seen smiling and shaking hands.

The two leaders last met in Kazakhstan capital Astana last month during the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit.

Addressing the meeting, Modi appreciated the momentum in BRICS under the chairmanship of President Xi and extended full cooperation and best wishes for the BRICS Summit at Xiamen in China in September this year.

Concluding the meeting immediately after Modi's remarks, President Xi appreciated India's strong resolve against terrorism and the momentum in BRICS introduced under India's chairmanship and through the outcomes of the Goa Summit in 2016.

He also appreciated India's success in economic and social development and wished India even bigger success.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
In the wake of an army face-off and chill in ties, Prime Minister Narendra Modi shook hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping here on Friday, and discussed "a range of issues" that possibly included their three-week-old border row.

The two leaders came face to face for the first time after their armies were involved in a face-off in the Doklam area in the Sikkim sector, that has heightened tensions between the two countries, including war-mongering by the Chinese media.

After the Chinese said on Thursday that a bilateral meeting between the two is unlikely because the "atmosphere" was not good, the two leaders shook hands warmly, smiled and then held informal discussions on Friday at a BRICS leaders meeting.

"At BRICS leaders' informal gathering @Hamburg hosted by China, PM @narendramodi and President Xi had a conversation on a range of issues," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Gopal Baglay tweeted, without giving details of what they discussed.

At the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) leaders' meeting, Modi and Xi also complimented each other's nation's roles in furthering the objectives of the grouping and the fight against terrorism.

The two leaders last met in Kazakhstan capital Astana last month during the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit.

Addressing the meeting, Modi appreciated the momentum in BRICS under the chairmanship of President Xi and extended full cooperation and best wishes for the BRICS Summit at Xiamen in China in September this year.

Concluding the meeting immediately after Modi's remarks, President Xi appreciated India's strong resolve against terrorism and the momentum in BRICS introduced under India's chairmanship and through the outcomes of the Goa Summit in 2016.

He also appreciated India's success in economic and social development and wished India even bigger success.

--IANS

rn/vsc

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Rajya Sabha member Rajeev Chandrasekhar has welcomed the government decision to not challenge court orders that directed defence forces to give disability pensions to its soldiers, and urged the Centre to withdraw pending appeals.

In a letter to the Defence Minister on July 5, Chandrasekhar also urged the Centre to implement an expert committee's recommendations on reduction of litigation and grievances redressal.

The committee had recommended immediate withdrawal of appeals filed by the ministry in service and pension cases affecting disabled soldiers and widows.

"The committee submitted its report in November 2015 with 75 recommendations and despite the then Defence Minister giving a go-ahead for their implementation in August 2016, no action has been taken till date," the Rajya Sabha member said.

"Despite then Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar's decision in January 2015 not to pursue nearly 4,000 disability pension cases pending in courts, new instructions were issued in April 2016 by the Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare under the ministry again to automatically file appeals in all cases pertaining to disability pensions and benefits," Chandrasekhar wrote in his letter to the Defence Minister.

A Defence Ministry order dated June 29 had asked authorities to grant the disability pension as per Supreme Court orders in 2013 in the 'Dharamvir Singh versus Union of India' case.

The order said a member is presumed to be in sound mental and physical condition upon entering service, if there is no record at the time of entrance. In the event of subsequent discharge on medical ground or deterioration in health, it it presumed to be due to service.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
National Award winning designer Neeta Lulla has been roped in as the costume designer for Kangana Ranaut-starrer "Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi".

Lulla has over 300 films to her credit with projects like "Jodha Akbar", "Devdas" and "Mohenjo Daro" in a career spanning over three decades.

"It's an honour to be associated with a film whose pivotal character has always been an inspiration to me and many other women across the world. Jhansi Ki Rani has been one of my favourite chapters in school and I'm quite excited to be working on my first woman-centric biopic," Lulla said in a statement.

Talking about the collaboration, the film's co-producer Kamal Jain said: "We are very excited to be working with someone as iconic as Neeta Lulla for a magnificent film like ours. Her repertoire will add great layering to every character and we are certain she will do full justice to the role."

Directed by Krish, the film will also feature Ali Fazal, Irrfan Khan and Ankita Lokhande.

"Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi" is scheduled to release in April next year.

--IANS

ks/nn/bg

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Chinese smartphone-maker Nubia on Friday announced that its latest product "M2" will be available at Rs 22,999 exclusively to Prime customers on Amazon 'Prime Day'.

The device will be available from 6 pm on July 10 until July 11 midnight.

"We are delighted to partner with Amazon and bring this device exclusively to Amazon Prime users in India," said Eric Hu, Country Head, nubia India, in a statement.

The 5.5-inch device is equipped with Snapdragon 625 processor paired with 4GB RAM and an internal memory of 64 GB ROM.

The device has two 13MP rear cameras and Sony CMOS sensors and can record everything in 4k resolution.

nubia M2 is company's second dual-camera offering after the recently launched Z17mini.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Jammu and Kashmir Assembly on Friday passed the state Goods and Services Tax (GST) bill after receiving President Pranab Mukherjee's order "safeguarding" Kashmir's special constitutional status and its exclusive taxation powers -- bringing to implementation the pan-India indirect tax regime in the state.

Jammu and Kashmir, the only state that enjoys a special status under Article 370 and has its own Constitution, became the last in the country to adopt the new taxation law, making "one nation, one tax" a reality.

The legislation -- the Jammu and Kashmir Goods and Services Tax Bill 2017 -- was passed by a voice vote amid protests and boycott by the opposition that accused the government of compromising the special status by seeking a presidential order for extending the new tax regime in the state.

However, Finance Minister Haseeb Drabu, who moved the bill in the assembly, said the government had sought the presidential order to assure Kashmir's special status was safeguarded and that there was no impingement in the Article 370 or the state's constitutions.

"Although there is no tradition of tabling a presidential order in the assembly, we are starting a new tradition in the democracy of the state by tabling this order in the House," he said.

Drabu said the new tax regime would roll out in Jammu and Kashmir at midnight on Friday.

The state government on Wednesday passed a resolution in the assembly seeking a presidential order on a constitutional amendment. The state cabinet under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti then cleared a draft order for concurrence of President Mukherjee.

The government received on Friday morning the order relating to the application of provisions of the Constitution of India through an order of the President issued under Article 370 that gives special status to the state.

"Notwithstanding anything contained in this order, the powers of the state of Jammu and Kashmir as per Section 5 of the Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir, shall remain intact.

"Nothing in this article shall affect in any manner whatsoever the legislative competence of the state as guaranteed by virtue of the Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir," the order read, adding that the state legislature "shall have the powers to make laws with respect to Goods and Services Tax".

It said the concurrence of the representatives of the state in the Goods and Service Tax Council shall be mandatory and the procedure provided under Article 370 shall be followed for the purpose of any decision impinging on the constitutional provisions relating to the state.

Chief Minister Mufti said it was for the first time in the history since 1947 that "such a reassuring language about the special status and the powers of the state legislature has been used" while extending any central law in Jammu and Kashmir.

She also complimented her ally BJP -- which has been demanding revocation of the Article 370 -- for its support in securing the constitutional status of the state.

The entire opposition boycotted the session even as the Congress also walked out on the last day of the four-day special session.

Immediately after the passage of the bill, Speaker Kavinder Gupta announced adjourned the House sine-die.

Drabu at the end of the session made two "unusual requests" to the Speaker, seeking "a salute" from National Conference leader Devender Rana and resignation of Congress MLA G.M. Saroori.

Earlier, Rana had said he would salute Drabu if adequate constitutional safeguards were included in the preamble of the Presidential order on GST, while Saroori had said if the safeguards were included in the presidential order he would put in his papers.

--IANS

sq-sar/rn

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
At least 465 persons have been executed in Pakistan since the country lifted the ban on death penalty in December 2014, said a non-government organisation working for prisoners' rights.

Such a high number of executions has made Pakistan the "fifth most prolific executioner" in the world, following China, Iran, Saudi Arabia and Iraq, Dawn online cited a data analysis by Justice Project Pakistan (JPP) as showing.

The analysis said the use of death penalty has failed to curb crime, including terrorism. The death penalty is exceedingly being used as a political tool, sometimes even as a jail overcrowding solution.

Punjab province, which accounts for 83 per cent of the executions and 89 per cent death sentences in Pakistan, has witnessed only a 9.7 per cent drop in murder rate between 2015 and 2016.

Sindh province has, however, registered a drop of nearly 25 per cent in the same time period. The province carried out only 18 executions compared to 382 in Punjab.

The analysis said murder rate in Pakistan was already on the decline before the moratorium was lifted, casting even more doubt on the already dubious relationship between the death penalty and crime reduction.

Yearly trends of executions showed that anti-terrorism courts (ATCs) accounted for only 16 per cent of the executions.

The JPP said the government sought to justify lifting of the moratorium for all 27 death-eligible crimes by claiming that it was necessary to deter terrorist threat to Pakistan.

But the data said the government was mostly hanging terrorists through military courts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and through ATCs in Sindh.

The research claimed that people are executed in Pakistan to make room in the overcrowded prisons.

Currently, 25 of the 27 prisons in the province are significantly over-capacity and the highest number of executions take place in the most overcrowded prisons.

The JPP in a statement said that Pakistan was heading for its first UN review under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) on July 11 that obligated it to uphold and respect the right to life for all citizens.

It said Pakistan's return to an executing state has been taken up in the list of issues framed by the Human Rights Council committee.

JPP Executive Director Sarah Belal said Pakistan's troubling and continued use of the death penalty had continuously fallen short of meeting its international human rights commitments and fair trial standards, as well as the country's own domestic laws.

--IANS

py/dg

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Pakistan's National Security Adviser retired Lt. Gen. Nasser Khan Janjua has said that Islamabad supported peace and stability in Afghanistan and stressed the importance of resolving all issues through political means.

Janjua, while talking to British High Commissioner to Pakistan Thomas Drew on Thursday, said Pakistan envisaged cordial relations with all neighbouring countries, Dawn online reported.

Matters pertaining to regional security and stability as well as Pakistan-Afghanistan and Pakistan-India relations were also discussed in the meeting that was also attended by Deputy British High Commissioner to India Alex.

Janjua appreciated the United Kingdom's efforts in bringing Pakistan and Afghanistan closer.

The advisor said Pakistan did not believe in militancy and the country was "committed to supporting the right to self-determination of Kashmiri people".

--IANS

py/vt

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Police in a region in the Philippines are considering issuing mandatory identification cards to thousands of Muslims living there, a proposal rights activists have condemned as "collective punishment", the media reported on Friday.

Authorities in Central Luzon were quoted in local media as saying the policy was a counter-terrorism measure after Islamist militants took over the city of Marawi on the island of Mindanao, reports the Guardian.

The issue was discussed at a meeting between police, military and political figures and about 200 Muslim religious and community leaders at the provincial capitol building, according to news outlet Rappler.

Chief Superintendent Aaron Aquino said the ID cards would allow authorities to identify and weed out undesirable individuals and terrorists.

Aquino said the system had already been implemented in the town of Paniqui "and we want this to be replicated in all Muslim communities in the whole region for easy and efficient identification of our Muslim brothers and sisters".

Government forces have been hammering Marawi for nearly two months after local militant factions, who claim allegiance to the Islamic State (IS), rampaged through and took control.

Human Rights Watch said authorities were threatening to "single out Muslims" with ID cards, violating the rights to equal protection of the law and freedom of movement, the Guardian reported.

"Requiring Muslim-only IDs in response to a perceived failure of Muslims to prevent Islamist fighters from entering Marawi City is a form of collective punishment," the advocacy group said in a statement.

"ID requirements for Muslims should be rejected outright," it added.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Polish President Andrzej Duda's wife Agata Kornhauser-Duda appeared to snub US President Donald Trump as he offered his hand to her but the Polish First Lady missed him out in favour of his wife Melania Trump.

The awkward moment was caught on camera when the Polish couple was on Thursday welcoming their US counterparts to the country.

The video footage shows Trump and Melania standing on stage with Duda and his wife Kornhauser-Duda.

As the four were exiting the stage, Trump and Duda exchanged a handshake. Trump then extended his hand to Kornhauser-Duda, who ignored the gesture and instead simply shook Melania's hand, before turning to shake the US President's hand after all.

The former business mogul frowned and looked shocked and confused before quickly dropping his hand.

The President's handshake has become a defining characteristic of the first year of his White House reign as he has on numerous occasions made headlines for his awkward power shakes while meeting the world leaders.

He drew international headlines for declining to shake the hand of German Chancellor Angela Merkel when she visited the White House earlier this year.

French President Emmanuel Macron described their first encounter as a "moment of truth" after the pair met at a Nato summit in Brussels.

"My handshake with Donald Trump -- it wasn't innocent," he said.

His handshakes with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Japanese Prime Shinzo Abe were also the subject of thorough analyses on the internet.

The twitterati were quick to react as the footage went viral on the internet. Some people were, however, quick to point out that the duo had already shaken hands a few minutes earlier before they posed for a photo.

"I love that this failed Trump handshake in Poland is already a gif. Thank you, millennials," a user wrote.

"Another handshake fail for Trump thanks to the Polish First Lady," another mentioned.

Although it certainly appeared to be a deliberate snub, a longer version of the incident shows Kornhauser-Duda shaking the President's hand immediately after the First Lady's.

--IANS

py/vt

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Doctors and nurses across UK's health service are increasingly using WhatsApp and Snapchat -- popular social applications that are banned under its guidelines -- to share information about patients, the reported.

"A number of medical groups are using WhatsApp to discuss patients. I've definitely seen stuff which is one step away from being patient-identifying," Alisdair MacNair, a healthcare practitioner with the NHS, was quoted as saying to the BBC on Thursday.

A study, published in the British Medical Journal recently, found that among 2,000 doctors across five hospitals, a third were using web-based apps to send clinical information.

Use of internet-based messaging apps to send patient information is strictly banned under the current guidelines of the National Health Service (NHS) -- the publicly funded national healthcare system in the UK.

Instead, doctors are required to contact each other by pager or fax, but "the process is lengthy", the doctors said.

According to experts, the NHS is far behind in the adoption of digital sharing technologies and these apps provide medical practitioners with quick and easy solutions.

"We use WhatsApp because it's the quickest and easiest way to communicate with a whole team or group of clinicians," said an NHS consultant trauma surgeon, who did not wish to be named.

"So, if you're responding to a major incident, you can have the whole team involved and see what's coming (in terms of patient injuries) so teams can be ready.

"It can also be really helpful for junior clinicians to communicate with senior colleagues -- send images of X-rays and get quick advice on the best course of action.

"However, we only use initials or bed number information, we don't identify patients," the consultant said.

Although, "no major error has come to light yet, but it is only a matter of time before a senior doctor leaves his or her phone on the train and someone gets hold of the all the conversations about patients and suddenly someone's (medical) status is made public", said Felix Jackson, who runs a digital messaging service for health workers.

--IANS

rt/ksk/dg

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
When it comes to tackling growing cyber security attacks including ransomware threats, the world needs public-private partnerships more than ever to nab those behind such attacks, Russian cyber security giant Kaspersky Lab has stressed.

"Private and public cybersecurity experts should work together to collect malware artefacts, map and analyse cyber attacks and find the trail of the hackers responsible for the most cyber campaigns around the world," said Eugene Kaspersky, Kaspersky Lab CEO.

He was addressing the 'Palaeontology of Cybersecurity Conference' here on Thursday as part of the 'INTERPOL World Congress 2017', the second addition of the global exhibition and congress platform hosted by the world's largest police organisation in Singapore's Suntec City.

In its bid to intensify fight against cyber criminals, Kaspersky Lab teamed up with the Interpol in 2014.

Kaspersky's remarks came in the wake of the recent 'Petya' attack -- a new form of malware attack that permanently destroys data - that shut computers in several countries.

Stephan Neumeier, Managing Director of Kaspersky Lab Asia Pacific, also vouched for the public-private cooperation in fighting cyber crimes.

"We have always believed that public-private cooperation is crucial in fighting cyber crime worldwide. As a private company, we are proud to collaborate with the authorities of many countries and international law enforcement agencies," Neumeier said.

"Our participation in the Interpol's World Congress 2017 demonstrates our principle of cooperation with the IT security industry," Neumeier added.

According to Vitaly Kamluk, Director of Global Research and Analysis Team, Asia Pacific (APAC) at Kaspersky, as palaeontologists dig the remains of dinosaurs and relics from ancient civilisations and then determine which pieces are connected and which are not, Kaspersky Lab experts investigate attacks by gathering several samples of malware.

"The samples then analysed, compared and shared with other cyber palaeontologists to further uncover and understand a massive cyber attacks," Kamluk said.

Kaspersky Lab also celebrated it's 20th anniversary and also relocated its Singapore office.

(Rajnish Singh is attending the conference at Kaspersky Lab's invitation. He can be contacted at rajnish.s@ians.in)

--IANS

rak/na/ksk

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Union Minister and Lok Janshakti Party chief Ram Vilas Paswan on Friday said the central government has nothing to do with the CBI raids on the premises of RJD chief Lalu Prasad.

"Lalu Prasad was already in jail over his involvement in the fodder scam. There was no NDA government at that time. The court had ordered it. Today's raids were in relation with the corruption charges against him. The charges are documented. Political parties or the NDA government has nothing to do with it," he told reporters.

Paswan said Lalu Prasad should blame his party's ally (JD-U) in the Bihar government and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who had demanded action against benami (illegal) properties.

"If benami property cases are being investigated, where is the If there is politics, then it is Nitish Kumar behind it," Paswan said.

Paswan asked why Kumar was silent on the issue.

He said he had prophesied that the Janata Dal (United)-Rashtriya Janata Dal-Congress government in Bihar would fall in two-and-half years.

"The government is handicapped. Earlier, I had said that this government will not last over two-and-half-years," he said.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will travel to Doha on July 10 in a bid to resolve the diplomatic crisis between Qatar and the four Arab states which have snapped diplomatic ties with the West Asian country.

Tillerson will meet senior Kuwaiti officials who have been trying to mediate between the Gulf countries embroiled in the dispute, Efe news quoted the State Department as saying on Thursday.

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain announced on Wednesday that they would not resume diplomatic ties or lift the trade ban against Qatar, whom they accuse of having links to terror groups.

The four countries justified their stance by citing Qatar's refusal of their demands to resume relations.

Those demands included shutting down the Al-Jazeera news channel, scaling down diplomatic relations with Iran and closing a Turkish military base in the emirate.

Tillerson has been in contact with the Saudi-led bloc and Qatar -- where the US has its largest military base in the region -- and other regional players over the last month.

He has urged the five countries to resolve their dispute, warning that it hampers operations against the Islamic State terror group.

In late June, the State Department questioned whether the boycott of Qatar was about its alleged links to terrorism or "long-simmering grievances" among the Gulf countries.

Tillerson is currently accompanying US President Donald Trump -- who has sided with the Saudi-led bloc and blamed Qatar for the crisis -- in Hamburg, Germany, to attend the G20 summit that begins on Friday.

After the summit, Tillerson will travel to Kiev and then to Istanbul before his trip to Kuwait.

--IANS

ksk/dg

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
US President Donald Trump said that he thinks Russia was behind 2016 election meddling, but added he feels "it could have been other people in other countries" and that "nobody really knows for sure".

"I think it very well could be Russia but I think it could very well have been other countries," Trump said on Thursday during a news conference with Polish President Andrzej Duda in which he also slammed the news media, including CNN and NBC. "I think a lot of people interfere."

Trump, asked about the fact the United States intelligence community has said it was Russia, compared that assessment to the eventually debunked claim that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction in the lead-up to the Iraq War, CNN reported.

"I think it was Russia but I think it was probably other people and or countries. I see nothing wrong with that statement," Trump said. "Nobody really knows. Nobody really knows for sure."

He added, "I remember when I was sitting back listening about Iraq, weapons of mass destruction, how everybody was 100 per cent certain that Iraq has weapons of mass destruction. Guess what? That led to one big mess. They were wrong and it led to a mess."

The intelligence community assessment spans both Obama and Trump administrations, however. Intelligence officials nominated by Trump have publicly said they have no doubt that Russia was behind the election meddling.

Russian meddling in the 2016 election is the subject of numerous investigations in Washington, casting a pall over the White House. The swirl of Russia investigations -- and possible connections between Trump's orbit and Russian officials -- has caused friction on Capitol Hill, hampering Trump's ability to score a number of legislative victories.

Trump slammed former President Barack Obama's handling of Russian interference as he stood next to Duda, arguing that the former president "did nothing" to combat the interference.

"Why did he do nothing about it? He was told it was Russia by the CIA ... and he did nothing about it," Trump said. "They said he choked. I don't think he choked. Well, I don't think he choked. I think what happened was he thought Hillary Clinton was going to win the election and he said let's not do anything about it. Had he thought the other way, he would have done something about it."

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
South Korea's Unification Ministry on Friday urged North Korea to positively respond to President Moon Jae-in's peace initiative on the Korean peninsula, which was proposed in Germany.

Inter-Korean cooperation would be mandatory to draw up a breakthrough for peace on the peninsula, Xinhua news agency quoted Lee Yoo-jin, deputy spokesperson of the Unification Ministry, as saying.

Lee expressed an anticipation of North Korea's positive response to the "Korean Peninsula Peace Initiative" suggested on Thursday by Moon who was visiting Germany to attend a Group of 20 (G20) Summit.

Moon, who took office on May 10, explained his government's policy to establish a permanent peace on the peninsula, saying he will make the Korean peninsula free from threats of nuclear weapons and war by acknowledging and respecting each other.

The new South Korean leader proposed to implement the agreements reached by his two predecessors, Kim Dae-jung and Roh Moon-hyun, when they met late North Korean leader Kim Jong-il in Pyongyang in 2000 and 2007, respectively.

Moon vowed to pursue the denuclearised peninsula that guarantees the Communist regime, urging Pyongyang to stop all nuclear provocations and hold bilateral and multilateral dialogue for the denuclearisation.

He offered to establish a permanent peace regime on the peninsula to end the armistice, which stemmed from the 1950-1953 Korean War. The peninsula is technically in a state of war as the fratricidal war ended in truce, not peace treaty.

Moon suggested to deepen inter-Korean economic cooperation by linking railways and shipping routes of the two Koreas, while strengthening non-political inter-Korean exchanges separately from political and military situations.

Lee said the government would make efforts to materialise and implement Moon's North Korea policy, based on a public consensus and communications with the political arena.

He said the South Korean government would make efforts to gain support and understanding of the community and relevant countries such as the US.

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The Shiv Sena on Friday took strong umbrage at the tendency of ally Bharatiya Janata Party activists to raise chants of 'Modi, Modi' all the time and warned that these 'shameless bhakts' will spell doom for the Prime Minister.

"Today, the country faces its greatest threat from such lowly persons, whether in or religion.... These audacious people who scream 'Modi, Modi' every time are actually harming the PM's reputation," the Sena said in an edit in the party mouthpieces, 'Saamana' and 'Dopahar Ka Saamana'.

Referring to the incident in the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation two days ago, when BJP corporators chanted 'Modi, Modi' and Shiv Sena corporators retaliated with 'Chor Hai, Chor Hai', the party pointed out that those (BJP) who challenged the Sena Tiger, got a resounding reply "kaan ke neeche" (below the ears).

"We have always respected Modi as the PM...His name should evoke pride among the people, but not in such a maniacal manner," the edit urged, on the incident which created embarrassment in BJP circles.

It recalled how in 1971, the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had brought Pakistan to its knees by severing East Pakistan to create an independent Bangladesh during the India-Pakistan war.

"Her 'bhakts' had even coined a slogan of 'Indira Is India' and blatantly insulted Mother India....However, despite her heroism in the 1971 War, she had to face a humiliating (electoral) defeat, which was largely due to the vulgarity exhibited by her hysterical 'bhakts' then," the edit said.

"We are bringing all this to the notice of the BJP leadership because they cannot challenge the Shiv Sena supremacy on the strength of these shameless hirelings," it declared, hinting at the roughing up of a BJP corporator by the Sena's women corporators in the BMC that day.

On the BMC function (July 5), the party wondered why the BJP corporators created such a ruckus when the Rs 647-crore grant was not coming from the BJP treasury nor was it intended for the Shiv Sena's coffers.

"The money (compensating losses from Octroi after it was replaced by GST) was given by the Maharashtra government for Mumbai city, but these (BJP) 'city fathers' behaved as if it was coming from their own pockets," the edit said.

The Sena again warned the BJP not to tread in its path like the proverbial 'black cat', and said that the 'red brigade' and even the Congress-Nationalist Congress Party which had dared to challenge the party's might are "nowhere in the picture today."

Similarly, it warned the BJP that "those who shamelessly rant 'Modi, Modi' will also prove to be your nemesis".

--IANS

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In a freak incident, two minor siblings drowned when a water pipeline suddenly burst and washed them away near the Indira Nagar slums here, officials said on Friday.

The children, nine-year old Priyanka Doiphode and her infant brother, eight-month-old Vignesh, were washed away in the gushing water as the 72-inch pipeline burst.

The Brihan Mumbai Municipal Corporation, Mumbai Fire Brigade and the Disaster Management Cell were activated for rescue and relief operations.

Both the siblings were declared dead on arrival at the Bhabha Hospital Bandra and V.N Desai Hospital in Santacruz, an official from the Bandra Police Station said.

The cause of the pipeline burst is being investigated, the official added.

--IANS

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The situation in communal violence-hit Baduria and its adjoining areas in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district remained peaceful on Saturday, after being on the boil for the last few days, police said.

"The situation was peaceful throughout the day. No untoward incidents have been reported so far. There is strict police vigil at various entry and exit points of the area," said a senior officer from Baduria police station.

The officer said that pickets have been set up in the sensitive pockets of the area and police and other security forces are conducting a route march.

The internet services remained suspended in four police station areas of Basirhat, Baduria, Swarupnagar and Deganga area

Meanwhile, the inspector in-charge of the Basirhat police station has been transferred to East Midnapore district's Tamluk on Friday and Biswajit Banerjee, Inspector in-charge of North 24 Pargana district's Duttapukur has been shifted to Basirhat, police sources said.

Earlier in the day, delegations of the Left, Congress and BJP were stopped by police from going to the Baduria, 58 km from Kolkata.

The ruling Trinamool Congress criticised the opposition parties for trying to go to sensitive areas and appealed to them to instead help maintain peace.

Clashes broke out between the members of two communities in Baduria after a provocative social media post went viral in the region.

Though the youth who was involved was arrested and the post deleted, trouble broke out and spread to several areas with trees being felled to put up road blockades, vehicles, including those of the police, torched and houses and shops damaged.

A number of police personnel were injured in the clashes and the central government rushed 300 paramilitary personnel to the area.

--IANS

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RJD chief Lalu Prasad's younger son and Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav on Friday lashed out at an English news channel reporter during a press conference here and dubbed the channel "anti-national".

The ruckus took place at a press conference called by the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief on the CBI raids at his residence earlier in the day.

When a Republic TV news channel reporter posed a query on the raids, an angry Tejashwi responded, "Your channel is an anti- news channel."

"We have completely boycotted your channel," the state Minister said. Lalu Prasad was seen trying to calm his son.

Reacting to Tejashwi's remarks, Republic TV channel Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami said, "If Lalu and his son calls Republic TV anti-national, I take it as a compliment."

After the press conference, Lalu Prasad's supporters were seen signalling the Republic TV reporter to leave.

After its launch earlier this year, the news channel has carried out "exposes" on the RJD chief, alleging corruption and also on his "connection" with jailed Siwan don Shahbuddin.

The CBI on Friday carried out raids at the residences of Lalu Prasad, his wife Rabri and son Tejashwi Yadav, in connection with a case of alleged irregularities in leasing two railway hotels to a private company when he was the Railways Minister, a charge denied by him.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
US President Donald Trump met Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday face-to-face for the first time on the sidelines of the G20 Summit here and wished for "positive results" from the meeting, media reports said.

"President Putin and I have been discussing various things, and I think it's going very well," the New York Times quoted Trump as saying. "We look forward to a lot of very positive happenings for Russia and for the United States, and for everyone concerned."

For his part, Putin said he was happy to have the chance to meet Trump in person. "We spoke over the phone," he said, "but phone conversations are never enough, definitely."

He added: "I hope that, as you have said, our meetings will yield positive results."

Only six people attended the meeting -- Trump and his Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson; Putin and his Foreign Minister Sergey V. Lavrov; and two interpreters.

Announcing the meeting on Tuesday, Russian presidential aide Yury Ushakov said it would be a very important meeting "and everybody has been waiting for it". He added that the meeting "will be particularly important for ensuring global stability".

The White House had assured that no formal agenda had been set out for the talks between the two heads of state, though Trump was said to want to promote cooperation in dealing with the North Korean threat, Syria or the campaign against the Islamic State terror organisation.

--IANS

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Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said he has signed the law on the resumption of Ukraine's course towards joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

"From now on, the course towards Ukraine's NATO membership is clearly defined as one of the key factors of Ukraine's state policy," Poroshenko wrote on Facebook on Thursday, Xinhua news agency reported.

He pledged to intensify efforts on reforming Ukraine's security and defence sectors to meet criteria for joining the alliance.

However, some local experts doubt that Ukraine has prospects to gain NATO membership anytime soon as the country does not meet either military or political, economic and legal criteria for it.

"We must work hard to remove the obstacles for the NATO membership, and it means a need for reforms, a need for fighting corruption and changing the judicial system," said Borys Tarasyuk, the former head of Ukraine's mission to NATO.

Among other obstacles for Ukraine to join the alliance, Tarasyuk listed the conflict in eastern regions with pro-independence insurgents and the territorial dispute with Russia over Crimea.

Ukraine joined the North Atlantic Cooperation Council in 1991 shortly after Kiev gained its independence from the former Soviet Union.

In 2003, Ukraine declared a course towards NATO membership, but revoked the policy in 2010, declaring non-aligned status.

Shortly after the conflict between government troops and rebels broke out in eastern Ukraine in April 2014, the Ukrainian parliament abandoned the country's non-aligned status, paving the way for it to join the military bloc.

--IANS

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High alert has been sounded throughout the Valley on Friday and unprecedented security arrangements put in place to maintain law and order ahead of slain Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani's first death anniversary on Saturday.

All exams scheduled for Saturdday have been cancelled by University, which said that new dates would be announced later.

Train services between Baramulla town and Bannihal town in the Jammu region will remain suspended Saturday, authorities said.

Curfew-like restrictions imposed in old city areas of Srinagar on Friday will continue on Saturday, said police.

Similar restrictions were imposed in Baramulla town and will continue tomorrow as well.

An definite curfew has been imposed in Pulwama's Tral town, the hometown of Wani who was killed in a gunfight with security forces in Kokernag area of Anantnag district on July 8 last year.

Sources in state police said authorities were likely to impose restrictions in Anantnag, Pulwama, Kulgam, Shopian, Sopore, Bandipora, Kupwara, Ganderbal and some other towns of the Valley to ward off protests called by the separatists on Saturday.

All separatist leaders have been either placed under house arrest or taken into preventive custody.

Burhan Wani had become the poster boy of militancy in the Valley and no other militant commander's death evoked such mass violence in since 1989 when the ongoing cycle of armed violence started here.

As many 94 civilian protesters lost their lives in clashes with the security forces during the unrest and violence triggered by his killing last July.

Over 200 other civilians lost vision either partially or completely because of pellets fired by the security forces to contain unruly mobs.

The unrest continued for 53 days during which everything from normal life, businesses, tourism, education and even routine governance came to a grinding halt in Kashmir.

Alarmed by the events of last year, the Union Home Ministry has sent over 20,000 additional central armed forces to augment the existing security set-up in the Valley.

To keep the militants at bay, a multi-layered security set-up drawn from the army, the Central Reserve Police Force, the Sashastra Seema Bal, Indo-Tibetan Border Police and the state police is manning the 286-km-long Jammu-Srinagar national highway which is the lifeline of supplies to the Valley and the only road link used by the pilgrims of the ongoing Amarnath Yatra.

People deserted streets earlier than usual on Friday in uptown Srinagar and other district headquarters as public transport also disappeared from roads while security forces were present in force on traffic crossings, outside sensitive installations and other law and order vulnerable places.

--IANS

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Walter Shaub Jr., Director of the US Office of Government Ethics, announced his resignation following a rocky relationship with President Trump and repeated confrontations with the administration.

Shaub did not specify a reason for his resignation in a letter to President Trump, which he released on Twitter on Thursday, the Los Angeles Times reported.

He, however, told the Washington Post he was not leaving under pressure.

Shaub, appointed by former US President Barack Obama in 2013, had unsuccessfully pressed Trump to divest his business interests to avoid potential conflicts of interest, something Trump refused to do.

The ethics watchdog also engaged in a public battle with the White House over his demands for more information about former lobbyists and other appointees who had been granted waivers from ethics rules. After initially balking, the White House eventually released the requested information about the waivers.

Shaub called for a harsher punishment for presidential advisor Kellyanne Conway after she flouted ethics rules by publicly endorsing Ivanka Trump's clothing line during a television appearance.

In a separate statement, he said that his time working with the Trump administration made it "clear to (him) that we need improvements to the existing ethics program".

Shaub's resignation, effective July 19, comes nearly six months before his term expires in January. He will join the nonpartisan Campaign Legal Center as senior director for ethics.

In his letter of resignation to the President, Shaub said the office was "committed to protecting the principle that public service is a public trust", and employees must place loyalty to ethics over private gain.

Shaub had come under fire from Trump supporters for being politically motivated and some had called for his resignation.

--IANS

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NRI steel magnate Lakshmi Niwas Mittal on Friday recalled how he was refused admission to St. Xavier's College - Kolkata, though he had very good marks, just because he didn't speak English, and recounted his determination to make most of the opportunity. He also regretted not studying further.

"I left St. Xavier's 48 years ago but I remember my time clearly. I wanted a great education. Some of you may be aware that I had to work hard to persuade the then Principal to let me in. He had reasons to say no... mainly that I didn't speak English and all lessons were imparted in English," Mittal, CEO, ArcelorMittal, said here.

"I managed to convince him... I don't know what changed his mind, maybe he was fed up of seeing me knocking on his door everyday," said the London-based steel magnate while addressing a gathering at the inauguration of the first academic session (2017-2018) of the St. Xavier's University and the opening of The Lakshmi & Usha Mittal Foundation Building (Academic Block).

"I was absolutely determined to make the most of the opportunity. The opportunity and perhaps challenge started at St. Xavier's," he said about his start of B.Com days at the college.

Later, addressing a closed-door alumni meeting at the university, Mittal elaborated how he promised the college authorities that he would learn English within a year.

"He said it was his first, big challenge. He said 'I did it. In second year not only I became good in English but also got distinction. In the third year, I topped the institute, Father (principal) gave me the certificate and requested me teach the students accountancy in college'," a member of the St. Xavier's alumni association told IANS after the meet.

He said the steel tycoon's regret was that he could not teach the students.

"Mittal said 'I thought I could have joined the college and taught but in that case I could not have been what I am today. Still I feel, I could have taught for a few days'."

Mittal also regretted not having gone for higher education. "I should have studied more," the alumni quoted Mittal as saying.

Dubbing Forbes rankings (he was ranked the 56th richest person in the world in 2017) as "myths", Mittal also said "power comes from accepting responsibility".

"The world is very cruel and you have to prove yourself and to do that you have to be different," Mittal said to the students who were present with the alumni.

In his public address, Mittal highlighted how St. Xavier's shaped his confidence to take bold decisions.

"I moved to Indonesia in 1976. That was a huge decision back then to leave home, family and live in a foreign country. I really believe that without my time at St. Xavier's, I may not have taken that decision," he said.

"Today ArcelorMittal has 200,000 employees and operations in 60 countries. Life in the steel industry over the last few years has not been easy. To be honest, life in steel industry has often not been easy. Given the size and scale of the company today, my leadership team is very important to me," he added.

--IANS

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Yemeni Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Abdulmalik Abduljalil Al-Mekhlafi will visit India from July 10 to 13 at the invitation of External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, the External Affairs Ministry announced on Friday.

"The two countries share commonality of views on major international issues such as UN reforms and combating international terrorism," the ministry said in a statement.

"During the upcoming visit, the two sides will discuss the entire gamut of bilateral relations as well as regional and international issues of mutual interest."

Al-Mekhlafi's visit comes after the visit of then Yemeni Foreign Minister Abu Bakr Al-Qirbi in 2012 for participation in the 12th Indian Ocean Rim Association for Regional Cooperation (IOR-ARC) Ministerial meetings.

In 2015, after a coalition of Arab nations led by Saudi Arabia attacked Shia Houthi rebels in Yemen who toppled the government of President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi, India executed Operation Raahat in which over 5,500 Indian nationals and citizens of other countries were evacuated.

"India and Yemen share close and friendly relations based on strong people-to-people contacts, which are reflected by the presence of nearly 300,000 Indians of Yemeni origin living in India and around 100,000 people of Indian origin settled in Aden and other parts of southern Yemen," the External Affairs Ministry statement said.

"For Yemen, India has traditionally been one of the major trade partners and a popular destination for its students pursuing higher education on self-financing basis as also for medical treatment of the Yemeni patients," it stated.

India offers capacity-building assistance under the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) programme and Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) scholarship programmes to the people of Yemen.

"India is also a member of the Friends of Yemen Group and has regularly provided humanitarian assistance to Yemen in the past," the statement said.

--IANS

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For the last three years, an old word has been renewed, not without sufficient reason, tyranny. A very close relative is intolerance.
By all accounts, Prime Minister Narendra Modis visit to has been a success.The optics were filled with bonhomie and promises of everlasting friendship and did justice to the first-ever visit by an Indian prime minister to . Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, hugged Mr Modi, called him a "kindred spirit", greeted him in Hindi -- "Aapka swagat hai, mere dost" (I welcome you, my friend) -- claimed that the partnership betweeen the two nations was a marriage made in heaven, and said that the Israelis had been waiting for this moment for almost 70 years. Israeli President Reuven Rivlin broke protocol to receive Mr Modi, and the Israeli agriculture minister named a new strain of white chrysanthemum after the Indian prime minister. Mr Modi looked predictably chuffed and was equally generous in his praise for his hosts. India admires the success of your people in overcoming adversity to flourish against all odds, said Mr Modi. By the time the joint statement was framed, it was clear that these phrases were not mere pleasantries: The two leaders had decided to raise bilateral ties to a strategic partnership.
In a balancing act, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is neither willing to hurt the coalition government that he leads in the state, nor be seen supporting ally Lalu Prasad in a fresh case of alleged corruption the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief and his family face.
The Goa government plans to commission a fleet of 10 advanced ambulances equipped with all the life saving equipment, including a device to conduct a patient's blood test inside the vehicle.

The first fleet of 10 ambulances with the "new look" are ready to be commissioned at the hands of Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar once he returns from the US next week, state Health Minister Vishwajit Rane told reporters yesterday.

The vehicles will have all the life saving equipment, including a handheld device to conduct blood test in the ambulance itself, he said.

"With two drops of blood, you can check 29 different parameters while the vehicle is on the move, by connecting to a call centre through wi-fi technology," Rane said.

The state government also plans to commission a VVIP ambulance by next month end, he said.

Rane said the state would also commission a fleet of 20 motorcycle ambulances in the first week of August.

"The two-wheeler ambulances will reduce the response time and reach the patients faster to save more lives," he said.

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The seventh batch of 2,246 pilgrims today left Jammu for the 3,888-metre-high Amarnath cave shrine of Lord Shiva in south Kashmir Himalayas, amid tight security.

Escorted by CRPF personnel, the pilgrims, including 97 sadhus, left in a convoy of 75 vehicles for Baltal and Pahalgam base-camps of the shrine this morning, officials said.

With today's batch, 25,294 pilgrims and sages have left Jammu for Amarnath since the yatra began from here on June 28.

As many as 1,05,380 pilgrims have paid obeisance at the ice lingam at the cave till now.

Three more pilgrims died of various reasons yesterday, taking the death toll in the ongoing Amarnath pilgrimage to nine.

The annual pilgrimage in Kashmir began amid a terror threat, which prompted the authorities to mobilise the "highest level" of security measures, including satellite tracking system.

The government has mobilised a heavy security blanket of over 35,000 to 40,000 troops including the police, the Army, the BSF and the CRPF.

This year's yatra will be eight days shorter than the last year's 48 days. It will conclude on Shravan Purnima (Raksha Bandhan) on August 7.

Situated in a narrow gorge at the farther end of Lidder Valley, Amarnath shrine is 46 km from Pahalgam and 14 km from Baltal.

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At least 23 Egyptian soldiers were killed and 33 others injured today when terrorists attacked several army checkpoints with car bombs in the restive North Sinai, triggering fierce clashes that left 40 militants dead.

The military said it killed the heavily-armed terrorists during clashes with them in the North Sinai city of Rafah, bordering the Palestinian Gaza Strip ruled by the Hamas.

Security officials said ambulances rushed to the sites of the attacks south of the town of Rafah.

Six vehicles were destroyed during the attacks, army spokesperson Tamer el-Refae said in a statement.

The security sources said 23 army personnel were killed in the attack while the number of wounded stands at 33.

The army is currently combing the area and searching for the attackers.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack.

However, the restive North Sinai is the main focus of the deadly ISIS militancy and the groups affiliated with it have carried out several attacks in the past targetting security forces since the January 2011 revolution that toppled longtime president Hosni Mubarak.

The attacks, mainly targeting police and military, increased after the ouster of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in 2013 by military following massive protests against his rule. Hundreds of police and army personnel have been killed since then.

The military has launched security campaigns in the North Sinai area, killing several militants.

The security forces have also arrested suspects and demolished houses that belong to terrorists, including those facilitating tunnels leading to the Gaza Strip.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Terrorists attacked several military checkpoints with car bombs in Egypt's North Sinai today, triggering fierce gunfight in which 26 Egyptian soldiers were killed or injured.

The military said it killed 40 terrorists as it clashed with militants in the North Sinai city of Rafah bordering the Palestinian Gaza Strip.

Six vehicles were destroyed during the attacks, army spokesperson Tamer el-Refae said in a statement.

At least 26 soldiers were killed or injured after being targeted by car bombs, the statement said without elaborating the number of those killed and injured separately.

The army is currently combing the area and searching for the attackers.

Egypt's North Sinai has witnessed many terrorists attacks since the January 2011 revolution that toppled the ex- president Hosni Mubarak.

The attacks, mainly targeting police and military, increased after the ouster of Islamist ex-president Mohamed Morsi in 2013 by military following massive protests against his rule. Hundreds of police and army personnel were killed since then.

The military has launched security campaigns in the North Sinai area. The security forces have arrested suspects and demolished houses that belong to terrorists, including those facilitating tunnels leading to the Gaza Strip.

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The Supreme Court today said all the issues arising out of Aadhaar should finally be decided by a larger bench and the Chief Justice of India would take a call on the need for setting up a constitution bench comprising seven or nine judges.

"My opinion is that once a matter has been referred to a constitution bench, then all the issues arising out of it should be with the constitution bench. I can only say that a matter can be disposed of by a nine-judge bench. You two can decide the possibility of nine judges hearing it," Justice J Chelameswar, who was heading a three-judge bench, told Attorney General K K Venugopal and senior counsel Shyam Divan.

The bench, also comprising Justices A M Khanwilkar and Navin Sinha, said it will depend upon the Chief Justice of India to decide whether the matter can be examined by a bench of seven or nine judges.

The bench asked the Attorney General and Divan, who was appearing for the parties opposing making of Aadhaar mandatory for availing benefits of social welfare schemes, to mention the matter before a bench of Chief Justice J S Khehar to constitute a larger bench.

"We believe that these matters should be heard by a constitution bench. We suggest to both of you to request the Chief Justice to constitute a larger bench so that these matters can be decided finally. If the CJI will say it cannot be done immediately, you can come before us," the bench said.

"Don't you think that the matter has to be settled for all times to come," Justice Chelameswar asked Venugopal, while welcoming him to appear before the bench for the first time after taking charge as the Attorney General.

Venugopal agreed with the suggestion and said an early date should be given to hear the matter.

During the hearing, the bench was also pained to know that after the matter was referred to a constitution bench, smaller benches were taking up issues relating to Aadhaar time and again and were also passing orders.

The bench rose for the day after half-an-hour of hearing, while asking the two advocates to mention the matter before a bench headed by the CJI.

A two-judge bench of the apex court had on June 27 refused to pass an interim order against the Centre's notification making Aadhaar mandatory for availing benefits of social welfare schemes, with the government assuring it that no one would be deprived for want of this identification.

The court had observed that no interim order could be passed merely on the "apprehension" raised by the petitioners that somebody might be deprived of the benefits under the various social welfare schemes due to the lack of Aadhaar, especially when no such affected person had come before it.

The apex court was hearing three separate petitions challenging government's notification making Aadhaar mandatory for availing benefits of various social welfare schemes.

Earlier, the apex court had passed a slew of orders asking the government and its agencies not to make Aadhaar mandatory for extending benefits of their welfare schemes.

The apex court, however, had allowed the Centre to seek Aadhaar card voluntarily from citizens for extending benefits of schemes like LPG subsidy, Jan Dhan scheme and Public Distribution System.

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Actor Vikram Chatterjee, who was facing a culpable homicide charge for the car crash in which model and TV anchor Sonika Chauhan was killed, has been arrested, police said today.

The televison and film actor was arrested after Kolkata Police personnel intercepted a cab outside Acropolis Mall on Rashbehari Avenue connector in Kasba area of south Kolkata at midnight yesterday, a senior Kolkata Police officer said.

Chatterjee was absconding after the police had charged him with culpable homicide not amounting to murder.

Chatterjee had earlier been charged with causing the death due to rash and negligent driving of the vehicle that met with an accident in the wee hours of April 29.

The actor was driving Sonika home after a party on April 29.

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Debt-laden Air India will sell land parcel in Mauritius to state-owned NBCC Ltd for Rs 3.1 crore amid the government's decision to divest stake in the national airline.

"Air India has agreed to sell its asset measuring one acre land in the State of Mauritius to NBCC India Ltd and the transaction valuing Rs 3.10 crore will take place within a few days," the construction firm said in a BSE filing.

On June 28, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs gave its in-principle approval for the disinvestment of Air India, which has been in the red for long.

Air India, which has a debt burden of more than Rs 52,000 crore, is staying afloat on taxpayers' money.

The previous UPA government had extended bailout package worth little over Rs 30,000 crore to the national carrier for a ten-year period starting from 2012.

NBCC Ltd has entered the Mauritius market. It will help develop a social housing project and construct a new Supreme Court building in Mauritius, which together are estimated to cost USD 50 million.

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The government has more than doubled risk and hardship allowance for armymen in Siachen and hiked the same for security forces deployed for counter insurgency operations and in Naxal-hit areas.

The increased payments are among the higher allowances the government notified in the Gazette yesterday, days after the Cabinet approved with minor modifications the recommendations made by the 7th Central Pay Commission (CPC).

The increased allowances are part of the bid to make up for some of the hardships and risks security and paramilitary forces face to protect the country from external and internal threats.

Rates of Siachen Allowance paid to soldiers deployed at the highest battlefield in the world have been increased to Rs 30,000 from Rs 14,000 per month, and for officers, it has gone up to Rs 42,500 a month from Rs 21,000 for extreme risks and hardships.

The High Altitude Allowance has been raised to Rs 2700- 25,000 per month, from Rs 810-16,800.

The Counter Insurgency Operations (CI Ops) allowance has gone up to Rs 6,000-16,900 per month, from Rs 3,000-11,700, an official statement said here.

The Command Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) allowance paid to CRPF personnel deployed in Naxal-hit areas has been stepped up to Rs 17,300-25,000, from Rs 8,400-16,800 per month.

While the CPC had recommended abolition of the Ration Money Allowance (RMA) and free ration to defence officers in peace areas, the government has not accepted it and RMA will be credited in bank accounts, the statement said.

While the government has also decided against merging of the Rs 4,500 a month Technical Allowance (tier-II) for security personnel, it will review the courses.

Similarly, MARCOS and the Chariot Allowance paid to marine commandos has been increased to Rs 17,300-25,000 per month, from Rs 10,500-15,750. Also, the conditionality of 12 hours has been reduced to four hours for the Sea Going Allowance and rates increased to Rs 6,000-10,500, from Rs 3,000-7,800 per month.

Modified Field, Field and Highly Active Field Area Allowances have seen an increase to Rs 6,000-16,900 per month from Rs 1,200-12,600 while the Flying Allowance has been raised to Rs 17,300-25,000, from Rs 10,500-15,750 per month, and extended to BSF Air Wing too.

The Territorial Army Allowance has gone up to Rs 1,000- 2,000, from Rs 175-450 per month, while additional free railway warrant (Leave Travel Concession) has been extended to Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs).

Other allowances that have seen similar jump include aeronautical allowance which has now been extended to the Indian Coast Guard, Higher Qualification Incentive for Defence Personnel, Test Pilot and Flight Test Engineer Allowance, Ceilings of Deputation (Duty) Allowance for Defence Personnel, Detachment Allowance and Para Jump Instructor Allowance.

"Housing provisions for PBORs (Personnel below Officer Rate) of Army and their families residing at other stations significantly improved and linked to HRA, process simplified," the statement added.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Mahindra Groups's Chairman Anand Mahindra today tendered a public apology over the manner in which an employee of Tech Mahindra was asked to quit.

Tech Mahindra top brass also apologised after an audio clip went viral, which purportedly involved a conversation of an HR executive of the company asking an employee to put in his papers by next morning, as part of corporate decision.

Anand Mahindra, chief of the USD 19 billion group, took to social media to apologise over the incident saying the core value of the conglomerate is to "preserve the dignity of the individual".

"I want to add my personal apology. Our core value is to preserve the dignity of the individual and we will ensure this does not happen in future," he tweeted.

"We have become aware of the incident involving a conversation between an employee and a company HR representative. We deeply regret the manner in which the discussion took place and have taken necessary corrective steps to ensure that this does not happen again in future," Vineet Nayyar, Vice Chairman, Tech Mahindra said in a note.

He said that the company continues to implement strategies to meet the changing demands of business in the current global economic environment and align workforce with its "strategic priorities" and "requirements" of clients.

"This, however, will be done in a manner that befits our Rise philosophy and our group's core values," Nayyar said.

The note was tweeted by CP Gurnani, Tech Mahindra's CEO.

Echoing similar sentiments, Gurnani tweeted: "I deeply regret the way HR Rep (sic) & employee discussion was done. We have taken the right steps to ensure it doesn't repeat in future."



Tech Mahindra ranks fifth in the tally of Indian IT firms by revenues. At the end of December 2016, the company had over 1.17 lakh employees.

The audio clip surfaces at a time when Indian IT firms are facing challenges in the business environment and stricter work permit regime in countries like the US, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand.

There have been also been reports of mass layoffs by various companies, including Tech Mahindra, even though the industry has consistently denied the allegations.

The companies have termed layoffs as part of normal business decisions, but many believe that these are directed more towards controlling costs.

US-based Cognizant had recently rolled out a voluntary separation programme for directors, associate VPs and senior VPs, offering them 6-9 months of salary.

Wipro, too, had asked about 600 employees to leave as part of its annual "performance appraisal" earlier this year.

Interestingly, IT firms are under pressure to hire local American workers instead of taking Indian employees on work visas to client sites as US hardens its stance on outsourcing. Higher on-site hiring also impacts their margins.

Infosys has said it will hire 10,000 people in the US over the next two years. Its peers TCS and Wipro are taking similar steps.

IT companies have been one of the largest recruiters in the country. Apart from the impact of stringent visa regime, increasing automation of processes would also lead to reduction in hiring in coming years.

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US-backed forces struggled to gain ground against the Islamic State group in Syria's Raqa today, facing a wave of car bombs and mortars unleashed by the jihadists, a monitor said.

The Syrian Democratic Forces penetrated Raqa's Old City earlier this week after US-led coalition air strikes pierced two holes in its ramparts.

But the SDF and a unit of allied Arab fighters called the Syrian Elite Forces have made little progress inside the historical quarter, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said.

"IS is using car bombs, mortar fire, and snipers to wage a counter-offensive inside the Old City," Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman said.

The Observatory estimates that up to 30 per cent of Raqa has been captured by the US-backed forces since they entered the city on June 6.

Mohammad Khaled Shaker, a spokesman for the Syrian Elite Forces, told AFP there had been no notable advance today.

"There are some clashes, but we have not reached the city centre yet," he told AFP.

IS overran Raqa in early 2014 and it has since become infamous as the de facto Syrian capital of the group's so- called "caliphate".

An estimated 2,500 jihadists are left defending Raqa, according to the US-led coalition.

The global alliance is providing the SDF with air cover, weapons, equipment, and special operations forces on the ground as advisers.

The Observatory reported yesterday that the coalition delivered a large shipment of weapons, ammunition and armoured vehicles to the SDF via Iraq.

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Students from Arunachal Pradesh and neighbouring Nagaland today joined the Van Mahotsav programme organised by Maharastra government at the initiative of Governor Acharya.

Acharya holds dual charge of the two north eastern states and is on official tour here.

Maharashtra government has under taken a mission to plant four crore tree saplings in the Van Mahotsav celebration, an official release said adding the programme was organised at Dahisar West in Mumbai.

Acharya initiated the plantation programme to strengthen emotional and national integration amongs the people of North East and Maharashtra.

"Such involvement of the people of the north east in government initiatives and programmes of the host state will go a long way in blending themselves with the people of other parts of the country, thereby reinforce the spirit of unity in diversity," the governor said.

He urged the youth of the region to learn about other people and at the same time showcase their rich cultural heritage in order to create strong bonds and unity.

Acharya also called upon them to preserve nature. "Concerted efforts are required to maintain and improve the existing natural resources. Initiate contribution at individual and community levels.

"Non-dependence on the government is the need of the hour to address the issues of preservation of our environment as enshrined in the fundamental duties of the citizens," he said.

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The new Delma Port west of Abu Dhabi in the Persian Gulf has been inaugurated and will function as a multipurpose port for cargo, ferries and fishing vessels, according to multiple news outlets.



Terminal operator Abu Dhabi Ports in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has inaugurated the $46 million multipurpose Delma port on Delma Island in the Persian Gulf, according to multiple news sources.

The new Delma port currently accommodates a repair yard, Critical Infrastructure and Coastal Protection Authority (CICPA) facility, marine fueling facility, marine workshop and multipurpose operations building. The port also provides the option for accessible breakwater with the opportunity to introduce a ferry terminal and additional CICPA facilities, according to Abu Dhabi Ports.

The new Delma port is one of the biggest in Al Dhafra region, and has been designed to provide an effective sheltered harbor for the maritime community in Delma. The port, which is considered a hub, has been carefully designed as an integrated ecosystem that creates space for vessels and also offers the support services needed to facilitate sustainable transport, said Mohamed Juma Al Shamisi, CEO of Abu Dhabi Ports.

Abu Dhabi Ports also signed a 35-year concession agreement last month to develop, manage and operate the Port of Fujairah in the UAE.
Calling Bangladesh as India's "closest" friend, President Pranab Mukherjee today said the country attaches high importance to its relations with the eastern neighbour.

The President said this while meeting the trainee officers of the Bangladesh foreign service, who called on him at the Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Mukherjee said he was delighted to see them as he called them "worthy representatives of a great nation".

They will bring new ideas and a new system of governance, he said.

The President emphasised that to create a happy society was also the responsibility of modern governance.

He further added that he was confident that they would be able to carry forward the legacy of trust and amity between the two countries, as they pursue their career in the Bangladesh foreign service.

He said India attaches highest importance to its relations with Bangladesh, a close neighbour and with which we share a lot in common.

"Bangladesh is India's closest friend and relationship between the two countries is exemplary in many ways. India and Bangladesh share a common bond of history, language, culture and strong people-to-people ties. This shared history unites us in unique and special ways," he said.

The President said now, when Bangladesh is free and liberated and is engaged in its own development, the sacrifices of its martyrs are vindicated.

"It is heartening to see impressive strides made by Bangladesh on human development, health-care, education, women empowerment and other socio-economic fronts," he said as he reminded the young diplomats that the future of Bangladesh is in their hands.

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BJP Kerala unit president Kummanom Rajasekharan today asked the government to order a crime branch probe into the death of a Yuva Morcha leader due to burn injuries.

Yuva Morcha Palakkad district secretary Sajin Raj (30) died of burn injures at the Medical College hospital here yesterday.

He was found laying with severe burn injuries near a car on road at Palamoodu near Attingal police station near here early morning yesterday and succumbed to the injuries later in the day at the hospital.

Stating that there was mystery in the death of the leader, Rajasekharan said a special team of crime branch should probe the incident.

Quoting relatives and friends of the deceased, the BJP leader said there was no reason for Raj to commit suicide and also there was no personal or financial issues that worries the deceased.

Relatives have complaint that police was attempting to treat the case as a matter of suicide.

Police should come to a conclusion only after a detail probe, he said.

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BJP, Left and Congress delegations were today prevented from visiting riot-hit areas in Basirhat, around 80 kms from here, by the police even as the situation there remained tense and Internet services suspended.

Ignoring an appeal by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, a BJP delegation, led by MP Roopa Ganguly, which was heading towards Baduria, was detained by the police at Michael Nagar near Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport here.

"We told the BJP leaders that they will not be allowed to proceed as per the decision of the administration. The situation is still tense. But they were adamant and said either they will court arrest or proceed towards the affected area. So we had to detain them," a senior police officer of Bidhannagar Police Commissionerate said.

They were subsequently brought to the airport police station.

Earlier in the day, the police also prevented the Left and Congress leaders from proceeding towards the riot-hit areas citing the law and order situation.

"We were stopped near Ashoknagar area on the ground that it might create a law and order problem. But we were not going there with any political motive. We were going there to meet the people affected by the communal clashes," Left Front Legislature Party leader Sujan Chakraborty said.

The Congress team, led by WBPCC chief Adhir Chowdhury, was also stopped at Barasat.

State BJP president Dilip Ghosh said his party would organise a rally here tomorrow to "condemn" the role of the state government.

"We will also meet Governor K N Tripathi and demand in writing that President's rule be imposed in the state," he said.

Clashes broke out between members of two communities at Baduria in the Basirhat sub-division of North 24-Parganas district earlier this week over an "objectionable" Facebook post by a young man who has been arrested.

The West Bengal government said the situation was under control in Baduria, Swarupnagar, Deganga and Basirhat, which had witnessed violence. Prohibitory orders are in force there.

People in the troubled areas chose to stay indoors with shops and schools remaining closed and the transportation badly hit.

A campaign has been undertaken by the state administration for restoration of peace.

Police and paramilitary force personnel carried intense patrolling while Internet services in and around the riot-hit the areas remained suspended, a senior state government official said.

The police inspector in-charge of Basirhat, Nasim Akhtar, has been transferred by the administration.

In New Delhi, Union minister M Venkaiah Naidu described the communal violence in Basirhat as "unfortunate" and requested the state government to take effective steps to protect all people - "whether minority or majority".

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
BJP, Left and Congress leaders were today stopped from going to Baduria in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district as the situation was volatile following communal clashes earlier this week, officials said.

"The situation is still tense. We have not allowed any delegation to go there as it might create problems," a senior district official said.

"We have been stopped near Ashoknagar area on the grounds that if we go to those areas it might create law and order problem. But we are not going there for any political programme. We are going there to meet the people who have suffered due to riots," Left Front legislative party leader Sujan Chakraborty said.

Chakraborty said the Left Front would organise a demonstration against the police and the TMC government in Barasat area of the district.

The Congress team, led by WBPCC chief Adhir Chowdhury, was also stopped at Barasat for the same reason.

The BJP team was led by state party president Dilip Ghosh.

Baduria and its adjoining areas witnessed a communal flare-up following a post by a youth on Facebook earlier this week.

Though the youth was arrested, members of two communities clashed, set up road blockades, damaged shops and set fire to vehicles.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Jharkhand HRD Minister Neera Yadav today said arrangements were being made for recruitment of teachers, introduction of bus services for women college students, and setting up better laboratories and libraries.

Bus service for women college students were being started so that girls from remote areas could reach colleges without hindrance, she said.

The government would also hold a programme for students to unearth hidden talent in them, Yadav said at a press conference here.

She said that the government's priority was to take every child to school and for this, schemes are functioning.

The government is providing up to Rs 1 lakh assistance under Mukhya Mantri Fellowship Yozana to scholarly students for higher education or education in foreign country, she said.

For the first time, the state government has approved grants to Sanskrit schools and Madarsas, the minister said.

Books in Santhali, Ho, Mundari, Khadia and Kudukh languages were being made available, she said adding that books in Urdu would also be available from the next session.

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With her WhatsApp messages seeking 'support' for six jail staffers arrested in connection with the death of an inmate at Byculla prison going viral, Maharashtra DIG (Prisons) Swati Sathe has withdrawn herself from the case.

The officer was today relieved by the authorities from conducting the departmental inquiry. The probe has now been handed over to Special Inspector General (Prisons) Rajvardhan Sinha, a senior official said.

Talking to PTI, Bhushankumar Upadhyay, Additional Director General of Prisons, said, "After the WhatsApp message episode, DIG Sathe was relieved on her request and the probe handed over to Special Inspector General (Prisons) Rajvardhan Sinha."



"On July 2, Sathe had posted three messages in the WhatsApp group 'Maharashtra Karagruha', in which she made an appeal to her colleagues in the prisons department to support the arrested staffers, whom she called as 'sisters'," another official said.

As the messages went viral, Sathe was criticised for seeking support for the jail staff who are facing murder charges in connection with the death of Manju Shette.

According to the official, a letter demanding action against Sathe was sent to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis by a former jail superintendent along with the screenshots of her WhatsApp messages.

"This morning, Sathe wrote a letter to Bhushankumar Upadhyay, requesting him to relieve her from the inquiry of the prison staff in connection with Manju Shette's death," the official said.

Sathe was unavailable for comments.

Shette (45) died at the J J Hospital on June 23 after being allegedly beaten up by the Byculla jail officials and staff as she "failed" to account for two eggs and five loaves of bread, which were distributed by her to the inmates, police had said.

The police had registered a case of murder against the jail officials. On Saturday, the Crime Branch of Mumbai Police arrested all the six accused -- Manisha Pokharkar, Wasima Shaikh, Shital Shegokar, Surekha Gulve, Aarti Shingne and Bindu Naikade.

Shette's death had sparked protests in the prison with over 200 prisoners, including Sheena Bora murder case accused Indrani Mukerjea, being booked for rioting.

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The CBI today conducted raids across four cities in connection with a fresh corruption case filed against RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, his wife Rabri Devi, son Tejashwi Yadav and others.

The case, for which Lalu Yadav and his wife and son, who is Bihar deputy chief minister, have been booked, dates back to when he was Union railway minister in the UPA government.

The searches, which started at 7 am and included Rabri Devi's Circular Road residence in Patna, were spread across 12 locations in Patna, Ranchi, Gurgaon and Bhubaneswar. The raids included the premises of the Yadav family as well as those of his confidant Prem Chand Gupta, whose wife Sarla Gupta is listed as an accused in the FIR.

Others named in the FIR include Vijay Kochhar, Vinay Kochhar (both directors of Sujata Hotels), Delight Marketing company, now known as Lara Projects, and then IRCTC managing director P K Goel.

It is alleged that Lalu Yadav as railway minister handed over the maintenance of two railway hotels to a company after receiving a bribe in the form of prime land in Patna through a benami company owned by Sarla Gupta.

The FIR was registered on July 5 in connection with alleged favours extended to Sujata Hotels in awarding a contract for the upkeep of the hotels in Ranchi and Puri and receiving premium land as a "quid pro quo", the CBI has alleged.

Briefing the media on the case, CBI Additional Director Rakesh Asthana said the criminal conspiracy spanned 2004-14 during which the tender process was "rigged" in favour of Sujata Hotels.

"In return, the owners of Sujata Hotel gave three acres of land in western Patna to Delight Marketing which is known to the family of Lalu Yadav at a very low cost. Subsequently, between 2010 to 2014, this land was further transferred to another company Lara Projects owned by family members of Lalu Yadav," he said.

Asthana, second in command in the CBI who had supervised the fodder scam probe in the CBI as DIG in which Lalu Yadav was convicted, said the case was registered under IPC sections related to cheating and criminal conspiracy and provisions of Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.

Ironically, Lalu Yadav was today in Ranchi to appear in a CBI court in connection with a case related to the multi-crore fodder scam.

The RJD termed the raids, which prompted speculation on the future of the JD(U)-RJD-Congress coalition government in Bihar, political vendetta.

The Centre began tightening its noose around Lalu Yadav ever since he "announced a massive 'Desh bachao, Bhajpa hatao rally' on August 27 in Patna", RJD's Bihar unit president Ramchandra Purbey said in Patna.

Back in Delhi, Union minister M Venkaiah Naidu rebutted the charge and said the CBI was doing its duty and the BJP or the government had no role in it.

"... After our government came there is no interference and that is why CBI is free and acting as per the mandate given to it...," he told reporters.

The roots of the current case go back to the 2001 decision of the then NDA government to hand over management of catering services of railway hotels to IRCTC.

When Lalu Yadav became railway minister in 2004, he allegedly entered into a criminal conspiracy with Kochhars (owners of Sujata Hotel) and Sarla Gupta and unidentified IRCTC officials to earn "undue pecuniary" advantage for himself, the CBI FIR claimed.

Vinay Kochhar is alleged to have sold three acres of premium land in Patna for Rs 1.47 crore to Delight Marketing on February 25, 2005 which was way below the circle rate.

After the sale deed was executed in favour of Delight Marketing, the Railway Board, on the same day, informed IRCTC about its decision to transfer BNR (railway) hotels to IRCTC on "as is where is basis", the FIR alleged.

The upkeep of the two BNR hotels were transferred by the IRCTC to Sujata Hotels through a tender process allegedly manipulated by P K Goel, then MD IRCTC, the CBI said.

The conditions were further tweaked to make Sujata Hotel the sole contender for the bid, the agency alleged.

According to the CBI, Lalu Yadav, as railway minister, kept track of the tender proceedings.

While over 15 bid documents were received for both the hotels, IRCTC has no records of bidders other than Sujata Hotel.

Between 2010 and 2014, the ownership of Delight Marketing also changed hands from Sarla Gupta to Lara Projects owned by Rabri Devi and Tejashwi Yadav when Lalu Yadav was no longer minister. By this time, the value of the Patna land had also spiralled to Rs 32.5 crore as per the circle rate, the CBI claimed.

"The shares of a company having a net worth of Rs 32.5 crore was transferred by the family member of P C Gupta to the family members of Lalu Prasad Yadav for a nominal amount of Rs 64 lakh," it alleged.

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A prominent Chinese labour activist was sentenced today to four and a half years in prison for "inciting subversion" through a written account of the 1989 Tiananmen crackdown, his lawyer said.

Liu Shaoming, a former factory worker, was detained in southern Guangdong province in May 2015 after describing his involvement in the pro-democracy movement on a US website.

Liu's lawyer, Wu Kuiming, told AFP the verdict was announced by the Guangzhou Intermediate People's Court.

"His crime is 'inciting subversion of state power,'" Wu said. "The evidence is some online articles he wrote to recall the June 4 event."



Wu said they will appeal the court decision.

Several Chinese rights advocates have been jailed for trying to keep alive the memory of the Tiananmen Square pro- democracy movement that was crushed by the military.

Hundreds of civilians -- over 1,000 by some estimates -- are believed to have died in the crackdown.

Liu, who was featured earlier this year in the documentary "We the Workers," travelled to Beijing to join the student-led demonstrations.

According to Amnesty International, he was also a member of China's first independent trade union.

"This is a most callous and unjust verdict against Liu Shaoming," William Nee, China researcher at Amnesty International, said in a statement.

"He is a prisoner of conscience and must be immediately and unconditionally released. All that Liu Shaoming is guilty of is the legitimate exercise of his freedom of expression.

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The Delhi High Court today said the AAP government's decision to award compensation to the family members of two men who allegedly committed suicide at some public events here, will set a wrong precedent.

Advising the Delhi government to withdraw such decisions to accord 'martyr' status to individuals, a bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar said "the money is of taxpayers".

"Your order will set a wrong precedent for others. It can be cited as an example for others who do the same thing. Why don't you withdraw it," the bench said, adding "we are here to look after the rights of the citizens."



Delhi government's Additional Standing Counsel Sanjoy Ghose, however, told the court that till date they have not paid any compensation amount to any of the family members of the deceased.

He also sought time to file replies to the PILs filed by advocate Avadh Kaushik and ex-serviceman Puran Chand Arya.

The court listed the matter for August 8 and directed the Delhi government to file its response within ten days.

The court's oral observation came during the hearing of PILs against the AAP government's decision to accord martyr status to Ram Kishan Grewal who had allegedly committed suicide during a protest at Jantar Mantar over the 'One Rank, One Pension'(OROP) issue on November 1 last year.

Another PIL has opposed the city government's decision to declare as 'martyr' a Rajasthan-based-politician-cum-farmer Gajendra Singh Kalyanwat who allegedly hung himself at an AAP rally at Jantar Mantar on April 22, 2015. The incident took place during an anti-land bill rally called by the Aam Aadmi Party.

In all these matters, the petitioners have taken the ground that these individuals have committed suicide, attempting which is a crime under the Indian Penal Code.

In the petition related to Grewal's suicide, the PIL has contended that by granting compensation and a job to the kin of the ex-serviceman, Kejriwal and his government were "glorifying, justifying, supporting, propagating and consecrating the act of suicide".

It has sought directions from the court to quash or set aside the Delhi government's decision saying it amounted to "misappropriation of public funds".

The PIL also seeks a direction to the Centre, Lieutenant Governor and Delhi government to "frame a proper and valid scheme or policy for declaring a deceased person as a 'martyr' and to award the compensatory benefits and perquisite to his family".

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Congress today distanced itself from the remarks of its leader Saifuddin Soz on Burhan Wani, whom the party dubbed as a terrorist who killed innocent people.

Congress spokesperson R P N Singh said the party has nothing to do with Soz's remarks, which is not the party's stated position, but questioned the PDP-BJP government why it paid compensation to Burhan Wani's family.

"The Congress party has nothing to do with Soz's remarks and distances itself from them, as it is not the party's stated position. The Congress stands by the security forces.

"Burhan Wani was a terrorist and he was killed in a shootout with security forces. He killed many innocent people and the entire country knows what is the fate of a terrorist," he said.

He, however, questioned, "We want to ask one question, why did the PDP and BJP government in Jammu and Kashmir gave compensation to the family of Burhan Wani."



Soz raked up a controversy by saying had Wani been alive, he would have held a dialogue with him.

"Burhani Wani should have stayed alive so that I could have had a dialogue with him. I would have explained to him that Kashmir can become a strong bridge of friendship between India and Pakistan and he (Wani) could also be of help (in achieving it). But he is dead now," he told a TV channel.

Wani was killed by security personnel on July 8 last year. His killing had triggered violent protests in the Kashmir Valley that continued for months.

"Those who believe that he was a martyr can continue to believe so and those who believe he was murdered may do so. The incident has already taken place. We should try and increase friendship between India and Pakistan now and understand the pain of Kashmiris," Soz added.

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The European Union and Japan have reached a political agreement in principle on a economic partnership agreement European Commission officials say will be the most important bilateral trade agreement ever concluded by the EU.



The European Union and Japan reached a political agreement in principle on an economic partnership agreement and a strategic partnership agreement on Thursday in Brussels at the 24th summit between the EU and Japan.

The European Commission said the economic partnership agreement will remove the vast majority of duties paid by EU companies, open the Japanese market to key EU agricultural exports, and increase EU exports and create new opportunities for European companies, their employees and consumers.

This will be the most important bilateral trade agreement ever concluded by the EU, and as such, will for the first time, include a specific commitment to the Paris climate agreement, the European Commission said.

Negotiators from both sides will conclude a final text of the economic partnership agreement by the end of the year, after they work to resolve all remaining technical issues, the commission said.

For the businesses in the European Union, the economic partnership agreement will open up new possibilities in a market of 127 million people living in the fourth richest economy in the world, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said after the summit at a press conference. It has the potential to increase our exports to Japan by more than a third.

Meanwhile, the strategic partnership agreement will provide a legally binding framework for cooperation between the EU and Japan.

The strategic partnership agreement covers bilateral issues, along with regional and global challenges, including climate change, security, disaster relief, science, technology and innovation, environment and energy.

In addition, a memorandum of cooperation between the EU and Japan on liquefied natural gas (LNG) has been initiated and will be signed by Climate Action and Energy Commissioner Miguel Arias Canete and Hiroshige Seko, Japanese minister for economy, trade and Industry on Tuesday in Brussels.
The death anniversary of the Mizo leader Laldenga was observed here today with people laying wreaths at his burial place at the Treasury Square.

Prominent among those congregated were former Chief Minister Zoramthanga and Lalbiakdiki, the widow of Laldenga, at the burial place where a memorial stone was erected to pay their respects to the departed leader.

Laldenga formed the Mizo National Front (MNF) in 1961 and signed the Mizo Peace Accord on June 30, 1986 ushering in peace to the state and became its first chief minister after Mizoram was elevated to a state in 1987.

Treated for terminal cancer in New York, he died in London in 1990 while returning to Mizoram.

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Officers' union of public sector banks AIBOC has demanded dissolution of Banks Board Bureau (BBB) headed by former CAG Vinod Rai.

Citing list of shortlisted general managers for executive directors, the union condemned the callous behaviour of BBB in publishing the list.

"It is utter casual approach of BBB that a list is published, withdrawn and fresh list is published after the lapse of more than 3-4 days. It gives credence to the popular belief that the selection process to the top most posts in PSBs is not transparent and flawless," All India Bank Officers Confederation (AIBOC) said in a statement.

It gives credence to the popular belief that the selection process to the top most posts in PSBs is not transparent and flawless, it claimed.

"BBB had published a list of 15 candidates selected after an 'interaction' process (interview) on June 30. Reportedly, 'it was immediately withdrawn as an error was detected. On July 4, a fresh list has been loaded on its website. Surprisingly, one name has been replaced in the new list. The so called 'error detected' (as claimed by BBB) cannot be reason for playing with the careers and names of the candidates," it said.

The very fact that BBB took 4 days to effect corrections to the so called 'error' leads to suspicion on fair play, the union said.

Moreover, for such a responsible task of selection of Executive Directors for PSBs, any concept of 'error' cannot be accepted and more so when apparently, it looks like a design to axe some name, it added.

Raising a question mark on the selection process, the Union said the selection by Boards of MDs/EDs has not helped the banks to improve their performance.

"People brought in from Private Sector as Managing Director have not really brought any dramatic change. The Boards are not filled in time," it said.

BBB had been making conflicting statements since its inception, especially in respect of mergers, wage revision or packages and the like, it added.

It is high time to dissolve Banks Board Bureau as demanded by some of the columnists of business newspapers, the union said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Calcutta High Court today sought to know if the Centre did not think the Darjeeling hills stir for a separate Gorkhaland needed to be quelled quickly, given the strategic location of the area.

"Given the geopolitical area in which it lies, doesn't the Centre think this agitation be quelled immediately?," asked acting Chief Justice Nishita Mhatre while hearing a plea for restoration of normalcy in the Darjeeling hills.

The court posed the query amid the Indian Armed forces being locked in a eyeball to eyeball standoff with the Chinese army at Dokalam at the Bhutan tri-junction, not too far from Darjeeling.

The division bench of acting Chief Justice Mhatre and Justice Tapabrata Chakraborty directed the West Bengal government officials to sit with the Ministry of Home Affairs to sort out the requirements for para-military forces on the basis of ground conditions.

Expressing displeasure at the state and the Centre sparring over requirement of Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) in the restive Darjeeling hills, the bench observed, "The situation can improve only if both of you sit together and sort out the issues."



The court asked the Centre and the state government to reach a meaningful understanding over CAPF requirement before July 11, when the matter would be heard next.

Normal life has been affected severely in Darjeeling and Kalimpong due to the ongoing indefinite shutdown enforced by the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) and some other hill parties since June 15 over a separate statehood demand.

Incidents of arson have been going on in different parts of the hills since June eight.

Appearing for the Centre, Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Kaushik Chanda told the court that 11 companies of CAPF have been provided for Darjeeling and Kalimpong districts in the hills.

Stating that the CAPF deployment was sufficient for the two districts, Chanda said maintaining law and order was primarily the state government's responsibility.

He said eight companies of CAPF were sent to Basirhat in North 24 Parganas district of the state, which has been facing communal strife since last Monday.

"There are requirements of CAPF in other parts of the country also for various reasons, including for the ongoing Amarnath Yatra," Chanda said.

Appearing for West Bengal government, Advocate General Kishore Dutta submitted that the state had not asked for any additional force, but only sought replacement of six CAPF companies for operational reasons.

The state government through a communique to the Centre on June 30 had sought replacement of three women companies of the CRPF with three male companies and replacement of three SSB companies with those of the CRPF or RAF.

No lawyer represented Gorkha Janmukti Morcha president Bimal Gurung or his party, which is spearheading the movement for a separate state of Gorkhaland to be carved out of West Bengal.

The bench also asked as to why the CBI has taken no steps to ensure that Gurung, his wife Asha and several others accused in the killing of All India Gorkha League leader Madan Tamang were made to stay in Kolkata from the date of framing of charge in the case till completion of the trial, as was directed by another division bench of the high court.

While granting bail to these accused on December 19, 2016, a division bench of Justice Asim Kumar Roy had directed them to stay in Kolkata police area during the said period.

Counsel Indranil Roy submitted that Gurung had appeared before the trial court in January when hearing in the matter commenced but did not appear before it on eight dates after that.

The ASG submitted that the magistrate had allowed his plea for not appearing in person on those dates.

At this, the acting chief justice asked, "How is it that CBI did not oppose it ... This man is not available in court and CBI doesn't bother?"



The trial in the case had been transferred from Darjeeling to Kolkata by the Supreme Court on a plea by Tamang's widow that the accused persons could influence witnesses.

Hearing on framing of charges against the accused persons, who have also prayed for dismissal of charges against them, is fixed before the trial court on July 24.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A former Guantanamo Bay prisoner who pleaded guilty to killing a US soldier in Afghanistan received an apology and a multimillion-dollar payment from the Canadian government after a court ruling said his rights were abused.

The government said today in a statement that details of the settlement are confidential, but an official familiar with the deal said previously that it was for USD 10.5 million Canadian dollars (USD 8 million). A different official confirmed that the money had been given to Khadr. Both insisted on speaking anonymously because they were not authorized to discuss the deal publicly.

The government and Khadr's lawyers negotiated the deal last month based on a 2010 Supreme Court of Canada ruling that Canadian officials violated his rights at Guantanamo.

"We are announcing that the government of Canada has reached a settlement with Mr. Omar Khadr, bringing this civil case to a close," said the statement from Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale and Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland.

"On behalf of the government of Canada, we wish to apologize to Mr. Khadr for any role Canadian officials may have played in relation to his ordeal abroad and any resulting harm," it added.

A conference was scheduled for just before noon today.

that Khadr would receive millions first leaked earlier this week and sparked anger among many Canadians who consider him a terrorist.

The Canadian-born Khadr was 15 when he was captured by US troops following a firefight at a suspected al-Qaida compound in Afghanistan that resulted in the death of an American special forces medic, US Army Sgt. First Class Christopher Speer. Khadr, who was suspected of throwing the grenade that killed Speer, was taken to Guantanamo and ultimately charged with war crimes by a military commission.

He pleaded guilty in 2010 to charges that included murder and was sentenced to eight years plus the time he had already spent in custody. He returned to Canada two years later to serve the remainder of his sentence and was released in May 2015 pending an appeal of his guilty plea, which he said was made under duress.

Khadr spent 10 years at Guantanamo. His case received international attention after some dubbed him a child soldier. He was the youngest and last Western detainee held at the US military prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A month-long surveillance led officials of the Telangana Prohibition and Excise department to the peddlers who ran an organised racket to sell high-end narcotics like LSD and MDMA to their clients, included school students, officials said today.

The officials also posed as customers to small-time peddlers to get deeper into the racket.

The racket was busted on Sunday, in the biggest such action in recent past by the excise department in which 800 'squares' of LSD, each costing Rs 3,000, and 35 grammes of MDMA worth Rs 1.4 lakh was seized.

It also came to light that the gang's clientele included nearly 1,000 customers, including students, a film producer, senior officials of MNCs and employees of IT firms in Cyberabad.

"It was a ground work of 30 days," Prohibition and Excise Enforcement director Akun Sabharwal told PTI today.

After an information on the sale of LSD, a team of excise officials posing as customers approached small-time sellers, who turned out to be teenagers studying in colleges, seeking the contraband.

"We spent Rs 50,000 to infiltrate into the racket and after getting small quantities of LSD we told them that we need more units. It was then that these small-time sellers got us to these fellows who were suppliers of high-end narcotics in and around Hyderabad," he said.

To break the network of suppliers, a new Task Force was raised in the department which conducted extensive raids across the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad.

The task force achieved the breakthrough by busting the racket with the arrest of Abdul Quddos, a private employee, Abdul Wahab, a student, and Calvin Mascrenhas, a musician, who were supplying LSD and MDMA in large quantities.

During investigation, five more persons allegedly indulged in the drug trade were arrested. Out of the eight persons arrested so far, five are B Tech graduates who are working in good positions in multi-national companies (MNCs).

"Calvin Mascarenhas, V Nikhil Shetty and Brendon Ben are the key accused. It was through the 'dark' web that they were placing orders for LSD and getting the delivery of the same through courier. They were also in touch with users through WhatsApp," the officer said.

"This is the biggest catch in the recent past," according to Sabharwal.

LSD, sold in tablets or in liquid form, is known to be one of the most potent 'mood-changing' chemicals while MDMA, commonly known as 'Molly' or 'Ecstasy', is used as a recreational or party drug.

One of the officers of the Task Force, K Pavan, had suffered injuries in his right hand during the operation when the peddlers attacked him.

With the emergence of the disturbing fact that students of schools and colleges were also hooked on to the drugs, the department sent advisories to 26 schools and 27 colleges where it was found that may students are using drugs.

The advisories asked managements of these educational institutions to sensitise their teachers and students.

"We first concentrated on student users. The department has not arrested anyone who is a user or a consumer (although a legal offence under Section 22 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substance Act is made out)," he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Facebook's Vice President Joel Kaplan today met Pakistan's Interior Minister Nisar Ali Khan and discussed various measures being taken to remove blasphemous content from the popular social networking site.

Kaplan, who is visiting Pakistan, exchanged views with the interior minister about actions being taken to make the social networking site free of material hurting the religious sentiments of people.

Khan's office in a statement said that the Facebook vice president reiterated commitment to keep the platform safe and promote values that are in congruence with its community standards.

He also committed to remove fake accounts, explicit, hateful and provocative material that incites violence and terrorism.

In the meeting, Khan said that Pakistan is playing a proactive role in engaging the Internet service providers and finding solution to the issue of misuse of social media.

He said the entire Muslim community is "greatly disturbed and has serious concerns over the misuse of social media platforms to propagate blasphemous content".

"Nothing is more sacred to us than our religion and our holy personalities," said the minister.

He said the government of Pakistan firmly believes in freedom of expression but we cannot allow anyone to misuse social media for hurting religious sentiments or undertaking unlawful activities.

He also appreciated the understanding shown by the Facebook administration and the cooperation being extended to on these issues.

The interior minister appreciated Facebook for bridging communication gaps and providing people a platform not only to interact but also serving as a vehicle for promotion of education, businesses, socio-economic development and empowering women in the country.

He also encouraged Facebook to open up office in Pakistan.

Kaplan highlighted various initiatives of the social networking site that are aimed at skill development and economic growth programmes in Pakistan, working with developers, small businesses and women in the country.

He said that Facebook's Developers Circles, a free community-led programme for developers to connect, learn and collaborated with other local developers, have been started in Lahore and Karachi and would be launched in Islamabad soon.

Lahore is one of the largest Developer Circles in the world with more than 2000 community members.

Kaplan also informed the minister that Facebook has recently launched a digital literacy campaign called iChamp with a goal to touch secondary schools on a mass scale across Pakistan to educate youth on the benefits and safe use of the Internet.

The programme will be supported by Facebook's Free Basic project that provides free access to dozens of fun and learning websites.

This is for the first time that a senior member of Facebook management dealing with global public policy has visited Pakistan to discuss measures for addressing the issue of misuse of social media platforms especially Facebook which has over 33 million users in the country at the moment.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
) Following are the top stories from the Eastern Region at 1700 hours.

CAL1 WB-ACTOR-ARREST



Kolkata: Actor Vikram Chatterjee, who is facing a culpable homicide charge for the car crash in which model and TV anchor Sonika Chauhan was killed, has been arrested.

CAL2 WB-RIOT-TEAMS



Kolkata: BJP, Left and Congress leaders have been stopped from going to Baduria in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district as the situation was volatile following communal clashes earlier this week.

CAL3 WB-RIOT-SITUATION



Kolkata: Police and paramilitary forces today march through the troubled areas of West Bengal's riot-hit North 24 Parganas district to quell violence.

CAL4 WB-GJM-SITUATION



Darjeeling: Rallies and protest marches are taken out in various parts of Darjeeling today in support of their demand for a separate state of Gorkhaland.

CAL6 BH-CBI-RJD



Patna: The CBI raids on Lalu Prasad Yadav and his family are being carried out at the instance of a "vengeful" Centre out to muzzle the opposition's voice, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) says today.

CAL7 WB-RIOT-BJP-DETAIN



Kolkata: A BJP delegation led by MP Roopa Ganguly has been detained by police near Michael Nagar area when they were on their way to riot-hit Baduria area in North 24 Parganas district.

CES2 AS-ELEPHANT



Tezpur (Assam): A speeding train has mowed down a wild elephant while it was trying to cross a railway track in north Lakhimpur district of Assam.

CES3 MG-KOVIND



Umiam (Meghalaya): NDA presidential nominee Ram Nath Kovind today says that the Constitution was supreme and assured that there would be no discrimination on the basis of caste, religion and region.

ERG5 MN-NCC-GOVERNOR



Imphal: Manipur Governor Najma Heptulla today said that National Cadet Corps (NCC) should be made mandatory for every student as it brings them closer and is a step towards national integration.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
: Following are the top stories from the northern region at 2140 HRS:



DES 29 LYNCHING-PEHLU FAMILY



New Delhi: Irshad Khan, son of a dairy farmer lynched by cow vigilantes, is not going anywhere. He is an Indian, and has no intentions of moving to Pakistan, he says.

DES 8 JK-DRABU



Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Finance Minister Haseeb Drabu makes two rather unusual requests to Speaker of the Assembly Kavinder Gupta. He seeks separate directions to two opposition MLAs -- one to salute him from the Well of the House and other to resign as a legislator.

DES 23 UP-LD LIQUOR



Azamgarh (UP): As many as five persons have died and six taken ill after they allegedly consume illicit liquor in Kewathiya village here, prompting Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to suspend three policemen.

DES 13 HR-COWS DIE AT GOVT SHELTER



Kurukshetra: At least 25 cows have died at a government shelter in Mathana village here due to "incessant rains and non-availability of fodder".

DES 10 UP-DEAD FISHES



Muzaffarnagar: Hundreds of dead fish found floating in the Ganga near the temple town of Shukratal, prompts Union minister Sanjeev Balyan to visit the area and demand a probe.

DES 24 HR-SYL PROTEST



Chandigarh: The Haryana government seeks around 1,000 paramilitary personnel from the Centre to deal with any law and order problem in view of the INLD's protest on Monday over the Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) canal issue.

DES 22 GREENPEACE-POWER



New Delhi: Wind energy and solar power will be the cheapest form of power generation in every G20 country, including India, by the 2030, says a study.

DES 11 DL-LD FIRE



New Delhi: Four members of a family, including a 12- year-old girl whose birthday had just been rung in, die in a fire that broke out in a four-storeyed building in Seemapuri here.

DES 12 JK-AMARNATH



Jammu: The seventh batch of 2,246 pilgrims leave Jammu for the 3,888-metre-high Amarnath cave shrine of Lord Shiva in south Kashmir Himalayas, amid tight security.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Four persons of a family died and another was injured after a fire broke out at their house in Seemapuri here early today, the Delhi Fire Services said.

The fire broke out at 3 am and could be controlled only after an hour, the police said.

Prima facie, the cause of the fire is short-circuit.

According to the police, the fire broke out in an electric meter due to a short-circuit and spread to the other area.

The fire department officials pulled out five persons from the house. Four of them were declared "brought dead", the police said. They died due to suffocation.

The deceased have been identified as Sanjay Verma (40), his father Vijay Verma (63) and his children, Harshu (12) and Chiku (four), the police said.

Sanjay Verma's wife Mona (34) is undergoing treatment at GTB Hospital with 40 per cent burn injuries, they added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe today laid out a raft of measures aimed at boosting Paris's attractiveness to high finance to cash in on Britain's exit from the European Union.

Among them are scrapping a plan to widen a current 0.3 percent tax on financial transactions, eliminating the top income tax bracket, and keeping bonuses out of the calculation of severance pay for "risk-takers" such as stockbrokers.

"You can regret this (Brexit) decision or welcome it, but it's a fact," said Philippe, speaking on the roof of the Monnaie de Paris -- the national mint -- with the city's glass-and-steel La Defense financial district visible in the distance. "You have to deal with it."



In another step aimed at attracting foreign businesses, the Paris area is to open three international high schools by 2022 in addition to the existing six.

Philippe also announced that work had begun to establish an international tribunal in Paris to handle financial cases in English.

Most international financial contracts are written in English and make reference to British law.

Also in the pipeline is the "CDG Express", a rail line linking Charles de Gaulle airport to the city.

French President Emmanuel Macron has pledged to relax France's rigid labour laws to free its economy from red tape and excessive taxation.

The French financial sector currently represents about 4.5 per cent of national output and employs around 800,000 people.

Paris is competing with Dublin, Frankfurt and other centres for an expected shift in finance jobs out of London as a result of Brexit.

Several banks, especially Asian institutions, have recently announced that they would move European headquarters from London to Frankfurt in response to Brexit.

Bloomberg said yesterday it would move investment banking activities from London to its Frankfurt headquarters.

So far Brexit has had a limited impact in Paris, apart from banking giant HSBC's decision to relocate 1,000 employees from London to the French capital. JP Morgan Chase, for its part, is moving to Dublin, Frankfurt and Luxembourg.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
AUBURN  Members of the Auburn City Council voted to amend the city senior management personnel policy to save the city money on health insurance costs during Thursday's city council meeting.

The city is giving current senior management personnel the option to switch to a cheaper health-care plan and are offering incentives of $500 per individual plan and $1,000 per family plan to employees who choose to switch. All new employees will be required to enroll in the new health insurance plan if they choose to have city-provided health care.

Even with the incentive, the city is still saving between $6,000 and $11,000 for each employee who makes the switch.

Councilor Jimmy Giannettino said he was unsure if he wanted to support this resolution at first because he does not want the city to set a precedent of changing contracts. He said after giving it some thought, he decided he would vote to approve the change.

"I think it's beneficial to not only the employees who fall under this contract, but it's also beneficial to the taxpayers because we are really working hard to rein in health insurance costs," Giannettino said.

The policy changes will go into effect retroactively beginning July 1.

The city enacted a similar health insurance policy when city officials negotiated new contracts with the police and fire departments.

"Essentially, this is a carryover from that," City Manager Jeff Dyger said.

In other news

 City of Auburn Corporation Counsel John Rossi was honored by past and present city officials for his service to the city over the years.

Rossi stepped down as head corporation counsel after 11 years of service. He will stay on staff part time as one of two assistant corporation counsels. Rossi has been practicing law for over 50 years.

"I guess this part-time position means part-time relaxation," Mayor Michael Quill joked.

"Perhaps," Rossi responded with a laugh.

Stacy DeForrest is taking Rossi's place as head corporation counsel. She previously served as assistant corporation counsel.

"I have been blessed with the opportunity to work under some amazing attorneys and John has been one of them. I am in awe of your ability to remain calm and handle tense legal situations," DeForrest said before gifting Rossi a framed painting of Memorial City Hall.

Giannettino and Dygert both thanked Rossi for his guidance over the years. Previous City Manager Doug Selby, Cayuga County Judge Thomas Leone and Cayuga County Legislators Tim Lattimore, among others, all had nothing put positive things to say about Rossi.

"This is not a sad, but a joyous occasion," Rossi said.
G20 leaders meeting in Hamburg will seek to persuade US President Donald Trump to rejoin the 2015 Paris climate change accord, British Prime Minister Theresa May said today.

"I believe it is possible. We're not renegotiating the Paris Agreement -- that stays. But I want to see the United States looking for ways to rejoin it," May told the BBC as the two-day summit began in the German port city.

"I believe the collective message that will be given to President Trump around this table will be the importance of America coming back into that agreement, and I hope we will be able to work to ensure that can happen."



May had previously expressed to Trump her "disappointment" at his decision to pull the US out of the hard-fought climate deal, which was signed by 195 countries including the United States.

She is due to meet Trump today for a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the summit.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The government and the BJP have no role in the CBI raids against Lalu Prasad Yadav and his family, Union minister M Venkaiah Naidu said today.

The information and broadcasting minister said the Central Bureau of Investigation was doing its duty and acting in accordance with the mandate given to it by law.

"What is political vendetta? Where is BJP in this? I am not able to understand. Do you mean to say that anybody against whom any charge is there, it should not be inquired into at all?" Naidu asked.

"CBI is doing its duty and it is allowed to do so. Earlier it was not allowed... After our government came there is no interference and that is why CBI is free and acting as per the mandate given to it...," he told reporters.

The raids against the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader and his family started at 7 am today and were conducted at 12 locations in Patna, Ranchi, Bhubaneswar and Gurugram after the investigating agency registered a corruption case.

It is alleged that Yadav as railway minister handed over the maintenance of two railway hotels to a company after receiving a bribe in the form of prime land of three acres through a benami company.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The entire opposition today boycotted the proceedings of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly over GST implementation, accusing the PDP-BJP government of using subterfuge to undermine the Constitution of the state.

As soon as the House assembled, CPI(M) MLA Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami said the government had violated the etiquette of the Assembly by bringing in the Jammu and Kashmir GST Bill 2017 before informing the House about the presidential order passed for extending the GST regime to the state.

Nawang Rigzin Jora of Congress accused the government of undermining the Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir in the way the GST legislation and the presidential order was handled.

The Government is resorting to subterfuge to undermine the special constitutional position of Jammu and Kashmir, Jora charged before leading his party MLAs to boycott the rest of the proceedings of the session.

Tarigami and PDF chairman Hakim Mohammad Yasin also staged a walkout from the proceedings after recording their protest.

The entire opposition benches became empty when independent lawmaker from Langate Sheikh Abdul Rashid also walked out of the House just before the GST bill moved by Finance Minister Haseeb Drabu was moved for consideration and passing.

Members from principal opposition party, National Conference, did not attend the House today as they had yesterday announced their decision to boycott the proceedings for the rest of the session.

The core group decided that the NC legislators will boycott the remaining part of the legislative session as a protest against the government's "machinations to trample the aspirations of the people by demolishing the state's special status," a party spokesman said.

He said the "anti-people" resolution is an unequivocal compromise with the special status of Jammu and Kashmir.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Israeli city Haifa will organise a big celebration to commemorate its 100 years of liberation next year, Mayor Yona Yahav said today, a day after he joined Prime Minister Narendra Modi to pay tributes to Indian soldiers who fell in the battle to liberate the city.

"We will celebrate the city's 100 years of liberation along with 70 years of the country's independence," Yahav told PTI.

Yahav yesterday briefed Modi about how he became aware of the sacrifices of the Indian soldiers in liberating the city and his subsequent efforts to get the information in the school text books so that the youngsters of Haifa would know an "important episode in the history of their city".

"I briefed the Prime Minister (Modi) about how we discovered about this piece of history. Seven years ago a special committee which is researching the history of Haifa put up on my table a document which dealt with the history of Haifa from the Ottoman times.

"It talked about the victory led by Maj (Dalpat) Singh and it said that it is a part of our history and we must commemorate it. We must find the place he is buried. They looked for it. They found the place and we decided to do a ceremony there every year," the Mayor of Haifa said.

The Indian Ambassador came up with the idea of giving it "an official flavour" and since then the Indian peacekeeping forces serving in the UN participates in the annual event, he said.

"We have changed the whole textbooks to insert the story of the Indian troops because this is an important part of our history and legacy. It is important that the students know who liberated their city," Yahav stressed.

In 2012, the municipality of Haifa decided to immortalise the sacrifices made by Indian soldiers, many of whom are buried in the cemetery here, by including the stories of their valiant efforts in school curricula.

The Indian Army commemorates September 23 every year as Haifa Day to pay its respects to the two brave Indian Cavalry Regiments, Mysore and Jodhpur Lancers, that helped liberate the city following a dashing cavalry action by the 15th Imperial Service Cavalry Brigade.

In the autumn of 1918, the Indian Brigade was a part of the Allied Forces sweeping northwards through Palestine in what is seen as the last great cavalry campaign in history.

Captain Aman Singh Bahadur and Dafadar Jor Singh were awarded the Indian Order of Merit (IOM) and Captain Anop Singh and 2nd Lt Sagat Singh were awarded the Military Cross (MC) as recognition for their bravery in this battle.

Major Dalpat Singh was awarded a military cross for his bravery.

The Mayor of Haifa expressed "surprise" and said he felt "honoured" by the decision of Prime Minister Modi to visit his city to pay his respects to Indian soldiers.

Yahav said that his city would like to enlarge contacts with India as a whole and that he would like to see more Indians coming to Haifa "which is very peaceful".

He also plans to strengthen ties with India in the hi- tech sector as Haifa has emerged as a major hub of tech companies in Israel.

He also wishes that an Indian university would open up a branch in his city.

Haifa is home to a lot of Indian students pursuing doctorate and post-doctorate studies at the world renowned Technion Institute.

Yahav was also "touched" by a message from the New Delhi Municipal Corporation informing that a prominent road in the Indian capital was going to be named after the city along with a major roundabout.

Modi yesterday visited the Indian cemetery in Haifa along with his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu on the last day of his visit to Israel and laid wreaths at the site.

He also unveiled a plaque commemorating Major Dalpat Singh, known as the 'Hero of Haifa' for his critical role in the liberation of the city.

"I am deeply honoured to stand here today to salute the valiant Indian soldiers, who led down their lives for the liberation of Haifa during the WW I," Modi wrote in the guest book.

"The exceptional bravery and supreme sacrifice of Major Thakur Dalpat Singh MC, the 'Hero of Haifa' and his men, will be remembered forever and continue to inspire generations to come. Next year, the centenary of the battle of Haifa will present another opportunity to mark this enduring bond between India and Israel," he wrote.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Unfazed by the Gujarat High Court order staying bankruptcy proceedings against Essar Steel, the finance ministry has asked banks to maintain zero tolerance against bad loans and be prepared to fight cases to resolve large NPAs or .

The ministry has been asking banks to take tough action against such borrowers and be ready to fight court cases as well, official sources said.

The adjournment of the Essar Steel case by the high court to July 12 will not deter banks or halt insolvency proceedings against other 11 cases, they added.

The court today continued its order to the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) not to conduct any hearings in Essar Steel's matter till July 12.

Bankruptcy proceedings have also been moved against Bhushan Steel, Electrosteel Steel and Lanco Infratech which are among the 12 NPA or bad loan cases identified by Reserve Bank of India.

SBI is the lead banker to defaulters of Bhushan Steel, Essar Steel and Electrosteel Steel, while IDBI Bank has been directed by RBI to initiate insolvency procedure against Lanco Infratech.

The 12 accounts alone constitute a quarter of the over Rs 8 lakh crore of NPAs. Of the total, Rs 6 lakh crore are with public sector banks.

Sources said the ministry as well as the banks concerned are confident of resolving 12 cases in 180 days mandated under Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) 2016.

Once a case is referred to NCLT, there is a 180-day time line to decide on a resolution plan though 90 days can be given in addition. If a plan is not decided, then the company will go into liquidation.

The internal advisory committee (IAC) of the RBI, after its meeting on June 13, had recommended 12 accounts totalling about 25 per cent of the gross NPAs of the banking system for immediate reference under Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code.

These accounts have an exposure of more than Rs 5,000 crore each, with 60 per cent or more classified as bad loans by banks as of March 2016.

Earlier this week, Essar Steel moved the Gujarat High Court against insolvency proceedings initiated by the banks on the direction of Reserve Bank of India (RBI).

The high court issued notice to the RBI and leader of the banking consortium SBI and posted the matter for July 7.

Essar Steel, in its petition, had appealed that the RBI notification arrived even while the firm was trying to implement a board-approved restructuring package.

It also said that it has repaid almost Rs 3,467 crore in last one year, adding that it employs 4,500 people and that if action was taken under the provisions of sections 7, 16 and 17 of the IBC, the administration of the company would go into hands of interim resolution professionals and it would result in the closing down of the company.

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Rallies and protest marches were taken out in various parts of Darjeeling today in support of their demand for a separate state of Gorkhaland.

All parties of Darjeeling hills yesterday decided to continue with the indefinite shutdown, which entered its 23nd day today.

As part of the protests, activists of political parties, dressed in traditional Nepali attire, took out various rallies.

The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha plans to take out a rally from Darjeeling station to Singhmari area via Chowkbazar to demand withdrawal of forces from the hills and restoration of Internet services, which have been snapped since June 18.

A six-hour-long meeting yesterday had witnessed an intense debate on whether to continue the bandh, which started on June 15 for a separate Gorkhaland state, before deciding to carry on with it.

With food supply severely hit due to the ongoing shutdown, GJM activists and NGOs of the hills were seen distributing food items among the people.

Except medicine shops, all the shops, schools, colleges remained closed.

The police and security forces are patrolling the streets and keeping a vigil at the entry and exit routes.

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The Union tourism ministry has proposed to accord infrastructure status to hotel projects costing in excess of Rs 50 crore.

"We have already circulated a Cabinet note to bring down the threshold level (for hotels) to about Rs 50 crore. We are hopeful of getting it through Cabinet. Once that is done, I think smaller players can also come and invest in the hotel industry here which is really needed in this country," said Tourism Secretary Rashmi Verma.

Speaking to PTI on the sidelines of the third edition of FICCI's Tourism Investors Meet on Wednesday, she said that it was a "great opportunity" for small investors and the ministry was keen on more homestays and bread and breakfasts across the country.

This proposal, if approved, would lower the threshold limit from the current Rs 200 crore for hotel projects to qualify for priority lending.

Verma said that the need to decrease the threshold limit was to bridge the shortage of around one lakh classified hotels cross the country by enabling smaller investors to build hotels.

"The tourism sector suffers from a gap in terms of world-class infrastructure development in the country's tourism destinations. There was a shortage of one lakh classified hotel rooms in the country and this gap can be bridged only by the states alone as they adopt investor- friendly policies. The government is looking into giving infrastructure status to smaller units," she said.

Verma also said that tourists no longer choose India as just a destination and the focus is on "experiential tourism" such as cruise tourism, adventure, eco and textile tourism.

The ministry is also in the process of revamping the overseas offices to reach out to tourists across the globe, she said.

India has seen a 19.5 per cent growth in foreign tourist arrivals in May, 2017, over May last year.

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Billionaire industrialist, chairman and CEO of world's largest steel company Arcelor Mittal, L N Mittal today said that disruptions was a major cause of worry for him.

"I run the world's largest steel company employing two lakh people having operations in various countries. But one thing which worries me is disruptions", Mittal said at an interaction at his alma mater St Xavier's College here.

Mittal, who graduated from the college with first class in BCom, said "It is important to learn and meet the challenges of disruptions."



"If I have any regret, then it is that I have not studied enough. I want to study and learn more, but that age has passed," he said at the alumni interaction.

Mittal said that he always wondered whether the disruptions would come from China or from some new technology.

"I am not aware. So I think it is important to think differently to stay ahead of the curve and meet the challenges.

"Facebook, Twitter are instances of disruptions and it will continue," Mittal said.

Citing an instance of how he faced challengea, Mittal said he studied in a Hindi medium school at Chitpur in north Kolkata after coming from Rajasthan. At the time of entering college he was not allowed admission in St Xavier's as the medium of instruction for him was Hindi.

"Father Joris used to make me sit outside his office for days denying admission. However, he changed his mind and I assured him that I would learn English.

"That was a challenge to me. I wanted to show him that he didn't take a wrong decision. When I went to him to collect the final marksheet, he offered me to teach first year students," Mittal said.

"I had stood first in the college which made me glad. But I was sad to," he added.

"I run so many operations globally. I ask my guys are we better than our competition. If yes, then it is good. If competition is better than us, then I am worse," Mittal said.

Proudly claiming "Ami Kolkatar chele" (I am a Kolkata boy) in broken Bengali, Mittal said his wife was better in Bengali than him.

Hr had moved to Indonesia from Kolkata to start a new business.

Mittal is in Kolkata at the inauguration of St Xavier's University campus at New Town, accompanied by his father and wife.

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China said today that "ulterior motives" prompted India to include the tri-junction with Bhutan in the Sikkim standoff and asserted that New Delhi's acceptance of the 1890 Sino-British treaty on the boundaries in the area should not change with the passage of time.

"The so-called tri-junction point as the name implies is a point instead of a line or an area," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told a media briefing here.

Asked about India's assertion that China is violating the agreement reached by the Special Representatives on the boundary in 2012 over the tri-junction, Geng said the road being built by China has nothing to do with it.

Geng said the convention between Great Britain and China relating to Sikkim in 1890 stated that the Sikkim section of the boundary commences from the east of Mount Gipmochi.

"The illegal trespass by the Indian troops took place at the Sikkim section of the India-China boundary, 2,000 metres away from the Mount Gipmochi," he said.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson asserted that that the issue has "nothing to do with tri-junction point" and China had not breached the 2012 agreement.

Asked to provide exact coordinates of the tri-junction, he said he had no information on it.

Geng also sought to justify China's road building, saying that it is not part of the Doklam area.

Geng questioned India's stand that Doklam is part of the strategic tri-junction also known as the Chicken's Neck, which is the key corridor connecting India with its north-eastern states.

"In disregard of the boundary convention, the Indian side takes entire Doklam area as part of the tri-junction. That is out of ulterior motives," Geng said.

"The Indian side introduced the idea of the tri-junction point into the incident in an attempt to enlarge the point into an area that is absurd and has ulterior motives," he claimed.

He also sought to dismiss the perception that the 1962 India-China war changed the past alignment of the boundary as China occupied areas like Aksai Chin, which continues to be in its possession.

The Indian government has repeatedly recognised the effectiveness of the 1890 convention, Geng said.

"The boundary between Xizang (Chinese name for Tibet) of China and Sikkim was defined by this convention. Once the convention has been signed, the changes of the government will not affect the effectiveness of the convention. So it has nothing to do with the passing of the time," he said.

The treaty has "nothing to do with the 1962 war", Geng asserted.

"It has already been recognised by the Indian side. Once it has been recognised, the convention has been effective and it has nothing to do with the passing of time nor the change of the regime or the government," he said.

The Indian troops intervened on June 16 on behalf of Bhutan to stop the road construction by the Chinese.

China and India have been engaged in the standoff in the Doklam area near the Bhutan tri-junction for the past three weeks after a Chinese Army's construction party attempted to build a road. Doka La is the Indian name for the region which Bhutan recognises as Dokalam, while China claims it as part of its Donglang region.

Geng's remarks come days after the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), in a statement, had asserted that India had underlined that the two governments had in 2012 reached an agreement that tri-junction boundary points among India, China and third countries would be finalised in consultation with the countries concerned.

"Any attempt, therefore, to unilaterally determine tri- junction points is in violation of this understanding," it had said.

India argues that since it is a tri-junction involving the three countries, it also has a say in the issue, specially in the backdrop of 2012 agreement between Special Representatives of the two countries, that have till now held 19 rounds of talks.

Bhutan, which does not have diplomatic ties with China, deals with Beijing through its Embassy in New Delhi.

As a close friend and neighbour, Bhutan enjoys diplomatic and military support from India.

Geng asserted that there was no breach or violation from the Chinese side in the incident.

"We always believe that the tri-junction is a point not a line or an area," he said, adding that "equating a point with the areas is an introduction of a new concept."



When asked about the protest lodged by Bhutan over the issue, Geng reiterated that China and Bhutan reached consensus during their 24 rounds of boundary talks.

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India and Myanmar have discussed ways to check cross border movement of militants, and smuggling of arms, ammunition and drugs along their 1,643-km frontier.

The 21st India-Myanmar national-level meeting also discussed how to plug loopholes in a pact that allows free movement of citizens of both countries within 16 kms of the international border.

The issues were discussed threadbare at the two-day meeting held at Nay Pyi Taw on July 5-6 and both sides agreed to enhance security cooperation along the frontier region for better management of the border, a home ministry official said.

During the meeting, security cooperation in prevention of drug, boundary matters, wildlife smuggling, visa and prisoners in jails in the two countries, were discussed.

"Two sides mutually agreed that all steps should be made to ensure tranquillity along the border and safety and well being of the people in the border areas," an official statement said.

India attaches utmost importance to the discussions under the framework of the national level meetings which involves representation from all agencies with relevance to security and border management, the statement said.

India's border with Myanmar touches four states -- Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur and Mizoram. It is unique in many ways as it has a visa-free movement regime for people living within 16 kms on either side of the border.

They can stay up to 72 hours with effective and valid permits issued by the designated authority on either side.

This regime has been in place keeping in view the traditional social ties among the border people.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh last month had said the regime is misused by militants and criminals who smuggle weapons, narcotics, contraband goods and fake Indian currency notes.

The central government has already set up an expert committee to examine the rules.

The Indian delegation was led by Union Home Secretary- designate Rajiv Gauba while the Myanmar delegation was led by Major General Aung Soe, deputy minister of home affairs.

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Infosys today said it strengthened its partnership with online education provider, Udacity for skilling new hires at the country's second largest software services firm.

Infosys has fortified its partnership with Udacity for the second consecutive year, the company said in a statement.

The joint endeavour, aimed at accelerating the pace of skill adoption in new technologies and industry skills in the new batch of trainees of Infosys, offers a nanodegree programme online.

It also enables the learner to develop unique, in-demand skills through project-based and real-world scenarios.

"The training program, called Infosys-Udacity FastTrack Program, gives students an opportunity to complete a nanodegree program online before joining the Infosys training program in Mysore," the statement said.

The partnership is aimed at preparing the current talent pool to work on more ambitious projects, and accelerate the deployment of these hires on projects, it added.

"We are consistently investing to bring a culture of lifelong learning early... Through our partnership with Udacity, we are now able to complement this learning, and build a strong foundation with specialised skills training," Infosys Chief Technology Officer Navin Budhiraja said.

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Actor James Franco said his jealousy got him into the acting business, when he thought his high school love was going to be snatched away by a fellow thespian.

The 39-year-old actor said he decided to join his high school's drama department when the girl he was in a relationship with was asked to act alongside another student who had written a romantic one-act and was starring in it too, reported FemaleFirst.

"I started acting my senior year in high school. I had loved movies since as long as I can remember. Then finally my senior year, I started acting. And I had a girlfriend in the drama programme, and she had been asked to do a one-act by this guy. And he had written this one-act and was directing and starring in it.

"It was this romantic piece, and they were gonna make out in it. And I got really jealous, and I begged her not to do it. But she did it anyway, as she should have. I realise in hindsight that I was jealous probably more because he had constructed this whole thing and he'd written it and directed it and was acting in it - it was, like, all the things that I wanted to do. And so as my revenge, I decided that I would join the drama class," Franco told W magazine.

The "Spring Breakers" eventually decided to drop out of school to pursue a full-time career in acting.

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Veteran Congress leader Saifuddin Soz today said Kashmiris cannot be won over by the military force, asserting that the youths of the valley cannot be dubbed as "stone pelters" as they have a reason to revolt.

"The problem today is not in Jammu and Kashmir but in the minds of the people there, who feel alienated. Youth in Kashmir cannot be termed as misguided and stone pelters. Everyone wants to live in India but with dignity, love and affection, not with bullets," Soz said at a conference held here by the Observer Research Foundation.

Maintaining that it is impossible to run Kashmir using military force, Soz, a former Union minister, said "the RSS narrative" is totally unacceptable to the people of Kashmir.

The objective of the conference was to look at the 'Problems of Kashmir' through the prism of 'Kashmiriyat, Jamuhriyat, Insaniyat' and national integration.

Nasir Aslam Wani of the National Conference said Kashmiris still have to prove their Indian identity to the nation every single day.

"Discussions on cow protection, intolerance is the order of the day. Hold discussions over these issues with us, also to make us feel included," he said emphasising on the need to hold discussions with all stake holders, including the hardliners.

Holding talks hasn't hurt anybody except egos. Remember (former Prime Minister Atal Bihari) Vajpayee ji initiated talks with the Hurriyat. There should be composite talks with everybody to understand the minds of Kashmiris including the hardliners," Wani said.

T C A Raghavan, former high commissioner of India to Pakistan, who also took part in the discussion, said the 'k' in Pakistan stands for Kashmir.

"Kashmir is Pakistan's unfinished agenda. The sense of entitlement in Pakistan today has many dimensions," he said.

Raghavan said during General Parvez Musharraf's tenure, the capacity of the nation to bring about a consensus (over Kashmir) weakened and the most visible signs were violations across the Line of Control, terror attacks on suburban rail network in Mumbai and a number of terror strikes in India in a gap of 3-4 years.

Lt Gen (Retd) Syed Ata Hasnain, General Officer Commanding, 15th Corps, said that Pakistani military is an obstacle in the road to peace between the two neighbours.

"Unless its hold loosens, the situation cannot get any better. Pakistan's strength is not in its military but its strategic communication. They are able to entrench their opinion deep into the minds of Indians and Kashmiris," Hasnain said.

Gowhar Geelani, a journalist from Srinagar, said, "the problem is the mindset in Delhi vis-a-vis Srinagar which has remained frozen for seasons."



"Problems emanate from Delhi and Pakistan takes advantage of internal skirmishes," he said.

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A Ludhiana court today rejected the bail plea of actress Rakhi Sawant and a issued fresh arrest warrant in a case related to "objectionable" remarks by her against Valmiki, the author of the epic Ramayana.

Judicial Magistrate Vishav Gupta directed that she be produced bafore the court on August 7.

On June 2, the court while issuing a non-bailable warrant against her had asked the police commissioner of Ludhiana to ensure that she was produced before the court today.

To escape public attention, Sawant had appeared before the court wearing a burqa yesterday, a day ahead of the expiry of the warrant against her. She was granted bail.

The actress had tendered "an unconditional apology" to the Valmiki community after its members voiced outrage over her alleged remarks.

Local advocate Narinder Adiya had filed the complaint against Sawant on July 9 last year, claiming her comments - allegedly made on a private television channel - had hurt the sentiments of the Valmiki community.

The judicial magistrate's court had issued an arrest warrant against her on March 9.

Under instructions from the court, a two-member team of Ludhiana police had left for Mumbai with the arrest warrant in April, but returned empty handed.

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BJP national secretary Rahul Sinha today said that Mamata Banerje was running a "communal government" in West Bengal since it was supporting only one community.

Adopting communal line as government policy, the chief minister is backing only one community and ignoring the other, Sinha alleged at a party meeting here.

"She (Banerjee) is also sparking fire everywhere. She sets Darjeeling on fire and went to Netherlands. On return, she allows Baduria to burn," Sinha said at a party meeting here.

But the problem is she is not trying to douse the flames, the BJP leader said.

Even as the Darjeeling hills were in turbulence for nearly a month capped by an indefinite bandh called by the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, a communal clash took place at Baduria in North 24-Parganas district, he said.

Sinha demanded resignation of the chief minister for her alleged failure to contain the situation in Darjeeling hills and Baduria.

The chief minister was not allowing anyone to go near Basirhat, he said.

The administration today stopped teams of Left Front, Congress and BJP from visiting the riot-hit places.

"She is no allowing anyone to go there fearing that her failure (to contain the situation) would be exposed," Sinha claimed.

The BJP national secretary had his lunch at the impoverished house of Bhagirath Roy, a mason, here. He was accompanied by other party leaders.

BJP president Amit Shah too had a lunch at a tribal home in Naxalbari, near here, in April. The tribal family, however, joined Trinamool Congress a fortnight later.

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The Libyan-origin suicide bomber, who carried out the terror attack in Manchester city killing 22 people, did not act alone, police said, indicating that more arrests are likely.

The Greater Manchester police said that their investigation into the terror attack carried out by Salman Abedi, 22, at the end of a concert by American pop star Ariana Grande in May, is likely to lead to further arrests.

Detective Chief Superintendent Russ Jackson, head of counterterrorism in north-west England, said that Abedi had carried the explosive device through the streets of Manchester for "several hours" before blowing up at his intended target.

"We are still working to understand the manner by which he became radicalised," Jackson told reporters at Greater Manchester Police headquarters this week.

Abedi's family is from Libya but fled during the dictatorship of Muammar Gaddafi.

Abedi travelled to Libya numerous times and police are investigating how he learnt to make a bomb.

Detectives are working with Libyan authorities to question Abedi's brother, 20-year-old Hashem, who is being held in Tripoli. He was arrested along with their father Ramadan.

"Salman Abedi travelled to Libya a number of times in his life. What we are looking at is the number of ways he learned the skills to build the device," Jackson said.

Officers are still searching for a blue suitcase in a landfill site, which has been described as a "key line in the inquiry".

The police investigation into the attack is expected to continue for "many, many months to come" as police have 16,000 hours of CCTV footage and 755 statements to analyse.

More than 250 people were hurt with injuries ranging from paralysis and loss of limbs to internal and facial injuries in the blast.

The bomb had a "devastating" impact and gouged out a section of the concrete floor of Manchester Arena in the heart of the city.

Greater Manchester Police also disclosed more emotional details of the aftermath of the attack on May 22, describing how forensics officers had used roses and nameplates to pinpoint where the bodies of families' loved ones fell in a dignified way.

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The Supreme Court today refused to entertain a plea against a Tamil Nadu government order reserving 85 per cent of seats in MBBS and BDS courses for the state board students and only 15 per cent for those of other boards, including the CBSE.

A bench comprising Chief Justice J S Khehar and Justice D Y Chandrachud asked the petitioner, father of a medical aspirant, to approach the Madras High Court which is already hearing pleas against the state government order.

The apex court asked petitioner R Nakkiran, represented by senior advocate Nalini Chidambaram, to withdraw the plea and either file a fresh one or intervene in the pending matter before the Madras High Court.

"We request the High Court to expedite the hearing in the case," the bench said, adding that the matter is very urgent as counselling for the admissions is about to begin.

CBSE conducts National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) for admission to MBBS and BDS courses across the country in which 85 per cent seats are reserved for domiciles of states where medical colleges are located and the remaining seats go to students hailing from other state.

Tamil Nadu government, however, passed an order on June 22 saying that 85 per cent seats in MBBS and BDS courses would be allocated to those who have passed their 12th examination conducted by the state board and only 15 per cent seats would be given to those who cleared the test from other boards including CBSE.

Chidambaram submitted that the matter needed urgent hearing as the counselling begins from today and moreover, the government order has created a lot of problems to students who have passed 12th examination from other boards.

Earlier, the High Court had issued notices to the Health and Family Welfare Department's secretary, Medical Education's additional director, the Selection Committee's secretary and the Medical Council of India on a separate plea challenging the government order.

The High Court, however, had declined to grant any interim stay on the government's order on the plea filed by one Darnish Kumar and two others.

The petitioners had submitted that the apex court has clearly stated that when admission is based on entrance examination NEET, it should make no difference whether the qualifying examination is conducted by the state board or Central Board of Secondary Education because no discrimination can be made between the schools affiliated to both the boards.

They had further stated that once a common merit list is prepared for the purpose of grant of admission to MBBS and BDS courses based on NEET results, the only permissible reservation was in favour of students who have studied in schools located within Tamil Nadu.

Therefore, it is impermissible for distribution of seats on the basis of the school board and therefore such segregation of seats would amount to discrimination among students, they had said.

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Expeditious action should be taken to establish the BRICS credit rating agency, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said today, while emphasising that international financial institutions should reflect the world's current economic balance.

Speaking at the informal meeting of the BRICS leaders on the sidelines of the G20 Summit here, Modi said India is seeing fast economic growth.

Asserting that the BRICS group has to be a voice of stability, reform, progress and governance at the world stage, Modi called for expeditious action to establish BRICS credit rating agency.

Last year, BRICS nations agreed to set up an independent credit rating agency based on market-oriented principles as part of efforts to further strengthen global governance architecture.

They have already set up New Development Bank, which became operational last year, to meet funding requirements of the members.

While stressing on the need for collective efforts to sustain global economic recovery, Modi also touched upon the issue of representation in global financial institutions.

"We have to ensure that international financial institutions fully reflect the current economic balance," the Prime Minister said in an apparent reference to the quota reforms at the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

According to Modi, BRICS reflects stability, reform, progress and good governance in the world.

"The decisions taken by us impact the entire world... We have to work collectively to sustain the global economic recovery," he noted.

Modi also underlined support for free and open trade regime of World Trade Organization (WTO).

"We are collectively against growing protectionism, especially with regard restriction on movement of knowledge, technology and skilled professionals," Modi said.

His remarks came against the backdrop of certain developed nations looking at restricting flow of skilled people from overseas.

Fortunately, Modi said, the global economic growth is showing improvement while India's economy is growing at a fast pace.

"The GDP growth this year is likely to be more than 7 per cent... India's reform agenda is continuously making progressing," he said.

Noting that the GST (Goods and Services Tax), which was implemented last week, was the biggest tax reform in the last 70 years, the Prime Minister said it would help businesses and provide a unified market of 1.3 billion people.

While stating that cooperation on development of Africa should be a priority, he also called for greater people-to- people exchanges.

BRICS bloc comprises five members -- Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

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French President Emmanuel Macron with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the G20 leaders summit in Hamburg on Saturday. Photo: AP/PTI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today called for a concerted global crackdown on nations supporting terrorism for their political goals and named Pakistan-based groups Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) among major terror outfits alongside the Al-Qaeda and Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) at the G20 Summit.

As the G20 leaders put their heads together for a solution on issues like terrorism, climate change and open trade, Modi delivered a strong message against terrorism and also pitched for ban on the entry of officials from terrorism-supporting countries into G20 nations.

As the summit got underway in this German port city amid violent protests, German Chancellor and host Angela Merkel even favoured a "compromise" solution if there was no consensus on contentious issues while India appeared on the majority side of the countries seeking decisive action in the fight against global warming, protectionism and terror financing.

At the venue, police had to resort to water canon, tear gas and pepper spray to deal with the anti-globalisation protesters.

In the evening, the G20 leaders pledged to crackdown on terror safe havens and curb radicalisation through the internet and social media.

The declaration also found mention of various issues raised by Modi in his statement at the leaders' retreat earlier in the morning.

On the sidelines of the Summit, Modi had an interaction with Chinese President Xi Jinping even as tensions remain high between India and China in the Sikkim section.

Both leaders had a conversation on a "range of issues" at an informal meeting of BRICS leaders.

In a tweet, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Spokesperson Gopal Baglay said Modi and Xi discussed "a range of issues" at the BRICS leaders' informal gathering in Hamburg "hosted by China." He did not elaborate on the issues discussed.

Later, in an address to BRICS leaders, Modi "appreciated" momentum in the bloc under the Chinese chairmanship and extended full cooperation for the grouping's upcoming summit in China. He also extended full cooperation and best wishes to China for the next BRICS summit in Xiamen later this year.

"Under Xi's chairmanship, the progress and positive momentum of BRICS has further deepened our cooperation," Modi said.

Modi said BRICS has been a strong voice and needs to show leadership on terrorism and global economy, according to a press release issued by the MEA.

It quoted Modi as saying that G20 nations should also "collectively oppose terrorism financing, franchises, safe havens, support and sponsors."



In his speech, Xi also appreciated the momentum witnessed at the BRICS bloc during India's chairmanship before it was passed on to China, and praised India's strong resolve against terrorism, the press release said.

It quoted Xi as saying he appreciates India's success in economic and social development and wishes India even bigger success.

Stressing that there should be no "safe spaces" for terrorist financing anywhere in the world, the G20 nations expressed their commitment to intensify capacity building and technical assistance, especially in relation to terrorist financing hot-spots.

"We will advance the effective implementation of the international standards on transparency and beneficial ownership of legal persons and legal arrangements for the purposes of countering financing terrorism," they said in the joint declaration.

At the G20 meet, Modi said that it was "mandatory" to implement the consensus of the Paris agreement on climate change and asserted that India would implement the accord in "letter and spirit".

He also asked leaders from the G20 nations to be forthcoming on the climate change action as he emphasised the need for cooperation in the world of opposing realities.

The statement came against the backdrop of the US pulling out of the Paris climate change pact last month.

Modi held bilateral meetings with his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, along with informal interactions with a number of world leaders on the sidelines of the Summit.

The Prime Minister also had a brief chat with US President Donald Trump, British Prime Minister Theresa May, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Emmanuel Macron and other top leaders.

At the BRICS leaders' gathering here, Modi held informal meetings with Brazilian President Michel Temer and South African President Jacob Zuma.

A briefing by India was cancelled.

Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin held a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the Summit.

Later in the evening, the leaders attended a musical concert at the city's newly opened Elbphilharmonie concert house, where Hamburg Philharmonic State Orchestra played the European Union's unofficial anthem, 'The Ode to Joy' from Beethoven's 9th Symphony.

After the concert, Merkel was to host dinner for the leaders and their partners. At that time, the government heads are expected to have informal discussions on various issues that may have a bearing on the final communique.
Nalco, in collaboration with Odisha Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation, is setting up the first of its kind Aluminium Park in Angul, the state government said today.

Investment to the tune of Rs 180 crore will be made on infrastructure of the project which is expected to generate 15,000 jobs.

Odisha currently contributes about 54 per cent of India's total aluminium smelting capacity.

"With the demand of aluminium expected to rise further, Odisha ... Is setting up first of its kind Aluminium Park in Angul. Spreading over 223 acres of industrial land, the Aluminium Park will create opportunity for downstream industries in aluminium sector," the state government said in a statement.

Jointly developed by the Odisha Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (IDCO) and National Aluminium Company Limited (Nalco), Angul Aluminium Park will be the first project in the subcontinent with a facility to directly obtain molten aluminium from the smelter, the statement said.

The need for the project was felt as India's aluminium consumption is growing at a compound rate of 15 per cent (year-on-year), making it one of the largest consumption markets in the world.

"With an investment of Rs 180 crore for the infrastructure of the project, the aluminium park would reflect a complete industrial state-of-the-art entity, fully equipped with logistics infrastructure facility, an exclusive training centre, a park administration and a display and trade services facility," the statement said.

The park would also contain an Aluminium Product Evaluation Centre (APEC) furnished with a full-fledged tool room, testing, simulation and evaluation facilities, processing hall and prototype development facility to foster innovation and deliver excellence in terms of quality.

Sanjeev Chopra, Principal Secretary, Industries Department, said, "Odisha is witnessing rapid industrial transformation as per the roadmap laid out in our 'Vision 2025' document...We have already received many investment proposals for the Aluminium Park in Angul and we aim to create around 15,000 job opportunities through the project."



Odisha is home to leading domestic and international aluminium companies like Nalco, Hindalco and Vedanta. Coupled with committed availability of feedstock from the mother plants, the project opens up substantial opportunities for the downstream industries.

The state has already received investment proposals in downstream industries of conductors, extrusions, castings, and foils.

The statement said Angul Aluminium Park is strategically located abutting the Nalco Smelter Plant and in close proximity to all major ports and markets, the national highway and the international airport at Bhubaneswar.

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A groundskeeper at Cayuga/Seneca Community Action Agency was arrested Thursday for stealing more than $1,000 worth of tools and equipment from the non-profit, according to the Auburn Police Department.

Deputy Chief Roger Anthony said the department received a complaint about the stolen items in April. Then, at around 11:45 a.m. July 6, police found and arrested 25-year-old Ryan E. Goyette for the theft.

Goyette, of 10222 Slab City Road, Jordan, was hired as a groundskeeper at CSCAA in December. He was picked up on an arrest warrant in Weedsport Thursday and charged with felony fourth-degree grand larceny.

Goyette was arraigned in Auburn City Court Thursday afternoon. He was released on his own recognizance and is due back in court July 19.
A 33-year-old Nepalese national involved in house burglaries in Neredmet Police Station limits here, has been detained under the stringent Preventive Detention (PD) Act.

Yesterday, Rachakonda Police Commissioner Mahesh M Bhagwat issued orders to detain the notorious property offender Tek Bahadur alias Rakesh, who has committed seven night house burglaries.

The PD Act is invoked against repeat offenders especially those creating severe law and order problems, harassing women, committing thefts and land grabbing, selling fake seeds etc. Persons attracting cases under the Act, face jail for one year without bail.

The Neredmet Police had arrested Rakesh last month and had recovered 24 grams gold jewellery, 4 kg silver ornaments, and other valuables worth Rs 1.75 lakh.

The accused came to Hyderabad to earn a livelihood and started working as a Gurkha and later hatched a plot to make easy money by committing house burglaries, Bhagwat said.

"He also called up his accomplices from his hometown Tikapuram in Nepal and started burglaries during night hours in the guise of Gurkha. Through the stolen property, he makes easy money and invests the same at his home town," the senior police officer said.

To curb his activities, Preventive Detention Act was invoked against Rakesh and he was detained yesterday, the Commissioner said.

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A that can detect counterfeit goods - from medicines to car parts - with 100 per cent accuracy may be available to the consumers by next year, researchers say.

Every year, imports of counterfeited and pirated goods around the world cost nearly $0.5 trillion in lost revenue, researchers said.

Counterfeit medicines alone cost the industry over $200 billion every year. They are also dangerous to our health - around a third contain no active ingredients, resulting in a million deaths a year, they said.

Now, researchers at Lancaster University in the UK believe we are nearing a future without fakes, thanks to new quantum they have developed.

The will make counterfeiting impossible, they said.

"It is wonderful to be on the front line, using scientific discovery in such a positive way to wage war on a global epidemic such as counterfeiting, which ultimately costs both lives and livelihoods alike," said Robert Young, Professor at Lancaster University.

The researchers have created unique atomic-scale ID's based on the irregularities found in two-dimensional (2D) materials like graphene.

On an atomic scale, quantum physics amplifies these irregularities, making it possible to 'fingerprint' them in simple electronic devices and optical tags.

The new works via a which can read whether a product is real or fake, and enable people to check the authenticity of a product through their smartphones.

The customer will be able to scan the optical tag on a product with a smartphone, which will match the 2D tag with the manufacturer's database.

This has the potential to eradicate product counterfeiting and forgery of digital identities, two of the costliest crimes in the world today, researchers said.

This patented technology and the related application can be expected to be available to the public in the first half of 2018, and its potential to fit on any surface or any product allows the technology to be used worldwide, they said.

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The National Green Tribunal today slammed the Delhi government and the municipal corporations here over dumps of waste lying at various landfill sites in the city and sought a status reports from them.

A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar asked the AAP government and the civic bodies to submit the report by August 9 while warning them that in the event of failure, they would be liable to pay a cost of Rs 50,000.

The green panel asked the city government to immediately take steps for reduction and utilisation of dumped waste at Bhalswa, Ghazipur and Okhla landfill sites.

"We had asked the NCT, Delhi and all the four municipal corporations about their proposal for dealing with the waste dumps. What are you going to do about it? When we ask you (Delhi), you shift the blame on the corporations. They work under you. Give us a report," the bench said.

The tribunal had last year constituted a committee to look into the working of waste-to-energy plants in the national capital.

It had also asked Central Pollution Control Board, Delhi Pollution Control Committee to approach the Delhi government to provide more landfill sites in the city and maintain them strictly in accordance with the Solid Waste Management Rules of 2016.

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The NITI Aayog will discuss the agrarian crisis with representatives of farmer commissions of half a dozen states, including Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra, on July 8, eminent farm activist Kishor Tiwari said today.

The meeting will be held in New Delhi and besides UP and Maharashtra, representatives of farmer commissions from Kerala, Karnataka, Punjab and Haryana will discuss the issue of prevailing agrarian crisis with the government think-thank, he said in a release here.

"Issues related to agriculture input, output regulations and other serious issues that will serve Prime Minister Narendra Modi's aim of doubling farm income by 2022 will be discussed," said Tiwari, who will also take part in the meeting.

The agriculture expert is head of the Maharashtra government-appointed special task force looking into ways to solve the prevailing agrarian crisis in the state, especially in suicide-prone Vidarbha and Marathwada regions.

Tiwari said he will highlight the plight of the farmers of Vidarbha and Marathwada.

"When the RBI and NABARD have already shifted responsibility of farm loan waivers to states by asking them to bear the financial burden by mobilising resources, we will ask the NITI Aayog to suggest long-term sustainable solutions to curb farmer suicides and solve the crisis," Tiwari said.

He said though there was a bumper crop production this year, farmers were not satisfied with the procurement price.

Tiwari said farm loan waiver is a temporarily solution to solve the agrarian distress.

"Farm loan waivers, though temporarily necessary for revival of farming, do not provide conditions for a secure credit system in the long term. The waiver of loans implies banks will have to be compensated by the government for the amount involved.

"This means large sums of money, which could have otherwise gone to strengthen the agricultural infrastructure in irrigation, secondary support business in rural economy and research activities will not be available. Hence, we are asking for long-term farm credit system," Tiwari said.

"I will push for a package from the Centre for the farmers of Vidarbha and Marathwada," he said.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi skipping Palestinian authority headquarters Ramallah during his Israel visit is unlikely to evoke any negative reaction in the Arab countries, says a former Indian diplomat.

It was for the first time that an Indian leader went to the Jewish state without visiting Ramallah.

Asked if there would be "murmurs" in the Arab world over Modi's stand-alone visit to Israel, Talmiz Ahmad, who had served as Indian ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Oman and the UAE, said the Arab world itself is a deeply divided lot now.

"The phrase Arab world does not reflect the ground reality. There is a very deep divide in the Gulf Cooperation Council, so is there in the Arab League and there is actual conflict between the Arab countries - even as I speak to you - in Syria and Yemen," he told PTI.

Ahmad said there is no such thing as a monolithic Arab world and, in fact, many of the Arab countries are directly dealing with Israel.

"Saudi Arabia has opened dialogue with Israel, the UAE is also in touch with Israel. Earlier, Qatar used to be in touch with Israel. So, there is no question ... What India has done is not likely to evoke any negative reaction in the Arab countries," he said.

Ahmad also said following the prime minister's visit, there would be considerable expansion in the defence cooperation with new items, including some sensitive ones, being imported by India, where they would be manufactured to a considerable extent.

"I think at least, some of those items will be manufactured in India. So, there is a commitment from Israel with regard to participation in 'Make in India,'" he said.

Israel caters to India's niche requirements and fills capability gaps in defence hardware. "Even though the amount involved may not be much, those are important items for India's security," Ahmad said.

He also said India earlier used to place its relations with Israel "on par with what we call Palestinian cause."



"Now, those are separate issues. One is bilateral relations with Israel and second is bilateral relations with Palestine authority. This government has decided that there is no need to link the two things," according to him.

In the joint statement, he noted, there is a reference to Palestine issue. "So, it (separating the two) is not 100 per cent de-hyphenated, in the sense that there is a concern over the Palestine issue which India has articulated.

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Two explosions rocked the city of Lugansk in Ukraine's insurgent-run east today, killing one person and injuring seven today, said officials, considering them "acts of terror".

Lugansk is the main city of one of the two rebel- controlled areas in eastern Ukraine where violence has been uninterrupted since a pro-Russian separatist uprising in spring 2014.

The first explosion occurred around 12:30 GMT in the city centre, said Alina Zhivolup, spokeswoman for the communications ministry of the self-proclaimed Lugansk People's Republic.

"One woman died and five people were wounded and taken to hospital," she said.

A second blast "from an explosive device" went off nearby about an hour later, she added, injuring two more people.

"We consider both explosions acts of terror that were set off with the idea of causing a large amount of casualties among civilians," police spokesman Andrei Marochko told AFP, blaming the blasts on Kiev.

The conflict between the separatists and Kiev forces has already killed over 10,000 people and clashes continue across the frontline despite a number of ceasefires.

Kiev and the West accuse Russia of stirring up the conflict and sending troops and weaponry across the border.

Moscow denies the accusations, saying only that off-duty soldiers and volunteers have gone to fight in Ukraine.

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A 24.5 kg silver palanquin was found missing from the ancient Sakaranarayanaswamy temple here today, police said.

The missing of the palanquin was noticed while checking the inventory of the temple for handing over the charge to a new Executive Officer. Temple officials could not say as to when exactly the palanquin went missing, police said.

The temple authorities has lodged a complaint to the crime branch police and a case was registered regarding the missing.

The palanquin was used during special poojas. It was carried by a particular community people.

Though the value of the palanquin was given at Rs 11.3 lakh, it was considered very precious due to its workmanship and antiquity, police said.

Meanwhile, MDMK workers blocked the temple office demanding a judicial inquiry by a retired judge into the missing of the palanquin.

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Two persons, who were sent to jail for 30 days by the Delhi Assembly Speaker for throwing pamphlets in the House and raising slogans during a session, today moved a plea in the Delhi High Court claiming their detention was illegal.

The petition moved by the two detainees has alleged that Speaker Ram Niwas Goel's June 28 decision was taken without hearing them and therefore, it was "absolutely illegal and violates the principles of natural justice".

While seeking immediate release of the petitioners, the plea also sought quashing of the order of the Speaker.

The petitioners, Jagdeep Rana and Rajan Kumar Madan, who were sitting in the Visitors Gallery, had hurled pamphlets and raised slogans demanding resignation of Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain. They had claimed they were allegedly thrashed by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs.

In their petition, they have claimed that their intention was to draw the attention of the government and the AAP leaders to the "glaring issues of corruption" plaguing the party.

In their plea filed through advocate Pradeep Rana, they claimed to have no intention of breaching the privilege of the legislative assembly, commit contempt of the same, damage any property or harm any of the legislators.

Jagdeep, who claims to be the Vice President of AAP's Delhi Unit, and Madan, who says he is incharge of the AAP for the states of Punjab and Chhattisgarh, have contended that no reason has been recorded for awarding them such a severe punishment.

"The legislative assembly has no powers to grant rigorous imprisonment, whereas in the present case the Speaker was pleased to impose rigorous imprisonment on the petitioners without jurisdiction.

"It is also not recorded as to why the other modes of sentencing as prescribed in the rules were not adopted to," the petition said.

It also claimed "the petitioners were remanded to custody without affording them an opportunity of being heard apparently to ensure that the petitioners cannot file and pursue a criminal complaint against the legislators, who beat the petitioners mercilessly.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said the geopolitical situation in the Gulf, West Asia and in the Korean Peninsula is a matter of concern as he asked BRICS nations to be a voice for stability, reform, progress and governance at the world stage.

During an informal gathering of BRICS leaders here hosted by the Chinese President on the sidelines of the G20 Summit, Modi said the ups and downs in the global politics and worsening security situation are affecting everyone.

"BRICS has to be a voice of stability, reform, progress and governance at the world stage," he told the presidents from BRICS nations - Michel Temer (Brazil), Vladimir Putin (Russia), Xi Jinping (China) and Jacob Zuma (South Africa).

Modi said that the spread of terrorism is a threat for societies in Asia and Europe as he expressed concern over its increasing influence in the war-torn Afghanistan.

The West Asian region has been marred by conflict between Israel and Palestine and battle against the ISIS terror group, civil wars in Syria, Libya and Yemen. Millions of people have fled their homes in Iraq and Syria due to conflict.

In the Gulf, a group of Arab states including Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain has severed air, sea and ground links with Qatar, triggering a diplomatic crisis in the region where millions of Indians are working.

Saudi and its allies accuse Qatar of supporting terror groups and maintaining close relations with Iran. The crisis has raised concerns of growing instability in the region.

The Prime Minister also voiced concern over tensions in the Korean Peninsula, saying it is a matter of concern.

Modi's remarks came in the backdrop of the US warning to North Korea that it would use military force in response to Pyongyang's "reckless" launch of a ballistic missiles. The US also blasted China and Russia for "holding the hands" of the reclusive nation's "vicious dictator" Kim Jong Un.

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In a message today to the G20 summit, Pope Francis highlighted the plight of some 30 million people trapped in conflict and famine, especially in Africa and Yemen.

In his entreaty to the summiteers, hosted by German Chancellor Angela Merkel, the pontiff said he appreciated efforts by the world's major economies to target "more inclusive and sustainable global economic growth."



But in a "heartfelt appeal" Francis focused on conflict.

He urged the G20 nations to help resolve "the tragic situation in South Sudan, the Lake Chad basin, the Horn of Africa and Yemen, where 30 million people are lacking the food and water needed to survive."



"A commitment to meet these situations with urgency and to provide immediate support to those peoples will be a sign of the seriousness and sincerity of the mid-term commitment to reforming the world economy and a guarantee of its sound development," the pope insisted.

Francis said world leaders should give "absolute priority to the poor, refugees, the suffering, evacuees and the excluded, without distinction of nation, race, religion or culture."



War "is never a solution," he said.

World leaders, he urged, should strive to "substantially reducing levels of conflict, halting the present arms race and renouncing direct or indirect involvement in conflicts.

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PORT BYRON  Almost two years after Port Byron Central School District Superintendent Neil O'Brien tried to kickstart state action stopping the district's projected state aid loss due to a lottery win within the area, little progress has been made.

O'Brien said retired electrician Richard Loveless' $42 million windfall from 2015 is currently projected to take out a chunk of the district's state aid for the 2018-2019 school year.

As there is a three-year drag on how state aid is rewarded, a district's aid is affected by the district's finances three years previously.

The lottery win will raise the wealth of the district in the state's eyes, artificially boosting the combined wealth ratio of the community. This would lower the state aid Port Byron would receive, as an area's overall income influences how much aid that district receives.

This means the district's 2018-2019 budget is affected by the lotto victory from 2015, with time to stop it from happening running out.

According to data showing the district's state aid factors for 2017-2018, the district could get $452,839 less next year because of the local lottery win.

Since shortly after the lottery issue presented itself, O'Brien has been advocating for either a state policy that would cover issues similar to Port Byron's predicament, or as an alternative, a bill focused specifically on Port Byron's lottery issue.

O'Brien said he believes the state has a responsibility to prevent future problems involving massive jackpots in small communities. Back in late 2015, shortly after the lottery issue came to light, O'Brien spoke to the governor's office and to legislators about these concepts, adding that he plans to do the same thing this upcoming year.

He said those he spoke to from the governor's office at that time grasped the importance of the issue.

O'Brien said he had difficulty providing hard numbers illuminating the district's plight to government officials in 2015, so he couldn't predict what state aid would look like at the time due to the fluidity of state aid.

"It was hard to come up with a dollar amount," O'Brien said.

A representative with state Sen. Pam Helming's office said the senator is aware of the issue and will push during the upcoming budget season to acquire additional money through the budget process specifically for the Port Byron school district.

Both O'Brien and Mitch Toleson, the district's assistant superintendent for business and finance, point out that the New York Lottery's mission statement specifically mentions advocating for education, saying the lottery's "sole mission is to earn revenue for education," according to the lottery's website.

"It's kind of ironic that that's your mission, but you have a district here that because of it is going to lose money," Toleson said.

O'Brien said he doesn't hold Loveless at fault. O'Brien said that he plays the lottery himself.

"It's about running a school district, it's not about Mr. Loveless' victory and winnings," O'Brien said.
Automobile components maker Pricol today defended the salary cut effected for a section of its workers for 'mass absenteeism' on April 25 and accused union leaders of 'unnecessary provocation and protests' on the issue.

Pricol would be forced to move out of the city if union leaders continued with such activities, Company Managing Director Vikram Mohan told reporters here.

He said the company as per rules had deducted eight days salary for 800 employees belonging to Kovai Mavatra Pricol Thozhilalar Otrumai Sangam - affiliated to AICCTU, for 'unauthorised mass absenteeism' on April 25 in support of farmers' issue,



The action of workers prompted a majority of the customers to urge the management to move out of Coimbatore as they were apprehensive of not getting required automotive parts in time, he claimed.

He charged that due to "instigation by outside" forces to disrupt the smooth functioning of the company, some started levelling allegations.

He said April and May were peak months for auto industry and hence the company had told the workers not to go ahead with their April 25 protest.

Despite this, a total of 809 workmen resorted to mass absenteeism. Many were forced not to enter the factory.

"We issued a show cause notice on April 26, seeking explanation for mass absenteeism. We received replies, but they were unacceptable," he said adding the matter later reached the Joint Labour Commissioner.

Trade union leaders were not available for their version.

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A meeting called to discuss problems faced by fishermen saw sparks flying with Congress MLA Nitesh Rane losing his cool and allegedly throwing fish at a senior government officer.

In a video clip aired by local channels, Rane is purportedly seen talking to the fisheries commissioner of Sindhudurg in his office packed with people yesterday.

It showed that during the meeting, the legislator suddenly lost his cool, picked up a fish which was dumped on the commissioner's table and threw it at him.

The MLA from Kankavli in coastal Sindhudurg district said he did so to protest the officer's alleged "ignorant attitude" towards the woes of the traditional fishing community of the Konkan region.

"There are two kinds of fishermen in Sindhudurg. One who use traditional methods for fishing and the other who use modern technology," Rane told PTI over the phone.

He said according to the state government's rules, fishing areas are clearly demarcated for both communities.

Yet, those using modern technology often cross over to the areas earmarked for fishermen using traditional methods, resulting in financial losses to them, he alleged.

"We approached the fisheries commissioner of Sindhudurg and brought to his notice the government resolution (GR) of February 4, 2016 that lays down clear rules for both communities of fishermen," Rane said.

"Due to ignorant attitude of officers like the fisheries commissioner, nothing is being done to enforce these rules due to which traditional fishermen are incurring huge losses," he said.

To add to the woes of traditional fishermen, their counterparts from neighbouring states also enter into the waters of Maharashtra, claimed Rane, the son of senior Congress leader and former Chief Minister Narayan Rane.

"No steps have been taken to solve these issues. Traditional fishermen are facing injustice for long now. Thus, we had to take an aggressive stand today," he said.

The MLA recently took a jibe at the Shiv Sena by seeking a place in the Guinness World Records for the Uddhav Thackeray-led party for vowing to quit the BJP-led Maharashtra government many times (and not doing so).

Rane, whose father was once with Shiv Sena before joining Congress, last month wrote a letter to the Guinness authorities, making this tongue in cheek demand.

However, reacting to Rane's letter, Sena spokesperson Manisha Kayande had then said that her party already holds a Guinness record for collecting largest quantity of blood in a day (24,200 bottles) at a blood donation camp in 2010.

"Nitesh is a child in politics who is basking under the glory of his father without any substance of his own. He should be made aware that the Sena already holds a Guinness record and we are proud of it," Kayande had said.

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Saudi Arabia's Interior Ministry says a Saudi security corporal has been killed and six security men wounded in a militant attack on their patrol in a restive town in the country's eastern province.

Major General Mansour al-Turki said in a statement yesterday that a security patrol was attacked earlier in the morning while checking the situation in al-Awamiya neighbourhood in the heavily Shiite-populated governorate of Qatif.

He says the investigation into this "terrorist crime" is under way.

Violence between Shiite militants and security forces there has increased in recent weeks, with several incidents of militants firing rocket-propelled grenades at police.

The Islamic State group has previously launched attacks on Shiites in Qatif.

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BJP president Amit Shah today mocked the opposition Congress over infighting in its Gujarat unit.

"The Gujarat Congress is direction-less and leaderless. The situation is, if they (party leadership) are able to placate one leader, two others raise banner of revolt," Shah said.

While Assembly elections are due in Gujarat around the year-end, the state Congress has witnessed a tussle between senior leader Shankersinh Vaghela and the state unit chief Bharatsinh Solanki.

"It is time to wipe out Congress from every (polling) booth of the state," Shah said, addressing a gathering of BJP workers at Anval in Mahua tehsil of Surat district.

Shah reiterated that the BJP should aim to win 150 seats (out of 182) in the home state of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"We should work hard and win with a record margin so that Congress can never ever dream of winning elections in Gujarat," Shah said. "Our aim should not be to just win the elections but to root out Congress from Gujarat," he said.

The state BJP said in a statement that around one lakh 'page presidents' from eight districts of south Gujarat had gathered at Anaval today.

The BJP has appointed page presidents at the booth level, each of whom is responsible for 30 voters.

A single page of electoral roll usually has names of 30 voters, hence the name 'page president'.

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A local court has sentenced six people to life imprisonment in connection with the murder of a man committed 12 years ago.

The additional district sessions judge, Arvind Kumar, also imposed a fine of Rs 24,000 each on Bablu, Vinod, Rajender, Harpal, Sanjay and Krishan Pal after finding them guilty under sections 302 (murder), 307 (attempt to murder) , 147 (rioting) and 148 (rioting with deadly weapons) of the IPC.

According to prosecutor Ashok Chouhan, Ashok Kumar was killed and several people were injured in a clash between two groups of the Thakur community over the issue of "personal enmity" at Umerpur village in Shamli district in October 2005.

Arvind Kumar pronounced all the six accused guilty and sentenced them to life.

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The Haryana government has sought around 1,000 paramilitary personnel from the Centre to deal with any law and order problem in view of the INLD's protest on Monday over the Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) canal issue.

Home secretaries, DGPs and a few other senior officers of Haryana and Punjab held a meeting here today to prepare a strategy to avoid any untoward situation.

Haryana's Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Ram Niwas said both the states have decided to prepare a plan to maintain law and order on July 10.

Punjab DGP Suresh Arora said their priority is to maintain peace and order. "We will have another meeting," he said.

"We have sought 10 companies of paramilitary forces," Haryana DGP B S Sandhu told PTI over the phone.

Leader of the Opposition in the Haryana Assembly Abhay Singh Chautala had earlier said INLD workers "will not allow vehicles from Punjab to enter Haryana" if the Union government failed to implement the Supreme Court order on the SYL canal issue by July 9.

Chautala, who is addressing meetings of party workers across the state to garner support for the July 10 protest, said "the SYL canal is the lifeline of the people of Haryana".

"We will take this battle from streets to Parliament. We will continue our struggle until Haryana is given its rightful share of water," he said at a meeting in Gurugram yesterday.

He alleged that the BJP government in Haryana was adopting double standards on the issue.

"On the one hand, it makes big announcements for farmers and on the other, it does not even talk about the SYL canal ... The Supreme Court has given an order in favour of Haryana," he said.

In February, several INLD leaders, including Chautala, were stopped from marching into Punjab to undertake the digging of the SYL canal.

Hundreds of INLD supporters from Haryana had in March flooded the Parliament Street in the heart of the national capital to protest over the SYL canal issue, prompting police to resort to batoncharge.

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh had on Tuesday expressed hope that the contentious issue would be resolved through dialogue.

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A proposed statue of "Iron Lady" Margaret Thatcher, Britain's first woman prime minister, expected to join Mahatma Gandhi's bronze sculpture at Parliament Square in London has been refused permission.

The UK's Royal Parks, which manages the land on which the statue were to sit close to similar memorials to Gandhi, Nelson Mandela and Britain's war-time PM Winston Churchill overlooking Britain's Parliament complex, refused permission on the ground that it has not been given assurances that Thatcher's family approve of the 300,000-pound (USD 388,0000) monument.

Local campaigners have also raised concerns about the potential for such a memorial to the controversial and divisive Conservative party PM, dubbed the "Iron Lady" for her uncompromising leadership style, to become the subject of vandalism.

Thework was commissioned by the Public Memorials Appeal charity after Thatcher's death in 2013.

However, the Tory leader's daughter, Carol, sent a letter to the charity last year objecting to the absence of her mother's trademark handbag in the design.

In a joint statement from the UK government and Royal Parks, estates officer Matthew Oakley said: "The Royal Parks is responsible for the management of Canning Green and it has not given permission for the installation for this statue. The applicant has failed to give the reassurances the Royal Parks has sought, and therefore the proposal has not yet been put to our board.

"The Royal Parks objects to the proposals contained in this planning application and offers no permissions for the installation of the statue."



A submission from the Thorney Island Society, representing residents in the Parliament Square area in central London, called for a 10-year gap between the death of a subject and erection of a public memorial.

"We note that the statue of Nelson Mandela was erected only six years after his death, but that should not set a precedent, especially as Mandela was an entirely uncontroversial figure, respected throughout the world," Lucy Peck wrote on behalf of the society.

She added: "While Lady Thatcher was also widely respected it cannot be said that she was uncontroversial in this country. There is a strong case for the 10-year rule to be respected - there should be a decent interval before permanent statues are erected, especially when they are controversial enough to risk vandalism.

"We also feel that the quality of the sculpture does not do justice either to the subject or the site. The understated and reverential character of the statue is disappointing given that the Churchill statue is so much more interesting. We understand that Lady Thatcher's daughter dislikes the statue."



British Prime Minister Theresa May has also added her own voice to the debate, saying that fear of vandalism should not prevent such a memorial being erected.

"I understand there are a number of issues that have been raised around the statue. What I'm very clear about is there should be no suggestion that the threat of vandalism should stop a statue of Margaret Thatcher from being put up," she said.

In 2002, a protester had decapitated an Italian marble statue of Thatcher on display at London's Guildhall Library.

The latest sculpture was intended for a stone plinth on the western side of Parliament Square on Canning Green, not far from Gandhi's statue - the most recent addition to the historic square in March 2015.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi has a namesake in Israel -- a young town that seeks to emerge as the "City of the Future".

Modi'in Maccabim Re'ut is a modern city, located in central Israel, about 35 km south-east of the capital, Tel Aviv.

"It is a young city which is growing very fast with a youthful population," says Rabbi Akiva, who has been living in India for six years now.

He said he had visited Modi'in a few years before he moved to India.

"Though the city's nomenclature has no connection with Modi, the coincidence is amusing," he told PTI.

In a lighter vein, Akiva said the "in" in the name of the town could stand for India.

The rabbi also said Israelis were "happy" about Modi's visit to their country, the first by an Indian prime minister.

Modi wrapped up his three-day visit to Israel yesterday. Modi'in was not on his itinerary, with the prime minister visiting Tel Aviv and Haifa.

According to the official website of Modi'in, the cornerstone of which was laid in 1993, it is the "City of the Future".

"The city was named after the ancient city of Modi'in, the home of the Hashmonaim, the dynasty that personified the glorious heritage and heroism of Israel," it says.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Japanese major Tokio Marine has hiked its stake in non-life insurance venture IFFCO-Tokio to 49 per cent by acquiring additional shares in the company for Rs 2,530 crore.

Cooperative fertiliser major IFFCO had entered into general insurance business in joint venture with Tokio Marine in 2000. While Tokio Marine had 26 per cent stake in the JV, IFFCO had 72.64 per cent and Indian Potash Ltd (IPL) had 1.36 per cent.

"Tokio Marine has purchased total 6,19,43,945 shares of IFFCO-Tokio from IFFCO and IPL for a total consideration of Rs 2,530 crore," IFFCO Managing Director U S Awasthi told reporters here.

As per the agreement, IFFCO has transferred 5,82,81,173 shares of IFFCO-Tokio to Tokio Marine for Rs 2,380.4 crore while IPL sold 36,62,772 shares for Rs 149.6 crore.

The shares of face value of Rs 10 per unit were sold at Rs 408.43 per share to Tokio Marine.

IFFCO has earned about 20 times more than on its original investment. The three promoters - IFFCO, IPL and Tokio Marine had invested Rs 560 crore in the company. Now the company is valued at Rs 11,000 crore.

This transaction would help IFFCO raise the required capital to focus on more agribusinesses and to better serve the interests of Indian farmers in the fast changing agriculture sector, Awasthi said.

IFFCO stake will come down to 51 per cent in the JV while IPL would exit from the insurance company.

"The additional share purchase is in line with Tokio Marine Group's international business strategy to achieve sustainable growth and profit expansion as well as enhance diversified business portfolio through capturing growth opportunities in emerging countries," said Arthur Lee, Chief Executive of Tokio Marine Asia.

Insurance regulator IRDAI has accorded approval for increasing the stake. The decision regarding divestment was made after the government hiked the FDI limit in insurance sector to 49 per cent.

Asked if the company would require additional capital for growth, Awasthi said both the promoters would bring in as much capital as needed.

IFFCO-Tokio Managing Director Warendra Sinha said the company is expecting 15 per cent growth in topline during the current fiscal.

The insurance company would be comfortable if Rs 200- 300 crore comes in but there is no immediate requirement at the moment, he said, adding the company earned a net profit of Rs 420 crore last fiscal.

The company had collected a total premium of Rs 5,635 crore last fiscal.

Regarding GST impact on premium, Sinha said there will be no increase even when the rate of interest has gone up to 18 per cent.

Public offer could be a possibility in the next 3-4 years, Awasthi said.

Following FDI liberalisation in insurance sector in 2015, many foreign partners including Standard Life, Nippon, Mitsui Sumitomo raised their stake in respective insurance venture.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The top US justice officials are to visit the US military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba today amid signs the Trump administration may use it to house new "war on terror" detainees.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein are visiting the prison to familiarize themselves with current operations, the Justice Department said.

The notorious prison, which former president Barack Obama had sought unsuccessfully to close, has had no new inmates in more than a decade.

But on taking office, President Donald Trump signalled he wanted an active camp ready to accept "some bad dudes" that might be captured in Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan or elsewhere.

"Keeping this country safe from terrorists is the highest priority of the Trump administration," Justice Department spokesman Ian Prior said in a statement.

"Recent attacks in Europe and elsewhere confirm that the threat to our nation is immediate and real, and it remains essential that we use every lawful tool available to prevent as many attacks as possible."



At the height of its operations after the September 11, 2001 attacks, the prison held 780 people detained mostly for their alleged ties to Al Qaeda and the Taliban, including some of those who planned the 9/11 attacks on the United States.

Since then hundreds have been transferred back to their home countries or other places, and the inmate population currently stands at 41, many of them viewed as hardened enemies of the country who cannot be freed.

Some of the most notorious, including several alleged 9/11 co-conspirators, including accused mastermind Khalid Sheik Mohammed, are still awaiting trial.

Around 26 inmates are trapped in legal purgatory. These so-called "forever prisoners" have never been charged -- yet they have been deemed too dangerous to release.

Trump has provided few specifics about his Guantanamo plans, but a draft executive order that leaked from the White House in late January called the facility a "critical tool" in the fight against "radical Islamist groups.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Telangana government today urged the Jammu and Kashmir administration to help a group of tourists from the state who met with an accident while travelling in a bus in Anantnag district.

One person was killed and 15 others were injured, three of them seriously, when a cylinder exploded in the bus. The group comprised 47 people, including the bus driver and cleaner, a Telangana government release said here.

Telangana Chief Secretary S P Singh has written a letter to his J-K counterpart on the matter, it said.

The Jammu and Kashmir administration has been requested to help in airlifting the body of the deceased person and in providing medical care to the injured. The administration has also been requested to facilitate return journey of the group to New Delhi, the release added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Two Iraqi television journalists were killed by the Islamic State group while a third was trapped today in the same village south of Mosul.

IS infiltrated Imam Gharbi this week, seizing territory in the village and kidnapping civilians, prompting Iraqi forces to counterattack to try to oust the jihadists, officers said.

The attack by IS highlights what is likely to be a growing danger as the group loses more ground and increasingly returns to bombings and hit-and-run attacks that were its hallmark in past years.

"Colleague Harb Hazaa al-Dulaimi, correspondent for the Hona Salaheddin channel, and Sudad al-Duri, the cameraman for the same station, were martyred" in Imam Gharbi, the channel said.

Hona Salaheddin said that Mustafa Wahadi, another of its correspondents, was trapped in the village with the bodies of the two journalists who were killed.

Wahadi posted on his Facebook page -- which lists his last name as Ajeeli -- calling for security forces to rescue them, saying that none had arrived in the area so far.

"The situation around me is very dangerous" and "Daesh is very close," he wrote, using an Arabic acronym for IS.

"This may be my last post, maybe I will be killed," the journalist wrote.

Interior ministry spokesman Brigadier General Saad Maan confirmed two journalists were killed in the village and said that others were trapped in a house there along with police.

He said security forces were closing in but were slowed by IS snipers.

The deaths come after three journalists were killed and a fourth wounded by an explosion last month in Mosul, where they were covering the battle to retake the city from IS.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A global treaty banning nuclear weapons is set to be adopted at the United Nations today despite opposition from the United States, Britain, France and other nuclear powers that boycotted negotiations.

Supporters describe the treaty as a historic achievement but the nuclear-armed states have dismissed the ban as unrealistic, arguing it will have no impact on reducing the global stockpile of 15,000 nuclear weapons.

Led by Austria, Brazil, Mexico, South Africa and New Zealand, 141 countries have taken part in three weeks of negotiations on the treaty that provides for a total ban on developing, stockpiling or threatening to use nuclear weapons.

Advocates hope it will increase pressure on nuclear states to take disarmament more seriously.

"This will be a historic moment," Costa Rica's ambassador, Elayne Whyte Gomez, the president of the UN conference on the treaty, said on the eve of the adoption.

"The world has been waiting for this legal norm for 70 years," she said, calling it a "response for humanity."



None of the nine countries that possess nuclear weapons -- the United States, Russia, Britain, China, France, India, Pakistan, North Korea and Israel -- took part in the negotiations.

Even Japan -- the only country to have suffered atomic attacks, in 1945 -- boycotted the talks as did most NATO countries.

US Ambassador Nikki Haley came out strongly against the ban when negotiations opened on March 27, saying "there is nothing I want more for my family than a world with no nuclear weapons, but we have to be realistic."



"Is there anyone that believes that North Korea would agree to a ban on nuclear weapons?" she asked.

Nuclear powers argue their arsenals serve as a deterrent against a nuclear attack and say they remain committed to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

The decades-old NPT seeks to prevent the spread of atomic weapons but also puts the onus on nuclear states to reduce their stockpiles.

Impatience however is growing among many non-nuclear states over the slow pace of disarmament as are worries that the weapons of mass destruction will fall into the wrong hands.

Disarmament campaigners say the treaty will go a long way in increasing the stigma associated with nuclear weapons and will have an impact on public opinion.

"The key thing is that it changes the legal landscape," said Richard Moyes, director of the British-based organisation Article 36.

"It stops states with nuclear weapons from being able to hide behind the idea that they are not illegal."



"This is really about removing the prestige from nuclear weapons," said Beatrice Fihn, director of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons.

"They are seen as something very valuable and as giving power. This is supposed to remove that."



During a meeting at the General Assembly, the treaty is expected to be adopted by consensus by the conference of nations that has negotiated the document without the nuclear powers and their allies.

After its adoption, the treaty will be open for signatures as of September 20 and will enter into force when 50 countries have ratified it.

During a vote at the UN General Assembly in December, 113 countries voted in favor of starting negotiations on the new treaty while 35 opposed the move and 13 abstained.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The United States and Russia have reached agreement on a cease-fire in southwest Syria, three US officials said today as President Donald Trump held his first meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The deal marks a new level of involvement for the Trump administration in trying to resolve Syria's civil war.

Although details about the agreement and how it will be implemented weren't immediately available, the cease-fire is set to take effect Sunday at noon Damascus time, said the officials, who weren't authorised to discuss the cease-fire publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

Jordan and Israel also are part of the agreement, one of the officials said. The two US allies both share a border with the southern part of Syria and have been concerned about violence from Syria's civil war spilling over the border.

The deal is separate from an agreement that Russia, Turkey and Iran struck earlier this year to try to establish "de-escalation zones" in Syria where violence would be reduced. The US, wary of Iran's involvement, was not a part of that deal. Follow-up talks this week in Astana, Kazakhstan, failed to reach agreement on how to finalize a cease-fire in those zones.

Previous cease-fires in Syria have collapsed or failed to reduce violence for long, and it was unclear whether this deal would be any better.

Earlier in the week, Syria's military had said it was halting combat operations in the south of Syria for four days, in advance of a new round of Russian-sponsored talks in Astana. That move covered southern provinces of Daraa, Quneitra and Sweida. Syria's government briefly extended that unilateral cease-fire, which is now set to expire Saturday - a day before the US and Russian deal would take effect.

The new agreement to be announced today will be open- ended, with no set end date, one US official said, describing it as part of broader US discussions with Russia on trying to lower violence in the war-ravaged country. Officials said the US and Russia were still working out the details as Trump and Putin concluded their more than two-hour meeting today.

Implications for Syria aside, the deal marks the biggest diplomatic achievement for the US and Russia since Trump took office. Trump's administration has approached the notoriously strained relationship by trying to identify a few limited issues on which the countries could make progress, thereby building trust for a broader repair of ties.

For years, the US and Russia have been backing opposing sides in Syria's war, with Moscow supporting Syrian President Bashar Assad and Washington supporting rebels who have been fighting Assad. Both the US and Russia oppose the Islamic State group in Syria.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Venezuelan police chased anti- government protesters into a shopping mall and fired tear gas, leaving dozens injured in the latest spasm of violence in the oil-rich nation saddled with deep economic woes and grassroots anger.

The violent round of cat-and-mouse came a day after one of the most stunning episodes in three months of unrest: a pro-government, stick-wielding mob overrunning Congress.

The malaise has cost the lives of 91 people as opposition activists who blame President Nicolas Maduro for the country's descent into food shortages and other economic chaos press on with nearly daily street protests.

Yesterday they tried to march on the Supreme Court, which the opposition says is stacked with pro-Maduro lackies. But police firing tear gas pushed them back and even chased some fleeing demonstrators into a huge shopping mall and shot the stinging gas in there, too.

A total of 45 people in the mall, including 17 children, received emergency medical treatment, said Ramon Muchacho, mayor of the Caracas district Chacao, which is an opposition stronghold.

"We came here to get an ice cream and see a movie, and look at this disaster," said adolescent Alejandra Vargas, her eyes red from the tear gas. Nearby, a woman carrying a baby was escorted out by firefighters.

Protester Rosa Rivas, 43, taking part in the rally with her 15-year-old daughter, said when the police forced the crowd to disperse, some went into the mall, either through the main entrance or a parking garage.

"But they chased us. People were running for their lives," Rivas told AFP. The entire mall -- 531 stores -- was later evacuated as a precaution.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Union minister M Venkaiah Naidu today said villages should be provided with technologies appropriate for their needs.

He went on to add that the systems developed in big cities should not be dumped in rural areas.

"The villages should become cradle of ideas and not their dumping ground. They should not be at the receiving end of concepts, technologies, methodologies formulated somewhere in the cities. They should rather develop technologies that are energy efficient and environment friendly," the minister said.

Naidu was speaking at a workshop on 'Frugal Innovations' organised at the National Institute of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj.

He, however, said it is not that villages would consume technologies "produced only in villages" but the technology should be "as non-invasive as possible".

Observing that it might appear paradoxical for the Union Urban Development Minister to speak on rural development, he said in reality towns and villages impact each other greatly.

"Unless villages prosper, the nation cannot prosper," he said.

Naidu highlighted the importance of innovations that can make life easier.

Thousands of scientific patents taken in the country might not be commercially viable, but some of them can make a difference to local village population where mass-production is not needed, he said.

"That is why it is being called Frugal Innovations -- simple, prudent and low key innovations -- that can make a difference," the Union Minister said.

The agriculture ministry scheme launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi called 'Mera Gaon, Mera Gaurav' (My village, My pride), focusses on DigiGaon under Digital India and the biotoilets developed by DRDO are some of the government initiatives aimed at development of rural areas in a big way, he said.

Local communities should be involved and traditional knowledge harnessed to ensure that the technologies benefit the masses in a big way, he said.

"Often in the quest to improve the living standard in the rural area, we impose an unsuitable and non-sustainable model. The results can be disastrous. Every solution needs to be tailor made according to local conditions -- geographic, economic and social," he said.

"India's huge population living in rural areas calls for an improved and extensive use of rural technology. No nation can be great without innovations. It is innovations that increase productivity, makes people's life easy and provides quality living," Naidu added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A 24-year-old woman has allegedly been raped by a Delhi Police constable on the pretext of marriage in central Delhi's Deshbandhu Gupta Road area.

Though the incident happened in April, but an FIR was lodged at the Deshbandhu Gupta Road police station yesterday, and an enquiry has been ordered.

The woman had approached the senior police officers of the central district for lodging an FIR against the constable but no case was registered, said Kunal and Ranjan Khatumaria, lawyers for the complainant.

However, senior officers said that an inquiry has been ordered against the constable, who is posted in the Deshbandhu Gupta Road police station, and the allegations are being probed.

In her complaint, the woman has said that she came in contact with the accused a few months ago when he was posted as a beat constable in the area, where she has a shop. She runs the shop with her widow mother.

The duo became friends and she has told police that he would call her every day and talk to her for long periods.

She has claimed that the accused promised to marry her and established physical relations with her, the police said.

In her complaint, she alleged that on the night of April 10, he barged in her house and raped her. She has also claimed that the accused threatened to upload her objectionable photos on the internet if she reported about the matter to his seniors, they added.

She said that the accused said that he is a policeman and nobody can harm him. She has also accused him of tampering with the evidence.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Irshad Khan, son of a dairy farmer lynched by cow vigilantes, is not going anywhere. He is an Indian, and has no intentions of moving to Pakistan, he says.

"We Muslims will not go and live in Pakistan. India is our motherland too," said Irshad, as he made an impassioned plea today, seeking justice for his father.

The 24-year-old man, who was also attacked by the mob of self-styled 'gau rakshaks' in Alwar on April 1, alleged that "attempts were being made to let the accused go scot-free".

Addressing a public forum -- Agrarian Crisis, Cow Politics & Lynching -- hosted by the Bhumi Adhikar Andolan here, Irshad said, "Lynchings are continuing to take place as the government is not taking a strong stand".

Attempts were being made to divide the people on religion, and Muslims were often asked to leave India for Pakistan. But, he added, Hindu and Muslims had always lived peacefully in the country.

"Some bad elements don't want the two communities to be in harmony, so that vote bank politics can be orchestrated. Lynchings are also happening to divide the people," he said.

A string of lynching incidents has been reported in the country, the latest being that of a Muslim man killed by a mob for allegedly carrying beef in a van in Jharkhand late last month.

"Many Muslims have been assaulted or verbally abused and forced to chant a religious slogan by some outfit, who tell us (Muslims) to go to Pakistan. I say, we will not go to Pakistan. I was born here and India is also my motherland," Irshad told a packed hall at the Constitution Club here.

The 55-year-old Pehlu Khan was brutally beaten, after being intercepted by the vigilantes in Alwar, while he and his two sons, Irshad and Arif, were travelling in a pick-up car, carrying cattle from Jaipur.

"My father had been in dairy farming for a long time. We were transporting the cattle with all the required permits, but the vigilantes threatened us then started assaulting us with belts, sticks, metal knuckle-caps. My father was punched in the eye and hit in stomach. He bled profusely, and, on April 3, he died at a hospital," said 19-year-old Arif, who still trembles recalling the incident.

Pehlu's uncle Hussain Khan, who also attended the event, alleged that "pressure was being exerted" to ensure "bail for the accused".

"We want justice for Pehlu. If these accused are allowed to go scot-free, we, the family, will go to the court in Rajasthan and commit suicide there," said Hussain, as the hall fell silent.

"Our loyalty and allegiance is questioned. We are being called beef-eaters and asked to leave the country and settle in Pakistan. Why are we Muslims being forced to prove our patriotism and nationalism," Hussain asked.

His forefathers, he said, had sacrificed their lives for the country's freedom.

"This (India) is also our country, our homeland. And, we will live here," Hussain asserted.

Historian and former professor of history at the Delhi University D N Jha also spoke at the event, which was attended by people from various sections of society.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
If veteran Congress leader Saifuddin Soz had his way, he would have held a dialogue with Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani if he was not killed by security forces last year.

"Burhani Wani should have stayed alive so that I could have had a dialogue with him. I would have explained to him that Kashmir can become a strong bridge of friendship between India and Pakistan and he (Wani) could also be of help (in achieving it). But he is dead now," he told a TV channel.

Soz's controversial comments came on the sidelines of a conference on the situation in Jammu and Kashmir organised by the Observer Research Foundation (ORF) here.

Wani was killed by security personnel on July 8 last year. His killing had triggered violent protests in the Kashmir Valley that continued for months.

"Those who believe that he was a martyr can continue to believe so and those who believe he was murdered may do so. The incident has already taken place. We should try and increase friendship between India and Pakistan now and understand the pain of Kashmiris," he added.

Soz said Wani was a "symbol" of militancy in the border state and called for starting talks with separatists to resolve the Kashmir issue.

"And how to deal with militancy? Through a dialogue. I want the government to talk to the Hurriyat Conference. If you can open a dialogue with us, open with the Hurriyat as well," he said.

Earlier, speaking at the conference, Soz said Kashmiris cannot be won over by military force, asserting the youths of the Valley cannot be dubbed as "stone pelters" as they have a reason to revolt.

"The problem today is not in Jammu and Kashmir but in the minds of the people there, who feel alienated. The youth in Kashmir cannot be termed as misguided and stone pelters. Everyone wants to live in India but with dignity, love and affection, not with bullets," Soz said.

Maintaining that it is impossible to run Kashmir using military force, the former Union minister said "the RSS narrative" is totally unacceptable to the people of the militancy-hit state.

The objective of the conference was to look at the 'Problems of Kashmir' through the prism of 'Kashmiriyat, Jamuhriyat, Insaniyat' and national integration.

Nasir Aslam Wani of the National Conference said the Kashmiris still have to prove their Indian identity to the nation every single day.

"Discussions on cow protection, intolerance is the order of the day. Hold discussions over these issues with us, also to make us feel included," he said, emphasising on the need to hold discussions with all stakeholders, including the hardliners, in J&K.

"Holding talks hasn't hurt anybody except egos. Remember (former Prime Minister Atal Bihari) Vajpayeeji initiated talks with the Hurriyat. There should be composite talks with everybody, including the hardliners, to understand the minds of Kashmiris," Nasir Wani said.

T C A Raghavan, former high commissioner of India to Pakistan, who also took part in the discussion, said the 'k' in Pakistan stands for Kashmir.

"Kashmir is Pakistan's unfinished agenda. The sense of entitlement in Pakistan today has many dimensions," he said.

Raghavan said during General Pervez Musharraf's tenure as Pakistan President, the capacity of the nation to bring about a consensus (over Kashmir) weakened.

During Musharraf's tenure, the most visible signs were violations across the Line of Control and a number of terror strikes in India, the former diplomat said.

Lt Gen (Retd) Syed Ata Hasnain, former General Officer Commanding, 15th Corps, said the Pakistani military is an obstacle in the road to peace between the two neighbours.

"Unless its hold loosens, the situation cannot get any better. Pakistan's strength is not in its military but its strategic communication. They are able to entrench their opinion deep into the minds of Indians and Kashmiris," Hasnain said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
City

 Brian S. Cuatt Jr., 26, 12680 Red Creek Road, Wolcott, was picked up July 3 on a bench warrant.

 Gabriella R. Barrigar, 23, 11308 South St., Cato, was charged July 3 with third-degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle.

 John J. Connors III, 58, 30 Oak St., Auburn, was charged July 3 with third-degree criminal possession of a weapon, second-degree menacing and fourth-degree criminal mischief.

 Courtney L. Sheridan, 29, 38 Hoffman St., Auburn, was charged July 4 with third-degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle.

 Karen A. Montesano, 55, 47 Pulaski St., Apt. 2, Auburn, was charged July 4 with driving while intoxicated with a previous conviction, first-degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle and driving with a suspended registration.

 Matthew J. Coats, 30, 15 West St., Auburn, was charged July 4 with fourth-degree criminal mischief and resisting arrest.

 Ryan E. Goyette, 25, Jordan, was charged July 6 with fourth-degree grand larceny.

 Kacee J. Blasko, 24, 36 Bradford St. Apt. 3, Auburn, was charged July 7 with second-degree unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle.

 Amanda R. Benishek, 28, 290 Grant Ave. Apt. 4, Auburn, was charged July 6 with driving while intoxicated and driving with a blood alcohol content of at least .08 of 1 percent.

 Joseph E. Frijo, 25, 36 Jefferson St., Auburn, was charged July 6 with third-degree unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle.

 Donald J. Richardson, 39, 54 Van Anden St. Apt. 3, Auburn, was charged July 7 with third-degree criminal possession of a weapon and second-degree criminal trespass.

 Shawn S. Holmes, 26, 101 Quill Ave. Apt. T114, Auburn, was charged July 6 with second-degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle.

State

 Stephanie M. Kane, 37, Sennett, was charged July 4 with criminal mischief.

 Allison L. Abbott, 21, Oswego, was charged July 6 with operating a motor vehicle impaired by drugs.

 David E. Hoosock, 55, Cato, was charged July 6 with driving while intoxicated and aggravated driving while intoxicated.

 Zachary T. Snyder, 19, Port Byron, was charged July 7 with driving while intoxicated and operating a motor vehicle with a blood alcohol content of at least .08 of 1 percent.

 Delarae M. Sheffield, 24, Auburn, was charged July 7 with second-degree criminal impersonation and seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance.
By Makiko Yamazaki and Taro Fuse

TOKYO (Reuters) - As the $18 billion sale of Toshiba Corp's memory chip unit to a government-approved consortium falters, some bankers and potential investors are pressing the board to seriously consider alternatives, people with direct knowledge of the sale process said - including picking a new buyer.

Those people say Toshiba's leadership is sticking to Plan A: selling the world's second-largest memory chip maker to a Japanese government-backed group that also includes Bain Capital.

But the clock is ticking for Toshiba, which was still recovering from a $1.3 billion accounting scandal in 2015 when it was hit by billions of dollars of cost overruns at its U.S. nuclear unit Westinghouse in December.

Unless it closes a deal by March, a gaping balance-sheet hole will prompt automatic delisting of its shares from Tokyo's stock market - further battering its shareholders.

As questions emerge around the role of South Korean rival SK Hynix in the preferred bidder group, some Toshiba executives and officials at the company's main creditor banks say they want top management to look at other options.

"Toshiba hastily picked the consortium ahead of its [June 28] annual shareholders meeting, but more and more flaws are emerging as time passes," said a senior official at one of Toshiba's banks.

SK Hynix, which was initially included just to help fund the deal, is now looking to own equity in Toshiba's chips unit, according to sources, raising antitrust and national concerns in Japan. SK Hynix has not commented.

Addressing concerns that its chip technology could be handed to a foreign rival, Toshiba said previously that SK Hynix would have no equity or management influence.

Scrapping that deal would leave one obvious option: rival suitor Western Digital, which bid for the chip business with private equity firm KKR. But Western Digital, already a Toshiba joint venture partner, is in a legal dispute with the Japanese firm, and sources describe a deep distrust.

But Western Digital could have the support of government-backed Development Bank of Japan (DBJ) and Innovation Network Corp of Japan (INCJ) - both currently part of the preferred buyer consortium - the sources said. They are said to be wary of SK Hynix, and of Toshiba agreeing a sale to the group while Western Digital has sought an injunction to stop it.

"If asked, we are ready to team up with Western Digital and KKR, and we actually prefer that," said a senior official at one of the government investors.

Both the DBJ and INCJ declined to comment.

A Toshiba spokesman said the firm is negotiating with the preferred buyer consortium to sign a definitive agreement as soon as possible.

Selling other assets seems a less likely avenue, as Toshiba has few of sufficient value, and a piecemeal process could take too long.

It sold its medical equipment business to Canon Inc for $6 billion last year. There are plans to list Toshiba's smart meter business Landis+Gyr, but that will not plug the gap. Toshiba turned down offers from buyout group CVC and industrial conglomerate Hitachi to buy the business for almost $2 billion earlier this year, sources have said.

Toshiba cannot raise cash by issuing shares because of restrictions imposed by the bourse after the 2015 scandal.

DEAL OR NO DEAL

Toshiba has been scrambling for cash for months - since it shocked investors late last year with of the cost overruns and delays at Westinghouse, which forced a hefty writedown and losses.

Westinghouse filed for bankruptcy in March in one of the nuclear industry's most costly collapses to date, leaving Toshiba to cover $6 billion of liabilities it guaranteed.

Even so, investors and some creditors say they fear Toshiba may simply refuse to consider what appears to be the most obvious option.

"Some within Toshiba say they'd rather die than be (acquired by) Western Digital," said a banking official who has discussed the deal with senior Toshiba executives.

Western Digital is a recent partner for Toshiba - it bought SanDisk, Toshiba's memory chip business partner for 17 years, in May last year. A leap from joint venture partner to buyer would have to overcome significant distrust.

Last month, Western Digital sought a U.S. court injunction to prevent a sale of Toshiba's chips arm without its consent.

"We worked with SanDisk over more than 10 years, but it's been just one year that we've worked with Western Digital executives, and we've had no good experience from it," a senior Toshiba executive said.

Two people familiar with the matter said Toshiba believes that even if the court grants the injunction, it can proceed with a chip sale agreement - so long as it holds off completion.

U.S. chipmaker Broadcom Ltd, previously considered a major candidate with a $20 billion offer for the Toshiba chips arm, backed off due to legal risks involving Western Digital.

($1 = 113.5600 yen)

(Reporting by Makiko Yamazaki and Taro Fuse; Additional reporting by Taiga Uranaka and Kentaro Hamada in TOKYO; Editing by Clara Ferreira Marques and Ian Geoghegan)

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
BEIJING (Reuters) - China's economy will maintain steady and improving momentum in the second half of this year, but it still faces many difficulties, state radio quoted Premier Li Keqiang as saying on Friday.

China's economic achievement in the first half was "hard won", Li told a meeting.

"We should firm our confidence, but also prepare to cope with challenges," he was quoted as saying.

China will maintain proactive fiscal policy and prudent monetary policy and keep macro-economic policies stable, Li said.

The government would appropriately expand aggregate demand and expand effective investment, especially private investment, he added.

Li told the World Economic Forum in June that China was capable of achieving its full-year growth target and controlling systemic risks despite challenges.

The government aims for economic growth of around 6.5 percent this year. The economy grew 6.9 percent in the first quarter.

A raft of data in coming weeks is expected to show steady growth in the world's second-biggest economy, but government measures to rein in the housing market and debt risks are likely to drag on activity over the next few quarters.

(Reporting by Beijing Monitoring Desk and Kevin Yao; Editing by Robert Birsel)

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee categorically said that it is difficult for the state government to give SEZ status to Wipro for its second development centre in the state.

"Premji's (Azim Premji of Wipro) son wanted SEZ status for the second project here. But due to policy of the government, we will not be able to accord that," Banerjee said at a Nasscom gathering in Kolkata.



She said that SEZs were approaching the sunset clause, so some other means could be thought of.

In last year's Union budget, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had announced that tax benefits to SEZs would continue till 2020.

Infosys is another IT company which is stuck up because of not getting SEZ status here for its first project in the state.

When asked, Premji's son Rishaad Premji, who was also present here today, said "The chief minister referred to a conversation way back."

"Now it is closed issue. We are exploring other means," he said.

Urging the IT companies to invest here as Bangalore was fully saturated, Banerjee said Kolkata has the scope for growth and opportunity.

"In addition to that, the state has skilled manpower... and cheap also. Attrition rate is also very low," she said.

To circumvent the SEZ issue, the state government has decided to give some incentives instead.

"Please let me know what you want. We have land bank, infrastructure and talent", Banerjee said.


Software giant Microsoft on Thursday confirmed speculations that had been doing rounds. Microsoft said that it would cut about 4,000 jobs in its sales and marketing department. Microsoft also said that the job cut would be likely outside the United States.

A Microsoft spokesperson said in an email on Thursday that the company is implementing changes to better serve its customers and partners.

"Today, we are taking steps to notify some employees that their jobs are under consideration or that their positions will be eliminated. Like all companies, we evaluate our business on a regular basis. This can result in increased investment in some places and, from time-to-time, re- deployment in others," the spokesperson told PTI in an emailed statement.

While, the Microsoft spokesperson denied to elaborate the information any further to confirm any specifics, a report in the New York Times said the overhauling of technology giant led by India-born Satya Nadella will cut 3,000 to 4,000 jobs, mostly outside the US.

The company has already communicated its decision to the affected employees.

"This is being done mainly to evolve the skill sets we need," Frank Shaw, a Microsoft spokesman, said in the NYT report.

Last week, Microsoft had described a realignment of its sales and marketing arm, which employs about 50,000 people worldwide.

In an internal email last week, Judson Althoff, a Microsoft executive vice president, described the reorganisation and its rationale.

He wrote that there was "an enormous USD 4.5 trillion market opportunity" for Microsoft in the coming years.

Microsoft has 71,000 employees in the US and 121,000 employees around the globe.




Embattled businessman Vijay Mallya will face the court in a two-week extradition trial that has been fixed on December 4 by the Westminster Magistrates' Court.

This announcement comes after the Westminster Magistrates' Court in London heard that all evidence related to the case had been received and reviewed by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), which is arguing on behalf of the Indian government.

The evidence, which was provided by the government of India, run into 2,000 pages alone. CPS barrister Mark Summers told the judge that they had "excellent cooperation" with the Indian authorities in the case and now had sufficient material to establish a prima facie case for the extradition of the 61- year-old former chief of erstwhile Kingfisher Airlines.



The CPS also informed the court that the Indian authorities had been "anticipating issues" that may block the extradition and had already been engaging on prison conditions in India by giving "detailed assurances" on the matter

However, Mallya's defence team claimed they had received hundreds of pages of "further material being relied upon" as evidence only on last evening and that more time should be provided for them to review the material and keep a final date for hearing open in April 2018

"Mallya is keen to engage as constructively as possible with these proceedings...but there remains ongoing uncertainty on the final case. We also need a detailed opening note explaining how all the evidence fits together," said barrister Ben Watson, arguing on behalf of Mallya

The judge, Chief Magistrate Arbuthnot, agreed with the CPS to "progress with some rigour" and retained December 4 as the date for a final hearing in the case

She directed the Indian side to provide a detailed opening note on the case to Mallya's defence team by July 31, after which another hearing to asses the progress in the case would be held on September 14

The judge was also firm about the "skeleton" document on the case that would have to be submitted by both sides by November to not exceed 35 pages

She once again told Mallya that she would allow him not to attend the next hearing in September, adding that she had inquired about restraining media within barriers outside the court on the request of his defence team at last month's hearing but it would be a "step too far"

When asked about his appearance despite being granted an exemption by the chief magistrate at last hearing on June 13, Mallya on Thursday said, "I do as my lawyers advise."

Watson earlier told the judge that "Mallya likes to attend the hearings if possible."

The Indian authorities believe their case is on a strong footing and all the evidence has been presented to the Crown Prosecution Service to argue India?s case for extradition

"All documents and witness statements have been presented from the Indian side and the CPS is very happy with it. They are confident that all the evidence is in good order. So we are in good situation and all we hope is that the other side stop delaying," official sources told PTI

In a statement, the Indian High Commission on Thursday said evidence presented makes out a strong prima facie case against Mallya. Despite delaying tactics, it has been possible to have an indicated date in December 2017 for the hearing and the UK counsel CPS will continue to work towards an expeditious hearing of the entire case, it said

"In addition to the charge-sheets done by CBI, the Enforcement Directorate has also filed a charge-sheet against Mallya and the court has also issued a non-bailable warrant against him on July 5, 2017," the statement added

After the hearing, Mallya told reporters outside the court, "Let them present whatever they want. We will present our case."

In April, he had attended a central London police station for his arrest and was released on conditional bail a few hours later after providing a bail bond worth 650,000 pounds, assuring the court of abiding by all conditions associated with extradition proceedings, such as the surrender of his passport and a ban on him possessing any travel documents

The first case management hearing in the case took place on June 13, when December 4 had been pencilled in as a tentative final hearing date

If the Chief Magistrate rules in favour of extradition at the end of the trial, the UK home secretary must order Mallya's extradition within two months of the appropriate day

However, the case can go through a series of appeals before arriving at a conclusion

India and the UK have an Extradition Treaty, signed in 1992, but so far only one extradition has taken place under the arrangement-Samirbhai Vinubhai Patel, who was sent back to India last October to face trial in connection with his involvement in the post-Godhra riots of 2002

However, unlike Mallya, he had submitted to the extradition order without legal challenge.

(With inputs from PTI)
Infrastructure turned banker IDFC Group and South based financial services giant Shriram Group are in discussion for a merger. While the combined entity would have assets of over Rs 2 lakh crore, there are many qualitative factors that would give a fillip to the business of the combined entity. Here are five reasons why this merger is a right fit

Access to new geography

The merger would provide IDFC Bank access to a well established network in the entire South of India. Remember Kotak Bank did a smart merger few years ago when it pounced on the ING Vysya Bank.



Ready retail portfolio

Shriram Group is completely into retail assets. IDFC Bank which comes with a corporate background, will get a huge portfolio of retail assets especially micro loans ,two wheeler, personal loans, loan again gold, tractor and equipment financing and truck loans etc. Currently, IDFC Bank has a retail portfolio of around 25 per cent -- it's low compared to established players like ICICI Bank and HDFC Bank, which have over half their advances in the retail assets.



Will help build a liabilities franchise

IDFC Bank has a huge challenge of building retail deposits as the banks current account and savings account (CASA) is less than 10 per cent of the total assets. The bank desperately need low cost deposits to compete in the retail assets esp mortgages where rates are very competitive. Most of the well established public and private banks have a CASA of over 40 percent. This merger would give IDFC Bank huge access to branches. Take for example , Shriram Transport Finance has a network of 918 branches and 854 rural centre. The rural centrse would also help IDFC Bank in meeting its priority sector advances

Reducing the reliance on corporate book

IDFC Bank has legacy assets esp infrastructure loans in its book which are around 55 per cent. The credit off take from corporate is historically low.The existing portfolio of infrastructure is also stressed with RBI insisting on more provisions even for standard assets whereas retail portfolio is growing at over 25 per cent for the industry, which in a way is compensating for the lower growth in the corporate book for many banks. IDFC doesn't have this luxury because of lower share of retail assets as well as retail liabilities. This merger would definitely act as a balancing act in future.



Build the foundation for a financial super market

The merger also brings non bank entities like the two insurance subsidiaries and the mutual fund business of Shriram into IDFC fold. In fact, IDFC already has presence in mutual fund business, alternative asset management like private equity and securities business. Currently, ICICI, SBI, HDFC has a financial supermarket model with a scaled up operation.


Around 48 lakh central government employees will see their salaries for July rise as Ministry of Finance has notified the allowances under Seventh Central Pay Commission with 34 modifications. Around 34 lakh civilian employees and 14 lakh defence personnel will be receive their salaries with modified allowance rates.

Union Cabinet approved the recommendations of 7th Pay Commission on allowances with 34 modifications on June 28, 2017. Finance Ministry instructed other ministries to come up with their Orders on Allowances governed by them so that the revised salaries reflect in the salaries for month of July of their employees.

The recommendations on allowances by 7th Pay Commission would have put an additional burden of Rs 29,300 crores on the exchequer. In its new form, however, the Pay Commission allowance will translate into additional burden of Rs 30,748 crore on the exchequer every year.

House Rent Allowance shall not be less than 5,400 per month, 3,600 per month and 1,800 per month calculated at 30 per cent of minimum pay for X (population of 50 lakh & above), 20 per cent for Y (5 to 50 lakh) and 10 per cent for Z (below 5 lakh) category of cities.

In the official notification in Gazetter of India, HRA shall be revised to 27 per cent, 18 per cent & 9 per cent of Basic Pay in X, Y and Z cities when Dearness Allowance (DA) crosses 25 per cent and further to 30 per cent, 20 per cent and 10 per cent of Basic Pay in X, Y and Z cities when DA crosses 50 per cent.

HRA has been one of the talking points since 7th Pay Commission was formed as it makes up a substantial share in salaries of central government employees.

The Union government has also decided to do away with the provision of free ration to be discontinued for defence force personnel in peaceful areas. However, Ration Money Allowance (RMA) will be credited directly to their bank accounts.

Fixed Medical Allowance for central government allowance has also been bumped up to Rs 1000 from Rs 500. Ministerial staff will continue to get Hospital Patient Care Allowance/ Patient Care Allowance at Rs 4100 for level 8 and below and Rs 5300 for level 9 and above.

Coming under pressure from central government employees over drastic chnages in the allowance structure under 7th Pay Commission, the Cabinet formed a Committee on Allowances under Finance Secretary Ashok Lavasa last year in June. The Committee was tasked to appraise the extensive changes suggested by the 7th Pay Commission.

The Lavasa Committee handed over its review report to the Finance Minister in April after consulting representations from various government departments. The report, post approval, was forwarded to Empowered Committee of Secretaries (E-CoS) for their consideration and consolidation.

After receiving the final proposals from the Empowered Committee on June 1, the Cabinet approved the recommendations on allowance on June 28.
Retirement fund body EPFO's investment in stocks through exchange traded funds (ETFs) is expected to cross the Rs 45,000-crore mark by the end of the current financial year, Labour Minister Bandaru Dattatreya said on Thursday.

"In the exchange traded funds, we have increased investment from 10 per cent to 15 per cent. With this the total investment may go up to Rs 45,000 crore. The rate of return last year was 13.3 per cent from ETFs," Dattatreya told journalists Assocham event here.

The markets are good and let's see the situation, but it is an encouraging one. That's why we have increased the investment, he said. As of April 21 this year, the stock investment stood at Rs 21,559 crore. EPFO invested Rs 6,577 crore in 2015-16 and Rs 14,982 crore in 2016-17.

Dattatreya also said the government plans to create 65 million jobs by 2026 in the auto sector alone.

Speaking on the occasion, Secretary, Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises, Girish Shankar said there is a huge gap the auto industry must address to ensure Make in India delivers.

Original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) need to make substantial investment in engineering R&D for designing and developing in India so that India graduates to a truly auto engineering hub. We request the auto majors to consider this seriously and fast enough.

Also, suggest to us as to how to support this through an appropriate policy framework. We are already working towards this direction, he said.

The ministry has finalised the net automotive mission plan (AMP) 2016-26, he said, adding that AMP 2026 is a combined effort of the central government and the industry. It also seeks to define the trajectory of evolution of the automotive ecosystem in India including the glide path of specific regulations and policies that govern a wide range of parameters.
After a historic three-day visit to Israel, Prime Minister Narendra Modi late yesterday evening touched down to German city Hamburg to attend the G20 Summit. A two-day G20 Summit will start today in Germany.



Prime Minister Office, in a tweet late evening, said: "PM @narendramodi reaches Hamburg for the G20 Summit. Key multilateral and bilateral engagements will take place through the summit."

PM @narendramodi reaches Hamburg for the G20 Summit. Key multilateral and bilateral engagements will take place through the Summit. pic.twitter.com/2L5NYuV5lR PMO India (@PMOIndia) July 6, 2017



On the sidelines of the summit, Prime Minister Modi will participate in a meeting of leaders of the BRICS - Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa - grouping. He will also hold few bilateral meetings with some of the world leaders.



Foreign Ministry spokesperson Gopal Baglay on Thursday informed about the Prime Minister's bilateral meetings and said: "His (Modi's) pre-planned bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the summit are with Argentina, Canada, Italy, Japan, Mexico, ROK (South Korea), UK and Vietnam. In addition, he will also participate in the Brics leaders' meeting. There is no change in the prime minister's schedule." On the sidelines of the summit, Prime Minister Modi will participate in a meeting of leaders of the BRICS - Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa - grouping. He will also hold few bilateral meetings with some of the world leaders.Foreign Ministry spokesperson Gopal Baglay on Thursday informed about the Prime Minister's bilateral meetings and said: "His (Modi's) pre-planned bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the summit are with Argentina, Canada, Italy, Japan, Mexico, ROK (South Korea), UK and Vietnam. In addition, he will also participate in the Brics leaders' meeting. There is no change in the prime minister's schedule." On to multilateral engagements! From Tel Aviv, PM @narendramodi arrives at Hamburg to attend the G20 Summit pic.twitter.com/DMsdG5uyT4 Gopal Baglay (@MEAIndia) July 6, 2017

Baglay also clarified that Prime Minister's pre-scheduled bilateral meetings did not include Chinese President Xi Jinping. His clarification came after the Chinese Foreign Ministry gave an impression that it had cancelled the bilateral meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Modi following an ongoing showdown between both the armies in the Sikkim region.According to PTI, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said: "The atmosphere is not right for a bilateral meeting between President Xi and Prime Minister Modi. I think this is the pre-condition for any meaningful peace talks between the two sides." To which the Indian Foreign Ministry responded saying there was no bilateral meeting - between Modi and Xi - was scheduled.The ongoing tension between two countries started earlier this month when the Chinese Army attempted to build a road at Doklam near the Bhutan tri-junction.The G20 is an international forum which was founded in 1999. It aims to discuss policy issues related to the promotion of international financial stability. The G20 comprises top 20 largest and emerging economies of the world.

The members are Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, the UK, the US, and the European Union.


Amid increased tension between India and China on developments near Sikkim, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today "appreciated" momentum in the BRICS bloc under the Chinese chairmanship and extended full cooperation for the grouping's upcoming summit to be hosted by Beijing.

Speaking at an informal meeting of BRICS leaders here on the sidelines of the G20 Summit, Modi also called upon the group leaders to show leadership in fighting terrorism and boosting global economic growth.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, speaking right after Modi, also appreciated the momentum witnessed at the BRICS bloc during India's chairmanship before it was passed on to China.

The leaders of five BRICS countries -- which also included Russia's Vladimir Putin -- discussed preparedness and priorities for the forthcoming 9th BRICS Summit in Xiamen, China, in September.

Xi said he looked forward to welcoming the BRICS leaders.

Modi said BRICS has been a strong voice and needs to show leadership on terrorism and global economy, according to a press release issued by the Ministry of External Affairs after the meeting.

"G20 should collectively oppose terrorism financing, franchises, safe havens, support and sponsors," Modi said.

Referring to the reforms in India, including the recent introduction of GST, he stated that it is necessary to work together for sustained global economic recovery.

He advocated collective voice against the practices of protectionism, especially in the spheres of trade and movement of knowledge and professionals.

Besides, Modi reiterated India's commitment to implementing the Paris agreement in letter and spirit and described its implementation globally as essential to fighting climate change.

He called for expeditious action to establish a BRICS rating agency and stated that cooperation on development of Africa should be a priority.

While stressing on the need for greater people-to-people exchanges, the prime minister appreciated momentum in BRICS under the chairmanship of Xi and extended full cooperation and best wishes for the BRICS Xiamen Summit.

Modi started his speech by thanking Xi for his welcome and hosting the meeting. "Under Xi's chairmanship, the progress and positive momentum of BRICS has further deepened our cooperation," Modi said.

The prime minister, who spoke in Hindi, also said "lastly, I extend my best wishes and full cooperation to President Xi Jinping for the upcoming ninth BRICS Summit".

China and India have been engaged in a stand-off in the Dokalam area near the Bhutan tri-junction after a Chinese Army's construction party attempted to build a road. The stand-off is near Sikkim section.

Concluding the meeting immediately after the Prime Minister's remarks, Xi appreciated India's strong resolve against terrorism and the momentum in BRICS introduced under India's chairmanship and through the outcomes of the Goa Summit in 2016.

He also appreciated India's success in economic and social development and wished India even bigger success.

Besides India and China, Russia, Brazil and South Africa are part of the BRICS grouping.

Meanwhile, in a tweet, external affairs ministry spokesperson Gopal Baglay said Modi and Xi discussed a range of issues.

"At d BRICS leaders' informal gathering @ Hamburg hosted by China, PM @narendramodi and President Xi had a conversation on a range of issues," the spokesperson tweeted.

The ministry also tweeted a photograph of Modi and Xi shaking hands.
Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited or BMRCL today suspended its operation after a fight that broke out at Sir MV Metro Station between a group of metro officials and two Karnataka State Industrial Security Force personnel.

Train service temporally stopped - will tweet once the issues are resolved BMRCL (@cpronammametro) July 7, 2017 On Thursday, the clash erupted when BMCL staffers refused to undergo the security screening before entering the Metro station. KSISF constables, deployed at the station, stopped the officials. Reacting to the police action, metro staffers who were at least 10 in number roughed up two KSISF constables Anand Guddad and Lakshman. #WATCH Bengaluru metro workers thrashed a police officer yesterday; metro services stopped temporarily today due to protest by workers pic.twitter.com/XNtoMaDNaa ANI (@ANI_news) July 7, 2017

Later, police arrested six metro officials. However, four out of the six have been released while two of them are still behind the bars. Two KSISF constables have also been arrested on the complaint by metro officials who are protesting at the Byapnahalli metro station.

The staffers were agitating to secure release of their two colleagues. BMRCL chief public relations officer UA Vasanth Rao spoke to the Times of India and said: "Metro staff are demanding release of their colleagues and decided not to attend work until then. We are trying to resolve the issue and resume train operations as early as possible."

BMRCL Managing Director Pradeep Singh Kharola later clarified that as per standard security guidelines, nobody including the metro staffers, were exempted from undergoing security screening at the stations.
The Delhi University has released its third cut-off list for the admission session of 2017-18. Even after the strong speculations, there has not been any major drop in the cut offs.

The cut off for most of the top courses have remained in the range of 85-95 per cent. Most of the Delhi University colleges have dropped their cut off only by 0.5-1 per cent.

However, after the release of its third list, students with 85 per cent can take admissions in courses like BA Hindi, BA Sanskrit, and BA Programme.

Also because of withdrawal of admissions, some colleges even reopened admissions to certain courses that they had closed after the release of second list.

SGTB Khalsa College, which had released cut-offs as high as 95 per cent for majority of its courses, has relevantly dropped its numbers. The cut-off for B.Sc (Hons.) Electronics for SGTB Khalsa College, which had released cut-offs above 95% for most of its courses, has lowered its numbers significantly. The cut-off for B.Sc (Hons.) Electronics, which was previously at 99.66% in the first list, has now dipped to 93.66 per cent.

Hindu College has kept the cut off for BA Economics (Honors) for general candidates without any change at 97.25 per cent.

Admissions under the third cut-off list will close on July 10.
The owners of IndiGo, the only airline that has made a formal offer to acquire loss-making Air India, held an hour-long conference call on Thursday to calm the nerves of jittery investors.

Speaking on the rationale behind their pitch to acquire debt-ridden carrier, IndiGo owners Rahul Bhatia and Rakesh Gangwal emphasized IndiGo's need for Air India's international operations to gain access to several restricted and closed overseas markets.

"Air India's international operations would bring a very important element to our network," IndiGo co-founder Rahul Bhatia said during the conference call.

According to Bloomberg, IndiGo's bid for Air India had earlier wiped out more than $500 million in the market value of country's most profitable airline.

IndiGo, which commands a 41 per cent market share of India's airline industry, is keen on expanding to long-haul destinations. The airline is already operating its flights to seven international destinations like Dubai, Singapore, Sharjah, Bangkok, Doha, Muscat and Kathmandu.

Untapped International Market

India, currently the third largest aviation market, is witnessing domestic traffic growth of 15 per cent to 20 per cent every year.

"India represents one of the largest untapped international air transportation market opportunities that is out there, and the country certainly lacks its fair share of long-haul international flights," Bhatia said in his opening remarks.

Stressing that IndiGo's interest in buying Air India is mostly limited to its international operations Rakesh Bhatia said, "IndiGo is not looking at acquiring all of Air India's businesses and subsidiaries. we are interested in the airline operations of Air India. And more specifically, we are focused narrowly on Air India's international operations and Air India Express."

Bhatia also highlighted United Airlines decision to buy Pan Am's Pacific and London operations as the critical factor in United becoming world's largest airline.

Former US Airways CEO and IndiGo's cofounder Rakesh Gangwal said middle-eastern hub cities of Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha have significantly benefited from the traffic that India provides to their operations.

Here's the full text of the investor conference

Ankur Goel: Good Evening, everyone, and thank you for joining us for this discussion on IndiGo's potential future plans and strategy on long-haul, international flying.

Participating on this call are our two founders, Mr. Rahul Bhatia and Mr. Rakesh Gangwal.

Before we begin, please note that today's discussion contains statements regarding certain elements of our business plans, strategy and/or financials which will be construed as forward-looking. Our actual plans and results may be materially different from these forward-looking statements.

The information provided on this call is as of today's date and we undertake no obligations to update the information subsequently.

A transcript of today's call will be archived on our website. We will upload the prepared remarks within an hour and the Q&As will be uploaded within a week after Chorus Call has translated the Q&As.

With this, let me hand over the call to Mr. Rahul Bhatia

Rahul Bhatia: Thank you, Ankur. A good day to all of you, and thank you for joining us.

Let me speak to the recent flurry of news regarding IndiGo's interest in Air India. There has been a lot of press coverage and commentary on IndiGo's interest in acquiring the airline operations of Air India. Regrettably most of that reporting and commentary has missed the mark largely because we, at IndiGo, were constrained and not able to provide more clarity to the investor community and the press about our plans. We should have done a better job at this.

We are close to announcing our quarterly results at the end of this month and being mindful of the quiet period as well as the materiality of the issues, we could not, on an individual basis, reach out to the investor community as well as the press to share our thoughts regarding Air India. Now with all the misunderstanding that is floating out there, we felt it best to publicly elaborate and spell out our vision and potential plans regarding long-haul international flying, through this conference call.

India is the third largest aviation market, and the second largest country in terms of population. It is going through significant economic growth, and prosperity is on the rise. The country continues to be dramatically underserved in the domestic aviation space, and that is why we are witnessing domestic traffic growth of 15% to 20% every year. On the international side, we believe that India represents one of the largest untapped international air transportation market opportunities that is out there, and the country certainly lacks its fair share of long-haul international flights. In reality, India's international air transportation hubs reside outside India.

Air India is a massive organization. They employ more than twenty thousand people and operate various subsidiaries ranging from maintenance, to charter operations, to ground handling, to hotel operations, and so on. It has lost thousands of crores of rupees over the last five years, carries a debt load of more than 50,000 crore rupees, and continues to be a significant financial challenge for the Government.

First and foremost, IndiGo is not looking at acquiring all of Air India's businesses and subsidiaries. In our view, that would be a herculean task which would at best be a very challenging proposition and at worst an impossible task, unless an organization is willing to fund large losses for a very long time.

So what are we looking at within Air India? Quite simply, we are interested in the airline operations of Air India. And more specifically, we are focused narrowly on Air India's international operations and Air India Express. That is what we have communicated in our one-on-one discussions with Government officials.

Let me digress for a moment and address a few news reports stating that IndiGo may be rethinking the scope of what it is looking at with respect to Air India. Quite to the contrary - our thinking is clear on this issue, and it has not changed. When we were asked by the stock exchanges to comment on reports that IndiGo had expressed interest in Air India, we decided to disclose the letter that we had submitted to the Government. Now it also became important that we share some details with our employees. Consequently, concurrent with the filing with the stock exchanges, we sent an email to all our employees about what was transpiring and elaborated to them that our interest was primarily in Air India's international operations. So from day one, it is mainly about international operations.

Now some of you may be wondering if such a carve out of Air India's international operations is even possible and practical. To which we would like to point out that this is not a new concept. A few decades ago, United Airlines acquired Pan Am's Pacific operations. Based on the success of that transaction, United then followed up by acquiring Pan Am's London routes in 1990. Today, United Airlines is one of the largest international carriers and it is questionable if that would have happened but for those acquisitions. United was able to do with those international routes and route authorities what Pan Am was unable to do principally because United had a large domestic feed network. As a matter of fact, American Airlines followed that same model by acquiring TWA's London routes.

So there is a road map out there that has worked very successfully. Today, IndiGo serves seven international destinations and Air India's international operations would bring a very important element to our network. It would provide rapid entry into restricted and, in some cases, closed international markets. So instead of being a small international player, IndiGo would have a path to becoming a major player in the international market. Importantly, we believe that IndiGo has the ingredients to significantly grow and unleash the true growth and earnings potential of Air India's international operations, and Rakesh will speak to that issue in a few minutes.

Understandably, an acquisition of Air India's international operations would require significant restructuring and management oversight. A task that we are quite comfortable taking on. However, we simply do not have the ability or for that matter, the desire to take on debts or liabilities that could not be supported by a standalone restructured international operation of Air India.

On the other hand, if the Government of India decides to sell all of Air India's airline operations and, I emphasize "airline operations", to a single entity and not carve out the international operations, we would still be interested in exploring that option. As the largest domestic carrier, it would not be prudent, if not irresponsible, on our part if we did not look at and explore all the opportunities that may or may not exist from the Government's divestiture plans for Air India. However, acquiring all of the airline operations of Air India brings with it a lot of other issues and many more challenges and complexities. We would evaluate that option and assess if it is economically feasible for us to go down that path. At the end of the day, this exercise is not about becoming bigger for the sake of being bigger - it is all about profitable growth and that is a bedrock principle at IndiGo borne out in our performance of the last ten years.

Thank you, and let me now turn the call over to Rakesh

Rakesh Gangwal: Thank you, Rahul. This is an interesting call with financial analysts and investors since we are only sharing our thoughts and vision and not numbers. It's like going to a corporate board meeting in a swim suit.

In broad strokes, let me spend a few minutes on some interesting analytical work that has been going on at IndiGo regarding long-haul, international flying. Today, a large number of Indian citizens and visitors to India arrive or depart on connecting international flights due to the lack of non-stop flights into and out of India.

Historically, most of these connections were over European hubs such as London, Paris and Frankfurt and over South-East Asian hubs like Singapore and Bangkok. And, of late, a vast amount of international traffic from and to India flows over the middle-eastern hub cities of Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha. These small middle-eastern cities near India have built huge airline hubs even though they lack the essential and fundamental ingredient of a hub -- which is the presence of a large local traffic. The massive hubs that these airlines have built have significantly benefited from the traffic that India provides to their operations.

Over the last ten years, IndiGo has established a significant domestic presence and now has a little over 40% of the domestic market share. In doing so, we have also been able to build meaningful operations at all the large metropolitan cities of India. And, in the years to come, we expect to keep up our pace of rapid growth in the domestic market. In fact, during Fiscal Year 2018, between the A320s and the ATRs, we expect to add almost 50 aircraft - a remarkable number and we have built the internal capability and muscle to execute on that plan. On the other hand, our internal work shows that IndiGo is a natural player to take advantage of the significant and lucrative international market opportunity that India offers. Specifically, because of our large domestic network, we are well positioned to capture this massive and growing international traffic. It is about time that IndiGo enters the long-haul, international markets and takes advantage of this lucrative opportunity. And, just to state the obvious, we would not attempt to enter the international long-haul market but for the fact that we have this large domestic feed network.

So, irrespective of how the Air India story plays out and based on all our internal work, we are generally of the view that it makes fundamental economic sense for us to enter the long-haul, international market. Our original plan was to begin this discussion and share our thinking with all of you during our upcoming quarterly analyst call at the end of this month. However, that got pre-empted due to the Government's in principle decision to divest itself of Air India. So, in summary, our long-haul operating plans are being guided by the following principles:



First: The Indian market is significantly underserved in non-stop international destinations

Second: A large and lucrative opportunity exists uniquely for IndiGo to take advantage of this market segment

Third: Success is not dependent on developing these international markets. In fact, we would take passengers from connecting international hubs and also from high-cost, non-stop operators and fly them on our non-stop, low-cost flights



The market thesis is no more complicated than that and the issue for us is to figure out how best to go about doing this profitably? Let me take a few minutes and share our perspective and for obvious competitive reasons we will only share some very high-level thoughts on this issue.

If we enter this space, we will do so with a low-cost model. Just like the low-cost model disrupted the short-haul, full-service legacy carriers starting a few decades ago, we believe that international long-haul markets are ready for the right type of low cost operations. In fact, there are quite a few examples of low-cost, long haul operations that are starting to take hold across the global aviation space -- airlines such as Norwegian and Wow Air. At the other end of the spectrum, Lufthansa, British Airways, Air France, Singapore Airlines, etc. are all trying their best to build their own long-haul, low-cost operations and time will tell if a legacy carrier can successfully launch a true low-cost operation.

I do wish to emphasize two fundamental ingredients for success that makes IndiGo's potential plans very different from that of other long-haul, low cost operations in the market



First: Our massive domestic feed network is a big plus

Second: Passengers will mostly come from foreign airlines that are today connecting over their hubs or flying at high fares on non-stop flights. Just for a moment, think about the value proposition to the passengers that IndiGo would offer. On average, the passengers will arrive at their destination three to five hours earlier - and for a lower fare - and without all the hassles of connecting over hubs, going through multiple security checks, worrying about their connections, losing bags in transit and so on.

Interestingly, last week, while we were expressing our serious interest in Air India's international operations, Ryanair expressed serious interest in Alitalia which is also going through major financial stress. With tongue-in-cheek let me say, our compliments to Ryanair for understanding the fundamentals of the airline business. Jokes aside and in all seriousness, Ryanair is a very smart and formidable airline and it certainly is comforting to see that we are on the right track with respect to our thinking and strategy. Yes, the long-haul business as we know it, is changing just like the short haul, full service segment changed over the last few decades. In our view, this change and transformation will be a World-wide phenomenon with many such operations sprouting up globally and will ever so slowly encroach in to the current format of full-service, long-haul flights. This will be quite unlike what happened in the short-haul, low cost segment where it first took hold in North America. This then gave confidence to European start-ups and then to Asia and South-East Asia start-ups to launch similar services. One of the principle reasons for this is that the smarter low-cost carriers have perfected their art and, over the last ten years, aircraft technology has changed allowing for this potential transformation in long-haul, low-cost flying.

Our journey of building an international, low-cost operation will be gradual - a journey that we would take thoughtfully and deliberately. To be clear, whether we do some limited transaction with Air India, or launch our own long-haul, international operations or a combination of both, the business case would need to be EPS accretive for us to go down that path. To underscore that point, with respect to Air India, let me just say that we are not looking at replicating the unfortunate scenario that unfolded when the Brazilian low-cost carrier Gol merged with Varig.

In closing, let me suggest that we reflect for a moment on what has transpired at IndiGo in the last ten years. The Company has placed 50 billion dollars in firm aircraft orders at list prices - built an impressive domestic network representing more than 40% of the market with reliable, on-time and a hassle free travel experience - has been profitable for the last nine years in the brutally competitive Indian market - and distributed almost 900 million dollars in dividends over the last five years. We now have critical mass and let's now see what the next ten years bring.

Hopefully, we have been able to paint a clearer picture of our plans and thought process regarding long-haul, international operations with or without Air India.


HMD Global started pre-bookings for Nokia 5 in India from today. The Finnish company has been looking to re-establish the household name in the Indian smartphone market, radicalised since its last time here. Working in this direction, the company launched Nokia 6, Nokia 5, and Nokia 3 in India last month.

Pre-bookings begin

Priced at Rs 12,899, Nokia 5 will be available exclusively through offline retail stores, like company's comeback feature phone, Nokia 3310. Sold offline earlier, Nokia 3 is now available on e-commerce website Croma. Similarly, Nokia 6, the premium smartphone in the lot, will be sold on Amazon India. Pre-booking for Nokia 6 will begin on July 14, and it will be available in Indian markets for Rs 14,999.

HMD Global has not disclosed when the handset will be available for buyers in open market. Like purchasing the phone, you will have to pre-order their units offline too. For pre-ordering your Nokia 5 handset, you will have to find the nearest dealer accepting them for the smartphone.

Like the other smartphones in the line-up, HMD Global might consider putting up Nokia 5 for sale on one or more online shopping websites.

Specifications

The Nokia 5 comes with a 5.2-inch screen protected by 2.5D sculpted Corning Gorilla Glass. The smartphone runs on Qualcomm's Snapdragon 430 which is paired with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage. The company is providing a MicroSD card slot that can accommodate a card of up to 128GB.

The phone comes equipped with a fingerprint scanner and runs Android 7.1.1 Nougat out of the box. The phone has a 13-megapixel camera on the back and an 8-megapixel one at the front. The primary camera has dual-tone flash and both snappers have f/2 aperture.

In connectivity department, Nokia 6 has micro US 2.0, USB OTG, Bluetooth 4.1, NFC, and W-Fi. The device measures 149.7x72.5x8.05 mm and houses a 3000 mAh non-removable battery.

Also watch:




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The management and staff of Bronx Lebanon Hospital on Grand Concourse is working to turn the page after a Friday, June 30 shooting that left a young doctor dead and six others injured.

The shooting occurred at around 2:50 p.m. Friday when Dr. Henry Bello, a Bronx resident, opened fire at the hospital and set fires before fatally shooting himself.

The 45-year-old doctor had resigned from the hospital two years ago when he was told he would be fired due to complaints including sexual harassment.

Bello targeted doctors he had worked with, according to published reports.

Killed in the attack was 32-year-old Dr. Tracy Sin-Yee Tam of Queens.

Tam had been filling in for another doctors shift when the attack occurred.

Two victims remain in critical condition while the other four have been upgraded.

Bronx-Lebanon Hospital spokesman Errol Schneer said Tam will never be forgotten by her hospital co-workers.

She was extremely well liked, and a very dedicated physician, Schneer said. She came to Bronx Lebanon for a large part due to our reputation of servicing a community in need of all types of care, that has high incident rates of diabetes and asthma. She was very committed to helping address those serious health problems.

A vigil planned for the afternoon of Thursday, July 6 in front of the hospital was being organized by the Local 1199, the New York State Nurses Association and the Committee of Interns and Residents.

Tams family has requested that information about her funeral and memorial services be kept private, Schneer added.

The staff here provided an extraordinary response to the tragic events that took place this Friday, he said. There were countless acts of heroism that were incredible in terms of staff that were willing to sacrifice their own lives to keep our patients safe and secure.

The hospital was considering many options for Dr. Tam, including a special memorial in the Family Medicine Department where she worked.

Like Montefiore and Mt. Sinai, Bronx-Lebanon Hospital is a voluntary not-for-profit hospital.

Schneer said hospital staff had worked with the NYPD to train for just such an active shooter events.

They provided a very quick response to the situation, they were at the hospital almost immediately, he said

Assemblywoman Latoya Joyner represents the district the hospital is located in. She said the tragedy impacted her entire community.

The thoughts and prayers of families throughout the 77th Assembly District are with those who were shot, their loved ones and their colleagues as well as the first responders who are on the scene, Joyner said. The skilled medical professionals of Bronx-Lebanon Medical Center are in the thoughts and prayers of families throughout the 77th Assembly District.

Senator Gustavo Rivera and Councilman Fernando Cabrera also expressed condolences for the victims and their families, and praised hospital staff and law enforcement for their response.

I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to all of our first responders including the NYPD, especially police officers from the 44th and 46th precincts, the FDNY and the EMT, for the courage and professionalism displayed under the most strenuous of circumstances, Rivera said. Further, I want to express my profound appreciation to the doctors, nurses and personnel at Bronx Lebanon for their work in putting their patients out of harms way.

Cabrera called for the community to unite against gun violence.

We must come together as a community and firmly decide that gun violence is collectively reprehensible and commit to ending this scourge, Cabrera said.
<p style=text-align: left;><em>Next Miss Binney taught the class the words of a puzzling song about the dawnzer lee light, which Ramona did not understand because she did not know what a dawnzer was. Oh, say, can you see by the dawnzer lee light, sang Miss Binney, and Ramona decided that a dawnzer was another word for a lamp. <a href=https://www.harpercollins.com/9780380709540/ramona-the-pest>Ramona the Pest</a> (1968) by Beverly Cleary</em>

LOGAN  Following an annual Independence Day tradition for the 29<sup>th</sup> year, <a href=http://www.npr.org/>NPR</a> hosts, reporters, newscasters and commentators read the <a href=http://www.ushistory.org/declaration/document/>Declaration of Independence</a> on Morning Edition. For the first time, NPR simultaneously presented the historic document in a series of 112 tweets, intended to inspire patriotism but instead inciting what may perhaps be called Twitters first riot. A dialogue of more than 5,000 responding tweets ensued, many by people who didnt recognize the words being shared as what CNN called one of our nations most influential pieces of writing.

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{{tncms-inline account=caseywurster html=&lt;blockquote class=&quot;twitter-tweet&quot;&gt;&lt;p lang=&quot;en&quot; dir=&quot;ltr&quot;&gt;The primary thread is always an inspirational read! The peanut gallery comments are something else entirely &lt;a href=&quot;https://t.co/9rJ4FWRGL1&quot;&gt;https://t.co/9rJ4FWRGL1&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&amp;mdash; Casey Wurster (@caseywurster) &lt;a href=&quot;https://twitter.com/caseywurster/status/882977131810127873&quot;&gt;July 6, 2017&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt; id=882977131810127873 type=twitter}}

{{tncms-inline account=LiatKornowski html=&lt;blockquote class=&quot;twitter-tweet&quot;&gt;&lt;p lang=&quot;en&quot; dir=&quot;ltr&quot;&gt;How did I miss this momentous gem? Thanks, &lt;a href=&quot;https://twitter.com/Hustle_Says&quot;&gt;@Hustle_Says&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://t.co/8i7nu4yh6s&quot;&gt;https://t.co/8i7nu4yh6s&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&amp;mdash; Liat Kornowski (@LiatKornowski) &lt;a href=&quot;https://twitter.com/LiatKornowski/status/883055426115448836&quot;&gt;July 6, 2017&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt; id=883055426115448836 type=twitter}}

So, NPR is calling for revolution, tweeted D.G Davies (@JustEsrafel). Interesting way to condone the violence while trying to sound patriotic. Your implications are clear.

No, NPR was not trying to start a revolution, countered <a href=http://www.cnn.com/2017/07/05/us/npr-twitter-declaration-trnd/index.html target=_blank>CNNs Nancy Coleman</a>.

Neither were Wilson Elementary Schools first graders on July 3, when they led the <a href=http://www.loganutah.org/government/departments/parks_and_recreation/freedom_fire_independence_day_celebration_and_fireworks_show.php>Freedom Fire 2017</a> crowd at the USU Maverik Stadium in the <a href=http://www.ushistory.org/documents/pledge.htm target=_blank>Pledge of Allegiance</a> and then recited a modified version of the pledge explaining What the Pledge of Allegiance means to me.

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Social media, however, has been exploding since with implications otherwise. Alleging that educators at Wilson Elementary perhaps had ulterior motives in changing the Pledge of Allegiance, comments on Facebook spurred a contentious dialogue, with supporters and protestors of the students presentation clashing intensely.

This is extremely disturbing to me, Lane Patterson posted. Why are we changing something that has represented our great nation since its [sic] induction? Are you offended? Then you have the right to not recite it. As a combat veteran with multiple deployments under my belt I find this extremely disrespectful to those who gave their lives defending our freedomssuch a shame, so glad I wasnt there for it.

Offering an opposing view, Karrianne Harris wrote, I love that my three Wilson students have learned the meaning of the words of the pledge! They were taught the actual words and can recite it perfectly as it was written, and the additional wording was a perfect age appropriate way to help them learn the meaning.

Im ok with the dialogue, said Superintendent Frank Schofield, after the <a href=http://www.loganschools.org/>Logan City School District</a> published a <a href=https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=1923488804601228&id=1603501973266581 target=_blank>response</a> to the flurry on Facebook. I definitely understand if someone sincerely thought that our students or our staff were modifying the Pledge of AllianceI could definitely understand concerns. What people saw and what they heard the students recite in addition to the pledge is one of the teaching tools that we use. Its helping students understand the language of the Pledge of Allegiance using vocabulary thats more familiar to the students, thats perhaps in some cases easier to explain. Our teachers do that consciously because of how they understand how young minds learn and how they interact with new information.

Unacceptable reasoning, wrote Don Sleeper in response to the districts message. All you would needed to have done is have them watch or read a transcription of this

Sleeper was referencing a YouTube video explaining the Pledge of Allegiances meaning without altering its verbiage.

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Red Skeltons version is inspiring, Logan City School District replied. Our teachers have the same intent as they present teach our students about the pledge. The vocabulary in the Red Skelton version is somewhat beyond the grasp of most 6-7 year old children, especially those whose first language is not English. We are proud of the lessons in civics and patriotism our students are learning, and the work our teachers do in preparing them for life in our country.

<a href=http://history.usu.edu/faculty/faculty-directory/john-barton>John Barton</a>, principal lecturer in the Department of History at Utah State University, said as he analyzed both the NPR outcry and the Freedom Fire fiasco, his initial response to both controversies was the same.

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My immediate reaction is not any different than something I oft times try to lead my students into a discussion about, he said. Part of the problem really, truly is that we have a great deal of ignorance. And ignorance is not being rude, although thats happening too, but rather unknowledgeable. Few in this generation have read the Declaration of Independence in its complete formbut when we get to the Declaration of Independence, thats powerful. We should hear that. And we should not be so quick to display our own ignorance or even in a journalistic setting reward those that dont know what theyre talking about. I dont know whether we need to ridicule them or scorn them, but we should teach them.

{{tncms-inline account=sbiggers212 html=&lt;blockquote class=&quot;twitter-tweet&quot;&gt;&lt;p lang=&quot;en&quot; dir=&quot;ltr&quot;&gt;It is sad so many did not recognize this when it was tweeted ? &lt;a href=&quot;https://t.co/yloGQsClTC&quot;&gt;https://t.co/yloGQsClTC&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&amp;mdash; Stephanie Biggers (@sbiggers212) &lt;a href=&quot;https://twitter.com/sbiggers212/status/883074651307560963&quot;&gt;July 6, 2017&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt; id=883074651307560963 type=twitter}}

<p style=text-align: left;>Let me bounce to the children, Barton continued. I would have preferred a teacher to teach them the Pledge of Allegiance the way it was written and teach them what each word, what each phrase means. Even first graders can learn that. Its not beyond their capability. But should children be publicly scorned and ridiculed over an incident such as this? Is this todays critical thinking?

Schofield said he believes what may have spurred the debate after Freedom Fire is the result of a technical error during the presentation that occurred when the modified text of the Pledge of Allegiance was displayed too early on a big screen.

I think thats where some of the confusion came from, he said. It just got put up on the screen at the wrong timeso someone would have had to have been listening very carefully to hear what the students were saying and to understand what was going on. And granted, sometimes in a stadium that large, sometimes it can be difficult, especially when its a six-year-old speaking into a microphone. That can be tough.

Schofield said the Wilson Elementary first graders initially shared their Freedom Fire presentation during a patriotic program at their school in May without incident. He said there was no negative response from the community at that time, and his office hasnt actually received any phone calls or direct emails about what happened Monday evening. Its all been online.

Its easy for people to engage with social media, Schofield said. Youre not having to have a conversation with someone. Youre able to sit down and your computer and post a comment. I just think the ease of accessyou can do it from anywhere you want at any timemakes that an attractive venue for people to express their thoughts. I think where we go from here is we continue to try to ensure that our parents and our parent community understands what we do at school and the reasons why.

Barton agrees that building understanding is key, but says it can be difficult in todays political environment.

Back in the 1950s, Orson Wells read from his new novel The War of the Worlds and people went into a hysteria fearing that we were under attack from outer space, he said. This reminds me of that in some degree. I find our society today extraordinarily prickly, easily offended, quick to point the finger instead of taking the high road and trying to see what people meant by what they said and what they did.

I think the takeaway isfirst with just those sweet little kids, he continued. For crying out loud, dont try to prove yourself so eloquent, so critical in your analysis that you overlook what was trying to be achieved. This nation is amazing. Is it faultless? No. Are people all living up to the standards set? No. In fact, every one of us to some degree falter in that, but well get a lot further by pulling together than we will by tearing each other apart. Abraham Lincoln said that if this nation is ever to be destroyed, it wont come from without. It will come from within, and I believe that is prophetic.

<hr />

jennifer@cvradio.com
CACHE COUNTY  Shes been retired for only a week, but Kristine Johnson said she already misses her job as director of the Cache County Senior Citizen program, one she has held over the past eight years.

Johnson has high praise for the countys program and said those who come to the <a href=https://www.cachecounty.org/senior/>Senior Citizen Center</a> for meals and/or other activities seem to be healthier and happier as well. She is especially pleased with the <a href=https://www.cachecounty.org/senior/meals-on-wheels.html>Meals on Wheels</a> program where volunteers take meals to the homes of senior citizens who are homebound or recovering from an illness.

The nice thing about it is it gives them an opportunity to get the nutrition to be able to be healthy, Johnson said, and the other thing, the important part of Meals on Wheels is for our drivers, our volunteers, to be able to check (on) that person, to make sure that they havent fallen and that theyre healthy and theyre ok. And if there is a problem, those calls come back to the center immediately and then we respond to the emergency numbers or to EMS to be able to help that client.

Johnson and her replacement, Giselle Madrid, were guests on KVNUs For the People program on Thursday, July 6. A podcast of the interview is available at <a href=http://610kvnu.com/podcaster/kvnu-for-the-people>610KVNU.com</a>.
The Flagstaff City Council gave the go-ahead to begin work on an agreement with the Arizona Department of Transportation to widen and lengthen the Fourth Street overpass of I-40 at its meeting Wednesday night.

The bridge project is expected to cost about $9 million -- $1 million for design and $8 million for actual construction, Community Development Director Mark Landsiedel said. The city has decided to take on $5 million of the expense, with ADOT to fund the other $4 million.

The citys portion of the cost, should the council and ADOT come to a consensus on an intergovernmental agreement, would be funded through the citys transportation tax. When the tax was approved, there were four major projects that were included, and the Fourth Street overpass of I-40 was one of the major parts, he said.

Landsiedel said the city has previously applied for a Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant for the project, but has not yet been chosen to receive one. However, a partnership with ADOT on the project might improve the citys chances with the grant, he said.

ADOT has said the portion of Interstate 40 beneath the existing bridge will eventually need to be widened to six lanes, Landsiedel said. Lengthening the bridge before the freeway is widened would work in the departments favor and prevent future reconstruction of Fourth Street.

In April, Flagstaff city Manager Josh Copley sent a letter to the Arizona State Transportation Board proposing the partnership. In the letter, Copley noted that the state was preparing to spend $1.8 million to repair the bridge, and said the partnership could save money on repairs by replacing and widening the bridge.

In the letter, Copley said the bridge creates a bottleneck when Fourth Street goes from five lanes down to two, which creates a dangerous situation for drivers trying to merge.

The bridge has no accommodations for pedestrians and bicyclists, Copley wrote. Students from nearby schools continue to utilize the bridge despite the absence of sidewalks and bike lanes. Conditions are bad and will get worse.

In June, the council approved the budget, which included the $5 million that would be used for this project. Landsiedel said the city and ADOT would also split the cost of the design, but said the city had enough money in fund balance to front the money to ADOT for the design, then receive credit for that money toward the actual construction cost.

The city is asking the state to have the design work on the bridge begin in 2018 and have actual construction begin by 2020, Landsiedel said.

Councilman Scott Overton said he was glad to see the project make progress after being discussed for years, and he was ready to see the bridge construction get moving.

Landsiedel said the next step in the process will be working with ADOT staff to create an intergovernmental agreement solidifying the details of the project, and he hoped to have it back to the council in the fall for consideration.
BELGIQUE :: The Cameroonian in Belgium

One cannot with certainty, determine how many Cameroonians live in Belgium, but one can easily determine how diversified they are. They particularly identify themselves in separate groups. Those who have been in Belgium for a long while flock together, students exist in their own capacity, while Asylum seekers are identified separately and finally Francophone and Anglophone speakers Cameroonians, group according to their lingua franca.

Even among the French speakers, the SAWAs group up as one, while the BAMELIKEs flock together. With the English speaking Cameroonians, the ABAKWAs, MANYUs, NGEMBAs just to name a few have their own groupings. This spirit of disunity is the order of the day among us.

The Black community as a whole is prone to this weak tendency and in this diversity they are very vulnerable. This explains why the Belgian Police can easily ridicule

the blacks, because they are aware of this unfortunate weakness amongst us. Take the Moroccans as an example; they are a people whom one may easily take as members of the same family. A Moroccan does not need to know another to be ready to die for in case of trouble. They are so united that the administration of this Country is aware of and treat them with a lot of care and respect. They commit all sorts of atrocities, but how many of them do we often hear is repatriated? How many of them have been killed in an attempt to be forced into a plane? How many of them are in Close Centres-The disguised prison for the sans papiers Why dont we ask ourselves theses questions? The answer is simple:

SOLIDARITY. A word that is lacking in the Cameroonian dictionary.

How many truckloads of Policemen are needed to go to Molenbeek, St Gilles, Anderlecht etc to arrest one Moroccan .The whole Moroccan population will come out and that will be the

end of the story, or the Police will not even bother at all in case of a security crises in any of the above localities. But with us, one Policeman is capable of arresting ten Cameroonians, who might have committed no offence and the rest will be contented spectators. Why can we not copy this Moroccan example and live like one, united and strong.

As if this is not enough, there are at least four Cameroonian Associations in Belgium; notably the Cameroonian Association in Antwerp, Bruggs, Mons, Liege, Brussels etc. Are these branches of an existing or separate Association? They seem to exist like people from different Countries. What a people. Why cant there be a single Cameroonian union like the Nigerian union where all Cameroonians are registered. This disunity is typical even back at home and some unscrupulous Cameroonians take advantage to steal taxpayers money in various ways.

Most Nigerians, Congolese, Ghanaians to name but a few other African countries, live like sons of the same father and are prepared to die for one another but never the Cameroonian.

When any of the above-mentioned nationals gets a job, before long the whole place will be filled with their folks, but for the Cameroonian, he would rather make sure that non of his fellow countrymen has access to that area. He must be the only one who works and earns money so that the rest should call him Grand the only eye among the blind. You can hardly see a jobless Nigerian or Ghanaian, but you can just simple count the number of Cameroonians who work. Where vacancies do exist in their places of work, a Cameroonian can hardly divulge this information to a fellow Cameroonian but would rather to an outsider. What a shame.

Where Cameroonians excel in generosity is in drinking, especially in the company of ladies, a tradition imported from home. They distribute drinks to friend and abuse them in front of the ladies. It does not end here, where two or more Cameroonians meet to drink, gossip is the order of the day. Cameroonians in Belgium rejoice in the failure of a fellow Cameroonian, for example the lose of a job or a negative response from the office de sejour 

We envy the progress of others and look for ways and means to drag our progressing brother into the slime of failure. What a people. When a Cameroonian discovers a compatriot working in a place where services are rendered for money, he will want these services free as if his compatriot owns the place, calling him all placating names .

My dear Countrymen, lets try to be one. We know that united we stand and divided we fall. Lets try to help one another in times of need for we know how difficult it is to survive out Here.
| BY Ricki Green |

All across Australia, millennials are playing hide and seek with each other every single day. Housemates are hiding in their bedrooms, workmates are ducking into the toilets, and friends are avoiding replying to texts. Why? Because of the tiny debts that turn into a big deal when avoided.

To combat this, PayPal Australia via Isobar, has launched an integrated marketing campaign encouraging millennials to skip this awkwardness and better manage their finances. Because heres the thing: the PayPal app makes paying your housemates, workmates and friends back as easy as paying with PayPal.

Developed by Isobar, the campaign was inspired by the insight that millennials are looking for new ways to pay to avoid the awkwardness of having to chase money or swap bank details in social settings.

PayPals P2P function within the PayPal smartphone app addresses this by offering a three-step transfer process  less steps than a bank transfer  to transfer money to friends of family. All you need is their email address or mobile number to transfer funds instantly.

Says Liz Lefort, head of consumer marketing at PayPal Australia: 84% of Australians feel awkward or stingy asking their friends to pay them back and our number one excuse for not paying our friends back is that we have no cash.

Drawn from PayPals owned customer data and consumer research, the digitally-led campaign will run from 30 May until 31 August. Including social content across Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat, digital above-the-line, PR, media partnerships and influencer engagement, this is the first time PayPal has specifically targeted the millennial consumer in the Australian market.

Says Lefort: The millennial audience is an important group for us, theyre mobile savvy and are looking to find easier ways to manage their money. We are excited to put together a campaign that speaks to this audience in the channels they interact with on a daily basis.

PayPal is kick-starting the pay-back by putting their money where their mouth is, transferring the cost of a coffee to 3,000 active millennial PayPal users to encourage them to pay back their mate for the coffees they owe. This is accompanied by Facebook specific video content highlighting the awkward money moments millennials face every day. PayPal is also collaborating with Snapchat for the first time to take avoiding the awkward moments to the next (filtered) level to reach the millennial audience.

Says Lefort: At PayPal, we want to help Aussies avoid the awkward and to simplify the payback process. With the PayPal app all you need is an email address or mobile number to instantly send money you owe  details you probably already have and details your friends can easily and safely share.

Avoid the awkward and just PayPal it.

Client: PayPal Australia

Digital and Social Media: Isobar Australia

Media: Vizeum and iProspect
Thursday, July 6, 2017 at 8:07PM

Motorola just sent invites to the US media about a press event happening in New York City on July 25th. Its expected that the recently leaked Moto Z2 Force and Moto X4 will be revealed at the event. There might also be a new set of Moto Mods coming, including the 360-degree camera Mod. Motorola has been aggressively pushing new products, the Z2 Play is its newest entry into the Canadian market.

Source: Android Central
Thursday, July 6, 2017 at 11:57PM

Jawbone as we know it now will cease to exist. Reports have surfaced online that its CEO and co-founder Hosain Rahman has moved on from the company and is liquidating the business assets. Rahman has supposedly moved on to put up Jawbone Health Hub, a company that focuses on health-related hardware and software services. A lot of the Jawbones employees have reportedly joined Rahman in the new company. Android Authority reports that current Jawbone products, like its fitness trackers, will be serviced by Jawbone Health Hub.

The maker of Bluetooth speakers, earpieces, and fitness trackers has been having some trouble for a while now. Back in 2015, they laid off 60 employees, which is 15 percent of its workforce. The company was later on said to have stopped production of its UP fitness trackers and sold its remaining inventory to a third-party company. While the continued to insist that they were dedicated to the wearable market, in February 2017, it was being reported that Jawbone was leaving the industry to focus on medical services. And thats where we find ourselves now. Jawbone isn't commenting about the reports.
After a three-day manhunt, the search for a man who shot at a Forest Service officer after an alleged involvement in eight fires in Forest Lakes is winding down.

Coconino County Sheriffs officials chose to scale down their search on Wednesday night after air and ground crews from multiple law enforcement departments could find no evidence that the man was in the area.

We evaluated our situation scaled back our operation because we had zero contact with this guy, Coconino County Sheriffs PIO John Paxton said. We were using a lot of resources to find this guy and at some point you have to rethink your tactics because ours were not working.

By Thursday morning 10 law enforcement officers were in Forest Lakes, a large number for the small unincorporated town, but a far cry from the 100 officers ranging from Department of Public Safety SWAT teams and FBI agents roaming the woods on Tuesday.

Coconino County Sheriffs Office Lt. Jim Coffey said his team had received a number of phone calls about potential sightings of the suspect as far away as Page.

We are receiving a number of phone calls with information about the suspect, Coffey said. We are investigating every lead.

The sheriffs office has also received a number of calls inquiring about the safety of the area to which Coffey said he could not guarantee the safety of hikers and campers at this time, although a chance encounter is unlikely.

The Canyon Point Campground has been reopened.

The size of the search area makes it difficult for law enforcement to find their target since the area now spans most of northern Arizona.
Already drawing a devoted following across Instagram and Facebook, Toasted will also have its own app, allowing people to order their lightly crisped bread en route to Braddon and simply walk in and pick it up.
"We all seek a greater democratisation within the party and for ways to better engage our membership," he said. "It makes sense to have the preselection as soon as practicable so the successful candidate can start taking the fight to Mike Kelly and Bill Shorten."
"In total numbers of our clients for those in community-based treatment services, alcohol is still by far the biggest issue in the community, but methamphetamine has overtaken cannabis and heroin in our rehabilitation service, really because they have both dropped," she said.
PLEASE NOTE!

Due to the March 23, 2020 NM DOH Public Health Order, These Event Listings Are Not Accurate!

All non-essential businesses are closed, public gatherings are prohibited!

(One day some of these events will be rescheduled or will resume, but they are not happening now!)
Our Promise: Welcome to Care2, the world's largest community for good. Here, you'll find over 45 million like-minded people working towards progress, kindness, and lasting impact.

Care2 Stands Against: bigots, racists, bullies, science deniers, misogynists, gun lobbyists, xenophobes, the willfully ignorant, animal abusers, frackers, and other mean people. If you find yourself aligning with any of those folks, you can move along, nothing to see here.

Care2 Stands With: humanitarians, animal lovers, feminists, rabble-rousers, nature-buffs, creatives, the naturally curious, and people who really love to do the right thing.

You are our people. You Care. We Care2.
Delhi High Court on Thursday ordered the Central Board of Secondary Education to lift all the restrictions in re-evaluation of class 12 exam papers and conduct fair and equal re-evaluation of exam papers for all the students who sought it.

A division bench of acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C. Hari Shankar lifted all conditions imposed by the CBSE on students looking to get their answer-sheets re-evaluated.

What were the limitations in CBSE Re-evaluation process earlier?

CBSE did not re-evaluate, rather re-totalled the marks

Later, the court ordered re-evaluation to be done and yet the number of subjects were limited to just 12 subjects -- English Core, English Elective (CBSE), English Elective (NCERT), Hindi Core, Hindi Elective, Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Business Studies, Economics and Accountancy

The number of questions for re-evaluation was restricted to 10

What is the court order on CBSE Class 12 Re-evaluation?

The bench said its order should be made applicable to all students and not just those who had approached the court. "It cannot be denied that grave and irreparable loss and damage would ensure to the petitioners so far as their admissions to colleges and universities are concerned. The balance of convenience is also in favour of the petitioners," the court observed.

CBSE Defends Incorrect Evaluation of Class 12 Exam Results

Why was the petition against CBSE raised?

The court order came after four students challenged the board's June 28 notice that contained the limitations in re-evaluation. The petitioner students had moved the court seeking re-evaluation in subjects which were not among the 12 subject mentioned in the notice.

Even though on June 23, the board had assured the high court that it would entertain all applications of students who felt that their answer sheets were not correctly evaluated, the CBSE uploaded the June 28 notice with restrictions.

The court also issued notices to the Centre, CBSE and the Delhi University on the plea and sought their replies within 10 days. The matter has now been fixed for further hearing on July 26.

Delhi High Court Censures CBSE for Scrapping Re-Evaluation of Board Exam Papers
The results for the Police Constable, Jail Wardens and Firemen recruitment exam have been released by the Tamil Nadu Uniformed Services Recruitment Board (TNUSRB). Candidates who had written the exam can now check it out online.

How many candidates appeared for TNUSRB Recruitment 2017?

TNUSRB Recruitment 2017 that was conducted for hiring police constables, jail wardens and firemen posts, saw more than 5 lakh candidates appeared.

What does the TNUSRB official notification say?

'Candidates called for next stage can download call letter from the official website from 12.07.17 onwards by logging in with their Enrolment Number and date of birth. Their marks will not be disclosed.'

Dates to recall

TNUSRB conducted common recruitment exam for selecting candidates to the posts of Police Constables, Jail Wardens and Firemen recruitment exam on 21 May 2017 in various centres across the state.

The TNUSRB recruitment Board had begun the registration for Police Constables, Jail Wardens and Firemen Exam on 23 January 2017.

Applications for the posts were accepted till 22 February 2017

Eligibility

Matriculates were eligible to apply for the post. The maximum age limit was set to 24 years (it was higher for candidates belonging to reserved categories).

TNUSRB Answer Keys

After receiving the results, in case, candidates have any doubts in the marks awarded, they can check the TNUSRB answer keys from the official websites tnusrbonline.org.

TNUSRB Answer Keys Released for the Recruitment Exam: View Now!

Exam pattern

The written exam for the TNUSRB police constables, wardens and firemen comprised of questions from general knowledge, psychology.

Where to find TNUSRB Recruitment 2017 results?

Candidates can check the TNUSRB Recruitment 2017 results from the TNUSRB official website.

How to check TNUSRB Recruitment 2017 results?

In order to check TNUSRB Recruitment 2017 results, candidates can follow the steps given here:
Volvo has teamed up with three-time Pulitzer-winning photographer Barbara Davidson to create the worlds first photo collection using a car, in this case the XC60s onboard safety cameras.



Davidson shot around 30 photographs through the lenses of the safety cameras, capturing life on the streets of Copenhagen from a new perspective.

This special collection is currently exhibited at Canvas Studios gallery in London, with the exhibition set to visit more countries within the year.

The collection does two things. Firstly, it is a snapshot of European city life in all its glory; secondly, it also highlights the complex environments that we live in. It is thanks to the cameras and other on-board sensors that cars such as the Volvo XC60 make modern city life safer for pedestrians and other road users, said Davidson. With this project we connect art and safety for people to see the benefits of this technology.

Barbara Davidson is a former staff photographer for the Los Angeles Times and has won three times the Pulitzer Prize and an Emmy award.

I have a very personal connection with Volvo Cars. When I was a teenager, I was involved in a serious road accident where the car flipped over which, in normal circumstances, would probably have proven fatal. I was told later that I had survived because of the car I had been travelling in  a Volvo, said Davidson.

As for the new XC60, Volvo is launching it with three new safety features that assist the driver by steering the car when needed. The City Safety range of systems now includes Steer Assist which is used by Oncoming Lane Mitigation and Blind Spot Information to help make the new Swedish SUV one of the safest models in its class.

PHOTO GALLERY

VIDEO
Twelve Porsche vehicles have been set ablaze and destroyed at a company dealership in Hamburg, Germany in the midst of protests against the ongoing G20 summit.



Local media reports that the vehicles were set alight in the citys Eidelstedt district shortly before 4 am, before fire crews responded and extinguished the inferno at around 6 am.

Images from the scene show that among the vehicles destroyed by the fire were a handful of 911s, a Boxster and at least one Macan. The damage sustained to the vehicles varies but it seems obvious that all twelve will be sent straight to the scrapyard.

Authorities are currently investigating the fires and the Associated Press has suggested that the incident could in fact be tied to the aforementioned G20 summit protests.

VIDEO
Photo: Google Maps RCMP reported an attempted child abduction on a rural property in Malakwa.

A man has tried to abduct a three-year-old child in Malakwa, near Sicamous.

RCMP were called to a rural residence on the 4000 block of Malakwa Road Thursday morning after the mother of the child spotted a male trying to lure the youngster into a vehicle using a small dog or a puppy.

Police do not say if the child was a girl or a boy.

The mother heard yelling and when she looked, she observed a male standing approximately 10 feet from the child, with what appeared to be a small dog or puppy, said Cpl. Janelle Shoihet, RCMP spokesperson. The mother called the child to her, while the male scooped up the dog, boarded a late model Lincoln sedan and departed.

The suspect is described as a Caucasian male between 40-45 years of age with short, thinning blond hair and of average height and build.

The vehicle is described as a four-door, late model black Lincoln, similar to a MKZ, bearing a B.C. licence plate.

The small dog with the suspect was tan and white in colour.

Anyone with information about the incident, or who saw the event, is asked to contact the Sicamous RCMP at 250-836-2878 and cite file 2017-869.
Photo: The Canadian Press Proud Boys founder Gavin McInnes is surrounded by supporters after speaking at a rally.

Until this week, few Canadians had heard of the Proud Boys. That changed on Canada Day, when five young men in matching black polo shirts disrupted an aboriginal ceremony in Halifax.

That brief, 10-minute confrontation has put the military career of each man in doubt  and it has shone a spotlight on a retrograde group that sprung up last year amid the rise of Donald Trump and the many in-your-face, far-right groups that support him.

Will Sommer, a journalist in Washington, D.C., who has followed the small movement, said the group was founded in the U.S. by Gavin McInnes, a Canadian who helped establish Vice Media and is now an outspoken political pundit with an internet talk show and regular stints on Fox News and Canada's Rebel Media website.

McInnes has been eager to speak to reporters about the ugly Canada Day incident, saying he plans to travel to Halifax to present military officials with an online petition that describes what happened as a witch hunt.

"He has made a second career as a right-wing provocateur ... or prankster," said Sommer, a journalist with The Hill, who also produces an online newsletter about conservative media.

"They are definitely worth keeping an eye on. They tell themselves it's like the Elks Lodge or the Knights of Columbus, but there's this political element, and the prankishness has allowed them to say they're just kidding around ... There is a violent aspect to it, though they say it's all in self-defence."

The group's public Facebook page has about 10,000 followers.

However, becoming a Proud Boy involves more than just signing up online. As part of the group's odd initiation ceremony, prospective members declare, "I am a Western chauvinist who refuses to apologize for creating the modern world." Existing members then pummel the recruit as they try recite the names of five breakfast cereals.
The liturgical life of the Catholic Church revolves around the Eucharistic sacrifice and the sacraments. There are seven sacraments in the Church: Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Penance, Anointing of the Sick, Matrimony, and Holy Orders.

The purpose of the sacraments is to make people holy, to build up the body of Christ, and finally, to give worship to God; but being signs, they also have a teaching function. They not only presuppose faith, but by words and object, they also nourish, strengthen, and express it; that is why they are called "sacraments of faith." The sacraments impart grace, but, in addition, the very act of celebrating them disposes the faithful most effectively to receive this grace in a fruitful manner, to worship God rightly, and to practice charity.

Worship is integral to our lives as Christians. When we engage in the prayer and ritual of the Church, we are formed as Church. Our sacramental rites are of primary importance while we are gathered.

The history of human salvation is the history of the way God came to men. The first step on this way was the bridging of the gulf separating God and man in the person of the one Mediator Jesus Christ and by his work of redemption. By means of his Church Christ makes his grace available to all. Only in this application of redemption to mankind is the redemptive action of Christ completed. The doctrine of the sacraments is the doctrine of the second part of God's way of salvation to us. It deals with the holy signs which Christ instituted as the vehicles of his grace.

The great mystery of the union in Christ of a human nature with the second Person of the Godhead is that the human actions and sufferings of Christ are divine actions and sufferings. The sacraments are a living continuation of this mystery. There are earthly, external signs here which, of themselves, could never acquire any supernatural significance, but the signs of the sacraments have been made by Christ into vehicles of his grace. They effect in men the grace for which Christ made them the sign.

So there are two fundamental ideas which constantly recur in the Church's teaching, on the sacraments. First there is the Church's concern for these instituted by Christ, their number, and their proper preservation and administration; then the grace which Christ has for all time linked with these signs and which is communicated by them.

The second is the effect of the sacraments. They are the signs of Christ's work; the effectiveness of Christ's continuing work in his Church cannot be dependent on man's inadequacy. A sacrament, administered properly in the way established by Christ and with the proper intention, gives the grace it signifies. It is effective not by reason of the power of intercession of priestly prayer nor on account of the worthiness of the recipient, but solely by the power of Christ. The power of Christ lives in the sacraments. The effect of the sacrament is independent of the sinfulness or unworthiness of the minister. The Church has never tolerated any subjective qualification of the objective effectiveness of the sacraments ex opere operato. This would ultimately be to conceive the way of salvation as being man's way to God and not God's way to man.

The Church Thus Teaches: There are seven sacraments. They were instituted by Christ and given to the Church to administer. They are necessary for salvation. The sacraments are the vehicles of grace which they convey. They are validly administered by the carrying out of the sign with the proper intention. Not all are equally qualified to administer all the sacraments. The validity of the sacrament is independent of the worthiness of the minister. Three sacraments imprint an indelible character.

Sacramentals are instituted by the Church and are effective by virtue of the Church's intercession. Institution and alteration of them is reserved to the Holy See.

Although it is not a sacrament, Christian Burial will be addressed in this section.

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Baptism

Baptism, the first and fundamental sacrament and the gate to the other sacraments, is the purifying and sanctifying sacrament of rebirth. It is the means by which its recipients are incorporated into the church in a sacramental bond of unity.

Confirmation

By a signing with the gift of the Spirit, confirmation enriches the baptized with the Holy Spirit, binding them more perfectly to the Church, and strengthening them in their witness to Christ by word and deed and in their work to bring to its fullness the Body of Christ. Confirmation is conferred through anointing with chrism and the laying on of hands.

Eucharist

The Eucharist is the most august sacrament, in which Christ himself is contained, offered and received, and by which the Church constantly lives and grows. The Eucharistic Sacrifice, the memorial of the death and resurrection of the Lord, in which the sacrifice of the cross is perpetuated over the centuries, is the summit and source of all Christian life and worship; it signifies and effects the unity of the people of God and achieves the building up of the Body of Christ.

As children reach the age of reason, generally around age seven, the Church extends to them an invitation to celebrate the sacrament of Eucharist. The initiation into the Christian community that took place at baptism is further extended by inviting children to enter fully into the heart of Christian faith through participation in the Eucharist.

Penance

Through penance, the faithful receive pardon through God's mercy for the sins they have committed. At the same time, they are reconciled with the Church community. The confession, or disclosure, of sins frees us and facilitates our reconciliation with others.

Anointing of the Sick

Through the sacrament of anointing, Christ strengthens the faithful who are afflicted by illness, providing them with the strongest means of support. Jesus showed great concern for the bodily and spiritual welfare of the sick and commanded his followers to do the same. The celebration of this sacrament is an opportunity for the deepening of the faith of the community who are able to witness the faith and devotion of those being anointed.

Marriage

The Church has a rich tradition in its teaching on sacramental marriage and covenantal union. The Old Testament authors write of God making a covenant with the chosen people and promising them that they will never be forsaken. The New Testament authors write of Jesus as the new covenant and compare the relationship of Jesus with the Church to the relationship of a husband and wife. The matrimonial covenant, by which a man and a woman establish between themselves a partnership for the whole of life, is by its nature ordered toward the good of the spouses and the procreation and education of offspring.

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Holy Orders

Holy Orders is the sacrament by which bishops, priests and deacons are ordained and receive the power and grace to perform their sacred duties. The sacred rite by which orders are conferred is called ordination. The apostles were ordained by Jesus at the Last Supper so that others could share in his priesthood.

Christian Burial

The Church asks spiritual assistance for the departed, honors their bodies, and at the same time brings solace of hope to the living. The celebration of the Christian funeral brings hope and consolation to the living. While proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ and witnessing to the Christian hope in the resurrection, the funeral rites also recall to all who take part in them God's mercy and judgement and meet the human need to turn always to God in times of crisis.

Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults

The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults includes the celebration of the sacraments of baptism, confirmation and Eucharist, but also all of the rites of the catechumenate. The initiation of adults is a gradual process that takes place within the community of the faithful.

Together with the catechumens, the faithful reflect upon the value of the paschal mystery, renew their own conversion, and by their example lead the catechumens to obey the Holy Spirit more generously.
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A Roundup man, who authorities have called the AK-47 bandit and is suspected in at least six bank robberies around the county, has been indicted on federal crimes in Washington.

A grand jury indictment filed in U.S. District Court in Seattle charges Richard Lee Gathercole, 39, with bank robbery and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. A bench warrant also was issued for Gathercole's arrest. An arraignment date has not yet been set.

The indictment accuses Gathercole of robbing Chase Bank in North Bend, Washington, of about $15,000 on July 6, 2012 and brandishing an Inter-Ordinance Inc., AK-47G 7.62x39mm semi-automatic rifle during the crime.

The federal charges come exactly five years after the North Bend bank hold up.

Gathercole is being held in Lexington, Nebraska, where he is accused of stealing a truck and guns and firing on a Kansas state trooper who was attempting to pull him over in a traffic stop last month.

Authorities believe Gathercole is the man they call the AK-47 bandit who has held up at least six banks since 2012 in California, Washington, Idaho, Nebraska and Iowa. The suspect typically wore a mask with only his nose and eyes showing and carried an AK-47 with a drum magazine.

In June, the FBI found bomb-making materials, seven guns and ammunition during a search of Gathercole's home in Roundup.

Travis Burrows, the FBIs senior supervisory resident agent in Billings, said earlier that a total of seven explosives were found in Gathercoles home and that a bomb squad detonated them all.

An inventory of items seized in the search included computers, books and other documents. Agents also found sheriffs badges and patches, a sheriffs vest, an ammunition vest, a military style helmet, and organic chemistry book and material to make identification badges.

Gathercole pleaded not guilty on June 15 in Musselshell County Justice Court to driving while under the influence and other charges after getting arrested on June 14 on U.S. Highway 87. He was released after posting bail.

Gathercole was then arrested on June 20 in Nebraska, while in possession of the stolen vehicle that was linked to a shooting incident in Kansas. Gathercole is facing charges in Nebraska related to the shooting and to thefts.

A jailhouse phone call transcript showed that Gathercole asked a relative to clear his Montana residence of guns. The transcript of the call was submitted to a judge by federal officials seeing a search warrant for the Roundup residence.

And in California, San Bernardino County prosecutors said they planned to charge Gathercole with attempted murder of a peace officer for the shooting of a Chino police officer during a 2012 bank robbery.
A Crow Agency woman accused of being drunk when she drove the wrong way on Interstate 90 last year and crashed into a bridge, injuring her passenger, admitted to federal assault charges on Thursday.

Appearing in Billings before U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy Cavan, Violet Joann Agnes Birdinground, 23, pleaded guilty to assault resulting in serious injury for the Sept. 24 crash. There was no plea agreement.

Officers responding to the crash found the victim, identified in court records as D.W., slumped over in the back seat with a gash on his head and a nose injury. The victim had emergency surgery for a severe compound skull fracture. He also suffered multiple scalp lacerations along with facial and orbital fractures.

Assistant U.S. Attorney John Sullivan said Bureau of Indian Affairs officers responded to a 7:30 a.m. call of a driver, later identified as Birdinground, going the wrong way on I-90 headed from Garryowen to Crow Agency on the Crow Reservation.

One of the officers activated her emergency lights and siren and tried to stop Birdinground by driving on the opposite side of the interstate, keeping pace with Birdinground. When that failed, the officer crossed to the wrong side of the interstate but lost sight of the vehicle because of rainy and cloudy conditions. The officer then saw Birdinground crash into a bridge, Sullivan said.

The officer found Birdinground slumped over in the drivers seat and the victim in the back seat.

A blood test determined that Birdingrounds blood-alcohol concentration was .164 percent, which is twice the legal limit of .08 percent.

In an interview two days later, Birdinground said she had no memory of the crash but admitted to drinking, Sullivan said. Officers also photographed a red gash on the left side of Birdingrounds neck from her seatbelt, he said.

Birdinground faces a maximum 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Cavan said he would recommend that U.S. District Judge Susan Watters accept Birdingrounds plea. Watters will set a sentencing date.

Cavan also ordered Birdinground, who had been released, into custody pending sentencing.
SALT LAKE CITY  A Utah man was sentenced to life in prison Thursday after pleading guilty to the latest charges filed in a stunning string of crimes that included the slaying of a train worker and the kidnapping of a mother and her daughters.

Dereck James "DJ" Harrison, 23, acknowledged he helped his father carjack train worker Kay Ricks, 63. Harrison pleaded guilty to carjacking and kidnapping charges that could have carried the possibility of the death penalty, but prosecutors agreed not to seek capital punishment in exchange for the pleas.

His grandmother Marlene Brown said in court that drugs made the father and son into different people.

"Dereck is a really great kid that got caught up in a horrible crime that someone who should have protected him filled him with drugs instead," she said.

Dereck Harrison has already been sentenced to life in prison in Wyoming, where Ricks was killed. Prosecutors said the new charges addressed the carjacking and ensured that he wouldn't ever be released from prison.

An emotional spokesman for the Ricks family said they're grateful for the plea, and it's "settling" to know the case is winding down.

"It just gets tough every time," Richard Massey said. "It's another life too short taken away."

The chain of events started in May 2016 when Harrison and his father invited a woman and her four teenage daughters to a barbecue at a house in a Salt Lake City suburb, then restrained them in a basement and beat them before they escaped, police said.

The Harrisons had been using methamphetamine for days and wrongly thought the mother had reported them to police, authorities said. The men were accused of planning the kidnapping and setting out zip ties, duct tape and a bag to put on the mother's head.

After the family escaped, the Harrisons went on the run. They snatched Ricks from a light-rail station in Salt Lake City while he was working and drove north toward the Wyoming town where father Flint Harrison had been living, authorities said.

Ricks was killed on the way to a remote hideout near where they were arrested after Flint Harrison surrendered.

The elder Harrison later killed himself in a Utah jail last year.

His son pleaded guilty to aggravated kidnapping charges in Utah and was sentenced to at least 30 years and up to life in prison. Dereck Harrison was then sent to Wyoming, where he avoided the death penalty by pleading guilty to a murder charge. He said Flint Harrison killed Ricks, but he didn't stop his father.

Dereck Harrison is serving his Utah prison time on the kidnapping charges first, and is expected to be moved to Wyoming afterward.
TABQA, Syria  When Donald Trump meets Vladimir Putin Friday in Hamburg, Germany, the two presidents should have in the back of their minds the insignia worn by the Syrian Democratic Forces militia, which is America's main ally here. The patch shows a map of Syria bisected by the sharp blue line of the Euphrates River.

The Euphrates marks the informal "deconfliction" line between the Russian-backed Syrian regime west of the river, and the U.S.-backed and Kurdish-led SDF to the east. In the past several weeks, the two powers negotiated a useful adjustment of the line  creating a roughly 80-mile arc that stretches south, from near this battlefront city on Lake Assad, to a town called Karama on the Euphrates.

U.S.-Russian agreement on this buffer zone is a promising sign. It allows, in effect, for the U.S. and its allies to clear the Islamic State's capital of Raqqa, while Russia and the Syrian regime take the city of Deir ez-Zor, to the southeast. The line keeps the combatants focused on the Islamic State, rather than sparring with each other.

What Trump and Putin should discuss at the G-20 summit is whether this recent agreement on this separation line is a model for wider U.S.-Russian cooperation in Syria. This broader effort would seek to defeat ISIS, stabilize a battered, fragmented Syria and, eventually, discuss a political future. But is it practical?

Russian-American cooperation on Syria faces a huge obstacle right now. It would legitimize a Russian regime that invaded Ukraine and meddled in U.S. and European elections, in addition to its intervention in Syria. Putin's very name is toxic in Congress and the U.S. media these days, and Trump is blasted for even considering compromise.

Against these negatives, there's only one positive argument: Working with Russia may be the only way to reduce the level of violence in Syria and to create a foundation for a calmer, more decentralized nation that can eventually recover from its tragic war.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Defense Secretary James Mattis are said to favor exploring options with Russia. But there's a contrary view among some hawkish National Security Council staffers and members of Congress. They argue that working with Russia will empower its allies, Iran and the Syrian regime of President Bashar Assad, and give what amounts to a green light for their future role in Syria.

An extreme version of this view argues that the U.S. should mount a military campaign to block Iran and its Shiite militia allies in Iraq and Syria from obtaining a corridor across southeast Syria that would link Iran to Lebanon. This militant stance ignores two practical points: Iran already has such a corridor, but it doesn't stop the U.S. or Israel from attacking dangerous arms shipments; and an assault on Shiite militias might draw the U.S. into a long, costly war that could spread across the Middle East.

A crisis arose last month when several Syrian tanks pushed north of what U.S. commanders believed was the informal line of separation. When this small Syrian force was backed by a Syrian SU-22 fighter jet, the U.S. shot down the plane. The Russians announced that they were suspending contacts, and "for a few hours, it looked pretty hairy," recalls one U.S. official. But the Russians quietly resumed talking, and by late June, the two sides had agreed on the formal arc, with precisely delineated coordinates.

Similar U.S.-Russian cooperation has been calming tensions the past few weeks in southwest Syria. Those talks have been backed by Israel and Jordan, which border the zone. That, too, is a potential model for how de-escalation can work.

Cooperating with the Russians in Syria would be distasteful, given their past actions. But spurning them would keep this volatile country at the flashpoint and almost certainly make things worse rather than better for all sides.
Governor Bill Haslam Friday officially opened the Tennessee Volunteer ChalleNGe Academy, an alternative residential program operated by the Tennessee National Guard that offers youth between ages 16-18 who have dropped out of school a chance to earn a high school equivalency diploma outside of a traditional school setting.The academy is housed at the site of the former Woodland Hills Youth Development Center in Nashville where Governor Haslam was joined by Deputy Governor Jim Henry and Major General Max Haston for a ribbon cutting ceremony.The first class of approximately 100 cadets is set to begin July 9.This is an innovative approach to help teens who may be headed down the wrong path change the trajectory of their lives. It sets them up for success by helping them earn high school diplomas and making them eligible for Tennessee Promise, which is right in line with our Drive to 55 goals, Governor Haslam said. Its a great example of the departments of Military and Childrens Services collaborating in an inventive way to serve young Tennesseans.The program is voluntary and open to youth with no criminal record. It consists of a 22-week residential phase during which cadets focus on core components in a quasi-military environment while setting goals and creating a life plan. Graduates return to their communities for a 12-month post-residential phase under supervision of caring adult mentors who serve as role models.For the past 15 years, the Military Department has attempted to establish a Youth ChalleNGe program, said Major General Max Haston, Tennessees adjutant general. Through our collaboration with the Department of Childrens Services we have done so. Our goal is to provide cadets with the opportunity to complete high school, or the high school equivalency test, and get a job while learning life, leadership, and social skills they can use for the rest of their lives as productive citizens. I cant say Thank you enough to Governor Haslam, Deputy Governor Henry, and Commissioner Bonnie Hommrich for making this a reality.The Tennessee Volunteer ChalleNGe Academy was approved by the U.S. Department of Defense and is the 40th in the country. Its implementation is one of the steps in the governors Public Safety Action Plan.Funding for the program was part of Governor Haslams FY2016-17 budget, consisting of $4.35 million from new federal funds and a $1.35 million state investment.For additional information on the program and how to apply, visit the Tennessee Volunteer ChalleNGe Academy here
The Drive Out ALS team is bringing back the 2nd Chattanooga Cornhole Classic to be held on Saturday, July 15 at the First Tennessee Pavilion in downtown Chattanooga.

All proceeds go directly to the ALS Association of Tn.

There will be a cornhole tournament, cash bar, food trucks, DJ, photo booth, and lots of prizes. The tournament will get started at 5 p.m.

"Only the first 64 teams get in, so register fast. To participate, just visit our website and register your team of 2 players. Several levels of corporate sponsorship are also available, starting at just $100," officials said.

For more information about Drive Out ALS Chattanooga Cornhole Classic, visit www.driveoutals.com or contact Jason Hill at 423-704-9402.
As the expected fall debut of Apple's new phones nears, rumors have taken hold about the new models this week, based off new reports from analysts and leaks from Apple's supply chain.

As with all speculative reports, it's best to take this information with a grain (or shaker) of salt. Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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Here's a breakdown of what people are saying and what we make of it all.

Even more OLED

There has long been an expectation that the next, high-end version of the iPhone would have a new type of screen called an OLED (organic light-emitting diode). OLED screens boast more vivid colors, deeper blacks and improved battery life. But they are also more difficult to produce, particularly at the levels that Apple requires for the iPhone.

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New reports indicate that Apple will eventually move completely to OLED screens, starting with the 10th-anniversary iPhone. The company would then release three OLED models in the second half of 2018. These reports are based largely off an article from the Nikkei Asian Business Review, which cites unnamed sources in Apple's Asian supply chain.

This would make some sense. There have been reports for years that Apple wants to switch to an OLED screen. Such screens are the standard on iPhone competitors, particularly those from Samsung  a top OLED screen manufacturer and an Apple supplier itself. The Nikkei report said that Apple has also invested in LG's OLED manufacturing department, which indicates that the company is interested in finding ways to make the screens at an iPhone scale.

Touch ID

Apple is expected to ditch the home button for the high-end iPhone in favor of an edge-to-edge screen. But that change would eliminate the location of the fingerprint reader. That's led some to wonder whether Apple will move the reader, embed it in the screen or even get rid of it altogether.

Noted Apple analyst Ming Chi Kuo of KGI Securities wrote in a recent note that Apple won't put the fingerprint reader in the display  something many hoped the company would do to be more consistent with its current design. But the report didn't indicate where the fingerprint reader may go.

Getting a bit more speculative, the popular YouTube channel "EverythingApplePro" drew significant tech media attention when it posted a detailed metal-and-glass mock up of the premium iPhone, which it said was sent by a Chinese case maker. That dummy phone did not have a spot on the front of the phone for a fingerprint reader, though it did show a case with a cutout in the back of the phone, over the Apple logo. That could mean that, like on competing smartphones, the fingerprint reader could go there. Or the case may just be designed to show off the Apple logo.

Still, it would be surprising to see Apple drop the fingerprint reader, particularly given how hard it has pushed Touch ID in recent years and how integral it has become to the phone for logging in and purchasing.

Facial recognition

With the possibility (and, again, it's just a possibility) that Apple could ditch the fingerprint reader, that raises the question of what would replace it.

Facial recognition seems to be the top candidate being speculated. Previous reports have indicated the company is testing advanced facial recognition as an authentication method. A report from Bloomberg cited unnamed sources "familiar with the product" who said that facial recognition could be used to unlock phones, purchase goods and open secure apps. And TechCrunch spotted a patent that indicates Apple is working on technology that would use a phone's camera to scan your face  even when the phone is asleep  to unlock the device.

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Facial recognition makes a lot of sense as a verification tool  particularly if Apple gets rid of Touch ID. It would offer another option for biometric authentication, which many find more convenient than passwords and passcodes.

The face scans rumored to be in development by Apple could be more consistent than fingerprint readers, which can act up when, for example, your fingers get wet. It also could be easier to use than a fingerprint  as described by TechCrunch, it would be a more seamless experience. Still, there are situations where it may not make as much sense to use a face scan  think particularly about the Check-Out line. Apple may have a solution for using your face as a form of authentication at the cash register that I haven't thought of. But, overall, I think that scanning your face before a purchase sounds like more of a hassle than just holding your phone to a reader.
Plastic foam cups are available at at a McDonalds restaurant in Chicagos River North neighborhood after the chain brought back the cups for the summer in the Chicago market. (Michael Tercha / Chicago Tribune)

As someone who imbibes a fair share of cold drinks from McDonald's, I appreciate the utility of the controversial plastic foam cups the fast-food giant is using this summer in the Chicago area.

These vessels keep soda and ice tea pretty cool. What's more, if I leave a supersized drink in the car beverage holder for a few hours, the cups don't disintegrate into a puddle of sticky goo.

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Yet it's that very industrial strength and durability that makes these polystyrene cups so eco-unfriendly and potentially creates a big public image problem for Oak Brook-based McDonald's.

By reintroducing foam cups, McDonald's appears to be backsliding on its long-held assurance to use more environmentally friendly packaging. It's also out of sync with a growing band of huge brand-name corporations vowing to get rid of foam plastic products.

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Instead, McDonald's is signaling it's doggedly committed to this old-school selling tactic despite CEO Steve Easterbrook's corporate modernization effort, a top-to-bottom reworking aimed at attracting young adult customers.

"It seems like McDonald's is going back in time  these cups are a throwback to another era," says Conrad MacKerron, senior vice president of California-based As You Sow, an advocacy group that wants McDonald's to totally discontinue using polystyrene.

This stuff isn't biodegradable and is tough to recycle, which means it often stacks up in the world's oceans and waterways.

In a statement to the Tribune, McDonald's declined to say if the foam cups were being used elsewhere besides the Chicago area. The company added it will continue to "work with suppliers on sustainable packaging."

While it stopped using foam cups for hot drinks in 2013, McDonald's seems ambivalent about dropping them for icy beverages. The company never said it would stop using polystyrene, only that the substance is a small part of its global packaging.

The foam cups are expected to pop up in other markets, particularly the southern part of the country where demand for cool drinks is nearly year-round, says MacKerron.

Should it travel that road, McDonald's will find itself bumping up against a growing number of companies putting down this packaging.

Recently, 15 businesses endorsed a report by the British-based Ellen MacArthur Foundation recommending the replacement of polystyrene and related plastic substances in favor of more ecologically sensitive materials.

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Among those signing: Coca-Cola, Danone, L'Oreal, Marks & Spencer, Mars, PepsiCo, Procter & Gamble and Unilever. Even Dow Chemical is on board.

Since becoming CEO in 2015, Easterbrook has been distancing McDonald's from many of its traditional operating ways, especially as it seeks to woo more millennials and Gen Xers.

He's relocating the corporate headquarters to Chicago's fast-paced West Loop while shaking up top management, the menu, advertising and social media.

But these foam cups are a relic of a bygone era.

Keeping them around or, worse yet, expanding their presence, will undercut Easterbrook's plan to remake McDonald's image from a corporate burger-flipper to a hipper fast-food option for younger people  especially those who tend to weigh a company's social and environmental impact agenda when shopping around.

Then there are unhappy shareholders.

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In May, 32 percent of shareholders voted for a measure requiring McDonald's to assess the environmental impact of foam products. That effort was defeated but the pressure is going to keep percolating.

Among McDonald's fast-food peers, only Dunkin' Donuts and Chick-fil-A are in the foam cup camp.

Ironically, McDonald's already has reaped the benefits of going green.

In late 1990, it ended foam "clamshell" packaging, used for hamburgers and sandwiches, and switched to paper wrapping. McDonald's also pressed suppliers to reduce packaging and recycle more.

The switch was a public relations triumph.

McDonald's could savor another such victory, and win a lot of corporate goodwill, if it totally discontinues using polystyrene packaging.

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For my part, I'm willing to give up those big foamy cups in return for a cleaner world.

roreed@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @reedtribbiz
If you are in default on your student loans  meaning you've failed to pay your loans for 360 days  you do have options, and it's worth it to try to remedy the situation. (Getty Images)

If you've defaulted on your student loans and are hiding from calls from debt collectors, your future doesn't have to remain bleak.

True, being in default is not a good situation. Taking action to get student loan relief before slipping far behind on student loan payments would have been a much better route.

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But if you are in default  meaning you've failed to pay your loans for 360 days  you do have options, and it's worth it to try to remedy the situation.

Hiding isn't going to work indefinitely, and even filing for bankruptcy offers only a slim chance of getting these loans off your back. Bankruptcy rules don't allow people to get rid of their student loans unless there is an extreme hardship that won't let up, such as a serious disability.

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In a recent email, a desperate man with only a part-time job wrote me that he feared he'd ruined his life by defaulting on both private and federal student loans. While unable at this point to afford his loan payments, he hoped someday to be able to buy a home and wondered if the black mark on his credit record would make that impossible.

The answer: There is still time to fix this, and with the passage of time even a mortgage might be obtainable. But here's what a person would have to do first.

Clean up the federal mess

You can't hide from the federal government. Uncle Sam can track you down through work and tax records and garnish your pay, which means taking money you've earned before you get a paycheck. The government also can keep any tax refund you'd normally have coming, and dog you as you age by taking some of your Social Security.

To avoid this, the simplest approach would be to file to consolidate your federal college student loans, said attorney Emily White, of Columbus, Ohio. Typically, college students take out multiple federal Stafford loans, and consolidating means you bunch them all together into one loan that you repay over 10 or more years. Consolidating loans is a simple process you can do online through the official federal student aid site.

To make sure you don't leave federal loans out of the process, use the National Student Loan Data System (https://www.nslds.ed.gov/nslds/nslds_SA/) to identify every loan you've taken out. If you miss some of your loans, consolidating won't solve your problems.

As you consolidate your loans, be sure to ask for a payment plan that will reduce your payments to fit your income. This is called income-based repayment. A person with a part-time job, for example, may end up with tiny payments each month. Borrowers will no longer be considered in default once the loans have been consolidated, White said.

If you have already consolidated your loans in the past, and defaulted, you are probably going to have to follow another option. You will have to go through a process called rehabilitation.

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You do this by contacting the servicer, the entity you probably see with an 800 number on your student loan bills. With paperwork in hand, you specifically ask the servicer to put you into the official rehabilitation process with payments that are based on your income. To find what is considered affordable for your income, try this calculator: https://studentloans.gov/myDirectLoan/mobile/repayment/repaymentEstimator.action. Doing the calculation before calling your servicer will equip you to be an advocate for yourself. Sometimes servicers aren't helpful, but you can hang up and try again.

Depending on your income, payments during rehabilitation can be as little as $5 a month. Make sure you get assigned payments you can afford, because if you start missing payments again without asking for a deferment, you won't get a second chance at rehabilitation. The government can demand full payment of all you owe at once, said student loan expert Mark Kantrowitz of Cappex.com.

Once you enter rehabilitation, the government will stop garnishing your pay, and if you make nine out of 10 payments on time under the plan you negotiated with the lender, you will no longer be considered in default. You can make payments based on your income and your credit record will start to heal.

If borrowers continue to stay on top of monthly payments for seven years after consolidation or rehabilitation, they can clean up their credit record. Provided they have a solid job, they should be able to get a mortgage.

Keep in mind that the process of consolidating student loans, or working through rehabilitation, should be done on your own. There are numerous student loan debt relief companies that prey on desperate, confused people, charging borrowers a fee in the process. These services can't arrange special deals that are beyond what individuals could request on their own when working through the consolidation process, said Joanna Darcus, attorney for the National Consumer Law Center.

Tackling private loans

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There is no sympathetic Uncle Sam to help you out of your troubles with private loans.

Some private lenders might be willing to negotiate lower payments with you, but most don't, and private loans can't be consolidated or rehabilitated to bring them out of a default. But the lender also cannot garnish your pay or go after a tax refund or Social Security.

That doesn't mean you are off the hook. In default, a private lender is likely to sue you to recover money. White said that to win a case a lender must provide paperwork that shows clearly the borrower's history on the loan. In many cases the paperwork is sloppy and the borrower can win on that basis, she said.

This is when it may be worthwhile to get an attorney that specializes in student loans through www.naca.net, the site for consumer law attorneys. But White said that if the amount of money owed to a private lender is small, it may not be worth incurring attorney's fees.

"There's a difference between owing $6,000 and $100,000," she said. Instead of fighting a suit, paying off the lender might be better.

Before going to great lengths to repay a student loan in default, be aware that each state has a statute of limitations on how long a lender can sue and recover what is owed, Darcus said, noting a person getting hounded from bill collectors might no longer have to pay and the bill collector could be bluffing. Yet, a person could accidentally start the clock back up again and inadvertently open the door to be sued simply by answering a bill collector's phone call and acknowledging a loan, she said.

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gmarksjarvis@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @gailmarksjarvis
People sit on the stoop of a Washington, D.C., apartment building. Affordable housing, funded by federal tax credits, raises property values and lowers crime in surrounding neighborhoods as higher-income white residents move in, a study finds. (Jahi Chikwendiu / The Washington Post)

Despite the lawsuits, media spotlight, and conventional wisdom, affordable housing developments built in poor, heavily black communities can lead to greater racial and income integration, according to new research by Stanford economists.

Such housing, funded by federal tax credits, also raises property values and lowers crime in surrounding neighborhoods as higher-income white residents move in, the researchers found.

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"When a corporate developer comes in and builds nicer, new housing, it makes the neighborhood more desirable as a potential place to live," said Rebecca Diamond, a professor at Stanford's Graduate School of Business who authored the study with her colleague Tim McQuade.

The surprising findings, to be published in the Journal of Political Economy, are being widely circulated this week among academics following a New York Times story asserting that federal tax credits for affordable housing promotes racial segregation despite the program's intent.

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While it's true that such housing is disproportionately located in minority communities, the federal program actually results in more racially desegregated neighborhoods over time, said the researchers who analyzed a decade's worth of relevant data around more than 7,000 developments built with federal tax credits in 15 states.

Building affordable housing in low-income, high-minority neighborhoods lowers the share of black residents in the surrounding community by about 3 percentage points, Diamond and McQuade found. It also improves racial integration in wealthier, high-minority communities.

"That's a pretty big effect just by developing one building," Diamond said.

Most of the impact occurs within half a mile of the housing development. The most intense effect is felt within less than a quarter mile, she said. In neighborhoods where median incomes fell below $26,000 a year, the researchers saw home values appreciate 6.5 percent within a tenth of a mile of the housing development.

But the benefits disappear when the affordable housing complexes are built in wealthier, white neighborhoods, the researchers found.

In such neighborhoods with median incomes above $54,000, property values dropped 2.5 percent within a tenth of a mile of the housing development, or about two city blocks. The affordable apartments also decrease diversity, but does not impact crime rates.

"People have a preference of who their neighbors are, and perhaps higher income people just don't want to live with lower-income residents," Diamond said.

Congress is trying to address the issue of wealthier neighborhoods rejecting the construction of affordable housing with bipartisan legislation that would prohibit states from considering local opposition as a factor in funding developments.

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The bill , sponsored by Senator Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., and Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, would no longer require state agencies to notify local officials when siting a proposed housing development. The goal is to prevent "Not In My Backyard" opposition from interfering with housing credit allocation.

That could encourage more affordable housing in higher-income, whiter communities, says Daniel Hemel, who teaches tax law at the University of Chicago and who wrote a blog post this week highlighting the role affordable housing tax credits play in integrating neighborhoods.

Previous long-term research has shown that giving families living in public-housing projects vouchers to move into wealthier neighborhoods improves children's future earnings.

But the effect on individual families does not outweigh the community benefits of locating affordable housing developments in low-income neighborhoods, Diamond said.

"The neighborhood spillover effect for low-income communities are quite large -- larger than the benefits of moving the lucky few into a high-income neighborhoods," Diamond said. "A building is investing in a neighborhood whereas a voucher is just a subsidy to one household."

Policy makers need to consider the benefits of doing both, economists say.

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"We should not have affordable housing all going into low poverty neighborhoods or high poverty neighborhoods. It can't be all or nothing," said Katherine O'Regan, a public policy and planning professor at New York University's Wagner Graduate School of Public Service who served as the assistant secretary for policy development and research at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development under President Barack Obama.

O'Regan's research also shows that the use of federal tax credits for affordable housing is linked to declines in racial segregation in cities. Her work with Keren Horn was the first paper to consider, at a national level, the changes in racial composition in the neighborhood surrounding these developments.

The federal government has a documented history of perpetuating racist housing policies, leading to segregated communities and the creation of white-only suburbs. But tax credits for affordable housing is not one of them.

The tax credit program for low-income housing, valued at more than $8 billion annually, began in 1987 and has become the country's key source of federal support for the creation of affordable rental housing. Developers apply to their states for the credits, then use them to leverage private capital to build units for low-income people.

The future of the tax credit program is in question given the uncertainty around President Trump's tax reform plan, economists say. Trump has proposed $6.2 billion in cuts to affordable housing programs at the Department for Housing and Urban Development, but the tax credits program is administered by the Internal Revenue Service.

"No one really knows what the tax code is going to look like," said Mark Zandi, chief economist of Moody's Analytics. "That means less construction until this uncertainty is resolved because people are unsure about the value of these tax credits."
This small town has become a landmark in the organic-farm movement, and it has nothing to do with foodies or hippies.

Instead it has been Amish farmers who, in their suspenders and wide-brimmed hats, have helped develop one of the densest clusters of organic farms in the United States. More than 90 operations certified by the Agriculture Department have emerged within a 10-mile radius, producing, among other things, corn, soybeans, eggs and, perhaps most important, milk.

"This is our living and our way of life," said Eldon T. Miller, 71, an Amish dairy farmer here. A little over 20 years ago, Miller began holding informational meetings in his basement about organics, and the idea slowly spread across the area.

The question for small organic dairy farmers is how long they can hold out against growing competition from very big dairies producing large volumes of organic milk that, in the view of many here, does not deserve the label.

A glut of organic milk has sunk prices across the United States, threatening livelihoods and rekindling long-standing suspicions that some of the large organic dairies that have emerged are swamping the market with milk that does not meet organic standards. Over the years, some of these very large dairies, most of them in the West, have been cited for violating organic rules by the USDA or inspection agencies. To the chagrin of many here, most have been allowed to continue operating.

Then, last month, The Washington Post reported that one of the nation's largest dairy producers, Colorado-based Aurora Organic Dairy, a supplier to Walmart, Costco and Albertsons, appeared to fall short of organic grazing standards.

"Nobody's real happy right now," said James Swantz, an Amish father of eight who milks about 70 cows here. "We'd like to know what our milk check will be, and right now we can't tell."

Over the past year, the price of wholesale organic milk sold by Kalona farms has dropped by more than 33 percent. Some of their milk - as much as 15 percent of it - is being sold at the same price as regular milk or just dumped onto the ground, according to a local processor. Organic milk from other small farmers across the United States is also being dumped at similar rates, according to industry figures.

"At first, when the prices started falling, the guys here were just really mad," said Phil Forbes, a liaison between the Amish farmers here and the company that buys their milk and sells it under a brand called Kalona SuperNatural, which can be found at Whole Foods and similar grocers. "But it's been going on so long, they're telling me, 'I can't keep going much longer at these prices.' What kills me is the customers of those big brands think it's something like a small Amish farmer who is producing the milk. But the reality is quite different."

---

The central issue in the debates over whether the mega-dairies are producing legitimately organic milk revolve around the concept of "grass-fed."

Organic cows are supposed to be grass-fed during grazing season, and many consumers prefer grass-fed milk in the belief that grazing is more natural, is better for the cows and produces higher-quality milk. It is one of the reasons that people pay roughly double for milk with the "USDA Organic" label.

Organic dairies, on the other hand, have an incentive to skimp on grazing: A grass-fed cow produces less milk; keeping a cow in a feed lot eating grain boosts production. Adding to the suspicions about the industry, there is statistical evidence of a curiously large increase in the amount of milk each organic cow is producing.

Between 2008 and 2015, the number of organic cows in the United States rose from 202,000 to 229,000, a jump of about 13 percent. The amount of organic milk products, however, rose from 1.8 billion pounds to 2.4 billion pounds, a 35 percent jump, according to USDA statistics.

Why did the amount of organic milk rise almost three times as fast as the number of organic cows? Some of the increase in production is attributable to better practices, said Edward Maltby, chief of the Northeast Organic Dairy Producers Alliance. Some of it could be from the larger dairies reducing the amount of grazing to the very minimum required by the regulations.

"But the reason for such a large jump," Maltby said, also has to do with "the increase in those mostly larger herds where the cows are fed in the barn instead of going out to pasture as the organic regulations require."

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Another reason for skepticism about whether the milk from these large dairies is truly organic arises from the perception that enforcement of "USDA Organic" standards has been lax.

To manage enforcement, the USDA relies on inspection agencies hired by the farmers. The Cornucopia Institute, a Wisconsin-based watchdog group representing small farmers and consumers, has filed repeated complaints against some of the massive dairies out West. But even when violations are reported, punishments can be mild.

Ten years ago, for example, the USDA found "willful violations" of organic standards at Aurora because of, among other things, a lack of grazing. In 2008, an inspection agency found that the Rockview Farms operation in Nevada was violating the organic pasture requirement and suggested that related dairy records could have been falsified. In 2010, an inspection agency proposed suspension of a large Arizona dairy, known as Shamrock, for denying pasture to its herd.

In those three cases, however, the USDA did not fine the dairies for the violations of organic rules even though the agency has the power to do so.

These investigations all began with Cornucopia, not the USDA or the inspection agencies. "The USDA has shown a remarkable lack of interest in whether these big organic dairies are really organic," said Mark Kastel of the Cornucopia Institute. "Most times, they don't even investigate. And when they find a problem, there's very little punishment, if any. It's a gross betrayal of the spirit of the organic law."

Many retailers, thus far, have continued to trust the "USDA Organic" seal on milk from the large mega-dairies. The Post reported last month that, based on visits to pastures and a chemical analysis of the milk, Aurora appears to be falling short of organic grazing requirements. In response, Aurora said it operates according to organic standards.

Reactions from the major retailers that use Aurora milk as their house-brand milk were varied. Walmart would not say whether it will continue to use Aurora's organic milk.

Costco said it has "investigated" but will continue to use Aurora: "Costco Wholesale has discussed with Aurora and otherwise investigated recent media statements concerning Aurora," John Sullivan, a company senior vice president and general counsel, wrote in an email. "Costco has satisfied itself that its continued reliance on the [National Organic Program] certification of Aurora's organic milk remains appropriate."

From Albertsons: "Aurora is a minority supplier to Albertsons for our O Organic brand today and we will continue to ensure through our agreement with [inspection agency Quality Assurance International] that they are compliant with all Organic standards."

The USDA said it is reviewing the information provided in The Post's reporting, but others said the agency ought to be doing more enforcement. "The USDA ought to have boots on the ground at Aurora," said Richard Mathews, former assistant deputy of the USDA office that oversees the organic program and other efforts. "But they don't. They should be looking at farmers. They should be looking at certifiers. If they're not doing that, they're not doing it right."

---

While consumers might picture organic milk coming from a small family farm, the reality is often quite different.

Much of that milk is being produced by huge dairies with thousands of cows, including a few with herds of more than 10,000 animals. By contrast, the average herd at an organic dairy is about 100 cows, and in Kalona the herd sizes are even smaller. The large dairies are staffed by employees rather than family members.

The difference between the mega-dairies and the typical organic dairy is not just a matter of scale. Most of the large, new dairies have emerged in Western states - Colorado, Texas, Arizona and New Mexico - where the weather is drier and pasture is harder to grow, but where the land is cheaper.

But it is the vast scale of the mega-dairies out West that raises suspicions around Kalona.

The larger the herd, the more pasture is required to feed it. But at a certain point, the acreage needed to feed a herd grows so large that it's impractical to expect a cow to walk all the way to the pasture's outer edges to graze and then back to the barn, typically twice day, to get milked. Some farms do have multiple milking facilities.

"We know with that high concentration of cows that it's impossible to meet the grazing rule," Swantz said. "They're not organic. No way."

During a break driving a steel-wheeled tractor over his fields, Amish farmer Glen Mast asked, "Fifteen thousand cows out there, and that's certified organic?"

"The cows would go hungry looking for grass," Miller said, asserting that the Iowa pasture is better than any out West. "Those cows probably get as much cactus as grass."

The Kalona farmers say the organic movement dovetails with Amish ideals. The higher prices on organic products allow their small farms to turn a profit, allowing community members to stay on the farm and away from town. (Their tractors have steel wheels to lessen the temptation to head off the farm, too.) And some said they had harbored doubts about the health effects of the chemicals they had used on their fields before going organic.

"The Amish are more inclined to doing things naturally," Mast said as his oldest son worked a tractor. Mast, 38, has seven children, ages 1 to 14. "We have large families, and we have a close connection to the soil."

But critical to the future of organic dairy, several here said, is for the USDA and the inspection agencies to enforce the organic rules on the large players in the industry.
Washington  Several states are seeking to join a legal challenge to a Trump administration decision to keep a widely used pesticide on the market despite studies showing it can harm children's brains.

Led by New York, the coalition filed a motion Wednesday to intervene in a legal fight over the continued spraying of chlorpyrifos on food. Massachusetts, Maryland, Vermont, Washington and the District of Columbia are also seeking to join the suit, which is pending before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in San Francisco.

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The states allege that Environmental Protection Agency chief Scott Pruitt violated the law by ending his agency's effort to ban the pesticide sold by Dow Chemical Co. after federal scientists concluded it can interfere with the brain development of fetuses and infants. Federal law requires the EPA to ensure that pesticides used on food in the United States are safe for human consumption  especially by children, who studies show are typically far more sensitive to negative effects from pesticides.

"Job No. 1 for the EPA should be protecting Americans' well-being, especially that of our children," New York Atty. Gen. Eric Schneiderman said in announcing the legal action. "Yet the administration is jeopardizing our kids' health, allowing the use of a toxic pesticide for which it can't even identify a safe level."

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The EPA said Thursday that it was reviewing the lawsuit.

Pruitt told Congress last month that his decision was based on "meaningful data and meaningful science." Despite repeated requests, the EPA has not provided the Associated Press with copies of any scientific studies Pruitt consulted in determining the pesticide is safe.

Public-health advocates have been pushing for years to ban chlorpyrifos, which is commonly sprayed on citrus fruits, apples, cherries and other crops. Lawyers for Dow and the makers of two other organophosphate pesticides also asked the Trump administration "to set aside" the results of government studies showing they pose a risk to nearly every federally protected endangered species.

Last month, the American Academy of Pediatrics also urged the EPA to ban chlorpyrifos. The group, representing more than 66,000 pediatricians and pediatric surgeons, said it is "deeply alarmed" by Pruitt's decision to allow the pesticide's continued use.

Dow, which sells chlorpyrifos through its subsidiary Dow AgroSciences, did not immediately comment Thursday. In the past, the company has said it helps American farmers feed the world "with full respect for human health and the environment."

Spending more than $13.6 million on lobbying in 2016, Dow has long wielded substantial political power in Washington. Dow Chief Executive Andrew Liveris is a close advisor to President Trump, and the company gave $1 million for Trump's inaugural activities.

Similar to a chemical spray developed as a weapon prior to World War II, chlorpyrifos has been sold by Dow for use on farms since the 1960s. It is now among the most widely used agricultural pesticides in the United States, with about 5 million pounds sold domestically each year.

As a result, traces of the chemical are commonly found in sources of drinking water. A 2012 UC Berkeley study found that 87% of umbilical-cord blood samples tested from newborn babies contained detectable levels of chlorpyrifos.

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Under pressure from federal regulators over safety concerns, Dow voluntarily withdrew chlorpyrifos for use as a home insecticide in 2000. The EPA also placed "no-spray" buffer zones around sensitive sites, such as schools, in 2012. But a coalition of advocacy groups including the Natural Resources Defense Council and the Pesticide Action Network said those proposals don't go far enough and filed a federal lawsuit seeking a national ban on the pesticide.

In October 2015, the Obama administration proposed banning use of the pesticide on food. A risk assessment memo issued in November by nine EPA scientists concluded: "There is a breadth of information available on the potential adverse neurodevelopmental effects in infants and children as a result of prenatal exposure to chlorpyrifos."
Some Hard Rock Hotel guests may be singing the blues after the company revealed a payment card data breach Thursday spanning seven months and 11 properties, including the Hard Rock Hotel Chicago.

The Florida-based hotel chain learned in June that hackers gained access to unencrypted payment card information for a "small subset" of customers who booked reservations through a platform provided by third-party vendor Sabre Hospitality Solutions.

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An investigation into the breach concluded this week. Affected Hard Rock customers have been notified, along with the Federal Trade Commission, the company said.

The data breach took place between between Aug. 10 and March 9 and affected an undisclosed number of guests at the Chicago hotel and other properties including: Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Biloxi in Mississippi, Hard Rock Hotel Cancun in Mexico, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Las Vegas, and Hard Rock Hotel Palm Springs and Hard Rock Hotel San Diego in California.

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"Not all of our hotels leverage Sabre Hospitality Solutions SynXis, so only a small subset were affected. Customers have been notified and Sabre has contacted the FTC," the company said in a statement. "Hard Rock Hotels & Casinos is in the process of notifying the attorneys general's offices as required by law."

Sabre revealed the breach in May and on Wednesday concluded an investigation that determined an "unauthorized party" accessed payment card information through the company's reservation system. Some reservations included the payment card security code, but no Social Security, passport or driver's license numbers were accessed, according to the company.

"Less than 15 percent of the average daily bookings on the SynXis reservation system during that time period were viewed," Sabre spokesman Timothy Enstice wrote in an email Friday.

Hard Rock has music-themed venues in 75 countries, with 176 cafes, 24 hotels and 11 casinos.

rchannick@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @RobertChannick
Hobby Lobby, the arts-and-crafts chain whose devout Christian owners won a landmark Supreme Court ruling on religious freedom, is caught up in an antiquities-smuggling scandal that has opened the company to accusations of hypocrisy.

The Oklahoma City-based business agreed to pay a $3 million fine Wednesday over its role in what federal prosecutors said was the smuggling into the U.S. of ancient clay tablets, seals and other Iraqi archaeological objects that might have been looted from the war-torn country.

Online, many people piled on, with more than one saying things like: "I know Hobby Lobby's big on the Ten Commandments, but how about 'Thou shalt not steal'?" and "Hypocritical cretins. Preach one thing and practice another."

Hobby Lobby, whose president, Steve Green, has been collecting ancient artifacts since 2009 and is building an $800 million Bible museum in Washington, pleaded naivete in doing business with dealers in the Middle East.

"The company was new to the world of acquiring these items and did not fully appreciate the complexities of the acquisitions process," Hobby Lobby said in a statement. "This resulted in some regrettable mistakes."

Federal prosecutors described a scheme that involved lying and perhaps stealing. It included a number of middlemen and involved the use of phony or misleading invoices, shipping labels and other paperwork to slip the artifacts past U.S. customs agents, prosecutors said.

Among other things, cuneiform tablets were labeled "ceramic tiles," and items carried paperwork that said they came from Turkey or Israel. Also, artifacts were deliberately undervalued and shipped in small batches to multiple addresses in Oklahoma City to avoid drawing the attention of customs agents, prosecutors said.

Bob Murowchick, an associate professor in archaeology and anthropology at Boston University, cast doubt on the company's claim that it didn't know what it was doing.

"It's like that scene in 'Casablanca': 'I am shocked, shocked, that there is gambling going on here,'" Murowchick said.

Under the settlement with prosecutors, Hobby Lobby must return thousands of artifacts it brought to the U.S. in 2010 and 2011.

Hobby Lobby is a cultural powerhouse in the United States. Green doesn't open his 600 stores on Sunday so his 28,000 employees may observe the Christian Sabbath.

The privately held company successfully argued before the Supreme Court in 2014 that because of the owners' religious beliefs, it shouldn't have to supply birth control to employees under "Obamacare."

Because of widespread looting of cultural institutions and other sites in Iraq, U.S. law makes it a crime to possess or traffic in Iraqi archaeological treasures if they were illegally removed from the country since 1990, or if there are reasonable grounds to think so. Iraqi law also prohibits the export of the country's antiquities.

"Our goal is, if we can cut down on the demand or make the punishment severe enough, we will have a chain reaction and people will be unwilling to loot," Murowchick said.

According to prosecutors, Hobby Lobby agreed to buy more than 5,500 artifacts in 2010 for $1.6 million. Some shipments made it through, while others were seized.

The items included cuneiform tablets, cuneiform bricks and clay bullae, which are clay balls imprinted with a seal. Cuneiform is the wedge-shaped writing used thousands of years ago in Mesopotamia, the "Cradle of Civilization" between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers in what is now Iraq.

One shipping label listed 300 clay tiles valued at $1 each, when they were, in fact, clay bullae with a combined value of $84,120, prosecutors said.

According to prosecutors, Hobby Lobby was warned by its own expert that acquiring antiquities from Iraq carries "considerable risk" because so many of the artifacts in circulation are stolen. Cuneiform tablets and cylinder seals were "particularly popular on the market and likely to have been looted," the expert told the company.

In a statement, the Museum of the Bible said that none of the artifacts in the settlement were ever part of its collection and that the institution is still on track to open in November.
The El Diablo at the rooftop bar of Noyane is a balance of heat, sour and sweet with a base of jalapeno-infused tequila, and backup from lime juice, Bundaberg ginger beer and creme de cassis. ( Kristen Norman/Chicago Tribune )

Have to admit, we're slightly suspicious of the trend toward adding cinnamon to bourbon, honey to Scotch  and chile peppers to tequila.

Still, we agree with beverage director Michael Fawthrop that the Tanteo Jalapeno Tequila in his El Diablo has chile heat so dialed down that "cocktail drinkers can enjoy it without thinking it's too spicy." The trick: Tanteo de-seeds jalapenos "so only light spice and fruity flavors come through."

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El Diablo, which Fawthrop confesses is a "winky nod" to the notion that liquor might influence you to make "bad decisions" (imagine that!), also contains lime juice, Bundaberg ginger beer, and fruity Giffard creme de cassis, a balance of heat, sour and sweet.

Fawthrop suggests starting with a cocktail and moving into wine, "so your palate doesn't become too sweet or dry." However, he believes rich dishes like Noyane's king crab roll pair well with El Diablo because "the spice in the cocktail amplifies sweet, fatty flavors."

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With laid-back heat, El Diablo is a fine warm weather beverage, made even more enjoyable by Noyane's panoramic views of Chicago.

101 E. Erie St., 21st floor, The Conrad Hotel, 312-667-6796, www.noyane.com.

David Hammond is a freelance writer.
Kie Gol Lanee serves pork and verde mole tamales that have been steamed in fresh plantain leaves, which impart a slightly sweet herbaceousness. ( Annie Grossinger/Chicago Tribune )

Our fave Oaxacan-style tamale at Kie-Gol-Lanee is a cornmeal rectangle, filled with pork and mole verde, then steamed in a plantain leaf, which imparts a slightly sweet herbaceousness. Simple? Maybe, but tamales date to perhaps 5,000 B.C. They carry significant cultural freight.

Wrapped in the plantain leaf, the tamale was one of history's first take-away foods. Having learned tamale-making from her mother, co-owner Maria Mendoza told us that such portable food provided "life-and-death nourishment when the tribe went to war. Tamale-making was a prayer for survival."

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Natalie Zarzour (formerly of the eponymous Pasticceria Natalina in Andersonville) is Santa Bruja ("house witch") at Kie-Gol-Lanee. Zarzour believes "tamales symbolize hope for a return on a woman's investment, that her husband might be able to make it back because she supplied him well."

There are also operational considerations. Co-owner Reynel Mendoza, who works in the family kitchen, laments "People don't understand that the plantain leaf is the plate! You shouldn't remove the plantain leaf; you should eat the tamale ON the plantain leaf."

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Lots going on in a tamale.

5004 N. Sheridan Road, 872-241-9088, www.kiegol.com.

David Hammond is a freelance writer.
Actor Denzel Washington, center, greets tourists Gary Alan Coe, aka "Gary From Chicago," and his fiancee, Vickie Vines, at the Academy Awards on Sunday. Coe had recently been released from prison. (Mark Ralston / AFP/Getty Images)

In the four months since his star turn at the Academy Awards, former Chicago resident Gary Alan Coe has undergone ups and downs fit for a Hollywood drama.

Coe, who was released from prison just days before his unwitting cameo at the Oscars, said he continues to search for a job. He also split from Vickie Vines, whom he was supposed marry this month after Denzel Washington briefly performed a ceremony for them during the A-list awards show. Nevertheless, the 59-year-old remains upbeat.

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"Everything else is going good. It's wonderful being free again and I'm excited about the future," he recently told the Tribune.

At the time, Coe and Vines said they happened to be riding a Hollywood tour bus that stopped at the Dolby Theatre on Oscars night Feb. 26. The doors opened and they filed in with the other bus passengers as part of a stunt to feature star-struck tourists hobnobbing with celebrities. Coe introduced himself to Oscars host Jimmy Kimmel and the world as "Gary Alan Coe from Chicago."

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He got to kiss Nicole Kidman's hand and hold Mahershala Ali's Oscar. Washington pronounced Coe and Vines married in front of the star-studded audience. While he was praised for his everyman charm, Coe's criminal past also made international headlines.

Coe, who spent his childhood in Memphis and the South Shore area before moving to California in the early '90s, was imprisoned for 20 years under California's "three-strikes" law after being convicted of petty theft in 1997. His criminal record also includes convictions for grand theft, shoplifting, attempted rape, robbery and burglary. He was released from prison three days before the Oscars.

His newfound fame translated into offers to appear on talk shows, but not many job opportunities. He said he's gotten some leads from an employment agency in central California, where he now lives. He plans to take some courses at Fresno City College and target driver jobs.

A recovering drug addict and alcoholic, Coe said he's also looked into working with groups for addicts and gang members. Coe emphasized he's praying "for the lives of all those that were taken or are being taken with the unnecessary violence in Chicago now. Please, please say that he's really concerned, he's praying for all of the individuals involved, it doesn't matter what color."

In between prayers for Chicago, Coe experienced some personal drama. Coe and Vines had met through her nephew, a young inmate Coe mentored at the California State Prison in Corcoran. Vines had told Kimmel she and Coe planned to marry July 18. Coe said they split just days after the Oscars. Attempts to reach Vines through her family members were unsuccessful.

The good news for Coe is that he has gotten engaged again. He said he popped the question about a month ago and plans to marry next year. He said he doesn't plan to publicly reveal his fiancee's name just yet because he doesn't "want to jinx that with all the media attention," but he is willing to have Washington officiate the wedding for real.

"I'll be contacting him to see if he's available for sure," Coe said. "That guy is a very busy man, so if he's not available, it's OK."
Gripping, visually assured and working far above its summer-sequel paygrade, "War for the Planet of the Apes" treats a harsh storyline with a solemnity designed to hoist the tale of Caesar, simian revolutionary  the Moses of apes  into the realm of the biblical.

Not everything in director and co-screenwriter Matt Reeves' movie works. Some of its grimmest passages, depicting life under concentration camp quarantine amid various, escalating acts of human-on-simian brutality, whack out the story's tonal balance. As the chief human antagonist, Woody Harrelson portrays an obsessive Special Forces colonel in a way treading a very fine line between "reliable" and "predictable."

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Better to get these caveats out of the way, because there's an awful lot right with this film. Other franchises make more money, if only by overstaying their welcome, like a run-on sentence desperately seeking a period. But the "Planet of the Apes" prequels, begun in 2011 with "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" and followed in 2014 by "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes," are crafty enough, both digitally and emotionally, to make you root for homo sapien extinction. I wouldn't blame you if you do. There are days in our real world when handing it all over to revolutionaries with hearts, brains and nerve seems like a pretty good bet.

At the end of "Rise," mighty Caesar provoked the wrath of the surviving humans (those who avoided the fatal simian flu). He knows he's in for a lifetime of miserable armed conflict. This means "War," which finds the ape tribe camped out along the land formerly known as the California/Oregon border. Human soldiers under the command of Harrelson's Col. McCullough wage an attack, and when Caesar and McCullough lock eyes after the colonel murders Caesar's wife, their mutually entwined fates are set.

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The colonel's motto is simple: "We must abandon our humanity to save humanity." If that isn't bomb-the-village-in-order-to-save-it or "Apocalypse Now" enough for you, "War" goes whole hog with the "Apocalypse Now" riffs, from Harrelson's Kurtzian (or Brando-esque) bald head to a shot of scrawled graffiti in an underground tunnel: "Ape-pocalypse Now."

Caesar and company encounter an unlikely ally in the chimpanzee known as Bad Ape, a domesticated zoo refugee living on his own. Reluctantly he leads Caesar to the slablike quarantine facility. It's a prison camp run by McCullough, where enslaved, emaciated and nearly broken apes work day after day to erect a makeshift barrier. With both eyes on Trump, one of the chimpanzees asks the obvious: "Why do they need a wall?"

This, of course, will alienate approximately one-half of the potential domestic audience. Less controversially, though with a fair amount of straight-faced cheek, from there "War" folds in elements of "The Bridge on the River Kwai," "The Great Escape" and other prisoners-of-war sagas, though at heart director Reeves and co-writer Mark Bomback treat Caesar as a tight-lipped Western hero in the Clint Eastwood vein. He's frequently shown on horseback and motion-capture actor Andy Serkis' voice is reduced here to an Ape With No Name rasp. He warily offers protection to an orphaned human girl (Amiah Miller) adopted by Caesar's confidant, Maurice. The high country trek, through snow and cold, qualifies "War" as the second franchise fantasy this year to don the Western cloak. While the "Shane"-indebted Wolverine picture "Logan" was pure gold to many, I prefer this movie; its many Hollywood influences aren't worn lightly, exactly, but they're put to better use.

Humans and primates square off again in War for the Planet of the Apes. (Twentieth Century Fox)

Let's talk about the motion-capture technology. In the "Planet of the Apes" universe, the mo-cap is so terrifically persuasive by now, so subtly detailed in every windblown close-up of fur, waving like wheat, "War" allows you to simply believe from the first scene. Serkis' Caesar is the opposite of a stunt; it's a real performance. He suffers perpetually in this outing yet never becomes a tiresome martyr. The ringer is Steve Zahn, whose vocal intonations and squirrely comic timing as Bad Ape (who rocks a cold-weather Timberland vest) cannot be praised highly enough. The movie may sag in its dour midsection  15 of its 140 minutes could've, should've come out of that middle third  but once the "Great Escape" part of the narrative kicks in, it's gratifying action indeed.

Don't bring young kids. The "Apes" mythology, a mainstay of American movies for 49 years now, always had a sadistic or at least a masochistic streak. (I saw the unaccountably G-rated "Escape from the Planet of the Apes" in 1971 at a Loop theater, when I was 10, and I've associated Chicago with emotional trauma ever since.) It's easy to get an audience on the apes' side if you make life and death difficult enough for the rooting-interest characters. It's harder to develop a satisfying succession of events, and complications, en route to the nomadic tribe's promised land that lies at the end of the trail. Reeves has done so. And composer Michael Giacchino's musical score, one of his very best, clicks right from the beginning, with a wittily reorchestrated rendition of the familiar 20th Century Fox theme song. The sound evokes something familiar but something new, too. At its best, so does the movie.

Michael Phillips is a Chicago Tribune critic.

mjphillips@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @phillipstribune

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"War for the Planet of the Apes"  3.5 stars

MPAA rating: PG-13 (for sequences of sci-fi violence and action, thematic elements, and some disturbing images)

Running time: 2:20

Opens: Thursday evening

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Watch the latest movie trailers.

Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 122 Sophie Turner as Jean Grey, anger management student, in "Dark Phoenix." The film, the latest in the "X-Men" franchise, costars James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender and Jessica Chastain. Read the review. (Twentieth Century Fox)
On one level, Sue the T. rex is one of the most famous and significant dinosaur skeletons in the world.

On another, the menacing-looking denizen of the north end of the Field Museum's central hall is merely Specimen PR 2081, one of more than 30 million items in the museum's possession to be cataloged and numbered in such a manner.

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Most of those spend most of their days in drawers and jars above and beneath the museum's public spaces. But beginning in March, the natural history temple near Chicago's lakefront started hosting a coming-out party for its collection.

"Specimens: Unlocking the Secrets of Life" is a major exhibition dedicated to the principle that what's behind the scenes at a place like the Field can be as interesting as the stuff that is more typically front and center. It is 7,500 square feet of worms in fluid in their jars, of dinosaur bones still in their "field jackets" of surrounding stone and of the stories behind such items.

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Specimens collected by the fathers of evolution are on display: a yellow-crowned barbet (bird) from the fieldwork of Alfred Russel Wallace in Malaysia in 1859 and a rove beetle gathered by Charles Darwin in Chile in 1834. So is an array of 10 Canada goose specimens examined in the aftermath of the 2009 Hudson River crash landing of US Airways Flight 1549 to determine where the birds that downed the plane were from.

"I'm so excited because this is so close to what I do," said Bill Simpson, a paleontologist by training and the museum's head of geological collections, as he stood near a juvenile Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton. "From its founding, the museum has had a problem getting across to the public that there's this cutting-edge research we do, and it's based on the collections."

"Specimens," then, bridges a gap between the scientific work of the museum and its public-display side, conveying how this key component of the museum works without ever feeling like a slog through the storeroom. In the tradition of the ongoing, consistently engaging "Opening the Vaults" exhibit series, this one delivers fascination and surprise at every turn. And like the Field's recent development of a new hyena diorama, it's part of a trend for museums to embrace aspects of their past.

The exhibition features visiting scientists discovering new species just sitting there in drawers, waiting to be found. It shows the work of the Advanced Photon Source at Argonne National Laboratory, a microscope of massive imaging power. It offers dozens of examples of the Tully monster, the truly bizarre official Illinois state fossil that has been the subject of scientific dispute over its proper classification since an amateur fossil hunter discovered it in Grundy County in the 1950s.

The show can be a little macabre, if you are sensitive about seeing formerly living things preserved in fluid in jars (to better maintain soft tissues) or laid out like cordwood. And it can seem obsessive when you are looking at, for instance, some of the nearly 600,000 water beetles collected by Field scientist Harry Nelsonduring his career, or the "drawers of unsorted rodent and marsupial bones as they were originally collected" in an Australian cave. They look like handfuls of headless matchsticks.

More than just a display of some 5,000 objects, the show seeks to answer the "why" of all this, the reasons that museums gather, categorize, store and share. Through the various stories, videos, touchscreen displays and profiles of the scientists, visitors are left with a clear picture. Specimens are a snapshot of their time and place; some are even "holotypes," "the single specimen that was used to name a particular species," the display says, explaining that the Field has 20,000 of those. A series of specimens can track change in an environment. And they serve, as in the case of the geese, as a sort of biological reference library. Indeed, in a case just beyond the geese is a specific Colombian weasel that is one of only six ever collected; its DNA has helped "generate a complete weasel family tree," the card says.

Collectively, the collection "is one large effort to document the world and how it's changed over time," lead exhibition developer Marie Georg said.

To craft the exhibit, Georg spent months foraging through the Field's backrooms, talking to the scientists, photographing their treasures. "Some of the challenges were, there were just so many choices," she said. "We asked (the scientists) what do they show visitors on behind-the-scenes tours."

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"Specimens"  which will be up through January 2018 and requires an additional charge, an All-Access or Discovery Pass  opens by establishing what a specimen is and how many the museum has. An architectural rendering of the Field's massive building highlights in red all the behind-the-scenes places where collections are kept and worked on. There is a lot of red.

A large-scale video puts across some numbers: Of the more than 30 million items, 4 percent are artifacts, items created by particular human cultures. The rest are specimens: plants, animals, rocks and more, including 500,000 bird specimens and an astonishing 17 million insects.

That first room, as it demonstrates some of the range of items that are kept, delivers riffs on the diversity of the natural world through the poetry of all those animal names. An Asian elephant skeleton is laid out flat on a pedestal. Around it are, in order, the rostrum of a largetooth sawfish, a Malagasy pygmy shrew, a harpy eagle, a great flying dragon, a Surat cone, a thorny devil, a king cobra, a spot-fin porcupinefish, Western painted turtle eggs, a giant pill millipede, a Nicaragua cichlid, a white-lipped frog, a mainland tiger snake, a pond slider, a sea horse, a margined flying fish, a marlin sucker, a bay snook, a leaf-nose leg skate, a veiled chameleon, Vogel's pit vipers, painted turtles, silver earth-mice, a Mindoro stripe-faced fruit bat, rigid cushion stars and a bear brain. Oh, and then some trays of pinned insects: featherwing beetles, true weevils, Grey's leaf insects, spiny stick insects, and tropical blue and hairstreak butterflies.

From there, the exhibition highlights how specimens are stored and labeled; some original tags kept with specimens are on display, and that tagging style is picked up in the exhibit's signage.

The next section shows that specimens "really have their strength in numbers," Georg said. From there, the exhibit highlights the way new scientific techniques are being applied. Finally, it draws connections between the museum's collection and the rest of the world.

To her, Georg said, "it is kind of like when moviemakers make movies about the movies."

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It is so effective at communicating the essential grunt work of natural history that collections chief Simpson said he has been arguing for it to find a permanent home at the Field. The problem, though, is where do you put it? The museum's public space is pretty much full up, and the behind-the-scenes areas are filled with, you know, specimens.

sajohnson@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @StevenKJohnson

When: Through Jan. 7

Where: Field Museum, 1400 S. Lake Shore Drive

Tickets: Special pass required; 312-922-9410 or www.fieldmuseum.org

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Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 40 This sculpture from the Edlis/Neeson collection, donated to the Art Institute in 1995, is by the German artist Katharina Fritsch, which some might see as surprising and playful for being constructed out of seashell shapes. The construction of polyester, iron, wood and paint, dated to 2004, certainly is inviting, perhaps even more so in the German title, Frau mit Hund. Read more. (Art Institute of Chicago )

Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 24 The Field Museum, one of Chicago's biggest attractions. (Phil Velasquez / Chicago Tribune)
Local museum heads choose their favorite pieces from other institutions around Chicago.

James Rondeau, president and Eloise W. Martin director, Art Institute of Chicago

"Praying to Safety," 1997

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Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago

"David Hammons's Praying to Safety (1997) proves that great artists can transform both sacred and everyday objects, through creative acts of recognition and combination, into profound works of art. Here, ideals of peace and security  held in literal and poetic tension  are conveyed with economy, sincerity, and wit," Rondeau wrote. "Hammons's art is unrivaled in the complexity it instills in seemingly known objects. His art and his wry use of language challenge us to think more deeply about representations of our shared, and often conflicted, histories.

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"My experience of this great object/event at the MCA over many years has been a powerful reminder to me that museums are at their best when they serve the public as spaces not separate from the world around us but integrally and dynamically engaged with it. Hammons's art shows us that the past can and does connect with the present, and that our very best artists create visual poetry that re-acquaints us with the world in which we live."

Carlos Tortolero, president, National Museum of Mexican Art

"Zapata," 1930

Art Institute of Chicago

"My favorite art piece at a Chicago museum is a beautiful painting by the great Mexican master, Jose Clemente Orozco," Tortolero said. "Although the U.S. art public probably considers Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo as the best artists in Mexico, many arts people in Mexico would list Orozco as the greatest Mexcian artist and I concur. This amazing painting on a great Mexican icon by a fantastic Mexican painter is one of Mexico's greatest art pieces."

The Art Institute's "Essential Guide" elaborates: "For liberal Mexicans, Emiliano Zapata became a symbol of the Mexican Revolution (191020) after his assassination in 1919. The charismatic Zapata crusaded to return the enormous holdings of wealthy landowners to Mexico's peasant population. Here his specterlike figure appears in the open door of a peasant hut. Despite the drama before him, the revolutionary hero seems solemn and unmoved. The painting is filled with menacing details  the bullets, the dagger, and especially the sword aimed at Zapata's eye  and the somber palette of dark reds, browns, and blacks further underscores the danger of the revolutionary conflict."

"Zapata," Tortolero said, "is the hero of the Mexican Revolution. He's the man. And it's a very stunning piece, a very powerful piece. He's at the doorway, and it's like, 'Oh, oh, things are going to happen now.' It's one of the best pieces we have in Chicago, and I don't think people realize it."

Madeleine Grynsztejn, Pritzker director, Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago

"Woman Descending the Staircase," 1965

Art Institute of Chicago

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"I have professional and also personal reasons for loving this Gerhard Richter painting from the Art Institute of Chicago's Collection," Grynsztejn wrote. "First, the painting is drop-dead gorgeous. The brushstrokes are luscious and highlight the Sophia Loren-like beauty's timeless elegance and confidence. She is fully in possession of herself and the space around her. As an art historian, I love this painting for its knowing references to icons ranging from the Louvre's Winged Victory sculpture to Marcel Duchamp's 'Nude Descending a Staircase.' It is also and at the same time absolutely of its moment, when pop clashed with high culture, and painting and photography mixed it up. On a personal note, I was part of the team that negotiated the gift of this magnificent painting to the Art Institute when I was a curator working under Jim Wood, one of the great pleasures and learning experiences of my life. Seeing the painting takes me back to memories of Jim and the amazing staff and collectors, past and present, at the Art Institute."

Richard Lariviere, president and CEO, The Field Museum

Standing Bodhisattva with Human Figure Necklace, Kushan period, 2nd/3rd century

Art Institute of Chicago

"An example of an item that one can't not visit on any visit to a museum, that would be the Standing Gandhara Bodhisattva in the Art Institute," said Lariviere, himself a scholar in Indian language and culture. "I have an affection for Gandharan art, and this piece is as iconic as they come."

Asked in a phone conversation to elaborate, Lariviere said, "The Gandharan style is a mixture of classical Greek and the indigenous Indian style, and it is a real mixture. You can see the two artistic traditions melting together. That's always been really powerful for me, to remind myself that none of these cultures grew up in isolation, even back in the third century A.D."

Then he told a story: "When I was a very young student of classical Indian studies, I was working in London in the British Museum, and I met the keeper of Indian antiquities. We were having lunch, with lots of beers involved. He said, 'Later, I'm moving the Bimaran Reliquary.' The Bimaran Reliquary is the most important piece of Gandharan art in the world. He asked me if I knew what it was. I said, 'Of course I know what it is.' He invited me to come with him. He pulled it out and handed it to me. For Indian art people, this is like being handed the 'Mona Lisa.' That just reinforced my taste for Gandharan art. And this Standing Bodhisattva is one of the most outstanding representations of art in that style. I pay it a visit on a regular basis."

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Michelle Larson, president and CEO, Adler Planetarium

Harvest Moon

Mitchell Museum of the American Indian, Evanston

"With my maiden name being Beauvais and the moon having lured me into observational astronomy, you'll understand why 'Harvest Moon' by Michel Beauvais caught my attention immediately," Larson wrote. "Research will tell if I share any connection with the sculptor, but my connection to the piece itself is certain. Not only does 'Harvest Moon' showcase my favorite observing target, but the piece evokes a favorite feeling, the feeling of being with nature. I become that woman. I hear the hoot of the owl, feel the rush of the cool grey river flowing through, and get lost in the joy of a moonlit night. 'Harvest Moon' is a beautiful artifact to visit and be still with."

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Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 40 This sculpture from the Edlis/Neeson collection, donated to the Art Institute in 1995, is by the German artist Katharina Fritsch, which some might see as surprising and playful for being constructed out of seashell shapes. The construction of polyester, iron, wood and paint, dated to 2004, certainly is inviting, perhaps even more so in the German title, Frau mit Hund. Read more. (Art Institute of Chicago )

Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 24 The Field Museum, one of Chicago's biggest attractions. (Phil Velasquez / Chicago Tribune)
A trip to the Grand Canyon is a beautiful reminder that we're part of something bigger than us. (Heidi Stevens)

I knew I wanted to bring my kids to the Grand Canyon the first time I laid eyes on it.

It was 2001. I was 26 years old, and my first child wouldn't be born for another four years. But the site filled me with such an unparalleled mix of awe and perspective that I knew I'd need to share it with the people I planned to love most.

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I grew more determined in my resolve once my kids were born. So much of my parenting indicated to them that they were the center of the world. And while they certainly were (and are) the center of mine, I knew the rest of the world would feel  and behave  otherwise.

So I look for ways to make my kids feel small.

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Not inconsequential  that's a different feeling altogether, and one I certainly don't support. Small enough, though, to fit into something bigger and older and greater than they are.

I want them to remember that the world spun on its axis before they arrived, and it will continue to spin long after they're gone.

I want them to think about their place in that world. Not at its center, maybe. But at a distance that allows them to appreciate its beauty and potential, and a closeness that entices them to leave it even better than they found it.

I figured the Grand Canyon would do the trick.

The first time I visited, I was with their dad. We hiked the North Rim and the South Rim, and we loved them equally, but for very different reasons. Not unlike the two kids we'd later have together.

I visited the South Rim again in 2013, exactly a year after our divorce was finalized. I went with a dear friend who'd never seen the Grand Canyon, and we both cried equally, but for very different reasons.

Last week, I brought my kids. (Along with my husband and my sister-in-law.)

My daughter, now 11, wanted to kick off her shoes and hike to the base barefoot. I coaxed her back into shoes, and we climbed together onto some rocky outcroppings that offered breathtaking views with just enough danger to quicken your pulse. (The base will have to wait for another trip.)

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My son, now 7, preferred the paved trails and security of a guardrail. He squeezed my hand tight during our walk and waited up high with his beloved aunt when my daughter and I descended.

They both loved it.

I felt vindicated in that slightly smug way that you do when your kids enjoy something that's not on a device and not created by Pixar.

I was grateful that they grasped the canyon's enormity and were awed at the way its colors change by the minute.

I was relieved they never checked for Wi-Fi.

Mostly, though, I was reminded that we all need a place that makes us feel small. A place that takes the petty rantings and pointless grievances that occupy far too much of our headspace, holds them up to the light and shows us just how transparent and flimsy they are.

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It doesn't have to be the Grand Canyon.

It could be the ocean, a lake, a skyscraper, an open road, a house of worship, a library. It could be a block from your home or half a world away.

It just needs to be bigger than we are.

We spent the night in Las Vegas before we headed to the Grand Canyon. It's a cheap flight from Chicago and a lovely drive east to Arizona, and I figured my kids would enjoy the spectacle.

It was 107 degrees, and we dodged swarms of people on steaming sidewalks while my son debated the veracity of the "police" dressed in fishnets and chauffeur caps. ("I don't think they're real cops," he told us.)

Vegas doesn't clear the noise in your head as much as drown it out with louder, brighter, flashier noise. But it's certainly bigger than we are  the hotels, the crowds, the heat.

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I wonder which part of the trip my kids will remember longer: the city weighed down by humanity's heavy hand, or the park protected by its foresight?

I hope all of their travels leave them feeling a little more connected to the Earth and their place on it.

I hope they always come home reminded that they're a small part of what adds beauty to the world  and an enormous part of what adds it to mine.

hstevens@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @heidistevens13

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Ex-Chicago Ald. Isaac "Ike" Carothers got out of federal prison two years ago after a conviction for bribery and tax fraud and still has loyal political supporters on the West Side, where he was 29th Ward alderman for 11 years. (Phil Velasquez / Chicago Tribune)

It's always great to see an ex-con get back on his feet and contribute to society.

So a hearty congratulations to former Ald. Ike Carothers, who will soon be playing his saxophone at a new West Side blues club named in his honor  and all thanks to a city grant!

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Carothers, who was in 2010 sentenced to 28 months in the federal slammer for almost exactly the same public corruption offenses that a quarter century earlier did in his father and fellow ex-con, William Carothers, hastened to tell Chicago Inc. that he has absolutely "no ownership stake" in the club, "Ike's Place for Blues and Jazz."

The club is owned by his sister-in-law Sheila Mingo, and Carothers' only involvement will be to occasionally play his sax for patrons, both he and Mingo said.

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Mingo received a grant of up to $187,000 from the city's Department of Planning and Development to fix up the building at 5847 W. Chicago Ave in Austin, where Mingo said she plans to host two shows a night Thursday through Sunday, as well as gospel brunches on Sundays.

Carothers told Inc. he has been blowing his sax all over town for 30 years, makes money as a political consultant and "is looking to get a band together  I can't wait!"

Mayor Rahm Emanuel on Thursday shook Carothers' hand at a ceremony to celebrate the grant program on the Southwest Side. Carothers' rebound may have served as an encouragement to Ald. Willie Cochran, who is currently under indictment and also attended the ceremony alongside several other alderman who have yet to trouble federal authorities.

kjanssen@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @kimjnews
He falsely accused a rival attorney of running a "criminal enterprise" and tried to get an expert witness locked up in federal prison based on trumped-up allegations.

But the scorched-earth courtroom tactics of convicted killer Drew Peterson's former attorney Joel Brodsky in a small-time lemon law case backfired spectacularly earlier this year when a federal judge threatened him with sanctions and ordered him to account for his behavior.

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So with his career potentially on the line on Friday, Brodsky made an emotional apology to the court and the men whose reputations he had attacked, acknowledging that he had "gone too far."

"I sincerely apologize to this court for anything that I have done that caused distress in this case," Brodsky told U.S. District Court Judge Virginia Kendall during a three-hour hearing Friday, also personally apologizing to rival attorney Peter Lubin and to the expert he had besmirched, Donald Sczczesniak.

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"I know that I have to be better in controlling my frustrations."

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Brodsky's attorney Joe "The Shark" Lopez said that the stress of handling other cases had gotten to Brodsky, noting that Brodsky  who rolled his eyes and scratched his head in frustration throughout Friday's hearing  was "embarrassed by the reporting of this case in the press." He is asking Kendall, who has yet to rule, to limit her sanction of Brodsky to a "verbal reprimand" that he said would "curb Joel's enthusiasm."

Attorneys for Lubin and Sczczesniak presented evidence, though, that Brodsky has a history of what Sczczesniak's lawyer, Lance Northcutt, called "piggish, uncivil" behavior against rival attorneys, including making homophobic slurs.

"Mr. Brodsky is pathologically driven to lie, to obstruct, to misrepresent the record so that he can get what he wants, which is victory at all costs," Northcutt told the judge.

And it isn't only courtroom rivals who are fed up with Brodsky, according to Lubin, who testified that Brodsky's co-counsel in the Peterson case, Steve Greenberg, had called him to commiserate about Brodsky's behavior (Greenberg told Chicago Inc. later Friday that Brodsky "is a menace to the profession, unfit to practice law because he has no respect for people. And you can quote me on that").

Brodsky is hoping to avoid a fine and a referral to either the Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission or to a federal court committee that could disbar him. He left court without commenting.

kjanssen@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @kimjnews
Illinois Speaker of the House Michael Madigan, D-Chicago, gives a speech following the Illinois House voting to override Gov. Rauner's veto and pass a budget for the first time in more than two years on July 6, 2017. (Justin L. Fowler / The State Journal-Register via AP)

My hope of Dissolving Illinois  to save middle-class taxpayers from being stuck in this toxic wasteland of a state  hit a snag on Thursday.

It wasn't the hazmat crews crawling over the Capitol Building in Springfield after finding some mysterious white powder tossed around the governor's office.

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It was what Democratic Boss Mike Madigan's legislature did  with quisling Republican help  in overriding Gov. Bruce Rauner's veto of their $5 billion, 32 percent tax increase without any real structural economic reforms.

For leverage, Democrats and pro-tax activists used warnings from Moody's Investors Service, stressing that without a tax hike Illinois bonds would likely revert to junk status.

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Moody's later said that even with the tax increase, that state bonds might still be considered junk, because there were no real spending reforms.

And then 71 members of the state House, dominated by Democrats, wafted their toxic fumes all over the taxpayers of Illinois.

"It's been kind of brutal for me," whined State Rep. Steve Andersson, the Geneva Republican and Boss Madigan enabler who voted for the Madigan tax increase and the Madigan override.

"I've received hate mail, death threats, my personal cellphone has been given out," Andersson said, "but you know what I've thought about? The people, suffering ..."

I thought I could see his lower lip quivering a bit.

And David Harris, Republican Madigan enabler from Arlington Heights, speechified that he had precious little joy. He, too, voted for the Madigan tax increase and the override.

"There's no joy here," Harris moaned. "There's no joy. We are looking into an abyss, a financial abyss, and action is required."

Well, what about all those Illinois homeowners being squeezed out of their homes? Do they have joy?

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And what about the small business owners who won't take it anymore, and will take the jobs with them across the state line?

And what about taxpayers who don't hold news conferences, who don't have public relations consultants to call network TV reporters to chronicle their pain? Where's their joy?

They just leave.

As Andersson and Harris whimpered about their bruised feelings and their courage, I was reminded of what my grandfather, Papou Pete, told me about politicians:

"When they speak, the donkeys break wind."

Papou was right. So please stop speaking, Andersson. Please, stop, Harris. It's not only obnoxious. It smells.

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So now, after all the talk and all the stunts, who won and who lost?

Boss Madigan won. He's the Khan of Madiganistan for a reason. He works harder, he's more ruthless, he's smarter, and he's cautious, until he strikes.

He wins because he knows what he wants: the money and the power. That's all he's ever wanted.

And Rauner lost, big time.

Madigan pushed the tax increase through days ago, with mostly Democratic support, but also with the help of 15 Republican votes. He then overrode Rauner's veto on Thursday.

With all the political noise over the past few days, I don't want you to forget something else. And without that something else, none of this would have happened.

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Those 15 Republicans who voted for the tax hike gave Madigan enough votes to pass the tax and to give ample political cover to eight House Democrats, some in suburban districts, to vote against it.

In effect, the 15 Republicans protected the Madigan Democrats, so Madigan didn't have to expose his pet minions. And now they can send out direct mail advertising  approved by Boss Madigan  to tell voters in their districts that they're Democrats independent of Madigan, that they care for middle-class suburban taxpayers, that they haven't lost touch.

Of course that's nonsense. If Boss Madigan told them to lick the white powder off the Capitol Building floor, they'd do it.

There were 10 Democrats who voted against the tax increase: Mike Halpin; Marty Moylan; Michelle Mussman; Jerry Costello II; Natalie Manley; Sue Scherer; Katie Stuart; Sam Yingling; John Connor; Rita Mayfield.

Eight of these, all but Connor and Mayfield, were expected to have been targeted by Republicans.

You need a scorecard in this game.

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Madigan would never have allowed them to risk voter anger. Because without them, he'd risk losing his majority and then he wouldn't be Speaker of the Illinois House.

There will be much talk of Republicans and Democrats jumping from tax vote to veto override, and who flipped and who didn't. But please consider this:

That's all about confusing the voter.

Remember that without the 15 Republicans voting for the tax hike, the rest of it would have been moot. Some Republicans were in districts where universities eat tax dollars, and perhaps the universities will protect them. Yet each deserve a vigorous primary challenge.

And I'm mentioning the 15 Republican Madigan enablers here by name, so you can keep score on them as well:

There was the lead whiner, Andersson; and Terri Bryant; John Cavaletto; C.D. Davidsmeyer; Mike Fortner; Norine Hammond; and Harris, because after he spoke, all the donkeys were exhausted.

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And Chad Hays, who is not seeking re-election; Sara Wojcicki Jimenez; Charlie Meier; Bill Mitchell; Reggie Phillips; Bob Pritchard; David Reis; Michael Unes.

Yes, Papou Pete is long gone, but he understood their kind.

They always have good reasons for reaching into your pocket and taking your money. They're always sad about it. And some almost cry.

But then they open their mouths, and Illinois taxpayers just can't breathe.

Listen to "The Chicago Way" podcast with John Kass and Jeff Carlin at wgnradio.com/category/wgn-plus/thechicagoway.

jskass@chicagotribune.com
With the help of a group of Republican lawmakers, the House overrode Gov. Bruce Rauner 's veto to pass a budget for the first time in two years. The spending plan involves a $5 billion hike in income taxes: It raises the individual rate to 4.95 percent from 3.75 percent and the corporate rate to 7 percent from 5.25 percent.

This calculator uses net income, the amount you put on your return that factors in deductions for children or dependents and other taxable income.

Does not show the Illinois corporate income tax rate, which was also raised, to 7 percent from 5.25 percent.

A history of tax hikes

1969 Republican Gov. Richard Ogilvie was forced to ally with Mayor Richard J. Daley to get the votes needed to establish the state's first income tax.

1983 Gov. Jim Thompson and the legislature pushed through a $1 billion package of tax increases to keep the state afloat right at the fiscal year deadline. The hike was set for one year.

1989 An income tax hike came with increases in cigarette and gas taxes and a property tax break. The revenue was intended for education and local government funding.

2011 Gov. Pat Quinn said the state's "fiscal house was burning" as state leaders ushered through the 67 percent increase. The plan at the time was to start to ratchet the rate down in 2015.
Sarah Chambers speaks during a press conference outside of Mayor Rahm Emanuel's office at City Hall in Chicago on May 23, 2017. (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune)

An outspoken Chicago Teachers Union member who was fired from her teaching position this spring sued the school district in federal court Friday, alleging she was let go in retaliation for her advocacy on behalf of special education students.

Sarah Chambers, a former teacher at Saucedo Scholastic Academy in the city's Little Village neighborhood, is being represented by CTU lawyers in her suit against the Chicago Board of Education.

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Chambers and her attorneys allege the school system violated her constitutional rights by firing her in retaliation for "disclosing violations" of state or federal laws or regulations regarding special education. The lawsuit alleges the firing violated state whistleblower laws.

Chambers was fired in April. According to papers filed by Chicago Public Schools CEO Forrest Claypool in May, she was let go for violations that included "misconduct" associated with a controversial standardized test as well as "improper manipulation and use of CPS students."

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While the lawsuit's demands are limited to Chambers' employment, the action was used by the CTU to bring attention to concerns over how CPS treats activist employees and to recent changes to how CPS pays for special education.

At a Friday morning news conference, CTU leaders said its members are being targeted by schools officials for speaking out.

"This isn't just about Sarah Chambers, but Sarah is the most egregious of their issues as far as (CPS is) concerned, because she has never, ever backed down," union President Karen Lewis told reporters.

Chambers was at the news conference and alleged that "CPS and (Mayor) Rahm Emanuel don't want anyone challenging these policies that save money off the backs of our special education students.

"This is why they're going after me, because I have been challenging these destructive policies," Chambers said. "They're trying to silence me, and also silence all special education teachers who fight for their students."

According to district documents, Chambers was "repeatedly warned in the past" to halt her efforts to obstruct administration of the standardized Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers exam, or PARCC.

But during testing in March, Chambers allegedly walked into another teacher's classroom to tell students they did not have to take the exam, the district said.

In late April, after she had been removed from her post, the district alleged that Chambers "decided to participate in a scheme, to improperly use CPS students, some of them special education students, to protest" her removal during a Chicago Board of Education meeting.

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In a statement, CPS spokeswoman Emily Bittner said Chambers "engaged in serious misconduct," while referring to the allegations in the dismissal charges.

"These are serious and grave actions that did not put students' interests first," Bittner said.

Chambers is asking a judge to reinstate her to a teaching position, award damages equal to her loss of salary and benefits plus interest and legal fees.

Chambers has been a fixture at school board meetings and often complained about the lack of services for special education students, which she has argued don't meet legal standards.

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"The school board has come up with bogus allegations against Sarah as a justification to fire her, because it doesn't want to hear what she has to say. It doesn't want the public to hear what she has to say," Josiah Groff, one of Chambers' attorneys, said Friday.

"Ms. Chambers has been a highly vocal, anti-standardized testing advocate for years," Lewis said. "But all of a sudden, this year, when the PARCC doesn't count for anything, all of a sudden that's a problem? It's a trumped-up charge."

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Chambers has grown into one of the union's most vocal members since she joined CPS in 2009. She has also served as a member of the union's influential Executive Board.

Late Friday, CPS filed an unfair labor practice charge against the CTU with the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board, alleging the union "restrained and coerced educational employees" as part of Chambers' protest of the PARCC exam.

The district said Chambers and a CTU organizer "conducted a de facto 'kidnapping'" of Saucedo students by taking them from the building and busing them downtown to appear at the school board meeting. The district requested a cease and desist order from the labor board.

jjperez@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @perezjr
Police officers gather outside Stroger Hospital after Chicago police Superintendent Eddie Johnson spoke to the news media about the shooting of two officers in the 4300 block of South Ashland Avenue in the Back of the Yards neighborhood on May 2, 2017. (Nuccio DiNuzzo / Chicago Tribune)

Charles Williams was under arrest on a federal gun charge last week when he allegedly admitted selling a street gang associate a military-style assault rifle that was later used in the wounding of two Chicago police officers.

But federal prosecutors say Williams, a former gang member who served time for murder, wasn't upset about the fact that officers had been shot. Instead, he was worried about the "scrutiny" the high-profile incident would bring.

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"He bought these rifles and sold them for a profit because it was good for his bottom line," Assistant U.S. Attorney Kavitha Babu wrote in a court filing Friday. "He didn't care who got hurt, as long as it wasn't him."

Prosecutors spelled out the details in a court filing asking U.S. Magistrate Judge Young Kim to reconsider his decision earlier this week to release Williams on home confinement.

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Williams, 37, was charged in a criminal complaint last week with one count of unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon. The charge stemmed from a June 16 deal in which he allegedly sold a 9 mm pistol to an undercover informant in west suburban La Grange, court records show.

Prosecutors have alleged Williams admitted to providing semi-automatic rifles to members of the La Raza gang to use in its ongoing war with rival Hispanic gangs on the city's South and West sides  a menacing development that has been highlighted by the Tribune.

In the interview with agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Williams said he was comfortable with providing the weaponry to La Raza because members of the rival Latin Saints had been wreaking havoc in his neighborhood, according to prosecutors.

"Every (expletive) day," Williams said, according to a transcript in the 10-page filing. "You can't go out the house. I look everywhere I go. Because you know, I don't want to be shot."

Charles Williams was charged in a criminal complaint with one count of unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon. (Chicago Police Department)

He also referred to a recent slaying of a child and described an incident in which he believed he'd almost been killed by the Saints while walking down an alley near his home.

"I did know someone who could use these (expletive) rifles," Williams allegedly told agents. "These dudes coming over here every (expletive) day with rifles. ... But that was the thought process."

Prosecutors, however, said that Williams' true motive for selling the weapons was making money and that the fact that he tried to downplay it showed the danger he poses to the public.

"Arming his neighbors in an ongoing gang war, tolerating the killing of individuals, including innocent children, as the cost of doing business, and exhibiting concern only when he suspects that he may be arrested, demonstrates that (Williams) has no respect for the law," Babu wrote.

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Police have said two plainclothes Chicago police officers were riding in a covert van May 2 when they were wounded by the rifle fire at 43rd Street and Ashland Avenue in the South Side's Back of the Yards neighborhood.

One officer suffered gunshot wounds to his left hip, his left upper arm and his right flank, while the second officer suffered lacerations and cuts to his upper back. Both were released from Stroger Hospital a day after the shooting.

Cook County prosecutors said the suspects, both members of La Raza, thought they were shooting at rival gang members, not police officers.

The man suspected of being the getaway driver, 18-year-old Angel Gomez, was arrested and charged with attempted murder and aggravated battery with a firearm in the shooting.

Meanwhile, the alleged shooter, Edgar Barron, is believed to have fled to Mexico, police sources said. Barron, who allegedly fired 25 rounds at the cops' van, has been charged in an arrest warrant with aggravated battery, court records show.

The federal complaint against Williams alleges he sold a 9 mm pistol last month to an undercover ATF informant. Agents were watching as Williams pulled his Nissan into a La Grange parking garage, popped the trunk and handed the informant a white plastic bag containing the weapon.

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In May, the informant had a similar transaction with Williams, that time trading him a Yugo Tokarev M57 pistol for about $200 worth of drugs, the complaint alleged.

Williams faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison if convicted.

During a detention hearing for Williams on Wednesday, prosecutors told Kim of the connection to the cops' shooting but did not offer the details from the ATF interview recorded on video, court records show.

Williams' attorney, Robert Rascia, told the judge his client had "no relationship" with the gang members charged in the officers' shooting. He has a steady job and lives with his longtime girlfriend, with whom he shares a child, Rascia said.

Rascia also noted it was the government's own informant  a drug addict and gang associate  who had actually given the assault weapons to the gang.

According to the complaint, authorities stopped using the informant after several problems arose during the investigation of Williams. First, the informant admitted using cocaine he'd purchased from Williams during one of their meetings. Then, on June 23, he showed up drunk to a meeting with ATF agents, admitting he'd "consumed 6 ounces of vodka," the complaint alleged.

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Kim ruled that prosecutors had not established by "clear and convincing evidence" that Williams was a danger to the community, records show. The judge ordered him released on home confinement, allowing him to leave his South Side residence only for work and to meet with his lawyer or attend court hearings.

But Kim warned Williams that "given that everyone is very nervous about gun violence in the city of Chicago," any violation of the conditions of bond would likely result in his immediate incarceration.

Records show Williams was convicted in 1998 of first-degree murder in the gang-related slaying of a rival and sentenced to 30 years in Illinois state prison.

In the detention hearing Wednesday, Rascia noted that Williams was only 15 at the time of his arrest and was not accused of pulling the trigger. He was an alleged foot soldier in a street gang who was merely present for the fatal shooting of a rival in a Chicago apartment building, Rascia said.

The Cook County state's attorney's office did not respond Friday to requests for comment on the case.

Chicago police Superintendent Eddie Johnson has been pushing for courts to crack down on gun criminals. After Williams was released on home confinement, police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi cited news coverage of the judge's decision in a Twitter post, along with a quote from Johnson: "If we are going to reduce gun violence, we all have to hold criminals accountable for breaking gun laws, because our police officers simply can't do it alone."

Williams' arrest highlights the continuing efforts of police to track the source of the assault weapons being used by gang members.

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In February, the Tribune reported that gangs in Back of the Yards and Brighton Park were increasingly using rifles styled after AR-15s and AK-47s. At the time, there had been more than 30 shootings believed to have been tied to semi-automatic rifles in the two neighborhoods over the previous nine months. At least 46 people were shot in those attacks, 13 fatally.

Police suspected the rifles were being passed around by members of four rival Hispanic gangs, including La Raza.

In a news conference last week about a new gun-crime initiative, Anthony Riccio, chief of the Chicago Police Department's organized crime division, told reporters that Williams was one of five people who had handled the rifle that ultimately was used in the officers' shooting.

jmeisner@chicagotribune.com

jgorner@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @jmetr22b

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Twitter @jgorner
A convicted murderer who authorities allege transferred a military-style rifle to a gang that was later used in a shooting that wounded two Chicago police officers has been released on his own recognizance on a federal weapons charge.



Charles Williams was charged in a criminal complaint last week with one count of unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon, court records show.



While the 11-page criminal complaint details a single June transaction involving a 9 mm pistol, it does not mention the May shooting of the two Deering District officers.



Chicago police, however, have previously said that Williams was also suspected of providing the rifle used in that shooting.



"That gun changed hands five separate times over the course of several years," Anthony Riccio, chief of the Chicago Police Department's Organized Crime division, told reporters at a news conference last week. "Five different people had that gun. Ultimately it wound up in the hands of a guy named Charlie Williams who lives on the South Side of Chicago. ... He is the one that transferred it to this street gang who used it to then shoot a police officer."

Federal prosecutors on Wednesday asked U.S. Magistrate Judge Young Kim to order Williams  who has a 1998 murder conviction in his background  held without bond. But Kim instead released Williams on his own recognizance, court records show.



The court record does not reflect whether prosecutors brought up the shooting of the officers during the bond hearing.



Police have said two plainclothes Chicago police officers were riding in a covert van May 2 when they were wounded by the rifle fire at 43rd Street and Ashland Avenue in the South Side's Back of the Yards neighborhood.



One officer suffered gunshot wounds to his left hip, his left upper arm and his right flank, while the second officer suffered lacerations and cuts to his upper back. Both were released from Stroger Hospital the day after the shooting.

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Cook County prosecutors said the suspects, both members of the La Raza street gang, thought they were shooting at rival gang members, not police officers.

The alleged getaway driver, 18-year-old Angel Gomez, was arrested and charged with attempted murder and aggravated battery with a firearm in the shooting. But the alleged shooter, who prosecutors said fired 25 shots at the cops' van, remains at large.



The federal complaint against Williams alleges he sold a 9 mm pistol last month to an undercover informant working for the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Agents were watching as Williams pulled his Nissan into a parking garage in west suburban La Grange, popped the trunk and handed the informant a white plastic bag containing the weapon.



"It's been fired, but it didn't get fired at nothing," Williams allegedly told the informant, who was wearing a hidden wire. "I shot it at a (gun) range."



The informant told agents that he previously traded the same gun to Williams for about $350 worth of cocaine, according to the complaint.



In May, the informant had a similar transaction with Williams, that time trading him a Yugo Tokarev M57 pistol for about $200 worth of drugs, the complaint alleged.



Williams was convicted in 1998 of first-degree murder and sentenced to 30 years in Illinois state prison, according to the complaint. Details of that crime were not immediately available.



In February, the Tribune reported that gangs in Back of the Yards and Brighton Park were increasingly using rifles. Police said that was the only area of the city where rifles styled after AR-15s and AK-47s were regularly used, a menacing new development in the gang fights.



At the time, there had been more than 30 shootings believed to have been tied to semi-automatic rifles in the two neighborhoods over the previous nine months. At least 46 people were shot in those attacks, 13 fatally.

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Police suspected the rifles were being passed around by members of four rival Hispanic gangs in the area  La Raza, the Almighty Saints, Satan Disciples and Gangster Two-Six.



jmeisner@chicagotribune.com

jgorner@chicagotribune.com
The Illinois State Board of Elections said Friday that it will not comply with a request for voter information sought by a panel formed by President Donald Trump to look into alleged irregularities into voting in the 2016 presidential election.

In a letter to Kris Kobach, Kansas secretary of state and vice chairman of the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity, election board legal counsel Ken Menzel said Illinois cannot comply with the request.

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"The Illinois Election Code  protects the confidentiality and privacy of voter registration data, limiting its release to registered political committees for political purposes and to governmental entities for governmental purposes, subject to the restriction that voter data not be released to the public," Menzel wrote to Kobach.

"Your letter indicates that any information and voter registration data provided to the commission will be made available to the public. In short, the State of Illinois does not have a publicly available voter roll. Therefore, our agency does not have any material responsive to the commission's request," Menzel wrote.

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State election officials acknowledged receiving several calls of concern over the issue of turning over voter data requested by the commission, including voter names, addresses, birth dates, the last four digits of Social Security numbers and voting history going back to 2006.

Many election authorities around the country expressed concern about the request for voter information and notified the commission it would not be complying or complying in full. The panel is headed by Vice President Mike Pence, the former Indiana governor. Indiana election officials have said they cannot fully comply.

The same holds true in Kansas, where Kobach cannot fully fulfill the request under the laws of his home state.

Several Illinois elected officials have urged the state to reject the panel's request, including U.S. Sens. Tammy Duckworth and Dick Durbin and Cook County Clerk David Orr.

Trump created the commission in May to look into alleged acts of voter fraud after he claimed, without evidence, that 3 million to 5 million immigrants living in the U.S. illegally voted in the 2016 election. Critics have cited little evidence of widespread voter fraud and have contended the commission is attempting to advance efforts to suppress voter turnout.

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The template for the 2018 Illinois governor's race had long been set  Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner linking House Speaker Michael Madigan to the Democratic nominees, while Democrats try to tie the governor to President Donald Trump.

Then Madigan and Democratic lawmakers led the override of Rauner's vetoes of a major income tax increase and budget, ending a more than two-year impasse of historic proportions. Now, the dynamic has changed for the Republican chief executive as well as his potential Democratic challengers.

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All re-election campaigns are a referendum on the officeholder, and Rauner's will be no exception. But a powerful tool that Democrats had been using against him  contending the stalemate was a symbol of his failure to govern  could be a tougher sell to voters. Even if Rauner didn't play a role in making it happen, state government is funded, some money has been restored to social service providers who have seen the safety net for Illinois' most vulnerable torn to tatters, and the state plans to start whittling down a giant pile of unpaid bills.

At the same time, the Democratic contenders for governor have generically endorsed the need to increase taxes, even backing a graduated income tax to raise the rate on those making more money. They're likely to have to own the tax hike pushed by Democratic legislative leaders amid an onslaught of advertising attacking it, them and Madigan  all courtesy of Rauner.

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Rauner's public response to the override could become the themes of his re-election campaign.

"Speaker Madigan's 32 percent permanent income tax (rate) increase will force another tax hike in the near future," Rauner said in delivering his response to the public via a Facebook post.

"His tax-and-spend plan is not balanced, does not cut enough spending or pay down enough debt, and does not help grow jobs or restore confidence in government. It proves how desperately we need real property tax relief and term limits. Now more than ever, the people of Illinois must fight for change that will help us create a brighter future," he said.

One Rauner campaign aide said the override of the tax hike veto plays into a concept the Republican governor repeatedly has sought to establish in his rhetoric and campaign ads and will continue as he seeks re-election.

"The plan from the folks in Springfield has been not to do anything for structural change but just raise taxes and keep things going in the same direction. From what he's been saying, the ads, they all have led us to this moment where Michael Madigan decided to raise taxes without any reform," said the Rauner aide, who was not authorized to speak publicly about campaign strategy.

The question for voters, the aide said, is whether they want to see "the same old results in the same old direction" or stick with Rauner.

To that end, the Rauner-funded Illinois Republican Party on Friday began running a digital ad that shows Madigan and says, "It was his plan all along. A 32 percent tax (rate) hike."

On the Democratic side, candidates for governor no longer have the direct route of pointing fingers at Rauner over the financial mess of a budgetless state, said Christopher Mooney, director of the Institute of Government and Public Affairs at the University of Illinois.

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That doesn't mean Democrats won't try. Democratic hopeful J.B. Pritzker launched automated phone calls Friday telling voters "Bruce Rauner's damage is done."

Mooney also said Democrats are now more likely to focus on what they see as Rauner's shortcomings more than they have so far. To this point in the early stages of the 2018 primary campaign, some Democrats have gone after each other in addition to the governor.

And, Mooney said, look for the Democratic candidates to defend the tax increase as bipartisan, noting the 15 House Republicans who voted for the original plan and the 11 House and Senate Republicans who voted to override Rauner.

"Democrats are going to have to say over and over and over again that this was a bipartisan tax increase, that this was a bipartisan budget," Mooney said. "They can say, 'The governor is out of the mainstream of his own party, that members of his own party wouldn't listen to him despite his millions.' That's the story they can try to sell. But it's a little complicated."

Democratic governor candidate Ameya Pawar, a Northwest Side alderman, emphasized the bipartisan theme.

"Republicans and Democrats in both houses came together this week to pass a responsible budget that protects middle-class families and finally puts Illinois on a steady fiscal path," Pawar, 47th, said in a statement.

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"While Bruce Rauner's reckless veto made clear he doesn't care about the future of our state, today's bipartisan veto override proves there are legislators still willing to put Illinois' hardworking families over reckless partisan politics," he said.

Pritzker moved quickly on the "bipartisan" theme in his robocalls. "After 736 days, a bipartisan compromise budget passed into law in Illinois," a female narrator says in the call.

State Sen. Daniel Biss, D-Evanston, a contender for governor who voted for the budget package and the override, also played up the bipartisan angle  though he took a veiled shot at Madigan.

"I'm glad that because rank-and-file legislators on both sides of the aisle followed their consciences instead of their leaders, we avoided the catastrophe of yet another year without a budget," said Biss, who added it was time to address the state's long-term problems.

But Chris Kennedy, heir to the iconic Massachusetts political family, did not mention either the bipartisan aspect of the override or that it was led by Democrats. Instead, Kennedy was critical of the tax hike's impact as he also appeared to lament the final budget package.

"Our state had little choice but to carry through with the budget agreement finalized today," Kennedy said in a statement that blamed Rauner for standing on the "sidelines."

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Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 5 Businessman Chris Kennedy speaks in Chicago to members of the Cook County Democratic Party on June 22, 2017, for endorsement consideration in the primary race to take on Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner. (Nancy Stone/Chicago Tribune )

"Now we've raised taxes that impact the poor and middle-class without asking more of the wealthy," said Kennedy, who added, "we need to give our state a budget and a government that's free of corruption, that's free of self-dealing, that's free of self-interest."

The U. of I.'s Mooney noted the potential complexity for voters of listening to multiple varying voices among the Democratic primary candidates compared to Rauner.

"The governor always has the advantage of explanation, of being a single voice, of being out in front," Mooney said. "He's got the simple story, and Democrats have the complicated story."

Still, if Rauner relies on telling voters that he fought against a Madigan-led tax increase that became law anyway, Mooney said that could be viewed as "weak."

"Who cares about fighting if you end up the loser?" Mooney asked. "In politics in this state, it's all about winning."

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A view of the aftermath in a cabin on Delta Flight 129 from Seattle to Beijing after authorities say flight attendants struggled with Joseph Daniel Hudek IV after he lunged for an exit door. The photo was included in a criminal complaint filed July 7, 2017. Hudek has been charged with interfering with a flight crew and faces up to 20 years in prison. (FBI via U.S. attorney's office in Seattle)

SEATTLE  A flight attendant broke a wine bottle over the head of a man who lunged for an exit door and fought with other passengers during a Delta Air Lines flight from Seattle to Beijing, but it didn't faze him, an FBI agent wrote in charging papers filed Friday.

Joseph Daniel Hudek IV, 23, of Tampa, Fla., appeared in U.S. District Court, wearing a beige jail uniform and sporting a scrape or bruise below his right eye.

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He was arrested Thursday night after causing the disturbance that forced the plane to return to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, authorities said.

Hudek did not speak during the hearing. His attorney, Robert Flennaugh II, declined to comment.

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Hudek was charged with interfering with a flight crew, which carries a possible sentence of up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. He is expected to remain in custody at least until a detention hearing Thursday.

One flight attendant and a passenger were taken to a hospital after suffering severe facial injuries, authorities said. Perry Cooper, a spokesman for the Port of Seattle, described the injuries as not life-threatening.

A probable cause statement written by FBI Special Agent Caryn Highley said Hudek was sitting in the first row of the Boeing 767's first-class section. He asked a flight attendant for a beer before takeoff, and was served one, but he exhibited no sign of being intoxicated and ordered no other alcoholic drinks, the attendant told authorities.

About an hour into the flight, while the plane was over the Pacific Ocean northwest of Vancouver Island, Hudek went into the forward restroom. He came out quickly, asked the attendant a question and went back in, the agent wrote.

When he came out again two minutes later, he suddenly lunged for the exit door, grabbed the handle and tried to open it, Highley wrote. Two attendants grabbed him, but he pushed them away, and the attendants signaled for help from several passengers and notified the cockpit by telephone, the complaint said.

Hudek punched one flight attendant twice in the face and struck at least one passenger in the head with a red dessert wine bottle, it said.

As the struggle continued, a flight attendant grabbed two wine bottles and hit Hudek over the head with each  breaking at least one of them, Highley wrote.

According to one flight attendant, "Hudek did not seem impacted by the breaking of a full liter red wine bottle over his head, and instead shouted, 'Do you know who I am?' or something to that extent," the complaint said.

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One passenger got him in a headlock, but he broke out of it, although several passengers were able to hold him long enough to place zip-tie restraints on him, Highley wrote. Even then he remained combative, she said, and it took multiple passengers to keep him restrained until the plane landed and Port of Seattle police arrested him.

Hudek had been traveling on a "dependent pass," the complaint said. Such passes allow certain relatives of Delta employees to fly standby.

Passenger Dustin Jones told KIRO-TV that he saw the man being rolled into the terminal in a wheelchair after the plane landed.

"He started yelling for help," Jones said. "And so he turned the wheelchair over in the middle of the airport, screaming for people to help him, just being belligerent."

The flight left for Beijing later Thursday night.
LA PORTE, Ind.  Authorities say drug-laced gummy bears are responsible for sickening a group of young people in northern Indiana.

The LaPorte County sheriff's office says deputies responding to a call Thursday night found a 19-year-old man along a roadway. He told a deputy that he took an unknown drug and wanted to go to the emergency room. He said his friends also had taken the drug.

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Other deputies found 10 other young people at an area home. The department says they had rapid heart rates, pain in their legs and blurred vision. Those involved were men and women ages 18 or 19 apparently visiting from the Indianapolis-area community of Fishers.

They were taken to hospitals. Authorities believe they ate the candy that was laced with the psychoactive chemical tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC.
The Mandan Depot Beer Hall, a German-style restaurant, is set to open in the Mandan Depot in early September, according to restaurant owner Edgar Oliveira. The business will feature 30 beers on tap, bratwursts, sandwiches, salads, soups and desserts along with long communal tables similar to the ones in Germany.

Oliveira said the hall is a partnership among himself, the city of Mandan (which owns the building) and the Fort Abraham Lincoln Foundation, which includes the Five Nations Art Gallery. Oliveira added that the entities got together to figure out how to better use the depot.

"The depot to me is the crown jewel of the community. It is the crown jewel of downtown and it has to be developed," said Oliveira, adding its historical significance and how it was the entry point not only into Mandan but "the west" during the railroad days. The depot was rebuilt in 1929 after a fire destroyed the previous building.

Mandan City Administrator Jim Neubauer said the city's role was to approve the sublease agreement between the Fort Abraham Lincoln Foundation and Oliveira, which happened during a city commission meeting last month. "Folks in Mandan are always looking for a new place to eat and this gives them another option," said Neubauer.

The new restaurant will occupy the space that is being used by the Five Nations Art Gallery. The gallery will move to a smaller space in the depot adjacent to the beer hall.

Oliveira hopes the restaurant will bring more traffic to the art gallery. "Now you have a place right next to it that can funnel more people into the art gallery," he said.

Five Nations Art Gallery manager Holly Doll said there are pros and cons to moving the gallery into a smaller area but she remains optimistic for the future. "The goal for me is to eventually open up a second location as well so that we don't have to stay small forever. We'll just have a different area as well," said Doll.

The art gallery, which features art from 70 Native American artists from across the U.S., will be accessible from inside the beer hall and there also will be an entry in the front of the depot. The gallery's hours will remain the same, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

Aaron Barth, the Fort Abraham Lincoln Foundation executive director, said a few of the the artists' pieces will be displayed on the beer hall's wall. "It'll be done tastefully and in collaboration with the artist as well. It'll bring more exposure to the artwork and help out Native artists," he said.

During the transition, the depot will undergo minor repairs and updates to improve the look of the building without compromising its architectural integrity and historic charm.

The depot will continue to house the Fort Abraham Lincoln Foundation's administrative and gaming offices. For more information about the foundation, visit www.fortlincoln.org or call 701-663-4758. To learn more about the Five Nations Art Gallery call 701-663-4663 or email holly@fortlincoln.org.
Burn bans imposed in western North Dakota kept most people from setting off fireworks this Fourth of July, with the exception of one close call in Watford City.

"Overall we had great voluntary compliance with the burn ban," said Burleigh County Sheriff's Capt. Kelly Leben.

He said the sheriff's office got 10 to 15 calls of fireworks from Monday night to Wednesday morning. By the time deputies arrived at most of the locations, there were no more explosions.

There were a few problematic incidents, including a man accused of starting a grass fire while shooting off fireworks near a trailer park in Watford City, leading residents of four trailers to evacuate.

Jose De Jesus Montes Lepe of California is charged with reckless endangerment, a Class C felony, and a misdemeanor violation of the burn ban. Court records say Montes Lepe allegedly disregarded the local burn ban and shot off fireworks Tuesday night. The fire that resulted burned a large section of grass near a high density housing area, getting within four feet of one trailer, court records say.

In Burleigh County, the sheriff's department got a report Monday evening of a 22-year-old man with a firework-related hand injury in the Sibley sandbar area south of Bismarck. Leben said the person sought medical treatment, and the extent of the injury was still unknown.

On Monday afternoon, deputies responded to a report of fireworks northwest of Bismarck. There they found two Bismarck men, ages 19 and 20, who admitted to setting off fireworks. Leben said the men told deputies they did not know about the burn ban, and the case was forwarded to prosecutors for potential Class B misdemeanor charges.

Fires were few in the greater Bismarck-Mandan area on Tuesday.

Bismarck Rural Fire Capt. Scott Sommers said the only fire called in was a report of hay bales struck by lightning northeast of Menoken.

"The fireworks ban definitely did what it was supposed to," Sommers said.

Mandan Police Lt. Pat Haug said usually-busy Mandan was mostly quiet with seven calls for reports of fireworks. One juvenile was cited, he said.

The North Dakota Forest Service has been closely monitoring fire risk due to the drought conditions, particularly in western North Dakota. The agency had firefighting equipment and personnel stationed in Dickinson over the holiday weekend but didnt respond to any fires.

It has been extremely quiet, said fire manager Ryan Melin.

In Dunn County, crews responded to a fire caused by haying equipment over the holiday weekend, but it was contained fairly quickly, said emergency manager Denise Brew.

County officials were vocal about fireworks restrictions ahead of the holiday, and residents cooperated with those bans, Brew said.

I think people realize how very dangerous it is out there, Brew said.

Meanwhile, in the eastern part of the state, where there was no fireworks ban, West Fargo Assistant Fire Chief told KFGO radio that fireworks caused a string of fires, including two dumpster fires, several grass fires and a house fire.
Pueblo police: Security footage helped ID attempted murder suspect

Police say they ID'd the suspect after he was spotted at a hospital wearing the same clothes as a shooting suspect caught on a security camera
Looking for ways to better support Medicaid and encourage more healthy people to buy health insurance, Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., this week, sought ideas from health care officials on how to improve Senate Republicans health care bill.

Weve got to do some more work on it, he said of the bill last week, after voicing disapproval of the legislation in its current form.

Cuts to Medicaid, phasing out the Obama Administrations expansion of the program, has raised concerns.

The Affordable Care Act, in its original form, required states to expand coverage to those making less than 138 percent of the Federal Poverty Line; that was changed by a supreme court ruling making the expansion voluntary.

Trying to mitigate some of the sting of the rollback, the Senate bill allocates $62 billion over eight years to a state innovation fund, which can be used for coverage for high-risk patients, reinsurance and other items.

The Senates draft bill would phase out Obamacares expansion of Medicaid over seven years, with no change to coverage in the first two years, Hoeven said.

Hoeven is asking two questions: Is it enough money? Is it enough time?

So far Democrats and industry say its not.

Providers have expressed fear that, as federal financial aid decreases, North Dakota could drop expanded coverage, according to Hoeven.

How do you deliver the same quality of care with a lot less money? asked Shelly Peterson, president of the North Dakota Long Term Care Association, adding that the state Legislature would likely have a hard time coming up with the difference in funding.

For AARP North Dakota, concern came from the higher premiums older enrollees with more health issues would be asked to pay. Under the Republican proposal, the limit on the difference in premiums would go from a 3:1 ratio to 5:1.

Hoeven said the rationale is that it will lower the cost for younger people, encouraging more to go buy insurance.

Josh Askvig, director of North Dakota AARP, said hes not convinced that $700 in savings to someone in their 20s would be a significant incentive and the $2,100 in increases to older residents would be too much of a burden.

Hoeven said one way he would like this addressed is through a refundable tax credit, in addition to Medicaid, allowing people to buy policies on the open market.

I do need some ideas back from you, he told representatives from Sanford Health, CHI St. Alexius Health, AARP and the North Dakota Long Term Care Association, as he emphasized that this initial bill is just the first step.

This is going to be a process, he said of the involvement of a number of pieces of legislation.

Hoeven said he sees Republicans use of special budget rules that only require 52 votes to pass the bill as a way to get over this first hurdle and force Democrats to come to the bargaining table.

Somehow, weve got to get started, he said.

Tim Rave, the executive director of public policy for Sanford Health, said, in some ways, he sees it as better to tackle health care legislation piece by piece because larger, more comprehensive bills are harder to get through. Others, including the North Dakota AFL-CIO, have admonished Republicans for their rush to get the bill through rather than taking the time to hold committee hearings.

Hoeven estimates that Republicans could pass something through the Senate before the August recess. It would then go to the House or conference committee.

Republicans can only afford two no votes from their party in the Senate to pass the bill, assuming all Democrats vote against it. Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, D-N.D., last week called the Senate bill just as bad as the bill the House passed in early May.
Our weekly round up of other news affecting foreign investors throughout Asia:

Import and Export Procedures in Cambodia  Best Practices

Cambodia is an important manufacture-for-export destination and as the country continues to comply with ASEAN-wide economic integration, opportunities for both importers and exporters will grow. In this article, we explain best practices for importing into and exporting out of Cambodia.

Impact of GST on Imports and Exports in India

The new goods and services tax (GST), launched on July 1, 2017, will change the way of doing business in India. In this article, we examine the immediate impact of the GST on imports and exports through changes in the structure of taxation, and the withdrawal of some indirect taxes and exemptions.

Establishing a Foreign Business in Russia  New Issue of Russia Briefing Out Now

In this issue of Russia Briefing, we explain the basics of business set up for foreign investors, from trademark registration, representation, trading mechanisms, and manufacturing. With low corporate tax rates, Russia is set to become the most dynamic of the trade corridors opening up to Asia.

China, India Clash At Nathu La Pass, Highlighting Potential China OBOR Border Disputes

In signs that China will have a great deal of diplomatic work to do in remote border areas of its OBOR initiative, clashes and disputes between China and India have flared up at the Nathu La border crossing between Sikkim and Tibet.

Vietnams Solar Power Policy: The Dawn of a New Age in Utilities Investment

In the face of rising power consumption, Vietnam has implemented a campaign to encourage solar power spearheaded by Decision No. 11/2017/QD-TT. Read more to understand the incentives and policy adjustments being made under the decision and how this may turn the tables for investors.



About Us Our Briefing updates are written by and provided by the various regional offices of Dezan Shira & Associates throughout Asia. To obtain a complimentary subscription to Asia Briefing please click here. To contact Dezan Shira & Associates concerning foreign investment and assistance in Asia, please email us at asia@dezshira.com

Dezan Shira & Associates Brochure

Dezan Shira & Associates is a pan-Asia, multi-disciplinary professional services firm, providing legal, tax and operational advisory to international corporate investors. Operational throughout China, ASEAN and India, our mission is to guide foreign companies through Asias complex regulatory environment and assist them with all aspects of establishing, maintaining and growing their business operations in the region. This brochure provides an overview of the services and expertise Dezan Shira & Associates can provide.

An Introduction to Doing Business in ASEAN 2017

Doing Business in ASEAN introduces the fundamentals of investing in the 10-nation ASEAN bloc, concentrating on economics, trade, corporate establishment and taxation. We also include the latest development news in our Important Updates section for each country, with the intent to provide an executive assessment of the varying component parts of ASEAN, assessing each member state and providing the most up-to-date economic and demographic data on each.

An Introduction to Doing Business in China 2017

Doing Business in China 2017 is designed to introduce the fundamentals of investing in China. Compiled by the professionals at Dezan Shira & Associates in January 2017, this comprehensive guide is ideal not only for businesses looking to enter the Chinese market, but also for companies who already have a presence here and want to keep up-to-date with the most recent and relevant policy changes.

An Introduction to Doing Business in Hong Kong 2017

Doing Business in China 2017 is designed to introduce the fundamentals of investing in China. Compiled by the professionals at Dezan Shira & Associates in January 2017, this comprehensive guide is ideal not only for businesses looking to enter the Chinese market, but also for companies who already have a presence here and want to keep up-to-date with the most recent and relevant policy changes.

An Introduction to Doing Business in India 2017

An Introduction to Doing Business in India 2017 is designed to introduce the fundamentals of investing in India. As such, this comprehensive guide is ideal not only for businesses looking to enter the Indian market, but also for companies who already have a presence here and want to stay up-to-date with the most recent and relevant policy changes.

An Introduction to Doing Business in Singapore 2017

An Introduction to Doing Business in Singapore 2017 provides readers with an overview of the fundamentals of investing and conducting business in Singapore and outlines the citys role as a trading hub within ASEAN. The guide explains the basics of company establishment, annual compliance, taxation, human resources, and social insurance in the city-state.

An Introduction to Doing Business in Vietnam 2017

An Introduction to Doing Business in Vietnam 2017 will provide readers with an overview of the fundamentals of investing and conducting business in Vietnam. Compiled by Dezan Shira & Associates, a specialist foreign direct investment practice, this guide explains the basics of company establishment, annual compliance, taxation, human resources, payroll, and social insurance in this dynamic country.
With the scope and penalties of Chinas social credit system being further clarified in 2021, legal and regulatory compliance has become more important than...
India overtook the United States as the country with the most trade remedy investigations against China in the first half of this year, the Ministry of Commerce said on Thursday.

India initiated 12 investigations against Chinese products, including aluminum foil and photovoltaic products, during the January-June period, followed by the US, which had 11, according to the ministry.

Overall, trade remedy investigations into Chinese products during the period came down around the world but remained at a high level, said Gao Feng, the ministry's spokesman.

China was the subject of 37 trade-remedy investigations worth $5.3 billion, initiated by 15 countries and regions in the first half of 2017, down from 65 cases worth $8.5 billion during the same period of last year.

Cases included 28 antidumping and four subsidy-related investigations involving $5.3 billion of products ranging from truck tires and tubing to steel.

"We oppose any misuse of trade remedy investigations," Gao said. "And there are several things that did not conform to the World Trade Organization rules, leading to strong objections from Chinese manufacturers in related industries."

China continues to be the biggest victim of trade protectionism, according to the Reports on G20 Investment Measures released by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development in June.

"Because India's manufacturing structure is similar to China's, especially in the lighting and photovoltaic industries, both are facing the same problem to boost exports to developed markets," said Li Gang, vice-president of the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation in Beijing.

Li said India therefore has become more protective for its own factory business while competing with China in third-party markets. It has also adopted trade-remedy measures against countries including the United States, Ukraine, Iran and Kenya on a number of agricultural and manufacturing products.

"We have also discovered that India's trend of launching trade remedy investigations has already shifted from lower-end products such as garments, glass and mining products, to higher-end goods such as new materials and machinery," said Xue Rongjiu, deputy director of the Beijing-based China Society for WTO Studies.

Bilateral trade between China and India amounted to 229 billion yuan ($33.7 billion) between January and May, up by 30.1 percent year-on-year, according to the General Administration of Customs.

To maintain a fair market order, the Ministry of Commerce launched an antidumping investigation in connection with two chemicalsone used in pesticide manufacturing and another used in the pigmentation of various compounds-imported from India in the first half of this year.
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has said that the government should attach more importance to encouraging innovation, optimizing the business environment and raising growth quality and efficiency.

Li made the remarks Thursday in a meeting with experts and entrepreneurs on analyzing current economic performance and suggestions about future economic work, according to a press release issued Friday.

After the economy stabilized in the first half, "we should not only have firm confidence, but also be well prepared for dealing with all kinds of difficulties," Li said.

China should reduce transaction costs with intensified efforts to streamline administration, delegate power to lower levels and improve regulation and services, Li said.

The government should also strive to create an internationally competitive business environment in which domestic and foreign companies are treated on an equal basis, the premier added.
A birthday party was held Thursday at Taipei Zoo as Yuan Zai, the first panda cub born in Taiwan, turned four. [Photo/Xinhua]

A birthday party was held Thursday at Taipei Zoo as Yuan Zai, the first panda cub born in Taiwan, turned four.

Numerous visitors and panda lovers waited in a long queue before the zoo opened to public at 9 a.m., hoping to send their best wishes to the female cub.

Sixty members from a local panda lovers' club joined the celebration by wearing T-shirts printed with images of "Yuan Zai". They handed out panda-shaped stickers and notebooks to visitors to mark the day.

"Our club has more than 1,000 members and we have taken turns to visit Yuan Zai since she was born," Chou Yu-Ru, a member of the club said. "We are so happy to see how she has grown from a little pink meatball."

Keepers prepared a birthday cake decorated with the panda's favorite food including bamboo shoots, pineapple, grapes and carrots.

Wong Yi-Man, chief of the Panda House at Taipei Zoo, said Yuan Zai is doing well and shows signs of maturity.

"We will work with the giant panda breeding center in Sichuan to find Yuan Zai a suitable mate when she is mature enough," Wong said, explaining six and twelve are the pandas prime years of reproduction.

Born on July 6, 2013, Yuan Zai was the first baby of giant pandas Tuan Tuan and Yuan Yuan, who were gifted to Taiwan by Chinese mainland in 2008.

The panda family are major attractions at Taipei Zoo. Around 8,000 to 10,000 people visit the pandas each day during holidays.
 Flash

China on Thursday accused India of taking the protection of Bhutan as an excuse to legitimize its border incursion into China.

"India's intention is very clear, which is to use the so-called 'security concern' as well as protecting Bhutan as a pretext to cross the China-India boundary at the Sikkim section and enter the Chinese territory of Doklam," said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang.

By creating disputes in Doklam, India intends to obstruct border negotiations between China and Bhutan, Geng told a routine press briefing.

Doklam is part of Chinese territory and there is no dispute over it, Geng said.

China and Bhutan started their border negotiations from the 1980s, and have held 24 rounds of talks so far.

Though the China-Bhutan boundary is not officially demarcated, both countries have a basic consensus on the practical condition and border line of their border region, Geng added.

"China observes relevant agreements with Bhutan, and China's activities in Doklam have not violated any bilateral agreement nor disrupted the status quo," he said.

India's Ministry of Externals Affairs has spoken of "serious security implications."

"China and India, two neighboring countries, should get along with each other," he said.

Branding China's road building with security implications is "ludicrous", said the spokesperson, adding that India has built lots of facilities in the China-India boundary at the Sikkim section over the past years, deployed troops, built fortifications on or across the border line, and changed the status quo of the border area.

China has the willingness to solve the issue in diplomatic ways and peaceful means once India withdraws its troops from Chinese soil, Geng said.
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Cambodia deported 74 Chinese nationals suspected of involvement in telecom fraud, and they were taken to Hunan province on Thursday afternoon, a senior Cambodian police official said.

Chinese suspects arrive in Hunan province from Cambodia on Thursday. [Photo/China Daily]

"The Chinese police sent a plane to pick them up after we decided to deport them," said Major General Ouk Hai Seila, chief of the investigation and procedure department at the General Department of Immigration, in an interview with Xinhua News Agency.

The deportees, including 21 women, were arrested on Saturday by Cambodian authorities in simultaneous raids on 12 locations in the capital, Phnom Penh, and Kandal and Kampot provinces, he said, adding that they would face legal action in China.

The 74 were suspected of using internet phones from Cambodia to extort money from victims in China, he said, adding that a number of phones and laptops were seized.

Seila said the raids came at the request of the Chinese embassy.

Scammers often use overseas internet servers to make scam calls to their victims, claiming to be court or police officials. They typically tell their targets that their bank accounts have been breached, so they need to transfer the money to a separate safe account, which is provided to the victim.
 Flash

The 2017 China-Central and Eastern European Countries (CEEC) Political Parties Dialogue will be convened in Bucharest, Romania, in mid-July. [Courtesy of the International Department of the Communist Party of China]



The 2017 China-Central and Eastern European Countries (CEEC) Political Parties Dialogue will be convened in Bucharest, Romania, in mid-July.

Around 400 political party leaders and entrepreneurs from China and CEEC will gather and discuss issues related to the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative and explore further multilateral cooperation, especially after the Beijing Belt and Road Forum held in May.

The Dialogue, jointly held by the International Department of the Communist Party of China and Romania's Social Democrat Party, is the second of its kind after it was first held in Budapest last year, within the China-CEEC cooperation mechanism, dubbed as the 16+1 framework. It has become a platform for political parties to discuss development strategies regardless of ideological and geographical differences.

The 2017 China-Central and Eastern European Countries (CEEC) Political Parties Dialogue will be convened in Bucharest, Romania, in mid-July. [Courtesy of the International Department of the Communist Party of China]

Three panel discussions will be held at the Dialogue which will focus on young people's responsibility in building Belt and Road Initiative, the Initiative's interaction with local growth drivers and the China-CEEC cooperation fair.

Delegations from China's six provinces including Hebei, Henan, Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Shaanxi and Hubei will also attend the Dialogue.

In addition, a photo exhibition themed the Belt and Road Initiative and a folk art show of Romania will be held in Bucharest on the sidelines of the Dialogue.

The Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, known as the Belt and Road Initiative, was put forward by President Xi Jinping during visits to Kazakhstan and Indonesia in 2013.

Over the past years, the Belt and Road Initiative has become a new driver of the global economy and a new bond for exchanges between Asian and European civilizations.
 Flash

U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday, in a meeting that will be the first test of whether Trump can improve strained relations with Moscow, experts said.

Trump campaigned last year on promises to mend relations with Russia, in a bid to team up with the Kremlin to defeat the terror group Islamic State, given Russia's clout in the Middle East.

"Trump's meeting with Putin is a major test of the administration's relationship with Russia," Brookings Institution Senior Fellow Darrell West told Xinhua.

Indeed, there are many sources of tension between the two nations, such as what the United States believes to be Russia's alleged meddling in its 2016 election. The Syrian war, the role of Iran, and tensions on the Korean Peninsula are also issues of contention between Moscow and Washington.

"It will be hard to make progress on all these issues, but everyone will be looking to see what problems get highlighted and whether there are any points of agreement between the two countries," West said.

Nile Gardiner, director of the Margaret Thatcher Center for Freedom at The Heritage Foundation, told Xinhua: " This will be a major test for President Trump, up against a far more experienced adversary," adding that Putin has been participating in such meetings for a couple of decades.

"Putin views these exchanges as games of chess, lots of moving pieces across the chessboard," Gardiner said.

TRUMP TAKES JABS AT RUSSIA IN POLAND

Trump is heading to the Group of 20 summit on the heels of a short stopover in Poland, where he made a speech Thursday that analysts already are calling reminiscent of how former U.S. President Ronald Reagan used to speak of the region.

In a speech from Warsaw that was broadcast in the United States and Europe, Trump said he was "committed" to securing Polish access to sources of energy other than Russia, so that Poland "is never held hostage" to one source of energy. The statement was an obvious message to Putin the day before the two leaders are to meet, analysts said. Russian state-owned energy company Gazprom is the leading supplier of natural gas to Europe.

West also noted that Trump and Poland's leader have some things in common, and the visit to Warsaw was in part geared toward scoring points on U.S. domestic policy.

"Trump visited Poland because he shares an affinity with the Polish leader, who also has taken a tough line on immigration and frequently attacks the news media and courts. It is a way (for Trump) to tell the world that his views on these topics are not out of line with what is happening elsewhere," he said.

The speech also heard Trump mention the historically adversarial relationship between Russia and Poland.

"If Russia challenges its neighbors, Trump likely will move to a much tougher stance against it. He would like a better relationship with Russia, but signaled (during the Warsaw speech) that he understands the past and knows there is a lot to overcome," West said.

Trump also said his administration would re-invigorate the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, an organization that Russia has frequently criticized.

MAJOR BREAKTHROUGHS UNLIKELY FROM MEETING

It remains unknown what Trump and Putin will discuss on the sidelines of Friday's G20 summit in Germany.

"I think a number of issues are going to be on the agenda," Gardiner said.

Those include tensions on the Korean Peninsula, Europe's refugee crisis, and the war in Syria, he said, noting that the United States has been more aggressive recently in combating Russian influence in Syria.

Other issues include the Ukraine, and the Russians will be angling for a reduction in U.S. sanctions over that issue, although Gardiner does not expect Moscow to get any concessions on that front.

"If anything, Washington has been tougher on the sanctions front in recent weeks," Gardiner said. "I would expect that President Trump would hold the line on the sanctions issue when he meets with Putin."

West said it's hard to know what to expect from such meetings.

"There likely will not be major policy breakthroughs, but this get together could pave the way for later negotiations," West said.

Trump wants to get Russia's help on Syria and on the nuclear weapons issue with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, West noted.

"The question is what is (Trump) willing to give up in return. He won't be able to lift sanctions (on Russia) because that would be opposed by Congress. But he could offer non-military equipment sales or other kinds of business deals," West said.
Zhang Kai

ChinaAid

(Hohhot, Inner MongoliaJuly 7, 2017) Renowned Christian human rights lawyer Zhang Kai is being subjected to strict surveillance in Chinas northern Inner Mongolia and was recently summoned to appear before authorities.

Despite releasing him on bail, Chinese officials have continuously monitored rights attorney Zhang Kai with various forms of surveillance, including installing cameras near his home and allowing police officers to reside beneath him. When he goes out, he is frequently tailed.

Recently, personnel from the procuratorate and security departments of Wenzhou, Zhejiang, summoned Zhang for the 12th time. In the past, he has been held for as long as 48 hours without any formal procedures taking place.

On social media, Zhang wrote, After the Wenzhou Domestic Security Protection Bureau summoned me, they said next time the public procurator will come and write an official transcript. I think there should have been two procurators here today, since the investigation has already come to an end. The Domestic Security Protection Bureau coming was not appropriate or in keeping with the laws provisions.

Serving under a Beijing law firm, Zhang has long been a stalwart defender of human rights, famously relocating to Wenzhou, Zhejiang, to take on the cases of more than 100 churches affected by a province-wide cross demolition campaign. On the evening of Aug. 25, 2015, government agents broke into the church compound where Zhang and his two assistants were living and took them into police custody. For six months, Zhang went missing, languishing in an unofficial prison known as a black jail. On Feb. 25, he resurfaced on a television broadcast, where authorities forced him to confess to disturbing public order and endangering state secrets. A day later, he was criminally detained but released on bail soon afterward.

His case has been transferred to the Wenzhou procuratorate for prosecution.

ChinaAid exposes abuses, such as those suffered by Zhang, in order to stand in solidarity with persecuted Christians and promote religious freedom, human rights, and rule of law.

ChinaAid Media Team

Cell: (432) 553-1080 | Office: 1+ (888) 889-7757 | Other: (432) 689-6985

Email: [email protected]

For more information, click here
Tang Jingling

(Photo courtesy of Radio Free Asia)

ChinaAid

(Guangzhou, GuangdongJuly 7, 2017) In the wake of human rights advocate and Nobel Peace Prize recipient Liu Xiaobos terminal prognosis, the family of another imprisoned rights defender fears for their loved ones health after he said he has been experiencing prolonged chest pain, ChinaAid learned yesterday.

Tang Jingling, a Christian lawyer esteemed for his role in defending those unfairly targeted by the Chinese government, recently reported experiencing multiple bouts of chest pain, each lasting for several minutes. His wife, Wang Yanfang, said, Tang Jinglings elder brother met with him on June 26. He asked his brother to consult a doctor for possible causes of his chest pain. During the Jasmine Revolution in 2011 [Editors note: The Jasmine Revolution was a series of pro-democracy protests that occurred in several cities across China], he was not allowed to sleep for more than 10 days, which caused pain in his chest. The recent occurrence of Liu Xiaobos late-stage liver cancer has caused us to worry about Tang Jinglings condition.

Tang, who continued advocating for improved human rights conditions in China even after his lawyer license was revoked on account of such work, was arrested in 2014 and charged with inciting subversion of state power for his participation in a movement that encouraged non-violent disobedience. On Jan. 29, 2016, he received a five-year prison sentence.

Tang also co-signed Charter 08, a document proposing political reforms for which its author, Liu, has spent the last nine years in prison.

Liu was diagnosed with late-stage liver cancer on May 24 and released him on medical parole a month later to receive care at a hospital in Shenyang, the capital of Chinas northeastern Liaoning province. China has since allowed select specialists from Germany and the U.S. to come treat Liu but has denied his requests to travel abroad for better care. Human rights groups, including ChinaAid, have been persistently advocating for his full release.

Yesterday, Lius doctors told his family he may only have 24 hours to live.

ChinaAid exposes abuses, such as those suffered by Tang and Liu, in order to stand in solidarity with persecuted Christians and promote religious freedom, human rights, and rule of law.

ChinaAid Media Team

Cell: (432) 553-1080 | Office: 1+ (888) 889-7757 | Other: (432) 689-6985

Email: [email protected]

For more information, click here
The New York Times

By Chen Guangcheng July 3, 2017

 One of my countrymen, the Nobel Peace Prize laureate Liu Xiaobo, has been imprisoned for eight years for the crime of drafting Charter 08, a political manifesto calling for democracy in China.

Now, the 61-year-old intellectual and literary critic has liver cancer  and the Chinese authorities are refusing to allow him to travel to the United States for medical treatment. If Mr. Lius incarceration for inciting subversion of state power was appalling, the way China has handled Mr. Lius illness should give pause to any government or business seeking to form closer ties with Beijing.

Protesters holding portraits of Liu Xiaobo at a demonstration

in Hong Kong on Saturday.

Sun Yeung/Pacific Pres, via LightRocket, via Getty Images

No lawyer or independent medical professional has been allowed to see Mr. Liu since his diagnosis. This is particularly troubling given that Reuters recently reported that Mr. Lius time is limited because of a fluid buildup around his stomach. Mr. Lius wife, Liu Xia, herself under house arrest, was allowed to see her husband in the hospital, but only under the close watch of guards. In the meantime, the Chinese authorities released a preposterous video in which a figure purported to be Mr. Liu exercises and undergoes routine medical exams.

But Mr. Lius treatment is anything but routine, as indicated by his release from prison on medical parole and the Chinese states condemnations of outside meddling  a sign the authorities are worried. Clearly, Beijing is concerned about what a tragic end for this famous dissident could mean for its international reputation.

All of this calls to mind the recent case of Otto Warmbier, the American citizen who, as a result of strong U.S. pressure, was released in June after being imprisoned last year by North Korea. When he went to the hermit kingdom as a tourist he was a healthy young man; when he returned home to Ohio he was in coma and died days later. North Korea continues to deny any wrongdoing.

China, like North Korea and other authoritarian regimes, has a penchant for brutality, lies and self-deception. I know this from personal experience.

In 2005, the Chinese authorities began what would turn out to be seven years of persecution of my family and me in retaliation for my work as an activist and lawyer, which focused on the corruption of the Communist Party, including its violent one-child policy. I was kidnapped, put in jails and detention centers and sentenced to over four years in prison on a bogus charge of disrupting traffic order.

In serving out my sentence in prison  where torture, forced labor and inhumane conditions were the norm  I was occasionally brought to the medical wing for sham exams performed by a staff made up of convicts who had a smattering of experience in medicine or biology. I was never seen by a properly trained doctor, despite grave illness and serious injuries inflicted on me by other inmates on order of the wardens. Before I was released, I was given a medical exam during which they injected me with drugs that caused me to be unable to speak properly for many days.

Once I returned home, my family and I were immediately placed under house arrest, during which we suffered from extreme deprivation, isolation, and beatings. If fleeing entered our minds, we were deterred by guards in our house and in our village tracking us 24 hours a day.

I was severely ill, and my wife often heard the guards chatting among themselves, saying they thought either I or my elderly mother would die soon. Meanwhile the authorities publicly claimed  accompanied by propaganda photos and videos  that I was well and free. Ultimately I escaped, crawling to a nearby village on my hands and knees  a task made more difficult given my blindness. I arrived, finally, at the United States embassy in Beijing in 2012. Now I live in freedom in America with my family.

My case and Mr. Lius are fairly well known in the West, but there are many attorneys and activists in China who have endured horrific suffering. Such political prisoners are routinely denied due process under the law and are forced to participate in show trials in which verdicts are predetermined by Communist Party insiders. Some dont survive prison: Tenzin Delek Rinpoche, Cao Shunli, Li Wangyang and Peng Ming-Min are among those who have died behind bars. Families of the victims will likely never get clear answers, as their loved ones organs are immediately removed and bodies cremated before independent autopsies can be performed.

For a nation with no rule of law, one of the main levers for influencing the status quo is outspoken condemnation from foreign governments and the public. Authoritarian regimes fear public shame, which is why it is time to shame Chinas Communist Party for its brutal treatment of Mr. Liu and other champions of liberty currently being held by Beijing.

The Trump administration had no qualms about condemning North Koreas shameful treatment of Otto Warmbier. The White House should do the same for Liu Xiaobo by forcefully demanding his immediate release to the United States for medical treatment.

The document that sent Mr. Liu to prison, Charter 08, insists that every person is born with inherent rights to dignity and freedom. That sounds a lot like the Declaration of Independence we will be celebrating tomorrow. This Fourth of July, will we in America use our freedom to call for the liberation of others?

Chen Guangcheng is a civil-rights activist and the author of The Barefoot Lawyer: A Blind Mans Fight for Justice and Freedom in China.







ChinaAid Media Team

Cell: (432) 553-1080 | Office: 1+ (888) 889-7757 | Other: (432) 689-6985

Email: [email protected]

For more information, click here
Partner EDF says UK project will cost extra $1.9 billion, face 15-month delay

China General Nuclear Power Corp, French energy group EDF's partner in Britain's Hinkley Point nuclear power project, said it is too early to jump to conclusions about any possible delays or cost overruns.

In response to EDF's claim that the project's costs had risen by 1.5 billion pounds ($1.9 billion) and that it faced a 15-month delay, CGN, China's largest nuclear operator, said the project is at the early stage of construction.

Based on the company's previous engineering construction experience, it is too early to say whether the project will cost more money or take more time, the company told China Daily on Thursday.

As a partner, CGN said it has always supported EDF in cost and construction period reduction, while promoting the project with its advantages in nuclear power projects construction.

EDF said on Monday that Hinkley Point could cost an extra 1.5 billion pounds, with an estimated cost up to 19.6 billion pounds following an internal review, and the project could be delayed by up to 15 months, a move that would push the completion date long past 2025.

However, CGN said despite the high cost of the Hinkley project, reasonable returns are expected, providing economic guarantee to its future operation and investors' recouping their capital costs.

Vincent de Rivaz, outgoing head of EDF Energy, also said that the new estimates and potential delay will have "no impact" on the Hinkley Point contract signed between the company and the UK government, according to Financial Times.

The UK is an ideal investment destination with its sound regulation, market mechanism and power demand, said CGN. "Considering its plan to suspend thermal power between 2025 and 2030 and replace it with clean energy, we believe it is a right choice to make the investment in the country," CGN said.

The Hinkley nuclear project will be more competitive in the market by then, compared with other clean energy options like wind and solar power, it added.

CGN signed an agreement on the 18 billion pound Hinkley Point C power plant with French utility EDF and the British government last September, which has been hailed as a gateway to promote Chinese nuclear technology.

Tan Jiansheng, CGN vice-general manager, told China Daily earlier that the company's investment in Britain, including Hinkley Point C in Somerset, Bradwell power station in Essex and a power station at Sizewell in Suffolk, shows that China is shifting from being a nuclear technology importer to an exporter.

The proposed Bradwell project consists of two of China's homegrown Hualong One reactors, each with an output of 1.15 gigawatts.

CGN and EDF have worked together for more than 30 years on nuclear development and construction in China.
LANZHOU  A senior official of the Communist Party of China (CPC) on Thursday called for the integration of culture and economic development.

Liu Qibao, a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, made the remarks during a visit to Northwest China's Gansu province.

According to Liu, who is also head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, cultural development is crucial to economic development and poverty alleviation, and meets people's cultural needs.

More and better cultural service centers should be set up, Liu said.

Taking advantage of the Belt and Road Initiative, China should seek deeper international cultural exchanges, as well as showcase Chinese culture on the international stage, he continued.

The protection and utilization of cultural relics should be improved, Liu added.

Moreover, Liu stressed the significance of the socialist core values, suggesting setting some of more widely accepted moral values as legal norms.
Erik Fyrwald, chief executive officer of Syngenta AG. [Photo provided to China Daily]

The head of Syngenta has big plans for China's agribusiness after the crop company was taken over by ChemChina in a $43b deal

Erik Fyrwald is a United States citizen running a Switzerland-based multinational agribusiness owned by one of China's largest corporations.

You can't get more global than that.

But then, the 57-year-old chief executive officer of Syngenta AG believes Europe's biggest crop protection and seeds group is entering a new era of expansion and growth.

Last year, State-owned China National Chemical Corp announced a $43 billion bid for the company and the acquisition has since been completed.

ChemChina's move came just after the merger of agriculture and chemicals giants Dow Chemical Co and DuPont Co was disclosed.

"Under new Chinese ownership, we can work to make a major impact in China," Fyrwald said. "Food production systems face demands in both quality and quantity in the country."

A major player in the farming sector, Syngenta was founded in 2000 and reported sales of $12.8 billion last year with net income of $1.17 billion.

Operating in 90 countries and regions, the company employs more than 28,000 staff with at least 5,000 technicians working at 119 research and development centers globally.

The annual R&D budget comes in at $1.3 billion, according to Syngenta's official website.

"We lead the industry in our commitment to research and development," Fyrwald said. "We are proud of that."

In an in-depth interview with China Daily, he talked about the company's business plan in China, his commitment to helping farmers through innovation and how he handles setbacks.

How do you assess the prospects of your company in China?

Naturally, China is a top priority for Syngenta. We have a strong team here and we will invest more in China in the future. Our goal is to provide advanced seeds and crop protection technologies, combined with advanced agronomic advice.

This will help farmers improve Chinese agriculture, so they can provide food security, safety and quality for the country's consumers. We must also do this in a way that helps improve the environment by reducing carbon emissions and water usage. Since Syngenta was formed, we have invested more than $360 million in China and we have 2,000 employees.

What is the development potential of the Belt and Road Initiative to Syngenta?

Well, the Belt and Road Initiative is supported by more than 100 countries, regions and international organizations. This provides further potential for Syngenta to extend partnerships and increase its global presence.

We serve farmers in nearly all the countries and regions related to the initiative, and we will now be able to extend out products and services.

What are you focusing on in China now?

We have developed solutions that improve produce such as rice, corn and potatoes. We can deliver improvements in both yield and quality while improving resource efficiency. We have also improved the taste of vegetables through new breeding techniques.

But then, we constantly develop these products and service solutions. They contribute to our commitments under The Good Growth Plan, which has very specific goals to improve the sustainability of agriculture.

What can you do to improve the agricultural industry of China?

Agriculture in China needs to be more sustainable as there is limited land and water. Also, there is a desire to cut carbon emissions. By providing better seeds and more effective crop protection products that require lower volumes of water, we can help improve production and environmental sustainability.

Of course, we must combine this with improved cultivation techniques that do not deplete the soil. We also found that the proportion of the rural population living in poverty has fallen.

To eradicate poverty by 2020, China pledged to lift 10 million people out of this trap every year from 2016. Through better services, such as improving yields, Syngenta can further upgrade the living standards of Chinese farmers.

How do you assess the prospects of the Chinese market and economy?

The country has great potential when it comes to agriculture. In the process of developing modern and sustainable farming, China needs to use advanced technology. The country itself has also developed key technologies for agriculture.

We look forward to collaborating even more closely with scientific institutes in the country as a Chinese-owned company. We must also find ways for these technologies to complement Syngenta's high-tech approach to bring even more benefits to Chinese farmers and consumers.

What is your secret to making Syngenta successful in China?

Most important to our success is our long-term commitment to the market in Chinato our farmers, customers and our employees. We want to help farmers succeed today. We also want them to succeed in the next five years as well as the next 100 years.

My style of management has changed by doing business in China. I am focused on doing everything I can to help our customers today and in the long term. Also, I have learned how crucial it is to have strong leadership on the ground in China.

What is your biggest achievement in China as CEO of the company?

My greatest achievement has been to work with my team to recognize the opportunities that exist in the market and to strengthen our ability to serve Chinese farmers. We can help bring tremendous value to the country under new Chinese ownership and expand globally.

We believe that with this ownership change, we can work with others to create truly great opportunities, and make a positive impact in the country and the world by helping farmers become more successful. We strive all the time to assure safe, plentiful and healthy food, while making agriculture part of the solution to climate change and water shortages.

How do you get along with your local partners?

Syngenta has a long history of building partnerships in China. Early in 1999, our legacy company developed a partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture to sponsor college students in the sector. This partnership has now been in place for more than 15 years, and its scope has been expanded from scholarships to promoting agricultural know ledge and technology.

We signed another five-year plan with the Ministry of Agriculture to continue to support farmers with training as well as creating opportunities for young scientists.

What is crucial to your operation in China?

Good question. It would have to be focusing on our farmers and customers to bring sustainable innovation to everything we do. Look, we lead the industry in our commitment to research and development, and we spend around $1.3 billion every year.

This helps us bring new products to the market, which are even more environmentally friendly. We also have great teamsin China and around the worldand they collaborate with each other as well as with other entities to bring practical solutions to our farmers and customers.

How do you motivate your international teams?

We have 28,000 people who work for Syngenta in more than 90 countries and regions. They are highly motivated by knowing that each day they help farmers feed the world. And we do this in a way that makes farmers, their families and communities more successful.

We also do it in a way that helps safeguard the environment. We have a clear strategy on how we will continue to strengthen our business. This is through better seed and crop protection products, and better use of digital tools as well as working with downstream food and grain handling companies to ensure safety and nutrition.

This creates lots of energy in our teams.

How do you handle setbacks?

There will always be setbacks in life. I handle them by viewing them as opportunities to learn and grow stronger. We have a transparent, open culture and talk about our challenges, so that we can help each other address them. The highlights of my career have been when I worked as part of a team to address setbacks, and overcame them in a way that made the team and the company stronger.

CV

Age: 57

Nationality: US Citizen

Career:

2016 onwards: CEO, Syngenta, Switzerland

2012-16: President and CEO, Univar, US

2011-12: President, Ecolab, (6 months), US

2008-11: Chairman and CEO, Nalco, US

2003-08: Group Vice-President, DuPont Co's Agriculture & Nutrition, US

1980-2003: Various responsibilities at DuPont Co, the US and Japan

Education:

1998: Harvard Business School, Advanced Management Program, US

1981: Bachelor of Science, major in chemical engineering, University of Delaware, US

Family: Married with three daughters
Rent for Beijing's top offices has dropped by 0.7 percent year-on-year in the second quarter and is expected to continue to slide as more office buildings are put on the market, real estate consultancy company Savills predicts.

With at least three new office buildings entering the market in the second quarter, Beijing's Grade A office space has increased to 102 million square meter.

The vacancy rate also rose to 6.6 percent, 0.5 percent up on the first quarter.

Cushman &Wakefield, another commercial real estate services, put the vacancy figure even higher at 7.2 percent.

Savills' report stated that the average rent in Beijing Grade A office market is 338 yuan ($49.70) per square meter per month, after decreasing for the last four quarters.

Savills predicted five more Grade A office projects would be launched in Beijing in the next half of year, adding 3.37 million square meters. The vacancy rate could rise to 8 percent, leading to a further slide in rent, the company predicted.

However, rent in the Zhongguancun area, Beijing's high-tech hub increased by 13.8 percent in second quarter on a year-on-year basis, as the country pushes the Made in China 2025 strategy, according to Cushman &Wakefield.

"Strong occupier demand from the industry, coupled with limited office availability, has caused rent levels there to be on the rise" Sabrina Wei, head of research at Cushman & Wakefield in north China, said.
As lending company Huayingkailai Asset Management Co Ltd, the major investor in the transit elevated bus project, is suspected of illegal fundraising amid the suspension of the high-profile project, experts are raising concerns over fraudsters luring unsuspecting investors with false promises of huge returns from innovative and entrepreneurial projects.

The company, a subordinate of Huaying Group, turned out to be a peer-to-peer financial management company illegally collecting funds for a project supposedly aimed at solving traffic congestion.

The TEB is a double-decker bus that holds up to 300 passengers on its upper level and allows vehicles of a height of less than two meters to run below it.

"The fraud is a typical case of a Ponzi scheme." claimed Shen Meng, director of Chanson & Co, a boutique investment bank.

"By luring investors with promises of high returns, Huayingkailai succeeded in collecting money directly from investors with no risk assessment capacity."

He indicated that with Internet finance being continually upgraded, financial fraud is taking on more flexible and deceptive forms.

"Driven by public enthusiasm for entrepreneurship and innovation, the project simply acted as a means to extract money from gullible investors," Shen alleged.

In addition, investors' lack of experience also accounts for the frequent occurrence of these financial fraud cases.

"The technology applied in the project is still at its testing stage and the feasibility of the project is not high, meaning that it actually ought to have been a venture capital investment project, which would be totally unsuitable for ordinary investors," Shen said.

On July 2, 32 staff from Huayingkailai, including its CEO Bai Zhiming, were reportedly detained by Beijing police, putting an end to the controversies, which attracted attention worldwide after being displayed at the Beijing International High-Tech Expo in May 2016.

Concerns had been raised on the vehicle's feasibility and safety after it was unveiled by its inventor Song Youzhou, with critics pointing out that it was too large and heavy for Chinese roads and could not let higher vehicles pass under it.

"Innovative projects should be supported by the government," said Yang Weidong, a professor at the China National School of Administration, "but feasibility and risk testing is a must before this can take place. The government should shoulder the most significant role in supervision, and then the public."

Following reports questioning the project and its financing, the test road for the TEB was dismantled by the local government of Qinhuangdao in Hebei province at the end of June, and its developer, Huayingkailai, which failed to fulfill its promised high returns to investors, was suspected of conducting illegal fundraising in the process of promoting the TEB.

Some investors gathered in front of the company's office after the news that the suspects had been detained was released by Beijing police, hoping to get money back.

"They promised us that we would get a 50 percent return on our investments by the end of the year." said an angry middle-aged female investor who declined to be named.

Zhuang Qiange contributed to this story
A worker assembles an Ofo bike at a plant in Tianjin. [Photo by Wang Weiwei/For China Daily]

Chinese bike-sharing company ofo Inc said on Thursday it has raised more than $700 million in a fresh round of financing to expand globally, as its faces rising competition from domestic rivals, chiefly Mobike Technology Co Ltd.

The new series E round of financing was led by Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group Holding Ltd, Hony Capital and Citic Private Equity, the company said in a statement. Other backers include its former investors DST Global and ride-hailing giant Didi Chuxing.

It is the biggest round of financing in the bike-sharing industry to date, surpassing Mobike's latest over $600 million round last month. Beijing-based ofo had reportedly sought the new funding at a valuation of about $3 billion, which will help it more than triple its yellow bikes to 20 million in 200 cities globally by the end of this year.

"We will further upgrade our service to ensure a better user experience and accelerate our global expansion strategy," ofo founder and CEO Dai Wei said in a statement.

Key investor Alibaba said it will work closely with ofo to further develop the emerging bike-sharing industry.

"Ofo has redefined short-distance commuting, enabling a low-carbon footprint experience and delivering value to users and society. It is the industry leader and we will support its open platform strategy," said Joe Tsai, executive vice chairman of Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.

Before the latest injection, ofo, which has operations in more than 150 cities in five countries globally, had raised more than $650 million, claiming it had obtained an estimated valuation of around $2 billion.

Bike sharing is a craze sweeping across major cities in China, making pedal power cool again. In a move to stay ahead of the field, bike-sharing companies are seeking large amounts of funding to expand in both the domestic and overseas market.

Operating more than 6.5 million bikes, ofo said it has over 100 million users and has supported more than 2 billion rides since its debut in 2015. Its top competitor Mobike, backed by internet giant Tencent Holdings Ltd, has placed more than 5 million bikes in over 130 cities globally, including Manchester, England, and Fukuoka in Japan.

Mobike CEO Wang Xiaofeng said in a statement last month the company would gear up its global expansion, aiming to operate in 200 cities by the end of 2017.

Wang Chenxi, analyst at internet consultancy Analysys in Beijing, said with the support of sustained funding by investors, bike-sharing companies are able to expand their fleets and offer better products and services.

"With the new funding, ofo will accelerate its pace of global expansion in the next half of the year," she added.

Funding of Ofo Inc

July 6, E round of funding of more than $700 million, fund providers include Alibaba Group Holding Ltd, Hony Capital, CITIC Private Equity, Didi Chuxing and DST Global

April 22, D+ round of funding from Ant Financial

Mar 1, D round of funding of $450 million, fund providers include DST Global, Didi Chuxing, CITIC Private Equity, Matrix Partners China, Coatue Management and Atomico

Funding of Mobike Technology Co Ltd

June 16, E round of funding of more than $600 million, fund providers include Tencent Holdings Ltd, Sequoia Capital, Hillhouse Capital, TPG Capital, BOCOM International Holdings Co, ICBC International Holdings and Farallon Capital

Feb 20, D+ round of funding, fund providers include Temasek Holdings and Hillhouse Capital

Jan 23, D+ round of funding from Foxconn

Jan 4, D round of funding of $215 million, fund providers include Tencent Holdings Ltd, Warburg Pincus, TPG Capital, Ctrip.com International Ltd, Huazhu Hotels Group, Hillhouse Capital and Sequoia Capital
Tom Enders, chief executive officer of Airbus SE.[Photo/Agencies]

Aviation giant Airbus SE has won orders from China to supply 140 single-aisle and wide-body jets worth $22 billion.

The European aircraft manufacturer also confirmed that it is in talks to sell more A380 superjumbos to the second biggest economy in the world.

The group outlined the deal, which includes 100 A320-series jets split between current and new-engine-option versions.

It will also sell 40 of its latest twin-aisle A350s, Airbus Chief Executive Officer Tom Enders said in Berlin on Wednesday.

The agreement was signed with State-owned China Aviation Supplies Holding Co, which will allocate the aircraft to individual airlines during the next five to six years.

"China is one of the world's most important markets for aviation today," Enders said.

Talks are also underway regarding a deal for more A380s to add to the five sold to China Southern Airlines Co.

"We see demand for as many as 100 superjumbos in the region," the company said in a statement.

China is expected to overtake the United States as the world's biggest aviation market by around 2024. Airbus' rival Boeing Co has predicted the country will need 6,810 aircraft by 2035, making it the world's biggest single-country market worth over $1 trillion.

Travel demand within China is expected to grow 6.1 percent annually during the next two decades, according to the US planemaker.

Airbus already has a narrow-body production line in Tianjin, east of Beijing, and output of the A320s will be split between that site and Europe, according to Enders.

"The company is also looking at expanding a Chinese completion operation for its existing A330 model to include the new re-engined A330neo, as well as the A350," he said.

China's travel market grew almost 11 percent last year, three times that in the US.

Demand for seats has by and large kept pace with capacity addition. That has attracted investment from their rivals in the US to tap growth.

American Airlines Group Inc agreed to buy a 2.68 percent stake in China Southern earlier this year and Delta Air Lines Inc acquired a minority stake in China Eastern Airlines Corp in 2015. Enders announced the aircraft sales at Airbus' Berlin offices after leaving the nearby German Chancellory, where Chancellor Angela Merkel separately detailed new accords with China.

Enders said that while the order backlog for the A380 is "melting" following a sales blank in 2016 and in the first six months of this year, the company is "not panicking yet". He pointed out that cost savings will allow it to break even on a per-plane basis at a production rate of just one superjumbo a month.

Although the double-decker is proving tough to market, there are still sales leads, with China presenting realistic order prospects.

"I don't think it impossible that we will have some success there in the coming years," Enders said. "We are in talks."

A proposed restructuring at Airbus should help as he plans to take control of sales and marketing for the company's planemaking division.

The move will dilute the roles of chief operating officer and commercial-aircraft president, positions held by Fabrice Bregier. The changes, detailed in a letter to staff and obtained by Bloomberg, comes after Airbus implemented a shift to a single corporate structure.

That should make the company "less bureaucratic for speedier decision-making and execution," Enders wrote.

Bregier will focus on program development and steering Airbus through its biggest-ever ramp-up of jetliner production, Enders said in the note to the group's 134,000 employees last week.

As COO, Bregier will also have oversight of a wider portfolio that includes helicopters, missiles, satellites and defense electronics, and will lead a group-wide digitalization initiative known as Quantum.

"However, due to the heavy operational challenges in our largest revenue-driving business, and to slightly rebalance our internal burden-sharing, I will lead sales and marketing," Enders said.

Airbus has undergone a series of managerial and structural changes as the aircraft industry enters a period of slower sales and ramps up to deliver a record backlog of commercial aircraft.

A handbook that dictates a "single Airbus code" will be finalized this summer and distributed in September.

It will detail changes to the existing governance structure and the aircraft manufacturer's corporate culture.

Part of the motivation for the changes is a new emphasis on the application of big data and new digital technologies that Enders has stressed will be key to the company's future growth.

"Our emphasis on innovation is now stronger and more ambitious than ever," Enders said in the note.

"Teams are focused on leveraging the new technologies that will reshape the future of aerospace just as surely as the jet engine once did," he went on to say in the note.

BLOOMBERG
BEIJING  Global aircraft giant Bell Helicopter is gearing up for China's burgeoning aviation market with one bulk order already in hand, company executives said.

"Bell Helicopter is extremely bullish about China's aviation market with both strong demand and government support," said Patrick Moulay, executive vice president for global sales and marketing.

"We will not only sell helicopters to the market, but also play a role in cultivating the surging market jointly with Chinese partners," he said in an interview with Xinhua.

Big order

Moulay confirmed that Bell and Shaanxi Helicopter Co Ltd (SHC), a subsidiary of Shaanxi Energy Group, have signed a purchase agreement for 100 Bell 407GXP single-engine helicopters, which were launched in 2015.

Deliveries will start this year.

Bell did not disclose the total value of the order. The list price of the 407GXP is around $3.2 million.

The helicopters will be finalized in the Bell's US plant, shipped to China and reassembled. Some will be configured for customers such as China's Emergency Medical Service (EMS), emergency rescue, fire fighting and law enforcement agencies.

Bell will support Shaanxi Helicopter to develop capabilities in reassembly and maintenance, as well as pilot and technician training.

Moulay said Bell has been developing its support and presence in China for several years. "The new order further establishes our commitment to the region."

Bell is a global leader in commercial and military, manned and unmanned vertical-lift aircraft.

Since its founding in 1935, it has delivered more than 35,000 helicopters in about 120 countries and regions.

Surging market

The Bell Helicopter fleet in China is 110 and the company is excited about the vast potential of the market.

Bell has received orders for 60 Bell 505s from Beijing-based Reignwood Group, including 50 at the 2016 China Airshow in November. The deliveries will start in six months.

"We are very excited. And we are gearing up to triple the helicopter fleet in China by supporting our customers with training, maintenance and cultivating the market," said Jose Jacinto Monge, managing director of Bell in China.

By the end of 2016, China's rotary-wing aircraft fleet was around 800, compared with about 6,500 in the United States.

Helicopters play critical roles in public affairs, such as emergency services. The US emergency services have about 1,200 helicopters. They are also fast transport for private and business use.

China is set to boost the development of its civil aviation industry to create a market that is expected to be worth more than a trillion yuan ($147.2 billion) by 2020.

It will build new civil airports, bringing the total to more than 500 by 2020, and support the opening of its low-altitude airspace.

Moulay forecast that China's helicopter fleet will double in five years.

"We have seen much more flexibility in the low-altitude space for general aviation operators. And it is the right time for the industry to think over its role in the amazing market," he said.
SHANGHAI  The BRICS New Development Bank has seen good results in the last two years and has a strong pipeline for the future, bank president K V Kamath said Thursday.

"The last two years have been very satisfying to us. It has built a strong foundation for the bank," Kamath said.

The bank has 23 projects at various stages of preparation for 2017 to 2018, with a total lending amount of $6 billion.

Among them, five projects, totaling $1.7 billion, are in China. The remainder are made up of six projects in India, seven in Brazil, two in Russia, and three in South Africa.

In 2016, the bank granted $1.5 billion in loans to seven projects. Most projects involved green energy or infrastructure, Kamath said.

The bank sold its first 3 billion yuan ($437 million) yuan-denominated bonds in China in July last year, to fund clean energy projects in member states.

It plans to issue rupee-denominated bonds this year and will also look for opportunities to issue bonds in Brazil and Russia, Kamath said.

The bank formally opened on July 21, 2015 in Shanghai.
SALEM, the United States  US Oregon State Governor Kate Brown signed a resolution on Wednesday to advance economic and trade ties with China.

While non-binding itself, the resolution makes Oregon the first US state that encourages continued collaboration with China for trade and economic development.

Brown presented the document to Ren Faqiang, Chinese deputy Consul General to San Francisco, right after reading and signing the document in Salem, the state's capital.

The measure, known as House Current Resolution 39, was passed recently in unanimous vote by both House and Senate of the state Legislative Assembly.

The unanimously approved resolution shows the importance attached by both the government and legislature of Oregon State to economic and trade cooperation between Oregon and China, said Ren.

The resolution states that China is now Oregon's biggest trader partner, over 20,000 jobs in Oregon benefit from trade with China, and China is Oregon's No 1 source of international visitors with more than 60,000 Chinese citizens visiting the state each year.

The US west coast state benefits a lot from its exports to China, with products ranging from computers, agricultural goods, and chemicals.

Oregon has a trade surplus of $3.7 billion with China in 2016, according to the US Department of Commerce. It is among one of eight US states to have a trade surplus with the Asian giant.
CAIRO  A batch of 15 Egyptian students have graduated from China's giant corporation Huawei's first Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Academy in Egypt, Huawei manager told Xinhua on Thursday.

Gao Jianbin, Huawei's enterprise business marketing manager for Northern Africa Region, said Huawei Authorized Information and Network Academy (HAINA) is a non-profit program that seeks to train ICT talents and promote the development and dissemination of ICT technologies.

The graduation ceremony was held at Badr University in Cairo (BUC) on Wednesday and the 15 Egyptian graduates received their HAINA certificates after successfully finishing the four-week training program.

BUC President Mostafa Kamal welcomed HAINA program and praised the efforts made by Huawei for training ICT talents at the university.

HAINA's target partners are mainly universities, colleges and schools that are interested in providing ICT talents to the Egyptian society and qualifying their graduates to meet the requirements of the ICT industry chain.

"It is just the start of Huawei HAINA plan in Egypt and there will be more and more students to benefit from this program from both the BUC and other universities in Egypt," Gao told Xinhua.

Headquartered in Shenzhen, Huawei is a global ICT solutions provider operating in over 170 countries.

Egypt is one of Huawei's most important markets and Huawei has been engaged in Egypt for over 18 years, Gao Jianbin said, adding that the number of their employees has reached 1,000.

Huawei has already built the Technical Assistance Center, Global Service Resource Center and Customer Solution Innovation & Integration Experience Center in Egypt and will build the Cairo OpenLab this year for the industry solution integration, innovation and partnership.
VIENTIANE  Trade and economic cooperation between China and Laos has continuously developed in the past 20 years, said Zhao Chenggang, Charge d'affaires of Chinese Embassy in Laos on Thursday.

Under the support of leaders of the two countries as well as efforts of Laos-China Cooperation Commission, bilateral trade and economic cooperation has achieved great results, the official said at a ceremony commemorating the 20th anniversary of Laos-China Cooperation Commission.

China has now become the biggest foreign donor to Laos, biggest investor and the second largest trade partner of Laos, he said.
ATHENS  Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said on Thursday that his country is expected to break through for first time the 30 million visitors barrier this year, said an e-mailed press release from his office.

Tourism, a traditional pillar of Greek economy, which withstood the debt crisis in the past seven years, is performing well and the aim is to extend the tourist season and increase tourism's added value, the Greek prime minister said in a meeting with the Greek Tourism Confederation (SETE).

Chinese tourists arrivals, among the growing number of foreign visitors to Greece, are on the rise in recent years with prospects to further increase, according to the Greek-Chinese Economic Council.

Chinese tourists in Greece during 2017 will exceed 170,000, increasing by 10-15 percent compared to last year, the Council noted in an e-mailed press release, citing official data from Greek consulates in China and estimates by tourism industry representatives.

Since 2010 the number of visas issued in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou has grown six fold, the Greek-Chinese Economic Council noted.

The gradual increase of the number of flights from China by the end of this year and the new profile of Piraeus as a home port for cruise liners are highlighted among the factors which can help further increase the number of Chinese visitors to Greece up to 1.5 million annually within the next five years, the Council added.

An analysis of the data regarding visas issued in the past two years in China by Greek consulates showed that tourism is the top reason Chinese choose to visit Greece.

For example, out of the 23,903 Chinese who received a visa from Beijing in 2016 to travel to Greece, 20,618 opted to do so as tourists, while 2,515 visited Greece for business, the Greek-Chinese Economic Council stressed.
Renault Group entered into a joint venture with Brilliance China Automotive Holdings for 1 yuan to focus on the manufacture and sale of light commercial vehicles in the world's largest auto market.

The two companies announced on Wednesday the binding framework cooperation agreement covering two transactions - Hong Kong listed Brilliance China will acquire a 100 percent holding in Shenyang Brilliance JinBei Automobile Co, then sell 49 percent of its shares to the French auto maker.

The 49 percent Shenyang Brilliance JinBei shares were valued at 1 yuan (15 cents), according to Brilliance China's announcement. The result will turn into a restructured joint venture held by Brilliance China, holding the remaining 51 percent share, and the Renault Group.

"As a top global automotive company, Groupe Renault is entering into a promising and high potential Chinese LCV (light commercial van) market that accounts for upwards of 3 million vehicles per year. By joining hands with Brilliance China, Groupe Renault aims to become a major LCV player in China. We will bring our management expertise and know-how on the products and technology," said Carlos Ghosn, chairman and CEO of Renault, in a joint news release with Brilliance China.

Wu Xiao'an, chairman of Brilliance China, said in the news release that, "With our strong experience in operating automotive businesses with industry partners, we expect our new joint venture to upraise our existing minibus operations while developing new growth opportunities for both the JinBei and Renault LCV businesses and become a significant player in the Chinese market."

Both partners will inject a total of 1.5 billion yuan in accordance with the 51:49 ratio in the near future. The joint venture will develop, manufacture and distribute new vehicles and services under the JinBei and Renault brands.

The transaction remains subject to customary regulatory approvals in the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong and is subject to CBA shareholders' approval.
BEIJING  China's top quality watchdog said Thursday that it has asked carmakers General Motors, Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen to take action against faulty Takata passenger-seat air-bag inflators.

Instead of providing valid recall plans, the eight manufacturers propose recalling a small number of vehicles for testing and analysis, said the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (GAQSIQ).

A global recall is ongoing for millions of vehicles equipped with Takata air-bag inflators that can explode and spray potentially fatal shrapnel inside the car. They have been linked to numerous deaths and injuries worldwide.

At a meeting with representatives from the three carmakers, the GAQSIQ urged them to fulfill their legal obligations and recall involved vehicles and eliminate safety hazards as soon as possible.

The faulty inflator involves 37 car manufacturers and more than 20 million vehicles in China, of which 24 carmakers had recalled 10.59 million vehicles by the end of June, while 5 others plan to recall another 1.26 million, said the GAQSIQ.
Chinese IT company iSoftStone will work with domestic mobile phone manufacturer Huawei to develop intelligent street lamps.

The project, based on Narrow Band Internet of Things (NB-IoT) technology, was announced on Thursday. They will develop lights that have multiple connections and low energy consumption. and have strong penetration through solid material to better serve the collection of real-time data at lower cost, Zhang Shunmao, president of products and solutions marketing department of Huawei.

The joint project is part of the effort to construct intelligent cities and would be operated on Huawei's OceanConnect IoT, a cloud platform which can link the terminal and manage data, Zhang said.

In recent years, Huawei has co-developed projects including the government cloud, intelligent online shops and energy-efficient management.

Feng Yong, chief marketing officer of iSoftStone, said internet of things is the key to big data, cloud computing and artificial intelligence because it can provide real-time data at high frequency.

The two companies would work together to improve network coverage, endpoint construction and application of the technology in scenarios, including 5G network and artificial intelligence in the future, he said.
BEIJING  Over 50,000 AI professionals in China were registered on LinkedIn at the end of Q1, seventh globally, according to the survey by the social networking website with a total of over 1.9 million registered AI professionals.

The United States has the largest number at over 850,000, most of whom are software or hardware developers. China's AI professionals focus more on technology and applications, said a report based on the survey.

Some Chinese AI professionals working overseas have chosen to return to China, especially from the United States, according to the report.

China has growing appeal for them thanks to its Internet penetration, huge data pool, diverse application scenarios and capital support, according to Wang Di, head of engineering with LinkedIn China.

LinkedIn began to help Chinese firms recruit AI professionals overseas in 2016 and has supported firms including Baidu and Didi to recruit from the United States, attracting over 500 AI technicians from overseas.
Lei Jun shows Mi 6 in Beijing, April 19, 2017. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Xiaomi shipped 23.16 million smartphones in the second quarter of 2017, a 70 percent spike from the previous quarter, Lei Jun, founder of the tech company told chinadaily.com.cn Friday.

"This achievement signifies a major inflection point in our growth  after two years of internal recalibration, Xiaomi is once again embarking on a rapid growth trajectory," Lei said.

He has set "another humble goal" of shipping 100 million smartphones in 2018.

Lei said the second quarter shipment was a significant milestone for Xiaomi as no other smartphone company globally had been able to return to growth after a decline in sales.

Jin Di, a research manager with IDC China, said she has noticed Xiaomi's recent growth although the research firm is yet to release figures on shipments of major smartphone vendors for the second quarter.

She said the company's efforts on research and development have had an overall improvement for its smartphones.

Lei himself also attributed the turnaround to pursuing technological innovation adding that the company's increased investment in research and development was bearing fruit.

In February, Xiaomi launched Surge S1, a chipset designed and developed in-house, and the Mi 5c equipped with Surge S1.

Lei said the company was once well-known for its online sales model, but has upgraded to a new retail model, integrating online and offline platforms.

The company has opened 123 Mi Home stores across China.

Lei added that the company's international expansion is also helping the company grow, citing India as an example.

He said Xiaomi's revenue in the first half of the year in India increased 328 percent year-on-year but did not reveal the revenue figures.

IDC China's Jin believed that Wang Xiang, who worked with Qualcomm before he joined Xiaomi to lead its international business, has helped the company to gain a firm foothold in overseas markets, especially in Asia.

Lei also revealed that in the next 12 months, the company will hire thousands of R&D talent.

Lei said he is confident that the company can achieve its goal of generating 100 billion yuan in revenue this year.
Nations improve multilateral exchanges and promote development of education

BRICS countries will continue taking measures to further strengthen multilateral exchanges and cooperation on education, according to a declaration signed in Beijing on Wednesday.

The five member nations - Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa - agreed to "reiterate support for the BRICS Network University to collaborate in the fields of education, research and innovation, and encourage universities to participate in the BRICS University League" in the Beijing Declaration on Education.

They also said they will encourage more teachers and educational administrators to learn from the experiences of other countries in improving teacher quality and performance, and promoting the development of education through international exchanges.

Senior education officials from member nations signed the declaration on Wednesday during the fifth meeting of BRICS education ministers.

They convened to summarize the achievements made in education cooperation among BRICS member nations during the past decade and to look into the future.

The previous four meetings were held in Paris, Brasilia, Moscow and New Delhi. The sixth will be held in South Africa.

Chen Baosheng, China's education minister, said in a speech at the meeting in Beijing that 10 years has passed since BRICS countries started cooperating with each other, and during the past decade BRICS has become a paradigm for cooperation among emerging or developing countries.

"In particular, the countries have continuously deepened cooperation in education and achieved important progress," he said, citing that more than 40,000 students from BRICS countries were studying in China last year, accounting for almost 10 percent of all overseas students in the country.

Meanwhile, about 13,000 Chinese students were studying in BRICS member nations, Chen said. By the end of May, China had approved 152 education institutions or programs established with BRICS countries.

"I hope that BRICS members will continue joining hands to boost people-to-people exchanges and enrich the form and content of cooperation on education, so that we can make educational cooperation a pillar and a highlight of people-to-people exchanges among the members and, moreover, contribute to the progress of education globally," he said.

As announced in the declaration, the members will encourage the expansion of scholarship opportunities to students from each other's country's and increase cultural cooperation through language education and multilingualism.

zhaoxinying@chinadaily.com.cn
Foreign guests participating in the second BRICS Film Festival visit the Temple of Marquis Wu in Chengdu.Photos Provided To China Daily

Serving as a platform for cultural communication and cooperation in the film industry, the second BRICS Film Festival was held recently in Chengdu, Sichuan province, giving the public insight into diverse film cultures as well as the daily life and social development of BRICS countries, experts said.

China, as the rotating chair of the international bloc, will host the ninth BRICS annual summit in September in the coastal city of Xiamen, Fujian province. The festival is one of the key events for the summit.

With the theme of "openness, inclusiveness and win-win situations", this year's festival ran from June 23 to 27 and held activities including film exhibitions, the Golden Bear Awards, forums for film cooperation and the establishment of a national film day.

More than 30 movies from China, Brazil, Russia, India and South Africa have been screened at the festival.

Those include 10 contest films such as Soul Mate, the award-winning movie shown at the 53rd Golden Horse Film Festival in April in Taiwan, and The Second Mother, a film from Brazil nominated at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah in the United States, in 2015. Also, Where Has the Time Gone, a co-production of several BRICS countries, and the South African film Mrs Right Guy, were screened during the opening and closing ceremonies of the festival, respectively.

This year's event established a national film day for every BRICS country to show their exceptional movies and unique film cultures.

Zhang Hongsen, deputy director of the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television, said that setting a special day for movies is an innovative way to let audiences abroad gain a better understanding of BRICS countries.

He said that, as a host country for the festival, China has successfully presented the achievements of the country's reform and innovation of the film industry by selecting highly-rated films of different periods.

Another highlight of the festival was the opening film, Where Has the Time Gone, the first of its kind co-directed by several individuals from China and other BRICS countries.

It is a 110-minute movie with five short parts shot by five directors including Chinese filmmaker Jia Zhangke, Walter Salles from Brazil, Aleksey Fedorchenko from Russia, Madhur Bhandarkar from India and Jahmil X.T. Quebka from South Africa.

"We hope to further explore the meaning of time and focus on the changes of life and individuals' emotions under that social background.

"It also shows different types of enlightenment and choices of people from different cultures under the same human destiny," Jia said.

Indian filmmaker Mohan Agashe said that BRICS countries are like a big family even though they speak different languages. "Film is a good way for us to share the harmony and unity of different cultures and solve the same problems," he said. The Beijing Film Academy said during the festival that it is willing to strengthen communication with film students and young talents from Brazil, Russia, India and South Africa to enhance people-to-people exchanges and cooperation among BRICS countries.

As the only film academy of its kind in China, the largest in Asia and renowned throughout the world, the academy aims to further promote common prosperity and sustainable development of the film industry in these countries.

It will carry out exchanges and training programs in the next five years starting in 2018.

This year's festival is a large-scale cultural communication event in the film industry and the first of its kind in Chengdu.

More than 300 representatives from BRICS countries, including renowned domestic experts and media attended the show. To date, Chengdu is home to 16 foreign embassies and 278 Fortune Global 500 enterprises. The city is also the host of many international forums such as the Fortune Global Forum, World Chinese Entrepreneurs Convention and the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Meeting.

zhuanti@chinadaily.com.cn

Chengdu's giant panda base entertains visitors during the festival.
Seniors learn to dance in a college for the elderly in Harbin, Heilongjiang province.[Wang Kai/Xinhua]

An innovative service designed to help senior citizens access recreational programs and public services has been launched in Xinxiang, Henan province.

According to the city's committee on aging, Xinxiang has about 760,000 people aged 60 and older, accounting for 15.8 percent of the population.

The new service, part of the integrated information website 12349.gov.cn, allows senior citizens to accumulate points by participating in various social activities, which they can redeem for daily necessities.

"I have 2,000 points in my account, which I gained through taking music and dance classes in a college for the elderly," said Wen Xiangling, a 60-year-old retiree from Xinxiang.

"I gain five points from each class, which is equal to 1 yuan (15 cents). The points can then be spent on haircuts and laundry services."

Hu Jiebing, head of Xinxiang's committee on aging, said the points-based system effectively encourages seniors to take part in social activities.

"For example, they can get points from 57 service centers for participating in recreational classes such as calligraphy and photography. They can then use these points in supermarkets and at care centers," said the 58-year-old.

So far, Xinxiang's seniors have accrued more than 110 million points, with over 12,000 being spent every day on a variety of goods and services.

A hotline associated with the initiative receives more than 800 calls a day.

Hu Xiuying, 76, said she spends her points on physical therapy to treat her arthritis. She has attended therapy sessions five days a week for the past two months, with each session costing 20 points.

She accumulated her points through her savings account with Bank of China and her spending on telecommunication services, she said.

Both Bank of China and China Citic Bank offer financial services that reward points as part of the program, with 30 points accrued for every 1,000 yuan saved over a period of a year.

China Unicom, meanwhile, offers seniors a point for every 10 yuan spent on its services. Points are also available for any seniors who take part in a special quiz program that is broadcast on local television.

According to Xinxiang's committee on aging, an increase in the number of seniors has presented a challenge for the government, with the upward trend unlikely to be reversed anytime soon.

The points-based service aims to better use government funds by facilitating access to social services for seniors who participate in charitable, recreational and educational activities, it said.
A passenger takes a photo of his grandson at Beijing South Railway Station on Thursday before they board a bullet train heading to Baigou in Hebei province. ZOU HONG/CHINA DAILY

The first bullet train linking Beijing and the Xiongan New Area departed from the Beijing South Railway Station on Thursday.

It was the first of four high-speed services scheduled to run daily. The journey takes 1 hour and 50 minutes.

The D6655 left at 8:08 am and made its first stop after 80 minutes at the new area's Baiyangdian Railway Station. The train's terminal is Baoding Railway Station in Hebei province, where it arrived at 9:58 am.

The return train departed Baoding at 10:26 am and arrived in Beijing at 12:29 pm.

A passenger, surnamed Xiao, took the first train from Baiyangdian to Beijing. He said the service is convenient, saving time and energy.

The service also stops at Bazhou West, Baigou and Xushui stations, which are all in Hebei.

"Passengers no longer need to transfer trains to travel between the new area and Beijing," said Zhu Dianping, an official at the Beijing Railway Bureau's station management center.

"Before the bullet train service existed, passengers traveling from Baigou or Baiyangdian to Beijing, had to transfer in Baoding or Tianjin, which cost 82 yuan or 97 yuan ($12 or $14) respectively," Zhu said, adding that the ticket fare for an economy seat on the bullet train from Baiyangdian to Beijing is 45 yuan.

Since the establishment of the new area was announced in April, Baiyangdian has received more visitors.

"Baiyangdian Railway Station handled 500 trips a day last year. The number has increased to 800 this year, and the daily peak reached 2,000 during the May Day holiday," said Lu Huijuan, deputy head of Baiyangdian Railway Station.

"Most visitors from Beijing used to take the freeway to get to Baiyangdian, meaning traffic congestion was terrible during weekends or holidays," Lu said, adding that she expects rail passenger numbers to grow.

A taxi driver in Xiongan New Area surnamed Liu said he believes the bullet train service will encourage more people to visit.

Liu used to give rides to three or four customers a day, but since the establishment of the new area, he now has about a dozen clients each day.

"They usually head to Baigou and Baiyangdian on business trips or to travel," he said.

Located about 100 kilometers southwest of downtown Beijing, Xiongan New Area will mostly cover Xiongxian, Rongcheng and Anxin counties in Hebei.

Contact the writers at luowangshu@chinadaily.com.cn
Nineteen passengers were killed and 30 others injured after a bus carrying 49 people turned over on the Longmen section of the Guangzhou-Heyuan expressway in Huizhou, Guangdong province, at 1 pm on Thursday.

The accident occurred when the bus, bound from Guangzhou, Guangdong, to Puning, a county-level city in the province's Jieyang, hit the roadside guardrail to the right of the vehicle on an uphill, curved section of the expressway and turned over, according to the Ministry of Public Security's Traffic Management Bureau.

The injured passengers were treated at hospitals in Longmen, Huizhou and Guangzhou's Zengcheng district. On-site rescue and clearance were concluded by 4:30 pm, according to the Huizhou city government.

Medical experts from Huizhou and Guangzhou rushed to Longmen County People's Hospital to help treat the injured. A medical rescue helicopter based in Huizhou was deployed to transport the victims to hospitals.

The bureau has sent a work team and accident investigation experts to Huizhou.

The bus, with capacity of 55 passengers, belongs to Jieyang Automobile Transport Co.
The People's Liberation Army's aircraft carrier fleet arrives in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region on July 7 for a visit to mark the 20th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to China. The fleet comprises the country's first aircraft carrier Liaoning, two destroyers and a frigate. The fleet will leave Hong Kong on July 11. [Photo by Edmond Tang/China Daily]
Yuval Noah Harari speaks at the forum in Beijing, July 7, 2017. [Photo by Jin Dan/chinadaily.com.cn]

Young Israeli scholar of history Yuval Noah Harari made his debut appearance in China at a forum held in Beijing on Thursday.

Harari, a 40-year-old writer who gained global recognition after his two books on humankind and humankind's future became best-sellers, also won hearts of audience in the capital.

At the forum called "XWorld", Harari delivered a speech on "Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Humanity", in which he reiterated his view presented in his two books, Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind, and Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow.

"The most important scientific revolution of our era and the most important revolution of any kind in the 21st century is artificial intelligence," he said after greeting the crowd with ni hao, Chinese for hello. Harari added that artificial intelligence (AI) will turn out not only to be the greatest revolution in our age, but the greatest in the "history of life".

"The authority to make both important and unimportant decisions on life has increasingly shifted to computers and AI," he said. "Today, when you read books on devices, the books or devices are reading you."

And on equipping AI with warmth and emotional intelligence, Harari said people need to solve the problems only once.

He said technology is not deterministic, intelligence isn't consciousness. "The development of AI will completely change the world. But what kind of society AI will help to create? When you - individuals, companies or governments - invest in the development of AI, you should be aware of its social, economic and political implications."

His first book Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind was published in Hebrew in 2011 and then in English in 2014. It has since been translated into about 30 languages, enjoying great readership in various countries.

Although the tickets to the Beijing forum were expensive, that did not deter his fans' passion to see him in person and listen to his speech. About 1,500 audience members, including investors, entrepreneurs, scholars attended the event.
It was an emotional farewell for Esther Snader at Anqing Normal University, East China's Anhui province on June 29, 2017. [Photo/VCG]

Many past and present students couldn't help shedding a tear as they farewelled Esther Snader from Anqing of East China's Anhui province.

After two decades' teaching at Anqing Normal University, she is returning to her hometown in the United States.

Before she left, she donated her family library of more than 1,200 books to the university. The books were all bought outside China and mailed to Anqing.

"When I began to teach here, I found the students didn't have many English books to read. So each time I went back to the US, I would select and buy some books. Then I packed them and mailed to China," said Snader.

Her intention was supported by friends who would also send books as Christmas or New Year's gifts.

She tranformed the living room of her apartment on campus into a small library and opened her doors to students every Wednesday afternoon.

Her rules were that each student could only borrow one book at a time and submit review when returning the book.

Over the past 20 years, Snader not only won many government prizes, but the hearts of her students.
Hebei province is considering excavating two canals to provide another transport option from Xiongan New Area to Beijing and Tianjin, thepaper.cn reported Friday.

The Beijing-Xiongan canal would be 230 kilometers, while the Baoding-Tianjin canal would be 200 kilometers, according to the report.

A feasibility study is being carried out into the plan.

In early June, the Ministry of Transport conducted a field survey in Xiongan, which included visiting sites along the two canals. The team was headed by Chen Shengying, head of the ministry's transport planning and research institute.

About two weeks later, the provincial transport authority sent a team to Beijing to discuss Xiongan's water transport blueprint.

Tang Jianxin, head of the team, said that the short-term, mid-term and long-term plans for water transportation in Xiongan New Area should be implemented as soon as possible.

He also hoped that a three-year plan would be drafted soon and be included in the 13th Five-Year Plan of the Ministry of Transport.

Historically Baoding was connected by waterway via Baiyangdian to Tianjin. Inland water transport from Baoding to Tianjin started in the Ming and Qing dynasties (1368-1911), from Baoding through Fuhe River to Baiyangdian Lake, and finally joined the Haihe River in Tianjin.

Fuhe River, Baiyangdian Lake, Daqing River were important inland shipping channels between Tianjin and Baoding for hundreds of years during the Ming and Qing dynasties.
NANJING -- Twenty-five people have been detained by police in East China's Jiangsu province for allegedly stealing and selling more than 10 million pieces of personal health information.

This is the first case handled by police since China issued a judicial interpretation on personal data protection in May amid increasing public outcry regarding the rampant theft of personal information.

The information leaked is related to andrology, gynecology, and plastic surgery, according to police in Kunshan.

In April, a plastic surgery hospital reported to police that their clients' online counselling messages had been "stolen" by other hospitals.

After a preliminary investigation, police found that an Internet company in Kunshan had purchased the leaked information and sold it to more than 100 hospitals in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen among other cities.

The source of the leaked information was a suspect surnamed Li, who had covertly accessed hospital computer systems and obtained chat data between hospitals and patients, according to police.

Since October 2015, Li has earned more than one million yuan (around 150,000 U.S. dollars) by selling the illegally obtained personal health information.

Under China's Criminal Law, those convicted of selling or providing personal information could face up to seven years in prison if "the circumstances are especially serious."

According to the new judicial interpretation, situations considered "especially serious" include illegally obtaining, selling or providing 5,000 or more items of communication records, accommodation, health or transaction information.

Investigation into the case continues.
HAMBURG, Germany -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday urged the BRICS countries to unswervingly promote the building of an open world economy.

He made the remarks at an informal leaders' meeting of the emerging-market bloc, which groups Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, ahead of a Group of 20 summit at the German port city of Hamburg.
Unprecedented rain causes rivers to burst banks, destroying roads

ASAKURA, Japan - At least two people have been killed and 18 others are missing in huge floods that are surging through southern Japan, with authorities warning hundreds of thousands of people to flee.

Unprecedented torrential rain has caused rivers to burst their banks, sweeping away roads and houses, and destroying schools.

Thousands of soldiers and other rescuer workers were scrambling on Thursday to reach people cut off by torrents of swirling water or threatened by landslides, as forecasters warned of worse to come.

"We are in an extremely serious situation," Deputy Prime Minister Taro Aso said, warning of the danger of collapsing hillsides and adding "many people are still missing".

More than 50 centimeters of rain deluged parts of Kyushu, the southernmost of Japan's four main islands, about 12 hours on Wednesday, the meteorological agency said.

Downpours are likely to continue on Friday, the agency said as the region is grappling with the aftermath of a typhoon that raked the country this week.

Authorities lifted "special" heavy rain warnings for the hardest hit prefectures of Fukuoka and Oita, although lesser warnings remained.

Japan is deploying 7,500 police, rescue personnel and troops in affected areas of Kyushu, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said.

"There is a lot of information about people who are unaccounted for," he said, declining to confirm the number of people missing.

Those included a child reportedly carried off by a fast-flowing river and a couple who had not been seen since their house was swept away.

A man was found dead in the city of Asakura in Fukuoka prefecture, public broadcaster NHK and Jiji Press reported, citing police sources.

NHK and Jiji also reported that a man died in a landslide in Hita, in Oita prefecture, but an official there could not immediately confirm it.

Officials said in total they knew of 18 people who were missing in Fukuoka and Oita.

Television footage showed rolling waves from swollen rivers hitting residential areas, tearing up roads and inundating farmland.

Asakura was among the hardest hit with footage showing floodwaters surging through the streets.

Ryoichi Nishioka, who grows flowers in the city, said he tried to save them from damage amid fast rising waters the night before.

"I tried to protect them by covering them up but couldn't make it," he said. "Then the swirling water flooded this area and swept away the greenhouses."

Nishioka, 67, also described helping a man who clung to an electric pole as muddy waters rampaged through the area.

"We had a blackout, so I used a flashlight from the second floor and put light for him," he said. "I was calling out to encourage him for three hours from 9 pm to midnight.

"I shouted: 'Hang in there!'" The man was ultimately rescued, Nishioka said.

An elderly man in the hard-hit Haki district of Asakura told NHK how furniture bobbed in the flood waters that inundated his home.

"I dodged them and escaped in a gush of water," he said.

A railroad bridge has been destroyed by the raging Kagetsu River, disrupting train services, a railway spokesman said.

Several other train lines were forced to delay or stop due to heavy rains, while officials called off classes at primary and middle schools.

Afp - Xinhua

Houses and a vehicle are damaged by a swollen river after heavy rain hit the area in Asakura, Japan, on Thursday.Kyodo Via Reuters

(China Daily 07/07/2017 page11)
The market for Chinese online novels has been growing rapidly over the past decade.[Photo by Fu Yexing/China Daily]

Chinese web novels make greater push for the global market with translations. Mei Jia reports.

A web novel that was simultaneously published in Chinese and English will be updated in the coming months with new chapters.

I Am Supreme was published by China Reading Limited on webnovel.com on June 1, and has 55 chapters in English, which are free to read. The novel is expected to have 300 chapters.

"The website is our effort to cater to the needs of global readers, and of developing the market," Wu Wenhui, CEO, China Reading Limited, said at the China Reading Eco Summit held in Beijing in June.

The book's author, Fengling Tianxia, is popular in the online genre of xuanhuan, a mix of fantasy and martial arts, and has created five web novels since 2009, of which three are in English on the website, including Otherworldly Evil Monarch (175 chapters) and Realms in Firmament (338 chapters).

His books have been viewed millions of times, and he is known for his depiction of brotherhood, inspired by his early days in the army.

"It will not be a typical plot where the weak slowly grow in strength," says Fengling Tianxia.

"I prefer to write out my ideal image of man.

"Love, friendship, battle and revenge ... these are some elements that attract readers from any culture."

A reader, who goes by the name DaolordMohan online, comments on the book: "It's one of the best I have ever read. Comparable to Coiling Dragon (the first Chinese web novel translated into English). Wish the quality would remain the same without fillers in the future."

CEO Wu says that in recent years his company gradually realized there's a big market for Chinese web novels in the United States and Europe other than its traditional overseas market in Southeast Asia.

And, some translators have emerged online in recent times.

"We know good stories transcend languages and cultures," Wu says.

The Beijing summit discussed the development of web novels in China with regard to content, sales and their international potential.

Wu says webnovel.com will provide up to 300 works in English by the end of the year, with a total of 70,000 chapters, for an estimated readership of more than 1 million.
Poster of Dahufa [Photo provided to China Daily]

Film Dahufa, Chinas first movie labeling it "PG-13", has received critical acclaims from the country's animation circle in advanced screenings.

The upcoming movie, which is set to open across China on July 13, recently held a series of previews during its promotional tour.

Centering on the titular person, a short martial arts master born to safeguard the fictional Yiwei State, the tale follows his adventure to rescue the nation's crown prince in a town populated by peanut-headed humanoids.

The movie targeting adults contain some bloody, violent scenes as well as sort of soft-porn lines.

But even with these contents, the movie is reckoned to build a serious theme to examine freedom and dignity, according to some animators.

Du Jun, CEO of the hit animated franchise Kuiba's producing company Vasoon Animation, says the movie ponders over human nature.

As China hasn't adopted a rating system by ages, the producers highlight on some trailers and posters to warn the movie is not fit for audiences younger than 13 years old.

Yang Zhigang, more known for his stage name Busifan, reveals on his Sina Weibo, the Chinese equivalence to Twitter, that the movie will also have two voice-over versions, respectively in Mandarin and Cantonese.
Calligraphy works by Peking Opera masters are on display at Meilanfang Grand Theater in Beijing. [Photo by Zou Hong/China Daily]

On July 7, 1937, the China's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1937-45) broke out in the southwest outskirts of Beijing.

When the news passed to Singapore, a group of patriotic overseas Chinese volunteered to raise funds to support the fight against Japanese invasion in China. The local war hero Lim Bo-seng initiated the idea of founding the Ping Sheh Singapore Amateur Beijing Opera Society.

Through Peking Opera performances at various locations in Singapore, such as parks, public squares and theaters, the troupe not just raised funds but also informed the public about the war situation in China.

As the first and oldest amateur Peking Opera troupe in Singapore, Ping Sheh Singapore Amateur Beijing Opera Society also performed at cities on the Chinese mainland, which enabled the amateur performers to learn with Peking Opera masters in Beijing during the 1950s and 60s.

On July 2, James Yeo Huai-seng, chairman of Ping Sheh Singapore Amateur Beijing Opera Society, came to Beijing to donate 19 calligraphy works written by Peking Opera masters, including Mei Lanfang, Zhou Xinfang and Ma Lianliang, to National Peking Opera Company. These calligraphy works are being displayed at an retrospective exhibition held at the Mei Lanfang Grand Theater.

A performance was staged by Peking Opera artists of National Peking Opera Company, including Yu Kuizhi and Li Shengsu, at Mei Lanfang Grand Theater after the ceremony.

Tan Bock-hwee, former president of Ping Sheh Singapore Amateur Beijing Opera Society, also attended the event. The 85-year-old joined the troupe 66 years ago.

"I have been passionate about Peking Opera ever since I came to China to study at the Harbin University of Science And Technology in 1952," Tan recalls.

"The 200-year-old Peking Opera is not just a great performing art onstage but also an art, which contains traditional Chinese virtues and values," says Yeo.

"Although living on different countries, we've maintained a long friendship with Chinese Peking Opera artists," he adds. "The friendship continues. We want to promote Peking Opera among young audience in Singapore by introducing more young Peking Opera artists from China."
Swiss luxury watch brand Jaeger-LeCoultre has restored more than 10 old Chinese films, including the 1973 classic, Outside the Window.[Photo provided to China Daily]

At a time when luxury brands are reaching out to the young and fashionable, some are focusing on classic motion pictures.

As a major sponsor of the Shanghai International Film Festival, the Swiss luxury watch brand Jaeger-LeCoultre has been working with the Shanghai International Film Festival since 2011.

It has been funding a restoration project of classic Chinese movies, working with L'Immagine Ritrovata, a film restoration laboratory in Italy that uses both traditional and modern 4K technology to restore old films.

So far it has restored more than 10 classic Chinese films, including The River Flows to the East, Eight Thousand Li of Cloud and Moon, Crossroads, Stage Sisters and A Better Tomorrow.

This time, it showcased Outside the Window, a classic romance from 1973 starring Brigitte Lin. And, next it is going to restore A Soul Haunted by Painting, a 1994 movie that features Gong Li as the heroine and marks the big screen debut of Zhao Wei, the brand ambassador of Jaeger-LeCoultre.

The brand also contributed a one-piece-only model of the Rendez-Vous Moon watch, which was auctioned for the funding of the film restoration project.

Like many luxury brands that started to work with millennial celebrities in a bid to reach out to the younger generation, Jaeger-LeCoultre chose young Chinese actor Jing Boran as "friend of the brand" last year.
"Gin Doctor" Attila Balint explains his array of gins and tonics.[Photo by Mike Peters/China Daily]

In this very traditional Ming-style teahouse, the flavors and aromas I'm experiencing are a little unexpected.

Tarragon.

Grapefruit.

Pepper.

Blueberry.

So far the profile might fit an exotic kind of fruit tea, except these were muddled in a good gin.

You could forgive the staff at the luxe Nuo hotel's Yuan Teahouse for being a little confused. The elegant space in Beijing has a well-earned reputation for top Chinese teas served in a very traditional style.

Now they were being asked to serve gin drinks? And ICED tea?

"We can do something a little different and still do it with great quality," says Attila Balint, the hotel's resident bar guru.

Invited to come and cool off on a recent 40 C Beijing afternoon, a dozen local media folks from around the capital gathered in the hotel's tea house, where Balint first poured refreshing sips of four specially brewed chilled teas.
Cambodia deports 74 Chinese fraud suspects 2017-07-07 02:16:18 China Daily Cambodia deported 74 Chinese nationals suspected of involvement in telecom fraud, and they were taken to Hunan province on Thursday afternoon, a senior Cambodian police official said.

PHNOM PENH  Cambodia deported 74 Chinese nationals suspected of involvement in telecom fraud, and they were taken to Hunan province on Thursday afternoon, a senior Cambodian police official said.

"The Chinese police sent a plane to pick them up after we decided to deport them," said Major General Ouk Hai Seila, chief of the investigation and procedure department at the General Department of Immigration, in an interview with Xinhua News Agency.

The deportees, including 21 women, were arrested on Saturday by Cambodian authorities in simultaneous raids on 12 locations in the capital, Phnom Penh, and Kandal and Kampot provinces, he said, adding that they would face legal action in China.

The 74 were suspected of using internet phones from Cambodia to extort money from victims in China, he said, adding that a number of phones and laptops were seized.

Seila said the raids came at the request of the Chinese embassy.

Scammers often use overseas internet servers to make scam calls to their victims, claiming to be court or police officials. They typically tell their targets that their bank accounts have been breached, so they need to transfer the money to a separate safe account, which is provided to the victim.

Xinhua
Cooperation with Singapore continues to improve 2017-07-07 21:55:35 China Daily UK An Baijie China and Singapore should continue to support each other on issues related to their own core interests and major concerns, President Xi Jinping said on Thursday.

China and Singapore should continue to support each other on issues related to their own core interests and major concerns, President Xi Jinping said on Thursday.

Speaking at a meeting with Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in Hamburg ahead of the G20 summit, Xi said China attaches great importance to developing close relations with Singapore and would like to push forward with bilateral ties.

The president cited construction, trade, investment and finance as areas in which the two countries should deepen cooperation, adding that they should also expand together into cyberspace and IT technology. He said China and Singapore should enhance coordination within multilateral frameworks, such as the United Nations, APEC and the G20, to improve global governance.

Noting Singapore will assume the presidency of the ASEAN next year, Xi said China believes Singapore will push forward practical cooperation between China and ASEAN.

Lee said Singapore will continue supporting and proactively participating in the Belt and Road Initiative and will implement major projects between the two governments. It will also expand cooperation in areas including finance, high-speed railways, and construction of free-trade zone, and would play a positive role in promoting China-ASEAN relations, he added.
History and truth anathema to Abe's Japan 2017-07-07 07:29:56 China Daily Cui Shoufeng July 7 marks the 80th anniversary of the Marco Polo Bridge Incident, which triggered the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1937-45) across the country.

Editor's note: July 7 marks the 80th anniversary of the Marco Polo Bridge Incident, which triggered the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1937-45) across the country. Three scholars share their views on several related issues with China Daily's Cui Shoufeng. Excerpts follow:

Tang Chongnan, a senior researcher at the Institute of World History, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences

A slap in the face of rightist politicians

A collection of more than 20,000 pages of confidential telegraphs and documents, in possession of the Imperial Japanese Army before and during World War II and published in Beijing in June, serves as irrefutable evidence of not just Japan's wartime atrocities but also how between 1937 and 1941 it carefully choreographed the plan to invade and occupy China. In 1941, Japan also attacked Pearl Harbor, which ultimately forced the United States to join the Allied forces in World War II.

According to these "top military secrets", most of which were microfilmed after Japan's surrender and are being made public for the first time, Japan made astonishingly specific and detailed plans to invade North China and then the whole country.

A four-page document, for instance, tells the then Japanese army to be ready for a long war in China while using diplomatic maneuvering to widen the divides among Chinese warlords. It also revealed Japan's attempts to have China all to itself by exploiting the loopholes in the international law. The schedules of then Kuomintang officials, including Chiang Kai-shek and Chang Hsueh-liang, too, were in the hands of the Japanese.

The once secret files showing how Japan launched a full invasion of China are a slap in the face of Japanese rightist politicians who argue the Marco Polo Bridge Incident on July 7, 1937, was an "accident". And these rightist forces have gained in strength because of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's policies. For example, a documentary denying the Marco Polo Bridge Incident has been presented almost daily in Yasukuni Shrine, which among others honors 14 class-A war criminals. But the Abe government's selective amnesia about history will fool no one, because truth always speaks for itself.

Zhu Songling, a professor at the Institute of Taiwan Studies, Beijing Union University

In pursuit of 'justice', Tsai embraces amnesia

The Tsai Ing-wen government's ambiguous stance on the Japanese aggression is akin to amnesia about history, which An Fengshan, spokesman for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, described as a "betrayal". Compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Straits, he said at a press conference in May, should always remember and commemorate the painstaking struggle, which helped Taiwan residents get rid of Japanese occupation in 1945.

Tsai's refusal to observe the 80th anniversary of the Marco Polo Bridge Incident reflects her belief that what happened to the Chinese people 80 years ago has nothing to do with the Democratic Progressive Party and its supporters.

Given Tsai's public speeches over the past year, her and her party's "pro-independence" mentality remains unchanged. She has also continued making efforts to sever the historic and cultural links between the Chinese mainland and Taiwan, which explains why she and the DPP want compatriots on the island to forget major events concerning both sides of the Straits.

Known to have triggered the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression across the country, the Marco Polo Bridge Incident consolidated the resistance against Japanese aggressors and needs to be remembered by people on both sides of the Straits. And that Kuomintang chairman-elect Wu Den-yih still attaches great importance to the incident is indeed laudable.

Tsai's so-called efforts to correct the "wrongs" of previous administrations are getting her nowhere near the justice she vowed to uphold. By labeling the Kuomintang rule as unjust and authoritarian, the DPP's only desire is to marginalize its biggest rival.

Pang Zhongpeng, an associate researcher at the Japan Studies Center of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences

Japan should accept history with all its facts

On the 80th anniversary of the Marco Polo Bridge Incident, Japanese right-wing politicians' reaction will be closely watched. Japanese politicians have refused to reflect on history, as in April Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe sent a ritual offering of a tree to Yasukuni Shrine, a symbol of Japanese militarism before and during World War II. And led by Abe's aide Seiichi Eto, a multi-party group of more than 90 lawmakers visited the shrine for its annual spring festival.

Japan's new draft guideline for school curriculum, issued more than four months ago, even requires elementary and junior high schools to teach students that China's Diaoyu Islands and some islands in dispute with the Republic of Korea are an "inherent" part of Japanese territory. Such controversial moves have invited staunch opposition and protests from Beijing and Seoul as well as righteous Japanese citizens.

Obsessed with paying homage to Japan's war dead, including 14 class-A war criminals, those visiting Yasukuni often choose to forget what they died for and why they don't deserve to be honored.

This year also marks the 80th anniversary of the Nanjing Massacre, in which 300,000 Chinese were killed after Japanese army occupied the city in December 1937. Japanese rightist politicians deny the massacre on Abe's support, but the massacre too, should always be remembered by the Chinese people. It's high time therefore that the Abe administration stopped trying to whitewash Japan's war crimes if it really wants to make Japan a "normal" country.
Li Linsi. [Photo/WeChat Account of Shanghai International Studies University ]

Friday marked the 80th anniversary of the Marco Polo Bridge Incident on July 7, 1937. The event was the start of China's eight-year resistance against the Japanese aggression.

Chinese people were a formidable force in the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1937-45), playing a positive role in the world's anti-fascist efforts. Dr Li Linsi was among those Chinese people who campaigned tirelessly for national dignity and survival at the risk of their own lives.

The Chinese educator, diplomat and linguist, who was fluent in six languages, was known for his status in Chinese cultural and diplomatic history, but few know this pioneering figure in the China-Europe cultural exchange was also an anti-fascist fighter, a rescuer of the Jews and Chinas Mahatma Gandhi.

Li managed to draw more support from the international community and Germany to fight against the Japanese aggression. His anti-Japanese philosophy inspired millions of people, and his military research made a considerable contribution to China's resistance to Japan.

Li's wartime tale was one of the great untold stories that reflect the gigantic struggle those Chinese elites waged during some of the darkest moments the country has ever faced.
Shanxi promotes Silk Road trade in Kazakhstan ( chinadaily.com.cn ) Updated: 2017-07-07

A Shanxi-branded activity opens in Astana, capital of Kazakhstan, on July 5. [Photo/sxgov.cn]

A Shanxi-branded activity themed on cooperation between countries along the ancient Silk Road opened in Astana, capital of Kazakhstan, on July 5.

The event includes a product exhibition, cultural exchange and visits to local businesses, with the aim of promoting Shanxi brands and expanding overseas markets.

A total of 24 companies from Shanxi province took part in the exhibition, with more than 300 kinds of products including building materials, household items, electronic payment systems, new energy and mechanical equipment.

At the exhibition, elaborate arts performances were staged to present the long history and splendid culture of Shanxi, which aroused great interest among visitors.

"Shanxi's rich culture and new technologies bring a good opportunity for the development of new energy and cultural exchange in Kazakhstan," said a senior official of the Kazakh Ministry of Investments and Development.

He also expressed his wish that both sides will take full advantage of the 2017 Expo and the Shanxi-branded activity to create a mutually beneficial partnership.

According to Sun Yuejin, director of Shanxis Department of Commerce, the activity has achieved great success in 10 countries, including Hungary, Russia, Italy, South Korea and Australia, since it started in 2015.

"The event has been a key platform for expanding cooperation and cultural exchange with countries and regions along the Belt and Road," said Sun at the opening ceremony.

"It also provides a window through which they can get to know Shanxi better," he added.
MA XUEJING/CHINA DAILY

Editor's note: July 7 marks the 80th anniversary of the Marco Polo Bridge Incident, which triggered the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1937-45) across the country. Three scholars share their views on several related issues with China Daily's Cui Shoufeng. Excerpts follow:

Tang Chongnan, a senior researcher at the Institute of World History, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences

A slap in the face of rightist politicians

A collection of more than 20,000 pages of confidential telegraphs and documents, in possession of the Imperial Japanese Army before and during World War II and published in Beijing in June, serves as irrefutable evidence of not just Japan's wartime atrocities but also how between 1937 and 1941 it carefully choreographed the plan to invade and occupy China. In 1941, Japan also attacked Pearl Harbor, which ultimately forced the United States to join the Allied forces in World War II.

According to these "top military secrets", most of which were microfilmed after Japan's surrender and are being made public for the first time, Japan made astonishingly specific and detailed plans to invade North China and then the whole country.

A four-page document, for instance, tells the then Japanese army to be ready for a long war in China while using diplomatic maneuvering to widen the divides among Chinese warlords. It also revealed Japan's attempts to have China all to itself by exploiting the loopholes in the international law. The schedules of then Kuomintang officials, including Chiang Kai-shek and Chang Hsueh-liang, too, were in the hands of the Japanese.

The once secret files showing how Japan launched a full invasion of China are a slap in the face of Japanese rightist politicians who argue the Marco Polo Bridge Incident on July 7, 1937, was an "accident". And these rightist forces have gained in strength because of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's policies. For example, a documentary denying the Marco Polo Bridge Incident has been presented almost daily in Yasukuni Shrine, which among others honors 14 class-A war criminals. But the Abe government's selective amnesia about history will fool no one, because truth always speaks for itself.
File photo showing Republican US presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks at the Republican US presidential candidates debate sponsored by CNN at the University of Miami in Miami, Florida March 10, 2016. [Photo/Agencies]

US President Donald Trump has changed the United States' trade policy to resort to trade protectionism, which goes against globalization and trade liberalization. Trump has pulled the US out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement because he believes it could undermine the interests of American workers. The US president also wants to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement and has threatened to withdraw his country from the World Trade Organization.

The Trump administration's actions can be attributed to the president's belief that globalization is responsible for the rising unemployment in the US and the decline of the domestic manufacturing industry. Trump also believes that only trade protectionist policies can help the US middle class flourish.

To reduce the US' trade deficit, especially against China, the Trump administration has adopted a series of trade remedy measures vis-a-vis its trade partners. And it aims to reduce the US' trade deficit with China by also taking trade protectionist measures against other Chinese imports.

The Trump administration uses the US' domestic standards to judge the global trade system, which, in a way, is a manifestation of the unilateral trade policy the US has been using for a long time. As such, Trump's protectionist measures may intensify the trade frictions between China and the US in the short term.

According to data from the US International Trade Commission, from January to April this year, the US' trade deficit in terms of imports from China was $106.48 billion. That means the US' trade deficit against China is the highest and accounts for 44.39 percent of its total trade deficit. The January-to-April data show that among the top 10 commodities imported by the US which resulted in trade deficits for the country, six were from China. This suggests the Trump administration is likely to build more trade barriers against China.

The US economy has been recovering, so US voters now care more about improving their livelihoods and economic status and less about whether Trump is a leader with strategic insight. Perhaps that's why the Trump administration has continued to announce anti-trade liberalization policies.

That the US is resorting to protectionism after its economic recovery is cause for global concern. The Trump administration's trade policies can also be seen as a compromise between the US Congress and various interest groups.

The trade remedy measures the Trump administration has implemented recently show the political power the interest groups exercise in the US. The US' labor unions and organizations lobby the president and Congress members to seek political solutions for domestic unemployment and trade deficit problems.

And when political forces promote trade policies and legislation that favor protectionism, the interest groups can use various trade remedy measures to take on trade partners legally to protect US industries and create job opportunities.

But the Trump administration should realize that protectionism can never "make America Great Again". The fundamental reason why the US manufacturing industry has been suffering is the decline in labor efficiency, due partly to the increasing use of automation. It was easier to transfer labor-intensive industries from the US to developing countries before the rapid development of Sino-US trade. And the huge trade deficit between China and the US is mainly because of Washington's refusal to export advanced technologies and technological products to Beijing.

Free global trade has the potential to optimize resource distribution through the international division of labor and connectivity, which is beneficial to exporters and importers alike. Till now the Sino-US trade relationship has been mutually beneficial. And to further consolidate this relationship, both sides have to reduce their trade frictions.

The author is a researcher with Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation.
A photo of Zhang Yingying released by the police.

The disappearance of Zhang Yingying, a visiting Chinese scholar at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign on June 9 has shocked many in China and the United States. As people watch closely the court trial of suspect Brendt Christensen, a serious question raised again is: How safe are US cities?

This question has become especially important for Chinese, as an increasing number of them travel to the US as tourists or send their children to US colleges to study. According to the Institute of International Education, more than 328,000 Chinese students were enrolled in US colleges and universities for the 2015-16 academic year, accounting for nearly a third of the total foreign students in the US. The figure, however, does not include a growing number of Chinese children enrolled in K-12 education schools. Besides, the number of Chinese tourists to the US hit 3 million in 2016, and the figure has been growing fast since the US loosened its visa policy in 2014.

Many Chinese know crime rates in US cities are high. Their perception has been largely shaped by Hollywood crime movies, news reports of the huge prison population and frequent mass shootings in the US. In recent years, that perception has been further fed by cases of Chinese students falling victims to violent crimes.

In January 2016, 19-year-old Jiang Yue, a student at Arizona State University, was shot dead in Tempe, Arizona, by Holly Davis after a minor incident involving their cars. In January 2014, Ji Xinran, an engineering student at the University of Southern California, was beaten to death by four people while walking home from the campus. In April 2012, Qu Ming and Wu Ying, two students also of USC, were shot dead in their car, which was parked about one and a half kilometers from the campus.

True, many US cities are safe, even very safe. But the murder rate in US is several times higher than that in China, its neighbor Canada and the industrialized nations in Europe. US President Donald Trump acknowledged this brutal reality in his inaugural address on Jan 20 when he referred to "the crime and gangs and drugs that have stolen too many lives and robbed our country of so much unrealized potential".

On June 30, Trump said he was sending federal help to fight crime and killings in Chicago that have reached "epidemic proportions". Chicago has seen 320 murders and 1,703 shooting victims so far this year. Imagine what the situation was like earlier, as I was told by a New Yorker that the crime rate has come down a lot.

Indeed, the rate of violent and property-related crimes has dropped sharply in the US since the 1990s. But it is still much higher than in many countries. The murder rate rose again in 2015, however, and appears to have continued last year. A Pew survey last November showed that 57 percent of the voters in the 2016 presidential election said crime has gotten worse in the US since 2008, a reflection of their deep concern for safety.

Many blame the easy access to guns as a major cause of the high murder rate in the US, while others point to the culture of violence, which is getting worse thanks partly to Hollywood movies and video games with violent content. Some attribute the high crime rate to the stress people are under due to the US' poor welfare system compared with other industrialized nations, for example, in terms of paid leave and free pre-school education.

The US has engaged in incessant wars since its founding 241 years ago and continues to interfere in other countries' internal affairs. It's time it looked inward and waged a war on crime to set its own house in order.

The author is deputy editor of China Daily USA. chenweihua@chinadailyusa.com
President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker, Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni, Spain's Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Netherland's Prime Minister Mark Rutte, Norway's Prime Minister Erna Solberg and President of the European Council Donald Tusk attend a Press conference after a meeting of European Union leaders at the Chancellery on June 29, 2017 in Berlin, Germany. [Photo/VCG]

At the G20 Leaders Summit in Hangzhou last year, the leaders of major industrialized and developing countries reached a consensus that they would play a leading role in pushing for more inclusive and sustainable global growth, further liberalize trade and investment, and strive to improve global governance.

Now, as the leaders gather in Hamburg, Germany, for their summit on Friday and Saturday, they should be prepared to find practical ways to achieve those objectives, as the world urgently needs effective solutions to many pressing challenges.

Not least the fact that global growth remains obstinately sluggish and unbalanced nine years after the onset of the devastating global financial crisis, with policymakers in developed economies and developing nations alike struggling with growing debt, currency fluctuations, and the adverse effects of capital flows. Even worse, anti-globalization and populist sentiment have become more evident in many countries.

Germany, the host of this year's G20 Summit, is a firm champion of free trade and investment and it has taken the lead in combating the anti-globalization wave in Europe. And as the current chair of the G20, it can seek to guide those attending the meeting to bridge their differences and push forward the implementation of the global agenda as agreed.

China, as the largest developing country and the most important contributor to global growth, is offering Germany its full support in this endeavor. Meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Wednesday, President Xi Jinping said China appreciates Germany upholding the consensus reached in Hangzhou, and promised China's support so the meeting in Hamburg can achieve positive results.

With the two countries playing an exemplary role in striving to advance the necessary global agenda, it is hoped that other countries will join hands to work out feasible and effective remedies for the world's ills.

The United States, as the world's largest economy and its most important financial power, should not relinquish its responsibility to help ensure the global economy recovers its health. In an interconnected world, protectionism and isolation will not reduce the US' own economic woes, but rather risk its own economic strength and undermine its credibility as the world's leader.

The world is undergoing profound changes and major adjustments. As the premier forum for dialogue, communication and coordination among the world' s major economies, the G20 can lead the way forward by delivering on the consensus agreed in Hangzhou and promoting the trends of multi-polarity, globalization and sustainability.
Commenting on the audit report submitted to the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress on the implementation of last year's central budget, Premier Li Keqiang said at a meeting of the State Council, China's Cabinet, on Wednesday: "What this year's audit has discovered are mainly the 'chronic problems' identified in previous years. So we should not only focus efforts on their rectification, but also try to set up a long-term mechanism to avoid their reoccurrence."

In its report to the top legislature in late June, the National Audit Office revealed a series of cases involving the misuse of funds by a number of state departments. Wednesday's State Council meeting was aimed at promoting better implementation of the budget and effective enforcement of the country's major policy measures. "The government should be brave in revealing its problems, but more important, it should know how to resolve them," Li said.

It is usual for the National Audit Office to provide a list of the malpractices of government departments in its audit report on the implementation of the previous year's central budget and other financial revenues and expenditures. It submits its audit report to the top legislature every June.

In the 2015 report, it suggested the accountability system be strengthened and a long-term supervisory mechanism be set up. However, this year's audit report indicates that has not yet been done. This justifies the premier's vow to establish such a mechanism and intensify the crackdown on malpractices and violations.

A supervisory mechanism that includes people's congresses at various levels, the judicial organs, media and the public should be introduced to promote effective implementation of the Budget Law and other laws and regulations concerning government spending.

Given that abuse of power usually takes place in the dark, an open and transparent budget system and a modern fiscal system should be set up so that power can be really put inside the cage.
A LIVE-IN NANNY IN SHENZHEN was found to have a history of mental illness after she attempted to wrestle the 7-month-old baby from her employer on June 29. Yanzhao Metropolis Daily commented on Thursday:

With hindsight, it is clear there could have been serious consequences had her employer not stopped the nanny from grabbing his kid.

Although the nanny was suffering from a mental illness, the housekeeping agency that trained her did not divulge the information when introducing her to the family.

This is reminiscent of an earlier tragedy in Hangzhou, East China's Zhejiang province, when a nanny was arrested on suspicion of starting a fire in the home of her employers that killed the three children she was employed to care for, as well as the mother. The suspect's gambling addiction and resulting debts, which are believed to have reached breaking point, were not known to her employers, although the agency had been notified of this by her previous employers.

In Shenzhen, housekeeping agencies are reportedly not required to screen out applicants with a history of mental illness, hence they might be tempted to withhold such relevant information from their customers. There is neither any regulation nor a department specifically designed to manage the housekeeping service agencies, creating a supervisory vacuum fraught with potential risks.

With an estimated labor shortage of nearly 200,000, China's housekeeping market reached 1.6 trillion yuan ($240 billion) in 2016 and is expected to grow rapidly as the demand for household staff grows. Laws and regulations are therefore needed to rein in the booming business and defend the lawful rights of customers.

How much information agencies should obtain about the staff on their books, and how much should be passed on to the families employing them, and what certification housekeeping agencies should have should be clearly set out. Favorable policies that support the recruitment and training of prospective household staff need to be in place to keep unqualified applicants at bay.

The poor management of household staff merits vigilance.
Vice-Minister of Finance Liu Wei said at a local budget work meeting in Guangdong province on Tuesday that local authorities should strictly implement a budget supervision mechanism aimed at strengthening the examination and supervision of local governments' budgets and fiscal expenditure by local people's congresses, or local legislatures.

The system requires local governments to upload their budget information and fiscal expenditure to a database accessible only to their local people's congresses, so the congresses can review the governments' budget information and supervise their fiscal spending through the network.

By the end of May, the people's congresses of all the 21 prefecture-level and above cities and 94 percent of the county-level regions in Guangdong province had access to the budget information of corresponding cities and regions.

Sichuan and Liaoning provinces and Tianjin have also implemented a people's congress budget supervision system.

On June 30, the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress issued a document promoting budget supervision by all prefecture-level people's congresses. The innovation of budget supervision through modern technology is expected to help strengthen the supervision of government spending and promote the modernization of governance.
President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker, Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni, Spain's Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Netherland's Prime Minister Mark Rutte, Norway's Prime Minister Erna Solberg and President of the European Council Donald Tusk attend a Press conference after a meeting of European Union leaders at the Chancellery on June 29, 2017 in Berlin, Germany. [Photo/VCG]

BEIJING, July 6 (Xinhua) -- As leaders of the Group of 20 (G20) major economies gather in the northern German port city of Hamburg for an annual summit, a great but difficult task they need accomplish there is to dispel uncertainties overcasting future revival of global free trade.

Almost after a decade of weak growth since the 2008 global financial crisis, international trade transactions have somehow begun to see a slight hope of recovery.

The World Trade Organization (WTO) has projected that this year's global trade will grow at 2.4 percent, up from last year's 1.3 percent -- the slowest pace since the outbreak of the crisis.

A large portion of the WTO's cautious optimism comes from a recovering global economy.

The International Monetary Fund has forecast that the global economy is expected to expand at 3.5 percent in 2017. That means all G20 economies, including Russia and Brazil -- countries that reported negative growth in gross domestic product for the past two consecutive years -- will deliver real economic development this year.

Yet it is certainly not a time to let down vigilance, as uncertainties in economic development worldwide and policy making still flutter about. That has made it premature to pronounce the start of a full and sustainable process of recovery.

In the United States, President Donald Trump has time and again flirted with trade protectionist moves since taking office.

He proposed putting "America first," chastised a string of trade agreements as "horrible" deals for U.S. manufacturing industries and vowed repeatedly to renegotiate many of the treaties.

Most recently, the leader in Washington has taken his aim at foreign steel, saying it is "killing" U.S. steelworkers. That has pushed high the prospects that the Trump White House could slap punitive tariffs on foreign firms, and trigger a spike in trade spats between the United States and its trading partners, including traditional allies in Europe.

In Europe, the Brexit talks that are underway are no doubt another big source of worries for global trade.

British Prime Minister Theresa May is known for her persistent stance for a hard Brexit. Yet, her Pyrrhic victory in June's snap elections has weakened her position in the talks with the European Union (EU), and rendered the future of the negotiations utterly undetectable.

Yet, whatever the outcome -- hard Brexit, soft one, or even no deal at all -- the two sides need to try their best to calm the water as much as possible so that the waves might not rock the ship of international trade too wildly.

Few would disagree that free and fair trade running on the track of commonly recognized rules benefits all. That is how global trade over the past few decades has helped promote economic development globally by boosting the exchanges of people, goods and services worldwide, and improving living standards at relatively low cost.

Because of international trade and globalization, the level of interdependence among different countries and regions are simply unprecedented high at this moment, and is still going up. The old and isolated age when my loss is your gain has already come to an end.

At the upcoming G20 summit, world leaders need to deliver a definitive declaration that rejects protectionism, upholds the spirit of openness and stresses negotiation in solving disputes instead of threatening each other with punitive sanctions.

Ultimately, promoting global free trade is more of a destined future than a choice of among various options in this interconnected and interdependent world, and the only way to ensure everyone's best interests is to expand global commerce, and make it even freer and fairer.
President Xi Jinping and first lady Peng Liyuan arrive in Hamburg, Germany, on July 6, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]

After successfully hosting the G20 in 2016, China's participation in the G20 in Hamburg this year may prove an important next step to further integrate and lead important global developments. As former US vice-minister for energyProfessor Terrance Sandalow vividly expressed during his Beijing trip last year, China is now holding a mirror to the rest of the world. China's vision for an emerging world order may be less fiction and soon more reality.

The topics discussed during the G20 are often large and abstract, as is the case this year. The focus is on globalization, free trade, stability and reforms to improve the world's response to crisis. The latter is of interest, especially from a Chinese perspective.

According to Chen Fengying from China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, China is expected to outline possible solutions to questions of globalization and sustainable development. In my opinion, with the seeming retreat of the United Statesfrom the global stage by President Donald Trump, there may be an important role and, perhaps, opportunity for China's government to step into discussions such as security, international trade and climate change. Two major policy initiatives with global ambitions  and consequences  stand out: the Belt and Road Initiative and Made in China 2025.

China's Belt and Road Initiative is clearly positioning China as a leader for globalization in Eurasia. More broadly, Chinese companies have been going global for a while now and innovations from China are starting to reach the US and Europe. If China's Belt and Road Initiative succeeds in entering markets in Eurasia, China will be able to leverage large (emerging) markets while also having a foothold in advanced markets. However, China needs to develop the international talent needed to operate and lead all those initiatives, companies and organizations.

Similarly, the Made in China 2025 initiative is focused on making China a global leader of smart manufacturing. With a strong manufacturing base, plenty of capital, an army of entrepreneurs, scalability in the domestic market and a science and engineering tradition, China is well-positioned. In particular, Chinese companies are well-positioned to drive the IT transformation in technologies such as Internet of Things, big data and the cloud. While Silicon Valley used to be the place to go, China's new generation of change makers is increasingly attracting investors and entrepreneurs from Silicon Valley to China nowadays. However, the Made in China 2025 initiative requires a strong innovative talent pool.

An innovative global talent pool can be built several ways. First, China's domestic education is strong and improving, but a deeper and more widespread reform on educational methodologies is required. The future is not in routine tasks and standardized operations, it is in complex problem solving, cross-cultural skills and creative thinking. An educational system that combines strong basic training in combination with problem solving and creativity will prove to be a winner. Second, China's universities need to step up their initiative to attract foreign students. Not just for Chinese language or short term exchanges but for degree programs in all subjects. Why can a Chinese university not become a preferred choice for international students? Third, bringing back overseas Chinese students and alumni can reverse the brain drain. China has been effective in this and an increasing number of students are indeed coming back to China. While attractive policies are still the dominant reason, local opportunities are increasingly important. Fourth, sustainable, long term job opportunities for foreign talent in China will be crucial. While the recent reforms for work permits for foreigners are a step in the right direction, the key question is how to get the top talent to China in the first place. Why can China not be the preferred choice to work and live for international talent?

China has neither the ability nor the intent to challenge the US global leadership position, and nobody wins if relations between China and the US sour. But, as an educator I think the main opportunity for China is to strive to become a leader in innovative global talent development and successfully implement the Belt and Road and Made in China 2025 initiatives.

Mark Greeven is an associate professor at the Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Strategy Department of Zhejiang University's School of Management.
President Xi Jinping arrives in Hamburg, Germany, on July 6, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]

As the world's foremost nations gear up for the G20 summit in Hamburg on July 7-8, Chinese President Xi Jinping is taking the opportunity to strengthen ties with two of his most important partners. Before the meeting of the world's twenty most important leaders begins, he made official visits to Russia and Germany from July 3-6.

Of course, it is no secret that in the last few years relations between China and Russia have been warming and strengthening. Frequent summits, not least in the conducive setting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, have led to a steady increase in levels of mutual trust.

In addition, the partners have realised that their economic fortunes are interdependent. China needs oil and natural gas to feed its economic boom, and Russia needs to sell the same commodities, which are its largest exports. There is a natural fit.

However, energy is not the whole story. As global powerhouses which tend to be seen in a negative light by Western countries, Russia and China need each other's support. They have also realised that they can benefit from improved infrastructure and trade networks.

China's Silk Road Economic Belt has Europe as an endpoint, and the shortest overland route is through Russia. The European Union is China's biggest market, and so working with Russia to improve railway links is desirable. Russia will also benefit from enhanced connectivity in the form of high-speed railways and a share in the profits generated by increasing amounts of goods passing through its territory.

There would seem to be no downside to better Sino-Russian relations as far as the partners are concerned. However, Presidents Xi and Putin do need to work hard to ensure that their cooperation is not seen as a threat by other nations if synergies between China's Belt and Road Initiative and Russia's Eurasian Economic Union are to be generated and maintained. The G20 in Hamburg could be a golden opportunity for China and Russia to demonstrate that their partnership is win-win not only for them, but also for others across Asia and Europe.

China's relations with Germany have also been on an upswing. In 2016 China became Germany's biggest trade partner for the first time. There are also clear opportunities for the two countries to collaborate on the research and development of new technologies with global market potential such as robotics and renewable energy. Never has China been more important for Germany.

At the same time, maintaining good relations with the EU's de facto leader is becoming increasingly vital for China's fortunes in Europe. With Britain now fading from the European scene thanks to Brexit, there is no doubt that Chancellor Angela Merkel is now the most important individual in the European Union.

As Xi Jinping looks to gradually develop China's connectivity with Europe via the Belt and Road Initiative, a good working relationship with Chancellor Merkel is therefore a must. This trip represents a chance to consolidate gains already made in previous meetings.

The fact that Mrs Merkel has visited China nine times since she became Chancellor in 2005 is also indicative of how significant she believes the development of good relations to be for both sides. This is evidence that discussing further cooperation in trade and investment is likely to be high on the agenda during Xi's visit.

By the time the G20 arrives, then, the Chinese president will have consolidated ties with China's two most significant partners along the route of the Silk Road Economic Belt.

It is therefore going to be interesting to see whether China, Russia and Germany quietly begin to form a new global power triumvirate investing in enhanced economic linkages and transforming technological development during the next decade or so. Studying the proceedings of the G20 summit carefully could reveal the first signs of a shift in the centre of globalised gravity away from the North Atlantic and towards the centre of the Eurasian landmass.

Jeremy Garlick is a lecturer in international relations at the Jan Masaryk Centre for International Studies, University of Economics in Prague.
Germany has made cooperation with Africa a core element of its G20 Presidency. The German government advocates for a G20 Africa Partnership and has put in place the G20 Compact with Africa which aims to promote private investment, sustainable infrastructure and job creation in African countries. Germanys Minister of Finance describes the Compact with Africa as a long-term, demand driven process in which African countries will determine what they want to do to improve conditions for private investment, with whom they want to cooperate, and in what form. Last year, during its G20 Presidency, China also made Africa a prominent part of the agenda with an unprecedented number of African leaders participating in the G20 Summit in Hangzhou and commitments on supporting industrialization and the proliferation of renewable energy in African countries.

Trilateral cooperation would provide an ideal opportunity for Germany and China, as the current and previous G20 Presidencies, to jointly demonstrate their commitments under the G20 to increase support for African countries. This form of cooperation complements and brings together the traditional North-South and South-South cooperation models. In line with the Compact with Africa, such cooperation needs to be guided by the African Unions Agenda 2063 and African countries national development plans in order to be successful.

Both Germany and China have a long history in development cooperation with African countries, dating back all the way to the 1950s in Chinas case. Both countries have their own expertise in trilateral cooperation with partners from developed and developing countries, but have yet to undertake a joint trilateral project with an African partner. The launch of the Sino-German Center for Sustainable Development in Beijing in May is a promising step in this direction as the center plans to support sustainable infrastructure development in African countries. This can, indeed, be an area in which African countries can benefit from joint cooperation between Germany and China. China has a comparative advantage in the provision of cost-effective infrastructure development, while the sustainability of such projects can be ensured by making use of Germanys expertise in project management, social and environmental impact assessments and quality assurance.

Germany and China should also foster trilateral cooperation with African countries on industrialization and renewable energy. The joint establishment of special economic zones (SEZs) in African countries would be a good starting point. SEZs were a key component of Chinas economic development and are also starting to play an important role for industrialization in African countries such as Ethiopia. A trilateral SEZ project should utilize Chinas profound experience in financing, developing and managing SEZs, while Germany should contribute its expertise in preparing and delivering tailored technical vocational education and training programmes for different sectors. Germany's understanding of social and environmental standards and international marketing insights would also help ensure that SEZs are attractive for investors and suitable for global supply chains.

There is also a huge potential for effective trilateral cooperation between Germany, China and African countries on the proliferation of renewable energy in Africa. The African Unions recently launched Africa Renewable Energy Initiative (AREI) provides a possible entry point as both China and Germany have individually pledged their support for the initiative. Both countries are global leaders in renewable energy policy and technology and have considerable experience working with African countries bilaterally in these areas. A trilateral project should focus on AREIs so far overlooked, but crucial component of the establishment of the Africa Renewable Energy Institute, to serve as the initiatives backbone for research and training. Germany and China could build on the experiences from the establishment and operation of similar institutes in China, such as the China-EU Institute for Clean and Renewable Energy, and engage these institutes and their networks to build new partnerships.

Alexander Demissie and Moritz Weigel, Co-founders of Germany-based China Africa Advisory; International consultants for the UN, UNDP & UNFCCC.
China has demanded that India immediately withdraw border troops that have crossed into Chinese territory, and cautioned India to avoid a "more serious situation and consequences".

Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang made the remark on Wednesday as Indian troops remained on Chinese soil after crossing the Sikkim section of the China-India border last month.

"China once again urges India to adhere to the boundary convention, respect China's territorial sovereignty and immediately pull back its troops to the Indian side to help solve the issue as soon as possible," Geng told a daily news conference in Beijing.

The Sikkim section of the China-India border was defined by the Convention Between Great Britain and China Relating to Sikkim and Tibet in 1890 and acknowledged by successive Indian governments.

China and India have been exploring solutions to their border disputes through meetings of special representatives and have jointly worked to maintain peace and stability in the border area.

However, Geng said, Indian troops illegally trespassing onto the Chinese side of the Sikkim section of the China-India border, which has long been demarcated, is a serious issue. China has strongly protested the incursion to India.

"We demand that India ... correct its mistake with practical action, in a show of its sincerity to solve border issues and develop the China-India relationship, in order to create the necessary atmosphere and conditions for the normal development of bilateral ties," he added.

On Tuesday, Chinese Ambassador to India Luo Zhaohui urged India to unconditionally withdraw its border troops to the Indian side of the border with China.

In an interview with the Press Trust of India news agency, Luo said he was deeply worried by the "grave" situation.

"It is the first time that Indian troops have crossed the mutually recognized boundary and trespassed into China's territory, triggering a close-range face off between Chinese and Indian border troops," he said.

"The first step is for Indian troops to unconditionally pull back onto the Indian side of the boundary. That is the precondition for any meaningful dialogue between China and India," he added.

Xinhua contributed to this story.

mojingxi@chinadaily.com.cn
Foreign Ministry urges restraint on Korean Peninsula

By Zhang Yunbi | China Daily | Updated: 2017-07-06 07:22

All parties involved in the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue should exercise restraint and not speak or behave in away that escalates tensions, Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said at a regular news conference in Beijing on Wednesday.

Tensions have soared this week after the Democratic People's Republic of Korea declared that it had successfully launched an intercontinental ballistic missile earlier on Tuesday.

Less than 24 hours afterward, armed forces of the Republic of Korea and the United States launched short-range ballistic missiles of their own from the peninsula into the Sea of Japan on Wednesday.

DPRK leader Kim Jong-un said on Wednesday that his nation will "demonstrate its mettle to the US" and never put its weapons programs up for negotiations, the Associated Press reported.

Geng said the situation on the peninsula is complicated and sensitive, but China's position is clear, and the other parties involved are aware of that.

The United Nations Security Council scheduled an emergency meeting about the situation on Wednesday in New York.

When asked about China's message to be delivered at the meeting, Geng said it is hoped that the discussions push the nuclear issue closer to dialogue, consultations and a peaceful resolution.

Between the two missile launches, the foreign ministries of China and Russia issued a joint statement on the peninsula issue, stating "serious concerns" about the situation.

The escalating political and military tensions in the region could trigger armed conflict, and the international community should take collective measures to peacefully resolve this through consultation, the statement said.

China and Russia proposed that the DPRK voluntarily make political decisions and announce the suspension of its nuclear tests and ballistic missile launches, and that the US and the ROK accordingly suspend their large-scale joint military drill.

On Wednesday, Geng added that the joint statement showcases voices from the international community calling for dialogue and the easing of tensions.

The statement aims to address the root causes and symptoms, and the proposed solution is objective, fair, reasonable, realistic and viable, he said.

zhangyunbi@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 07/06/2017 page4)
German riot police stand in front of protestors during the demonstrations during the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany, July 6, 2017. [Photo/Agencies]

HAMBURG - Protest in Hamburg resulted in clashes with security forces on Thursday evening, on the eve of the G20 summit to be held here, with several injuries reported.

The anti-globalization "Welcome to Hell" rally kicked off on Thursday afternoon peacefully, but turned into violence in the evening. The police had to use water cannon, pepper sprays and batons to disperse demonstrators.

The police of Hamburg said on its Twitter account that the number of protesters rose to 12,000 in the evening. Police called on all peaceful demonstrators to distance themselves from these violent protesters.

"Violent men equip themselves with scaffolds and stones. We are appalled at the obvious violence," the Hamburg police said. Damages of vehicles were reported at various areas of the city.

In various places in Hamburg, attacks on emergency personnel and property damage were reported, the Hamburg police said on twitter, adding a total of 15 policemen were injured and three of them must be treated in hospital.

The n-tv quoted Andreas Blechschmidt, a co-organizer of "Welcome to Hell" demonstration as saying that there were several injured demonstrators, including those injured by the use of police batons.

The n-tv reported late Thursday night that after the demonstration "Welcome to Hell" was dissolved, peaceful demonstration is still going on in several locations in the city.

As of the press time, the march is continuing under a heavy police presence, but remains peaceful for the time being. Meanwhile the police reported new outbreaks of violence by "a large number of masked people." The violence has been directed against cars and shops.
China criticized India on Thursday for trespassing onto Chinese territory under the cloak of "protecting Bhutan", and questioned India's so-called security concerns regarding the construction of a road by China.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told reporters at a daily news conference in Beijing that China is willing to peacefully solve the issue through diplomatic channels, but a precondition is the unconditional withdrawal of Indian troops.

It has been 21 days since Indian border troops crossed into the Sikkim section of the China-India border, a demarcation that has been recognized by both countries for decades.

"The trespassing of Indian border troops took place at the defined Sikkim section of the China-India boundary, which is different in nature from the previous standoffs between the two sides at the undefined sections of the border," Geng said. "The Indian side crossed into Chinese territory and changed the status quo. Only when India pulls back its troops, will the status quo be restored."

The Doklam area has always been part of China's territory and under its effective jurisdiction. China and Bhutan have held 24 rounds of boundary negotiations since they launched the talks in the 1980s. There is no disagreement between the two sides on the fact that Doklam belongs to China, though the boundary is not yet officially demarcated.

"The fact is that the Indian side 'justified' its incursion under the cloak of 'protecting Bhutan', and attempted to create a dispute in Doklam to prevent and contain border negotiations between China and Bhutan," Geng said.

He said he also doubts India's so-called security concerns regarding China's road construction, saying "it is justifiable and reasonable behavior of a sovereign state to build roads on its own territory".

"It is the Indian side that has built facilities on the Sikkim section of the China-India boundary, conducted mass troop deployment and even built military facilities on and across the border, changing the status quo in the border area," Geng said.

"We again urge India to immediately pull back its troops to the Indian side to avoid a more serious situation and consequences," Geng added.
Police officers arrive at a prison after a clash among inmates in Acapulco, Mexico, on July 6, 2017. At least 28 people were killed in a prison riot on Thursday among suspected members of rival gangs in a prison in Acapulco, southern Mexican state of Guerrero, according to local authorities. [Photo/Xinhua]

MEXICO CITY - At least 28 people were killed in a prison riot on Thursday between suspected members of rival gangs in a prison in southern Mexican state of Guerrero, according to local authorities.

The state government updated the death toll from original five to 28 as police searched the prison. Three other prisoners were lightly injured.

At a press conference, Guerrero's security spokesperson, Roberto Alvarez Heredia, said that the fight began around 4 am in Las Cruces prison in Acapulco. The fighting took place within block 1, block 3 and in the yard.

No information has been given so far on the identity of the deceased but Heredia said the families would be notified first. He stated that the violence had been contained after the police took control of the prison and no detainees had escaped.

Heredia explained that "the incident began due to the permanent struggle of rival groups inside the prison."

Guerrero governor Hector Astudillo Flores has given an order to "get to the bottom of the events and to bring the full force of the law to bear on those responsible."

Heredia added that "the investigation will include all the public servants within the prison system."

This prison is the most crowded in Guerrero, with 2,100 prisoners, according to Mexican government statistics.
Pakistan is fully committed to the successful implementation of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, the flagship project of the Belt and Road Initiative, according to Pakistani Ambassador to China Masood Khalid.

"Pakistan is China's all-weather strategic cooperative partner, and it will continue to work with China for greater prosperity of our region and to meet their common challenges through enhanced connectivity," he said when speaking at the Lanzhou Trade Fair in Lanzhou, capital city of Gansu province, on Thursday.

Khalid also attended the ambassador retreat of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Gansu, which ran from Tuesday to Friday.

Khalid said Pakistan believed in cooperative and collective approaches to peace, stability and development.

Pakistan became a full member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization at the 17th Meeting of the Heads of State Council of SCO in Astana, Kazakhstan.

Khalid said Gansu and Punjab enjoyed a sister-province relationship, and added both should build a cooperative partnership based on complementaries in various areas including agriculture, IT, renewable energy and mineral resources.
BERLIN - Chinese President Xi Jinping said here Thursday that Beijing hopes Seoul can attend to China's major concerns and handle relevant issues properly so as to clear the obstacles for the development of bilateral ties.

Xi made the remarks while meeting with his South Korean counterpart Moon Jae-in here ahead of a G20 summit in the northern German port city of Hamburg.
ROK's president praises China's handling of DPRK nuclear issue

President Xi Jinping said on Thursday that China continues to support the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and seeks to resolve the issue through dialogue and consultation.

President Xi Jinping (R) meets with his South Korean counterpart Moon Jae-in in Berlin, Germany, July 6, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]

Xi made the remark in his first meeting with Republic of Korea President Moon Jae-in in Berlin. Both presidents will travel to Hamburg to attend the G20 Summit on Friday and Saturday.

Xi said China insists on maintaining peace and stability on the peninsula, and said all sides should strictly abide by UN Security Council resolutions.

China supports the new ROK government's positive efforts toward restarting talks with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea to improve relations, he said, adding that the international community should make joint efforts to play a positive role in easing the current tension.

Moon spoke highly of China's handling of the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue, saying the ROK hopes to enhance coordination and cooperation with China to achieve denuclearization and safeguard the region's peace and stability.

Xi also called on the ROK to attach importance to China's concerns and properly handle relevant issues. The China-ROK relationship has run into unwelcome difficulties recently, he said.

China has repeatedly expressed opposition to the US deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system in the ROK, saying it gravely harms the strategic security interests of China, Russia and other countries in the region.

China has not changed its stance dedicated to the development of China-ROK relations, Xi said, adding that the two countries should have a long-term perspective and respect each other's core interests and major concerns. He called on the ROK to sweep away the obstacles hindering the improvement of ties.

China would like to seize the opportunity brought by the 25th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic relations to review the experiences and lessons of the past quarter-century and put the relationship back on the right track of healthy and stable development, Xi said.

During the talks, Xi mentioned his telephone call with Moon in May immediately after Moon won the presidential election. They exchanged views on issues of common concern in a candid manner through the phone call, he recalled.

Xi said he appreciated Moon's sending Lee Hae-chan as a special envoy to China in May to express the ROK's willingness to improve and develop relations. He also noted that Moon sent a government delegation to attend the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation held in Beijing in May.

Moon said he fully understands China's concerns, and is willing to have intensive communications.

"The two countries have had good interactions since I became president," he said, adding that China and the ROK, with their long history of exchanges and wide common interests, have become important partners.

Ruan Zongze, executive vice-president of the China Institute of International Studies, called the first meeting between the two heads of state "very important and timely", as the Korean Peninsula's situation has seen new developments with the latest missile launch by the DPRK.

The meeting showed that both sides have reached "basic consensus" over how to solve the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue, which is through dialogue and consultation, Ruan said.

It also showed that "both sides hope to improve China-ROK ties and step out of the impasse", he said, adding that the key to improving ties is in the hands of the ROK.

Wang Qingyun contributed to this story.
An economic and cultural hub in western China, Chengdu, capital of Sichuan province, is boosting ties with Germany in various fields ranging from art and design to transport, manufacturing and trade, experts said.

An agreement reached by the local government and the Hannover Industrial Design Forum on June 20 will establish a design center in the Chengdu Hi-Tech Industrial Development Zone.

Covering 4,000 square meters, the center includes exhibitions, design labs, offices and cooperative spaces, all maintaining the same design standards of its counterparts in Germany.

"Chengdu's design environment is very good. Relying on the city's geographic advantages and rich resources, we hope to expand our business to other regions in western China," said Ralph Wiegmann, CEO of the forum.

He said the center is aiming to bring design information from the global frontier to local residents.

"We plan to establish a state-of-the-art experience center, hold exhibitions for prestigious designs and introduce famed international design forums," he said.

Last year, the prize-winning pieces at the 2016 IF Design Awards, launched by the forum in 1953 and renowned throughout the design industry, were displayed in its first overseas destination, Chengdu, with a total of 700 items from 20 countries and regions.

Wiegmann said through such an event, local residents could gain a better understanding of world-class art and design, and learn about the newest trends in the global market.

"China is sure to become a world-class hub for design, under which people will pay much attention to education in the sector."

In addition to art and design, the two countries have made joint efforts in promoting public transport and logistics.

Recently, Car2go, the Daimler-owned car-sharing service, signed an agreement with Chengdu to deploy 1,000 Smart cars in the next three years. The company is known as Ji Xing Car2go in China. "Ji xing" means "ready to go" or "immediately hit the road" in Chinese.

It is Daimler's first free-floating car-sharing public transport service in the world with more than 14,000 cars and 2.2 million users in 31 cities globally.

To further deepen cooperation with Germany in transport, Chengdu has signed a friendship agreement with Duisburg, one of the biggest inland container terminals in the world.

Volker Mosblech, vice-mayor of Duisburg, said the logistics industry in Chengdu has been developing at a fast pace in recent years.

As the starting point of the Chengdu-Europe Express Railway, the city enjoys many of the same transport advantages as Duisburg.

Ralf J. Meurer, head of the economic promotion bureau of Duisburg, said: "We hope to optimize the benefits brought by the railway and further advance economic and trade ties with Chengdu."

He said the bureau has set up a special business association to offer one-stop services for Chinese enterprises.

In the past decade, more than 70 Germany-based enterprises including 18 Fortune Global 500 companies have set up operations in Chengdu, with a total investment of some 2 billion euros ($2.28 billion).

The import and export volume between Chengdu and Germany has shown an upward trend and surpassed a total of 23 billion euros in the past five years.

Manufacturing and trade

As a demonstrative city for the Made in China 2025 strategy, Chengdu has strengthened relations with Germany in the manufacturing industry.

One example is the ongoing project of Germany's Bosch Group, which plans to build a new plant in the Sino-German Small and Medium-sized Enterprise Cooperation Park in Pujiang county of Chengdu.

With a total investment of 180 million yuan ($26.47 million), the plant will produce high-end products such as packaging machinery, hand-held electronics and desktop power tools.

It is expected to realize annual output value of 500 million yuan.

Covering some 30 square kilometers, the park is home to more than 50 enterprises in precision machinery and related industries.

It is one of the five demonstration zones for cooperation between China and Germany set by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.

A representative of the park said the area will introduce more Germany-based companies in the future. By 2020, the park is expected to have more than 100 foreign enterprises with an output value of 10 billion yuan.

There are also other cooperative platforms in Chengdu between China and Germany such as the 22-sq-km key zone for industrial innovation in research and development, medical care, intelligent manufacturing and international trade, the 7-sq-km innovative upgrading demonstration zone and the 58.8-sq-km park for the auto industry.
Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) meets with Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in Hamburg, Germany, July 6, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]

HAMBURG, Germany - Chinese President Xi Jinping said here Thursday that China and Singapore shall grasp the bilateral relations with strategic insight and vision, and keep mutual understanding and support on issues of each other's core interests and major concerns.

Xi made the remarks while meeting with Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

Xi noted that the China-Singapore traditional friendship, promoted by mutual learning and cooperation, has reaped rich fruits.

China highly values its relations with Singapore, and is ready to work with the Southeast Asian country to enhance bilateral partnership step by step, said the Chinese leader.

He encouraged the two sides to put new thinking into their cooperation, and tap cooperative potentials under the Belt and Road Initiative on such fronts as infrastructure construction, trade and investment, and financial collaboration.

Xi urged the two nations to facilitate the major inter-governmental projects, and expand the cooperation in new-tech areas like the Internet and information communication.

Efforts shall also be made to increase people-to-people exchanges, and boost coordination on global governance under multilateral frameworks like the United Nations, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation and the Group of 20, he said.

Xi also pointed out that China will stand with Singapore, which is to take over the presidency of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 2018, to promote regional integration and a closer China-ASEAN community of shared future.

For his part, Lee said it is very important to deepen his nation's cooperation with China faced with the current complicated international situation.

Singapore is willing to continue its support for and participation in the Belt and Road construction, carry out major inter-governmental projects, and expand its cooperation with China in finance, high-speed railways and free trade area, he added.
President Xi Jinping addresses the opening ceremony of the G20 Hangzhou Summit last year. [Photo/For China Daily]

If there's one word that may come to define the common approach to tackling the global political and economic challenges of the early 21st century, it's "interconnected".

It is not only the key word of the Belt and Road Initiative, which involves 64 percent of world population, but it's also the theme of the last and this summit meetings of the leaders of the Group of 20 members, which collectively account for 80 percent of the global economy.

China and Germany, the previous and current hosts of the G20 summit, are strong defenders of globalization.

In September 2016, the G20 summit in Hangzhou, China, called for the building of an "interconnected" world economy.

As it now holds the G20 presidency, Germany has chosen "Shaping an interconnected world" as the theme for this week's summit in Hamburg.

That Germany and China chose the same key word for their respective host summits is not a coincidence, but a testimony to the two major economies' shared stance at a crossroad of the world.

With each the largest trading partner to the other in their respective continents, China and Germany are examples of the success of mutual cooperation, free trade and globalization. Last year, their combined economies accounted for nearly 20 percent of the world's total.

But rather than obstacles to trade, their social, cultural, governance and economic differences are complementary attractions and a justification for the strengthening of ties that has paved the way for bilateral cooperation and synergies on key policies, such as the 'Made in China 2025' action plan and Germanys Industry 4.0 strategy.

However, further "interconnection" among nations faces a challenge from a recent rise in some areas of isolationism, protectionism and unilateralism.

Anti-globalization sentiment is apparently behind the "America-first policy," the UK's Brexit vote to leave the European Union and the recent US withdrawal from Paris climate accord.

Yet recent terror attacks in European capitals and the refugee crisis across the region stem from political turmoil in the Middle East and are not just local concerns, but are global challenges.

Zhu Min, former deputy head of the International Monetary Fund, said the mutual relevance of the stock markets in Asia and the US was probably about 15 percent 20 years ago. It is 85 percent today, he said.

In Hamburg, China will back German proposals on joint efforts to solve climate change, promote free trade, further economic globalization, and address pressing issues resulting from poverty and terrorism.

Such reciprocity arises from a shared vision and sense of responsibility to the rest of the world, or the "human community sharing the same destiny", as President Xi Jinping put it.

After the US withdrawal from the Paris climate change accord, German Chancellor Angela Merkel has put climate change high on the agenda at Hamburg. It's an issue that exposes the risk of division and the necessity of getting "interconnected".
Visitors check out a porcelain dragon ship at the Porcelain and Ceramics of Jingdezhen exhibition in Berlin. [Photo/Xinhua]

More than 100 pieces of rare Chinese porcelain are on display at Berlin's KPM Royal Porcelain Factory this week, dazzling a local audience with their refined designs, beautiful colors and intricate craftsmanship.

The exhibition, which runs until Saturday, includes porcelain bowls, vases, and other artworks, such as a porcelain boat, peacock, and necklaces. Visitors can also see a live demonstration of porcelain making.

Zhong Zhisheng, Party chief of Jingdezhen, an area in Jiangxi province famous for its porcelain-making history, said: "Porcelain is an important ambassador of Chinese culture internationally, a witness to Chinese and Western cultural integration and a bridge to the friendship between China and the world."

The exhibition, Porcelain and Ceramics of Jingdezhen, was organized by Chinas State Council Information Office and the Chinese embassy in Germany.

The exhibition is accompanied by musical performances using instruments made from porcelain.

The exhibition is part of a collection of exhibitions staged in Germany focusing on Chinese culture. Others include an exhibition on Chinese figurative paintings, an exhibition about pandas, concerts featuring Chinese dance and music, and a Chinese lantern display.

Porcelain products are already very familiar to international audiences. From the 16th century, Chinese porcelain was exported to Europe and has been manufactured in Europe since around 1700. It was also one of the Chinese exports that spread via trade routes such as the Silk Road.

Ferdinand von Richthofen, a famous 19th century German explorer, who was also a professor of geography at the University of Berlin, was one of the first people to coin the concept of the Silk Road, which he wrote in his book China: The Results of My Travels and the Studies Based Thereon.

In 1869, von Richthofen visited Jingdezhen to study porcelain, giving the exhibition in Berlin a particular significance, said Zhong.

Jorg Woltmann, CEO of KPM Royal Porcelain Factory, said porcelain from Chinas Jingdezhen spread along the ancient Silk Road to Europe.

"It brought economic prosperity, and brought cultural understanding, leaving a legacy of many moving stories and friendships."

Zhong also presented KPM Royal Porcelain Factory with a documentary film about the history of Chinese porcelain.
Members expected to get behind drive to promote sustainable development

China and Germany, the previous and current hosts of the G20 summit, have consistently put climate change, green finance, and sustainable development high on the agenda, said Barbara Hendricks, Germanys federal environment minister.

"We are building on the success of the previous Chinese G20 presidency, with regards to climate change, green finance and sustainable development," Hendricks told China Daily in a written interview ahead of global leaders gathering in Hamburg for the summit on Friday and Saturday.

When China hosted the G20 summit in Hangzhou in September, President Xi Jinping and then-US President Barack Obama showed a strong commitment to tackle climate challenges by ratifying the Paris Agreement. But about one month ago, United States President Donald Trump revealed his decision to withdraw from the global deal.

"We regret the US announcement to withdraw from the Paris Agreement," said Hendricks. "However, this agreement is irreversible ... China and Germany both stand behind the Paris Agreement. In individual statements, President Xi and Chancellor Angela Merkel have made this very clear."

Hendricks said both countries have adopted ambitious national steps through action plans and legislation to curb emissions from different sectors and increase investment in renewable energy and energy efficiency.

The minister cited a report by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development that says climate policies combined with structural reforms will lead to 5 percent more GDP growth in the G20 by 2050.

"Jointly, we want to embrace these economic opportunities," said Hendricks. "Our objective is a solid outcome at the Hamburg summit that will provide clear, long-term guidance also to the private sector."

She said implementation is picking up speed around the world and that US states, cities, and companies are cooperating and taking action, despite the White House decision.

"This is what we are building on in our cooperation with the US," said Hendricks. "And, like China, we have just signed a joint statement on climate action with the state of California, and also plan new activities within the Transatlantic Climate Bridge program that stands for an intensive dialogue with a broad range of stakeholders."

The minister said the greening and decarbonizing of the worlds economy will continue, with China and Germany seizing opportunities.

"With China playing a more and more important role in these markets, the EU and China have the opportunity to enhance their partnership, to learn from each other's experience, and to steer global investment toward innovation and sustainability," said Hendricks.

The minister welcomed China living up to its international climate commitments and lauded its increased cooperation with developing nations around climate change and sustainable development.

"In our bilateral Climate Change Working Group, we have already had discussions with our Chinese counterparts on how we can work together on questions of trilateral and South-South cooperation," said Hendricks.

Arne Tesli, a senior researcher at the Norwegian Institute for Urban and Regional Research, agreed that climate change will be an important subject at the G20 summit.

Despite the decision of the US to withdraw from the Paris Agreement, all other members attach great importance to implementing it, said Tesli.

"I don't see any other countries wanting to pull back from the agreement because everybody has seen the reality and they need to act in terms of those realities. So, I think it will be the major issue," said Tesli, who noted that the way in which green and sustainable development is achieved will be a major theme at the summit.

Yan Huan and Wei Han in Brussels contributed to this story.
Martin Schulz

President Xi Jinping has hailed the successes of his state visit to Germany and the many new consensuses and practical outcomes reached between the countries.

He spoke on Thursday in Berlin while meeting with Martin Schulz, chairman of the Social Democratic Party of Germany.

Xi spoke highly of the contribution of the party, which is known by its German acronym SPD, to the development of Chinese-German relations. Exchanges between political parties have played a special and important role in bilateral ties, he said.

Schulz said Germany values China's global role, noted the SPD firmly adheres to the one-China policy, and said his party would like more exchanges with the CPC.

In a separate meeting with Olaf Scholz, mayor of Hamburg, Xi said China welcomes Hamburgs participation in the Belt and Road Initiative.

Noting Hamburg has one of Europe's largest concentrations of Chinese companies, Xi said it is not only a key seaport, but also an important terminal of the China-EU rail link.

Scholz said Hamburg will continue to back the Belt and Road Initiative.
The first China-Europe freight train departs from Northwest China for Germany in August 2015. [Photo/For China Daily]

With globalization under threat, Belt and Road concept is inspiring G20

With a surge of anti-globalization sentiment in some Western countries casting a shadow over Friday and Saturday's G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany, the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative is inspiring the group of major economies with new ideas for cooperation.

President Xi Jinping will attend the summit following his state visit to Germany. He has called on the G20 to continue to champion globalization and innovative growth.

The anti-globalization sentiment has manifested itself in the United States' America First policy, Britains decision to leave the European Union, and the US withdrawal from the Paris climate accord.

Against such a backdrop, business leaders have been viewing the Belt and Road Initiative as an inspirational way for the G20 to boost mutually beneficial cooperation.

The world needs a "Plan B" against the anti-globalization sentiment, Tufan Khalaji, managing director of Austrias Rail Cargo Operator, told Xinhua.

He said the Belt and Road Initiative offers the world a solution at the right moment.

The initiative, which was proposed by Xi in 2013, aims to build trade and infrastructure networks that will connect Asia with Europe and Africa, along the ancient Silk Road trade routes. The initiative is aimed at promoting common development and prosperity.

China is expected to continue its determined advocacy of free trade and globalization, within which the Belt and Road Initiative can play a major role, said Gu Xuewu, director of Bonn Universitys Center for Global Studies.

While the US has injected "the biggest uncertainty" since 2008 into a G20 summit, Gu said China and Germany should work hand-in-hand to bring the world closer.

Gu is the first full professor in political sciences and international relations in Germany who is of Chinese origin.

Given the unwillingness of the US to support free trade and climate protection, the rest of the world has high hopes that China and Europe will take up a leading role in advocating globalization, Gu said.

He said Xi is likely to deliver a steadfast message of support for globalization alongside German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who will chair the summit in Hamburg.

"If President Xi expresses his continuous support of European integration and globalization in his speech, that will be an encouraging message for Europeans and the world," said Gu.

As far as Europe is concerned, the China-Europe freight train service promotes interconnectivity that not only facilitates the flow of commodities but also brings opportunities to improve railway infrastructure and the transport system in general to countries along the Eurasian railway routes.

The China-Europe freight train service, which was launched in March 2011, has seen a remarkable increase in transport volume.

Citing the experiences of German logistics company Deutsche Post DHL Group, Thomas Kowalski, DPDHL director of operations in multimodal transport, said the Belt and Road Initiative expands the freight volume of railway routes connecting China and Europe, which boosts DHL's business.

The freight volume of Eurasian railway lines has steadily risen since the opening of the China-Europe freight train service. It is estimated that the volume will exceed 1 million standard-sized containers by 2030, according to Kowalski.

Shan Jing, business development manager at Far East Land Bridge Ltd, said the China-Europe freight train service also facilitates the transport of goods between Europe and other Asian countries, such as Japan and South Korea.

The trans-continental trains operated by FELB currently depart mainly from the cities of Suzhou and Changsha in southern China. They leave through Northeast China, headed for European cities including Warsaw, Duisburg, Hamburg and Milan.

Germany's International Rail Freight Business Association supports the Belt and Road Initiative.

Its chairman, Olaf Krueger, said the initiative may provide opportunities for countries to modernize existing rail lines and create new transportation corridors.

In addition, the direct rail link between China and Western Europe offers a new option for shippers. Some European business leaders call it an "artery" because it injects fresh blood into the existing European rail freight networks.

With Chinas promotion of the Belt and Road Initiative, Gu said China has already helped Africa better integrate globally and this will be an overlapping priority shared by both China and Germany.

"The Belt and Road Initiative, if successfully implemented, will be bringing globalization to a new level in geopolitical and economical perspective," said Gu. "It brings less-developed regions in Asia and Africa into the global system."

Geoffrey Harris, a teaching fellow in European integration and global human rights at Belgiums Vesalius College, said his expectations for the G20 summit were not "very high", as long as the US plays a negative role.

"There are some crises on the ground for the Hamburg meeting and it will be very difficult," said Harris.

But he noted that, China and Europe should work together to try to ensure improvements are delivered.

"China has taken a positive approach in engaging globalization and everybody defines it as impressive to promote global cooperation," said Harris."We hope such a spirit of globalization can be seen in Hamburg as well."

Xinhua contributed to this story.
Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong

China and Singapore should continue to support each other on issues related to their own core interests and major concerns, President Xi Jinping said on Thursday.

Speaking at a meeting with Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in Hamburg ahead of the G20 summit, Xi said China attaches great importance to developing close relations with Singapore and would like to push forward with bilateral ties.

The president cited construction, trade, investment and finance as areas in which the two countries should deepen cooperation, adding that they should also expand together into cyberspace and IT technology. He said China and Singapore should enhance coordination within multilateral frameworks, such as the United Nations, APEC and the G20, to improve global governance.

Noting Singapore will assume the presidency of the ASEAN next year, Xi said China believes Singapore will push forward practical cooperation between China and ASEAN.

Lee said Singapore will continue supporting and proactively participating in the Belt and Road Initiative and will implement major projects between the two governments. It will also expand cooperation in areas including finance, high-speed railways, and construction of free-trade zone, and would play a positive role in promoting China-ASEAN relations, he added.
Huang Feng, an anti-graft scholar

China plans to recruit from G20 members dozens of anti-graft experts to help curb cross-border corruption, according to a Beijing-based research center.

Huang Feng, director of the Research Center on Cooperation Regarding Persons Sought for Corruption and Asset Recovery in G20 Member States, said: "We'll invite them as visiting scholars and work with them in the center for several months on joint research on transnational corruption crime, including hunting down the fugitives and confiscating illicit assets."

He said Chinese and foreign experts will compare domestic and foreign laws and legal procedures related to confiscating illegal assets, extradition, and judicial assistance.

The center, which is based at Beijing Normal University, was set up in September 2016, after the G20 Hangzhou Summit resolution on anti-corruption.

At that summit, G20 members agreed to advance the anti-corruption campaign and refuse to offer safe havens to corrupt officials who are still at large abroad.

Huang said the center has set up a network of experts, including 30 Chinese experts from judicial authorities and universities and 30 foreign experts from countries including the United States and Australia. The network will provide intelligence support in the hunt for corrupt fugitives and confiscation of illegal assets.

The center has drafted a research report into the latest developments in cross-border commercial bribery crimes, and has made it available to the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, and other relevant authorities, Huang said.

In recent years, a number of corrupt Chinese fugitives have fled overseas. They flee to avoid legal punishment and to exploit a lack of bilateral extradition treaties and loopholes in the laws. Many flee with millions of yuan in illegal funds transferred to foreign accounts through money laundering and underground banks.

In 2014, China launched its Skynet initiative, which aims to track down corrupt fugitives. So far, more than 2,800 economic fugitives have returned to face trial from more than 70 countries and regions. More than 8 billion yuan ($1.16 billion) in illegal assets have been seized, according to the CCDI.
By An Baijie in Moscow, Fu Jing in Berlin and Zhang Yunbi in Beijing | China Daily UK | Updated: 2017-07-07 23:17

President Xi Jinping on Monday expressed the hope that major economies in the Group of 20 will continue their partnership of win-win cooperation, support for multilateral free trade and leadership in innovation-driven growth.

Xi made the statement in an interview with Russian media ahead of his departure for a state visit to Russia.

The president said it is significant for the G20 to work as a major international economic cooperation forum, to realize consensuses reached at G20 summits and to orient global growth, as tough challenges remain despite strengthening of the momentum in global growth and improvement of the economic situation in both developed and developing countries.

Expressing expectations for the G20 summit scheduled for Friday and Saturday in the German city of Hamburg, Xi said he hopes that the upcoming summit will prompt the group to continue its partnership of win-win cooperation, which helped it tide over the international financial crisis.

"As long as we can include and tolerate one another, and offer timely help to one another, we will be able to steadfastly keep forging ahead and reach the other shore all together, regardless of whether it is sunny or rainy," Xi said.

As a driving force for the global economy, the G20 should adhere to open development, support the multilateral trade system with the World Trade Organization at the core and prompt trade and investment to continue playing the role as an engine for world economic growth, Xi said.

The worlds richest nations need to take action to achieve what was agreed at the Hangzhou summit, when China hosted the Group of 20 gathering, before passing on the role to Germany, experts said.

The summit will open with officials and scholars saying more effort is needed worldwide to translate into action what was agreed in Hangzhou.

In a push for more concerted action, Chinese leaders have been calling for more support for economic globalization and the introduction of more engines for global growth.

The goal, wrote Foreign Minister Wang Yi in an article published in Qiushi magazine in May, is to ensure that the new engines for growth, including innovation, can effectively tackle looming global economic challenges.

Xi, speaking in January at the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, stressed the importance of developing a dynamic innovation-driven growth model, one of systemic collaboration.

Xi said Chinas rapid growth has been a sustained, powerful engine for global economic stability and expansion, and the interconnected development of China and that of many other countries had made the world economy more balanced.

Europeans are forming a "joint attitude" toward the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative, which is expected to stabilize the vast land between China and Europe, according to Michael Schaefer, who served as Germanys ambassador to China from 2007 to 2013.

The Belt and Road Initiative aims to promote the free flow of economic factors, efficient allocation of resources and integration of markets by enhancing connectivity between areas.

Schaefer hopes Xi will use this weeks state visit to Germany to further explain the significance of this initiative and how it not only benefits China but the rest of the world.

"From the reluctance at the very beginning, the Europeans have started to shape their joint attitudes toward the Belt and Road Initiative, Schaefer said. "I am very vocal in supporting the initiative and Europe needs a more active response.

"I think it is in the common interest of the EU, Central Asia, and China to participate in this initiative and contribute to stabilizing those countries still in a relatively fragile situation."

Xinhua contributed to this story.
By AN BAIJIE in Moscow and LI XIAOKUN in Beijing | China Daily UK | Updated: 2017-07-07 23:18

President Xi Jinping and first lady Peng Liyuan arrive at Moscows Vnukovo International Airport on Monday. [Photo/Agencies]

President Xi Jinping said on Monday that he is confident he can reach agreements with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, about deepening bilateral relations and pushing forward cooperation in all areas.

"I believe this trip is definitely going to yield fruitful outcomes," Xi said in a written statement issued upon his arrival at Moscows airport on Monday.

Xi is paying a two-day state visit to Russia at Putins invitation. Apart from talks with the Russian president, Xi will also attend people-to-people exchange programs jointly hosted by the two countries and meet people from all walks of life.

On Tuesday, Xi will fly to Berlin for a state visit to Germany and then travel to Hamburg to attend the G20 Summit.

In an interview with Russian media before he left Beijing, Xi said that China and Russia hold similar views on the essence and damage of the United States deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense anti-missile system in the Republic of Korea and will take necessary measures, jointly or individually.

He said China and Russia have been in close communication and are coordinating at various levels on the issue.

The deployment gravely harms the strategic security interests of China, Russia and other countries in the region, Xi said.

China and Russia will take necessary measures, jointly or individually, to safeguard their national security interests and the regional strategic balance, he said.

On the Korean Peninsula issue, Xi said China is committed to denuclearizing the peninsula, safeguarding its peace and stability and settling disagreements through dialogue and consultation.

China, he added, hopes that other parties with an interest in the Korean Peninsula will join the push by China and Russia for talks, take up their respective responsibilities and place the issue on the right track of dialogue and consultation toward a negotiated settlement as soon as possible.

China and Russia have maintained close strategic coordination on global and regional affairs, serving as a sort of ballast in safeguarding global and regional peace, security and stability, Xi added.

On Beijings ties with Moscow, Xi described relations as being at their "best time in history", adding that the two nations are each others most trustworthy strategic partners.

The two countries have built high-level political and strategic trust, the president said, noting that they have resolved all border issues left over from history and turned their 4,300-kilometer boundary line into a bond of friendship between their two peoples.

"President Putin and I have built good working relations and have a close personal friendship," Xi said.

Chen Yurong, a senior Eurasian studies researcher at the China Institute of International Studies, said: "The close working relationship between the two heads of state and their personal friendship has become a locomotive in the development of bilateral relations between China and Russia.

"They can exchange views on almost everything, which reflects the high level of political trust between the two countries."

Xinhua contributed to this story.
It is strategically important for China and Germany to maintain cooperation when the world is experiencing complicated changes, President Xi Jinping said in Berlin on Wednesday during his state visit.

Both countries need to enhance mutual political trust and support each other's development strategies, Xi said after being greeted by German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

As the world's major economies and trading powers, China and Germany have great influence over regional affairs and have entered a new era of high-level and comprehensive strategic cooperation, Xi said.

His program includes talks with Chancellor Angela Merkel, and he will attend the Group of 20 leaders' summit in Hamburg at the end of the week.

Xi said China would welcome joint efforts with Germany on further cooperation across all sectors to benefit both nations and to promote global peace, stability and prosperity.

Noting that 2017 marks the 45th anniversary of Sino-German diplomatic relations, Xi said the countries have managed to set aside disputes, seek common ground and expand cooperation in all areas.

Xi said China was ready to join Germany in consolidating mutual trust, building more consensus, and promoting bilateral cooperation and connectivity.

He said China and Germany need to follow an open, innovative and win-win path, conduct strategic cooperation, and jointly promote their common interests. Sino-German relations form a leading position in China's relations with Europe as a whole, he said.

Steinmeier, who formally welcomed Xi at the start of his state visit, said Germany looked forward to boosting its cooperation with China under multilateral frameworks, such as the G20.

"The G20 mechanism belongs not only to its members but also to the entire world," said Xi.
A man walks past a display in Hong Kong showing many of the worlds currencies. [Photo/Agencies]

The establishment of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and renminbi internationalization are two of China's key economic achievements, analysts said ahead of this week's G20 summit in Hamburg.

With experience gained from cushioning the negative impacts of the global financial crisis since 2008, China's growing economic strength and its macroeconomic coordinating capability makes it a natural leader in such discussions, particularly at a time of unprecedented cross-border capital flows, they said.

Ricco Zhang, director of Asia Pacific at Zurich-based International Capital Market Association, said: "Participating in creating coherent international financial market practices will help China play its role to another level."

Financial stability has been a hot topic at G20 meetings since the 2008 financial crisis demonstrated how instability in developed markets can affect other economies.

Erik Berglof, director of the London School of Economics' Institute of Global Affairs, said: "A global approach is important as it puts pressure on national regulators and helps override resistance in the financial sector."

Last year, G20 leaders in Hangzhou discussed measures to improve financial stability. They agreed to adopt stronger international regulations, including Basel III banking capital requirements and stronger regulations on derivatives.

Financial stability is again a key topic at Hamburg's G20. This year, discussions will take place on the role of multinational development banks such as the AIIB in financing sustainable infrastructure projects.

Wang Cong, a professor of finance at the China Europe International Business School, said: "The AIIB's creation and increasing influence may put pressure on existing organizations like the IMF and World Bank to make changes to their roles in supporting the regulatory landscapes of emerging economies."

The AIIB was established last year with 57 founding shareholders and it has already approved lending of more than $2 billion. Central to the AIIB's ideology is a "clean, lean and green" focus, to reduce internal bureaucracy and strengthen sustainability of investments.

Wang said the renminbi's growth toward international reserve currency status is another way China is making a big contribution to global financial stability, as the growing international use of renminbi will help many countries reduce reliance on the US dollar.

Renminbi internationalization gained momentum after the International Monetary Fund added the renminbi to its basket of currencies with special drawing rights. As an endorsement of the renminbi's reserve currency status, the Frankfurt-based European Central Bank announced its investment of 500 million euros ($568 million) of reserves into renminbi-denominated assets in January.

Zhang said the renminbi is set to play an even bigger role in financing infrastructure projects in economies covered by the Belt and Road Initiative.

"Many of these projects will be financed in renminbi, mostly through the issuance of dim sum bonds and panda bonds, therefore China's involvement in international efforts to create consistent regulatory frameworks is pivotal," he said.
Dagmar Schmidt, German lawmaker

Nations want to find ways to expand international development assistance

The China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative is "highly compatible" with plans in Germany and elsewhere in Europe for the expansion of international development assistance and the two approaches could be integrated, according to a German lawmaker.

Dagmar Schmidt, who chairs the German-Sino Parliamentary Group, said this week's state visit to Germany by President Xi Jinping, during which he will attend the Group of 20 leaders' summit in Hamburg, could be significant.

"My expectation is that Xi's visit could help commit a much closer cooperation in the field of international development assistance,'' Schmidt said in a written interview with China Daily. "From my point of view, there are many overlaps in the German and Chinese approaches in the fields of international development assistance and international trade."

The Belt and Road Initiative is a development effort spanning dozens of countries and economies, through which China wants to boost trade and stimulate economic growth in Asia and beyond. China hopes to do so by building massive amounts of infrastructure to connect the area to countries globally.

Schmidt said the Belt and Road Initiative's aim to finance infrastructural projects in Central Asia, Africa and Latin America is "highly compatible indeed with Germany and the EU's assistance policy in the regions''.

"I strongly believe that it is possible to integrate the initiative into the existing pattern of international trade,'' she added. "I am convinced that this is in the interest of all parties involved.''

This year marks the 45th anniversary of the founding of China-Germany diplomatic relations and Schmidt said Xi's visit shows how significant, close, and amicable ties are.

"We have been able to build an open and trustworthy relationship based on an equal footing,'' Schmidt said. "This relationship has such a sound basis that disagreements can be addressed from both sides without any hesitations. This is quite a unique situation in international relations."

She said China is becoming more influential on the world's stage due to the Belt and Road Initiative, which aims to encourage greater economic interdependence between countries.

"The most urgent questions in international relations, such as a partnership with Africa and the development of a fair international trade system, are topics that we can only tackle together," said Schmidt.

Schmidt said Germany welcomes Chinese investment in Europe.

"Europe will not isolate herself,'' she said. "Investments help us in Europe, but they also help China. In my constituency, I have quite a number of Chinese investments. But we have to be on equal footing when it comes to the accessibility for both sides of the respective markets. This will surely remain a point of discussion in the future."

At the G20 summit, on Friday and Saturday, Schmidt said its leaders should ensure that the United States is made fully aware of how isolated it is over its decision last month to exit the Paris climate accord.

The US "will sooner or later recognize that neither the European Union nor the other G20 members have any intention to renegotiate the Paris Agreement," said Schmidt. She said the US decision will not lead to the creation of new jobs, but instead threatens existing ones.

Yan Huan and Wei Han in Brussels contributed to this story.
An intelligent factory is displayed at the Bosch pavilion in Hannover in April. [Photo/Xinhua]

Strategy likely to advance the nation's 'Made in China 2025' development goal

Germany's new industrial strategy will push Chinese companies to accelerate their development and aid their ability to compete with rivals, according to Chinese and German business leaders.

The leaders were speaking on the eve of President Xi Jinping's visit to Germany for the G20 Summit in Hamburg this week.

In 2012, the German government set up Industry 4.0 working groups to push its companies to utilize new technology and thinking to maintain its pre-eminence in manufacturing.

The phrase 4.0 refers to a phase of manufacturing in which automation and interconnection play a far greater role in making the manufacturing process more efficient. The first generation of industrialization (1.0) refers to the first use of mechanization and water power, the second generation (2.0) refers to the use of electricity and assembly lines and the third generation (3.0) refers to the use of automation and early computers.

Feng Yaoxiang, a spokesman for the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade in Beijing, said many of China's manufacturers are transiting from phase 2.0 to 3.0, so the German example could drive the transformation and upgrading of China's manufacturing industry.

Many of the G20 members are pursuing similar strategies. The United States has proposed a manufacturing industry renaissance program. Japan, France and the United Kingdom also have their own strategies or programs to revitalize manufacturing to stimulate exports. For its part, China has been implementing the "Made in China 2025" plan to modernize the country's manufacturing through technological upgrades, knowledge-based industries and environmentally friendly development.

Peter Tyroller, member of the board of management of Robert Bosch GmbH responsible for Asia Pacific, said to support the "Made in China 2025" plan and "Internet plus" initiative in China, Bosch has been seeking local partnerships.

Smart Mobility

"China's growing demand for high-value-added products and services, especially for its automobiles, home-related service businesses and manufacturing projects, offers many growth points," said Tyroller.

Bosch and China's Baidu search engine signed a strategic cooperation agreement on smart mobility in China. Bosch will be involved in Baidu's "Apollo" project, which aims to provide open, comprehensive, and reliable software for the development of automated vehicles.

Under the deal, Bosch will contribute its sensors and the "Bosch Road Signature" for vehicle localization. Moreover, both companies will provide their technical expertise to support the drafting of legislation relating to automated driving in China.

Fang Jian, managing partner for China of global law firm Linklaters LLP, said: "Investment in technology-based services and trade in high-end products  such as cloud platform systems, smart manufacturing projects and sensors and industrial automation goods  is set to account for an even greater proportion of bilateral business ties."

Chinese companies pumped more than 11 billion euros ($12.6 billion) into Germany last year, investing in 281 projects that created more than 3,900 jobs.

Chinese investment in Germany has focused on manufacturing and greenfield sectors in the past few years but it has started to focus more on high-tech companies for acquisition, such as robotics manufacturer Kuka AG, which was bought by Chinese consumer products company Midea Group in 2016.

Joe Kaeser, chief executive officer of Siemens AG, said China is making progress on the path to becoming an advanced and competitive economy, but it will take time for the required changes to have an impact. Patience and consistency will be required, as well as continuous reforms along the way, he said.

Xue Rongjiu, deputy director of the Beijing-based China Society for World Trade Organization Studies, said: "As the United States has been pressing both China and Germany to appreciate their currency exchange rates to maintain competitiveness in manufacturing, both countries have been keen to upgrade the content of their partnership, especially in services and high-end product trade."

Germany is China's biggest trading partner in Europe. Trade between the two countries totaled $64.1 billion between January and May this year, up 13.4 percent from the year before, data from the General Administration of Customs show.

Contact the writer at zhongnan@chinadaily.com.cn
Robots manufactured by Kuka AG serve drinks to visitors at the company's booth at a trade show in Hannover, Germany, in April. [Photo/Xinhua]

In the past, the phrase "Made-In-Germany" would for many Chinese consumers suggest products such as automobiles, home appliances and beer.

Today, Germany-manufactured sensors, ship engines and industrial robots are among a range of high-tech goods helping to further boost Sino-German trade to the extent that China has overtaken the United States and France as Germany's top trading partner.

In 2016, trading volumes between China and Germany reached 170 billion euros ($194 billion), according to data from Germany's Federal Statistics Office.

"The future of Chinese-German business ties will be based on trade in high-end and consumption goods, and investment in the fields of infrastructure and service projects, manufacturing and multimodal logistics business," said Zhang Yunling, director of international studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, in Beijing.

He said even though the Chinese and German economies have felt the impact of weak global demand, the degree of bilateral trade has remained stable.

"China will continue to export consumer goods in exchange for Germany's high-tech products, such as electronic products, construction machinery, vehicles and parts, and medical equipment," Ministry of Commerce spokesman Sun Jiwen said. "Most of their imports are complementary. Therefore, it isn't direct competition."

Among the German companies at the forefront of this trading boom are tech giants Siemens AG and Robert Bosch.

In March, Siemens gained orders for three gas turbines from Shanghai Orient Champion Paper Co and Hangzhou Jiande Datong Industrial Park. It established its first innovation center in intelligent manufacturing outside Germany in Qingdao, in East China's Shandong province in 2016.

Lothar Herrmann, Siemens' China president, said his group will focus on the growth areas of electrification, automation and digitalization, as well as forming partnerships with more local companies to maintain robust growth.

Bosch, another German technology and service supplier, is planning a series of ventures in China after sales in the country last year reached a record high of 91.5 billion yuan ($13.48 billion).

These include a new joint venture for gasoline engine management systems in Chongqing, an automotive electronics plant in Changzhou, Jiangsu province, and a power tools plant in Chengdu. Bosch invested 4.9 billion yuan in China last year.

Shi Yong, vice-president of Beijing-based China Machinery Industry Information Research Institute, predicts more German investment and trade activities with China.

Contact the writer at zhongnan@chinadaily.com.cn
Beijing's special relationship with Moscow will continue to develop, no matter what happens in wider world, President Xi Jinping said on Tuesday during his sixth trip to Russia as China's top leader.

The countries are dedicated to boosting mutual political trust, connecting the Belt and Road with the Eurasian Economic Union, and coordinating closely on global affairs, Xi said, adding that bilateral ties have contributed positive energy to global peace and development.

Xi made a state visit to Russia on Monday and Tuesday before traveling to Germany for a state visit and the G20 Summit in Hamburg.

Xi and Russian President Vladimir Putin have maintained close contact this year and Xi highlighted their intensive talks on Monday, during which the leaders "reached lots of new consensuses".

China and Russia have always backed each other on issues related to each other's core interests, Xi said, adding that the countries have also maintained close and effective coordination on regional and global issues.

"No matter how the outside environment changes, the China-Russia relationship will not be affected," Xi said.

Noting that Xi selected Russia as the first country to visit after becoming Chinese president in 2013, Putin said Russia appreciated the gesture and cherished the friendship.

Two joint statements were issued on Tuesday outlining the main political outcomes of the visit. One concerned bilateral ties focusing on the development of China-Russia cooperation in various fields. The other dealt with global issues, with Russia and China declaring a unified position on important regional and international matters.

The two presidents witnessed the signing of several documents aimed at boosting cooperation in investment, energy, finance and agriculture and approved the 2017-20 implementation outline of the Treaty of Good-Neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation Between China and Russia.

Putin presented Xi with the Order of St Andrew the Apostle, one of Russia's highest honors, for his work in strengthening friendship between the peoples of Russia and China.

"This is not only an honor for me but also a symbol of the great importance that Russia attaches to relations with China, and the Russian people's friendly feelings toward the Chinese people," Xi said at the award ceremony.

Xi's meeting with Putin was their third this year. In total, they have met 22 times.

Zhang Jingquan, a professor of Northeast Asian studies at Jilin University, said the steady development of relations is good for the stability of the Eurasian continent.

Both countries, which have sought political solutions to the Syrian conflict and the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue, have played the role of a "ballast stone" in safeguarding regional and global peace and stability, Zhang said.

Contact the writer at anbaijie@chinadaily.com.cn
The DENZA 400electric car rolls off the production line in Shenzhen. It is a new model made by Sino-German joint-venture Shenzhen DENZA New Energy Auto. [Photo provided to China Daily]

With China pushing ahead with an ambitious plan to launch the world's largest market for carbon emissions permits, global leaders are being urged to stand firm in the fight against global warming.

Following the United States' decision last month to withdraw from the Paris climate agreement, leaders of the other members of the Group of 20 economies must continue to make progress on climate protection, according to the German Development Institute.

Dirk Messner, director of the Bonn-based institute, said proposals to remain committed to the Paris Agreement have been drawn up by the G20's energy and climate change working group for consideration at the leaders' summit in Hamburg on Friday and Saturday.

The US is unlikely to accept the suggestions, but if the leaders of the other G20 members reach a consensus, then it's a success, Messner said.

The G20 working group's proposals call on each member state to create a decarbonization plan for their economies, draw up energy transition plans for their cities, buildings and mobility solutions, and work with multinational development banks to ensure new infrastructure financing meets environmental standards.

The G20 members were among the more than 190 countries that ratified the Paris Agreement, which includes policies for carbon market establishment. The deal was intended to unite the world into tackling rising temperatures, but the departure of the US is seen as a major setback.

Messner said the US withdrawal means it is all the more important that the other G20 members continue to make progress on climate protection and use it as a framework for modernizing the global economy.

The potential world leaders on fighting climate change at the G20 are now seen as China and Germany.

A bilateral China-Germany working group on climate change met recently in Berlin where they re-committed to take "an ambitious" approach to implement the Paris Agreement goals, and to push that collective approach in Hamburg this week.

China has already invested heavily into developing its carbon trading market, and is expected to roll out a national emissions trading system next year. It has launched seven pilot carbon trading markets since 2013, with a cumulative trading volume of 160 million tons of carbon by the end of 2016.

"China and Germany, in cooperation with other countries, can effectively join forces to facilitate the development of a low carbon energy system," said Andreas Kuhlmann, chief executive of the German Energy Agency.

The agency, which specializes in developing energy-efficient building standards, is working with China's State Grid to develop global solutions for energy transition and the integration of renewables. It is also working with the Chinese government on the development of a national green building system.

Other examples of areas of bilateral cooperation include German technology companies linking up with Chinese partners to achieve economies of scale and cost savings, such as in the manufacture of solar panels, and German car makers Volkswagen AG and Daimler AG teaming up with China's JAC Motor and BYD Auto, respectively, on electric vehicle development.

"Clean-tech collaboration that combines Germany's leading technology with Chinese manufacturing strength can serve markets globally," said Jens Weinmann, a clean energy expert and program director at the ESMT Berlin business school.

Contact the writer at cecily.liu@mail.chinadailyuk.com
President Xi Jinping and German Chancellor Angela Merkel are expected to agree on the importance of free trade and globalization at the G20 summit, in apparent opposition to US President Donald Trump's displays of protectionism, according to German business and academic leaders.

Ahead of the G20 summit on Friday and Saturday in Hamburg, they urged the European Union to start free trade talks with China, as its negotiation of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (known as TTIP) with the United States was proving to be difficult and insecure.

Hans-Jorg Schmidt-Trenz, head of the Hamburg Chamber of Commerce, said the EU might get more benefits from negotiating with China rather than the US. "With talks of TTIP being very difficult and insecure, if we invest the same amount of energy with China, the result could be very different," he said.

Premier Li Keqiang called on the EU to begin trade talks with China during his meeting with European leaders last month in Brussels.

But TTIP is still high on the agenda of the European Commission, which also calls for EU talks with China on investment before trade.

Schmidt-Trenz said China and the EU could proceed with talks on both issues simultaneously.

Ralf Fuecks, former president of the Heinrich Boll Institute, a political foundation affiliated with the Green Party, said the international consensus on climate change and multilateralism was under threat.

"Two fundamental things are at stake. The first is climate change after the US announcing to leave the Paris Agreement, and the other is the threat of multilateral trade system," said Fuecks. "I should very much hope that the EU should start trade and investment talks with China," said Fuecks.

Chinese experts have also urged the EU to start free trade talks to show both sides' strong commitment to globalization.

Chi Fulin, president of China Institute of Reform and Development, told the audience at a forum in Brussels last week that the EU should change its priorities in response to new realities.

"Against the fast-changing global environment, the EU must accelerate its steps to reconsider its priorities in dealing with China. I believe one pressing priority should be EU-China free trade negotiations, which the EU has already started or concluded with several Asian partners," he said.

Regarding the China-Germany relationship, Schmidt-Trenz said contacts between China and Germany are very high-level and very regular" as the leading cabinet members of each side hold consultation meeting annually.

"China is the only country outside Europe that we have such high-level meetings with, which has already self-explained the importance of Sino-German relationship," said Schmidt-Trenz.

He said he believes that President Xi's visit to Germany will boost bilateral relationship to new heights.

"Looking at G20 summit, I am sure that President Xi and Merkel will be sharing common interests in open market, removing trade barriers and advocating free trade," said Schmidt-Trenz.

Contact the writer at fujing@chinadaily.com.cn
Peter Tamm, director of the International Maritime Museum in Hamburg,has called on G20 leaders to visit the Maritime Silk Road Exhibition while discussing pressing global challenges. [Photo by Fu Jing/China Daily]

When the leaders of the G20 are not discussing the world's pressing challenges on Friday and Saturday in Hamburg, they have the opportunity to visit a German-Chinese exhibition chronicling the Maritime Silk Road.

Peter Tamm, the director of the International Maritime Museum in Hamburg, which is hosting the exhibition, said it was important that leaders knew the history of globalization as well as its current impact.

"The leaders should come to know how different cultures and civilizations had interacted in an amazingly peaceful way in the past," he said.

The exhibition includes 120 items which represent the Maritime Silk Road during the 13th to 17th centuries.

Open from June to September, it was jointly arranged by Tamm's museum and the Guangdong Museum.

The exhibition, which moves to Rome later in the year, includes shipwreck debris, porcelain, plants and religious and cultural artifacts.

The museum was opened by Tamm's father in 2008, after a lifetime of collecting maritime models and relics. His father, who passed away last December, often said oceans are essential for mankind to exchange and trade with other people.

"As my father's motto goes, we are thrilled to have this exhibition and we are happy that more and more museum-goers are interested in Chinese culture and the Silk Road history," said Tamm.

Tamm, who works as a shipping broker as well as running the museum, said interest in the exhibition demonstrates the interest Europeans have in Chinese culture.

Tamm said he was impressed by the items from the Nanhai 1 and Nan'ao 1 shipwrecks, which were recovered off the coast of South China. The ships were vital in bringing China closer to the rest of the world.

"They are symbolic of a period in China's history that is little-known here in Germany," said Tamm.

"The routes were used during the Middle Ages to bring luxury goods from China to the Middle East and from there on to Europe."

Tamm said the exhibition was a background to the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative, which seeks to revive trade links and increase international trade and cooperation.

Tamm said 125,000 visitors come to his museum every year. The exhibition, East Meets West: The Maritime Silk Road during 13th-17th Centuries, has already helped increase the number of visitors by around 35 percent.

Tamm's museum and Guangdong Museum have also produced a book in German and English on the exhibition.

In the preface, Luo Shugang, China's culture minister, said that the multidimensional exhibition reflects the interaction of different cultures over time.

"I am certain that this exhibition will contribute to the further understanding between China and Germany," Luo wrote.

Contact the writer at Fujing@chinadaily.com.cn
Hai Bang relaxes after his return to China.

Hai Bang, a 7-year-old male panda, slowly walks toward keeper Long Bowen when tempted with a slice of apple and a request in the dialect of China's Sichuan province.

Long hands over the apple to reward Hai Bang's obedience.

"Hai Bang and his two sisters can understand my simple instructions when I have a slice of apple in my hand. They know they can be rewarded with an apple slice when they follow me," said Long, a young keeper at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in Southwest China's Sichuan province.

Hai Bang, Yang Bang and You Bang were born at the Adventure World amusement park in Shirahama, Wakayama prefecture, Japan, in 2010 and 2012. Hai Bang and his sister Yang Bang are a pigeon pair. You Bang is female.

The mother of the three pandas, Liang Bang, was born in Chengdu in 2000 and now lives at the Adventure World amusement park in Japan.

Since the three pandas' return from Japan on June 6, keeper Long and another experienced keeper have cared for them during a month-long quarantine at the Chengdu panda-breeding base. The trio will meet visitors after the quarantine is over.

After their return to the base, a Japanese keeper stayed with them for several days to help them adjust. That keeper brought a supply of bamboo from Japan, in case it tasted slightly different from the bamboo at the base, again, an attempt to smooth the transition.

"Now they like bamboo in Sichuan and they together take in more than 200 kilograms of bamboo shoots a day. You Bang has a special love for buns made of corn, soybean and oatmeal," said Long.

You Bang is very clean. When she wakes up to answer the call of nature at night, she moves well away from her sleeping area, he said.

One major reason why the three pandas were brought back from Japan was the fact that the animals had reached sexual maturity and needed mates.

Despite none having had mates, Yang Bang recently had a phantom pregnancy during which she ate much less, slept far longer, and did not take exercise. Such conditions can be harmful to the pandas' health. Before their return to China the pandas were clearly desperate to find partners, said Chen Cheng, an information officer at the Sichuan panda breeding base.

Back in 1994, with the approval of China's central government, the base began collaborating on panda research and breeding with Adventure World. Fifteen panda cubs have been born at the park. Eleven of them are now back at the Chengdu base.

Under an agreement related to the preservation and protection of China's giant pandas, animals loaned by China to other countries still belong to China and any offspring born overseas belong to China and must be returned before they turn 2. The three pandas born in Japan ended up having their stays extended.

Pandas have a strong ability to adapt to new homes and all overseas-born pandas returned to China quickly feel at home, said Zhang Hemin, executive director of the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda in Wenchuan county, Sichuan.

Visitors often ask whether pandas that are returned from overseas can understand keepers in China.

According to Wu Kongju, a senior keeper at the base, all young keepers graduated from college and can speak some English. But she does not believe pandas can understand human languages, whether they are Chinese or others. Wu said pandas get to know the meaning of a few words that keepers use frequently.

Sichuan province, which is home to more than 80 percent of China's pandas, has worked with more than 10 countries, including Germany, on panda conservation. On June 24, a pair of giant pandas left Chengdu on a 12-hour journey to Berlin, where they will remain for 15 years, during which time they will be the subject of joint scientific research between the zoo and the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding.

It is the third time Berlin's zoo has hosted giant pandas, said Zhang Hemin.

In 1980, after West German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt visited China, Beijing sent Bao Bao and Tian Tian as a state gift to the country.

Tian Tian died in 1984, but Bao Bao lived to the ripe old age of 34, the equivalent of 102 in human terms, dying in 2012.

In 1995, China loaned Yan Yan, a female panda, to Berlin to be Bao Bao's partner. She died in 2007 at the age of 22.

Contact the writer at huangzhiling@chinadaily.com.cn
A German visitor looks at ink paintings portraying Chinese people in their daily lives at the Me Collectors Room Berlin. [Photo by Cecily Liu/China Daily]

More than 70 Chinese ink paintings depicting people from all walks of life will be showcased at the Me Collectors Room Berlin, giving German audiences a unique opportunity to better understand the Chinese people through artworks.

The exhibition, named Experience China - the Most Beautiful Chinese, will be open to the public on Thursday and Friday. It is the largest ever Chinese ink painting exhibition themed on the Chinese people in Germany.

This year marks the 45th anniversary of China-Germany diplomatic relations. President Xi Jinping arrived in Berlin on Tuesday, before traveling to Hamburg to attend the G20 Global Leaders Summit on Friday and Saturday.

Xu Li, secretary-general of the China Artists Association, which hosts the exhibition, said paintings were chosen that depict the hard-working nature, kindness, intelligence and perseverance of the Chinese people, across different ethnic groups and in different professions.

"Paintings in the exhibition follow very traditional ink painting techniques, which are unique to the Chinese culture and steeped in history. Using traditional painting techniques to depict the lives of the Chinese people today also help show continuity in our culture," said Xu.

The exhibition presents portraits of notable figures such as Lei Feng, Qi Baishi and Huang Binhong. Lei is a 20th century soldier known for his kind heart and keenness to help others. Qi and Huang are Chinese 20th century ink painting masters, who revolutionized the practice of Chinese ink painting.

Many paintings in the collection also depict Chinese ethnic people, whose rich clothes and cultural practices have long fascinated foreign visitors. For example, one picture depicts a group of ethnic Miao girls, who wear elaborate headdresses and gowns made from fabric intricately incorporating red, blue, white and black threads. They stand against a background of mountains, because the Miao people mostly lived in Southwest China's mountainous terrains.

Meanwhile, other paintings show many activities common in Chinese culture, such as riding horses in the wild, doing threading work at home, or playing the Chinese instrument erhu. Modern city life is also shown, such as Chinese people practising ballet.

Klaas Ruitenbeek, director of the Asian Art Museum in Berlin, said: "This exhibition plays an important role in building culture bridges, it came at an important time when the German public is increasingly fascinated by Chinese culture, which is so rich and diverse."

The Asian Art Museum in Berlin hosts about 1,000 Chinese ink paintings - the largest collection in Germany. The paintings date from the Song Dynasty (420 to 479) to the present day.

Contact the writer at cecily.liu@mail.chinadailyuk.com
LAMOURE -- The city of LaMoure has been without a police officer since the June 29 arrest of Police Chief James Watson, who has been charged with multiple counts of sexual abuse in three North Dakota counties.

Until the matter is resolved or another officer is hired, all public safety calls in LaMoure are being directed to the LaMoure County Sheriffs Office, said Carmen Klein, LaMoure city auditor. She said Watson is the only police officer in LaMoure.

Watson, 52, was arrested by the North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation on June 29. As of Thursday, he is being held on $100,000 bail for each of the three cases at the Southwest Multi-County Correction Center in Dickinson, according to the inmate roster.

Watson was charged in Southwest Judicial District Court in Dickinson with a Class AA felony of continuous sexual abuse of a child in Golden Valley County, two counts of Class AA felonies of gross sexual imposition and one Class A felony of gross sexual imposition in Hettinger County, and a Class AA felony of continuous sexual abuse of a child in Stark County.

Following Watsons arrest the LaMoure City Council met June 30 and put him on administrative leave, said LaMoure City Attorney Kim Radermacher in an email Wednesday. She said the City Council will meet again July 10 or at a special meeting to consider other actions now that complete information on Watsons charges in three cases is known.

The city felt it prudent at that time to place him on administrative leave with pay until more information could be learned, Radermacher said.

Radermacher said that discussion on the future of the police chief position would have been premature at the June 30 meeting. If the city is considering hiring a chief or cutting the position and contracting with county law enforcement, it would likely happen at the next City Council meeting, she said.

LaMoure Mayor Craig Good could not be reached for comment.

LaMoure County Sheriff Robert Fernandez said all public safety calls from the city to the State Radio Communication System are now dispatched through the sheriffs office.

The sheriffs office is in the LaMoure County Courthouse, and at least one deputy lives in the city, Fernandez said.

Losing the police chief will add to the caseload of the sheriffs office, but the office can handle it, he said.

He (the police chief) has cases that we are going to have to take over which puts a burden on the sheriff's department, but we are OK with whatever we need to do to support the city of LaMoure, Fernandez said.

LaMoure resident Richard Olson said he isnt worried about public safety because Fernandez and the deputies are at the sheriffs office in town every day.

Carol Roker of LaMoure said it is frustrating to have two successive LaMoure police officers without a criminal background wind up with felony charges against them.

Former LaMoure police officer Kyle Mackey resigned in 2009 and pleaded guilty to a Class AA felony of gross sexual imposition involving a victim younger than 15 years old. He was sentenced in 2010 to 30 years of prison with 22 years suspended.

Roker said Watson is presumed innocent until proven guilty and she is satisfied with the sheriffs office providing service in the meantime.

Were well covered, Roker said.

Others at the LaMoure Senior Center said they worried for Watsons family.

Tim Robideau, a retired insurance agent in LaMoure, said everyone should have their day in court, but he worries that an alleged victim would not make such serious accusations if there was no evidence to prove his or her case.

This is the second time it's happened and I dont know what to say, Robideau said. He (Watson) was a nice guy, but by golly he was tough. He did his job.

As for the LaMoure Police Department, he said it's time for the city to contract with a multi-county law enforcement agency or county law enforcement. The neighboring cities of Edgeley and Kulm have already done this, he said.

I think it's time, I really do, Robideau said.

Fernandez said the city has not discussed the topic of contracting with other law enforcement. The city would need to request contracted law enforcement services from the county, he said.

We can talk about that when the time comes and that would require adding a deputy, Fernandez said.

Watson is accused of engaging in sexual acts with a child younger than 15 years old on a weekly basis in late 2011, according to the Golden Valley County complaint. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for Thursday, Aug. 24.

The Hettinger County complaint states Watson allegedly compelled a victim between 15 and 18 years old to submit to sexual acts by force or threat between April 2013 and December 2014. No future court proceedings have been scheduled.

Watson is accused of engaging in sexual acts with a child younger than 15 years old between fall 2011 and April 2013, according to the Stark County complaint. Court records show a preliminary hearing is scheduled for Monday, July 31.

The maximum punishment for a Class AA felony in North Dakota is life in prison without parole. A Class A felony is punishable by 20 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
The relationship between China and Europe may play a key part in promoting globalization, said Wang Huiyao, president of Center for China and Globalization.

The US President Donald Trump has brought back isolationism and says he aims to put America first. Last month, he also decided to pull out of the Paris Agreement on climate change. These changes add challenges to the current trend of globalization.

Wang, however, said the China-Europe bond may become a factor to strengthen globalization.

"In terms of globalization, with China's participation as a huge support, I feel that the results of the upcoming G20 submit in Hamburg will be better than the G7 meeting," he predicted. "Especially when Germany and France also stand on the same side on globalization."

Philippe Le Corre, fellow at The Brookings Institution, also thought there could be two groups at G20: isolationism and multinational corporatism, "China and Europe will be under the second".

In recent years, interactions between China and Europe have increased. Since 2011, thousands of trains from China Railway Express have connected 28 cities in China with 29 cities in 11 European countries, carrying goods ranging from agricultural materials to manufactured products.

"China is becoming involved with Europe as part of a multi-polar international system. The EU and China have special needs. There is no security rivalry between China and the EU," Corre said at a previous panel.

But there still exist some challenges for China and Europe in pushing their relationship forward.

"All European countries have a trade deficit. China has proposed a free-trade agreement, but the EU is more interested in having a bilateral investment treaty," Corre said. "One way or another, something will happen because China and Europe need each other."
A user rides Mobike's shared bikes in Manchester. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Chinese bike-sharing company Mobike could be competing with London's indigenous bike hire scheme at the end of the month as the firm eyes up market in the English capital.

Following Mobike's launch in Manchester, Ealing borough council in London is currently in talks with the bike rental company to run a pilot project in Acton, with plans to cover the whole borough by next year.

Shanghai-based Mobike, which operates 5 million bikes in China and is backed by Foxconn and internet giant Tencent, will roll out 750 bikes in the west London project.

Last month, Mobike announced it raised $600 million funds to accelerate its global expansion plans.

However, concerns have been raised that the bicycles could become nuisance in public areas because riders do not need to return them to specific docking stations, unlike the Boris-bike.

A cabinet committee report said: "The main risk identified is likely to be related to poor parking by users and anti-social behavior by others (eg tipping over bicycles). However, the bicycles are quite heavy, making tipping them over quite difficult, and there is an alarm which goes off should the bicycle be moved more than a few feet whilst locked."

The report highlighted Mobike's notice and penalty system on the app which charges more or remove part of the users credit if cyclists continuously park the bikes poorly or in inappropriate places.

Users of the cycle hire scheme will have to download an app that allows riders to unlock an available GPS-enabled bike by scanning a QR code on the bicycle.

After finishing their trip, the cyclist will manually lock the bike and leave it in an authorized parking location.

Riders will have to pay a 50 pounds deposit to join and would be charged 50 pence for 30 minutes.

The report noted that if the scheme is given the go ahead then Ealing would be amongst the first local authorities in the country to have such a cycle hire system.

The borough will not have to dig into its coffers either as the scheme would be run as a private enterprise by Mobike.

The council's cabinet will consider the proposal at a meeting on July 11 and if given the green light, the scheme will launch on July 27.

A review will then be made at the end of the year and the bike-hiring scheme could be rolled out to the rest of the borough by March next year.

Contact the writer at boleung@mail.chinadailyuk.com
Dr. Alexander Jun, the newly elected moderator of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA), hopes his term will be one that contributes to continuing the denomination's steps towards greater inclusion, diversity, and racial reconciliation.

"I hope that my time as moderator will be marked by a spirit of inclusivity, both in ethnic identity and diversity of thought, and that we would be reminded that, at the end of the day, we are one big family," said Jun, 48. "The things that unite us as a denomination far outweigh the things that seem to divide us."

Jun's election as the moderator of the 45th General Assembly was a historic moment for the denomination, as it marked the election of the first Asian moderator in the history of the PCA, which has almost only seen white moderators since its establishment.

It also comes a year after the PCA hosted a panel on racial reconciliation during its 44th General Assembly, during which it also approved an overture that apologized for the denomination's past racial sins and formed a Racial and Ethnic Reconciliation Study Committee. Since then, the committee has studied the PCA's current situation in regards to racial reconciliation, and how it can continue the work of greater inclusion and diversity.

(Photo : Courtesy of the 45th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in America)

Dr. Alexander Jun was elected the moderator of the 45th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA).

Jun doesn't take the significance of his election lightly. In fact, as someone who would prefer not to be in the spotlight, he said he feels pressure that his actions and the legacy that he leaves behind may affect the opinion of some toward Asian Americans.

Yet, he said he is coming into the position feeling "tremendous honor," and with a sense of calling. With experience being the first or only Asian American in various settings previous to this position, and having grappled with his identity as a Korean American growing up, Jun said he feels that perhaps God had "been preparing [him] for that kind of scrutiny."

"I feel a lot of pressure, but it's not new to me in the General Assembly," he added. "In one sense, I feel that God has prepared me my whole life for that."

The conservative PCA denomination, which began in 1973, has a significant population of Korean churches and pastors (also called teaching elders in the PCA). Out of 4,630 total teaching elders in the denomination, 606 of them are ethnically Korean, according to statistics provided by the PCA in 2016. More than 200 of the 1,861 churches in the PCA are Korean churches, and nine of the PCA's 82 presbyteries are Korean. Jun himself has been involved in the Korean Southwest Orange County Presbytery in his capacity as a ruling elder at New Life Mission Church.

As a moderator, Jun oversaw the 45th General Assembly, the denomination's national gathering and highest decision-making body, when it gathered in Greensboro, NC from June 12 to 16. He remains the moderator until the 46th General Assembly, and until then, he will contribute to setting direction for the denomination. As the current moderator, Jun also chairs the PCA's Cooperative Ministries Committee (CMC), which consists of presidents and coordinators of the various agencies and committees in the PCA who meet on a regular basis to discuss various denominational issues. Moderators also stay on the CMC for five years after their term.

Jun also served on the PCA's Racial and Ethnic Reconciliation Study Committee, and applauded the denomination's recent steps in ensuring greater inclusion of those from different ethnic backgrounds - but he added that racial reconciliation must be considered a continuous journey, rather than a destination that has already been reached.

"The danger is, for some people, they might think this is the end," Jun said. "We've apologized, they've acknowledged it, that's it. But I would argue that that's the beginning, not the end."

But Jun also hopes his election would serve as a challenge and encouragement to those of ethnic minority groups in the denomination to take more initiative and become more engaged in denominational affairs. Their participation is just as important to that journey towards greater diversity, he said.

"There's something to be said about simply being present," said Jun. "I would encourage any local church member to simply go to the congregational meetings at their church, if anything but to just vote."

Jun currently serves as a professor at Azusa Pacific University, teaching classes on diversity and social justice in higher education. He is also a senior research scholar at the Pullias Center for Higher Education Policy Analysis at the University of Southern California (USC), where he also was an associate professor of higher education for seven years. He has bachelor's degrees from USC in political science and psychology; a master's degree in counseling from the California State University, Los Angeles; and a doctoral degree in education administration and policy from USC. Jun was also involved in the parachurch Korean American Campus Mission (KCM) during his undergraduate years at USC.

    press@cdaily.co.kr



- Copyright ,    

#Dr.AlexanderJun
The Center for Reproductive Rights filed a lawsuit in Baton Rouge in late June targeting Louisianas abortion facility licensing law and other health and safety regulations.



The group sued on behalf of Hope Medical Group for Women in Shreveport and three anonymous abortionists who say the Louisiana laws run counter to last years Supreme Court decision Whole Womans Health v. Hellerstedt.



Last Junes ruling determined a Texas law requiring abortionists to have hospital admitting privileges and mandating abortion facilities meet ambulatory surgical standards created an unconstitutional undue burden on abortion access.



Louisiana has done exactly what the United States Constitution and Whole Womans Health forbid, the suit stated.



Louisiana Right to Life Federations executive director Benjamin Clapper told me the regulations are common sense, and the lawsuit, if successful, would impose an abortion-on-demand policy in our pro-life state.



If the abortion facility succeeds in this suit, the consequences would be disastrous, Clapper said. Abortion facilities would have no guidelines in Louisiana, giving them license to maximize both their profit margin and do whatever necessary to increase the number of abortions they sell.



The lawsuit seeks to overturn Louisianas 2001 requirement that abortion centers obtain a state license before performing abortions. The law gives the state health department authority to revoke an abortion license if it finds health and safety violations. Hope Medical Groups administrator Kathaleen Pittman said that since then, eight of the states 11 abortion facilities have closed.



The Center for Reproductive Rights Nancy Northrup said the organization is also targeting laws that allow government reviews of medical records of women who have abortions or require abortionists to inform women that abortion is linked to breast cancer.



In 2010, the state suspended Hope Medical Groups license for numerous health and safety violations. Several abortion facilities filed suit against the law, but a federal court upheld it in 2011. Hope Medical Group also sued last July to challenge a state law forbidding fetal tissue donation and instituting a waiting period for women seeking abortion. That lawsuit is pending.



Last weeks action comes on the heels of similar lawsuit in Arkansas. That suit challenges a ban on dismemberment abortion and a family notification law, among others.



Clapper said that, given the unproductivity of previous challenges to Louisianas laws, his organization is calling for a quick dismissal of the suit as a waste of time and resources.



District attorney James Stewart, named as a defendant in last weeks suit, has not yet issued a statement on the case, but his office said it is confident the laws are constitutional.

Courtesy: WORLD News Service

Photo courtesy: Thinkstockphotos.com

Publication date: July 7, 2017
One of the most pivotal conflicts in the storied history of Israel, the Six-Day War waged on June 5-10, 1967 was an inexplicable struggle: thirteen Arab nations aligned together against the nascent Jewish nation, with double the military manpower, surrounding Israel on multiple fronts.

Yet when the dust settled, the opposing nations sustained twenty times more casualtiesa resounding Israeli victory that altered the Middle Eastern landscape. One military unit, the 55th Paratrooper Brigade in the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), led a mission to recapture the nations capital of Jerusalem. It ended with the legendary words of General Motta Gur: The Temple Mount is in our hands!

Fifty years later, their story is revealed in a major documentary entitled In Our Handstold partly in first-person interviews with the soldiers themselves, and largely through dramatic reenactments filmed on-location in Israel. For writer/director Erin Zimmerman, the film represents over a decade of work as CBN Documentaries has progressed from producing low-budget online videos to now a major theatrical release.

Zimmerman pulled together an award-winning team for In Our Hands, including producers Sharon Schaveet (Mysteries of Jerusalem) and Avner Peled (Schindlers List) for the Israel-based group Biblical Productions. An Emmy-nominated director, she takes us behind-the-scenes in an exclusive interview.

Christian Headlines: Why has the Christian Broadcasting Network started a documentary unit to chronicle the history of Israel and the Jewish people?

Erin Zimmerman: From the beginning, CBN founder Pat Robertson has been committed to both spiritual and practical support of the State of Israel. We believe that telling the true history of both ancient biblical Israel and also the modern State of Israel is important for two reasons.

First, politically, Israel is the only democracy in the Middle East, and as Americans, we should support this thriving democratic nation surrounded by hostile nations. Israel is the only country in the region where all people have equal freedom and rights, regardless of gender or religion. Who wouldnt want to support that?

Second, the Bible commands us to bless Israel. God promised Abraham that those who blessed him and his descendants would be blessed, the Psalms compel us to pray for the peace of Jerusalem, noting that they who love you shall prosper.

CBN is dedicated to blessing Israel any way we canour presence in Israel includes humanitarian outreach to help elderly Holocaust survivors, a news bureau, and now a documentary unit dedicated to telling the true story of Israels past and present.

Christian Headlines: In Our Hands is CBNs largest production to date, with most of the film a reenactment of historical events. Could you share about where it was filmed and the experiences on-set?

Erin Zimmerman: The production was run by an Israeli film company called Biblical Productions, owned by a producer named Sharon Schaveet. Sharon was an amazing asset and has become a wonderful friend to CBN. She hired the very best team in Israel, from makeup and wardrobe to cameramen and special effects and weapons experts. Every person on the team was a gift to us, personally and professionally.

Whenever possible, we filmed in actual locations relevant to the Six-Day War in Jerusalem, such as the Mount of Olives, the battlefield at Ammunition Hill, where the bloodiest battle of the war was fought, and the Rockefeller Archaeological Museum, the headquarters for the 55th Paratrooper Brigade before they entered the Old City.

Because of todays political situation, it wasnt always possible to film in the exact places, so our excellent location managers found some beautiful alternate locations, including the Tower of David and Mount Zion in Jerusalem, the kibbutz museum Machon Ayalon in Rehovot and the Hatzerim Air Force Base near Beersheva.

Christian Headlines: How have audiences responded to In Our Hands?

Erin Zimmerman: People have embraced In Our Hands passionately. We began talks last year with Fathom Events, who offer a different sort of theatrical release for movies. The initial plan was for a one-day-only national event, but those first screenings sold outso Fathom added two more!

Overall, more than 200,000 people gathered at 1,976 Fathom screenings in theaters nationwide to watch the film. Fathom Events revealed to us that it was their fifth-highest-grossing faith-inspirational release of all time. In Our Hands even broke into the top 100 highest-grossing documentaries in U.S. history, so this really exceeded our expectations.

Christian Headlines: What have you heard from Jewish and Christian leaders regarding In Our Hands?

Erin Zimmerman: All of us who worked behind-the-scenes are humbled that so many leaders noticed what we poured into this production.

Danny Seaman, who was recently a prominent official in the Israeli government, said, We needed the right person, a dear non-Jewish person, to tell our story and remind us who we are and what was at stake. He called the film simply perfect and applauded how it does historical justice to the memory of Motta Gur, whose heroic leadership is dramatized in the movie.

To hear Brigadier General Michael Herzog, who served in the IDF with distinction for decades, praise our film meant even more to us. He said, "The battle for Jerusalem was a watershed event in Israels history. Fifty years after this historic battle, In Our Hands provides an outstanding medium to reflect on it.

A dear friend of CBN and founder of Christians United for Israel, Pastor John Hagee had a unique take on the film, saying, Not only does this movie look back in time, it also casts a beautiful vision for Jerusalem's future, the eternal city of God.

Christian Headlines: When you consider current events in the Middle East, how does this film speak to conflicts that continue to rage?

Erin Zimmerman: If you dont understand the history, you wont understand the headlines. For example, we hear many politicians and pundits urging Israel to return to the pre-1967 borders. Part of what they mean by that is that Israel should return the West Bank and Gaza to the Palestinian Arabsbut most people are too uneducated on the Middle East to realize that that those lands never actually belonged to the Palestinian Arabs.

People who know history know that returning to the so-called pre-1967 borders would in reality mean giving the Gaza Strip back to Egypt, who controlled it before 1967and giving the West Bank and East Jerusalem to the Jordanians, who controlled those places before 1967. But those pushing the narrative of Palestinian independence have overtaken the media and convinced the world that those pieces of land need to be returned to a people who never ruled them in the first place.

I believe General Herzog captures the big picture when he says: Let us all pray for peace between religions and people in the embattled Holy Land."

The hit film In Our Hands: The Battle for Jerusalem recently released on DVD.

Josh Shepherd has served on staff at The Heritage Foundation, Focus on the Family, Bound4LIFE International, and two Congressional offices. His articles have appeared in media outlets including The Federalist, The Daily Signal, Boundless, Charisma News and Christian Headlines, where he serves as a contributor. He earned a degree in Business Marketing from the University of Colorado. Josh and his wife live in the Washington, D.C. area. Follow Josh on Twitter @joshMshep.

Photo: Israeli actor Sharon Friedman portrays General Motta Gur in the new CBN Documentaries film In Our Hands: The Battle for Jerusalem, which dramatizes the 1967 Six-Day War.

Photo Courtesy: CBN Documentaries

Publication date: July 7, 2017
Historically, when have leaders been needed?

According to Ronald A Heifetz, in his book Leadership Without Easy Answers, Leadership is oriented by the task of doing adaptive work. That is to say, leaders are needed when traditional solutions to problems produce less than palatable results. Leaders inspire others to offer creative solutions to new challenges or to problems that continue despite attempts to solve them.

Where are leaders needed today?

Where I see change and challenge intersecting is in trends of K-12 and higher education for minorities, particularly among Hispanics, in the United States.

The Change: the percentage of Hispanic high school graduates Hispanicis slowly (but steadily) rising, from approximately one in ten in 1998 to a projection of three in ten in the next decade (National Center for Education Statistics).

The Challenge: The Condition of College & Career Readiness 2015, an annual report published by ACT, found that only one in four Hispanic students were college ready. And for African American students its worse: only one in ten. According to a 2016 report from Learning Heroes, a national organization that empowers parents to take charge of their childs education, 90 percent of Hispanic parents want their children to go to college--a higher percentage than any ethnic group measured--but only 42 percent of Hispanic students actually make it to college graduation. Although we see many Hispanics entering the competitive workforce, without associates, bachelors, and masters degree, these individuals may lack the competitive edge (i.e. higher levels of education) that many businesses, companies, and the public desire..

Here is where leadership as adaptive work comes into the picture. Many Christian universities recognize the value (beyond monetary value) ) the Hispanic community contributes to American society. In part this is due how we are a value of loyalty to family, have a strong work ethic, respect for authority, and are religiously devout. These universities also recognize that the Hispanic community has the potential to significantly impact society with these values, and even more when they attain greater levels of education. Without a doubt, higher levels of academic achievement can open doors that can propel them into greater spheres of influence in the secular marketplace.

The traditional advice given to Hispanics students to work harder, stay focused, get better grades, and dont drop out, though true and inspiring, does not take into consideration the unique circumstances that Hispanics face. These concerns include language barriers between 1st-generation Hispanic parents and educational information their kids bring home, low levels of college recruiting at urban public schools, and inability to pay for college tuition.

For such reasons, many Christian universities--universities that have historically had high enrollments rates of Anglo-Americans--are partnering with Hispanic organizations (such as the one I work with, The Faith and Education Coalition of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference) to promote degree programs and provide scholarships specifically for Hispanic-American students. Dallas Baptist University, Cedarville University, and Shiloh University are just some of the Christian institutions that are fiscally and spiritually investing their resources at this crossroads where a changing Hispanic landscape meets the educational challenges.

Christian institutions like these are leading the way with work that may take years (at the very least four) to yield positive fruit within the Hispanic community. Nevertheless, it is a work that Christian universities must lead in if we want expand positive contributions of Hispanics in America and around the world. It is a work Christian universities must lead if we want to see that the values Christians hold dear, and that Hispanics Evangelicals share, continue to permeate the lives and culture of those who are leaders in corporate and civic institutions.

Girien Salazar is deputy director of the Faith and Education Coalition of NHCLC. He is studying for his Ph.D. in leadership studies at Dallas Baptist University.

[ This article is also available in espanol. ]
Delegation of Faith Leaders and Human Rights Activists Applaud New York City Hospital for Offering to Provide Charlie Gard Medical Care Contact: Rev. Patrick Mahoney, 540-538-4741



LONDON, July 7, 2017 /Christian Newswire/ -- New York Presbyterian Hospital / Columbia University Medical announced they would accept Charlie in a public statement on Thursday.



A delegation of Americans including Bobby Schindler, President of Terri Schiavo Life & Hope Network; attorney Catherine Glenn Foster, President & CEO of Americans United for Life; and Rev. Patrick Mahoney, Director of the Christian Defense Coalition, arrived in London on Friday morning at the invitation of Charlie's parents, Connie and Chris.



The delegation calls for officials in Great Britain to honor the wishes of Charlie's parents and allow him to travel and receive the medical help he needs.



The delegation will be working with and alongside the family to facilitate their desire to obtain medical care for Charlie and oversee a campaign to ensure the family is not removed from the critical decisions being made concerning Charlie's future and well-being.



For more information or interviews in London or remotely, call:



Rev. Patrick Mahoney at +1 (540) 538-4741

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Sharefaith Announces 2017 Top 20 Theological Schools or Seminaries in the U.S. Contact:



MEDFORD, Ore., July 6, 2017 /



"We've assembled a list that covers a broad spectrum," says Sharefaith's CEO, Hein van Wyk. "The Association of Theological Schools has more than 250 member schools in the United States and Canada, so narrowing it down can really help the search process."



As a leader in providing church curriculum, website and graphic solutions, and ongoing education for pastors all around the U.S. and world, Sharefaith is in a strong position to provide insight into pastoral training, including this top list of theological schools and seminaries.



Geography and personal convenience play important roles in a person's selection process. However, the Sharefaith list encourages those looking at schools to reach beyond these reasons to discover other choices that provide opportunities to spend time in preparation, discover new circles of influence, engage in rich discussions, and plan for where God's calling in a new context.



The Sharefaith list includes both Duke Divinity School and Dallas Theological Seminary, for example, because there are two kinds of students looking at seminaries, those pursuing a scholarly path and those looking to be pastors. Others on the list include Boston University School of Theology, Fuller Theological Seminary, Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, Moody Bible Institute, and The University of Chicago Divinity School.



Sharefaith Inc. serves nearly 120,000 churches and pastors, worldwide. As the leading provider of church graphics and websites, it provides pastors with scalable outreach tools to grow their congregation and Gospel impact.



Share Tweet Contact: Sharefaith Inc. , 888-317-4018MEDFORD, Ore., July 6, 2017 / Christian Newswire / -- Sharefaith, award-winning creator of easy, affordable, all-in-one church tools to engage and grow members with resources such as church websites, website migration, church mobile apps, 80,000 church graphics & worship media, worship presentation software, Sunday School & VBS Bible lessons, and online giving and donations platforms, announced its annual list of the Top 20 Theological Schools or Seminaries in the U.S., available now in the Sharefaith Online Magazine "We've assembled a list that covers a broad spectrum," says Sharefaith's CEO, Hein van Wyk. "The Association of Theological Schools has more than 250 member schools in the United States and Canada, so narrowing it down can really help the search process."As a leader in providing church curriculum, website and graphic solutions, and ongoing education for pastors all around the U.S. and world, Sharefaith is in a strong position to provide insight into pastoral training, including this top list of theological schools and seminaries.Geography and personal convenience play important roles in a person's selection process. However, the Sharefaith list encourages those looking at schools to reach beyond these reasons to discover other choices that provide opportunities to spend time in preparation, discover new circles of influence, engage in rich discussions, and plan for where God's calling in a new context.The Sharefaith list includes both Duke Divinity School and Dallas Theological Seminary, for example, because there are two kinds of students looking at seminaries, those pursuing a scholarly path and those looking to be pastors. Others on the list include Boston University School of Theology, Fuller Theological Seminary, Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, Moody Bible Institute, and The University of Chicago Divinity School.Sharefaith Inc. serves nearly 120,000 churches and pastors, worldwide. As the leading provider of church graphics and websites, it provides pastors with scalable outreach tools to grow their congregation and Gospel impact.
Pro-life Activists to Hold Prayer Vigil and Sit-In at Sen. McConnell's Office Calling for Defunding of Planned Parenthood in Health Care Bill

Contact: Rev. Patrick Mahoney, 540-538-4741; Mark Harrington, 614-419-9000, mark@createdequal.org



WASHINGTON, July 7, 2017 /Christian Newswire/ -- On Thursday, July 13, at 11:00 A.M. dozens of anti-abortion activists will hold a press conference in front of the Russell Senate Office Building followed by a prayer vigil and sit-in at Sen. McConnell's office.



Activists will be asking the Senate to not subsidize abortion and redirect abortion giant Planned Parenthood's taxpayer funding to community health centers.



Some of the participants will peacefully risk arrest as they stand in solidarity with the 329,000 innocent children that are aborted every year at Planned Parenthood abortion clinics across the nation.

Who: Created Equal, Christian Defense Coalition, and other anti-abortion groups/activists.



What: Prayer/sit-in for the defunding of America's abortion giant, Planned Parenthood.



Where: Sen. Mitch McConnell's office located at Constitution Ave. and 1st NE entrance to the Russell Senate Building in Washington, D.C.



When: Thursday, July 13, at 11:00 A.M.

Rev. Patrick J. Mahoney, Director of the Christian Defense Coalition and pastor of Church on the Hill in Washington, D.C., states;

"We call upon Senator McConnell and the republican majority in the Senate to defund Planned Parenthood which is the largest abortion provider in the world. The $550,000,000 of taxpayer money that goes to Planned Parenthood should be redirected to federally licensed clinics that provide for more comprehensive services for women."

Mark Harrington, National Director of Created Equal said;
home World Iran hands down lengthy jail sentences to Christian converts for evangelism

Iran handed down lengthy jail sentences in two separate cases to Christian converts and pastors for offenses relating to evangelism and acting against national security.

On July 4, Tehran's Revolutionary Court meted out lengthy jail terms to Pastor Victor Bet Tamraz, Amin Afshar Naderi, and Hadi Asgari for "illegal" Christian activities.

Tamraz, who led the Tehran Pentecostal Assyrian Church until its closure by Iran's Interior Ministry in 2009, received a 10-year prison sentence, according to World Watch Monitor.

Naderi was sentenced to 15 years' imprisonment while Asgari was handed a 10-year sentence and a two-year travel ban.

Tamraz was arrested in December 2014 while celebrating Christmas in his home. Naderi and Asgari were arrested in August 2016 while enjoying a picnic in the Alborz mountains, north-east of Tehran. Three other Christians were also arrested at the picnic, but they were released after paying US$33,000 bail each.

Naderi was convicted of blasphemy, while Asgari was found guilty of "organizing and creating 'house churches.'" Tamraz was found guilty of "conducting evangelism" and "illegal house church activities." The three men were also convicted of "acting against national security."

In a separate case, four Christians were sentenced to 10 years' imprisonment in May for allegedly engaging in missionary work and "conducting activities against national security."

Iranian national Nasser Navard Goltape, was arrested on June 24, 2016, along with Azerbaijani nationals Yusif Farhadov, Eldar Gurbanov and Bahram Nasibov, after visiting their Christian friends in Tehran.

The four men were detained in Evin Prison, enduring regular interrogation and solitary confinement for two months before they were moved to a ward. They were all released on bail on Oct. 29, and the three Azeris were allowed to return to their country on Nov. 7, after paying the full bail amount.

According to Christian Solidarity Worldwide, the four men were sentenced by Judge Ahmadzadeh to 10 years' imprisonment each during a hearing held on May 23, 2017, but they were not informed about the verdict until June 12.

The men are appealing their sentences, but some locals are not hopeful about the outcome as the authorities appear to be determined to use a case to make a punitive statement.

The three Azeris may forfeit bail by not returning to Iran, but Goltape does not have the same option.

Mansour Borji, advocacy director of Article 18, a group that defends persecuted Christians in Iran, expressed concern about the sentences, saying: "This recent verdict by Iran's revolutionary court is particularly alarming, as many other Iranian Christians are still awaiting trial for exercising their right to worship as Christians in privacy of their homes."

Records compiled by the group indicated that Judge Ahmadzadeh has sentenced at least 16 Christians to between five and 10 years imprisonment in the last three months.
home US Pennsylvania county relocates memorial bench that mentions God following atheist complaint

A memorial bench in Venango County, Pennsylvania, has been relocated from a public park to a private property after an atheist group complained about the inscription on the bench.

On Monday night, a crowd gathered outside the Oil City Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post, along the banks of the Allegheny River, for the re-dedication of the memorial bench that was intended to honor veterans.

"The problem we're solving today is the effect of the negative influence of persons who demand respect for their beliefs, but are not willing to do so toward others," VFW Commander Jason Reed said at the ceremony, as reported by CBS Pittsburgh.

The memorial, called the Tyrant's Bench, was donated to the city by a local branch of VFW in 2003.

Late last year, the New Jersey-based American Atheists Legal Center sent a letter to city officials, explaining that it received a complaint about the bench inscription, which says, "Men Who Aren't Governed by God, Will Be Governed by Tyrants."

The group argued that the inscription was in violation of the First Amendment of the Constitution and warned that the city could face a lawsuit unless the bench was removed from the park.

Despite the atheist group's claims, Reed said he does not think that the inscription on the bench is religious.

"It's a quote from William Penn. The founder of Pennsylvania, that's where that quote came from," he said, referring to the 17th century Quaker, street preacher and author.

In the letter, the American Atheists complained that the inscription was "derisive toward the all non-Christian American service members who have served and died for this country."

Oil City Mayor William Moon said that he received the letter "out of the blue," noting that the memorial bench had been in the park for 13 years.

After receiving the letter from the American Atheists, the city tried to decide whether the case should be taken to court. However, the city officials ultimately decided to remove the bench to avoid costly litigation.

On April 27, the Oil City Council unanimously voted to remove the monument from Justus Park. It was then returned to VFW, along with another bench and a memorial.

"I proposed, give us the whole memorial back. We didn't just donate a bench to the city a we donated an entire memorial," Reed said, according to a report from Explore Venango. "Let's keep it together and after a short discussion, the decision was made," he added.
Lorenzo Simonelli, chief executive of the new Baker Hughes, promised on Wednesday that he can find at least $1.2 billion in savings within the first two-and-a-half years after the merger of the Houston oilfield services firm with GE Oil & Gas.

Investors can be skeptical, Simonelli said in an interview on Wednesday. But some of the cost savings are straightforward, he said. For instance, the new firm, called Baker Hughes, a GE company, will save millions of dollars by combining materials purchases alone. Theres a lot of opportunity there, Simonelli said.
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Immigration agents have reported being assaulted far more often in the first six months of 2017, as they carry out policies that have increased both detentions and deportations nationwide.

U.S. Border Patrol agents reported more than 550 assaults on law enforcement officials in the first part of the year, up from 300 last year, Acting Chief Carla Provost recently told members of Congress.

DRUG BUST: Border Patrol seizes more than $2.1 million in cocaine

Meanwhile, officers who patrol the interior of the United States for Immigration and Customs Enforcement have seen 20 assaults so far this year, compared to only six in 2017, according to information provided by ICE to the Houston Chronicle.

Story continues below...

Last month alone, two immigrants were prosecuted in Texas federal courts for recent assaults on border patrol agents.

Miguel Cabrera Rangel, 54, was convicted in June of punching and striking a border patrol agent with a flashlight after the agent went to investigating a report of undocumented aliens on a ranch near Hebbronville in 2016. The agent suffered a concussion and a broken nose, according to information released by the Department of justice.

BAD ESCAPE ROUTE: Texas pot smugglers drive truck into Rio Grande in desperate escape

Cabrera Rangel fled, but was later captured aboard a fishing boat in Copano Bay and convicted after a two-day trial in Laredo.

Separately, a 24-year-old woman from Matamoros was sentenced in June to 21 months in prison for 2016 assaults of border patrol agents and a detention guard .

Maribel Tejeda Fomperosa was caught after wading across the Rio Grande into the United States in October 2016, federal prosecutor say. She was placed in a holding cell, where she assaulted one border patrol officer who was attempting to restrain her and spat at a second agent. She was arrested for those assaults when she assaulted a corrections officer, court records show.

Currently, agents assigned to Texas' Rio Grande Valley sector are being told to take extra care while patrolling the border across from Reynosa, where stray rounds from Gulf Cartel-related gun battles on the Mexican side have injured agents.

SAVING SEA TURTLES: Border Patrol makes unusual rescue

Further from the border, ICE agents too have also seen violence increase, according to information provided by Houston-based ICE Spokesman Gregory Palmore. This year's total of 20 reported assaults is far less than the border patrol's - but even one bad incident can prove deadly, Palmore said.

"ICE leadership recently announced that administrative arrests have increased almost 40 percent, which expose officers to greater risks and threats, but the agency is dedicated to conducting immigration enforcement humanely, respectfully and with professionalism," ICE officials added in an emailed statement.

At least twice this year, ICE agents have shot civilians during arrests - including a March shooting of an unarmed legal permanent resident in Chicago that has sparked controversy. In that incident, ICE reported said the agent "attempted to make an arrest" when a second person "pointed a weapon toward agents." The agent fired his gun, wounding a 53-year-old legal permanent resident.
Is there anything as brutal as trying to tick off your 10,000th step of the day in Houston's scorching summer heat? It's enough to drive runners and weekend warriors inside, in search of an air-conditioned treadmill.

But a new study out of Austria found that you might not derive as many benefits from an indoor workout as you would from sweating outside.

The study, published this spring in the scientific journal PLOS One, tracked subjects who participated in outdoor hikes, and indoor treadmill walks, collecting feedback about how much they enjoyed the activity. Turns out, the participants had more positive feedback after the outdoor hikes.

While the outdoor hike was more strenuous than the treadmill activity, participants reported they felt the hike was less strenuous. As a result, participants said they enjoyed the outdoor activity more, and they recorded being in a better mood after the hike than the treadmill walks.

Why? Researchers think the sense of accomplishment, and positive attitudes associated with breathing in all that fresh air have a lot to do with it.

This is important, the researchers say, because people are more likely to keep up with a workout they enjoy than one that feels tedious.

The researchers explain, "From a public-health oriented perspective with increasing obesity rates, it is essential for health professionals to recommend efficient and pleasant forms of physical activity. According to the hedonic theory people choose and maintain forms of physical activity they enjoy."

Sounds lovely. But it's not so easy to find an outdoor workout in Houston that will keep you coming back through the peak of summer, right? That's why we've put together this list of fun outdoor activities that will keep your mind off the heat while you burn calories. Enjoy:

1. Kayak the bayou. Yeah, that's a thing now. You'll get a great upper body workout during a kayak session. And if it gets too hot, you can always splash yourself with some water for a little cool down. Read more here.

2. Ride a B-Cycle. You don't need to own a bike to get a good cardio workout riding through the city's winding trails. Just rent one of the hundreds of B-Cycles posted throughout town for a couple hours, and enjoy the wind on your face. Read more here.



3. Stand-Up-Paddleboard Yoga. Just imagine: Outdoor yoga where falling is half the fun. Like kayaking, this offers a chance to cool off with a few splashes of water when things get too steamy. And there are plenty of places popping up all over the area with SUP Yoga options. Read more here.

4. Run through Hermann Park. We're not saying you should attempt this in midday, but if you can squeeze an outdoor run into your schedule in the wee hours of morning, or just around twilight, you'll find it's not a total no-go during the summer months.

5. Outdoor volleyball. Houston's been seeing a surge in places to play volleyball lately. And while it can get hot and sticky, the new volleyball bars opening up around town will offer you a chance to cool down with a cold one. Plus, the researchers say it's important to have fun -- and who doesn't love hanging out with friends? Read more here.
Opioid prescription rates peaked in 2010 and have fallen steadily since then, a good sign in the public campaign to combat the addiction crisis sweeping the nation.

That was the big headline from a new analysis released Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Buried deep in the report, though, was a detail that may surprise Texans who have grown used to reading about the state's various public health shortcomings: Texas doctors, according to the CDC, hand out far fewer addictive painkillers than most other states. In parts of the Midwest, the Florida Gulf Coast, Appalachia and even the Pacific Northwest, per-capita opioid prescription rates are more than double the rate recorded in Texas.

That news comes a month after the CDC released another report that found Texas recorded fewer opioid-related hospitalizations than nearly any other state.

So, what's with the disparity?

"As with much of the variation across states, we aren't sure," said CDC spokeswoman Courtney Lenard. "Texas has had lower opioid prescribing than most of the U.S. for many years. It also has had lower drug overdose death rates than most states. One factor might be that, prior to widespread use of electronic prescribing, Texas was one of only a few states requiring use of serialized prescription forms for Schedule II drugs."

For a better understanding of what's happening here, the Chronicle reached out to Dr. Asim Shah, the vice chair for community psychiatry at Baylor College of Medicine. As the chief of psychiatry at Ben Taub Hospital and the director of community behavioral health for Harris Health System, he oversees the county's largest outpatient mental health provider and is on the front line of treating the opioid epidemic in Houston.

As usual, Shah said, the data tells only part of the story. (For example, would you believe poor access to health care in Texas might be one factor keeping people from getting their hands on dangerously addictive opioids?)

Below is a transcript of our chat, lightly edited for length:

Hixenbaugh: Why are fewer opioids prescribed in Texas compared to, say, Appalachia?

Shah: There are a couple theories to explain that. First, when you look at the general map of the country, more of the opioid crisis is seen in the northeast, in an area where demographically you see a whiter population. Why is that? Traditionally, for whatever reason, the opioid crisis has not affected the Hispanic populations as much. (The CDC estimates whites are four times more likely to die from a drug overdose compared to Hispanics, and although it's not clear why, experts have some theories.)

In addition, the climate is a possible factor, believe it or not. Arthritis is a much bigger problem in colder places, so it may be that weather has a role to play in the disparity. Texas is hot, and hot weather does not cause that particular pain syndrome, which is a major driver in opioid prescriptions.

H: Does Texas' high uninsured rate play a factor here?

S: Right. Texas has one of the highest rates of uninsured people. It's practically impossible to get on Medicaid in Texas unless you make less than $5,000 a year or if you are pregnant or are on dialysis or something. So, there's a certain percentage of the population that doesn't have access to the doctor.

The problem is, people who are on pain medications or who are addicted, they somehow come up with the cash, just like people who are addicted to cocaine somehow find money to buy cocaine. So, just because it's not being prescribed doesn't mean people are not using it.

H: Reading these CDC reports gives the impression that the opioid epidemic is not as significant in Texas. Is that accurate?

S: No, I think if you read the latest report, they say the opioid crisis is still there everywhere. It's way more than in the 1990s, but it has dipped a little bit in the last few years between 2010 and now. And it is less in Texas as compared to Ohio and those areas.

Part of the reason it has dipped is we have made it more difficult to get prescriptions of the most common pain medicine, which is Vicodin (aka Hydrocodone). In the past, it was easy for doctors to call in Vicodin to a pharmacy, which didn't leave a paper trail. Now they cannot. Now they have to have a triplicate prescription for Vicodin, and that has contributed to this reduction.

H: Last month, CDC released another report that showed opioid-related hospitalizations were lower in Texas than almost any other state. Did that surprise you?

S: Well, that sounds like good news, but one big reason for that is there are not a lot of facilities to treat addiction in Texas, so these patients aren't being hospitalized. It's not that they don't need hospitalization, but we in Texas don't have any place to hospitalize them. That is not a blessing. Instead we deal with them in a non-hospital setting or in an outpatient setting.

H: Based on what you see in your clinic every day, is the opioid epidemic just as bad in Texas as in the Midwest or other parts of the country?

S: It is not as bad here, but it is still a problem. The numbers are way higher in the northeast than in Texas. It doesn't mean we don't have a major problem. We do see it every day.

Several things have been done to address the problem in recent years. There's been so much publicity of this crisis, including celebrity deaths, that doctors are now very aware that these are serious prescriptions. The other thing, in Houston in particular, has been the DEA going after the pill mills that pushed these prescription drugs into the community. And as I mentioned, now you have to write an actual prescription, instead of just calling in. There are more checks and balances today than a few years ago.

All of these things combined have had a positive impact, but it's still a very difficult situation.

___

Mike Hixenbaugh writes about health care and medicine for the Chronicle. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook. Send him tips at mike.hixenbaugh@chron.com.
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Veteran newspaperman Rigby Owen Sr. fully embraced progress and innovation in his lengthy career.

The Opelousas Daily World newspaper in Louisiana, which he ran throughout World War II up until 1951, was the only offset daily newspaper in the state at the time and later it was declared the first successful offset daily in the United States. He toured the country talking about the offset press method.

Later, Owen Sr. bought a Webendorfer press that was owned by the government during World War II. It was located in Guam and he had it moved to Louisiana and built a new building where it was housed.

When he arrived in Conroe, Owen Sr. built a new building for The Courier on Davis Street in 1954. Then in 1964, Owen Sr. built another building for The Courier at 100 A. Ave where it remains today. He also began an office supplies division and printed other local newspapers.

Over the years as newspapermen, Owen Sr., and later his son, Rigby Owen Jr., took on controversial topics like integration of the school system, corruption in politics, voter fraud and more.

Throughout the decades, the Owens made Conroe their home and invested in the community in numerous ways, from raising funds for the renovation of the Crighton Theatre, to donating land for the Conroe Family YMCA to supporting the United Way and many other causes.

Early life

Rigby Owen Sr. was born June 17, 1912 in Rosebud, Texas, according to a biography written by Owen Sr.'s son, Steve Owen.

In late 1918, Owen Sr., and his only brother, Irvin, moved with their parents to Oklahoma City via train. Owen Sr. told of seeing soldiers on the train returning to their homes at the end of World War I.

He began his newspaper career at the age of 12 delivering the "Daily Oklahoman" while attending Webster Junior High.

He graduated from high school in 1931 in Norman, Oklahoma. At 19, he enrolled at the University of Oklahoma to pursue an engineering degree.

Unfortunately, during his first semester at OU, Owen Sr.'s father was involved in a car accident that resulted in a back injury that would keep him from working the rest of his life.

Owen Sr. quit college to support his parents and in 1932 moved to Cushing, Oklahoma to assist his older brother in distributing the "Oklahoma City Times" and "Daily Oklahoman."

In June 1932 he met Jo Briley. They married Feb. 14, 1933.

He was hired as the circulation manager of "The Cushing Daily Citizen." His oldest daughter, Sandra, was born in Cushing.

He also went on to work at the "Little Rock Democrat," and "Ada News" in Oklahoma. Sons, Steve, and Rigby Jr., were born in Ada.

An opportunity in Louisiana

In early 1942, Owen Sr. heard about an opportunity in Opelousas, Louisiana through a friend of his.

"The Opelousas Daily World" had been recently started by John Thistlethwaite whose family had been in Louisiana since the 1700s.

Thistlethwaite and his partner had been drafted into World War II and they both left to join the war effort days after Owen Sr. took over.

Rigby Owen Jr. explained his father would have been drafted as well, except there was a new law passed that said if you were older than 26 and had three or more children then you didn't have to go.

"John wrote him a letter saying if you can't make it, don't worry about it, just save me the original copies so I can have them for a scrapbook" Owen Jr. said.

Owen Sr. was able to bring success to "The World."

He was able to establish the paper as the only offset daily in the state. Later "The World" was declared the first successful offset in the US.

Owen Sr. advocated for this method and toured the US giving talks on offset printing.

Thistlethwaite returned from the war and became editor at "The World" while Owen Sr. was publisher.

In April 1944, Owen Sr. was elected president of the Louisiana Press Association.

Following the war, Owen Sr. built a new building in Opelousas and brought in a Webendorfer press he purchased from the government after the war.

While Owen Sr. had much success in Opelousas, he also realized it wasn't the best place to raise children and had an eye towards other papers to buy in Texas.

Owen Sr. had 51 percent ownership of "The World" when he decided it was time to move on.

"He realized John's family had been there forever and John started 'The World' so they made a buy-sell agreement with John buying out my dad's portion," Owen Jr. said.

A path to Conroe

In December 1951, Owen Sr. bought "The El Campo News" in El Campo, Texas.

While in El Campo, Owen Sr. co-owned newspapers in Port Lavaca and Weslaco, Texas. However, Owen Jr. said the town wasn't really interested in the progress that Owen Sr. sought.

In 1953, he heard of the death of The Courier's publisher, Don Norton.

Norton was pushing for the end of the open-range law where cattle could roam as they wanted.

"At the time Montgomery County was one of three counties in Texas that still had the open-range law," Owen Jr. said. "Well one night he and his advertising man were driving and they hit a cow and it killed him."

Owen Sr. went to see Norton's widow and bought The Courier, taking ownership on Sept. 1, 1953. The Courier was a weekly then.

After the purchase, Owen Sr. didn't have an editor.

"The editor was barred from Commissioners Court because he wrote an editorial that they didn't like" Owen Jr. said. "They told him if he ever came back, they'd beat him up, so he left."

Owen Sr. and his family were having lunch at a cafe on Frazier Street, Ed's Cafe. It was run by Ed Watson's wife.

"Ed told him he'd been in the newspaper business all his life. My dad said to him 'How'd you like to be the editor of The Courier'," Owen Sr. said.

And it was the start of a successful partnership that lasted many, many years.

As the paper changed hands, they had not seen the last of the open-range law.

Owen Sr. and Watson supported the closing of the open-range prior to the issue going to a vote.

This didn't sit well with some local officials at the time.

At the time, The Courier office was on Davis Street.

"Someone drove up in the middle of the night and dumped a load of cow manure at the front door of The Courier," Owen Jr. said.

Then when the vote came in and it was determined open-range had been defeated Watson received death threats. The sheriff at the time gave Watson a pistol to take home for his protection.

Watson became known for his columns titled "Miracle City's Main Street."

He later became involved in sales as well.

"Ed could sell ice to an Eskimo, he was just that good of a salesman," Owen Jr. said.

Owen Sr. built a new building for The Courier which opened in May 1954. It was located on Davis Street directly across from the current Chamber of Commerce building. He also bought a used Webendorfer press and began offering office supplies and started printing other area newspapers.

Owen Sr.'s son, Steve Owen, eventually came on board to run the printing division. Later his daughter, Sandra Owen Powell and husband, Jesse, purchased and ran the Tomball Tribune paper.

Around 1957, Owen Sr. made The Courier a daily, but in the 1960s went back to twice a week when the town didn't grow as fast as he thought it would.

After running the Fort Bend Mirror in Sugar Land, Owen Jr. returned to Conroe in June 1963 to take over The Courier and give his dad a break.

"Dad was having a rest," Rigby Jr. said. "He was whipped and ready to retire."

One of Owen Jr.'s first visits was to see the man who ran the JCPenney store.

"JCPenney was the biggest merchant in town at the time," Owen Jr. said. "(The manager) got mad at my dad because he didn't come see him when he was in the hospital. So my first visit was to see Mr. Payne to mend fences and get him back in the paper."

Owen Jr. also published a "1963 Progress Edition" celebrating 50 years of continued progress in the Conroe area.

Another great achievement at the time was the construction of a new building at 100 Ave. A in Conroe.

An open house was held on Sept. 13, 1964.

An article on the grand opening reported "The heart of The Courier operation is the seven-unit press, America's largest single in-line Goss Suburban offset, capable of being fed from both ends of The Courier's 80-foot production line."

A new era in communication

In the mid-1960s, the Owen family members applied for an FM radio permit.

KNRO FM went on the air in 1964.

"Nobody had FM radio, they didn't know what FM radio was," Owen Jr. said. "We ordered all these little radios pre-tuned to 106.9 so the advertisers could hear their commercial. We thought if the advertiser could hear their commercial, maybe he'd think that everyone else could hear it too."

Still in the news business, Watson got a yellow car they named "Old Yeller."

"Old Yeller" would show up at news scenes and town residents knew that the report would later be broadcast on KNRO.

They determined as they began to dabble in another form of communication, it was time to let another form of it go.

The Courier was sold with Owen Sr., Owen Jr. and Steve Owen as three-way partners on Sept. 1, 1971 to Universal Publishing Inc. with Wesley Attaway as chairman.

"My dad was worn out. He'd been working all his life. I felt like I'd climbed the mountain and finally cleaned up politics in Montgomery County," Owen Jr. said. "We knew that daddy could finally have the retirement he had earned and Steve and I could move on to other things."

The Owens had always been active in real estate, but it became their prime business after the sale of the papers which by that time included papers in Cleveland, Huntsville and Tomball.

In 1971, Owen Sr. was elected president of the Texas Press Association. He was the second publisher in the history of the US to serve as president of two state press associations.

In 1976 the Owen family bought the radio station KMCO in Conroe and the call letters later changed to KIKR.

A life built in Conroe

Following the sale of The Courier, Owen Jr. also focused on philanthropic efforts like raising funds for the Montgomery County United Way, raising funds for the restoration of the Crighton Theatre. He also served on the Montgomery County Hospital District, worked to help build the county's law enforcement center, Conroe YMCA, Montgomery Foundation for the Performing Arts, Montgomery County Fair Association, Conroe Noon Lions, Conroe Rotary and others.

Rigby Jr. said his father never considered moving away from Conroe in retirement.

"All their friends were here," he said. "We've had a great life here."

Rigby Owen Sr. passed away at age 92 in Conroe on Feb. 1, 2005.

"He was a kind and gentle man, who never worried about anything, never one to lose his temper and was always optimistic about the future. He loved being around people, loved talking with them and never had anything bad to say about anybody. Like Will Rogers, he never met a man he didn't like. The community has lost a good man," according to his obit in The Courier.

The Texas Newspaper Foundation named the late Rigby Owen Sr. to the organization's Hall of Fame in 2010.

"My father was a real innovator in the industry and always active in the community," said Rigby Owen Jr. at the time of his father's induction into the Hall of Fame. "He was never afraid to try something different."
Oil fell in New York, heading for a weekly loss as a decline in U.S. crude stockpiles failed to convince investors that global markets are re-balancing.

Futures dropped as much as 3.2 percent even after U.S. data on Thursday showed the nations crude stockpiles dropped by 6.3 million barrels, three times as much as expected. Investors remain doubtful that OPEC-led production cuts will clear a global glut, after Russia was said to oppose deepening the measures and Saudi Arabia showed less commitment than earlier in the year.

Oils longest rally in 2017 faltered this week after Russia was said to oppose any proposal for deeper supply cuts by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and its partners. Crude in New York and London remain in a bear market amid concern rising global output will offset the OPEC-led curbs.

Oil remains volatile, unable to hold onto gains even after strong inventory draws in the U.S., said Jan Edelmann, an analyst at HSH Nordbank AG in Hamburg. While the strong draws are a step in the right direction, multiple weeks of the same are now needed for the rebalancing.

West Texas Intermediate for August delivery lost as much as $1.47 to $44.05 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange and was at $44.57 as of 1:11 p.m. in London. Total volume traded was about 75 percent above the 100-day average. The contract gained 39 cents to $45.52 Thursday, rebounding from the biggest loss in four weeks. Prices are down 3.2 percent this week.

Brent for September settlement lost as much as $1.48, or 3.1 percent, to $46.63 a barrel on the London-based ICE Futures Europe exchange. The contract added 32 cents to $48.11 on Thursday. Prices are down 1.5 percent this week. The global benchmark traded at a premium of $2.37 to September WTI.

U.S. crude production increased by 88,000 barrels a day last week to 9.34 million, the EIA said in a report Thursday. Output had slid by 100,000 barrels a day through June 23 amid field maintenance in Alaska and the impact of tropical storm Cindy. Gasoline stockpiles fell by 3.7 million barrels.

Russia wants to stick to the current OPEC deal and would oppose any proposal for deeper production cuts at the groups ministerial meeting later this month, four Russian government officials said earlier this week. Russia remains willing to weigh any proposals from its allies at a July 24 summit in St. Petersburg, the Energy Ministry said in a statement Friday.

Oil-market news:
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Several new construction and renovation projects are underway in Huffman ISD this summer.

From pre-kindergarten to high school, some noteworthy transformations can be expected as Huffman ISD continues paving the way for the future of its students and staff.

Campus Security

New security vestibules, as well as remodeled front offices are being added to Ben Bowen Early Childhood Center, Copeland Elementary School, Huffman Middle School and Hargrave High School.

"The security vestibules add another line of security for our children, allowing the school to have a controlled entrance," said Cameron Trial with Bond Program Management Services.

The vestibules and office remodeling is projected to be complete by Aug. 12, 2017.

Ben Bowen

In addition to the vestibule and office remodel, Ben Bowen is also undergoing the extension of its storefront, which will increase the school's front entrance size. The project's anticipated end date is also Aug. 12.

Huffman Middle School

The middle school's math department is getting an approximately 5,200-square-foot six-classroom collaboration area. The space includes two smaller collaboration areas and a workroom for staff. Construction on the collaboration space is projected for December 2017.

Also expected in December is the completion of the school's new science wing measuring approximately 4,200 square feet.

"(The wing) includes three classrooms, teacher lounge, storage areas and a teacher restroom," Trial said.

Science is not the only wing getting revamped.

"Special needs wing is being completely remodeled to suit the needs of the special needs students, (which) includes life skills, behavior classroom, kitchen, and teacher work areas and restrooms  nearly 3,500 square feet of space," Trial said.

The school is also installing a new school-wide voice fire alarm and fire sprinklers.

Installation of a completely new roof is expected to be finished by Aug. 12, 2017.

Hargrave High School

Hargrave's front entrance and commons are getting new tile to replace areas that were experiencing breakage. The tile installation should be completed Aug. 12.

The school's art room will undergo a remodel and significant expansion with a projected end date of December 2017.

Additionally, the dance room has received new, enhanced hardwood flooring and the locker room is undergoing a remodel. This project is expected to be complete by Aug. 12.

DT Construction and Huckabee Architects are the construction and design companies for the Ben Bowen, Copeland, Huffman Middle and Hargrave High projects. The total budget for these construction projects is $8.4 million, which is from the 2016 bond.

New Elementary School

Huffman ISD's new 109,000-square-foot, two-story elementary school, by Paradigm Construction and Huckabee Architects, just had its official groundbreaking ceremony in June.

"(The) building, located in a natural setting, will have six collaborative 'houses' where students will be able to learn in a group setting with their peers," Trial said.

The school's construction budget is $24 million, which is coming from the 2016 bond. It is projected to be complete in Aug. 2018.

For more information, visit www.huffmanisd.net.
The Houston Symphony announced today that executive director and CEO Mark Hanson will be stepping down from his role to become the executive director of the San Francisco Symphony.

Hanson, 43, who has been the Houston Symphony's executive director since 2010, will begin his new job on Sept. 1.
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The Harris County Chapter of the Texas German Society will meet at 6:45 p.m., Thursday, July 13, at the Trini Mendenhall Sosa Community Center, 1414 Wirt Road.

Bernice Mistrot, secretary of Washington Cemetery Historic Trust and a member of the Harris County Historical Commission, will give a talk entitled "History of the Washington Cemetery, formerly the German Society Cemetery."

Her talk will describe both the history of the cemetery and the current restoration projects underway by Washington Cemetery Historic Trust and Glenwood Cemetery.

Call 281-531-0822 or 713-524-3988 for more information.
Houston police are searching for a suspect who was caught on video robbing a Motel 6 at gunpoint on May 22.

The robbery occurred at about 1:40 p.m. at 9900 Buffalo Speedway, the Houston Police Department's Robbery Division said in a July 6 release.
A Houston woman was arrested Friday and charged with eight counts of wire fraud after scamming a Sugar Land mission of more than $1 million designated for schools in Mexico and Colombia, according to an FBI investigation.

According to court documents, a grand jury returned an indictment against Rosina K. Blanco, 38, on June 29.

The indictment was unsealed upon her arrest by federal authorities Friday.

Blanco was arrested in connection with the submission of falsified funds requests to an investment adviser for the Basilian Fathers Missions of the Catholic Church, or BFM, said Acting United States Attorney Abe Martinez.

The indictment alleges that on Aug. 31, 2015, Blanco was hired to be the bookkeeper for the BFM.

According to federal prosecutors, she then executed more than $1 million in unauthorized transfers from BFM accounts to accounts in her name.

Blanco allegedly used the majority of these funds for personal expenses such as jewelry, furniture, luxury cars, real estate, Louis Vuitton handbags, goods and services for her dog and other luxury items.

Blanco accomplished the theft by using a computer to transmit fraudulent and falsified funds transfer requests from her home to the BFM investment manager in St. Louis who then unwittingly transferred more than $1 million in BFM funds, according to the charges.

From September 2015 to October, Blanco facilitated the transfer of approximately $1,107,425 from BFM accounts to her personal accounts without authorization, according to the indictment.

She is expected to make her initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Frances Stacy at 2 p.m Friday.

The BFM is headquartered in Sugar Land and raises money in North America to support schools in Mexico and Colombia. It reports to the Congregation of St. Basil, an order of Catholic priests headquartered in Toronto.
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Vidal Valladares - who made national headlines in 2015 by shutting down a Houston freeway to propose to his girlfriend - successfully completed probation, his attorney said Friday.

Exactly a year ago Friday, Valladares admitted responsibility and publicly apologized for his actions.

On Friday, prosecutors dismissed the case, agreeing that he had successfully completed all of the requirements, including the public apology.

READ ALSO: Man who blocked busy traffic explains why he did it

"I apologize to everyone for all the trouble I caused," he said, after agreeing to the deal. "I put myself and Michelle and all the people on the highway in danger."

He went on to say: "You mess with the law, you pay for it."

On Friday, his lawyer agreed that he had paid for his mistake.

"Mr. Valladares is happily married and he is happy to get this ordeal behind him," said attorney Mark Thering.

It was Sunday, Dec. 13, 2015 when Valladares had friends stand in front of several lanes of traffic so he could propose to Michelle Wycoff, in the middle of busy Interstate 45 traffic near downtown Houston.

The Harris County District Attorney's Office charged Valladares with obstruction of a roadway, a Class B misdemeanor.

Completing the probation means Valladres will not have a conviction his record.

If he had been convicted, he could have been jailed up to six months in jail and fined $2,000.
This week in 1933 the city of Tomball was first incorporated. Soon after, thanks to the discovery of oil, the 665 people living there benefited from one of the quirkiest corporate deals in Texas.

The year 1933 was an eventful one for Tomball in many ways. On May 27 workers with Humble Oil & Gas Co. (now known as Exxon) were drilling in town and struck oil 5,000 feet below the surface.
Recently, five Spring Hill College (SHC) Italy Center alumnae, including recent SHC graduate Dana Wilder, began a summer internship at the CARA di Brindisi Restinco Migrant and Asylum Seeker Center in Puglia. They also serve at the Caritas shelter and soup kitchen. The human rights focus of the SHC Italy Center is anchored in academic-based social justice travel. The program integrates traditional classroom learning (in English) with travels that expand the global perspective.

In a rare occurrence, two of the interns, Dana Wilder (SHC '17) and Grazilla Ioele (St. Joseph's '15) were asked to join the Italian coast guard and the European Union Frontex patrols to assist as refugees were landing in Brindisi. "Our students are truly on the front lines of the refugee crisis," said Todd Waller, director of the Italy Center. "I can honestly attest to the fact that no other American program in Europe offers such a unique project."

"Our Italy Center interns are living the Jesuit mission in a very real, very hands-on manner by working through social justice with the ongoing state of affairs in Italy," said President Christopher P. Puto, PhD. "This situation is providing some eye-opening experiences, ones that will surely not be forgotten nor taken for granted by these incredible students. I am extremely proud of their work."

Several Puglia newspapers recently ran articles explaining the work of our interns. Click here to view one such article. Also, to follow Wilder's journey, visit her blog: www.thechameleontale.com.
BIRMINGHAM, AL - Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama is taking action to help address the opioid epidemic in Alabama.

* According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Alabama ranks highest in the nation as having more opioid prescriptions than people with Alabama physicians writing an alarming 5.8 million prescriptions for opioids in 2015.

* Alabama also ranks number one as the highest prescribing state in the nation for opioid pain reliever prescriptions, according to the CDC.

A new national report, "America's Opioid Epidemic and Its Effect on the Nation's Commercially Insured Population," represents a comprehensive study of national medical claims from Blue Cross and Blue Shield (BCBS) members using opioid painkillers, as well as those diagnosed with opioid use disorder over a seven-year period.*

This new study by the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association (BCBSA) reports that:

In Alabama,

* 26 percent of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama's commercially insured members filled at least one opioid prescription in 2015, compared to 21 percent nationally.

* 6.5 percent of our members were on a long-duration opioid regimen in 2015, compared to 3.8 percent nationally.

* 16.4 per 1,000 members were diagnosed with opioid use disorder in Alabama in 2016, double that of 8.3 nationally.

* 29 percent of our members with opioid use disorder received medication-assisted therapy in 2016, compared to 37 percent nationally.

Nationally,

* Opioid use disorder diagnoses among BCBS commercially insured members spiked 493 percent from 2010 through 2016.

* Among those 45 and older, women have a higher rate of opioid use disorder than do men. Among people younger than 45, men have higher rates of opioid use disorder than women. Women fill more opioid prescriptions than males across all age groups.

* Long-duration prescription opioid use and opioid use disorder overlap by region, with the highest rates in the South and the Appalachian Region.

* The 65 percent rate of increase in the use of medication-assisted treatments lags behind the 492 percent rate of increase in opioid use disorder diagnoses from 2010 through 2016.

* States that have experienced the greatest growth in the use of medication-assisted treatments are not necessarily the areas most impacted by opioid use disorders. High rates of treatment relative to opioid use disorder occur in New England, and lower rates occur in the South and parts of the Midwest.

"We recognize that it's crucial for us to be a proactive partner in the fight against the opioid epidemic in Alabama," said Dr. Anne Schmidt, Medical Director for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama. "We strongly support best practices and are collaborating with primary care doctors to appropriately apply recommendations and guidelines from the CDC."

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama is taking action to prevent opioid misuse by working in three primary areas:

1. Promoting the health and safety of Alabamians through public awareness and education of opioid risk by partnering with local and state agencies including the Governor's Council on Opioid Misuse and Addiction, the Alabama Department of Public Health, and local awareness groups and coalitions.

2. Supporting appropriate prescribing of opioids for pain management by providing CDC treatment guidelines to primary care physicians and offering medication-assisted treatment options for members with opioid use disorder.

3. Encouraging and supporting public outreach initiatives to prevent prescription opioid misuse, abuse, fraud and diversion. This also includes supporting and promoting "National Drug Take-Back Day" which provides free, anonymous collection of unwanted and expired medications.

The BCBS Health IndexSM identifies substance use disorder as the fifth most impactful condition affecting the health of commercially insured members in the U.S. In Alabama, the results are similar with substance use disorder ranked as the fifth most prevailing health condition.

This is the thirteenth study of the Blue Cross Blue Shield: The Health of America Report(r) series, a collaboration between BCBSA and Blue Health Intelligence, which uses a market-leading claims database to uncover key trends and insights into health care affordability and access to care. For more information, visit www.bcbs.com/healthofamerica.

*Members diagnosed with cancer or who were undergoing palliative or hospice care were excluded from this analysis.

About Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama has insured Alabamians for 81 years. Blue Cross offers coverage plans to corporations, individuals and the senior market. For more information about Blue Cross, visit AlabamaBlue.com. Connect with us on Facebook, check out our videos on YouTube and follow us on Twitter for more up-to-date information.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.

About Blue Cross Blue Shield Association

The Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association is a national federation of 36 independent, community-based and locally-operated Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies that collectively provide healthcare coverage for one-in-three Americans. BCBSA provides health care insights through The Health of America Report series and the national BCBS Health Indexsm. For more information on BCBSA and its member companies, please visit bcbs.com. We also encourage you to connect with us on Facebook, check out our videos on YouTube, follow us on Twitter and check out The BCBS Blog.

About BHI

Health Intelligence Company is the nation's premier health intelligence resource, delivering data-driven insights about healthcare trends and best practices, resulting in healthier lives and more affordable access to safe and effective care. HIC accesses healthcare claims data from more than 140 million individuals nationwide, collected over nine years, in a safe, HIPAA compliant and secure database. The resulting conformed, reliable data set has the broadest, deepest pool of integrated medical and pharmacy claims, reflecting medical utilization in every ZIP code. Health Intelligence Company, LLC operates under the trade name Blue Health Intelligence (BHI) and is an Independent Licensee of BCBSA. For more information, visit http://www.bluehealthintelligence.com/.
GULFPORT, Mississippi -- An Ocean Springs man has been sentenced to 160 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to producing, transporting, distributing and possessing child pornography.

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, 60-year-old Philip Joseph Spear was sentenced to 1,920 months in prison by Chief U.S. District Judge Louis Guirola Jr. Spear was also ordered to pay $47,500 in restitution to victims and a special assessment of $30,000 for a related crime under the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act.

Philip Joseph Spear, 59, was arrested at his Temple Terrace home in Ocean Springs last September. Agents from federal, state and local agencies participated in the raid at Spear's home. The raid was part of a special online operation by the FBI and other agencies targeting child pornography.

Executing a federal search warrant, agents removed documents, cameras and hard drives from the home and an unidentified female was seen being escorted from the house. A forensic examination later revealed numerous images and videos of minors engaging in sexually-explicit conduct.

Spear admitted to agents at the time he had downloaded child pornography and had a sexual interest in children since the age of 12.

Spear pleaded guilty on March 9 to a six-count indictment. His victims rangedc in age from infant to 16.

"A principle part of the FBI's mission is to protect the American people, and we are especially dedicated to the most vulnerable among us - children," said Christopher Freeze, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Mississippi. "Phillip Spear despicably violated the human rights of children and stole their innocence. We hope his sentencing of 1,920 months in federal prison sends a strong warning and clear message to others who take part in unspeakable crimes against children."

"This man is exactly where he deserves to be--behind bars for the rest of his life," said Mississippi Attorney General jim Hood. "His disgusting actions have no place in Mississippi, or anywhere else, and our child exploitation task force and agency partners take their responsibility seriously to get sick predators far away from our innocent children. I am very pleased with the work of all those involved in this case."

The case was investigated by the FBI Jackson Division's Child Exploitation Task Force, which is made up of agents from the FBI and the Mississippi Attorney General's Office, deputies from the Prentiss County Sheriff's Office and prosecutors from the United States Attorney's Offices in Oxford and Jackson.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrea Jones and Glenda Haynes prosecuted the case.




Here is a series of Crocker Range National Park photos, provided by Cede Prudente and the Borneo Bird Club. This is also part of a build-up to the Borneo Bird Festival 2017 which will take place from the 20 to 22 October 2017.





Borneo Bird Festival 2017 Theis also going to be held in two locations, one in Kota Kinabalu and the other at the Crocker Range National Park.





For the Sabah Bird Race, it will be held at the national park which is about two hours away from Kota Kinabalu City.





Crocker Range National Park Photos





View of Crocker Range Park

Crocker Range is one of the highland areas of Sabah, which is rich in flora and fauna, but it is not as popular as Kinabalu National Park. However, in recent years, more people are heading here for nature, adventure and also bird watching.





The journey to Crocker Range is an adventure by itself as there are so much beautiful and scenic sights to be seen.





The winding road uphill provides views of the mountain range, local homes and random sightings of birds. The air up here is also nice and cooling, compared to down in the city areas.





The road towards Crocker Range National Park

Crocker Range National Park Photos





The photos here are provided by Cede Prudente of the Borneo Bird Club, as he and other avid bird watchers have been going to Crocker Range National Park over the years to spot certain endemic birds and also tar birds of Sabah.





In a recent trip to the national park, they managed to photograph some of the endemic and unique birds found around here. Below are some of the bird photos shared with me.





A Bornean Ibon, photographed at Crocker Range National Park

The Bornean Ibon is special to Crocker Range National Park, as it is difficult for bird watchers to see at Kinabalu National Park. Usually, the bird is spotted near the Manis Manis Resort trails.





The Mugimaki Flycatcher recently photographed at the national park

The Mugimaki Flycatcher is a migrant bird and during their migration period between September to March, the can be spotted at Crocker Range.





The male and female Asian Paradise Flycatcher spotted at the national park

The beautiful Asian Paradise Flycatcher is resident at the trails of Rafflesia plot, which is near the Manis Manis Resort at the national park. This is one of the birds that photographers love to shoot.





Smallest raptor in the world is the White Fronted Falconet, photographed at Crocker Range

The smallest raptor in the world is the tiny Bornean Falconet and is a resident at the Crocker Range Park headquarters. Usually found perched on treetops, this is one of the sought after birds to photograph by bird watchers.





The Borneo Bird Festival 2017 takes place from 20-22 October

More information about the bird festival can be obtained from the official Borneo Bird Festival website . You can find the program, itinerary and other relevant information there, including contacting them.





For those interested in the Borneo Bird Festival 2017, contact the organisers for more information. This is also Malaysia's largest bird watching event and festival, which has been running for the last nine years.





A beautiful view of a sunset and rainbow from Crocker Range, the Keningau part

Conclusion





The Borneo Bird Festival has also been held at numerous locations all over Sabah, namely at the Rainforest Discovery Centre in Sandakan , as this is the home ground for the birding event.





It has also been held in Kinabalu National Park and now, for the first time at the Crocker Range National Park.





Once again, thank you Cede Prudente of the Borneo Bird Club for providing the Crocker Range National Park photos for this article. For those interested in bird watching in Sabah, this is one of the places closest to Kota Kinabalu city. Any comments, please leave them below.
A geofence is a virtual perimeter that can be drawn around any specific location, building, convention center, or space that can be identified on a map. Any mobile device entering the virtual perimeter or geofence can be targeted for a sales opportunity. Active geofences require opt in or a mobile application. Passive geofences operate in the background and do not require users to opt in. Geofences are used to track the routes of truck drivers, movement of office equipment, ankle bracelets for law enforcement purposes and many other things. However, our interest is in using geofencing to improve digital marketing performance.



Geofencing is often thought of as a business to consumer (B2C) lead generation and sales solution and most articles discuss just that. Typically, they outline a situation where a consumer enters a defined location that has been geofenced and as a consumer use his or her mobile device to access the web. An ad is then presented to the consumer. Also, because the target is a consumer, a discount, special or an application is offered for download while in the store or area. The discount coupon can be shown at the time of purchase, the special can be identified by walking through the store and searching for the item or an application can be downloaded which can provide other potential savings. These methods or tactics are not effective in most business-to-business (B2B) transactions. But there are several unique things that can be done with geofencing to improve B2B marketing and lead generation.

The example that I find most engaging is to geofence a gathering of business owners, employees or consultants at a convention, seminar, webinar, or lunch and learn. Focusing on a group with a shared interest is known as geotargeting. The types of geotargeted gatherings are endless. Because it is quite likely that a business user will engage their cell phone or mobile device at least once while at a business gathering, the opportunity for offering an ad or complementary information will become available. And if the offer or ad is associated with the event, then it is likely be relevant to the attendee. Providing relevant information to a prospect while they are thinking about or reviewing solutions or products you provide, increase the odds of developing a qualified lead and improving the conversion rate for another enquiry or the initiation of a buying action. Geofencing events can improve branding, brand awareness, collection of attendee data, and drive traffic to either your booth, event, or website, all of which improve your marketing ROI.

Geofencing solutions present ads or offers interspersed with consumed content defined by the location, event or actions of the user. The timeliness of communicating with someone currently interested in or thinking about yours or similar solutions maximizes the conversion rate and improves the ROI for digital marketing. The potential for follow-up is even stronger. Follow up can be performed using the collected IP address. The IP address can allow you to target device usage away from the geotargeted area. In fact, if theyre using a business network, that IP address might translate to a physical address with tens, if not hundreds, of employees with a similar product interest.

Geofencing applications can look up IP addresses to identify physical locations and business names. With a business name, other databases can be employed to identify and target higher-level executives or decision-makers. This information can also be made available to sales and marketing for contact via email, contact centers, social media or other forms of digital advertising. The power of geofencing solutions is incredible.

It is also possible to use a geofencing solution where you violate privacy and information boundaries. It is important to develop geofencing marketing strategies that are effective for generating leads and protect the prospects privacy.

Raven Guru Marketing can assist you in choosing and implementing the best geofencing and geotargeting solution for your business. We can work with you to deliver maximum results while maintaining the privacy and information security that most of us desire and treasure. Contact us to find out how.
Theres been a ton of confusion lately about whether and how states can incorporate science, social studies, and other subjects into their systems for rating schools under the Every Student Succeeds Act.

The upshot is that, yes, states can indeed use science, social studies, the arts, and other subjects beyond reading and math for accountability. But there are some caveats when it comes to just how they do that. (More below.)

First, some background: U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos got pushback last month when her team told four of the 17 states that have submitted ESSA plans so farConnecticut, Delaware, Louisiana, and Tennesseethat their vision for incorporating science into their accountability plans didnt pass muster. Advocates for science teachers sent DeVos team an angry letter, saying they thought this was a poor policy choice.

What does the law actually say on this? Lets take a look:

ESSA requires states to use a bunch of different factors to sort out which schools are high-fliers, and which may need extra help. And those factors look different for high schools as opposed to elementary and middle schools. States can use science test scores to judge both kinds of schools. But they need to meet certain requirements.

Raings for elementary and middle schools must include:



An academic achievement indicator. That must be straight-up reading and math test scores. But it cant be science scores or social studies test scores, according to the departments take on the law. (Staffers who wrote ESSA agree.)

(Staffers who wrote ESSA agree.) Some other academic factor, which ESSA nerds like to call the second academic indicator. States have some flexibility here. They could pick growth on reading and math tests, closing achievement gaps, science scores, social studies scores , a hodge-podge of those things, or something else entirely.

, a hodge-podge of those things, or something else entirely. English language proficiency

An indicator of school quality or student success. States have a lot of leeway on this one. Many want to include chronic absenteeism, or school climate. But science test scores, social studies test scores, and even physical education can also be part of the mix here too.

Ratings for high schools must include:



An academic achievement indicator. That must be straight-up reading and math test scores. But it cant be science scores or social studies scores, according to the departments take on the law. (Staffers who wrote ESSA agree.)

(Staffers who wrote ESSA agree.) Graduation rates.

English-language proficiency

An indicator of school quality or student success. And, as with elementary and middle schools, states have a lot of flexibility on this one. Many want to include chronic absenteeism, college-and-career readiness, or school climate. But science test scores, social studies test scores, and even physical education can also be part of the mix here too.

Bottom Line: Connecticut, Delaware, Louisiana, and Tennessee, and other states can use science test scores. They just cant be part of the academic achievement indicator. Science scores can be used as an indicator of school quality and student success, or as the second academic indicator for elementary and middle schools. A very technical, but important, distinction.

This issue could also come up in at least three other states that have submitted ESSA plans so far, but havent yet gotten feedback from the department, including Illinois, Massachusetts, and Vermont. (We break down all of the factors that states want to include in their accountability systems here, so you can compare and contrast .) Plus, more than 30 other states will submit their plans this fall, and some of them may also want to incorporate science into school ratings.

Want more? This FAQ from the department explains all this in much more technical detail .

And of course, dont miss our ESSA video:

Video: ESSA Explained in 3 Minutes
Floridas sweeping new education law, which requires school districts to share property taxes with charter schools, could soon be the target of a lawsuit.

The school board in Broward County has voted to sue the state over the massive bill, according to the South Florida Sun Sentinel . In addition to sharing property taxes, the bill also establishes a program that creates financial incentives for charter schools to take on students from chronically failing district schools.

Nationwide, charter schools receive less funding than their district-run peersan average of 29 percent less, according to one study and this bill granting charter schools access to property taxes in Florida was seen as a promising victory by national charter advocates.

Of the 14 cities examined in that study by researchers at the University of Arkansas, eight received no money from local revenue sources such as property taxes and bond measures.

Although the Florida law is a major boost for charter schools, it tackles a myriad of other issues, including changes to the states standardized testing system and bonuses for teachers .

Pushed through the legislature in the final days of the session, the bill roused strong opposition from district superintendents and teachers unionsmany of whom called for Gov. Rick Scott to veto the bill. He signed it last month.

The Sun Sentinel reports that the lawyer for the Broward County board anticipates other Florida school boards will join the lawsuit.

Related stories:
New Jersey students in kindergarten through 12th grade may soon get lessons in how to interact with cops in a manner marked by mutual cooperation and respect.

Bill A1114, passed unanimously by the General Assembly, would require each school district to instruct students on their rights, as well as the ins and outs of dealing with law enforcement. The lessons would begin in the 2018-2019 school year as part of the social studies curriculum if the bill becomes law.

According to a press release from Assembly Democrats , lessons must relate information on the police officers role and responsibilities in keeping the public safe. But lessons will also address students responsibility to comply with an officers commands as well as their constitutional rights during police interactions.



Assembly Democrat Sheila Oliver, who sponsored the legislation, said it could help rebuild the trust in law enforcement that has broken down as a result of police-related shootings across the country. The effort may be needed now more than ever as police forces stationed on school campuses have risen to more than 44,000 across the country. There were nearly 70,000 school arrests nationwide in the 2013-2014 school year, and in most states, black students are far more likely to be arrested, according to a recent analysis of federal civil rights data by Education Week.

Yet critics of the bill say it places the responsibility for peaceful police interactions largely on young peoples shoulders. Zellie Imani, a New Jersey teacher and activist, described the proposed curriculum as tantamount to victim-blaming in an interview with NBC News .

This legislation does not empower young people, especially those living in brown and Black communities, Imani said. Instead, it empowers law enforcement by allowing them to continue to evade accountability for abuse and misconduct while forcing the burden on the public.

Similar legislation has been proposed in other states. The governor of Texas in June signed a new law requiring high schools teach certain public school students how to interact with police. But that law requires police officers get training in how to interact with civilians as well.

Oliver defended the New Jersey bill as proactive, a way of giving young people the power to prevent tense situations from turning tragic by preparing them on how to respond.

This is not about assigning blame or responsibility, but rather an attempt to empower our young people so they know what to do and what not do, said Oliver in a statement. This is a lesson many parents already teach to their children. Making it part of the school curriculum is the next logical step.

Still, the controversy raises the question of whether police should be the ones to get more practice in how to peacefully interact with civilians, rather than the other way around. Ideally, police should get the extra training, Portia Allen-Kyle, the Pratt Criminal Justice Transparency Fellow at the American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey, told NBC News, but teaching kids their rights and preparing them to deal with police is better than doing nothing at all.

Knowing your rights helps you to know when they are violated, Allen-Kyle said.

Students in kindergarten through 4th grade will learn different lessons from those in 5th through 12th grade. But how those lessons will differ is not yet known since the curriculum will likely not be written until after the bill becomes law.

Once that happens, the commissioner of the department of education will have to appoint an advisory committee that will help develop the curriculum. The committee must include one representative from groups such as the New Jersey State Policemens Benevolent Association, the states Fraternal Order of Police, the American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey, the NAACP New Jersey State Conference, the New Jersey Council for Social Studies, and the American Federation of Teachers-New Jersey.

The bill now awaits Senate consideration.

Image: pixabay.com



Related stories:
Editors Note: How can we encourage students to take action? Adam Carter , social studies teacher at the Schutz American School in Egypt, shares the steps he has taken with his students.

As educators, we need to guide our students in not only learning about important global issues, but also toward ways they can become an active part of addressing these challenges. This will allow students to learn the power of their own agency, take control of their learning, and become active problem solvers.

One way to do this effectively is through a simple 4-step process:



Study the issue: This represents the inquiry-based method of identifying an issue and, based on the grade level and teaching style, either presenting the content to students or guiding them to research and identify the challenge and understand it in a local and global context. Research what actions are being done to reverse or alleviate the problem: Its important that students understand that there are many inspirational people, both professionals and everyday folks, who have devoted their lives to addressing some of the worlds most pressing problems. Part of the learning experience stems from recognizing that even the worst crises can be alleviated or even solved. Come up with a class-led potential solution: Sometimes this stems from a teachers suggestion, but whenever possible, we should encourage students to come up with their own proposals, which means we need to build in opportunities (such as brainstorming sessions or research activities) for them to formulate their own solutions, even if they are modeled on pre-existing projects or successful approaches.

Turn ideas into action: This is where the proposal turns into direct involvement, in the form of outreach, spreading awareness, making a contribution, or service learning. Again, students should lead as much as possible, taking control of the learning experience. The level of teacher involvement here differs significantly based on grade level and resources available.

Below is an example of my students using this process to take action.

Funding a Kiva Microcredit Project to Address Sub-Saharan Poverty



1. Study the issue

When studying the causes of poverty of sub-Saharan Africa in our 7th grade geography class, we learned that one of the reasons many people in the region are poor is because they lack the capital or the banking services needed to start a business.

2. Research what actions are being done to reverse or alleviate the problem

This provided the perfect segue to introduce the microcredit phenomenon. I was able to show my students how microcredit institutions work using my own experience and knowledgeincluding two field reports about an emerging shopkeeper in Guatemala and a Cape Verdean farmers goat cheese business. Personalizing the lesson makes the learning journey much more meaningful for students.

3. Come up with a class-led potential solution

We had an engaging discussion about the successes and potential pitfalls of microcredit, and then the students explored Kiva s websiteone of the best-known microcredit lending programsbased on the prompt, Can we use the microcredit model to make a difference in the world? By letting the students come to that conclusion (or not), they are taking control of the learning experience.

4. Turn ideas into action

Next, students used the Kiva site to filter through projects to choose a recipient from one of the sub-Saharan countries we were discussing, and then presented their case to the class. I encouraged students to help fund their chosen project if they desired, inviting them to make a short presentation to their parents or other potential donors. After making our class donation, we were then able to check up on the recipient in the coming months with regular updates from Kiva.

Recognizing their power to change lives

My students learned so much more than the basic facts; they saw firsthand that if they search for a solution and band together, they have the power to change lives. Most schools have the famous Gandhi quote, Become the positive change you want to see in the world plastered somewhere in their halls; we as teachers need to provide students with the tools to actually carry out this pledge.

Resources to Explore:
Nationwide, less than 7 percent of U.S. students participate in gifted education programs , according to an analysis of the most recent 2014 federal civil rights data.

In part, thats because states and districts use different tests and criteria to identify students as gifted or talented. But its also because some states have a far greater percentage of schools that even offer gifted education programs than do others, as the chart below shows.

How Accessible Is Gifted Education in Your State?

Create your own infographics

Thats based on an Education Week Research Center analysis of the 2014 federal Civil Rights Data Collection. The data are state-reported to the U.S. Department of Education for K-12 public school grades, though gifted programs tend to focus on grades 3-8, and the office for civil rights asks separate questions about high school Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate programs. (This analysis does not include juvenile justice facilities.)

According to a 2015 study by the National Center for Gifted Education, 23 out of the 42 states studied required schools to serve gifted students in at least some grade levels, but oversight of those programs ranged from audits and accountability report cards to basic program reports or nothing at all.

In schools that do have gifted education, black and Latino students and those who are English-language learners are disproportionately less likely to be tapped for the programs than white or Asian students.

States and districts may soon have more incentive to support gifted education in all schools. Starting in the 2017-18 school year, the Every Student Succeeds Act requires schools to report the number of their students performing at the advanced academic level, not just those who are academically proficient and below, and to include advanced-achievement data for specific student groups.

As New York gifted educator Angela Abend recently wrote for Education Week:

The need for gifted education programs in our public schools ... far surpasses the need for our gifted children to just be challenged academically. Gifted children do deserve stimulating school work that offers opportunities for them to stretch beyond what they already know and/or can learn very quickly. Their ability to think divergently needs to be celebrated while gifted students must also be challenged to develop appropriate growth mindsets at an early stage of their scholastic developments.

You can read more on state access gaps in gifted educationand how one Oklahoma district is working to make its gifted programs more equitable across schools, here .

Chart: An Education Week Research Center analysis of the 2014 federal Civil Rights Data Collection found Virginia led the nation in having access to gifted education at 90 percent of its schools.

Related:


After special-education advocates criticized Philadelphias plan to create a $54 million separate program for students with disabilities, the citys school reform commission voted unanimously Thursday to approve a $10 million contract to start a school that will serve 100 special education students.

Special-ed school resolution - $10m contract with Catapult - passes unanimously. #PHLed  Kristen Graham (@newskag) July 6, 2017

Kristen Graham with the Philadelphia Inquirer reported that the commissions original plan was to create a program for 600 special education students who are now being educated in private schools. Opponents said that the commission was creating a segregated school, and that the money would be better spent on helping children integrate into less-restrictive settings.

The commission, on the other hand, said that the new program was needed to get students out of restrictive settings such as Wordsworth Academy, a private provider for children with emotional and behavioral disturbances. David Hess, a 17-year-old from Lebanon, Pa., died at a Wordsworth residential treatment facility in 2016 after he was restrained and punched by staffers . The facility has since closed and Wordsworth Academy has filed for bankruptcy .

The new program will be run by Catapult Learning, with the goal of transitioning the program to school district staff, the Inquirer reported.

Related Stories:

for the latest news on special education policies, practices, and trends.
A fourth of Kansas students arent meeting basic reading and math standards and, in its sweeping condemnation of Kansas school funding formula, the states supreme court earlier this year said its not enough for the legislature to just toss more money at the schools. Lawmakers must make sure the money boosts student achievement, too.

A new funding formula passed last week aims to do both things: In addition to providing schools with $285 million more in funds over the next two years (an amount those who brought a successful lawsuit against the old formula say is far too little), the revised formula includes plenty new accountabiltiy measures, too.

Whether the formula passes muster with the states supreme court has yet to be determined. The court will hear the attorney general and plaintiffs arguments July 18.

At the onset of Kansas legislative session this year, the court decision, coupled with the Every Student Succeeds Act, also sparked a scramble to overhaul the states accountability system. Many of the states conservative legislators felt the local school districts misspent money on ineffective teaching and intervention strategies. Throughout the legislative session, vouchers, teacher pay and state takeover were all on the table.

In the end, a plan in the works by Kansas state board of educationcalled Kansas CANprevailed.

The plan consolidates the states many accreditation systems and judges schools on kindergarten readiness, graduation rates and postsecondary education, among other things. The funding formula pays for all-day kindergarten starting next fall, adds $2 million in preschool aid for at-risk students, and another $2.5 million for professional development and a teacher mentor program.

The legislature will now require the state board to pre-approve money set aside for poor students spending of state dollars. The spending must be based on research based programs, a provision similar to the federal ESSA law.

Schools that fail to meet the states standards must undergo intervention, though what that intervention will look like hasnt been determined.

The state will also expand its tax credit scholarship program so that individualsin addition to corporations, as was previously allowedcan contribute to the plan. The state has had a tax credit program for several years but, despite having a $7 million cap, only $1 million had been contributed to the fund, Tallman said. Schools receiving money through the program must go through the same accreditation process as public schools do now.

This week, lawyers for the state and for the four plaintiff districts filed briefs building their legal arguments for the showdown over the new formula before the states high court.

The state attorney generals office said in its brief that the new funding formula is a dramatic, positive step for Kansas, its students, and its schools. But the plaintiffs lawyers said the funding formula significantly underfunds K-12 public educationby all measures. They also argue that the new funding formula loosens up districts ability to raise local funds so that poor districts would be at a disadvantage, effectively violating the equity judgement the court came down with last year.
Teachers across the state of Arizona have confided in Christine Porter Marsh, the states 2016 teacher of the year, about how frustrated they arehow they have to work a second or third job to survive on their teacher salary; how they have unmanageably large class sizes; how they often have to make the gut-wrenching decision to leave teaching because of the states education policies.

So, Marsh, a high school teacher with 25 years of experience, decided to run for political office.

I figured I was going to lose sleep if I ran or didnt run, and I figured Id rather lose sleep running and trying to make a few positive changes, than not run and be in a position of powerlessness, Marsh said in an interview with Education Week Teacher.

She announced in late May that she will run as a Democrat for a state Senate seat, challenging the Republican incumbent during the 2018 elections.

Being teacher of the year gave me an even broader perspective of whats going on in Arizona, she said. I knew it was bad ... but I didnt know that it was as bad as it actually is until I was teacher of the year.

Marsh joins a small club of state teachers of the year who have had political ambitions. She says she was inspired by Shawn Sheehan, who was Oklahomas teacher of the year in 2016. Sheehan ran as an independent for a state Senate seat in 2016, along with more than 40 teachers who also ran for state office . About five of those teachers won their races; Sheehan did not.

The National Network of State Teachers of the Year has tracked two other state teachers of the year who have recently run for office: Bob Williams, the 2009 Alaska teacher of the year; and Jeffrey Hinton, who received the honor for Nevada in 2014.

Williams was the Democratic candidate for lieutenant governor of Alaska in the 2014 elections, and Hinton was the Democratic candidate for the state Assembly, also in 2014. Neither won their races.

Education Is Political

Its not uncommon for teachers to run for political office. There are several former teachers in both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, and news reports consistently highlight other teachers with state or local political ambitions. But teachers of the year are in a unique position: They have a firsthand look at the challenges facing public education in their state from both their classroom and as a statewide teacher-leader. They have a ready-made opportunity to visit schools across the state, speak at summits and conferences, and talk to policymakers and other stakeholders. And theyve been recognized for the quality of their teaching, so they have stronger credentials when speaking on education matters.

Its a year of recognition, you get in the spotlight, Williams said. It also stresses the responsibility of speaking up and representing the profession, and representing the profession well.

Sheehan said that during his tenure as Oklahomas Teacher of the Year, he traveled the state and had over 100 speaking engagements. It opened his eyes to the political nature of teaching.

I felt pulled into the politics of education more and more. ... Education really is political, he said. I had no idea this was the case. I had no idea that wanting to educate the masses is a political act.

During a workshop where state teachers of the year learned how to talk to elected representatives, Nevadas Hinton thought: Hey, why should teachers be explaining to policymakers how important education is? Why arent there more teachers involved in the political process? Maybe this is how I make my mark as the state teacher of the year. Maybe this is how I use this gift.

Becoming a state teacher of the year broadens ones perspective and possibilities, Hinton continued. You have this chance to become an influencer. What are you going to do with it?

Teachers on the Campaign Trail

For Marsh, one of her priorities in her education platform is reducing class sizes, which she has been outspoken about for years. In a recent blog post , she asserted: Smaller class sizes is the single most important factor in determining the fate of students. I can impact 25 students far more successfully than I can impact 40 students.

Arizona has a student-teacher ratio of 23:1, compared to the U.S. ratio of 16:1. Last year, the Learning Policy Institute gave Arizona the lowest teaching attractiveness rating , citing the states large class sizes and low teacher pay.

Still, Marsh said that part of starting her campaign so early was so that she could see which of her ideas resonate with voters. I would be a representative of the people, so their views would matter as well, she said.

Balancing an insiders view of education policy with a broad appeal to voters can be tricky, Hinton said.

One of the discouraging aspects about getting out there and trying to make connections with my constitutents and neighbors was how little it seemed people cared about education, he said. Voters wanted to hear about taxes, job creation, and other kitchen table issues.

But my passion is education. Thats what I wanted to talk about, Hinton said.

And even when voters did care about education, they were often seeking a simple answer to complex questions like, How are you going to make schools better?, instead of a nuanced conversation, Hinton said.

Also, both campaigning and teaching are time-consuming, making it a grueling job to run as an active classroom teacher. Hinton said that during the campaign, he felt like he couldnt be the best teacher or father.

I was literally canvassing 20 hours a week. I got home from school, put on my walking shoes, got out and started knocking on doors. Its 113 degreesId get home and just be exhausted, he said.

The next 16 months are no doubt going to be hard, Marsh said, adding that her friends and family are accepting of the fact that theres not going to be much besides campaigning and teaching.

Ultimately, she said, My students cant suffer. That means other people are going to have to be picking up campaign slack.

A Special Skillset

One of my biggest goals is to make sure that I finish this campaign being able to look my students in the eyes, Marsh said, adding that she cannot run a negative campaign. The experience, she said, will hopefully have a positive impact on her life and in her classroom.

Hinton said the campaign experience made him grow as a person and a teacher. Knocking on doors and asking people for money forced him out of his comfort zone and improved his public speaking skills.

He, like Sheehan (who has since moved to Texas for a better-paying job ), would not rule out another political run in the future.

After all, much of what teachers do in the classroomworking hard, having clear communication, building a welcoming and safe communitywould translate well to public office, they say.

The skills that make effective educators in the classroom translate very well to other leadership roles, said Williams, who is now the director of educator and school excellence at Alaskas department of education. I think sometimes teachers sell themselves short; they say, Im just a teacher. Teachers deal with conflict. Teachers deal with building trust all the time.

Image: Education Week file photo of a voting booth in a school cafeteria.

More on this topic:
Can Police Question a Child Without a Parent Present?

Children are precious. There's no doubt about that. However, even the most precious children are capable of committing the most heinous crimes. And while parents may be willing to do nearly anything to protect their children, police do not necessarily have to allow parents to be present during an interrogation. The best thing a parent can do for a child facing a police investigation or criminal charges is hire a qualified juvenile justice attorney.

In fact, when conducting certain investigations, such as those involving abuse, or neglect, by a parent, officers may need to question a child privately to avoid parental coercion. While parents can tell their child to refuse to speak with police investigating a crime, refusing investigators from Child Protective Services might result in some serious consequences.

Constitutional Rights of Juveniles

Just because a kid is a kid, it doesn't mean that the rights guaranteed by the constitution are void. Children have the same protections as adults, and may even have more protection since their age makes them more vulnerable. For example, courts have ruled that children are entitled to being Mirandized, and may even be entitled to an earlier and more detailed Miranda warning than adults.

As a general matter, apart from simply identifying themselves, children do not have to talk to police at all. The right to remain silent can be exercised by children, and children also have the right to have an attorney present during questioning.

Parental Permission

Parents can often get upset when they learn that their child was questioned by law enforcement without their express permission. Juvenile justice varies from state to state, but most jurisdictions require parents be notified any time police take a child into custody, and many others will ask for parental consent before questioning a minor, even though doing so is not constitutionally required.

Typically, law enforcement officers will attempt to contact parents for the sake of health and safety, as there may be important information for officers to know about, such as a severe peanut allergy. Also, parents can unwittingly provide helpful information to officers.

Conversely, more mature children, such as teenagers, might be more willing to talk to officers if parents are not notified. But teens beware: Officers can lie about parents not being notified. Furthermore, teens should know that giving up your right to remain silent can be a dangerously stupid move without first speaking with your own attorney.

Unlike an attorney, a parent cannot represent their child in the criminal justice system.

Related Resources:
Myanmar will work closely with India for anti-terrorist cooperation and peace in the region, the minister said. In addition, he also there will be an increase in bilateral trade between Myanmar and India.

This is the 9th Delhi Dialogue held in order to increase communication between India and ASEAN countries, exchange culture and make political decisions.

This year is the 25th year of India-ASEAN relations. Therefore, Indian authorities are targeting to increase relations with ASEAN countries. Leaders of the ASEAN 10 countries discussed politics, security, economics and culture on July 4.

Secretary of the Indian Ministry of External Relations, Ms Preeti Saran said India will increase regional relations with the ASEAN 10 countries, trading activities, and cultural exchange activities during a press conference with journalists from ASEAN 10 countries on July 3.

India will fully cooperate with Myanmar for security and combating terrorism By Mizzima On Thursday, 6 July 2017 Facebook Tweet Google +0 0 0 Photo: Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India Country Consultancy Office Minister U Kyaw Tint Swe said that Myanmar will fully cooperate with India for security and combating terrorism on July 4 at the Delhi Dialogue held in Delhi, India. Myanmar will work closely with India for anti-terrorist cooperation and peace in the region, the minister said. In addition, he also there will be an increase in bilateral trade between Myanmar and India. This is the 9th Delhi Dialogue held in order to increase communication between India and ASEAN countries, exchange culture and make political decisions. This year is the 25th year of India-ASEAN relations. Therefore, Indian authorities are targeting to increase relations with ASEAN countries. Leaders of the ASEAN 10 countries discussed politics, security, economics and culture on July 4. Secretary of the Indian Ministry of External Relations, Ms Preeti Saran said India will increase regional relations with the ASEAN 10 countries, trading activities, and cultural exchange activities during a press conference with journalists from ASEAN 10 countries on July 3.
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The girl posing provocatively in the online sex ad resembled a runaway teen from Harris County, so undercover investigators arranged a "date" on Thursday afternoon.

At the north Houston motel, however, they found a 14-year-old runaway from the Chicago area and what they say is a human trafficking operation believed to have lured her to Texas.

By Thursday night, the girl was in state custody and two women were charged with human trafficking and promoting prostitution of a minor.

Harris County Precinct 4 Constable Mark Herman said the incident is just the beginning of an investigation that could further connect the dots in Houston, one of the nation's top hubs for human trafficking.

"Our investigation is not finished by any means," he said. "We do feel like there is going to be more to this story."

Authorities are not sure whether they dismantled a startup enterprise or stumbled onto a larger human trafficking operation.

Teresa Henry, 20, is charged with human trafficking of a minor and compelling prostitution of a minor. She is being held on $100,000 bail.

Centurrie Deshunn Garrett, 24, is charged with compelling prostitution of a minor and has a $50,000 bail. Both women remain in the Harris County jail.

Authorities had been looking for the local runaway for several weeks, scouring online ads. They spotted a young woman who appeared to be the missing teen around 3:30 p.m. Thursday.

The girl was advertised with an adult woman who turned investigators identified as Henry as a "two-for-one special," said Cpl. Cinthya Umanzor, a community relations officer with the Precinct 4 constable's office.

"Anybody we find had dealings with this 14-year-old will be prosecuted," Herman said. "I do anticipate more charges being filed and possibly on other folks."

The teen and Henry met through the Kik messaging app and developed a "dating relationship," according to authorities.

The young woman told investigators that she lied about her age, saying she was 19, then 16, but finally admitted that she was 14, so Henry was informed that the teen was a minor, Umanzor said.

The teen bought a bus ticket to Houston and began living with Henry, who introduced her to Backpage.com  an online platform for legal adult entertainment as well as illegal solicitations.

Garrett was teaching her "what to say and what to do when the johns get over here," Umanzor said.

The women also are accused of having the teen solicit sex in public.

"They had tried to put her out on the street a couple of times and she tried not to pick anyone up because she didn't want to," Umanzor said.

The name of the rescued girl was not released.

"Our goal is to get her back to her parents as soon as we can," Umanzor said.

Authorities also found Garrett's 6-week-old infant in an adjoining room; Child Protective Services released the baby to relatives who came to the scene, Herman said.

According to staff at the North Villa Inn in the 16500 block of the North Freeway, Garrett had been renting a room for three weeks. Employees presumed she and Henry were a couple with a baby. They said they never saw the teen girl.

The inn sits in a commercial stretch of I-45 near FM 1960 known for prostitution, where low-cost, by-the-week lodging blends into cramped shopping centers and car dealerships. The Harris County Attorney's Office has sought injunctions against area motels and a Precinct 4 raid in June netted more than a dozen arrests.

The North Villa Inn has a 10 p.m. curfew for guests, meaning they must be inside or en route to or from their rooms. The rule is posted in the lobby and enforced by security to prevent the property from being used for illegal commerce, according to hotel staff.

Backpage.com hit Houston headlines last October when its CEO, Carl Ferrer, was arrested after his international flight landed at Bush Intercontinental Airport.

Michael Lacey and James Larkin, former executives of an alternative weekly newspaper chain that included the Houston Press, founded Backpage.com in 2004.

The controversial web site is described as the world's largest marketplace for buying and selling sex. The platform posts ads for escort services, erotic massages and other sexual services for sale.

A criminal case is pending in California against Ferrer, Lacey and Larkin accusing them of pimping, conspiracy to commit pimping and money laundering."I do anticipate more charges being filed and possibly on other folks."

Andrew Kragie and John Harden contributed to this report.
From the chemical plants of Houston to the oil and gas wells of West Texas, the state is letting polluters off the hook, foregoing penalties in about 97 percent of incidents, environmental groups reported Friday.

Companies chalk up the releases as unavoidable consequences of complex chemical processes and necessary maintenance. But they could be stopped with equipment upgrades if companies had the incentive to do so in the form of stiffer penalties, according to the report, "Breakdowns in Enforcement."

Houston, with its massive industrial complex, had more such incidents than anywhere else during the six-year period examined in the report. But in one surprising finding, the analysis showed that supposedly small polluters were escaping penalties for big emissions by gaming the system.

"The result is that thousands of tons of illegal air pollution is threatening public health, but is not being taken into account by Texas regulators," said Gabriel Clark-Leach, an attorney for the Environmental Integrity Project, which produced the report with Environment Texas.

State officials and companies have not seen the report, because it was published early Friday.

The groups logged more than 400 million pounds of pollution in the incidents, and penalties averaged just 3 cents per pound.

In the absence of state enforcement, advocates have turned to lawsuits, including a recent one that netted a civil penalty of $20 million against Exxon Mobil for releases from its Baytown complex.

The analysis of state records reveals that Texas imposed penalties on 588 out of 24,839 malfunction and maintenance events reported by companies from 2011 through 2016. The total fines for these violations of the law were $13.5 million.

The Houston area had 453 incidents, which released 5.2 million pounds of illegal air pollution, the analysis found.

But the largest releases of illegal pollution, in terms of total pounds, happened in the oil fields of West Texas, where 10 million pounds were released.

Under state and federal law, sources that emit less than 25 tons of sulfur dioxide and volatile organic compounds each year can claim an exemption from the federal Clean Air Act's more stringent permitting requirements that call for public notice and modern air pollution control equipment.

But many Texas facilities that have claimed this exemption emitted more than 25 tons of these pollutants during 2016, meaning that they violated emission limits, the report said.

Of the 96 sites statewide that reported more than 25 tons of sulfur dioxide emissions during maintenance and malfunction in 2016, almost half  47  improperly claimed to be "insignificant sources" that are exempt, according to the analysis.

A Chronicle series last year, Chemical Breakdown, exposed the lack of penalties and oversight for chemical facilities across the nation.

Editor's note: This story was updated with new numbers, provided by the Environmental Integrity Project, for malfunction and maintenance events statewide and in Houston. The changes did not alter the conclusions of the analysis.
Kainoa Little spent April and May documenting the harrowing battle of ISIS-held Mosul, and when no one wanted to buy his photos, he published them free of charge. His reasons were particularly cool:

I tried and failed to find newspapers and wire services who would purchase my photos. But the soldiers had fed me and given me a seat in their Humvees, and the refugees had tolerated my presence on some of the worst days of their lives. They very rightly expected that I would tell their story.

The worst uncertainty for me as a freelancer in conflict isn't that I won't be able to pay my rent; it's that no one will see the story, and then I will have failed to give a voice to the voiceless. So I have tried to share them where I can, and hopefully people can imagine some of the human tragedy and triumph playing out in Mosul.
A former Houston police officer facing criminal charges after a shooting near his home will testify in his own defense unless his case is dismissed, his lawyer said Friday.

Bruce Johnson faces a misdemeanor assault charge and a felony charge of tampering with evidence, accused of kicking a burglar and moving evidence moments after shooting him on Feb. 16.

Johnson was off-duty but wearing his uniform when he confronted Derek Carr, who allegedly had robbed Johnson's family home minutes earlier in northwest Houston's Acres Homes neighborhood.

The two got into a physical altercation, and Johnson shot Carr once in the arm and once in the back.

On Friday, Johnson's attorney said the officer was responding to a family member's call about a burglary in progress at his home and would testify in his own defense.

"I can't stress enough that Mr. Johnson is the victim here," said lawyer Mark Thering. "I can guarantee you that the citizens of Harris County will hear from Mr. Johnson on the witness stand."

Johnson was indicted by a grand jury last month after a six-month investigation. Thering said Johnson offered to tell grand jurors his side of the story but was not called. Since grand jury proceedings are secret there is no way to know what grand jurors considered before indicting him.

"I know we are appearing in criminal court, but it's the same courthouse as Mr. Carr, who is an eight-time convicted burglar has appeared," Thering said. "It just baffles me."

Johnson was in court for a routinely scheduled update. He did not comment.

District Attorney Kim Ogg personally announced the indictments on June 22, trumpeting a new commitment to police accountability. Ogg took office Jan. 1.

Prosecutors in the case said Carr, who has been charged with burglary, was carrying Johnson family belongings as well as a 16-inch metal tool. The 42-year-old remains in the Harris County Jail without bail on a charge of burglary  the 11th time he has been charged with burglary since 1992, according to court records.

A bystander's video recorded Johnson after the shooting as he kicked the wounded Carr about 10 times, prosecutors said.

Photo evidence also showed that Johnson moved the metal tool, which Ogg said was a clear effort to tamper with the scene in a bid to prove a claim of self-defense.



If convicted Johnson could face a maximum penalty of 10 years behind bars.
A multi-agency police chase in north Harris County led to at least two police car crashes as deputies and officers pursued a carjacking suspect early Friday.

The chase started around 1:45 a.m. in the Greenspoint area when a sheriff's deputy spotted a Chevy Tahoe SUV that was reported stolen in a carjacking. A deputy tried to pull over the driver, who took off instead.
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U.S. Marshals recently announced the arrest of a 17-year-old Dallas murder suspect in New Jersey.

Taymor Travon McIntyre, 17, was arrested June 30 without incident in Elizabeth, New Jersey while staying with a friend.

Hours after his arrest, McIntyre's posted a music video on Twitter, writing "feds can't hold me back."

SLATED: Houston serial murderer known as 'Tourniquet Killer' gets October date with death

In the music video, which contains graphic language,"Tay-K 47" raps about robbing and shooting victims while waving a handgun in front of the camera. McIntyre also raps about running from police instead of "beating the case."

McIntyre, who is charged with capital murder, was pursued by federal authorities and was described as a "violent fugitive."

He allegedly fled to San Antonio in late March after being put under house arrest in connection to the 2016 murder of a 21-year-old in Mansfield. According to the Star-Telegram, McIntyre is also a suspect in a separate San Antonio murder.

BEHIND BARS: Houston man charged with capital murder in January slaying

In a statement, the U.S. Marshals Service said "dozens of tips poured in from the entire country," aiding in the teen's apprehension.

Click through above to see recent fugitives on the run from Houston-area police.
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During a two-hour funeral service Friday morning, friends and family honored slain police officer Miguel Moreno, a nine-year veteran of the police force who loved to fish, travel and ride his Harley Davidson motorcycle.

The public service, at times religious, included impassioned remarks from Gov. Greg Abbott and an emotional tribute from Moreno's brother, Arturo.

"This was the hardest week of my life," said Arturo Moreno, who is also an SAPD officer. "For me and my family, I just want to thank the community and my fellow officers for their condolences."

SAPD Chief William McManus and Mayor Ron Nirenberg also spoke at the service, which falls on the anniversary of the Dallas shooting that left five police officers dead in an ambush attack by a heavily armed gunman.

"No words can heal the pain and ease the hurt we all feel," McManus said. "Nothing will make us feel better except faith and time. Life goes on. But if does not go on the same way for officer Moreno's family or friends, or the San Antonio Police Department."

RELATED: 'Last night, there was no laughing': SAPD officer describes grim mood at roll call after shooting

The day's commemorations began with a procession from the Alamodome. Officials estimate that about 600 officers took part in the motorcade for Moreno, who was killed in a shootout north of downtown last week.

In a news release ahead of the Moreno service, Abbott issued a statewide call "to stand with law enforcement in Texas." At 10 a.m. Friday, Abbott asked that all law enforcement officers turn on their red and blue lights for one minute.

Seven-year-old Matthew Madrano stood alongside Cherry Street watching the procession depart. He held a black and white American flag with a blue stripe across the middle, a flag designed to commemorate law enforcement.

As the patrol cars turned onto Cherry Street, Matthew waved the flag, smiling and waving to the officers. One officer came up to say hello and shake his hand.

Matthew, who was accompanied by his grandparents, said he attended the procession "to support the police."

Mark Martinez, whose childhood friend and SAPD officer Oscar Perez was killed in the line of duty in 2000, also stood along Cherry Street, watching the procession depart. He said anytime a law enforcement officer is killed, it brings back memories of the friend he'd known since kindergarten.

"It's just ridiculous that it happened again," Martinez said. "It was just an officer doing his job and some idiot killed him. It was a senseless killing."

"These guys need our support," Martinez added. "They get a bad rap, but they're just trying to do their jobs."

RELATED: Back the Blue March honors fallen San Antonio officer

From the Alamodome, the procession traveled north on U.S. 281 to Loop 1604, where officials took the Redland Road exit and arrived at the Community Bible Church.

The procession included officers from agencies throughout Texas, including Austin, New Braunfels, Houston and El Paso  a reminder of the thin blue line that exists in the law enforcement community.

A separate motorcade including Moreno's family, his cadet class and his shift mates followed the first procession after departing from Porter Loring Mortuary.

Supporters gathered over several overpasses to watch the procession. Detective Alfred Cruz, a 15-year veteran, held open a black flag with a blue line as he stood alongside roughly 30 of his colleagues on the Stadium Drive overpass.

On the day of the shooting, Cruz said he had seen both Moreno and his partner, officer Julio Cavazos, at roll call, a casual moment as officers begin their shifts, while he was walking out of the police station. Cavazos survived a shot to the chin that became lodged in his chest.

Moreno was shot and killed near San Antonio College June 29 while approaching two men while on patrol. He died the following day.

Moreno was with Officer Julio Cavazos, who survived a gunshot wound to the chest and was released from the hospital Tuesday.

"They were joking around and having fun, everyone was laughing maybe an hour before the shooting," Cruz said. "Then an hour later, I hear that they were shot. It's just really surreal, to know that's a reality."

RELATED: San Antonio pays tribute to firefighter Scott Deem, who was killed in Northwest Side blaze

Cruz said he graduated from Lanier High School sometime before Moreno. Their Voks pride was another bonding point, in addition to being officers.

Seeing the procession of police vehicles from numerous law enforcement agencies moved Cruz, who appeared somber as he spoke.

It's the second time in a little over a month that he's been at the overpass. He was there when firefighter Scott Deem's procession passed through on May 26.

"It just kind of makes you realize the reality of the job, just how life can be cut short so soon," Cruz said. "Something like this is very profound, for us at least."

Moreno, 32, was shot and killed near the Tobin Lofts apartments on East Evergreen Street and Main Avenue on June 29 after approaching two men while on directed patrol. He died the following day.

Moreno is survived by his parents, three sisters and a brother.

Moreno was accompanied by Cavazos, who was critically injured in the shootout. Cavazos, 36, was released from the hospital Tuesday and attended the service.

Police identified the suspect in the slaying as Andrew Bice, who ran from the scene and fatally shot himself in the head.

Friday's service marked the second time in 45 days that San Antonio paused to honor the life and service of one of its fallen first responders.

San Antonio firefighter Scott Deem was killed in a fire on May 18 and he was laid to rest on Friday, May 26.

The Catholic Mass culminated with the ringing of the bell and the sounding of the final alarm, a time-honored firefighting tradition. The call was broadcast over the radio system for all of Deem's brothers to hear.

"This is the final alarm for Scott Patrick Deem," the dispatcher said. "He faithfully served the city of San Antonio for six years. ... Although you are gone, you will never be forgotten. Rest in power, Scott."

It's the deadliest period of time for civil servants in the city of San Antonio since 1989, when three police officers and one firefighter were killed in the span of seven months.

eeaton@express-news.net

Twitter: @emilieeaton

Staff Writers Jacob Beltran and Sergio Martinez-Beltran contributed to this report.
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A former foot soldier for the Zetas was sentenced in San Antonio on Thursday to 12 years in prison for his role in the cartels drug-smuggling operations and bloody reign in northern Mexico.

Gustavo Rodriguez Costilla, 28, faced life in prison for gun and drug-trafficking charges, but U.S. District Judge Xavier Rodriguez granted a prosecution motion for leniency, and gave him a dozen years.

Rodriguez was a witness in last years gore-filled trial in San Antonio of his co-defendant, Zetas regional boss Marciano Chano Millan Vasquez.

Millan, like Rodriguez, began as a sicario, a hitman or foot soldier, and rose in 2013 to lead the drug gangs Piedras Negras plaza (smuggling corridor) across from Eagle Pass. Judge Rodriguez sentenced Millan to seven life sentences for drug-trafficking related crimes that included 29 killings, among them a 6-year-old girl he chopped up with an ax in front of her parents while she was still alive.

Millan was tried and convicted here under a U.S. law that permits defendants be prosecuted for killings in another country as long as those violent acts were part of a drug conspiracy with connections to the United States.

RELATED: Seven life sentences for ex-Zetas boss who took part in slaughters

Gustavo Rodriguez was indicted in May 2016 on gun and weapons charges shortly before he was set to be released from federal prison for weapons charges in Del Rios federal court.

As part of a plea deal in San Antonio, Rodriguez pleaded guilty to drug distribution and weapons trafficking charges in exchange for his cooperation and testimony.

His assistance was significant and substantial, thats why weve asked for a substantial reduction, Assistant U.S. Attorney Russell Leachman told Judge Rodriguez.

Gustavo Rodriguez testified at trial that he was part of a massive jailbreak in September 2012 at a lockup near Piedras Negras in which he was among 130 inmates freed by the Zetas. It was one of the biggest escapes in Mexicos history.

According to other testimony and Mexican officials, the Zetas controlled the jail and used it to dispose of numerous people who had gotten crossways with the cartel. They burned the bodies in barrels at the jail and deposited the ashes in a tributary of the Rio Grande, officials said.

In June 2013, Rodriguez was found living with a relative in Eagle Pass, and had several rifles and guns. He was sentenced to 37 months in prison for weapons charges, but days before his release in May last year, he was indicted in the larger Zetas case with Millan.

Leachman told Judge Rodriguez that agents did not know about Gustavo Rodriguezs involvement as a sicario for the Zetas until shortly before he was indicted last year.

At trial, Rodriguez testified that after the jailbreak, he was sent to a camp in the countryside to train for three months, then joined a group of sicarios who brazenly patrolled Piedras Negras armed with AK-47 and AR-15 rifles and rocket launchers.

RELATED: Mexico transfers Zetas cartel leader to border prison in Mexico

Rodriguez testified that on at least seven occasions he joined Zetas leaders in a field while trucks loaded with people believed to be members of rival drug gangs rolled up, and deposited them for questioning.

They would investigate them, they would see where they were from, who they worked for, he testified. They would just have them kneel down on the ground, and they would get a bullet in the head.

Rodriguez described the questioning as more of a kangaroo court than a serious effort to determine whether the victims had really helped the Zetas enemies. He said he witnessed other Zetas sicarios execute as many as 80 people.

gcontreras@express-news.net

Twitter: @gmaninfedland
A 7-year old boy in Manor, Texas fell victim to a surprise attack when a pit bull mix burst through its home's front door earlier this week and attacked.

Brison Aldridge was playing with other boys in his neighborhood's cul-de-sac around 7:30 p.m. in what his mom described as "a daily activity."

Shauna Allen-Aldridge, Brison Aldridge's mother, told mySA.com that the supposed safety of the area was a selling point for her family to move to the area.

But Monday evening, while vacuuming her van in the driveway, Shauna Aldridge was interrupted by a child who said her son was being attacked by a dog.

READ ALSO: Photos show aftermath of Texas bee swarm attack; man stung 'close to 150 times'

Thankfully, Shauna said, neighbors had immediately jumped into action and pulled the dog off of her son.

Brison Aldridge was rushed to the emergency room at Dell Hospital where his mom said six deep lacerations required sutures and he had an X-ray, as doctors feared Brison's kidneys could have been punctured from the dog bites.

In the video captured by a neighbor's security camera, Brison is seen being attacked by the dog, which Shauna Aldridge claimed is known to be aggressive. She said her son has never been allowed into the house where the dog resides.

Shauna Aldridge believes that the owners were on their way to take the dog on a walk as their front door was open, but before they could put the dog on a leash, he had raced out the door.

The concerned mother said the pit bull mix has had a history of tearing up a neighbor's fence and attacking other animals, though this is the first time she's heard of the dog attacking a child.

RELATED: Delta mauling by dog owned by Marine puts focus on 'support animal' rules

At this moment, no charges have been filed, but Shauna Aldridge said she has turned the matter over to an attorney. She said the dog has no vaccines and is not registered.

The pit bull mix was taken by an animal control unit Monday evening and will stay in their possession for at least 10 days, she said.

Shauna Aldridge said the owners of the dog have yet to approach her family or check on her son's condition.

She said her son is recovering form his wounds, but seems to be weary of going outside.

"We are just so grateful it wasn't worse," Shauna said.

This attack is one of about 9,500 dog bite injuries that require hospitalization in the U.S. annually, according to Dogs Bite, a group that tracks dog attack trends, primarily pit bulls.

The organization has reported one fatal dog attack occurring this year so far. Two-month-old Skylar Dean Julius of San Marcos was attacked by her family's dog, a German shepherd, resulting in her death on January 17.

jthorpe@express-news.net

@jerilynnthorpe
News / National

by Staff reporter

HEIGHTENED manifestations of intensifying fights over President Robert Mugabe's hotly-contested succession battle rocked cabinet again this week, amid indications the problem is increasingly spinning out of control.The succession battle exploded on Wednesday through a confrontation between Information minister Chris Mushohwe and Indigenisation minister Patrick Zhuwao over media reports on Zanu-PF bigwigs and other interested parties clashing on who should succeed the 93-year-old and ailing Mugabe.Last week, Zimbabwe Defence Forces commander General Constantino Chiwenga, Higher Education minister Jonathan Moyo and Finance minister Patrick Chinamasa publicly clashed over the US$500 million Command Agriculture programme, which has now become the new front on which the raging succession battle is being fought.On Wednesday trouble started when Mushohwe complained about Zanu-PF leaders and government officials feuding in the media over policy issues. He appealed to cabinet to try and stop the infighting through the media.However, Zhuwao, who is also Mugabe's nephew, confronted Mushohwe, saying that he was not the best person to raise the issue as he allowed the state media to wage a campaign of negative publicity and character assassination against him and other ministers, as well as government officials. Zhuwao said that before Mushohwe could talk about officials fighting in the media, he should rein in the state media, particularly the state-controlled Herald, which he said was being used as a factional platform to attack certain ministers."Mushohwe said there was an all-out war in the media in which several government officials, including ministers, members of the security forces and war veterans were now fighting each other publicly. He said this was worsening divisions and policy discord within cabinet, and government," one cabinet minister said. "He then appealed to President Mugabe who was chairing cabinet and other colleagues to help stop the media attacks."However, Zhuwao countered him, saying Mushohwe was part of the problem in the first place as he was allowing state media, especially The Herald, to be used as a blunt tool to attack certain government ministers and officials."Zhuwao told Mushohwe that he could not complain about fights in the media when he himself was in charge of the media in general as the relevant policymaker and the state media in particular. He said he must first control the state media before making noise about the issue."
J. Patric Schneider/Freelance

Houston firefighters will begin gathering petition signatures Saturday to place a measure on the November ballot asking voters to mandate parity in pay between corresponding firefighter and police officer ranks.

The move follows the fire union's decision last month to sue the city over stalled contract talks, alleging Mayor Sylvester Turner's administration failed to act in good faith during the negotiations.
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AUSTIN  A federal judge tossed out a lawsuit filed last year by University of Texas professors who argued the state's new campus carry law "chills" their First Amendment right to free speech.

U.S. District Court Judge Lee Yeakel, from the Western District of Texas' Austin division, dismissed the suit Thursday, ruling the professors failed to prove an actual injury.

Yeakle also ruled the professors failed to prove how the alleged injury is connected to the attorney general or officials at UT, who are defendants in the lawsuit.

READ ALSO: Why fewer international students are choosing to enroll at Texas colleges

The law went into effect in August of 2016, allowing students to bring guns onto campus and into classrooms. The law is unpopular at the flagship university. However, school leadership assembled a task force to figure out how to implement the new law on campus.

"The court's ruling today is the correct outcome," Attorney General Paxton said in a statement. "The fact that a small group of professors dislike a law and speculate about a 'chilling effect' is hardly a valid basis to set the law aside."

The law allows guns on campuses of higher education, but guns would have to be concealed and could only be carried by people at least 21 years old.
News / National

by Staff reporter

An ex-Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) officer - recently fined $50 for theft of four chickens - was back in the dock yesterday for the theft of 11 road-runners.Rushmore Nyamutata, 25, was convicted on his own plea of guilt by magistrate Tendai Mahwe.He was fined $50 for each of the two counts he was facing, having stolen three chickens from two different families whose chicken runs he raided.Nyamutata was being charged with stock theft as defined in section 114 (2) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act chapter 9:23.He blamed the repeat offences to spells being cast on him by a close uncle.Prosecuting, Walter Saunyama informed the court how Nyamutata stole eight chickens from Elliot Chekudya's fowl run on July 1 at around 0200 hours.He then proceeded to raid Nimrod Matute's fowl run an hour later and made off with eight birds.All the chickens, valued at $55, were recovered.In May, Nyamutata was fined $50 after stealing four chickens belonging to Tsitsi Fenyere. The ZNA has disowned Nyamutata, saying he ceased to be a soldier in 2014, having been discharged on disciplinary grounds.
Opinion / Columnist

Which Are the Parties That Can Form a Good Coalition?

Biti and Ncube Should Lead the Negotiations

Proposed Coalition Matrix



Tinashe Eric Muzamhindo writes in his personal capacity as the Head of MINDS which is responsible for policy Research and Analysis. He is also an academic and researcher. He can be contacted at greatorminds@gmail.com

With due respect no one can dispute the fact that Morgan Tsvangirai is the father of democracy and the most respected opposition leader who can be accepted by all common loving Zimbabweans. This fact remains and it's binding. People should not waste time dwelling on much anticipated petty issues instead of dealing with reality on the ground. If you check the amount of time vested in coalition matters you will find that time is no longer on the side of the opposition because we are almost 8 months away from the proclamation date of elections. Zimbabweans are languishing in poverty and it is the duty of Morgan Tsvangirai to call for a national dialogue amongst all opposition parties to resolve their impasse ahead of watershed elections. Tsvangirai has experience in opposition politics and being the most respected politician in this country it is worthy while for him to embrace everyone and forge an alliance with all major political parties for the benefit of all Zimbabweans. If there is a person who can give Zanu Pf sleepless nights when an alliance is forged is Tendai Biti. I've still great respect for T.B though the split was a damaging factor to his reputation but at least people have little respect for him. The best people who can lead these negotiations quickly is Tendai Biti and Welshman Ncube. These two barristers are well seasoned politicians who can go beyond politics.People should not waste much time dwelling on petty issues. Zanu is taking advantage of the confusion in the opposition by further widening rifts and sponsoring confusion and sowing seeds of division among potential coalition partners. Let's not beat around the bush. We have so many brief case parties in this country, some real and some planted by the state to cause confusion in the coalition process. Coalition factor is based on numbers, in as much as we can hate Tsvangirai but the fact remains the same he is the only politician who has strong grassroots support country wide. We have meaningful parties which can form a coalition namely MDC T, PDP, ZAPU, MDC N, NPP, Ngarivhume's political outfit. The coalition is not for leaders but it is for the masses. I have a strong belief that if these five get united we can have a strong opposition force in this country. These above mentioned political parties should not waste time but rather start focusing on pushing one national agenda for the benefit of all Zimbabweans.I have great respect for these two academic barristers. They may have tarnished their reputations politically but it's never too late to reconcile with others. In politics there are no permanent friends or permanent enemies. It is high time, these two fellows can shelve their personal egos and start to lead negotiations on coalition matters. The idea of the coalition is good but the major problem is the composition of legal framework and positions in the future Government of which I believe with experienced lawyers like Tendai Biti and Welshman Ncube they can do a better job. During the GNU era Tendai Biti did well as the finance minister and one expect Biti to use the same experience to initiate a good coalition matrix.President - Morgan TsvangiraiVice 1 - Welshman NcubeVice 2 - Joice T R MujuruMin of State in President's office - Nelson ChamisaMin of State in the V President's office - Sylvester NguniMin of Finance& Economic Planning and Development - Dr Nkosana MoyoMin of Information and Publicity - Jacob MafumeMin of Energy and Power - Elias MudzuriMin of Youth and Empowerment - Patson DzamaraMin of Defence - Dumiso DabengwaMin of Justice - Tendai BitiMin of Women, Gender - Jessie MajomeMin of Home Affairs - Douglas MwonzoraChief justice - Beatrice MtetwaMin of Foreign Affairs - Fadzayi MahereMin of Religion& Reconciliation - Evan MawarireMin of sports& Culture - Jacob NgarivhumeMin of Higher Education - Authur MutambaraMin of Education - Edwin Mushoriwa
Opinion / Columnist

Yesterday morning I received a WhatsApp message. On it was a graph. It was done by pan-African research network, Afrobarometer. The graph indicated that Zanu-PF is once again headed for a massive victory in next year's harmonised elections. The MDC-T is way behind. My reply to the sender was: "Someone will commit suicide."It was a reflexive comment, not targeting anyone at all.Over time we have been exposed to an opposition landscape that's hypersensitive and allergic to any and everything which portrays a truth it doesn't like, in a negative light, or at least, if that is the case, doesn't portray it in pitying tones as a victim of Zanu-PF chicanery. It is equally allergic to any and everything which finds positively about Zanu-PF. If it must be on top, it must be because the result or image has been "sexed up". Thanks Tony Blair.Still, it would be fascinating to know in detail what the Afrobarometer survey said. But for my purposes, I didn't need to read the survey. I set off to work with my mind completely lost in the day's deadlines and the Spectrum. Then without warning, a NewsDay poster hit me hard: "Elections a waste of time." My word. Not so early. "Someone will commit suicide" wasn't meant as a prophesy.But the coincidence between the Afrobarometer survey results and Ibbo Mandaza's resigned, fatalistic conclusion that elections were a waste of time for the opposition was pretty uncanny. Never mind MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai telling journalists on the same day as Mandaza's talk, that all the scattered prodigal sons and many others born out of wedlock would finally confluence by Save under the big tent called a grand coalition. It's called bravado. After all, he it was who caused the first mass suicide of MDC-T MPs when he recalled them from Parliament in 2015, leaving Zanu-PF to do as it pleases.Mandaza's remarks are important in one respect: they make opposition politics easy. There is always a legitimate alibi for losing elections. You don't have to look inward; at your policies or manifestoes or what the greater population outside the confines of urbanites or social media, thinks of you. The greater population in communal lands and on farms doesn't matter anymore since 2000. They are ignorant people who would vote for unrefined politicians like Donald Trump.He is telling the world the only voter who really matters is the clever urban guy who doesn't have a job. It doesn't matter how many they are. All they need to tilt the scales in the ballot is to be assisted with a reform of the law. That will swell their numbers to beat the resettled people who are prepared to shed blood in defence of the farms from which they now make rich harvests of tobacco, cotton, soyabeans, chickens and maize. People who are not looking for jobs but are creating them. These don't count.It was reported that Mandaza told a University of Zimbabwe elections symposium conditions were not conducive for elections. "Electoral malpractices in Zimbabwe legitimise the illegitimate," opined Mandaza sagely. Where are you Alex Magaisa? It was only yesterday that you were cautioning your party against the politics of despondency!Mandaza was not done. "If we are to have elections, we need to reform State institutions," he said. Together with one Tendai Biti, Mandaza is for something called National Transitional Authority. It doesn't require elections. It requires Zimbabwe to locate a mythical being fairer than the biased God of Israel who is full of revenge, a "neutral" being to preside dispassionately over our polarised transition to Canaan.At most we have no more than a year before harmonised elections to either elect a new Government or retain Zanu-PF in power. One would expect serious intellectuals to know that it is only after those elections, if there is no outright winner, that people can start talking about compromises, run-offs and transitional mechanisms.Of course, there are people in the opposition and civic society who understand that anyone who was in the liberation struggle or has served in the army or the police is opposed to their brand of democracy, a bourgeois democracy where individual rights are valued disproportionately far more than social justice for the majority. Reasoned thus, only those whose reputations are not tainted by association with the liberation war, the land reform or indigenisation are qualified to lead us to Paradise, even if it means recalling our hallowed Anthony Gubbay to "restore" constitutionalism.Mandaza and ilk must envy how the white DA in South Africa has been able to hogtie and wobble the ANC government through constitutional provisions smuggled in by white beneficiaries of apartheid to ensnare liberation peace negotiators in their hour of delirious euphoria ahead of elections in 1994.Tsvangirai spoke the same day as Mandaza and Afrobarometer, and beat the Sapes Trust boss square. Perhaps having behind his mind what Magaisa said not more than three weeks ago. The politics of despair and apathy can only inflict more damage on the MDC-T, he warned. Why would people bother to register and vote if the leadership made their fear of losing the next election a public secret!So Tsvangirai was more guarded, jittery though he was, in his remarks.Let him speak, obviously for the benefit of reporters: "For me, the 2018 election, we are going to win it, even in the face of rigging circumstances. We are going to win it and I want to encourage every Zimbabwean to have a mentality of saying we are going to make change come in 2018."Beneath the bold exhortation was an anguished awareness by Tsvangirai that his chances are numbered. He had to "command" a coalition deal by the end of month so that "we will be able to have a strategy for elections because I think time is running out and we need to sit down and see how we can tackle the question of elections". Indeed, time is running out for both the coalition and for election preparations.We thus found it hilarious that Tsvangirai should worry about a Zanu-PF preoccupied with "succession issues" instead of admitting his own failure to forge even a coalition of convenience. Zanu-PF can indulge itself because its machinery has gone well past "strategy for elections". It is campaigning. Where MDC-T is promising bourgeois democracy, Zanu-PF has democratised land ownership and is delivering maize. Where MDC-T is promising jobs, Zanu-PF supporters are earning money from selling cotton and tobacco.We can understand Tsvangirai's dilemma; almost a repeat of 2013: to go in or to boycott? He sits with ideologues posturing as intellectual analysts keen to delegitimise an election by boycotting because they can't stomach the prospect of a fair defeat. A boycott can then bring in masters of the globe to install a legitimate "neutral" to ensure an opposition victory which Zanu-PF institutions couldn't deliver. The bonds of mental slavery are more enduring than the pain of liberation war.
Opinion / Columnist

Limitations embedded in the current political system





What can be done?: An Agenda for research, policy and practice Strong engagement with political leadership

Strong engagement with political leadership

Moving away from buzzwords to action oriented approach

The Sunday Mail 2 July 2017 screamed with the headline, "Child brides: From frying pan to the fire." The heading itself is loaded and portray a society that has failed the girl child. But the question is, 'What could be the missing link in the fight against child marriages in Zimbabwe?' Is it lack of deterrent legal and policy framework? Could it be ignorance on the net effects of child marriages? Could it be lack of political will to fight the scourge? Definite answers to the preceding questions are difficult to come up with but this article seeks to cross pollinate ideas on how to end child marriages in Zimbabwe. In the process of searching for answers, I would want to quote Nelson Mandela, "There can be no keener revelation of a society's soul than the way in which it treats its children." This paper is intended as a contribution to a debate about child marriages and how to end the scourge. A key premise of the paper is that the state- the political system matters most in the fight against evils in the society, such as child marriages.Statistics on child marriages in Zimbabwe leaves a lot to be desired. It boggles the mind that a country with such literacy level is still suffering from a stone age practice where the girl child was viewed with disdain and reduced to be a sexual toy. According to the Sunday Mail 2 July 2017, the statistics of child marriages are as follows: Mashonaland Central 50%, Mashonaland West 42%, Masvingo 39%, Mashonaland East 36%, Midlands 31%, Manicaland 30%, Matebeleland North 27%, Harare 19%, Matebeleland South 18%, and Bulawayo 10%. These statistics are a tip of the iceberg. They are only cases that were reported yet there are so many cases that are swept under the carpet especially in the mapositori sects. What baffles the mind is that while the girl child is suffering there is someone involved in complicit.The Constitutional Court ruling on child marriages was delivered on 21 January 2016. The court ruling was hailed in all corners of the country and even by the outside world as a great leap forward in the area of child protection. The writer penned an article hailing the court ruling as a step in the right direction but pointed out that we still have a mountain to climb. Indeed, it never occurred to many that the court's effort would be frustrated by a political system that lack urgency. It is now one and half years since the constitutional court outlawed child marriages but up to this day there is no law in place to effectively buttress and reinforce the court ruling. The Ministry of Justice has failed the girl child and the community at large. One wonder if someone is sleeping on duty. As if that is not enough, Parliament as full as it is, continue to betray progressive minded Zimbabweans who wish to see the end of child marriages. Parliament has been conspicuous about its absence in the fight against child marriages. Parliament's role to put the executive to account and to enact progressive laws has at worst been ad hoc and at best disjointed. The August house has failed to come up with a law criminalising child marriages in Zimbabwe. It's sad. It paints a gloomy picture.The arguments above are that there is lack of political will to fight child marriages in Zimbabwe. There is case of indicating left but turning right. The three arms of the state are operating without jellying when it comes to issues to do with children. The right hand does not know what the left hand is doing. Therefore, it is apt to argue that the state is complicit in the fight against child marriages. As long as there are no laws that criminalise child marriages, then the fight against child marriages remain a rhetoric. It is just one of those issues that are only talked about for expediency sake and to get political mileage by politicians.There is need for engagement with political parties and parliaments more fully and directly. While parties have a poor reputation in many countries, they remain an essential intermediary institution linking citizens to governments. Therefore, parties are a necessary evil in the fight against child marriages and its related evils. On the other hand, parties, like parliament, urgently need to broaden their scope. They should come up with manifestos that accommodates the down trodden. Beyond winning votes, parties should be more responsive and professional as well as to develop greater policy expertise to address the genesis of child marriages. Our greatest tragedy at the moment is that women's issues are only considered for convenience purposes. They are not taken seriously. In her book entitled Women, Power and Policy, Marchbank (2000) talks about skirting the issue: power, non decision making and gender. She laments the subtle and covert uses of power to maintain the status quo. Thus non decision means are used to undermine women issues. Male chauvinists still view women in general and the girl child in particular with disdain.The catch phrase in Zimbabwe is that Zimbabwe has shown great commitment to the protection of children! What? Is that what we want? Do we eat commitment? What is fundamental is to ensure that the country's commitment is put into action in the fight against child marriages. To continue boasting about commitment is like bragging about untapped potential. Yes the country managed to ratify the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child and other conventions meant to protect vulnerable members of our society. But that is not enough. The country's commitment should be put into action. We need results from the commitment. The girl child is suffering while the nation is busy bragging about commitment. Laws should be enacted to align them with the letter and spirit of the CRC, ACRWC as well as the Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment Number 20 ACT 2013. Perpetrators of abuse against the girl child should be brought to book and deterrent measures should be put in place. Why are we massaging the egos of people who are destroying the jewel of our future? Parliament should deliver. As it stands today, parliament is a ghost character of itself. It is failing the nation. Imagine 210 members of parliament failing to take it upon themselves to engage the executive to spearhead the promulgation of child friendly laws! What a circus? Parliament should take a leading role to advocate for the vulnerable members of the community. The executive should be proactive in championing the implementation of child friendly laws and policies.Making a more serious commitment to improving prevention and response to child marriagesThe current discourse on child marriage is myopic. It is kneejerk oriented. This is an ordeal situation that exists in our midst. As a result the girl child continues to suffer in silence. What should be done is to go beyond a narrow focus on symptoms of child marriages. There is need to understand that child marriage is political, social and development issue. The focus should be on alleviating child marriages for sustainable and equitable development of the society. Therefore, the issue should actually be a priority in all child protection and gender policies.In the final analysis, we need to go beyond rhetoric and be proactive. Let us put theory into practice. That is the Zimbabwe we want. A Zimbabwe free of child marriages.Johanne Mhlanga is a social worker and he writes in his personal capacity. He can be contacted on johannemhlanga82@gmail.com or 0776308483
Opinion / Columnist

Zimbabwe is in a political and economic mess, of that there can be no question.According to a recent New World Wealth report Zimbabwe is the poorest nation in Africa. This for a nation that was one of the richest in Africa before independence in 1980 and has all the material resources and potential to be rich again if only the country can solve its problem of bad governance.President Mugabe has corrupted the country's once upon a time multi-party democratic institutions to create a corrupt, vote rigging and ruthless de facto one party dictatorship.There have been many opportunities to end the Zanu PF dictatorship with the best chance falling to the MDC during the GNU. All the MDC leaders had to do was implement the democratic reforms designed to dismantle the dictatorship to allow free, fair and credible elections. They had five years to implement the reforms and yet failed to get even one reform implemented.Zimbabwe's rapid economic decline cannot be attributed to corruption only our leaders have shown something much worse. They are so breathtakingly incompetent they are incapable of making the right, common sense, decision and, more often than not, shoot themselves in the foot!President Mugabe and his cronies seized the white owned farms turn the nation overnight from the breadbasket of the region to one now always begging. Talk of killing the goose that laid the golden egg.Tsvangirai and his MDC friends have become the victims of their only folly. They sold-out during the GNU and did not implement the reforms designed to stop Zanu PF rigging the elections thinking "Zanu PF shenanigans would not overwhelm MDC's mass support", as Tsvangirai admitted. They were really shocked when Zanu PF blatantly rigged the July 2013 elections resulting in many MDC members losing their gravy train seats.Zimbabwe is in a political and economic mess alright and to get out the nation desperately need competent leaders who are not corrupt but, most important of all, who have common sense. If anyone, like me, thought the nation's prayers for a good leader with common sense had been answered by the entry of Dr Nkosana Moyo in the political arena; he did not take long to disappoint."Why did you launch your bid to be president in the Meikles Hotel?" Dr Moyo was asked by Ruveneko."That is part of the problem in Zimbabwe; if you want to talk to the people, you have to get permission to do so which can be withheld for no good reason," answered Dr Moyo."We had got a place at Jennings Hall in Highfields, but we would have needed Police permission which you and I know would have been denied."So, I was going to my rural Primary School and CIO had been all over the place intimidating everyone that I should not be allowed."No one can dispute that the Police would have probably denied him permission to hold his launch in Highfields. There have been countless opposition gatherings that have been disrupted by the Police in the past "for no good reason".We all know Zimbabwe is a Police State and are only too familiar with Police harassment and CIOs intimidation. Now that Dr Moyo in in the presidential race, he will face a multitude of other political problems such as being denied access to the public media. He will struggle to raise the money have to fund his campaign whereas Zanu PF will have truckloads of cash to bankroll its election campaign.Next year's elections will NOT be free, fair and credible; that much is clear.After the barbarism of blatant vote rigging and wanton violence of 2008, SADC proposed the implementation of a raft of democratic reforms as the only way to stop Zanu PF rigging future elections. Sadly, Morgan Tsvangirai and his MDC friends who were tasked to implement the reforms failed to get even one reform implemented."If you go into elections next month, you are going to lose; the elections are done," SADC leaders warned Tsvangirai and his MDC friends in June 2013, a month before the July 2013 election.Dr Nkosana Moyo should know that MDC leaders did not heed the warning and contested the flawed elections and lost. So why is he repeating the same mistake MDC made. The common sense position is to demand the implementation of the reforms and refuse to contest flawed elections.For Zimbabwe to get out of the economic and political hell-hole we are stuck in we need leaders with the common sense not ones blundering from pillar to post and cannot even see the folly of contesting flawed elections!
Opinion / Columnist

Advocate Fadzayi Mahere (pictured) has offered herself as a candidate for the Mount Pleasant constituency parliamentary seat. There was a lot of grumbling by various people on social media with a lot of people decrying her decision to stand as an independent.MDC-T supporters feel this move takes away from their "big tent" approach, which is consolidation of all opposition forces against Zanu-PFWhat we have is a case of people feeling spurned because Mahere has come into the public sphere and led spirited efforts at active citizenship. Her energy and profile will be a boon to any political organisation and she has decided to bank on the strength of her personality.She made an analysis of the available political parties and felt that their ideas do not resonate with hers. This is the main reason they are not happy with her as they feel she is not endorsing their political affiliations and is not interested in joining them.If our political parties were to view giving people the best candidates for the constituencies rather than filling seats with party members, there would be merit in making a deal with Mahere and not contesting in that constituency and allowing her to represent the constituency.Idea-wise, she is better than the incumbent MP Jaison Passade and the former MP Jameson Timba. However, the partisanship and polarisation in our society takes away the merit of such moves. Some people were criticising her father's history as a senior government official, saying it makes her a Zanu-PF product. There is nothing wrong with associating with Zanu-PF.Established political parties have got structures that will guarantee them competitiveness in elections. A lot of commentators were questioning the chances of an independent candidate succeeding, but the facts are that Mt Pleasant is an area with a high level of social media penetration and this should enable her to run a viable political campaign. Traditional ways of communication and canvassing for support have been supplanted and her idea to engage volunteers and do campaign outreach efforts should give her good prospects of winning.For our systems to work better, our people need to stop being beholden to political parties, in cases where a preferred political party chooses to field a proverbial monkey to stand in a constituency. The logical thing is to select the best candidate available. Big political parties can recover from electoral losses and such decisions will enable them to field better candidates in future.During election time, it is worrying that when analysing candidates, there is little focus on type of candidates, but focus on parties and a lot of proverbial goat skinners get put in positions of authority. When things like this happen, constituencies suffer, hence voters should be more discerning instead of engaging in blind partisanship.The merits for Mahere's case in offering herself as a parliamentary candidate are that she has made several public overtures to change mindsets and highlight shortcomings in our society. Her professional background shows that this is a person who is not just being opportunistic, but is cognisant of the challenge she has taken on. Her articulation of points of law will be useful in the business of the legislature. Our legislature and main political parties are not short of legal skills and this is what makes her position admirable as she chose to showcase herself and not ride on political party support. She could be an objective voice in deliberations in the August house. What she is offering the constituency will be interesting to learn.Her challenge at present is she is targeting a constituency before the delimitation exercise, meaning the current boundaries may be redefined. But all the same, her stance is commendable as she is offering herself for public office and willing to participate in the corridors of power to bring change.We need more people like her. This polarised and divisive zero-sum approach based on interests of big political parties will not improve our national processes. In this instance, it will be good for the underdogs to prevail. - khuluma africa.Mubonderi is managing director at Pahlani Secretaries & Administrators.
The summers final Live on the Waterfront concert was held Wednesday evening at Prince Arthurs Landing. The popular series in Thunder Bay has completed nine weekly shows that began on July 13. Wednesdays concert was unique as it was held one hour later in the evening to mesh with the 10 p.
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All-Conference WEC teams The All-Conference teams for the War Eagle Conference have been announced with multiple MMCRU and South OBrien volleyball players making...

Crane signs off, for now I miss my ol' buddy, sportscaster Keith Crane on the sidelines. I miss his friendly smile, his dedication to his...
Copiii cu nevoi speciale din Stefan Voda au conditii de reabilitare mai bune, datorita UE si Fundatiei Soros Moldova
Nearly two weeks after Art Basel, a global contemporary art fair that closed June 18, brought together 291 galleries from 35 different countries presenting art from more than 4000 artists, the displayed art has likely been shipped back to its owners.

Done incorrectly, shipping and handling art can result in costly claims, said Colin Quinn, director of Claims at AXA ART Americas.

The main issue is packing the art properly for shipping, said Quinn.

Thats where you run into the biggest issues, he said.

The process is that once a piece of art is scheduled to be shipped, the owner contacts a fine arts shipper who will complete a condition report to identify any pre-existing damage.

This accomplishes two things, Quinn said. First, the report will identify any previous damage. Second, the materials and construction of the art piece will be examined to assist in determining the best method to pack and ship it.

The insurer offered some lessons learned from real claims that resulted from shipping and handling errors involving art. According to AXA ART Americas, the errors could have been avoided had there been careful preparation and execution by experienced art handlers and shippers.



An insured enlisted the services of a fine art shipper to transport an installation from a lenders home to an institution a considerable distance away. The dimensions of the installation were approximately 5 feet x 8 feet and weighing over 300 lbs, but for some inexplicable reason, the shipper only assigned two art handlers who attempted to load the work Laurel and Hardy style onto the waiting truck. Predictably the work was dropped causing significant damage to the chagrin of the lender.

Lesson learned  Be sure that the dimensions and weight are clearly relayed to the shipper and adequate art handlers are assigned to the task.



An insured consigned a sculpture to a gallery and took great pains to oversee the packing and crating of the work prior to shipment. The sculpture was carefully fastened into the crate which was marked fragile with the top end clearly indicated. When the work was returned to the owner it was in a larger crate with the sculpture covered in bubble wrap and surrounded by Styrofoam packing peanuts. When the owner removed the bubble wrap it revealed the sculpture had broken into 3 pieces. When the owner complained to the gallery, they explained that the original crate had been inadvertently discarded and they had to make do with the materials at hand.

Lesson learned  Dont assume that all parties will follow best practices, it is important to discuss preparations for shipping and return instructions to all parties entrusted with artwork.



An insured agreed to ship a large installation from his location to a gallery a short distance away. The work was too large to fit through the elevator doors of the owners residence, so the art handlers enlisted the help of the building owners who instructed the art handlers to place the work on top of the freight elevator and the building super would manually lower the work to street level. For reasons best known to the super, he pushed the up button for the elevator and the work was crushed as it went to the top floor of the building.

Lessons learned  There is no substitute for common sense when packing and shipping artwork, make sure best practices are followed and the prudent man theory of insurance is applied.



The owner of the artwork should notify his or her broker as soon as it is decided that a piece of art will be part of an art fair, Quinn said.

In addition, communicating the right dimensions of a piece of art can avoid a potential claim.

If theyre going to carry a very large pieceyou need to have the correct number of art handlers on the truck, he said.

Galleries, art dealers, buyers and brokers can mitigate these types of claims by choosing the right conservator for the work, Quinn said. There are different specialties based on the type of art and the medium.

Quinn described the investigation and evaluation process for these types of claims.

Adjusters need to review documentation, including photos of work pre-damage and post-damage, the conservators treatment proposal and the appraisal report. In addition, fine art adjusters must research market value.

The insurer emphasized that galleries, art dealers, buyers and brokers should not assume that all parties will follow best practices when shipping. Discussing preparations and shipping instructions with all parties entrusted with artwork to be transported is key to avoiding art shipping and handling claims.
The end of the line may be in sight for a North Dakota safety program aimed at lowering the risk of disastrous train derailments involving the states crude oil.

The pilot program, which includes two rail safety inspectors and a manager to supplement inspections by the Federal Railroad Administration, or FRA, is halfway through its four-year run this month and likely will be scrapped in two years, said House Majority Leader Al Carlson and his Republican Senate counterpart, Rich Wardner.

They said the program duplicates federal and industry inspections programs and is not needed as the bulk of the states crude oil is now moved by pipelines.

I think it will run its course, and when its done, my gut feeling is we wont re-up it, Wardner said.

Carlson said the pilot program was an overreaction following a spate of accidents involving North Dakota crude in the U.S. and Canada, including one in Casselton, the hometown of then-Gov. Jack Dalrymple, who supported the idea.

Every other program  once you start them, everybody wants to keep them. Thats government, Carlson said.

The FRA said about 30 other states provide supplemental safety inspections. The agency said it does not reduce its efforts in states that have state rail safety inspectors.

North Dakotas rail safety program was Republican Public Service Commissioner Julie Fedorchaks campaign platform when she ran for the position in 2014. Fedorchak continues to defend the program, saying it does not duplicate federal efforts.

The programs annual budget of about $300,000 is funded by a tax that railroads pay on diesel.

Its a very good use of those dollars, Fedorchak said. I think its doing a lot of important things to improve safety.

Since its inception, state inspectors have found nearly 2,700 defects on tracks and railroad rolling stock, resulting in 50 violations, data show.

North Dakota has produced about 1 million barrels of oil daily since the program started two years ago. At the time, about 75 percent of it was being shipped by rail. Today, oil shipped by rail makes up less than 30 percent of the shipments, as more pipelines have been built, said Justin Kringstad, director of the North Dakota Pipeline Authority.

Crude oil shipments are not the only worry on more than 3,000 miles of track in the state and the lines beyond, Fedorchak said. Anhydrous ammonia, a common fertilizer, is seen as the biggest danger, she said. She pointed to a 2002 derailment in Minot that ruptured tanker cars carrying the toxic farm chemical.

The wreck unleashed a cloud of anhydrous ammonia over the city, killing one man and sending hundreds of people to the hospital.

Inspectors will say thats their greatest fear, Fedorchak said.

BNSF Railway Co. is the biggest player in North Dakota, hauling the bulk of the rail-shipped crude out of the region and the inbound freight that supports oil drilling. The company shipped more than 426,000 carloads of products from North Dakota last year _ about half of which contained coal or grain. BNSF has said crude oil never makes up more than 5 percent of the railroads total volume.

Spokeswoman Amy McBeth said the railroad doesnt have a position on the state-run rail inspections. We have our own robust track inspections, she said.

BNSF has invested more than $1 billion in its network in North Dakota since 2013 and plans to put another $80 million into it this year, McBeth said.

We have every incentive to prevent incidents, she said.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
A video has surfaced showing the fiery 2013 crash of a commercial airliner on approach at San Francisco International Airport and a rescue response to the incident that killed three passengers and injured 200 other people.

Investigators previously released a brief portion of the clip in 2013 showing the crash and its aftermath.

The longer version was posted on YouTube by an unidentified viewer and verified Wednesday by airport officials. It shows hundreds of passengers walking near the crash as emergency trucks arrive.

The 47-minute video clip was shot from the airport control tower and shows Asiana Airlines flight 214 coming in for a landing over San Francisco Bay before clipping a seawall at the beginning of the runway.

It shows smoke and dust rising from the craft as it spins down the runway then zooms in as passengers slide down emergency chutes while the plane begins to burn.

The National Transportation Safety Board released part of the footage five months after the July 6, 2013, crash.

Hundreds of passengers, some pulling luggage, can be seen milling about on the tarmac as emergency trucks pull up and several firefighters and police scurry up the chutes into the burning plane to rescue five trapped and injured passengers.

The NTSB said only five of the planes 12 flight attendants were able to help with the evacuation after the crash.

Two of the flight attendants riding in the tail of the plane were seriously hurt when their section was severed from the craft on impact.

One of the three passengers died when she was accidentally run over by a firefighter responding in a truck.

The 16-year girl was ejected from the plane and covered by flame-retardant foam when she was hit by the fire truck. The two other teen girls killed in the accident appeared to not have been wearing their seatbelts at the time of the accident, the NTSB concluded.

The video shows the crew taking about 90 seconds to deploy emergency chutes and order evacuation from the plane once it comes to a stop.

The NTSB said the delay was due to the pilot initially telling flight attendants not to deploy the chutes as well as disorientation and confusion.

The NTSB said the pilot wanted to first consult with the control tower before opening the doors to make sure it was safe to exit. Flight attendants initially told passengers to stay seated.

Flight attendants then ordered the plane evacuated when one noticed fire. The NTSB said the crew followed proper procedures, including the initial delay waiting for guidance from outside the plane.

Its a little long, Al Diehl, a retired NTSB investigator, said Wednesday. But the pilot may not have known he was off the runway. This guy had gone through a lot and everybody was a little bit dazed.

The NTSB said the San Francisco Fire Department needed to institute policies and training on responding to prone victims outside damaged airplanes. But the agency said the fire departments response was appropriate.

The video was first posted to Youtube.com on June 28 by an unidentified viewer. San Francisco airport spokesman Charles Shuler said the video is authentic and that airport authorities have distributed it widely throughout the aviation industry since the investigation was completed.

The footage illustrates the rapid response of airport and first responders, the quick knockdown of initial and secondary fires, and the integration of mutual aid support, Shuler said.

It sounds like, for the most part, things went very well, Diehl added. Its amazing only three people died.

The NTSB concluded that the pilots were at fault for the crash.

(Associated Press writer Olga R. Rodriguez contributed to this report from San Francisco.)

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Criminal mischief, Adrian Drive: An Adrian resident called police at about 8:50 a.m. July 4 after finding a dead chicken in his driveway.

The resident said he heard his dog barking at about 11:30 p.m. the previous night. He looked outside and saw his rear neighbor, who lives on Edgewood Drive, walk past his home. However, he did not see the neighbor place the chicken in his driveway.

Officers noticed "drag marks and juice trails" leading from the dead chicken to a trash bag nearby. They interviewed the resident's rear neighbor and his wife, who denied involvement. They said they were at a drive-in movie the previous night with their children and did not arrive home until about 12:30 a.m. that morning.

The neighbor said that on the morning of July 3, he and another neighbor on Edgewood found at least one rotted chicken carcass under their shared backyard fence. They placed the carcass in a garbage bag, and the other Edgewood neighbor dropped it into a garbage can in his backyard.

Police interviewed the other Edgewood neighbor, who corroborated his neighbor's story. But when officers looked inside the man's garbage can, the bag containing the chicken carcass was no longer there.

The other Edgewood neighbor adamantly denied placing the dead chicken in the driveway, saying he didn't know the Adrian resident well and had nothing against him.

Officers were unable to determine who placed the chicken carcass under the fence on Edgewood or how the dead chicken ended up in the Adrian resident's driveway. They advised all three neighbors to behave nicely toward each other. They agreed.

The next day, an officer drove past the Adrian resident's home and saw a trash bag in the road. Police now suspect that an animal scavenger might have dragged the dead chicken from the Edgewood garbage can to the Adrian driveway.

Marijuana possession, Ohio 237: A Garfield Heights woman, 28, a Garfield Heights man, 33, and a 35-year-old Cleveland man were arrested at about 12:50 a.m. July 2 after police caught them with marijuana and alcohol in their car. All three were wanted in various communities.

Police stopped the trio's Chrysler Pacifica after checking the temporary-tag number and finding that the tag had expired. Officers smelled marijuana in the car. The two men, who were passengers in the car, admitted smoking marijuana cigarettes. They had also been drinking alcohol from plastic cups.

Police checked the identification of the woman driver and learned that her license had been suspended. Also, she was wanted in Highland Hills. The Garfield Heights man was wanted in Berea and Solon. He handed officers a bottle of vodka and a marijuana pipe from under his seat.

The Cleveland man was wanted in Garfield Heights. He told police he kept a digital scale in his pocket to make sure that he's "not getting ripped off by his marijuana dealer." Police also found marijuana shake and marijuana rolling papers in the car.

Drug abuse-marijuana possession, Lapaz Boulevard: Two Berea boys face misdemeanor drug charges after police caught them with marijuana inside a car parked on Lapaz. Both boys were 17 at the time.

A witness called police at about 3:55 p.m. July 3 and said the two boys were smoking marijuana in a Kia parked on Lapaz near Sonora Court. When officers arrived, they smelled marijuana in the car. The car's driver denied having marijuana but the passenger handed over a cigarillo wrapper containing a small amount of the drug.

Police searched the car and found bottles of Lime-A-Rita and Twisted Tea, two marijuana roaches, three packages of cigars and five cigarettes. In the trunk were a baggie of marijuana, a digital scale with marijuana residue and a marijuana grinder.

Driving with a suspended license, North Rocky River Drive: A Cleveland man, 36, was arrested at about 8 p.m. June 30 after police checked the license-plate number of his Chevrolet Impala and determined that his driver's license had been suspended. Officers stopped his car on North Rocky River just north of Sheldon Road.

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CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A Rocky River man is accused of laundering more than $100,000 in investor money for a sham company and using some of it for his personal expenses.

Mark Dulik, 31, owned Rework, a company that claimed to provide cloud-based software services, the U.S. Attorney's Office says in a news release. He convinced several people to invest in his company, telling them it was legitimate, when he actually used it to fund his lavish lifestyle.

IRS investigators found out that Dulik also used money from newer investors to pay dividends and interest payments back to earlier investors, and told the earlier investors that the money was profit, the release says.

In that way, it acted more like a Ponzi scheme, prosecutors say.

Charging document filed Monday say the offenses happened in 2013 and 2014.

Dulik faces four counts of money laundering. The charges were filed via a criminal information, which usually means a plea deal is forthcoming.

A call left for Dulik's federal public defender was not immediately returned.

The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Sara Lioi in Akron.

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COLUMBUS, Ohio -- An Ohio commission tasked with modernizing the state's constitution ended without adopting recommendations to reform the state's grand jury process.

The Ohio Constitutional Modernization Commission, at its final meeting, did not consider two proposals from a judicial committee to place an independent lawyer in the grand jury proceedings and to make some grand jury transcripts available to defendants, according to the committee's final report released this week.

Janet Gilligan Abaray, chair of the commission's Judicial Branch and Administration of Justice committee, said in a letter that its recommendations were "ripe for consideration" and should be considered in any future discussions about how to reform the grand jury process.

The

Ohio Constitutional Modernization Commission

was originally set to work through 2021,

but lawmakers gradually shortened the commission's life in the last several years, until finally stripping it and other special commissions of funding in the budget that Ohio Gov. John Kasich signed into law on Friday.

Grand juries came under fire in cities across the country after several declined to issue charges against police officers involved in deadly shootings that gained national attention, including the November 2014 killing of 12-year-old Tamir Rice by Cleveland police.

Then-Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Timothy J. McGinty's handling of the grand jury presentation in the Tamir case took several months and was heavily criticized by lawyers hired by the boy's family and community activists.

State lawmakers created the commission in July 2011 and modeled it after a similar commission in the 1970s. The commission could only come up with recommended changes to the state's constitution. Any recommendation the commission adopted has to first go through the legislature, and any actual change to the constitution would have to be passed by voters.

Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Maureen O'Connor and State Sen. Sandra Williams of Cleveland asked the judicial committee to review the grand jury process in 2015.

"This is just the old guard standing in the way and blocking any type of progress," Williams, who proposed the reforms the committee eventually ended up recommending, said in a phone interview Thursday with cleveland.com.

The committee did present three recommendations that the commission adopted: not changing the state's writ of habeas corpus laws and repealing both the Courts of Conciliation and the Supreme Court Commission.

The committee considered several changes to the grand jury, including scrapping the process all together, but it reached a bipartisan consensus on just two issues.

The first was for an independent lawyer to sit through proceedings and act as a legal advisor to the grand jury, to alleviate the concerns under the current system that prosecutors are the only lawyers in the room and could provide grand jurors inaccurate information.

The second recommendation would have given defendants charged by a grand jury access to transcripts of testimony by witnesses who were going to testify against the defendant at trial.

The committee recommended allowing local courts to set rules and guidelines on how those changes would play out.

But the Ohio Prosecuting Attorneys Association opposed the recommendations and filed memos with the commission calling them unnecessary.

The organization dismissed the proposals as overreactions to a few unique, highly publicized cases that are not reflective of the usual workings of the grand jury process.

"It appears to be more of a reaction to media stories rather than fact," one of the memos, filed April 13, said.

Prosecutors have no incentive to mislead grand juries into filing unjustified charges that the same prosecutor's office could not prove at trial, the memo said. The group also argued that paying independent lawyers to sit through grand jury proceedings would be a financial burden on small, rural courts.

"To pursue these drastic proposals is a direct affront on the integrity of prosecutors and is plagued with practical problems that would seriously jeopardize the grand jury system in Ohio."

The Ohio Judicial Conference, which represents the state's judges, also opposed the proposals, writing that the independent lawyer would usurp the role of the judge assigned to each grand jury to answer any legal questions.

One voice that was absent from the debate was the office of Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael O'Malley, who campaigned as the reform-minded option to McGinty in the March 2016 primary election.

O'Malley, who took office in January, deferred to the state prosecutor's association's arguments against the committee's proposals. His spokesman Ryan Miday said Thursday night that O'Malley has thrown his support behind recommendations made by a different group formed by O'Connor, the Ohio Supreme Court's Task Force to Examine Improvements to the Grand Jury System.

That group recommended that Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine's office handle all deadly police shooting investigations. O'Malley has shifted the only fatal police shooting since he took office to DeWine's office

Williams said she is still hoping to work with Republican lawmakers that control the Statehouse to make that recommendation state law.

"This is not the final say," she said.

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DAYTON, Ohio -- A stray bullet from a gun battle Wednesday night struck a 14-year-old girl in the chest as she sat inside her home, killing her, reports say.

Two people, Dylan Angel, 18, and Jason Tidwell, 18, have been arrested in connection with the death of Mackenna Kronenberger, the Dayton Daily News reports.

The Daily News reports Angel was arrested on suspicion of murder. Tidwell is accused of tampering with evidence and having weapons under disability.

Tidwell is Mackenna's half-brother, WHIO Channel 7 reports.

Police tell WHIO gunfire erupted after during a dispute between two groups of people. A bullet went through a window and hit Mackenna, and another bullet hit a home across the street. No one was injured in that home.

Angel and Tidwell reportedly are friends on Facebook but were on opposite sides in the dispute Wednesday, reports say.

Police would not say how many shots were fired or how many weapons were involved. They also said people at the scene were not cooperating with investigators.

Mackenna had just finished her freshman year at Carroll High School, a Catholic school.

"It's too young, really too young," neighbor Cheyenne Morningstar tells WHIO.

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CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A Cleveland man was threatened with a gun after trying to retrieve his stolen car which was linked to several burglaries in the Ohio City neighborhood, police say.

David Nevarez, a convicted felon released from prison earlier this year, is charged with aggravated robbery.

Police say they're also investigating the 22-year-old's possible connection to a recent string of Ohio City home break-ins, according to court records and Cleveland police reports.

A man's 2007 Saturn Vue was stolen June 12 from Lorain Avenue and West 110th Street after he left his keys in the ignition while he ran into an auto parts store, according to a police report.

The owner was driving down West 42nd Street in Ohio City a few weeks later on June 25 when he spotted his stolen car in an alley behind a home, the report says.

As the owner approached the front yard, Nevarez came out to meet him, flashed a gun and asked if he needed something, court documents say.

The man was spooked off by the gun and left without his car, records say. Nevarez drove off in the Saturn soon after.

Police spotted the car on Fulton Road and tried to follow it, but were unable to track it down, the report says. Officers later found a comment that was posted shortly after the pursuit on a Facebook page linked to Nevarez. The comment said the police "better try harder next time," according to the report.

Police say that the Saturn Vue was used during several burglaries in Ohio City that happened between June 18 and June 25, according to the report.

Nevarez has not been charged in those incidents, but he was charged with several felonies in a 10-count indictment handed up in May.

In that case, he's accused of stealing guns, jewelry and other items during three October break-ins, at least one of which happened in the Old Brooklyn neighborhood, court documents say.

He was also charged with grand theft in March in connection with the theft of a car from an auto sales shop on West 130th Street, court records say.

Nevarez has not been arrested for either of those pending cases, records say.

He was released from prison in February after serving a three-year sentence for robbing a woman on West 41st Street, court records say.

Nevarez remains on post-release control and is wanted by the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction for violating conditions of his supervision, according to department records.

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COLUMBUS, Ohio - Ohio's House of Representatives adopted a bill this week that would let concealed handgun license holders avoid prosecution if they carry weapons into gun-free zones, like schools.

Under the bill adopted by a 64 to 31 margin, licensees wouldn't face criminal charges if they leave a gun-free area when asked to do so. Current law subjects people caught with concealed weapons in most government buildings to a fifth degree felony charge, subject to a prison sentence up to a year and a fine up to $2,500.

State law lists dozens of areas where concealed weapons are forbidden: police stations, sheriff's offices, highway patrol posts, correctional institutions, courthouses, churches, universities and school safety zones. Private business owners can also post a sign banning concealed weapons in their businesses.

Advocates of the bill said it would protect law-abiding citizens who forget they're carrying a weapon and inadvertently go into gun-free areas. Its sponsor, Union Township GOP Rep. John Becker, said it has protections against habitual offenders: If someone returns to a gun-free business or other location within 30 days, they'd face 30 days behind bars and a $250 fine.

The bill adopted along party lines was opposed by organizations including the Ohio Prosecuting Attorneys Association and the Ohio Association of Chiefs of Police. The Ohio Chamber of Commerce argued it strips business owners of their private property rights to decide whether they want concealed weapons in their establishments.

Ohio's state senate will consider the bill after its summer recess.

Do you think Ohio should let people with handgun permits avoid prosecution for bringing weapons into areas where guns are banned? Share your views here during a discussion from 11 a.m. to 12:30 for today's edition of "Talk It Out," a civil, moderated, constructive conversation on this topic in the comments section below.

In our "Talk it Out" pre-curated conversations, comments are published after they are reviewed by a moderator -- promptly -- to ensure they adhere to our community rules, which prohibit indecent, hateful, abusive or harassing comments, personal attacks, vulgar nicknames, personal information including telephone numbers and addresses, email addresses belonging to others, anything inciting criminal behavior and copyrighted material for which you do not own the rights.

Comments that are not on the topic of this discussion will not be published. Criticism is fine, as long as it is respectful. We seek a robust and courteous discussion.
LORAIN, Ohio -- A Lorain police officer described himself as "flustered" when he and fellow officers found two toddlers living in a home filled with dirt, filth and flying bugs, according to a police report.

A utility worker called police about 1:30 p.m. to a home on Toledo Avenue just east of Elyria Avenue to check on the condition of the children.

The utility worker tried to talk to the children to find out where their mother was, but he was unsuccessful.

Officer Edwin Soto entered the home through the unlocked front door and found the toddlers "just looking at me." He described the stench as overwhelming, the report says.

The kitchen floor was black from what looked like dirt, the officer wrote. Flies and gnats flew all over the room. The stairs were strewn with garbage as the children led Soto upstairs to their mother, the report said. The carpet also was black.

Police found the children's 32-year-old mother walking out of an upstairs bedroom. Soto talked to the mother, but later said he had to leave the home to get some fresh air, the report says.

He gathered the mother's information as he stood on the landing and she stood in the doorway.

"I was so flustered by what I had seen, smelt and the overwhelming feeling that I was infested by bugs that I neglected to gather the children's proper last name as well as birth dates," the officer wrote in the report.

The utility worker returned water service to the home as the officer gathered information from the mother and children.

A Lorain County Children Services worker was contacted and said an agent will attempt to contact the mother to possibly begin an investigation after the initial assessment, the report says.

No charges have been filed against the mother, according to court records.

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CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Two teenage boys were shot Thursday night on Cleveland's East Side, police said.

A 17-year-old was shot in the shoulder at 6:30 p.m. at the intersection of East 94th Street and Kenmore Avenue in the city's Hough neighborhood, Cleveland police said.

A second 17-year-old was shot at the same location. That boy suffered two gunshot wounds to his arm, police said.

Both of the boys were taken to University Hospital for treatment, police said.

Police did not name the two teens or provide information about a motive for the shootings.

The story is developing, and cleveland.com will provide an update if information becomes available Thursday night.

To comment on this story please visit Thursday's crime and courts comments page.
Medicaid expansion will continue in Ohio without a freeze on enrollment, a big victory for Ohio's Republican Gov. John Kasich, who's advocated extensively for the program's expansion. Vice President Mike Pence is scheduled to visit Ohio later this month. And Ohio Republican Sen. Rob Portman is hard to read on health care reform -- we break down his vague positions.

Read more in today's Ohio Politics Roundup.

Medicaid stays: "Ohio's Medicaid expansion will continue without a freeze on enrollment," cleveland.com's Jackie Borchardt writes. "The Ohio House on Thursday rejected 11 of Gov. John Kasich's budget vetoes but did not take a vote to reinstate a proposed freeze on Medicaid expansion enrollment. The House's inaction on the freeze was seen as a big win for Kasich, who has made the expansion a policy hallmark of his tenure.

"But legislators knocked down nine other Medicaid-related vetoes, citing a need to assert legislative authority over the executive branch for several votes," Borchardt writes. "In a statement, Kasich said the overrides threaten health care access for vulnerable Ohioans and budget stability going forward. He urged the Senate, which canceled its session date next week, against following in the House's footsteps."

Read more reaction from Kasich and his administration here.

Pence in Ohio: Vice President Mike Pence will visit the Buckeye State this month for the Ohio Republican Party's annual fundraising dinner.

Pence will speak at the Republicans' state dinner in Columbus, Ohio GOP spokesman Blaine Kelly said. The ticketed event is scheduled to start at 5:30 p.m. on July 22 at the Ohio Union at Ohio State University, I write in my report.

What does he want? It's hard to say what Ohio Republican Sen. Rob Portman wants from the GOP health care reform.

"Health care, and specifically the proposed Obamacare repeal-and-replace proposals, is dogging the second-term Ohio Republican unlike any other bill he has had to vote on. Taken at his word, the Ohio Republican is hard to read so far," cleveland.com reporter Stephen Koff writes.

"I am committed to creating a better health care system that lowers the cost of coverage, provides access to quality care, and protects the most vulnerable in our society," Portman recently said in a statement.

"That could sum up the sentiments of every Republican who wants to gut Obamacare -- and of every Democrat who wants to keep it," Koff writes. "Portman rejected the recent Senate health care bill hours after it was scrapped. Yet his criticism of recent House and Senate health care bills has been opaque, leaving Republican leaders to wonder if Portman could be persuaded as a swing vote to join their side -- and liberals to worry Portman actually yearns to get rid of Obamacare, if only he could walk that gangplank and not get wet. There is no Portman health care bill; there are merely Portman preferences, and they are open to interpretation."

This is what we know: Portman has outlined some of his opinions on health care -- however vague they may be.

"He says he wants lower spending and better health care. He wants fewer government edicts, except when they're needed," Koff writes. "He wants lower premiums and fewer taxes, but adequate revenues and certainty so insurers stick around. He wants more freedom of choice for businesses and consumers, but a guarantee consumers can get preexisting conditions covered and low-income Ohioans can get care."

Uninvited guests: Protesters who want the senator to oppose the GOP health care plan occupied Portman's downtown Cincinnati office late Thursday afternoon and refused to leave, writes Jason Williams of the Cincinnati Enquirer.

Gun owners relieved: President Donald Trump's election "came as a relief to many gun owners in conservative Greene County, home to a number of rural towns and suburban sprawl around Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. While Trump has only been in office several months, there's a feeling among gun-rights supporters that they have dodged a bullet," cleveland.com's Jeremy Pelzer writes from Greene County in the latest installment of cleveland.com's Ohio Matters series. "Trump's presidency hasn't been the only win for gun-rights supporters. Ohio lawmakers have made a number of recent moves to loosen the state's gun-control laws, and are currently looking at additional changes."

...And one of those moves: The Ohio House on Thursday moved to ease restrictions on concealed carry license holders.

The House passed a measure that would allow license holders to avoid punishment if they entered a gun-free zone, such as a school, with a weapon, cleveland.com reporter Laura Hancock writes.

"The bill approved Thursday has protections against habitual offenders, said its sponsor, Rep. John Becker, a Republican from Union Township. If someone returns to a gun-free business or other location within 30 days, they face 30 days behind bars and a $250 fine," Hancock writes. "That's a lighter sentence than the current law, in which people caught with concealed weapons in most government buildings face a fifth-degree felony charge that carries up to 12 months in prison and a $2,500 fine."

The bill will head to the Ohio Senate for consideration, after summer recess.

Delayed: Transgender people who want to enlist in the United States military will have to wait, cleveland.com reporter Sabrina Eaton writes.

President Trump's defense secretary Jim Mattis delayed the full implementation of an Obama-era military policy that would have allowed transgender people to join the armed forces. Mattis pushed back the policy's implementation until at least Jan. 1.

Pentagon spokesperson Dana W. White said Mattis would "use that time to assess how to put the policy into effect, and examine how it might affect 'the readiness and lethality of our forces,'" Eaton writes.

The Trump-administration shift won't affect transgender people currently serving in the military, according to the Military Times. The policy was introduced by Obama's defense secretary last year, and so far has allowed transgender troops to start to formally change their gender identification in Pentagon records.

Ryan fires back: Mattis' decision to push back the policy's implementation didn't sit will with Ohio Democratic Rep. Tim Ryan, of the Niles area.

"Since President Obama repealed the antiquated and discriminatory requirement for these patriots to serve in silence, we have only seen positive impacts on the strength of our Armed Forces and their readiness to protect our country," said a statement from Ryan. "As a member of the Defense Appropriations Committee, I know we can do this. I know we are doing this. I know we must do this."

Bill beefs up environmental regulation: "An Ohio Senate bill awaiting Gov. John Kasich's signature would give the state EPA more power to regulate dredging in Lake Erie and landfills throughout the state," cleveland.com reporter Jane Morice writes. "Senate Bill 2 revises environmental protection laws, putting a spotlight on Northern Ohio issues. It passed through the assembly on June 22, and Kasich is expected to sign it this week. The Port of Cleveland and the Greater Cleveland Partnership - the state's largest chamber of commerce - support the bill."

Sutton scores: Democratic gubernatorial candidate Betty Sutton earned an endorsement from the Cleveland Building and Construction Trades Council.

In an emailed statement, David J. Wondolowski, executive secretary and business manager of the Cleveland Building and Construction Trades Council, said Sutton's "dedication to workers and their families proves that she is the most qualified and best candidate for governor on either side of the aisle."

Hired:

"Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson, who is seeking an unprecedented fourth four-year term, has hired Wayne Clarke, a political consultant from the Washington, D.C. area, to run his campaign,"

.

Clarke was introduced to campaign staff on Saturday, and will work from Cleveland.

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CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Lt. Gov. Mary Taylor said Friday in Cleveland that she plans to run for governor in 2018, making her the fourth Republican candidate to officially jump in the race.

In her prepared remarks at the City Club of Cleveland, Taylor said she would build on the progress made during current Gov. John Kasich's tenure in office, and recounted her political and professional background. While laying out her plans to tackle the ongoing opioid crisis, she referenced the fact that her own adult sons both have struggled with addiction.

"When I'm governor, I will continue to give my full commitment to confront the addiction epidemic," she said. "It has touched so many families, including mine. There is no commitment closer to my heart than this one."

Taylor praised Kasich as a "good man," and said Ohio has "dug itself out of a hole" during his tenure. Her comments shed light on her plans to tackle the political riddle posed by her relationship with Kasich. While other GOP candidates for governor to varying degrees have sought to align themselves with President Donald Trump and his supporters, Kasich, as he nears the end of his tenure, has emerged as perhaps Trump's most prominent Republican critic. And while Kasich remains popular in Ohio, it's not entirely clear how Republican primary voters will view him next year. There's also the general issue of whether Republican voters will view Taylor as too "status quo" and a continuation of the Kasich administration.

During the question-and-answer period of the event, a self-identified "conservative Republican" further pressed Taylor on how right-leaning critics of the governor should view her, given her role in the Kasich administration.

"I'm my own individual," Taylor responded, leaning on her prepared talking points. "I bring my own life experience, I bring my own professional experience. I served with a man who I believe cares deeply about the state of Ohio, and served the state to the best of his ability. I don't agree with my husband 100 percent of the time... And I haven't always agreed with this governor, but I respect the man and I respect the position."

There's another wrinkle to the Kasich-Taylor relationship. A leaked memo shows some Kasich allies considered whether to punish her after she switched sides late last year and backed a Trump-backed challenger's effort to oust Kasich's hand-picked Ohio Republican Party chairman. But Kasich has been steadfast in his public support.

Taylor, a 51-year-old certified public accountant, is a former state auditor, state representative and Green (Summit County) city councilwoman. She has served as lieutenant governor since 2011, when she and Kasich were elected on a joint ticket. While she had a soft launch of her candidacy in February, when she formed a statewide campaign committee and announced her intention to run, Friday's event marked the official start of her campaign.

If she wins, Taylor would be the first woman elected governor of Ohio. Nancy Hollister is Ohio's first female governor, but she served less than two weeks as a placeholder after then-Gov. George Voinovich was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1998.

Three other prominent Republicans have announced they are running for governor -- Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted, Attorney General Mike DeWine and U.S. Rep. Jim Renacci, of Wadsworth.

The Democrats who have announced include former State Rep. Connie Pillich, of the Cincinnati area, Youngstown-area State Sen. Joe Schiavoni, former U.S. Rep. Betty Sutton and Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley.
Ohio's House did the right thing Thursday by overturning Gov. John Kasich's veto of a budget amendment written to protect the finances of counties and transit authorities, including the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority. The state Senate would be wise to follow suit.

The Ohio House also did a very right thing by not trying -- at least not yet -- to override Kasich's veto of a Medicaid expansion freeze that would have harmed hundreds of thousands and been disastrous for low-income Ohioans.

But Ohio's state representatives did a very regrettable and damaging thing in voting to override Kasich's vetoes of a series of costly, micromanaging Medicaid amendments -- several of which seek to protect the state's powerful nursing home lobby from cuts. That's so contrary to Ohioans' interests that the state Senate must show its mettle by refusing to follow suit in confirming the overrides.

House Republicans claim the Medicaid amendments they voted to restore would save money. Wrong again.

Kasich aides say the state now faces nearly $1.4 billion in Medicaid underfunding this year and next. The reason? General Assembly Republicans wrote a budget that assumed the same big Medicaid savings that were in Kasich's budget proposal -- but without the money-saving provisions. In fact, if the House veto override is seconded by the Senate, the budget amendments would make it impossible to achieve those savings.

Such legislative logic is taxpayers' Exhibit No. 1 for why the General Assembly must leave Medicaid management to the professionals - and why, other than the county-RTA override, the Ohio Senate should ignore the House's overrides.

The counties-transit plan the House passed over Kasich's veto would require Ohio to ask the Trump administration to OK a boost in a franchise fee on health insuring corporations to generate additional revenue for counties and transit systems that will no longer receive more than $200 million a year from a Medicaid managed care sales tax.

Kasich aides say that asking Washington for a franchise-fee increase might jeopardize the franchise fee altogether. If that's a significant risk, it's incumbent on the administration to devise another plan. Counties' and transit systems' budgets are tight enough already.

About our editorials: Editorials express the view of the editorial board of cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer -- the senior leadership and editorial-writing staff. As is traditional, editorials are unsigned and intended to be seen as the voice of the news organization.

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This year's U.S. Independence Day included a menacing development. The rogue nation of North Korea launched its first successful test of what the U.S. described as an intercontinental ballistic missile. The missile did not strike land, instead hitting the waters of the Japanese economic zone.

The missile also didn't have a nuclear warhead, but North Korea said the missile was capable of carrying one. A key unknown is whether North Korea has miniaturized nuclear weapons - a prerequisite to being able to deliver them on ballistic missiles. There is a growing view that North Korea probably has done so, given the intense focus of its nuclear weapons program. But there is no actual evidence that it has, or that it has done so in a manner that could yield a nuclear weapon capable of reaching the U.S.. However, neighboring South Korea and other nearby nations are under greater threat.

The test drew plenty of criticism, but resulted in no international unanimity about what to do about it.

U.S. President Donald Trump, speaking at a news conference with Polish President Andrzej Duda, called North Korea a threat and and vowed "we will confront it very strong," although he didn't say what he will do.

The U.S., Japan and South Korea also agreed on a U.N. Security Council resolution for more sanctions of the often mysterious regime run by the often unpredictable Kim Jong Un.

U.S. prosecutors are trying to seize millions of dollars that are linked to North Korea's military and companies. The money might be stashed in eight large international banks, according to court papers made public on Thursday.

The talk of sanctions did not go over well with Russia or China. Russia condemned North Korea's latest test, but maintained that the missile had an intermediate range and was not a more dangerous intercontinental ballistic missile.

Meanwhile, a clearly frustrated Trump has been prodding China, which is a major trading partner with North Korea, to try to bring the North Koreans to heel. Trump tweeted Wednesday morning that he was wondering why the U.S. should continue to trade with "countries that do not help us."

So what should our nation do to stop North Korea? More sanctions, diplomatic talks or gulp, war? We will tell you our opinions and would like to hear yours.

Sharon Broussard, editorial writer:

The temptation is to strike back hard, so that North Korea doesn't dare make the Doomsday Clock strike midnight. But a first strike would most likely open a can of impossible-to-corral worms. It's better to use harsher sanctions, diplomacy and patience to get North Korea to back down. This is about saving the world, not just us.

Ted Diadiun, editorial board member:

"Something will have to be done about it," President Trump said at a news conference in Warsaw. True enough ... but what? You got me. Any military action by the U.S. risks a confrontation with China at worst, and Pyongyang retaliation against South Korea, which will surely bear the brunt of the consequences. The only country with the power and means of controlling the otherwise out-of-control Kim Jong Un is China, but the Chinese seem disinclined to take the steps necessary to rein him in. A dangerous situation that seems without a workable remedy.

Thomas Suddes, editorial writer:

CPR -- Caution, prudence, restraint: Those are or should be the operating principles of U.S. policymakers toward North Korea's murderous dictatorship. Patience is diplomacy's strongest ally. Kim Jong Un is a lot of things, all of them bad, but he isn't irrational as to his own, and his regime's, survival. Patient, dexterous diplomacy by the United States and its allies is the way to go. It appears that Kim is calculating rather than impulsive. That's why calculation by his foes is so essential.

Betsy Sullivan, opinion director, cleveland.com:

Nuclear weapons in the hands of an unstable, unpredictable regime that also has ballistic missiles capable, perhaps, of reaching Alaska are the frightening here-and-now reality with North Korea. Its focus on attaining broader nuclear attack capability seems to ensure that Pyongyang's threat will just get more lethal. Balanced against this, the North Korean regime knows it faces obliteration, literally, if it were ever to attack with those weapons or even attempt a full-scale invasion of South Korea.

Yet a U.S. first strike seeking to cripple the North's nuclear arsenal runs the risk of nuclear retaliation with immense casualties, including many of the tens of thousands of U.S. military personnel stationed in South Korea. Still, if North Korea's nuclear and missile advances continue without a clear way to corral them, that will stoke nuclear weapons programs in Japan and South Korea, creating new dangers. The best U.S. options are covert, not overt, drying up Pyongyang's nuclear and missile supply pipelines and supporting South Korea's efforts to ratchet down tension.
CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, Ohio -- Last week, the attorney general of Texas sent a letter to U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions with a clear threat: Rescind the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) policy, or we will see you in court. Recently, the Trump administration stated that it had not made a final decision about keeping or cancelling DACA, which lets so-called Dreamers who came to the United States as small children stay in this country.

So what does this have to do with Ohio?

For one, Ohio is a plaintiff in the underlying lawsuit that Texas wants to use to end DACA. In 2014, Attorney General Mike DeWine joined Texas and more than a dozen other Republican-led states in challenging the Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents (DAPA) policy. This was a new Obama administration plan that would have allowed some undocumented parents of U.S. citizens to obtain legal work permits.

Due to the lawsuit DeWine supported, DAPA never went into effect, and Ohio parents never got the opportunity to apply for basic immigration paperwork. The original DACA program, created in 2012, was not part of this lawsuit.

Second, there are 13,000 young people in Ohio today who stand to benefit from DACA, according to the Migration Policy Institute. Today, these 13,000 Ohioans can get a work permit, driver's license, and a reprieve from deportation, once they are old enough to apply. Around 5,000 in Ohio have already done so.

So yes, the Texas letter matters in Ohio.

Interestingly, it was co-signed by a handful of states who supported the DAPA lawsuit -- but not Ohio.

This raises a clear question for Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine: Does he oppose or support the Texas attack on DACA? Or is he going to break the mold in what has been a very anti-immigrant year for Republicans, and once again be the type of politician who does the right thing?

Now that DeWine is officially running for governor, his leadership qualities are all the more relevant for Ohio voters.

DACA has been life-changing for people who have grown up here but lacked the documents needed to advance their careers. It has also been a win for businesses and society. That is why more than 560 university presidents -- including many from Ohio's top institutions -- sent a letter to President Donald Trump urging him to keep DACA in place.

The letter said in part:

These bright and talented young people are working, are studying at colleges and universities, or have enlisted in the armed services. Because they now have work permits, they are making immediate contributions to our society and our economy. They are paying taxes, receiving driver's licenses, and buying cars and first homes, all of which generates revenue for federal, state, and local governments. They are ineligible for federal means-tested welfare benefits, Pell Grants, and federal student loans, as well as health care tax subsidies .... Unfortunately, many of these young people now live in fear that the program will be rolled back or revoked.

There was a time when DeWine stood up for young people with a dream and no papers. He helped Manny Bartsch remain in Ohio instead of being deported to a country he did not know, as a scared and orphaned teenager. DeWine filed a private immigration bill in Congress on Manny's behalf, and advocated for his release. Manny now has an American wife and an American son, whom he is able to support because of DACA.

DeWine also helped Jose Mendez and other DACA recipients obtain one of the most important documents needed to live in Ohio -- a driver's license -- back when some at the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles tried to treat DACA recipients differently from other individuals with "deferred action."

DeWine issued guidance clarifying Ohio law, and now Jose drives every night to his job as a security guard, protecting Americans.

DeWine's support for Texas' DAPA lawsuit is now being used to attack DACA. Is the attorney general OK with that?

With the July 4 holiday just having been marked, it's also worth noting that the attempt to kill DACA is really calling the question on what it means to be an American. Is being an "American" something in your blood? Is it a birthright? Or is it an experience, a set of values, and a commitment to this country?

The America I love is open to all who embrace a shared future, regardless of whether we have a shared past. DACA works for this very reason, and Attorney General DeWine must do everything in his power to protect it.

Lynn Tramonte is the deputy director of America's Voice and director of Ohio's Voice, a state-based immigration project.

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SOLON, Ohio -- A driver died Friday after he was thrown from his car during a rollover crash that also split the vehicle in half, Solon police said.

The crash happened just before 6 a.m. on U.S. 422 between Harper Road and Ohio 91, police said in a news release.

The driver was eastbound in a 2006 Nissan Altima when the car went off the side of the road and crashed into several trees. The car also rolled several times, police said.

The driver was pronounced dead at the scene, police said. The Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner's Office will release his identity once his family has been notified.

Investigators have not determined why the car went off the side of the highway, but speed may have been a factor in the crash, police said.

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WESTLAKE, Ohio -- Westlake police think a string of vehicle break-ins between Monday night and Tuesday morning that saw hundreds of dollars in property stolen are related.

The burglaries happened on Augusta Court, Macon Court and Georgia Drive in the Savannah Estates subdivision, according to police reports. Most of the reports were made to Westlake police Tuesday.

A man reported to police that someone rummaged through his two unlocked vehicles sometime overnight. The thief stole two battery-powered hand drills from the man's Jeep Wrangler and an undisclosed amount of money in his Jeep Commander, reports say.

Another man told police that someone stole a GPS and four pairs of sunglasses from his unlocked car on Augusta Court, Westlake police Capt. Guy Turner said.

Police were called just before 3 p.m. to go to Georgia Drive where another incident happened.

A Georgia Drive resident told police that someone rummaged through her four cars at her home but nothing was taken. The caller emailed neighbors to make sure they weren't missing items, the report says.

Theft of items would be greatly reduced if residents put their car in the garage, Turner said. If that's not possible, residents need to take valuables out of their car and lock their doors.

Residents also should not be leaving their keys in the car, he added.

"I think it is safe to say that cold weather reduces this sort of theft, both for discomfort reasons and because we can follow footprints in the snow," Turner said.

The city can go a few weeks or months without these crimes, then get a spate of them, he said.

"It has recurred periodically over the past 33 years," Turner said. "It used to be radar detectors were stolen back in the 1980s. The stolen items change with the times. The suspects don't seem to be willing to break windows as much as in the past."

If you'd like to comment on this story, visit Friday's crime and courts comments section.
United States Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. SEFTON CARL HARRISON, Defendant-Appellant. No. 16-17402 Decided: July 06, 2017

Before WILLIAM PRYOR, JORDAN and ROSENBAUM, Circuit Judges.

Sefton Carl Harrison appeals his convictions for possessing with intent to distribute and for importing a detectable amount of cocaine, 21 U.S.C.  841, 960(b)(3). Harrison argues that there was no evidence of [his] active efforts' to avoid knowing that his suitcase contained cocaine to support a jury instruction on deliberate ignorance. We affirm.

Harrison acknowledges that his argument is foreclosed by United States v. Stone, 9 F.3d 934 (11th Cir. 1993). In Stone, we held that an error in giving an instruction on deliberate ignorance is harmless if the instruction clearly stated the proper legal standards for the jury to apply,  by its terms the instruction did not apply if there was insufficient evidence to prove deliberate ignorance beyond a reasonable doubt, and there was sufficient evidence of actual knowledge. Id. at 941; see United States v. Kennard, 472 F.3d 851, 858 (11th Cir. 2006). The district court instructed the jury that you may find that [Harrison] knew about the possession of a controlled substance if you determine beyond a reasonable doubt that [Harrison], one, actually knew about the controlled substance; or, two, had every reason to know but deliberately closed his  eyes. The district court also emphasize[d] that negligence, carelessness, or foolishness isn't enough to prove that [Harrison] knew about the possession of the controlled substance. Because we assume that the jury followed those instructions and would not have convicted Harrison unless it found that he was guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, see Stone, 9 F.3d at 938, we need consider only whether there was sufficient evidence that Harrison had actual knowledge of the cocaine.

There was sufficient evidence to convict Harrison based on actual knowledge. The government introduced testimony from customs agents about Harrison's conduct, his statements, and inconsistencies in his admission documents that proved he knew he was in possession of and importing cocaine. Harrison's flights were between Montego Bay, Jamaica, and Fort Lauderdale, Florida, yet his visa application stated that he was visiting an aunt in New York. Harrison identified his aunt as Elsada Smith and produced a declaration form listing a destination of 1787 North Congress Avenue in West Palm Beach, but he had to refer to two pieces of paper to provide his aunt's address and telephone number. Those papers, however, had telephone numbers for two persons named Gusse and Kirk and an address of 918 Kalian Drive in West Palm Beach. A customs agent then extracted a white powdery substance from Harrison's suitcase and discovered among its contents a second declaration form that listed the Kalian Drive address as Harrison's final destination. Harrison, who looked defeated, told customs agents that Kirk had given him the suitcase, a cellular telephone, his airline ticket, and instructed him to await a call after he arrived and to spend his first night in a specific hotel. And agents downloaded data from Harrison's telephone showing 24 calls from Kirk and text messages from him stating Let's make some money, negotiating how many grand he would retain and Harrison would receive to risk [him]self for, and directing Harrison to record the Kalian Drive address and delete their text messages.

We AFFIRM Harrison's convictions.

PER CURIAM:
United States Court of Appeals, Second Circuit. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Appellee, v. JOSEPH DEL VALLE, Defendant-Appellant. 16-2525 Decided: July 05, 2017

PRESENT: DENNIS JACOBS, PIERRE N. LEVAL, REENA RAGGI, Circuit Judges. FOR APPELLANT: BRENDAN WHITE, White & White, New York, NY. FOR APPELLEE: DAMIAN WILLIAMS (Aimee Hector and Brian R. Blais, on thebrief), forJoon H. Kim, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York.

Defendant Joseph Del Valle pleaded guilty to various fraud charges in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York (Berman, J.). Del Valle does not challenge his conviction; his only argument on appeal is that his 98-month sentence is substantively unreasonable. We assume the parties' familiarity with the underlying facts, the procedural history, and the issues presented for review.

We review sentences for reasonableness, which is a particularly deferential form of abuse-of-discretion review. United States v. Broxmeyer, 699 F.3d 265, 278 (2d Cir. 2012) (quoting United States v. Cavera, 550 F.3d 180, 188 & n.5 (2d Cir. 2008) (in banc)). We will overturn a sentence for substantive unreasonableness only if the trial court's decision cannot be located within the range of permissible decisions.  Cavera, 550 F.3d at 189 (quoting United States v. Rigas, 490 F.3d 108, 114 (2d Cir. 2007)).

Del Valle's within-Guidelines sentence is reasonable. Del Valle perpetuated his fraud for approximately ten years and he misappropriated more than $5 million. To convince investors to fund his schemes, Del Valle fabricated emails (purporting to be written by famous chefs and businesspeople) that expressed support for Del Valle's business ventures, and then sent the fraudulent emails to potential clients to raise money. When some clients began to be suspicious and requested documentation, Del Valle falsely assured them that he was having financial statements prepared that would be sent to the investors shortly. Del Valle had previously been convicted of criminal possession of a forged instrument.

In arguing that his sentence is too onerous, Del Valle emphasizes that he worked hard in a new business venture so that he could make money in order to pay restitution, and that one of the fraud victims continued to conduct business with him after Del Valle pleaded guilty. Del Valle contends that this shows his work ethic, business sense, and reformed character. He also contends that the district court inadequately considered his personal characteristics, namely that he is sixty years old and is devoted to his family.

These contentions are unavailing. The district court considered all of Del Valle's arguments, weighed them against the aggravating factors, and arrived at his 98-month sentence. In light of the magnitude of Del Valle's fraud, the devious means he employed to bilk his victims, and other factors mentioned by the district court, we cannot say that Del Valle's sentence was outside the range of permissible decisions. Cavera, 550 F.3d at 189.

In particular, we are unpersuaded by Del Valle's reliance on his entry into a new business venture with a former victim in order to recompense his other victims. At most, Del Valle is arguing that the district court afforded insufficient weight to this factor, but when the ultimate sentence is reasonable  we will not second guess the weight (or lack thereof) that the judge accorded to a given factor or to a specific argument made pursuant to that factor. United States v. Pope, 554 F.3d 240, 246-47 (2d Cir. 2009) (quoting United States v. Fernandez, 443 F.3d 19, 34 (2d Cir. 2006)). Del Valle's sentence is reasonable, and we do not disturb it.

For the foregoing reasons, and finding no merit in Del Valle's other arguments, we hereby AFFIRM the judgment of the district court.

FOR THE COURT: CATHERINE O'HAGAN WOLFE, CLERK
Sheng Songcheng, adviser to the People's Bank of China (PBOC), made the comments in an interview with financial magazine Yicai published late Thursday.

Virtual currencies like bitcoin are assets but bitcoin in itself does not have the fundamental attributes needed to be a currency that could meet modern economic development needs, a Chinese central bank adviser said.

"Bitcoin does not have the fundamental attributes needed to be a currency as it is a string of code generated by complex algorithms...But I do not deny that virtual currencies have technical value and are a type of asset," he said.

His comments come after the Chinese central bank increased scrutiny of the country's bitcoin exchanges earlier this year, a move that prompted the companies to stop margin lending, introduced trading fees and issue rules to rein in users.

Many governments around the world are still mulling how to regulate and classify bitcoin, whose value surged in June to hit a record just shy of $3,000. China has classified it as a "virtual good".

Squaring in on bitcoin, Sheng said expectations that bitcoin supply would be capped in the year 2140 would make it difficult for it to become a medium of exchange that could meet modern economic development needs as money supply should be related to economic needs.

He also said that Chinese monetary authorities should study issuing a central bank virtual currency that it could regulate and run properly.
An Indian security personnel stands guard ahead of the arrival of the Dalai Lama near the Chinese border in India's north-eastern state of Arunachal Pradesh on April 7, 2017. Biju Boro | AFP| Getty Images

High in the Himalayas, Chinese and Indian troops are involved in a deepening military stand-off. It began at the end of June when Indian troops stopped Chinese workers from carrying out a road-building project in a disputed border area. Both countries have about 3,000 soldiers on each side of the border in the area, which is also close to the mountainous country of Bhutan. In retaliation for the Indian move, China cut off access to a group of Indian pilgrims trying to cross a Chinese pass on their way to Mount Kailash, a sacred site in Tibet for Hindus and Buddhists.

Which areas of the Chinese-Indian border are in dispute?

Two parts of the border are the main focus of long-running disputes. The larger section lies to the east in a border area stretching between Bhutan and Myanmar. India's side of the border covers Arunachal Pradesh, but China has claims in the area, which it calls South Tibet. India controls the Tawang monastery on its side of the border, a source of contention because it is one of the holy sites for Tibetan Buddhists. More from the South China Morning Post:

China, India border row 'worst in 30 years'

China says India violates 1890 agreement in border stand-off

Why Chinese submarines could soon be quieter than US ones

The other main flashpoint on the two countries' border is to the west on India's border with the Chinese region of Xinjiang. The Aksai Chin area is administered by Hotan county in Xinjiang, but areas are also claimed by India as parts of the Ladakh region of the state of Jammu and Kashmir. The current stand-off is over another area. It focuses on a remote pocket of land known in Chinese as Donglang which borders with the Indian state of Sikkim and Bhutan. The area is under Chinese control.

What is the historical background to the border disputes?

Disputes over the line of the border with Tibet are arguably a result of British colonialism. A deal was reached in 1914 to mark out the border between what was then British-controlled India and Tibet  the so-called McMahon Line. The agreement was never recognised by China, but it was open to a land swap deal in which India could keep what it claims on the eastern stretches of the two countries border, with China keeping Aksai Chin in the west. The western section of the border was non-negotiable for Beijing as it provided the best access into Tibet from the rest of China. New Delhi rejected any suggestion of giving up territory in contested areas, deeming them inviolable parts of the nation's territory. Chinese and Indian troops fought a war in 1962 after a series of skirmishes heightened tensions on the border, which largely ended in stalemate. Beijing argues the Convention of Calcutta, dated 1890, set out the Sikkim issue and that there should be no dispute about the territory on which China's troops were trying to build the road.

Have efforts been made to solve the border disputes?

India and China have held 15 rounds of border talks since the mid-1990s, but any gains have been limited. The border is normally peaceful, with not a shot fired in over 50 years, but the disputes are far from settled. Occasional flare-ups have occurred on the border in recent years, deepening the sometimes tense relations between China and India. India complained of a "deep incursion" into its territory four years ago in which a platoon of about 30 Chinese soldiers entered the Daulat Beg Oldi area in the Depsang Valley of eastern Ladakh in Indian-administered Kashmir. Chinese and Indian soldiers stood barely 100 metres apart at times at this easternmost point of the Karakoram tange on the western sector of the China-India border. Both sides eventually withdrew.
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Things may have turned for the worse between the United States and China. Even before an increasingly dangerous North Korea exposed divisions between the world's two biggest economies, the relationship between the U.S. and China was already souring. And the seemingly friendly Mar-a-Lago resort meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping is becoming a distant memory. Consider the steps the Trump administration has taken just since late June:

1. Naval operations in the South China Sea

On July 2, the U.S. carried out its second "freedom of navigation" operation during Trump's presidency, as a U.S. warship sailed near a disputed island in the South China Sea. The United States is highly unlikely to pull forces out of Asia, even if North Korea is trying get U.S. out of the region, said Jonathan Pain, author of investment newsletter The Pain Report.

2. Weapons to Taiwan

Days before China celebrated the 20th anniversary of Hong Kong's handover to the mainland from the British, the U.S. said it plans to sell $1.4 billion in arms to Taiwan in what is seen by Beijing as an affront to the "One China" policy. A U.S. State Department spokeswoman told reporters however that there has been no change to the United States' official acknowledgement that Taiwan and mainland China are a single entity. Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lu Kang argued last week that by selling arms to Taiwan, the U.S. has "severely violated international law" and jeopardized China's sovereignty and national interests."

3. New sanctions on Chinese individuals

The U.S. imposed new sanctions on a Chinese shipping company and two Chinese citizens tied to North Korea. The Treasury Department's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network also proposed banning U.S. financial institutions from doing business with the Bank of Dandong. Asked about the U.S. sanctions on Friday, the Foreign Ministry's Kang said that China consistently opposes unilateral sanctions imposed outside the U.N. framework. "We strongly urge the U.S. to immediately correct its mistake, so as not to impact bilateral cooperation on relevant issues," he said.

4. Harsh words on steel and aluminum

Miscalculations by both sides

The shift in America's stance toward China comes amid disappointment from Washington over Chinese inaction against North Korea. The reclusive country has persisted with missile tests, and this week appears to have launched an intercontinental ballistic missile for the first time. "Washington's recent moves in South China Sea, plans for steel tariffs and the rubber-stamping of an arms sale to Taiwan indicate that Trump is shifting toward a more hard-line approach on China," said Guo Yu, principal China analyst at Verisk Maplecroft. This comes after seemingly warm relations after Mar-a-Lago, with Trump calling Xi "a very good man" later in the same month.

Is the honeymoon already over for Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Donald Trump? Jim Watson | AFP | Getty Images
In early Friday trade, shares of troubled commodity trader Noble Group retraced some of their more than 36 percent surge in the previous session.

The stock was down 10.94 percent at 57 Singapore cents ($0.41) at 2:51 p.m. HK/SIN, after climbing 36.17 percent, or 17 Singapore cents, to close at S$0.64 on Thursday amid a surge in volume.

Around 32.16 million shares had changed hands as of 2:51 p.m. HK/SIN, with Reuters data showing some large trade sizes.

Nearly 124 million shares changed hands on Thursday, compared with its previous five-day average volume of 18.27 million, according to Reuters data.

Short-covering was unlikely to explain the move as Singapore Exchange (SGX) data indicated that only 678,000 shares were sold short as of the close on Wednesday.

But by Thursday's close, that had jumped to around 4.1 million shares sold short, valued at around S$2.30 million, likely driven by expectations the stock's surge would fade.

The company has been searching for a strategic investor  so far without any public announcement of success.

In May, Reuters reported, citing three sources familiar with the matter, that Chinese state-owned company Sinochem was no longer pursuing an investment in the Singapore-listed company due to concerns over its finances after it posted a surprise loss for the January-to-March quarter and warned it wouldn't be profitable for two years.

In a response to the SGX's query on the unusual activity on Thursday, Noble said it was unaware of any information not previously announced that could explain the trading.

Noble didn't provide additional information.

"The group ensures that it is at all times in compliance with the listing rules and disclosure obligations. The group does not comment on third parties' actions," a Noble representative said in an email on Thursday in response to CNBC's request for comment.
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It is easy to overlook less recognizable stocks in favor of red-hot technology names, so Jim Cramer highlighted one under-the-radar powerhouse worth noting: the stock of Avery Dennison . "It's a stand-in for all those other little-known companies with stocks that have become seemingly unstoppable in recent months," the "Mad Money" host said. You may not know the name, but Avery Dennison's products are everywhere. The company makes adhesive materials, coatings, and labeling and packaging products like graphic imaging and radio frequency identification tags, which help businesses manage their brands and track inventory. But the company is not solely dependent on the retail sector. Its technology, which includes heat- and chemical-resistant labels for warning signs and adhesive films that make buildings look better, is so impressive that the stock has been a frequent visitor to the 52-week high list. "Avery Dennison may not be sexy, but it's one of the kind of unsung heroes that no one talks about. They just don't," Cramer said. "Would I recommend buying it? Sure, I think the stock could have a lot of upside." Aside from being tech-savvy, Avery Dennison has also been forward-thinking, delivering steady revenue growth, strong earnings and high value products while making strategic acquisitions and paying a good dividend. "What really matters here is that this market's recent rally is not just about flashy tech stocks that so many investors feel uncomfortable with," Cramer said. "It's also composed of boring, steady-eddie players like Avery Dennison, and as long as this kind of stock is leading the way, I feel good about the norm of the market, since this company is the definition of normal  the regular American Joe stock that's worth investing in any day of the week."

Cramer's Top Market Worries

A ballistic rocket launching drill of Hwasong artillery units of the Strategic Force of the KPA in this undated photo released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) in Pyongyang March 7, 2017. KCNA | Reuters

Then, on a relatively tame day in the stock market that can be easily dismissed, Cramer wanted to give his reasons for why investors should never lose sight of their underlying concerns. So the "Mad Money" host shared his list of six concerns that, if realized, could have sway over the market's movements in major, potentially catastrophic ways. "I give you this list not because I'm a bear, and not because the market is down hard today, the first time in four sessions. It's more because I want you to know that I have a list and I check it constantly. I always add new things to it, because that's what you do if you're a pro," Cramer said.

Blue Apron: Rotten Delivery?

Blue Apron CEO Matthew B. Salzberg speaks on the floor of the Exchange during the company's IPO on the New York Stock Exchange, June 29, 2017. Lucas Jackson | Reuters

When Blue Apron filed for an initial public offering, market watchers including Cramer thought the increasingly popular, tech-oriented meal kit service would blow investors away. "That's why the Blue Apron IPO was one of the most eagerly anticipated deals of the year. It seemed like investors were practically salivating for this one," Cramer said. "Yet the actual IPO, it's been a total bust from start to finish, and, fairly or unfairly, its weakness is giving other digital startups a bad name." Shares of Blue Apron began trading at $10 a share on June 29, climbing 9 percent that day before sliding back down. Since then, however, the stock has cratered, falling nearly 20 percent. So Cramer decided to look into what the botched IPO means for both the IPO market and other venture-capital-backed tech-related startups interested in going public, especially considering how promising Blue Apron seemed before it came to the public market.

Netcapital CEO: A New Way to Finance

Jason Frishman, CEO, Netcapital Scott Mlyn | CNBC

Finding early-stage investments for budding companies can be difficult, but Jason Frishman, the founder and CEO of private fundraising company Netcapital, has built one solution. "There's lots of different options for early-stage company financing, but it's really hard. And so what we do is we allow you to raise money from anybody. Not just the general partners in Boston, New York and San Francisco, where 80 percent of venture capital is invested, but from your friends, from your family, from your customers, from your fans, from your followers," he told Cramer on Thursday. "We're really turning this on its head and making it so that you can leverage the power of your popularity to accomplish your fundraising goals." On the surface, Netcapital is another private equity and venture capital firm, but its differences lie not only in that it broadens the fundraising effort for entrepreneurs, but also that it makes it easier and more accessible for the average home-gamer, Frishman said.

Europe: Is the Turnaround Upon Us?

Finally, Cramer looked across the pond to Europe, where one Italian bank's seizure could mark the start of an economic overhaul that pushes European markets out of their lull. Earlier this week, the Monte dei Paschi di Siena bank was seized by the Italian government and given a $6 billion bailout to heal the bank and help it out of its run. With two similar Italian bank bailouts, a 13 billion rights offering for major Italian bank Unicredit, a 8 billion takeover of the Spanish Banco Popular by its competitor Banco Santander, a 4 billion rights offering for Credit Suisse and a 8 billion rights offering for Deutsche Bank all occurring this year, Cramer takes them as signs of a true pickup across Europe. "This plethora of deals finally breaks the logjam that's plagued all of Europe for years, and it's why we should begin to expect a rather dramatic pickup in growth across the Atlantic, even as the numbers have already been pretty darned good for Europe for about a year now," he said. "I think these rights offerings, and the concomitant write-downs, are going to spur growth and keep the euro rising. It's why I dislike European bonds and why I like Europe's stock markets, as well as their currency, the euro, which can be captured best by buying the EZU , the MSCI Eurozone ETF that we own for my charitable trust."

Lightning Round: Bad Neighborhoods
Frozen food doesn't have the best reputation. Tater tots, TV dinners and frozen spinach, which in decades past served as examples of the food science that made cooking quick and convenient, are no longer in sync with demands from Americans for healthier options. Soup and smoothie maker Daily Harvest, which has the backing of celebrities that include Gwyneth Paltrow and Serena Williams, thinks it's onto a new kitchen science that can shake up preconceptions about frozen food. Daily Harvest founder Rachel Drori claims its farm-freezing technique  in which it freezes organic produce that has been picked at peak ripeness and frozen within hours right at the farm  locks in nutrients far better than the conventional method of picking produce while still green and letting it ripen in transit or on store shelves. The online food retailer then delivers items directly to consumers, primarily busy parents. Several start-ups have in recent years turned "bad foods" that moms hesitate to put in their shopping carts into big bucks, and they've been successful getting major food corporations to acquire them for hundreds of millions, if not a billion or more. Annie's Homegrown made mac 'n' cheese and gummy snacks healthy before General Mills bought it for $820 million; Applegate made chicken nuggets and processed lunch meat healthy before Spam maker Hormel snatched it up for $775 million. As far back as 1999, Kellogg's bought the parent company of Morningstar Farms, maker of frozen-food aisle veggie burgers, for $300 million. Erin Lash, food-sector analyst at financial research firm Morningstar, said there has been a shift in what consumers perceive as being healthier. "Products labeled 'light' and 100-calorie' have fallen out of favor," Lash said. "Simplified ingredient profiles, natural and organic have been winning." Just past the midway point of the year, the number of venture capital investments in frozen-food start-ups and the total amount invested is well ahead of the pace from 20142016.

Venture capital deal flow in US frozen-food companies Year Deal flow ($M) Deal count (#) 2014 161 25 2015 79 26 2016 110 24 2017 134 21

Source: PitchBook (6/27/2017)

Lash said product development in large food companies also has tended to be a longer process than at start-ups. "Small niche operators have done a better job of getting new products to the shelf in a more timely fashion," the Morningstar analyst said. Daily Harvest's marketed "superfood"  which is packaged as soups, smoothies and chia parfaits  is delivered directly to the home, to be stored in the freezer, and can be prepared in 30 seconds. Daily Harvest thinks it stands out from the refined, processed-food competition in the freezer aisle. "Some with a lot of preservatives and salts, and things that you just really don't want to be eating," Drori said. "By getting out of the freezer aisle and going directly to consumers, we have an opportunity to educate consumers and let them know not what frozen is but what frozen can be, and get these customers who probably wouldn't go into the freezer aisle because of the misconception to rethink frozen," said Drori.

Daily Harvest founder Rachel Drori is betting that her on-demand smoothies and soups will change the perception of frozen food.

We have an opportunity to educate consumers and let them know not what frozen is but what frozen can be. Rachel Drori founder of Daily Harvest
Finding early-stage investments for budding companies can be difficult, but Jason Frishman, the founder and CEO of private fundraising company Netcapital, has built one solution.

"There's lots of different options for early-stage company financing, but it's really hard. And so what we do is we allow you to raise money from anybody. Not just the general partners in Boston, New York and San Francisco, where 80 percent of venture capital is invested, but from your friends, from your family, from your customers, from your fans, from your followers," he told "Mad Money" host Jim Cramer on Thursday. "We're really turning this on its head and making it so that you can leverage the power of your popularity to accomplish your fundraising goals."

On the surface, Netcapital is another private equity and venture capital firm, but its differences lie not only in that it broadens the fundraising effort for entrepreneurs, but also that it makes it easier and more accessible for the average home-gamer, Frishman said.

"You can invest between $100 and $100,000 right now from the comfort of your couch. You can go to Netcapital.com, you can invest in anything from a drone company to a Pokemon-Go-style mobile game company to a family fun park to a virtual reality company," he told Cramer. "They're non-accredited investors, for the first time ever."

Watch the full segment here:
Several Gulf nations involved in the diplomatic freeze against Qatar may have doubled down on their list of demands, but the CEO of the Qatar Financial Centre put on a brave face in an interview with CNBC.

His country, he said, has weathered worse economic conditions than those now imposed by its neighbors.

Referring to the regional dispute as "an aggression upon the state of Qatar," Qatar Financial Centre CEO Yousuf Mohamed Al-Jaida told CNBC that geopolitical uncertainty in the region was "bad" for business.

Still, he also claimed it was "business as usual" for the country. Some in the greater region, however, may be less comfortable, Al-Jaida said.

"I think investors who were set up in nearby countries to do business in this part of the world ... have obviously suffered a lot of consequences," he said.

Qatar is currently on the receiving end of a diplomatic spat led by several leading Arab nations  including Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates  that has played out for longer more a month. The countries had claimed the reason they had cut ties with Qatar was because the latter had been supporting terrorism, although several other reasons have been suggested be experts on the region.
United States Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit. United States of America Plaintiff - Appellee v. Curtis J. Cotton Defendant - Appellant No. 16-3545 Decided: July 06, 2017

Before RILEY, BEAM, and SHEPHERD, Circuit Judges.

While on supervised release following a prison term for his 2009 bank robbery conviction, Curtis Cotton was found to have violated the terms of his supervision by committing assault, in violation of Iowa Code section 708.1(2)(c). The district court revoked Cotton's supervision and sentenced him to twenty-four months in prison. Cotton challenges the sufficiency of the government's evidence. Having jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C.  1291, we affirm.

I. Background

Cotton was sentenced to sixty months imprisonment and three years supervised release after pleading guilty to bank robbery in 2009. He began his supervised release on September 16, 2015. Relevant to the present case, the supervised release included the following terms: (1) The defendant shall not commit another federal, state or local crime; and (2) The defendant shall not possess a firearm, destructive device, or any other dangerous weapon. On November 10, 2015, Cotton's probation officer filed a petition alleging that Cotton violated these two mandatory conditions.

Around 1:55 a.m. on October 26, 2015, Ryan Storey exited the Horseshoe Casino in Council Bluffs, Iowa, with approximately $8000 in baccarat winnings. As Storey retrieved his overnight luggage from his truck in a hotel parking lot adjacent to the casino, an armed assailant ran toward Storey shouting hold up, coming within five to ten feet of Storey and pointing a large silver handgun at him. Storey jumped back, shouted loudly, and ran into the hotel office. The assailant ran in the opposite direction. The encounter lasted 10 to 15 seconds.

Storey identified Cotton as the assailant. Cotton admitted that he was at the Horseshoe Casino that night and that he made contact with Storey while in the casino. Storey testified that while he played baccarat with several thousand dollars in chips in public view, Cotton lingered behind him and hung around asking questions. Storey testified that Cotton stood out to him because he was just moseying around the casino, was lingering behind him, and was not gambling. Storey remembered conversing with Cotton at the casino.

Casino surveillance video shows that Cotton exited the casino with Bronson Birdow through the same door as Storey about 20 seconds ahead of him and got into a black Chevrolet Avalanche pickup truck waiting just outside the casino doors driven by a third unidentified individual. Storey walked past the truck carrying a pizza as he exited the casino. Casino parking lot video shows that the black truck containing Cotton followed Storey at a distance with its lights off as Storey walked to his vehicle. The same black truck is seen on the video following Storey's vehicle leaving the casino parking lot. Storey made the very short drive to the Country Inn and Suites adjacent to the casino. The hold up incident occurred after Storey checked in at the hotel desk and returned to his vehicle in the hotel parking lot to retrieve his overnight luggage.

Storey testified that he recognized Cotton as the assailant because of his eyes, voice, short stature, gait, and clotheswhich he remembered from their interaction and his observations of Cotton earlier at the casino. Cotton claims that he went straight home from the casino, but called no witnesses to support that assertion.

The district court found by the greater weight of the evidence that Cotton pointed a handgun at Storey in the parking lot that night, committing assault in violation of Iowa state law. The district court, therefore, found Cotton guilty of both violations since he broke an Iowa law and possessed a firearm. The district court sentenced Cotton to twenty-four months imprisonment followed by an additional year of supervised release.

Cotton appeals the district court's revocation of his supervised release and its finding that he violated the terms and conditions of his supervised release, but not the sentence imposed.

II. Analysis

We review for clear error the district court's factual findings as to whether a violation occurred. United States v. Ralph, 480 F.3d 888, 890 (8th Cir. 2007). Clear error exists where, viewing the record as a whole, we are left with the definite and firm conviction that a mistake has been committed. United States v. Finley, 612 F.3d 998, 1002 (8th Cir. 2010) (internal quotation marks omitted).

Iowa Code section 708.1(2)(c) says, A person commits an assault when, without justification, the person  [i]ntentionally points any firearm toward another, or displays in a threatening manner any dangerous weapon toward another.

Here, the district court found that Curtis Cotton approached Ryan Storey  [and] pointed a handgun at him in the parking lot, committing assault under Iowa Code  708.1(2)(c).

We do not find clear error in the district court's factual findings because there is ample evidence to support these findings. Specifically, this evidence included:

(1) Storey's testimony that Cotton was present at the casino, moseying around without gambling, and lingering around and behind Storey as Storey gambled at the baccarat table with several thousand dollars of casino chips visible, giving Cotton a motive to later approach Storey in the hotel parking lot with a gun;

(2) Storey's testimony, supported by video, showing that he had ample opportunity to observe Cotton and to later identify him based upon his size, clothing, eyes, voice, and other physical characteristics;

(3) Casino video confirming that Cotton exited the casino almost simultaneously with Storey and that he got into a black truck that stealthily followed Storey as he walked to his vehicle in the casino parking lot, and the same black truck followed Storey's vehicle while exiting the parking lot;

(4) Storey's identification of Cotton as the assailant with ninety-five percent certain[ty], based upon the characteristics he observed in the casino including Cotton's eyes, clothing, size, voice, and other features;

(5) Parking lot video corroborating Storey's testimony about the hold up regarding the nature of the attack including approach and retreat of the attacker and the duration of the attack; and

(6) Storey's testimony that Cotton pointed a gun at him during the hold up encounter saying the gun was staring him in the chest and that he feared for his life.

Bolstering the above evidence is the fact that the district court found Storey to be a very credible witness throughout the entire proceedings, and Storey was extensively cross-examined by Cotton's counsel. Credibility determinations by the district court based on testimony at supervised release revocation hearings are virtually unreviewable on appeal. Ralph, 480 F.3d at 890 (internal quotation marks omitted).

In addition, Cotton did not dispute any of Storey's testimony other than that naming him as the assailant, and Cotton provided no evidence to support his claim that he went straight home from the casino, in spite of the fact that he got into a truck with two other potential witnesses who could have been called to corroborate his story. Therefore, based upon the evidence above, we find no clear error in the district court's finding that Cotton intentionally pointed a gun at Storey in the hotel parking lot.

Next, the district court found that Cotton violated two terms of his supervised release in pointing a gun at Storey. First, the district court found that Cotton committed a crime in violation of Iowa Code section 708.1(2)(c) violating the term of his release stating, The defendant shall not commit another  state  crime. Iowa Code section 708.1(2)(c) clearly defines assault as including [i]ntentionally point[ing] any firearm toward another. Based upon the district court's factual finding above, the district court necessarily found that Cotton committed the state crime of assault and therefore violated a term of his supervision. Second, in finding that Cotton pointed a gun at Storey, the district court had to find that Cotton violated the term of his supervision that stated, The defendant shall not possess a firearm, since Cotton obviously possessed the firearm he was brandishing.

III. Conclusion

For the reasons stated above, we find that the district court did not clearly err in its factual determination that Cotton committed an Iowa crime in the parking lot of a hotel by pointing a gun at another thereby violating the terms of his supervised release.

Affirmed.

FOOTNOTES

. The Honorable John M. Gerrard, United States District Judge for the District of Nebraska.

SHEPHERD, Circuit Judge.
Samsung Electronics on Friday said it was expecting an operating profit of 14 trillion Korean won ($12.1 billion) for the quarter that ended in June, a 72 percent on-year jump that beat analysts predictions.

Reuters reported the average forecast for the smartphone and chip-maker's second-quarter profit among analysts was 13.1 trillion won.

The South Korean company also said it expected consolidated sales to approximate about 60 trillion won for the same period, climbing 17.78 percent on-year.

Over recent quarters, Samsung's booming semiconductor business has been a key earnings driver as the company has been trying to reduce its reliance on mobile and build up other areas. Earlier this week, Samsung said it planned to invest $18 billion in South Korea in its chip business to boost its lead in the market.

Analysts told CNBC that Samsung's operating profits for the quarter could surpass that of Apple's for the same period for the first time ever. Apple is expected to report revenue of $44.9 billion and an operating profit of $10.49 billion.

Full earnings for the quarter are expected to be released later in the month.
Martin Shkreli, chief executive officer of Turing Pharmaceuticals LLC, exits federal court in New York, on Thursday, Dec. 17, 2015.

A former employee of Martin Shkreli's hedge fund revealed in dramatic testimony Thursday how the fund "imploded" from a failed stock trade in February 2011, leaving "Martin ... just slumped in his chair, his hoodie up, and depressed in a way I had never seen before" in following days.

"When the firm had imploded, all that energy just sort of deflated," said Caroline Stewart, who testified that before the botched short trade Shkreli's MSMB Capital fund had an "intense" atmosphere.

"Everything was quiet. The lights were not turned on. People stopped coming into work," Stewart said in Brooklyn, New York, federal court at Shkreli's securities fraud trial.

Shkreli told her "he owed Bank of America/Merrill Lynch $10 million," Stewart recalled.

"He said he wanted to make sure the bank didn't get a hold of Retrophin . But that was a little bit later." Retrophin was the drug company later started by Shkreli.

A Merrill Lynch employee testified Wednesday that Shkreli told that bank, which was processing his electronic trading, on Feb. 2, 2011, that he did not have the shares or assets to cover a 11-million-share short trade he made in Orexigen Therapeutics.

In that trade, Shkreli was betting the stock price of that company would go down. When the price went up instead, he was required to either come up with stock or cash to cover the position, or reimburse the opposite party in the trade for the difference in the share price appreciation. But Shkreli had neither.

Stewart said that in the weeks following that botched trade, "I showed up to work every day."

"And I never heard any such phone call" to MSMB's investors to inform them about them about the devastating loss to the hedge fund from the Orexigen trade, she testified.

"My impression was that [the fund] had gone completely bust, since he owed nearly $10 million to Bank of America/Merrill Lynch," Stewart said.

An earlier witness Thursday, Dr. Lindsay Rosenwald, told jurors that Shkreli, in a performance statement issued for February 2011, had claimed Rosenwald's investment in the hedge fund was still rising, and not going down.

A prosecutor asked Rosenwald if he ever heard about the "trade in OREX," or Orexigen.

"No," replied Rosenwald, 62, the chairman of Fortress Biotech.

Stewart testified that soon after the Orexigen trade, she was called into a room at MSMB Capital's office by another employee, who showed her a screen displaying the fund's stock positions.

"The assets were just barely north of $2 million," Stewart said.

Stewart's testimony contrasted with the picture Shkreli painted at the time for investors in MSMB Capital. He was allegedly telling them the fund had between $30 million to $40 million in assets under management.

Before the Orexigen trade, Stewart said, Shkreli was claiming MSMB Capital had between $200 million to $250 million in assets under management during meetings with bankers. Shkreli also claimed the fund had investment returns of between 20 and 25 percent.

Stewart testified that "the implosion of MSMB Capital was the catalyst, the genesis, that gave birth to Retrophin, the biotech company."

Prosecutors claim that Shkreli looted stock from Retrophin, which he founded after MSMB blew up, in order to repay investors he had defrauded at MSMB Capital and a related fund, MSMB Healthcare.

Shkreli had pleaded not guilty to related charges of securities fraud, and conspiracy to commit securities and wire fraud.
The Doha Skyline at the Sheraton Grand Hotel on November 17, 2016 in Doha, Qatar.

The United States is increasingly concerned that a dispute between Qatar and other Arab states is at an impasse and could drag on for a long time or intensify, the U.S. State Department said on Thursday.

Underscoring U.S. concerns about a crisis involving key allies in the Middle East, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis discussed the importance of easing tensions in a phone call with Qatari Minister of State for Defense Affairs Khalid al-Attiyah. For his part, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson plans to visit Kuwait, which is mediating in the dispute, on Monday.

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, and Bahrain broke diplomatic relations with Qatar last month and launched a drive to boycott the gas-producing state, which they accuse of supporting terrorism and allying with regional foe Iran.

Qatar denies the charges and has accused the four countries of "clear aggression."
Indonesia suffered its worst financial crisis in 1997 to 1998. The Asian Financial Crisis that hit the nation severely affected its economy, with some reports indicating a 13.7 percent contraction in growth.

In one year, the Rupiah weakened from 2,500 against the U.S. dollar, to 10,000 Rupiah  with the pair peaking at 17,000.

Twenty years on, the decline that triggered poverty, political instability, and mass unemployment has taught policymakers important lessons about maintaining healthy debt levels, according to Chatib Basri, Indonesia's finance minister from 2013 to 2014.

Speaking with CNBC's "Capital Connection" on Monday Basri suggested that Indonesia has already learned from its mistakes, which could be seen during the Global Financial Crisis when the government's economic stimulus limited the negative impact.

Still, the government's efforts to deregulate the economy do not always translate to the local level, as municipal governments often refuse to comply with the state's laws. Due to decentralization, the central government doesn't have total control over, which impedes the full implementation of any new policies.
Jefferies is upgrading Advance Auto Parts to buy from hold despite significant company setbacks in the first half of the year. "While near-term results likely remain weak, we believe the 'new' management team's initiatives can drive significant longer-term margin expansion and expect an inflection in H2 '17," wrote Jefferies analyst Bret Jordan in Friday's note. Advance Auto Parts (AAP) shares plunged 39 percent year to date, but the equity analyst noted that AAP is relatively well positioned in its online competition, given the company's 58 percent commercial mix. Jordan set AAP's 12-month price target at $130, representing 26 percent upside from Thursday's market close. The report also noted that AAP may have "fat" to trim. "Significant margin expansion opportunities can be driven by improving operating efficiencies rather than growing sales," continued Jordan. "We believe the 'new' management team can achieve earnings before interest and taxes in the 13-14% range, implying EPS potential north of $11." Auto part retailers had a tough week on Wall Street. O'Reilly Automotive stock fell 20 percent Wednesday after it reported weaker-than-expected same-store growth. The O'Reilly report weighed heavily on AAP shares, which fell 14 percent. On Friday afternoon, AAP traded down about 1.5 percent.

A vehicle pulls out of a parking space outside an Advance Auto Parts Inc. store in Peoria, Illinois. Daniel Acker | Bloomberg | Getty Images
People walking in the lobby of the Congress Center ahead of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland last January.

In a bygone analog era, lawmakers and corporate chiefs traveled great distances to swap secrets, to the smoke-filled back rooms of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, or the watering holes at the annual Allen & Company conference in Sun Valley, Idaho.

But these days, entering the corridors of power is as easy as opening an app.

Secure messaging apps like WhatsApp, Signal and Confide are making inroads among lawmakers, corporate executives and other prominent communicators. Spooked by surveillance and wary of being exposed by hackers, they are switching from phone calls and emails to apps that allow them to send encrypted and self-destructing texts. These apps have obvious benefits, but their use is causing problems in heavily regulated industries, where careful record-keeping is standard procedure.

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"By and large, email is still used for formal conversations," said Juleanna Glover, a corporate consultant based in Washington. "But for quick shots, texting is the medium of choice."

Texting apps are already creating headaches on Wall Street, where financial regulations require firms to preserve emails, instant messages and other business-related correspondence.

In March, Christopher Niehaus, an investment banker with the Jefferies Group in London, resigned from his job and was fined nearly $50,000 by British regulators after disclosing confidential client information to a friend over WhatsApp. Deutsche Bank barred its employees from texting and using WhatsApp on their work phones in an effort to curtail underground communication. And last year, prosecutors charged Navnoor Kang, a portfolio manager at the New York State Common Retirement Fund, with securities fraud, accusing him of taking bribes as part of a pay-to-play scheme. According to the indictment, Mr. Kang and his co-conspirators plotted their deeds over, you guessed it, WhatsApp.

The appeal of these apps is no big mystery. Cyberattacks on prominent people  like the 2014 hack of Sony Pictures executives and the WikiLeaks release of emails from John D. Podesta, Hillary Clinton's former campaign chairman  have put the Davos class on high alert. And President Trump's election in November led to a boom in business for encrypted texting appsamong those who feared he would intensify surveillance tactics. Whether they are trying to evade the law, arrange fragile deals or just talk candidly without fear of being snooped on, business executives and other leaders have many reasons for wanting a private back channel.

"After the 2016 election, there's an assumption that at some point, everyone's emails will be made public," said Alex Conant, a partner at the public affairs firm Firehouse Strategies and a former spokesman for Senator Marco Rubio of Florida. Most people are now aware, Mr. Conant said, that "if you want to have truly private conversations, it needs to be over one of those encrypted apps."

For now, America's elites seem to be using secure apps mostly for one-on-one conversations, but the days of governance by group text might not be far-off. Last year, a group affiliated with Britain's Conservative Party was discovered to be using a secret WhatsApp conversation to coordinate a pro-"Brexit" messaging campaign, while a separate WhatsApp group was being used by politicians backing the Remain effort. Steve Baker, the Conservative member of Parliament who led the pro-"Brexit" group, told The Telegraph that WhatsApp was "extremely effective" as a tool for political coordination.

Encrypted chat and email programs have existed for years, but many were clunky and hard to use. That changed when WhatsApp, a messaging program owned by Facebook with more than a billion users, turned on encryption by default for all of its users last year, making it simple for even the tech-averse to talk securely.

Disappearing messages, once the province of teenagers on Snapchat , have also become standard issue for the paranoid, and even mainstream apps like Facebook Messenger now allow users to send secret, self-destructing messages.

Despite their convenience, third-party messaging apps can pose new risks if their security measures are flawed or incomplete. Confide, for instance, was criticized when security researchers found multiple vulnerabilities that could have left users' communications exposed to hackers. (The company said that the issues had been resolved and that Confide offered "industry-standard cryptography.")

Self-deleting messages can also foul up long-established record-retention practices and, for some federal employees, they may constitute a violation of the law. White House staff members, for example, are required by the Presidential Records Act of 1978 to store copies of their work-related correspondence, while employees of other federal agencies, including the State Department, are required to save their communications under the Federal Records Act. When those records are created outside of official channels  or when, in the case of a disappearing message, they're never created at all  a piece of history is lost.

Few issues produce bipartisan consensus in Washington these days, but the secure messaging trend has drawn criticism from all sides. Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, a watchdog group, recently filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, alleging that Mr. Trump and his associates were "ignoring or outright flouting" public records laws by using texting apps like Confide. Judicial Watch, a conservative group, sued the Environmental Protection Agency over its staff members' reported use of Signal, calling the app's popularity among government workers "disturbing" and saying that it "may make it difficult for their work to be overseen."

"It's a serious issue that part of the legal record is being destroyed," said John Wonderlich, the executive director of the Sunlight Foundation, a group that advocates open government. "Lots of record-keeping requirements don't work very well at all for the modern world."

Secure chats are especially tough to regulate, because they leave few traces by design. But scrutiny of the practice is growing. In March, David S. Ferriero, the nation's archivist, sent a memo to officials at federal agencies reminding them that they were "responsible for properly managing electronic messages that are federal records" across a wide range of communications systems.

Representative Mike Quigley, Democrat of Illinois, recently introduced the Communications Over Various Feeds Electronically for Engagement (or Covfefe) Act, which would extend the reach of the Presidential Records Act to include social media posts and other digital records. Despite the groaner of a name, a cheeky reference to Mr. Trump's now-infamous misspelled Twitter post, Mr. Quigley's bill addresses a very real issue: As of now, tweets and other social media posts are not explicitly named as protected records.

Daniel Jacobson, a White House lawyer during the Obama administration, told me that the use of apps like Signal and Confide among Trump administration officials might technically amount to criminal activity, under laws that prohibit the destruction of government property. And while White House staff members are unlikely to go to jail for texting, he said that preserving public records was an essential democratic norm, no matter which apps officials use.

"The public has a right to know what people in the White House worked on," Mr. Jacobson said. "Especially at a time where basic facts are often disputed, it is important to know that the truth will one day be made public."

Whether illicit or innocent, the use of secure texting apps is probably here to stay. The alternative is just too fragile, in a world where a data breach can mean disaster. Which means it's up to regulators and technologists to find a solution that provides both security and accountability.

If modern communication methods can be aligned with record-keeping laws, it will ensure that when our leaders conduct official business, the public still gets the message.
A "Norwegian solution" for Britain post-Brexit does not appear to be on the cards given London's position concerning the so-called 'four freedoms', Norway's Prime Minister Erna Solberg told CNBC on Friday.

"I think we have very good working relations on the basis of not being members of the European Union but it does have as a part, the four freedoms," Solberg said in an exclusive interview on the sidelines of a G-20 meeting in Hamburg.

The four freedoms underpin the EU's internal market and refer to the freedom of movement for goods, services, capital and workers.

Norway, while not a member of the European Union, is part of the European Economic Area and has access to the bloc's lucrative tariff-free single market.

When asked whether Norway could be seen as a potential role model for Britain post-Brexit, Solberg replied, "To be a partner in the single market, we have accepted the four freedoms and so my feeling is that the teams in the British debate does not lead up to a Norwegian solution."

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker has consistently argued the U.K. must be willing to accept the bloc's four freedoms if it wishes to retain access to the single market.

Meanwhile, U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May is in support of leaving the EU's internal market as a way of bringing an end to the free movement of EU citizens in Britain.
Edmund G. Brown Jr., the Governor of California, has announced his state is to host the world's climate leaders at a major summit in San Francisco.

The Global Climate Action Summit will take place in September 2018. In a statement on Thursday, Brown's office said California would convene representatives from subnational governments, businesses, investors and civil society at the summit.

Brown announced the summit via a video message at the Global Citizen Festival in Hamburg, Germany. "It's up to you and it's up to me and tens of millions of other people to get it together to roll back the forces of carbonization and join together to combat the existential threat of climate change," he said. "That's why we're having the Climate Action Summit in San Francisco, September 2018."

"I know President Trump is trying to get out of the Paris Agreement, but he doesn't speak for the rest of America," Brown went on to add. "We in California and in states all across America believe it's time to act, it's time to join together and that's why at this Climate Action Summit we're going to get it done."

Brown's office said that the summit would represent the first time a U.S. state had "hosted an international climate change conference with the direct goal of supporting the Paris Agreement."

Under the Paris Agreement, world leaders have committed to making sure global warming stays "well below" 2 degrees Celsius and to pursue efforts to limit the temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

At the beginning of June, Trump announced the U.S. would withdraw from the Paris Agreement and commence negotiations to re-enter or negotiate a new agreement, prompting a barrage of criticism from supporters of the accord.

"This agreement is less about the climate and more about other countries gaining a financial advantage over the United States," the president said at the time.
China should focus on fixing fundamental problems that may trigger a financial crisis instead of witch-hunting, an economist said Friday.

Speaking to CNBC's "Squawk Box," independent economist Andy Xie said China has managed to avoid a financial crisis now by tightening capital controls, but there's more to be done.

"Any other country would've collapsed, but China had started with that big cushion (of foreign reserves). Still the government had to crack down on capital flight. Without bottling up the country, China would be in a crisis now," Xie said.

Chinese companies and individuals have been snapping up overseas assets, prompting authorities to tighten controls on outflows such as limiting offshore investments.

Recently, several of China's largest overseas asset buyers were scrutinized on instructions from the banking regulator.

"Unfortunately, China is focusing on who's going to trigger the crisis; they are not talking about the fundamental conditions for the crisis, rather they focus on the technical aspect, on who's going to trigger the crisis," said Xie.

The recent actions from Chinese authorities, he said, are more about: "The people who took the money out last year, let's check them out, maybe send some to jail."
Each week, USA TODAY's OnPolitics blog takes a look at how media from the left and the right reacted to one of the week's political news stories, giving liberals and conservatives a peek into the other's media bubble.

This week, conservatives were fuming over posts saying Polish first lady Agata Kornhauser-Duda snubbed President Trump when he tried to shake her hand Thursday when they met in Warsaw. As commentators on right-leaning media were quick to point out, Kornhauser-Duda turned back to the president and shook his hand right after shaking Melania Trump's hand first.

"By now, this is a familiar enough scene; women either purposefully or accidentally avoiding either a handshake or embrace from the president," wrote Jezebel's Stassa Edwards. "When women have slighted Trump there is something delicious about watching the embodiment of ego and power reduced to standing uncomfortably, emptily staring at cameras recording the moment."

More from USA Today:

Why Melania Trump is obsessed with culottes: An explanation

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From the right: Fake news!

"The mainstream media, desperate for a victory, is now claiming that Polish First Lady Agata Kornhauser-Duda rebuffed a handshake by Donald Trump during the president's visit to Poland," reads a post on Sean Hannity's blog.

"Of course, the story is wishful thinking on the part of the left-wing media," the post continues. "As the video of the event clearly shows, the first lady of Poland first shakes the hand of first lady Melania Trump, then immediately shakes President Trump's hand."

From the left: 'The handshake is still a thing for old Tiny Fingers'

The Root had a lot of fun with what it called a "snub."

"Kornhauser-Duda, didn't want any part of (Trump's) tiny deplorable fingers as she straight curbed him when he came in for a handshake," the post reads.

From the right: Grow up

Becket Adams went after the media outlets that played up the missed handshake as an intentional snub in an opinion piece for the Washington Examiner.Adams especially chided CNN's Chris Cillizza who tweeted "OHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGOD..." along with a video clip of the incident.

@CillizzaCNN: OHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGOD

"It would be awesome if we didn't have to Zapruder the news cycle because reporters can't keep it together long enough to figure out the truth of certain events," Adams wrote. "Can we please have just a little bit more restraint?"

From the left: A day of handshake fails and awkwardness

"For a man who's expected to shake a lot of hands, President Donald Trump still has a remarkable amount of trouble getting his greetings right," wrote the Huffington Post's Nick Wing.

Wing noted that "many people on Twitter were quick to delight in what they saw as Kornhauser-Duda deliberately swerving on Trump," but said it was more likely that she was simply following proper protocol and shaking the hand of her counterpart first."

A Huffington Postvideo of the incident is titled, Poland's first lady ignored the hell out of Trump's handshake.

From the right: The video was 'selectively edited'

The Blaze also took aim at Cillizza, saying he was "caught pushing a deceptively edited video" that "makes it appear as though Poland's first lady snubbed" Trump. A longer version of the video shows what really happened."

"The deceptively edited video was widely spread on social media among those critical of Trump," the Blaze article added.
A Delta Air Lines flight headed from Seattle to Beijing had to return to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport late Thursday night after a passenger assaulted a flight attendant.

Airport spokesman Perry Cooper said the man, age 23, was sitting in first class and attacked the flight attendant about 45 minutes into Delta Flight 129.

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Cooper said other passengers helped to restrain the man, who was arrested when the plane landed. The flight attendant and one other person were injured. They were taken to a hospital.

@Sea-Tac Airport POSPD responded to an aircraft security incident tonight. An individual is in custody. Per FBI: No info suggests national security threat.

"The passenger was restrained onboard and was removed from the flight by law enforcement without further incident when the aircraft arrived back in Seattle," Delta told USA TODAY in a statement. The flight later left for Beijing again.

Passenger Dustin Jones heard the scuffle.

"One of the flight attendants ran back and said there was a Code 3," he told KIRO-TV. "There was a serious fight up front."

Jones said the handcuffed, zip-tied man was taken into the terminal in a wheelchair after the plane landed.

"He started yelling for help," Jones said. "And so he turned the wheelchair over in the middle of the airport, screaming for people to help him, just being belligerent."

The incident is not thought to be a national security threat.

Contributing: The Associated Press; KING-TV, Seattle
Bottles of Jim Beam Maple bourbon move down the bottling line at the Beam distillery in Clermont, Kentucky.

EU officials have begun assembling a list of US goods including whiskey, orange juice and dairy products to target for retaliation over Donald Trump's plans to invoke national security concerns to limit steel imports.

The EU's contingency plans, which have emerged as Mr Trump and other leaders gather at a G20 summit starting on Friday, highlight the tensions set off by the US president's threat to impose new tariffs or quotas on steel  which analysts say could provoke a new trade war.

Speaking on Friday at the summit in Hamburg, European Commission president Jean Claude Juncker declined to detail any possible EU retaliation but said Europe would respond to any US steel sanctions.

"Our mood is increasingly combative," Mr Juncker said as he indicated Brussels would react to Washington not in months but "days".

Mr Trump has promised for weeks to crack down on steel imports under a 1962 law that allows such measures on national security grounds.

Since the US exports little steel to Europe, EU officials have focused their plans for retaliation on agriculture and other politically sensitive products. These include bourbon whiskey, one of the main exports of the state of Kentucky, the home of Mitch McConnell, the US Senate majority leader.

US officials insist Mr Trump's plans will increase pressure on China and force Beijing to stop flooding global markets with cheap steel.

But Chinese steel imports into the US have fallen dramatically in recent years, as the US has stepped up anti-dumping measures, As a result, US allies such as Canada, Germany, Japan and South Korea are likely to bear the brunt of any such move.

With up to $12bn in EU exports to the US likely to be affected, the bloc's officials have appealed to Washington to exclude European allies from any crackdown. The governments of other G20 allies, such as Canada, Mexico, Japan, and South Korea, have made similar calls.

One senior EU official expressed hope that Mr Trump could be convinced at this week's G20 meeting that any unilateral US action on steel would be counterproductive.

The EU shares US concerns about Chinese steel and aluminium and European officials say they are willing to work with the Trump administration to increase pressure on Beijing.

But the EU official added that "it will be very hard politically to co-operate on those issues if we are not excluded [from the impending sanctions]".

EU officials are also preparing to challenge a US crackdown at the World Trade Organisation.

WTO rules allow members to cite a national security exception to erect trade barriers in times of war. But such a move has rarely been made in peacetime.The nature of any EU retaliation will depend on the precise action taken by the US. The administration is currently engaged in a debate between economic nationalists and a more business-friendly faction over whether to impose a broad tariff on all steel imports or to use quotas and other measures to limit the impact on allies.

But the European official said the EU was preparing to retaliate "relatively quickly", adding that any measure that restricted EU exports to the US would demand a response.

"The signal that we have been giving is that we are absolutely ready to work with the US on [getting tough with China on steel]," the senior European official said. "If despite that they are willing to do something that hurts us it will raise serious questions about the ability to co-operate with the US on trade."

Another EU official said: "As we have been consistently saying, we do not see evidence that imports, and certainly not those from the EU, impair or threaten to impair US national security and we hope therefore for those security exceptions not to be misused".

The official noted that Cecilia Malmstrom, the bloc's trade commissioner, had said that the EU "will have to respond" to any US measures that hit EU companies, while adding: "As long as no measure has been taken we will not speculate about any specific reaction or its timing."

The transatlantic tension contrasts with the EU's announcement on Thursday that it had agreed in principle on a wide-ranging trade deal with Japan.

EU officials now maintain that any resumption of stalled negotiations with the US over a comprehensive transatlantic deal is unlikely. US officials also argue that elections in Germany and other European countries this year have made any such negotiations politically unrealistic.

More from the Financial Times:

G20 economies buck Trump's protectionist trade tone

An EU-Japan pact shows how free trade strides on

Merkel says tricky G20 summit must 'make clear differences'
Facebook isn't about to let Apple have all the glory of the best place to work in Silicon Valley. On Friday Facebook unveiled renderings and details about its plan for the 56-acre Menlo Science & Technology Park it bought in 2015 -- and they're certainly notable.

Facebook envisions a pharmacy, a grocery store, and other retail sites across a swath of 125,000 square feet, John Tenanes, the company's vice president of global facilities and real estate, wrote in a blog post.

Facebook also aims to incorporate housing into the mix with 1,500 units, 15 percent of which will go for below-market rates. A hotel was previously under consideration but is not mentioned in today's blog post.
The former chief operating officer of Martin Shkreli's hedge fund firm testified Friday that he filed a Securities and Exchange Commission complaint against Shkreli while still working for the "pharma bro" in May 2012.

The executive, Jackson Su, said he was spurred to make that complaint on the SEC's website because he believed "there was no transparency in the amount of assets" that Shkreli's MSMB hedge funds had, and in how those assets were being described to investors.

"There was variation in the assets under management that were verbally thrown around without any consistency, and that was a red flag for me," Su testified in Brooklyn, New York, federal court at Shkreli's securities fraud trial.

Su, 42, said he was interviewed by an SEC investigator about his complaint in June 2012.

But Su remained at the hedge fund firm until December 2012, he testified.

"The last day I was there, Martin took $10,000 from what was left in the bank account" for Retrophin , the drug company Shkreli was founding, Su testified.

At that time, before Shkreli took the money, Su said, Retrophin's account contained just $20,000.

"And that was the last straw for me," Su said.

Su said that as he packed his bag, MSMB President Tom Fernandez saw that he was distraught, and walked him out of the offices.

Su said he told Fernandez, "I'm not going back to work, all these things don't add up ... and I was done."

Su testified, "I got really tired of all the things I saw going on in the company."

Those things included one incident in the summer of 2012 that Su said left him "surprised and taken aback."

Su said that in August of that year, Shkreli dropped off to him a promissory note that indicated MSMB Healthcare, one of his hedge funds, had loaned $900,000 to Retrophin at 12 percent annual interest, to be repaid at the end of 2012.
Riot police use water cannon to put of burning bins as a protester holds a flag after the 'Welcome to Hell' rally against the G20 summit in Hamburg, northern Germany on July 6, 2017.

Protesters have taken to the streets of Hamburg, Germany, for the second day of anti-capitalism demonstrations as world leaders prepare to meet for this weekend's 12th annual G-20 summit.

Tens of thousands of people marched across the port city Thursday to display their frustrations about societal inequalities in what they dubbed a "Welcome to Hell" rally.

Seventy-six police officers were injured when they clashed with protesters, three of whom were taken to hospital for treatment. Officers were seen using water cannons and pepper spray to deter masked protesters who hurled stones and damaged cars and businesses.

At least one protester is known to have been seriously hurt, though medics were also seen treating other injured demonstrators.

Security has been heightened further Friday as the leaders of the world's largest economies come together to discuss pressing international issues including trade, defense, and climate change.

For some, this will be their first meeting. President Donald Trump is to meet face-to-face with Russian President Vladimir Putin for the first time this afternoon in what will be a crucial meeting in determining the course of U.S.-Russian relations.

In his first major European address in Poland Thursday, Trump appeared to set the tone, criticizing Moscow for its "destabilizing actions" in Ukraine and its support for the "hostile regimes" of Syria and Iran.

Trump later met in Hamburg with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who is hosting this year's summit.

Such protests are not unheard of during G-20 meetings, but they will sit particularly uncomfortably with the German leader and de facto head of the EU, who is seeking to present a united front during what are set to be particularly testing talks, in which some leaders are divided on major issues.

They are also potentially damaging to the Chancellor's domestic political career, as she is currently campaigning for her fourth term ahead of September's German elections.
Gold prices tumbled to their lowest level in nearly five months Friday on the back of stronger-than-expected employment data.

Futures for August delivery dropped 1.1 percent to settle at $1,209.70 per ounce, reaching levels not seen since March 15. The precious metal also posted its fifth-straight weekly loss, its longest losing streak since December.

The U.S. economy added 222,000 jobs in June, the Labor Department said. Economists polled by Reuters expected an increase of 179,000.

Gold miners weren't spared any pain either. The VanEck Vectors Gold Miners exchange-traded fund (GDX ) dropped 2.29 percent. The ETF also fell 4.16 percent for the week and notched its biggest weekly loss since the week of April 28, when it fell 5.84 percent.

Gold has taken a hit since reaching its 2017 high of 1,297.50 in June, falling 6.7 percent.

Gold since June 6

Source: FactSet

"The main reason for gold's pullback here is the hawkish rhetoric from major central banks and the adjustments to interest-rate expectations" by investors, said Chris Gaffney, president of EverBank World Markets.

Central banks around the globe have been signaling their intentions to tighten monetary policy in the near future. Minutes from the European Central Bank's June meeting showed officials discussed shifting their bias from easing to neutral. The Federal Reserve, meanwhile, is worried that current monetary policy posed a risk to the U.S. economy.

"When interest-rate expectations start to rise, you see investors shying away from the precious metals," Gaffney said. "There's a sentiment that rates are going higher globally, and today's data didn't do anything to change that."
Goldman Sachs warned its clients that if President Donald Trump does implement a protectionist trade policy, it could start a global trade war and lead to a market drop.



The firm mentioned recent news reports that the administration may be considering tariffs on imports. In the event of a trade conflict, the bank recommends investors buy companies with higher domestic sales exposure.



"We remain constructive on global equity markets and continue to be overweight within our asset allocation on a 12-month horizon.  One potential risk to our central case is that global growth slows, or profits are hit, by increased US tariffs on trade and the possibility of an escalating global trade war," Goldman's chief global equity strategist, Peter Oppenheimer, wrote in a note to clients Thursday. "While this is not our expectation, this topic has once again become a focus for markets and could take center-stage at the forthcoming G-20 meeting."



Oppenheimer is referring to the July 7-8 G-20 summit of leaders of the world's biggest economies in Hamburg, Germany. The G-20 consists of 19 countries plus the European Union, which represent 80 percent of global output.



The strategist said lofty valuations, high corporate profit margins and low volatility are reasons why a trade conflict could spark a larger negative impact for global equities. He cited how the valuation looks "very stretched" with metrics such as forward price-to-earnings and price-to-book value are near 90 percent historical percentile levels since 1976.



In terms of which markets have the most downside from rising trade tensions, Oppenheimer noted 69 percent of S&P 500 companies' sales are domestic versus 64 percent for Japan and 53 percent for Europe.



"The impact of tariffs would likely be felt most acutely in Asia and Latin America, given the rapid growth in their exports to the U.S. and the high labor content in the production of these exports. However, European equity markets would not be immune," he wrote.



In terms of specific U.S. sectors, technology stocks with 59 percent of sales overseas and materials companies with 48 percent foreign sales exposure are most at risk, according to the strategist.



"Below the surface of the market, trade conflict would benefit the performance of the most domestic-facing U.S. stocks relative to the most foreign-facing firms," he wrote.



As result, if a trade war does occur, Oppenheimer recommends the Goldman Sachs "domestic sales" stock basket over the firm's "international sales" list.



Here are seven companies in Goldman's domestic sales basket.

Note: Goldman's domestic sales basket list is as of Jan. 18, 2017
The Republican plan to replace Obamacare is the "most unpopular legislation in three decades," according to a report Friday by Axios.

It has worse public approval than Obamacare had when Congress passed it and lower approval than President Bill Clinton's 1990s health-care reform push, according to the report.

The GOP effort had an average 28.2 percent approval rating in polls from March to May, Axios said, citing research from an MIT political science professor "who compiled polling data from Roper Center on major legislation Congress has passed since 1990."

The House passed its heavily criticized replacement plan in May. Senate Republicans are now trying to win skeptical senators' support to pass a similar plan.

Pushing or voting for an unpopular plan potentially makes Republican lawmakers more vulnerable in the 2018 midterm elections.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell acknowledged Thursday that a bill to fix Obamacare insurance marketplaces  a likely bipartisan effort  will be needed if the replacement effort fails. Conservative GOP Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas has proposed a change to allow companies that sell Obamacare plans to also offer cheaper, bare-bones options, though it is unclear if that would be enough to muster the votes needed to pass legislation.

The public has not warmed to the Senate plan in recent polling  three separate surveys late last month showed the Senate plan with 17 percent, 16 percent and 12 percent approval.

Read the full Axios report here.
Since May, hackers have been penetrating the computer networks of companies that operate nuclear power stations and other energy facilities, as well as manufacturing plants in the United States and other countries.

Among the companies targeted was the Wolf Creek Nuclear Operating Corporation, which runs a nuclear power plant near Burlington, Kan., according to security consultants and an urgent joint report issued by the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Bureau of Investigation last week.

The joint report was obtained by The New York Times and confirmed by security specialists who have been responding to the attacks. It carried an urgent amber warning, the second-highest rating for the sensitivity of the threat.

The report did not indicate whether the cyberattacks were an attempt at espionage  such as stealing industrial secrets  or part of a plan to cause destruction. There is no indication that hackers were able to jump from their victims' computers into the control systems of the facilities, nor is it clear how many facilities were breached.

Wolf Creek officials said that while they could not comment on cyberattacks or security issues, no "operations systems" had been affected and that their corporate network and the internet were separate from the network that runs the plant.

In a joint statement with the F.B.I., a spokesman for the Department of Homeland Security said, "There is no indication of a threat to public safety, as any potential impact appears to be limited to administrative and business networks."

The hackers appeared determined to map out computer networks for future attacks, the report concluded. But investigators have not been able to analyze the malicious "payload" of the hackers' code, which would offer more detail into what they were after.

John Keeley, a spokesman for the Nuclear Energy Institute, which works with all 99 electric utilities that operate nuclear plants in the United States, said nuclear facilities are required to report cyberattacks that relate to their "safety, security and operations." None have reported that the security of their operations was affected by the latest attacks, Mr. Keeley said.

More from the New York Times:

Hacker who aided Russian intelligence is sentenced to 2 years

Private not state hackers likely to have targeted UK parliament: Sources

Hacks raise fear over NSA's hold on cyberweapons

In most cases, the attacks targeted people  industrial control engineers who have direct access to systems that, if damaged, could lead to an explosion, fire or a spill of dangerous material, according to two people familiar with the attacks who could not be named because of confidentiality agreements.

The origins of the hackers are not known. But the report indicated that an "advanced persistent threat" actor was responsible, which is the language security specialists often use to describe hackers backed by governments.

The two people familiar with the investigation say that, while it is still in its early stages, the hackers' techniques mimicked those of the organization known to cybersecurity specialists as "Energetic Bear," the Russian hacking group that researchers have tied to attacks on the energy sector since at least 2012.

Hackers wrote highly targeted email messages containing fake resumes for control engineering jobs and sent them to the senior industrial control engineers who maintain broad access to critical industrial control systems, the government report said.

The fake resumes were Microsoft Word documents that were laced with malicious code. Once the recipients clicked on those documents, attackers could steal their credentials and proceed to other machines on a network.

In some cases, the hackers also compromised legitimate websites that they knew their victims frequented  something security specialists call a watering hole attack. And in others, they deployed what are known as man-in-the-middle attacks in which they redirected their victims' internet traffic through their own machines.

Energy, nuclear and critical manufacturing organizations have frequently been targets for sophisticated cyberattacks. The Department of Homeland Security has called cyberattacks on critical infrastructure "one of the most serious national security challenges we must confront."

On May 11, during the attacks, President Trump signed an executive order to strengthen the cybersecurity defenses of federal networks and critical infrastructure. The order required government agencies to work with public companies to mitigate risks and help defend critical infrastructure organizations "at greatest risk of attacks that could reasonably result in catastrophic regional or national effects on public health or safety, economic security, or national security."

The order specifically addressed the threats from "electricity disruptions and prolonged power outages resulting from cybersecurity incidents."

Jon Wellinghoff, the former chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, said in an interview last week that while the security of United States' critical infrastructure systems had improved in recent years, they were still vulnerable to advanced hacking attacks, particularly those that use tools stolen from the National Security Agency.

"We never anticipated that our critical infrastructure control systems would be facing advanced levels of malware," Mr. Wellinghoff said.

In 2008, an attack called Stuxnet that was designed by the United States and Israel to hit Iran's main nuclear enrichment facility, demonstrated how computer attacks could disrupt and destroy physical infrastructure.

The government hackers infiltrated the systems that controlled Iran's nuclear centrifuges and spun them wildly out of control, or stopped them from spinning entirely, destroying a fifth of Iran's centrifuges.

In retrospect, Mr. Wellinghoff said that attack should have foreshadowed the threats the United States would face on its own infrastructure.

Critical infrastructure is increasingly controlled by Scada, or supervisory control and data acquisition systems. They are used by manufacturers, nuclear plant operators and pipeline operators to monitor variables like pressure and flow rates through pipelines. The software also allows operators to monitor and diagnose unexpected problems.

But like any software, Scada systems are susceptible to hacking and computer viruses. And for years, security specialists have warned that hackers could use remote access to these systems to cause physical destruction.
By 2020 there will be 1.4 million computer sciencerelated jobs available in the U.S. but only 400,000 graduates with the skills necessary to fill them.

An informal CNBC survey of company presidents and CFOs revealed 46% believe the workforce is not receiving the proper skills training businesses

the ability to recruit the best workforce, according to CNBC's America's Top States for Business studies over the past three years.

The most crucial issue influencing corporate decisions on where to locate or expand operations is

watch now

Even though the June national unemployment rate ticked up slightly to 4.4 percent, millions of people are still out of work, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. It reports that 1.7 million people have been out of work for six months or more. And many of those people may not be able to get a job for lack of having the right skills. It is a quandary facing the nation, and many argue it is hurting U.S. competitiveness. Business leaders agree with a central finding of our America's Top States for Business studies over the past three years: The most crucial issue influencing corporate decisions about where to locate or expand operations is the ability to recruit and retain the best workforce. CNBC reached out to YPO, an international organization of some 24,000 young chief executives, and our own CNBC Global CFO Council, an elite group of chief financial officers from more than 100 public and private companies. Both tell CNBC that the skills gap is reaching critical proportions. Of the 40 members of the two organizations that responded to the informal CNBC survey conducted in June, 63 percent reported having had difficulty filling skilled positions in the past 12 months.

A 23-year-old works at his desk at Rally Software Development in Boulder, Colorado. Cyrus McCrimmon | Getty Images

More than 69 percent cited the low unemployment rate, which by definition puts workers in short supply, as one of the reasons skilled employees are so hard to find. Nearly half  46 percent  said the workforce is not receiving the proper training in the skills their companies require. The situation is even worse for small firms. The National Federation of Independent Business, which represents some 325,000 small companies, said in its monthly Index of Small Business Optimism report in May that 86 percent of respondents had difficulty finding qualified workers when they tried to hire.

watch now

The situation is especially dire in the fast-growing software industry, which adds more than $1 trillion to the U.S. economy, according to BSA/The Software Alliance, an industry trade group representing the nation's largest software companies. The organization predicts that by 2020, there will be 1.4 million computer sciencerelated jobs available in the U.S. but only 400,000 graduates with the skills necessary to fill them.

No easy solutions

It is no wonder that since 2015, our Top States for Business studies have consistently found "workforce" to be the most frequently cited selling point in state economic development marketing pitches to business. But it will take more than sales pitches to solve the problem. The National Skills Coalition, which bills itself as a broad coalition of employers, unions, schools and government officials, has been working to better match state job-training programs with the skills companies need.

Job seekers wait in line during the TechFair LA job fair in Los Angeles. Patrick T. Fallon | Bloomberg | Getty Images

The group says some states are doing better than others at simply assembling data to help policymakers understand the needs of business. Among the examples: The Utah Data Alliance is a partnership of six state agencies to create a database of education and workforce data. Because so many agencies are involved, policymakers get a comprehensive picture of the skills that employers need and what the state is doing to provide them.

Utah Data Alliance The South Dakota Post-Secondary Graduate Outcomes System includes information about where graduates in the state end up working, what they earn, and what industries they work in, so that educators know what skills to teach.

South Dakota Post-Secondary Graduate Outcomes System Mississippi's LifeTracks system includes data on programs ranging from early childhood education through adult workforce development programs, all on a single website to help policymakers make informed decisions.

Washington weighs in

Nationally, the existence of the skills gap  and the urgent need to close it  has been one of the few areas of bipartisan agreement in Washington. But like just about everything else, there is disagreement about the solutions  and how to pay for them. President Trump has proposed a national effort to create 4.5 million apprenticeships  combining school and on-the-job training  over the next five years. That would be 10 times the number of apprenticeships under existing federal programs. But he has yet to specify how to pay for the expanded program.

President Donald Trump speaks during an Apprenticeship and Workforce of Tomorrow initiatives event in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Thursday, June 15, 2017. Olivier Douliery | Bloomberg | Getty Images
One of the biggest, most expensive liquefied natural gas projects in history may have developed a physical crack  and the managing company isn't answering questions from investors.

A picture shows the logo of Japanese Energy firm Inpex during the World Gas Conference exhibition in Paris on June 2, 2015. Eric Piermont | AFP | Getty Images

They may have reason to worry. The crack, which is believed to be in a floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) unit, could add billions of dollars in upfront costs, and it could delay the project even further, likely costing more down the line as a major competitor plans to swoop in. The floating unit is sitting at a yard in Busan, South Korea, and is set to eventually operate at "Ichthys"  a giant gas and condensate field offshore western Australia led by Japan's Inpex , with a 30 percent stake from France's Total . That project first broke ground in 2012 and is set to be a mega-scale operation that produces about 8.9 million tons of LNG every year if it reaches full capacity.

A project delayed

Inpex said earlier this month that the unit would "soon" sail away to Australia, and the Japanese operator said the unit is undergoing "last-minute preparation work" including commissioning, cleaning and certification work. One person familiar with the project, however, told CNBC that they have firsthand knowledge of an unannounced crack in the equipment, which was driving up costs and delaying the unit's journey to Australia, previously expected for 2015. An additional three sources said they had been told there was a crack, but could not independently confirm the defect. When CNBC reached out to the company and asked whether the rumored crack is real, Inpex said it "cannot provide details concerning reasons for the delay." According to one person familiar with the matter, Inpex recently hired as many as 300 welders to fix the damage. Several sources said they believe the damage is the main reason for the delay.

Overruns: from $20 billion to more than $37 billion

The alleged fault is in the unit's "turret," a central part of an FPSO that conveys "almost everything that will enter or leave" the unit, including chemical injection lines and power cables, Ichthys LNG Project Offshore Director Claude Cahuzac said in comments available on Inpex's website. A fault in a big piece of liquid natural gas equipment isn't so abnormal, industry analysts told CNBC, with one suggesting LNG projects generally require "lots of trials and errors." What is less common, they said, is the amount of investor concern being generated by the Ichthys project.

The Ichthys LNG Projects massive central processing facility, to which the floating production storage and offloading unit will connect. Inpex Australia

Naturally enough, that concern comes down to money. The original budget of the project back in 2008 was around $20 billion. Inpex's estimate now stands at $37 billion plus an additional amount of spending, Mizuho Securities said following an analyst briefing in May this year. In fact, one portfolio manager who reviewed the recent spending projections by Inpex said that "with the 2018 capital expenditure guidance increasing by around 50 percent over the last six months, it may suggest Inpex has lost control over costs." In November 2016, the company's capital expenditure forecast for 2018 was $3.75 billion. Six months later, however, the company's forecast was $5.4 billion at current dollar-yen exchange rates. With $1.65 billion added to the spending forecast in a matter of six months, some are now estimating the investment in the project could break $40 billion.

Expedition climbs buildings, struggles for glimpse
A knife-wielding man who claimed he was a U.S. senator was arrested after trying to reach Ivanka Trump in Trump Tower, police told the New York Daily News.

Adames Benitez, 52, was wearing a bulletproof vest when he arrived at the Midtown building Thursday afternoon, police said.
Stewart's lengthy diatribe online came about four months or so after she said MSMB Capital "imploded" from a short sale trade of Orexigen Therapeutics stock that left Shkreli's hedge fund owing Bank of America/Merrill Lynch $10 million, according to what he had told her.

Stewart later testified, when asked by Shkreli's lawyer why she thought he was "mentally unstable," that she said that because, "In my opinion it's crazy to lie so much, particularly about things that are easily uncovered."

Prosecutors accuse Shkreli of defrauding investors at his hedge funds by lying to them about their performance, which in contrast to his sunny claims, was poor. They also charge him with looting Retrophin of stock to repay a number of those allegedly ripped-off investors.

At the time, Stewart said, Shkreli was pitching investors to get them to place money with him, and in the process of starting up a new drug company, Retrophin.

"What do you say to a guy who shoots off at the mouth and has no intention of delivering," she wrote. "He 'a scam artist ... I can't just deal with somebody who lies all the time."

She was referring to Shkreli allegedly repeatedly shorting her on what he owed her on salary, paying her irregularly, and then not paying her when he promised.

"If he f---s me over with respect to money one more time, I'm going to expose him," Stewart wrote Mulleady.

"I'm done trusting Martin. I can't believe a word that comes out of his mouth,' Stewart wrote, according to a transcript of that chat read aloud to jurors at Shkreli's securities fraud trial in Brooklyn, New York, federal court.

'"I'm a bit short on belief here," Caroline Stewart wrote in an AIM chat with MSMB Capital executive Kevin Mulleady in the early summer of 2011, when she was working as a stock analyst at that hedge fund.

A former employee of "pharma bro" Martin Shkreli 's hedge fund, during an online chat with a co-worker in 2011, called him "mentally unstable," "a scam artist," and threatened that she would "expose him" and his many lies to investors about the fund's financial health.

Martin Shkreli, former chief executive officer of Turing Pharmaceuticals AG, exits federal court in Brooklyn, New York.

Stewart testified Friday that she originally tried to support a morose Shkreli after the failed Orexigen trade, but the AIM chat reveals her deep frustration after he paid her less than her salary entailed, and paid her irregularly at that.

Stewart said that the day of the trade, Feb. 1, 2011, "started out like any other day" at Shkreli's fund.

"Heads down, [people] doing their work, working away," she said.

"As the day went on, it was just becoming kind of a deathly quiet," Stewart testified. "It was a stillness that was eerie."

"Things were just very quiet, very funereal, I definitely sensed there was something wrong, but there was no talk."

The next day, "Martin told me that he had shorted more shares than were outstanding and that he owed Bank of America/Merrill Lynch $10 million," she said.

For the next several days, she said, MSMB Capital "just stopped dead in its tracks."

"It was like somebody had died, in essence that somebody was the fund," Stewart said. "It was very quiet, very morose, somber, and other people were not bothering to show up in the office anymore, except Martin and myself."

Shkreli, who before the failed trade was "normally very energetic, very hyper," now "was different," she said.

"He was very dejected, very down, and nice," Stewart testified.

A day before, when she first took the witness stand, Stewart had said Shkreli could be "cutting" and "nasty" in the office.

Stewart sent Shkreli an email a day after the trade in an effort to cheer him up. "I know things must seem bleak to you," she wrote, but she added that he was the "smartest, most ambitious person I know."

She added that he was "also kindest person I have ever met," in that same electronic missive.



"You're a long-term hold," Stewart wrote, using stock market jargon for a company one expects to hold shares of for a long time in the belief its price will eventually rise

"I felt a little bit bad for him," Stewart said. "He was normally full of energy and sort of larger than life, and he seemed beaten, and I felt grateful for him for giving me a job in the first place when I didn't have a job in the first place, and I wanted to cheer him up."

Within days, Shkreli did cheer up, as he began "brainstorming about what his next move would be."

"After a couple of days ... he bounded back, and he bounced back with the idea of the biotech company Retrophin, that would work on rare disease," Stewart said.

She said she worked on Retrophin from then on.

But by late June, or early July, Stewart had grown sick of Shkreli for not paying her as promised.

"He was still paying, at irregular times, as well as irregular amounts," Stewart said. She said that at times, her paycheck would reflect a salary of $100,000 annually, as opposed to the $150,000 they had agreed on.

In her chat with Mulleady, Stewart complained at length about Shkreli's failure to pay her as promised.

She wrote that she knew about several other workers who Shkreli had allegedly shorted on promised pay.

And she said a new worker had been hired at double what he asked Shkreli for.

"I so sick of hearing all his canned s--- on the phone" during calls with investors, Stewart wrote in her chat. "'Nobody knows the FDA better than we do,'" she quoted Shkreli as saying to those investors.

"'Nobody's smarter or better funded than we are,'" Shkreli also was saying to people at the time, Stewart wrote.

"What utter crap," she wrote.

Stewart also wrote to Mulleady that Shkreli closed MSMB Capital "when it blew up" and started another fund.

That appeared to surprise Mulleady in the chat.

"This is not a conversation to be had on AIM," wrote Mulleady.

Mulleady then suggested he and Stewart have coffee together the next day to continue their conversation.

Stewart said the AIM chat occurred shortly before Shkreli fired her.
Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has already proven himself to be ineffective in his most important job of getting votes lined up and bills passed. But now he's sending out the clearest signal yet that he's getting desperate: He's threatening to simply give in to the Democrats.

That's basically the message McConnell sent out Thursday as it's getting clearer that he cannot get enough of his fellow Republicans to back his Obamacare replacement bill. McConnell told a Rotary Club crowd in his home state of Kentucky that if the votes don't suddenly emerge, he'll have to back the Democrats in their call to shore up the failing Obamacare insurance markets.

Baloney.

This is really a false choice McConnell is pushing simply to continue hiding his real agenda of helping his crony capitalist friends with a monstrous bill that doesn't really repeal Obamacare or solve our health coverage problems. And it's even more dubious now that President Donald Trump has offered him and the rest of the Republicans a decent escape valve by endorsing the idea of just repealing Obamacare now and crafting a better replacement bill later.

Of course, McConnell didn't take a shine to that idea since he clearly has other priorities. And now that those priorities are in their gravest danger yet, he's threatening to break ranks to serve the minority party's agenda. This is the political equivalent of a kid who protests the fact that he's losing a game by taking his ball and going home.
Making it more expensive for North Korea to continue with its nuclear program could buy the international community time

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The United States is not interested in making concessions to North Korea anytime soon, following what is widely believed to be that country's first launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), according to analysts at research firm Eurasia Group. Evan Medeiros, managing director and practice head for Asia at Eurasia Group, wrote in a July 6 note that the Trump administration will instead focus on maximizing pressure on North Korea. In a previous note from June  before North Korea launched its latest missile test  the firm explained that U.S. strategy may include pursuing a freeze, reduction and eventual elimination of North Korea's nuclear program. That would likely be demanded in exchange for security assurances and sanctions relief, but the analysts said they are skeptical those offers would be enough for dictator Kim Jong Un. Other options include stepping up sanctions on entities outside of North Korea that are seen as helping the regime. Another remote possibility is military action. "Every new North Korean military provocation raises anew the question: is a diplomatic option viable and/or likely?" Medeiros said in the most recent note.

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He added, "We assess there is only a 20 percent chance that the U.S. will pursue a diplomatic solution in this time frame," referring to the next six months to a year.

An end to military maneuvers? Don't count on it

Medeiros explained there are a number of reasons why concessions are probably off the table: first, the United States and South Korea will not accept any freeze on their joint military exercises  something the North Korean regime wants. China  North Korea's only real ally and trading partner  issued a call, with Russia, for such a freeze this week. "Both Washington and Seoul believe that accepting this deal would undermine the credibility of the alliance, potentially leading to a rethinking of commitments or even an unraveling of the whole alliance," said Medeiros.

Washington will encourage, coerce and bribe as much cooperation from South Korea, Japan, China, ASEAN and the EU as possible. Evan Medeiros Eurasia Group

If we're able to raise the cost of Pyongyang building these programs, and make it prohibitively expensive for them to do that, I think we'd have done a good thing Harry Kazianis Center for the National Interest
A legal battle between Apple and supplier Qualcomm is getting nasty, but the drama hasn't dethroned Apple in the eyes of Wall Street.

Qualcomm waged another battle against the world's most valuable public company on Thursday, suing to bar U.S. iPhone imports on the grounds of patent infringement.

This week's lawsuit was the latest in a between the tech companies, which have sparred over whether the royalties Apple pays for Qualcomm technology are too high.

But by Friday afternoon, Apple and Qualcomm share prices were about 1 percent higher, despite what RBC analyst Amit Daryanani called a "long and ugly battle."

While Qualcomm has opted to play hardball with Apple, the most likely outcome of the lawsuits is a settlement, according to a note by CFRA's Angelo Zino.

Though dealing with trade regulators may be faster than a court case, it's still a "glacial" path for Qualcomm, Bernstein analyst Stacy Rasgon wrote in a note titled, "Qualcomm: 'You wanna play it soft, we'll play it soft. You wanna play it hard? Let's play it hard.'"

"[W]e would not expect this new case to put much incremental pressure on [Apple] to drive to a settlement anytime soon," Rasgon wrote. "More aggressive actions such as withholding chipsets would be far more drastic (and possibly more effective!), but also would play into the meat of recent regulatory cases against [Qualcomm]; so far the company has indicated they are not contemplating such a move."

Qualcomm, however, is signaling that it will defend itself against other manufacturers that may have violated patents, analysts wrote.

"This, of course, suggests that many companies are likely (technically) in violation of these patents, with QCOM attempting to send a message that they have ammunition to go after bad actors if necessary. We shall see," Rasgon wrote.

Wells Fargo analyst Maynard Um said in a research note that these ongoing legal battles could create share price volatility for the companies. Still, high expectations for Apple's next iPhone remain the focus of Apple investors.

Analysts at Nomura, for instance, are more focused on U.S. mobile carrier promotions for the iPhone 8 and demand for iPhones in China this week. Citi analysts have focused analysis on in iPhone 8 shipments. Raymond James said it is watching early demand for Apple Watch, AirPods and HomePod.

Even if courts stop Apple's iPhone imports, "Apple would just resume paying ... Qualcomm licensing fees and then continue to battle Qualcomm in courts as Apple works to lower its royalty payments to Qualcomm," Canaccord analyst T. Michael Walkley wrote. "Therefore, we do not believe the Qualcomm ITC complaint creates risk to our 2018 Apple estimates."
The faculty of Chattanooga States Nuclear Power Technology and Radiation Protection programs will be offering a series of one-hour information sessions during the months of July and August for students interested in the nuclear power field. "These programs offer not only a quality educational path, but free tuition as well, using TN Reconnect," officials said.



Chattanooga State is participating in the pilot program of TN Reconnect for the 2017-2018 school year. Students who qualify will be awarded based on eligibility and availability of funds.

Questions about TN Reconnect should be directed to the Financial Aid Office at finaid@chattanoogastate.edu.



According to the 2016 Bureau of Labor Statistics, nuclear technicians can expect to earn more than $79,000 annually. A few of the nuclear field career paths available to successful graduates include health physics, nuclear power, medical research, radiological waste cleanup, decommissioning, reactor mechanics, and operations.



The information sessions will be held in the CETAS building in the WACKER Resource Room. Attendees should use the west entrance. Sessions are scheduled for the following dates and times: July 11, July 25, Aug. 8, and Aug. 22 from 9:30-10:30 a.m.; July 20, Aug. 3, and Aug. 17 from 5:30-6:30 p.m.



No advance reservations are needed to attend a session. Contact Samantha Travis for more information at 423-697-5514 or Samantha.travis@chattanoogastate.edu.


The U.S.'s former top intelligence official has rubbished President Donald Trump's claims that foreign actors outside of Russia may have been involved in the alleged hacking of the 2016 U.S. presidential election, saying that they are unsubstantiated.

"We saw no evidence whatsoever that it was anyone involved in this other than the Russians," James Clapper, who served as director of national intelligence from 2010 to 2017, told CNN Thursday.

Hours earlier Trump told reporters in Poland that he believed other countries alongside Russia could have had a role to play in affecting the outcome.

"Well I think it was Russia and I think it could have been other people and other countries. It could have been a lot of people that interfered," Trump said in Warsaw.

"Nobody really knows. Nobody really knows for sure," he added.

However, Clapper insisted that he remained confident in the assessments of the intelligence community  namely the CIA, FBI and NSA  that Russia was the sole influencer.

The clash comes amid continued controversy over the Trump administration's ties with Russia.

Trump is due to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin later today on the sidelines of the 12th annual G-20 summit. Their first face-to-face meeting since Trump's election will be closely watched as an indicator of the likely future path for strained U.S.-Russian relations.

Follow CNBC International on Twitter and Facebook.
An attendee sights a rifle in the Remington Arms booth on the exhibition floor of the 144th National Rifle Association (NRA) Annual Meetings and Exhibits at the Music City Center in Nashville, Tennessee, U.S., on April 11, 2015.

Nonetheless, the company agreed in 2014 to replace the triggers in millions of the guns, free of charge, under the class action settlement. The company said it was settling the case to put the matter behind it once and for all. But from the start, critics have argued the settlement deliberately downplayed the risk, and would leave millions of dangerous guns in the public's hands while relieving Remington of the liability.

The settlement, approved by a federal judge in Kansas City in March, is aimed at fixing some 7.5 million Remington firearms, including the iconic Model 700 rifle. A 2010 CNBC documentary investigated allegations that Remington covered up a design defect that allows the guns to fire without the trigger being pulled. Remington has steadfastly denied the allegations, continues to say the guns are safe, and says the hundreds of injuries and dozens of deaths that lawsuits have linked to the alleged defect are all the result of user error.

Attorneys general from several states and the District of Columbia are asking a federal appeals court to overturn a landmark class action settlement involving millions of allegedly defective Remington rifles, because they say the agreement does not go far enough.

That is the argument in the new brief filed in the Eighth United States Circuit Court of Appeals by Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey on behalf of her counterparts in New York, California, Hawaii, Maine, Illinois, Maryland, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington State, and the District of Columbia.

"Under the settlement, fewer than 25,000 (0.3%) of those guns will be fixed," the brief says. "The defect at issue in this settlement presents a serious and continuing public safety problem."

Two Remington Model 700 owners, Lewis Frost of Louisiana and Richard Denney of Oklahoma, formally appealed the settlement last month, saying the process to notify customers of their rights under the settlement was woefully inadequate, and that the benefits  which are as little as a $10 product voucher for some of the oldest models  were not nearly enough.

"This result cannot stand in a case involving a defective product currently in use that can kill and maim," Frost and Denney said in a court filing last month.

At the time the settlement was approved, only about 22,000 gun owners had filed claims to get their guns retrofitted, a process that is on hold because of the appeal.

But an attorney for the class action plaintiffs, Eric Holland of St. Louis, said the number of claims have grown to 28,641 as of June 27. In an e-mail to CNBC, Holland accused the attorneys general of having a hidden agenda.

"If this group really cared about the people in their states, wouldn't they be dedicating their resources to educating the public about this trigger fix and encouraging claims instead of press releases, court filings, and sending people to court on the government's dime?" Holland wrote to CNBC.



Attorneys for Remington did not respond to a request for a comment from CNBC.

Remington has argued in court that the settlement is fair. Plaintiffs' attorneys, who stand to collect $12.5 million in fees under the agreement, said that despite the relatively low claims rate, the settlement should be allowed to go forward because of the lives it would potentially save.

The parties have until July 14 to respond to the appeal.
"The question in Hamburg this weekend is just how far the White House will go to disavow the G-20 agenda the U.S. has ushered for the past decade, and how strongly and effectively the rest of the G-20 might counter the Trump administration's more damaging isolationist tendencies."

Despite these disappointments, the G-20 has garnered some post-crisis successes, certainly enough to justify its continued existence. First and foremost, a global commitment to address climate change depended on important groundwork made within the G-20. Second, even as conflict and failures continued to define key elements of the trade and macroeconomic agenda, steady adherence to core principles within the G-20 arguably played a salutary role in the face of difficult national politics. And finally, the G-20's clear prioritization of infrastructure investment, initially as a developing country issue and then as a universal agenda item, has no doubt motivated much of the recent work in institutions like the multilateral development banks (MDBs).

This weekend, the world will be closely watching as President Trump's "America First" foreign policy debuts in a multilateral venue that has long embraced global integration and cooperation. Unfortunately, the lack of U.S. leadership on this agenda going forward will show how important that very leadership has been up to now. Starting today, no longer is there a U.S.-backed G-20 agenda that seeks to combat climate change, to coordinate on macroeconomic policy, to avoid trade protectionism, or to elevate support for initiatives to alleviate poverty in developing countries as before. This realization is going to have a big impact on the ability of this forum to succeed  or not.

The question in Hamburg this weekend is just how far the White House will go to disavow the G-20 agenda the U.S. has ushered for the past decade, and how strongly and effectively the rest of the G-20 might counter the Trump administration's more damaging isolationist tendencies. On the latter, Chancellor Merkel, along with China's President Xi, has vowed to make a strong push at this week's summit in favor of a robust climate agenda. And on the former, the White House itself is showing some signs of adopting the playbook of its predecessors, using the G-20 to roll out a new initiative on women's entrepreneurship in developing countries with backing from other key G-20 countries.

In recent months, President Trump has called on other countries to share more of the burden with the United States when it comes to security and foreign aid. This weekend he might discover that burden-sharing is just another word for multilateralism  an often frustrating, slow-moving process of global policy engagement that nonetheless holds the best hope for tackling the world's thorniest problems. For the sake of the flawed but necessary G-20 and the issues it seeks to address, let's hope he begins to learn that lesson quickly.

Commentary by Scott Morris, the former deputy assistant secretary for development finance and debt at the U.S. Treasury Department and is currently the director of the U.S. Development Policy Initiative at the Center for Global Development. Follow him on Twitter @morris_scotta.

For more insight from CNBC contributors, follow @CNBCopinion on Twitter.
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Oil supply could easily be threatened by geopolitical risks, and such a disruption could cause oil prices to skyrocket, experts tell CNBC. Neil Dwane, global strategist and chief investment officer of European equity at Allianz Global Investors, warned that oil production supply is looking threatened around the world. "Venezuela's 2 million barrels of oil a day could literally go any day. Mexico looks poor. Azerbaijan's in trouble. China's own production is collapsing rapidly," he told CNBC's Squawk Box on Friday. "One only has to have one mistake and the only thing you'll be talking about all morning is oil at $120."

Will oil prices continue their rise? iStock | Getty Images

Dwane said geopolitical risks could cause prices to skyrocket as several oil producing states are fragile, and oil prices are currently too low for anyone to want to drill fresh wells which may be needed in the future. Herman Wang, OPEC specialist at S&P Global Platts, agreed that there is significant geopolitical risk to oil supply. "There are plausible scenarios where you could see, perhaps not $120 a barrel, but an elevated oil price, say $70 to $80 on some of these geopolitical and some of the supply concerns. Venezuela certainly is a mess right now," he told CNBC's Squawk Box on Friday.

The 'million barrel question'

Even without these geopolitical concerns, OPEC must face the "million barrel question" if it ever hopes to rebalance the global oil market. U.S. oil production increased by 88,000 barrels per day (bpd), or more than 1 percent, to 9.34 million bpd, according to data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Meanwhile, OPEC's output rose by 220,000 bpd to 32.49 million bpd in June, according to the S&P Global Platts survey published on Thursday. However, U.S. crude oil stockpiles did fall sharply by 6.3 million barrels in the week to June 30. Whether or not stockpiles will fall faster in the coming months is the "million barrel question" according to Wang, but he thinks a rebalance by 2018 is unlikely. "U.S. production is already half a million barrels above where it was when this production cut deal from OPEC started. You've got Libya and Nigeria, they're militancy seems to be calming there now," he said. "Their production is up about 400,000 bpd combined above where it was from October levels. So you combine U.S. with Libya and Nigeria, that's almost a million barrels per day, undoing more than half of this combined 1.8 million bpd OPEC and non-OPEC production cut."

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Blanch said between $40 and $60 a barrel, there is a potential 2 million-barrel-a-day swing in U.S. shale supply. "If prices are $55, we think shale supply grows by 1.1 million barrels a day," he said. For every dollar the price moves, the supply is affected by 100,000 barrels, he said. "Under $45, you're now moving into contraction territory on a forward basis."

"The bottom line is if oil falls below $40 per barrel on average, which is why I don't see a lot of downside, we start to lose shale," Blanch said. "In the context of OPEC not waging a price war, we need prices high enough to encourage some amount of shale drilling."

Francisco Blanch, head of commodities and derivatives strategy at Bank of America Merrill Lynch, said the shale industry may actually be the force that locks oil prices into a range, with a bottom just above $40 per barrel. Blanch recently cut his forecast for average West Texas Intermediate prices to $47 per barrel for this year and $50 for next year.

The U.S. shale oil industry has become a swing producer, affecting prices globally, and its output has become a lever as other major producers, like Saudi Arabia and Russia, cut back on production. Analysts say the U.S. industry is expected to continue adding oil to the market this year, but because of low prices, its growth for next year may slow. U.S. oil output last week reached 9.34 million barrels, including growth from U.S. offshore drillers.

Oil sold off sharply Friday , as U.S. producers again added drilling rigs, but it's those very drillers that could be the reason oil prices may find a bottom around $40, analysts say.

WTI futures closed at $44.23 per barrel Friday, off 2.8 percent on concerns about rising U.S. output and increase in OPEC exports. WTI oil futures hit a low of $42.05 on June 21 and have been swinging volatilely since then.

Citigroup analysts also see a more bearish case for oil, with the prices heading toward the $50s this year, instead of the $60s. "We still think the direction is up, but the probability of rising as high as our base case is lower," said Citi energy analyst Eric Lee. Lee said the prices have probably come close to the bottom though analysts say it is still possible oil could take another leg down.

One factor pummeling oil this week has been increased exports by OPEC, as Nigeria and Libya both added more barrels to the market than expected. Analysts say, though, that the 1 million barrels a day from Libya have come without any significant increase in political stability in that country so it may not be a continuing source of so much supply. OPEC is also expected to try to bring both countries into some framework in its production agreement.

Just over half the analysts in a recent CNBC survey say oil prices have likely found a bottom in the low $40s.

Greg Priddy, director of global energy with Eurasia Group, agrees that oil prices may be near or have made a bottom. "I don't think there's a strong reason to head a lot lower than where we are right now. I still think we'll see modest inventory draws in the second half on the extension of the OPEC cuts.

"The market is expecting more growth from Libya and Nigeria than is really the case in the future," Priddy said. "I think they're both about maxed out by now."

Blanch also said he does not see much further price declines. "I don't see a lot of downside below $40/$45 range. Maybe we get a little bit of a dip below but I just think the market is pretty oversupplied.

"Inventories are finally declining, but the real issue is we need to have forward prices low enough to discourage shale," said Blanch. "We need to see a slowdown in the fracking industry, and we just added 12 rigs, which doesn't help at all."

Blanch said forward prices for 2018 in the futures market are just above $46 per barrel, enough to allow more production but not a good price for higher cost producers to hedge. He said the breakeven is an average $54 per barrel, though it is clearly lower in some regions and for some companies.

"If they hedge production at the current price point, and now calendar prices for next year are below $50, they are locking in a loss," he said. Blanch said he is hearing from industry executives that since they can't hedge, they plan to cut capital spending outright for next year, meaning less investment in drilling. U.S. rig count has increased to 952, and has been up 24 of the last 25 weeks, according to Baker Hughes data.

U.S. rig count has increased to 952 and has been up 24 of the last 25 weeks, according to Baker Hughes data.

Blanch said his price outlook would be affected by unexpected events, such as a recession or a geopolitical development. For instance, events surrounding Qatar are uncertain and if they affect the OPEC agreement that could impact prices.
President Donald Trump speaks with Mexico's President Enrique Pena Nieto during their bilateral meeting at the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany July 7, 2017.

President Donald Trump is still insisting that he wants Mexico to pay for the wall he wants to erect on the U.S.-Mexico border.

Sitting next to Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto at the G-20 summit in Germany, Trump told reporters Friday that he "absolutely" wants Mexico to fund the barrier. The pair made comments ahead of a bilateral meeting that included Trump's top economic advisors.

Trump's statement about the wall came in response to shouted questions from reporters after the leaders made statements, so it is unclear if Pena Nieto responded specifically to Trump's wall comment.

Trump has stuck to that campaign pledge to get Mexico to pay for the divisive project despite Pena Nieto repeatedly saying his country will not. The U.S. president has so far failed to muster the desired congressional support for the wall. Some Republicans who represent areas around the border have questioned its effectiveness.

A January meeting between Trump and Pena Nieto was canceled after a dispute over Trump's pledge to make Mexico pay for the project.

Congress did not allot any money for wall construction in its bill to fund the government through September, despite the White House requesting funds. Some Democrats have said outlays for the wall will be a dealbreaker in future budget talks.

Trump recently proposed putting solar panels on the physical barrier, partly to raise money to fund it.

Aside from the border wall, Trump said the U.S. and Mexico have made "very good progress" on renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement. Trump has repeatedly criticized the three-nation trade deal as a hindrance to American workers.

In a readout released after the meeting, the White House said Trump "noted the importance of renegotiating NAFTA." It said the leaders also "discussed regional challenges, including drug trafficking, illegal migration, and the crisis in Venezuela." It did not explicitly mention the border wall.

Through a translator, Pena Nieto said the countries were working toward renegotiating NAFTA and boosting border security.
Trump started by "raising the concerns of the American people" over Russian meddling and "pressed" Putin on the issue "on more than one occasion," according to Tillerson. U.S. lawmakers had repeatedly called on Trump to directly confront Putin about the issue.

The meeting  which was slated to take a half hour  lasted more than two hours. The U.S. president reportedly came into the meeting, which featured Trump, Putin, Tillerson, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and translators, without a specific agenda.

The pair spent much of their high-stakes, first bilateral meeting at the G-20 summit in Germany discussing the conflict in Syria and a cease-fire agreement that the countries announced Friday , Tillerson, who sat in on the meeting, said. Trump and Putin also addressed Russia's actions in Ukraine and fighting the terror group ISIS, according to accounts from both countries.

President Donald Trump opened Friday's two hour and 16 minute meeting with Russia's Vladimir Putin by pressing him about Moscow's attempts to interfere in the 2016 election, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said.

US President Donald Trump (R) and Russia's President Vladimir Putin speak during their meeting on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Hamburg, Germany, on July 7, 2017

Putin again denied trying to influence the election, which top U.S. intelligence agencies have concluded he personally ordered. Tillerson called Moscow's attempts to affect the election a "hindrance in the ability of us to move the U.S.-Russia relationship forward."

Trump, however, wanted to talk about how the countries "go forward" rather than "spending a lot of time having a disagreement" over election interference, Tillerson added. "Everybody knows we have a disagreement," he said.

Lavrov told reporters that Trump accepted Putin's assurances that Russia did not interfere in the election, though the White House later disputed that to NBC News. Trump has repeatedly muddied the waters over whether Russia tried to affect the election, despite the top intelligence agencies findings.

Tillerson said the U.S. is looking to seek assurances that Russia will not meddle in American affairs. He highlighted a Russia sanctions bill that passed the Senate 98-2.

Before the meeting, Trump said he felt his relationship with Putin was "going very well."

"We're going to have a talk now, and obviously that will continue. But we look forward to a lot of very positive things happening for Russia, for the United States, and for everybody concerned," Trump said.

He added that it was an "honor" to be with Putin. The Russian president said he was "delighted" to meet Trump "personally" before the pair shook hands and the throng of reporters and photographers left. Trump did not answer shouted questions about whether he would confront Putin about Russian efforts to interfere in the 2016 election.

Trump came into office seeking a reset of relations with Russia and hoping to cooperate in some policy areas, like fighting the terror group ISIS. However, Putin's support for ruthless Syrian President Bashar Assad, among other issues, has emerged as a hurdle to their working together.

Tillerson said Friday that he sees no long-term role for the Assad family in Syria going forward. How Bashar Assad "leaves is yet to be determined," he said.

On Thursday, Trump criticized Moscow's actions in the strongest terms he has used as president and hinted at possible topics the pair could address.

"We urge Russia to cease its destabilizing activities in Ukraine and elsewhere, and its support for hostile regimes including Syria and Iran, and to instead join the community of responsible nations in our fight against common enemies and in defense of civilization itself," Trump said in Warsaw.

But just hours before the speech, Trump made a statement that appeared to please the Kremlin. He acknowledged that Russia may have interfered in the 2016 U.S. election but said that other countries may have meddled, too.

"Nobody really knows. Nobody really knows for sure," Trump said.

 The Associated Press contributed to this report
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President Donald Trump met with Vladimir Putin on Friday in an entirely predictable fashion  eyes fixed on his bottom line. He told the Russian president sitting down together was "an honor," his trademark term of ingratiation. He added: "We look forward to a lot of very positive things happening." Foreign policy experts had urged the president to sternly confront Putin over the negative thing that happened last year, when Russia conducted a cyber-attack on Democratic targets to help elect him. But diplomats from both countries made clear afterward that Trump had not. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said his boss began the meeting by raising the "concerns of the American people" over the matter, and "pressed" Putin in a robust discussion. But the two leaders, whom the secretary said had "a very clear positive chemistry," then turned their attention forward. "There was not a lot of re-litigating the past," Tillerson said. On what he called their "disagreement" about hacking, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov went further to say Trump accepted Putin's denial that Moscow had interfered at all.

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If Trump did accept it, that would line up with his consistent refusal to criticize Putin and to publicly embrace the U.S. intelligence community's unequivocal conclusion about Russia's culpability. By reiterating his uncertainty in Europe even before their meeting, he again stood closer to a foreign adversary than top national security officials within the country he leads. Trump's history in business and politics suggests the simplest of explanations: Russia helped him. And that reality outweighs more abstract notions about U.S. institutions and security interests that veterans of past administrations fault him for not defending. Trump has explained his transactional philosophy in both the positive and the negative. If someone hits him, he likes to say, he hits back "10 times harder." He reciprocates assistance just the same. As he remarked of Putin last year, "If he says great things about me, I'm going to say great things about him." He praised television executive Jeff Zucker, who gave him a national platform with "The Apprentice," then blasted him as a failure over CNN's coverage. He ripped 2016 primary opponents Ted Cruz, Ben Carson and Marco Rubio in excruciatingly personal terms, then praised them after they endorsed him.

Trump's history in business and politics suggests the simplest of explanations: Russia helped him.

He called Paul Ryan "weak and ineffective" in response to criticism, then likened him to "fine wine" as they embarked on a shared agenda. Desperate for a victory on major legislation, Trump is now pressing for enactment of a health-care bill that would impose hardship on the white working class voters who powered his campaign. That history foreshadowed the disappointment of those who wanted Trump to challenge Putin with assertions of wrongdoing and potential consequences. "It is not enough to agree to disagree," said Richard Haass, a foreign policy aide in both Bush administrations. "He does not have grand theories or ideas," explained Danielle Pletka, a foreign policy specialist at the conservative American Enterprise Institute. "Insofar as someone is useful to him they are fine. Insofar as they interfere, they are bad." Whether Trump's stance stems from a deeper source than surface-level back-scratching is the subject of investigations by Congressional committees and special counsel Robert Mueller. They are examining both financial transactions and contacts involving Russians and Trump associates. But the administration's actions, like Trump's warm words for Putin on Friday, give no reason to expect a shift in tone. The administration has declined to embrace Senate-passed legislation stiffening sanctions on Russia, and is discussing the possibility of returning Russian facilities seized by the Obama administration as punishment for interfering in the election. "With Trump doing nothing, he's enabling Putin," said Juliette Kayyem, a former Obama administration security official who teaches at Harvard's Kennedy School. "Trump wants Putin's help in 2020. Just say it directly. It's so obvious."

Watch: Putin-Trump discuss cybersecurity
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With the Trump administration backing out of the Paris climate agreement and proposing a border wall and steel tariff, its domestic priorities are causing more allies to become enemies, policy analysts said. Daniel Griswold, former director of the Center for Trade Policy at the Cato Institute, chastised the Trump administration's protectionist trade attitude while other G-20 countries become more globalized. He said President Donald Trump "unwisely walked away" from the Trans-Pacific Partnership, and now the U.S. can't benefit from the EU-Japan free trade agreement announced Thursday. Additionally, Trump has picked fights with key allies with the possibility of a steel tariff. When asked if European countries will go through with threats to tax U.S. products in retaliation for a steel tariff, Griswold gave a resounding yes. "The European Union will retaliate," Griswold said in an interview with CNBC's "Squawk on the Street." "If we use national security as a cloak to protect our steel industry they will retaliate not just against U.S. steel but against orange juice and, as you mentioned, bourbon and potatoes and things like that." Scott Morris, senior fellow at the Center for Global Development, agreed with Griswold, and blamed Trump for a possible trade war. "It's another example of not treading carefully, not ... fully weighing these issues before making these public statements," Morris said on CNBC's "Squawk Alley."

Trump 'hadn't come up with an agenda'

With his focus poured into U.S. economic progress, Trump is arriving unprepared for the internationally focused G-20 summit, said Morris. "This shoot-from-the-hip approach from the president ... doesn't inspire confidence that he's showing up in these meetings with a heavy command of the detail of what is a wide range of economic issues on the table," Morris said. There are also suspicions that Trump didn't prepare an agenda for his meeting with Russia's Vladimir Putin, according to Jose Fernandez, who served as the U.S. assistant secretary of state for economic, energy and business affairs under Obama.

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"One of the things that we've heard this week is that Trump hadn't come up with an agenda, for example, with the meeting with Putin, and if you don't have your talking points straight, if you don't have the questions that you want to prepare for, it's really difficult to get something out of these meetings," Fernandez said in an interview with "Squawk Alley." Not showing up prepared to a meeting with Putin of all people is tricky business, said Alan Larson, former assistant secretary of state for economic and business affairs. He described Putin as a "clever man and negotiator." "Putin should never be underestimated, but he shouldn't be seen as a superman either," Larson said on "Squawk on the Street."

New leadership

Another country will have to step up and become the new leader and motivator at the G-20 meeting in the absence of the U.S.' historical leadership, policy analysts said. "It's not as if the U.S. isn't showing up," Morris said. "The challenge is that it's there in the new role of being an obstructionist. "It's not at all clear how [the summit] will make progress when you have a President Trump that is showing up and posturing on these issues in a way that is playing to perhaps a domestic constituency," he said. "I think it's really a recipe for a G-20 right now that will be effectively neutered." Fernandez predicts that the leadership pressure will naturally fall onto the shoulders of the summit's host, Angela Merkel, the chancellor of Germany and chairwoman of the meeting. However, Fernandez sees Merkel being reluctant to take up a leadership role. "I think she's hesitant. ... She's got to take a position that may not be the position that she wants to take or that she has to take in order to survive an election," Fernandez said, referring to Merkel's challenging re-election bid coming up in September.

Watch: Trump meets with Putin
Here is the weekly road construction report for Hamilton County:

U.S. 27 (I-124) widening from I-24/U.S. 27 interchange to north of the Olgiati Bridge over the Tennessee River, including widening the Olgiati Bridge: Work on this project continues. The speed limit on U.S. 27 in the construction zone is 45 MPH. The contractor may have temporary lane or shoulder closures on U.S. 27 between 7 p.m.-6 a.m. On Friday at 7 p.m. through Saturday at noon there will be a temporary double right lane closure on U.S.

27 South from north of the Olgiati Bridge to the south end of the project to allow the contractor perform grinding, paving and striping for the next phase of the project. The southbound traffic lanes will be shifted to the west from 4th Street to MLK Blvd., and the contractor will be closing the inside third lane from 4th Street to I-24. The most significant aspect impacting traffic flow will be the loss of the acceleration/merge areas from the on-ramps at 4th Street and MLK Blvd. During and after the work is complete the ramp traffic will be affected with yields instead of merges onto U.S. 27 South. Additionally, each evening between Monday and Thursday from 7 p.m.-6 a.m. the following morning, the contractor will have a temporary left lane closure on U.S. 27 South from north of the Olgiati Bridge to the south end of the project for placing concrete traffic barrier for Phase 2. This is the first part of the switch to Phase 2, which is where the contractor will be working in the middle lanes of U.S. 27 in each direction. At least one lane will remain open in each direction on U.S. 27. THP will assist with traffic control on the project as necessary. Estimated project completion date is July 2019. For more info, visit the project website http://www.tn.gov/tdot/topic/US27-reconstruction-chattanooga . [Dement Construction Co., LLC/JM/CNP230]

SR 317 (Apison Pike) the grading, drainage and paving on from Old Lee Highway (LM 5.58) to SR-321 (Ooltewah-Ringgold Road) (LM 7.84): Work on this project continues. During this report period the contractor may have intermittent lane closures throughout the project from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Flaggers will assist with traffic control as needed. Estimated project completion date is July. [Wright Brothers Const. Co. /Pruett/CNN279]

SR-320 (East Brainerd Road) grading, drainage, installation of signals, construction of seven retaining walls and paving from east of Graysville Road to east of Bel-Air Road: Work on this project continues. During this report period, the contractor will have intermittent lane closures between 9 a.m.-2 p.m. This work may affect either direction of East Brainerd Road or side streets from Graysville Road to Hamlett Drive as the contractor installs road crossings and borings. Traffic has been switched onto the newly-constructed section from the west end of the project to the Hurricane Creek Road/East Brainerd Road intersection, allowing the contractor to work on the other side of the roadway. The contractor may have short-term lane closures to perform various operations on an as-needed basis. Flaggers will assist with traffic control as needed. Estimated project completion date is June 2018. [Jones Brothers Contractors, LLC /Pruett/CNN383]

SR-153/SR-319 (Hixson Pike) bridge repair on Hixson Pike over SR-153: Work on this project continues. The contractor will be working on the inside lanes of the bridge. The outside lanes in both directions are open to traffic. This lane closure will be in place until late November. During this report period the contractor may have intermittent lane closures on SR-153 from 9 p.m.-6 a.m. to do work under the bridge. If there are any temporary closures needed on SR-153 as part of this project, they will take place at nighttime on Sundays through Thursdays between 9 p.m.-6 a.m. and on weekdays on SR-153 South between 9 a.m.-3 p.m. and on SR-153 North between 7:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Flaggers will assist with traffic control as necessary during these temporary closures. Estimated project completion date is May 2018. [Mid-State Construction Co. /Micka/CNQ941]

U.S. 27 (SR-29) resurfacing from north of Signal Mountain Road (LM. 3.02) to north of SR-29 (MM. 6.0/LM 6.07): This project is complete. There are a few minor punch list items to be corrected. However, no lane closures will be required. Contractor has been authorized to remove all signs. Estimated project completion date is July. [Wright Brothers Construction Co, Inc./Micka/CNQ189]

SR-153 resurfacing from L.M. 7.11 (Chickamauga Dam) to LM 8.89 (Hixson Pike): Work is scheduled to begin on Sunday night on the southbound side. Milling operation will require lane closures from 9 p.m.-6 a.m. Lane closures are limited to Sunday night thru Thursday night from 9 p.m.-6 a.m. [Wright Brothers Construction Co, Inc./Micka/CNR133]






A U.S. judge rejected Hawaii's bid to exempt grandparents from President Donald Trump's temporary travel ban on Thursday, but ruled that the state could ask the U.S. Supreme Court directly to clarify which parts of the order should take effect.

U.S. District Judge Derrick Watson in Honolulu had been asked to interpret a ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court that revived parts of Trump's March 6 executive order banning people from six Muslim-majority countries for 90 days.

The highest court let the ban go forward with a limited scope, saying it could not apply to anyone with a credible "bona fide relationship" with a U.S. person or entity.

Trump said the measure was necessary to prevent extremist attacks. However, opponents including states and refugee advocacy groups sued to stop it, disputing its security rationale and saying it discriminated against Muslims.

Watson said in Thursday's ruling he "declines to usurp the prerogative of the Supreme Court to interpret its own order."

Hawaii said late on Thursday it would appeal against Watson's ruling to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco, according to a court filing.

The Justice Department said in a statement it was pleased with the ruling.

"We are confident that the U.S. Supreme Court will again vindicate the president and his constitutional duty to protect the national security of the United States," it said.

The government said after last month's Supreme Court ruling that a "bona fide relationship" meant close family members only, such as parents, spouses, fiances, siblings, and children.

Grandparents, grandchildren, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews and cousins from Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen would still be banned.

The state of Hawaii asked Watson last week to clarify the Supreme Court's ruling, arguing the government's definition of "bona fide relationship" was too narrow.

Justice Department lawyers said its definition "hews closely" to language found in U.S. immigration law, while Hawaii's attorney general's office said other parts of immigration law included grandparents as close family.

The government reversed its position on fiances before the ban went into effect last week, saying they could also qualify for exceptions.

The roll-out of the narrowed version of the ban was more subdued last week compared to January, when Trump first signed a more expansive version of the order. That sparked protests and chaos at airports around the country and the world.
The EU and Japan could hardly have been more bullish about the free-trade deal announced on Thursday. No wonder: between them they account for 19 per cent of global gross domestic product and 38 per cent of goods exports.

Shinzo Abe, Japan's prime minister, hailed "the birth of the world's largest, free, industrialised economic zone". The European Commission welcomed "the most important bilateral trade agreement ever concluded by the EU".

The deal, reached after four years and 18 rounds of negotiations, includes big tariff cuts, co-operation on standards and regulations and the opening up of public procurement markets. The EU estimates the accord will save it 1bn in customs duties per year and boost exports to Japan from more than 80bn to more than 100bn a year.

But much is still to play for. Businesses will be analysing what the deal means for them, while negotiators will be preparing to turn an "agreement in principle" into a complete text.

What is the real economic impact?

Not for nothing has it been called the "cars for cheese" deal. For the EU, the big goal was slashing Japan's tariffs on imports of European meat, wine, and dairy products. Tokyo sought the end of EU import duties on its car sector  a rich prize since the bloc is the world's biggest importer of road vehicles.

On both issues, the agreement is far-reaching: the EU has agreed to a gradual phase out for all tariffs on cars imported from Japan, with some safeguards against a sudden large increase in imports. In turn, Europe's farmers will face far lower tariffs when exporting to Japan. At present, duties on food are high, ranging from 15 per cent on wine to 30-40 per cent on cheese. When the deal comes into effect, some tariffs will fall to zero immediately, while others will be phased out over 15 years. For some very sensitive products, the zero tariff will only apply up to a certain volume of imports.

On goods, the deal may be more important for Tokyo, which sends about 10 per cent of its exports to the EU, more than double the proportion of EU goods exported to Japan.

But Andre Sapir at the Bruegel think-tank in Brussels adds that both sides will benefit from removing non-tariff barriers, such as incompatible product standards. "This is where the real meat is on the economy," he says.

What does the outcome mean for Europe's carmakers?



EU negotiators have been at pains to explain that the deal on cars is not the "one-way street" once feared by European manufacturers. Brussels notes that agreement with Japan includes greater harmonisation of standards that the EU hopes will help its manufacturers sell more. The European Automobile Manufacturers' Association has so far responded cautiously, saying the deal is a "positive signal for international trade" and that it will analyse the "full implications".

What are the wider implications?

For Mr Abe, the deal "is a major pillar in our economic growth under Abenomics". The Japanese prime minister sees the deal, in part, as a way to push the country's labour-intensive agriculture sector towards reform. He said he hoped the agreement could have a "positive impact" in helping to revive the planned Trans-Pacific Partnership, a regional trade deal that stalled after Donald Trump withdrew the US.

The EU sees the deal as a way to get back on the front foot in opening up new trading opportunities after the near debacle in 2016 over a deal with Canada that was held up by resistance from a Belgian regional parliament.

What happens next?

Jean-Claude Juncker, European Commission president, hopes the deal can take effect in "early 2019". But before that, the EU and Japan have to settle the sensitive issue of investor protection.

Brussels has rejected the use of traditional "investor state-dispute settlement" tribunals, criticised by campaign groups as a tool for multinationals to undermine environmental and labour standards. But Tokyo is not keen on the alternative of investment courts.

One option being considered, according to people briefed on the talks, is to leave the issue out of the deal entirely. This could also help the EU streamline ratification  so that the likes of Belgium's regional parliaments would not be able to hold up the deal.

More from the Financial Times:

G20 economies buck Trump's protectionist trade tone

An EU-Japan pact shows how free trade strides on

Merkel says tricky G20 summit must 'make clear differences'
"There is no viable alternative to diplomatic engagement. Military threats and punitive measures against North Korea have not worked in the past and are unlikely to succeed now."

The agreement broke down after eight years as each side reneged on its promises. A new agreement was reached in 2005 in the six-party talks. North Korea pledged to abandon all nuclear weapons activities, and the United States offered security guarantees by disavowing any intention to invade or attack the North. That agreement broke down largely over verification issues.

A new diplomatic initiative is needed now. As former Defense Secretary William Perry has argued, the immediate goal of diplomacy should be to seek a verifiable halt to further nuclearization. The long-term objective is a fully denuclearized Korean peninsula, but that is not feasible in the short term, and an insistence on it at the outset will impede efforts to get talks underway.

President Trump knows that diplomatic success will require cooperation with China. Beijing and Washington share many of the same objectives in Korea. Both want to halt further proliferation and avoid military confrontation. China has supported UN sanctions against North Korea. They favor negotiations and would be prepared to offer inducements in the form of economic assistance and security guarantees as part of a diplomatic package.

China is opposed, however, to any action that might bring down the Pyongyang regime, which would create a huge economic and refugee crisis and increase the risk of war and instability spreading across their border.

If the U.S. and China can agree on a joint strategy, they will have the support of their partners in the 6-party talks (South Korea, Japan and Russia) and the UN Security Council.

The diplomatic package might include the following: an immediate freeze on further nuclear weapons testing and development, a halt to ballistic missile tests beyond an agreed range, the opening of U.S.-North Korean talks on diplomatic normalization, renewal of U.S. security assurances, and a package of economic inducements to encourage private sector development in the North.

A major challenge will be developing a robust international inspection regime to verify compliance with a nuclear freeze. The parties could learn from the UN verification system established for the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, which contains the most rigorous on-site inspection system ever negotiated. The presence of third-party UN monitors might be acceptable for Pyongyang and would provide assurances for the U. S. and other countries that violations by the North will be detected and promptly addressed.

The proposed agreement would need to be backed up by the credible threat of more effective sanctions. Additional sanctions could be incorporated into a new Security Council resolution, which would go into force if North Korea refuses to negotiate or does not agree to verifiable steps toward restricting its program. The proposed resolution would include a commitment to lift sanctions when international inspectors verify that the North has frozen its nuclear program.

The proposed strategy may not work, of course, but it is necessary to begin the process and hammer out a deal to contain the North Korean nuclear threat before it gets further out of hand.

Commentary by David Cortright, director of policy studies at the University of Notre Dame's Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies, within the university's new Keough School of Global Affairs. Prof. Cortright is the author of "Uniting Against Terror: Cooperative Nonmilitary Responses to the Global Terrorist Threat" (with George A. Lopez), among other titles.



For more insight from CNBC contributors, follow @CNBCopinion on Twitter.
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It's a historical meeting, the first ever face-to-face encounter between Russia's President Vladimir Putin and President Donald Trump. The two briefly shook hands Friday ahead of their formal meeting on the sidelines of the G-20 summit in Hamburg, Germany. The sit-down is scheduled to begin before 3 p.m. London time. During their bilateral gathering, they are set to talk about terrorism, Syria and North Korea, but political analysts don't expect any significant outcome. "The Kremlin seeks to discuss a wide range of topics from economic relations to the conflicts in Syria and Ukraine, while the U.S. side prefers a loose agenda for this first official meeting," Wolfango Piccoli, co-president of Teneo Intelligence, said in a note. "It is unlikely that this closely-watched meeting will result in any tangible outcomes."

Trump said on Twitter Friday morning: "I look forward to all meetings today with world leaders, including my meeting with Vladimir Putin. Much to discuss." Tweet 1 Trump has said on many occasions that he thinks he'd get along well with Putin and praised the Russian leader for being a nicer person than him. However, their first encounter takes place at a time when both leaders seem to be misaligned mainly when it comes to Syria. In April, Putin said that the relationship with the U.S. had deteriorated since Trump took office. "One could say that the level of trust on a working level, especially on the military level, has not improved, but rather has deteriorated," Putin said in an interview.

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The United States has asked Russia to stop supporting the regime led by Bashar Assad in Syria. Recently, it has also asked Moscow to jointly confront North Korea's missile threat. "The bilateral meeting between Trump and Putin will likely be brief, under one hour. It will be their first meeting, therefore it is likely to be very introductory with both parties attempting to establish relationship between the two leaders," Alex Kokcharov, principal analyst at IHS Markit, told CNBC via email. "It is unlikely that any deals or breakthroughs will be reached," he added. "It will be a foundation for future meetings between Trump and Putin." On Thursday, Trump accused Russia of having interfered in the 2016 presidential election but added that many others were involved, too. "Nobody really knows. Nobody really knows for sure," he told an audience in Poland.

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In the speech, Trump promised to work with Poland to address Russia's "destabilizing behavior"  something that the Kremlin quickly rebuffed. "This is exactly why we are waiting for the first meeting of the two presidents," the Kremlin said about the need to clarify each country's position.

Putin speaks about Trump

"He is a very colorful person, talented, without any doubt," Putin said in December 2015. "It is not our business to determine his merits, that is up to U.S. voters, but he is the absolute leader in the presidential race." More recently, Putin said of his U.S. counterpart: "He can't be put in the same category as traditional politicians. I see great advantages because he's a person with a fresh view.  Some people like him, some don't." WATCH: These are 5 things to watch for at the G-20 meeting
The Argyll Cabinet measures 29 inches high, 13 inches wide and 15 inches deep. The two torch-holding chimaerae illustrated on the doors derive from Charles Heathcote Tathams Etchings of Ancient Ornamental Architecture of Italy, which was first published in 1803. The Argyll Arms are in the center of the triangular pediments on each of the four sides.

The cabinets 10 drawers can hold a total of 139 coins or medals. The cabinet remained in the Argyll family until late in the 20th century. Until 2015 it was in a private collection in New York.

In the 18th century, a gentleman would keep coins and medals that he had secured on his grand tour of Europe in his library.

Usually, these would be stored in a mahogany coin cabinet. While the majority of such cabinets would have been purely functional, some were known to be works of art in their own right.

Known as the Argyll Cabinet, one fantastic example of coin cabinetry has now found its way home to Scotland.

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London dealer Thomas Heneage operates Thomas Heneage Art Books, which is based in Duke Street in the St. Jamess area, a quick hop, skip and a jump from Christies.

The firm may be relatively small, but it has a wide reach, with a presence at the worlds leading fairs for art, antiques and design including TEFAF Maastricht. Over the last year or so, Heneage had promotional material for a collection of seals and also a coin cabinet.

The cabinet was supposedly made for George William Campbell (1768 to 1839) who became the Sixth Duke of Argyll in 1806.

Constructing a cabinet

It is constructed from maple wood. It takes the form of a typical Roman funeral urn of the second century A.D., with a triangular pediment and architectural ornamentation at the corners. It is not the work of a great cabinetmaker as there is a certain lack of refinement to the drawers, indicating that it could have been produced in the workshops at Inveraray Castle.

Nevertheless it is an important piece of Neoclassical furniture.

Unravel the mystery of die trails: Another column in the July 17 Coin World takes a look at some heavy hitting doubled die discoveries

The cabinet is intricately decorated with penwork. This form of embellishment emerged in Britain toward the end of the 18th century and became the most fashionable of activities for aristocratic ladies in the first decades of the 19th century. The distinctive black or white decoration was frequently copied from engravings.

Many of the decorative motifs on the Argyll Cabinet are derived from Charles Heathcote Tathams Etchings of Ancient Ornamental Architecture of Italy. This was first published in 1803 and it is known that the duke was a subscriber to the second edition  meaning that he made pre-payments prior to its publication.

Penwork decoration was applied directly to the wooden surface being adorned with inks and watercolor.

The subsequent highly polished surface was achieved with the addition of one or more coats of varnish. The pastime was so popular that an entire industry emerged, supplying not only materials but also tuition to budding amateurs.

Pre-prepared boxes as well as small items of furniture in light colored-woods, brushes, pattern books, paints and varnish were retailed by the likes of Rudolf Ackermanns shop, which he named The Repository of Arts in Londons Strand district, a fashionable mecca for the discerning upper classes.

So, who decorated the Argyll Cabinet?

It is signed ML pinxit  where pinxit is the third person singular perfect active indicative of pingo, which translates (inter alia) as I decorate.

The only problem is that ML has not been identified. However, from 1770, George William Campbell had the courtesy title of the Marquess of Lorne until he inherited the dukedom in 1806. It is therefore possible that the penwork for the Argyll Cabinet was undertaken by the hand of the future Sixth Duke of Argyll.

Another owner?

It is also possible that the cabinet was not made for the sixth duke, as he was not known as a coin collector.

However, Archibald Campbell, the Third Duke of Argyll (1682 to 1761), was an enlightened collector and patron, who is known to have assembled impressive gem and numismatic collections.

While Thomas Heneages promotional material states that the cabinet was made for the sixth duke, it suggests that it may have been inherited from the third duke.

The cabinet has been acquired by the Hunterian Museum at the University of Glasgow, Scotland. This is one of the finest university collections in the world, containing more than 1.5 million items.

The body copy of the museums display label for the cabinet states it appears to date to circa 1805, whereas it ends with Early 18th century maple wood and penwork coin cabinet.

Most likely it was made in the 18th century, with the penwork decoration being made in the early 19th century  and possibly by the Marquess of Lorne, just before he succeeded to the title of sixth duke.

A spokesman for the Hunterian commented, This unique and outstanding cabinet is of the greatest importance to Scottish numismatics and Scottish and British collecting of the late Enlightenment. It represents a rare survival of an early coin cabinet. Such cabinets, often made specially for the owner, were not uncommon after 1750 but the majority have long disappeared. The only similar item surviving in Scotland is the temple-shaped cabinet made for the Duke of Atholl in Perth in the 1740s. Again, the number of surviving early small cabinets in England is very limited, perhaps half a dozen.

The cabinet was purchased by the Hunterian with money from the Walter Allen Fund and the Marion Archibald Bequest. Archibald was a curator in the Department of Coins and Medals at the British Museum from 1963 to 1997.

To learn about the Hunterians collection, visit it online.
For the third consecutive year, Baker Donelson has been certified by the Women in Law Empowerment Forum as a Gold Standard Firm.

WILEF grants Gold Standard status to firms that meet objective criteria concerning the number of women among equity partners, in firm leadership positions and in the ranks of their most highly compensated partners. Baker Donelson was among 44 law firms across the country to earn this certification.

Christy Tosh Crider, chair of Baker Donelson's Women's Initiative and a shareholder in the firm's Nashville office, said, "We are proud to once again be recognized by WILEF among the law firms truly making a difference in increasing the representation and leadership of women in the legal profession. Baker Donelson is committed to a workplace culture where female attorneys thrive, and we will continue to strive for further progress in ensuring the success of women within our firm and the profession as a whole."

Criteria that are considered for WILEF Gold Standard Certification include the number of women attorneys who are equity partners; who serve as heads of the firm, its offices and practice groups or departments; who serve on the firm's primary governance committee; and who serve on the committee that determines equity partner compensation.

At Baker Donelson, female attorneys serve as leaders across the firm. Currently, women serve as president and COO, on the board of directors, as office managing shareholders, and as practice group and committee chairs. Women lead numerous administrative departments within Baker Donelson as well, such as Knowledge Management, Recruiting and Professional Development. This year's class of new shareholders at the firm was comprised of more than 50 percent women, making it the third consecutive year women have made up nearly or more than half of the firm's newly elected shareholders.

Baker Donelson has received numerous recognitions as an exceptional workplace for women, including being ranked 53rd on FORTUNE's list of the 100 Best Workplaces for Women and being ranked third nationally in diversity for women in the 2018 edition of Vault, Inc.'s "Best Law Firms for Diversity."
Cleveland State Community College will be hosting a Question and Answer Session for the TN Reconnect 2018 initiative, Tennessees free-tuition program for adult learners, on Thursday, July 20 from 5-7 p.m. in the George L. Mathis Student Center Commons Area."The TN Reconnect program starts in the fall of 2018 and allows adults to enter college in order to fulfill their dreams of completing a degree or certificate. During the Q & A session on July 20, attendees will be able to learn more about the Tennessee Reconnect scholarship that covers eligible adults tuition to all programs at Cleveland State and other affordable educational opportunities, such as Pell grants and the colleges institutional scholarships," officials said.Although the TN Reconnect initiative will start next fall, Cleveland State currently has the Adult Promise Scholarship to encourage prospective adult learners to start now, stated Natalia Williams, counselor/coordinator of Adult Student Services.This Q and A session will be a great opportunity for those prospective students who may be seeking clarity regarding other services to be able to speak with individuals face to face.The Q and A session will address questions adult learners may have from receiving credit for work experience to the uncertainty of returning to a school environment. Other efforts will include sharing services available to military veterans, academic advisers who can answer student questions about a certain degree they are seeking and highlighting the availability of evening and online classes.For more information on the TN Reconnect or Adult Promise Scholarships, contact Williams at 423-473-2318 or email her at nwilliams@clevelandstatecc.edu.
Illinois Finally Has A Budget Plan For The First Time In 2 Years

By aaroncynic in News on Jul 6, 2017 10:16PM



Illinois State Capitol Dome, photo by Aaron Cynic/Chicagoist

Illinois has finally approved a budget for the first time in more than two years.

After the longest deadlock over a budget in historytaking place between the legislature and Gov. Bruce Raunerthe Illinois House took the final step forward and voted to override Rauners veto of a plan given to him earlier this week. Calling it a 32 percent tax hike, Rauner nixed the plan, but the Senate overrode him over the holiday.

The package of legislation, three bills that passed through the House with more than 70 votes each, contains an increase in state income taxes, bringing the flat rate back to 4.95 percent, just shy of where they were when the General Assembly allowed former Gov. Pat Quinns 5 percent rate to sunset to the current rate of 3.75. The budget includes a $36 billion spending plan, which is expected to generate $5 billion in revenue.

On Wednesday, Rauner called the tax increase not just a slap in the face...but a two-by-four smacked across the forehead to Illinois taxpayers and vowed to do everything he could to prevent a veto. Ultimately, Rauner failed to do so on Thursday.

"Today was another step in Illinois never-ending tragic trail of tax hikes," said Rauner in a statement posted to Facebook. "Speaker Madigans 32 percent permanent income tax increase will force another tax hike in the near future. His tax-and-spend plan is not balanced, does not cut enough spending or pay down enough debt, and does not help grow jobs or restore confidence in government."

Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan celebrated the outcome in a statement of his own: "Today, Republicans and Democrats stood together to enact a bipartisan balanced budget and end a destructive 736-day impasse. The people in this chamber did not do what was easy today. But we did what was right for the future of our state."

Several community groups and others critical of Rauner during the deadlock praised the move, and also heaped a huge amount of the blame for the impasse on the governor.

"After more than two years of an unnecessary crisis at the hands of Bruce Rauner and his extreme political agenda, Illinois finally has a bipartisan balanced budget, said the group Illinois Working Together. Though it may take years for the state to recover from the Rauner Crisis, this bipartisan balanced budget is a first step to begin to repair the damage done by the governor. It keeps our schools open, provides care for our seniors, and gives our economy a measure of desperately needed stability.

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel thanked Illinois lawmakers for "coming together to put the people of Illinois before party politics. "Like so many others across the state, I wish the governor had been willing to actually compromise at some point in this process because the only thing his my-way-or-the-highway approach has gotten Illinois is nearly three years of gridlock and $15 billion in unpaid bills," said Emanuel.

Gubernatorial candidate and billionaire JB Pritzker said the damage is already done.

Rauner led the state to $14.7 billion in unpaid bills, interest on state debt continues to skyrocket, and local governments across the state have been forced to raise taxes to compensate for a lack of state funds, said Priztker in a statement. Social services agencies closed, impacting countless families across Illinois, students fled to go to college in other states, and we lost opportunities for job creation. The suffering of Illinois families cant just be erased.

Those looking for a more progressive agenda, in stark contrast with Rauners agenda, say though its a good first step, more change is still needed.

The budget provides insufficient funding for critical services and asks Illinois families to foot the bill instead of demanding the wealthy pay their fair share by implementing progressive revenue solutions such as closing the carried interest loophole or a financial transaction tax, said Amisha Patel, executive director of Grassroots Collaborative. But it is a budget and it is progress.

Pro-business organizations allied with the governor however, were not pleased. Imposing a five billion dollars tax hike on Illinois families and businesses without addressing the root causes of our stagnant economic growth is a recipe for disaster and will only hasten the further loss of Illinois' middle class, said Greg Baise, president and CEO of the Illinois Manufacturers' Association. Today's action by the Illinois legislature will speed up the loss of manufacturing jobs and will further decimate our economy.

UPDATE 6:30 p.m.

More opinions have been filtering in on the passage of the plan, and depending on who one asks, it's either worth congratulating lawmakers or the worst thing ever.

Chicago Ald. Ameya Pawaralso running for governorapplauded the bipartisan effort, while taking a dig at the governor:

"While Bruce Rauners reckless veto made clear he doesn't care about the future of our state, todays bi-partisan veto-override proves there are legislators still willing to put Illinois hard-working families over reckless partisan politics. This episode is just another reminder that when we elect people like Bruce Rauner, who hate the institutions they seek to represent, they will try to destroy it once in office."

The Responsible Budget coalition, which represents more than 300 organizations statewide including social service agencies that have had to make significant cutbacks or closed programs due to the lack of funding from the state also applauded the General Assembly:

"By having the courage to pass a budget with $5 billion of permanent new revenue, they have saved the state from even more devastating cuts to vital services and will allow schools, social service agencies, and healthcare providers to begin to heal and plan for the future. Millions of Illinoisans will be able to live a better life in the coming year because of this vote."

The Illinois GOP however, was not impressed, saying it was both "disappointed" in the GA and "troubled" by the Republicans who crossed party lines.

I am extremely troubled by the decision of 10 Republicans to again stand with Mike Madigan," said Party Chairman Tim Schneider. "Republicans in Illinois fought Madigans machine in 2014 to elect Gov. Rauner and won. In 2016 we beat Madigan again and made historic gains in the House and the Senate. After all we have accomplished together, it is astonishing that these legislators would now turn their backs on taxpayers across the state."

Among other things, the Illinois Policy Institute called override an "outrage to our democracy and our representative form of government" in a statement on its Facebook page.

The truth is that the people of Illinois now understand as never before that Madigan and his political allies care more about the prerogatives of the Illinois political class than they do about the well-being of average families in Illinois. The people now understand that this is no longer a Republican problem or a Democratic problem. This is a problem of the people trying to regain control of a government that not only ignores their voices, but also desires to shut those voices down."

Correction: This post originally stated that Rauner had allowed the 5 percent personal income tax rate under former Gov. Pat Quinn to sunset to 3.75 percent. It has been amended to reflect that the General Assembly allowed the rate to sunset.
The Missourians Opinion section is a public forum for the discussion of ideas. The views presented in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Missourian or the University of Missouri. If you would like to contribute to the Opinion page with a response or an original topic of your own, visit our submission form
Board Says Illinois Will Not Turn Over Its Voter Data To Trump Administration

By Stephen Gossett in News on Jul 6, 2017 11:22PM



CHICAGO, IL - MARCH 15: Voters casts their ballots at ChiArts High School on March 15, 2016 in Chicago, Illinois. Voters in Illinois, Missouri, North Carolina, Florida and Ohio vote in primary elections today. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)

Illinois will not hand over voter roll data as requested by a Trump administration panel, the Board of Elections announced on Thursday, saying that it does not have a publicly available roll.

After Trump's newly created Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity issued a letter asking that states provide voter dataincluding names, addresses, birth dates, the last four digits of Social Security numbers and voting history, stretching back ten yearsthe Illinois office was met with an influx of calls urging the Board to deny the request.

Kenneth Menzel, General Counsel of the State Board of Elections, wrote in a letter to Kris Kobach, Vice Chair of the PACEI, that the Commission's stated intention to make public any submitted data prevents the Board from turning it over, per the state's election-code safeguards.

The Code "protects the confidentiality and privacy of voter registration data, limiting its release to registered political committees for political purposes and to governmental entities for governmental purposes, subject to the restriction that voter data not be released to the public," Menzel wrote. "Your letter indicates that any information and voter registration data provided to the Commission will be made available to the public."

"In short, the State of Illinois does not have a publicly available voter roll," he added. "Therefore, our agency does not have any material responsive to the Commissions request."

The Board of Elections had previously stated that it would delay its call until late August. But the amount of feedback from Illinois voters helped sway the decision to not wait. "We received an extremely high volume of calls and emails from people. They were very unhappy with idea that any data would be shared. So we thought it best to get at least that portion responded to earlier than later," Menzel told Chicagoist.

ALERT: We were just contacted by the IL Board of Elections. They will be denying the request for voter information. They cited our calls.  Indivisible Chicago (@IndivisibleChi) July 6, 2017

Illinois Senators had come out against the request, also. Sen. Tammy Duckworth urged the state SBE to deny the data ask. Complying with this unlawful request would improperly reward the Commission for flagrantly breaking a longstanding Federal statute, Duckworth said in a statement. I strongly urge the IL SBE to exercise its legal right under the Paperwork Reduction Act and ignore the Commissions unlawful information collection request.

Sen. Dick Durbin tweeted his own, pithy response approving of the decision to deny the request:



Glad IL Board of Elections will not be releasing voter information to @POTUS's sham "election integrity" commission.A https://t.co/TRKouBkWWi  Senator Dick Durbin (@SenatorDurbin) July 6, 2017



The letter from Kobachwhich the Illinois Board received late because Trump's Commission mistakenly sent it to the wrong departmentalso includes a list of seven questions, which ask about voter-fraud evidence and convictions for "election-related crimes," among other topics. Menzel said in the reply a "supplemental response" to those questions would come "at a later date."

More than 40 states reportedly said they would deny the Trump administration's request for the voter information. Kobach in a statement on Wednesday insisted that the voter information is publicly available and called the report that states would withhold the info "more 'fake news.'"

The administration claims that it wants to review the data to ensure that elections are held fairly. But critics see the request as the seeds of voter suppression efforts.
Iain Dale is Presenter of LBC Drive, Managing Director of Biteback Publishing, a columnist and broadcaster and a former Conservative Parliamentary candidate.

Nick Watt is a political broadcaster that I always take notice of. He has a keen ear for shifts in Government policy, and is very good at keeping his ear to the ground. On Wednesday night, he made a film about how the Government is being urged by senior Tories to adopt the Norway model, and stay within the Single Market and keep the basics of freedom of movement.

The only senior Tory interviewed was Francis (now Lord) Maude, a former Europe Minister. What Watt didnt say is that David Cameron is apparently phoning Conservative MPs and putting forward the same case.

Now I get that Remainers have their collective tails up at the moment, and some of them think that they genuinely have a possibility of putting a stop to Britain leaving the EU. As Nick Watt said: Im hearing that Brexit may not even happen.

If we stay in the Single Market as a member, they will be getting their way, because we would still be paying billions of pounds a year to Brussels, and wed be accepting freedom of movement will continue. In such a circumstance, the vote on 23 June last year might as well not have happened.

Fortunately, we have a Prime Minister and a Brexit Secretary who wont countenance that vote being ignored or over-ruled. Because if it were, the political consequences for the Conservative Party would be unthinkable.

         

The world of Westminster politics is perhaps the most gossipy in the country: Chinese whispers take on a whole new dimension. A baseless rumour can spread like wildfire without any facts intervening whatsoever.

And so it has proved over the last 72 hours or so. The Government has been without a Director of Communications for two and half months, since Katie Perriors resignation in mid-April. Fiona Hill effectively took over the role but, since her departure in the immediate aftermath of the election, there has been a void.

On Tuesday afternoon, my phone started buzzing  with text after text from Westminster journalists asking if it was true that I was to be Theresa Mays new Head of Communications. Well, er no. If I were, I might have had a phone call or something! But the rumours continued to swirl. Guido Fawkes included me on his list of runners and riders, and the Evening Standard then wrote a diary item suggesting the same. In between, Tom Newton-Dunn from The Sun had wrote an article online suggesting that the two front runners were James Landale and Robbie Gibb. Landale then tweeted on Wednesday morning that he did not want to be considered.

Well, it was certainly flattering to be mentioned as a possible candidate  but it was based on nothing. Just to be clear (and I havent made any comment on this elsewhere), there is no truth at all in any claim that I have been approached, and nor would I expect to be. The job requires a particular skillset, and Im not at all sure its one I possess. In addition, why on earth would I give up my jobs at Biteback and LBC, which I hugely enjoy?

As I write this column, Gibb has confirmed he has accepted the job. I think his will be a great appointment. Hes a political adult  and will command the respect of everyone in the media and political worlds.

         

There was an interesting article recently on CapX. Victoria Bateman urged the Tories to rediscover the art of making the case for capitalism.

Shes right. There is a populist case for capitalism and there is an intellectual case, but neither are being made by Conservative politicians at the moment, with the exception of Daniel Hannan (see this site yesterday) and a few others. The Left is being allowed to get away with the argument that capitalism is intrinsically evil, and designed to exploit the working classes. The truth is that it has enabled the world to enjoy prosperity that would have been unthinkable even a few decades ago. Its improved the health of millions of people the world over.

I could go on. But where are the Tories making this case? The Cabinet is even split on whether a public sector pay cap should continue, with some of the weaker-minded members apparently forgetting that we still have a 55 billion deficit. Wheres the intellectual case for controlling public expenditure? Its there, but so few are making it.

Many young people have become disillusioned with capitalism. Why be enthusiastic about capitalism, they ask, if they are prevented from accumulating capital? Its a reasonable question to put. And if it isnt answered soon, dont be surprised if Jeremy Corbyns anti-capitalism messages start to resonate even more than they are doing now.

        

I havent seen very many of the new MPs maiden speeches, but one which has caught the eye was made by the new MP for Hitchin and Harpenden, Bim Afolami. We Westminster watchers always like to talent spot from new intakes of MPs, and I suspect were going to be hearing a lot more from Afolami.
A story of the General Election which has, so far, been under-discussed is the role played by third party campaigners. That is, individuals or groups who are separate from the political parties but are still campaigning for or against a party or candidate.

Third parties have always been around  and rightly so. You shouldnt have to be in a political party to have a voice in our democracy, and for obvious reasons all sorts of people wish to communicate to their fellow voters how one party or another will affect their lifestyles, hobbies, businesses, beliefs and so on.

There are, though, some concerns that have emerged about the role of third parties in the recent General Election. Not a single Conservative that Ive spoken to seeks to blame these issues for the disappointing result. They place that honour rather closer to home. But a variety of senior and grassroots figures have told me they are worried at the emergence of three particular trends, and what they might mean for the future.

The imbalance

The first is blunt. Labour had the backing of vastly more third party campaigners and organisations than the Conservatives. From fox hunting to ivory to food banks to school funding, on a myriad of issues there were well-funded, well-organised groups and individuals pushing out effectively pro-Labour messages to millions of people. Much of this went unnoticed in CCHQ, which helps to explain why the result came as such a shock  as one Tory source put it to me, a red tide washed over us. Not only did the Conservative campaign largely not see the impact coming, it seems that in many cases Labour didnt see it coming either.

By contrast, where were the equivalent groups backing the Conservatives? Theres Vote-OK, the group that wants the hunting ban repealed. There were various Jewish community groups that were understandably deeply concerned about some of the poisonous views harboured by the modern Labour Party. And there wasnt much else. Sure, there are quite a few outfits on the centre right, but rightly or wrongly many of them are occupied in opposing various of the Governments policies, and they tend by disposition to be less likely to obediently fall into line than some of their left-wing counterparts.

Such a severe imbalance is a scandal. Not that its somehow devious or wrong of the left to set up or woo such groups, but its a scandal that the right has neglected to do much of either in recent years. Particularly when our movement is already outgunned in terms of troops on the ground, and lacks the equivalent of union backing, it ought to be going out of its way to find a route to rebalance the fight.

The loopholes

The second trend is the careful exploitation of loopholes in the law on donations. Take, for example, the question of how some of these campaigns are funded. The rise of crowdfunding, through online platforms like GoFundMe, makes it easier than ever before for a campaign to receive money from large numbers of people remotely. Understandably, campaigners are making use of this technology. However, its also, by definition, easily accessible for would-be donors overseas.

Ordinarily, such donations arent allowed, but as BrexitCentral reported back in April, the Electoral Commissions rules state that donations under 500 dont count as a fully regulated donation and therefore:

anybody who donates under 500can remain anonymous to the public, does not need to be registered to vote in the UK or even be a British citizen.

BrexitCentrals example of this particular loophole in action was Gina Millers Best for Britain campaign, which was crowdfunding to back candidates who promised to open the door to reversing Brexit. The site reported that Millers pitch for money included the rule that for electoral reasons, we need to cap individual donations at 499. Doing so isnt illegal, but that rule certainly could appear to be carefully targeted at avoiding greater degrees of transparency and scrutiny.

The question raised by concerned observers, therefore, is not just about the identity of Millers donors, but wider: how many other third party campaigns were making use of this loophole, and how many donors might have channeled how much money through it?

The multiplicity of anti-Tory campaigns that have sprung up offers new opportunities of scale to elaborate on this loophole, too, well beyond that Miller example. If you gave more than 500 to one group or to the Labour Party, your donation would be subject to the various regulations on permissibility. Were you to give 499 to several different groups, however, you could donate far more than that threshold without any such restrictions, aiding the broad cause for or against particular parties without having to be a legally permissible donor.

Whats more, if you give over 7,500 to a single party or organisation then your identity and your donation becomes public, recorded with and reported by the Electoral Commission. Donate 499 to 16 like-minded but distinct organisations, however, and you can give more than the threshold for a publicly declarable donation but do so in total anonymity, with no-one even having to check if youre a legitimate donor to the British political process in the first place. The fact that any organisation that spends less than 10,000 doesnt have to register as a third party campaign at all, and therefore doesnt have to declare a thing, could offer further opportunities.

Once, when third party campaigns were relatively rare, and donating normally involved face to face contact and writing cheques, these issues could reasonably have been dismissed as technically possible but practically unlikely. Now, however, technology has made them easily exploitable, the boom in third parties has made them more practicable, and there is some evidence that some loopholes are indeed being used.

Is everyone really a third party?

By definition, third party campaigners are meant to be independent of the political parties. They might like the ideas of one or loathe the ideas of another, as is their right, but the point is they are meant to be functionally, strategically and operationally independent of them.

Some of those I have spoken to about this issue have expressed concerns that there might be some nominal third parties that are closely co-ordinating their activities with a party of which they are meant to be independent. If that was happening, it could mean that any party doing so gained the benefit of such organisations operating as an arm of itself, while keeping their funding and spending off its books. Combine that possibility with the above questions about permissible donors, and people start to ask predictable questions about how easy it might be to, in effect, donate to a partys campaign without any oversight or transparency at all.

Theres no easy solution to all this, particularly without risking unintended negative consequences. You cant ban like-minded people from talking to one another. And there will inevitably always be a grey area where some people might be involved in a third party campaign and in the political party that it is sympathetic towards. But its still reasonable to wonder if every independent third party group is really doing what it says on the tin, and whether all the money in our politics is really being contributed by legitimate donors.
Flight To O'Hare Delayed After 'Disruptive' Passenger Kicked Off Plane

By Stephen Gossett in News on Jul 7, 2017 3:45PM



Facebook

A flight from Atlanta to Chicago was delayed several hours after a "disruptive" passenger was removed from the plane amid a disturbance.

A now-viral video uploaded by passenger Michael Nash shows a woman holding a small dog and yelling at a woman who appears to be a flight attendant, on American Airlines Flight 281, from Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson Airport to O'Hare International Airport. Nash said in a Facebook post that the woman "attacked a flight attendant" and that he was also struck during the skirmish. The woman was reportedly grew angry after being asked to put her reclined seat up ahead of takeoff.

The woman in the video is heard saying that someone threw water in her face while other passengers shout for her to sit down. "You're gonna get us killed, lady!" shouts one passenger.

The plane "returned to the gate in Atlanta to remove a disruptive passenger," an American spokesperson told Chicagoist. It "then re-departed for Chicago."

A flight staff member is heard near the end of the clip saying, "We're going back to the gate, we're not going to Chicago." A loud, collective groan then fills the plane.

The woman was later removed from the plane by a law enforcement officer and re-booked on a different flight, a Hartsfield-Jackson spokesperson told CBS Chicago.

This post has been updated.
15 Of Our Favorite Events In Chicago This Weekend

Summer days and nights are sizzling hot with all that is going on this weekend.



FRIDAY JULY 7

TASTE OF CHICAGO: The Taste continues through Sunday with the best eats that Chicago restaurants have to offer. The downtown festival is more than just food though, with dance performances, cultural experiences, family programming and a live music lineup that rivals any music fest in town. This year has Alessia Cara, Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals, Passion Pit and The OJays all performing at Petrillo Music Shell. Admission is free, but tickets for the seating area at the Petrillo Music Shell start at $19.

RUIDO FEST: Ruido Fest is two years old and going strong as Pilsens Latin Alternative Music Festival. This years headliners at Adams/Medill Park this weekend include Cultura Profetica, Molotov and Intocable. The popular Bomba EstAreo also perform. Keep the party going after each day of the three-day fest with after-parties at Cobra Lounge. Tickets are $149 for a three-day pass. Single day tickets start at $94.



WEST FEST: Could West Fest have the best street fest lineup this summer? We certainly think so, with bands like local rockers Local H, punk disco-funk group ESG, and '90s-style indie guitar revivalists Speedy Ortiz topping the bill. And thats not even counting Cymbals Eat Guitars, Woods, Durand Jones & The Indications or Har Mar Superstar. Sounds like rock and roll fans in the city have their weekend plans set. Admission is a $5 gate donation benefitting The West Town Chamber of Commerce.





Image via Square Roots's Facebook page.

SQUARE ROOTS: Square Roots has everything a street fest should: music, food and beer. The Craft Brew & Music Festival in Lincoln Square shows off some of the neighborhoods culinary options over three days, plus brews from more than 30 regional craft brewers. The festival is also arm in arm with Old Town School of Folk Music, celebrating their 60th anniversary with performances and programming for the whole family. Entry is a $10 suggested donation supporting Old Town School of Folk Music and Lincoln Square Ravenswood Chamber programs.



IRISH FEST: Its time again for the weekend-long Irish Fest benefitting the Irish American Heritage Center. The weekend festival is packed with Irish culture, including Irish and American food and drink, cultural exhibits, childrens activities and artisans. Theyve also got a huge music lineup featuring Gaelic Storm, We Banjo 3, Michael McDermott and many more. Tickets are $10 until July 5 and $15 thereafter. Children 12 and under are free.

MILLENNIUM ART FESTIVAL: More than 110 juried artists participate in the Millennium Art Festival this weekend. Formerly known as the East Side Art Festival, the event takes place just two blocks north of Millennium Park. Free.



SATURDAY JULY 8



Burger Fest image courtesy of Special Events Management.

ROSCOE VILLAGE BURGER FEST: The 11th Annual Roscoe Village Burger Fest is here. More than a dozen vendors show off their patties, including Butcher & the Burger, D.S. Tequila, Hackney's and Kuma's Corner. Oh, and theres music, too! South African rockers Kongos headline on Saturday and alt-rock band Cracker headlines Sunday. Entry is a $10 gate donation benefitting the Roscoe Village Chamber of Commerce.

MARGARITA FEST: Navy Pier will be teeming with margs of all types this weekend at Margarita Fest. The theme is Latin Congo with live music and island vibes. Theyll also have gourmet eats available. Tickets are $20.



Image via For Paws Club's event page.

FOR PAWS POOL PARTY: For Paws Club is back with another event benefiting local nonprofit One Tail at a Time. Its a bonafide Pup Pool Party from 2 to 4 p.m. at Pet Care Plus with beer samples and tastings from Temperance and Lagunitas plus many more door perks. Tickets are $15.

WGCI SUMMER JAM: Lil Wayne, Jeezy, Jeremih and Fat Joe are just a few of the hip hop acts playing this years WGCI Summer Jam at the United Center. 7:30 p.m. Tickets start at $21.

'90S BLOCK PARTY: Crawl through the 1990s at Division Street's Bars starting at 11 a.m. The '90s Block Party will feature '90s cover bands, costume contests, giveaways and more. Start working on your moves now for the Carlton Dance Contest. Tickets are $10 in advance.

HUMANZ LIVE: Gorillaz did not disappoint with their return to the scene with this year's Humanz, and Saturday night the Damon Albarn-led group kicks off their U.S. tour at Huntington Bank Pavilion on Northerly Island Saturday night. Given the album's deluge of guest stars, it's anyone's guess who will be joining Albarn and his extensive backing band on stage. We've seen the band before, though, so we can guarantee the one thing you can count on is that the show will be epic.

Precious Art by Rozwell Kid

ROCK WITH THE KID: Rozwell Kid's new album Precious Art delivers a collection of solid fuzz pop a la early Weezer or The Rentals, with a nice bit of variety across the album. While most of it is hooky guitar rock, there are a few quietly reflective songs that show a depth to the band that hasn't been previously all that apparent. Catch the band when they play Beat Kitchen on Saturday night.

SUNDAY JULY 9



Image courtesy of Secrist Gallery

A BEAUTY SALON: Childrens author and filmmaker Amy Krouse Rosenthal passed away in March, but friends and family are keeping her dream alive with A Beauty Salon opening this Sunday at Carrie Secrist Gallery. The gallery will be filled with her favorite things following the definitions of Beauty (a combination of qualities that pleases the intellect, aesthetic, or moral sense) and Salon (a regular social gathering of eminent people (especially writers and artists) at the house of a woman prominent in society). The exhibit runs through Aug. 12. (Tickets to the pre-opening reception on Saturday are $123 and will benefit the AKR Yellow Umbrella Foundation.)

TONES ON BAUHAUS ROCKETS: Poptone is the new group featuring Daniel Ash and Kevin Haskins of Love And Rockets / Tones On Tail / Bauhaus featuring Haskins' daughter Diva Dompe on bass. The trio will be playing songs from the catalog of all three bands the principle's have been an integral part of, so Sunday night's show at The Metro is a rare chance to see songs from a trio of legendary catalogs.
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The prize-winning publications on ancient texts.[Photo by Meijia/China Daily]

An annual prize was recently instituted by the Song Yunbin Foundation for scholars and experts who work with ancient texts.

"It's a job requiring attention to detail. If you are not passionate about ancient texts and ancient culture, you can't spend long hours on them. We're proud to reward these people," says Ge Zhaoguang, a professor with Fudan University in Shanghai and chair of the jury panel.

This year's winners were announced in July by the foundation, which is managed by Zhonghua Book Company, one of the country's major publishers of ancient books.

Three books and an editor were picked for the prize, comprising 100,000 yuan ($14,600) for each winner.

"The editing of the three works spanned several decades and was done by generations of scholars," says Ge.

The three books are Historical Records (collated version); Relics of Silk Books and Bamboo Slips in Mawangdui Han Dynasty Tombs; and Annotated Corpora of Du Fu.

Zhang Zhonggang took over the job of editing the works of Tang Dynasty (618-907) poet Du Fu from his teacher, who started the job in 1978.

Zhang led his team for three decades. In 2014 they published the 12-volume work of Du's 1,456 poems and other works.

"We spent two years tracing the poet's footprints to collect material," the 77-year-old says.

"Du Fu is a master poet. When you study him, you know you're on a difficult path. And it will test your dedication and your professionalism. But it's worth it."

Veteran scholar Yuan Xingpei from Peking University says Zhang's work is unprecedented.

The book on the Han Dynasty (206 BC-220) tombs is compiled by Qiu Xigui and his team. They studied hundreds of bamboo slips and 50 silk books and paintings that were unearthed 40 years ago.

Yuan says that though collating ancient texts is a lonely job, "it is a significant one".

As for Song Yunbin's background, he was once with the Zhonghua Book Company working on the History of Twenty-four Dynasties.

Song, who was born in Zhejiang province in 1897, contributed greatly to the study of ancient texts and Chinese culture.

In a Guangming Daily article in March 1950, Song writes: "Our ancestors have left us many treasures... It's our duty to sort them out ... and offer readers decisive, precise and clear notes."

His grandson, Song Jingqi, donated his collection of paintings and calligraphy to be auctioned and used the money to set up the Song Yunbin Foundation.

The foundation is believed to be one the first nongovernmental foundations promoting the study of ancient texts.

According to Ge, it is one of the few foundations that is not set up by the super-rich.

Speaking about the foundation, Song Jingqi says: "We want to carry on the tradition of collating ancient texts, and we want to encourage earnest research."
Easter Eggs are fun little extras thrown in for eagle-eyed fans and completionists. They're usually pretty harmless. Now, it's no problem if your hard-boiled detective says he likes to unwind by watching The Little Mermaid. But if your Dickensian street urchin starts quoting The Wire, you've created a rip in your reality that can have some unintentionally dark implications.

5 Aliens From Star Wars Created Judaism

The 1981 film Raiders Of The Lost Ark centers on the quest for the Ark of the Covenant -- the box that Moses uh... used to keep God in? The bible is not entirely in our wheelhouse. At any rate, the Ark is somehow filled with the divine power to melt Nazis' faces, and it also figures pretty centrally into Judeo-Christian mythology. And yet, if you look closely, you'll learn that the Ark wasn't given to Moses first, but rather, a pair of Twi'leks from the Star Wars universe.

Here's the ark in Raiders: an ornate golden box, with a relief set into the side, and winged bird-people-guys on top.

Lucasfilm



"Hey, shouldn't this weigh like five thousand pounds?"

Now, here is a still from the cartoon series, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, wherein two Twi'leks are loading what is clearly the Ark of the Covenant into a spaceship. The ornate golden body, the two eagle-men on top. It's 100 percent the Ark.

Lucasfilm



And still not a single safety latch on the goddamn lid.

In addition, we know that characters from the Star Wars universe came to Earth in humanity's ancient past, because of the literal writing on the literal wall:

Lucasfilm
Cloud News

Microsoft Partners Expect More Emphasis On The Channel Following Round Of Layoffs

Kyle Alspach

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As Microsoft confirmed Thursday that a new round of job cuts has begun, solution providers said the moves appear aimed at making the company more partner-centric, amid a push to increase sales of cloud and other fast-growing products.

The layoffs are part of the company's efforts "to better serve our customers and partners," a Microsoft spokesperson said in a statement to CRN.

"Microsoft is reducing the size of its direct sales force, particularly in SMB, pushing more to partners or self-service," said Allen Falcon, CEO of Westborough, Mass.-based Cumulus Global.

[Related: Partners: Microsoft Reorganization Will Sharpen Focus On Industry Solutions And Hot Technologies]

The layoffs are part of a broader reorganization of Microsoft's sales and marketing teams, initially disclosed by the company this week in a memo to staff.

At Washington D.C.-based New Signature, CEO Jeff Tench called the moves by Microsoft "a continuation of their shift in investment to be more focused on vertical solutions and cloud technologies, while realigning to better meet the needs of their customers and partners."

Altogether, the changes are "positive for the future growth of Microsoft and New Signature's business," Tench said.

In February, Microsoft rolled out its One Commercial Partner business to combine its ISV, Enterprise Partner and Worldwide Partner Group teams, as well as a new unit, Microsoft Digital, to incentivize partners to sell its cloud services.

A Microsoft spokesperson said in the statement Thursday that "we are taking steps to notify some employees that their jobs are under consideration or that their positions will be eliminated."

Microsoft declined to comment on the number of layoffs that are under way or offer other specifics. CNBC reported that Microsoft is eliminating up to 3,000 jobs as part of this round of cuts. Redmond, Wash.-based Microsoft employed 121,000 globally as of the end of March.

As part of the broader reorganization, Microsoft's sales groups will be divided into two categories  enterprise and small/medium/corporate  while sales teams also will be organized by industry focus and by product category.

Industries covered are manufacturing, retail, education, financial services, government and health. The sales groups will be organized based on which product category they focus on  apps/infrastructure, data/artificial intelligence, business applications and modern workplace.

Tench, of New Signature, said his firm is "very encouraged by Microsoft's series of partner motions  'code with,' 'build with,' 'grow with,' and 'sell with'  which emphasizes the partnership needed to drive digital transformation for our joint customers."

"At New Signature, we have designed our business to deliver on each these motions while unlocking the full power of the Microsoft cloud for customers across different verticals. We view the changes Microsoft is making as a positive indication that they are fully committed to growing their cloud business and partner ecosystem," Tench said.

The reorganization follows strong cloud sales growth during Microsoft's fiscal third quarter, ended March 31. Azure revenue rose 93 percent, while Office 365 revenue grew 45 percent and Dynamics 365 revenue surged 81 percent.

Ric Opal, senior director at Oak Brook, Ill.-based SWC Technology Partners, said he believes that "partners who are committed to Microsoft are going to be provided with an opportunity to sell with them in a more intimate way than ever before."

"As a Microsoft partner, the goal of these changes is to reduce friction, in order to provide an easier way for partners to transact with Microsoftas well as a much better experience for customers," Opal said.

The layoffs, which had been widely rumored over the past week, were little surprise to Microsoft partners on Thursday.

"In this new partner self-serve environment, this seems a natural progression," said Michael Goldstein, CEO of Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-based LAN Infotech. "We hope that this will give increased focus in new development areas."

The layoffs are the latest round of cuts at Microsoft in recent years. The company announced layoffs of 2,850 last year, a large percentage of which came from its sales group, and 1,850 from its smartphone business. In 2015, the company cut 7,500 jobs after its Nokia acquisition.
Networking News

Verizon Channel Chief Schijns Out As Carrier Announces Leadership Changes

Gina Narcisi

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Verizon Executive Vice President of Solutions and Sales Channels Janet Schijns, a 25-year channel veteran, is leaving the company and will be succeeded by the telecom giant's current managing director of Verizon Business Markets, Joe Chuisano, CRN has learned.

A spokesperson for Verizon confirmed that Schijns, a seven-year Verizon channel veteran who has headed up the program for the past two years, is exploring an opportunity outside the company. Schijn's last day will be July 14.

Schijns, a passionate channel advocate and proponent of women in the channel, has been the top Verizon channel executive since May 2016 when she replaced former Verizon channel chief Adam Famularo, who is now CEO of data modeling software provider Erwin.

Chuisano, a 23-year Verizon veteran and one of Schijns' seasoned lieutenants, is now the North America Verizon Business Markets channel chief reporting to Martin Burvill, senior vice president and group president of Verizon Business Markets. In his new role, Chuisano will lead the indirect channel across Verizon Business Markets.

In his CRN 2016 Channel Chief profile, Chuisano said his top goals were increasing the overall percentage of revenue through the channel, launching and revamping the Verizon channel program and increasing the amount of net new accounts through partners.

As part of the reshuffling, Jake Heinz, the former senior vice president of marketing and product for XO Communications, has been named chief marketing officer for Verizon Business Markets. Heinz, along with Lori Bonenfant, director of channel marketing,will lead the integration of the Verizon Partner Program, Mass Markets, and XO Channel programs that will collectively launch as the "One Program" in 2018, according to Verizon.

Despite the organizational changes, Basking Ridge, N.J.-based Verizon said there is no change to its current channel strategy and growth plans that the carrier has in place for its One Program.
Security News

Exclusive Group Acquires $230M Fine Tec To Break Into US Security Distribution Market

Sarah Kuranda

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Exclusive Group is breaking into the North American market, announcing on Thursday its acquisition of security value-added distributor Fine Tec.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but the company said the acquisition brings its combined full year anticipated sales to more than $2 billion. Fine Tec's annual revenues are $230 million.

The acquisition also brings the Exclusive Group, which is a value-added services and technology group focusing on security, to the full global market. The company previously only had a presence in Europe, the Middle East, and APAC.

[Related: Symantec To Acquire Fireglass, Adds New Threat Isolation Capabilities To Security Platform]

"This acquisition now gives us a near-complete global footprint," Chief Operating Officer Barrie Desmond said.

Desmond said Exclusive Group has been looking to expand into the North American market for a few years. He said Fine Tec was the right fit for the company's expansion into the market because it had a similar value-based model, some vendor crossover, and was on a similar growth trajectory. Fine Tec specializes in the value-added distribution of network security, data integrity, and storage.

Fine Tec President and CEO James Shen said the acquisition would allow Fine Tec to take its "value over volume" philosophy global. He said the acquisition would allow Fine Tec to continue on its growth trajectory of more than 30 percent sales growth year over year for the past 10 years.

"Staying local is very hard - we were always looking for ways to go global  That's where this match is coming from," Shen said. "I'm very happy to start the next chapter of our journey."

"I think we will do tremendously much better than when we stood alone," he said. "As they say, you can run fast by yourself, but you can't go further. We can go much further now. We will keep our momentum."

The acquisition comes as many other security channel companies are seeing the value of scale and looking to take their business global. The Kudelski Group, a $1 billion global security solution provider, announced in January that it had acquired M&S Technologies to break into the US market. Optiv Security has said it also plans to make acquisitions to expand its global footprint, though it has not made any international acquisitions to date.

Desmond said having global scale is key to being successful in today's security market. He said the acquisition "fills the gap" for Fine Tec, allowing it to take global deals it previously had to bypass because it didnt have the reach. He said it would also give Exclusive Group significant reach for the first time into the US market.

"I think we can continue the growth we have seen in previous years Our vendors are looking for another choice. They respect and appreciate our model, which is slightly different than the rest," Desmond said. Shen said it would also give customers access to more vendor options.

Desmond said Exclusive Group plans to keep the entire Fine Tec team through the acquisition, including Shen. He said the company wants to keep Fine Tec's "entrepreneurial flair" and agility in the local markets. To preserve that, he said Exclusive Group only bought a majority share of 80 percent in Fine Tec, keeping the remainder with the company.

"We don't try to change anything. We build on what's there. That's at the core of our philosophy and our strategy," Desmond said. "We love the business here. It's got a great reputation, a great track record, great people, great leaders, and we're really excited to build on that and continue to invest." Shen said he is also glad to be joining the Exclusive Group team, saying he is in it "for the long haul."

Desmond said the first stage of bringing the two companies together would focus on leveraging the opportunities presented by a combined company, including deals that both companies had to bypass because of a lack of full global footprint. He said the second stage would be to look the both companies' vendor lineup and assess synergies in North America.
Chinese suspects arrive in Hunan Province from Cambodia on Thursday. [Photo/China Daily]

Cambodia deported 74 Chinese nationals suspected of involvement in telecom fraud, and they were taken to Hunan Province on Thursday afternoon, a senior Cambodian police official said.

"The Chinese police sent a plane to pick them up after we decided to deport them," said Major General Ouk Hai Seila, chief of the investigation and procedure department at the General Department of Immigration, in an interview with Xinhua.

The deportees, including 21 women, were arrested on Saturday by Cambodian authorities in simultaneous raids on 12 locations in the capital, Phnom Penh, and Kandal and Kampot provinces, he said, adding that they would face legal action in China.

The 74 were suspected of using internet phones from Cambodia to extort money from victims in China, he said, adding that a number of phones and laptops were seized.

Seila said the raids came at the request of the Chinese embassy.

Scammers often use overseas internet servers to make scam calls to their victims, claiming to be court or police officials. They typically tell their targets that their bank accounts have been breached, so they need to transfer the money to a separate safe account, which is provided to the victim.
Lately, ecommerce order and fulfillment seems dominated by Goliaths. In 2016, ecommerce giant Amazon set a new precedent -- delivering more than two billion items for other merchants, double the number from just one year before. It may seem like Amazon is going to gobble up all of ecommerce any day now, but as more vendors default to FBA, Fulfillment by Amazon, I see a golden opportunity to embrace smallness.

Youve heard it before -- your small businesss indie cred has market cache. It makes you personable, unique and accessible. It makes you desirable. And Im here to tell you that you can have all of that plus a speedy and accurate delivery system, just like the big guys. Indie cred with two-day delivery -- the David that slays Goliath.

Related: 5 Rules for Staying Ahead in the Ecommerce Race

Heres a story: A few weeks ago I ordered a shirt from one of my favorite clothing outlets, a boutique mens apparel company called Buffalo Jackson out of rural North Carolina. Now, Buffalo Jackson does a lot of things right. Its clothing is rugged and good-looking, rough-and-tumble chic. They have a mission statement that reads like a novel, about how the owner, who was raised a southern gentleman became disillusioned by mens fashion and decided to create apparel that hed be proud to wear; about how he marketed the company by word of mouth because he didnt have money for anything more than that. He ends with a call-to-action that invites you to be a part of the Buffalo Jackson family -- this, he writes, is our story of how we began. We sure would love to have you part of it.

Buffalo Jackson has indie cred to spare. And its appealing.

The companys mission statement coupled with a sleek and punchy website -- think black background with every model backlit by the sunset -- really brings home the personality of this small company. But this alone wouldnt keep me coming back. There are, after all, plenty of other small clothiers aiming for the same rugged aesthetic.

What does keep me coming back is how quickly I get my clothes in the mail. How theyve never screwed up an order. How if the clothes dont fit well, or I just plain dont like them, I can return them easily, and Ill be reimbursed quickly. No hassle. No delay. Just like the big boys.

Related: What Small Businesses Need to Do to Win in Online Retail

How does Buffalo Jackson do it? Theyre careful about who they choose as their order and fulfillment vendor. A good delivery vendor can get your product to the customer as fast or faster than Amazon, and as accurately. And if youre a small retailer trying to build your base, the story behind your product isnt enough on its own -- you need to back it up with flawless service.

Heres how to compete with the big guys in ecommerce:

Build your own platform.

Relying exclusively on an Amazon listing can limit your business significantly because of Amazons one-size-fits-all rules. To expand your reach, also consider selling on your own website. An independent site will allow you to build brand equity, create an email list of customers and pursue lucrative B2B bulk sales. Plus, you can design your product page with the perfect aesthetic to compliment your unique company.

Expand your reach.

A lot of Etsy sellers ship from small warehouses or even their home-based workshops. Problem is, that means theres inevitably a part of the country thats difficult to reach and therefore more expensive. Shipping globally? Expect a long delivery time and a hefty fee. Consider partnering with an order and fulfillment vendor to guarantee quick delivery anywhere in the country at a reasonable price -- theyll likely have reasonably priced global options, too.

Add custom inserts, holiday coupons or other unique gifts.

My recent Buffalo Jackson order came with a note inside the package -- the Teddy Roosevelt ode to determination Man in the Arena nicely printed on a piece of heavy stock paper. This is the kind of personal touch that can set your indie business apart from corporate giants.

Related: The Small Business Owner's Guide to Choosing the Right Ecommerce Platform

Invest in customer service.

Strong customer service is crucial, and innovations in order and fulfillment technology can help. You want a vendor that can integrate with your ecommerce platform so that you can keep tabs on an order wherever it is in the chain -- one that makes it easy for you to respond quickly to complaints, refund requests and other issues. Smart warehouse technology gives you the quick and accurate insight into your order and fulfillment process that you need to stay competitive, so make sure your vendor has that 21st century tech-savvy.

A good symptom of the rise of FBA is the concurrent rise of other players in the order and fulfillment arena. Thats why its a great time to resist the urge to join the herd, and instead find a vendor that is better equipped to help you maintain your indie uniqueness without sacrificing razor-sharp order and delivery services.

Related:

Here's How Small Businesses Beat the Ecommerce Big Guys

Todo lo que debes saber de las ofertas del Amazon Prime Day

3 Things You Should Consider Before Listing Your Products on Amazon



Copyright 2017 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved



This article originally appeared on entrepreneur.com


Cuba strongly rejects European Parliament Resolution

Submitted by: Juana

Europe

Havana

07 / 07 / 2017



The Cuban Peoples Power Assembly issued an statement strongly rejecting a Resolution on Cuba approved by the European Parliament this July 5 in Strasburg, France.

We now reproduce the full text on the Declaration:

Declaration of the Commission on International Relations of the National Peoples Power Assembly in response to the Resolution on Cuba adopted by the European Parliament on July 5, 2017.

The Commission on International Relations of the National Peoples Power Assembly strongly rejects the unacceptable Resolution on Cuba that has just been adopted by the European Parliament, for it runs counter to the principles of respect, equality and reciprocity contained in the Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement that was signed in Brussels on December 12, 2016, by Cuba, the European Union and its member States.

Using as a pretext its consent to the provisional implementation of said Agreement, the European Parliament issued a statement that distorts our reality, suggests recipes that Cuba does not need, interferes in the internal affairs of States and raises arguments that are extremely harmful to the sovereignty of the Cuban people.

The Resolution adopted by the European Parliament stands in contrast to the positive development of Cubas relations with the European Commission, the European External Action Service and the member States of that community bloc.

Some Euro deputies, with an extensive anti-Cuban record, who are opposed to the advancement of relations between Cuba and the European Union, promoted the adoption of that Resolution, which is unnecessary, inopportune and has a remarkable colonialist content, through which they intend to lecture on democracy and human rights, ignoring that the unilateral, discriminatory and selective policies that characterized the European Union position towards Cuba in the past have been superseded.

Even though the non-legislative Resolution of the Euro Chamber makes a timid reference to extraterritorial laws and measures, it fails to mention the Helms-Burton Act or the economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed by the United States against Cuba, which is contrary to international law and violates the human rights of the Cuban people. Curiously enough, the Resolution is silent on the tightening of the blockade and the travel ban that prevents US citizens from traveling to Cuba. Instead, it seems to be anchored in the rhetoric used by President Donald Trump to announce measures aimed at pleasing the aged anti-Cuban ultra-right and terrorist minority that accompanied him when he made such announcements in Miami.

The European Parliament should rather take care of the profound and increasing deterioration of the confidence of European citizens in the institutions of that community, which is evidenced by the very low turnout observed in political and electoral processes; the increase of xenophobia and segregationist practices against minorities in the territory of the Union; as well as the lack of solidarity and a sense of historical responsibility when handling the waves of refugees who come from Africa and the Middle East, which have continued to take a toll on human lives.

The Euro Chamber should likewise take care of the galloping corruption among European political sectors; the increasing deterioration of social security systems, particularly those associated to health; the prevalence of high unemployment rates, especially among young people; and the little progress achieved in Europe in terms of gender equality.

We dont recognize the European Parliament as being entitled in any way to address issues that are of the exclusive competence of the Cuban people, which continue to build its socialist, democratic, sovereign and independent future.

Commission on International Relations

National Peoples Power Assembly

Havana, July 5, 2017
 Flash

Chinese President Xi Jinping said Thursday that China and Singapore shall grasp the bilateral relations with strategic insight and vision, and keep mutual understanding and support on issues of each other's core interests and major concerns.

Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) meets with Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in Hamburg, Germany, July 6, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]

Xi made the remarks while meeting with Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

Xi noted that the China-Singapore traditional friendship, promoted by mutual learning and cooperation, has reaped rich fruits.

China highly values its relations with Singapore, and is ready to work with the Southeast Asian country to enhance bilateral partnership step by step, said the Chinese leader.

He encouraged the two sides to put new thinking into their cooperation, and tap cooperative potentials under the Belt and Road Initiative on such fronts as infrastructure construction, trade and investment, and financial collaboration.

Xi urged the two nations to facilitate the major inter-governmental projects, and expand the cooperation in new-tech areas like the Internet and information communication.

Efforts shall also be made to increase people-to-people exchanges, and boost coordination on global governance under multilateral frameworks like the United Nations, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation and the Group of 20, he said.

Xi also pointed out that China will stand with Singapore, which is to take over the presidency of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 2018, to promote regional integration and a closer China-ASEAN community of shared future.

For his part, Lee said it is very important to deepen his nation's cooperation with China faced with the current complicated international situation.

Singapore is willing to continue its support for and participation in the Belt and Road construction, carry out major inter-governmental projects, and expand its cooperation with China in finance, high-speed railways and free trade area, he added.
 Flash

At least 28 people were killed in a prison riot on Thursday between suspected members of rival gangs in a prison in southern Mexican state of Guerrero, according to local authorities.

Police officers arrive at a prison after a clash among inmates in Acapulco, Mexico, on July 6, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]

The state government updated the death toll from original five to 28 as police searched the prison. Three other prisoners were lightly injured.

At a press conference, Guerrero's security spokesperson, Roberto Alvarez Heredia, said that the fight began around 4 a.m. in Las Cruces prison in Acapulco. The fighting took place within block 1, block 3 and in the yard.

No information has been given so far on the identity of the deceased but Heredia said the families would be notified first. He stated that the violence had been contained after the police took control of the prison and no detainees had escaped.

Heredia explained that "the incident began due to the permanent struggle of rival groups inside the prison."

Guerrero governor Hector Astudillo Flores has given an order to "get to the bottom of the events and to bring the full force of the law to bear on those responsible."

Heredia added that "the investigation will include all the public servants within the prison system."

This prison is the most crowded in Guerrero, with 2,100 prisoners, according to Mexican government statistics.
Pa. Dems could flip the House of Reps. Here's what that might mean
We may never know precisely how many people perished in the gruesome Grenfell Tower fire tragedy. The latest official figure is at least 80, but officials admit that the death toll could be higher.

The main reason that we will almost certainly fail to reach a definitive total is because nobody seems to have the faintest idea how many people were actually living there.

Originally, we were told the building contained 120 one and two-bedroomed flats, occupied by as many as 600 tenants. That was later revised to 129 flats, but without any exact number of residents.

The latest official figure of the people who perished in Grenfell Tower is at least 80, but officials admit that the death toll could be higher

Police now say they have established who was in 106 of the flats on the night of the fire, either living there full-time or visiting. But that still leaves 23 premises unaccounted for.

On a rough estimate of five occupants per apartment, that could be as many as another 100 people missing.

This column is not in the habit of giving any credence to politically-motivated Left-wing conspiracy theorists, but there does appear to be some firm evidence to support those who claim that the death toll is considerably higher than the authorities are prepared to admit.

Either those who are unaccounted for are presumed dead, but not yet included in the total number of deceased, or they have vanished into the community because they are worried about their immigration status.

Thats why the Government has announced a temporary amnesty for all survivors living in Britain illegally. It is the only humane course of action. Those who were fortunate to escape this awful catastrophe have been through enough trauma already without having to worry about being arrested and deported if they come forward.

Difficult questions will have to be addressed in time, however. And not just about attributing blame for the fire. What happened at Grenfell Tower isnt simply about safety, it goes to the very heart of successive governments policies on immigration and social housing.

Ten per cent of those who died are said to be of Moroccan heritage. A further eight per cent were Ethiopian. To describe the residents of this block as a community is a stretch. Grenfell Tower was a veritable Disunited Nations.

The days when most Londoners knew their neighbours are long gone. Today, the population is drawn from all over the globe, a significant proportion of them probably here illegally.

Forgive me for repeating the story of how a former Met Police commissioner told me 15 years ago that there were at least 250,000 people in London that the authorities knew nothing about.

Goodness knows what that figure is today, but those responsible for finding out seem not to have the slightest interest.

We were told the building contained 120 one and two-bedroomed flats, occupied by as many as 600 tenants. That was later revised to 129 flats, but without any exact number of residents

The difficulty in establishing the identities of all those who lived in Grenfell Tower throws this neglect into stark relief.

The usual suspects will no doubt try to shut down this discussion by howling RAY-CIST! and accusing anyone who even raises such awkward questions of victim blaming.

But that would be deliberately to miss the point. This isnt about any individual, or racial minority. As Ive written often enough, I dont criticise anybody who wants to come to Britain to make a better life for themselves and their families  although I cant imagine that ending up in an overcrowded flat on the 99th floor of a tower block overlooking a fume-spewing urban motorway is anyones idea of heaven on earth.

We are, however, entitled to expect that those we entrust with running our nations affairs can be bothered to ensure that everyone who settles in Britain does so legally. And that they are not content to shove those who do slip through the net into substandard accommodation and forget about them.

Grenfell Tower represents all that is wrong with our social housing stock in microcosm, not just in London but throughout Britain.

Council estates were built to provide homes for local people. That original purpose has been abandoned, as politics has come into play from both sides of the ideological divide.

The Tories sold off the more desirable council houses, part of a hugely popular programme to create a nation of homeowners. But much of what was left became a dumping ground for problem families and recent immigrants.

In the case of Grenfell Tower, the authorities now freely concede that some of the flats were being sub-let, against the terms of the legal tenants lease agreement

Complex points systems evolved, which gave new arrivals priority. In some London boroughs, the waiting list for a council flat is now anything up to 50 years, yet people from overseas seem to have no difficulty getting one.

For instance, after Grenfell Tower, other councils began evacuating blocks with similar flammable cladding. In Camden, North London, TV pictures showed tenants from every conceivable ethnic background being ushered towards a nearby community centre, with the usual complement of women in Islamic headgear.

What struck me, though, were two white interviewees: an American woman and an Australian man. They were no older than 30 and neither appeared to be destitute or unemployed.

Im assuming they are both here legally. And, no, they werent living together in the same flat.

I couldnt help wondering: how on earth did they manage to get the keys to a Camden council tower block? Especially when those who grew up in the immediate vicinity are told they havent got a cat-in-hells chance of qualifying for a council house before they reach retirement age.

To whom are they paying rent? To the council, to a housing association, or to a private landlord? This is where it all starts getting a bit murky. Many former council flats were sold under the Tories right-to-buy scheme and the owners are free to do with them as they wish. Others have now been passed on to housing associations.

In the case of Grenfell Tower, the authorities now freely concede that some of the flats were being sub-let, against the terms of the legal tenants lease agreement.

Shouldnt they have known that already? Isnt that their job?

Why did it take a disaster and the loss of at least 80 lives for them to find out?

Still, the only surprise is that anyones surprised. The administration of what was once exclusively council accommodation is increasingly confused.

No one seems to know what the hells going on when it comes to social housing.

Go to pretty much any estate in London and you will find plenty of occupants whose names arent on the rent book. Rogue landlords prey on those desperate for a roof over their heads, especially recent arrivals with little if any command of English. Is it any wonder that those living here without proper immigration status keep themselves to themselves? Many of them are working in the black economy and wisely avoid all contact with officialdom.

My assumption is that the picture is the same in most, if not all, of our large cities. Its what happens when you keep importing hundreds of thousands of people every year without considering where theyre going to live.

The Grenfell Tower tragedy has thrown up all manner of difficult questions which urgently demand answers. Yet all we get is puerile political point-scoring about Tory cuts, insane accusations of murder, and ridiculous squabbling over whether a middle-aged white judge is the right person to chair an official inquiry.

What we do know already, without any need for an inquiry, is that those charged with running our immigration system and ensuring that they know who is actually living in so-called social housing are guilty at the very least of gross dereliction of duty.

A few heads will roll, a report will be published, fingers will be pointed, lessons will be learned, but the fundamental, underlying problems will never properly be addressed.

Sadly, too, we will never know definitively how many died, who they all were, where they came from or why they had to end up perishing in a towering inferno in West London.
A beauty writer who took a leap of faith by launching her own skincare brand when she saw a gap in the market has turned her brainchild into a 100m business - and scored Kylie Jenner as one of her biggest fans.

Maria Hatzistefanis, 46, from London, is the founder and president of beauty giants Rodial and Nip + Fab and has shared tales of her tumultuous trajectory in an insightful new autobiography.

In her tome, she reveals how she failed to secure investment when she first launched her business, and shares behind-the-scenes anecdotes - including how she ran around a shopping centre to find a nude coloured bra for Kylie Jenner with just minutes to spare before a photocall.

Maria Hatzistefanis, 46, from London, left behind her job in beauty journalism to create two skincare brands, Rodial and Nip + Fab. Despite originally being refused investment, her business is now worth 100m; she has penned a new book charting her rise to riches

Maria started her business in 1999 after noticing there was a gap in the market for targeted skincare when she was working as a beauty writer for Seventeen Magazine.

Armed with the beauty and business knowledge she had garnered, Maria took a risk by leaving her job to establish her own fashion-forward skincare brands - and her precarious decision quite literally paid off.

'Rodial was all about targeted treatments to specific skin concerns, there was nothing like it on the market and I was really excited to launch something new and fresh,' she told FEMAIL of her brainchild. 'I wanted to create a range that filled a gap in the market for hi-tech, fast acting and effective skincare with a bold, fun and fashionable edge.'

Fast forward nearly 20 years and Maria now runs not one, but two, skincare brands - Rodial and Nip + Fab, the newer of the two companies, which is aimed at a slightly younger, more budget-conscious crowd.

Today, her business is worth an impressive 100 million, and her dedicated celebrity following includes the likes of Kylie Jenner, Jourdan Dunn, Ellie Goulding and Elle Macpherson.

But it wasn't all smooth sailing for Maria, who admits that she wasn't able to secure investment when she first started the business.

Maria enlisted Kylie Jenner, right, as one of her ambassadors and shares anecdotes in her book about running around a shopping centre to find a nude coloured bra for Kylie a few minutes before a photocall

Maria runs not one, but two, of the industry's most popular skincare brands with countless celebrity fans despite originally struggling to secure investment

Maria believes that like herself and Kylie, women can start their own successful business - it just requires a lot of self belief and determination

Maria Hatzistefanis is pictured launching her first book at Space NK

The fledgling entrepreneur and her husband put their savings together and she single-handedly managed all aspects of the start-up, from going to factories and overseeing production to selling the products on the sales floor.

FROM BEAUTY WRITER TO BUSINESS MOGUL Maria Hatzistefanis started her career as a beauty writer before moving to New York where she received an MBA from Columbia Business School. Founded skincare company Rodial in 1999 Maria now runs two brands  Rodial and Nip + Fab  with products selling through 20,000 doors across 35 countries worldwide. Penned How to be an Overnight Success in 2017 Advertisement

Discussing the initial struggles she encountered, Maria explained: 'At the beginning it was really tough to get the business off the ground without external funding. This was a blessing in disguise in the long run as it kept the company lean and made it profitable very quickly.

'Rodial is still private, which enables me to make the right decisions for the business without any interference from investors and their own agendas.'

She also admits her own shortcomings, explaining: 'I like to see the results of my work as quickly as possible, I am very impatient. The biggest hurdle was putting all this work for both my brands and not seeing any significant results the first couple of years.

'I would question myself if I was doing the right thing and got frustrated if my products weren't getting into the stores I wanted. It's a long-term game though and though I am still very impatient, I have learned to let go a little and be more zen about it.'

Her business is worth an impressive 100 million and her dedicated celebrity following includes the likes of Kylie Jenner, Jourdan Dunn, Ellie Goulding and Elle Macpherson

Maria launched her first book with a live Q&A with Vogue's Nicola Moulton at Space NK, Hans Crescent

Clearly Maria was doing something right and it was worth the wait; her quirky products have caught the attention of A-listers, despite their seemingly terrifying concepts.

'The names of our products - Dragon's Blood and Snake Serum - can be controversial,' she admits. 'But they all have meaning and function. Dragon's Blood is actually the name of a sap found in a tree in the Amazon which has amazing protective qualities, so I named the product after the ingredient.

'Some people may see this as a gamble, however Dragon's Blood is now the best-selling product in the range, which proves it works to take risks.'

The quirky ranges caught the attention of Kylie Jenner, who came across them at a photo shoot over a year ago and Instagrammed the product to her millions of followers.

MARIA'S ADVICE TO FLEDGLING FEMALE ENTREPRENEURS Believe in yourself. When you start a business, a lot of people will question you. You need to stick with positive people who encourage you and want you to succeed. In this day and age we have so many examples of successful women in their careers or their own businesses, don't let anyone bring you down. Find role models and inspiring stories to keep you motivated. Make sure you do your research and that your business idea is different to everything else that is out there in the market. You need to be different and have a point of view that no-one else has. A lot of people will want to give you advice and tell you how to best combine work and family but at the end of the day you need to do what you feel is right for your situation and what works for you and your family. There is no secret formula to balancing work/family, there are times that work takes over and times that family takes over. Things are never perfect, the key is to prioritise and do what feels right to you. One thing that I had to sacrifice is social life because between family and work, there is no time for anything else. Advertisement

'The relationship grew organically from then and we have worked together since in London and LA,' explains Maria.

'Kylie is great, she's a real business woman, incredibly professional and a beauty icon for her generation. We share a love of shoes and always have the best time when we work together; we make it fun.'

Maria believes that like herself and Kylie, women can start their own successful business - it just requires a lot of self belief and determination.

Maria cites her biggest career coup as launching NIP+FAB makeup a few months ago, which she says has been an 'amazing experience'.

'I have been working on this range for two years and we recently launched it with Mario Dedivanovic, Kim Kardashian's makeup artist.

'The products have been flying off the shelves at Superdrug. This new category was a big risk for the business and I am so happy that it's paid off and that our customers have been so supportive.'

As well as running her global beauty brand, Maria is focusing on promoting her new book, How To Become An Overnight Success.

Discussing her decision to share her story, she said: 'Over the last few years I have been speaking at conferences about being an entrepreneur and what it takes to start and grow a business.

'I got to meet some amazing people who following my speech decided to leave their jobs and start their own business or change careers and they would always ask me if I would write a book.

'At work, we had some insane and unbelievable moments over the years and my team would always say 'this should go in a book'. And at the end I just had to go for it!

'Highlights of the book include the drama of running around the Westfield shopping centre to find a nude coloured bra for Kylie Jenner a few minutes before our NIP+FAB photo call with 100 photographers about to leave if we didnt show up on time/

'Another tale involves me and my team going into meltdown when Kate Moss was a no-show as the Woman of The Year at the 4th Rodial Beautiful Awards. Both were saved at the end but you have to read the book for the full story!'

As well as running her business, Maria wakes up every day at 5:30am to do a yoga or spinning class followed by breakfast with her husband and two sons before heading to the office. She also attends glittering showbiz events with her famous friends including Daisy Lowe, left, and Elle Macpherson, right
We all keep the odd secret from our partner, whether that's hiding a receipt after a shopping spree, or fibbing about past relationships.

However, these shocking confessions will make you wonder exactly what your significant other might be keeping from you.

In a new thread on Reddit people have revealed the things they discovered about their partner years into a relationship.

In a new thread on Reddit couples have revealed the shocking things that they learned about their other halves years into the relationship

User jennybg took to the site to ask: 'Couples of Reddit...What shocking thing did you learned or discover from your SO after years of been together?'

It wasn't long before couples came forward with their shock discoveries with the thread attracting hundreds of comments.

The stories ranged from endearing anecdotes to earth shattering secrets that saw the relationship come to an end.

In one admission a man revealed that five years into his relationship he discovered that his girlfriend was never single.

Another similar story came from a man who discovered that his partner never had an interest in their relationship.

Other discoveries came from those who found out eye-opening facts about their other halves.

One woman was shocked to discover that her partner of seven years was Mexican, having never been aware of his heritage.

Another woman had to break the news to her partner that he was circumcised, though he still struggles to believe that is the case.

A man was shocked to learn that who he believed to be his partner's biological father was in fact her stepdad.

Learning that his partner was transgender was admittedly not a huge surprise to this boyfriend.

Another Redditor revealed that it was their partner who had learned something shocking about their previous career.

In a more distressing confession a woman revealed that she had discovered her husband's criminal activity which has lead them to a divorce.

While many of the stories proved hugely shocking others were more light-hearted with partners' habits coming as a shock.

In one endearing admission a woman revealed that she had discovered her husband had never liked their annual anniversary dinner, but had faked it to please her.
A mother has revealed the harrowing moment she called her husband to say goodbye after she suffered a heart attack the day before she was due to give birth.

Leanne French, from Victoria, defied the odds to fall pregnant after she was diagnosed with cervical cancer just a day before her 40th birthday.

But the day before her scheduled caesarean - on 21 May this year - the mother-to-be felt a burning sensation in her chest and couldn't breathe.

Leanne French (pictured) has revealed the harrowing moment she called her husband to say goodbye after she suffered a heart attack the day before she was due to give birth

Doctors had just 30 seconds to deliver Ms French's baby girl (pictured) safely because her heart was tearing apart and she needed emergency surgery

'I went to my mum and said "I think I'm having a heart attack!" and was rushed to the hospital,' Ms French told Daily Mail Australia.

There, the 41-year-old, who is married to husband George, was left reeling when she was told doctors had just 30 seconds to deliver her baby safely because her heart was tearing apart and she needed emergency surgery.

'When we got there I was with my mum and I rang George crying and pretty much said goodbye. I don't remember that but he does,' Ms French said.

'I told him that they're going to get the baby but I wouldn't make it and the doctors couldn't make any promises that I would get through this.'

It's a conversation that her husband will never forget.

'There was two phone calls and the second one was as she was literally going in [to surgery] ... I spoke to her, she was crying ... it was a goodbye conversation,' George told the Herald Sun.

'I told him that they're going to get the baby but I wouldn't make it and the doctors couldn't make any promises that I would get through this,' Ms French said

The birth needed to be performed quickly, so that Ms French's baby would not be affected by the anaesthetic she needed for the emergency surgery.

Following the birth of baby Alya, Ms French was placed into an induced coma.

But she had two seizures, which left her left side paralysed and she was told she would be in rehab for two or three months.

'I couldn't move my fingers and toes I was told, I was in an induced coma at the time and after that they said I wouldn't be able to move my left side,' she said.

'But then within a few days I did start moving but I was in and out of consciousness and had no idea what was going on,' she went on.

'No one was telling me anything either because they didn't want to stress me out or get me distressed from everything that was happening.

'There was two phone calls and the second one was as she was literally going in [to surgery] ... I spoke to her, she was crying ... it was a goodbye conversation,' George said

'I've never experienced anything like the hallucinations that I did, I thought nurses were trying to kill me and everything was in slow motion, which made the recovery harder,' she went on.

Ms French declined a hysterectomy so she could try for a baby with her husband

The journey to motherhood was not an easy one for Ms French, who in the space of the year also face a fight against cervical cancer and multiple seizures.

'I used to go home from oncology appointments crying. In my heart I wanted to be a mother but I was also being told I was going to die,' she told Daily Mail Australia.

'At the start when I was diagnosed with cancer the doctor said to me "what you're going to end up with is a baby with a dead mother if you go ahead and get pregnant".'

'We decided we wanted to spend the rest of our lives together and he would be such a brilliant dad and we would make such a great family so we thought, let's just do it,' Ms French said

Although she had treatment to remove the cancer, she was recommended to have a hysterectomy in order to minimise the chance of it returning.

She and her husband of 11-months pleaded for a six-month delay so they could try and fall pregnant.

'We decided we wanted to spend the rest of our lives together and he would be such a brilliant dad and we would make such a great family so we thought, let's just do it,' Ms French said.

Ms French is not out of the woods but is taking things day by day. 'I've still got heart monitoring to go and cancer tests to do,' she said.

'I would love to have another child but I couldn't possibly risk it, especially now that I'm a mother,' Ms French said

The couple saw a few doctors who said that because of the cancer the chances of her falling pregnant were slim to none.

Now the new mum is taking every day as it comes

Roughly two months later and without even trying Ms French found out that she was pregnant.

She had no morning sickness, was barely showing any signs and didn't put on any weight, but the heart attack the day before she was due changed everything.

Now the new mum is taking every day as it comes.

'Nobody is saying I'm out of the woods, I've still got heart monitoring to go and cancer tests to do,' she said.

'But just to get through that is a blessing, especially with the family being told I wouldn't get through it.

'I would love to have another child but I couldn't possibly risk it, especially now that I'm a mother.'

Anyone who would like to help Leanne and George with their medical bills can donate to Westpac account 779671, BSB 733341.
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The hunt is on again. Each week for the next three weeks one lucky reader will win 25,000 in gold bars in the brilliant Daily Mail Great British Treasure Hunt game, which began last week.

All you have to do is solve a series of simple clues or riddles, the answers to which are linked to Britains glorious heritage.

And, best of all, you can do it from the comfort of your armchair, as the clues are printed each day in the Daily Mail.

Scroll down for puzzle

It's the second week of your chance to win 25,000 worth of gold bars by solving a tricky new riddle

This second weeks hunt begins over the page with a clue hidden in an artwork of a traditional British scene. A series of riddles celebrating our heritage will be printed from Monday to Friday in the paper.

Crack each riddle and write the answers in the grid provided in the paper. Once youve solved the last clue on Friday, the first letters of each of the six answers will give you an anagram of a British town or city.

If you think youve worked out the correct solution, then call, text or email and leave your answer and your personal details.

To be eligible to win, you must have kept four Daily Mail front pages from Saturday 8 July to Friday 14 July. One winner will be drawn at random, and if its you well call you between noon and 2pm on the Saturday.

Spot the clues to a historic site and you could win 25,000

This dazzling re-creation of a summers day at Brixham in Devon launches the second of our four Great British treasure hunts.

Hidden within it is the first of six clues that will ultimately reveal the answer to this weeks hunt that could win you a treasure trove containing 25,000 in gold bars. The Golden Hind sits at anchor while holidaymakers take to the water in boats, enjoy fish and chips or simply soak up the sun.

Today we ask you to decipher the clues (listed in box below) in this re-creation of a summers day at Brixham in Devon

But look closely and see if you can spot three visual clues that, phonetically, make up the name of a British tourist attraction. Study the picture and the riddle below to find the answer... Once you think youve got it, write the answer down in the space provided.

DECIPHER THESE CLUES To the colour of the pirates beard that the wind blows. Add the enclosure where children cool their toes. On the end put the place where the bells do peal. To find a seaside attraction built of iron and steel. Advertisement

Then, starting on Monday and all next week in the Daily Mail, well print five more riddles, the answers to which are steeped in Britains heritage.

They could be landmarks, market towns, cities or rivers. Write each answer in the grid provided in the paper next week and when youve got all six on Friday, unscramble the initial letters of each answer to spell out the name of a six-letter British town.

Call the hotlines when they open on Friday and leave your answer and your personal details  if youve won, well call you between 12 noon and 2pm on Saturday 15 July. To be eligible to win, you must have retained four Daily Mail front pages between Saturday 8 July and Friday 14 July. Happy hunting! the great british treasure hunt

Entrants to this competition must be UK residents (excluding NI) aged 18+. Terms and conditions apply, please see the main newspaper today or visit dailymail.co.uk/treasure
We ask a celebrity a set of devilishly probing questions  and only accept THE definitive answer. This week its broadcaster Mariella Frostrups turn

Broadcaster Mariella Frostrup is in this week's hot seat for the definite article

The prized possession you value above all others... My childrens drawings. I intended to just save a few, but now Mollys 12 and Dans 11 I have folders full of them. Theres so much personality in every picture that it seems a crime to throw any away.

The biggest regret you wish you could amend... Im not a regretful person, but I wish Id gone to university. Its such a great opportunity to make friends and develop your knowledge.

The temptation you wish you could resist... Brown soda bread with half an inch of butter and a wedge of Cheddar. Must be my Irish childhood.

The book that holds an everlasting resonance... The Owl And The Pussycat by Edward Lear. My parents read it to me and then I read it to my children. It feels as if that story is tethering my life across time.

The pet hate that makes your hackles rise... People being flaky or late, both of which suggest a disregard for other peoples time.

The priority activity if you were the Invisible Woman for a day... I would eavesdrop on my children and find out all the secrets they keep from me.

The person who has influenced you most... I couldnt choose between my parents, Peter and Joan. I had a tough childhood because they separated when I was eight and my father died from a heart attack when I was 15. But despite all that they laid solid foundations for my life, giving me courage and confidence.

Mariella describes The Return Of The Pink Panther with Peter Sellers as a classic

The film you can watch time and time again... The Return Of The Pink Panther with Peter Sellers from 1975 is a classic. Laughter is so important in life and Sellers cracks me up.

The unending quest that drives you on... Having new experiences. The world is amazing and I have a billion things to try before I die.

The figure from history for whom youd most like to buy a pie and a pint... Elizabeth I was truly extraordinary. Id ask her what she thought of her dad.

The unlikely interest that engages your curiosity... I collect Tupperware and get very angry when the lids are lost.

The piece of wisdom you would pass on to a child... Im a strict mum but Im not one for lecturing. I believe you learn your own lessons. My job is to set a good example.

The poem that touches your soul... Daddy by Sylvia Plath. She was eight when her father died and her poem echoes so much that I went through.

The misapprehension about yourself you wish you could erase... The sexy blonde label has stuck to me despite the fact that, at 54, Im old enough to be a young grandmother.

The song that means most to you... Have I Told You Lately by Van Morrison. It makes me think of all the people I love and gives me a happy lump in my throat.

The crime you would commit knowing you could get away with it... Id take over all the diamond mines in Africa and use the money to fund the education of girls across that continent.

The treasured item you lost and wish you could have again... My fathers pocket-sized book of 1,000 random words. I lost it four years ago when we moved from London to Somerset. Along with his small wooden chess set, it was the only thing of his that I had.

The unfulfilled ambition that continues to haunt you... To pass my motorbike test. Ill do it when Im 60 and the kids are long gone.

The way you would spend your fantasy 24 hours, with no travel restrictions... Id wake up with my husband Jason and the children at our riverside house in Somerset.

After breakfast Id go scuba diving at Kimbe Bay in Papua New Guinea, then fly to New York for shopping and lunch with girlfriends at a brasserie called Le Bilboquet.

Back to England for a walk with friends on the Cornish coastal path, then dinner with my brother at The Winding Stair in Dublin. Id end the day in the Norwegian mountains soaking in a traditional Scandinavian wooden hot tub under the stars with Jason.

The event that altered the course of your life and character... My fathers death aged just 44 gave me a sense of my own mortality and an urgency to live life to the full. My immediate response was to leave home when I was 16 so I could get on with living.

The happiest moment you will cherish forever... Passing my driving test when I was 18 gave me a fantastic sense of independence. I went straight off driving around France for two weeks.

The saddest time that shook your world... The artist Angus Fairhurst was a good friend and I was heartbroken when he committed suicide in 2008.

The philosophy that underpins your life... Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. You have to believe in goodness.

The order of service at your funeral... Im not religious but I would have a church service  just for a bit of insurance! Id have Three Little Birds by Bob Marley because it evokes the simple beauty of life, then everyone would sing Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen. To close, Id want the entire congregation to do a Zumba fitness dance to Hot Hot Hot by Buster Poindexter.

The way you want to be remembered... As a tall, slim genius. But sadly, thats never going to happen!

The Plug... Mariellas series Bringing Up Britain returns to BBC Radio 4 on Monday at 9am.
A fitness blogger who wasted away due to crippling depression is now celebrating her 35-pound weight gain, which she says has made her happier and more self-confidence than ever.

Tatiana, of Atlanta, Georgia, shared selfies of her transformation on Instagram last month. The teenager explained in a post last month how her mindset shifted through her weight gain, which came as she bounced back from a difficult period in her life.

Last year, Tatiana recounted, she 'lost herself' after going through a breakup, dealing with family issues, and trying to get used to a new school. She stopped feeding herself properly and began isolating herself while her weight dropped.

Self-confident: Fitness blogger Tatiana, who wasted away due to crippling depression, is now celebrating her 35-pound weight gain, which she says has made her happier than ever

'I was going through too many emotionally draining things at once and eventually I hit my breaking point and gave up on myself,' Tatiana, who goes by Haitianqveeen on Instagram, wrote in an honest post.

'I stopped caring about myself, everyone else around me, my education... everything. Instead I would just go days without eating and isolate myself in my room all day.'

For seven months, the teenager remained severely depressed. People started telling her she looked sick, but Tatiana didn't hit her breaking point until January, when she had to get weighed in PE.

She found out she was now 118 pounds17 pounds lower than her original weight.

'At that point I decided to get my s**t together and gain back twice the amount of weight that I lost,' Tatiana added.

Internal changes: Tatiana, of Atlanta, Georgia, reached her breaking point after dropping to 118 pounds (she is pictured left two pounds heavier) and resolved to gain some weight back

Difficult times: Last year, Tatiana recounted, she 'lost herself' after going through a breakup, dealing with family issues, and trying to get used to a new school

The teenager, who has since detailed her weight gain in a blog, started paying attention to her meals and made sure to consume enough calories every day.

She divided her intake into six meals and set a personal goal of 3,000 calories a day, amounting to 500 calories per meal.

Some of her favorite options while she was trying to gain weight were cheesy egg sandwiches, oatmeal, granola, and other sandwiches stuffed with tuna.

'It wasn't easy at first... it took a lot of discipline and CONSISTENCY,' the teenager wrote of her weight gain journey.

Method: After deciding to gain weight back, the teenager started paying attention to her meals, made sure to consume enough calories and discovered her passion for exercise

While she paid closer attention to her meals, Tatiana discovered her passion for exercise, and alternated bodyweight circuits with HIIT cardio workouts and a gym routine using both weights and machines.

The teenager, who says she 'couldn't be happier' about her new shape, has received plenty of positive comments about her transformation, including some from people who are also looking to put on some weight.

Some have also chimed in with some critical comments, but Tatiana pointed out in a later post that her impressions matter more than anyone else's.

'On the left I was depressed, BARELY EATING, and extremely insecure,' she wrote in reference to a photo that shows her at her lightest weight. 'I was losing a lot of weight and made the choice to go on a weight gain journey.'

Further silencing the critics, she added: 'It's my body and the only thing that matters now is that I'm happy.'
Turia Pitt has been enjoying a safari getaway with her fiance Michael Hoskin just weeks after announcing her pregnancy.

And the Australian expectant mother flaunted her blossoming baby bump when she explored the desert in southern Africa.

The burns survivor took some 'time to switch off' from social media so she could enjoy the company of her fiance on their adventures together.

And on Thursday evening, Turia shared a series of holiday snaps on Instagram, including a photograph of herself showing off her growing stomach.

Expectant mother Turia Pitt (pictured) flaunted her blossoming baby bump on a safari holiday

Turia Pitt has been enjoying a safari trip with her fiance Michael Hoskin (pictured together)

'Hot, sweaty and just a little bit in love with this desolate Namibian desert,' she wrote.

Glowing on the occasion, the 29-year-old wore a long-sleeve, blue collared top with fluorescent pink shorts.

In another image, Turia shielded her eyes from the glaring sun with her sunglasses.

The couple seemed more loved up than ever as Turia leaned in to give her husband-to-be a kiss on the cheek.

The latest holiday snaps comes two weeks after she told her fans via email the pair were flying to Africa for a holiday.

In another image, the 29-year-old shielded her eyes from the glaring sun with her sunglasses

The couple seemed more loved up than ever as Turia leaned in to give her husband-to-be a kiss on the cheek

Last month, Turia said she was 'absolutely frothing' because it would be the 'first proper holiday we'll have taken in a couple of years and I can't wait'.

'We're heading to Namibia, where we're meeting a few friends and going on safari, travelling deep into the desert for a few weeks,' she said.

'This is my opportunity to connect with Michael, explore a new part of the world and have some space to think more clearly about what the future holds.'

Turia Pitt has revealed she's going on a safari getaway with her fiance Michael Hoskin

The 29-year-old athlete said the pair are flying to Africa for a holiday for a 'few weeks'

The athlete - who suffered burns to 65 per cent of her body - said she would switch off technology when she embarked on the trip.

'I'm really looking forward to the opportunity to just switch off for a while,' she said.

'Life is busy. We're always firing off emails, scrolling through the 'gram [Instagram] and getting through our growing To Do list.

'Now, there's nothing wrong with being busy! I really do love grinding away in my business, making progress and setting new benchmarks for myself.

'But there's a big difference between working IN your life and working ON your life.'

The 29-year-old said the couple are heading to Africa for a holiday for a 'few weeks'

The athlete said she will be switching off technology when she embarks on the safari trip

Turia explained she always finds her best ideas come to mind when she takes time out.

'When you're not stuck in the everyday detail, you can see the bigger picture of your life more clearly,' she continued.

And if you are planning to unwind, Turia's tip? Organise to be disconnected.

'Put an out-of-office on your email, set up voicemail on your phone, pay your bills and put a hold on gym payments, ask the neighbours to water your plants - whatever you can do now to minimise the stress of being away, do it,' she said.

She discovered her pregnancy only days before she was meant to hike Mount Everest

'It's important to me, so I've prioritised it and made plans for it to be as stress free as it possibly can be.

'On that note, I better run - I've got a few last minute things to organise before we head off.'

Her newsletter comes after she revealed she discovered her pregnancy just days before she was due to hike Mount Everest.

The couple have both chosen boy and girl names for their child who is due in December.
The president of the Australian Society of Plastic Surgeons has issued a warning to women considering cosmetic fillers, saying the procedure could put them at risk of blindness.

Professor Mark Ashton spoke out after a study found the increasing popularity of soft tissue fillers had led to a rise in reports of 'adverse events', including almost 100 cases worldwide of blindness - which in the majority of cases was 'immediate and permanent'.

'People need to be aware that the use of fillers and anti-wrinkle injections are essentially invasive procedures and are not risk-free,' Prof Ashton said.

The president of the Australian Society of Plastic Surgeons has warned women considering cosmetic fillers the procedure could put them at risk of blindness (stock image)

In May, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons spoke of the importance of knowing 'danger zones' in the face, when it comes to cosmetic procedures.

Writing on their website, the society said: 'When performed by a board certified or experienced practitioner facial filler injection is a safe procedure. Complications are uncommon and generally mild.

'However, rare but serious complications have been reported, occurring especially with inadvertent injection blood vessel damage or injection of the filler material into the blood vessels.'

Professor Ashton told Mamamia that whilst the complication was rare, the risk would be minimised by receiving injections from a trained professional.

Professor Mark Ashton spoke out after a study found popularity of soft tissue fillers had led to a rise in reports of 'adverse events' (stock image)

'If you go to a clinic and you can't see evidence of appropriate and significant training or if they're not able to explain to you about the vascular anatomy of the face and how they're going to prevent the filler complication... then I certainly wouldn't risk having fillers in that facility,' Prof Ashton said.

'There's been a downgrading of the risk associated with fillers because they're becoming increasingly popular.

'(Consumers) don't perceive the injection as being one that has a potential risk. They might liken it to having a haircut,' he went on.

Prof Ashton said consumers don't perceive fillers as being potentially risky. 'They might liken it to having a haircut,' he said (stock image)

'Even though it's not invasive and even though you're not using a scalpel there is a real risk involved with these procedures and training and expertise is absolutely critical in ensuring you get the safest and most reliable result.'

The sites that were identified as high risk for complications were the glabella (the smooth part of the forehead above and between the eyebrows), the nasal region, the nasolabial fold (laugh lines running from the side of the nose to edge of mouth) and the forehead.

'People need to understand that things can go wrong and they should always think over before they makeover and conduct their research on the experience and qualifications of the person undertaking the procedure and the facility in which its being conducted,' Prof Ashton said.
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A same-sex couple have become the first Australians to 'tie the knot' under a new contract that matches the legal rights and responsibilities of traditional marriage.

Bride Carly Naughton, 31, and Alee Fogarty, 28, exchanged their vows at an intimate wedding ceremony at Peppers Soul in Surfers Paradise on the Gold Coast on July 1.

The Queensland couple - who met though a mutual friend in 2015 - are the first in the country to 'marry' under the 'Evermore Pledge' despite same-sex marriage is not legal in Australia.

The pledge is a legally-binding contract that mirrors the components the Marriage Act carries, including wills, beneficiaries, power of attorney, next of kin, superannuation and investments.

Bride Carly Naughton, 31, and Alee Fogarty, 28, have become the first Australians to 'tie the knot' in an intimate ceremony

The young mother - who is expecting a second child via IVF with Alee - had her dream wedding on the Gold Coast on July 1

Alee, a 28-year-old tattoo artist, 'married' the love of her life Carly under the Evermore Pledge - a legal binding contract

'For us, it's not about a wedding ceremony or to be all lovey dovey. We wanted to be able to have the legal rights to secure our future and the future for our children,' Ms Naughton told Daily Mail Australia.

'Marriage is different to everyone - it's definitely about love and for us, what appeals to us most is the legal side of things, whether we're terminally ill or someone gets sick or dies.

'We wanted to have the security of knowing we could be by each other's side if anything serious happens. Like if we need to plan their funeral or make the decision to turn off their life support.'

Fairytale wedding! The Queensland couple exchanged their vows at their dream wedding at Peppers Soul in Surfers Paradise

Surrounded by loved ones, the couple were able to share the special moment that was made possible under the new pledge

The same-sex couple have become the first Australians to 'tie the knot' in an intimate ceremony in front of family and friends

The community rallied around the couple to bring their wedding forward by donating nearly everything to make the special day possible - from the venue, photographer to the marriage celebrant and their cake

WHAT'S THE EVERMORE PLEDGE? The Evermore Pledge is a legal and practical agreement between two loving individuals. It is a recognised and respected legal unity that does not discriminate nor hinder the equality of love, formalities and basic human rights of any person, regardless of how they identify themselves or with whom they choose to combine their lives. The Australian Marriage Service, along with Nevile & Co. Commercial Lawyers have compiled an independent, legally binding agreement that mirrors the components that the Marriage Act carries. The pledge has bound them together - meaning that any couple, regardless of sexuality, race, or religion can affordably have these legally binding agreements as part of their promise to each other on their celebratory day. For more information, please visit New Way To Wed Advertisement

On Saturday, the couple got 'married' on the Gold Coast in front of family and friends in a fairytale ceremony.

'Having our ceremony was beautiful, and we were able to share this moment with everyone we love,' Ms Naughton said.

'My mum came to my house earlier that day and she started crying when she saw me in the wedding dress. She was just surprised, none of our family saw this day coming for us.

'It was just really special to be able to share that with them, our friends and our son Oakland - he's turning two in August.'

On Saturday July 1, the couple got 'married' on the Gold Coast in front of family and friends in an intimate ceremony

The 31-year-old mother said she was lucky to buy her stunning wedding dress for just $150 down from a staggering $2,500

Ms Naughton, who is seven weeks pregnant via IVF, said the newlyweds have always dreamed about having a big family

The generous community rallied around the couple to bring their wedding forward by donating nearly everything to make the special day possible - from the venue, photographer to the marriage celebrant and their cake.

'We were a little anxious at first because everything was put together so quickly,' Ms Naughton said.

'But it was beautiful. Even though everything was donated, the ceremony had the vision of what we wanted. It was a little bizarre that our guests were sitting on rugs on the ground but everything was perfect. It was a small and intimate ceremony but it was a lot more meaningful.

'I thought "where am I going to come up with a dress in three weeks?" I actually saw an ad on Facebook for a bridal shop on the Gold Coast. All the dresses were $150 down from $2,400.'

On Saturday, the couple got 'married' on the Gold Coast in front of family and friends in a fairytale ceremony

True love! The couple said marriage was about getting the 'legal rights to secure our future and the future of our children'

Ms Naughton, who is seven weeks pregnant, said she was happy to share the special day with their two-year-old son Oakland

Ms Naughton, who is seven weeks pregnant through IVF, said they have always dreamed about having a big family.

'I've always wanted children and Alee had a son from a previous relationship,' she said.

'We wanted to have biological children but we looked at different options and even considered fostering in case. But I was able to fall pregnant. I actually carried our son Oakland via IVF and my current pregnancy is from the same donor.'

'We've always wanted a huge family.'

And while the pledge cannot be classified as a marriage under the Marriage Act - it's still the closest for same-sex couples to get in Australia.

Ms Naughton said the process to get the pledge underway was 'quite easy' following a 'few Skype sessions with lawyers' who gave the pair a 'real understanding of what we were entering' in their obligations.

The newlyweds showing off their Evermore Pledge - a legal contract that mirrors the components the Marriage Acts carries

The young mother - who is expecting a second child via IVF with Alee - had her dream wedding on the Gold Coast on July 1

Happy family! The trio are expecting a second baby after Ms Naughton fell pregnant again to the same donor through IVF

As for marriage equality, the young mother said if same sex marriage laws ever come into force, she hasn't considered tying the knot for the second time.

'Now that we have what we wanted - legal rights, I don't know if another wedding is on the cards. If we do decide to get married again, it'll be a long way down the track,' she said.

'Right now, I'm just focusing on getting through this pregnancy and securing myself with a decent career. I'm currently running my own blog but I would also like a future in writing. Alee is a tattoo artist and she's doing quite well. She wants to open up her own shop in the future.

'I think everyone's expectations of marriage has changed. Hopefully with more young generations popping up, marriage equality will change.

'Australia needs to catch up with the majority of the world.'
A mother-of-two has spoken candidly about her struggle with postnatal depression and how it changed her as a person.

After having her second child, Deanne Stock, from the Sunshine Coast, said she lost her confidence as well as 'my ability to cope, my strength as a woman and my place in the world'.

'Before I had children I was a positive, happy, vivacious, determined business woman and that is the person my husband fell in love with,' Deanne told Daily Mail Australia.

'After having children, I was so far from this vibrant person. Being a mother consumed my every waking minute. All my energy was taken up being in this role.

Deanne Stock has spoken candidly about her struggle with postnatal depression and how it changed her as a person

'I had no energy left for anything else including my husband. I apologise for not being the woman he married. I felt I changed so much. I lost that carefree fun woman I was.'

The mum-of-two, who is no longer with her husband, said she didn't realise she was suffering from postnatal depression until one day she 'hid away from the world' in the bathroom of her family home.

'I was curled up in the foetal position hiding away from the world. I was in deep despair and felt helpless to stop it,' she said.

'It was like this dark energy was all consuming and overtaking my whole world. My husband picked me up and cradled me like a baby. Just like my baby, I was in deep need of nurture myself.

'It was very challenging for my husband to see me in this place of severe mental and emotional pain.

'I wasnt giving my kids the love, guidance and attention they needed to flourish in the world. I thought they would be better off without me,' Deanne (pictured with her daughter) said

'I didnt know what was wrong with me, only that I wasnt coping. My husband knew we needed help and suggested we go to the doctor.

'At this point, as embarrassed as I was to ask for help and admit that I wasnt coping, I was willing to do anything to get me out of the dark place I was residing in.

'I knew I wasnt giving my children the love, guidance and attention they needed to flourish in the world and I honestly thought they would be better off without me.

'I couldnt even take care of myself, let alone a family. I felt like I had failed them. I didnt know what to do. It was a helpless, downward spiral feeling of deep despair,' she said.

Up until that point, Deanne said she thought she was just 'sleep deprived, hormonal and learning how to be a mother'.

'The biggest part of accepting the diagnosis was the recognition that I felt I had failed,' she said

DEANNE'S ADVICE FOR OTHER MOTHERS 'As humiliating and shameful as it can feel to ask for help, it is imperative in recovery,' Deanne said. 'I cannot stress that enough. If people dont know, they cannot help. 'As soon as they do know, every one lends a hand. 'We are wired to help others and it is so easy to do, but being on the receiving end and admitting that you are not coping is the hardest part. 'Once you do, healing begins.' Advertisement

'The concept of motherhood was something everyone else did, I had no idea how to be a mother and what my children needed, so I thought it was these things combined.'

Coming to terms with her diagnosis wasn't easy.

'The biggest part of accepting the diagnosis was the recognition that I felt I had failed,' she said.

'I had failed my beautiful children and my loving husband. I didnt want to be a failure, I didnt want to be that person. I didnt want to be the mother that couldnt cope.

'I had been successful in most other areas of my life and yet the most important role I could undertake, I failed at. It was a tough concept for me to grasp. I didnt want my husband to change the way he looked at me. I found the whole process humiliating.'

'I had been successful in most other areas of my life and yet the most important role I could undertake, I failed at,' Deanne said of her feelings towards motherhood in the grip of depression

Deanne said that it was when she started working again that 'a light started shining for me again'.

'I had purpose in my life other than being a mother, housekeeper and a cook. I love the interacting with adults and having stimulating conversation and I was a much better mother coming home because I had a break and looked forward to seeing my children,' she said.

'I would take the time to have a shower in peace and maybe paint my fingernails. That was certainly a luxury for me.'

Now she uses running as an outlet and, since her split with her husband, sees her children, Jaxon, 15, and Jordyn, 12, every 'second week'.

'I am starting to rediscover who Deanne is. Who I was pre-wife, pre-children days. My vibrant light is shining again,' she said.

If you or someone you know has been affected by the issues raised in this article, help is available from Perinatal Anxiety & Depression Australia
It may be controversial but it is legal to marry your cousin in the UK.

And for British Pakistanis the practise is common with an estimated 55 percent of them doing so.

For some Muslim girls it is an arrangement they agree to in order to keep their families happy, as Bradford-born Hiba Maroof discovered in BBC Three documentary 'Should I Marry My Cousin'.

The 18-year-old is faced with the dilemma of whether she should follow family tradition and marry a cousin or tie the knot with a man of her own choice.

Hiba speaks to family members and also other British Pakistani women who are at the same crossroads as her.

Her 18-year-old cousin Amin sums up the pressure they face when she tells her: 'Sometimes you have to listen to your parents as well to keep them happy. So if you dont listen to your parents they think that you dont love them.'

Hiba admits she has concerns over the health issues of interbreeding.

A recent report revealed that while British Pakistanis were responsible for three per cent of all births, they accounted for 30 per cent of British children born with a genetic illness.

'That many children shouldnt be disabled if it can be helped.

'Im not going to lie the genetic talk scares me,' Hiba said.

Hiba Maroof is supported by her parents Maroof and Nuzhat as she researched her family tradition of marrying cousins

Hiba met with two sisters just moments before their double wedding. They were both happy to marry their cousins

The 18-year-old also visits with one family who have two severely autistic children. Iftacan (right) and Minaz are first cousins, their son Roman (pictured) is autistic and their daughter Fatima, 20, is non-verbal

Hiba also speaks to two sisters on their double wedding day - both are getting married to their cousins.

While one sister is happy to get married to her first cousin whom she has known since childhood and has been engaged to for a year, the second sister is entering an arranged marriage.

'I dont know much about my future husband,' she confesses to Hiba moments before her wedding ceremony.

'Its been fixed by the family. Im seeing him today for the first time since our marriage was fixed a year ago.'

Hiba is an inquisitive teen who is keen to get married but wants to find a 'good-looking' man who is 'trustworthy and open-minded'.

She is filmed travelling to Mirpir, Pakistan, where her family are from.

COUSIN MARRIAGES Cousin marriages have been legal in the UK for over 400 years. A growing tradition in British Pakistani culture - 55 per cent of youngsters are marrying their first cousins. In Bradford, where Hiba comes from, that figure is 70 per cent. Figures suggest that 42 per cent of all marriages end in divorce, but in first cousin marriages it is 20 per cent. However a long-term study tracking the health of 13,500 'Born in Bradford' has found worrying statistics. Medical data previously suggested that while British Pakistanis were responsible for 3 per cent of all births, they accounted for 30 per cent of British children born with a genetic illness Advertisement

Accompanied by her mother and father, Maroot and Nuzhat, they want Hiba to make her own informed decision, and don't truly believe in the tradition.

'Cousin marriages keep parents happy'

Hiba meets some of her extended family including one female cousin, who was already divorced after marrying outside of the family, and with two male cousins who are eligible for marriage in what she brands a very 'awkward' encounter.

Divorcee Sabbah, 21, explained that her marriage breakdown was because she didn't have the backing of her family to help her.

'In family if something goes wrong in the marriage you can at least ask them because they are family, they look after you properly.

'As for me I got married outside [my family] and it was really hard.'

She explained that if she had another opportunity to get married the second time round would be completely different.

'I would marry inside the family, it would be so much better.'

Hiba's 18-year-old cousin Amin (left) is in support of cousin marriages, as is divorcee Sabbah (right), 21, who got married outside of the family

Hiba travels to Pakistan to meet two of her eligible male cousins Sundas (second from left), 17, and Naheed, 21 (second from right)

Genetic illnesses from inter-breeding

Although security and stability are a plus for Hiba in cousin marriages - which one Imam Mohammad Sayed, says has become a more 'cultural thing than religious' - the medical issues still bothers the teenager.

She visits Newcastle to find out more about the risks from her uncle Younis, who's friend married a first cousin, 'will give you a better idea of the worst case scenarios' he tells her.

Iftacan and wife Minaz have three children, two of whom are severely autistic, Mariana Fatima, 20, is non-verbal and at the severe end of the spectrum and Rohan, 12, is very particular about the way things should be.

As a father Iftacan said along with the challenging moments there is a lot of joy.

The possibility of genetic illnesses did cross his mind but that many of his close relatives who had married their cousins had never had any problems to cause him any concern.

Hiba speaks with father-of-three Iftacan who says there are challenges in his family, and says if she's worried about genetic issues not to get married to her cousin

COUSINS SHOULD HAVE DNA TEST BEFORE GETTING MARRIED Britain's first Asian peer Baroness Shreela Flather Britain's first Asian peer Baroness Shreela Flather has made calls in the past for British Pakistani communities to ensure cousins have DNA tests before getting married. A former barrister who sits in the House of Lords, she shared her own thoughts on the topic in 2015. 'There are a lot of first-cousin marriages in certain communities, particularly among Pakistanis who come from the Pakistani Kashmir area. 'We know so much about DNA now, but there is so much disability among the children, which is absolutely appalling.' Baroness Flather also blasted parents for 'allowing children to become disabled' because of their social practise which she believes doesn't belong in today's social age. She added: 'There should at least be some rule which says that you must have a DNA examination before your marriage can be registered.' Advertisement

'When Fatima was diagnosed you get into the position of perhaps blaming yourself because of your cousin marriage and maybe thats the reason why our kids have these learning difficulties and disabilities,' he tells Hiba.

'When we looked around we found that a lot of people who arent related and are married their kids have autism.'

Picking up on Hiba's own concerns he adds: 'If you want think you want to minimise your risks dont go for a cousin marriage.

'But dont allow yourself to think you are safe from these conditions just because you are not in a cousin marriage.

'We have done a lot of soul searching over it, but we have come to the conclusion that its luck of the draw. Whatever happens it is because nature intended it to happen.'

Hiba comes to the decision that she will not marry her cousin as she is concerned it wouldn't work and is worried about the potential health issues

A fully-informed decision

The difficulties the family face appear to contribute to Hiba's decision not to follow the family tradition, despite her own test coming back negative for any genetic anomalies.

'I think after meeting all the people and all the places I have been, I decided not to marry my cousin, it wouldnt be something I would be comfortable with.

'The advantages dont weigh up for me. Especially because the person who is closest to me and I know has been in a cousin marriage is my mum and that didn't work out for her.'

Although she isn't against cousin marriages, she advises those considering it to get tested so they can make a fully informed decision.

Should I Marry My Cousin? is available to watch on BBC iPlayer now
She is never anything less than immaculately turned out, from her Rachel Trevor-Morgan hats to her trademark Anello & Davide shoes.

And the Queen is rarely seen without her favourite formal coats, in a rainbow of shades, for her myriad public engagements.

Now a new photograph has revealed that same attention to detail is applied to every element of her outfit, capturing the monarch as she dispensed with formality to slip off her coat at Stirling Castle on Wednesday as Scotland basked in summer sunshine.

The Queen was wearing a silk floral summer dress beneath her smart coat - which was trimmed with the exact same printed fabric.

Scroll down for video

From this: The Queen, dressed in a fuchsia coat and matching hat, with Prince Philip at the castle

To this: Later, the Queen slipped off her pink coat to reveal a pretty floral dress beneath

The Queen and Prince Philip's visit to the castle proved quite an eventful one - three-year-old Cruachan IV the Shetland pony got up close and personal with the monarch, 91, and took the liberty of nibbling on her posy.

The Queen, who has a lifelong love of horses, could not help but smile as the naughty pony leaned in for a bite of one of the purple blooms.

Posy for a pony: Three-year-old Cruachan IV the Shetland pony nibbled on one of the Queen's purple blooms during a visit to Stirling Castle today

Delighted: The monarch, who has a lifelong love of horses, looked charmed by the pony

However Cruachan IV, who is the mascot of the Royal Regiment of Scotland, appeared to lose his confidence when the Queen reached out her hand to him, turning his head away from the monarch.

The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh, 96, visited the castle to mark Her Majesty's 70th anniversary as Colonel-in-Chief of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders.

The royal couple are spending Holyrood Week - known locally as Royal Week - visiting various regions in Scotland , meeting subjects across all walks of life and hosting thousands at Holyrood Palace.

At Stirling Castle the Queen was presented with the keys to the castle by the Earl of Mar and Kellie, who is the hereditary keeper of the keys.

Purple reign! The Queen's chosen outfit to open a new section of canal in Falkirk comprised a bold purple coat with a floral trim

Tradition: The Queen is spending Holyrood Week visiting various regions in Scotland, meeting subjects across all walks of life and hosting thousands at Holyrood Palace

Guest of honour: Her Majesty stepped out to officially open the Queen Elizabeth II Canal at the Helix in Grangemouth, Falkirk - named in her honour

Two-year-old Lottie Dean, standing with mother Samantha and father Lance Corporal Christopher of the Royal Regiment of Scotland, then gave her a posy. Cruachan IV the pony was part of the guard of honour who greeted the Queen.

When inside the palace, which her Her Majesty reopened in 2011, the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh both signed the visitors' book.

The Regimental Association then hosted a lunch with the royals inside the Grand Hall.

Earlier the monarch opened the Queen Elizabeth II Canal at the Helix in Grangemouth, Falkirk.

Her Majesty meets dignitaries as she disembarks a canal boat at the Kelpies. It was launched nearly 20 years ago and will be completed when the Queen formally names it after herself

Warm welcome: Upon arriving to music from a pipe band at the 30-metre high landmarks, the royal couple met Kelpies sculptor Andy Scott

Travelling in style: Cheered on by hundreds of onlookers, the Queen and Philip boarded a bunting-covered Seagull Trust boat which took them along the canal for the final five minutes

Named after the monarch, the Queen Elizabeth II Canal forms the eastern gateway to the Forth and Clyde Canal and flows right up to the acclaimed horse-head sculptures.

Cheered on by hundreds of onlookers, the Queen and Philip boarded a bunting-covered Seagull Trust boat named The Wooden Spoon, which took them along the canal for the final five minutes of their trip.

Upon arriving to music from a pipe band at the 30-metre high landmarks, the royal couple met Kelpies sculptor Andy Scott.

The Queen receives a bouquet of flowers from five-year-old Sam Mitchell

The Queen smiled as she was introduced to two horses, Duke and Dan, who, as Clydesdales, are the same breed of horse which inspired Mr Scott's landmark sculptures.

They then toured the inside of the 'head down' Kelpie to view the engineering work involved in its construction and unveiled a plaque to open the canal section.

Large crowds of onlookers, including many children, waved Union flags as the royal party passed by, with an aerobatic display from the Global Stars stunt flying team taking place above the sculptures.

Mr Scott said: 'The Queen was asking me about the history of the project and the relationship with the Clydesdale horses.

'The Duke was particularly interested in the internal structure, the engineering, the fabrication that went on.'

Worthy cause: Her Majesty's visit today marks the opening of the final section of a major trans-Scotland canal regeneration scheme

Scottish Canals chairman Andrew Thin said of the grand opening: 'This event is a fitting culmination of more than a decade of hard work that saw the partners and the local community come together to turn an ambitious idea into reality and breathe new life into the area'

Later that day the Queen met Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in Edinburgh as part of a trip to recognise the 'strong ties' between his country and the UK.

Mr Trudeau visited Scotland on his way to the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany.

New landmark: The half-mile Queen Elizabeth II Canal will form the eastern gateway of the Forth & Clyde Canal in Grangemouth

A day to remember: Scottish Canals said the new canal had 'transformed the maritime experience of sailors arriving from across northern Europe and beyond'
Schoolchildren paraded through a picturesque Swiss town to mark the start of the summer holidays in a charming 400-year-old tradition known as 'Maienzug'.

The streets of Aargau's old town were flooded with children dressed in white clutching bouquets of flowers for the parade, which takes place on the first Friday in July and marks the end of the school year.

Crowds of locals gathered to watch the young pupils parade through the streets of the town in the north of the country.

Photographs of today's scenes have a timeless quality, with the schoolchildren dressed in simple white clothing with floral embellishments to mark their summer break in just the same way as generations before them have done.

The Maienzug celebration dates back 400 years, and marks the start of the school holidays

Schoolgirls decked out in flower crowns and clutching bouquets clustered together for photographs today

A schoolgirl's face is almost obscured by her enormous crown of fresh white blooms

The festival takes place on the first Friday in July each year, and signifies the start of the school holidays

Traditional flower crowns sit atop schoolgirls' heads as they parade through the town

Timeless scenes in Aargau's old town as locals gather around to watch the traditional parade

Helping hand: Teenage girls help one another with their floral headdresses as they celebrate Maienzug
A Texas man traveled all the way to Amsterdam to pull off a creative proposal, but he didn't pop the question alongside the picturesque canals. Instead, he got down on one knee in the middle of an airport Starbucks.

For Austin Mann, 32, and Esther Havens, 33, though, that Starbucks is just about as romantic as it gets, since it's where their love story began six years ago.

Over the course of their relationship, Austin has left love notes for fellow frequent traveler Ester in Starbucks cafes around the world, and this particular Starbucks, inside Schiphol Airport, is where she found her first one.

Grande sweetness: Austin Mann proposed to his girlfriend of six years, Esther Havens, in a Starbucks inside Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport

Austin and Esther  a former Starbucks barista  are both freelance photographers who travel more than 100,000 miles a year each.

They met in 2008 in Texas and were just friends until, a few years later, Austin performed a very sweet gesture

After being on assignment in Africa, he was passing through Schiphol on his way home when he realized Esther would be in that same airport a few days later.

He decided to hide a note for her there, and then texted her a riddle to help her find it  an act that caught Esther's attention.

'I thought, wow, he put a lot of effort into this. That for me was the start of, "Who is this guy? Could I see myself with him?"' she told Starbucks in a press release.

They started dating soon after, and the notes remained a constant part of their relationship. Austin would hide them in Starbuckses in cities he passed through, taping them under tabled and stuffing them between cushions. If Esther was going to be in one of those cities, he'd let her know there was a note waiting for her and send her clues.

An Americano in Amsterdam: The couple, who started out as friends, began dating after Austin left Esther a hidden note at that very Starbucks, to find when she was passing through

Cute: Both work as photographers and are often jetting around the world, so they leave each other notes in international Starbucks locations

She's found notes in Los Angeles, New Delhi, and Cambodia (where the note was gone but the tape was still there), and he estimates there are 20 to 25 still outt here for her to find.

'Austin's notes were always filled with something to make me feel special,' Esther said, adding that she leaves her own for him in return. 'My notes for Austin were many times filled with encouraging words about how awesome I think he is.'

After six years together, Austin wanted to propose  and decided Starbucks was the perfect place to do it. But not just any Starbucks  the one at Schiphol Airport, where he left her that first note.

He knew he wouldn't have to wait long, since Esther passed through that hub about a dozen times a year.

A latte of love: Austin knew when Esther was landing at that airport, so he flew in early to get ready and coordinate with the baristas

He knows how to espresso himself: Esther's sister Anna (right) was also there to help out the couple, who each fly more than 100,000 miles a year

This time, though, he wasn't just leaving a note. On the date of the big proposal, he knew knew she would be arriving at 7:10am off a flight from Tanzania, so he booked his own flight to arrive at 6am. He told her there'd be a note for her there.

Esther's sister had also flown in for the occasion and helped him coordinate.

'I told all the baristas, I showed them a picture of Esther,' Austin said. 'They were all very excited. I gave them my iPhone 7 Plus to take video and got a Starbucks bag, poked a hole in it and put another iPhone shooting video in it on a table next to where I was going to propose.'

But then he hit a snafu. When she landed, Esther sent him a text that said: 'Hey, just realized I'm not going to be able to make it today because I'm on the wrong side of security.'

Determined to make the proposal work anyway, the panicked Austin ran through the airport to meet her. When he was almost there, he got another text from Esther, saying that she would actually be able to get to that Starbucks after all.

Adorable: Austin likes to tape notes under tables and hide them in cushions and then give Esther hints to find them

So Austin turned around, making it back to the Starbucks just in time to tell the baristas that the plan was back on.

Esther got there seconds later and found the note he'd left, which told her to go to the bar for a drink that had been preordered for her. When she turned the corner to get to the counter, she saw Austin with a bouquet and a ring.

'There are things we can dream about forever, but that's what I love about Austin is he does it,' she said later. 'He makes it happen. He's like, "Why not? I'll fly to the other side of the world."'

They're now considering a destination wedding but haven't begun planning yet.

'One of the things about marrying Austin is its going to be an adventure,' Esther added. 'We've both lived our lives that way.'
It was a case of like mother like daughters today as the Dutch royal family gathered for their annual summer photo.

Queen Maxima and King Willem-Alexander were joined by their trio of young daughters, Princesses Amalia, 13, Alexia, 12, and Ariane, 10, all of whom bear more than a passing resemblance to their glamorous mother - though Princess Alexia appears to have inherited her father's red hair.

The royals arrived at the riverside spot in Warmond by boat to pose for their annual snap, and Maxima wore an appropriately nautical top for the occasion.

King Willem-Alexander, Queen Maxima and Princesses (l - r) Amalia, Ariane and Alexia posed for their annual summer photocall in Warmond, The Netherlands

The 46-year-old Queen teamed her stripy top with ankle-grazing trousers and navy ballet pumps.

She wore her blonde hair down and completed her outfit with oversized white drop earrings and sunglasses.

She and King Willem-Alexander looked proud as punch to pose with their daughters to be with their daughters for the day and treated them to a boat ride in Warmond.

The stylish Dutch royals arrived in Warmond by boat and waved at the waiting photographers

The sun held out for the royals and they all sat together on the grass and posed for photographs

Queen Maxima was photographed with her lookalike daughters Princess Alexia and Princess Ariane

Queen Maxima's three daughters looked strikingly similar with their long loosely-curled hair.

Eldest daughter Princess Amalia wore a long blue top with embellished detailing on the front and white skinny jeans.

The two younger siblings, Princess Alexia and Princess Ariane also kept their outfits relaxed and matched in their white blouses.

King Willem-Alexander stood up as he steered the boat towards the shore with his family

The royals were dressed in nautical-themed clothing for the occasion and matched in white, navy and denim

Queen Maxima and King Willem-Alexander looked pleased to be spending the day with their daughters

King Willem-Alexander stood tall as he steered the boat towards the shore and waiting photographers

King Willem-Alexander stood up as he steered the family's boat towards the waiting photographers who had gathered to see them.

Queen Maxima helped with the rope as they arrived and prepared to pose together.

The sun held out for their boating trip and they were able to all sit on the grass with the beautiful backdrop behind them.

Queen Maxima helped hand somebody some rope as she stood up on the boat

The weather stayed sunny for their annual summer photocall but it appeared to be quite windy

The family put their arms around one another as the windmill stood tall behind them all

The three young royals stood tall with their parents and appeared to be catching up with them in height

The family looked as though they were enjoying themselves as they made their entrance
A former beauty queen says her OCD is so extreme that she has to vacuum herself everyday.

Kelly Waite, 36, from County Durham spends 30 hours a week cleaning and bleaches her toilet six times a day.

She is so scared that specks of dust on her clothes will spread through her colour-coded house that she uses a vacuum cleaner on herself before entering any room she is cleaning.

But now she has won a national award for her work in the community to help others like her.

Kelly has to clean everything before she can touch it and bleaches her toilet six times a day

Kelly will not let other people sit on her living room sofa and refuses to cook or store food in her kitchen, which she describes as 'just for show'.

Kelly, who also suffers from ME, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Hashimoto's disease and Fibromyalgia, appeared on Channel 4's primetime show Obsessive Compulsive Cleaners in 2015.

She has dedicated her life to helping those who have experienced similar problems to her and has raised awareness of issues close to her heart - including OCD, invisible illnesses, domestic violence and bullying.

Kelly was handed a British Citizen Award (BCA) at a prestigious ceremony at the Palace of Westminster in London yesterday after being nominated by a friend.

Kelly's house is colour coded to appease her extreme OCD, which makes her clean non stop

Kelly won a handful of beauty pageants when she was younger

She is among 30 people to re-receive a medal of honour - which are given to individuals as recognition for doing extraordinary things in the local community.

Kelly said: 'When I found out I had won the award and was going to pick it up I couldn't believe it. It was a big deal.

'I didn't think what I had done was worthy enough for something like that. I was really happy, it means a lot to me.

'It makes me feel good doing stuff for other people and that is all it is about. Being recognised for stuff I have done is really, really nice.

'Almost everything I do, charity related, is a subject close to my heart.'

Kelly admits she has been plagued by OCD since she was a child.

On nights out, Kelly fills her handbag with anti-bacterial gel, cleaning wipes and two packets of tissues.

She cleans restaurant tables and cutlery before eating, refuses to drink from their glasses and even brings her own straw.

Kelly has gone from beauty queen to someone who dedicates her life to helping others with similar problems to her

Kelly won the titles of Miss County Durham Galaxy 2010, Miss Publicity Galaxy 2010, World Miss Tourism 2011, Miss Stardust Boutique 2012, Miss Cover Model 2014 and Miss Elite Beauty 2016

Kelly said: 'The only way I can describe OCD is like your a prisoner in your own mind and you can't get out.

'OCD can take over your whole world, every single aspect of your life. From boyfriends, to friends, to going out, to drinking out of a cup, it takes over every single thing on a daily basis.

'For example when you have to drink out of a cup in a specific way and if you don't do it like that you have to do it again. It could take you over an hour to drink a sip out of your cup.

'I don't think it will ever go away.'

Kelly admits her OCD, coupled with her other health problems, can sometimes leave her unable to leave the house.

She said: 'I have done a lot of awareness of invisible illnesses, just because you can't see a disability doesn't mean you don't have a disability.

Kelly with TV presenter, patron, and host of the British Citizen Awards Michael Underwood

Kelly with the Rt Hon. the Lord Dholakia OBE DL at the British Citizen Awards

'I do run an online support group where people who suffer from invisible illnesses can talk together.'

Kelly has visited domestic violence centres and women's refuges to help lend support to women who have suffered from domestic violence after going through it herself.

An appearance in a beauty pageant in 2011, which she entered to improve her confidence, led to her becoming ambassador for the Dream Foundation of Uganda.

She has spent the last six years working with the African children's charity which aims to empower children through education, as well as fighting HIV, Aids and poverty.

Kelly has also more recently become an advocate for the charity BulliesOut, having experienced cyber bullying herself, and visits schools to talk to children about bullying.

After competing in numerous beauty pageants, Kelly has won the titles of Miss County Durham Galaxy 2010, Miss Publicity Galaxy 2010, World Miss Tourism 2011, Miss Stardust Boutique 2012, Miss Cover Model 2014 and Miss Elite Beauty 2016.

She said: 'When I started entering the pageants I was getting so much hate online, it was ridiculous.

'It stopped me wanting to come out of the house. I would have really bad days and isolate myself from everyone.

'That's why I started helping people online and helping charities.'
A man dubbed the Human Ken Doll due to his multiple plastic surgeries has had so many procedures on his nose, it could now turn black and fall off if he alters it again.

Rodrigo Alves consulted two doctors in a new episode of Botched, which will air on E! this Sunday. In a preview clip, the 33-year-old Brazil native, who now splits his time between London, Marbella and Los Angeles, cannot breathe through his nose after getting three rhinoplasties in just 12 to 15 months.

In order to remedy the situation, Rodrigo wishes he could get another procedure done, but the back-to-back surgeries have left the skin tissues so damaged, they will die if Rodrigo attempts to have any more work done.

Scroll down for video

Warning: Rodrigo Alves, dubbed the Human Ken Doll due to his multiple plastic surgeries has had so many procedures on his nose, it could now turn black and fall off

Reaching out: The 33-year-old Brazil native, who now splits his time between London, Marbella and Los Angeles, consulted two doctors in a new episode of Botched

A teaser for Sunday's episode shows Rodrigo as he consults Drs. Paul Nassif and Terry Dubrow hoping they will be able to repair the damaged appendage.

But Nassif can't even examine him thoroughly because Rodrigo's nostrils are so tight, an otoscope won't fit in them.

The doctor then tries to insert a small, thin tool up the patient's nose, but the nostrils are completely blocked.

Rodrigo at one point developed a MRSA infection on his nose caused by a staph bacteria. 'This is one of the worst results and complications that I've seen in my entire career,' Nassif says in the video.

The patient, meanwhile, can barely contains his nerves as he awaits the diagnosis.

'I feel like crying right now. I'm holding back not to cry, because I'm actually extremely worried,' Rodrigo says. 'That's why I'm here.'

But the physician does not have good news for him.

Complicated:Rodrigo wishes he could get another procedure done, but the back-to-back surgeries have left the skin tissues so damaged, they will die if he tries to have more work done

Bad results: Rodrigo at one point developed a MRSA infection on his nose caused by a staph bacteria, which one of the doctors called one of the worst complications he's seen

Check-up: In a preview clip, Dr. Paul Nassif can't even examine him thoroughly because Rodrigo's nostrils are so tight, an otoscope won't fit in them

'The issue is that what we call the soft tissue envelopethat's the skin. By you having three surgeries in a period of 12 to 15 months destroyed your tissue. The skin's no good,' he says.

It can take up to a year or two for the skin to heal fully after a rhinoplasty, which is why Rodrigo's nose suffered so much.

Nassif then breaks a devastating news to Rodrigo, who hopes that one more surgery could salvage his nose.

'Your nose on the inside you have no airway. And it's short. So this is all scarred together. And now, since you just had surgery three months ago, it's going to scar down more. It's in a healing phase,' the surgeon explains.

Rodrigo tries to interject, but the doctor continues.

'If you try to insult your skin one more time now while it's healing, there's a high possibility that if you let one of these doctors touch your nose now, this will turn back and then die and fall off.'

Transformation: Getting three rhinoplasties in 12 to 15 months is extreme, but it is just a small part of the work Rodrigo has had one over the years

Procedures: In his pursuit of what he believes is a perfect look, Rodrigo has had a face, neck and eye lift, silicone implants to give him the appearance of six-pack abs

Upon hearing those words, Rodrigo gaspsand the preview ends before doctors can unveil their options for a potential reconstruction.

Getting three rhinoplasties in 12 to 15 months is extreme, but it is just a small part of the work Rodrigo has had one over the years.

As a young man, he became unsatisfied with his physical appearance and decided to resort to plastic surgery. He has since claimed that he's not addicted to the procedures, but rather, that they help him be the best version of himself.

Rodrigo's many surgeries have cost him an estimated half a million dollars so far.

In his pursuit of what he believes is a perfect look, he's had a face, neck and eye lift, silicone implants to give him the appearance of six-pack abs, and earlier this year had plans to undergo a risky procedure to change the color of his eyes in India.

However, it's unclear whether the surgery could happen. While in New Delhi, Rodrigo had posted on his Instagram account about being 'very disappointed'. In the US, doctors had refused to perform the surgery purely for cosmetic reasons.
A young woman woke from a coma to discover her leg had been amputated after a spider bite became infected with a flesh-eating bug.

Chey Fiddler was left fighting for her life as doctors battled to stop the rapidly spreading infection.

The 21-year-old was at her home in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada, last month when she was bitten on her right ankle by what is believed to be a brown recluse spider.

Two days later she contracted the rare condition necrotizing fasciitis, a rare but serious bacterial infection also known as 'flesh eating disease'.

She was put on life support and in an induced coma during which time medics were forced to remove her right leg below the knee.

Chey knew something was wrong when she came out of her coma, her mother said.

Too weak to talk, she asked for a pen so she could write out a question.

Her mother struggled to decipher her handwriting, before eventually making out the words, 'Am I missing foot?' Mrs Ronnie Alvarez told Global News.

Chey's family are appealing for help with her medical costs as she will need a prosthetic leg

Chey developed the flesh-eating disease just two days after being bitten by a spider

She said her daughter remained in a coma for almost two more weeks, unaware that she was an amputee.

She said she was terrified her daughter was going to die.

Chey knew something was wrong when she came out of her coma, her mother said.

Her mother delayed telling her daughter the devastating news while she was so physically weak.

'When she was brought out of the induced coma, we did not tell her about the amputation for a few more days as she was still on the life support,' she wrote online.

'We wanted to gain a couple more healing days before telling her the bad news that she lost her foot and part of her leg.'

Brown recluse spiders are the second most poisonous spiders in the US after black widows

WHAT IS NECROTIZING FASCIITIS? Necrotizing fasciitis is most commonly caused by an infection with group A Streptococcus. Those infections normally last just a few days  they are mild and typically clear themselves up. But in some unusual cases it can develop into necrotizing fasciitis. They infect flat layers of a membrane known as the fascia, which are connective bands of tissue that surround muscles, nerves, fat, and blood vessels. The infection also damages the tissues next to the fascia. Sometimes toxins made by these bacteria destroy the tissue they infect, causing it to die. When this happens, the infection is very serious and can result in loss of limbs or death. Advertisement

The bug had also attacked other parts of her body  her arms, her inner leg and her hip area.

Necrotizing fasciitis is an infection caused by bacteria. It can destroy skin, fat, and the tissue covering the muscles within a very short time.

It can lead to organ failure and death.

Brown recluse spiders are usually native to the Midwestern and Southeastern states in the US. They are the second most venomous spiders in the states after black widows.

They are 'shy' by nature and only bite when threatened, but its poisonous venom can cause itching, chills, fever, nausea and sweating.

Chey, who was bitten on June 3, was in an induced coma for 10 days and on life support for 12 days.

She is not completely out of danger and will likely remain in hospital for some months, but she continues to make progress.

Fundraising for a prosthetic leg

The family has set up a fundraising page to help fund her medical costs.

'She will have to learn to walk from the hips even before she can learn to walk with a prosthetic leg,' wrote Mrs Alvarez.

'We would like to bring a public support for her to gain some funds for a prosthetic leg and other medical needs in the near future.'

'As a mom I am a not in any position to help raise the funds on my own and had to put my work on hold to be at her side

'The disease attacked her and has changed her life forever.'

To donate towards the fund visit here.
A new snort-able chocolate powder has come onto the market as a way to get a quick buzz, but doctors warn it could cause serious health problems.

Coco Loko, a powder intended to be inserted directly into the nasal cavity, debuted last month as a legal, drug-free way to get a quick energy boost.

But Dr Jordan Josephson, a sinus specialist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, and author of Sinus Relief Now, told Daily Mail Online he thinks there is slim chance a chocolate powder could give you a high, and it will simply cause health issues.

'Powder should never be snorted or put up someone's nose,' Dr Josephson explained. 'It's just going to lead to infection, obstruction and sinus problems down the line.'

'Because the product has sugar in it, it will likely create a sludge, blocking the nasal passageway and keeping sinuses from doing their job, which is adversarial to the lungs.'

Coco Loko, a powder intended to be inserted directly into the nasal cavity, debuted last month as a legal, drug-free way to get a quick energy buzz

The product was created by 29-year-old entrepreneur Nick Anderson, who owns the Orlando-based company Legal Lean.

For $19.99, Coco Loko is available on the company's website, where it's described as giving the user an endorphin rush, a serotonin rush, euphoric energy and a calm focus.

Other retailers, including Amazon and some local smoke shops and liquor stores have started shelving the product, though hesitantly.

GLOBAL CHOCOLATE SNORTING TREND Chocolate being used as a legal high has been around since at least 2005, when a Belgian chocolatier popularized the idea. Dominique Persoone made a device in 2007, which he brought with him to a Rolling Stones party, which allows people to conveniently snort chocolate powder on the go. In recent years, the craze swept through Europe's clubs, with some events offering it in the place of alcohol or drugs like cocaine and ecstasy. Advocates for the trend say the raw cocoa, which can be taken in drink, pill or powdered form, is much more potent than previously believed. The chocolate powder allows club-goers seeking out a healthier way of achieving a high. It provides a rush of endorphins into the user's bloodstream, and contains high amounts of magnesium, which relax the muscles. Advertisement

That's because Coco Loko has not yet been approved by the Food and Drug Administration.

Its main ingredient is cacao powder, which is high in nutrients and low in fatty acids and sugars, but it also contains ingredients found in energy drinks like Red Bull or Monster, such as gingko biloba, taurine, guarana and ginseng.

Those ingredients, though naturally occurring, can be linked to serious health problems in high doses.

Taurine is an amino that supports neurological development and regulates minerals in the blood. Too much, though, can be lead to dangerously low blood pressure.

Ginseng, gingko biloba and guarana, on the other hand, are inherently safe, but can become incredibly dangerous when combined with caffeine and sugar. When taken in energy drinks, they can cause high blood pressure, heart palpitations, fatigue, insomnia, dehydration and even kidney failure.

As a result, doctors worry about the existing negative side effects when the product is inserted directly into the nasal cavity.

Dr Josephson explained that, while there are no studies to show it will cause these problems, there are also no studies to show it works.

'Noses already have enough problems with pollution, which we can't control,' he explained. 'Putting powder in your nose is just a bad idea.

'One of the benefits seems to be that you are avoiding the calories by snorting the powder instead of eating a chocolate bar. But really, anything you put up your nose will end up in your stomach eventually, so why not just enjoy the chocolate bar or have a glass of chocolate milk.'

The product was created by 29-year-old entrepreneur Nick Anderson, who told the Denver Post it provides a sharp energy kick that lasts between 30 minutes and an hour, and leaves you 'motivated to get things done'

The FDA has yet to approve the product, telling the Washington Post it is not yet sure how the drug will be regulated.

The company's owner, Nick Anderson, told the Post he uses it as an alternative to boozing when going out, but also when he's on a long car trip and needs to stay alert.

He explained that it provides a sharp energy kick lasting between 30 minutes and an hour, leaving you 'motivated to get things done.'

And he's not alone - the product has become popular in hip-hop communities and near college campuses in Houston and Atlanta, according to the Post, which is in part due to his brother 'Bezz Believe,' a rapper who has promoted the company online.

Anderson created the company Legal Lean in 2015, creating a legal alternative to 'lean' or 'purple drank' - a cough syrup-cocktail which was made with codeine or an alternative and a serious health hazard.

His alternative, which is legal, is marketed as a stress reliever to 'relax the mind'.
The amount of conflicting advice there is on how to bring up happy and successful children can make your head spin.

Parents often find themselves questioning how strict they should be with youngsters and how much independence they should allow them.

Now a new book by psychologists says our approach is wrong  because we're training them to be computers, reports NPR.

Instead of focusing on 'success' at school, we should be teaching them how to be better at being social, navigate relationships and be good citizens in a community.

That's according to two professors who have written Becoming Brilliant: What Science Tells Us About Raising Successful Children.

The 'six Cs' of parenting provides a framework for raising children to be successful (file)

'We're training kids to do what computers do, which is spit back facts,' Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, professor at Temple University in Philadelphia, told the website.

'And computers are always going to be better than human beings at that.'

This way of thinking challenges our definition of what success in school, and out of school, means, they say.

Instead, we should focus on the 'six Cs' of parenting, says Professor Hirsh-Pasek and her co-author Roberta Golinkoff from the University of Delaware.

This is collaboration, communication, content, critical thinking, creative innovation and confidence  listed in order of importance.

THE SIX C'S IN BRINGING UP SUCCESSFUL CHILDREN Collaboration teaches children to get on with other people is key inside and outside of school. Communication includes speaking, reading, writing and listening. Content is built on communication. You can't learn anything if you haven't learned how to understand language, or to read. Critical thinking relies on content  it's about what you then do with it. Creative innovation is the next step because you need to know something well enough to make something new. Confidence is critical in order to teach children to take safe risks. Advertisement

The first, collaboration, is basic but at the core of parenting.

'Collaboration is everything from getting along with others to controlling your impulses so you can not kick someone else off the swing,' Professor Hirsh-Pasek explained.

Everything your child does, in the classroom or at home, has to be built on that foundation.

The authors give a practical example of encouraging critical thinking  you should make sure you do not shut them down when they ask a question.

And you should encourage them to ask more. You want them to understand how other people think.

The book explains that there are four levels to each of the six C's, which allow parents to assess how strong they are in each skill.

They stress that social interaction between parents and child  rather than gadgets or classes  is what help set up the child for the development of these skills.

'What we do with little kids today will matter in 20 years,' says Hirsh-Pasek.
A woman who thought she was suffering from toothache has been been told she has limited time to live after jaw cancer has ravaged her face.

Jenie Yoo, 28, first suffered pain in November 2015 and started chemotherapy in March last year - but the tumour carried on growing inside her right cheek.

The spread of the cancer appeared to be halted after more treatment earlier this year funded by donations from well-wishers.

But last month, the tumour suddenly became more aggressive - swelling across her face, causing daily nose bleeds and making teeth drop out.

Tragically, Ms Yoo now is expected to have a limited time to live, cannot speak or eat and is house-bound in Bangkok, Thailand.

Jenie Yoo, 28, (pictured left and right) has been been told she has limited time to live after jaw cancer has ravaged her face

JAW CANCER: THE WARNING SIGNS Most dentists will perform a mouth check once a year at your routine visit. However, you should see your dentist or GP sooner if any of the following persist more than three weeks: Persistent ulcer or sore on your mouth or tongue which may or may not be painful A red or white patch in your mouth Unexplained pain in your mouth or ear Unexplained lump in your neck Loose teeth or dentures not fitting properly Change in your voice Advertisement

Ms Yoo has now appealed for support to take the burden away from her parents who are acting as full-time carers.

She said: 'Now this feels like dying, it's a painful torment and I have seizures all the time.

'My parents cannot go anywhere, they have to stay and help me. I would like them to have a break, with people from an agency to help me, to bring a wheelchair to take me out.

'Sleeping is not easy. Everywhere on my body is aches and is tense. My father has to squeeze and massage my knee until it is loose.

'I don't know why this happened to me. I cannot eat, even porridge makes me feel sick and fruit I cannot chew. My mouth has ulcers and I cannot walk alone, the symptoms are very bad.

'It's too late for surgery. I don't know why they can't just cut it out. I am so tortured but I still do not want to die now.'

Last month, the tumour suddenly became more aggressive - swelling across her face, causing daily nose bleeds and making teeth drop out. She is pictured right in January

Tragically, Ms Yoo now is expected to have a limited time to live, cannot speak or eat and is house-bound in Bangkok, Thailand

Ms Yoo, who is pictured left in May and right just a month later, said: 'Now this feels like dying, it's a painful torment and I have seizures all the time'

Ms Yoo has undergone around ten doses of chemotherapy but the cancer has not responded well-enough to be halted or pushed back into remission.

Surgery has also been ruled out early on by doctors and specialists in Seoul, South Korea who felt that it would not possible.

Ms Yoo added: 'I want help for my parents as they have to take so much time to look after me. Now they should be enjoying life and retiring, I do not want to be a burden on them.'
A mother beat cancer after doctors removed a deadly 'alien shaped' tumour from her stomach.

Jaime Nielsen-Lockhart, 41, from British Columbia, Canada, dismissed her symptoms, including, sickness and bloating, as signs she could be pre-menopausal.

It wasn't until a year later, when she felt a large mass drop in her stomach that she had an ultrasound scan which revealed a deadly ovarian tumour.

The melon-sized mass was so heavy she felt like she was 'pregnant' and had to carry it while walking.

Ms Nielsen-Lockhart had a hysterectomy to remove the large cancerous lump and two months ago she was given the all clear.

Ms Nielsen-Lockhart said the tumour was so heavy it felt like she was pregnant

Doctors removed a melon-sized tumour which had grown into a whopping 20 by 10-inch mass

Ms Nielsen-Lockhart, a former office worker, said: 'When I was told I had cancer I could barely believe it, it didn't sink in until I balled my eyes out for an hour.

'At its biggest the mass was so heavy it felt like I was pregnant.

'I was in pain when standing and had to hold my stomach with two hands whenever I moved.

'After it was removed the tumour looked like a giant alien lump and was the weirdest looking thing I've ever seen.

'I couldn't believe that thing was growing inside of me, I let it go on for so long and should have had gone to the doctors sooner.'

Ms Nielsen-Lockhart, pictured with son Jacob, says she feels lucky to be alive after her ordeal

'I just put it down to pre-menopause'

Ms Nielsen-Lockhart originally dismissed her bad health, believing instead that she was pre-menopausal.

She said: 'For a year before my diagnosis, I was throwing up all the time and I was constantly sick.

'I was in pain, my stomach was bloated and swollen, I felt bad. It was like having my period apart from bruising on my torso that I could never explain.

'I wasn't eating a lot so couldn't figure out why my stomach was so large and not shrinking, but I just put it down to pre-menopause and my metabolism slowing.

'I put it down to every other explanation rather than going to the doctors.

'Until one day, when I felt something in my stomach drop, it was very weird, I knew something was wrong.

The large tumour was pushing on her ureter

Full hysterectomy

Ms Nielsen-Lockhart was diagnosed with a large ovarian cyst on her third ultrasound, after doctors previously struggled to scan her.

She added: 'I could see the worry on my doctor's face, she sent me for another ultrasound and when scanning my upper-abdomen they realised there was a large tumour pushing my ureter.'

By the time the tumour was removed it had grown into a whopping 20 by 10-inch mass.

She had a full total abdominal hysterectomy in a bid to stop the deadly cells from spreading.

Warning to others

Ms Nielsen-Lockhart is now highlighting symptoms of ovarian cancer she suffered with to warn others.

Jaime said: 'When I was told I was cancer free I went numb, I couldn't believe it and started crying, it didn't seem real that it was finally over.

'It was the scariest thing I've been through in my entire life, even though I'm cancer-free now, it took a while to sink in it seemed to be over too easily.

'I was so lucky, I didn't need to have chemotherapy or other treatment and things could have gotten a lot worse.

'I advise anyone with any concerns to go and get them checked out immediately, it's better to be safe than sorry, this is your life and you have to take your health seriously.'

Fundraising appeal

The single mother wants to move closer to her son Jacob

Ms Nielsen-Lockhart, who is a single mother, has been fundraising to help pay-off her medical expenses and has sold most of her belongings to help her move closer to her son Jacob, 15, who lives more than 70 miles away.

She said: 'Being a single mom I had no one to rely on or to help me financially, so I have struggled to pay-off my medical expenses.

'Cancer changed my mind about a lot of things, my life flashed before me and I realised I'd been cherishing all the wrong things in my life.

'I'm also fundraising to move closer to him, life is way too short not to be with the people you love.'

To donate towards Ms Nielsen-Lockhart's medical fund visit here.
Advertisement

Overall opioid prescription rates have been falling in recent years, a new CDC report reveals.

However, experts warn the rate is still triple what it was in 1999 - a pockets of the US have seen an increase in sales of powerful drugs in the last few years.

The amount of opioids prescribed fell 18 percent between 2010 - the 'trigger year' of the addiction epidemic - and 2015.

But researchers found local differences, with opioid prescribing six times higher in some counties than others.

The report was released on Thursday, a day before the FDA banned its first ever prescription painkiller over concerns it is fueling addiction in patients.

The amount of opioids prescribed fell 18 percent between 2010 and 2015. But the rate remains triple what it was in 1999, and researchers found the rate is six times higher in some counties than others. Pictured: the CDC report released on Thursday

PRESCRIPTION DRUG PULLED FROM THE MARKET TODAY On Friday, a drugmaker officially pulled a narcotic painkiller from the market, after it was blamed for an outbreak of HIV, hepatitis C and drug overdoses in the Midwest. Endo Pharmaceuticals received an official warning from the FDA last month to remove Opana ER from the market. Today, the company complied. It is the first time US regulators have asked for a firm to discontinue an opioid painkiller. Opana ER was first approved in 2006 to treat moderate-to-severe pain for an extended period of time. In 2012, amid fears of addiction, Endo released a reformulated, extended-release version, which was meant to be an abuse-resistant drug. The new version was designed in such a way that it would be more difficult to inject or snort it. However, while the new product met the regulatory standards for approval, the FDA said that the data was not enough to show that it could meaningfully reduce abuse, and refused to let the company to market it as non-addictive. Now, regulators say all the evidence they have collected in the five years since shows the reformulated version still carries a very high risk of addiction and abuse. Advertisement

Rates vary 'as much from place to place as the weather,' said Dr. Anne Schuchat, acting director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

It's the latest to show a decline in opioid prescribing as regulators and others have pushed doctors to cut back on issuing narcotic painkillers.

The CDC last year issued the first guidelines to doctors aimed at discouraging prescribing opioids except in cases where they are most needed, like cancer and end-of-life care.

Prescription opioids are behind the deadliest drug overdose epidemic in U.S. history. More than 52,000 Americans died of overdoses in 2015 - an all-time record - and experts believe the numbers have continued to rise.

More and more overdose deaths are from heroin and illicit fentanyl, but the epidemic was triggered by an explosion in prescriptions of powerful painkillers that began about 20 years ago.

The new CDC report analyzed prescriptions from 59,000 pharmacies around the country collected by QuintilesIMS, a pharmaceutical analytics company.

Because opioids come in different strengths, researchers came up with a standard measure to account for all kinds of opioids by comparing to morphine, one of the oldest opioids that's not as powerful as some of the painkillers prescribed today.

Overall, the amount of opioids prescribed nationally peaked at the equivalent of 782 milligrams of morphine per person in 2010 and fell to 640 in 2015.

That's an improvement, but it's still three times higher than it was in 1999, Schuchat said.

Prescribing declined in about half of U.S. counties between 2010 and 2015, but rose in many others. Closing pill mills and other factors may have shifted rates from place to place, researchers said.

State policies designed to cut opioid prescribing may have also played a role. For example, Ohio, Kentucky and Florida require doctors to check a drug history database before prescribing opioids to patients, the CDC said.

The report's data reflect where people got their prescriptions and not necessarily where they live.

Higher prescribing rates were seen in counties with more medical offices and pharmacies, sometimes serving surrounding rural areas.

Rates also seemed to be high in places with concentrations of people who are white, unemployed, and without health insurance or on Medicaid.

On Friday, a drugmaker officially pulled a narcotic painkiller from the market, after it was blamed for an outbreak of HIV, hepatitis C and drug overdoses in the Midwest.

WHAT HAPPENS IN A DRUG OVERDOSE? An overdose shortens breath and weakens the pulse. It turns lips and fingertips blue and shrinks pupils to the size of a pinhead. It can cause drowsiness, disorientation, choking, vomiting, a gurgling sound known as the 'death rattle,' and, eventually, a loss of consciousness. Death occurs when the brain stops sending the signals that make breathing automatic. Symptoms can kick in within minutes or hours, depending on the strength of the opioid and the user's tolerance. Highly potent batches of heroin, some mixed with the powerful anesthetic fentanyl, can accelerate the timeline. Advertisement

Endo Pharmaceuticals received an official warning from the FDA last month to remove Opana ER from the market. Today, the company complied.

It is the first time US regulators have asked for a firm to discontinue an opioid painkiller.

Opana ER was first approved in 2006 to treat moderate-to-severe pain for an extended period of time.

In 2012, amid fears of addiction, Endo released a reformulated, extended-release version, which was meant to be an abuse-resistant drug.

The new version was designed in such a way that it would be more difficult to inject or snort it.

However, while the new product met the regulatory standards for approval, the FDA said that the data was not enough to show that it could meaningfully reduce abuse, and refused to let the company to market it as non-addictive.

Now, regulators say all the evidence they have collected in the five years since shows the reformulated version still carries a very high risk of addiction and abuse.

The FDA says it has seen a 'significant shift' from people crushing and snorting Opana ER to get high to injecting it.

Abuse of Opana ER was blamed for a 2015 outbreak of HIV and hepatitis C in southern Indiana linked to sharing needles.

The move comes three months after an FDA advisory committee meeting, in which a group of independent experts voted 18-8 that the benefits of reformulated Opana ER no longer outweigh its risks.

It comes at a crucial point in the country's drug addiction crisis: new figures released this week by the New York Times revealed drug overdoses are now the leading cause of death in American adults under 50.

The data, published in a special report by the Times' Josh Katz, lays bare the bleak state of America's opioid addiction crisis fueled by deadly manufactured drugs like fentanyl.

The figures are based on preliminary data, which will form part of an official report by the CDC later this year.

Experts warn a key factor of the surge in deaths is fentanyl, which can be 50 times more powerful than heroin.

The Times said its data showed between 59,000 and 65,000 people could have died from overdoses in 2016, up from 52,404 in 2015, and double the death rate a decade ago.

'And all evidence suggests the problem has continued to worsen in 2017,' the Times said.
A simple bladder cancer test developed by scientists can accurately predict the return of the disease for 80 per cent of patients.

Researchers have developed a machine that can quickly measure levels of a faulty protein in human urine known as TERT.

People with bladder cancer often have high levels of TERT in their urine, and detecting the protein before the disease takes hold could lead to earlier treatment.

The current standard method used by, called cytology, can detect the return of bladder cancer for just 34 per cent of patients.

Bladder cancer is the seventh most common cancer in the UK, with more than 10,400 news cases diagnosed every year.

A simple bladder cancer test developed by scientists can accurately predict the return of the disease for 80 per cent of patients

E-CIGS TRIGGER BLADDER CANCER The rise in e-cigarette popularity has previously been praised for helping nicotine addicts to quit their smoking habit - yet the debate about their long-term effects rages on. So-called vaping triggers cancer-related bladder tissue damage, a new study reveals, causing researchers to warn e-cigarette users that they may be putting themselves at risk of the condition. Some 92 percent of e-cigarette users' urine tested positive for two of the five compounds linked to bladder cancer, the research found. The finding contradicts a recent study that claimed e-cigarettes do not cause cancer at any nicotine dose. More than 9 million adults in the US and around 2.9 million in the UK use e-cigarettes. Advertisement

What did they study find?

For the study, researchers tested the urine of 348 bladder cancer patients to look for the presence of TERT.

The researchers found that the presence of TERT could accurately predict the presence of the disease for 80 per cent of people.

And the test could detect cancers that had not yet spread to the muscle wall of the bladder, which could help doctors to diagnose the disease and start treatment earlier.

Professor Alain Ruffion, a researcher based at the University Hospital of Lyon's Oncology Institute, said: 'The standard cytology test needs a doctor to look down a microscope to read the results, but the TERT test is read by a machine which is simpler, more accurate and available to use straightaway.

'While the TERT test costs slightly more than standard cytology, it is likely to become cheaper over time.'

'The fact that the test doesn't react to urinary tract infections is very interesting because it shows that it is robust and unlikely to give misleading results.'

Bladder cancer is the seventh most common cancer in the UK, with more than 10,400 news cases diagnosed every year

A new 'warning system' for bladder cancer

The test was also better at distinguishing between bladder cancer and urinary tract infections.

And the discovery also suggests that further research is needed to understand how the presence of TERT could the risk of cancer.

Anna Perman, senior science information manager at Cancer Research UK, said: 'This promising study suggests a new and more accurate early warning system to detect whether bladder cancers are likely to return.

Larger trials are now needed to see if this information could help more people survive by catching bladder cancer's return at its earliest stage.'
China has warned that the withdrawal of Indian troops from disputed territory was a precondition for peace as tensions continue to rise over a border row between the two Asian powers.

Indian and Chinese troops are reportedly facing off on a section of land high in the Himalayas near what is known as the trijunction, where Tibet, India and Bhutan meet.

China has alleged that the Indian troops are on its soil, but both Bhutan and India say the area in question is Bhutanese territory.

India and China have vied for influence in South Asia, with Beijing ploughing large sums into infrastructure projects in Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh

India, which has a military presence in Bhutan, says its troops approached a Chinese army unit that entered the Doklam area of the Himalayan nation on June 16 and tried to build a road.

China's ambassador to New Delhi, Luo Zhaohui, said Indian troops should 'unconditionally pull back to the Indian side'.

'The Chinese government is very clear that it wants peaceful resolution at current state of the situation, for which withdrawal of Indian troops from the area is a pre-condition,' he told the Press Trust of India (PTI) news agency late Tuesday.

Members of Swadeshi Jagaran Manch during a protest against China near Chinese embassy in New Delhi

Chinese and Indian troops pictured at the Nathu La border crossing between the two countries

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said Beijing has 'repeatedly made such requests'.

'If the Indian side refuses to correct its mistakes in a timely fashion, how is it supposed to win the trust of its neighbors?' Geng asked at a regular press briefing.

Bhutan, one of the world's smallest countries, has said the construction of a road on its territory is 'a direct violation' of agreements with China.

'Bhutan hopes that the status quo in the Doklam area will be maintained as before 16 June 2017,' its foreign ministry said in a statement last week.

Bhutan has no formal diplomatic relations with China and is closely allied with India.

The row comes as India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi prepares to meet with China's President Xi Jinping at the G20 summit in Germany this week.

India and China's ties have been dogged by mistrust stemming from a brief but bloody war in 1962 over Arunachal Pradesh which has a large ethnic Tibetan population

A paper released by China shows just how close Indian and Chinese troops are positioned

Indian and Chinese troops meet at the border (file pic)

China and India have a number of border disputes, although the section of the frontier that runs along the northeastern state of Sikkim, near where the current stand-off is taking place, is generally regarded as stable.

In 2014, hundreds of Indian and Chinese troops faced off on the de facto border known as the Line of Actual Control that runs along the northwest Indian region of Ladakh, overshadowing a visit by China's President Xi Jinping.

India and China have vied for influence in South Asia, with Beijing ploughing large sums into infrastructure projects in Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

But the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan has remained firmly within New Delhi's sphere of influence.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi continued his Middle Eastern charm offensive during the second day of his landmark visit to the Jewish state, Israel and India signed several agreements on further cooperation in the fields of technology, water and agriculture.

The cooperation marks a 'marriage made in heaven,' said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, speaking alongside his Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi.

The agreements are the centerpiece of Modi's three-day visit, which began Tuesday, to celebrate the 25 years of diplomatic relations and bring them even closer.

Israeli President Reuven Rivlin, right, shakes hand with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the president's official residence in Jerusalem on Wednesday

Israeli President Reuven Rivlin, right, meets with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the president's official residence in Jerusalem

Israel's President Reuven Rivlin, left, walks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a welcome ceremony in Jerusalem

The two leaders also said they discussed counter-terrorism and cyber-security cooperation between the two states.

'Our goal is to build a relationship that reflects our shared priorities and draws on enduring bonds between our peoples,' Modi said at the joint press conference.

During the Cold War, India didn't have open relations with Israel, leaning heavily in favor of the Palestinians. But over the past quarter century, the countries have developed close ties in high-tech and defense.

Apart from meetings with Netanyahu, Modi will hold talks with tech companies and the local community of Indian Jews. He also said Wednesday he would pay respects to Indian soldiers buried in Haifa who died fighting in the British Army during World War I.

The packed schedule also included a visit Tuesday to Israel's Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial, but no meetings with Palestinian officials have been planned.

Israel's President Reuven Rivlin, left, walks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a welcome ceremony in Jerusalem

Israel's President Reuven Rivlin watches Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi sign a guest book during a welcome ceremony in Jerusalem
China has long camouflaged offense as defence, in keeping with the ancient theorist Sun Tzu's advice that all warfare is 'based on deception.'

In the latest case of offense as defence, the Asian colossus has targeted one of the world's smallest nations, Bhutan, by seeking to build a strategic highway through Bhutanese-controlled territory just northeast of the Tibet-India-Bhutan tri-junction.

Yet in characteristically Chinese style, Beijing has played the victim.

India and China's ties have been dogged by mistrust stemming from a brief but bloody war in 1962 over Arunachal Pradesh which has a large ethnic Tibetan population

Blitzkrieg

To deflect attention from its aggression, it has blamed India for 'intruding' into its territory and triggering an ongoing troop stand-off.

It has also claimed that Bhutan's Doklam plateau, through which it sought to build the road, has been with China 'since ancient times.'

In truth, the People's Liberation Army unilaterally sought to change the status quo by chipping away at Bhutanese territory.

In the way China - without firing a single shot - has waged stealth wars to change the status quo in the South and East China seas, it has been making furtive encroachments across its Himalayan frontiers with the intent to expand its control meter by meter, kilometre by kilometre.

It has targeted strategic areas in particular. If its land grab is challenged, China tends to play the victim, including accusing the other side of making a dangerous provocation.

Stand-off Significantly, the standoff did not become public until June 26 when China released a complaint against India, just as Prime Minister Narendra Modi was about to begin discussions with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House

And to mask the real issue involved, it chooses to wage a furious propaganda war.

Both these elements have vividly been on display in the current troop standoff at the edge of the Chumbi Valley, which juts out as a dagger against India's Siliguri Corridor.

In recent years, China has been upgrading its military infrastructure and deployments in the highly strategic Chumbi Valley so that, in the event of a war, its military blitzkrieg can cut off India from its northeast.

Such an invasion would also leave Bhutan completely surrounded and at China's mercy.

Bhutan, with a population of only 750,000, shares some of its national defence responsibilities with India under a friendship treaty.

Chinese and Indian troops pictured at the Nathu La border crossing between the two countries

Indian troops, for example, assist the undersized Royal Bhutan Army in guarding the vulnerable portions of Bhutan's border with China.

Recently, after days of rising Sino-Indian tensions at the tri-junction, the People's Liberation Army on June 16 brought in heavy earth-moving equipment and began building the road through Doklam, whose name China has Sinicised as Donglong.

Indian troops intervened, leading to scuffles with PLA soldiers, with the ongoing standoff halting work at the 3,000- meter-high construction site.

Stand-off Significantly, the standoff did not become public until June 26 when China released a complaint against India, just as Prime Minister Narendra Modi was about to begin discussions with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House.

The statement - timed to cast a shadow over the Modi- Trump discussions - presented China as the victim by alleging that Indian troops had 'intruded' into 'China's Donglong region' and halted a legitimate construction activity.

Chinese President Xi Jinping walks past Russian honour guards during a welcoming ceremony upon his arrival at Moscow

This was followed by a frenzied Chinese public-relations blitzkrieg against India designed to obfuscate the real issue - the PLA's encroachment on Bhutanese territory.

For days, Chinese officials and state media fulminated against India over the troop stand-off but shied away from even mentioning Bhutan, until Thimphu publicly demanded a return to status quo ante.

Today, to mount pressure on India, China has cut off Indian pilgrims' historical access to a mountain-and-lake site in Tibet that is sacred to four faiths: Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and the indigenous religion of Tibet, Bon.

While Manasarovar is the world's highest-altitude freshwater lake, Mount Kailash - the world's legendary centre - is worshipped by believers as the abode of the planet's father and mother, the gods Shiva and Uma.

Encroachment

By arbitrarily halting the pilgrimages, Beijing is reminding New Delhi to review its Tibet policy.

India needs to subtly reopen Tibet as an outstanding issue in order to fend off Chinese pressure.

After all, China lays claim to Indian and Bhutanese territories on the basis of alleged Tibetan (not Han Chinese) links to them historically.

Chinese President Xi Jinping (right) shakes hands with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the G20 Summit

More specifically, Indian diplomacy needs to present the current standoff to the international community as an attempt by an expansionist and increasingly hubristic giant to gobble up a strategic region of a tiny nation.

The fact that the world's fourth largest country in area, after Russia, Canada and the U.S., is seeking to nibble away at the territory of teeny Bhutan speaks volumes about China's aggressive strategy of expansion.

India, as a guarantor of Bhutan's security, had no choice but to stop the encroachment.

Despite China's sustained psychological warfare against it, India cannot afford to back down.

The plain fact is that China, by waging stealth wars to change the status quo, is turning into a principle source of strategic instability in Asia.
MADISON  Gov. Scott Walker put forward what hes calling a reasonable proposal that would tap federal money and lower borrowing to pay for roads as he and Republicans who control the Legislature search for a budget deal.

Walkers proposal, sent to Republican legislative leaders on Wednesday and released to The Associated Press on Thursday, would not increase gas taxes or vehicle fees. That has been a key sticking point in the budget negotiations.

This is a reasonable proposal that allows the leadership in the Assembly and Senate  as well as taxpayers  to have significant wins on our major issues, Walker wrote. I respectfully ask that you share this proposal with the members of your caucuses.

Lawmakers have struggled to reach a deal on how to plug a nearly $1 billion transportation funding shortfall, leading to a delay in passage of a new two-year spending plan beyond the June 30 deadline. Current spending levels remain in place while the stalemate continues.

Walker proposed in the letter to Assembly Speaker Robin Vos and Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald to lower borrowing to pay for roads by $200 million without affecting ongoing road work. He said that could be done through cost savings, an improved fund-balance and other cost savings.

Walker also proposed an unspecified amount of contingency borrowing linked to additional federal money to pay for keeping southeast Wisconsin mega-interstate projects on track. The projects cited by Walker are the Interstate 94 expansion from the Illinois border to Milwaukee North/South, the Milwaukee Zoo Interchange and the I-94 east-west expansion.

Walker said Wisconsin is well positioned to qualify for additional federal money to help support borrowing for those projects. His letter to lawmakers did not spell out how much federal money may be available.

Walker wrote that reducing borrowing is a win for Assembly Republicans who have objected to $850 million in bonding, and not raising gas taxes or vehicle fees is a victory for Senate Republicans who are against those ideas.

Senate Republicans were meeting privately Thursday to discuss the budget. Fitzgerald said prior to the meeting that Republicans remained opposed to higher gas taxes or vehicle fees, but would be discussing possibly lowering the level of borrowing. Fitzgerald did not mention Walkers letter and spoke to the AP before the governors proposal became public.

Vos said in a telephone interview that Walker was showing movement with his offer, but Vos still remains concerned about the level of borrowing being proposed. Vos said he was patiently waiting for Senate Republicans to respond.

I continue to remain optimistic that Republicans can focus on the core value we all hold that its not conservative to borrow and spend, Vos said.

Five conservative senators last week rejected an Assembly proposal to increase fees on semitrailers to raise $250 million over two years. Fitzgerald reiterated Thursday that that idea was dead. Various business and transportation groups have also come out against the fee increase, leading Vos to ask them to come up with alternatives by Monday.

Fitzgerald said that didnt make sense to me given that those groups, including the state chamber of commerce, are supportive of a gas tax increase. Senate Republicans and Walker are against that.

Walker has been governor with full Republican control of the Legislature since 2011, and all three prior budgets were completed faster than this one. The first two were done in June. In 2015, the Legislatures budget committee passed the plan on July 3, and it won full legislative approval six days later.

In addition to roads funding, Republicans are still negotiating how much to allow income limits to increase for participants in the statewide private school voucher plan and various tax code changes, including possible reduction or elimination of the personal property tax paid by businesses.
Security forces using pellet guns to disperse crowds of stone-throwing young protesters in the Indian-ruled region of Himalayan Kashmir have killed more than 100 people, blinding hundreds and maiming thousands over the past year.

The protests have unleashed a political crisis in the state of Jammu and Kashmir, governed for the first time by a regional party in coalition with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party, which draws support from India's Hindu majority.

The clashes, sparked by the killing of separatist militant Burhan Wani by security forces on July 8 last year, have recently spread to college campuses and schools.

Stone pelters clash with police during disturbances in Srinagar, Kashmir

A stone pelter throws a tear gas canister back at police during disturbances in Srinagar, Kashmir

Burhan Wani was shot dead by security forces on July 8 last year

The militants are drawing a new generation into a decades-old struggle for 'azaadi', or independence, for India's only Muslim-majority region, which is also claimed by neighbouring Pakistan.

'If I get a weapon, I am ready to join the militancy - but for the time being, the stone is our weapon,' said one 23-year-old student, who asked not to be identified.

He is one among many young men in the state's summer capital of Srinagar who find themselves fighting street battles, slinging stones at pellet gun-wielding police officers from their own communities, and even their own families.

A stone pelter poses in an orchard near Srinagar, Kashmir

Twenty-five-year-old police officer who asked to remain anonymous, poses for a portrait

'My father is in the police, posted in Srinagar,' the protester added. 'He used to tell me to join the police, but now he does not insist.'

Slender employment prospects prompt many residents of Srinagar to join the police force.

'I am the son of a farmer and joined the police as I had no job,' said one 25-year-old officer.

'We are part of the same society, and using force against children is very difficult for us. We try to exercise maximum restraint - that is why we get injured.'

Burhan Wani was shot dead by security forces on July 8 last year. Wani's death plunged Kashmir into turmoil, with it yet to emerge from the unrest

A combination picture shows a 23-year-old police officer (L) and a 23-year-old student and stone pelter who both asked to remain anonymous, as they pose for portraits

Pellet guns are intended not to be lethal, but their use by India's security forces has caused severe injuries and the deaths of several bystanders, women and children among them.

Human rights groups have urged India to renounce their use, calling it a violation of United Nations' principles of restraint.

Militant gunmen have killed police officers in their own homes in a wave of fatal attacks in recent months.

Hospital authorities in Srinagar say they have seen a steady stream of injured civilians since July and treated more than 1,000 for 'horrific' eye injuries

Eighteen-year-old student and stone pelter, who asked to remain anonymous, poses for a portrait

Some protesters rebel not only against Indian rule, but also against their parents. Each wave of street protests - the last were in 2008 and 2010 - radicalises a new wave of young people.

'I was hit by pellets during stone pelting,' said one 20-year-old student. 'I have 80 percent vision in my right eye now, but if I get a chance, I can pick up a gun.'

India and Pakistan have fought two of their three wars since independence in 1947 over Kashmir, which each claims in full but rules only in part.

The militants are drawing a new generation into a decades-old struggle for 'azaadi', or independence, for India's only Muslim-majority region
Prime Minister Narendra Modi sought a quick pull-aside meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the today's meeting of BRICS leaders despite hard-hitting statements from Beijing and the ruling out of any bilateral talks between India and China on the issue.

The warm handshake, which took everyone by surprise was the first engagement for the two leaders on Friday.

Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Gopal Baglay put out a photo of the two leaders and a short statement which read, 'At the BRICS leaders' informal gathering in Hamburg hosted by China, PM Narendra Modi and President Xi had a conversation on a range of issues'.

The on-going stand-off between India and China at the Doklam plateau was triggered by a Chinese manoeuvre on the night of June 8

Mail Today learnt that the range of issues included the current ensuing crisis at the border.

This is an initiative by the political leadership to bring down rising temperatures at the border and return to normalcy in engaging each other on the issue of boundary dispute between India and China.

Prime Minister Modi and President Xi Jinping praised each other at the BRICS bloc informal gathering where the Indian Prime Minister mentioned that BRICS has been a strong voice and needs to show leadership on terrorism and global economy.

Mail Today learnt that the range of issues included the current ensuing crisis at the border (file pic)

He stressed that 'G20 should collectively oppose terrorism financing, franchises, safe havens, support and sponsors.'

The Chinese leader, who presided over the meeting, also called on the BRICS countries to 'push for peaceful settlement of regional conflicts and disputes, and to consolidate the role of the G20 mechanism as the premier platform for international economic cooperation.'

The informal meeting and the message of peaceful settlement by the Chinese President indicate a thaw in the cold vibes that either side has been giving out in the past few weeks.

A platoon of China's Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) is said to have stealthily moved into the plateau and razed stone bunkers that the Royal Bhutan Army (file pic)

It was amid heightened tensions between these two Asian giants that day one of the summit kicked off.

But Modi was focused on raising the issue of terror at all levels, and also the issue of trade and climate change.

Members of Swadeshi Jagaran Manch during a protest against China near Chinese embassy in New Delhi

India was unanimously chosen as the lead speaker at the G20 Leaders' Retreat where Modi raised the issue of regional and global terrorism.

He thanked German Chancellor Merkel for choosing 'counter terrorism' as the topic for this year's retreat, emphasising that 'terrorism is the most important challenge in today's world'.

He likened Pakistan-based terror groups to the Islamic State terror organisations, saying the 'ideology remains the same'. Modi said, 'Daesh, Al-Qaeda in the Middle East, Lashkar-e- Toiba, Jaish-e-Mohammad and the Haqqani network in South Asia and Boko Haram in Nigeria are a few names of terrorist networks.

Their ideology remains the same, hatred and killing of the innocent'. Modi will hold bilateral meetings with leaders of Japan and Canada.

He is further scheduled to hold bilateral meetings with the leadership of Argentina, Italy, Mexico, ROK (Republic of Korea), the UK and Vietnam.
In a world with real and virtual dangers, the Army needs more personnel who can do than those who can teach.

So, around 5,000 men currently in education within the force could be turned into deadly warriors in the cyberspace or used for flying surveillance drones along the borders with Pakistan or China.

The three services are considering a proposal in this regard by a government panel.

Around 5,000 men in education in the force could be turned into deadly warriors

The recommendation has come from a committee formed under retired Lt Gen DB Shekatkar, which feels that the closure of the Army Education Corps can help in 'saving of approximately 5,000 personnel including 370 officers who can be redeployed for futuristic core activities of the combat units.'

'The AEC should be closed as a Corps over the next five years and its existing manpower should be re-oriented and re-skilled to form part of the cyber warriors, various electronic surveillance and intelligence as well as electronic warfare unit or trained as Unmanned Aerial vehicle operators,' the committee has recommended in its report to the government.

Mail Today reported in March that the defence ministry is working towards establishing a new cyber agency to tackle attempts by Chinese and Pakistani hackers to break into its systems and networks in a bid to enhance India's combat capabilities in the virtual domain.

The Shekatkar committee has also told the government that the existing facilities of the Army Education Corps with its centre at tourist destination Panchmarhi and the other infrastructure can be utilised optimally by the force for carrying out other activities.

Mail Today reported in March that the defence ministry is working towards establishing a new cyber agency to tackle attempts by Chinese and Pakistani hackers

The AEC has been involved in tasks such as managing human resources, regional language training, school administration, map craft, library, personality development, enhancement of educational qualification of Army soldiers and English language training for military personnel from friendly foreign countries.

The Shekatkar committee was formed by the Modi government in May 2016 to suggest ways of 'Enhancing Combat Capability and Rebalancing Defence Expenditure' as a need was felt by the government for more integration among the services.

The recommendation comed from a committee led by Lt Gen DB Shekatkar (file pic)

The eleven-member panel had retired officers including former DGMOs who went through all the existing organisations of the three services and, after interacting with them, submitted its report to the defence ministry in December last year.

The ministry has now cleared most of the recommendations and sent them to the services to study them before implementation and the three chiefs have met under chairman of the chiefs of staff committee Admiral Sunil Lanba to discuss the issue.

On the reasons behind the proposal of disbanding the education corps, an Army official said when the AEC was formed during the British times almost 100 years ago, most of the soldiers joining from rural areas were not educated adequately and needed to be taught.

Now there is no such requirement as all the recruits come after proper schooling and passing class 12.

'Nowadays, if you need to educate your personnel on some topic or course, that can be outsourced to private or public sector agencies,' the official added. In the recent past, for teaching Mandarin to its troops, the Army tied up with renowned institutions such as the Shantiniketan in West Bengal and is also using software for this purpose, said the official.

Around 5,000 men currently in education within the force could be turned into deadly warriors in the cyberspace or used for flying surveillance drones along the borders

The other major recommendations of the Shektakar committee include the formation of a new four-star officer for handling tri-services issues, increasing the retirement age of jawans in combat units, integration in the field of gathering military intelligence and combined use of logistics facilities.

Around Rs 25,000 crore is expected to be saved if the panel's proposals to revamp military expenditure are implemented.

The committee has also suggested the establishment of a joint services war college for training middle-level officers.
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RJD Supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav

After Income Tax (I-T) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) another central agency  CBI has begun crackdown against benami property allegedly belonging to Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad.

It has also filed corruption case against his wife Rabri Devi and son Tejaswi Prasad Yadav, along with five others in the alleged land scam.

Lalu's entire family has been under the scanner of different investigating agencies for allegedly amassing properties in prime locations of Patna and Delhi, undervaluing the rates.

The allegations have surfaced over the last two months.

Mail Today was first to report that central agencies had brought all the contracts and tenders cleared by then rail minister Lalu Prasad, under its lens while probing a benami assets case worth Rs 1,000 crore.

These contracts came under scanner to check the source of money which was pumped in to buy properties.

Interestingly, LARA (Lalu-Rabri) project is at the center of the alleged scam, in which half of their clan is a part of the business.

At later stage sons Tejashwi and Tej Pratap and daughter Ragini and Chanda took part.

CBI started search at 7am, starting from Rabri Devi's Circular Road residence in Patna to 12 other locations in Patna, Ranchi, Gurgaon and Bhubaneswar.

Lalu's confidant Prem Chand Gupta, whose wife Sarla Gupta is listed as an accused in the FIR, has also been raided.

Others named in the FIR include Vijay Kochhar, Vinay Kochhar (directors of Sujata Hotels), Delight Marketing company, now known as Lara Projects, and then IRCTC MD P K Goel.

It is alleged that Lalu Yadav as the railway minister, handed over maintenance of two railway hotels to a company after having been bribed a prime land in Patna through a benami company owned by Sarla Gupta.

The FIR was registered on July 5 in connection with alleged favours extended to Sujata Hotels in awarding a contract for the upkeep of the hotels in Ranchi and Puri and receiving premium land as a 'quid pro quo', says CBI.

Briefing the media, CBI additional director Rakesh Asthana said the criminal conspiracy spanned from 2004 to 2014, during which the tender process was 'rigged' in favour of Sujata Hotels.

'In return, the owners of Sujata Hotel gave 3 acre land in western Patna to Delight Marketing (close to the Yadav family) at a very low cost.

Between 2010 to 2014, this land was transferred to Lara Projects, owned lalu's family,' he said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has just finished his much successful Israel visit. His trip can be described in a single line: He came, he saw, he conquered!

This, however, was expected, given his good rapport with the Israeli counterpart, Benjamin Netanyahu.

In contrast, his US visit was a tough one, and what he achieved there was momentous.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi left, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

Sceptics

Silencing doomsday sayers and disproving sceptics, PM Modi struck an instant rapport with US President Donald Trump who has earned the reputation of being disruptive at home and disconcerting abroad and about whom the only predictable thing is his unpredictability.

The comfort level between the two leaders was for everyone to see at the joint press statement.

On June 25 at a leading TV channel, I told the anchor that judging the success of Modi's visit was simple: watch out if he hugs his host or not! And, I bet, he would. She was aghast! 'What! No way! Trump was not going to hug Modi.' She lost the bet. She wasn't alone, though.

Modi has developed his own unique technique to charm his counterparts: Japanese PM Shinzo Abe, former Canadian PM Stephen Harper, former Australian PM Tony Abbot, former British PM David Cameron, Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron.

Three years in his first term, Modi's magic hasn't dimmed; it has become headier and irresistible, as his US and Israeli visits show.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi greets members of the Indian contingent of United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon

The joint statement issued after Modi's latest visit to the US is crisp and covers all areas of mutual concerns. The menace of terrorism has been flagged and also the pledge to dismantle the terror infrastructure and safe havens.

Commitment of cooperation to fight outfits like al-Qaeda and ISIS has been reiterated. Pakistan has, again, been asked to bring the perpetrators of 26/11 and other attacks to book.

The Trump Administration's decision to designate Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin as a global terrorist is a welcome move which exposes Pakistan's links with terrorism.

But these statements will change nothing on the ground unless these are backed by concrete deterrent action.

Only punitive pressure against Pakistan will work. But with Afghanistan still on the boil, the US enjoys only limited leverage against Pakistan.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets with the 11-year-old Moshe Holtzberg, one of the survivors of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks

India will have to fight its own battles, though intelligence sharing about terrorists and cyber crimes will be crucial.

Much was made out about the lavish hospitality extended to Chinese President Xi Jinping at Trump's Mar a Lago resort in Florida last month. It appeared a U-turn in favour of China by Trump after his vicious anti-Chinese poll rhetoric.

Logically, it was a tactical step to pressure China to address the North Korean missile madness and bilateral trade issues.

Statement

The joint statement retains much of the Modi-Obama joint strategic vision but lays out more clearly expectations of China's adherence to 'a set of common principles for the region, according to which sovereignty and international laws are respected'.

Two leaders 'agreed that a close partnership between the US and India is central to the peace and stability in the region.'

The two leaders have alluded to possible negative pitfalls of China's ambitious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) launched last month.

While supporting regional economic connectivity, they expect 'transparent development of infrastructure and use of responsible debt financing, while ensuring respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, the rule of law, and the environment.'

It vindicates the raison d'etre for India's absence.

Trumps favours expansion and growth of bilateral trade, but it has to be free, fair and balanced, and must create jobs.

The joint statement talks of 'comprehensive review of trade relations with the goal of expediting regulatory processes; ensuring that technology and innovation are appropriately fostered, valued and protected and increasing market access in areas such as agriculture, IT and manufactured goods and services'.

The decisions to sell 22 Sea Guardian unmanned drones to India, SpiceJet's decision to buy 100 aircraft and announcements by Indian IT giants to hire more Americans seem to have temporarily doused Trump's criticism against India.

Sector

The energy sector offers prospects of closer cooperation and more jobs for the US if the export of 'natural gas, clean coal and renewable resources and technologies' do materialise.

The US can benefit further if it provides technologies for efficient use of fossil fuel, smart grids and energy storage.

The possibility of financing of clean coal projects by multilateral development banks will spare Trump from talking about the aid of billions of dollars to India (factually incorrect).

So, even after withdrawing from the Paris climate agreement, the US can contribute towards environment protection.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (R) welcomes Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi

India is slipping into a tighter American embrace as it agrees to work together on 'advanced defence equipment and technologies at a level commensurate with that of the closest allies and partners of the US'.

Maritime security cooperation and 'white shipping' data sharing arrangements are welcome developments.

The much-hyped H1B visa issue doesn't find a mention. It has been flagged through diplomatic, government and NASSSCOM channels.

Last week, I had suggested that 'cultivating Kushner and Ivanka was the shortest short-cut to Oval Office'.

The invitation to Ivanka to lead the US delegation at Global Entrepreneurs Conference in India and her acceptance suggest that I wasn't the only one thinking on those lines.

Inviting the US President to be the chief guest at the next Republic Day parade will be the true Trump card for Modi.
The protests at the G20 meeting in Hamburg remind the rest of us that there is a fragility to the world economy if a successful, prosperous and decent nation such as Germany can harbour such dissent.

But it is worth setting out, on the other side of the scale, the achievement of the G20 and its value to global society.

For a start, it gets the leaders of 80 per cent of the world economy together under one roof.

Until it was started in 1999, the main economic leadership group was the G7. That led to the justified criticism that the rich nations ran the show and that the emerging world was under-represented.

Police use pepper spray to remove a protester from the roof of an armoured car during g20 protests in Hamburg, Germany

Now, not only are the emerging countries much more important in economic terms, they are fully included in the governance of the world economy.

The BRICs  Brazil, Russia, India, China  are there, but so too are countries such as Indonesia, South Africa, Nigeria and Turkey, that are all important in different ways.

The emerging world is growing at roughly double the rate of the developed world, so its role will increase in the years ahead.

The second thing to note is that, under the governance of the G20, the size of the world economy has roughly doubled, while third, its leadership is becoming more evenly shared.

There has been a wall of condemnation about US policy, particularly over the environment and trade, since Donald Trump became president. Whether you think that is fair or not, it has at least nudged China towards more of an active diplomatic role.

Both China and Russia are aggressive in protecting their national interests, and the EU has deep protectionist instincts  as we are seeing now in its approach to Brexit.

But in practice the G20 countries are managing to patch up a reasonably free-trading system, and if the impetus to do so is no longer so dependent on the US then that must be a strength rather than a weakness.

None of this will impress the protesters. It is more fun to burn cars and smash shop windows. But all young Westerners should reflect on the fact that economic power has shifted away from the West and will shift further in the years ahead.

Tackling the cyber yobs

One of the specific areas where G20 co-operation must improve is fighting cyber-crime. In the past few days we have had attacks on a number of multinationals, including Reckitt Benckiser, makers of Nurofen and Durex, and Mondelez, owner of Cadbury.

It seems that the companies have, at best, lost sales, and, at worst, have had their security compromised and will takes weeks to recover fully.

It is an odd sort of crime, because the advantage is hard to see. When the infamous American felon Willie Sutton was asked why he robbed banks, he replied: 'That's where the money is.' But these attackers don't seem to want money. They just want to muck things up.

They seem to be operating from Ukraine, but it isn't clear whether there is a state role somewhere here. We do know two things.

One is that this is an international problem and it requires global support at a governmental level to tackle it. It is powerfully in the self-interest of the G20 nations to do so.

The other is that this has not received nearly enough attention at board level, perhaps because the boards of public companies are composed of people of a certain age who don't understand the gravity of what is happening. The attacks of the past week should change that.

Had a great fall. . .

You have heard about the Goldilocks economy, one that is growing at just the right rate  not too fast and not too slow.

That, supposedly, is where the world is at the moment.

Now Bank of America, bless them, have thrown into the pot a new character from our childhood tales, Humpty Dumpty. They think both shares and bonds are in for a big fall in in the autumn.

Before you get too alarmed, remember that in January last year the Royal Bank of Scotland warned that there would be a 'cataclysmic year' for shares and that investors should sell everything.

It turned out to be a duff year for RBS shares, but the market as a whole soared. But if the Humpty Dumpty scenario proves right, at least you have now read about it here.
Who are they? Established in 1997, AIM-listed Michelmersh Brick Holdings makes top-quality bricks used in buildings such as London's St Pancras International station, the Holiday Inn in Manchester, and high-value homes around the country.

What's the latest? The firm has come some way since the financial crisis, when it was forced to lay off staff and close down some operations.

Last month it announced the acquisition of family-owned Carlton Main Brickworks for 38.4million, which sent shares soaring 11 per cent.

The acquisition will increase Michelmersh's output by 40 per cent to more than 100million bricks a year, and will give the company access to new regional markets.

Who backs it? Chairman Eric Gadsden owns a 26.3 per cent share of the firm.

He founded the company in 1997 with Martin Warner  currently executive deputy chairman with a 6.3 per cent stake  and has spent all his working life in the construction industry.

Investment house Hosking Partners also has an 18.5 per cent stake, while fund managers Charles Stanley and Hargreaves Lansdown also own chunks.

Why should you invest? The recent decline in sterling has made importing bricks more expensive. Michelmersh has benefited because all of its manufacturing and distribution is in the UK.

With sterling likely to stay weak for some time, and Michelmersh increasing its share of the smaller end of the brick market, shares could go even higher than the 46.6 per cent they have already risen by this year.

...And why you shouldn't Broker Davy points out that while buying Carlton is big news for Michelmersh, it does little to change the fundamental dynamics of the UK brick market, which continues to be dominated by Ibstock, Forterra and Wienerberger.

'Michelmersh will add around 40 per cent to its production capacity but remains a distant number four in the brick sector with a market share of between 5 per cent-6 per cent', said Davy.
The rocket boosters were put on shares in British Gas owner Centrica yesterday amid rumours of a foreign takeover bid.

The energy firm saw 324.2million added to its value after website Wall Street Wire said it had attracted the interest of infrastructure investors from Kuwait, Singapore and Canada and a strategic buyer.

Centrica's shares rose by more than 4 per cent in early trading before finishing ahead by 2.9 per cent, or 5.8p, at 207.7p, despite analysts doubting the credibility of the rumours.

Barclays said a takeover of Centrica would be risky at the moment because of its weak earnings and profits, as well as the high chance of an energy price cap in the UK.

British Gas owner Centrica saw 324.2m added to its value after Wall Street Wire said it had attracted the interest of investors from Kuwait, Singapore and Canada and a strategic buyer

Likewise, broker Lazarus said it is unlikely Centrica would attract the interest of infrastructure investors because it has very little infrastructure across its mostly customer-facing business.

'We think it highly unlikely that an infrastructure fund would go near it, especially given the publicity it would attract at a time when the sector is under the political microscope,' said Lazarus.

But the firm was beaten to the top of the index by budget airline EasyJet, which took flight after being upgraded to 'outperform' from 'neutral' by analysts at Credit Suisse. Shares rose 5.4 per cent, or 72p, to 1419p.

Overall, the FTSE 100 rose 0.2 per cent, or 13.64 points, to 7350.92.

Martin Sorrell's advertising giant WPP was one of the index's biggest fallers after a downgrade from long-term fan Exane BNP Paribas.

The broker rated WPP as 'underperform', claiming it needs to evolve much faster than thought to keep up with 'nimbler brands'. Shares fell 2.6 per cent, or 41p, to 1569p.

STOCK WATCH - LIGHTWAVERF Tech firm LightwaveRF jumped 6 per cent after announcing a tie-up with tech giant Apple and its remote-control technology HomeKit. LightwaveRF makes devices that allow users to control things such as heating and security through an app. Customers will now be able to use iPads and iPhones to control their devices. Its products are already compatible with Googles Home and Amazons Alexa devices. Shares yesterday rose 6.3 per cent, or 1.5p, to 25.25p.

An upgrade from Barclays sent computer services group Computacenter to a 17-year high and the top of the FTSE 250.

Barclays gave the firm an 'overweight' rating from 'equal weight' claiming strong demand from Germany will make up for a stagnating UK market over the next three years. Shares rose 5 per cent, or 41.5p, to 879.5p.

Meanwhile, Nostrum Oil & Gas fell to the bottom of the mid-cap index after the price of the black stuff fell by more than 3.5 per cent.

Shares were down 3.8 per cent, or 18p, to 460p.

Oil and gas firm Highlands Natural Resources fell to its lowest value in more than a year after raising 2million by putting around 16.6million shares on the market at 12p each.

The money will be used to drill a well at the company's East Denver oil and gas project in Colorado.

Rather unusually, the placing was carried out via a service called Primary Bid, which allows investors to take part in private placings by AIM-listed companies usually reserved for institutional investors.

Highlands Natural Resources fell 15.7 per cent, or 2.38p, to 12.75p.

Shares in home emergency cover group Homeserve were off slightly after the boss of its Spanish arm cashed in on its strong performance of late.

Stephen Philips made 131,000 by selling 18,000 shares in Homeserve at 727.5p each, bringing his stake in the firm down to 0.03 per cent.

The company has been on the rise since early April, when it said full-year results were expected to be ahead of expectations as customers purchase more comprehensive cover.

Shares fell 0.7 per cent, or 5p, to 717p yesterday, but remain up 15.2 per cent for the year.

Troubled picture book publisher Quarto Group fell 2.6 per cent, or 4.5p, to 168p after the firm sold Books & Gifts Direct  its sales business in New Zealand  to retail group Etailer for 466,000.

The firm has struggled against a weak trading climate this year.
EARNINGS DIP Homeware retailer Dunelm is expected to report a fall in full-year profit after it flagged an 'uncertain consumer environment' and recorded falling sales.

It expects profit for the year to July 1 to come in between 109million and 111million  down from 128.9million reported last year.

Sales fell 2.4 per cent in the period. Shares rose 3.9 per cent, or 23p, to 620p.

VAN MAN Supermarket chain Morrisons has appointed Tony Van Kralingen, the chairman of Crown Commercial Services  a trading fund in the Government  as its non-executive director.

TOASTING SALES Strong rum and gin sales have boosted AIM-listed drinks firm Distil (up 23.2 per cent, or 0.58p, to 3.05p).

The company's revenues grew 61 per cent year-on-year in its first financial quarter, helped along by Easter promotional sales.

BELTING PROFITS Conveyor belt maker Fenner (up 8.2 per cent, or 23.75p, to 315p) has bumped up its profit expectations following strong sales to the medical industry.

PROBE DROPPED City of London Police have dropped an investigation into logistics firm DX Group.

Authorities began a probe into DX's exchange division last month on the back of an undisclosed allegation.

MEDIA DEAL Publisher Future, the owner of Total Film and Official Playstation Magazine, has bought rival Centaur Media's 32million Home Interest division, which includes the titles Period Living, Homebuilding and Renovating and Real Homes.

Shares climbed 11.2 per cent, or 28p, to 277p on the announcement.

POWER BIDWarren Buffett's investment vehicle Berkshire Hathaway has made a 6.9billion swoop for Texas power transmitter Oncor.

The multi-national will acquire parent company Energy Future, leading to the buyout of the Dallas-based electricity giant.
Forget 'smashed avocado on toast' or your other brunch favourites, the real reasons millennials can't afford to buy a house has now been revealed.

On its own, walking down to your local hipster cafe to buy a much needed coffee hit every day may not cost a lot - but when you add it all together, it starts to add up.

Particularly it seems, when spending that $3.50 on yourself often results in buying a coffee for a friend or colleague too, despite the fact they will never return the favour.

Australians spend an average $400 a year alone on buying coffee for others, new research shows (stock image)

New research has revealed just how much money Australians are wasting on others for favours they will never see returned, which could be impacting on their ability to afford a house deposit (stock image)

In fact, on average Australians spend $400 a year alone on buying coffee for others, while also splurging thousands on shouting our mate everything from holidays and drinks to Ubers - money that could be going towards a deposit on a home.

New research has revealed just how much money Australians are wasting on others for favours they will never see returned.

Close to half of all millennials find themselves up to $400 in debt from shouting lattes.

About 30 per cent never get paid back for buying dinner or drinks, while 16 per cent lose out paying for Ubers and taxis.

Emily Curlewis, a shopping expert for PayPal, told Daily Mail Australia the research is a sign of just how expensive modern day life can be.

'There's always that one person who avoids paying and it's causing friction between friends,' Ms Curlewis said.

Close to half of all millennials find themselves up to $400 in debt from shouting lattes, research finds (stock image)

In the wake of new research on spending habits, PayPal has launched an app aimed at making it easier to pay back your friends (stock image)

'Our research found that 60% of millennials have made an excuse for not paying their friends back, ranging from not having cash (29%) to just forgetting (28%) and not being able to find an ATM (10%).

'It's almost as if millennials are playing a game of hide-and-seek with their mates, and are constantly awkward about their debts.'

In the wake of the research, the money giant is urging people to use their app which they say is guaranteed to make it easier to pay back your friends.

Enabling friends or colleagues to request or pay funds in an instant, the Peer to Peer (P2P) app means owed money won't be forgotten about.

'Its about creating an experience that removes the tension we feel when we owe, and are owed, money,' Ms Curlewis said.

'With the PayPal apps P2P function, all you need is an email address or mobile number to quickly send the money you owe or request money owed to you.

'It makes it easy to avoid awkward conversations and pay back your friends.'

You can download PayPal's 'P2P app' here.
MADISON  With a half-dozen or so states reportedly in the running for a $10-billion Foxconn facility in the United States, Wisconsins chances of landing the plant are at least known: Its still a long shot, but possible.

Even if Wisconsin does not become a U.S. home for Foxconn, a Taiwanese company best known for assembling Apples iPhones, it has the right ingredients to attract similar firms. Thats important in an age when new-collar jobs offer a way up for workers with technology skills but little or no college education.

About two-thirds of American adults do not hold a college degree, which has left many in the cold as the number of traditional manufacturing jobs has declined  not only in the United States, but in Wisconsin, which has lost about 150,000 manufacturing jobs since 2000.

That doesnt mean those workers lack skills or the desire to rise and shine every business day. Many simply havent find the right fit in an economy that continues to transition, even as its grows.

A Foxconn plant in Wisconsin could potentially offer that kind of fit. If speculation is correct that Foxconn wants to build a display-making factory for electronic devices and television sets, the kinds of workers needed would be people accustomed to a manufacturing setting but armed with specific skills that dont always come with a college degree.

Wisconsins education system is getting better at producing those kinds of workers. Four-year degrees are still important for many people, but two-year degrees, certifications, apprenticeships and other skills-based training opportunities are opening doors for younger and older workers alike. It has begun to seep down into high schools and even middle schools, some of which are now home to fabrication laboratories  or Fab Labs  that offer students hands-on experience in technical areas sought by many businesses. In fact, Wisconsin has one of the largest concentration of Fab Labs outside Massachusetts, where the concept was born.

Researchers at LinkedIn, a business-oriented social media site, produce an annual ranking of hard skills most in demand. In 2016, the list was topped by cloud computing expertise, data mining and statistical analysis, smartphone app development, data storage engineering and management, user interface design and network security expertise.

By the way, the soft skills shopping list compiled by LinkedIn was headed by communication, curiosity, adaptability, teamwork, empathy, time management and open-mindedness. In other words, you might be a talented tech geek but you better come equipped with some social tools.

While many argue that Wisconsin has a looming worker shortage, many workers who are currently employed  meaning they may have the skills to move into skilled positions that dont necessarily require a college degree. Thats an attractive labor force, not only for Foxconn, but for other global companies that may expand in the United States.

Samsung has said it will open an appliance factory in South Carolina, LG will do the same in Tennessee, BMW is expanding a current plant in South Carolina and other companies such as Alibaba are also responding to changing market conditions as well as political pressure to invest in the United States.

Much of that political pressure is personified by President Trump, who was elected last fall on a wave of discontent tied to the loss of American jobs. Wisconsins vote was carried by Trump.

In addition to its workforce potential, Wisconsins advantages when seeking to attract a company along the lines of Foxconn include:

A manufacturing tradition that extends to electronic devices, equipment and components.

Existing global companies well-versed in the Internet of Things.

Strong academic research components tied to computer sciences and engineering. Of special interest to Foxconn chairman Terry Gou may be Wisconsins expertise in biotechnology and oncology, as he recently invested in a partnership to fight cancer. Wisconsin is home to one of the oldest and best-known National Cancer Institutes.

Logical plant sites are available and theres an infrastructure in place that would enable a company the size of Foxconn to deliver its products to market.

With a decision expected this summer, Wisconsin will know soon enough if it has wooed Foxconn. Either way, it will emerge ready for the next opportunity.
Starbucks is facing a boycott in Malaysia and Indonesia after hard-line Muslim groups complained about the international coffee chain's support of gay rights.

Malaysian group Perkasa, which campaigns for the rights of ethnic Malay Muslims, said it agreed with calls this week by Muhammadiyah, Indonesia's second-largest Muslim group, for a boycott of Starbucks over its pro-LGBT stand.

Perkasa also agreed with the Indonesian group's call for Starbucks' operating license to be revoked, it said.

Starbucks is facing a boycott in Malaysia and Indonesia after hard-line Muslim groups complained about the international coffee chain's support of gay rights (File photo)

Amini Amir Abdullah, who heads Perkasa's Islamic affairs bureau, said Starbucks' position challenged Malaysia's constitution, which recognised Islam as the country's official religion.

'Our objection is because they are promoting something that is against the human instinct, against human behaviour and against religion. That's why we are against it,' Amini said on Wednesday.

Muhammadiyah's call for a boycott has gained support from the Indonesian Ulema Council, its top clerical body.

The religious groups' opposition to Starbucks came after a video from 2013 circulated online of pro-LGBT comments made by the company's chairman and former chief executive, Howard Schultz.

In the video, Schultz said Starbucks embraced diversity and 'not every decision is an economic decision', in response to a shareholder who complained that the company had lost customers because of its support for gay marriage.

In a statement, a Starbucks spokesperson said: 'Though we are founded in the United States, we are a global company with over 300,000 partners and 26,000 stores in 75 markets around the world. In all countries where we do business, we are proud to be a part of the fabric of the local community, and we strive to be respectful of local customs and traditions while staying true to Starbucks long-standing values and purpose.'

Activists say intolerance of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people has spiked in recent years in Indonesia and Malaysia, both majority Muslim, multi-ethnic Southeast Asian countries.

PT Sari Coffee Indonesia, which holds the license to run the Starbucks chain in Indonesia, said in a statement it was not affiliated with any political or ideological groups.

The religious groups' opposition to Starbucks came after a video from 2013 circulated online of pro-LGBT comments made by the company's chairman and former chief executive, Howard Schultz (pictured)

'We are grateful and proud to have been a part of local communities in Indonesia for 15 years, always maintaining the deepest respect for, and adherence to, Indonesia's local laws, culture and beliefs,' said Fetty Kwartati, a director at PT MAP Boga Adiperkasa, the parent company of PT Sari Coffee Indonesia.

Some Muslims in Indonesia, however, said the boycott call would not stop them from buying Starbucks coffee.

'I love their products, not their CEO,' said Jakarta resident Kornelius Kamajaya.

The boycott call got a similar response from some in Malaysia.

'Don't make it such an issue that we have to boycott a company because of one small statement,' said Muhammad Azril Maridzuan, an assistant bank manager in Kuala Lumpur.

Muslim groups should not 'be so extremist' even though gay rights was against their religious beliefs, he said.
A little boy is facing a painful recovery after being set alight by his own mother.

Three-year-old Dong Mingshuo was left with burns across 40 per cent of his body after the horrifying incident in eastern China.

His mother, who was pregnant, had been angry with his father, so she poured gasoline over herself and her son before setting both of them on fire, according to media reports.

Dong Mingshuo, three, was set on fire by his mother six months ago at their home in east China

Nicknamed Shuoshuo, he was left with a serious 40 per cent burn all over his body

Shuoshuo's respiratory tract was badly burnt and had to rush to the hospital

His grandmother told reporters that her grandson could not fully bend his legs

Shuoshuo looked happy on a ride before the fire (left). He went to his house again after the fire that had burnt 40 per cent of his body (right)

Dong Mingshuo's father, Dong Jizhao, told Chinese news site Eastday that the incident happened at their home in a village in Bozhou, Anhui Province.

It took place on the third day of the Chinese New Year, January 30 .

Mr Dong said he did not have a good relationship with his wife as they always argued over financial problems.

His wife, who was six months pregnant at the time, took their son, nicknamed Shuoshuo, to his parents' house but left angrily after a row over money again.

The mother brought gasoline home with her and poured it all over the house, including herself and the three-year-old boy and set the place on fire.

The pair was sent to Bozhou No. 1 People's Hospital for treatment.

The mother suffered a second degree burn on 70 per cent of her body while Shuoshuo suffered 40 per cent on his body and a severe burn on his head.

The pregnant mother set herself and her son on fire, burning the house down in January 30

Dong Jizhao, his father (right), and his mother brought Shuoshuo to hospital every other day

The three-year-old underwent fingertip amputations on all his fingers after the incident

A charity foundation has set up a donation page for Shuoshuo to support his surgery

Dong borrowed nearly 700,000 yuan (79,489) from his relatives for the medical expenses of his wife and son.

But the family will need more for medicines and follow-up surgical operations.

Shuoshuo underwent surgery where 10 of his fingertips were amputated. He also had dermatoplasty on both of his legs.

Three months ago, the mother gave birth to a baby boy. Now Dong's mother is taking care of her two grandsons.

The grandmother told reporters that Shuoshuo cannot fully bend his legs and had to go through several operations for the burns on his face.

Pictures shows the three-year-old with bandages wrapped around his head and legs.

'Shuoshuo has to go to the hospital and change the wound dressing every other day. He felt his skin was tearing off every time he changed the dressing,' the grandmother cried as she told reporters.

Shuoshuo's news had caught attention from members of public. China Charities Aid Foundation for Children has set up a donation page for Shuoshuo.

The page has gathered over 63,000 yuan (7154) now, aiming to reach 1,200,000 yuan (136,267).

For confidential support call the Samaritans on 116123 or visit a local Samaritans branch, see www.samaritans.org for details.
Mildred Garcia, 35, of Pomfret, Connecticut, was fatally struck by a car on the evening of July 4 near her home

A car hit a woman and her 16-year-old son out looking for their missing dog, which was struck by a different car.

The woman was killed and her son was seriously injured in the tragic accident in Connecticut. The dog also died.

It happened Tuesday night on Route 44 in the town of Pomfret.

Police say 35-year-old Mildred Garcia had gone to look for the dog after it bolted from the family's home.

The dog was struck by a car in the road.

Moments later, Garcia was hit and fatally injured by another car. Her son, 16-year-old Xavier Cubi, suffered serious injuries.

No charges were immediately filed.

Cubi was rushed to Day Kimball Healthcare in Putnam with life-threatening head injuries, but he was discharged on Wednesday afternoon.

It is not known if he was transferred to another hospital or medical facility.

Garcia (seen in the center with two of her five children) was struck and killed by a car. Her son, Xavier Cubi, 16, who is not pictured, suffered life-threatening head injuries

State police identified the driver of the car that hit them as Scott DeAngelo of Bristol, Connecticut, according to The Hartford Courant.

Neither DeAngelo or the passenger in the car, who has yet to be identified, were injured, according to authorities.

Garcia's home is located on Mashamoquet Road (above). According to the Hartford Courant, the home is set far back from Route 44 and not visible from the street. It is the only house in the area and there are no streetlights where the accident occurred, the newspaper reported

Garcia's home is located on Mashamoquet Road.

State police identified the driver of the car that hit them as Scott DeAngelo of Bristol

According to the Courant, the home is set far back from Route 44 and not visible from the street.

It is the only house in the area and there are no streetlights where the accident occurred, the newspaper reported.

Jennifer Flanagan of Pomfret Center created a GoFundMe page to help raise money for Garcia's funeral and burial.

'There will be a long road of heartbreak and healing ahead for this family, especially the five children Mildred leaves behind,' Flanagan writes.

'This is only the first step. We, as a community can surround this family with love.

'Lets provide all the help that we can, and give them as much strength as they need.'
Georgios Lollias (pictured) admitted shooting the ginger stray, known as Strushie, with a crossbow

A Miami hotel worker has been arrested for the fatal shooting of a beloved neighborhood cat.

Georgios Lollias, 36, admitted shooting the ginger stray, known as Strushie, twice in the head with a crossbow outside the Franklin Hotel on April 26.

He has also been charged with tampering with evidence.

Police charged him with animal cruelty and tampering with evidence yesterday, the Miami Herald reported.

Miami Beach Police Chief Daniel Oates said: 'It is a great relief that we have found some level of justice for Strushie. This was a horrific act of animal cruelty.'

Lollias was caught when detectives managed to retrieve hotel surveillance footage that had been deleted.

The Secret Service's Electronic Crimes Task Force was reportedly drafted in to help recover the video.

It showed Lollias shooting at Strushie with a crossbow through the bushes and hitting the feline twice in the head.

Video courtesy of NBC Miami

Lollias was caught when detectives managed to retrieve hotel surveillance footage that had been deleted and showed Lollias shooting Strushie. A passerby found the stray, who was later euthanized because of his wounds

Strushie (pictured) was a frequent visitor to the Franklin Hotel and guests would regularly take pictures with him

A passerby found the stray, who was later euthanized because of his wounds.

Strushie was a frequent visitor to the Miami Beach hotel and guests would regularly take pictures with him.

His death sparked several online campaigns to track down his killer, including a change.org petition and a Justice for Strushie Facebook page.
China's equivalent of Ebay has been found selling dog meat on its site and since vowed to ban the sale of such meat.

Over 130 dog meat products were found online by animal protection group Animals Asia.

It comes just weeks after European supermarket giant Carrefour were found selling dog meat products in its Chinese stores.

The items were being sold under another name but were all said to be dog meat

It comes just weeks after Carrefour was found selling dog meat in its Chinese supermarkets

Taobao, the Chinese equivalent of Ebay banned the sale of dog meat in 2010

Taobao, the Chinese equivalent of Ebay had banned the sale of dog meat and bear bile from its site in 2010.

But after a new investigation by Animals Asia, it was revealed that the items were being sold under a different name which Taobao's automated protocols couldn't detect.

Animals Asia's Cat and Dog Welfare Director Irene Feng told MailOnline: 'Some cunning dealers were using fake names on their products. They hadn't listed them as dog meat but 'fragrant meat' and 'ground mutton' instead.

'Some online merchants even added 'say no to dog meat' to their product names, but were actually selling dog meat.'

Some online merchants even added 'say no to dog meat' to their product names

Chinas dog meat trade is estimated to be responsible for the deaths of 10 million canines a year

Taobao has since followed through on its promise made in June that it would remove all of the items on its site.

It has pulled around 130 items in total.

According to Feng further action will be taken: 'Every seller on Taobao has credit points. Each seller caught selling dog meat products was deducted 0.2 points for each individual product.

'Once a shop loses 12 points, they receive an official warning and restrictions are placed on their ability to use the marketplace. After 48 points they are banned from the platform. As most of the sellers caught selling dog meat were only selling a few products, we dont believe these sanctions have been brought against any retailers.'

Carrefour is a European brand that has many supermarket stores in China

The packaging on the meat clearly has the characters 'dog meat' on the front

Last month, European supermarket Carrefour was found selling dozens of dog meat items on its shelves. A petition has since been set up by Animals Asia to take the items off the shelves.

While last year two other food order platforms also banned the sale of dog meat, bear bile. bear paw and shark fins from their site.

In 2016, one of Chinas leading food order platforms ele.me made a similar move by banning the sale of dog meat, bear bile, bear paw, shark fin and a number of other wildlife products from their platform.

Chinas dog meat trade is estimated to be responsible for the deaths of 10 million canines a year across the entire country.

Taobao states in its guidelines that the sale of dog and cat meat is forbidden. There has been no statement from Taobao about the discovery by Animals Asia.
A year ago on Thursday, DaeAnne Faith was a four-year-old girl who watched from the back seat of the family car as her father was gunned down and killed by a police officer.

Now, at age five, the beaming smile that she flashed on the day her father was remembered in vigils and memorials made hearts melt once again.

Family and friends of Philando Castile on Thursday marked the one-year anniversary of his fatal shooting during a routine traffic stop, organizing vigils and celebrations and pushing to name a new police training fund in his memory.

Castile, a 32-year-old school cafeteria worker, was shot to death by St. Anthony police Officer Jeronimo Yanez last July 6, seconds after informing Yanez that he was carrying a gun.

Dae'Anne Faith (left), 5, is held by her mother Diamond Reynolds (right), the girlfriend of Philando Castile, during a gathering in Castile's honor in St. Paul, Minnesota on Thursday

DaeAnne Faith (seen right on Thursday) was a four-year-old girl who watched from the back seat of the family car as her father was gunned down and killed by a police officer

Dae'Anne and her mother are seen above on July 7, 2016 during a demonstration in front of the Governor's Mansion in St. Paul just a day after Castile was gunned down and killed

Valerie Castile, mother of Philando Castile, speaks during a news conference in St. Paul on Thursday

Castile's mother, uncle and other family members gathered with Democratic Gov. Mark Dayton (seen above embracing Valerie Castile) at the Capitol Thursday as they encouraged the state's police training board to name the recently created $12million training fund after Castile

A bouquet of flowers adorns the grave of Philando Castile on the one year anniversary of his death at Calvary Cemetery in St. Louis

Castile's death was the second high-profile fatal shooting of a black man by Minnesota police officers in less than a year and worsened a divide between law enforcement and the black community

Castile had a gun permit.

Yanez was acquitted of manslaughter last month after testifying that Castile ignored his commands not to pull out the gun.

It was the second high-profile fatal shooting of a black man by Minnesota police officers in less than a year and worsened a divide between law enforcement and the black community.

It followed the November 2015 death of 24-year-old Jamar Clark, who was shot and killed by Minneapolis police officers after what onlookers described as a struggle.

Castile, a 32-year-old school cafeteria worker, was shot to death by St. Anthony police Officer Jeronimo Yanez last July 6, seconds after informing Yanez that he was carrying a gun

The shooting attracted nationwide attention because Reynolds livestreamed the aftermath of the event on Facebook

Reynolds was in the car with Castile and Dae'Anne when Yanez shot Castile dead. After the first shots were fired, Dae'Anne let herself out of the car (right), where a police officer was waiting

The officers involved in that shooting were not charged.

Castile's shooting drew immediate attention because his girlfriend, Diamond Reynolds, livestreamed the aftermath on Facebook.

She was in the car with her then-4-year-old daughter.

Castile's mother, uncle and other family members gathered with Democratic Gov. Mark Dayton at the Capitol Thursday as they encouraged the state's police training board to name the recently created $12million training fund after Castile.

His family members sounded both somber about his death and hopeful that such shootings can be prevented in the future.

'This is not about my son anymore,' said Valerie Castile, his mother.

'This is about the next generation of children.'

Minnesota's Legislature set aside $12million this year to help better train police officers in diverse communities, though it's up to the state's Peace Officer Standards and Training Board to formally name that fund.

The specifics of the training would be also be worked out by the board itself, in conjunction with individual departments.

After the shooting, an anguished Reynolds was handcuffed and placed in the backseat of a police car with Dae'Anne

The heartbreaking footage shows the four-year-old begging her mother to keep calm

Castile's family will have a say because Dayton appointed Clarence Castile, Philando Castile's uncle, to the 15-member board.

Dayton, who drew criticism last year for quickly suggesting Castile's race was a primary factor in his death, called it among the most traumatic events he has dealt with in his nearly seven years in office.

Yanez was acquitted of manslaughter last month after testifying that Castile ignored his commands not to pull out the gun

'I believe this is a very positive step forward to begin healing,' Dayton said Thursday.

'We have a responsibility, all of us who are in public service, to bring Minnesotans together.'

Castile's family members planned to gather Thursday evening in Falcon Heights, the suburb where he was shot, for what was billed as a day of love and healing.

It includes a candlelight vigil near the shooting scene. The family also planned a lantern release Friday night.

Reynolds was also hosting a memorial event Thursday afternoon in a St. Paul park

'It's been a nightmare waking up every day without him being there, having to explain to my daughter that he's not coming back, but he lives in her heart," she said in an interview with The Associated Press before the event.

'He's in heaven watching over her.'

She said her daughter, who could be seen consoling Reynolds in squad car video after the shooting, is 'doing great. She's a kid. She has a lot of energy.'
FILE - This undated file booking photo provided by the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office shows Aaron Saucedo. Saucedo, accused of carrying out nine serial killings in Phoenix, is scheduled to be arraigned Thursday, July 6, 2017, on nine murder charges. (Maricopa County Sheriff's Office via AP, File)

A former city bus driver pleaded not guilty Thursday to a string of nighttime serial killings of people outside their homes or sitting in cars, slayings that kept residents of a Phoenix neighborhood inside after dark.

Aaron Juan Saucedo, 23, dubbed the 'Serial Street Shooter' by authorities, has been charged with fatally shooting nine people and wounding two others during a nearly one-year period that ended in July 2016.

Defense attorneys kept Saucedo out of the courtroom after learning news cameras would be allowed.

The judge entered the pleas on his behalf.

Police accuse Saucedo of carrying out 12 shootings from August 2015 to July 2016.

Saucedo only knew his first victim - a man who was in a relationship with the suspect's mother and was shot outside the victim's home. In April, detectives investigating the death of 61-year-old Raul Romero arrested Saucedo.

Romero was killed in August 2015 at an apartment complex. He was dating Saucedo's mother at the time.

Police honed in on the 23-year-old after learning that he owned a 9mm handgun at the time of the killing. He pawned it days after Romero's death.

The next victim after Romero was 22-year-old Jesse Olivas who was shot dead on January 1, 2016.

He was found outside a home with multiple gunshot wounds and died in hospital.

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Krystal Annette White, 55, (left) died on April 19. Jesse Olivas, 22, (center) was killed in January 2016. Saucedo was first arrested for the murder of 61-year-old Raul Romero (right) in 2015

Horacio De Jesus Pena, 32, (left), was murdered on June 3. Manuel Castro Garcia, 19, (center) was killed a week later on June 10. Diego Verdugo-Sanchez, (right) 21, died on April 1, 2016

Twelve-year-old Maleah Ellis (left) was killed along with her mother Stefanie (center) and her mother's friend Angela Linner (right) on June 12

The next killing came on April 1. Diego Verdugo-Sanchez, 21, was shot outside a home at around 9pm.

Next came the death of Krystal Annette White, a 55-year-old who was gunned down in the street at 4.30am on April 19.

On June 2, 32-year-old Horacio De Jesus Pena was shot while he stood outside a home shortly before 10pm.

Teenager Manuel Castro Garcia died next. The 19-year-old was gunned down on June 10 at 9.30pm while he stood outside a different house.

The bloodiest killings came on June 12 when 33-year-old Stefanie Ellis, her 12-year-old daughter Maleah and 31-year-old friend Angela Linner were gunned down in the street at 3am.

Several others were injured in separate incidents when the gunman opened fire in residential areas.

Most of the killings were in a mostly Latino neighborhood where locals became afraid to go outside their homes at night.

The victims were shot by a gunman who was sitting in a car or had just stepped out of his vehicle.

Investigators came up with the above sketch of the suspect based on witness statements

Saucedo didn't appear in court after Commissioner Thomas Kaipio of Maricopa County Superior Court granted a media request to allow a camera in the courtroom, according to news media attorney David Bodney.

Kaipio considered the request by media organizations including The Associated Press, The Arizona Republic and Phoenix TV stations during a brief closed-door hearing before the arraignment.

Defense attorneys argued camera coverage and media exposure would hurt Saucedo's case and that the request had not been filed in a timely manner and needed a formal hearing, Bodney said.

'Under the rule, they must demonstrate a likelihood of harm to their defendant by the presence of a camera and that the likely harm outweighs any public benefit to camera coverage,' Bodney said.

But Kaipio also mentioned the defense's right to waive Saucedo's presence in the courtroom.

Saucedo's next court appearance is set for August 16.
A man was arrested after authorities found eight alligators and 100 venomous snakes at his Southern California home and another nearby location where animal control officers say a cobra had gotten loose and terrified neighbors.

Los Angeles County officials served search warrants Thursday at the home of Todd Kates, 55, in Thousand Oaks as well as a rural property just outside the city.

Kates was charged with cruelty to animals, according to KABC-TV.

The warrants were requested after a neighbor recently reported seeing a cobra slithering through the area, according to The Los Angeles Times.

Animal control public information officer Don Barre says the neighbor drove a car over the snake, killing it.

One man was arrested after authorities found eight alligators and 100 venomous snakes at his Southern California home where animal control officers say a cobra had gotten loose and terrified neighbors

Los Angeles County officials served search warrants Thursday at the home of Todd Kates, 55, in Thousand Oaks as well as a rural property just outside the city. Kates was found to have had in his possession a number of exotic animals, including tortoises and gators

Kates was charged with cruelty to animals, according to KABC-TV. The warrants were requested after a neighbor recently reported seeing a cobra slithering through the area

The investigation began earlier this year when a neighbor ran over and killed an exotic snake with their car - the second time in the last three years that a snake was seen in the area

In 2014 an albino monocled cobra escaped and eluded capture for days. That snake was eventually captured, but not before biting a dog.

Kates is seen above being led away from his home in handcuffs on Thursday

This was the second time in three years that a poisonous snake was spotted in the neighborhood. It prompted an eight-week long investigation.

In 2014 an albino monocled cobra escaped and eluded capture for days.

That snake was eventually captured, but not before biting a dog.

Authorities say Kates has permits but he appears to be in violation of animal-keeping rules.

Authorities say Kates has permits but he appears to be in violation of animal-keeping rules. One of Kates' snakes is seen in the image above

Authorities said that the animals were removed both for their safety as well as that of the public at large

Kates was issued a permit by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. He held a status as restricted special holder of reptiles, according to KTLA-TV.

'It appears that, despite the multiple levels of permits, approvals, and periodic inspections required, the permit holder was housing deadly venomous snakes in an unauthorized, densely populated, residential neighborhood, and in such a manner that they posed a substantial risk to public safety,' the Los Angeles County Department of Animal Care and Control said.

Authorities said that the animals were removed both for their safety as well as that of the public at large.

They said that 80 snakes, including monocled and spitting cobras and rattlesnakes, were seized at Kates' home, while 20 'highly venomous' snakes were taken from the second location.

One snake - a red-bellied black snake - possibly got out of Kates' home and is believed to be on the loose after it was spotted by a neighbor.

Police are urging anyone who sees the snake to immediately call 911.

The neighbors were reportedly so concerned with the animals that one of them flew a drone over Kates' backyard to get a better look.
Tactical police officers have arrested a heavily-tattooed bikie member after carrying out a series of raids on Thursday.

Specialist units carried out searches at five homes across the NSW and Queensland border following the shooting murder of bikie debt enforcer Ace Hall last Saturday.

Police said the high-visibility operation targeting illegal firearms and ammunition was in response to an ongoing turf war between rival clubs in the Tweed Head region.

A 50-year-old member of the Tweed Heads chapter of the Lone Wolf Outlaw gang was arrested after Strike Force Walenore allegedly found cannabis and knuckle dusters at his home in Kunghur, north of Nimbin.

Tactical police officers have arrested a heavily-tattooed bikie member after carrying out a series of raids on Thursday

Specialist units carried out searches at five homes across the NSW and Queensland border following the shooting murder of bikie debt enforcer Ace Hall last Saturday

A 50-year-old member of the Tweed Heads chapter of the Lone Wolf Outlaw gang (pictured) was arrested after police allegedly found cannabis and knuckle dusters at his home

He also allegedly tried to block police from searching his home. He was taken to hospital with a medical condition and is expected to be charged at a later date.

Tweed Heads Detective Inspector Brendon Cullen said police would continue to disrupt the activities of illegal bikie gangs.

'We will continue to conduct highly-visibility and high-impact operations like this to target and disrupt the activities of outlaw motorcycle gangs and their associates.

'The operation highlights how important it is for us to cooperate with other law-enforcement agencies, such as Queensland Police, to ensure members of these groups who break the law face serious ramifications.

'The safety of the community is our priority, and we will not tolerate public acts of violence - or any activity - that puts that safety at risk.'

Police said the high-visibility operation targeting illegal firearms and ammunition was in response to an ongoing turf war between rival clubs in the Tweed Head region

The 50-year-old man was taken to hospital with a medical condition and is expected to be charged at a later date

Debt enforcer and Mongols associate Ace Hall, 31, was dumped outside Tweed Heads hospital in northern NSW on Saturday with a single gunshot wound to his torso

Ace Hall, 31, was dumped outside Tweed Heads hospital in northern NSW on Saturday with a single gunshot wound to his torso but died during surgery.

Hall, a father of two, was rushed to the hospital by his girlfriend and another man, but despite desperate efforts to save him he could not be revived.

Hall, who lived on the Gold Coast, was a known debt enforcer and Mongols bikie gang associate.

Although Hall was initially believed to have been a member of the Lone Wolf outlaw motorcycle gang, police have since confirmed he was not.

Despite not being a member of the gang, police said Hall had bikie links and was known to officers.

Queensland man Phillip Raymond Becker, 43, was arrested and later charged with the murder of the debt enforcer. He will be extradited from Queensland to NSW.

Queensland man Phillip Raymond Becker, 43, was arrested and later charged with the murder of the debt enforcer
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has touched down in Hamburg to meet with world leaders ahead of the G20 leaders summit on Friday.

His first business was a bilateral meeting on Thursday with host leader German Chancellor Angela Merkel where they discussed terrorism, innovation, defence cooperation and a proposed trade deal between Australia and the European Union.

Mr Turnbull said: 'We are committed to free trade and open markets.'

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull (pictured) has touched down in Hamburg to meet with world leaders ahead of the G20 leaders summit on Friday

The Prime Minister (right) arrived on Thursday amid security lockdown in the German port city, with tens of thousands of protesters rallying on the streets to shut down the summit

Mr Turnbull said he was confident G20 leaders will agree on tougher sanctions against North Korea and new steps to deal with online extremism

Germany shares Australia's interest in calling on China to do more to tackle North Korea's blatant breaches of UN Security Council resolutions banning missile testing.

Malcolm Turnbull said he was confident G20 leaders will agree on tougher sanctions against North Korea and new steps to deal with online extremism.

Mr Turnbull arrived amid a security lockdown in the German port city, with tens of thousands of protesters rallying on the streets to shut down the summit.

More than 21,000 police armed with water-cannons were preparing to deal with protests on Thursday night (Hamburg time), with train loads of anti-capitalism and pro-environment activists arriving and others already camped out in church grounds and theatres.

Mr Turnbull arrived amid a security lockdown in the German port city, with tens of thousands of protesters rallying on the streets to shut down the summit

More than 21,000 police armed with water-cannons were preparing to deal with protests on Thursday night (Hamburg time), with train loads of anti-capitalism and pro-environment activists arriving and others already camped out in church grounds and theatres

Authorities said they expected about 8,000 violent protesters to converge on Hamburg as Chancellor Angela Merkel hosts the leaders of 20 major advanced and developing economies

Mr Turnbull's optimism ahead of the summit comes despite deep divisions over what steps to take to ensure North Korea abides by UN sanctions against testing missiles.

He told reporters in Hamburg that North Korea's 'reckless and provocative' action had been condemned by all G20 members.

'We will see a strong commitment ... to strengthen the sanctions that have already been applied to the North Korean regime,' Mr Turnbull said.

It will be the first G20 for US President Donald Trump, who said in a speech in Poland ahead of the summit his country would do all it could to end extremism, including closing its borders.

Mr Turnbull's first business was a bilateral meeting on Thursday with host leader German Chancellor Angela Merkel (right)

The two leaders discussed terrorism, innovation, defence cooperation and a proposed trade deal between Australia and the European Union

There are deep divisions leading up to the summit over what steps to take to ensure North Korea abides by UN sanctions against testing missiles. Pictured is a woman blowing a kiss to the Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull as he drove past in Hamburg

Mr Turnbull told reporters that North Korea's 'reckless and provocative' action had been condemned by all G20 members. Pictured is a fan waving to the Prime Minister in Hamburg

The US President said the West faces 'dire threats' to its security and way of life and he has not ruled out military options.

'It's a shame (North Korea) is behaving this way... something will have to be done about it,' he said during a pre-summit visit to Poland.

Asked about the US taking military action, Mr Turnbull declined to speculate but reiterated Australian action would be done under the UN, as well as autonomous sanctions targeting North Korean individuals and businesses.

He also urged China to do more to 'bring economic pressure in particular to bear'.

US President Donald Trump (left) said in a speech in Poland in the lead up to the summit: 'It's a shame (North Korea) is behaving this way... something will have to be done about it'

It will be the first G20 for the US President, who said ahead of the summit his country would do all it could to end extremism, including closing its borders

China and Russia have urged cooler heads among G20 nations, with more trade sanctions only likely to increase poverty in North Korea and damage the global economy.

Chinese President Xi Jinping will take to the summit a plan for 'suspension for suspension', which would involve North Korea winding back tests while the US and South Korea suspend military exercises.

Russian President Vladimir Putin argues military options should be ruled out and an 'exclusively political and diplomatic' solution is needed.

Russia is already irate at the US over what it describes as a 'sanctioning frenzy' over the Ukraine.

Mr Turnbull declined to speculate about the US taking military action against North Korea (pictured is leader Kim Jong-un) but reiterated Australian action would be done under the UN, as well as autonomous sanctions targeting North Korean individuals and businesses

China and Russia have urged cooler heads among G20 nations, with more trade sanctions only likely to increase poverty in North Korea and damage the global economy

Mr Turnbull, who is also pushing new steps to deal with online extremism via communications apps and social media sites, said cooperation across the G20 agenda was vital.

'We need the 20 largest economies of the world to pull together and support each other in delivering the security that all of our citizens deserve and are entitled to expect from their leaders,' he said.

He appeared less confident about agreement on climate action, which Mr Trump has dampened through his decision to pull out of the Paris accord.

'Australia is a party to and supports and is complying with our commitments under the Paris agreement,' he said.

Mr Turnbull is also due to meet Indonesian president Joko Widodo to discuss steps to finalise a trade deal by the end of 2017.

Chinese President Xi Jinping (pictured) will take to the summit a plan for 'suspension for suspension', which would involve North Korea winding back tests while the US and South Korea suspend military exercises

Mr Turnbull is also due to meet Indonesian president Joko Widodo (pictured with his wife Iriana) to discuss steps to finalise a Indonesia-Australia Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement by the end of the year

The two countries aim to finalise a high-quality Indonesia-Australia Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement by the end of the year.

After talks in May, Indonesian and Australian officials expressed confidence the negotiations could be completed in that time frame.

The CEPA would improve on the existing ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand free trade agreement.

Australia and Indonesia are co-operating on infrastructure, the cattle trade, innovation and countering terrorism.

Mr Turnbull will also meet with Vietnam Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, who is attending the G20 summit as a guest, to discuss trade and investment.

As the host of the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC) forum in 2017, Vietnam is invited to attend G20 meetings this year and provide input to the final leaders communique to be released on Saturday.

Mr Turnbull will head to Paris and London for leader-level talks after the summit.
Their spectacular plumage is rarely seen in the UK  so the appearance of a group of seven colourful bee-eaters at a cement works has excited the world of birdwatching.

As these pictures suggest, quite a welcoming committee of twitchers turned out to catch a glimpse of the exotic visitors.

The bee-eaters, more normally seen in Africa and Turkey, appeared at CEMEXs quarry at East Leake, near Loughborough, Nottinghamshire.

Experts say that warmer weather on these shores could mean they become a more frequent sight.

Pictured: European bee-eaters spotted in Nottinghamshire for the first time in over 45 years. They have been regularly mating and passing food to each other - a strong indication that they are going to breed at the site

Pictured: Two of the birds, which are usually spotted in Africa and Turkey, perched on a twig in Nottinghamshire

The birds, which predominately eat insects, especially bees, wasps and hornets, are renowned for their multi-coloured feathers  of green, yellow, brown and white.

The species have only nested in the UK a handful of times in the past decade the last time was in 2015 at Low Gelt sand quarry, near Brampton, in Cumbria.

Bee-eaters nest in burrows that can reach 10ft deep in sand banks.

It is hoped that the birds will nest at the site  and hatch chicks in the coming weeks.

The species have only nested in the UK a handful of times in the past decade the last time was in 2015 at Low Gelt sand quarry, near Brampton, in Cumbria. Pictured: Three bee-eaters in the quarry

Hundreds of people are expected to visit the site over the weekend, paying a 5 parking fee.

But RSPB officials have warned birders that they may only view the bird from the designated watch point, for fear the nesting birds might be disturbed.

It is a criminal offence to intentionally or recklessly disturb a bee-eater nest.

Mark Thomas, RSPB Senior Investigations Officer, said: These exotic birds with their flash of yellow and green are much more likely to be seen in southern Europe or Africa rather than Nottinghamshire.

But were delighted to see bee-eaters return to our shores to nest once more, a very rare occurrence that has wildlife enthusiast very excited.

RSPB officials have warned birders that they may only view the bird from the designated watch point, for fear the nesting birds might be disturbed. Pictured: Three of the bee-eaters, including one (on the left) eating a bee

Visitors have been treated to the sight of the bee-eaters tossing bees into the air after catching them. The birds then strike the bees against branches to disable the stings before eating them. Its fantastic behaviour to see.

In recent years, bee-eater sightings have been on the increase. Theyre being pushed northwards, looking for suitable habitat to nest and raise their young because of climate change.

These birds are likely to become more established visitors to the UK in the future, and thanks to this partnership with CEMEX we can provide that right habitat for them.
Two large Rottweilers have been seized after the animals viciously attacked a three-year-old girl in Sydney's west, leaving her with severe facial injuries.

Emergency crews arrived at a property in Hazelbrook at around 3pm on Thursday to find the girl with puncture wounds and a cut to the face.

She was taken to Westmead Children's Hospital in a serious condition, a NSW Ambulance spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia.

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A police officer at the scene where two 'large Rottweilers' attacked a young girl

Police officers arrive at the scene where two dogs attacked a young girl

Her injuries are not believed to be life threatening and she is currently in a stable condition.

A neighbour said she reported the two rottweilers a couple of weeks ago following an attack on a labrador.

'It was quite alarming when I heard it attacking the dog,' neighbour Scarlet Johnson told The Daily Telegraph.

'The scream the dog was making was bloodcurdling  all the doors were closed, but I could hear it some way away from my house.'

A young girl was attacked by two rottweilers in the Blue Mountains

Paramedics treated the young girl at the scene before rushing her to hospital where she remains in a stable condition

Police and rangers from the Blue Mountains City Council secured the rottweilers, believed to be owned by a family member of the girl, around an hour later.

A police spokesperson described the animals as 'large' and said it was not believed the girl's condition was life-threatening.

It is thought the dogs are owned by an occupant of the home; the child was visiting the family.

A police spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia that police would launch a joint investigation with the Blue Mountains council.

It is uncertain whether the dog owners will be charged.

A three-year-old girl has been rushed to hospital with serious facial injuries after she was viciously attacked by two dogs (stock dogs)
Fears over vandalism should not prevent a statue of Margaret Thatcher being put up outside the Commons, Theresa May insisted today.

The Prime Minister spoke out after objections halted installation of a ten-foot bronze of the Tory icon in Parliament Square.

A residents' association has objected on the grounds that the former Tory leader was 'controversial enough to risk vandalism'.

The Royal Parks quango, which owns the land, also suggested the proposal should be rethought because the 300,000 statue has not received the support of Baroness Thatcher's family.

But Mrs May, who is in Hamburg for the G20 summit, told BBC News: 'What I'm very clear about is there should be no suggestion that the threat of vandalism should stop a statue of Margaret Thatcher from being put up.'

No 10 today insisted the decision on whether to ahead was for Westminster Council.

Iron lady: The proposed design of the bronze statue for Parliament Square, left, and an art gallery version that was attacked in 2002

Theresa May, pictured being greeted by Angela Merkel at the G20 summit in Hamburg today, has dismissed the idea that the threat of vandalism should prevent a Thatcher statue being installed in Parliament Square

Mrs May's official spokeswoman said: 'It's a planning application to Westminster Council. They have to make a final decision on it.

'Statues are a key part of country's national heritage.

'There are some issues that need to be resolved around this particular statue.'

Officials said they would not back the proposal because the 300,000 statue has not received the support of Baroness Thatchers family.

It also emerged last night that a residents association has objected on the grounds that the former Tory leader was controversial enough to risk vandalism.

The Iron Lady is still a hate figure for the hard-Left some 27 years after she left Downing Street.

Activists even threatened to disrupt her funeral after her death in 2013.

Mrs Thatcher stands next to her larger-than-life statue in London's Guidhall

The proposed site of the bronze figure is near the statue of Winston Churchill, which was targeted during a May Day protest in 2000 when a piece of turf was left on his head in the style of a Mohican.

In 2002 a 150,000 marble statue of Lady Thatcher was decapitated at an art gallery in central London.

Last night Tory MPs said it was appalling that Britain could not commemorate its first female prime minister because of the threat posed by the hard-Left.

Jacob Rees-Mogg said: Blocking it for fear of thugs and vandals is the lily-livered approach that Lady Thatcher most disdained.

Boris Johnson has in the past spoken out in favour of a memorial to the former PM in Parliament Square. However, Baroness Thatchers daughter Carol has expressed unhappiness with the proposed design, complaining she was disappointed it did not include her handbag.

The statue is the brainchild of the Public Memorials Appeal charity, which submitted an application to Westminster City Council. It depicts Britains first female PM in a resolute posture looking towards Parliament with a stern gaze, their submission claims.

But council papers reveal that an objection has been lodged by Royal Parks, which owns the small strip of land proposed for the figure.

There are also fears within Whitehall that Left-wing mobs will repeatedly target the statue and try to damage it.

A Royal Parks spokesman said last night: Numerous times we have requested assurances from the applicant that they have approval from the family for the statue. To date we have not had those assurances.

The Thorney Island Society, the residents association for the area, also objected to the plans on the grounds of vandalism.

Committee member Lucy Peck said they wanted a ten-year gap between the death of a subject and the erection of a public memorial.

She added: We note that the statue of Nelson Mandela was erected only six years after his death, but that should not set a precedent, especially as Mandela was an entirely uncontroversial figure, respected throughout the world.

While Lady Thatcher was also widely respected it cannot be said that she was uncontroversial in this country.

There is a strong case for the ten-year rule to be respected: there should be a decent interval before permanent statues are erected, especially when they are controversial enough to risk vandalism.

The decapitated white marble statue of Lady Thatcher following the attack by anti-capitalist protestor Paul Kelleher

There is already a 7ft 4in bronze statue of the former Tory leader inside Parliament, in the Commons Members Lobby, which was unveiled in 2007.

Last year it emerged that the man championing the Parliament Square memorial had branded Carol and Mark Thatcher philistines for opposing the design by sculptor Douglas Jennings.

Ivan Saxton, chairman of the Public Memorials Appeal charity, wrote in a letter to Boris Johnson when he was London mayor: Carol Thatcher is a philistine in the truest sense of the word because she does not recognise a wonderful work of art when she sees one. She is obsessed by a fantasy image of her mother as being the Iron Lady.

Normally the family of a person who is being sculpted show a high degree of gratitude towards those people who have made a statue possible.

But not the Thatcher twins: it appears that they dont know the meaning of the word gratitude.

Its like spitting into the faces of the all those people who have donated time and money. Their mother would have been ashamed.

Last year it emerged that the man championing the Parliament Square memorial had branded Carol and Mark Thatcher philistines for opposing the design by sculptor Douglas Jennings

Sir Edward Lister, Mr Johnsons deputy mayor at the time, said: This is not about handbags, it is about depicting Baroness Thatcher at the pinnacle of her career.

Tom Crum of Fine Architecture  which submitted plans for the statue  has said the Parliament Square statue of Churchill does not have his cigar and only one of the existing statues of Lady Thatcher has a handbag.

The figure would have stood on a stone plinth on the west side of Parliament Square on Canning Green between the statues of Abraham Lincoln and former British PM George Canning.

Royal Parks said its chief executive had discussed the issue with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

It was announced in April that suffragette Dame Millicent Fawcett would be the first woman honoured with a statue in Parliament Square. All 11 figures currently in that location are men.
Charlie Gard's doctors are keeping his family 'in the dark' about his fate, his furious parents alleged last night.

Connie Yates, 31, and Chris Gard, 32, said Great Ormond Street Hospital chiefs had been holding meetings all week  but not inviting them.

The couple are spending every precious moment with their son as the hospital prepares to remove his life support.

Despite an extraordinary global campaign to save 11-month-old Charlie  supported by Donald Trump and the Pope  there was little sign of hope yesterday.

The couple are spending every precious moment with their son as the hospital prepares to remove his life support

They released this image inside the chapel at Great Ormond Street Hospital saying it brought them peace and tranquility

The Pope and Donald Trump have backed the parents of Charlie Gard, offering for treatment to be continued in Italy and the USA

Downing Street has signalled there is nothing to be done, even though President Trump is expected to raise the issue when he meets Prime Minister Theresa May at the G20 summit today.

There has been a worldwide surge of support for the baby boy, whose genetic condition is so rare he is only the 16th known sufferer.

Last night Miss Yates said: 'Doctors have kept us in the dark. We can only hope that various meetings they've been having, to which we have not been invited, are positive and that they will let us take Charlie to the US for treatment.'

A spokesman for the family added: 'While meetings have been carrying on all week around them, doctors at the hospital have not thought to include them.

'On rare occasions when Connie and Chris are invited in to meetings, they feel ambushed.

'They are called at very short notice, leaving no time for them to get a lawyer to accompany them. The way they are continually treated, as if their views as parents don't matter, is heaping stress on them at a time when naturally they are already very distressed.'

The family have released photos of Charlie's first haircut, done earlier this week. Miss Yates said: 'Charlie's beautiful hair was getting decidedly long. I always think it is a very poignant moment for any mum when her baby is old enough to have a first haircut.'

There has been a worldwide surge of support for the baby boy, whose genetic condition is so rare he is only the 16th known sufferer

There has been a global campaign to save the baby's life, with support from the Pope and the President

Charlie's rare form of mitochondrial depletion syndrome has no accepted cure, and his British doctors do not believe an experimental therapy being offered in the US has any chance of success. Courts all the way up to the European Court of Human Rights have backed their stance.

And yesterday medical ethics experts said Charlie's parents should face the 'reality' that science cannot save him.

Jonathan Montgomery, a professor of health care law at University College London, said: 'This is not a case where Charlie's parents have not been listened to.

Protestors took to the streets this week to add pressure to the Prime Minister

'It is a case where their hopes for improvement are not justified by the evidence.

'The case is tragic, but we owe it to Charlie to take decisions based on evidence.'

And Dr Giles Birchley, senior research associate in surgical innovation and bioethics at the University of Bristol, said: 'Putting any terminally ill child through an experimental treatment which cannot make them better will not help either that child or their parents. It will only prolong that child's hurt and suffering.'

At some point, doctors are expected to give Charlie a dose of painkillers and then remove his artificial ventilator. If they cannot take him to America, Charlie's bereft parents have begged to be allowed to take him home in Bedfont, south-west London, to die, but so far the hospital has refused their 'final wish'.

Great Ormond Street has not issued any statements all week.
A man accused of fatally shooting his wife during an Uber ride in Seattle last weekend has been charged with second-degree murder.

Cameron Espitia, 31, told authorities that he had been drinking at a wedding and 'having a bad night,' according to charging documents filed Thursday.

But the documents say he told them he didn't remember what happened during the ride shortly after midnight Sunday.

Investigators say the defendant was riding in the back of the vehicle and his wife, 29-year-old Jennifer Espitia, was in the front passenger seat when they began arguing.

Cameron Espitia, 31, a former member of the US Coast Guard, is accused of killing his wife Jennifer (pictured together) during a drunken fight in an Uber

The driver said Jennifer was sat in front of the vehicle and her husband was behind when they started having a 'vicious' fight before he shot her in the back of the head

The driver described hearing a bang and thinking it might have been a tire popping but then saw the woman slumped over.

Espitia, a former member of the Coast Guard, was arrested close to the scene, claiming he could not remember anything after getting into the car.

Prosecutors described the killing as an 'execution', Patch.com reported.

Police said they found a small gun in an ankle holster on Espitia.

Court documents show Espitia claimed his last memory was of getting into the vehicle, before waking up in bushes at the side of the road.

Espitia (pictured in court Monday) told police that he had no memory of the time between getting into the vehicle until he woke up in bushes nearby, where he was arrested

Espitia is being held on $3million bond and is scheduled to appear again in court on July 13

He said he had a vague memory of being inside an SUV, but no recollection of what happened during that time.

Jennifer was taken to a nearby hospital but died from her wounds.

His bond was set at $3million on Monday and he is due to appear again in court on July 13.

Court documents show Espitia was a member of the Coast Guard for 13 years and has no criminal record. He was born in California but lived in Seattle with his wife.

Coast Guardsman Elliot Felix, who has known Espitia for five years, was called as a character witness to the bail hearing, according to the Seattle Times.

He told the court that 'never in a million years' would he believe Espitia to be capable of killing his wife.

Social media shows the couple have been married since at least 2013. She is listed as working for an insurance firm, while he lists no occupation.
Watchdogs are investigating evidence that British Gas misled customers into thinking they would be charged up to 60 to switch to a cheaper deal.

Industry rules clearly state that customers on a fixed-term tariff can move for free during the final 49 days of their deal.

But British Gas has been accused of telling customers they would have to pay a hefty penalty if they wanted to switch within this period.

Watchdogs are investigating evidence that British Gas misled customers into thinking they would be charged up to 60 to switch to a cheaper deal

The Ofgem probe comes as the Big Six energy firms are already under intense pressure from MPs and consumer campaigners to treat their customers more fairly.

Last year, competition watchdogs accused them of overcharging on more expensive standard variable tariffs by a total of 1.4billion a year.

Ofgem launched its investigation after receiving a dossier of evidence from consumer website Moneysavingexpert.

This found that a number of major energy firms had wrongly told customers in emails or in their literature that they would have to pay exit fees. It is not known if any paid the charge.

The regulator said it is also talking to Npower and Eon about their exit fee policies but is not investigating them.

Moneysavingexpert founder Martin Lewis said: The rules are very plain; you cannot and should not be charged exit penalties if your switchover takes place within the last 49 days of your energy fix.

At least two firms  British Gas and Npower  have wrongly put that they would charge in their official literature.

At best they are careless in the way they treat customers; at worst they are trying to bully them into staying with misinformation.

The Ofgem probe comes as the Big Six energy firms are already under intense pressure from MPs and consumer campaigners to treat their customers more fairly. File pic

Im delighted Ofgem is getting tough with them following our investigation. British Gas could face a hefty fine and be ordered to compensate affected customers if it is found to have breached its licence.

The consumer website lodged a formal complaint with Ofgem about British Gas, Npower and Eon in March.

Its evidence included emails to Npower customers applying to switch within the last 49 days of their deal telling them they would have to pay exit fees.

Npower blamed a system error and said it would change its emails.

The dossier also provided examples of British Gas giving the wrong information in official literature. Ofgem added that this investigation does not imply we have made any findings about non-compliance.

Before the election, Theresa May promised an energy price cap but this has been dropped. Instead Ofgem was told by ministers to protect customers on the poorest value tariffs.

A company spokesman said: British Gas will co-operate fully with Ofgem to address the issues raised.

An Eon spokesman said: As always well continue to work with Ofgem as appropriate. Npower declined to comment.
Lord Thomas, head of the judiciary, pictured, said Brexit will not affect the quality or certainty of English law

Leading judges yesterday launched a campaign to nail the lie that leaving the EU will undermine the rule of law in Britain.

The initiative by the countrys two most prominent judges, Lord Chief Justice Lord Thomas and Supreme Court President Lord Neuberger, is intended to counter attempts by lawyers abroad to exploit uncertainty and draw lucrative business disputes away from British courts.

In a speech to fellow judges Lord Thomas, who is head of the judiciary, said: Brexit does not affect the quality or certainty of English law, or the standing of our courts or Londons arbitration centres. They remain as before June last year.

The perception of some may, however, be that this is not the case.

Such a perception is fuelled by our competitors for their own advantage.

Rumour may insinuate that English law is no longer certain; that London is no longer a safe forum to bring disputes. Such rumours are wrong and unequivocally so.

Lord Thomas said: Rumour must however be countered if we are to ensure that the lie repeated does not  as it must not  be taken as truth.

The firm line from the Lord Chief Justice follows an assertion last month from Lord Neuberger that Brexit was likely to improve rather than damage the status of British courts.

Lord Neuberger said in a speech to insolvency lawyers that the judiciary and the legal profession, and I believe the Government, are determined the United Kingdoms forthcoming exit from the European Union will in no way undermine Londons status as the world centre for legal services generally and dispute resolution in particular.

English substantive and procedural law, our common law which is so attuned to the needs and realities of the commercial world, will remain as attuned to the demands of international business as it ever was.

Lord Neuberger added: Indeed, left, once again, to our own devices, I would suggest that our law will in some respects be able to react more quickly and freely to changes and advances in our fast-changing world.

Lord Neuberger, president of the Supreme Court, pictured, said English law may be able to react more quickly following Brexit than under the current situation

Brexit does not alter the fact that lawyers and judges in the UK are as internationally minded and expert as they ever have been. Indeed, like any significant change, Brexit will operate, and it is already operating, as a spur to encourage all involved in the provision of legal services in London to strive to ensure that those services are even better than they already are.

Both the senior judges have been seen as opponents of Brexit.

Lord Thomas was among the Appeal Court judges who ruled last November that Theresa May could not invoke Article 50 to trigger withdrawal from the EU without a vote in Parliament.

Lord Neuberger was widely accused of bias against Brexit when his wife Angela was found to have tweeted that the EU referendum was mad and bad.

Lord Thomas has been quietly working for some months to assure lawyers and business chiefs abroad that British courts can be trusted after Brexit and that English common law is more efficient and reliable than EU law.

This is all quite wrong. Brexit will have no effect on Londons key strengths.

In April he told lawyers in China that nearly one in three countries around the world use English common law. English contract law, Lord Thomas said, is a law of choice, and, in terms of arbitration, the law of choice for 40 per cent of all global corporate arbitrations, he said.

English contract and commercial law remains as the UKs national treasure, he said.

The Lord Chief Justice said that in the case of the impact of Brexit on arbitration  the process by which lawyers solve commercial disputes more cheaply and quickly than through court cases  there is a strong case that it will have a beneficial effect.
Surveillance video captured the moment a cop-hating gunman walked up to a police van and assassinated an officer in the Bronx.

Officer Miosotis Familia, 48, was sitting in her marked vehicle when 34-year-old Alexander Bonds shot at her through the passenger side window near the intersection of 183rd Street and Grand Concourse in the Bronx.

Chilling video shows the gunman approach the parked NYPD command post vehicle and walk up before firing through the side window.

Scroll down for video

Surveillance video captured the moment a cop-hating gunman walked up to a police van and assassinated officer in Bronx

The footage then shows dozens of officers rushing in to help the downed officer while Familia's partner radioed for help

Meanwhile the other officers gave chase to the gunman who was fleeing just one block away

The footage then shows dozens of officers rushing in to help the downed officer while Familia's partner radioed for help. Soon an ambulance arrived at the scene and Familia was transported to the nearby St. Barnabas Hospital, where she died.

Meanwhile the other officers gave chase to the gunman who was fleeing just one block away.

Officers caught up with Bonds about a block away and killed him in a hail of about 20 bullets when he pulled a stolen revolver, police said. He didn't get off a shot, authorities said.

Only a few hours before a fatal ambush of a New York Police Department officer, the shooter's girlfriend called 911 to report that she was worried about his unstable behavior, police officials said Thursday.

The woman called at about 10pm. Tuesday to say Bonds 'was paranoid and acting erratically,' NYPD Chief of Detectives Robert Boyce told reporters following a police academy event.

Alexander Bonds, 34, (left), shot and killed NYPD officer Miosotis Familia, 48, (right), early Wednesday morning. He was later shot dead by other officers

Bonds' (pictured) criminal record included a 2001 arrest for beating up another NYPD officer with brass knuckles. Four others reportedly joined in assaulting the office

Officers were dispatched to look for Bonds on the streets of a Bronx neighborhood, but the 34-year-old ex-convict evaded them, police said.

The following day, at around 12.30am, Bonds walked up to the RV-like mobile and shot Familia.

'Officer Familia was murdered for her uniform and for the responsibility she embraced,' O'Neill said in a message to officers Wednesday night. 'For the NYPD, regularly achieving lower and lower crime figures means absolutely nothing when one of our own is brutally shot and killed.'

A 12-year NYPD veteran, the 48-year-old Familia had come to police work later in life than most on a force where the average recruit is 26. She had been a nurse and medical assistant first, according to her profile on the career site LinkedIn. A mother of three who lived with her own mother in the Bronx, she felt a calling to help her community, friends said.

'She'd give you the shirt off her back,' said Tom Ritter, 59, a plumber who lived downstairs from Familia and said she treated his now-22-year-old son like one of her own children.

A female NYPD officer was shot dead while sitting in a department vehicle (left) early Wednesday morning

Above, a close up view of the command trailer's shattered window after the Wednesday morning attack

The suspect, 34-year-old Alexander Bonds, was shot dead by other officers after he was caught fleeing the scene. Above is the gun that was recovered at the scene after the deadly shooting

'She was the sweetest person you ever want to meet,' Ritter said.

Boyce said the girlfriend told police that she had taken Bonds for a psychiatric evaluation on July 1, but he was released after about an hour. Investigators who are trying to determine a motive also found antidepressant and anti-psychotic medications in his apartment.

He had a history of criminal convictions and made his hatred for police clear in anti-cop messages posted on social media.

In a Facebook Live video in September, Bonds ranted about law officers killing and abusing people and warned them to leave him alone or 'we gonna do something.'

'Police is f****ts, and this ain't no gimmick,' he said in the video.

'Don't think every brother, cousin or uncle you got that get (unintelligible) in jail is because of a Blood or Crip,' he said. 'Police be killing and saying an inmate killed them.'

N****s ain't taking it no more, Mr Officer. I'm here to tell you man. ... just keep your a** away from mine.'

Officer Miosotis Familia, 48, has been identified as the victim. She died at the hospital. Above, emergency personnel stand near the scene of the shooting Wednesday morning

Officer Miosotis Familia was memorialized before the start of a baseball game between the New York Yankees and the Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday

An officer helped escort a crying woman into Familia's apartment building in the Bronx on Wednesday

Police Commissioner James O'Neill (left) said that the attack was unprovoked. New York Mayor Bill De Blasio (right) also spoke at the press conference early Wednesday morning

'I'm not playing, Mr. Officer. I don't care about 100 police watching this,' Bonds said, adding: 'It's time for people to wisen up.'

Bonds' criminal record included a 2001 arrest for beating up another NYPD officer with brass knuckles. Four others reportedly joined in assaulting the officer. The outcome of that case is not known.

Bonds was currently on parole for a 2014 robbery in Syracuse. He also had prior arrests for drug violations in 2000 and 2002. He is said to have had addresses all over the city, in the Bronx, Queens and several homeless shelters, and went by up to six different aliases.

Familia was a 12-year veteran of the force who spent her entire career with the department in the high-crime Bronx precinct. The command post there had been set up and staffed around the clock since a triple shooting in March.

'She was on duty serving this city, protecting people, doing what she believed in and doing the job she loved,' Mayor Bill de Blasio said.

She had three children, including a set of twins, lived with her mother and worked the midnight shift.

Bonds (pictured left and right) was on parole for a 2014 robbery in Syracuse. he is seen above in a Facebook photo

Officers visit a makeshift memorial for Familia after she was shot dead by Bonds

Friends said she became an officer to help her community, and her family was heartbroken.

'Put it this way: She'd give you the shirt off her back. She was the sweetest person you ever want to meet,' downstairs neighbor Tom Ritter said. He said his son, now 22, played with Familia's children, and she practically 'adopted' him.

Even a woman who said her husband had been arrested by Familia had only kind words for the slain officer.

'She gave me good advice, like a mother to a daughter,' said Keisha Williams, 31, who said her husband was arrested on a marijuana charge. 'She's good, but she's a tough cookie. She's a good cop. I'm just sad it was her.'

While all the department's new patrol cars are outfitted with bullet-resistant windows, the rolling command posts don't have them.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions called the shooting 'the latest in a troubling series of attacks on police officers over the past two years'.

The attack recalled the 2014 ambush killings of two New York City officers who were gunned down in their cruiser by a man who had announced online moments before that he was planning to shoot two 'pigs' in retaliation for the police chokehold death of Eric Garner in New York. The gunman then killed himself.

A large contingent of officers were seen at the intersection where the shooting took place early Wednesday morning

Police at the scene put up yellow time demarcating the area where the shooting took place
Lone wolf terrorists could one day be identified in advance from their financial records, under plans to be put forward by Theresa May today.

The Prime Minister will urge world leaders to pour resources into new technology to identify patterns of financial transactions in the build-up to a terrorist attack.

Speaking at the G20 summit in Hamburg, Mrs May will also call on leaders to close safe spaces in the worlds financial system that are being exploited by terror groups plotting attacks on the West.

Prime Minister Theresa May and husband Philip arrive in Hamburg for the G20 leaders' summit

Anti-terror police are investigating the finances of Manchester Arena bomber Salman Abedi amid questions about how he paid for bomb-making equipment and trips to Libya. Government sources said investigations into previous terror plots had identified transfers from abroad in the run-up to attacks.

A source said Mrs May wants the world to focus on identifying small flows of money needed by even the most basic lone wolf attacker.

These small transactions are hard to identify but this challenge cannot be left unaddressed, he said.

Mrs May, who flew to Hamburg for the summit last night, said: We know that the terrorist threat is evolving. We have seen the threat spread out of Syria and Iraq into other countries and online.

We must combat the threat from every angle. This includes taking measures against permissive environments for terrorist financing and monitoring the dispersal of foreign fighters from battle.

She will be urging leaders to invest in technology that will help track financial transactions to build up patterns

We can change the balance of the fight when we work together.

Mrs May will also urge leaders to do more to tackle the threat posed by former jihadis returning from Syria and Iraq.

But the Prime Minister has faced criticism from the Liberal Democrats over her failure to publish a controversial Home Office report into extremist groups in the UK, which is said to expose financial links between some groups and Saudi Arabia.

Mrs May has been accused of sitting on the report to avoid embarrassment to the UKs Saudi allies, who will also be at the G20 summit.
More than one hundred people every hour are signing up to a charity no-call list since it launched yesterday.

Donors are banning charities from pestering them using the Fundraising Preference Service, which was set up following a Daily Mail investigation.

This allows people to block contact from charities that are inundating them with unwanted begging letters and fundraising calls.

A Daily Mail investigation revealed that vulnerable people were being harassed with multiple calls from charities for donations. File image

Signing up does not bar all charities from calling  only the ones donors no longer want to hear from.

At 4.30pm yesterday  just 11 and a half hours after the FPS launched  watchdogs had received 1,312 'suppression requests'. This is a rate of 114 every hour, or almost two every minute.

Watchdogs said they 'hope it [the FPS] is going to play a key role in helping to restore public trust in charities'.

The FPS has been introduced by the Fundraising Regulator, which was set up after the Daily Mail revealed how some of Britain's biggest and most trusted charities were hounding vulnerable people for cash.

In an award winning investigation in 2015, reporters found charities were using high-pressure 'boiler room' sales tactics to raise money.

But the new system in place allows donors to tell certain charities not to keep calling them. File image

Fundraisers were ordered to be 'brutal' and 'ferocious' when asking for money. Bosses told them that members of the public 'have no excuse' not to give.

Some charities were calling people on the Government's 'no-call' list, the Telephone Preference Service, and were prepared to take money from those who told them they had dementia.

Reporters found donors' personal details being traded and sold by charities. In some cases, the personal data of vulnerable people was ending up in the hands of conmen.

How to shield yourself To stop a charity pestering you, you log on to fundraisingpreference.org.uk. First, you write the name of the charity, or its official charity number. Then you select whether you want to ban it from contacting you by phone, post, text, or email  or all four. The website then asks for your name and address, the minimum information the charity will need to find and remove you from their database. You can only block up to three charities at a time. But they will generally only have your details if you have previously donated or agreed to receive marketing from them, so it is rare to be contacted by dozens at a time. It is also possible to block charities on behalf of a family member or a friend. The FPS then contacts them to tell them their details have been entered on the system. Those who do not use computers can phone the FPS helpline on 0300 303 3517. If charities persist in contacting you, you can report them to the Information Commissioners Office, which can issue fines of up to 25,000 for misuse of data. Advertisement

The Mail's investigation led to 13 charities being fined a total of 181,000 for breaking data laws. They included the RSPCA, British Heart Foundation, Cancer Research UK and the NSPCC.

There was also outrage over the treatment of Olive Cooke, a 92-year-old poppy seller. Mrs Cooke, from Bristol, took her own life in 2015 after battling breast cancer and depression.

Her death led to serious questions about fundraising tactics after it emerged she had been sent around 270 letters from charities every month, as well as being called repeatedly.

The Mail found her details had been traded between charities because she was known to be generous.

The revelations led to a major government inquiry led by Sir Stuart Etherington and the establishment of the Fundraising Regulator, a tough new organisation that oversees how charities raise money.

The FPS was launched at 5am yesterday. By around 9.30am, 484 people had signed up and made requests to block charities that had been contacting them.

It cost 250,000 to set up and is expected to cost 450,000 a year to run, less than expected.

In its first year, the Fundraising Regulator, received 700 complaints. Most were resolved by the charities. In eight cases, it had to launch a full investigation and in seven, charities had broken rules.

Jenny Williams, who sits on the regulator's board, said the FPS was set up 'to address the frustration' many felt over how often they were contacted. She added: 'We hope it is going to play a key role in helping restore public trust in charities.'

Lord Michael Grade, chairman of the Fundraising Regulator, added: 'We should all be grateful to the media for exposing the wrongdoing that has led us to this place. '
A huge blaze has ripped through a kebab shop, causing significant damage to the building.

The fire broke out about 7am on Friday inside the ground floor of the shop in Auburn, Sydney's west, and quickly spread to the second level.

Emergency services raced to the scene to find the building well alight and at one stage 10 firefighting crews were on hand to battle the blaze.

A blaze broke out inside a kebab shop about 7am on Friday, with 10 firefighting crews on scene at one stage to help extinguish the fire

Firefighters at the scene of the fire along the Auburn Road shopping strip in Auburn, Sydney's west

Two people were evacuated from apartments above the Auburn Road shop as plumes of smoke billowed into the air.

The blaze, which started in the kebab shop's kitchen, was later extinguished but two crews remained on the scene in a salvage operation.

The shop's owner, known only as Mohammed, told Nine News he was alerted to the blaze by one of his employees.

'We just took over the shop, like three months ago. The shop was under new management,' he said.

Police were also on scene and road closures were put in place around the busy shopping strip across the road from the train station.

No injuries were reported and investigations are ongoing.
Two men have been charged over an attack at a Melbourne nightclub that left a 26-year-old scientist blinded in one eye.

Elliot Harvey, from Rosebud, was attacked by three men inside the Rubix Warehouse nightclub on Phoenix Street, Brunswick, on May 26, losing the sight in his right eye.

Two Wonthaggi men, aged 19 and 21, have been charged with intentionally causing serious injury, recklessly causing serious injury, affray and other assault-related charges.

They have been bailed to appear before Melbourne Magistrates' Court on Tuesday.

Elliott Harvey (pictured left), 26, was assaulted at a nightclub in Melbourne leaving him blind in his right eye. He claims he was targeted because of his haircut

Mr Harvey (pictured are his injuries) was enjoying a gig at The Phoenix nightclub in late May

Mr Harvey got into an argument at the club and was allegedly punched in the head and kicked after he fell to the ground.

He has undergone two operations since the attack, which has left him unable to work as an environmental scientist.

'I think they particularly disliked my hair cut, having my hair up in a fountain,' Mr Harvey told Fairfax Media.

'All the things they said to me were pretty trivial, just homophobic insults.'

A video released by Victoria Police appears to show three men, thought to be in their 20s, single Mr Harvey out.

Police allege the trio pushed the man over before setting upon him as he lay on the ground, punching him so hard the attack caused him to lose sight in his right eye.

Police were searching for three men (two are pictured) who launched the vicious attack on Mr Harvey late May at a Melbourne nightclub

Mr Harvey first came across the men (pictured) out the front of the nightclub in Melbourne at about 10pm

After a few minor encounters during the night (pictured bottom left), Mr Harvey said the cowardly punch to his eye happened while he was on the ground

'I was just wondering where my eye had gone, I couldn't see out of my right eye, that's a pretty alien feeling,' Mr Harvey said.

'My eye has been sown back together and (realigned) thanks to our amazing public health system,' he posted to Facebook.

He said it was too soon yet to tell if he would ever get his eyesight back.

Mr Harvey, from Rosebud, an hour south of Melbourne, first came across the men out the front of the nightclub at about 10pm.

He said the punch to his eye happened after they pushed him to the ground.

The three attackers then ran from the nightspot, with police releasing CCTV pictures and footage in a bid to identify them.

Police said anyone with any information should call Crime Stoppers 1800 333 000.

The 26-year-old scientist has been left unable to work as no surgery has given him his eyesight back after the assault at Phoenix nightclub (pictured)
Gene Alan Carpenter (above), 54, of Prescott Valley, Arizona, who is accused of endangering firefighting crews by flying a drone over a wildfire, has pleaded not guilty

An Arizona man accused of endangering firefighting crews by flying a drone over a wildfire has pleaded not guilty.

Gene Alan Carpenter of Prescott Valley entered the plea Thursday in Mayer Justice Court and remains free after posting a $25,000 bond.

Yavapai County prosecutors filed two felony endangerment charges against Carpenter.

The criminal complaint says the 54-year-old hampered firefighting efforts and recklessly endangered aircraft and fire crews in the air and on the ground by flying an unmanned drone in closed airspace above an active fire area.

County sheriff's deputies tracked down Carpenter after spotting a man flying the drone within hours of the fire reported June 24 in Prescott National Forest. He was arrested June 30.

A call to his public defender wasn't immediately returned Thursday.

Drones interfering with wildfire efforts have become a growing problem, with sightings noted in states from California to Washington and Minnesota.

Lawmakers have called for more oversight and awareness as the consumer technology gets cheaper and more accessible.

Federal Aviation Administration guidelines urge drone hobbyists to fly no higher than 400 feet, stay clear of stadiums and people, and avoid flying within five miles of airports.

During wildfires and other emergencies, the FAA imposes temporary restrictions.
A young pre-school girl has been rushed to hospital after a nasty juicing accident this morning.

The young Portarlington girl got her hand stuck in a juicer and has been rushed to hospital with her hand still caught in the juicer.

Victorian Ambulance spokesman said paramedics were called to the coastal town, about 30km south of Geelong, Victoria, at about 7.30am Friday morning.

A young girl has been rushed to Geelong Hospital (pictured) after getting her hand stuck in a juicer early Friday morning

The young girl's mother Nelly Woodbury posted to Facebook saying her daughter, Savannah, was doing well under the circumstances.

'She's doing ok going in for surgery this afternoon!' Ms Woodbury posted.

Savannah is in a stable condition and was taken to Geelong Hospital with her hand still in the machine.
Snotty, I think, is the best way to describe the review I was reading. It was rude, imperious and, most importantly, totally unfair.

Nobody to help us with our luggage, it read. Breakfast poor quality. Wi-Fi intermittent. A hair in the shower. I bristled with indignation.

Then I played a little game Ive invented in the three years Ive been an Airbnb landlady, renting out my neat, clean and tastefully decorated en-suite spare bedroom for a bit of extra cash. I tried to guess from where in the world my dissatisfied guests hailed.

Perhaps because I live in Oxford, which is now a truly international city, I have welcomed  if thats the right word  more than 500 guests from all over the world, aged from 16 to over 80

French or Dutch was my guess. If I had to choose, Id say French. They tend to be the ones who complain about food. The Dutch have a thing about linen.

A quick scroll down the page and, bingo! Spot on again. I was getting good at this.

Its incredibly un-PC, and I know that all of the beautifully behaved, polite and grateful Dutch and French visitors to our shores will be deeply offended.

But Id say there is an awful lot that defines our worlds nations that only a landlady like me would appreciate.

Perhaps because I live in Oxford, which is now a truly international city, I have welcomed  if thats the right word  more than 500 guests from all over the world, aged from 16 to over 80. They have been of all colours, races, income groups and sexual orientations.

Ive had gay couples, lesbian couples, married couples, unmarried couples, couples having secret affairs, honeymoon couples, mothers and daughters, fathers and sons, grandparents and grandchildren, visiting academics, people coming for job and university interviews, sightseers, Harry Potter fans and visitors paying homage to literary heroes such as Lewis Carroll, C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien, all of whom lived and worked in Oxford.

Its given me an anthropological education second to none.

Since Airbnb began life as a modest spare-room service in 2008, it has expanded into every country in the world, and become a multi-billion-dollar global industry.

Id say there is an awful lot that defines our worlds nations that only a landlady like me would appreciate

In March 2017, the company was valued at $31 billion (23.9 billion), with its three American founders, Brian Chesky, Nathan Blecharczyk and Joe Gebbia, sitting pretty on fortunes of more than $1 billion (770 million) each, and they are only in their 30s.

Well, Im certainly not raking it in on that scale by charging 65 a night for a single occupancy and 80 for a couple  with a continental breakfast thrown in  but I am getting a fascinating insight into the quirks, eccentricities and vagaries of the people who occupy our planet.

So allow me, if you will, to present my personal guide to the human race, courtesy of Airbnb.

The Chinese are the worlds shopaholics. My most frequent guests by far have been the Chinese who, while usually small themselves, arrive with huge tin trunks, which they lug up three flights of stairs.

When I ask what they will be doing in Oxford, they reply, somewhat shamefacedly: Bicester. Yes, forget the dreaming spires, the museums, the art galleries, the beautiful old churches; they have come purely to go shopping at Bicester Village, the biggest designer outlet in Europe.

They then stuff those tin trunks full of clothes to take back to China, often to sell. I watch them return every evening, literally creaking under the weight of the stiff designer clothes bags that they haul up to their room. They resemble Christmas trees, there are that many things hanging off them.

Mostly, they hardly speak any English, but rely on their phones to translate for them. Often, Ill enter the dining room and a phone is thrust in my face with can I borrow umbrella? or toothpaste? written on it. It always makes me laugh.

Numerically, the Americans come a close second and they are a mixed bunch. Many are elderly couples, often in their 80s, who have come to visit as many stately homes as they can cram in during their stay.

They hire huge cars, which they then cant manoeuvre down our narrow streets, and our roundabouts utterly defeat them.

They are often physically enormous, and admit one reason they picked my place is because they cant get into the showers in standard hotels.

Then there are the food faddists, again mostly Americans. Ive had gluten-free, lactose-intolerant, vegan, dairy-free, sugar-free and, of course, those who are allergic to nuts. They carefully pick all of the nuts out of their breakfast granola before gingerly splashing on their unsweetened almond milk, while sipping on their own herbal teas.

How do they get so fat? As a world mystery, its up there with the building of the pyramids or Stonehenge. I simply cannot work it out.

The Dutch, in my experience, are on the whole a fussy and complaining bunch.

One middle-aged guest kept griping that the sheets werent clean, even when I had just got them out of the machine. To keep her happy, I went to Sainsburys and bought some new bedlinen, opening the packet right in front of her.

Scandinavians are frequent visitors and, it seems, they are all divorced. Ive never had a married one. They speak excellent English and leave grateful reviews

The Dutch also often leave grudging reviews saying there were cobwebs on the ceiling or too many stairs. Sorry, but I cant reduce the number of stairs. And as for those cobwebs  I swear they wait until they hear a Dutch accent before springing up.

Scandinavians are frequent visitors and, it seems, they are all divorced. Ive never had a married one. They speak excellent English and leave grateful reviews.

Truly, some guests expect the Ritz or Claridges. I get couples in their 30s complaining that I, a single lady in my 70s, dont offer to drag their suitcases up the stairs for them.

I feel like saying they can always go up the road to the Randolph, a full-service hotel, for 300 a night, with porters galore. But sarcasm is never a good idea.

Gay couples, of whom I have hosted several, are great fun  chatty, lively and often deliciously bitchy. Especially about one another. We have a lot of knockabout laughs at each others expense over breakfast.

I remember one lively couple, who were going to a wedding, who seemed to do nothing but trade insults their whole stay.

Australians live up to their cliche and tend to be loud, brash and, often, very large. We are the largest people in the world, they say cheerfully as I worry about my beds collapsing. They are also enormous fun. I forget Im the landlady sometimes, it feels like Im hosting a big, jolly party.

Many guests spring surprises. My latest visitor, a high-powered executive working in Brussels with a wife and family, said as he tucked into bagels, cream cheese and strawberry jam: I used to be a monk, you know, and added, It was a wonderful experience, much like being an astronaut. You are up in the clouds all the time.

He must have crashed back to earth working for the EU.

Another rich-looking guest from the South of England told me he and his wife had adopted five children in a job lot, all from the same mother. And father? No idea, he said.

Nigerians, I have found, are clean and tidy, and extremely appreciative. One repeat visitor always leaves reviews which he signs off with respect and admiration, which is lovely.

But the best guests, by far, are the Germans. They are usually visiting for conferences or to write books, and they tend to leave glowing reviews.

And, contrary to their reputation, they have a sense of humour. A middle-aged couple had booked to stay for two weeks and we got chatting. The man said: This is my first marriage, but for my wife I am number three. I think she was running out of options.

Who are the biggest misers? Well, its not the Scottish.

Two Malaysian women booked last year but five of them turned up on the doorstep.

There are only two beds, I pointed out. Oh, we have sleeping bags, they replied, and when I demurred, they said: Only for one night, only for one night.

I gave in, and next morning five women trooped down, all in headscarves and long skirts, after what must have been a very uncomfortable night indeed. I thought it was a one-off, but my fellow Airbnb landlords and landladies across the world tell me this is a common, cheeky little dodge among people from that corner of the world.

Do they top and tail? Draw straws for who gets the floor? Swap in the middle of the night? Id love to know.

With British people, Id say there was a definite North/South divide. Northerners rarely complain and they like my place so much that they often book repeat visits. Middle-aged, middle-class Southern women are terrible whingers.

Generally speaking, I would rather have Germans than the British any day.

Friends always ask me whether I worry about being alone in my house with strange, single men, but I can honestly state that all of my male guests have been perfect gentlemen and absolutely impeccably behaved.

I have to admit, though, that I have a nicely growing collection of discarded mens underpants in my linen cupboard.

Being an Airbnb host in your own home gives you a window to the world outside, but it is surprisingly hard work.

I seem to spend my life washing and ironing bedlinen and towels and I am always rushing to the shops to stock up on bread, jam, coffee, wet wipes and toilet rolls.

A Finnish guest who stayed a few months ago had an Airbnb business herself. She totally sympathised with me when I complained how I could be bleaching, vacuuming and scrubbing 24 hours a day, and the place would still never be clean enough.

There is always that one rogue hair that eludes me, which some guest (usually Dutch or French) will find.

And those complaints, apart from being utterly infuriating, get you in trouble. A one-star rating by a guest will get you a ticking-off from Airbnb HQ.

And theyre always looking for ways to get you to reduce your prices. If, for instance, there is an opening in your calendar, it will trigger an email saying turn lookers into bookers. Reduce your prices by 10 per cent to get more bookings.

Or, if potential guests look at my advert and end up booking somewhere cheaper, I will get an email to the effect that: Two guests have just booked a listing nearby at 42 cheaper. Consider reducing your prices.

I never do discounts. For one thing, I dont want to host cheap people. For another, I hate this endless haggling and discounting  an American import we can do without.

While the Airbnb founders are trying to get hosts to offer a five-star experience for a pittance, the company keeps raking in ever more billions from all over the world.

Hosting Airbnb guests has been fun, sometimes nerve-racking, and always extremely hard work, but I am closing my listing from October. The main reason for this is the crippling tax I get clobbered with (I can currently earn up to 7,500 a year tax-free under the Rent a Room Scheme, but Government proposals are likely to scrap that).

But I also I feel like a break from all that scrubbing and rogue- hair-hunting.

I shall miss coming down each morning at breakfast time, not knowing what language will greet me or what tale from a distant corner of the world I will carry with me for the rest of the day.

And you Germans. I will miss you, sorely. Maybe its time I started looking on Airbnb and paid you a little visit myself . . .
An 18-year-old Auckland girl has been chosen by space agency NASA to ride on-board their 747 jumbo jet aircraft during a special overnight mission.

In one 10 hour flight, Alexia Hilbertidou will travel at -70C and zero per cent humidity while measuring Stardust and taking in the breath-taking displays of the atmosphere, which in previous excursions has included the Aurora Australis.

'I was ecstatic and over the moon to be picked,' she told Daily Mail Australia.

Auckland girl Alexia Hilbertidou (pictured) has been chosen by space agency NASA to ride on-board their 747 jumbo jet aircraft during a special overnight mission

NASA's SOFIA is the world's largest flying observatory based out of California and the Boeing 747SP jetliner (pictured)

As the youngest person ever to be selected, she will attend as a guest of NASA's SOFIA Project while crew seek out new stars and planets.

NASA's SOFIA is the world's largest flying observatory based out of California and the Boeing 747SP jetliner is modified to carry one of the most powerful telescopes in the world with a 100-inch diameter.

The data provided by SOFIA 'cannot be obtained by any other astronomical facility on the ground or in space'.

As the youngest person ever to be selected, she will travel as a guest of NASA's SOFIA Project while crew seek out new stars and planets

The aircraft (pictured) will travel at 45,000 ft toward Antarctica over the Southern Ocean

The 'VIP Mission' is specifically designed for scientific communicators. Past passengers on similar VIP missions have included Dr Michelle Dickinson and Star Trek's Nichelle Nichols.

As the founder of GirlBoss New Zealand, an organisation built to encourage females to embrace male-dominated fields, Hilbertidou was selected by the United States Ambassador-Designate Scott Brown in part because of the advocacy work she does in the scientific sphere.

Her company is New Zealand's second largest women's network with 8000 members passionate about STEM, Leadership, and Entrepreneurship.

In 2016 she was named the most influential New Zealand woman under 25 at the Westpac Women of Influence Awards.

In 2016 Hilbertidou was named the most influential New Zealand woman under 25 at the Westpac Women of Influence Awards

The data provided by SOFIA 'cannot be obtained by any other astronomical facility on the ground or in space'

The flight will leave from Christchurch airport the night of Friday 14 July and will take approximately 10 hours while travelling at 45,000 ft towards Antarctica over the Southern Ocean.

At maximum altitude, the rear of the airplane opens to allow for scientific observations.

On the trip NASA will organise opportunities for guests to talk to scientists at the various workstations including the Mission Director, science flight planner, telescope operator, science staff and flight crew.
A defense lawyer accused of providing a cellphone to her inmate lover was indicted Thursday on a dozen felony charges.

Alexis Plunkett, 36, is in a relationship with inmate Andrew Arevalo, 26, a documented member of the Surenos gang who is serving time at the Clark County Detention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Plunkett was charged with handing her phone to Arevalo and Rogelio Estrada - another inmate she represented - on several occasions this year, theLas Vegas Review Journal reported.

Alexis Plunkett, 36, was indicted Thursday with 12 counts of unlawful possession of a portable telecommunication device by a felony jail prisoner (pictured, Plunkett in court in June)

Plunkett, 36, posted a selfie of Las Vegas jail inmate Andrew Arevalo, 26, kissing her on the cheek in May. She said she is not ashamed of their relationship

Defense lawyers are allowed to bring phones into jail as long as they sign an agreement stating the phones will be used for purposes related to the case.

Plunkett claims she gave her phone to Arevalo and Estrada to make calls regarding bail, which she thought was allowed, the Review Journal reported.

But she was charged with 12 counts of unlawful possession of a portable telecommunication device by a felony jail prisoner, and two gross misdemeanor counts of conspiracy.

Arevalo was also indicted on Thursday. Estrada, who faces similar charges, was not indicted with the other two.

Plunkett is charged with allowing Arevalo - a known gang member - to use her phone at the Clark County Detention Center several times

Police set up surveillance cameras inside the visitation room at the prison after becoming suspicious of Plunkett's visits, some of which occurred late at night.

Plunkett, who represents Arevalo, was allegedly caught kissing the inmate on the lips during three separate visits.

In December 2015, Arevalo was caught on camera fondling Plunkett's breasts during a visit, according to a prison lieutenant.

Corrections officers stepped in, and confronted Plunkett, who initially denied what happened before apologizing.

On May 31, Plunkett posted a selfie of Arevalo kissing her on the cheek on her law firm's Facebook page.

The photo was captioned: 'He that is without sin among you, let him cast a stone at her.'

Plunkett told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that she has known Arevalo since 2012 and isn't ashamed of her relationship.

'The press will not dictate my relationship with Andrew; that is why I posted a private picture of us - to show that we are people and I am not ashamed of him. Never,' she said.

'I've openly been with him for years and have never hidden it from anyone... I care deeply for Andrew and have for many years.'

Arevalo (pictured above several years ago) is a known member of the Surenos gang. He has a number of felony conviction as far back as 2009

Plunkett, who is also Arevalo's lawyer, was allegedly caught on camera kissing the inmate on the lips during three separate visits

She also posted a photo of her mugshot, saying: 'Facing charges? I got you in a way another attorney CANNOT.'

Arevalo is a known member of the Surenos gang. He has a number of felony convictions as far back as 2009 and was shot in the face in a shooting at High Desert State Prison in 2014.

He was arrested earlier this year after police found him with weapons and 23.7grams of methamphetamine. He is currently awaiting trial.

Plunkett has maintained her innocence and called the charges against her the result of a 'witch hunt'.
A desperate search is underway for a father and his teen son as they are feared missing in a forest in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia.

Andrew Sleigh, 60, and his son Elliott, 15, were last seen on Tuesday in the Lol Gray State Forest in the Dryandra Woodland nature conservation area near Narrogin, 192km southeast of Perth.

The pair were travelling in a 2001 white Subaru Outback with the licence plate 1DAF259.

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A father and his son, 15, are believed to be missing in a forest in the Dryandra Woodland

Mr Sleigh is 175cm tall, with a long grey beard, short hair, medium build, a tanned complexion and wears prescription glasses.

Elliott is 177cm tall, with medium length curly brown hair, a slim build, fair complexion and was last seen wearing a black hat or beanie.

Anyone with information should contact police on 13 14 44.

Andrew Sleigh, 60, and his son Elliott were last seen on Tuesday in the Lol Gray State Forest near Narrogin, 192km southeast of Perth
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A baby received medical treatment outside a shopping mall after being tear gassed by security forces at a rally against Venezuela's president in Caracas.

Dozens were injured in the latest round of violence in the oil-rich nation that is in the midst of a political and economic crisis.

Ramon Muchacho, mayor of the Caracas district Chacao, which is an opposition stronghold, said 45 people in the mall, including 17 children, required medical assistance.

Witness Alejandra Vargas told AFP: 'We came here to get an ice cream and see a movie, and look at this disaster.'

A baby received medical treatment outside a shopping mall after being tear gassed by security forces in Caracas

A child is taken away from the shopping mall after smoke from tear gas was fired during a rally against President Maduro

A child cries as he gets medical attention outside a shopping mall in the Venezuelan capital during clashes at a rally

A youth has his face rinsed from the effects of tear gas after security forces lobbed tear gas at demonstrators sheltering inside a shopping mall

A child receives medical attention outside the shopping mall where Venezuelan police chased anti-government protesters

Protester Rosa Rivas, 43, taking part in the rally with her 15-year-old daughter, said when the police forced the crowd to disperse, some went into the mall, either through the main entrance or a parking garage.

'But they chased us. People were running for their lives,' Rivas said.

The entire mall - made up of 531 stores - was later evacuated as a precaution.

The incident was the latest in three months of chaos in the oil-rich but poverty-stricken country that have seen 91 people killed in clashes with police

The incident came a day after 100 government supporters - armed with sticks and pipes - stormed Venezuela's opposition-controlled National Assembly, where they beat up several lawmakers.

Military police guarding the site stood by as intruders brandishing broke through the gate.

About 350 people were besieged for hours, including journalists, students and visitors, according to the assembly's speaker Julio Borges.

The pro-Maduro people stood guard outside the assembly for nine hours, screaming insults at lawmakers and preventing them from leaving until police finally intervened and set up a security cordon to let them out.

Freddy Guevara, the assembly vice president and opposition leader, said: 'This is Venezuela today. Criminals attack the National Assembly, the armed forces are complicit in this madness, but the people and the lawmakers resist and advance.'

People react in horror at a restaurant inside the mall following the latest round of violence in the country that is in the midst of a political and economic crisis

President Nicolas Maduro condemned the assault and promised an investigation but did not publicly acknowledge the intruders were his supporters.

The attack drew condemnation from the United States, France, the European Union and the Organization of American States.

Venezuela's opposition has been staging demonstrations against Maduro for three months, saying he has created a dictatorship and destroyed the country's economy.

Maduro, a former bus driver handpicked by the late socialist firebrand Hugo Chavez as his successor, is wildly unpopular among everyday people but still retains the key support of the military.

The protests, which started on March 29, have frequently ended in violent confrontations with security forces, which have used tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse crowds, and there also have clashes with pro-government groups.

Opposition leaders have blamed armed pro-government militias known as 'colectivos' for a number of the deaths, while government officials have accused the opposition of working with criminal gangs to stir up unrest.

The swell of protests - that have left 91 people dead - is the most violent in economically struggling Venezuela since two months of anti-government demonstrations in 2014 that resulted in dozens of deaths.
An adorable wombat has been filmed burrowing through piles of autumn leaves and exploring her enclosure.

Millie the wombat was filmed playing hide and seek in piles of autumn leaves spilling out of an overturned wheelie bin at Symbio Wildlife Park in New South Wales.

Footage shows her snuffling around in a pile of leaves in the bin, before she emerges and climbs up onto a tree stump, sniffing at the camera.

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An adorable wombat named Millie has been filmed burrowing through piles of autumn leaves and exploring her enclosure at Symbio Wildlife Park in New South Wales

Millie was filmed playing hide and seek in piles of autumn leaves spilling out of an overturned wheelie bin, before climbing up onto a tree stump (pictured)

She then returns to the bin and climbs right inside, kicking up leaves behind her as she goes.

Millie hides under the pile of leaves before emerging suddenly with them stuck all over her face and back, as she sniffs around.

She is then seen peeping inquisitively from around the corner of the bin, her ears twitching.

As she peeps up over the bin, her tiny claws grip the edges as she sniffs towards the camera.

She then ambles around her enclosure before heading towards the fence, and sniffing at a wallaby on the other side.

She then burrowed into the big pile of leaves (pictured) in the bin, as they crunched underneath her

Footage shows her suddenly emerging from the bin with a shower of leaves spraying in every direction
Hobby Lobby has been fined $3 million for purchasing stolen ancient artifacts and having them shipped the United States. Reaching a decision Wednesday, July 5, 2017, a court in New York ruled the artifacts should be confiscated and the craft supply company fined.

Steve Green, the President of Hobby Lobby, traveled to the United Arab Emirates in 2010 to inspect the artifacts. Meeting with two Israeli dealers and one from the UAE, Green was told the artifacts were legally purchased in the 1960s and belonged to the family of a third Israeli dealer who was not present.

In January 2011, Customs and Border Protection seized five of the packages making their way to Hobby Lobby headquarters. It didnt take much for CPB to discern the customs forms contained false information that substantially undervalued the pieces, as an article by the Atlantic reports.

The artifacts in questionsome 450 cuneiform tablets and 3,000 clay bullaewere purchased between 2010 and 2011 via wire transfers (totaling $1.6 million) to seven different bank accounts. The artifacts were then shipped to various corporate addresses held by Hobby Lobby in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma in packages labeled Tiles (Sample). Green admits, We should have exercised more oversight and carefully questioned how the acquisitions were handled.

Compounding the issue is the fact that the antiquities expert the company hired to help them with the purchase advised against it. In a memorandum to the company, the expert wrote, I would regard the acquisition of any artifact likely from Iraqas carrying considerable risk. The expert cited the fact that an estimated 200-500,000 objects have been looted from archaeological sites in Iraq since the early 1990s, and the objects most commonly looted are cylinder seals, cuneiform tablets.

By way of explanation, Hobby Lobby released a statement about the Artifact Import Settlement, which states the reasoning behind the purchases (and others like it) was to try to preserve these items for future generations, to provide broad access to scholars and students alike to study them, and to share the collection with the world in public institutions and museums. Further, the statement expresses the companys commitment to adhere to standards established by the Association of Art Museum Directors (AAMD) going forward.

And go forward they intend to do. Our passion for the Bible continues, Green says, and we will do all that we can to support the efforts to conserve items that will help illuminate and enhance our understanding of this Great Book.

It is this desire to preserve and present the history of the written form of Gods word that prompted the Greens to partner with other evangelicals to erect the Museum of the Bible, which is scheduled to open in Washington, D.C., this fall. Green is the founder and chairman of the board for the Museum of the Bible.

The question arises if artifacts to be displayed in the Museum of the Bible were acquired illegally since Green and Hobby Lobby were so instrumental in the museums genesis. Steven Bickley, the vice president of marketing, administration and finance for the museum states they dont have any concerns about our collection since the artifacts that were referred to were never in our collection.

Green and Hobby Lobby seem to be chalking this whole episode up to a lesson learned. The Company was new to the world of acquiring these items, and did not fully appreciate the complexities of the acquisitions process. This resulted in some regrettable mistakes, the statement reads.
A flight attendant has been charged with online child grooming offences after he was arrested at Brisbane International Airport.

Samuel Terrence Rova, 37, was granted conditional bail in Brisbane Magistrates Court on Friday and agreed to stay off social media, surrender his Solomon Islands passport and report regularly to police.

Rova was charged with one count of using the internet to procure a child under 16 and banned from using any social media.

Flight attendant Samuel Terrence Rova, 37, (centre) has been charged with online child grooming offences after he was arrested at Brisbane International Airport on Thursday

A detective allegedly posed as a 14-year-old girl online and engaged in a sexually explicit conversation with the man.

It's alleged that the offences occurred between July 4 and 5 and further forensic examination will be conducted on his portable devices.

Rova was arrested by police on Thursday afternoon as he arrived at the airport.

The court heard Rova regularly travelled to Australia for work.

Magistrate Elizabeth Hall said: 'This is a serious and shameful charge against you.'

Rova (left) was granted conditional bail in Brisbane Magistrates Court on Friday and agreed to stay off social media, surrender his Solomon Islands passport and report regularly to police

Police allege a detective posed as a 14-year-old girl online and engaged in sexually explicit conversations with Rova on Tuesday and Wednesday

During the brief bail hearing, defence solicitor Remy Kurz said it was likely Rova would lose his job after being charged.

Rova will live with a cousin before returning to court on August 14.

His portable devices were seized and have been sent for further forensic testing.

Acting Detective Superintendent Garry Watts said this was a timely reminder to all parents to be vigilant with electronic devices used by their children and ensure that they monitor their childrens online activities.

Rova was charged with one count of using the internet to procure a child under 16 and banned from using any social media. He was released on conditional bail and is due to appear in court again on August 14. Pictured is Brisbane International Airport

Detective Inspector Jon Rouse said this investigation highlights the borderless nature and the threat that the internet poses.

'Child sex offenders will go to extraordinary lengths to gain access to children,' Detective Inspector Rouse said.

'Investigators at Argos will continue to target people utilising online platforms to target people looking to engage with young children.'
Four teenagers were arrested for allegedly having sex in the sea in full view of a large crowd of beachgoers in Cape Cod during July Fourth celebrations.

The alleged incident took place Tuesday on Mayflower Beach in Dennis, Massachusetts, a small town in central Cape Cod.

Four teens  Julianna Murphy, 19; Stephen Cerrone, 19; Lukas Kaminski, 19; and Molly Hines, 18  were charged Wednesday with disorderly conduct, according to Cape Cod Times.

The four made efforts to shield their faces from the public after they walked out of court on Wednesday.

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According to police, Hines, Murphy (both of whom are seen in the above file photo), Stephen Cerrone, 19, and a 17-year-old juvenile engaged in sexual intercourse in full view of beachgoers in Cape Cod

Hines and Murphy are both natives of Penfield, New York, a small town just outside Rochester

Cerrone, a native of Quechee, Vermont, was named as one of the teens charged with disorderly conduct

A still from a video above shows the teens seated on the sand as they were detained by police. A large crowd of beachgoers estimated to number 300 people gathers to watch

Three of those who appeared in court on Wednesday are alleged to have taken part in the sex acts, according to Fox 25.

Kaminski was arrested because he allegedly refused police orders to vacate the area where the other teens were being detained.

A fifth teen, a 17-year-old male who had allegedly taken part in the public dalliance, was also arrested, but his status as a juvenile prevents the media from revealing his identity.

Video of the teens being arrested went viral on social media, with the person who captured the incident adding the caption: 'Talk about fireworks!'

The judge agreed to their request to postpone their arraignments while they take part in a program for youth offenders.

The four teens are seen above during their court appearance in Dennis, Massachusetts. The four made efforts to shield their faces from the public after they walked out of court on Wednesday

Lukas Kaminski, a 19-year-old from Hopkinton, Massachusetts, was also arrested along with the four teens who allegedly fornicated in the water. Kaminski was arrested for refusing a detective's orders to vacate the area where the teens were detained

According to the police report, a lifeguard first approached a local detective at about 1.30pm on Independence Day.

The lifeguard informed the detective that he was told that a number of people were having sex in the water.

The detective, Matthew Turner, stepped closer toward the water to follow up on the complaint.

Turner wrote in his police report that he saw four individuals 'embraced with one another' as they swam 100 feet from shore.

Molly Hines (left), 18, and Julianna Murphy, 19, were among four teens arrested on July 4 for disorderly conduct

On Wednesday, Murphy (seen in the above photos), Hines, Cerrone, and a fourth teen who was not involved in the alleged sex act appeared in court in Massachusetts

The four were later identified as Murphy, Cerrone, Hines, and a 17-year-old boy.

'I could not observe exactly what was going on, however both couple(s) were extremely closely embraced,' the detective wrote in his report.

'Each embraced couple were at a minimum kissing and stumbling about in the waves.'

Turner observed that this was taking place in front of approximately two dozen people who were watching in 'disbelief' on shore.

The alleged incident took place Tuesday on Mayflower Beach in Dennis, Massachusetts, a small town in central Cape Cod

Hundreds of people on the packed beach watched and cheered as the teens were taken into custody

At the same time, Turner noted there were about 30 people in the water who witnessed the event up close and were cheering on the participants.

'This is disgusting, why is this allowed to go on here,' one angry beachgoer was heard saying.

Turner then started to yell at the teens several times, but they did not respond.

A lifeguard then began to blow a whistle repeatedly, but to no avail, as the teens kept on 'embracing and kissing.'

It was only after a second lifeguard entered the water and swam toward them that the youths began to make their approach to shore.

Three of the alleged participants are over the age of 18 and one other alleged participant is 17 years old, according to police

Stephen Cerrone (left) and Julianna Murphy (right) are seen in the above photos

Turner said that as he was in the process of detaining the four teens, he detected a strong smell of alcohol and slurred speech from the entire group.

The teens were also resisting Turner's efforts to haul them in.

As the detective was taking the teens into custody, a crowd of about 300 people gathered to watch.

Despite Turner's repeated request for Hines to stay seated, she refused.

Murphy, Cerrone, Hines, and the 17-year-old boy were placed under arrest.

Kaminski, who was approaching the other teens, was arrested after he ignored officers' instructions to leave the area.

The 17-year-old was ordered to appear in juvenile court on Monday.

His identity cannot legally be publicized.
Police are hunting a woman who is wanted on an outstanding warrant for concealing a serious indictable offence.

A public appeal has now been launched to track down 30-year-old Kyrran Aileen Ellen Daley who has 'No comment' tattooed across her arm.

Police say she is known to spend time in towns along the New South Wales far north coast, including Ballina and Evans Head.

Kyrran Aileen Ellen Daley, 30, (pictured) is wanted by New South Wales police on an outstanding warrant

Daley is described by police as being of Aboriginal/Torres Strait Islander appearance and between 180cm to 185cm in height.

They say she is of a medium build, about 70kg to 75kg, with black hair.

Anyone with information about Daley's whereabouts is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
Pizza giant Dominos has ditched Coca-Cola only a day after Woolworths refused to stock their new sugar free soft drink.

Dominos has switched to major rival Pepsi/Schweppes to stock soft drinks and bottled water at stores across Australia.

News of both changes broke on Thursday, and saw Coca-Cola Amatil's share price fall 3.36 per cent to $8.91, The Sydney Morning Herald reported.

Pizza giant Dominos has ditched Coca-Cola drinks only a day after Woolworths refused to stock their new sugar free soft drink (stock image)

News of both moves broke on Thursday, and saw Coca-Cola Amatil's share price fall 3.36 per cent to $8.91

Dominos has switched to major rival Pepsi/Schweppes to stock soft drinks and bottled water at stores across Australia (stock image)

A Coca-Cola Amatil spokeswoman said: 'We are always disappointed when customers choose not to make our products available to their customers, but respect their decision to do so'.

Following extensive customer testing, Dominos confirmed it was expanding its drink range with a 'new, long-term partnership with Schweppes Australia, ranging Pepsi brands'.

Domino's new range includes Pepsi, Pepsi Max, Solo, Mountain Dew and Cool Ridge water.

This comes as supermarket giant Woolworths refused to stock Coca Cola's new no-sugar product, saying customers already have enough low calorie drinks to choose from.

Coca-Cola Amatil launched Coca Cola No Sugar in June as a replacement for Coke Zero, which they are reportedly planning to phase out next year.

A Woolworths spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia: 'We have taken the decision to not range this product at this time.'

Our customers looking for a no sugar or low-sugar cola option have ample choice already in the category across a range of different pack sizes and formats.

'We continue to stock Coca-Cola Zero in our stores nationwide.'

This comes as supermarket giant Woolworths refused to stock Coca Cola's new no-sugar product, saying customers already have enough low calorie drinks to choose from (stock image)
Chinese investors spent $24 billion dollars on Australian real estate in the last year.

The figure, put together by Chinese property listing site Juwai.com using data from the Foreign Investment Review Board, is up almost a third from the previous financial year, when it was $18.4 billion.

Sue Jong, Chief of Operations for Juwai.com, said Chinese investment in foreign real estate worldwide was forecast to exceed $100 billion by the end of the year.

Chinese investors spent $24 billion dollars on Australian real estate in 2016 (stock image)

The figure, put together by Chinese property listing site Juwai.com, is up from $18.4 billion last financial year

Australia is the second-most-preferred foreign market for Chinese property investors, behind only the United States, and ahead of Hong Kong, Canada and Britain.

Their spending on Australian property was now almost $500 million per week.

However 2016 is expected to be the peak, as the Chinese government puts measures in place to reduce the amount of money flowing out of the country while foreign governments also look for ways to prevent Chinese spending from spiking house prices.

'In Australia, we see that investment flows have decreased markedly from their peak, while remaining strong by historic standards,' Ms Jong told Business Insider.

'Capital controls, bank lending standards and foreign buyer taxes have combined to wind back the clock to 2015,' she said.

It follows claims from real estate experts that there are 200,000 homes sitting empty in Sydney because foreign investors have bought them with no intention of living in them or renting them out.

Douglas Driscoll, the chief executive of Starr Partners, estimates the number of unoccupied homes has almost doubled from 120,000 in 2011, in a city which is already the second most unaffordable in the world after Hong Kong.

Mr Driscoll believes the empty homes are a major contributor to Sydney's housing crisis, which has seen prices double in the past eight years and rise at an average of $222 a day.

'Foreign investors are only exacerbating the problem by buying properties and leaving them vacant,' he told Daily Mail Australia.

It follows claims from real estate experts that t here are 200,000 homes sitting empty in Sydney because foreign investors have bought them with no intention of living in them (stock)

He said Chinese buyers were used to not receiving much of a return on investment and believed tenants lowered property values by putting 'wear and tear' on them.

'They bring that same mentality over here without doing the research,' he said.

'A lot of them are also buying their children's future, even if they are only in their teens, they are buying them now in highly desirable inner-city areas.

'When their children are old enough they send them off to university and that's where they live. So they might sit empty for three or four years.'

He said Australia was also an attractive location because homes were much bigger than those in Asia.

'On average, an Australian home has 89 square metres of floor space, while a country like China has about 33 square metres of space,' he said.
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Thousands of North Koreans rallied in Kim Il Sung square to celebrate the launch of their country's first intercontinental ballistic missile with a huge fireworks display.

Pyongyang announced on Tuesday it had successfully test-launched its first intercontinental ballistic missile, Hwasong-14, a potential game-changing development in what may be the world's most dangerous nuclear standoff.

On Thursday, thousands of Army personnel and people gathered in strict formation at Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang for an impressive fireworks display to mark the occasion.

Fireworks lit up the sky over Pyongyang's Juche Tower, while in the square, people in traditional dress performed dances.

Army personnel and people gather at Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang July 6, 2017 to celebrate the successful test-launch of intercontinental ballistic rocket Hwasong-14

Thousands of North Koreans rallied in Kim Il Sung square to celebrate the launch of their country's first intercontinental ballistic missile with a huge fireworks display

Soldiers of the Korean People's Army (KPA) watch the fireworks display above them as part of celebrations marking the missile launch

The impressive display marks a milestone in Pyongyang's decades-long drive to threaten the US mainland with a nuclear strike

The pomp and ceremony was to celebrate the launch of intercontinental ballistic missile - something President Donald Trump previously declared 'won't happen!'

A U.S. scientist examining the height and distance said the missile could potentially be powerful enough to reach Alaska. In typically heated rhetoric, North Korea's Academy of Defense Science said the test of an ICBM  the Hwasong-14  marked the 'final step' in creating a 'confident and powerful nuclear state that can strike anywhere on Earth.'

President Trump on Thursday called North Korea's intercontinental ballistic missile test 'very, very bad behavior' and said that there would be 'consequences' for Pyongyang's belligerence.

Tuesday's launch marked a milestone in Pyongyang's decades-long drive to threaten the US mainland with a nuclear strike, posing a tough policy challenge for Trump, who is has clashed with Beijing over how to handle Kim Jong-Un's regime.

Kim Jong-Un had described the ICBM launch - staged on the US Independence Day holiday - as a gift to 'American b******' and vowed to give more 'gift packages' to the US in the future

Thousands of Army personnel and people gathered in strict formation at Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang on Thursday

The pomp and ceremony was to celebrate the launch of intercontinental ballistic missile - something President Donald Trump previously declared 'won't happen!'

Army personnel applaud the speaker ahead of the firework celebrations later that evening in Pyongyang, North Korea

'I call on all nations to confront this global threat and publicly demonstrate to North Korea that there are consequences for their very, very bad behavior,' Trump said in response to a question from DailyMail.com.

'I have pretty severe things that we're thinking about,' he said, but added: 'That doesn't mean that we'll do them.'

Trump made his comments during a joint press conference in Warsaw with Polish President Andrzej Duda.

The whirlwind visit to Warsaw comes just days before he meets Russian President Vladimir Putin. He will next travel to Germany for Friday and Saturday's G20 summit.

Trump has repeatedly urged Pyongyang's chief backer China to rein in the Stalinist state in, taking to Twitter this week to publicly berate Beijing for not squeezing the North hard enough on trade.

China responded Thursday with a call for more moderate language from all sides.

Soldiers of the Korean People's Army (KPA) were all smiles and waves for the camera during the display

Meanwhile, North Korean women in traditional dress were also in attendance and were seen applauding

People also performed dances at the event to mark the milestone for the dictator-led country

Dancers performing during celebrations marking the July 4 launch of the Hwasong-14 intercontinental ballistic missile, in Pyongyang

'We also call on relevant parties to stay calm, exercise restraint, refrain from words and deeds that may heighten tensions,' foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told reporters.

President Xi Jinping, who be attending this week's G20 summit with Trump in Hamburg, said China was committed to denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula, but stressed this could best be achieved through dialogue and negotiations, the Xinhua news agency reported.

Trump previously dismissed the idea of the North having a working ICBM, vowing it 'won't happen,' but experts say the new missile could reach Alaska or even further towards the continental US.

The test prompted the US and its ally South Korea to stage a joint missile drill aimed at countering the North's threats, after South Korean President Moon Jae-In called for a response beyond 'just words'.

Men and women perform a dance involving the North Korean red, white and blue flag

In typically heated rhetoric, North Korea's Academy of Defense Science said the test of an ICBM  the Hwasong-14  marked the 'final step' in creating a 'confident and powerful nuclear state that can strike anywhere on Earth' (dancers peform at the celebrations)

Pyongyang on Thursday warned that it would be a 'piece of cake' to destroy South Korea, its state media reported (men applaud the events of the day)

Participants prepare to perform a mass dance event as part of celebrations as fireworks lit up the sky over Pyongyang's Juche Tower

Meanwhile, Pyongyang on Thursday warned that it would be a 'piece of cake' to destroy South Korea, its state media reported.

The comments came as the state raged against Seoul for a joint missile drill with the US following its landmark intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) test.

The North's propaganda National Peace Committee for Korea criticized South Korean President Moon Jae-in for denouncing Pyongyang 'instead of getting rejoiced over the praiseworthy event' staged by its northern neighbour, according to the KCNA news agency.

Mocking the South as 'puppet military gangsters,' the KCNA report added: 'It will be as easy as a piece of cake for the (North) to wipe out the puppet forces ... as we are now able to destroy even the US mainland across the ocean.'

Korean People's Army (KPA) watched the fireworks two days after the country launched a Hwasong-14 rocket that analysts and overseas officials said had a range of up to 8,000 kilometres, which would put Alaska and Hawaii within reach
Over the holiday weekend, a photo that people are saying is a representation of what makes America great has gone viral on social media.

Actress Rachel MacKnight captured a touching moment between two families with different backgrounds while riding on New York City's subway system on July 2.

She snapped a photo of a smiling white woman holding her baby as a Muslim family leaned in and grinned back at the child and mother.

MacKnight captioned the post: 'This is what makes America great', and more than 500 people chimed in praising the sweet photo.

A photo of a white mother holding her baby while a Muslim family smiled back at the child has gone viral for what people claim to be a representation of what makes America great. The photo was taken on a New York City subway car on July 2

Actress Rachel MacKnight captured the touching moment between the two families

MacKnight took the picture while she was riding the C train and the tweet has been shared more than 18,000 times and liked more than 69,000 times on Twitter.

She wrote: 'Thiiiiiis is what makes America great. Happy 4th of July, y'all', followed by two heart emojis.

Many Twitter users quickly took to the social media platform to celebrate the moment, saying they were proud to be American because of moments like this that welcomes diversity.

One wrote: 'You are so right! This is what America is all about'!'

Another added: 'THIS is #America! We [love] NYC! Always try 2 stay in diverse places.'

One man made a political statement and said: 'This has nothing to do with left vs. right, conservative vs. liberal, red vs. blue... it's about the human experience. And it's beautiful.'

Some people shared their own interactions with people from different backgrounds from them, saying how wonderful it is when people come together.

User RarefiedAlien said: 'Was at the store to buy some curry and a Muslim couple approached me. They gave me tips on how to prepare it. I felt like hugging them'

Twitter users took to the social media platform to celebrate the moment, saying they were proud to be American because of moments like this that welcomes diversity

However, others claimed that people shouldn't commend the photo because inclusion and acceptance should already be the norm.

User TallieSaiyan wrote: 'Sad that pictures likes these are needed to make people realize what's great about America. It's 2017. We should have moved past that long ago.'

Another woman added: 'Simple human interactions are something amazing? "Oh wow a brown person is playing with a white lady's baby. Faith in humanity restored!" Smfh.'

@Ginjer_Snap chimed in and said: 'So because people sit together on a train, America is great??? Wow, the bar is low.'

However, others claimed that people shouldn't commend the photo because inclusion and acceptance should be normal

A similar moment of people from different backgrounds went viral in April. A Taoist, a Hasidic couple and a Muslim mom were snapped living peacefully on the F train in NYC

Over the past few months, images praising diversity and openness between different religions and races have gone viral.

In April, a similar moment was captured on a New York City subway car.

A Taoist shared a heartwarming photo of a Hasidic couple scooting over on a subway train so they could make room for a Muslim mother feeding her baby.

The man who took the pictures, Jackie Summers, said he gave up his seat to the Hasidic couple on the F train in New York City on Easter Sunday.

The F train runs from Brooklyn, through Manhattan and into Queens.

He wrote on his blog and Facebook: 'A Taoist (me) gives up his seat so a Hasidic couple could sit together. They scoot over so a Muslim mother could sit and nurse her baby, on Easter Sunday.

'This is my America: people letting people be people.'

'THIS is what makes America great and these days I've been struggling to find ways to feel good about America,' wrote Lisa Smith Zwart. 'Thank you for restoring a little of my faith in humanity today, Jackie.'

The country has been divided since the presidential election over immigration policies, including a planned wall along the Mexican border and extreme vetting for people coming from primarily Muslim countries.

There has been a reported uptick in hate crimes, including Jewish cemeteries that have been vandalized in New York and Philadelphia, and mosques that have been reported vandalized across the country.

Heartwarming photos have captured the moment a white little girl mistook a black bride as the princess from her favorite storybook in June

In mid-June, a heartwarming exchange went viral between a white little girl who thought a black bride was the princess from her favorite book.

The toddler had been out for a walk with her mother in Seattle when the pair spotted a bride leaving a church after getting married.

Thanks to her glamorous bridal gown the newlywed was easily mistaken for fairy-tale royalty by the child.

Much to the toddler and her mother's, joy the bride was happy to go along with the story, spending several minutes chatting to her young 'fan'.

The photos went viral and many commented it was touching.

One Twitter user wrote: 'The sweet innocence of a child .What happens to us as adults that such innocence should be replaced with greed and intolerance.'

Two strangers riding on a New York City subway car popped open a full bottle of wine after it rolled out from underneath their seats in February

And in February, two strangers, one black and one white, riding on a New York City subway car said cheers and popped open a full bottle of bubbly after it rolled out from underneath their train seats.

The commuters happily shared the booze while riding on the subway in Manhattan after they discovered the unopened bottle.

One of the men even found an empty Hennessy liquor bottle on the train to pour the alcohol into and raised his makeshift glass to his newfound drinking friend.

A woman sitting across from the men shared the moment on Twitter and described it as a 'peak New York City' moment.
A neighbour revealed she had recently reported two Rottweilers, who have been sized after mauling a three-year-old girl.

The toddler is in hospital with severe facial injuries after she was attacked by the pair of large dogs at a home in Sydneys west on Thursday.

She was in the backyard of a home in Hazelbrook in the Blue Mountains when the two animals attacked just before 3pm on Thursday.

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A three-year-old girl is in hospital after she was mauled by two Rottweilers on Thursday

Police officers arrive at the scene where two dogs attacked a young girl

The child sustained multiple injuries and was treated at the scene by paramedics before being taken to The Children's Hospital at Westmead.

Rangers seized the dogs, which are owned by the occupant of the home.

The dogs have been responsible for attacks on animals this week, according to 9News.

Neighbour Scarlet Johnson said she had reported the dogs two weeks ago after an attack on a Labrador.

A police officer at the scene where two 'large Rottweilers' attacked a young girl

But rangers had reportedly not been able to find the animals when the complaint was made.

'It was quite alarming when I heard it attacking the dog,' Ms Johnson told The Daily Telegraph.

'The scream the dog was making was bloodcurdling  all the doors were closed, but I could hear it some way away from my house.'

A young girl was attacked by two rottweilers in the Blue Mountains

Paramedics treated the young girl at the scene before rushing her to hospital where she remains in a stable condition

Police and rangers from the Blue Mountains City Council secured the Rottweilers.

It is thought the dogs are owned by an occupant of the home; the child was visiting the family.

A police spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia that police would launch a joint investigation with the Blue Mountains council.
Three men charged over the killing of NSW Police accountant Curtis Cheng will face trial next year.

Talal Alameddine, 24, Mustafa Dirani, 23, and Milad Atai, 21, are all charged with doing an act in preparation for a terrorist act, with Alameddine and Dirani also charged with supplying the revolver used outside Parramatta police HQ in October 2015.

Police allege the three men were involved in the plot to kill Mr Cheng, 58, led by schoolboy murderer Farhad Jabar, outside the NSW Police Force headquarters at Parramatta in 2015.

Talal Alameddine, 24, (pictured) has been charged for preparing to plot a terrorist attack, killing NSW Police accountant Curtis Cheng in 2015

Mustafa Dirani, 23, (pictured) is one of three men charged with plotting a terrorist attack in Parramatta

Mr Cheng, who had been employed by the NSW Police Force for 17 years, was murdered by 15-year-old Jabar moments before leaving the headquarters to spend the long weekend with his family.

The three men were previously committed to stand trial, and on Friday NSW Supreme Court Justice Robert Allan Hulme set it down for June 4, 2018 with an estimated duration of up to eight weeks.

19-year-old Alou has previously been charged over the plot.

Mr Cheng (pictured far left) had worked with the NSW Police for 17 years and was leaving work to spend the long weekend with his family at the time of his murder

Dirani (pictured) will face trail in 2018 charged with supplying the revolver used outside Parramatta police HQ shooting

Schoolboy murderer Farhad Jabar (pictured) murdered Mr Cheng in a terrorist attack in October 2015
A man received two life sentences for murdering his girlfriend and her daughter with a hammer because he thought they were witches casting voodoo spells on him.

Carlos Alberto Amarillo, 48, of Queens, New York, was convicted of murder, criminal possession of a weapon and endangering the welfare of a child in the deaths of Estrella Castaneda, 56, and Lina Castaneda, 25.

Lina's seven-year-old daughter was at home at the time of the vicious attacks, although she was not physically harmed.

Pictured, Carlos Alberto Amarillo is taken away in an NYPD squad car from the scene of the bloody crime in 2014. He received two life sentences on Thursday for the double murder

Armarillo was sentenced to two consecutive life sentences in the Queens Supreme Court on Thursday.

District Attorney Richard Brown said: 'This defendant will rightfully spend the rest of his natural life behind bars.'

Amarillo called 911 himself in January 2014, stating that 'two females are dead, they were assassinated, hurry they are dead. '

He added: 'I killed them because they are witches, I want the police to kill me. I killed them with a hammer.'

When police arrived, Amarillo was holding a Bible and told the officers the women were 'witches and were performing voodoo and casting spells' on him that made him sick, Brown said.

According to trial testimony, Estrella was found 'face up on the bed with a pillow over her face,' Queens District Attorney Richard Brown said. 'The rubber grip of a hammer was beside her body on the bed.'

Brown said Lina's body was found in the rear bedroom 'face down with injuries to her head and a hammer was on the floor beside her'.

Lina's seven-year-old daughter was found on the bed in her mother's room. She was unharmed.

'She will, however, be forever impacted by the absence of both her mother and grandmother in her life,' Brown said.

Amarillo bludgeoned his girlfriend and her daughter Lina Castaneda, 25, (above) to death using a claw hammer

Cops found her seven-year-old daughter unharmed at the scene after the brutal attack

Pictured, the home where Amarillo committed his brutal double murder. Neighbors two doors down said they could hear the attacks. Lina's 7-year-old daughter was in the home at the time of the slayings but was uninjured. Above, a police officer carries a child out of the house



Neighbor Camilo Alvarez, who was 23 at the time, heard the brutal murders from two doors down.

'He was swinging the hammer hard,' Alvarez said. 'It was a good minute, two minutes.' But he added that no one called the police because they didn't hear any screaming.

NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton called the senseless crime an 'extraordinarily sad circumstance where a couple of innocents were killed'.
Troubling that St. Johns County Sheriff DAVID SHOAR is still investigating alleged crimes by his deputies, instead of recusing himself. Is Sheriff DAVID SHOAR caught upon the horns of a dilemma?

Deputy OConnell arrested and charged with domestic battery

St Johns County Deputy Sheriff Scott James OConnell, the brother of homicide victim Michelle OConnell, was arrested and charged with domestic violence battery yesterday, a first-degree misdemeanor.

The 33-year-old deputy was terminated after an outburst and threats to blow up the sheriffs office when he learned that the state attorney would not prosecute Deputy Jeremy Banks for his sisters death in 2010.

Sheriff David Shoar re-instated OConnell, and returned him to duty, after OConnell publicly proclaimed that he was wrong to express his emotions in that way, and that he now believes that Banks did not kill his sister.

Deputies responded to a call at OConnells residence on Wednesday, July 5th, reporting that the female victim, said to be OConnells wife, suffered a close-fisted strike to the face while the couple was sitting on the bed watching a movie.

According to the arrest affidavit, OConnell was having marital difficulties. The victim told investigators that since 2011, OConnell would be loving towards her one day and mentally or verbally abusive to her the next. The couple live together in the house with two young children who were reported to be at home at the time of the incident.

Deputy Kendall Lloyd, the first officer on the scene, photographed the victims injuries that included a red mark above her right eyebrow and redness to her cheek. Her right cheek, underneath her eye, appeared slightly puffy, Lloyd wrote. Corporal Jennifer Burres also observed redness above the victims right eye and redness, with possible swelling, under her right eye in her cheek area.

When OConnell came to the Sheriffs Office yesterday, Corporal Dominick Russo interviewed him. OConnell admits the acrimonious nature of his marriage, but told Russo that he never laid hands on his wife. He said that during a verbal argument with the victim, he took his wedding ring off and put it inside the dresser. When she noticed the ring missing from his hand, OConnell says she began crying loudly in front of the children, so he told the children to go with him into the bedroom. The victim followed them into the bedroom, OConnell says, continuing to ask about the wedding ring. OConnell admits he provoked the victim further with comments about their relationship. OConnell told Russo that upset her again and caused her to say, Ill show you then! At that time, OConnell says she left the bedroom and contacted the sheriffs office.

Despite denying that he struck the victim, Corporal Russo arrested Deputy OConnell at the sheriffs office and escorted him to the St Johns County Detention Facility without incident.
Schapelle Corby has provided her legion of Instagram followers with a glimpse into her life while inside Bali's Kerobokan prison.

The convicted drug smuggler gave her more than 200,000 fans a snapshot of what went on behind prison walls in a series of posts in recent days.

In an image uploaded on Friday, captioned 'Freedom painting in progress', Corby is pictured wearing a bright green dress with a pose which mirrors an artwork placed behind her.

A photo convicted drug smuggler Schapelle Corby uploaded to Instagram on Friday with the caption 'Freedom painting in progress'

In late May, just after her arrival back in Australia from Bali, Corby posted this image to Instagram with the caption 'Freedom'

Her left arm is raised, just like how a drawing appearing to show her riding a fantastical beast is framed.

'Behind the walls of block W Kerobokan prison,' she wrote alongside the photo.

The 39-year-old said a 'prison guard helped take the photo and develope [sic] the pic so the artist could have my likeness captured'.

She added: '#iamnottheartistofthepainting' and 'hashtagacrylic&oiloncanvis'.

A day earlier, she uploaded a black-and-white photo of herself receiving a manicure from one of her prison cellmates, while again declaring her innocence.

She said the photo was taken on a guard's hand phone and was captured just prior to her being released from the prison.

Corby on Thursday took to Instagram to upload a photo from February 2014 when she received a manicure from a fellow cell mate

'A fellow cell mate, my friend in block W gifting me a manicure a few days before my release from Kerobokan prison. *I borrowed a guards hand phone to take this photo* February 2014,' Corby captioned the photo.

She then used the hashtags #kerobokanprison #10yearsbehindbars #innocent.'

In late May, the same month Corby arrived back in Australia from Bali, she had uploaded a picture to Instagram of the completed Freedom painting.

Corby wrote the word 'Freedom' under a shot of the colourful oil painting.

It was posted on her first morning back on Australian soil 12 years after she was found guilty of importing marijuana, despite protesting her innocence.
An investor who poured money into disgraced CEO Martin Shkreli's hedge fund is claiming the Pharma Bro conned him, but admitted he still made millions in the deal.

Darren Blanton, a Dallas-based investor, said he still turned a sizable profit after a deal went sour between him and Shkreli's company more than six years ago, he told a New York federal court on Thursday.

Blanton accused Shkreli of defrauding him by repeatedly lying to him about his hedge fund's assets, which led Blanton to invest $1.25million in the company.

Despite the dispute between the two parties, it was revealed Blanton made out with $200,000 and around 360,000 shock shares, which netted him $2.4million.

Pharma Bro Martin Shkreli (left) is on trial for federal security fraud. Darren Blanton (right), a former investor, told a New York court Thursday that Shkreli conned him but said he still made money off the deal

Blanton, who is a biotechnology investor, appeared in Brooklyn federal court as a witness for US prosecutors who are trying Shkreli for securities fraud, stemming from his tenure at the helm of Retrophin Inc.

Blanton told jurors he invested in Shkreli's hedge fund MSMB Capital after being told the fund was managing $35million in assets and had an independent auditor.

He said he later learned both of those claims were false and found Shkreli evasive when he tried to get some of his money back.

Blanton said he eventually filed a whistle-blower complaint with the US Securities and Exchange Commission.

Under cross-examination by Shkreli's lawyer, Blanton conceded that despite his misgivings, his $1.25million investment with Shkreli paid off, largely through an agreement in which Shkreli gave him shares in his drug company Retrophin Inc.

Blanton said he still holds 150,000 shares of Retrophin, worth nearly $3million at Wednesday's closing price of $19.83 per share, and previously sold shares worth $2.4million.

He also said he received a cash payment of $200,000.

Prosecutors have claimed the agreement between Blanton and Shkreli, termed a consulting agreement, was a sham.

Shkreli is most notorious for raising the price of a life-saving drug by 5,000 percent and is on trial for federal security fraud during the disgraced CEO's tenure at the helm of Retrophin Inc

Blanton said Shkreli founded Retrophin after learning that a friend of Blanton's had lost a son to a rare disease, myotubular myopathy, and vowed to find a cure.

Defense attorneys also questioned Blanton about his net worth, in a seemingly effort to make Blanton appear familiar with large-scale hedge fund investments.

It was revealed that Blanton had allegedly previously claimed he was on his way to being a billionaire because of his successful investments.

One of these prized investments is the frozen sperm of a star horse, which is estimated to be worth $20million, according to Dallas Morning News.

Blanton's testimony came after US District Judge Kiyo Matsumoto ordered Shkreli to stop talking about his case in or around the Brooklyn courthouse where the trial is taking place.

Five days earlier Shkreli had burst into a room full of spectators and attacked the credibility of a government witness.

Shkreli, 34, gained notoriety in 2015 when he raised the price of a life-saving drug by 5,000 percent as CEO of Turing Pharmaceuticals, sparking outrage among patients and US lawmakers.

He at times reveled in the negative publicity as he came to be known as "pharma bro" and his Twitter harassment of a journalist led to him being banned from the social media platform.

The charges he now faces stem not from his time at Turing, but from his management of MSMB Capital, another fund called MSMB Healthcare and Retrophin between 2009 and 2014.

Prosecutors say he deceived investors in the funds and eventually repaid them with money stolen from Retrophin.
A candidate for Pauline Hanson's One Nation party has been slammed after joking with a voter that claimed Australia could benefit from an insect repellent spray that rids the country of Muslims.

Scott Dare, who is campaigning in Murrumba for a seat at the upcoming Queensland election, posted a list of things he would 'work to achieve' if elected to parliament.

Responding to one of his election promises - to rid the area of mosquitoes - one voter wrote: 'There is a spray for Mozzies and Muzzies!! (derogatory term for Muslims) It would be great to rid Australia of both.'

Instead of condemning the man's racist comments, Dare laughed and wrote back: 'I hear you there Jeff!'

Scott Dare, One Nation candidate for Murrumba in Queensland, has been slammed after appearing to joke with a voter about making an insect spray to 'rid Australia' of Muslims

The 35-year-old father posted a list of his election promises to Facebook, including ridding the rural area of mosquitoes

One voter said it would 'be great to rid Australia' of both mosquitoes and Muslims. Instead of condemning the post, Dare 'laughed' and said 'I hear you there Jeff!'

When Dare was contacted by Buzzfeed, he reportedly deleted the post.

The 35-year-old father-of-three, whose slogan is 'Dare For Change', is described as a 'new breed of politician' on the One Nation official website.

'Scott has a got correct mindset and a strong moral compass, and if elected, will work as hard as he possibly can to do the right thing for the people,' his bio reads.

The 35-year-old father-of-three is described as a 'new breed of politician' on the One Nation official website

Dare also vowed to keep the government accountable for 'useless reviews, investigations, commissions and politician perks'

In his Facebook status, Dare also vowed to keep the government accountable for 'useless reviews, investigations, commissions and politician perks.'

When one social media user questioned him about his Party's push for a Royal Commission into Islam, he was quick to reply.

'Read the book "The Story of Mohammed" and then tell me Islam is a religion and not a political ideology,' he shot back.

Daily Mail Australia approached Dare and One Nation for comment.
A former Emirates air hostess claims she was sacked by the exclusive airline simply because she fell down a flight of stairs, while wearing a pair of high heels on the job.

Ciara Burke thought she had landed her dream job when she was invited to join the carrier's 'Emirates Aviation College' from among a host of international applicants.

But the 23-year-old from Perth, Western Australia, claims she soon learnt life behind the scenes isn't quite the same as what the airline portrays for First Class customers.

In fact Ms Burke has lashed Emirates, claiming they sacked her just days before she was set to graduate into a full flight attendant, all because of a heavy fall left her in a moon boot and unable to complete her intensive training.

Ciara Burke (pictured) thought she had landed her dream job when she was invited to join the international carrier and undergo their intensive training program based in Dubai, UAE

The 23-year-old former Emirates air hostess claims she the leading airline sacked her simply because she fell down a flight of stairs and injured herself while wearing a pair of high heels

Ms Burke has lashed Emirates, claiming they sacked her just days before she was due to be a fully-fledged air hostess, given zero regard to her being left injured by the fall (pictured)

Leaving her family and friends behind to move to the UAE to pursue a dream career, Ms Burke believed she was going to work for 'the world's best airline'.

And the first few months were seemingly all she dreamed, with the young brunette a regular sharer to social media of herself working, and partying with colleagues.

Initially at least, Ms was living the first class lifestyle among Dubai's high rises.

But that all changed when she fell down steps during training in the red high heels of her Emirates uniform, leaving her with a severely injured back and ankle.

During her time out of action, Ms Burke claims the airline not only 'covered up' her accident but also told her that it would likely have an affect on whether she made it through her six-month probation period.

'I was in a back brace and a cast which changed to moonboot for weeks,' Ms Burke claimed in a Facebook post.

During her time injured, Ms Burke claims the airline not only 'covered up' her accident but also told her it would likely have an affect on whether she made it through her probation period

Ms Burke (pictured) admits she was warned of alleged 'foul play' that goes on within the airline

Prior to her fall, she had spent months travelling on flights to worldwide destinations such as Paris, Rome, Copenhagen, Santorini and Melbourne

'I was seeing doctors and physiotherapists every 2-3 days to help control and ease the indescribable pain.

'A few weeks after the accident Emirates fired me and told me that my accident was NOT classed as an industrial injury but instead a "freak accident".

'I wasn't allowed to defend myself or appeal the decision and there are no unions in Dubai that I could turn to for help... I was heartbroken.'

But Ms Burke, who has since returned home to Perth, claims the airline added insult to injury when they took away her passport and ID and treated her 'like a criminal'.

Adding to her heartbreak, the former employee told Fairfax media she had been given glowing feedback by her superiors and was 'really good' at her job.

Prior to her fall, she had spent months travelling on flights to worldwide destinations such as Paris, Rome, Copenhagen, Santorini and Melbourne.

The hopeful young flight attendant enjoys a lay-over in snow covered Copenhagen, Denmark

Adding to her heartbreak, the former employee claims she had been given glowing feedback by her superiors and was 'really good' at her job

Ms Burke claims she continues to feel the ongoing affects of her fall, battling pain in her back and ankle - while also feeling the hurt of not being able to fly the world

In the United Arab Emirates, the formation of unions is illegal and the definition of a workplace accident is vastly different to that in Australia.

'There's certain amount things that I encourage people to prepare for when going overseas, but there are certain accidents and incidents that are difficult to foresee,' University of Sydney cultural expert Bettina Szkudlarek told Daily Mail Australia.

'We shouldn't be surprised that there is such a huge gap between how legal rights and security are being interpreted and enacted in such different countries.'

Ms Burke claims she continues to feel the ongoing affects of her fall, battling pain in her back and ankle - while also feeling the hurt of not being able to fly the world.

'I struggle to sleep most nights because of ongoing back discomfort and am still having troubles with my ankle - some days I can hardly walk because of pain,' she posted.

Ms Burke has since returned to her hometown of Perth where she is recovering from her injuries

'My heart remains shattered and I'm beyond disappointed that such a HUGE world renown company continues to get away with treating employees so badly,'Ms Burke wrote

'My heart remains shattered and I'm beyond disappointed that such a HUGE world renown company continues to get away with treating employees so badly.

'I think it's important for others who dream about working for this company to be aware of what goes on behind the mask of glitz and glamour.

'They may be the prettiest in the sky but on ground and behind closed doors the company is so damn ugly.'

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Emirates for comment, but in a statement to The Age the airline said they could not comment in relation to any employees.

'During the probationary period, there is a dedicated team who assess performance, provide support and guidance and give regular feedback,' Emirates' statement said.

'A panel then thoroughly reviews all aspects of a crew member's performance prior to any decision being made.'
Commuters will be able to travel from Sydney to Canberra in one hour under Australia's new high-speed rail network, but they'll have to wait until 2032.

Under phase two of the network Australians will be able to travel from Sydney to Brisbane, and Sydney to Melbourne in less than three hours, and Sydney to Newcastle in just 39 minutes.

But the nation's infrastructure adviser has warned Australia must protect a high-speed rail corridor along the east coast before it vanishes due to by urban sprawl.

Under phase two of the network Australians will be able to travel from Sydney to Brisbane, and Sydney to Melbourne in less than three hours, and Sydney to Newcastle in just 39 minutes

Commuters will be able to travel from Sydney to Canberra in one hour under Australia's new high-speed rail network, but they'll have to wait until 2032 (stock image)

Demanding action to protect vital corridors including the introduction of a national framework, Infrastructure Australia has described the rail pathway as the most urgent priority.

'This critical corridor faces immediate pressure due to its proximity to major population centres and should be a key focus for NSW, Victorian and federal governments,' chairman Mark Birrell said on Friday.

'A co-ordinated approach, involving joint governance arrangements to oversee land acquisition, joint funding commitments and joint agreement regarding land use management measures will keep governments at both levels committed to the urgent task at hand.'

Infrastructure Australia has mapped out seven corridors as national priorities, estimating protection and early acquisition could save taxpayers $10.8 billion.

'Strategically important infrastructure corridors need to be preserved early in their planning to avoid cost overruns, delays and community disruption during the project delivery phase,' Mr Birrell said.

'If we protect infrastructure corridors we will reduce project costs and especially minimise the need for underground tunnelling, where the cost to government and therefore taxpayers can be up to ten times higher.'

A high-speed rail network in Australia could be a reality in just 15 years

But the nation's infrastructure adviser has warned Australia must protect a high-speed rail corridor along the east coast before it vanishes due to by urban sprawl (stock image)

The government was instead focused on faster rail connections between capital cities and major regional centres.

Opposition infrastructure spokesman Anthony Albanese concedes fast speed rail tracks won't appear overnight, but says it makes sense to start planning, believing the east coast link will be established within 20 years.

'You can't make a decision today and then get on a train tomorrow. What you can do though, is plan today for tomorrow,' he told ABC radio.
Nothing was going to hold back an Oklahoma man from proposing to his girlfriend - even a pair of handcuffs.

Brandon Thompson, 35, celebrated his birthday by popping the question to shocked girlfriend Leandria Keith and by being arrested in Muskogee, Oklahoma, on July 4.

It didn't matter to Keith that her soon-to-be husband proposed with his hands behind his back because she eagerly accepted his request.

Officials allowed the wanted man to propose before taking Thompson, who was arrested on six felony counts including burglary and firearm possession, down to the police station.

The moment was captured on one of the officer's body cameras, showing Thompson getting down on a knee and kissing his blushing bride after she accepted.

Brandon Thompson, 35, proposed to girlfriend Leandria Keith while he was being arrested (pictured) in Muskogee, Oklahoma, on July 4

The video shows police arriving to the scene of Thompson's residence, where he was with his family.

Thompson approached the officers with his hands above his head and allowed local officials to handcuff him and go through his pockets.

The man asked officials if he could propose before he was taken into custody and the stunned cops agreed.

Thompson is seen getting down on one knee and professing his love to Keith and she agrees, kissing her new fiance.

Speaking to News On 6, Keith revealed she was completely shocked by the proposal.

She explained her first reaction was if he was serious, but said: 'I knew I was gonna say yes. Like I love him a lot. We go through our ups and downs.

'I guess it's like an unconditional love, you know?'

Keith added: 'It feels great. Amazing, very amazing. I know that he loves me and I love him and we can get through anything together.'

The moment was captured on one of the officer's body cameras, showing Thompson (left and right in his mugshot) getting down on a knee and kissing his blushing bride after she accepted

Officers were also taken aback by Thompson's impromptu proposal but they agreed to his unusual request.

Muskogee Police Department spokesman Lincoln Anderson said to the outlet: 'When the other officer told me he was gonna propose I think my initial response was, are you kidding me?'

Anderson added 'Maybe by him taking this step to propose to her, so they can get married, he can take a step to getting his life together and putting these warrants behind him and improving the life of his kids and his future wife.'

Keith said the two plan to get married once they have dealt with Thompson's legal troubles.

These include burglary charges, unlawful firearm possession and possession of a controlled dangerous substance.
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China's giant new aircraft carrier sailed into Hong Kong waters today, its latest show of growing military might at a time of rising regional tension.

Tourists and residents gathered to catch a glimpse of Beijing's first carrier on its maiden visit to Hong Kong, part of celebrations marking 20 years since the handover of the city from British to Chinese rule.

The Liaoning was accompanied by two destroyers and other ships from its strike group, with jet fighters and helicopters visible on the flight deck alongside hundreds of crew dressed in white uniforms.

The 1,000ft ship started life as one of the Soviet Union's last carriers under construction, before being sold by Ukraine as a stripped down hulk to private Chinese interests in 1998.

It was later refitted in a northern Chinese shipyard in what was seen by foreign military analysts as a key early test of China's naval modernisation.

China is producing warships at a rapid rate as it revamps its navy, which has been taking an increasingly prominent role among the country's armed forces. State media has said that the navy commissioned 18 ships, including destroyers, corvettes and guided-missile frigates in 2016.

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China's first aircraft carrier sailed into Hong Kong waters today, its latest show of growing military might at a time of rising regional tension

Tourists and residents gathered to catch a glimpse of the massive carrier on its maiden visit to Hong Kong, part of celebrations marking 20 years since the handover of the city from British to Chinese rule

The Liaoning was accompanied by two destroyers and other ships from its strike group, with jet fighters and helicopters visible on the flight deck alongside hundreds of crew dressed in white uniforms

The 1,000ft ship started life as one of the Soviet Union's last carriers under construction, before being sold by Ukraine as a stripped down hulk to private Chinese interests in 1998. It is pictured here at a dry dock at a port in Dalian, Liaoning province, China, in 2009 before its refit

China bought the ship in the 1990s when it was called Varyag. It is pictured above at a port in Dalian, Liaoning province in 2011

Anchoring off Lantau island in the harbour's outer reaches, the carrier was flanked by a protective cordon of marine police craft and a locally-based Chinese navy corvette.

Police boats sounded horns to prevent private vessels getting any closer than a few hundred meters of the Liaoning.

'The Liaoning's visit shows that China is a militarily superior country,' said Jack Chan, a retired businessman, who was watching the aircraft carrier from an oceanfront park.

Thousands of Hong Kong residents queued for hours on Monday for just 2,000 tickets for access to the vessel this weekend. Many left empty handed.

Anchoring off Lantau island in the harbour's outer reaches, the carrier was flanked by a protective cordon of marine police craft and a locally-based Chinese navy corvette

Police boats sounded horns to prevent private vessels getting any closer than a few hundred meters of the Liaoning

Setting sail: The Liaoning, China's first aircraft carrier, arrives in Hong Kong for a port call today to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) garrison's presence in the semi-autonomous Chinese city

China's first domestically built carrier was launched in April but is not yet operational.

Even though the former Russian naval ship is being used as a training vessel for China's rapidly modernising navy, its recent voyages through tense regional seas have been closely followed in Hong Kong, which is more used to hosting U.S. carriers and other foreign warships.

'Liaoning's visit definitely gives the central government a chance to display its military power. It's quite a positive and smart strategy to step up publicity overall,' said Sean Moran, a tourist from the United States, as the ship passed on a blustery morning.

Thousands of Hong Kong residents queued for hours on Monday for just 2,000 tickets for access to the vessel this weekend. Many left empty handed

The Liaoning's most recent drills at the weekend included operations in the Taiwan Strait that were closely monitored by Taiwan's military given recent tensions with Beijing, which regards the island as a breakaway province

With its Soviet-era takeoff ramp distinguishing it from the ordinary Hong Kong traffic of container ships and bulk cargo vessels, the 55,000-tonne Liaoning steamed down the congested East Lamma channel shortly after dawn

Significantly smaller than the U.S. carriers that have long stopped in Hong Kong, the Liaoning started life as one of the Soviet Union's last carriers under construction, before being sold by Ukraine as a stripped down hulk to private Chinese interests in 1998

U.S. consulate officials told Reuters they had yet to be invited on board the Liaoning. The U.S. navy often hosts People's Liberation Army officers on ships visiting Hong Kong, sometimes flying Chinese military chiefs to aircraft carriers.

The Liaoning's most recent drills at the weekend included operations in the Taiwan Strait that were closely monitored by Taiwan's military given recent tensions with Beijing, which regards the island as a breakaway province.

With its Soviet-era takeoff ramp distinguishing it from the ordinary Hong Kong traffic of container ships and bulk cargo vessels, the 55,000-tonne Liaoning steamed down the congested East Lamma channel shortly after dawn.

The Liaoning began sea trials as China's first aircraft carrier in 2011 and has more recently conducted fully integrated drills with its complement of J-15 jet fighters and a variety of support ships.

The vessel was later refitted in a Chinese shipyard in what was seen by foreign military analysts as a key early test of China's naval modernisation

The vessel was refitted in a Chinese shipyard in what was seen by foreign military analysts as a key early test of China's naval modernisation

The Liaoning began sea trials as China's first aircraft carrier in 2011 and has more recently conducted fully integrated drills with its complement of J-15 jet fighters and a variety of support ships

China launched its first domestically built aircraft carrier in April, though it is not expected to enter service until around 2020 once it has been fully equipped and armed

The Liaoning arrived on Friday with its escorts of two guided missile destroyers and one missile frigate, dropping anchor at a naval base across from the skyscrapers of Hong Kong Island

The 1,000 ft Liaoning, a secondhand Soviet ship built nearly 30 years ago and commissioned in 2012, arrived in Hong Kong early Friday, as a rainbow appeared overhead

The aircraft carrier sailed through the East Lamma Channel, passing by residential buildings located on the south coast of Hong Kong island, and was berthed near the Tsing Yi region

Authorities set up a temporary no-fly zone in the area where the Liaoning will be berthed near the city's Tsing Ma suspension bridge

Transformation: The ship has been overhauled and fitted out to become China's first aircraft carrier. This is how the former Soviet vessel looked in 2011

The rusting ship, then called Varyag, was taken to a port in Dalian, Liaoning province before being transformed. It is pictured here in 2011

The ship was sold by Ukraine as a stripped down hulk to private Chinese interests in 1998 and later became the country's first aircraft carrier

Refit: The transformation from a rusting hulk to a new aircraft carrier took years and is part of the Chinese navy's modernisation
Jim Carrey's attorney has agreed for the actor to give a sworn deposition and face questions about his late girlfriend's suicide, the New York Daily News reported.

Cathriona White was found dead at the age of 30 in her Los Angeles home in 2015, surrounded by empty bottles of painkillers Ambien, Propranolol and Percocet - drugs which were acquired by Carrey using the alias Arthur King, lawsuits allege.

Both White's mother Brigid Sweetman and estranged husband Mark Burton are suing Carrey, accusing him of contributing to her death and violating the Drug Dealer Liability Act.

Carrey's lawyer Raymond Boucher, who has previously said his client denies all the allegations, told the judge Carrey would give a deposition in late August.

Jim Carrey's attorney has agreed for the actor to give a sworn deposition and face questions about his late girlfriend's suicide. Pictured left, Carrey with Cathriona White and right, at her funeral

White was found dead in her Los Angeles home in 2015, surrounded by empty bottles of painkillers Ambien, Propranolol and Percocet. Pictured, Carrey, who was a pall bearer

Both her mother Brigid Sweetman (left with White) and estranged husband Mark Burton (right) are suing Carrey. The two lawsuits were combined in one case on Thursday

Carrey's attorneys had called on a judge to dismiss the wrongful death lawsuits, which were combined into one case on Thursday.

But Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Deirdre Hill did not comply, and instead set a trial date to begin on April 26, 2018.

The involved parties agreed Carrey would give a deposition next month, and Hall scheduled a status conference on August 8.

Lawyer Michael Avenatti, who is representing White's mother and estranged husband, said: 'We want his deposition. We want it yesterday. We have asked repeatedly for dates, no less than five or six times.'

While Carrey and his accusers agreed to meet for mediation after months of the bitter dispute, Boucher told the Daily News: 'I don't see any possibility of this case settling before trial.'

Sweetman, who filed her lawsuit on October 11, accuses Carrey of giving three sexually transmitted diseases to her daughter

When White confronted Carrey, he shamed her by calling her a 'whore' and even threatened to silence her, according to Sweetman's lawsuit

Carrey claims in court documents that he and White were a loving couple and that he was 'absolutely devastated' by her suicide

Pictured, part of White's suicide note from 2013 after she and Carrey broke up. The couple got back together before her suicide

Burton, who filed his suit on September 19, claims Carrey used surveillance cameras outside White's LA home to keep track of her.

His assistant knew she'd gone home on September 24, and hadn't left for more than a day, but neither she nor Carrey called the cops, the suit alleged.

Sweetman, who filed her lawsuit on October 11, accuses Carrey of providing the prescription painkillers her daughter overdosed on. The lawsuit also claims the Canadian-born star gave White three sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).

Carrey is alleged to have transmitted herpes type 1, herpes type 2 (genital herpes) and chlamydia to White in 2013 and allegedly tested positive after providing the false name of Jose Lopez. He had pressured White to keep quiet about the STDs until her death.

When White confronted Carrey, he shamed her by calling her a 'whore' and even threatened to silence her with the help of high-priced Hollywood lawyers and 'fixers', according to Sweetman's lawsuit.

Both accusers also accuse Carrey of providing White with medication in an alleged violation of the Drug Dealer Liability Act, despite knowing she suffered from depression and had tried to take her own life before.

Carrey has repeatedly denied providing White with drugs, claiming she stole the fatal dose of Ambien, Percocet and Propranolol from him.

Both accusers also accuse Carrey of providing White with medication in an alleged violation of the Drug Dealer Liability Act

But Carrey said White spoke lovingly to him in her two suicide notes, described him as her 'family' and entrusted him to divide her property, according to court documents

Carrey filed legal documents on December 19 demanding that the court strike the claims from Sweetman's lawsuit, saying the allegations she included were made for the sole purpose of harassing, embarrassing and humiliating him in an effort to shame him into an unmerited settlement.

Documents obtained by DailyMail.com reveal the judge shot down Carrey's motion to remove all allegations that he transmitted STDs to Cathriona, saying the actor's privacy concerns are not a top priority.

Carrey claims in court documents that he and White were a loving couple and that he was 'absolutely devastated' by her suicide on September 28, 2015, the third anniversary of her father's death.

Carrey specifically points to two of White's suicide notes that she left him, saying that the letters show how much she loved him.

'White left Carrey two suicide notes speaking lovingly to him, requesting his forgiveness for ending her own life, describing him, and him alone, as her 'family', and entrusting him to divide her property,' court documents read.

If you need to speak to a counselor, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by calling 1 (800) 273-8255.
A Fox Business Network host has been suspended amid sexual harassment allegations from former female commentator.

Charles Payne, who hosts Making Money, was accused of having a three year affair with a married political analyst, who had worked for CNN, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Payne, a married father, admitted to the extramarital affair on Wednesday and apologized to his wife and children.

Charles Payne, who hosts Making Money, has been suspended amid sexual harassment allegations from former female commentator

But his lawyer says he 'categorically denies' any acts of sexual harassment against the woman.

'We take issues of this nature extremely seriously and have a zero-tolerance policy for any professional misconduct,' a Fox Business Network spokesman.

'This matter is being thoroughly investigated and we are taking all of the appropriate steps to reach a resolution in a timely manner.'

The woman reported the affair to Fox's law firm Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison, alleging she was coerced into a sexual relationship with Payne. She claimed she feared reprisals if she said no.

She said that when she ended the affair in 2015 and tried to report Payne to Fox News execs, she was blackballed from the show.

Payne (pictured with his wife) a married father, acknowledged the extramarital affair on Wednesday and apologized to his wife and children

His accuser's lawyer, who is preparing a legal complaint against Fox News and Payne, said his client had stayed in the relationship because she believed he would help her land a permanent position at the network, sources told the Times.

But she says her career was seriously damaged after she ended the relationship.

She had tried to talk about the situation with former head of programming Bill Shine, who left Fox News this May, but to no avail, her lawyer says,

The accusations are the latest in a series of allegations of sexual misconduct at Fox.

Popular right-wing host Billy OReilly found out he was fired from the network in April, while on vacation in Italy, after an African-American woman accused him of sexual harassment.

Payne (pictured center) categorically denies' any acts of sexual harassment against the woman

She said he would call her 'hot chocolate' when he walked by during the day, and would frunt at her.

O'Reilly denies all the claims against him.

Ex-Fox News Latino Vice President Francisco Cortes and 21st Century Fox settled sexual assault allegations against him by political commentator, Tamara Holder.

And the biggest departure came last year when former boss Roger Ailes was forced to resign amid a flurry of sexual misconduct allegations. He left Fox with a $60 million payout.




A US hospital has offered to treat terminally-ill Charlie Gard and is even willing to send medicine to the UK.

American doctors have come to the aid of the Gard family, a day after the Pope offered the 11-month old boy a Vatican passport so that he can be treated in Italy.

However, the hospital, which cannot be named for legal reasons, is demanding that 'legal hurdles' are dealt with before its experts can evaluate the youngster for experimental treatment.

If Charlie is unable to be flown across the Atlantic, they are willing to ship the vital medicine he needs to Great Ormond Street and 'advise their medical staff on administering it if they are willing to do so.'

The Pope is prepared to offer a Vatican passport to allow the 11-month-old to travel outside of other legal parameters

Connie and Chris paid a visit to the chapel at Great Ormond Street Hospital as they continue to hope they can take him to America for treatment

The Pope is said to be ready to offer a Vatican passport to the baby boy to trump the rulings in this country about his future

The news has emerged hours after Charlie's parents released a tearful image inside the hospital chapel at Great Ormond Street (GOSH) in London, saying the space gave them peace and tranquility through their trials.

According to the Sun, the Pope is looking at offering the passport to allow legal parameters to be overcome.

Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, added: 'We are doing whatever we can.'

Earlier this week, the Pope said he hoped doctors would allow the parents of Charlie to 'care for their child until the end'

In a statement, the Vatican said: 'The Holy Father follows with affection and emotion the affair of little Charlie Gard and expresses his closeness to his parents.

'He prays for them, hoping that their desire to accompany and care for their child until the end is not disregarded.'

Protestors on Thursday gathered in support of Charlie, in the hope he could get to America for more treatment

The baby's mother and father, Connie Yates and Chris Gard, claimed yesterday that hospital bosses are having meetings without inviting them.

Last night Miss Yates said: 'Doctors have kept us in the dark. We can only hope that various meetings they've been having, to which we have not been invited, are positive and that they will let us take Charlie to the US for treatment.'

A spokesman for the family added: 'While meetings have been carrying on all week around them, doctors at the hospital have not thought to include them.

'On rare occasions when Connie and Chris are invited in to meetings, they feel ambushed.

'They are called at very short notice, leaving no time for them to get a lawyer to accompany them. The way they are continually treated, as if their views as parents don't matter, is heaping stress on them at a time when naturally they are already very distressed.'

The family have released photos of Charlie's first haircut, done earlier this week. Miss Yates said: 'Charlie's beautiful hair was getting decidedly long. I always think it is a very poignant moment for any mum when her baby is old enough to have a first haircut.'

Banners read 'don't let me die' and 'save Charlie Gard' as the lined the streets in protest on Thursday

It came after the parents released an image inside the hospital's chapel, about which Connie said: 'Chris and I have gone through some dark moments and continue to go through every parents worst nightmare as Charlies life hangs in the balance.

When things simply get too much to bear, we find the beautiful chapel at the hospital a place of great peace and tranquility.

St Christophers chapel, described by Oscar Wilde as the most delightful private chapel in London provides sanctuary for staff, children and families as of some of the sickest children in the country.

Connie and Chris shared the picture as the Labour Party leader joined the debate on Charlie's future, which still hangs in the balance.

Jeremy Corbyn has admitted he too would do 'anything' to save Charlie if it was his own son and said: 'I feel absolutely for the parents'.

Chris Gard and Connie Yates released this new picture of their son Charlie and are 'overwhelmed' after Donald Trump and the Pope offered their support - but the hopes of saving him are fading

Jeremy Corbyn (pictured today) would do 'anything' if his child was as ill as Charlie Gard and said today: 'I feel absolutely for the parents'.

The Labour leader said Charlie's parents are right to fight for their baby because 'any parent would want their child to get the best possible treatment'.

But Mr Corbyn stopped short of calling for Great Ormond Street to let them take the baby to America.

He said: 'All I can say is that any parent would feel for those parents and say if it was my child that was going through a terrible, terrible trauma like this, a life threatening trauma, you'd move might and main to get them the best treatment they can. I fully understand that'.

While Mr Corbyn paid tribute to Charlie's parents, protesters gathered outside Buckingham Palace to protest against a court decision to allow the baby's life support machine to be switched off.

Charlie's future looks increasingly bleak today with doctors refusing to let him leave the hospital and Theresa May and Boris Johnson deciding not to intervene.

And some medical experts have urged his parents to accept the difficult reality now facing them.

'Any parent going through this would want their child to get the best possible treatment that could be found anywhere, and I think it is up to us to ensure they do get that best possible treatment.

Q&A: Can Charlie be saved at the 11th hour? Charlie's parents said they had been denied their final wish to be able to take their son home to die and felt 'let down' after losing their legal fight How can doctors end Charlie's life against his parents' wishes? Great Ormond Street (GOSH) took Charlie's case to the High Court and a judge agreed to allow them to end Charlie's treatment because it was not in his 'best interests' after he agreed it will cause him pain and will not improve his condition. The Court of Appeal, the Supreme Court and the European Court of Human Rights all rejected appeals by his parents Chris Gard and Connie Yates, who believe they should have the final say on their son's treatment. Can the doctors change their mind and not turn off his life support? Yes. Great Ormond Street could go back to the High Court to stop the order they fought for this year. The process of gaining a Consent Order could be done on an urgent basis and completed in less than two hours. Experts have told MailOnline this is the only way Charlie could travel to America or Rome for treatment because his parents' appeals appear to have been exhausted. Can the hospital stop his parents taking him to America without permission? Yes. If doctors believe that any parent will cause suffering to their child, police can be called in to arrest them using Powers of Protection legislation. In the case of young cancer sufferer Ashya King his parents faced a European Arrest Warrant after absconding with their son who was in hospital. Charlie is on a ventilator so would require a team of medical staff to move him and his equipment. Why won't the hospital let Charlie die at home? Connie Yates and Chris Gard say doctors have denied their 'final wish' to take Charlie home to die. Travelling to a hospice was also denied. While judges ruled that his treatment should end, there is nothing in the judgments that says the little boy cannot be outside the hospital. Great Ormond Street refused to tell MailOnline on what basis that decision was taken. Advertisement

'It is difficult to judge what a medical, a medically qualified person, has assessed on the case, I haven't seen that, I'm not medically qualified'.

Theresa May is braced for a grilling by Donald Trump on saving Charlie Gard tomorrow.

The White House has requested a one-to-one meeting with the Prime Minister at the G20 gathering of world leaders in Hamburg.

The agenda for the hour-long meeting has not been released, but Downing Street is preparing for the Charlie case to come up.

President Trump has declared America's staunch support for saving the desperately ill 11-month-old boy. His family say Mr Trump has 'a very good understanding of the whole case'.

Yesterday it emerged the White House has been phoning the family and also the office of Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt.

And the international tug-of-love over Charlie intensified as Italy also urged Britain to help save him.

The Italian Foreign Minister personally lobbied his counterpart Boris Johnson in a phone call between Rome and London.

It follows interventions by Pope Francis, who tweeted of the 'duty to defend human life', and the Vatican, which has offered the papal hospital in Rome to treat Charlie.

Mrs May's meeting with Mr Trump tomorrow is likely to be dominated by the North Korea missile crisis and the prospects for a post-Brexit trade deal.

But Number 10 is preparing a detailed briefing for the PM on Charlie's case in anticipation of likely questions from the President.

Until now, Ministers have not been involved in briefing the White House on the little boy, and his rare genetic condition, leaving the task to his family, the hospital and Department of Health lawyers.

Last night a White House source said: 'The President is deeply moved by the heartbreaking situation facing Charlie Gard and his parents.

'Although the President himself has not spoken to the family, members of the administration, assisted by British officials, have done so.

'President Trump has no desire to pressure the family in any way. However, he does want them to know that he is willing to provide assistance should they need any.

'As a father and grandfather, President Trump understands the limitless love one has for a child and he wishes to be helpful to Charlie Gard and his family, as does Pope Francis and millions of families worldwide'.

Charlie Gard's parents have been offered support in their case by President Trump but Theresa May and Boris Johnson have declined to get involved

President Trump and the White House has asked for a one-to-one with Theresa May and Downing St is preparing for it to include a chat about Charlie Gard

Officials insist Mrs May cannot intervene in the case unless new evidence is produced to persuade Charlie's doctors and the courts that treatment abroad offers a realistic prospect of improvement in his condition.

But the baby boy's parents, Connie Yates and Chris Gard, have steadfastly refused to give up hope

Miss Yates said: 'The support from the Pope and the President has given us hope. They are traditional men who believe in the family.

'They believe in our case and understand why we believe it is right to continue fighting so hard to save Charlie.'

But despite Mr Trump's tweet on Monday that America would be 'delighted' to help Charlie, his future appeared bleak yesterday.

Mrs May told the Commons the matter was in the hands of Great Ormond Street Hospital, where Charlie is in intensive care.

And the hospital, which won legal battles all the way to the Supreme Court to be allowed to remove his life-support, claimed its hands were tied by the courts.

Chris Gard and Connie Yates with their son Charlie Gard. They have refused to give up hope through a high court battle to treat their son

The President waded in to offer his support too, but the words don't seem to be changing his future

Senior legal sources said the various court rulings mean doctors are obliged to withdraw Charlie's artificial ventilator and prevent him from going to America to try experimental therapy.

They said even if the hospital changed its stance, it would take another court case to reverse the rulings, which effectively demand Charlie must die.

But friends of the boy's parents disputed this, saying there was no legal reason why Great Ormond Street could not back down.

It is still possible the hospital will at least agree to allow Charlie to go home to die  which his parents said was their 'final wish' if all else failed.

But they are still desperate to take him to the United States, where a specialist doctor is ready to try an experimental therapy on Charlie for free.

Charlie's parents Chris Gard and Connie Yates, who wanted him to undergo a therapy trial in the US, must accept the difficult reality facing them, said Jonathan Montgomery, a professor of health care law at University College London.

The Italian Foreign Minister personally lobbied his counterpart Boris Johnson in a phone call between Rome and London

He said: 'This is not a case where Charlie's parents have not been listened to. It is a case where their hopes for improvement are not justified by the evidence that they and others have put before the courts.

'The case is tragic, but we owe it to Charlie to take decisions based on evidence. Hope requires some foundation if it is to justify subjecting him to harm.'

Mitochondrial disease, a rare genetic condition from which Charlie is suffering - and which leaves him unable to see, hear or move - is 'cruel' and without a cure, said Professor Sian Harding, director of the BHF Cardiovascular Regenerative Medicine Centre at Imperial College.

Prof Harding said: 'Mitochondrial diseases are cruel because they strike babies and young children, who rapidly deteriorate. It is because there is no cure that the scientific and medical community have concentrated on pre-conception mitochondrial therapy, and it has been an enormous advance that this is now licensed by the Government. It allows parents with these mutations to have healthy children, though sadly cannot help babies already born.'

Dr Giles Birchley, senior research associate in surgical innovation and bioethics at the University of Bristol, said 'only the most desperate cases reach the courts'.

He said: 'It is natural to reach out to that child's poor parents, whose suffering is dreadful. But putting any terminally ill child through an experimental treatment which cannot make them better will not help either that child or their parents. It will only prolong that child's hurt and suffering.'

Professor Dominic Wilkinson, director of medical ethics at the University of Oxford, said doctors must take the 'ethical course'.

He said: 'Sadly, reluctantly, doctors and judges are justified in concluding that continuing life support is not always helpful for a child and is in fact doing more harm than good.

'Providing comfort, avoiding painful and unhelpful medical treatments, supporting the child and family for their remaining time: sometimes that is the best that we can do, and the only ethical course.'

After Mr Trump's tweet, the youngster became a global cause celebre, and US television shows have taken up the campaign to save him, with one denouncing British courts as a 'death panel'.

Yesterday Italian Foreign Minister Angelino Alfano phoned Mr Johnson at the Foreign Office to discuss the Vatican's offer to treat Charlie at the 'Pope's hospital' in Rome.

Pope Francis's spokesman had already vowed to 'overcome' any legal obstacles to get Charlie there.

But Mr Johnson refused to step in, with a source close to the Foreign Secretary saying he told the Italian minister: 'This was a deeply tragic and complex case for all involved, and it was right that decisions continued to be led by expert medical opinion, supported by the courts, in line with Charlie's best interests'.

The High Court, Appeal Court, Supreme Court and European Court of Human Rights have all ruled Charlie is brain-damaged, is suffering pain, has no hope of recovery and his 'best interests' are to die.

Charlie's type of mitochondrial depletion syndrome is so rare, he is only the 16th sufferer worldwide. The disease drains energy from his body's organs and muscles, and he can only breathe with the help of a mechanical ventilator.

It is unclear why the hospital has not yet removed Charlie's ventilator, a week after being given the green light to do so when the parents exhausted all their legal options.

The High Court, Appeal Court, Supreme Court and European Court of Human Rights have all ruled Charlie is brain-damaged, is suffering pain, has no hope of recovery and his 'best interests' are to die

Charlie is only the 16th sufferer of the incredibly rare disease worldwide, and cannot breathe without a ventilator

Miss Yates, 31, and Mr Gard, 32, of South West London, say their son is not brain damaged and showing signs of improvement.

They are mounting a round-the-clock vigil at his hospital bedside, after begging doctors for more time to say their goodbyes. It is understood the hospital has already delayed his death twice.

At Prime Minister's Questions yesterday, the family's MP, Seema Malhotra, asked Mrs May if she would 'do all she can' to help Charlie go to America and 'try to make this happen'.

Mr May replied: 'It's an unimaginable position for anybody to be in and I fully understand and appreciate any parent in these circumstances would want to do anything possible.'

It is understood the hospital has delayed turning off life support twice, as Chris and Connie say their son is not brain damaged

But she made clear it was a matter for the hospital doctors by saying she was 'confident Great Ormond Street will consider any information that comes forward'.

Appearing on ITV's Good Morning Britain yesterday, renowned scientist and genetics expert Lord Winston criticised Mr Trump and the Pope.

He said: 'One has to accept the loss of a child is about the worst injury that any person can have... but having said that, these interferences from the Vatican and from Donald Trump seem to me to be extremely unhelpful and very cruel, actually, because this child has been dealt with at a hospital which has huge expertise in mitochondrial disease and is being offered a break in an [Italian] hospital that has never published anything on this disease, as far as I'm aware.'

Great Ormond Street has not issued any statement so far this week.
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Images of a mysterious four-legged animal bounding through a field has led one man to believe it could be a Tasmanian Tiger.

In a video uploaded to his YouTube page on Wednesday, Paul G Day captured what he at first thought was a dog or a fox on South Australia's Yorke Peninsula.

But when he looked back closely at what he had filmed as he watched a foggy sunrise, thoughts quickly turned to the extinct thylacine.

A video posted to YouTube this week, Paul G Day has asked viewers if the animal he captured bounding across a field could in fact be a Tasmanian Tiger

The vision was captured on South Australia's Yorke Peninsula during sunrise and uploaded to YouTube on Wednesday

'Last week when I was filming the sunrise, I captured something bounding across the field,' titles on the video explain.

'If it's not a dog, if it's not a fox, if it's not a dingo, could it be a Tasmanian Tiger?

'I originally thought it was a fox or a dog, until I looked more closely at this footage. I'm still not convinced either way.'

He then left it over to viewers to decide whether he had in fact filmed a Tasmanian Tiger.

One wrote: 'It's movement, leg angulation, long hairless tail sure makes me think it's authentic!'

Another said: 'It has a different form than a canine. If stripes on its lower back were captured, the video might have been conclusive.'

The last-known thylacine, also known as a Tasmanian Tiger, is believed to have died in Hobart Zoo in 1936

One person who viewed the YouTube footage said: 'It's movement, leg angulation, long hairless tail sure makes me think it's authentic!'

But one viewer noted: 'Interesting, I don't know what it is but seems dog like with the pointed nose.'

The last-known thylacine, also known as a Tasmanian Tiger, is believed to have died in Hobart Zoo in 1936.

But after numerous claims of public sightings, researchers from James Cook University announced in March this year they would conduct a study in Cape York, far north Queensland to see if they could track down thylacines.

Daily Mail Australia contacted Paul G Day for comment.
A man wearing a bulletproof vest and armed with two knives was arrested trying to get into Trump Tower, police say.

Authorities say Adames Benitez said that he was a US Senator and wanted to see President Donald Trump's oldest daughter, Ivanka, when he showed up at Trump Tower around 4pm, the New York Post reported.

The 52-year-old man who is from the Bronx was also carrying a forged New York state ID, police say.

He apparently tried to tell officials that he was trying to speak with Ivanka about her dress line, and that he owned the building.

A man wearing a bulletproof vest and armed with two knives was arrested trying to get into Trump Tower, police say (file above)

Adames Benitez allegedly said that he was a US Senator and wanted to see Ivanka Trump when he showed up at Trump Tower around 4pm Thursday. The president, Melania (pictured together right), Ivanka and Jared (pictured together left) are in Germany for the G20 summit

Benitez was quickly taken into custody by the NYPD and Secret Service agents.

He has been charged with criminal possession of a forged instrument and criminal possession of weapons.

Authorities transported Benitez to New York Hospital for a psychiatric examination.

The president, first lady, Ivanka and her husband Jared Kushner are currently out of the country in Germany for the G20 Summit.

Trump is set to meet with Mexico's President Enrique Pena Nieto on Friday, where the border wall issue that loomed large in his campaign will get yet another airing.

Mexico's foreign ministry played down hopes for progress during the scheduled 30-minute meeting, which follows a cancelled January meeting amid tensions over the wall, which Trump insists the U.S. will make Mexico pay for.

Benitez was quickly taken into custody by the NYPD and Secret Service agents. He has been charged with criminal possession of a forged instrument and criminal possession of weapons. Meanwhile, Trump met with German Chancellor Angela Merkel Thursday in Hamburg (above)

'We have to put it in context and not have expectations that are unjustified,' said Mexican Foreign Minister Luis Videgaray.

Things won't get any easier when Trump is face to face with a bevy of other foreign leaders following his trashing of the Paris climate change agreement.

Climate change is a hot issue inside and outside the summit. Ivanka, Melania and G20 spouses will get a tour of the German Climate Computing Center on Friday.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel offered the US president a firm handshake on Thursday as they met in Hamburg for a bilateral summit, holding the pose for several seconds as cameras snapped around them to make sure the media captured the friendly gesture.

A meeting at the White House in March went awry when President Donald Trump missed several verbal and situational cues and did not offer Merkel his hand.

Merkel shot her hand out toward Trump today as they stood before a G20 backdrop at the Hotel Atlantic Kempinski so that it was clear what she wanted. He did not botch the greeting again.
The devout Christian man who shoved a lemon meringue pie into the face of Qantas boss Alan Joyce in a protest against gay marriage has pleaded guilty to assault.

Tony Overheu admitted to common assault, trespass, damage and giving false details to police in Perth Magistrate's Court on Friday.

The 67-year-old shoved the $25.95 pie in his face as he delivered a speech at a business breakfast at Perth's Hyatt Regency hotel on May 9.

Devout Christian man Tony Overheu who shoved a lemon meringue pie into the face of Qantas boss Alan Joyce in a protest against gay marriage has pleaded guilty to assault

Overheu shocked a room of over 500 people when he performed the stunt in a protest against gay marriage

He strolled up to Mr Joyce after waiting backstage for more than an hour holding the Cheesecake Shop pie in a protest against corporate support for same-sex marriage.

The former farmer's lawyer Tom Percy told the court his client never meant to harm Mr Joyce and was merely concerned about powerful figures 'grandstanding about public issues'.

'In a gross error of judgment he thought he might take this opportunity to make his point in a very public way,' he said, according to PerthNow.

'He doesn't try to laugh it off. He has expressed deep remorse for his offending.'

He admitted to common assault, trespass, damage and giving false details to police in Perth Magistrate's Court on Friday.

The 67-year-old shoved the $25.95 pie in his face as he delivered a speech at a business breakfast at Perth 's Hyatt Regency hotel on May 9

Mr Percy said the pensioner was the full-time carer for his cancer-stricken wife and suffered from depression.

He produced glowing character references for Mr Overheu and highlighted his lack of criminal record, public apologies and resignation from his church management.

'My family are outraged, my wife is at my throat. I didn't understand that I'd breached the state's criminal code... so clearly I regret that,' Mr Overheu told 6PR radio the day after the incident.

But Mr Joyce was unforgiving, saying Qantas had a role to play in being part of public debate on a range of issues.

Mr Joyce was unforgiving after Mr Overheu's apologies, saying Qantas had a role to play in being part of public debate on a range of issues

'My intention is to send a message that this type of behaviour isn't acceptable and that I will have every intention of pressing charges,' he said at the time.

He also gave his assailant a life ban from Qantas, and he will also not be able to fly with its budget airline Jetstar or alliance partners including Cathay Pacific and Emirates.

Mt Percy asked for a fine and spent conviction so his client would not have to disclose a criminal record in his work as a handyman.

Magistrate Greg Smith adjourned the hearing to consider Mr Overheu's sentence. Police did not oppose a spent conviction.
A second investigation into the death of an eight-year-old Ohio boy whose mother said was bullied at school has been closed with no additions to the original suicide finding, a coroner said.

Hamilton County's coroner issued a statement Thursday saying a review of additional investigative information regarding Gabriel Taye found nothing that would alter the death certificate.

Gabriel's grave was opened earlier this week by authorities to remove an electronic tablet buried with him to see if it might shed light on what led to his death.

His family's attorneys said his mother learned her son was bullied after seeing an email a Cincinnati police detective wrote describing the scene outside a boys' bathroom where the attorneys say he was knocked unconscious.

He hanged himself days later at his home in January.

Scroll down for video

A second investigation into the death of eight-year-old Ohio boy Gabriel Taye (above) whose mother said was bullied at school has been closed with no additions to the original suicide finding, a coroner said

The Hamilton County Coroner's Office says Gabriel Taye's grave was opened Wednesday to remove the tablet for the county prosecutor's office. His mother, Cornelia Reynolds (left), buried the tablet with him 'to make sure he had something to play with in heaven'

The attorneys said the mother buried the tablet with him 'to make sure he had something to play with in heaven'.

The county prosecutor also was investigating. A prosecutor's spokeswoman says that office hasn't released any findings.

The family's attorneys issued a statement saying Gabriel's family appreciates the coroner's 'attempt to determine the contributing factors that caused his death,' and they will continue their investigation.

Cincinnati school officials released the disturbing surveillance video last month which reveals how a January 24 locker room assault left the child unconscious two days before he hanged himself.

The video, shot from a hallway camera at Carson Elementary School shows the eight-year-old being pulled to the ground by another student in a bathroom and left lying for over five minutes while other boys kick and prod him.

Eventually, school officials come to his aid, but Gabriel's mother says they did not tell her that her son had been assaulted or he had lost consciousness.

Cincinnati school officials debated whether or not to release the video.

Gabriel (above) committed suicide by hanging himself with a necktie in his bedroom in January. The coroner has urged police to treat this incident 'as a homicide until proven otherwise'

In the end, they decided it was in the public interest to distribute the footage. The school board sought and received approval from Gabriel's mother.

'We felt this video added to the public knowledge about what happened in this case,' Cincinnati Public Schools said in a statement.

'We believe parents and members of the community have the right to important information that helps them understand how safe students at local schools are.'

After viewing the video, a coroner reopened an investigation into Gabriel's suicide.

The coroner has urged police to treat this incident 'as a homicide until proven otherwise.'
GPs have been warned to be on the look-out for children who may have suffered trauma from watching social media coverage of the recent wave of terror attacks.

Family doctors have been warned to look out for signs in children  such as shame, or a loss of self-esteem  which could indicate post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Health officials said that it was now a crucial time to spot symptoms among patients who may have been deeply affected by the attacks, including the Manchester bombing.

GPs have been warned to be on the look-out for children who may have suffered trauma from watching social media coverage of the recent wave of terror attack

The NHS officials recommended a period of watchful waiting of up to four weeks before offering an intervention to allow time for spontaneous recovery.

If symptoms are severe and continue for more than a month, a referral to a specialist service may be required, the letter says.

About a fifth of those caught up in traumatic events like the attack at the Ariana Grande concert are expected by the NHS to seek professional psychological help, based on patterns seen after previous atrocities.

Dr Arvind Madan, deputy medical director for NHS England, outlined the symptoms to watch out for in the aftermath of a traumatic event, six weeks on from the Manchester bombings.

Some of these include mood changes, becoming easily startled or agitated and feeling emotionally numb.

Children and young people may start to blame themselves or show lowered self-esteem, the letter says.

It reads: Immediately after a traumatic event, most people affected - including children and young people - will benefit from the general support that comes from families, friends and within local communities.

Evidence from similar events tells us people do not benefit from formal psychological therapy during this period, including counselling.

The letter also warns how people with pre-existing mental illness may be destabilised by traumatic events such as terror attacks that have hit London.

And it thanked practitioners involved in the London and Manchester attacks for their responsiveness and hard work.

Health officials said that it was now a crucial time to spot symptoms among patients who may have been deeply affected by the attacks, including the Manchester bombing (pictured)

Family doctors have been warned to look out for signs in children  such as shame, or a loss of self-esteem  which could indicate post-traumatic stress disorder (file photo)

Claire Murdoch, national clinical director for mental health said: We must remember that for those people who were affected by these horrific tragedies, the journey is not over and many will continue to face difficulties.

From day one of each of these incidents, staff have been working incredibly hard on making sure that mental health support is available for those who need it.

We want everyone who has been affected to know that there is always support available and how and when they should access it.

We also need to ensure we continue to support our dedicated NHS staff who have showed incredible fortitude and bravery in tending to the sick and injured as each of these terrible events has unfolded.

Dr Sandeep Ranote, from the Royal College of Psychiatrists, said a strong, emotional response was entirely normal and that most people recover by talking with trusted individuals and having safe spaces.

She said: In the immediate aftermath of a traumatic event, counselling can be unhelpful, and can potentially cause harm.

Most people who experience distress after a traumatic event will recover without the need for any specialist professional intervention.

However, being supported at this time is vital. We must all allow ourselves some time for the normal recovery process.

Children will inevitably learn about incidents through news and social media so it is best to be open with them.

However, we would not encourage reliving the experience in the immediate aftermath by repeated exposure to news and images.
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Anarchist protesters attempted to blind German police officers and helicopter pilots amid violent clashes during the G20 summit in Hamburg.

Almost 200 police officers have been wounded as an estimated 10,000 thugs went on the rampage for a second night in the northern German port city.

Shocking images show green lasers strobe the police lines in an effort to blind officers involved in attempts to secure the city.

Scroll down for video

Protesters attempted to blind police officers shining incredibly powerful lasers directly at them - the protesters have even used the lasers on police helicopters flying above the city trying to monitor the movements of anarchist activists

Lines of police protected key intersections in the city but the sheer number of anarchists was impossible to contain

Police helicopter have even been targeted with protesters aiming flares at them as well as high-powered lasers

Thugs raided shops after their windows were smashed carrying out goods by the armful during the riots

Businesses lost their entire stock as rampaging thugs smashed their way through the store stealing goods

Members of the anarchist Black Bloc have split throughout the city, setting alight cars and looting shops while groups fight riot police.

More than 20,000 police have been deployed in the northern German port city to protect world leaders attending the G20 conference.

One video shows protesters smashing the windows of parked cars before tossing in marine flares to firebomb the vehicles.

German authorities were forced to deploy police special forces armed with machine guns to the Schanze district of the city

Hamburg police have called in reinforcements from across the country to cope with the 10,000 violent anarchists in the city

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has hit out at protesters after chaos in the city of Hamburg as thousands of demonstrators clashed with police on the day the G20 summit opened.

US First Lady Melania Trump was earlier trapped inside her hotel after rioters firebombed a police station and set cars and buildings alight in the German city.

Police have called for reinforcements after tens of thousands of protesters descended on Hamburg, causing chaos.

The fires burned across the city as the world leaders attending the G20 conference spent the evening listening to Beethoven's 9th Symphony and dining in style.

Police said at least 196 officers were injured in the clashes, with 83 protesters temporarily detained at the scene and 19 taken into custody.

Members of the anarchist Black Bloc set alight barricades across downtown Hamburg to disrupt the summit

Gangs of thugs broke into shops and began looting as police battled with demonstrators elsewhere in the city

Large mobs looted city centre shops as police protected the 20 world leaders attending the G20 summit

Masked demonstrators broke away from the main crowd and smashed the window of nearby cars before throwing in marine flares to firebomb the vehicles which had been parked on the side of the road in Hamburg

Protesters torched cars and lorries, looted retail stores, lit off firecrackers and blasted music from Jimi Hendrix in a vain bid to drown out the classical music playing at the Elbphilarmonie concert hall across the Elbe River.

Reinforcements poured in from across Germany but police were unable to prevent thousands of protesters from fanning out across the northern port city.

The protests marred a gathering that German Chancellor Angela Merkel had hoped would demonstrate her country's unshakeable commitment to freedom of speech and assembly.

She said: 'I have every understanding for peaceful demonstrations but violent demonstrations put human lives in danger.'

Participants in the G20 meeting praised the work of police in keeping the event safe but said they had never seen protesters closer to such a summit than in Hamburg.

In the touristy Pferdemarkt area, known for its trendy cafes and nightlife, activists faced off against police in riot gear who were unable to put out fires, with billowing thick smoke dramatically reducing visibility.

In the nearby Schanzenviertel, looters plundered a supermarket. Nearby, a cash machine was burned out. Several police helicopters patrolled overhead.

Mobs stole produce and threw goods on the floor causing as much devastation as possible during their violent rampage

In some parts of the city police where nowhere to be seen as windows were smashed and properties damaged

German Chancellor Angela Merkel condemned the violent scenes which saw cars and vans set alight across Hamburg

On Thursday evening a Porsche dealership was set alight by anarchist thugs on the first night of violence

Far left anarchists have spent several months planning their attacks on buildings and institutions across Hamburg

The radical Black Bloc movement, which wants to overthrow capitalism, had some success in disrupting the leaders' discussions despite the ring of security around them.

German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble cancelled an appearance in downtown Hamburg on Friday morning due to security concerns. Police also declined to clear U.S. first lady Melania Trump's motorcade to leave her hotel for a tour of the city's historic harbour, her spokeswoman said.

Marine police units intercepted 22 divers from the environmental pressure group Greenpeace who had also been trying to reach the concert hall, police said.

Police said they used water cannons to disperse protesters who broke into a riverside metro station that had earlier been sealed off. Nearby, two lorries were set ablaze.

Almost 200 police officers have been injured during the violent clashes involving demonstrators seeking to wreck the summit

Protesters unable to get near the summit venue have spread out across the city looting and setting fire to cars

Three officers required treatment in hospital, police said, noting that protesters had used slingshots as well as thrown bottles and stones.

Police Chief Ralf Martin Meyer told reporters that tight security around the conference area had caused the protesters to fan out around Hamburg, forcing police to request up to 1,000 reinforcements from across Germany.

In the violence, which first erupted during marches on Thursday, far-left protesters slashed the tyres of a car belonging to Canada's G20 delegation and smashed windows of Mongolia's consulate.

A police spokesman said only small numbers of far-left or anarchist protesters were involved in the disturbances, while the majority of an estimated 100,000 demonstrators in the city remained peaceful.

One of the many hovering police helicopters was nearly struck by a rocket flare, police said. On Thursday the pilots of another helicopter sustained eye injuries after a laser was directed against them.

Demonstrators set fire to barricades during the violent protests in Hamburg against the G20 meeting

Angela Merkel condemned the demonstrators who threw bottles and various missiles at security forces

Demonstrators held up placards for the various world leaders advising them that they are welcomed to hell

Protesters attempted to blockade roads to prevent the G20 summit and its associated events from proceeding as planned

She thanked security forces for their work as the G20 met behind a heavy police presence in a no-go zone that was off-limits to most.

Thousands of officers in full riot gear patrolled as many as 30 different protest marches. Most of the demonstrations were peaceful and creative, but some rioters threw petrol bombs, iron rods and cobble stones.

Far left activists attacked police officers at the G20 Summit in Hamburg with this riot officer being removed by ambulance

There were violent scenes on the streets of the northern German city as world leaders met up inside a luxury hotel

A woman is detained by German police officers during the G20 summit in Hamburg, where world leaders will discuss issues such as terrorism and climate change

Exhausted police officers take a break from the intense fighting in Hamburg involving groups of far-left anarchists

A masked protester launches a firework in the direction of riot police during ugly scenes in Hamburg, which is today hosting the G20 summit

More than 20,000 officers were on hand to guard the city's streets, skies and waterways.

Police trucks blasted protesters back with water cannons, and officers physically dragged away a group holding a sit-in at the entrance to the summit grounds after they jeered and yelled at a convoy heading inside.

Anti-globalisation protesters also kept US first lady Melania Trump from joining the spouses of the other world leaders at the summit.

Violence seemed to be escalating on Friday evening as anti-globalisation activists forced their way into a closed train station by bending open the iron gates. Police responded by deploying a water cannon outside the Landungsbruecke station.

Protesters repeatedly tried pushing into the no-go zone - among them a group of 22 swimmers from Greenpeace who tried accessing the area from the Elbe River but did not succeed, police said.

More than 20,000 officers are currently deployed in Hamburg to quell the violent disorder started by activists

Security chiefs drafted in a further 900 police officers to augment the 20,000 currently deployed in Hamburg for G20

More than 160 officers have been injured in the violent clashes which are now going into their second night

Officers have been forced to deal with at least 30 different protests in various parts of the city to divide their forces

Later on Friday, activists also attempted to get near Hamburg's highly protected philharmonic hall, where international leaders were set to listen to a concert and have dinner together. Greenpeace boats blasted music toward the performance hall to disrupt the leaders' meeting there.

Police condemned the 'shocking criminal energy and high potential of violence' on display and tweeted a photograph of an officer with a bloody wound they said was caused by slingshot catapults.

Some officers had to be taken to the hospital, including one whose eye was injured when a firework went off in front of him.

The city's fire department said 11 activists were severely injured and taken to hospital after falling off a 13ft wall after fleeing from a confrontation with riot police.

Police could not say how many activists were injured in the clashes, but the fire department said that as of Friday morning they had taken 60 protesters to hospitals across the city.

Chancellor Angela Merkel has condemned the violent scenes claiming people only have the right to protest peacefully

More than 70 protesters have been arrested while hundreds have been sprayed with water cannon by German police

Riot squad members have been chasing groups of protesters across Hamburg for more than 24 hours

President Donald Trump was forced to take a detour because of the widespread disorder.

Merkel said she could understand peaceful protests, but demonstrations that 'put peoples' lives in danger, put the protesters' own lives in danger... are unacceptable'.

Shocking footage shows smoke billowing from vehicles as the city hosting the G20 summit looked like a warzone.

German police confirmed this morning that the police station had been targeted by 'perpetrators of violence', as thousands of officers flood the streets anticipating violent demonstrations.

It comes after more than 70 people were injured in clashes between riot police and anti-capitalists last night, with a march named 'Welcome to Hell' descending into chaos.

This morning Hamburg police used a water cannon to clear a blockade by protesters ahead of the opening of the summit.

This protester with bright pink finger nails took a selfie in front of a blazing bonfire which had been set on the street

Shocking footage shows smoke billowing from buildings and vehicles which had been set alight across Hamburg today

Riot police run against protesters with batons in Hamburg today as disorder spread across the city, forcing leaders of the world's most powerful economies to divert their routes to the G20 summit

Police used water cannons on protesters during ugly scenes in the German city of Hamburg today, where world leaders met for the G20 summit

Fires have been started across the city today as thousands of protesters make their feelings known as world leaders meet for the G20 summit

Riot police confront an activist during today's protests in Hamburg, where police requested additional resources to respond to disorder

Riot police used pepper spray during violent clashes with demonstrators in the German city. Dozens of officers have been injured in the disorder over the last 24 hours

Police said an estimated 100,000 protesters, including a pair with the words 'tits against G20', were in the German city today

Police in Hamburg have called for reinforcements to cope with the huge scale of the protests as world leaders hold crunch talks

Some protesters wore masks as they demonstrated against capitalism as world leaders gathered for the G20 summit

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has hit out at demonstrators for putting lives in danger during today's clashes with police in Hamburg

People use fire extinguishers to tackle flames in Hamburg today, where the G20 summit was marred by chaos outside

Dozens of fires were started across the city during widespread disorder which delayed the arrival of world leaders and forced their spouses to remain indoors amid security fears

A woman was today seen climbing onto the top of an armoured vehicle, where police fired pepper spray at her

The woman is pelted with pepper spray by officers after climbing onto the top of the vehicle in front of teams of police officers

She looked distressed after being sprayed with pepper spray after climbing onto the top of an armoured vehicle in Hamburg this morning

US First Lady Melania Trump, pictured yesterday in Poland, is reportedly trapped inside her hotel room because of the widespread protests in Hamburg

A spokeswoman for the US First Lady told DPA: 'We have not received the all-clear from police to leave the residence.'

Other spouses including Theresa May's husband Philip and French president Emmanuel Macron's wife Brigette have also been told to stay indoors.

A visit to a climate change centre by G20 spouses has been cancelled, DPA reports.

Hamburg police, who are already being backed up by officers from other German states as well as from Austria, made the request for reinforcements 'in order to get relief', a spokesman said.

Police said the blockade happened on the banks of the Outer Alster lake, some distance from the trade fair grounds where the summit is being held. They said they had repeatedly told a group of protesters to clear the road.

Cars were set alight during angry scenes ahead of the G20 talks in the German city of Hamburg, where world leaders will discuss major issues including climate change and terrorism

Huge plumes of smoke billow from a vehicle which was set alight during the protests this morning in Hamburg

Water cannons were used by police this morning after demonstrators held a blockade on streets surrounding the summit

Thousands of police officers are on duty on the city's streets, but authorities have called for reinforcements after widespread disorder today

Thousands of German police officers were dispatched to Hamburg, and force chiefs have called for reinforcements to cope with rioting

Police used water cannons in a bid to restore order amid widespread protests which forced US President Donald Trump to make a detour to reach the G20 summit this morning

Officers repeatedly used water cannons, as well as pepper spray and batons, on Thursday evening amid clashes with violent protesters.

Up to 100,000 anti-capitalist protesters are expected to descend on the city today, as heads of state including US President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin meet for the G20 talks.

Police said that at least 111 officers were hurt during yesterday's clashes, one of whom had to be taken to a hospital with an eye injury after a firework exploded in front of him. Twenty-nine people were arrested and a further 15 temporarily detained.

Organiser Andreas Blechschmidt criticised what he said was a heavy-handed and 'massive' police response with batons.

'The police should have reacted proportionally... It wasn't necessary. There are a lot of people injured,' Blechschmidt said on N-TV. Around 30 people were arrested.

'War, climate change, exploitation are the result of the capitalist system that the G20 stands for and which 20,000 police are here to defend,' demonstrator Georg Ismail told AFP.

A protester is detained by police this morning as thousands of officers flooded the streets of Hamburg amid fears of widespread violence

Riot police clashed with protesters in Hamburg, where 100,000 demonstrators are expected to hold rallies today

Police are expecting up to 100,000 protesters to descend on the German city today ahead of the meeting by world leaders

Burned out cars today bear testimony to the violence ahead of the talks. Police believe as many as 8,000 protesters are ready to commit violence. More than 70 people were injured in last night's clashes.

Officers say they repeatedly asked a group of demonstrators to remove their masks and hoods last night, but instead officers were hit with bottles and bricks - breaking the window of a riot van.

They then decided to separate the group from the rest of the march, which they estimated at 12,000 people in total.

The violence broke out near the start of the demonstration at a riverside plaza used for Hamburg's weekly fish market.

As leaders arrived yesterday, riot police fired water cannon at a group of about a thousand black-clad protesters who hurled bottles in a demonstration organisers had dubbed 'Welcome to Hell'.

Some 20,000 police from all of Germany's 16 states have been deployed on the streets of Hamburg.

A woman shouts at a police officer wearing riot gear as authorities and demonstrators faced off against each other today as world leaders began crunch talks in Hamburg

A masked protester is photographed after his arrest during a mass demonstration by the alliance group 'Welcome To Hell'

A firefighter puts out a blaze inside a car during violence and arson in the German city which is hosting the crunch talks

They will be facing off against up to 100,000 protesters, including an estimated 8,000 who police say are prepared to use violence.

Local resident Benjamin Laub, 53, said his neighbourhood has resembled a zone 'under a state of emergency' for days.

'For a week we've heard the choppers above all the time. The buses don't run, people leave their cars at home, they walk or ride bicycles. I'm carrying my passport for the first time in Germany (because of police checks),' said the hockey trainer.

A livid Markus Munch, 48, speaking on his bike near Trump's residence in a plush area beside the Alster lake twinkling in the summer sunshine, had little sympathy for the 'idiots' demonstrating.

'It's a total catastrophe that a minority can just riot like this,' Munch told AFP. 'These idiots have nothing better to do than to demonstrate. They have to be moved out.'

A man is pictured being carried away by officers as police tackled protesters

Groups of demonstrators sat in the road ahead of today's crunch talks, which will see the leaders of the world's largest economies discuss a range of issues

German authorities say they are expecting up to 100,000 protesters outside the G20 summit today, with a huge security operation in place

A protester sits in the road in front of police vehicles ahead of today's G20 talks between world leaders including Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin

Large teams of police officers have been deployed in Hamburg, where a woman was pepper sprayed after climbing on a top of an armoured vehicle

Thousands of police have been drafted in from across Germany as thousands of protesters are expected to cause chaos as world leaders meet

A man is carried off the road by police as large numbers of protesters blocked rounds around the site of the summit

Donald Trump yesterday warned that the future of Western civilisation is at stake and the West must decide if it has the will to survive.

At the start of a four-day trip to Europe, the US President said the lack of a collective resolve could doom an alliance that endured through the Cold War.

In a speech in Warsaw  ahead of the G20 meeting in Hamburg  he lashed out at hostile forces, ranging from Islamic terrorism to Russia.

He addressed a large cheering crowd and allowed for long pauses as he listened to chants of Donald Trump from the monument to the 1944 Uprising in the city.

Thousands of police have been deployed to Hamburg, where around 100,000 people are expected to take part in protests today

A protester gets in a heated exchange with a riot policeman during a mass demonstration held by the alliance Welcome to Hell

Demonstrators march as they try to breach the security zone during the G20 summit in the German city of Hamburg today

A woman in a colourful mask marches in Hamburg, watched by dozens of police officers ahead of the G20 summit in the German city

The protests were held in Hamburg, where Donald Trump has met with Russian president Vladimir Putin this morning

Praising Poland for its resilience in the face of historic threats from Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union, he declared: Let us all fight like Poles.

Mr Trump said: As the Polish experience reminds us, the defence of the West ultimately rests not only on means but also on the will of its people to prevail.

The fundamental question of our time is whether the West has the will to survive. While it was no longer necessary to confront the spectre of communism in Europe, there were other dire threats to the Wests security and way of life, Mr Trump said.

We are confronted by another oppressive ideology  one that seeks to export terrorism and extremism all around the globe. America and Europe have suffered one terror attack after another. Were going to get it to stop.

He said during his visit to Saudi Arabia he had urged the leaders of 50 Muslim nations to help tackle Islamic extremists. He added: We must stand united against these shared enemies.

Mr Trump was given a very warm welcome, the crowd cheering and chanting his name. Many were said to have been bussed in to ensure his reception was big and noisy.

Appearing to refer to Americas controversial travel ban, he said the US would always welcome new citizens but added: Our borders will always be closed to terrorism and extremism of any kind.

Police used water cannons on people who blocked the roads around the summit this morning, as thousands showed up to hold protests

A demonstrator who blocked a street close to the site of the summit is removed by police wearing riot gear this morning

A man pours water over the remains of a burned out rubbish bin on the streets of the German city, which is being patrolled by thousands of police officers ahead of the G20 talks

A man is carried away by police as officers in riot gear clear protesters from the road ahead of the G20 summit involving world leaders in Germany today

Riot police have been removing demonstrators who block the streets around the G20 summit in Hamburg today

Police will be facing off against up to 100,000 protesters, including an estimated 8,000 who police say are prepared to use violence
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President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin sat down for their much-anticipated first meeting on Friday on the sidelines of the G20 summit.

The two exchanged brief pleasantries and a friendly handshake earlier at the start of the summit in Hamburg, Germany, but waited hours before they could speak privately.

As their meeting kicked off, Trump said 'It's an honor to be with you', while Putin told the US leader: 'I'm delighted to meet you.'

Trump said he anticipates 'a lot of positive things happening, for Russia, for the United States', adding that their talks on 'various things' were 'going very, very well'.

Their first sit-down meeting is expected to last for about 30 minutes and touch upon several complex issues, from the Syrian conflict to Russia's provocations in Ukraine.

President Donald Trump said that he was 'honored' to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin as they sat down together on Friday afternoon. Putin responded by saying he was 'delighted' to meet the president. As the meeting started he said that he and Putin had been 'discussing various things and I think it's going very, very well'

The pair spoke briefly to the press before starting their meeting, and Trump said that he was looking forward to some 'positive talks' with Putin

However, the meeting also falls under the shadow of accusations that Russia meddled in the 2016 presidential election - and Trump is under pressure to raise those concerns with Putin in their first meeting.

Trump, on Thursday, said he believes Russia may have interfered in the election, but he said that he believes other countries may have been involved as well.

His and Putin's first handshake was captured on film in a video that shows the hidden handshakes and back-slaps between political leaders at the summit.

Their surprising gesture was more familiar than anything else shown on the 40-second video clip, which was first published on Facebook.

When Putin greets UK Prime Minister Theresa May, for instance, the handshake is formal, curt and respectful  with the leaders bowing to each other slightly.

President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin gave one another a warm welcome on Thursday as they shook hands during their introduction at the G20 Summit in Hamburg, Germany

In video of the meeting, Trump is seen shaking Vlad's hand rightie-to-rightie, and using his left hand to pat the underside of Putin's arm

The pair smiled and told one another they would see each other soon in a private meeting. Trump earlier tweeted that he had 'much to discuss' with the Russian leader

At one point during their brief initial meeting, Putin pointed at Trump as they continued to shake hands. Their private meeting is scheduled for later on Friday

UK Prime Minister Theresa May and EU institutional chiefs Jean-Claude Juncker and Donald Tusk were nearby when Trump and Putin greeted one another. Trump is pictured rubbing the Russian leader's back

The promise of a fresh start to US-Russia relations has been eclipsed by allegations of collusion between the Kremlin and members of Trump's election campaign team

Trump watches Putin as he speaks to President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker at the G20 summit on Friday

But when Trump comes up to the same table to see Putin, the how-do-you-do is more congenial  the stuff of fishing buddies or bowling teammates.

In a later clip, Trump is shown extending his left arm to pat Putin's back while he smiles broadly.

Until Thursday, the two men had reportedly never met.

Trump is trying to establish a rapport with Putin, one White House aide said Friday, in the hope that the two men can reach a detente and avoid a new Cold War.

But the US president's critics warn that Putin, a former KGB spymaster, is a master of manipulation who can meet every Trump volley with an overhand smash.

The footage was shot during the leaders' 'retreat'  an informal gathering before the more consequential meetings that form the basis of G20 policy discussions.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel takes part in a family photo along with French President Emmanuel Macron, U.S.President Donald Trump, Indonesia's President Joko Widodo, Mexico's President Enrique Pena Nieto, South African President Jacob Zuma, Argentina's President Mauricio Macri, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Brazilian President Michel Temer, South Korea's President Moon Jae-in, Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May, European Council President Donald Tusk, European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker, U.N. Secretary-general Antonio Guterres, Norway's Prime Minister Erna Solberg, Netherlands' Prime Minister Mark Rutte, Senegal's President Macky Sall, Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Spanish Prime Minister Mariano

Trump (second from left in the front row) and Putin (fourth from right in the front row) stood far from another in a group shot of the leaders involved in the G20 summit

After the photo was take, Macron and Trump chatted as Trudeau and Pena Nieto stood by. Throughout the weekend, the group will discuss climate change and global trade

Merkel covers her face as she speaks to Trump at the start of the G20 on Friday. US Secretary of the Treasury Steve Mnuchin (back right) was also at the event

Putin listens to Merkel as she appears to reference someone's height during the first working session of the G20

Mediator Merkel? The German Chancellor listens in as Macron and Trump exchange a few words

Merkel, Trump and Macron talk before getting down to business at the start of the first working session of the G20 meeting

Macron and Trump laughed as they stood next to one another during a posed group photo of all of the world leaders at the G20 Summit

Merkel told leaders of the Group of 20 economic powers Friday that millions of people are hoping they can help solve the world's problems, and warned them that they must be prepared to make compromises. Pictured above, Trump and Macron at the event

Before Putin, Trump tried to manage another rocky international relationship as he with Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto. Pena Nieto insists Mexico will not pay. Trump hailed Pena Nieto as a 'friend' in their face-to-face meeting on Friday, but said he 'absolutely' wants Mexico to pay for the wall

Pena Nieto had been scheduled to visit the White House shortly after Trump took office, but he scrapped the trip at the last minute due to disagreement with Trump over the US president's insistence that Mexico pay for the wall he has vowed to build along the US-Mexico border to deter illegal immigration

From left to right, Trump, China's President Xi Jinping, Merkel, Argentinia's President Mauricio Macri and Australia's Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull turn around for photographers at the start of the first working session of the G20 meeting

British Prime Minister Theresa May, US President Donald Trump, Chinese President Xi Jinping and German Chancellor Angela Merkel smile for the cameras

Macron (center right) talks to Merkel (center left, back to camera) as Trump (right) looks on during the opening session of the G20

Trump talks to the President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan (right) and others before the beginning of first working session of the G20 Nations Summit

Merkel (center) talks to European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker (left) as European Council President Donald Tusk (R) listens during the opening session of the G20 summit

Trump speaks to Macron and Merkel ahead of the start of the Summit. Trump will be visiting Paris next week in honor of Bastille Day

Trump and his colleagues will remain in Hamburg until Saturday. He earlier tweeted that he had 'much to discuss' with the Russian leader.

'I look forward to all meetings today with world leaders, including my meeting with Vladimir Putin. Much to discuss,' Trump wrote, adding the hashtag #USA and an American flag emoji.

Friday's much-anticipated encounter in Hamburg, Germany, comes at a pivotal time in US-Russian relations. Trump will be closely watched to see if he confronts Putin over Russia's meddling in the 2016 presidential election.

Ahead of the G20 Summit's start, Trump vowed to fight for US interests, despite the 'Fake News Media' he claims covers him inaccurately.

'I will represent our country well and fight for its interests! Fake News Media will never cover me accurately but who cares! We will #MAGA!' he Tweeted ahead of the G20 Summit, where he will meet with world leaders.

Trump sat next to Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May as they prepped to start the first working session of the G20 meeting

From left to right, President of Brazil Michel Temer, Prime Minister of Australia Malcolm Turnbull, President of Argentina Mauricio Macri, German chancellor Angela Merkel, Chinese President Xi Jinping, US President Donald J. Trump and British Prime Minister Theresa May during the plenary session of the G20 Summit in Hamburg

Merkel, sitting in the center of the room in red, spoke to the group of world leaders at the plenary session of the G20 Summit

Trump sits alone at the beginning of the plenary session of the G20 Summit as others involved in the talks take their seats

China's President Xi Jinping and Trump begin listening into the discussion on the first day of the G20

Trump (center) smiles towards Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (second right, back to camera) while Chinese President Xi Jinping (left) takes his seat

May (left) chats with Turkish President Recep Tayip Erdogan (second right) and Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu (second left) at the beginning of the plenary session

South Africa's President Jacob Zuma, Russia's President Vladimir Putin and Mexico's President Enrique Pena Nieto talk at the start of the 'retreat meeting'

Merkel talks to Russia's President Vladimir Putin at the start of the first working session of the G20 meeting in Hamburg

Merkel gets comfortable as she begins her bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at the G20 summit on Friday

The president arrived Friday morning after most of his international counterparts, shaking hands with German Chancellor Angela Merkel with a friendly 'How are you?' greeting.

Merkel, as the host leader, greeted every head of state personally on a red carpet as camera shutters clicked.

She got kisses on the cheek from European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, European Council President Donald Tusk, Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and French President Emmanuel Macron.

After 15 leaders had arrived, an announcer said the welcome proceedings were over. Merkel exited but came back several minutes later to greet Trump, South Korean President Moon Jae-in and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Trump clasped Merkel on the shoulder as they both disappeared inside the G20 meeting room.

During a brief photo call at the top of the leaders' retreat, Trump was seated between Merkel and UK Prime Minister Theresa May.

While May chatted with the US president, Merkel faced away from them and chatted with Macron.

PROTESTERS CLASH WITH POLICE AS G20 GETS UNDERWAY IN HAMBURG A police station has been firebombed and cars and buildings set alight in the German city of Hamburg, where world leaders are holding crunch talks today. Police have called for reinforcements after tens of thousands of protesters descended on Hamburg, causing chaos. Shocking footage shows smoke billowing from vehicles as the city hosting the G20 summit looked like a warzone. German police confirmed this morning that the police station had been targeted by 'perpetrators of violence', as thousands of officers flood the streets anticipating violent demonstrations. Hamburg police say they have used a water cannon to clear a blockade by protesters ahead of the opening of the Group of 20 summit Police said the incident happened on the banks of the Outer Alster lake, some distance from the trade fair grounds where the summit is being held, on Friday morning. They said they had repeatedly told a group of protesters to clear the road Officers repeatedly used water cannons, as well as pepper spray and batons, on Thursday evening amid clashes with violent protesters It comes after more than 70 people were injured in clashes between riot police and anti-capitalists last night, with a march named 'Welcome to Hell' descending into chaos. This morning Hamburg police used a water cannon to clear a blockade by protesters ahead of the opening of the summit. A spokeswoman for the US First Lady told DPA: 'We have not received the all-clear from police to leave the residence.' Other spouses including Theresa May's husband Philip and French president Emmanuel Macron's wife Brigette have also been told to stay indoors. A visit to a climate change centre by G20 spouses has been cancelled, DPA reports. Hamburg police, who are already being backed up by officers from other German states as well as from Austria, made the request for reinforcements 'in order to get relief', a spokesman said. The meeting opens after skirmishes Thursday evening between police and violent protesters elsewhere in the port city, Germany's second-biggest. Police said that at least 76 officers were hurt, one of whom had to be taken to a hospital with an eye injury after a firework exploded in front of him Protesters clash with German police dressed in full swat gaer during the start of the G-20 summit in Hamburg on Friday A female protester is detained by several German police officer during demonstrations in Hamburg during the G20 Summit Police push away activists who tried to block a street during the G20 summit in Hamburg on Friday, an event gathering leaders from around the world Police said the blockade happened on the banks of the Outer Alster lake, some distance from the trade fair grounds where the summit is being held. They said they had repeatedly told a group of protesters to clear the road. Officers repeatedly used water cannons, as well as pepper spray and batons, on Thursday evening amid clashes with violent protesters. Up to 100,000 anti-capitalist protesters are expected to descend on the city today, as heads of state including US President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin meet for the G20 talks. Police said that at least 111 officers were hurt during yesterday's clashes, one of whom had to be taken to a hospital with an eye injury after a firework exploded in front of him. Twenty-nine people were arrested and a further 15 temporarily detained. Organiser Andreas Blechschmidt criticised what he said was a heavy-handed and 'massive' police response with batons. 'The police should have reacted proportionally... It wasn't necessary. There are a lot of people injured,' Blechschmidt said on N-TV. Around 30 people were arrested. Demonstrators use concrete blocks to barricade the road near Schlump station on the opening day of the G20 summit in Hamburg Demonstrators use concrete blocks to barricade the road near Schlump station on the opening day of the G20 summit in Hamburg 'War, climate change, exploitation are the result of the capitalist system that the G20 stands for and which 20,000 police are here to defend,' demonstrator Georg Ismail told AFP. Burned out cars today bear testimony to the violence ahead of the talks. Police believe as many as 8,000 protesters are ready to commit violence. More than 70 people were injured in last night's clashes. Officers say they repeatedly asked a group of demonstrators to remove their masks and hoods last night, but instead officers were hit with bottles and bricks - breaking the window of a riot van. They then decided to separate the group from the rest of the march, which they estimated at 12,000 people in total. The violence broke out near the start of the demonstration at a riverside plaza used for Hamburg's weekly fish market. As leaders arrived yesterday, riot police fired water cannon at a group of about a thousand black-clad protesters who hurled bottles in a demonstration organisers had dubbed 'Welcome to Hell'. Some 20,000 police from all of Germany's 16 states have been deployed on the streets of Hamburg. Advertisement

The room, a cavernous sea of bright yellow carpet, put at least 50 feet of distance between Trump and Putin, who was seated a quarter of the way around the giant circle.

But the two men did meet and shake hands and greeted each other warmly.

'They shook each other's hand and said that they would soon hold a separate meeting, would soon see each other,' Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told a conference call with reporters.

When asked if Putin was looking forward to the talks and whether he had lots of questions for Trump, Peskov said he did.

US lawmakers and federal investigators are continuing to look into Russia's election interference, along with possible collusion between Trump campaign associates and Russian government officials.

Russia has been accused by four US intelligence agencies of interfering in the national election that hoisted Trump to power last year.

That puts Trump under intense scrutiny over how he handles the sit-down with Putin, a former Russian intelligence agent known to come well-prepared to meetings like this.

President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin were greeted by German Chancellor Angela Merkel ahead of the the G20 summit on Friday

Ahead of the meeting, Trump vowed to fight for US interests, despite the 'Fake News Media' he claims covers him inaccurately

The president arrived Friday morning after most of his international counterparts, shaking hands with Merkel with a friendly 'How are you?' greeting

German Chancellor Angela Merkel welcomes Russia's President Vladimir Putin as he arrives to attend the G20 summit in Hamburg

Merkel and Putin laughed as they shook hands at the start of the G20 Summit on Friday morning. The G20 meetings will last two days

During a brief photo call at the top of the leaders' retreat, Trump was seated next to Merkel as all of the leaders said in circular formation

Trump chatted with UK Prime Minister Theresa May as Merkel faced away from them and spoke with French President Emmanuel Macron

Putin attends a BRICS leaders' meeting as he takes part in the G20 summit in Hamburg ahead of his meeting with Trump on Friday

Putin laughed as he spoke with Mexico's President Enrique Pena Nieto as South African President Jacob Zuma sits nearby during a talk at the G20 Summit

Putin and Pena Nieto lean across their chairs to talk at the start of the 'retreat meeting' on the first day of the G20 summit in Hamburg

Trump said at a news conference in Poland on Thursday that Russia 'could have' interfered in the 2016 presidential campaign, but he's not convinced that it was the sole meddler.

'I think it was Russia, and it could have been other people in other countries,' Trump said. 'Nobody really knows.'

He added that the US Intelligence Community has made high-profile mistakes in the past, so 'nobody really knows for sure.'

Trump sought to redirect any scrutiny toward his predecessor, Barack Obama, accusing him of allowing Moscow to meddle on his watch.

Though the Obama administration warned Russia publicly and privately before Election Day to stop interfering, questions have since been raised about whether the office holder acted aggressively enough to stop the threat.

'They say he choked. Well, I don't think he choked,' Trump said. 'I think he thought Hillary Clinton was going to win the election, and he said, 'Let's not do anything about it'.'

Trump said the CIA had informed Obama about the hacking months before the election but added that 'mistakes have been made.'

In Putin, Trump sees a potential ally in the war on radicalism in the Middle East.

Trump was welcomed with a handshake from German Chancellor Angela Merkel, the summit host, as he arrived at the Summit

Trump tweeted ahead of the summit that he's looking forward to his first meeting with Putin at an international summit in Hamburg, Germany

Leaders of the world's rich and developing nation are discussing a variety of issues over two days of meetings at the G20 Summit, including trade and climate change

President Donald Trump is tweeting that 'everyone' in Hamburg, Germany is talking about the Democrats' response to Russian election hacking ahead of his highly-anticipated meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin

Trump has two big meetings on his schedule apart from the formal summit agenda. He'll meet for the first time as president with Russian President Vladimir Putin and will also hold talks with Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto

On Thursday, Trump again refused to accept the conclusion by multiple US intelligence agencies that Russia interfered to try to help Trump win last November

Trump's motorcade on Friday was decorated with American and German flags ahead of the G20 summit in Hamburg

President of France Emmanuel Macron arrived at the summit alongside his wife, Brigitte Trogneux. They were welcomed by the of Hamburg, Olaf Scholz

THERESA MAY'S HUSBAND JOINS G20 SPOUSES INCLUDING FRENCH PRESIDENT EMMANUEL MACRON'S WIFE FOR A BOAT TOUR OF HAMBURG Theresa May's husband Philip joined the world leaders' consorts club today as he mingled with spouses of some of the most powerful people on earth. Mr May, 59, was in glamorous company in Hamburg, Germany, as he made his first overseas foray in the role. Among those who joined him for a riverboat cruise this morning were French President Emmanuel Macron's wife Brigitte and Sophie Gregoire-Trudeau, the wife of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. By convention, a separate programme of events is organised to entertain wives, girlfriends and husbands who attend major summits. Theresa May's husband Philip joined the world leaders' consorts club today as he mingled with spouses of some of the most powerful people on earth. He is pictured (right) in Hamburg today next to Thobeka Madiba Zuma (left), wife of South Africa's President Jacob Zuma Among those who joined him for a riverboat cruise today were French President Emmanuel Macron's wife Brigitte (left, with Juliana Awada, wife of Argentinian President Mauricio Macri) Sophie Gregoire-Trudeau, wife of Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and their son Hadrien leave a ship after a boat tour of the spouses programme on the first day of the G-20 summit in Hamburg, northern Germany The pictures emerged as it was reported that US First Lady Melania Trump and other spouses had been trapped inside their hotel rooms this afternoon amid fierce protests in the city. Their visit to a climate change centre has been cancelled, DPA reports. Mr May will spend much of the next two days in the company of Joachim Sauer, Angela Merkel's husband, who will host the consorts on her behalf. Mr Sauer, a theoretical chemist who grew up in communist East Germany, is normally a low-profile figure. He has organised a 'climate change-themed' programme for those attending. Mr May, who is likely to be the only husband in attendance, was due to join the leaders' wives on a river boat cruise before visiting a climate change centre in the German city. Brigitte Macron, wife of France's President Emmanuel Macron, left, and Juliana Awada, wife of Argentine President Mauricio Macri, disembark from a riverboat after a tour of the city Angelica Rivera (left), partner of Mexico's President Enrique Pena Nieto, and her daughter Regina Castro (right) leave the boat 'Diplomat' on the river Elbe as they take part in the G20 Summit Spouse Programme in Hamburg, Germany He is the first British consort to attend a major summit since Sarah Brown. Samantha Cameron disliked that side of her role and never travelled with her husband to a summit. On Tuesday it emerged that Sauer, who usually shuns publicity, would take the visiting dignitaries sightseeing and to the spectacular new Elbphilharmonie concert house. The leaders' spouses were also due to take in views of Germany's 'Gateway to the World' city on a cruise tour of the country's biggest port, in whose harbour-front bars the Beatles started their rise to fame. The G20 spouses' tour also includes Hamburg's neo-Renaissance town hall, an imposing building dating from the late 1800s, which boasts almost as many rooms as Britain's Buckingham Palace. On Friday evening, the spouses are to be treated to Beethoven's 'Ode to Joy', the EU's anthem, at Hamburg's new Elbphilharmonie, whose glass structure is meant to evoke frozen waves, and which offers sweeping views of Germany's second largest city. Iriana Joko Widodo (left, in red), wife of Indonesia's President Joko Widodo, and Emine Erdogan (left, in purple), wife of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan were among those who joined the tour. Also in attendance was Akie Abe, wife of Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe Peng Liyuan, wife of Chinese President Xi Jinping, also travelled to Hamburg as her husband joined G20 leaders Advertisement

The Republican president and his administration have held off on slapping Moscow with new sanctions as they assess Putin's willingness to work with the US to defeat ISIS and remove Bashar al-Assad from power in Syria.

Experts on Putin have said it is Trump who should be worried that the Russian president will try to earn concessions.

Putin, like other world leaders who have Trump's number, is most likely to get what he wants by flattering him.

'I would be surprised if Vladimir Putin offers any concessions in exchange for restoring what Russia sees as its inalienable rights,' Dmitri Trenin, director of the Carnegie Moscow Center, told the Associated Press.

'If no agreement is reached, Russia will take retaliatory measures, which could trigger new U.S. moves,' he added.

Trump's deal-making skills and his electoral victory are especially ripe for the complimenting, foreign leaders have found, although Putin is less likely to bring up the latter than other people in positions of power who have sat across from the billionaire.

German chancellor Angela Merkel, right, welcomes Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at the G-20 summit in Hamburg

Trudeau told a German newspaper on Friday the leaders of G20 countries meeting in Hamburg would tell US President Donald Trump he should take the lead in addressing climate change

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron greet each other the G20 summit in Hamburg on Friday

Macron said on Thursday, a day before the start of the G20 Summit, that he supported a two-state solution to end the Middle East conflict

German chancellor Angela Merkel , right, welcomes Britain's Prime Minster Theresa May, at the G-20 summit in Hamburg

May will call on world leaders to choke off funding for terrorists which is being funnelled through the international financial institutions as the G20 meets in Germany

May, who has previously said Britain was disappointed by Trump's decision last month to withdraw the United States from the global agreement, is due to hold a bilateral meeting with Trump on the sidelines of the G20 summit

A close ally of Syria and Iran, Trump called on Russia from Poland to cease its 'destabilizing activities in Ukraine and elsewhere and its support for hostile regimes' in his most forceful remarks on the subject yet during a Thursday speech.

Russia must choose to join the US and its allies in their 'fight against common enemies and in defense of civilization itself,' Trump said.

Putin's government is presently aligned with 'powers that seek to test our will, undermine our confidence, and challenge our interests,' Trump stated.

'To meet new forms of aggression, including propaganda, financial crimes, and cyberwarfare, we must adapt our alliance to compete effectively in new ways and on all new battlefields,' he declared.

Russia has made no indications that it would be willing to sell out Assad in order to take out ISIS. To the contrary, it has continued to work with the ruling class in the face of vicious assaults on women and children.

Trump's attitude coming into office had been to let the civil war in Syria resolve itself. A chemical weapons attack in April that killed 89 changed his mind.

Merkel greets South Korea's President Moon Jae-in as he arrives for the G20 leaders summit. Ahead of the summit, Moon met with Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to discuss North Korea

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who earlier in the day had breakfast with Merkel, greets the German chancellor at the start of the G20 summit

Spain's Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, left, greets Merkel at the summit. Rajoy on Wednesday described as 'authoritarian delirium' plans by the ruling parties in the northeastern Catalonia region to declare independence from Spain within 48 hours of a promised referendum October 1, if voters say 'yes'

Merkel greets Mexico's President Enrique Pena Nieto at the beginning of the G20 summit. Pena Nieto will meet with Trump later during the two-day event

Merkel welcomes India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the G20 leaders summit in Hamburg. Modi earlier this week visited Israel, the first-ever by an Indian prime minister

Merkel officially welcomes Japan Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, to the opening day of the G20 summit. Japan and the European Union agreed a free trade pact on Thursday to create the world's biggest open economic area and signal resistance to what they see as Trump's protectionist turn

Chinese President Xi Jinping, left, is welcomed by Merkel at the summit, where he will also have meetings with President Trump

'These heinous actions by the Assad regime cannot be tolerated. The United States stands with our allies across the globe to condemn this horrific attack and all other horrific attacks, for that matter,' he said during a news conference the following day.

As Trump dropped bombs on the facility in Syria where the attack was launched from several days later he urged 'all civilized nations' to join the US 'in seeking to end the slaughter and bloodshed in Syria, and also to end terrorism of all kinds and all types.'

Before Putin, Trump tried to manage another rocky international relationship as he with Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto.

Pena Nieto had been scheduled to visit the White House shortly after Trump took office, but he scrapped the trip at the last minute due to disagreement with Trump over the US president's insistence that Mexico pay for the wall he has vowed to build along the US-Mexico border to deter illegal immigration. Pena Nieto insists Mexico will not pay.

Trump hailed Pena Nieto as a 'friend' in their face-to-face meeting on Friday, but said he 'absolutely' wants Mexico to pay for the wall.

Pena Nieto insists Mexico will not pay for the wall.

Saudi Arabia's State Minister Ibrahim al-Assaf, left, is welcomed by Merkel on Friday. Saudi Arabia's King Salman isn't attending the event

Merkel, right, welcomes Italy's Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni, at the G-20 summit. Gentiloni spoke to Trump in a phone call ahead of the event

Merkel (R) officially welcomes South African President Jacob Zuma (L) on the opening day of the G20 summit in Hamburg

Brazil's President Michel Temer is welcomed by Merkel as he arrives for the G20 leaders summit. Earlier this week, Temer had to present his legal defense against corruption allegations, a move seen as a bid to reduce the likelihood of being suspended from office and tried at the Supreme Court

Merkel officially welcomes Argentinan President Mauricio Macri to the G20 summit. Last month, Macri boosted public spending ahead of a crucial mid-term election

Merkel welcomes the president of the European council, Donald Tusk at the G-20 summit in Hamburg on Friday. Tusk held a joint press conference with Japan's Abe and fellow EU institutional chief Jean-Claude Juncker before the event

Merkel officially welcomes President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker (left) to the opening day of the G20 summit in Hamburg

Trump said, 'it's great to be with my friend the president of Mexico'. Pena Nieto said he hopes to continue a 'flowing dialogue'.

He reassured Pena Nieto in April that he would not pull out of the North American Free Trade Agreement, which involves the United States, Mexico and Canada.

But Trump said he could still withdraw if he concludes that a renegotiated pact would not produce 'a fair deal' for all sides.

The Putin meeting is the highlight of a hectic, four-day European visit for Trump, who addressed thousands of Poles in an outdoor speech in Warsaw, Poland, on Thursday.

He met in Germany with Chancellor Angela Merkel, the summit host, and had dinner with two Asian allies - Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and South Korean President Moon Jae-in - to discuss North Korea's aggression.

The Group of 20 gathering of the world's leading rich and developing nations is the first since Trump announced that the United States would withdraw from the Paris climate agreement, deeply disappointing Merkel and other US allies who had hoped to maintain momentum in battling climate change.

Even as Trump has said in vague terms he would like to renegotiate the Paris accord, European leaders have vowed to press forward.
The White House is blaming the Obama administration for leaving President Donald Trump without a proper hotel during this week's G20 summit.

Every top-shelf lodging was already booked by the time the Trump White House began making inquiries  but that, two White House officials say, is because their predecessors never booked rooms for an American delegation.

The G20's northern Germany summit was announced in February 2016, when Obama was still president and Trump was considered a long-shot hope to take the White House.

'Obama's people left everyone high and dry,' one current official said on Friday. 'They didn't care enough to make sure whoever was president would have a place to stay.'

German Chancellor Angela Merkel (right) has a swanky block of hotel rooms for this week's G20 summit in Hamburg, but President Donald Trump (left) was left staying in a government-owned guest house because the Obama administration never thought ahead and reserved rooms when the conference was announced in early 2016

The guest house of the Hamburg senate is where Trump has been forced to lay his head, but his aides insist it was the previous admininstration's job to do the 'advance' work in anticipation of a new president

Obama, now a private citizen and popular on the speaking circuit, would also be blamed for causing the same problem if Hillary Clinton had succeeded him

The White House is remaining officially mum about where the president is laying his head, and why. Spokespersons did not respond to requests for comment.

The officials who talked to DailyMail.com, including one with direct knowledge of White House travel and 'advance' operations, spoke on condition of anonymity.

Buzzfeed reported Thursday that Trump is staying in the government-owned Senate guest house in Hamburg instead of at a 5-star property like the luxury lodgings he owns.

The website published a list of which international delegations had snagged which hotels, including Russian president Vladimir Putin's group at the Park Hyatt and UK Prime Minister Theresa May's group at Le Meridien.

The leaders of China and Italy apparently reserved space at the Grand Elysee; the Indian and Canadian prime ministers are staying at the Atlantic Kempinski, along with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

DailyMail.com contacted those four hotels and another six mentioned in the Buzzfeed report.

Hamburg's Park Hyatt, where Russian president Vladimir Putin's delegation is staying, was already fully booked before Trump won the November 2016 election, hotel staff said Friday

The leaders of China and Italy blocked off space at the Grand Elysee, which was also never an option for the White House because it was reserved more than 9 months ago

Staff at eight of them confirmed that they were completely booked by the time America's 2016 election was held in early November. the other two declined to comment.

'The funny thing,' a second Trump White House official said Friday, 'is that the U.S. delegation probably also wouldn't have had hotel rooms if Hillary Clinton had become president. It was already too late by Election Day.'

'But I bet even if Hillary had to sleep in a youth hostel,' the official added, 'no one in the press would say it was her staff's fault.'

Trump's travel staff originally sought to accommodate him at the Four Seasons hotel. But Saudi Arabia's King Salman, who feted Trump last month in Riyadh, already had the entire hotel blocked off for himself and his entourage.
A mother charged with killing four of her young children and their father smiled and posed for cameras, giving a double 'thumbs up' sign to a photographer as she awaited her first court hearing.

Isabel Martinez, 33, appeared before Gwinnett County Magistrate Judge Michael Thorpe Friday, one day after police said she stabbed five family members to death and seriously injured another child at a home in Loganville, Georgia.

Martinez is also in the country illegally according to US Customs and Immigration Enforcement spokesperson Bryan Cox.

Immigration authorities have placed a hold on Martinez, who is from Mexico and entered the US illegally.

Cox said this is Martinez's first encounter with immigration authorities and it is not clear how long she has been in the US.

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Isabel Martinez, 33, smiled and posed for the cameras as she appeared at her first court hearing just one day after police said she stabbed four of her children and their father to death and seriously injured another child at their home outside Atlanta, Georgia

Martinez killed Martin Romero, 33, left, and four of the five children they had together, pictured. Diana Romero, nine, in front of Martin, survived. The other children, from left to right are: Axel Romero, two, (in the stroller), Isabela Martinez, 10, Dacota Romero, seven and Dillan Romero, four

Martinez appeared before Gwinnett County Magistrate Judge Michael Thorpe Friday and said she did not want an attorney. She is facing five counts of malice murder, five counts of murder and six counts of aggravated assault

The injured child, Diana Romero, nine, survived but remains hospitalized with injuries described by police as serious. Police said Thursday evening that she was in serious but stable condition.

A GoFundMe page has been set up to help pay for Diana's medical costs and the funeral costs for the deceased.

The four children killed were identified as Isabela Martinez, 10; Dacota Romero, seven; Dillan Romero, four; and Axel Romero, two. Their slain father was Martin Romero, 33.

According to the page, Diana has had surgery to repair damage from multiple stab wounds.

She is expected to be in the hospital for two to three weeks before starting physical therapy.

Before the hearing began, Martinez sat with other inmates and struck poses for news cameras - smiling, giving a double thumbs up, putting her hands in a prayer position and spreading her arms out wide.

As Judge Thorpe listed the charges she faces - five counts of malice murder, five counts of murder and six counts of aggravated assault - Martinez smiled, shook her head 'no' and wagged her finger at him.

The judge advised her sharply not to perform for the cameras.

When the judge informed her of her right to have an attorney, she said through a Spanish-language interpreter, that she doesn't want an attorney.

She later added that her attorney will always be the people and her faith.

Thorpe strongly advised Martinez to hire a lawyer or to allow one to be appointed for her.

'What prompts a person to take the life of such innocent children and her spouse is something we may never understand,' Gwinnett County police said in a statement.

'This is a horrendous crime not only for the victims but for the extended family, neighborhood and community.'

Diana Romero, pictured, was in serious but stable condition Thursday evening, police said in a brief update on the case

Before the hearing began, Martinez sat with other inmates and struck poses for news cameras - smiling, giving a double thumbs up, putting her hands in a prayer position and spreading her arms out wide

As Judge Thorpe listed the charges she faces, Martinez smiled, shook her head 'no' and wagged her finger at him

Martinez gestures towards news cameras during her first court appearance Friday. The judge told her not to perform for the cameras

Psychologists and others who study cases of mothers accused of killing their children say it's not as uncommon as people might believe.

But media coverage often focuses on dramatic cases, such as Andrea Yates who was found not guilty by reason of insanity for the 2001 drowning deaths of her five children.

Martinez, pictured, who has been charged in the stabbing deaths of four of her five children and their father in Loganville, Georgia, outside Atlanta

Other cases get less attention, as when a woman kills a newborn or in children's deaths blamed on neglect, said Cheryl Meyer, co-author of two books on mothers who have killed children based on about 1,000 cases during the 1990s.

That amounts to one death every three days. If anything, the total based on media reports at the time underestimates the reality, said Meyer, a psychology professor at Wright State University in Ohio.

In cases when mothers kill intentionally, Meyer said there is often another influence, such as mental health issues, postpartum depression or the loss of a close loved one.

Yates' attorneys, for instance, said she had severe postpartum psychosis at the time she drowned her children, including her 6-month-old daughter.

'We like to classify these women as pariahs, that they aren't at all like us,' Meyer said. 'I found that was not the case.'

Martinez was 'immediately' detained after the bodies were found inside the home in Loganville, about 30 miles east of Atlanta, Gwinnett County Police Cpl Michele Pihera told reporters at the scene Thursday morning.

Martinez was 'immediately' detained after the bodies of her victims were found inside their home in Loganville, Georgia

Police confirmed that the 911 call came from a woman who was inside the home at 4.47 am Thursday to report a stabbing. They believe Martinez made that call. She is pictured speaking to the judge through a Spanish language interpreter, left and standing to leave the courtroom, right, on Friday

Isabel Martinez, right, listens as a magistrate judge speaks during her first court appearance

Authorities haven't said if Martinez was injured or discussed a motive.

'Right now we believe we have everybody involved in this crime,' Pihera said.

Pihera confirmed that the 911 call came from a woman who was inside the home at 4.47 am Thursday to report a stabbing. Police believe Martinez made that call.

Pihera said the caller was speaking Spanish, which initially made it difficult for 911 operators to communicate with her.

Early indications are that a knife was used to attack the five, though a medical examiner will make the final determination about the cause of death, she said.

One 2014 analysis of FBI data found there are around 500 cases per year of parents arrested for killing their children.

The study found that contact weapons such as a bat or edged weapons such as knives were rarely used in the cases studied. Beating, choking and drowning were most common.

It's also unusual for a woman to kill an entire family rather than her children alone, Meyer said, adding that she couldn't think of a single comparable case.

Neighbor Pedro Ramirez, 15, said that he used to watch the family's daughters in the park and that they would ride bikes in the neighborhood (Pictured, Martinez with two of her children)

Neighbors say Martinez (pictured, left and right) may have been suffering from depression following the death of her father in Mexico. Authorities haven't said if Martinez was injured or discussed a motive

Authorities load a body into a crime scene vehicle on Thursday after police found four young children and their father apparently stabbed to death

Some neighbors in the small, largely Hispanic neighborhood said they had no clue anything was amiss in the home until police mobbed the scene Thursday morning.

The neighbors said the Spanish-speaking family had moved to the community recently, and their children seemed happy playing with other neighborhood kids.

Victoria Nievs said the children's mother had recently suffered the death of her father.

Jim Hollandsworth is spokesman at The Path Project, a nonprofit organization that runs an after-school program that the family's children participated in.

He said the family had been in the community for a few months. While the children spoke English as a second language, he said, they were fluent.

'It's awful. It's devastating. Everyone is in complete shock,' he said.

'The kids were engaged in what we're doing. They were happy. They were fantastic kids with a bright future.'

Neighbors stand outside near a home where police say multiple people were found dead. Some neighbors in the small, largely Hispanic neighborhood said they had no clue anything was amiss in the home until police mobbed the scene Thursday morning

Emergency personnel work at the scene where police found multiple people stabbed to death in Loganville, Georgia
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Joggers may have wondered if they had stumbled into a film set after witnessing an early morning rehearsal of the Royal Carriage Procession with troops from the Household Division ahead of a state visit from the King and Queen of Spain next week.

Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip will host Spain's King Felipe and Queen Letitzia at Buckingham Palace during their stay from Wednesday 12 to Friday 14 July.

Fully uniformed troops from the Royal brigade were snapped as they put their finishing touches on their preparations ahead regal meeting.

Roughly 1,000 troops and 250 horses took part in the dress rehearsal, with the Royal Carriage pulled along by trusted steeds.

The stunning images highlight the extensive preparations the Royal household carries out before historic occasions and shows nothing is left to chance ahead of grand occasions.

The stony-faced soldiers look completely focused on their task as they ride on horseback down Horse Guards Parade, Horse Guards Road and Birdcage Walk.

The Royal Carriage Procession is proudly pulled along Horse Guards Parade by white steeds ahead of next week's state visit

A close-up shot of the Royal soldiers shows the intense focus required from the troops. Their pristine uniforms and horses immaculate grooming show that no corners were cut for the practice

Dozens of troops from the Royal regiment took part in the dress rehearsal. The horses carry the troops along the famous Birdcage walk, just a stones throw away from Buckingham Palace (above)

The street lights were lit as the troops carried out their training. Buckingham Palace can be seen in the background

Britain's Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh will host Spain's King Felipe and Queen Letitzia at Buckingham Palace during their State Visit from Wednesday 12 to Friday 14 July 2017

The sun can be seen rising as the horses trot down the Mall, which leads up to Buckingham Palace

Black steeds march along together outside the gates of Buckingham Palace.

The brown uniformed soldiers can be seen riding their horses along the red pavement near Buckingham Palace

One smartly dressed soldiers appears to be distracted by something to his left as he rides his horse near Buckingham Palace

A row of white steeds trot along in a perfect line ahead of the Royal visit

The newer London landmark, the London Eye, is pictured peeping over the Royal Household as troops come out for their practice run ahead of next week's state visit

A row of black horses march along in perfect harmony as white steeds follow closely behind, with British flags draped appearing all along the Mall

Musical instruments were also used in the dress rehearsal along the Mall this morning

Rows upon rows of troops on horseback took part in the elaborate preparations in the early hours of this morning

Brown uniformed troops wearing helmets with red feathers at the top are seen riding black horses just outside Buckingham Palace

The Royal Carriage was dragged along by two white steeds this morning, with one household employee seen walking alongside the rear wheel

A legion of black (left) leads another group of white stallions (right) out of Buckingham Palace for the dress rehearsal

Big Ben can be seen from the Horse Guards practice procession. The soldiers (pictured above) appear to brandishing their swords while also riding his trusted steed

The stunning images highlight the extensive preparations the Royal household carries out before historic occasions

A leading commander (pictured on a white horse) can be seen leading a wave of horses outside the Buckingham Palace

All the soldiers pictured above can be seen with their swords resting on their right shoulder as they use their left hand to control the horses

Soldiers holding instruments can be seen riding along on black horses as a white steed is snapped following behind (far right of picture)

Soldiers wearing gold-trimmed hats and holding swords (pictured above) are caught trotting out the Palace

The three soldiers (pictured above) seem in perfect control of their horses during the practice run ahead of the state visit

Hundreds of horses and troops from the Household Division took part in the parade this morning

A Royal car also took part in rehearsal as soldiers wearing bearskin hats (front row of soldiers) stand to attention
Oliver Woodward was last seen late Tuesday afternoon in the water in the Snake River Canyon, about a mile south of Hoback Junction, Jackson Hole

A search is underway in northwestern Wyoming for a 21-year-old University of Georgia student who went missing after he was thrown from a raft.

Oliver Woodward was last seen late Tuesday afternoon in the water in Snake River Canyon, about a mile south of Hoback Junction, Jackson Hole.

He was one of six people on the raft on July 4, and was not wearing a life jacket, according to authorities.

As it entered a section of rapids known as Kings Wave, he and another person were ejected, AJC reported.

The four others in the group were able to get to shore, while the fifth was found in good health, said Teton County Sheriff's Lt. Matt Carr.

'He had a landscaping job this summer in Jackson Hole,' Oliver's mother Julia Woodward told 11 Alive.

'He wanted to be there because it was so beautiful and wanted to be in the mountains,' she added.

The search for Woodward began Tuesday evening and continued Wednesday.

Woodward is 6 feet tall and was wearing green board shorts at the time.
A shocking video has emerged from China showing a man savagely beating a little girl at a supermarket.

The girl, said to be the man's daughter, was punished after spending 10 yuan (1.13) buying snacks for her brother without her father's knowledge, reports said.

The father brutally hit the seven-year-old, slammed her against a bin then a wall and repeatedly beat her with a mop in the minute-long video.

CCTV footage shows a father swinging his daughter into a wall at a supermarket in China

Reports said the man was punishing the girl because she had spent 1 without him knowing

According to Chinese news site The Paper, the incident took place at a supermarket, called DRF Mart, in Suqian, Jiangsu Province on July 4.

Surveillance footage shows the father picking up his daughter by her legs, swinging her in the air before slamming her into a yellow bin.

Then he violently threw her against a wall. The young girl fell on the ground.

The father then picked up a mop and repeatedly hit the girl with it.

The incident was witnessed by the girl's younger brother, aged three.

The video shows that the boy was so scared he dropped his snack on the floor.

The father brutally hit the seven-year-old and slammed her against a bin and a wall

The horrific incident was watched by the girl's younger brother, who is three years old

Onlookers stopped the beating and reported the incident to the police.

The video ended as the girl hobbled in pain.

According to The Paper, the man beat his daughter because she had bought snacks for her brother without getting his permission.

The report said that the girl had ordered the snacks, which cost 10 yuan, and she and her brother were waiting for their father to come and pay.

The man was said to be furious when he discovered the situation.

The man also picked up a mop and repeatedly beat her with it in the minute-long video

Onlookers came and stopped the father from beating the child before reporting to the police

The girl (circled) left as she hobbled in pain and her brother followed shortly after

However, the father told a slight different story.

He explained that he beat the girl because she had tried to run away from home several times.

According to a police statement, the father, 37, claimed the girl had tried to escape from home again on July 4. After he found her at the supermarket, he decided to punish her.

A report from a medical expert indicated that the girl had not suffered any serious injuries. She is now being taken care of by her mother.

Mr Wei has been given a 14-day detention for intentionally injuring the body of a person, according to article 43 of the Public Security Administration Law of People's Republic of China.
Melbourne commuters have been left stranded after the city's train network suffered serious delays when a man was arrested at Southern Cross station in the CBD.

It is understood the man made his way onto the tracks and tried taking photographs, according to Nine News.

Police have confirmed he has since been arrested and is in custody.

Some train services have resumed after being completely stopped, yet lengthy delays are predicted according to Metro Trains Twitter page.

'Please expect major delays as we recover the timetable.'

More to come.

Melbourne commuters have been left stranded after the city's train network suffered serious delays when a man was arrested at Southern Cross station in the CBD
In the dock: Anthony Reilly, 54, was put on trial for manslaughter after James Feeney suffered a cardiac arrest as he tried to intervene in a fight in a Rochdale pub - but cleared this week

The family of a father who collapsed and died after a punch-up at his 65th birthday party sobbed when the attacker was cleared of his manslaughter.

Anthony Reilly, 54, was put on trial for manslaughter after James Feeney suffered a cardiac arrest as he tried to intervene in a fight in a Rochdale pub.

His son Mark, 35, was singing a karaoke song while hugging his father when Reilly approached and punched the younger man in a fit of rage on May 1 last year.

Witnesses also claimed that Mr Feeney Sr was hit as the fists flew but a jury at Manchester Crown Court decided this did not cause his death.

Reilly, who admitted assaulting Mark Feeney, says he punched him because he was accused of chatting up his girlfriend and pinching her bottom two weeks earlier.

James Feeney, who had a serious heart condition stepped in to break up the fight, but he collapsed and died at the scene.

Reilly, from Rochdale, Greater Manchester, was later accused of the unlawful killing of Mr Feeney after prosecutors said the assault triggered his collapse.

But this week the victim's family wept as a jury took five hours to acquit Reilly of manslaughter and common assault after a week long trial.

Manchester Crown Court was told the tragedy occurred after Reilly had got embroiled in a heated argument with Mark at the same pub a fortnight earlier when he accused of chatting up Mark's girlfriend and pinching her bottom.

Matters came to a head on May 1 last year when Irishman Mr Feeney - known as as Jimmy - arrived home after visiting Dublin with wife Anne and attended a birthday party being thrown for him in a side room at The Reed pub in Rochdale.

During the evening Reilly who was on his own in another room at the pub was heard to say 'Wait till I see Mark Feeney,' it was said.

Mark Feeney, 35, left, was singing karaoke and hugging his father James (right) when Reilly approached and punched him in a fit of rage on May 1 last year.

Tests showed Mr Feeney (pictured with his daughter-in-law Angie) had Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and sustained several minor injuries in the assault

He then put his pint down and walked towards the room where the Feeney party was being held.

Mark Feeney told the trial: 'It was a karaoke night and I got up to sing a song for my father - I leaned over to my father and told him that I loved him but as I was doing so I was approached from the side by Tony, who I have known for about 10 years.

Mr Feeney was seen collapsed at a table and died at the pub despite efforts to revive him

'He tapped me on the shoulder and then there was a bit of an altercation. Out of nowhere, he punched me in the face.

'I stumbled back and my father jumped up to get between the two of us and he tried to push Tony out of the pub'.

Mr Feeney's brother Michael said: 'I moved towards Tony to get him out of the pub. I grabbed him by the waist and carried him backwards out of the pub. His hands were all over the place and he was lashing out.

'I went back into the pub and saw James sat down at the table with his hands on his knees and his head was tilted forward. I patted him on the shoulder and asked him if he was okay but got no response.

'His wife, Anne came over and said something was wrong with James. I realised that something was wrong and Ann told me to phone an Ambulance. Someone had him on the floor and gave him CPR and I went outside to meet the Ambulance.'

Tests showed the victim was suffering from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease but he sustained several minor injuries in the assault.

The altercation took place at The Red pub in Rochdale, Greater Manchester, in May last year

Prosecutors said none the injuries caused death and accepted Mr Feeney's heart condition could have caused his death at any time.

The court heard Reilly received injuries to his left eye area, to the side of his head, back of his head, left ear and bruising to his right leg during the brawl.

He denied manslaughter and told police: 'I didn't know it was a birthday thing for Jimmy, if I did I would never have gone near that pub.

'I never knew he had died until 3am when my daughter rang me up and told me what happened. I hit one person, Mark Feeney because he gave me a black eye, you can ask anyone. I never touched Jimmy'.

Reilly will be sentenced later today for assault.
A close ally of Jeremy Corbyn was lashed on BBC Question Time for living in a 'bubble' and ignoring the struggles of small businesses last night.

Richard Burgon was condemned by the audience member in Burton-on-Trent for focusing entirely on public sector workers.

The shadow justice secretary was left reeling by the verbal volley as he tried to offer an explanation for what Labour would do for small firms.

But after he reeled off promises of new benefits for the self employed, Mr Burgon was attacked again by a panel member who told him people who run their own business cannot just take a year's paternity leave.

Richard Burgon (left) was condemned by the audience member in Burton-on-Trent (right) for focusing entirely on public sector workers during last night's Question Time

The shadow justice secretary was left reeling by the verbal volley as he tried to offer an explanation for what Labour would do for small firms

The backlash against Mr Burgon came after Labour has spent weeks trying to pressure the Government into lifting the public sector pay cap.

Critics say the move, which will cost billions, would mean either Government borrowing more or taxes having to be raised.

When Mr Burgon said the cap should be lifted, the audience member blasted: 'What about employers themselves who run businesses and employ people?

'You live in a bubble. You live in a Westminster bubble where you don't know the real world. OK. You don't pay business rates. You don't pay pensions. You're in a bubble.

'You are in a bubble, I'm afraid. You've got to start realising there are people self-employed in this country that generate growth whether they employ one person or 50 people.

'All I ever hear is - let's look after the public-sector. Do you know what it's like running your own business? You don't because you're a politician, you haven't got a clue.'

The Labour MP insisted he does 'live in the real world, I live in Leeds, the constituency I represent'.

The Prime Minister made clear at PMQs on Wednesday (pictured) that the government was ready to listen to recommendations for rises above the 1 per cent threshold

The bad-tempered exchanges at PMQs in the Commons came after days in which the Government has been struggling to hammer out a clear line on the cap

Mr Burgon insisted the party did have an offer for small business, and said: 'Thats why, in our manifesto, one of our policies was to bring in paternity pay, maternity pay and sick pay for the self-employed.'

On Wednesday, Theresa May backed Philip Hammond in the Cabinet row over public-sector pay yesterday.

The Prime Minister told MPs it was not fair to refuse to take tough decisions and to load debts on to our children and grandchildren.

She rounded on Jeremy Corbyn, warning that Labours profligate agenda risked turning Britain into an economic basket case like Greece. She said this nation had to live within its means.

The Prime Minister made clear that the government was ready to listen to recommendations for rises above the 1 per cent threshold.
A motorist was airlifted to hospital following a horrific collision involving two arctic lorries this morning.

The HGVs crashed near Junction 7 on the London-bound carriageway on the M20 near Maidstone in Kent, shortly before 3.30am.

Thousands of stricken motorists making their way to the Kent County Show today have been stuck in two hour tailbacks stretching back several miles as the road remains closed.

The HGVs crashed near Junction 7 on the London-bound carriageway on the M20 near Maidstone in Kent shortly before 3.30am

The road is closed London-bound at Junction 7 for the A249, with queues stretching back for seven miles

The road is closed London-bound at Junction 7 for the A249, with seven mile queues.

One lane on the opposite carriageway is also closed and drivers are being urged to avoid the area.

The crash has added to the delays caused by the thousands of visitors heading to the Kent County show.

A spokesman for Highways England said drivers can expect delays of around two hours, with tailbacks stretching back several miles.

A Kent Police spokesman said the condition of the driver airlifted to hospital remains unknown

Drivers coming from the Eurotunnel and Port of Dover are being warned about the delays

The scene has been handed over to the Highways team by Kent Police, with recovery underway to clear the roads.

Highways England hope to reopen lanes two and three of the London-bound carriageway before lunchtime.

Drivers coming from the Eurotunnel and Port of Dover are being warned about the delays.

The A249 remains busy with queues stretching back some three miles to the Hucking turn-off.

A Kent Police spokesman said today: 'Kent Police and other emergency services are currently dealing with a serious collision on the M20 near Maidstone.

'Officers received the report of the collision involving two lorries at 3.25am on Friday 7 July 2017.

'A man has been taken to a London hospital.

'The London-bound carriageway of the M20 by Junction 7 is expected to remain closed for several hours while emergency services deal with the incident.

'Drivers are advised to avoid the area and if possible use alternative routes such as the M2. Please be aware that other routes are also likely to be busy, with delays.'

Traffic is being diverted from the Junction 7 exit slip road and rejoining the carriageway via the entry slip road.
A British grandfather was left lying in his own urine for five days in a Greek hospital after breaking his back while on holiday, his wife claims.

Stephen Moss, 60, has been in hospital for more than two weeks after injuring himself in a fall.

His wife Debbie, 54, has voiced her horror at conditions in the cash-strapped country.

Such is the lack of care he has received, she said, that one of her friends has had to change Stephen's catheter bag.

Stephen Moss, 60, has been in hospital for more than two weeks after injuring himself in a fall

Stephen has had to remain in Rhodes General Hospital for 16 days so far, where his wife Debbie said he has been 'barely cared for'

She claims their insurance company insisted Stephen have his 'risky' back surgery in Greece rather than flying home to be operated on by British doctors as they wished.

Instead, Stephen has had to remain in Rhodes General Hospital for 16 days so far, where Debbie said he has been 'barely cared for'.

She said the Greek medical system leaves all care, including cleaning and even hospital gowns, to the family.

Stephen and Debbie Moss pictured in Greece before his horror fall, which has left him hospitalised for more than two weeks

Debbie has branded conditions at the hospital 'horrendous', and said one of her friends has had to change Stephen's catheter bag

And the couple fear they will miss the birth of their second grandchild, who is due in a matter of weeks.

Emergency Assistance Facilities (EAF), who underwrite Debbie's insurer Puffin, claimed they would 'repatriate Stephen as soon as he is well enough to travel'.

Debbie, from Leyland, Lancashire, said: 'I'm heartbroken and nobody is telling us anything. I expect prisoners are treated better than these patients.

'The conditions at the hospital are horrendous. They don't get their bed changed - he was left to sit in with wee for five days.

'My friend and I have had to give Stephen 24-hour care because no nurses help. There is no-one around and his catheter fell out the other night. My friend, who is luckily a carer, changed his catheter bag for him herself.

The hospital room where Stephen is being treated, which Debbie said is dirty and has not been cleaned

Debbie and her husband had been in Lindos, Rhodes, to attend a Rockers Reunion festival when Stephen slipped on his last day in the resort

'He's never been offered water and I've had to buy it him myself from shops nearby. When he was on another ward earlier last week, there was a Scottish man and a Russian man, both on their own, and I had to buy them water too.

'For the last two days, he's had some spaghetti but before that, for 13 days, he was only fed a chicken leg and soup for dinner and tea - but he couldn't even sit up to have it.

'I've had to bring him mackerel or tuna and sandwiches to make sure he has enough to eat.

The 60-year-old has been unable to return home, and fears he will miss the birth of his second grandchild

After mounting pressure from Debbie and Stephen's family and friends, the insurance company have said they will fly Stephen home but say they can only do it when he is well enough

'Apparently the cleaning and caring is left to the family in Greece.

'Someone told me that because Greece went bankrupt they cannot afford the nurses.'

Debbie and her husband had been in Lindos, Rhodes, to attend a Rockers Reunion festival when Stephen slipped on his last day in the resort.

Debbie said: 'On the Wednesday morning [28 June], my husband was going back to the apartment and he slipped, falling backwards.

'When he got to hospital, a CT scan confirmed he had a broken back. The doctor just said 'broken'.

'Eventually the doctor from the insurance called me and said because Stephen had an E111 card, he would be treated like a Greek person and must have the operation in that hospital there. He told me this four days later.

'He had an MRI scan on Saturday and they didn't ring me back until Monday.

'I've made over 30 calls and had only three calls back in 15 days.'

Stephen has been 'delirious and confused' since the operation at the Greek hospital, his wife revealed

Now, after mounting pressure from Debbie and Stephen's family and friends, the insurance company have said they will fly Stephen home but say they can only do it when he is well enough.

The couple are also grandparents to a little boy and their daughter Kimberley is due to give birth within a matter of weeks, meaning they are terrified they won't be back in time for the birth.

Debbie said: 'Stephen had his operation on Friday. He's had two rods and some screws in his back after breaking his vertebrae.

'For 10 days, he has been delirious and confused but since the operation he's started coming around.

'They did a CT scan because we were worried he had brain damage.

'I don't know what I would have done without my friend's help. I'd have been in a hospital bed next to Stephen I think.'

A spokesperson from Puffin Insurance said that all responsibility for their claims, falls to their underwriter Travel Insurance Facilities, who in turn stated they use Emergency Assistance Facilities (EAF) as their 'preferred supplier for [their] emergency assistance cases'.

An EAF spokesman said: 'We are actively liaising with the Moss family in Greece and this is still an on-going live emergency case. The treatment of Mr Moss is progressing well and at all times, his health and well-being have been paramount in our teams efforts. His repatriation to the UK, we hope, will be very soon.

'We would also advise any travellers to Greece or Europe to be aware that medical facilities are drastically different than they would expect from the UK and the NHS. The NHS does not travel with them.

'While the standard of medical treatment is very high, there are cultural differences surrounding aftercare, where in many Mediterranean countries the family are expected to care for the patient once the medical procedure has been undertaken.'

Rhodes General Hospital and Greece's Ministry of Health were contacted for comment.
Theresa May stepped in to help Donald Trump as he daydreamed in a G20 meeting today.

The Prime Minister prompted the US president by tapping him on the shoulder when he failed to notice that leaders were being asked to pose for cameras.

Mrs May was given a prominent seat next to Mr Trump and near to German host Angela Merkel as the as the powerful nations gathered in Hamburg.

But she is facing questions about how much credibility she has with counterparts after the election dealt a damaging blow to her authority at home.

The premier insisted she would be championing free trade and pushing for tougher action against terrorism. Asked if she thought other leaders would heed her words given her weakened position, the premier said: 'Yes. We will be playing our absolute full part and I will be playing my full part.'

Theresa May had to prompt Donald Trump to turn around for the cameras as the G20 leaders sat down for talks in Hamburg today

Mrs May and Mr Trump sat together at a series of sessions at the gathering in Germany today

Theresa May put on a brave face as she greeted other leaders today including Vladimir Putin, with whom she shared a smiling handshake

The leaders staged a 'family photo' as they began the two-day summit in Germany today

Mrs May put on a brave face as she greeted other leaders including Vladimir Putin, with whom she shared a smiling handshake.

The PM is urging world leaders to pour resources into new technology to identify patterns of financial transactions in the build-up to a terrorist attack.

She will meet the US President for talks tomorrow morning, where she will raise concerns over his decision to pull America out of the Paris Agreement on climate change.

The PM said she hopes President Trump will take America back into the international deal.

'I will be making that message,' she told ITV News. 'I will continue to give the message that the United Kingdom believes in the importance of the Paris Agreement.'

Mrs May will also call on leaders to close 'safe spaces' in the world's financial system that are being exploited by terror groups plotting attacks on the West.

Anti-terror police are investigating the finances of Manchester Arena bomber Salman Abedi amid questions about how he paid for bomb-making equipment and trips to Libya. Government sources said investigations into previous terror plots had identified transfers from abroad in the run-up to attacks.

At one point Mrs May had to prompt US president Donald Trump to pose for the cameras

Mrs May, pictured being greeted by Angela Merkel at the summit in Hamburg today, has denied she has lost credibility with fellow leaders after the election

Mrs May insisted she would be championing free trade and pushing for tougher action against terrorism at the G20 today

Mrs May said she would be playing her 'full part' in the power gathering despite her weakened position domestically

President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin were greeted by German Chancellor Angela Merkel at the G20 summit today

Mrs May wants the world to focus on identifying small flows of money needed by even the most basic lone wolf attacker.

'These small transactions are hard to identify but this challenge cannot be left unaddressed,' he said.

Mrs May, who flew to Hamburg for the summit last night, said: 'We know that the terrorist threat is evolving. We have seen the threat spread out of Syria and Iraq into other countries and online.

'We must combat the threat from every angle. This includes taking measures against permissive environments for terrorist financing and monitoring the dispersal of foreign fighters from battle.

Mrs May was placed next to Mr Trump for the first round of discussions today

The Prime Minister is looking to prove that she can still carry weight on the world stage at the summit today

'We can change the balance of the fight when we work together.'

Mrs May will also urge leaders to do more to tackle the threat posed by former jihadis returning from Syria and Iraq.

But the Prime Minister has faced criticism from the Liberal Democrats over her failure to publish a controversial Home Office report into extremist groups in the UK, which is said to expose financial links between some groups and Saudi Arabia.

Mrs May has been accused of sitting on the report to avoid embarrassment to the UK's Saudi allies, who will also be at the G20 summit.

The PM will also use the gathering to urge China to stop flooding the market with cheap steel in talks with its president at the G20.

The UK's steel industry has been devastated by a wave of cheap Chinese exports.

The Prime Minister will say 'increased action' is needed to reduce over-capacity when she meets President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the two-day summit in Hamburg, a senior Number 10 official said.

Mrs May will also repeat her call for China to do more to stop North Korea's missile testing programme.

Beijing is facing widespread international pressure to use its influence over its ally following the latest launch.

Protesters have set fire to cars and tried to block delegations from entering the summit as part of a wave of anti-capitalist demonstrations.

More than 100 police were injured in clashes on Thursday evening and water cannons have been used to control the activists.

Mrs May was seen chatting to world leaders including Turkish president Erdogan (pictured seated) at the summit today

Mrs May will urge Mr Trump to rethink his decision to abandon the Paris climate deal later

Mrs May led demands on Friday morning for an international effort to tackle terror funding as G20 leaders gathered for the first session of the summit.

Action must be taken to choke off the funding for terrorists that is being funnelled through international financial institutions, she said.

On Saturday afternoon, she will meet Turkey's Recep Tayyip Erdogan to discuss counter-terrorism.

Mrs May is being accompanied by husband Philip - his first official overseas visit. He is joining other spouses for a separate programme of events, which includes a river boat trip through the port city.

But he will join the Prime Minister for a concert at the Elbphilharmonie concert hall on Friday night, where Beethoven's Symphony No 9 will be played, which includes the melody for the EU's anthem.

As well as tackling terrorism, Mrs May has three other key priorities for the summit.

She will push for action to create an 'orderly' migration by ensuring refugees claim protection in the first safe country they reach, improving distinction between economic migrants and refugees and the right of all countries to control their borders.

She also wants G20 countries to work together to meet UN targets to wipe out modern slavery by 2030.

Amid fears of growing protectionism following President Trump's America First policy, the Prime Minister will also call for a continued commitment to free trade and action to encourage greater corporate responsibility.
President Donald Trump tweeted on Friday that 'everyone' in Hamburg, Germany was talking about the Democratic Party's refusal to allow the FBI to examine its office computer server in conjunction with a probe into Russia's alleged election meddling.

'Everyone here is talking about why John Podesta refused to give the DNC server to the FBI and the CIA. Disgraceful!' Trump wrote in the hour before he arrived for the start of the G20 summit.

The president's slap at John Podesta, a former chairman of rival Hillary Clinton's election campaign, came ahead of his highly anticipated first-ever meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Podesta did not run the Democratic National Committee during the 2016 campaign, but is a former counselor to Barack Obama and a onetime White House chief of staff under Bill Clinton.

President Donald Trump launched into a Twitter war with the Democratic National Committee and John podesta, who chaired Hillary Clinton's failed presidential campaign

Trump blamed Podesta for the DNC's refusal to let federal agencies see its computer server to search for evidence of hacking  but Podesta was never in charge of running the party

Podesta is also a former counselor to Barack Obama and a former chief of staff to Bill Clinton

Three of America's 17 intelligence agencies last year blamed the Russian government for a computer hack that exposed some of the DNC's internal workings.

Podesta's personal email account was also hacked, a move whose outcome damaged Hillary Clinton's presidential aspirations far more.

But the Intelligence Community review did not directly attribute that hack to Moscow.

Podesta protested a week ago that he had nothing to do with the DNC at the time its network servers were being probed by Russian hackers.

But it remains uncontested that the party refused to hand over its computer hardware when federal investigators came knocking.

'That was a matter for the DNC,' Podesta told the Fox Business Channel on July 2.

Trump is filling his time at the G20 with international policy and politics, and it's unlikely the drama of his 2016 White House campaign is dominating discussions

Podesta claimed the FBI itself took a 'fairly casual' and 'lackadaisical' approach to probing the DNC hack.

'If anything, it's on the FBI that didn't come forward and really inform the DNC about what was going on until long after,' he said.

Despite not being the official who decided that the DNC shouldn't cooperate, Podesta has positioned himself as an acidic Trump critic and defender of the Democrats.

He fumed to Politico in June that congressional Republican leaders Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell refused to investigate any accusations of Trump's own alleged misbehavior unless a stinging midterm election defeat in 2018 makes it unavoidable.

The pair has decided to 'Velcro their own political fate' to Trump's, Podesta said.

Hillary Clinton (right) failde to capture the White House due in part to embarrassing revelations about her and her campaign that emerged after Podesta's personal emails were hacked

Debbie Wasserman Schultz, a Florida Demorcatic congresswoman, was actually at the helm of her party's organization when the FBI came knocking, but was later forced out

'It is clear to me that Republicans on Capitol Hill are not going to begin to turn on him at this point.'

Podesta in general makes no bones about his disrespect for the Oval Office's current occupant, calling him 'unfit' to serve and 'absolutely crazy'  and charging that Trump came 'close to an obstruction [of justice] case' when he fired FBI director James Comey.

'The problem in the Trump White House is they have no one who really stands up to him,' he told Politico.

'He's impetuous, he's impulsive, he fires things off and, if anything, they enable him ... they need a much stronger team who can resist his impulses and tell him that hes wrong.'
Annaliese Morris, 31, launched a vicious attack on her female victim during booze-fuelled night out at a bar in Kingston-upon-Thames, south west London

A female thug smashed a glass into a stranger's face before bragging about it to a friend on WhatsApp.

Annaliese Morris, 31, launched a vicious attack on her female victim during a booze-fuelled night out at a bar in Kingston-upon-Thames, south west London.

She was kicked out of Acorn 20 Urban Bar by bouncers and fled the scene before the police could arrive.

However, she was arrested hours later after she sent a message to a friend showing a picture of her blood-stained dress.

Morris, from Richmond, was jailed for nine years after admitting wounding with intent at at Kingston Crown Court.

The court heard how Morris glassed her victim in the face, just above her right eye, causing a nasty gash.

She later needed 15 stitches for the 9cm deep cut, which ran from the corner of her right eye to her forehead.

Police tracked down Morris hours after the brutal attack, in January this year, with arrogant bragging on social media leading to her being taken into custody.

Her WhatsApp message to a friend, sent at 1.22am, showed her in a blood-stained dress with a piece of tissue paper over her right hand.

After posting the photo on WhatsApp, the pal wrote: 'What you f******* done x', to which Morris replied: 'Some bird ***** in the acorn'.

Her friend then wrote: 'Oh ****, who is as as she x ', Morris said:'Hit her...And I've cut my hand'.

Morris' victim needed 15 stitches for a 9cm deep cut, which ran from the corner of her right eye to her forehead

The friend replied: 'You **** haha do you need to go to hospital x.'

Morris said: 'Apparently I glassed her...Don't know'.

A spokesman for Kingston Police said: 'Back in January a lady was with a group of friends enjoying a night out in Acorn 20, a pub in the centre of Kingston, when she was approached by a lady whom she did not recognise.

'Out of nowhere this woman swung a punch hitting her in the head knocking her backwards.

'However it wasn't a punch - the victim had actually just been glassed in the face by the suspect.'

He added: 'In pain and bleeding profusely from her face, the victim now required urgent medical treatment.

Morris was arrested after she sent this message to a friend showing a picture of her blood-stained dress and bragging about the attack

'Our officers were quickly dispatched and arrived at the scene alongside the London Ambulance Service.

'However, before we arrived on scene the suspect was ejected from the venue by door staff which allowed her to make her escape.

'Our officers worked tirelessly and were able to identify the suspect via CCTV and social media from the scene. Within just a few hours our officers were at her front door poised for an arrest.

'We entered her house and discovered a dress that she had been wearing now washed and drying.

'The suspect was also located within the property and she was found to have injuries to her hand consistent with the earlier assault.'

Officers said the victim has a 9cm cut to her face that was so deep it had severed nerves - and she was told the feeling her face may never return.

DC Heidi Foley, who found the critical WhatsApp message sent by Morris, said: 'This was a horrendous assault, the victim has been left with lifelong visible injuries to her face for absolutely no reason while she was enjoying a night out with friends in Kingston.

Pictured: The brutal attack took place at the Acorn 20 Urban bar in Kingston-upon-Thames, south west London

'I want to praise the work carried out by all of my colleagues in uniform who provided great evidence from the scene and the paramedics and staff at the hospital for helping the victim recover from these injuries.

'I also wish to commend the bravery, determination and courage of the victim and her friends who helped with the investigation.

'Let this sentence be a lesson to those considering assaulting others, we will not tolerate violence and we will investigate and bring those offenders to justice'.

The victim said after Morris was jailed: 'The past six months have been a difficult time for me both mentally and physically, that night changed my life forever and is something I will never forget.

'From the night of the incident all way through my recovery, the police have been amazing. The encouragement and support from Heidi in the lead up and throughout the case has been incredible.

'A heartfelt thank you to both Heidi and Kingston police force'.
San Francisco has become the first US city to ban the sale of flavored tobacco products, including menthol cigarettes.

The legislation was approved by the city's board of supervisors several weeks ago and will be introduced on January 1, 2018. It is expected to be fully implemented by April that year.

Authorities unanimously approved the measure which bans the sale of flavored nicotine-laced liquid used in electronic cigarettes and flavored tobacco products.

They said that nicotine masked in cotton candy, banana cream, mint and other flavors entices children into a lifetime of addiction.

San Francisco has become the first US city to ban the sale of flavored tobacco products, including menthol cigarettes. Sales of vaping liquids that taste like tobacco will still be allowed. File photo

The ordinance claims that the cost of tobacco use in the city is about $380million each year for 'health care expenses and lost productivity'

Other cities have passed laws reducing access to flavored vaping liquids and flavored tobacco but San Francisco is the first in the country to approve a sales ban.

Sales of vaping liquids that taste like tobacco will still be allowed.

The ordinance claims that the cost of tobacco use in the city is about $380million each year for 'health care expenses and lost productivity,' according to mlive.

'Between 2004 and 2014, overall smoking prevalence decreased, but use of menthol cigarettes increased among both young adults (ages 18-25) and other adults (ages 26+),' the ordinance reads.

'These statistics are consistent with the finding that smoking menthol cigarettes reduces the likelihood of successfully quitting smoking.

San Ban-cisco: Which tobacco will be affected? The measure bans the sale of flavored nicotine-laced liquid used in electronic cigarettes and flavored tobacco products.

Other cities have passed laws reducing access to flavored vaping liquids and flavored tobacco but San Francisco is the first in the country to approve a sales ban.

Sales of vaping liquids that taste like tobacco will still be allowed. Advertisement

'Scientific modeling has projected that a national ban on menthol cigarettes could save between 300,000 and 600,000 lives by 2050,' it adds.

Supervisor Malia Cohen, who sponsored the bill, said: 'We're focusing on flavored products because they are widely considered to be a starter product for future smokers.'

Meanwhile, Chris Harihar, a spokesman for VMR Products, the largest independent vaporizer brand in the U.S, said he was not authorized to comment.

Cohen, who represents the historically black Bayview-Hunters Point neighborhood, said tobacco companies advertise 10 times more in black neighborhoods and market candy and fruit flavored products to young people, the LGBTQ community and other minorities.

'For too many years, the tobacco industry has selectively targeted our young adults with products that are deceptively associated with fruits and mint and candy,' said Cohen, whose grandmother smoked menthol cigarettes for years and died of emphysema.

'Menthol cools the throat so you don't feel the smoke and the irritants and it masks the flavors. This legislation is about saying enough is enough,' she added.

Businesses that violate the law could have their city tobacco sales permits suspended.

Small business owners have said they will lose business because people can still buy the flavored 'e-liquid' and tobacco products in neighboring cities or online and have them delivered to their San Francisco homes.

'Those tobacco products aren't 100 per cent of our revenue, but they are an anchor product,' Miriam Zouzounis, a board member of the Arab American Grocers Association whose father owns a small corner store, told the San Francisco Chronicle.

She added: 'Even at 15 per cent of our stock, it's what brings people through the door. We can't compete with Safeway or Walgreens for food and milk items, let alone the online retailers filling the gap for everything else.'
An accountant has been found guilty of scamming more than $2 million of his clients' money and giving it away in a gambling syndicate.

Colin Oberg was found guilty of two dozen offences after he took money from a couple about to retire, an actor and a widower and sent it to a professional gambler who laundered it through an Adelaide casino, according to The Daily Telegraph.

Oberg claimed he believed his clients' money was being invested overseas with the help of a business man. Oberg further claimed he was the victim of a scam and does not know where the money has gone.

Accountant Colin Oberg (pictured) found guilty of two dozen offences after swindling taking money from clients

Underbelly star Les Hill was allegedly one of Colin Oberg's clients who had money taken

Crown Prosecutor Paul Leask said the fraudster convinced his clients, including Underbelly actor Les Hill, that the money was heading towards an investment or superannuation account.

'None of these people got their money back. It's all gone, as far as Mr Oberg is concerned,' Mr Leask said in court.

'It's pretty simple really, (Oberg) just nicked their money when he had half a chance.'

The court heard Mr Oberg took money from a husband who had just lost his wife.

Colin Oberg's sister, Catherine Johnstone (pictured), attended court on Friday and was upset at her brother who she claims betrayed the trust of clients

He convinced the widower to transfer $653,120 into a short-term investment account.

Les Hill, the Underbelly actor, allegedly have Oberg $35,000 of tax refunded money for short term investment. It was allegedly never seen again.

Following the verdict, the publication revealed Oberg has been charged with further offences including allegedly fraudulently obtained up to $4.6 million from major banks.

The banks alleged to have been swindled through fraudulent cheques included Westpac, ANZ, Citibank and NAB.

Mr Oberg will be sentenced in August.

Catherine Johnstone leaving court following the verdict for her brother Colin Oberg on Friday
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The images show smiling families, people playing cards and volleyball, while others repair tractors and the sick are cared for in an infirmary.

But scratch the surface and a more sinister picture emerges. These are Japanese-Americans who were forcefully moved during the Second World War to 'relocation centers' in the U.S - centres set in military barracks, with barbed wire and guard towers.

The average time spent in such a facility was three years.

These compelling black and white photos show how the Japanese-American community was held in such a camp in a California desert - in some cases, up to half a year after the US war with Japan ended.

They depict life in the Manzanar Relocation Centre following Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941, which led to America entering WWII.

These compelling black and white photos show how the Japanese-American community was forcefully relocated and held in camps in California and held for over half a year after the US war with Japan ended. Above, photographer Toyo Miyatake, who was detained along with his family in the camps

Known as the Manzanar Relocation, the images show their life following Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941, which led to America entering WWII. Above, Nurse Aiko Hamaguchi, Nurse Chiye Yamanaki, Miss Catherine Yamaguchi and Miss Kazoko Nagahama enjoy a game of Bridge

The pictures were taken by the US's most well-respected photographer of the time, Ansel Adams. Above, a game of volleyball in the relocation camp, which had strict rules and curfews

Nurse Aiko tends to a patient Toyoko Ioki at the infamous Manzanar Relocation Center on the West Coast

Sumiko Shigematsu, foreman of of a group of power sewing machine girls, watches on in the center

Two months after Pearl Harbor, President Roosevelt, as commander-in-chief, issued Executive Order 9066, which had the effect of relocating all persons of Japanese ancestry, both citizens and aliens inland - outside of the Pacific military zone. Above, Bert K. Miura carries out pattern-making duties

Driver Benji Iguchi and mechanic Henry Hanawa set about repairing a tractor at the center, which operated from 1942-1945

Even children adopted by caucasian parents were removed from their homes to be relocated. The average family spent three years in such a facility

The pictures by the US's most well-respected photographer of the time, Ansel Adams, show groups of Japanese-Americans walking out of Buddhist churches and attending Sunday School classes, portraying their religious attachments.

Other vintage portraits display nurses looking after their patients and abandoned children looking bereft as they are left in orphanages.

Despite being forcibly relocated, the photographs depict a lighter side to the war with images of a large crowd surrounding a band playing at the Manzanar Relocation Center.

Adams, also an environmentalist, took the images in 1943. In a letter written to Federal archivists in 1965, he described his photo project.

'The purpose of my work was to show how these people, suffering under a great injustice, and loss of property, businesses and professions, had overcome the sense of defeat and despair by building for themselves a vital community in an arid (but magnificent) environment,' he said.

'All in all, I think this Manzanar Collection is an important historical document.'

Children are pictured at Sunday school in the center, one of many established by the War Relocation Authority

Approximately 120,000 Japanese-Americans were forcibly removed during World War Two from 1942 to March 1946, seven months after the war with Japan had finished. Above, camp intern Tom Kobayashi

Editor Roy Takeno stands with others in front of an office; right, Roy Takano and Mayor at a town hall meeting in Manzanar

Choir practice with director Louie Frizzell. Two-thirds of those held were native-born citizens of the US. The Colorado government claims that even those of 1/16 Japanese origin were also forced into such camps

A nurse tends to toddler orphans at the facility. Relocation centers were situated many miles inland, often in remote and desolate locales

Nurse Aiko Hamaguchi with patient Tom Kano. The centers were said to be self-sufficient with their own hospitals, post offices and schools

Approximately 120,000 Japanese-Americans were forcibly removed during World War Two from 1942 to March 1946, seven months after the war with Japan had finished.

Adams's other famous work was made up of black and white landscape photographs of the American West, especially Yosemite National Park, which have been broadly distributed on calendars, posters, books and the internet.

He described his life as 'coloured and modulated by the great earth'.

The Supreme Court upheld the legality of the relocation order in Hirabayashi v. United States in 1943 and Korematsu v. United States in 1944

Frank Hirosama at work in a laboratory. Due to their location, the camps were susceptible to dust storms and extreme temperatures

Sites for the centers included Tule Lake, California; Minidoka, Idaho; Manzanar, California; Topaz, Utah; Jerome, Arkansas; Heart Mountain, Wyoming; Poston, Arizona; Granada, Colorado; and Rohwer, Arkansas. Pictured, commercial artist Akio Matsumoto
This is the moment a smiling German Chancellor Angela Merkel perked up as she gave a warm welcome to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

Merkel, 62, kissed Trudeau, 45, on the cheek as he arrived at the G20 Summit in Hamburg, Germany this morning.

The greeting appeared less reserved than her brief meetings with US President Donald Trump, his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin and British Prime Minister Theresa May who have had strained relations with the German chancellor in recent months.

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A smiling German Chancellor Angela Merkel gave a warm welcome to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau - in contrast to her more reserved greetings with other world leaders

Warm welcome: Merkel, 62, kissed Trudeau, 45, on the cheek as he arrived at the G20 Summit in Hamburg, Germany

The greeting appeared more relaxed than her brief meetings with US President Donald Trump, his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin and British Prime Minister Theresa May who have had strained relations with the German chancellor in recent months

Trudeau had earlier said that the leaders of G20 countries would tell U.S. President Donald Trump he should take the lead in addressing climate change.

Trump decided last month to pull the United States out of the Paris accord on climate change, saying it would wipe out U.S. jobs.

Climate policy is expected to be a key bone of contention at the summit Merkel is hosting on Friday and Saturday.

'We'll tell him it's important to take a lead role in tackling climate change and creating good jobs,' Trudeau told mass-selling Bild newspaper.

Trudeau added there was no doubt that climate change was happening. He said climate change was a challenge, but also an opportunity to invest.

Trudeau had earlier said that the leaders of G20 countries would tell U.S. President Donald Trump he should take the lead in addressing climate change

German Chancellor Angela Merkel welcomes U.S. President Donald Trump at the G20 leaders summit in Hamburg

British Prime Minister Theresa May walks away after being greeted by Angela Merkel this morning

Serious: Angela Merkel and Vladimir Putin shook hands and spoke briefly as she welcomed him to the summit

He added that the same was true of global trade. Trump has advocated more protectionist measures.

'Instead of saying we'll stop trade, we need to create opportunities for smaller companies and protect workers' rights with progressive trade agreements like CETA,' Trudeau said, referring to the EU-Canada trade deal.

Asked about China, the Canadian leader said it had understood that trade with other countries was a way to alleviate poverty.

He said Canada was talking to China about workers' rights, environmental protection and topics 'where China has not always felt comfortable'.

'I think it's important to formulate clear rules based on principles,' he said.
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Two US tourists have been gored and trampled amid chaotic scenes at the start of Pamplona's world-famous bull-running festival.

One man was lanced in the scrotum and another in the chest as bulls from the notorious Cebada Gago ranch rampaged through the streets of the north eastern Spanish city.

Shocking images showed a participant being upended by a black bull before being hurled high in the air and smashed back down on the ground. Another was hoisted in the air by his white trousers and left dangling upside down for several seconds on the end of another bull's horn.

Two of those gored during the San Fermin festival were from the United States, aged 29 and 35, while a third was a 46-year-old from Navarra in Spain. A man from Ireland, 39, was also hurt.

Meanwhile, there were chaotic scenes in the city's bullring, when an animal activist jumped into the arena to shield an animal that lay bleeding and dying from knife wounds.

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Impact: A man is easily tossed into the air and flipped over by a rampaging bull after choosing to take part in the San Fermines festival

Thrill-seekers lie on the ground and cover their heads after as a bull jumps over them at the entrance to an arena in Pamplona

Taking a stand: Protesters from the Vegan Strike Group stormed into the arena in a bid to protect a bull that lay dying on the ground having been repeatedly knifed

A bull tramples on a participant who tries to protect his face as the animal charges through the streets of Pamplona

Three anti-cruelty campaigners disruped one of the first events in the festival in Pamplona which is set to bring in more than one million people from around the world.

The trio stormed the city's bullring after matador Pablo Hermoso had killed the first bull of the tournament in front of a huge crowd, Organisers of the fiesta have slammed their actions as being irresponsible, breaching security arrangements and causing an unsafe situation which could have endangered the lives of other people.

But the anti-bullfighters say that although they probably face jail for their actions, it was 'worth it' for the world to see 'the cruelty of bullfighting'.

Outside the arena, medics in the city said a Spanish man is undergoing surgery for serious injuries to his head and leg after he was gored and then tossed by a bull.

Hospital officials said two men from the United States had also been gored during the run but their injuries - in the abdomen for a 35-year-old man and in the scrotum for a 29-year-old - were not considered serious.

Medics in the city said a Spanish man is undergoing surgery for serious injuries to his head and leg after he was gored and then tossed by a bull

Hospital officials said two men from the United States had also been gored during the run but their injuries - in the abdomen for a 35-year-old man and in the scrotum for a 29-year-old - were not considered serious

More runners were treated on the spot for bruises, a Red Cross spokesman said, as two of the animals separated from the other four in the pack on their way to Pamplona's bullring

The animals were from cattle breeder Cebada Gago in Andalucia, renowned for rearing dangerous bulls responsible for the most injuries in the history of the week-long San Fermin festival

Friday's bulls came from the Cebada Gago ranch, famed as fierce because they have traditionally caused more injuries

Since they debuted in Pamplona's narrow streets in 1985, bulls from the southern Spanish breeding family have gored 53 people

More runners were treated on the spot for bruises, a Red Cross spokesman said, as two of the animals separated from the other four in the pack on their way to Pamplona's bullring.

They completed the 930-yard course through cobbled streets in just under three minutes, a speed that is considered average for the run.

Friday's bulls came from the Cebada Gago ranch, famed as fierce because they have traditionally caused more injuries. Since they debuted in Pamplona's narrow streets in 1985, bulls from the southern Spanish breeding family have gored 53 people.

There were chaotic scenes in the city's bullring, when an animal activist jumped into the arena to shield an animal that lay bleeding and dying from knife wounds

There were chaotic scenes as protesters stormed into an arena in Pamplona to protect a bull as it lay dying on the ground

Savage: The bull's corpse was dragged through the dirt after being humiliated and then slaughtered as part of the festival entertainment

Bulls charge through an ally way as they are goaded by thrillseekers near an arena in Pamplona. The annual festival attracts hundreds of people

A bull leaps over a group of men as they risk their lives lying in the path of the animal entering the arena in Pamplona

Crash landing: A bull slips as it tries to evade a group of men lying on the ground at the entrance to a bull fighting arena

The nine-day San Fermin fiesta was immortalised by Nobel Literature laureate Ernest Hemingway in his 1926 novel The Sun Also Rises.

Sixteen people have been killed at the annual festival since records began in 1910.

The most recent death was in 2009 when 27-year-old Daniel Jimeno, from Madrid, was gored in the neck by a bull called Capuchino.

Several foreigners, from Australians to Americans through to Britons and Irish, are normally among the injured.

The nine-day San Fermin fiesta was immortalised by Nobel Literature laureate Ernest Hemingway in his 1926 novel The Sun Also Rises

At their own risk: Sixteen people have been killed at the annual festival since records began in 1910

The most recent death was in 2009 when 27-year-old Daniel Jimeno, from Madrid, was gored in the neck by a bull called Capuchino. A man is pictured being trampled by bulls today

Evasive action: Foreigners, from Australians to Americans through to Britons and Irish, are normally among the injured

Taking cover: A man tries to shield his face as he is trampled by one of the animals as it charges through the streets

Virtually all the revellers wear red and white during the festival.

A Red Cross spokesman, speaking minutes after the first of this year's eight morning runs finished, confirmed: 'At least two people suffering gore injuries, one in the scrotum and one in the chest, have been transferred to hospital but this is a first incident report and the number of injured could rise.'

The Cebada Gago bulls come from a ranch near Cadiz.

A Red Cross spokesman, speaking minutes after the first of this year's eight morning runs finished, confirmed: 'At least two people suffering gore injuries, one in the scrotum and one in the chest, have been transferred to hospital but this is a first incident report and the number of injured could rise'

Danger: The Cebada Gago bulls come from a ranch near Cadiz and are considered to be notoriously fierce

Power: A bull batters a group of men as they get in its way during the annual running of the bulls in Pamplona, Spain

Revellers run in front of Cebada Gago fighting bulls during the first running of the bulls at the San Fermin Festival, in Pamplona, Spain

Carnival: People hang out of windows as they watch bulls from Cebada Gago chase runners or 'mozos' during the first bull run of Sanfermines 2017

A runner falls under Cebada Gago bulls during the first running of the bulls at the San Fermin festival in Pamplona, northern Spain

A man is flipped over and trampled by bulls as the animals charged through the streets of Pamplona this morning

The animals are forced through the streets and often slip over as they try to take corners to the delight of watching spectators

Some 300 police officers are on duty to control the crowds. Up to a million people are expected in the city during the festival, the largest in Spain

They have a fearsome reputation and at 53, have caused more injuries than any others since their debut at the famous festival in 1985.

The festival, which last nine days in all, has become increasingly popular with foreigners who join the locals by staying up all night drinking and partying.

Some 300 police officers are on duty to control the crowds. Up to a million people are expected in the city during the festival, the largest in Spain.

After each run, the animals are killed in an afternoon bullfight.
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Stunning photos from a new book have captured the magnificent animals of our natural world on the brink of survival.

The images are revealed in a picture-book biography of American photographer Michael Nichols.

One fascinating wildlife photograph shows a group of black mountain gorillas dominating the jungle.

Stunning photos from a new book have captured the magnificent animals of our natural world on the brink of survival. Pictures, a tiger named Sita carrying her cub in her mouth

The images are revealed in a picture-book biography of photographer Michael Nichols. One fascinating wildlife photograph shows a group of black mountain gorillas dominating the jungle

The Zoological Society of London and WWF conducted an assessment in 2016 that revealed global wildlife populations have fallen by 58 per cent since 1970. Pictured, the Vumbi pride of lions in the Serengeti

Other quirky shots include an eerie photo depicting a charging red-eyed elephant and a tiger tenderly carrying her cub through the forest.

The Zoological Society of London and WWF conducted an assessment in 2016 that revealed global wildlife populations have fallen by 58 per cent since 1970.

They suggested that if the trend is consistent, two-thirds of the vertebrate population could decline by 2020.

Melissa Harris, who has written the biography, said: 'Nick is a photojournalist working in a time of crisis. Habitat and species are continually threatened by humans.

They suggested that if the trend is consistent, two-thirds of the vertebrate population could decline by 2020. Pictured, Whiskey the chimpanzee chained up in a disused toilet in Bujumbura, Burundi

Melissa Harris, who has written the biography, said: 'Nick is a photojournalist working in a time of crisis. Habitat and species are continually threatened by humans.' Pictured, a Northern spotted owl in Humboldt County, California

She added: 'Some have already been eradicated, others are beyond the possibility of regeneration if action is not taken soon.' Pictured, a charging elephant in Dzanga Bai, Central African Republic

'Some have already been eradicated, others are beyond the possibility of regeneration if action is not taken soon.'

She added: 'As a photographer, Nick has always worked this way: he must feel before he can truly see.

'In the Serengeti, he makes his way through the Darwinian landscape, sensing and beginning to understand how to convey visually its lifeblood, its ravages, its songs, its laments.'

Nichols is an American journalist and photographer. He studied at the University of North Alabama, where he met his mentor Charles Moore, a former Life magazine photographer.

Nichols is an American journalist and photographer. He studied at the University of North Alabama, where he met his mentor Charles Moore, a former Life magazine photographer. Pictured, a giant panda cub

Pictured, a member of the Vumbi pride of the Serengeti Plains. Fourteen cubs were born in April 2011 to 5 lionesses and now 8 cubs remain

Pictured, a baby elephant called Shukuru wearing an orange coat for protection at the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust orphanage in Kenya

Nichols started his photojournalism career in 1979 when he was 27 years old, when he worked for GEO magazine. Pictured, a tiger called Bacchi captured by a camera trap

Since 1989 he has published more than 30 articles for National Geographic. Pictured, a lioness and cubs of the Barafu pride in the Serengeti

He travelled to Tanzania in 2012 to document the life of lions in the Serengeti.

He started his photojournalism career in 1979 when he was 27 years old, when he worked for GEO magazine. Three years later he moved on to work with Magnum Photos until 1995.

Since 1989 he has published more than 30 articles for National Geographic.

Ms Harris added: 'Nick approaches his work in this reportorial tradition: he is a photojournalist in the wild. And like other photojournalists in areas of crises, he sheds light on the inner workings of communities, the intrinsic significance of what's at stake, and the horrors of the battlefield.'

A Wild Life: A Visual Biography of Photographer Michael Nichols is available on Amazon.

Pictured, esteemed British primatologist Jane Goodall (left) and a Bambendjelle man using smoke to gather honey in the Republic of the Congo

Mike Nichols (right) flying in the twin-engine Air Cam which was built especially for photographing the Ndoki national park in the Republic of the Congo

A Wild Life: A Visual Biography of Photographer Michael Nichols is available now on Amazon. Pictured, the inside of a cave

Pictured, a crocodile captured in a camera-trap photograph in the Zakouma National Park, Chad
A group of horse riders are tricking careless drivers into slowing down by wearing fake police uniforms and body cameras.

Mother Jocelle Lovelle, 45, from Penarth near Cardiff, and her fellow animal lovers dress in the high-vis outfits which have 'polite' instead of 'police' written on them.

Ms Lovelle took to using the fake uniforms and body cameras after her teenage daughter Seren was knocked from her horse.

It is illegal to impersonate a police officer in the UK and offenders can be jailed for up to six months.

Mother Jocelle Lovelle, 45, from Penarth near Cardiff, and her fellow animal lovers dress in the high-vis outfits which have 'polite' instead of 'police' written on them

Ms Lovelle says some motorists are enraged by the fake outfits - and abuse the group

She says they make the group feel safer when riding because driver slow down as they pass - and have the cameras in case anything happens.

Ms Lovelle says some motorists are enraged by the fake outfits - and abuse the group as they drive by.

She said: 'They look a bit like police checks, and are quite good because it slows the traffic down and it also help people see us.

'Drivers genuinely don't know what to do. Some swear, beep horns and are abusive.'

Ms Lovelle took to using the fake uniforms and body cameras after her teenage daughter Seren was knocked from her horse

Police have encouraged horse riders to wear high-vis clothing but not to mislead motorists

The mum from Penarth, near Cardiff says the measures are there to make the riders safer.

'If something happens we can give it to the police as video evidence,' she said.

'It's a shame because it takes a bit of the fun out of riding.

Police have encouraged horse riders to wear high-vis clothing but not to deliberately mislead motorists.

Insp Lisa Gore of South Wales Police, said: 'Some riders have reported drivers sounding their horns and revving their engines to frighten horses because they feel misled.

'We want to ensure the public make an informed decision about wearing such clothing.'

MailOnline contacted the force.
Jeremy Corbyn has urged his supporters to back former Blazin Squad star Marcel to win Love island.

The Labour leader called for people to vote for Marcel on the romantically-charged reality show because he 'needs some TLC'.

ITV 2's Love Island has gripped the nation since its third season aired weeks ago, with millions of Britons tuning in as couples compete for a 25,000 cash prize at a villa in Majorca.

Jeremy Corbyn has urged his supporters to throw their support behind former Blazin Squad star Marcel on Love island

Boyband-rapper Marcel, full name Marcel Sommerville, captured the hearts of viewers after falling for blonde Liverpudlian Gabby Allen.

The 31-year-old was also voted the most popular man in the villa by fans of the show.

However, according to Mr Corbyn, who admits that he doesn't watch Love Island, the Blazin Squad heart-throb needs some special support and attention.

The Labour boss told the Tab:'I haven't been watching it, but I'd advise that Marcel needs a vote.

'We should give him a vote. He needs a bit of, shall I say, TLC.'

Mr Corbyn's Love Island comments came as he was visiting an apprenticeships college in Barnet, north London.

Boyband-rapper Marcel, full name Marcel Sommerville, captured the hearts of viewers after falling for blonde Liverpudlian Gabby Allen (both pictured)

Marcel and Gabby are one of the show's most popular couple at are tipped to win Love Island

Love Island fans have been thrilled to see the politician's support for the Love Island star and have taken to Twitter to post their joy.

One wrote: 'If Jeremy Corbyn and Marcel became friends my life would be made.'

Another posted: 'Y'all even Jeremy Corbyn is voting for Marcel #LoveIsland.'

Despite its explicit content, a surprising part of the shows success has been its popularity among those in the ABC1 demographic  the upper and middle classes  who make up 50.6 per cent of viewers.

Mr Corbyn is enjoying a surge popularity after last month's General Election, with a YouGov survey showing Labour has taken a shock lead over the Conservatives.

The figures put the party eight points ahead of Theresa May's Tories.

A poll for The Times newspaper also revealed that 46 per cent of the public back Labour, Conservatives 38 per cent, Lib Dems 6 per cent and Ukip 4 per cent.
Event was touted as multi-cultural protest against extremism in bomb aftermath

Mother-of-five Rachel Booth, 27, from Preston, went to UK Against Hate march

A school dinner lady has been suspended for attending a protest march organised by ex-English Defence League (EDL) leader Tommy Robinson.

Mother-of-five Rachel Booth, 27, from Preston, said she attended the rally out of sympathy for the victims of the Manchester Arena bombing.

But the event in Manchester city centre descended into violence between protest marchers and counter-demonstrators, with bottles and flares thrown and police making eight arrests.

When Mrs Booth went to work five days later she was handed a letter by the primary school headteacher and told she had been suspended for 'potential gross misconduct'.

'Potential gross misconduct': Rachel Booth, (pictured) said the headteacher of Preston's Moor Nook Primary School suspended her for attending a march organised by the ex-EDL leader

Titled UK Against Hate, the march was touted as a multi-cultural protest against extremism in the aftermath of the bombing.

It was organised by Robinson and appeared to be attended by many far-right supporters.

Clashes erupted with hundreds of others describing themselves as anti-racist protesters who launched a counter-demonstration at the event on June 11.

Five days later, Mrs Booth went into work at Moor Nook Primary School in Preston, where three of her children are pupils, and was suspended on the spot by the headteacher Suzanne Clough.

Mrs Booth said the head handed her a letter and asked her to read it, telling her she was suspended for attending an EDL march which was 'potential gross misconduct'.

Violence: The march Mrs Booth attended turned nasty when groups clashed on the streets of Manchester (pictured) after UK Against Hate met anti-fascist groups near Piccadilly Station

Steer clear: Police advised the public to stay away from the march as it turned violent. Mrs Booth said she attended in order to support victims of the Manchester Arena bomb attack

'It came as a big shock,' Mrs Booth said.

'To be honest I cried when I got out of there. It's never happened to me before. I have never been in any kind of trouble with police.

'The grounds for suspending me are it was an EDL march, which is a load of rubbish.

'Even if I was part of the EDL, which I'm certainly not, it should not have affected my job. I have done absolutely nothing wrong in my eyes.'

Tensions running high: Titled UK Against Hate, the march (organised by ex-EDL leader Tommy Robinson) was touted as a multi-cultural protest against extremism after the bombing

Keeping the peace: Police outside Manchester Arena the night after the fatal terorrist attack at an Ariana Grande concert

She said she went on the march with her husband, who is ex-military and mixed race, to show solidarity with the bombing victims, not to support far-right extremism.

'I thought it was for the children and so I went,' she added.

Mrs Booth, who has worked at the school for four years and is suspended on full pay, is expecting to have a meeting with the school soon.

But she said she has since been targeted while picking up her children from school.

'I got a bit of abuse yesterday, I got called a racist b****,' she said.

Tussle: Police arrested eight people when the silent protest became heated in the city centre

Support: Tommy Robinson, who organised the march, has since launched an online petition in support of Mrs Booth which has been signed more than 20,000 times

It is understood a suspension in such circumstances is a 'neutral' act and will allow the school to investigate footage from the march featuring Mrs Booth.

Robinson has since launched an online petition in support of Mrs Booth which has been signed more than 20,000 times.

Ms Clough said: 'I can confirm that a member of staff has been suspended, pending further inquiries.

'There are a number of inaccurate statements being made and one which is important to clarify is that the member of staff is able to attend school in their capacity as a parent. It would not be proper for me to comment further.'
Philip Hammond today backed the CBI's warnings that Britain should not crash out of the EU's single market.

The Chancellor said it would be 'madness' not to ensure the 'closest possible' ties with Europe after Brexit and endorsed a transitional deal that replicates as far as possible the current single market and customs union rules.

Mr Hammond's intervention came as Brexit Secretary David Davis hosted business leaders at his country retreat in a bid to sooth fears about the impact of the Brexit vote.

Together with his entire ministerial team and Business Secretary Greg Clark, Mr Davis hosted the summit at his country retreat Chevening, in Kent.

Philip Hammond today backed the CBI's warnings that Britain should not crash out of the EU's single market (file image)

The CBI's warnings about Britain leaving the single market without a deal sparked a backlash from Brexit supporters who fear it is an attempt to water down the referendum result.

Mr Hammond told Reuters and Bloomberg he welcomed the 'helpful' intervention of business.

The Chancellor, who is in Hamberg at the G20, said: 'My preference is that we negotiate a transitional structure which takes us outside of those memberships but in the transition phase replicates as much as possible of the existing arrangements, so that the shock to business is minimised for the transition period.

'Our ambition for the long term is to negotiate a deep and comprehensive agreement with the EU.'

Mr Hammond said Brexit would definitely happen but that voters expected a 'sensible' deal.

He said: 'A Brexit that is focused on protecting jobs, business, prosperity, trade, a Brexit that recovers sovereignty for the UK.

'But also recognises that reality that we live in a very interconnected world, and that the EU will remain our largest trading partner and our nearest neighbours, and that it would be madness not to seek to have the closest possible arrangement with them going forward.'

Around 30 major firms, including EasyJet, Tesco and BT, joined Mr Davis at the 17th Century mansion in Kent.

Today's talks come after the CBI demanded a transition deal that keeps Britain inside the single market and customs union after the Brexit day in March 2019.

David Davis is today hosting some of Britain's top businesses at his official country residence to ease their fears over Brexit uncertainty

Around 30 major firms, including EasyJet, Tesco and BT, are joining Mr Davis at Chevening, his 17th Century mansion in Kent

But leading Brexit supporters claim some in business are deliberately talking the talks down because they still want to defy the referendum vote.

Wetherspoons chief Tim Martin told the BBC Today programme constant talk about the UK 'falling off a cliff and standing on the top of buildings' was the re-emergence of Project Fear again.

'The desire expressed by the doom-laden comments of the head of the CBI, Carolyn Fairbairn is to stay in the customs union and the single market and of course that is the equivalent of staying in the EU for now and perhaps forever.

'I don't know what the motivation is but it certainly doesn't speak for a business as a whole, 93 per cent of which doesn't even trade with the EU,' he added.

He suggested after the meeting at Chevening, the Brexit Secretary David Davis should 'have a cup of tea, listen to everything that has been said and give me a bell and I'll put him straight'.

In a speech yesterday, CBI director-general Carolyn Fairbairn said it was 'impossible' to imagine a deal could be finalised that quickly and called for Britain to remain in the single market and the customs union until there was a trade agreement.

Chief Executive Officer of easyJet Carolyn McCall is said to be among the guests at today's business summit with the Brexit department

Tesco is among other large British firms represented at the talks, which come amid uncertainty over Brexit

But leading Brexit supporters such as Wetherspoons chief Tim Martin claim some in business are deliberately talking the talks down because they still want to defy the referendum vote

Such a 'common sense' approach would, she said, avoid a 'cliff-edge' break - with exporters suddenly faced with new tariffs and customs checks - and give firms the stability to carry on investing in the UK after Brexit.

'This would create a bridge to the new trading arrangement that, for businesses, feels like the road they are on,' she said.

Her proposal is likely to be treated with suspicion by hardline Brexiteers, who fear that prolonged transitional arrangements could be used by Remainers as a way of reversing the Brexit vote by stealth.

She set out her plan after the European Commission's chief negotiator Michel Barnier rebuffed claims by Mr Davis that a free trade deal could deliver the 'exact same benefits' as membership of the single market.

'I have heard some people in the UK argue that one can leave the single market and keep all of its benefits. That is not possible,' he said.

'I have heard some people in the UK argue that one can leave the single market and build a customs union to achieve frictionless trade. That is not possible.'
Tory MPs reacted with fury today after it emerged the foreign aid department has drafted in 155 extra staff to help spend the government's 13billion budget.

The size of the workforce at the Department for International Development has gone up from 2,823 to 2,978 over the past year. The overall pay bill rose by 6million.

The spike in numbers, slipped out in DfID's annual report, came after aid spending soared by an eye-watering 10 per cent.

Theresa May (pictured at the G20 summit in Hamburg today) has insisted the target of spending 0.7 per cent of national income on aid will stay in place

The budget had to be pushed up massively to keep hitting the target of 0.7 per cent of national income abroad after the UK's economic performance was revised up.

Theresa May has been resisting calls for the aid pot to be raided to meet demands for an easing of austerity, including easing the public sector pay cap.

The PM has staunchly defended the target, but suggested that the definition of what counts towards it could be widened amid complaint it is 'arbitrary' and should be more focused on furthering Britain's interests.

Tory MP Philip Davies told MailOnline: 'I am afraid it is grotesque what is happening.

'People are not just unhappy or frustrated or about this, they are very angry.

'This is a self serving policy that we cannot afford.

'It might be good job creation for the civil service, it might do wonders for jobs for the boys, but the fact is that the budget is neither affordable nor doing what it is meant to do.'

The wage bill at the foreign aid department has soared by 40 per cent in seven years.

Between 2015-16 and 2016-17 it went up 6million to 166million, according to the annual report.

The department's top mandarin Sir Mark Lowcock received a pay rise of up to 5,000 to put his salary in the 165,000-170,000 band.

He has since retired with a pension pot worth 1.2million, which gives him a lump sum of 195,000 and 65,000 a year gold-plated annual income.

DfID hands out the highest salaries in Whitehall, averaging 53,000 a head, and it is one of only three of all 19 government departments to keep recruiting.

Priti Patel is the Secretary of State at the Department for International Development

A DfID spokesman said: 'The International Development Secretary is leading an efficiency review which is estimated to save 500 million by 2019/20, higher than the target set in the 2015 Spending Review. These savings will be made through reform of procurement and commercial practices, estates, IT and departmental pay.

'The Department has some of the lowest overheads in Whitehall and has already reduced admin costs by a third to deliver the best value for money for the taxpayer.'

Last month former minister Robert Halfon, who was sacked by Mrs May after the election, said scrapping the the 1 per cent public sector pay cap should be funded by sacrificing the 'sacred cow' of the aid budget.

Tory MP Philip Davies said the foreign aid budget was 'grotesque

'People recognise that many public sector workers have had to struggle over the past few years,' the Tory MP told the BBC. 'We have to look, potentially, at sacred cows.

'What I'm suggesting is that we look at some of the overseas aid budget, which is going to be over 13billion in the coming year.'

Mr Halfon insisted he was passionate about overseas aid but added: 'We face a particular difficulty in our country where many public sector workers have had to struggle, particularly those on lower pay.

'So I think temporarily, while the economy remains difficult, while we get down the deficit, we need to look at sacred cows like the overseas aid budget and use that to help the lowest-paid public sector workers.'

Mr Halfon, a former apprenticeships minister, said the extra cash could help boost the salaries of teachers, nurses and police officers.
A social club treasurer cheated pensioners out of 15,000 as she chased a bogus 4.5m fortune.

Pamela Donner was convinced by fraudsters she would receive 50 per cent of a 9m Citibank account once she paid taxes and fees to release it.

As part of the Nigeria-based scam, she went to her husband, friends and family begging for money which she claimed she needed to pay off 'legal fees'.

The 74-year-old has now been kicked out of her home and shunned by her loved ones - and lost her own 12,000 to the con artists.

Pamela Donner was convinced by fraudsters she would receive 50 per cent of a 9m Citibank account - so went to her friends and family begging for money

Her friends told police they felt sorry for her and gave her money from their share of the Christmas fund and their own personal bank accounts.

'This is an extraordinary case of betrayal, greed and gullibility,' Recorder Richard Prior told her yesterday.

'All this in pursuit of a highly-speculative gain or highly-dubious windfall.'

Dooner, who had been treasurer for a decade at the United Services and Services Rendered Club, Balham, received fourteen months imprisonment, suspended for eighteen months.

'She has destroyed her little community,' probation officer Mervyn Fox told Kingston-upon-Thames Crown Court.

'She cannot believe she has put her community and family through sheer hell.

'The sheer shame has caused her to leave her home and she does not even see her two daughters.'

Dooner, from Sheerness in Kent pleaded guilty to stealing 950 from Sylvia McLeod, 80; 1100 from Audrey Taylor, 82; 3,000 from Sheila Burton, 84; 1,000 from Kathleen Selwood, 80 and 6,000 from Josephine Wilkins, 70.

She also pleaded guilty defrauding Nancy Elliot, 76, out of 3,000 and attempting to defraud Mrs Wilkins out of a further 3,000.

No compensation order was made by the court and Dooner must also complete a twenty-day rehabilitation activity requirement

'For you it has been a tragic outcome. You have managed to ruin your own life,' Recorder Prior told her.

'You were driven almost by a madness on your part and a lack of care for your club members.'

The offences occurred throughout 2015 and angry club members, seeking justice, attended earlier court hearings.

Mrs Elliot, a carer for her husband who is fighting cancer, told police she was left feeling 'angry and bitter' and had been left 'broke' by losing her Christmas money, which was her emergency fund.

Another victim was forced to cancel a trip to South Africa to see her family.

Prosecutor Miss Rebecca Foulkes told the court Dooner was eventually arrested. 'She admitted taking all the money out of the Christmas fund.

'She said things got out of control and that she had lied to her daughter and her husband, who told her to leave.

'It is accepted all the money was sent to Nigeria.'

Her lawyer James Higbee said: 'She has got nothing. She's in a one-bedroom flat and is isolated.

'She has lost her friends and has received threatening phone calls, threats on Facebook and abuse in the street.

'She genuinely believed everyone was going to get their money back with interest.'

No compensation order was made by the court and Dooner must also complete a twenty-day rehabilitation activity requirement.
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President Donald Trump found himself a fringe player at the G20 in Hamburg, Germany  at least in the annual 'family photo.'

Protocol for this particular meeting of world leaders dictates that those who have been in office the longest occupy the center positions when they gather to say 'cheese.'

The only exception is the host nation, whose leader  in this case German Chancellor Angela Merkel  gets the prime slot, front-and-center.

Trump, who became president less than seven months ago, was positioned near the end of the first row  with only French prime minister Emmanuel Macron to his outside.

Trump and Macron were seen chatting amiably, with the pair set to meet in Paris for Bastille Day on July 14.

Scroll down for video

Smile: The family photo of G20 leaders is a tradition which sees the longest-serving leaders get closer to the center, with the country hosting the summit having its head of government in the center. That put Trump second from left, beside Emmanuel Macron, the newly-elected French president and Joko Widodo, the president of Indonesia

Official picture: The group of leaders of the world's twenty wealthiest countries stand for posterity in Hamburg

President Trump appeared to be in good spirits as he walked to take the group photo with world leaders

Japanese Prime minister Shinzo Abe and Senegalese President Macky Sall shook hands ad they took their places before the group photo while UK Prime MinisterTheresa May chatted with Antonio Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations

Ou etes vous? Trump waits for Macron to arrive at the group photo, which is organized so that the longest serving leaders are closest to the host

Nice to see you: Trump gave a back pat to Emmanuel Macron as the French president moved into his designated place in the family photograph

Bonding time: A grinning Macron, who was last to arrive, adjusts his tie before the leaders turn to the front for the family photograph

Mon ami: Trump and Macron appeared relaxed in each other's company as they joshed before the photograph was taken, to the amusement of Indonesia's Joko Widodo - although Jacob Zuma of South Africa seemed less impressed

Leaders on the right side appeared more solemn compared to those on the left. Russian President Vladimir Putin, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Brazilian President Michel Temer looked stoic in the moments before the photo

Front and center: The longest serving leaders, including (front left) Argentinian President Mauricio Macri, (front left) German chancellor Angela Merkel, (front center) Chinese President Xi Jinping (front right), Indian Prime minister Narendra Modi (back left), Japanese Prime minister Shinzo Abe (back second left), Australian Prime minister Malcolm Turnbull (back second right), Prime minister Theresa May (back right)

French President Emmanuel Macron joked with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau moments before the group photo on Friday. The leaders spent time together at the G7 Summit in Italy in May

Lots to discuss: Macron - who is fluent in English - were engaged in conversation after the photograph was taken. Macron has invited Trump to Paris for Bastille Day on July 14

Moving on: The leaders dispersed after the photo. On Friday,Trump tweeted his intention for the G20 Summit, saying: 'I will represent our country well and fight for its interests! Fake News Media will never cover me accurately but who cares! We will #MAGA!'

President Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron were seen chatting as they left the group photo Friday

WHO'S WHO IN THE G20 FAMILY PHOTO Front row from left: President Emmanuel Macron, France; President Donald Trump, U.S.; President Joko Widodo, Indonesia; President Enrique Pena Nieto, Mexico; President Jacob Zuma, South Africa; President Mauricio Macri, Argentina; Chancellor Angela Merkel, Germany; President Xi Jinping, China; President Vladimir Putin, Russia; President Tayyip Edrogan, Turkey; President Michel Temer, Brazil; President Moon Jae-in, South Korea. Second row from left: President Alpha Conde, Guinea; Prime minister Paolo Gentiloni, Italy; Prime minister Justin Trudeau, Canada; Prime minister Narendra Modi, India; Prime minister Shinzo Abe, Japan; Prime minister Malcolm Turnbull, Australia; Prime minister Theresa May, UK; Donald Tusk, president of the European Council; Jean-Claude Juncker, president of the European Commission. Third row from left: Antonio Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations; Prime minister Erna Solberg, Norway; Prime minister Mark Rutte, Netherlands; President Macky Sall, Senegal; Prime minister Lee Hsien Loong, Singapore; Prime minister Mariano Rajoy, Spain; Prime minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, Vietnam; Minister of state Ibrahim Abdulaziz Al-Assaf, Saudi Arabia; Jose Angel Gurria, secretary, Economic Cooperation Organization. Back row from left: Roberto Azevedo, director-general of the World Trade Organization;Tedros Adhanom, director-general, World Health Organization; Christine Lagarde, managing director, International Monetary Fund; Guy Ryder, director, International Labour Organization; Jim Yong Kim, president, World Bank; Mark Carney, president, Financial Stability Board. Advertisement

Trump was far from Vladimir Putin, whose long-serving leadership of Russia was signified by his place close to Merkel.

But he and Putin gave one another a warm welcome on Thursday as they met for the first time at the G20 Summit in Germany.

The pair smiled and told one another they would see each other soon in a private meeting. Trump earlier tweeted that he had 'much to discuss' with the Russian leader.

'I look forward to all meetings today with world leaders, including my meeting with Vladimir Putin. Much to discuss,' Trump wrote, adding the hashtag #USA and an American flag emoji.

Friday's much-anticipated encounter in Hamburg, Germany, comes at a pivotal time in US-Russian relations. Trump will be closely watched to see if he confronts Putin over Russia's meddling in the 2016 presidential election.

Ahead of the meeting, Trump vowed to fight for US interests, despite the 'Fake News Media' he claims covers him inaccurately.

'I will represent our country well and fight for its interests! Fake News Media will never cover me accurately but who cares! We will #MAGA!' he Tweeted ahead of the G20 Summit, where he will meet with world leaders.

President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin gave one another a warm welcome on Thursday as they shook hands during their introduction at the G20 Summit in Hamburg, Germany

The pair smiled and told one another they would see each other soon in a private meeting. Trump earlier tweeted that he had 'much to discuss' with the Russian leader.

UK Prime Minister Theresa May and EU institutional chiefs Jean-Claude Juncker and Donald Tusk were nearby when Trump and Putin greeted one another

Down to business: In the actual meeting hall, Trump was at the center, beside China's President Xi Jinping. German Chancellor Angela Merkel in the center is flanked by Argentinia's president Mauricio Macri and Australia's prime minister Malcolm Turnbull

Angela's in charge: German chancellor Angela Merkel presides over the 'working session' with (from left) Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau, Brazil's president Michel Temer, Australian prime minister Malcolm Turnbull, Argentina's president Mauricio Macri, Chinese president Xi Jinping, Donald Trump, and Britain's prime minister Theresa May

Line of sight: Trump had a diagonal view of Vladimir Putin, who was sitting beside South Africa president Jacob Zuma.

President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin were greeted by German Chancellor Angela Merkel ahead of the the G20 summit on Friday

Ahead of the meeting, Trump vowed to fight for US interests, despite the 'Fake News Media' he claims covers him inaccurately

The president arrived Friday morning after most of his international counterparts, shaking hands with Merkel with a friendly 'How are you?' greeting

German Chancellor Angela Merkel welcomes Russia's President Vladimir Putin as he arrives to attend the G20 summit in Hamburg

Merkel and Putin laughed as they shook hands at the start of the G20 Summit on Friday morning. The G20 meetings will last two days

During a brief photo call at the top of the leaders' retreat, Trump was seated next to Merkel as all of the leaders said in circular formation

Trump chatted with UK Prime Minister Theresa May as Merkel faced away from them and spoke with French President Emmanuel Macron

Putin attends a BRICS leaders' meeting as he takes part in the G20 summit in Hamburg ahead of his meeting with Trump on Friday

Putin laughed as he spoke with Mexico's President Enrique Pena Nieto as South African President Jacob Zuma sits nearby during a talk at the G20 Summit

Putin and Pena Nieto lean across their chairs to talk at the start of the "retreat meeting" on the first day of the G20 summit in Hamburg

The president arrived Friday morning after most of his international counterparts, shaking hands with German Chancellor Angela Merkel with a friendly 'How are you?' greeting.

Merkel, as the host leader, greeted every head of state personally on a red carpet as camera shutters clicked.

She got kisses on the cheek from European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, European Council President Donald Tusk, Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and French President Emmanuel Macron.

After 15 leaders had arrived, an announcer said the welcome proceedings were over. Merkel exited but came back several minutes later to greet Trump, South Korean President Moon Jae-in and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Trump clasped Merkel on the shoulder as they both disappeared inside the G20 meeting room.

During a brief photo call at the top of the leaders' retreat, Trump was seated between Merkel and UK Prime Minister Theresa May.

While May chatted with the US president, Merkel faced away from them and chatted with Macron.

The room, a cavernous sea of bright yellow carpet, put at least 50 feet of distance between Trump and Putin, who was seated a quarter of the way around the giant circle.

But the two men did meet and shake hands, according to a report in Russian state media that cited Kremlin sources.

Trump was welcomed with a handshake from German Chancellor Angela Merkel, the summit host, as he arrived at the Summit

Trump tweeted ahead of the summit that he's looking forward to his first meeting with Putin at an international summit in Hamburg, Germany

Leaders of the world's rich and developing nation are discussing a variety of issues over two days of meetings at the G20 Summit, including trade and climate change

President Donald Trump is tweeting that 'everyone' in Hamburg, Germany is talking about the Democrats' response to Russian election hacking ahead of his highly-anticipated meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin

Trump has two big meetings on his schedule apart from the formal summit agenda. He'll meet for the first time as president with Russian President Vladimir Putin and will also hold talks with Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto

On Thursday, Trump again refused to accept the conclusion by multiple US intelligence agencies that Russia interfered to try to help Trump win last November

Trump's motorcade on Friday was decorated with American and German flags ahead of the G20 summit in Hamburg

President of France Emmanuel Macron arrived at the summit alongside his wife, Brigitte Trogneux. They were welcomed by the of Hamburg, Olaf Scholz

'They shook each other's hand and said that they would soon hold a separate meeting, would soon see each other,' Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told a conference call with reporters.

When asked if Putin was looking forward to the talks and whether he had lots of questions for Trump, Peskov said he did.

US lawmakers and federal investigators are continuing to look into Russia's election interference, along with possible collusion between Trump campaign associates and Russian government officials.

Russia has been accused by four US intelligence agencies of interfering in the national election that hoisted Trump to power last year.

That puts Trump under intense scrutiny over how he handles the sit-down with Putin, a former Russian intelligence agent known to come well-prepared to meetings like this.

Trump said at a news conference in Poland on Thursday that Russia 'could have' interfered in the 2016 presidential campaign, but he's not convinced that it was the sole meddler.

'I think it was Russia, and it could have been other people in other countries,' Trump said. 'Nobody really knows.'

He added that the US Intelligence Community has made high-profile mistakes in the past, so 'nobody really knows for sure.'

Trump sought to redirect any scrutiny toward his predecessor, Barack Obama, accusing him of allowing Moscow to meddle on his watch.

Though the Obama administration warned Russia publicly and privately before Election Day to stop interfering, questions have since been raised about whether the office holder acted aggressively enough to stop the threat.

German chancellor Angela Merkel, right, welcomes Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at the G-20 summit in Hamburg

Trudeau told a German newspaper on Friday the leaders of G20 countries meeting in Hamburg would tell US President Donald Trump he should take the lead in addressing climate change

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron greet each other the G20 summit in Hamburg on Friday

Macron said on Thursday, a day before the start of the G20 Summit, that he supported a two-state solution to end the Middle East conflict

German chancellor Angela Merkel , right, welcomes Britain's Prime Minster Theresa May, at the G-20 summit in Hamburg

May will call on world leaders to choke off funding for terrorists which is being funnelled through the international financial institutions as the G20 meets in Germany

May, who has previously said Britain was disappointed by Trump's decision last month to withdraw the United States from the global agreement, is due to hold a bilateral meeting with Trump on the sidelines of the G20 summit

'They say he choked. Well, I don't think he choked,' Trump said. 'I think he thought Hillary Clinton was going to win the election, and he said, 'Let's not do anything about it'.'

Trump said the CIA had informed Obama about the hacking months before the election but added that 'mistakes have been made.'

In Putin, Trump sees a potential ally in the war on radicalism in the Middle East.

The Republican president and his administration have held off on slapping Moscow with new sanctions as they assess Putin's willingness to work with the US to defeat ISIS and remove Bashar al-Assad from power in Syria.

Experts on Putin have said it is Trump who should be worried that the Russian president will try to earn concessions.

Putin, like other world leaders who have Trump's number, is most likely to get what he wants by flattering him

'I would be surprised if Vladimir Putin offers any concessions in exchange for restoring what Russia sees as its inalienable rights,' Dmitri Trenin, director of the Carnegie Moscow Center, told the Associated Press. 'If no agreement is reached, Russia will take retaliatory measures, which could trigger new U.S. moves.'

Trump's deal-making skills and his electoral victory are especially ripe for the complimenting, foreign leaders have found, although Putin is less likely to bring up the latter than other people in positions of power who have sat across from the billionaire.

Merkel greets South Korea's President Moon Jae-in as he arrives for the G20 leaders summit. Ahead of the summit, Moon met with Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to discuss North Korea

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who earlier in the day had breakfast with Merkel, greets the German chancellor at the start of the G20 summit

Spain's Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, left, greets Merkel at the summit. Rajoy on Wednesday described as 'authoritarian delirium' plans by the ruling parties in the northeastern Catalonia region to declare independence from Spain within 48 hours of a promised referendum October 1, if voters say 'yes'

Merkel greets Mexico's President Enrique Pena Nieto at the beginning of the G20 summit. Pena Nieto will meet with Trump later during the two-day event

Merkel welcomes India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the G20 leaders summit in Hamburg. Modi earlier this week visited Israel, the first-ever by an Indian prime minister

Merkel officially welcomes Japan Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, to the opening day of the G20 summit. Japan and the European Union agreed a free trade pact on Thursday to create the world's biggest open economic area and signal resistance to what they see as Trump's protectionist turn

Chinese President Xi Jinping, left, is welcomed by Merkel at the summit, where he will also have meetings with President Trump

A close ally of Syria and Iran, Trump called on Russia from Poland to cease its 'destabilizing activities in Ukraine and elsewhere and its support for hostile regimes' in his most forceful remarks on the subject yet during a Thursday speech.

Russia must choose to join the US and its allies in their 'fight against common enemies and in defense of civilization itself,' Trump said.

Putin's government is presently aligned with 'powers that seek to test our will, undermine our confidence, and challenge our interests,' Trump stated.

'To meet new forms of aggression, including propaganda, financial crimes, and cyberwarfare, we must adapt our alliance to compete effectively in new ways and on all new battlefields,' he declared.

Russia has made no indications that it would be willing to sell out Assad in order to take out ISIS. To the contrary, it has continued to work with the ruling class in the face of vicious assaults on women and children.

Trump's attitude coming into office had been to let the civil war in Syria resolve itself. A chemical weapons attack in April that killed 89 changed his mind.

'These heinous actions by the Assad regime cannot be tolerated. The United States stands with our allies across the globe to condemn this horrific attack and all other horrific attacks, for that matter,' he said during a news conference the following day.

As Trump dropped bombs on the facility in Syria where the attack was launched from several days later he urged 'all civilized nations' to join the US 'in seeking to end the slaughter and bloodshed in Syria, and also to end terrorism of all kinds and all types.'

Saudi Arabia's State Minister Ibrahim al-Assaf, left, is welcomed by Merkel on Friday. Saudi Arabia's King Salman isn't attending the event

Merkel, right, welcomes Italy's Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni, at the G-20 summit. Gentiloni spoke to Trump in a phone call ahead of the event

Brazil's President Michel Temer is welcomed by Merkel as he arrives for the G20 leaders summit. Earlier this week, Temer had to present his legal defense against corruption allegations, a move seen as a bid to reduce the likelihood of being suspended from office and tried at the Supreme Court

Merkel officially welcomes Argentinan President Mauricio Macri to the G20 summit. Last month, Macri boosted public spending ahead of a crucial mid-term election

Merkel welcomes the president of the European council, Donald Tusk at the G-20 summit in Hamburg on Friday. Tusk held a joint press conference with Japan's Abe and fellow EU institutional chief Jean-Claude Juncker before the event

Merkel officially welcomes President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker (left) to the opening day of the G20 summit in Hamburg

Before Putin, Trump will try to manage another rocky international relationship when he meets with Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto.

Pena Nieto had been scheduled to visit the White House shortly after Trump took office, but he scrapped the trip at the last minute due to disagreement with Trump over the US president's insistence that Mexico pay for the wall he has vowed to build along the U.S.-Mexico border to deter illegal immigration. Pena Nieto insists Mexico will not pay.

Trump has vowed to tighten border security and crack down on undocumented workers and drug cartels, but he has been less firm on getting Mexico to pay for the wall.

He reassured Pena Nieto in April that he would not pull out of the North American Free Trade Agreement, which involves the United States, Mexico and Canada.

But Trump said he could still withdraw if he concludes that a renegotiated pact would not produce "a fair deal" for all sides.

The Putin meeting is the highlight of a hectic, four-day European visit for Trump, who addressed thousands of Poles in an outdoor speech in Warsaw, Poland, on Thursday.

He met in Germany with Chancellor Angela Merkel, the summit host, and had dinner with two Asian allies - Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and South Korean President Moon Jae-in - to discuss North Korea's aggression.

The Group of 20 gathering of the world's leading rich and developing nations is the first since Trump announced that the United States would withdraw from the Paris climate agreement, deeply disappointing Merkel and other US allies who had hoped to maintain momentum in battling climate change.

Even as Trump has said in vague terms he would like to renegotiate the Paris accord, European leaders have vowed to press forward.
The forecast may be for some fiery clashes at the G20, but things appeared to get off to a frosty start when Donald Trump greeted Malcolm Turnbull.

Photographs show an unimpressed US President staring down the Australian Prime Minster as they arrived for the first day of the summit in Hamburg.

It is the two leaders first encounter since footage leaked of Mr Turnbull mocking Mr Trump and alluding to his ties with Russia at an off-the-record event last month.

Mr Trump, who infamously hung up on Mr Turnbull in their first phone call, is seen shooting the Australian leader a stern look as he adjusted his sleeves.

Photographs show an unimpressed Donald Trump greeting Malcolm Turnbull on the first day of the G20

It is the two leaders first encounter since footage leaked of Mr Turnbull mocking Mr Trump and alluding to his ties with Russia

The event looks set to be the stormiest G20 summit in years, with disagreements ranging from wars to climate change and global trade.

Mr Turnbull's speech drew widespread coverage in the US media, raising questions about whether the relationship between the two leaders would sour.

In the footage, Mr Turnbull imitated the billionaire and touched on the political land mine territory of his relationship with Russia.

'The Donald and I, we are winning and winning in the polls. We are winning so much, we are winning, we are winning like we have never won before,' he said.

Mr Turnbull also made reference to a 'Russian guy' who can make online polls look much better than the 'fake polls' in the mainstream media.

Mr Turnbull laughed off the leaking of the footage, insisting 'this is Australia, and we've got to lighten up'.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel welcomes Australia's Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull as he arrives to attend the G20 summit

The two leaders held a bilateral meeting to discuss terrorism and a proposed trade deal between Australia and the European Union.

The awkward exchange with Mr Trump was a far cry from the warm welcoming Mr Turnbull's appeared to receive from German Chancellor Angela Merkel at their bilateral meeting on Thursday.

The two leaders used the occasion to discuss terrorism and a proposed trade deal between Australia and the European Union.

Earlier, anti-G20 anarchists stormed the building where Mr Turnbull is staying in Hamburg and clashed with heavily-armed police.

The Park Hyatt hotel, where both Mr Turnbull and Vladimir Putin are staying, was under heavy police guard when black clad protesters rushed the entrance.

The protesters were only driven into retreat from the five- star luxury hotel when police formed a barrier against them.

German riot police officers line up in front of protesters at Fischmarkt during the 'Welcome to Hell' demonstrations at the G20 summit

It came as police across the city used pepper spray and water cannons against activists who are torching cars and throwing smoke bombs.

Nine News reporter Seb Costello tweeted that protesters had 'run at police outside Mr Turnbull's Hamburg hotel.'

Earlier in the day, at least 111 police officers were injured as they continued to clash in Hamburg with anti-G20 protesters, leading to 44 arrests.

One officer had to be taken to a hospital with an eye injury after a firework exploded in front of him.

Thursday's 'Welcome to Hell' march, which included about a thousand hooded activists, was stopped by riot police with water cannons in an attempt to break up the demonstration.

Riot police use water cannon to put of burning bins as a protester waves a flag after the "Welcome to Hell" rally against the G20 summit in Hamburg
Israel has slammed the UN as 'anti-semitic' over a vote declaring the Old City of Hebron, with its holy shrine sacred to both Jews and Muslims, an endangered world heritage site.

UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) has not officially recognised the site, located in the southern West Bank, as 'Palestinian.'

However, Israel are concerned that the vote will deny the Jewish connection to the site.

The decision also obliges the UN's World Heritage committee to review the situation in Hebron every year.

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An Israeli settler stands on Palestinian land overlooking the Ibrahimi Mosque and the historic heart of the occupied West Bank city of Hebron

A committee of the UN's cultural arm voted 12 to three - with six abstentions - to give heritage status to Hebron's Old City in the occupied West Bank, which is home to more than 200,000 Palestinians and a few hundred Israeli settlers.

WHY IS THE CITY IMPORTANT? The area includes the site known to Jews as the Tomb of the Patriarchs and to Muslims as the Ibrahimi Mosque. The site is holy to both religions, with Old Testament figures including Abraham believed to be buried there. Abraham is a crucial figure in Judaism, Islam and Christianity. In Judaism, he was the first figure to form the relationship between the Jewish people and God. In Islam, he is an important prophet. The Ibrahimi Mosque has long been a flashpoint of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In 1994, Israeli-American Baruch Goldstein opened fire on Muslims praying at the site, killing 29, before being beaten to death by survivors. Advertisement

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday slammed the vote, calling it a 'delusional decision'.

'It is another delusional decision by UNESCO,' Netanyahu said in Hebrew, in a video posted online.

'This time they ruled the Tomb of the Patriarchs is a Palestinian site, meaning not a Jewish site, and it is in danger.'

The Palestinians hailed the vote as a diplomatic victory.

UNESCO spokeswoman Lucia Iglesias confirmed that on a Palestine motion, Hebron's Old Town was put on the agency's World Heritage list and on the list of heritage in danger.

She would not comment on whether Hebron had been recognized as Palestinian, saying the exact wording would be decided later.

It is the latest UNESCO decision to anger Netanyahu, following a resolution on Jerusalem in May which strongly criticised the Jewish state's occupation of the eastern part of the city.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday slammed a UNESCO vote declaring the Old City of Hebron an endangered world heritage site, calling it a 'delusional decision'

Netanyahu said at the time the 'absurd' vote denied the Jewish connection to the city.

However, the Palestinians hailed the UNESCO decision Friday to label the heart of the occupied West Bank city of Hebron a protected heritage site.

'This vote is a success for the diplomatic battle fought by Palestine on all fronts, in the face of Israeli and American pressure on member states,' the Palestinian foreign ministry said.

'Despite a frantic Israeli campaign spreading lies and distorting the facts about the Palestinian rights, the world has recognised our right to register Hebron and the Ibrahimi Mosque under Palestinian sovereignty,' the statement added.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas (pictured) said: 'It is due to Palestinian diplomacy and the support of our friends in the world, that UNESCO voted on two important resolutions'

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said: 'It is due to Palestinian diplomacy and the support of our friends in the world, that UNESCO voted on two important resolutions; the first concerning Jerusalem and the second about Hebron for being two historical cities.'

The Israeli foreign ministry labelled the vote a 'moral blot' on the United Nations, saying it denied the Jewish history of the city.

'The @UNESCO decision on Hebron & Tomb of Patriarchs is a moral blot. This irrelevant organisation promotes FAKE HISTORY. Shame on @UNESCO,' foreign ministry spokesman Emmanuel Nahshon tweeted shortly after the vote.
A cancer survivor has won a 50,000 legal battle against her former employers after they accused her of not doing a single days work as she battled the disease.

Eimear Coghlan, 34, was made to work in a 'hostile and offensive' environment by her boss Poonam Dhawan-Leach after the pair clashed over her missing work.

Miss Coghlan was a PA and office manager for Mrs Leach at The Hideaways Club (UK) Ltd, a luxury property investment firm based in Kensington, west London.

She was awarded compensation by a judge at an employment tribunal, after it was ruled she been victim of 'plainly unfavourable treatment'.

Eimear Coghlan, pictured before and during cancer treatment, has won a legal battle against her former employer for 50,000

The tribunal was told that Ms Coghlan, from County Cork in Ireland, was initially treated with 'sympathy and concern' by her employers.

However, the arrangement soon turned sour, causing her to quit her job amid a bitter row.

She and Mrs Leach had enjoyed a close and amicable relationship until the atmosphere soured after Miss Coghlans cancer diagnosis in December of the following year.

Email correspondence showed Mrs Leach initially reacted 'sympathetically and with natural concern' towards her employee, and discussed arrangements so she could continue working around her treatment.

But the tribunal heard the relationship became 'frayed' by February 2015 and Mrs Leach contacted the firm's HR consultants for advice.

She alleged Ms Coghlan had 'not done a single day's work' in the past three months and said the situation was not sustainable.

Mrs Leach claimed this was because it was not possible for her to do any work until her treatment was complete.

PA Ms Coghlan clashed with boss Poonam Dhawan-Leach over time off

Over the next two months relations worsened as Ms Coghlan's flexible working arrangements, including a concession that she could work from home if she felt unwell and being allowed to have her desk in another office, were ended.

An 'inflexible' arrangement was made that she would have to take sick leave - on reduced pay - for at least half a day if she had a medical appointment.

She was also asked to provide letters from her doctors to prove she was fit to work.

The tribunal heard that Mrs Leach was 'suspicious' when Ms Coghlan handed them over herself, rather than having them sent directly from the hospital.

The chief executive sent an email to the HR consultants saying she was not willing to be in a position where she had compromised everything 'just so I can be kind and sensitive to one individual who is very unfortunately going through an extremely difficult personal health situation'.

One colleague told the tribunal Mrs Leach's criticism of Ms Coghlan at the end of a meeting was 'hostile, spiteful and aggressive'.

In a note to herself between incidents, Ms Coghlan wrote: 'I just want to work, why won't they simply let me work?

'I'm feeling so discriminated against, it is difficult to put into words how I feel.

'I'm completely aghast they are treating me like this. It is a campaign against me, making everything as difficult for me as possible.'

Matters came to a head in April, three days before Ms Coghlan was due to undergo major surgery, when Mrs Leach sent her an email.

In it, the chief executive said Ms Coghlan had refused to take sick leave and had therefore been treated as normal, but was 'unfit to work'.

Ms Coghlan was 'shocked' and left the office 'sobbing and shaking', before going to see her GP.

She was signed off with stress, said she 'could not face' going back and eventually resigned in September 2015.

The Hideaways Club contested all of Ms Coghlan's claims and their lawyers argued that many of the decisions taken were made out of concern for her.

Judge David Pearl described Mrs Leach as 'something of a stickler' for office procedures.

Dismissing some of Ms Coghlan's claims, he said that much of what happened arose from her manager's high standards and was not discriminatory.

He said: 'Mrs Leach has struck us as an unusually 'hands on' manager, who has always closely directed, monitored and supervised Ms Coghlan in her work.

'She is also, as we have found, a very demanding manager who has exacting and well-defined standards.'

This was unwanted conduct related to her disability and it had the effect of creating a hostile, humiliating and offensive environment for her. Judge David Pearl

However the judge concluded that Mrs Leach 'went too far' in her treatment of Ms Coghlan.

Judge Pearl said requests from Ms Coghlan for medical letters 'violated her dignity' and that making her take half a day's sick leave for an appointment was 'irrational'.

He added: 'This was unwanted conduct related to her disability and it had the effect of creating a hostile, humiliating and offensive environment for her.'

The judge also said Ms Coghlan was subjected to 'particularly exacting scrutiny'.

He said the decisions to end her flexible arrangements and to make her take sick leave were 'plainly unfavourable treatment', despite Mrs Leach's insistence it was done for Ms Coghlan's 'own good'.

He concluded: 'The argument based upon the safety of the claimant is particularly unconvincing.

'It was not necessary for her to relax before an appointment.

'It was never said by either her or any doctor that she required time to recover from these appointments which did not involve chemotherapy or any invasive treatment.

'Mrs Leach fastening on to these factors at the time, and also in her evidence, is an aspect of the case that we have found especially unconvincing.

'The more straightforward explanation is that she was not prepared to yield about this because she wished to maintain her right to manage and to give instructions to her assistant; and she wanted those instructions to be obeyed.'
A British woman was smothered to death in front of her ten-year-old autistic son at their home in Mauritius, it emerged yesterday.

Janice Farman, 47, originally from Clydebank, West Dunbartonshire, is thought to have been killed by three men armed with knives, who stole jewellery and money before driving off in her Nissan Tiida car.

Her adopted son Gavin, who had been sleeping nearby, was tied up but managed to free himself.

He tried to resuscitate his mother and phoned one of her friends for help, according to local reports.

Police last night said they had arrested one man in connection with the case.

British woman Janice Farman (pictured) has been murdered in a robbery at her home in Mauritius while her young son was in the house

Mrs Farman, 47, is from Clydebank, West Dunbartonshire, and had lived on the Indian Ocean island for 13 years.

She was director of a data services firm and lived in Albion, ten miles from the capital Port Louis.

Police said the house was easily accessible as it was not protected by high fencing or large gates and did not have surveillance cameras or an alarm.

The men are said to have entered the house at around midnight on Thursday.

They punched Mrs Farman then smothered her with a cushion before she collapsed on to her bed.

The thieves ransacked her home and took a TV, a games console and jewellery before leaving in her gold Nissan Tiida, which the police have recovered.

Gavin, who was adopted by Mrs Farman when he was two months old, was taken into care by the islands child development unit.

Local newspapers said Mrs Farman was in the process of divorcing her second husband Jean-Baptiste Moutou, who was in his native Cameroon when the murder took place. He confirmed the couple had separated last year and said: Janice is a person who would not hurt a fly.

A police spokesman in Mauritius said: 'At about 1am on Friday, police received a report that there had been a case of murder in Albion.

The British Foreign Office said it was in contact with local authorities in Mauritius about the case. Pictured, police tape outside the villa

'Police went to the property and found the woman lying in bed. The suspects drove away in the victim's car.

'The car has been found. It will be examined and we hope we will get evidence from the vehicle.'

Ms Farman, who has lived in Mauritius since 2004, was managing director of PECS Data Services.

Stephen Littlechild, group MD of PECS Data Services, said: 'Last night our MD in Mauritius Janice Farman was brutally murdered in her own home.

Stephen Littlechild, group MD of PECS Data Services, said: 'Last night our MD in Mauritius Janice Farman (left) was brutally murdered in her own home'

'In view of these tragic events, we have decided to close our Mauritius office today, so we can make sure all our team have access to counsellors and as a mark of respect to a wonderful lady.

'Our thoughts are with Janice's family, friends and colleagues.'

A colleague, who did not want to be named, said: 'She is the most kind-hearted lady I have met in my life. She would never hesitate to offer her help as and when needed.

'As a friend - she would help me every time I would be in distress.

'She always knew when something was wrong with me, so she would do her utmost possible, so we could go out on lunch or something so we can discuss everything and try to sort things out.'

Ms Farman (pictured), who has lived in Mauritius since 2004, was managing director of PECS Data Services

The British Foreign Office said it was in contact with local authorities in Mauritius about the case.

Yasine Mohabuth, the BBC's World Service correspondent in Mauritius, said Janice had recently moved to a burglary hotspot in the west of the island.

He said: 'Police said that she was smothered to death in her bed.

'They had arrived at three in the morning. It was her son that alerted a friend. The burglars stole many things including her jewellery and her car.

'Her son is now under the care of the child development unit because his father is abroad.'
There was cause for celebration on 'Today' Friday morning, with the NBC morning show paying tribute to Savannah Guthrie on her fifth anniversary as an anchor on the NBC morning show.

The network marked the occasion with a clip package highlighting Guthrie's best moments over the years, with fellow hosts Matt Lauer, Hoda Kotb, Al Roker, Kathie Lee Gifford, Dylan Dreyer and Carson Daly all raving about their co-worker.

Then there was a quick chocolate milkshake toast and that was it, with the entire segment lasting just 10 minutes.

Guthrie, who has always preferred reporting the story rather than being part of it, looked fantastic for her big day, wearing a $1,695 crepe dress in cadet blue by Michael Kors that was similar to one worn just last month by First Lady Melania Tump.

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Milkshake toast: Savannah Guthrie celebrated her fifth anniversary as the co-anchor of 'Today' on the NBC morning show Friday (Guthrie and Matt Lauer above on Friday)

High five: Her fellow hosts including Matt Lauer, Hoda Kotb, Al Roker, Kathie Lee Gifford, Dylan Dreyer and Carson Daly all paid tribute to her in a special segment

In the beginning: Guthrie assume the co-anchor chair for the first time back in July of 2012 (above)

There was no mention of Ann Curry on Friday, whose ousting from the top on-air post by NBC executives five years ago led to Guthrie's promotion.

The network was widely criticized in the wake of that move, with the callous manner in which they dismissed the 15-year veteran.

Curry broke down in tears on live television as she told viewers she would not longer be hosting Lauer, just one year after she received the much coveted anchor chair.

That move came two months after Today was overtaken in the ratings by Good Morning America, breaking their 16-year streak as the most watched morning news program.

They have now managed to reverse that trend in the key demo, handily pulling in more adults 25-54 than their closest competitor.

GMA is currently the most watched show though in morning television.

And with Guthrie sitting alongside Lauer, the NBC show has now won the demo for a remarkable 79 straight weeks.

Down an out: Guthrie took over for Ann Curry back in 2012 after the 15-year veteran of 'Today' was ousted by exes following one year in the anchor chair (Roker, Curry, Lauer and Natalie Morales on Curry's last day in June 2012)

Waterworks: NBC soon came under fire for the manner in which they unceremoniously dumped Curry, who delivered a tearful farewell on her dinal day live on-air

Lauer praised Guthrie back in February when asked to talk about the chemistry between himself and his current co-host in a rare interview, saying he quickly knew that the two were a winning pair.

'One of the first things you look for is a similar sense of humor. Second is a curiosity about the same things,' Lauer told TV Insider.

'Also, Savannah and I both love politics, which we take with a grain of salt. And we also watch reality shows with the same irony.'

The most touching tribute on Friday came from Guthrie's good friend and co-worker Jenna Bush Hager.

'I know Savannah leads with the heart. She lights up when she's with her kids. She loves her husband Mike, adores her mom, sister and brother, and she loves her friends. (How lucky am I to be one of them?),' wrote Hager.

She then spoke about how the two loved Mexican food, cheese, actor and Hamilton playwright Lin-Manuel Miranda and aerobics.

'We do aerobics (think Jane Fonda) together weekly. I love kick ball-changing in rhythm next to Savannah to the sound of Justin Bieber. It's much more fun than working out alone,' wrote Hager.

She closed out by talking about the close bond between their children, with both women have two young children.

'Sometimes, as I watch our daughters play like sisters or when we spend an entire car ride talking about life so rapidly that we barely breathe, I can't believe Savannah and I are new friends, that our friendship just started only five years ago,' said Hager.

'And then I'm grateful that this job brought us together.'

Family woman: Jenna Bush Hager wrote a letter praising her good friend Guthrie, saying she was an amazing mother, wife, daughter and co-worker (Guthtrie above with daughter Vale and son Charles)

Awe inspiring: Lauer said he is constantly picking Guthrie's brain and praised her for her smarts and tenacity during interviews

It has been a tumultuous year of big changes at 'Today,' beginning with the news in January that Megyn Kelly would be joining the team at NBC News and getting an morning show come this fall.

One week after that announcement, the network celebrated Lauer's 20 years on the show with a special and a private dinner for select 'Today' staff members.

A few weeks after that, the network once again came under fire following the departure of a longtime employee, Tamron Hall.

She reportedly made the decision to not renew her contract after learning that Kelly would be getting her own hour of morning television, bumping her as the host of the third hour of 'Today.'

A source familiar with the discussions between Hall and the network told DailyMail.co at the time: 'NBC News very much wanted Tamron to stay, she was offered a multi-million dollar/multi-year contract and she chose to go.'

In a statement, Hall thanked everyone at the network for all they had done for her over the years.

'The last ten years have been beyond anything I could have imagined, and Im grateful. Im also very excited about the next chapter. To all my great colleagues, I will miss you and I will be rooting for you,' said the 47-year-old anchor and journalist.

Kelly meanwhile will debut her morning show in just a few months.
Mohammed Haji Sadiq, 81, outside court last month

A 'dark and deviant' Koran teacher has been jailed for 13 years after carrying out sex attacks on four girls during lessons in a mosque.

Mohammed Haji Saddique, 81, would call the pupils to sit next to him and read in Arabic from the Muslim holy book.

He sexually touched girls aged between five and eleven in front of his class and slapped students repeatedly if they made mistakes during lessons.

Cardiff Crown Court heard Saddique had metal and wooden sticks, which he used to poke the children as they studied.

He taught primary school pupils, who called him 'uncle' at the Madina Mosque in Cathays, Cardiff, for 36 years.

Saddique would touch the girls under their traditional loose-fitting clothing during his lessons, and rub them against his groin and legs.

Cardiff Crown Court heard the assaults took place between 1996 and 2006.

Prosecutor Suzanne Thomas read a victim personal statement from one of the girls in which she described the lasting impact the assaults had had.

She said: 'I have had nightmares waking up in the night, and it can only be described as feeling unsafe.'

A statement from another girl said: 'My body didn't feel like mine anymore.

'I didn't feel safe in a place where I should feel safe. Mohammed Sadiq has put me off my religion.'

Sadiq taught primary school children who called him 'uncle' at the Madina Mosque in Cathays, Cardiff, for 36 years

Sadiq, from Cyncoed in Cardiff, denied seven counts of indecent assault of a girl under 14, and eight counts of assaulting a girl under 13 by touching.

But a jury found him guilty of 14 offences - six indecent assaults and eight sexual assaults.

Judge Stephen Hopkins QC jailed Saddique for 13 years and ordered him to register as a sex offender indefinitely.

Sadiq claimed he was a victim of an internal conspiracy within the mosque

'All four complainants were very brave indeed in overcoming not only personal but cultural barriers which they faced in making formal complaints and giving evidence against you,' the judge said.

'There is a darker, deviant side to you which this trial has exposed.

'This was a gross breach of trust - parents sending their young, female children to be taught the Koran by you.'

Saddique, who insisted the allegations were a conspiracy by other members of the mosque, has 'no idea' of the harm caused by his actions, the judge said.

'You would attempt to maintain discipline and concentration by tapping or slapping the child sitting next to you who didn't read correctly,' the judge said.

'Every time one of these small children made a mistake you would slap them until they got it right and slap them for every mistake they made.'

Police first launched an investigation in 2006 following complaints by two girls but Saddique denied any wrongdoing.

The investigation was restarted in 2016 after two other girls came forward.

Cardiff Crown Court heard the assaults took place at the mosque between 1996 and 2006

In victim impact statements read to the court, the girls, now in their 20s, spoke of the lasting impact of Saddique's offending.

Speaking of one, the judge said: 'It has put her off religion, she deliberately doesn't own a Koran.

'[For her] the ethos of going to the mosque at any time is that when you are there, God is protecting you.

'Her idea was shattered because you abused her when she was reading from the holy book.'

Another victim said giving evidence went against 'the culture and ethos of those who follow the Islamic faith' and she feared there would be consequences for Saddique's conviction.

The court heard Saddique was born in Hong Kong and moved to Pakistan before coming to the UK in 1967, eventually settling in Cardiff.

He was a member of the Madina Mosque and was involved in running it, including as a treasurer and teaching Koran studies to primary school pupils.

Classes took place four times per week after school and pupils referred to the imam as 'Uncle Saddique' as a mark of respect, the court heard.

Representing Saddique, Caroline Rees described her client as a 'frail and unwell' great-grandfather who was held in high esteem by his family and community.

'This is a man of 81 whose life expectancy is not good given his health and age,' she added.

The judge also made Saddique the subject of a sexual harm prevention order.

An NSPCC spokesman said: 'This was an appalling breach of trust and Sadiq has rightly received a significant prison sentence for these heinous offences.

'He abused his authority and the faith placed in him to carry out a succession of sexual assaults against vulnerable children.

'Clearly Sadiq's actions have had a huge impact on his victims, both at the time and since, but it is thanks to their bravery that he has been brought to justice.

'It is absolutely right that people who suffered child sexual abuse know where to turn for support and feel confident that their voices will be heard, no matter how much time has passed since their ordeal.'

Detective Chief Inspector Rob Cronick, of South Wales Police, added: 'Mohammed Sadiq abused his position of trust within the community he served.

'Last month's verdict shows the magnitude of Sadiq's offending and the devastating effect this has had on his victims.'
The pulsating moment an alleged car thief was wrestled out of a suspected stolen ute by a gun-wielding police officer has been caught on camera by a Melbourne motorist.

Before the man was pulled from the vehicle, the officer could be seen pointing his weapon at the driver in an intense 30-second stand-off.

The video was filmed by an astonished Brent Mitchell who likened the incident to a scene from an action movie.

'It was like something out of a movie. You hear about it, but you never really expected it to happen to you,' he told Nine News.

Scroll down for video

During the pulsating video, the officer could be seen pointing his weapon at the driver of the allegedly stolen ute in a 30-second stand-off

The alleged car thief was then wrestled out of the suspected stolen ute by the gun-wielding police officer

The video begins with an officer aiming his weapon at a man in an orange Holden ute on Racecourse Road in Packenham, on July 7.

The officer then pulls the alleged thief out of the driver's seat and onto the ground where he was arrested, as assisting officers arrive as backup.

Mitchell can be heard describing his disbelief at the situation before a female officer approaches and tells him to stop filming.

The incident comes as Victoria Police look to roll out a new scheme that will allow officers to track stolen vehicles by fitting GPS trackers across the state.

The video was filmed by an astonished Brent Mitchell (pictured) who likened the incident to a scene from an action movie

Mitchell, who was praised for his actions helping block in the alleged criminal, revealed he would be more than willing to act again to help officers.

'I hate seeing people getting their stuff stolen, so if you see someone trying to get away from the coppers with something you think is stolen, then block them in.

'They're chasing them for a reason,' he said.

It is believed the ute was stolen yesterday during a burglary in Beaconsfield Upper, about 13km from the scene of the arrest in Melbourne's east.

The incident comes after Victoria reasserted its position as the state with the most car thefts.
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Comparing the prime minster's husband to the glamorous spouses of Donald Trump and Emmanuel Macron would be unfair - but surely someone in the May household owns an iron?

As world leaders and their partners dolled up for the red carpet in Hamburg last night for the G20 summit, it seemed one partner didn't get memo about the dress code.

Theresa May's usually-smart 58-year-old husband, who has a penchant for linen suits and jazzy ties, opted for a more-lived in look and was photographed alongside his wife wearing in a crumpled suit and creased trousers.

By stark contrast, the German Chancellor's husband Joachim Sauer looked dapper in a beautifully cut suit with a tie to match his wife's jacket.

You could have made an effort! Philip May's suit had a 'lived in' look as he was photographed on the red carpet in Hamburg on Friday evening alongside his wife Theresa May

Is there an iron in the May household? The outfits of the usually-immaculate pair both showed signs of needing a quick press

Looking dapper: German Chancellor Angela Merkel's husband Joachim Sauer looked every inch the fashionista with a tie chosen to accompany his wife's suit

Flash: President Donald Trump looked smart in a well-fitted suit while his wife Melania stole the show in a white Marc Jacobs 1920s flapper-style dress

Cheeky: One person took to Twitter to comment on Philip May's dress sense, saying it meant having 'wealth doesn't necessarily mean having a properly fitted suit'

Earlier on Friday, Melania Trump (left) greeted Russian President Vladimir Putin (right) with a handshake

President Donald Trump (left), not seated with his wife for the Friday night dinner at the G20, instead talks to wife of Argentinian President Juliana Awada (right)

Glamorous: President of Argentina Mauricio Macri kisses his wife Juliana Awada on the red carpet as they attend the concert. Right: French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte Macron

Pictured: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau with his wife Sophie Gregoire Trudeau

Cheekily on social media, one person suggested Mr May's ill-fitting suit was a sign money couldn't buy you everything.

Simon Johnson tweeted: 'Philip May at the G20 Summit teaches us that wealth doesn't necessarily mean having a well-fitted suit.'

The normally immaculate Theresa May was also pictured in her famous blue two-piece looking more disheveled than usual.

By contrast other spouses and world leaders shone in neatly-pressed designer garments including the First Lady of America Melania Trump who stole the show in a Michael Kors flapper style dress.

President of Argentina Mauricio Macri made a show of kissing his wife Juliana Awada, who wore an elegant black frock, on the red carpet as they attended the concert.

Theresa May's husband Philip joined the world leaders' consorts club this morning as he mingled with spouses of some of the most powerful people on earth. He is pictured (right) in Hamburg today next to Thobeka Madiba Zuma (left), wife of South Africa's President Jacob Zuma

Among those who joined him for a riverboat cruise today were French President Emmanuel Macron's wife Brigitte (left, with Juliana Awada, wife of Argentinian President Mauricio Macri)

Sophie Gregoire-Trudeau, wife of Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and their son Hadrien leave a ship after a boat tour of the spouses programme on the first day of the G-20 summit in Hamburg, northern Germany

Mr May will spend much of the next two days in the company of Joachim Sauer, Angela Merkel's husband, who will host the consorts on her behalf.

Mr Sauer, a theoretical chemist who grew up in communist East Germany, is normally a low-profile figure.

He has organised a 'climate change-themed' programme for those attending.

Mr May, who is likely to be the only husband in attendance, was due to join the leaders' wives on a river boat cruise before visiting a climate change centre in the German city.

Pictured: Philip smiles while, in the bottom right, a beautiful Juliana Awada - wife of President Mauricio Macri of Argentina - looks glamorous

Brigitte Macron, wife of France's President Emmanuel Macron, left, and Juliana Awada, wife of Argentine President Mauricio Macri, disembark from a riverboat after a tour of the city

Angelica Rivera (left), partner of Mexico's President Enrique Pena Nieto, and her daughter Regina Castro (right) leave the boat 'Diplomat' on the river Elbe as they take part in the G20 Summit Spouse Programme in Hamburg, Germany

Day out: Brigitte Macron (left), wife of French President Emmanuel Macron, and Juliana Awada (right) wife of Argentinian President Mauricio Macri were among those on the riverboat cruise

Emine Erdogan, the wife of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, joined the spouses of G20 leaders for a riverboat cruise leaves a ship after a boat tour of the spouses program on the first day of the G-20 summit in Hamburg, northern Germany, Friday, July 7, 2017. The leaders of the group of 20 meet July 7 and 8. (AP Photo/Michael Probst, pool)

Peng Liyuan, wife of Chinese President Xi Jinping, also travelled to Hamburg as her husband joined G20 leaders

He is the first British consort to attend a major summit since Sarah Brown.

Samantha Cameron disliked that side of her role and never travelled with her husband to a summit.

On Tuesday it emerged that Sauer, who usually shuns publicity, would take the visiting dignitaries sightseeing and to the spectacular new Elbphilharmonie concert house.

Iriana Joko Widodo (left, in red), wife of Indonesia's President Joko Widodo, and Emine Erdogan (left, in purple), wife of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan were among those who joined the tour. Also in attendance was Akie Abe, wife of Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe

Kim Jung-sook, wife of South Korea's President Moon Jae-in, leaves a ship after a boat tour of the spouses programme on the first day of the G-20 summit

Angelica Rivera (left), partner of Mexico's President Enrique Pena Nieto, and her daughter Regina Castro (right) joined the cruise this morning

Peng Liyuan, wife of Chinese President Xi Jinping, leaves the boat 'Diplomat' on the river Elbe as they take part in the G20 Summit Spouse Programme

The leaders' spouses were also due to take in views of Germany's 'Gateway to the World' city on a cruise tour of the country's biggest port, in whose harbour-front bars the Beatles started their rise to fame. Akie Abe (centre), wife of Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, is pictured above

The leaders' spouses were also due to take in views of Germany's 'Gateway to the World' city on a cruise tour of the country's biggest port, in whose harbour-front bars the Beatles started their rise to fame.

The G20 spouses' tour also includes Hamburg's neo-Renaissance town hall, an imposing building dating from the late 1800s, which boasts almost as many rooms as Britain's Buckingham Palace.

On Friday evening, the spouses are to be treated to Beethoven's 'Ode to Joy', the EU's anthem, at Hamburg's new Elbphilharmonie, whose glass structure is meant to evoke frozen waves, and which offers sweeping views of Germany's second largest city.
Bizarre footage has emerged of a furious woman staging a naked protest outside a car dealer's home.

The video was shot in the Brazilian state of Santa Catrina and shows the angry 29-year-old tearing down the man's fence.

It is believed the woman had purchased a car from the dealer several hours earlier, but that it broke down not long after.

She explained to police officers that she had called the owner but he had refused to repair it.

Footage of the peculiar protest was captured by a passerby on June 21.

The video was shot in Santa Catrina, Brazil, and show the angry 29-year-old tearing down the man's fence

It is believed the woman had purchased a car from the dealer several hours earlier, but that it broke down not long after.

The angered woman tears down a fence belonging to the car dealer as passerby look on and record her

The woman can be heard screaming and ranting about 'bad service' as she tears down a black metal gate at the entrance to a forecourt where the dealer lives

She was arrested not long after officers arrived, who detained her under Brazil's article 223 for public decency.

She explained to police officers that she had called the owner but he had refused to repair it

The woman can be heard ranting about 'bad service' as she tears down a black metal gate at the entrance to a forecourt where the dealer lives.

She was arrested not long after officers arrived, who detained her under Brazil's article 223 for public decency.

Witness Rolf Otto, who photographed the woman, said she was 'talking aloud' while walking up and down the street naked.

A police spokesman would only identify the woman as 'T.R.R' as she had been admitted to a nearby hospital for psychological assessment.
Theresa May today called out Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn over the harassment of her candidates on the campaign trail.

The Prime Minister said all party leaders should act to stop abuse of rival politicians as reports mounted of Tories subjected to campaigns of abuse.

Tory MP Sheryll Murray exposed the campaign against her in South East Cornwall at Prime Minister's Questions.

And since other Tories have revealed signs branded with Nazi swastikas, posers defaced and online harassment.

Theresa May (pictured at the G20 in Hamburg today) has called out Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn over the harassment of her candidates on the campaign trail

The Prime Minister said all party leaders, including Jeremy Corbyn (pictured at a college in Barnet yesterday) should act to stop abuse of rival politicians

Mrs May said she had been shocked by the stories of harassment she had heard from colleagues in recent weeks.

In a clear swipe at the Labour leader, who has faced repeated criticism that he has failed to explicitly condemn attacks made by his supporters, Mrs May called on party leaders to speak out.

During a visit to Hamburg for the G20, Mrs May told Sky News: 'I've been absolutely shocked at the number of colleagues who have talked to me about intimidation and harassment, about bullying during the election campaign.

'There can be no place in our democracy for behaviour like that. I'm determined to do something about it. I'm determined to stamp it out.

'I would say to you that we need all party leaders to condemn this bullying, harassment and intimidation.

'We can have none of this in our democracy and we need to act to stamp it out.'

Tory MP Simon Clarke, who won Middlesbrough South from Labour last month, told MailOnline: 'The behaviour of the hard left since Jeremy Corbyn became leader has got steadily worse and degenerated into a climate of vilification and intimidation - both of their own moderate MPs and of Conservative candidates.

'At my own count I saw the Labour MP for Redcar Anna Turley being barracked by Corbynite supporters during her victory speech while some of those same activists abused me in front of my family and supporters after the result was declared.

'Labour is now in a very dark place where some of the tactics of 1930s extremism are being allied to modern social media to create a toxic climate which should have no place in our politics.'

Tory MP Sheryll Murray exposed the campaign against her in South East Cornwall at Prime Minister's Questions (pictured)

Tories have revealed signs branded with Nazi swastikas, posers defaced and online harassment (pictured)

A spokesman for Mr Corbyn told MailOnline: 'Jeremy has always condemned abuse and personal attacks and never engages in them.

'The Conservative campaign was negative, nasty and full of smears and untruths. Labour fought a positive, hopeful campaign based on policies to transform Britain for the many, not the few.'

The remarks came after Mrs May told the Commons that personalised abuse was putting 'good people' off becoming MPs.

The PM was responding to South East Cornwall Tory MP Sheryll Murray after she outlined the attempts at intimidation directed against her while she was seeking re-election.

Ms Murray told the MPs: 'Over the past month I've had swastikas carved into posters, social media posts like 'burn the witch' and 'stab the c...', people putting Labour Party posters over my home, photographed them and pushed them through my letterbox, and someone even urinated on my office door.

'Hardly kinder, gentler politics.'

Mrs May told the MP: 'You are absolutely right to raise this issue and you were not the only person who experienced this sort of intimidation during the election campaign.

'Particularly, I'm sorry to say, this sort of intimidation was experienced by female candidates during the election campaign.'

The issue of intimidation of candidates has also been discussed at Cabinet.
With the health care debate raging in lawmakers' home states this week, those left in Washington have filled the void by taking on another question: whether females on Capitol Hill have the right to bare arms.

On Thursday, CBS News' Rebecca Shabad wrote a story, sharing an anecdote about a female reporter, sporting a sleeveless dress, being turned away from the Speaker's lobby because she wasn't dressed appropriately.

'Forced to improvise, she ripped out pages from her notebook and stuffed them into her dress's shoulder openings to create sleeves, witnesses said,' Shabad wrote. 'An officer who's tasked with enforcing rules in the Speaker's lobby said her creative concoction still was not acceptable.'

That's because women aren't supposed to wear sleeveless blouses or dresses, sneakers or open-toed shoes, while men need to sport suit jackets and ties if they want access to the area adjacent to the House floor.

Scroll down for video

To sleeve or not to sleeve? Women, especially reporters, are being told not to sport bare arms when entering the Speaker's lobby on Capitol Hill

The rules have been in place for years, though several female journalists have noticed an uptick in enforcement in recent weeks

The biggest problem seems to be that the rules are often unevenly applied, with lawmakers allowed to get away with more than female reporters

Another reporter, Haley Byrd, a congressional scribe for Independent Journal Review, told Shabad she had experienced the same thing  as she was booted from the Speaker's lobby the day the House voted on health care.

'When I was kicked out that day, I was just trying to pass through the area to reach another hallway, but I was told I was violating the rules,' she told CBS News. 'They offered to find a sweater for me to put on, so it wasn't some tyrannical end of free press, but I opted to just go around instead.'

Byrd added that she's noticed an uptick in these warnings.

'But recently, they've been cracking down on the code, like with open-toes shoes,' she said. 'I suspect the rules are being emphasized now that it's summertime and excruciatingly hot outside and everyone is dressing for the weather.'

The increase did coincide with the start of summer, but it also happened around the same time House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., mentioned proper dress to his Congressional peers.

'Members should periodically rededicate themselves to the core principles of proper parliamentary practice that are so essential in maintaining order and deliberacy here in the House,' Ryan told the House on June 23.

'The chair wishes to emphasize these points,' he went on, adding, 'Members should wear appropriate business attire during all sittings of the House, however brief their appearance on the floor might be.'

Because Ryan made these comments, the Republican speaker soon found himself to be the sole source of blame for what some considered sexist behavior by security team members tsk-tsking women for not covering up.

'Women aren't allowed to wear sleeveless tops in the House chambers, thanks to Paul Ryan,' blared a tweet by Mic, a news site for millennials.

However, that's not wholly accurate.

As Ryan's spokeswoman AshLee Strong pointed out to CBS, a Congressional dress code has been around long before Ryan took over, and existed through the last Democratic speakership, which belonged to Rep. Nancy Pelosi, a liberal from California.

The problem has been that the rules haven't been evenly applied.

For one, they're only enforced on the House side of the Capitol, not the Senate.

Additionally, members sometimes get away with more than reporters.

'I was asked to leave the Speaker's Lobby for wearing a sleeveless dress as a female lawmaker in a similar dress walked on the House floor,' recalled Real Clear Politics' Managing Editor Emily Goodin, who was admonished for her fashion choice during the John Boehner years.

Michelle Obama and Ivanka Trump have also famously worn sleeveless numbers when President Obama and President Trump, respectively, were speaking in the House chamber to Congress.

Sarah Swinehart, who worked for both Speakers Boehner and Ryan, characterized the dress code as not a big deal and pointed out, on Twitter, that men had to abide by it too.

'10 yrs on the Hill, including w Speaker Ryan, wore many sleeveless dresses. Always had a jacket in case going to floor, not a big deal,' she wrote Thursday.

'And, male members without jackets (or other dress code violations) have not been allowed on the floor,' Swinehart added.

The most famous recent example was when Rep. Bobby Rush, D-Ill., sported a hoodie in honor of Trayvon Martin and was escorted from the floor in 2012.

The Sergeant at Arms staff, who guard the Speaker's lobby, will also try to help people abide by the rules.

They keep scarves and shawls in the back of the Speaker's lobby for women to use and there's also what's been dubbed the 'Tie of Shame' for men to grab if they forget to dress appropriately, too.

Still, some women found the uptick in scolding problematic, as it hearkens back to an earlier age on Capitol Hill, in which women lawmakers were expected to dress modestly and with feminine flare.

Women senators, for instance, weren't allowed to wear pants to work until 1993.

Time contributor Jay Newton-Small, who wrote about women in politics in her book 'Broad Influence,' tweeted that she recalled Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., getting 'kicked off the Senate floor a few years ago for having sheer sleeves.'

The Washington Post's Pulitzer Prize-winning fashion critic Robin Givhan even chimed in.

Givhan said that people know what 'appropriate' dress is, 'they simply choose to ignore it.'

However, she added, that's not necessarily a bad thing.

'The culture has lost another bit of common ground. So wrongheaded people attempt to mandate propriety,' she argued.

'And perfectly good fashion takes a hit,' she concluded.
Police and firefighters lined the streets of New York City on Thursday to honor a slain officer as her body was taken from hospital to a funeral home.

Officers saluted on the streets near Bellevue Hospital as police escorted the body of 48-year-old Miosotis Familia to a funeral home days after she was shot while on duty by a cop-hating gunman.

Surveillance video captured the moment 34-year-old Alexander Bonds shot at her through the passenger side window of her police vehicle near the intersection of 183rd Street and Grand Concourse in the Bronx on Wednesday.

Officers saluted on the streets near Bellevue Hospital as police escorted the body of 48-year-old Miosotis Familia to a funeral home days after she was shot while on duty by a cop-hating gunman

Surveillance video captured the moment 34-year-old Alexander Bonds shot at her through the passenger side window of her police vehicle near the intersection of 183rd Street and Grand Concourse in the Bronx on Wednesday

Police dressed in uniform stood next to several officers wearing suits as the motorcade traveled down the road

Firefighters from a local department also paid their respects to Familia during the motorcade on Thursday

Dozens of police officers stood in rows on the sides of the streets outside Bellevue Hospital

The motorcade carrying Familia's body was led by two police officers on NYPD motorcycles

At least six police officers on motorcycles guided the ambulance carrying Familia's body through traffic

Her body was taken to a medical examiner at Bellevue Hospital in Manhattan and has since been taken to a funeral home

An aerial shot of the motorcade shows officers standing in rows of four, while civilians stood by as well

Her body was taken to a medical examiner at Bellevue Hospital in Manhattan and has since been taken to a funeral home.

Chilling video shows the gunman approach the parked NYPD command post vehicle and walk up before firing through the side window.

Only a few hours before a fatal ambush of a New York Police Department officer, the shooter's girlfriend called 911 to report that she was worried about his unstable behavior, police officials said Thursday.

The woman called at about 10pm Tuesday to say Bonds 'was paranoid and acting erratically,' NYPD Chief of Detectives Robert Boyce told reporters following a police academy event.

Officers were dispatched to look for Bonds on the streets of a Bronx neighborhood, but the 34-year-old ex-convict evaded them, police said.

Surveillance video captured the moment a cop-hating gunman walked up to a police van and assassinated officer in Bronx

The footage then shows dozens of officers rushing in to help the downed officer while Familia's partner radioed for help

Meanwhile the other officers gave chase to the gunman who was fleeing just one block away

The footage then shows dozens of officers rushing in to help the downed officer while Familia's partner radioed for help. Soon an ambulance arrived at the scene and Familia was transported to the nearby St. Barnabas Hospital, where she died.

Meanwhile the other officers gave chase to the gunman who was fleeing just one block away.

Officers caught up with Bonds about a block away and killed him in a hail of about 20 bullets when he pulled a stolen revolver, police said. He didn't get off a shot, authorities said.

The following day, at around 12.30am, Bonds walked up to the RV-like mobile and shot Familia.

'Officer Familia was murdered for her uniform and for the responsibility she embraced,' O'Neill said in a message to officers Wednesday night.

'For the NYPD, regularly achieving lower and lower crime figures means absolutely nothing when one of our own is brutally shot and killed,' he added.

A 12-year NYPD veteran, the 48-year-old Familia had come to police work later in life than most on a force where the average recruit is 26.

She had been a nurse and medical assistant first, according to her profile on the career site LinkedIn. A mother of three who lived with her own mother in the Bronx, she felt a calling to help her community, friends said.

Alexander Bonds, 34, (left), shot and killed NYPD officer Miosotis Familia, 48, (right), early Wednesday morning. He was later shot dead by other officers

Bonds' (pictured) criminal record included a 2001 arrest for beating up another NYPD officer with brass knuckles. Four others reportedly joined in assaulting the office

'She'd give you the shirt off her back,' said Tom Ritter, 59, a plumber who lived downstairs from Familia and said she treated his now-22-year-old son like one of her own children.

'She was the sweetest person you ever want to meet,' Ritter said.

Boyce said the girlfriend told police that she had taken Bonds for a psychiatric evaluation on July 1, but he was released after about an hour. Investigators who are trying to determine a motive also found antidepressant and anti-psychotic medications in his apartment.

He had a history of criminal convictions and made his hatred for police clear in anti-cop messages posted on social media.

In a Facebook Live video in September, Bonds ranted about law officers killing and abusing people and warned them to leave him alone or 'we gonna do something.'

'Police is f****ts, and this ain't no gimmick,' he said in the video.

'Don't think every brother, cousin or uncle you got that get (unintelligible) in jail is because of a Blood or Crip,' he said. 'Police be killing and saying an inmate killed them.'

A female NYPD officer was shot dead while sitting in a department vehicle (left) early Wednesday morning

Above, a close up view of the command trailer's shattered window after the Wednesday morning attack

The suspect, 34-year-old Alexander Bonds, was shot dead by other officers after he was caught fleeing the scene. Above is the gun that was recovered at the scene after the deadly shooting

'N****s ain't taking it no more, Mr Officer. I'm here to tell you man. ... just keep your a** away from mine.'

'I'm not playing, Mr. Officer. I don't care about 100 police watching this,' Bonds said, adding: 'It's time for people to wisen up.'

Bonds' criminal record included a 2001 arrest for beating up another NYPD officer with brass knuckles. Four others reportedly joined in assaulting the officer. The outcome of that case is not known.

Bonds was currently on parole for a 2014 robbery in Syracuse. He also had prior arrests for drug violations in 2000 and 2002.

He is said to have had addresses all over the city, in the Bronx, Queens and several homeless shelters, and went by up to six different aliases.

Familia was a 12-year veteran of the force who spent her entire career with the department in the high-crime Bronx precinct.

Officer Miosotis Familia, 48, has been identified as the victim. She died at the hospital. Above, emergency personnel stand near the scene of the shooting Wednesday morning

Officer Miosotis Familia was memorialized before the start of a baseball game between the New York Yankees and the Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday

An officer helped escort a crying woman into Familia's apartment building in the Bronx on Wednesday

Police Commissioner James O'Neill (left) said that the attack was unprovoked. New York Mayor Bill De Blasio (right) also spoke at the press conference early Wednesday morning

The command post there had been set up and staffed around the clock since a triple shooting in March.

'She was on duty serving this city, protecting people, doing what she believed in and doing the job she loved,' Mayor Bill de Blasio said.

She had three children, including a set of twins, lived with her mother and worked the midnight shift.

Friends said she became an officer to help her community, and her family was heartbroken.

'Put it this way: She'd give you the shirt off her back. She was the sweetest person you ever want to meet,' downstairs neighbor Tom Ritter said.

He said his son, now 22, played with Familia's children, and she practically 'adopted' him.

Bonds (pictured left and right) was on parole for a 2014 robbery in Syracuse. he is seen above in a Facebook photo

Officers visit a makeshift memorial for Familia after she was shot dead by Bonds

Even a woman who said her husband had been arrested by Familia had only kind words for the slain officer.

'She gave me good advice, like a mother to a daughter,' said Keisha Williams, 31, who said her husband was arrested on a marijuana charge. 'She's good, but she's a tough cookie. She's a good cop. I'm just sad it was her.'

While all the department's new patrol cars are outfitted with bullet-resistant windows, the rolling command posts don't have them.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions called the shooting 'the latest in a troubling series of attacks on police officers over the past two years'.

The attack recalled the 2014 ambush killings of two New York City officers who were gunned down in their cruiser by a man who had announced online moments before that he was planning to shoot two 'pigs' in retaliation for the police chokehold death of Eric Garner in New York. The gunman then killed himself.

A large contingent of officers were seen at the intersection where the shooting took place early Wednesday morning

Police at the scene put up yellow time demarcating the area where the shooting took place
A brazen thief was knocked off his Boris bike by a policeman's van door after CCTV footage caught him stealing from a Range Rover.

Jake Nedd, 31, was filmed raiding a black Range Rover parked outside a row of terraced houses in Dawes Road, Fulham, west London, where houses sell for upwards of 1.2 million, last Sunday.

Footage shows the criminal, who broke into the car after noticing the window was open, taking several items from the car before fleeing the scene laden with bags from the boot and front of the vehicle.

Jake Nedd, 31, was filmed raiding a black Range Rover parked outside a row of terraced houses in Dawes Road, Fulham, west London on Sunday

Footage shows the criminal, who broke into the car after noticing the window was open, taking several items from the car

He then flees the scene laden with bags from the boot and front of the vehicle

But shortly after he starts to cycle away, police are seen tearing down the street with their lights flashing.

Nedd begins retreating down the street but officers give chase and swing open their door, sending the thief flying over the handlebars.

Following the attempted theft just after 8.30am, Nedd, of no fixed address, appeared before Westminster Magistrates and was jailed for 28 weeks in prison.

But shortly after he starts to cycle away, police are seen tearing down the street with their lights flashing

Nedd begins retreating down the street but officers give chase and swing open their door

The action sends the thief flying over the handlebars and on to the ground

Deputy leader of Hammersmith and Fulham Council Councillor Sue Fennimore said: 'This is another excellent piece of joint work by our CCTV team and the police.

'We're determined to stop crime and protect public safety which is why we've put the highest-ever number of council-funded police officers on the street in the borough's history.'

Dave Hinton, crime prevention design adviser for the Met Police, said: 'In most cases car crime is committed by opportunists who often take less than a minute to get into a vehicle.

'Please ensure you leave no valuables on display and always lock your car and close the windows, even if only away from the vehicle for a moment.'

Police then hop out of the vehicle and arrest him. He later appeared before Westminster Magistrates and was jailed for 28 weeks in prison
A man has been caught by two antiques store workers in a citizen's arrest after he made-off with a stuffed turtle on Thursday.

Terry the taxidermied turtle was taken from the How Bazaar antique store in North Geelong by a man in his late 20s.

CCTV footage shows the man leaving the store with the $500 turtle stuffed down the back of his jumper.

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Terry the taxidermied turtle was stolen from an antique store in North Geelong yesterday

The stuffed turtle named Terry is worth close to $500 and was stolen by a man in his late 20s

The store's owner Peter Summers told 7 News that he and his worker Jared Carney gave chase and caught up with the man 500 metres down the road.

'We chased him down around the corner.

'Because the train was coming through he couldn't get over on the train line.

'He ran into my car and got knocked over, and Jared had jumped over him,' Mr Summer told the station.

Store's CCTV footage shows the man making a run away with the stolen turtle while on his bike

Mr Carney said as he got out of the car to grab the man, he allegedly pulled a homemade gun to scare both men off.

However, both men were unperturbed with the gun scare and managed to successfully apprehend the robber at Separation St and with the help of a local mechanic were able to tie the thief up until police arrived.

The stuffed turtle was soon returned to Mr Summer's shop but not without suffering some damage to its shell.

The thief was later arrested by police for firearm and theft charges.

Both men later told the television station that they were fed-up with people stealing from the store and wouldn't hesitate to chase after thieves themselves if such an incident were to occur in the future.
Ex-Attorney General Loretta Lynch said she plans to cooperate with a Senate probe into whether she assured a Hillary Clinton associate the FBI's investigation into the candidate's emails wouldn't 'go too far.'

Politico reported Thursday night that the former attorney general's lawyer sent a letter to the top officials at the Senate Judiciary Committee denying claims made in a dubious Russian intelligence memo that said Lynch made assurances to Clinton campaign aide Amanda Renteria.

'Ms. Lynch does not know Ms. Renteria, did not discuss the Clinton email investigation with Ms. Renteria, and did not communicate to Ms. Renteria, either in words or in substance, that "she would not let the FBI investigation into Clinton go too far,"' the statement read.

It also said that Lynch 'intends to cooperate fully' with the Senate investigation.

Former Attorney General Loretta Lynch's lawyer told the leaders of the Senate Judiciary Committee that she would 'cooperate fully' with a probe into whether she assured an associate of Hillary Clinton that the FBI's investigation into Clinton's emails wouldn't 'go too far'

Judiciary Committee Chairman, Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, announced last month that he and ranking member, Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., planned to pursue answers from Lynch, after allegations were made in a dubious Russian intelligence document

Loretta Lynch (center), serving as attorney general in March 2016, is photographed with Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, (right), who is now investigating the former attorney general and trying to find out if she pressured the FBI to lay off Hillary Clinton

It was penned by Lynch's attorney Robert Raben and addressed to officials including Chairman Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and ranking member Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif.

It continued, 'Likewise, to the best of her knowledge and recollection, neither Ms. Lynch nor any representative of the Office of the Attorney General discussed the Clinton email investigation with Ms. Renteria, Representative Wasserman Schultz or her staff, or any DNC official.'

Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., was the chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee until July 2016, stepping down at the beginning of the Democratic National Convention over fallout from the Russians' hacking efforts.

The Russian intelligence document, widely considered to contain falsehoods or be a straight-up fake, detailed an email conversation between Wasserman Schultz and Leonard Benardo, of the Open Society Foundations, an organization that was started by liberal billionaire George Soros.

The intelligence document claimed that Wasserman Schultz told Benardo that Lynch had been in touch with Renteria and that Lynch had assured the Clinton campaign aide the FBI's investigation into the candidate's emails wouldn't go too far, according to reporting from the Washington Post.

The existence of the document was first reported by the New York Times in April.

This admission would delegitimize the FBI's investigation into Clinton's private email server and whether the former secretary of state had mishandled classified information.

While the Russian document's legitimacy was in question, it still compelled former FBI Director James Comey to go around Lynch and hold a press conference last July.

There, Comey said Clinton would not face criminal charges, but he admonished the soon-to-be Democratic presidential nominee for being 'extremely careless' in her handling of classified information.

Democrats, including Clinton, have blamed Comey's meddling  in both July and then again in October, when he informed Congress more emails had been found  for her shock election loss to now-President Donald Trump.

While Senate and House committees, along with Special Counsel Robert Mueller, are investigating Russia's hacking efforts on the 2016 election  and whether there was any coordination with the Trump campaign  the Senate Judiciary Committee heads announced last month they would be looking into the Lynch allegations as well.

In a letter to Lynch dated June 22, 2017, Grassley, Feinstein, along with the heads of the appropriate subcommittee, Sens. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., asked for former top DOJ official if she had conversed with Renteria, Wasserman Schultz or any of the DNC chairwoman's associates.

It also asked if she was aware of the Russian intelligence documents cited in the media reports.

Lynch's lawyer made clear that she didn't know Renteria nor speak with Wasserman Schultz and her associates at the Democratic National Committee.

Her statement was backed up previously by Renteria, who said she didn't know Lynch, along with Wasserman Schultz, who told the Washington Post she never communicated with Benardo.
Angela Garcia, 18, pictured, was arrested for her part in an attack on a woman in Gwinnett County, Georgia. Garcia is accused of being the lookout while two other teens attacked a woman in her apartment

A fourth teenager has been arrested for her part in an attack on a Georgia woman who was tasered then raped in front of her son.

Angela Garcia, 18, is accused of being the lookout while Francisco Palencia, 17, and Josue Ramirez, 19, attacked the woman in Gwinnett County, Georgia.

She also helped to take some of the woman's belongings out of her apartment, Corporal Deon Washington, a spokesperson for the Gwinnett County Police Department said.

The woman found the teens inside her apartment when she was coming home with her two young sons at 3am on May 12.

Palencia and Ramirez then allegedly threw boiling water on her before tasering and raping her.

Gwinnett County Police say the teens also had a 15-year-old female accomplice who has not been named.

She did not go inside the apartment but police believe she drove the other teenagers to the scene.

Francisco Palencia, 17, (left) and Josue Ramirez, 19, (right) are accused of tasing the woman, raping her and throwing boiling water on her after she returned home on May 3 to find them in her kitchen

A police report obtained by The Atlanta Journal Constitution describes in harrowing detail how the woman returned to the apartment from work with her two young sons.

Once inside, she found Ramirez and Palencia in the kitchen.

She tried to run away from them and protect her children but was scalded by boiling water, police say.

Palencia and Ramirez allegedly tasered her then forced her into a bedroom and made her perform oral sex before raping her.

Authorities say her four-year-old son followed them into the bedroom and watched the attack as he sat on the bed.

Afterwards, the teens left with her German Shepherd puppy, her jewelry box and her school ID.

Police say they gained entry by cutting through her porch and entering the home through a sliding door that had been left open.

Garcia was arrested Wednesday on charges of home invasion, aggravated sodomy, aggravated battery, kidnapping, rape and cruelty to children - the same charges facing Palencia and Ramirez.

The 15-year-old girl, who has not been named because of her age, is also facing the same charges.

None of the four teens have been granted bond.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions flew to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba on Friday to inspect the infamous detention facility that President Obama tried and failed to close and President Trump vowed to fill with 'bad dudes.'

The visit comes five months into the president's term, where he has yet to formally act on Obama's executive order to close the prison. Congress blocked President Barack Obama's effort to close it, but Obama gradually transferred prisoners, bringing the population down to 41 today.

'Keeping this country safe from terrorists is the highest priority of the Trump administration. Recent attacks in Europe and elsewhere confirm that the threat to our nation is immediate and real, and it remains essential that we use every lawful tool available to prevent as many attacks as possible,' said Justice Department spokesman Ian Prior in a statement.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Friday visited the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba

'In addition to the Department of Justice's role in handling detainee-related litigation, it is important for the Department of Justice to have an up-to-date understanding of current operations. The purpose of the trip is to gain that understanding by meeting with the people on the ground who are leading our government-wide efforts at GTMO.'

Last February, after Obama pledged his commitment to closing Guantanamo, Trump flatly contradicted his predecessor.

'This morning, I watched President Obama talking about Gitmo, right, Guantanamo Bay, which by the way, which by the way, we are keeping open,' Trump said at a campaign rally.

U.S. Army Military Police escort a detainee to his cell January 11, 2001 in Camp X-Ray at Naval Base Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, during in-processing to the temporary detention. The detainees will be given a basic physical exam by a doctor, to include a chest x-ray and blood samples drawn to assess their health, the military said. The U.S. Department of Defense released the photo January 18, 2002

Attorney General Jeff Sessions visited the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba Friday

Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, pictured testifying before the Senate Appropriations subcomittee, on June, 13, 2017, accompanied Sessions

A U.S. soldier looks into a cell of the "Gitmo" maximum security detention center on October 22, 2016 at the U.S. Naval Station at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The U.S. military's Joint Task Force Guantanamo is still holding 60 detainees at the prison, down from a previous total of 780. On his second day in office in 2008 President Obama issued an executive order to close the prison, which has failed because of political opposition in the U.S

'Which we are keeping open ... and we're gonna load it up with some bad dudes, believe me, we're gonna load it up,' Trump vowed.

Since he took office, however, Trump has yet to rescind Obama's order.

Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats was also expected, the Miami Herald reported from Guantanamo.

Sessions visited Guantanamo as a senator and has championed its active use. Opened as a detention facility during the Bush administration, Guantanamo's population swelled with prisoners taken captive on the battlefield in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Terror mastermind Khalid Shaikh Mohammed is among those being held at Guantanamo. The Bush and Obama administrations released hundreds of others under international pressure

The facility has been used to hold high value detainees such as Khalid Sheik Mohammad, but also hundreds of lesser detainees who got released after the government decided it couldn't prosecute them. Some countries accepted former detainees while others were sent to third countries as the prison drew international condemnation.
Milo Yiannopoulos launched his self-published book Dangerous in New York at an outrageous party that featured little people dressed up as the president and a Hillary impersonator in a jail cell.

The right-wing journalist and speaker known for his vicious rhetoric self-published his memoir, Dangerous, that Simon & Schuster dropped in February amid ongoing criticism over signing Yiannopoulos.

On Thursday, about 1,000 people showed up for the party at DL 95 Delancey located on the Lower East Side, nearly two weeks after the event was canceled by another venue.

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Milo Yiannopoulos hosted his self-published book's launch party in New York on Thursday, nearly two weeks after the event was cancelled by another venue. Yiannopoulos officially released his book Dangerous on July 4

On Thursday, about 1,000 people showed up for the party at DL 95 Delancey located on the Lower East Side. Photos showed attendees standing in a line that was wrapped around the block

The party featured a Hillary Clinton impersonator (left and right) dressed in an orange jumpsuit inside a dunking booth on the venue's patio. Guests were given a chance to win the a copy of his book if they dunked the Clinton impersonator

The party featured a Clinton impersonator dressed in an orange jumpsuit inside a jail-like dunking booth on the venue's patio.

Guests were given a chance to win a copy of his book if they dunked the Clinton impersonator.

Little people were even hired to dress up as President Donald Trump as they mingled with guests.

Attendees enjoyed two open bars and there was also a photo booth where guests wore funny masks and held signs.

Photos showed party attendees standing in a line that wrapped around the block.

Surprisingly, there were no protesters outside the event, but photos showed several officers wanding attendees.

Little people (left) were even hired to dress up as President Donald Trump as they mingled with guests. A man was also dressed as a colonel and a woman donned a lowcut red dress

The Clinton impersonator also posed for a photo with the little people behind a jail-like dunking booth

The woman impersonating Clinton was also dresed in a white suit similar to the one Clinton wore to accept her party's nomination during the closing night of the Democratic National Convention last year. In this photo she is seen giving the middle finger to a Trump backdrop

Attendees enjoyed two open bars and there was also a photo booth where guests wore funny masks and held signs

Surprisingly, there were no protesters outside the event, but photos showed several officers wanding attendees. The officers (pictured) had made police pens for protesters to stand in around the venue, but none showed up

The officers had made police pens for protesters to stand in around the venue, but none showed up.

Guests were also seen purchasing Milo's book, which became a No. 1 bestseller on Amazon.com last month thanks to pre-orders.

The launch party was originally scheduled in June at the Jue Lan Club in Manhattan's heavily LGBTQ Chelsea neighborhood.

But the club's owner, Stratis Morfogen, felt hosting Yiannopoulos would alienate his customers.

'I had no idea this was booked. It was told to us it was a gay pride event,' the restaurateur told Page Six.

In response to the cancellation, Yiannopoulos said: 'Angry, bitter leftists have seized control over the Pride celebration and made it a political statement against President Trump.'

He added that he was 'throwing a party for the outcasts, the rebels, and the gay conservatives who speak, think, and live free of liberal demands'.

The book was officially released on July 4, just months after it was dropped by Simon & Schuster.

Yiannopoulos released the work through his own 'Dangerous Books' publishing.

He has billed the book as 'the most controversial book in a generation'.

Guests were also seen purchasing Milo's book, which became a No. 1 bestseller on Amazon .com last month thanks to pre-orders

The launch party was originally scheduled in June at the Jue Lan Club in Manhattan's heavily LGBTQ Chelsea neighborhood. But the club's owner, Stratis Morfogen, felt hosting Yiannopoulos would alienate his customers. Fans are seen with copies of Dangerous

The book was officially released on July 4, just months after it was dropped by Simon & Schuster. Yiannopoulos released the work through his own 'Dangerous Books' publishing. Pictured are party attendees preparing to purchase the book

Yiannopoulos has billed the book (pictured) as 'the most controversial book in a generation'

On Friday, Yiannopoulos will hold a 'free speech rally' outside the Simon & Schuster headquarters for their 'terrible mistake' of canceling Dangerous.

'It was the most anticipated book in decades, but they terminated MILOs contract and canceled the book under intense pressure from leftists intent on shutting down free speech,' a statement on Yiannopoulos' website read.

'Now it is time for lovers of free speech to strike back,' the statement continued, adding that Yiannopoulos 'will deliver a speech to the crowd, and it will be a giant spectacle  like every MILO event'.

Yiannopoulos recently got a $12million investment deal to start a touring company for speakers such as himself, according to Vanity Fair.

The business, called Milo Inc, will make 'the lives of journalists, professors, politicians, feminists, Black Lives Matter activists, and other professional victims a living hell'.

The 32-year-old likens his venture to a more specific version of Live Nation and said: 'Im going to be actively hunting around for the next Milo.'

In February, the former Breitbart technology editor resigned after a video of him seeming to condone pedophilia emerged.
President Donald Trump reiterated on Friday that he still wants Mexico to pay for a lengthy border wall separating America from its southern neighbor.

And he did it with Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto sitting just an arm's length away.

Reporters had a few moments to pepper the two leaders with questions as their bilateral meeting on the margins of the G20 summit got underway.

'Mr. Trump do you still want Mexico to pay for the wall?' one journalist asked.

Trump responded: 'Absolutely.'

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U.S. President Donald Trump sat with Mexico's President Enrique Pena Nieto during their bilateral meeting at the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany  and told reporters he 'absolutely' wants to make Mexico pay for a border wall

Pena Nieto, who spoke through a translator, may not have caught the English-language moment.

Answering questions in Spanish, he said Friday's meeting would help the U.S. and Mexico to continue their 'flowing dialog,' particularly 'for the security of both nations  especially for our borders.'

'Migration,' he said, has 'occupied' governments on both sides of the border.

Trump has spoken frequently about building a massive, impenetrable border wall to choke off the flow of human and drug trafficking coming from the south.

But Pena Nieto insisted that 'it is the co-responsibility' of his country and Trump's 'to deal with organized crime issues.'

NEIGHBORS: President Donald Trump and Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto shake hands during a meeting on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Hamburg, Germany, on July 7, 2017

Trump said he 'absolutely' still wants Mexico to pay for a southern border wall

ALLOW ME: Pena Nieto, who spoke through a translator, may not have caught the English-language moment about the wall

Trump, seated his Mexican counterpart in identical white chairs, told reporters that he had had a 'successful day' in Hamburg, Germany.

'We're negotiating NAFTA and some other things with Mexico,' the president said, 'and we'll see how it all turns out. But I think we've mad very good progress.

A coterie of senior White House advisers accompanied Trump to his Mexican meeting, including Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster, adviser Jared Kushner and National Economic Council Director Gary Cohn.

Later in the afternoon Trump will have a similar bilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

MAIN EVENT: The day's most closely watched meeting was between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin

In order to limit the size of the human circle privy to information discussed at that meeting, only six people will be in the room.

Trump will bring Tillerson, and Putin will have Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in tow. They will each bring a translator.

The question of how the president's border wall project might be funded is as old as his pledge to build it.

For more than a year, rally crowds would listen to Candidate Trump shout 'Who's gonna pay for it?' before answering: 'Mexico!'

But as campaign poetry yielded to governing prose, the president's initial budget request filed in March included $4.1 billion for design, planning and construction.

By May that number had shrunk to $1.6 billion, and the White House forecast that just $2.6 billion would be spent on the project through the end of 2018.

In the mean-time, however, the president has begun talking about making Mexico's sunshine  not its taxpayers  foot the bill.

A solar-paneled border wall, he told Iowans during a campaign-style rally in late June, would 'create energy and pay for itself.'

'And this way, Mexico will have to pay much less money. And that's good, right? Is that good?'

'We have already started planning,' he told his Iowa supporters. 'It will be built.'
A seven-year-old boy was mauled by a friends pit bull mix in his Central Texas neighborhood in a vicious attack caught on home security video.

Brison Aldridge was playing outside in the 14400 block of Callan Court in Manor at around 8pm on Monday when a dog named Chucho bolted out of his owner's yard and lunged at the grade-schooler.

Grainy surveillance footage obtained by the local police department shows the animal, described as a large pit bull mix, chasing Brison and repeatedly biting him as he tries to get away.

Dog attack: This home surveillance video from June 3 shows the moment a pit bull mix attacked 7-year-old Brison Aldridge in Manor, Texas

Chucho the dog caught up with the boy and proceeded to bite him on his thighs and back

The dog's owner ran after Chucho and attempted to pull him off of Brison, as other neighbors rushed to the child's aid

Chucho was eventually subdued and brought to heel and Brison was rescued from its maw

The owner of the dog runs after Chucho and tries to pull the pet off of Brison during what police described as an unprovoked' attack that lasted 12 seconds.

The victim suffered bites to both his upper thighs and the left side of his back, which reportedly required surgery.

He was taken to a hospital to receive treatment for his injuries and was later released to continue his recovery at home.

His mother, Shauna Aldridge, says it was 'terrifying' to hear from a neighbors child that her son was being attacked.

'I just took off running to go see and the neighbors had already stepped in and helped,' the mother said.

Brison is still friends with the dog owner's children, but his mother, who has a pit bull of her own and knows the breed well, says Chucho had a reputation in the neighborhood as an aggressive animal and she never allowed her son to go inside the neighbor's home for that reason.

Damage: The grade-schooler suffered bites to both his upper thighs and the left side of his back, which reportedly required surgery

Mom's worst nightmare: Shauna Aldridge said she was terrified to hear that her older son was attacked by a dog in the neighborhood

Thomas Armendariz, 12, the dog owner's son, tells a local station Chucho's leash broke as his father was taking him out for a walk

Mrs Aldridge noted in an interview with KVUE that while other neighbors rallied around Brison and have been checking up on him since Mondays attack, the owner of the dog has not reached out to her personally.

The man's 12-year-old son, Thomas Armendariz, spoke to the station KXAN with his parents' permission and shed light on what happened on Monday.

My dad was going to take my dog for a walk and there were a bunch of kids playing outside, and the leash broke and [the dog] got outside, and he saw Brison first so he charged after him, Armendariz said.

He added that police seized Chucho and his father has recommended that the dog be euthanized.

The Aldridge family (pictured) have a pit bull of their own and are familiar with the breed

Brison (pictured left and right with his baby brother), 7, will be spending at least a part of his summer break lying on the couch, waiting for his wounds to heal

The owner of the dog that hurt Brison (top ight) has been cited by police and could be facing a felony charge

To Brisons family, we are so sorry for the incident, we are so sorry for my dog biting Brison, we are so sorry, the 12-year-old said.

For the time being, Chucho has been placed on a 10-day rabies quarantine watch at the Austin Animal Center.

Police said the dogs owner will be getting city ordinance citations for having an unregistered dog, an unprovoked attack, no proof of rabies vaccination and having an animal at large. That amounts to $400 in fines.

He could also be charged with a third-degree felony in connection to the mauling.

Brison's mother says her son, described as an active and outdoorsy boy, is disappointed that he will be spending at least a portion of his summer break lying on the couch, waiting for his wounds to heal, instead of swimming or practicing karate.
Charles Payne, host of Fox Business's Making Money, has lashed out at former contributor Scottie Nell Hughes for accusing him of sexual harassment.

Payne, who was suspended when the one-time CNN and Fox pundit alleged that he had coerced her into a three-year affair, dismissed her on Twitter.

He said that he had been approached for a quote about the allegations last week by an unnamed reporter who then didn't use his comment.

Payne tweeted that he told the reporter: 'That is an ugly lie I vehemently deny to my core. There is a mountain of proof that also proves its a lie.'

Making Money host Charles Payne (left) has been suspended after an allegation of sexual harassment made by married analyst Scottie Nell Hughes (right), who had an affair with him

The Fox Business host (pictured with his wife) a married father, as admitted to the affair, but denies claims that he coerced Hughes into the relationship with threats of reprisals

The Fox host also said he 'will fight this like a lion armed with truth. Thanks so much to all those that have reached out in support. #FightingBack.'

This week it emerged that Payne, who has a wife, had been accused of having a three-year affair with the married political analyst.

On Wednesday Payne admitted to the affair and apologized to his family. However, he denied the claims made against him by Hughes that he had threatened her with 'reprisals' if she didn't have an affair with him.

Their relationship was well-known within Fox News circles, ten sources told the Huffington Post.

On Friday Payne made a series of tweets in which he refuted the claims made by Hughes

He claimed they were an 'ugly lie' and said he had a 'mountain of proof' to back him up

He promised to 'fight this like a lion armed with the truth'

Hughes is best known for her pro-Trump appearances on CNN during last year, when she made a string of gaffes, including referring to Molotov cocktails as 'Mazel Tov cocktails'.

But she also worked as an unpaid guest commentator on Fox from 2013-2016 - during which time she struck up an affair with the married father, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Hughes and her husband, Chris (both pictured), have two children. She reportedly hoped her relationship with Payne would get her a permanent place on Fox

They barely hid their illicit encounters, apparently sharing a hotel room at a May 2015 company trip to the Money Show in Las Vegas, sources told The Huffington Post.

Payne, who was hosting Making Money With Charles Payne at the event, disappeared with Hughes for 'hours' at one point, the sources claimed.

And Hughes, who is also married, attended Payne's birthday party at his home in 2015, where the pair's behavior reportedly made Payne's wife uncomfortable.

Hughes now claims that she was coerced into the relationship with threats of reprisals.

But she also told her lawyer that she had stayed in the relationship because she thought he would help her land a permanent position at the network, sources told the Times.

Hughes tried to talk about the situation with former head of programming Bill Shine, who left Fox News this May - but to no avail, her lawyer says.

She eventually reported the affair to Fox's law firm Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison, when it ended in 2015, telling them of the threats she had allegedly received.

She says that led to her being blackballed from the show.

Sources say Hughest (not pictured) was blackballed after Payne's (center) wife saw them together at his birthday party and told ex-Fox exec Bill Shine of her concerns

But according to the Huffintgon Post, the channel stopped bringing her in after Payne's wife - upset by the pair's behavior at his birthday party - told Shine.

He then barred her from appearing on Fox News or Fox Business, multiple insiders said, despite her vehement support for Trump making her an ideal fit for the channels.

Hughes' lawyer is now preparing a legal complaint against Fox News and Payne.

Payne, a married father, acknowledged to the extramarital affair on Wednesday.

'I would like to extend an apology to my family and friends for having been involved in a romantic affair that ended two years ago,' he said in a statement to the National Enquirer.

However, Payne's s lawyer told the Los Angeles Times that his client 'categorically denies' any acts of sexual harassment against Hughes.

Fox Business recently renewed Payne's contract.

A spokesman for the channel said that the company takes 'issues of this nature extremely seriously and have a zero-tolerance policy for any professional misconduct.'

He added: 'This matter is being thoroughly investigated and we are taking all of the appropriate steps to reach a resolution in a timely manner.'

As well as departing Fox, Hughes was dropped from CNN in part due to her on-air slips.

Hughes claims Fox stopped hiring her not because of Payne's wife's complaints, but because of a vendetta after she reported the affair and alleged harassment to their lawyers

She is now national spokesman for the pro-Trump PAC The Committee To Defend The President.

The accusations are the latest in a series of allegations of sexual misconduct at Fox.

Popular right-wing host Billy OReilly found out he was fired from the network in April, while on vacation in Italy, after an African-American woman accused him of sexual harassment.

She said he would call her 'hot chocolate' when he walked by during the day, and would grunt at her 'like a wild boar'.

O'Reilly denies all the claims against him.

Ex-Fox News Latino Vice President Francisco Cortes and 21st Century Fox settled sexual assault allegations against him by political commentator, Tamara Holder.

But the biggest departure came last year when former boss Roger Ailes was forced to resign amid a flurry of sexual misconduct allegations.

He left Fox with a $60 million payout.
A kebab shop in Sydney's west has been destroyed by a huge fire on Friday morning after it quickly ripped through the business.

Emergency services rushed to the busy Auburn street about 7am as the shop quickly became engulfed in flames.

'My legs are shaking and I really wish, [but] I can't do anything about it,' the restaurant's owner, Mohammad Rahimi told Seven News.

The fire ripped through the whole shop, destroying everything in its path, and left an unrecognisable blackened shell.

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A kebab shop in Sydney's west has been destroyed by a huge fire (pictured) on Friday morning after it quickly ripped through the business

Emergency services rushed to the busy Auburn street about 7am as the shop quickly became engulfed in flames

The restaurant's owner, Mohammad Rahimi gave an emotional reaction to the devastating fire that destroyed his business

He believes the fire may have started in the take-away's deep-fat fryer as litres of oil were set alight.

Fire crews were able to contain and extinguish the flames, preventing damage to neighbouring properties on the busy high street, as they carried out a search and rescue.

Yet the firefighters were upstaged by one brave neighbour who evacuated the nearby homes as unwitting residents slept, oblivious to the carnage below.

'I knocked the door, they opened the door and then brought them down, yeah, I save the people's lives,' local resident David Dawoodi said.

The fire ripped through the whole shop, destroying everything in its path, and left an unrecognisable blackened shell

Mr Rahimi has only owned the store a matter of months and the fire comes just before he was due to finish renovations

One brave neighbour, David Dawoodi (pictured) evacuated unwitting residents asleep in their homes nearby the huge blaze

Duty commander for Fire & Rescue Parramatta, John Moore told Nine News revealed they called in extra recruits when realising the size of the flames.

'It was a fire that had exposure above and on either side, so it had potential to spread into those other shops. The damage on the ground floor is quite significant' he said.

Mr Rahimi has only owned the store a matter of months and the fire comes just before he was due to finish renovations.

'I put all the effort, everything you have you put in the shop and you receive a phone call one day from one of the workers saying the shop has burnt down,' an emotional Rahimi revealed.

Luckily for Rahimi, his kebab shop is insured.

'Yeah, luckily no one was hurt, none of the workers also,' he added.

Fire crews were able to contain the flames and prevented damage to neighbouring properties on the busy high street, as they carried out a search and rescue

The busy area in Sydney's Auburn was quickly evacuated as the flames engulfed the ground floor unit about 7am on Friday

Duty commander for Fire & Rescue Parramatta, John Moore revealed they called in extra recruits when realising the size of the flames
The father maimed in a boating accident trying to save his daughter at a Texas park, died yesterday.

Patrick Oliver was pronounced dead at 9.34am at Scott & White Medical Center-Temple in Temple, Texas on Thursday.

This comes only two weeks after his daughter, Kaitlyn, died June 23 when a houseboat backed into her at Temple Lake Park on Lake Belton.

Patrick Oliver died Thursday at Scott & White Medical Center in Temple, Texas on Thursday after his daughter, Kaitlyn, died June 23 when a houseboat backed into her

Oliver's legs were amputated while in the process of trying to save his four-year-old daughter when the boat driven by Jason Bernal backed into her when she was swimming

Oliver's legs were amputated while in the process of trying to save his four-year-old daughter when the boat driven by Jason Bernal backed into her when she was swimming.

He had quickly undergone three surgeries to try to repair them. But he also had to deal with the emotional distress of his daughter's death along with pneumonia and high fever, according to his family.

'She was definitely a major daddy's girl and had him wrapped around her finger,' Adrianna DeLeon, one of Kaitlyn's aunts, said to Temple Daily Telegraphs.

'She was definitely a major daddy's girl and had him wrapped around her finger,' Adrianna DeLeon, one of Kaitlyn's aunts, said

Since the incident, a GoFundMe has been set up for both 'Pat and Kaitlyn Oliver' that has raised more than $68k for the family. Belton Lake boaters gathered to pay their respects to Kaitlyn and embarked on a conversation about lake Safety on Saturday.

The Crotty Funeral home in Belton, Texas, offered to cover the cost of Kaitlyn's memorial. Oliver was unable to attend Kaitlyn's visitation, and the family had been trying to arrange a private visitation for the father, DeLeon said.

Since the announcement of the dad's death, Crotty funeral home has announced that they will be hosting the two funerals together. Co-owner Jarrah Crotty said that she felt a connection to the Oliver family and that the decision to host the services was an easy one to make.

Jason Bernal was charged with criminally negligent homicide in Kaitlyn's death.

Bell County District Attorney Henry Garza said that some of his staff were saddened by the news of Oliver's death.

Mary Ann Mayfield, the girl's mother (pictured with the two), said: 'Her father loved her so much that he wanted to give his own life to save hers. That's how special she was'

'We are in the process of reviewing this case at this time,' Garza said.

Bernal ran over the small girl while backing his three-story houseboat in the shallow water off Sandy Point at the park.

According to an arrest affidavit, Bernal told investigators he yelled 'clear' and heard no responses when he began his movement. But others said they yelled stop at the boater. A video of the scene showed the boat with people in the waist-deep water behind it.

A witness told police that she had already told Bernal to stop parking the boat in the area because children swam there.

Arrangments have been made for a potential public service for the two. That is pending until the family coordinates with the funeral home on Monday.

Mary Ann Mayfield, the girl's mother, said: 'Her father loved her so much that he wanted to give his own life to save hers. That's how special she was.'
A mixed martial arts fighter is in a critical condition after he was found collapsed under hot towels before a weigh in.

26-year-old MMA fighter Craig Booth reportedly collapsed while trying to make weight for his upcoming bout in the Eternal MMA at the Southport Sharks AFL Club on the Gold Coast on Saturday.

The Toowoomba plumber was found in the bath of Golden Shores Holiday Club at Labrador on Friday, according to The Courier Mail.

Craig Booth reportedly collapsed while trying to cut weight for a bout on Saturday

Craig Booth was set to fight in a mixed martial arts competition in Southport on the Gold Coast

A Queensland Ambulance spokesperson claimed he was trying to make weight for a fight on Saturday, according to the publication.

Booth was taken to Gold Coast University Hospital in a critical condition.

Fighters often sweat out water mass in order to make a weight restriction for the weigh-in a couple of days out from a bout.

The Toowoomba mixed martial artist trains at Big Dog Gym and fights in the middleweight division.
The family of American student Colin Madsen have called on Russian premier Vladimir Putin to reopen the case into his mysterious death.

Madsen, 25, of Jefferson City, Missouri, was found on April 4 last year, eight days after he went missing during a hiking trip through a mountainous area with friends.

Now his mom and stepdad say that new evidence proves he was killed - and that his murder was covered up by authorities.

Scroll down for video

The parents of Colin Madsen (pictured), 25, who died after going hiking with friends in Russia last year, have called on Vladimir Putin to reopen the case into his death

Madsen's mom, Dana (right) and stepdad Michael (left) say forensic evidence shows he was bound at the wrists and hit in the head before his death. He was found dead in April last year

Local police said Madsen died of hypothermia, having wandered off from the hut where he was staying after taking drugs. The case was closed in July last year.

But at a press conference in London on Friday his parents unveiled a new forensics report that they say supports their theory that he was killed.

The report says that Madsen died from a blow to the back of the head from a blunt weapon, and that he was subsequently moved.

Russian cops said he died of hypothermia after taking drugs with his friends - but there were no drugs found in his system, his parents say. They believe it was a cover-up

It also says that he had injuries on his wrists and hands that suggest he had been bound.

Evidence that he had been attacked had previously been announced to the press last October, when the forensics were at an early stage.

Today's announcement came after those tests were concluded and the results returned.

His mom, American Dana Madsen-Calcutt, and his British stepfather, Michael Calcutt, flew from their home in Missouri to make the announcement as the G20 summit got under way in Hamburg.

They called on Vladimir Putin to direct officials to reopen the investigation into Colin's death and urged Donald Trump to exert any pressure he could on the Russian leader.

'We are here to seek justice,' Madsen-Calcutt said. 'We are here to call on the presidents  Putin and Trump - to ensure the case gets reopened.'

Madsen had planned to climb a mountain known as 'Love Peak' with three friends - two Russians and an American - when he disappeared from a hut in the village of Arshan on the night of March 27 2016.

His mother flew to the area four days later to look for him, but said she was 'interrogated' by police, with questions focusing on why four men were staying together with no women or alcohol.

'I really, truly feel he was murdered while I was there,' she said. 'I do feel the police were involved in a cover-up of the death.'

She claimed local police tried to get his friends 'to confess to his murder' and even 'confess they had sex with his dead body'.

Madsen's parents believe he was targeted before his disappearance (missing poster pictured) after locals mistakenly thought he was gay. His mom say cops 'interrogated' her about why four men would stay together without women or alcohol

Madsen-Calcutt previously said last October that she thought her son might have been identified - wrongly - as gay by locals, contributing to the attack.

She revealed, too, that a US test failed to find evidence of drug-taking on her son's remains.

The initial Russian toxicological analysis did not discover significant traces of marijuana or a synthetic designer drug that the Investigative Committee - the equivalent of the FBI - later said he had taken, she added.

The Russian autopsy did 'not even examine his coronary arteries', she said.

'I believe the whole affair is a cover up, and a poor one at that.'

She blamed 'the police or someone related or known by the police - but it has been a bumbled cover up from the beginning.'

When her son's body was returned from Russia it was when 'the funeral home removed his heavy make up, suit, and white undergarments that they noted the suspicious marks, and called forensics.'
Police have released CCTV footage of a gang of thieves who stole a massive solid gold coin of Queen Elizabeth II worth 3million from a museum.

The theft, which happened in the early morning hours of March 27 in the Bode Museum in the German capital of Berlin, was one of the most spectacular in recent history.

Thieves managed to find a way into the museum, smashed a showcase, and took the coin with the image of Queen Elizabeth which weighs a whopping 15 stone (100 kilograms).

Police have released CCTV footage of a gang of thieves (pictured) who stole a massive solid gold coin of Queen Elizabeth II worth 3million from a museum

Thieves managed to find a way into the museum, smashed a showcase, and took the coin (pictured) with the image of Queen Elizabeth which weighs a whopping 220 lbs

The solid golden coin, known as the Big Maple Leaf, comes from Canada and the other side shows an image of a maple leaf.

German police have showed for the first time the CCTV footage of the suspected thieves because all traces to find the criminals have so far been unsuccessful.

The footage shows how three men dressed in black walk into the suburban railway station of Hakescher Markt at 3am that morning.

It seems the thieves are clearly professionals going by the way they scan the historic railway station for cameras and hide their faces.

They left behind an axe (right), ladder and a wheelbarrow which were all bought in a DIY store

Besides hoping for witnesses who might have seen the men that night, the police also asked if people might have been offered unusually large quantities of gold 'in unusual forms' for sale

HISTORY OF THE BIG MAPLE LEAF COIN... In 2007, the Royal Canadian Mint produced the world's first million dollar coin. The pure gold bullion coin was originally conceived as a unique showpiece to promote the Mint's new line of 99999 pure 1 oz Gold Maple Leaf bullion coins. After several interested buyers came forward, the Mint decided to make a very limited quantity available for sale. To date, five of these majestic gold bullion coins, weighing 3,215 troy ounces each, have been purchased by investors from Canada and abroad. The inch-thick coin, which features a bust of Queen Elizabeth II on the front and maple leaves on the rear, measures more than 20 inches across. Museum owners say the coin is in the Guinness Book of Records because of its purity of 99.99 per cent gold. A statement on the Canadian Mint's website said: 'Why did the Royal Canadian Mint make the world's purest and largest gold bullion coin? Because we can.' Advertisement

While hiding their face in a hoodie, one suspect walks ahead to scan the platform and to see where the cameras are located.

The two other suspects are then seen following the first suspect up to the platform on the stairs.

When passing another camera while walking to the end of the platform they look down towards the tiles, making it difficult to see their faces.

They then walk across the tracks, which at that hour of the night had no rail traffic, in the direction of Monbijou Park and the Bode Museum.

They left behind an axe, ladder and a wheelbarrow which were all bought in a DIY store.

Besides hoping for witnesses who might have seen the men that night, the police also asked if people might have been offered unusually large quantities of gold 'in unusual forms' for sale.

The police fear that the perpetrators will melt the solid golden coin to sell it in another form.

The public prosecutor's office has promised a 5,000 (4,420) reward for tips leading to the arrest of the perpetrators.

The coin has a nominal face value of 800,000 but with a purity of 99.99 per cent gold, it would be worth 3.5million if melted down
A teenage rape victim has been jailed for 30 years after the baby she had by her attacker failed to survive, it has emerged.

Prosecutors claimed Evelyn Beatriz Hernandez Cruz, 19, did not want the baby and had thrown the boy into a septic tank at a farmhouse north of El Salvador's capital.

When she was admitted to hospital after the birth on April 6 last year, staff alerted police who questioned the teenager and later found the body, a court heard.

A teenage rape victim has been jailed for 30 years after the baby she had by her attacker failed to survive, it has emerged

Prosecutors claimed Evelyn Beatriz Hernandez Cruz, 19, did not want the baby and had thrown the boy into a septic tank at a farmhouse north of El Salvador's capital

A judge has since convicted Cruz of aggravated homicide - despite her lawyers claiming that she had she had infact suffered a stillbirth due to pregnancy complications.

Abortion has been criminalised in all circumstances in El Salvador since 1998.

Campaigners, who claim the teenager had been raped by a gang member before falling pregnant, have been left outraged by the sentence, which is due to be appealed.

According to local reports, the baby was born prematurely at 32 weeks and lawyers representing Cruz say she only gave birth out of hospital because she did not know she was pregnant.

In court, they claimed that medical experts had found meconium, the baby's first stool, in the child's airways which may have been fatal.

However, a judge ruled in favour of the prosecution and Cruz has been jailed for 30 years.

Campaigners, who claim the teenager had been raped by a gang member before falling pregnant, have been left outraged by the sentence, which is due to be appealed. Salvadoran women take part in a demonstration to demand the decriminalisation of abortion earlier this year

Amnesty said the teenager was admitted to a health centre in Cojutepeque, 25 miles north of the capital San Salvador, on April 6 last year after she fainted at home.

Amnesty claim she was in labour but unaware she was pregnant. Local organisations claimed she had been raped months earlier but that she had been too afraid to report it to the police.

ElSalvador.com reported that the high school student claimed to have given birth in a toilet having thought she was suffering stomach pains.

Amnesty said of the sentencing: 'El Salvadors anti-abortion law is causing nothing but pain and suffering to countless women and girls and their families. It goes against human rights and it has no place in the country or anywhere.

'The total ban on abortion in El Salvador violates womens rights to life, health, privacy, due process and freedom from discrimination, violence and torture and other ill-treatment.

'All women and girls imprisoned for having had an abortion or experiencing obstetric emergencies should be immediately and unconditionally released, and the law must be repealed without delay.'
Martinisation London Limited boss Martin Gutaj, 44, outside the Old Bailey today

A property renovation firm has been fined 1.2million after two workmen plunged to their deaths moving a sofa because bosses did not want to pay 848 for a lift.

Tomasz Procko, 22, and Karol Symanski, 29, were killed when the railings of the Victorian balcony gave way as they hauled the settee up from the pavement.

A third man working on the refurbishment in Cadogan Square, Knightsbridge, was only saved by his colleagues as he began to fall.

Company boss Martin Gutaj, 44, and his renovation firm Martinisation London Limited (MLL) had been hired to carry out the renovation by lawyer Taher Helmy - but skimped on safety to save just 848.

Five workers had been trying to pull the large sofa twenty feet in the air up and over the railings of the 130-year-old balcony when the cast iron balustrade gave way.

The railings were not secure and some were missing, the Old Bailey heard.

Mr Procko suffered catastrophic injuries and died at the scene while Mr Symanski died in hospital a short while later on 21 November 2014.

Weeks before his death Mr Procko had posted a photograph of himself with Chelsea FC star Cesc Fabregas in Cadogan Square on his Facebook page with the caption: 'With my colleague Fabregas in our working clothes.'

Tomasz Procko had taken a day off work and passed his driving test the day before the accident, according to his father Witold.

The bereaved parent said he has kept Tomasz's driving licence in his wallet ever since the family's 'irreversible loss'. In a victim impact statement, Mr Procko called his late son his 'greatest friend'.

Tomasz Procko (left) pictured with football player Cesc Fabregas in the same London square where he died just weeks later

Five workers had been trying to pull the sofa 20 feet in the air up over the railings of the 130-year-old balcony when the cast iron balustrade (circled left, before the incident) gave way (right)

The company routinely ignored protocols and its health and safety manager Angelika Adamkiewicz was a former nanny with no previous experience in the construction industry or health and safety qualifications.

MLL has gone into liquidation with more than 4 million of debts following negative publicity after the accident.

The company was today fined 1.2million at the Old Bailey for two counts of corporate manslaughter and two counts of breaching health and safety regulations.

Martin Gutaj was jailed for 14 months and disqualified from acting as a company director for four years for two breaches of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.

Gutaj was also ordered to pay just under 36,000.

When Gutaj was told in an email it would take 10 days and cost 848 to install a lift elevator to safely take the 18-stone sofa up to the balcony, he replied: 'Unfortunately we don't have time for all that.

'Deliver the sofa and we will get it up to the floor.

'If your guy wants an extra 1,000 that's just not acceptable.'

The 'gung ho' construction boss was already aware that workers had been balancing smaller sofas on their shoulders and climbing up ladders to get them to the first floor.

When Gutaj was told in an email it would take 10 days and cost 848 to install a lift elevator to safely take the 18-stone sofa up to the balcony, he replied: 'we don't have time for all that'

The 'gung ho' construction boss was already aware that workers had been balancing smaller sofas on their shoulders and climbing up ladders to get them to the first floor

Mr Procko's parents made statements about their 'irreversible loss' which were read in court in their absence.

Agnieszka Procko described her son as a 'wonderful intelligent person who loved life very much' and a 'sensitive boy' well liked by his friends.

Martin Gutaj, 44, was jailed for 14 months and disqualified from acting as a company director for four years

She said: 'We as a family are not judging anyone but our world has collapsed after the death of our son. Maybe if the standards were maintained then this terrible tragedy would not have happened.

'We do not feel resentment or anger towards anyone but it is not for us to assess who bears the responsibility for the death of our son. Let the court decide this.'

Tomasz only came to London to help his father Witold Procko pay off his debts in Poland.

He said: 'What happened on that cruel Friday crosses through all of my life accomplishments and nothing will make amends to that what happened and the fact that he is no longer here.

'I'm sad, I'm angry amongst other things at myself because of my financial problems Tomasz found himself in London. I do not wish my worst enemy to have to live through something like this.

'Those that do feel guilty let them say a prayer for Tomek. They know who they are without any investigation or court case.'

Judge Gerald Gordon said Gutaj MLL had a 'classic opportunity with a safety culture to make it absolutely clear to the men that nothing like this must ever happen again'.

Mr Procko suffered catastrophic injuries and died at the scene while Mr Symanski died in hospital a short while later

But the judge said he showed a 'shocking failure to consider the Health and Safety of employees and others' by doing nothing about the warnings and leaving the workers unsupervised.

'It was highly likely in my view that the workers seeing what they had in the past and faced with this exercise would attempt to carry out a similar method of lifting,' said Judge Gordon.

'The word has got to go out that health and safety on these sites isn't a boring technicality, it is vital to the safety of employees and others in what is an inherently dangerous environment.

'Those who are wilfully blind to the risk despite warnings, as you were in my judgement, have got to expect to go immediately to prison.'

MLL, of Chiswell Street, central London, must also pay 71,923 in costs, but Judge Gordon said it will be 'extremely difficult' to assess how much of the company's outstanding debts can be realised.

Gutaj, of Ferry Lane, Brentford, west London, will serve half of his sentence.
Britain's most married man has been spotted visiting an RAF museum with his Filipino fiancee, 42 years his junior, who he met in Thailand while he was married to wife number seven.

Conjugal heavyweight Ron Sheppard, 69, was spotted enjoying the outing at Fleet Air Arm Museum in Somerset with Cristel Marquez Lalec, 27, who he proposed to on New Year's Eve in 2015.

Great-grandfather Mr Sheppard looked content as he strolled outside with Miss Lalec - despite facing the scary prospect of soon having nine mothers in law.

Enjoying the sunshine: Conjugal heavyweight Ron Sheppard (right) was spotted enjoying the outing at Fleet Air Arm Museum in Somerset with Cristel Marquez Lalec (left), who he proposed to on New Year's Eve in 2015

Bargaining power: Mr Sheppard noted the museum's free admissions to a carer and their client

He had his eye out for a bargain, noting that the museum offered free admissions to a carer and their client.

Miss Lalec, dressed in tiny white shorts and holding a refreshing can of lemonade, spent most of the time on her mobile phone.

Last November Miss Lalec said she would only return to the UK to tie the knot with Mr Sheppard once he was single, but according to neighbours, she has been at his ground floor flat for months.

It is not known if Mr Sheppard is yet divorced from wife number eight, Weng Plantino.

Last November Miss Lalec said she would only return to the UK to tie the knot with Mr Sheppard once he was single, but according to neighbours, she has been at his Somerton flat for months. It is not known if Mr Sheppard is yet divorced from wife number eight, Weng Plantino

'The last one': Mr Sheppard with Miss Lalec on holiday together in 2016

Romantic: Mr Sheppard proposed to call centre worker Miss Lalec on New Year's Eve in 2015 after spending Christmas with her family in her hometown in the Philippines, pictured

Commenting on his proposal last November, Mr Sheppard said Miss Lalec is 'the one'.

He added: 'Make no mistake about it, Cristel will be my forever wife. This one is real love. This is the last one  I promise.'

RON SHEPPARD'S WIVES Wife No 1: Margaret in 1966. Had three children and divorced after two years. Wife No 2: Jeanette, married in 1973 and divorced after just one year together. Sheppard later described the union as a 'business transaction'. Wife No 3: Lesley, wed in 1976. He left five years later following a string of arguments. The couple have two sons. Wife No 4: Kathy, met in a holiday camp and they married in 1982. They had a daughter and lasted four years. Wife No 5: Sue, whom he met in a bingo hall and married in 1986. They had two sons but she threw him out in 1997. Wife No 6: Usha, wed in 1999. They split after four years when Sheppard cheated on her while in Thailand. Wife No 7: Wan. The couple met in Bangkok in 2003 and married that year. The pair were in the UK together for just eight months when Wan left him and returned to her home country. Wife No 8: Weng, married in 2004. The pair met online and Sheppard flew out to the Philippines. The couple were together for 11 years and split in 2015. Wife-to-be No 9: Cristel. Sheppard proposed on December 31, 2015, weeks after leaving Weng. Advertisement

At the time Miss Lalec told the Daily Mirror: 'I know what it looks like but I am not here for a passport. I am not here to take advantage of Ron.'

The pair first met more than ten years ago, while Mr Sheppard was married to Wan, wife number seven, and living in Thailand.

The couple were friends with Miss Lalec and the trio would socialise together.

Mr Sheppard was handed a restraining order against Ms Plantino in October 2016 after he pleaded guilty to harassment at Yeovil Magistrates Court.

But Miss Lalec said at the time that she is not deterred by her fiance's chequered past, adding: 'All I want to do is take care of him. And that it is what I am going to do.'

Mr Sheppard was just 19 when he tied the knot with first wife Margaret in 1966 and the pair had two children together before divorcing two years later.

He then met second wife Jeanette in a Kingston bingo hall and they wed in 1973, but it lasted one year. He has since described the marriage as a 'business transaction' which enabled them to receive a bigger house from the council.

Shortly after their divorce, Mr Sheppard met third wife Lesley and in 1976 they tied the knot. They went on to have two children together and he said he thought she 'was for keeps', but he left five years later following a string of arguments.

He went on to meet 18-year-old blonde Kathy at Pontins holiday camp in Somerset and the pair married in 1982. They had a daughter together and lasted four years, despite Mr Sheppard claiming it was a 'rebound relationship' following his split from Lesley.

Chequered past: Mr Sheppard was handed a restraining order last year against Ms Plantino, his eighth wife, pictured, after he pleaded guilty to harassment at Yeovil Magistrates Court

First bride: Sheppard was just 19 when he married first wife Margaret in 1966 (left). Bride number three, Lesley (right), wed Mr Sheppard in 1976

He then met his fifth wife Sue at a bingo hall. Despite admitting he was not 'swept off his feet by her', he moved in to her two-bedroom home and they married in 1986. They had two sons together but she threw him out when he was offered a job in Bournemouth.

He then went on to marry Usha in 1999, after the pair met while he was on a stop-off trip to Singapore.

They lasted four years but split after Mr Sheppard cheated on her during a holiday alone to Thailand.

Long-distance love: Mr Sheppard and Miss Lalec first met more than ten years ago, while Mr Sheppard was married to Wan, pictured, wife number seven, and living in Thailand

With divorce number six behind him, he met seventh wife Wan in Bangkok in 2003 during a trip to visit an old friend.

However, after returning to the UK, the pair stayed together for just eight months before the bride announced she was returning to her native country in 2003.

It was then Mr Sheppard met Weng after meeting her online. He flew out to meet her in the Philippines.
The Polish president has come out fighting in defense of both his wife and Donald Trump after claims she snubbed Trump on Thursday.

In video circulated online - including by CNN host Chris Cillizza on his Twitter feed - Agata Kornhauser-Duda appeared to walk right past Donald Trump's outstretched hand to shake Melania's instead.

But other footage shows Kornhauser-Duda giving Trump a hearty handshake, and President Andrezj Duda angrily denied the claim as 'fake news' on Twitter.

'Contrary to some surprising reports my wife did shake hands with Mrs and Mr Trump @POTUS after a great visit,' he Tweeted. 'Let's FIGHT FAKE NEWS.'

Scroll down for video

Trump was seen frowning after Polish First Lady Agata Kornhauser-Duda (in purple) breezed by him to greet Melania in Warsaw on Thursday. The footage was mockingly circulated online

However, in an extended cut, Kornhauser-Duda turns and greets Trump properly - showing that it was a moment of poor timing, not a conscious snub by the Polish first lady

Her husband, Polish President Andrzej Duda, defended her on Twitter as mockery circulated online, saying 'Let's FIGHT FAKE NEWS'

Trump and Melania were on stage with their Polish counterparts, Agata and her husband, President Andrzej Duda, in Warsaw for official photographs when the footage was filmed.

In the version circulated online, Trump and Duda shake hands; as Trump breaks off to turn to Kornhauser-Duda, she walks past and greets Melania.

That video was shared by Cillizza, of CNN's The Point, along with the message 'OHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGOD'

But a longer cut reveals the truth.

While Trump does look downcast for a moment as Kornhauser-Duda walks past him, she then turns and greets him properly.

Clearly it's the result of unfortunate timing, not a conscious snub.

Cillizza recanted in later tweets, saying he 'laughed' at he video, but that 'there probably wasn't an intent. I think Trump was out of her line of sight.'

He added: 'It was a funny video of a misunderstanding! Nothing more! The same thing has happened to me a billion times!'

This is the moment Kornhauser-Duda walked past Trump, at the same time he turned from her husband to greet her - the longer cut of the footage makes it clear it was bad timing, not a snub

CNN's Chris Cillizza posted the shorter version of the clip - minus the eventual Donald Trump-Kornhauser-Duda handshake - on Twitter. He later recanted, saying that he thought it was a mistake on Kornhauser-Duda's part not a snub

Poland's First Lady Agata Kornhauser-Duda speaks to Melania Trump after walking past Donald's outstretched hand, as Poland's President Andrzej Duda waves

But that wasn't enough to stop people reacting on social media.

'Oh yes, that's amazing. Now he's going to nuke Poland though!!' one person jokingly tweeted.

'Trump stunned lol,' another wrote.

'Look at that little boy pout,' another user tweeted.'

'Best part is he realized it and looked abashed. Sad,' another added, mocking Trump's tweeting style.

Earlier, Trump used a joint press conference to rail against the American media, before admitting Russia interfered in the 2016 election.

'As you know, now they have some pretty serious problems,' he said about CNN after being asked a question by a reporter.

'They have been fake news for a long time. They've been covering me in a very, uh, very dishonest way.

'But CNN and others - and others; I mean NBC is equally as bad... but I will say that CNN has really taken it too seriously, and I think they've hurt themselves very badly, very, very badly.

Donald and Melania Trump are seen on stage in Warsaw, Poland, Thursday morning with Polish President Andrzej Duda and First Lady Agata Kornhauser-Duda

Trump and the Polish First Lady did eventually shakes hands after the awkward moment seconds earlier

The four also greeted crowds at the meeting, during which Trump got digs in at CNN

'We don't want fake news. Bad thing. Very bad for our country.'

After being asked repeatedly about Russia's interference in the election, Trump was much less definitive with his words.

'I think it was Russia, but it could've been other people and other countries,' he said, before spinning off into a rant blaming President Barack Obama for not interfering in the election himself to stop the interference from Moscow.
London is a world hotspot for modern slavery with victims forced into hotels, restaurants and building sites, a top police officer said today.

Detective Chief Inspector Phil Brewer, head of Scotland Yard's anti-slavery unit, has revealed a surge in cases in the capital in 2017 where people are working against their will, for no pay and in dangerous conditions.

In the year to the end of June police have had 820 cases referred to them - compared to 1,013 in the whole of 2016.

Detective Chief Inspector Phil Brewer, head of Scotland Yard's anti-slavery unit warned there has been a surge in people working against their will in dangerous conditions during 2017

The Met needs staff in industries like construction and hospitality to blow the whistle on the crime and help find victims while charities who come into contact with vulnerable people could also help.

Servants kept prisoner in poorer communities or in ethnic minorities also needs to be stamped out because some group think it is culturally acceptable.

Detective Inspector Brewer told Reuters: ' Everyone realises now we're never going to police our way out of this.

'Labour exploitation in London is really misunderstood or not understood, it's quite clear that it's about what we don't know rather than what we know'.

The growth in cases is partly due to increased awareness about slavery, and as police and local authorities are now more often considering whether those involved in potential slavery crimes are victims rather than suspects.

Government departments, local authorities and police are investigating whether people in the construction and hospitality industries are being forced to work against their will.

Police have warned the construction industry has seen a massive growth in slave labour

Britain passed tough anti-slavery legislation in 2015, introducing life sentences for traffickers and forcing companies to disclose what they are doing to make sure their supply chains are free from slavery.

There are an estimated 13,000 victims of forced labour, sexual exploitation and domestic servitude in Britain, according to Government data.

As paperwork is often only processed through embassies, police only hear about mistreatment if domestic workers come into contacts with officers for other reasons, Detective Inspector Phil Brewer said.

Domestic servitude is also fuelled by cultural factors that might make it acceptable in some sections of London's population to have a worker from a lower social group working as a domestic slave even though it is against the law.

The police had faced criticism because officers had treated potential victims as suspects, so London's police now 'massively relies' on relationships with charities and advocacy organisations to ensure swift support for victims.

Under the 'county lines' crime model, for example, young urban gang members are compelled and threatened to deal drugs in more rural areas.

Some of these young people are now being referred as victims, a number that Brewer expects to grow.

Police also needed to have much more 'grown-up conversations' with companies that find modern slavery in their supply chains, to calm their fears that reporting cases would result in them being prosecuted.

'There's not really been any conversation about how companies can actually interact with policing. There's probably some reassurance that we need to do, that if you come to us and say we found this, it won't compromise your position,' Detective Inspector Brewer said.
Neighbours say the occupants of a house raided by police investigating the Manchester Arena bombing 'dumped electrical wires in the middle of the night'.

Anti-terror officers are currently searching a property on the same road as where suicide bomber Salman Abedi lived in Greater Manchester.

Earlier today a 19-year-old man was arrested at John Lennon airport in Liverpool in connection with the attack which killed 22 and injured more than 200.

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Anti-terror officers are currently searching a house on the same road as the suicide bomber Salman Abedi in Greater Manchester

Earlier today a 19-year-old man was arrested at John Lennon airport in Liverpool in connection with the attack which killed 22 and injured more than 200

Yesterday police revealed they believed the bomber may have had help in plotting the atrocity.

While the teenager was detained today, officers 35 miles away have been searching a house in Thelwall Avenue, Greater Manchester while concerned neighbours watched on.

Mother-of-two Jackie Kelly, 44, who lives on the same street, said she saw people from one of the homes dumping electrical waste for two months leading up to the bombing.

She said: 'The two boys were dumping their bins up the alleyway [across the road] at night for a good two months before the bombing and twice afterwards.

'The stuff they were dumping didn't look right. There was wires all in a green bin and it was left in the passage. I first spotted them at the end of March. 'They were doing it all the time until someone reported them.

She added: 'I always saw the boys but never their mum.'

Another neighbour, Ali Mohamed, said Abedi used to visit the housing association property, adding: He didnt show any danger or anything bad.

Neighbours say they saw boys dumping electrical waste for two months leading up to the bombing

Survivors of the attack outside the Manchester Arena after the terror attack in May. Police announced today that they have arrested a 19-year-old in connection with the bombing

Salman Abedi, 22, carried out the suicide attack. Police said yesterday that they suspect he may not have acted alone

This evening police remain on the scene at Thelwall Avenue. Two vans are parked outside the property as different investigating officers enter or leave as a part of their search.

Residents living in the area are made up of elderly couples who have lived there for at least a decade and claim to 'stick together' and also young families.

Lots of children play together out on their bikes and the gardens are littered with bicycles, plastic slides and homemade dens.

It emerged today that police have recovered explosives from properties in Manchester. He milled around for hours in the city centre before making his way to the venue for the attack

Neighbour Uzma Ahmed, said: 'It's bad. My children keep asking me why is this happening on our street again? 'I've only seen them a few times in a year that we've lived here.

'Around two weeks ago, I saw one of the men cleaning their driveway. 'They are very private. Neighbours around here don't tend to mix.'

Neighbour and father-of-five Marco Macedo, 38, said: 'To be honest, we're just trying to get our head around it. We don't feel safe here anymore.'

Osman Ahmed, 36, who lives at number 42 said he found recent events 'scary'.

Mr Ahmed said: 'They just seemed like a normal family. 'The boys went to college and they would say hello like normal neighbours.

'There were two boys, both were around 18 to 20 years old. 'There wasn't a father - it was just a woman and her two sons. 'I've lived here at least eight years and they were here before me.

'The police just arrived this afternoon as I was going to pick my children up from school. 'The guy who did the Manchester Arena bombing lived around here too. 'It's very scary, we didn't know that was going to do anything.

'I don't want to say they are bad people because they always seemed nice to me.'

Neighbour Uzma Ahmed, said: 'It's bad. My children keep asking me why is this happening on our street again? 'I've only seen them a few times in a year that we've lived here.

'Around two weeks ago, I saw one of the men cleaning their driveway. 'They are very private. Neighbours around here don't tend to mix.'

As it stands 23 people have now been arrested in connection with this investigation, of which two were quickly de-arrested, and 20 were released without charge.

Meanwhile a teenager remains in police custody after being arrested at Liverpool airport earlier today.

A spokesman for Greater Manchester Police confirmed the 19-year-old had been detained under the terrorism act and was arrested on suspicion of terror offences.

He said: 'A property on Thelwall Avenue in Fallowfield is being searched as part of the investigation.

'As it stands 23 people have now been arrested in connection with this investigation, of which two were quickly de-arrested, and 20 were released without charge. One person remains in custody.'

Police have said they are keen to speak to Abedi's brother Hashem, who is being held in Libya. It is understood the man arrested is not Abedi's brother.

Abedi spent weeks making his bomb and carried it around Manchester in the hours before his attack on parents and children leaving an Ariana Grande concert.

A series of raids were carried out after the attack and police have said they found explosives.

DCS Russ Jackson, head of counter terrorism policing in the North West, said yesterday: 'We do believe that there are other people potentially involved in this. We do not believe this is part of a large network.

'We do believe that further arrests are possible. We want to speak with Hashem Abedi and we can now say we are currently engaging with the CPS and the Libyan authorities.'
A New York assemblywoman who's vying for the job of mayor has jabbed current mayor Bill de Blasio over his trip to Germany with a humorous photoshopped image.

Nicole Malliotakis posted a doctored photo to her Twitter on Thursday, showing de Blasio wearing traditional German lederhosen and posing with beer and bratwurst.

'While #NYC's subways crumble, sex crimes increase double digits, litter on streets pile up & the number of street homeless soars #G20,' presumptive Republican mayoral nominee wrote.

Nicole Malliotakis posted a doctored photo to her Twitter on Thursday, showing de Blasio wearing traditional German lederhosen and posing with beer and bratwurst

De Blasio, a longtime critic of Donald Trump, headed to Hamburg to protest the G20 Summit that the president and other world leaders were scheduled to attend.

'The Mayor will depart this evening for Berlin & Hamburg, Germany. He will attend several events surrounding the G20. +details to follow,' de Blasio's spokesman Eric Phillips tweeted.

De Blasio left New York the day after a police officer was assassinated in The Bronx

Malliotakis said that she hoped her tweet would bring attention to pressing issues in New York City.

Malliotakis said that she hoped her tweet would bring attention to pressing issues in New York City. De Blasio, a longtime critic of Donald Trump, headed to Hamburg to protest the G20 Summit that the president and other world leaders were scheduled to attend

'The photo is funny but the issue is serious. Our mayor is neglecting his basic responsibility of managing the city,' the Staten Island/Brooklyn assemblywoman told The New York Post.

'He has no business being in Germany protesting. He should be here doing the job he was elected to do.'

In Germany, police clashed with protesters in Hamburg ahead of the G20 summit, using water cannons, pepper spray and batons to disperse marchers after some attacked them with bottles and other objects.

The protest as the G20 leaders arrived in Hamburg was titled 'G20: Welcome to Hell'.

A stand-off between anti-capitalist protesters and police developed before the march itself really got going.
A pair of surgical amputation kits from the Revolutionary War are going under the hammer this month.

The two kits, which feature gruesome implements such as rusted bone saws and hooked knives, were used on wounded soldiers by noted surgeon and Harvard Medical School founder Dr John Warren as he served with the Continental Army.

Together, the historically important kits are expected to sell for up to $50,000 in the online auction that concludes July 12.

'These remarkable Revolutionary War amputation kits hail to a time before doctors understood the importance of sterilization, and the instruments show heavy signs of use,' said Bobby Livingston, executive vice president with RR Auction.

'Wounds from musket balls were rarely superficial, and amputation was fairly common -- even though as few as 35 per cent of men survived the procedure. Amputation kits were therefore essential on the battlefield and in very high demand.'

Noted surgeon and Harvard Medical School founder Dr John Warren used these rusty surgical instruments to amputate numerous soldiers' limbs during the Revolutionary War

A pair of Dr Warren's surgical kits are expected to sell for up to $50,000 in an online auction

While an estimated 8,000 soldiers were killed in the eight-year-long war, there was a higher number of of amputations doctors carried out on wounded soldiers. Dr Warren's surgical kits hail to a time before doctors understood the importance of sterilization. Their knowledge of medical issues was basic and often flawed compared to today. Medical personnel was hard to come by and the tools they used were rudimentary.

If a soldier received a wound that required amputation of a limb a painful procedure followed. First, the patient was bled. Next, two people, usually the surgeon's assistants, would hold the person down. Doctors had to move quick because the patient was awake the entire time, and pain medication was rarely used.

Officers could get brandy or rum, if available, but soldiers were only offered a wood stick to bite down on during the surgery, which, based on the doctor's experience, could be done in less than 45 seconds.

Although amputation kits were essential on the battlefield and in high demand, only 35 per cent of soldiers survived the procedure. Many died from infections, such as gangrene

The instruments in this historically important kit show heavy signs of use and hail from a time before doctors understood the importance of sterilization

A bone saw and a hooked knife hint at the gruesome nature of 18th-century warfare

Inside Dr Warren's surgical kit is the hooked knife -- a popular 18th-century tool for surgeons -- that he would use to separate a patient's flesh and muscle from the bone. After this had been completed, he would use a saw to cut off the remaining appendage.

Most patients went into shock after the amputation and the majority died of infections, such as gangrene.

The Continental Army didn't provide their doctors with many surgical instruments, so surgeons were forced to rely on their own equipment to make it through the war. Dr Warren carried these kits throughout his military service, tending to the wounded at the Battles of Long Island, Trenton and Princeton.

This second kit in a sharkskin case features a rusty saw used to chop off fingers and an extra blade for a large amputation saw

A handwritten card inside the sharkskin kit shows that surgeon Henry J Bigelow received the kit from Warren's son John Collins Warren, a surgeon and first dean of Harvard Medical School

Attached inside the hinged cover of the sharkskin case is a typed early 20th-century card that reads: 'Instruments. Revolutionary War. Surgical instruments used by Dr John Warren in the war, and presented to him by his brother, General Joseph Warren. Dr J Collins Warren'

Following the war, Dr Warren founded and became the first professor of anatomy and surgery at Harvard Medical School, where he taught until his death in 1815.

One of the surgical kits up for sale includes stainless-steel forceps, scissors and handsaws blunted from heavy use, along with its original sharkskin case. Attached inside the hinged top cover is a 19th-century handwritten card tracing its place of origin.

The kit, which dates between 1773 and 1775, was a gift to Warren from his older brother Dr Joseph Warren, a Boston patriot and leader of the revolutionary Massachusetts Provincial Congress.

Also up for sale is another surgical kit which contains more saws and scissors, as well as a curved amputation knife inside a mahogany case. The interior is fitted for these instruments but it's missing a scalpel. Nailed to the front edge of the case is a faint handwritten identification label: 'Used during the Revolutionary War by Dr. John Warren.'

This second kit was exhibited in a 1906 Harvard exhibition of surgical instruments, organized by Warren's grandson Dr J Collins Warren.

The two amputation kits were passed down into the collection of Harvard Medical School, where they remained for almost 200 years, before being sold at a warehouse auction by the university to a private collector.

The photos below are portraits of soldiers wounded in battle during the American Civil War. They depict men who have had limbs amputated. Amputations remained popular on the battlefield and were performed similarly to those done during the Revolutionary War.

Amputations remained popular -- and deadly -- on the battlefield 78 years after the Revolutionary War. During the Civil War, surgeons had to resort to amputations because of a new type of bullet that created terrible wounds when it struck bone
This astonishing footage shows a gang of cashpoint robbers get away with thousands in just over two minutes with a daring raid using a pioneering explosives technique.

The masked men wasted no time in connecting the explosives to the bank machine under the cover of darkness using a method that left the money inside intact and appeared to involve steel cables.

Officers say it was imported to Spain from Italy by the suspected leader of the gang.

They used what have been described as 'solid explosives' similar to a powder employed in fireworks displays.

The masked men wasted no time in connecting the explosives to the bank machine under the cover of darkness

Detectives released extraordinary footage showing the men at work - and completing one raid in just two minutes and 25 seconds

The huge explosion was caused by a 'firework-type material'. Seven suspects have been arrested and are being investigated for a string of rimes including several on the Cosa del Sol

Detectives released extraordinary footage showing the men at work - and completing one raid in just two minutes and 25 seconds - after arresting the seven suspects from Italy, Holland and Colombia.

They are now being investigated over a string of crimes including several on the Costa del Sol.

The first robbery occurred on an industrial estate near Cordoba in March and the arrests took place after a failed robbery in the popular holiday destination of Mijas near Malaga.

A spokesman for Spain's National Police said: 'As a result of police inquiries, the members of the criminal organisation responsible for the robberies, led by a 45-year-old Italian man with previous for the same sorts of crimes, were identified.

The first robbery occurred on an industrial estate near Cordoba in March and the arrests took place after a failed robbery in the popular holiday destination of Mijas near Malaga

The destruction left behind by the robbers shows a completely destroyed bank machine with thousands of Euros missing

'The inquiries resulted in officers discovering that the alleged ringleader was using a pioneering method in Spain and resorting to solid explosives with a method which he appeared to have imported from his country and taught the rest of the gang.

'The composition of the explosive used in the cashpoint robberies was basic but at the same time very effective.

'According to specialists, it was a fireworks-type powder which in the right amount opened the security casing of the cashpoint whilst leaving most of the bank notes inside intact.'

One of the Dutch suspects was arrested on foot of a European arrest warrant.

The others were held during raids in the city of Malaga, where two of the robberies blamed on the gang occurred, and the Costa del Sol resorts of Fuengirola and Mijas.

The alleged Italian ringleader was held in Mijas.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has called for cool heads in the North Korea crisis, saying nuclear-armed Pyongyang should be dealt with in a 'pragmatic' manner.

He described the nuclear problem as 'serious' to South Korean President Moon Jae-In at a meeting in Hamburg today.

Moon has called for tough sanctions against Kim Jong-un's secretive regime following the test launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile on Tuesday.

US President Donald Trump has called on the international community to deal with the threat from North Korea, and tensions have risen in recent weeks over the deployment of US warships in the Korean peninsular.

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Pictured: Trump leans in to listen to President Vladimir Putin during their meeting in Hamburg today

Pictured: President Putin gesticulates during a meeting with President Trump at the G20 summit in Hamburg. He has described North Korea's nuclear programme as 'serious'

Putin smiles as Trump uses his hands to stress a point during their G20 meeting, which is reported to have lasted two hours

Putin listens to German Chancellor Angela Merkel as she appears to reference someone's height during the first working session of the G20

Putin and Trump met today (pictured) at the G20 summit in Hamburg. The Russian president said 'one must not lose his cool' in the crisis over North Korea's nuclear programme

US President Donald Trump has called on the international community to deal with the threat from North Korea. Pictured: North Korean leader Kim Jong-un celebrating the launch of his regime's intercontinental ballistic missile

US President Donald Trump (pictured in Hamburg with President Moon) has called on the international community to deal with the threat from North Korea

This image, released by North Korean agencies on July 5, shows the test missile being launched

Putin said: 'The North Korea nuclear problem is very serious. But here, one must not lose his cool, but rather act in a pragmatic and delicate manner.'

The talks came on the sidelines of the G20 summit in the northern German city of Hamburg, where leaders of the world's top economies are gathered.

Ahead of the summit, Moon called for toughened sanctions against the North at a joint press conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin.

South Korean President Moon Jae-In has called for tough sanctions against North Korea this week

Russian president Vladimir Putin said nuclear-armed Pyongyang should be dealt with in a 'pragmatic' manner

Army personnel and people gather at Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang, North Korea yesterday to celebrate the successful test-launch of intercontinental ballistic rocket Hwasong-14

Soldiers of the Korean People's Army (KPA) watched the fireworks display as part of celebrations marking the missile launch

But he insisted yesterday he was ready to meet the North's leader Kim Jong-Un in a bid to ease tensions.

'When the conditions are met, I am prepared to meet the North Korean ruler wherever and whenever,' he told an audience at a think-tank in the German capital, calling for a 'long dialogue for peace and detente'.

On a visit to Washington last month, Moon laid out pre-requisites for full-fledged talks for nuclear dismantlement including North Korea refraining from nuclear and missile tests and promising a nuclear freeze.
The Kremlin-backed news site RT is claiming that President Trump spoke Russian to Vladimir Putin when the two leaders had their face-to-face meeting in Hamburg.

The two men addressed a gaggle of reporters, TV cameras, and still photographers during their much-anticipated sit-down Friday.

The Russian site's contention that Trump said 'thank you' in Russian could not be independently verified through various other video clips of the encounter.

DailyMail.com has contacted the White House for comment.

During brief public remarks carried live on cable television, Trump said it was 'an honor' to meet Putin  who U.S. intelligence agencies claim was behind an effort to interfere in the U.S. presidential election, providing extra drama behind the encounter.

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'IT'S AN HONOR': President Donald Trump met with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday. Russian site RT claims Trump said 'thank you' in Russian, though the claim couldn't be independently verified

A report on the encounter by Kremlin-funded RT claims Trump said 'Spasibo' to Putin, meaning 'Thank you'. This was how it illustrated the story on its website, using a photograph from the Associated Press

RT chronicled the meeting by including Trump's 'honor' quote, noting that he offered 'his hand to Putin for a handshake.'

'"Spasibo [thank you]," the US leader added in Russian,' in RT's telling of the brief televised conversation.

As Trump leaned in to shake Putin's hand, a flourish of camera shutters make it difficult to hear whether he might have said anything in addition.

A U.S. pool reporter who was in the room for the encounter provided a quotation to the press that included no mention of Trump speaking in Russian.

'We look forward to a lot of very positive things happening for Russia, and for the United States and for everybody concerned. And its an honor to be with you,' Trump said, according to the pool quote.

On the audio posted by RT, about 40 seconds into the clip, it is possible to hear someone say an 'S' sound just as Trump leans into shake Putin's hand. The same sound isn't audible on other versions of the audio.

A report published in January by the Director of National Intelligence identifies government-owned RT as the 'Kremlins principal international propaganda outlet.'

The 'Sbasibo' report also got picked up in an on-line report in Vietnam.

A White House official didn't immediately respond to a request for comment on the RT report's claim that Trump spoke in Russian.

An official transcript posted by the Russian embassy in Washington did not make mention of Trump speaking in Russian. It had him concluding his remarks with 'thank you.'

No answers: Trump ignored shouted questions on election meddling as he met with Putin, the man said to be behind it - something Trump came close to acknowledging in Poland, but not far enough for Democrats

Putin does the talking: The Russian president said he was 'delighted' to meet with the U.S. leader

During his own comments, Putin said he was 'delighted' to get to meet Trump for the first time.

The two leaders of nations that once squared off in Cold War iciness sat down in a neutral setting Friday, representing their nations at the G20 in Hamburg, Germany.

The men's first high-stakes handshake had happened hours earlier in a backstage moment captured by a German government photographer.

With the drama all but gone, Trump and Putin sat before cameras in advance of a meeting that was expected to last more than a half-hour.

At one point during their brief initial meeting, Putin pointed at Trump as they continued to shake hands. Their private meeting occurred later on Friday. There was no audio for the earlier encounter

President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin gave one another a warm welcome on Thursday as they shook hands during their introduction at the G20 Summit in Hamburg, Germany

The promise of a fresh start to US-Russia relations has been eclipsed by allegations of collusion between the Kremlin and members of Trump's election campaign team

Accompanying each man was the smallest of entourages: for Trump, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, and a translator, and for Putin, his foreign minister Sergey Lavrov, and a translator.

On the agenda, according to White House officials, was everything from the Ukraine to NATO arms buildups.

But administration insiders wouldn't say if the president planned to upbraid his Moscow counterpart for meddling in the election that brought him to power.

And Trump ignored reporters' questions about whether he would raise the uncomfortable but geopolitically crucial topic.
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Construction on the world's longest sea bridge connecting Hong Kong, Zhuhai and Macao is almost complete.

After seven years of construction, the 34-mile-long bridge is set to open at the end of the year.

It will cut travel time from Hong Kong to Zhuhai down to 30 minutes from 3 hours.

After seven years of construction, the 34-mile-long bridge is set to open at the end of the year

A view of the world's longest cross-sea bridge which will cut down travel from Zhuhai to Hong Kong to just 30 minutes

Zhu Yongling, director of the management bureau of the bridge has confirmed that the bridge will open at the end of the year.

The bridge used 420,000 tonnes of steel which is enough to build 60 Eiffel Towers.

It bridge's total length is 55 kilometres (34 miles) making it 14 miles longer than the distance from Dover to Calais.

The bridge has cost some HK$ 112 billion (12 billion). Video footage shows the sheer size of the completed main structure.

A bridge connecting Hong Kong with the southern Chinese province of Hong Kong will open later this year

An aerial view of the world's longest cross-sea bridge in Zhuhai City, southern China's Guangdong province

An ongoing project: The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau bridge stands under construction in Hong Kong in 2015

More construction to go: The bridge (pictured in 2015) as workers construct in the Pearl River Delta

Yin Haiqing, a leading engineer on the project told Xinhua: 'Due to lack of experience, it took us 96 hours to lay the first tube in the ocean and many engineers and workers hardly slept for four consecutive days.'

The bridge will cut travel time between Hong Kong and Zhuhai from three hours to just 30 minutes.

However it hasn't all gone smoothly.

Aerial view of the world's longest cross-sea bridge connecting Hong Kong, Macau and Zhuhai and cutting travel time

This is the moment workers connected two sides of the world's longest sea bridge which will open later this year

President Xi Jinping and Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam inspect the bridge on July 1

Workers connect the two sides of the world's longest sea bridge seven years after construction began

Seven workers have died and 129 have been injured since construction began in 2011. Most of them involved accidents where they slipped or fell from a high point.

In April, the Construction Site Workers General Union, the Labour Party and the Confederation of Trade Unions protested in Hong Kong calling on the government to improve workplace safety and calling on the government to investigate the accidents, reports Hong Kong Free Press.

View of the Macau Tower Convention & Entertainment Centre and the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge

A section of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge stands under construction in Hong Kong, China, on March 28, 2017
Two 15-year-old boys are among five men arrested after a Melbourne barber shop brawl that saw one man struck in the head with a tomahawk.

Video footage had been released by Victoria Police on June 27 that saw a gang of up to 15 men enter a barbershop who then allegedly began fighting with people inside.

Police underwent early morning raids on Friday as they made arrests in Melbourne's west and north west, taking the five suspects into custody.

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Two 15-year-old boys are among five men arrested after a Melbourne barber shop brawl that saw one man struck in the head with a tomahawk

Police had released CCTV images and vision of the men, some of which had their faces partially covered, wishing to speak with them to assist their enquiries

Police underwent early morning raids on Friday as they made arrests in Melbourne's west and north west, taking the five suspects into custody

A man was struck in the head with a tomahawk when a gang of men burst into a Melbourne barber shop and started brawling

A man holding a table during the confrontation in the barber shop which turned violent

The horrifying moment a group of African men invade an inner-Melbourne barber shop

The men, who are believed to be of African descent, entered the shop in Footscray at 5.10pm on Friday and began arguing with people inside, police say.

Several fights broke out between the men and patrons, and one man was struck on the head with a tomahawk, sustaining non-life threatening injuries.

Police believe the men involved are known to each other.

During the scuffle, $600 was also stolen from the store's cash register.

Police had released CCTV images and vision of the men, some of which had their faces partially covered, wishing to speak with them to assist their enquiries.

No staff were involved in the brawl, police say.

Victoria Police were unable to provide any further details about the age or nationality of the men pictured in the shocking footage.

Victorian Police have released CCTV footage of the men invading the barber store

A hairdressing salon at Footscray in Melbourne became the scene of a horrific robbery
Their country has been engulfed in a catastrophic civil war for years, but an element of normality can be see on Syria's west coast.

Pictures taken yesterday show Syrians paddling in the sea in Wadi Qandil, which is north of the seaside city of Latakia.

The government stronghold on the Mediterranean coast is still the site of intense fighting.

Syrians were out in force on the beaches at Wadi Qandil, which is north of the seaside city of Latakia

The government stronghold on the Mediterranean coast is still the site of intense fighting

Families were pictured playing together in rare scenes of normality in a country which has been blighted by civil war for years

But families are seen playing in the water and enjoying meals as they have a day out at the beach.

Earlier this week Syrian government forces shelled areas of the province as fighting continued.

Latakia is home to the Russian Hmeimim air base, which Syrian president Bashar al-Assad visited earlier this month.

Moscow has been carrying out strikes against jihadists and government opponents since September 2015.

Syrians are seen smiling as they socialise at the seaside in a province where intense fighting between rebels and government forces continues

Two people splash around in the water at the resort of Wadi Qandil, which is north of the seaside city of Latakia
When a live newscast airing on New Mexico's KOAT-TV experienced a technical snag, veteran anchor Doug Fernandez made it abundantly clear that he was not having it.

Fernandez was in the KOAT Channel 7's studio in Albuquerque on Wednesday evening teeing up a breaking news report about a double shooting when something went wrong.

In the video of the on-air snafu, which has since gone viral on YouTube, Fernandez tells his audience that reporter Christine Pae is 'at the scene with what we know,' then waits for the live link to kick in, his script in hand.

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Viral star: KOAT Channel 7 anchor Doug Fernandez this week emerged as Internet's latest unlikely sensation, all thanks to a technical bug and the papers in his hands

Waiting game: Fernandez was in the news studio in Albuquerque on Wednesday evening introducing a breaking news report about a shooting when something went wrong and the live link failed to kick in

Moving on: Fernandez tried to make a smooth transition into the next segment when the field piece about the shooting suddenly started playing

Reporter Christine Pae showed up on screen, reporting from the scene of the incident

After a short pause, the long-time news presenter realizes that a technical problem has occurred and tries to make a smooth transition into the next segment when Pae's field piece suddenly starts playing.

Visibly frustrated, Fernandez tosses the sheaf of papers in his hands into the air and dejectedly walks off camera, a look of utter defeat on his face.

The video showing Fernandez's silent on-air tantrum has been viewed just under 800,000 times on YouTube as of late Friday morning.

DailyMail.com has reached out to KOAT Channel 7s news director seeking comment about the anchors outburst.

He's done: Visibly frustrated, Fernandez tosses the sheaf of papers in his hands into the air

Not a happy camper: The veteran newsman dejectedly walks off camera, a look of defeat on his face

According to his biography posted on the stations website, Fernandez has worked at KOAT since 2002. Before joining the news channel, he worked as a reporter and fill-in anchor at KCAL-TV in Los Angeles after earlier stints at stations across the South.

Fernandez is not the first TV host to lose his cool in the studio.

One of the most spectacular meltdowns ever caught on camera involved Bill OReilly, the now-former host of Fox News long-running The OReilly Factor, back in the day when he still hosted Inside Edition.

In the infamous behind-the-scenes video, OReilly explodes in rage over a minor misunderstanding with the crew during a rehearsal and howls: Well do it live, f*** it. Do it liveWell do it live. F***ing. Thing. Sucks.

Luckily for OReilly, his epic rant took place off-air.
Paul Steven Haigh , 59, believes it is his religious right to keep a pack of tarot cards behind bars

One of Australia's most twisted serial killers is arguing it is his religious right to keep a pack of tarot cards behind bars so he can read his future.

Paul Steven Haigh, 59, is serving six life sentence at Melbourne's Barwon Prison for seven sadistic murders including a nine-year-old boy, reports Herald Sun.

In a taxpayer funded appeal in the Supreme Court, the bespectacled killer argued his rights a Pagan are being abused because he is denied access to a pack of tarot cards.

Haighs told the court Barwon Prison governor's Brett Ryan refusal to grant him tarot cards is a breach of his religious right under the Corrections Act.

'For me, the Pagan religious practice and use of tarot relates to matters that are more than merely trivial, and it possess a high degree of seriousness and importance to me,' he writes in his affidavit.

He argues the deck of tarot cards was no different to a book, which inmates are allowed to keep under a prison property system.

The murderer argued the refusal to grant him cards showed 'meanness of spirit and a prejudice against Paganism'

Haigh is serving six life sentence at Melbourne's Barwon Prison (pictured) for seven sadistic murders including a nine-year-old boy

He has argued his rights a Pagan are being abused because he is denied access to a pack of tarot cards to read his future

Haighs' bloody reign of terror spanned 11 years and claimed seven lives.

He was convicted of murdering his girlfriend Lisa Brearley, 19, 58-year-old Tattslotto agency worker Evelyn Adams, 45-year-old pizza shop operator and father of two Bruno Cingolani, Sheryle Gardner, 31, and her nine-year-old son Danny Mitchell, and associate Wayne Keith Smith, 27.

In 2012, he penned a vile jailhouse manuscript in which he attempts to blame some of his victims for their own deaths.




The French are planning to lower taxes on high earners, scrap a levy on financial transactions and build three international schools in a bid to attract bankers from the City of London.

French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe today laid out a raft of measures aimed at boosting Paris's attractiveness to high finance to cash in on Britain's exit from the European Union.

Among them are scrapping a plan to widen a current 0.3 per cent tax on financial transactions, eliminating the top income tax bracket, and keeping bonuses out of the calculation of severance pay for 'risk-takers' such as stockbrokers.

French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe: 'You can regret this (Brexit) decision or welcome it, but it's a fact' before laying out the measures to lure bankers from London. Pictured: Philippe in the Senate yesterday

French President Emmanuel Macron has pledged to relax France's rigid labour laws to free its economy from red tape and excessive taxation. Pictured: The Eiffel Tower with La Defense, Paris's financial district, in the background

'You can regret this (Brexit) decision or welcome it, but it's a fact,' said Philippe, speaking on the roof of the Monnaie de Paris - the national mint - with the city's glass-and-steel La Defense financial district visible in the distance. 'You have to deal with it.'

In another step aimed at attracting foreign businesses, the Paris area is to open three international high schools by 2022 in addition to the existing six.

Philippe also announced that work had begun to establish an international tribunal in Paris to handle financial cases in English.

Most international financial contracts are written in English and make reference to British law.

Several banks, especially Asian institutions, have recently announced that they would move European headquarters from London to Frankfurt in response to Brexit. Pictured: Canary Wharf in London

Also in the pipeline is the 'CDG Express', a rail line linking Charles de Gaulle airport to the city.

French President Emmanuel Macron has pledged to relax France's rigid labour laws to free its economy from red tape and excessive taxation.

The French financial sector currently represents about 4.5 per cent of national output and employs around 800,000 people.

Paris is competing with Dublin, Frankfurt and other centres for an expected shift in finance jobs out of London as a result of Brexit.

Several banks, especially Asian institutions, have recently announced that they would move European headquarters from London to Frankfurt in response to Brexit.

Bloomberg News said yesterday that it would move investment banking activities from London to its Frankfurt headquarters.

JP Morgan Chase is moving to Dublin, Frankfurt and Luxembourg. Pictured: The JP Morgan building at Canary Wharf

So far Brexit has had a limited impact in Paris, apart from banking giant HSBC's decision to relocate 1,000 employees from London to the French capital. JP Morgan Chase, for its part, is moving to Dublin, Frankfurt and Luxembourg.

'At this stage there are no commitments besides HSBC's,' said junior finance minister Benjamin Griveaux. 'We're working on it. Today is an important signal to investors.'

With Britain at risk of losing the 'passporting rights' financial firms use to deal with clients in the rest of the European Union when it leaves, employees in direct contact with customers may need to be based on EU territory in future.

Other jobs will need to move to deal with business that must be booked in the European Union, as will risk management workers, who must be based in the EU to satisfy banking supervisors' requirements.

The financial transaction tax (TFF), first introduced in 2012, was to have been extended to include 'intraday' transactions from 2018.

The decision not to do so angered the Oxfam charity, a major advocate of the tax. 'They have killed an advance on the TTF and kissed goodbye to extra revenue that could have benefitted the poorest people,' said Alexandre Naulot, spokesman of Oxfam France.

However the government is maintaining the rate at 0.3 per cent, after a Senate report suggested a reduction to 0.2 per cent.

'To investors, and to those disappointed by Brexit, I want to say that we are ready to roll out the blue, white and red carpet for you,' said Paris regional president Valerie Pecresse. 'Welcome back to Europe,' she added, in English.
Tom Daley's husband Dustin Lance Black has said that Theresa May's deal with the DUP is 'disgusting' and 'harmful' to gay people.

The American director blasted the alliance between the Tories and the Northern Irish party which has been accused of having regressive, homophobic and misogynistic policies.

Black, 43, who married Olympic diver Tom two months ago in a ceremony in the UK, said: 'When someone is so hungry for power that they will sell out an entire people that they supposedly represent, I think that's disgusting and I'm saying that about your Prime Minister right now.

Dustin Lance Black, pictured, blasted the alliance between the Tories and the DUP which has been accused of having regressive, homophobic and misogynistic policies.

Theresa May is doing a deal with DUP leader Arlene Foster, pictured left. Dustin, pictured right with his Olympic diver husband Tom Daley, is not impressed

'Making that deal with the DUP who does not respect gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people equally - that is disgusting.

'It's disgusting because it's hurtful and it's harmful, it crushes self-esteem, it crushes lives and some lives are literally at stake and in the name of power a Prime Minister has made a deal to hold onto it it's very, very sad'.

The DUP has repeatedly vetoed marriage equality for same-sex couples in Ulster and has limited enthusiasm for LBGT rights.

The party doesnt mention abortion in its manifesto, but it has been open in its support for Northern Irelands abortion ban, which sees women imprisoned for having one and denied access to safe and legal terminations.

Black said that he and Tom Daley, pictured, are 'open' with each other about who they are

In his first TV interview since his wedding to Tom, Oscar winning director Black also spoke about their 'beautiful day'

Mrs Foster has said the party remains opposed to any reform of the provinces strict abortion laws, urging last year that she would not want abortion to be as freely available here as it is in England.

Some DUP members have made overt criticism of homosexuality. Ian Paisley Jr, son of the partys founder, has in the past said he was repulsed by gay people and called homosexuality immoral, offensive and obnoxious. The party once supported a campaign called Save Ulster from Sodomy.

The DUP is also sceptical of climate change, while some members are creationists, believing the Old Testaments description of how God created the Earth rather than backing theories such as evolution.

In his first TV interview since his wedding to Tom, Oscar winning director Black also spoke about their 'beautiful day'.

Tom Daley's partner Dustin Lance Black and mother Debbie celebrate at the 10m synchro dive final at the 2016 summer Rio Olympics in Brazil

Following the couple's wedding in May at Bovey Castle in Devon, Black, pictured left with his husband Tom Daley, told 5 News' Minnie Stephenson how proud he was to tie the knot

Following the couple's wedding in May at Bovey Castle in Devon, Black told 5 News' Minnie Stephenson how proud he was to tie the knot.

He said: 'I got quite tearful that day, when I was able to join in that great tradition and understand it fully and come to understand a bit more than I ever knew even when I was fighting for it'.

Black continued: 'We're just really open about who we are and I don't think it's even a gay thing, we just don't hide our relationship.
Police smashed through the wall of a bank on Friday afternoon and saved two hostages who were held captive by a homeless veteran who claimed he had a bomb.

Brian Easley, 33, a homeless veteran, barricaded himself inside a Wells Fargo bank in Marietta, Georgia, and claimed his bomb could 'take out the room'.

When police entered the bank after rescuing the two hostages, they found Easley dead.

Cobb County Police Chief Mike Register said a member of the tactical team could be responsible for his death.

'It appears a member of the tactical team, when we made contact trying to extract the hostages, may have been responsible for the deceased,' he said.

Brian Easley, 33, pictured, a homeless veteran, barricaded himself inside a Wells Fargo bank in Marietta, Georgia, and claimed his bomb could 'take out the room'

Police smashed through the wall of a bank with a SWAT truck and saved two hostages who were held captive by Brian Easley, 33, a homeless veteran who claimed he had a bomb inside

Police officers take up positions outside the Wells Fargo Bank in Marietta, Georgia, where Easley held two bank employees captive for three hours on Friday

Police negotiated with Easley for three hours and eventually smashed through a back wall of the bank. The two hostages made it out safely, but police found Easley dead inside the bank

Easley, a former US Marine, entered the bank around 9.30am wearing a backpack. He told the bank employees that he had a bomb.

He called WSB-TV, an Atlanta television station, around 10.30am identifying himself and saying he had two hostages and a bomb that could 'take out the entire room'.

He spoke with an assignment editor at the station for longer than 30 minutes.

He gave detailed demands and talked about his life, including that he was homeless, had served two tours in Iraq and that he was kicked out of the VA Hospital on Monday.

Easley told the station's assignment desk that he had a bomb and two people with him.

In the station's video account of the conversation, the man can be heard saying that the bomb had the power to 'take out the room'.

He said he didn't intend to hurt anyone, the station reported.

Before the two bank employees were rescued by police, Easley allowed them to drink water.

A police sniper sits atop a restaurant near a Wells Fargo Bank during a standoff between police and Easley

He was also in contact with police who handled the situation as a hostage situation and not a bank robbery.

Police negotiated with Easley for about three hours, according to officials.

Eventually, a SWAT truck was seen smashing its way through a back wall of the bank building, raining bricks onto its hood.

Two female bank employees who had been held hostage by the suspect were then freed. One of the employees told WSB-TV she was the branch manager.

However, it's not clear if they escaped through the wall opening.

After they were able to get out of the bank, Cobb County police Sgt Dana Pierce said there were no more hostages inside.

'To our relief we don't have any injuries here as far as any employees or customers,' Pierce told reporters at the scene early Friday afternoon.

WSB-TV in Atlanta reported the station received a call Friday morning from a man said he was inside the bank and talked for longer than 30 minutes

When police entered the bank they found Easley dead. They continued to search the bank for explosives.

Authorities have not confirmed if Easley had the bombs he claimed to have, but they did find a backpack on the scene that was rendered 'safe'.

Police did not say if the bag contained explosives or another device.

After searching his home, police did not find explosives in his house either.

The VA said in a statement: 'VA is deeply saddened by the news in Cobb County earlier today.

'VA worked closely with law enforcement to try to resolve the situation peacefully, but unfortunately it ended in tragedy. Our sincere condolences go out to everyone affected.'

A statement from Wells Fargo said: 'We are deeply grateful to local law enforcement for their actions to secure the release of our team members today at our Windy Hill branch.

'We are also saddened that the events today ended in the death of the suspect. We are cooperating fully with the authorities in their investigation, and are referring all questions to the Cobb County Police Department in order to preserve the integrity of that work.'

Officials are calling his death an 'officer-related shooting' and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation will be brought in to help, according to WXIA.

Several heavily armed police officers had converged on the bank earlier in the day after reports of a man claiming to have a bomb with possible hostages inside.

Police had previously limited the amount of information they made public saying the suspect might be monitoring news coverage and social media, Cobb County police Officer Alicia Chilton said in a statement to The Associated Press.
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President Donald Trump came out on top in his first handshake with Russian President Vladimir Putin during their much anticipated meeting on Friday ahead of the G20 summit.

The pair exchanged pleasantries and what appeared to be a friendly handshake that was captured on video shot during the leaders' 'retreat' in Hamburg.

But to the expert's eye there was a power struggle going on between them, body language expert Patti Wood told DailyMail.com.

The American president makes the first move to assert his power forcing the Russian president to 'shoot back' with his finger.

In the video, which was first posted to Facebook, Trump initiated full palm-to-palm contact with both thumbs up to 'communicate equity' and show that 'they are equal in power and status', according to Wood.

Putin stands straight up without stepping forward as he allows Trump to come to him. Wood said Putin maintains power that way.

Both leaders smile and the 'smiles linger showing friendliness', Wood said. But the most interesting part about the handshake was Trump's use of his left hand.

'It can mean a lot of different things,' Wood said, adding that it could even mean: 'Im in control of you.'

Trumps left hand is seen underneath Putin's arm, which shows he is being 'supportive' while maintaining 'a bit of control'.

In what appears to be a response to Trump using his left hand, Putin then playfully and symbolically shoots Trump with his finger as if he knows what the US president is doing.

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President Donald Trump maintained his control during his first handshake with Russian President Vladimir Putin during their much anticipated meeting on Friday ahead of the G20 summit. Body language expert Patti Wood said Trump initiated full palm-to-palm contact with both thumbs up to 'communicate equity' and show that 'they are equal in power and status'

Both leaders smile and the 'smiles linger showing friendliness', Wood said. According to Wood, the most interesting part about the handshake was Trump's use of his left hand. 'It can mean a lot of different things,' Wood said, adding that it could even mean: 'Im in control of you'

Trumps left hand is seen underneath Putin's arm, which shows he is being 'more supportive' while maintaining 'a bit of control' as he gently pats Putin's arm

In what appears to be a response to Trump using his left hand, Putin playfully and symbolically shoots Trump with his finger as if he knows what the US president is doing

On Friday, as the leaders kicked off their meeting, Trump said 'It's an honor to be with you', while Putin told the US leader: 'I'm delighted to meet you.'

During their sit-down meeting, Trump greeted Putin in a very 'unusual' way, much different from his other meetings with world leaders in which it seemed more as a 'formality', Wood told DailyMail.com, adding that Trump appeared happy to meet Putin.

During the sit down handshake, Trump took his upper body and leaned into Putin to shake hands. Wood says this is unusual as Trump typically stays pretty close to an upright position, allowing others to lean into him.

Trump also offered his palm upward, which is also not something the president does on the regular, according to Wood, who said Trump usually lets the other individual initiate a handshake.

His hands are centered more towards Putin. Trump usually holds his hands toward himself to show that he has the power and its all about him, Wood added.

But that wasnt the case on Friday.

Trumps body language with Putin showed just the opposite: Its not all about Trump. According to Wood, the entire handshake was about the power differential.

The upward palm shake showed that Trump is 'willing to be supportive', when oftentimes Trump 'likes to be in charge' as the alpha male.

Putin on the other hand 'doesn't move very much' aside from when he slightly leaned forward as they were sitting down.

Trump greeted Putin in a very 'unusual' way during their sit down handshake, Wood said. Trump offered his palm upward (pictured), which is not something the US president does, according to Wood, who added that Trump lets the other individual initiate a handshake

The upward palm shake (pictured) showed that Trump is 'willing to be supportive', when oftentimes Trump 'likes to be in charge' as the alpha male. Putin on the other hand 'takes his left arm and rests it on the chair with his elbow out,' Wood said. Putin's 'left arm is a shield over his heart', which shows that he is still guarded rather than fully open with Trump, Wood added

During their seated meeting, Trump continues with his manspread in his usual alpha male position with his hands in a steeple pointed downward. This position is distinctive to Trump as a guard position that also shows his power

'He takes his left arm and rests it on the chair with his elbow out,' Wood said, adding that it shows his 'left arm is a shield over his heart'.

Wood, who is the author of SNAP: Making the Most of First Impressions Body Languages and Charisma, said this means, despite the pleasantries, the Russian president is still 'guarded rather than fully open' with Trump.

Putin's stillness also shows that he 'wants to maintain the power' as Trump takes a more 'passive position'.

Overall, Putin seemed 'at ease aside from the guarded elbow' Wood said.

During their seated meeting, Trump continues with his manspread in his usual alpha male position with his hands in a steeple pointed downward. This position is distinctive to Trump as a guard position that also shows his power.

Putin also did the manspread, showing Trump that he's an alpha as well, but Putin rested his arms on the chair arms, which made him look slightly larger tha Trump, Wood said.

According to Wood, this showed 'a little more power'.

But most of all Wood noted the slight smile on Trump's face and his eye contact with Putin.

'That showed more than anything that he was happy and in the moment,' Wood said. 'A lot of times when he shakes hands its a formality.

'And he doesnt always make full eye contact and when he does, he doesnt usually smile.'

But according to Wood, Putin's manspread showed Trump that he's an alpha as well. Putin rested his arms on the chair, which made him look slightly larger than Trump, Wood said and this showed 'a little more power'

Trump took his usual approach in his handshake with German Chancellor Angela Merkel (left) as pulled her hand closer to him in a show of power. Putin and Merkel also appeared more serious in their shake as the German chancellor gave him a firm handshake

Wood said that moment showed Trump was 'enjoying' himself and for once it wasn't all about his power.

Putin and Trump shook hands at the start of the summit in Hamburg, Germany, but it wasn't until hours later that they spoke privately.

Trump said he anticipates 'a lot of positive things happening, for Russia, for the United States', adding that their talks on 'various things' were 'going very, very well'.

Ahead of the summitt, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Putin was looking forward to the talks and had lots of questions for Trump.

Their first sit-down meeting was expected to last for about 30 minutes and touch upon several complex issues, from the Syrian conflict to Russia's provocations in Ukraine.

However, the meeting also falls under the shadow of accusations that Russia meddled in the 2016 presidential election - and Trump is under pressure to raise those concerns with Putin in their first meeting.

On Thursday, said he believes Russia may have interfered in the election, but he said that he believes other countries may have been involved as well.

Until Friday, the two men had reportedly never met.

Trump is trying to establish a rapport with Putin, one White House aide said Friday, in the hope that the two men can reach a detente and avoid a new Cold War.

But the US president's critics warn that Putin, a former KGB spymaster, is a master of manipulation who can meet every Trump volley with an overhand smash.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel takes part in a family photo along with French President Emmanuel Macron, US President Donald Trump, Indonesia's President Joko Widodo, Mexico's President Enrique Pena Nieto, South African President Jacob Zuma, Argentina's President Mauricio Macri, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Brazilian President Michel Temer, South Korea's President Moon Jae-in, Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May, European Council President Donald Tusk, European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker, U.N. Secretary-general Antonio Guterres, Norway's Prime Minister Erna Solberg, Netherlands' Prime Minister Mark Rutte, Senegal's President Macky Sall, Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Spanish Prime Minister Mariano

Trump (second from left in the front row) and Putin (fourth from right in the front row) stood far from another in a group shot of the leaders involved in the G20 summit

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron talk before getting down to business at the start of the first working session of the G20 meeting

From left to right, Trump, China's President Xi Jinping, Merkel, Argentinia's President Mauricio Macri and Australia's Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull turn around for photographers at the start of the first working session of the G20 meeting

British Prime Minister Theresa May, President Trump, Chinese President Xi Jinping and German Chancellor Merkel smile for the cameras

Trump and his colleagues will remain in Hamburg until Saturday. He earlier tweeted that he had 'much to discuss' with the Russian leader.

'I look forward to all meetings today with world leaders, including my meeting with Vladimir Putin. Much to discuss,' Trump wrote, adding the hashtag #USA and an American flag emoji.

Friday's encounter in Hamburg, comes at a pivotal time in US-Russian relations. Trump will be closely watched to see if he confronts Putin over Russia's meddling in the 2016 presidential election.

Ahead of the G20 Summit's start, Trump vowed to fight for US interests, despite the 'Fake News Media' he claims covers him inaccurately.

'I will represent our country well and fight for its interests! Fake News Media will never cover me accurately but who cares! We will #MAGA!' he Tweeted ahead of the G20 Summit.

Trump sat next to Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May as they prepped to start the first working session of the G20 meeting

From left to right, President of Brazil Michel Temer, Prime Minister of Australia Malcolm Turnbull, President of Argentina Mauricio Macri, German chancellor Angela Merkel, Chinese President Xi Jinping, US President Donald J. Trump and British Prime Minister Theresa May during the plenary session of the G20 Summit in Hamburg

Merkel, sitting in the center of the room in red, spoke to the group of world leaders at the plenary session of the G20 Summit

Trump sits alone at the beginning of the plenary session of the G20 Summit as others involved in the talks take their seats

China's President Xi Jinping and Trump begin listening into the discussion on the first day of the G20

The US president arrived Friday morning after most of his international counterparts, shaking hands with German Chancellor Angela Merkel with a friendly 'How are you?' greeting.

Merkel, as the host leader, greeted every head of state personally on a red carpet as camera shutters clicked.

She got kisses on the cheek from European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, European Council President Donald Tusk, Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and French President Emmanuel Macron.

After 15 leaders had arrived, an announcer said the welcome proceedings were over. Merkel exited but came back several minutes later to greet Trump, South Korean President Moon Jae-in and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Trump clasped Merkel on the shoulder as they both disappeared inside the G20 meeting room.

During a brief photo call at the top of the leaders' retreat, Trump was seated between Merkel and UK Prime Minister Theresa May.

While May chatted with the US president, Merkel faced away from them and chatted with Macron.

The room, a cavernous sea of bright yellow carpet, put at least 50 feet of distance between Trump and Putin, who was seated a quarter of the way around the giant circle.

Trump (center) smiles towards Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (second right, back to camera) while Chinese President Xi Jinping (left) takes his seat

South Africa's President Jacob Zuma, Russia's President Putin and Mexico's President Enrique Pena Nieto talk at the start of the 'retreat meeting'

Merkel talks to Russia's Putin at the start of the first working session of the G20 meeting in Hamburg

Merkel gets comfortable as she begins her bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at the G20 summit on Friday

US lawmakers and federal investigators are continuing to look into Russia's election interference, along with possible collusion between Trump campaign associates and Russian government officials.

Russia has been accused by four US intelligence agencies of interfering in the national election that hoisted Trump to power last year.

That puts Trump under intense scrutiny over how he handles the sit-down with Putin.

Trump said at a news conference in Poland on Thursday that Russia 'could have' interfered in the 2016 presidential campaign, but he's not convinced that the country was the sole meddler.

'I think it was Russia, and it could have been other people in other countries,' Trump said. 'Nobody really knows.'

He added that the US Intelligence Community has made high-profile mistakes in the past, so 'nobody really knows for sure'.

Trump sought to redirect any scrutiny toward his predecessor, Barack Obama, accusing him of allowing Moscow to meddle on his watch.

Though the Obama administration warned Russia publicly and privately before Election Day to stop interfering, questions have since been raised about whether the office holder acted aggressively enough to stop the threat.

During a brief photo call at the top of the leaders' retreat, Trump was seated next to Merkel as all of the leaders sat in circular formation

Trump chatted with UK Prime Minister Theresa May as Merkel faced away from them and spoke with French President Emmanuel Macron

'They say he choked. Well, I don't think he choked,' Trump said. 'I think he thought Hillary Clinton was going to win the election, and he said, "Let's not do anything about it".'

Trump said the CIA informed Obama about the hacking months before the election but added that 'mistakes have been made'.

In Putin, Trump sees a potential ally in the war on radicalism in the Middle East.

The Republican president and his administration have held off on slapping Moscow with new sanctions as they assess Putin's willingness to work with the US to defeat ISIS and remove Bashar al-Assad from power in Syria.

Experts on Putin have said it is Trump who should be worried that the Russian president will try to earn concessions.

Putin, like other world leaders who have Trump's number, is most likely to get what he wants by flattering him.

'I would be surprised if Vladimir Putin offers any concessions in exchange for restoring what Russia sees as its inalienable rights,' Dmitri Trenin, director of the Carnegie Moscow Center, told the Associated Press.

'If no agreement is reached, Russia will take retaliatory measures, which could trigger new US moves,' he added.

Trump's deal-making skills and his electoral victory are especially ripe for the complimenting, foreign leaders have found, although Putin is less likely to bring up the latter than other people in positions of power who have sat across from the billionaire.

A close ally of Syria and Iran, Trump called on Russia from Poland to cease its 'destabilizing activities in Ukraine and elsewhere and its support for hostile regimes' in his most forceful remarks on the subject yet during a speech on Thursday.

Putin attends a BRICS leaders' meeting as he takes part in the G20 summit in Hamburg ahead of his meeting with Trump on Friday

Putin laughed as he spoke with Mexico's President Enrique Pena Nieto as South African President Jacob Zuma sits nearby during a talk at the G20 Summit

Putin and Pena Nieto lean across their chairs to talk at the start of the 'retreat meeting' on the first day of the G20 summit in Hamburg

Russia must choose to join the US and its allies in their 'fight against common enemies and in defense of civilization itself,' Trump said.

Putin's government is presently aligned with 'powers that seek to test our will, undermine our confidence, and challenge our interests',Trump stated.

'To meet new forms of aggression, including propaganda, financial crimes, and cyberwarfare, we must adapt our alliance to compete effectively in new ways and on all new battlefields,' he declared.

Russia has made no indications that it would be willing to sell out Assad in order to take out ISIS. To the contrary, it has continued to work with the ruling class in the face of vicious assaults on women and children.

Trump's attitude coming into office had been to let the civil war in Syria resolve itself. A chemical weapons attack in April that killed 89 changed his mind.

'These heinous actions by the Assad regime cannot be tolerated. The United States stands with our allies across the globe to condemn this horrific attack and all other horrific attacks, for that matter,' he said during a news conference the following day.

As Trump dropped bombs on the facility in Syria where the attack was launched from several days later he urged 'all civilized nations' to join the US 'in seeking to end the slaughter and bloodshed in Syria, and also to end terrorism of all kinds and all types'.

Before Putin, Trump tried to manage another rocky international relationship with Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto.

Pena Nieto had been scheduled to visit the White House shortly after Trump took office, but he scrapped the trip at the last minute due to disagreement with Trump over the US president's insistence that Mexico pay for the wall he has vowed to build along the US-Mexico border to deter illegal immigration. Pena Nieto insists Mexico will not pay.

Trump was also scheduled to meet with Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto. He's seen above after greeting German Chancellor Merkel

Trump's motorcade on Friday was decorated with American and German flags ahead of the G20 summit in Hamburg

Trump hailed Pena Nieto as a 'friend' in their face-to-face meeting on Friday, but said he 'absolutely' wants Mexico to pay for the wall.

Pena Nieto insists Mexico will not pay for the wall.

Trump said, 'it's great to be with my friend the president of Mexico'. Pena Nieto said he hopes to continue a 'flowing dialogue'.

He reassured Pena Nieto in April that he would not pull out of the North American Free Trade Agreement, which involves the United States, Mexico and Canada.

But Trump said he could still withdraw if he concludes that a renegotiated pact would not produce 'a fair deal' for all sides.

The Putin meeting is the highlight of a hectic, four-day European visit for Trump, who addressed thousands of Poles in an outdoor speech in Warsaw, Poland, on Thursday.

He met in Germany with Chancellor Angela Merkel, the summit host, and had dinner with two Asian allies - Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and South Korean President Moon Jae-in - to discuss North Korea's aggression.

The Group of 20 gathering of the world's leading rich and developing nations is the first since Trump announced that the United States would withdraw from the Paris climate agreement, deeply disappointing Merkel and other US allies who had hoped to maintain momentum in battling climate change.

Even as Trump has said in vague terms he would like to renegotiate the Paris accord, European leaders have vowed to press forward.
Malala Yousafzai has spent years fighting for girls around the world to get the education they deserve, and now she has overcome her own obstacles to graduate high school.

In 2012, a Taliban gunman shot her in the head for advocating for girls to receive an education in her native Pakistan.

On Friday, the Nobel Peace laureate completed her schooling in Britain, calling the achievement 'bittersweet'.

Malala Yousafzai has spent years fighting for girls around the world to get the education they deserve, and now she has overcome her own obstacles to graduate high school

On Friday, the Nobel Peace laureate completed her schooling in Britain, calling the achievement 'bittersweet'. She posted about her achievement on Twitter

Business magnate, Bill Gates, wrote a hearfelt tweet to Yousafzai on Friday

The 19-year-old took to Twitter to celebrate her accomplishment: 'Today is my last day of school and my first day on @Twitter,' she wrote on her newly opened account.

She gained more than 134,000 followers in just three hours.

Thousands welcomed her to Twitter, including Microsoft co-founder and business magnate, Bill Gates, and actress Mia Farrow.

'You continue to inspire me, @Malala. Thanks to you, young women around the world can dream of a brighter future for themselves,' Gates tweeted.

Yousafzai had been attending a school in the city of Birmingham where she was treated after the shooting in October 2012.

After blogging and campaigning for girls' education in her native Swat valley, she was shot as she rode back to her village on a bus after taking an exam.

Yousafzai has since become a global icon for girls' education, winning the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014.

Her blood soaked school uniform is currently displayed at the Nobel Peace Center in Oslo, Norway.

Yousafzai had been attending a school in the city of Birmingham where she was treated after the shooting in October 2012. She's pictured in July 2013, just a year after the attack, giving a speech at a Youth Assembly at the UN

Yousafzai has since become a global icon for girls' education, winning the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014. Her blood soaked school uniform (pictured) is currently displayed at the Nobel Peace Center in Oslo, Norway

'Graduating from secondary school (high school) is bittersweet for me,' she tweeted, on Friday.

'I know that millions of girls around the world are out of school and may never get the opportunity to complete their education'.

She said she was 'excited' about her future and promised to continue 'fighting for girls'.

Yousafzai has excelled at school and is awaiting the results of her A-level exams next month.

She has been offered a place to study at Oxford University.

She has been offered a place to study at Oxford University. Yousafzai (left during 2014 Noble Peace Prize speech) has chosen to study Philosophy, Politics and Economics. She's seen with her father Ziauddin Yousafzai (right) during the premiere of He Named Me Malala in 2015

Also in April, Yousafzai was selected as a United Nations messenger of peace during a ceremony in New York. She's pictured with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres

Yousafzai has chosen to study Philosophy, Politics and Economics, a prestigious course that has produced many British politicians and world leaders including late Pakistani prime minister Benazir Bhutto.

In April, Yousafzai received honorary citizenship in Canada and became the youngest person to address the country's Parliament.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau presented her with a framed certificate of citizenship. She's only the sixth person to receive the honor and the youngest ever.

Also in April, Yousafzai was selected as a United Nations messenger of peace during a ceremony in New York.
A jihadist fighter has been caught on video laughing to himself after gunning down an innocent woman attempting to flee the war-torn city of Mosul.

Unverified video shows a group of approximately ten civilians, including children, carrying bags through the northern Iraqi city which has served as the frontline in the fight against ISIS.

The video appears to be shot from a rooftop and the voices of two men, alleged ISIS fighters, can be heard. Their faces are not pictured.

The men exchange conversation and after 30 seconds a shot is fired, the camera shakes and a woman's body is seen laying on the ground.

Hundreds of thousands of people have fled Mosul as the Iraqi government continues to battle ISIS fighters, which was once a stronghold for the terrorist group.

Iraqi forces have made progress, liberating eastern Mosul in January of this year, but ISIS has been rebutting with violent attacks as the group loses more ground.

This latest video footage could be another example.

A group of approximately ten civilians, mostly women and children, are seen walking out of town with bags, assuming to be leaving their homes in war-torn Iraqi city of Mosul

Snipers shoot at a group of citizens who appear to be leaving town, leaving one woman lying on the ground. Young children are seen running for cover from the gunfire

On Thursday the United Nations warned of the nearly 20,000 people who have been forced to leave their homes in Mosul due to the ISIS occupation, which began in 2014.

A woman's body is left on the street, following sniper gunfire by jihadist fighters from the rooftops. The Iraqi government continues to battle the ISIS insurgency and try to liberate Mosul

The Iraqi government believes they are close to fully freeing the city from terror, predicting victory in the coming weeks.
Vice President Mike Pence became the butt of the joke on Thursday, when he was pictured flouting a 'do not touch' sign during a trip to NASA.

The hilarious photo shows the VP touching a metal object at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, while the center's director, Bob Cabana, and Sen. Marco Rubio look on.

Internet users went wild with the picture, posting dozens of memes about it on Twitter, Reddit, Instagram.

Scroll down for video

Vice President Mike Pence became the butt of the joke on Thursday, when he was pictured flouting a 'do not touch' sign during a trip to NASA

Internet users widely made fun of Pence for the hilarious photo on Twitter, Instagram and Reddit

'When you're the VP they let you do it. You can do anything...Grab them by the space probe. You can do anything,' one Twitter user captioned the photo.

That comment was a reference to President Trump's P****gate scandal, in which he was caught talking crassly about fondling women.

'When you're a star, they let you do it. You can do anything...grab them by the p****. You can do anything,' Trump told Billy Bush in the leaked tape.

Other memes painted the vice president as a dunce who couldn't read a simple sign.

Actor-turned-political activist Kal Pen even weighed in with a meme of his own.

'Sir, the sign says-' the space center's director tells Pence in the photo.

'Ahhhh,' Pence replies, touching the piece of equipment anyway.

Even actor-turned-political activist Kal Pen even weighed in with a meme of his own

Another meme compared Pence to the dimwitted Spongebob Squarepants character Patrick.

Others played the moment as an act of rebellion.

Playing off the popular 'Thug Life' internet meme, one Twitter user photo shopped the image to show wearing a pair of sunglasses and smoking marijuana.

NASA told DailyMail.com that it was actually fine for the vice president to touch the piece of metal.

'The "do not touch" signs are there as a day-to-day reminder, including the one visible on the titanium Forward Bay Cover for the Orion spacecraft. Procedures require the hardware to be cleaned before tiles are bonded to the spacecraft, so touching the surface is okay. Otherwise, the hardware would have had a protective cover over it like the thermal heat shield, which was nearby,' the statement read.

During his trip to the space center on Thursday, Pence said it was time to usher in a 'new era' in American leadership in space.

Pence, who was recently named to head a government advisory body called the National Space Council, said the group would hold its first meeting 'before the summer is out.'

He also toured NASA's Kennedy Space Center to see progress in constructing a NASA spaceship destined for deep space and privately built capsules designed to send astronauts to low-Earth orbit in the coming years.

'Our nation will return to the Moon, and we will put American boots on the face of Mars,' Pence told the cheering crowd of about 800 NASA employees, space experts and private contractors, but gave no specifics.

'We did win the race to the Moon,' he added, recalling the Apollo missions of the 1960s and 1970s which sent men - one of whom, Buzz Aldrin, sat in the audience - to the surface of the Moon.

Pence addresses a cheering crowd of about 800 NASA employees, space experts and private contractors inside the Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center on Thursday
A teenager faces jail after killing a popular taxi driver in a horror hit-and-run while his hysterical son watched - and then blaming the victim for the deadly collision.

Martin Joyce was speeding down Stockport Road in Manchester at least 10mph over the speed limit when his silver Peugeot 307 collided with Shahid Tarafdar in February this year, and now faces jail.

Mr Tarafdar, 45, had just purchased food from a takeaway and was returning to his car where he had left his son, when he was struck by Joyce's car and thrown through the air back onto the pavement, Manchester Crown Court heard.

Martin Joyce was speeding down Stockport Road in Manchester at least 10mph over the speed limit when his silver Peugeot 307 collided with Shahid Tarafdar (pictured) in February this year, and now faces jail

The father-of-three was rushed to hospital with severe chest injuries but died later that day. His nine-year-old son contacted his mother via Facetime while still waiting in the car, screaming that they were 'taking daddy away'.

Joyce, from Gorton, Greater Manchester, later blamed the victim for the collision, telling a prison officer, 'It was his fault, he didn't look, he didn't look left or right. He had his tea in a bag'.

The 18-year-old added that his friend has 'grassed him up', stating, 'You watch me, I'll do ten years for him because he's ruined my life. I was doing alright, I was minding my own business. I'd got a car and I was driving around. I then let them little muppets in my car and this is what happens'.

Martin Joyce had purchased the car two days before the incident, paying 480 in cash for the vehicle from a Facebook advert. Joyce has never passed a driving test and had been disqualified from driving in a six month ban handed to him by magistrates in November 2016.

The car speeds across a junction with one of its doors flapping open

In a statement read to the court Joyria Chouwdhry, Mr Tarafdar's wife, begged for the defendants to be severely punished for what they had done.

It said: 'I cannot describe the hurt and anger I feel inside me because of what the defendants have done will not just affect me and my three children but our whole family.

'We thought that the number seven was our lucky number and we spoke about how the year 2017 would being us happiness and joy.

'Little did I know that it would be the worst year of my life. My husband rang me after he picked up our son from school telling me to set the table as he was going to get some more food.

'Little did I know that would be the last time we spoke. I had a missed call from my son which I didn't think much of I just thought it was a missed call.

'But then he FaceTimed me and he was screaming and crying and hysterical and I remember him saying mummy they're taking daddy away, and I saw the ambulance taking my husband away from me and my three children forever.

'My youngest son has not been the same since the incident. He wakes up screaming and crying but tells me to be strong even when fighting his own demons.

'I never imagined having to support my child through something like this without my husband.

'I haven't slept in our bed since my husband died, I sleep in my children's bed and I am woken up by nightmares and flashbacks from scenes from that day. I struggle to get back to sleep and I cry and am shaking.

'My mind and heart are broken and I now only live for my children The defendants have ruined our entire families lives. Shahid was my soulmate, my best friend and a beloved father.

Police released shocking footage of the moments immediately after the crash. It shows the driver racing down Stockport Road and stopping to let a hooded passenger out. The Peugeot was later found set alight

'I feel so empty inside like there is no energy to go on. We miss Shahid more today than yesterday and will miss him always.

'I feel that the defendants should be severely punished for their actions and I hope that the criminal justice system will do this as I don't want anyone else to go through this ever again.'

On 7 February this year Joyce collected two friends, Rory Ellison and co-defendant Abdullah Taher, 19, before driving towards Longsight and was told to 'calm down' and 'mind the gap' by Mr Ellison just seconds before hitting the taxi driver.

Prosecuting Henry Blackshaw said: 'At about 3.45 on that day, which was a Tuesday, Mr Tarafdar had parked his car on the East side of the A6 in an area of shops and takeaways, which is between Stamford Road and Dickinson Road.

'This is where the main road narrows and is congested with traffic and busy with pedestrians with parked cars and buses on both sides.

'Whilst the road is subject to a 30 mph speed limit, as is clear from the CCTV footage, the actual safe speed for vehicles go through that stretch of road in those circumstances is significantly less than that.

'At the time of the collision the car was being driven no slower than 40 mph. The circumstances of the collision and the precise calculation of the speed are known because the driving pre, during and post was captured on CCTV cameras mounted on retail premises and, to an extent, caught on bus mounted CCTV cameras as well.

'The accident investigator further observes that there was no indication of any braking prior to the collision and the first sign of it occurs about a second after it.

'Shortly after turning onto the A6 the Peugeot is held up by a red traffic light at the junction with Slade Lane.

'It is first in the queue of vehicles, with a bus immediately behind it. On the bus cameras, the car can be seen to accelerate away as the lights turn to green. It is now only about 150 metres from the point of the collision.

'By now Mr Tarafdar was attempting to cross the road having purchased food, which he can be seen to be carrying in a white carrier bag.

'He is waiting to find a gap in the traffic, which is mainly southbound and includes a bus, from which further CCTV footage was recovered.

'His task was not being made any easier by the manoeuvring of a blue Ford Focus, which had been parked immediately to his right-hand side and is trying to edge out into the traffic.

'This caused Mr. Tarafdar to have to step further into the carriageway and will also have had the effect of partially obscuring him from the oncoming traffic.

'Mr. Tarafdar can be seen looking left and right in an initial attempt to cross the road, before he desists because of the Southbound bus. There is then a brief pause before he sets off again, this time neglecting to make a final check right.

'As he sets off he is hit by the defendant's car. This was about a second after he sets off and so will have only been fully visible for that same length of time.

'Rory Ellison states that he could see, as you would expect someone in the front of the Peugeot do so, Mr. Tarafdar stood at the far end of the Focus, trying to cross the road.

'Rory Ellison then describes a loud 'bang' as the car struck Mr. Tarafdar. The windscreen had what he thought was blood on it, but in fact seemingly was sauce from the takeaway food.'

A passenger was seen to exit the Peugeot in the moments following the collision

Immediately after the crash, Martin Joyce failed to stop and forced his way through stationary and slow moving traffic to flee the scene. Rory Ellison flees from the car when it is forced to stop, and Taher also makes an attempt to escape but the car speeds off.

Witnesses who saw the pair driving away from the scene noted that they had their hoods up to cover their faces. They were also seen wiping down the cars doors and door handles with baby wipes.

The car was then set on fire and dumped, with Martin Joyce complaining that he had lost money on the car by destroying it.

Mr Ellison described Joyce as 'emotional' after finding out that Mr Tarafdar had died, and Joyce told him not to mention his name to anyone.

Joyce, who was only 17 at the time of the crash, pleaded guilty to death by dangerous driving, dangerous driving, driving whilst disqualified, failing to stop and report a collision, using a motor vehicle without insurance and perverting the course of justice.

His brother Michael Joyce, 21, also pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice by trying to take the blame for his brother when interviewed by police. Abdullah Taher had pleaded guilty at a previous hearing to perverting the course of justice.

Both Martin Joyce and Abdullah Taher had made attempts to change their appearance following the collision, in the hope that they would not be recognised.

When arrested Joyce gave a prepared statement blaming his brother Michael for the collision saying that he was the one who had purchased the car.

Mr Blackshaw added: 'The police spoke to Michael and told him that Martin was stating that Michael was responsible for the collision to which Michael replied 'It was me.... It was me officer. I was driving. It was an accident.. I shouldn't have let Martin get arrested.'

'In summary it was a detailed and convincing performance that could have deceived the investigators but for the fact that they had the statement from Ellison and the CCTV stills clearly showing it was Martin and Taher who are with the car when it was abandoned.'

Oliver Jarvis, defending Martin Joyce told the court that Joyce had less than half the usual reaction time to prevent the collision.

He added: 'The deceased was in the road for 1.08 seconds. He was unobserved for 0.64 seconds. The normal reaction time is between 1.5 to 2 seconds.

'Experts say that even if he was going at the speed limit at collision would have been unavoidable.

'His age is an important factor especially in considering how the defendant conducted himself in the aftermath, I accept that is very serious.

'The pre-sentence report details what is in my submission, genuine remorse. The defendant is particularly insightful to the damage that he has done because his own father died in awful circumstances some years ago.

'This will be his first incarceration. He suffers from ADHD and he has an IQ of less than 73. Going into the details of his shame and remorse will not be appropriate given the circumstances.'

Defending Michael Joyce, Barry Grennan told the court that he protected his younger brother in a 'misguided and misplaced loyalty' to him, and to protect their mother who was in very poor health. He added that he regrets what he did 'very deeply'.

Martin Joyce has previous convictions for theft of a vehicle, driving without a license, driving without insurance in November 2015 and November 2016.

All three defendants will be sentenced next week, with Judge Martin Walsh describing the case as 'complicated'.
Fugitive captured: South Carolina prison escapee Jimmy Causey is seen in a new mugshot from authorities in Williamson County, Texas, where he was captured June 7

Prison officials in South Carolina say a serial fugitive used wire cutters and multiple cellphones that were likely dropped from a drone as part of a brazen escape plan, which also included guns, a dummy and more than $47,000 in cash.

The South Carolina Department of Corrections announced on Twitter early Friday that 46-year-old inmate Jimmy Causey was recaptured in Texas after a second escape from a maximum security prison that lasted more than two days.

Texas Rangers acting on a tip apprehended Causey at around 3am after he was found sleeping in a motel room in the Austin suburb of Cedar Park, located some 1,200 miles away from the South Carolina prison near Charleston.

Correctional authorities are now investigating how Causey's escape on Tuesday night from Lieber Correctional Institution went unnoticed for 18 hours, South Carolina Corrections Director Bryan Stirling said during a press conference Friday.

It was Causey's second escape from maximum security prisons in South Carolina since being sentenced to life in prison 13 years ago for holding a lawyer at gunpoint in his Columbia home.

Officers began searching just before 2pm Wednesday for Causey, an inmate at Lieber Correctional Institution (above), about 90 miles southeast of Columbia

Long journey: Causey was found sleeping in a motel in Cedar Park, Texas, located about 1,200 miles west of the South Carolina prison

Authorities have said Causey didn't feel the defense attorney did enough to keep him out of prison in the early 1990s.

The first time, Causey and another inmate hid in a garbage truck leaving prison and were arrested three days later after a woman delivering pizza to a motel called police because she thought they looked suspicious.

The second time, Causey had a meticulously orchestrated plan, coordinating his escape with a smuggled cellphone and cutting through four fences with wire cutters, likely dropped to him in the prison yard from a drone, Stirling said. Stirling didn't elaborate on why authorities believe a drone was used.

Like the first time, Causey, 46, fooled guards by putting a dummy in his bed. He escaped around 8pm on July 4, but prison officials didn't realize he was gone until 2pm the next day, Stirling said.

Stirling wouldn't talk specifically about whether guards did anything wrong that night, but did say sometimes the staff just has to follow policies and procedures.

Investigators are trying to determine how Causey procured $47,654 in cash. The station WCSC reported that he was also in possession of a semi-automatic pistol, a pump shotgun and additional ammunition, four cellphones and an ID card, State Law Enforcement Division Chief Mark Keel said.

Everyone who assisted him -we intend on bringing them to justice as well, Keel said.

Causey was caught by Texas Rangers early Friday morning. Causey is seen in the above undated file photos. The photo on the left shows Causey in his younger years

Following his first capture, Causey was held in South Carolina's most secure, super-max facility in Columbia, but he was eventually returned to the system's general population.

Stirling wouldn't give details about where Causey would be held this time, except to say it will be a high, high security unit.

Causey and another inmate, convicted murderer Johnny Brewer, escaped Broad River Correctional Institution in Columbia in 2005 by hiding in a trash truck.

The pair eluded authorities for three days before being apprehended at a motel along busy Interstate 95, not far from the prison from which Causey escaped on Tuesday.

A pizza delivery driver told The Associated Press at the time she tipped off authorities when she recognized a customer as one of the two men being sought by authorities.

Both men were returned to prison.

Brewer was found two years later, hanging from a bed sheet in his cell.

It was the second time that Causey has broken out of a maximum security prison

Grilled by state lawmakers about how the escape happened, then-prisons director Jon Ozmint blamed budget cutbacks that had forced his department to cut 800 security positions, leaving some areas like the trash compactor and loading dock unmonitored by officers.

The director also said the men had fashioned fake heads out of toilet paper and put them in their beds, fooling officers at a 7.15am prisoner count.

After a 9.00am count came up short, officials did a roll call and realized the two were missing.

Causey, 46, was sentenced to life in prison in 2004 after he was convicted of terrorizing Columbia attorney Jack Swerling and his family in their home.

He was first incarcerated in state prison in 1992 on charges including grand larceny, according to online records.
China has finished building a solar farm that is designed to look like pandas.

Panda Green Energy Group, the company behind the project, said the power station was connected to the grid on June 29 and they were planning 100 more of these bear-shaped farms in China and abroad.

The Panda Solar, located in Datong, northern China's Shanxi Province, is said to cost 350 million yuan (40 million) to construct.

The solar farm has been built in China by Hong Kong-based Panda Green Energy Group

The energy plant, located in Datong, China's Shanxi Province, cost 40 million to build

Giant panda is dubbed the national treasure by the Chinese, who are very proud of the animal

CHINA'S EFFORT IN GREEN ENERGY China has vowed to be a global leader in renewable energy. Last month, Chinese President Xi Jinping stressed the importance of developing clean energy to the nation's environmental officials, reported Xinhua News Agency. President Xi vowed that China would follow the policy of energy conservation and environmental protection strictly. He also said Beijing had taken 'a series of measures' to increase its effort in sustainable development. President Xi made the remarks in a letter to the Eighth Clean Energy Ministerial and the Second Mission Innovation Ministerial, which opened on June 7. Advertisement

People's Daily Online, China's state newspaper, shared an aerial video of the impressive solar park today.

The footage shows solar panels forming the silhouettes of two giant pandas.

Xinhua News Agency said in an earlier report that the two pandas were supposed to be a family.

The black part of the pandas is composed of monocrystalline silicon - the base material for silicon chips - while the grey and white part are thin film solar cells.

In an interview with Reuters, Li Yuan, the Chief Executive of Panda Green Energy, said: 'The plant required an investment of 350 million yuan (40 million), and it would require investment of 2.3 billion for 100 such plants.'

When the panda solar farm is fully completed, it would have a capacity of 100MW - enough to power around 16,400 homes - according Hong Kong-based Panda Green Energy Group.

If put to use for 25 years, the plant is expected to generate 3.2 billion kWh of solar energy.

That means it could save more than one million tons of coal, which is the main source of energy as well as the main source of pollution in China.

Construction of the panda solar farm began last November. Half of the farm, about 248 acres, has been completed and put to use.

Half of the farm, about 248 acres, has been completed and was connected to the grip in June

The plant also has an administrative building (pictured), which is situated next to the solar farm

The innovative farm has been recognised by the United Nations Development Programme, which launched a global campaign to promote the solar farm together with China Merchants New Energy, the mother company of Panda Green Energy.

The farm is set to provide solar energy to countries and regions along China's 'Belt and Road' routes, which is a nation-wide initiative aimed to connect China to the Europe via central Asia.

Apparently, Panda Green Energy also plans to build panda power stations in Canada, Australia, Germany and Italy.

Panda Green Energy Group is planning 100 more of these bear-shaped farms around the world

Hundreds of solar panels form the silhouettes of two giant pandas in the power farm in Shaanxi
Britain tonight hailed a 'golden era' in relations with China but was left empty handed when Theresa May demanded an end to steel dumping.

The premier used a 30 minute meeting with the China's President Xi Jinping on the fringes of the G20 summit in Hamberg to demand 'more activity' to stop dumping.

But Mrs May was told all countries must take responsibility for an overproduction in steel.

A flood of cheap Chinese steel into Europe has devastated Britain's steel industry.

President Xi told the PM all countries must take 'concerted action' to deal with overproduction, a UK government official said.

Theresa May tonight met with Chinese presidnt Xi Jinping on the fringes of the G20 summit in Hamberg (pictured)

The bilateral talks are the latest phase in what Britain hopes is a new era of close relations with thew Chinese

In the 'very constructive' meeting, the premier hailed the 'golden era' of relations between China and the UK and said an increase in investment from his nation since the Brexit vote showed its confidence in Britain.

Mrs May also called on the president to use China's influence to 'pressure' on Pyongyang to stop its missile testing programme follwoing North Korea's latest launch.

The high powered meeting was the culmination of May's first day back on the global stage after her electoral humiliation.

The new talks between Britain and China are the latest phase in what Britain hopes will be an era of close relations.

China is closely involved in the construction of a new nuclear power station in Britain and the Government hopes for stronger post-Brexit trade links.

Mrs May's meeting with the Chinese president on the fringes of the G20 summit included Chancellor Philip Hammond (pictured)

Mrs May earlier was forced to step in to help Donald Trump as he daydreamed in a G20 meeting.

The Prime Minister prompted the US president by tapping him on the shoulder when he failed to notice that leaders were being asked to pose for cameras.

Mrs May was given a prominent seat next to Mr Trump and near to German host Angela Merkel as the as the powerful nations gathered in Hamburg.

But she is facing questions about how much credibility she has with counterparts after the election dealt a damaging blow to her authority at home.

The premier insisted she would be championing free trade and pushing for tougher action against terrorism.

Asked if she thought other leaders would heed her words given her weakened position, the premier said: 'Yes. We will be playing our absolute full part and I will be playing my full part.'

Theresa May had to prompt Donald Trump to turn around for the cameras as the G20 leaders sat down for talks in Hamburg today

Mrs May and Mr Trump sat together at a series of sessions at the gathering in Germany today

Theresa May put on a brave face as she greeted other leaders today including Vladimir Putin, with whom she shared a smiling handshake

The leaders staged a 'family photo' as they began the two-day summit in Germany today

Mrs May put on a brave face as she greeted other leaders including Vladimir Putin, with whom she shared a smiling handshake.

The PM is urging world leaders to pour resources into new technology to identify patterns of financial transactions in the build-up to a terrorist attack.

She will meet the US President for talks tomorrow morning, where she will raise concerns over his decision to pull America out of the Paris Agreement on climate change.

The PM said she hopes President Trump will take America back into the international deal.

'I will be making that message,' she told ITV News. 'I will continue to give the message that the United Kingdom believes in the importance of the Paris Agreement.'

Mrs May will also call on leaders to close 'safe spaces' in the world's financial system that are being exploited by terror groups plotting attacks on the West.

Anti-terror police are investigating the finances of Manchester Arena bomber Salman Abedi amid questions about how he paid for bomb-making equipment and trips to Libya. Government sources said investigations into previous terror plots had identified transfers from abroad in the run-up to attacks.

At one point Mrs May had to prompt US president Donald Trump to pose for the cameras

Mrs May, pictured being greeted by Angela Merkel at the summit in Hamburg today, has denied she has lost credibility with fellow leaders after the election

Mrs May insisted she would be championing free trade and pushing for tougher action against terrorism at the G20 today

Mrs May said she would be playing her 'full part' in the power gathering despite her weakened position domestically

President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin were greeted by German Chancellor Angela Merkel at the G20 summit today

Mrs May wants the world to focus on identifying small flows of money needed by even the most basic lone wolf attacker.

'These small transactions are hard to identify but this challenge cannot be left unaddressed,' he said.

Mrs May, who flew to Hamburg for the summit last night, said: 'We know that the terrorist threat is evolving. We have seen the threat spread out of Syria and Iraq into other countries and online.

'We must combat the threat from every angle. This includes taking measures against permissive environments for terrorist financing and monitoring the dispersal of foreign fighters from battle.

Mrs May was placed next to Mr Trump for the first round of discussions today

The Prime Minister is looking to prove that she can still carry weight on the world stage at the summit today

'We can change the balance of the fight when we work together.'

Mrs May will also urge leaders to do more to tackle the threat posed by former jihadis returning from Syria and Iraq.

But the Prime Minister has faced criticism from the Liberal Democrats over her failure to publish a controversial Home Office report into extremist groups in the UK, which is said to expose financial links between some groups and Saudi Arabia.

Mrs May has been accused of sitting on the report to avoid embarrassment to the UK's Saudi allies, who will also be at the G20 summit.

Protesters have set fire to cars and tried to block delegations from entering the summit as part of a wave of anti-capitalist demonstrations.

More than 100 police were injured in clashes on Thursday evening and water cannons have been used to control the activists.

Mrs May was seen chatting to world leaders including Turkish president Erdogan (pictured seated) at the summit today

Mrs May will urge Mr Trump to rethink his decision to abandon the Paris climate deal later

Mrs May led demands on Friday morning for an international effort to tackle terror funding as G20 leaders gathered for the first session of the summit.

Action must be taken to choke off the funding for terrorists that is being funnelled through international financial institutions, she said.

On Saturday afternoon, she will meet Turkey's Recep Tayyip Erdogan to discuss counter-terrorism.

Mrs May is being accompanied by husband Philip - his first official overseas visit. He is joining other spouses for a separate programme of events, which includes a river boat trip through the port city.

But he will join the Prime Minister for a concert at the Elbphilharmonie concert hall on Friday night, where Beethoven's Symphony No 9 will be played, which includes the melody for the EU's anthem.

As well as tackling terrorism, Mrs May has three other key priorities for the summit.

She will push for action to create an 'orderly' migration by ensuring refugees claim protection in the first safe country they reach, improving distinction between economic migrants and refugees and the right of all countries to control their borders.

She also wants G20 countries to work together to meet UN targets to wipe out modern slavery by 2030.

Amid fears of growing protectionism following President Trump's America First policy, the Prime Minister will also call for a continued commitment to free trade and action to encourage greater corporate responsibility.
US government officials issued an urgent warning to power plant companies around the country in response to evidence that hackers, suspected to be from Russia, have been attacking power plant computer network systems since May.

The Department of Homeland Security and the FBI issued the warning to American power plant companies on June 28.

It's believed that the hackers are working for a foreign government and have successfully accessed computer systems in at least 12 American power plants, including the Wolf Creek nuclear facility in Burlington, Kansas.

The Department of Homeland Security and FBI issued an urgent warning to power plant companies across the US saying that, since May, hackers have been trying to gain access to power plant control systems  including Kansas' Wolf Creek nuclear facility (pictured)

Security experts and government officials are said to be worried that the cyberattacks could lead to a disruption of the US power grid.

According to the FBI and DHS warning, the hackers have been gaining access to computer networks at power plants, energy facilities and manufacturing plants in America and abroad since May, theNew York Times says.

A former DHS official told Bloomberg that the language used in the warning implied that the hackers were working to create backdoors to the power plant computer systems that they could exploit at a later date. A possible use for those backdoors could be to try to gain access to plant operational controls and interrupt critical systems.

Reuters said that the DHS and FBI's warning noted that hackers were sending phishing e-mails to plant employees in an attempt to 'harvest credentials' that could be used to access their company's computer networks.

The DHS and FBI did not comment on the warning alert, but issued a joint statement saying that there are no indications that the power plant cyber attacks threaten public safety

In their joint statement, the FBI and DHS said that any possible impacts from the cyberattacks were limited to power plant administrative and business networks

'Historically, cyber actors have strategically targeted the energy sector with various goals ranging from cyber espionage to the ability to disrupt energy systems in the event of a hostile conflict,' said the report, which was obtained by Reuters.

Although the warning did not indicate who was sponsoring the hackers, the language used to describe the them was consistent with what's typically used to denote hackers that've been backed by governments.

Sources told the NY Times that the techniques used in the hacks were similar to what was used by Russian hackers, 'Energetic Bear.'

Meanwhile, Reuters reported that sources familiar with the work being done to remove hackers from the power plant computer systems told them that Russia was the likely suspect behind these cyberattacks. And, unnamed officials noted that potential Russia-involvement was troublesome because Russian hackers successfully took down portions of the Ukrainian electrical grid in 2015.

The Wolf Creek nuclear plant was accidentally named in the DHS and FBI alert, called out because hackers had stolen a plant employee's computer credentials.

However, a spokesperson for the nuclear plant told Bloomberg that, 'There was absolutely no operational impact to Wolf Creek,' because the plant's operational computer systems and corporate network are 'completely separate' from each other.

Although the DHS and the FBI did not comment on the warning alert issued in June, the agencies said in a joint statement obtained by the NY Times that, 'There is no indication of a threat to public safety, as any potential impact appears to be limited to administrative and business networks.'
An American couple on an airplane may have enjoyed a particularly provocative Independence Day, as footage shows the pair having been in the same in flight toilet and leaving separately with smirks.

The footage was filmed by another passenger on the Virgin Atlantic flight flying from London Heathrow to Miami on July 4.

The short video clip shows the woman leaving the toilet as the man is seen grinning in the background.

A few seconds past and the man follows, walking out of the toilet grinning ear to ear, leaving the rest up to imagination.

The British passenger and cameraman, according to The Sun, is named David Eve.

He posted the video to Facebook writing: 'Wait, was, wasnt there just two people in there? Naughty Americans! '

The Virgin Atlantic passenger, pictured left, filmed the couple, pictured right, as they exited separately from the cabin toilet. The man can be seen grinning ear to ear, having clearly enjoyed whatever went on inside

The Virgin Atlantic passenger, pictured, realised something was afoot when the two passengers entered the toilet together

Virgin Atlantic confirmed that the incident happened on one of its aircrafts by sharing a post on Facebook

The video has since gone viral, getting many reactions regarding what exactly went on between the pair in the small toilet.

Virgin Atlantic confirmed that the provocative incident happened on its aircraft.

In a post on Facebook it said: 'We're pretty sure that's our plane! The mood lighting certainly put a smile on their faces #smilehighclub.'
The Canadian government has given $8 million ($10.5 million Canadian) to the man who became Guantanamo Bay's youngest detainee after he allegedly killed a US soldier aged just 15.

Omar Khadr was born in Toronto but when he was ten he was taken to the Middle East by his father. In 2002 he was captured in a firefight with US Marines in Afghanistan.

Khadr was taken to Guantanamo Bay, where he admitted to throwing the grenade that killed US Army Sgt 1st Class Christopher Speer.

Now Khadr, who has since returned to Canada, has received a massive sum from the government for the abuse he sustained while in prison - but he says the most important thing is his reputation.

'I think it restores a little bit my reputation here in Canada, and I think that's the biggest thing for me,' he told CBC.

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Canadian Omar Khadr (pictured at his lawyer's home in Edmonton, Alberta in 2015) says that the $8m settlement he has received from the Canadian government will 'restore' his reputation

Khadr (seen left being interrogated aged 15 and right in an undated handout photo) was Guantanamo Bay's youngest detainee. The Canadian government said that in allowing him to be tortured at that age it broke two UN conventions, for which it has now apologized

Khadr was taken to Afghanistan by his father, a senior Al Qaeda member, in the late 1990s; his dad later died in a battle with Pakistani forces in 2003.

Khadr, meanwhile, had been made an apprentice to a group of bomb makers. They were raided by the US in 2002, starting the firefight that would see him incarcerated.

On Friday he told CBC outside his Edmonton, Alberta home that he was duped into being an Al-Qaeda recruit from an early age.

'When you grow up in an environment where these things are normal, you just do them, you don't think about the morality, you don't think about the rights and wrongs,' he said.

'I am a different person, but being the young person that I was I could have been easily influenced with any surrounding environment I was in, so it was just unfortunate that I was in this particular [one].'

Khadr killed US Marine Christopher Speer (right) with a grenade when marines raided the Al Qaeda base where his father had left him. Speer's wife is now trying to get Khadr's money

After being detained, Khadr spent a decade in Guantanamo Bay, where he was tortured during interrogation; he was returned to Canada to live out the remainder of his sentence in 2012, and released in 2015.

In 2010, the Canadian Supreme Court ruled that the Canadian government had breached his rights by sending intelligence agents to interrogate him and sharing the results with the US.

The government had also breached UN conventions against torture and for children's rights by allowing him to be interrogated at the age of 15, it said.

Khadr had originally sought $16 million ($20 million Canadian) from the authorities before the settlement was agreed. He also received an apology along with the cash.

He says he is a changed man now, and believes the money will help him move on from his imprisonment.

'I never was angry or upset about what happened,' he said. 'It's been hard you know, finding jobs or going to school and stuff with my past reputation.

'So this is going to help me move forward.'

Omar Khadr (seen leaving court in 2015) was taken from Canada by his dad when he was ten. He was returned to the country to finish his sentence in 2012, and released on parole in 2015

However, others are also moving forward with plans of their own. Speer's widow, Tabitha, is pushing on with a $134 million wrongful death suit.

She filed a court application two weeks ago, and attempted an emergency injunction to stop him from receiving the money, The Huffington Post reported Wednesday.

Lawyer Don Winder, who represents Speer's widow and St Layne Morris, who was injured in the attack that killed Speer, said they filed an application a few weeks ago in Canada. It has yet to be heard.

'We will be proceeding with that application and trying to make sure that if he gets money it goes to the widow of Sgt Speer and Layne Morris for the loss of an eye,' Winder said.

The pair had previously won a $103 million civil suit against Khadr in Utah, but the federal government - which isn't bound by civil rulings - refused to release the assets it had seized.
Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner are continuing to treat their state trip overseas like a second honeymoon.

The PDA-prone pair were spotted looking loved up on their way to a discussion on Friday at the G20 summit in Germany, with Ivanka hanging off the arm of her husband.

For their romantic stroll through the halls of Hamburg, Ivanka opted to wear at green jumpsuit that retails for $1995 by Gabriella Hearst.

It was an interesting choice for Ivanka given that the Uruguayan-born designer has begun selling designs to benefit Planned Parenthood in response to President Trump's promise to defund the organization.

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Romancing the stone: Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner were spotted holding hands as they made their way to a session at the G20 summit on Friday (above)

Lady in red: The pair were seen holding hands on Thursday night as well when they attended the opening night event at Elbphilharmonie concert hall (above)

Strolling with the homies: Ivanka posted a photo of her and Jared holding hands while walking together in Germany on Thursday (above)

Poland is for lovers: The two emerged from Air Force One holding hands on Wednesday night (above)

The First Daughter shared a photo on Thursday of the couple as they strolled across a vast lawn in the city of Hamburg one day before the start of the G20, with Jared leading his wife by the hand as she tottered behind in a pair of her eponymous heels.

'We've landed in Germany and are looking forward to productive discussions at the G20 Hamburg Summit!' wrote Ivanka, who added the hashtags '#POTUSatG20' and '#G20.'

She did not expound upon what would constitute a 'productive' discussion at the summit.

Later that night the two were again locked up in a hand hold as they attended the opening night event for the summit at Elbphilharmonie concert hall.

This frisky new behavior between the couple, who will soon be celebrating their eighth wedding anniversary, has been going on for the past 24 hours.

It started from the moment the two landed in Poland on Wednesday, with Ivanka and Jared clutching each other by the hand as they descended the steps of Air Force One after President Trump and the First Lady.

Those two did not hold hands, with Melania instead gripping the railing as she made her way off the flight.

President Trump did appear to briefly try and hold her hand, but then decided to instead give his wife a tap on the behind to get her moving down the stairs.

The First Lady has made it very clear to both her husband and the world in recent weeks that she does not enjoy holding hands while exiting a plane or strolling along the tarmac of an airfield.

That is not true of Ivanka though, who placed her hand right in Jared's lap as he clasped her hand in between his own on Thursday afternoon as they listened to President Trump's speech at the Warsaw Uprising Monument.

Jared was almost unrecognizable at the event, hiding behind a pair of Oliver Peoples' $405 Gregory Peck sunglasses.

Missing the mark: Ivanka made the mistake of posting the photo as riots broke out in the streets of Hamburg outside the conference site (above)

Less idyllic: Riot police use a water cannon during the 'Welcome to Hell' rally against the G20 summit (above)

Bloodier stroll: A blooided man is comforted by a visibly pierced young woman (above) during the 'Welcome to Hell' rally against the G20 summit

Ivanka was again pictured hanging onto Jared's arm as the two walked off Air Force One after arrive in Hamburg on Thursday afternoon.

Jared proved to be a little less active in that interaction, with his arm loosely hanging by his said as he walked a full step ahead of his wife on their way to the plane.

Ivanka previously posted a PDA photo on Wednesday of her and Jared getting off the plane, commenting about how excited she was for the trip.

'Excited to have arrived in Poland last night. Looking forward to an amazing day as I visit Warsaw for the first time,' wrote the mother of three.

There was one small problem with Ivanka's picture on Thursday in that she managed to post it at the exact same time riots broke out near the meeting site and police began to clear the area.

She seemed to be far away from that scene however as she and Jared enjoyed their idyllic stroll along the Elbe.

Officers used water cannons and pepper spray to disperse black-hooded protesters at the event dubbed "G-20: Welcome to Hell." Police say the masked protesters attacked them with bottles, stones and other objects and set fires in the street.

Memoires of Poland: Ivanka first shared an image of her and Jared holding hands in Warsaw

Melani-NAH: The First Lady proved she is still adept at avoiding a seeking hand on Wednesday (above)

Perfect illusion: President Trump scored a minor victory by giving the appearance oif a hand hold when he arrived in Hamburg on Thursday (above)

More than 100,000 protesters are expected in the city for the summit that takes place Friday and Saturday.

Hamburg has boosted its forces so that 20,000 officers are on hand to patrol its streets, skies and waterways.

Police say they repeatedly asked a group of hardcore anti-capitalist demonstrators to remove their masks Thursday evening, to no avail.

They then decided to separate the group from the rest of the several thousand-strong demonstration.
An improv comedy instructor has been accused of forcing his students to have sex with him, according to recently released report.

The Tampa Bay Times obtained a 38-page investigation, which found that Nicholas Riggs sexually assaulted one of his University of South Florida students, and sexually harassed at least one other, who he also lured into a threesome with his wife.

The investigation, carried out by outside attorney Mariah Passarelli, found that 31-year-old Riggs and his wife, Hannah Prince, 25, often approached students for sex together and that students felt pressured into liaisons for fear of losing stage time.

Since the accusations first came to light in December 2016, Riggs has been barred from teaching at USF, where he was an adjunct, but he and his wife continue to run a comedy theater in St. Petersburg called the Spitfire Theatre.

Riggs reportedly denied the allegations when confronted by the investigating attorney, saying the only USF student that he slept with was his wife, who was a graduate student when they met.

Nichlas Riggs, 31 (right), has been accused of sexually assaulting one of his improv students at the University of South Florida, and sexually harassing at least one other. He's pictured above with his wife Hannah Prince (left)

An investigation by the school found that 31-year-old Riggs (right) and his wife (left) often approached students for sex together and that students felt pressured into liaisons for fear of losing stage time

When contacted by the Tampa Bay Times, he refused to get into detail about the investigation's findings.

'It's a sensitive issue, and there's a lot of things that have been said in all directions,' he said. 'I just don't know what to say. These things get pulled out of context quite a bit.'

The university first received a complaint about Riggs' behavior in December 2016, from a parent who said her son had become entangled in a sexual relationship with Riggs and his wife.

Days later, the university received another complaint, from a male student who mirrored the statements in the first complaint, though Passarelli could not definitively link them.

The parent said that her son became 'more withdrawn, and actually angry' after his second year in the improv group, in 2014. The following year, she says her son confessed to her that he'd had sex with Riggs and Prince together, and that it was a common occurrence in the group.

The student in the second complaint went into more detail.

Riggs has been barred from teaching at USF, but he continues to run a small improv theater with his wife in St. Petersburg

Riggs and Prince led two groups at the school, Improv@USF, which was officially affiliated with the school, and Post Dinner Conversations, which was not. The student said that Riggs 'picked his favorites for PDC, and after performances, the couple would invite students over to their house for drinks and, sometimes, to smoke marijuana.

The festivities would last into the night, and sometimes students would stay over. The student said it was clear that you had to be in the couple's good graces in order to perform.

Students 'who weren't good enough to him or weren't sexy enough to him had to sit and watch,' he said.

The student said he first got into a sexual relationship with the couple in 2014, when he learned that they were in an open relationship.

Prince initiated sex acts first, after the student expressed his fear that he would leave college and virgin and she performed oral sex on him.

Soon after, the student said he was approached by Riggs, who asked him, 'Do you think you'd ever do it with a guy?'

One of the students said that Prince (left and right) performed oral sex on him, after he expressed his fears that he would graduate college a virgin. After that, he says that her husband approached him for sexual favors, and that he obliged, afraid that he would lose favor in the group and any chance of having sex with Prince in the future

The student responded by performing oral sex on Riggs, saying he was afraid that if he didn't he would lose the chance to have sex with Prince in the future.

From there on out, the sex acts continued but only ever with Riggs.

The student told Passarelli that he felt the couple had 'pulled a bait-and-switch' on him.

Riggs would find ways of isolating the student - and plying him with alcohol and marijuana - so that he could continue giving him oral sex.

Everytime he performed a sex act with Riggs, he told himself 'this would be the last time,' closing his eyes and imaging 'it was anybody else'.

The student said Riggs tried to keep him quiet by telling him: 'I think it would be best for your sake if you didn't tell anybody about this'.

When he would resist, Riggs reportedly told the student 'Don't you hate it when somebody says no but you know they want to say yes?'

After the student finally put an end to the sexual relationship, he said the couple shut him out of their improv world.

In her report Passarelli stated that she believed the student was a victim of sexual assault.

She wrote that the harassment 'was severe and pervasive enough to have created a sexually hostile education environment.  Under this level of coercion, intimidation and/or duress by Riggs, I do not believe that (the victim) could have given valid sexual consent.'

While Passarelli was investigating the first student's allegations, she received another report from a student who said she had sex with both Riggs and Prince, and that the relationship eventually grew sour.

The student said that Riggs was her professor in 2014, and that she really like him as an instructor.

She would sometimes stay after class to talk improv, and he wrote on her final exam: 'I love your mind'.

That summer, the student went to the beach with the improv group, and when she told Riggs that she liked his class, he confessed that he 'had a really big crush on her'.

Riggs later asked the student if she thought his wife was pretty, and if she was interested in having sex with both of them.

The student told Passarelli that she agreed, and that one night, after going over to the couple's house, they engaged in sex acts. They went on to have threesomes about three to four more times.

Meanwhile, the student was also in a solo sexual relationship with Riggs.

After nine months, the student decided that she wanted to stop having sex with him, even though she feared she would be cut from improv tours.

After she told Riggs that she wanted to stop the relationship, she says he came over to her house and they had sex - even though she told him she did not want to.

'You should know better, you're 30 years old,' she said she told him at the time. 'I'm your student, this isn't fair.'

Passarelli said the incident amounted to sexual harassment.

The lawyer talked to a third student how said that he considered the teacher and his wife as like brother and sister, until Riggs started making him uncomfortable with his advances.

One night, the student said he was watching a movie with Riggs and Riggs started massaging his feet, moving up his legs.

And in his car, the student said he had to remove Riggs' hand from his body to get him to stop touching him.

On another night, he says Prince insisted that he sleep in their bed, and that he agreed - until Riggs started touching his arm.

He says he bolted from the house and then had to pull over to the side of the road to throw up because he was so shaken and sacred.

Passarelli said that during her interview with Riggs, he contradicted himself by saying he was only 'lightly involved' with PDC and that he didn't attend any of the group's parties. Halfway through the interview, the attorney said Riggs said he had to leave for work and later refused to talk.

The investigation cost the university $20,000. There were also reports that Prince was the target of a separate investigation, but the university would not confirm the reports over student privacy laws.

Riggs, who hails from Ohio, came to USF in 2009 to get a master's degree, and he started teaching soon after. In 2016, he earned a PhD and stayed on as an adjunct professor. The last time he taught at the school was in December.

So far, no criminal charges have been filed against Riggs or Prince.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel rolled her eyes in disbelief after listening to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The pair met at the G20 summit in Hamburg and were filmed during a visibly uncomfortably period of small talk.

The hard-line Russian leader, was explaining something to the German leader when the Chancellor rolled her eyes.

Russian President Vladimir Putin was explaining something to German Chancellor Angela Merkel, right, which caused her to roll her eyes to the skies following his comments

Mrs Merkel looked less than enamoured by the opinions of the Russian president, left

Putin was able to speak to Mrs Merkel in German as he was a senior KGB agent in Dresden, East Germany at the time of the collapse of the Berlin Wall in 1989.

Mrs Merkel, who is chairing the G20 Summit is trying to improve relations with Russia who are angry over continued economic sanctions over the invasion of Ukraine.

Mrs Merkel is also working on US President Donald Trump who recently abandoned the Paris agreement on climate change.

She also faces difficulties with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who wanted to address a massive rally of Turks resident in Germany. Mrs Merkel and the European Union needs Turkey's help to stem the flow of migrants from the Syrian conflict from making their way into Europe.
The Oklahoma father accused of shooting his daughter then telling 911 she'd committed suicide allegedly acted bizarrely when police arrived to investigate.

Police were called to the Norman, Oklahoma home of Ronald 'Ronnie' McMullen, 43, on June 29 after he told authorities that daughter Kailee Jo Hooker, 22, had shot herself 'in the face'.

When they got there, officers found he had wiped up blood in the kitchen, even though her body was lying in the entryway, according to an affidavit - and then he tried to bury himself, NewsOK reported.

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Kailee Jo McMullen, 22, was allegedly shot dead by her dad Ronald 'Ronnie' McMullen at their family home in Norman, just outside Oklahoma City, last Thursday

McMullen (pictured with his wife and Kailee) allegedly moved her body, mopped up her blood, and covered himself in dirt. He also molested her when she was younger, friends alleged

According to the affidavit police arrived at the home on the 1700 block of Abe Martin Drive, to find McMullen's wife, Karen Hooker McMullan, giving the young woman CPR.

Officers took over CPR duties on Kailee - whose surname was given as Hooker in official documents - until it was clear that she was dead.

Kailee's body was in the home's entryway, and a blood-splattered .357 revolver was found on a side table.

Her father was also covered in blood, and stared blankly when the police asked what happened, cops claim.

When police ventured further into the home found that McMullen had been trying to mop up blood in the home's kitchen, the affidavit said.

And when they tried to take pictures of the blood-drenched dad he attempted to wipe it off himself with a towel despite repeated demands that he stop, it alleged.

The towel was snatched away from McMullen, who then tried to use his hands until he was physically restrained, the report said.

After the photos were taken, McMullen's behavior reached bizarre extremes, as the man allegedly went to the entryway of the home, which borders a grassy front lawn, and 'lay down in the dirt,'

He then 'began covering himself in dirt while rubbing the shoes he was wearing on the concrete entryway,' the affidavit claimed.

He then dug a small hole, covering himself in soil, the report said.

McMullen was arrested on Wednesday on first-degree murder charges in her death.

The affidavit said that Kailee had been living at home on and off prior to her death, but had a deeply unhappy relationship with her father, friends told police.

They told officers that in April McMullen had slapped her until her mother pulled a gun on him to make him stop.

And two of her friends told police that he had molested her when she was younger.

Kailee was working as an EMT in her hometown in Oklahoma when she was shot. McMullen had told 911 that she shot herself but was arrested for her murder

School and Department of Human Services records showed that an investigation took place but no charges were filed, the affidavit claimed.

McMullen has been booked into the Cleveland County Detention Center and is facing first degree murder charges.

Prior to his arrest, police had said they were treating the young woman's death as 'suspicious'. Police said they are still investigating but do not expect to arrest anyone else in connection with her death.

An obituary published in the Norman Transcript on Monday - just two days before her father's arrest - said Kailee 'cherished her family and always had time for them'.

'Kailee had a zest for life and a bubbly personality, was quick witted, and had a quirky sense of humor,' her obituary read.

'Always the entertainer, she loved making people laugh and was famous for the elaborate costumes she would put together when the occasion arose.

'Kailee was a good and loyal friend, and all who knew her were better for it.'

She was religious and grew up attending Goodrich Memorial United Methodist Church.

Kailee was working as an EMT and at a plasma donation clinic in Norman when she was killed.

She graduated from Norman High School in 2013 where she was a Varsity cheerleading captain, before attending Bible college in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

'Kailee had a passion for helping people and loved animals,' her obituary read.
The teenage son of a farmer appeared in court yesterday accused of plotting a London Bridge-style suicide attack on a major British city.

The 17-year-old is charged with obtaining a knife and a hammer as he prepared to hijack a vehicle for a lone wolf attack on Cardiff.

Counter-terrorism police suspect the boy  who cannot be identified because of his age and is preparing for A-levels  was radicalised in less than a week online.

The strike was feared to take place on June 30 as more than 40,000 fans descended on the Principality Stadium for a Justin Bieber concert (pictured)

The strike was feared to take place on June 30 as more than 40,000 fans descended on the Principality Stadium for a Justin Bieber concert. The teenager was arrested during a raid on his rural home hours before the Canadian pop star took the stage.

The suspected terrorist is from a middle-class white British Christian family and had shown little evidence of falling into the thrall of militant Islam. Online social media profiles show the rugby-mad boy enjoying nature watching, sending photographs of birds on his family property to BBCs Springwatch and fishing.

The prosecution is the latest chilling evidence of how the security services are scrambling to prevent further terrorist atrocities.

Police are making unprecedented numbers of arrests as they battle to thwart another attack on the scale of those at Westminster, Manchester or London Bridge.

The arrest was made before Justin Bieber, pictured here in London, was about to take the stage

Senior officers fear that lone wolves, often inspired by Islamic State propaganda and preparing unsophisticated attacks, pose the greatest threat. They do not need to buy chemicals or weapons, or share their intentions with members of a network, so are difficult to detect.

In some cases vulnerable young men are effectively groomed by online extremists who threaten and cajole them via secretive chat rooms and messaging apps.

At Westminster Magistrates Court yesterday the boy appeared to fight back tears as he was remanded in custody.

Wearing a dark jumper and light grey trousers, the mop-haired teenager sat in the high-security dock with his arms folded. He spoke only to confirm his name and address.

Thousands of Justin Bieber fans attended the concert held in the Welsh capital on June 30

No relatives travelled from his home in a picturesque area of Wales for the short hearing. The boy faces two charges under the Terrorism Act 2006. The maximum penalty for an adult defendant would be life in prison on conviction.

The first accuses him of illicitly preparing to commit acts of terrorism between May 29 and July 1. In particular, prosecutors accuse the teenager of conducting online research in relation to attack planning.

He is also accused of obtaining weapons, a 6in sheath knife and hammer allegedly found in a rucksack, and preparing a suicide note. The second charge alleges that the boy published an image and comment on an open Instagram page in the name alqaeds, apparently referring to Al Qaeda. Prosecutors said the message was likely to be understood as a direct encouragement for the commission of acts of terrorism.

The boy was remanded to youth detention accommodation. He will appear at the Old Bailey on July 20.
A white newspaper columnist from Missouri has set off controversy and was suspended after he published an opinion piece last month attacking sheriffs deputies for pulling him over, and likening his experience to that of 'minority motorists.'

Columbia Daily Tribune columnist Bill Clark, better known to his readers by his folksy nom de plume, 'Ol' Clark,' hit out at the Boone County Sheriff's Office in his June 30 column, titled, 'Ol' Clark has run-in with the law,' which delivered a dramatic account of a recent incident where the veteran journalist was pulled over for failure to use his right turn signal.

The main thesis of the 838-word article was that the deputies had unfairly targeted Clark for his left-leaning beliefs, as displayed in 'liberal bumper stickers' on the back of his car, treated him with 'arrogance' throughout their interaction and left him feeling as if his life was in danger.

Columbia Daily Tribune columnist Bill Clark's silver sedan is seen in a screenshot from dashcam video during a traffic stop in Missouri last month

Clark penned a column blasting Boone County sheriff's deputies for acting with 'arrogance' and threatening his life

Boone County Sheriff Dwayne Carey was so offended by Clark's column questioning the integrity of his deputies that he published a strongly worded, exhaustive, and at times sarcastic 1,800-word rebuttal, in which he accused the octogenarian writer of peddling 'sensationalism.'

Sheriff Carey also released an 11-minute dashboard camera video that captured the disputed traffic stop in its entirety so that members of the public could judge for themselves what happened.

Addressing himself in the third person, Clark opened his contentious column with the following passage: 'After over three million miles of driving and using my turn signals religiously, Ol Clark was pulled over for not signalling a right turn, giving me a chance to better understand how minority motorists feel when they are pulled over for the most trivial reason, or no reason at all.'

After detailing the circumstances of the traffic stop, Clark wrote, 'I'm lucky I didn't get shot' in reference to his decision to roll towards the shoulder of the road in order to avoid blocking traffic.

Later, he writes that after reaching over to switch off the radio and take his wallet out of his pocket, 'I realized my hands were not at the top of my steering wheel. Danger lurked and official arrogance as to follow.'

Clark (left), 84, was suspended this week after Boone County Sheriff Dwayne Carey (right) wrote a rebuttal to his column, accusing him of peddling 'sensationalism'

In the dashboard camera footage released by the sheriff this week, the female officer explains that Clark was stopped for failing to use his turn signal, to which he points out that there were no cars behind him at the time.

The deputy asks for his license and registration, walks back to the patrol car, then returns several minutes later with a ticket, at which point the back-and-forth between her and the motorist gets heated, with the latter repeatedly asking for the ticket as the officer attempts to explain why he is being cited for a moving violation.

'The deputy finishes her contact by telling Ol' Clark to drive safely and she then thanks him. The nerve of law enforcement these days!' Sheriff Carey quips in his acerbic rebuttal.

Clark concluded his opinion piece by expressing empathy for 'those minorities when they speak of harassment and police arrogance.'

After repeating his claim that he felt that his life was in danger, the 84-year-old veteran writer said in closing: 'I fully understand how a person can lose their respect for law officers. When you are in the shoes of the minority, you learn a lot more about their journey.'

These two deputies pulled Clark over for failing to use a turn signal, but the motorist wrote he was left feeling threatened

In the video, the female eputy addresses Clark as 'sir' and says 'thank you'

Sheriff Carey has reached a diametrically opposite conclusion after watching the dashcam video.

Did you ever see a point where Ol' Clark's life was in danger (other than when he cut in front of the truck)? he asks rhetorically. What about that good dose of arrogance he received from the deputy who addressed him as sir and thanked him numerous times?

Carey then takes issue with Clarks drawing an unfavorable comparison between himself and minority drivers.

How was he in the shoes of minorities as an elderly white male? Was he saying minorities don't follow traffic laws or was he saying they are argumentative when stopped by law enforcement? I don't know, but Ol' Clark was guilty of both.

If he believes this is how minorities are treated, then minorities can be assured from this video that they will be treated professionally by Boone County deputies.

Upon reviewing the dashcam footage and speaking to both Clark and Carey, Columbia Daily Tribune's managing editor, Charles Westmoreland, announced on Thursday that the veteran columnist, who has written 2,600 articles for the paper since 1956, has been suspended indefinitely.

The Tribune will run an apology penned by Clark in its Saturday issue.

'When meeting with Clark today, he acknowledged hed made a mistake in taking out his frustrations in his column, and for blowing certain aspects out of proportion,' Westmoreland wrote. 'I cant unpublish Clarks column, but I will rebuke it.'
Eating an orange a day could slash the risk of dementia, a major study shows.

Daily intake of any citrus fruits such as oranges, grapefruits, lemons or limes can cut the chances of developing the incurable brain condition by almost a quarter, it suggests.

The findings, by a team of scientists at Tohoku University in Japan, suggest that tangy fruits could be a powerful weapon against a disease that is emerging as a modern day epidemic.

Daily intake of any citrus fruits such as oranges, grapefruits, lemons or limes can cut the chances of developing the incurable brain condition by almost a quarter, it suggests

Numerous studies have suggested that citrus fruits can protect the brain against the damage that leads to dementia or Alzheimers. Citric acid contains the chemical nobiletin which in animal tests has been shown to slow or reverse impairment of memory.

But the new research, published in the British Journal of Nutrition, is the first major study to investigate the effect citrus fruit consumption might have on large numbers of those most at risk.

Scientists tracked more than 13,000 middle-aged or elderly men and women for several years and found those with a daily intake of citrus were 23 per cent less likely to develop dementia than those eating it less than twice a week.

The results come days after experts warned Britain faces an epidemic of dementia.

Researchers led by University College London and Liverpool University said the total affected will jump 60 per cent to 1.2million in England alone by 2040.

Citric acid contains the chemical nobiletin which in animal tests has been shown to slow or reverse impairment of memory

Without suitable health campaigns to raise awareness of how to prevent the brain disorder, experts said this figure could hit 1.9million  up from 800,000 currently.

New cases of dementia are actually falling in Britain, at a rate of over 2 per cent a year. But an ageing population means the numbers living with it will carry on rising for at least the next 20 years.

In the latest study, scientists tracked older adults for up to seven years to see how many developed dementia.

Rates of dementia among those eating citrus fruits at least once a day were significantly lower than in volunteers having them less than twice a week.

In a report, the scientists said: Some biological studies have indicated citrus may have preventive effects against cognitive impairment.

But no study has examined the relation between citrus consumption and rates of dementia. Our findings suggest frequent consumption is linked with a lower risk of dementia.
A fish and chip supper is a national dish not to be messed with.

But traditional battered cod and haddock, eaten out of the paper with vinegar-soaked chips, may be under threat.

Experts warn we may have to start getting used to anchovy and chips because of shortages in the North Sea.

Traditional battered cod and haddock, eaten out of the paper with vinegar-soaked chips, may be under threat due to shortages in North Sea

Cod are already migrating north to the Arctic to escape warmer temperatures, with small, oily anchovies from further south taking their place.

The anchovy, never recorded by North Sea fisheries until 30 years ago, is on the rise, along with sea bass, sardines and squid. Meanwhile our native fish are appearing in greater numbers off the coast of Norway, with British cod stocks moving around 23 miles north every decade.

Dr William Cheung, a marine ecologist at the University of British Columbia, warned of the changes in a keynote address to the 50th Anniversary Symposium of the Fisheries Society of the British Isles at the University of Exeter.

Speaking afterwards, he said: If this trend continues, it may be likely that the humble anchovy becomes one of the main fish on fish and chip menus in Britain by 2050.

Professor Steve Simpson, a marine biologist at the University of Exeter, who spoke at the same event, added: The fish we once ate on holiday in Spain and Portugal are the fish we are already catching in the southern UK seas.

The great migration of fish comes as our oceans become warmer, forcing cold-blooded fishs bodies to work harder and their metabolism to speed up. This means they need more oxygen, but warmer waters also distribute less oxygen to the depths of the ocean where they live.

The anchovy (pictured), never recorded by North Sea fisheries until 30 years ago, is on the rise, along with sea bass, sardines and squid

The obvious response for these fish, forecast to be up to a fifth smaller by 2050 due to the changes in their habitat, is to head north. It means our fish are leaving for Scandinavia, while newcomers from mainland Europe appear on our shores.

Dr Cheung said: Anchovies and sea bass are most common in southern Europe such as off the coast of Portugal, but they are becoming more common in the North Sea.

The catch records show only small numbers have historically appeared off the British coast but landings have increased dramatically in the last decade, when they have started swimming north to find cooler waters.

At the same time, Britain is losing cod for the same reason, with these fish being seen already extending into the Arctic.

There have already been warnings that cod and chips may be replaced by squid and chips in the near future. Sardines may also be picked up more often by fishing boats in the North Sea, as they move north by approximately 30 miles every decade.

The change to the worlds oceans could see portions of cod and chips get smaller, with the experts predicting all fish worldwide may shrink by 10 to 20 per cent by 2050. They will not have the oxygen which helps them grow to their normal larger size.

However cod is already imported to Britain from countries like Iceland, which could help to plug the gap.

Concluding his speech, Dr Cheung said: Actions that improve the health of fish stocks, and protect their critical habitats, can also moderate climate impacts on the fisheries.

Anchovy and chips is already a popular dish in Spain, where dozens of the tiny fish are needed to fill the plate.

The expensive fish are only five inches long (13cm), compared to a 39 inch (1m) average cod.
Charlie Gard won a third dramatic reprieve last night.

Doctors bowed to global pressure to give the desperately ill baby another chance.

After being handed fresh evidence, Great Ormond Street Hospital yesterday asked the High Court to reopen the agonising case.

The 11-month-old has twice survived plans to end his life support  last Friday and again this Monday.

Pope Francis and Donald Trump have declared their support and yesterday seven international scientists came to Charlie's rescue, urging his doctors to reconsider.

The 11-month-old has twice survived plans to end his life support  last Friday and again this Monday

Connie Yates outside Great Ormond Street Hospital on Friday evening, where she said she was hopeful of this new hearing

They are all experts in mitochondrial depletion syndrome, the incredibly rare genetic condition afflicting Charlie.

The courts have ruled there was no evidence a proposed experimental drug therapy would work. But the seven said: 'There is substantial direct and indirect evidence.'

Charlie's parents Connie Yates and Chris Gard said the new evidence gave him a much higher chance of survival than previously thought.

They spent yesterday begging Great Ormond Street to let their son try the treatment.

After meeting the couple, the hospital said in a statement last night that international researchers 'have communicated to us as late as the last 24 hours that they have fresh evidence about their proposed experimental treatment'. It added: 'We believe, in common with Charlie's parents, it is right to explore this evidence.

'Great Ormond Street Hospital is therefore giving the High Court the opportunity to objectively assess the claims of fresh evidence. It will be for the High Court to make its judgment on the facts.'

World reaches out to Charlie: Wednesday's Daily Mail as the battle for his future continued

Charlie Gard's mother Connie (pictured on Friday) has revealed they presented new evidence that experimental drugs could save his life and said: 'Hopefully we will have good news' - adding: 'There is potential for him to be a completely normal boy'

Miss Yates and Charlie's father Chris spoke to Nigel Farage on LBC outside the hospital and begged Theresa May to intervene

'I think this treatment could work' says chemist who backed letter to GOSH Ramon Marti is a chemist and the head of the Neuromuscular and Mitochondrial Pathology group at the Vall d'Hebron Research Institute, a public sector institution that promotes and develops innovative biomedical research at Barcelona's Vall d'Hebron Hospital. Ramon Marti, a chemist in Barcelona Yolanda Camara is a biologist working in the area of Neuromuscular and Mitochrondial Pathology. Mr Marti confirmed today: 'We are co-signatories on a scientific statement sent to the Great Ormond Street Hospital. 'As experts we're asked for an opinion and we give it but there's nothing else I really want to say. 'I, and I'm speaking now on a personal level, have sent this statement saying that as an expert I think this treatment could work but I'm not getting involved in the final decision because that depends on other factors I do not know about. 'I haven't seen Charlie and I'm a chemist, not a doctor. The letter says what it says and I can confirm that I signed the letter and I signed it because I felt I had to send it. 'Before I also sent a letter to Charlie's mother, signed solely by me, with basically the same message for her in case she wanted to use it through her lawyers for the trial. 'I don't remember exactly when it was sent but it was earlier this year when the trial was happening. 'The message in it was similar in that it said that in this type of illness, this type of treatment could have some kind of effect but of course I didn't offer an opinion about what should happen to Charlie above and beyond what those who know the case might conclude. 'Charlie's mum has that letter if she wants to share it with the press. 'Those have been my only two interventions in this case. I can't say that I recommend one thing or the other. 'What I can tell you is that I've sent information to the hospital. I don't know how that information has become public.' Asked if he and Yolanda had sent the letter unsolicited, he added: 'No, we have had contact amongst ourselves as experts and we have had interaction with other actors who I'm not going to identify and we've decided to do this.' Advertisement

The little boy's supporters  dubbed 'Charlie's Army'  went wild with jubilation on social media. A family spokesman said the extraordinary move 'marked the end of an extremely traumatic and distressing week for his parents and the rest of his family'.

She added: 'Connie and Chris are like any loving parents. They have always put Charlie's needs first and will continue to do so as they only want the very best for him.

'They are optimistic their son will soon get the treatment he needs and want to thank those people from around the world who have sent them so many moving and touching messages of support.'

Charlie is only the 16th sufferer worldwide of his rare type of mitochondrial disease, which saps energy from his muscles and organs and means his lungs are too weak to function alone.

Doctors say he is deaf, blind, brain damaged, in pain and beyond hope, and four courts have now ruled his 'best interests' are served by life-support being removed and him 'dying with dignity'.

After an American specialist offered to treat Charlie with experimental nucleosides therapy, British doctors told the High Court it would not work because the drug would not be able to breach what is known as the 'blood brain barrier' to treat malfunctioning cells.

But the seven experts wrote in their letter to Great Ormond Street: 'In fact, there is substantial direct and indirect evidence clearly demonstrating that [the drugs] cross the blood brain barrier.'

Miss Yates said yesterday: 'There is potential for him to be a completely normal boy, but we don't know, as you just don't know until you try. There's around a 10 per cent chance of this working for Charlie.' She did not explain how she had arrived at that estimate.

She told Good Morning Britain: 'We are not bad parents, we are there for him all the time, we are completely devoted to him and he's not in pain and suffering. I promise everyone I would not sit there and watch my son in pain and suffering, I couldn't do it.

'Suicide and euthanasia are both illegal in this country, how can ending Charlie's life be legal when there's a chance? It is in his best interests to be given a chance to live.'

The seven specialists include the American doctor offering to treat Charlie, and a colleague, neither of whom can be named for legal reasons. Two others are from the papal children's hospital in Rome, two are from the Vall d'Hebron research institute in Barcelona, and the seventh is an award-winning clinical geneticist at Cambridge University.

The experts, who all put their names to the letter, urged Great Ormond Street: 'In light of this important new information... reconsideration of treatment for Charlie Gard is respectfully advocated.'

The High Court, Court of Appeal, Supreme Court and European Court of Human Rights have all backed Great Ormond Street's right to withdraw Charlie's breathing tube.

So is Charlie's brain already too damaged to help? If Charlies brain is already damaged, this could not be reversed, even if the syndrome itself were made better. Even the US doctor offering the treatment agrees the proposed therapy could not undo this. Great Ormond Street says Charlie has irreversible brain damage. But his parents are adamant this is not the case. They say they know him best and he responds to them. Supporters of the family have been using social media to share two of Charlies hospital brain scans, which indicate it is normal. But while the scans are genuine, they are dated October 19, 2016, and January 6 this year. The London medics say at that point they were willing to try the American therapy themselves, but then Charlie began suffering repeated brain seizures. These went on from January 9 or 10 to January 27, during which time the doctors believe structural damage was caused to his brain. One of them described in court how Charlie was not brain dead, but persistently encephalopathic  in other words, tests showed no usual signs of normal brain functions such as responsiveness, interaction or crying. But Charlies parents insist he does move in meaningful ways, and reject the diagnosis of brain damage. On this basis, they say the American therapy is worth a try. One of Charlies doctors told the High Court: Hes blind, hes deaf, he cant breathe. This situation is not a tolerable one to leave a child in. Advertisement

Connie and Chris paid a visit to the chapel at Great Ormond Street Hospital as they continue to hope they can take him to America for treatment

Chris Gard and Connie Yates released this new picture of their son Charlie and are 'overwhelmed' after Donald Trump and the Pope offered their support - but the hopes of saving him are fading

This is the letter on paper from the Pope's children's hospital sent to Great Ormond Street from doctors and experts from around the world which concludes by asking for them to reconsider treating Charlie

The Great Ormond Street statement said: 'Charlie's condition is exceptionally rare, with catastrophic and irreversible brain damage. Our doctors have explored every medical treatment, including experimental nucleoside therapies. Independent medical experts agreed with our clinical team that this treatment would be unjustified.

'Not only that, but they said it would be futile and would prolong Charlie's suffering. This is not an issue about money or resources, but absolutely about what is right for Charlie. Our view has not changed. We believe it is right to seek the High Court's view in light of the claimed new evidence.'

Earlier this week, the Pope called for mercy for Charlie, and his hospital offered treatment.

President Trump tweeted that he would be 'delighted' to help, and the American doctor and hospital also offered to treat Charlie for free  or even to send the experimental drugs to Britain.

And what's the truth about the experimental drug? The fresh evidence which has sent the case back to court involves a debate about whether the therapy can successfully reach Charlies brain. Called nucleoside bypass therapy, the treatment involves a drug that replaces deoxynucleosides, which are naturally produced in healthy people, to repair DNA. But for it to work, the drug would need to penetrate a biological membrane known as the blood brain barrier. This barrier separates blood circulating the body from the brains fluids. For the medication to fix cells in the brain  as well in the rest of the body  it needs to cross the barrier. The High Court was told there was no evidence the therapy could cross the blood brain barrier, and the judge adopted this position in his ruling. But the new evidence challenges this. In their letter, the seven experts said there was substantial direct and indirect evidence clearly demonstrating that the drug can cross the barrier. If it can, experts believe there is a small chance it could make Charlie better. The US doctor did tell the court in March he believed his experimental drug could cross the blood brain barrier  but his was a lone voice. If the judge had heard all seven voices saying the same, it raises the question of whether he would have ruled there was no evidence the drug would work on someone with Charlies condition. Advertisement

Earlier this week, the Pope called for mercy for Charlie, and his hospital offered treatment

Protestors on Thursday gathered in support of Charlie, in the hope he could get to America for more treatment

But Great Ormond Street said it was 'bound by the ruling of the High Court, which expressly forbids us from transferring Charlie for nucleoside therapy anywhere'.

It said: 'We endeavour to provide the best possible medical care for every single child we treat. We are proud of our colleagues, and proud of the work that they do. We are also immensely proud of the public support we have earned over the generations. We respect it greatly and know how precious it is.

'The very last thing we want is for a patient to suffer, and our devoted medical teams do their very best day in, day out, for the children under their care. We respectfully acknowledge the offers of help from the White House, the Vatican and our colleagues in Italy, the United States and beyond.

'We would like to reassure everyone that Great Ormond Hospital will continue to care for Charlie and his family with the utmost respect and dignity through this very difficult time.'

The High Court is likely to regard the new application as urgent, and it could be heard on Monday.
The Church of England has christened hundreds of asylum seekers who hope to use their new-found faith to win the right to stay in England, a senior bishop has revealed.

One church alone has baptised 200 Iranian asylum seekers, according to documents placed before the Churchs parliament, the General Synod.

Many of the new converts are thought to have used their beliefs as part of asylum claims put to the Home Office and to immigration court hearings.

Reverend Mark Miller, the vicar at Stockton Parish Church in Stockton-on-Tees near Middlesbrough has assisted refugees in their asylum claims. In one case he provided a reference for an Iranian woman known as H who was appearing at a Home Office tribunal

The Bishop of Wakefield, the Right Reverend Tony Robinson, said of the new asylum seeker congregations: This type of growth is exciting but costly and transitory.

He added: Helping people navigate the legal system is time-consuming for clergy, and many people choose to move elsewhere once they have leave to remain, to be close to friends and family or for work.

The disclosure of the Churchs deep involvement in helping asylum seekers in claims for refugee status comes ahead of a debate on relations between inner city parishes and other faith groups when the Synod meets in York this weekend.

Bishop Robinson acknowledged in a paper prepared for the Synod that the CofEs move into asylum assistance has not pleased some members of existing congregations.

Stockton Parish Church in Stockton-on-Tees where a number or Iranian asylum seekers have been Christened

Pictured: A sign at Stockton Parish Church. Two hundred asylum seekers were baptised at the church over a five-year period

The presence of asylum seekers was a great joy but brings challenges, particularly the complex practical and spiritual support of those seeking asylum in the UK, and balancing the needs of new believers with those of existing congregation members, he said.

The role of the CofE in bringing asylum seekers into the pews has been developed as part of its Presence and Engagement Programme, designed to assist clergy in parishes where more than one in ten of the population follow a non-Christian faith.

The 200 Iranian asylum seekers were baptised over a five-year period in a parish church in Stockton-on-Tees near Middlesbrough, in an area where migrants who come into the country and apply for refugee status are housed while their claims are considered.

Large numbers of asylum seekers are also reported to have been baptised in cities including Stoke-on-Trent, Nottingham and Manchester. Christianity was driven underground in Iran after the 1979 revolution brought radical Islamic clerics to power. Independent estimates say there may be 40,000 people who attend clandestine churches in the country.

Church that christened 200 Iranians in five years Two hundred asylum seekers were baptised over a five-year period in a church in Stockton-on-Tees near Middlesbrough. All were Iranians, who currently make up the biggest national group of people entering Britain to ask for refugee status. The support that Stockton Parish Church offers is advertised on a sign next to the front door, alongside its service timetable, and there are posters inside. The interest of Iranians asylum seekers has transformed the congregation of the church. Eight years ago churchgoers numbered fewer than 20, but there are now 240, over a half of whom are Iranians. The church places messages in Farsi on its Facebook page and holds events in the language. One man, who arrived from Iran five years ago and attends the church once or twice a week, said: The [churchs] asylum centre will help with asylum forms. If you have a problem here, say if you have to go to court of something, you can just go and speak to the vicar and he will help. The churchs vicar, the Reverend Mark Miller, has assisted refugees in their asylum claims. In one case he provided a reference for an Iranian woman known as H who was appearing at a Home Office tribunal. He wrote: My own observations of [H] suggest that she does indeed believe in trusting God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Her participation in Sunday services is not passive, but active. In this case a previous refusal of asylum was overturned, with the tribunal believing her evidence about religious persecution in Iran. Mr Miller declined to comment. Advertisement

Western evangelists say the clerical dictatorship has driven large numbers of people towards Christianity, and the highest estimates claim half a million converts are in the country.

Nearly 4,000 Iranian asylum seekers came to Britain in the year to March. Advice for clergy from the CofE says Iranian Christians arriving in this country may not have been baptised previously because the ceremony was too dangerous to carry out in Iran.

Some of those reported as converts receiving baptism have in fact been Christians for years in Iran but have not been able to mark this in a public way, the guidance notes.

When this is the case, baptism in an English church is appropriate, clergy are advised. The document adds: There are complex reasons why people might not continue to attend church following their baptism  this is not necessarily a sign that their testimony was inauthentic.

The Presence and Engagement Programme has supplied guidance to clergy on giving support to asylum seekers. Clergy are told they should record church attendance records of converts and if there is a tribunal hearing may attend court to give evidence that the conversion is genuine.

Supporters should also come to court  but they are warned that judges are likely to react negatively if there is anything like an organised demonstration.

Where someone has already had an asylum application turned down, a conversion to Christianity may allow a new claim, clergy are advised.
As a modern day morality tale, the saga of Sarah Lewis takes some beating. For while the world of online dating offers ample scope for drama, generally the worst that can happen is a drink with someone who looks nothing like their profile picture. Excuses and rapid exits are made and lessons learned.

But it does not always end like that  as the five high-flying men who crossed paths with 49-year-old Lewis, only to find themselves embroiled in a situation worthy of the film Fatal Attraction, would discover to their cost.

It goes without saying, of course, that none of those involved in this sorry episode emerges with much credit.

A mother of two, having temporarily split from her doctor husband last year, Lewis posted profiles under assumed names on a number of dating websites.

Pictured above: Stalker mother Sarah Lewis and husband Andrew relaxing in a Jacuzzi

Scarlet, as she was known, clearly was not shy about what she was after, listing herself on one website as a cougar a word used to describe women looking for sex with younger men.

And find them the blonde former nurse certainly did. But what many will find deeply depressing is the type of man who answered her call.

All five claimed to be single but were married, the majority were parents, and all were living outwardly extremely respectable lives.

Lewis clearly had something of a thing for men in uniform. They included two high-ranking soldiers, a member of the Royal Navy and an airman. The fifth was in the fire brigade.

And these werent just lowly squaddies. The Daily Mail can reveal that they included officers from both the Army and the Navy, men whose service had seen them lauded for bravery and whose official duties brought them into contact with members of the Royal Family.

But nothing could have prepared them for their experience with Lewis. Following their encounters she would harass not only the men, but their families, too.

On one occasion she cried rape. On another she pretended she had become pregnant while also claiming to have caught a sexually transmitted infection.

One man was so distressed he was pushed to the brink of suicide after Lewis threatened to show his wife a naked picture of him.

Appearing in court last week having admitted five counts of stalking and one count of revenge porn, Lewis was handed a suspended prison sentence. It was claimed she was suffering from a personality disorder, had low self-esteem and had only wanted to be loved.

Given the carnage of broken marriages and blighted careers she left behind, her victims have little sympathy for her.

Dont get me wrong, the wife of one of those involved told me last week, my husband was a plonker, a complete plonker for what he did.

Sarah Lewis, 49, 'preyed' on men using an Ashley Madison-style adultery website before meeting them in hotel rooms for sex

But she has really got away with this one. I have still got some of the text messages she sent to me and, believe me, they are absolutely despicable. I cant believe she is going to escape a jail sentence despite wreaking all this havoc.

For romantic souls looking for lasting love, the saucydating.com website might not be the obvious starting point.

Boasting more than four million active members worldwide, it pulls no punches in what it offers.

We connect people seeking sex, without the complication of a long-term relationship, its website states. Some of our members are married men and women seeking a quick casual-sex date. Others are single men and women, who just prefer the freedom of no-strings-attached sex.

Lewis posted on this site and another called Plenty of Fish, using various aliases rather than her real name. Given her background, that was perhaps unsurprising.

Her 56-year-old husband Andrew is a respected doctor who works at a childrens hospital in Birmingham. The couple have been married for 25 years, have two grown-up daughters and a grandchild and live in a four-bedroom, detached property in a cul-de-sac on the outskirts of Worcester.

Neighbours describe the family as lovely and add that Lewis was a glam woman who took care of her appearance. Photographs on Facebook show her reclining in a black swimsuit in a hot tub with her husband, glass of champagne in hand, and holidaying in the sun.

While it is unknown what profile or photos she posted on the various websites, they clearly appealed to a certain type of man. All those who were to come into contact with her were younger than her, the youngest being in his mid-30s.

Lewis admitted five counts of harassment by stalking and one count of disclosing private sexual photographs or 'revenge porn'

While their identities are all known to this newspaper, the Mail has chosen not to name them.

Lewiss first assignation involved a married officer from an infantry regiment that performed certain ceremonial duties during the wedding of Prince William and Kate.

Having met for sex in a hotel in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, in June last year, the following month Lewis threatened to tell the soldiers wife about his infidelity. He also received messages that appeared to be from friends of Lewis, but were really from her.

Worcester Crown Court was told that, as a result, the man felt pressured to meet her for a second time at a hotel in Lichfield, Staffordshire, on July 23. The following morning he found her photographing his car. This, she told him, would be her ace card.

The mans daughter subsequently found messages from Lewis on his mobile phone. When the girl told her to stay away from her father she replied: Your dad is a sex pest.

Lewis, of Worcester, admitted five counts of harassment by stalking and one count of disclosing private sexual photographs or 'revenge porn' at Worcester Crown Court (pictured)

On August 15 Lewis sent intimate pictures of the man to his wife and set up an online profile using the same photos, calling him a rapist.

The court heard that the man was so depressed by what had happened that he had contemplated suicide by walking onto some train tracks.

In December, she had her eyes on another married man, this time a decorated officer in the Royal Navy.

Having joined a website looking for casual sex, he happened upon Lewis. It is understood that although he decided not to meet her, she began to stalk him and his wife.

She branded him a disgusting father and threatened to disclose intimate details about their conversations. The officers marriage has since broken up.

The same month she met a third man for sex, an ex-member of the RAF. Having arranged to meet in a Gloucestershire pub, they instead went to a flat in Worcester in which she was then living. Afterwards Lewis claimed she felt sick.

When the man tried to go home, she told him: If you leave, Im going to tell them you raped me.

The man later blocked her number only for her to immediately call him back on another phone, demanding he unblock her and calling him a rapist psycho.

She added that she now controlled him. The court heard that the married man also contemplated suicide.

In January, using the name Scarlet and posting on saucy dating.com, she met up with a fireman from the West Country.

Intimate photos were exchanged, including one of the man in his uniform. Although they did not meet, she threatened to set up a Facebook profile using the pictures of him in his uniform and to inform his boss. The man pleaded with her not to, knowing he would be immediately dismissed.

She also claimed he had touched her daughters bottom at a fete, even though they had never met. As a result of the fallout from the incident, it is understood that the man is no longer working as a fireman.

The fifth and final man was another well-regarded soldier. As well as having seen action in Afghanistan, in the past he, too, has also undertaken a number of ceremonial duties that have brought him into contact with members of the Royal Family.

Lewis contacted the mans wife claiming she was pregnant and that the womans husband had given her a sexually transmitted disease. Last week, this wife told the Mail that the messages were vile and despicable and said she and her husband were now working to save their marriage.

Were rebuilding our lives, she said, adding that she had been too upset by what had happened to even give a statement to the police.

Lewis, she said, deserved to face the full force of the law for what she had done.

And so to Worcester Crown Court late last month, where she appeared via video-link, having been held on remand for two months at HMP Eastwood Park.

Pictured: The saucydating.com website where Lewis first spoke to the men

After she had admitted five counts of harassment by stalking and one count of disclosing private sexual photographs, or revenge porn, at an earlier hearing, the court heard that Lewis had previous convictions for harassment in 2002 and 2003 and another for sending an article that was grossly offensive or indecent in 2014.

It is unclear what specifically those earlier offences relate to.

Belinda Ariss, defending, said Lewis had a personality disorder.

She is deeply ashamed and sorry for the harassment she caused to these men and their families, she said. She has had, for many years, low self-esteem and simply wanted to be loved.

Lewis was sentenced to 21 months in prison, suspended for two years, and ordered to complete 15 days of a rehabilitation activity requirement.

She was also given a two-year mental health treatment order as well as a restraining order in relation to the 11 victims affected, including the men, their wives, and the child, which will last for ten years.

Your behaviour could be described as unpleasant, predatory and threatening, Judge Nicholas Cartwright told her. You used a mans daughter as a pawn in this process, telling her that her dad was a sex pest. You did that in order to get at him.

In relation to the impact on the victims, it was profound in each case. If you were to do anything like this again, you could expect to receive a very substantial custodial sentence. You have been given a chance. You should take it.

Speaking after the case, Lewis made it clear that she did not believe the fault lay solely with her.

Im just a normal housewife who is going through a very traumatic time and on these social networking sites people are not what they say they are, she said. They all said they were single, all on national dating websites.

The incident, she added, had destroyed her life. But, in stark contrast to the impact it has had on the lives of at least one of her victims, it seems it has not destroyed her marriage. The opposite in fact.

Referring to her husband, she said: We were going through a period of trial separation. We were on a break, but its made us stronger than ever. Its got us closer together.

A very unexpected twist  at the end of a very sorry tale.
Delivery workers for Yodel, one of the UK's largest couriers, have been spotted throwing packages carelessly between two vans in Greater Manchester.

A video posted earlier today on Facebook by Whitefield resident Ritchie Elston shows twenty odd parcels being tossed into a Yodel delivery van from another.

'That's shocking,' said Mr Elston in the video.

Later he added, 'He's right at the back of his van just lobbying them.'

Packages go flying between vans, pictured, as local resident Ritchie Elston catches the Yodel workers in shocking behaviour in Whitefield in Greater Manchester

It is unknown whether there is anything inside the flung packages, but if so, the video shows a complete disregard for the Yodel customer who spends a minimum of 6.62 per delivered package.

The incident, according to Mr Elston's Facebook post, happened at approximately 5:00pm this afternoon, sparking outrage in the some 85,000 people who have now seen the video.

Many have asked for the incident to be reported to Yodel's Head Office.

MailOnline reached out to the company for comment.

In the video, pictured, Mr Elston remarks at how shocking what he's witnessing is, workers lobbying packages between vans. It is uknown whether there was anything in the packages

A spokesperson for Yodel said: We're disappointed to see this driver's behaviour, which breaks our strict protocols.

'We have reached out to the owner of the video to aid our investigation and believe we have identified the individual involved.

'The safety of the parcels in our care is our priority and appropriate action will be taken.'

Yodel appears to have an endless amount of poor reviews on sites like Trustpilot, a website that reviews online businesses.
Former Ku Klux Klan leader Steven Joshua Dinkle, 31, has been convicted of sexual abuse and sentenced to 10 years in prison

A former Ku Klux Klan leader who previously served time for burning a cross near a black neighborhood in Alabama is heading back to prison after being convicted of sexually abusing a woman.

Dale County Circuit Judge William Fillmore sentenced Steven Joshua Dinkle to 10 years in prison and fined him $1,000, according to a court order signed Thursday.

A jury convicted Dinkle, 31, of sexual abuse in June after prosecutors claimed he recorded himself sexually abusing a woman who was incapacitated by medication. A letter from the victim filed this week in court asked for a tough sentence for Dinkle.

'Don't go easy on him like everyone else. Show him there are consequences for his actions,' the woman wrote.

The judge gave Dinkle the maximum sentence, District Attorney Kirke Adams told reporters.

Telling sign: Dinkle previously served time for burning a cross in Alabama. On his Facebook page, there was a photo of his clan tattoo (right)

White supremacist: Federal authorities said Dinkle once was the exalted cyclops of the Ozark branch of the International Keystone Knights

Defense attorney David Harrison said Dinkle disagreed with the verdict and plans an appeal. Harrison said he didn't know anything about Dinkle's involvement with the KKK.

Federal authorities said Dinkle once was the exalted cyclops of the Ozark branch of the International Keystone Knights, a KKK group based in Arkansas. His mother was the chapter secretary, according to the Justice Department.

Dinkle was indicted in 2013 on charges of helping burn a six-foot-tall cross wrapped in rags and doused with fuel four years earlier near a predominantly black neighborhood in Ozark, located about 85 miles southeast of Montgomery. He later pleaded guilty to hate crime and obstruction charges.

Family hobby: Dinkle's mother, Pamela Morris, was the secretary of her son's KKK chapter

Dinkle's mother, Pamela Morris, pleaded guilty in 2014 after being accused of lying to grand jurors about her involvement in the Klan, court documents show.

Sentenced to two years in prison, Dinkle was released on probation and later charged with being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. He pleaded guilty to illegally possessing a pistol in April 2016.

The state sentence will run along with a 15-month federal term that Dinkle already is serving on the gun charge, records show.
Racial justice and civil rights activist, Linda Sarsour, has drawn criticism from conservatives who accused her of urging Muslims to wage a holy war against the Trump administration, after she made reference to 'jihad' during a speech.

Sarsour, one of four co-chairs for the historic Women's March on Washington, gave the speech at the annual Islamic Society of North America convention in Chicago last weekend.

In her speech, Sarsour told a story about a man who once asked Muhammad, the founder of Islam: 'What is the best form of jihad, or struggle?'

Racial justice and civil rights activist, Linda Sarsour (left), has drawn criticism from conservatives who accused her of urging Muslims to wage a holy war against the Trump administration, after she made reference to 'jihad' during a speech (right)

In her speech, Sarsour told a story about a man who once asked Muhammad, the founder of Islam: 'What is the best form of jihad, or struggle?'

The high-profile Palestinian activist then said: 'And our beloved prophet  said to him, 'A word of truth in front of a tyrant ruler or leader, that is the best form of jihad.''

'I hope that  when we stand up to those who oppress our communities, that Allah accepts from us that as a form of jihad, that we are struggling against tyrants and rulers not only abroad in the Middle East or on the other side of the world, but here in these United States of America, where you have fascists and white supremacists and Islamophobes reigning in the White House.'

Sarsour told the Washington Post that she was advocating solely for peacful, nonviolent dissent.

But some conservatives don't see it that way at all.

They believe that she's trying to urge Muslims to wage a holy war against the Trump administration, according to the Post.

The high-profile Palestinian activist then said: 'And our beloved prophet  said to him, 'A word of truth in front of a tyrant ruler or leader, that is the best form of jihad'. Conservatives then called her speech 'terrifying'. But Sarsour says she was only advocating for peacful dissent

'Linda Sarsour calls for Muslims to wage 'jihad' against Trump,' a Conservative Review headline read.

The article called Sarsour's references to jihad 'a terrifying segment of her speech'.

Brietbart was also quick to condemn Sarsour with their article titled: 'Linda Sarsour Calls for 'Jihad' Against Trump Administration.'

'The context of Sarsour's remarks indicate that she meant a jihad using words,' Breitbart wrote in the article.

Sarsour has been heavily involved in protests against the Trump administration since he went into office

'However, the term has also been used to describe violent struggle, including terrorism, against non-Muslims or against governments described as enemies,' the far-right news site wrote.

On Friday, Sarsour told the Post: 'For people to out of nowhere claim that I would be calling for some sort of violence against the president is absolutely ludicrous.

'That's just not who I am. That's never been who I am.'

Sarsour has been heavily involved in protests against the Trump administration since he went into office.

She was arrested along with 12 others during Day Without a Woman protests outside Trump's International Hotel in New York.

The 13 women were arrested for civil disobedience after reportedly blocking traffic outside the hotel, an NYPD spokesman told DailyMail.com at the time.

Sarsour was raised in Brooklyn by Palestinian immigrant parents. She had an arranged marriage at the age of 17 and then had her first of three children at 19.

She got her start as an activist defending the civil rights of American Muslims after the September 11, 2001, attacks and in recent years, protesting against surveillance of Muslim communities.

In June, she sparked protests when the City University of New York's Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy chose her as their commencement speaker.

Sarsour also has put her activism toward other causes, including the Black Lives Matter movement, and she was one of four national chairs for the Women's March that led to massive turnouts in DC, and around the world

They were angry at her opposition to Israel. The graduates gave her a standing ovation when she said: 'We in this room together must commit to never being bystanders to poverty, lack of jobs and health care.'

Pro-Israel critics have spread false internet reports claiming she supports Islamic State militants and Sharia law.

Sarsour also has put her activism toward other causes, including the Black Lives Matter movement, and she was one of four national chairs for the Women's March that led to massive turnouts in DC, and around the world.

Her critics have sent around a photo of her with one finger up and saying it was her making a gesture in support of ISIS, when she has called it a global cancer.

Other false accusations include that she supports Islamic law being put in place of the US legal system, based on a sarcastic tweet from 2015 that actually was about ridiculing conspiracy theories around Muslims and the Sharia system.

Sarsour says all of those accusations are ludicrous.
Customers have slammed the owners of a Vegan restaurant for letting their children run around naked.

Earlier this week, a customer wrote a review for Imagine Vegan Cafe in Memphis, Tennessee, mentioning a nude baby running amok in the dining area and defecating on the floor.

In response, owners Adam and Kristie Jeffrey then posted a series of angry responses on their Facebook page defending the youngsters' behavior, before deleting the account entirely.

Earlier this week, a customer wrote a review for Imagine Vegan Cafe in Memphis, Tennessee, that mentioned a naked baby running amok in the dining area showing off its 'butthole'

And after the customer posted the review, the store owners - Adam and Kristie Jeffrey - then posted a series of angry responses on their Facebook page, before deleting the account entirely

According to their website , Imagine Vegan Cafe is 'a family owned and operated' establishment 'specializing in real food for real people'

'During my visit, a bare butt naked baby was running around, stood up on a table with its black theyre (sic) so dirty feet, and bent over to show me it's butthole,' said Chelsea Bartley on Google Plus.

Chelsea questioned whether the child belonged to the owners and then noted that another child was acting peculiar.

'An older kid came over and started like yodeling and staring at me during my meal. I was SO uncomfortable,' she added.

A Twitter user took screenshot's of the cafe's response which immediately was hostile, saying that what the woman said was a 'lie'

'I am about to start calling out names and pictures of people who leave us bad reviews, especially when it deals with our children,' the owners wrote in the post since deleted on their Facebook page. 'You will no longer be allowed to come and dine at Imagine. Especially when you lie about our babies

A Twitter user took screenshot's of the cafe's response which immediately was hostile, saying that what the woman said was a 'lie.'

'I am about to start calling out names and pictures of people who leave us bad reviews, especially when it deals with our children,' the owners wrote in the post since deleted on their Facebook page.

'You will no longer be allowed to come and dine at Imagine. Especially when you lie about our babies.

The post continues to say that 'you've throughly irritated mama bear!!!' and then names Chelsea Bartley as the person who wrote the review in question.

The cafe added: 'These are my children she is talking about. She's complaining about our five-year-old coming over and talking to her, and our 21 month old. 'I understand your point, but if you are uncomfortable with a naked baby then do not come to our restaurant. Periodically she will not have a diaper on and that is life'

The cafe added: 'These are my children she is talking about. She's complaining about our five-year-old coming over and talking to her, and our 21 month old.

'I understand your point, but if you are uncomfortable with a naked baby then do not come to our restaurant. Periodically she will not have a diaper on and that is life.'

But the damage was already done as many took to the Google review site to voice their disdain with the owner's bullying treatment of the customers.

'Poor food coupled with butthole owners, pun intended,' shared Haley Hobert.

'It's not right for a restaurant to publicly shame a customer, especially when her comments are justified.

'Owners shouldn't be allowed to persecute and publicly shame against what they think is a poor review.'

'Poor food coupled with butthole owners, pun intended,' shared Haley Hobert on a Google review calling out the restaurant for its practices

Another user, Dee Shelton, couldn't believe that an owner would act like that. 'The owner needs to hire a PR person instead of insulting people who give them less than perfect reviews,' they said

Amanda B, however, loved the idea of children being inside the store. She said: Here, unlike most cafes, you are allowed to sit back, relax, and have a delicious meal among friends, knowing that your children are allowed to be themselves'

Another user, Dee Shelton, couldn't believe that an owner would act like that.

Owners Adam and Kristie Jeffrey have remained defiant against the negative posts

'The owner needs to hire a PR person instead of insulting people who give them less than perfect reviews,' they said.

'Part of business ownership is that everyone will not always be pleased and ownership needs to step up and be more mature to understand that and come with a solution.'

Amanda B, however, loved the idea of children being inside the store.

She said: Here, unlike most cafes, you are allowed to sit back, relax, and have a delicious meal among friends, knowing that your children are allowed to be themselves.

'Our children were able to have fun in the play room, and all of the other patrons were welcoming and just as kind as the owners.'

On Twitter, people were disgusted that the owner's were so rude and in their minds nasty.

''Imagine' how much better things would have been if the restaurant owners had just turned the other cheek. #buttholegate,' said one user, deeming the ordeal #buttholegate.

Lee Bolton said: 'Lmao they seem like down-to-earth people'

And another user, Rachel Millman, shared another post from a Karen Long that described what happened when she went to eat at the restaurant and the baby took a load there and said: 'Holy f***.'

''Imagine' how much better things would have been if the restaurant owners had just turned the other cheek. #buttholegate,' said one user, deeming the ordeal #buttholegate.

Lee Bolton said: 'Lmao they seem like down-to-earth people.'

And another user, Rachel Millman, shared another post from a Karen Long that described what happened when she went to eat at the restaurant and the baby took a load there and said: 'Holy f***.'

According to their website, Imagine Vegan Cafe is 'a family owned and operated' establishment 'specializing in real food for real people.'

Their website includes a photo of the two owners along with four children - including a small infant who may be the child in question.
Six fighter jets from the United States and Canada were scrambled to respond to a commercial flight as it flew back to the airport after a customer threatened flight attendants and passengers mid flight.

The Sunwing Airlines Flight WG604 departed from Quebec's Montreal Trudeau International Airport airport on Thursday evening, headed for Cayo Coco, Cuba, when the customer, identified as 39-year-old Charalabus Bobby Nassios by CTV Montreal, allegedly started issuing the threats.

A Continental US NORAD  North American Aerospace Defense  Region spokesperson confirmed that two US Air Force F-15 fighter jets, operating out of Barnes Air National Guard Base in Westfield, Massachusetts, intercepted the Sunwing flight near Albany, New York and escorted it back to Montreal.

Charalabus Bobby Nassios, 39, was taken into custody after he threatened Sunwing flight crew and passengers mid-air during on the way from Montreal to Cuba on Thursday. He posted this photo prior to the Sunwing plane's departure

Before the plane departed from Montreal, Nassios also posted this series of images, taken as he was on his way to the aircraft door

A Sunwing passenger captured one of two US Air Force F-15s that were escorting the commercial plane as it flew back to Montreal after Nassios threatened staff and passengers

An additional two Royal Canadian Air Force CF-18s from Canadian Forces Base Bagotville, in Quebec monitored the situation from a distance, while two US Air Force F-16s jets from Atlantic City, New Jersey were sent out, but did not intercept the Sunwing flight.

The F-15s escorting the Sunwing flew close enough to the commercial plane that passengers were able to take clear shots of the fighter jets from their window seats.

A spokesperson for Sunwing told CBC News in a statement that the flight was 'turned around due to an unruly customer making non-specific threats' and that the plane arrived back in Montreal at about 7.25pm, at which police took the 'disruptive customer'  Nassios  into custody.

According to CTV Montreal, a Montreal police spokesperson said that Nassios had been drinking alcohol on the flight, which was listed as having 170 passengers on board.

Montreal police also told CBC News that while Nassios threatened airplane staff and intimidated passengers, 'there was no threats about terrorism or anything like that  it was more like behavior that was aggressive.'

The alleged threats came after Nassios appeared to have a meltdown at the airport, sharing a series of bizarre Facebook posts with his friends before boarding the plane.

Montreal police said that Nassios had been drinking on the flight and said that the threats he allegedly made did not involve terrorism, instead he was behaving aggressively

Just prior to departing from the Montreal airport on the Sunwings flight, Nassios shared several Facebook posts with his friends, including this statement

Nassios posted this image, showing his Sunwing window seat, just prior to the plane's departure from the Montreal airport.

At 12.48pm on Thursday, Nassios posted a map on his Facebook account, showing that he was traveling from Trudeau airport to Cayo Santa Mario.

Then, at about 4.20pm, he posted a series of images of himself at the airport, including photos of the gate, his raised middle finger, a selfie where he's sticking out his tongue on his way to the airplane and a shot of his apparent window seat.

Nassios also wrote in a post, 'Sometimes saying f*** the wrld is worth it. Like now [sic],' followed by a separate post of what appears to be a cell phone screengrab of a form letter rejection for a job application.

A Sunwing spokesperson said that Nassios made 'non-specific' threats while on board the plane and that he was taken into custody when the plane landed in Montreal at about 7.25pm on Thursday

Friday afternoon, Nassios was in court facing charges of assault, death threats and threat to aviation security. He also faced a breach of conditions charge from a previous court condition.

CTV Montreal reports that his lawyer said that prior to the Sunwing-related charges, Nassios also faced charges including operating a vehicle while impaired, refusing to provide a breath sample and carrying and using or threatening to use a weapon, and was due to be in court on August 18 on those charges.

The Sunwing flight left for Cuba at 4.50am on Friday.

This was the second incident that took place on Thursday, involving a flight being turned around mid-air, due to an unruly passenger.

A Delta Airlines flight going to Seattle, Washington to Beijing had to return to Seattle after 45 minutes in the air, following a first class passenger's assault of a flight attendant and attempt to open the emergency exit door.

Other passengers on the flight helped restrain the passenger by hitting him with bottles of wine and choking him, until the plane landed in Seattle.
One of the world's oldest Christian communities fears extinction after the Turkish government confiscated 50 of its properties.

The Syriac Orthodox Church was deprived of dozens of churches, monasteries and cemeteries over claims the ownership deeds had lapsed.

Christian leaders say the assets being seized include two monasteries built 1,500 years ago, the loss of which would be a crushing blow to their culture.

Fears are running high after a last-ditch appeal against the confiscation of 50 properties on behalf of the ancient monastery of Mor Gabriel(pictured) in southeastern Turkey was rejected

Kuryakos Ergun, chairman of the Mor Gabriel Monastery Foundation, said Turkey's Christians had 'never been through as difficult a legal period'

Fears are running high after a last-ditch appeal against the confiscation on behalf of the ancient monastery of Mor Gabriel in southeastern Turkey was rejected.

Kuryakos Ergun, chairman of the Mor Gabriel Monastery Foundation, said Turkey's Christians had 'never been through as difficult a legal period'.

He told Fox: 'We went to sleep one night, and we woke up the next morning to see what was ours the night before no longer belonged to us.'

Taking to Al-Monitor, he added: 'Our churches and monasteries are what root Syriacs in these lands; our existence relies on them.'

Critics say the dispute is a new chapter in the long history of religious persecution of the small Christian community by the Turkish state.

The row began when Turkish government land officials redrew the boundaries around Mor Gabriel and other villages in 2008 to update a national land registry.

The row began when Turkish government land officials redrew the boundaries around Mor Gabriel and other villages. Pictured: Monks perform a service

The monks say the new boundaries turn over to the villages large plots of land the monastery has owned for centuries, and designate monastery land as public forest

The monks say the new boundaries turn over to the villages large plots of land the monastery has owned for centuries, and designate monastery land as public forest.

Christian groups believe officials want to ultimately stamp out the Syriac Orthodox monastery.

Turkey's ruling AK Party government, which has Islamist roots, has repeatedly been criticised for hampering religious freedom for minority groups.

However, the country has taken steps in previous years to improve conditions for Syriacs, including allowing the group to open its first school in nine decades.
A teenager has been rushed to hospital after he was brutally beaten at a party in Sydney's east overnight.

Police said a 16th birthday party was taking place at a home on Jennings Street, Matraville, when a number of uninvited guests entered the party about 10.40pm.

The uninvited guests refused to leave and punched a 59-year-old man in the face, before punching a 32-year-old man who was working as a private security guard at the event.

Scroll down for video

A teenager has been rushed to hospital after he was brutally beaten at a party in Sydney overnight. Pictured is the 16-year-old in an ambulance

Other guests became involved in the altercation and it spilled into a side access path.

A 16-year-old boy, who was a guest at the party, was then punched in the back of the head, causing him to fall to the ground.

The alleged offenders then stomped on his head and neck, causing serious facial injuries.

A shocked witness, who did not want to be identified, told the Daily Telegraph the attack caused the teen to lose his teeth.

Police said a 16th birthday party was taking place at a home on Jennings Street, Matraville, when a number of uninvited guests entered the party about 10.40pm

The uninvited guests refused to leave and punched a 59-year-old man in the face, before punching a 32-year-old man who was working as a private security guard at the event

The group of about six to eight men then fled from the party.

The 16-year-old was taken to St Vincents Hospital for treatment and is in a stable condition.

The 59-year-old man was also taken to hospital for treatment for a facial injury while the 32-year-old man received no obvious injury.

Police inquiries are continuing and no arrests have yet been made.
The rapper Jay-Z (above) was criticized Friday by a major American Jewish organization for lyrics in one of his songs that appear to promote anti-Semitic stereotypes

The rapper Jay-Z was criticized Friday by a major American Jewish organization for lyrics in one of his songs that appear to promote anti-Semitic stereotypes.

The Anti-Defamation League, an organization that monitors bigotry in the United States and abroad, voiced its objection to a line from a song on Jay-Zs new album.

The lyric from The Story of O.J., the second track from Jay-Zs latest studio album titled 4:44 reads: You wanna know what's more important than throwin' away money at a strip club? Credit/You ever wonder why Jewish people own all the property in America? This how they did it.

The ADL says that line about Jews owning all the property reinforces age-old stereotypes related to supposed Jewish control of finance.

'We do not believe it was Jay-Z's intent to promote anti-Semitism,' an ADL official told Rolling Stone.

On the contrary, we know that Jay-Z is someone who has used his celebrity in the past to speak out responsibly and forcefully against the evils of racism and anti-Semitism.

Scroll down for video

The lyric from the The Story of O.J., the second track from Jay-Zs latest studio album titled 4:44 (above) reads: You wanna know what's more important than throwin' away money at a strip club? Credit/ You ever wonder why Jewish people own all the property in America? This how they did it

'[But] the lyric does seem to play into deep-seated anti-Semitic stereotypes about Jews and money.

The idea that Jews own all the property in this country and have used credit to financially get ahead are odious and false.

Yet, such notions have lingered in society for decades, and we are concerned that this lyric could feed into preconceived notions about Jews and alleged Jewish control of the banks and finance.

A representative for Jay-Z has yet to publicly comment on the matter, but friends of the hip hop star whose real name is Shawn Carter dismiss any suggestions that he harbors anti-Jewish sentiment.

Russell Simmons, the entrepreneur and hip hop mogul who co-founded Def Jam Records, said Jay-Z was merely paying a compliment to the Jewish communitys sound financial practices.

Mischief makers would like to take Jay's statements about the culture and practices that exist within some parts of the Jewish community (notice I say some), Simmons wrote on his Facebook page.

The fact is this culture that promotes good business and financial well-being is and has been a guiding light to the black and specifically the hip-hop community.

From music to film, television, fashion, technology and financial services, the hip-hop community including myself have partnered with Jews where there were no blacks to partner with.

Russell Simmons (left), the entrepreneur and hip hop mogul who co-founded Def Jam Records, and Guy Oseary (right), Madonna's manager, said Jay-Z was merely paying a compliment to the Jewish communitys sound financial practices

The wasps and other ethnicities didn't lift a finger.

It was blacks and Jews creating new opportunity and new wealthJay-Z was celebrating that bond that was built when no other community gave and continues to give us as much support in our fight for liberation in this very white country.

Guy Oseary, Madonnas manager who is also an acquaintance of Jay-Z, echoed similar sentiments.

'If you read the lyrics out of context I can understand why people are jumping to that conclusion, Oseary wrote on his Instagram.

But if you listen to the song in its entirety you will hear that the whole of the song is based on exaggerated stereotypes to make a point.

In my opinion, Jay is giving the Jewish community a compliment.

Opinion on social media, however, was more negative.
Within the cockpit of the Stuka dive bomber, the pilot reached the top of the climb, rolled the plane sideways and tore down almost vertically towards the earth at 350 mph.

The engines howled, the wings whistled and the fuselage shook so violently that the instruments on the control panel were almost unreadable.

Astonishingly, given that this was macho Nazi Germany in 1941, the pilot was a woman. With her gloved hands, Melitta von Stauffenberg clung to the juddering joystick as the plane plummeted 10,000 ft.

Melitta von Stauffenberg was a pilot and aeronautical engineer in Nazi Germany. During the war, her job was to perfect the Fuhrers Junkers Ju 87 dive bombers

With the ground just 500 ft below, she pulled up as hard as she could, her oxygen-starved brain perilously close to blacking out. The nose lifted and, just in time, the bomber flattened out, skimmed across the runway and landed. Another death-defying test flight, one of thousands Melitta made, was over for that rarest of breeds  a woman aviator in Hitlers Third Reich.

Within minutes, Melitta would be back in the air repeating the exercise as many times as necessary before returning to her drawing board to analyse the results. She was not just a test pilot but a brilliant aeronautical engineer.

Defying the Nazi mentality that confined a womans role to the three Ks; kinder, kuche, kirche [children, kitchen, church], her job at this time was to perfect the Fuhrers Junkers Ju 87 dive bombers, a potent weapon in his armoury as he plundered Europe.

Meanwhile, the only woman comparable to her in Germany, Hanna Reitsch, was flirting with death by deliberately flying a Dornier Do 17 bomber into a heavy steel cable that tethered a barrage balloon to the ground.

The British used hundreds of these balloons to bring down planes, so a German scientist had designed razor-sharp steel blades, fixed to the leading edge of a bombers wings, to slice through the anchor cables.

Hanna aimed the plane directly at a taut cable, knowing full well she could be decapitated or disfigured in seconds. There was a jerk as she hit; the cable parted... but the cut end whipped back through the air, gouging chunks out of her propellers. Metal splinters flashed through the cockpit and past her head. The starboard engine went berserk.

Watchers on the ground waited for the crash and explosion. But somehow Hanna landed the crippled plane.

These were the golden air girls of the Third Reich in action. Fearless Hanna, blue eyes, blonde curls peeking out from under her leather flying cap, so tiny she had to have wooden blocks on the rudder pedals to reach them. And brainy, handsome Melitta, tall with a Roman profile beneath bobbed chestnut hair.

Meanwhile, Hanna Reitsch was flirting with death by deliberately flying a Dornier Do 17 bomber into a heavy steel cable that tethered a barrage balloon to the ground

The pioneers challenged the sexist stereotyping of the Third Reich and proved themselves every bit as brave and capable as men. They werent allowed anywhere near combat duties, but they flew in conditions just as dangerous, often more so.

Everyone loved and admired Hanna and Melitta for the way they put their lives on the line to test out new weapons.

They were feted by the Nazi leadership, with Hitler defying the men-only tradition to pin an Iron Cross on Hanna in recognition of her courage and achievements. (Hermann Goering, head of the Luftwaffe, awarded Melitta hers  the Fuhrer presumably keeping his distance because she had Jewish ancestry.)

But  as a new book detailing their extraordinary lives and achievements reveals  the women loathed each other. Theirs was no sisterhood of the sky but a personal rivalry marked by lasting contempt. Even when working on the same project, the most they would ever give one another was a cursory nod.

Apart from the thrill-seeking and passion for flying they had in common, they were complete opposites in background and personality, and they grated on one another.

Melitta, the elder by nine years (as Hanna cattily liked to remind people), was a serious engineering graduate, a top scientist who pioneered research in aeronautical laboratories before taking to the air to test her theories.

Shy and withdrawn, she dismissed the bumptious Hanna as an adventuress without scientific credentials who was seduced by glamour. Melitta stood aloof and treated Hanna with disdain, which riled her even more.

Certainly Hanna, a champion glider pilot whod competed around the world, was a sucker for celebrity. She thought Melitta stuffy and haughty  with good reason. Melitta had married into the very grand Stauffenberg family (which produced the German officer who tried to assassinate Hitler, of which more later), and was a Grafin, a countess, no less.

And the pair were poles apart politically. Hanna was utterly devoted to her beloved Fuhrer. She was happy to be used in propaganda for the Reich, laughing merrily in a white shirt and pale trench coat, as a symbol of German womanhood and the idol of German aviation.

Hitlers henchmen Goering, Goebbels and Himmler sent her gifts and invited her to parties. She had a secretary to handle the fan mail from her adoring public. Everywhere she went, she was a hit.

But not with Melitta. The Countess was part of a patrician circle which, while fiercely patriotic, had serious reservations about the dictatorial regime in power  though for now it kept its counsel.

She was further alienated when Nazi anti-Semitism turned into full persecution. Her grandfather had been a non-practicing Jew, and pernicious Nazi race laws threatened to classify her as Jewish, too. It would be the end of her career, the end of everything.

Both women were feted by the Nazi leadership, with Hitler defying the men-only tradition to pin an Iron Cross on Hanna (pictured) in recognition of her courage and achievements

Melitta quietly petitioned to be classified as of German blood and equal to Aryan, pulling whatever strings she could. Because of her contacts and contribution to the war effort, she succeeded  and not only for herself but for her parents and siblings, saving them, too, from deportation and extermination.

But when Melittas background leaked, Hanna, an unabashed anti-Semite (and a Holocaust denier all her life), found another reason to mock her rival. She would ever after refer disparagingly to Melittas racial burden, and even wonder aloud whether she works for the enemy.

She even confided to friends the unlikely tale that Melitta had made lesbian advances  an allegation that under homophobic Nazi laws could have seen her sent to a concentration camp.

For her part, Melitta kept up the feud by insisting on being paid a third more than Hanna because of her superior qualifications. She got her way, putting Hannas nose even more out of joint.

Yet through the nastiness and jealousy, they continued with their perilous work on the aircraft that an increasingly desperate Hitler hoped would win him the war.

One of these was the Messerschmitt Me 163 Komet, which was propelled into the air by a rocket motor, reaching speeds of 500 mph, before gliding back to earth.

It very nearly killed Hanna. She was testing its ability to glide when things went wrong at 10,000 ft and she was told to bail out. Reluctant to abandon the valuable machinery, she went down with the plane as it crashed in a field.

Hannas skull was fractured in four places, her brain damaged, several vertebrae smashed and her nose completely obliterated. She was not expected to live. But she mended over five months in hospital, had reconstructive surgery to her face and went back to work.

She restored her shattered sense of balance  essential for a pilot  by making herself stand on the edge of a gabled roof until she overcame the giddiness.

For Melitta, meanwhile, a different disaster was waiting to drag her down. She had long been married to Count Alexander von Stauffenberg, whose brother Claus, an army colonel, masterminded the plot to assassinate Hitler with a bomb in his military headquarters in July 1944. He confided in Melitta beforehand, and at one stage it was planned that she would fly the plane that took him to Berlin to seize power.

After Hitler survived the blast, his vengeance came down not only on the plotters and their supporters but the entire Stauffenberg family. The whole brood must be wiped out, the Fuhrer declared.

The Gestapo grabbed Melitta and held her in prison for six weeks of interrogation. Only the importance of her war work saved her, and it took Goerings personal intervention to secure her release.

She immediately went back to her latest research, developing a life-saving technique for fighter pilots to use in night landings.

Her spare time was devoted to tracking down family members, including her husband Alexander, in prisons and concentration camps, bringing comfort to them and trying to get them out.

Hanna, too, was back in business and, with Germany collapsing into ruins, squeezed between the Allies and the Red Army, she was working on a last-ditch plan for a suicide squadron to fly piloted V1 bombs, or doodlebugs, at the enemy.

With Hitlers approval, she attracted scores of volunteers and was training them when the operation was called off. There werent enough V1s left for them to fly.

But by a quirk of history, Hanna was at the very heart of the death of the Third Reich as she flew into a surrounded and defeated Berlin with General Ritter von Greim, a close friend for many years (and possible lover). Hitler had summoned Greim to his besieged bunker to name him head of the Luftwaffe. Hanna flew with Greim through Soviet flak and tank fire to land on an avenue leading to the Brandenburg Gate.

They scrambled over to the bunker, where Hitler welcomed Hanna crying: Brave woman! So there is still some loyalty and courage left in the world.

Hitler wouldnt leave, despite Hanna offering to fly him out. She asked him for the ultimate privilege of dying beside him and he gave her glass phials of cyanide. But the next day, Hitler changed his mind and ordered Greim to leave with Hanna to organise the (now nonexistent) Luftwaffe in one last drive against the Soviets.

Behind them, Hitler married Eva Braun, and the Fuhrer and his new wife then killed themselves. By now, Hannas arch-enemy was dead. Three weeks earlier, Melitta had been chasing a party of VIP prisoners, including her husband Alexander, as they were ferried from one concentration camp to another, hoping to reach him before orders for his execution did.

She was hedge-hopping in southern Germany, flying just 30 ft off the ground, when an American fighter fired a burst and sent her spinning into a field. Despite crash-landing successfully, she died of her injuries in hospital. (Alexander survived the war and remarried.)

As the war ended, the other woman who took to the air for Hitler flew on into a future that she hated. Hanna Reitsch never came to terms with the Allied victory.

The Americans took her into custody but she resisted all attempts to de-Nazify her. She denied the Holocaust had taken place. She kept up her feud with the long-dead Melitta, trashing her reputation whenever she got the chance, harping on about her racial burden and claiming she had never flown a bomber and didnt deserve her Iron Cross.

Hanna died in 1979, aged 67, from a heart attack, a sour old woman consumed by jealousy and denying the truth to the bitter end.

The Women Who Flew For Hitler: The True Story of Hitlers Valkyries by Clare Mulley is published by Macmillan at 20. To order a copy for 14 (offer valid until July 22, 2017), visit mailbookshop.co.uk or call 0844 571 0640. P&P is free on orders over 15.
It was a heist audacious enough that it could have been straight out of a Pink Panther script.

But unfortunately for detectives, the plot proved all too real after thieves managed to steal 3million worth of precious gems from the Masterpiece art fair in Chelsea, West London, earlier this week.

Despite round-the-clock security there were no witnesses the stealthy crime.

Detectives have been left baffled after thieves targeted the stand at the Masterpiece art fair in Chelsea, West London, belonging to Swiss jeweller Boghossian. File pic of one of their jewels

Detectives have been left baffled after thieves targeted the stand belonging to Swiss jeweller Boghossian.

One theory currently being investigated is that the thieves used techniques of distraction.

Around 44,000 people visited the fair at the Royal Hospital Chelsea, including Kirstie Allsopp and Andrew Lloyd Webber.

One of the items on sale was a one of a kind 1968 Riva Lamborghini for just under 2million.

Around 44,000 people visited the fair at the Royal Hospital Chelsea, including Kirstie Allsopp and Andrew Lloyd Webber. Pictured: A file photo of Boghossian jewellery

A source at the fair said the exhibition, which features sculpture, contemporary art, haute Parisian decor and fine jewellery had been protected by security guards.

One source at the fair told the Evening Standard: There were security (staff) everywhere.

Around 44,000 people visited the fair at the Royal Hospital Chelsea. File photo of Boghossian jewellery

It was not the normal hospital security  these were all suited and booted and really meant business.

I am very surprised this has happened. Its like the Pink Panther films or something.

Another worker added: There were loads of guys in suits protecting the exhibition. I am amazed.

Police believe that the jewels were taken between 5pm on Tuesday and 9.30am on Wednesday.

The fair was open until 9pm on Tuesday and detectives are yet to determine if the theft took place while it was still open.

Detectives are now combing through CCTV in the hope of discovering how it happened.

Masterpiece said it was fully co-operating with the police, adding: We take the security of the fair and the objects exhibited very seriously.

Police said there had been no arrests and enquiries continued.
Chipmaker Qualcomm will ask the U.S. International Trade Commission to bar Apple Inc from selling some iPhones and iPads in the United States that use chips made by competitor Intel Corp on the grounds that the devices infringe on six Qualcomm patents.

In a request that would broaden its legal battle with Apple, San Diego-based Qualcomm said it will ask the U.S. ITC to ban imports of the infringing Apple devices.

A related lawsuit was filed in federal court in California on Thursday to request monetary damages.

In a request that would broaden its legal battle with Apple, San Diego-based Qualcomm said it will ask the U.S. ITC to ban imports of the infringing Apple devices.

THE PATENT ROW Qualcomm alleges that it has six patents developed in the past four years that improve battery life in mobile devices and that 'Apple uses these technologies in its devices but is not paying for them.' In its complaint to the ITC, Qualcomm asked the body to ban 'iPhones that use cellular baseband processors other than those supplied by Qualcomms affiliates.' Qualcomm has not alleged that Intel chips violate its patents but claims that the way Apple implements them in the iPhone does. Intel declined comment. Advertisement

Qualcomm, which also supplies chips to Apple, said the six patents help devices perform well without draining the battery.

Responding to the latest legal actions, Apple repeated its allegations against Qualcomm.

'Qualcomm's illegal business practices are harming Apple and the entire industry,' an Apple statement said.

'They supply us with a single connectivity component, but for years have been demanding a percentage of the total cost of our products -- effectively taxing Apple's innovation.'

Apple chief executive Tim Cook earlier this year said Qualcomm provides 'one small part of what an iPhone is,' and that the chipmaker 'has nothing do with the display or the Touch ID or a gazillion other innovations that Apple has done.'

In its complaint to the ITC, Qualcomm asked the body to ban 'iPhones that use cellular baseband processors other than those supplied by Qualcomms affiliates.'

Qualcomm did not name Intel, but Intel began supplying chips for some iPhones starting with the iPhone 7.

Qualcomm has not alleged that Intel chips violate its patents but claims that the way Apple implements them in the iPhone does. Intel declined comment.

'Qualcomm's inventions are at the heart of every iPhone and extend well beyond modem technologies or cellular standards,' said Don Rosenberg, executive vice president and general counsel of Qualcomm.

'The patents we are asserting represent six important technologies, out of a portfolio of thousands, and each is vital to iPhone functions. Apple continues to use Qualcomm's technology while refusing to pay for it.'

Stacy Rasgon, an analyst with Bernstein, said ITC cases typically take 16 months to conclude and the case was unlikely to affect Apple's 10th anniversary iPhone launch expected this fall.

'I doubt this puts a lot of immediate pressure on Apple,' Rasgon said.

There has been long-running tension between Qualcomm and Apple over Qualcomm's practice of taking a cut of the total price of the phone in exchange for 'modem' chips that help phones use wireless networks data plans.

The ITC is a popular venue for patent disputes because it handles cases relatively quickly and can more easily bar an infringing product from the U.S. market than federal courts.

Qualcomm has not alleged that Intel chips violate its patents but claims that the way Apple implements them in the iPhone does. Intel declined comment.

Animosity between the two companies burst into the open in January, when the U.S. Federal Trade Commission filed a lawsuit against Qualcomm and accused it of using 'anticompetitive' tactics to maintain its monopoly on a key semiconductor used in mobile phones.

The FTC, which enforces antitrust law along with the Justice Department, said that Qualcomm used its dominant position as a supplier of certain chips to impose 'onerous' supply and licensing terms on cellphone manufacturers and to weaken competitors.

Days later, Apple sued Qualcomm for $1 billion, accusing it of overcharging for chips and withholding promised rebates because of Apple's discussions with South Korea's antitrust regulators in their probe of Qualcomm.

Separately from this dispute, Qualcomm is a major supplier to both Apple and Samsung Electronics Co Ltd for modem chips that connect phones to wireless networks.
This may be the first genuine image of the back of the handset, expected in September

A photo that claims to show the rear camera from the upcoming GalaxyNote 8 has been leaked online.

A number of concept images have already been posted to social media, based on rumours of features expected for the phone.

If real this may be the first genuine image of the back of the handset, which Samsung is expected to launch in the autumn to compete with Apple's iPhone 8.

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A photo that claims to show the rear camera from the upcoming GalaxyNote 8 has been leaked online. Vietnamese Facebook user Tung Ha claims that the photo shows the dual lens camera, LED flash and fingerprint ID scanner for the Galaxy Note 8 (pictured)

GALAXY NOTE 8 A photo that claims to show the rear camera from the upcoming GalaxyNote 8 has been leaked online. A number of concept images have already been posted to social media, based on rumours of features expected for the phone. Facebook user Tung Ha, from Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam, posted the image on the website on Wednesday. Mr Tung claims that the photo shows the dual lens camera, LED flash and fingerprint ID scanner for the Galaxy Note 8. It seems Samsung believes its Galaxy Note 8 has what it takes to stand up to Apple's highly anticipated iPhone 8. If true, the rivals will have to battle it out for the top spot in the market. Advertisement

Facebook user Tung Ha, from Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam, posted the image on the social network this week.

Mr Tung claims that the photo shows the dual lens camera, LED flash and fingerprint ID scanner for the Galaxy Note 8.

Some had thought this sensor may be placed under surface of the front screen, as is rumoured for the tenth anniversary edition of the iPhone.

But this image suggests it will follow the design of the Galaxy S8, released in April.

The gadget is also expected to come with the same Infinity Display as the S8, as well as the S Pen stylus featured in previous models of the Note.

It seems Samsung believes its Galaxy Note 8 has what it takes to stand up to Apple's highly anticipated iPhone 8.

A rumour brought to light, by an individual briefed on the companys plans, previously claimed the Samsung Note 8 will be unveiled in September, according to reports in VentureBeat.

If true, the rivals will have to battle it out for the top spot in the market, but Samsung's handset is believed to boast a new design, cutting-edge software and costs less than the so-called 'iPhone 8'.

The firm will be hoping that the new device will help to restore consumer confidence in their products.

Samsung was forced to scrap its Galaxy Note 7 range last year after repeated reports from users that they were catching fire.

Airliners banned the devices over safety fears and the company had to recall three million handsets.

Samsung launched a vast inquiry into the issue that is expected to cost the company an estimated 4.3 billion ($5.3 billion).

A number of concept images have already been posted to social media, based on rumours of features expected for the phone (pictured). The gadget is also expected to come with the same Infinity Display as the S8, as well as the S Pen stylus

NOTE 8 RUMOURS Rumours surrounding the Note 8 first came to light in April, which had suggested that the Android could have significantly smaller bezels, an infinity screen and dual cameras. Sources have said its design will mirror that of the Galaxy S8. Sources have suggested that the Note 8 will have an Infinity display, which has an 18.5-to-9 width-to-length ratio. It will have 6GB of RAM and a 12-megapixel sensor for each of the dual cameras on the back. And the new software that will improve split-screen multitasking, give the S Pen more capabilities and enable users to pin handwritten notes to the always-on display. Rumours have said it will be unveiled in September and cost over $900 (999). Advertisement

It later claimed a battery fault in the Galaxy Note 7 was to blame.

It was announced in March that the South Korean firm will begin to sell refurbished versions of the ill-fated tablet phone, as well as plans to rebrand it.

Pictures of the new handset leaked online revealed what it will look like and, unsurprisingly, it's exactly the same.

Although Samsung did not plan on building ticking time bombs, they could have avoided this disaster by giving the Note 7 devices a user-removable battery, according to one expert.

'Samsung made some poor design choices with a phone that ended up being a fire hazard,'Gary Cook, senior corporate campaigner and IT sector analyst at Greenpeace told the DailyMail.com.

'Previously, Samsung designed its smartphones to let customers remove the battery themselves, which is great.'

'Now, theyve shifted to using adhesive to put the battery in and it is difficult to remove.'

'That is why they are recalling the entire phone, instead of just being able replace the battery.'
Scientists have created a new kind of ceramic coating that could pave the way for hypersonic travel for air, space and defense purposes.

The finding could allow for the construction of a next generation of aircraft capable of travelling at 3,800 miles per hour (6,2000 km/h) or faster.

This would enable journey times from London to New York to be cut to just two hours, by racing to the edge of space before dropping back toward the Earth.

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Scientists have created a new kind of ceramic coating that could revolutionise hypersonic travel for air, space and defense purposes (stock image of a concept Nasa craft)

HEAT RESISTANT CERAMIC COATING Scientists have created a new kind of ceramic coating that could revolutionise hypersonic travel for air, space and defense purposes. Some hypersonic projects envisage a flight route which reaches the upper atmosphere and the edge of space, before returning back towards the Earth and arriving at their destination. The heat generated by air and gas in the atmosphere can have a serious impact on an aircraft or a projectile's structural integrity. These structural problems are caused by processes called oxidation and ablation. This is the when extremely hot air and gas remove surface layers from the metallic materials of the aircraft or object travelling at such high speeds. Experts at The University of Manchester have created a wonder material capable of withstanding temperatures of up to 3,000 degrees centigrade (5,400 Fahrenheit). The finding could allow for the construction of a next generation of aircraft capable of travelling at 3,800 miles per hour (6,200 kph) or faster. Advertisement

Experts at the University of Manchester, in collaboration with Central South University in China, created the material after extensive lab work, testing various candidates.

They designed and fabricated a carbide coating, a compound composed of carbon, that is can resist high temperatures better than any existing materials.

It is composed of zirconium, titanium, boron and carbon.

The wonder material is capable of withstanding temperatures of up to 3,000 degrees centigrade (5,400 Fahrenheit) that are generated at high speed.

Hypersonic travel means moving at Mach five or above, which is at least five times faster than the speed of sound.

Some hypersonic projects envisage a flight route which reaches the upper atmosphere and the edge of space, before returning back towards the Earth and arriving at their destination.

Temperatures hitting aircraft moving at these speeds down from heights of around 60,000 feet (18,000 metres) can reach anywhere from 2,000 to 3,000 degrees Centigrade (3,600 to 5,400 Fahrenheit).

But the new material should shield them from any damage caused by these extreme conditions.

Professor Philip Withers from the Manchester team said: 'Future hypersonic aerospace vehicles offer the potential of a step jump in transit speeds.

'A hypersonic plane could fly from London to New York in just two hours via space, which would revolutionise both commercial and commuter travel.

'But, at present, one of the biggest challenges is how to protect critical components such as leading edges, combustors and nose tips.'

The heat generated by air and gas in the atmosphere can have a serious impact on an aircraft or a projectile's structural integrity.

The structural problems are primarily caused by processes called oxidation and ablation.

Experts at The University of Manchester, in collaboration with Central South University in China, created the material after extensive lab work, testing various candidates (pictured)

The wonder material (pictured) is capable of withstanding temperatures of up to 3,000 degrees centigrade (5,400 Fahrenheit) that are generated at hypersonic speeds

This is the when extremely hot air and gas remove surface layers from the metallic materials of the aircraft or object travelling at such high speeds.

To combat the problem materials called ultra-high temperature ceramics (UHTCs) are needed in aero-engines and hypersonic vehicles such as rockets, re-entry spacecraft and defence projectiles.

But, at present, even conventional UHTCs can't currently satisfy the requirements of travelling at such extreme speeds and temperatures.

Overcoming these limitations will be key to enabling hypersonic travel for passenger planes.
With the help of computational analysis and a technique known as gravitational lensing, the Hubble Space Telescope has peered into a distant galaxy, revealing patches of newly formed stars.

According to NASA, the new approach allowed Hubble to capture images 10 times sharper than it is typically able, revealing the galaxy appears as it appeared 11 billion years ago  just 2.7 billion years after the Big Bang.

While scientists previously suspected star-forming regions in the early universe spanned upwards of 3,000 light-years, the new observations suggest some are much smaller, with each of the newfound clumps extending about 300 light-years.

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According to NASA, the new approach allowed Hubble to capture images 10 times sharper than it is typically able, revealing the galaxy appears as it appeared 11 billion years ago  just 2.7 billion years after the Big Bang

GRAVITATIONAL LENSING, EXPLAINED Gravitational lensing occurs when a massive galaxy or cluster of galaxies bends the light emitted from a more distant galaxy. This forms a highly magnified, though much distorted image. This is because massive objects bend the spacetime around them, making light travel in a different path. It was first proposed by Einstein in his theory of General Relativity. Advertisement

By enhancing Hubbles capabilities, astronomers detected an edge-on disk galaxy dotted with clumps of newborn stars.

When we saw the reconstructed image we said, Wow, it looks like fireworks are going off everywhere, said astronomer Jane Rigby of NASAs Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.

According to NASA, the new observation is one of more than 70 strongly lensed galaxies Hubble has studied so far.

Through gravitational lensing, which uses the gravitational effects to distort the galaxys light, the team was able to magnify the distant region almost 30 times for a better view.

Then, they developed a computer code to remove the distortions.

This revealed two dozen patches of newly-formed stars, according to the researchers.

And, in contrast to earlier assumptions, they each spanned just 200-300 light-years.

By enhancing Hubbles capabilities, astronomers detected an edge-on disk galaxy dotted with clumps of newborn stars. The artist's impression shows what the galaxy, SDSS J1110+6459, might look like up close

Without gravitational lensing, the galaxy would appear perfectly smooth and unremarkable, in the observations, according to the researcher.

But, the technique allowed Hubble to get a sharper picture to reveal further insight on the regions of star formation.

There are star-forming knots as far down in size as we can see, said doctoral student Traci Johnson of the University of Michigan, lead author of two of the three papers on the research.

Though Hubble spotted the new stars, the researchers say more advanced instruments will be necessary to peer further into the galaxys history.

While scientists previously suspected star-forming regions in the early universe spanned upwards of 3,000 light-years, the new observations suggest some are much smaller, with each of the newfound clumps extending about 300 light-years

The upcoming James Webb Telescope, for example, will allow them to study older, redder stars that formed much earlier than these.

The James Webb Space Telescope is set to be the largest space telescope ever built.

When it is launched into space it will be able to peer back in time 13.5 billion years.

And, NASA explains, it will be able to look through any dust that may be in the way.

According to Rigby, With the Webb Telescope, well be able to tell you what happened in this galaxy in the past, and what we missed with Hubble because of dust.
A company is developing a device that can allow people to see inside their brains or bodies in great detail.

The technology, developed by Openwater, works via a piece of clothing such as ski-hat lined with LCDs  and, illuminated with infrared, it can see into your body to look for things such as tumors and bleeding or clogged arteries.

While the technology has significant potential for disease detection, the company's ultimate aim is to develop it for communication via thought - in just eight years.

The technology works via a piece of clothing such as ski-hat (pictured right) lined with LCD's illuminated with infrared that see into your body to look for things such as tumors, bleeding or clogged arteries. Pictured left is a schematic of the LCD's inside the hat

HOW DOES IT WORK? The technology works via a piece of clothing such as ski-hat (pictured left) lined with flexible LCD's illuminated with infrared that see into your body to look for things such as tumors, bleeding or clogged arteries. The LCD's have pixels small enough to create reconstructive holographic images that, along with the use of body-temperature detectors, enable scanning at MRI resolution. The LCD's, along with the sensors, line the inside of a ski-hat, piece of clothing or bandage . The LCD's are being built by the company and can scan out the brain or body systematically or selectively. Advertisement

Dr Mary Lou Jepsen, a former Facebook and Google executive, founded the company in mid-2016.

'I figured out how to put basically the functionality of an M.R.I. machine  a multimillion-dollar M.R.I. machine  into a wearable in the form of a ski hat,' Dr Jepsen told CNBC.

MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imagery) machines can already see your thoughts, and Dr Jepsen says she's worked on shrinking that technology down.

She said that one day, the technology could literally be a 'thinking cap' and that the 'moonshot idea here is communication with thought' - to read and output ones thoughts.

While MRI technology uses magnetic fields and radio waves to take images of organs, Openwater's technology uses infrared light to scan the brain or body bit by bit.

It works by small LCD's with pixels small enough to create reconstructive holographic images that, along with the use of body-temperature detectors, enable scanning at MRI resolution.

The LCD's, along with the sensors, line the inside of a ski-hat, piece of clothing or bandage .

The LCD's are being built by the company and can scan out the brain or body systematically or selectively.

The system could also be used in reverse - to focus light to any area of interest in the body or brain to for example irradiate tumors.

This GIF shows how the LCD technology creates holographic images using infrared. Credit: Openwater

The technology may also enable uploading, downloading or even augmenting our memories, thoughts and emotions non-invasively.

According to Openwater, a limited number of prototypes will be released next year to early access partners.

Dr Jepsen told CNBC that the technology would speed up innovation - for example, filmmakers could potentially download their dreams and product designers could download their thoughts and send them to a 3-D printer.

Dr Mary Lou Jepsen (pictured), a former Facebook and Google executive, founded Openwater in mid-2016 with the 'moonshot' goal of communication with thought - to read and output ones thoughts. The technology being developed is a non-invasive wearable

Dr Jepsen's Openwater isn't the only company working towards telepathy.

Elon Musk's Neuralink company is working to link the human brain with a machine interface by creating micron-sized devices.

Neuralink was registered in California as a 'medical research' company last July, and he plans on funding the company mostly by himself.

Dr Mary Lou Jepsen, Openwater's CEO, told CNBC that the technology would speed up innovation - for example, filmmakers could potentially download their dreams and product designers could download their thoughts and send them to a 3-D printer

It will work on what Musk calls the 'neural lace' technology, implanting tiny brain electrodes that may one day upload and download thoughts.

He said 'neural laces' will help people with severe brain injuries in just four years.

And in eight to ten years, the Matrix-style technology will be available to everyone, he added.

Dr Jepsen noted that Elon Musk's Neuralink approach is invasive, and Openwater's is not.
She recently bared her soul in an artistic nude photo series, titled Exposed.

But unfortunately, some of Tiffany Scanlon's Instagram followers got the wrong impression.

The Bachelor star, 30, shamed a pervert who asked permission to masturbate over her nude images on Thursday.

Twisted troll: The Bachelor's Tiffany Scanlon (pictured) shamed a pervert who asked permission to masturbate over her nude images on Thursday

Tiffany, from Perth, shared private messages from an unidentified male who made inappropriate comments.

She captioned the screen grab: 'This is why I rarely accept messages from people I don't know'.

In the exchange, the follower asked Tiffany, 'Why do you like to nude'.

She replied: 'It's the only time I feel both vulnerable and empowered.'

'May I fap to your photos?' Tiffany, from Perth, shared private messages from an unidentified male who made inappropriate comments

But the conversation went downhill when he asked: 'Do you like to excite? Sorry for my English.'

When Tiffany did not answer, he wrote again: 'Are you married? May I fap to your photos.'

'Fap' is internet slang for masturbate.

Free spirit: Tiffany recently bared her soul in an artistic nude photo series, titled Exposed

Body confidence: Tiffany has spoken about her mental health struggles in the past

Solo: Tiffany is believed to be single after splitting with her ex-girlfriend Megan Marx in March

Daily Mail Australia has reached out to Tiffany's representatives for comment.

Tiffany is believed to be single after splitting with her ex-girlfriend Megan Marx in March.

The former couple fell in love months after appearing on The Bachelor Australia together last year.
While the rest of Britain basks in an ever-changing technical landscape, soapland remains a relatively tech-free Jurassic Park.

Coronation Streets Norris has a tablet, but the kids in EastEnders use their mobiles only to spread pictures to humiliate their classmates; and in Emmerdale, people tap on dated computers that, given the lack of noise emanating from them, dont even seem to be plugged in.

You wont find anyone talking about upgrading their iPhone; in fact, no one has an iPhone. Thatll be down to rules about product placement, but the mobiles in use must be only slightly quicker than sending mail by horse.

Erica visits the garage to tell Kevin shes booked a hotel room and would like him to join her for a fun afternoon in Coronation Street

One problem with characters mobile messages is that theyre so hard to read on our screens. I have to pause the show, get my glasses and walk up to the TV to see whats going on. Messages should be shown in subtitle form as well, as they are in Hollyoaks.

Technology in soaps is always depicted as a Bad Thing (witness the Streets Nathan using his camera and filming equipment to lure Bethany into a sex ring), but surely the odd burglar alarm wouldnt go amiss.

CORONATION STREET: AFTERNOON TEA ON A PLATE

Its all very well for Erica to complain that she and Dev have lost their spark, but apart from the first few drinks, was there ever much of one to begin with? The second Dev wheels out his precocious kids, any relationship is doomed. Forget extinguishing a spark; that pair could put out a bushfire with one stare.

Liz advises Erica to go for what she wants in life, so Erica visits the garage to tell Kevin shes booked a hotel room and would like him to join her for a fun afternoon. Im not sure Liz is the best person to talk to about chasing life; the woman couldnt have been stung more had the Rovers suffered an invasion of killer bees.

At least Ericas plan might get Kevin away from Anna the whingeing FFF (Force Feeding Female). What will Erica do when Dev tells her hes booked an afternoon of luxury for them, plus dinner at her favourite restaurant? Really? Ive never heard her mention one, let alone get to eat there.

Abi is annoyed by Stevens rejection of her and his continued focus on Lauren in EastEnders

The Rovers changes hands when Liz and Steve sign away the pub. Of all the pint joints in the world, why did Peter and Toyah have to walk into this one? There are so many better pairings that could have become the new landlord and landlady; this ones disastrous.

EASTENDERS: DOWN UNDER AND OUT?

The Lauren and Hussy act drags on when Abi is annoyed by Stevens rejection of her and his continued focus on Lauren. His wife has other ideas, however, and as she prepares to end the marriage she confides in Max. Why?

Maxs counselling skills come second only to his briefcase-carrying skills in terms of pointlessness. When Abi learns of her plans and poisonously makes a suggestion, Lauren decides to head for New Zealand with Louie.

That should be far enough away. In fact, Im on the phone to Air New Zealand right now to see how fast I can get her there.

Cain asks Harriet out on a date to the Woolpack in this week's Emmerdale

As Lauren prepares to say goodbye to Walford, will Steven find out and try to prevent her from going? I hope not, because youre booked on the 16.15 flight to Auckland today, Lauren; you can owe me the 1,446. Youll have to leave Louie in a Heathrow toilet, as I couldnt afford two tickets.

With the departure of producer Sean OConnor after just a year in the job, can I suggest a few things to his successor? Mick (Danny Dyer) has to go. How excited are we to see the expression of rigor mortis hell display this week when he has to decide whether to hire Patrick or Ted as the new pot washer?

And please, close the school down. My idea is that Dot wakes up, just as Pamela Ewing did in Dallas, to discover that the past year has just been a bad dream. That would solve so many of the shows current problems.

EMMERDALE: MATCHMAKER IN HEAVEN

Sometimes God moves in mysterious ways and at other times He moves in ways that border on the insane. Why else would Harriet desire bad boy Cain? This week Cain asks her out on a date.

Where will it be? Leeds Cathedral? No... the Woolpack. Still, there is greater excitement to come when the pair are almost caught in flagrante by Bishop Barry.

Have you noticed how soaplands bishops always turn up at inopportune moments? Obsessed with the locals sex lives, they need to start tending the rest of their flock, mutton though they are. Its a thin line between being a man of the cloth and a pervy voyeur.
Masterchef's Matt Preston is known for speaking his mind.

But on Friday, he was too busy eating one, alongside his brave son William at the world famous Clown Bar in Paris.

The 53-year-old took to Instagram to share a confronting snap of the veal brains the pair tucked into on their trip.

Daring pair! Matt Preston took to Instagram on Friday to praise his 14-year-old son for trying a confronting dish at the world famous Clown Bar in Paris

While the unspoken rule of serving brains decrees that chefs make it look like anything other than what it is, Clown Bar is known for not following that rule.

Instead, the dish consisted of one whole, in-tact brain, which looked comparable to a creamy white swirl of dough.

The delicacy was topped with a green onion and ginger mix and sat in a ponzu sauce broth.

In the caption, Matt praised his son, who he said insisted 'It just tastes like silky tofu.'

'It just tastes like silly tofu' Both the 53-year-old and his son William praised the creamy white, unmistakable substance (pictured), insisting it tasted like tofu

Fans were vocal with their disapproval in the comments, with one replying: 'NO NO NO NO .. couldnt eat it sorry lol (sic).'

Another revealed: 'Brain. The only offal I really can't enjoy.'

Matt also tucked into a Pithivier of duck for an entree and finished with a pavlova, heaping praise on the restaurant that's quickly become a hot-ticket item in Paris.

Rule breakers! While the unspoken rule of serving brains decrees that chefs make it look like anything other than what it is, Clown Bar is known for not following that rule

Don't fo it Matt! Fans were vocal with their disapproval in the comments, with one replying: 'NO NO NO NO .. couldnt eat it sorry lol (sic)'

In his review on Instragram, the Masterchef personality said: 'entrees and desserts have an almost Australian clarity.'

'Mains are rich as all get out and exactly why so many of us love French food - and then there are the sauces.... Sigh!'

Having shared snaps from Tokyo, where Masterchef contestants are competing in a 'Japan Week' series of challenges, his presence in the country indicates the show could be headed to France next.

The British celebrity chef shares three kids with his wife Emma: Jonathan, William and Sadie.
Amber Rose attempted to break one of the last social taboos with the bottomless snap she shared on June 9 - provocatively sparking a heated debate on exhibitionism versus feminism.

'I go far and beyond to p*ss people off on purpose,' the 33-year-old sex-positivity activist admitted to Refinery29 on Thursday. 'I had them Photoshop out my tattoos to focus on the bush alone.'

The former Philadelphia stripper used the half-naked picture to promote her third annual SlutWalk Festival, taking place October 1 at LA's Pershing Square.

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'I had them Photoshop out my tattoos to focus on the bush alone': Amber Rose attempted to break one of the last social taboos with the bottomless snap she shared on June 9

'I feel like there are so many new feminists this year because of [President Donald] Trump,' Rose (born Levonchuck) explained.

'That's what I do to bring awareness to Slutwalk and what's going on. The fact that there are double standards, that women are not allowed to own their sexuality and their bodies.

'We can't possibly be sexually confident, because then we're whores. We're not allowed to have a past. We're incapable of love if we're too beautiful or if were too successful. It's all really, really fucked up.'

When critics lashed out at her for setting a bad example for her four-year-old son Sebastian back on May 2, Amber replied: 'Raise your own kids.'

The 33-year-old sex-positivity activist admitted to Refinery29 on Thursday: 'I go far and beyond to p*ss people off on purpose' (pictured June 25)

'There are new feminists this year because of Trump': The former Philadelphia stripper used the half-naked picture to promote her third annual SlutWalk Festival taking place October 1

When critics lashed out at her for setting a bad example for her four-year-old son Sebastian back on May 2, Rose (born Levonchuck) replied: 'Raise your own kids'

The Mask Off video vixen wrote on Instagram: 'I would never have my kid (even as a teenager) follow a 33-year-old grown woman on social media. I filter everything that he watches and I will continue to do so until he's an adult'

'I would never have my kid (even as a teenager) follow a 33-year-old grown woman on social media,' the Mask Off video vixen - who boasts 22.7M social media followers - wrote on Instagram.

'I filter everything that he watches and I will continue to do so until he's an adult and he is able to make his own decisions. You should do the same.'

The curvaceous buzzcut blonde's little boy already approves of the new man in her life, Atlanta rapper and father-of-three 21 Savage (born Shayaa Bin Abraham-Joseph).

'He's super sweet and amazing, he's really cool...we relate on so many levels,' Rose gushed on Thursday's Loveline podcast.

PDA: The curvaceous buzzcut blonde's little boy already approves of the new man in her life, Atlanta rapper and father-of-three 21 Savage (born Shayaa Bin Abraham-Joseph)

Rose gushed on Thursday's Loveline podcast: 'He's super sweet and amazing, he's really cool...we relate on so many levels'

She continued: 'I don't want to be with a guy for three, six months, two years, and then introduce my kid and my kid's like, "I don't like him"'

'Major stunts being pulled': The biracial beauty said no one was outraged when her ex-husband Wiz Khalifa brought Sebastian along on dates with his new girlfriend Brazilian model Izabela Guedes

'I don't want to be with a guy for three, six months, two years, and then introduce my kid and my kid's like, "I don't like him." It's not like I'm dating someone new and I'm like, "Bash, this is mommy's new boyfriend, call him daddy now." You know what I mean? I don't hug or kiss or do anything intimate in front of my son.'

The biracial beauty said no one was outraged when her ex-husband Wiz Khalifa brought Sebastian along on dates with his new girlfriend Brazilian model Izabela Guedes.

'There was actually a picture on the Internet where my son was sitting on her lap on a swing and they all had a family day together,' Amber explained.

'I'm at the grocery store and it's just like, "You're a f***ing whore. How do you have another man around your child?"'

Hostess: Amber's Loveline podcast with sex therapist Dr. Chris Donaghue (R) streams Thursdays on Play.it... while VH1 figures out whether to renew her talk show

Next gig: Fans can catch more of their Muva hosting the July 15 nightclub bash at Aura Lounge in Virgina Beach

When accused of dating the 24-year-old Hunnid on the Drop rapper just for a publicity stunt, the How to Be a Bad B***h author was miffed.

'Im on fire, I'm f***ing everywhere, b****!' Rose snapped.

'I done had my bush on the Internet, I do this s***, straight up. I am always on the Internet. I don't need an extra person to give me publicity. If anything, [21 Savage is] giving me negative publicity that I really don't need.'

Amber's Loveline podcast with sex therapist Dr. Chris Donaghue streams Thursdays on Play.it... while VH1 figures out whether to renew her talk show.

Fans can catch more of their Muva hosting the July 15 nightclub bash at Aura Lounge in Virgina Beach.
He's the charismatic TV host who frequently returns to The Today Show after leaving in 2014 to start a family.

Now Ben Fordham has revealed he sticks by his decision to leave the popular breakfast show as his two young kids take up most of his time.

At first, the 40-year-old says, 'I wasn't in a rush to have kids,' but now can't bear to be without his family.

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Busy dad! Ben Fordham has stuck by his decision to leave his full-time position at The Today Show as his two young kids are taking up most of his time

The presenter told 9Honey that he is with his son Freddy, two, and daughter Pearl, eight months, nearly all day everyday.

After leaving The Today Show, Ben kept his job on his top rating radio show on 2GB, giving him more time to be with his kids.

He said: 'Basically I'm with him when I wake up in the morning and obviously Pearl's part of the team now as well, but for the last two-and-a-half years it's been Freddy and I waking up in the morning and going for a coffee.'

'Most days I get to have lunch with him as well - and now Pearl - and then go to radio in the afternoon and then I'm home in time for bath time, bottle, book and bed.'

Dream team: 'Most days I get to have lunch with him (Freddy) as well - and now Pearl - and then go to radio in the afternoon and then I'm home in time for bath time, bottle, book and bed'

Despite appearing on the Channel Nine breakfast show for four years, Ben said that he doesn't regret quitting full-time TV and can get his fix on his frequent visits.

'Since basically day one of his arrival I've swapped waking up with Karl and Lisa and Georgie and Sylvia to waking up with Freddy and Jodie and now Pearl who is eight-months-old.

He added,' And it's been a really good thing as far as having that extra time'.

In order to have even more time with his beloved kids, Ben has introduced Fridays with Freddy, where Ben takes the toddler to work with him for the day.

Take your son to work day! In order to have even more time with his beloved kids, Ben has introduced Fridays with Freddy, where Ben takes the toddler to work with him for the day

The weekly event started by accident when Ben offered to take Freddy to work while his wife Jodie was still in the hospital with Pearl.

Ben said that if there's ever a Friday that Freddy doesn't join him, his co-workers look past the father-of-two in search of his young son.
She won the hearts of Australia as the lovable and radiant TV journalist on last season's Bachelorette.

But before her quest for love, reality star Georgia Love was just an average teenager getting caught for underage drinking.

Appearing on Friday's edition of Today Show, the 28-year-old recalled the first time she had too much to drink and the consequences that followed.

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On Friday's edition of Today Show, Georgia Love recalled the first time she had too much to drink and the consequences that followed

'When I was a teenager I got blotto drunk for the first time ever at one of my best friend's parties,' she revealed.

'I was just a mess and it was horrible and I had to do the whole slink with my tail between my legs the next day and apologise to the parents of whose party it was.'

'It was mortifying!'

Wild night! 'When I was a teenager I got blotto drunk for the first time ever at one of my best friend's parties'

Changed his ways? 'That's disgusting behaviour. That's disgraceful behaviour,' said Karl Stefanovic

Revealing that she was grounded for several months after the encounter, co-host Karl Stefanovic jokingly expressed his disappointment with the TV journalist.

'That's disgusting behaviour. That's disgraceful behaviour,' he said shaking his head.

Coming to Georgia's defence, Sylvia Jeffreys hit back at her brother-in-law who's been known of late for his partying ways.

Support: Coming to Georgia's defence, Sylvia Jeffreys hit back at her brother-in-law who's been known of late for his partying ways

Responsible: Georgia who's currently dating Bachelorette winner Lee Elliott, 36, said that she's since learnt her lesson when it comes to alcohol

'Don't you throw stone's Karl,' she said slyly whilst Georgia agreed and said 'exactly'.

Georgia who's currently dating Bachelorette winner Lee Elliott, 36, said that she's since learnt her lesson when it comes to alcohol.

Last month the pair celebrated their one-year-anniversary with weekend road trip around South Victoria.
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She's the younger sister of Holly Valance, best known for her role as Paige Smith on long-running soap Neighbours.

And Olympia Valance, 24, showed off her wild side while frolicking at a beach bar with gal pals in Mykonos on Wednesday.

The bikini-clad actress was in high spirits as she twerked in the sun while clutching a cold beverage.

Letting her hair down: Olympia Valance showed off her wild side while frolicking at a beach bar with gal pals in Mykonos on Wednesday

Twerking: The 24-year-old was seen getting very close to another bikini-clad woman as they danced at the venue

Olympia was seen getting very close to another bikini-clad woman as they danced at the venue.

As the brunette beauty showed off her moves, her friend closely watched on and looked quite impressed.

At one point, Olympia hiked up her bikini bottoms to give onlookers a better look at her stunning curves.

Party girl! As the brunette beauty showed off her moves, her friend closely watched on and looked quite impressed

Woo hoo! The pair appeared to be in very high spirits as they got into party mode

Fun in the sun: Olympia and her pal exchanged a few laughs and whispers as onlookers watched on

Come closer! As the actress and her friend continued their conversation they edged closer to one another

Having a ball: The duo showed off their bikini bodies as they let loose in the sun

The actress appeared to be in an affectionate mood as she hugged several friends during the festivities.

She was seen chatting very closely to her blonde gal pal, perhaps so that they could hear each other properly over loud music.

The star and her friend looked to be enjoying their conversation as they whispered and exchanged laughs amongst the crowd.

Cooling off! Olympia took a moment to sit in the shade and cooled off with an ice cold beverage

Close bond: The star and her blonde friend exchanged hugs as they shared a moment

Piggy back! As Olympia relaxed in the sun, her gal pal gave the actress a back rub

She's a hugger! The Logie award-nominee appeared to be in an affectionate mood as she embraced another friend

Soaking up sun: Olympia chatted to the stunning brunette as they took a break from the dance floor

The pair drew several admirers, including one shirtless stranger who appeared to try and strike up a conversation, although their backs were turned away from him.

Olympia wore minimal makeup consisting of light foundation, mascara and lip balm.

Her hair was neatly swept up in a sleek bun, highlighting her facial features.

Too close for comfort? The pair drew several admirers, including one shirtless stranger who appeared to strike up a conversation although their backs were turned away from him

Get into the groove: The star hit the dance floor, where she showed off her tattooed frame

Beaming beauty! Olympia looked to be having a ball as she danced barefoot in the sand

Living the life! She showed off her tanned frame as she enjoyed a cool breeze

Also that day, the social butterfly enjoyed a swim in the ocean with her travel buddies.

She was seen escaping the intense heat by plunging into the cold water.

She chatted to a friend as she showed off her enviable physique.

Go girl! The group cheered on their pal as she busted a move during the lively outing

Life's a beach: Olympia appeared to be in the party spirit during her European getaway

Cheeky! The group were clearly having a ball

Making a quick dash! The barefoot model took a break from the dance floor and was seen jogging while clutching her purse

Recently the starlet enjoyed a more tame outing while reuniting with her Neighbours family in Melbourne.

She was pictured with Jodi Anasta, Mavournee Hazel, Scott McGregor and Tim Kano at the Eau de Vie club.

The star, who made her Neighbours debut in 2014, previously revealed hat she plans to try her luck in Hollywood once her three-year contract with the soap comes to an end.

Cooling dip: Also that day, the social butterfly enjoyed a swim in the ocean with her travel buddies

Taking the plunge! She was seen escaping the intense heat by plunging into the cold water

More hugs! Olympia and her pal embraced one another during their swim

Sun's out, buns out! She chatted to a friend as she showed off her enviable physique

Making a splash: Olympia enjoyed a swim in the crystal clear water with a male pal

Speaking to News Corp she said: 'I've got to give it a go. I would hate to have that regret.'

The rising star has already signed a deal with LA-based agency ROAR, which represents fellow Aussie stars Liam and Chris Hemsworth.

'I am very, very, very, very lucky, because people go over there and work their asses off to find an agent, but these guys came to me. I was very lucky,' the bubbly star said.

Famous faces! The actress (L) is the younger sister of former pop star Holly Valance (R), who also once starred on Neighbors

Close bond: The pair have previously been pictured together at glamorous events and in social media snaps

Wedded bliss! Holly, 34, married Billionaire property developer Nick Candy, 44, in September 2012

Last year, Olympia announced her split from boyfriend of 15 months, Greg Cannell.

Issuing a short and sweet statement via the social media site, the 23-year-old told her 27,000 followers: 'Just a quick note from me- Sadly Greg & I have separated.'

'To the most incredible man ever, I wish him so much happiness and success,' she added, followed by a love heart emoticon.
Coronation Street viewers have criticised the long-running soap after a character snorted cocaine before the watershed.

In the programme, which started at 8.30pm, drug dealer Rich was seen taking the class-A substance while sitting in his car with Robert Preston.

Robert was in possession of a small bag of cocaine as he watched Rich snort the dangerous drug.

Too graphic? Coronation Street viewers criticised the soap after watching drug dealer Rich snort cocaine in his car before the watershed

After Rich finished his stash, he opened up to his friend as Robert asked for more cocaine.

When he got out of his car to confront a group of men who knocked his car, he was arrested by plain clothes policemen.

It was revealed that Robert was the one who had helped organise the sting operation.

As Rich was read his rights, he looked at Robert and said: 'You're finished.'

Extreme scene: In the programme, which started at 8.30pm, drug dealer Rich was seen taking the class-A substance while Robert Preston watched

Explicit nature: When he got out of his car to confront a group of men who knocked his car, he was arrested by plain clothes policemen

Viewers were shocked by the explicit content in the pre-watershed programmed and some even tweeted Ofcom to complain.

One person wrote: 'Finding the drug taking a bit too much to watch again before the water shed. Kids are still watching.'

Another wrote: 'Cocaine and violence before the watershed? Are you sure ITV?'

Strict rules: Programmes shown before the watershed of 9pm are supposed to be child-friendly and not contain any explicit, extremely violent or sexual scenes

Another tweeted: 'Think I'm going to stop watching Coronation Street. Far too much violence, drugs and agressive scenes these days.'

The watershed, which lasts from 9pm to 5.30am, is intended to protect young people from seeing inappropriate or disturbing material.

This includes swearing, sexual content, and particularly graphic scenes.

Criticising the soap: One person wrote: 'Finding the drug taking a bit too much to watch again before the watershed. Kids are still watching'

If a programme is shown before the watershed, it should be child-friendly.

The news comes after Ofcom launched an official investigation into the Bethany Platt gang rape storyline.

Even though the initial episodes were aired after 9pm, they were rerun for the Saturday morning omnibus edition at 8.50am.
F. Murray Abraham as Benjamin Rubin in The Mentor

The Mentor (Vaudeville Theatre)

Rating:

American actor F. Murray Abraham is a relaxed presence on stage.

He stars in The Mentor, a short, mildly amusing play which has arrived at the Vaudeville. If the production is worth catching, it is for the presence of the agree-ably liquid Mr Abraham.

By liquid I mean the ease with which he speaks  no straining for effect  and covers the yards on stage and in a speech. He does not exactly project words. They flow out of him. He is relaxing to watch.

In this show he plays veteran novelist Benjamin Rubin, engaged by a German arts foundation to mentor a young writer. They are paid to spend a week together at a country house.

Rubin is a spoilt fusspot and the show opens with him slowly driving an amiable arts administrator (well done by Jonathan Cullen) to the end of his tether. These moments are the best in the show.

Rubins pupil is Martin Wegner, a bright young thing of German letters. Wegner (Daniel Weyman, rather too much like Alan Partridge) bristles with hubris.

The old man soon puts a stop to that. Tell me, says Rubin with deceptive gentleness, do you absolutely have to be a writer?

As he says this, the old goat is eyeing up Wegners wife (Naomi Frederick).

At the root of this story is the necessity for creative writers to be given brutally honest verdicts on their work. How seldom this happens. Too many professional critics are frightful suck-ups who go native and want to love everything.

(L-R) Jonathan Cullen, F Murray Abraham, Naomi Frederick and Daniel Weyman bow at the curtain call during the press night performance of "The Mentor" at The Vaudeville Theatre

This is true of many London theatre critics, alas. Books pages tend to savage an author only when the editor has a score to settle.

Writers may be fascinating to other writers, but their appeal to wider audiences is limited and that is where this play is weak.

It is by Daniel Kehlmann, an of-the-moment German novelist-turned-playwright. Although translated fluently by Christopher Hampton, there is no getting away from the traditionally Germanic lack of self- deprecation and an over-earnest subject matter.

Maybe Mr Kehlmann himself could have done with a mentor.
Award-winning actors Jeremy Irons and Lesley Manville will roar into 2018 in a revival of American playwright Eugene ONeills searing Long Days Journey Into Night

Award-winning actors Jeremy Irons and Lesley Manville will roar into 2018 in a revival of American playwright Eugene ONeills searing Long Days Journey Into Night.

The drama, based on ONeills own family, will begin previewing at Wyndhams Theatre in late January with an official first night in February. The limited season runs until early April.

Clearer dates will be available once negotiations have taken place between producer Edward Snape of the Fiery Angel theatre company and the Delfont Mackintosh group, owner of Wyndhams. Tickets are likely to go on sale within the next few weeks.

Richard Eyre directed this production at the Bristol Old Vic last spring where it ran with Irons, Manville, Hadley Fraser, and Billy Howle as the Tyrone family.The characters are laid bare in this play; theres nowhere to hide.

Once more, Irons will take on the part of James Tyrone, the penny-pinching actor manager who looks on helplessly as his wife, Mary (Manville), gets high on morphine.

Hadley Fraser is not available to reprise his role as a dissipated son because hell be starring in Mel Brookss Young Frankenstein, while Howle is still determining whether or not he will be free to play the Tyrones other son.

The gig doesnt just involve the West End. The Long Days Journey Into Night company would also travel to the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) and then play in Los Angeles.

Meanwhile, Manville has been busy filming a second series of BBC comedy Mum, and she will also be seen playing the sister of Daniel Day-Lewiss character in the new (untitled) Paul Thomas Anderson film.

The movie has taken on enormous significance because it was announced last month that it is to be the three-time Oscar-winners last acting role.

Irons has been aiding the caped crusader in forthcoming Batman films and has appeared opposite Jennifer Lawrence in the spy thriller Red Sparrow.

The full cast and dates will be announced soon.

I had another fix of The Girls  the musical based on Calendar Girls  on Tuesday night, with a top ensemble starring Claire Moore, Joanna Riding, Claire Machin, Michele Dotrice, Debbie Chazen and Sophie-Louise Dann.

It closes at the Phoenix Theatre on July 14, and will tour the UK from August 2018. Its one of my favourite shows.

Jodie Comer, who starred as Elizabeth of York in The White Princess, is preparing to play an assassin in the BBC America thriller series Killing Eve, which is based on Luke Jenningss Codename Villanelle series of novellas

Watch out for

Jodie Comer, who starred as Elizabeth of York in The White Princess, is preparing to play an assassin in the BBC America thriller series Killing Eve, which is based on Luke Jenningss Codename Villanelle series of novellas. Sandra Oh will play the intelligence operative tracking the assassin. When I heard about Ms Ohs involvement in this, I promptly watched Alexander Paynes great movie Sideways, in which she co-stars. Its worth a look if you havent seen it.

Danny Mac, Siena Kelly, Lizzy Connolly, Jacob Maynard and Matthew Caputo (who took on the Ozzie role the night I was there) who were all sublime in director Drew McOnies exhilarating Regents Park Open Air Theatre production of On The Town by Leonard Bernstein, Betty Comden and Adolph Green.

I hear rumours that the big musical at the Open Air Theatre next year is going to be Little Shop Of Horrors  and it does make sense to give that flesh-eating plant more room to grow...
It's the famous private ship whose crew must sign confidentiality agreements.

And the staff of the Arctic P reportedly let loose when their boss, billionaire businessman James Packer, isn't on board.

The lively bunch often take to social media to share snaps of their fun on the high seas, according to The Sydney Morning Herald.

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Good times: The staff of the Arctic P reportedly let loose when their boss, billionaire businessman James Packer, isn't on board

In one photo uploaded to a crew member's Instagram account, a group can be seen puffing on cigars and wearing their branded Arctic P bathrobes on the ship's deck.

Docked in the Caribbean island paradise of St. Maarten, the caption on the image reads: 'Boats, hoes and Robes'.

The 88-metre former ice breaker's crew are allegedly one of the best in the business, fiercely protective of the numerous A-list guests they welcome for low-key visits.

VIP: The ship's crew are allegedly one of the best in the business, protective of the numerous A-list guests they welcome for low-key visits. Pictured: Karl Stefanovic and Brett Ratner

A former employee 'lifted the lid' in 2010 on the strict rules staff must adhere to The Daily Telegraph.

According to the reported 'two-page copy of ship guidelines', crew are told James Packer's needs are 'often very demanding'.

'The Boss is extremely private - the movement and operation of the yacht should not be discussed with anyone... if this concerns you in any way or you are inclined to gossip, do not join,' the document allegedly said.

Stringent: According to the reported 'two-page copy of ship guidelines', crew are told James Packer's needs are 'often very demanding'

'Anyone having a "that's not my job" type attitude is asked to leave, making way for someone having a team approach,' it reportedly described.

Converted from an ice breaker to a luxury vessel by the late Kerry Packer in 1995, James is said to be transferring ownership of the Arctic P over to his sister Gretel.

He is apparently awaiting the completion of his new 'superyacht', which at 120 metres long will be greater in size than the Arctic P.
Who Do You Think You Are?

Rating:

Outlander

Rating:

What a cracker of an episode to launch the new series of Who Do You Think You Are? (BBC1), and you may be sure the bosses at the Beeb were turning somersaults when they realised what theyd got.

No doubt the researchers hearts started racing the moment actor Charles Dance casually remarked that he knew little about his mother and barely remembered his father, who had died in 1949 when little Charlie was not quite four years old.

This history show always has most fun when the revelations and scandals are hiding in the lowest branches of the family tree.

While its diverting to discover that a celebritys ancestors were criminals, royalty or celebs themselves ten generations ago, its riveting to watch people learning about their own parents.

Pictured: Charles Dance, whose family secrets were revealed on Who Do You Think You Are?

Dance, who was once known for romantic roles but has matured into a villainously charismatic star in Game Of Thrones and the like, began by saying he had just two photographs of his mother . . . and one of his father.

To the selfie generation, who snap themselves constantly, that must be impossible to comprehend. But Mrs Dance was a housekeeper (for the landed gentry, said her son) who had started in service aged 13 as a parlourmaid.

She left few traces and seemed to like it that way. Both her sons grew up believing that Walter Dance  who claimed to be 50 when he was closer to 75  was their dad.

In fact, Charles older brother had a different father, whose identity was never revealed.

TATTOO OF THE NIGHT Pictured: Jennifer Mee (left) showing off her hideous mark of Cain tattoo inked on her neck Tattoo of the night: Murderer Jennifer Mee, once famous in the States for her chronic hiccups, poured out her regrets on Killer Women (ITV). But with a hideous mark of Cain inked on her neck, it was hard to sympathise. Advertisement

Within the opening five minutes, this family saga had become satisfyingly murky and convoluted. We forgave Dance a short digression into the Victorian era, where he discovered that his great-great-grandfather once ran an art studio at the Marylebone address that is now home to Daunt Books: we knew there was better to come.

But no one could have guessed how much better. Charles discovered his father, a Boer War veteran, had been married for 40 years and widowed before he ever met the second Mrs Dance.

Walter and his first wife had two daughters, Charless half-sisters. One was killed in a freak accident, aged five  the tragedy happened 30 years before the actor was born but, as he stood outside the house where little Mary Dance died, emotion overcame him.

Everyone weeps on Who Do You Think You Are? but Dance, who was trying to be sardonic and offhand, lost the power of speech too. His rich, mellifluous voice simply dried up.

Pictured: Outlander, a sort of Poldark in kilts, first appeared on a U.S. pay-to-view station three years ago, but has only just reached the UKs Freeview network

And that was before he traced his other half-sisters life, all the way to Pretoria in South Africa, and uncovered her handwritten memoir . . . as well as numerous photographs. This really was the genealogy jackpot.

Tracing your ancestry can be risky, as fans of the costume romance Outlander (More4) know very well. This steamy historical adventure, a sort of Poldark in kilts, first appeared on a U.S. pay-to-view station three years ago, but has only just reached the UKs Freeview network. Caitriona Balfe stars as a World War II nurse in the Scottish Highlands, who travels back in time almost 300 years and is caught between the rascally Celtic brigands and the cruel English redcoats.

Odder still, her husbands wicked forebear, Black Jack Randall, is the first to find her, and immediately makes plain his designs on her body.

Its pure hokum, but lavishly done. If your once-a-week fix of passionate clinches and heroes on horseback with Capn Ross and Demelza is no longer enough, Outlander will leave you sated.
Annette Bening portrays Hollywood actress Gloria Grahame in a movie about how an ordinary Liverpudlian family looked after the Oscar-winner in their spare room when she fell ill.

During her screen career, Grahame was one of the top go-to actresses to play femme fatales. She starred opposite Kirk Douglas in The Bad And The Beautiful, and won a best supporting actress Oscar for her efforts.

She raised temperatures in Fritz Langs pictures The Big Heat and Human Desire, and was just a girl who famously couldnt say no in Fred Zinnemanns film of Oklahoma!

Annette Bening portrays Hollywood actress Gloria Grahame in a movie about how an ordinary Liverpudlian family looked after the Oscar-winner in their spare room when she fell ill

During her screen career, Grahame was one of the top go-to actresses to play femme fatales. She is seen with Jamie Bell as Turner

The film producer Barbara Broccoli knows Grahames life-story intimately. She acquired the film rights to Peter Turners memoir, about how he (a jobbing actor and writer) befriended Grahame when she was staying in digs in Primrose Hill, North London, during her run in the late Seventies in The Glass Menagerie at the Roundhouse.

In between making Bond movies, Broccoli went about developing it.

She signed director Paul McGuigan, writer Matt Greenhaigh, and then Bening and Jamie Bell as Turner.

In Film Stars Dont Die In Liverpool, based on Turners tome, Benings Grahame falls ill and asks Turner if she could recuperate at his familys home in Merseyside. I could get better there, she says quietly.

Julie Walters and Kenneth Cranham play Turners parents.

Broccoli felt the Liverpool love, too. The whole environment, from the minute you arrive there, is so welcoming, she enthused.

A couple of years ago I re-watched a slate of Grahames films at a retrospective at the Film Society of Lincoln Centre in New York, and I was reminded of just how powerful a presence she was in movies

I can totally understand why she fell in love with the place and the warm-hearted people, she added.

A couple of years ago I re-watched a slate of Grahames films at a retrospective at the Film Society of Lincoln Centre in New York, and I was reminded of just how powerful a presence she was in movies.

Whats so great and provocative about her on screen is that she always managed to retain her sense of self and she didnt comply with the Hollywood system. She was an original  she couldnt be re-manufactured into something else. She held on to who she was, Broccoli noted.

Benings performance brilliantly captures those qualities, and the vulnerabilities that hit female actors. Benings not afraid to show that a close-up isnt the friendliest angle for a film camera. Actresses, women in general, have to come to terms with the ageing process, Broccoli sighed. But she added: And its so beautifully handled by Annette Bening, who has aged in the most wonderful way and has retained her sexuality.

In any case, said Broccoli: Women are beautiful at all ages.

Bening has a fiery allure and theres certainly a frisson between Bening and Bell. As, Broccoli said, you dont feel the disparity of their ages. They feel as if they belong together.

McGuigans picture also, thankfully, shatters the myth that if youre in the motion picture business you must be making tons of money. The vast majority of actors struggle, and only a small percentage make it.

Who needs 12 bathrooms? Grahame responds when asked if she missed the mansion-and-swimming-pool phase of her life. By that point her Hollywood home was a humble mobile one. She died of cancer, aged 57, in 1981.

Film stars probably dont pass on in Liverpool, but they soar to great heights when portrayed by Annette Bening and Jamie Bell.

The film is likely to pop up during the BFI London Film Festival in October, and it will go on general release on November 17.

Rhino takes care of business for Idris

Former TV Gladiator Mark Rhino Smith has just spent 11 days playing a Caribbean gangsta after being summoned by Idris Elba.

The London-born actor (above right) was cast by Elba (left)  making his directorial debut  to play drug kingpin Raggz in the film version of Victor Headleys novel, Yardie, about a Jamaican dealer (played by Aml Ameen) who leaves the island to make it big in London.

Former TV Gladiator Mark Rhino Smith has just spent 11 days playing a Caribbean gangsta after being summoned by Idris Elba

Smiths character Raggz takes care of business while hes away, keeping an eye on his drugs empire. The actor said Raggz likes to be armed, and hes certainly dangerous.

After filming his scenes in Jamaica, Smith flew home to his family in Los Angeles, quickly re-packed his bags and travelled with the family to London, where they landed yesterday afternoon.

On Tuesday night, I was being directed by Idris and then my part was finished, he said, adding that hed like to collaborate with the superstar again.

They had already worked together voicing characters in the Disney animated hit Zootopia.

Elba set up Yardie with executives at the British Film Institute, Studio Canal, Warp Films and BBC Films. Theres talk of him doing further Yardie-related projects in the future. Meanwhile, hes set to shoot a new series of Luther for the BBC, and will also be seen in The Mountain Between Us with Kate Winslet.

Now everyone can see the fabulous Follies via NT Live

The musical Follies  starring Imelda Staunton (far right) and Janie Dee (right) as Broadway showgirls who meet up at a reunion  will be broadcast via NT Live into cinemas worldwide on November 16.

The 1971 musical, by James Goldman and Stephen Sondheim, is in its second week of rehearsal, and director Dominic Cooke is working with Goldmans original and some pages from the Eighties revision.

The musical Follies  starring Imelda Staunton (left) and Janie Dee (right) as Broadway showgirls who meet up at a reunion  will be broadcast via NT Live into cinemas worldwide on November 16

Sondheim has tweaked lyrics that had been changed in various productions over the years. Just little tweaks, nothing wholesale, a source close to the composer in New York told me.

I also heard that Cooke has been toying with the idea of running the show without an interval, replicating a point from Harold Princes original staging. However, a spokeswoman for the NT stressed that the idea is all very much to be confirmed at this early stage.

Follies, which begins performances in the Olivier Theatre from August 22, includes Tracie Bennett, Zizi Strallen, Dawn Hope, Adam Rhys-Charles, Alex Young, Geraldine Fitzgerald, Peter Forbes, Fred Haig and Philip Quast.
Earlier this week she was displaying her renowned classic style at the VOGUE party during Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week.

And Lily James was continuing the trend on Thursday evening as she arrived at a Burberry event in Milan.

The actress, 28, looked striking in a figure-hugging lace gown, fairly modest in design but with a split at the leg.

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Lacy James! Lily displays her svelte figure in an intricate semi-sheer dress with a daring split flashing her lithe pins as she arrives at event in Milan

The Guernsey star certainly turned heads in her stunning frock, which was detailed with an intricate floral pattern.

The gown was floor-length, but raised enough at the hem to tease Lily's silver strappy heels.

The very top of the dress was semi-sheer in design, and the gown featured block colouring from top to bottom, with strops of pale green, moss and cream.

Letting her eye-catching frock take centre stage, the actress opted against accessories save for a pair of thin, metal oval-shaped earrings.

Head-turning: The actress, 28, looked striking in a figure-hugging lace gown, fairly modest in design but with a split at the leg

Sterling effort: The Guernsey star certainly turned heads in her stunning lacy frock, made with earthy tones

Natural beauty: Tying her look together in a typically classy fashion, Lily swept her tresses into a sleek up-do - to leave her naturally striking features and clear, glowing skin on show

Tying her look together in a typically classy fashion, Lily swept her tresses into a sleek up-do - to leave her naturally striking features and clear, glowing skin on show.

Adding a sweep of dark red lipstick in a classically glamorous touch, the beauty looked truly stunning as she smoldered for cameras as she arrived at the bash.

Lily appeared to attend the event alone, leaving long-term boyfriend Matt Smith at home for the occasion.

She has been dating the former Doctor Who actor, 34, since 2014, and recently hinted that a proposal could even be on the cards, after she was spotted trying on diamond rings at a De Beers event in London's Harrods last month.

Strike a pose: Adding a sweep of pink lipstick in a classically glamorous touch, the beauty looked truly stunning as she smouldered for cameras as she arrived at the bash

She will go to the ball: The gown was floor-length, but raised enough at the hem to tease Lily's silver strappy heels

Making an entrance: Letting her eye-catching frock take centre stage, the actress opted against accessories save for a pair of thin, metal oval-shaped earrings

The English rose brought her boyfriend's sister, cabaret dancer Laura Jayne, 37, to look at rings - seemingly to make sure Matt knows what sparkler she has her heart set on.

Introducing Laura to the jewellers, she said at the time: Im dating her brother, and hopefully she will soon be my sister-in-law.'

The Cinderella star did little to quash speculation that a ring could be on its way as she went on to gush about her actor beau, during a recent appearance on Good Day L.A.

Speaking to hosts Steve Edwards and Liz Habib, she beamed: 'It's no secret - we're very happy.'
She's been working incredibly hard on transforming her figure over the last few months.

And Roxy Jacenko is proudly showing it off during her trip to Bali this week.

On Friday, the PR queen flaunted her physique in a pink skimpy bikini while taking a mirror selfie in the bathroom of her expensive villa.

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Yummy mummy! Roxy Jacenko flaunts her cleavage and WASHBOARD abs in a skimpy pink bikini while on holidays with her family in Bali

With her washboard abs and lithe limbs on display, there was not an inch to pinch on the Sweaty Betty businesswoman's frame.

Later in the day, she showcased her newly acquired golden tan in a bright fuchsia dress while posing with her son, Hunter, three.

The low-cut frock showed off her cleavage and bikini tans lines after days of lounging in the sun in Bali.

Roxy accessoried a pair of black aviator-style RayBan sunglasses and finished her look with bright green and pink statement earrings.

Golden: Later in the day, she showcased her newly acquired golden tan in a bright fuchsia dress while posing with her son, Hunter, three

Hunter stood beside his mother looking adorable while holding three tubs of Play-Doh.

Roxy captioned the snap: 'Breakfast at @alilavillasuluwatu with my little Hunty'.

The blonde beauty, Oliver Curtis, 31, and their kids Hunter and Pixie, five, jetted off to Bali on Wednesday.

Incredible abs! Roxy has been showing off her body in an array of bikinis during her trip to Bali

Oliver has recently been released from jail after being convicted of insider trading.

The family was spotted arriving at Sydney International Airport on Wednesday for their first family holiday since his incarceration.

They are staying at the exclusive Alila Villas in Uluwatu.

Like mummy, like daughter: Pixie, five, expertly poses for the camera in her two-piece suit
He is the Australian comic actor who scored the gig of a lifetime, starring in skits on the Late Night with Conan O'Brien.

And Leigh Scott is quickly becoming a firm favourite on the American late night talk show thanks to his cheeky sense of humour.

Speaking to The Morning Show's on Friday, Leigh chatted about some of the crazy things he has had to do as part of his job- including being held up by a harness and sitting on a toilet in front of the Conan Crew.

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'I am an actor, so I will do anything for money!' Leigh Scott is quickly becoming a firm favourite on Late Night with Conan O'Brien, after starting out as an extra

'I am an actor, so I will do anything for money. That little ensemble that is what I was told I had to wear underneath the underwear and prop pants,' he laughed.

'So I sat down, making eye contact with all of them. I rip [the prop] down and they thought I had the anatomy of a Barbie doll. It was a good time,' Leigh added.

He has starred in a number of sketches for the show, most notably stars in the United Groundlines skit which pokes fun at United Airlines for their recent PR disaster surrounding a passenger being forcibly removed from an overbooked flight.

Stared from the bottom: 'The thing is, they have you come on as an extra and they give you one line and then two lines and five, and then a sketch' Leigh told The Morning Show

Makeup and wardrobe: So far he has starred in a number of sketches for the show, most notably stars in the United Groundlines skit

The Los Angeles-based actor explained he got his start on the comedy by working as an extra.

'The thing is, they have you come on as an extra and they give you one line and then two lines and five, and then a sketch,' the Los Angeles-based actor explained.

Leigh's rise to the top of the show's extras roster came to an short halt after he was told by the show's accountant that he couldn't work for them anymore because of his Visa restrictions.

Wired up! Leigh has had to do a number of crazy things on the show, including being held up by a harness and sitting on a toilet in front of the Conan Crew

But in a stroke of luck, he received a call from the casting director saying they needed him to playing the lead in a sketch.

'Come and be the lead in a sketch tomorrow,' he dramatised, 'Some one dropped out, see you at 9 AM... That was about it. They keep calling me back.'

Aside from his work on Conan, he has been working on a feature film called Christmas Down Under scheduled to be shot in Australia later this year with with Wolf Creek actor John Jarrett.
Ariana Grande paid tribute Wednesday to Saffie Roussos, the youngest victim of the Manchester Arena bombing.

The eight-year-old was with her family when suicide bomber Salman Abedi detonated a home-made device, killing 22 people including seven children.

Following her concert in Buenos Aires on Wednesday, Grande, 24, tweeted to her 48 million followers: 'Saffie, we're (thinking) of you baby' alongside a birthday cake emoji.

Paying tribute: Ariana Grande, shown last month at the One Love Manchester benefit concert, paid tribute Wednesday to the youngest victim of the Manchester Arena bombing

The youngster, from Leyland, Lancashire, would have celebrated her ninth birthday on July 4.

To mark the occasion her family chose to speak out, paying tribute to Saffie and remembering how she had looked forward to the concert.

Her older sister, Ashlee Bromwich, said the super fan was 'elated' as she watched her idol perform on May 22.

'She was Ariana Grande-obsessed, so to see how happy she was, it was just  obviously I had to go with her,' she told the BBC.

Youngest victim: Saffie Roussos was only eight years old when she was killed by a suicide bomber at an Ariana Grande concert in May in Manchester

Birthday message: Ariana tweeted that she was thinking of Saffie following what would've been her ninth birthday

Her father, Andrew Roussos, said: 'You couldn't be out with Saffie without having fun, but her dream was to be famous. It was her everything and we bought her the tickets for Christmas.

'She was just counting the days, the seconds and it was just Ariana Grande until nine, 10 o'clock at night. And she would sing and dance every single song.'

The explosion ripped through the arena foyer as thousands of fans, mostly young girls, left the venue following Grande's performance.

On tour: The pop star is shown performing last month in Brazil as she started the South American leg of her world tour

Saffie's father, who said 'all hell broke loose' after the bombing, was later told by a police detective that his daughter had died.

'We've lost everything. We have, we've lost everything, because life will just never be the same,' he said.

Grande after the bombing organized the One Love Manchester benefit concert that also featured performances by Katy Perry, Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus and Coldplay.
Earlier in the day on Thursday she appeared on Good Morning America to promote Project Runway.

And later, Heidi Klum looked ready for the runway herself as she sashayed down a sidewalk in New York City.

The 44-year-old supermodel wowed in a grey mini skirt that showed off her lengthy limbs.

Catwalker: Heidi Klum looked ready for the runway herself as she sashayed down a sidewalk in New York City on Thursday

The garment featured a split up the middle, which was actually formed by two intersecting zippers.

Up top a tan blouse with an epically plunging neckline revealed a glimpse of her lacy black bra from her eponymous label, Heidi Klum Intimates.

Jewelry included numerous rings, matching gold bracelets on both wrists and a chain and charm necklace.

A pair of simple, black pointed toe pumps added a few more inches to her 5ft9in frame.

Leggy lady: The 44-year-old supermodel wowed in a grey mini skirt that showed off her lengthy limbs

Hardware: The garment featured a split up the middle, which was actually formed by two intersecting zippers

Peek-a-boo! Up top a tan blouse with an epically plunging neckline revealed a glimpse of her lacy Amber Shimmer Underwire Bra from her eponymous lingerie label Heidi Klum Intimates

Styled: Of course her dirty blonde tresses were primped to perfection and were parted in the middle

She appeared to carry all her belongings in a hay-colored, woven tote bag.

Of course her dirty blonde tresses were primped to perfection and were parted in the middle.

Her make-up was exquisitely applied and featured light blush, a smoky eye and pale rose lipstick.

All smiles: Apparently her television appearance left her in great spirits, as she mustered a warm smile for a quick selfie with a fan before ducking back into her hotel

Apparently her television appearance left her in great spirits, as she mustered a warm smile for a quick selfie with a fan before ducking back into her hotel.

For said appearance, the seemingly forever young German-born beauty donned a very eye-catching number.

The girlfriend of Vito Schnabel - who she was caught kissing at a concert last week - showed off plenty of skin in a gold silk dress that had both a low-cut neckline and a high slit on the side.

Golden gal! Heidi Klum paraded her endless stems in a golden yellow dress that featured a flirty laces up the thigh while stopping by Good Morning America on Thursday

The German model enchanted in the silky gold number with a cleavage-flaunting neckline and alluring lace up sides that showed off her trim thighs and world-class calves.

The mother-of-four teamed her frock with golden heels and a breezy straw bag and wore her blonde dresses down.

A heart-shaped pendant, mirrored aviators and a pair of matching gold cuffs topped off the ensemble.

Precious metal! The 44-year-old beauty teamed her frock with golden heels and a breezy straw bag and wore her blonde dresses down sleekly

Heart of the matter! A heart shaped pendant, mirrored aviators and a pair of gold cuffs topped off the ensemble

Legs get going! The frock's alluring lace up sides that showed off Heidi's trim thighs and world-class calves

Fan favorite! Outside of the studio the Germany-born charmer signed a few autographs

Outside of the studio the charmer took a second to sign a few autographs and chat with fans.

At the AM show she was joined by her fellow judges Zac Posen and Nina Garcia.

'It's our sweet 16!' Heidi proclaimed to host George Stephanopoulos about the fashion game show's upcoming season.

To thy own self be true! The fashion judge offered Project Runway contestants advice telling the designers to 'Really just be honest about what you're creating'

Constantly camera ready! The mom-of-four looked equally as alluring at every angle

Early birds! Heidi was joined by fellow judges Zac Posen and Nina Garcia at the AM show

Heidi offered the latest bunch of designer-contestants her best advice, telling them: 'Really just be honest about what you're creating and not trying to be someone else.'

'You know, sometimes they're trying to please us I feel like and that's the wrong thing to do. You have to be honest with your creativity and really go for it.'

She added one final morsel of guidance, telling contestants 'We've seen it all, so show us something new and different.'

Project Runway premieres August 17 on Lifetime.

Sweet sixteen! Season 16 of Project Runway premieres August 17 on Lifetime

Work it! The supermodel wasn't afraid to strut her stuff at the studio

What a gent! Designer and Project Runway host Zac Posen looked dapper in a charcoal suit paired with blue shirt and summery white fedora
The Outfest LA opening gala Thursday night turned into quite a substantial American Gods reunion between Kristin Chenoweth, Ian McShane, and Emily Browning.

In the hit show - based on Neil Gaiman's 2001 novel - Kristin played the God Easter while Ian played the Norse God Odin aka Mr. Wednesday.

In May, the Starz Network renewed the celestial series - in which Emily played both Laura Moon and Essie MacGowan - for a second season.

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Honoring their divine creator: The Outfest LA opening gala Thursday night turned into quite a substantial American Gods reunion between Kristin Chenoweth (L), Ian McShane, and Emily Browning (R)

American Gods currently holds a 94 percent critic approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, a 77 percent rating on MetaCritic, and an 8.4/10 on IMDb.

Joining the trio at the gay-friendly festivities were their castmates Crispin Glover (who played Mr. World) and Orlando Jones (who played Mr. Nancy).

The triple-threat Tony winner - who turns 49 this month - dazzled the red carpet in a white long-sleeved bedazzled gown, which revealed a hint of the slip beneath.

Chenoweth - who had her blonde locks sideswept - will next host the non-televised TCA Awards August 5 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills.

Old versus new Gods: In the hit show - based on Neil Gaiman's 2001 novel - Kristin played the God Easter while Ian played the Norse God Odin aka Mr. Wednesday

Zombie wife: In May, the Starz Network renewed the celestial series - in which Emily played both Laura Moon and Essie MacGowan - for a second season

Critically-acclaimed: American Gods currently holds a 94 percent critic approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, a 77 percent rating on MetaCritic, and an 8.4/10 on IMDb

Dapper gents: Joining the trio at the gay-friendly festivities were their castmates Crispin Glover (who played Mr. World) and Orlando Jones (who played Mr. Nancy)

And the Younger guest star will put her four-octave soprano pipes to use on September 16 at the Portland Opera Baroque Ball Gala in Oregon.

Browning opted for a classic short-sleeved LBD with closed-toe stilettos for the LBGTQ festival.

The Australian 28-year-old - best known for her role in Sucker Punch - kept her make-up minimal with a bit of winged eyeliner and wore her ombre bob down.

Petite: The triple-threat Tony winner - who turns 49 this month - dazzled the red carpet in a white long-sleeved bedazzled gown, which revealed a hint of the slip beneath

Pretty presenter: Chenoweth - who had her blonde locks sideswept - will next host the non-televised TCA Awards August 5 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills

Broadway star: And the Younger guest star will put her four-octave soprano pipes to use on September 16 at the Portland Opera Baroque Ball Gala in Oregon

Not-so-basic black: Browning opted for a classic short-sleeved LBD with closed-toe stilettos for the LBGTQ festival

Sucker Punch alum: The Australian 28-year-old kept her make-up minimal with a bit of winged eyeliner and wore her ombre bob down

Kristin (born Kristi) also posed with American Gods creator/Star Trek: Discovery creator Bryan Fuller alongside Spock himself, Zachary Quinto.

The 40-year-old Emmy nominee - who came out in 2011 - sported a green polo shirt and black slacks, and he was without his model boyfriend Miles McMillan.

Quinto introduced Fuller onstage where he received a career tribute for his work producing Heroes, Dead Like Me, Wonderfalls, Pushing Daisies, and Hannibal.

Man of the hour! Kristin (born Kristi) also posed with American Gods creator/Star Trek: Discovery creator Bryan Fuller (M) alongside Spock himself, Zachary Quinto (L)

Came out in 2011: The 40-year-old Emmy nominee sported a green polo shirt and black slacks, and he was without his model boyfriend Miles McMillan

Speech: Quinto introduced Fuller onstage where he received a career tribute for his work producing Heroes, Dead Like Me, Wonderfalls, Pushing Daisies, and Hannibal

Meanwhile, Mary Elizabeth Winstead enjoyed a red carpet reunion with her Scott Pilgrim vs. the World co-star, Ben Lewis, whose short film Apart from Everything will screen at Outfest Friday.

The 32-year-old Daytime Emmy winner - who relies on stylist Penny Lovell - opted for a more casual ensemble of skinny blue jeans, a b&w-dotted blazer, and black loafers.

It was one of the Fargo actress' first public appearances since separating from her husband of seven years, filmmaker Riley Stearns, on May 13.

Reunions everywhere: Meanwhile, Mary Elizabeth Winstead enjoyed a red carpet reunion with her Scott Pilgrim vs. the World co-star, Ben Lewis

Dressed down: The 32-year-old Daytime Emmy winner - who relies on stylist Penny Lovell - opted for a more casual ensemble of skinny blue jeans, a b&w-dotted blazer, and black loafers

Split: It was one of the Fargo actress' first public appearances since separating from her husband of seven years, filmmaker Riley Stearns, on May 13

Bringing regality to Outfest was none other than RuPaul's Drag Race 2016 champ Bob the Drag Queen looking fierce in his flame-haired wig and purple dress.

'I think I'm entering a realm where I ONLY wear church lady clothes. #preacherswife,' the 31-year-old (born Christopher Caldwell) tweeted.

Also enjoying Outfest's opening night was the hilarious Drew Droege, who will portray Mr. Dennis in TV Land's small-screen spin-off of the 1988 cult classic Heathers coming this fall.

'#preacherswife': Bringing regality to Outfest was none other than RuPaul's Drag Race 2016 champ Bob the Drag Queen looking fierce in his flame-haired wig and purple dress
Her legion of fans are used to seeing her prance down runways in just her underwear.

But Taylor Hill still managed to be quite the sight as she stepped out in a more dressed down ensemble with her soap star beau Michael Stephen Shank in New York on Thursday.

The Victoria's Secret Angel looked divine in a trendy Rolling Stones tongue logo T-shirt as she stretched her legs in the trendy Manhattan area of the Big Apple.

The Bold And The Beautiful: Taylor Hill stepped out with beau Michael Stephen Shank in New York on Thursday

The 21-year-old professional clotheshorse looked in fine form indeed as she trotted along in her top, green workout trousers and slippers.

Bold And The Beautiful favourite Michael, 31, meanwhile was dressed to the same standard in a grey T-shirt, jogging trousers and trainers.

Colorado-raised Taylor has had a busy time of late, as she travelled to London for the launch of her own denim collection Taylor Hill x Joe's Jeans back in March.

She recently opened up about how much she enjoyed the designing process.

Get Yer Ya-Yas Out: The model showcased her figure in a Rolling Stones T-shirt

Taking the Michael: She led her man by the hand as they went for the summer stroll

Soap-erstar: Her boyfriend is known for his turns on Bold And The Beautiful

She boasted: 'I really loved it. I thought it was something different.

'As a model, you dont really get to see this part, and I thought it was really cool to be a part of the process, and have an input, and make it my own.'

The hard-working clotheshorse revealed that she had brought Pinterest images and moodboards along to creative meetings.

And Taylor also returned to her natural modelling habitat for the line, appearing in the campaign images, shot by famed fashion photographer Mario Sorrenti.

Casual couple: The dynamic duo were like peas in a pod in their dressed down ensembles
Logan Paul certainly isn't doing much to deny he's dating Chloe Bennet.

On Wednesday, photos emerged of the friends kissing in the surf in Hawaii, as they celebrated Independence Day together.

After their passionate embrace made headlines, Logan, 22, took to his vlog to address what had happened and try and offer up an explanation.

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Busted: After being spotted kissing during a July 4 vacation in Hawaii, both Chloe Bennet and Logan Paul agreed things were 'awkward'

Summoning Chloe, 25, over to the camera, the pair - who appeared to have been staying at the same house - agreed things were 'awkward'.

'Chloe and I are friends, for sure,' he began. 'In my opinion, friends sometimes make out. [And] touch butts.'

'I kiss all of my friends,' Chloe interjected.

'If you haven't kissed your friends, personally, I don't think you're friends,' he added.

Interesting... 'Chloe and I are friends, for sure,' he began. 'In my opinion, friends sometimes make out. [And] touch butts'

The look of love? Logan was seen gazing adoringly at his self-confessed 'crush' as she fixed her hair for his video

Things only got even more cringe-worthy from there, with Logan acknowledging the difficult situation they were both in.

'It's kind of awkward, because this puts us in a position where you're maybe forced to label what this is, but we don't know what this is,' he said.

'Normally, Chloe sucks. But this whole trip, you've kinda been cool,' he continued, before blushing and bursting into fits of laughter.

He did later admit the pair were hoping to keep things quiet until they established whether or not they were actually dating.

Just friends: 'If you haven't kissed your friends, personally, I don't think you're friends,' he joked, trying to make light of the situation

Secret's out: 'We were keeping this private,' he said. 'I dont know if you guys noticed, but in the vlogs, Ive been kind of keeping her out. Its an intimate thing'

'We were keeping this private,' he said. 'I dont know if you guys noticed, but in the vlogs, Ive been kind of keeping her out. Its an intimate thing.'

After sitting side-by-side on the flight home to LA, Logan later continued his vlog post from Chloe's house, letting slip he had a 'crush' on the stunning starlet.

'Do you have a crush on me?' she asked quietly.

'I don't even like you,' he jokingly replied.

Home sweet home: After sitting side-by-side on the flight home to LA, Logan later continued his vlog post from Chloe's house, letting slip he had a 'crush' on the stunning starlet

'Yeah, okay. Same,' she flirtatiously responded.

The photos show Chloe sharing a kiss with the YouTube star in the shallows of the Pacific.

The Marvel's Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. actress was wearing a bikini that emphasized her rear, whereas Logan bared his sculpted torso while dressed in red swimming trunks.

A source alleged to JustJared, in a report the site ran this Wednesday, that Chloe and her beau Austin Nichols had 'decided to part ways about a month ago.'

A place in the sun: On Wednesday, photos emerged of Chloe in Hawaii appearing to share a kiss with the YouTube star in the shallows of the Pacific

While Chloe apparently planted a smooch on Logan, she'd got one arm draped about his shoulders, whereas he'd got his hand at her lower back near her derriere.

They were also photographed as Logan stood behind Chloe in the water, he wrapping his arms about the Chicago-born actress.

Chloe, who per IMDb was on seven episodes of Nashville, was seen grasping Logan's right hand with both of her hands, as a small wave crested on its way to them.

The looks: The Marvel's Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. actress was wearing a bikini that emphasized her rear, whereas Logan bared his sculpted torso while dressed in red swimming trunks

Cozy: They were also photographed as the 22-year-old Logan stood behind 25-year-old Chloe in the water, he wrapping his arms about the Chicago-born actress

A photo Chloe'd posted to her Instagram page on Tuesday showed her seemingly at the back of a small boat with the shirtless Logan and her stylist pal Sonia Young.

Giving Kauai as their location, Chloe's written: 'Understated festivities going on over here,' tagging Logan and Sonia, the latter of whom styles Paris Jackson, per WWD.

Chloe's also tweeted a photo of Logan dressed in nothing but blue boxer briefs and sipping from a coconut through a straw while standing inside near a palm. 'Apparently today @LoganPaul discovered palm trees,' she's written.

Logan had called Chloe his 'future ex-wife' on a joke-filled vlog post, in a clip he'd filmed at the airport before they and a group of pals jetted to Hawaii. He also tweeted this Wednesday that he'll be 'explaining everything in tomorrow's vlog'.

Tropical paradise: Chloe, who per IMDb was on seven episodes of Nashville, was seen grasping Logan's right hand with both of her hands, as a small wave crested on its way to them

The source who'd gossiped to JustJared about Chloe's split from Austin has said that 'They have tremendous love and respect for each other but after almost four years together, they just drifted apart,' and that 'There are no hard feelings.'

Austin was on a 2013 episode of Marvel's Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. as hacker Miles Lyndon, who's had romantic entanglements with Chloe's Daisy 'Skye' Johnson.

As JustJared have pointed out, Austin and Chloe hadn't been photographed together since April 29, when they had attended Samantha Bee's Not The White House Correspondents' Dinner in Washington, D.C.

Trio: A photo Chloe'd posted to her Instagram page on Tuesday showed her seemingly at the back of a small boat with the shirtless Logan and her stylist pal Sonia Young

Note the hat: Chloe's also tweeted a photo of Logan dressed in nothing but blue boxer briefs and sipping from a coconut through a straw while standing inside near a palm
Instagram sensation Kurt Coleman bid farewell to the Gold Coast with a touching tribute dance on Thursday.

The crown king of selfies shared two extravagant routines on social media, exposing his chest as he stood over his packed luggage.

He was seen strutting around in a fur coat, before turning to camera and mouthing the words 'leaving you was my worst fear,' from the song I Don't by Mariah Carey.

Don't miss your flight! Instagram sensation Kurt Coleman bid farewell to the Gold Coast with a touching tribute dance on Thursday, sharing two extravagant routines to Instagram

It was a fitting lyrical tribute for the Melbourne-bound socialite, who twirled around and stripped his coat off.

It didn't appear to be Kurt's first time dancing to the Mariah Carey and YG track, despite the fact it was released just this year.

He barely skipped a bit as he thrust his head back in dramatic fashion.

Later, he kicked the tempo up a notch, unbuttoning his red Ralph Lauren shirt even more, before taking his dance routine to the floor.

Fearless! He was seen strutting around in a fur coat, before turning to camera and mouthing the words 'leaving you was my worst fear,' from the song I Don't by Mariah Carey

Fitting tribute! It was a fitting lyrical tribute for the Melbourne-bound socialite, who twirled around and stripped his coat off

Tempo change! Later, he kicked the tempo up a notch, unbuttoning his red Ralph Lauren shirt even more, before taking his dance routine to the floor

Kurt closed his eyes, immersed in the smooth soul jams of BJ the Chicago Kid's I want you back/Lady Lady.

He raised his arms in the air and stretched up high, but it was as if his carpeted floor was made of quick-sand, as he slowly sunk to the ground.

As soon as he was down there, he was wishing he wasn't, shooting a sassy look before popping back up to end the impressive number.

Touch the sky! Kurt, 20, closed his eyes, immersed in the smooth soul jams of BJ the Chicago Kid's I want you back/Lady Lady

Magnetic! He raised his arms in the air and stretched up high, but it was as if his carpeted floor was made of quick-sand, as he slowly sunk to the ground

The Instagram sensation clearly has rhythm pumping through his veins, although it is not known if he's had any formal dance training.

In bittersweet news, Kurt's extravagant dip to his apartment floor will be his last, announcing Thursday that he'd be moving to Melbourne the next day.

'Moving to Melbourne tomorrow, obviously it's going to be a sexier city now then,' he wrote on Instagram.

Save the last dance! In bittersweet news, Kurt's extravagant dip to his apartment floor will be his last, announcing Thursday that he'd be moving to Melbourne the next day
She has been enjoying a well-deserved break during a relaxing family holiday in Bali this week.

And Fifi Box has been documenting her idyllic getaway to her 197k followers on Instagram.

Staying at the luxurious InterContinental Bali Resort, the radio host declared on Friday: 'Ahhhh the serenity. Bali you are paradise.'

'Bali you are paradise!' Fifi Box enjoys family vacation with daughter Trixie Belle, four, in Bali

Fifi has traveled with daughter Trixie, four, whom she shares with former Ironman Grant Kenny, and her child's 'opa', a German or Dutch nickname for 'grandfather'.

Looking out from their villa one morning, Fifi captioned a selfie: 'What a way to wake up in the morning with my baby and this view.'

Her daughter clearly enjoyed the resort's pool, as Fifi captioned a photo of Trixie playing in the water: 'We have not left this spot all day and I've just been told she has no intention of leaving for the rest of the day. Should have brought a book!'

'Should have brought a book!': Fifi claims her daughter refused to leave the resort's pool, but didn't mind as she called the location 'paradise'

Family vacation: Fifi has traveled with daughter Trixie, four, whom she shares with former Ironman Grant Kenny, and her child's 'opa', a German or Dutch nickname for 'grandfather'

Breakfast with a view! Fifi boasted about her delicious poolside breakfast at Peppers Seminyak

Hours earlier she posted about her poolside breakfast at Peppers Seminyak.

While enjoying her downtime in Bali this week, the media personality seemed thrilled to be able to go sans makeup for her holiday.

Taking to Instagram the 40-year-old has posted many bare-faced selfies.

Fresh faced beauty: Fifi took to Instagram earlier this week to post make-up free selfies as she enjoyed a holiday in Bali

The fresh-faced radio host put her natural beauty on display in a slew of photographs posted to Instagam.

In one image, Fifi looked gorgeous as she donned a white fedora with black fabric as she rested her head on a soft surface.

She captioned the photo: 'My favourite part of being on holiday is NO makeup, two full weeks with not a scrap of foundation, eye shadow, lipstick, mascara or contouring just my pale imperfect skin and a set of fabulous lash extensions'.

Too cute! The bare-faced beauty also shared an adorable snap with her daughter Trixie, four

Glamming it up! Fifi said she was happy to ditch the glam for a more natural look

Despite not wearing a lick of makeup aside from the false lashes, the actress was pleased with her natural look.

'I don't even mind the black bags under my eyes when I'm wearing these babies,' Fifi wrote.

Her followers were also complimentary, taking to the comments to praise the celebrity.

One delighted fan wrote: 'You still look amazing without the makeup'.
Oscar Isaac has revealed that he named his two-month-old son Eugene after his late mother.

The 38-year-old actor told The New York Times that his boy has his mother Eugenia's lips and her hands.

Isaac and his girlfriend Elvira Lind welcomed their first child together in late April.

Family name: Oscar Isaac, shown in April in New York City, has revealed that his son Eugene was named after his later mother Eugenia who died in February

The Star Wars: The Force Awakens star spent the majority of the fall and winter at a Florida hospital with his mother as her condition worsened.

He read Hamlet aloud to her while preparing for the title role of a new production of Shakespeare's drama at the Public Theater in New York City.

Isaac's mother died in February and Hamlet's themes of withering family connections and overcoming grief became real to the actor.

'I know it happens to everybody, but it'd never happened to me. I know people's mothers have died, but this was mine,' he said.

Cute couple: The actor is shown in April with pregnant girlfriend Elvira Lind in New York City

He's been portraying the tortured Danish prince grieving the death of his father six times a week in the off-Broadway production.

'It's for my mom that I'm doing it. It's to honor her life, but also her death, which was so awful,' he said.

The Guatemala native said the play isn't only for his mother, but his son also.

Sci-fi star: Oscar is shown as Poe Dameron in a still from Star Wars: The Force Awakens

He took Eugene to the first run-through of the tragedy and said he thinks of him when reciting the 'to be' part of the famous 'to be or not to be' soliloquy.

Isaac explained the speech focuses on dying in the 'not to be' part, but it's also about choosing to live.

He said that he has better reasons to persevere than Hamlet did.

'You have a child, and you must - you must for their sake - you must say yes to life,' Isaac said.

Isaac will reprise his role of Poe Dameron later this year in Star Wars: The Last Jedi.
They were seen holidaying on James Packer's luxury yacht, last month.

And Karl Stefanovic and girlfriend Jasmine Yarbrough are on the move again, spotted arriving at Gold Coast airport on Friday after a quick flight from Sydney.

The lovebirds wore near-matching hats and casual ensembles as they arrived in Queensland, where both of their mothers live.

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Lovebirds: Karl Stefanovic and girlfriend Jasmine Yarbrough are on the move again, spotted arriving at Gold Coast airport on Friday after a quick flight from Sydney

Karl, 42, donned a wide-brim black fedora with a blue wool cardigan, white T-shirt, straight leg jeans and brown boots.

His girlfriend, 33, wore a similar black hat but paired hers with an outfit adorned with stars.

She donned a wool sweater featuring the pattern, ripped jeans with a matching print and a leather jacket slung over her shoulders.

She slipped her feet into the Jem Skull Pony Sneakers in white, available from her own Mara & Me footwear collection for $460.

During his stay in Queensland, Karl will link up with wrestling champion John Cena to host his Australian speaking tour.

Complementary: The lovebirds wore near-matching hats and casual ensembles as they arrived in Queensland, where both of their mothers live

On the move: The couple were recently seen holidaying on the Arctic P, James Packer's luxury yacht

Chic: His girlfriend, 33, wore a similar black hat with a patterned wool sweater, ripped jeans and a leather jacket slung over her shoulders. They are pictured in Sydney before their flight

Her own: She slipped her feet into the Jem Skull Pony Sneakers in white, available from her own Mara & Me footwear collection for $460

The high-profile couple enjoyed a getaway in Tahiti last month as guests of Karl's good friend James Packer, aboard his private yacht the Arctic P.

Meanwhile, Karl's ex-wife Cassandra Thorburn was also seen jetting out of Sydney Airport this week, leaving for Thailand on Monday with two of their children.

Cassandra, 44, was spotted arriving in Phuket with Ava, 12, and River, 10, for a school holiday break.

Starry-eyed: The high-profile couple enjoyed a getaway in Tahiti last month as guests of Karl's good friend James Packer, aboard his private yacht

Headed out: The petite blonde and her TV presenter beau strolled through the airport and kept their distance at times

Hat's amazing! The lovebirds donned casual enembles, including their near matching headgear

Close: The couple, who began dating late last year, have been seemingly inseparable in recent months

Focused: Sources have previously told Woman's Day magazine the Today host is 'serious' about his future with the stunning blonde

'Karl is desperate to prove to her family that he's really serious about her,' a source reportedly told Woman's Day magazine recently

Karl and Cassandra split in September after 21 years of marriage and reportedly finalised their divorce earlier this year.

The Channel Nine reporter is believed to have met current girlfriend Jasmine during a yacht party in December and were first sighted together in February.

It's the second holiday for the new couple, with Karl and Jasmine previously vacationing in Mexico with the shoe designer's family in May.

Daily Mail Australia has reached out to the Nine Network for comment.

Changes: The Channel Nine reporter is believed to have met current girlfriend Jasmine during a yacht party in December and were first sighted together in February. The couple are pictured arriving on the Gold Coast on Friday

Well-travelled: It's the second holiday for the new couple, with Karl and Jasmine previously vacationing in Mexico with the shoe designer's family in May

Sensible: Karl was spotted in his favourite RM Williams brown boots

On their way: Karl and Jasmine keep their hats on as they board their Business Class flight
He filed for divorce from Jennifer Garner in April this year.

And Ben Affleck has reportedly found love again with Saturday Night Live producer Lindsay Shookus.

The 45-year-old actor is said to be dating again, with E! News reporting he met up with Lindsay in London recently, where they reportedly enjoyed a number of dates, including going to see Sam Mendes' play Ferryman together.

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Hot new couple? He filed for divorce from Jennifer Garner in April this year, and Ben Affleck has reportedly found love again with Saturday Night Live producer Lindsay Shookus (R)

The pair have also been seen out together in Los Angeles.

A source told E!: 'They are in the early stages [of their relationship]. It's more than a summer fling.

'They are having fun and care for each other. It's early and they are taking it slow.'

MailOnline have contacted Ben's representatives for comment.

Dating: The 45-year-old actor is said to be dating again, with E! News reporting he met up with Lindsay in London recently, where they reportedly enjoyed a number of dates

New girlfriend? A source said: 'They are in the early stages [of their relationship]. It's more than a summer fling (Lindsay is pictured with Darrell Hammond L and a pal)

Ben and estranged wife Jennifer Garner, 45, filed for divorce three months ago after splitting in 2015 following 11 years of marriage.

The pair are believed to have an amicable relationship which has seen them co-parent their three children Violet, 11, Seraphina, eight, and Samuel, five.

The Batman v Superman star also stayed in the family home to help the children to adjust to the new circumstances, and only gradually began to move his stuff out recently, sending a removal firm to pick up the last few items in June.

Split: Ben and estranged wife Jennifer Garner, 45, filed for divorce three months ago after splitting in 2015 following 11 years of marriage

Meanwhile, it was recently revealed that Ben is 'working on himself' after completing his stint in rehab.

The Live By Night actor revealed in March he had completed treatment for alcohol addiction, and sources insist the star is 'focusing on [his] family' and working toward becoming a better person.

An insider told People: '[He's] doing well. These two [Ben and Jennifer] consistently work on their relationship.

'While addiction can take a toll on a family, Jen was a true constant and - along with his friends - really helped encourage to seek extra support.

'They are working hard to continue to build a world that is right for their children. They spend quite a bit of time on this. They continue to co-parent and respect each other.'
She's the stunning blonde who recently celebrated her engagement to former Bachelor star Tim Robards.

And it seems good looks run in Anna Heinrich's family, with the glamorous social media star posing with her lookalike mother in a picture to her Instagram on Friday.

The 30-year-old bared a striking resemblance to her mother, Judith, as the two posed for a photo sporting matching hairstyles and twin grins.

It runs in the family! Anna Heinrich, 30, shared a photo of herself posing with her lookalike mother Judith as they holidayed in France this Friday

Anna joked about the encounter being an unplanned event, captioning the photo: 'Look who I found in #France ........MY MUM!!,'

The two blondes both wore their similar-length hair to hang loosely by their shoulders in a side-part.

Anna opted for a high-necked brown singlet top, while Judith covered up in a simple plain black t-shirt.

Life of a celebrity! Anna is known for her envy-inducing Instagram, which documents her globe-trotting lifestyle and glamorous wardrobe

The soon-to-be bride added, '#loveyou #likemotherlikedaughter' into the caption; a nod to the pair's obvious similarities.

Fans agreed with the lookalike duo, with one commenting, 'two absolute gorgeous women, I see where u get your stunning looks from Anna.'

Tim and Anna have spent the last few weeks sharing snaps of their lavish summer European getaway to their respective social media accounts.

So far they have visited Italy, France and Monaco.

Prior to touching down in Europe, they stopped off in Phuket, Thailand, where they wined and dined in style.

The pair are yet to confirm details about when and where they will be tying the knot.

Like mother: The soon-to-be bride added, '#loveyou #likemotherlikedaughter' into the caption
He's made a home for his family in their stunning 20 million property in Sonning-On-Thames, Berkshire.

Yet George Clooney is said to be considering relocating from the English countryside to Los Angeles as he fears for the safety of wife Amal and their newborn twins.

Following the birth of Ella and Alexander last month, the doting new dad, 56, has reportedly been increasingly worried about the level of security in their homes, Life&Style reports.

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Concerns: George Clooney is said to be considering relocating from the English countryside to Los Angeles as he fears for the safety of wife Amal and their newborn twins

A source told the site that George had received threats in the past, whilst he was concerned that his wife's work as an international human rights lawyer could make her a target.

'He doesnt feel like Amal and the twins are safe living in the English countryside,' the insider explained. 'As soon as Amal found out she was pregnant, he hired former Secret Service agents to assess all his properties and make recommendations for improvement.'

They claimed the star's mansion in Studio City, California was the most secure, as they added: 'Hes waited so long for this family, hell do whatever it takes to keep them safe.'

MailOnline have contacted George's representatives for comment.

Sprawling: George made a home for his family in their stunning 20 million property in Sonning-On-Thames, Berkshire, but is now said to be considering a move

George wed Amal, 39, in 2014, and bought their sprawling 7.5 million home in the English countryside later that year.

They have reportedly spent an additional 12.5 million on the sprawling estate, including building a nanny's quarters.

As well as their English manor and Studio City pad, the pair also own two villas in Laglio, Italy and a holiday home in the Mexican beach location of Cabo.

Doting dad: Following the birth of Elle and Alexander last month, the doting new dad, 56, has reportedly been increasingly worried about the level of security in their homes

Distressing: A source said George had received threats in the past, whilst he was concerned that his wife's work as an international human rights lawyer could make her a target

The couple became parents last month, as Amal gave birth to a girl, Ella, and a boy, Alexander on June 6 in the exclusive Kensington Wing of London's Chelsea and Westminster Hospital.

Amal's mother Baria Alamuddin recently gushed over the couple's new arrivals, insisting they are 'stunningly beautiful babies'.

In an interview with People magazine, she recalled the moment she first set eyes on the newborn twins and revealed: 'Seeing these two angels, these stunningly beautiful babies cuddled together...

'And seeing the joy on Amal and Georges faces, its one of those deeply felt beautiful feelings you cant express in words.'

She added that the arrival of their twins had left her feeling like the 'most blessed human being on earth'.
He's the 400m athlete who has run rings around the islanders since entering the Love Island villa.

But Theo Campbell, 25, has set tongues wagging for a reason other than his devastatingly handsome looks - as he had a girlfriend before signing up to the show.

Theo's now ex-girlfriend, Chloe Demaret, wrote a Twitter post on Thursday night - which has since gone viral and had nearly 7,000 retweets - exposing the love rat for his philandering ways.

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Love rat: Theo Campbell, 25, has set tongues wagging for a reason other than his devastatingly handsome looks - as he had a girlfriend before signing up to the show

Exposing him: Theo's now ex-girlfriend, Chloe Demaret, wrote a Twitter post on Thursday night - which has since gone viral and had nearly 7,000 retweets - exposing the love rat for his philandering ways

Chloe began the scathing rant by writing: '"You're not going to see me with any girl anywhere I promise" only on national TV [crying with laughter emoji] wasn't going to do this but I'm fuming #loveisland'

She then screenshot a series of messages exchanged between the pair, which show that Theo was begging her to 'come over' to his house, with the beauty flat out refusing.

In what appears to be a message breaking up with Chloe, Theo wrote a message excusing his behaviour: 'I use to blame my ex for the way I feel and brought her down as I needed to point a finger at someone...'

Scathing: Chloe began the scathing rant by writing: '"You're not going to see me with any girl anywhere I promise" only on national TV [crying with laughter emoji] wasn't going to do this but I'm fuming #loveisland'

Truth: Chloe screenshot a conversation between she and Theo and posted it to the microblogging website, showing him begging for her forgiveness

'This is just why I need to find a way out of this by myself. You're not going to see me with any other girl anywhere I promise. That really isn't the reason and I think you know it is.'

However, the athlete, who has hopes of entering the Olympics, then took a different turn.

In a conversation shared by Chloe via screenshots, Theo begged her 'Come see me today x', with her replying 'absolutely not [crying with laughter emoji]... what is wrong with you seriously'.

Different approach: However, the athlete, who has hopes of entering the Olympics, then took a different turn, appearing to take back his previous messages and begging the beauty to see him

Appearing to be shocked at being rebuffed, Theo wrote 'why not', to which Chloe replied 'Are you serious... We are over theo why on earth would I want to see you.. how stupid do you think I am'.

Ever the charmer, Theo replied 'cos I miss you... come round my dad isn't in', to which Chloe responded: 'Omg not in a million years'.

Seemingly referring to his appearance on the ITV2 dating show, Theo wrote 'I just want you to wait for me'.

Shocked at his audacity, Chloe responded: 'Have a f****** day off will you... Mate you are deluded... I am not waiting for you [crying with laughter emoji]'.

Not taking no for an answer! Seemingly referring to his appearance on the ITV2 dating show, Theo wrote 'I just want you to wait for me'. Shocked at his audacity, Chloe responded: 'Have a f****** day off will you'

Theo replied: 'Don't swear!! Life's about timing', to which Chloe flatly replied: 'I literally never ever ever ever ever ever want to be with you'.

In an attempt to woo the beauty, the runner wrote back 'I need to sort my life out Chloe'.

Later on, referring to his Love Island escapades, he wrote: 'Yeah we could maybe... I'm sorry. I'm only going for the payday. Relax it will be funny'.

Riled up by his audacious display, Chloe responded 'ITS NOT F****** FUNNY', who which Theo responded 'I'm not looking for "love" am I... relax you'll laugh I promise'.

Bold: Later on, referring to his Love Island escapades, he wrote: 'Yeah we could maybe... I'm sorry. I'm only going for the payday. Relax it will be funny'

Theo is not the only islander to have been exposed for his love rat ways on the ITV2 show.

Jonny Mitchell, 26, who ditched Camilla Thurlow, 27, for Tyla Carr, 24, reportedly called off an engagement with Essex girl Lauren Baxter as she planned their wedding last year.

A source told The Sun: 'Jonny proposed in Bali and swept Lauren off her feet.

Lothario: Theo is not the only islander to have been exposed for his love rat ways on the ITV2 show. Jonny Mitchell, 26, reportedly called off an engagement with Lauren Baxter as she planned their wedding last year

'But the relationship broke down and Jonny allegedly began having doubts about their future.

'They planned to wed in Santorini, Greece, and Lauren was busy booking her make-up artist for her big day when their relationship came to a sudden, brutal end.'

Lauren, a 28-year-old fashion designer from Chelmsford, Essex, has been liking a string of social media posts taking aim at Jonny's antics.

Glamorous: Lauren, a 28-year-old fashion designer from Chelmsford, Essex, has been liking a string of social media posts taking aim at Jonny's antics

Some claimed Jonny had shown his true colours by 'choosing an easy shag over a diamond' while others branded him 'repulsive'.

Lauren kept up the online campaign, liking another tweet which read: 'Jonny is literally demonstrating on national tv what most boys do, have a wifey material girl then sack her off for a 4/10 bimbo.'

MailOnline has contacted a Love Island representative for comment.
She spent the Fourth of July Instagramming from a mansion in The Hamptons.

And on Thursday, Natasha Oakley continued to treat her 1.9 million fans to photos of her incredibly charmed life.

The 25-year-old bikini-blogger uploaded two sizzling shots of her enviable physique as she posed on a rock at a Los Angeles beach.

Picture perfect! On Thursday, bikini blogger Natasha Oakley flaunted her incredible physique by a beach in Los Angeles

'Mermaid life', the photoshop enthusiast captioned her first image, as she reclined on the rock in a lilac-coloured string bikini.

The blonde beauty was clearly feeling blissful in the saucy snap, posing provocatively with her head tilted back and her eyes closed.

The stunner's taut, toned stomach was on display, as she brushed one hand through her tousled blonde hair.

Too good to be true! Stunning Tash flaunted showed off her flawless phyqisue in a busty bikini

In a second upload, Tash- who founded the blog A Bikini A Day- stood on the rock, once again flaunting her fantastic figure in order to celebrate a very special occasion.

'It's National Bikini Day, although, every day feels like a national bikini day to me,' the social media star stated.

'Fun fact, Devin Brugman and I own over 3000 bikinis,' she added, referencing her brunette business partner who also shares a penchant for skimpy swimwear.

Tangerine dream! Tash could hardly keep away from her Instagram account as she spent time in The Hamptons

In the picture, Tash flaunted both her long, slender legs and her ample assets, which appeared to be busting out of the bikini top.

Earlier in the week, Tash could hardly keep away from her Instagram account as she spent time in The Hamptons.

The star shared nearly a dozen images from a poolside party held at a nine-bedroom mansion in the upmarket holiday spot.

The Photoshop phenom previously admitted to tweaking her social media photos after fans figured out that the perfect model they see on Instagram isn't quite the same as the real life Tash.
They've been enjoying an extended getaway to the West Coast of America.

And TOWIE's Chloe Meadows and Courtney Green looked like true California girls as they showcased their jaw-dropping swimsuit bodies during a beach stroll in Los Angeles on Monday.

Beach babe Chloe, 24, put on an incredibly busty display in a tiny azure string bikini which highlighted her pert assets to perfection.

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Wow factor: TOWIE's Chloe Meadows, 24, put on an incredibly busty display in a tiny azure string bikini which highlighted her pert assets to perfectionduring a beach stroll in Los Angeles on Monday

Curves ahead: Chloe and co-star Courtney Green, 22, looked like true California girls as they showcased their jaw-dropping swimsuit bodies on the boardwalk

The swimwear's bejewelled straps also revealed the star's envy-inducing toned midriff and hourglass curves, with the high cut showing off her endless toned pins.

Keeping her sleek and straight platinum locks in tip-top condition, the Essex stunner was seen sweeping her tresses over one shoulder as she flashed a beaming smile at the camera.

Bringing a touch of Essex glamour to the shoreline, Chloe wore a light coating of mascara and eyeliner with a light pink lipstick on her pout.

She protected her sparkling eyes from the punishing Californian rays with round reflective shades.

Glowing goddess: The swimwear's bejewelled straps also revealed the star's envy-inducing toned midriff and hourglass curves, with the high cut showing off her endless toned pins

Jaw-dropping display: Chloe and Courtney looked toned to perfection as they showcased their flawless swimsuit bodies on the beach

Baywatch babe: BFF Courtney, who took the trip for her 22nd birthday, channelled Baywatch in her figure-hugging red swimsuit which clung to her womanly curves and pert bust

Beach babes: The stars showed off their toned legs and glowing California tans as they sashayed down the beach

Close: Chloe put a friendly hand on Courtney's shoulder as the pair made a show-stopping appearance on the beach

BFF Courtney, who took the trip for her 22nd birthday, channelled Baywatch in her figure-hugging red swimsuit which clung to her womanly curves and pert bust.

The one piece featured cut out-sections which flashed her toned hips.

The petite star layered on the glamour for her beach stroll with fluttery false lashes, a healthy dose of eyeliner and a frosted pink gloss on her lips.

Her brunette locks were worn in a bouncy blow-dry before she took a refreshing dip.

Curvaceous: The stars flaunted their hourglass curves and lithe limbs in California

Busting out: Chloe took a moment to readjust her skimpy bikini, flashing her pert assets in the process

Sizzling: Keeping her sleek and straight platinum locks in tip-top condition, the Essex stunner was seen sweeping her tresses over one shoulder as she flashed a beaming smile at the camera

Frolicking: Courtney and Chloe couldn't keep the smiles off their faces as they enjoyed their stateside break

Glamorous pair: The pair looked incredibly glamorous as they brought a touch of Essex chic to the shoreline

Suns out, buns out: The pair teamed up for a skip through the water, which highlighted their toned legs before stopping for a spot of sunbathing

The friends and co-stars spent some time chatting on the boardwalk as they flashed their pert derrieres.

Despite her dramatic end to the TOWIE season when she became involved in a heated war of words with former best friend Megan McKenna, Chloe looked relaxed as she channelled Ursula Andress as she took a reflective moment in the surf.

The pair teamed up for a skip through the water, which highlighted their toned legs before stopping for a spot of sunbathing

Contemplative: Despite her dramatic end to the TOWIE season when she became involved in a heated war of words with former best friend Megan McKenna, Chloe looked relaxed as she channelled Ursula Andress as she took a reflective moment in the surf

Honed: The friends and co-stars spent some time chatting on the boardwalk as they flashed their pert derrieres

Beach bum: Chloe flashed her pert derriere as Courtney beamed at her pal

Laidback: The girls were clearly enjoying their break between TOWIE filming, as Courtney flashed her peachy posterior

Pals: The girls looked close as they enjoyed a spot of sunbathing

Sunsoaked: The girls were topping up their already glowing tans

Courtney flashed her peachy posterior as she rearranged her swimwear to get the perfect tan.

They threw on coverups with Chloe opting for a pastel pink dress and Courtney throwing on a green bardot top and a cream frilled miniskirt.

The holiday seems to be just the first of many for Courtney, who will also holiday with boyfriend Myles Barnett next week.

The loved-up pair have been dating for just over six months, though the Essex native told OK! in May that they have already discussed the prospect of marriage and children.

Time to go: After an idyllic day at the beach, the girls threw on cover-ups as they headed off
She's the glamour model married to controversial paleo chef Pete Evans and known for her all-natural lifestyle.

And Nicola Robinson has lent her celebrity to a good cause on Friday, urging her fans to support a health and nutrition program designed to restore the health of Indigenous people 'prior to the debilitating introduction of western frankenfoods to their beloved homeland'.

Taking to Instagram, the former Playboy ambassador shared a throwback photo of her and Pete promoting the healthy eating program in the Northern Territory.

Giving back: Pete Evans' wife Nicola Robinson urges fans to support nutrition program for Indigenous Australians to combat the 'introduction of western frankenfoods

Last year, Nicola and celebrity chef Pete spent time with Yolngu people on Elcho Island, Northern Territory, to promote food nutrition program Hope For Health.

Sharing a throwback snap from the visit on Friday, Nicola included a passionate plea to help the project restore the health of Indigenous inhabitants 'prior to the debilitating introduction of western frankenfoods to their beloved homeland'.

'Without our assistance to reawaken deep connection, I can't even begin to comprehend what the future holds,' she said.

Helping out: Last year, Nicola and celebrity chef Pete spent time with Yolngu people on Elcho Island, Northern Territory, to promote food nutrition program Hope For Health

She also added that as 'a born & raised Aotearoa girl' the 'Maori culture is well & truly vibrant within my heart, even though I'm not of Maori descent [sic]'.

'I'm ever so keen to learn all the wisdom & traditions I can from the wonderful people of this land too,' Nicola wrote.

Nicola and Pete married in April 2016 after dating for five years, with the pair's commitment to a paleo all-natural lifestyle a cornerstone of their relationship.

Health-conscious: Nicola and Pete married in April 2016 after dating for five years, with the pair's commitment to a paleo all-natural lifestyle a cornerstone of their relationship

Past work The former lingerie model and Playboy model has previously undergone three boob job

However some of their views have proved controversial, with Pete previously coming under fire for promoting bone broth as a substitute for breast milk for babies and claiming dairy removes calcium from bones.

Nicola, who posts under the Instagram handle @nutritionmermaid, recently underwent an operation to remove her breast implants.

The former lingerie model, who has previously undergone three boob jobs, told Channel Seven's Sunday Night in April her implants were 'toxic'.

'I wasnt leading a natural life,' Nicola said. 'Which is why I have two toxic silicon implants attached to my chest. Deepest regret of my life! I dabbled in fillers, botox.'

Controversial: Pete previously came under fire for promoting bone broth as a substitute for breast milk for babies
She caused a stir when she took centre stage of the drama during her debut season on The Only Way Is Essex.

And Amber Turner courted attention once again as she ran errands in Brentwood, Essex, on Thursday, wearing just a designer T-shirt.

Ditching her usual Essex glamour, the TOWIE beauty, 23, made a very leggy appearance in a thigh-skimming grey Tommy Hilfiger tee while dashing into a petrol station to stock up on snacks.

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Forget something? TOWIE's Amber Turner courted attention once again as she ran errands in Brentwood, Essex, on Thursday, wearing just a designer T-shirt

The reality star slipped into patterned sliders for the ultimate comfort as she ran errands in her hometown.

Amber looked worlds away from her glamorous TOWIE appearances as she went make-up free for her outing.

Keeping it low-key, the TV personality sheltered her eyes with her huge sunglasses and swept her golden locks into a loose messy bun.

Amber was seen returning to her vehicle with a selection of sweets and her iPhone.

Pump it up: Ditching her usual Essex glamour, the TOWIE beauty, 23, made a very leggy appearance in a thigh-skimming grey Tommy Hilfiger tee while dashing into a petrol station

Au natural: Amber looked worlds away from her glamorous TOWIE appearances as she went make-up free for her outing

The reality star recently celebrated six months since joining the TOWIE cast by posting a glamorous throwback from her first scene.

Amber made a memorable entrance on the show when she cheated on her boyfriend of four years Jamie Reed, 34, with co-star Dan Edgar, 26.

The passionate liaison brought Amber and Jamie's long-term relationship to an abrupt end.

Jamie, who made a comeback to the show after leaving in 2012, put his heartache behind him when he moved on with stunning model Jade Lewis.

Out and about: Keeping it low-key, the TV personality sheltered her eyes with her huge sunglasses and swept her golden locks into a loose messy bun

Bikini babe: The reality star recently celebrated six months since joining the TOWIE cast by posting a glamorous throwback from her first scene

Glamour girl: The TV personality is usually glammed up to the nines (pictured on a night out in London last month)

Jamie recently confessed it was hard being around his former flame following their dramatic break-up and would even like her to move to Australia for some time.

Speaking on The Showbiz Show, he said: 'Its all kind of settling down now. With my ex girlfriend and what she did - the Twitter response has been so nice.

'The people on the streets have been so nice. I dont want to say that it has wasted four years...I just hope that she is happy.

'But I would like Amber to spend a couple of years in Australia. In the nicest possible way! So in a couple of years time we could meet and say what happened.'
Her on/off romance with Rob Kardashian appears to be well and truly over following his social media meltdown which saw him accuse her of cheating and post her explicit pictures.

But Blac Chyna didn't appear to be mourning the end of her relationship too badly as she shared a smooch with a mystery man after taking part in a dominatrix-style photoshoot in Los Angeles on Thursday.

Despite reports her ex has now 'cut her off financially', the 29-year-old entrepreneur seemed in great spirits as she affectionately kissed her companion goodbye.

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Pucker up! Blac Chyna didn't appear to be mourning the end of her relationship too badly as she shared a smooch with a mystery man in Los Angeles on Thursday

Oozing glamour as she left the photoshoot, Chyna had poured her curves into a white pencil dress with a sweetheart neckline that offered a look at her ample cleavage.

Cinching in at her impeccably tiny waist, the garment cut at the knee to offer a look at her lean legs, whilst she boosted her frame with a pair of perspex heels.

Chanelling vintage vibes, the mother-of-two donned a blonde wig styled in retro 40's style waves and painted her plump pout a glossy pale pink.

Single and ready to mingle! Her on/off romance with Rob Kardashian appears to be well and truly over following his social media meltdown

The outing comes amid claims her ex-fiance Rob Kardashian will be cutting off her financially by stopping his payments of her Tarzana rental and holding onto the two cars and jewellery he gave her.

TMZ reports that Chyna hasn't been fazed by the arrangement and returned the cars and goods herself.

A source added that for now Chyna has no intention of going to court for child support.

MailOnline have contacted Rob and Chyna's representatives for comment.

Smooching: Despite reports her ex has now 'cut her off financially', the 29-year-old entrepreneur seemed in great spirits as she affectionately kissed her companion goodbye

Loving life: Chyna reached forward to embrace the handsome suitor from her car seat

In the mood: Chyna had just taken part in a dominatrix-style photoshoot

Earlier in the day, Chyna served up plenty of attitude as she slipped into a dominatrix-inspired bodysuit in a behind the scenes snippet of a new photoshoot, which she shared on social media.

The mum-of-two switched up her image again with her platinum hair styled into a bob and her make-up touched up by a crack squad.

Eyelash entrepreneur Blac, whose real name is the more prosaic Angela White, looked like she was having a great time standing on a box in a blonde wig, leather teddie, chiffon coat and high heels.

Chest a glimpse! Oozing glamour as she left the photoshoot, Chyna had poured her curves into a white pencil dress with a sweetheart neckline that offered a look at her ample cleavage

Blonde bombshell: Chanelling vintage vibes, the mother-of-two donned a blonde wig styled in retro 40's style waves and painted her plump pout a glossy pale pink

It comes after more topless pics of the demure beauty appeared online  this time posted by one of the men she's accused of cheating with.

Rapper Rarri True shared two pictures of himself in bed with the 29-year-old on Thursday, in an apparent attempt to taunt her hosiery tycoon ex Rob Kardashian.

The day before, her on-off fiance made a shocking emotional outburst on social media in which he accused her of cheating, as well as uploading explicit images of the mother of his child.

Sassy: Blac Chyna shared a snap from a photoshoot on Thursday amid claims she cheated on Rob Kardashian

Lady in red: The eyelash entrepreneur cut a typically sassy figure in her high heels

Blonde moment: She seemed to be enjoying every second of having her wig adjusted

Rearly impressive: The former stripper seemed to revel in showing off her derriere

Before shacking up with sock magnate Rob, Blac famously dated his half-sister Kylie Jenner's now ex Tyga from November 2011 to late 2014.

She was also engaged to the handsome rapper for almost two years.

The exes share three-year-old son King Cairo Stevenson.

Rumours surrounding Kylie and Tyga's blossoming romance started surfacing around October 2014, with the overlap in the relationships leading to social media feuding between the classy women.

What a shocker: A topless photo of the demure reality television personality was posted online on Thursday by a man she is accused of cheating with

Trouble in paradise: Rob Kardashian uploading explicit images of Blac and accused her of cheating on him
Former Miss Universe Jennifer Hawkins has been enjoying a luxurious trip to the Maldives with her husband Jake Wall for the past week.

And it seems the couple can't get enough of each other- or their pristine surroundings- with Jennifer sharing a video of her husband leaping from the deck of their luxury villa to her Instagram on Friday.

The 33-year-old filmed her bronzed partner as he ran up and executed a cannon ball jump into the crystal blue ocean.

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Taking the plunge! Jennifer shared a video of her husband leaping from the deck of their luxury villa to her Instagram on Friday

Soft music played in the background as the builder took the plunge, prompting a light giggle from Jennifer as she filmed.

She captioned the tropical-themed video paying tribute to the couple's enjoyable day: 'fun today with ma man,' she said.

Jennifer added added a smiley face emoji, some music symbols and a little image of a sun.

Paradise! The stunning blonde shared a candid photo of herself admiring the breath-taking view from the pair's accommodation

Living the dream! Jennifer and Jake (left) have been holidaying in the Maldives for the past week, keeping fans updated with frequent social media posts

Holiday mode: The blonde beauty relaxed on a swinging bed in a video shared to her Instagram on Friday

Earlier in the day the stunning blonde shared a candid photo of herself admiring the breath-taking view from the pair's accommodation.

She wore a flowing grey low-backed dress as she stared out to the ocean with her back facing the camera.

Clearly in awe of the picturesque scenery, the former beauty queen captioned the photo: 'What a beautiful day! Still can not get over the colour of the water.'

Endless blue! The former beauty queen has been in awe of the picturesque scenery

On Monday, Jennifer shared a cute photo of the pair on board a boat, writing in the caption: 'Such a fun day.'

Jennifer and Jake married in a lavish ceremony in Bali, Indonesia back in 2013 after eight years of dating.

In April, the couple moved into their newly renovated $4 million waterfront home located in the exclusive Sydney suburb of Newport.
There was a time when the Kardashians were the family next door - albeit bigger and more overly dramatic than most.

But those days are long gone, with their myriad business interests and seemingly permanent reality shows making fortunes for the entire extended family.

And Kourtney Kardashian made no excuses for living it up, as she flaunted her wealth on Instagram.

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That Kardashian life! Kourtney boasts about dressing in head to toe Dior while at luxury villa on adults-only St Tropez trip

Looking for all the world like a candidate for Rich Kids Of Beverly Hills, the mother of three strolled through the grounds of her fabulous St Tropez mansion.

She is vacationing there with boyfriend Younes Bendjima, who at 24 is 14 years her junior.

'Do You Do You Saint-Tropez?' asked Kourtney, who was enjoying a child-free vacation.

'So Christian Dior me from my head to my toes...' Kourtney bragged

A second photograph showed the 38-year-old kneeling on the floor, apparently without any clothing on the lower half of her body, looking through a selection of designer goodies.

'So Christian Dior me from my head to my toes...' she bragged.

Of course, all may not be as it seems.

The matriarch behind the family's rise to stardom, Kris Jenner, has quite the eye for a bargain - and has bagged her children incredible freebies in the past.

Living it up: The reality star has shared her vacation exploits to social media

What a feast! Kourtney shared a picture of her decadent breakfast; she and Younes can be seen tucking into the food in the mirror

As Kourtney was filming Keeping Up With the Kardashians while in the south of France, it may be that her mansion was heavily discounted, in return for exposure.

Kris's canny sense of business has been the key to her family's unstoppable ascent.

With an eye for an opportunity - and an impressive ability to negotiate - she has enabled her six children to all make careers in the spotlight, despite their varying degrees of talent.
Kylie Minogue and Olivier Martinez enjoyed a famed four-year romance before their shock split in 2007.

But, a decade on, the Australian pop princess and the hunky French actor nearly crossed paths.

On Thursday evening, 51-year-old Olivier was seen leaving the Chateau Marmont in Los Angeles, just a day after Kylie shared a photo of herself inside the same celebrity haunt.

The one that got away! On Thursday evening, Olivier Martinez was pictured leaving the Chateau Marmont in Los Angeles, less than a day after ex Kylie Minogue shared a photo from inside the same venue

Olivier- whose divorce from Oscar-winner Halle Berry was finalised six months ago- was seen racing away from the venue on a Harley Davidson motorcycle.

The actor wore a black leather jacket with a pair of dark boot-cut jeans, but failed to go unnoticed by awaiting photographers in an eye-catching yellow helmet.

On Wednesday, 49-year-old Kylie shared a photo of herself joyfully running down one of the Chateau Marmont's hallways, accompanied by the cryptic caption: 'Let's GO!!!'.

'Let's GO!!!' On Wednesday, Kylie shared a photo of herself joyfully running down one of the Chateau Marmont's hallways, accompanied by a cryptic caption

It appears the singing sensation may be staying at the ritzy Hollywood hotel, as she posted another picture from the venue on Tuesday, the Fourth of July.



'Friends and lovers all ready for fireworks', Kyle captioned the photo, which showed her standing blissfully on a balcony as the wind billowed through her floor length dress.

It appears Kylie is in good spirits, after her heartbreaking split from fiance Joshua Sasse earlier in the year.

In good spirits! Kylie certainly appears to be enjoying her time at the famous Hollywood hotel, posting this photo on the Fourth of July

Meanwhile, Olivier is one of Kylie's most famous former flames, with the pair meeting at the 2003 Grammy Awards, and dating for four years.

The French heartthrob was a strong support for the music superstar during her 2005 battle with breast cancer.

'On particular dark days, I'd be lying on the bathroom floor wailing and he'd say, 'OK, honey, you can cry for just five minutes, then I'm taking you on the bike for a ride around Paris,' she told ELLE magazine in 2006.

'Olli was there all the time, helping with the practical stuff and being protective,' she also told the publication.

Famed four-year romance: Kylie and Olivier dated from 2003 until their shock split in February 2007 (pictured during their courtship)

The couple parted ways in February 2007, amidst rumours that Oliver had been unfaithful, an allegation that was strongly denied by Kylie.

The pair remained on mutual terms, with Kylie telling The Herald Sun later that year that 'With Olivier, there is definitely still a love and respect.'

Olivier went on to marry actress Halle Berry in 2013, before they welcomed their son Maceo.

Clearly on good terms with Kylie, Olivier was once seen taking Halle to one of the pop princess's concerts.

The pair split in 2015 after two years of marriage.

Split: Kylie and fiance Joshua Sasse ended their engagement earlier in the year
She was spotted flashing her underwear in an edgy Dior ensemble at Paris Fashion Week.

But Jennifer Lawrence was decidedly more demure as she landed back at JFK airport in NYC on Friday.

The 26-year-old actress looked effortlessly beautiful make-up free and in a cozy cardigan, are arriving from the city of light.'

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Low-key: Jennifer Lawrence was decidedly more demure as she landed back at JFK airport in NYC on Friday

The Hunger Games star teamed her cream knit with a below-knee black tube dress.

She gave her feet a rest from vertiginous heels, choosing brown chukka boots.

The Oscar-winner teased her blonde tresses into a messy low ponytail, as she kept things low-key.

Cozy: The Hunger Games star teamed her cream knit with a below-knee black tube dress

The only hint to her A-List status was her assistant taking her luggage, and the giant dark glasses she donned once outside.

J-Law stepped out solo in Paris, but is currently dating 48-year-old director Darren Aronofsky.

The relationship between the duo blossomed last year as they made the upcoming horror-thriller movie Mother!

Stepping out: The only hint to her A-List status was her assistant taking her luggage, and the giant dark glasses she donned once outside

The pair were spotted together in October, about two months after filming commenced.

The film, which also stars Javier Bardem, Ed Harris and Kristen Wiig, hits theaters October 13.

She also has Red Sparrow and X-Men: Dark Phoenix due for release next year.
It's not quite a transport fit for a king and queen.

But Jason Momoa and Amber heard looked pretty comfortable on the back of a rusty truck nonetheless on Friday.

The duo posed for a behind the scenes picture on the set of Aquaman, which the 31-year-old actress shared on Instagram.

Water break! Amber Heard and Jason Momoa chilled on the back of a truck with director James Wan in a BTS shot on set of Aquaman on Friday

In the snap they flank the film's 40-year-old director, James Wan.

'Water break,' the star quipped in the caption, tagging the two men by their unusual Instagram handles @prideofgypsies and @creepypuppet.

Going by the licence plate on the truck, the shot appears to have been taken in Sicily, the films only European location so far.

The DC blockbuster is also being shot in Tunisia and Newfoundland, but mainly in Wan's home country of Australia.

Who's the fairest of them all? She later shared another black and white Instagram shot of herself climbing, with the rather witty caption: 'Mera Mera on the wall'

Wat-er man: Momoa plays the titular Aquaman, AKA Arthur Curry, King of the undersea nation of Atlantis, with the power to manipulate the tides of the ocean, communicate with other aquatic life, and swim at supersonic speeds

Studying up: Amber has previously shared behind the scenes shots

As neither star is wearing their traditional Atlantean garb, the pic was either taken on some time off, or the undersea royalty are shooting scenes in which they have infiltrated the surface.

She later shared another black and white Instagram shot of herself climbing, with the rather witty caption: 'Mera Mera on the wall.'

Momoa plays the titular Aquaman, AKA Arthur Curry, King of the undersea nation of Atlantis, with the power to manipulate the tides of the ocean, communicate with other aquatic life, and swim at supersonic speeds.

Heard plays his wife and queen Mera, who possesses hydrokinetic and telepathic powers.

Dripping: Heard plays his wife and queen Mera, who possesses hydrokinetic and telepathic powers

Getting around: The DC blockbuster is also being shot in Tunisia and Newfoundland, but mainly in Wan's home country of Australia

While she was wearing civilian clothes on Friday, she also still rocked the characters telltale red locks.

The sixth installment in the DC Extended Universe also stars Willem Dafoe as Atlantis' chief scientific advisor Nuidis Vulko, Patrick Wilson as Aquaman's corrupt half brother Orm Marius AKA Ocean Master, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as villain Black Manta, and Dolph Lundgren as Nereus, king of the undersea nation of Xebel.

Nicole Kidman meanwhile will play his Atlantean mother Atlanna, while Temuera Morrison will play his human father Thomas Curry.

Before Aquaman is released at Christmas 2018, Aquaman will make his full debut alongside Batman, Flash, Cyborg and Wonder Woman in November's Justice League.
They announced their engagement on Thursday.

And that same day Patton Oswalt celebrated with new fiancee Meredith Salenger at Disneyland in Anaheim, California.

The 47-year-old actress was seen riding the carousel in Fantasy Land with the 48-year-old comedian, whose wife Michelle McNamara died in her sleep 15 months ago.

Happiest place on earth: Patton Oswalt celebrated his engagement with new fiancee Meredith Salenger at Disneyland in California on Thursday

Having fun: They were spotted riding the carousel and a water ride after the 48-year-old widowed comedian popped the question to the 47-year-old actress

They were both wearing the same outfits as they had on in their celebratory announcement on social media.

But instead of wearing her new diamond engagement ring, the beauty oddly had on a Minnie Mouse ring on her wedding finger.

Oswalt has daughter Alice with the late McNamara, but she could not be seen in the images.

He found love again with Meredith several months ago, and the couple first went public with their relationship in June.

Smitten: They could hardly take their eyes off each other as a Disneyland escort sat behind them

Soon after People broke the news on Thursday, Meredith took to Instagram to share a photo of her emerald-cut diamond engagement ring. 'It's official. I'm the luckiest happiest girl in the universe!!!! I love you @pattonoswalt I love you Alice Oswalt! #YesYesYes.'

Patton then confirmed his proposal as he later tweeted: 'I put the ring in a marzipan Slave I replica and said, "Will you be my Padawan of Love?" She maced me but said yes later.' Slave I and Padawan are Star Wars references.

Salenger then added: 'I'm marrying THIS nerd. #dontbejealous.'

Headed down the aisle: Salenger showed off her diamond engagement ring while posing with Patton as well as his daughter Alice

Joker: Patton then confirmed his proposal on Twitter

Hee hee: Soon after People claimed the two were engaged, Meredith took to Instagram to make a joke about it. The brunette is seen holding up her left hand. But instead of an engagement ring there is a photo of wrestler turned actor The Rock

The couple last visited Disneyland in mid June.

They looked cute in matching vintage Mickey Mouse T-shirts. Patton retweeted Meredith's photo of the pair, commenting: 'We are at 'Dorky Disney T-shirt Relationship Level,' from which no on returns.'

He finished off the tweet, in all caps: 'GREAT CTHULHA WHAT HAVE WE DONE!?'

Meredith also posted a collage of photos of the two posing for various shots in the same spot.

She captioned her shots: 'Happiest Place on Earth,' adding the hashtags #disneyland and #dreamscometrue.

Tragic death: Patton's late wife Michelle McNamara died in her sleep in April 2016 with a lethal combination of drugs in her system; seen in 2011

Patton's wife-to-be is a Harvard-educated psychologist who also acts.

Born in Malibu, she has appeared in a number of films, including Lake Placid, The Kiss and Dream a Little Dream.

While she's not acting, she works as a mediator in Beverly Hills.

Patton was left devastated in April 2016 when he discovered his wife McNamara unresponsive in their bed after she died in her sleep.

Twining: Meredith and Patton were also at Disneyland in mid June

In February, Michelle's cause of death was revealed in a statement released by the comedian's publicist.

'We learned today the combination of drugs in Michelle's system, along with a condition we were unaware of, proved lethal,' it read.

The 46-year-old writer had apparently been taking Adderall, Xanax and Fentanyl when she passed, unaware she had a medical condition which caused blockages in her arteries.
Dwayne Johnson flexed his muscles in honor of the US military on Friday.

The 45-year-old actor shared a snap of himself with his bicep exposed to show support for The USOs Flex 4 Forces movement.

The post was in response to Jessica Biel asking The Rock via Instagram to participate in the cause benefiting service members and their families for Independence Day.

Guns for a good cause: Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson, 45, flexed his muscles in honor of The USOs Flex 4 Forces movement on Friday

The Baywatch star captioned the black and white photo: 'Introducing Jack of the Hammer Bros to @JessicaBiel & @The_USO. U dont wanna meet Sledge.'

The movement calls on American's to show their strength as a 'Force Behind the Forces' by striking a biceps flex in support of the nation's military.

Supporters then share their pictures on social media with the hashtag Flex4Forces.

Dwayne is also heavily involved with helping the military as his Rock The Troops initiative involves an annual holiday show entertaining the troops overseas.

Celebrity support: Jessica Biel participated in Flex 4 Forces and nominated Johnson to join

Meanwhile, Jessica showed off her impressive muscles by sharing a photo of herself flexing on Monday.

The gorgeous actress captioned the photo: 'Join me and @TheUSO as we honor and support our servicemen and women!'

She then challenged the Rock, saying: 'I hereby nominate @theRock to join in on the #gunshow.'

And Dwayne did his diligent duty by nominating Chris Pratt for the next flex.

Perhaps there is a new ALS Ice Bucket challenge phenomenon ahead.
She received a stunning bouquet from an admirer thought to be Scott Disick earlier this week.

And Bella Thorne might be well advised to pop them into her bathroom - which she revealed on Snapchat on Friday is a graffiti-covered mess after a party.

The 19-year-old showed off her walls which were daubed with multi-coloured writing, in the post which made it look more like a public convenience than celebrity restroom.

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Living the teenage dream: Bella Thorne posed on Snapchat after giving fans a tour of her bathroom

Unconventional: She revealed her bathroom is a graffiti-covered mess

The former Disney television actress showcased the decor, which contained odd drawings and multiple expletives, as well as names and a lot of heart shapes - which she explained were after a party.

'Yo my bathroom is nuts now from last party damn! Wait til it's black light,' she captioned.

The Florida-native also snapped herself wearing a quirky red and white outfit, as she flashed her abs.

The actress flashed her abs, while joking in the caption that she wears sweatshirts so that she can discretely have the top button of her pants undone.

Keep it classy: The former Disney television actress showcased the decor, which contained odd drawings and multiple expletives

Odd: The 19-year-old didn't explain why the walls are bizarrely daubed with multi-coloured writing, in the post which made it look more like a public convenience than celebrity restroom

Hot mess: It's perhaps time to redecorate the bathroom

She appears to have rekindled her romance with Kourtney Kardashian's ex Scott Disick, despite an apparent bust-up when she joined him in the South of France in May.

Last week, a source told People that the 34-year-old father-of-three is 'still hanging out with Bella, but hooking up with other girls as well.'

The insider claimed neither party is expecting anything serious to come of it, 'like before, he and Bella have an understanding.'

Just popping out? She wore funky silver boots and and had a sleek white suitcase with her later on

Dressing for comfort: The actress flashed her abs in a bathroom selfie while travelling

'Theyre just hanging out, hooking up and having fun. Bella loves to party and is soaking it up. She left a party over the weekend in a rush to go and hang out with him.'

This appears to contradict Bella's stated position in an interview she gave to Complex, he first since high-tailing it from France after discovering she was the first in a nine-course buffet of women Scott intended helping himself to.

'I dont drink, and he really drinks a lot. And it just ended up ...I just wasnt down,' she said at the time.

'I love to go out and have fun, I love to f****** dance, but I just dont party hardcore like that and it was way too much for me. I was like, "Woah, this is not the way I live my life, bruh".'

Ciao Bella! 19-year-old starlet shared photos of a luscious bouquet of flowers sent along with a note congratulating her for her new single Just Call this Thursday

Burst and bloom! The former Disney darling followed her first floral photo up with a video that read 'When you love flowers' while flaunting dual bunches of blooms

Secret admirer? Though the Florida native made a small effort to mask the sender, it wasn't hard to connect the dots between Kourtney Kardashian's ex Scott Disick
Kaia Gerber seems to be copying her mother in the style department.

The 15-year-old model was seen wearing the same Levi's cut-off Daisy Duke-style jean shorts that her mother Cindy Crawford wore in her famous 1992 Pepsi TV commercial.

The teen was spotted with the iconic fashion statement when out with friend Travis Jackson at a park in Malibu on Thursday.

Chic chick: Kaia Gerber wore denim cut offs as she strolled with her male friend Travis Jackson in Malibu on Thursday

Le look: The Teen Vogue model paired the shorts - which were high waisted and ripped - with a grey crop top and a black motorcycle jacket

The Teen Vogue model paired the shorts - which were high waisted and ripped - with a grey crop top and a black motorcycle jacket.

A military style cap and lace-up buckled black boots as well as a Louis Vuitton backpack rounded out her look.

The catwalker wore her highlighted locks down and flashed a black manicure.

Deja vu: Her mother Cindy Crawford wore the same shorts in her famous 1992 Pepsi TV commercial

Deja vu again: The Chicago native had the same jeans on for a Diet Pepsi commercial that was filmed years later

Yet another deja vu: Cindy also wore these shorts for a TV special Stunt Women in 1992

Her friend, who she was also seen with in June, had on a white Playboy shirt with olive green slacks and black sneakers.

The two strolled side by side as they made their way through a public park.

They seemed to be in good spirits as they chatted then sat on a bench.

Pal: Her friend, who she was also seen with in June, had on a white Playboy shirt with olive green slacks and black sneakers

This comes after the budding supermodel was criticized for showing too much in an Instagram photo.

In late June the high school student shares a selfie where a robe was falling off her a bit.

One follower described her as 'too young!' while encouraging her to cover up and another agreed the photo was not 'appropriate' because of her age.

Not ruffled: This comes after the budding supermodel was criticized for showing too much in an Instagram photo

The pictured appeared to take in between a modeling shoot and she was wearing a full face of make-up.

One social media user questioned how Cindy and Rande Gerber felt about it, adding: 'surprised your parents are on board.'

While many voiced their concerns, some applauded her and called it 'empowering, not degrading.'

Model Lily Aldridge and Damian Hurley, 15, liked the Instagram photo; Damian, who is the son of actress Liz Hurley, also added a heart in the comments section.

Hee hee: The two were also seen sitting on a bench looking at her cell phone

Lip biting: She bit her lip as she stared off in the distance

It's not the first time Cindy's daughter has been at the centre of backlash.

Kaia was just five when she appeared in a controversial shoot for swimsuit designer Melissa Odabash.

The image showed her looking over her shoulder while wearing no top. She was dressed in just white shorts, a seashell necklace and there was a fake tattoo on her lower back.

Then as a 10-year-old, Kaia posed in a thigh-skimming mini skirt for a Versace campaign.

Hat's off! Kaia took off her lid as she laughed with her young friend

Cindy decided to put a stop to Kaia's budding modeling a month after the ad came out, deeming her 'too young'.

But Kaia wasn't out of the spotlight for long, returning to the industry at 13 after landing a contract with IMG Models.

The agency shared the news to their social media in July 2015, along with a picture of her from her Vogue Italia spread, shot by Steven Meisel.

She loves these shorts! The power teen was also seen with the cut-offs on July 3 in Malibu

Kaia made her debut in American Vogue two months later; the teen posed in a casual dress for a photo featured in the magazine's coveted September issue.

She landed her first campaign at the age of 14 for Chrome Hearts, a jewelry line.

Her first magazine cover was also at 14; she posed with mom Cindy for the cover of Vogue Paris' April issue, shot by famed photographer Mario Testino.

Now her modeling career is on the rise; the teen has also chalked up campaigns for Marc Jacobs' Daisy fragrance and beauty line as well as for Alexander Wang and Penshoppe.

Two cute: Gerber (L) and Cindy attend the The Daily Front Row's 4th Annual Fashion Media Awards at Park Hyatt New York in 2016

The beauty has also been featured in Interview, CR Fashion Book, Pop magazine, Teen Vogue and Chrome Hearts magazine.

Kaia was the cover girl for Love magazine earlier this year; the spread was shot by Kendall Jenner.

The brunette, who turns 16 in September, is the only daughter of Cindy and her husband Rande Gerber; their son Presley, 17, is also a model.

Cindy got her start in modeling at the age of 16; she was discovered by a local photographer in her hometown of DeKalb, Illinois.
She's back in London after trying to make it big in the States.

And Kimberley Garner was bringing a touch of LA glamour to the streets of London when she attended the Soho Hotel The Hitman's Body Guard screening on Friday night.

The 27-year-old beauty cut an elegant figure in a pink ruffled playsuit that highlighted her long legs.

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Stepping out: Kimberley Garner was bringing a touch of LA glamour to the streets of London when she attended the Soho Hotel The Hitman's Body Guard screening on Friday night

Kimberley's ultra feminine look made the most of her long and lean figure, nipping her in at the waist.

She dressed her look down with a pair of white trainers, while maintaining a glamorous edge thanks to a YSL bag.

Kimberley styled her blonde hair in loose curls and kept her make-up soft with a matte finish.

Cute playsuit: Kimberley's ultra feminine look made the most of her long and lean figure, nipping her in at the waist

Casual footwear: She dressed her look down with a pair of white trainers

Flower power: The 27-year-old beauty cut an elegant figure in a pink ruffled playsuit that highlighted her long legs

The swimwear designer revealed last month that she had broken up with her boyfriend and is on the hunt for someone with a 'great personality'.

She told MailOnline: 'I ended the relationship recently. It was a really wonderful three years and we are still good friends today.'

The socialite has been notoriously tight-lipped about the identity of her long-term boyfriend, who was often seen with her in west London.

Form an orderly queue: The swimwear designer revealed last month that she had broken up with her boyfriend and is on the hunt for someone with a 'great personality'

She told MailOnline: 'I ended the relationship recently. It was a really wonderful three years and we are still good friends today'

But while the split is still raw, she says she's open to the prospect of dating as long as her suitor meets the right criteria.

Kimberley hasn't been on Made In Chelsea since its third season in 2012, appearing with the likes of Spencer Matthews, Jamie Laing and Richard Dinan.

She dated Richard on the show, with the businessman whisking Kimberley off on romantic dates and later a holiday to Italy.

Looking for Mr. Right: While the split is still raw, she says she's open to the prospect of dating as long as her suitor meets the right criteria
Chloe Grace Moretz paid homage to rockers The Rolling Stones when she stepped out on Friday.

The 20-year-old actress looked ready for the weekend in the vintage style T-shirt as she headed to a meeting in Los Angeles.

Even her blonde tresses looked appropriately tousled, adding to her rock chick look.

Chloe Grace Moretz showed off her rock chic in Los Angeles on Friday as she headed to a meeting

The Kick-Ass star teamed the top with tailored denim and accessorized with a cross-body Chanel handbag.

Makeup-free Chloe finished the look with some embroidered Gucci loafers.

Meanwhile Chloe recently opened up about how fiercely protective she is of her brothers, despite being the youngest in the family.

The 20-year-old actress teamed a Rolling Stones T-shirt with tailored denim

Edgy: Even her blonde tresses looked appropriately tousled, adding to her rock chick look

'I have two gay brothers and two straight brothers, and my gay brothers were treated horrifically until they grew up and understood how to deal with it,' she told Seventeen magazine.

'I will delete you, and I will block you, and you will not be a part of my life if you ever say anything bad about my brothers,' she added.

The family has formed an especially tight bond after their plastic surgeon father Dr McCoy Moretz left their mother Teri for Paris Hilton's aunt Jo-Ann when Chloe was 12.

Chloe completed the outfit with Gucci embroidered loafers and a Chanel purse

One of Chloe's upcoming movies is Korean animated film Red Shoes & the 7 Dwarfs, which caused a stir this week when a promotional poster at last week's Cannes Film Festival appeared to fat-shame women.

The poster showed a skinny Snow White next to a heavier one, with the tagline: 'What if Snow White was no longer beautiful and the 7 Dwarfs not so short?'

Chloe, who voices Snow White, immediately added her voice to those slamming the ad, tweeting that she never approved and was 'appalled' by it, apologising to those it offended.
COLUMBUS  Michelle Lindstrom accomplished a longtime goal when she graduated from high school.

She attained a perfect attendance record.

That streak didnt just date back to when she was a freshman at Columbus High School or even her days at Columbus Middle School. It stretches all the way back to her first day of kindergarten at Centennial Elementary School.

Once I got into fifth grade and I hadnt missed any days of school, I thought it would be a goal. You dont really hear of many people not missing school. I wanted to do something that not many did, she said.

Not only was she in class every day, Lindstrom never once arrived late.

There were challenges that came up along the way, including bouts with colds and other illnesses. But the sniffles werent going to keep her home.

There were days I didnt feel 100 percent, the 18-year-old said. I usually got sick on the weekends or holidays.

Another struggle were the mornings she had to get up early for marching band and winter drumline practice before school.

That got old after a while, she said.

But she used those practices, as well as her involvement in other extracurricular activities such as National Honor Society, student council and the CHS 101 mentoring program, as reasons to go to school even on days when she didnt necessarily want to.

Family vacations with her parents Randy and Joyce were always planned in the summer so Lindstrom wouldnt miss any school days. She also made sure her two college visits didnt mess up her perfect attendance record. Those counted as school-related activities, not missed days.

Lindstrom showed as much dedication to her schoolwork, finishing her senior year with a 4.07 grade-point average.

As she was winding down the school year, Lindstrom said she got encouragement from teachers who told her perfect attendance would also look good on job applications.

Lindstrom was recognized for her accomplishment during a pep rally before the end of the school year. While she is happy with reaching her goal, she isnt content. She is hoping to continue her perfect attendance while attending the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

I want to, but I know it will be a little harder in college, said Lindstrom, who loves math and will major in actuarial science.

For other students hoping to achieve perfect attendance, Lindstrom has some advice.

Go to bed early, eat healthy because that keeps you from getting sick and once you set your goal, dont give up on it, she said.
She's the Australian model in her third trimester of pregnancy.

And Megan Gale has been enjoying a quiet break in New Zealand this month ahead of the arrival of her second child.

The 41-year-old quickly checked in on Instagram on Friday to tell her 369k fans she had been absent online due to a digital detox.

'It's so good to not be glued to the phone!' Pregnant Megan Gale, 41, enjoys digital detox in New Zealand as she prepares to welcome her second child

Megan had posted seven days earlier from New Zealand's Bay Of Islands and appeared to remain in the area in her latest upload.

The former David Jones ambassador said: 'I have always made a conscious effort to unplug and take some time away from social media every now and then.'

She explained: 'This last week was one of those times so that's why I've been a bit absent this past week.'

'Engage in life, REAL LIFE... I highly recommend it': Megan Gale has been enjoying a quiet break in New Zealand this month ahead of the arrival of her second child

'For me, it's so good to not be glued to the phone at all times and engage in life, REAL LIFE, engage in what's around you and be present and connected to the people in your world. I highly recommend it,' Megan told her fans.

Meanwhile, she hinted that her visit in New Zealand was for an upcoming project.

'All will be revealed this Sunday,' she vaguely wrote.

Family life: Megan is already a proud mother to three-year-old son River, and recently claimed she and Shaun had been trying to conceive for six months

Megan announced she was expecting her second child with partner former AFL star Shaun Hampson in April.

Megan is already a proud mother to three-year-old son River, and recently claimed she and Shaun had been trying to conceive for six months.

The model told Show And Tell she even took a three-week break from work to focus on getting pregnant with her second child.

Megan and Shaun's baby joy came after she experienced a devastating miscarriage in May last year.
US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump arrive on Air Force One at Warsaw Chopin Airport in Warsaw, Poland, July 5, 2017, as they begin a 4-day trip to Poland and Germany

Donald Trump arrived for high-stakes visit to Europe on Wednesday, landing in Poland ahead of his first G20 summit in Hamburg and a closely-watched meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The still-novice US president begins a four-day swing through Warsaw and Hamburg, where tricky geopolitical currents -- from rumbling transatlantic discord to the North Korean nuclear threat -- will converge.

Air Force One touched down at 10.15 pm (2015 GMT), kicking off Trump's second foreign trip.

Looming large over the entire visit is Pyongyang's test of a intercontinental ballistic missile that could deliver a nuclear payload to Alaska, a brazen threat to US security.

Tough-talking Trump had previously declared that technological step a red line, and leaders from rival and allied powers alike will be watching closely to see whether his threats were bluster, or a harbinger of action to come.

After trying and failing to convince Beijing to ratchet up the pressure on North Korea, Trump will hold what promises to be a testy meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Hamburg to trace the next steps.

"Trade between China and North Korea grew almost 40% in the first quarter. So much for China working with us - but we had to give it a try!" Trump tweeted indignantly on Wednesday.

- 'Fake news' -

On Friday, Trump will hold a full bilateral meeting with Putin that is laden with US domestic political overtones and will be pored over for years to come.

Several of Trump's closest aides are under investigation for possible ties with Moscow, which US intelligence agencies say tried to tilt the election in the Republican candidate's favour.

Group of 20

The scandal continues to eat away at his adminstration, with key White House staff being forced to hire their own lawyers and spend precious time rebuffing new allegations.

So far, Trump has been reluctant to acknowledge Russian interference in the election or criticise the veteran Russian leader.

Trump has branded allegations against his aides as "fake news," prompting yet more speculation about his motives.

Even simple photographs of Putin and Trump shaking hands or meeting face-to-face pose a political risk for the US president and would surely be weaponised in attack ads by his foes in the United States.

- 'Disastrous trip to Brussels' -

Trump's first trip to Europe last May exposed fierce mistrust across the Atlantic, so in some ways this will be a do-over.

In Poland, Trump will have a willing host in the form of President Andrzej Duda, whose own rightwing politics resembles "The Donald's" in many ways.

US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump walk to board Air Force One prior to departure from Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland, July 5, 2017, as they travel on a 4-day trip to Poland and Germany

Trump will look to a public speech on Thursday to burnish his credentials as a global statesman and deflect allegations that he has invited ridicule on the United States.

"After his disastrous trip to Brussels and Taormina, friendly pictures with European leaders and cheering crowds at his public speech could help Trump repair his image at home," said Piotr Buras of the European Council on Foreign Relations.

In public, European officials profess the decades-old transatlantic partnership to be inviolable and essential.

In private, they wonder whether it can survive four or eight years with Trump at the helm.
This file photo shows Zambian president Edgar Lungu arriving for his swearing in ceremony in Lusaka on September 13, 2016. Lungu on Wednesday invoked a state of emergency after a series of apparent arson attacks

Zambian President Edgar Lungu invoked a state of emergency on Wednesday after a series of apparent arson attacks, in a move likely to trigger fresh accusations of government authoritarianism.

Several fires, including one that burnt down the main market in the capital Lusaka on Tuesday, were described by Lungu as "premeditated acts which if left unchecked could have serious... consequences".

"My government has decided to invoke Article 31 (leading) to a state of public emergency," Lungu said in a nationally-televised address.

The state of emergency will be officially imposed after approval by parliament.

Zambia has enjoyed relative stability in recent years, but political tensions have been high this year after the arrest and continued detention of opposition leader Hakainde Hichilema.

Hichilema narrowly lost elections last year to Lungu, and has alleged that the result was rigged.

Hichilema was arrested in April on treason charges after his convoy allegedly refused to give way to the presidential motorcade.

He has since been moved to a maximum security prison and it is unclear when he will return to court.

Amnesty International has said Hichilema and five others arrested from his United Party for National Development (UPND) are victims of a "cynical ploy to silence all political opposition in Zambia".

The fire in Lusaka on Tuesday immediately led to accusations of blame traded between Lungu's Patriotic Front (PF) party and the UPND.

- 'A dictatorship'? -

Lungu said in his speech that "there is no doubt in my mind that the intentions of the perpetrators of these irresponsible actions is to make the country ungovernable.

"As president of this nation, it is my responsibility to respond accordingly to forestall this planned chaos and I will therefore not tolerate this lawlessness."

Hichilema, a wealthy businessman, has refused to recognise Lungu as president and has challenged the narrow election defeat in court.

The election campaign was marked by clashes between supporters of the PF and the UPND.

Criticism of Lungu's government has grown, and the country's religious leaders said last month that "Zambia eminently qualifies to be branded a dictatorship" over Hichilema's treason case.

Treason is a non-bailable offence in Zambia, with a minimum jail term of 15 years and a maximum sentence of death.

Lungu himself did not mince his words during last year's campaign, warning political rivals and activists that "if they push me against the wall, I will sacrifice democracy for peace."

Parliament has suspended 48 UPND lawmakers who boycotted an address by Lungu in March.

The government has also increased pressure on media outlets that support the opposition, further threatening Zambia's longstanding reputation as a stable democracy.
European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker arrives at the European Council in Brussels on July 6, 2017

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and top EU officials agreed Thursday to the broad outline of a landmark trade deal, presented as a direct challenge to the protectionism championed by US President Donald Trump.

The breakthrough capped four years of talks and came on the eve of a G20 meeting in Germany at which Trump is expected to defend his "America First" stance on world trade.

"Today we agreed in principle on an Economic Partnership Agreement (with Japan), the impact of which goes far beyond our shores," European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker said at a joint press conference with Abe and EU President Donald Tusk in Brussels.

EU President Donald Tusk (left), Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (centre) and European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker in Brussels on July 6, 2017

The EU and Japanese economies combined account for more than a quarter of global output, making the deal one of the biggest trade pacts ever.

"We were able to demonstrate a strong political will so that the EU and Japan take the lead on free trade,", Abe said just hours before he was due to meet Trump at the G20 in Hamburg.

- Cars for cheese -

With the deal, the EU is seeking access to one of the world's richest markets, while Japan hopes to jump-start an economy that has struggled to find solid growth for more than a decade.

Japan is also hoping to seize an opportunity after the failure of the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), torpedoed in January by Trump.

The "political agreement" on the trade deal covers some of the accord's toughest aspects but leaves aside details that could still prove difficult.

At the heart of the deal is an agreement for the EU to open its market to the world-leading Japanese auto industry, with Tokyo in return scrapping barriers to EU farming products, especially dairy.

EU officials insist that the deal will be a major boon for European farmers who would gain access to a huge market that appreciates European products.

- 'Corporate protectionism' -

Left untouched for now is the issue of controversial investment courts which have stoked opposition to trade deals in the EU nations, including Germany and France.

"After hard negotiations, the EU and Japan are sending a very positive signal to the world," said Markus J. Beyrer, Director General of BusinessEurope, a Brussels-based lobby.

"We are asking the G20 to take action against protectionism and this is a concrete example of how this could be done," he added.

Anti-free trade activists meanwhile furiously criticised the mooted deal, calling it a dangerous sop to multinationals.

"This trade deal, and others like it, smack of corporate protectionism at the expense of democracy and the environment," Greenpeace trade campaigner Kees Kodde.

Last year, the EU's giant CETA trade deal with Canada nearly sank on such concerns when the small Belgian region of Wallonia threatened to veto it, before eventually relenting.

Most opposition is centered on the investment courts, a controversial measure designed to resolve commercial disputes.

They have come under fierce opposition in Europe and the EU is trying -- so far unsuccessfully -- to persuade partners to adopt a new system staffed by public officials.

Divisions within the EU over the issue could prove significant when the EU-Japan deal faces ratification in the bloc's more than 30 regional and national parliaments.

EU officials said they hoped to implement the deal in January 2019.
Libyans celebrate in Benghazi after strongman Khalifa Haftar late on July 5, 2017 announced the "total liberation" of the coastal eastern city from jihadists

Forced from his neighbourhood in Libya's Benghazi three years ago, Said al-Mabruk is looking forward to going back after jihadist forces were driven from the city.

"I will finally be able to go home. I can die in peace now," the 72-year-old said after military strongman Khalifa Haftar announced that Islamist fighters had been ousted from Libya's second city.

Like thousands of his fellow Benghazi residents, Mabruk took to the streets to celebrate the victory late on Wednesday.

Hundreds of cars paraded through the city in a deafening concert of blaring music and horns, under a night sky lit up by fireworks.

But the celebration did not come without a cost, with many in the city having lost loved ones in the battle. Mabruk "paid a heavy price", he said, with his son killed while fighting on the side of Haftar's forces.

Members of forces loyal to military strongman Khalifa Haftar ride on a tank in the eastern city of Benghazi on July 5, 2017 during a military operation to retake the last remaining neighbourhood under jihadist control

Haftar, the head of the Libyan National Army allied with Libya's eastern-based government, launched his operation to retake Benghazi in 2014, three years after the 2011 uprising that toppled and killed Libyan dictator Moamer Kadhafi.

In the years after the uprising, the Mediterranean coastal city fell under the sway of rival militia forces who divided it into fiefdoms.

Jihadist militias, including some with links to the Islamic State group or Al-Qaeda, were finally confined by Haftar's offensive to two central neighbourhoods, Al-Sabri and Soug al-Hout.

After weeks of heavy fighting, Haftar announced "the liberation of Benghazi from terrorism" on Wednesday with the two districts retaken, promising "a new era of peace, security, reconciliation".

- 'Time to breathe now' -

LNA forces were preventing most residents from returning to the retaken neighbourhoods until they could be checked for booby traps, but Alia Hamad was among the lucky few.

She was able briefly to enter her home in Soug al-Hout under the protection of soldiers.

"We were able to recover our documents and most precious things," she said.

Libyans celebrate in the country's second city of Benghazi after strongman Khalifa Haftar late on July 5, 2017 announced the "total liberation" of the coastal city

Hamad said she hoped that with the battle over the focus could turn to "the resolution of the political crisis and improving living conditions for citizens".

The rest of Libya has fared little better than Benghazi since Kadhafi's ouster, with rival forces battling for power, influence and territory.

The eastern-based government is opposed in the capital Tripoli by the UN-backed Government of National Accord, which despite strong international support has failed to assert its control over the entire country.

Clashes between armed groups are frequent even around Tripoli, where five people were killed at a nearby beach this week after fighting erupted between rival militias that control the capital's Mitiga airport.

Libya's economy also lies in ruins despite its vast oil reserves, with many citizens cash-strapped and instability causing prices to skyrocket.

In Benghazi, 26-year-old Amal al-Gamati was hoping for some respite.

"It's time to breathe a bit now," she said. "It has been three years of war and terror... We're sick of war. We need to rebuild our country."

The rebuilding was likely to take years, but signs of what may come were visible at a newly opened commercial centre in Benghazi. Luna Park features restaurants and shops spread around an open space.

Sipping coffee at one of its cafes, 20-year-old Sawsan said she felt "safer".

"We were afraid of going out without covering our heads," she said.
Protesters in Paris act out the role of victims of the April 2017 sarin gas attack, just days after scores of people died in the strike on the Syrian town of Khan Sheikhun

A joint UN-OPCW panel tasked with determining who was behind the deadly sarin gas attack in the Syrian town of Khan Sheikhun is facing heavy political pressure as it prepares to present its findings in mid-October, the head of the investigation said Thursday.

After meeting behind closed doors with the UN Security Council, Edmond Mulet complained of a "highly-politicized environment" in which unnamed "interested parties" were seeking to influence the panel.

"We do receive, unfortunately, direct and indirect messages all the time from many sides telling us how to do our work," Mulet told reporters.

"Some of these messages are very clear in saying that if we don't do our work according to them... then they will not accept the conclusions of our work," he added.

Mulet did not name the countries but diplomats have said Russia has been active in pressuring the Joint Investigative Mechanism (JIM).

"The messages are coming from everywhere," Mulet added, suggesting that Western powers were also in frequent contact with the panel.

During his meeting with council members, Mulet said he had appealed to them to "please let us do our work" and pledged that the investigators would be impartial, objective and independent.

The Security Council established the JIM in 2015 to investigate cases of suspected chemical weapons use in Syria and apportion blame for the attacks.

In previous reports, the JIM already determined that Syrian government forces were responsible for chlorine attacks on three villages in 2014 and 2015, and that the Islamic State used mustard gas in 2015.

- OPCW confirms sarin use -

The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) last week presented a report from its fact-finding mission which confirmed that sarin was used as a chemical weapon in the April 4 attack in Khan Sheikhun.

But it did not specify who carried out the attack that killed at least 87 people, including many children, and shocked the world.

The United States, France and Britain blame President Bashar al-Assad's forces, but Syria has denied any involvement and Russia has suggested that a chemical depot may have been hit inadvertently.

Mulet said the JIM will present its findings to the council in mid-October focussing on the Khan Sheikhun attack and another incident involving mustard gas in September last year in Um Hosh, in Aleppo province.

The United States launched a retaliatory cruise missile strike days after the onslaught in Khan Sheikhun, targeting a Syrian airbase from where it said the chemical weapons attack was launched.

After Russia urged international investigators to visit the Shayrat airbase, Mulet said the panel was open to such a mission but would first demand information from Syria on the flight plans at the time of the attack and the commanders in charge.

The JIM will also investigate at least six other cases of chemical weapons use in Syria, Mulet said.
A general view of the Qatari side of the Abu Samrah border crossing with Saudi Arabia on June 23, 2017

Saudi Arabia and its allies on Friday criticised Qatar's refusal to accept conditions to end the Gulf's biggest diplomatic crisis in years as a threat to regional security.

Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain said Qatar's rejection of a list of demands they set to lift sanctions on Doha "reflects its intention to continue its policy, aimed at destabilising security in the region," according to a statement on the official SPA news agency.

"All political, economic and legal measures will be taken in the manner and at the time deemed appropriate to preserve the four countries' rights, security and stability," the statement added, without elaborating on the potential measures.

The four states last month announced the severing of all diplomatic ties with Qatar over allegations the emirate bankrolled Islamist extremists and had close ties with Saudi's arch-rival Iran.

On June 22, they issued a 13-point list of demands, including the shutdown of broadcast giant Al-Jazeera, as a prerequisite to lift the sanctions, which include the closure of Qatar's only land border and suspension of all flights to and from the country.

The Saudi foreign ministry on Wednesday said they had received Qatar's rejection of their demands, raising fears of escalation in the volatile region.

Saudi and its allies now consider the demands, sent via mediator Kuwait, "null and void" as the Qatari government had "thwarted all diplomatic efforts to resolve the crisis," according to Friday's statement.

Credit ratings agency Moody's has announced it was changing the emirate's outlook to negative from stable over the crisis.
The property tycoon and the ex-KGB agent's first encounter will be dissected frame by frame

US President Donald Trump meets Russian leader Vladimir Putin for the first time Friday, in an eagerly awaited encounter at a G20 summit marked by the growing divide between America and its Western allies.

On the eve of a face-off that carries consequences for world crises including the wars in Syria and Ukraine, Trump set the tone Thursday with a strong attack against Moscow for its "destabilising" actions.

The property tycoon and the ex-KGB agent's first meeting promises to be dissected frame by frame, with their handshake and body language to be scrutinised for any sign of rapprochement or estrangement.

"While Trump's pro-wrestling approach is showy, bombastic and impulsive, Putin thrives on judo's discipline and mental toughness, where a core technique is to keep an opponent off-balance and exploit his weakness," noted Derek Chollet from think-tank German Marshall Fund.

The military and economic power of the United States and Russia

"How these contrasting styles of machismo interact... will likely be the defining feature of their relationship moving forward."

The Kremlin said the meeting was crucial for regional security and stability, with Putin saying earlier this year that US-Russia ties appeared to have deteriorated under Trump.

The blockbuster bilateral comes on the sidelines of what is expected to be the most fraught G20 summit in years in the German city of Hamburg.

Trump's "America First" and climate sceptic stance are set to test the relationship with longstanding allies, while North Korea adds more volatility to global security.

Scenes outside the heavily guarded conference hall were also stormy, as anti-globalisation protesters fought running battles overnight with police, who fired tear gas and used water cannon to disperse extreme-left Black Bloc militants late Thursday.

- End 'destabilising' action -

Trump had alarmed Western partners wary of a resurgent Moscow with his refrain on the campaign trail pledging to have a "great relationship with Putin and Russia".

But amid accusations that Moscow had a hand in propelling him to the White House, Trump finds himself in a tight spot over his complex relationship with the Russian leader.

Economic factfile on the Group of 20 countries

In a key speech in Warsaw marking his first stop on his European tour, Trump fired a rare salvo of criticism.

"We urge Russia to cease its destabilising activities in Ukraine and elsewhere, and its support for hostile regimes -- including Syria and Iran -- and to instead join the community of responsible nations in our fight against common enemies and in defence of civilisation itself," he told a cheering crowd of 10,000.

He admitted that Moscow "may have" tried to influence the 2016 election that brought him to power, but also suggested others too may have been involved and blamed predecessor Barack Obama for failing to act.

- Pros in the room -

When Trump and Putin sit down for their afternoon meeting, they will not be short of crucial issues to discuss, including the wars in Syria and Ukraine, North Korea's nuclear programme and efforts to combat terrorism.

A White House source confirmed to AFP that Trump will only be joined in the meeting by Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and a translator, an extraordinarily small cast list that raised concerns among experts.

Police have clashed with anti-globalisation protesters in Hamburg

"Neither Tillerson or Trump have any experience of foreign policy. That is one reason why they need pros in the room when meeting Putin," said Thomas Wright of the Brookings Institution, who added that Trump was now more likely to appease Putin.

Former US ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul expressed concern that Trump's National Security advisor H.R. McMaster and his team -- seen as moderating influences in the White House -- were being sidelined.

"Putin likes small meetings. This means WH is letting Kremlin dictate the terms of this meeting. HR, at a minimum, should also be there," he wrote on Twitter.

Ahead of the talks, the US also extended a hand of cooperation to Russia, voicing willingness to work together on establishing "no-fly zones" in Syria as part of a joint effort to stabilise the war-ravaged country.

- 'Very bad behaviour' -

North Korea's successful test of an intercontinental ballistic missile also casts a dark shadow on the US leader's first G20 summit.

A landmark ICBM test was described by Kim Jong-Un as a gift to "American bastards"

In his first public remarks since the test, Trump said in Warsaw that Pyongyang's military sabre-rattling must bring "consequences" and warned he was considering a "severe" response to its 'very, very bad behaviour".

After repeatedly urging Beijing to ratchet up the economic pressure on North Korea, Trump will hold what promises to be a testy meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the G20.

At a dinner meeting grouping north-east Asian leaders but which excluded Xi, Trump was asked if he had given up on the Chinese leader, but replied: "Never give up."
The 305 metre-long (1,000 feet) Liaoning, a secondhand Soviet ship built nearly 30 years ago and commissioned in 2012, arrived in Hong Kong early Friday, as a rainbow appeared overhead.

China's sole operational aircraft carrier arrived in Hong Kong for the first time Friday in a display of military might less than a week after a high-profile visit by president Xi Jinping.

Xi's trip marked 20 years since Hong Kong was handed back to China by Britain, and analysts said his visit left little doubt that Beijing viewed the city as a destabilising hotbed of unacceptable political dissent.

His three-day stay culminated in a 30-minute speech warning that any challenge to Beijing's control over the city crossed a "red line", seen as a salvo against a new wave of activists calling for self-determination or independence, concepts intolerable to Beijing.

President Xi also inspected 20 squads of troops last Friday at the city's biggest military parade in the past two decades, where helicopters and armoured vehicles were displayed.

Factfile on China's first aircraft carrier, the Liaoning

The 305 metre-long (1,000 feet) Liaoning, a secondhand Soviet ship built nearly 30 years ago and commissioned in 2012, arrived in Hong Kong early Friday, as a rainbow appeared overhead.

The aircraft carrier sailed through the East Lamma Channel, passing by residential buildings located on the south coast of Hong Kong island, and was berthed near the Tsing Yi region.

State news agency Xinhua said the carrier was accompanied by two destroyers and one frigate. J-15 fighter jets and two helicopters were seen on the carrier's flight deck.

"With the fleet's visit to Hong Kong, I believe residents will experience first hand China's tremendous achievements in defence, in the armed forces, and especially in the navy," the city's new leader Carrie Lam said at a welcoming ceremony.

Lam, who was sworn in by Xi on Saturday, said it would help "reinforce" residents' understanding of the nation.

China's aircraft carrier Liaoning sails past a cargo ship as it arrives in Hong Kong

China's national defence ministry had said the Liaoning, named after a northeastern Chinese province, was part of a flotilla on a "routine training mission".

Its arrival in Hong Kong would mark the 20th anniversary of China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) entering the city, defence ministry spokesman Wu Qian told reporters last Thursday.

Enthusiasm for the aircraft carrier was high with people queueing overnight at the PLA garrison in central Hong Kong for public tour tickets earlier this week.

But ticket-holders are banned from bringing cameras when they board the aircraft carrier on Saturday, reports said, while foreign media outlets have not been invited to cover the event.

Authorities have also set up a temporary no-fly zone in the area where the Liaoning will be berthed near the city's Tsing Ma suspension bridge.

After the handover in 1997, some feared the PLA would be heavy-handed given the army's crackdown on student protesters in Beijing's Tiananmen Square in 1989.

Instead they have maintained a low profile and are barred from interfering in local affairs.

China launched its first domestically built aircraft carrier in April, though it is not expected to enter service until around 2020 once it has been fully equipped and armed.
Critics of the government of President Paul Kagame have been targeted, says Amnesty

Two decades of attacks on Rwanda's opposition, journalists and rights groups have created a "climate of fear" ahead of next month's presidential election, Amnesty International warned Friday.

"Since the ruling Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) took power 23 years ago, Rwandans have faced huge, and often deadly obstacles to participating in public life and voicing criticism of government policy," said Muthoni Wanyeki, Amnesty's regional director for East Africa, the Horn and the Great Lakes.

"The climate in which the upcoming elections take place is the culmination of years of repression."

The rights group released a 30-page report detailing several alleged violations, including the killing of an opposition party member as well as harassment and intimidation against those planning to run in next month's vote.

Critics of the government of President Paul Kagame have been "jailed, physically attacked -- even killed -- and forced into exile or silence," the London-based Amnesty said.

Since the end of the 1994 genocide in which around 800,000 mostly Tutsi people died, Rwanda has been praised for its stability and economic performance. However, it often comes under fire for a lack of political freedom.

Rwanda is constitutionally a multi-party system but there is practically no opposition within the country.

All recognised parties generally support the policy decisions made by the RPF -- with the exception of the small Democratic Green Party which was the only one to object to 2015 constitution changes allowing Kagame to seek re-election.

As of last month, only four candidates had declared their intention to run against Kagame in the August 4 polls.

Kigali's election committee is due to release a final list of candidates on Friday.

Kagame has been in charge since taking power at the head of a rebel army in 1994 and has already served two seven-year terms as president.

"Rwanda's history of political repression, attacks on opposition figures and dissenting voices in the context of previous elections stifles political debate and makes those who might speak out think twice before taking the risk," said Wanyeki.

"Killings and disappearances in 2017 need to be placed in the context of many years of similar violence for which no one has yet been held to account."
Sister Rita Marie Pickhinke has dedicated the last six decades of her life to serving God and others.

The Columbus native will celebrate her 60-year Jubilee on Aug. 20.

Pickhinke went to school at St. Bonaventure in Columbus and later decided, after much prayer, to enter the Catholic religious order Sister of Mercy.

I knew they helped people, Pickhinke said. So all through my school years I prayed to do what God wanted me to do.

She began her ministerial work as a teacher at St. Patricks Catholic Church in Omaha and was later called to St. Joseph School in Devils Lake, North Dakota, where she was asked to teach religion to students at the North Dakota School for the Deaf.

When she first got to Devils Lake, she didn't know any sign language, so Pickhinke had the father of a student sign for her. From that point on she began to learn and perfect the art of sign language.

One afternoon, Pickhinke was invited to a picnic where she met a deaf person who had never heard of God. This surprised her.

I was shocked that someone in the country had never heard of God, Pickhinke said. I then prayed to God that maybe someday I could work full time or part time with deaf people.

She got that chance in 1975 when she was called to a job at St. Marys School for the Deaf in Buffalo, New York. She later left St. Marys School and served in the Dioceses of Dallas and St. Louis. It was after her service in St. Louis when she was called to the Philippines to continue her work.

Some of the most-rewarding experiences in my life have definitely been working with the poor in the Philippines, Pickhinke said. It helped me to be exposed to their culture, problems, their struggles and joys. This exposure changed my life. I more readily accept people of different cultures and have a greater insight to the needs and world of the people around the world.

The Catholic Ministry to Deaf People Inc. is an organization set up by Pickhinke in the Philippines. Still in operation, the CMDP provides a safe environment for those involved as well as access to education, employment and spiritual formation.

Since her time in the Philippines, Pickhinke has led nearly 60 retreats in the United States and outside the country to Canada and Trinidad. She started her first retreat in 2000 in Nebraska.

I have been blessed by meeting so many wonderfully good people in my life. They have been a gift to me, said Pickhinke, who currently lives in Omaha.

Pickhinke has been a motivational speaker for 16 years. Her visits include retirement homes and nursing and rehab centers.

Sister Karen Kuta has also devoted the last six decades of her life to God.

The Tarnov native spent 36 years as a primary teacher for Native Americans in New Mexico.

She will celebrate her 60-year Jubilee as a sister of St. Francis on Sunday at the St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Kuta began her education in Tarnov at St. Michaels grade school, where she was taught by the Sisters of St. Francis. She entered the Sisters of St. Francis in 1957 and later earned her bachelors degree from the University of Albuquerque.

After retiring from teaching, she spent 17 years in outreach to the elderly in Indian pueblos and Spanish missions in New Mexico.

Kuta now resides in Mount St. Francis in Colorado Springs, where she is involved in the parish choir and faith formation classes.
US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis has reaffirmed America's strategic security partnership with Qatar

US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis reaffirmed America's strategic security partnership with Qatar on Thursday, the Pentagon said, amid a diplomatic crisis in the Gulf.

Mattis, who spoke with his Qatari counterpart Khaled bin Mohammed al-Attiyah by phone, also discussed the status of operations against the Islamic State group.

Qatar hosts a vital US-led command center at the Al-Udeid air base, where the anti-IS coalition launches raids against the jihadists.

"Secretary Mattis and Minister al-Attiyah affirmed their commitment to continued US-Qatar cooperation and deepening their strategic partnership," a Pentagon readout of the conversation stated.

Saudi Arabia is leading a four-country blockade of Qatar in the region's biggest crisis in years.

Mattis stressed the importance of de-escalating tensions "so all partners in the Gulf region can focus on next steps in meeting common goals," the readout stated.
Firms operating nuclear power plants and other energy facilities in the US have been hacked in recent months: NYT

Firms operating nuclear power plants and other energy facilities in the US have been hacked in recent months, the New York Times reported.

It quoted what it called an urgent report issued in late June by the Department of Homeland Security.

The intrusions happened in May and June and hit companies including Wolf Creek Nuclear Operating Corporation, which operates a nuclear power plant in Kansas, the Times said.

It did not say how many firms were targeted, and added the origin of the hack was unknown.

But the Times said an "advanced persistent threat" actor was responsible. The paper said this is the language hacking experts often often use to describe government-backed hackers.

The DHS report carried an urgent "amber warning," the second-highest rating for threat severity, the newspaper said.

The Times quoted Wolf Creek officials as saying no operations systems had been affected.

The corporate network and the internet were separate from the network that runs the plant, these officials were quoted as saying.

The report did not specify if the attacks were aimed at industrial espionage or causing damage.

But the report said the hackers "appeared determined to map out computer networks for future attacks".
Soldiers watched a firework display in Pyongyang to celebrate the launch of North Korea's first ICBM

Fireworks lit up the sky over Pyongyang's Juche Tower as North Korea celebrated its launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile, a milestone in its decades-long weapons drive.

The stone monument to the ideology of founder Kim Il-Sung stands in the centre of the capital, topped by a red glass flame.

Under current leader Kim Jong-Un, Kim's grandson, the isolated, impoverished country has made rapid progress towards its dream of building a missile that can deliver a nuclear warhead to the United States.

Music and dancing went on into the night as North Korea celebrated its ICBM -- a launch leader Kim Jong-Un described as a 'gift' to the 'American bastards'

On Tuesday -- the United States' Independence Day -- it launched a Hwasong-14 rocket that analysts and overseas officials said had a range of up to 8,000 kilometres, which would put Alaska and Hawaii within reach.

Kim, who personally oversaw the launch, described it as gift to "American bastards".

The missile, fired on Tuesday, flew just 900 kilometres, but reached an altitude of over 2,800 kilometres, giving it an imputed range of up to 8,000 kilometres -- enough to hit Alaska

Thousands of officials, soldiers and citizens gathered in the capital on Thursday night to rejoice.

"We enthusiastically celebrate the successful test launch of the intercontinental ballistic rocket, the greatest landmark in the history of our republic," read a banner across Kim Il-Sung Square.

Attendees included Kim Yong-Nam, the titular head of state, and top general Hwang Pyong-So, the state Korean Central News Agency reported.

Thousands gathered in the centre of Pyongyang to mark the latest stage on North Korea's drive to acquire a weapon capable of hitting the mainland United States

Speakers "warmly congratulated the national defence science soldiers on striking the US imperialists on the face", KCNA reported.

If "US imperialists commit even the slightest military provocation" against the North, it cited them as saying, its army would "show to the world how the territory of the US will be reduced to ashes".

The crowds listened impassively, before women in traditional dress and men in shirts and ties danced in formation on the plaza. The first song was "Glory to General Kim Jong Un", KCNA reported.

North Korea, which says it needs nuclear weapons to defend itself against the threat of invasion, is subject to multiple sets of United Nations sanctions over its weapons programmes, and the launch triggered a new round of condemnation and anger, with the US and its allies seeking toughened measures at the Security Council.
Qatar: enduring diplomatic isolation

US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis reaffirmed America's strategic security partnership with Qatar on Thursday, the Pentagon said, amid a diplomatic crisis in the Gulf.

It was also announced that Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will travel to Kuwait -- the key mediator in the crisis -- on July 10 to discuss the row.

Mattis, who spoke with his Qatari counterpart Khaled bin Mohammed al-Attiyah by phone, discussed the status of operations against the Islamic State group.

Qatar hosts a vital US-led command center at the Al-Udeid air base, where the anti-IS coalition launches raids against the jihadists.

"Secretary Mattis and Minister al-Attiyah affirmed their commitment to continued US-Qatar cooperation and deepening their strategic partnership," a Pentagon readout of the conversation stated.

Saudi Arabia is leading a four-country blockade of Qatar in the region's biggest crisis in years.

Mattis stressed the importance of de-escalating tensions "so all partners in the Gulf region can focus on next steps in meeting common goals," the readout stated.
Building were damaged after a 6.5-magnitude earthquake hit Leyte province in the central Philippines on July 6, 2017

Residents fled their houses in panic overnight on Friday as aftershocks hit the central Philippines a day after a 6.5-magnitude earthquake killed two people and injured at least 72 others, authorities said.

Rescuers pulled out 13 trapped people from a collapsed commercial building late Thursday in the town of Kananga on Leyte island, near the epicentre of the quake, local officials said.

Three provinces in the region remain without power while all schools are closed in Leyte as authorities assess the damage.

"Some residents ran out of their homes when they felt aftershocks. Some had panicked but many stayed calm because we just had an earthquake drill and they know what to do in times of disaster," Office of Civil Defense regional spokesperson Pebbles Lluz told AFP.

The two fatalities were an 18-year-old woman who was hit by falling debris in Ormoc City in Leyte, while one body was retrieved from the collapsed building in Kananga.

The earthquake also damaged houses and schools, left cracks in highways and caused landslides, authorities said.

Geothermal plants in Leyte, its main source of power, were also hit according to the provincial government.

Local airlines have meanwhile cancelled flights to Ormoc City on Leyte island.

"The centre of the earthquake was in mountainous villages so we will only get a clearer picture of the impact once we reach these areas," Mina Marasigan, spokeswoman for the Philippine disaster-monitoring agency, told AFP.

Some 72 people were injured after a 6.5-magnitude earthquake in Leyte province, the central Philippines

The quake hit at a depth of around six kilometres (four miles), the US Geological Survey said.

In February, a 6.5-magnitude quake killed eight people and left more than 250 injured outside the southern city of Surigao.

The following month a 5.9-magnitude tremor killed one person there in March.

Before the Surigao quakes, the last fatal earthquake to hit the Southeast Asian nation was a 7.1-magnitude tremor that left more than 220 people dead and destroyed historic churches in the central islands in October 2013.

The Philippines lies on the so-called Ring of Fire, a vast Pacific Ocean region where many earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur.
Volkswagen, the parent company of Audi, admitted in 2015 to using software to cheat regulatory nitrogen oxides emissions tests

German prosecutors said Friday they have arrested a former executive of top-of-the-range car maker Audi in connection with the massive emissions-cheating scandal that has engulfed its parent company Volkswagen since 2015.

The prosecutors did not name the manager, but according to news site Spiegel Online, he is Giovanni Pamio, who led a team of engineers responsible for designing emissions control systems for diesel vehicles in the United States between 2006 and late 2015.

Pamio, 60, was formally charged by the US Department of Justice in a criminal complaint in New York on Thursday with conspiracy to defraud the United States, wire fraud, and violation of the Clean Air Act.

The prosecutors in the southern German city of Munich said the suspect was arrested on Monday and was now being questioned in custody.

He is one of several people under investigation on suspicion of fraud and dishonest advertising, senior prosecutor Andrea Grape said.

But she added that no members of the Audi board were targeted in the probe.

According to the DOJ, 60-year-old Pamio directed employees to design software to cheat US emission tests.

Volkswagen, the world's largest carmaker, admitted in September 2015 to using so-called "defeat device" software to cheat regulatory nitrogen oxides emissions tests in some 11 million cars worldwide.

The devices allowed the cars to spew up to 40 times the permissible limits of nitrogen oxide during normal driving, but this was hidden during emissions testing.

VW faces an array of legal challenges in Germany and worldwide relating to the software, installed mainly in own-brand vehicles but also in cars made by Audi, Skoda and Seat, among its stable of 12 brands.

According to the US DOJ, "Pamio directed Audi employees to design and implement software functions to cheat the standard US emissions tests.

"Pamio and co-conspirators deliberately failed to disclose the software functions, and they knowingly misrepresented that the vehicles complied" with US emissions standards.

In total, Volkswagen has agreed to pay some $23 billion in the United States to compensate some 600,000 US car owners.

Volkswagen previously pleaded guilty to three felony counts connected to the cheating scandal, and in April was ordered to pay a $2.8 billion fine.

US authorities made their first indictment of a Volkswagen employee in the "dieselgate" scandal in September 2016. The accused US engineer pleaded guilty to avoid a lawsuit.

Six other company executives have since been implicated, one of whom was arrested in January in Miami.

burs-tgb/dlc/spm
This picture taken on July 6, 2017 shows the head of Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA), Shunichi Tanaka, speaking with reporters in Takahama, Fukui prefecture

Japan's chief atomic energy regulator has acknowledged it was inappropriate to say it would be "much better" if North Korea dropped a missile on Tokyo rather than on a nuclear plant.

Shunichi Tanaka, head of the Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA), found himself in hot water on Thursday after he spoke to people living near a recently restarted reactor.

"If it were me, I think it would be much better to drop (a missile) on central Tokyo," said Tanaka.

He was speaking about a possible North Korean missile attack on a nuclear facility, having reportedly been asked by an audience member what measures were in place to deal with such a strike.

An NRA spokesman told AFP that Tanaka was quick to add that he was only joking.

But he later told reporters the comment was "inappropriate", the spokesman said Friday.

Tanaka had spoken in Fukui prefecture, some 350 kilometres (215 miles) west of Tokyo, where a nuclear reactor was restarted in May.

Japan shut down all of its dozens of reactors after a powerful earthquake in March 2011 spawned a huge tsunami that led to meltdowns at the Fukushima atomic plant, causing the world's worst nuclear accident since Chernobyl in 1986.

Reactor restarts have been controversial among people living near nuclear plants concerned about safety after the Fukushima disaster.

His comments came after North Korea successfully tested its first intercontinental ballistic missile on Tuesday, which landed in the Sea of Japan.

Tanaka's gaffe followed remarks last month by a Japanese prefectural governor who said North Koreans should be "starved to death" if Pyongyang were to target his region with atomic weapons.

Masanori Tanimoto, governor of Ishikawa prefecture, which sits across the Sea of Japan from North Korea, retracted the remarks.

Municipalities across Japan have been conducting evacuation drills in response to a possible North Korean attack.

The North has previously launched multiple missiles that have fallen provocatively close to Japan.
US President Donald Trump and Russia's President Vladimir Putin shake hands at their first meeting, held on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Germany

US President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin held their first face-to-face meeting Friday at a G20 summit marred by violent protests and a rift between America and its Western allies over climate change and trade.

"We look forward to a lot of very positive things happening for Russia, for the United States and for everyone concerned," Trump said. "It's an honour to be with you."

Putin told the US leader: "I'm delighted to be able to meet you personally Mr President. And I hope as you have said, our meeting will yield concrete results."

The blockbuster encounter could sway issues ranging from the North Korean crisis and conflicts in Syria and Ukraine to US-Russian disarmament treaties, world trade and global warming, analysts say.

Public images of the interaction between the brash property tycoon and ice-cool ex-KGB agent are likely to be dissected frame by frame for any sign of rapprochement or estrangement.

How the "contrasting styles of machismo interact... will likely be the defining feature of their relationship," noted Derek Chollet from think-tank German Marshall Fund.

Normally a ripple-free event in the diplomatic calendar, this year's G20 summit in the German port city of Hamburg promises to be one of the stormiest in the forum's history.

Trump's "America First" approach on trade and his climate-sceptic stance are straining relations with longstanding allies, especially in Europe.

And his tough response to North Korea's missile programme -- an issue where Russia and China are urging calm -- throws a further volatile ingredient into the mix.

Outside the heavily guarded G20 conference hall, protesters wreaked havoc, blocking US First Lady Melania Trump at her residence as demonstrators torched cars, smashed shop windows, fired flares at police helicopters and even slashed tyres on vehicles belonging to the Canadian delegation.

The violence forced Hamburg police to call in reinforcements from other German states, and G20 organisers to drastically curtail an official programme for spouses of visiting dignitaries.

"The Hamburg police could not give us clearance to leave," said the first lady's spokeswoman, Stephanie Grisham, explaining why she had been forced to miss a cruise tour.

- End 'destabilising' action -

Riot police have clashed with protesters in the run up to the summit with officials expecting the unrest to continue

On the presidential election campaign trail last year, Trump said he hoped relations with Putin could be rebuilt after Russia's acrimonious ties with his predecessor Barack Obama.

But Moscow faces mounting accusations that it interfered in the election to help propel Trump into the White House. As a result, Trump faces pressure at home and from US allies to take a combative tone.

In a key speech in Warsaw on Thursday, Trump fired a rare salvo of criticism at Russia, but did not name Putin specifically.

"We urge Russia to cease its destabilising activities in Ukraine and elsewhere, and its support for hostile regimes -- including Syria and Iran -- and to instead join the community of responsible nations in our fight against common enemies and in defence of civilisation itself," he told a cheering crowd of about 10,000 people.

Trump is joined at the Putin meeting only by Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and a translator, an extraordinarily small cast list that raised concerns among experts.

"Neither Tillerson or Trump have any experience of foreign policy. That is one reason why they need pros in the room when meeting Putin," said Thomas Wright of the Brookings Institution.

- Storm over climate -

North Korea's successful test of an intercontinental ballistic missile this week also casts a dark shadow over the US leader's first G20 summit.

Trump had warned Thursday that Pyongyang's military sabre-rattling would bear "consequences", saying he was considering a "severe" response to its "very, very bad behaviour".

After repeatedly urging Beijing to ratchet up the economic pressure on North Korea, Trump will hold what promises to be a testy meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the G20's sidelines.

Beyond the complex diplomatic waltz, the US leader also faces tough talks in the main G20 conference room, where a united front is forming against his dismissive attitude to global warming.

Trump may have vowed to pull the US out of the 2015 Paris climate protection accord, but G20 host German Chancellor Angela Merkel stressed that "many many other countries want to go on implementing" it.

"We are not going to paper over the differences but rather, we will call discord discord," said Merkel.

British Prime Minister Theresa May, meanwhile, said world leaders will redouble efforts over the two-day summit to persuade Trump to rejoin the Paris deal.

"I believe the collective message that will be given to President Trump around this table will be the importance of America coming back into that agreement, and I hope we will be able to work to ensure that can happen," she told the BBC.
Koh Tao's reputation as a tropical paradise was first sullied in 2014 when two British backpackers were brutally murdered on one of its white-sand beaches

Thai officials have filed criminal charges against a news website for branding the popular beach destination of Koh Tao "Death Island" in reports about a string of murky tourist fatalities.

Koh Tao's reputation as a tropical paradise was first sullied in 2014 when two British backpackers were brutally murdered on one of its white-sand beaches.

A series of other foreign tourist deaths have fuelled press coverage about the island's 'dark side,' with allegations of local mafia and corrupt police colluding to cover up murders.

The latest case to raise suspicions was the death of a Belgian woman in April, which police ruled was a suicide.

Local online outlet Samui Times ran an article last month that questioned the police account and referred to Koh Tao as "Death Island".

The piece quickly went viral and forced officers to re-examine the case.

But island authorities are now suing Samui Times for violating the Computer Crime Act, which outlaws uploading false information online.

The tough law, which carries a maximum prison sentence of five years, is frequently wielded by authorities and business elite to suppress critical reporting in Thailand.

Koh Tao mayor Chaiyan Thurasakul told AFP the website is accused of "damaging Koh Tao's reputation by calling it Death Island."

The charges were filed Thursday by local district chief Krikkrai Songtanee, who said the report had caused "panicked tourists to cancel their bookings".

Police will review the charges and decide whether to take the case to prosecutors.

Samui Times, which told AFP it had yet to be contacted about the charges, defended its reporting in an online post.

"The Samui Times believes that it is in the best interests of any visitor to the island to be aware of the numerous tourist deaths and the fact that many families of those who died on the island are not satisfied with police investigations", it said.

The English-language newspaper Bangkok Post blasted the lawsuit in an editorial, calling on authorities to clear up any misinformation instead of intimidate the outlet.

In 2015 another local news website, Phuketwan, closed after running out of money in its successful bid to defeat a defamation suit brought by Thailand's navy over its reports on human trafficking.
Egyptian security forces have been battling an insurgency from Islamic State group militants in North Sinai

Egyptian security officials said two suicide car bombers on Friday struck a security checkpoint in North Sinai where Islamic State group militants are waging a deadly insurgency.

Ambulances raced to the site of the attack, which left casualties south of the town of Rafah bordering the Palestinian Gaza Strip, they said.

It was not immediately possible to obtain an official casualty toll.

Jihadists have killed hundreds of policemen and soldiers in attacks in North Sinai since the military toppled Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in 2013 and launched a deadly crackdown on his supporters.

IS has also attacked tourists, killing all 224 on board a Russian plane carrying holidaymakers in 2015, as well as Christian churches in mainland Egypt.
YORK  Sen. Ben Sasse sounded the alarm Thursday about the rapidly increasing threat of cyberattacks, arguing that "we have no cyber strategy (and) are radically unprepared" for attacks by nation-states, terrorists and crime networks.

The United States needs to "develop an offensive and defensive doctrine" that responds to the current and growing threat, Sasse said.

"We should see ourselves in war," he told the York Rotary Club in a speech designed to help cast a spotlight on the growing urgency of the threat and argue for prompt national action.

"People are going to die" as a result of cyberattacks, Sasse said, pointing as an example to last May's coordinated WannaCry ransomware attacks in 150 countries that held medical records in Britain's National Health Service hospitals hostage, endangering patients' lives.

Sasse, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said he enters "a classified bunker" in Washington almost every morning that the Senate is in session and receives a classified intelligence briefing.

What he has learned in those briefings has prompted him to suggest it's time to have "a good national conversation" about the cyber threat and the urgent need to quickly develop a coordinated U.S. response.

The cyberattack by Russia on the U.S. presidential election process attracts all the attention, Sasse said, but "it's a very, very tiny piece" of the cyber threat that America faces now.

Forty-three percent of cyberattacks are directed at small businesses, and the records of 22 million Americans already have been "hacked and compromised," he said.

An attack in June shut down the entire financial services network in Ukraine, Sasse said. And a successful attack on air traffic-control systems could potentially endanger 7,000 flights that are in the air at the same time.

"We are completely unprepared for the nature of cyberwarfare in the next decade, not as a people, not as the military," Sasse said.

"How strange it is that we have no cyber strategy," he said.

While Sasse focused on the cyber issue during his luncheon address to about 35 York Rotarians, he answered questions about health care legislation and the increasing nuclear threat posed by North Korea.

"Full repeal (of Obamacare) is not a sufficient answer," Sasse said. "I want reform. I want to actually replace it. We need to smoke all that out.

"It's a lame effort by Republicans to (just say) what's wrong with Obamacare," the Republican senator said.

The growing threat from North Korea is "very, very serious," Sasse added.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un is insane and unstable, Sasse said, and it is difficult to get the United States and China to work together effectively to rein him in because the two countries "don't trust each other enough."
Indian authorities are moving to strip Mumbai's railway stations of their British names, an official said Friday, as leaders seek to purge the city of remnants of its colonial past.

Elphinstone Road station - named after a British-era governor - officially became Prabhadevi station this week (after a local Hindu deity) and ministers say more changes are in the works.

'We are working to rename railway stations as per locally known names instead of older names,' Diwakar Raote, transport minister for the Maharashtra state government, told AFP.

A local train departs from the suburbun Elphinstone railway station in Mumbai on July 7, 2017

Raote is a member of Shiv Sena, a local Hindu nationalist party which pushed through the renaming of India's financial capital from the British name Bombay to the local Marathi name Mumbai in 1995.

It is currently the junior partner in a coalition with the India's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party in Maharashtra, of which Mumbai is the capital, and has long campaigned for colonial monikers to be scrapped.

In 1996 it was instrumental in changing the name of Mumbai's main railway station, built in the 1880s, from Victoria Terminus to Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus after a 17th century Hindu warrior king.

Lord Elphinstone was the Governor of Bombay Presidency from 1853 to 1860 and after the station named for him was changed on Tuesday a Shiv Sena MP said he had other stations in his sights.

An Indian office worker walks on the platform of the suburban Marine Lines railway station in Mumbai on July 7. Indian authorities are moving to strip Mumbai's railway stations of their British names, an official said

'I have demanded that Currey Road station be named Lalbaugh, Sandhurst Road station as Dongri, Reay Road as Ghodapdeo, Cotton Green as Kalachowki, Mumbai Central as Nana Chowk, Grant Road as Gaondevi,' the Press Trust of India news agency quoted politician Arvind Sawant as saying.

Critics say the name changes are a cynical ploy to appeal to the local Maratha community which make up the bulk of Shiva Sena's support base, while historians lament any attempt to eradicate the city's history.

'(Name changes) are an erasure of our city's past. Every historic milestone in the city's development is being whitewashed as those undertaking these renaming exercises don't see the nuances of these names,' historian Sifra Lentin told AFP.
Egyptian soldiers pray as they are deployed in the North Sinai town of El-Arish on July 16, 2013

Twenty-six Egyptian soldiers were killed or wounded on Friday in attacks on checkpoints in the Sinai Peninsula where the Islamic State group is conducting an insurgency, the military said.

Security officials who requested anonymity said at least seven soldiers were killed, but it was not immediately possible to obtain an official death toll.

The military said it killed 40 assailants as it clashed with extremists in North Sinai, the main focus of the deadly IS insurgency.

Security officials said ambulances raced to the sites of the attacks south of the town of Rafah on the border with the Gaza Strip.

Jihadists have killed hundreds of policemen and soldiers in attacks in North Sinai since the military toppled Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in 2013 and launched a deadly crackdown on his supporters.

North of Cairo, two gunmen shot dead an officer with the police's National Security service on Friday as he left his home, the interior ministry said in a statement.

While IS has claimed attacks outside Sinai, a number of lesser known groups have also conducted bombings and assassinations in the capital and the Nile Delta.

IS has also attacked tourists, killing all 224 on board a Russian plane carrying holidaymakers in 2015, as well as Christian churches elsewhere in Egypt.

The jihadists in the Sinai pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group in late 2014, establishing the self styled "Sinai Province" on the peninsula, which borders Israel as well as Gaza.

Unlike their main organisation in Syria and Iraq, they have been unable to seize population centres, with one attempt to occupy a town in 2015 ending with the military unleashing F-16 jets against the jihadists.

Instead the group has tried to keep up a steady war of attrition involving roadside bombings, sniper fire and checkpoint attacks such as the ones on Friday.

The jihadists are increasingly encircled on the peninsula, with the military razing sections of Rafah to create a buffer zone with the Gaza Strip and destroying tunnels connecting with the Palestinian territory.

But that has failed to prevent them from establishing cells elsewhere in Egypt that launched a series of attacks on Christians that have killed dozens since December, when a suicide bomber targeted a Cairo church.

That attack was followed by two church bombings in April that killed at least 45 people and a massacre of Christians heading on a bus to a monastery in May.

The April attacks prompted President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to declare a nationwide state of emergency like that already in force in North Sinai.

Sisi, who as army chief toppled Morsi, has pledged to defeat the jihadists.

The military has killed several of their commanders, including their top leader Abu Duaa al-Ansari in 2016.
More than 200 people were killed when a tanker overturned and exploded in Pakistan's central Punjab province on June 25, 2017

Pakistan on Friday ordered Shell Pakistan to pay at least $2.4 million in compensation after more than 200 people were killed when one of its tankers overturned and exploded in a devastating inferno last month.

The tanker contracted by Royal Dutch Shell's local subsidiary crashed on a main highway in central Punjab province while carrying 50,000 litres of fuel from Karachi to Lahore on June 25.

It exploded minutes later, sending a fireball through crowds from a nearby village who had gathered to scavenge for the spilled fuel, despite warnings by the driver and police to stay away.

Health officials and police Friday put the death toll, which has continued to rise since the accident, at 218 people and said 38 victims were still in hospital, some in critical condition.

"OGRA (the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority) has found Shell Pakistan responsible for the oil tanker incident and imposed a fine of 10 million rupees ($100,000 dollars) on it," authority spokesman Imran Ghaznavi told AFP.

"Shell Pakistan has also been ordered to pay one million rupees compensation to the families of each deceased and 500,000 rupees for each of the injured," he added.

That would require Shell pay at least $2.48 million to the families of the dead so far. It was not immediately clear how many wounded would receive compensation, or if the death toll might continue to increase.

Ghaznavi said OGRA had sent a list of 21 questions to Shell Pakistan about the accident, but had not yet received an answer.

OGRA's investigation found that Shell never checked if the private tanker it had hired complied with safety standards, according to a report seen by AFP.

The report said that Shell had informed the authority previously that its lorries met technical standards and that they upgrade contracted vehicles, but the tanker involved in accident had four axles instead of the five recommended to carry such a load.

The report also claimed the tanker's fitness certificate was "fake", and that Shell Pakistan "failed to provide the pre-loading checklist".

It lambasted Shell Pakistan's emergency response as "casual".

OGRA ordered all oil companies in Pakistan to fully implement safety standards, organise trainings for drivers to deal with emergencies and spills, and do regular medical checkups.

It also asked them to organise awareness campaigns through mass media warning people about dangers in case of accidents and spills, and called on local emergency services and police to review their response.

In response to questions by AFP, a Shell Pakistan spokesperson said that the company was still investigating the incident.

"Shell Pakistan is presently reviewing the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority Investigation report in detail.

"It would be unhelpful to speculate on factors that may have contributed to the incident whilst other investigations are still ongoing, but we respect the role of the regulator and will consider the report as we cooperate with investigations by authorities and as we conduct our own investigation," the spokesperson said.
The West Bank city of Hebron is home to the imposing Tomb of the Patriarchs and is the resting place of key biblical figures Abraham, Isaac and Jacob

UNESCO on Friday declared the Old City of Hebron an endangered world heritage site, sparking outrage from Israel in a new spat at the international body.

Meeting in Poland, the UN's cultural arm voted 12 to three -- with six abstentions -- to give heritage status to Hebron's Old City in the occupied West Bank, which is home to more than 200,000 Palestinians and a few hundred Israeli settlers.

"Just inscribed on @UNESCO #WorldHeritage List & World Heritage in Danger List: Hebron/Al-Khalil Old Town," the organisation said on its official Twitter feed.

Israeli foreign ministry spokesman Emmanuel Nahshon immediately denounced the decision as "a moral blot", saying it denied Jewish history in the city.

"This irrelevant organisation promotes FAKE HISTORY. Shame on @UNESCO," he wrote on Twitter after the decision taken in a secret ballot by the World Heritage Committee as it met in Krakow.

Brought by the Palestinians, the resolution declared Hebron's Old City, including areas where settlers live, to be an area of outstanding universal value.

The resolution was fast-tracked on the basis that the site was under threat, with the Palestinians accusing Israel of an "alarming" number of violations, including vandalism and damage to properties.

The Palestinian foreign ministry called the decision made by UNESCO despite US and Israeli opposition a "success" for Palestinian diplomacy

- Abraham, Isaac and Jacob -

Hebron claims to be one of the oldest cities in the world, dating from the Chalcolithic period or more than 3,000 years BC, the UNESCO resolution said.

At various times it has been conquered by Romans, Jews, Crusaders and Mamluks.

The city is home to the imposing Tomb of the Patriarchs, the resting place of key Biblical figures Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and one of the most important religious sites to Muslims and Jews alike.

Hebron is also a stark example of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The few hundred Israelis live closed off in several small settlements most of the world considers illegal, with Palestinians largely banned from entering and using nearby streets.

Israel seized the West Bank in the 1967 war in a move considered illegal by the United Nations.

The Israelis living in Hebron are protected by hundreds of Israeli soldiers, with Palestinians saying the settlements makes their lives impossible.
Philippine police said Friday they had seized 70 dead hawksbill marine turtles, a critically endangered species illegally trafficked for its prized shell.

Philippine police said Friday they had seized 70 dead hawksbill marine turtles, a critically endangered species illegally trafficked for its prized shell, and arrested two suspects.

Hawksbills face an extremely high risk of extinction according to Swiss-based International Union for Conservation of Nature as their shell is used for making jewellery and hair ornaments.

Two local men were arrested Thursday while transporting the dead hawksbills by boat off the coast of Dumaran town on Palawan island, police chief Arnel Bagona told AFP.

"We suspect that these two are dealing with Chinese poachers," Bagona said by telephone.

The marine turtles, who roam the tropical and subtropical waters of the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans, are typically found around coastal reefs, estuaries and lagoons.

Hawksbills face an extremely high risk of extinction in the immediate future according to Swiss-based International Union for Conservation of Nature due to trafficking in their shell used for making jewellery and hair ornaments.

Philippine conservation law prohibits their collection and trade.

Palawan, an archipelago of more than 1,700 islands in the South China Sea, is famous for its abundant marine life that are targeted by poachers.

Chief Inspector Bagona said poachers usually bought the hawksbills and other rare Palawan-based species from locals.

Hawksbills retailed for at least 3,500 pesos ($69) each in the black market, he added.

He said police asked prosecutors Friday to file charges against the suspects for taking endangered species, punishable by up to 20 years in prison and fines of up to five million pesos (about $99,000).

The suspects told police they planned to deliver the dead sea turtles to the island of Balabac, about 400 kilometres (249 miles) south of Dumaran, he said.

Bagona said the remote island is infamous as a trading place for wildlife poachers.
China has faced international pressure to let Liu Xiaobo (L) travel abroad to get treatment since he was transferred from prison to a hospital in June after he was diagnosed with terminal liver cancer

US and German doctors are set to visit China's cancer-stricken Nobel Peace Prize laureate Liu Xiaobo this weekend, sources familiar with Liu's case told AFP, as the democracy advocate's health has deteriorated.

Three sources said at least two doctors are due to visit the 61-year-old activist in the northeastern city of Shenyang following an invitation from the hospital treating Liu, who is under medical parole from prison.

The sources did not provide more details, while the US and German embassies refused to confirm whether any foreign doctors would pay a visit this weekend.

"We are aware of reports that the medical condition of jailed Nobel Peace Prize laureate and writer Liu Xiaobo is rapidly deteriorating," US embassy spokeswoman Mary Beth Polley said.

"We understand that the Chinese hospital treating Liu has invited US and German medical experts to China for consultations," she said.

"We have asked that China grant these doctors unhindered access to Liu," Polley said, reiterating US calls for China to grant Liu full parole.

China has faced international pressure to let Liu travel abroad to get treatment since he was transferred from prison to a hospital in June after he was diagnosed with terminal liver cancer.

Friends of Liu fear that he is near death as Shenyang's China Medical University No 1 Hospital revealed on Thursday that his liver function had deteriorated.

A friend of Liu's, who asked to remain anonymous due to the case's sensitivity, told AFP that the laureate's brother is set to visit him in hospital for the first time on Saturday.

Beijing has come under fire from human rights groups over its treatment of the activist and for waiting until he became so ill to take him out of prison, but authorities insist he has been afforded top medical care from renowned doctors.

The hospital released details about his treatment this week, disclosing that doctors decided to stop giving him the cancer drug Sorafenib and Chinese medicine to avoid further harming his liver.

But the hospital also published on its website on Friday a letter from Liu's brother-in-law in which he insists that overall medical treatment had not stopped.

"The drugs used for him were adjusted due to the severity of his illness and the rapid development of the tumour," says the letter signed by Liu Hui, brother of the ailing activist's wife, Liu Xia.

Liu was sentenced to 11 years in prison in December 2009 for "subversion" after calling for democratic reform. At the Nobel ceremony in Oslo in 2010, an empty chair represented Liu.
England's Stuart Broad acknowledges the crowd after finishing the innings 57 runs not out on July 7, 2017

Moeen Ali and Stuart Broad both starred with bat and ball to leave England well-placed come the close of the second day of the first Test against South Africa at Lord's on Friday.

Ali made 87 and Broad an unbeaten 57 -- his first Test fifty in four years -- as England piled up 458 all out in their first innings.

The pair then shared four wickets between them to reduce South Africa to 104 for four, with Ali completing the Test all-rounder's double of 2,000 runs and 100 wickets by striking twice with his off-spin.

Temba Bavuma (48 not out) and Theunis de Bruyn (48) realised crease occupation alone would not get South Africa out of the hole they were in.

But de Bruyn, only playing because regular captain Faf du Plessis was on 'paternity leave', fell for 48 shortly before the close and at stumps the Proteas were 214 for five -- still 244 runs behind in the first of this four-Test series.

"It's a great feeling to do it on the same day at Lord's," Ali told Sky Sports when asked about completing both halves of the double on Friday.

"I'm still inconsistent -- I know that - but I was really happy with the way I bowled today," added Ali, who took an economical two for 35 in 13 overs.

England resumed on 357 for five, with Joe Root 184 not out in his first Test as England captain.

Ali was 61 not out and just 12 runs away from reaching 2,000 in Tests.

England twice lost two wickets for no runs in three balls on Friday yet passed 450 thanks to an entertaining last-wicket stand of 45 between Broad and James Anderson.

Root had made the most of being missed several times on Thursday to lead an England recovery after the hosts had been in trouble at 76 for four.

But the first chance he gave on Friday brought about his downfall on 190 -- the highest score by an England captain in his first Test in charge, surpassing Alastair Cook's 173 against Bangladesh in 2010.

There was no reprieve when the 26-year-old Yorkshireman was caught behind off fast bowler Morne Morkel -- denied a wicket Thursday by a no-ball -- as he fell just 10 runs shy of his second Test double hundred at Lord's.

Root walked off to a standing ovation from a capacity and sun-drenched crowd, having batted for over six hours, facing 234 balls including 27 fours and a six.

The first over after the drinks break again saw England lose two wickets, with Ali out in sight of a sixth Test century when bowled trying to drive Kagiso Rabada.

- Broad hits out -

But an undaunted Broad, who made his Test-best 169 against Pakistan at Lord's in 2010, struck shots worthy of his father Chris, the former England opener.

He pulled Morkel for two sixes in as many balls to complete a dashing 45-ball fifty.

It was Broad's most fluent Test innings since he was hit in the face by a Varun Aaron bouncer against India at Old Trafford in 2014.

No 11 Anderson then pulled Rabada for six to bring up England's 450 before he was caught behind off Morkel (four for 115 in 25.3 overs).

South Africa's Dean Elgar was, like Root, captaining in a Test for the first time.

After the early loss of debutant opening partner Heino Kuhn, he too tried to lead from the front with a typically gritty fifty.

But Hashim Amla, so often a thorn in England's side, was dismissed for just 29 when lbw to a sharply turning off-break from Ali.

"I've never got him out in a Test before and I'm really happy with that," Ali said.

After tea, Elgar fell for his interval score of 54 when caught by Gary Ballance at short leg as Ali, in his 38th match at this level, became the fifth-quickest player in Test history to do the 'double'.

South Africa's 98 for three then became 105 for four when JP Duminy (15) was plumb lbw to Broad.

Bavuma and de Bruyn undid some of the damage until the latter was caught behind after carelessly pushing away from his body at Anderson.
A Palestinian feeds hens in the West Bank city of Hebron

The United Nations declared the Old City of Hebron a heritage site on Friday, sparking Israeli fury and Palestinian jubilation.

What is Hebron?

Hebron claims to be one of the world's oldest cities, dating from the chalcolithic period or more than 3,000 years BC.

Over the centuries, Romans, Jews, Crusaders, Mamluks and the British have conquered the city, which today lies in the southern part of the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territory of the West Bank.

The city -- which is holy to Jews, Muslims and Christians -- is the largest in the West Bank, with more than 200,000 Palestinians and a few hundred Israeli settlers.

What is the Old City row?

Israel seized the West Bank including Hebron in 1967 in a move never recognised by the international community.

In the years after, a small community of Jewish settlers moved into the area next to an important religious site, protected by hundreds of Israeli soldiers.

All such settlements are considered illegal by the United Nations, but Israel says there are thousands of years of Jewish history in the city.

Jews had been living in Hebron decades before 1967 but were forced out after violent attacks by Palestinians during the British Mandate -- the most violent of which saw 67 Jews killed in a 1929 massacre.

What is the Ibrahimi Mosque/Tomb of the Patriarchs?

At the centre of the dispute is the site known to Muslims as the Ibrahimi Mosque and to Jews as the Tomb of the Patriarchs.

Old Testament figures including Abraham are believed to be buried there.

In 1994, Israeli-American Baruch Goldstein opened fire on Muslims praying at the site, killing 29, before being beaten to death by survivors.

The building is now split into two, with Muslims praying at the mosque and Jews at the Tomb of the Patriarchs.

Palestinians say the heavy Israeli military presence, including a series of checkpoints, is degrading and point out that parts of the city are off limits to them.

What was the vote?

The Palestinian-led move asked UNESCO's heritage committee to recognise Hebron's Old City as a protected heritage site, while also referring to the city as "Islamic".

Israel rejected the idea, with foreign ministry spokesman Emmanuel Nahshon saying the Palestinians were "trying to rewrite Jewish history and the history of the region".

The vote came only two months after UNESCO passed a separate resolution on Jerusalem, which Israel said denied Jewish connection to the Western Wall -- the holiest site Jews are allowed to pray at.

What impact will the resolution have?

The effects on the ground are likely to be limited, with Israel still maintaining military control over the area.

Israel's ambassador to UNESCO Carmel Shama Hacohen laughed off the resolution on Friday, saying his plumbing at home was more important.

But Alaa Shahin, from the Palestinian Hebron municipality, told AFP before the vote it could help encourage tourism.

He said Israel's military had closed off much of the Old City's souq and the vote would provide backing to attempts to prevent this.

"We'll have a legal body at an international level that will help our efforts to stop any attempts to destroy it," he said.
Syrians from Aleppo's Armenian community have dinner at a cafe in the Midan neighbourhood of the northern Syrian city on July 5, 2017

Taline Menassian still trembles when she steps into the Aleppo Armenian Society's open-air cafe, shaken by memories of the rockets that once rained down on the Syrian city's front line.

The eatery in Midan, Aleppo's main Armenian district, was shuttered for four years after violence reached the city in 2012.

But it reopened in June, six months after the government recaptured all of the city.

Relaxed laughter and giggling children have replaced the boom of explosions in the restaurant, nestled between the Armenian Society and the St. Gregory Armenian Apostolic church.

"It's like a dream to be here," said Menassian, 50, looking around at the dozens of customers in the restaurant.

Menassian is a member of the Armenian Society, which kept its doors open although the affiliated eatery was boarded up.

"Every time I come in, I can't believe it," she told AFP, gazing in amazement at dozens of customers smoking water pipes and sipping arak, the Levant's popular aniseed spirit.

The northern Syrian city of Aleppo is seen from a high-rise building on July 4, 2017

The cafe opened in 2007, and quickly became a favoured haunt for residents of Midan because of its family atmosphere and leafy terrace, where plastic chairs and tables are illuminated by hanging lanterns.

"We told ourselves that if this cafe reopened, the people would come back," said Menassian, whose red hair is cut into a bob.

"We're all one family here," she said emotionally.

Second city Aleppo was home to the largest contingent of Syria's Armenian community: 150,000 out of 350,000 across the country, according to Syria specialist and geographer Fabrice Balanche.

Now, no more than 10,000 are left in Aleppo, after thousands fled to Armenia, neighbouring Lebanon or even further afield to the United States, Canada, and Europe.

- 'Beautiful days are back' -

Syria's conflict erupted in March 2011 but struck Aleppo the following year, when rebels overran much of the eastern parts of city.

Syria's army dropped barrel bombs and launched air strikes on rebels who overran east Aleppo in 2012

Army troops dropped barrel bombs and launched air strikes across the front line on rebel groups, who fired rockets back in return.

Midan was caught in the middle.

The neighbourhood remained in government hands but was regularly pummelled by missiles from the neighbouring opposition-held district of Bustan al-Basha.

"I still remember the day that about 40 rockets hit this very spot," Menassian recalled.

"Midan was almost deserted. Many families left," she said, including her daughter, who fled to the Armenian capital Yerevan where her son-in-law worked as a jeweller.

Menassian's family home was also destroyed in the fighting, which halted in December, when Syria's army announced it was in full control of the city.

Now, Menassian's husband is re-opening his tyre shop in Midan, and their daughter and son-in-law are moving back to Syria, too.

But so far, just a handful of families and businesses have returned to the neighbourhood, though residents see the cafe's reopening as a positive sign.

"It's the return of the beautiful days," said Haroutioun Kahvedjian, a 57-year-old dentist.

Although his family fled to neighbouring Lebanon, he decided to stay in Aleppo and continued to frequent the Society.

During some of the city's bloodiest days, he even treated wounded people inside the Armenian community centre's halls.

Now he is hoping his family will return.

"I sent a picture of the cafe to my daughter to encourage her to come back," he said with teary eyes.

"The cafe is the symbol of our resistance in Aleppo."

- 'Indescribable joy' -

Other historic districts of the city are seeing a revival, too.

The celebrated citadel, a jewel of medieval architecture, was heavily damaged by a massive blast in July 2015 and remains a military position.

But a small coffeehouse that has spent decades at the foot of the fortress re-opened last week for the first time since 2012.

"When I used to see the pictures of the citadel on television, I had tears in my eyes," said owner Bashir Azmouz, standing opposite buildings in ruins.

"Today, my joy is indescribable," he told AFP.

Children frolicked nearby in the Saadallah al-Jabriri square, once a favourite gathering place for families but now another victim of Syria's violence.

Its historic fountains once gushed streams of water, but they are all dry now.

Electricity was restored to the area where the square is located just a week ago, drawing residents back again.

"No one dared step into the square during the war," said Mohammad Daouk, 37, who was visiting with his family.

"This place was a symbol. All Aleppans used to come here."
Page Content

The members of the European Commitee of the Regions met in the 124th plenary session.

Fifteen opinions were on the agenda of this plenary session.

Mr Karl-Heinz Lambertz (BE/PES) was elected President of the CoR, and Mr Markku Markkula (FI/EPP) was elected First Vice-President.

On the first day, Mr Carlos Moedas, Commissioner for Research, Science and Innovation, exchanged views with CoR members.

On the second day, Mr Matti Maasikas, Estonian Deputy Minister of European Affairs, explained the priorities of the Estonian Presidency. Ms Violeta Bulc, Commissioner for Transport, debated with members.

The list of opinions which were adopted during the July plenary session:
The military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba currently holds only 41 inmates, including five alleged 9/11 co-conspirators

Top US justice and intelligence officials are to visit the US military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba on Friday amid signs the Trump administration may use it to house new "war on terror" detainees.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, and Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats, are visiting the prison to familiarize themselves with current operations, officials said.

The notorious prison, which former president Barack Obama had sought unsuccessfully to close, has had no new inmates in more than a decade.

But on taking office, President Donald Trump signaled he wanted an active camp ready to accept "some bad dudes" that might be captured in Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan or elsewhere.

"Keeping this country safe from terrorists is the highest priority of the Trump administration," Justice Department spokesman Ian Prior said in a statement.

"Recent attacks in Europe and elsewhere confirm that the threat to our nation is immediate and real, and it remains essential that we use every lawful tool available to prevent as many attacks as possible."

Coats' spokesman Timothy Barrett said the purpose of the trip "is to gain an understanding of current operations by meeting with the people on the ground."

At the height of its operations after the September 11, 2001 attacks, the prison held 780 people detained mostly for their alleged ties to Al Qaeda and the Taliban, including some of those who planned the 9/11 attacks on the United States.

Since then hundreds have been transferred back to their home countries or other places, and the inmate population currently stands at 41, many of them viewed as hardened enemies of the country who cannot be freed.

Some of the most notorious, including several alleged 9/11 co-conspirators, including accused mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, are still awaiting trial.

Around 26 inmates are trapped in legal purgatory. These so-called "forever prisoners" have never been charged -- yet they have been deemed too dangerous to release.

After almost 11 years in the prison, last month Guantanamo war court prosecutors charged Indonesian Al Qaeda suspect Riduan Isomuddin, better known as Hambali, with plotting a 2002 attack on a nightclub in Bali, and an attack on the Jakarta JW Marriott hotel the next year, that together left more than 200 people dead.

It is not known whether US authorities are currently holding any detainees abroad for transfer to Guantanamo, amid ongoing US and ally operations against Islamic State, Al-Qaeda and Taliban fighters in several countries.

Trump has provided few specifics about his Guantanamo plans, but a draft executive order that leaked from the White House in late January called the facility a "critical tool" in the fight against "radical Islamist groups."

Sessions has made clear his support for keeping the prison open.

Asked in March by radio host Hugh Hewitt on whether it should remain available for new detainees, he called the facility "a perfect place for it."

"There's plenty of space," he said. "I see no legal problem whatsoever with doing that."
A pair of US F-15E aircraft fly over Iraq after conducting air strikes in Syria in 2014, shown in this US Air Force picture

A review of past air and artillery strikes has found that another 119 civilians were killed by the US-led coalition in Iraq and Syria, pushing the total number of such deaths to 603.

In a statement Friday, the coalition said that in May it completed an analysis of 141 reports of civilian deaths dating back to when operations to defeat the Islamic State group got underway in late 2014.

"To date, based on information available, (the coalition) assesses that, it is more likely than not, at least 603 civilians have been unintentionally killed by coalition strikes" since the anti-IS campaign began, the statement read.

Aside from probing civilian death reports that came in from coalition pilots and through social media and other channels, military investigators also began wading their way through a huge backlog of hundreds of allegations reported by the website Airwars.org.

The London-based collective of journalists and researchers has always had civilian death tolls that are wildly divergent from those acknowledged by the coalition.

According to the most recent Airwars tally, 4,354 civilians have been killed in coalition strikes.

Major Michael Burns, who compiled the coalition statement, told AFP that of the 80 Airwars reports it looked at in May, 10 were "credible" and 70 were "non-credible."

Among all the reports the coalition examined in May was an April 17 strike on an IS headquarters building that caused secondary explosions, killing 25 civilians in adjacent structures and wounded 40 more.

And on January 21, near Mosul in Iraq, a strike on a suicide car bomb caused secondary explosions that killed 15 civilians.

Observers say the US-led coalition has been taking greater risks with civilian lives since President Donald Trump took office and gave the military greater leeway in how it conducts strikes, but officials insist the rules of engagement are unchanged.

"Although all feasible precautions were taken and the decision to strike complied with the law of armed conflict, unintended civilian casualties unfortunately occurred," the statement read.
The scene of a gold mining accident in Ghana in 2010

Twenty-two miners have now been declared dead after an illegal goldmine collapsed in western Ghana, police said, increasing the toll from 17.

Nsuta district police commander Superintendent Atsu Dzinaku said the toll was revised after more family members came forward to say one of their relatives was missing.

"Initially they said five, 14, then 17, now 22," he told AFP by telephone.

The abandoned mine, which was more than 80 metres (260 feet) deep, collapsed on Sunday. A decision to end a rescue operation for survivors was taken on Thursday.

The mine was filled in with the approval of the missing miners' families because of the risk of further collapse. Burial rituals were performed.

Dzinaku said police had taken statements from those that managed to escape and were searching for the owners of the mine.

"We want to make sure those involved, especially the owners, will be brought to book," he added.

"They can answer why they should operate that place because government said they should stop operation."

The accident has been blamed on small-scale gold mining, known in Ghana as "galamsey", which has recently been the target of a government crackdown on environmental grounds.

Ghana is Africa's second-largest gold producer. Exports of the yellow metal, along with other minerals and oil, drive the country's economy.

The industry involves a number of major global players but small-scale, illegal mining has been a persistent problem and accidents are frequent.

In 2010, at least 45 people were killed when an illegal mine collapsed after heavy rains.
Shiite protesters in the Nigerian city of Kano, pictured in August 2016, demand the release of their leader Sheikh Ibrahim Zakzaky, whose recent legal suit against the Nigerian military for human rights violations has been rejected by a court in Kano

A Nigerian court has thrown out a suit brought by a prominent pro-Iranian Shiite cleric against the military for human rights violations, lawyers in the case told AFP Friday.

Ibrahim Zakzaky was seeking two billion naira ($5.6 million) in damages over clashes with troops in 2015 that left some 350 of his followers dead in the northern city of Zaria.

The cleric himself was injured and his been in custody ever since. Three of his children were killed and his house was destroyed.

Lawyer Dari Bayero, representing the military, said the case in Kaduna was struck out for abuse of process, "as the same suit was determined by another federal high court in Abuja".

"The court said the plaintiff (Zakzaky) cannot sue in piecemeal on the same issue at different courts but should consolidate their case in one court," he added.

But Zakzaky's lawyer, Haruna Magashi, argued the two cases were fundamentally different and they were studying the judgment before deciding whether to appeal.

"The case before the Abuja federal high court pertains to illegal detention without trial of my client by the DSS (Department of State Services)," he said.

"This particular one is about enforcement of human rights, which by law can only be filed at a court within whose jurisdiction the crime was committed."

Zakzaky, who leads the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN), has spent nearly 18 months in custody since the clashes on December 14, 2015.

A public inquiry in Kaduna state was told in April last year that nearly 350 IMN supporters were buried in a mass grave, backing up similar claims from human rights groups.

Zakzaky was shot and injured, leaving him partly paralysed and blind in one eye.

Nigeria's military has rejected the death toll and claim they are holding the cleric in "protective custody".

Last December, an Abuja court called the detention of Zakzaky and his followers illegal and unconstitutional and imposed a 45-day deadline for their release.

The government appealed the judgement.

Meanwhile, 100 IMN members who were arrested during the unrest in 2015 are standing trial for the alleged murder of a soldier killed in the violence.

IMN, which seeks to effect an Iranian-style Islamic revolution in the country's Sunni Muslim-majority north, has been in conflict with the Nigerian government for years.

Zakzaky has periodically been imprisoned for alleged incitement and subversion.
US President Donald Trump (R) and Mexican leader Enrique Pena Nieto held talks on the sidelines of the G20 summit, including the contentious issue of migration

US President Donald Trump said Friday he still wants Mexico to pay for a planned border wall, as he met his Mexican counterpart for the first time as head of state.

Asked at the start of the meeting with Enrique Pena Nieto on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany, if he still wanted Mexico to cough up the cash, Trump declared: "Absolutely".

But Mexican Foreign Minister Luis Videgaray, who took part in the meeting, said the wall issue -- as agreed -- did not come up in the actual talks, and that he and Pena Nieto did not even hear Trump's comment.

"It wasnt part of our conversation (with Trump)," he told Mexicos Radio Formula.

"We didn't touch on that subject in our conversation, which lasted about half an hour -- partly because we have a well-known, significant difference of opinion on that," he said.

"Both sides had a prior agreement that the issue would not be on the agenda. If he made that comment, he must have made it very quietly, because I didn't hear it."

Building a wall between Mexico and the United States to stop illegal immigration and the inflow of drugs -- and Mexico paying for it -- was a signature campaign pledge of Trump's in last year's election.

The Trump administration has yet to make serious headway on getting it built or even on who will foot the hefty bill for the 3,200-kilometre (2,000-mile) barrier.

Under pressure from Democrats, the US Congress has so far refused to commit funding, agreeing only to finance maintenance on existing parts of a border fence.

The real battle will play out starting in October, when 2018 budget negotiations begin in earnest.

Last month Trump suggested covering the wall with solar panels and to use the energy to cover some of the construction costs.

"And this way, Mexico will have to pay much less money. And that's good. Right?", Trump told a crowd in Texas on June 22. "Pretty good imagination, right? My idea!"

- US-Mexico relations -

US-Mexican relations have meanwhile nosedived since Trump entered the White House in January.

In January, Pena Nieto cancelled a trip to Washington in response to Trump's insistence on the issue, plunging the countries' relations into their biggest crisis in decades.

In addition Trump has angered Mexico with attacks on Mexican immigrants as "criminals, drug dealers and rapists" and his insistence on holding tough new trade negotiations with its southern neighbour.

Since the cancellation of the trip, the two leaders have since spoken by phone, and a series of high-level meetings between the two countries have eased the tension.

Trump first met Pena Nieto in August 2016 when he was still a presidential candidate.

In their Hamburg encounter Friday, before the comment about the wall, both presidents delivered statements with Trump hailing the "successful day" at the G20 so far.

"We're negotiating NAFTA (the North American Free Trade Agreement) and some other things with Mexico and we'll see how it all turns out, but I think we've made very good progress," Trump said.

Pena Nieto, through a translator, said that the meeting will help the two countries continue a "flowing dialogue", in particular "for the security of both nations, especially for our borders."

The Mexican president noted that "migration" is an issue that has "occupied" both administrations. He added that it was a "co-responsibility to deal with organised crime issues."
China produces around half the world's steel supply

While battles between police and protestors smoulder outside, leaders of the European Union, United States and China appear close to a trade war cliff edge at the G20 summit in Hamburg.

"We are already hearing that some parties are considering introducing protective measures against steel imports in the near future. If this does happen, the European Union will know how to respond appropriately," European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker said before talks began Friday.

US President Donald Trump has vowed to slap tariffs on steel imports to protect American industry, and Washington could start levying the charges as soon as July 13.

Customs duties on certain steel pipes alone would affect imports to the US worth $152.6 million last year.

Germany ($38.8 million) and China ($29.4 million) accounted for the biggest shares, followed by Switzerland, India, South Korea and Italy.

For its part, the EU has taken measures against some Chinese steel products, arguing that the government is providing unfair subsidies to manufacturers and distorting the market.

- Revenge on the rocks? -

Washington's steel threats have raised hackles in Europe, pushing trade disputes to the top of the agenda as heads of government from leading industrialised and emerging countries gather for the Germany-hosted G20.

The event usually ends with a joint communique setting out how leaders will cooperate on issues including global free trade, but details of the wording remained under intense negotiation Friday.

"Europe can't be placed on the same level with unfair competition practices we don't engage in" like China's, the French president's office said, vowing a "very speedy" reaction if the US targets the Old Continent's exports.

EU leaders have quickly cobbled together a list of American products they could strike back at with sanctions, ranging from Kentucky bourbon to orange juice and dairy products, the Financial Times reported Friday.

Commission chief Juncker would not confirm the details, but insisted that Brussels was on high alert and would take only "days" to react to US measures.

China, which produces around half the world's steel supply, has been less talkative on the subject in Hamburg.

But Beijing raged against the European sanctions last month, accusing Brussels of failing to understand its loan system.

"It is biased and unfair for Europe to blame China for its own industrial issues," said Wang Hejun, a senior official at the Chinese trade ministry.

- Guessing game -

Whatever text the G20 can agree on will come under a magnifying glass, as the steel row is only the most acute of a long list of complaints about trade.

At last year's summit in Hangzhou, China, leaders agreed that "excess capacity in steel and other industries is a global issue which requires collective responses," setting up a mechanism for "increased information sharing and cooperation" to try and address the problem.

Nevertheless, "the Chinese haven't really shared all the information" others were hoping for, a source close to the negotiations told AFP recently.

"The signal we have been giving is that we are absolutely ready to work with the US" to target Chinese steel, a senior EU official told the Financial Times on Friday.

However, "it will be very hard politically to cooperate on those issues if we are not excluded" from the Americans' sanctions, they added.

US acceptance of language supporting free trade at a G7 summit in Taormina, Italy earlier this year stoked observers' hopes that agreement could be found.

But Trump has since returned to the protectionist "America First" rhetoric that carried him into the White House.

He has especially targeted Germany, whose massive trade surplus he argues is "very bad for the United States".

Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel on Friday called for a "multilateral" solution faced with a global steel glut.

"Otherwise the likelihood of bilateral measures will simply be greater," she said.
Mongolian election law stipulates that a candidate must garner at least 51 percent of the vote to secure the presidency

A brash businessman with martial arts skills was leading Mongolia's first-ever presidential runoff election early Saturday after a scandal-plagued race to take the helm of the resource-rich but debt-laden country.

Khaltmaa Battulga of the opposition Democratic Party (DP), a 54-year-old former world champion in the Soviet martial art Sambo, had 50.7 percent of the vote with 87 percent of ballots counted, according to the General Election Commission.

"Mongolia has won," Battulga said at a press conference, though the commission will announce the winner later on Saturday. "I will start work straight away to resolve the economic difficulties and make Mongolians debt free as I promised."

Parliament speaker Mieygombo Enkhbold of the Mongolian People's Party (MPP), which holds the majority in the legislature, was behind with 41 percent.

Some 8.3 percent of the votes were blank ballots.

Many voters in the vast nation of three million people sandwiched between Russia and China were so fed up with their politicians that they launched a campaign to submit unmarked ballots.

A candidate must win more than 50 percent of the votes to be declared the winner. If neither candidate reaches this number, the parties are required to nominate different representatives for an entirely new election.

Graphic charting economic and social indicators for Mongolia

The new president will inherit a $5.5 billion International Monetary Fund-led bailout designed to stabilise its economy and lessen its dependence on China, which purchases 80 percent of Mongolian exports.

The former Soviet satellite's economy grew by a measly one percent last year, a stark contrast from an impressive 17 percent in 2011.

It has been hit hard by a more than 50 percent fall in the price of copper, its main export, over the past five years, while slowing growth in its biggest customer China has hobbled the economy.

- First round controversies -

Many voters were so fed up with their politicians that they launched a campaign to submit blank ballots, with some wearing tshirts emblazoned with the words "white choice"

Battulga, a real estate tycoon whose company funded a massive $4.1 million statue of emperor Genghis Khan, has pledged to tap the country's mining wealth to get Mongolians out of debt.

The outgoing president, Tsakhia Elbegdorj of Battulga's Democratic Party, did not run because he served the maximum two four-year terms.

Battulga's lead shows that voters were "looking to balance" the MPP's dominance of parliament and the presidency, said Julian Dierkes, a Mongolia scholar at the University of British Columbia.

"Battulga's biggest challenge will be cohabitation with (the) MPP parliament," Dierkes told AFP. "Surely, parliament will almost immediately start discussions about constitutional reform taking powers from presidency."

In the runup to the June 26 first round, mudslinging between the three candidates overshadowed the issues that most concerned voters, such as the economy and jobs.

Enkhbold eked out a mere 0.1 percent victory over the Mongolian Revolutionary People's Party's Sainkhuu Ganbaatar in the first round.

Ganbaatar cried foul and demanded a recount, but the result was eventually confirmed.

Both Battulga and Enkhbold were linked to scandals ahead of the first-round vote.

A video showed Enkhbold and two MPP officials allegedly discussing a $60 billion tugrik ($25 million) plan for selling government positions.

Battulga was haunted by reports of offshore accounts attached to his name, as well as the arrests of several of his associates by Mongolia's anti-corruption body last spring.

But in the nearly two weeks between the first round and the runoff, public opinion appeared to turn in favour of Battulga, Dierkes said.

Dierkes noted that the MPP announced Tuesday that Mongolian parents would be a given a monthly 20,000 tugrik ($8) allowance for every child, giving Enkhbold's camp "a look of desperation".

But Battulga's party had made its own share of promises: On Monday, DP officials pledged that if Battulga was elected, he would order the government to cover students' tuition loans and herders' debts.
Elections are due this year under a transitional deal aimed at avoiding fresh political violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo

Long-overdue presidential and legislative polls can only be held at the end of the year in troubled Democratic Republic of Congo, the head of the national election commission said Friday.

"It will not be possible before December," Corneille Nangaa told reporters in Paris.

Elections are due this year under a transitional deal aimed at avoiding fresh political violence in the sprawling country of 71 million people after President Joseph Kabila failed to step down when his mandate ended in December 2016.

Under the deal, Kabila was allowed to remain in office pending the elections, ruling in tandem with a transitional watchdog and a new premier, chosen within opposition ranks.

Nangaa cited ongoing security issues in the country's troubled central Kasai region for the delays, which previously forced electoral officials to postpone voter registration in two provinces there.

"We hope to soon launch, before the month of August, the process to register voters in Kasai," Nangaa said.

"We are working wholeheartedly to organise these elections, which are wanted by the Congolese people," he added. "We now have to make an objective assessment to fix the different delays" necessary before the vote.

The violence in Kasai erupted last September after the death in clashes of a tribal chieftain, known as the Kamwina Nsapu, who rebelled against the authority of Kabila's regime in Kinshasa and its local representatives because he was not recognised by the local governor.

The killing sparked escalating violence, including gross violations of human rights such as extrajudicial killings, rapes, mutilations, torture and the use of child soldiers, according to rights groups and the United Nations.

In May, the country indefinitely postponed voter registration in two Kasai provinces after the brutal killing of an electoral official and the destruction of electoral materials and offices.

Kabila, 46, has been in power since 2001 and under the constitution does not have the right to run again.

In June, Kabila said he had never "promised anything" about whether to hold elections, seeming to back away from the deal brokered by the influential Catholic church last year.

"I have not promised anything at all," Kabila told the German weekly Der Spiegel in a rare media interview. "I wish to organise elections as soon as possible".

"We want perfect elections, not just elections," he said, adding that the government was in the process of registering voters and that it was "going well".
Supporters of former strongman Yahya Jammeh are still active in The Gambia

The head of a West African force maintaining security in The Gambia told AFP Friday that army officials loyal to veteran former leader Yahya Jammeh were plotting against the new government.

West African troops were first sent to The Gambia in January to compel Jammeh to relinquish power to his elected successor Adama Barrow, but were retained at the new president's request over fears for his safety.

Colonel Magatte Ndiaye, the head of a Senegalese contingent deployed by the the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), told AFP that rebel elements were intent on destabilising the country and working with exiled Jammeh-era top brass.

"High-ranking officials of the Gambia Armed Forces that have fled with the former president have maintained contact with hostile elements within The Gambia security forces still on active duty," Ndiaye told AFP.

Members of Jammeh's ultra-loyal death squad, known as the "Jungulars", had succeeded in fleeing to neighbouring countries, he added, despite calls to bring them to justice.

"When you put the influence from outside and the operation from inside together, it shows that there are so many negative forces working to make this country ungovernable," Ndiaye said.

Jammeh is currently living in exile in Equatorial Guinea as part of a deal to get him to leave the country peacefully following 22 years in power, and is believed to have taken several of his most important aides with him.

Senegal's foreign minister described The Gambia as threatened by external forces in June, sparking speculation over the level of danger posed by groups such as the Jungulars intent on sowing discord in The Gambia.

Colonel Ndiaye said that while his troops were "succeeding in building that confidence between the Gambian people and their own security forces," demonstrations were being planned that warranted their attention.

One protester was killed in a violent demonstration against the presence of the West African force near Jammeh's home village of Kanilai in June, which Ndiaye described at the time as "self-defence" against a crowd of 600 people with hunting rifles, machetes, knives and stones.
Page Content

On 12 July after leading the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) for two-and-a-half years, Markku Markkula (FI/EPP) is expected to handover the Presidency to Karl-Heinz Lambertz (BE/PES). CoR m embers will also gather in Brussels to debate major EU policies, such as the Common Agricultural Policy after 2020 and the recent EU's energy "Winter Package". EU Commissioner Moedas will lead discussions on the mid-term review of the Horizon 2020 research programme and Transport Commissioner Bulc will join CoR members to discuss the future of low-emission mobility and the Connecting Europe Facility. Global action for sustainability will also be high on the agenda with ideas on how cities and regions can contribute to meeting the UN's Sustainable Development Goals. The 2018 European Entrepreneurial Region (EER) Award ceremony will take place on 12 July celebrating this year's three new winners.

Estonian EU Presidency sets out priorities

Matti Maasikas , Estonian Deputy Minister of European Affairs, is due to present the priorities of the Estonian Presidency of the European Council - which include many priority areas for Europe's regions and cities - which began on 1 July.

Common Agricultural Policy reform after 2020

Recommendations to reform the Common Agricultural Policy after 2020 have been drafted by Guillaume Cros (FR/PES) and, together with its position on EU Cohesion Policy adopted in May, the CoR will set out how the EU's two largest budget items could be re-shaped in the future. Czesaw Adam Siekierski, Chair of the European Parliament's Agriculture and Rural Development Committee, will join the debate.

Horizon 2020: future of research and innovation in Europe

In its mid-term appraisal of Horizon 2020 , the CoR will underscore the central importance of research and innovation on the long-term prospects of the European economy. Carlos Moedas, European Commissioner for Research, Science and Innovation, will debate the CoR's recommendations, which have been prepared by Christophe Clergeau (FR/PES).

Transport in Europe: Launch of EU-wide clean busses initiative

EU Commissioner Violeta Bulc will discuss transport challenges with members of the CoR following the adoption of an opinion on 'European strategy for low-emission mobility', led by Jozsef Ribanyi (HU/EPP). After the debate, the Commissioner for Transport will be joined by the CoRs newly appointed President to launch an EU-wide green busses platform for regions and cities which aims to deploy at least 2,000 zero-emission buses by the end of 2019. The need to curb climate change will also be part of intense discussions when the CoR debates its three opinions on the EU's energy "Winter Package": clean energy, energy efficiency, and the promotion of renewable energy.

Development: 600 local and regional leaders from across the world to gather in Brussels

The United Nations, through the Sustainable Development Goals adopted in 2015, has set objectives for every country in the world. In a CoR opinion entitled ' European action for sustainability ' Franco Iacop (IT/PES) addresses the direct and indirect challenges that the UN has set for European local and regional authorities. The European focus of his opinion will be complemented on 10-11 July by a major gathering of local and regional politicians from all across the world under the heading "Regions and Cities for Development"  "Assises de la cooperation decentralisee", co-organised by the CoR and the European Commission.

As part of the effort to support cities in Libya, the CoR will also adopt recommendations on how to manage migration and save lives along the migration route through the central Mediterranean. The rapporteur is Hans Janssen (NL/EPP).

A press conference with the new CoR President is planned on 12 July, 16h

Other opinions to be adopted:

Practical information:

Where: Paul Henri Spaak building  European Parliament, Hemicycle , 60 rue Wiertz, B - 1047 Brussels

When: 12 July, 3pm-9pm; 13 July, 9am-1pm

Plenary's agenda & documents

& The plenary will be streamed live on the CoR's website

on the CoR's website Plenary media programme

Follow us: @EU_CoR , #CoRplenary

Contact: PresseCdr@cor.europa.eu
Britain's defense minister Michael Fallon told his American counterpart Jim Mattis North Korea's recent missile test "underscored the need to impose a higher price on this rogue regime, a problem that is not just the United States' alone."

Military options against North Korea are a "long way away," Britain's defense minister Michael Fallon said Friday after meeting with Pentagon chief Jim Mattis.

"First of all, we are a long way away from looking at military options," Fallon told a Washington think tank when asked whether NATO allies could support the United States in deterring North Korea's weapons program.

"This is not just a threat to the United States, nor should the United States be expected to deal with this entirely on its own. This is a threat to the international community," he added, pointing to improved sanctions enforcement.

North Korea on Tuesday for the first time tested an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of reaching the United States, with Alaska now within range.

Ahead of their Pentagon meeting, Mattis told reporters the effort to halt Kim Jong-Un's missile program was being led by diplomatic and economic pressure.

On Thursday, Mattis said Pyongyang's ICBM capability doesn't "in itself (bring) us closer to war."

Fallon told Mattis at the Pentagon that "the dangers are increasing from North Korea, whose recent provocation underscored the need to impose a higher price on this rogue regime, a problem that is not just the United States' alone, but a problem for us all."
The Rwandan Patriotic Front party of President Paul Kagame has long dominated the country

Rwanda's election commission on Friday permitted two opposition candidates to run against President Paul Kagame in elections due on August 4, ruling out three other challengers.

National Election Commission (NEC) chief Kalisa Mbanda announced the approval of the Democratic Green Party's Frank Habineza, independent Philippe Mpayimana and Kagame as candidates, while rejecting three other independents.

Habineza's is the only opposition party permitted to operate in Rwanda, long dominated by Kagame's Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF), and the only opponent to a 2015 constitutional reform that cleared the way for the president to run again despite having been in charge of the country since 1994.

Last month the NEC approved Kagame and Habineza but rejected the four independent candidates on procedural grounds, saying they had not met the criteria for eligibility, and gave them five days to resubmit their papers.

Of the four, only Mpayimana, a 46-year-old journalist who is little known in Rwanda, was approved.

Kagame took power in Rwanda in 1994 at the head of a rebel army that is credited with ending the genocide that left around 800,000 people dead, mostly ethnic Tutsis.

Mpayimana, who left Rwanda for the neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo during the genocide, lived in Congo Brazzaville and Cameroon before settling in France in 2003. He only returned to Rwanda in February to present his candidacy.

Prospective candidates Gilbert Mwenedata, Fred Barafinda Skikubo and Diane Rwigara were barred from taking part after failing to collect the requisite 600 supporting signatures from citizens across the country.

Observers do not expect any serious challenge to Kagame and his RPF party's rule in the coming election.
President Uhuru Kenyatta won the last election in 2013 by the slimmest of margins

A Kenyan court on Friday cancelled a contract to print presidential ballot papers for next month's elections after the opposition claimed the winning company had links to President Uhuru Kenyatta.

The election commission had awarded the $24 million contract to Dubai-based Al Ghurair.

A panel of three High Court judges said the process had lacked transparency and ordered a re-tendering which lawyers for the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) intend to challenge, saying it could delay national polls due on August 8.

The company is still permitted to print ballot papers for parliamentary, county and other elections being held on the same day.

But with polling day just a month away, "There is absolutely no time available to engage in such an exercise," argued lawyer Kamau Karuri.

Commission chairman Wafula Chebukati warned, "The judgement has far-reaching implications on the elections."

The opposition National Super Alliance (NASA) hailed the ruling as a victory, calling it "a democratic gift to Kenyans".

Opposition leader Raila Odinga is due to challenge Kenyatta for second time running.

August's elections come a decade after politically motivated ethnic violence left over 1,100 people dead following a disputed vote in 2007.

Kenyatta and Odinga previously went head-to-head in the last election in 2013, with Kenyatta winning with a knife-edge 50.07 percent of the vote.
An Israeli settler stands on Palestinian land overlooking the Ibrahimi Mosque and the historic heart of the occupied West Bank city of Hebron

The Palestinians hailed a UNESCO decision Friday to add the heart of the occupied West Bank city of Hebron to the endangered world heritage list, but Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu called it "delusional".

"This vote is a success for the diplomatic battle fought by Palestine on all fronts, in the face of Israeli and American pressure on member states," the Palestinian foreign ministry said.

The Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip, hailed the decision as an "affirmation of our full rights in Hebron and all Palestinian land".

UNESCO's heritage committee voted 12 to three -- with six abstentions -- to give heritage status to the Old City in the centre of Hebron, where a few hundred Jewish settlers live under heavy Israeli military protection in the midst of more than 200,000 Palestinians.

"Despite a frantic Israeli campaign spreading lies and distorting the facts about the Palestinian rights, the world has recognised our right to register Hebron and the Ibrahimi Mosque under Palestinian sovereignty," the statement added.

The Ibrahimi Mosque, known to Jews as the Tomb of the Patriarchs, is holy to both faiths and has long been a flashpoint of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Old Testament figures including Abraham are believed to be buried there.

In 1994, Israeli-American Baruch Goldstein opened fire on Muslims praying at the site, killing 29, before being beaten to death by survivors.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the vote "another delusional decision by UNESCO."

"This time they ruled the Tomb of the Patriarchs is a Palestinian site, meaning not a Jewish site, and it is in danger."

In May he slammed a UNESCO vote on Jerusalem as "absurd."

On Friday Netanyahu also decided to slash his country's contribution to the United Nations by $1 million (877,000 euros), according to an Israeli official.

Israel has now reduced its funding to the world body four times in the past year, taking its contribution to $2.7 million from $11 million.

Its foreign ministry labelled the Friday's vote on Hebron a "moral blot" on the United Nations, saying it denied the Jewish history of the city.

"The @UNESCO decision on Hebron & Tomb of Patriarchs is a moral blot. This irrelevant organisation promotes FAKE HISTORY. Shame on @UNESCO," foreign ministry spokesman Emmanuel Nahshon tweeted shortly after the vote.

The YESHA council, which represents settlers across the occupied West Bank, called the resolution anti-Semitic.

"Hebron is Judaism's second holiest site, denying 4,000 years of Jewish history is pure anti-Semitism," it said in a statement.

he-jod-burs/dv/dr
US Homeland Security chief John Kelly shakes hands with Mexico's Interior Minister Miguel Angel Osorio Chong during a press conference Friday

Top US and Mexican officials sought common ground Friday on issues such as migration and drug trafficking, even as President Donald Trump combatively repeated his vow to make Mexico pay for his planned border wall.

US Secretary of Homeland Security John Kelly struck a conciliatory tone as he wrapped up a three-day trip to Mexico.

"I cannot stress enough how valuable the US-Mexico relationship is to each of our nations," he said.

He said his visit had highlighted the neighbors' common ground on trade, migration and fighting "the scourge of illegal drugs -- with special emphasis on the heroin, cocaine and fentanyl that is flooding the hemisphere and resulting in deaths in both our countries."

Kelly's comments came hours after Trump again touched a raw nerve in Mexico with his latest remark on the border wall.

Asked at the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany, if he still wanted Mexico to pay for the wall, Trump said: "Absolutely."

He made the comment as he headed into his first official meeting with Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto, who in January cancelled a visit to Washington over Trump's insistence that Mexico pay for the wall.

That was the lowest point in decades in the countries' diplomatic relations, already badly strained by Trump's attacks on Mexican immigrants as "criminals, drug dealers and rapists" and his insistence on holding tough new trade negotiations.

Mexican Interior Minister Miguel Angel Osorio Chong also emphasized the countries' common ground after meeting with Kelly.

"We are exploring new forms of cooperation on issues such as fighting arms trafficking, fighting transnational organized crime" and the "dignified" repatriation of deported Mexican immigrants, he said.

During his visit, Kelly also met with Mexican troops fighting the country's powerful drug cartels and took a surveillance flight over opium poppy fields in the restive state of Guerrero.

The visit comes as the US, Mexico and Canada prepare to begin renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) on August 16.

The 1994 trade deal is a cornerstone of the Mexican economy, but Trump blames it for shipping American jobs south of the border.
North Korea on Tuesday for the first time test fired an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of reaching parts of the United States including Alaska

The US Missile Defense Agency said Friday it would soon test an anti-ballistic missile system, days after North Korea demonstrated its arsenal was capable of striking parts of Alaska.

The Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system to be tested is designed to intercept and destroy short-, medium- and intermediate-range ballistic missiles during their final phase of flight.

The MDA said the test against a ballistic missile target would be conducted at the Pacific Spaceport Complex Alaska in Kodiak, Alaska.

THAAD "will detect, track and engage a target with a THAAD interceptor" rocket in "early July," the MDA said in a statement.

Though such exercises are planned months in advance, it comes after North Korea on Tuesday for the first time test fired an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of reaching parts of the United States including Alaska.

THAAD is not designed to stop an ICBM -- that job is left primarily to the Ground-based Midcourse Defense (GMD) interceptor system.

The US military this year began deploying THAAD to South Korea, a move that infuriated China, which has argued the deployment would further destabilize the situation on the Korean peninsula.

US THAAD batteries are also installed in Guam and Hawaii, designed to stop an intermediate-range missile from North Korea.
NEW YORK (AP) - The Latest on the fatal shooting of a New York City police officer (all times local):

7:30 p.m.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (KWOH'-moh) has directed that flags on all state government buildings be flown at half-staff in memory of a New York City police officer fatally shot while sitting in a vehicle.

Numbers mark a crime scene near the site where a police officer was fatally shot in the Bronx section of New York, Wednesday, July 5, 2017. Police said other officers shot and killed the suspect after he drew a revolver on them. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

The Democratic governor calls Wednesday's killing of Officer Miosotis Familia a "senseless assassination."

A gunman shot the officer in the head as she sat in a mobile command post vehicle in the Bronx. The gunman fled but was fatally shot by police after he pointed a revolver at them.

Flags will be flown at half-staff beginning Thursday and remain in that position until the officer's burial.

___

6:15 p.m.

Boston police are warning officers to remain alert after a New York City officer was shot and killed in her car.

Police Commissioner William Evans said Wednesday he's "saddened" to hear of the killing of NYPD Officer Miosotis Familia.

Police say Alexander Bonds went up to an RV command post in the Bronx and ambushed Officer Familia, shooting her through the passenger-side window as she wrote in her notebook around 12:30 a.m.

Police say officers caught up with Bonds about a block away and killed him when he pulled a stolen revolver.

Evans is urging Boston officers to remain "vigilant" and "aware of their surroundings at all times given the recent violence targeting law enforcement officers."

___

6 p.m.

The New York Police and Fire Widows' and Children's Benefit Fund is providing financial support to the family of a New York City police officer gunned down in an unprovoked attack.

The fund, known as Answer the Call, said Wednesday it will provide an initial $25,000 to the officer's family. In addition, the fund will provide an annual stipend to each of the officer's three children until they reach the age of 21.

Officer Miosotis Familia died Wednesday after a gunman shot her in the head as she sat in a police RV in the Bronx. The gunman fled, but was fatally shot by police after he pointed a revolver at them.

___

5:40 p.m.

An ex-convict who ambushed and killed a New York City police officer ranted online about how inmates are treated in prison. But prison records show he had a long history of disciplinary problems behind bars.

Records show Alexander Bonds, also called John Bonds, was written up more than two dozen times while in prison after pleading guilty to a 2005 robbery in Syracuse.

Some of the disciplinary knocks are top-level violations such as assaulting an inmate or fighting.

A parole board cited his "poor institutional behavior" and "lengthy history" of arrests in denying his 2012 bid for parole. He was released in 2013 under a provision that sometimes allows parole without a board's input.

Police say he strode up to a mobile police command post and put a bullet in an officer's head Wednesday. Officers caught up with him a block away and killed him when he pulled a revolver.

___

4 p.m.

U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions says the killing of a New York City officer in "cold blood" is the latest in a troubling series of attacks on police officers over the past two years.

Sessions issued a statement on Wednesday saying "these attacks must stop."

Officer Miosotis Familia died Wednesday after a gunman shot her in the head as she sat in a police RV in the Bronx. The gunman fled, but was fatally shot by police after he pointed a revolver at them.

Sessions said, "we must honor the service of every law enforcement officer and the memory of those we have lost in the line of duty."

___

2:15 p.m.

Friends of the New York City officer shot to death inside a police RV say she was the "sweetest person you'd ever want to meet."

Officer Miosotis Familia died Wednesday after a gunman fired through the glass, striking her in the head. Police say the gunman fled, and when officers caught up with him a block away, he pointed a revolver at them and they fatally shot him.

Family friend Isabelita Roman said Familia became a police officer to help the community. Neighbor Tom Ritter said: "She'd give you the shirt off her back. She was the sweetest person you ever want to meet."

Familia had been on the force for 12 years and was assigned to a Bronx precinct. She had three children, including a set of twins.

___

11:40 a.m.

The New York City police officer shot to death on duty was assigned to a Bronx precinct and worked the midnight shift.

Officer Miosotis Familia had three children, including a set of twins, and was of Dominican descent.

The 48-year-old was shot early Wednesday while sitting in the front passenger seat of a police RV stationed in the area as a result of a triple shooting in the area in March. She was a 12-year police veteran.

Police say she had no prior contact with gunman Alexander Bonds. He fled the scene, but police caught up to him a block away and shot and killed him when he turned with a gun in his hand.

___

10:15 a.m.

The man who police say fired a single shot through the window of a police RV that killed a New York City officer is seen on surveillance video moments before the attack.

Police say Alexander Bonds was captured on video exiting a nearby convenience store, then moving tightly along the wall, pulling his hoodie over his head and walking purposefully toward the van. Police say he fired through the window with a revolver.

The video doesn't capture the shooting but shows him running from the scene with a gun in his hand.

Officer Miosotis Familia was at the end of her shift when she was struck.

Police chased Bonds and caught him about a block away and opened fire when he pointed the gun at them.

___

8 a.m.

A New York City police officer is heard frantically shouting for help after his partner was fatally shot early Wednesday.

Officer Miosotis Familia was writing in her memo book at the end of her shift when 34-year-old Alexander Bonds walked up to the passenger side of the police truck she was sitting in and fired one shot, striking her in the head.

"Shots fired! 10-85!" her partner is heard shouting after the gunfire on a police recording, including the code for an officer down. "My partner's shot! My partner's shot! My partner's shot! Hurry up central!"

Police quickly responded and caught up to Bonds about a block away, where he pointed a gun at them. They fired and killed him.

Police Commissioner James O'Neill said it was an unprovoked attack.

___

7:10:

Police say a 12-year veteran New York City officer was fatally shot while sitting in her patrol car with her partner in what one sergeant is calling a "clear assassination."

Police Sgt. Brendan Ryan says 48-year-old Officer Miosotis Familia died at a hospital early Wednesday. He says the attack "appears to be an isolated incident - clear assassination."

They say a person believed to be a bystander was struck by a bullet and is in stable condition.

The attack happened in the Bronx around 12:30 a.m. While the injured officer's partner radioed for assistance, other officers spotted the suspect running and confronted him. Police say the officers shot and killed the suspect after he drew a revolver on them.

Police identified the suspect as 34-year-old Alexander Bonds.

___

6:05 a.m.

Police say a New York City officer who was shot while sitting in her patrol car has died in what they're calling a "clear assassination."

Police Sgt. Brendan Ryan says 48-year-old Officer Miosotis Familia died at a hospital early Wednesday.

Police say other officers shot and killed the suspect after he drew a revolver on them. They say a person believed to be a bystander was struck by a bullet and is in stable condition.

The attack happened in the Bronx around 12:30 a.m. while the officer was sitting in her vehicle with her partner. Her partner radioed for help. Other officers spotted the suspect and began chasing him.

The suspect has been identified as 34-year-old Alexander Bonds.

Ryan says police are unaware of any connection between Bonds and Familia.

___

3:30 a.m.

Authorities say a New York police officer has been shot and is in extremely critical condition.

The New York Police Department wrote on Twitter that the officer was shot while in a patrol vehicle with her partner in the Bronx early Wednesday.

While her partner radioed for assistance, other officers confronted the suspect, who was running, one block away. The suspect drew a revolver and the officers fatally shot him.

Police say another person, believed to be a bystander, was also struck by a bullet. The person is in stable condition.

The 12-year veteran officer has been hospitalized at St. Barnabas Hospital in critical condition.

Authorities say the investigation is ongoing.

This undated photo provided by the New York Police Department shows officer Miosotis Familia, who was shot to death early Wednesday, July 5, 2017, ambushed inside a command post RV by an ex-convict, authorities said. The gunman was killed by police about a block away. (NYPD via AP)

This April 10, 2013 photo released by the New York State Department of Corrections shows Alexander Bonds, also known as John Bonds. A New York City police officer was shot to death early Wednesday, July 5, 2017, ambushed in a marked police vehicle by Bonds with a revolver who was later killed by officers. (New York State Department of Corrections via AP)

Emergency personnel stand near the scene where a police officer was shot in the Bronx section of New York, Wednesday, July 5, 2017. Police said Officer Miosotis Familia died at a hospital early Wednesday. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

A NYPD vehicle with a cracked window sits on the scene where a police officer was fatally shot in the Bronx section of New York, Wednesday, July 5, 2017. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

This image provided by the NYPD shows a gun recovered after a fatal shooting of an officer in the Bronx section of New York, Wednesday, July 5, 2017. Police said other officers shot and killed the suspect after he drew a revolver on them. (NYPD via AP)

Police officers react after visiting the scene where a police officer was fatally shot in the Bronx section of New York, Wednesday, July 5, 2017. The officer was ambushed inside her command post RV by an ex-convict, authorities said. He was later killed after pulling a gun on police. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Numbers mark a crime scene in the Bronx borough of New York, Wednesday, July 5, 2017, where a police officer fatally shot 34-year-old Alexander Bonds. Authorities say Bonds, who shot and killed a New York City officer in her command post RV in an ambush, was later killed by police (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)

Numbers mark a crime scene in the Bronx borough of New York, Wednesday, July 5, 2017, where a police officer fatally shot 34-year-old Alexander Bonds. Authorities say Bonds, who shot and killed a New York City officer in her command post RV in an ambush, was later killed by police (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)

Emergency personnel work near the scene where a police officer was fatally shot in the Bronx section of New York, Wednesday, July 5, 2017. The officer was ambushed inside her command post RV by an ex-convict, authorities said. He was later killed after pulling a gun on police. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Emergency personnel pray near the scene where a police officer was shot in the Bronx section of New York, Wednesday, July 5, 2017. The officer was ambushed inside her command post RV by an ex-convict, authorities said. He was later killed after pulling a gun on police. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Emergency personnel work near the scene where a police officer was fatally shot in the Bronx section of New York, Wednesday, July 5, 2017. The officer was ambushed inside her command post RV by an ex-convict, authorities said. He was later killed after pulling a gun on police. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Only five of nearly 40 San Francisco UPS workers have returned to work after witnessing the fatal shootings of three colleagues last month, a union official said.

The San Francisco Chronicle reports (http://bit.ly/2sM8L3d) that the small number of people who have returned to work stems from fear of the unknown.

"People are afraid," said Joe Cilia, secretary-treasurer for Teamsters Local 2785, the drivers' union. "It's tough. People are starting to wonder what's going to happen going forward, and they're not able to go back to work."

FILE - In this June 16, 2017 file photo, a UPS truck is driven past a memorial set up outside of a UPS facility in San Francisco. A union official says only five of the 40 San Francisco UPS workers have returned to work after witnessing the fatal shootings of three colleagues last month. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, file)

On June 14, UPS driver Jimmy Lam, 38, fatally shot three fellow drivers and wounded two others during a morning meeting before the day's deliveries. He then killed himself in front of police.

Within half an hour of the first police call, a team of service providers specially trained to assist in mass shootings rushed to the scene and helped drivers who had run from the building when the shooting started.

"Law enforcement's role is to provide safety and contain the incident. Our role is to support and intervene for the victims," said Dr. Gena Castro Rodriguez, chief of the victim services division of the San Francisco district attorney's office.

Her group, created by District Attorney George Gascon's office after the December 2015 attack in San Bernardino that left 14 people dead at a gathering of government workers, is one of the first in the state specially trained to respond to mass-casualty events.

Leopold Parker, 53, was in the drivers' morning meeting at the Potrero Hill building when Lam started shooting.

Although he isn't back on the job, he's been back to the office to speak with the counselors.

"So far, I'm doing OK," said Parker, who saw Lam shoot the first victim, Benson Louie, right in front of him. "I'm just worried about our younger drivers. I don't know what those guys are going through. It's been bad enough for me seeing a guy take a bullet."

Many drivers are working through the shock of what happened that day and struggling with the fact that they'll probably never know why Lam turned on his colleagues.

"In some cases, the justice system gives some closure," Rodriguez said during an interview with the newspaper. "In this case, because the shooter is also deceased, we're never going to really know what the motivation was or what the thoughts were, so that's going to linger for some families."

___

Information from: San Francisco Chronicle, http://www.sfgate.com

FILE - In this Wednesday, June 14, 2017, file photo, UPS workers gather outside a UPS package delivery warehouse where a shooting took place in San Francisco. A union official says only five of the 40 San Francisco UPS workers have returned to work after witnessing the fatal shootings of three colleagues last month. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg, File)
SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) - The Latest on shootings in downtown Savannah, Georgia, that led to a police chase and crash that killed three people (all times local):

4:35 p.m.

Savannah's police chief is blaming gang members for shootings in the city's downtown historic district that led to a police chase in which a fleeing SUV crashed and killed three people.

Savannah-Chatham County Police Chief Joseph Lumpkin said at a news conference Wednesday the shootings that wounded three people at about 12:13 a.m. were "group-gang" related. He showed reporters video of an SUV pulling alongside a sidewalk bench where several people sat before they jumped suddenly and ran as shots were fired.

Officers chased the SUV, which crashed several blocks away. Lumpkin said the crash killed two young men inside the vehicle. The crash also killed a bystander, identified by police as Scott Waldrup.

Lumpkin said the SUV's driver, 17-year-old Jared Chambers, is charged with felony murder.

___

11:50 a.m.

Police in Savannah say they have arrested a suspect after shootings in the city's downtown historic district led to a police chase in which a fleeing vehicle crashed and killed three people.

Savannah-Chatham County police Cpl. Hillary Nielsen told reporters that gunfire wounded three people at about 12:13 a.m. Wednesday in Savannah's City Market nightlife district. She said officers chased a vehicle that fled and soon crashed, killing one pedestrian and two people inside the vehicle. Five other pedestrians were injured.

Nielsen said police arrested one suspect who will be charged with felony murder and other crimes in the crash and shootings. The suspect was not immediately identified.

Nielsen said a fourth person was wounded by gunfire in a separate shooting nearby, but she couldn't say if it was linked.
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (AP) - Rescuers are scrambling this year on central California's snowmelt-swollen Kern River, which has claimed the lives of 8 people since March, according to a report Wednesday.

Over the long Fourth of July weekend one more person died and two others went missing, according to the Los Angeles Times (http://lat.ms/2sqiEnJ ). And on Saturday crews pulled out the body of a swimmer lost to the raging waters more than a week earlier.

As the winter's heavy snowfall melts, the river dubbed the "Killer Kern" has become dangerously swift with cold mountain runoff.

In this July 1, 2017, photo, Kern County Sheriff's deputies and search and rescue workers retrieve a body from the Keyesville area of the Kern River in Lake Isabella, Calif. Rescuers are scrambling this year on central California's snowmelt-swollen Kern River, which has claimed the lives of 8 people since March, according to a report Wednesday. (Marcus Yam/Los Angeles Times via AP)

"This has been an epic year," said Sgt. Steve Williams, a search and rescue coordinator for the Kern County Sheriff's Office.

The county has relied on 50 trained volunteers to help save swimmers caught in powerful currents and recover the bodies of those who have drowned, the newspaper said.

A volunteer team based on the Lower Kern has already logged more than 3,000 mission hours this year, according to Sheriff's Sgt. Zachary Bittle. The team based on the Upper Kern is nearing that number, volunteer captain Tony Talbott said.

Several years of drought had severely depleted the Kern, a popular whitewater rafting destination known for its dramatic rapids. But this year's wet winter created a record Sierra Nevada snowpack, and the melt has engorged the waterway.

The Kern is now "a different monster," Williams said.

Adding to the danger of the icy waters and powerful currents is the fact that visitors have forgotten what the Kern looked like before the drought.

Believing the river to be as calm as it was last summer, they have flocked with inflatable rafts and tubes meant for the placid water of a pool or lake. Most who have gotten into trouble were not wearing proper life vests, officials told the Times.

___

Information from: Los Angeles Times, http://www.latimes.com/

Ransom Yarger and Paulina Stanfield conduct a search mission for a missing person reported the day before in a raging part of the Kern River, in Kernville, Calif., July 2, 2017. Rescuers are scrambling this year on central California's snowmelt-swollen Kern River, which has claimed the lives of 8 people since March, according to a report Wednesday. (Marcus Yam/Los Angeles Times via AP)

A member of the Gonzalez family soaks in the evening sun and plays in the cold Kern River at Keyesville Camp near Lake Isabella, Calif., July 3, 2017. Rescuers are scrambling this year on central California's snowmelt-swollen Kern River, which has claimed the lives of 8 people since March, according to a report Wednesday. (Marcus Yam/Los Angeles Times via AP)

In this July 1, 2017, photo, Kern County Sheriff's deputies and search and rescue workers retrieve a body from the Keyesville area of the Kern River in Lake Isabella, Calif. Rescuers are scrambling this year on central California's snowmelt-swollen Kern River, which has claimed the lives of 8 people since March, according to a report Wednesday. (Marcus Yam/Los Angeles Times via AP)

In this July 1, 2017, photo, search and rescue workers rescue Shannon Gilbert after she went into the Kern River without a life vest near Kernville, Calif. Rescuers are scrambling this year on central California's snowmelt-swollen Kern River, which has claimed the lives of 8 people since March, according to a report Wednesday. (Marcus Yam/Los Angeles Times via AP)
Page Content

A few months after its launch, the European Committee of the Regions (CoR)' " Reflecting on Europe " campaign aiming at collecting citizens' concerns and expectations at the grassroots, is gaining rapid momentum. As highlighted yesterday during the meeting of the CoR's Commission for Citizenship, Governance, Institutional and External Affairs (CIVEX), more than 50 citizens' dialogues and town hall debates have been held in 19 EU Member States since March 2016. Those debates involved about 170 CoR members and reached out to 20.000 people in 160 regions and cities across Europe. 90 further local events are foreseen before in 2017, which will amount to a total of 135 local debates in 2016-2017. The results will feed in to the CoR contribution to the current political reflection on Europe's future.

As part of the current political reflection on the future of Europe, European Council President Tusk has asked the CoR to send its recommendations from the perspective of cities and regions, stating that the "purpose of the referral would be to receive a real perception of the reality from the European grassroots level". The CoR position will draw from its "Reflecting on Europe" initiative, which provides a unique platform for citizens participation in the ongoing debate. The aim is to go local, listen to and collect citizens and regional and local authorities' opinions and proposals about how the EU should evolve in the next decade. The CIVEX Commission is actively involved in this process, in particular by supporting the work of the rapporteurs, CoR President Markku Markkula and First Vice-President Karl-Heinz Lambertz , on this topic.

Speaking during yesterday's CIVEX meeting, President Markkula said: "Momentum is growing to build a better Europe - based on mutual and shared responsibility across the EU and across different levels of government. From the Rome declaration to the forward - looking statements made by the French President, Emmanuel Macron, we know that reforms are on the horizon. We need to showcase that political leaders, especially those closest to citizens, can really respond to their concerns and that with the help of cities and regions we can we make the EU more human, simpler and closer to the people. Having visited all 28 Member States during my mandate, I had the opportunity to engage in very interesting debates with citizens from all sections of society. Seeing these events happen in every corner of Europe and with our CoR members in the driving seat makes me very proud".

Mr Markkula referred to his participation to the recent citizens' dialogues held in in Cluj-Napoca (13 June) together with Emil Boc, Mayor of Cluj-Napoca, former Prime Minister of Romanian and CoR member, Athens (19 June) together with CoR member Giorgos Kaminis, Mayor of the Greek capital, where attending citizens shared their concerns and hopes for the future of Europe, and presented collective initiatives to address the challenges affecting their everyday city life. President Markku Markkula also participated in a citizens' dialogue in Thessaloniki on 20th June, which was hosted by Apostolos Tzitzikostas, Governor of the Region of Central Macedonia and CoR member and attended by Prokopis Pavlopoulos, President of the Hellenic Republic. More than 400 citizens participated in the debate, discussing a wide range of topics including the role of the EU as a global player, EU integration, tourism, economy and entrepreneurship.

First Vice-President Lambertz remarked: "The overwhelming response by so many local and regional leaders to be involved in this initiative demonstrates that their citizens want to be heard. They want to share their concerns, views and vision on Europe's future, on their future. If the EU is to overcome the crisis in confidence it needs to listen local and deliver local for every citizen. Europe's future lies in giving more say to its regions, cities, towns and villages".

"Reflecting on Europe": citizens' survey and interactive map

A comprehensive set of tools has been developed to promote the Reflecting on Europe exercise, to collect participants' views and support CoR Members in the organisation of local debates.

The main tool for collecting citizens' feedback is the " Reflecting on Europe e-survey " available in all EU languages. The survey is made of a set of closed and open questions on the future of Europe and allows for feedback to be sent to respondents to ensure they are consistently informed about the CoR action to represent their views. Over 2160 responses to the survey have been registered so far.

an interactive map , including all relevant information on the ongoing local debates by country, is available online, including details on CoR members involved, partners, agenda and reports.

More information

Contact:

Nathalie Vandelle

Tel. +32 (0)2 282 24 99


HAMBURG, Germany (AP) - U.S. President Donald Trump and other leaders of the Group of 20 top industrial and developing countries arrived Thursday in Hamburg as police in Germany's second-biggest city braced themselves for a major protest by anti-globalization activists.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said she hoped the G-20 leaders meeting Friday and Saturday would be able to find "compromises and answers" on a wide range of issues.

Merkel said leaders would address regulating financial markets, fighting terrorism and pandemics and combatting climate change, among other issues. She said "free, rule-based and fair trade" will be an important issue.

Demonstrators wait for the beginning of a protest titled "Welcome to hell" against the G-20 summit in Hamburg, northern Germany, Thursday, July 6, 2017. The leaders of the group of 20 meet July 7 and 8. (AP Photo/Michael Probst)

"You can imagine that there will be discussions that will not be easy," she said. "Globalization can be a win-win situation. It must not always be that there are winners and losers."

The northern German port city boosted its police force with reinforcements from around the country for the summit, and has 20,000 officers on hand to patrol Hamburg's streets, skies and waterways.

More than 100,000 protesters are expected in the city for the summit, with some 8,000 considered part of Europe's violent left-wing scene, according to police.

Ahead of the summit, a Thursday evening demonstration is planned, which organizers have titled as "G-20: Welcome to Hell."

While protests so far have been largely calm, city police chief Ralf Martin Meyer told ZDF television: "We are skeptical as to whether this evening and tonight will remain peaceful."

Demonstrators have promised massive protests against Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, three of the more controversial guests at the summit. A large sign in a shop window near the summit venue featured pictures of the three with the slogan: "We don't want that!"

A large banner hanging from a building overlooking the congress center where the leaders will meet said: "G20 Members: Respect the rule of law!"

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Chinese President Xi Jinping and South African President Jacob Zuma were among the first to arrive on Thursday, while Trump joined in the late afternoon, flying in from a stop in Warsaw.

For the anti-globalization protest Thursday night, organizers said they were "calling on the world to make Hamburg a focal point of the resistance against the old and new capitalist authorities."

Overnight, 10 cars were set ablaze outside a Hamburg Porsche dealership, which police are investigating as possibly summit-related.

Many other groups are calling for peaceful protests, and are pushing the G-20 leaders for action on climate change, to address economic disparities in the world and a wide array of other issues. Some are even calling for the dissolution of the G-20 itself so the United Nations becomes the platform for such discussions.

In the wake of Trump's recent decision to pull out of the Paris deal fighting climate change, the battle against global warming promises to feature prominently in discussions at the summit.

Merkel has rejected calls from some to push for a strong "G-19" statement - without the U.S. - on climate change. That is something that Zhu Guangyao, a Chinese deputy finance minister, told reporters Thursday that Beijing also did not support.

"The policies produced by the G-20 should be by the consensus of all member states," he said. "No one should be excluded."

Still, he added, "China will firmly promote its policies taking more measures against climate change."

Activists are expressing concern, however, that the draft language being worked on for the closing G-20 communique apparently calls for a "global approach" on climate change, which they fear could weaken national responsibilities.

On trade, Putin wrote in a guest article for Germany's Handelsblatt newspaper Thursday that "politically motivated" sanctions were being used as a form of protectionism.

"Limits by one-sided, politically motivated sanctions on investment, trade and particularly technology transfer are becoming its hidden form," the Russian leader wrote.

The European Union and United States have imposed sanctions on Russia over its actions in Ukraine - for annexing the Crimean Peninsula in 2014 and for supporting separatists fighting the government in eastern Ukraine - a conflict that has cost 10,000 lives since April 2014.

Putin, however, wrote that such sanctions lead nowhere. He said they "contradict the G-20 principles" of working together in the interests of all countries.

_____

Geir Moulson contributed to this report.

Sophie Gregoire-Trudeau, son Hadrien, and Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, from left, arrive for the G-20 summit in Hamburg, northern Germany, Thursday, July 6, 2017. The leaders of the group of 20 meet July 7 and 8. (AP Photo/Michael Sohn)

A demonstrator lights smoke markers on top of the Rote Flora squat during a protest against the G-20 summit in Hamburg, northern Germany, Wednesday, July 5, 2017. The leaders of the group of 20 meet July 7 and 8. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

A demonstrator holds a poster with a photo of German Chancellor Angela Merkel and the writing 'festival of democracy with special guests' as a dancing protest against the G-20 summit passes by the Rote Flora squat in Hamburg, northern Germany, Wednesday, July 5, 2017. The leaders of the group of 20 meet July 7 and 8. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, right, his wife Sophie Gregoire-Trudeau, left, and their son Hadrien arrive for the G-20 summit in Hamburg, northern Germany, Thursday, July 6, 2017. The leaders of the group of 20 meet July 7 and 8. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

South African President Jacob Zuma, left, and his wife Thobeka Madiba Zuma arrive for the G-20 summit in Hamburg, northern Germany, Thursday, July 6, 2017. The leaders of the group of 20 meet July 7 and 8. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

Chinese President Xi Jinping, left, and his wife Peng Liyuan arrive for the G-20 summit in Hamburg, northern Germany, Thursday, July 6, 2017. The leaders of the group of 20 meet July 7 and 8. (AP Photo/Michael Sohn)

Argentine President Mauricio Macri, left, and his wife Juliana Adawa arrive for the G-20 summit in Hamburg, northern Germany, Thursday, July 6, 2017. The leaders of the group of 20 meet July 7 and 8. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump wave as they board Air Force One for a trip to Hamburg for the G20 Summit, Thursday, July 6, 2017, in Warsaw. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

U.S. President Donald Trump, left, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel pose for a photograph prior to a bilateral meeting on the eve of the G-20 summit in Hamburg, northern Germany, Thursday, July 6, 2017. The leaders of the group of 20 meet July 7 and 8. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader, pool)

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, center left, and his wife Akie Abe, center right, arrive for the G-20 summit in Hamburg, northern Germany, Thursday, July 6, 2017. The leaders of the group of 20 meet July 7 and 8. (Bernd von Jutrczenka/dpa via AP)

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, center left, and his wife Akie Abe, center right, arrive for the G-20 summit in Hamburg, northern Germany, Thursday, July 6, 2017. The leaders of the group of 20 meet July 7 and 8. (Bernd von Jutrczenka/dpa via AP)

Helicopters_ one of the them carrying U.S. President Donald Trump_ fly over the Elbphilharmonie concert hall in Hamburg, northern Germany, Thursday, July 6, 2017 the day before the start of the G-20 summit. (Marcus Brandt/dpa via AP)

Demonstrators gather for a protest against the G-20 summit in Hamburg, northern Germany, Thursday, July 6, 2017. The leaders of the group of 20 meet July 7 and 8. (AP Photo/Michael Probst)

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, right, shakes hand with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull prior to a bilateral meeting on the eve of the G-20 summit in Hamburg, northern Germany, Thursday, July 6, 2017. The leaders of the group of 20 meet July 7 and 8. (Michael Kappeler/pool photo via AP)

A demonstrator takes a selfie when waiting for a protest against the G-20 summit to begin in Hamburg, northern Germany, Thursday, July 6, 2017. The leaders of the group of 20 meet July 7 and 8. (AP Photo/Michael Probst)

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, right, poses for a photograph with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull prior to a bilateral meeting on the eve of the G-20 summit in Hamburg, northern Germany, Thursday, July 6, 2017. The leaders of the group of 20 meet July 7 and 8. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader, pool)

U.S. President Donald Trump, left, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel pose for a photograph prior to a bilateral meeting on the eve of the G-20 summit in Hamburg, northern Germany, Thursday, July 6, 2017. The leaders of the group of 20 meet July 7 and 8. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader, pool)
TROYES, France (AP) - Sport's highest court has rejected Peter Sagan's appeal to be allowed back into the Tour de France.

The world champion was sent home from the race for elbowing British rival Mark Cavendish during Stage 4 on Tuesday.

His Bora-Hansgrohe team appealed to the Switzerland-based Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Peter Sagan of Slovakia, left, sprints as Britain's Mark Cavendish crashes, during the sprint of the fourth stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 207.5 kilometers (129 miles) with start in Mondorf-les-Bains, Luxembourg, and finish in Vittel, France, Tuesday, July 4, 2017. World champion Peter Sagan has been disqualified from the Tour de France for causing a crash in a chaotic sprint finish that left Mark Cavendish needing treatment for his injuries and further examinations in a hospital. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

In a short statement Thursday, the court said it rejected the appeal and that Sagan "remains disqualified from the 2017 Tour de France."

The team insisted that Sagan "did not cause, let alone deliberately, the fall of Mark Cavendish."

It said "Sagan stayed on his line and could not see Cavendish on the right side."

The crash forced Cavendish to abandon the race with a broken shoulder.

Peter Sagan of Slovakia signs the start list prior to the fourth stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 207.5 kilometers (129 miles) with start in Mondorf-les-Bains, Luxembourg, and finish in Vittel, France, Tuesday, July 4, 2017. World champion Sagan was disqualified from the Tour de France for causing a serious crash in a chaotic sprint finish on Tuesday that left Mark Cavendish needing treatment for his injuries and further examinations in a hospital. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)
WARSAW, Poland (AP) - U.S. President Donald Trump made his emotional address to the Poles speaking at the foot of the metal-and-stone Monument to the Warsaw Uprising, a heroic but failed 1944 uprising by Poland's clandestine Home Army against the occupying Nazi Germans.

The monument stands near the still-existing entry into the city's sewer system that the insurgents and civilians used to flee the area as it was being overtaken by the Nazis. At least 150,000 Poles - both fighters and civilians - died in the fierce street fighting in the uprising.

It was unveiled on Aug. 1, 1989, on the 45th anniversary of the start of the uprising. It shows some fighters entering the sewer opening, while others are fleeing a wall that is collapsing after an explosion. It is a site of great emotions and pride for Poles.

U.S. President Donald Trump delivers a speech in Krasinski Square, back dropped by the monument commemorating the 1944 Warsaw Uprising against the Nazis, in Warsaw, Poland, Thursday, July 6, 2017. (AP Photo/Alik Keplicz)

In 1994, during the 50th anniversary observances, German President Roman Herzog apologized at the site for Germany's World War II crimes.

As Trump's tight schedule during the brief visit Thursday to Warsaw did not include another key memorial of a dramatic struggle, the Monument to the Warsaw Ghetto Heroes, Ivanka Trump was there and laid flowers in homage to the fighters.

Unveiled on April 19, 1948, on the fifth anniversary of the start of the uprising, the massive granite-and-metal memorial honors hundreds of Jewish fighters who on April 19, 1943, began their struggle as the Nazis were liquidating the ghetto and transporting thousands of its remaining residents to the Treblinka death camp. The monument's metal figures show the determination of the fighters.

The fighters took up arms, choosing to die in an overwhelmingly lopsided battle. Only a handful of them managed to escape the burning ghetto.

The memorial stands in the center of the former ghetto, near where the fighting began.

Some 400,000 Jews perished in the Warsaw ghetto that the Nazis set up in 1940.

Ivanka Trump also visited the nearby new POLIN museum of the history of Poland's Jews.

FILE - In this Aug 12, 2015 picture two tourists visit the monument to the Jews who fought and died in the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising of 1943 in Warsaw, Poland. Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner, senior advisor of President Donald Trump visited the Warsaw 1943 Ghetto Heroes Memorial, Thursday, July 6, 2017. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski, file)

U.S. President Donald Trump delivers a speech in Krasinski Square, back dropped by the monument commemorating the 1944 Warsaw Uprising against the Nazis, in Warsaw, Poland, Thursday, July 6, 2017. (AP Photo/Alik Keplicz)

Ivanka Trump arrives with her husband Jared Kushner, senior advisor of President Donald Trump, for U.S. President Donald Trump's speech in Krasinski Square, in Warsaw, Poland, Thursday, July 6, 2017. (AP Photo/Alik Keplicz)
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) - The Rhode Island church where John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline Bouvier wed is inviting visitors in to kneel where the couple knelt, listen to the music that played and imagine the day.

St. Mary's Church, in Newport, was the site of the wedding on Sept. 12, 1953, when Kennedy was a senator from Massachusetts. The couple often spent weekends and summers in Newport, where her family owned property. During those visits, including during his presidency, the couple worshipped at St. Mary's, always sitting in pew 10.

People fascinated with the Kennedys regularly turn up at the church. Often they find the doors locked. The church typically isn't open when Mass isn't scheduled.

The Rev. Kris von Maluski wanted to welcome them in. He's giving a presentation about the wedding, Tuesdays through October.
TROYES, France (AP) - Barrels of beers and wines, and dozens of cheeses, pates and cold cuts on each stage. Sigh. The trouble with the ever-moving Tour de France: too much to try, simply not enough time.

Still, it would be churlish to complain as the Tour ventures deep into Burgundy, one of France's culinary epicenters - which is saying something in a country where practically every village, town and region has a signature dish, drink or both.

Stage 7 on Friday starts where Stage 6 ended, in Troyes, home to the pungent andouillette sausage made of sliced and boiled pig's intestine. The stage ends 213.5 kilometers (132 miles) later - likely with another mass sprint - in Nuits-Saint-Georges, one of Burgundy's famed wine labels.

The pack with Britain's Chris Froome, wearing the overall leader's yellow jersey rides in Langres during the sixth stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 216 kilometers (134 miles) with start in Vesoul and finish in Troyes, France, Thursday, July 6, 2017. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

Here is a gastronomic, sporting and cultural guide to the last flat-ish stage, before the Tour gains altitude again in the mountains of the Jura and Alps this weekend:

BAGUETTE AND BUTTER: With only a few hills before a long straight at the finish, Stage 7 will be a playground for the muscular sprinters who will then make way for lithe climbers in the mountains.

PLAT DU JOUR: Snails. The Burgundy recipe sees them cooked in the oven with garlic and fresh parsley butter, and served in their shells. Picking them out with a two-pronged fork or, failing that, with a woodwork nail is part of the fun.

Ready-to-cook snails can be bought in cans.

For the full experience, gather them up after rain in the wild; starve them for a week to clean out their innards; wash them in salt water; boil them for five minutes in water with vinegar; take them out of their shells; cook them again for between 45 minutes and two hours, depending on the species, in chicken stock and white wine with an onion, fennel, celery and herbs; let them cool before putting them back into empty shells with the garlic-parsley butter; roast them for about 10 minutes until the butter bubbles.

Quite a chore. Maybe canned snails aren't so bad after all.

VIN DU JOUR: Burgundy's world-famous wines need no introduction. But when buying, don't tell your bank manager: they can be expensive. Their flavor depends, in large part, on which slopes the vines grow on - or what the French call their "terroir." Those higher up the hills, where the soil is often thinner, can have a more mineral, even stony flavor. Conversely, those from richer soils in the valleys can have a fuller, rounder bouquet.

Burgundy wines are often not thought of as keepers, like those from Bordeaux, which are often kept for years or even decades. But some Burgundy wines age marvelously, losing some of their deep purple color but gaining an intriguing, almost sherry-like taste.

CULTURE: The hospital in Nuits-Saint-Georges traces its roots back to the 13th century. It has its own vineyards, built up over time from donations.

The 12 hectares mostly produce reds, from pinot noir grapes. It sells its wine, in barrels, at an annual auction by candlelight every March - with the funds financing the hospital facilities, including a new retirement home now under construction.

QUOTE OF THE DAY: "That's the most relaxing day in the Tour I've ever had." - yellow-jersey wearer Chris Froome, describing the ho-hum Stage 6 from Vesoul to Troyes, won in a finishing sprint by German rider Marcel Kittel.

STAT OF THE DAY: 2. The number of stages won so far by Kittel at this Tour. He also won Stage 2.

HISTORY: To safeguard its best wines during the Nazi occupation of France during World War II, the Louis Latour winery bricked up part of its huge underground cellar in the village of Aloxe-Corton, down the road from Nuits-Saint-Georges. The most precious vintages were hidden behind the wall, and less-valued wines kept out front. The Burgundy winery was founded 220 years ago this year.

FROMAGE: You could spend all day - and then some - visiting every cheese-maker between Troyes and Nuits-Saint-Georges. From creamy Chaource south of Troyes, the stage crosses Epoisses country, home to the tangy soft Epoisses cheese with a squidgy orange crust and slight ammonia aroma that - be warned - becomes challenging if left uneaten for too long.

NEXT ORDER: Stage 8 from Dole on Saturday finishes at the Rousses ski station in the Jura, close to the French border with Switzerland. Three climbs on the 187.5-kilometer (116-mile) route will serve as a warm-up for the extremely tough Stage 9 on Sunday, which has seven climbs, including three with the hardest rating - "hors categorie" or beyond rating.

Supporters attend the start of the sixth stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 216 kilometers (134 miles) with start in Vesoul and finish in Troyes, France,Thursday, July 6, 2017. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

Former French rider Bernard Thevenet, left, and Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme pay respect at Charles De Gaulle's grave in Colombey les-deux-Eglises, during the sixth stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 216 kilometers (134 miles) with start in Vesoul and finish in Troyes, France, Thursday, July 6, 2017. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

The pack rides past to the Lorraine Cross during the sixth stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 216 kilometers (134 miles) with start in Vesoul and finish in Troyes, France, Thursday, July 6, 2017. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

The pack passes vineyards in the Champagne region during the sixth stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 216 kilometers (134 miles) with start in Vesoul and finish in Troyes, France, Thursday, July 6, 2017. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)
DENVER (AP) - Denver will be the new home for the nation's largest outdoor recreation trade show.

At a press conference with Colorado's governor and Denver's mayor, the director of the Outdoor Retailer trade show, Marisa Nicholson, announced Thursday that the show would be held in the Mile High City starting in 2018.

The retailers are leaving Utah after 20 years. Political differences with Utah leaders, including their opposition to the Bears Ears National Monument, sparked the move.

FILE - In this Jan. 11, 2017, file photo, people attend the Outdoor Retailer show at the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City. Organizers announced Thursday, July 6, 2017, that the show will be held in Denver starting in 2018. The retailers are leaving Utah after 20 years because of political differences with Utah leaders, including their opposition to the new Bears Ears National Monument. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, File)

The show decided to leave after Utah Gov. Gary Herbert signed a resolution calling on federal officials to rescind the monument that President Barack Obama designated on 1.3 million acres of land in southeastern Utah considered sacred to Native American tribes.

The organization's biannual events attracted an estimated $45 million in annual direct spending to Utah.
UNITED NATIONS (AP) - The head of the team charged with determining responsibility for chemical weapons attacks in Syria appealed to governments on Thursday to stop exerting political pressure on investigators who will report in mid-October on two incidents, including an April 4 attack that killed over 90 people.

Edmund Mulet told reporters after briefing the U.N. Security Council behind closed doors that the team is receiving "direct and indirect messages all the time from many sides telling us how to do our work."

The pressure is coming from "more than one and probably less than 20, but it's still from quite a lot of different sectors and interested parties," he said. "Some of the messages are very clear, saying if we don't do our working according to them - these different visions - they will not accept the conclusions of our work."

Mulet said his message to the Security Council was: "Please let us do our work. We have a very highly professional team. We're going to do this in a very independent manner, objectively, impartially, and we will present our results in October."

Fact-finding teams from the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons have been investigating the alleged use of chemical weapons in Syria, but they aren't mandated to determine responsibility for attacks. That has been left to a joint U.N.-OPCW investigative body headed by Mulet established by the Security Council.

The OPCW has confirmed that "sarin or a sarin-like" nerve gas was used in the deadly April 4 attack on the town of Khan Sheikhoun in Syria's Idlib province. It sparked outrage around the world as photos and video of the aftermath, including quivering children dying on camera, were widely broadcast.

The United States blamed the Syrian military for the attack and launched a punitive strike days later on the air base where it said the attack was launched. Syrian President Bashar Assad has denied using chemical weapons.

The OPCW also found that two Syrian women involved in an attack in Um Hosh in Aleppo on Sept. 16, 2016, were exposed to "sulfur mustard."

Mulet said his team will base any determination of responsibility for the two attacks "on facts and on science" - not on claims that the government or opposition was responsible.

He said the team intends to visit the air base and would also like to go to Khan Sheikhoun, but that depends on security issues.

Before going there or to Um Hosh, Mulet said, "I would need some feedback from the Syrian government," including flight logs from the air base and the names of military commanders and government officials the team would be interviewing.

"We are working already with the Syrian government on this and hopefully we will be given the necessary tools and instruments to do our work," he said.

Mulet said the OPCW has also informed the investigators that it is working on six or seven other cases "that might come our way before the end of October when we present our substantive report."
REDDING, Calif. (AP) - Another California doctor has been arrested on suspicion of sexually abusing children, some of whom were his patients, authorities said Thursday.

Dr. Benjamin Shettell was booked on suspicion of sexually abusing eight minors ranging from 6 to 17, Redding police said in a statement.

Police searched Shettell's office, home and a storage unit, and found child pornography, authorities said.

This undated photo provided by Shasta County Sheriff's Office shows suspect Benjamin Shettell at Shasta County Jail in Redding, Calif. Dr. Shettell was arrested on suspicion of sexual abusing children, some of whom were his patients, authorities said Thursday, July 6, 2017. (Shasta County Sheriff's Office via AP)

Shettell is one owner of Fusion Health Care and Silhouette Medspa in Redding, a city of about 90,000 people about 150 miles north of Sacramento. His office offers family practice and other minor treatments, according to its website.

His arrest came after a brain surgeon from Santa Cruz, Dr. James Kohut, was charged with 11 counts of sexually abusing children under 14. Kohut's attorney, Jay Rorty, has denied the allegations.

Shettell agreed to voluntarily suspend his license to practice law on June 30, according to court records and the California Medical Board.

His California medical record is otherwise clean. The medical board shows Shettell earning his medical degree from Canada's University of British Columbia in 2009.

Police did not know if he had an attorney who could comment, and a message left at Shettell's office was not immediately returned.
HONOLULU (AP) - The Latest on sentencing for slaughtering seabirds at a Hawaii nature reserve (all times local):

4:20 p.m.

A New York University student who graduated from the prestigious Honolulu prep school attended by former President Barack Obama is going to jail for 45 days for slaughtering vulnerable seabirds at a Hawaii nature reserve.

State sheriffs handcuffed Christian Gutierrez and led him away after a judge handed down the sentence Thursday.

Gutierrez and a group of buddies from Punahou (Poo-nah-hoh) School were camping at Oahu's westernmost tip in 2015 when prosecutors say the youths killed at least 15 Laysan albatrosses.

According to prosecutors, the birds were bludgeoned with a bat and machete and shot at with a pellet gun. At least 11 eggs were smashed.

Gutierrez must also pay about $1,000 for his share of restitution for monitoring equipment that was stolen. He must also serve 200 hours of community service.

___

10:25 p.m.

A college student who graduated from the prestigious Honolulu prep school attended by former President Barack Obama is facing sentencing Thursday for slaughtering vulnerable seabirds at a Hawaii nature reserve.

Christian Gutierrez and a group of Punahou (Poo-nah-hoh) School buddies were camping at Oahu's westernmost tip in 2015 when prosecutors say the youths killed more than a dozen Laysan albatrosses.

According to prosecutors, the birds were bludgeoned with a bat and machete and shot at with a pellet gun. At least 11 eggs were smashed.

Gutierrez pleaded no contest to animal cruelty and other charges.

Prosecutors recommend a one-year jail sentence. His defense attorney is asking a judge to grant a deferral, which would allow Gutierrez to avoid a conviction if he stays out of trouble for a specified amount of time.
SAN DIEGO (AP) - Ali Said fled war-torn Somalia two decades ago after his right leg was blown off by a grenade. Last year, the father of seven was shot in his other leg by robbers while living in a Kenyan refugee camp.

Said rolled his wheelchair up to a desk in an office hours after arriving in California from Kenya, saying he felt unbelievably lucky: He and his family are among the last refugees allowed into the United States before the Trump administration's latest travel ban rules kick in.

"Until this moment, in this interview, I still don't believe that I'm in the United States," Said told The Associated Press through a translator Thursday at the International Rescue Committee's office in San Diego, smiling while his two sons hung at the back of his wheelchair.

Ali Said, of Somalia, left, waits at a center for refugees with his two sons Thursday, July 6, 2017, in San Diego. Said, whose leg was blown off by a grenade, says he feels unbelievably lucky to be among the last refugees allowed into the United States before stricter rules kick in as part of the Trump administration's travel ban. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

"So during the flight, we all were saying that we are in a dream and it's not true yet until we finally landed at LAX, and we all said to each other: 'Yeah, we're finally here. We made it,'" he said.

The U.S. refugee program will be suspended Wednesday when a cap of 50,000 refugee admissions for the fiscal year - the lowest in a decade - was expected to be reached, according to the U.S. State Department.

Once the cap is hit, only refugees who have a relationship with an immediate family member or ties to a business in the United States will be eligible for admission during the 120-day suspension, State Department guidelines say.

Those guidelines come after the Supreme Court partially reinstated President Donald Trump's executive order banning citizens of six mainly Muslim countries and refugees from coming into the U.S.

The high court's ruling allowed for an exemption: Those with a "bona fide" relationship to the United States. Under State Department guidelines, that connection was defined as an immediate family member such as a parent, spouse, child, sibling or a business.

Said is aware of the difference a week could have made. He, his wife and children, ages 2 to 15, have no ties to the U.S. beyond the refugee resettlement agency, which the U.S. government says is not sufficient.

"I was afraid our case would be closed," he said. "It would have been a rough life."

He said refugees at the Kakuma refugee camp where he lived have talked every day about the travel ban since it was first issued in January.

It was blocked several times by U.S. courts before the Supreme Court partially reinstated it in June. The Trump administration says the travel ban is necessary to keep Americans safe and to allow the federal government to review the vetting process for refugees and others.

Advocates say the ban will close the doors on many of the most vulnerable.

A record 65 million people are displaced by war and persecution worldwide, according to the U.N. refugee agency. It selects the most at-risk refugees to be recommended to governments for resettlement, typically including victims of gender-based violence, LGBT refugees, members of political opposition groups and people with medical issues.

But the new requirements could mean many of those refugees could be passed over for those who have an immediate family member already in the United States.

"This is part of the disconnect now," said David Murphy, executive director of the International Rescue Committee's San Diego office. "We identify families based upon need and now they have to have a U.S. tie."

Said, who spent eight years being vetted for refugee resettlement, had feared he would never leave Kakuma, a 25-year-old camp that is home to about 172,000 refugees.

About a year ago, robbers broke into his home at the camp and tried to rape his wife, he said.

Said, who was on crutches after losing his right leg to a grenade explosion in 1993, was shot in his good leg while fighting off the men. A neighbor who came to their aid shot one of the robbers to death. Said's children were home at the time.

The shooting left him with a fractured hip, and it still has not healed. He plans to get medical help now that he is in the United States.

They will spend the next three months working closely with the International Rescue Committee, taking English classes, getting adjusted culturally and finding an apartment.

The family will get $10,125 in one-time federal assistance to cover the costs of rent, food and other expenses for nine people to get settled - though they must start paying back their airfare to the U.S. government within six months after their arrival.

Said says he looks forward to his future now.

On his first night in his new country, Said and his family said they slept peacefully in a San Diego motel. But the feelings of happiness and relief are tinged with sadness, too.

"I don't like it that others like me won't be able to make it here," he said. "The life there is so hard. No matter how hard you work, you don't have enough to meet your basic needs."

___

Associated Press writers Alicia A. Caldwell and Matthew Lee in Washington contributed.

Ali Said, of Somalia, waits at a center for refugees Thursday, July 6, 2017, in San Diego. Said, whose leg was blown off by a grenade, says he feels unbelievably lucky to be among the last refugees allowed into the United States before stricter rules kick in as part of the Trump administration's travel ban. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

Ali Said, of Somalia, center, is pushed by refugee caseworker Mohamed Yassin, behind, as he makes his way into an elevator with his two sons Thursday, July 6, 2017, in San Diego. Said, whose leg was blown off by a grenade, says he feels unbelievably lucky to be among the last refugees allowed into the United States before stricter rules kick in as part of the Trump administration's travel ban. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

Ali Said, of Somalia, center, leaves a center for refugees with his two sons, as refugee caseworker Mohamed Yassin, right, holds open the door Thursday, July 6, 2017, in San Diego. Said, whose leg was blown off by a grenade, says he feels unbelievably lucky to be among the last refugees allowed into the United States before stricter rules kick in as part of the Trump administration's travel ban. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

Ali Said, of Somalia, right, leaves a center for refugees with his two sons, as refugee caseworker Mohamed Yassin, left, waits by a van Thursday, July 6, 2017, in San Diego. Said, whose leg was blown off by a grenade, says he feels unbelievably lucky to be among the last refugees allowed into the United States before stricter rules kick in as part of the Trump administration's travel ban. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

Ali Said, of Somalia, center, is pushed by refugee caseworker Mohamed Yassin, behind, as he makes his way into an elevator with his two sons Thursday, July 6, 2017, in San Diego. Said, whose leg was blown off by a grenade, says he feels unbelievably lucky to be among the last refugees allowed into the United States before stricter rules kick in as part of the Trump administration's travel ban. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

Ali Said, of Somalia, waits in a hallway at a center for refugees with his two sons Thursday, July 6, 2017, in San Diego. Said, whose leg was blown off by a grenade, says he feels unbelievably lucky to be among the last refugees allowed into the United States before stricter rules kick in as part of the Trump administration's travel ban. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) - The rumor spread quickly: A man had been beaten to death by police. For blacks - frustrated by high unemployment, inadequate schools, substandard housing - yet another abuse by police was too much to bear, and they erupted.

There were no shouts that black lives mattered. This was Newark in 1967, long before deaths at the hands of police in cities like Baltimore and Ferguson, Missouri, gave birth to another movement in another era.

For four days in July, Newark was the epicenter of black rage. The rioting left 26 dead, more than 700 injured and nearly 1,500 arrested, mostly black. In addition to the $10 million in property damage, the riots left economic and emotional scars on Brick City that, in many ways, have not yet healed.

FILE - In this July 14, 1967 file photo, National Guardsmen stand at the corner of Springfield Avenue and Mercer Street in Newark, N.J., where four days of deadly violence and looting came to be known as the Newark riots. (AP Photo/Marty Lederhandler, File)

Newark was a deadly entry in the long list of major urban areas that exploded over a five-year period, among them Watts in Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Boston and New York's Harlem. Days after Newark burned, Detroit followed. The disorders exposed - for the first time to much of white America - racial and economic disparities that went far beyond the familiar scenes of segregation in the South.

"A riot is at the bottom of the language of the unheard," the Rev. Martin Luther King wrote in his last book, "Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community?" in 1967. "The amazing thing about the ghetto is that so few Negroes have rioted."

The rioters spoke loudly, but were they heard? The echoes of 1967 in today's America would suggest they were not, and the lessons not learned linger for a new generation where racial tensions, indifference and inaction persist.

___

"People were thinking about who they were, and thinking that they deserved more as American citizens," said Komozi Woodard, who grew up in Newark and was 18 years old at the time of the riots. "It went from a situation that was unbearable, to the community feeling it was unacceptable."

As a 12-year-old black boy, Woodard was beaten by a street gang in his neighborhood. His mother called the police for help, and when they arrived, the officers beat her son, too.

It was 1961, and Woodard had learned his first lesson about the relationship between police and his community.

"I believed in the system, and the system came out and beat me up," said Woodard, now 68 and a history professor at Sarah Lawrence College. "It was an everyday occurrence for police to just beat people up. There was no place you could go."

By 1967, as whites fled for the suburbs and were replaced with a wave of black and brown residents, Newark was New Jersey's largest city and the country's first majority-black city aside from Washington. Many blacks were part of the Great Migration to escape the de jure Jim Crow of the Deep South, only to find de facto segregation in the North.

Most of Newark's power structure remained white. Only 11 percent of its police force was black; citizen complaints about treatment by police routinely went unanswered and the few black officers on the force had little opportunity for advancement or leadership.

By July 12, Newark's black residents had had enough.

John W. Smith, a black man, was driving his cab when he was pulled over by two white Newark police officers. Smith and the officers' version of events diverged - there were no body cameras then to record the exchange - but Smith was badly beaten during his arrest.

Smith was taken to a police precinct directly across from Hayes Homes. Residents who saw him dragged inside assumed he'd been killed by the officers, and word spread quickly through the crowded housing project.

Though Smith was treated at a hospital and later released, a riot broke out that night, followed by looting. The unrest continued for three more nights. State police and National Guard troops were called in to quell the uprising.

Fred Means, a teacher and activist with the Congress of Racial Equality in Newark at the time, recalled seeing police join in the looting along with some residents.

"That really symbolized the whole tenor and system of corruption that was going on," said Means, now 84 and living in Monroe, New Jersey. "It was like a war scene. There was that fear, there was that possibility, that the police would shoot you and nothing would happen - much the same as what happens today."

Many of the scenes that unfolded in Newark have resembled the conflict of the last few years: Residents clashing with police wearing riot gear and driving armored vehicles down city streets, mass arrests, and government officials calling for curfews in an attempt to restore order and frustrated citizens burning neighborhood storefronts.

Junius Williams was a law student at Yale University fighting gentrification in Newark when the riots broke out. He was driving back from a "black power" conference in Philadelphia when news of the riots came across his car radio.

"This was the rebellion that people had predicted because it had been happening all over the country, and Newark was no different," said Williams, 73, now a professor at Rutgers University in Newark. "There was no representation in government and people were taking advantage of black folks and it was only so much people were going to take. It was on."

As he was driving friends home on the second night of the riots, Williams faced down a police officer wielding a shotgun during a traffic stop. He was spared, he says, when a sergeant defused the situation by searching Williams' car for guns. He found only law books.

___

The 1967 riots prompted President Lyndon Johnson to launch an inquiry into the cause of the racial disorders. Among the findings of the Kerner Commission were that the country "is moving toward two societies, one black, one white - separate and unequal." The report identified police practices as among the primary factors that led to the unrest in black communities.

"The abrasive relationship between the police and the minority communities has been a major - and explosive - source of grievance, tension and disorder," the report read. "The blame must be shared by the total society."

The commission recommendations to improve police-community relations included a review of police operations to eliminate abrasive practices, more police protection to inner-city residents, more hiring and promotion of black officers and a means for residents to file complaints against the police.

Nationally, there are now greater systems of accountability for police officers, who are the best trained generation of law enforcement officers in the country's history, said Phillip Atiba Goff, co-founder of the Center for Policing Equity. Still, a lack of national metrics to track police behavior shows an uneven progress.

"What it says is that we have not taken seriously the problem of race in America on a number of fronts, including policing," Goff said. "As a result, we're doomed to repeat the history from which we have not learned."

The conclusions reached in the 2015 Justice Department report on Ferguson sounded similar to the Kerner Commission's findings.

In 1970, Newark became the first Northeastern city to elect a black mayor. Its police force became more diverse, and more officers lived in the city they were charged with serving. Today, 38 percent of the police department is black and 40 percent is white. The city's overall population is much the same as in 1967: 52 percent black and 26 percent white.

In the immediate aftermath of the riots, more affordable housing was built and the city was forced to provide better health care in a deal to build a new medical center.

"We could not have done that without that invisible brother with the brick standing with us in the negotiating room," said Williams. "The power structure was afraid. They thought it was going to happen again."

In other ways, progress has been slow to arrive.

In the wake of the riots, economic development was largely limited to the city's downtown, where whites worked. The poverty level for black residents is 33 percent, and Newark residents hold only 18 percent of all jobs in the city.

In 2016, the police department was put under federal consent decree after a Justice Department investigation found officers were making unlawful stops and arrests, using excessive force and retaliating against residents. Fifty years after Newark, similar recommendations are still being made as part of the federal consent decrees reached between cities and local police departments - including Ferguson, Chicago, Cleveland and New Orleans - found to have discriminatory practices against minority residents.

"We are a long way from 1967, but we are even further away from where we need to be to prevent 1967 from happening again," said Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, whose father, poet and activist Amiri Baraka, was badly beaten during the riots. "There were a myriad of things that were suggested, and frankly they were ignored. People need to feel like the government and the police are there to protect them and not to prey on them."

___

For more on the riots, including historical stories and photos, and video interviews with people who lived through them, visit http://www.apnews.com/tag/1967Riots.

___

Errin Haines Whack is a member of The Associated Press' race and ethnicity team. Follow her work on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/emarvelous.

In this June 28, 2017 photo, Junius Williams talks to a reporter about the Newark riots of 1967 in Newark, N.J. Fifty years ago Williams was a law student at Yale University fighting gentrification in Newark when the riots broke out. As he was driving friends home on the second night of the riots, Williams faced down a police officer wielding a shotgun during a traffic stop. He was spared, he says, when a sergeant diffused the situation by searching Williams' car for guns. He found only law books. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

FILE - In this July 16, 1967 file photo, a National Guardsman stands atop an armored personnel carrier at a roadblock in Newark, N.J., in front of the St. James A.M.E. Church during the Newark riots. (AP Photo/John Duricka, File)

In this June 28, 2017 photo, a monument commemorates the Newark riots of 1967, in Newark, N.J. Fifty years ago Newark became the center of black rage after a black cab driver was badly beaten by white officers. The incident sparked four days of deadly violence and revealed a community roiled by oppressive treatment by city government and police. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

In this June 28, 2017 photo, Junius Williams talks to a reporter about the Newark riots of 1967 in Newark, N.J. Fifty years ago Williams was a law student at Yale University fighting gentrification in Newark when the riots broke out. As he was driving friends home on the second night of the riots, Williams faced down a police officer wielding a shotgun during a traffic stop. He was spared, he says, when a sergeant diffused the situation by searching Williams' car for guns. He found only law books. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

In this June 28, 2017 photo, Junius Williams talks to a reporter about the the Newark riots of 1967 in Newark, N.J. Fifty years ago Williams was a law student at Yale University fighting gentrification in Newark when the riots broke out. As he was driving friends home on the second night of the riots, Williams faced down a police officer wielding a shotgun during a traffic stop. He was spared, he says, when a sergeant diffused the situation by searching Williams' car for guns. He found only law books. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

FILE - In this July 15, 1967 file photo, firefighters direct streams of water onto a burning building at the corner of Prince and Court Streets in Newark, N.J., where four days of deadly violence and looting came to be known as the Newark riots.(AP Photo/Marty Lederhandler, File)

In this June 28, 2017 photo, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka talks to a reporter about the Newark riots fifty years ago, in Newark, N.J. "We are a long way from 1967, but we are even further away from where we need to be to prevent 1967 from happening again," said Baraka whose father, poet and activist Amiri Baraka, was badly beaten during the riots. "There were a myriad of things that were suggested, and frankly they were ignored. People need to feel like the government and the police are there to protect them and not to prey on them." (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
PARIS (AP) - Paris authorities evacuated nearly 2,800 migrants Friday from ever-expanding makeshift street camps in the French capital, as Europe contends with an upsurge in new arrivals crossing the Mediterranean.

In heavy summer heat, groups of primarily African men and a few families lined up to board buses with a mixture of relief and apprehension. "We Need Dignity" read a handwritten sign next to a mattress stretched across cobblestones and surrounded by litter.

The migrants in the La Chapelle neighborhood on Paris' northern edge were taken to temporary shelters in the Paris region where they will be given medical checkups and guidance, police said. City Hall says it is the 34th such operation in the past two years.

Migrants line up as they wait to be evacuated from a makeshift street camp, in Paris, France Friday, July 7, 2017. Paris authorities are evacuating some 1,500 migrants from a makeshift street camp as Europe faces an upsurge in new arrivals. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

Tents, sleeping bags and rudimentary cardboard structures housing migrants have sprung up on sidewalks and boulevards in the area, angering some residents even as others come to offer food and blankets.

City authorities estimate that dozens of people fleeing conflict and poverty in Africa and the Middle East pour in daily to Paris. Many continue on to the port of Calais to try to cross to Britain, but many stay in Paris in hopes of finding unofficial work or to seek asylum.

Such unauthorized camps "present serious risks for the security and health of their occupants as well as neighborhood residents," Paris police said in a statement.

About 350 police and 100 other officials and aid workers took part in Friday's operation. Police said the migrants will be given "proposals for orientation" to other sites scattered around France where they can try to seek legal paths to residency. Some may eventually be deported.

Arrivals have grown this summer around Europe, notably as more people are taking the risky sea journey from Libya. More than 2,000 have died.

Top European officials have tried this week to agree on solutions, notably to help Italy help cope with the tens of thousands of people arriving on its shores.

European Council President Donald Tusk called Friday for U.N. sanctions against migrant smugglers illegally taking people to Europe - notably in Libya, where lawlessness has allowed a lucrative trade in smuggling African migrants northward.

Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz said that would-be migrants should be stopped at the EU's outer borders and sent back to their homelands after being rescued and given any care needed. Kurz has previously suggested that some NGOs rescuing migrants on the high seas might be in collusion with human smugglers.

In France, a farmer has attracted nationwide attention with a video appearing to show police forcing underage migrants to go back to Italy. The national human rights watchdog urged the interior minister Friday to investigate the situation.

President Emmanuel Macron's government is expected to announce new measures to cope with the migrant crisis next week.

A center opened last year in northern Paris to help asylum seekers has provided temporary shelter for 12,000 people but is not large enough to care for everyone.

A graffiti is written on a chair in a makeshift street camp in Paris, Friday, July 7, 2017. Paris authorities are evacuating some 1,500 migrants from a makeshift street camp as Europe faces an upsurge in new arrivals. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
BEIJING (AP) - Veteran Chinese labor activist Liu Xiaoming has been sentenced to 4  years in prison on the charge of inciting subversion of state power after he published his personal account of the bloody 1989 crackdown on pro-democracy protesters, rights groups reported Friday.

Liu was sentenced by a court in the southern city of Guangzhou after having already spent more than two years in detention, Amnesty International said. He was taken into custody in May 2015, five days after publishing his account of the events of 1989 on an overseas website.

A Guangzhou court docket listed a sentencing hearing on the subversion charge scheduled for Friday but gave no name or other details. Calls to the court rang unanswered.

The same charge was leveled against Nobel Peace Prize laureate Liu Xiaobo, who was sentenced to 11 years in prison in 2009 and is now suffering from late-stage liver cancer.

Liu Xiaoming's sentencing illustrates China's determination to pursue a relentless crackdown on lawyers, rights activists and workers' advocates outside the direct control of the ruling Communist Party.

Liu had been a worker at a steel mill when he travelled to Beijing to join the mass demonstrations centered on Tiananmen Square. He became a member of an independent labor federation that sprang up as part of the pro-democracy movement. He was jailed for a year following the army crackdown, in which hundreds, possibly thousands were killed.

In recent years, Liu had worked on behalf of migrant workers in the industrial heartland of which Guangzhou is the center. At his trial in April 2016, prosecutors claimed he had "engaged in rumor mongering and slander against state power and socialism" by posting writings on social media sites such as WeChat, QQ groups and Telegram, according to the group China Human Rights Defenders.

"The Chinese government needs to stop throwing in jail those who are only trying to peacefully remember the 1989 Tiananmen crackdown and instead take responsibility for the authorities' past wrongs," William Nee, Amnesty International China researcher, said in a statement.
BANGUI, Central African Republic (AP) - Bodies lie in the streets of Zemio, the stench filling the air as homes burn and thousands flee the Central African Republic town recently hit by violence between warring militias.

More than 15,000 people have been displaced from the southeastern town that had been spared until last week, as sectarian fighting that has devastated the country since 2013 has worsened in parts of the central and southeastern regions.

More than 300 people have been killed and 100,000 displaced since mid-May.

Many in Zemio are unable to get medical care because of the fighting, according to Doctors Without Borders, which runs an HIV program there. More than 9,000 people have sought refuge at a health center and the Catholic mission and between 6,000 and 11,000 others have fled, according to the medical charity.

"The neighborhood next to our base has been burned down, as have other parts of the town," said Mia Hejdenberg, head of the Doctors Without Borders mission. "We were able to work this weekend to provide medical aid and logistical support to the most vulnerable, but the fighting started again."

Eight wounded people have made their way to a health center, but Hejdenberg warned that many more likely cannot reach such places.

Six bodies found in the streets nearby have been buried, said a priest at the local Catholic mission, Jean-Alain Zembi. The odor in the air is terrible, Zemio Mayor Rosalie Nawira said.

Violence broke out in Central African Republic in 2013, when predominantly Muslim Seleka rebels seized power in the capital, Bangui. Christian anti-Balaka militias fought back, resulting in thousands of people killed and hundreds of thousands displaced.

Seleka rebels continue to fight Christian militias around the country. Some Seleka factions also have been fighting each other or local defense groups as tensions build.

Doctors Without Borders has had to downsize its team in the impoverished country because of the resurging violence. It is difficult to assess "the shifting allegiances and groups," the group said Thursday, adding that the "reading of the dynamic is quite difficult."

___

Petesch reported from Dakar, Senegal. Associated Press writer Christopher Torchia in Johannesburg contributed.
BRUSSELS (AP) - The Council of Europe's human rights commissioner has criticized the arrests in Turkey of eight activists and two others on terrorism-related charges.

Nils Muiznieks says the use of criminal proceedings against such officials is increasing. He also said Friday that he called "on Turkish authorities to immediately release those detained yesterday and strongly urged them to stop all arbitrary interferences with the legitimate work of civil society."

He insisted that the work of such officials was protected under the European Convention on Human Rights.

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan walks before a welcome ceremony for Indonesian President Joko Widodo at the presidential palace in Ankara, Turkey, Thursday, Juy 6, 2017. (AP Photo/Burhan Ozbilici)

Amnesty International has called for the immediate release of a group of human rights activists.

Turkey has launched a massive crackdown since last year's failed coup, arresting around 50,000 people and dismissing more than 100,000 from government jobs.
DAKAR, Senegal (AP) - When it launched 15 years ago, Dakar Fashion Week had a handful of aspiring local designers and models gathering in often run-down hotels. Now dozens of designers from around the world present their creations to thumping DJ mixes as drone cameras hover above the runway shows that are broadcast live on national television.

Among the guests last week was Jenke Ahmed Tailly, an Ivorian and Senegalese stylist who has worked as Beyonce's creative director and now advises Kanye West and Kim Kardashian.

Africa's fashion scene has grown steadily over the past two decades, with sub-Saharan Africa's apparel and footwear market now worth $31 billion, according to data by Euromonitor. Michelle Obama and Beyonce have worn labels such as Nigeria's Maki Oh.

Models sit backstage during Dakar Fashion Week in the Senegalese capital, Friday June 30, 2017. The continent's fashion scene has grown steadily over the past two decades with Sub-Saharan Africa's apparel and footwear market now worth $31 billion, according to data by Euromonitor. (AP Photo/Finbarr O'Reilly)

Johannesburg, Lagos, Nairobi and Casablanca are at the forefront of African fashion but Dakar is an equally creative hub, with much of its energy driven by Adama Ndiaye, the 39-year-old organizer of Dakar Fashion Week.

"When I started it was a young girl's dream to build something in my country," she said.

Industry challenges include managing clothing production costs, quality control, distribution logistics and reaching large markets. Such concerns, however, were an afterthought as stylish crowds gathered for the fashion spectacle that ran June 27-July 2.

One evening, a street show was held for free in a low-income neighborhood to allow other Dakar residents to sample the glamor and hype.

Amid the excitement was a strain of concern. After attacks on hotels by al-Qaida-linked militants elsewhere in West Africa, security was tight at the various fashion events.

And organizer Ndiaye was compelled to address the issue of Africans migrating to Europe after one of her friends and collaborators was among 180 people who drowned when a boat sank off the coast of Libya earlier this year.

"It was heart-breaking to hear that we lost someone so close to us and so modern and working in this industry and he had a name," Ndiaye said. "I still can't figure out why someone like that would try to go to Europe by boat."

A panel discussion titled "Our African Dream" was part of Dakar Fashion Week's program and featured a Senegalese entrepreneur who spoke of a failed crossing to Europe that almost cost him his life. Students and local youth were invited to share the message that opportunities also exist at home.

"I hope that this is only the beginning of inspiring more young people to educate them on how hard work and struggle and pain and loneliness is all part of becoming successful," said Ndiaye, who will host similar talks later this year in Ivory Coast, Gabon and the Republic of Congo. "It's important for we Africans to tell our stories to help others to realize what we have here is good."

Designer Oumar Dicko (R) of Mali and Belgium, laces up a model in one of his creations backstage during Dakar Fashion Week in the Senegalese capital, Saturday July 1, 2017. The continent's fashion scene has grown steadily over the past two decades with Sub-Saharan Africa's apparel and footwear market now worth $31 billion, according to data by Euromonitor. (AP Photo/Finbarr O'Reilly)

Models sit backstage during Dakar Fashion Week in the Senegalese capital, Friday June 30, 2017. The continent's fashion scene has grown steadily over the past two decades with Sub-Saharan Africa's apparel and footwear market now worth $31 billion, according to data by Euromonitor. (AP Photo/Finbarr O'Reilly)

A model has her make up done backstage during Dakar Fashion Week in the Senegalese capital, Friday June 30, 2017. The continent's fashion scene has grown steadily over the past two decades with Sub-Saharan Africa's apparel and footwear market now worth $31 billion, according to data by Euromonitor. (AP Photo/Finbarr O'Reilly)

A models eats a sandwich backstage during Dakar Fashion Week in the Senegalese capital, Friday June 30, 2017. The continent's fashion scene has grown steadily over the past two decades with Sub-Saharan Africa's apparel and footwear market now worth $31 billion, according to data by Euromonitor. (AP Photo/Finbarr O'Reilly)

A models waits backstage during Dakar Fashion Week in the Senegalese capital, Friday June 30, 2017. The continent's fashion scene has grown steadily over the past two decades with Sub-Saharan Africa's apparel and footwear market now worth $31 billion, according to data by Euromonitor. (AP Photo/Finbarr O'Reilly)

Models sit backstage during Dakar Fashion Week in the Senegalese capital, Friday June 30, 2017. The continent's fashion scene has grown steadily over the past two decades with Sub-Saharan Africa's apparel and footwear market now worth $31 billion, according to data by Euromonitor. (AP Photo/Finbarr O'Reilly)

Models wait backstage during Dakar Fashion Week in the Senegalese capital, Saturday July 1, 2017.The continent's fashion scene has grown steadily over the past two decades with Sub-Saharan Africa's apparel and footwear market now worth $31 billion, according to data by Euromonitor. (AP Photo/Finbarr O'Reilly)

Senegalese youth watch a runway show during Dakar Fashion Week in the capital's Niari Tali neighborhood, Thursday June 29, 2017. The continent's fashion scene has grown steadily over the past two decades with Sub-Saharan Africa's apparel and footwear market now worth $31 billion, according to data by Euromonitor. (AP Photo/Finbarr O'Reilly)

Models remove their wigs after the finale of Dakar Fashion Week in the Senegalese capital, Friday July 1, 2017.The continent's fashion scene has grown steadily over the past two decades with Sub-Saharan Africa's apparel and footwear market now worth $31 billion, according to data by Euromonitor. (AP Photo/Finbarr O'Reilly)

A models ties her sandals after the finale of Dakar Fashion Week in the Senegalese capital, Friday July 1, 2017.The continent's fashion scene has grown steadily over the past two decades with Sub-Saharan Africa's apparel and footwear market now worth $31 billion, according to data by Euromonitor. (AP Photo/Finbarr O'Reilly)
MOSUL, Iraq (AP) - Despite clinging to only a sliver of territory in Mosul, Islamic State militants managed to launch a counterattack Friday that reversed days of Iraqi army territorial gains in just a matter of hours - a setback that underscores the fragility of the Iraqi security forces despite years of U.S.-led coalition training as well as the instability likely to follow the city's liberation.

The offensive began just after noon, when 50 to 100 IS fighters began firing on units of the Iraqi army's 16th Division charged with holding the northwest frontline in the Mosul's Old City neighborhood. The attack broke through the army's first line of defense and the rest of its lines soon crumbled.

The surprise attack illustrated the resilience of the extremists who, though controlling less than a square kilometer (half-mile) of territory, have maintained the ability to conduct both conventional military counterattacks and insurgent strikes.

Iraqi Special Forces soldiers walk to the frontline as Iraqi forces continue their advance against Islamic State militants in the Old City of Mosul, Iraq, Wednesday, July 5, 2017. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana)

Hassan, a 45-year-old soldier with the 16th Division, described the close-fought battle inside the rubble-strewn alleyways of the Old City.

"Daesh started to attack us from everywhere. We were so close to them that we even fought with hand grenades," he said referring to IS by its Arabic acronym.

"We have lots of martyrs and wounded soldiers, but we can't evacuate them. It was epic," Hassan said, giving only his first name in line with military regulations.

The initial wave of Iraqi army casualties began arriving within an hour at a field hospital a few hundred meters (yards) from the front, carried on stretchers by medics on foot through the Old City's perilous terrain.

The neighborhood's narrow roads, once passable on motorcycles, are now covered with rubble and downed power-lines, and the footpaths that lead in and out of the Old City wind through houses, across rooftops, beside airstrike craters and down into basements.

At least five soldiers were killed and 25 wounded, said a doctor at the field hospital. The Iraqi military was forced to pull back about 75 meters (80 yards), behind a row of buildings along one of the Old City's few main roads, said an Iraqi officer overseeing the Mosul operation who spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations.

Similar IS counterattacks over the past month point to the difficult road ahead.

In late June, some 200 IS soldiers dressed in fatigues that resembled the Iraqi military's Shiite militia allies launched an offensive on two neighborhoods along Mosul's western edge. Iraqi army units crumbled and Iraq's special forces had to be dispatched to the area along with coalition surveillance and air support. The reallocation of resources stalled the Old City push, then in its early days.

In mid-June more than 100 IS fighters launched a large-scale counterattack from the Old City's southern front on Federal Police units stationed there, killing 11, seizing armored vehicles and weapons.

Meanwhile, south of Mosul, IS has successfully retaken a pocket of territory declared liberated months ago.

"The attack started two days ago. Daesh took Imam Gharbi village," said Salah Hassan Hamid, the mayor of Qaryara, a nearby town. He said policemen and tribesmen allied with the Iraqi military were sent in, but clashes were still ongoing and only half the village had been brought back under government control.

Two Iraqi journalists were killed and IS took a number of local residents hostage, the mayor added.

Following that attack, the U.N.'s migration agency suspended operations at two nearby camps - the Qayara air strip emergency site and the Haj Ali camp - where nearly 80,000 displaced Iraqis live. The fighting prevented six water-tanker trucks from entering the Haj Ali camp, where temperatures reached 122 degrees in recent days, agency spokesman Joel Millman said.

Despite the setbacks, coalition spokesman U.S. Army Col. Ryan Dillon said the counterattacks were costing IS large numbers of fighters and not having an impact on the overall operation to defeat the militant group.

Once Mosul is liberated, Dillon said, Iraqi security forces "can completely focus on not just a conventional fight but also on security and holding that ground."

However, Patrick Martin of the Institute for the Study of War, a Washington-based research group, said the IS offensives show the security forces allocated to Mosul once Iraq's special forces and police leave are inadequate.

"Regardless of how you defeat ISIS (in Mosul), the city is going to face a threat of ISIS resurgence," he said, using an alternative acronym for the Islamic State group.

"Two undersized Iraqi army units, police and tribal fighters. . It's just not enough to stave off a concerted IS attempt to re-infiltrate," he said.

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Associated Press writers Salar Salim in Mosul and Balint Szlanko in Irbil, Iraq, contributed to this report.

Iraqi Special Forces soldiers walk to the frontline as Iraqi forces continue their advance against Islamic State militants in the Old City of Mosul, Iraq, Wednesday, July 5, 2017. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana)

Fleeing Iraqi civilians walk past the heavily damaged al-Nuri mosque as Iraqi forces continue their advance against Islamic State militants in the Old City of Mosul, Iraq, Tuesday, July 4, 2017. As Iraqi forces continued to advance on the last few hundred square kilometers of Mosul held by the Islamic State group, the country's Prime Minister said Tuesday the gains show Iraqis reject terrorism. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana)

An Iraqi Special Forces soldier walks on clothes left behind by fleeing civilians in an alley as Iraqi forces continue their advance against Islamic State militants in the Old City of Mosul, Iraq, Wednesday, July 5, 2017. Some 300 Islamic State fighters remain in the small patch of territory still controlled by the group in Mosul's Old City, a senior Iraqi commander said Wednesday. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana)
Trump and Putin to meet at international summit in Germany

HAMBURG, Germany (AP) - After weeks of build-up, President Donald Trump will hold his first meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, a sit-down that will be shadowed by the investigations into whether Trump's campaign coordinated with Moscow during last year's presidential election.

The leaders are expected to delve into a series of vexing foreign policy issues, including the conflict in Syria and Russia's provocations in Ukraine. But much of the focus - both in Washington and Moscow - will be on whether Trump broaches the issue of Russia's meddling in the election.

Before the meeting Friday, Trump tweeted that he was looking forward to the visit, saying there was "much to discuss." During a news conference in Poland on Thursday, he again refused to accept the conclusion by multiple U.S. intelligence agencies that Russia interfered to try to help Trump win last November. Trump said it could have been Russia, but that other countries could have meddled, too.

"Nobody really knows for sure," Trump said.

U.S. lawmakers and federal investigators continue to look into Russia's election interference, along with possible collusion between Trump campaign associates and Russian government officials. That puts Trump under intense scrutiny over how he handles the sit-down with Putin, a former Russian intelligence agent known to come to meetings like this well-prepared.

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A look at US-Russia summits of the past

WASHINGTON (AP) - When U.S. and Russian presidents meet, the rest of the world stops to watch.

For decades, summits between leaders of the world powers have been heavily anticipated affairs in which every word, handshake and facial expression is scrutinized. President Donald Trump's first face-to-face meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Hamburg, Germany, on Friday will be no different.

Some encounters have yielded diplomatic breakthroughs, even during the worst of Cold War tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union. Others ended in unseemly displays of diplomatic discord.

A look at some of the U.S.-Russian and U.S.-Soviet summits of the past:

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G-20 summit in Germany to discuss terror, trade, climate

HAMBURG, Germany (AP) - The Group of 20 leaders' summit opened in Hamburg Friday amid ongoing protests in the German port city, with terrorism, global trade and climate change high on the agenda.

The host, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, says she hopes to find "compromises and answers" on a range of issues at the two-day meeting of leading industrial and developing nations. While there's little disagreement on fighting terrorism, the first item on the agenda, prospects of finding common ground on climate change and trade look uncertain.

The gathering, at which President Donald Trump will hold his first meeting with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, follows skirmishes Thursday evening between police and protesters at a demonstration in Germany's biggest city that was expected to be the biggest flashpoint around the summit.

Police said that at least 111 officers were hurt during the clashes, one of whom had to be taken to a hospital with an eye injury after a firework exploded in front of him. Twenty-nine people were arrested and another 15 temporarily detained. Windows at the Mongolian consulate were also broken.

The city has boosted its police with reinforcements from around the country and has 20,000 officers on hand to patrol Hamburg's streets, skies and waterways.

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Missile strike on NKorea an unlikely response to aggression

WASHINGTON (AP) - A pre-emptive military strike may be among the "pretty severe things" President Donald Trump says he is considering for North Korea, but it's a step so fraught with risk that it ranks as among the unlikeliest options.

Even a so-called surgical strike aimed at the North's partially hidden nuclear and missile force is unlikely to destroy the arsenal or stop its leader, Kim Jong Un, from swiftly retaliating with long-range artillery that could kill stunning numbers in South Korea within minutes.

An all-out conflict could then ensue. And while Trump's Pentagon chief, Jim Mattis, says the U.S. would prevail, he believes it would be "a catastrophic war."

In Poland on Thursday, Trump said the time has arrived to confront North Korea.

"I don't like to talk about what I have planned, but I have some pretty severe things that we're thinking about," the president said. "That doesn't mean we're going to do them."

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South Korea's president seeks talks with North's Kim Jong Un

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - South Korea's president reiterated he's willing to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un even as he condemned the North's first intercontinental ballistic missile test-launch this week as a "reckless" move that incurred punishment by the international community.

During a speech Thursday ahead of the Group of 20 summit in Germany, President Moon Jae-in also proposed the two Koreas resume reunions of families separated by war, stop hostile activities along their heavily fortified border and cooperate on the 2018 Winter Olympics to be held in Pyeongchang, South Korea.

But it's unclear that North Korea would accept any of Moon's overtures as South Korea is working with the United States and others to get the country punished for its ICBM launch Tuesday. It's not the first time Moon has talked about a summit with Kim, but repeating that idea two days after the North's most successful missile test to date clearly indicates he prefers dialogue to applying more pressure or sanctions on the North.

"The current situation where there is no contact between the relevant officials of the South and the North is highly dangerous," Moon said. "I am ready to meet with Chairman Kim Jong Un of North Korea at any time at any place, if the conditions are met and if it will provide an opportunity to transform the tension and confrontation on the Korean Peninsula."

President Donald Trump said Thursday he's considering unspecified "pretty severe things" in response to the North's ICBM launch. While a pre-emptive military strike may be among Trump's potential options, analysts say it's one of the unlikeliest because the North Korean retaliation would cause massive casualties in South Korea, particularly in Seoul, which is within easy range of North Korea's artillery.

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As Trump meets Putin, fate of Russian dachas still in limbo

WASHINGTON (AP) - As Donald Trump meets for the first time with Vladimir Putin, resolving a dispute over a pair of Russian diplomatic compounds seized by the United States last year could be a first step in repairing a relationship wracked by Syria's civil war, Ukraine's separatist violence and Moscow's meddling in the U.S. presidential election.

But even returning the so-called dachas in Maryland and New York to their Russian owners is running into thorny politics that have all but frozen Trump's hopes of rapprochement with the Kremlin. The State Department wants a deal that could include restarting U.S. adoptions of Russian children. But some in the FBI and U.S. intelligence agencies fear that giving back the sites could bolster Russian espionage efforts in America.

After Trump's surprising election victory, the outgoing Obama administration expelled 35 Russian officials from the U.S. and ordered the shutdown of the two Cold War-era recreational estates that Russian diplomats had used for decades. President Barack Obama said they also were being used for spy operations.

Russia is pressing for their return and has threatened retaliation. Officials say talks in May broached the possibility of a trade, with U.S. demands including an end to Russian harassment of American diplomats in the country and allowing the U.S. to break ground on a new consulate in St. Petersburg, Russia's second-largest city. Washington also hopes Moscow will restart a program allowing U.S. citizens to adopt Russian children after a four-year halt, according to officials who weren't authorized to speak publicly on the negotiations and demanded anonymity.

It's unclear if Trump and Putin will discuss the compounds when they meet in Hamburg, Germany, on Friday.

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Qatar crisis raises questions about defining terrorism

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) - A diplomatic standoff between Qatar and four other Arab nations that accuse it of sponsoring terrorism has turned a spotlight on an opaque network of charities and prominent figures freely operating in the tiny Gulf country.

It also raises questions about what constitutes a "terrorist" in the Middle East.

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain have released a list of two dozen groups and nearly 60 individuals that they allege have been involved in financing terrorism and are linked to Qatar.

Qatar insists it condemns terrorism and that it does not support extremist groups.

The crisis began last month when the four Arab countries cut ties to Qatar. They demanded it end the alleged support of terrorism, and also that it cut its relations with Shiite power Iran and stop meddling in their affairs through support of Islamist opposition groups.

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Ex-Gitmo inmate receives multimillion payment from Canada

TORONTO (AP) - A former Guantanamo Bay prisoner who pleaded guilty to killing a U.S. soldier in Afghanistan has received a multimillion-dollar payment from Canada's government after a court ruling said his rights were abused, a Canadian official said Thursday.

The official confirmed that Omar Khadr has been given the money. A different official also familiar with the deal said it is for $10.5 million Canadian dollars (US$8 million). Both insisted on speaking anonymously because they were not authorized to discuss the deal publicly.

The government and Khadr's lawyers negotiated the deal last month, based on a 2010 Supreme Court of Canada ruling that Canadian officials violated his rights at Guantanamo. The deal is expected to be announced Friday. A spokesman for the public safety minister declined to confirm a settlement payment was made.

News that Khadr would receive millions first leaked earlier this week and sparked anger among many Canadians who consider him a terrorist.

The Canadian-born Khadr was 15 when he was captured by U.S. troops following a firefight at a suspected al-Qaida compound in Afghanistan that resulted in the death of an American special forces medic, U.S. Army Sgt. First Class Christopher Speer. Khadr, who was suspected of throwing the grenade that killed Speer, was taken to Guantanamo and ultimately charged with war crimes by a military commission.

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10 killed in blitz car bomb attack in Egypt's Sinai

EL-ARISH, Egypt (AP) - Islamic militants unleashed a suicide car bomb and heavy gunfire on an Egyptian military checkpoint in northeastern Sinai Peninsula on Friday, leaving 10 security troops including a special forces colonel dead and wounding at least 20, authorities said.

The officials said the blitz attack began when a suicide car bomber rammed his vehicle into a checkpoint at a military compound in the southern Rafah village of El-Barth, followed by heavy gunfire from dozens of masked militants on foot.

The dead included a high ranking special forces officer, Col. Ahmed el-Mansi, and at least 20 others were wounded in the attack. Ambulance sirens were heard from a distance as they rushed to the site. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to speak to the media.

On his official Facebook page, Army spokesman Tamer el-Rifai confirmed the attack and said that 26 army personnel were killed or injured in the attack, without providing a breakdown. He also said the army foiled attacks targeting a number of other checkpoints in southern Rafah and that 40 militants were killed.

No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack. However, Egypt in recent years has been battling a stepped-up insurgency in northern Sinai, mainly by militants from an Islamic State group affiliate.

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Apartment building collapses in Italy; some may be trapped

MILAN (AP) - A five-story apartment building partially collapsed early Friday along a railway line near the southern Italian city of Naples, and authorities were digging by hand to find anyone trapped.

Firefighters said in a tweet that up to eight people may be buried in the rubble in the seaside town of Torre Annunziata, some four kilometers (three miles) from the Pompeii archaeological site.

Mayor Vincenzo Ascione was quoted by the news agency ANSA as saying that two families were missing, including two children.

Witnesses said there was no explosion before the collapse sometime after 6 a.m., but that a train had just passed by on adjacent train tracks, according to ANSA.

Images show the structure partially collapsed, revealing the interior of some apartments. Some 30 rescue workers were removing rubble by hand, passing it out in buckets, as firefighters on long, retractable ladders checked the stability of the section that remained intact.
JERUSALEM (AP) - The U.N. cultural agency on Friday declared the old city in the West Bank town of Hebron as a Palestinian world heritage site, a decision that outraged Israeli officials who say the move negated the deep Jewish ties to the biblical town and its ancient shrine.

The move was the latest chapter in Israel's contentious relationship with UNESCO, an agency it accuses of being an anti-Israeli tool that makes decisions out of political considerations.

While the Palestinians welcomed the action, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called it "another delusional decision by UNESCO."

File - In this Monday, Jan. 14, 2013 file photo, Israeli border police stand guard on the site known to Jews as the Tomb of the Patriarchs, and to Muslims as the Ibrahimi Mosque, in the West Bank city of Hebron. The UNESCO World Heritage committee on Friday, July 7, 2017 put the West Bank city of Hebron on its list of world heritage in danger, a contentious decision that has drawn outrage from Israel. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue, File)

Both Jews and Muslims revere the same site in Hebron as the traditional burial place of the biblical patriarchs and matriarchs - Jews call it the Tomb of the Patriarchs, while for Muslims it is the Ibrahimi Mosque.

The 12-3 vote, with six abstentions, came on a secret ballot at an annual UNESCO World Heritage Committee meeting in Krakow, Poland. The proposal came from the Palestinian side. Israel contended that its historic links to Hebron were ignored and its ambassador to UNESCO left the session.

UNESCO spokeswoman Lucia Iglesias confirmed that Hebron's old city was put on the agency's World Heritage list and on the list of sites in danger. She would not elaborate, saying the exact wording would be decided later.

The decision obliges the World Heritage committee to review its status annually.

"This is a historical development because it stressed that Hebron and the Ibrahimi Mosque historically belong to the Palestinian people," said Palestinian Minister of Tourism Rula Maayah.

But Israel's Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely said UNESCO's "automatic Arab majority succeeded in passing the proposed resolution that attempts to appropriate the national symbols of the Jewish people."

She added: "This is a badge of shame for UNESCO, who time after time chooses to stand on the side of lies."

Netanyahu expressed outrage that UNESCO determined the Tomb of the Patriarchs in Hebron "is a Palestinian site, meaning not Jewish, and that the site is in danger."

"Not a Jewish site?!" he asked sarcastically. "Who is buried there? Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Sarah, Rebecca and Leah - our patriarchs and matriarchs!"

Netanyahu pointed to extremists blowing up religious sites in the Middle East and said, "It is only in those places where Israel is, such as Hebron, that freedom of religion for all is ensured."

Nikki Haley, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, said the vote "does no one any good and causes much harm."

"It represents an affront to history. It undermines the trust that is needed for the Israeli-Palestinian peace process to be successful. And it further discredits an already highly questionable U.N. agency," she said in a statement.

She had sent a letter to two senior U.N. officials before the vote, urging them to withhold the designation from UNESCO, according to the U.S. Mission to the U.N.

Hebron is part of the West Bank, a territory captured by Israel in the 1967 Mideast war. The international community considers it to be occupied.

Palestinians claim the West Bank is an integral part of a future independent state, a position that is widely backed internationally.

Israel says the territory's fate, along with other core issues like security, should be resolved in negotiations.

In the meantime, Israel has built dozens of settlements in the West Bank housing about 400,000 Israelis. The Palestinians - and most of the world - consider these to be illegal obstacles to peace. Israel says the future of the settlements also must be decided through talks.

Hebron is especially contentious. Several hundred ultranationalist settlers live in heavily guarded enclaves in the city, amid about 170,000 Palestinians. There is frequent friction between the two populations.

Many viewed Friday's UNESCO decision as the latest example of an ingrained anti-Israel bias at the U.N. and its institutions, where Israel and its allies are outnumbered by Arab countries and their supporters.

Although their rocky relationship goes back decades, recent resolutions by UNESCO also drew outrage in Israel for diminishing the deep Jewish ties to Jerusalem.

In September, Israel suspended cooperation with UNESCO after it adopted a resolution that Israel says denies the deep historic Jewish connection to holy sites in Jerusalem.

The UNESCO resolution, titled "Occupied Palestine" and sponsored by several Arab countries, used only the Islamic name for a sacred hilltop compound in Jerusalem. The compound is the holiest site in Judaism and the third-holiest in Islam, after Mecca and Medina in Saudi Arabia.

Israeli Education Minister Naftali Bennett, who heads Israel's national UNESCO committee, said after Friday's vote that "Israel will not resume its cooperation with UNESCO so long as it remains a political tool, rather than professional organization."

In a statement, Netanyahu said he would cut another $1 million from the membership money Israel sends to the U.N. and use it to establish a "Museum of the Heritage of the Jewish People in Hebron and Kiryat Arba and Hebron" and for other heritage projects related to Hebron.

Yitzhak Reiter of the independent Jerusalem Institute for Policy Research said UNESCO's decision would allow the Palestinians to "score points" in negotiations over the future of West Bank territory, since they could claim that UNESCO has sided with them.

It also could bolster their efforts to fight what they believe are Israeli attempts to take over disputed religious sites in the Holy Land.

Israel strongly rejects Palestinian claims it is trying to change the status quo in either Hebron or in Jerusalem's Old City.

"They want to make sure that there will be an international forum to monitor the situation in Hebron and the Cave of the Patriarchs that will prevent Israel from future transgressions or overstepping its current presence in the city," Reiter said.

Hebron has a long history of violence.

In 1929, Arabs killed 67 Jews in a rampage still seared into Israeli minds. In 1994, an Israeli settler shot and killed 29 Palestinian worshippers at the holy site before he was beaten to death.

Many of the Palestinians involved in the current wave of attacks that began in 2005 came from Hebron. The attacks on Israeli civilians and security forces since then have killed 43 Israelis, two visiting Americans and a British student, mainly in stabbings, shootings and vehicle assaults. In that period, 251 Palestinians were killed by Israeli fire. Israel identified most of them as attackers.

Israel blames the violence on incitement by Palestinian religious and political leaders, compounded by social media. Palestinians say it stems from anger over decades of Israeli rule in lands they claim for their state.

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Scislowska reported from Warsaw, Poland. Associated Press writer Edith M. Lederer contributed from the United Nations.
HARVEY, La. (AP) - Authorities in Louisiana say a 14-year-old was pronounced dead after he accidentally shot himself in the stomach.

Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office spokesman Col. John Fortunato says a 16-year-old told detectives the victim was handling a gun when the weapon discharged and struck the younger boy in the stomach inside an apartment in Harvey. Authorities say the shooting Thursday evening has been classified as "accidental."

NOLA.com/The Times-Picayune reports the victim was taken to the hospital by a private vehicle and pronounced dead shortly after arrival.

No further information was immediately available.

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Information from: The New Orleans Advocate, http://www.neworleansadvocate.com
PHILADELPHIA (AP) - The U.S. Mint in Philadelphia put an employee on administrative leave after a noose was found at the plant on the chair of an African-American colleague.

The unidentified employee created the noose with rope used to seal coin bags once they're full, according to the president of the mint workers union.

Surveillance video captured the employee's actions. Around 3 p.m. June 28, the white male coin maker walked across the factory floor with the noose in hand.

Many African-American workers called and texted the union president the next day, and the U.S. Treasury Department's inspector general launched an internal investigation.

The Treasury Department has "absolutely zero tolerance for the kind of misconduct reported at the mint," a spokesman said.

Loops of rope have long been used to intimidate African-Americans because they evoke lynchings. The nonprofit Equal Justice Initiative said there were 4,075 lynchings of blacks in the South to spread racial terror between 1877 and 1950.

For blacks, the noose is "comparable in the emotions that it evokes to that of the swastika for Jews," the Anti-Defamation League said.
RANDALLSTOWN, Md. (AP) - A funeral is being held in Maryland for a sailor killed last month when the U.S. Navy destroyer he was on collided with a container ship off the coast of Japan.

Television station WMAR reports the service is being held Friday in Randallstown for Personnel Specialist 1st Class Xavier Alec Martin. The 24-year-old sailor was from Halethorpe and will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery in August.

Martin was one of seven soldiers killed when the ship he was on, the USS Fitzgerald, collided with a container ship off the Japanese coast. The collision is under investigation.

File-This undated file photo released by the U.S. Navy, Monday, June 19, 2017, shows Personnel Specialist 1st Class Xavier Alec Martin, 24, from Halethorpe, Maryland. Television station WMAR reports a funeral service is being held Friday, July, 7, 2017, in Randallstown, MD, for Martin. The 24-year-old sailor was from Halethorpe and will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery in August. Martin was one of seven soldiers killed when the ship he was on, the USS Fitzgerald, collided with a container ship off the Japanese coast. The collision is under investigation. (U.S. Navy via AP, File)

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Information from: WMAR-TV, http://www.abc2news.com/
LONDON (AP) - Moeen Ali and Stuart Broad made telling contributions with bat and ball to leave England in charge of the first test against South Africa after Day 2 on Friday.

Ali scored 87 and Broad smashed an unbeaten 57 off 47 balls as England added 101 runs to its overnight score before being dismissed for 458. Joe Root, in his first test as captain, was out for 190.

The Proteas' reply began badly and they were stuttering at 104-4 just after tea on a decent-looking pitch thanks to two wickets apiece from Broad's pace bowling and Ali's offspin.

South Africa captain Dean Elgar hits a shot during the first test between England and South Africa at Lord's cricket ground in London, Friday, July 7, 2017. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham)

Tenda Bavuma and Theunis de Bruyn put on a 99-run stand for the fifth wicket to lead South Africa's recovery, but De Bruyn nicked James Anderson behind in the fifth-to-last over of the day to set back the tourists once again.

Bavuma was unbeaten on 48 and South Africa trailed by 244 runs on 214-5, facing an important morning's play on Saturday against the new ball.

Ali became the seventh English player to pass 2,000 test runs and take 100 test wickets.

South Africa captain Dean Elgar celebrates reaching 50 runs during the first test between England and South Africa at Lord's cricket ground in London, Friday, July 7, 2017. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham)

England captain Joe Root walks off the field of play after losing his wicket for 190 runs off the bowling of South Africa's Morne Morkel during the first test between England and South Africa at Lord's cricket ground in London, Friday, July 7, 2017. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham)
JOHANNESBURG (AP) - These are edgy times in Zambia, once considered one of Africa's most stable democracies.

President Edgar Lungu this week announced extra police powers to deal with what he says are growing security challenges, including a fire that destroyed the biggest market in the capital, Lusaka.

The cause of the fire has not been determined, leading critics to accuse Lungu and the ruling Patriotic Front party of intensifying a purported crackdown on political opposition. Lungu was re-elected in a closely contested vote last year that was marred by campaign violence and opposition allegations of polling irregularities, undermining the southern African nation's record of peaceful transitions of power.

Lungu has said he is not targeting "political players," though his detractors believe a recent treason charge against Hakainde Hichilema, the main opposition leader, is politically motivated. Hichilema, head of the United Party for National Development, was accused of obstructing Lungu's motorcade with his own convoy earlier this year.

Following Lungu's proclamation this week, police have more power to stop and search suspects, hold detainees for longer periods and impose curfews in some areas. Parliament will debate whether the measures are valid and if they should be extended for several months, according to the president.

Last month, the parliamentary speaker suspended 48 opposition lawmakers for 30 days for boycotting Lungu's speech about the nation in March.

The United Nations has said it is following developments in Zambia.

"We believe that tensions and differences in the country are better addressed through constructive and inclusive dialogue among all stakeholders, including with the opposition," said Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

A team from the International Monetary Fund recently visited Zambia, a major copper producer that has struggled with the global fall in commodity prices and has asked the IMF for a loan. The IMF team concluded that good rains, a bumper harvest and more foreign investment have improved Zambia's economic prospects and predicted GDP growth this year of about 4 percent.

Lungu said increased security measures will help to safeguard the stability required for any IMF program, adding that the international lender is "free to go" if it believes he has trampled on Zambian democracy.

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This version corrects to say the suspension of opposition lawmakers was last month.

___

Follow Christopher Torchia on Twitter at -www.twitter.com/torchiachris
PORTSTEWART, Northern Ireland (AP) - Rory McIlroy missed the cut at the Irish Open for the fourth time in five years, leading the four-time major winner to express concerns on Friday about parts of his game ahead of the British Open.

McIlroy shot 1-over 73 in his second round over the links at Portstewart and was 1 over for the tournament, which he is hosting to benefit his foundation. He was four strokes below the cut mark and 14 strokes off the joint leaders, Benjamin Hebert and Daniel Im.

"My short game is not sharp enough and I'm making silly mistakes," said McIlroy, who refused to blame his performance on the fact he was busy at the start of the week because he was hosting the event. "I'm not being very proficient with my scoring and making it difficult for myself."

McIlroy also missed the cut at the U.S. Open last month and hasn't had a victory so far in 2017, during which he has had two spells out because of a rib injury. He will play one more event - the Scottish Open at Dundonald Links next week - before the British Open, which starts on July 20 at Royal Birkdale.

The only time he made the cut at the Irish Open since 2012 was last year, when he won. He finished this year's event by slamming his driver onto a tee marker following a poor drive on the seventh, his 16th hole of the day, before making double-bogey on the next hole.

"It's disappointing because I felt like I was playing well coming into the week and I need to do some practice over the weekend and get ready for next week," McIlroy said.

"Even being busy on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, I should be shooting two scores in the 60s with the conditions the way they were."

Jon Rahm, playing in the same group as McIlroy, shot 67 to be alone in third place, a stroke off the lead held by the pair that also topped the leaderboard after the first round. Hebert and Im both shot 67 in their second rounds.

The No.2-ranked Hideki Matsuyama shot 68 and was five shots back.
CAIRO (AP) - Family members say three Egyptians who worked at a building site in the Western Desert were killed by an airstrike from a military aircraft in what appears to have been an accident.

They said Friday that the three, who were driving down a road when their vehicle was struck, were buried a day earlier. They spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals.

The Egyptian military did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

It was not the first time civilians have been killed in Egypt's fight against Islamic insurgents near Libya and in the Sinai Peninsula. In September 2015, the military killed 12 people including eight Mexican tourists when troops hunting militants mistakenly struck the tourists' convoy in the Western Desert.
HONG KONG (AP) - China's sole operating aircraft carrier arrived on its first port call to Hong Kong on Friday as part of efforts to stir patriotism amid commemorations of the city's handover from British to Chinese rule 20 years ago.

The Liaoning steamed into port with its escort of two guided missile destroyers and a missile frigate, dropping anchor at a naval base across from the skyscrapers of Hong Kong Island.

Authorities are distributing 2,000 tickets for visits to the ships, limited to Hong Kong permanent residents.

The Liaoning, China's first aircraft carrier, sails into Hong Kong for a port call, Friday, July 7, 2017, to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) garrison's presence in the semi-autonomous Chinese city and former British colony. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu)

In keeping with the high security accompanying last week's formal anniversary of the July 1, 1997, handover, the area surrounding the naval base has been made a no-fly zone from Friday through Tuesday, the South China Morning Post reported. The order bars all aircraft apart from official ones, along with drones, model aircraft, kites and balloons, the paper said.

Last week's celebrations were highlighted by the presence of Chinese President Xi Jinping, who inspected troops of the People's Liberation Army's Hong Kong garrison and delivered a hard-line speech aimed at pro-democracy activists in the territory.

Increasingly riven by political divisions, Hong Kong returned to Chinese rule under the "one country, two systems" framework that allowed it to keep its own freedoms and institutions for 50 years. However, many see Beijing as tightening its grip on the thriving financial center by stonewalling calls for democratic reforms and expanding its control over the media.

Chinese authorities are turning to events such as the Liaoning's visit in hopes of stirring pride in China's accomplishments and identification with the Communist government in Beijing.

As the ships pulled in, they were welcomed with gongs, lion dancers, flag-waving greeters and plumes of spray from fire boats.

Rear Adm. Ding Yi, commander of the Liaoning battle group, said the visit would showcase China's progress in developing its navy.

"Our navy group is here in Hong Kong to take part in celebrations, and this will enable our Hong Kong compatriots to enhance their understanding of the development of our military," Ding said after stepping off the Yinchuan, a destroyer.

Addressing the gathering, newly inaugurated Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam thanked Beijing for allowing the carrier's visit, according to the South China Morning Post.

"This will greatly enhance Hong Kong citizens' understanding and recognition of the country," the newspaper quoted her as saying.

Commissioned in 2012, the Liaoning was built from an unfinished carrier purchased from Ukraine. It carries Chinese J-15 fighter jets along with helicopters and was undergoing exercises at sea before arriving in Hong Kong.

China's second aircraft carrier is being produced domestically based on the Liaoning and is undergoing final preparations before its commissioning.

In this photo released by Hong Kong Government Information Service, the Liaoning, China's sole operating aircraft carrier, sails into Hong Kong for port call, Friday, July 7, 2017, amid commemorations of the city's handover from British to Chinese rule 20 years ago. (Hong Kong Government Information Service via AP)

In this photo released by Hong Kong Government Information Service, the Liaoning, China's sole operating aircraft carrier, sails into Hong Kong for port call, Friday, July 7, 2017, amid commemorations of the city's handover from British to Chinese rule 20 years ago. (Hong Kong Government Information Service via AP)

In this photo released by Hong Kong Government Information Service, members of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy form the Chinese words "Hello Hong Kong" on the deck of the Liaoning, China's sole operating aircraft carrier, sailing into Hong Kong for port call, Friday, July 7, 2017, amid commemorations of the city's handover from British to Chinese rule 20 years ago. (Hong Kong Government Information Service via AP)

CAPTION CORRECTION: REMOVES DOMESTICALLY BUILT: The Liaoning, China's first aircraft carrier, sails into Hong Kong for a port call, Friday, July 7, 2017, to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) garrison's presence in the semi-autonomous Chinese city and former British colony. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu)
HAMBURG, Germany (AP) - The Latest on President Donald Trump's second official visit to Europe (all times local):

7:45 p.m.

The Russians have asked the U.S. for proof and evidence of their alleged interference in the 2016 election, which Russia denies.

In this photo provided by German government U.S. President Donald Trump, left, shakes hand with Russian President Vladimir Putin before the first working session of the G-20 summit in Hamburg, northern Germany. (Steffen Kugler/Presse- und Informationsamt der Bundesregierung via AP)

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson says the ask was made during a lengthy meeting in Germany between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Tillerson said the president pressed Putin on the issue and that they'd agreed to follow-up meetings.

That includes a new working group on cybersecurity and election interference.

Tillerson says, "the meeting was very constructive" and that the two leaders "connected very quickly."

___

7:44 p.m.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson says that President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin "had a pretty good exchange" as to how to handle the threat of North Korea.

But Tillerson added Friday after the leaders' meeting that the Russians "see it a little different than we do."

The top U.S. diplomat noted that Russia's ultimate goal mirrors what the United States wants: the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula.

He said the differences are the tactics used to achieve that goal. He did not elaborate.

Tillerson also said that, despite Trump's recent tweet to the contrary, the U.S. has not "given up hope" that China will help with North Korea.

Trump and Putin met for more than two hours at an international summit in Germany.

___

7:35 p.m.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson says the Trump administration sees no long-term role for the Assad family and the Assad regime in Syria.

Tillerson tells reporters at a briefing in Hamburg, Germany that "how" Syrian President Bashar Assad "leaves is yet to be determined." But he says he thinks there will be a transition away from the Assad government.

The United States and Russia announced an agreement Friday for a cease-fire in southwest Syria set to take effect July 9.

Tillerson describes the deal as the first indication of the Trump administration and Russia being able to work together in Syria.

___

7:27 p.m.

President Donald Trump opened his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin by raising concerns about Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson tells reporters that Trump pressed Putin on the issue during their more than two-hour meeting on the sidelines of a summit of world leaders in Germany.

Tillerson says Putin denied any involvement during his more than two-hour meeting with Trump.

Tillerson says he thinks the president "is rightly focused on how do we move forward from something that may be an intractable disagreement at this point."

____

7:10 p.m.

Russian President Vladimir Putin says he had a long conversation with President Donald Trump, and says that "many issues have piled up, including Ukraine, Syria, some bilateral and other issues."

He says he and Trump also spoke about "fighting terrorism and cybersecurity" during their two-plus-hour meeting

Putin made the comments at the beginning of a meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. He offered apologies to Abe for running late after his meeting with Trump stretched far longer than originally scheduled.

____

6:32 p.m.

Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin spent more than two hours meeting Friday on the sidelines of a world leaders' summit.

State Department spokesman RC Hammond says that the meeting in Hamburg, Germany lasted two hours and 16 minutes.

It had originally been scheduled for just 30 minutes.

____

6:15 p.m.

A meeting between Presidents Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin that was supposed to last a half-hour has stretched to more than 90 minutes.

Trump had originally been scheduled to depart the meeting site of the Group of 20 world leaders in Hamburg, Germany at 4:20 p.m. local time following his meeting with Putin.

But Svetlana Lukash, a Russian official accompanying Putin at the talks, said the meeting that began around 4 p.m. local time was still ongoing at 5:50 p.m.

The longer-than-scheduled meeting comes as US. officials say the United States and Russia have reached an agreement for a cease-fire in southwest Syria that is set to take effect on Sunday.

____

5:44 p.m.

Hillary Clinton's former campaign chair is telling President Donald Trump to "Get a grip" and get his "head in the game."

John Podesta says on Twitter: "Dude, get your head in the game. You're representing the US at the G20."

Trump had tweeted earlier Friday that "Everyone" in Hamburg, Germany "is talking about why John Podesta refused to give the DNC server to the FBI and the CIA. Disgraceful!"

Trump is attending a summit of world leaders in the country.

Podesta said he saw Trump's tweet during a stop on a cross-country road trip with his wife.

He says, "God only knows what you'll be raving about on twitter by the time we get to Utah."

____

5:05 p.m.

President Donald Trump emphasized the importance of renegotiating a longstanding continental trade agreement in a meeting with his Mexican counterpart.

The White House said in a statement Friday that Trump and President Enrique Pena Nieto discussed ways "to help workers in both countries" as part of the renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement.

The statement says the leaders also discussed regional challenges, including drug trafficking, illegal migration, and the crisis in Venezuela. It does not say whether they discussed Trump's proposed U.S.-Mexican border wall.

A readout from the Mexican government said the two men underscored "the importance of modernizing" NAFTA in a way that "results in tangible benefits for the economies and societies of North America."

Trump and Pena Nieto met on the sidelines of the G-20 summit in Hamburg, Germany.

___

5:02 p.m.

President Donald Trump's oldest son is complaining about the loud camera clicks that made it hard to hear his father and Russian president Vladimir Putin's brief remarks to the press ahead of their highly-anticipated meeting.

Donald Trump Jr. asks on Twitter: "With all the Cameras clicking away rapid fire you can't actually hear what they're saying? How many pictures do you need of the same scene?"

Professional news photographers typically take dozens or hundreds of shots of the same event to capture a variety of angles and facial expressions.

Trump and Putin are meeting at the Group of 20 world leaders' summit in Germany.

Reporters and photojournalists were allowed in the room for about two minutes to capture the scene.

Trump's son is a frequent critic of the press.

___

4:20 p.m.

President Donald Trump appeared informal and relaxed; Russian President Vladimir Putin was steely.

The first face-to-face meeting between the two leaders was the spotlight of an international summit in Hamburg, Germany, Friday, amid tensions between the two countries over Russian involvement in the U.S. presidential election.

Trump said that his discussions with Putin are "going very well."

Speaking through a translator, Putin said they had spoken over the phone several times on "important bilateral and international issues," but that phone calls are "never enough." He said a face-to-face meeting is important to fostering "positive relations."

Trump says, "We look forward to a lot of very positive things happening for Russia and the United States."

___

4:10p.m.

After months of anticipation and intrigue, President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are sitting down for their first meeting.

The two exchanged brief pleasantries earlier Friday on the sideline of the G-20 summit of industrialized and developing nations.

Up front, Trump said he anticipates "a lot of positive things happening, for Russia, for the United States."

Their first sit-down meeting is expected to last for about 30 minutes and touch upon several complex issues, from the Syrian conflict to Russia's provocations in Ukraine.

However, the meeting also falls under the shadow of accusations that Russia meddled in the 2016 presidential election - and Trump is under pressure to raise those concerns with Putin in their first meeting.

Trump, on Thursday, said he believes Russia may have interfered in the election, but he said that he believes other countries may have been involved as well.

___

3:28 p.m.

President Donald Trump was on the far left fringe at the Group of 20 summit - of the leaders' group photo, that is.

Trump's position as an outlier was merely a matter of protocol. Pride of place goes to the so-called G20 troika, consisting of current host German Chancellor Angela Merkel flanked by the host of the next meeting, Argentina's Mauricio Macri, and the host of the last one, China's Xi Jinping.

Trump wound up out on the wing between Indonesian President Joko Widodo and French President Emmanuel Macron. He has even less seniority than Trump does after being elected in May.

___

2:50 p.m.

President Donald Trump is hailing Mexico's president as his "friend" in their first face-to-face meeting since Trump took office.

Trump met with President Enrique Pena Nieto on the sidelines of an international summit in Hamburg, Germany, on Friday.

Pena Nieto was scheduled to be among Trump's first international White House guests but abruptly canceled the visit after a public spat over Trump's proposed border wall.

Trump maintains that he will build the border wall to keep drugs and criminals out of the U.S. - although those plans still remain unclear. He said Friday that he "absolutely" wants Mexico to pay for the wall.

Pena Nieto insists Mexico will not pay for the wall.

Trump said, "it's great to be with my friend the president of Mexico"

Pena Nieto said he hopes to continue a "flowing dialogue."

___

1:28 p.m.

Anti-globalization protesters are keeping U. S. first lady Melania Trump from joining the spouses of world leaders attending an international summit in Germany.

Mrs. Trump's spokeswoman, Stephanie Grisham, says Hamburg police haven't cleared the first lady to leave the government guest house where she and President Donald Trump spent the night because of the protesters.

Spouses typically get together while leaders are in meetings during international summits like these.

Friday's program for the spouses included a boat ride, lunch and a tour of a climate control center.

Mrs. Trump tweeted that she was thinking of those who were hurt during protests that began Thursday.

She says she hopes everyone stays safe.

Anti-globalization activists have set dozens of cars ablaze and tried to block leaders' delegations from entering the grounds of the Group of 20 summit. Police have said at least 111 officers were hurt during Thursday's clashes.

___

1:18 p.m.

President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin's first encounter at a leaders' retreat in Hamburg, Germany was caught on tape.

The two leaders were seen shaking hands and exchanging pleasantries ahead of their planned formal, sit-down meeting in video posted to Facebook by the German Cabinet.

As officials gathered around a table, Trump outstretched his hand to Putin and then patted his elbow. Both men smiled.

Another brief video clip shows Trump casually patting Putin on the back as they stand side by side.

___

1:07 p.m.

President Donald Trump is participating in a photo-op with other world leaders at an international summit in Germany.

Trump stood in the first row as the Group of 20 world leaders posed for their official "family portrait." It's a longstanding tradition.

Trump was spotted speaking with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull on his way into the event.

He later stood next to and chatted with French President Emmanuel Macron. Trump will be visiting Paris next week in honor of Bastille Day.

Russian President Vladimir Putin stood on the opposite side of the stage.

___

12:12 p.m.

President Donald Trump was spotted chatting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and British Prime Minister Theresa May as he sat down with fellow world leaders for a discussion on fighting terrorism at a German summit.

Merkel and Trump sat next to each other and exchanged pleasantries at the opening session of the Group of 20 leaders' summit Friday.

Trump also chatted with May, who was seated immediately to his left. Russian leader Vladimir Putin sat several seats away.

Trump has alienated some U.S. allies with his decision to pull the U.S. out of an international climate agreement and his tough talk on trade.

___

11:45 a.m.

The spokesman for Russian leader Vladimir Putin is shrugging off President Donald Trump's call to reduce Russia's dominance of the natural gas supply for Eastern Europe.

Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov tells reporters, "There's no energy monopoly in Europe" ahead of the planned meeting of the Russian and U.S. leaders in Hamburg, Germany.

Trump said in a speech in Poland Thursday that he wants to make sure Poland and its neighbors are "never again held hostage" to a single supplier of energy.

Peskov says: "All this will be decided by the market, it should not be decided politically."

___

11:35 a.m.

The Kremlin says that President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump have exchanged a handshake and a few words ahead of their sit-down at the G-20 summit.

Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that Putin and Trump "shook hands and told each other that they will shortly have a separate meeting."

Asked about Trump's tweet that he's looking forward to meeting with Putin and they have "much to discuss," Peskov answered that the Russian president is also looking forward to the encounter.

The long-anticipated Putin-Trump meeting will be closely watched to see whether Trump brings up Russia's meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. The two presidents are expected to focus on the Syrian war, the Ukrainian crisis and the fight against terrorism.

___

10:40 a.m.

President Donald Trump is joining fellow world leaders at the first session of a two-day summit in Hamburg, Germany.

The meeting of leaders of the Group of 20 global economic powers opens Friday with a discussion on fighting terrorism - one of the least contentious subjects on an agenda that also includes global trade and climate.

The G-20 comprises Argentina, Australia, Brazil, China, Germany, France, Britain, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Canada, South Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, the United States and the European Union. Saudi Arabia's King Salman isn't attending, and his country is represented by Ibrahim al-Assaf, the minister of state.

Also attending the summit are the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Guinea, Senegal, Singapore and Vietnam.

___

10:38 a.m.

President Donald Trump is tweeting that "everyone" in Hamburg, Germany is talking about the Democrats' response to Russian election hacking ahead of his highly-anticipated meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Trump writes ahead of his arrival at the group of 20 summit: "Everyone here is talking about why John Podesta refused to give the DNC server to the FBI and the CIA. Disgraceful!"

Podesta was the former chair of Trump 2016 rival Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign. Podesta did not run the Democratic National Committee.

U.S. intelligent agencies have blamed the hacking of the DNC as well as Podesta's personal email account on the Russian government.

____

9:45 a.m.

President Donald Trump is tweeting that he's looking forward to his first meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin at an international summit in Hamburg, Germany. Trump says in the tweet there is "much to discuss."

Trump was set to arrive shortly at the Group of 20 summit. He's scheduled to meet later in the day with Putin in a highly anticipated meeting.

The encounter is coming at a pivotal time in U.S.-Russian relations. Trump will be closely watched to see if he confronts Putin over Russia's meddling in the 2016 presidential election.

Other issues like Syria, the Ukraine and terrorism are expected to be discussed.

U.S. President Donald Trump, left, and his wife Melania arrive for a concert on the first day of the G-20 summit in Hamburg, northern Germany, Friday, July 7, 2017. The leaders of the group of 20 meet July 7 and 8. (AP Photo/Michael Sohn)

President Donald Trump meets with Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto at the G20 Summit, Friday, July 7, 2017, in Hamburg. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

In this image taken from video U.S. President Donald Trump, centre left, meets with the Russian President Vladimir Putin, centre right, during the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany Friday July 7, 2017. (Steffen Kugler/German Government via AP)

France's President Emmanuel Macron, left, adjusts his tie as he jokes with, from left, U.S. President Donald Trump, Indonesian President Joko Widodo, Senegal's President Macky Sall and Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto during the family photo on the first day of the G-20 summit in Hamburg, northern Germany, Friday, July 7, 2017. The leaders of the group of 20 meet July 7 and 8. (AP Photo/Jens Meyer)

Russian President Vladimir Putin steps off a plane upon arrival for the G-20 summit in Hamburg, northern Germany, Friday, July 7, 2017. After weeks of anticipation, President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet at an international summit in Germany. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)

U.S. President Donald Trump waits for the beginning of the first working session on the first day of the G-20 summit in Hamburg, northern Germany, Friday, July 7, 2017. The leaders of the group of 20 meet July 7 and 8. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

German Chancellor Angela Merkel looks on as U.S. President Donald Trump, left, talks to Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, right, prior to the first working session on the first day of the G-20 summit in Hamburg, northern Germany, Friday, July 7, 2017. The leaders of the group of 20 meet July 7 and 8. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, front, talks with U.S. President Donald Trump, centre, and France's President Emmanuel Macron prior to the first working session on the first day of the G-20 summit in Hamburg, northern Germany, Friday, July 7, 2017. The leaders of the group of 20 meet July 7 and 8. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

President Donald Trump, 2nd left, speaks with the French President Emmanuel Macron, left, as they participate in the group photo at the G20 Summit, Friday, July 7, 2017, in Hamburg Germany . The meeting at the city's trade fair center opens Friday with a discussion on fighting terrorism - one of the least contentious subjects on an agenda that also includes global trade and climate. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

From left: Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan, British prime minister Theresa May, U.S. president Donald Trump, Chinese president Xi Jinping and German chancellor Angela Merkel attend the first working session of the G-20 summit in Hamburg, Germany, Friday, July 7, 2017. (Kay Nietfeld/Pool Photo via AP)
BRIDGEPORT, Conn. (AP) - Jurors are being chosen for a third trial of a Connecticut man charged with killing and dismembering his college student girlfriend after she broke up with him.

The first two trials of Jermaine Richards ended in mistrials after the juries deadlocked. Jury selection in the third trial resumed for a second day Friday in Bridgeport Superior Court.

The 34-year-old Richards is charged with murder in the 2013 death of Alyssiah Wiley, of West Haven. He denies the allegations.

FILE- In this May 20, 2013, file photo, Jermaine Richards, right, stands with his lawyer, John R. Gulash, as he is arraigned on murder and kidnapping charges in the death of Eastern Connecticut State University (ECSU) student Alyssiah Marie Wiley at Superior Court in Bridgeport, Conn. Jury selection is scheduled to begin Friday, July 7, 2017, for a third trial of Richards. The first two trials of Richards ended in mistrials after the juries deadlocked. (Brian A. Pounds/Hearst Connecticut Media via AP, Pool, File)

Wiley was a 20-year-old sophomore psychology major at Eastern Connecticut State University in Willimantic. She was last seen with Richards outside her dorm. Her dismembered remains were found a month later in a wooded area in Trumbull, not far from Richards' home in Bridgeport.

Police said Wiley tried to break up with Richards via Facebook shortly before her death and he became upset.

Afterward, Richards told a friend that Wiley "doesn't know who she's messing with" and that he was "going to get rid of her," police said in the arrest warrant affidavit for Richards.

Police said they searched Richards' home and found two DVDs that depict human dismemberment - "Absolute Death and other Strange Occurrences" and "Death: the Final Journey, volume five," according to search warrant affidavits

Authorities also found an empty garbage bag box, five rolls of duct tape and pants with bleach-like stains at Richards' home, police said. Authorities searched Richards' car and said they found latex gloves, balled-up duct tape mixed with hair and paper-towel-like material and plastic bags, according to the affidavits.

Prosecutors have relied on circumstantial evidence since police did not recover a murder weapon and there were no witnesses to Wiley's death.

The jury is scheduled to begin hearing evidence Sept. 5.
LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. (AP) - A woman charged with killing four of her young children and her husband smiled and flashed a double thumbs up to news cameras during her first court appearance Friday in metro Atlanta before telling a judge she doesn't want an attorney.

Also, an immigration official said the woman, who is from Mexico, entered the U.S. illegally.

Isabel Martinez, 33, appeared before Gwinnett County Magistrate Court Judge Michael Thorpe a day after police said she stabbed the five to death and seriously injured another child at her home outside Atlanta. The injured child, a 9-year-old girl, survived but remained hospitalized with injuries police described as serious.

Isabel Martinez gestures towards news cameras during her first court appearance Friday, July 7, 2017, in Lawrenceville , Ga. Martinez is charged with killing four of her children and their father. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

Before the hearing began, Martinez sat with other inmates and struck poses for cameras - smiling, giving the thumbs up, putting her hands in a prayer position and spreading her arms out wide.

As Thorpe listed the charges against her - five counts of malice murder, five counts of murder and six counts of aggravated assault - Martinez smiled, shook her head "no" and wagged her finger at him. The judge advised her sharply not to perform for the cameras.

"Ma'am, I'm going to caution you to cut out the display for the cameras," he said. "It's really not a good idea, probably not to your benefit."

When Thorpe informed her of her right to have an attorney, she said through a Spanish-language interpreter that she doesn't want one. She later added that her attorney will always be the people "that we're fighting for" and her faith.

"You are the hope of the world, each one of you," she said in Spanish, appearing to address the news cameras. "It doesn't matter what color you are because God loves us all."

Thorpe advised Martinez to hire a lawyer or to allow one to be appointed for her.

Meanwhile, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesman Bryan Cox said in an email Friday that Martinez - whom he identified as Maria Isabel Garduno-Martinez - is from Mexico and entered the country illegally. This is her first encounter with immigration authorities, and it's not clear how long she has been in the U.S., Cox said.

Local officials called the killings "horrendous."

"What prompts a person to take the life of such innocent children and her spouse is something we may never understand," Gwinnett County police said in a statement. "This is a horrendous crime not only for the victims but for the extended family, neighborhood and community."

Psychologists and others who study cases of mothers accused of killing their children say it's not as uncommon as people might believe. But media coverage often focuses on dramatic cases, such as Andrea Yates who was found not guilty by reason of insanity for the 2001 drowning deaths of her five children in her suburban Houston home.

Other cases get less attention, as when a woman kills a newborn or in children's deaths blamed on neglect, said Cheryl Meyer, co-author of two books on mothers who have killed children based on about 1,000 cases during the 1990s.

That amounts to roughly one death every three days. If anything, the total based on media reports at the time underestimates the reality, said Meyer, a psychology professor at Wright State University in Ohio.

In cases when mothers kill intentionally, Meyer said there is often another influence, such as mental health issues, postpartum depression or the loss of a close loved one.

"We like to classify these women as pariahs, that they aren't at all like us," Meyer said. "I found that was not the case."

Some neighbors in the small, largely Hispanic neighborhood in Loganville, about 30 miles (48 kilometers) east of Atlanta, said they had no clue anything was amiss in the home until police mobbed the scene Thursday morning. The neighbors said the Spanish-speaking family had moved to the community recently, and their children seemed happy playing with other neighborhood kids.

Victoria Nievs said Martinez had recently suffered the death of her father.

Gwinnett County Police Cpl. Michele Pihera confirmed that the 911 call came from a woman who was inside the home at 4:47 a.m. Thursday to report a stabbing. Police believe Martinez made that call.

Pihera said the caller was speaking Spanish, which initially made it difficult for 911 operators to communicate with her. The county sheriff's office said Martinez is on a hold for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

The hospitalized girl, Diana Romero, was in serious but stable condition Thursday evening, police said.

The four children killed were identified as Isabela Martinez, 10; Dacota Romero, 7; Dillan Romero, 4; and Axel Romero, 2. Their slain father was Martin Romero, 33, Pihera said. Police said Romero and Isabel Martinez were married.

Early indications are that a knife was used to attack the five, though a medical examiner will make the final determination about the cause of death, she said.

___

Foody reported from Atlanta. Associated Press writers Jonathan Landrum Jr. and Jeff Martin in Atlanta contributed to this report.

Isabel Martinez gestures towards news cameras during her first court appearance Friday, July 7, 2017, in Lawrenceville, Ga. Martinez is charged with killing four of her of children and their father. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

Isabel Martinez gestures towards news cameras during her first court appearance Friday, July 7, 2017, in Lawrenceville , Ga. Martinez is charged with killing four of her children and their father. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

Isabel Martinez gestures towards news cameras during her first court appearance Friday, July 7, 2017, in Lawrenceville, Ga. Martinez is charged with killing four of her children and their father. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

Isabel Martinez gestures towards news cameras during her first court appearance Friday, July 7, 2017, in Lawrenceville, Ga. Martinez is charged with killing four children and their father. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

Isabel Martinez stands to leave the courtroom during her first court appearance Friday, July 7, 2017, in Lawrenceville , Ga. Martinez is charged with killing four of her children and their father. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

Isabel Martinez, right, listens as a magistrate judge speaks during her first court appearance Friday, July 7, 2017, in Lawrenceville, Ga. Martinez is charged with killing four of her children and their father. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

Isabel Martinez, second from right, speaks to a magistrate judge through a Spanish language interpreter during her first court appearance Friday, July 7, 2017, in Lawrenceville, Ga. Martinez is charged with killing four children and their father. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

A deputy helps Isabel Martinez leave the stand during her first court appearance Friday, July 7, 2017, in Lawrenceville , Ga. Martinez is charged with killing four of her children and their father. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

This police handout photo released Friday, July 6, 2017, by the Gwinnett County Sheriff's Office shows Isabel Martinez, who has been charged in the stabbing deaths of four of her five children and their father in Loganville, Ga. According to police she is charged with six counts of aggravated assault, five counts of murder and five counts of malice murder. One child survived and is being treated at a local hospital with injuries police described as serious. (Gwinnett County Sheriff's Office via AP)

In this photo provided by the Gwinnett County Police Department, emergency personnel work at the scene where police found multiple people stabbed to death in Loganville, Ga., Thursday, July 6, 2017. (Gwinnett County Police Department via AP)

Law enforcement personnel work near a home where police say multiple people were found dead, Thursday, July 6, 2017, in Loganville, Ga., east of Atlanta. The Gwinnett County Sheriff's Office says 33-year-old Isabel Martinez, mother of several of the victims, is being held without bond at the county jail. Authorities say Martinez faces five counts of malice murder along with five counts of murder and six counts of aggravated assault. (John Spink/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP)

Neighbors stand outside near a home where police say multiple people were found dead, Thursday, July 6, 2017, in Loganville, Ga., east of Atlanta. (John Spink/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP)

Neighbors watch police during the investigation at a home where police say multiple people were found dead, Thursday, July 6, 2017, in Loganville, Ga., east of Atlanta. The Gwinnett County Sheriff's Office says 33-year-old Isabel Martinez, mother of several of the victims, is being held without bond at the county jail. Authorities say Martinez faces five counts of malice murder along with five counts of murder and six counts of aggravated assault. (John Spink/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP)

Law enforcement personnel work near a home where police say multiple people were found dead, Thursday, July 6, 2017, in Loganville, Ga., east of Atlanta. The Gwinnett County Sheriff's Office says 33-year-old Isabel Martinez, mother of several of the victims, is being held without bond at the county jail. Authorities say Martinez faces five counts of malice murder along with five counts of murder and six counts of aggravated assault. (John Spink/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP)
LONDON (AP) - A London children's hospital on Friday asked a British court to assess new evidence about the condition of Charlie Gard, a terminally ill baby at the center of a legal battle that has drawn international attention.

Great Ormond Street Hospital said it had applied for a new court hearing "in light of claims of new evidence relating to potential treatment for his condition." The case is due to be heard at the High Court in London on Monday.

Charlie suffers from mitochondrial depletion syndrome, a rare genetic disease that has left him brain damaged and unable to breathe unaided. His parents want him taken to the U.S. for experimental therapy.

But British and European courts have sided with the hospital's decision that the 11-month-old's life support should end, saying therapy would not help and would cause more suffering.

The baby's life support was due to be switched off last week, but the hospital delayed in order to give his parents more time with him.

The wrenching case has drawn interventions from Pope Francis and U.S. President Donald Trump, who have both said they will do what they can to help.

An online campaign to send Charlie to the U.S. for treatment has raised more than 1.3 million pounds ($1.7 million). A U.S. hospital has offered to ship the drug needed for the therapy to Britain for Charlie.

The Vatican's Bambino Gesu hospital has also offered to treat Charlie.

Great Ormond Street Hospital said Friday that "two international hospitals and their researchers have communicated to us as late as the last 24 hours that they have fresh evidence about their proposed experimental treatment."

"And we believe, in common with Charlie's parents, it is right to explore this evidence," the hospital said in a statement.

The hospital is currently bound by court rulings barring it from sending Charlie anywhere for the experimental treatment, nucleoside therapy. The rulings also say the baby's artificial ventilation should be withdrawn and he should receive only palliative care.

The hospital said a court should assess the claims of fresh evidence and "make its judgment on the facts."

"Our priority has always been, and will always be, the best interests of Charlie Gard," the hospital said.

Earlier Friday, Connie Yates told the "Good Morning Britain" TV program that five doctors had told her the experimental treatment could help her son.

"I've heard from doctors that there's around a 10 percent chance of this working for Charlie so I think that's a good enough chance to take," she said.

Britain's courts have been consistent in the case. Three courts, including the Supreme Court, agreed that the experimental treatment would be futile and may "well cause pain, suffering and distress to Charlie." The parents then took their case to the European Court of Human Rights, which refused to intervene and endorsed the British judges' decision.

But London-based medical ethicist Raanan Gillon said Friday that Charlie's parents should get the final say in whether or not their son receives treatment.

"I think the main ethical consideration is who should be making the decision about Charlie's best interests and my own view - though I have to say that most people disagree with me so far as I can find in the ethics world - my own view is that it should be the parents who decide," he said.

.
MADRID (AP) - Barcelona's president has confirmed widespread speculation that it wants to pry Marco Verratti from Paris Saint-Germain.

President Josep Bartomeu told Catalunya Radio on Friday that Verratti "is a player that interests the club."

But Bartomeu also acknowledged PSG was not looking to part with the Italy midfielder.

"PSG doesn't want to sell him," he said. "Their president has told me that he doesn't want to speak to me about Verratti."

Bartomeu said his club wants to sign "two or three players and bring up one or two players from the reserve team."

Barcelona is said to be interested in Arsenal defender Hector Bellerin and Real Betis midfielder Dani Ceballos.

Also, Barcelona said France defender Jeremy Matheiu will be leaving the club after three seasons to sign with Sporting Lisbon.

Real Madrid presented defender Jesus Vallejo, who returned to the club after two years on loan at Real Zaragoza and German club Eintracht Frankfurt. He is expected to replace Pepe following his move to Besiktas in Turkey.

Espanyol announced the signing of midfielder Esteban Granero to a three-year deal. The former Real Madrid and Queens Park Rangers player arrives from Real Sociedad.
HAMBURG, Germany (AP) - President Donald Trump opened his first meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday by raising U.S. concerns about Moscow's meddling in the 2016 presidential election, U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said. He said Putin denied being involved.

Trump's decision to confront Putin directly over election interference fulfilled ardent demands by U.S. lawmakers of both parties that the president not shy away from the issue in his highly anticipated meeting with Putin. Trump has avoided stating unequivocally in the past that Russia interfered, even as investigations proceed into whether Trump's campaign colluded with Russians who sought to help him win.

"I think the president is rightly focused on how do we move forward from something that may be an intractable disagreement at this point," Tillerson said.

President Donald Trump meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the G20 Summit, Friday, July 7, 2017, in Hamburg. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Both Trump and Putin appeared determined not to let the issue obstruct future cooperation, though their aides offered differing descriptions of where they left the matter at the conclusion of their meeting, which spanned more than two hours.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who attended the meeting along with Tillerson, said Trump accepted Putin's assurances that Russia didn't meddle in the U.S. election. But Tillerson said the Russians had asked for "proof and evidence" of its involvement. A day earlier, Trump had said Russia probably meddled but that other countries likely did, too.

On one point, Putin and Trump agreed, Tillerson said: The issue has become a hindrance to better relations between the two powers. Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Tillerson said the discussion about the election meddling was "robust and lengthy."

Tillerson said the two leaders had agreed to continue the discussion, with an eye toward securing a commitment that Russia won't interfere in U.S. affairs in the future.

In their meeting, the two also discussed a ceasefire deal for southwestern Syria that was reached by Russia and the United States and first reported Friday by The Associated Press. Though the U.S. and Russia have held conflicting views on Syria in the past, Tillerson said Russia had an interest in seeing the Mideast nation become a stable place.

Though Tillerson said details about the ceasefire need to be worked out, Lavrov said that Russian military police will monitor the ceasefire, with a monitoring center set up in Jordan - another party to the deal.

Both the Russians and the Americans took pains to describe the meeting as "constructive," cordial and wide-ranging, covering key topics including cyber security and North Korea. Still, Tillerson said no next meeting for Putin and Trump had been scheduled.

"The two leaders connected very quickly. There was a very clear positive chemistry," said Tillerson. The former Exxon Mobil CEO has done business in Russia and is one of the only senior members of Trump's administration who has prior experience dealing with Putin.

The meeting, originally scheduled for 35 minutes, clocked in at 2 hours and 16 minutes.

"There was so much to talk about," said Tillerson. "Neither one of them wanted to stop."

He added that at one point, aides sent in first lady Melania Trump to try to wrap up the talks, but the meeting went on another hour after that, "so clearly she failed."

The heavily anticipated meeting has been closely scrutinized for signs of how friendly a rapport Trump and Putin will have. Trump's predecessor, President Barack Obama, had notoriously strained ties to Putin, and Trump has expressed an interest in a better U.S.-Russia relationship.

But deep skepticism about Russia in the U.S. and ongoing investigations into whether Trump's campaign coordinated with Moscow during last year's election have made a U.S.-Russia detente politically risky for Trump.

The Putin meeting came midway through a hectic, four-day European visit for Trump, who addressed thousands of Poles in an outdoor speech in Warsaw, Poland, on Thursday. He met in Germany with Chancellor Angela Merkel, the summit host, and had dinner with two Asian allies - Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and South Korean President Moon Jae-in - to discuss North Korea's aggression.

___

AP Writer Josh Lederman in Washington contributed to this report.

___

On Twitter follow Superville at https://twitter.com/dsupervilleAP and Thomas at https://twitter.com/KThomasDC

President Donald Trump shakes hands with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the G20 Summit, Friday, July 7, 2017, in Hamburg. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
NEW YORK (AP) - A disgruntled doctor had slipped into his former workplace and was firing through the halls of Bronx Lebanon Hospital. But the staff there still had patients to take care of - like the newborn with a bowel obstruction who needed intensive care.

"It was the middle of the lockdown," said Dr. Madgy Mikhail, head of the department. But the baby was vomiting. So the doctor and a nurse shielded the infant and, with an armed SWAT team escort, went down a floor to the neonatal intensive care unit so the baby could be treated.

The team had, coincidentally, just that morning received training on how to handle an active shooter in the hospital. Hours later, Dr. Henry Bello, who resigned in 2015 in lieu of being fired over sexual harassment allegations, hid a rifle in his lab coat and opened fire inside Bronx Lebanon. He killed Dr. Tracy Sin-Yee Tam and wounded six others before killing himself.

FILE- In this June 30, 2017 file photo, police vehicles converge on Bronx Lebanon Hospital in New York after a gunman opened fire in the building. Although the shooting caused the hospital to go on lockdown, the staff maintained care of and protected their patients as they had trained to do. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez, File)

Similar instances of bravery played out in other departments around the hospital amid the June 30 rampage:

- The emergency room nurses who kept going out in the hallways to bring back blood transfusion packs;

- The hospital staff members who encountered Dr. Hassan Tariq shot in the wrist, wrapped a sheet around his wound to stanch the blood and carried him down nine flights of stairs to the operating room before collapsing in tears;

- The doctors who operated on their colleague Tariq while shots rang out;

- The off-duty physician who raced to the hospital to help his colleagues.

"As you can see, this was an entire team effort on the part of the whole hospital," said Errol C. Schneer, hospital vice president. "Throughout this tragic incident, the hospital operated at optimal levels."

The morning presentation to obstetrics included instructions on how to operate through an emergency and a recommendation of a practice drill.

"When the first Code Silver came, we thought, 'Ah, here comes the drills.' Obviously it was no drill," Mikhail said. But even the presentation couldn't have prepared them for the rampage that followed, which included Bello setting himself on fire.

"The hospital personal instinct is to go save," said Dr. Sridhar Chilimuri. "They really can't run away when one of their colleagues is bleeding. So they stayed. They packed the wounds. And it was actually the NYPD who had to physically extract them out. They wouldn't leave."

The six others who were injured - one patient, two medical students and three physicians - largely suffered gunshot wounds to the head, chest and abdomen.

Dr. Oluwafunmike Ojewoye, a second-year resident, was released after she was shot in the neck, the bullet missing major arteries.

Tariq was undergoing a second wrist surgery, but doctors were confident they saved his hand. One of the medical students was about to be discharged and would return home to Ohio, Chilimuri said. The others were in stable condition.

The baby with the bowel obstruction is still hospitalized, Mikhail said.

Bello blamed his colleagues for forcing him to resign. He sent an email to the New York Daily News just two hours before the rampage.

"This hospital terminated my road to a licensure to practice medicine," the email said. "First, I was told it was because I always kept to myself. Then it was because of an altercation with a nurse."

He also blamed a doctor for blocking his chances at practicing medicine. Bello had warned his former colleagues when he was forced out in 2015 that he would return someday to kill them. But the doctor he was looking for wasn't there at the time of the shooting, officials said. Dr. Tam wasn't supposed to be there that day - she was filling in for a different colleague.
HOUSTON (AP) - A 38-year-old Houston woman has been arrested on multiple charges of defrauding more than $1.1 million from a Catholic mission that supports schools in Mexico and Colombia.

Acting U.S. Attorney Abe Martinez says Rosina Blanco worked as a bookkeeper beginning in 2014 for the Basilian Father's Missions of the Catholic Church, based in the Houston suburb of Sugar Land, and fraudulently authorized electronic transfers from the mission account to accounts in her name.

Prosecutors say Blanco used the money for jewelry, furniture, luxury items and cars, real estate and services for her dog.

The Basilian Catholic priests order, based in Toronto, receives money from sources including individual mail solicitations, mission offerings and from the Congregation of St. Basil in Canada.

Blanco was to make an initial court appearance Friday.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - A Tennessee congressman says there was nothing improper about paying his son $300,000 for campaign work in the years after the younger man pleaded guilty to misconduct in office.

Republican Rep. John J. "Jimmy" Duncan Jr. told the Knoxville News Sentinel he paid John Duncan III to head his political operations and perform work ranging from putting up yard signs to fundraising.

"He was paid far less than many campaign managers and consultants while doing many things that they would not do," Duncan said.

John Duncan III was widely expected to seek to succeed his father and grandfather in Congress until he resigned as Knox County trustee. He pleaded guilty in 2013 to felony official misconduct for authorizing bonuses for himself and others for training that none had completed.

The congressman told the newspaper he pays family members as campaign workers because he has "the utmost trust" in his family.

"Every expenditure from my campaign has been done according to law and in compliance with all pertinent regulations of the Federal Election Commission," he said. "Many members of Congress, past and present, have paid family members for campaign work. The fact that family members have run, and worked in, my campaigns has been public for a long time."

The payments to the younger Duncan were first reported by KnoxTNToday.com.

The Duncans have been a prominent political family in the Knoxville area for more than a half century. An annual family barbeque draws thousands, and is a required stop for aspiring officeholders during campaign season.

Jimmy Duncan, a former Knox County criminal court judge, succeeded his father, John Duncan Sr., in Congress in 1988. The elder Duncan, who died a month after announcing he was leaving office, had held the seat since 1964. He had previously served as Knoxville mayor.

Jimmy Duncan has not yet said whether he will seek another term in Congress next year.

___

Information from: Knoxville News Sentinel, http://www.knoxnews.com
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) - A federal court has dismissed a lawsuit by three University of Texas professors who argued that a new state law allowing concealed handguns on campus could have a "chilling effect" on classroom debate.

Sociology professor Jennifer Lynn Glass and English professors Lisa Moore and Mia Carter sued last summer, before the law took effect in September. It requires public universities to allow people with concealed-handgun licenses to carry weapons inside school buildings.

The professors said guns in classrooms could lead to self-censorship during discussions about emotional or politically charged topics, such as abortion or gay rights. They said that could disrupt academic discussions and violate constitutional free speech protections.

U.S. District Judge Lee Yeakel dismissed the case Thursday, ruling the professors offered "no concrete evidence to substantiate their fears."
WASHINGTON (AP) - Attorney General Jeff Sessions visited Guantanamo Bay on Friday in a show of support for the prison he has called a "perfectly acceptable" place to detain new terrorism suspects, as opposed to holding them in the U.S. and having his own Justice Department try them in civilian courts.

Sessions traveled to the military detention facility in Cuba with his deputy, Rod Rosenstein, and National Intelligence Director Dan Coats, to gain "an up-to-date understanding of current operations," Justice Department spokesman Ian Prior said. It was Sessions' first trip there since becoming attorney general.

"Recent attacks in Europe and elsewhere confirm that the threat to our nation is immediate and real, and it remains essential that we use every lawful tool available to prevent as many attacks as possible," Prior said.

FILE - In this June 27, 2006 file photo, reviewed by a U.S. Department of Defense official, U.S. military guards walk within Camp Delta military-run prison, at the Guantanamo Bay U.S. Naval Base, Cuba. Attorney General Jeff Sessions is visiting Guantanamo Bay on Friday in a show of support for the prison he has called a "perfectly acceptable" place to detain new terrorism suspects, as opposed to holding them in the U.S. and having his own Justice Department try them in civilian courts. (AP Photo/Brennan Linsley, File)

Even as an Alabama senator, Sessions has long been a vocal supporter of the continued use of Guantanamo and its military commissions, calling it a "very fine place for holding these kind of dangerous criminals."

"We've spent a lot of money fixing it up," Sessions told the conservative radio talk show host Hugh Hewitt in a March interview. "And I'm inclined to the view that it remains a perfectly acceptable place. And I think the fact is that a lot of the criticisms have just been totally exaggerated."

President Donald Trump said during the presidential campaign that he wanted the detention facility open and promised to "load it up with some bad dudes." But he has not publicly announced any policy on the prison's future.

The embrace of Guantanamo Bay now represents a complete reversal of eight years of efforts to close the detention center, which opened on the base in January 2002 to hold and interrogate suspected enemy combatants. The Obama administration sent no new detainees there, and though it didn't fulfill a promise to shut it down, whittled the population from 242 to 41. That includes seven currently facing charges by military commissions. All are in the pretrial stage, including the five men charged with planning and aiding in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attack.

Obama's Justice Department maintained that the U.S. civilian court system was the most legally sound forum in which to prosecute terror suspects captured in the U.S. and overseas and cited hundreds of convictions in New York and other cities as proof.

Yet Sessions and other Republicans have long expressed concern that civilian courts afford legal protections to which suspected terrorists are not entitled. He has warned that valuable intelligence can be lost if a detainee is advised of his right to remain silent and to have a lawyer.

Rosenstein, however, has said he expects terrorism cases to be handled through civilian trials.

Former Attorney General Eric Holder sought unsuccessfully in 2009 to move the suspected ringleader of the Sept. 11 attacks, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, and four alleged co-conspirators from Guantanamo to New York for trial. Though the plan was derailed by political opposition, Holder has since expressed vindication as the military tribunal system at Guantanamo stalled. It is likely to be years before the men go before a jury of military officers.

The other military commission death penalty case, of the alleged mastermind of the deadly October 2000 bombing attack on the USS Cole in Yemen, has been similarly bogged down for years in pretrial litigation. Both have stalled largely due to issues related to the fact that the defendants were held for years in clandestine CIA facilities and subjected to treatment now widely regarded as torture.

Sessions lamented delays in the military system, telling Hewitt it is time to "get this thing figured out."

"By now, we should have worked through all the legal complications that the Obama administration seemed to allow to linger and never get decided, so nothing ever happened," he said. But, he added, "In general, I don't think we're better off bringing these people to federal court in New York and trying them in federal court where they get discovery rights to find out our intelligence, and get court-appointed lawyers and things of that nature."

__

Associated Press writer Ben Fox in Miami contributed to this report.
HOUSTON (AP) - Two Houston women have been arrested in what authorities say was a sex trafficking operation involving a 14-year-old girl lured through social media to Texas from Chicago.

The girl, now in the care of authorities, had been advertised on online sex sites as a 19-year-old but drew police attention for resembling a young documented runaway.

Harris County Constable Mark Herman says undercover detectives responding to the ad arranged a meeting at a north Houston motel Thursday, rescued the girl and arrested 20-year-old Teresa Henry and 24-year-old Centurrie Garrett. Both have extensive criminal records.

Henry is jailed on charges of human trafficking and compelling prostitution of a minor. Garrett is held on a prostitution charge. Herman says Garrett had a 6-week-old baby with her at the time of her arrest.
An Omaha man has been arrested on suspicion of making threats against Republican U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa.

Robert Simet, 64, was arrested by FBI agents in Omaha for his alleged threats against Ernst, who is serving her first term in the Senate.

He is accused of telling employees at a motorcycle dealership that he knew she was scheduled to speak there on Friday and that he 'could kill her.'

'All Congress members should be killed,' Simet allegedly stated.

Robert Simet (left in arrest photo), 64, was arrested by FBI agents in Omaha for allegedly threatening to kill Republican U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst (right) of Iowa

One of the employees became alarmed and reported Simet to the FBI.

Simet will be taken to Council Bluffs, Iowa, for an initial court appearance on July 11.

He is charged with threatening to assault a federal official.

One of Simet's longtime friends, Dr. Glenn Hurst, told the Omaha World-Herald: I wasnt surprised when I heard about what he said, but I know those threats werent based in reality.

Simet is accused of telling employees at a motorcycle dealership that he knew Ernst (file above) was scheduled to speak there on Friday and that he 'could kill her.' He was arrested by FBI agents and is being held without bail

'I want people to know that hes not a bad guy. Hes a sick guy.

Hurst, who said he's known Simet for over 20 years, said that roughly 10 years ago, Simet suffered a psychotic break and 'everything changed.'

He said that Simet told him that he had been diagnosed with schizophrenia and was hearing voices.

Simet is being held without bail at the Pottawattamie County Jail.

Ernst's office referred questions to U.S. Capitol Police, which said Friday it does not comment on ongoing investigations.
WASHINGTON (AP) - The first person to plead guilty to charges related to riots that broke out during Donald Trump inauguration was sentenced to four months in prison on Friday.

Dane Powell of Tampa, Florida, pleaded guilty in April to felony rioting and assault on a police officer. He was also ordered to complete two years of supervised probation.

Prosecutors have said Powell was one of more than 230 people arrested after self-described anti-capitalists broke windows and set fire to a limousine in the nation's capital on Inauguration Day.

Court documents say Powell admitted to being part of a group of rioters who moved 16 blocks over a period of more than 30 minutes on Jan. 20. Prosecutors say he also admitted to participating in breaking windows at two businesses and throwing a brick, large rock, or piece of concrete at uniformed law enforcement officers during the riot.
MADISON, Wis. (AP) - House Speaker Paul Ryan said Friday he met with officials from the Taiwanese company Foxconn as it considers building a plant in Wisconsin that could employ up to 10,000 people.

Ryan told reporters that his southeast Wisconsin congressional district "still could be" in the running for the plant, even though the city manager of his hometown Janesville said the factory would not be going there.

Ryan said he met with Foxconn officials at the request of Gov. Scott Walker and he's working closely with the state's congressional delegation to find a "good fit" for a factory. Other southeastern Wisconsin cities in Ryan's district that are close to Chicago, including Racine and Kenosha, are considered possible contenders for a large factory.

Foxconn plans to announce by early August its plans for locating a display panel factory in the U.S. that could cost up to $7 billion. The company assembles smartphones and other devices for Apple, Sony, Blackberry and other brands - mostly in China, where its plants employ about 1 million people.

Foxconn Chairman Terry Gou has mentioned Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Indiana and Texas as manufacturing states with which the company hopes to work.

"There is great potential there for a lot of great jobs to come to Wisconsin," Ryan said. "We're having those kinds of conversations with Foxconn to do that."

Hopes that Wisconsin may win the plant were buoyed last month when President Donald Trump said his administration was negotiating a U.S. expansion with "a major, major, incredible manufacturer of phones and computers and televisions."

Trump, who made the comments while in Wisconsin, said that Walker could be getting a "very happy surprise very soon."

Earlier this week, state Assembly Republican leaders said that Foxconn is considering a plant in southeastern Wisconsin that could employ 10,000 people. Walker and state economic development officials have refused to discuss any potential deal while talks are ongoing.

Ryan declined to discuss details about where Foxconn may locate after being asked about comments made by the city manager of Janesville, Ryan's hometown, indicating it was out of the running.

The Janesville Gazette reported that City Manager Mark Freitag said Foxconn had ruled out Janesville because there weren't enough available workers in the area. A 10,000-job employer would account for about 15 percent of Janesville's total current workforce.

"This was a big ask, for sure," Freitag told the newspaper.

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Follow Scott Bauer on Twitter at https://twitter.com/sbauerAP
Terminally ill Charlie Gard is not suffering and international attempts to intervene in his case have revived his parents hopes, the boys mother has said.

Connie Yates said support from the Pope and US president Donald Trump, as well as medics in America and the Vatican, had given the 11-month-old more time after his life-support was due to be switched off on Friday.

Ms Yates also made a direct plea to Prime Minister Theresa May ahead of her appearance alongside Mr Trump at the G20 summit in Germany, telling LBC: Support us like others are supporting us.

Chris Gard and Connie Yates (Gareth Fuller/PA)

His parents want to take him for experimental therapy in the US but lost a lengthy legal battle after judges ruled in favour of doctors at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH), where Charlie is being treated.

Ms Yates said seeing him stricken in hospital and wondering when his last moment would be was absolute living hell.

She told Good Morning Britain: Hes our own flesh and blood and we dont even have a say in his life whatsoever.

We are not bad parents, we are there for him all the time, we are completely devoted to him and hes not in pain and suffering, and I promise everyone I would not sit there and watch my son in pain and suffering, I couldnt do it.

Ms Yates said the Popes intervention came after she wrote a letter to him, although she did not receive a reply directly, but she did not write to Mr Trump.

She said: It does give us a hope definitely, because there was no hope left. Charlie was going to die on Friday and, you saw the video we did, we were absolutely devastated.

We had no control over it, the way it was done.

And then it was going to be on the Monday instead but then I think the White House got involved over the weekend and then that changed things.

Connie Yates (David Mizoeff/PA)

Charlie is suffering from a rare genetic condition and has brain damage and no-one can be certain whether or not he feels pain, GOSH has said.

Successive legal attempts by Charlies parents failed as judges in the High Court, Court of Appeal and Supreme Court in London ruled in favour of GOSH doctors, while the European Court of Human Rights declined to hear the couples appeal.

Ms Yates said five doctors, including two in England, thought the experimental treatment could help her son and 18 patients were being treated with the medication.

Charlie's parents have won support from across the world (Brian Farmer/PA)

A US hospital, which cannot be named for legal reasons, has offered to ship the drug to the UK to help Charlie and Ms Yates said this had been offered as early as last December.

The hospital issued a statement on Friday saying it would take the boy in if legal hurdles could be cleared or send the medication to GOSH pending approval from government regulator the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Donald Trump has claimed there are very positive things in store for the US and Russia as he sat down with Vladimir Putin for a historic first meeting.

Seated next to the Russian president on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Germany, Mr Trump said it was an honour to be with Mr Putin.

As journalists were briefly allowed in to witness part of the meeting, the US president said that he and Mr Putin had already held very, very good talks.

We look forward to a lot of very positive things happening for Russia and the United States, Mr Trump said.

He offered no details about what issues he and the Russian leader had discussed, describing them only as various things.

Mr Putin was similarly vague, telling reporters through a translator that they were discussing international problems and bilateral issues.

But he described the fact they were meeting as a positive sign in itself.

Phone conversation is never enough, Mr Putin said, adding that he hoped the meeting would yield positive results.

With secretary of state Rex Tillerson at his side, Mr Trump sat in front of an American flag with his hands clasped together.

Mr Putin, slightly hunched in his chair, rubbed his fingers together as he listened to Mr Trump address reporters. His foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov, sat nearby.

World leaders pose for a photo at the G20 summit in Hamburg (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

The highly anticipated meeting is the first between the pair, taking place under the shadow of US outrage about Russian election meddling and nagging questions about potential Trump campaign collusion.

The White House had said there was no set agenda for the session, although Mr Tillerson said the Syria war would be a key topic.
A man has been arrested in connection with the Manchester Arena terror attack.

The 19-year-old man was arrested at Liverpool John Lennon Airport on Friday on suspicion of offences contrary to the Terrorism Act and remains in custody, Greater Manchester Police said.

A property on Thelwall Avenue in Fallowfield is being searched as part of the investigation.

Police forensics working at the address on Thelwall Avenue, Fallowfield. pic.twitter.com/DYHbfWicR6  Patrick Hurst (@paddyhurst) July 7, 2017

Police said, as it stands, 23 people have been arrested in connection with the investigation, of which two were quickly de-arrested, and 20 were released without charge.

Anti-terror officers have already said police suspect suicide bomber Salman Abedi did not act alone and detectives want to speak to his brother in Libya.

Detective Chief Superintendent Russ Jackson, head of the North West Counter Terrorism Unit (NWCTU), said on Thursday that while detectives do not now think Abedi was part of a large network, they do suspect the involvement of others in the attack which had been planned for months.

Young man and a woman led away from home of man arrested by police investigating Manchester Arena attack. pic.twitter.com/XJmEod9rzX  Patrick Hurst (@paddyhurst) July 7, 2017

He said officers were engaged with the authorities in war-torn Libya where Abedis brother, Hashem, is currently being held.

Mr Jackson said: We dont have evidence of a large network. We do however suspect others were either aware or complicit in the knowledge of this attack.

And he did not rule out further arrests.

Police at Manchester home of man arrested at Liverpool Airport over Arena attack. @PA pic.twitter.com/grMLMvoyjS  Patrick Hurst (@paddyhurst) July 7, 2017

Abedi killed 22 people when he detonated a bomb in the foyer of Manchester Arena at the end of an Ariane Grande concert on May 22.

At the home of the man under arrest police forensics teams were taking photos of the inside and the contents of the bins outside the house, a housing association property on Thelwall Avenue, Fallowfield, south Manchester.

A young man and a woman, covering their faces, were led away by plain clothes detectives and taken away in an unmarked car.

A number of locals claimed the family were related to Salman Abedi, which could not be verified.

Latest update pic.twitter.com/BZ6yi1WaVe  Greater Manchester Police (@gmpolice) July 7, 2017

Abedis last known address, on Elsmore Road, is on a street around 100 yards away.

Neighbours said a Libyan family have lived at the address for a number of years  a mother, two sons and a daughter, though the father is believed to be in Libya.

Ali Mohamed, visiting a friend at a house across the road, said: I saw Salman Abedi here. He didnt show any danger or anything bad. He just seemed like a normal kid.

It is understood the 19-year-old arrested was on an inbound flight to the UK when he was held at Liverpool Airport.
Roberto Bautista Agut demolished former US Open finalist Kei Nishikoris hopes of making a big impression at Wimbledon this year.

In a Court Three clash played under yet more blazing London sunshine, Spaniard Bautista Agut caused an upset on Friday by ousting the ninth seed.

His 6-4 7-6 (7/3) 3-6 6-3 victory sets up a fourth-round clash with Croatian Marin Cilic, a player the 2001 Wimbledon champion Goran Ivanisevic rates only behind Roger Federer among the title favourites.

Kei-O.



Roberto Bautista Agut defeats Kei Nishikori 6-4, 7-6(3), 3-6, 6-3 to reach the fourth round.#Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/Pgd31m1SjJ  Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 7, 2017

Bautista Agut will need to be ready for that threat on Monday, yet on the latest evidence the 29-year-old 18th seed should provide challenging opposition to Cilic, who was a straight-sets winner against American Steve Johnson on Court One.

Japans leading player, Nishikori reached the Wimbledon fourth round in two of the last three years but he started slowly against Bautista Agut. And despite flickering to life in the third set and beginning stages of the fourth, he relinquished the control he was starting to establish over the man from Castellon de la Plana.

Upset alert 



No.9 seed Kei Nishikori is on the brink as he trails Roberto Bautista Agut by two sets to love#Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/HmIcc5qB4h  Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 7, 2017

Bautista Agut snatched back the break Nishikori had seized at the start of the fourth set and did not look back. When Nishikori hooked a backhand into the sidelines on match point, Bautista Agut was able to celebrate, yelling out the Spanish victory cry of Vamos.

For Nishikori it meant he failed to reach the last-16 stage of a grand slam for the first time since the 2015 US Open.

Cilic is burning through the rounds, still yet to drop a set. After making himself unpopular in Germany by ousting Philipp Kohlschreiber and then Florian Mayer, the seventh seed followed up by beating Johnson 6-4 7-6 (7/3) 6-4 on the second largest of Wimbledons show courts.

Marin Cilic claimed a straight-sets victory on day five at Wimbledon (John Walton/PA)

With 17 aces and just 13 unforced errors, it was clinical from Cilic, who has reached the quarter-finals in the last three years at Wimbledon and let three match points slip away at that stage against Federer 12 months ago.

Luxembourg left-hander Gilles Muller got the better of British hope Aljaz Bedene earlier in the day, the veteran 16th seed winning through 7-6 (7/4) 7-5 6-4 on Court Two.
The agonising battle over the future of terminally-ill baby Charlie Gard is going back to the courts.

Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) has applied to the High Court for a fresh hearing in light of claims of new evidence relating to potential treatment for his condition.

Charlies parents Connie Yates and Chris Gard, both in their 30s and from Bedfont, west London, want to take him to a hospital in the US but lost a lengthy legal battle after judges ruled in favour of doctors at GOSH, who argued the treatment would not improve the 11-month-olds quality of life.

GOSH has today applied to the High Court for a fresh hearing in the case of Charlie Gard. See full GOSH statement: https://t.co/6xRK56G7Zj  GOSHCharity (@GOSHCharity) July 7, 2017

Charlies case will be heard by Mr Justice Francis on Monday at 2pm, according to a High Court listing.

Leaving Great Ormond Street on Friday evening, Charlies mother, Connie Yates, told Sky News: Were hopeful and confident that Charlie may get a chance now.

Charlie inherited the faulty RRM2B gene from his parents, affecting the cells responsible for energy production and respiration and leaving him unable to move or breathe without a ventilator. The therapy is not a cure.

Charlie Gard

GOSH describes experimental nucleoside therapies as unjustified but its decision comes after two international hospitals and their researchers contacted them as late as the last 24 hours to say they have fresh evidence about their proposed experimental treatment.

Under a High Court ruling, GOSH is forbidden from allowing Charlie to be transferred for nucleoside therapy anywhere.

GOSH also point out that the ruling calls for Charlies artificial ventilation to be withdrawn and he should receive palliative care only.

Researchers at the Vatican childrens hospital implored Charlies doctors to reconsider allowing an experimental treatment to be used, citing new information.

Clinicians from the Bambino Gesu paediatric hospitals neurosciences department said tests in mice and patients with a similar, but not the same, genetic condition had shown dramatic clinical improvements.

Ms Yates has said her son was not in pain or suffering and she had been given hope by international attempts to come to Charlies aid, including from the Pope and US president Donald Trump.

GOSH said it will now be for the High Court to make its judgment on the facts and it is acting in Charlies best interests.

It said: Our doctors have explored every medical treatment, including experimental nucleoside therapies. Independent medical experts agreed with our clinical team that this treatment would be unjustified.

Not only that, but they said it would be futile and would prolong Charlies suffering. This is not an issue about money or resources, but absolutely about what is right for Charlie. Our view has not changed. We believe it is right to seek the High Courts view in light of the claimed new evidence.

Successive legal attempts by Charlies parents failed as judges in the High Court, Court of Appeal and Supreme Court in London ruled in favour of GOSH doctors, while the European Court of Human Rights declined to hear the couples appeal.

Ms Yates said five doctors, including two in England, thought the experimental treatment could help her son and 18 patients were being treated with the medication.

A US hospital, which cannot be named for legal reasons, has offered to ship the drug to the UK to help Charlie, and Ms Yates said this had been offered as early as last December.
A 14-year-old boy has died after falling through a roof in a disused building.

Police have issued warnings about the dangers of exploring abandoned premises following the death of Myles Johnstone, who was known to his friends as Mylo.

West Yorkshire Police said the teenager was found by police called to old industrial premises off Wyther Lane, in Leeds, shortly after 8.30pm on Thursday.

Myles Johnston died falling from a roof

A spokesman said the full circumstances are still being established but it is believed he had gone to the site with friends and had been on the roof when he fell through into the building.

Officers, paramedics and an air ambulance team gave emergency treatment but Myles died at the scene, he said.

Kindness and respect following tragic events: MESSAGE from Principal Mr Wilcocks following today's very sad news:https://t.co/Wa9xS1ubJy pic.twitter.com/0VwNGcaCrM  Leeds West Academy (@LeedsWestWay) July 7, 2017

The teenager, who was from the Bramley area of Leeds, was a pupil at West Leeds Academy.

Thursdays incident follows two similar recent incidents in the Leeds area involving boys who were seriously injured in falls at disused buildings.

A 12-year-old boy was seriously injured at a disused factory in Modder Avenue, Armley, on June 20, and a 13-year-old boy was seriously injured at a derelict building in Ninelands Lane, Garforth, on May 28.

Detective Inspector Phil Jackson, of Leeds District CID, said: Clearly the boys family are completely distraught and we are doing everything we can to support them at this difficult time and have appointed a family liaison officer to assist them.

This is the third incident of this nature in recent months, although sadly on this occasion it has proven fatal.
The US and Russia have reached an agreement for a ceasefire in south-west Syria, according to officials.

The ceasefire is set to take effect at noon on Sunday.

Word of the ceasefire emerged as US President Donald Trump met Russian President Vladimir Putin at the G20 summit.

Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin

The deal marks a new level of involvement for the US in trying to resolve Syrias civil war.

A separate deal to create de-escalation zones was brokered by Russia, Turkey and Iran, but not the US.

Follow-up talks this week in Kazakhstan to finalise a ceasefire in those zones failed to reach a deal.

The US and Russia have been backing opposing sides in Syrias war.

(AP/PA)

Jordan and Israel also are part of the agreement, one official said.

The two US allies both share a border with the southern part of Syria and have been concerned about violence from the civil war spilling over the frontier.

Moscow has been supporting Syrian President Bashar Assad and Washington is backing rebels who have been fighting Assad. Both the US and Russia oppose the Islamic State group in Syria.

Previous ceasefires in Syria have collapsed or failed to reduce violence for long, and it is unclear whether this deal will be any better.

SDF) fighters in the eastern side of Raqqa

Earlier in the week, Syrias military said it was halting combat operations in the south of Syria for four days, in advance of a new round of Russia-sponsored talks in Astana. That move covered the southern provinces of Daraa, Quneitra and Sweida.

Syrias government briefly extended that unilateral ceasefire, which is now set to expire on Saturday - a day before the US-Russian deal would take effect.

The new agreement will be open-ended, one US official said, describing it as part of broader discussions with Russia on trying to lower violence in the war-ravaged country.

Officials said the US and Russia were still working out the details as Mr Trump and Mr Putin concluded their more than two-hour meeting on Friday.

SDF fighters in the eastern side of Raqqa

The US has been wary of letting Iran gain influence in Syria - a concern shared by Israel and Jordan, neither of which wants Iranian-aligned troops massing near their territories.

A US-brokered deal could help the Trump administration retain more of a say over who fills the power vacuum left behind as Islamic State is routed from additional territory in Syria.

Though US and Russian officials had been discussing a potential deal for some time, it did not reach fruition until the run-up to Mr Trumps meeting with Mr Putin on the sidelines of the G20 summit, officials said.
President Donald Trump opened his first meeting with Russian president Vladimir Putin on Friday by raising US concerns about Moscows meddling in the 2016 presidential election, US secretary of state Rex Tillerson said.

Mr Tillerson said Mr Putin denied being involved and went on to say there was clear positive chemistry between the leaders during a meeting that lasted more than two hours although initially 35 minutes had been set aside.

Mr Trumps decision to confront Mr Putin directly over election interference fulfilled ardent demands by US politicians of both parties that the president not shy away from the issue in his highly anticipated meeting with Mr Putin.

Mr Trump has avoided stating unequivocally in the past that Russia interfered, even as investigations proceed into whether Mr Trumps campaign colluded with Russians who sought to help him win.

I think the president is rightly focused on how do we move forward from something that may be an intractable disagreement at this point, Mr Tillerson said.

If Trump only raised "Americans concerns about meddling" without promising consequences, he signaled weakness, if not consent, to Putin.  Evan McMullin  (@EvanMcMullin) July 7, 2017

Both Mr Trump and Mr Putin appeared determined not to let the issue obstruct future cooperation, though their aides offered differing descriptions of where they left the matter at the conclusion of their meeting, which spanned more than two hours.

Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov, who attended the meeting along with Mr Tillerson, said Mr Trump accepted Mr Putins assurances that Russia did not meddle in the US election.

But Mr Tillerson said the Russians had asked for proof and evidence of its involvement.

Donald Trump meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin

A day earlier, Mr Trump had said Russia probably meddled but that other countries likely did, too.

On one point, Mr Putin and Mr Trump agreed, Mr Tillerson said: the issue has become a hindrance to better relations between the two powers.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Mr Tillerson said the discussion about the election meddling was robust and lengthy.

Big contrast... Lavrov talked to reporters on-camera after Trump Putin meeting. Tillerson did not.  Jim Acosta (@Acosta) July 7, 2017

Mr Tillerson said the two leaders had agreed to continue the discussion, with an eye toward securing a commitment that Russia will not interfere in US affairs in the future.

In their meeting, the two also discussed a ceasefire deal for southwestern Syria that was reached by Russia and the United States and first reported on Friday by The Associated Press.

Though the US and Russia have held conflicting views on Syria in the past, Mr Tillerson said Russia had an interest in seeing the Mideast nation become a stable place.

Donald Trump shakes hands with Vladimir Putin

Though Mr Tillerson said details about the ceasefire need to be worked out, Mr Lavrov said that Russian military police will monitor the ceasefire, with a monitoring centre set up in Jordan, another party to the deal.

Both the Russians and the Americans took pains to describe the meeting as constructive, cordial and wide-ranging, covering key topics including cyber security and North Korea.

Still, Mr Tillerson said no next meeting for Mr Putin and Mr Trump had been scheduled.

The two leaders connected very quickly. There was a very clear positive chemistry, said Mr Tillerson.
ANKARA, June 29 (Reuters) - Islamic State's leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is definitely dead, Iran's state news agency quoted a representative of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as saying on Thursday.

"Terrorist Baghdadi is definitely dead," cleric Ali Shirazi, who is representative to the Quds force, told IRNA without elaborating.

The secretive Islamic State leader has frequently been reported killed or wounded since he declared a caliphate to rule over all Muslims from a mosque in Mosul in 2014, after his fighters seized large areas of northern Iraq. (Writing by Parisa Hafezi; editing by Andrew Roche)
By Makini Brice

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti, July 3 (Reuters) - Haiti could stem its seven-year-long cholera epidemic by the end of 2018 as the number of reported cases has dropped sharply, government and United Nations officials said.

The health ministry said Haiti has had about 7,400 suspected new cholera cases since the start of the year, compared with almost 20,200 at the same point last year.

"We have never seen so few cases," Donald Francois, head of the health ministry's national cholera program told Reuters in an interview. "With the cases we've seen we think we can eliminate cholera by the end of 2018."

There were more than 18,600 cases in the first six months of 2015 and some 7,451 in the same period in 2014, according to health ministry figures.

An estimated 9,300 people have died and more than 800,000 have fallen ill from cholera since U.N. peacekeepers accidentally introduced the disease in 2010 when they dumped infected sewage into a river outside of Port-au-Prince.

A program to provide residents with water purification tablets and efforts to find the source of new outbreaks has likely led to the decline in cases, said Marc Vincent, the U.N. Children's Fund (UNICEF) representative for Haiti.

A cholera vaccination drive in November targeting more than 800,000 people also probably boosted immunity, Vincent said.

Still, with funds to combat cholera slow to trickle in and Haiti needing vast improvements to its water and sanitation systems, the country remains vulnerable to new outbreaks.

About 40 percent of Haiti's population are without daily access to clean water and less than one in four residents has regular use of a toilet, according to Pan-American Health Organization and World Bank figures.

"The number of reported cases can certainly decline dramatically and even fall to zero. Most likely, though, there will continue to be a low-level number of cases, maybe seasonally, maybe year-round," said Ronald Waldman, a global health professor at George Washington University.

Waldman said Haiti could expect periodic spikes of cholera during natural disasters such as hurricanes.

Former U.N. secretary-general Ban Ki-Moon apologized in December for the handling of the outbreak and announced a $400-million trust fund to fight cholera and to rebuild communities struck by the illness.

But countries have been slow to contribute to the fund. So far, seven countries have given $2.67 million, nearly all of which has been spent, according to the United Nations. (Reporting by Makini Brice; Editing by Grant McCool)
By Angel Krasimirov

SOFIA, July 5 (Reuters) - Thousands of Bulgarian policemen, firefighters and other interior ministry workers gathered in the capital Sofia on Wednesday to demand higher wages, better working conditions and new uniforms.

It is the first major display of anger in the European Union's poorest state against the two-month old centrist coalition government led by the centre-right GERB party which won a snap parliamentary election in March.

The Balkan country is still struggling to root out endemic corruption and organised crime, and observers say local police, prosecutors and judicial system are in urgent need of reform.

The cabinet of Prime Minister Boyko Borissov has said it will honour Sofia's commitments to the EU to work to boost incomes in line with productivity.

Interior Minister Valentin Radev, however, said wages of the ministry's employees would remain unchanged this year.

"I hope that we will be able to increase the wages of the policemen in 2018, I do not know why they want it now and immediately," Radev said.

Police trade unions demanded an immediate pay rise of 15 to 20 percent and said they plan more protests in the coming months. They also asked for increased funding to replace outdated equipment and buy new uniforms.

"The prestige and attractiveness of the profession have declined very seriously because of the low wages," said Valentin Popov, chairman of the police officers' trade unions.

"The starting (monthly) salary of a policeman and a fire-fighter is only 662 levs ($383) before taxes. The minimum and the average wage in the country rose by more than 50 percent in the last eight or nine years while the salaries in the interior ministry rose by only 15 percent in the same period," he said.

Banners carried by firefighters read: "Helmet - 1990, outfit - 2002 - second hand."

Bulgaria's average monthly salary was just above 1,000 levs in the first quarter of the year, the statistics office data showed.

"The government's attitude toward us is inhuman and humiliating," a demonstrator told Reuters on condition of anonymity. "If things remain like this, I'll quit."

Police officers in the Balkan country are not permitted to strike, take a second job or join a political party, but they are exempted from paying social security contributions.

Voter frustration, especially with rampant corruption and organised crime, erupted in months of protests in 2013 and 2014 and the country has had seven governments in the past four years. ($1 = 1.7258 leva) (Editing by Radu Marinas and Toby Chopra)
By Noga Tarnopolsky

July 6 (Reuters) - Benjamin Netanyahu has miscalculated. In the days since the Israeli prime minister reneged on a decision that would have allowed men and women to pray together at Jerusalems holy Western Wall, the outrage among American Jews is only getting worse.

The carefully-crafted agreement, adopted by Netanyahus cabinet in January 2016 with input from Israeli and American leaders of the Reform and Conservative Jewish movements, would have created a third area at the Wall where both men and women could pray together. In spiking the deal, and thereby keeping the genders separated, with the lions share of the wall reserved for men, Netanyahu has caved to pressure from the increasingly strident ultra-Orthodox partners in his governing coalition. But the prime ministers pandering to minority hardliners has caused an unprecedented uproar among the Diaspora Jews whose political and financial support is crucial to Israel.

"Enough is enough," wrote Isaac Fisher, a board member of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), in a pained letter to senior Israeli officials. "The time has come for the Israeli government to understand that its public includes all the people of Israel."

Fisher, a real estate magnate and philanthropist, has asked for the return of the $1 million he invested in Israeli bonds last month and announced that he is suspending fundraising activities for Israel over what he described as Netanyahus "serious act of contempt" for the rabbis and leaders of U.S. communities. "Netanyahu and the ultra-Orthodox say, `You dont matter. They say to our women, `Your Judaism isnt Judaism," Fisher told the newspaper Yediot Ahronot. "We have an obligation to put an end to it."

Jewish Canadian Charles Bronfman, a billionaire and major donor to North American Jewish causes, wrote to Netanyahu that he did not know of any other country that "denies any Jew based on denomination." AIPAC, a powerful pro-Israel lobbying group, was so concerned that it sent an emergency delegation to meet with Netanyahu over the Fourth of July weekend.

At present, the Wall, once part of the ancient temple of Jerusalem, divides men from women, with 75 percent of the space and access to more than 100 Torah scrolls reserved exclusively for men. The remaining quarter, with no scrolls, is assigned to women. Non-Orthodox Jews do not separate men and women for prayer in synagogue, but they are not allowed to pray together at the Wall except in a third section, below ground level, that is not fully excavated and invisible from the main plaza. The agreement would have given them equal space for their prayers - a principle supported by nearly two-thirds of Israelis.

Friction over how women pray at the Wall, known in Hebrew as the Kotel, has been increasing for years. In 2013, Israel police detained 10 women from Women of the Wall, a group that has been protesting gender restrictions since 1988, for chanting prayers out loud and wearing prayer shawls traditionally used by men.

The current crisis, however, takes place against a backdrop of growing ultra-Orthodox extremism and the secular majoritys dwindling patience for their demands. Orthodox political parties are incensed about a conscription law drafting young ultra-Orthodox men as part of Israels mandatory military service; secular Israelis resent the preferential tax treatment and state sponsorship of religious institutions that the ultra-Orthodox enjoy.

Orthodox political leaders have recently adopted more confrontational rhetoric. On July 3 Shas leader Aryeh Dery, one of the ministers who forced Netanyahus hand, absurdly claimed the Reform movement intends to convert thousands of African asylum-seekers (he called them "infiltrators") to Judaism, so they could become Israeli citizens. The next day, the baseless xenophobic claim was parroted by Minister of Education Naftali Bennett, who heads the Jewish Home party.

The Israeli public is alert to the consequences of Netanyahus rebuff of their international supporters. The hosts of Vilensky and Bardugo, a popular afternoon drive-time radio news show, said the prime ministers "surrender to the ultra-Orthodox... signifies a loss of Israels number one strategic interest, American Jews."

A July 4th editorial in Haaretz noted the key political role played by U.S. Jews: "They push Israeli causes in the White House, lobby for budgets on Capitol Hill ... defend Israels good name in the media, fight our wars, lock horns with our enemies and stand by our side even when they dont agree with it."

Another commentator, National Jewish Book Award winner Daniel Gordis, thinks that American Jews should force "a coalition crisis" for the Netanyahu government.

"Netanyahu, his party and anyone in his coalition must become toxic," Gordis, an American-born Orthodox Jew who lives in Israel writes. "No meetings with American Jews, not in Israel and not in the U.S. Delegations that would normally meet with him should stop. Israels consuls-general in the U.S. should be shunned and disinvited."

Netanyahu seems impervious to the scale of the rage he has precipitated. After heaping praise on President Trump at the United States embassys Fourth of July party, he said, "I am committed to making every Jew feel at home in Israel, including at the Kotel. All we need is patience and perseverance." He offered no details as to how he would reconcile the tension between keeping his coalition partners happy without alienating his mainstream supporters. (Reporting by Noga Tarnopolsky)
By Michele Kambas

ATHENS, July 7 (Reuters) - The best chance in generations to broker a deal over ethnically-split Cyprus collapsed in acrimony early on Friday, throwing the prospect of any reunification into disarray.

A week of U.N.-mediated talks in the Swiss Alps culminated in a "yelling and drama" session, leaving unresolved a conflict that keeps Greece and Turkey at loggerheads and is a perennial obstacle to Ankara's hopes of joining the European Union.

Cyprus's Greek and Turkish Cypriots have lived estranged since a Turkish invasion in 1974 triggered by a brief Greek inspired coup. Major natural gas discoveries in the region over the past decade had added impetus to efforts to secure a deal.

Turkey has 30,000 troops stationed in northern Cyprus and their status in any post-settlement peace deal proved to be the undoing of a process one diplomat lamented came "so, so close" to succeeding.

Diplomats said Turkey had appeared to be offering little to Greek Cypriots wanting a full withdrawal of Turkish troops from the island.

Indications which had emerged on Thursday that Turkey was considering relinquishing intervention rights vanished when the Greek side asked for that commitment in writing.

The Greek Cypriots had indicated readiness to make concessions on Turkish Cypriot demands for a rotating presidency, the other key issue.

"I don't know where it may go from here," a diplomatic source told Reuters.

That source found fault with Turkish Cypriots for being "a bit greedy" and "overplaying their hand", but also Greek Cypriots, who possibly made a tactical error in asking for a written commitment from Turkey relinquishing its intervention rights before a deal had been agreed.

"I just don't think there is a sense of trust there. We were really, really close," the diplomatic source added.

Cyprus talks have collapsed before, most spectacularly in 2004, when Greek Cypriots rejected a U.N. reunification blueprint in a referendum while Turkish Cypriots backed it.

On that occasion, it took several years for the United Nations to re-engage.

NEXT STEPS?

Britain, a guarantor power of Cyprus under a convoluted treaty which gave the island independence in 1960, said it was "enormously disappointed".

"Now is a time for calm reflection and consideration of next steps. Our commitment to a deal remains unwavering," a British government spokesperson said.

A downcast Antonio Guterres, the United Nations Secretary-General, who had flown in on Thursday to help clinch a deal, said the world body remained at the disposal of the sides to facilitate any future engagement.

"The conference is closed," he said. "That doesn't mean that other initiatives cannot be developed to address the Cyprus problem."

Quite what that means is unclear. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said the outcome showed the "impossibility of a solution within the parameters of the U.N. good offices mission".

"There is now no sense in insisting on these parameters," he said.

The Cyprus problem has been on the United Nations agenda for more than half a century. (Reporting By Michele Kambas; Editing by Gareth Jones)
AMSTERDAM/ANKARA, July 7 (Reuters) - The Dutch cabinet said on Friday Turkey's Deputy Prime Minister Tugrul Turkes was not welcome to visit the Netherlands for a ceremony among Turkish expatriates to commemorate the anniversary of last year's failed military coup in Turkey.

Relations between the NATO allies deteriorated sharply in March when the Dutch, on the eve of their national election, barred Turkish ministers from speaking at rallies of ethnic Turks in the Netherlands, citing security concerns.

President Tayyip Erdogan, who wanted to encourage Turks living in Europe to back his plans in a referendum for increased powers, accused the Netherlands of acting like a "banana republic" and his foreign minister described the country as the "capital of fascism".

"In view of the current condition of the bilateral relationship ... the cabinet finds a visit by the Turkish deputy prime minister or any other member of the Turkish government undesirable," the Dutch cabinet said in a statement.

"This decision is logical in view of the events in March," it added.

Turkey has said it plans commemoration events in several European cities that have a large ethnic Turkish diaspora and the foreign ministry in Ankara criticised the Dutch stance.

"The statement... is telling in terms of this country's understanding of democracy", Turkish foreign ministry spokesman Huseyin Muftuoglu said.

Military officers attempted to overthrow Erdogan and his government last July in a coup attempt that quickly collapsed.

Erdogan accused European governments of being slow and insufficiently vigorous in their condemnation of the coup, in which more than 240 people were killed.

Since then, Turkey has jailed more than 50,000 people pending trial and suspended or dismissed some 150,000, including soldiers, teachers and civil servants, over alleged links with the exiled Muslim cleric Ankara blames for the failed coup.

The large-scale purges have added to the strains in Turkey's relations with Western countries, which have stepped up their criticism of Ankara's record on democracy and human rights.

Turkey says the crackdown is necessary because of the gravity of the security threats facing it.

(Reporting by Toby Sterling and Ece Toksabay in Ankara; Editing by Tuvan Gumrukcu and Gareth Jones)
By Shadia Nasralla

VIENNA, July 7 (Reuters) - Austria plans to end its Eurofighter jet programme early and replace it with a cheaper alternative fleet of aircraft bought or leased from another government, its defence minister said on Friday, amid a legal battle over the jets with Airbus.

Austria sued Airbus and the Eurofighter consortium, including Britain's BAE Systems and Italy's Leonardo , in February, alleging deception and fraud linked to a near 2 billion euro ($2.3 billion) jet order in 2003. Airbus and the consortium have denied the accusations.

The charges were the latest in a series of rows between Austria and the consortium, which have sparked two parliamentary inquiries and resulted in Airbus boss Tom Enders being investigated by Vienna prosecutors.

The defence ministry said in a statement that Austria's 15 Eurofighter jets could be phased out from 2020. The continued use of the Eurofighter planes for 30 years - the normal life span of such jets - would cost up to 5 billion euros, largely for maintenance.

Buying and operating a new fleet comprised of 15 single-seater and three twin-seater supersonic jets over the same period could be 2 billion euros cheaper than continuing its current programme, the ministry added.

"It is necessary to get a grip on the overflowing costs of the Eurofighter," Defence Minister Hans Peter Doskozil said.

A source at the ministry was confident existing maintenance contracts with Airbus for the Eurofighters could be renegotiated. Doskozil said some kind of compensation for its Eurofighters was "likely" to come from the court battle. Alternatively, the aircraft or parts could be sold.

Airbus and Eurofighter said in emailed statements: "it is not for us to comment" on Austrian defence procurement discussions, adding the Eurofighter "works very well for all other customers".

Doskozil said the plan had nothing to do with campaigning ahead of Austrian elections in October and that he expected it to go ahead even if there was a change in government.

TALKS UNDERWAY

The defence ministry said it had already been in touch with other governments, air forces and aircraft producers.

It prefers a government-to-government deal that would see Vienna lease or buy aircraft from another country, rather than organising a tender that would take longer and might jeopardise the 2020-2023 timeframe for the change of fleet.

Such a government-to-government deal could involve the other country buying supersonic jets from one of its national producers whose planes have self-defence systems, radar-guided missiles and can operate at night.

The head of export and international relations at Sweden's Defence Materiel Administration (FMV), Joakim Wallin, said the FMV supplied Austria last month with pricing and technical information about 18 Saab JAS Gripen fighter jets.

"We expect to hear from them again after the summer," Wallin told Reuters, referring to a potential deal that could see Saab sell the planes to the FMV which would sell them to Austria. He declined to give details on the price quoted.

Austria has also spoken with U.S. officials about its interest in the U.S.-built F-16 fighter jet, made by Lockheed Martin Corp, the largest arms maker in the world, according to a source familiar with the matter.

Lockheed is still offering the F-16 in international competitions, although production is due to end, the source said. It would take about three years to start delivering aircraft, or about two years after a contract was signed, the source added.

The tranche 1 type of the Eurofighter jets which Austria uses is also in operation in Britain, Germany, Italy and Spain.

($1 = 0.8782 euros) (Reporting by Shadia Nasralla, additional reporting by Johan Sennero in Stockholm and Andrea Shalal in Berlin; Editing by Mark Potter)
ALMATY, July 7 (Reuters) - Uzbekistan has allowed a limited number of banks and companies to trade foreign currency at the market rate, two sources told Reuters, in a pilot project that could lead to the introduction of full convertibility of the national sum currency.

The former Soviet republic's elaborate system of currency controls and restrictions is the main obstacle to foreign investment and a liberalisation would be President Shavkat Mirziyoyev's most important economic reform to date.

Uzbekistan, Central Asia's most populous nation and second-biggest economy, requires exporters to sell a quarter of their foreign currency revenue at the official rate, about 4,000 sums per dollar.

Importers, at the same time, can only buy foreign currency on a separate, so-called bourse market where they pay about 9,000 per dollar, although the rate is not officially reported. The third, black market rate, mostly used by individuals, values the sum at about 8,400.

Under this system, a hypothetical company which exports goods worth $1 million would get 7.75 billion sums after the mandatory partial sale to the central bank. If it wanted to exchange the same amount back into dollars, the company would only get about $860,000.

According to two sources close to the banking sector who have seen the relevant documents, new regulations allow some banks to sell foreign currency to a limited number of importers at whatever rate they agree on.

The move is meant to test the new system before its universal introduction, said one of the sources.

The central bank could not be reached for comment and did not reply to emailed questions.

If the reform is indeed implemented, it would be the biggest change yet introduced by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev. Last year he succeeded veteran leader Islam Karimov, who died in September after running the nation of 31 million for 27 years.

The liberalisation would mean the government, which has used currency restrictions to limit imports, could face new challenges in supporting domestic industry. (Reporting by Olzhas Auyezov; editing by Andrew Roche)
By Ori Lewis

JERUSALEM, July 7 (Reuters) - The United Nations' cultural organisation declared an ancient shrine in the occupied West Bank, that is revered by Muslims and Jews, a "Palestinian World Heritage Site in Danger" on Friday, angering Israel.

UNESCO took the decision at a meeting in Krakow, Poland to declare Hebron and the two adjoined shrines at its heart - the Jewish Tomb of the Patriarchs and the Muslim Ibrahimi Mosque - as Palestinian.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said it was "another delusional UNESCO decision" and said that Israel would "continue to guard the Cave of the Patriarchs, to ensure religious freedom for everybody and ... guard the truth."

Palestinian Foreign Minister, Reyad Al-Maliki, said the vote was proof of the "successful diplomatic battle Palestine has launched on all fronts in the face of Israeli and American pressure on (UNESCO) member countries."

Hebron is the largest Palestinian city in the occupied West Bank with a population of some 200,000. About 1,000 Israeli settlers live in the heart of the city and for years it has been a place of religious friction between Muslims and Jews.

Jews believe that the Cave of the Patriarchs is where Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and their wives, are buried. Muslims, who, like Christians, also revere Abraham, built the Ibrahimi mosque, also known as the Sanctuary of Abraham, in the 14th century.

The religious significance of the city has made it a focal point for settlers, who are determined to expand the Jewish presence there. Living in the heart of the city, they require intense security, with some 800 Israeli troops protecting them.

Netanyahu added: "Only where Israel is present, like in Hebron, is freedom of worship assured for everybody. Throughout the Middle East, mosques, churches and synagogues are being blown up -- places where Israel is not present."

Internal Security Minister Gilad Erdan, a member of Netanyahu's inner circle of ministers, tweeted: "UNESCO will continue to adopt delusional decisions but history cannot be erased ... we must continue to manifest our right by building immediately in the Cave of the Patriarchs."

Education Minister Naftali Bennett said: "The Jewish connection to Hebron goes back thousands of years (and) Hebron (is) the birthplace of King David's kingdom." (Additional reporting by Ali Sawafta in Ramallah and Nidal al-Mughrabi in Gaza; Editing by Robin Pomeroy)
By Lefteris Karagiannopoulos

OSLO, July 7 (Reuters) - Swedish state-owned power utility Vattenfall will save about 3 billion Swedish crowns ($356 million) a year after the country's nuclear tax has been phased out and will use the savings to extend the life of its reactors, its CEO told Reuters.

On July 1, in a long expected move, Sweden started a two-year phasing out of its tax on nuclear power production, which many nuclear energy producers, including Vattenfall , said had created losses and halted investments.

"The tax reduction will be 3 billion crowns per year ... This tax relief is (for us) more pointed towards investments on the prolongation of Swedish nuclear," Vattenfall's chief executive Magnus Hall said in an interview on Friday.

Vattenfall operates seven out of the eight remaining nuclear reactors in Sweden, three at Forsmark and four at Ringhals. Two of the latter are scheduled to be decommissioned by 2020.

"We will keep to the schedule of closing them in 2020 and 2019," Hall said, adding Vattenfall was not planning to invest in new nuclear reactors in Sweden as it was pursuing other more cost-effective technologies.

He said the company planned to invest up to 2 billion crowns in solar energy over the next two years, while around 5 billion euros would be spent mainly on wind power over the next five years, much of it offshore wind.

Sweden has also voted for legislation forcing nuclear producers to expand the facilities of their reactors, adding external installations that can independently inject water to cool the reactors by 2020.

"We have taken a decision already for lifetime extensions for Forsmark 1-2-3 ... the lifetime extension for Ringhals 3 and 4 will be on the table for some decision during the fall," the CEO said.

The phase-out of the nuclear tax in Sweden was a prerequisite for the investment in the reactors' lifetime extensions, he added.

In Germany, Vattenfall was forced to halt its nuclear power production and the company is now in a legal dispute over compensation it is claiming from the German state.

Hall said the company expected a non-appealable decision from an arbitration court in Washington, D.C. by autumn 2017.

Vattenfall, which has suffered for years from low power prices and large impairments related to unsuccessful overseas ventures, made a record loss in 2016. Hall said he expected a "positive results" this year and to pay dividends in 2018.

The last time the government's former cash-cow paid a dividend was for 2012.

Unlike its German hydropower operations, where Vattenfall recently announced it would cut up to 60 percent of staff to bring down costs, the company's equivalent Swedish operations will not be downsized because they already have a leaner structure, Hall said. (Editing by Gwladys Fouche and Mark Potter)
HRD Ministry: No Detention Policy to be removed from next Academic Year

Published: July 7, 2017

The HRD Ministry has decided to remove the no-detention policy for students from the next academic year. Under the Right to Education Act, no child will be detained or held back in any class or expelled till the completion of elementary education covering classes 1 to 8.

Contents Rationale

Background

Rationale

The governments decision comes after it had received several complaints regarding the deterioration of the quality of basic education in the country. In addition, the States have been asking for the withdrawal of the no-detention policy from the Right to Education Act 2009. As per the critics, the policy has resulted in remarkable improvement in enrollments but has brought down the academic standards.

Background

No-Detention Policy

Under this policy, the students up to class VIII are automatically promoted to the next class without being held back even if they do not get a passing grade. The policy was implemented as part of the Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation (CCE) under the RTE Act to ensure all-round development of students. The concept of CCE which was imported from the West lays emphasis on evaluating a child through the year, and not just based on performance in one or two term exams.

The basic objective behind the no-detention policy was to prevent dropouts. The no detention policy in the RTE does not mean the abolition of assessment rather it calls for a replacement of the traditional system of evaluation with a continuous and comprehensive assessment that is not threatening. The policy also intends to free the students from the pressure and fear of examination and give them a stress-free academic environment and childhood.

Committees

The TSR Subramanian committee on Education had observed that the no detention policy in schools should be applicable till Class V and exams be held from Class VI onwards. Prior to this, the Vasudev Devnani committee had also recommended for the revocation of No-Detention Policy.

Month: Current Affairs - July, 2017

Topics: Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation (CCE)  Current Affairs - 2017  HRD Ministry  National  No-Detention Policy  RTE Act  States  TSR Subramanian committee  Vasudev Devnani committee

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By Jeff Mason and Denis Dyomkin

HAMBURG, July 7 (Reuters) - The United States, Russia and Jordan have reached a ceasefire and "de-escalation agreement" in southwestern Syria, one of the combat zones in a six-year-old civil war, Washington and Moscow said on Friday.

The ceasefire will go into effect at noon Damascus time (0900 GMT) on Sunday, U.S. and Russian officials said.

The deal was announced after a meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin at the G20 summit of major economies in the German city of Hamburg.

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the area covered by the ceasefire affects Jordans security and is a "very complicated part of the Syrian battlefield."

Russia and Iran are the main international backers of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad while Washington supports some of the rebel groups fighting to topple him.

"I think this is our first indication of the U.S. and Russia being able to work together in Syria, and as a result of that we had a very lengthy discussion regarding other areas in Syria that we can continue to work together on to de-escalate the areas," Tillerson said.

The conflict has killed nearly half a million people, according to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, turned cities into ruins and forced millions to flee Syria.

Previous similar ceasefires have failed to hold for long. Trump ordered missile strikes against a Syrian air base in April to punish Assad after a chemical weapons attack but this is the first time his administration has been so directly involved in a peace-making attempt there.

Backed by Russian air power, Assad has regained ground in the last year or so lost to the mostly Sunni Muslim rebels.

The Syria deal appeared to be the main point of agreement at the first meeting between Trump and Putin, who also discussed Moscow's alleged interference in the U.S. 2016 presidential election and North Korea's nuclear ambitions.

GOALS IN SYRIA

Lavrov said the accord includes "securing humanitarian access and setting up contacts between the opposition in the region and a monitoring centre that is being established in Jordan's capital."

Tillerson said that by and large the objectives of the United States and Russia in Syria "are exactly the same."

But Washington and Moscow have long been at odds over Syria.

The United States has often called for the removal of Assad, who it blames for shootings of protesters at the start of the conflict and, more recently, chemical weapons attacks on civilians.

Russia and Iran strongly back the Syrian leader, who gives both countries a strategic foothold in the Mediterranean Sea.

Despite the ceasefire deal, Tillerson said the United States still sees "no long-term role for the Assad family or the Assad regime. And we have made this clear to everyone. We certainly made it clear in our discussions with Russia."

Robert Ford, who resigned in 2014 as U.S. ambassador to Syria over policy disagreements, said the Trump administration, like that of former President Barack Obama, has "no national objective for the future of Syria nor any strategy for how to secure an objective were one identified."

By contrast, Russia's overall aim is clearer, said Ford, now a fellow at the Middle East Institute think tank in Washington.

"The Russian objective is to insulate Damascus and the Syrian national government from outside pressure trying to pressure it into major concessions," he said.

A group of Syrian rebels that took part in the latest peace talks in Kazakhstan this month said in a statement it had "great concern over the secret meetings between Russia and Jordan and America to conclude an individual deal for southern Syria in isolation from the north," which it described as an unprecedented event that "divides Syria and the opposition."

The Syrian government and the Southern Front, the main grouping of Western-backed rebel groups in southwest Syria, did not immediately react to the ceasefire deal.

It was not immediately clear exactly which areas of southwestern Syria would be covered by the ceasefire but earlier talks between the United States and Russia about a "de-escalation zone" covered Deraa province, on the border with Jordan, and Quneitra, which borders the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.

British Defence Secretary Michael Fallon welcomed any ceasefire in Syria but wanted to see results on the ground.

"The recent history of the Syrian civil war is littered with ceasefires and it would be nice ... one day to have a ceasefire," Fallon said at an event in Washington. (Additional reporting by Yara Bayoumy, Idrees Ali and Tim Ahmann and Doina Chiacu in Washington and Ellen Francis in Beirut; Writing by Alistair Bell; Editing by Tom Brown and James Dalgleish)
BEIRUT, July 7 (Reuters) - Russia, the United States and Jordan have agreed to back a ceasefire in southwestern Syria and the truce will take effect on Sunday, Jordan's state news agency Petra said on Friday.

It cited government spokesman Mohammed Momani as saying that based on "arrangements reached in Amman, a ceasefire will take place along a line of contact agreed upon between Syrian government forces and associated troops on one side and rebels on the other."

A U.S. official said earlier that the U.S., Russia and regional countries had reached a ceasefire deal in southwestern Syria. (Reporting by Ellen Francis; Editing by Andrew Heavens)
Ajantha Seneviratne - Chief Marketing Officer of Sri Lankas leading telecommunication provider, SLT

You would most probably have heard the myth about being left-brainedor right- brained according to your capabilities and skills. However, we have extraordinary people who challenge this stereotype by being equally creative, sensitive and thoughtful as well as logical, analytical and objective. For those who know Ajantha Seneviratne, the Chief Marketing Officer of Sri Lankas leading telecommunication provider, SLT, and read his books, the above myth of left and right brain can be questionable. As a prominent corporate figure, leading a team in one of the most competitive industries in the country, Ajantha is a sentimentally analytical writer, a characteristic which one would usually not associate with Engineers in general. His works show his ability to sensitively observe life and illustrate it back as creative literature.

Hatharen Hathara is an open discussion which will be held on 12th July at the Mahaweli Center, Colombo, at 3 pm, to discuss Ajanthas latest four books. The discussion will be led by leading literary critics, Jayantha Chandrasiri, Jayalath Manoratne, Rev. Prof. Pathegama Gnanessara, Dhamma Dissanayake, Sumudu Chathurani Jayawardene and Dr. Nuwan Nayanajith Kumara.

The first discussion of this kind, titled Aswennata Peranimithi, based on his first four books took place in April 2015. As this event will be covering the latest four books, it is aptly named Hatharen Hathara.

Ajanthas first published book was Mama Avankai, followed by a science fiction RidiHuya Binda, a short story compilation DuhulSith and Api Apima, a story based on University life.

His fifth book took a turn on theme, depicting a deep analysis of spirituality titled Sitha, Manasasaha Nomiyena Mama. Continuing on the same theme his next novel Deka Nodutu Peranimithi explored the reality of being ordained into monkhood. His versatility is depicted in his book Akala Prema in which the story follows an office romance. His latest, Rahulayek Upanna brings to light Lord Buddhas son Rahulas life in a way which has not been attempted before.

I was an avid reader from childhood. Even though my educational and professional choices did not lend me time to write, my love for literature was never curbed, stated Ajantha. It was this intense obsession with reading that made me start writing. Im also a spiritual person. In fact my first job was to teach at a Dhamma school. All these attributes in my life become themes to explore in my writing, he added.

The event promises to be though enriching and a great opportunity to appreciate a contemporary versatile writer.
The government is keen on making amendments to the Constitution despite many other burning issues in the country including the dengue epidemic, garbage issues and the economic crisis, the joint opposition alleged today.

Joint opposition member Rohitha Abeygunawardana told a news conference that the government attempting to fulfil promises made during the pre-election period to several parties by making amendments to the Constitution.

These amendments will lead the state to federalism. Even the Mahanayaka Theras of the three Nikayas and other Sangha Sabhas have unanimously decided there was no need to bring in a new Constitution or an Amendment to the Constitution, the MP added.

He said the government was continuing a silence policy with regard to the burning issues of the country. He also said this government would not be able to persist in such a manner for a longtime.

Meanwhile, MP Abeygunawardana said the government was trying to suppress the media and journalists by introducing new Acts to prevent them from exposing the truth.

He said a group of non-governmental organizations (NGO) were in process of making rules and regulations to establish an Act on media institutes and journalists and alleged that it would result in imprisonment of journalists; The government is attempting to continue its procedure in a deceitful manner, he added. (Kalathma Jayawardhane)
MOSUL AFP July6, 2017 - Iraqi forces on Thursday battled the last remaining Islamic State group fighters in Mosuls Old City, where the UN said up to 20,000 civilians are trapped and in extreme danger.



In neighbouring Syria, US-backed forces are facing fierce resistance from IS as they wage a parallel offensive to recapture the city of Raqa from the jihadists.



The fighting in both cities is taking place in densely populated residential neighbourhoods, posing a major threat to civilians as diehard jihadists put up a desperate last stand.



Our estimate at this stage is that in the final pockets of (Mosuls) Old City, there could be as many as 15,000 civilians, possibly even as high as 20,000, UN humanitarian coordinator in Iraq Lise Grande told AFP.



Theyre in extreme danger from bombardment, from artillery crossfire... she said.
The SAITM issue is still at a stalemate. Public protests, student and trade union demonstrations are gathering momentum. We note that the Department of Government Information has published its policy position with respect to Higher Education and to Medical Education in particular.



It states: The private sector is being encouraged to set up quality higher education institutes under government supervision. The governments position is that all such institutes should be managed by a Board of Governors and also listed on the Colombo Stock Exchange Also, copied below for easy reference, The standards of medical education in Sri Lanka need to be raised to meet tomorrows needs. This is an enormous task that the Govt alone cannot do; private sector participation is essentialEnsuring the quality and high standards of medical education is the responsibility of the Govt and leaders of the medical profession. To accomplish this without burdening the taxpayers of thie country who are already bearing heavy burdens, private  public partnerships are needed. Together, we will be able to create a modern health service with higher standards.

Emeritus Professor of Paediatrics

Former Professor in Medicine  both of University of Peradeniya

In this context, following measures will be taken as a law-abiding, inclusive and responsible Govt on resolving the SAITM issue. Students of SAITM who have been successful in the final examination of the degree programme will be provided a clinical training at state hospitals either at Homagama or Avissawella It will be compulsory for these students to face a test to be conducted under the supervision of the Sri Lanka Medical Council ( SLMC) and the University Grants Commission (UGC)The Govt will introduce legislation to stipulate the minimum standards for admission to Medical EducationThe Dr Neville Fernando Hospital is to be taken over by the Govt and be utilized as a Teaching Hospital. The Govts policy position is that Private Sector must be encouraged to set up Institutions of Higher Education with high standards under state regulatory supervisionThis is the vision of the Govt in creating a liberal environment for the higher education sector for the benefit of all citizens

We now submit a proposal that has taken into consideration both the Govt position as well as that of most of the other stakeholders and contenders.By and large, these recommendations are in keeping with the hopes and aspirations of most of those who have madevaluable contributions to solve this crisis on purely educational (medical) considerations, i.e without other direct or indirect considerations. This is the need of the hour; not confrontation, but movement towards consensus / agreement for a viablesolution. Let not this issue become a platform for personal or political gains. A MEDICAL COLLEGE AS A PRIVATE-PUBLIC ENTERPRISE Public- private enterprise is in keeping with the Govt stated policy It encourages private sector participation, managed by a Board of Governors and also listed on the Colombo Stock Exchange As such, we place before the Government and the public, for their comments and criticism, the following proposals, in a concise form, without going into details of explanations (for brevity)

Right now, only 20% of all who qualify for University admission can be accommodated in the state universities.



THE PROPOSAL

1 Recognising the fact that: a) many students are deprived of a medical education due to reasons, such as the quota systemb) such students are now compelled to spend enormous sums( foreign exchange) for education abroad, often spending extra additional time learning a foreign languagec ) the country could earn much-needed foreign exchange from foreign students (other countries do so) Right now, only 20% of all who qualify for University admission can be accommodated in the state universities. The number of those who leave the country on higher and other educational purposes is between 50,000 to 80,000 per year. They take a massive amount of foreign exchange out of this country.

At least Rs 2,000 million per year is spent by parents whose children seek medical education abroad.State university medical faculties can currently admit 1,310 (2016 / 17 academic year). The total shortfall of doctors is around 6,000. State universities alone cannot meet this demand  Deptof Govt Information

2 It is proposed to start an Institute, for the purpose of conducting a Private  Public Medical College, in the form of a Private Limited Company (PLC), or one in the Colombo Stock Exchange.

2.1 The institute shall be situated sited at the present site of SAITM 3 Suggested Initial distribution of shares ( and capital) in the Company 3.1 The number of shares to SAITM shall be calculated in accordance with its present investment 3.2 The number of Govt. shares shall be in proportion to the necessary expenditure, especially that incurred on new buildings; vide sec 7 below

3.3 A similar number of shares shall be offered to the public  to all stakeholders / contenders 4 The Name of the Institute: Faculty of Medicine of a University ( ? Open University) 5 The Control / Management of the Institute shall be by a Board of Governors (BG) consisting of two nominees each of a) the State - such as one from the Ministries of Higher Education , and Health respectively b) the public sector c) SAITM ( the numbers suggested are for discussion ). 6 The responsibilities of the BG would include:

6.1 Setting and maintaining the standard requirements for admission of students  which should be the same as for all state and non-state medical colleges 6.2 All teaching matters , such as i) curriculum, etc, ii ) selection and appointment , with due consideration to those already in the service of SAITM ( at present ), iii) all academic and non-academic staff.

7 The Neville Fernando Hospital shall be expanded to establish non- paying wards to cater to patient needs and the teaching requirements of at least 120 students. The expenses in this connection would be borne by the state. In fact this expenditure is an investment to provide health care service to the public. The land for these additional building would be provided by SAITM 8 The state would provide the resources of state hospitals, such as Avissawella Government Hospital, Sri Jayawardenapura Hospital, Homagama Govt Hospital, to supplement the clinical training of the medical students. There should be objections to such provisions, as this would not be in the interest of one individual, but in the interest of a quoted Company. Furthermore, it should be emphasised that the State, through the Ministry of Health has the sole discretion to take such decisions.

9.Make provision to accommodate at least 120 students . 9.1 Suggest : a) 50 % students on a paying basis b) 40 % students, paying half the stipulated fees c) 10% students on full scholarshipsd) the State to provide 20 scholarships to those in category b (above) 10 The final MBBS examination shall be conducted by a panel of examiners, 50% of whom shall be from other recognised medical schools, approved by SLMC. This is in keeping with the practice of the state medical schools 11. SLMC shall give provisional recognition (to practice medicine) to those who pass the final MBBS , until such time as it grants full recognition for registration . This requirement shall apply to all new medical schools, state or non-state.

The Govts policy position is that Private Sector must be encouraged to set up Institutions of Higher Education

NOTEWORTHY FEATURES OF PROPOSAL
The Government Medical Officers Association (GMOA) yesterday called for a meeting with President Maithripala Sirisena to discuss the Dengue outbreak in the country.

GMOA Secretary Dr. Haritha Aluthge said they referred a letter containing several proposals for Dengue eradication to President Sirisena on Wednesday.

As a trade union, the GMOA has appointed an Action Committee to control this epidemic. This committee has made several proposals on a scientific basis to the issue. According to these proposals, the prevailing conditions should be analysed in district and divisional levels. Public awareness programmes should be carried out and the laws implemented, he said.

Dr. Aluthge said the contribution of the private sector was vital in controlling this situation, and that the current healthcare system in the country should be streamlined.

We have requested for a date and time to discuss our proposals with the President. We are ready to give our fullest support to control this situation as we did when the country was affected with floods and landslides. During that disaster situation, we carried out some 800 healthcare camps islandwide, he said.

Dr. Aluthge further stated that the deadly outbreak of Dengue had killed hundreds of innocent people in the country for the past five months, and that the death toll was increasing day-by-day. (Kalathma Jayawardhane)
By Jonathan Stearns

(c) 2017, Bloomberg  Jul 06, 2017 -

European Union and Japanese leaders endorsed a preliminary free-trade agreement as they seek to counter Donald Trumps protectionist stance during his second trip to Europe as U.S. president.



EU President Donald Tusk, European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe gave their blessing to an accord that would eliminate 99 percent of tariffs between the two partners, expand markets for services and public procurement, and bolster regulatory cooperation.



The political green light on Thursday in Brussels came a day after negotiators for both sides reached a breakthrough over food and car exports, which had been sticking points since talks started in 2013.
Police Chief Pujith Jayasundara has said that not only President Maithripala Sirisena but everyone else was talking about the Police.

He said this while responding to several questions asked by journalists during a news conference held at the Temple Trees.

The conversation was follows:

Journalist: The President has discussed about the Police at a Cabinet meeting saying the Police is ineffective.

IGP: The President can say anything.

Journalist: The President has said this about your department.

IGP: As a disciplined officer, I cannot express views on the Presidents remarks.

Journalist: But the President has discussed your department.

IGP: There is no such department at present. The President has talked about the Sri Lanka Police. Not only the President but even others are talking about the Police.

Journalist: However, there is an issue when the head of the State makes such criticism.

IGP: No, the problems arise if we consider them problems. We have to fulfill our responsibilities. That is what has to be done.

Journalist: In your opinion, have you fulfilled your responsibilities?

IGP: Certainly

Journalist: Then, why are those accused of corruption not being punished yet, even after two years?

IGP: The relevant investigations cannot be revealed. As the IGP, I am saying with responsibility that we are conducting the investigations in an impartial manner.

Video by Sanjeewa
France, (Daily Mail), 6 July 2017 - France is to end sales of petrol and diesel vehicles by 2040 the government announced today.



The move is part of an ambitious plan to meet its targets under the Paris climate accord, new Ecology Minister Nicolas Hulot announced today.



He acknowledged that the target would be tough to reach, particularly for automakers.

It comes as Swedish car giant Volvo, known for its chunky diesel estate cars, announced it was going electric and that no model brought in after next year would rely solely on internal combustion engines.ventional engines - in what the RAC Foundation suggested could be the spark which turns modern motors electric.



Recent figures showed a 15 per cent drop in UK sales of diesels following dire warnings about air pollution deaths and costly levies.



The data from the Society of Motor anufacturers and Traders also revealed a surge in sales of electric and hybrid models.
Vietnam renews Indian Oil Deal

Published: July 7, 2017

Vietnam has granted ONGC Videsh a two-year extension to explore oil block 128 in the South China Sea. The permission was first granted in the year 2006 which is due to expire in mid-June.

The part of the oil block 128 is in the U-shaped nine-dash line, the area which is claimed by China. The area is also a route for more than $5 trillion in trade every year and is also claimed by the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia and Taiwan.

In the areas south of block 128, the drilling works have already commenced. The block is owned jointly by Vietnams state oil firm, Spains Repsol and Mubadala Development Co of the United Arab Emirates.

Background

Despite sharing common communist ideology and growing trade, China and Vietnam have competing maritime claims and centuries-old mistrust. China has been opposing Vietnams drilling activities in the South China Sea and has opposed to its unilateral, illegal oil and gas activities in the South China Sea in which it has territorial claims.

China is also concerned at Vietnams evolving security relationships with the United States and Japan. Both United States and Japan has been offering moral support to Vietnam and helping Vietnams coastguard.

South China Sea Dispute

China has been aggressively claiming the entire South China Sea as its own. The other countries that claim the various territories in the South China Sea are Taiwan, Indonesia, Vietnam, Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei. The South China Sea is part of Pacific Ocean spreading an area of some 35 lakh square km with eight littoral countries/territories viz. China, Taiwan, Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei, Singapore and Vietnam. It is strategically located in the international shipping route that sees the passage of worlds half of the merchant ships.

India-Vietnam

Vietnam has welcomed India to play a bigger role in Southeast Asia and specifically, the South China Sea. Vietnam is following the strategy of seeking many partnerships with big powers while avoiding formal military alliances.

India has provided naval patrol boats, satellite cover to monitor Vietnams waters and training for its submarines and fighter pilots. India is providing more military support than it is currently offering to any other South-east Asian country. Further, under the $500 million defence credit line announced by India last year, India will transfer naval vessels and missiles to Vietnam.

Month: Current Affairs - July, 2017

Topics: Current Affairs - 2017  India Bilateral  India-International Relations  India-Vietnam  International  ONGC Videsh  South China Sea

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From left: Fusato Tanaka and Dr. R. H. S. Samaratunga after signing the loan agreement for the project

Aconcessionary loan agreement for JPY 12,957 million (approx. Rs. 17.5 billion) was signed between the Government of Sri Lanka and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) for rehabilitation of essential rural economic infrastructure in North Central, Northern, Uva and Eastern Provinces yesterday.

The loan will finance rehabilitation of rural roads, small and medium irrigation systems and construction of community water supply systems in remote areas which are not under the coverage of NWSDB.

The project is targeted to rehabilitate 560km of rural roads, irrigation systems feeding 17,735ha of cultivation and provide potable water for over 120,000 people within the 4 provinces. 418 sub projects in these 3 sectors have been prioritized through pre-feasibility studies conducted by JICA.

The project aims to raise living standards and improve means of livelihood in some of the poorest areas in the country, thereby contributing to rural economic development and reduction of regional disparities. Civil works for the sub projects will be procured in small packages to facilitate small to medium scale local companies to have the opportunity to bid, and also employ

local communities.

The loan agreement for the project was signed by Dr. R. H. S. Samaratunga, Secretary, Ministry of Finance and Mass Media, and Fusato Tanaka, Chief Representative of JICA Sri Lanka Office. The project is implemented by the four Provincial Councils under the direction of Ministry of Provincial Councils and Local Government.

JICA is the implementing agency for Official Development Assistance from the Government of Japan, and is one of the largest contributors to economic infrastructure development in Sri Lanka.

JICA financed 66km of the Southern Expressway and 20km of the Outer Circular Expressway. JICA is currently financing Anuradhapura North Water Supply Development Project to provide pipe-borne clean water to some of the areas most affected by CKD. The loan agreement to finance Kalu Ganga water supply development project was also signed yesterday.

At a time Sri Lanka is looking to step up to the upper middle income level, it is important to focus attention on the areas with more vulnerabilities and disadvantages. Sustainable growth can be achieved only if there are growth opportunities to everyone. Rural communities have much to contribute to the national economy. Development of essential rural infrastructure will give the impetus to those communities to realize their full potential. We hope this project will contribute to reducing income disparities among communities so that Sri Lanka can grow, together, said Tanaka.
Takeshi Kimura  General Manager, Toshiba TEC Singapore, Malik Edwin  Head of Marketing / Assistant Vice President John Keells Group, Philip Wu  Regional Manager, Toshiba TEC Singapore and Aaron Wong  Country Manager, Toshiba TEC Singapore

Sri Lankas trusted office automation solutions provider John Keells Office Automation (Pvt) Ltd has yet again proven itself to be a true game changer by securing the Diamond Award for the fourth consecutive year at the Toshiba Annual Distributor Meeting 2017 held in Singapore. JKOA was recognized for its exceptional performance within FY2016/17 during which the company sold a record number of digital multi-functional copiers to their reputable clientele across Sri Lanka.

JKOA saw a 25% increase YOY for overall copier sales in 2016 while Toshibas color copier range recorded a staggering 30% growth in sales. Given its efficiency and cost effectiveness, the companys Managed Print Solution business which debuted in 2014 saw a sharp increase in demand within the year in review.

Commenting on the achievement, Head of Marketing at JKOA and Assistant Vice President of the John Keells Group, Malik Edwin said: We are thankful to our loyal customers for their continued trust and our island wide dealer network for their unstinted support and I would be failing in my duty if I dont give the due credit to our progressive sales and service teams island wide for their dedication towards upholding the companys Diamond status in terms of sales. Our vision is to continue providing affordable, reliable and cutting-edge solutions to our customers which we believe will help them further increase efficiency and cut down on costs. He further elaborated that JKOA intends to invest more on training their staff in the latest technology and aims to launch their new customer module within the current financial year to ensure that the customer receives a premium service aided by technology.

JKOAs record sales achievements were also well recognized with the companys staff and dealer network, where they were rewarded with fully paid trips to Vietnam and Dubai respectively.

A fully owned subsidiary of one of Sri Lankas most respected conglomerates, JKOA has been the sole distributor for Toshiba digital multifunction copiers since 1992 and is also the authorized distributor for a plethora of reputed global office automation solutions.

JKOA is synonymous with innovation and has earned a reputation for itself as the most efficient service provider in the country since inception, offering unmatched warranty services, product support and assistance in relation to repairs and maintenance. JKOAs after-sales program 2 6 1 +1 which guarantees a one-year warranty and a backup machine or unit free of charge in case of workshop repair are other benefits available to customers.
The Joint Opposition is contemplating to quit the constitution-making process until the government declares elections due at the moment, officials said yesterday.

Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) Leader Prof. G.L. Peiris told the Daily Mirror that the leaders of the Joint Opposition took this decision on Tuesday evening. He said there was no point in participating in the process as long as there was no elections in the country.

The local government elections are delayed for more than two years at the moment. (Kelum Bandara)
Aries (Mesha):



Digestive troubles and temptations are possibilities raised by Mars due to enter your 4th House by the week-end. Help and goodwill of kinsmen, happy family reunions and success in studies are assured by Mercury in transit in the same House. Venus in your 2nd House may bring you an increased income and enjoyments and pleasures. You need not unduly worry about the Ashtamaya Shani Erashtaka you have come under if you take to a simple, austere and righteous lifestyle. It is a period when a native should harness his full potential to meet any challenge in life with success.



Taurus (Vrushabha):



Good health, enhanced wealth and influence are held out by Mars about to begin transit in your 3rd House. The influence of Mercury already in your 3rd House should put you on the alert to possible troubles either from the law enforcement agencies or from enemies. Lagnadhipati Venus in your Lagna signifies a time of great joy and happiness ahead. Meanwhile, you have got a respite from the ill-effects of Ashtamaya Shani Erashtaka as Saturn has left your 8th House for the 7th House.



Gemini (Mithuna):



You are likely to get embroiled in disputes and face attempts to bring you into disrepute and intrigues by enemies when Mars moves into your 2nd House shortly. However, Lagnadhipati Mercury already in the 2nd House may bring you wealth and success. Saturn now in your 6th House is quite auspicious for you. You are assured of increased wealth and improved health as a result. Venus in your 12th House as its lord will fortify you with acumen, a pragmatic outlook and a bent for a righteous living.



Cancer (Kataka):



Mars due to move into your Lagna shortly makes you energetic, but vulnerable to accidents. Meanwhile the adverse influence of Mercury already in your Lagna could undermine your integrity and morale and leave you a victim to deception and misguidance by others. Venus in your 11th House is a redeeming feature for it can bring you wealth, comforts and pleasures. Saturns retrograde movement to your 5th House may cause conflicts with sons.



Leo (Sinha):



You are forewarned about possible high expenses, eye disease and other circumstances which could cause you worries when Mars moves into your 12th House by the week-end. Meanwhile, troubles from enemies, disease, and marital problems become possibilities due to the adverse effects of Mercury already in the same House. However, favourable effects such as comforts and luxuries, happiness and fulfillment are on the cards due to Venus Swakshetra in the 10th House.



Virgo (Kanya):



Mars due in your 11th House shortly raises the prospect of enhanced returns from business and other economic activities. Meanwhile, comforts, wealth and pleasures are held out by Mercury already posited in the same House. In fact, a very auspicious time is ahead for you given a favourable Venus in your 9th House. Saturn now in your 3rd House holds out increased power and influence, sound health and comfortable conveyances. A rise in career and gainful foreign travel for those in the State service in particular are among the other benefits indicated.



Libra (Thula):



Mars imminent movement into the 10th House brightens the career prospects of natives running favourable Dasas. Mercury already in the 10th House spells doom for your enemies and rivals and will bring wealth to you. Lagnadhipati Venus in your 8th House may bring you living comforts, pleasures and enjoyments. Saturn now in the 2nd House being the Yogakaraka may produce beneficial effects such as increased wealth and happiness in the family.



Scorpio (Vrushika):



Mars being the Lagnadhipati will not cause any serious ill-effect when it moves into your 9th House shortly. However, you have to be braced for setbacks and disappointments resulting from unforeseen impediments. Marital happiness and bright matrimonial prospects are held out by Venus in the 8th House. You have come again under Ashtamaya Shani Erashtaka with retrograde Saturn entering your Lagna again.



Sagittarius (Dhanu):



Loss of wealth, assaults on your honour and even emergency surgical treatment are possible when Mars moves into your 8th House. However, increased wealth and happiness are assured by Mercury already in the same House. Venus in your 6th House assures you of good health and success in contests and competitions among other benefits. You are temporarily relieved of the direct impact of Jamma Shani Erashtaka as Saturn has moved into your 12th House.



Capricorn (Makara):



Quarrels with the spouse, eye defects, problems in the digestive system are among the ill-effects signified by Mars about to move into your 7th House. Disharmony and dissention in the family are likely due to Mercury already in the same 7th House. Increased wealth and the delightful company of friends are assured by Venus in your 5th House. Lagnadhipati Saturn in your 11th House assures you of a sound financial position and enhanced comforts.



Aquarius (Kumbha):



You can look forward to relief from mental worries and ill-health when Mars moves into your 6th House by the week-end. Mercury already in the 6th House can bring you fame and popularity. Enhanced power and new friends are assured by Venus in your 4th House. A rise or a change in your career is in store for you following Lagnadhipati Saturns return to your 10th House.



Pisces (Meena):



Illness and enemy actions will begin troubling you when Mars moves into your 5th House on July 15. Events that could mar your marital happiness are also a possibility. Venus in your 3rd House will make you more powerful and influential. You are likely to take to a simple and austere lifestyle due to the influence of Saturn in the 9th House. Jupiter continuing transit in the 7th House assures you of a comfortable living.
IT industry professional Mano Sekeram has been appointed to the board of state banking giant Bank of Ceylon.

His appointment would be effective from July 6, 2017.

Mano Sekaram is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Co-Founder of 99X Technology Ltd., an award-winning, high-quality software product engineering company which specializes in delivering software services to European markets. His company, under his stewardship, has been listed among the top 25 Best Companies To Work For in Sri Lanka for five consecutive years Additionally, the company has been ranked among Sri Lankas 100 Most Respected Entities in the Neilson survey commissioned by the LMD Magazine.

He is also the founder of Startup X Foundry which is Sri Lankas first Tech Startup accelerator, aiming at taking Sri Lankan Tech Startups to the global stage by providing the necessary guidance and support.

He is the Chairman Emeritus of the IT/BPM sectors apex body, the Sri Lanka Association of Software and Service Companies (SLASSCOM) and he is actively involved in driving the IT industry strategy as a catalyst for economic growth. He also serves as the Chairman of the Advisory Committee on ICT Export for the Export Development Board (EDB) of Sri Lanka.

He is a member of the Board of Management at the University of Colombo (School Of Computing) and University of Jaffnas Council, contributing contemporary thought leadership to the countrys higher education sector.

Mano has initiated FDI (Foreign Direct Investment) funded companies in Sri Lanka for software services and has built up a software product companies which has created employment for IT graduates and generated Foreign exchange revenue.

He is considered to be an industry thought leader and in line with this, was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award at the National Best Quality Software Awards (NBQSA) 2014, by BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT, for his vast contributions to the ICT industry.
REUTERS: The Sri Lankan rupee fell slightly yesterday as demand for dollars from importers surpassed selling of the U.S. currency by exporters and banks, while expectations that imports would increase weighed on the local currency.

The spot rupee was at 153.65/75 per dollar at 0608 GMT, compared with Thursdays close of 153.63/68.

The downward pressure is there. We can see some foreign banks buying dollars to settle import bills, said a currency dealer, requesting anonymity.

The state banks were not seen in the market but we expect them also to come in as the importer demand

is there.

The spot rupee resumed trading on June 19 for the first time since May 5, when the Central Bank fixed its reference rate at 152.50.

Dealers said they expected seasonal demand for dollars to pick up from August. The rupee has been under pressure since early this year after the Central Bank stopped defending the currency at a time when the island nation faces a balance of payments crisis. The Central Bank is also compelled to buy dollars from the market to meet the reserve target set by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) under a US$1.5 billion, three-year

loan programme.

Sri Lankan shares were up 0.14 percent at 6,723.6, as of 0617 GMT. Turnover stood at Rs.657.1 million (US$4.28 million).
Former Development Lotteries Board Chairman Sarana Gupta Gunawardane yesterday pleaded guilty for failing to declare his assets and liabilities from 2005 to 2007.

He pleaded guilty to the allegation through his counsel before Colombo Chief Magistrate Lal Ranasinghe Bandara.

Subsequently, the Chief Magistrate directed the prisons authority to obtain finger prints of the suspect to peruse any previous offences and fixed July 20 to impose penalties.

Earlier, the Bribery Commission filed two cases against the suspect under the non assets declaration Act for two years.

Mr. Gunawardena also has nine on going cases filed by the Bribery Commission over offences falling under corruption while serving DLB chairman.

Under Chapter 63, Section 9 of the Declaration of Assets and Liabilities Act 1975, a person who is convicted of an offence under the Act will be liable to a fine not exceeding one thousand rupees or imprisonment of either description for a term not exceeding one year or to both such fine and imprisonment. (Shehan Chamika Silva)
Lieutenant General Mahesh Senanayake, who assumed duties as the 22nd Army Commander on Wednesday, believes that the country would not face a difficult situation at the international level if we spoke the truth and work accordingly.

During an interaction with the media, among other matters, he pointed out the manner in which the Army as an institution should respond to the war crimes allegations made against it and the reason he left the country while in active service.



Q There has been much discussion about the issue of alleged war crimes in this country and the allegation was mainly levelled against the Sri Lankan Army. How do you see this situation and how are you going to deal with it under your stewardship?

Discipline is our military strength and we would like to continue improving it and this needs a lot of effort. There should be discipline all the time otherwise there is no Army. I dont know whether those who are pointing fingers at the army officers and soldiers have first-hand information about their allegations; whether they were there at the time or whether they were just basing it on hear-say or on some rumours. So there are doubts about those allegations. As an army officer, I know that neither the officers nor rankers had engaged in that kind of activity. However, since there were allegations against the army, investigations are being carried out and we are cooperating with

those investigations.

As you know, when compared with normal citizens, soldiers are under two sets of laws; one is the civil penal code and other the military penal code. So if anyone in the army had violated those two sets of laws we would definitely take necessary disciplinary action.



Q As an organization, you have not yet responded to the global and NGO allegations against the army after 2009. For instance the allegation that 40,000 people were killed as revealed in Geneva. Do you have any plans to rectify this issue by way of revealing the truth?

This situation will not arise if we speak truth and work accordingly. There may have been such shortcomings in the past. In my capacity, I would take necessary action to correct them, if any. I also saw an absence of parallel mechanisms to correct any misunderstandings. If we had such preparation a situation of this nature would not have arisen.

"There may have been such shortcomings in the past. In my capacity, I would take necessary action to correct them, if any."



Q There are also allegations against the armys intelligence unit over kidnapping and killing of journalists and there are charges that the army is not cooperating with these investigations. Will there be any change under your administration?

Currently, CID investigations are in progress. I know this is problem of international interest. I hope to clear the situation with the assistance of my officers and soldiers, who were there during the war as well as those with expert knowledge about the area and legal experts to gather more information about those allegations. We are doing it in the interest of the country. Wrongdoers must be punished.



Q In the recent past there were several reports that soldiers in service or army deserters were involved in several crimes in the country. This is a grave situation because the crime rate in Sri Lanka is increasing. How do you hope to tackle this situation?

The army has a cadre base of 200,000 and it is the only institution in the country with such a cadre-strength. So there may be a few such incidents in which the soldiers might have been entangled in. This is a social issue. But continuing to talk about these Hamuda Sebala and Hamudawen Penagiya Sebala, etc., gives a wrong interpretation. Would you attach such tags on a member of any other organization. But the media does not identify them in the way it gives tags to an army wrong-doer. There you have the problem. Anyway we will definitely take action against the wrongdoers under military law. There is an increase in Sri Lankas crime rate but the soldiers are not the ones who had committed all the crimes in the country.

"I dont know whether those who are pointing fingers at the army officers and soldiers have first-hand information"



Q There is much debate about releasing lands in the Northern Province. Many parties including the Opposition in Parliament are accusing the Government of releasing lands as a threat to national security. Northern Chief Minister C.V. Wigneswaran is saying the army should be removed from the Northern Province?

Before I assumed duties as the Chief of Staff, I was the Jaffna SF commander for fourteen months. The war ended in 2009 about eight years ago. All the people are our people and are Sri Lankans. So as a government as well as the army, we should look after countrys citizen. The army had acquired a large extent of land in the North during the war and it was a necessity at that time. After that there was a monitoring period. Now we know the ground situation there. So, except strategically important locations and other important military bases we have to release the lands because doing so is not a threat to national security. The decision should be taken by those who have expertise on such matters. We cant take advice from those who speak about these matters on public platforms.

Mr. Wigneswaran is a friend of mine. He may have his political views. As an army we are not bothered about his statements, neither now or in the future. We are ready and on full alert to meet any emergency situation. No one should be worried about it and politics is not a concern of the army.



Q According to the Armys seniority list, you were the fifth senior officer. However, you have been promoted to the rank of Lt. General and appointed Army Commander by the President on a merit basis, disregarding the seniority list. Would you follow this practice in the future?

The army officers seniority list had been prepared according to the date of joining the army. Not according to the birth date. When selecting me, the President, the Prime Minister and Defence Secretary might have decided to appoint the army commander considering the skills shown during the war and disregarding the seniority list. It is a positive trend. Im not the first officer to hold this post in the army. In 2009, the eighth or ninth most senior officer at the time was appointed army commander. So this is the second occasion. I too will give due recognition to those who exhibit their skills under my leadership.



Q You had to leave the army some time ago and re-joined later, appointed Chief of Staff and now the Army Commander. What do you think about it?

Take me as an example. I have some 30 years of fighting experience in the army. In the last battle, I was the Director Plan. But due to some reason I had to leave the army. I never criticized the country or the decision makers at that time. I was advised to leave the country for my safety. I left the country with the help of my lawyers. Only then did I realise the importance of the family. I waited patiently for a day such as this to happen. Some day you will be given the chance. I consider it a privilege to hold such a post today and my patience has borne fruit almost two-and-a-half-years since re-joining the army. I have never gone behind anyone seeking anything.

"I hope to clear the situation with the assistance of my officers and soldiers, who were there during the war as well as those with expert knowledge about the area and legal experts"



Q Can you give the reason to leave the country?

I will only say that I was never a political victim, but consider myself as a victim of circumstances. I have never been involved in politics in my life.



Q According to recent media reports, Sri Lanka is facing a possible threat from the ISIS face an may attempt to attack the US embassy by air. People are worried about these reports. How do you analyze the security threat considering these reports?

Honestly, there is no such situation at all. There are no such threats faced by the country. But some groups might spread malicious rumours to prove or showcase their agendas. However, in such an eventuality, the Army, Navy, Air force and the police would be well prepared to counter any threat to the country.



Q What are the shortcomings you have identified in the army and the Army Intelligence Unit?

As far as the army is concerned, the situation at present is different from that which prevailed in 2009. We must proceed on a Capacity Base rather than on a Threat Base. Threats are dynamic and to suit the changes we have updated our plans and done a logistic survey accordingly. We are taking all the initiatives to modernize and sustain the army.

With regard to the Intelligence Unit we do not see any internal discrepancies. Different individuals have different points of view. But our units are progressing smoothly. We are playing our part well in the intelligence network which is being operated jointly with the other armed forces. But it is probably inconceivable to the outsiders.
Acting High Commissioner of Pakistan Dr. Sarfraz Ahmad Khan Sipra (second from left), Ambassador Designate of Thailand to Sri Lanka Chulamanee Chartsuwan (fifth from left), and Ambassador of Indonesia to Sri Lanka Gusti Ngurah Ardiyasa (sixth from left) in discussion with Commerce

Rishad Bathiudeen

Sri Lanka has picked three countries to supply 200,000 MT rice immediately to meet the shortfall in its domestic market.

A four-member team of Lankan officials left for Pakistan yesterday to select rice varieties for the domestic rice market. The team will head to Myanmar from Islamabad to test Burmese rice varieties for the Lankan market on July 12.

Yala seasons failure and the floods created this rice shortage. We have picked Myanmar, Pakistan and India and the country that did not get in was Indonesia, said Industry and Commerce Minister Rishad Bathiudeen, during his progress review with his officials this week and added: The officials of the team, after checking both Pakistani and Myanmar markets, will decide whether to choose Pakistan or Myanmar (or both) to purchase the 100,000 MT rice. Whether it is finally supplied by one or both countries, the purchase shall be at government-to-government levels.

The team of officials that left for Pakistan was led by Secretary of Ministry of Industry and Commerce Chinthana Lokuhetti, and two officials from the Finance Ministry and a food technologist from ITI.

More than 50 percent of this 100,000 MT rice would be par-boiled (Nadu) variety with the rest in white raw, and samba.

Sri Lanka is also purchasing another 100,000 MT rice from India immediately. This is not at Government to Government levels but from the Indian private sector (Government to private sector). Tenders from Indian private suppliers are being received and the winning Indian supplier is expected to be picked by July 17. Meanwhile, Sri Lanka has also commenced Government to Government rice purchase talks with Thailands Ministry of Commerce this week. These talks are conducted to procure stand-by buffer rice stocks for any future emergencies and not for immediate use (as done with India, Pakistan and Myanmar). A Sri Lankan team of officials is scheduled to fly to Bangkok next week to meet Thai officials and decide on varieties, possibly around 100,000 MT of rice which will include par-boiled (Nadu), white raw, and samba.

On June 22nd, joined by Secretary of Ministry of Industry and Commerce Chinthana Lokuhetti and Director General of Finance Ministry PMB Atapattu, Minister Bathiudeen met Ambassador Designate of Thailand to Sri Lanka Chulamanee Chartsuwan, Ambassador of Indonesia to Sri Lanka Gusti Ngurah Ardiyasa and Acting High Commissioner of Pakistan Dr. Sarfraz Ahmad Khan Sipra at the Ministry of Industry and Commerce to call for government to government rice supplies to Sri Lanka. All the ambassadors present pledged immediate support to Minister Bathiudeen and President Maithripala Sirisenas efforts to procure the rice tranche.

The Cooperative Wholesale Establishment (CWE) under the Commerce Ministry has been roped in for the local distribution work of imported rice.
The Thailand Week Trade Fair in Sri Lanka is being held at the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall (BMICH) in Colombo. The event organized by the Thai Trade Center, Chennai, India was ceremonially declared open by State Minister of International Trade Sujeewa Senasinghe.

This event showcases premium products such as home decor, health and beauty products, food and beverages, household products, fashion and fashion accessories, furniture, wellness and spa products including hotel supplies. Pix by Kithsiri De Mel
   -     :        ,        
Thailand Week, a trade exhibition organized by the Department of International Trade Promotion of Thailand, opened yesterday at the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall (BMICH) in Colombo under the patronage of State Minister of International Trade Sujeewa Senasinghe. Over 30 companies, representing a wide array of sectors such as travel, apparel, catering, beauty products and many more are taking part in the three-day event. Pic by: Kithsiri de Mel
President Trump refused Thursday to say definitively that he believes Russia was responsible for interference in the 2016 election.



I think it could very well have been Russia but I think it could well have been other countries, I wont be specific, Trump said at a news conference in Warsaw with Polish President Andrzej Duda. I think a lot of people interfere. I think its been happening for a long time. The U.S. intelligence community has said publicly that it believes Russia was responsible for efforts to meddle in the election and that the operation was directed by Russian President Vladimir Putin. Nobody really knows, Trump added. Nobody really knows for sure.



Trumps comments come just one day before he is expected to hold a bilateral meeting with Putin during a G-20 summit in Germany, and questions remain about whether he will confront Russia over the issue.



Trump cited intelligence reports about weapons of mass destruction in the lead-up to the Iraq War as evidence that the intelligence communities findings might not be accurate.



In his opening remarks, Trump warned that the U.S. and Europe were united in confronting Russias actions and destabilizing behavior.

-WARSAW
The Mahaweli Development and Environment Ministry today announced the suspension of drilling operations in the Uma Oya Project for ten days until a solution was found for the water leakage that had taken place.

Ministry Secretary Anura Dissanayake said the project was suspended and that all the drilling machines would be withdrawn from the lower level of the tunnel within ten days.

The suspension came after President Maithripala Sirisena called those involved in the Uma Oya Project for a meeting to attempt to find a solution to the situation that had arisen in the area surrounding the project.

During the meeting the decision on suspendeding of the project was taken as an initial step to control the situation. The President had ordered a sum of Rs.300 million to be allocated to the Badulla District Secretary's office to provide relief to the people of the area after getting an estimate done on the damage caused as a result of the project. He also called for a report from the National Building Research Organisation (NBRO) on the amount of damage caused.

It was also reported drilling machinery utilising modern technology would be flown in from Switzerland before July 18. This was in response to a request made by President Sirisena during his official visit to Switzerland in March. Further excavation work would be done based on the instructions of international experts who were due in the country soon.

During the meeting with the President the following decisions were taken:

1) The establishment of a special valuation unit to speed up the process of valuation, by deploying additional valuation officers even if it meant recruiting retired valuation officers on contract basis.

2) The three water supply projects implemented by the National Water Supply and Drainage Board to be considered on a priority basis and completed within the next two months and connections provided free of charge.

3) To ensure that there will not be a scarcity of drinking water for the residents of the areas devastated by constructing six deep wells in areas where ground water resources exist by the NWS&DB under the Ministry of Irrigation and Water Resources Management.

4) The Forest Conservation Department to undertake a community based programme in widening the activities of planting local and endemic plants in the relevant areas with the aim of conservation of natural ground water resources. (Chaturanga Pradeep)
Without quite realising it, the Congress under the leadership of Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi has become a toxic force in Indian politics.

The 1975-77 Emergency, during which more than one lakh journalists, Opposition leaders and civil society activists were jailed (including LK Advani and Arun Jaitley), exposed the first autocratic gene in the Congress. Indians' fundamental rights were suspended for nearly two years. The Constitution was subverted.

The attempt by the Congress to censor Madhur Bhandarkar's new film on the Emergency, Indu Sarkar, underscores how keenly aware the Congress is of the human rights violations it committed during the Emergency.

In 1986, Rajiv Gandhi - an essentially decent man whose career was impaled by bad advisors - planted the seed of communalism in mainstream politics by overturning through parliamentary legislation a 1985 Supreme Court order that had granted maintenance to an elderly divorced Muslim woman Shah Bano.

But it wasn't till 1998, when Sonia Gandhi took over the presidency of the Congress, that the full toxicity of the party would become evident. The crude, thoughtless overnight eviction of then Congress president Sitaram Kesri was an early sign.

The RJD's Lalu Prasad Yadav is looking at fresh jail time in the fodder scam. He is meanwhile battling charges of undeclared assets against his two sons, daughter and wife. Photo: PTI

When the Congress took power at the Centre in 2004 after a hiatus of six years, it showed its true colours. While Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was the gentle, erudite face of the Congress-led UPA government for ten years, Sonia called the shots behind the scenes.

The party had four organisational layers. The first comprised senior lawyer-ministers P Chidambaram, Kapil Sibal, Salman Khurshid and Veerappa Moily. The second was made up of senior loyalists Jairam Ramesh, Kamal Nath and Anand Sharma.

The third layer was led by ground-level operators Ahmed Patel and Ghulam Nabi Azad. The fouth layer comprised Rahul's young turks - Jyotiraditya Scinda, Sachin Pilot, Milind Deora, Deepender Hooda and Jitin Prasada - all dynasts.

Working seamlessly, monitored closely by a stentorian Sonia, the four-tiered Congress team presided over the UPA's two terms from 2004-14, widely regarded as India's decade of scams and sectarian politics.

The communal seed planted after the Shah Bano case in 1985-86 had by now grown into a forest of trees with "saffron terror" carved on the bark of each tree trunk by the Congress' slick four-layered operation.

The greatest disservice the Congress did was to set back by decades the cause of bona fide secularism. As I wrote in the article, "The Ayatollahs of Secularism", in The Times of India: "The two real enemies of the Muslim - communal politicians masquerading as secular politicians to win votes and Mullahs deliberately misinterpreting the holy book to retain power over their flock - form a natural alliance. Together they have enriched themselves but impoverished India's Muslims, materially and intellectually, in the name of secularism. Influential sections of especially the electronic media, suffused with hearts bleeding from the wrong ventricle, are part of this great fraud played on India's poor Muslims: communalism dressed up as secularism. The token Muslim is lionised - from business to literature - but the common Muslim languishes in his ghetto."

Scams meanwhile profilerated. Three years after the Congress plunged from 206 MPs to 44 in May 2014, most though inexplicably remain unresolved - to the NDA government's and the judicial system's discredit. But each one - AgustaWestland, 2G, Scorpene, CWG, Coalgate - is a reminder of how corruption became the new normal in 2004-14.

Cut to the present. The Congress clearly hasn't learnt its lesson. KC Tyagi, a Rajya Sabha MP from the JD(U), the party on whom rests the Opposition's hope of stitching together a credible mahagathbandhan in 2019, had this to say of the Congress: "We are very upset at the behavior of the Congress. The character assassination of our leader, Nitish Kumar, has also happened. The Congress today is not the Congress party of 1952, 1962 or 1984. It is not even a legitimate Congress party."

When even a chronic Modi-baiter like Tyagi berates the Congress as not "legitimate", Indian politics has clearly reached a point of inflection.

Borewell of toxicity

The Congress today is in real danger of immersing itself in a self-made borewell of toxicity. Its decision to boycott the special session of Parliament on the Goods and Services Tax (GST) is only the latest in a series of self-destructive moves.

Note the other parties which joined the Congress' GST boycott: RJD, DMK, TMC and the Left. What do they have in common? Serious charges of corruption.

1. The RJD's Lalu Prasad Yadav is looking at fresh jail time in the fodder scam. He is meanwhile battling charges of undeclared assets against his two sons, daughter and wife.

2. The DMK's A Raja, in and out of jail since the 2G scam broke, has implicated senior Congress ministers in the telecom license corruption case.

3. The TMC's top leadership faces charges in the Saradha, Rose Valley and Narada scams which have singed Mamata Banerjee's reputation for probity, quite apart from her inaction over communal riots in West Bengal.

4. The Left has been implicated in a slew of brutal communal killings in Kerala where its government is accused of complicity.

Virtually every other Opposition party, including the SP, BSP, JD(U), NCP and the JD(S), was represented at the special midnight GST parliamentary session. The four holdouts - RJD, DMK, TMC and the Left - who joined the Congress boycott spoke volumes for the party's diminished reputation.

Sonia has over the 19 years of her presidency converted the Congress into a family business ruled with an iron fist. Rahul has been inheritor-in-waiting for three years. It is an indictment of Indian democracy that India's second largest political party continues to operate like a feudal family firm.
The standoff in the Doklam plateau between Indian and Chinese troops has been witnessing an increase in media rhetoric by the day.

Chinese state-controlled or state-dominated media has been increasing hype by threatening India with war over the incident. It has regularly been warning India to withdraw or face the consequences.

Earlier, comments by the Air Force and Army Chief asking the forces to be prepared for a two-and-a-half front war have also been considered as India enhancing war hysteria.

There are issues in this standoff which are at variance from similar standoffs which have occurred in recent times, hence possibly the hype.

The jostling and pushing between the two armies was possibly among the first in this region in decades. Secondly, and the one which has most impacted the Chinese, is that the Indian Army has come out in support of their Bhutanese counterparts on this occasion.

The area under dispute is between China and Bhutan and not India and China. Hence, the Chinese carry the impression that India is flexing its muscles more than expected by entering deep into territory where it has no role.

The standoff commenced during the visit of PM Narendra Modi to the US, where Donald Trump made adverse comments on China with Modi by his side. Trump, in the joint press statement, openly supported the Indian, US and Japan joint naval exercise, nicknamed Malabar, while criticising China over North Korea.

This gave the Chinese an impression that the US was exploiting India to counter growing Chinese power in the region. Editorials in Chinese papers mentioned that India has begun displaying arrogance against them solely due to US support, hence requires to be taught a lesson.

China is historically used to bullying its way with its smaller neighbours, either with money power or military threats. It prevented ASEAN members from passing any resolution on the South China Sea, despite nudging by former US president Barack Obama, who was in attendance, employing its military and economic power.

Weaker neighbours like Vietnam and Cambodia are bulldozed by sheer military threats. The Philippines, the nation which lodged the case against China on the South China Sea and won the ruling from the tribunal, was bought over by Chinese money power.

It would have achieved the same with Bhutan, had India not stepped in. Thus, what China considered as a foregone conclusion has become a battle of wits between two Asian giants.

Neither side is showing any signs of backing down, Chinese rhetoric notwithstanding. The fact is that China wants India to withdraw, since it is India which has violated the border, on behalf of Bhutan.

India is unwilling for a few reasons. Firstly, the area has strategic value and enhances Indian security threats. Secondly, India cannot be seen to be weak and bowing to Chinese pressures, as it remains the only nation in the continent to stand up to China, militarily and economically.

Both nations are presently concentrating on economic cooperation and development. Photo: Reuters

Thirdly, if it succumbs to Chinese pressures, it would place Nepal, Bhutan and possibly even Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Myanmar firmly in the Chinese fold, completing Indian encirclement.

Fourthly, if India withdraws unilaterally, without an understanding with China, irrespective of Bhutanese objections and demarche to China, the Doklam plateau would be under Chinese control as a fait accompli and enhance Indias vulnerabilities.

Finally, if India backs down once, it would be compelled to do so in the case of all other Chinese demands and incursions.

Many writers, including Chinese media, have been mentioning the possibility of armed conflict, which is still miles and ages away. The two chiefs mentioning a two-front war is their method of conveying a message to their forces that they should always be ready for operations, peace conditions notwithstanding.

All chiefs convey this message many times during their tenure, hence it is not sabre-rattling. China knows it, but seeks to play on it, since it suits its pressure tactics.

Both nations are presently concentrating on economic cooperation and development. Neither side would desire a confrontation which would offset economic growth by decades (as any war could and would).

China faces greater threat from nations seeking to challenge its hegemony in the South China Sea, as also the US which is seeking to arm Taiwan; hence to enter into a conflict for a small standoff is unlikely, egos notwithstanding.

China is investing immensely into its dream project of One Belt One Road across the region. It cannot afford to divert funds into a war scenario from where it may not gain much, except possibly only pride.

Both nations are nuclear-armed, therefore the conflict may end up beyond the conventional and damage both, impacting economies severely.

Hence, while an all-out war on such an issue may not be expected, there are possibilities of a local skirmish. This again has disadvantages to both sides.

It has the possibility of exploding into a full blown one, which neither nation desires. Secondly, if China does end up on the wrong side, its standing and power in the international community may get impacted (akin to its failure in Vietnam in 1979 and India in 1967), thus compelling it to escalate.

India seeks to deescalate hence would respond with lesser force, thus facing the brunt, while aiming to keep it localised. Thus, for both nations, the sole answer is peaceful de-escalation.

It is China which commenced creating the hype, while India remained silent and guarded. Thus, it would have to be China which would need to slowly lower media tempo, creating conditions for a settlement of the issue.

It rushed in, seeking to coerce India to bend, which never happened. The Indian government has remained mature, irrespective of media hype, unwilling to increase tempo, downplaying the incident.

The final solution is talks aiming to defuse the crises, while moving ahead in other fields. All eyes are now on the G-20 summit and the BRICS meeting during it, where the Chinese president and the Indian PM are scheduled to meet. Chinese media claims the scenario is not ripe for a meeting, however, in all probability they would.

A possible solution is that India may be the first to back down, followed by China and the status quo restored, with no transgressions including constructions on either side, till a final resolution of the border dispute is arrived at.
The CBI raids on Lalu Prasad Yadav, his family members and associates have stirred the political pot in Bihar.

The earlier tax raids against Lalu's daughter and others had put the RJD chiefs ally, Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar, in an uncomfortable position. Kumar had responded with tactical moves to show visible distancing of his JD(U) party from its mahagathbandhan ally RJD, with whom he had trounced the BJP in the last Assembly polls.

Today, after the raids, Lalu chose bluster and counter-offensive. He dubbed the CBI raids on his family residences as a political conspiracy by the BJP, claiming the investigating agency had not a shred of evidence against him.

"This is a conspiracy against me and my family. Modi is moving towards dictatorship. I am not scared, he said.

The raids coincidentally came on a day when Lalu was in Ranchi for hearing in a CBI court in a fodder-scam related case.

While the opposition called this bluster, Lalu has less to worry about his electoral strength in Bihar. His conviction in 2013 in the fodder scam cases barred him from contesting polls for the next six years but consolidated the Yadav and minority votes for his party.

He set aside past differences and swallowed his pride to project Kumar as the CM. Such was the consolidation in his favour that he won more seats than the JD(U) and managed to wrest the deputy CMs post for his son and secure the future of the gen next in his family.

With the BJP keeping its upper caste votebank in good humour by maintaining their prominence and placement in the Cabinet, Lalu does not need to worry about a swing in favour of BJP by Dalit voters.

But this is where his comfort zone ends. Yet another case where the CBI says the evidence is clinching could spell trouble.

A future conviction will put him, the tallest backward leader in Bihar, out of electoral contention. One case names his son as co-accused. This means, if convicted, Tejaswi Prasad too may not be able to contest polls for six years.

This will be a setback for not just Lalu but also RJD - Bihar's most influential party. Criminal cases and tenures in jail over a long stretch have been key factors in building disarray among the cadres of several parties like the SP and BSP.

The choices before Nitish Kumar are limited. Photo: India Today

But that's in the future. Lalus immediate worry is how to keep his alliance with Kumar and the mahagathbandhan alive. A weakened or splintered alliance in 2019 will bring back the 2014 Lok Sabha poll debacle, when the RJD won just 4 seats.

Today, when the CBI raided Lalu and his kin, the Congress came out in support. But the JD(U) remained silent. Not one word came in defence of him all day. A top JD(U) leader in Delhi said the gag order has come from the top in Patna.

The JD(U) can't defend Lalu even if it wants to. The BJP knows this. Now the choices before Kumar are limited.

Either he can continue with his slow distancing policy or grin and bear the BJPs criticism for continuing his alliance with the RJD.

Top JD(U) sources say Kumar can't dump Lalu and embrace the BJP at this juncture after taking a strong anti-Modi position before the last Lok Sabha polls.

A senior leader said: JD(U) will have to get more focused. Deliver on the promises made in the last polls and hope that this too shall pass.

After the income tax raids on Lalus daughter, Kumar - Bihar's sushasan babu or good governance man with a squeaky clean image - had given Lalu uncomfortable moments.

He skipped a lunch hosted by Congress president Sonia Gandhi in Delhi to discuss the name of the opposition's presidential candidate.

Next day, he added to worries by sitting on the high table with PM Modi and the Mauritius PM. As tensions grew, the Congress took swipes at him. Senior party leader Ghulam Nabi Azad said: JD(U) has started the process of opposition candidate for president Meira Kumars defeat.

Kumar struck back, and within days announced support to BJPs presidential candidate Ram Nath Kovind. That shook the mahagathbandhan

Lalu was quick to point out that Kumar had made a "historical mistake", stirring up a hornet's nest.

But Kumar shook the boat again by saying the Congress should present an alternative agenda against the Narendra Modi government and merely harping on opposition unity won't help the country.

For the BJP, this is certainly not a game-changer. But it helps the party add ammunition not merely against RJD - its target is Kumar and the mahagathbandhan.

Lalu may be the visible target but the BJP is counting on the body blows the JD(U) too may be taking.

A break in the alliance and hopes of the JD(U) inching back to the NDA camp it had left a few years ago is the not-so-hidden agenda.
"It (China) is not afraid even of a nuclear war because as it is often said, they can afford to lose a few hundred million people and yet have enough numbers left."  Jawaharlal Nehru.

India-China relations are once again traversing turbulent waters. Both countries have serious disputes on the ground as also the deep waters of Indian Ocean; yet, both regional powers are trying to opt for diplomatic tools to pacify each other.

As the Nathu-la standoff persists, both nations are looking for references from the past to establish their positions.

Apart from discussions between the two countries, there is also a raging debate within India on the issue. The new found jingoism in our polity and society is also forcing a section of people to blame Jawaharlal Nehru, the first prime minister of India, for such disputes.

The general perception is that Nehru did not play the desired role in the India-China war of 1962. The defeat of 1962 still haunts our collective conscience and we do not want to accept any reasonable explanation for it.

But it's time to ask ourselves how Nehru, a world leader of his time, had faced the Indian people, including many of his fans, once the war of 1962 was over.

And what was the root cause, other than immediate strategic reasons for the Chinese aggression.

Were his public statements similar to those of the present political brass? Had the great debacle forced him to deviate from the policy of non-alignment? What was the fundamental difference between the policies of a democratic republic and a communist nation?

These questions were duly answered by the first Gandhian. Well before the war of 1962, Nehru wrote to the then chief ministers: "I do not like the idea of continuing tension and potential conflict between India and China. This is not because I am enamoured of China, but I am enamoured of India and of peace.

The burden of constant friction on a long border with a powerful country will be great and even worse than that burden will be the spirit of hostility that this arouse and which leads us to think in wrong direction."

Despite such apprehensions, Nehru understood the gravity of the situation, and so he wrote in the same letter: "In fact, however, that our attempts at friendship with the Chinese government have failed and there is unfortunately some actual and a great deal of potential conflict in the air. To say this is due to our policy of non alignment is to misunderstand the situation completely. Any other policy would not have prevented this happening but have accelerated it and made it more difficult for us to play the part we did in the furtherance of world peace."

It is true that now there are some visible changes in India's international policy, though its fundamentals are the same.

As the Nathu-la standoff persists, both nations are looking for references from the past to establish their positions. Photo: Reuters

After the war of December 22, 1962, Nehru once again wrote to the chief ministers: "A great deal has been said about the unpreparedness of our army. This may be partially true but the general impression created on this subject is, I think, not true."

He also acknowledged the lack of winter clothing or modern arms for the forces: "On the whole it could not be said that lack of winter clothing or modern arms had very great impact."

He recognised the second cause as "a second major disadvantage to our army was the fact that our forces had been sent rather hurriedly from low altitudes near sea level to an altitude of about 14,000 feet".

After analysing the two strategic disadvantages, Nehru moved to the chief reason of the conflict and said, "It is easy to be wise after the event. It is easier to criticise what has happened."

In the same letter, Nehru clearly indicated the fundamental differences in the policy followed by the two neighbours: "It (China) is not afraid even of a nuclear war because as it is often said, they can afford to lose a few hundred million people and yet have enough numbers left."

55 years after the India-China war, Beijing's stance has not changed much but the question is whether we can change the principle Nehru chose to follow - and begin to believe that India can afford to allow few hundred thousand Indians to be killed in a war.

Chinese Premier Zhou en-Lai (left) and Nehru during a diplomatic meeting in 1954.

After Independence, Nehru fully focused most of the national and international recourses on nation and institution building. The policy of non alignment provided India the opportunity to get help from both blocks. He said in the letter, "India was said to be the chief non aligned country in the world, and a country which constantly preached the virtues of peaceful co-existence. If India could be humiliated and defeated and perhaps even driven in to other camp of western powers, that would be the end of non alignment for the other countries also, and the Russia's policy would have been broken down."

He further said, "India had to be dealt with in furtherance of the wider policy and humiliated and forced either into joining the Western Block or into submitting to China. The submission does not mean physical domination but more of mental surrender."

At that time, Nehru concluded, "The internal difficulties in China have made it more rash and adventurist and extreme elements in the government there have taken control. They see that unless some such action (warfare) is taken and China's industrial progress will slow down. The only way, therefore, to prevent this is to create a situation in which the Soviet Union would be forced to come to China's help. In order to do this, India appeared to be the safest target for the present."

Now the situation is altogether different as our defence and finance minister Arun Jaitley recently stated. Both the countries are nuclear powers and have a large number weapons of mass destruction and great armies. While Narendra Modi's appeal cannot be compared to Nehru's great personality, the PM is trying hard to build his image as a world leader.

He has tested the popularity of the surgical strike on Pakistan and found considerable support for his tough stand against terrorism in Kashmir.

His recent visit to Israel may also hurt the business interests of China. India's aggressive relationship building campaign with other world super powers may also be a concern for the neighbour. This may well jeopardise the interests of China, which in turn may want to humiliate India.

Those mooting the option of any military conflict must read another speech by Nehru. On August 15, 1963, in his last speech from the Red Fort, Nehru once again preached to his country. He said, "Last year we suddenly felt a jolt when our borders were attacked... That forced us to do something we don't like to do. We had to spend a lot of money on military, perhaps double or more than double of the normal military spending. We need to recover that money through taxes. This lead to increase in taxes. No one likes the idea of increase in taxes, neither the person who is paying the tax nor the person who collects it...Do you know public have to face a lot of suffering during great wars. These wars ruin the countries. At this time we are not facing the war of that volume, but no one knows what will happen in future. So we have to prepare ourselves for any situation and to be ready to carry that load."

Every section of the society came to support Nehru during the war. Film stars visited army units, lyricists wrote songs of nationalism and vocalists recorded them with intense passion. But in today's India, even Bollywood is divided by the petty politics of our demagogues.

In his historic speech, Nehru reminded India that the external danger had one favourable outcome: It encouraged people to unite.

And the unity of India, the unity among the different sections of our society is the most important virtue. Now, in 2017, the country is once again divided on so many issues, from cow protection and love jihad to ghar wapsi and demonetisation to GST.

It seems the minorities, Dalits and liberals are deliberately being sidelined by divisive forces and the very idea of India as envisaged by Nehru is being attacked.
Its a truth universally acknowledged that two world leaders whose alleged involvement has pretty much defined the global headlines of the last eight months, must be in search of each other. We mean, they must be curious about the eventual personal chemistry, the index of all things 21st century, especially geopolitics.

It so happens that the president of the United States, Donald J Trump, and his Russian counterpart, and also alleged ring-master, er, or so they say, Vladimir Putin, finally met each other for the very first time at the G-20 summit which began in Hamburg, Germany today, June 7.

It's official: Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin met at the G20 summit. Watch the event live here: https://t.co/gYrGULM9El pic.twitter.com/CL6f7G7dSp  Newsweek (@Newsweek) July 7, 2017

Face to face for the first time, Donald Trump meets Vladimir Putin https://t.co/vUnbyT66v6 #G20HH2017 pic.twitter.com/Y5c7Y15tSv  BBC Breaking News (@BBCBreaking) July 7, 2017

Rocked by anti-capitalist and anti-globalisation protests, the high-voltage environment of the tranquil, high-on-culture German city known for great universities and the Max Planck Institute campus, became the antithetical site for the meeting that seemed destined.

The business tycoon and the former spy have had most complicated mutual entanglements, with allegations flying thick and fast over Moscows interference in the November 2016 presidential elections in the United States that saw Trump emerge victorious.

Now that they have finally met and had a firm handshake, international diplomacy enters a brand new chapter amid rising uncertainties and global insecurities. In fact, what we see is Trump and Putin flaying the worlds nerves with their unpredictable mood swings, and US and the Russian establishment playing diplomatic ping-pong with each other that would put India and China to shame.

So, what are the biggest irritants and bones of contention which could be touched upon in the Putin-Trump bilateral meet scheduled later?

US-Russia political standoff

Even though Trump and Putin have been more than cordial with each other, a far cry from Putin-Obama cold war, establishments, particularly the traditional Big Media in the respective countries, have been at war with each other over the November 2016 election meddling issue.

Not only that, the media in the US is bitterly divided between pro-Trump/pro-Putin and anti-Trump/Putin lobbies, with the latter camp having the biggies Trump routinely decries as fake news  CNN, The New York Times and Washington Post.

US president Donald Trump, Russia's president Vladimir Putin talk during the G20 Summit in Hamburg, Germany. (Reuters)

However low the expectations are from the US media that Trump would make America look responsible in his meeting with Putin, theres the underlying fear that it would be all a cakewalk for the Russian president. In fact, Adam Schiff, a Democrat on the House of Representatives Intelligence Committee, has told a news outlet in America: "There's nothing... the Kremlin would like to see more than a (US) president who will settle for a grip and a grin and walk away saying that he had this fabulous meeting with the Kremlin autocrat."

Many fear that the Republican president in Trump is hardly a match for the international diplomacy veteran in Putin, and more so hes thoroughly under-prepared to deal with a leonine character like the Russian president. However, with Trumps big Russia reset, we can expect major changes in the world order, perhaps no longer driven by the ghost of the cold war.

Political differences, sanctions over Crimea, Syria

The Crimean referendum in favour of Russia against Ukraine, and the siding of different factions in the six-year-long protracted conflict in Syria, one of the bloodiest in recent times, have propelled US-Russian relationship to rock bottom, despite the presidential bonhomie. Crimea had resulted in US imposing trade sanctions on Russia, which were raked up by Putin before he arrived in Hamburg.

Of course, regime change in Syria is what the US wants, and Russia, led by Putin, is the biggest bulwark against Bashar al-Assad losing his elected presidency, and Damascus falling to rebels armed by US, Saudi Arabia and even Israel.

In April this year, before he went to visit Saudi Arabia and Israel and signed that whopping 110 billion dollar arms deal with the Arabian monarchy responsible for funding worst forms of global jihad, including perhaps ISIS, Trump had launched a missile attack  59 Tomahawks  at Syrias al Shayrat air base.

This was apparently about punishing Assad for an alleged chemical gas attack on April 6, and Trump being moved to protect Syrias beautiful babies, even though he has put Syria in the list of six countries banned from sending its citizens to the US for 90 days.

Bilateral meeting

The top-level bilateral meeting between Trump and Putin will, however, be attended only by US secretary of state Rex Tillerson, and the Russian counterpart in Sergey Lavrov.

Despite contradictions and acrimonious standoffs, closed-door meeting with translators would mean some major scramble for the West Asian/Middle Eastern resources. The outcome would be a Russian roulette of negotiations, with the US represented by Rex Tillerson of ExxonMobil fame and the face of fossil fuel industrys last hurrah, stepping in for Trumps lack of finesse.

What would this mean for climate dialogues, a big part of the G-20 summit? Perhaps, very little, and if all, squarely in the negative, given Trump had pulled the US out of the Paris Climate Agreement earlier this year blaming India and China, but actually saving his fossil fuel industry backers.

Will G-20 impose any sanctions on the US for walking out of Paris Climate Agreement and committing to a future of disaster-induced, carbon-printed worldwide mayhem? Hardly.

Trump-Putin versus European Union

Despite the civil handshakes, the meetings with the G-20 chief, German chancellor and perhaps the rightful leader of the free world, Angela Merkel, have been cold  for both Trump and Putin. Newly elected French president Emmanuel Macron does no more than the minimum civil courtesy to Trump, and deftly manages Putin, while showering all his attention on Merkel.

Justin Trudeau of Canada tries playing to Trumps ego while courting EU massively and Shinzo Abe of Japan performs the most egregious displays of feigned fondness for Trump while bolstering trade with the European Union.
A famous line from the blockbuster Singham had actor Prakash Raj playing Jaykant Shikre say: "Mere saath kuch bhi karneka... mera ego hurt nahi karneka".

By refusing to be part of China's One Belt One Road (OBOR) and not even sending a representative, like Japan and the US did, India hurt China's ego. A stand-off like the one we are seeing in Sikkim was only expected.

There are multiple reasons for and messages coming through the Sikkim standoff.

China was very keen that India be part of OBOR. In response to India's unhappiness over the CPEC (Chinese Pakistan Economic Corridor), its ambassador even offered to rename the CPEC, an offer that was later withdrawn.

By consistently reiterating that the CPEC passes through Jammu and Kashmir, which India rightfully considers its own territory, India upset China further. A country that is used to having its own way was taken aback by this show of spine.

Further, till recently India held the tag of being the fastest growing economy in the world. This hurt the Chinese ego too.

Be it the 1950s or today, China is unhappy seeing a rise in India's international stature. It is unhappy with India's moves to simultaneously build relations with the US, Russia, Japan, Germany, France, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Myanmar and Israel.

This makes the Chinese uncomfortable and affects the psychological well-being of its only friend Pakistan. Hence, this talk of teaching India a lesson.

Between themselves, China and Pakistan want to keep India tied down at the border and with internal problems. With the NDA government's response to Pakistan, be it ceasefire violations or stoking mass protests in the Valley, the duo realised that a new front had to be opened. No better place than Chumbi Valley and Sikkim in the east.

Ek teer, char nishane.

One, it puts India under pressure in the east as well and comes closer to the Chicken Neck in Siliguri. Two, because China is upset about Bhutan's refusal to establish diplomatic relations with it and toeing India's line, it gives Bhutan a message that its only hope is China because the Indians would not come to their aid.

Three, it seeks to deflect attention from its forceful occupation of Tibet by saying it could question India's annexation of Sikkim. At the same time is a threat that Chinese support to Sikkim's independence could provoke Sikkimese people and compound India's problems in the North-East.

Four, if India buckles under Chinese pressure, then Nepal gets the message that only China matters in the Himalayas.

India has done well to stand firm but erred when Army Chief General Bipin Rawat said India was ready for a two-and-a-half front war (Pakistan, China and against internal extremists) and part-time defence minister Arun Jaitley remarked that India is not what it was in 1962.

By responding to Chinese provocations, India is playing into their hands. Sometimes silence has your opponents guessing. At best, a junior officer could have responded.

India must also realise that China's economic linkages with Russia, US and Israel are strong, because of which they will not take sides in a India-China conflict.

Since China keeps on referring to 1962, it would help if the government published and publicised a brief paper on the 1967 and 1987 border clashes with China.

According to Nitin Gokhale, a leading expert on strategic affairs: "Indeed, 55 years after the 1962 War, one can confidently say the Indian Army has firmly exorcised the ghost of 1962, thanks to a deeper understanding of the Chinese psyche and decisive victories in two major military face-offs since then - one in 1967 and the other in 1987. In fact, the stand-off at Nathu La, not very far from the current impasse in 1967, gave the Chinese a bloody nose, just five years after 1962. The other eyeball to eyeball confrontation at Sumdorong Chu in Arunachal Pradesh, exactly 30 years ago too, forced the Chinese to back down from its creeping encroachment."

China sought to buttress its claims over Chumbi Valley by referring to the 1890 Convention (known as Convention of March 17, 1890, between Great Britain and China relating to Sikkim and Tibet).

Tibet expert Claude Arpi recently wrote: "Beijing forgot to mention about the two main stakeholders, Tibet and Sikkim, who were not even consulted by the Great Imperial Powers'. There was, however, no corresponding acknowledgment on the part of the British of Chinas authority over Tibet".

How can the Chinese justify their actions under a 1890 Convention when they annexed Tibet in 1950? To put it simply Tibet was not part of China in 1890.

Incidentally, have the Chinese always respected agreements?

Former foreign secretary Kanwal Sibal wrote in March 2017, "China has repeatedly demonstrated that either it does not respect the agreements it signs or interprets them as it wants. In 1996 it agreed to 'clarifying the alignment of the LAC in those segments where they (the two sides) have different perceptions'. In 2002 (when the writer was foreign secretary) China decided to repudiate this agreement unilaterally."

Recently, Bhutan conveyed to the Chinese side that construction of a road inside Bhutanese territory is a direct violation of the agreements and affects the process of demarcating the boundary between these two countries.

A July 6 oped in Global Times, mouthpiece of the Communist Party of China, stated that "Beijing should reconsider its stance over the Sikkim issue although China recognised India's annexation of Sikkim in 2003".

India need not respond to such provocations. Let the Chinese escalate by derecognising Sikkim first. It might be a Buddha given opportunity for India to change its position because Tibet is at the heart of the India-China divide.

The Chinese are adept at psychological warfare. They use the power of their achievements, be it manufacturing prowess, construction of gigantic infrastructure projects, military power, success in sports and cheap loans, to demoralise other countries.

Jingoism might work with Pakistan but with China India needs a different approach. We must be firm, not escalate issues publicly, let actions speak, continue strengthening relations with global and regional powers and escalate fault-lines Pakistan. Lastly, remain focused on becoming an economic and military power.
A few years ago I was in Berlin for some work and was due to meet a friend in the Foreign Office for dinner. During the day she called and asked if it was okay for another friend to join us for dinner. "This is her first time visiting Germany," Elena explained, "and she doesn't wish to have dinner alone."

Berlin is one of the friendliest, safest cities I have had the pleasure to visit, but Elena's friend was not thinking of that. She was an Israeli Jew, and only a few decades ago a vicious regime based in Germany had made it a point to first separate, then humiliate, and then exterminate members of her community.

Much has changed since then. Germany has embraced the guilt of the crimes committed in its name and has vowed never again. Many Israeli artists prefer to come to Berlin to live and work, not least because of its great arts scene, low cost of living and excellent services.

Nevertheless, for Elena's friend, it was still an overwhelming experience, and there is nothing but sympathy that one can lend in such a situation.

For me, it was part of a long journey to try and understand something of Israel. As an Indian Muslim, I grew up with no sympathy for the country or its countrymen. I have no recollection of when I first heard its name, but maybe I noticed that on my first passport it said that it was valid for all countries except Israel and South Africa.

And my understanding of Israel was primarily shaped around the understanding that it was part of the European colonial movements like the one India had shrugged off in 1947. Much of this is what Israel itself communicates. If you read early Zionist literature, or the works of Chaim Weizmann, the President of the Zionist Organisation, and the first President of Israel, the use of terms like "colony" as to how the state of Israel is to be set up is normal.

The proponents of the movement famously used the phrase, "A land without people for a people without a land," negating the existence of an existing indigenous population, something that was common among Europeans when speaking of colonised areas - whether the United States or in Australia and New Zealand. All of this is understandable.

Most of the Zionist leaders were Ashkenazi Jews from Europe. They were speaking to European leaders and the European public. They spoke in the language that was already in use. This dominance of European culture did not go away after the founding of Israel.

Many people do not realise that there is a large community of Arab Jews in Israel, who are often referred to as Mizrahi. These communities were largely those expelled from Arab states after the founding of Israel. Despite their sizable numbers, they have a comparatively minor role in public life with the Ashkenazi community dominating the political parties of Labor and Likud.

Binyamin Ben-Eliezer, the former defence minister of Israel and leader of the Labor Party, was one of the few Mizrahi Jews in high public office, and he used to tell a story which demonstrates the way that Mizrahi Jews were perceived as second class citizens because of their Arab background.

His nickname was Fuad, a very Arab name, but one that he was well known for. In 1972 he was in Bangkok when the Palestinian militant group, Black September, attacked the Israeli embassy there. Golda Meir, then the Prime Minister, phoned the embassy, and Ben-Eliezer picked up. When she asked who it was, he replied, "Fuad." She was shocked that the "Arabs" had taken the embassy.

More than this, there is another complicating factor. As an Indian Muslim, the idea of a homeland for a people in danger sounds uncomfortably close to the argument that the Muslim League made for the foundation of Pakistan. Faisal Devji explores this at length in his book Muslim Zion, in which he also notes that Jinnah seemed to have more books on the problems of European Jewry than that of any Muslim countries.

Nehru, too, saw the creation of Israel as an issue analogous to that of India-Pakistan, seeing the partition of Mandate-era Palestine into two communities based on the demand to have a homeland in the name of its own ethnicity.

For me, a person whose grandfather and two great-uncles served in the Second World War against the Axis powers, whose blood was in the battlefield against the regimes that tried to exterminate the Jews, I saw no reason why that same sacrifice should lead to the expulsion of Palestinians from their lands just because they were not Jewish, or their being incorporated into a state where their ethnic identity guaranteed second class treatment, as to who could marry, what land they could buy and how citizenship could be acquired.

Maybe also it was because my heroes numbered people like Jan Bloch and Rafael Lemkin, who saw the disaster their communities faced and tried to push through radical ideas - ending war, criminalising genocide - that would benefit all communities, keep all minorities safe.

This, to me, seemed a more effective route. Certainly, the creation of Pakistan has not kept South Asian Muslims safe. Pakistan's own actions in what is now Bangladesh are amongst the greatest human rights violations South Asian Muslims have seen after the Partition, not to mention its adventurism in Afghanistan and in Kashmir.

In the case of Israel, too, there are more Jews living outside its borders than within them. Israel's actions, especially its treatment of a captive Palestinian population in the name of Jewish nationhood has led to people who dislike a policy to start blaming people.

The kind of antisemitism present in Europe did not exist in other parts of the world, now it does, fanned as much by ugly extremist ideas within certain Islamist trends, as by unscrupulous Israeli politicians who have wrapped their unjustifiable actions in the flag of Jewish suffering, as the current Israeli Prime Minister did when he stated that the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem convinced Hitler to exterminate the Jews.

But it is here, too, where the analogies break down. The suffering of the Jews in the Holocaust are too great to easily serve as an analogy to anything else, the sickness of the Nazi regime was far beyond anything near our experience.

To draw such analogies then becomes ridiculous. The crimes of the Nazis were the crimes of industrialised mass murder based on a fanatical hatred. Of post-WWII horrors, only the genocide in Rwanda comes close to the horror evoked. This is something that you only really understand once you visit Europe, the places where these murders happened, listen to the communities affected. It is hard to grudge the desire for walls to keep you safe, a nation you can call your own.

It does not obviate the injustice heaped upon the Palestinians, but it does breed sympathy for the desire of Israelis to desire a place of their own, and also an understanding as to why they would not trust the goodwill of humanity at large with their safety.

I am reminded of a saying that the creation of Israel is like a man jumping out of a burning house and landing on the back of a passerby. The passerby did not deserve the harm visited upon him, but you certainly cannot fault the man jumping out of the burning house. Today, as we see the rise of rabid rightwing politics seemingly across the world, where the anti-Semitic leader of the Ku Klux Klan declares his support for a candidate for the US Presidency, and that candidate wins, it is hard to tell minorities that they should believe multi-ethnic polities will keep them safe.

Could one convince those whose families had been systematically murdered that they should trust the systems of liberal democracy when the first modern democratic state crowns an unstable moron backed by racists and supremacists as the leader of the free world?

In the end, this is the question that we have to answer, the question that Israel confronts us with. Can we get beyond thinking of safety in terms of people, in terms of groups? Can we get beyond group identities and actually learn to defend individuals regardless of identity?
A group of friends in one local community were offering lemonade for a donation on Thursday, with a side of helping others.

Located on Weber Road in Farmington at a stand were the Hostetler kids  Anna, 5, and her twin brothers, Isaiah and Ezra, 4  as well as the Grindstaff girls  Ava, 6 and Cora, 2.

Their mothers, Travena Hostetler and Ashley Grindstaff, explained the five were part of a group of friends raising money through the lemonade stand.

The group was holding up signs  inviting customers to visit the stand located near the intersection of Maple Valley Drive and Weber Road at a business owned by the Grindstaff family.

We are selling lemonade, making money for the councils at the high school, Anna said, with her mother adding the donations are going to the social workers at Farmington High School.

And the reason?

So they can buy kids shoes and give them lunch, she added.

Travena read a post on Facebook from Susan Barber, a district employee thanking them for their efforts.

The need is much bigger in our district than most people realize, Travena read. Last year the social workers bought shoes, socks, medicines, clothing, hygiene products ... thank you for doing this.

This is the second year for the group of friends to get together and raise money for a good cause.

Funds raised in 2016 were used to purchase games for residents in local nursing home facilities, along with donations to families with children battling cancer.
Theres no better way to develop leadership skills than to practice, practice, practice. That is exactly what Audrey Brewster and Katie Lenhardt, students at North County High School, did while recently attending the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industrys Leadership in Practice program.

These students joined more than 120 high school students who were selected as future leaders from schools across the state. Held June 25-28 on the Westminster campus in Fulton, Leadership in Practice is designed to provide young Missourians with the opportunity to learn what it takes to be an effective leader in their schools and communities.

All participants were students between their freshman and sophomore years in high school. With help from Missouri business leaders, civic leaders and educators, the students learned firsthand about how to successfully work together as a team and individually as a leader.

They were immersed in leadership activities that simulated real-life situations, said Missouri Chamber President and CEO Dan Mehan. Working in diverse, collaborative groups, these student leaders gain key insights into how to effectively lead in challenging situations.

Working in small groups, the students developed business plans for a new product or service during the Entrepreneurship Challenge. During a Model UN simulation, students engaged in debate on nuclear weapons. Participants were also encouraged to set goals to further develop their leadership skills and were challenged to go back to their schools and communities to play more active roles leading their peers.

The Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry applauds the efforts of these future leaders and the potential that they bring to our state. Leadership in Practice is part of a youth leadership educational program that was created by the Missouri Chamber of Commerce in 1962. It is funded through scholarships provided by state businesses and civic organizations. This years program was co-hosted by the Jenny and Warren Erdman Foundation, the KC Southern Foundation, and sponsored by Edward Jones Investments and The Doe Run Company.

The Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry is the largest business association in Missouri. Together, with the Missouri Chamber Federation, the Missouri Chamber represents more than 75,000 employers.
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Today

Thunderstorms during the evening will give way to cloudy skies after midnight. Low 38F. Winds NNW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 90%..

Tonight

Thunderstorms during the evening will give way to cloudy skies after midnight. Low 38F. Winds NNW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 90%.
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Two white, stained, cotton robes that may have belonged to men who met with others at Thomas Jeffersons tomb in the summer of 1921 to form a Charlottesville chapter of the Ku Klux Klan were shown to the media and a few others behind closed doors Thursday afternoon.

After pulling two of the 26 robes in its museum collection  and following requests from local activists, academics and journalists  the Albemarle Charlottesville Historical Society held a private conference to discuss the origins of the robes and how they came into the historical societys possession.

On those robes are patches bearing a cross and a drop of blood, echoing the blood spilled at Jeffersons gravesite when the members of the new Klan chapter in the city held a ceremony that year.

 [T]he Ku Klux Klan has been organized in this city, The Progress reported on June 28, 1921.

Hundreds of Charlottesvilles leading business and professional men met around the tomb of Jefferson at the midnight hour one night last week and sealed the pledge of chivalry and patriotism with the deepest crimson of red American blood.

Historical society President Steven Meeks said the robes were donated in 1993 by a local resident who found them in a wooden crate in a shed in an eastern part of the city. He said a Certificate of Knighthood, dated June 6, 1926, also was donated to the Society at that time.

The robes were displayed publicly from 2005 to 2006 and from 2010 to 2015, when they were loaned to the Legacy Museum in Lynchburg, which specializes in African-American history.

Without consulting the donor, the historical society decided not to reveal who the items belonged to, where they were found or who had donated them. Meeks said they have identified the names of two Klan members associated with the artifacts.

That is the decision the society has taken at this point, Meeks said.

They were donated to us nearly 25 years ago, he said. I think its fair to say that things have changed, and [with] the current climate of things, we just dont think its right to release the names.

The effort to have the historical society display the robes and other Klan artifacts was spearheaded by University of Virginia professor and activist Jalane Schmidt.

In recent emails to reporters and other colleagues, Schmidt said she felt that the historical society was attempting to stonewall her request and avoiding bringing attention to the items. She said started making requests to the society about three weeks ago.

Although the items were displayed Thursday after the long holiday weekend and after local reporters and members of the City Council were contacted, Schmidts concerns over the fact that the names associated with the artifacts would not be revealed persisted.

Theyre trying to avoid that, because its probably some old respectable family name which adorns a current Charlottesville building, street or park, she said in an email earlier this week. They just dont want to say. Klan membership was very popular among the most influential citizens of 1920s Cville.

Meeks said Paul Goodloe McIntire  Charlottesvilles most illustrious philanthropist who gifted the statues of Confederate Gens. Robert E. Lee and Thomas Stonewall Jackson to the city and for whom the historical societys building is named  is not associated with any of the Klan items in its collection.

I will tell you this much, Meeks said about the Klan members associated with the artifacts, neither one of them was a prominent person in the Charlottesville community.

The historical societys decision to withhold the name of the donor and redact the name on the Certificate of Knighthood drew some criticism from the community members who requested to see the material.

Don Gathers, the former chairman of the Blue Ribbon Commission on Race, Memorials and Public Spaces, a panel the City Council created last year to consider what should be done with the Lee and Jackson statues, was particularly critical of the historical societys decision to hide the names.

I can respect your position about not wanting to release the names, but I think its a disservice to the community to not release the name of the donor, he said.

Admittedly playing devils advocate, Jane Smith, who served on the commission last year, said she understood why the historical society would want to avoid revealing the name of the donor.

I think it might encourage people to donate sensitive materials that would be of great interest to the community, she said. Smith later added that the descendants of Klan members should not be judged by the associations or actions of their ancestors.

John Edwin Mason, a UVa professor and another former member of the commission, said the society should reveal the names associated with the artifacts if it plans to publicly exhibit the items in the future, an idea that Meeks and Will Lyster, vice president of the society, said they have been considering.

Youre a historical society and you have to interpret these as historical artifacts, Mason said. You can do it half-heartedly or do a bad job, but you cant do your job as a historical society without the provenance being attached to the display of these archives. It just cant be done.

Among those in attendance at the private exhibition Thursday was Councilor Wes Bellamy.

Bellamy, who last year created controversy by calling for the removal of the Lee statue, said Thursday evening that he felt motivated to continue advocating for the removal of the statue and creating equity in the presentation of local history in the city.

By Thursday evening, as pictures of the exhibit were shared online and on social media, he said several people had accused him of seeking attention and creating further division in the community by asking the historical society to display the Klan artifacts.

That was probably one of the more difficult things Ive seen in my life, he said about the exhibit. All I can think about is what the people who owned those robes would say to me right now.

For all the people who say weve never had these race issues or that nothing was ever wrong  those robes were found here in Charlottesville.

How can these people say we havent had these issues? How can they say they havent permeated into our cultural norms? Look at all the opposition were facing. How can you tell me that is not all connected in some shape, form or fashion?

On Saturday, the Loyal White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, of North Carolina, will hold a rally in Justice Park.

Next month, a coalition of far-right activists and leader that include avowed white nationalists and nationalist socialist groups, will hold a Unite the Right rally in Emancipation Park on Aug. 12. On Wednesday evening, David Duke, a former imperial wizard of the KKK, encouraged his Twitter followers to attend that upcoming rally.
Locally and nationally, the body politic has arrived at an unwelcome position in which the media have become a part of the news  not observers and reporters only.

The topics range from the introduction of fake news via unreliable internet sources to questions about the trustworthiness of the mainstream media.

For classically trained journalists who still believe in reporting that is as fair and objective as humanly possible, while remaining outside the story  not a part of it  this is an unsettling state of affairs.

Most community newspapers, such as The Daily Progress, continue to strive for that goal of fairness and objectivity in news gathering. The goal may not be perfectly achievable in an imperfect world, but it remains the ideal.

Although we did not create the phenomenon of being a part of the news instead of apart from it, situations have now arisen in which we have become part of that phenomenon.

Therefore, we feel compelled to take the unusual step of responding. (You will note that we do so in an editorial  an opinion, which by definition is subjective. Objectivity remains our goal in news reporting.)

One of the issues at hand is the repeated admonition from some members of the community that we stay away from the upcoming gathering of the Ku Klux Klan and others of its ilk.

This would be profoundly unethical  for many reasons. Wed like to explain why.

 Weve already mentioned the dangerous trend of media becoming the story instead of reporting the story. When media are a part of the story, objectivity and fairness become even more difficult to obtain or maintain; a wall has been breached, a trust has been violated.

Critics are in this case asking us to become part of the story  by the very act of staying away from a story. Were we to bow to outside pressure and stay away from a nationally significant event, that would be news indeed.

By refusing to cover a story, in direct contradiction both to past practice and our professional mandate, we would insert ourselves into the story narrative and simultaneously forsake our responsibility to communicate truth to our public.

In this case, we have covered the protests, pro and con, that have led to Saturdays gathering. Failing to follow through with the story now thrust upon us would be derelict indeed.

Meanwhile, we cant help but find it ironic that while some critics lambaste the media for losing objectivity, others ask us to deliberately abandon objectivity in service to their agenda.

 Failure to follow through on this story would be a disservice to the community at large, including the African-American community.

Shamefully, some media during the Civil Rights Movement (and since) built a record of practicing bias in news coverage. Much of that centered on failure to report on atrocities against the African-American community.

But as a member of that community reminded us recently, failure to report the facts on either side not only damages the culture of truth and transparency we so badly need in this era, but also damages the cause of civil rights.

If Americans (of all colors and all political persuasions) cannot obtain knowledge, through reporting, of atrocities or threats of atrocities, how are they to know how serious is the problem? How are they to be moved to take counteraction? How can they decide what is the best policy for protecting civil rights, the right of freedom of expression, and other fundamental American values?

When problems are not exposed, they fester in secret and grow in strength until it might be too late to combat them.

Exposure  news coverage  shines light on problems while they may still be countered.

 Critics of news coverage of the Klan gathering may have an incomplete view of the problem.

The primary reason we hear for ignoring the event is that the ralliers thrive on attention, while their hate-filled faction will wither if attention is withdrawn.

This would be to treat the protesters as if they were merely 4-year-olds having a tantrum.

There is an element of truth to the claim that such protesters might be less active if they werent generating reactions. But community plans to hold counter-events without engaging directly with the demonstrators will address this aspect of the problem.

Left unaddressed, and even unacknowledged, is the fact that the protesters are not 4-year-olds whose tantrum will blow over. There is the capacity here for real damage  to the community, to property and security, to the cause of fairness and equal rights, to the standard of truth.

And that is why the media will be there: to be witnesses to the truth. Others may stay away because we will be there, serving as their eyes and ears  even at potential risk to our own safety.

To do otherwise would be to insult our profession, our calling  and to do a disservice to our fellow citizens.

Covering the news is our job. And we will do our job.
Senior Spotlight on Claire Koile of Elkhorn brought to you by United Republic Bank Free Access To read the Senior Spotlight Claire Koile of Elkhorn brought to you by United Republic Bank click the PDF link below. dc_split_014.pdf

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New Delhi: Debt-laden Air India will sell land parcel in Mauritius to state-owned NBCC Ltd for Rs 3.1 crore amid the government's decision to divest stake in the

national airline.

"Air India has agreed to sell its asset measuring one acre land in the State of Mauritius to NBCC India Ltd and the transaction valuing Rs 3.10 crore will take place within a few days," the construction firm said in a BSE filing.

On June 28, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs gave its in-principle approval for the disinvestment of Air India, which has been in the red for long.

Air India, which has a debt burden of more than Rs 52,000 crore, is staying afloat on taxpayers' money.

The previous UPA government had extended bailout package worth little over Rs 30,000 crore to the national carrier for a ten-year period starting from 2012.

NBCC Ltd has entered the Mauritius market. It will help develop a social housing project and construct a new Supreme Court building in Mauritius, which together are estimated to cost USD 50 million.
New Delhi: India, the world's biggest sugar consumer, is likely to raise import duty on the sweetener to 50 percent from 40 percent in an attempt to restrict cheaper flow of the commodity from overseas, a government official said on Friday.

"There have been some apprehensions of cheaper imports flooding the Indian market. That's why the government is likely to raise the duty to 50 percent," the official, who did not want to be identified, said.

The government in April allowed the duty-free import of 500,000 tonnes of sugar by the end of June to keep a lid on prices after local production fell by a fifth from a year ago.

However, in 2017/18 marketing year starting from Oct. 1, India's sugar output is expected to jump a quarter from the previous year to 25 million tonnes.
Premier consumer financial services firm Synchrony Financial on Friday announced the opening of their second office in Hyderabad at Salarpuria Sattva, Knowledge City in Hitec City.

Hyderabad: Premier consumer financial services firm Synchrony Financial on Friday announced the opening of their second office in Hyderabad at Salarpuria Sattva, Knowledge City in Hitec City.

Speaking to the media, senior vice-president Faisal Uddin said: The new office will continue being our support and solutions centre for our operation in the United States. When asked if the firms plans to enter the Indian market, he said, The market is yet to scale for us to enter. Only Amazon India could be seen as a prosepective client in India. The new office, which is spread across three floors occupying 2 lakh sft, has a maximum capacity of 3,600 employees and the company plans to make few addition to their team for their new office while grooming its staff for future.
Sonam Kapoor also turned heads at the recently concluded Cannes Film Festival. The actress was the official representative of an international renowned cosmetic brand.

Mumbai: After winning the Global Style Icon award at the Brand Vision Summit earlier last year, Sonam Kapoor featured in The Extraordinaire,a limited edition exclusive book, that documents the journey of leaders and influencers that have helped fuel India's popularity on the global map.

India's poster girl for luxury fashion, Sonam, did the country proud yet again as she closed the show for luxury brand, Ralph & Russo at the Paris Fashion Week. With this she becomes the first Indian to close a show at the Paris Fashion Week.





Looking like an Indian goddess in pristine white, Sonam Kapoor, turned show stopper for the luxury brand's Autumn Winter 2017/2018 couture show, giving the classic Ralph & Russo bride an Indian twist.





With her impeccable sense of style and rare fashion sensibility, the actress and international fashion icon, never the one to be trapped in a box, has always dared to be different and experimented with versatile looks over the years. She undoubtedly is an original in the truest sense.

Sonam's rumoured boyfriend Anand Ahuja reacts to her glaring Paris show look





The National award-winning actress has always been a pioneer in the fashion space and was the first leading lady in India who celebrated fashion like never before, with everyone today following suit.





From her highly anticipated Cannes appearances to her looks on the red carpet and even the trends she sets over social media, Sonam Kapoor's effortless style and love for experimentation is the stuff sartorial legends are made of. No doubt then that Sonam is India's biggest and most celebrated fashion icon.

Cannes 2017: Fashionista Sonam Kapoor makes a quirky statement in her prismatic saree

It was a surreal experience and I enjoyed every moment of it...Michael and Tamara are dear friends and I'm so happy I could do this for them, said Sonam Kapoor, explaining .
New Delhi: Music maestro AR Rahman, who has recently completed 25 years in the music industry, expressed his thoughts and beliefs about Islam.

"My Muslim faith, way of life reflect peace," he said during a show here, named 'Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow,' as quoted by Geo News.

"Islam is an ocean, you know, it has different sects, more than 70. So I follow the Sufi kind of philosophy which is about love, I am what I am because of the philosophy I'm following, my family is following. And of course, many things are happening, and I feel it's mostly political." , said the 50-year-old musician.

Rahman, who was converted to Islam in his 20s, stated that his interpretation of the Muslim faith means living a life that is simple, with humility as the key factor.

The Oscar-winning musician further said, he still has more to achieve and hopes music will help in bringing more people together.
Katrina Kaif is currently juggling between 'Jagga Jasoos' promotions and filming the Aamir Khan-Amitabh Bachchan starrer 'Thugs of Hindostan'. The actress has also been roped in for Aanand L Rai's untitled next alongside Shah Rukh Khan and Anushka Sharma (Pic courtesy: Instagram/ katrinakaif).

Mumbai: Fans across the world rejoiced, when Katrina Kaif made a remarkable debut on Instagram with a sun-kissed picture and raked in 3.5 million followers in just a few months.

Exclusive: Ranbir following Katrina on Instagram post break-up is stalker syndrome?

The gorgeous actress currently rules the social media space with stunning pictures, witty captions and grand public appearances, making her account one of the most entertaining celebrity Instagram accounts.

Watch: Quirky Ranveer Singh welcomes Katrina Kaif to the world of Instagram

Quirky, fun and relevant , Katrina Kaif shows us how its done!

Instagram will be so much prettier now: Shah Rukh Khan welcomes Katrina

Katrina slayed it in a single sentence, when she wished her trainer, Yasmin Karachiwala on her birthday. Happy birthday my love . .... there for me in sickness and health , good times and bad , till death do us part .... ( maybe without the pulling ponytails ) @yasminkarachiwala

In a doctrinal mood, the witty actress refers to herself as Sherlock Kaif. In her caption she philosophizes, The people who say you are not facing reality actually mean that you are not facing their idea of reality. #sherlockkaif 

Solving the universal problem that every girl faces, Kaif posted, When you can't decide what to wear, just stop and take a selfie. It always helps.

If there was an award for the most entertaining and wittiest Instagram account, without a doubt Katrina would win it.

The actress's next, 'Jagga Jasoos', is slated to release on July 14.

Here are some of Kaif's breathtakingly beautiful pictures on Instagram:
Mumbai: Filmmaker Madhur Bhandarkar has turned down Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam's demand to screen his upcoming film 'Indu Sarkar' before it is screened for the censor board.

'Indu Sarkar' is based on Emergency and in a letter addressed to the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) chief Pahlaj Nihalani, Nirupam had shared his concern over the portrayal of party veterans like Indira Gandhi, Sanjay Gandhi and other senior leaders of Indian National Congress in the film.

"There is no question of showing the film to Congress or any political party, till the time the censor hasn't passed the film. It is my prerogative whom I should show or not show my film. Nobody can force me to show them the film.

"I would tell Congress people to come and watch the film in theatres before making such comments on a film which hasn't even released, or cleared by the censor board," Bhandarkar told PTI.

The filmmaker said his movie, slated to release on July 28, does not talk about any individual and uses Emergency just as the backdrop.

"Some people sent me legal notices... Jagdish Tytler wrote a letter that he wants his portrayal in good faith. Mr Nirupam also wrote that he wants to see the film," Bhandarkar said.

Bhandarkar said political pressure does affect him and his family is worried about the whole matter.

"Art has no boundaries but these kind of things put pressure on a filmmaker. It's just bullying tactics. My wife and daughter are worried about this whole thing," he claimed.
Dileep and the actress have previously worked together in a few films.

Mumbai: The Kerala Women'sCommission today registered a case against popular Malayalam actor Dileep and three others from the industry over their alleged derogatory comments against an actress who was abducted and molested in a moving car earlier this year.

The case was registered on a complaint by the Women's Collective in Cinema (WCC) and Women Lawyers Association.

"A case was registered today and evidence collection will begin soon," V U Kuriakose, Director Women's Commission, told PTI.

The case related to certain comments made by Dileep, Salim Kumar, Aju Joseph and director Saji Nandiyat on social media sites.

The WCC, an outfit of women members of the Malayalam film industry, had on July 5 claimed that "casting couch"the practice of giving roles in exchange for sexual favour-- existed in the industry and sought a probe by the Kerala Women's Commission.

In a Facebook post, WCC had stated that they "totally disagreed" with a remark of the President of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes (AMMA), Innocent, an MP, that the "casting couch" practice was a thing of the past.

Meanwhile, the National Women's Commission has directed the state DGP to file a report within two days on the attack against the actress.

NWC member Sushma Sahu also criticised Innocent over his "anti-women" remarks and said they were "shameful".

Six persons, including 'Pulsar' Suni, Martin and Vigeesh have so far been arrested in connection with the incident.

The popular actress, who has worked in Tamil and Telugu films, was abducted and allegedly molested inside her car for two hours by the accused, who had forced their way into the vehicle on February 17 and later escaped in a busy area in Kochi.
Rating:

Cast: Tom Holland, Michael Keaton, Jon Favreau, Marisa Tomei, Robert Downey Jr

Director: Jon Watts

Earlier this year, the Marvel factory churned out a surprisingly marvellous Logan, a superhero movie that engaged with not the origins but the death of its protagonist. It inhabited a very self-reflexive universe wherein we find children playing with X-Men toys and other merchandise. But why is Marvel a factory, you wonder? Because it repeats what seems to work once. The latest reboot of Spiderman, too, is generated using this formula. High school children are obsessed with the Avengers. It reminded me of the late 1990s when Looney Toons tazos in Lays chips were all the rage amongst children. Here we have teenaged girls playing Marry, F***, and Kill with characters from the Avengers; any acquaintance with these characters makes one the object of envy; the film even opens with a childs drawing of the Avengers. Captain America makes a cameo in the form of PSAs. Mythical characters are aware of the myth surrounding them, and the said mythical status is used to fuel it further. Factory, also because the mid and end-credit scenes are becoming gimmicky. Peter Parker is a 15-year-old high school student, brilliant at academics, but also somewhat shy and clumsy, and hence not the most popular person in school.

His internship with the Stark Industries and his secret identity as Spiderman at times invites sharp jibes from his bullying classmate, Flash (Tony Revolori). His origin story is eschewed in this reboot. Whatever happened with the radioactive spider and Uncle Ben is only mentioned in passing. Peter is accompanied by his equally brilliant friend Ned (Jacob Batalon), who is hilariously awe-struck by his best friends superpowers. Do you lay eggs? Do you spit venom? articulate his curiosity about Peters double-life. Iron Man and the rest of Avengers feel that Spiderman is still wet behind the ears, and therefore should remain on ground for the time being. He puts Happy (Jon Favreau) in charge of any correspondence, if necessary, but as adults, they deem it silly to seek out a kids help. But our protagonist, raging as he is with teenage hormones and angst and a desire to prove himself worthy of the A-grade, starts saving the day by inadvertently wrecking it himself in the first place. He catches a thief who tries to get into his own car, and saves a bicycle from getting stolen. His big, heroic stunts are undercut with his inelegance. Something worthwhile at last comes his way when Adrian Toomes (Keaton) men try to blow up an ATM.

Toomes, a former constructionist, gains access to Chitauri technology and within eight years establishes and expands an underworld empire that deals in weapons. In a nod to his character from 2014s Birdman, he soars high in the sky wearing armoured wings. Toomes/Vulture is not propelled by motiveless malignity. He does not harbour any ambition to dominate the world. What he wants is to keep generating enough to make his family happy. He feels wronged by the government and the likes of Tony Stark, the elite who get away with everything and leave little for the working class. To my mind, he is not very different from Breaking Bads Walter White. Where he does differ, though, is in his moral code. Spiderman saves Toomes daughters life, and he therefore returns the favour.

Homecoming is a coming-of-age narrative for Peter Parker. He becomes more aware of his powers, often aided by hi-tech costume designed by the Stark Industries, although even in a world as fantastical as this, it seems quite inorganic. Holland is a breath of fresh air, and comes the closest to the comic book character. He is energetic and affable, but is restrained enough at the right moments so as to never look like a five-year-old on a sugar high. His rendition of Parker subtly conveys the conflicts of his teenage mind  juggling romance, academics, his loving but annoying Aunt May, and his superpowers. At the end of the day, the biggest test for him is to put to action the catchphrase from 2002s Spiderman: with great power, comes great responsibility.

The writer is programmer, Lightcube Film Society
Abhimanyu Singh is on a high with two exciting releases today Rakshasi and Mom. It feels like two Telugu releases to me because Mom is releasing in Telugu too. I am curious to see how the roles will be received, he shares, adding that both the films will see him in very contrasting roles.

In Rakshasi, my character brings in a lot of hope. I help the protagonist get rid of a bad entity in her life. Its a positive character, he shares.

When quizzed if it is a relief to move away from all the negative roles he often plays, he replies, Yes, its like a breath of fresh air! I have a theatre background and want to be able to show the versatility it has taught me. I know I can do a lot more. My talent hasnt been fully explored yet.

Interestingly, even after several Telugu films, Abhimanyu is yet to learn the language. He confesses that it is a handicap at times. Over time, I have begun to understand Telugu. I am working very hard on the speaking part though, because when I work with some talented actors, it becomes a disadvantage. They improvise on the spot, and as much as I want to go with the flow, the barrier comes in between. I try to lend support by reacting to them based on whatever I understand. I am hoping you can soon call me a full-fledged Telugu actor, he says.

With Mom, Abhimanyu seems to be in a comfort zone. More importantly, he is sharing screen space with talented actors like Sridevi, Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Akshaye Khanna. Working with them is a boon! As they are such good actors, it pushed me to better my craft. I ended up giving my best each time. I am glad to be playing a key role in the film, he concludes.
Its been a long time since Taapsee Pannu played a lead role in Telugu as her last film was Sahasam, which released four years ago. The actress has since made only cameo appearances in Telugu films.

Now, she is all set to come back in a full-fledged leading role in the film Anando Brahma, directed by Mahi V. Raghav.

Its a horror film and the director made it in a different way, says producer Vijay Chilla, adding that while in horror films, the ghost scares people, in this film, it is the opposite.

The films subject revolves around Taapsees character while comedians Srinivas Reddy, Vennela Kishore and Jabardast Shankar are playing the other important roles. The producer says that he is planning to release the film on August 18.
Actor Srikanths upcoming film, his first ever horror comedy Ra... Ra..., is all set to release soon. The films team has begun promotions, too, and has released a song from the album, which is being received well.

Speaking about the film, Srikanth reveals, This film explores a very interesting coming together of humans and ghosts, and has been treated in a fresh way. Its going to be a very engaging film. I am quite excited to be doing something like this for the first time and am waiting to see how the film will be received.

A grand pre release event is being planned in Hyderabad in the presence of the films cast and crew, alongside some well-known personalities from the industry.
In 1885, following the Battle of Ginnis, the British army discovered a small black boy abandoned. A report by the Daily Mail explains the remarkable tale of Britain's first black soldier and his unique life experience in the 1800s.

The child, only two-years-old was found by Troops from the Durham Light Infantry in Sudan. One of the soldier's, Sergeant Stuart nicknamed the child Jimmy Dervish'. His original name was Mustapha. It was revealed his father had been killed and mother had fled.

The soldiers couldn't bear to leave him behind and decided to take him to their camp to figure out what to do with him. The closest little Jimmy had to a parent, at that time, had been a veteran called Jim Birley. He treated the boy like his son and would give him a bath everyday. Birleys comrades felt the same kind affection for the boy who had made his way into their hearts.

When the battalion was posted to India in January 1887, the men wanted to take their boy along. But it was decided it would be best for him to be cared for in a mission school in Cairo. When the battalion was away from Jimmy, the sergeants donated one rupee, which was a day's pay, for his expenses.

Later, it is not determined when, Jimmy who was officially named James Durham, moved to Britain. Durham was raised by the family of a soldier called Sergeant Robson the in northeast of England. It seems he had a happy childhood and regarded Robsons daughter Stella, as a sister.

In 1899, Jimmy, who was only 14, chose to enlist in the army. He was given special dispensation by Queen Victoria to join the army. While there is no record of his active service, he did play in the band and "accompanied the regimental goat on parade," the report revealed. He also ran the Army Temperance Association in the battalion and was given an Award of Merit by Field Marshal Lord Roberts for his success.

Durham came to be known as the only black soldier in the British Army of that time. He also went on to marry Englishwoman named Jane. Even though the idea interracial marriage was unusual, there is no evidence that they were shunned by her community. There is no evidence that suggests he had experienced racial abuse in his lifetime.

A year into their marriage, Durham had to move to Ireland where he was posted with his battalion. Sadly, on August 8, 1910, Jimmy died of pneumonia at age 25 at the Military Hospital in Fermoy, County Cork. He never got to meet his daughter Frances, who was born three weeks after he passed away. She lived until she was 88. Jimmy's extraordinary story highlights evidence that people of the British Isles were more accepting of differences that previously thought.
Dillon Reagan, a 32-year-old man from Portland Oregon just lost his job at Home Depot for violating company policy. Does not seem like much of a deal when hundreds of such firing must be happening each day. However, the reason he broke the rules which led to his termination will leave you baffled.

He was trying to stop a child from getting kidnapped!

Speaking about the incident, the now former mall employee says that the only thing that he was thinking at that point of time was the childs safety. Dillon had worked at the Mall 205 for our years before he was bizarrely dismissed for his heroics.

Matters came to the fore, May 12, as Reagan was nearing the end of his shift at the Home Depots tool rental center when a co-worker alerted him to a disturbance in the parking lot.

According to Dillon, he saw a woman frantic and crying when he had stepped outside the mall. She was shouting and asking for help as someone was kidnapping her child.

Reagan and his colleague called a police and then on advice of the dispatcher, followed the man on foot until the police arrived. After submitting their statements Reagan said they returned to the store around 10 minutes later but the next day he was surprised when his supervisor scolded him for doing the wrong thing.

A month later the company fired him for breaking the companys safety policy, and even though theyve since reversed their decision (possibly in light of media attention), Reagan says he isnt sure if he wants to reclaim his job given the unfair treatment hes received.
Kochi: The tussle between a section of police officials and the transgender community in Kochi flared up further with the cops taking 15 members of the community into custody following a fracas near KSRTC late in the night on Wednesday. The police said members of the transgender community waylaid two youths and robbed them of their money while the community members alleged the youths had attacked them. The police recorded the arrest of six persons in this connection and charged them with dacoity. Members of the transgender community said the police joined hands with anti-socials to assault them and later slapped cases against them.

Navas, connected with Marvel, an organization of transgenders, said the issue took place around 10.30 in the night with a youth trying to snatch the purse of a community member Andriya. Seeing this, others came to her rescue as the person tried to flee from the scene. According to Navas, they called the police after nabbing one of the persons involved in the purse snatching. The police reached the spot after nearly one hour, but took a hostile stance towards the transgender community and sided with the culprit nabbed by them. It is wrong to say that the transgender community committed the robbery, Navas said.

Police said that the accused persons were presented in court which sent them to judicial custody. The arrested were involved in waylaying a youth travelling on a bike on the Rajaji Road. The accused persons assaulted him and robbed him off money, said police. The arrested were identified as Pooja, 20, Thanvi (21), Andriya (21), Radhika (34), Rekha (26) and Ranjini (29). Transgender activists said that they would move for bail on Monday.
20-year-old woman was allegedly gangraped in a car in suburban Charkop in Mumbai on Thursday (Photo: Representational Image)

Mumbai: In a shocking incident, a 20-year-old woman was allegedly gangraped in a car in suburban Charkop in Mumbai on Thursday.

As per the woman's complaint, three men - one of whom was known to her - abducted her from near her house in Charkop at around 7 am, took her to a deserted place in a car and raped her, a senior police official said.

Later they threw her out of the car near a traffic signal and fled, he said.

Police have registered a case of rape and kidnapping but no arrests have been made yet. Further probe is on.
Hyderabad: A 36-year-old housewife from Hyderabad who had been trafficked to Saudi Arabia to work as a nanny for children, is being tortured by her kafil.

The woman, Macha Manjula, sent an SOS to her husband describing the physical abuse she is going through and how she is locked up in a bathroom. Her husband and kids, who are worried about her safety, appealed to the Government for help.

Macha Manjula, wife of Macha Ravi, a borewell mechanic, hails from Kushaiguda. She is the mother of two children, Srujana, 16, and Sravan, 13. She was employed in tailoring at home till she was lured with a job in the Gulf with an attractive salary. She sold her gold jewellery and paid an agent and travelled to Saudi Arabia in June 2016 on a work visa valid for one year.

But after a few days, her kafil started harassing her for more work and kept her without food and basic amenities. In June 2017, when the visa period was nearing completion, she expressed her wish to return home, but the kafil did not agree and threatened to file a theft case against her. However, she demanded that she be sent back home. Angered over this, the kafil doubled the torture. She told her husband that the kafil had branded her with an iron rod. They also snatched her phone.

After this she used to call from a servants mobile, but the Kafil found this out and snatched that mobile too and she is not able to communicate with us now, said Ravi.

In her last call to her family, she described how she was tortured by her kafil and the ill treatment and the physical abuse she is being inflicted . "We dont know how to contact her. If she does not return home, suicide will be the only option left for me and my kids. I appeal to the Telangana Government to help my wife to come back home safely." added Ravi.
Hyderabad: A 33-year-old Nepali citizen, working as a gurkha and involved in house burglaries was detained by Rachakonda police under the PD Act. The Rachakonda commissioner, on Friday, issued orders against the detainee identified as Tek Bahadur alias Rakesh who was involved in seven house burglaries in Neredmet.

According to police, Bahadur is a native of Nepal who moved to India seeking livelihood. He started working as a gurkha in Neredmet. While working he hatched a plan to commit burglaries in locked houses to earn easy money.

He called his associates from Nepal and with their help committed the burglaries. He disposed the stolen property and with the help of his associates, invested the earnings in his hometown in Nepal, Commissioner Mahesh Bhagwat said.

On June 23, he was arrested by Neredmet police and 24 grams of gold, four kg of silver and electronic gadgets, all worth about Rs 1.75 lakh were seized. Keeping in view his history, the PD Act was invoked against him.
According to reports, counter cases have been registered by both the police and the metro workers. (Photo: ANI)

Bengaluru: Namma Metro services resumed after a seven hour disruption due to a protest by the Metrol employees against the arrest of their colleagues, on Thursday.

According to a report on NDTV, the protest was called off after successful negotiations between workers and police.

A scuffle had broken out at 6 in the morning at central college metro station. An argument broke out between a metro worker and a constable, after which the police later arrested a few metro workers.

Post the arrest, other workers started protesting. According to reports, counter cases have been registered by both the police and the metro workers.

Sandita, a regular metro commuter pointed out that when public services are stopped consumers should be informed earlier. "I am getting late for my office because the metro is closed. Also, it's really frustrating as we didn't get any notice on the closing of the metro. And if something like this is happening, we should be informed beforehand," she said.

Another commuter, Abdul Javed said, "I have been waiting for the metro station to open from the past 45 minutes. We didn't even know about any strike, and there was nothing in the newspaper regarding this. It gets difficult when the metro stops working."

According to the reports, two constables have also been taken into custody by the police, regarding the incident. Six employees were also arrested of which four were let off.

Hindi words on signboards at two Bengaluru Metro stations were on Monday masked fearing vandalism at the vicinity. The step was taken even though no official announcement was made for the removal of the language.

The use of Hindi language by the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation (BMRCL) prompted a social media outrage, which quickly turned into an offline protest with pro-Kannada organisations holding a demonstration.
Basirhat (West Bengal): Leaders of BJP, Congress and Communist Party of India (Marxist) were stopped on Friday from entering the violence hit Basirhat.

Barsirhat and Baduria in North 24 Parganas in West Bengal have been witnessing violence since Monday following objectionable post on a social networking site Facebook.

Several shops were torched and houses ransacked in Baduria, Tentulia and Golabari following the clash after which the Centre has imposed Section on Wednesday.

Police arrested BJP leaders Roopa Ganguly and Locket Chatterjee near the Kolkata airport when they insisted on proceeding to Basirhat, around 12 km from violence hit area in Bashirhat.

Congress delegation led by party's state chief, Adhir Ranjan Chaudhary, was also stopped from entering the violence hit area.

CPI(M) MP, Mohammed Salim, who was leading his party delegation to Basirhat in West Bengal on Friday, was stopped 50 kilometers before entering the violence-hit area.

Heavy security forces have been deployed in and around the area.

Mohammad Salim said, "The situation in Basirhat has become critical. The state government could not fulfill its responsibility and hence it has become a riot affected area."

"Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee would have approached to convert the situation into a normal status. But she was too busy in personal quarrel with the governor," he added.

He further said that he expects Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to take some serious steps against the situation and warn people who were involved in the riots.

"Some people are trying to control the situation and bring back the situation to a normal state. We are also trying to provide safety to the common people," he concluded.

Meanwhile, TMC MLA Dipendu Biswas was removed as the in-charge of the area on Friday following the communal violence that sparked on Monday following Facebook post.

On Monday night, the Baduria Police Station was attacked and set ablaze.

The Centre has rushed 400 paramilitary personnel to Baduria to bring the situation under control. The government has also suspended Internet services in the area, so that rumours are not spread.

Four companies of the Border Security Force (BSF) have been deployed at Baduria, Swarupnagar and Degangatame to tame the communal tension.

Meanwhile, the main accused, who allegedly posted objectionable material on Facebook on Sunday, was arrested on Monday morning and remanded to the police custody for four days.

However, this didn't calm down the members of the protesting community and they resorted to violence and torched the home of the accused.

On Tuesday evening, protestors torched police and government vehicles. Superintendent of Police (North 24 Parganas) Bhaskar Mukherjee was also injured when an angry mob attacked him and torched his vehicle.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has appealed the warring groups to maintain peace and communal harmony in the area. She also held the local police responsible for failing to block Facebook in the beginning only.
Premises of former railway Lalu Yadav and his family was carried out by the CBI on Friday (Photo: File)

New Delhi: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Friday raided properties owned by former railway minister Lalu Prasad Yadav and his family in connection with a fresh case of alleged irregularities in awarding tender for maintenance of hotels.

The case has been registered against the then railway minister, his wife Rabri Devi, Bihar Deputy Chief Minister and his son Tejashwi, the then IRCTC MD, PK Goyal, the wife of Yadav's confidante Prem Chand Gupta, Sujata, and others, CBI sources said.

Gupta is a former Union corporate affairs minister.

The sources said the FIR relates to allegations of irregularities in the tender for development, maintenance and operation of BNR Hotels in Ranchi and Puri, awarded to the private Sujata Hotels in 2006.

The BNR Hotels are heritage hotels of the Railways which were taken over by the IRCTC from the public transporter earlier in the 2006.

Searches are being conducted at 12 locations including Delhi, Patna, Ranchi, Puri and Gurgaon on Friday, they said.
Today, things are vastly different. To begin with, general practitioners are disappearing. Most doctors are specialists. Second, even a visit to a doctor for a cough and cold could mean a series of tests that add up to a huge bill.

Hyderabad: Physical examination of a patient is the checkup done by doctors, which is normally preceded by questions about the personal and family history of illnesses and symptoms of the current ailment. But this was in the good old days.

Today, things are vastly different. To begin with, general practitioners are disappearing. Most doctors are specialists. Second, even a visit to a doctor for a cough and cold could mean a series of tests that add up to a huge bill.

With so many ailments that could start from a simple cough and cold, doctors dont want to take a chance. But frustrated patients feel if the doctors would spend more time physically examining them and listening to them, it would be more effective as well comforting for their pockets.

There is still a small but significant league of doctors who feel the same. Dr Hari Kishan, a senior consultant physician, said, Physical examination cuts down on unnecessary costs. It is crucial for the diagnosis of a patient. We ask about history, symptoms and so on before the examination which helps us get a better idea of the illness. Tests are to substantiate what we find. There have been cases of X-rays not being able to diagnose pneumonia as the infected area is small or to the back of the lungs. Similarly to find out lumps, we have to conduct a physical examination.

Patients also believe that a physical examination helps in diagnosis. I have visited the same general physician for many years and he does a checkup starting from my pulse count to placing a stethoscope on my back and asking me to breathe. I might not know what it is for but it shows that the doctor is trying to get to the root of the problem and not just taking fees and assigning expensive tests. I had a stomach infection and the doctor pressed my stomach at various parts to know the infected area, says Savitiri Sunil, a patient. Some doctors claim that physical examination helps in gaining the confidence of patients.

Patients feel at ease when we talk to them and ask them about details of their illness. Medicines alone cannot treat a patient just like tests. In olden times, there were no means of tests and doctors managed with physical examination. Now it has come to a standstill but the advantages of it cannot be discarded. A doctors hands are healing hands and it cannot be ignored for tests that are expensive and prescribed to sustain a hospital, said Dr T. Unnikrishnan, a senior general physician.

Dr Hari Charan, senior general physician, said, The feel of ones pulse rate cannot alone help in diagnosis of heart rates. Inspection mode of examination can reveal a lot. For instance white hair signals age; but it could also signal lack of nutrition or hormonal problems. That is why a physical examination is a must.
New Delhi: A delegation of ex-servicemen, ex-judges, ex-bureaucrats on Friday wrote to Home Minister Rajnath Singh seeking a thorough probe into the Basirhat violence, while holding Trinamool Congress (TMC) responsible for creating communal riots in the region.

In the letter addressed to the Home Minister, the delegation opined that it was a clear conspiracy by the ruling party in the state to create communal riots and to chase out members of the Hindu community.

"It is to terrorise and murder workers and supporters of political parties opposed to the Trinamool Congress," the letter stated.

Highlighting the state government's denial to allow deployment of paramilitary forces when it itself had asked for it earlier, the letter said, "Such a refusal and callous attitude towards the situation can only give rise to the apprehension that the Basirhat mayhem is being perpetrated with the active connivance of the state government."

They also claimed that ultra-radical elements and disruptive elements from across the border are also involved in perpetrating lawlessness in the region.

"Basirhat, the adjoining area, being in the border zone such a situation poses grave threat to our national security," it further read.

The delegation also demanded that the perpetrators of the carnage must be tried in the court of law and be asked to compensate the affected people.

Earlier today, TMC MLA Deependu Biswas was removed as the in-charge of the Basirhat area.

Heavy security forces have been deployed in and around the area in the wake communal violence that broke out in Baduria and Basirhat areas of North 24 Parganas district over a Facebook post last week.

Earlier, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had appealed the warring groups to maintain peace and communal harmony in the area.
Protestors took to the street of Darjeeling in demand of a separate Gorkhaland. (Photo: Twitter | ANI)

Darjeeling (WB): Rallies and protest marches were taken out in various parts of Darjeeling on Friday in support of their demand for a separate state of Gorkhaland.

All parties of Darjeeling hills on Thursday decided to continue with the indefinite shutdown, which entered its 23nd day on Friday.

GJM General Secretary Roshan Giri said, "We will inform the Centre of the police atrocities and seek Centre's intervention."

As part of the protests, activists of political parties, dressed in traditional Nepali attire, took out various rallies.

The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha plans to take out a rally from Darjeeling station to Singhmari area via Chowkbazar to demand withdrawal of forces from the hills and restoration of Internet services, which have been snapped since June 18.

A 6-hour-long meeting on Thursday had witnessed an intense debate on whether to continue the bandh, which started on June 15 for a separate Gorkhaland state, before deciding to carry on with it.

With food supply severely hit due to the ongoing shutdown, GJM activists and NGOs of the hills were seen distributing food items among the people.

Except medicine shops, all the shops, schools, colleges remained closed.

The police and security forces are patrolling the streets and keeping a vigil at the entry and exit routes.
Lalu Yadav, allegedly, as railway minister handed over the maintenance of two railway hotels to a company after receiving a bribe. (Photo: PTI)

Patna/New Delhi: Hours after his houses were raided by Central Bureau of Investigation and a criminal conspiracy case was filed against him on Friday, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) Lalu Prasad Yadav has claimed action against him to be a result of political vendetta.

Speaking to media, They want me to bow down to the RSS and BJP. They want me to surrender. I will not break down by what the BJP is doing. It is being done to defame me. They want to isolate all parties and want to rule. This is a political vendetta against me and my family.

On the other hand, Union minister M Venkaiah Naidu has responded to the allegations saying that the government and BJP have nothing to do with the raids.

The information and broadcasting minister said the CBI was doing its duty and acting in accordance with the mandate given to it by law.

"What is political vendetta? Where is BJP in this? I am not able to understand. Do you mean to say that anybody against whom any charge is there, it should not be inquired into at all?" Naidu asked.

"CBI is doing its duty and it is allowed to do so. Earlier it was not allowed... after our government came there is no interference and that is why CBI is free and acting as per the mandate given to it...," he told reporters.

The raids against the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader and his family started at 7 am on Friday and were conducted at 12 locations in Patna, Ranchi, Bhubaneswar and Gurugram after the investigating agency registered a corruption case.

It is alleged that Yadav as railway minister handed over the maintenance of two railway hotels to a company after receiving a bribe in the form of prime land of three acres through a benami company.
Hyderabad: The city of Hyderabad is crying out for more shelter homes for the homeless.

George, who runs the Good Samaritan NGO in the city, said the government needs to build more shelter homes in the city.

George has three shelter homes in the city, where 150 homeless live.

Talking to ANI, George said there are 45 very old persons aged above 70 who are being taken care at Good Samaritan's destitute home for the sick and elderly. They abandoned by their families.

George also said there is a need for the city administration to promote awareness about these shelter homes so that the poor, the aged and destitute don't suffer.

Even police officials sometimes get these abandoned people to private homes and NGOs like ours, which in itself should inspire the government to create more shelters.

Sunil was one amongst the abandoned who was brought to Good Samaritan home. He has recovered now and is helping the shelter home by serving the elderly. He also goes on rescue operations.

He said, "I help them with medicines and clean them. I'm always at the shelter home."
Hyderabad: A few city schools have banned the fidget tri-spinner toys after they found a number of students bringing it to school and playing during break time.

The school managements assumed that it would turn into an obsession and banned them. This follows other toys including the Rub-iks cube.

The fidget spinners are popular, and are available for sale at toy stores, online and even at several crossroads.

The vice-principal of a school that banned the toy said, It is becoming a distraction in class. Several children are bringing them to schools. Even in the West, some schools have banned the toy. It diverts the attention of the kid and will not allow them to focus in class.

The fidget spinner is a three-pronged, palm-sized piece of plastic or metal which spins aro-und a central weighted disc. It is said to be the modern version of the old spinning top.

Children try to do various tricks with it including balancing them on top of fingers, toes or even the nose. There are fears that spinning the toy constantly, usually with the ring finger, could cause harm.

Psychologist Rama Devi said fidget spinners could be used as a tool as they were proven to be helpful in behaviour management. Probably schools should allow the toy for special children for a purpose. But it is impossible to say if the toy can really help children with cognitive impairment, she said.
New Delhi: India has expressed concerns after North Korea conducted its first successful test of a long-range intercontinental ballistic missile Hwasong-14 under the supervision of Kim Jong-un and has said that such an action adversely impacts India's national security and undermine international peace and stability.

"The DPRK's continued pursuit of nuclear and ballistic missile programmes and its proliferation links pose a grave threat to international peace and stability. They have also adversely impacted India's national security," a statement from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.

The statement further said, "India calls upon the DPRK to refrain from such actions that undermine international peace and stability. We also urge the international community to work together to hold accountable all those parties that have supported these programmes."

Earlier, US President Donald Trump also called on all nations to confront the 'global threat' of North Korea and pledged that Pyongyang would face repercussions over its recent ballistic missile launch.

President Trump said all nations must publically demonstrate that there are consequences for North Korea's 'very very bad behaviour.'

"It's a shame they're behaving this way -- they're behaving in a very, very dangerous manner and something will have to be done about it," Trump said.

Meanwhile, North Korea has claimed that its long-range intercontinental ballistic missile can "reach anywhere in the world."

An Intercontinental Ballistic Missile reached a height of 2,802 kilometres (1741 miles), according to state broadcaster Korea Central Television (KCTV). That's the highest ever altitude reached by a North Korean missile, and puts the US on notice that Pyongyang could potentially hit the US mainland.
Hyderabad: India has the second highest number of phone users in the world, but it does not feature in the Top 40 countries ranked on smartphone usage.

This statistic is reflected in the trends in mobile ransomware attacks witnessed across the globe over the past two years.

India does not seem to be on the radar of mobile ransomware hackers. Based on a study conducted by researchers at the Kaspersky Lab, scammers are trying to extort money from smartphone users in developed countries.

As many as 1.3 lakh smartphone users fell victim to mobile ransomware attacks in 2016-17, and 1.36 lakh the previous year. In 2016-17, 18.65 per cent of the victims were from the USA, which is at the top of the list of countries affected by the attack. Other countries that made it to the top five were Canada, Germany, the United Kingdom and Italy. The same countries, except for Italy, were in the top five countries hit by mobile attacks in 2015-16 as well, with Germany at the top.

An explanation for this trend could be that developed countries have higher income levels and advanced e-payment infrastructures that are frequently used.

This offers criminals the opportunity to transfer amounts with just a couple of clicks.

Cyber security experts say that in India, mobile banking and e-payments are not very common. Only a small urban population avails of these services.

Mr G. Srinivas Reddy, an expert in cyber security, says, The number of smartphone users in India is low as compared to other nations, and mobile banking is yet to pick up in the country. Banks are trying to attract customers with offers and discounts. They are also prioritising the improvement of security through the use of one-time passwords (OTPs) and cutting down on the number of breaches by external sources.

Smartphone users are, advised to exercise caution while downloading appsthey are not familiar with because scammers often seek access to data through such apps.

Attacks on Indian devices down by 10%

India was among the three countries affected by the recent Wannacry ransomeware, where cyberattackers infect devices, block access to information on computers and demand e-currency, mostly bitcoins, to decrypt the files.

Russia-based Kasper-sky Lab, a noted cyber security firm, stated that around 7.06 per cent users from India were subject to ransomware attacks. The good news is that the number of attacks are down by about 10 per cent between 2015-16 and 2016-17.

During the same time, ransomware attacks have increased by 208 per cent in Turkey, 200 per cent in China and 130 per cent in Spain.

According to Mr Gur-ram Srinivas Reddy, cyber security expert and guest faculty at JNTU Engineering College at Kukatpally, neither institutions nor individuals are fully equipped to fight ransomware.

Hence, users in the country are seen as soft targets, he said.

He said awareness on cyber security was increasing, with focus being laid on making systems secure and foolproof. Earlier users were not that attentive while checking non-standard sites or opening unknown links. There was no hesitation in making purchases on vulnerable or non-standard sites, he said.

In the past month, cyber users have experienced two major ransomware attacks WannaCry and Petya.

WannaCry attacked users in more than 150 countries; the largest number of attacks are said to have occurred in Russia, Ukraine and India.a
ISIS claimed that the four men were killed while fighting for the group in Afghanistan. (Photo: AFP/Representational)

Thiruvananthapuram: The Islamic State group, also known as ISIS, has released a video of five young men, claiming that they were killed in Afghanistan while fighting for it. Four of the five youth were from Kerala.

According to reports, intelligence agencies have verified the authenticity of the video. Police have identified photos of Muhammad Murshid, Hafeesudeen, Yahya and Shajeer Abdulla Mangalassery.

The two-and-a-half minute video was posted on a group named Kerala Xposed on Telegram app.

A message in the video read, according to NDTV, "Those who are martyred in the name of Allah, shouldn't be considered as dead. In reality, they are alive with their lord. They will get their share of life abundantly (Sura 3: Aya 169)".

The four young men were among the 21 youth from Kerala, who belonged to Christian and Hindu families, joined ISIS in Afghanistan last year.

In February this year, another among the 21 youth was killed in a drone strike in Afghanistan.
Hyderabad: The police on Thursday took political activists into preventive custody before they planned to meet Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao seeking lifting of curbs on Dharna Chowk at Indira Park.

Representatives of the Dharna Chowk Protection Committee constituted by 10 parties including the CPM and the CPI wanted to meet Mr Rao but did not have an appointment.

The police who have gathered at Makdhoom Bhavan, venue of the meeting, took CPM secretary T. Veerabha-dram, AAP leader Prof. P.L. Visweswara Rao and others into preventive custody. CPI secretary C. Venkat Reddy escaped.

Committee representatives later said they would take the to the notice of the Centre by staging a dharna at Jantar Mantar on August 22 to protest the autocratic rule that was not allowing democratic protest.
New Delhi: The Congress on Friday hit out at the Central government over its "indifference" towards Chinese incursions with Vice President Rahul Gandhi questioning Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "silence" on the issue.

The Modi government's foreign policy is defined by "the prime minister's search for holiday destinations and photo opportunities" instead of serving India's interests, the Congress said in an article on its website.

"His (Modi's) foreign policy is defined by 'hyperbole and empty rhetoric'. He believes, falsely, that talking tough in election rallies is the same as being tough on China on the diplomatic front," it said.

Meanwhile, Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi said on Twitter, "Why is our Prime Minister silent on China?"

During the 10 years of the UPA government, the party said, former prime minister Manmohan Singh had ensured that India balanced its relations with all major world powers.

"We ensured that any transgression on the part of China was deftly handled and the UPA understood the nature of global politics and diplomacy," the article stated.

Realising that Modi was a "master bluster rather than a man of action", China, through its government-controlled media made open threats to India and talked of teaching us a "bitter lesson", it said.

"What has surprised and shocked the nation is the meek response of the Modi government. This is the same Narendra Modi whose spin doctors said that he would show 'red eyes' to China, and they would go running back. The only 'red' we have seen is the aggression of China," the article said.

The Congress also stated that in the face of these provocative statements by China, "Home Minister Rajnath Singh merely said that Chinese intrusions were about perception."

"Perception? Tell that to our brave jawans who had to resist the Chinese aggression," the party said.

In the last 45 days, there have been nearly 120 Chinese incursions, it added.

Indian bunkers have been destroyed and Chinese warships and submarines reportedly spotted in the Indian Ocean, the Congress said.

"China recently halted the passage of religious pilgrims of the Mansarovar Yatra and posted pictures of the destroyed bunkers. In June, 2017, two Chinese Army choppers also violated the Indian air space in Uttarakhand," the article said further.

Hailing the foreign policies of the UPA government, the Congress said realising the potential threats to India's territorial integrity, "the UPA had approved a Mountain Strike Corps, which would enhance the Indian Army's capability by adding 90,000 personnel."

The Opposition party also alleged that since the Modi government came to power, there had been a "squeeze on release of funds and thus a shortfall in ammunition and equipment for units already raised".

"If indeed India's economy is booming, according to the BJP, why are the funds to defend India not being spent," the party questioned.
Curbs on the assembly of people under Section 144 CrPc have been imposed in Pulwama and Shopian districts in south Kashmir and in Baramulla district in north (Photo: File | PTI)

Srinagar: Authorities on Friday imposed restrictions in parts of Kashmir to maintain law and order as the Valley braces for the first death anniversary of Hizbul Mujahideen 'commander' Burhan Wani on Saturday.

Restrictions have been imposed in many parts of the Valley to maintain law and order, officials said.

In Srinagar, restrictions have been imposed on movement of people in five police station areas, the officials said.

They said the curbs have been imposed in the police station areas of Nowhatta, M R Gunj, Rainawari, Khanyar and Safakadal.

The officials said similar restrictions have been imposed in Anantnag town in south Kashmir.

Curbs on the assembly of people under Section 144 CrPc have been imposed in Pulwama and Shopian districts in south Kashmir and in Baramulla district in north, they said.

The officials said the restrictions in these areas have been imposed as a precautionary measure to avoid any untoward incident.

They however, said life was going on normally in the rest of the valley.

Security forces have been deployed in strength at sensitive places across the Valley to thwart any protests, the officials said.

Wani's killing in an encounter with security forces on July 8 last year, triggered massive protests and prolonged period of curfews and shutdowns across the Valley.

As many as 85 persons were killed and thousands others were injured in daily clashes between security forces and protestors for a period of over four months.

Security has been beefed up in the Valley, especially in south Kashmir districts.

Police and other security forces have intensified area domination to prevent assembly of people at Wani's ancestral village in Tral area.

Separatist groups have called for a strike on Saturday.
Chennai: The Supreme Court on Thursday asked the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) to file a report within six months time, regarding Tamil Nadu government's plea, which stated that Karnataka is polluting Cauvery river water.

Beside this issue, the two states are having a tussle over the control of the Cauvery water as well.

The Tamil Nadu government earlier mentioned before the apex court that Karnataka has yet to give 5.966 TMC of water to it.

On March 21, the court directed the Karnataka government to supply 2000 cusecs of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu every day.

An apex court bench headed by Justice Dipak Misra had earlier directed Karnataka to provide 200 cusecs of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu till its further order.

The top court had earlier in January 2017 dismissed the plea seeking compensation from both Karnataka and Tamil Nadu for the loss of property during the Cauvery water related dispute between both states.

Earlier on January 9, the Tamil Nadu government sought a compensation of Rs. 2,480 crores from Karnataka for not releasing water to the state despite getting the Supreme Court directive to do so.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday stayed the Uttarakhand High Court order declaring river Ganga and Yamuna as a juristic person and as a living entity.

This comes after the Uttarakhand government moved the Supreme Court challenging the High Court order granting rivers Ganga, Yamuna and their tributaries the status of living human entities.

The plea asked that in case of human casualties in a flood, can the affected people file suit for damages against the Chief Secretary of the State, and also if the State Government would be liable to bear such financial burden.

The Uttarakhand High Court had made the landmark judgement on March 20th.

Giving the "legal status" of living humans to the holy rivers, the court ordered that the Director, Namami Gange project for cleaning and rejuvenating the river, the Chief Secretary and the Advocate General of Uttarakhand will act as the "legal parents" of the holy rivers and work as a the human face to protect, conserve and preserve them and their tributaries.
Hyderabad: The State Consumer Forum ordered a compensation of Rs 1.15 lakh from Indigo Airlines for losing baggage worth Rs 2 lakh. Complainants, Sajjan Dabriwala and Saritha Dabirwala, residents of Banjara Hills, had travelled from Kolkata to Hyderabad in July 2012, after a wedding. At checkout, they found that one of their bags weighing 27 kg was missing.

Upon noticing the loss, the couple approached the airline and filed a property irregularity report the same day. But the airlines failed to respond to their complaint. The couple tried to get in touch with them several times, including sending them three emails. When that too failed to elicit a response, a police complaint was lodged.

The airline company responded saying that the luggage was not loaded from Kolkata and couldnt be located in the CCTV footage either. They agreed that the information about loss of luggage was informed to the airport at Hyderabad.

They offered a compensation of Rs 3,000, stating that was the maximum mandated compensation as per the Condition of Carriage, which all passengers enter into while booking a flight. But the complainants refused the paltry sum and approached the consumer forum.

The forum in its verdict, observed that it was inefficiency on the part of the airlines to have misplaced the luggage when it was confirmed that it had been loaded from Kolkata. They said the compensation of Rs 3,000 was too meagre, and noted that apart from showing the terms and conditions of Conditions of Carriage, no evidence was brought on record to relocate the luggage. They reiterated that failure to secure luggage was purely deficiency and negligence of the airline.
BMRCL employees were demanding the release of two of their officials arrested on Thursday when they got into a scuffle with Karnataka State Industrial Security Force (KSISF) personnel deployed at a station here.

Bengaluru: All hell broke loose on Friday morning when Namma Metro services were withdrawn without any prior intimation, putting lakhs of commuters through a harrowing experience. Both East-West and North-South corridors, stretching up to 42 km, were shut because of a tussle between the Metro staff and Karnataka State Industrial Security Force personnel on Thursday.

Metro services were shut at all the terminals from 5.45 am, indicating that it was a pre-planned agitation and not a flash strike. Metro train services resumed only around 11.45 am after a gap of six hours after the intervention of BMRCL Managing Director Pradeep Singh Kharola, MLA N.A. Haris and additional commissioner of police, Bengaluru East, Hemant Nimbalkar. As if the strike was not enough, employees of Namma Metro blocked Old Madras Road at Byappanahalli Metro station demanding the release of arrested Metro staff.

As the Metro services were withdrawn, lakhs of commuters took out their private vehicles, creating traffic jams throughout the city.

Mr Kharola said that the police are investigating the reasons behind the scuffle. We will wait for the police to submit the report. At this juncture, I dont want to take action on any staff members and interfere with the police investigation, he said.
There's a framed display case of military medals resting atop a cabinet in Albany City Manager Peter Troedsson's new office. It's not yet mounted on the wall, and it's the only decoration in the office.

Troedsson earned them all during his 30-year career as a Coast Guard officer, where he flew helicopters and served in leadership roles. He spent the past three and a half years in Bothell, Washington, serving as deputy city manager. He's settling in now in a new state, with a new job.

"I very much feel like the new guy coming in," said Troedsson, who on June 26 took over for the now-retired Wes Hare.

Troedsson uses the expression "drinking from a fire hose," when describing how he's processing his new location and his new role, but his military training quickly comes out when he describes Hare as a leader and marvels at the efficiency with which Hare's retirement party was managed, suggesting it's an indicator of how well the city is run.

"I was impressed with how smoothly it went," he said, "even down to how quickly they set it up and broke it down and had it all cleaned up."

Such notions of things being ship-shape when embracing a new adventure may seem to come from his time in the Coast Guard, but in fact Troedsson was seeking adventure even before his previous career. As an undergraduate at the University of California-Los Angeles in the early 1980's he sailed from Long Beach, California, to Hawaii as a crew member in the storied Trans-Pacific, or Transpac race, aboard a 40-foot boat named Ariel. On that trip, the steering failed while they were roaring downwind at nearly 20 knots, rolling the boat and burying the spinnaker pole.

"That was as scared as I've ever been in my life," he said.

He and his crewmates had to assemble the emergency tiller, which broke, and then limped into Waikiki with a makeshift tiller made from a metal pole.

"But it was fun!" says Troedsson, recalling the adventure as any sailor would. "We made it to Hawaii in 12 days, but it should have taken us 10."

Troedsson said back in those days, a career as a city manager was not on the table.

"As an undergrad I had to take a public administration class and I thought it was the most boring stuff in the world," he said, explaining that ever since he was 10 he wanted to be a Coast Guard officer. Along the way he earned two master's degrees, one in public administration no less, and toward the end of his military career he became fascinated with city government.

Troedsson has two grown children, Erik, 30, a computer consultant in Tokyo, and Katie, 26, a model and a designer for Adidas living in Portland.

"She's dating the world beard and mustache champion," he says with amused pride.

His fiancee, Julie Flues, helps run the Maritime Museum in Astoria. He said she's happy they're both in the same time zone. And now that he's settling in here, he's hoping to sell his previous address, an Islander 38 sailboat on which he lived in Everett before coming to Albany.

"Some people asked me if I'd want to put it on the Willamette," he said, showing photos of the boat. But instead, he plans to sell the boat, and dial in to his next adventure.

"There will always be issues and trouble with local government," he said.
Hyderabad: The Hyderabad High Court on Friday stayed the results of the State Eligibility Test (SET) 2017 to recruit and promote lecturers and assistant professors in degree colleges and universities.

Justice M.S. Ramachandra Rao was admitting a petition by research scholar Elchala Dathatri challenging alleged modification of the eligibility criteria after conducting the test.

Mr B. Ramesh, counsel for the petitioner, told the court that Osmania University had issued notification on March 20 and conducted the test on June 6. On June 29, it issued a notification modifying the eligibility criteria.

He said that as per the original criteria, the university was to select 15 per cent of candidates under reserved categories who had cleared Step 1 with minimum marks in three papers separately. General category candidates were to obtain 40 per cent marks in Paper I and Paper II and 50 per cent marks in Paper III (English) to qualify.

He said that as per the modified criteria, the respondents had to select 6 per cent of the overall candidates who appeared for the exam.

The requirement of clearing Step 1 was dropped. He said that the criteria announced in the notification on March 20 had given all 29 subjects equal importance.

He urged the court to declare the action of the respondent authorities as illegal and in violation of Articles 14, 16, 19(g), 21 and 300A of the Constitution and direct the university to declare the final results as per the old criteria.

Granting the interim order, the judge said that altering the eligibility criteria amounted to changing rules of game after it was started. The judge said this was not permissible in view of a Supreme Court order.

The judge directed the university not to declare the results till further orders. The judge adjourned the case by directing respondent concerned to file their counter affidavits.
New Delhi: Consumer affairs minister Ram Vilas Paswan on Friday warned of a fine of up to Rs 1 lakh and a jail term if post-GST rates are not printed on the inventory in the interest of consumers.

The government on Friday said that it is mandatory to print the revised MRP on the inventory, else stringent action will be taken for violation of the Packaged Commodities Rules.

Non-compliance of this will attract a fine of Rs 25,000 for first-time offence, Rs 50,000 for second-time and up to Rs 1 lakh penalty for third offence onwards and even imprisonment of up to one year. We have told companies to reprint revised rates on unsold goods. Stickers of new MRP should be pasted so that consumers are aware of the change in rates after the GST, Mr Paswan said.

Earlier this week, the Centre allowed companies stuck with unsold inventories manufactured before July 1 to change their MRP by pasting stickers.

This has been allowed only for three months. The manufacturers can revise the prices depending upon whether tax on these products has risen or decreased post-GST.
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday urged MPs from Kerala to exert pressure on the Centre to protect the interests of consumers in the wake of post GST price hike of commodities. The chief minister was inaugurating a meeting of MPs from Kerala ahead of the monsoon session of Parliament. Pinarayi asked the Centre to set up state-level monitoring cells. The state government has intervened to check price rise post-GST and also put in place a system to receive complaints from the public, he said and urged the Centre to publish the existing tax rates and the previous tax rates.

He pointed out that the tax in non AC restaurants was 12 per cent which needed to be reduced. Besides, tax on traditional ayurveda medicines should be reduced to 5 per cent. He said the tourism industry would face serious consequences if the Centre failed to reduce the tax on house boats.

Rein in airline operators

Pinaryai Vijayan said that he was planning to meet Prime Minister in August to demand an end to the practice of increasing airfare during festival season. The state government had convened a meeting of airline operators to discuss the air fare issue which was also attended by senior officials of aviation. However, most airlines jacked up fares during Ramzan season. The chief minister said Centres move to privatise public sector companies in the state would be opposed. Hindustan News Print, Hindustan Organic Chemicals Ltd, HLL Life Care were on the list for privatisation or closure. "Our MPs should raise their voice against Centre's move," he said.
HYDERABAD: For the first time, the University of Hyderabad is asking new students to sign an affidavit when they take admission to the University that lays down certain dos and donts. The affidavit they sign requires students not to get involved in any kind of protest or even criticise university policies on social media. If students fail to abide by these rules, the university can take disciplinary action against them, which could even amount to cancelling the admission.

I will not misuse or misrepresent the name of the university through social media, the affidavit reads. Students are also not allowed to invite the media without written permission from the designated University authorities. Student leaders of UoH say the affidavit is unacceptable and completely against the fundamental rights of students and freedom of expression.

Student leaders say the affidavit is unacceptable and is against the fundamental rights since it denies them the right to protest on campus. It also violates UGC's Students Minimum Entit-lement guidelines, 2013. K.S. Roy Chowdary, vice-president of the Students Federation of India, said, The university wants to control students with these new rules and regulations. If students sign such affidavits, legal cases can be booked ag-ainst them, which will affect the student community."

K.P. Manojan, who is studying human rights at UoH, said that the university wants to mould the newcomers so that they will not be able to participate in protests.' T. Sriranga Rao who practices in the High Court, said that if students sign the affidavit they have to follow it at any cost. These kinds of rules are against the Constitution as they violate freedom of expression and speech. It is not good of the University to do this, but students should not create a nuisance; protests should always be within limits.
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Technology has come to the forefront in crime investigation today. The mobile phones provide vital clues about the perpetrators. But till a few years ago, the modes of investigations were different. The police would collect witness statements, analyse possible motives, verify call details of nearby public telephone booths and get information from bus stands and railway stations. But the advent of mobile phones has changed the scenario. The police now verify the call records of victims or suspects and analyse the calls connected through the phone towers near the crime spot. This was how the police cracked the Paul Muthoot George murder and Jisha murder cases.

However, in well-planned crimes mobile phones could be used by the culprits to mislead the investigation and claim alibi. Hence, the police have to scientifically analyse the mobile phone data, which could take weeks or months, and collect corroborative evidence. The state police have mobile forensic lab equipped with mobile forensic tool for call data records analysis. In the Jisha murder case, an in-depth analysis of mobile phone call details from nearby mobile phone towers helped the police zero in on the accused. About 25 lakh mobile calls were analysed with various parameters. Finally it was found that one mobile phone that was being used in the locality frequently had stopped the calls after the murder.

The mobile phone has made it easier for the police to get leads in crimes that leave no eyewitness. But the crucial part is the analysis of the call details from among thousands of details. Hence, the intelligence of the investigators is very crucial, said former state police chief Jacob Punnose. The Paul Muthoot George murder was not pre-planned, but it followed a road rage. Hence, the information from mobile phone towers helped track the culprits, said a police officer who was part of the investigation. According to noted cyber crime investigator Dhanya Menon, the intuition and experience of investigating officers are vital in picking up crucial evidence from lakhs of call detail records.

The forensic experts are being given vital inputs for analysis by the investigators, she said. Mobile phones are sometimes used to mislead the probes. In the hand-chopping case of Thodupuzha Newman College professor T.J. Joseph, the culprits used a phone and connection taken using fake identity during the execution of the crime. Even then the police cracked the gang. The mobile phone connections taken using fake identity cards are used for crimes occasionally. Stringent measures need to be initiated to prevent such instances, said Mr Punnoose.

The evidence for the motive is important to establish a crime before a court of law. Phone call records are not enough to prove the conspiracies. Just because a communication took place between two mobile phones, it cannot be established that it was between the owners of those two phones. To establish that, there should be sufficient corroborative evidence, said a senior police officer. A probe into the larger conspiracy behind the murder of RMP leader T.P. Chandrasekharan also reportedly led to some CPM top leaders on the basis of call detail records. But the investigation got stalled midway.

The duration of mobile forensic analysis in a case would depend upon the level of information required by the police. If only basic details like location of a mobile phone is required, it could be done in no time. In case an in-depth analysis of lakhs of calls is required, it may extend up to an year, said Dhanya. In the ongoing probe into the actor abduction and rape case, the police got vital leads from mobile phone calls. There were unconfirmed reports that in an undercover operation, the police facilitated the use of mobile phone by the accused Sunil Kumar alias Pulsar Suni in the prison cell to extract more information on the conspiracy.

How the police cracked them

Jisha murder case: Accused was traced following in-depth analysis of about 25 lakh mobile phone call details from nearby mobile towers, known as the tower dump.

Paul Muthoot murder case: With no record on pre-planning for the murder or previous rivalry between the victim and the accused, the police got vital leads through analysis of call details of mobile phone towers in the locality.

Bar bribery case against K. M. Mani: Though the vigilance investigating officer concluded that there were evidences on bar owners handing over bribe to former Finance Minister K. M. Mani, vigilance higher-up disproved it through in-depth analysis of mobile phone locations of those allegedly involved in the deal.

Hand-chopping case: The gang that chopped the hand of Thodupuzha Newman College professor T. J. Joseph used a new mobile phone bought using a fake identity card before executing the crime. But the police could unfold the operation.

TPC murder conspiracy: A probe into the larger conspiracy behind the murder of RMP leader T. P. Chandrasekharan reportedly led to some CPM leaders on the basis of their call records. Since the call records were old past a year by the time the investigation was initiated, those need to be certified by the centre for authenticity. The probe got stalled at that stage.
Congress VP Rahul Gandhi hinted that action would be taken against leaders issuing statements against Nitish Kumar. (Photo: PTI)

Patna: Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi is understood to have warned his party leaders of action not to continue to target Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, to smooth ruffled feathers of the crucial ally.

The JD(U), of which Nitish Kumar is the president, reciprocated by hinting that it would go with the Opposition in the upcoming vice-presidential election.

Media reports said Gandhi intervened in favour of Nitish Kumar and instructed party leaders not to criticise the Bihar chief minister.

Bihar Congress president Ashok Choudhary confirmed to PTI that he had a meeting with Rahul Gandhi earlier this week in Delhi but refused to divulge what transpired there.

The reports said that Rahul Gandhi, during his meeting with Choudhary, hinted that action would be taken against leaders issuing statements against Nitish Kumar.

Rahul Gandhi was absent when the Congress-JD(U) spat broke out.

The sparring began after senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad attacked Nitish Kumar for breaking ranks with the opposition and supporting NDA's pick Ram Nath Kovind for the July 17 presidential poll.

He had alleged that Nitish Kumar wanted to ensure the defeat of 'Bihar ki Beti' Meira Kumar, who is the opposition's candidate for the poll.

People having one ideology take one decision while those with many ideologies take different decisions, Azad had said, apparently referring to JD (U)'s long association with the BJP.

Some state leaders of the Congress subsequently attacked Nitish Kumar, who returned the fire by questioning Congress's shift from the ideologies of Mahatama Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru.

The JD(U) chief made it clear that his party was no "pichlagoo" (camp follower) of any party.

The war of words between the JD(U) and the Congress threatened the Grand Alliance government in Bihar, which includes the Congress and the RJD of Lalu Prasad.

Nitish Kumar's bonding with Rahul Gandhi is well known in political circles.

It is also known that it was at Rahul Gandhi's intervention that the Congress had put pressure on Lalu Prasad to announce Nitish Kumar as the chief ministerial candidate on the eve of the 2015 Bihar Assembly poll.

The patch up between the two parties seems to have come at the right time as the combined opposition presidential candidate Meira Kumar is arriving in Bihar on Thursday on a three-day visit.

She is scheduled to meet Congress and RJD legislators and parliamentarians. However, no meeting with chief minister Nitish Kumar has been fixed.

Reacting positively to the Congress gesture, JD(U) has hinted that it could side with the opposition in the August vice-presidential poll.

"If our party is invited to participate in a meeting of the opposition to discuss the issue of vice-presidential election, we will certainly attend," JD(U) national spokesman KC Tyagi told PTI over the phone.

JD(U) would support the united opposition's candidate in the vice-president election, provided it is invited and consulted, he said.

Asked who would represent JD(U) in the proposed opposition's meeting, Tyagi said that it would be decided by Kumar and senior party leader Sharad Yadav.

Choudhary, who is also the education minister in the Nitish Kumar-led government, told PTI, "We expect JD(U) would be with us in the vice-presidential poll."
Patna: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Friday questioned Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav's wife and former Bihar chief minister Rabri Devi and his son and Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejaswi Yadav in Patna.

The CBI, earlier in the day, registered a corruption case against Lalu, Rabri Devi and Tejaswi Yadav, former Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) Managing Director PK Goyal and the wife of Lalu's confidante Prem Chand Gupta, Sujata, on allegations of awarding the tender for development, maintenance and operation of hotels in Ranchi and Puri in 2006.

The case was registered on the allegations of awarding the tender for development, maintenance and operation of Hotels at Ranchi and Puri to a private company dealing with hotels in the year 2006.

The investigative agency also conducted searches at 12 locations across Patna, Delhi, Gurgaon and other places in connection with a case linked to a hotel maintenance contract awarded by Lalu Yadav when he was the Railway Minister in 2006.

These raids have comes weeks after the Income Tax department searched locations in New Delhi and adjoining areas in regard with corruption charges against Yadav's daughter Misa Bharti and her husband Shailesh Kumar.

The RJD chief, however, brushed aside the allegation and tore into the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), saying that it was a political conspiracy against him.

Meanwhile, Bihar Additional Director General of Police SK Singhal said an alert has been issued across the state to prevent any possible political ramification amid the CBI raid on RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav.

He further said that police is also patrolling in some of the sensitive areas to prevent any untoward incidents.

The alert was issued from the Bihar Police headquarters to all police posts cautioning them of possible protests and retaliation from RJD supporters across the state.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar called senior officials for a meeting in Nalanda's Rajgir, amid the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) raids against Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav.

The chief minister called Chief Secretary Anjani Kumar Singh, Principal Secretary (Home) Amir Subhani and Director General of Police (DGP) PK Thakur.
Srinagar: An advisory has been issued by the Jammu and Kashmir Police, according to which a few people with fake accounts are operating on the social media and extracting important strategic information.

A person has even been detained by the police during investigation, although no information has been revealed about him.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) J&K Police Sunil Gupta, while talking to the media said they have received some information that the civilians are lured on the pretext of getting a job in the Army and important information is extracted out in the process.

"The social media sites and apps like Facebook and WhatsApp are being misused where fake ids and profiles are created. These fake ids create groups and pose themselves as faujis, and BSF and CRPF personnel," said Gupta.

"The youngsters added in the group think that they are added in an Army or the police group and in excitement, share information about strategic locations and important locations of the force unknowingly," he added.

He also stated that pictures of Army forces, police and girls are used to make a profile and thereby, has requested the youngsters, using social media to be aware of them.

"I would like the people who befriend strangers on the social media, especially those who lure them in the context of the recruitment in the army to be very careful," he added.

Gupta further revealed that there is no particular group involved in this and that they have just heard that profiles have been created by people from Pakistan.

He also added that the man detained by the police is under investigation and nothing more can be revealed by them, regarding this.

"We are investigating and have talked to a lot of people but have only detained one person," he said.

Gupta added that as they have just detained the man yesterday it will take time to check his whether his intention was criminal or not.

However, he revealed that there are people from India who are involved as well.

"They are asking about deployment, strategic plans, as people living in an area know about the deployment of a particular force, they are contacted by unknown people to extract this information," he said.

Meanwhile, the issued advisory says that "Facebook accounts of girls are created, who befriend innocent youth and ask for details like OTP, and/or create fake accounts of security personnel and offer help for job and in return try of extract vital information related to security forces."

An FIR has been filed for the same at Akhnoor in Jammu.

Earlier on June 6, mobile internet services were suspended in Kashmir, which were later restored.

The Jammu and Kashmir police also recently gave a statement saying that social media is manipulating the youth of Kashmir.
Madurai: Union minister Pon Radhakrishnan on Friday sought a high-level probe into the alleged payment of bribes to a Tamil Nadu minister and top officials to facilitate the sale of banned 'gutkha' in the state.

Action should be taken against all those who are involved in the scam, he told reporters in Madurai.

A media report in June had claimed the Income Tax Department searched the premises of a gutkha manufacturer last year and had seized documents detailing alleged payment of bribes to senior government officials and a minister.

The IT officials had also sought the response of the state government.

The issue was sought to be raised by opposition DMK in the ongoing assembly session, but the speaker had disallowed it saying media reports cannot be discussed.

On continuing arrests of Indian fishermen by Sri Lankan Navy, Minister of State (Road Transport, Highways and Shipping) Radhakrishnan said he was confident the problem would be resolved in coming years.

Stating that no fishermen was deliberately crossing the international maritime boundary line, he asked the Sri Lankan government to treat them in a humane manner.

"It is not acceptable to punish fishermen severely for crossing the border or levying fine on them. There are times when Sri Lankan fishermen also entered Indian waters," he said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had drawn up a plan which would permanently solve the dispute over fishing in the Palk Strait, he added.

On the tussle between Puducherry Lt Governor Kiran Bedi and the elected government on various issues, the Union minister said "she only wanted to work for a corruption-free administration in the Union Territory."

But for the intervention of the Lt Governor in the medical admissions issue, the (government quota) seats reserved for 71 students would have been 'sold,' he said.

He also said the people in Tamil Nadu were 'dissatisfied' with 50 years of rule by Dravidian parties and believed the state would develop only under BJP, he said.

Radhakrishnan earlier participated in a function organised to welcome a group of members of the Devendrakula Velalar community, a Scheduled Caste, into the BJP fold.
Prime Minister Narendra Modis high-profile visits to Washington and Jerusalem-Tel Aviv were watched closely worldwide, but nowhere more so than in Islamabad and Beijing, where India is considered anything but a friend. While Mr Modis visit to Washington ran along predictable lines, and was indicative of Indias well-known desire to be on the right side of any US administration, it was the Israel visit, three long years in the making, ever since Mr Modi won the 2014 election, and which has seen more preparatory visits by Indian and Israeli officials to both capitals than any other, that has grabbed the eyeballs. Being feted at the White House was always on top of Mr Modis agenda. More so, after US President Donald Trumps hosting of Chinas President Xi Jinping at his Mar-a-Lago Florida property and the consequent bonhomie, the embrace of China as a partner in arms to whom the job of keeping the recalcitrant North Koreans in line was outsourced: all deeply troubling, given Indias growing unease over Beijings protection of Pakistans jihadist machinery that has upturned years of relative peace in Kashmir, and the timing of its ratcheting up of tensions in the Sikkim-Bhutan region, thus keeping India on its toes on its eastern and western borders, even as Mr Modi made nice with President Trump. With New Delhis Israel policy no longer a matter of conjecture, both Beijing and Islamabad will undoubtedly rework their strategic calculus to factor in Indias powerful friend and what that could entail. Israels quiet transfer of guns and missiles since the Kargil conflict; air and naval defence systems, state-of-the-art technology in unmanned drones and thermal imaging and other interception software that enables the Indian military to stay one tiny step ahead of Pakistans terror infiltration machine has, after all, given Pakistans Terror Central much heartburn.

But the attention it draws in Irans capital Tehran, where Indias special ties have stood it in good stead through successive governments in both capitals, despite the ritual calumny heaped on Delhis Kashmir policy at every Organisation of Islamic Conference session that India largely takes in its stride, is what India must watch out for. This time, days before Mr Modis arrival in Tel Aviv, Irans religious leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei delivered an out-of-turn anti-Kashmir tirade. That can only have been a signal to the Indian leadership that its well-crafted balancing act of keeping Tehran  major oil and gas supplier and its friend and ally on Afghan policy  happy, even as it came out of the closet on hitherto close ties with Israel, is a strategy that needs revisiting with urgency; Mr Modis pathbreaking May visit to Tehran notwithstanding. Israel is after all the one nation that has always publicly declared Iran as public enemy number one, and vice versa. The changing geopolitical dynamics that brought about ISIS rise and reinforced the civilisational Sunni-Shia divide between Saudi Arabia and Iran, may have seen an unprecedented meeting of minds between the Jewish state and the new powers-that-be in the Saudi establishment. Here, as in other Gulf nations, particularly the UAE, they have put aside years of vilification of Israelis as hated Zionists.

Riyadh, and to a greater extent the UAE, like Qatar, have been pragmatic, with Abu Dhabi even allowing an Israeli trade office. Israel, after President Trumps triumphal visit when he broke the embargo and flew directly from Riyadh to Tel Aviv, is now firmly anchored in the Saudi-led Sunni alliance. India, however, despite Tehrans alleged transfer of nuclear technology to Pakistan, through the machinations of the father of Pakistans nuclear bomb, avowed India-hater A.Q. Khan, has never picked sides. The Tehran versus Jerusalem battle was seen as irrelevant to Indias own security paradigm. With Indias embrace of Trumps Washington and the Israeli establishment, a ticket to Mr Trumps inner circle, will that change? Neither Tehrans historical support of the Hezbollah, the Palestinian cause and Hamas and Syria, that placed it front and centre as public enemy number one in Israel, has ever sat easily with earlier Indian governments. Equally, India has also stayed well away from Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu and the Jewish lobbys fury at former US President Barack Obamas embrace of Iranians in a bid to contain Tehrans nuclear weaponry, and its role in reversing it.

New Delhi has chosen, instead, to treat the relationship with the Saudis and Gulf nations, with Palestine and Tehran, and now Israel, as distinct from one another. This despite the fact that Tehran is talked up at every security meet in Israel as one nation that must be de-fanged, with Irans growing nuclear power a major source of concern for the Jewish nation. Indeed, as far back as mid-2009, Israels covert cybersecurity squad targeted Irans nuclear facilities, using Stuxnet, a first-of-its-kind Israeli cyber-missile, to sabotage Irans Natanz nuclear centrifuge fuel-refining plant from the inside as well as other unnamed centrifuge plants.

Again, Israels much-vaunted spy network in Russia, recently and inadvertently outed by Mr Trump while he was talking to the Russians, showed the extent of their expertise. Now, thats the technology India must have its eye on. Indias newfound relationship with Israel was captured on camera, epitomised by the extraordinary bromance between Mr Netanyahu and Mr Modi, splashing around, trousers rolled up on a Haifa beach. But it is 26/11 and Pakistans terrorist attack on Mumbai, and the Jewish Chabad House, that is the unspoken glue that binds, underscoring shared Indian-Israeli concerns on cross-border and indigenous terror attacks on its respective peoples. As the two PMs swapped well-crafted speeches on the tarmac, Mr Modi talked up I4I, or India for Israel and Israel for India, while the flamboyant Bibi Netanyahu trotted out the formulaic I squared T squared. Thats Indian talent plus Israeli technology equals India-Israel ties for tomorrow! Whatever the jargon, as long as I for an I doesnt include Iran, India may have hit the sweet spot.
Feb. 9, 1917  June 28, 2017

Rachel Fannie Vogel passed away on June 28, 2017, at 11:40 p.m. She was 100 years old.

She was born Rachel Fannie Mealey (pronounced May-Lee) on February 9, 1917. Her parents were William and Fannie Mealey.

She graduated from Sweet Home High School in 1934, after which she attended Oregon College of Education in Monmouth. She graduated from OCE in 1936 and started teaching at the age of 19 years old.

After World War II, she worked as an accountant for Pacific Airmotive in Anchorage, Alaska. That was where she met her future husband, Evan Harry Rollins. Rachel and Harry were married on April 4, 1947.

She attained her Master of Science in Library Science from Western Oregon University in her 40s and went on to develop one of the top school district-based library systems in the country in Sweet Home.

She and Harry retired at the age of 60 and built a house in Hana on Maui in Hawaii where they lived for 25 years until Harry died in 2002. He is interred at Willamette National Cemetery in Portland where she will be interred beside him.

After Harry died, Rachel sold the house in Hawaii and moved back to Oregon where she lived in the house that her father had built in 1903 and she was born in.

She was remarried to the Rev. Theodore Vogel on May 14, 2005. He passed away on December 15, 2011.

Rachel continued to live in the old family home until her death.

Per her wishes, she will be cremated. There will be a memorial service at 2 p.m. on Saturday, July 15 at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Lebanon (434 Grant St. in Lebanon).

She is survived by her three sons, Laurence M. Rollins of Albany, Gary D. Rollins of LaFollette, Tennessee, and Kerry D. Rollins of Aloha; and many nieces and nephews, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

She is the last surviving member of her immediate family and the matriarch of her extended family. She will be greatly missed.
The first positive sign in almost a month-long standoff between Indian and Chinese troops in the Doklam area at the India-China-Bhutan tri-junction came on Friday at an informal Brics meeting in Hamburg where Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping have gathered for the G-20 summit. It is important for both countries to build on this. For this to happen, though, it is necessary that both Beijing and New Delhi let diplomacy do the talking at a sane register, instead of letting their defence establishments have a free hand to exploit irresponsible sections of the media to whip up a bubble of war frenzy, which is far removed from the expectations of ordinary people in both nations. China, a non-democratic state which has set up journalistic mouthpieces of its Comm-unist Party that revel in the worst kind of jingoistic propaganda, has been particularly culpable. But some Indian television channels have hardly lagged behind.

In a frenzy of narrow nationalism, when these so-called newspapers in China, backed by dubious, party-line toeing think tanks and middle-level foreign ministry bureaucrats in Beijing, tom-tommed Chinese victory over India in the 1962 border skirmish, a more restrained response from the Army Chief and defence minister may have helped us avoid a descent into mud-bath diplomacy. But all that can be put well behind us if the Modi-Xi handshake in Hamburg is to be invested with the meaning it deserves. The Chinese leader responded with due regard to his position when Mr Modi, in his speech, praised the momentum imparted by China to Brics. Mr Xi praised Indias role in the fight against terrorism and made laudatory references to Indias economic progress. Both leaders showed us a sample of statesmanship. Only a day earlier, the Chinese foreign ministry had said the time was not right for a bilateral meeting between the principals. Propaganda is known to dig its own grave.

There are never any winners or losers in modern-day warfare. When the deadliest weapons invented come into play, ordinary people become victims. There is no point fretting over low-grade recent Chinese propaganda over the status of Sikkim or Bhutan in relation to India. An outright war, whose consequences will hurt everyone, cannot but kindle spirits in Tibet and Xinjiang that are hostile to Beijing. So its best not to go there. The firing of a few shots in remote mountainous terrain may temporarily puff up nationalist bluster, but finally a negotiating table will have to be the refuge. China and India have signed a treaty to maintain peace and tranquility on the undefined sections of the border. This also means no road construction. Let this be respected.
Narcissus would have fallen in love

However ugly his face 

Reflection of the self was all

 he drowned in its embrace.

From Mohobuts In-da-Bag by Bachchoo

A friend visiting the UK expressed his bewilderment at something Theresa May, Britains dead woman walking (DWW), had said when she had visited India. She said that she would get rid of all illegal Indian immigrants from the UK, and send them back to India. She was speaking to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, whose logical retort was that if she could identify them, India would readily have them back. My friends bewilderment resulted from the seemingly unnecessary nature of Ms Mays assertion. Did she have any evidence of who or where these illegal immigrants were? If officialdom has identified them, why havent they been deported already? Hmmm! My friend obviously misunderstood the strategy of Ms Mays pronouncement. Ms May wasnt speaking to Mr Modi, she was attempting to address the British nation through the media.

The shameful truth about why the British population by a vote of 52 per cent vs 48 per cent voted to leave the European Union was around the half-understood issue of immigration. The demagogues of Brexit, the Leave campaign sold the population meaningless slogans and formulae  take back control of our borders implied that a vote to leave the EU would stop or drastically reduce the number of foreigners coming into the country. It may be true that a tiny minority of people who voted for Brexit had calculated the ins and outs of not having trading rights with Europe and were convinced that new treaties with India, China, the US and Outer Mongolia would adequately compensate and bring new prosperity to the country. The others, the majority, voted to keep Johnny foreigner out!

A frightening survey points at the ignorance behind the xenophobia. Citizens of a northern town were asked how many immigrants they thought were resident there, availing of the schools, medical and other services. The population estimated the number at 40 per cent. The actual figure for the immigrant population of that town is three per cent. What the Brexit-bluffers slogan didnt say was that the migration to Britain in the past few years from the EU is less than half of the total of immigrants coming in. As the discussion and debate on the consequences of leaving the EU continues, it may be that this discrepancy or hitherto hidden truth is in danger of becoming apparent and damaging the Brexiteers subterfuge. Hence, Ms Mays attempt to assert that whatever trading rights Britain will seek with India or Outer Mongolia, it is not open to an unlimited flow of labour from either. The first feeble sally in getting across this message to the bigots of Britain was her lame assertion of expelling the illegal immigrants.

After her drastic mistake of calling an election and turning herself into DWW, Ms May has gone a bit further with impotent gestures to the xenophobes. She says she will soon deport, to their countries of origin, all the non-British convicts in the countrys prisons. Undoubtedly these individuals, whose crimes may range from terrorism to bicycle-thievery, are costing Her Majesty some cash to keep them well-fed and behind bars. Ms May could point to a national savings there by getting short of the miscreants  of course, there would be the offsetting cost of their airfares to Australia or Outer Mongolia, but she hasnt mentioned that. In the last year, with the election of Donald Trump and the vote for Brexit in the UK, it seemed that a nationalistic tide was sweeping the Western world. Then, of course, came the triumph of the internationalist and moderate Emmanuel Macron over the nasty party of Marine Le Pen, the precipitous fall of Ms May and the resurgence of the lefty Jeremy Corbyn.

Again in Germany, Angela Merkels fortunes, after her slump for backing refugees, have steadily recovered and she looks certain to hold on to office in Germany. Decency seems to have risen, not quite like a phoenix from the flames but like a slightly-burnt crow from the summer barbecue. One of the most hopeful signs of this faltering flight is an opinion poll in the UK that says that the population, having been subject to more information about what Brexit will mean for the economy, for prices, for jobs and for immigration, has turned the 52 per cent for leaving the EU to 46 per cent, with those wanting to remain in the EU up to 54 per cent. Polls are misleading, but it could be the harbinger of a trend that would take the British enthusiasm for the EU to the Scottish mark of 60 per cent. If that happens, it spells doom for DWW who will end up as just DWW without the walking. So also several of her colleagues and members of the present Tory Cabinet such as Boris Johnson, Michael Gove, David Davis, Liam Fox and Amber Rudd, who have staked their political careers on the push to leave the EU. They would certainly end up with Gexit  an exit from the government and even with Wexit  a dismissal from Westminster.

These few  lets call them the Brutus gang  waiting to stab DWW in the back and make a bid for the leadership with each man/woman for him/herself at the time they judge right, have already begun a campaign to undermine Ms May. Mr Johnson and Mr Gove have reversed their long-held belief in austerity and are now urging her publicly to renounce the one per cent cap on public service pay for nurses, teachers, firemen and others in social services. Its a Labour policy. Others are concertedly asking DWW to abolish the loans the state gives university students, and make university education free again. Another Labour policy! Then there are those Tories who want to increase the police forces to make Britains streets more secure. Another Labour policy The opportunistic tendencies of Ms May, Mr Johnson and the others would certainly have them considering joining the Labour Party if they could rise to be its leader, but unfortunately Mr Corbyn now looks immoveable.
Indian Sufi saints of Persian origin have richly contributed to the beautiful mystical traditions in India. Their essential message included brotherhood (ukhuwat-e-insani), inclusivity (shumuliat) and a wide embrace of religious pluralism and multiculturalism. This was the key behind the vast popularity of the Sufi sages in the country. One such Indian sage who came from Persia was Makhdoom Ashraf Jahangir Simnani whose shrine is in Uttar Pradesh. A disciple of the 13th century Bengali Sufi sheikh Hazrat Alaul Haq Pandavi and a practitioner of Ibn-e-Arabis philosophy of Wahdat al-Wajud (unity of the existence), Makhdoom Ashraf is highly venerated in north India.

He founded the branch of the Chishti Sufi order  Ashrafi Silsila  with vital contribution of his distinguished mureed (disciple), Syed Shah Abdur Razzaq Noor Ayn. Makhdoom Ashrafs spiritual theories presented in his oral transmission known as Lataif-e-Ashrafi are our guiding light today. His discourse seeks to deepen our understanding about the basic tenets of Islam, such as wahdat and al-Tawheed (oneness of God). He introduced wahdat as a deeply nuanced and wider notion of love. Wahdat means annihilation of the lover in the characteristics of his/her beloved.

Explaining the essential belief in al-Tawheed (the fundamental tenet of Islam) as an all-inclusive and comprehensive Islamic doctrine, Makhdoom Ashraf has dwelled on different degrees of tawheed:

1. Wahdat-e imani (oneness in belief): It is an act of the servants of God, confirming by heart and verbally acknowledging His uniqueness.

2. Wahdat-e ilmi (oneness in knowledge): Makhdoom Ashraf stated: This second degree of wahdat is attained within oneself, through inner spiritual knowledge. This is also called ilm ul-yaqeen (confirmed knowledge). It urges one to believe that there is no existence other than the Almighty. All other personas, virtues and actions are nothing in comparison to His persona, virtues and actions. In this degree of wahdat, one is supposed to acknowledge the growth of each person as a manifestation of the divine persona of God.

3. Wahdat-e hali (oneness in spiritual condition): Makhdoom Ashraf explained: It implies that the condition of wahdat is the most essential virtue of the spiritual practitioners. All darkness of the existence is lost in the light of wahdat. In this state, one should be overwhelmed by the light of wahdat in such a way as the stars lose their light in the sun. Finally Makhdoom Ashraf avers: Wahdat is an ocean and the muwahhid (the believer) is a drop in it with no power of its own.
The framers of the Constitution knew that free speech is the friend of change and revolution. But they also knew that it is always the deadliest enemy of tyranny. Freedom of speech means that you shall not do something to people either for the views they have, or the views they express, or the words they speak or write. Only a free and unrestrained press can effectively expose deception in government. And paramount among the responsibilities of a free press is the duty to prevent any part of the government from deceiving the people. The press was to serve the governed, not the governors These words of United States Supreme Court Justice Hugo Black are more relevant today in Indias context than perhaps the day they were penned for preserving and upholding the freedom of the press guaranteed under the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. The press may be the fourth pillar of democracy. But a press that is not free is no press. A press that cannot criticise those is power is no press. A press that is intimidated by political power or sucks up to it is no press. For even our constitutional scheme recognises the freedom of speech and expression, and therefore by implication the freedom of press. However, more often than not, political parties in India irrespective of their ideology seek to proscribe the free press, for their collective DNA is thin-skinned to censure. Even though to do so is constitutionally amoral.

The recent decision of the Karnataka Assembly in sentencing journalists Ravi Belagere and Anil Raju to imprisonment for one year for contempt of the House and a member, and therefore breach of privilege of the House, is unfortunate, to say the least. It is not that legislative bodies in the past have not acted in this manner earlier too and their decisions have been held to be constitutional abridgements. Deja vu. In 1964, the UP Assembly found one Keshav Singh of being guilty of contempt of the House and the members of the House, and sentenced him to a week in prison. Keshav Singhs crime was similar to the one that Mr Belagere and Mr Raju are charged of  writing stuff that was considered by the UP Assembly to be defamatory to one of its members. When Keshav Singh applied for and obtained bail from the Allahabad high court, the Assembly went one step further and sought to imprison the advocate who filed the bail petition and the two judges who granted bail. The entire Allahabad high court consisting of 28 judges unanimously, and in a mark of solidarity, stayed the operation of the sentence passed by the UP Assembly.

The unprecedented situation was surmounted only when the President made a reference to the Supreme Court. In the presidential reference, the Supreme Court observed: In conclusion, we ought to add that throughout our discussion we have consistently attempted to make it clear that the main point which we are discussing is the right of the House to claim that a general warrant issued by it in respect of its contempt alleged to have been committed by a citizen who is not a member of the House outside the four walls of the House, is conclusive, for it is on that claim that the House has chosen to take the view that the judges, the advocate and the party have committed contempt by reference to the conduct in the habeas corpus petition pending before the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad high court. Since we have held that in the present case no contempt was committed either by the judges, or the advocate, or the party respectively. The court therefore was clear that criticism, even if unwarranted, does not constitute either contempt of the House or its members, thus allowing them to invoke the yet uncodified privileges under Articles 105 (3) for Parliament and Article 194 (3) for the state legislatures. The privileges need to be spelt out in black and white. Over the years, the Supreme Court has repeatedly laid down the law circumscribing the powers and privileges of the legislatures.

The freedom of the press is the heart of social and political intercourse while privileges of the legislative institutions are one of the undefined silences in the text of the Constitution, and have been exculpated and transported into the Indian Constitution straight from the traditions of the House of Commons. The object of parliamentary privileges is to ensure that the smooth functioning of legislative institutions is not hampered. The power to sentence to imprisonment for the contempt of the House or its members is undoubtedly a privilege of the House, a power that has been exercised by the House of Commons in the past, but when the Supreme Court of India has categorically held that actions outside the House, which have no direct effect of impinging on the functioning of the legislative chamber, cannot be a trigger for invoking constitutional privileges, is it then justified for the House to punish journalists whose opinions may be unpalatable or in the worst case even slanted or downright defamatory? The answer is no. The Karnataka Assembly has overshot its constitutional mandate under Article 194 in sentencing Mr Belagere and Mr Raju for publishing some articles. An article being disrespectful to a member or the House cannot be cause for the invoking the power of privilege, specially when it is in exercise of the basic human right of free speech. This is more so when such an action for such alleged defamation would find remedy in both civil and criminal law, in the nature of a defamation suit or a criminal complaint, coupled with a prayer for injuncting such person from publishing such defamatory material in future. It is in this context the exercise of the constitutional power of parliamentary/ legislative privilege, and to find guilty a journalist of contempt of the House would tantamount to giving a special status to a member of such a legislative body and providing him or her a remedy apart from what is prescribed by law.

The privilege to punish for the contempt of the House is a power that must be scarcely called into use in the most extreme of situations when the majesty or the functioning of the House is under stress or severe strain. Allegedly defamatory writing hardly falls into that category. The judicious use of a constitutional privilege becomes all the more relevant when a wave of tyranny has been unleashed by the BJP government against independent sections of the media. Orchestrated repression by the State  if you are not with us, then you are against us has divided the Indian media into the kept and the unkept media. On the one hand, broadcasting entities that are functioning in a manner that make even North Korean TV channels blush with shame are patronised by the government, and those who speak truth to power are being hounded and persecuted. In such a situation, any action by any constitutional body that reinforces this spectre of fear, repression and intimidation is avoidable, even though that may not have been the intent at all in this particular case and the journalist duo just managed to get under the skin of some members of the House. The Karnataka Assembly would therefore be well-advised to suo motu withdraw its resolution.
Thorough discussions about Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs) and the recent massive cyberattacks in the region such as the WannaCry ransomware were also a part of the agenda.

Kaspersky Lab today hosted a Security Conference, Palaeontology of Cybersecurity Conference as part of the INTERPOL World Congress 2017. The conference aims to shed light on how private and public cybersecurity experts work together to collect malware artefacts, map and analyze attacks, and find the trail of the hackers responsible for the most sophisticated cyber campaigns around the world.

As exciting as it sounds, researchers who hunt the hackers, responsible for the most stealthy and most successful attacks against consumers, businesses and even governments around the world can be compared to palaeontologists. While palaeontologists dig the remains of dinosaurs and relics from ancient civilizations and then determine which pieces are connected and which are not, Kaspersky Lab experts investigate attacks by gathering samples after samples of malware which are then analyzed, compared and shared with other cyber-palaeontologists to further uncover and understand a massive cyberattack, said Vitaly Kamluk, Director, Global Research and Analysis Team (GReAT), APAC.

INTERPOL World Congress 2017 is the second edition of the global exhibition and congress platform hosted by the worlds largest police organization, aimed at developing mutually beneficial collaborations, information sharing, innovations and solutions in response to security threats. Kaspersky Lab participated in the event along with other market leaders in IT security as well as professionals and members of the cybersecurity community.

The three-day cybersecurity conference highlighted Kaspersky Labs overview on the current state of cybersecurity globally and in Asia Pacific (APAC), which was presented by its founder and CEO Eugene Kaspersky and members of Global Research and Analysis Team, APAC.

Thorough discussions about Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs) and the recent massive cyberattacks in the region such as the WannaCry ransomware were also a part of the agenda.

Weve always believed that public-private cooperation is crucial in fighting cybercrime worldwide. As a private company, we are proud to collaborate with the authorities of many countries and international law enforcement agencies and our participation in the INTERPOL congress demonstrates our principle of cooperation with the IT security industry. What we are about to share in today's conference would provide extremely relevant and valuable insights towards cybercrime investigation and resolution that would greatly benefit the cybersecurity community in the region,' says Stephan Neumeier, Managing Director of Kaspersky Lab Asia Pacific.

Elite members of Kaspersky Labs GReAT delved into the concept of palaeontology in cyberspace how analyzing trails and traces of cyberattacks and the use of digital forensics come into play in finding the truth about cybercrimes. A first-of- its-kind digital forensics tool was unveiled for the first time at the conference that is seen to become a game-changer in todays cybercrime investigation procedure.

Some notable case studies on large-scale APTs that figured prominently in APAC were also shared during the conference to reveal the tools, techniques, and capabilities used by the APT actors in carrying out the attacks. Not to be missed was the presentation on the evolution of technical surveillance from traditional to online and how 5G mobile technology will accelerate cyber threats.

In a bid to intensify its fight against cybercriminals, Kaspersky Lab teamed up with the INTERPOL in 2014. For the past three years, the partnership of the two entities involved working together to conduct cybersecurity investigations and share cybersecurity intelligence within the cybersecurity community on an international level.

The partnership is well aligned with Kaspersky Labs mission of saving the world from cyber threats. As online threats scale and sophistication of cyber attacks continue, the global cybersecurity is committed to link up with local and global law enforcement bodies to effectively combat cybercrime.

Kaspersky Lab and the INTERPOL have collaborated in unmasking several massive cyberattacks like the Tyupkin ATM malware in October 2014 and the Carbanak bank heist in February 2015.

Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter.
The layoffs come as the US software colossus refocuses its sales force on making Microsoft a pivotal part of businesses relying on cloud computing. (Photo: AFP)

Microsoft said Thursday it was cutting an unspecified number of jobs amid reports the US tech giant was reorganizing its global sales operations. "Today, we are taking steps to notify some employees that their jobs are under consideration or that their positions will be eliminated," Microsoft said in an email response to an AFP inquiry.

According to a report by The New York Times, the technology giant will cut up to 3000-4000 jobs, mostly outside the US. Earlier, CNBC television had also reported the company would be cutting some 3,000 positions, mostly from its non-US sales staff.

"Like all companies, we evaluate our business on a regular basis. This can result in increased investment in some places and, from time-to-time, re-deployment in others," the company said in a statement.

The layoffs come as the US software colossus refocuses its sales force on making Microsoft a pivotal part of businesses relying on cloud computing, according to media reports.

Microsoft had more than 121,000 employees worldwide at the end of March, according to its website.

Chief executive Satya Nadella has sought to reduce the tech giant's focus on software, shifting to cloud computing and business services.

"From large multinationals to small and medium businesses to non-profits all over the world, organizations are using Microsoft's cloud platforms to power their digital transformation," Nadella said when the company reported its earnings for the first three months of this year.

Overhaul in tech

Global Equities research analyst Trip Chowdhry saw layoffs such as those taking place at Microsoft as symptoms of a technology industry undergoing a "major overhaul" caused by a shift to computing and online services being hosted in the internet cloud.

"This is not the end," Chowdhry predicted.

"At companies transitioning from the old world to the new world you will see layoffs accelerate; it's a slow and gradual and painful experience for them."

Microsoft Azure and Amazon Web Services are the dominant "super-clouds" for computing, according to the analyst.

With super-cloud computing platforms, resources can be focused on refining and supporting a single version of operating software instead of versions released every year or so to be installed on machines in homes or businesses, he reasoned.

"You look at Microsoft, and you realize that certain things that worked in the past are not gong to be relevant in the future," Chowdhry said.

Microsoft has been shifting to a cloud-based model under Nadella, as the industry moves away from packaged software that once was the core of its business.

Microsoft said revenue from its "Intelligent Cloud" rose 11 percent from a year earlier to $6.8 billion.

Microsoft is to release its earnings for the recently-ended quarter on July 20.

Microsoft's cloud platform, called Azure, faces competition from technology powerhouses Amazon and Google.

Each of the companies has also been investing in artificial intelligence which can make services hosted in the internet cloud more intuitive and insightful when it comes to handling data or catering to needs of users.

Redmond, Washington-based Microsoft has announced thousands of jobs cuts in recent years, the most severe being 18,000 positions eliminated in 2014 related to its acquisition of Nokia and failed efforts in the smartphone market

The technology giant cut 7,800 jobs in 2015, and 4,700 last year.

Microsoft completed its $26 billion acquisition of the professional social network LinkedIn late last year as part of its new strategy.

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Hamburg: Amid Sikkim standoff, China has praised India at the informal meet of the BRICS leaders on Friday, on the sidelines of the G20 summit.

Chinese President Xi Jinping appreciated India's strong resolve against terrorism and momentum in BRICS, introduced under India's Chairmanship.

Modi on the other, said, "there has been positive momentum in BRICS under chairmanship of President Xi Jinping, best wishes to him for upcoming BRICS Summit".

"BRICS has been a strong voice and needs to show leadership on terrorism and global economy," Modi said. He emphasised that the G20 should collectively oppose terrorism financing, franchises, safe havens, support and sponsors.

China and India have been engaged in a standoff in the Dokalam area near the Bhutan tri-junction for more than 19 days after a Chinese Army's construction party attempted to build a road.

Doka La is the Indian name for the region which Bhutan recognises as Dokalam, while China claims it as part of its Donglang region.

Earlier, China had 'cancelled' a sideline bilateral meet between Xi and Modi saying that 'the atmosphere was not right', referring to tension stemming from the standoff.

However, India had responded by saying But we did not ask for any meeting, so where is the question of atmosphere being conducive or not.
Modi will participate in the leaders' retreat and the sessions on Global Growth and Trade and on Sustainable Development, Climate and Energy. (Photo: Twitter/MEA India)

Hamburg: The G20 Summit began on Friday in this port city as world leaders assembled to discuss fight against terrorism and ways to improve open trade while Prime Minister Narendra Modi met his counterparts from the BRICS bloc.

While host German Chancellor Angela Merkel welcomed the leaders to open the 12th G20 Summit, a separate meeting of BRICS leaders took place on the sidelines.

The official details of the BRICS meet could not be immediately ascertained. Outside the Summit venue, violent protests continued by various rights groups, including anti-capitalist groupings.

The police had to resort to water canons, tear gas and pepper spray. Modi reached here last evening and has bilateral meetings lined up with various leaders, including from Japan, South Korea and Vietnam.

Modi will participate in the leaders' retreat and the sessions on Global Growth and Trade and on Sustainable Development, Climate and Energy. Later in the evening, he will attend a concert for leaders at Elphilharmonie.

This port city has been converted into a fortress for the Summit, which is being attended by 4,800 journalists from more than 67 countries.

Fighting terrorism, climate change and global trade are expected to be the key areas of discussion at the two-day Summit, whose theme is 'Shaping an Inter-connected World'. The meet is taking place at a time when differences have emerged among several leaders expected to be present -- mostly on publicly stated views of US President Donald Trump -- including on issues like climate change and open trade.

Russia's Vladimir Putin, Turkey's Recep Tayyip Erdogan, France's Emmanuel Macron and the UK's Theresa May will be participating in the Summit.

While Hamburg happens to be city of birth for the Summit host Merkel, it is also known as an 'anti-establishment bastion' of Left-wing radicals.

At least 30 protests are expected to be held here ahead of the Summit that may attract thousands of people, including from anti-capitalist groups. Local authorities expect these protests to remain peaceful and around 15,000 police personnel will be deployed to protect the venue. Besides, nearly 4,000 personnel will keep a tab on the airport and train security.

While counter-terrorism and economic reforms will dominate the discussions, the Summit will also discuss issues like free and open trade, climate change, migration, sustainable development and global stability.

Prior to the Summit, Modi had said he was looking forward to "engaging leaders from other G20 countries on the vital issues affecting our world today that have a bearing on economic growth, sustainable development, and peace and stability".

The prime minister had said the world leaders would review progress on decisions since the Hangzhou Summit last year and deliberate on issues of terrorism, climate, sustainable development, growth and trade, digitisation, health, employment, migration, women's empowerment, and partnership with Africa.

Modi is to hold meetings with leaders of countries like Canada, Japan, and the UK on the sidelines of the Summit. "The prime minister is visiting Hamburg from July 6-8 for the G-20 Summit. His pre-planned bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the Summit are with Argentina, Canada, Italy, Japan, Mexico, ROK (Republic of Korea), the UK and Vietnam," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Gopal Baglay said on Thursday.
PM Narendra Modi made the lead statement at G20 Leaders' Retreat in Hamburg, Germany. In Picture: US President Donald Trump and German Chancellor Angela Merkel. (Photo: Twitter/MEA India)

Hamburg: Prime Minister Narendra Modi voiced concern over terrorism while making the lead statement at G20 Leaders' Retreat in Hamburg, Germany, on Friday.

He also presented an 11-point action agenda for counter-terrorism even as he stated the need to strengthen inter-governmental cooperation among the G-20 nations.

Modi termed terrorism as the gravest threat to humanity and said, "Terrorism is the biggest challenge that we are facing today. I thank German Chancellor Angela Merkel for choosing this topic."

The prime minister was the lead speaker on the theme of 'Fighting Terrorism' at the Leaders' Retreat. He said that be it Daesh or al-Qaeda in the Middle East, Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed or the Haqqani network in the South Asia or the Boko Haram in Nigeria, they are all guided by the same ideology hatred and manslaughter.

Modi's 11-point action agenda included deterrent action against countries supporting terrorism and banning entry of leaders of such countries to the G20 nations; exchange of suspected terrorist list among the G20 nations and joint action against them and to simplify and expedite extradition and other legal processes.

The list further included adoption of comprehensive convention on international terrorism, implementation of United Nations Security Council resolutions and other international process, joint efforts for best practices in de-radicalisation programmes by G20 nations and closure of terrorist financing sources through FATF (Financial Action Task Force).

He also called for the creation of an Explosive Action Task Force in the lines of FATF that could crackdown on the sources of supply of arms and ammunitions to terror outfits.

Other points included in the list were G20 cooperation in cyber-security and to establish a mechanism for National Security Advisors on counter-terrorism in G20 nations.

The G20 Summit began on Friday in the port city as world leaders assembled to discuss fight against terrorism and ways to improve open trade.

Earlier on Friday, Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping had a conversation on a "range of issues" during the BRICS leaders' informal meeting amid a standoff between the armies of the two countries in the Sikkim section.

Xi also praised Indias strong resolve against terrorism and momentum in BRICS, introduced under India's Chairmanship.

Modi on the other, said, "there has been positive momentum in BRICS under chairmanship of President Xi Jinping, best wishes to him for upcoming BRICS Summit".

"BRICS has been a strong voice and needs to show leadership on terrorism and global economy," Modi said. He emphasised that the G20 should collectively oppose terrorism financing, franchises, safe havens, support and sponsors.

China and India have been engaged in a standoff in the Dokalam area near the Bhutan tri-junction for more than 19 days after a Chinese Army's construction party attempted to build a road.

Doka La is the Indian name for the region which Bhutan recognises as Dokalam, while China claims it as part of its Donglang region.

Earlier, China had 'cancelled' a sideline bilateral meet between Xi and Modi saying that 'the atmosphere was not right', referring to tension stemming from the standoff.

However, India had responded by saying But we did not ask for any meeting, so where is the question of atmosphere being conducive or not.
The conversation took place on the sidelines of the G20 Summit that began here today. (Photo: AP)

Hamburg: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday shook hands and had a conversation on a "range of issues" during the BRICS leaders' informal meeting here amid a stand-off between the armies of the two countries in the Sikkim section.

The conversation took place on the sidelines of the G20 Summit that began here today. In a tweet, external affairs ministry spokesperson Gopal Baglay said Modi and Xi discussed a range of issues.

"At d BRICS leaders' informal gathering @ Hamburg hosted by China, PM @narendramodi and President Xi had a conversation on a range of issues," the spokesperson tweeted.

The ministry also tweeted a photograph of Modi and Xi shaking hands. The meeting assumes significance as it comes a day after a top Chinese official said the "atmosphere" is "not right" for a bilateral meeting between Modi and Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the G20 Summit.

China and India have been engaged in a stand-off in the Dokalam area near the Bhutan tri-junction for the past three weeks after a Chinese Army's construction party attempted to build a road.

Doka La is the Indian name for the region which Bhutan recognises as Dokalam while China claims it as part of its Donglang region.
Mark the day: On Wednesday, July 5, 2017, a chamber of the Oregon Legislature voted to approve a bill that pays for critical upgrades to the state's transportation infrastructure.

The House of Representatives approved, on a 39-20 vote, House Bill 2017, which raises taxes and fees to fund the work. The vote was sufficient to hurdle the three-fifths "supermajority" required for tax increases. The bill quickly won approval, as expected, Thursday in the Senate and now moves to Gov. Kate Brown for her signature.

The vote in the House, in particular, is worth noting and celebrating for a number of reasons: First, during the 2015 session, talks over a similar transportation package fell apart even before either chamber was able to vote on the measure. Despite pleas from Brown, who told legislators that she wouldn't let them leave Salem without approving a transportation package, legislators did exactly that.

Also worth noting: In Wednesday's vote, Republicans and Democrats alike voted for the bill. Now, legislators like to talk about how much of their work passes with big bipartisan majorities, and that's often true. But this session, on the biggest issues, bipartisanship has been hard to find. But 11 House Republicans voted for the transportation measure, and all but six Democrats voted for it. (Mid-valley legislators split their votes: Andy Olson of Albany and Dan Rayfield of Corvallis voted yes. Sherrie Sprenger of Scio and Mike Nearman of Independence voted no. In Thursday's vote in the Senate, Sara Gelser voted yes and Fred Girod voted no.)

There's something else worth celebrating about the Wednesday vote in the House: The measure representatives voted on this week, the result of two years of work by a panel of lawmakers (including Olson), won the votes it needed for passage through old-fashioned compromise.

The original proposal called for more than $8 billion worth of projects, but the number had been trimmed down to about $5.3 billion in the version of the bill the House approved. (The original bill also included Portland-area taxes and fees to pay for projects in the three-county metro area; most of those were stripped out of the bill.)

The compromise version also lowered some of the proposed taxes in the bill. In addition, Democratic leaders agreed to Republican demands to modify the state's low-carbon fuel standard, better known as the Oregon Clean Fuels Program. But that in itself represented a measure of compromise: Republicans backed off from earlier demands that Democrats repeal the program.

That clash over the fuels program was part of the reason why the 2015 transportation package fell apart. It's a good bet that legislators on both sides of the aisle felt the urge to compromise to help ensure that the story didn't come to a similar end in 2017.

The bill increases the gas tax by 4 cents a gallon on Jan. 1 and provides for 2-cent increases in 2020, 2022 and 2024. It increases vehicle registration fees, and creates a tiered system in which owners of fuel-efficient and electric vehicles will pay more. It also includes an 0.1 percent payroll tax to fund public transit expansion and a $15 fee on the sale of new adult bicycles.

The measure also includes, thanks to Olson's work, provisions intended to strengthen transparency and accountability within the state's transportation system. These provisions should help ensure that the billions of dollars to be raised for these transportation projects are invested wisely.

There's not any doubt about the need to invest in the state's transportation infrastructure. That need wasn't sufficient to push the measure over the hump in 2015. But years of work to lay the groundwork for the 2017 bill and a willingness to compromise has placed the measure on the verge of becoming law. (mm)
The nuclear missile launch, described by leader Kim Jong-Un as a 'gift' to Americans as they prepared to celebrate Independence Day (Photo: AP)

United Nations: Russia on Thursday blocked a UN Security Council statement calling for "significant measures" in response to North Korea's test launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile, arguing that the missile was in fact of medium range.

The United States had circulated the statement for adoption by the 15-member council after announcing plans for a new sanctions resolution, but Russia raised objections, UN diplomats said.

The draft statement recalled that the council had agreed to take "further significant measures" in the event of another nuclear test or missile launch and that the top UN body would "begin to work immediately on such measures."

Russia contested the statement's reference to an intercontinental missile launched by North Korea, diplomats said.

The Russian mission to the United Nations insisted it had not blocked the statement but rather suggested that the United States "make appropriate amendments to it."

"The Russian delegation could not agree to define the launch as an intercontinental ballistic missile test," the mission said, adding that the Russian defense ministry believed, based on its tracking systems, that the missile was of medium-range.

The United States refused to drop the reference to the intercontinental missile and negotiations on the proposed text ended, diplomats said. Security Council statements must be agreed unanimously.

The United States and the United Nations have said the Hwasong-14 launched on Tuesday was of intercontinental range.

The draft statement included a strong condemnation of the launch, setting the stage for a draft resolution on tougher sanctions that the United States said it planned to present in the coming days.

Addressing an emergency council meeting on Wednesday, Russian Deputy Ambassador Vladimir Safronkov said Moscow opposed the move, arguing that "sanctions will not resolve the issue."

"Any attempts to justify a military solution are inadmissible and will lead to unpredictable consequences for the region," warned Safronkov.

"In the same manner, attempts to economically strangle North Korea are equally unacceptable, as millions of North Koreans remain in need of humanitarian aid," he added.

US Ambassador Nikki Haley called the launch "a clear and sharp military escalation" and warned that Washington was ready to use military force "but we prefer not to have to go in that direction."

The launch, described by leader Kim Jong-Un as a "gift" to Americans as they prepared to celebrate Independence Day, marked a milestone in Pyongyang's decades-long drive for the capability to threaten the US mainland with a nuclear strike.
It also claimed that the Chinese public was infuriated by Indias provocation. (Representational Image)

Upping the ante on the Sikkim standoff, China accused India of trampling on the Panchsheel principles and asked New Delhi to correct its mistakes as soon as possible by pulling back troops.

China also claimed that India was misleading the public by saying that Chinese troops are building a road close to the Chickens Neck.

The Chinese official media on Wednesday stepped up its attack on India with editorials asking Indian troops to move out of Dokalam area in Sikkim sector with dignity or be kicked out and describing the situation as worryingly tense.

While Chinas nationalistic tabloid Global Times said India should be taught a bitter lesson, another official newspaper, China Daily, said India should look in the mirror.

The Global Times said in its editorial that India will suffer greater losses than in 1962 if it incites border clashes with China. As the standoff in the Dokalam area continued for the third week, it said India should be taught a bitter lesson.

It also claimed that the Chinese public was infuriated by Indias provocation. We believe the Chinese Peoples Liberation Army is powerful enough to expel Indian troops out of Chinese territory. The Indian military can choose to return to its territory with dignity, or be kicked out of the area by Chinese soldiers, it said.
In retaliation, China has dispatched military vessels and fighter jets to warn off US warship sailing near disputed, as reported by Russia Today. (Photo: AP/Representational)

Beijing: China has reacted after two US long-range supersonic bombers flew over the disputed South China Sea, saying it opposes the use of military force by other countries as an excuse to harm Beijing's sovereignty.

"China resolutely opposes individual countries using the banner of freedom of navigation and over flight to flaunt military force and security," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said on Friday.

The statement came after the US Air Force confirmed on Friday that two B-1B Lancer bombers from Guam had flown over the disputed waterway.

The tensions between China and US increased even as Chinese President Xi Jinping is set to meet President Donald Trump on the sidelines of G-20 summit at Hamburg in Germany on Friday.

In retaliation, China has dispatched military vessels and fighter jets to warn off US warship sailing near disputed, as reported by Russia Today.

A few days earlier, a US warship reportedly sailed near a disputed island in the South China Sea.

The USS Stethem, a guided-missile destroyer, sailed within 12 nautical miles of Triton Island, part of the Paracel Islands in the South China Sea, a US defence department official said.
Xinhua has also released photos of the exercises on its website. (File Photo)

Beijing: Amid the Sikkim standoff, the Chinese army is carrying out exercises simulating real battle scenarios at high-altitude areas in Tibet, testing new equipment, including a light battle tank.

The exercises were being carried at an altitude of 5,100 metres, the Chinese language service of the state-run Xinhua news agency reported from the Tibetan capital Lhasa. Besides testing the new equipment, the exercises involve conducting live firing exercises.

The exercises also involve combat operations command, combat synergies, live fire shooting training, and comprehensive inspection of arms integration, the report said. The simulation also involves offensive and defensive training.

Last week, Chinese Defence spokesman Colonel Wu Qin told the media here that the trials of the tank, reportedly weighing about 35 tonnes, were taking place during military exercises.

Xinhua has also released photos of the exercises on its website. The exercises were being held in the backdrop of heightened India-China tensions at Dokalam area in the Sikkim sector.

China and India have been engaged in a standoff in the Dokalam area near the Bhutan tri-junction for the past three weeks after a construction party of the Chinese Army attempted to build a road.

Doka La is the Indian name for the region which Bhutan recognises as Dokalam, while China claims it as part of its Donglang region.
China said on Thursday it was absurd for India to use the excuse of Chinese road-building to cross over their border, and accused India of militarising its side of the frontier.

According to the Chinese interpretation of events, Indian guards crossed into Chinas Donglang region early in June and obstructed work on a road on the plateau.

Troops from the two sides then confronted each other close to a valley controlled by China that separates India from Bhutan  a close Indian ally  and gives China access to the so-called Chickens Neck, a thin strip of land that connects India to its remote northeastern regions.

India has said it had warned China that construction of the road near their common border would have serious security implications.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang, speaking at a daily news briefing, again urged India to withdraw its personnel to the Indian side to avoid there being an even more serious situation creating even more serious consequences.

Geng said China did not understand what reason India had for believing the road was a security risk, and that China had every right to build roads in its own territory. It was ridiculous for India to cross the border on the pretext of concern over the road, he added.

Beijing holds wargames in Tibet region

Amid the Sikkim standoff, the Chinese Army is carrying out exercises simulating real battle scenarios at high-altitude areas in Tibet, testing new equipment, including a light battle tank. The exercises were being carried at an altitude of 5,100 metres, the Chinese language service of the state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

China plans to launch cargo service to Pakistan

China is planning to launch a road and rail freight service to Pakistan through the multi-billion dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, a move which could raise concerns in India. The new line will start from Lanzhou, capital of northwestern China's Gansu Province, travelling through Kashgar in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region to the Gwadar Port of Pakistan, Xu Chunhua, director of Lanzhou International Trade and Logistic Park, was quoted as saying by state-run Xinhua news agency. However, it has not been specified when the service will be launched. In May last year, a rail and road cargo service opened between Lanzhou and Kathmandu.
The Janata Dal (United) is likely to support the joint opposition which is meeting on Tuesday to nominate a candidate for August 5 vice president election.



The JD (U) hinted at its preference with its leader KC Tyagi on Thursday saying that the party will attend if invited for combined opposition meeting to pick a nominee for vice president election. "Yes, if we are invited then we will surely attend the opposition meeting on vice presidential elections," Tyagi told a news agency.



A Congress leader, however, wanted an assurance from Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar on JD (U)'s participation in the opposition meet.



The last date for filling of nominations ends on July 18.



The Bihar regional party had, however, refused to attend the opposition meeting in the run up to announce Meira Kumar as its candidate to take on NDA's Ram Nath Kovind for the presidential election. JDU leader Nitish Kumar's decision to back Kovind, a former Bihar governor, had sparked off bickering among the opposition and rumour that the chief minister was inching closer to former ally BJP.



But, now back channel efforts are on to bridge the divide between the Congress, the JDU and RJD  the ruling alliance partners of Bihar.



BJP sources said no talks have taken place with the JD(U) leaders seeking its support as the NDA on its own is in a comfortable position due to sizeable numbers it has in the combined strength of both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. In vice president electon, MPs from the two Houses only vote. The total number of members in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha is 790 and each MP carries one vote only.



The JDU has taken situation specific different position in the past for elections to the two constitutional posts.



The BJP, however, is expected to call a meeting of its highest decision making body -- parliamentary board -- sometime between July 13 to July 15 to announce its nominee for the elections. That is the only window available when Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president will be in Delhi. With July 16 being Sunday and voting for Presidential election scheduled for the following Monday, the BJP will have to take a decision in the next week, explained a party general secretary.



The BJP is trying to use the election to consolidate its position in southern and northeastern parts of the country. The party is particularly keen to make inroads in South to fill leadership and presence void ahead of 2019 general elections, a BJP leader stated hinting that the region could be a hunting ground for selection of the nominee for the vice president's post.
Two days back, RJD chief Lalu Prasad, while addressing his partymen on the occasion of foundation day of his political outfit, had said: What will you do if I am arrested in near future? Will you hold BJP bhagao, deshbachao rally on August 27 or not?



As partymen roared Yes, Lalu added: Ensure that the rally, even in my absence, is successful and breaks all previous records, including the most famous Garib rally.



So on Friday, when the CBI sleuths raided Lalu-Rabri residence in Patna  10, Circular Road, at 7 am, many of the RJD chiefs close aides were not amused.



Lalu himself was in Ranchi where he had to appear before the CBI court in connection with the ongoing fodder scam case.



Lalu had already hinted his partymen on July 5, the RJDs foundation day, that he could be arrested soon as he had been consistently raising his voice against Narendra Modi Government. But this bullying tactics (by centre) wont deter us. The RJD will emerge stronger after such raids, said former MP and a close aide of Lalu, Shivanand Tiwary.



Ironically, it was Tiwary, who as the leader of the Samata Party, the earlier avtaar of the JD (U), was one of the petitioners in the fodder scam in 1996.



Incidentally, when Tiwary was in the JD (U), he, along with the then Bihar JD (U) president Lallan Singh, had alleged in 2008 about the shady land transactions done in favour of then Railway Minister Lalu Prasad.



The CBI raid on Friday is related to the same land deal in which an industrialist Harsh Kochar was given two railway hotels  one in Ranchi and the other in Puri (Odisha) when Lalu was Railway Minister. In return, a land in Patna of around two acres was transferred in February 2005 to Delight Marketing Private Limited whose director was RJD MP Prem Chand Gupta, Lalus close associate and also a Union Minister in UPA-I.



Lalus two sons Tej Pratap and Tejaswi Yadav and daughter Chanda Yadav were made directors of the company. Later, on November 12, 2016, the company Delight Marketing Private Ltd was renamed as Lara Projects Private Limited (La-Ra named after Lalu and Rabri).



No wonder, the CBI has named Lalu, his wife Rabri, their sons Tej Pratap and Tejaswi as accused in the FIR lodged in this case on July 5.




The Dakshin Kannada police on Friday arrested Dakshina Kannada MP Nalin Kumar Kateel and Chikkamagaluru-Udupi MP Shobha Karandlaje for attempting to stage a protest condemning the assault on RSS worker Sharath.



Inspite of having prohibitory order under Section 144, two BJP MPs along with 3,000 pro-Hindu welfare outfits had gathered in busy BC Road in protest against the assault on a RSS worker.



Karkala MLA Sunil Kumar, MLC Capt Ganesh Karnik, Bajrang Dal leader Sharan Pumpwell and former minister Nagaraj Shetty were also detained.



All the detained Vedike activists have been arrested and taken to Belthangady and Puttur.



As the Vedike had called for a protest on Friday, the police had strengthened security at B C Road. When the activists started gathering for staging a protest, the police detained the leaders. As a large number of people had gathered, the police had stopped the movement of vehicles from Mangaluru to B C Road on N H 75. After the police detained all the activists, the movement of vehicles were restored.



Even a few shops had remained closed where the activists had gathered. IGP (Western range) Harishekaran, DK SP Sudheer Kumar Reddy are camping at the spot and closely monitoring the situation.



Meanwhile, RSS leader Kalladka Prabhakat Bhat too had arrived at the spot and left the venue within a few minutes.
Rallies and protest marches were taken out in various parts of Darjeeling today in support of their demand for a separate state of Gorkhaland.



All parties of Darjeeling hills yesterday decided to continue with the indefinite shutdown, which entered its 23nd day today.



As part of the protests, activists of political parties, dressed in traditional Nepali attire, took out various rallies.



The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha plans to take out a rally from Darjeeling station to Singhmari area via Chowkbazar to demand withdrawal of forces from the hills and restoration of Internet services, which have been snapped since June 18.



A six-hour-long meeting yesterday had witnessed an intense debate on whether to continue the bandh, which started on June 15 for a separate Gorkhaland state, before deciding to carry on with it.



With food supply severely hit due to the ongoing shutdown, GJM activists and NGOs of the hills were seen distributing food items among the people.



Except medicine shops, all the shops, schools, colleges remained closed. The police and security forces are patrolling the streets and keeping a vigil at the entry and exit routes.
RJD president Lalu Prasad on Friday came down heavily on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said that no amount of raids by the CBI, Enforcement Directorate (ED) or the Income Tax department would deter him.



I have been facing CBI sleuths for the last 20 years. And I have even won the DA (disproportionate assets) case from the Supreme Court. So I wont be cowed down through these raids, which are aimed only to malign me and my family, said the RJD chief while speaking to media in Ranchi soon after his appearance in the CBI court in a fodder scam case.



Lalu also asked the CBI officers to inform the country what they found during the raids in Patna. A propaganda has been unleashed for quite long time that we have amassed huge wealth. But the fact is that we have done no wrong. Whatever property we have, is in public domain. The CBI officers, who conducted raids today, should tell the nation what they found during the raid at our house, averred an undaunted Lalu.



The RJD president asserted that it was actually not the fault of CBI officers who raided his house in the morning, as they were merely following the diktats of their political masters Narendra Modi and Amit Shah. Although it was not fair to conduct raids in Patna when I was in Ranchi.



Unperturbed over such raids, Lalu said he had asked his wife Rabri Devi to fully cooperate with the CBI officers and let them search which ever room they wanted to. I also told her that when these officers leave, they should take along our security personnel as extra cover so as to reach their destination safely. Because if some unwanted elements indulged in brick-batting, everyone will squarely blame me, said Lalu.




BJP, Left and Congress leaders were today stopped from going to Baduria in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district as the situation was volatile following communal clashes earlier this week, officials said.



"The situation is still tense. We have not allowed any delegation to go there as it might create problems," a senior district official said.



"We have been stopped near Ashoknagar area on the grounds that if we go to those areas it might create law and order problem. But we are not going there for any political programme. We are going there to meet the people who have suffered due to riots," Left Front legislative party leader Sujan Chakraborty said.



Chakraborty said the Left Front would organise a demonstration against the police and the TMC government in Barasat area of the district.



The Congress team, led by WBPCC chief Adhir Chowdhury, was also stopped at Barasat for the same reason.



The BJP team was led by state party president Dilip Ghosh.



Baduria and its adjoining areas witnessed a communal flare-up following a post by a youth on Facebook earlier this week.



Though the youth was arrested, members of two communities clashed, set up road blockades, damaged shops and set fire to vehicles.
The Tamil Nadu government today expressed concern over a Sri Lankan fisheries bill, saying it was aimed at preventing Indian fishermen from exercising their traditional fishing rights in the Palk Bay. It urged the Centre to lodge its "strong protest" with Colombo against the legislation.



Drawing Prime Minister Narendra Modi's attention towards the bill, "reportedly introduced and passed in the Sri Lankan Parliament," Chief Minister K Palaniswami said it prohibited certain fishing methods including bottom trawling.



"It is widely reported in a section of media that under the provisions of the Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (Amendment) Bill, the fishing trawlers as well as fishing gear used for fishing in the Sri Lankan territorial waters will be confiscated, fishermen imprisoned for two years and huge fine upto 50,000 Lankan Rupees will be imposed," he said in a letter to Modi.



The Palk Bay was a "historic and traditional fishing area" of fishermen from Tamil Nadu." Their historical rights "were simply signed away as part of the ill-advised Indo-Sri Lankan agreements of 1974 and 1976 which also unilaterally ceded Katchatheevu to Sri Lanka without having any foresight or concern for the plight of our innocent fishermen," he said.



Consequently the right to livelihood of the state's fishermen, who historically and traditionally fish in the Palk Bay, continues to be infringed upon by Lankan authorities, Palaniswami said.



"The new bill reportedly introduced and passed by the Parliament of Sri Lanka is another retrograde step taken by the Sri Lankan Government to destroy the already paralysed livelihood of lakhs of our fishermen," he said.



The passing of the "ill-advised" bill came at a time when the ministers of India and Sri Lanka as well as the Joint Working Group on Fisheries had met only recently to resolve the Indo-Sri Lankan fishermen issues and therefore it was "shocking," he said.



He said this "unilateral move" by Colombo will "definitely hamper" the joint initiatives taken by the governments of the two countries on the fishermen issue.



"The legislation proposed is, in fact, a severe setback to the diplomatic efforts being taken to resolve the issue amicably," he said.



The bill is aimed at preventing the state's fishermen from exercising their traditional fishing rights in the fishing waters in which they have continued to fish for several centuries and will deny their fundamental rights conferred by the Constitution of India, he said.



"The move by Sri Lankan Government to introduce the bill at this crucial juncture of transition towards a permanent solution is nothing but a harsh step to undermine the diplomatic efforts being undertaken by the Government of India to sort out the sensitive issue," Palaniswami said.



A livelihood issue of this nature was better resolved through promotional and developmental measures to introduce alternative modes and technologies, and not through such abrupt bans and punitive measures, he said.



He urged the Centre to register its "strongest disapproval" of such move and organise an "effective defense of the rights of our fishermen in the Palk Bay."



He appealed to the prime minister to direct the External Affairs Ministry and Indian Mission in Lanka to "immediately, appropriately and effectively respond to this latest move by the Sri Lankan side, which would permanently debilitate the livelihood of our fishermen in the Palk Bay."



Besides registering "strong protest", India should ensure that necessary provisions are made in the new legislation to exempt the traditional waters of Palk Bay from its purview, Palaniswami added.



The chief minister said 50 fishermen from Tamil Nadu and 143 fishing boats were under Lankan custody since 2015 and reiterated his earlier demands for their release.



Meanwhile, opposition DMK and Congress also raised the issue of the Lankan bill in the Tamil Nadu Assembly.



Responding to them, Finance and Fisheries minister D Jayakumar said the Lankan move was "not acceptable" and assured them that the matter would be taken up with the Centre.
Pledging a joint crackdown on the global scourge of terrorism and to check its funding sources, G20 leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, today said all terror safe havens must be eliminated in every part of the world.



In a joint declaration on countering terrorism on the first day of the G20 Summit here, they resolved to facilitate swift and targeted exchanges of information between intelligence, law enforcement and judicial authorities on operational information-sharing, preventive measures and criminal justice response.



"We will ensure that terrorists are brought to justice. We will work to improve the existing international information architecture in the areas of security, travel and migration, including INTERPOL, ensuring the necessary balance between security and data protection aspects," they said in a 21-point declaration.



The G20 nations said border agencies will strengthen cooperation to detect travel for terrorist purposes, including by identifying priority transit and destination countries of terrorists.



"We will address in close coordination the evolving threats and potential vulnerabilities in aviation security systems and exchange information on risk assessments," the declaration said.



In efforts to choke funding for terror activities, the G20 leaders reiterated their resolve to make the international financial system entirely hostile to terrorist financing and deepen exchange of information, including working with the private sector.



"We call for strengthening measures against the financing of international terrorist organisations in particular ISIL/ ISIS/ Daesh, Al Qaida and their affiliates," the declaration said.



Stressing that there should be no "safe spaces" for terrorist financing anywhere in the world, the G20 nations expressed their commitment to intensify capacity building and technical assistance, especially in relation to terrorist financing hot-spots.



"We will advance the effective implementation of the international standards on transparency and beneficial ownership of legal persons and legal arrangements for the purposes of countering financing terrorism," it added.



According to the declaration, low cost attacks by small cells and individuals funded by small amounts of money transferred through a wide range of payment means are an increasing challenge.



"We call upon countries to address all alternative sources of financing of terrorism, including dismantling connections, where they exist, between terrorism and transnational organised crime," it noted.



Further, the leaders said they highlight the importance of providing appropriate support to the victims of terrorist acts and will enhance cooperation and exchange of best practices to this end.



Earlier, Modi had delivered a strong message against terror activities and called for concerted global crackdown against countries that support on nations supporting terrorism for their own political goals. P
Amid increased tension between India and China on developments near Sikkim, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today "appreciated" momentum in the BRICS bloc under the Chinese chairmanship and extended full cooperation for the grouping's upcoming summit to be hosted by Beijing.



Speaking at an informal meeting of BRICS leaders here on the sidelines of the G20 Summit, Modi also called upon the group leaders to show leadership in fighting terrorism and boosting global economic growth.



Chinese President Xi Jinping, speaking right after Modi, also appreciated the momentum witnessed at the BRICS bloc during India's chairmanship before it was passed on to China.



The leaders of five BRICS countries -- which also included Russia's Vladimir Putin -- discussed preparedness and priorities for the forthcoming 9th BRICS Summit in Xiamen, China, in September.



Xi said he looked forward to welcoming the BRICS leaders.



Modi said BRICS has been a strong voice and needs to show leadership on terrorism and global economy, according to a press release issued by the Ministry of External Affairs after the meeting. "G20 should collectively oppose terrorism financing, franchises, safe havens, support and sponsors," Modi said.



Referring to the reforms in India, including the recent introduction of GST, he stated that it is necessary to work together for sustained global economic recovery.



He advocated collective voice against the practices of protectionism, especially in the spheres of trade and movement of knowledge and professionals.



Besides, Modi reiterated India's commitment to implementing the Paris agreement in letter and spirit and described its implementation globally as essential to fighting climate change. He called for expeditious action to establish a BRICS rating agency and stated that cooperation on development of Africa should be a priority.



While stressing on the need for greater people-to-people exchanges, the prime minister appreciated momentum in BRICS under the chairmanship of Xi and extended full cooperation and best wishes for the BRICS Xiamen Summit.



Modi started his speech by thanking Xi for his welcome and hosting the meeting. "Under Xi's chairmanship, the progress and positive momentum of BRICS has further deepened our cooperation," Modi said.



The prime minister, who spoke in Hindi, also said "lastly, I extend my best wishes and full cooperation to President Xi Jinping for the upcoming ninth BRICS Summit".



China and India have been engaged in a stand-off in the Dokalam area near the Bhutan tri-junction after a Chinese Army's construction party attempted to build a road. The stand-off is near Sikkim section.



Concluding the meeting immediately after the Prime Minister's remarks, Xi appreciated India's strong resolve against terrorism and the momentum in BRICS introduced under India's chairmanship and through the outcomes of the Goa Summit in 2016.



He also appreciated India's success in economic and social development and wished India even bigger success.



Besides India and China, Russia, Brazil and South Africa are part of the BRICS grouping.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said the geopolitical situation in the Gulf, West Asia and in the Korean Peninsula is a matter of concern as he asked BRICS nations to be a voice for stability, reform, progress and governance at the world stage.



During an informal gathering of BRICS leaders here hosted by the Chinese President on the sidelines of the G20 Summit, Modi said the ups and downs in the global politics and worsening security situation are affecting everyone.



"BRICS has to be a voice of stability, reform, progress and governance at the world stage," he told the presidents from BRICS nations - Michel Temer (Brazil), Vladimir Putin (Russia), Xi Jinping (China) and Jacob Zuma (South Africa).



Modi said that the spread of terrorism is a threat for societies in Asia and Europe as he expressed concern over its increasing influence in the war-torn Afghanistan.



The West Asian region has been marred by conflict between Israel and Palestine and battle against the ISIS terror group, civil wars in Syria, Libya and Yemen. Millions of people have fled their homes in Iraq and Syria due to conflict.



In the Gulf, a group of Arab states including Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain has severed air, sea and ground links with Qatar, triggering a diplomatic crisis in the region where millions of Indians are working.



Saudi and its allies accuse Qatar of supporting terror groups and maintaining close relations with Iran. The crisis has raised concerns of growing instability in the region.



The Prime Minister also voiced concern over tensions in the Korean Peninsula, saying it is a matter of concern.



Modi's remarks came in the backdrop of the US warning to North Korea that it would use military force in response to Pyongyang's "reckless" launch of a ballistic missiles. The US also blasted China and Russia for "holding the hands" of the reclusive nation's "vicious dictator" Kim Jong Un.
US warplanes have flown over the disputed South China Sea, the US Air Force said today, a move aimed at asserting freedom of navigation rights in the hotly- contested area.



The flights come as both US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping attend the G-20 meeting in Hamburg.



A US B1-B bomber and two F-15 fighters with the Japan Air Self-Defense Force departed Guam's Andersen Air Force Base and flew over the neighbouring East China Sea late on Thursday, the US Pacific Air Forces Public Affairs office said.



This is "the first time US Pacific Command-directed B-1B Lancers have conducted combined training with JASDF fighters at night," the statement read.



When the bilateral operations concluded, "the B-1Bs proceeded to the South China Sea before returning to Andersen Air Force Base," the statement read.



It was not immediately clear when or if a second US B1-B bomber joined for the South China Sea leg of the operation.



The mission "demonstrates how the US will continue to exercise the rights of freedom of navigation anywhere international law allows," the US statement read.



"Flying and training at night with our allies in a safe, effective manner is an important capability shared between the US and Japan," said Major Ryan Simpson, Pacific Air Forces chief of bomber operations.



The joint military flight demonstrates US-Japanese "solidarity ... to defend against provocative and destabilizing actions in the Pacific theater," the statement added.



Beijing claims nearly all of the South China Sea, parts of which are also claimed by Taiwan and Southeast Asian nations including the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam.



China has rapidly built reefs in the area into artificial islands capable of hosting military planes.

China also lays claim to tiny islands in the East China Sea between Japan and the Korean peninsula, and between Japan and Taiwan.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said today that it was "mandatory" to implement the consensus of the Paris agreement on climate change, weeks after the US decided to pull out of the landmark deal.



He also asserted that India will implement the accord in "letter and spirit".



Modi, while speaking at the meeting of BRICS leaders here on the sidelines of the G20 Summit, said that on issues of climate change and terror, the role of BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) is "important".



"It is mandatory to implement the consensus reached at the Paris agreement. India will implement the agreement in letter and spirit," Modi said.



The comments come after President Donald Trump recently announced that the US will withdraw from the Paris climate accord, saying the deal agreed by more than 190 nations unfairly benefited countries like India and China.



Trump's decision had drawn sharp criticism from international leaders, business groups and green activists. Trump is also in Hamburg to take part in the G20 Summit.



"We have to ensure that international financial organisations fully reflect the world's current economic balances," Modi said.



Later, on twitter, the Prime Minister said, "On issues like climate change and terror, the role of BRICS is important".



The objective of the Paris Agreement is to prevent an increase in global average temperature and keep it well below 2C.



The Agreement was adopted on December 12, 2015, by 195 parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), replacing its predecessor Kyoto Protocol. It was finally ratified on November 4, 2016.



Modi also said, "It will be our common endeavour to establish the BRICS rating agency at the earliest."
Naming Pakistan-based terror groups LeT and JeM, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said some countries were using terror as a tool to achieve political objectives and pressed for "deterrent" action collectively by the G-20 members against such nations.





Addressing the G-20 Summit in this German city, he equated Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohamamd to ISIS and Al- Qaeda, saying their names may be different but their ideology is the same.



With leaders like US President Donald Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping listening, Modi regretted that the international response to terrorism was weak and said more cooperation was needed to fight the menace.



The Indian prime minister presented an 11-point 'Action Agenda' which included suggestions for exchange of lists of terrorists among G-20 nations, easing and expediting of legal processes like extradition and concrete steps to choke funds and weapon supply to the terrorists.



"Some nations are using terrorism for achieving political goals," Modi said in a clear reference to Pakistan.



He named LeT and JeM as terror operatives in the South Asia like Daesh (ISIS) and Al-Qaeda in the Middle East and Boko Haram in Nigeria. "Their only ideology is to spread hatred and commit massacres," he added.



Regretting that the international response to terrorism has been "weak", Modi said the nations are less networked in dealing with the menace while the terrorists are better networked.



In the 'Action Agenda', the prime minister suggested, "there should be a deterrent action against nations supporting terrorism and officials of such nations should be barred from entry into G-20 member countries."



He said there should be an exchange of lists of terrorists among the G-20 member countries and a collective action against supporters of terror.



"The legal processes like extradition should be simplified and expedited for effective cooperation against terrorism," he said.



The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and other mechanisms to choke sources of of funds to terrorists should be strengthened, he said.



On the pattern of FATF, a body Explosives Action Task Force (EATF) should be constituted "so that the sources of deadly arms reaching the terrorists can be ended," he added.



Modi also pitched for concrete cooperation among the G-20 countries with focus on cyber security.
President Xi Jinping today urged the BRICS countries to seek "political and peaceful settlement" of "regional conflicts and disputes", amidst a standoff between India and China in the Sikkim sector and Beijing's growing assertiveness in the disputed South and East China seas.



Xi made the appeal at an informal leaders' meeting of the BRICS, which groups Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, ahead of a Group of 20 summit in the German port city of Hamburg, China's state-run Xinhua news agency reported.



He pressed the BRICS members to unswervingly build an open world economy, champion multilateralism and promote common development. Apart from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi, the meeting was attended by Brazilian President Michel Temer, Russian President Vladimir Putin and South African President Jacob Zuma.



The five leaders exchanged views on the current international political and economic circumstances and the G20's priorities, and reached important agreements on strengthening BRICS unity and coordination, jointly improving global economic governance and promoting sustainable development, the report said.



Xi, also the General Secretary of the ruling Communist Party and head of the People's Liberation Army, who presided over the meeting, said, "We should unswervingly follow multilateralism."



He also urged the five-member bloc to push for "political and peaceful settlement of regional conflicts and disputes," the report said. The Xinhua report did not elaborate on what Xi meant by "regional conflicts and disputes".



"Currently, the global economy is showing some positive signs, and the prospects for the development of BRICS countries are growing brighter in general, which is very inspiring," said Xi.

The leaders pledged to work together for positive results at the BRICS summit in the southeastern Chinese seaside city of Xiamen later this year, the report said.



China and India have been engaged in a stand-off in the Dokalam area near the Bhutan tri-junction for the past three weeks after a People's Liberation Army construction party attempted to build a road. Doka La is the Indian name for the region which Bhutan recognises as Dokalam while China claims it as part of its Donglang region.



China is also engaged in hotly contested territorial disputes in both the South China Sea and the East China Sea. Beijing has built up artificial islands and militarised many of them.

Both the South China Sea and the East China Sea areas are stated to be rich in minerals, oil and other natural resources. They are also vital to global trade.



China claims sovereignty over all of South China Sea. Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines, Brunei and Taiwan have counter claims. China also lays claim to tiny islands in the East China Sea between Japan and the Korean peninsula, and between Japan and Taiwan.



The US today said it has flown two bombers over East Asian waters, as tensions continue to run high in the region. The B-1B Lancers took part in joint military drills with Japan in the East China Sea, the US Air Force said in a statement. They bombers then flew over the highly contentious South China Sea. The US had also recently sent a navy warship near an artificial island in the South China Sea as part of the first "freedom of navigation" operation under President Donald Trump.



China has previously termed the US' move as "irresponsible" and warned that America's deliberate provocations would have "extremely dangerous consequences" to regional stability.
US President Donald Trump said today he still wants Mexico to pay for a planned border wall, as he met his Mexican counterpart for the first time as head of state.



Asked at the meeting with Enrique Pena Nieto on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany, if he still wanted Mexico to pay for the wall, Trump said: "Absolutely".



Before that, both presidents delivered statements with Trump hailing the "successful day" so far.



"We're negotiating NAFTA (the North American Free Trade Agreement) and some other things with Mexico and we'll see how it all turns out, but I think we've made very good progress," Trump said.



Pena Nieto, through a translator, said that the meeting will help the two countries continue a "flowing dialogue", in particular "for the security of both nations, especially for our borders."



The Mexican president noted that "migration" is an issue that has "occupied" both administrations. He added that it was a "co-responsibility to deal with organised crime issues."



Building a wall between Mexico and the United States to stop illegal immigration -- and Mexico paying for it -- was one of Trump's key campaign pledges in last year's election.



In January, Pena Nieto cancelled a trip to Washington in response to Trump's insistence on the issue, plunging the countries' relations into their biggest crisis in decades.



The two leaders have since spoken by phone, and a series of high-level meetings have eased the tension.



Trump first met Pena Nieto in August 2016 when he was still a presidential candidate. That visit turned into a public relations nightmare for Pena Nieto, who was lambasted for welcoming the brash Republican billionaire despite his insults and threats.
Mahindra Group Chairman Anand Mahindra and C P Gurnani, MD and CEO of Tech Mahindra have tendered public apology to an unnamed employee, who was asked to quit by human resource executive at Tech Mahindra.



The move by Mahindra and Gurnani comes after the 6:45-minute long audio clip was uploaded onto SoundCloud, an online audio distribution platform in which the companys HR executive was heard asking the employee to put in his papers by 10 am the next day or his services at the company will be terminated, went viral.



Anand Maindra took the micro-blogging site Twitter on Friday to apologise over the episode.



I want to add my personal apology. Our core value is to preserve the dignity of the individual and we'll ensure this does not happen in future, Mahindra tweeted from his official handle.



Joining him, Gurnani tweeted, I deeply regret the way the HR rep & employee discussion was done. We have taken the right steps to ensure it doesnt repeat in the future (sic). Gurnani, till recently was also the chairman of industry body, National Association of Software and Services Companies (Nasscom).



A letter signed by Vineet Nayyar, Vice Chairman, Tech Mahindra said, Tech Mahindra has always regarded respect for colleagues, fairness and human dignity as core values, and has demonstrated these consistently over the years. We have become aware of the incident involving a conversation between and employee and a Company HR representative. We deeply regret the manner in which the discussion took place, and has taken necessary corrective steps to ensure that this doesnt happen again in the future.



The letter also assured that any implementation of the business strategy will be done in a manner that benefits our Rise philosophy and our groups core values.



Indian IT companies have tightened performance evaluation for their employees, eliminating most of those employees who do not match the set standards. The companies have also reduced people on the bench  who do not have projects on hand and look at improving their efficiency.



Many employees of Tech Mahindra have petitioned labour departments in Maharashtra seeking relief from arbitrary sacking by the company.



Tech Mahindra currently employs 117,693 people, and according to the sources had also planned layoff close to 1,000 employees.
Is it a coincidence that the CBI officer, who interrogated Lalu Prasad during the fodder scam two decades ago, was at the forefront monitoring the raid on Friday at Lalu-Rabri residence here in the State Capital?



In 1996, when the fodder scam, commonly known as chara ghotala was unearthed, it was the then CBI SP, Rakesh Asthana who interrogated the then Chief Minister of Bihar Lalu Prasad for six hours. It is believed that based on his investigation, the CBI later arrested Lalu in July 1997.



Incidentally, Rakesh Asthana, now additional director in the CBI, was leading the raid against Lalu and his family members in connection with irregularities in handing over two hotels (one each in Ranchi and Puri) when Lalu was Railway Minister in UPA-I. The disputed land in question is presently owned by LaRa projects (named after Lalu and Rabri and therefore called Lara scam)



Born in Ranchi in 1961, the 1984-batch Gujarat cadre IPS officer Asthana studied in the prestigious Netarhat School (now in Jharkhand) where his father HR Asthana was a Physics teacher. After completing his higher studies from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), Asthana taught history at St Xaviers College, Ranchi for a short span before clearing the UPSC examination in 1984 in his first attempt.



He shot into limelight while probing the Purulia arms drops case. But he became a household name here when he quizzed Lalu and filed chargesheet against him in the fodder scam which eventually led to RJD

chiefs arrest. He was then barely 35-year-old and posted as CBI SP.



Later, he also investigated the Godhra incident and Ahmedabad blast case. In December 2016, he was appointed as interim director of the CBI after Anil Kumar Sinha retired as CBI director. Presently working as number two in the premier investigating agency, Asthana on Friday said that the CBI had registered an FIR against Lalu and other family members under section 420 (cheating) and 120 B (criminal conspiracy) in the land deal case and claimed it had prima facie sufficient evidence to nail Lalu.
BJP, Left and Congress delegations were today prevented from visiting riot-hit areas in Basirhat, around 80 kms from here, by the police even as the situation there remained tense and Internet services suspended.



Ignoring an appeal by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, a BJP delegation, led by MP Roopa Ganguly, which was heading towards Baduria, was detained by the police at Michael Nagar near Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport here.



"We told the BJP leaders that they will not be allowed to proceed as per the decision of the administration. The situation is still tense. But they were adamant and said either they will court arrest or proceed towards the affected area. So we had to detain them," a senior police officer of Bidhannagar Police Commissionerate said. They were subsequently brought to the airport police station. Earlier in the day, the police also prevented the Left and Congress leaders from proceeding towards the riot-hit areas citing the law and order situation.



"We were stopped near Ashoknagar area on the ground that it might create a law and order problem. But we were not going there with any political motive. We were going there to meet the people affected by the communal clashes," Left Front Legislature Party leader Sujan Chakraborty said. The Congress team, led by WBPCC chief Adhir Chowdhury, was also stopped at Barasat.



State BJP president Dilip Ghosh said his party would organise a rally here tomorrow to "condemn" the role of the state government. "We will also meet Governor K N Tripathi and demand in writing that President's rule be imposed in the state," he said.



Clashes broke out between members of two communities at Baduria in the Basirhat sub-division of North 24-Parganas district earlier this week over an "objectionable" Facebook post by a young man who has been arrested.



The West Bengal government said the situation was under control in Baduria, Swarupnagar, Deganga and Basirhat, which had witnessed violence. Prohibitory orders are in force there. People in the troubled areas chose to stay indoors with shops and schools remaining closed and the transportation badly hit.



A campaign has been undertaken by the state administration for restoration of peace. Police and paramilitary force personnel carried intense patrolling while Internet services in and around the riot-hit the areas remained suspended, a senior state government official said.



The police inspector in-charge of Basirhat, Nasim Akhtar, has been transferred by the administration.In New Delhi, Union minister M Venkaiah Naidu described the communal violence in Basirhat as "unfortunate" and requested the state government to take effective steps to protect all people - "whether minority or majority".
Rose petals, pepper and vodka. Three ingredients that had no business being in the same sentence. As far as I was concerned, the first belonged in a potpourri (or a bathtub, come to think of it), the second in rasam, and the third in a perfectly chilled Cosmopolitan. And yet here they were, staring at me from a glass case, enrobed in glossy chocolate. Standing in that quaint little chocolaterie in Holland, I felt like Hernan Cortes, the Spanish conquistador who arrived in Mexico and stumbled upon an ancient secret that would change the world forever  chocolate.

A rare treat

It is safe to say that our chocolate tastes are looked upon with horrified disdain by the rest of the world. Part of this is sometimes attributed to our national predilection for milk chocolate, the sweeter but less sophisticated sibling of dark chocolate. But considering that the process of refining sugar existed in India several centuries before Europe discovered chocolate, this preference seems not only natural, but also well justified.

Many of us probably grew up believing that chocolate was invented by Cadbury. In fact, until a few decades ago, chocolate was special-occasion-stuff for children, and it often meant a bar of Dairy Milk. My grandfather kept a box of Dairy Milk bars locked up in his brownish yellow Godrej almirah, to be dispensed, according to his own complex but just rewards-and-recognition system. Home-made chocolates from Ooty or Kodaikanal were a rare treat, as were imported chocolates brought by indulgent uncles and aunts.

As disposable incomes increased, more people began to travel abroad, bringing back with them duty-free bags of chocolate and there was a demand for more variety at home.

Sweet sensation

Artisanal chocolate in general refers to small batches of handmade chocolate; the handicraft equivalent of regular chocolate, so to speak. There are many chocolatiers who focus only on niche products, even if the volumes are small. Uma Raju, who founded the artisanal brand, Chocolate Philosophy, along with her friend Nivedita Prasad, acknowledges the shift in tastes. People have become very particular about what they want; what flavour notes the chocolates should have; they want to know where our beans come from. 

A chance trip to the North East introduced Uma and Nivedita to the ferocious bhut jolokia, the worlds hottest chilli, which then featured in their next batch of gourmet chocolate. Sea-salt caramel is an international trend that is working well, as are single-origin chocolates, made of cacao beans from specific regions like Ecuador, Ghana and Madagascar.

Uma says, While spices like cinnamon, anise and pepper are quite popular, we also have one-of-a-kind creations like the curry leaf ganache. Festivals like Diwali offer a great opportunity to innovate; our laddoo truffles and chocolate-dipped coconut barfi have been runaway hits.

Manooshi Chandy, pastry chef with Lavonne Academy of Baking Science and Pastry Arts, is excited about the winds of change. There is a definite move towards darker, less sweeter options; even sugar-free ones. We are experimenting with ingredients like cacao nibs and sunflower seeds. Marshmallow and liqueur fillings are now passe, to be replaced with fresh fruit, wine infusions, and more avant garde combinations like wasabi-white chocolate or Japanese matcha-dark chocolate. Teas are not far behind; green tea, earl grey and jasmine all pair well with dark chocolate.

Signature style

It is not enough that chocolate tastes astounding; it is said to be an antioxidant, an aphrodisiac, an antidepressant, and can also transform lives (remember Juliette Binoche in the 2000 movie Chocolat). But very few people know that chocolate is also an indicator of personality. What I thought was my own obsessive-compulsive observations of patterns in human behaviour turns out to be based on actual ongoing research.



Evidently, people who like milk chocolate tend to be amiable, pleasant people, as opposed to dark chocolate devotees who are dramatic and possessed of strong opinions. Those who like white chocolate are introverted. Additional nuances are unveiled by a persons preferences in shape, flavour and filling  creatives like coconut filling and if you like nuts in your chocolate, it indicates that you are overly critical of yourself and others. If it werent so fascinating, it would be alarming; the gorgeous chocolate truffle you chose from that box can reveal secrets of your personality. Move over, Linda Goodman. Chocolate is the new zodiac guru.

Chocolate has come to symbolise many things; love, comfort, indulgence, decadence. But more than anything else, it symbolises yearning. To experience it, take a piece of your favourite chocolate and place it on your tongue. As it begins to soften and melt, close your eyes and let the flavours unfurl. Let yourself be carried away, to that secret place of your deepest desires. There is a word in German for it; sehnsucht, a deep yearning for something undefinable. At its heart, thats what chocolate truly is.
On the eve of first death anniversary of Hizb-ul-Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani, a security alert was sounded across Kashmir on Friday, as intelligence inputs have warned of major strikes by the militant from July 8 onwards.



"To show their presence and power, militants may carry out deadly attacks on security forces in the coming few days. There are inputs that militants may carry out attacks on Burhan's first death anniversary which falls on Saturday," sources revealed to Deccan Herald.



They said while possibility of attacks are more in four southern districts of Kulgam, Anantnag, Shopian and Pulwama, security agencies have been asked to remain alert in central and north Kashmir as well. "While south Kashmir, where from Burhan hailed, has remained epicenter of militancy and street protests since last July, there is also possibility that militants might carry out attacks in Srinagar or other areas as well," sources added.



Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kashmir Muneer Khan said their special focus will be to thwart possible militant strikes on Burhans anniversary. "There is a chance that militants may attack soft targets, he told reporters.



Asked if there are any inputs about such attacks, he said: Inputs keep on coming. Every input is taken seriously and assessed. We dont brush away any input. The IGP said that whatever security arrangements were needed to maintain law and order and peace have been put in place. Many separatists have been taken into preventive custody in the wake of a call given by the United Jehad Council (UJC) and separatists, Khan said and added police are keeping an eye on suspects and district magistrates have been apprised about the measures to be taken.



Meanwhile, authorities on Friday imposed curfew-like restrictions in parts of Srinagar, Pulwama and Anantnag to prevent protests. All separatist leaders have been either detained or placed under house arrest to prevent their participation in the valley-wide protests.



District Magistrate Srinagar Farooq Ahmad Lone has issued orders to impose restrictions in areas falling under the jurisdictions of five police station areas. A senior police officer said elaborate security arrangements are in place to prevent any sort of pro-Burhan gathering at Sharifabad, the native village of the slain Hizb commander.



Youth traveling on bikes are being stopped. Their bikes are being seized and they are being told to collect these after July 17, a resident of Tral said. An official of Northern Railways said intra-Kashmir train services would remain suspended in Kashmir for two days from July 7 onwards in view of the security situation.
Thinker and district president of Karnataka Komu Sauharda Vedike G Rajashekhar has challenged Paryaya Pejawar Mutt seer Sri Vishwesha Theertha Swami to quit the leadership of the committee that works on Sri Ram Janmabhoomi and also oppose the idea of Hindu nation for India.



Speaking at a protest rally organised by various Muslim organizations, led by Solidarity Youth Movement on communal terrorism, Rajashekhar said that the seer has done a commendable work by organising Iftar party to Muslims. But the seer should not forget that he is even now seen as the leader of Hindu community and he has to get rid of the image he has already developed being part of fanatical movement conceptualised by the hard core Hindu fundamentalists, he urged.



He said that the concept of Hindu nation itself is smeared with the blood as wiping out the minorities and liberal minded people from the country will not be an easy process without bloodshed. Violence in the name of safeguarding the religion has reached greater heights and it has been impossible for the minorities and Dalits to lead a normal life. Every phase of the life of the minorities and Dalits is laced with fear and the food rights are also snatched, he charged.



If the NDA-led BJP government wants to impose Cow Slaughter Ban Act, it should also look into the livelihood source of the poor Hindus who depend on cattle and buffalo skin trade in various capacities.

The banning of cow slaughter will also directly hit these areas of trade with the consumption of meat, he said.



Rajashekhar urged the NDA government to provide justice to the Muslim women to whom injustice was done in Gujarat riots. Later, the government can work on introducing the Uniform Civil Code and fight against triple Talaq, he maintained.



A K Kukkila from Mangaluru said the people enjoying violence are increasing and are searching ways to torture humans in the name of religion. The prime minister visited Israel and paid homage to Yad Vashem, which is Israel's official memorial to the victims of the Holocaust. Sadly, the prime minister is not able to visit his own country mens tomb who are massacred mercilessly in the name of communal differences, he added.



Pejawar seer, who threw the Iftar party to Muslims, should be lauded for his innovative approach. Nevertheless, the seer needs to strongly oppose the fanatics in his religion who are posing a severe threat to the solidarity of the nation, he demanded.






The High Court of Karnataka on Friday passed an order that treats Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) on a par with Non-resident Indians (NRI) and makes them eligible for the first year MBBS course for the year 2017-2018 under various categories.



A division bench comprising Justice H G Ramesh and Justice K S Mudagal said OCI students applications for medical and dental seats will be considered under various categories, except for government seats.



The OCI students will not be considered even for the NRI quota of medical admissions as this provision has been exclusively created for NRIs by the Supreme Court.



OCI students had challenged Rule 5 of the Karnataka Selection of Candidates for Admission to Government Seats in Professional Educational Institutions Rules, 2006. The rule restrains OCIs from applying for government seats.



Advocate Ajoy Kumar Patil had contended that with the new format of medical seats, OCI students had problems in applying for medical seats under the Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA). The counsel said that although KEA had made changes allowing OCI students, these students wanted government seats too. The bench however declined OCI students plea upholding Rule 5 of 2006 denying them government seats.



Land acquisition



The High Court of Karnataka on Friday orally asked the BDA commissioner to be present before the court to explain the Authoritys stand on acquisition of 16 guntas of land in RMV Extension.



The owners of the land - Varadaramappa and others - have moved the court contending that though the BDA acquired their land for developing sites, later they learnt that a road was proposed through their land.



They petitioners they had not been paid compensation till now. Justice B S Patil directed the BDA commissioner to make the Authoritys stand clear during the next hearing on July 12.




The state government has approved Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palikes (BBMP) proposal to revive 26 lakes in the city.



These lakes include the historic Kempambudhi Lake in Kempegowdanagar near Chamarajpet, which was built by the founder of Bengaluru, Kempegowda. There are some lakes like Sankey Tank and Yelahanka lake which are already developed but require maintenance.



A few months ago, the BBMP which is the custodian of these lakes, had floated tenders, finalised the contractor and sent the files to the state government for approval. Recently, the government gave its approval paving way for their revival.



At least 19 lakes will be developed for the first time while the maintenance work will be carried out for the rest of the lakes. These works have been divided into eight packages with around Rs 9 crore for each package.



In the last financial year, the state government had released a package of Rs 100 crore for the revival of lakes in Bengaluru. Of this, we will utilise Rs 73 crore. Rest of the amount is meant for the annual maintenance of other lakes, said a Palike engineer.



Slums obstruct revival



A BBMP engineer said they have prepared a detailed project report for reviving 19 lakes. However, there are some lakes, where slums have come up due to which the rejuvenation may get delayed.



We need cooperation from the district authorities as well as the Karnataka Slum Development Board to remove these illegal structures. Without their removal, we cannot proceed with the rejuvenation work, said the engineer.



He added that the district administration has cleared encroachments from many of the lakes but there are still many lakes where eviction was needed.



We have written many letters to the district authorities, but they have not paid heed to our requests. We want to make sure that grants released for lake rejuvenation are utilised completely, said the engineer.



Deputy commissioner of Bengaluru urban V Shankar said he would shortly hold a meeting with the slum board chairperson to expedite the shifting of slums in and around lakes to other locations.
CCB sleuths have arrested two men on the charge of obtaining credit cards by furnishing fake documents and cheating banks.



The suspects are Narien Jaipal (37), a resident of Sahakarnagar and a native of Thiruvananthapuram and Abubackker K (39), a resident of Mangaluru.



The police recovered gold ornaments, home appliances, fake documents, electronic gadgets, a car and a bike worth Rs 25 lakh.



According to the police, the suspects operated from an office on MG Road. They created fake voter identity cards, driving licences and identity cards of reputable firms.



With the help of these fake documents, they applied for PAN cards and mobile SIM cards. Later, they opened accounts in banks and based on fake documents, even got credit cards.



Initially, they made credit card payments on time. Once the credit limit was increased, they bought gold ornaments and electronic gadgets. They put them up for sale on online classified portal OLX India.



They collected the money from customers after selling the products but never made credit card payments. Based on an alert, the police raided their office and detained them. The two confessed to the crime during interrogation.



In another case, the police arrested Naveen Kumar (30), a resident of Kundapura and Manu (38), from Uttarahalli and seized three mobile phones and documents in an online cheating case.



The suspects clicked the picture of a car and advertised it through OLX India. A man noticed the advertisement and contacted the two. The suspects told him that they had parked the car at KIA parking lot and shared an account number directing him to transfer Rs 92,900 which included the cars cost and parking charges.



The duo requested him to meet them at the KIA parking lot to collect the key. The suspects switched off their phones after the conversation. The complainant contacted them repeatedly, but there was no response.



Later, he approached the police and lodged a complaint.




In a swift move, the state government invoked provisions of the Essential Services Maintenance Act, popularily known as Esma, against Namma Metro employees who went on a flash strike on Friday morning.



As soon as a notification invoking Esma was issued by the Urban Development Department (UDD), the agitating employees withdrew their strike fearing arrest. Esma empowers the state government to crack down on illegal strikes.



The UDD notification stated that section 3 of Esma has been invoked and the strike by the employees and officers of the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) has been declared illegal in the interests of commuters.



It is after a long time that the government actually invoked Esma. The act can be invoked whenever essential services like public transport, health services, supply of water, milk and electricity are affected.



The government didnt invoke Esma when employees of state-run transport corporations went on strike for four days in support of their demands, but only threatened to do so. The last time Esma was invoked in Karnataka was in 2000 when pre-university teachers boycotted evaluation of answer scripts for more than a month. Esma has stringent penal provisions.



Persons who violate the act can be imprisoned for a year or fined Rs 5,000 or both. They can be arrested without a warrant and all offences under Esma are non-bailable. Once Esma is imposed, a person cannot take recourse to any other act.




Regular commuters have held up a mirror to Namma Metro staff, complaining how they are impolite and indifferent.



It happened with me and I see it regularly that Metro staff do not talk to commuters properly. Some of them foul-mouth commuters if their instructions are not followed. They lose no opportunity to humiliate commuters who do not follow their instructions, said Sakshi K, a college student.



Another commuter, Bhavana G, recalled how she was not allowed to board the train once as she failed to stand in the designated spot at the Magadi Road Metro station. I was standing a few steps away from the marked yellow line. But I was not at the arrow mark that points towards the entry gate. I was not the only one standing like that; there were many others. The security guard got furious and ensured that I missed the train to teach me a lesson, she said. Thats not the way to behave.



Suhas K, another commuter, said: In some cases, the Metro security staff have pulled back women when they tried to climb stairs without going through the security check. There have been instances of women commuters forgetting to go through the security check as it is not aligned with baggage scanning. One has to take a detour. But that does not mean they yank us. Their tone of asking people to undergo security check is insulting.



Some commuters said the Metro staff needed to be trained in social etiquette. Some guards just enjoy blowing the whistle and annoying people waiting for the train. When the clock shows the train will arrive in eight minutes, we can stand or even sit in the space available. They force us to stand where they want us to stand, irrespective of the space. If we do not oblige, they shout and say they have the authority to move us out. Sometimes they blow the whistle just near the eardrum, which is very stressful, said Munirathna, another traveller.



U A Vasanth Rao, Chief Public Relations Officer, BMRCL, conceded that their staff needed training as they were new. We are organising regular training sessions on how to deal with and respect commuters. We are a new organisation and improving passenger comfort is a work in progress, he said.
Israeli national and 26/11 terror attack survivor Moshe Holtzberg, whom Prime Minister Narendra Modi met recently, is expected to visit Mumbai later this year.



The then two-year-old son of Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg and Rivka Holtzberg, Moshe (now 11) survived the LeT attack on the Chabad-Lubavitch Centre in Colaba, better known as Nariman House. He was rescued by his nanny Sandra Samuels.



The Nariman House was one of the five places targeted by terrorists between November 26 and 29, 2008. The suicide commando squad also attacked two five star hotels  Taj Mahal Palace and Tower and Oberoi Trident  popular joint Leopold Cafe and the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus.



Moshes proposed visit to India was confirmed by Rabbi Israel Kozlovsky, co-director of Chabad-Lubavitch, Mumbai.



Were glad that Prime Minister Modi met Moshe, and recognised the sacrifice of his parents... they were an exceptional couple in their service to the Jewish people, and our personal role models to establish the Chabad-Lubavitch in Mumbai, he said.



My wife Chaya and I are humbled to be a part of, and continue, the holy work of Rabbi Gabi (Gavriel) and Rivka Holtzberg, and are working diligently on actualising the dream of a memorial museum at the Nariman House that will help continue their legacy. We look forward to welcoming Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Mumbai with Moshe Holtzberg, the Rabbi added.



During his recent visit to Israel, Modi embraced Moshe and told him, Come and stay in India and Mumbai. You are most welcome. You and all your family members will get long-term visas... you can come anytime and go anywhere.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had a close shave yet again on Friday when his helicopter took off and the rotor blades came very close to his head.



This is the third time that Fadnavis narrowly escaped a helicopter accident. In May, his chopper had crashed at Nilanga in Latur district. Another incident, also in May, involved a technical snag with his helicopter in Gadchiroli district.



Officials from the Chief Ministers Office confirmed that Fadnavis is safe. Fridays incident took place at the helipad of JSW Steel at Alibaug, the headquarters of Raigad district.



The chief minister was in Raigad to attend the birthday celebrations of Peasants and Workers Party of India president and legislator Jayant Patil.



Just as the chief minister was about to board the chopper, it took off unexpectedly and titled, and the rotor blades came very close to his head. However, an alert security personnel pulled Fadnavis to safety.



Later, an aircraft technician checked the rotors, and the chief minister flew back to Mumbai in the same chopper.



Talking about the mishap, Raigad District Collector P D Malikner said, There might have been some issue, maybe some fault of the pilot.




Having drawn flak from family members and social groups for the shoddy handling of the Pehlu Khan lynching case, the Rajasthan Police have handed the probe to the CB-CID wing.



Police were forced to change the investigating officers twice after coming under pressure for reported delays.



They said the probe was shifted to the CB-CID after considering a demand for a fair investigation from the victims family.



This is done looking at the larger interest of the case, Additional Director General (Crime) Pankaj Singh said.



But Khans family is unhappy with the move. We were satisfied with the investigation of Additional SP (Kotputli) Ram Swaroop Sharma, his son Irshad told DH. All we wanted was the arrest of the remaining culprits, he added.



The family is planning to file a special leave petition before the Supreme Court, demanding a probe by a special investigation team.



In April, Alwar SP transferred the investigation to Circle Officer Behror Parmal Singh instead of SHO Ramesh Chand, following criticism over delay in the probe. Social activists continued to target the state police, prompting the second transfer of the probe to Sharma.



On April 1, cow vigilantes attacked Khan (55) as he was transporting cattle procured from a weekly market in Jaipur to his village.



Two days later, Khan, who hailed from Nuh village in the Rajasthan-Haryana border area, succumbed at a hospital in Behror in Alwa district.
Senior BJP leader and former deputy chief minister of Bihar Sushil Kumar Modi on Friday asked Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to drop Lalu Prasad's sons from the state Cabinet.



While Tejashwi Yadav is the deputy chief minister, Tej Pratap holds the health portfolio. Sushil Modi also "thanked" Nitish for the raid.



We are happy that it was Nitishs party leaders - Lallan Singh, the then Bihar JD(U) president, and former Rajya Sabha MP Shivanand Tiwary - who first raised this shady land deal in 2008. Otherwise, the CBI would not have raided Lalus house today, said Sushil Modi, who has consistently raised the issue of how Lalu amassed huge wealth through benami property in the last one decade.



Sushil Modis statement is seen as another shrewd attempt to drive a wedge between Lalu and Nitish, the alliance partners who are ruling Bihar. We now demand that Nitish sack Lalus two sons, Tej Pratap and Tejashwi, from his Cabinet. This is all the more important because even Tejashwi has been named as an accused in the FIR lodged by the CBI in this land deal case, said Sushil Modi.



Security was beefed up at the BJP office as well as the JD(U) headquarters on Beer Chand Patel Marg here. Additional forces have been deployed at party offices. Besides, a high alert has been sounded throughout the state, said ADG (Headquarters) S K Singhal.



Sushil Modi has convened a special meeting of BJP legislators at his official residence here on Saturday to take stock of the political situation. Sushil Modi had raised the issue of the land deal in April.



Meanwhile, Nitish, who is believed to be indisposed, is recuperating at Rajgir in Nalanda, his hometown.

Reports stated that the chief minister preferred to stay out of Patna to avoid a meeting with Meira Kumar, the Opposition nominee for the Presidential poll, who is in Bihar soliciting support for her candidature.


RJD president Lalu Prasad on Friday came down heavily on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said that no amount of raids by the CBI, Enforcement Directorate (ED) or the Income Tax department would deter him.



I have been facing CBI sleuths for the last 20 years. And I have even won the DA (disproportionate assets) case from the Supreme Court. So I wont be cowed down through these raids, which are aimed only to malign me and my family, said the RJD chief while speaking to the media in Ranchi.



Inform the country



Lalu also asked the CBI officers to inform the country what they found during the raids in Patna. A propaganda has been unleashed for quite a long time that we have amassed huge wealth. But the fact is that we have done no wrong. Whatever property we have is in the public domain. The CBI officers, who conducted raids today, should tell the nation what they found during the raid at our house, an unperturbed Lalu said.



Diktats of politicians



The RJD president asserted that it was actually not the fault of CBI officers who raided his house, as they were merely following the diktats of their political masters, Narendra Modi and Amit Shah.



Lalu said he had asked his wife Rabri Devi to fully cooperate with the CBI officers and let them search whichever room they wanted to.



I also told her that when these officers leave, they should take along our security personnel as extra cover so as to reach their destination safely. Because if some elements cause trouble, everyone will blame me, Lalu added.




The Union government on Friday strongly objected in the Supreme Court to the argument that mandatory Aadhaar was pushing the country towards a concentration camp.



Attorney General K K Venugopal described the remarks by senior advocate Shyam Divan, appearing for Shanta Singh, former chairperson of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights, as unparliamentary.



A three-judge bench headed by Justice J Chelameswar told the counsel, appearing for a group of Aadhaar challengers, and Venugopal, representing the Union government, to seek from the Chief Justice of India a larger bench to decide on the main question of the right to privacy. Questioning notifications making Aadhaar mandatory for welfare benefits, Divan contended it infringed on the right to citizens privacy.



The government cannot compel anyone to give his or her biometrics as this will enable the government to have a complete control over citizens, right from birth, which means it will be a totalitarian state, he said.



Taking strong exception, Venugopal said the petitioners were not aware of the benefits of Aadhaar.About 350 million people live below the poverty line and the objective of the unique ID programme is to ensure welfare funds are not swallowed enroute, he said.



Divan, however, said he would reiterate what he had said and affirm it in his affidavit as well. At this, the bench, also comprising Justices A M Khanwilkar and Navin Sinha, said it had no control over the language used by the counsel unless it was unparliamentary.



Hyperbole is always part of the Indian system, the bench said, as Venugopal maintained the remarks were unparliamentary.



The court finally allowed both sides to urge the Chief Justice to set up a larger bench. If that is not possible, the court said, it would consider petitions against making Aadhaar mandatory for various welfare schemes, including the mid day meal scheme for children.






A day after his grandson Prajwal Revanna said that suitcase culture was prevalent in the JD(S), party national president H D Deve Gowda said he was extremely hurt by the remark and indicated that action will be taken against him for making such comments.



As leader of the party, I will be failing in my duty if I do not take action against Prajwal. It is important that discipline is maintained to save the party, Gowda told reporters in Bengaluru on Friday.



Participating in a JD(S) workers convention at Hunsur in Mysuru district on Thursday, Prajwal Revanna had openly criticised the party top leadership stating that people with wealth get front row seats in the JD(S), while those who are loyal to the party are assigned back seats.



Prajwal is said to be keen on contesting from Hunsur in the next Assembly elections and had been nurturing the constituency for some time now. However, he was upset after Gowda indicated that former Congress leader A H Vishwanath, who recently joined the JD(S), will contest from Hunsur. Prajwals outburst has also brought to the fore the internal squabbles within the Gowda family. Gowda said he had never indulged in suitcase politics.



In fact, I have borrowed loans to meet the candidates expenses for elections...what he (Prajwal) has said will damage his own political prospects, Gowda said.



Initially, the JD(S) leadership had decided that only two from the Gowda family  Kumaraswamy and Revanna  will contest the Assembly elections. However, following pressure from workers, it was decided that Anita (Kumaraswamys wife) and Prajwal will also be given an opportunity to contest. While Anita was sounded that she will contest from Channapatna, a constituency of her choice, Prajwal was told he will contest from a constituency in Bengaluru. This irked Prajwal, who is keen to contest from Hunsur.



By making such comments, does Prajwal think he can get a ticket? I cannot let my family affairs result in the split of the party. If there is indiscipline, I will have to take action irrespective of whether he is my son or grandson, Gowda said. He said Prajwal was politically ambitious but casting aspersions on his own party will take him nowhere.



In a related development, two rebel JD(S) MLAs  Zameer Ahmed Khan and H C Balakrishna  stated that there was truth in what Prajwal has said. H D Kumaraswamy does not want any one else in his family to grow politically. It is Kumaraswamy who indulges in suitcase politics, Khan said.



Balakrishna said the squabble in the Gowda family is bound to damage the image of the party. He said all seven rebels in the party will contest on the Congress ticket in the next Assembly elections.



Dont attach importance to his remark



MLA and JD(S) leader H D Revanna has said that there was no difference of opinion in the party and the statement of his son, Prajwal Revanna, on the JD(S) need not be given much importance, reports DHNS from Mysuru.



Speaking to reporters during his visit to Chamundi Hill in Mysuru on Friday, Revanna said that the members of Deve Gowdas family will contest elections only with the consent of the former. He said that the sole aim of the party was to win Assembly elections and instal JD(S) state president H D Kumaraswamy as the chief minister. Prajwal had stated that people who bring suitcases were being preferred to loyal party workers in JD(S).



Addressing a press meet in Yadgir, JD(S) youth unit state president Madhu Bangarappa sought to downplay Prajwals statement. There is no suitcase culture in JD(S). Prajwal has used the word while clarifying on some issue, he said. He said that though there were some mistakes on the part of the JD(S) during the last elections, the party has never extended a red-carpet welcome to people who bring suitcase.


More trouble brewed for RJD chief Lalu Prasad with the CBI on Friday booking him, wife Rabri Devi and son Tejashwi Yadav, the deputy chief minister of Bihar, for irregularities in handing over two hotels when he was the railway minister.



The registration of the case, which was done on Wednesday, came to light as CBI investigators conducted searches in 12 locations in Patna, Delhi, Ranchi, Puri and Gurugram.



According to the CBI, Lalu conspired with others to grant Sujata Hotel Pvt Ltd the control of BNR hotels in Ranchi and Puri in 2006 by circumventing procedures and for a consideration of a three-acre prime plot in Patna, which could now fetch Rs 94 crore.



The plot was first given to a firm in which his close aide Prem Chand Guptas wife Sarla is a director and later transferred to Prasads family.



The allegation is that the tender process was manipulated. In return, the three-acre land in western Patna was given to Delight Marketing (in which Sarla is director), at a very low cost, and between 2010 and 2014, this land was transferred to Lara Projects, owned by Prasads family, CBI Additional Director Rakesh Asthana told reporters.



Besides Prasad, Rabri and Tejashwi, those who have been charged with conspiracy, cheating and corruption include Sarla, former IRCTC managing director P K Goel, SHPL directors Vijay and Vinay Kochhar, and LARA Projects LLP.



According to the CBI FIR, the Kochhars sold the Patna plot to Delight Marketing Pvt Ltd (DMCL) for Rs 1.47 crore. The payment was "arranged surreptitiously" in the form of investment in shares.



"On the day when the sale deeds were executed by the Kochhars in favour of DMCL on February 25, 2005, the Railway Board on the same day informed IRCTC about its decision for transfer of BNR hotels to IRCTC on "as is where is basis", the FIR said.



Prasad then "colluded" with Goel to hand over the two hotels to Kochhars "through a rigged and manipulated tender process".



The accused wanted to "restrict" competition for BNR hotels in Ranchi and Puri and they "modified" the eligibility criteria through a "misleading" corrigendum to a bid document.



Of the 15 bidders for Ranchi hotel, IRCTC has details of only Sujata Hotels and Dinanath Hotels Pvt Ltd. Even the bid documents submitted by Dinanath Hotels are not available now.



Deliberate ploy



On Puri hotel, M/s Hotel Kesari's bid was deliberately and unreasonably given low marks in technical evaluation so that it did not qualify for the opening of financial bid.



"As a result, Sujata Hotel remained the only bidder in the financial evaluation and was qualified," the FIR stated. After Prasad demitted office, DMCL transferred the shares of the company to Rabri and Tejashwi between 2010 and 2014.



The shares of a company having a net worth of Rs 32.5 crore was transferred by the family member of P C Gupta to the family members of Lalu Prasad for a nominal amount of Rs 64 lakh, the FIR said.






Bike-borne men stabbed an engineering student and attacked his friend at Adyar Padavu on the outskirts of Mangaluru on Friday night. Sajid (23), an engineering student, suffered injuries in the abdomen and on his hand. The miscreants stopped Sajids bike claiming that their fuel tank had gone dry and requested for some petrol. Suddenly, they stabbed Sajid, assaulted his friend Nauful and sped away, the police said.



CM warns of stern action



Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said the government will take stern action against those who try to disturb peace in Dakshina Kannada district. He told reporters at Mangaluru International Airport on Friday that a few organisations are trying to disturb peace in the district. They will not be successful in their attempt as the police are taking stern action against them, he said.



The government will not allow any organisations to take law into their hands, the chief minister said.







A RSS worker who was attacked by bike-borne men at BC Road on July 4 died at a private hospital in Mangaluru on Friday night.Incidentally, Sharath (28) breathed his last a few hours after nearly 3,000 Hindu activists staged a protest at B C Road to protest the attack on him.Bike-borne miscreants had attacked Sharath while he was returning home from work. He was a resident of Kandoor in Sajipamunnur. His body will reach B C Road at 10 am on Saturday. The police have heightened security in the region.Earlier in the day, the police arrested 30 persons including MPs Nalin Kumar Kateel and Shobha Karandlaje and legislators V Sunil Kumar and Capt Ganesh Karnik, who violated ban orders and took part in the protest called by Hindu Hitharakshana Vedike.Addressing the protesters, Shobha said the state government is supporting the Muslim terrorists for vote bank politics. If the state government had any guts, then it should ban PFI in the state. Stating that the government has failed in handling law and order situation in the state, the Udupi-Chikkamagaluru MP said that Dakshina Kannada district was witnessing untoward incidents with the backing of the Congress leaders.Kateel, MP from Dakshina Kannada, said there has been an increase in the assaults on Hindus. If the Hindus fail to get security, then the government will have to face a series of protests in the future.RSS leader Kalladka Prabhakar Bhat said religious fundamentalists are engaged in targeting the Hindu society. With due respect to the law of the land, we had postponed the protests in the past. Now, we have lost our patience and the protest was inevitable, he said.As the Vedike had called for a protest on Friday, the police had strengthened security at B C Road. Tension prevailed at B C Road when a large number of activists started gathering to take part in the protest, defying the ban orders. The police kept announcing that assembly of more than five people and holding public programmes were banned.Later, the protesters were detained and taken in buses to Puttur and Belthangady. As a large number of people had gathered, the police had stopped the movement of vehicles from Mangaluru to B C Road on National Highway- 75 for over 30 minutes. Business establishments remained closed till afternoon at B C Road.Sullia MLA S Angara, former minister B Nagaraj Shetty, former legislators A Rukmayya Poojary, Padmanabha Kottary and Monappa Bhandary and ZP president Meenakshi Shantigodu participated in the protest.Student stabbed
Disgruntled Congress MLA from Chikkaballapur Dr K Sudhakar on Friday decided not to quit his Assembly membership following intervention from Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and KPCC working president Dinesh Gundu Rao.



On Thursday, Dr Sudhakar had rebelled against the party and tweeted that he has decided to quit as MLA, protesting the partys direction to his father P N Keshava Reddy to resign from the post of Chikkaballapur Zilla Panchayat president. Majority of the party leaders in the district, including ZP members, reportedly wanted Reddy to step down. Efforts by senior party leaders to resolve the issue by holding a meeting on Thursday had gone in vain.



Siddaramaiah is learnt to have spoken to Dr Sudhakar over phone on Friday morning and asked him not to resign as MLA. Later, Rao, AICC secretary in-charge of Bengaluru division Madhu Yashki Goud and other senior leaders met the Chikkaballapur MLA at his residence and convinced him to reconsider his decision. The party is learnt to have decided to allow Reddy to continue in the post till this year end and, Dr Sudhakar has accepted the decision.



Sources in the Congress said Dr Sudhakar and Chikkaballapur MP M Veerapppa Moily are at loggerheads. Moily and his followers in the district had been opposing the style of functioning of Reddy and were demanding that he should step down. But Dr Sudhakar, who is said to be close to Siddaramaiah, had been opposing the rival camps demand.



Speaking to reporters, Dr Sudhakar said he has left it to the party high command to take a decision on his father. Some senior party leaders had been trying to defame me. I was hurt by their behaviour. So, I was planning to resign, he added.



Rao said the issue has been settled and Reddy will resign in December.






When local author Ruth Curran wrote Being Brain Healthy two years ago, she had no idea it was only the beginning of her contributions to the process of healing from a traumatic brain injury.

Her book, subtitled What my recovery from brain injury taught me and how it can change your life, is a primer on keeping the mind sharp and clear. Its filled with the exercises, tips and scientific research that Curran herself turned to while trying to deal with her own traumatic brain injury.

Honestly, once it was published, I thought I was done, she said. But what I realized pretty quickly was that the book opened a conversation that I hadnt really intended  one that would allow a peek into what it actually feels like inside an imperfectly functioning brain.

The interest in Being Brain Healthy from people who were not suffering from a brain injury surprised Curran. Readers commented, Oh, I didnt realize how that felt and Really, you can lose your depth perception?

She decided she needed to write another book and, this time around, she had to address not just survivors of brain injuries but also the people who love, support them and interact with them on a daily basis.

Caregivers have unique needs that are often overlooked during the recovery process, explained Curran. They are on the front lines, often noticing subtle changes the survivor may not see or may plain out deny. And, in their own way, they need support too.

Curran created her new book, An Insiders Guide to the Injured Brain, as a workbook because, as she explained, It is invaluable to feel like you are actively pursuing healing. Stories may provide insight but doing the work offers much-needed hope.

The workbook is meant to be a shared experience between survivor and supporter, so they continually view life through each others eyes and take the journey toward recovery together.

In fact, the idea of sharing was so important to Curran, she collaborated with Mary Lanzavecchia, a friend and colleague who had also experienced a traumatic brain injury.

By working together, we validated that our experiences  although different in many ways  were not unique or special to us as individuals, said Curran. The partnership gave us the opportunity to understand each others perspective. This spilled over to our families and our friends, and everyone involved got to see the world of brain injury through other lenses.

Lanzavecchia agreed. The similarities in our emotions were staggering and surprising, even when the symptoms themselves were different. It made me feel like someone truly understood me, and we knew those common threads would be meaningful to so many others, as well.

Those common threads included feelings like frustration with the inability to communicate accurately, impatience with the process of healing, grief over the loss of self, the overwhelm of constantly being bombarded with sensory information, and, most of all, the sense of being in a constant fog.

Understanding these feelings can help everyone, said Lanzavecchia, because, statistically, we are all more likely to know someone who has had a brain injury than someone who has had cancer.

According to the Center for Disease Control, every 16 seconds, a person in the United States suffers a traumatic brain injury. That means there can be close to two million new survivors annually. In addition, another 800,000 people suffer a stroke each year.

TBI and stroke survivors can face impaired thinking, changes in sensory processing, and altered emotional functioning, among other challenges, said Lanzavecchia. All of these issues can have lasting effects on the survivors, their families and their communities.

The exercises included in the book evolved from Curran and Lanzavecchias personal experiences. They tested every exercise personally and modified them based on what they learned themselves, from each other and from their family members.

This fall, Curran will be following what she believes to be the most valuable, ongoing exercise in the book. Straight out of Chapter 15 of An Insiders Guide to the Injured Brain, she will be leading book clubs for stroke survivors in San Diego. Shell also be continuing her ongoing work with the San Diego Brain Injury Foundation, a nonprofit organization that offers outreach, support and education for survivors and caregivers locally.

An Insiders Guide to the Injured Brain and Being Brain Healthy are both available on Amazon, Kindle and Audible. For more information, visit insidersguidetotheinjuredbrain.com.
Boy Scout Jason Bhalla, a member of Del Mar Troop 713, is a 2nd Class rank who participated in the opening ceremonies at the Del Mar 4th of July Parade at Powerhouse Park. He was involved with the Pledge of Allegiance, Star Spangled Banner national anthem (on stage), and helped lead the younger Cub Scouts in the bike parade. Jason has also been involved with many Boy Scout community activities, including representing his troop on Memorial Day to honor the U.S. military, past and present.
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Avon Tyres, a British brand, has been making high-performance tyres for more than 100 years.

They have had a working relationship with the Rams in the past two seasons and they were the secondary shirt sponsor last season with their company logo appearing on the back of the shirts and the shorts.

Luis Ceneviz, Avon Tyres Managing Director  Europe, Middle East & Africa (EMEA), said: "We believe that this is a fantastic platform for us to promote our brand in the number one sport in the country. The two organisations have a great deal of heritage in the UK and we believe that it fits very well.

Having the Avon Tyres brand on the front of Derby Countys shirts provides a great deal of potential for us, showcasing ourselves to potential customers.

The kind of projection that Derby County can provide for us, with fantastic supporters and television exposure, is fundamental for our brand.

We are looking forward to the future and Derby County pushing for a place in the Premier League."
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Derby County have agreed an undisclosed fee with Middlesbrough for Republic of Ireland international defender Cyrus Christie.

Christie is to fly back early from Derby's training camp in Tenerife.

The 24-year-old right back has agreed personal terms with Middlesbrough and the fee is believed to be 2.5m with a sell-on clause.

Christie is in the final year of his contract at Derby and his future had become uncertain following the arrival of Andre Wisdom from Liverpool.

The Rams also have Chris Baird, who finished last season as the number one right back.

Christie has played 119 times for Derby since joining them from Coventry City in the summer of 2014.
Rail users will have to endure months of disruption to train services next year to allow 200 million of improvements at Derby Midland Station to take place.

But Network Rail, which will be carrying out the work, said that Derby rail users will feel the long-term benefit once the project is complete. The firm, which is responsible for improving and maintaining the UK's rail network, has now released a schedule for the work to take place.

Network Rail engineers will be on site next year from July 22 to October 7. The work will involve the removal of track and signalling, which means that their will be "significant" changes to the timetable during this period. A detailed timetable will be published at the start of next year - but in the meantime, Network Rail has warned that a number of services will be disrupted.

This includes East Midlands Trains services to London, Crewe, Matlock and Nottingham. And CrossCountry services will divert around Derby, with a bus replacement service from Derby to connecting stations. The scheme will see the track and signalling at Derby modernised - something which Network Rail says will improve journeys.

It said that while the station itself was modernised in 2013, the existing track layout has remained unchanged since it was installed almost half a century ago. As for the signalling, it has not been upgraded since the 1960s. At present, due to the outdated track and signalling at Derby, some trains have to wait before entering the station.

Network Rail has said that the improvements will solve this problem and will ultimately improve journey times and the overall efficiency of the station. It said that the doubling of passenger numbers over the last 20 years - which are predicted to continue to rise - had made the work at Derby essential.

Rob McIntosh, managing director for Network Rail's London North Eastern and East Midlands route, said: "It is many decades since the rail infrastructure at Derby saw this kind of investment and we have spent a huge amount of time working with our train operators, stakeholders and local businesses to make sure we keep disruption to a minimum while getting this vital work done as quickly as possible.

"Derby is a key interchange on the Midland Main Line and once the upgrade is complete and the bottleneck removed, the region will benefit from a more efficient, reliable and modern network fit to meet the needs of the economies and communities our railway serves."

Backing the plans, Jake Kelly, managing director of Derby-based East Midlands Trains, said: "Our key priority is to ensure that we provide the best possible service for our customers during the works. We are developing comprehensive plans to ensure that we can continue running as many of our London train services as possible, while ensuring that we can offer reliable replacement rail services on the local routes during the times we are not able to operate our train services."

Andy Cooper, managing director of CrossCountry, said: "These works will mean a long period of disruption for many CrossCountry customers, which is something we'd always try to avoid. However, the journey time improvement they deliver will get our customers to the north east quicker than ever before.

"The railway layout at Derby was great in the 'days of steam trains' but does not meet the needs of today's much busier railway. While there will inevitably be some inconvenience for many, for which we apologise, we are working with our industry partners to ensure this massive project will deliver real benefits for our passengers."

The investment by Network Rail has been welcomed by East Midlands Chamber, which represents several Derbyshire businesses. Chris Hobson, the chamber's director of policy, said: "The investment is long overdue and will be welcomed by the business community and leisure users once the work is complete.

"The tracks and signals are old and the line priorities through the station do not function as well as they should, resulting in delays. There will be relatively short-term pain during the works but the modernisation will offer long-term gain and help deliver a rail network that will better meet the demands of future travellers.

"It must be delivered on schedule and it is essential during the works that rail users are kept fully informed of timetable disruptions, know how to access up-to-date information about services and that alternative access to the services that won't be calling at Derby station is kept both realistic and practicable."
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A Derby teenager was escorted by more than 50 bikers to her prom this week after an appeal on Facebook.

Bethany Cunningham, 16, from Allenton, appealed for a biker escort to her Saint Benedict Catholic Voluntary Academy prom after her parents booked a custom trike to take her to the event at Pride Park Stadium.

She received dozens of responses and more than 50 bikers, including Midlands Riders and Reckless Derbyshire motorcyclists, turned up to escort her to her prom.

Bethany's idea behind the escort was to show people that bikers liked to help others and to highlight that they had been criticised unfairly in the past because people had jumped to conclusions about what they were like.

Her mother, Elaine Cunningham, said that one example of this was when James Hay was killed while on his bike in Derby.

The 30-year-old from Alvaston died after his bike was involved in a collision with a Honda Civic at the bottom of Aspen Drive, on the southbound carriageway on Raynesway on September 20, 2015.

Ms Cunningham said that people online who didn't know James were "jumping to the conclusion that he was a bad rider/biker, which couldn't be further from the truth".

In fact, 75-year-old Norman Bentley was charged with causing death by careless driving, and was given a 36-week jail sentence suspended for a year and told to pay a 1,200 fine. He was also banned from driving for a year and told he must take an extended retest if he wanted to drive again.

Ms Cunningham said: "Too many bikers are given a bad name and I am proud that my daughter wanted to point out that the majority of bikers are great people that will do anything to help someone else."
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Middlesbrough are now clear favourites to sign Derby County defender Cyrus Christie despite interest from other clubs, the Derby Telegraph understands.

Boro had a bid for the 24-year-old right back rejected but have firmed up their interest in the Republic of Ireland international.

There is talk of a 2m-plus fee.

Queens Park Rangers, Reading and Brighton have all been linked with Christie, who is with the Rams squad at a training camp in Tenerife.

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Another club, as yet unnamed, has asked about the player.

Christie is in the final year of his contract and his future at Derby is uncertain following the arrival of Andre Wisdom from Liverpool while Chris Baird finished last season as the Rams' number one right back.

Boro boss Garry Monk is keen to add a right back to his squad after missing out on Reading's Chris Gunter.
A woman was taken to hospital after being brutally attacked in Derby by a man in broad daylight - but witnesses reportedly ignored her plight and simply walked on by.

The victim was thrown to the ground and violently assaulted in the unprovoked incident outside the Co-op supermarket in Heatherton at around 1pm yesterday.

Police and paramedics were called and the woman was treated at hospital for injuries before being released.

It has been reported on social media that nobody intervened when the man was throwing the woman to the ground, despite several people witnessing it.

Dawn Gee, a member of the Carlisle Against Crime group, which works to keep the area safe, said she was very upset at the incident. She said: "What a terrible world we live in when people observe such an ordeal and do nothing. I am not saying that people should put themselves at risk but no-one should have seen what was happening without calling 999. We hear more and more of such attacks and people need to look out for each other and call out for help.

"I would question why a group of people observed this and did nothing to assist."

One woman, who works near the Co-op but would not be identified, said she saw the ambulance parked outside the supermarket. She said: "I'm shocked to hear that nobody went to help the poor woman straight away. This is a terrible thing. I got to the shops when the ambulance was there but it was only later that I heard what had happened.

"It must have been a shock to have seen it unfold but surely something should kick in and people should take some sort of action. I feel very sorry the victim and I hope she gets better soon. It must have been a horrible ordeal to have gone through."

Eric Ashburner, a Derby city councillor for Littleover, said that type of incident was "very rare". He said: "It's an absolutely appalling thing to hear of. There's no reason for this mindless violence at all and it's very concerning to hear that this is going on at all, never mind in broad daylight and apparently in front of people. It's absolutely appalling that nobody went to get assistance for this lady. It's terrible.

"It's extremely rare to come across something like this in Littleover. I hope she is OK and not badly injured and I hope she will recover."

The social media reports say that, after the initial wait for people to help,eports on social media say somebody did eventually come to the woman's aid.

A spokesman for Derbyshire police said it was aware of the incident and was appealing for help. A spokesman said: "We're very keen to talk to anybody who has witnessed this attack or knows anything about it to please contact the force."

The spokesman said the police could be called on the non-emergency number of 101 or the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.
Since 1997, DR1 has been covering the Dominican Republic in English. A site overhaul had long been due. Here is the beta version of the first phase of the new DR1. We have upgraded the website with user-friendly software to serve our community better. We have kept the up-to-date content. Now it is your turn to give the new DR1 a test run!

We are tough-skinned. Go ahead and tell us what we are doing right, wrong, and what we need to change asap or work on next. Tell us what you would like to see less or more of, and what we shouldnt change!

Imagine we have bought a new house for DR1. The house comes with:

New server that ensures DR1 can handle peaks in traffic

New DR1 Forums

Improved Search

New DR1 Calendar

DR1 News and DR1 Calendar are integrated into the DR1 Forums

New DR1 Wiki for frequently asked topics

New Trending Topics emails

We now need to furnish the house. It is YOUR DR1! We invite you to collaborate in adding valuable content. What content or services should we add? Check out the new resources, but get creative, too. You can contribute and play a key role in helping people connect, enjoy and be productive in the Dominican Republic.

Dolores Vicioso, founder

Write to support@dr1.com
Novo Nordisk has warned that the insulin cartridge holder used in certain insulin pens could crack or break if exposed to certain chemicals, such as household cleaning agents.

The Danish biopharmaceutical firm has urged people using the NovoPen Echo and NovoPen 5 insulin pens to contact them if their pen is one of the affected batches. The list of affected pens can be found on Novo Nordisks website, as well as images of how to find the batch number.

Novo Nordisk added that there is no reason for concern if you are in possession of a NovoPen Echo or NovoPen 5 device with a batch number which has not been affected.

It is important for the cartridge holder in affected batches to be replaced as soon as possible because damage could cause the pen to deliver a smaller dose of insulin than required. This could therefore lead to high blood sugar levels.

This risk of hyperglycemia as a result of an affected cartridge holder is estimated to affect 0.1 per cent of patients, or one in 1,000.

The batch number of the Novo Pen Echo and NovoPen 5 pens can be found upon dialling up the pen. The NovoPen Echo can be red or blue in colour, whereas NovoPen 5 can be blue or grey.

Patients with affected batch numbers have been advised to not stop treatment without first consulting their doctor and to be attentive to the symptoms of high blood sugar levels, such as increased urination, tiredness and thirst.

Dr Avideh Nazeri, Director of Clinical, Medical and Regulatory for Novo Nordisk UK and Ireland said: Novo Nordisk is committed to delivering high-quality products and sincerely apologises for this unfortunate situation and the concerns and inconvenience it may cause patients and healthcare professionals. We are working closely with the MHRA [Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency] and UK patient groups to ensure patient safety and minimise the disruption this situation causes.

Novo Nordisk advises that patients contact Novo Nordisk online or ring their customer care line on 0845 600 5055 to request a replacement cartridge holder. Opening hours are 8am-8pm Monday-Friday and 8am-4pm Saturday-Sunday.
A schoolboy from Wales is completing a series of challenges to raise money for his best friend who has been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes.

Isaac Norto, aged eight, came up with the idea of taking part in nine tasks across nine months.

He started last year and so far has worn a pink leotard and tutu in public, shaved his head, given up chocolate and cake, completed a 12-hour sponsored silence and walked 11 miles in one day.

His hard work has paid off as he has so far managed to raise 8,000 for Fin Gough.

Speaking to Wales Online, Isaacs mum Rebekah said: Its hard to put it into words how proud we are of him. Hes so determined and dedicated to continuing this fundraising. I thought after he climbed Snowdon when he was six (his first fundraising challenge) that would be it, but hes kept on ever since. Hes really passionate about it and so motivated to make a difference for everyone with diabetes.

She said the two boys are more like brothers, adding: They are so close and always together  playing in the same rugby team and seeing Fin so well and healthy is what encourages Isaac to keep going.

Hes so grown up and understanding and looks after Fi, knowing the signs to look out for and when to raise the alarm.

Speaking on his Just Giving page, Isaac said he wanted to raise funds for diabetes because, so far but there is still no cure yet, and I dont want to stop until they find one so that Fin can be better.

Despite the amount of money he has already raised, Isaac is far from finished. This month he will cycle 65 miles across Wales and in August he will compete in the young peoples version of the Tough Mudder. On top of all the activities he has been doing, the schoolboy has also designed his own wristband which he has been selling to raise money for the charity JDRF.

To donate to the cause visit: www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Isaac-Norton1
Qualcomm's patent lawsuit with Apple intensifies with the former alleging patent infringement. The San Diego-based chipmaker is asking for limited exclusion order to ban the import of those iPhones

Qualcomm has once again filed a lawsuit against Apple for patent infringement. The San Diego-based mobile chipmaker has filed a complaint with the United States International Trade Commission (ITC) seeking to ban the import of iPhones. Qualcomm claims that Apple's iPhones infringed six patents enabling some of the core functions of the smartphone.

In the lawsuit, Qualcomm has also accused Apple of engaging in unlawful import and sale of iPhones in the United States. Qualcomm has further requested the US ITC to initiate an investigation into its patent infringement claim and issue a limited exclusion order to ban the import of those iPhones. Apple's latest iPhones feature LTE modem chipsets from either Intel or Qualcomm, and the latter is particularly seeking to bar the import of iPhones using Intel modem chipsets.

"Qualcomm's inventions are at the heart of every iPhone and extend well beyond modem technologies or cellular standards. Apple continues to use Qualcomms technology while refusing to pay for it. These lawsuits seek to stop Apples infringement of six of our patented technologies," said Don Rosenberg, executive Vice President and General Counsel of Qualcomm.

In its application, Qualcomm is citing six patents issued between 2013 and 2017 for enabling high-speed performance and extended battery life on any smartphone. The company has also blamed Apple for infringing its patents related to media streaming and gaming.

Apple and Qualcomm have been involved in a lawsuit for the past few months, with Apple accusing the chipmaker of overcharging for the use of its basic patents. Qualcomm rejected that claim and countersued the Cupertino-based iPhone-maker for breach of an agreement. A recent report indicated that Apple is planning to continue to use the modem from Qualcomm, but will eventually switch to Intel's modems entirely for future iPhones.

In addition to this lawsuit filed with the US ITC, Qualcomm has also filed a complaint against Apple in the US District Court for the Southern District of California seeking damages and injunctive relief for infringement of the same six patents. The mobile chipmaker expects the ITC to commence its investigation in August and the trial is expected to begin next year.
The 100MW battery is aimed at providing a sustainable solution to South Australias electricity problems

Elon Musks Tesla will be installing the worlds largest lithium-ion battery storage project in Australia this year. The project is aimed at resolving the electricity issues in the state of South Australia; storms have caused state-wide blackouts, leaving 1.7 million with no power. The company will be working in collaboration with the South Australian Government and Neoen, and the project will not only help resolve power shortages, but will be sustainable as well.

Tesla will be providing a 100MW/129MWh Powerpack system, which will be paired with Neoen Hornsdale Wind Farm near Jamestown, South Australia. The project is scheduled to be completed by December this year and is tipped to provide enough power for more than 30,000 homes. The company also notes that its Powerwall is being installed for residential customers across Australia and the same can be used by homeowners to collect energy during the day. This stored energy can then be used later when the grid goes down.

In its official blog, Tesla notes, Tesla is proud to be part of South Australias renewable energy future, and we expect this project will provide a model for future deployments around the world that will help significantly accelerate the adoption of sustainable energy. It should be noted that back in March, Musk promised to get the system installed and working within 100 days from contract signature, or it would be free.
Motorola has started sending out media invites for an event in New York on July 25, where it is expected to introduce the Moto X4 or Moto Z2 smartphones. The Moto X4 is rumoured to be the company's first dual camera smartphone.

Motorola will announce its next product at an event in New York on July 25. The Verge reports that Motorola has started sending out save-the-date invites to media with the tagline - 'you won't want to miss this' and hashtag #hellomotoworld, indicating a global launch of probably a flagship device.

Motorola's 2017 leaked product roadmap revealed the company's plan to launch the Moto Z2 Force, Moto X4, Moto G5s and Moto G5s+ this year. if rumours are anything to go by, Motorola could announce the Moto Z2 and Moto X4 at its New York event. However, there is a possibility that only the Moto X4 is being announced, while Motorola delays Moto Z2 launch until IFA in September.

The Moto X4 was recently leaked revealing its design and specifications. The handset is making a comeback after Motorola dropped the Moto X series to concentrate on Moto Z series last year. The handset is expected to be a mid-range smartphone with a 5.2-inch full HD display and Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 chipset under the hood. The Moto X4 is expected to come in multiple configurations, with an option for up to 4GB RAM and 64GB storage.

The USP of the Moto X4 is expected to come in the form of dual rear camera setup. The smartphone is tipped to feature a combination of 12MP and 8MP dual rear cameras. It is not clear how the two sensors will work, but we assume one of the additional sensors will be used to capture the depth of the subject. The rumours also indicate Moto X4 getting a 16MP front camera for selfies.

The Moto X4 is sad to be IP68 water and dust resistant, and support Google's Project Fi network. Moto Z2, on the other hand, is tipped to sport a 5.5-inch Quad-HD display, with a Snapdragon 835 platform, and 4GB RAM. We will have to wait and see what Motorola really has in store for us.
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BEND, Ore. (AP)  A Central Oregon hospital is scaling back its expansion plans because of finances.

The Bulletin reports the St. Charles Health System Board of Directors on Wednesday approved a modified plan for a new tower at St. Charles Bend.





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RENTON  As part of a previously announced series of transactions, the McLendon Hardware store at 440 Rainier Ave. S. has sold for $15 million, according to King County records.

The seller was Tennessee Group LLC, which is associated with members of the McLendon family.





. . .
Indian and Israeli companies signed agreements worth over $5 billion as the two countries expanded their bilateral relations across areas, including science, agriculture and technology, on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's first visit to the Middle Eastern country. At a joint CEOs forum on Thursday, the two countries signed 12 memoranda of understanding (MoUs) in the fields of pharma, life-sciences, digital technologies, IT & ITES, start-ups and innovation, defence and homeland security, worth about $5 billion. The India-Israel CEOs Forum, which met for the first time, set a target to increase the bilateral trade from the current $4.13 billion to $20 billion within five years. The forum also set up six joint committees covering start-ups, pharma and life sciences, homeland security, agriculture, energy and water management. The India-Israel start-up bridge was launched to encourage start-ups of the two nations to work together and come up with innovative solutions to tackle challenges in the agriculture, water and healthcare sectors. "It is a very exhilarating for me to share that during this historic visit of our prime minister to Israel, 12 MoUs are signed between Indian and Israeli companies. The most of these Indian companies signing MOUs are also their CEOs as part of the India Israel CEOs Forum," said Pankaj Patel, president, FICCI and chairman, Zydus-Cadila Healthcare Ltd and Indian co-chair of the CEOs Forum who led a 16-member delegation of Indian CEOs to participate in the CEOs Forum Meeting. While defence had been a key driver of Indian-Israeli cooperation, the countries have now agreed to create a bilateral technology innovation fund worth $40 million. Prime Minister Modi also on Thursday invited the Israeli industry to participate in 'Startup India' initiative, saying his government has done a lot to improve the ease of doing business and is positioning the country as a global manufacturing hub. "We have resolved number of regulatory and policy issues facing businesses and companies. We've worked very sincerely for ease of doing business," Modi said at the launch of India-Israel CEO's Forum in Tel Aviv. Modi touted the goods and services tax (GST) as the latest example of economic reforms that would help business and industry thrive. "Now, we are moving towards modern tax regime, which is transparent, stable and predictable," he said. He also said the `Make in India' initiative is part of his government's efforts to "position" India as a global manufacturing hub and engage the young population in productive work. Observing that Israel is known as 'start-up nation', he said "it has a unique sense and ecosystem for innovation and incubation. Credit must go to the Israeli entrepreneurs". "There is lot of potential for #IndiaIsrael partnership in @startupindia. I am happy that India-Israel start-up bridge has been formally launched today," the external affairs ministry said in a tweet quoting Modi. Modi, along with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, also established an innovation bridge between start-ups and innovators of Israel and India for a better world. Speaking at the event, Netanyahu said together the two countries have tremendous potential. "...Potential not only in markets but in creating new possibilities, new opportunities. We just saw this in crop protection or in water, the cleaning of water, or in energy, or in any field, in any field," said the Israeli Prime Minister. He added that the Israeli side in the forum comprises people who run some of the most important companies, "and they do so with great talent and with great skill. You have brought similar people from India". "We are making a partnership here, a real one, to excel in innovation for both our peoples and for the entire world," he said.








Skoda has increased the standard specification on its Superb range.

The Czech brand is looking to revitalise its large sedan and wagon ranges with a range of vital safety tech upgrades.

Available from September, the revised models will now feature blind spot monitoring, lane keep assist, rear cross traffic alert and semi-autonomous driving functions that will steer, accelerate and brake automatically in dense traffic, plus the new Superb range now comes with a larger 9.2-inch touchscreen compared to the previous 8.0-inch.

Due to the increased equipment, Skoda has jacked up the price; with the 162TSI variant now costing $40,690 before on-road costs for the sedan and $42,390 in wagon form, a rise of $700. The 140TDI model now starts from $44,690 in sedan guise and $46,390 for the wagon which is a jump of $800 and the all-wheel drive Superb 206TSI also experiences an $800 price hike to bring its total to $51,790 and $53,490 for the sedan and wagon respectively.

The range-topping Sportline variant now costs $56,790 for the sedan and $58,490 for the wagon, which represents a rise of $4800 over the existing model.

However, the Sportline variant adds a further level of specification which includes adaptive damper control, a Canton sound system, electric adjustment and heated passenger seats, a hands-free boot and a new pale-green paint colour.

2017 Skoda Superb prices*

162TSI - $40,690 (sedan), $42,390 (wagon)

140TDI - $44,690, $46,390

206TSI - $51,790, $53,490

Sportline - $56,790, $58,490

*all price exclude on-road costs

For all the latest Skoda information, visit our showroom
A new high-fashion ladies boutique opened last week in Irish Street, Ardee, County Louth, bringing many top European labels to the region.

Venezuela Boutique markets an exclusive range of leading fashion brand-labels from Europe and further afield.

The new store joins the existing Venezuela Boutiques in Mullingar, County Westmeath and Skerries, County Dublin.

Venezuela Boutique says that they have been helping smart women dress well for over a decade and they say that their philosophy is to offer beautiful clothes that change lives.

Buying for the store is undertaken principally by founder and proprietor Sandra Cumisky who travels to leading fashion houses throughout Europe to ensure her clients can have the very best of the ever-evolving European fashion scene.

It is satisfying and exhilarating, she says, to know that the women we dress are among the most fashionable in the world.

The new Ardee boutique assures all visitors that they will receive a warm welcome to their new store.

Enquiries are always welcome also by calling 041 685 8725 - or by dropping an email to venezuelaboutique@gmail.com
Specsavers Dundalk is thrilled to announce that the team raised 500 in aid of Our Ladys Children Hospital, Crumlin. The store has experienced enormous support and kindness from the local community, making this fundraiser a roaring success.

Specsavers Dundalk recently put their wheels in motion, with a number of the team engaging in the static cycle, which took place in Market Square.

The money raised by Specsavers Dundalk will go directly to the development of the Ophthalmology Unit in Our Ladys Childrens Hospital, Crumlin which continues to make a huge difference to the lives of children and their families in Ireland. In 2016, Specsavers presented Our Lady's Children's Hospital, Crumlin with a cheque for 120,000 and announced that it would be extending its commitment to the hospital by pledging to raise an additional 100,000 for the ophthalmology unit.

The service provides care to children suffering from common eye conditions, such as squints, which if left untreated can result in sight problems. In addition, the service offers evaluation and treatment of other complex eye conditions such as congenital cataract, congenital glaucoma and visual problems associated with neurological disease.

Speaking about Specsavers sponsorship, Specsavers Dundalk store director Kathleen Campbell said, We are delighted to once again support Our Ladys Childrens Hospital. We would like to thank the local community for their unwavering support, attending in-store events and for always donating so generously to such a good cause like Our Ladys Childrens Hospital, Crumlin. We are a local community optician and hearing centre and supporting local clubs, charities and organisations is a key part of our culture.
Logistics management platform Shippit has announced its first major investment since closing a $2.2m Series A capital raise in May, with the recruitment of Australian logistics veteran Dominic Culbert as its Head of Logistics.

Culbert has over 18 years of experience in ecommerce logistics, and most recently served as the Group Logistics and Delivery Solutions Manager at Mysale Group. In that role, he oversaw the implementation and setup of OzSales international and domestic delivery network, comprising of over 65 shipping lanes across 10 countries. Prior to this, he was Head of Distribution at BCP Marketing Services and developed supply chain solutions for Microsoft, Novell, Cisco, Palm, and Apple.

I gained so much valuable experience and learnings from my time at OzSale, Culbert told Dynamic Business. It was an absolute pleasure to work with such an innovative company and outstanding team, leading the way in online retail. What attracted me to Shippit was the opportunity to use my experience to assist another innovative company at an important growth phase.

William On, who co-founded Shippit with Rob Hango-Zada in May 2014, before launching it in February the following year, said Culberts appointment was a strategic part of his start-ups vision and that it would assist with its expansion into the APAC market.

Rob and I had no experience in the logistics space prior to starting Shippit, he explained. This was a boon during our initial growth phase as we focused on innovation that may otherwise have been constrained if we really knew what we were getting ourselves into! As our business has started to enter more of a scale-up and optimisation stage, weve reached a point where a deeper level of expertise was required to ensure the sustainability of our solutions and be able to continue innovating.

We spent almost 6 months hiring for the Head of Logistics role before appointing Dom. In addition to our rigorous interview process, which included heavy technical and practical assessments, we sought to understand the impact each candidate had made in their business by seeking feedback from their internal and external stakeholders. The biggest win, when it comes to Doms appointment, will be for our client base as the breadth and depth of delivery services we offer will be greatly expanded.

Asked how he and Hango-Zada, his co-CEO, will invest the remainder of their $2.2m Series A capital raise, William On replied, Primarily in people and product development. We have a significant roadmap ahead of us and need the best minds and technology to deliver it. Doms appointment marks our first strategic hire but we have already secured additional strategic hires that we will be announcing in due course.

Shippit currently services more than 750 merchants across Australia, including Sephora, Topshop, Thankyou and Pet Circle, with 250,000 parcels delivered via its platform each month

See also: Shippits co-CEO reveals why his start-up turned down $2.8 million from interested investors
Make your summer holiday wonders-full

To celebrate the 10 year anniversary of the New7Wonders of the world list declared in 2007, leading online travel agent, Travel Republic has compiled a guide to visiting these romantic spots, architecture marvels and historic landmarks, as well as the bonus honorary 8th wonder from the original seven wonders of the world list.

1. The Colosseum, Rome, Italy

The Flavian Amphitheatre, better known as the Colosseum, is the largest amphitheatre ever built and is estimated to have held up to 80,000 spectators, for gladiatorial contents and public spectacles. Visitors are advised to book in advance to avoid the three hour queues.

A seven night city break at the four-star Capo DAfrica Hotel, a short walk from the Colosseum, on a B&B basis from 645 per person, based on two adults sharing and flying with Ryanair from London Stansted on 8 August. Price also includes Colosseum, Roman Forum and Palatine Hill afternoon tour (35pp).

2. Petra, Jordan

Petra, Jordans most valuable treasure, marks the achievement of an impressive civilisation that perfectly carved a city into its mountains. Visitors enter the city through a narrow gorge, over 1km in length, to reach the iconic facade of the Treasury, which is 45m tall, 30m wide and all carved into the mountain.

Seven nights at the five-star Movenpick Resort Petra, minutes from Petra ruins, on a half board basis start from 903 per person, based on two adults sharing and flying with Lufthansa from Heathrow (via Frankfurt) on 14 August.

3. Chichen Itza, Yucatan, Mexico

This UNESCO World Heritage Site comprises of stepped pyramids, temples, and columned arcades that were sacred to the Maya empire in Central America. The most recognizable structure is the Temple of Kukulkan, a glorious 365 step pyramid which has been interpreted as a Mayan calendar, is beautiful to see early in the morning.

Seven nights at the four-star Grand Oasis Palm Resort & Spa, on an All Inclusive basis start from 1,440 per person, based on two adults sharing and flying with Thomson from Manchester on 9 August. Price also includes Chichen Itza Deluxe Tour (51pp)

4. Great Wall of China, Beijing, China

Stretching across northern China at approximately 13,171 miles, The Great Wall of China is a unique insight into the legendary emperors of Chinas past. One of the most famous vantage points is at Jinshanling, which offers beautiful views and a great variety of watchtowers that resemble musical notes on a staff  perfect for the holiday snaps!

Seven nights at the four-star Springs Valley Hotel, on a room only basis start from 980 per person, based on two adults sharing and flying with Brussels Airlines from Heathrow (via Brussels) on 9 August. Price also includes Jinshanling Great Wall Morning Hike (36pp)

5. Taj Mahal, Agra, India

One of the most iconic buildings in the world and arguably the most romantic, the Taj Mahal is a feast for all the senses. Visitors to this wonder, are advised to travel with a guide to learn about the buildings history and misconceptions, and guidance on the best vantage points for photos without the crowds.

Return flights with Oman Air from Heathrow to New Delhi (via Muscat) start from 404 on 7 September, and a three night stay at the four-star Gateway Hotel in Agra, with views of the Taj Mahal from the terrace, on a B&B basis starts from 89 per person.

6. Christ the Redeemer, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

At the peak of the Corcovado Mountain, stands the 30m tall statue of Christ the Redeemer, keeping a watchful eye on life down below. It is the worlds largest Art Deco sculpture and for visitors, who make the pilgrimage to the top, either by foot, car or train, offers spellbinding views over the city.

Seven nights at the four-star Royal Rio Palace Hotel, in Copacabana, on a B&B basis start from 1,804 per person, based on two adults sharing and flying with KLM from Teeside (via Amsterdam) on 1 August.



7. Machu Picchu, Peru

Meaning Old Mountain in the Quechua language, this mysterious Incan citadel comprises of huge agricultural terraces, intricate stone constructions and epic hilltop views.

For those not wanting to hike the Inca Trail, there is the option of a scenic 3.5 hour train ride from Aguas Calientes that runs along the Urubamba River in the Sacred Valley with dramatic canyon walls on either side.

Return flights with Avianca from Heathrow to Lima (via Bogota) start from 950 on 15 August, and a three night stay at the three-star Inti Punku Machupicchu, in Aguas Calientes, on a B&B basis starts from 140 per person.

8. Great Pyramid of Giza, Cairo, Egypt

The Great Pyramid of Giza is the only surviving of wonder from the original list and was granted honorary status on the New7Wonders list. Visitors can go on daily tours or for the evening show, to appreciate the engineering work of this colossal structure.

Seven nights at the five-star Oberoi Mena House Hotel, in a Pyramid view room on a half board basis start from 1,439 per person, based on two adults sharing and flying with Egypt Air from Heathrow on 2 August.

Naomi Wilkinson, Marketing Director for Travel Republic, says, We wanted to celebrate the 10 year anniversary of The New7wonders of the world as they are iconic landmarks for popular holiday destinations, and are often the main inspiration for holidaymakers travel plans.

Travel Republics 2017 Summer Sale continues, with great holiday deals to the locations of the New7Wonders and other destinations.

For further information and destination inspiration, visit travelrepublic.co.uk.
Mitch McConnell has admitted that the ACA is easily fixable; but thats a threat, not a concession

We know what it would have looked like if everything had gone wrong this week.

The Senate would have quietly enjoyed its recess while leadership got close enough to a deal on Trumpcare that one small concession would have enough to engineer a quick vote a few days after everyone got back into DC.

Thats what happened when the House went on break at the end of April.

But everything hasnt gone wrong, unless youre someone who wants to uninsure 22 million, end Medicaid as we know it and reduce the value of insurance coverage for all Americans.

Starting with the ADAPT sit-in at Mitch McConnells office on the day the Senate Republican proposal for reform was revealed, the narrative around the Trumpcare story began to change, which was a small miracle given how effectively the Senate GOP had hidden the bill from any scrutiny as 13 Angry Men crafted it in secret.

Just after the sit-in was broken up, four conservative Senators  one more than was needed to kill it  tripped over themselves to oppose the bill.

They argued that Senate Trumpcare  with its trillion-dollar cuts to Medicaid over two decades and the sneak attacks on people with pre-existing conditions with state waivers on essential benefits that had gotten the Freedom Caucus on board in the House  wasnt cruel enough. They made this argument assuming the swing Republicans would crumble, as they had in the House. They hoped to define the debate as being about how many patient protections they could remove from the system the ACA built.

Mike Pence joined the fray by defining the bill within the the frame of personal responsibility. But he was too late. The visuals of the ADAPT activists being wrenched from their wheelchairs exposed the rank cruelty of such an argument, as Lisa Diedrich explains:

The rhetoric of personal responsibility denies the fundamentally interdependent condition of society. It relies on a simplistic eugenics logic that suggests whole groups of people might be deemed unfit to participate and left to die. The ADAPT activists know much is at stake in this battle over healthcare. For these activists illness and disability are not metaphors. They are real material conditions of life that require creative responses at the level of both the individual and society. They challenge us to adaptnot simply our bodies and our selves, but our societyso that everyone can participate in political and social life to the fullest extent possible. What we are seeing in this #summerofADAPT is democracy in action around the question of what kind of society we wantone that would enable the many to flourish and live valuable lives, or one that protects and enables the few?

The backlash has been vast and creative. And it has even Republican Senators we didnt think were in play have found themselves on their heels.

At a town hall Thursday filled with Indivisible activists, Senator Jerry Moran  who revealed he was against Senate Trumpcare after a vote was postponed  criticized the shoddy process that generated the bill refusing to back or oppose it, while expressing concerns about its cuts to Medicaid and people with disabilities. (The bill doesnt just cut Medicaid but its designed to drive those who might be eligible for it into debt and misery.)

That same day, Mitch McConnell was forced to acknowledge that If my side is unable to agree on an adequate replacement, then some kind of action with regard to the private health insurance market must occur.

This is Mitch McConnell making a stark admission that Obamacare is easily fixable. Its a huge revelation thats like an onion layered with significance.

To Greg Sargent it reveals a dirty little secret, it that there isnt 50 votes in the Senate to repeal Obamacare.

But there is a latent majority in Congress  or at least one in the Senate  that has more or less made peace with the ACAs spending and regulatory architecture and its fundamental ideological goals, either for political or principled reasons, or for some combination of the two.

But McConnell is also making a threat.

He knows voters will hold Republicans responsible for the health care system whether Trumpcare passes or not. Some marketplaces are suffering due to targeted GOP sabotage and a lot of Americans who outside the range of subsidies need help. A bill will need to pass.

McConnell is saying, Do you want to pass a bill that pleases our donors and our base that has demanding repeal for 7 years  or do you want to join the Obamacare team?

Nevadas Dean Heller, who came out against the bill in such severe terms that his 2018 opponent could just run his press conference as an ad against him if he turns tail, is reportedly facing a ton of pressure, along with Republican governor Brian Sandoval, from the White House and billionaire donors Sheldon Adelson and Steve Wynn.

Do you think Adelson is going to back down from the about half a billion dollars in tax breaks waiting for him in Trumpcare? And do you think Nevadans wont know who hes caving to if he does cave?

Who wins between this rock and a billionaires behind?

The stakes in the debate are getting framed differently than GOP hoped, former Obamacare chief Andy Slavitt tweeted. Not OCare broken, repeal & replace, but Safety net vs, tax cuts.

This is not the debate is not what McConnell wanted but he isnt capitulating. Hes clarifying the stakes.

McConnell needs those four conservative votes to have any hope to pass this law. Ted Cruz has been pushing an amendment that would segregate people with pre-existing conditions into a segregated market where the costs of premiums would skyrocket. And another amendment could even allow states to end Medicaid completely.

(UPDATE: The final urgent blitz to sell Senate Trumpcare will begin when Trump returns from Europe  with figures and analyses from conservative groups and Republicans that show more benefits and less disruption, should the bill pass, according to a White House official familiar with the strategy, according to the Washington Post. Vice President Mike Pence is in charge of bringing back stray Republicans and Cruz is in charge of selling his colleagues on his amendment that would segregate the sick and bring back junk, unregulated plans.)

Multifarious ways to gut Medicaid are not the kind of things you consider when youre trying to win over Dean Heller in a state that effectively expanded the program and almost passed Medicaid for all just a few weeks ago.

Slavitt says the intensity needs to be full tilt this week and amp up each following week for July to beat this thing.

McConnell, the White House and GOP donors will do doing the same. Because for them, a bipartisan bill without at least $400 billion in tax breaks for the rich and their corporations isnt just a failure. Its a threat that could end their careers. (Not that passing the most unpopular piece of legislation possibly ever proposed is a much better alternative.)

So keep calling (202-224-3121), showing up at offices and town halls, working with your Indivisible Group and help support National ADAPT, civil rights legends who helped make this debate about the kind of America we want to be.

[Image by Becker1999 | Flickr]
Uber Technologies CEO Travis Kalanick on Tuesday confirmed that he will take a leave of absence, as a company review led by Eric Holder, former U.S. Attorney General, was made public. The review sketches out a plan to make radical changes to diversify Uber in the wake of allegations of sexual harassment and discrimination.

Kalanick accepted responsibility for widespread company problems that led to the investigation in a letter to employees that was released with the report.

For the last eight years my life has always been about Uber, he wrote. Recent events have brought home for me that people are more important than work, and that I need to take some time off of the day-to-day to grieve for my mother, whom I buried on Friday, and to reflect, to work on myself, and to focus on building a world-class leadership team.

The ultimate responsibility for how things have developed and unraveled at the company rests on my shoulders, Kalanick added.

As they worked to build Uber 2.0, Kalanick needed to work on Travis 2.0 to become the leader that the company needs, he said.

While Kalanick is away, the leadership team, his direct reports, will run the company, he said. While he will be available as needed for strategic decisions, he will be empowering them to be bold and decisive so the company can quickly move forward.

The changes recommended in the report were unanimously approved by the board on Sunday, according to Liane Hornsey, chief HR officer at Uber, who said they would improve our culture, promote fairness and accountability, and establish processes and systems to make sure this would not happen again.

Company Oversight

The 13-page report, prepared by Holder and Tammy Albarran, both partners in Covington & Burling, calls for a series of dramatic changes to diversify Ubers management and workforce, as well as overhaul the corporate governance structure.

Holders firm was brought in after former engineer Susan Fowler described widespread sex harassment and retaliatory behavior at Uber in an online post.

Numerous changes already have been made at Uber, including the firing of about 20 employees found to be guilty of bad behavior, and the sacking of Ubers No. 2 executive Emil Michael.

The report recommends giving some of Kalanicks duties to other senior management officials: The company should hire a chief operating officer to run day-to-day operations  preferably someone with a background in diversity and inclusion. It should hire an independent chairperson of the board, and restructure the board to have more independent members. The company also should conduct performance reviews of top executives.

The report suggests creating an oversight board to evaluate how the company is progressing in its efforts to increase diversity, to operate using ethical business practices, and more. The company should use compensation to hold senior executives accountable.

Uber also needs to improve the companys internal controls and audit committee processes, as well as closely track agreements with employees through the use of software and other tools to ensure compliance and monitor handling of complaints.

The company should use blind resumes in its hiring to help prevent discriminatory practices. It should adopt something similar to the NFLs Rooney Rule, which essentially requires more people of color and women to be included in major hires, the report suggests.

Inmates Running Asylum

In order for Uber to improve, it needs restructuring at the top leadership level, said Rebecca Lindland, executive analyst at Kelley Blue Book.

My first reaction was theyre putting the adults in charge, she told the E-Commerce Times. You cant run a company like a frat house.

What Uber needs is a Sheryl Sandberg-like executive who can help steer a young, growing technology startup to adopt a more mature and diverse corporate culture, Lindland suggested.

Ubers problems are not unique  other startups have been known to indulge in freewheeling behavior when the checks come flying in and then have difficulty growing up.

Until I worked at a startup, I never understood the maxim that growth can kill a company, said Bennett Kelley, founder of the Internet Law Center.

Uber experienced rapid growth, and Kalanick didnt put in place the people and controls necessary to manage it properly, he told the E-Commerce Times.

The situation at Uber is more than a little strange, said Charles King, principal analyst at Pund-IT.

While the Holder report recommendations are eminently sensible, changing a company culture  particularly one that led to such a strong market position and personal enrichment of so many people  is not a trivial matter, King told the E-Commerce Times.

Its difficult to see how can the company can deliver the significant change shareholders and board members have called for under the existing structure, he said.

The companys corporate structure enables three insiders  Travis Kalanick, cofounder Garrett Camp and Ubers first employee and CEO Ryan Graves  to control a majority of the boards voting rights, King pointed out.

Absent one or two of these board members joining the call for structural change, he said, Kalanicks leave of absence may simply be the first act in a dumb show that will have little if any lasting effects.
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OLYMPIA 

With a $1.8 million federal AmeriCorps investment, the Department of Ecology is now recruiting for 300 full-time environmental positions across the state to serve in the Washington Conservation Corps (WCC).

This is an opportunity for young adults and military veterans to gain hands-on experience implementing environmental restoration projects, engaging in environmental education, and providing disaster response services for communities across the state.

To experience the wide variety of projects and opportunities WCC crews support, check out pictures and stories on Facebook, Twitter,Instagram and Flickr.

It is incredible to watch our members grow into confident, capable leaders during their service, said Gordon White, who oversees Ecologys community conservation for shoreline, wetlands, floodplains and WCC activities. After they graduate from our program, our alumni are highly desirable candidates for private sector and local non-profit entities, or state and federal employers looking for passionate, dedicated environmental stewards.

WCC is recruiting young adults ages *18-25, as well as Gulf War Era II veterans, reservists and dependents with no age restrictions. Members will begin their 11-month service term on Oct. 2, 2017.

Apply

To apply, go to www.ecy.wa.gov/wcc.

About WCC

Members plant 1 million trees annually, build or repair more than 400 miles of trail and boardwalk, and respond to local and national disasters. Typical projects range from planting native trees and shrubs along rivers and streams, building or repairing bridges and backcountry trails, or supporting responses to local or national disasters. Positions provide unique leadership opportunities in addition to paid, career-transferable job training.

In addition to career experience, benefits include the AmeriCorps Education Award of $5,815 (scholarship) upon completing 11 months of service, and 1,700 hours. Full-time members are eligible for educational loan forbearance, interest payments, health insurance, and Washington state minimum wage throughout the year.

Beginning in October, WCC AmeriCorps members will join more than 80,000 AmeriCorps members serving in 21,600 locations across the country. These members help communities tackle pressing problems while mobilizing millions of volunteers for the organizations they serve.

More than 1 million individuals across the nation have served in AmeriCorps since it was formed in 1994, providing more than 1.4 billion hours of service and earning more than $3.3 billion in education scholarships to continue their education or pay back student loans.

The $1.8 million AmeriCorps funding for these WCC positions comes from the Corporation for National and Community Service, the federal agency that oversees national volunteer service programs.

*Age restrictions are based on legislative mandate; limited exceptions may be made for Gulf War Era II veterans, reservists and dependents or participants with a sensory or mental disability.

Contact:
On a recent trip to hike up Lamoille Canyon the effects of this years big snowfall became apparent. The bridge going up the footpath to Lamoille Lake is out so we headed up the stock path.

With lots of snow still melting the stock path had lots of water on it in many places. This water has eroded the center of much of the path and where it wasnt eroded, the path was often acting like a creek.

Those people heading into the back country this summer need to expect wet hiking conditions with trails that may be in marginal shape. It is essential that hikers wear sturdy boots that provide good ankle support and are waterproof. Expect to hit snow and be prepared to accept that heading up a certain path may not be feasible and be willing to turn around.

This being said, it was 15-20 degrees cooler than down in the valley, everything was very green and the wildflowers are spectacular. So pack a lunch and on these very hot summer days take a hike in our beautiful mountains.

Friends of the Ruby Mountains were at the Lamoille Canyon trailhead giving out information and free water to visitors. Larry Hyslop and Duane Jones were giving lots of great advice. The next meeting for the Friends of the Ruby Mountains will be July 11 at 6 p.m. at the U.S. Forest Service office in Elko.

Next Saturday, July 15 is the 27th Annual Angel Lake Kids Fishing Derby. As the name implies it is held at beautiful Angel Lake just a few miles out of Wells and is about an hour drive from Elko. Besides good fishing, there will be educational booths that include casting, fish ID/cleaning, boating safety, fly tying and a hatchery fish truck filled with fish. Rumor has it that S mokey Bear will also be there. Registration will start at 7:30 a.m. and the fishing begins at 8:30. So, beat the heat and bring the kids out to Angel Lake July 15.

Wildhorse

Surface water temperatures areabove 70 degrees and fishing for trout is still pretty good. So anglers tactics need to change and they should be fishing deeper where the trout have escaped to cooler water. Anglers are still catching fish in the Hendricks and Penrod arms. Bait fishermen should use the usual worms or PowerBait for trout. Sherbet PowerBait seems to be the ticket, though other colors will still work. Spin fishermen should be using spinners and minnow imitators like Rapalas. This time of year gold, black and gold, or green and gold spinners work well. For the minnow imitating lures, black over white or silver, dark blue over white or silver and dark green over white or silver work well. Fly rodders should be trying hares ears, PTs, damselfly nymphs, damsel adults, mayglies and wooly buggers. The campground and fish cleaning station are open and on a first come first served basis. Wildhorse has been stocked with more than 18,000 catchable trout over the past couple of weeks and 61,000 total this spring! Anglers may keep one smallmouth bass 15 inches or longer from this lake.

South Fork Reservoir





There is road construction south of the state park headquarters so those wanting to access the west side of the lake will need to go in through Twin Bridges. Expect this to continue throughout the summer. The surface water temperatures have climbed into the 70s and trout fishing has slowed considerably due to this. Boaters and float tubers are starting to have better luck than shore anglers as trout transition into deeper cooler water. The trout are averaging between 13 and 17 inches with an occasional 20 inch fish being caught. Black bass are moving into vegetation at the south end of the lake. Wiper fishing is fair to good and many of the wipers appear to being caught at the south end of the lake near the buoy line along the old river bed. Anglers were having fairly good luck using PowerBait. Mayflies and damselflies are hatching, so flies such as pheasant tail nymphs, gold ribbed hares ears, pale morning duns and other mayfly as well as damselfly imitations should be used when these insects are seen on the water. Damselflies should be fished near vegetation and mayflies may be fished on more open water. South Fork has been stocked with a total of approximately 24,000 fish this spring. Anglers may keep one smallmouth or largemouth bass 15 inches or longer from this lake.

Jiggs/Zunino Reservoir





Good water level and fairly clear water have improved fishing conditions at Jiggs Reservoir and fishing is good here when the wind isnt blowing. Shore fishermen dont appear to be faring as well as boaters or float tube anglers. Remember this is a wakeless water. It is difficult to launch much more than a small rowboat or car topper due to water and shore conditions. Small spinners, PowerBait or worms should all work. While fly rodders should be using chironomids, hares ears, small nymphs and wooly buggers. Recently, brown nymphs and wooly buggers fished with a sink tip or intermediate sink line were working. Jiggs was recently stocked with approximately 2000 catchable trout.

Wilson Reservoir





The road to Wilson has been graded and tout fishing here has been good while bass fishing has been fair to good. The lake is no longer spilling over the spillway. The water in the lake is clearing and fishing conditions are good. Trout were averaging 13 to 16 inches in the lake and a bit smaller below the spillway. Expect similar conditions to South Fork.

Ruby Lake

Nwr







Bass fishing is fair to almost good as the hot weather has the water warming up. The good news is that approximately three fourths of the fish caught are keepers. With water levels up the bass are spread out more so anglers need to move until they find them. Dark plastic four to six inch grubs with sparkles in them seem to be the presentation of choice. Colors include blue, dark red, dark green, purple and motor oil. Fishing in the ditch for trout is fair. Fly rodders should try the usual assortment of nymphs under an indicator as well as wooly, seal and crystal buggers.

Jakes Creek/Boies Reservoir





The lake is full and water conditions are good for fishing with trout fishing being good and bass fishing fair but picking up. The weeds have come on and shore anglers are finding it difficult to fish from shore, so if you have a float tube, canoe or other small vessel, it will definitely help.

Cold Creek Reservoir





Fishing is good for both trout and largemouth bass. Chironomids, scuds and small nymphs (size 16 to 20) fished either right above the bottom or just under the surface appear to be working. Small dry flies are also working mid-morning and late afternoon.

Comins Lake





Fishing has been good especially for those trolling in a boat. Though shore anglers are doing well also. Fish are averaging 10 to 15 inches, including some nice fish in the 15 to 20 inch range. The usual PowerBait and worms should work, while small spinners and minnow imitations can be productive. Fly fishermen should be using chironomid patterns, nymphs with peacock herl and buggers. The lake was stocked with approximately 13,000 fish this spring. Please return any bass you catch back to the water to help the bass population rebuild.

Willow Creek Reservoir





The lake is almost to capacity and fishing for keeper crappie has been fair to good. The road is rough so care should be taken driving here. Crappie should be in the shallows among the flooded willows and shrubs though you will lose some gear. Anglers report catching crappie in the rocks fishing a small white plastic grub under a bobber. Crappie like structure, so look for submerged brush, willows and rocks.

Angel Lake





The water level is up making shore access difficult in many areas due to brush. If you have a float tube, kayak or canoe it will definitely help out. Bait anglers have seen fishing slow as aquatic insects are coming out, though fly fishermen are finding fishing very good. Fly rodders have had success using small elk hair caddis, hopper or stimulator with an olive or peacock soft hackle dropper below though any dropper fly with green or peacock herl will work. Small spinners and rooster tails should also be effective, just give them enough time to sink to the level the fish are at.

ALPINE LAKES

Due to the snow at higher elevations, travel in the high country is still difficult at this time except for experienced backcountry travelers. Lakes are starting to open up, depending upon exposure. It will be late July before many of these lakes are accessible. Island Lake is accessible and anglers report catching some brookies this past weekend. Last week access to Lamoille Lake was very difficult due to snow and the lake was about 90 percent covered in ice. The bridge on the footpath to Lamoille is out and there is lots of water on the stock path down low and lots of snow higher up. There is lots of water on the trails and a fair amount of erosion. Lakes further on the trail are still inaccessible.

STREAMS

Stream flows are dropping with some of Elko Countys streams becoming fishable. Lamoille Creek has seen a diminishing of flows but they are still very high dropping from around 250 cfs last week to 199 cfs as of this past Thursday. Lamoille Creek is fishable from the beaver ponds up, but still difficult to fish in the lower two thirds of the canyon. Streams in northern Elko County are flowing close to normal with the Bruneau at 55 cfs and the Jarbidge at 35 cfs and they are fishable Creeks in central Nevada are flowing at normal flows for this time of year and many such as Steptoe, Cleve and Ward Creeks are fishable.
As a boomer and child of the 60s, I clearly remember when plastic (polymer) stocks first made their debut in the American marketplace. I was reminded of this introduction recently when one of my daughters found a picture of me in one of our old family albums. Preserved for posterity was a faded image of a much younger me shooting a black nylon-stocked Remington Model 66 .22 autoloader with my brothers in a rural Maine woodlot.

Fast forward less than a decade from that moment and I find myself at home nervously scrolling down through the draft notices in our local newspaper cringing at the thought that in several months I could be boots down in a Mekong Delta rice paddy or Central Highlands fire base clutching a Mattel black rifle in my grimy sweaty hands. Yup, I was there when military and commercial firearms designers first began to transition from traditional steel and walnut firearms to weapons crafted of high strength polymers and lighter space age metals.

Bringing things a little closer to home, I bet that many of you reading this column today remember the furor created in the early 80s by the introduction of Anton Glocks infamous plastic pistol. His Austrian-built high capacity (17 rounds) polymer framed Glock 17 became the object of ridicule by firearms aficionados and anti-gunners alike. Traditionalists mocked the questionable import for its cheap plastic construction and unusual striker-fired mechanism. Everyone was certain that this foreign piece of crap wouldnt make it through its first magazine of ammo before falling apart or blowing into a million pieces.

On the other side of the aisle, and likewise with no scientific support to back their emotional claims, the antigun faction was chanting th at these plastic guns were undetectable by conventional airport metal detectors. Our once friendly skies, they cried, would become a death zone. In time, all these absurd claims went the way of the Dodo. Today polymer framed/stocked handguns, rifles, and shotguns rule the roost.

Despite its many advantages over traditional firearms materials, molded polymer is slippery stuff. To help overcome this inherent slipperiness and give you better control of your weapons, most firearm producers mold in some sort of checkering pattern or frictional surfaces during manufacture. In cases where these grip zones are absent or only minimally effective, many competitive shooters, tactical operators, and serious pistoleros grab a wood burning tool and begin to melt strategically oriented holes/lines/dimples into their guns plastic frames. This grip enhancement process, known as stippling, has a large and devoted following. Downsides: It works, but any inadvertent slips or bobbles are permanent, and these holey patterns once set are not easily modified. Also, your lovely handiwork may not be appreciated by anyone else; potentially compromising your guns resale or trade-in value.

Even though a number of companies (Pachmayr and Hogue, in particular) make excellent aftermarket rubberized handgun grips, rifle and shotgun stocks, the most cost-effective grip enhancing products that Ive tested to date are produced by Talon Grips of Steamboat Springs, Colorado.

Talon Grips are laser cut from reams of 0.5mm thick granulate (similar to skateboard tape) or pebble-textured rubber material in patterns precisely matching your firearms grip areas. Application of these (heat activated) self-adhesive grips couldnt be easier. Once secu red  regardless of temperature or weather conditions  theyre staying put, giving you a comfortable, secure handle on your firearm.

Although Ive put T.G.s to work on my ARs/AKs and larger handguns, I really love what they do to help me more effectively manipulate and shoot my diminutive 9mm concealed carry pistols. My friends and I have used T.G.s to good effect; not only giving us better control of our mini Springfield XDss, Ruger LCPs, Kahr CM/PMs, M&P Shields, and Glock 42 and 43s, but also by taking a lot of the bite out of these mini blasters, especially during high volume shooting sessions!

Talon Grips are currently being cut for over 200 different models of firearms from 24 domestic and foreign manufacturers. The odds are excellent that theres a Talon Grip available for your pet firearms. All Talon Grips sell for a miserly $17.99, regardless of make or model. All their grips are backed by an outstanding warranty and great customer service. Be sure to check out their extensive grip line, as well as their grips for magazine extensions, Tasers, iPhones, and travel mugs at www.talongungrips.com.

While youre there, be sure to sign up for their newsletter, post photos to their gallery, or view their how to videos. And did I mention that all Talon Grip products are made right here in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, USA?
Big bridge grant for Austin Free Access Austin Borough has qualified for a state grant to cover construction of a new bridge near the towns northern gateway. A $518,400 allotment from the Multimodal Transportation Fund will allow...

Deeds filed in Cameron County Free Access Following are real estate transactions filed with the Cameron County Recorder of Deeds: Blair A. Lundberg to Alcohol & Drug Abuse Services, Emporium, $185,000; David Jeffrey Smith to Elk Mountain...

These are the best of times for deer hunters Free Access There has rarely been a better time to be a deer hunter in Pennsylvanias northcentral region. Not only has the whitetail population been steadily rebounding, but the deer are healthier...

DuBois family leaves millions for volunteer orgs Free Access Christmas came early to seven community organizations whose work was important to the late multimillionaire Arthur F. DuBois (shown in the inset) of Coudersport. Some $3.1 million in proceeds from...
Nonprofit groups may submit announcements of upcoming events to events@elkodaily.com.

NNHA horse show July 8 at fairgrounds

ELKO  Northeastern Nevada Horsemans Association has scheduled its next show for July 8 at the Elko County Fairgrounds.

Participants can register online at http://entry.nenha.org/. Entries received by 4 p.m. Thursday prior to the show will receive an early registration discount.

NENHA is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing a fun, family friendly environment in which to show horses. The club offers four or more all-breed horse shows each year, including classes for all ages in Halter, Showmanship, English and Western Pleasure, Trail, Ranch Riding, Reining and Gymkhana Events.

Its a great place to hone horsemanship skills in an inexpensive and low pressure environment. Members and non-members alike are encouraged to participate in clinics, presentations and shows to learn new skills and spend time with like-minded horsemen.

Bow tuning and shooting clinic

ELKO  The Elko Archery Club will host a bow tuning and shooting clinic July 8 at the Elko Archery Range from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The instructor, Jim Algerio, has been a PSE prostaff shooter and bowhunter for the past 39 years. He will be doing bow tuning, broadhead tuning and will be covering form basics. Perfect for beginning archers, for those who have upcoming hunts and/or experienced shooters wanting to improve their game.

Cost is $15 per person or $20 per family (parents and kids 17 & under). Lunch will be included.

All proceeds will go to Nevada Bowhunters Association Scholarship Fund.

For more information, call Jim Algerio at 397-1614.

Catch

LEGO mania at the library

ELKO  Lego mania is back at the Elko County Library during the Summer Reading Program. From 2-4 p.m. July 8 the Library will host a LEGO Build a Better World! Family Fun Day. Bring your family and imaginations to design an amazing creation. The Library will provide the Legos to share with everyone.

This is a free event designed for all ages. No registration is necessary.

While creating a Lego invention make sure to report on your reading for a prize. For more information, call 738-3066 or visit www.elkocountylibrary.org .

Scrapbooking workshop July 8

ELKO  The Elko County Library will host a Scrapbooking Workshop on July 8, starting at 10 a.m. in the Bruce Memorial Meeting Room.

This adult program is designed to teach the basic techniques of scrapbooking. All levels of experience are welcome to attend. Supplies and equipment will be provided  just bring your pictures and an album if you have one. If you have any supplies or tools feel free to bring them.

The workshop will end at 4 p.m. It is free to the public and pre-registration is not required.

For additional information contact Annette Robinson at 738-3066.

Teen Book Club meets July 10

ELKO  Teens are invited to join the Elko County Librarys Teen Book Club, which meets July 10 at 4 p.m. The reading selection for Julys meeting is Daniel, Game Over by James Patterson.

Teens, ages 12 and up, will enjoy a lively discussion, socializing, and snacks. For more information, contact the Library at 738-3066 or visit www.elkocountylibrary.org.

Cops and Burgers at sheriffs office

ELKO  The Elko County Sheriffs office invites the public to join them for fun, food and friends at the 2017 Cops and Burgers event to help support the Nevada Special Olympics.

Stop by the parking lot at the sheriffs office between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. July 11 for your choice of hamburger, hot dog or chorizo, with chips and a drink for $6.

For delivery or auction information call 397-0040 or email orders by July 10 to amarin@elkocountynv.net.

Book club to discuss Euphoria

ELKO  On July 17, the Elko County Library Book Club will discuss the novel Euphoria by Lily King. The story is inspired by events in the life of anthropologist Margaret Mead.

The book club will meet at 6 pm in the Library Meeting Room. Copies of the book are available for check-out. All are welcome to attend.

Call Patrick Dunn at the library for more information, 738-3066.

Suicide Intervention Skills Training offered

ELKO  Training in Suicide Intervention Skills will be available August 29-30, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days.

Location of the training is the Elko School District Office, Resource Library Room at 850 Elm St

Fee for the training is $60 per person. Continuing Education Units are offered for the following Nevada boards of social work: MFT/ADGC/ Psychological. Contact Lynette at 397-1911.
The government appears to be on the fast track to privatise Air India (AI), the countrys flag carrier airline with the union cabinet giving its approval soon after a recommendation from the Niti Aayog. The chief executive officer (CEO) of the NITI Aayog revealed that it took only 15 days to come up with the report recommending total privatisation of the carrier. The Aayog did not see any need to consult the stakeholders of AIemployees, management or even the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MCA).

The last time a plan for privatisation of Indias public sector airlines had been mootedonly to be quickly abandonedwas during the tenure of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government of 200004 (PAC 2014: 154). The years following this were extremely traumatic ones for both the Indian Airlines and AI and after their merger in 2007, also for the merged entity, with a rapid deterioration of its finances.
Zimbabwe must now win both remaining matches, if they are to avoid a series defeat, but a newly inspired Sri Lanka top order stands in their way

Match Facts

July 8, 2017

Start time: 0945 local (0415GMT)

Can Graeme Cremer tighten up things on Saturday?  Peter Della Penna

Big Picture

Who would want to be a limited-overs bowler? For so long, Sri Lanka had been the home of the lower-scoring ODI, but in the past week, two totals of more than 300 have been mowed down, which suggests the island's tracks are also beginning to conform to a global trend. As with so many of the pitches during the recent Champions Trophy, two of the three pitches in this series have afforded virtually no seam movement, and no menacing turn.

While the bowlers have been defanged - Zimbabwe especially having failed to take more than five wickets in any of the three innings so far - Sri Lanka's batsmen appear to be in a good rhythm. Chief among them is Upul Tharanga, who, batting in an unfamiliar no. 4 position, has scored 198 runs in the series without having been dismissed. The openers have been in strapping form, and virtually everyone else in the top six has contributed a score as well.

Zimbabwe must now win both remaining matches, if they are to avoid a series defeat, but a newly inspired Sri Lanka top order stands in their way. The key, for them, is the discipline in their spin bowling; on Thursday, the hosts' openers were fed too many wayward deliveries in the middle overs, and found it too easy to work the ball around.

Both sides' catching is under the microscope too. On batting-friendly surfaces, wicket-taking opportunities are at a premium, and bowlers need their team-mates to convert every chance that comes their way.

Form guide

Sri Lanka WWLLW (completed matches, most recent first)

Zimbabwe LLWWL

In the spotlight

Asela Gunaratne's batting has been required only once in the series, he has contributed nonetheless with the ball, breaking substantial stands in each match. His presence in the attack is vital. While Sri Lanka wean young spinners at the top level, Gunaratne has been sort of an insurance policy - a bowler to fall back on when the front-liners are having an off day. Where Lakshan Sandakan went for 73 runs on Thursday, for example, Gunaratne returned 2 for 53 from his 10 overs, and prevented Zimbabwe's total from getting completely out of hand. While's batting has been required only once in the series, he has contributed nonetheless with the ball, breaking substantial stands in each match. His presence in the attack is vital. While Sri Lanka wean young spinners at the top level, Gunaratne has been sort of an insurance policy - a bowler to fall back on when the front-liners are having an off day. Where Lakshan Sandakan went for 73 runs on Thursday, for example, Gunaratne returned 2 for 53 from his 10 overs, and prevented Zimbabwe's total from getting completely out of hand.

Graeme Cremer came into the series with some form from the Scotland tour, and also the Pro50 at home, but is yet to make a substantial contribution in this series. Partly this is down to indiscipline. On Thursday, there were five wides down the leg side in his first over, and errors of length in most of his overs after that. As Imran Tahir has repeatedly proved this year - this Sri Lanka top order does not enjoy accurate legspin. If Cremer can tighten up his bowling, he could find himself among the wickets. It might also help if he could win a toss on occasion - by his own count, he has lost nine on the trot so far. came into the series with some form from the Scotland tour, and also the Pro50 at home, but is yet to make a substantial contribution in this series. Partly this is down to indiscipline. On Thursday, there were five wides down the leg side in his first over, and errors of length in most of his overs after that. As Imran Tahir has repeatedly proved this year - this Sri Lanka top order does not enjoy accurate legspin. If Cremer can tighten up his bowling, he could find himself among the wickets. It might also help if he could win a toss on occasion - by his own count, he has lost nine on the trot so far.

Nuwan Kulasekara might replace Nuwan Pradeep in the fourth ODI  AFP

Team news

Nuwan Pradeep, who had left the field with a thigh strain on Thursday, has been ruled out of the rest of the series. This means a spot may be open for either Nuwan Kulasekara, or 19-year-old quick Asitha Fernando, who have been drafted into the squad.* Lahiru Kumara is the other seamer in the squad. Sri Lanka may want to keep the top order and the spin attack intact.

Sri Lanka (possible): 1 Niroshan Dickwella (wk), 2 Danushka Gunathilaka, 3 Kusal Mendis, 4 Upul Tharanga, 5 Angelo Mathews (capt.), 6 Asela Gunaratne, 7 Wanidu Hasaranga, 8 Dushmantha Chameera, 9 Lakshan Sandakan, 10 Nuwan Kulasekara/Lahiru Kumara/Asitha Fernando, 11 Lasith Malinga

Ryan Burl had been unavailable for the third ODI after being briefly admitted to hospital, having unwittingly consumed food he was allergic to. Though he comes back into contention for this game, Zimbabwe may be tempted to stick with his replacement Tarisai Musakanda, who hit 48 from no. 3. Tendai Chatara had an indifferent outing in the last match, but as he remains Zimbabwe's top wicket taker in the series, will likely retain his place. Carl Mumba may also get another run as the second seamer, having returned an economy rate of 5.68 in 6.2 overs.

Zimbabwe (possible): 1 Solomon Mire, 2 Hamilton Masakadza, 3 Tarisai Musakanda, 4 Craig Ervine, 5 Sean Williams, 6 Malcolm Waller, 6 Sikander Raza, 8 Peter Moor (wk), 9 Graeme Cremer (capt.), 10 Tendai Chatara, 11 Carl Mumba

Pitch and conditions

There is likely to be more of the crosswind that was seen on Thursday, though apparently there is also some chance of a thunderstorm in the afternoon. The pitch may not be quite as batting friendly, but is expected to have plenty of runs in it.

Stats and trivia

Thursday's century was the fifth of Hamilton Masakadza's ODI career. He now sits at fourth on Zimbabwe's century-makers' list, behind Brendon Taylor (8), Alistair Campbell (7) and Grant Flower (6).

Since his return to ODI cricket following a 19-month layoff, Lasith Malinga has taken five wickets at an average of 63.60, with an economy rate of 6.25

If Sri Lanka win either of their remaining games, this will be the first ODI trophy they have won since November last year, when they beat Zimbabwe and West Indies in a tri-series.

Quotes

"There's not much you can change in one day. We will take the positives and try and and restrict them."

Zimbabwe captain Graeme Cremer on the quick turnaround

"What we need is consistency. We can lose one or two games, but if we bat well every day that's great. Some days we don't do well. If we want to improve we need to be consistent."

Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews wants his top-order men to be run machines
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Ed Sheeran is one of the biggest artists in the world at the moment and his fans cannot wait for his next European and World tour.

The 29 year-old from West Yorkshire will start his 25-date tour in Cork, Republic of Ireland, on May 4, 2018, and will conclude it on August 11, 2018 in Warsaw, Poland.

During the tour, Ed will play seven gigs in the United Kingdom, including two dates at the 90,000 capacity Wembley Stadium in London on Friday, June 15 and Saturday, June 16.

With the London dates being the closest gigs scheduled to Essex, Ed Sheeran fans from the county will be rushing to get their hands on one of those tickets.

Luckily, if you was to experience this 'Perfect' gig and have been 'Thinking Out Loud' about when the tickets are on sale, Essex Live has all the answers for you.

Tickets will go on sale via Ticketmaster's official website at 10am (BST) on Saturday, July 8 and will be split between reserved seating or unreserved standing.

There will also be a strict ticket limit of four tickets per person and per event date on this tour.

Tickets will be priced between 55 and 88 for seated tickets (including fees except delivery), whilst standing tickets will all be priced at 88 (including fees except delivery).

Ticketmaster have posted some rules regarding this tour on their website, including no under-12s are allowed in the standing area and all under-16s must be accompanied by someone aged 18 or over at all times.

Also, checks will be made around the four ticket limit and any booking found to be over the limit may be cancelled without prior notice.

Gates on the night at Wembley Stadium will open at 16.30, with the support starting at 18.00, followed by Ed Sheeran before a curfew of 22.30.

Ed Sheeran will also tackle ticket touts but cancelling any tickets found being sold on secondary selling website.

His management told our sister title the Liverpool Echo: "Ed and his team have a strict stance against anyone using secondary ticketing websites for profit.

"On this tour, any tickets that are resold will not be valid  this means no profit to touts and no one getting ripped off.

"On all the stadium dates you will be required to bring your tickets, booking confirmation and credit card, plus a valid form of ID or you will not be granted entry to the show."

If you're fortunate enough to get a ticket for one of Ed's shows, make sure you grab a 'Photograph' when you 'Sing' as you'll certainly be in 'The A Team'.

For more information or to purchase tickets, click here.
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Toxic Giant Hogweed is spreading in the United Kingdom at a rapid pace due to the recent heatwave and is causing major problems like massive blisters and ulcers if it comes into contact with the skin.

As reported by Bristol Post, the warm weather has created the perfect environment for the hazardous plant to grow at speed.

The extremely toxic plant has been known to cause third-degree burns and several children have been hospitalised after their skin was exposed to the stem.

Just last week, a cyclist spotted the dangerous plant in School Lane near Abberton Reservoir.

River Trust expert Mike Duddy said: "If you don't know what the plant is, it's exceedingly dangerous.

'It is, without a shadow of a doubt, the most dangerous plant in Britain."

Lauren Fuller, 10, from Thornbury, Bristol, was building a den by a riverbank in Scotland in 2015 when she touched the invasive plant.

An 11-year-old boy in Renfrewshire, Scotland, was hospitalised after touching the toxic plant in the park. Victims suffer horrific burn-like injuries when they make contact with it.

The boy was left with agonising blisters after he rubbed the plant's leaves on a nettle sting, thinking they were dock leaves. In 2015, four Bolton teenagers were treated in hospital for severe burns after touching giant hogweed.

Last year, two schoolchildren needed hospital treatment after red blotches on their skin developed into blisters the size of a 50p coin.

They came into contact with the cow parsley-like plant near Tickton, in the East Riding.

How to spot Giant Hogweed

Hogweed looks like the innocuous cow parsley with white flowers clustered in an umbrella-shaped head that is up to 80cm in diameter.

Look for a thick green stem spotted with dark red which varies from three to eight-centimetres thick.

Each dark red spot on the stem surrounds a hair, and large, coarse white hairs occur at the base of the leaf stalk.

It can grow up to five metres tall and its sap contains toxic chemicals which react with light when in contact with human skin, causing blistering within 48 hours.

Basically it stops the skin from protecting itself against sunlight, which can cause agonising sunburn and scarring.

Within 24-48 hours, rashes, burns and blisters may begin to appear. The toxins affect almost everyone but children are particularly sensitive.

Blisters caused by Giant Hogweed tend to heal very slowly as they can damage DNA, and severe blistering may re-occur for many years.

The blisters can also develop into phytophotodermatitis, a type of skin rash caused as a result of sensitivity to chemicals in certain plants and fruit which flares up in sunlight.

How did it get to Britain?

It's an invasive species introduced to Britain in the 19th century, but as a result it's now widespread throughout the country.

What to do if you get its sap on your skin

Wash the area immediately with soap and water.

If you feel unwell or have a severe reaction you are advised to see a doctor.
July 6

Samson Dekharn, 33, of Oakland, California was arrested on Interstate 80 for speeding 16-20 mph over limit, resident with a nonresident license, and violation of drivers license restriction. Bail: $620



Christopher J. Huff, 29, of Elko was arrested at the Scoreboard parking lot on a warrant charging theft. Bail: $1,140



Wayne M. Reynolds, 52, of Osino was arrested on Bullion Road on a warrant for loitering about a school or place where children congregate. Bail: $1,140



Amber L. Sandretto, 33, of Spring Creek was arrested at Winners Corner on a charge of domestic battery. Bail: $3,140
Internships at the European Parliament Office in Washington DC

*** Applications for our Spring 2023 intake are now OPEN***



Applications close at end of day, November 18, 2022.

Complement your studies with a genuinely international internship! The European Parliament Liaison Office in Washington DC invites recent graduates with right to work in the United States (holding a US work permit authorization) to apply for a full-time, paid internship. What better place to monitor transnational politics in action, to see global players in international affairs addressing global challenges across a range of policy areas, and to witness the interplay between decision-makers in the US and lawmakers from the European Union? Our internship consists of a three months work experience in Washington DC, with a possible two-month extension in the same office. Currently interns are allowed one day teleworking from home, per week. Intakes: Fall: September 16th - December 15th, with possible two-month extention until February 15th

Spring: March 1st - May 31st, with a possible two-month extention until July 31st Who is eligible for the EPLO internship? Please check you meet all the criteria before applying. We welcome applications from: US citizens and others holding a valid US work permit. (EPLO does not sponsor of facilitate applications for US work visas)

sponsor of facilitate applications for US work visas) University graduates. Candidates need to have completed studies at least at undergraduate level, and if selected must be able to provide an undergraduate or postgraduate official diploma parchment at least one month before the beginning of the internship.

Candidates must be available for a full-time internship from the first day of the internship cycle. We regret it is not possible to accommodate part-time arrangements or delayed starting days.

Candidates who have previously gained two consecutive months or more work experience (including internships) at any European Union institution are not eligible. EU citizens and others: Please note that it is also possible to apply for the Robert Schuman traineeship at the European Parliament's offices in Brussels, Strasbourg, Luxembourg and in EU Member States. This is primarily aimed at citizens of EU member states and accession/candidate countries, however a limited number of traineeships can be offered to nationals of other countries."

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About the European Parliament Liaison Office in Washington DC (EPLO)

The European Parliament opened its Washington Liaison Office in April 2010 to meet the growing need for contact on legislative issues between the US Congress and EU lawmakers. This came after the introduction of the Lisbon Treaty in December 2009, which gave the European Parliament expanded legislative powers within the European Union, comparable to those of the US House of Representatives.

Venue

Our Washington DC office is located on the 6th floor at 2175 K Street, NW, in the same building as the European Union Delegation to the US.

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What do EPLO interns do?

Work with staffers on specific policy areas or a broader range of transatlantic policy issues;

Participate in events and meetings with major interlocutors on Capitol Hill, executive agencies, think-tanks and NGOs;

Analyse legislation and policy discussions relevant to the transatlantic EU-US relationship;

Prepare working papers, memos and research papers for Members of the European Parliament and staffers at our headquarters;

Assist the preparation and management of visits to the US by Members of the European Parliament and senior staffers;

Support our head of outreach, with event management, content and multimedia products;

Help maintain and develop our database of contacts. Up to four interns will be accepted in the office, each assigned to one of the European Parliament's staffers charged with creating and fostering working relations between parliamentary committees and their Congressional and regulatory counterparts in the US government. EPLO staffers' work liasing with US Congress cover the following policy portfolios: Foreign affairs, international trade, security and defence, international development and human rights

Data, privacy, counter-terrorism, migration

Financial services, energy, environment

Cross-policy: Outreach and public diplomacy

Cross-policy: European Parliament Research Service You may express an interest in one or more of these portfolios in your application, it is not compulsory to do so and if selected your work will not be limited to one of these areas. Interns may be assigned more than one portfolio, or other tasks not described above.

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What might you gain from an EPLO internship?

Familiarity with policy-making, both in the US and the European Union;

An opportunity to learn by doing;

Networking opportunities with EU institutions, Congress, think tanks, NGOs and others;

Experience working in a truly multinational European team  you may also practice your linguistic skills;

Access to a vibrant network of current and former interns;

Overall: a career-enhancing experience leaving you better-equipped for a future role in politics, international organisations, NGOs or the corporate sector.

Remuneration and conditions

A monthly stipend of around USD1350 will be granted for the duration of the internship in Washington DC and optional two-month extension.

Accident and sickness insurance.

Interns may take two days of personal leave per month.

Interns are required to make their own housing arrangements.

Currently interns are expected to work from the office, with an optional one teleworking day per week.

How to apply

Applications for the Spring 2023 intake are now OPEN Please check you meet all eligibility requirements before applying. You will need to submit: Your CV in the EU's Europass format (available here)

A statement of interest, maximum 500 words, which should specify your preferred policy portfolio(s), if relevant You need to request: One recommendation letter by a university faculty member (required).

One additional letter of recommendation, e.g. from an employer, may also be submitted (optional). Your CV and statement of interest must be sent to epwashington.internship@europarl.europa.eu. All referees must send their letters of recommendation directly to the same email address until end of day, November 18, 2022. References sent by candidates themselves cannot be considered. You may also send queries to this email.

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Internships at the EU Delegation to the USA
Im a big fan of niche financial markets as well as learning about how NOT to invest. This leads me this week to the life settlements industry, and a subset of that business known as viaticals.

For those of us who had to Google the definition of viaticals, it basically allows you to invest in death.

Living owners of life insurance policies sometimes seek to sell their policies on the secondary market before they die to receive a lump sum of money as well as to relieve themselves of the obligation of keeping up expensive life insurance premiums. The investor pays the lump sum, maintains the policy premiums, and then collects the death benefit when the original policy owner dies.

Lets say you have terminal cancer and a $100,000 policy that costs $500 a month: a life settlement investor would give you $50,000 to enjoy before you die, pay the monthly premiums until then and collect the full kitty after you pass.

Ideally, for the investor, you die quickly and before the premium costs eat up returns.

While regulated and considered legal transactions in 42 states, theres an obvious ick-factor to life settlements, as investors essentially bet on, and benefit from, your early death.

The faster you die, the greater their profits.

Which when you think about it, you know, ick.

A life insurance policy for someone who beats the odds and lives a long time will end up costing the investor, who pays too much in premiums for too long to make a profit.

Viaticals, a subset of life settlements, refers specifically to investing in policies of terminally ill patients, who have less than two years to live, or the chronically ill, who arent able to perform two activities of daily living like eating, bathing or dressing oneself.

For the policy purchaser, you can see how a life insurance policy of a terminally ill person on deaths door is worth a lot more than the life insurance policy of someone whos chronically ill.

The legitimate financial cases for buying a secondary life insurance policy are twofold. First, terminally ill or elderly folks may need access to their cash today for end-of-life care. The industry first grew up as a response to the crisis of terminally ill and relatively young men with AIDS in the late 1980s. They needed money right away and worried less about heirs or estate-planning.

Those earliest pools of viaticals, dedicated to purchasing AIDS policies, blew up catastrophically for investors in the mid 90s, when a miracle cocktail combining protease inhibitors and two other drugs transformed HIV from a death sentence to a chronic illness. The insured survived, and investors lost everything.

The second major category of sellers today are often older high net-worth folks who purchased life insurance as an estate-planning tool, but who later find their estate-planning needs have changed, and they no longer want to maintain their policy.

The ick-factor associated with viaticals is not the main reason why Id urge you to avoid this business opportunity, should it ever come your way. Rather, Id avoid life settlements because the industry seems to attract both fraud and financial blowups.

The fraud probably happens because life settlements and viaticals are just niche-y and opaque enough to attract a certain type of scheme-promoter who knows how to appeal to a risk-taking investor. That risk-taking investor, in turn, usually thinks theyve found a relatively hidden, low-risk, high-return way to invest.

Fraud in the industry has been perpetuated in a variety of clever ways.

My friend Michael Stern, a successful veteran of the life settlements industry, described to me a few of the classic scams.

In Texas, one of the industrys most notorious operators, Life Partners Inc., filed for bankruptcy in 2015 following $46.9 million in court-imposed fines against the company and its main executives for fraud and insider trading. The Wall Street Journal reports that Life Partners depended upon a physician  working on commission  who assigned shortened life-expectancies to policyholders where independent estimates would have been much longer. Those short-life estimates juiced the price at which the operators could sell life insurance policies to relatively unsophisticated investors.

Following that, maintaining the policies sometimes got too expensive for those investors, so the Life Partners executives repurchased policies from their customers to the financial benefit of insiders, leading to insider trading fines. The executives seem to have avoided jail time, and the business exited bankruptcy in December 2016, to be liquidated for the benefit of investors.

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Stern explained to me that because policies are expensive for existing investors to maintain, some operators have fallen into the illegal practice of paying off old investors with new incoming investors, the classic definition of a Ponzi scheme.

Stern also mentioned that his industry now has learned to blacklist or avoid purchasing policies from certain zip codes with a preponderance of fraudulent medical reports, where a medical examiner is likely boosting the value of policies by diagnoses which exaggerate the risk of imminent death.

In the U.S. Virgin Islands last year, a viatical investment gone awry blew a $50 million hole in the territorys government pension plan, a plan that was already in distress. The 2016 auditors report reads like a what the heck just happened? story.

Although the life settlements industry remains a relatively small few billion dollars in policies per year, compared to the, maybe, $20 trillion in outstanding traditional life insurance, it has attracted some large and sophisticated investors, including Apollo Global Management and American International Group Inc.

As a side note, I decided long ago that when I write my first novel  a financial thriller obviously  the main plotline will involve a hedge fund dedicated to viaticals.

Could a certain unscrupulous hedge fund manager, maybe, put a thumb on the scale to speed along the process of death? Nothing too obvious, you know, just some prudent risk management and juicing of returns on the margins.

The patients were already pretty sick, you understand, so its a mercy, really. Think Robin Cooks Coma meets Michael Lewis The Big Short.

While viaticals make a brilliant premise for a creepy novel, my financial advice is to leave this investment opportunity entirely to the professionals, partly for the ick-factor, and partly because they are best equipped to navigate the fraud and blowups that seem to follow this industry niche.

Michael Taylor is a columnist for the Express-News, a former Goldman Sachs bond salesman and writes the Bankers-Anonymous.com finance blog.

michael@michaelthesmart money.com or @Michael_Taylor
A Boerne man was sentenced to three years probation in the U.S. District Court in San Antonio Thursday for hacking into his former employer and shutting down the companys trading system.

Brian Neal Bond, 40, who had held a number of other tech jobs in the area, hacked into computers at Advisors Asset Management, a Colorado-based financial planning firm, according to court documents. He pleaded guilty in March to one count of computer intrusion and damage.

He paid his former employer more than $10,000 to compensate for its losses.

Bond had worked for the company in its facility in Boerne, Texas for several years as the facilitys information technology help desk manager, according to court documents.

He left the company in April 2015, but beginning in June 2015 and continuing to January 2016 he continued to access the companys computers  more than 100 times. Bond admitted to on January 12, 2016 shutting down the companys trading system, and deleting a file that was essential to the trading systems ability to operate, according to court documents.

When Bond filed a motion to dismiss in February, he claimed he was able to access to the computers because his password had never been restricted after he left the company.

Bond did not procure any personal or financial data from any entry, nor did he share any such information, according to the filing. He also did not realize or attempt to realize any profit from the access.

Bond was said to have left the company on good terms, according to court documents. He left AAM to work for a local office of Camber Corporation, a federal contractor that provides technical services to U.S. Courts, according to court documents.

He also had his own local company called Bond Computers, according to his LinkedIn profile. And he may have also spent time working for San Antonios Globalscape from May 2016 to February 2017, according to a copy of his resume uploaded to what appears to be a personal website. Bond declined to comment for this story.

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Globalscape spokesman Mike Spinney said he could neither confirm nor deny whether Bond worked at the data services company.

He is a really good person, who made a bad decision, his lawyer Kevin Collins, told U.S District Judge Xavier Rodriguez. He added that Bond reached out to the company and apologized on his own before there was even an inkling of a criminal case.

Bond apologized Thursday to both the court and the company, and Collins said Bond is trying to do what he can today to provide for his four children and wife.

Hes had a long fall from grace, Collins said. He had good employment with very good pay; he now mows lawns.
ELKO  Local firefighters responded to three new wildland fires Thursday, while a blaze in extreme northeastern Elko County grew to 45,000 acres Friday morning.

The Dry Gulch fire has been burning since Tuesday in brush and tall grass. It is 10 percent contained and the cause is under investigation, the BLM reported.

No structures are currently threatened and firefighters are coordinating efforts with ranchers to ensure protection of grazing allotments.

The region has experienced an extremely wet winter and this has fueled Nevadas wildfire season to an early start, with vast amounts of vegetation, said Carrie Thaler, incident commander. Also, we are in red flag warning until 10 p.m. Saturday due to dry thunderstorms and gusty winds.

There are a number of resources assigned to the fire, including two type-3 helicopters, three heavy air tankers, six single-engine air tankers, two hand crews, the Alta Hotshot crew and six engines.

We have a lot of new resources and personnel joining the firefighting effort today added Thaler. Our major objective is to coordinate all of our incoming resources and work on securing the northern border of the fire.

Meanwhile, a new fire that started Thursday on the edge of Elko burned 5 acres near Mountain City Highway and Jennings Way. Three Nevada Division of Forestry engines, a bulldozer and water tender responded.

The fire was listed as human-caused but NDF did not know what the ignition source was.

A lightning-caused fire was reported near Flower Pass at the south end of the Pequop range. Three single-engine air tankers were fighting the blaze, along with ground engines.

A third fire was burning on Spruce Mountain in southeastern Elko County. Eight smokejumpers, two federal engines and an NDF water tender responded. The cause was not listed.

There were no details on size, nor estimate of containment, on the two fires.
Joe Brandesky Jr., who has been studying Russian and Czech theater for about 30 years, was at a production of Hamlet in Russia a few years ago that inspired ire in a colleague.

The staging starred film and television stars, and the play had been sliced and diced in an effort to showcase the actors skills.

At intermission, one of my colleagues from the museum there was smoking furiously and agitated, and she said, in Russian, What have they done to our Shakespeare? recalled Brandesky, who teaches at Ohio State University in Lima. Every nation, seemingly, appropriates Shakespeare.

Thats a driving idea behind Shakespeare in Prague: Imagining the Bard in the Heart of Europe, an exhibit that Brandesky curated.

It opens Monday in the Semmes and Student galleries in the Kelso Art Center at the University of the Incarnate Word.

San Antonio is the one of just two cities to host the exhibit. It was shown earlier this year at the Columbus Museum of Art in Columbus, Ohio, which developed the show in conjunction with the Ohio State Universitys College of Arts and Sciences Arts Initiative and the Arts and Theater Institute and the National Museum in Prague in the Czech Republic.

Its being displayed here because Margaret Mitchell, who teaches costume design at the University of the Incarnate Word, happened to run into Brandesky when they were both in Prague about two years ago. He asked her if shed be interested in exhibiting Shakespeare in Prague, and she agreed to try to raise the money to bring it here.

She wasnt entirely sure it would be possible, but ultimately, $65,000 was raised for the show.

Brandesky, a native of nearby Poth, Texas, is pleased to have the exhibit in San Antonio.

This is home for me, he said. I want people here to see this, too.

Prague has a long history with Shakespeare. Touring companies from London performed his works there in the Bards lifetime, Brandesky said, and his plays remain popular to this day. The exhibit takes a look at designs and designers working in the 20th and the 21st centuries. It includes those who worked during times of great turmoil, including during the German occupation in World War II and during the Communist era that followed, ending in 1989.

People lost their lives, Mitchell said. People were imprisoned.

The reason I got interested is because the show is a political show and a social justice show. The show is about artistic response to oppression.

Even during periods when other forms of artistic expression were being censored, Shakespeare was not. So theater artists turned again and again to the Bard.

Shakespeare was being used to say what they couldnt say out loud, Brandesky said. And they would always say, if there were censors, Thats Shakespeare, thats not us. Not exactly true.

Among the drawings in the show is an elaborate 1936 design that Frantisek Troster created for a production of Julius Caesar. An enormous bust of Pompei looms over the stage. The face bears a resemblance to Benito Mussolini, the fascist leader of Italy at the time.

They use Shakespeare to reflect the current political situation, Brandesky said.

The design may bring to mind the recent controversial staging of Julius Caesar in New York in which the title character resembled President Trump, he said, but this is more subtle.

Across the gallery is a space dedicated to Frantisek Zelenka, a Jewish designer. It includes playful set and costume designs for a 1926 production of Much Ado About Nothing, one of more than 130 productions he designed in his lifetime, according to an essay in the exhibition catalog. He and his fellow artists continued to create after being relocated to the Terezin ghetto in 1943. The exhibit includes Zelenkas design for a production of Richard III that was being rehearsed there when he and his family were sent to Auschwitz in 1944. They died in the concentration camp.

While he was in Terezin, he designed something like 29 or 30 productions, Brandesky said.

The artists in Terezin, he said, were the highest trained people, probably in all of central Europe. There were composers, there were musicians, painters, artists, and they were making stuff out of nothing because they couldnt not do it. Its another way that Shakespeare was used to express life in the face of tough stuff.

The exhibit includes more contemporary work, as well, including a long, narrow white sheath worn by an actress playing Gertrude in a production of Hamlet in which all the characters were similarly attired  The idea was to make everyone constricted and nobody could move, Brandesky said  and a costume for Regan in a 1998 production of King Lear in which the actress was dressed in a slinky evening gown accented with militaristic touches such as epaulettes.

There is also a maquette for a 2011 production of King Lear that included a swimming pool. In the first scene, the king demanded that his three daughters prove their love for him by diving into the pool.

When Goneril goes in, the splash shows up on the digital screen (behind the pool) as a bunch of Nazi flags; when Regan jumps in, its the old Soviet flags. And of course, Cordelia, she wants to  she wants to please Dad  but she cant do it, Brandesky said.

At the end of the production, the bodies of the dead king and Cordelia are hung in an art gallery. The other characters walk around the space, plainly bored by the display. The question being raised, Brandesky said, is what do we think about the kind of violence that is done to good people? Were pretty much Yeah. What else is on? Thats how (the designers) contemporize these things.

A colleague told him that the audience response was mixed, with some walking out and some giving standing ovations.

The plays represented in the show help illustrate why Shakespeares work continues to resonate in productions around the world centuries after his death in 1616. Its because he was writing about the human condition, Brandesky said.

And the human condition in all of its beauty and horror and grotesquery, he said. Its everything. Humor. Love. Sex. Horrible crimes and crimes for usually self-aggrandizement or power or more money. Shakespeare is writing about us. Warts and all.

A major theme throughout his plays is duplicity  the two-sided natures of things. You can say one thing and do another with no problem. And as far as Im concerned, the youth are the ones who pay the price for older peoples foibles and machinations. Often in the tragedies, they pay the price for the seemingly endless problems that adults cause for not very good reasons.

Shakespeare in Prague: Imagining the Bard in the Heart of Europe can be seen Monday through Sept. 29 in the Semmes Gallery and the Student Gallery in the Kelso Art Center at the University of the Incarnate Word, 4301 Broadway. It can be seen from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays-Fridays. A study guide will be available.

dlmartin@express-news.net

Twitter: @DeborahMartinEN
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Central Texas police have arrested a man accused of being the driver behind a Fourth of July hit-and-run accident that left an off-duty Comal County corrections officer dead.

The Comal County Sheriffs Office has announced that Cynthia Young, 60, who worked for the department, was killed Tuesday in Marble Falls after a fireworks show.

Yesterday was a difficult day for all of us at the office. We heard the news that morning and verified that it was indeed accurate, Sheriff Mark Reynolds said Thursday. Our flag outside the law enforcement center was already at half-mast due to the police officer being shot in San Antonio. It will remain at half-mast until Cindys services.

On Tuesday, Young and her family were walking back to their car after the Fourth of July show when a driver ran a stop sign and struck her, according to the sheriffs office.

Young was transported to a nearby hospital and later died, officials said.

Thomas Pfeifer Jr., 33, was arrested Wednesday and charged with leaving the scene of an accident involving a death, according to Burnet County records and a Marble Falls Police Department news release.

Pfeifer, who was identified through witness information, is accused of hitting Young. He turned himself in at the police department, according to the news release.

Cynthia always had a smile and was a valuable member of the sheriffs office, reads a post on the Comal County Sheriffs Office Facebook page. She was loved by many. We shall miss her a lot.

Reynolds affirmed that, saying, She had a smile that could brighten anyones day. She was a fantastic employee and a great friend.

Young had been a nurse as part of the medical staff at the jail, Reynolds said. When the county went to a private contractor for medical services for the jail in 2014, she made a career switch and became a corrections officer as a county employee. She did her job with great zeal. She was the type of person who would always go above and beyond, Reynolds said.

She was just a delightful person. She was loved by so many. were going to miss her a lot, he added.

kbradshaw@express-news.net

Twitter: @kbrad5

zeke@express-news.net

Twitter: @ZekeMac
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AUSTIN - Republicans could face catastrophe at the ballot box next year if they fail to repeal the Affordable Care Act, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz said Thursday, advocating that they ditch the law even if they cant immediately agree on a replacement.

The position lines up with President Donald Trumps call for Republicans in the U.S. Senate to repeal the health care law if they cant pass what theyre currently working on, then replace it later.

Absolutely, Cruz said when asked by reporters about that option, adding that he and U.S. Sen. Mike Lee of Utah had suggested the plan in January. He said the effective date of a clean repeal would be delayed a year or two to work on the details of a replacement.

Cruz is among conservative Republicans who objected to the Senates health care reform bill, instead offering changes that he said would provide more affordable options. As long as insurers offer one insurance plan that complies with the requirements in federal health care law, he said, they should be able to sell any other plan that consumers desire. Critics say the proposal would cause the insurance market to buckle.

The Senate opposition is being blamed for imperiling passage of a measure, but Cruz said at a town hall meeting at the upscale Renaissance Austin Hotel that he has spent the last six months working hard to bring Republicans together, to bring conservatives and moderates and leadership and the administration all together, and get this done.

I still believe we can get it done, he said. I believe we can get to yes. I dont know if we will.

He said that the central focus must be reducing premiums  making health insurance more affordable.

Asked by reporters about the political ramifications of the effort in the 2018 elections, Cruz said, After seven years of promising voters over and over again, If you elect us, were going to repeal Obamacare, I think the consequences could be catastrophic of failing to do it.

But he said that even a worse outcome would be passing a measure that doesnt address skyrocketing insurance premiums, invoking the prospect of a Democratic return to power.

Thats how you get a Speaker (Nancy) Pelosi, or a (Senate) leader Chuck Schumer, he said.

The Austin event was one of the Defend and Reform town halls hosted by Concerned Veterans for America. About 100 anti-Cruz protesters gathered across the street from the hotel before the event started. About 100 people were inside, at the town hall, including a small group of hecklers with whom Cruz engaged.

The hecklers piped up when Cruz advocated more health care choices for veterans. They urged a pro-choice stand that included womens right to choose what to do with their bodies.

As Cruz took a bit of time to explain his health care position, one called out, Youre filibustering. How are you going to improve health care?

Cruz finished his point, then asked the moderator to allow one member of the group who had requested to respond to speak. Gary Marsh  a 67-year-old retiree from Austin who described himself to reporters as a dirty liberal progressive  cited veterans who would lose Medicaid coverage if the program were restricted. He also pushed back at Cruzs description of Democratic false promises about the Affordable Care Act.

Everything you just said about the Democrats being deceptive is exactly how you all are defining whats going on in health care right now, Marsh told Cruz.

Cruz listened, then responded by saying the Affordable Care Act dramatically expanded Medicaid, but cited a shortage of doctors in the program and said people on the program have worse health outcomes than those on private insurance.

I think its critical for Republicans to honor our promise to repeal Obamacare, Cruz said, drawing applause, then added, This is where you and I are actually going to agree  it may surprise you  I think the central focus has to be on reducing premiums, on making health insurance more affordable.

The protesters who gathered outside before the event decried Cruz as the face of health care changes they say will hurt Texans.

Bob Kafka, state organizer with the disability rights group ADAPT, said that Republicans have declared war on people with disabilities with proposed health care changes. He said Cruzs proposal would be disastrous.

This bill is bad, Kafka said. He wants to make it worse. Go figure.

pfikac@express-news.net
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As Dallas police volunteered their time to help the colleagues of fallen officer Miguel Moreno ahead of his funeral today, shows of support and condolences continued for the 9-year SAPD veteran who was fatally shot last week.

SAPD Chief William McManus said he was thankful for the outpouring of support as he prepared to address local and Dallas officers in an afternoon roll call Thursday.

Its great to see that support coming from other law enforcement and you expect that, McManus said. We have a great community in San Antonio that has been so supportive especially when these types of things happen.

Moreno was exiting his police vehicle to investigate a call for a suspicious person when he was fatally shot in the head by Andrew C. Bice on June 29 near West Evergreen and Howard streets, authorities said. He died the next day.

About 20 Dallas officers volunteered to work the B-shift, the same hours Moreno worked, out of SAPDs central substation, where Moreno had been based.

Moreno, a 2002 Lanier High School graduate, was a middle child with one brother, also an SAPD officer, and three sisters.

He was with his partner officer Julio Cavazos, who survived a bullet to the chin that became lodged in his chest. He walked out of the hospital when he was released Wednesday.

They wanted to push him out in a wheelchair, he would not have any part of that, McManus said. My understanding is that hes doing real well. Thats not to say hes all better, but I think hes doing very well.

The Dallas police assistance was to allow officers who worked the shift alongside Moreno to attend his viewing Thursday night and todays funeral.

During the viewing, visitors and officers from agencies both in and around the state united to pay their respects to Moreno and his family at Porter Loring Mortuary downtown.

Juan Leal, 64, came out of Morenos viewing emotionally surprised.

Leal has a son who is a police officer and is currently serving in the military. He said his son has told him about the so-called brotherhood between officers.

That brotherhood is something he can now attest to, as well.

It must be true what they say, Leal said. You can feel the brotherhood once you come in.

The viewing was crowded but quiet, Leal said.

I've been to funerals  but this one was different, Leal said. It's like their real brother died.

Maria Martinez, 60, said she came to the viewing to pay respects to Moreno and thank the officers who she said have saved her in the past.

I'm grateful because these boys and these ladies keep us safe, Martinez said. Could you imagine a world without them?

Martinez said it was really hard for her to be at the viewing. She has a 37-year-old son who suffers from post-traumatic stress syndrome, who is only five years older than Moreno.

I didn't know the young man but, as a mother.  Martinez paused before adding, I would die of a broken heart.

Officers from the North Richland Hills police, Elmendorf police, Converse police, Fort Worth police and deputies from the Brazos County Sheriffs Office also were seen at the viewing.

McManus said numerous agencies had expressed interest in attending Moreno's funeral, but he didnt know exactly how many would be there.

I've gotten personal notifications from chiefs all over the country, McManus said. That's not to mention the other ones that have come into the department in general.

Dallas officer Demarcus Turner, a seven-year veteran, was among police volunteering for Thursday's B-shift.

We're here to support our brothers and sisters in blue, Turner said. Thats what were going to do today and tomorrow.

Today also marks a year since an ambush left four DPD officers dead. A Dallas Area Rapid Transit officer also was killed in the shooting.

SAPD officers came down a year ago to help us, and so today were here to do the same thing, Turner said.

While McManus said there has been a lot of support, he took a moment to address crimes against police.

There is a small number of people, not only here but around the country, that think it is OK to berate police, to badger police, insult police, McManus said firmly. And it's not OK. I'm here to tell you today it's not OK.  I don't know what end can possibly come from that.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, who will be attending Morenos funeral, echoed the sentiment, saying in a news release: Respect for our law enforcement officials must be restored in this nation.

He added, It is our officers who stand between us and all that threatens, and we must stand behind them by sending a clear message that attacks on our men and women in blue will not be tolerated.

Morenos funeral services are open to the public and are set to begin at 10 a.m. at Community Bible Church.

Abbott has asked that all law enforcement officers turn on their red and blue lights for one minute at that time as part of a statewide call to stand with law enforcement in Texas.

Todays service marks the second time in 49 days that San Antonio will pause to honor the life and service of a fallen first responder.

Firefighter Scott Deem was killed in a blaze May, 18 and the community rallied during the week leading up to his burial.

Just as city firefighters led a procession to Community Bible Church, SAPD will lead a procession to the place of worship in the 2400 block of North Loop 1604 East.

The procession will begin at Alamodome Parking Lot B at 8 a.m. It will head north on Interstate 37 to U.S. 281, then to Loop 1604 headed east, where it will take the Redland Road exit and take the turnaround to the church.

A public memorial service will start at 10 a.m. at the church. A private burial to follow is reserved for family and authorized SAPD personnel.

In addition to Abbott, McManus and Mayor Ron Nirenberg will speak at the service.

jbeltran@express-news.net
Last week, San Antonio Police Officer Miguel Moreno was ambushed in much the same way that five Dallas officers were killed and nine others wounded at the end of a protest last year.

Moreno and his partner, Officer Julio Cavazos, were shot June 29 as they stepped out of their marked cruiser and approached two men near San Antonio College, just north of downtown.

There are four criteria for a killing to be considered an ambush, according to the International Association of Chiefs of Police:

An element of surprise

Concealment of the killer, weapon or intentions

A suddenness to the attack

A lack of provocation

According to the IACP, there are two kinds of ambushes: entrapment and spontaneous. The kind that happened in Dallas is considered an entrapment ambush or a premeditated one. Moreno's killing, meanwhile, would be classified as spontaneous, a crime of opportunity in which the assailant decides to attack as the officer approaches him or her, according to the IACP. Most of the killings reported to the FBI are spontaneous.

Ambushes are on the rise in general, according to FBI reports on law enforcement killings and assaults. The number of ambush attacks on officers rose from 179 in 2006 to 248 in 2010 and then again in 2013, when they reached 267, according to the data.

Yet, according to other FBI data, officer killings are on the decline after climbing from 48 in 2008 to 72 in 2011. The number fell further to 27 in 2013.

Between January 1, 2016 and the day before the Dallas attack, 22 officers had been killed by gunfire, according to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund. In the same roughly six-month period this year, 24 officers.
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Growing up on the West Side, Miguel and Arturo Moreno did everything together: play games, watch cartoons, prank their three sisters, compete in sports.

Arturo Moreno always knew that his older brother had his back, even years later at Lanier High School, where Miguel was a senior and Arturo was a freshman. The two would drive to school together every morning in Miguels red 1996 Ford Mustang.

Miguel was an intelligent, independent, very competitive, self-driven individual, Arturo Moreno recalled. He always looked out for me.

During a two-hour funeral Friday morning, Arturo Moreno  joined by hundreds of police officers, friends, family and strangers  honored his brother, a San Antonio police officer who was killed in a shootout north of downtown last week.

The funeral  by turns religious, joyful, reflective and somber  celebrated the life of a man who served the city for nine years, most recently on the Central B shift. Speakers remembered Moreno as a hard worker who was proud to be a San Antonio police officer.

But he also had an adventurous side, as seen in a video tribute. He loved to fish, once making a catch that extended past his arms. He would frequently ride his Harley-Davidson motorcycle. He went sky diving and zip lining. He made frequent trips to Las Vegas. He stood below the Eiffel Tower.

He was quiet, confident, very athletic and carried with him a big, pearly white smile, said Officer Joshua Flanagan, who was in the same cadet class. Mo was also funny and quick with a joke. He had an easy manner about him. He was simply someone you wanted to know.

Moreno, 32, was shot and killed near the Tobin Lofts apartments on East Evergreen Street and Main Avenue on June 29 after approaching two men while on directed patrol. He died the next day.

Moreno was accompanied by Officer Julio Cavazos, who was critically injured in the shootout. Cavazos, 36, received a standing ovation during the service, which fell on the anniversary of the Dallas shooting that left five police officers dead.

The service also included remarks from Gov. Greg Abbott, Mayor Ron Nirenberg and Police Chief William McManus, who became impassioned as he talked about the number of police officers killed in the line of duty.

Less than eight months ago, McManus attended a funeral for Detective Benjamin Marconi, who was ambushed in front of police headquarters in November. Morenos funeral comes less than two months after the death of San Antonio firefighter Scott Deem, who was killed in a Northwest Side blaze.

Its the deadliest period for civil servants in the city since 1989, when three police officers and one firefighter were killed in the span of seven months, according to data from the San Antonio Police Department website.

What other job requires a person to wear body armor at the start of their workday? McManus asked. What other job requires someone to be careful where they eat because someone may drop something in their food because they dont like cops? And why in the world would someone have to sit with their back to the wall? These are everyday realities for police officers nationwide.

After the service, McManus said his strong words were needed.

A lot of folks try to be politically correct about it, McManus said. Im tired of being politically correct about this issue.

Hundreds of officers gathered outside after the service, standing at attention as their comrade was led out in a casket draped with an American flag. The Police Departments Honor Guard performed a three-volley salute, and three helicopters flew overhead.

Officers lifted the flag off the casket. The flag then was carefully folded and presented to Morenos mother, Sofia, and father, Miguel, whose face wrinkled and whose eyebrows furrowed as he looked down at the flag.

Soon, the last call echoed over the radio, retiring Morenos badge number at 12:13 p.m. As Amazing Grace played in the background, Morenos casket was carried to a horse-drawn hearse.

He was buried in a private ceremony for family and authorized San Antonio police officers.

To support the police

The days commemorations began with a procession from the Alamodome that included about 600 officers from various Texas agencies  a reminder of how tight-knit the law enforcement community is.

As the procession departed, 7-year-old Matthew Medrano stood alongside Cherry Street watching. He held a black-and-white American flag with a blue stripe across the middle, a flag designed to commemorate law enforcement.

As the patrol cars turned onto Cherry, Matthew waved the flag, smiling and waving to the officers. One officer came up to say hello and shake his hand.

Matthew, who was accompanied by his grandparents, said he attended the procession to support the police.

Mark Martinez, whose childhood friend Oscar Perez was an SAPD officer killed in the line of duty in 2000, also was there to pay his respects. He said that anytime a law enforcement officer is killed, it brings back memories of the friend hed known since kindergarten.

Its just ridiculous that it happened again, Martinez said. It was just an officer doing his job, and some idiot killed him. It was a senseless killing.

These guys need our support, Martinez added. They get a bad rap, but theyre just trying to do their jobs.

From the Alamodome, the procession traveled north on U.S. 281 to Community Bible Church on Loop 1604, where the service was held. A separate motorcade including Morenos family, his cadet class and his shift mates followed.

Supporters gathered over several overpasses to watch the procession. Detective Alfred Cruz, a 15-year veteran of the force, held open a black flag with a blue line as he stood alongside roughly 30 of his colleagues on the Stadium Drive overpass.

On the day of the shooting, Cruz saw both Moreno and Cavazos at roll call, a casual headcount that occurs at the start of every shift.

They were joking around and having fun, everyone was laughing maybe an hour before the shooting, Cruz said. Then an hour later, I hear that they were shot. Its just really surreal, to know thats a reality.

Cruz graduated from Lanier High School before Moreno. Their Voks pride was a bonding point, in addition to being officers.

Seeing the procession of police vehicles from so many agencies moved Cruz, who appeared somber as he spoke. Its the second time in a little over a month that hes been at the overpass. He was there when firefighter Deems procession passed through May 26.

It just kind of makes you realize the reality of the job, just how life can be cut short so soon, Cruz said. Something like this is very profound, for us at least.

A boy from the West Side

Miguel Moreno III was born to Miguel and Sofia Moreno on Aug. 27, 1984.

He grew up on Chihuahua Street, where he shared a bedroom with brother Arturo and played pranks on his sisters, JoAnn, Jennifer and Sarah.

Morenos parents were strict, and early on they stressed the importance of education. In 2002, Moreno graduated from Lanier, where he was a linebacker on the football team.

I was motivated by him, my role model, the positive influence in my life, Arturo Moreno said during the service. I wouldnt have believed it was possible to go to university if it were not for my brother.

Miguel Moreno attended the University of Texas at Austin, where he received his bachelors degree before going to the San Antonio Police Training Academy in 2008. Each day, he would come home exhausted, beat up and hungry, his brother recalled.

But he never once complained to me or anyone, Arturo Moreno said. He accepted the challenge and refused to lose and pushed through every day.

At the academy, Moreno excelled both academically and athletically, his classmates recalled. He was affectionately called Big Mo.

One day, Moreno and the other cadets were allowed to play basketball. It was a big deal because the senior cadet class always coveted the court. The cadets had one instruction: Do not get hurt.

Two minutes into the game, the ball was rolling off the court and Moreno dove for it, slamming his head into the wall.

He was obviously hurt, but shrugged it off for the sake of the game, not getting himself or his classmates in trouble, said Officer Flanagan, from Morenos cadet class, recalling a story another cadet told him.

Soon after joining the force, Moreno was assigned to the B Shift, a coveted spot in the department because so many calls come in at that time.

Mo always caught his bad guy, one colleague recalled. He was persistent and diligent. He loved being a cop. He did his job well and with honor.

Arturo Moreno followed in his brothers footsteps, attending the University of Texas at San Antonio and joining the training academy in 2010.

I still remember Miguels huge smile, Arturo Moreno recalled, his voice cracking. He was so proud of me, cause his little brother succeeded just like him.

During his off time, Moreno loved to travel. He would bring a Spurs or San Antonio piece of clothing with him wherever he went. He was a regular at the Thirsty Horse Saloon on the North Side, and he could dance to almost anything. He knew all the lines to the 1987 film The Predator, and his Arnold Schwarzenegger impersonation was spot-on.

The ladies loved him, and he loved them right back, Flanagan said, recalling another story from a colleague. He was always a cool, collected guy.

But more than anything, friends and family recalled, Moreno was a doting brother, son and uncle. He was a proud cop, who would gladly help a stranger. He was selfless, kind and giving.

That legacy lives on, his friends and family said. He was an organ donor.

We as citizens have a huge debt for his sacrifice, said Pastor Manuel Ortiz, who officiated the service. He gave the gift of life to so many. Miguel Moreno III will continue to live on.

eeaton@express-news.net

Twitter: @emilieeaton

Staff Writers Jacob Beltran and Sergio Martinez-Beltran contributed to this report.
The two remaining original structures of the Alamo survived demolition plans and neglect to become the focal point of the historic mission and battle site, yet still need to be saved from structural decline, recent studies have revealed.

According to artist and historical researcher George Nelson, the church of Mission San Antonio de Valero had not been completed when the mission was secularized in 1793, nearly 50 years after the first stone was laid. An adobe structure had been used as a temporary church, Nelson wrote in The Alamo: An Illustrated History. A mission inventory indicated the facade of the stone church, designed to have twin bell towers, like at Mission Concepcion, was only about half its intended height, with statues of St. Francis and St. Dominic in its lower niches.

In his book, Nelson credited Anastacio Bustamante, Mexican commandant of the Eastern Provinces, with being the first savior of the Alamo. In response to legislation proposed in 1827 to sell rock from walls of the secularized Texas missions for cash at a public auction, Bustamante, who would later become president of Mexico, demanded the old Mission de Valero be exempt, so its buildings could be used by military troops.

The anecdote also was in a 1977 report, The Archaeology and History of Alamo Plaza, by the Center for Archaeological Research at the University of Texas at San Antonio. According to the report, orders arrived directing the immediate sale of all remaining mission property.

Bustamante demanded the suspension of the order as he desired the mission buildings as permanent quarters for his troops, and must have been successful as a sizeable community of more than 300 had sprung up in the vicinity of Valero by 1829, the report stated.

In January 1836, more than a month after Texians had taken the Alamo in the Battle of Bejar, Gen. Sam Houston said in a letter to Gov. Henry Smith that if you should think well of it, I will remove all the cannon and other munitions of war to Gonzales and Copano, blow up the Alamo and abandon the place But Jim Bowie wrote Smith two weeks later, saying he was ready to defend it to the death, and asking for aid.

The salvation of Texas depends in great measure in keeping Bejar out of the hands of the enemy, Bowie wrote. These citizens deserve our protection and the public safety demands our lives rather than to evacuate this post to the enemy.

During the 13-day siege, a cannon ramp and rear gun station were used in the roofless church to defend the compound. Alamo defenders spouses and children are believed to have stayed in the churchs north rooms during the early morning battle on March 6, 1836, that resulted in the death of all 189 known defenders and left 300-400 Mexican troops killed or wounded.

After the battle, Mexican Gen. Juan Andrade was in charge of the Alamo. But when Texas won independence at San Jacinto six weeks later, he followed through on orders to destroy the weapons and fortifications, so the Texans could not use them again against Mexico. J.H. Barnard, a Texian doctor and war prisoner, wrote in a diary that Mexican troops tore down many of the Alamo walls, then set the church on fire in late May 1836.

Barnard recorded having mixed feelings at seeing the Mexican troops depart. Some of them had "bidden us adios" as they left. But he also had "a strong feeling of pleasure" and "a sense of hilarity, of regaining freedom, of triumph for the success of the cause we have suffered in."

The Alamo was next in the care of Texian Col. Juan Seguin before two Texas cavalry companies arrived in early 1839. Samuel Maverick, a signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence, began acquiring land near the church in 1841. After Texas was annexed in 1845, the U.S. Army repaired and remodeled the Alamo ruins for storage of supplies, ordnance and medicine and workshops for blacksmiths and other craftsmen.

Legal disputes involving the Army, Maverick, the city, the Catholic Church and others followed over control of the Alamo grounds. Bishop Jean Marie Odin of the newly created Diocese of Galveston won ownership of the church and leased it to the Army. Maj. Edwin Babbitt, assistant quartermaster, wanted to demolish the church and replace it with a new structure. But Gen. Thomas S. Jesup ordered repairs, saving what now is The Alamo's world-renowned Shrine.

A wooden, gabled roof and second floor were added to the church, as well as a bell-shaped facade, added in 1850 to enclose the building, giving the structure its iconic shape.

A French merchant, Honore Grenet, bought the Long Barrack and adjacent courtyard in 1877, and covered it with a wooden structure as part of a museum and grocery store. Hugo and Schmeltzer Co. bought the store in 1884.

In 1883, the state paid the Catholic Church $20,000 for the church, in what many consider a first step in preserving the Alamo as a historic site. The Daughters of the Republic of Texas began a longtime association with the Alamo in the early 1900s, when Adina De Zavala, worried about a hotel syndicate's plan to build on the Long Barrack site, sought the help of Clara Driscoll, who personally put up nearly $20,000 to buy the site. In 1905, the state reimbursed Driscoll and passed a law assigning custodianship of the Alamo structures to the Daughters, to maintain them as a memorial site.

The DRT, with help from the city and state, saved the church and Long Barrack from neglect and turned the Alamo into the most visited historic site in Texas. But preservation experts now worry that the structures, particularly the church, still must be saved from the forces of nature, gravity and long-term deterioration.

While stopping short of saying the church is in danger of collapse, officials have said new research and imaging have revealed its upper walls are showing signs of buckling under the weight of a concrete roof installed in 1920. A recent $75 million allocation from the Texas Legislature for the Alamo and a long-term master plan of the area includes $31 million for reconstruction of the church and Long Barrack, according to the Texas General Land Office, which now oversees the site.

At a local preservation symposium held in May at UTSAs downtown campus, conservation expert and lead Alamo master plan consultant George Skarmeas said more imaging and study is needed to determine what course of action, such as structural reinforcement of the walls or replacement of the roof, is best.

This project may have some of the greatest complications of any project in the world, Skarmeas said.

shuddleston@express-news.net

Twitter: @shuddlestonSA
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To celebrate the release of his new novel, To Kill The President, we caught up with Sam Bourne to find out about his inspiration for the book and writing as a whole.

Sam Bourne by Philippa Gedge

Could you tell us a bit about your book and what inspired you to write it?

To Kill the President imagines a situation where a volatile, reckless demagogue has been elected to the White House. Two of his most senior aides conclude that he poses a danger to the US and to the world  and decide it is their patriotic duty to remove him. Maggie Costello, who works in the White House, discovers their plot and has to decide whats right: to stop an assassination, and leave the free world at the mercy of an increasingly crazed tyrant  or to commit treason against her Commander-in-Chief.

I was inspired to write it by the two most useful words for any writer, but especially for a writer of thrillers: What if? Over the last two years, as the US election unfolded, I began to ask myself: What if you were a loyal and senior official and you suddenly found yourself working for a leader you believed was genuinely dangerous? What would you do? Where would your duty lie?

What kind of research did you have to undertake for this novel?

I was covering the US election throughout 2016, travelling around, talking to Trump voters and Republican officials from Manchester, New Hampshire to Cleveland, Ohio. And Ive been covering the country for many years  so all of that experience informed this book. I also had very specific research to do: about sniper rifles, about IT systems, about game-hunting in Namibia, about boilers, about the nuclear weapons protocol, about Indian slums, about a whole range of things that feature in the novel. I wont say any more in case I give something away!

Will Maggie feature in future novels?

I hope so. Ive grown very attached to her. And readers respond to her very warmly.

Who would you like to play Maggie on the big screen?

I think Jessica Chastain would do it really well. And Im a fan of Rachel Weisz.

Whats the first fictional story that you remember writing?

I wrote a story at school when I was 14 called The River which I remember being proud of. I might even have it somewhere.

Was there a novel that inspired you to write fiction?

So many. But 1984 remains the gold standard: a human drama that tells a larger truth about politics and the world. In a way, 1984 is the ultimate political thriller.
Francis Rossi claims Status Quo had to pay for Rick Parfitt's funeral.

Status Quo at Rick Parfitt's funeral

Rick - who was forced to stand down from his duties as guitarist in the group during their 2016 tour following his third heart attack - died in hospital in Spain as a result of a severe infection on December 24 and Francis says the group paid the funeral bill.

He told the Daily Mail: "We had to fly him back. I don't know why, there was some procrastination of some sort with the insurance.

"And we also paid for the funeral because his family were dithering somewhat. I said, 'There is some responsibility.'

"Ricky was my partner, I do miss him. We've been a duo for so long. And it feels quite lonely at times.

"Even though it might have got fractious at times, I knew where I stood. I don't have that now. It's all very strange."

Francis also hit back at claims by Rick's son, Rick Parfitt Jr, that the rocker was mistreated by the band.

He said: "It's far from the truth - Rick was on his full money, everything was the same, and still today. We were earning money, and he was being paid. We couldn't do it any other way.

"I can't understand why his boys were saying that, or why someone would tell them that. Rick Jr only had to come to us and ask. We wouldn't do that to Rick."

In April, Parfitt Jr slammed Status Quo frontman Rossi, 68, for carrying on performing like his father never existed.

Parfitt Jnr, 42, was not impressed when he was told that his father was not mentioned at the 'Whatever You Want' rockers show in Estonia on April 18.

A fan wrote on Twitter: "keeping on playing like nothing happened (sic)"

Rick fumed: "That should tell you... everything you need to know ... speaks volumes (sic)"

He then accused the group - also comprised of Andy Brown, John 'Rhino' Edwards and Leon Cave - of treating Parfitt, 68, "awfully" towards the end of his life and said that he will reveal the truth about it all when he feels it is right.

He added: "Dad was treated awfully ... You don't know what I know ... when the time is right (sic)"
Andy Serkis has teased his big screen adaptation of 'The Jungle Book' is "much more savage" than Disney's recent re-imagining of the classic story.

Andy Serkis

The 53-year-old star has directed a motion capture interpretation of Rudyard Kipling's 1894 book for Warner Bros. Pictures but the release date was moved from 2016 due to Disney bringing out their own live-action version based on the studio's classic animation.

Serkis' film will now hit cinemas in October 2018 and he has promised audiences will be in for a different experience if they see his beastly adventure which focuses on 'man cub' Mowgli fight for survival against the tiger Shere Khan.

Speaking to The Times newspaper, he said: "We were neck and neck for some time. And the fact of the matter is we probably could've come out in cinemas closer together. But the decision was 'why do that?' I saw their film, and it's great, but ours is a completely different take. Ours is much more savage. There are no songs, and it's not meant for young families."

In Serkis' film, Christian Bale plays black panther Bagheera, Cate Blanchett as anaconda Kaa and Benedict Cumberbatch is the villainous Shere Khan, while Mowgli will be played by Rohan Chand.

Serkis is considered to be a pioneer of motion capture and his acclaimed performances include Gollum in the 'Lord of the Rings' trilogy and chimpanzee Caesar in the 'Planet of the Apes' franchise.

He created his own motion capture workshop, The Imaginarium Studios, in London but his main advice for actors stepping into that world for the first time is not treat your performance like a "pantomime".

He said: "When actors come to me for advice about performance-capture I have nothing to offer other than one thing.

"Don't pantomime it. Don't overdo it. It's about acting. If it's a close-up on your face don't think that you have to do a lot with your face.

"It's in there. Just believe it. And act."
The late Princess Diana's old Audi convertible has been sold at auction for 58,000.

Princess Diana

The plush dark green vehicle, which was used by the royal and her sons Prince William and Prince Harry during the 90s, was snapped up by an anonymous buyer for the hefty sum on Thursday (06.07.17) at an auction house in Cambridge, England.

A spokesperson for the auction house Cheffins told ABCNews: "The car was brought into Cheffins by a private buyer and had 21,856 miles on it."

Although 58,000 is an impressive sum, the auction house were expecting it to fetch at least 80,000 when it went under the hammer as it was in "immaculate condition" and "one of the most photographed cars of its generation."

Last weekend, Diana's sons took part in the ceremony at their mother's family home Althorp House in Northamptonshire on what would have been her 56th birthday.

The private service, which their father Prince Charles did not attend as he was in Canada with his wife Duchess Camilla, was conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby.

A statement, previously released by Kensington Palace, stated: "The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry will attend a private service to re-dedicate the grave of Diana, Princess of Wales at Althorp House on Saturday 1 July.

"The service, which will fall on what would have been The Princess's birthday, will be conducted by The Archbishop of Canterbury and attended by her family."

Diana died on 31 August, 1997 in a car crash in Paris at the age of 36 and there is a black silhouette of the late royal at the Temple near the lake in Althorp.

Earlier this year, it was revealed that William and Harry had commissioned a statue of Diana to be erected in the grounds of Kensington Palace, where she lived.
Newly-weds can enjoy a romantic escape in Ras Al Khaimah- but what makes it such a desirable location?

Weddings on Female First

Ras Al Khaimah is incredibly diverse and the most mountainous emirate. It is home to Jebel Jais, the tallest mountain in the United Arab Emirates. The Middle Easts first commercial via ferrata is now open for those seeking an adrenaline-fuelled day on Jebel Jais Mountain. Theres a choice of three thrilling zip lines, traversing more than one kilometre across the mountain.

With a desert oasis right on its doorstep, adventure seekers can take part in an array of activities including dune bashing, camel riding and horse riding.

Ras al Khaimah offers an authentic Arabian experience with the richest collection of historical sites in all the emirates. Steeped in more than 5,000 years of history found in archaeological sites such as Dhayah Fort and Shebas Palace, there is plenty of heritage to discover. It is also home to the historical village of Jazirat Al Hamra, the last traditional town still standing in the United Arab Emirates.

Situated on the Persian Gulf, Ras Al Khaimah is known for its stunning white sandy beaches and glistening azure waters, all of which provide a beautiful setting for a relaxing day by the sea.

Visit the city of Ras Al Khaimah, where a natural creek divides into two and souks sit comfortably alongside modern shopping malls.

Located on an idyllic water inlet on the Ras Al Khaimah beachfront overlooking the Arabian Gulf, The Cove Rotana Resort offers a truly romantic setting. Resembling a beautiful Mediterranean village by the sea, the villas are aesthetically designed with a Nubian touch. Honeymooners can enjoy an intimate couples massage at the Bodylines Fitness & Wellness Centre or take a dip in the infinity pool overlooking the sparkling lagoon below.

Loved-ones can enjoy a romantic escape package at The Cove Rotana Resort. Starting from AED 1,350 (approx. 300) per night, couples can enjoy a one-night stay in a classic room with romantic set up, strawberries dipped in chocolate, room service breakfast, romantic dinner at Basilico Mediterranean restaurant, and a couples massage (based on two sharing).
Turkey enjoys fame as one of the most visited holiday destinations in the world. It also ranks as a popular haven for expatriates. Part of the credit for its popularity lies in the vast choice and diversity of places to visit.

Thousands of foreign nationalities, scattered all over the country, live here permanently and every year, millions of people enter through the road, air and sea ports for a brief visit. Whether, it is the Swiss-like green plateaus of the Kackar Mountains or the long, sandy beaches of the Mediterranean coast or the hundreds of towns, villages and cities  each present a unique, individual style.

One of these areas is the Fethiye district on the south west coast. Adored by hundreds of expats who say it feels like home, even some Turks who have moved there, insist it is the best place in the country. Its the golden child of Turkey, and most travel companies, scrambling to please their clients, sell it with confidence that holidaymakers will be pleasantly surprised.

However, with its masses of worshipping fans, almost viewing it with a goddess-like status, is the attention over exaggerated travel talk? No, because Fethiye has carefully, quietly, and unobtrusively risen to become Turkeys Sweetheart Destination for a few specific reasons.

Beautiful Landscapes Worth Seeing

As an ideal holiday destination, Fethiye has never had to sell itself because the landscapes do all that and much more. They say a picture is worth a thousand words and one glance at the blue Mediterranean waters, backed by mountain ranges and jagged coastline, has everyone hooked. Fethiye is stunning and every landscape photographers dream destination.

The small village of Hisaronu overlooks Oludeniz, nestled in a green valley that is also home to the Blue Lagoon, one of the most photographed beaches in the world.

The village of Ovack is just a short bus ride away from Fethiye centre, where life at the harbour front, although bustling, is devoid of the typical city ambience and fast-paced lifestyle.

Meanwhile, Cals Beach, aptly named because of the long stretch of sand inviting you to soak up the rays of the sun, also presents the most marvellous sunset views.

From many vantage points around Fethiye, the perfect picture postcard view invites you to stop, and admire the power of Mother Nature.

Being bored in Fethiye is impossible

Surrounding landmarks have become popular tourist attractions, mainly because they are unique to the region. The abandoned houses, churches and schools, scattered over a small hillside belong to Kayakoy Ghost Village, an open-air museum of bygone eras when Greeks and Turks lived side by side.

Boat trips from Oludeniz stop off at the ruins of 4th-century churches on the hills of Gemiler Island and gulet cruises regularly drop anchor to spend the night there.

Snorkelling fans head to the hippy inspired vibes of Butterfly Valley, easily accessible via water taxi from Oludeniz beach.

Otherwise, those who are after a slow-paced lifestyle, explore the old town, cruise the coastline or visit the Lycian rock tombs with a fantastic view over Fethiye centre.

Going further afield presents more possibilities of unique things to do and see, which is why the area attracts the explorers in life.

Riviera lifestyle on a budget

Fethiye is a major hub of the Turkish Riviera however, while the idea of waterside living in places like France depicts luxury and indulgence, Fethiye offers the pleasure at lower prices. During summer, many RTW backpackers descend on the region for cheap cabin cruise charters heading east to Olympus or to the Greek islands with food and accommodation included; an affordable activity, in particular for couples.

Likewise, expats who have bought property in Fethiye enjoy a lower cost of living while tapping into the benefits of a Mediterranean Riviera lifestyle. Although the region does luxury with style, eating out is cheap if you know the right places to go to, and it enjoys some of the lowest monthly rent prices in Turkey. Thanks to the excellent transport structure, expats dont need to own a car, and household maintenance costs are a fraction of other countries, mainly attracting British buyers.

An extensive portfolio of property in Fethiye

Hooked by the beautiful landscapes and Mediterranean lifestyle, many people also take a keen interest in the wide choice of apartments and villas for sale in Fethiye. Despite becoming a fully-fledged city as well as a popular holiday destination, property prices are some of the cheapest in the country, with apartments starting at 45,000 and villas at 130,000.

Tolga Ertukel, director of Turkey Homes, an estate agent in the area, says As well as affordable prices with lucrative long-term return on investment, many people buying property in Fethiye remark on the wide choice on the market. Including stone renovation, traditional houses in Kayakoy or a luxury, seafront villa on Solvaye Island, buyers really can find the home of their dreams.

One area attracting interest is Ovack. Exciting off-plan projects showing the latest in architectural designs and modern living are raising the bar, Some British buyers, also buy land plots and design their homes to tailor-make living spaces according to their lifestyle and preferences.

Tolga says This is an appealing choice because we cut out the hassle of finding architects and builders as well as navigating the red tape and legal issues, so they can focus on customising their home. Fethiye is an ideal area in Turkey for property, either as a holiday home or for permanent living because of the potential long-term return on investment. It also has an advantage because other places in Turkey have completely messed up the concept of urban structuring, therefore devaluing the appearance of neighbourhoods. Fethiye hasnt done this.

Although it has proven itself as a star performer on the tourism scene and as an ideal expat destination, life in modest Fethiye continues in an almost non-eventful manner. It does not have to market itself at tourism fairs across the globe, nor does it need to think up ingenious ways to capture the attention of the masses. It really is Turkeys sweetheart destination, and once you visit for yourself, you will understand why.

To find out more about Turkey Homes, view our portfolio of properties or arrange a booking, please click on toue advertisement in the sidebar at the right of this page.

This is a sponsored advertorial brought to you in association with Turkey Homes
The Indian textile industry will grow in size to be a $250 billion market in the next two years from $150 billion now as the sector has tremendous growth potential, according to textile commissioner Kavita Gupta. Currently the domestic market of the country is estimated to be a $110 billion market, while the country exports textiles of $40 billion.

A lot of optimism has been created in the textile sector in the last two years, said Gupta while addressing the audience at the inauguration of the 6th edition of 'HGH India 2017'. She added that multiple schemes have been introduced to upgrade technology used in the sector and extend financial aid to it.

The Centre had announced the capital investment subsidy which was introduced in segments such as garment, weaving, technical textile and made ups to help the sector, stated Gupta. Rebate on state levies were introduced to promote exports and additional 10 per cent subsidy on made ups and garment segments, leading to home textile industry getting a 25 per cent capital investment subsidy on new machine.

The Indian textile industry will grow in size to be a $250 billion market in the next two years from $150 billion now as the sector has tremendous growth potential, according to textile commissioner Kavita Gupta. Currently the domestic market of the country is estimated to be a $110 billion market, while the country exports textiles of $40 billion.#

The government is now working towards modernising machines and adding state-of-the-art facilities, as per Gupta.

She also said that subsidies are beneficial for the industry and it needs to utilise schemes introduced by the government. (KD)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk  India
The European Union and Japan have reached an agreement in principle on the main elements of an Economic Partnership Agreement, which will see complete elimination of tariffs on textiles and clothing. For the EU and its Member States, the agreement will remove the vast majority of duties paid by EU companies, which sum up to 1 billion annually.

The deal, which includes a specific commitment to the Paris climate agreement, will be the most important bilateral trade agreement ever concluded by the EU. It will open the Japanese market to key EU agricultural exports and increase opportunities in a range of sectors, the European Commission said in a statement.

It sets the highest standards of labour, safety, environmental and consumer protection, fully safeguards public services and has a dedicated chapter on sustainable development. It also builds on and reinforces the high standards for the protection of personal data that both, the EU and Japan, have recently entrenched in their data protection laws.

The European Union and Japan have reached an agreement in principle on the main elements of an Economic Partnership Agreement, which will see complete elimination of tariffs on textiles and clothing. For the EU and its Member States, the agreement will remove the vast majority of duties paid by EU companies, which sum up to 1 billion annually.#

Once the agreement comes into force, tariffs on textiles and clothing will be fully abolished. It will increase EU exports and create new opportunities for European companies, big and small, their employees and consumers. The value of exports from the EU could increase by as much as 20 billion, meaning more possibilities and jobs in many EU sectors such as agriculture and food products, leather, clothing and shoes, pharmaceuticals, medical devices and others, the statement said.

The announcement on the conclusion of the agreement in principle was made during the EU-Japan Summit by the president of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker, the president of the European Council Donald Tusk, and the Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe.

Today we agreed in principle on an Economic Partnership Agreement, the impact of which goes far beyond our shores Together, we are sending a strong message to the world that we stand for open and fair trade. As far as we are concerned, there is no protection in protectionism. Only by working together will we be able to set ambitious global standards, said Juncker.

Though the agreement in principle covers most aspects of the Economic Partnership Agreement, in some chapters technical details still need to be ironed out, and there are also chapters that remain outside the scope of the agreement in principle. Negotiators from both sides will continue their work to resolve all the remaining technical issues and conclude a final text of the agreement by the end of the year. Then, the Commission will proceed to the legal verification and translation of the agreement into all EU official languages, and will consequently submit it for the approval of EU Member States and the European Parliament. (RKS)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk  India
Textile traders are on strike in several towns, particularly Surat, Amritsar, Jaipur, Karur and Erode, demanding roll back of Goods and Services Tax (GST) on their trade. The textile traders are contending that the tax should be levied on readymade garments and not on yarn and cloth. The GST Council has categorised textiles under 5 per cent slab.

In Surat, textile traders, especially those dealing in man-made fibre (MMF) fabrics, are pressing for removal of GST on MMF fabrics. The Textile GST Sangharsh Samiti (TGSS) is planning a huge rally on July 8 demanding No GST on fabrics. Surat is home to around 165 textile markets that together have 75,000 shops, which have downed their shutters for the past few days.

In Amritsar, wholesale textile traders are on an indefinite strike demanding roll back of 5 per cent GST on unstitched clothes, including all kinds of fabric, blankets and shawls. The Federation of Textile Traders of Amritsar (FTTA) has said that local member of Parliament Gurjeet Singh Aujla has extended support to their cause and assured them that he would raise their demand in the next session of Parliament, which begins on July 12.

Textile traders are on strike in several towns, particularly Surat, Amritsar, Jaipur, Karur and Erode, demanding roll back of Goods and Services Tax (GST) on their trade. The textile traders are contending that the tax should be levied on readymade garments and not on yarn and cloth. The GST Council has categorised textiles under 5 per cent slab.#

In Jaipur, wholesale cloth shops remained shut for the second consecutive day yesterday. Earlier, Rajasthan Cloth Traders Association (RCTA) went on a four-day strike from June 27-30 stating that the 5 per cent GST on clothes and saris is unjustified.

In Tamil Nadu, textile manufacturers are also on strike along with traders and merchants of yarn and fabrics. Power looms, dyeing, packing and processing units across textile hubs of Erode, Karur, Namakkal, Tiruppur, Palladam, Somanur and Coimbatore are protesting the imposition of GST on various stages of textile manufacturing.

The weaving and knitting factories in Karur are on a six-day strike against the levy of 5 to 18 per cent GST on textiles. Whereas in Erode, which produces handloom and powerloom products costing more than Rs 900 crore every month, nearly 5,000 textile shops under the aegis of Erode Handloom Cloth Merchants Association are on strike seeking withdrawal of 5 per cent GST on textile goods. (RKS)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk  India
Plot

Devki's (Sridevi) is a biology teacher in a school. The film begins with her entering into a classroom. The topic for the day is 'different types of muscles in a human body.' Ma'am' decides to make the class interesting for her students by taking the aid of a picture of Salman Khan flaunting his six packs ab.

Giggles follow until a beep on Arya (Sajal Ali)'s mobile phone draws our attention towards her. Including Devki's too! She walks upto Arya. The minute her eyes fall on the mobile screen, we see her facial expressions changing and the atmosphere tensing up! Next, Devki goes to the sender of that message who is sitting in the next row, confiscates his phone and tosses it out of the window.

The scene then changes to Devki's house where it is revealed that Arya is her step-daughter. The two share a strained relationship where Arya refuses to acknowledge her as her mother and prefers to call her 'Ma'am'. However, Devki continues her relentless efforts to bridge the gap between them.

Amidst the tension brewing between Arya and Devki, we realize that the latter is quite close to her father Anand (Adnan Siddiqui), a globetrotter. On the eve of Valentines' Day, after a swinging party with her school pals at one of Delhi's hot-shot farmhouses, Arya is supposed to hail a cab back home. Instead, the next morning, the teen is discovered in a brutalized state in a ditch.

Soon, Arya identifies her assaulters. But they manage to walk scot-free from the court of law due to lack of evidence. Deeply affected by Arya's trauma and being denied justice, Devki decides to take the matter in our own hands and seek redemption.

She reaches out for help to private detective Dayashankar Kapoor or DK (Nawazuddin Siddiqui) who agrees to snoop around for 'information'. Revenge is a dish best served cold. But would Devki's vendetta be plain sailing especially under the hawk eyes of crime branch inspector Mathew Francis (Akshaye Khanna)?

Recommended Video MOM Public Review | Sridevi | Nawazuddin Siddqui | Sajal Ali | Movie Review | FilmiBeat

Direction

Ravi Udyawar makes a confident directorial debut with Mom! His illustrator background and advertising sensibilities are clearly reflected in his framing of cinematic shots especially when it comes to vivid colors.

Mom might remind you of Raveena Tandon's Maatr which released few months ago in terms of story. But it's Ravi's excellent execution who lends a greater impact in this case. Mom has plenty of scenes which sends a shiver down the spine.

Performances

Sridevi exudes a strong magnetic charm even today. The actress clocks 300 with this film and Mom makes you realize why she would give our new-lot heroines a run for their money even in today's times!

Her strong screen persona coupled with acting prowess doesn't let your eyes leave the screen even for a second. The scene where she has a breakdown in the hospital is goosebump-inducing. Afterall, a mother knows what her child has gone through, even if she didn't see it herself.

Nawazuddin Siddiqui is a total charmer and his scenes with Sridevi are a pure treat! While the film is heavy on intense emotions, it's Nawaz who balances it perfectly with his quirky touch of humour. His one-liners will leave you in splits. Just one word. WOW!

Akshaye Khanna plays a rough-and-tough cop but compared to Sridevi and Nawazuddin, his character remains underutilized. Still he manages to leave an impression.

Sajal Ali is quite impressive and effectively communicates her character's angst, pain and suffering. Adnan Siddiqui puts up a good show.

Abhimanyu Singh's menacing act too, lends good support.

Technical Aspects

Girish Kohli's screenplay is water-tight except for a few places. Anay Goswami's cinematography is top-notch and adds more interesting layers to the film in terms of visuals. Monisha. R. Baldawa's editing is sharp.

Music

While there isn't much scope for songs in the film, A. R Rahman's haunting background score makes Mom even more powerful when it comes to story-telling.

Verdict

Mom is not just a revenge saga. It runs deeper than that and talks about a mother's undying love.

The film reminded me of Agatha Christie's famous words, "A mother's love for her child is like nothing else in the world. It knows no law, no pity. It dares all things and crushes down remorsely all that stands in its path."

Sridevi-Nawazuddin Siddiqui's stellar act and Ravi Udyawar's brilliant execution keeps you hooked right from the first frame.
There is a new piece of information about Kichcha Sudeep that is spreading like wildfire. Wondering what it might be? Well, it's just that our Kichcha Sudeep has purportedly signed a new Hollywood film.

Not just in Sandalwood, namma Abhinaya Chakravarthy has his own stage set in Bollywood, Tollywood and Kollywood. Now, the multi-faceted actor is all set to enter Hollywood with full force.

Thanks to the Twitter handle 'Team Kiccha Sudeep', we were informed about this new development. The Twitter handle has tweeted saying, "Exclusive and proud news: Kichcha Sudeep has signed a new Hollywood movie. Shooting for the film starts from July 7 at London." Take a look at the Tweet..

Wait, what? July 7 is today, Friday! As far as we know, Sudeep is currently busy shooting for The Villain. At this juncture, how can Sudeep sign a Hollywood film? We doubt so. Coincidentally, the team of The Villain will also be shooting their segment at London sometime soon.

So, what about the veracity of this piece of news? We believe it is indeed true. Another recent tweet from the same handle also mentioned more details about the Hollywood movie that Sudeep will star in.

Supposedly, Sudeep will be part of a film named, The Risen, directed by Eddie Arya, who hails from Australia. Sudeep will play the role of an Army Marshall and it is believed that shooting will commence from either September or October. Take a look at the tweet..

According to our sources, Australian film-maker Eddie Arya contacted Kichcha Sudeep and narrated the story to him. Upon hearing the story, Sudeep has given a green signal. According to the director, The Risen is a sci-fi thriller that is based on the Chelabynsk meteorite explosion in Russia.

The director also has revealed that his story involves a small town in Alaska which is hit by a meteorite. The aftermath of meteorite explosion forms the crux of the story. Eddie Arya also tells that his story has characters from various regions of the world, including India.

During the shoot of The Villain in London, Sudeep will apparently meet up with the director for further discussions. As a close source of Sudeep reveals, him participating in a Hollywood movie is almost certain and has also given his dates to the movie.

Added to that, Eddie has also requested Sudeep to be a part of the shooting during winter in USA and we assume it might be sometime around October. Supposedly, many famed Hollywood technicians and actors will be a part of that movie.

Well, on the outset, the news seems to be legit and does contain some serious revelations. Let us hope the news is real and expect an official announcement from the man himself!
WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Apache Corp. (APA) said that it will complete an exit from Canada upon the closing of three recent transactions. Apache has agreed to sell its Apache Canada subsidiary to Paramount Resources Ltd. (POU.TO). This includes properties located principally in the provinces of Alberta and British Columbia. In a separate transaction signed in June, Apache agreed to sell its Provost assets in Alberta to an undisclosed privately owned company. Also in June, Apache sold its assets at Midale and House Mountain, located in Saskatchewan and Alberta, to Calgary-based Cardinal Energy Ltd. (CJ.TO). Upon completion of its exit from Canada, Apache will realize a significant reduction in asset retirement obligations and annual overhead costs. Total company revenues per BOE, cash margins per BOE, and earnings per share will also improve with the completion of these transactions. Apache budgeted $125 million of capital expenditures to Canada for 2017 and 2018. Unspent allocations will be redirected to other areas of the portfolio. The company plans to update its 2017 and 2018 guidance following the closings of the three transactions. The Cardinal transaction closed in late June, and the remaining two are expected to close by the end of August 2017. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
NEW YORK, July 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --Addressing an energized audience of tens of thousands at the Global Citizen Festival in Hamburg, Education Commission Chair Gordon Brown and Commissioner Shakira Mebarak made an urgent appeal for world leaders to put education on the agenda at this year's summit.

Following a first-ever joint performance alongside Coldplay, Shakira took to the stage and said: "We need to greatly increase investment in education as it is key to breaking the cycle of poverty in which millions and millions are trapped. Today, we have a solution in the form of an international financing facility seeking support from the G20."

Brown joined Shakira and added: "So let us send the message to the G20: education cannot wait. Fund schools for refugee children so that they have hope. Finance the Global Partnership for Education so they can help poor countries prosper. And create, as Shakira has just said, the new International Facility for Education."

Their calls to action are urgent. Should present global education financing trends continue, by 2030, more than 800 million young people - half of the world's youth population - will lack basic qualifications to succeed in the workplace. Included in this figure are 200 million children who will not be in school and another 400 million that will go without primary-level skills. To help close the gap, the Commission has proposed an International Finance Facility for Education that can create up to $10 billion (USD) in additional annual funding for education.

Also on stage were Prime Minister of Norway Erna Solberg, a convening member of the Commission, and Julia Gillard, GPE Chair and a Commissioner. Solberg expressed confidence that "together we can build a learning generation by 2030" as Gillard impelled the audience to "tell your governments to fund education and shape the future." Fellow Commissioners Helle Thorning-Schmidt, CEO of Save the Children, and Jim Yong Kim, President of the World Bank, also addressed the audience.

Launched in 2015, the Commission is a major global initiative engaging world leaders, policy makers and researchers to develop a compelling investment case and financing pathway for achieving equal educational opportunity for children and youth.

The Commission is chaired by Gordon Brown, guided by 26 high-level members and co-convened by Norway, Chile, Indonesia, Malawi and UNESCO.

Photo - http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/531227/The_Education_Commission_Global_Citizen_Festival.jpg
NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / July 6, 2017 / Prominent property and private equity investor, Jacob Frydman has been a strong supporter and contributing member of New York's Chabad of Dutchess County along with The Rhinebeck Jewish Center for years running. Through his participatory involvement both as financial support and time spent volunteering for good causes, he has always demonstrated his loyalty and commitment to both organizations. Following a life-long career in real estate development and acquisition, a passion which began in high school when he made his first real estate investment, Frydman has been recently giving more of his energy to supporting local charitable establishments, following his retirement as CEO of a public Real Estate Investment Trust. Through the compassionate and proactive philosophy of the Rhinebeck Jewish Center, Frydman finds a powerful way to help those in need and to uplift the community spirit.

The Rhinebeck Jewish Center, located in the village of Rhinebeck, NY, was founded in 2007 with the purpose of strengthening the awareness and observance of Judaism, and acting as a spiritual and educational support system for the Jewish community. The center offers faith-based programs including adult education classes, pastoral care, and youth activities, as well as provides a home away from home for Jewish college students.

One project that Frydman has been consistently involved with at the Center is the Toys for Hospitalized Children initiative. This program distributes toys and gifts every year to hospitals, seniors residences, and special needs facilities. More than 25,000 are distributed annually in the tri-state area. The center's founders, Rabbi Hanoch and Tzivie Hecht, have expressed their gratitude for Jacob Frydman's unwavering support, which has allowed their initiative to reach out to more children. Rabbi Hecht, who personally met Frydman seven years ago, speaks very highly of the property investment expert, "When you meet him, he gives off a very strong New York businessman feel, but any word he has ever given he has kept 100 percent. I truly appreciate Jacob's friendship." The center also encourages giving to underprivileged families at the time of Passover and support for the Orphan, Poor and Sick Fund, another longstanding program started by the National Committee for Furtherance of Jewish Education (NCFJE). The fund assists struggling families from across the metropolitan New York area with grocery and clothing vouchers, and help with paying utility bills. Avid supporter of the center's numerous giving programs, Frydman has also participated in co-hosting of a gala in October 2014 given by the Hudson Valley Community Center in Poughkeepsie for the Jewish Community Center of Dutchess County Board.

A native New Yorker, Jacob Frydman received a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance from Boston University and his Juris Doctor degree from Case Western Reserve University School of Law. During his 30-year career in the real estate industry, he acquired over five million square feet of property on the east coast of the United States and took part in procurement and development transactions valued at over $2 billion. His notable real estate projects include Two Dag Hammarskjold Plaza in midtown Manhattan, which he re-developed, together with his long-time partner, Mitch Rutter, into a commercial condominium solely for foreign governments as their missions to the UN. They also redeveloped the Aetna Building in lower Manhattan, and the DHL center in midtown Manhattan. In 1998 Frydman purchased the NBC New York television studios from General Electric, and from 1998 through 2010 he produced the log-running TV soap opera, "As The World Turns", together with Proctor & Gamble.

Having retired from his role as the CEO of a public Real Estate Investment Trust, Jacob Frydman continues to share his expertise in a consultancy service to developers and other businessmen within the industry, where he advises on highly complex special situations where he can enhance a property's value, undertaking it alone or at times with partners. A long-standing philanthropist, Frydman is also a firm supporter of the Washington DC's Brem Foundation, helping women in struggling communities at risk of developing breast cancer, and has served as a member of the Board of Directors of the Bardavon Opera House, home of the Hudson Valley Philharmonic.

Jacob Frydman - Blog - JacobFrydmanNews.com: http://JacobFrydmanNews.com

Jacob Frydman (@jacobfrydman) - Twitter: https://twitter.com/jacobfrydman

Jacob Frydman -- Huffington Post: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/author/jacob-frydman

Contact Information:

JacobFrydmanNews.com

contact@jacobfrydmannews.com

www.JacobFrydmanNews.com

SOURCE: Jacob Frydman
iCAD SX V7L6 summary

Pricing and Availability



Fujitsu Limited Public and Investor Relations Tel: +81-3-6252-2176 URL: www.fujitsu.com/global/news/contacts/

TOKYO, July 7, 2017 - (JCN Newswire) - Fujitsu today announced the launch of iCAD SX V7L6, the latest version of the Fujitsu Manufacturing Industry Solution iCAD SX, its 3D CAD software for industrial machinery design, incorporating a proprietary 3D CAD engine, the world's fastest, which can process one million components in 0.2 seconds.With iCAD SX V7L6, it is now possible to record component information, including component number and assembly sequences, to the 3D data for each component, from the initial stages of design. Use of this compiled information makes it easier for users to create assembly manuals and parts lists, and to coordinate information with manufacturing departments. In addition, new functionality has been added, such as the ability to create isometric cross-section diagrams(1), reducing the number of man-hours needed to create diagrams.With these capabilities, this software improves the quality of machinery and equipment design and improves the efficiency of the processes through to manufacturing.BackgroundIn the machinery and equipment industry, it has become important to improve development capabilities for increasingly complex products and to speed up entry into the market in order to increase market competitiveness. For this reason, it has become urgently necessary for industrial machinery manufacturers to improve design quality and reduce design man-hours.In addition, increased efficiency through 3D design has become more common in design departments, but manufacturing departments still require multiple 2D blueprints, meaning that the gains in reduced man-hours have not been realized across the whole design process.In a move to resolve these issues, Fujitsu is offering iCAD SX V7L6, with enhanced diagram creation functionality and functionality for compiling and using design information.http://www.acnnewswire.com/topimg/Low_FujitsuiCad7717.jpgiCAD SX V7L6 SummaryFeatures of iCAD SX V7L61. Delivers higher product quality and improved efficiency in purchasing and manufacturing processes by compiling and using design information within 3D dataThis version of the software offers enhanced functionality for compiling and using design information, able to record within the 3D data not only component material, weight, and price information, which could already be recorded, but also component configuration information and part numbers, as well as assembly-sequence information, taking into account later processes (such as component procurement and manufacturing). This means that it is easy to create things like assembly manuals and parts lists from the recorded design information. In addition, because the information can be used as is in later processes, this software improves product quality and work efficiency.2. Higher diagram-creation efficiency with isometric cross-section diagram creation functionalityWith this product, Fujitsu has incorporated new functionality enabling easy creation of isometric cross-section diagrams. This enables the detailed diagrams and cross-sections required in assembly diagrams to be displayed on one isometric cross-section diagram, reducing the number of man-hours required to create diagrams. In addition, this software reduces the man-hours required to create diagrams by about 40% by adding functionality that is needed in design departments, such as, in the creation of multi-view drawings(2), the ability to easily change whether components hidden in the rear should be shown with dotted lines or not shown, with settings for each component.3. Further improvements in design efficiency through enhanced detailed design functionalityOrdinary machinery and equipment can include over ten thousand fastener components, such as nuts, bolts, and washers, and it is necessary to correctly design their positioning and combinations individually. With this product, the correct patterns for combining fastener components can be saved, and multiple components can be recognized as a single component, which increases the efficiency of positioning components and reduces mistakes in the combination of components.In addition, welded components, which were previously recognized as separate components by the system, are now recognized as one component, with a function to create holes in all pieces at once. This not only makes designing holes in welded components more efficient, it also can prevent design omissions in the placement of holes.Moreover, Fujitsu has enhanced the piping route design functionality in 3D. When designing the piping within a machine, it is necessary to consider a variety of factors, including interference with surrounding devices, length of piping, and number of turns. With this product, users can design piping while visually checking the positional relationship with surrounding devices on the screen, which improves product quality and work efficiency.Pricing and Availabilityhttp://www.acnnewswire.com/topimg/Low_FujitsuiCad7717Pricing.jpgSales Target15,000 licenses in fiscal 2017 (Fujitsu's fiscal year ends March 31).(1) Isometric cross-section diagramA cross-section diagram looking at an object in a 3D model diagonally from above at an isometric angle (an angle where the three coordinate axes are equally foreshortened).(2) Multi-view drawingsDiagrams showing an object from the three angles of front, side and top.About Fujitsu LtdFujitsu is the leading Japanese information and communication technology (ICT) company, offering a full range of technology products, solutions, and services. Approximately 155,000 Fujitsu people support customers in more than 100 countries. We use our experience and the power of ICT to shape the future of society with our customers. Fujitsu Limited (TSE: 6702) reported consolidated revenues of 4.5 trillion yen (US$40 billion) for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2017. For more information, please see http://www.fujitsu.com.* Please see this press release, with images, at:http://www.fujitsu.com/global/about/resources/news/press-releases/Source: Fujitsu LtdContact:Copyright 2017 JCN Newswire . All rights reserved.
As an EU licenced and serious operator, Betsson have now written to the European Commission outlining the continued and flagrant breach by the Dutch authorities of EU law. The complaint details the ongoing infringements of the fundamental principles upon which the EU has been founded.



"Betsson view the ongoing confusion in the Dutch market as unacceptable. We have therefore submitted an official complaint to the European Commission. The current law in the Netherlands is not in line with EU law and we have therefore asked the Commission to re-open the infringement proceedings that were initiated against the Netherlands in 2006," says Ulrik Bengtsson, CEO and President, Betsson AB.



In the face of the Netherlands' continued failure to implement an EU compliant legal framework, Betsson must trust in the ability and authority of the European Commission to step in and take all action necessary to ensure that the Netherlands complies with its EU Treaty obligations. A compliant legal framework would remove the confusion and instability that the actions of the Dutch gaming authority, KSA, are creating for Dutch consumers at present. In addition, Betsson trusts the Commission to ensure that the KSA immediately refrains from continued enforcement of a law, which has already been the subject of infringement proceedings by the Commission.



For further information, please contact: Ulrik Bengtsson, CEO and President Betsson AB +46 (0)8 506 403 00



Pia Rosin, VP Corporate Communications Betsson AB +46 (0)73 600 85 00, pia.rosin@betssonab.com



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Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de
LONDON (dpa-AFX) - Fenner Plc (FENR.L), a provider of engineered solutions for performance-critical applications, Friday announced that its trading remains positive and that the Board anticipates fiscal 2017 operating profit to be comfortably ahead of its previous expectations. The forecast is on the basis of the improved outlook, most notably in the medical businesses. In its trading update covering the period from March 1 to July 7, the company said it has continued to make strong progress, principally in new product development, augmented by a further increase in the US rig count. AEP's performance has continued to strengthen across each product area. In particular, Medical businesses are experiencing strong revenue growth from the development of new customer projects. This provides an encouraging platform for long term growth in line with plans. In Oil & Gas, the growing order book is now translating into increased sales. Industrial businesses are performing ahead of last year, reflecting new product launches. ECS continues to deliver the planned improvements. Cash flow during the period has remained in line with expectations. The company expects to release its results for its financial year ending August 31 on November 15. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
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VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / July 7, 2017 / Friday Night Inc. (the "Company") (CNSX: TGIF) (FSE: 1QF) is pleased to provide an update on the Company's 91% owned asset, Alternative Medicine Association, LC (AMA), which continues to achieve record sales in Las Vegas.

AMA earned $902,000 CDN in gross revenues for the month of June 2017. This is a $611,000 increase over the prior months sales and represents a monthly revenue growth of 210%. This was due to the retail demand leading up to the July 1st rollout of adult-use cannabis sales. The first 4 days of legal cannabis sales in the state brought in $3 million USD which generated $500,000 USD in tax revenue. The Company expects this strong demand to continue and is planning accordingly.

Due to this expected increase in demand for dried cannabis and derivative products, the Company is currently evaluating real estate options in Las Vegas, with the goal of finding a larger footprint for the AMA facility to take full advantage of the current landscape.

Mr. Brayden Sutton, CEO of the Company commented, "Timing is everything and we feel that every day counts in this sector as it evolves so quickly. American roots, but global growth; we have a first-mover advantage in Las Vegas that will only last so long. While we are elated with the increasing performance of AMA, we are also in a constant state of evaluating additional accretive opportunities to further our brand around the world."

About Friday Night Inc. and its subsidiary Alternative Medicine Association, LC

Friday Night Inc. is a Canadian public company which owns and controls both hemp and cannabis based operations in Nevada with plans to expand both within and outside of the state. Through its recently-acquired 91% subsidiary, Alternative Medicine Association, LC, the Company owns and operates a licensed medical and adult use marijuana cultivation and production facility in Las Vegas, Nevada and produces its own line of cannabis-based extracts including shatter, live resin, wax and oils including vape oils, flavored vape oils, terpene enhanced oils, and clear distillates and manufactures other third-party brands of similar products.

For more information, please contact:

Joe Bleackley

604-674-4756

Joe@FridayNightInc.com

Notice regarding Forward Looking Statements: This news release contains forward-looking statements. The use of any of the words "anticipate," "continue," "estimate," "expect," "may," "will," "project," "should," "believe" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes that the expectations and assumptions on which the forward-looking statements are based are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking statements because the Company can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct. This news release includes forward-looking statements in respect to assumptions of market demand, market share, potential real estate acquisitions and future business opportunities. Since forward-looking statements address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. These statements speak only as of the date of this news release. Actual results could differ materially from those currently anticipated due to a number of factors and risks including various risk factors discussed in the Company's disclosure documents, which can be found under the Company's profile on www.sedar.com. The Company disclaims any obligation to update forward looking information contained herein, except to the extent required by law.

SOURCE: Friday Night Inc.
Sanoma will publish its Half-year Report (January-June) 2017 on Tuesday 25 July 2017 at around 8:30 Finnish time (6:30 UK time). The event for analysts, investors and media will be held in English by President and CEO Susan Duinhoven and CFO and COO Markus Holm at 11:00 Finnish time (9:00 UK time) at Sanomatalo, Toolonlahdenkatu 2, Helsinki. The live audio webcast can be viewed on Sanoma's website at www.sanoma.com/en/investors and on demand after the event. The presentation material will be available on Sanoma's website after the report has been published. Please join in 5-10 minutes prior to the start time by dialing Finland: +358 (0)9 7479 0404 US: +1 719 457 1036 UK: +44 (0)330 336 9411 Netherlands: +31 (0)20 703 8261 Conference id: 7454706 To join the event at Sanomatalo, please register via email ir@sanoma.com by 24 July 2017. Additional information Sanoma's Investor Relations, Anna Tuominen, tel. +358 40 584 6944 Sanoma Sanoma is a front running media and learning company impacting the lives of millions every day. We provide consumers with engaging content, offer unique marketing solutions to business partners and enable teachers to excel at developing the talents of every child. With companies operating in Finland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Poland and Sweden, our net sales totalled EUR 1.6 billion and we employed over 5,000 professionals in 2016. The Sanoma shares are listed on Nasdaq Helsinki.

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
Moscow, Russia and Tokyo, Japan, July 7, 2017 - (ACN Newswire) - JCB International Co., Ltd. (JCBI), the international operations subsidiary of JCB Co., Ltd., and United Settlement System (USS), a non-bank credit organization in Russia, announced the signing of a license agreement for JCB card POS acquiring in the network of POS-terminals of USS and its partner banks in 2017.The signing of this agreement will allow JCB to expand JCB brand card acceptance in Russia.The inclusion of acquiring JCB cards under license of USS allows to significantly reduce both time and labor resources of the partner banks.Long-term partnerships of USS and JCB will continue to grow in the direction of the development of attractive proposals for banks services and high-tech services for clients.About USSUSS is a subsidiary company of "ROSBANK" (100% participation) and is part of the Societe Generale group, was founded in 1999. In 2012 the company created a payment system with the same name as USS. Currently USS provides clearing and settlement services of the operator and clearing center to the Payment system "Payment service United settlement system", settlement and clearing services as a clearing center of the Payment System "Western Union" and clearing center services to the Payment System "BEST", it is a direct participant and provides its partner banks with settlement and clearing services to the Payment systems "UnionPay", "JCB" and "American Express".About JCBJCB is a major global payment brand and a leading payment card issuer and acquirer in Japan. JCB launched its card business in Japan in 1961 and began expanding worldwide in 1981. As part of its international growth strategy, JCB has formed alliances with hundreds of leading banks and financial institutions globally to increase merchant coverage and cardmember base. As a comprehensive payment solution provider, JCB commits to provide responsive and high-quality service and products to all customers worldwide.Note: Statistics about JCB are as of March 2017.For more information, please visit: www.global.jcb/en/ or http://www.ru.jcb/ru/ContactJCB International Co., Ltd.Kae MitsudaGlobal Business PlanningTel: 81-3-5778-7963Email: jcbinternational-pr@info.jcb.co.jpSource: JCBCopyright 2017 ACN Newswire . All rights reserved.
BRUSSELS (dpa-AFX) - At 4:30 am ET Thursday, the Office for National Statistics is scheduled to release U.K. industrial output and foreign data for June. Economists forecast industrial production to climb 0.1 percent and manufacturing to remain flat on a monthly basis in June. The U.K. visible trade deficit is seen narrowing to GBP 11 billion in June from GBP 11.86 billion in May. Ahead of these data, the pound fell against its major rivals. As of 4:25 am ET, the pound was trading at 0.9041 against the euro, 1.2530 against the Swiss franc, 1.2968 against the U.S. dollar and 142.60 against the yen. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
HARBIN, China, July 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- HIT Robot Group ("HRG", or the Group), China's leading robot company, appeared at the Third China-Israel Investment Summit in Zhuhai, Guangdong Province, last week. In a panel discussion, HRG's senior vice president Yu Zhenzhong shared his insights into Chinese robotics industry and expressed a wish for more cooperation with Israeli counterparts.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/531258/YuZhenzhong_Panel_Speech.jpg

The China-Israel Investment Summit was launched in 2016 as an event to promote high-tech innovation and enterprise cooperation between China and Israel. The previous two events took place in Beijing in January and Tel Aviv in September 2016, respectively.

At the panel discussion on the future of robotics industry, Mr. Yu shared his insights with the business leaders and experts from both countries. He noted that though Chinese robotics companies are still weak in producing high quality core components, they show great potential in intelligent technology development.

In Yu's observation, a major issue for most Chinese robotics startups is a shortage of financing. "Robot business is technology and capital intensive. In China, many startups can only survive a few years in the hands of founders from pure technology background. Without any business experience, they cannot find a proper platform to pitch their products or services. As a result, the financial support provided to them is limited," he said.

For their survival, Yu suggested Chinese robotics startups to focus on providing application and integration solutions in the downstream by leveraging existing resources, and try to satisfy customers' most urgent need in reality. He also pointed out that the startups need to work hard to strengthen quality control in robotic system design and production workflow.

Since the start of the company, HRG has been fostering robotics innovation. In May, HRG held an event with forum and roadshow competition at the University of Maryland to honor outstanding startups for their innovative efforts. In 2016, HRG organized the Robotics Entrepreneurship Competition of the 15th College Robotics Contest to support Chinese college students to realize their robotic business ideas.

Zvi Shiller, chairman of Israeli Robotics Association, proposed a robotics institute to support Chinese and Israeli startups. In response, Yu said that HRG would be happy to consider the plan and enhance cooperation with its Israeli counterparts in the future.

About HIT Robot Group

HIT Robot Group (HRG) was founded in December 2014, with support of the Heilongjiang provincial government, the Harbin municipal government, and the Harbin Institute of Technology (HIT). The company produces all range of robots including industrial robots, service robots, specialized robots, and also provides related technical consulting, system integration solutions, and distribution services. With its headquarter in Harbin, HRG has presence in 13 major Chinese cities and five international offices in Maryland, California, Frankfurt, Seoul and Tokyo.
Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
Company Announcement No. 349, 2017



Copenhagen, Denmark, 2017-07-07 12:18 CEST (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --



H+H International A/S Lautrupsgade 7, 6th Floor 2100 Copenhagen  Denmark Tel.: +45 35 27 02 00 www.HplusH.com Company reg. no. 49 61 98 12 LEI 213800GJODT6FV8QM841



H+H signs agreement to acquire Grupa Ozarow SA's calcium silicate business in Poland



The transaction will create a strong aircrete and calcium silicate business in Poland and is expected to capture significant sales synergies. In Central Europe calcium silicate has a strong market penetration in the important segment for high rise buildings.



Today, H+H International A/S's subsidiary H+H Polska Sp. z o.o. signed a conditional agreement with Grupa Ozarow S.A. to acquire 99.19% of the shares in its Polish calcium silicate subsidiary, Grupa Silikaty Sp. z o.o. for a total consideration of PLN 36 million (approx. DKK 64 million) (enterprise value). The closing of the transaction is subject to customary approval by the Polish authorities and is expected to occur at the end of 2017. The purchase price will be paid according to a deferred payment schedule with instalments being paid at closing (approx. DKK 14 million) and by end of January 2019 and 2020, respectively (each approx. DKK 25 million).



Grupa Silikaty is the second largest producer of calcium silicate units in Poland with seven production plants. Calcium silicate units are used as building blocks in residential buildings and are predominantly made from sand and lime. Revenue in 2016 was around DKK 157 million and EBITDA was around DKK 11 million. The company employs approximately 300 persons.



Michael T. Andersen, CEO of H+H International A/S says:



"Adding complementary products is in line with the announced strategy of increasing our presence in the important high-rise segment. H+H has a strong no. 2 position in Poland within aircrete, and with this acquisition we will be in top 3 in the Polish wall building materials market.



It is expected that the combined Polish aircrete and calcium silicate activities will be able to capture significant sales synergies due to cross selling and brand value. Hence, the rationale behind the deal differs significantly from H+H Polska's acquisition of the aircrete producer Grupa Prefabet two years ago. Further, we see this as an excellent opportunity for H+H to gain knowledge in a complementary product area, which also has strong penetration in the high-rise segment, including in other of our Central European Markets."



Outlook for H+H As the transaction is expected to be closed end of 2017, the financial impact on the P&L for the year is insignificant. Transaction costs will be recognised as special items. The previously announced guidance for the year is unchanged.



Further, there are no changes to the long-term financial targets, although the acquisition will support the efforts to reach these targets.



Integration costs, recognised as special items, are expected to be approximately DKK 5 million.



Kent Arentoft Chairman of the Board of Directors



Michael T Andersen CEO



For additional information please contact: Michael T Andersen, CEO, or Bjarne Pedersen, Vice President, Business Development & IR, tel.: +45 35 27 02 00.

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ROME (dpa-AFX) - Italy's retail sales declined for the second straight month in May, defying economists' forecast for a rebound, preliminary figures from the statistical office Istat showed Friday. Retail sales edged down 0.1 percent month-over-month in May, slower than the 0.4 percent fall in April. In contrast, economists had expected a 0.3 percent rise for the month. Sales of food products decreased 0.8 percent over the month, while those of non-food products increased by 0.3 percent. On a yearly basis, retail sales climbed 1.0 percent in May, following a 0.8 percent gain in the preceding month. The figure also matched consensus estimate. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
NEWPORT, Wales, July 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Thales and the University of South Wales [USW] have signed an agreement setting out a framework for collaboration on current and future technology solutions, including in the hugely exciting field of cyber security.

Under the terms of the memorandum of understanding, Thales and USW will work on future education, research and training pursuits.The emerging partnership capitalises on Thales' globally recognised expertise in mission critical systems and services and the University's capability in key technologies.Thales will combine its expertise and pedigree in high-tech ICT, cyber security, digital enterprise solutions, analytics, sensors and design driven innovation with the USW's capabilities to identify new collaborative programmes in a developing strategic partnership, initially within Cyber Security and renewable energy.

Under the programme USW students will benefit from site visits; guest lectures; PhD studentships; placements and internships; student projects and apprenticeships.

The agreement was signed by Gareth Williams, VP, Secure Communications and Information Systems at Thales, and Professor Julie Lydon, Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive of the University of South Wales.

"Thales has a long and established track record of collaboration with academic institutions to great effect.We look forward to working closely with the University of South Wales, continuing to work with the brightest minds to innovate, and develop new solutions to the cyber security challenges of today and tomorrow," said Gareth Williams, VP Secure Communications and Information Systems.

Professor Julie Lydon, Vice-Chancellor of USW, said: "As a valued partner of leading global technology companies and a major player in our region, USW is delighted to sign this MOU with Thales. This agreement is the next milestone as we grow our relationship, creating value for our economy, our students, and the world of industry."
Montreal, Quebec--(Newsfile Corp. - July 7, 2017) - Peak Positioning Technologies Inc. (CSE: PKK) ("Peak" or the "Company") today announced that its subsidiary, Asia Synergy Data Solutions ("ASDS"), which operates the Cubeler fintech commercial lending platform in China, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Balang Technology Ltd. ("Balang") that would bring over 40,000 small and medium sized enterprise (SME) loan candidates to the Cubeler platform.

Balang (balangtechnology.com) has an exclusive agreement with the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China ("ICBC") to provide ICBC's business clients with software that enables ICBC financial services. The software in question is used primarily by ICBC's large manufacturing and product distribution clients. It links to their ERP systems and allows their SME clients to purchase products from them through a web interface, while ICBC provides financial settlement services of the transactions as well as a host of other financial services to both manufacturers/distributors and SMEs. The system requires the SMEs to create online accounts with the ICBC manufacturer/distributor clients. By doing so, the SMEs also agree to give access to their order history and other important financial data to ICBC to be eligible for certain financial products and services, including credit/loans from ICBC. The data is captured through the web-based application, which runs on ICBC's servers, and which Balang has a right to access. There are currently over 40,000 such SMEs using the system and their needs for credit/loans, for the most part, are not being met by ICBC because they don't fit ICBC's lending criteria. By virtue of its agreement with ICBC, Balang has the right to use and share the financial data coming from those SMEs for its own commercial use. With the MOU announced today, Balang has agreed to share this data with ASDS for the purposes of having those SMEs become eligible for credit/loans on the Cubeler platform.

Under the terms of MOU, ASDS will hire and pay Balang to develop an interface to allow SME financial data coming from Balang's servers to be transferred to Cubeler's servers. There will be no distinction between SME data coming from Balang's servers and data from other sources, in the sense that all SMEs will be eligible to receive and accept credit/loan offers from all Cubeler platform lenders. The MOU also calls for ASDS to have the option to acquire a majority stake in Balang after a certain period of cooperation between the parties. Balang and ASDS expect to reach a definitive agreement shortly and begin the development of the interface.

"We believe that using analytics to match the right lenders with the right businesses the way Cubeler does is the future of commercial lending in China", commented Yuhong Zhai, CEO of Balang. "We want to be a part of that future. So we're very pleased with today's announcement and look forward to working with ASDS and the Peak group of companies", Mr. Zhai added.

About the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China:

The Industrial and Commercial Bank of China ("ICBC") is a Chinese multinational banking company. It is the largest bank in the world with US$3.6 trillion in total assets as of June 2015, and the most valuable bank in the world by market capitalization as of February 2017. It is one of China's "Big Four" state-owned commercial banks. As of the end of 2016, ICBC had 5.8M business clients and 530M personal clients. ICBC ranks number 1 in The Banker's Top 1000 World Banks ranking, and first on the Forbes Global 2000 list of the world's biggest public companies. For more information: http://www.icbc.com.cn

About the Cubeler Platform:

Cubeler is a commercial lending platform that matches any business looking for credit with a variety of lenders. Cubeler periodically reads financial data coming from the registered businesses' accounting software, analyses several data points and calculates a series of financial ratios to determine how well the business is performing. Those data points and ratios are then compared to Cubeler's registered lenders' lending criterial and the resulting matches are shown to the lenders and the businesses, much like the way a dating website would show its members their compatible matches.

About Peak Positioning Technologies Inc.:

Peak Positioning Technologies Inc. is an IT portfolio management company whose mission is to assemble, finance and manage a portfolio of high-growth-potential companies and assets in some of the fastest growing tech sectors in China, including Fintech, e-commerce and cloud-computing. Peak provides its shareholders with exceptional growth potential by giving them access to the fastest growing sectors of the world's fastest growing economy. For more information: http://www.peakpositioning.com

Contact information:

Cathy Hume

CEO

CHF Investor Relations

Phone: 416-868-1079 ext.: 231

Email: cathy@chfir.com

Or

Johnson Joseph

President and CEO

Peak Positioning Technologies Inc.

Phone: 514-340-7775 ext.: 501

Email: investors@peakpositioning.com

Forward-Looking Statements / Information:

This news release may include certain forward-looking information, including statements relating to business and operating strategies, plans and prospects for revenue growth, using words including "anticipate", "believe", "could", "expect", "intend", "may", "plan", "potential", "project", "seek", "should", "will", "would" and similar expressions, which are intended to identify a number of these forward-looking statements. Forward-looking information reflects current views with respect to current events and is not a guarantee of future performance and is subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or review any forward-looking information contained in this news release, except as may be required by applicable laws, rules and regulations. Readers are urged to consider these factors carefully in evaluating any forward-looking information.


CANBERA (dpa-AFX) - The Japanese yen continued to be lower against its key counterparts in the European session on Friday, after the Bank of Japan announced purchases of unlimited amount of government bonds to curb a rise in yields under the so called 'Yield Curve Control' framework.



The central bank announced that it would buy unlimited amount of JGB with maturities of 5 to 10 years and increased the amount of purchases of five to 10-year JGBs to 500 billion yen from the previous 450 billion yen at a regular auction.



The BoJ announcement came after the country's benchmark 10-year government bond yield rose to 0.105 percent early in the day, far higher than the central bank's target of zero percent.



Investors await the all-important U.S. jobs report due out later in the day for clues on the health of the world's largest economy. The nonfarm payrolls are forecast to grow by 179,000 jobs in June, and the unemployment rate is expected to hold at 4.3 percent.



Preliminary data from the Cabinet Office showed that Japan's leading index strengthened in May, while coincident index fell from April.



The leading index that measures the future economic activity, rose to 104.7 in May from 104.2 in April. The score was forecast to rise to 104.6.



The currency has been trading in a negative territory in the Asian session



The yen hovered near a 2-month low of 113.84 against the greenback, from a high of 113.11 hit at 7:30 pm ET. If the yen extends slide, 115.00 is likely seen as its next support level.



The yen slid to a 1-1/-year low of 130.01 against the euro, after having advanced to 129.17 at 6:15 pm ET. On the downside, 132.00 is possibly seen as the next support level for the yen.



Data from Destatis showed that German industrial production grew at the fastest pace in four months in May.



Industrial production grew 1.2 percent month-on-month in May, faster than the 0.4 percent increase seen in April and exceeded economists' forecast of 0.2 percent.



The yen hit a 1-1/-year low of 118.42 against the Swiss franc in the Asian session and moved sideways in the subsequent part of the day's trading. The pair finished Thursday's deals at 117.84.



Data from the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs showed that Switzerland's unemployment rate remained stable in June.



The jobless rate held steady at seasonally adjusted 3.2 percent in June, in line with expectations.



The yen slid to a 2-day low of 86.43 against the aussie, off its early session's high of 85.73. Against the kiwi, the yen hit more than a 5-month low of 82.90 in the Asian session and held steady thereafter. Next likely support levels for the yen are seen around 88.00 against the aussie and 84.00 against the kiwi.



The yen edged down to 87.68 against the loonie, after having advanced to 87.13 at 5:00 pm ET. Further weakness may take the yen to a support around the 90.00 region.



On the flip side, the yen advanced to 146.46 against the pound, from an early nearly 2-month low of 147.61. The yen is likely to locate resistance around the 143.00 level.



Data from the Office for National Statistics showed that UK industrial production fell unexpectedly in May.



Industrial output fell 0.1 percent month-on-month in May, confounding expectations for an increase of 0.4 percent and reversed a 0.2 percent rise registered in April.



Looking ahead, U.S. and Canada jobs data as well as Ivey PMI - all for June will be out in the New York session.



Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

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CALGARY, ALBERTA and HONG KONG, CHINA -- (Marketwired) -- 07/28/17 -- The Board of Directors of Sunshine Oilsands Ltd. (the "Corporation" or "Sunshine") (HKSE: 2012) hereby announces the following:

LONG-TERM FORBEARANCE WITH NOTEHOLDERS

Reference is made to the announcements of the Corporation dated August 5, 2014, August 8, 2014 and February 5, 2016 (all Hong Kong time) in relation to, among other things, the offering of US$200 million principal amount of senior secured notes (the "Notes"). Reference is also made to the announcements of the Corporation dated August 1, 2016, August 12, 2016, August 17, 2016, August 29, 2016, September 1, 2016, September 12, 2016, October 31, 2016, January 31, 2017 and March 21, 2017 (all Hong Kong time) in relation to, among other things, the forbearance agreements the Corporation has entered into with the holders of the Notes (the "Noteholders"). Under defined otherwise, terms used herein shall have the same meanings as those defined in the aforesaid announcements of the Corporation.

According to the Agreement, the FRA and the NEA in respect of the Notes, the Notes will be matured on August 1, 2017; the Corporation is required to, amongst other matters, repay Notes principal, and any previous outstanding payment commitments on August 1, 2017. As at the date of this announcement, the Corporation is in negotiation with the Noteholders in relation to the repayment. The Corporation will provide further updates to the negotiation as necessary.

ABOUT SUNSHINE OILSANDS LTD.

The Corporation is a Calgary based public corporation listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange since March 1, 2012. The Corporation is focused on the development of its significant holdings of oil sands leases in the Athabasca oil sands region. The Corporation owns interests in approximately one million acres of oil sands and petroleum and natural gas leases in the Athabasca region. The Corporation is currently focused on executing milestone undertakings in the West Ells project area. West Ells has an initial production target of 5,000 barrels per day.

FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION

This announcement contains forward-looking information relating to, among other things, the plans and expectations of the Corporation. Such forward-looking information is subject to various risks, uncertainties and other factors. All statements other than statements and information of historical fact are forward-looking statements. The use of words such as "estimate", "forecast", "expect", "project", "plan", "target", "vision", "goal", "outlook", "may", "will", "should", "believe", "intend", "anticipate", "potential", and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on the Corporation's experience, current beliefs, assumptions, information and perception of historical trends available to the Corporation, and are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties including, but not limited to those associated with resource definition and expected reserves and contingent and prospective resources estimates, unanticipated costs and expenses, regulatory approval, fluctuating oil and gas prices, expected future production, the ability to access sufficient capital to finance future development and credit risks, changes in Alberta's regulatory framework, including changes to regulatory approval process and land-use designations, royalty, tax, environmental, greenhouse gas, carbon and other laws or regulations and the impact thereof and the costs associated with compliance. Although the Corporation believes that the expectations represented by such forward-looking statements are reasonable, there can be no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Readers are cautioned that the assumptions and factors discussed in this announcement are not exhaustive and readers are not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements as the Corporation's actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied. The Corporation disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, subsequent to the date of this announcement, except as required under applicable securities legislation. The forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this announcement and are expressly qualified by these cautionary statements. Readers are cautioned that the foregoing lists are not exhaustive and are made as at the date hereof. For a full discussion of the Corporation's material risk factors, see the Corporation's annual information form for the year ended December 31, 2016 and risk factors described in other documents we file from time to time with securities regulatory authorities, all of which are available on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange at www.hkexnews.hk, on the SEDAR website at www.sedar.com or on the Corporation's website at www.sunshineoilsands.com.

By Order of the Board of Sunshine Oilsands Ltd.

Sun Kwok Ping, Executive Chairman

Hong Kong, July 28, 2017

Calgary, July 28, 2017

(a corporation incorporated under the Business Corporations Act of the Province of Alberta, Canada with limited liability)

As at the date of this announcement, the Board consists of Mr. Kwok Ping Sun, Mr. Hong Luo, Mr. Qiping Men and Ms. Gloria Pui Yun Ho as executive directors; Mr. Michael John Hibberd, Ms. Linna Liu and Ms. Xijuan Jiang as non-executive directors; and Mr. Raymond Shengti Fong, Mr. Jeff Jingfeng Liu, Ms. Joanne Yan and Mr. Yi He as independent non-executive directors.

Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited and The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited take no responsibility for the contents of this announcement, make no representation as to its accuracy or completeness and expressly disclaim any liability whatsoever for any loss howsoever arising from or in reliance upon the whole or any part of the contents of this announcement.

This announcement appears for information purpose only and does not constitute an invitation or offer to acquire, purchase or subscribe for securities of Sunshine Oilsands Ltd.

(i)For identification purposes only

Contacts:

Sunshine Oilsands Ltd.

Mr. Hong Luo

Chief Executive Officer

(1) 403-984-1450

investorrelations@sunshineoilsands.com

www.sunshineoilsands.com




Mulheim an der Ruhr (ots) -- Querverweis: Bildmaterial wird uber obs versandt und ist abrufbar unter http://www.presseportal.de/bilder -Die US-amerikanische Sangerin Anastacia bringt gemeinsam mit ALDI SUD eine exklusive Fashionkollektion heraus. Unter dem Motto "Music loves Fashion" werden verschiedene Outfits im Glam-Rock-Style angeboten, die nach den Wunschen und Vorlieben des internationalen Rockstars kreiert wurden. "Die gesamte Kollektion steht absolut fur mich und meinen Style. Wir haben Skinny-Jeans mit destroyed Effekten oder Nieten, Biker-Jacken, viele Shirts mit coolen Prints. Solche kleinen Details mag ich sehr", so Anastacia. Ab 14. September startet der Kollektionsverkauf in allen ALDI SUD Filialen in Deutschland.ALDI SUD fuhrt Textilstrategie mit Promis fortNach einer Fitnesskollektion mit Daniel Aminati und zwei Kollektionen in Kooperation mit Designerin Jette Joop im vergangenen Jahr betritt ALDI SUD nun die Fashion-Rockbuhne. "Unsere exklusiven Kollektionen mit prominenter Unterstutzung kommen bei unseren Kunden mehr als gut an. Das zeigt uns, dass wir mit unserer Strategie exklusiver und trendiger Mode zu erschwinglichen Preisen genau richtig liegen. Mit der Anastacia-Kollektion wird ALDI SUD nun rockig", verspricht Kim Aline Suckow, stellvertretende Geschaftsfuhrerin im Einkauf von ALDI SUD.Exklusiv: Fashionshow und Anastacia-Konzert fur ALDI SUD KundenVorgestellt wird die Kollektion bei einer aufwandigen Fashionshow, bei der die Rock-Sangerin auch einige Songs ihres neuen Albums "Evolution" (VO: 15. September) exklusiv prasentieren wird. Die "Music loves Fashion"-Show findet am 7. September im Kolner E-Werk statt. Die limitierten Tickets sowie viele von der Kunstlerin handsignierte Merchandising-Artikel werden uber music-loves-fashion.de verlost. Fur Musikliebhaber warten hier zudem noch besondere Uberraschungen: Das Making-Of-Video mit den ersten 90 Sekunden der ersten Single-Auskopplung "Caught in the Middle" (VO: 28. Juli) des neuen Albums sowie zwei exklusive Neuaufnahmen bekannter Anastacia-Hits. Single und Album sind selbstverstandlich auch bei ALDI life Musik abrufbar.OTS: Unternehmensgruppe ALDI SUD newsroom: http://www.presseportal.de/nr/108584 newsroom via RSS: http://www.presseportal.de/rss/pm_108584.rss2Pressekontakt: Unternehmensgruppe ALDI SUD, Kirsten Ge, presse@aldi-sued.de Presse- und Bildmaterial: aldi-sued.de/presse/anastacia musiclovesfashion aldisudfashion
WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - CenturyLink, Inc. (CTL) announced, based on first half 2017 results and current expectations for the remainder of the year, the company anticipates coming in slightly below its full-year 2017 revenue and adjusted EPS guidance, primarily driven by higher legacy revenue declines and lower consumer broadband revenue growth than anticipated. The company continues to expect adjusted EBITDA and adjusted free cash flow to be near the lower end of prior guidance. CenturyLink said it is not providing updated guidance ranges for full-year 2017 due to the pending acquisition of Level 3, currently anticipated to be completed by the end of third quarter of 2017, and the expected consolidation of results for the combined companies in fourth quarter 2017. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
MISSISSAUGA, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 07/07/17 -- KP Tissue Inc. ("KPT") (TSX: KPT), which holds a limited partnership interest in Kruger Products L.P. ("KPLP"), will release the financial results for KPT and KPLP for the second quarter of 2017 on Wednesday, August 9, 2017 before the market opens. KPT will hold its conference call the same day at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time.

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
EDMONTON, ALBERTA -- (Marketwired) -- 07/07/17 -- Liquor Stores N.A. Ltd. (the "Company" or "Liquor Stores") (TSX: LIQ), North America's largest publicly traded liquor retailer, announced today that it intends to appoint Mr. Kenneth G. Barbet as the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company effective in early August, with Mr. Stephen Bebis, the current President and CEO, ending his tenure with the Company effective immediately. Mr. Peter Lynch will act as interim President and CEO until Mr. Barbet commences his duties. Mr. Barbet and Mr. Lynch are directors of the Company, with Mr. Barbet elected to the Board in June, 2017 and Mr. Lynch elected in May, 2014. Mr. Richard D. Perkins will step down from the Board and also join senior management in early August.

Mr. Barbet is the former transformative CEO of the Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation and former CEO of Big Rock Brewery Inc. Mr. Barbet brings to Liquor Stores a 30-year career in retail focused on alcohol beverage, grocery, pharmacy, eyeglass retail and consumer packaged goods. Mr. Barbet will be leaving his current position as CEO of Doctors Eye Care Co-Op Ltd. by the end of July.

Mr. Lynch is a director of NYSE-listed Retail Properties of America, Inc. of Oak Brook, Illinois, a real estate investment trust. Mr. Lynch also serves on the Board of Advisors of Sid Wainer & Son, a private produce and specialty foods company based in New Bedford, Mass. and is a Trustee for Nichols College in Dudley, Mass. From 2004 until 2012 he was Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Winn-Dixie Stores Inc., a private, Florida-based retailer with 500 grocery stores, 150 liquor stores and 280 in-store pharmacies throughout the five southeastern states of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana and Mississippi. Before that he was President and Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President-Operations with Boise, Idaho-based Albertson's, Inc., one of the largest national U.S. retail food and drug chains, comprised of 2,500 stores.

Mr. Derek H. Burney, Chair of the Board, commented that the leadership changes are a direct result of the recent decision of shareholders to embrace a new vision and strategy for the Company. "The board is confident that Ken Barbet has the experience, talent and energy to lead our Company through this important transformation in strategy. We are indebted to Peter Lynch for agreeing to assist us by becoming interim CEO, ensuring our team remains focused and engaged pending Ken's arrival in a month". Mr. Burney also expressed appreciation for Mr. Bebis' services to the company.

ABOUT LIQUOR STORES N.A. LTD.

The Company operates 251 retail liquor stores in Alberta, British Columbia, Alaska, Kentucky, New Jersey, and Connecticut. Liquor Stores' retail brands include: Liquor Depot, Liquor Barn, and Wine and Beyond in Alberta (177 stores); Liquor Depot and Liquor Barn in British Columbia (34 stores); Brown Jug in Alaska (22 stores); Liquor Barn "The Ultimate Party Source" and Liquor Barn Express in Kentucky (15 stores), Joe Canals Discount Outlet in New Jersey (two stores), and Wine and Beyond in Connecticut (one store). The Company's common shares and convertible subordinated debentures trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbols "LIQ" and "LIQ.DB.B", respectively.

Contacts:

Investors

Matthew Rudd

Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

Liquor Stores N.A. Ltd.

(780) 702-7389




TORONTO, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 07/07/17 -- Banro Corporation (the "Company" or "Banro") (NYSE MKT: BAA)(TSX: BAA) is pleased to announce the appointment of Rory Taylor as Chief Financial Officer of Banro. Mr. Taylor is a senior finance executive with over 18 years of international public company experience. Most recently, Mr. Taylor served as Chief Financial Officer of Aura Minerals Inc. Before that, Mr. Taylor served in senior financial positions for various international companies including Endeavour Mining Corporation and Crew Gold Corporation. These companies owned and operated gold mines and various exploration properties in South and Central America, West Africa, Greenland and the Philippines. He holds a South African CA designation and received a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Cape Town.

The Company thanks Michael Li for serving as Interim CFO while the Company conducted its search for a new CFO. Mr. Li remains a director of Banro and will continue to support Banro's financial operations as a consultant over the next several months.

Banro Corporation is a Canadian gold mining company focused on production from the Twangiza mine, which began commercial production September 1, 2012, and on production at its second gold mine at Namoya, where commercial production was declared effective January 1, 2016. The Company's longer term objectives include the development of two additional major, wholly-owned gold projects, Lugushwa and Kamituga. The four projects, each of which has a mining license, are located along the 210 kilometre long Twangiza-Namoya gold belt in the South Kivu and Maniema provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. All business activities are followed in a socially and environmentally responsible manner.

For further information, please visit our website at www.banro.com.

Contacts:

Investor Relations

+1 (416) 366-2221

+1-800-714-7938

info@banro.com




SEATTLE, WA -- (Marketwired) -- 07/07/17 -- CFN Media Group ("CFN Media"), the leading agency and digital media network dedicated to legal cannabis, today announced publication of an article covering CURE Pharmaceutical Inc.'s (OTCQB: CURR) innovative delivery systems and what they mean for not only the cannabis industry but for drug delivery in general. Drug delivery systems have become increasingly important in the pharmaceutical industry as companies look to beat generic competition. At the same time, the cannabis industry has sought out alternative delivery systems to smoked cannabis that can more effectively deliver cannabinoid compounds to treat a growing range of medical conditions.

Why Drug Delivery?

Drug delivery is an important problem facing the pharmaceutical industry. While pills and capsules have become commonplace, these delivery mechanisms suffer from issues like the inability to target specific parts of the body, slow uptake, and non-compliance. New drug delivery systems use everything from inhalation to intravenous injection to absorption through the skin, with to goal of quickly and effectively solving these problems and better targeting disease.

Delivery mechanisms may also play a bigger role in medicine moving forward. For instance, they may help pharmaceutical companies extend the life of patents by reformulating active ingredients in ways that improve their safety or efficacy profiles compared to generics. Delivery systems may also be used alongside advanced imaging technologies to diagnose and treat diseases in a single step through a relatively new strategy called "theranostics".

CURE Pharmaceutical is a fully integrated specialty pharmaceutical company focused on disruptive proprietary drug delivery technologies for a broad range of molecules serving the biopharmaceutical, veterinarian, medical foods, and pharmaceutical cannabis markets. The company's mission is to deliver proven drugs in a fast and efficient manner to improve patient quality of life across a wide range of potential indications.

Transdermal Technology

CURE Pharmaceutical's innovative transdermal drug delivery platform is designed to deliver therapeutically effective amounts of a drug across a patient's skin. By using vasodilators and proprietary encapsulants, the technology opens the pores sufficiently to enable the passive transport of active ingredients and solvents across the epidermis layer of the skin and into the dermis and subdermal tissue. The idea is to maximize both patient compliance and bioavailability.

"Transdermal drug delivery is one of our proprietary drug delivery technologies that helps us support our mission to improve people's lives by refining how medicines and health products are delivered and experienced," says CEO Rob Davidson. "We expect to experience increased demand for our transdermal products as consumers and the healthcare industry increasingly turn to drug delivery methods that result in improved drug delivery and medication compliance."

Transdermal patches are already widely used across several industries, including the multi-billion dollar market for smoking cessation products and pain management. Improved bioavailability could help make these products even more effective, while potentially expanding the scope of products that could leverage these kinds of delivery mechanisms. The market for these delivery systems is projected to grow 11.6% to reach $95.57 billion by 2025.

Oral Thin Film

CURE Pharmaceutical's CureFilm is the most advanced oral thin film on the market with the potential to disrupt multiple industries by leveraging cannabinoids to treat pain, neuropathy, cancer, psychiatric disorders, autoimmune disease, Parkinson's disease, and sleep disorders. Recently, the company partnered with a contract research organization to conduct a transdermal absorption study to prove the speed, variability, duration, and functionality of the delivery matrix.

The technology has several key advantages over other delivery mechanisms, including ease of use, palatability, greater bioavailability, fewer side effects, precision dosing, and stability during transportation and storage. With the cannabis industry projected to exceed $50 billion by 2026, according to Cowen & Co., the company could see tremendous demand for this innovative delivery technology.

Please follow the link to read the full article: http://www.cannabisfn.com/cure-pharma-brings-innovative-drug-delivery-cannabis-beyond/

Learn how to become a CFN Media featured company, brand or entrepreneur: http://www.cannabisfn.com/become-featured-company/

Download the CFN Media iOS mobile app to access the world of cannabis from your smart phone: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/cannabisfn/id988009247?ls=1&mt=8

Or visit our homepage and enter your mobile number under the Apple App Store logo to receive a download link text on your iPhone: http://www.cannabisfn.com

About CFN Media

CFN Media (CannabisFN) is the leading creative agency and media network dedicated to legal cannabis. We help marijuana businesses attract investors, customers (B2B, B2C), capital, and media visibility. Private and public marijuana companies and brands in the US and Canada rely on CFN Media to grow and succeed.

Disclaimer:

Except for the historical information presented herein, matters discussed in this release contain forward-looking statements that are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such statements. Emerging Growth LLC, which owns CFN Media and CannabisFN.com, is not registered with any financial or securities regulatory authority, and does not provide nor claims to provide investment advice or recommendations to readers of this release. Emerging Growth LLC may from time to time have a position in the securities mentioned herein and may increase or decrease such positions without notice. For making specific investment decisions, readers should seek their own advice. Emerging Growth LLC may be compensated for its services in the form of cash-based compensation or equity securities in the companies it writes about, or a combination of the two. For full disclosure please visit: http://www.cannabisfn.com/legal-disclaimer/.

CFN Media

Frank Lane

206-369-7050

flane@cannabisfn.com




TORONTO, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 07/27/17 -- Minsud Resources Corp. (TSX VENTURE: MSR) ("Minsud" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the closing of a non-brokered private placement offering of units in Minsud (the "Units") for gross proceeds of $650,000 (the "Private Placement"). In connection with the closing of the Private Placement, which was initially announced on July 17, 2017, Minsud issued 6,500,000 Units at a price of $0.10 per Unit with each Unit comprising of one common share in the capital of the Company (the "Shares") and one common share purchase warrant (the "Warrants"). Each Warrant is exercisable into one Share at $0.15 until July 27, 2019.

The net proceeds will be used to continue exploring the Cu-Mo-Ag-Au deposit at the Chita porphyry including metallurgical tests, payments related to option agreements and financing of mining rights acquisitions, as well as working capital and corporate overhead requirements.

Compania de Tierras Sud Argentino S.A., an insider and control person of the Company, purchased 2,400,000 Units. The Company has relied on the exemptions from the valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements of MI 61-101 contained in sections 5.5(b) and 5.7(a) of MI 61-101 in respect of such insider participation. The Company did not file a material change report more than 21 days before the expected closing of the Private Placement as the details of the participation by such insider was not settled until shortly prior to closing of the Private Placement.

The securities issued in connection with the closing of the Private Placement will be subject to a four month hold period expiring on November 28, 2017. No commission or finder's fee was paid in connection with the Private Placement.

About Minsud Resources Corp.:

Minsud is a mineral exploration company focused on exploring its flagship Chita Valley Cu-Mo-Au-Ag Project, in the Province of San Juan, Argentina. The Company also owns the La Rosita Property (9,700 ha), a low sulphidation style Ag-Au mineralization prospect in the Deaseado Massif Ag-Au mining district, Santa Cruz Province, Argentina.

CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION:

This news release includes certain information that may constitute forward-looking information under applicable Canadian securities laws. Forward-looking information includes, but is not limited to, strategic plans, spending commitments, future operations, results of exploration, anticipated financial results, future work programs, capital expenditures and objectives. Forward-looking information is necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information including, but not limited to: changes in national and local government, legislation, taxation, controls, regulations and political or economic developments in Canada and Argentina or other countries in which the Company may carry on business in the future; operating or technical difficulties in connection with exploration and development activities; fluctuations in the currency markets (such as the Canadian dollar, Argentina peso, and the U.S. dollar); risks and hazards associated with the business of mineral exploration and development (including environmental hazards or industrial accidents); risks relating to the credit worthiness or financial condition of suppliers and other parties with whom the Company does business; presence of laws and regulations that may impose restrictions on mining, including those currently enacted in Argentina; employee relations; relationships with and claims by local communities; availability and increasing costs associated with operational inputs and labour; the speculative nature of mineral exploration and development, including the risks of obtaining necessary licenses, permits and approvals from government authorities; business opportunities that may be presented to, or pursued by, the Company; challenges to, or difficulty in maintaining, the Company's title to properties; risks relating to the Company's ability to raise funds; fluctuations in commodity prices and the factors identified in the Company's continuous disclosure documents filed on SEDAR. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. All forward-looking-information contained in this news release is given as of the date hereof and is based upon the opinions and estimates of management and information available to management as at the date hereof. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Contacts:

Carlos Massa

President and Chief Executive Officer

info@minsud.com




Tsarukyan alliance did not follow Pashinyan's advice (video)

At the special session of the National Assembly, just before the vote on the state budget performance, head of the Yelk faction Nikol Pashinyan said the parliamentary faction was going to vote against the draft. It would be much better if the opposition did not participate in the voting. As a result, the draft will not be put for a vote. The number of lawmakers from the Republican Party of Armenia and Armenian Revolutionary Federation - Dashnaktsutyun will not be enough to confirm the draft, he said. Pashinyan had come up to his colleagues from the Tsarukayn alliance and negotiated with them before that. Secretary of Tsarukayn alliance, Vahe Enfiajyan, said their faction had discussed the issue. We think the previous government has already implemented its functions, therefore we are going to vote against the bill. The alliance did so thereby helping the adoption of the draft state budget performance. The bill received 53 votes in favour, 22 against. We were right in our calculations. Had the opposition not participate in the process, the legislature would not have passed the bill," Nikol Pashinyan said after the voting.
MERIDIAN (dpa-AFX) - Dish Network Corp. (DISH) and Amazon.com Inc. (AMZN) have discussed a partnership to enter the wireless business, the Wall Street Journal reported Thursday, citing people familiar with the matter. Dish Chief executive Officer Charlie Ergen and his Amazon counterpart Jeff Bezos have reportedly gotten to know each other better over the past year. Both are billionaires with shared interest in space and robotics. Dish is seeking to diversify away from its shrinking core satellite television business and has been investing heavily in wireless spectrum. However, the company needs the network infrastructure to make use of the spectrum. Dish has tried for years to establish partnerships with wireless providers like Sprint, AT&T, and T-Mobile - so far, to no avail. According to the WSJ report, the two CEOs discussed several ideas for a partnership. Among the ideas discussed by them, Amazon can help Dish fund its planned network that is focused on the 'Internet of Things' - the idea that everything from bikes to drones would have web connectivity everywhere. Another idea is that Amazon, as a founding partner of Dish's new wireless network, could offer an option for Prime members to pay a little more a month for a connectivity or phone plan. Amazon could also use part of Dish's airwaves to stream Amazon Video, or connect drones and other devices to the network. In late May, Dish claimed it is the first TV provider to offer direct compatibility with Amazon's Alexa. Dish said that its customers will be able to use Amazon Alexa to control their Hopper DVR of Wally satellite. Amazon's artificially intelligent, voice-activated assistant Alexa runs in the cloud. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
LAVAL, QUEBEC -- (Marketwired) -- 07/07/17 -- Savaria Corporation (TSX: SIS) ("Savaria" or the "Corporation"), one of North America's leaders in the accessibility industry, is pleased to announce the appointment of Sebastien Bourassa to the Board of Directors of the Corporation, effective immediately.

Mr. Bourassa, who currently holds the position of Operation & Integration Vice President within the Corporation, brings technical knowledge, business acumen and international experience to the Board of Directors. Mr. Bourassa is a seasoned executive and was the instigator behind Savaria's manufacturing facility start-up in China which he has managed since 2006. Under his management, Savaria Huizhou has grown significantly. Mr. Bourassa holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from HEC Montreal, and an EMBA from the Ivey Business School in Hong Kong.

The Corporation also announces the resignation of Robert Berthiaume as director of the Corporation. The Board of Directors of the Corporation wishes to thank Mr. Berthiaume for his contribution to the development of the Savaria throughout the last 16 years. "We are very pleased that Mr. Berthiaume will remain part of the Savaria team as Vice President, European Affairs as both his experience and expertise are valuable assets for the Corporation," declared Marcel Bourassa, President and CEO of the Corporation.

About Savaria

Savaria Corporation (www.savaria.com) is one of North America's leaders in the accessibility industry. It provides accessibility solutions for the elderly and physically challenged to increase their comfort, mobility and independence. The diversity of its product line is one of the most comprehensive on the market. Savaria designs, manufactures, distributes and installs accessibility equipment, such as stairlifts for straight and curved stairs, vertical and inclined wheelchair lifts, as well as elevators for home and commercial use. Following its acquisition of Span-America Medical Products, Inc., Savaria also manufactures and markets a comprehensive selection of pressure management products and beds for the medical and long-term care market. In addition, Savaria converts and adapts vehicles to be wheelchair accessible. It also operates a network of franchisees and corporate stores through which new and recycled accessibility equipment is sold and, in certain locations, vehicle conversions are performed. Savaria records around 70% of its revenue outside Canada, primarily in the United States. It operates a sales network of some 400 retailers and affiliates in North America and employs some 800 people. Its principal places of business are located in Laval and Magog (Quebec), Brampton and Beamsville (Ontario), Greenville (South Carolina) and Huizhou (China).

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/savariabettermobility

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Mobilityforlife

Contacts:

Helene Bernier, CPA, CA

Vice President, Finance

1-800-931-5655, ext. 248

helene.bernier@savaria.com



Marcel Bourassa

President and Chief Executive Officer

1-800-661-5112

marcel.bourassa@savaria.com

www.savaria.com






LONDON (dpa-AFX) - German music streaming company SoundCloud is laying off 173 employees as well as closing its offices in San Francisco and London as part of a restructuring. The company will continue to have offices in Berlin and New York.



SoundCloud said that the cost-cutting measures are needed to ensure the company's path to profitability and long-term independent success in the competitive world of music streaming. The startup was co-founded by Alex Ljung and Eric Wahiforss in Berlin in 2008.



'Today, after careful and painful consideration, we took the difficult step to let go of 173 SoundCloud staffers and consolidated the team into two offices: Berlin and New York. We are extremely grateful for the contributions of each and every staff member who will be leaving SoundCloud, and we wish all of them the best,' Ljung said in a blog post.



Ljung noted that in the last several years, SoundCloud has grown its business as well as more than doubled its revenue in the last twelve months alone.



However, the company has not been able to make profits, Most of the content on SoundCloud is free, while a subscription service introduced last year has not been successful.



Wahiforss has earlier mentioned how important the City of London has been to SoundCloud's success. Many of the major music labels, including Warner Music Group, Sony Music and Universal Music Group, have a significant presence in London.



However, SoundCloud is unable to afford its team of about 20 people at an office on Stephen Street - a part of London that is considered to be more expensive than Berlin.



SoundCloud has raised more than $190 million in funding. Last year, the company was said to be considering a sale, with Spotify and Twitter reportedly among the potential buyers.



The company said that the SoundCloud platform will remain available in more than 190 countries globally. The company has around 175 million users.



Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de
BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

On July 4th 2017, Armenia's armed forces purposefully and deliberately shelled with mortars and grenade launchers the Alkhanli village in the Fizuli District of the Republic of Azerbaijan with a large civilian population. As a result, Zahra Guliyeva, a 17-months-old baby, and her 51-year-old grandmother Sahiba Abdullayeva were killed. Another civilian, Salminaz Guliyeva, was heavily wounded.

We, the Azerbaijani human rights defenders, state that this atrocity is an integral part of Armenia's military occupation and ethnic cleansing policy, which it has been conducting against Azerbaijan for the last 25 years. The Republic of Armenia and its leadership is fully responsible for these international crimes.

Since 1988, Armenia has occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan's territory - the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven adjacent districts. This occupation led to the fleeing of more than one million people from their homelands. As a result of Armenia's military occupation, 20,000 Azerbaijanis have been killed, more than 100,000 have been wounded, more than 50,000 became disabled and more than 5,000 have been captured or gone missing. Although a ceasefire agreement was reached between Armenia and Azerbaijan in 1994, hundreds of Azerbaijani soldiers and civilians have been killed since then as the result of attacks and provocations by the Armenian armed forces.

The fact that Armenia till today has not been brought to international responsibility for its actions violating the international law, creates conditions for a continuation of its crimes.

For this reason, we call on the international community, in particular the United Nations and other international organizations to give a legal and political assessment of gross violations of the international humanitarian law by Armenia's armed forces, to apply relevant sanctions against Armenia, to take necessary measures to put an end to Armenian occupation and not to stay indifferent to purposeful killing of civilians, in particular the elderly and children.

Signed by

Jafarova Novella Jafar, Association for the Protection of Women Rights in Azerbaijan after Dilara Aliyeva

Bananyarli Saadat Izzat, Azerbaijan National Section of International Society for Human Rights

Qanizade Chingiz Ashrali, Member of Parliament of the Republic of Azerbaijan

Zeynalov Eldar Elman, Human Rights Center of Azerbaijan

Mirzazade Rana Rza, Gender and Human Rights Research Union

Chaladze Tatyana, Center for Protection of the Rights of IDPs and Refugees in Azerbaijan

Hasanov Hafiz Bashir, Law and Development Public Association

Gojamanli Saltanat Mammad, Bureau of Human Rights and Law Respect Human Rights and Legislation Development and Public Union

Gahramanova Mirvari Uzeyir, Oil Workers' Rights Protection Organization

Zeynalova Mehriban Heydarali, Clean World Aid to Women Social Union

Salimov Kamil Nazim, Joint Working Group for the Implementation of International Human Rights Standards

Guliyeva Tamasha Tanriverdi, Public Union of the Researching Problems of Women and Children

Talibov Talib Alasga, Law and Justice Public Association

Nuriyev Alimammad Mali, Constitution Research Foundation

Zeyni Rauf Khurshud, Azerbaijan National Non-Governmental Organization Forum

About The Human Rights Center of Azerbaijan

The Human Rights Center of Azerbaijan is non-governmental, non-political, non-profit organization created on 29 April 1993 by free-lance journalist and human rights activist Eldar Zeynalov, which monitors human rightsviolations in the country. It is our mission to highlight violations and we thus have great concern about the latest developments taking place on the contact line between Azerbaijani and Armenian forces.

For more information, go tohttp://humanrightshouse.org/Articles/10768.html
Regulatory News:

Under the liquidity contract entered into between Legrand (Paris:LR) and Kepler Cheuvreux, the following resources were listed in the liquidity account on June 30, 2017 (trading date):

55,000 shares

19,098,301.81

As a reminder, the liquidity account contained the following resources on December 31, 2016 (trading date):

60,433 shares

18,539,454.51

Key financial dates:

2017 first-half results: July 31, 2017

"Quiet period 1 " starts July 3, 2017

"Quiet period " starts July 3, 2017 2017 nine-month results: November 7, 2017

Quiet period1" starts October 7, 2017

_______________________

1 Period of time when all communication is suspended in the run-up to publication of results.

ABOUT LEGRAND

Legrand is the global specialist in electrical and digital building infrastructures. Its comprehensive offering of solutions for commercial, industrial and residential markets makes it a benchmark for customers worldwide. Drawing on an approach that involves all teams and stakeholders, Legrand is pursuing its strategy of profitable and sustainable growth driven by acquisitions and innovation, with a steady flow of new offerings-including Eliot* connected products with enhanced value in use. Legrand reported sales of more than 5 billion in 2016. The company is listed on Euronext Paris and is a component stock of indexes including the CAC 40, FTSE4Good, MSCI World, Corporate Oekom Rating, DJSI World, Vigeo Euronext Eurozone 120, Europe 120-France 20 and World 120, and Ethibel Sustainability Index Excellence.

(code ISIN FR0010307819).

http://www.legrand.com

*Eliot is a program launched in 2015 by Legrand to speed up deployment of the Internet of Things in its offering. A result of the group's innovation strategy, Eliot aims to develop connected and interoperable solutions that deliver lasting benefits to private individual users and professionals.

http://www.legrand.com/EN/eliot-program_13238.html

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170707005031/en/

Contacts:

Investor relations

Legrand

Francois Poisson

Tel: +33 (1) 49 72 53 53

francois.poisson@legrand.fr

or

Press Relations

Publicis Consultants

Vilizara Lazarova

Tel: +33 (0)1 44 82 46 34

Mob: +33 (0)6 26 72 57 14

vilizara.lazarova@consultants.publicis.fr

or

Eloi Perrin

Tel: +33 (0)1 44 82 46 36

Mob: +33 (0)6 81 77 76 43

eloi.perrin@consultants.publicis.fr
Edmonton, Alberta--(Newsfile Corp. - July 7, 2017) - Grizzly Discoveries Inc. (TSXV: GZD) (OTC Pink : GZD IF) ( FSE: G6H) ("Grizzly" or the "Company") announces that the Board of Directors has granted stock options ("Options") to directors, officers, and consultants of the Company to acquire up to an aggregate 2,300,000 common shares of the Company ("Shares") under the Company's Stock Option Plan, of which 1,400,000 were granted to insiders of the Company. The Options are exercisable at a price of $0.05 per Share, vest immediately upon issuance, and expire on July 7, 2022 or earlier in accordance with the provisions of the Company's Stock Option Plan. The grant of options and the exercise price are subject to approval by the TSX Venture Exchange.

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
EDMONTON, ALBERTA -- (Marketwired) -- 07/07/17 -- Emissions Reduction Alberta (ERA) has committed funding to 12 innovative methane-reducing technology projects. The projects have a combined value of more than $83 million, and are approved for up to $29.5 million in ERA funding. The projects target methane emissions monitoring, detection and reduction in the oil and gas, power generation, agriculture and forestry sectors.

"Achieving Alberta's goal of reducing methane emissions requires the development and deployment of new technologies," said ERA CEO Steve MacDonald. "The ERA-funded methane projects will help deliver the GHG reduction solutions that Alberta, Canada and the world need."

The new initiatives are the result of the ERA Methane Challenge, and were selected for funding through ERA's competitive process. ERA leveraged its investment to advance projects that will help industry meet the province's climate leadership objective to reduce methane emissions by 45 per cent by 2025.

"We are drawing on tremendous technical expertise and the capacity of Alberta companies to accelerate development of the innovative methane-reducing technologies we need in a lower carbon world," said Shannon Phillips, Alberta Minister of Environment and Parks and the Minister Responsible for the Climate Change Office. "This commitment to innovation supports economic prosperity and creates employment opportunities for Albertans."

"We're proud to be growing Alberta's reputation as a responsible energy producer, with industry and government working together and leading the way in addressing climate change," said Margaret McCuaig-Boyd, Alberta Minister of Energy. "Our made-in-Alberta approach to methane reduction will ensure we meet our targets and increase environmental protection in a way that maintains the competitiveness of our oil and gas industry."

The climate change impact of methane is 25 times greater than carbon dioxide over a 100-year period. Methane reductions resulting from these 12 projects are estimated to be more than 1.1 MT by 2020 and more than 6.9 MT by 2030. These projects will also lead to more than $60 million in spending in Alberta and approximately 60 direct jobs.

ERA worked closely with the Government of Alberta, the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP), Alberta Energy Regulator (AER), Canada's Oil Sands Innovation Alliance (COSIA), Pembina Institute, and others to develop the ERA Methane Challenge. ERA has plans to further leverage its investments with other funding partners, such as the Ontario Centres of Excellence.

"Through the support of Emissions Reduction Alberta, the proceeds from industrial large emitters are being reinvested to accelerate progress in emissions reductions in the oil and natural gas industry," said Joy Romero, Vice President, Technology and Innovation at Canadian Natural Resources Limited. "These investments are critical to ensuring that Alberta is the preferred source of responsibly produced oil and natural gas."

The ERA Methane Challenge launched in October 2016 to develop and demonstrate innovative technology solutions to help Alberta detect, quantify, and reduce methane emissions. The organization received 118 submissions through the competition.

ERA works with industry, government and the innovation community to invest in and advance the technologies needed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and build a stronger, more diversified economy. To date, ERA has committed to more than $340 million in funding to over 120 projects with a total value of over $2.3 billion.

The Province of Alberta provides grants to ERA from the Climate Change and Emissions Management Fund to enable ERA to fulfil its mandate.

Note: Background on the funded projects is available here: http://eralberta.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/ERA-Methane-Challenge-Backgrounder.pdf

Contacts:

Emissions Reduction Alberta

Celia Sollows

Cell: 780-239-4150

csollows@eralberta.ca






WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - President Donald Trump's highly anticipated meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday included a discussion regarding alleged Russian meddling in last year's presidential election.



Secretary of State Rex Tillerson told reporters Trump and Putin had a 'very robust and lengthy exchange' about election interference.



Tillerson said Trump opened the meeting by expressing concerns about possible Russian interference and brought up the issue on more than one occasion. Putin once again denied involvement.



The conversation came amid a meeting between Trump and Putin that lasted for more than two hours after initially being scheduled for between 30 and 45 minutes.



The two presidents focused on how to move forward and how to secure a commitment that the Russian government has no intention of interfering in future elections, Tillerson said.



The discussion about meddling in the election came as a surprise to some political observers, as Trump has raised questions about the intelligence community's assessment that Russia interfered.



Trump said in remarks in Poland on Thursday he thinks Russia meddled in the election but argued that 'nobody really knows for sure.'



Tillerson said Trump and Putin also reached an agreement on a ceasefire in Syria, which he called the first indication the countries can work together to curb the violence in the war-torn country.



The ceasefire in southwest Syria reportedly also involves Jordan and is scheduled to go into effect on Sunday.



The meeting between Trump and Putin also included discussions on issues such as Ukraine, North Korea, fighting terrorism, and cybersecurity.



Trump told reporters as the meeting was getting underway that he was discussing various things with Putin and described the conversation as 'going very well.'



'We've had some very, very good talks,' Trump said. 'We are going to have a talk now and obviously that will continue.'



'But we look forward to a lot of very positive things happening for Russia, for the United States and for everybody concerned,' he added. 'It's an honor to be with you.'



Putin noted that he has spoken to Trump by phone but suggested it was important for them to have face-to-face meetings to address certain issues.



'Phone conversation is never enough,' Putin said through a translator. 'I'm delighted to be able to meet you personally, Mr. President. And I hope, as you have said, our meeting will yield positive result.'



Trump had his first ever face-to-face encounter with Putin earlier in the day, with the two leaders briefly shaking hands.



(Photos: Gage Skidmore, www.kremlin.ru)



Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de
WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Crude oil futures tumbled Friday, extending weekly losses amid lingering concerns about the global supply glut. OPEC is having difficulty getting full compliance on its supply quotas and North American production has been rampant in the first half of the year. 'If OPEC doesn't balance the market, the oil price will have to force it somewhere else, most likely in U.S. shale. For a chance of a balanced market in 2018, the U.S. rig count can no longer grow and possibly needs to contract ~150 rigs. Given current break-evens, this requires WTI between $46-50,' the Morgan Stanley analysts said in the report. Alas, Baker Hughes reported that the number of active U.S. rigs drilling for oil rose by 7 to 763 rigs this week, the 24th weekly rise in 25 weeks. August West Texas Intermediate crude fell $1.29, or 2.8%, to settle at $44.23 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange for the session. Prices plunged 3.9 percent this week, sliding back near recent yearly lows. In economic news, the U.S. created 222,000 new jobs in June. Economists predicted a 180,000 increase in nonfarm jobs. This follows an upwardly revised increase of 152,000 jobs in May. The unemployment rate rose to 4.4% from 4.3% as more people entered the labor force for the summer. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (Marketwired) -- 07/07/17 -- Orca Gold Inc. (TSX VENTURE: ORG) ("Orca" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that further to the Company's May 30th news release disclosing the results of the Revised Preliminary Economic Assessment ("Revised PEA") of the Block 14 Gold Project in the Republic of the Sudan, the supporting NI 43-101 Technical Report has now been filed and is available on the Company's website and on www.SEDAR.com.

Highlights of the Revised PEA on a 100% Basis

The Revised PEA is based on contract mining with material treated at Galat Sufar South ("GSS") through a 3.4 Mtpa standard carbon-in-leach ("CIL") processing plant. Process water will be supplied from a bore-field 85 km south west of GSS where the Company has discovered a new and extensive water resource in a Nubian sandstone aquifer system (see Company News Release dated May 30, 2017). Using a gold price of US$ 1,100/oz for mine design, and US$ 1,200/oz for economic analysis, highlights of the Revised PEA include:

-- Pre-tax NPV7% of US$ 278.2 million and an IRR of 26.5% (+78% from Jul '16 PEA); -- After-tax NPV7% of US$ 227.7 million and an IRR of 23.1%; -- In-pit mineral resources comprising 41.0Mt grading 1.46g/t for 1,928 Koz (+57% from Jul '16 PEA) in the Indicated category and 3.4Mt grading 1.56g/t for 173 Koz (+25% from Jul '16 PEA) in the Inferred category; -- 92% of the in-pit mineral resource is in the Indicated category, the balance of which, 8%, is in Inferred; -- 1,630 Koz of gold produced from Indicated resources and 147 Koz produced from Inferred resources over the life of mine ("LOM"); -- Mine life of 13.2 years with average annual LOM production of 135,000 ounces of gold; -- Average annual production in years 1-5 of 146,000 ounces of gold; -- Average gold recovery of 84.5%; -- Cash costs of US$ 701/oz for LOM; -- All-in sustaining costs of US$ 752/oz for LOM; -- Pre-production capital costs of US$ 211 million (including a 25% contingency); -- Sustaining capital costs of US$ 92 million; and -- Payback period of 3.0 years, after-tax, from commencement of production. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sensitivity Analysis ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Gold Price (US$/oz) 1,100 1,200 1,300 1,400 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Silver Price (US$/oz) 15.71 17.14 18.57 20.00 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pre-tax NPV7% (US$ millions) 177.0 278.2 379.4 480.7 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- After-tax NPV7% (US$ millions) 141.7 227.7 313.7 399.8 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pre-tax IRR (%) 20.2 26.5 32.3 37.6 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- After-tax IRR (%) 17.6 23.1 28.2 32.9 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Based on the very positive conclusions of the Revised PEA, the Company has commenced a Feasibility Study on Block 14, scheduled for completion in Q1 2018.

About Orca Gold Inc.

Orca Gold Inc. (TSX VENTURE: ORG) is a Canadian resource company focused on exploration opportunities in Africa. Our flagship asset is the 70%-owned Block 14 Gold Project in the Republic of the Sudan. Block 14 is situated on a 2,170 km2 concession. Orca has advanced the project from discovery to Feasibility Study stage within five years and plan to reach a construction decision by Q1 2018.

The technical contents of this release have been approved by Hugh Stuart, BSc, MSc, a Qualified Person pursuant to NI 43-101. Mr. Stuart is President of the Company and a Chartered Geologist and Fellow of the Geological Society of London.

On behalf of the Board of Directors:

Richard P. Clark, CEO and Director

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information

This press release contains forward-looking information and forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws, including statements regarding Orca's (the "Company", the "Corporation", "we" or "our") plans and expectations relating to the Block 14 project ("Block 14") in northern Sudan and the revised Preliminary Economic Assessment (the "Revised PEA") and Definitive Feasibility Study ("DFS") currently being completed and/or conducted by the Corporation. These statements relate to analyses and other information that are based on forecasts of future results, estimates of amounts not yet determinable and assumptions of management. Statements concerning mineral resource estimates may also be deemed to constitute "forward-looking statements" to the extent that they involve estimates of the mineralization that will be encountered if the property is developed. The assumptions, risk and uncertainties outlined below are non-exhaustive. Should one or more of these risks and uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results, performance or achievements of the Corporation, or industry results, may vary materially from those described in this press release.

Any statements that express or involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance (often, but not always, identified by words or phrases such as "expects", "anticipates", "believes", "plans", "projects", "estimates", "assumes", "intends", "strategy", "goals", "objectives", "potential", "possible" or variations thereof or stating that certain actions, events, conditions or results "may", "could", "would", "should", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved, or the negative of any of these terms and similar expressions) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements.

Forward-looking statements and forward-looking information are not guarantees of future performance and are based upon a number of estimates and assumptions of management at the date the statements are made including without limitation, assumptions about the following (the "Forward-Looking Factors"): future prices of gold and other metals; successful exploration, development, and production of Block 14; the timing and completion of the DFS; the timing and likelihood of a production decision; performance of contractual obligations by counterparties; operating conditions; political stability; obtaining governmental approvals and financing on time; financial projections and budgets; obtaining licenses and permits; government regulation of the Corporation's mining activities; environmental risks and expenses; market conditions; the securities market; price volatility of the Corporation's securities; currency exchange rates; foreign mining tax regimes; insurance and uninsured risks; financial projections and results; competition; availability of sufficient capital, infrastructure, equipment and labour; dependence on key personnel; dependence on outside parties; conflicts of interest; litigation; land title issues; local community issues; estimation of mineral resources; realization of mineral resources; timing and amount of estimated future production; the life of Block 14; reclamation obligations; changes in project parameters as plans continue to be evaluated; and anticipated costs and expenditures and our ability to achieve the Corporation's goals. While we consider these assumptions to be reasonable, the assumptions are inherently subject to significant business, social, economic, political, regulatory, competitive and other risks and uncertainties, and contingencies, many of which are based on factors and events that are not within the control of the Corporation and there is no assurance they will prove to be correct.

Forward-looking statements are subject to a variety of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ from those reflected in the forward-looking statements, including, without limitation known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors relating to the Forward-Looking Factors above, and those factors disclosed under the heading "Risk Factors" in the Corporation's documents filed from time to time with the securities regulators in the provinces of Canada.

In addition, a number of other factors could cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Corporation to differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking information, and there is no assurance that the actual results, performance or achievements of the Corporation will be consistent with them. For further details, reference is made to the risk factors discussed or referred to in the Corporation's annual and interim management's discussion and analyses on file with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities and available electronically on the SEDAR website at www.sedar.com. Although the Corporation has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events, results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements and forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause actions, events, results, performance or achievements not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements or information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Such forward-looking statements and information are made or given as at the date of this press release and the Corporation disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required under applicable securities law. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or forward-looking information.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Contacts:

Elina Chow

Investor Relations

416.645.0935 x 226




Statement by the Spokesperson on the conflict resolution and reconciliation efforts

Foreign Minister of Armenia to participate in the Fifth Paris Peace Forum

Armenia: EU and Armenia Hold annual Dialogue on Human Rights

Todays Shushi, Occupied and Cleared of Armenians, is a Real Example of Turkish-Azerbaijani Policy of Ethnic Cleansing of Artsakh

Ookla, the the global leader in internet testing and analysis has awarded Ucom

Sweden will hold the Presidency of the Council of the European Union

Ameriabank: At the Vanguard of Armenia's Banking Sector

STATEMENT OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY OF THE REPUBLIC OF ARTSAKH

SUBSCRIBERS OF UCOMS ALL TIME BEST OFFER TO ENJOY ADDITIONAL BENEFITS

Armenia-Azerbaijan: EU sets up monitoring capacity along the international borders

PACE co-rapporteurs on Armenia concerned by reports of alleged war crimes or inhuman treatment perpetrated by Azerbaijans armed forces

There is still 35% gender pay gap: Sona Ghazaryan

Global Finance Names Ameriabank the Safest Bank in Armenia

Mikayel and Karen Vardanyans provided 136 million AMD support for the overhaul of the Myasnikyan statue, which was in unsafe state of disrepair

Believe me, as a representative of a country which uses the Schengen system very often, it is quite important. Vardanyan

I really look forward to having answers from the Azerbaijani side for these alleged gross human rights violations: Secretary General

Google Ad

I call on Armenian and Azerbaijani parliamentarians to use this Assembly as an agora of opportunities President Tiny Kox

UCOMS SPECIAL OFFER OF THE UNLIMITED INTERNET IS NOW TERMLESS

There is no place for the death penalty in a State that respects human rights: PACE General Rapporteur

EU and CoE call on two Member States that have not yet acceded to this Protocol  Armenia and Azerbaijan  to do so without delay

An urgent debate requested on "The military hostilities between Armenia and Azerbaijan".

UCOM AND PES-PES CONTINUE COOPERATION WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF EDUCATIONAL PROJECT

The statement of the meeting between Prime Minister Pashinyan, President Aliyev, President Macron and President Michel of October 6, 2022

Largest Corporate Bond Program at the Securities Market of Armenia Completed Successfully

The statement of the Defender on the video of the execution of Armenian PoWs by the Azerbaijani armed forces

LEVEL UP ONLY FOR STUDENTS: UCOM OFFERS X2 AND X3 MORE INTERNET

STATEMENT BY SECRETARY ANTONY J. BLINKEN

This criminal act is another proof that the Armenophobia policy. Tatoyan

Nikol Pashinyan, Nancy Pelosi discuss a number of issues related to the Armenian-American agenda and regional developments
NEW YORK, NEW YORK -- (Marketwired) -- 07/07/17 -- Brookfield Global Listed Infrastructure Income Fund Inc. (NYSE: INF) and Brookfield Real Assets Income Fund Inc. (NYSE: RA) (each, a "Fund," and collectively, the "Funds") today announced that their Boards of Directors declared their monthly distributions.

Brookfield Global Listed Infrastructure Income Fund Inc. declared a monthly distribution of $0.0817 per share, payable on July 27, 2017 to stockholders of record on July 20, 2017. The ex-distribution date is July 18, 2017. Based on the NYSE closing price of $13.33 on July 6, 2017, the Fund's annualized distribution rate was 7.35%.

Brookfield Real Assets Income Fund Inc. declared a monthly distribution of $0.1990 per share, payable on July 27, 2017 to stockholders of record on July 20, 2017. The ex-distribution date is July 18, 2017. Based on the NYSE closing price of $23.33 on July 6, 2017, the Fund's annualized distribution rate was 10.24%.

Shares purchased on or after the ex-distribution date will not receive the distribution discussed above. Please contact your financial advisor with any questions. Distributions may include net investment income, capital gains and/or return of capital. The distribution rate referenced above is calculated as the annualized amount of the most recent monthly distribution declared divided by the stated stock price. Any portion of the Fund's distributions that is a return of capital does not necessarily reflect the Fund's investment performance and should not be confused with "yield" or "income." The tax status of distributions will be determined at the end of the taxable year.

Brookfield Investment Management Inc. (the "Firm") is an SEC-registered investment adviser and represents the Public Securities platform of Brookfield Asset Management. The Firm provides global listed real assets strategies including real estate equities, infrastructure equities, real asset debt and diversified real assets. With more than $14 billion of assets under management as of March 31, 2017, the Firm manages separate accounts, registered funds and opportunistic strategies for institutional and individual clients, including financial institutions, public and private pension plans, insurance companies, endowments and foundations, sovereign wealth funds and high net worth investors. The Firm is a wholly owned subsidiary of Brookfield Asset Management, a leading global alternative asset manager with approximately $250 billion of assets under management as of March 31, 2017. For more information, go to www.brookfield.com.

Brookfield Global Listed Infrastructure Income Fund Inc. and Brookfield Real Assets Income Fund Inc. are managed by Brookfield Investment Management Inc. The Funds use their website as a channel of distribution of material company information. Financial and other material information regarding the Funds are routinely posted on and accessible at www.brookfield.com.

Contacts:

Brookfield Global Listed Infrastructure Income Fund Inc.

Brookfield Real Assets Income Fund Inc.



Brookfield Place

250 Vesey Street, 15th Floor

New York, NY 10281-1023

(855) 777-8001

funds@brookfield.com




VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / November 28, 2017 / Taku Gold Corp. (CSE: TAK, OTCQB: TAKUF) ("Taku" or the "Company") announces it has received a requisition to call a special meeting of its shareholders. The requisition was made by Golden Predator Mining Corp. (TSXV: GPY), which beneficially owns at least 5% of the Company's outstanding common shares. The requisition asks for a shareholders' meeting to be called for the purpose of removing from office three of the current directors of the Company, and replacing them with nominees put forward by GPY. The Company will be reviewing the requisition, and expects to set a meeting date within the next 20 days.

Taku is committed to considering the views of its shareholders and making decisions in the best interests of the Company as a whole.

For more information please contact:

Zak Dingsdale, CEO and President at 1-905-269-0797

zak@takugold.com

www.takugold.com

Follow Taku Gold On:

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/takugold

Twitter: http://twitter.com/takugoldcorp

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/TakuGold

Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/takugold

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Market Regulator (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

SOURCE: Taku Gold Corp.
ST. PETERSBURG, FL / ACCESSWIRE / November 1, 2017 / Today, Leone Asset Management (OTC PINK: LEON) issues a Corporate Update:

I am very proud to announce that Cholesterade has won a Finalist Award for new and innovative products in the Heart Healthy category in Supply Side West Editors Choice Awards. Cholesterade was one of five finalists out of over 400 nominees. Needless to say, we are very excited and pleased to get this attention in such a short period of time and look forward to receiving many more awards in the future.

To continue, we had a very successful launch of Cholesterade in the first quarter of 2017. The second quarter was mainly about adding additional independent locations around the country and to start introducing Cholesterade to the small- and medium-sized chains. During the third quarter we continued with adding additional independent locations, and a few small chains such as Kinney Drugs (110 locations), we increased our online digital footprint and have set several large chain meetings. At the same time, our Medical Advisory board has continued conducting our multi-center clinical study that has been showing incredible results with the participants.

For those who are unfamiliar with the space we are operating in, it is important to know that within the sales process to retail, there are several steps involved and generally the process will take 1-6 months before we actually are on their shelves. It's safe to say, the larger the chain the longer the process. We have met with and continue to set meetings with both regional and national chains and anticipate a favorable response to place Cholesterade on their shelves during 2018. Once we are given acceptance, we will probably be given a 3-6 month timeframe in which the company stocks new product inventory for our category. Once again and just so everyone is clear, each chain places new products on their shelves at different times of the year depending on the actual category the product is in. This is a positive for us because it gives us the proper lead-time to build up inventories and plan an effective advertising and marketing campaign.

Even though we are still in our infancy with the National launch of Cholesterade, we are pleased with our current growth rate. The second quarter experienced a 96 percent increase in sales over the first quarter, and the third quarter experienced an 86 percent increase over the second quarter.

During the third quarter we are happy to share with the public that we had a couple very nice endorsements that can be viewed on YouTube. John Basedow, one of the country's top personal trainers gave us a glowing endorsement and it can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xOMl43N16vI&t=48s. In addition, Joe Ciminera on Taste this TV also gave us a great endorsement which can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6amJC_M2Y9E.

Last but not least, we continue some intense work with our consolidated accounting work and are doing all we can to get this completed as soon as possible so we can then complete our audits and file our registration statement and up-listing. I am anticipating being able to give a very definitive timeline on this process in next quarter's update.

I want to offer a special thank you from the Leone Asset team for all of your support, and we wish you a very happy and successful last quarter and upcoming Holiday Season.

About Leone Asset Management

Leone Asset Management, Inc., is a multi-national conglomerate with subsidiary companies that operate in Health and Wellness, Supplement Manufacturing and Distribution and Agriculture Management. For additional information, visit: www.leoneasset.com.

About Go Epic Health

Go Epic Health, a Leone Asset Management subsidiary, is a nutritional product holding company which owns the intellectual property and worldwide manufacturing and distribution rights to Cholesterade, a natural cholesterol reducing product created by the late Dr. Robert Cade, creator of Gatorade. Go Epic's wholly owned subsidiary, American Retail Alliance, markets and distributes Cholesterade as well as other new and innovative consumer goods through the nation's largest retail pharmacy chain stores, drug and health food stores and product-specific catalogs. For further information, please visit www.goepichealth.com and www.gocholesterade.com.

Forward-Looking Statements Disclosure:

This press release may contain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the federal securities laws. In this context, forward-looking statements may address the Company's expected future business and financial performance, and often contain words such as "anticipates," " beliefs," "estimates," "expects," "intends," " plans," "seeks," "will," and other terms with similar meaning. These forward-looking statements by their nature address matter that are, to different degrees, uncertain. Although the Company believes that the assumptions upon which its forward-looking statements based are reasonable, it can provide no assurances that these assumptions will prove to be correct. All forward-looking statements in this press release are expressly qualified by such cautionary statements, risk, and uncertainties, and by reference to the underlying assumptions.

Contact:

Woody Junot

President

Leone Asset Management

(727) 581-1500

wjunot@goepichealth.com

SOURCE: Leone Asset Management
ProSteel Security Holdings, Inc., a Provo, Utah-based manufacturer of safety and security products, received a strategic investment of undisclosed amount.

Backers included City Capital Ventures and Promus Equity Partners.

The company intends to use the proceeds for continued growth.

Founded in 1947 and led by Clay Linford, CEO, ProSteel Security Holdings manufactures safety and security products offering a full line of gun and home safes, vault doors and other security products. Through its 35-year strategic partnership with Browning, the company sells gun safes marketed under the Browning ProSteel brand to a diverse base of retail customers across multiple channels.

FinSMEs

07/07/2017
Squirro, a Zurich, Switzerland-based context intelligence & insights solution provider, completed a $10m Series B funding round.

The round was led by Orange Growth Capital with participation from new investor Salesforce Ventures, and existing investors.

The company will use the new funding to accelerate growth in emerging markets, further strengthen its presence in North America and Europe, and reinforce the R&D team based in Zurich.

Founded in 2012 by Dr. Dorian Selz, CEO, Squirro is a cognitive insights company, with an advanced context intelligence & insights solution powered by proprietary Artificial Intelligence techniques built around a core USPs of Concept Detection, Auto-Discovery, and Anomaly & Trend Detection.

The company Squirro works with global data-driven organizations, predominantly in financial services, insurances, telecoms, and manufacturing industries, such as Brookson, Evalueserve, Investec, Helvetia Insurance, SwissRe, Vontobel, Wells Fargo.

Squirro currently has offices in Zurich, Munich, Barcelona, London, and New York.

FinSMEs

07/07/2017
New Delhi: State-owned Air India on Thursday launched its first flight to Washington DC from New Delhi, thereby adding its fifth destination in the US. Air India has deployed its 238-seater Boeing 777-200 LR aircraft to cater to the new direct service to the US. The plane offers eight seats in first class, 35 in business and 195 in economy class.

The launch took place at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport in the presence of Charge de Affairs of US Embassy Marykay Loss Carlson, Air India Chairman and Managing Director Ashwani Lohani, Commercial Director of Air India Pankaj Shrivastava, among other airline officials. Indian Ambassador to the US Navtej Sarna, Lohani and Srivastava are also flying to Washington.

The occupancy on flights to Washington is at 90 percent for the month of July, according to the airline spokesperson. The airline will operate a bigger 321-seater Boeing 777-300ER aircraft between 9 and 17 July, he said.

Washington is the the fifth destination for Air India. The service to the US capital will be offered three times a week.

Apart from Washington, Air India flies to four US airports - New York, Newark, Chicago and San Francisco. There are daily flights to Newark, New York and Chicago. However, its Delhi-San Francisco flight is operated six times a week.

The national carrier also plans to fly to other destinations in the US, such as Los Angeles and Houston among others. Air India's operations to the US account for 20 per cent of the total revenue of the national carrier. In the last fiscal, the state-owned carrier mopped up an estimated Rs 3,200 crore revenue, which is an increase of 17 per cent over FY 2014-2015, from its US operations alone.
Budget passenger carrier IndiGo on Thursday said that it was interested in acquiring the national passenger carrier Air India's international operations. However, it is not keen on going in for a joint venture (JV) with the government.

According to Rakesh Gangwal and Rahul Bhatia, founders of IndiGo, the budget airline is interested in Air India's international operations and that of its low-cost international subsidiary Air India Express.

However, Gangwal made it clear that IndiGo would not be "interested" in forming a JV with the government to acquire Air India.

Gangwal and Bhatia were speaking at a conference call with analysts and investors.

Ever since civil aviation minister Jayant Sinha disclosed that the budget carrier has expressed interest in the loss-making state-run company, investors in IndiGo shares have become jittery.

The stock on the BSE fell 7.7 percent over in two days after the minister's announcement on 29 June, with market capitalisation declining Rs 3,540 crore. Over the last seven sessions, the stock has fallen 2.8 percent, while the Sensex rose 1.6 percent. The market capitalisation of the company is now down Rs 1,260 crore from 28 June.

Here's the full text of IndiGo's conference call:

Conference Call to discuss IndiGos expression of interest in the privatization of Air India and IndiGos views regarding long-haul, international operations 06 July, 2017

Moderator: Good evening ladies and gentlemen and welcome to the Conference Call on IndiGos future plans regarding long-haul international flying. My name is Zaid and I will be your coordinator. At this time, the participants are in a listen-only mode. A question-and-answer session will follow todays management discussion.

As a reminder, todays conference call is being recorded. I would now like to turn the call over to your moderator, Mr. Ankur Goel, Associate Vice President of Treasury & Investor Relations for IndiGo.

Ankur Goel: Good Evening, everyone, and thank you for joining us for this discussion on IndiGos potential future plans and strategy on long-haul, international flying.

Participating on this call are our two founders, Mr. Rahul Bhatia and Mr. Rakesh Gangwal. Before we begin, please note that todays discussion contains statements regarding certain

elements of our business plans, strategy and/or financials which will be construed as forwardlooking. Our actual plans and results may be materially different from these forward-looking statements.

The information provided on this call is as of todays date and we undertake no obligations to update the information subsequently.

A transcript of todays call will be archived on our website. We will upload the prepared remarks within an hour and the Q&As will be uploaded within a week after Chorus Call has translated the Q&As.

With this, let me hand over the call to Mr. Rahul Bhatia

Rahul Bhatia: Thank you, Ankur. A good day to all of you, and thank you for joining us. Let me speak to the recent flurry of news regarding IndiGos interest in Air India. There has been a lot of press coverage and commentary on IndiGos interest in acquiring the airline operations of Air India. Regrettably most of that reporting and commentary has missed the mark largely because we, at IndiGo, were constrained and not able to provide more clarity to the investor community and the press about our plans. We should have done a better job at this.

We are close to announcing our quarterly results at the end of this month and being mindful of the quiet period as well as the materiality of the issues, we could not, on an individual basis, reach out to the investor community as well as the press to share our thoughts regarding Air India. Now with all the misunderstanding that is floating out there, we felt it best to publicly elaborate and spell out our vision and potential plans regarding long-haul international flying, through this conference call.

India is the third largest aviation market, and the second largest country in terms of population. It is going through significant economic growth, and prosperity is on the rise. The country continues to be dramatically underserved in the domestic aviation space, and that is why we are witnessing domestic traffic growth of 15% to 20% every year. On the international side, we believe that India represents one of the largest untapped international air transportation market opportunities that is out there, and the country certainly lacks its fair share of long-haul international flights. In reality, India's international air transportation hubs reside outside India.

Air India is a massive organization. They employ more than twenty thousand people and operate various subsidiaries ranging from maintenance, to charter operations, to ground handling, to hotel

operations, and so on. It has lost thousands of crores of rupees over the last five years, carries a debt load of more than 50,000 crore rupees, and continues to be a significant financial challenge for the Government.

First and foremost, IndiGo is not looking at acquiring all of Air Indias businesses and subsidiaries. In our view, that would be a herculean task which would at best be a very challenging

proposition and at worst an impossible task, unless an organization is willing to fund large losses for a very long time.

So what are we looking at within Air India? Quite simply, we are interested in the airline operations of Air India. And more specifically, we are focused narrowly on Air Indias international operations and Air India Express. That is what we have communicated in our oneon-one discussions with Government officials.

Let me digress for a moment and address a few news reports stating that IndiGo may be rethinking the scope of what it is looking at with respect to Air India. Quite to the contrary  our thinking is clear on this issue, and it has not changed. When we were asked by the stock exchanges to comment on reports that IndiGo had expressed interest in Air India, we decided to disclose the letter that we had submitted to the Government. Now it also became important that we share some details with our employees. Consequently, concurrent with the filing with the stock exchanges, we sent an email to all our employees about what was transpiring and elaborated to them that our interest was primarily in Air Indias international operations. So from day one, it is mainly about international operations.

Now some of you may be wondering if such a carve out of Air Indias international operations is even possible and practical. To which we would like to point out that this is not a new concept. A few decades ago, United Airlines acquired Pan Ams Pacific operations. Based on the success of that transaction, United then followed up by acquiring Pan Ams London routes in 1990. Today,

United Airlines is one of the largest international carriers and it is questionable if that would have happened but for those acquisitions. United was able to do with those international routes and route authorities what Pan Am was unable to do principally because United had a large domestic feed network. As a matter of fact, American Airlines followed that same model by acquiring TWAs London routes.

So there is a road map out there that has worked very successfully. Today, IndiGo serves seven international destinations and Air Indias international operations would bring a very important

element to our network. It would provide rapid entry into restricted and, in some cases, closed international markets. So instead of being a small international player, IndiGo would have a path to becoming a major player in the international market. Importantly, we believe that IndiGo has the ingredients to significantly grow and unleash the true growth and earnings potential of Air Indias international operations, and Rakesh will speak to that issue in a few minutes.

Understandably, an acquisition of Air Indias international operations would require significant restructuring and management oversight. A task that we are quite comfortable taking on.

However, we simply do not have the ability or for that matter, the desire to take on debts or liabilities that could not be supported by a standalone restructured international operation of Air India.

On the other hand, if the Government of India decides to sell all of Air Indias airline operations and, I emphasize airline operations, to a single entity and not carve out the international operations, we would still be interested in exploring that option. As the largest domestic carrier, it would not be prudent, if not irresponsible, on our part if we did not look at and explore all the opportunities that may or may not exist from the Governments divestiture plans for Air India.

However, acquiring all of the airline operations of Air India brings with it a lot of other issues and many more challenges and complexities. We would evaluate that option and assess if it is

economically feasible for us to go down that path. At the end of the day, this exercise is not about becoming bigger for the sake of being bigger  it is all about profitable growth and that is a bedrock principle at IndiGo borne out in our performance of the last ten years. Thank you, and let me now turn the call over to Rakesh.

Rakesh Gangwal: Thank you, Rahul. This is an interesting call with financial analysts and investors since we are only sharing our thoughts and vision and not numbers. Its like going to a corporate board meeting in a swim suit.

In broad strokes, let me spend a few minutes on some interesting analytical work that has been going on at IndiGo regarding long-haul, international flying. Today, a large number of Indian

citizens and visitors to India arrive or depart on connecting international flights due to the lack of non-stop flights into and out of India.

Historically, most of these connections were over European hubs such as London, Paris and Frankfurt and over South-East Asian hubs like Singapore and Bangkok. And, of late, a vast amount of international traffic from and to India flows over the middle-eastern hub cities of Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha. These small middle-eastern cities near India have built huge airline hubs even though they lack the essential and fundamental ingredient of a hub -- which is the presence of a large local traffic. The massive hubs that these airlines have built have significantly benefited from the traffic that India provides to their operations.

Over the last ten years, IndiGo has established a significant domestic presence and now has a little over 40% of the domestic market share. In doing so, we have also been able to build meaningful operations at all the large metropolitan cities of India. And, in the years to come, we expect to keep up our pace of rapid growth in the domestic market. In fact, during Fiscal Year 2018, between the A320s and the ATRs, we expect to add almost 50 aircraft  a remarkable number and we have built the internal capability and muscle to execute on that plan. On the other hand, our internal work shows that IndiGo is a natural player to take advantage of the significant and lucrative international market opportunity that India offers. Specifically, because of our large domestic network, we are well positioned to capture this massive and growing international traffic. It is about time that IndiGo enters the long-haul, international markets and takes advantage of this lucrative opportunity. And, just to state the obvious, we would not attempt to enter the international long-haul market but for the fact that we have this large domestic feed network.

So, irrespective of how the Air India story plays out and based on all our internal work, we are generally of the view that it makes fundamental economic sense for us to enter the long-haul,

international market. Our original plan was to begin this discussion and share our thinking with all of you during our upcoming quarterly analyst call at the end of this month. However, that got pre-empted due to the Governments in principle decision to divest itself of Air India. So, in summary, our long-haul operating plans are being guided by the following principles:

First: The Indian market is significantly underserved in non-stop international destinations

Second: A large and lucrative opportunity exists uniquely for IndiGo to take advantage of this market segment

Third: Success is not dependent on developing these international markets. In fact, we would take passengers from connecting international hubs and also from high-cost, non-stop operators and fly them on our non-stop, low-cost flights

The market thesis is no more complicated than that and the issue for us is to figure out how best to go about doing this profitably? Let me take a few minutes and share our perspective and for

obvious competitive reasons we will only share some very high-level thoughts on this issue. If we enter this space, we will do so with a low-cost model. Just like the low-cost model disrupted

the short-haul, full-service legacy carriers starting a few decades ago, we believe that international long-haul markets are ready for the right type of low cost operations. In fact, there are quite a few examples of low-cost, long haul operations that are starting to take hold across the global aviation space -- airlines such as Norwegian and Wow Air. At the other end of the spectrum, Lufthansa, British Airways, Air France, Singapore Airlines, etc. are all trying their best to build their own long-haul, low-cost operations and time will tell if a legacy carrier can successfully launch a true low-cost operation.

I do wish to emphasize two fundamental ingredients for success that makes IndiGos potential plans very different from that of other long-haul, low cost operations in the market

First: Our massive domestic feed network is a big plus

Second: Passengers will mostly come from foreign airlines that are today connecting over their hubs or flying at high fares on non-stop flights. Just for a moment, think about the value proposition to the passengers that IndiGo would offer. On average, the passengers will arrive at their destination three to five hours earlier  and for a lower fare  and without all the hassles of connecting over hubs, going through multiple security checks, worrying about their connections, losing bags in transit and so on.

Interestingly, last week, while we were expressing our serious interest in Air Indias international operations, Ryanair expressed serious interest in Alitalia which is also going through major financial stress. With tongue-in-cheek let me say, our compliments to Ryanair for understanding the fundamentals of the airline business. Jokes aside and in all seriousness, Ryanair is a very smart and formidable airline and it certainly is comforting to see that we are on the right track with respect to our thinking and strategy. Yes, the long-haul business as we know it, is changing just like the short haul, full service segment changed over the last few decades.

In our view, this change and transformation will be a World-wide phenomenon with many such operations sprouting up globally and will ever so slowly encroach in to the current format of full-service, long-haul flights. This will be quite unlike what happened in the short-haul, low cost segment where it first took hold in North America. This then gave confidence to European start-ups and then to Asia and South-East Asia start-ups to launch similar services. One of the principle reasons for this is that the smarter low-cost carriers have perfected their art and, over the last ten years, aircraft technology has changed allowing for this potential transformation in long-haul, low-cost flying.

Our journey of building an international, low-cost operation will be gradual  a journey that we would take thoughtfully and deliberately. To be clear, whether we do some limited transaction

with Air India, or launch our own long-haul, international operations or a combination of both, the business case would need to be EPS accretive for us to go down that path. To underscore that

point, with respect to Air India, let me just say that we are not looking at replicating the unfortunate scenario that unfolded when the Brazilian low-cost carrier Gol merged with Varig. In closing, let me suggest that we reflect for a moment on what has transpired at IndiGo in the last ten years. The Company has placed 50 billion dollars in firm aircraft orders at list prices  built an impressive domestic network representing more than 40% of the market with reliable, on-time and a hassle free travel experience  has been profitable for the last nine years in the brutally competitive Indian market  and distributed almost 900 million dollars in dividends over the last five years. We now have critical mass and lets now see what the next ten years bring.

Hopefully, we have been able to paint a clearer picture of our plans and thought process regarding long-haul, international operations with or without Air India.
Bengaluru: IT major Infosys on Friday announced extension of its partnership with global online education company Udacity for the second year.

The training project, called "Infosys-Udacity FastTrack Programme", takes students through a nanodegree course online before joining the Infosys training programme in Mysore.

"Through our partnership with Udacity, we are now able to complement this learning and build a strong foundation with specialised skills training and I look forward to scaling this partnership further," said Navin Budhiraja, Chief Technology Officer, Infosys, in a statement.

The programme is built for the learners to develop in-demand skills through project-based and real-world scenarios.

"There is great demand within the IT industry in India to upskill workers and lead the world in software development and we are excited to take our partnership with Infosys into our second year to further train their talent pool," added Vish Makhijani, Chief Executive Officer, Udacity.

The partnership is aimed at preparing the current talent pool to work on ambitious projects and accelerate their deployment.
New Delhi: The kingpin of a gang involved in minting of counterfeit coins has been arrested, police said on Thursday.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Sanjeev Kumar Yadav said Upkar Luthra, 50, was arrested from a hotel in Haryana's Kondli on Tuesday on a tip-off. Counterfeit coins of Rs 5 with face value of Rs 8,500 were seized from his possession.

Luthra, who hails from Punjab and has a reward of Rs 1,00,000 on his head, has confessed to his crime during interrogation, police said.

Yadav said that Luthra was wanted in several criminal cases, including murder.

He was earlier arrested in 1999 for counterfeiting coins and after his release started a unit for minting counterfeit coins in Delhi's Anand Vihar, police said.

Around 2008, Luthra fled to Nepal and started managing the trade from there while his brother Sweekar managed operations in India, police said.

In October 2016, police busted a gang involved in minting and circulating counterfeit coins in Delhi and found it was being run by Luthra and his brother.

In December, police arrested Sweekar and recovered counterfeit coins with face value of Rs 17,390 from his possession.

The gang first carved out shape of coins from metallic sheets in lathe machines and then prepared coins using heating and hydraulic machines.

They also sprayed an anti-rust liquid on the coins to give a finishing touch before they were supplied to toll centres, weekly markets and small shopkeepers in various parts of Delhi, Rajasthan and Haryana.
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In a bid to step up customer protection in the era of digitsation push by the government, the Reserve Bank of India on Thursday came out with a new set of rules limiting the customer liability in case of unauthorised electronic banking transactions.

Customers will not suffer any loss if unauthorised electronic banking transactions are reported within three days and the amount involved will be credited in the accounts concerned within 10-days, the RBI said.

In case the third-party fraud is reported with a delay of four to seven working days, a customer will face liability of up to Rs 25,000.

However, in cases where the loss is due to negligence by the account holder (such as sharing of payment credentials), the customer will bear the entire loss until the unauthorised transaction is reported to the bank.

Any loss occurring after reporting of the unauthorised transaction will be borne by the bank, RBI said while issuing revised directions on 'Customer Protection  Limiting Liability of Customers in Unauthorised Electronic Banking Transactions'.

"With the increased thrust on financial inclusion and customer protection and considering the recent surge in customer grievances relating to unauthorised transactions resulting in debits to their accounts/ cards, the criteria for determining the customer liability in these circumstances have been reviewed," the RBI said in the circular.

There will be "zero liability of a customer" in case of third-party breach where the deficiency lies "neither with the bank nor with the customer but lies elsewhere in the system".

However, the customer will have to notify the bank within three working days of receiving the communication from the bank regarding the unauthorised transaction.

A customer's entitlement to zero liability will also arise where the unauthorised transaction occurs due to "contributory fraud/negligence/deficiency on the part of the bank (irrespective of whether or not the transaction is reported by the customer)", RBI said.

The maximum liability of a customer will be Rs 25,000 in cases where the responsibility for the unauthorised electronic banking transaction lies neither with the bank nor with the customer, but lies elsewhere in the system and when there is a delay of four to seven working days.

If the fraud is report after seven days, the customer liability will be determined as per the banks Board approved policy.

The maximum liability of a savings bank account customer will be Rs 10,000 in such cases.

Referring to reversal timeline for Zero Liability/Limited Liability of customer, RBI said the bank should credit (shadow reversal) the amount involved in the unauthorised electronic transaction to the customers account within 10 working days of reporting of the fraud.

This has to be done without waiting for settlement of insurance claim, if any, RBI added.

RBI further said that banks must ask their customers to mandatorily register for SMS alerts and wherever available register for e-mail alerts, for electronic banking transactions.

"The SMS alerts shall mandatorily be sent to the customers, while email alerts may be sent, wherever registered," it added.

With inputs from PTI
Guest Iin London, starring Kartik Aaryan and Kriti Kharbanda in the leading roles, along with Paresh Rawal and Tanvi Azmi, has a lot more than to offer than most people would imagine; but NOT in a good way.

The film was meant to be a light-hearted comedy, and not only does it not fit the bill, Guest Iin London may not be suitable for any category, comedy or otherwise.

The movie was expected to be in the rom-com genre, but as it turns out, it's a bit of a thriller mystery too.

Guest Iin London starts with Aryan (Kartik Aaryan) wanting to do a fake wedding with a UK citizen, Anaya (Kriti Kharbanda), so that he can settle in the country. Unexpectedly and uninvited, two of their apparently distant relatives turn up in London, Paresh Rawal and Tanvi Azmi.

Anaya stays at Aryan's house to convince everyone and the court that they're actually getting married, which is when the relatives enter and the situation gets messy.

This is the part where the relatives and the couple together clash and result in comedic relief, but nothing of the sort happens. The humour of the situation completely falls flat. There's no joke in the movie that makes an impact.

I heard a few laughs in the theatre, but I'm pretty sure they were laughing at the movie, and not with it.

Apart from the non-funny jokes, there were also many insensitive jokes in the movie.

In a scene where Aryan's boss is seen harassing an employee who is from China, Paresh Rawal interferes and says 'women get destroyed, and she is Chinese, she will get destroyed faster'.

Another scene involves Paresh Rawal asking the Pakistani neighbour what he wants to drink, to which the neighbour responds by saying 'Kashmir'. To this, Paresh Rawal's character farts. Yes, flatulence. This is an actual scene from Guest Iin London.

Talking about Rawal's character farting, that seems to be a consistent personality trait throughout the movie. Needless to say, it's completely distasteful and not one bit funny.

Meanwhile the couple gets married, and of course in the middle of this, they've fallen in love with each other.

By this point, this movie has stopped being anything less than torture, and the twist doesn't make up for it.

We were so involved trying to digest this film, that nobody thought about the real reason why the relatives were in London. Spoiler alert: It involves a connection to 9/11 attacks and a cameo by Ajay Devgn.

Guest Iin London could've been a nice, bubble-gum romance. Kartik Aryan looks good and plays the role well, so does Kriti Kharbanda. They've been styled well too.

But with the added layers of annoyance, Guest in London is in line to win the award for the worst film of the year.
To toil ceaselessly in the hope of being recognised by the One Who Truly Matters (aka The Boss)  such is the fate of every modern-day intern. And it was a fate remarkably well articulated in David Frankel's 2006 comedy The Devil Wears Prada.

Years before Anne Hathaway earned herself a 70-year-old intern (Robert De Niro) in Nancy Meyers' very appropriately named 2015 comedy The Intern, she had to go through the grind herself. She played intern to Meryl Streep, boss-from-hell a bitter-yet-focused fashion magazine editor in The Devil Wears Prada.

For Hathaway's character, having her presence acknowledged by her impossible-to-please boss was am uphill task, leave aside her work.

But then. as we said earlier, that seems to be the life story of every intern: dish out wasted effort in a bid to please the boss, while wallowing at the bottom of the corporate food chain.

And we were reminded of it when watching Spider-Man: Homecoming.

As Peter Parker in James Watt's just-released superhero flick, Tom Holland could give all of us major #InternshipGoals.

From gearing up to wage Civil War against Captain America to clamping down on a lethal weapon business, Spidey goes to great extents  often without keeping his boss in the loop  during his Stark internship. His enthusiasm, unfortunately, earns him no brownie points.

Hathaway's character in The Devil Wears Prada and Holland's character in Spider-Man: Homecoming are both driven learners who try all the tricks in the book (or comic book, as the case may be) to ensure that their respective bosses take notice. While Holland's quest is to help in saving the world, all Hathaway wants, is a word of appreciation from Streep.

Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr) could very well be a stand-in for the Iron Lady (Streep). Tony Stark/Iron Man was as cold and difficult  if not more  than Streep's Miranda Priestly. The indestructible Iron Man suit is as difficult to penetrate as the velvet overcoats of Streep.

[Spoiler alert] The climaxes of both films are also uncannily similar. Hathaway walks out right when she is on the verge of getting promoted. Holland also backs out of what he has been struggling for throughout the film, turning down Stark's offer to be part of the Avengers. Both the characters go beyond their desks (or high-rise buildings in Spidey's case) and embark on a journey to rediscover themselves.

Their respective bosses also react to the sudden departures in similar fashion. While Streep recommends Hathaway for another job, Stark delivers an upgraded suit to Parker's place, probably as a 'well done' compliment camouflaged as a parting gift. This shows that their steely demeanours hide tender hearts. [Spoiler alert ends]

So Spider-Man: Homecoming is really just the superhero version of The Devil Wears Prada. Just that here, the devil wears the Iron Man suit.
Mumbai: Chabad House terror attack survivor baby Moshe Holtzberg will visit India soon, along with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, an official said on Friday.

The present Mumbai Chabad-Lubavitch House Co-Director and Rabbi Israel Kozlovsky said they look forward to the visit by Moshe and the Israeli prime minister.

"We look forward to welcoming Israel's Prime Minister (Benjamin Netanyahu) in his visit to Mumbai with Moshe Holtzberg," Rabbi Kozlovsky told IANS in an email.

"We're glad that Prime Minister Modi met with Moshe and recognised the sacrifice of his parents, an exceptional couple and our personal role-models, to establish Chabad-Lubavitch in Mumbai and their service to the Jewish people," Rabbi Kozlovsky added.

Moshe, the son of Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg and his wife Rivka - who were gunned down by Pakistani terrorists in Chabad House in the 26/11 terror attack - met Prime Minister Modi during the latter's trip to Israel this week.

Rabbi Kozlovsky added that he and his wife Chaya "are humbled" to be a part of and to continue the work of Rabbi Gavriel and Rivka Holtzberg and "are working diligently on actualising the dream of a Memorial Museum and help continue their legacy" at the Chabad House in Colaba.

Though Netanhayu's schedules are not yet known, the Israeli prime minister had instantly accepted Modi's invitation earlier this week.

The then two-year-old Moshe, now a bubby young 11-year old boy, was saved from the terrorists' bullets by his Indian nanny Sandra Samuels.

Earlier this week, when they met in Jerusalem, a bespectacled and grinning Moshe welcomed Modi in Hindi: "Aapka swagat hai hamare desh mein."

A beaming Modi hugged Moshe and responded warmly, "Come and stay in India and Mumbai. You are most welcome...You and your all family members will get long-term visas. So you can go and come anytime and anywhere."

According to local media reports in Israel, Moshe is keen to serve his community by becoming a Rabbi and after growing up even hopes to come to the Mumbai Chabad House where his parents once served before their tragic end.

"It is our hope that this historical visit and meeting will create awareness of this project, and the Lubavicther Rebbe's vision for a better, more peaceful world," Rabbi Kozlovsky said.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday said that all the issues arising out of Aadhaar should be finally decided by its constitution bench.

A three-judge bench, headed by Justice J Chelameswar, asked the parties to urge the Chief Justice to set up a constitution bench to decide the issues relating to Aadhaar.

"We suggest both of you (petitioners and the Centre) to request Chief Justice to constitute a larger bench so that these matters can be decided finally," the bench, also comprising Justices A M Khanwilkar and Navin Sinha, said.

Attorney General K K Venugopal and senior advocate Shyam Divan, who is representing the petitioners, said they would mention the matter before the Chief Justice and request him to set up a constitution bench to hear the matters relating to Aadhaar.

A vacation bench of the apex court had on 27 June refused to pass an interim order against the Centre's notification making Aadhaar mandatory for availing benefits of social welfare schemes, with the government assuring it that no one would be deprived for want of this identification.

The court had observed that no interim order could be passed merely on the "apprehension" raised by the petitioners that somebody might be deprived of the benefits under the various social welfare schemes due to the lack of Aadhaar, especially when no such affected person has come before it.

The apex court was hearing three separate petitions challenging government's notification making Aadhaar mandatory for availing benefits of various social welfare schemes.

Earlier, the apex court had passed a slew of orders asking the government and its agencies not to make Aadhaar mandatory for extending benefits of their welfare schemes.

The apex court, however, had allowed the Centre to seek Aadhaar card voluntarily from citizens for extending benefits of schemes like LPG subsidy, Jan Dhan scheme and Public Distribution System.
New Delhi: Sikkim chief minister Pawan Kumar Chamling on Thursday said that the direct impact of Gorkhaland agitation on life of the people of Sikkim must be looked into with utmost seriousness.

"Given the inter-state ramifications of the Gorkhaland agitation and treating it as merely a West Bengal issue is not adequate," he said in a statement. He alleged that trucks carrying essential goods, commodities and petroleum products were being ransacked right in the presence of the West Bengal police. "In some cases, it has been learnt that West Bengal police itself is overseeing unloading of petroleum products and other goods meant for Sikkim," he said.

In the statement issued, Chamling said Sikkim borders three countries and the potential threat to national security is a matter of supreme importance. Indian and China are having stand-off near the northern border of the state.

"The only access to the rest of the country is through the state of West Bengal. Due to the agitation and prevailing law and order situation, Sikkim is sandwiched between these constraints for the need and requirement of Sikkimese people and the State's economic development," he said clarifying about his reported statements where he was quoted as saying that Sikkim did not choose India to become sandwich between China and West Bengal.

"Any conspiracy to misquote me so as to imply any anti-national comment is utterly abominable and strongly condemned," he said. The government of India and all the concerned authorities should safeguard the interest of Sikkim from these hazards and constraints, he said.

"As far as the national security is concerned, the Government of India is appropriately handling the matter. We fully support its efforts, which is addressing the national security concerns in the best interest of our country," he said. He also said that the state has already borne a loss of over Rs 60,000 crore because of three-decade old agitation in neighbouring state (West Bengal).

He said that in the agitation related violence on NH10, Sikkim's only road link with the rest of the nation, over 5,000 vehicles have been vandalised and more than 50 people (drivers and passengers) have been killed during the period. "The persistent unrest, consequential uncertainty and constant threat to life have been faced by the Sikkimese people all these years," he said.

Chamling said that this callousness towards the people of Sikkim is a huge insult to their human dignity and national pride.

"Sikkim's allegiance to the Nation is unexampled and unquestionable, as the Sikkimese people chose to become Indians through a resoundingly pro-India verdict in a historic referendum and thereafter Sikkim became 22nd state of the Union of India," he said.

Chamling said the people of Sikkim are proud to be Indian citizens and they have proven their loyalty to their beloved country through unquestionable commitment towards nation building ever since the merger.
By Abheet Singh Sethi

China's Peoples Liberation Army Navy (PLA-N) has 283 major surface combatant warships, four times more than those under the control of the Indian Navy (66), according to an IndiaSpend analysis of publicly available data.

China's widening naval capabilities compared to India can be seen in the context of the PLA-Ns growing presence in the Indian Ocean region. "Chinese activity in the Indian Ocean has touched a new high in recent months, according to an Indian Navy official, The Hindustan Times reported on July 5, 2017.

The Indian Navy has sighted over a dozen PLA-N warships, submarines and intelligence-gathering vessels in the Indian Ocean in the last few months.

These sightings come as the Indian and Chinese troops are locked in a three-week long standoff at the India-China-Bhutan tri-junction near Sikkim, leading to increasingly belligerent rhetoric between New Delhi and Beijing.

Comparing inventories

The PLA-N has 26 destroyers, more than twice as many as India (11). Destroyers are both the PLA-N and INs frontline warships that possess powerful radars, can travel long distances and are capable of fulfilling land attack, missile defence, and surface and anti-submarine warfare. This makes them very powerful tools for power projection.

China recently launched its indigenously developed 12,000-tonne Type 55 destroyer, which is considerably larger and more powerful than Indias latest  destroyers which have still not been commissioned, according to NDTV Defence Editor Vishnu Som.

China's Type-55 will eventually have around 120 missiles of various types. Indias most powerful destroyer, the yet-to-be commissioned Project 15-B Visakhapatnam class destroyers, will have 50 missiles.

The PLA-N has 52 frigates, nearly four times as many as India (14). Frigates are not as heavily armed as destroyers but can fulfil similar roles and can operate in open oceans.

India has 25 corvettes and missile boats, around one-fourth as many as China (106). Corvettes and missile boats are lightly armed as compared to frigates and provide coastal protection.

Indias aircraft carrier advantage no more?

So far, both India and China each have one aircraft carrier. The carrier is a sign of its growing military prowess.

In April 2017, China launched a new aircraft carrier, its second after the Liaoning, but the first to be indigenously manufactured. The Chinese aircraft carrier is scheduled to be operational by 2020.

The development comes as Indias own homemade aircraft carrier, INS Vikrant, faces several delays. The Vikrant has been in development since 2009 but is unlikely to be completed before 2023, The Hindu reported on July 28, 2016.

For decades, India has enjoyed a naval advantage over China by possessing at least one aircraft carrier in its inventory while the PLAN had none.

China now possesses the Liaoning, a Soviet-era warship it purchased from Ukraine and commissioned in 2012 following refit. After four years of testing, the Liaoning conducted its first ever live-fire drills on December 16, 2016. It also conducted similar drills in the disputed South China Sea on 3 January, 2017, a sign of its increasingly aggressive posture.

The Liaoning was getting ready to expand its operations to other regions, including the Indian Ocean, a Chinese naval expert told the Chinese government-owned newspaper Global Times in December 2016.

"Ultimately, Beijing will likely build at least a half-dozen carriers to meet its requirements," wrote defence expert Dave Majumdar in the National Interest, an international affairs publication, on 22 February, 2017.

The Indian Navy has finalised the specifications for the construction of INS Vishal, an indigenous successor to INS Vikrant. The Vishal will be nuclear-powered, weigh 65,000-tonne and carry more aircraft than Vikrant and Vikramaditya. India is collaborating with the US to fit it with advanced electro-magnetic aircraft launch system (EMALS) for the aircraft.

Maritime doctrine

Indian Navys force structure is aimed at providing it with the capability to project power in blue waters as envisioned in the Navys revised 2015 maritime doctrine.

In theory, a blue-water Navy is a maritime force capable of operating in the deep waters of the open oceans, noted Abhijit Singh, a Senior Fellow and Head, Maritime Policy Initiative at Observer Research Foundation, in The Diplomat, a current-affairs magazine.

The navys doctrine defines Indias areas of maritime interest as the wider Indian Ocean, which includes the Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal, Andaman Sea, South-West Indian Ocean, Persian Gulf, Gulf of Oman, Gulf of Aden, Red Sea and chokepoints such as the Strait of Hormuz.

The PLA-Ns growing area of operations in this region places it in direct competition to Indias defined interests. However, its important to note that the PLA-N and its current force structure is aimed at securing the South China Sea and East China Sea, which it claims as its territories and is embattled in a bitter dispute with neighbouring countries as well as the US.
Attorney General KK Venugopal on Friday recused himself from the case filed by an AIADMK member of the O Panneerselvam camp asking for another trust vote in the Tamil Nadu Assembly, media reports have said.

Tamil Nadu trust vote case: Attorney General KK Venugopal recuses himself from rendering legal opinion to court in the case  ANI (@ANI_news) July 7, 2017

The plea filed by K Pandiarajan, considered to be close to former chief minister O Panneerselvam, sought to set aside the 18 February trust vote in the State Assembly on grounds that MLAs had voted "under distress".

Venugopal told the Supreme Court that he had already given his legal opinion to the Panneerselvam camp in this matter and therefore it would not be appropriate for him to assist in the case, News18 reported.

The Supreme Court, the report added, accepted the attorney general's request and Solicitor General Ranjit Kumar will now assist the top court.

"Inform the solicitor general about the recusal. Ask him to assist in the matter," the apex court bench consisting of Dipak Misra and AM Khanwilkar said, and posted the matter for further hearing on 11 July, according to PTI.

The apex court on 5 July had sought the attorney general's assistance to examine the AIADMK MLA's plea after senior advocate Gopal Subramanium claimed that MLAs had voted in the trust vote under distress and members of Opposition were evicted by marshals from the Assembly.

Subramanium had said that there should have been a secret ballot but the Tamil Nadu Speaker, P Dhanapal, had rejected this demand during the trust vote. The AIADMK MLA has challenged the decision and sought a direction for quashing the Speaker's decision rejecting their demand to determine the outcome of the floor test, PTI reported.

E Palaniswami was sworn in as the chief minister of Tamil Nadu on 16 February after a bitter power struggle between Panneerselvam and Sasikala. In the trust vote that followed on 18 February, Palaniswami won the poll 122-11 in the 234-member Assembly. He was helped by the eviction of the main Opposition DMK and a walkout by its allies, amid stormy scenes during which mics were uprooted, chairs toppled and sheets of papers torn and hurled around.

With inputs from agencies
New Delhi: Calling Bangladesh India's "closest friend", President Pranab Mukherjee said the country attaches high importance to its relations with the eastern neighbour.

The president said this while meeting trainee officers of the Bangladesh Foreign Service, who called on him at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. Mukherjee said he was delighted to see them as he called them "worthy representatives of a great nation". They will bring new ideas and a new system of governance, he said.

The President emphasised that to create a happy society was also the responsibility of modern governance. He further added that he was confident that they would be able to carry forward the legacy of trust and amity between the two countries, as they pursue their career in the Bangladesh foreign service.

He said India attaches highest importance to its relations with Bangladesh, a close neighbour and with which we share a lot in common. "Bangladesh is India's closest friend and relationship between the two countries is exemplary in many ways. India and

Bangladesh share a common bond of history, language, culture and strong people-to-people ties. This shared history unites us in unique and special ways," he said.

The president said that now when Bangladesh is free and liberated and is engaged in its own development, the sacrifices of its martyrs are vindicated.

"It is heartening to see impressive strides made by Bangladesh on human development, health-care, education, women empowerment and other socio-economic fronts," he said, reminding the young diplomats that the future of Bangladesh is in their hands.
Bengaluru woke up to a rather chaotic Friday. The Namma Metro service, which was recently inaugurated in the city, was suspended and almost three lakh commuters were left stranded. The services were shut because of a fight that broke out at Sir MV Metro Station between a group of Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) employees and two Karnataka State Industrial Security Force (KSISF) personnel on Thursday night, reported the Times of India.

Bengaluru Police arrested a few BMRCL employees late on Thursday which spurred a strike. A FIR was filed against five BMRCL employees and two were arrested, as per a report in the Deccan Herald.

This led to the strike by BMRCL employees on Friday morning, demanding the release of the workers. The Purple and Green lines of the Namma Metro, which carry around three lakh passengers across the city every day, remained shut until afternoon.

"All our services are down and talks are on to resume them as soon as possible," a senior BMRCL official said, as per a report in The Hindu.

Namma Metro, which normally starts operations at 5 am on both lines, did not open its shutters to the public until noon. A BMRCL staffer was quoted by the Deccan Herald as saying, "Trains on both Purple and Green Lines are not operating from this morning. About 300 BMRCL staffers are protesting at Byappanahalli Metro station against the police brutality on one of the staffers and release of the two staffers arrested yesterday."

Deccan Herald also reported that Bengaluru Development Minister KJ George was planning to take the metro from Baiyappanahalli to Nagasandra, a move which backfired.

However, the efforts from few BMRCL officials to start the Metro operations from Mysuru Road in the morning came through at around 12 pm on Friday. "They are trying to persuade us to work from 4.30 am in the morning. We want justice and security," a staffer said, according to a Bangalore Mirror report.

ANI reported that the suspended services resumed at 12 in the afternoon after nearly seven hours of negotiations between BMRCL staff and the police department.
Patna: The BJP has welcomed CBI raids on Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad's residence and 12 other places over a fresh case of alleged irregularities in awarding tender for the maintenance of hotels.

The Central Bureau of Investigation carried out raids at 12 places in Patna, Delhi, Ranchi, Puri and Gurugram in connection with the case involving Lalu Prasad and his family members.

"It is right time for (Bihar chief minister) Nitish Kumar to end his party JD-U's alliance with the RJD and should sack Lalu's two sons from his cabinet without delay," Bharatiya Janata Party state president Nityanand Rai told IANS in Patna.

Rai said "politics" will change in Bihar after the CBI raids.

Leader of opposition Prem Kumar told the media i Patna that Nitish Kumar should act against Lalu's two sons.

"Our stand has been vindicated, Lalu and his family is corrupt."

For nearly three months, BJP leaders have repeatedly alleged corruption charges against Lalu and his family members. It was alleged that Lalu had accumulated Rs 1,000 crore illegal property.

The CBI has registered the case against Lalu; his wife and former Chief Minister Rabri Devi; Tejaswi Yadav; former Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) Managing Director PK Goyal; and the wife of Lalu's confidante Prem Chand Gupta, Sujata on allegations of awarding the tender for development, maintenance and operation of hotels in Ranchi and Puri in 2006.

In the same year, the hotels were transferred to the IRCTC.

Lalu Prasad was the Railways Minister between 2004-09.
Mumbai: A metropolitan magistrate's court here Friday extended till 14 July the police custody of six personnel of Byculla prison, arrested in connection with the death of a woman inmate.

The accused  Manisha Pokharkar, Wasima Shaikh, Shital Shegokar, Surekha Gulve, Aarti Shingne and Bindu Naikade  were produced in the court as their police remand ended Friday.

During the hearing, the police officer who is investigating the case, told the court that so far they have recorded the statements of only four inmates of Byculla prison and need more time to continue the process.

"It's a lengthy process and we need to take permission from the court before recording their statements," the officer told the court. "We need to define the role of each of the six accused after examining the CCTV footages. They are giving evasive answers ... Also the stick used in the assault is yet to be recovered," the officer said.

After hearing the arguments, the court extended the custody of all the accused till 14 July.

An inmate Manjula Shetye (45) had died at the government-run J J Hospital on 23 June after she was allegedly beaten up by jail staffers for failing to account for two eggs and five loaves of bread which she was supposed to distribute to other inmates.

The police had said Shetye was allegedly tortured and a stick was inserted in her private parts. A case of murder had been registered against the jail officials.

The Mumbai crime branch, which is investigating the case, had arrested the six accused on Saturday. After Shetye's death, around 200 prisoners had launched a protest on 24 June. They had demanded that media be allowed inside the Byculla jail.

Indrani Mukerjea, the mother and prime accused in the Sheena Bora murder case, was among the inmates who were booked by police for rioting and other offences after they staged a protest over Shetye's death.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) carried out searches at 12 locations on Friday after registering a corruption case against RJD leader Lalu Prasad Yadav and some of his family members. It was in connection with a fresh case of alleged irregularities in awarding the tender for maintenance of hotels in Ranchi and Puri.

This is not the first time that the RJD leader and his family have been embroiled in a corruption case. In fact, Alok Kumar writes in this Firstpost article that Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar is trying to get rid of Lalu because he can't compromise with his clean image. The JD(U) has already distanced itself from the ongoing Income Tax Department investigations against Lalu's family.

The case registered against Lalu on Thursday is of criminal conspiracy (120-B), cheating (420) under IPC and corruption, Additional Director of CBI, Rakesh Asthana, told PTI.

He said that between 2004 and 2014, a conspiracy was hatched in pursuance of which BNR hotels of Indian Railways located at Puri and Ranchi were first transferred to the IRCTC and later on for its operations, maintenance and upkeep, it was given on lease to a private firm Sujata Hotel pvt ltd based in Patna.

The allegation levelled is that the tender process was rigged and manipulated and the conditions were tweaked to help the private party. In return, three acres of land in western Patna was given to Delight Marketing, which is known to the family of Lalu, at a very low cost.

The other scams Lalu and his family have been named in are the Benami properties scam and the fodder scam.

Benami Properties

The Income Tax department had previously charged Lalu, his wife Rabri Devi, his son and daughters under the Benami Transactions Act in connection with its probe into land deals worth Rs 1,000 crore and tax evasion.

The department served notices of attachment of assets to Lalu's daughter Misa Bharti and her husband Shailesh Kumar, Rabri and son Tejashwi Prasad.

The department has attached immovable assets such as land, plots and buildings in Delhi and Patna which bear a "deed" value of Rs 9.32 crore but the taxman has estimated their current market value at Rs 170-180 crore.

A total of nine plots in Phulwari Sharif in Patna, where a mall is reported to have been coming up, has also been attached by the tax department. Tax department officials had said Prasad's kin held some of the properties under their scanner in a "benami" way.

Fodder Scam

Lalu and his family are also an accused in the fodder scam, which is now a 21-year-old case against the RJD leader.

The fodder scam is regarding large-scale embezzlement of government funds, made by producing fake bills to substantiate payments that were never made. The fraudulent transactions were made in the name of procuring cattle feed over a period of 20 years.

When BJP state unit chief Sushil Modi filed a PIL in the Patna High Court in 1997, demanding a CBI enquiry in the case, Lalus involvement was found out.

"A large amount of money was withdrawn from the governments treasury. In short, it was a loot of governments money by the governments officials backed by the political leadership. About Rs 950 crore was looted by government officials in ten years. It was a huge thing for all of us at that point of time," Asthana told PTI.

Apart from these, Lalu's name is allegedly linked to scams related to the treasuries of Chaibasa, Doranda in Ranchi involving Rs 139.39 crore, Dumka (Rs 3.31 crore) and Patna.

With inputs from agencies
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The CBI raided the premises of family members of former railway minister Lalu Prasad Yadav in connection with a fresh case of alleged irregularities in awarding the tender for maintenance of hotels in Ranchi and Puri. The CBI also registered an FIR naming Lalu, his son and Bihar deputy chief minister Tejashwi, wife Rabri among others.

Lalu Prasad Yadav has said that he has done nothing wrong, adding that he will brief the press extensively in a short while. RJD leaders also decried political witch hunt, claiming that the BJP-led central government is behind the CBI raids.

"While I wasin Ranchi for the hearing of a court, I learnt that CBI wanted to raid our Patna recidence," Lalu Yadav said. He said that the raids are nothing more than a politically motivated witch hunt.

"This has nothing to with the CBI or anyone else. BJP is behind this politically motivated attack behind me. They want to scare me, break me. but Lalu Yadav is not scared of Amit Shah's empty threats. I will break the BJP before I break, no matter how much time it takes," Yadav said.

Lalu Prasad Yadav said that he was not in the wrong and the scam, if any, must have originated in the NDA's tenure. He said that the IRCTC was formed in 1999 and the maintenance and upkeep of hotels were handed over to the body. Then in 2006, it was the IRCTC that gave the tender for maintaining some of the hotels which were in shambles, to other private players.

"This is probably the first time in recent years that these many high profile corruption/ financial irregularity cases have been simultaneously pursued in India. That's a good sign for both, the nation and its economy, and a significant step to shake off the image of being a nation prone to corruption at high-level. Currently, in all the current high profile cases that are being investigated, the presence of corporate-political nexus is palpable."

"Today is darkest day in Indian democracy, we will not be cowed down by this. We Will fight legally and politically," RJD leader MOhan Jha said.

RJD leaders, reacting to the incidet, said that the BJP has been trying to harass and silence its opponents for a while and the raids on Lalu Prasad Yadav were only another addition in the series.

According to India Today TV, electronic gadgets of Lalu Prasad Yadav's sons have been seized by the CBI as part of the evidence. The agency also seized documents related to 10 land deals, CNN-News18 reported.

"Raid appears to be another extension of the way Centre is treating opposition leaders. We will react only when we come across what IT deprtment has discovered during raids. But this is a fact that opposition leaders are in BJPs target," JD(U)'s KC Tyagi.

"BJP is trying to weaken the Mahagathbandhan. I will not let that happen. I blame Narendra Modi and Amit Shah for this," Lalu Prasad Yadav said on Friday in Patna.

"Raid appears to be another extension of the way Centre is treating opposition leaders. We will react only when we come across what IT deprtment has discovered during raids. But this is a fact that opposition leaders are in BJPs target," JD(U)'s KC Tyagi.

A chain of transactions could be Lalu Prasad Yadav's downfall. The Yadavs, perhaps in their haste to control the alleged benami property, have already left a lot of evidence and paper trail. If it goes about diligently, the CBI may be able to put the entire Yadav clan through a lot of trouble.

In a move that spells fresh trouble for Lalu Prasad Yadav, CBI raided his properties in 12 places, including his house in Patna, in connection with a fresh case of alleged irregularities in awarding tenders for maintenance of hotels in Ranchi and Puri. The CBI FIR, a copy of which was procured by ANI, named eight entities, including Lalu, his wife Rabri Devi, son Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, and former managing director of IRCTC PK Goel as the accused. Read more here .

With law-enforcing agencies going the whole hog against Yadav and his family members, it would not be premature to write his political epitaph. Lalu Prasad Yadav and his politics have clearly outlived their utility. But it would be wrong to rejoice at the developments, since Yadav's ignominious fall from grace is nothing short of a social tragedy for Bihar.

#CBI searches a BJP conspiracy, witch hunt; have done nothing wrong and am open to any probe, says @laluprasadrjd pic.twitter.com/b7e3UyGkQD

#BREAKING --It was not just me,my family, my wife and kids were also targeted. BJP is targeting all Opp : Lalu Yadav pic.twitter.com/PoWmlAYWNw

"BJP is trying to weaken the Mahagathbandhan. I will not let that happen. I blame Narendra Modi and Amit Shah for this," Lalu Prasad Yadav said on Friday in Patna.

Meanwhile, on Friday, Senior BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi demanded the removal of Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav's two minister sons - Tejashwi Prasad Yadav and Tej Pratap Yadav from the Bihar cabinet.

The CBI raided the premises of family members of former railway minister Lalu Prasad Yadav in connection with a fresh case of alleged irregularities in awarding the tender for maintenance of hotels in Ranchi and Puri, according to ANI. Raids are being carried out at over 12 places in Delhi, Gurugram, Patna, Ranchi and Puri from 7.30 am on Friday and were still underway at the time of writing this report.

CBI registers a case against then Railway Minister(2006),wife,son and others on allegations of awarding tender for hotels in Ranchi and Puri  ANI (@ANI_news) July 7, 2017

The central investigation agency has filed a case against the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief, his wife and former chief minister of Bihar Rabri Devi, Bihar deputy chief minister and his son Tejashwi, the then IRCTC MD, PK Goyal, the wife of Yadav's confidante Prem Chand Gupta, Sarla, and others, CBI sources said.

CBI team at Lalu Prasad Yadav's residence in Patna pic.twitter.com/2gnmrtYFy3  ANI (@ANI_news) July 7, 2017

Gupta is also a former Union corporate affairs minister.

The sources said the FIR relates to allegations of irregularities in awarding the tender for development, maintenance and operation of BNR Hotels in Ranchi and Puri, awarded to the privately owned Sujata Hotels in 2006. ANI accessed the copy of the FIR filed by the CBI, naming the former railway minister's family and other big names.

ANI EXCLUSIVE: CBI FIR copy in Railway hotel tenders case, names Lalu Yadav, wife Rabri,son Tejaswi and others pic.twitter.com/hbLcGiKCuv  ANI (@ANI_news) July 7, 2017

Tender irregularities when Lalu was Railway Minister; Raids conducted in Delhi, Ranchi, Patna, Puri, Gurugram: CBI on Lalu Yadav hotel deals pic.twitter.com/UEC5SaPBup  News18 (@CNNnews18) July 7, 2017

Briefing the press, CBI Additional Director Rakesh Asthana said that ample proof of alleged irregularities were found in the privatisation of two Indian Railways hotels to register a case. The BNR Hotels are heritage hotels of the Indian Railways which were taken over by the IRCTC from the public transporter earlier in 2006.

However, later the hotels were transferred to M/s Sujata private limited  a firm owned by Sarla Gupta  for maintenance and upkeep. The tenders were allegedly transferred in disregard of the set guidelines. Asthana also said that another tract of land was transferred to the Sarla's firm in western Patna at rates, considerably less than the active circle prices at the time.

Searches are being conducted today at 12 locations including Delhi, Patna, Ranchi, Puri, Bhubaneswar and Gurgaon, they said. Sarla and Prem Chand's residences are also under the scanner.

Reacting to the news, Bharatiya Janata Party's Bihar unit chief, Sushil Modi told CNN-News 18 that the onus is once again on Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to decide whether he wants people like Tejashwi in his cabinet. Modi, targeting the RJD chief, said that thanks to the fodder scam that true face of Lalu was uncovered and he was unseated from the chief minister's post, otherwise nobody knows what all scams he would have created. No reactions have come so far from the Janata Dal United camp, which is an RJD ally in Bihar. However, Lalu Yadav, who is appearing for a court hearing in another case, said that he will address the media after the court hearing on Friday.

Congress also appeared guarded in it's response; senior Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi said "This is not a political matter worthy of comment. The law must take its course but any kind of political campaigning must not be done at this point."

BJP leader and Union minister Venkaiah Naidu said that the talk that the CBI raids are politically motivated are wrong. He said that the CBI is a central agency, which acts on its own mandate. The BJP leader also refused to link the development with the grand alliance in Bihar.

"Whatever is happening is not related to Nitish... I don't want to link this with Nitish. He is a very wise man and he will know what's to be done," Naidu said.

Ranchi: Lalu Prasad Yadav leaves for court to appear in fodder scam case, says will speak on today's CBI raids later today pic.twitter.com/w5BNZLrPSf  ANI (@ANI_news) July 7, 2017

RJD leader Mohan Jha putting up a brave front said, "Today is darkest day in Indian democracy, we will not be cowed down by this. We Will fight legally and politically," according to ANI.

Lalu is also an accused in the infamous the multi-crore Bihar fodder scam. He is accused of carrying out corruption and irregularities in payments for animal fodder and is already a convict in one case and is facing trials in five other similar case. He has faced five years in prison over the case and has been debarred from fighting elections till 20124.

With inputs from agencies
Kohima: The Centre's interlocutor for Naga peace talks RN Ravi on Thursday said the government and the National Socialist Council of Nagaland - Isac-Muivah (NSCN-IM) are inching closer to a solution to the Naga insurgency problem.

"We are close to a solution and bringing the Framework Agreement to a conclusion, and therefore wanted to have one more round of consultations with the Naga civil society," Ravi told journalists in Kohima.

However, the interlocutor, who is also Chairman of Joint Intelligence Committee, refused to divulge the details.

Ravi, who arrived in Nagaland, also called on Chief Minister Shurhozelie Liezietsu and briefed him on the ongoing parleys with the NSCN-IM.

He also held consultations with Naga civil society groups.

On Friday, the interlocutor will hold consultations with prominent persons and other civil society groups at the police guesthouse at Chumukedima in Dimapur.

On 3 August, 2015, the central government and the NSCN-IM signed the Framework Agreement. However, neither side released its details.

The separatist group has been in talks with the government since 1997 after the signing of a ceasefire agreement.

Liezietsu, who is the Nagaland People's Front supremo, had said that his party supports the Framework Agreement.

Nagaland became India's 16th state on December 1, 1963. The mostly mountainous state spread over 16,579 square km is home to 16 major tribes, each with distinct customs, language and dress.

Christian-dominated Nagaland is home to around 20 million people. Its official language is English.
Imagine your child having to wade through almost knee-deep water to reach school. This is a reality across villages on the banks of Kelo river in Chhattisgarh. A dam was constructed on the river in 2014. The water from the reservoir has started flooding the roads, particularly after monsoons.

Im really scared for the smaller children, they could get into serious trouble. The road is completely flooded and there is water even on the side of the road. The school, too, is very close to the water, says Pallavi, a teacher at the local middle school in Gerwani.

The Dilip Singh Judeo Irrigation Project (DSJIP) on the Kelo river was constructed at the cost of Rs 600 crores. The state government declared that it will irrigate 23,000 hectares of farming land. Despite studies repeatedly showing that the costs often outweigh the benefits, the race for constructing dams in India continues unabated. In 1947, India had only 300 dams. Today that number is over 5,000 according to the International Commission of Large Dams.

In 1958, speaking to those displaced by the Hirakud Dam, the then prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru said, If you are to suffer, you should suffer in the interest of the country. Almost 50 years later, the Supreme Court echoed this in a judgment in favour of the Sardar Sarovar Project when it deemed that the cost  displacing 70,000 people, a majority of whom were from the Scheduled Tribes  outweighed the benefits. This has been the mainstay of the governments argument in favour of dams, even though comprehensive cost to benefit assessments are thin on the ground. Those displaced and disadvantaged should just learn to bear the brunt of development in the name of greater good.

The villages bordering the DSJIP in Raigarh district of Chhattisgarh, inhabited by indigenous people, are yet again being treated as footnotes in the glorious narrative of development. In Chhinchhona, one of these villages, the traditional occupation is weaving hand-crafted bamboo mats. But thanks to the dam reservoir, they have limited access to the markets. Those who can afford it, use precarious rafts loosely strung together on inflated rubber tubes to cross the lake.

Kamla, a resident of the village adds, We are troubled by the dam, we cant even go looking out for daily wage labour. Her neighbour Jamuna chimes in, We could find work everyday if we had a bridge.

Community correspondent Rajesh Gupta has helped the community and the deputy head of the panchayat met the district collector. There were three meetings with the collector and one with the in-charge of the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (Prime Ministers Scheme for Village Roads). But so far no steps have been taken. The only road they have remains submerged under five to 10 feet of water through the year. Meanwhile, children and adults continue to risk their lives as they go about their daily lives.

Research points out that marginalised communities always bear the brunt of dammed development  indigenous people (Scheduled Tribes) form about 8 percent of the total population but 47 percent of those displaced by such projects. While the governments main rationale for dams remain bringing more arable land under irrigation, farmers across the country continue to suffer from droughts, crop failure, falling prices and burden of loans leading to the highest numbers of farmers suicides anywhere in the world. Construction of ever higher dams continue despite the high human and environmental costs and limited and questionable benefits. Historically disadvantaged groups continue to be pushed to the margins of the developmental discourse of the country. It is time we started asking critical questions: Development for whom? Can we condemn a child to face the daily risk of death by drowning on her way to school for the greater good?

Firstpost is publishing this piece in association with Video Volunteers.
Mumbai: Congress MLA Nitesh Rane on Thursday allegedly threw a fish at a senior Maharashtra government officer during a meeting called to discuss problems being faced by a section of the fishermen community in the Konkan region.

In a video clip aired by local news channels, Rane is purportedly seen talking to the the Fisheries Commissioner of Sindhudurg in his office packed with people. It further showed that during the meeting, the legislator suddenly lost his cool, picked up a dead fish which was dumped on the commissioner's table and threw it at him.

The MLA from Kankavli in coastal Sindhudurg district said he did so to protest against the officer's alleged "ignorant attitude" towards the woes of the traditional fishing community of the Konkan region. "There are two kinds of fishermen in Sindhudurg. One who use traditional methods for fishing and the other who use modern technology," Rane told PTI over the phone.

He said according to the state government's rules, fishing areas are clearly demarcated for both communities. Yet, those using modern technology often cross over to the areas earmarked for fishermen using traditional methods, resulting in financial losses to them, he alleged.

"We approached the Fisheries Commissioner of Sindhudurg and brought to his notice the government's GR of 4 February, 2016, that lays down clear rules for both communities of fishermen.... Due to ignorant attitude of officers like the Fisheries Commissioner, nothing is being done to enforce these rules due to which traditional fishermen are incurring huge losses," he said.

To add to the woes of traditional fishermen, their counterparts from neighbouring states also enter into the waters of Maharashtra, claimed Rane, son of senior Congress leader and former chief minister Narayan Rane.

"No steps have been taken to solve these issues. Traditional fishermen are facing injustice for long now. Thus, we had to take an aggressive stand today," Rane said.
Rule of law is sacrosanct in any progressive democracy and ensures the rights of all the people. Rule of law means that apart from everybody being equal in the eyes of the law, the state is to be governed not by the elected representatives, but by the law of the land. This prevents administrative and legislative excesses and safeguards the rights and freedoms of the people, as enshrined in the Constitution.

So far, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's principal legacy is that he has overseen the replacement of the rule of law with the rule of the mob. To further its perverse ideological and political agenda, the BJP has established violence as the first and last resort, for everything. An atmosphere of fear, threat, and intimidation seems to be the new normal.

Lynch mobs and vigilante justice has become the norm under the BJP government. Dalits and Muslims have been attacked by gau rakshaks on mere suspicion of storing beef or transporting cows. Horrific atrocities have been committed in Muzzaffarnagar, Dadri, Una, Sunped, Udhampur, New Delhi, etc. What's worse is that when gau rakshaks brutally killed a Muslim man in Alwar recently, BJP minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, flatly denied that such an incident even took place.

Seven people were lynched over mere rumours of child abduction right under the nose of the police and administration in the BJP-ruled Jharkhand, shattering any sense of rule of law or rule by-law. In one of the most visible vigilante events, journalists were assaulted and beaten as they waited to see the trial of JNU Students' Union President, Kanhaiya Kumar, who was falsely accused of sedition, while the police watched mutely. Similarly, in Chhattisgarh, journalist Malini Subramaniam was forced to leave after a self-styled anti-Maoist group tried to intimidate her.

The 'anti-Romeo' squads (purportedly created to tackle the issue of sexual harassment) are running amok, targeting young men and women who freely associate with each other. They are arbitrarily imposing moral policing to further the perverse agenda of the Hindu Right that 'Hindu girls' should not interact with 'others.' In a vulgar display of vigilantism on 22 March, 2017, a band of residents, on finding a boy and a girl moving around together in a part of Shahjanpur, tonsured the youth (shaved his head) while the police merely watched.

Centres of excellence and education are riddled with campus violence and protesting students are persecuted, hounded and often denied even their fundamental right to education.

Delhi University's Ramjas College is a case in point. When two student leaders of JNU, Shehla Rashid and Umar Khalid, were invited to speak at a seminar in Ramjas, the BJP's youth wing, ABVP, vociferously protested their participation and violently disrupted a peaceful dialogue in a conference room. The ABVP blocked all escape routes and without warning, pelted those inside with stones and bricks for well over an hour, all the while screaming abuses. Instead of providing security for the event and enforcing the rule of law, the state apparatus reportedly facilitated its breach, by being mute bystanders to ABVP's attack on teachers and students.

Institutional murders seem to have become the norm under the BJP  eight under-trials were killed in what seems to be a fake and cold-blooded encounter in Madhya Pradesh. There were reports about BJP president Amit Shah allegedly misusing the CBI brazenly to harass BK Bansal, a senior civil servant, simply because the latter refused to kowtow to him. Tortured and cornered, Bansal and his entire family were driven to suicide. Two BJP ministers also spearheaded the persecution of Dalit scholar, Rohith Vemula, driving him to suicide.

Subedar Ram Kishan Grewal, a 70-year-old ex-serviceman was forced to take his life recently, because of the NDA's apathy towards the welfare of armed forces. Not only did the NDA bitterly resist One Rank One Pension (OROP) tooth-and-nail from May 2014 to almost the end of 2015, it even went so far as to physically manhandle ex-servicemen, and detain opposition leaders who went to visit the family of the retired soldier.

Democratically elected governments in Uttarakhand and Arunachal Pradesh were dismissed by the BJP and President's Rule imposed. It took the intervention of the Supreme Court to restore democracy in these border states.

Despite all of this, the prime minister is unwilling to enforce the rule of law and check state as well as non-state actors from misusing their powers or violating law with impunity. Each such incident dilutes people's faith in the State. In turn, the government tries to silence dissent and critics using all means possible, both legal and illegal.

In a sad state of affairs, the State can no longer be relied upon to be the infallible protector and promoter of constitutional values. What is happening is not only a gross violation of rule of law but is also the systematic dismantling of the system that was envisioned by our founding fathers to protect us from tyranny and give us a chance of living as equals under the watchful eye of the Constitution.

The author is head of research, All India Congress Committee and a Member of Parliament
Kolkata: The Calcutta High Court on Friday sought to know if the Centre did not think the Darjeeling hills stir for a separate Gorkhaland needed to be quelled quickly, given the strategic location of the area.

"Given the geopolitical area in which it lies, doesn't the Centre think this agitation be quelled immediately?," asked acting Chief Justice Nishita Mhatre while hearing a plea for restoration of normalcy in the Darjeeling hills.

The court posed the query amid the Indian Armed forces being locked in an eyeball to eyeball standoff with the Chinese army at Dokalam at the Bhutan tri-junction, not too far from Darjeeling.

The division bench of acting Chief Justice Mhatre and Justice Tapabrata Chakraborty directed the West Bengal government officials to sit with the Ministry of Home Affairs to sort out the requirements for para-military forces on the basis of ground conditions.

Expressing displeasure at the state and the Centre sparring over the requirement of Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) in the restive Darjeeling hills, the bench observed, "The situation can improve only if both of you sit together and sort out the issues."

The court asked the Centre and the state government to reach a meaningful understanding over CAPF requirement before 11 July, when the matter would be heard next.

Normal life has been affected severely in Darjeeling and Kalimpong due to the ongoing indefinite shutdown enforced by the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) and some other hill parties since 15 June over a separate statehood demand.

Incidents of arson have been going on in different parts of the hills since June eight.

Appearing for the Centre, Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Kaushik Chanda told the court that 11 companies of CAPF have been provided for Darjeeling and Kalimpong districts in the hills.

Stating that the CAPF deployment was sufficient for the two districts, Chanda said maintaining law and order was primarily the state government's responsibility.

He said eight companies of CAPF were sent to Basirhat in North 24 Parganas district of the state, which has been facing communal strife since last Monday.

"There are requirements of CAPF in other parts of the country also for various reasons, including for the ongoing Amarnath Yatra," Chanda said.

Appearing for West Bengal government, Advocate General Kishore Dutta submitted that the state had not asked for any additional force, but only sought replacement of six CAPF companies for operational reasons.

The state government through a communique to the Centre on 30 June had sought replacement of three women companies of the CRPF with three male companies and replacement of three SSB companies with those of the CRPF or RAF.

No lawyer represented Gorkha Janmukti Morcha president Bimal Gurung or his party, which is spearheading the movement for a separate state of Gorkhaland to be carved out of West Bengal.

The bench also asked as to why the CBI has taken no steps to ensure that Gurung, his wife Asha and several others accused in the killing of All India Gorkha League leader Madan Tamang was made to stay in Kolkata from the date of framing of charge in the case until completion of the trial, as was directed by another division bench of the high court.

While granting bail to these accused on 19 December, 2016, a division bench of Justice Asim Kumar Roy had directed them to stay in Kolkata police area during the said period.

Counsel Indranil Roy submitted that Gurung had appeared before the trial court in January when hearing in the matter commenced but did not appear before it on eight dates after that.

The ASG submitted that the magistrate had allowed his plea for not appearing in person on those dates. At this, the acting chief justice asked, "How is it that CBI did not oppose it ... this man is not available in court and CBI doesn't bother?"

The trial in the case had been transferred from Darjeeling to Kolkata by the Supreme Court on a plea by Tamang's widow that the accused persons could influence witnesses.

Hearing on framing of charges against the accused persons, who have also prayed for dismissal of charges against them, is fixed before the trial court on 24 July.
New Delhi: The Delhi University is planning to include the Goods and Services Tax (GST) in its curriculum for students of B Com (Hons), B Com and B A Programme.

A proposal for this been cleared by the university's academic council and is awaiting a nod from the executive council, officials said.

"Students used to study taxation in three streams  B Com (Hons), B Com and B A Programme commerce-based papers. According to the new proposal, GST will replace the content on other indirect taxes," said Sunaina Kanojia, an academic council member.

According to the proposal, students of B Com (Hons) in the sixth semester will be studying GST and Customs Law as a second paper.

Students of B Com will study it in the fifth semester as a second paper with the same title.

In the BA Programme, students will be studying GST in two papers (paper 3 and paper 4). It will be compulsary only for those BA Programme students who have Taxation as an optional subject.

"All the papers will carry 100 marks and it will be compulsory for students of B Com, B Com (Hons) and BA Programme, who choose Taxation as optional (subject)," said Kanojia, an associate professor in the Delhi School of Economics.

On 1 July, the GST, which subsumes a range of state and central taxes, was enforced by the Narendra Modi government across the country.

Professor Rajesh Jha, who is an Executive Council member, said the proposal will most likely be cleared in the upcoming EC meeting, scheduled on 14 July.
Panaji: The Goa police on Friday ruled out the involvement of any mentally challenged person behind the spate of attacks on religious places and symbols in the coastal state.

"This month, at least nine Holy Crosses and a temple have been desecrated by unidentified persons. It cannot be the work of a mentally deranged person. This is being done purposely," South Goa Superintendent of Police, Chandan Chowdhary told reporters in Panaji in response to a query.

"The investigating officers have already got some leads in these cases and they are working on to crack it," the official said.

Goa has witnessed a series of attacks on holy crosses and Hindu religious symbols since 1 July, prompting chief minister Manohar Parrikar to call for a high-level meeting with police officials this week.

Parrikar had asked all police stations across the state to form special investigation teams to nab the culprits at the earliest.

He had also asked police to engage all possible technologies including google mapping to track the accused.

Chowdhary said the police have also taken the help of cyber cell and anti-terrorist squad to investigate these cases.

She said two platoons of India reserve battalion have been deployed in South Goa to patrol sensitive places.

In 2013, under Cuncolim police station limits in South Goa, around 90-odd crosses from a cemetery were found desecrated following which a woman was arrested in the case.

Police investigations had later revealed that she was mentally unsound.
Hamburg: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday asked leaders from the G20 nations to be forthcoming on the climate change action as he emphasised the need for cooperation in the world of opposing realities. His remarks at the G20 Summit here assumes significance amid the US deciding to pull out of the Paris climate change agreement last month.

While underlining the need for countries to be forthcoming on climate change action, the prime minister said that developing countries must have enough room to grow. Besides, Modi proposed the idea of having an international coalition of countries that can identify technology, develop systems and build capacities, adding that India was ready to lead in this regard.

Referring to various initiatives taken by the government, Modi said Skill India, Digital India, financial inclusion are India's own initiatives in consonance with sustainable development goals (SDGs).

Modi was the lead speaker at the second working session on sustainable development, climate change and energy.

Earlier in the day, Modi said it was "mandatory" to implement the consensus of the Paris agreement on climate change and asserted that India will implement the accord in "letter and spirit".

On issues of climate change and terror, he said that the role of BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) is "important".

President Donald Trump recently announced that the US will withdraw from the Paris climate accord, saying the deal agreed by more than 190 nations unfairly benefited countries like India and China.

Trump's decision drew sharp criticism from international leaders, business groups and green activists.
The curious case of the Hamburg meeting between Xi Jinping and Narendra Modi at G20 Summit once again brings to sharp focus China's psychological warfare against India. It is using every trick in the book to dominate and subdue its enemy without having to fight, taking ancient Chinese military strategist Sun Tzu's advice. This compulsion to constantly view its present through the prism of its past is a recurrent motif that defines Xi's China.

Even as it emerges as the new mercantile superpower of the 21st century and seeks to alter the geopolitical and geographical order around it, China remains trapped in a time capsule. It obsesses about a return to its Middle Kingdom glory. Fuelled by sustained, unprecedented economic growth, China feels its moment has come and it must seize it. As the US relinquishes its global leadership of the liberal-democratic order and Europe struggles to contain its demons, China is poised to fulfill nature's abhorrence of a vacuum.

Concomitantly, it is being led by a president who seeks to bring them closer to their 'destiny' by embarking on an aggressive neocolonial strategy and in the process, solidify his grip on domestic politics. Xi feels a combination of ultra-nationalism and assertive expansionism in Asia should be enough to seal his second term during Communist Party's upcoming 19th Congress and assure him a place in history. The coming together of these two factors have introduced an inordinate amount of volatility in Asia where new terms of engagement are constantly being drawn owing to China's revanchist actions.

Doka La conflict is the implementation of the same template that China has successfully employed in the past during its friction with Japan over Senkaku Islands or bullying of smaller nations such as Philippines and Vietnam over the South China Sea. Citing ancient maps (nine-dash line) China claims virtually the entire waterway through which ship-borne trade and commerce worth $5 trillion is conducted each year.

The controversy over a Xi-Modi meeting that never was is another example of China's strategy of creating smokescreens to keep India under pressure. On Thursday, news agency PTI had quoted a Chinese foreign ministry official as saying in Hamburg that "the atmosphere is not right for a bilateral meeting between President Xi and Prime Minister Modi."

It immediately created an impression that the Chinese side is turning down a request from the Indian side for a one-on-one at the sidelines of G20 Summit between the two leaders.

While this sound bite came from Hamburg, in Beijing, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson during its daily media briefing said: "As for the arrangement of the bilateral meeting (in Hamburg) between President Xi and Prime Minister Modi, I have to point out that recently Indian troops trespassed into China and obstructed normal activities of Chinese troops in the Doklam region This endangers Chinas sovereignty and territorial integrity and damaged the political foundations of bilateral relations between China and India."

Both calibrated sound bites contributed to the narrative that China is snubbing India at a high-profile multilateral forum and this was seen as yet another hardening of Chinese position and yet another step up the escalation ladder. India must withdraw troops immediately, or else

That this was a psy-op became clear when India responded that it had not asked for any meeting in the first place. Gopal Baglay, the Indian foreign ministry spokesperson, laid out Modi's pre-determined schedule of eight bilateral events which had no slot for a Modi-Xi meeting.

"As mentioned earlier, the PM is visiting Hamburg from July 6 to 8 for the G-20 summit. His bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the summit are with Argentina President Mauricio Macri, Canadian PM Justin Trudeau, Italy, Japan PM Shinzo Abe, Mexico PM Enrique Pena Nieto, South Korean President Moon Jae-in, UK PM Theresa May and Vietnam Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc. There is no change in the Prime Ministers schedule," Baglay was quoted as saying in an Indian Express report.

Another report in CNN-News18 seemed to suggest that a bilateral meeting was indeed on the cards but it was China who had wanted it and then later decided against it because it might show Xi "in a poor light".

In a late development, both leaders had an impromptu meeting where certain issues were discussed.

At d BRICS leaders' informal gathering @ Hamburg hosted by China, PM @narendramodi and President Xi had a conversation on a range of issues pic.twitter.com/ervZw46PH0  Gopal Baglay (@MEAIndia) July 7, 2017

While its political leadership tries to obfuscate and confuse, Chinese state-controlled media, which has taken an ultra-belligerent stand against India on the tri-junction conflict and had been regularly threatening war and fuelling of insurgency in India's Himalayan frontier, came up with another editorial on Friday suggesting that "there is harsh anti-America sentiment in India, which prevents the country from being a close friend with the US."

As China, emboldened by its power differential with India, seeks to test New Delhi's pressure points from time to time, its own strategic vulnerabilities are evident with India's growing proximity to the US-Israel axis. In this game of one-upmanship and psychological warfare, India would do well to keep in mind one more strategic dictum which is attributed to Sun Tzu: "Appear weak when you are strong, and strong when you are weak."
17:27 (ist)

Protests in Hamburg keep Melania Trump from attending the G20 Summit

Melania's spokeswoman, Stephanie Grisham, said Hamburg police hasn't cleared the first lady to leave the government guest house where she and President Donald Trump spent the night because of the protesters.

Spouses typically get together while leaders are in meetings during international summits like these. Friday's program for the spouses included a boat ride, lunch and a tour of a climate control center.

AP
Hamburg: Amidst the chill in ties, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese president Xi Jinping on Friday came face to face at the BRICS leaders meeting in which the Indian leader offered full cooperation for the successful holding of the summit of the five-nation bloc in China later in 2017.

The two leaders also complimented each other's nations roles in furthering the objectives of the grouping and the fight against terrorism.

The two leaders are, however, not scheduled to hold a bilateral meeting with Beijing citing that the bilateral "atmosphere" is not good due to the face-off between their armies in Doka La region in the Sikkim sector.

The two leaders had last met in the Kazakhstan capital in June during the SCO summit.

Addressing the meeting, Modi appreciated the momentum in BRICS under the chairmanship of President Xi and extended full cooperation and best wishes for the BRICS Xiamen Summit.

Concluding the meeting immediately after Modi's remarks, President Xi appreciated India's strong resolve against terrorism and the momentum in BRICS introduced under India's chairmanship and through the outcomes of the Goa Summit in 2016.

He also appreciated India's success in economic and social development and wished India even bigger success.
Hamburg: Amid increased tension between India and China on developments near Sikkim, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday "appreciated" momentum in the BRICS bloc under the Chinese chairmanship and extended full cooperation for the grouping's upcoming summit to be hosted by Beijing.

Speaking at an informal meeting of BRICS leaders on the sidelines of the G20 Summit, Modi also called upon the group leaders to show leadership in fighting terrorism and boosting global economic growth.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, speaking right after Modi, also appreciated the momentum witnessed at the BRICS bloc during India's chairmanship before it was passed on to China.

The leaders of five BRICS countries  which also included Russia's Vladimir Putin  discussed preparedness and priorities for the forthcoming 9th BRICS Summit in Xiamen, China, in September.

Xi said he looked forward to welcoming the BRICS leaders.

Modi said BRICS has been a strong voice and needs to show leadership on terrorism and global economy, according to a press release issued by the Ministry of External Affairs after the meeting.

"G20 should collectively oppose terrorism financing, franchises, safe havens, support and sponsors," Modi said.

Referring to the reforms in India, including the recent introduction of GST, he stated that it is necessary to work together for sustained global economic recovery.

He advocated collective voice against the practices of protectionism, especially in the spheres of trade and movement of knowledge and professionals.

Besides, Modi reiterated India's commitment to implementing the Paris agreement in letter and spirit and described its implementation globally as essential to fighting climate change.

He called for expeditious action to establish a BRICS rating agency and stated that cooperation on development of Africa should be a priority.

While stressing on the need for greater people-to-people exchanges, the prime minister appreciated momentum in BRICS under the chairmanship of Xi and extended full cooperation and best wishes for the BRICS Xiamen Summit.

Earlier today, PM @narendramodi shared his remarks at a meeting of BRICS leaders. pic.twitter.com/PjPl293Ute  PMO India (@PMOIndia) July 7, 2017

Modi started his speech by thanking Xi for his welcome and hosting the meeting. "Under Xi's chairmanship, the progress and positive momentum of BRICS has further deepened our cooperation," Modi said.

The prime minister, who spoke in Hindi, also said "lastly, I extend my best wishes and full cooperation to President Xi Jinping for the upcoming ninth BRICS Summit".

China and India have been engaged in a stand-off in the Dokalam area near the Bhutan tri-junction after a Chinese

Army's construction party attempted to build a road. The stand-off is near Sikkim section.

Concluding the meeting immediately after the Prime Minister's remarks, Xi appreciated India's strong resolve

against terrorism and the momentum in BRICS introduced under India's chairmanship and through the outcomes of the Goa Summit in 2016.

He also appreciated India's success in economic and social development and wished India even bigger success.

Besides India and China, Russia, Brazil and South Africa are part of the BRICS grouping.
Hamburg: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday urged leaders from the BRICS nations to show leadership in fighting terrorism and boosting global economy, even as he asked the G20 nations to collectively crackdown on terror financing, safe havens, "support and sponsors" of terrorism.

At the informal meeting of the BRICS leaders on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Hamburg, Modi emphasised that it was necessary to work together for sustained global economic recovery.

He also referred to the reforms carried out by his government, including implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST).

"BRICS has been a strong voice and needs to show leadership on terrorism and global economy", Modi said.

He emphasised that the G20 should collectively oppose terrorism financing, franchises, safe havens, support and sponsors.

Besides, he advocated a collective voice against the practice of protectionism, especially in the spheres of trade and movement of knowledge and professionals.

The BRICS bloc comprises Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

The BRICS leaders' meet also come amidst a standoff between the armies of India and China in the Sikkim section.

The G20 members, which include India and China, account for 80 per cent of the global economic output.
Hamburg: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday met his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe on the sidelines of the G20 Summit.

"PM @narendramodi meets PM @AbeShinzo on sidelines of G20 Summit," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Gopal Baglay tweeted.

The two leaders last met at the annual bilateral summit in Japan in November last year.

Japan is India's largest bilateral donor. Japanese Overseas Development Agency (ODA) supports India's efforts for accelerated economic development, particularly in priority areas like power, transportation, environmental projects and projects related to basic human needs.

The Ahmedabad-Mumbai High Speed Rail, the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor, the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor with 12 new industrial townships, and the Chennai-Bengaluru Industrial Corridor are all mega projects on the anvil.
Hamburg: Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday that it was "mandatory" to implement the consensus of the Paris Agreement on climate change, weeks after US decided to pull out of the landmark deal. He also asserted that India will implement the accord in "letter and spirit".

Modi, while speaking at the meeting of BRICS leaders on the sidelines of the G20 Summit, said that on issues of climate change and terror, the role of BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) is "important". "It is mandatory to implement the consensus reached at the Paris Agreement. India will implement the agreement in letter and spirit," Modi said.

The comments come after President Donald Trump recently announced that the US will withdraw from the Paris climate accord, saying the deal agreed by more than 190 nations unfairly benefited countries like India and China. Trump's decision had drawn sharp criticism from international leaders, business groups and green activists. Trump is also in Hamburg to take part in the G20 Summit.

"We have to ensure that international financial organisations fully reflect the world's current economic balances," Modi said. Later, on twitter, the Prime Minister said, "On issues like climate change and terror, the role of BRICS is important". The objective of the Paris Agreement is to prevent an increase in global average temperature and keep it well below 2C.

The Agreement was adopted on 12 December, 2015, by 195 parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), replacing its predecessor Kyoto Protocol. It was finally ratified on 4 November, 2016. Modi also said, "It will be our common endeavour to establish the BRICS rating agency at the earliest."
Hamburg: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday shook hands and had a conversation on a "range of issues" during the BRICS leaders' informal meeting amid a stand-off between the armies of the two countries in the Sikkim section.

The conversation took place on the sidelines of the G20 Summit that began on Friday.

In a tweet, external affairs ministry spokesperson Gopal Baglay said Modi and Xi discussed a range of issues.

"At d BRICS leaders' informal gathering @ Hamburg hosted by China, PM @narendramodi and President Xi had a conversation on a range of issues," the spokesperson tweeted.

The ministry also tweeted a photograph of Modi and Xi shaking hands.

At d BRICS leaders' informal gathering @ Hamburg hosted by China, PM @narendramodi and President Xi had a conversation on a range of issues pic.twitter.com/ervZw46PH0  Gopal Baglay (@MEAIndia) July 7, 2017



The meeting assumes significance as it comes a day after a top Chinese official said the "atmosphere" is "not right" for a bilateral meeting between Modi and Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the G20 Summit.

China and India have been engaged in a stand-off in the Dokalam area near the Bhutan tri-junction for the past three weeks after a Chinese Army's construction party attempted to build a road. Doka La is the Indian name for the region which Bhutan recognises as Dokalam while China claims it as part of its Donglang region.
Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly on Friday passed the state GST Bill 2017 amidst opposition boycott, making it the last state of the country to join the new tax regime.

The bill entitled the Jammu and Kashmir Goods and Services Tax Bill 2017 moved by Finance Minister Haseeb Drabu was adopted by a voice vote as all opposition members decided to boycott the proceedings, accusing the government of undermining the special status of the state by seeking a presidential order for extending the GST regime.

Drabu said the GST regime will roll out in the state at midnight tonight, making Jammu and Kashmir the last state to join the new tax regime.

Before moving the bill for consideration and passing by the state assembly, Drabu read out the contents of the presidential order pertaining to the special status of the state and its exclusive taxation powers.

"Although there is no tradition of tabling a presidential order in the assembly, we are starting a new tradition in the democracy of the state by tabling this presidential order in the House.

"Notwithstanding anything contained in this order, the powers of the state of Jammu and Kashmir as per Section 5 of the Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir, shall remain intact," Drabu said.

"The legislature of the state of Jammu and Kashmir shall have the powers to make laws with respect to goods and services tax levied by the state," Drabu read from the excerpts of the order pertaining to the special status and exclusive taxation powers of the state.

The legislature of the state of Jammu and Kashmir shall have exclusive powers to make laws in respect of imposition of any taxes enabled by section 5 of the Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir, he added.

Notwithstanding anything contained in clause 4 to clause 11 for the purpose of any decision impinging on constitutional provisions relating to the state of Jammu nand Kashmir, the concurrence of the representative of the state of Jammu and Kashmir in the Goods and Services Tax Council shall be mandatory and the procedure provided under Article 370 shall be followed, the presidential order reads.

It adds that nothing in this article shall affect in any manner whatsoever the legislative competence of the state of Jammu and Kashmir as guaranteed by virtue of Section 5 of the Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir .

After completing the other legislative business listed for the day, Speaker Kavinder Gupta adjourned the House sine die.
New Delhi: President Pranab Mukherjee on Friday gave nod to an order pertaining to implementation of the Goods and Services Tax regime in Jammu and Kashmir, clearing decks for the state assembly for enacting the GST law.

Official sources said that the President cleared the order and sent it to Ministry of Home Affairs for further action.

The PDP-BJP government had passed a resolution on Wednesday in the assembly after which the state cabinet under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti cleared a draft order for concurrence of the President.

Jammu and Kashmir is the only state which is yet to implement the GST which was rolled out in rest of the country on 1 July.

The presidential order, which was concurred by state Governor N N Vohra, relates to the application of certain provisions of the Constitution of India through an order of the President issued under Article 370 that gives special status to the state.

Jammu and Kashmir Finance Minister Haseeb Drabu had said on Thursday that after the Presidential Order is received, the government will take it to the Assembly for enacting a SGST (state goods and services tax) bill.

Drabu, during discussion in the assembly on Wednesday, said that the government was not required to bring the resolution but it did so to "get a sense of the House on the issue", a move termed by opposition National Conference and Congress as a "sham".

This was the first time in the history of the Jammu and Kashmir assembly that a resolution, seeking a presidential order on a constitutional amendment, was discussed and passed.
Away from the media hype that surrounded the first ever visit of an Indian prime minister to Israel, is the news of another "first". The delivery of Armed Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) from a country that can justly claim to have revolutionised the use of such platforms in battle.

For India, this is a considerable jump in a long overdue capability. Long overdue, because Israel demonstrated the imaginative use of such unmanned aircraft in war way back in 1982 against the Syrian Air Force. Robotic aircraft had been around long before that and were used in reconnaissance operations in the Vietnam War, much to the disgust of air veterans. The air force fighter boys turned up their noses at the admittedly ugly aircraft versions and predicted their speedy end.

Instead, the roles may have been reversed. There are those who predict the end of the fighter era, as better engines, fuels, and materials have resulted in UAVs becoming more capable across various parameters. The main issue is not just what they can carry  surveillance cameras, listening devices and the likes, but more importantly and really the key, the ability to fly for long hours.

This means an ability to go deep into enemy territory and even loiter at a height that is in some cases more than that of a commercial aircraft. In the continuous interplay between offensive and defensive systems, radar has still to catch up in terms of detecting a UAV. In the case of the Indian buy, the Heron TP, it is said to be capable of travelling up to 36 hours, at a height of above 30,000 ft.

The version is presumably the Heron TP MALE (Medium Altitude Long Endurance), with various payloads weighing 1,000 kg. While its actual payload will be decided according to its mission, the fact that India already has several dozen unarmed Herons with the defence forces for surveillance and reconnaissance, it is clear that the new Heron will be used entirely in its armed role.

As the Israelis demonstrated time and again, any weapon is only as good as its end use. Imagination is everything. To most observers, the UAVs are immediately associated with the killing of stray terrorist leaders sitting comfortably in their dens deep inside Pakistan. This can be blamed almost entirely on Hollywood, and its depictions of United States intelligence agencies carrying out spectacular assassinations of sundry bearded individuals, apparently using just a computer console with a gigantic screen.

The reality is quite different. First, the target has to be 'identified' by other intelligence methods after sifting through hundreds of reports from the ground, including where possible, hours of phone conversations, and then identifying whether or not he is the specific terrorist leader to be taken down. Here, a drone with an ELINT (electronic intelligence) package can help hugely. Second, the movement of the target has to be fitted into a pattern, so that there is a rough idea of where and when he may be found at a particular time. The third is the actual launching of an armed platform, to "acquire" the target, who may suddenly decide to be elsewhere entirely. Its a long hard and incredibly weary task which can go wrong. Wrong targets are killed, and sometimes innocent people suffer. The win however happens when someone on the ground decides to cooperate.

As the reliable Long War Journal informs us, the United States carried out 396 strikes inside Pakistan since 2004, killing more than 2,800 terrorist leaders, primarily from Al Qaeda. A careful examination of other data indicates that US targeting improved only once Pakistan began to cooperate. Pakistans cooperation hinged on US willingness to knock off its own troublesome warlords belonging to the Tehrik-e-Taliban. In exchange, they provided valuable human intelligence on some Al Qaeda leaders. In other words, terrorist targeting is only as good as the intelligence you're likely to get on the ground. Technology can help get you there, but can't replace the human element.

Second, it is inarguably true that US targeting of terrorist leaders have provided a soft option to fighting them on the ground. This is particularly true when the terrorist is holed up inside an extremely hostile territory. A UAV can go where a special forces unit cannot  at least not without a whole back up of get away aircraft and assorted other systems. Recall the whole operation to get Osama Bin Laden which involved not just massive planning, but a considerable risk of going spectacularly wrong.

Would a drone have delivered the same result, even assuming that the drone was within range? Probably not, because for a hundred percent certainty that the target is who you want, and that is finally dead, you still need the human element. Indeed, the first kill drone in Afghanistan was aimed at Bin Laden in 2002. It failed since the terrorist leader was not anywhere present. An armed UAV sends a powerful signal of intent. It may not necessarily deliver the kill.

Third, success stories of terrorist 'decapitation', have specific reasons for success which are not always apparent during expert discussions on drone wars. For instance, the US truly scored a strategic strike when a drone killed the then Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Mohammed Mansour as he was reportedly driving back from Iran into Pakistan in mid-2016. Most embarrassingly for the Pakistanis, he was killed in Baluchistan and a good many miles within the country, leading to much embarrassment in Rawalpindi.

This was a desert territory, and therefore easily picked up  given the right kind of intelligence. The same target in thickly forested areas could be missed entirely. The UAV, therefore, needs to have "FOPEN" (forest penetration) radar capability, indicating probably the need to have more than one such aircraft on a mission, or even a mix of platforms. Israeli Aerospace is reported to have developed a "persistent surveillance" radar for just such a mission. For missions across the Line of Control, this is exactly what India would need.

Fourth, the acquisition undoubtedly makes that "surgical strike" far more operationally possible than before, and at a depth where manned aircraft would be barred from flying. After all, it's not only the US who has significant issues about body bags. A pilot shot down on such a mission  where war has not been declared  would cause considerable embarrassment all around, and  apart from the loss of a valuable life  would result in the worst nightmare that bedevils security establishments everywhere  the threat of escalation into a full-fledged war.

A UAV avoids that, even while inflicting considerable damage at a place and time of our own choosing. The rub, of course, is that while it may be a cause Pakistan to pause, it may not stop them from pushing in another clutch of terrorists once the shock effect subsides. A lesson learnt from sustained bombing campaigns over the years is that it suffers from rapidly diminishing returns. After a while, people  which includes political leaders, media and sometimes even the target population  just get used to it. Witness the fact that the post-Donald Trump UAV strikes in Pakistan, barely merit a corner of a newspaper.

To view the armed UAV simply as a terrorist killing machine is limiting its true value. In war, it acts as a huge force multiplier, including for tank offensives or to reinforce artillery bombing effectiveness.

In Iraq, UAVs flew some 100,000 total flight hours, allowing other air and ground assets for other tasks. Armed forces which dont have an unlimited budget, will find the armed UAV as a significant add on at far lesser cost.

The future of missile defence probably lies in a drone carrying a laser weapon, and that is already under development. But heres the thing. As observed earlier, the value of a weapon  any weapon  is how it is used to deliver your overall political objective. At present, that seems to be to tell neighbours that India cannot be pushed around, no matter how high the noise level. The UAV offers a quiet and virtually invisible way of doing just that.

The author is former director of the National Security Council Secretariat.
Dhanbad: People living in the danger zone of underground mine fire in Jharia would have to be shifted at any cost, Union Coal Secretary Sushil Kumar said in Dhanbad on Friday.

The government cannot let the people die in subsidence due to underground fire and would rehabilitate them in safe places, said Kumar who visited mine fire affected residential areas of Jharia.

Talking to the residents of Ghanudih Basti, considered the most dangerous area of Jharia coalfield under Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL), Kumar urged them to cooperate with the authorities for their proper rehabilitation.

The coal secretary, who was accompanied by Jharkhand chief secretary Raj Bala Verma, also made it clear that the affected people would be rehabilitated on the basis of the 2009 survey of the area.

The 2009 survey, conducted by Jharia Rehabilitation and Development Authority, had identified over 54,000 families living in the danger zone to be entitled for rehabilitation.

The coal secretary also visited Jharia Vehar colony where displaced persons of mines fire area are being rehabilitated in quarters.

The displaced persons complained to Kumar that they had been dumped in the quarters, without any arrangement for their source of livelihood or medical facility.

The coal secretary also held a meeting with BCCL and the district administration and asked them to immediately start shifting of the people at safer places.
Srinagar: Authorities on Friday blocked internet and broadband services in the Kashmir Valley and imposed curfew-like restrictions in parts of Srinagar city as separatists have called for protests marking the death anniversary of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani.

Wani was killed last year in a gunfight with security forces in Anantnag district's Kokernag area.

A 54-days unrest followed Wani's death in which 94 civilian protesters were killed and over 200 others injured.

All senior separatist leaders have been either detained or placed under house arrest to prevent their participation in the valley-wide protests.

District Magistrate Srinagar Farooq Ahmad Lone has issued orders to impose restrictions in areas falling under the jurisdictions of five - Rainawari, Nowhatta, M.R. Gunj, Khanyar, Safa Kadal - police stations in the city.

Munir Ahmad Khan, Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kashmir zone ordered the suspension of internet facility both on mobile phones and fixed landline broadband connections for an indefinite period of time.
Tral: On 1 July, Numan Ahmad Rishi left his home in Sharifabad area of Tral in South Kashmir early in the morning without informing his parents. When Ahmad's mother, a diabetic, entered his room to wake him up, she found him missing. Then she went downstairs and sought Numan's whereabouts from her husband, a shopkeeper, who too was unaware.

"We went out, made some phone calls here and there, and then started searching for him at his friends' places. The eerie thought of ending up searching for him, like hundreds of other parents looking for their children who become militants, started coming to my mind," Mubeena told Firstpost on Thursday.

"But he is too young, only 14; he can't become a militant. That is what we thought," she said.

An hour invested in searching for their son was "like spending years in search of a prized possession". When they finally found him, however, they were left bewildered.

"We entered Eid Gah and found him caressing the grave of Burhan Wani," Mubeena said, as a tear trickled down her left eye, smudging the Kohl on it.

"I don't know why he went to Burhan's grave, but then I thought it is something every child in our neighbourhood does," she said.

Kashmir has changed since the Hizbul Mujahideen commander's (Burhan) death last July. At the heart of this change is a surreal political consciousness that a cluster of villages in Tral and the twenty-two-year-old man had brought to the Valley. For better or worse, this change has been subtle.

Never before have the teenagers of this brutalised Valley felt so politically conscious yet marginalised from the mainstream as they are today. Burhan is the poster-boy of new-age militancy in the Valley. He had shunned the cloak of anonymity and the image of a teenager and had captured the imagination of the younger generation of Kashmir.

Perhaps no militant commander in Kashmir's 27 years of insurgency has been as popular as Burhan. Pictures of the 'innocent-faced' youth could be found in almost every youngster's mobile phone.

"The change that Kashmir witnessed after Burhan was martyred is unparalleled," Muhammad Muzaffar Wani, Burhan's father, said. "It is a change one day I hope will bring some change in the attitude of powers that be."

"Since 9 July, when Burhan's bullet-ridden body was lowered into a grave in Tral, this place has become some sort of a shrine for people. Dozens of people make a sort of pilgrimage to the grave almost every day," says Fayaz, a shopkeeper near the Eidgah in Sharifabad.

"They pick soil from Burhan's grave and rub it on their bodies with the belief that it will cure their ailments," he said.

"There has never been a day when we did not turn up at the graveyard," Amir Hussain, a resident of Tral, said.

On Thursday afternoon, a group of young men were loitering inside the graveyard when some army soldiers in black trousers and tees entered the vast ground and roughed them up.

Within minutes, the graveyard was empty. Outside, an army Casspir vehicle was stationed and soldiers were checking the vehicles passing by. As this author was leaving the graveyard with three other fellow reporters, an army officer in early thirties stopped us.

"Show me your mobile phone," the officer demanded from a journalist working for a national newspaper. "Did you take pictures of Burhan's grave?" The reporter replied in affirmative.

This young officer was soon joined by a short, lean man in uniform armed with an AK47 and a poker face, "So, what were they doing," he asked his colleague.

"You can see the pictures of the graveyard but not of my family. Please return the mobile phone," an agitated and angry Tariq Bhat, a journalist with The Week, told the officer.

Covering Kashmir has been always a daunting task, but in recent months, to report from ground zero has become extremely difficult. This author has had to face the wrath from both forces and protesters on many occasions.

Back in Burhan's house, his father said that thousands of people, most of them in their teens, had visited their home in the months after his Burhan's death. He said that they seemed disgruntled and angry about the killing.

I was in Burhan's house when three teenaged boys, after travelling some 70 kilometres from a far off village in North Kashmir, made it there.

"When they come here, they say we want to see the house of Burhan; they want to see his father, his brother. Then I tell them to study. Burhan also used to study. I want them to become good human beings and pray that they don't do anything wrong in their lives."

The government thought that the sentiment of azadi (independence), Muzaffar says, would die once Burhan was eliminated. "But the more you want to suppress the sentiment, the more it blossoms."

After Burhans killing, Kashmir erupted and close to a hundred people were killed, hundreds blinded, thousands injured and many were jailed. But the Tehreek, the movement for azadi, which was losing sheen, has now turned into a full-blown wave of insurgency.

Although security forces are killing militants almost every other day, the support for the new age militants has grown tremendously in the Valley of today.

"This movement," Muzaffar adds, "was alive in 20 percent people in the Valley but today, it beats in the hearts of ninety percent of our population."

Since last year, over hundred local youths, mostly from the four volatile districts of South Kashmir, have joined militant groups. This has become another challenge for the security forces. The worst part is that for every snatched weapon from the security forces, there are hundreds of youths ready to pick up arms and join militancy.

"Who doesn't want to stop this senseless violence? But it becomes a compulsion for our children to pick up stones and guns in their hands when we are suppressed and our right to self-determination is denied," Muzaffar said.

One only needs to visit a funeral of a militant these days to understand the kind of support militancy enjoys these days. When armed militants come to pay their last respect to their fallen comrades, thousands of people, particularly youths, wait for hours to get a glimpse of them. In the mad rush, they hug them, kiss their foreheads and follow them until they disappear.

In the first four months of this year, 30 locals joined militant ranks, and the once zero-militancy districts of Srinagar and Ganderbal are now home to 23 active militants. At least 220 militants are active in Central, South and North Kashmir.

To prevent any law and order problem on Burhan's first death anniversary, the state government has suspended mobile internet services, while broadband internet speeds have been reduced.

The entire South Kashmir area and the road from Srinagar to Tral, a cluster of villages in Pulwama district, have been turned into a garrison. Ater every two hundred meters, gun-toting soldiers regulate traffic with bamboo sticks, as the state government apprehends Kashmir could witness another day of bloodshed on Saturday.
New Delhi: The CBI on Friday filed a corruption case and carried out raids at the residences of RJD leader Lalu Prasad Yadav, his wife Rabri, and son, Bihar deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav, for alleged irregularities in leasing two railway hotels to a private company when he was Minister of Railways.

ANI EXCLUSIVE: CBI FIR copy in Railway hotel tenders case, names Lalu Yadav, wife Rabri,son Tejaswi and others pic.twitter.com/hbLcGiKCuv  ANI (@ANI_news) July 7, 2017

The political fallout of the case has been that the BJP is visibly overjoyed, while the Congress is treading carefully in reacting to the graft charges against it's Bihar ally. Nitish Kumar of the JD(U), the leading partner in the Bihar grand alliance, has kept a stoic silence.

Scores of sleuths from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) carried out raids at least a dozen locations, including the residences of Lalu Prasad and his family members in Delhi, Gurugram, Patna, Ranchi and Bhubaneswar.

CBI additional director Rakesh Asthana told reporters that Lalu had allegedly granted illegal favours to Sujata Hotels through the Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) when he was the railway minister from 2004 to 2009.

Asthana said the private company was favoured and the tender process for the development, maintenance and operation of the hotels in Ranchi and Puri was manipulated in exchange for a three-acre land plot in Patna where a mall is being built. "When Lalu was the railway minister, the tender of BNR Hotels of the railways was given to Sujata Hotels," he said.

"Three acres of land in western Patna was transferred by Delight Marketing Company private limited that is known to the Yadav family," he said, adding that between 2010 and 2014, this land was transferred to another company owned by the Yadav family's Lara Projects at a very low cost.

"Transfer took place at a low price. The land was valued at Rs 32 crore as per the circle rates and the market rate was Rs 94 crore at the time. It was transferred to Lara Projects at nearly Rs 65 lakh," said Asthana.

He said the case was registered on 5 July under sections 420, 120 B of the Indian Penal Code and sections 13 and 13 1B of Prevention of Corruption Act. Also named in the case are former IRCTC managing director PK Goyal and the wife of Lalu's confidante Prem Chand Gupta.

Meanwhile, Lalu put up a brave front and dubbed the CBI raids on his family residences as a political conspiracy by the BJP. He said that the probe agency had no proof against him. "This is a conspiracy against me and my family... Narendra Modi is going towards dictatorship. I am not scared... I have been dealing with the CBI all my life," Lalu Prasad said.

Rebuffing charges that he favoured Sujata Hotels through IRCTC while he was the railway minister, Lalu said that the allocation processes were done in a fair manner through bidding.

Lalu claimed he had improved the condition of the IRCTC, which he said was formed and made autonomous during the tenure of BJP-led NDA government. The RJD leader said he has asked his family to cooperate with the CBI officials.

"This is a political conspiracy of Modi, Amit Shah and RSS against us because we have initiated a political movement against them, and they will soon see a farewell... On 27 August, we are holding rallies in Bihar to tell the people how my family and I are being attacked due to political vendetta," Lalu told the press.

Lalu, who was in Ranchi for a hearing in a CBI court in the fodder scam case, said, "The so-called IRCTC was formed in 1999, and at that time I was not the railway minister or a cabinet minister. In 2002, IRCTC started functioning and in 2003 hotels in Delhi, Howrah, Ranchi and Puri were handed over to IRCTC,"

"In May 2004, I became the minister, but everything was already handed over before that. There was an NDA government and (Atal Bihari) Vajpayee was the prime minister," Lalu Prasad said.

"Many railway hotels were in bad shape so IRCTC in 2006 did open tendering to develop them. Everything, including income and licence fee, was fixed under an agreement for 15 years lease," he said, adding that all the deals were done through an open tender process and that there is not a single accusation against him which can be proved.

He added that the raids were to insult him and to send him to jail. "Show us the paper on the basis of which these raids were conducted. I am absolutely innocent. During my time, railways got an international reputation," Lalu said.

The BJP has, however, denied any role in the CBI action against the RJD chief. Welcoming CBI's move, the saffron party said that several politicians consider themselves big leaders but that does not render them above the law of the land.

BJP leader Venkaiah Naidu said that the BJP has no part to play in the unfurling political drama, and whatever Lalu faced was the consequences of his own actions. He said that he would not link Nitish either with the controversy and said that the law will take its own course.

However, BJP state unit chief Sushil Modi said that the BJP has said time and again that Lalu is corrupt and the CBI raids have only vindicated their stand. Sushil also turned up the heat for Nitish, an RJD ally, who had promised a corruption-free government.

"Tejashwi is in Nitishji's cabinet. It is up to him now. How long will he stay silent on his ally's dark deeds," Sushil said.

"It is the right time for Nitish to end his party's alliance with the RJD and should sack Lalu's two sons from his cabinet without delay," Bharatiya Janata Party state president Nityanand Rai told IANS.

Rai said "politics" will change in Bihar after the CBI raids.

The Leader of Opposition Prem Kumar told the media that Nitish should act against Lalu's two sons.

"Our stand has been vindicated, Lalu and his family are corrupt," he said.

For nearly three months, BJP leaders have repeatedly alleged corruption charges against Lalu and his family members. It was alleged that Lalu had accumulated Rs 1,000 crore illegal property.

The JD(U), however, is unusually silent on the matter. Political analysts say that Nitish is unlikely to create too much ruckus on the issue as he enjoys a comfortable position. Although he needs RJD's support for the numbers, he does not have to snap ties to make an elaborate statement.

Lalu has courted controversy in the past too and Nitish has managed to get away with the 'law-will-take-it's-course' stand. The BJP meanwhile, continues to openly flirt with the JD(U), but it will be a call Nitish will have to take when the time comes.

With inputs from agencies
In a move that spells fresh trouble for Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief and former Bihar chief minister Lalu Prasad Yadav, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) raided his properties in 12 places, including Gurugram, New Delhi, Ranchi and Puri, and his house in Patna in connection with a fresh case of alleged irregularities in awarding tenders for maintenance of hotels in Ranchi and Puri.

The CBI FIR, a copy of which was procured by ANI, named eight entities, including Lalu, his wife Rabri Devi, son Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, and former managing director of IRCTC PK Goel as the accused.

The FIR also included Sarla Gupta, wife of Yadav's confidante, Prem Chand Gupta, a former Union corporate affairs minister.

The list of accused also included Vijay Kocchar and his brother Vinay Kochhar, both of whom are directors of Sujata Hotels Private Limited and proprietors of Hotel Chalukya.

During the press briefing, CBI additional Director Rakesh Asthana said that ample proof of alleged irregularities were found in the privatisation of two Indian Railways hotels to register a case. The BNR Hotels are heritage hotels of the Indian Railways which were taken over by IRCTC from the public utility earlier in 2006.

However, the hotels were later transferred to M/s Sujata private limited firm owned by Sarla Gupta, for maintenance and upkeep. The tenders were allegedly transferred in disregard of the set guidelines. Asthana also said that another tract of land was transferred to the Sarla's firm in western Patna at rates, considerably less than the active circle prices at the time.

It also mentioned LARA Projects LLP as an accused in the case. LARA (acronym for Lalu-Rabri) Projects LLP  a company in which Rabri Devi and her two sons are shareholders and directors  owns prime land in Danapur where Bihar's "biggest shopping mall" worth Rs 500 crore is coming up.

Here is a copy of the CBI FIR:
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had a narrow escape when his helicopter suddenly took off as he was about board it at a helipad in Alibaug, Raigad on Friday afternoon, reports IANS.

Raigad collector PD Malikner confirmed the incident and told Firstpost that Fadnavis was in Alibaug to attend MLC Jayant Patil's birthday function.

The Chief Minister's Office clarified that there was no 'accident kind of situation,' but it was rather a close shave.

Maharashtra:Chief Minister Office clarifies "there was no accident kind of situation with CM D. Fadnavis' helicopter in Alibag today."  ANI (@ANI_news) July 7, 2017

Following the incident, the helicopter and its parts were checked and Fadnavis headed back to Mumbai.

According to preliminary reports by officials, as Fadnavis was preparing to board the chopper, it suddenly took off and its rotating wings came very close to his head.

However, an alert security personnel lunged forward and helped the chief minister escape injury from the chopper's blades, a district official told mediapersons.

In the past two months, Fadnavis has faced three helicopter incidents.

The first incident occurred on 12 May when Fadnavis' helicopter developed a snag in Gadchiroli, Maharashtra. According to NDTV, the district is affected by left-wing extremism and it was important to get Fadnavis out of the area before it became dark. The report adds that after the chopper failed to lift off, the chief minister was immediately driven off towards Nagpur. Officials stated that the snag occurred due to excessive heat.

Following this incident, Fadnavis survived another major scare on 25 May, when a helicopter carrying him crash-landed in Latur. The helicopter, which had six persons on board including two crew members, got entangled in overhead wires while landing at Nilanga area where the chief minister had held a programme. "It was a case of crash-landing. When we took off, we noticed that the chopper was slanting. There was air pressure. It brushed against (electric) wires," Fadnavis said, after reaching Mumbai by another aircraft from Latur. Fadnavis and his aides who were travelling with him also escaped unhurt.

With inputs from agencies.
Kolkata: Tripura Governor Tathagata Roy was shown black flags by Trinamool Congress activists on Thursday after he backed his West Bengal counterpart in the latter's stand-off with the Mamata Banerjee government.

Roy accused the Mamata Banerjee regime of hushing up the news of communal violence in Basirhat sub-division in Bengal.

Iterating that Bengal Governor Keshri Nath Tripathi was right in questioning the Trinamool government on the Basirhat violence, Roy said, "The Governor is well within his rights to ask questions. If the need be, he can also give suggestions (to the state government). There is nothing wrong in this."

During a telephonic conversation with Chief Minister Banerjee on Tuesday, Tripathi had reportedly expressed his annoyance over the state police and administration not doing their bit to control the violence and suggested the state government ask for central forces.

Soon after his discussions with Tripathi, Banerjee alleged that he had "threatened and humiliated her".

But Roy refused to go by Banerjee's version. "So far as I know him (Tripathi), he is not the sort of person to humiliate or threaten somebody," he said on the sidelines of a programme marking the 116th birth anniversary celebrations of Syama Prasad Mookerjee.

Roy said he had been witness to riots during the 34-year Left Front rule as also during the incumbent Trinamool regime. "I have seen that this government always tries to hush up news of riots."

He said even the state media earlier did not report on riots.

Roy said the malady could not be cured by hiding the facts.

"You need to administer the right medicine and treatment to cure the malady. You need to take action," he said at the programme organised at Calcutta University's College Street campus.

As Roy came out of the auditorium after the programme, members of the Trinamool Congress students' wing staged a black flags protest against him. They also raised slogans demanding Tripathi be removed from the post of state governor.
Jammu: The All Party Migrant Coordination Committee (APMCC) on Friday demanded immediate disbursal of salary to displaced Kashmiri pandits posted in the valley under the prime minister special employment programme.

The committee's chief, Vinod Pandit, called on chief minister Mehbooba Mufti and discussed the issues of migrant employees posted in Kashmir, including salary and show cause notices faced by them, a press release said.

Over 1,700 displaced Kashmiri pandit youth have been employed in the valley under the special employment package and scores of employees who stay put in Jammu due to the fear of increasing militancy and 2016 Kashmir unrest are awaiting salaries, it said.

The chief minister assured Pandit that their grievances would be resolved soon. She also assured action on non-implementation of some government orders regarding the salaries and show cause notices by some officials, the release said.
Hyderabad: Prime Minister Narendra Modi skipping Palestinian authority headquarters Ramallah during his Israel visit is unlikely to evoke any negative reaction in the Arab countries, says a former Indian diplomat.

It was for the first time that an Indian leader went to the Jewish state without visiting Ramallah.

Asked if there would be "murmurs" in the Arab world over Modi's stand-alone visit to Israel, Talmiz Ahmad, who had served as Indian ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Oman and the UAE, said the Arab world itself is a deeply divided lot now.

"The phrase Arab world does not reflect the ground reality. There is a very deep divide in the Gulf Cooperation Council, so is there in the Arab League and there is actual conflict between the Arab countries - even as I speak to you - in Syria and Yemen," he told PTI.

Ahmad said there is no such thing as a monolithic Arab world and, in fact, many of the Arab countries are directly dealing with Israel.

"Saudi Arabia has opened dialogue with Israel, the UAE is also in touch with Israel. Earlier, Qatar used to be in touch with Israel. So, there is no question ... what India has done is not likely to evoke any negative reaction in the Arab countries," he said.

Ahmad also said following the prime minister's visit, there would be considerable expansion in the defence cooperation with new items, including some sensitive ones, being imported by India, where they would be manufactured to a considerable extent.

"I think at least, some of those items will be manufactured in India. So, there is a commitment from Israel with regard to participation in 'Make in India,'" he said.

Israel caters to India's niche requirements and fills capability gaps in defence hardware. "Even though the amount involved may not be much, those are important items for India's security," Ahmad said.

He also said India earlier used to place its relations with Israel "on par with what we call Palestinian cause."

"Now, those are separate issues. One is bilateral relations with Israel and second is bilateral relations with Palestine authority. This government has decided that there is no need to link the two things," according to him.

In the joint statement, he noted, there is a reference to Palestine issue. "So, it (separating the two) is not 100 per cent de-hyphenated, in the sense that there is a concern over the Palestine issue which India has articulated."
Kathmandu: Nepal and China have signed an agreement to set up a border law enforcement centre to manage and curb border related crimes "while respecting each other's sovereignty", officials said Friday.

The agreement to establish the Nepal-China Border Law Enforcement Cooperation (Keyrong) Joint Action Centre was signed by Chief District Officer of Rasuwa Chomendra Neupane and Local Security Officer of Zilong County of China Colonel Gao Huihai Thursday.

"The aim of establishing the centre is to cooperate each other on the border security management and to curb border related crimes, while respecting each other's sovereignty," a statement issued by the Assistant Chief District Officer of Rasuwa said.

Neupane said the agreement will enhance the "age-old" bilateral ties and stressed that suck works would be expedited on the basis of mutual understanding and bilateral agreement. Keyrong is a border town in China close to the Nepalese city of Rasuwa.
Bilaspur: The Odisha Police on Friday told the Chhattisgarh High Court here that two men from the coastal state were 'abducted' by police from Chhattisgarh's Bastar district for allegedly being Naxals.

The accusation came in response to a petition filed by relatives of the two men before the high court seeking enquiry, the petitioners' lawyer Satish Chandra Verma said.

The Odisha Police said in their affidavit filed on Friday that Niranjan Dash and Durjoti Mahankudo were picked up illegally from Kotpad police station area in Koraput district by a team of police from Nagarnar in Bastar on 26 June 2016.

The affidavit has been signed by Nirod Kumar Nayak, a police officer attached to Kotpad police station.

Chhattisgarh police entered Koraput district without giving any intimation to local cops, and arrested the two men after accusing them of being Naxals, the reply said.

When their family members approached a court in Koraput, it directed the Odisha Police to probe the matter.

The relatives of the two men also moved the Supreme Court, which asked them to approach the Chhattisgarh High Court.

During an earlier hearing, the high court had sought reply from Odisha Police.

Odisha Police also said in the reply that the matter should be handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) or the National Investigation Agency for a free and fair probe.

The next hearing would take place after two weeks.
New Delhi: Irshad Khan, son of a dairy farmer lynched by cow vigilantes, is not going anywhere. He is an Indian, and has no intentions of moving to Pakistan, he says.

"We Muslims will not go and live in Pakistan. India is our motherland too," said Irshad, as he made an impassioned plea on Friday, seeking justice for his father.

The 24-year-old man, who was also attacked by the mob of self-styled gau rakshaks in Alwar on 1 April, alleged that "attempts were being made to let the accused go scot-free".

Addressing a public forum  Agrarian Crisis, Cow Politics & Lynching  hosted by the Bhumi Adhikar Andolan in Delhi, Irshad said, "Lynchings are continuing to take place as the government is not taking a strong stand".

Attempts were being made to divide the people on religion, and Muslims were often asked to leave India for Pakistan. But, he added, Hindu and Muslims had always lived peacefully in the country.

"Some bad elements don't want the two communities to be in harmony, so that vote bank politics can be orchestrated. Lynchings are also happening to divide the people," he said.

A string of lynching incidents has been reported in the country, the latest being that of a Muslim man killed by a mob for allegedly carrying beef in a van in Jharkhand late last month.

"Many Muslims have been assaulted or verbally abused and forced to chant a religious slogan by some outfit, who tell us (Muslims) to go to Pakistan. I say, we will not go to Pakistan. I was born here and India is also my motherland," Irshad told a packed hall at the Constitution Club in Delhi.

The 55-year-old Pehlu Khan was brutally beaten, after being intercepted by the vigilantes in Alwar, while he and his two sons, Irshad and Arif, were travelling in a pick-up car, carrying cattle from Jaipur.

"My father had been in dairy farming for a long time. We were transporting the cattle with all the required permits, but the vigilantes threatened us then started assaulting us with belts, sticks, metal knuckle-caps. My father was punched in the eye and hit in stomach. He bled profusely, and, on 3 April, he died at a hospital," said 19-year-old Arif, who still trembles recalling the incident.

Pehlu's uncle Hussain Khan, who also attended the event, alleged that "pressure was being exerted" to ensure "bail for the accused".

"We want justice for Pehlu. If these accused are allowed to go scot-free, we, the family, will go to the court in Rajasthan and commit suicide there," said Hussain, as the hall fell silent.

"Our loyalty and allegiance is questioned. We are being called beef-eaters and asked to leave the country and settle in Pakistan. Why are we Muslims being forced to prove our patriotism and nationalism," Hussain asked.

His forefathers, he said, had sacrificed their lives for the country's freedom.

"This (India) is also our country, our homeland. And, we will live here," Hussain asserted.

Historian and former professor of history at the Delhi University DN Jha also spoke at the event, which was attended by people from various sections of society.
Chandigarh: The Punjab police on Thursday booked five members of a US-based group on charges of sedition and promoting enmity between different groups after "provocative" posters came up at more than 40 places in the state.

An official statement said Chief Minister Amarinder Singh ordered a crackdown on the New York-based organisation, Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), following complaints of "deliberate attempts to vitiate the state's atmosphere". Of the five persons booked, three reside in the US.

The Chief Minister, who also holds the home portfolio, directed the police to ensure that no outfit succeeds in whipping up passions "which Pakistan's ISI could exploit to its advantage".

A police probe showed that a campaign  titled "Punjab Independence Referendum 2020"  was managed by the Baba Hanuman Singh Enterprise agency, which was "hired by the SJF through its legal advisor Gurpatwant Singh Pannun", the statement claimed.

Besides Pannun, the others who have been booked are  Jagdeep Singh, who hails from Fatehgarh Sahib and is now based in New York and Jagjeet Singh, a resident of Jammu and Kashmir, and now living in the US city, as per the statement. The two accused based in India have been identified by the police as Gurpeet Singh, a resident of Mohali (Punjab), and Harpunit Singh of Nanak Nagar (Jammu and Kashmir).

All five have been booked for promoting "enmity and disharmony between different groups, and committing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony through visible representations", the release said.

"Such acts have disturbed and are likely to disturb tranquillity in Punjab, and are further likely to cause fear/alarm, ill-will and a feeling of insecurity among members of different communities/groups residing in the border state of Punjab," the police said in an FIR.

Investigations are on to uncover various financial and operational linkages between persons based in India and abroad, said a police spokesperson, alleging that the SFJ had been actively trying to "destabilise" Punjab for the past several months.

The Chief Minister had recently said any attempt to create disharmony or to revive terrorism in the state would be nipped in the bud.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday asked the Election Commission to file an affidavit on the factual position on the availability of EVM's with Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPATs) and the status of 16,15,000 VVPAT machine for which funds have been sanctioned.

A bench of Chief Justice Jagdish Khehar and Justice D Y Chandrachud sought response from the Election Commission while hearing a petition by Congress activist Reshma Vithalbhai Patel seeking the use of EVM's with VVPAT during Gujarat assembly election scheduled in December.

Finding that the counsel for poll panel was not forthcoming on the use of EVM's with VVPAT during assembly election in Gujarat in December, the bench observed: "The way you are arguing it seems that you do not want to do it".

"Everybody should know that everything is fair".

Appearing for the petitioner, senior counsel Kapil Sibal told the court that earlier the EC had said that it was not having EVMs with VVPAT but now when Centre has released funds for the purchase of 16,15,000 VVPATs, now the panel is saying that it does not have trained people to man them.

He said that there was sufficient time from now till December for the Election Commission to train people for using the EVMs with VVPAT.

He told the court that EC requires 71,000 EVMs with VVPAT for holding elections in Gujarat while they have 87,000 EVMs with VVPAT.

The counsel for the EC said that some of them have glitches.

The court gave EC four weeks time to file its response.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court restrained the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) across the country from conducting further counselling and admitting students on the basis of the results of the IIT-JEE (Advance) 2017 results, till further orders. A bench of justices Dipak Misra and AM Khanwilkar also restrained high courts across the country from entertaining any fresh petition relating to the counselling and admissions to the IITs from Friday onwards.

It directed high courts' registries to inform it about the number of petitions challenging IIT-Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) 2017 rank list and awarding of additional marks to all candidates who had appeared in the test.

The bench directed that copies of the order be sent to the registrars generals of all high courts and posted the matter for further hearing on 10 July. During the hearing, advocate general KK Venugopal urged the court to suggest an equitable solution as there were a huge number of students who had taken the examination.

Senior advocate Vikas Singh, appearing for some of the candidates, said the action of the IITs in awarding "bonus marks" to candidates for the defective questions given in the JEE (Advanced) 2017 examination was "utterly wrong" and violated the right of all the students.

The bench suggested that the solution was that those who had attempted such questions shall be awarded bonus marks. It said the court will go by its earlier judgement of 2005 and added that bonus marks cannot be given to those who have not attempted the questions.

Venugopal pointed out that there was negative marking for every unsuccessful question and there may be some students who

had opted not to answer "the said vague questions fearing negative marking".

Therefore, across the board bonus marks were given to the candidates, otherwise the IITs would have to strike down the

marks, he said. The AG appearing for IITs said it was difficult to re-evaluate the answersheets of over two lakh students who

took the examination and awarding of bonus marks across board was the most practical solution.

He said that till now, over 33,000 students have taken admission in various streams of courses in premier engineering institutes of the country. The bench said it would try to find a solution to the problem which needs to solved at the earliest, but as an interim measure, the IITs should not conduct further counselling and take admissions on the basis of the JEE-2017.

It said the admission to the IITs can only be allowed after deciding the validity of award bonus mark for wrong question to all students. On 30 June, the apex court had issued notice to the Ministry of Human Resource Development on a plea seeking

quashing of the IIT-JEE 2017 rank list.

The petition, filed by an IIT aspirant Aishwarya Agarwal, had sought the court's direction to declare that the action of awarding "bonus marks" to candidates who had appeared in the JEE (Advanced) 2017 examination was wrong and violated her right, as well as that of other students. Since then several other students have approached the apex court seeking quashing of rank list.

Several IIT aspirants in their plea have sought a direction for preparation of the all-India rank list after rectifying the scores of JEE (Advanced) and also award marks for the incorrect questions to the candidates who had attempted the right answers. As an alternative, the petitioners said the institution should conduct fresh examination and prepare a fresh merit list or grant all students another opportunity to appear in the examination to be conducted next year.

The petitioners have also sought an interim stay on the merit list and the counselling, saying it would cause serious prejudice to the petitioner and other deserving candidates.
Mumbai: Incensed by pro-Narendra Modi slogans at a party-controlled BMC function on Wednesday, the Shiv Sena Friday said "Modi bhakts (supporters)" would lead to his fall just like those of late prime minister Indira Gandhi led to hers.

The Sena's latest outburst was triggered by pro-Modi slogans of the BJP corporators renting the air during a cheque-handing ceremony at the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation headquarters on Wednesday.

In the function, Maharashtra finance minister Sudhir Mungantiwar had handed over a cheque of the first tranche of the GST (Goods and Services Tax) compensation to the civic body on Wednesday.

"Today, those who are unnecessarily shouting pro-Modi slogans, are actually maligning his image. There was a time when the slogans in the name of Indira Gandhi were chanted too. Her 'bhakts' had insulted the nation by shouting slogans like 'Indira is India' and that insult triggered a spark of revolution which culminated into her defeat," the Sena said in an editorial in the party mouthpiece Saamana.

Sena said one should understand the difference between being proud of Narendra Modi and being frenzied about it.

"The truth is that Indira Gandhi not only won the war against Pakistan in 1971 but also made Pakistan go down on their knees by dividing that country. We want to tell the BJP leadership that Gandhi still lost and that was because of the excessive 'Indira bhakti' (worship) displayed by her supporters," the edit said.

At a time when the world was against Modi, the Sena stood by him whereas those who are now shouting pro-Modi slogans preferred to remain silent that time out of fear, it said. "Our friend (the BJP) should remain cautious of its own 'bhakts.' Those shouting pro-Modi slogans today may become the reason for his own downfall tomorrow," the edit said.

The function held at the civic body was attended by several leaders of the BJP and the Sena, including its chief Uddhav Thackeray.

When Mungantiwar was presenting the cheque, some BJP corporators and party workers started chanting "Modi-Modi," prompting the ruling Sena camp to raise counter-slogans.

During the ruckus, a BJP corporator was reportedly manhandled by some Sena workers.

"What was the need to chant Modi's name? The chief minister and the BJP president should ask themselves this question. This (GST compensation) money neither came from the BJP's treasury nor will it go to the Sena's treasury. The money will be used for the welfare of Mumbai," the Sena said.
Continuing standoff between India and China over maintaining territorial sanctity on the Doka La plateau is unlikely to see a diplomatic solution soon with both sides waiting to see who will blink first. Backed by its immense military might China has opted for sabre-rattling as one of its intimidating approach with reports coming in of the country conducting military exercises simulating battle scenarios in Tibet.

The exercises involved combat operations command, combat synergies, live fire shooting training, and comprehensive inspection of arms integration, the report said. The simulation also involves offensive and defensive training. According to the Chinese media, the Peoples' Liberation Army also tested a new light battle tank during the exercise.

Leaving these exercises aside when it comes to comparison of actual arsenal or number of personnel with China, India stands overwhelmingly outnumbered.

Ground forces

Manpower

China has the world's largest standing army while India comes third in the list. While China has 1.6 million active troops, India's total strength comes to around 1.3 million soldiers.

Firepower

According to Global Fire Power, a military data website, the PLA boasts of 6,457 tanks, while the Indian Army has 4,426 tanks. In absolute terms, India's strength is just two-thirds of China's total tank power.

Armoured Fighting Vehicles (AFVs) allow troops to manoeuvre in battlefields. While India owns 6,704 AFVs, China lags behind with just 4,788 AFVs. Self-propelled artillery are weapons like howitzers, which can be mounted on motorised vehicles. India lags behind in this department, with just 290 of them to defend India's borders. On the other hand, China has 1,710 of them  about six times the number that India possesses.

In addition to the self-propelled artillery, armies across the world also possess towed artillery, which are easy to build and maintain. India is marginally ahead in this department with 7,414 pieces, while China's numbers stand at 6,246.

Air Force

It is the firepower in this branch of the military that India seriously lags behind China. With just 676 fighter aircraft, the IAF's strength is about half of what the Chinese PLAAF possess: 1,271 aircraft.

Transport aircraft are important for any military to move its troops swiftly. Here India is in a better position with 857 aircraft as against China's 782.

Helicopters became an integral part of air forces across the world after World War II. Essentially for transport purposes, many helicopters also possess attacking capabilities.

China possesses over 1,100 helicopters, with 206 attack helicopters, India has 666 helicopters and a pathetically low 16 attack choppers.

India's problems are also multi-folds. With the Tejas Light Combat Aircraft yet to boost India's air capacity and India's shortage of squadrons, the IAF seems to be the weak link in India's military set-up.

Navy

According to an analysis by IndiaSpend, China's Peoples Liberation Army Navy (PLA-N) has 283 major surface combatant warships, four times more than those under the control of the Indian Navy (66).

While India had the distinction of being on of the first Asian countries to possess an aircraft carrier, China is fast catching up.

IndiaSpend noted, "In April 2017, China launched a new aircraft carrier, its second after the Liaoning, but the first to be indigenously manufactured. The Chinese aircraft carrier is scheduled to be operational by 2020."

China now possesses the Liaoning, a Soviet-era warship it purchased from Ukraine and commissioned in 2012 following refit. After four years of testing, the Liaoning conducted its first ever live-fire drills on 16 December, 2016. It also conducted similar drills in the disputed South China Sea on 3 January, 2017, a sign of its increasingly aggressive posture.

On the other hand, Indian Navy is also prepping up its firepower.

The Indian Navy has finalised the specifications for the construction of INS Vishal, an indigenous successor to INS Vikrant. The Vishal will be nuclear-powered, weigh 65,000-tonne and carry more aircraft than Vikrant and Vikramaditya. India is collaborating with the US to fit it with advanced electro-magnetic aircraft launch system (EMALS) for the aircraft.

With inputs from agencies
Umiam: BJP General Secretary Ram Madhav on Friday said it is "important to quieten" the situation on the India-China border, where the armies of the two nations are in a stand-off for the past three weeks.

"Right now, it is important to quieten the situation. Subsequently, through diplomatic means, all problems can be resolved," Madhav said when IANS asked him to comment on the stand-off between India and China in Doklam region in the Sikkim sector.

However, the BJP leader refused to comment further on the matter.

While China has been upping the ante on the border row, with daily briefings where it has accused India of transgressing into Chinese territory and demanded that Indian troops withdraw before any dialogue can take place, New Delhi has remained largely silent. China on Thursday also said that a bilateral meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping was unlikely in Hamburg, on the sidelines of the G20, as the "atmosphere" was not good.

But on Friday Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi met in Hamburg, and both smiled, shook hands and "had a conversation on a range of issues", possibly on the border row, on the sidelines of a BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) leaders meeting.

India has said Beijing's action to "unilaterally determine tri-junction points" violated a 2012 India-China pact which says the boundary would be decided by consulting all the concerned parties.

The two countries, which fought a brief but bitter war in 1962, share a little over 200 km of the border in the Sikkim sector.
Beijing: India is not "entitled" to make claims on behalf of Bhutan, a commentary by a state-run news agency on Friday said, asserting that Doklam area in Sikkim sector where the Indian and Chinese soldiers are having face-off belongs to China.

After a three-week stand-off with China on Chinese territory, India should immediately pull back its trespassing troops, the commentary by C news agency said.

The timing of the commentary coincided with the G20 meeting in Hamburg, Germany being attended by Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "The face-off was caused by Indian border guards who crossed the border at the Sikkim section into Chinese territory and obstructed routine road construction in the Doklam area of China's Tibet Autonomous Region," said the Xinhua commentary, the second in the last few days.

It said that by creating disputes in Doklam, India seeks to obstruct border negotiations between China and Bhutan, and follow its own "ulterior motives" in the area. "The claim cannot hold water. Doklam has long been under the effective jurisdiction of China. Both Bhutan and China have a basic consensus on the functional conditions and demarcation of their border region," the commentary said.

"Moreover, India has no right to interfere in China-Bhutan boundary issues, nor is it entitled to make territorial claims on behalf of Bhutan," it said.

India's current actions have not only "encroached on China's territorial sovereignty, but also impaired the independence of Bhutan", one of the world's smallest countries, which is closely allied with India, it said.

"Chinese construction is being conducted within its own territory. It is India that has broken the status quo by trespassing onto Chinese soil. It is not acceptable to any sovereign country that India has crossed a demarcated border into another country on the grounds of its "security concerns," it said.

Indian troops should immediately withdraw to the Indian side of the border as a precondition for any meaningful dialogue between the two countries, it said.

"It is clear that if the 'Chinese Dragon' and the 'Indian Elephant' co-exist harmoniously and achieve peaceful, cooperative development, it will benefit not only their combined 2.7 billion people, but also those living beyond their borders," it said.

"Otherwise, a spiral of bilateral rivalry would definitely result in a slowdown in their growth, it said.
A war of words has been building between India and China for almost a month. This has somewhat coincided with the actual border skirmishes between Chinese and Indian forces. The vicious interplay of words and actions on both sides has reached a crescendo, which has had a bearing at the highest level.

China announced on Thursday that it had cancelled the one-on-one meeting between President Xi Ping and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, scheduled on the sidelines of the G20 Summit at Hamburg, Germany. India responded by saying that a Modi-Xi meeting was never scheduled; so the question of cancelling it did not arise.

What is noteworthy is that some of the adversarial comments attributed to both the countries have been made in the course of the question-answer sessions by the media, not as original statements.

It all began when Indian Army chief General Bipin Rawat was asked by an Indian news agency last month if the Indian Army was ready for a war should the need arose. General Rawat replied that "Indian Army is fully ready for a two and a half front (China, Pakistan and internal security requirements simultaneously) war."

But it must be noted that the army chief had, in the same interview, said that the prospect of an external war was far-fetched as India had very many diplomatic and other mechanisms to defuse any crisis with another country. In this context, he mentioned Modi's remark that, despite occasional skirmishes, "not a single bullet has been fired on the India-China border" in the last 40 years.

However, during a routine media briefing by the Chinese People's Liberation Army's spokesperson, Colonel Wu Qian, a Chinese media representative asked a question only about Indian generals comment on two-and-a-half front war capability (without mentioning the other allied statements). Colonel Qian replied that the statement was "extremely irresponsible". He added: "We hope that the Indian Army can learn the lessons of history."

A part of the Indian media pounced on this statement and started hollering that China had reminded India of the consequences of the 1962 India-China war when the Chinese Army had inflicted a humiliating defeat on the Indian Army.

No Indian official publicly responded to the PLA spokesperson's remarks. It was then left to an Indian media representative to ask Defence Minister Arun Jaitley, again during a question-answer session, what he thought about the Chinese assertion that India should learn lessons from the 1962 debacle (China had never said that explicitly). Jaitley, in a matter of fact style (without any aggressive posture) merely said that India in 2017 is not the same as India in 1962.

Some media representatives then seized on this remark and went about saying that India must be ready to take the revenge of 1962 in 2017. The patriotic fervour played out fuelling the fire of a widening conflagration.

The Chinese state media has been, to a larger extent, acting as an agent provocateur, in the process. On 6 July, it warned a "bullying" New Delhi that if it continued to support Bhutan in stopping the Chinese construction work, then Beijing would be left with no other option but to re-open the issue of Sikkims "illegal annexation" by India.

Global Times, a newspaper run by the Communist Party of China said in an editorial: "Although China recognised India's annexation of Sikkim in 2003, it can readjust its stance in the matter. There are those in Sikkim that cherish its history as a separate state."

"Supporting Sikkims 'independence' will be a powerful card to deal with New Delhi", the editorial said. It went on to make many more provocative statements, adding that the Sikkim issue has to be revived as "India has to pay for its provocations" and "China must end New Delhis regional hegemony which is swelling to a tipping point."

The provocation was not confined to Sikkim alone. The Chinese media also made a move to provoke Bhutan. "India's annexation of Sikkim is like a nightmare haunting Bhutan," it said.

"India has startling control and oppression over Bhutan, and as a result, Bhutan has not established diplomatic ties with its neighbour China or any other permanent member of the United Nations Security Council. Through unequal treaties, India has severely jeopardised Bhutan's diplomatic sovereignty and controls its national defence", the editorial said.

"New Delhis regional hegemony is boldly shown by the border face-off this time. Using the excuse of 'helping' Bhutan protect its sovereignty, India brazenly obstructs China's road construction in Chinese territory," it added. The editorial went on to invoke China to "lead the international community in restoring Bhutan's diplomatic and defence sovereignty."

It is true that the Chinese officials have not directly made many provocative statements. The Chinese ambassador to India has merely said that the ball was in India's court to defuse the crisis. But there is no gainsaying that the Chinese official media's vituperative remarks against India are a reflection of the sentiment of the Chinese state.

As there are no independent media houses in China, the utterances of the Chinese state media can be seen as an endorsement of the Chinese government. But that is not the case in India which, unlike China, is a democracy where the state media has a very limited role and the larger public opinion is formulated by the private media.

During the current crisis, the Indian state has conducted itself with dignity, with restraint, with great maturity. But some sections of the private media have fallen a prey to, and taken a cue from, the aggressive Chinese media and are spreading ill-will that may reach a point of no return.

There is no gainsaying that neither China nor India, two emerging economic powerhouses, can afford to engage in a full-scale war at this juncture of history. There must be an attempt to defuse the crisis by both sides through diplomatic means.

While both the states battle it out to find a face-saving solution to resolve the conflict, the media should play a more responsible role in creating awareness about the futility of war.

Well, the Chinese media is a caged parrot and it does not have any independent status. It is left to the Indian media to show that only a free media can display responsible behaviour.
As a country, India is shaped rather oddly. It has a giant peninsula to the south, has a dog-head shaped state to the west and large, disputed borders in the north. And then there is the east. Or more particularly, the North East.

While the rest of India can be seen as one big landmass, the North East is trickier. The presence of Bangladesh means that the North East is connected with the mainland by a particularly thin piece of land called the Siliguri corridor. This narrow strip  which slims down to 17 kilometres at its narrowest  is also known by a more appropriate name: Chicken's Neck.

The corridor is extremely important for India because it runs its rail and road networks towards the North East through it. This allows it to sustain the armed forces posted in the North East which will form an important piece of the puzzle should a conflict arise between India and China in the region. If, however, China is able to block off the corridor (and break the Chicken's Neck, so to speak), this will isolate the North East and will cut off the supplies and reinforcements reaching that area. There is no sea route as the North East is completely land-locked. Limited provisions can reach the region if India uses only aeroplanes.

It is in this context that the stand-off at Doka La becomes important. Doka La is a pass in the middle of the Doklam plateau, which is very close to the tri-junction border of India, Bhutan and China. In June 2017, India accused China of constructing a road in the disputed territory on the Doklam plateau. This road would link the Chinese territory of Yadong to Doklam and would allow China to transport troops and munitions practically at India's doorstep with great ease.

To be clear, the dispute on the territory is not between India and China but between Bhutan and China as it falls within Bhutan's borders. Indeed, China has already brushed aside the Royal Bhutan Army which had sought to prevent the construction. However, because of the disputed territory's proximity to the Siliguri corridor, India has become involved in the dispute.

Post India's opposition, China asked India to remove two bunkers which were set up at Lalten in the plateau. These bunkers were later destroyed by China on 6 June after which China claimed ownership over the region.

The geo-political importance of China's presence in the disputed territory

China wants to get as close to the Siliguri corridor as it can because then it gets the option of cutting off the North East from the rest of India. This means the armed forces stationed in the North East will stop getting provisions and reinforcements requiring a complete rethink of India's military strategy. It also allows for conflict to rise in the North East as it gets away from India's direct administration. This gives China two-fold benefit as India's north-eastern troops fall in disarray and India's gets another headache of maintaining order in the North East.

China's presence in the area also gives it possible access to important Indian infrastructure. A hydro-electric project is located at Jaldhaka river at Jhalong, close to the border. The project is also a bridge for crossing over to Bhutan.

China's water power

China itself has been busy building infrastructure close to the border including dams which establish its rights over the waters of the biggest river in the region, the Brahmaputra. In 2015, it started a large hydropower project in the form of the Zangmu dam on the river.

China's damming of the river can turn water into a weapon should conflict arise as it can either turn off the water supply or flood the lower riparian States, the first one of which is India.

Further, Chinese actions affect not only India but also Bangladesh which is the lower riparian State in the picture. Any arrangement with regards the Brahmputra must then be a trans-national one, a fact which India can use to its advantage if it can get Bangladesh in its corner.

China's dams will also adversely affect the livelihoods of people who are depending on the Brahmputra for small-scale fishing and subsistence agriculture. There is also the problem of the ecosystem being affected which will have an impact on fishing in the entire South East Asia where fish is a major source of food.

The need to protect Bhutan

Even apart from the strategic importance, Bhutan is one of India's closest allies and India virtually serves as a security guarantor to the hill kingdom through the 2007 Friendship Treaty. So when China infringes on Bhutanese territory like it did in the present case, it also tests India's resolve to stand by its ally. If India does not step in, it shows Bhutan that it cannot rely on it's long-term friend and might tempt it to establish better relations with China. It would also weaken India's reputation in the eyes of its other allies which will see it as a fair-weather friend who will not step up in times of need.

India's advantage

All is not dire for India, as explained by SK Gurung in The Economic Times explains. China is proceeding through a very narrow strip of land as it stretches its military presence towards India, it leaves itself very vulnerable to artillery shelling and air attacks from either Sikkim or Bhutan. Thus if it blocks the Siliguri corridor, India could attack the Chinese troops concentrated in that area and force open the corridor again.

Gurung quotes an armed forces officer as saying, On both sides of Yadong and Doklam is India and Bhutan. If Indian aerial and artillery assaults are carried effectively on the Chinese supply lines easily identified in Chumbi valley stretched in a linear North-South direction, it would reduce PLAs capabilities to fight.

China has many reasons not to get into a military conflict

China's global ambitions mean that it needs to maintain a certain image. It can then hardly get into conflicts with its neighbours as it needs to be seen as a responsible power to the world. It has increasingly sought to dominate economically and not necessarily through military might. Further the India-China trade cooperation means that any military conflict will lead to massive loss of revenue to them.

Still, the fact that China is ready to face-off with India over border issues on a regular basis is a cause for concern for India. It requires the dedication of constant resources at the border flash points and stops it from concentrating on developing infrastructure which would provide for more long-term security. India needs to arrive at a long-term solution to the China problem so that it can move on to devoting more of its budget and resources to resolving internal issues like education, and law and order.

With inputs from PTI
Kolkata police arrested actor Vikram Chatterjee in connection with the death of model Sonika Chauhan in a car crash on 29 April, news agency ANI reported.

Model Sonika Chauhan death case: Kolkata Police arrest accused Vikram Chatterjee, will be produced in court later today  ANI (@ANI_news) July 7, 2017

According to news reports from the time, Vikram was going to drop Sonika home after a party at around 3.30 am on 29 April when their SUV reportedly rammed into a pavement on the Rash Behari Avenue in South Kolkata. While Vikram suffered injuries, Chauhan died in the hospital, according to a report by Hindustan Times.

Vikram was allegedly inebriated while driving. However, due to lack of evidence, the actor has been charged with causing death due to rash and negligent driving, according to NDTV.

According to The Indian Express, forensic analysis was conducted on the car thrice and the results indicated that the car was moving at a speed more than 100 kilometres per hour.

It has been found that Vikram was driving at a much higher speed than what he had claimed. The event data recorder of the vehicle revealed that the car was at a speed of 105 kilomtres per hour six seconds before it rammed into the pavement. The forensic team took photographs and collected parts of the vehicle," The Indian Express report quoted a police officer as saying.

Initially Vikram had denied that he had consumed alcohol, or was driving at a speed beyond the admitted limit but he admitted it later.

Vikram, in a press conference, had said he was deeply sorry for Sonika's family's loss, and asserted that he was not driving in an inebriated state. He also said he was driving within the speed limit when the accident occurred. He, however, later admitted to consuming alcohol on the night of the accident, according to The Times of India.

His father alleged that the airbags of the Toyota car did not activate because of which Chauhan took the impact of the crash and died.

Besides accessing CCTV footage of the area, police also collected bills from all three bars which Vikram and Sonika had visited hours before the accident. "While the bills showed drinks were ordered, this is not enough to prove that Vikram was intoxicated, said a police officer in the report by The Indian Express.

The death split Kolkatas modelling and silver-screen world, with Sonikas friend charging Vikram of suppressing truth. The models friend organised a candlelight walk on 8 May demanding Justice for Sonika. According to another Hindustan Times report, there were allegations that Vikrams blood samples were taken as many as nine days after the incident.

Moreover, Belgachia forensic laboratory further claimed that the blood samples they received were not sufficient in quantity to determine whether Vikram was drunk at the time of the accident, according to another report in The Indian Express.

After pressure mounted on the police to act tough, Vikram was summoned to Tollygunge police station and questioned a few times.

Finally on 30 May, Vikram was charged with culpable homicide not amounting to murder, a non-bailable section, for Sonikas death, as reported in The Times of India.

However, Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Vishal Garg added that the high speed of the car can be considered as a deliberate act and Vikram has been booked under Section 304 of IPC, according to The Indian Express.
Coimbatore: Two persons hailing from Assam have been taken into custody from a private factory near Coimbatore for suspected links with the separatist outfit National Democratic Front of Bodoland, police said on Friday.

Following a tip-off, the military intelligence wing was keeping a strict vigil in the area, where Indian Air Force establishments are also functioning.

Intelligence wing officials nabbed the two, working in a factory belonging to a feed manufacturing unit at Sulur, 20 km from Coimbatore, around Thursday midnight, police said.

One is suspected to be involved in an armed rebellion in Assam and had fled the state while the other's brother is also said to be an active member of the separatist outfit, the sources said.

They are being interrogated at an undisclosed place, they added.

Senior police officials in the district were tight-lipped on the issue.
Madurai: Union minister Pon Radhakrishnan on Friday sought a high-level probe into the alleged payment of bribes to a Tamil Nadu minister and top officials to facilitate the sale of banned 'gutkha' in the state.

Action should be taken against all those who are involved in the scam, he told reporters in Madurai.

A media report last month had claimed the Income Tax Department searched the premises of a gutkha manufacturer last year and had seized documents detailing alleged payment of bribes to senior government officials and a minister.

The IT officials had also sought the response of the state government.

The issue was sought to be raised by opposition Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) in the ongoing Assembly session, but the speaker had disallowed it saying media reports cannot be discussed.

On continuing arrests of Indian fishermen by Sri Lankan Navy, Minister of State (Road Transport, Highways and Shipping) Radhakrishnan said he was confident the problem would be resolved in coming years.

Stating that no fishermen was deliberately crossing the international maritime boundary line, he asked the Sri Lankan government to treat them in a humane manner.

"It is not acceptable to punish fishermen severely for crossing the border or levying fine on them. There are times when Sri Lankan fishermen also entered Indian waters," he said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had drawn up a plan which would permanently solve the dispute over fishing in the Palk Strait, he added.

On the tussle between Puducherry Lieutenant Governor Kiran Bedi and the elected government on various issues, the Union minister said "she only wanted to work for a corruption-free administration in the Union Territory."

But for the intervention of the Lt Governor in the medical admissions issue, the (government quota) seats reserved for 71 students would have been 'sold,' he said.

He also said the people in Tamil Nadu were 'dissatisfied' with 50 years of rule by Dravidian parties and believed the state would develop only under BJP, he said.

Radhakrishnan earlier participated in a function organised to welcome a group of members of the Devendrakula Velalar community, a Scheduled Caste, into the BJP fold.
Lucknow: High alert was issued in 10 Uttar Pradesh districts following incessant rains over the last few days, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) announced on Friday.

The 10 districts comprise Lucknow, Pratapgarh, Faizabad, Gonda, Rae Bareli, Hardoi, Barabanki, Budayun, Bareilly and Moradabad.

The department has also predicted heavy rains at many other places.

Due to the heavy downpour, rivers including the Ganga, Yumuna, Saryu and Ghaghra, are in spate and the water levels are likely to increase further. People living in low lying areas and river banks have been asked to relocate to higher areas, an official told IANS.

In the past 48-hours, heavy rains have lashed the central and eastern parts of the state leading to water logging in cities and towns.

Maximum rains in the last 24-hours was recorded in Gorakhpur witnessing 25.8 mm of rains on a single day.

Varanasi recorded 15.2 mm, Bareilly 11.2 and Ghazipur 11.

The day temperatures dipped by four notches owing to heavy rains across the state. The maximum temperature recorded was 29.1 degrees Celsius and the minimum was 23.7.

Humidity at most places was 100 percent.

On Friday, after almost a week, people in the state capital woke up to a dry day.

However, there is overcast sky in Lucknow and IMD has predicted moderate to very heavy rains throughout the day.
Hyderabad: Union minister M Venkaiah Naidu Friday said villages should be provided with technologies appropriate for their needs. He went on to add that the systems developed in big cities should not be dumped in rural areas.

"The villages should become cradle of ideas and not their dumping ground. They should not be at the receiving end of concepts, technologies, methodologies formulated somewhere in the cities. They should rather develop technologies that are energy efficient and environment friendly," the minister said.

Naidu was speaking at a workshop on 'Frugal Innovations' organised at the National Institute of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj. He, however, said it is not that villages would consume technologies "produced only in villages" but the technology should be "as non-invasive as possible".

Observing that it might appear paradoxical for the Union Urban Development Minister to speak on rural development, he said in reality towns and villages impact each other greatly. "Unless villages prosper, the nation cannot prosper," he said.

Naidu highlighted the importance of innovations that can make life easier. Thousands of scientific patents taken in the country might not be commercially viable, but some of them can make a difference to local village population where mass-production is not needed, he said.

"That is why it is being called Frugal Innovations  simple, prudent and low key innovations  that can make a difference," the Union Minister said.

The agriculture ministry scheme launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi called 'Mera Gaon, Mera Gaurav' (My village, My pride), focusses on DigiGaon under Digital India and the biotoilets developed by DRDO are some of the government initiatives aimed at development of rural areas in a big way, he said.

Local communities should be involved and traditional knowledge harnessed to ensure that the technologies benefit the masses in a big way, he said. "Often in the quest to improve the living standard in the rural area, we impose an unsuitable and non-sustainable model. The results can be disastrous. Every solution needs to be tailor made according to local conditions  geographic, economic and social," he said.

"India's huge population living in rural areas calls for an improved and extensive use of rural technology. No nation can be great without innovations. It is innovations that increase productivity, makes people's life easy and provides quality living," Naidu added.
New Delhi: Union minister M Venkaiah Naidu on Friday described the communal violence in a West Bengal district as "unfortunate" and requested the state government to take effective steps to protect all the people "whether they are minority or majority".

Clashes broke out between members of two communities in Baduria in Basirhat sub-division of North 24-Parganas district earlier this week over an "objectionable" Facebook post.

"It is unfortunate. I hope the state government will take the situation seriously and take all effective steps to protect the people, every section of the people whether they are minority or majority," Naidu told reporters.

Stressing that no one should be discriminated against, the information and broadcasting minister said, "Every community is part of India...I hope the state government will take action to protect the people."

West Bengal is governed by the Trinamool Congress led by Mamata Banerjee.

Meanwhile, separate delegations of the BJP, the Left and the Congress were on Friday stopped from going to Baduria as the situation was still volatile, a senior district official said.

Police and paramilitary forces marched through the troubled areas to maintain law and order.
The Bhartiya Janata Party, Left and Congress leaders were on Friday stopped from entering Baduria and Basirhat towns of West Bengal as the situation was still volatile following the communal clashes earlier this week, officials said.

"The situation is still tense. We have not allowed any delegation to go there as it might create problems," a senior district official said.

"We have been stopped near Ashoknagar area on the grounds that if we go to those areas it might create law and order problems. But we are not going there for any political programme. We are going there to meet the people who have suffered due to riots," Left Front legislative party leader Sujan Chakraborty said.

Chakraborty added that the Left Front was to organise a demonstration against the police and the TMC government in Barasat.

BJP MP Roopa Ganguly and 50 other leaders were also denied entry into riots-hit Basirhat town by police, reported CNN News18. The BJP leaders were later arrested. The BJP delegation was led by state party president Dilip Ghosh.

#BengalClashes -- Rupa Ganguli and 50 BJP leaders denied entry into Barishat | @Sougata_Mukh with the details pic.twitter.com/0tXa9eSkzG  News18 (@CNNnews18) July 7, 2017

The Congress, led by West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee (WBPCC) chief Adhir Chowdhury, was also stopped at Barasat for the same reason.

The Opposition parties had earlier said that they would go to Basirhat on Friday to appeal for calm, The Times of India reported. West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, however, on Thursday appealed to all political parties to stay away from Basirhat.

Baduria and its adjoining areas witnessed a communal flare-up following a post by a youth on Facebook earlier this week. Though the youth was arrested, members of two communities clashed, set up road blockades, damaged shops and set fire to vehicles.

Fresh tension was reported in Basirhat area on Thursday, forcing the police to lob teargas shells and resort to baton charge. The state cabinet had decided to ban some organisations after they were allegedly found instigating people in communal riots, a state minister had said on Thursday.

The state government on Thursday temporarily suspended internet services in four police station areas of Basirhat, Baduria, Swarupnagar and Deganga to check the spread of rumours through social networking sites.

With inputs from PTI
Kolkata: The situation in riot-hit Basirhat in North 24 Paraganas district showed signs of improvement on Friday with no untoward incident reported, even as the Internet services remained suspended and the police and paramilitary forces intensified their patrol.

A campaign was undertaken by the state administration for the restoration of peace in the troubled areas.

Security personnel continued to march in the riot-hit areas of the district while internet services in and around the area continued to remain suspended, a senior state government official said.

The police inspector in charge of Basirhat, Nasim Akhtar, has been transferred by the administration.

An appeal was made by the state administration to all political parties not to enter the affected areas where prohibitory orders are in force.

The West Bengal government said the situation was under control in Baduria, Swarupnagar, Deganga and Basirhat, which had witnessed violence.

Locals chose to stay indoors with shops, markets and schools remaining closed and the transportation badly hit.

In New Delhi, Union minister M Venkaiah Naidu described the communal violence in Basirhat as "unfortunate" and requested the state government to take effective steps to protect all people - "whether minority or majority".

Ignoring Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's appeal, BJP, Left and Congress delegations tried to visit the affected areas in Basirhat, about 80 km from Kolkata, but were stopped by the police.

"The situation is still tense, that is why we have not allowed any political party to go there as it might create problems. We did not want to take any chance so they were stopped from going there (Basirhat)," a senior police officer said.

The BJP delegation, led by MP Roopa Ganguly, which was heading towards the riot-hit Baduria, was detained by police at Michael Nagar near the NSC Bose International airport area, the police said.

When they tried to break the cordon, they were detained by the police.

"We told the BJP leaders that they will not be allowed to go as per the decision of the administration. The situation is still tense. But they were adamant and said either they will court arrest or proceed towards the affected area. So we had to detain them," a senior police officer of Bidhanagar police Commissionerate said.

They were subsequently brought to the nearby airport police station.

Earlier in the day, the police also prevented the Left and Congress leaders from proceeding towards the riot-hit areas citing law and order situation.

"We have been stopped near Ashoknagar area on the grounds that it might create law and order problem. But we were not going there with any political motive. We were going there to meet the people affected in riots," Left Front legislative party leader Sujan Chakraborty said.

The Congress team, led by WBPCC chief Adhir Chowdhury, was also stopped at Barasat citing the same reason.

State BJP president Dilip Ghosh said his party would organise a rally here on Saturday to condemn the role of the state government.

"We will also meet Governor KN Tripathi and demand in writing the imposition of President's Rule in the state," he said.

Clashes broke out between members of two communities at Baduria in the Basirhat sub-division of North 24 Parganas district earlier this week over an "objectionable" Facebook post by a youth.
Siliguri (West Bengal): BJP national secretary Rahul Sinha Friday said that Mamata Banerje was running a "communal government" in West Bengal since it was supporting only one community.

Adopting communal line as government policy, the chief minister is backing only one community and ignoring the other, Sinha alleged at a party meeting in Siliguri.

"She (Banerjee) is also sparking fire everywhere. She sets Darjeeling on fire and went to Netherlands. on return, she allows Baduria to burn," Sinha said at a party meeting here. But the problem is she is not trying to douse the flames, the BJP leader said.

Even as the Darjeeling hills were in turbulence for nearly a month capped by an indefinite bandh called by the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, a communal clash took place at Baduria in North 24-Parganas district, he said.

Sinha demanded resignation of the chief minister for her alleged failure to contain the situation in Darjeeling hills and Baduria.

The chief minister was not allowing anyone to go near Basirhat, he said. The administration Friday stopped teams of Left Front, Congress, and BJP from visiting the riot-hit places.

"She is not allowing anyone to go there fearing that her failure (to contain the situation) would be exposed," Sinha claimed. The BJP national secretary had his lunch at the impoverished house of Bhagirath Roy, a mason, here.

He was accompanied by other party leaders. BJP president Amit Shah too had a lunch at a tribal home in Naxalbari, near West Bengal, in April. The tribal family, however, joined Trinamool Congress a fortnight later.
New Delhi: Eighteen Opposition parties, including the JD-U, are expected to meet on 11 July and evolve a strategy for the upcoming vice-presidential election, sources said on Friday.

To cement cracks that appeared in the Opposition bloc during the presidential poll  when the JD-U broke ranks to support the NDA's candidate  the non-NDA parties had decided to meet to discuss the 5 August election, the sources said. The meeting, convened by Congress president Sonia Gandhi in the Parliament library, will be attended by Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi and leaders of the other Opposition parties.

The parties will also discuss floor management for the monsoon session of Parliament, which starts on 17 July.

The process of filing of nominations for the vice presidential poll started on 4 July and will end on 18 July.

The sources said every party had been asked to give in their suggestions at the meeting, and the Opposition was likely to take a final call on the election.

"So far no names have have been given by the Congress or any other party," CPI national Secretary D Raja said, adding that the names were likely to be discussed  and possibly finalised  at the meeting.

The sources said apart from the Congress and JD-U, all other parties  such as the RJD, TMC, Left, JMM, DMK, NCP, Kerala Congress, AIUDF, SP, BSP, RLD and JD-S  were slated to take part in the meeting.

Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar's JD-U broke away from the Opposition combine on the presidential election with its decision to support NDA candidate Ram Nath Kovind instead of Opposition nominee Meira Kumar last month.

The government and the Opposition has so far not taken any names of possible candidates for the post. The term of present incumbent Hamid Ansari, who has held the post for two successive spells, comes to an end on August 10.

The candidate of the ruling NDA, which has a majority in the Lok Sabha and received the support of parties such as the AIADMK and BJD for the 17 July presidential polls, is likely to win the contest, given its strength in Parliament.

The electoral college which votes for the vice president, who is also the ex-officio chairman of the Rajya Sabha, consists of elected and nominated members of the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha.

The scrutiny will take place on 19 July and the last date for withdrawing from the electoral battle is 21 July.

Polling, if required, will take place on 5 August and the votes will be counted on the same evening.

In the vice-presidential election, a candidate has to be proposed by 20 MPs, and seconded by another 20.

Members of Parliament will use special pens for marking their choice. No whip can be issued by political parties as the election is through a secret ballot.

The secretary general of the Rajya Sabha, Shumsher K Sheriff, is the returning officer for the election.
Panaji: A social activist on Friday filed a petition before the Bombay High Court against the public meeting held by BJP President Amit Shah in a prohibited area at the Goa airport in Dabolim on 1 July.

"The petitioner seeks to ensure that there is no legal infringement and/or abdication of duty within the legal framework by which a government and/or authorities are permitted to allow high handed violation of law," the petition filed by Aires Rodrigues submitted.

A division bench comprising Justice FM Reis and Justice Nutan Sardessai will hear the petition on 10 July.

The petitioner has made the Union Civil Aviation ministry, the Director of the Airport Authority of India and Deputy Commandant of Central Industrial Security Force as the respondents.

In his petition, Rodrigues has said that probably for the first time ever in the history of the country, a public meeting was organised by a political party on 1 July, 2017 within the high security precincts of an airport when Goa BJP held a public meeting addressed by its party president at the Dabolim aerodrome.

On 1 July, Shah, who was on a two-day visit to Goa, allegedly held a meeting at the airport complex in presence of Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar and Union minister Sripad Naik.

Rodrigues had then filed a complaint with the Union civil aviation ministry, Goa chief secretary and the state's police chief, terming the meeting as illegal. The Congress too had demanded that a case of trespass be registered in connection over it.

The BJP had initially said the party received the necessary permission for the meeting, which took place "not inside the facility as claimed" by others. However, it later said the crowd which greeted Shah at the airport had gathered there spontaneously and that it was "not a planned meeting".
Anaval: BJP president Amit Shah on Friday mocked the Opposition Congress over infighting in its Gujarat unit.

"The Gujarat Congress is direction-less and leaderless. The situation is, if they (party leadership) are able to placate one leader, two others raise banner of revolt," Shah said.

While Assembly elections are due in Gujarat around the year-end, the state Congress has witnessed a tussle between senior leader Shankersinh Vaghela and the state unit chief Bharatsinh Solanki.

"It is time to wipe out Congress from every (polling) booth of the state," Shah said, addressing a gathering of BJP workers at Anval in Mahua tehsil of Surat district.

Shah reiterated that the BJP should aim to win 150 seats (out of 182) in the home state of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"We should work hard and win with a record margin so that Congress can never ever dream of winning elections in Gujarat," Shah said. "Our aim should not be to just win the elections but to root out Congress from Gujarat," he said.

The state BJP said in a statement that around one lakh 'page presidents' from eight districts of south Gujarat had gathered at Anaval on Friday.

The BJP has appointed page presidents at the booth level, each of whom is responsible for 30 voters.

A single page of electoral roll usually has names of 30 voters, hence the name 'page president'.
New Delhi: The fresh CBI case against Lalu Prasad and his family members for alleged corruption may have invited noisy protests from his party but its ally JD(U) has maintained a studied silence and not defended the beleaguered RJD boss.

Several party leaders declined to react to the new case against Prasad, already convicted in a fodder scam case, an indication that Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar wants to keep his 'Mr clean' image intact without being seen to be denting the opposition unity again after raising a storm with his support to the NDA's presidential nominee.

With troubles mounting for the RJD supremo, a JD(U) leader said his party will wait and watch how things unfold in the coming weeks and months.

There is a belief among a section of leaders that Kumar's position will only be strengthened and Prasad's weakened, reducing the Yadav strongman's bargaining power within the RJD-JD(U)-Congress coalition and allowing the chief minister greater freedom in running the government.

Replying to a question on whether the coalition government would last its full term, several JD(U) leaders said it will and indicated that there may not be any immediate action against deputy chief minister and Prasad's son Tejashwi Yadav.

Tejashwi has also been made an accused in the CBI case related to alleged irregularities and bribery in award of contract for maintenance of two IRCTC hotels when the RJD supremo was railway minister.

The BJP has demanded Tejashwi's dismissal from the government.

"There are two views. One is that the NDA government is targeting opposition leaders. Another is that corrupt leaders have been targeted. We cannot hold Tejashwi guilty just because of a CBI case. Let's see how investigation progresses," a leader said.

He noted that Union minister Uma Bharti continues to be a member of the Modi cabinet despite charges having been framed against her in the Babri mosque demolition case.

Another senior JD(U) leader said when the party joined hands with the RJD in 2014 following the rout of both in the Lok Sabha polls, Lalu Prasad had already been convicted in a fodder scam case.

However, a major adverse development against Tejashwi Yadav, seen as Prasad's political heir, in the case could trigger dramatic developments in Bihar's ruling alliance.

With Kumar keeping his cards close to chest, nothing can be said with certainty, a close aide of his said, adding "except wait and watch".
Lalu Prasad Yadav is reportedly unhappy over the "secretive" manner in which the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) registered a case against him and his family members and "quietly" procured search warrants from a designated court without even letting TV news channels know that 12 properties, including his official residence in Patna, were about to be raided.

As per Lalu's reasoning, the CBI shouldn't have conducted raids at places associated with him and his family while he was away in Ranchi to appear before a trial court to face charges in the fodder scam case. Only Lalu's wife Rabri Devi and son and Bihar deputy chief minister Tejashwi were present at the Yadavs' Patna residence at the time the raids were conducted, he said.

The problem for Lalu is that things are much more serious, and he may not be able to solve them through his empty rhetoric anymore, like when he said, "I wouldn't rest till I throw Narendra Modi out of power."

Regarding the current charges against him, his defence is that the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) was born in 1999 during the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government and became functional in 2002, and an in-principle decision to handover some loss-making hotels run by the Railways to IRCTC was taken in 2003 when he was no longer railway minister. Incidentally, Nitish Kumar had become rail minister on this occasion. In essence, Lalu's argument is that if IRCTC hadn't been created, the scam wouldn't have taken place at all. He didn't say a word on alleged financial gains he made out of a 15-year lease deed of two railway hotels in Puri and Ranchi given to owners of Patna Chankya Hotel.

It seems in his hunger to create massive land bank for himself and his sons and daughters, he left behind substantive paper trails which would nail them all in due course.

On the afternoon of 5 July, CBI filed a case of criminal conspiracy, cheating and criminal misconduct against Lalu Prasad Yadav, Rabri Devi, Tejashwi Yadav, Sarla Yadav (wife of Prem Chand Gupta, a trusted aide of Lalu, and Union minister in the UPA government), Vijay and Vinay Kochar (director of Sujata Hotels Private Limited and proprietors of Patna's Hotel Chankya), PK Goel (the then IRCTC MD), M/s LARA Projects LLP (erstwhile Lara Projects and Delight Marketing Company Pvt Ltd), among others. After filing the case, CBI went to a special judge in New Delhi's Patiala House Court for necessary procedural clearance, observing utmost secrecy till such time that sleuths landed at the 12 premises on Friday morning.

Consider the facts of the case as detailed in the FIR filed by the CBI:

First of all, Lalu in his defence, says that the lease on two Railways' hotels  BNR Puri and Ranchi  was given to M/s Sujata Hotels, owners of Patna's Chankya Hotel thorough an open tendering process. But he is saying only half the truth. The CBI has a substantive case as to how the Kochars were favoured through a "rigged and manipulated" tender process.

Goel has been named in the FIR for managing the rigged tender process. The norms for the tender was changed to suit the Kochars. Though 15 tender documents were sold for Ranchi, CBI couldn't get any other tender document apart from Sujata Hotels with IRCTC. For BNR Hotel in Puri, 17 tender documents were sold and only two were received: By Sujata Hotel and M/s Hotel Kesari. The latter's papers were rejected under various heads of technical evaluation criteria, making M/s Sujata the only bidder for financial evaluation.

Secondly, Lalu's pecuniary gains and motives behind awarding a tender to the Kochars become clear through a series of sale deeds that were done outside of the railways' office. On 25 February, 2005, Vinay Kochar sold three acres of land in Patna to Lara Projects (company named after Lalu-Rabri with their family members as directors) to build the state's biggest shopping mall, through 10 sale deeds to M/s Delight Marketing. Sarla Gupta was its director, and the CBI believes that it was then a front benami holder for and on behalf of Lalu Prasad Yadav. This land was first sold to Sarla Gupta for Rs 1.47 crore, and the payment was made though cash but was "arranged surreptitiously in form of complicated investments in shares through a third party".

What is interesting to note is that the 25 February 2005 sale deeds were executed by the Kochars in favour of Prem Gupta's wife's company. Railway board informed IRCTC about its decision regarding transfer of BNR hotels on "as is where is basis".

Shortly after Lalu had to demit the rail ministry in 2009, shares of Delight Marketing were transferred from Sujata's name to Rabri Devi's and Tejashwi Yadav's. The company which was created for Lalu's family members was called Lara Projects private limited, which was further changed to Lara Projects LLP (Limited Liability Partnership Firm). Lalu's family members are partners and authorised signatories of this firm.

And finally, when inquiries revealed that Kochars sold the land to Prem Gupta's wife company Delight for Rs 1.47 when circle rate for the same was Rs 1.93 crore. But later, between 2010-2014, when shares of Delight were taken over by Lalu's Lara Projects, the circle rate of the same land (year 2014) was Rs 32.5 core and reportedly market rate was 94 crore. But Prem Gupta's wife chose to transfer the land valued this amount to Lalu's family at a nominal rate of around Rs 64 lakh.

Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav is faced with a situation where he could be nabbed by the CBI in due course. Even worse, when Nitish Kumar was an NDA ally and Lalu was a UPA ally, JDU had petitioned then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh of the same scam.
Kings make no mistake. Former Bihar chief minister Lalu Prasad Yadav invented this rule of "divine infallibility" for himself and his family long before he found himself on the wrong side of law.

There are many interesting anecdotes to prove that he behaved like a king. One such anecdote, which this writer knew from first-hand accounts from his time as a reporter in Patna, is illustrative of this mindset.

In 1993, teachers in Bihar were not paid their salaries for months on end and they went to Yadav to complain. The chief minister looked at the complainants in a show of empathy but expressed his helplessness by saying, State coffers are empty." One of the delegation member countered saying, "But you have been hopping all over Bihar on chopper and that requires expenses." An unfazed Lalu responded, "Hum raja nu hai, raja ka kharcha thori rukta hai (I am a king and a king's expenditure cannot be curtailed)." He said with a disdain and a flash of anger that made the unpaid teachers back off.

That was Lalu Prasad Yadav at his peak. He astutely camouflaged this political buccaneerism with a "savior of secularism" and "champion of social justice" image. Left liberal intellectuals from all walks of life were literally eating out of his hand. He was regarded as the only leader who dared LK Advani from carrying out the Rath Yatra, and also stopped the BJP leader's Ayodhya chariot at Samastipur in 1991. And not without reasons. He derived his sense of infallibility and invincibility from the unadulterated adulation he got from a large section of English-speaking intelligentsia.

On Friday, as the CBI raided his Patna residence and indicted him and his family members in cases of amassing wealth through dubious means, Yadav looks like a king whose vanity is in tatters. He and his family members are immensely vulnerable and he is putting up a charade of infallibility. But it's a weak defence that is bound to crumble in the face of mounting incriminating evidence.

As of now, Yadav's sons  Bihar deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav and minister Tej Pratap Yadav  will find it untenable to continue in the Nitish Kumar government. And it's likely that they would be forced to resign from their posts sooner than later. The CBI is learnt to have filed an FIR against Tejashwi Yadav , making him a prime accused in the corruption case.With this case of corruption hanging over Tejashwi's head like a Damocles' Sword, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar would have to take action against his deputy.

In all probability, Nitish Kumar, recuperating from a bout of ill health in Rajgir, would send out a message loud and clear, limiting Tejashwi's options. Tej Pratap may follow suit as his name figures in other cases too. Official sources say that the evidence against the Yadav family is incontrovertible.

With law-enforcing agencies going the whole hog against Yadav and his family members, it would not be premature to write his political epitaph. Lalu Prasad Yadav and his politics have clearly outlived their utility. But it would be wrong to rejoice at the developments, since Yadav's ignominious fall from grace is nothing short of a social tragedy for Bihar.

In the 90s, he was one of the tallest leaders of the country, representing progressive social forces which were marginalised in the state. A combination of OBCs, Dalits and Muslims looked at him as a "messiah" who will ultimately rid Bihar of ills the state benighted by feudalism and upper castes' dominance.

Yadav's journey up the ladder in politics was quite inspiring. He came from a poor family, acquired education and dabbled in student politics in his early days. He gradually made his way up and became a prominent torchbearer of social justice after the implementation of the Mandal Commission. Given his humble background, he instantly evoked trust from the poor and maginalised sections of Bihar. He was seen by people as being one of them, a man who would realise the agony of the masses. The tragedy was that Lalu not only betrayed that trust but also imagined himself to be a "king" who has divine entitlement to rule the state.
New Delhi: The Congress hit out at the central government over its "indifference" towards Chinese incursions, with vice-president Rahul Gandhi questioning Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "silence" on the issue.

The Congress also said in an article on its website that the Modi government's foreign policy was defined by "the prime minister's search for holiday destinations and photo opportunities" instead of serving India's interests.

"His (Modi's) foreign policy is defined by 'hyperbole and empty rhetoric'. He believes, falsely, that talking tough in election rallies is the same as being tough on China on the diplomatic front," it said.

Meanwhile, Rahul Gandhi also posted on Twitter, "Why is our Prime Minister silent on China?"

Party chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala also tweeted this, saying that the PM's silence on China was "baffling". "How did the situation spiral? Why did the government not consult political parties," he asked.

He said China and the Chinese ambassador were using "provocative and aggressive" language vis-a-vis the India-China standoff. "Will the prime minister say what's our response? Will he tell the nation what's the way forward to solve the stalemate or if heaping praise is the only way forward," he asked.

Surjewala said India's "solemn duty" was to protect its and Bhutan's borders and territory. "What is the government and Modi doing to address these strategic concerns?" he asked in a tweet.

During the 10 years of the UPA government, the party said, former prime minister Manmohan Singh had ensured that India balanced its relations with all major world powers. "We ensured that any transgression on the part of China was deftly handled and the UPA understood the nature of global politics and diplomacy," the article stated.

Realising that Modi was a "master bluster rather than a man of action", China, through its government-controlled media, made open threats to India and talked of teaching India a "bitter lesson", it said. "What has surprised and shocked the nation is the meek response of the Modi government. This is the same Narendra Modi whose spin doctors said that he would show 'red eyes' to China, and they would go running back. The only 'red' we have seen is the aggression of China," the article said.

Congress also stated that in the face of these provocative statements by China, "Home Minister Rajnath Singh merely said that Chinese intrusions were about perception. Perception? Tell that to our brave jawans who had to resist the Chinese aggression," the party said.

In the last 45 days, there have been nearly 120 Chinese incursions, it added. Indian bunkers have been destroyed and Chinese warships and submarines were reportedly spotted in the Indian Ocean, the Congress said. "China recently halted the passage of religious pilgrims of the Mansarovar Yatra and posted pictures of the destroyed bunkers. In June, 2017, two Chinese army choppers also violated the Indian air space in Uttarakhand," the article said.

Hailing the foreign policies of the UPA government, the Congress said realising the potential threats to India's territorial integrity, "The UPA had approved a Mountain Strike Corps, which would enhance the Indian Army's capability by adding 90,000 personnel."

The opposition party also alleged that since the Modi government had come to power, there had been a "squeeze on the release of funds and thus a shortfall in ammunition and equipment" for units already raised. "If indeed India's economy is booming, according to the BJP, why are the funds to defend India not being spent?" the party asked.
The FIR that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) lodged against Lalu Prasad Yadav and his family members on Friday seems to have become a matter of concern not only for the Rashtriya Janata Dal leader but for Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar as well. While for Lalu, it's the political future of his successor, son and deputy chief minister Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, whose name has featured in the FIR; Kumar is faced with a difficult question of whether or not to retain Yadav in his cabinet and reiterate his zero tolerance policy against corruption, especially because an expulsion of Yadav could further strain the Mahagathbandhan in Bihar.

The fortunes of Yadav and family have landed into uncertainty during the last couple of months after a string of allegations of amassing Benami properties surfaced against them. The CBI FIR not only names Lalu and his son Tejashwi but also wife Rabri Devi and five other family members in an alleged land scam.

It wouldn't be wrong to say that Lalus political fate was decided on 3 October, 2013, itself when he was convicted in a fodder scam case by a special CBI court in Ranchi. He lost his Lok Sabha membership and barred from fighting elections for the next 11 years, virtually ruling out possibility of him fighting elections, again.

Everybody then thought that RJD was finished as his party was out of power for a decade, but a charismatic Lalu made a comeback again. He sensed opportunity in Kumars growing discomfort with the Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) when the later broke out of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). Lalu was aware that there was nothing left for him but to establish someone as his heir apparent.

Political arithmetic had compelled Kumar to join hands with his staunch opponent. After facing debacle in the 2014 General Elections to Lok Sabha, Congress also pinned hope on an alliance and a Mahagathbandhan was formed. Caste calculation swung in their favour and the Mahagathbandhan swept the 2015 Assembly elections in Bihar.

This win, however, was not so easy for Lalu to announce his successor as his daughter Misa Bharti, after losing the Lok Sabha election, failed to get support among party leaders. On the other hand Lalus sons  Tej Pratap and Tejaswi  won the Assembly elections and both found cabinet positions in Kumar's government.

Lalu was annoyed with the tantrums of his eldest son Tej Pratap whose childish behaviour was not suited for politics, and he tried to create business route for him.

Lalu bought many land parcels and helped Tej Pratap start auto agencies in his name. Apparently Lalu had decided to announce his younger son Tejaswi as his successor but Tej Pratap objected and he was forced to convince Kumar to induct both his sons in the cabinet.

But, as is becoming obvious now, Lalus sons have also inherited the tainted legacy of their father. Allegations of Benami transactions are not only haunting Lalu and Misa but his two sons as well, who now face legal scrutiny.

These allegations, combined with differences arising out of the choice for presidential candidates of Lalu and Kumar, have shaken the grand alliance in Bihar. But, till Friday morning no FIR was lodged against the Lalu clan. Things changed around 11 am when CBI filed FIR and conducted subsequent raids on different locations including Lalus residence in Patna.

Kumar, while distancing himself from allegations against Lalu and family, and his party, has repeatedly iterated that they would not compromise with zero tolerance policy against corruption. The Bihar chief minister, in fact, went a step further and had asked to investigate if there are matters against his alliance partner. Now that Bihar's deputy chief minister Tejaswis name has figured in the FIR, it will complicate matters for Kumar as he would not like to carry any tainted faces in his government.

Many political observers in Patna were of the view that the day any FIR or chargesheet is filed against any of Lalus sons, Kumar might oust them from the cabinet which will deal the final blow to the Mahagathbandhan. Now all eyes are on Kumar's next move who is recuperating in Rajgir, almost 130 kilometers away from capital Patna.
New Delhi: The Centre on Friday said it was keen on holding tripartite talks with the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) and the West Bengal government to end the ongoing agitation in the Darjeeling hills.

"We want to hold dialogue with the agitating organisations to ensure peace returns to Darjeeling. In the talks, the West Bengal government's presence is necessary as law and order is a state subject," a home ministry official said.

The GJM had on Monday asked the central government to initiate a dialogue on the demand for a separate state of Gorkhaland, saying the current agitation was not a mere law and order problem.

All parties of Darjeeling hills on Thursday decided to continue with the indefinite shutdown, which entered its 23nd day today. Rallies and protest marches were taken out in various parts of Darjeeling in support of the demand for a separate state.

There have been several incidents of violence in the picturesque town during the strike, which started after the state government had said that Bengali would be a compulsory subject in the schools in the hills. Darjeeling has predominantly Nepali-speaking population.

With food supply severely hit due to the ongoing shutdown, GJM activists and NGOs of the hills have been distributing food items among the people.
It may be an interesting coincidence. The work of corporate-political nexus is a common factor among all the high profile cases that are being investigated now. By attacking its fundamental structure, Modi government deserves credit for sending all the right signals to the cronies operating the corporate-political nexus.

Take, for example, the ongoing raids by the Central Bureau of Investigation at the residences of Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief and former railway minister Lalu Prasad Yadav. It wasn't long ago when similar raids happened at the homes of Congress leader P Chidambaram and his son Karti. Then, there is the dramatic chase to recover money (for different reasons) from one of India's most celebrated, politically-connected businessman Vijay Mallya, who flew to London in March last year. This is probably the first time in recent years that these many high profile corruption/ financial irregularity cases have been simultaneously pursued in India.

That's a good sign for both, the nation and its economy, and a significant step to shake off the image of being a nation prone to corruption at high-level.

Corruption is the cancer that negates the gains a country achieves in terms of governance and goodwill. By giving the investigators a free-hand to chase the corrupt, Narendra Modi's government is sending out a strong signal to the political-corporate nexus, which has played a significant role in damaging the economy. The work of this nexus can be felt in most of the ills that the economy is facing now  high bank bad loans, the consequential reluctance of banks to take fresh investment commitments and in the cases of missing government funds intended for public projects.

Currently, in all the current high profile cases that are being investigated, the presence of corporate-political nexus is palpable.

Take the Lalu raids. The case pertains to awarding of contracts to a private company  Sujata Hotels for development for the maintenance and operation of BNR hotels at Ranchi and Puri, when Lalu was the Railways minister. These hotels are Railways' heritage hotels which IRCTC took over from the public transporter earlier in the same year, according to a report in The Indian Express. The CBI has booked former managing director, Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation Ltd (IRCTC) P K Goel, Sujata, wife of Yadav's confidante Prem Chand Gupta, two directors of a private company, the report has said. If the charges are true, Lalu misused his position at the government to build his family fortunes.

In the Chidambaram raids too, if there is truth in the allegations, the corporate-political nexus has worked in full swing. The case was based on the clearances given to INX Media. Karti allegedly facilitated the clearances for kickbacks in 2008 when Chidambaram was a Union minister in the UPA government. But this wasn't the first time sleuths targeteed the Chidambarams. The father-son duo were also facing probe in the Aircel-Maxis case in which Karti allegedly made a killing through a company he owns  Advantage Strategic Consulting Private Limited. Could this have happened with active use of the union minister's office? Let the investigations speak for itself.

As far as the Mallya episode is concerned, there were allegations that powerful industrialists and politicians influenced to help secure bank loans or to facilitate other ways to build his empire in a mutually-benefitting relationship. These are matters which need to be investigated thoroughly.

One of the angles which is being investigated in the Kingfisher-Mallya case is how Mallya managed to secure loans for his failing airline (Kingfisher never made any profit in its eight-year-long life) from public sector banks, which knew well that the airline is facing grave risks. Often the loans were given on weak securities such as Kingfisher brand and logo. Banks accepted the personal guarantee of Mallya to a huge loan that is now around Rs 9,000 crore, including the accrued interest amount. Could these have been done without political directive to state-run bank offices? The findings of a CNN-News18 report in January raises questions. The report cites correspondence between Vijay Mallya and the UPA top brass to bail out the failing airline.

The unholy nexus between deep-pocketed corporates and bribe-hungry politicians has been the root cause of corruption in the economy. The country has paid a heavy price for this evil. As this report in The Times of India points out, India had the highest bribery rate among the 16 Asia Pacific countries surveyed by Transparency International with around seven in 10 Indians accessing public services had paid a bribe. Unless the evil of corporate-political nexus is dealt with at the highest level, positive change will not reflect in other sections.

In this backdrop, Modi government is sending all the right signals to India's infamous corporate-political lobby. There is a method in the madness.
Patna: Opposition presidential candidate Meira Kumar on Thursday arrived in her home state Bihar where she interacted with Congress and RJD legislators.

"I am the daughter of Bihar and Bihar lives in my heart", she said at the Patna airport.

While she had no appointment with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, any chance meeting between them also ended as he left for Rajgir, citing health reasons.

The JD(U) president has announced support for the NDA's presidential candidate Ram Nath Kovind.

The JD(U) along with the RJD and the Congress forms the ruling coalition in Bihar.

Meira arrived in Patna on Thursday evening and held an interactive session with Congress and RJD legislators at a hotel in the capital.

RJD president Lalu Prasad was not present at the session as he has gone to Ranchi where he as to appear in a court on Friday in connection with the fodder scam case.

Congress general secretary and in-charge of Bihar C P Joshi also came here to mobilise support for her.

Meira told reporters at Patna airport that "more than numbers, the fight of ideology will triumph in the end".

She will be in the state till 8 July.

She would go to her native Chandawa village in Bhojpur district tomorrow. On 8 July, she would address mediapersons at Sadaquat Ashram before leaving in the afternoon.
Mumbai: The Shiv Sena on Friday took strong umbrage at the tendency of ally Bharatiya Janata Party's activists to raise chants of 'Modi, Modi' all the time and warned that these 'shameless bhakts' will spell doom for the prime minister.

"Today, the country faces its greatest threat from such lowly persons, whether in politics or religion.... These audacious people who scream 'Modi, Modi' every time are actually harming the PM's reputation," the Sena said in an edit in the party mouthpieces, 'Saamana' and 'Dopahar Ka Saamana'.

Referring to the incident in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation two days ago, when BJP corporators chanted 'Modi, Modi' and Shiv Sena corporators retaliated with 'Chor Hai, Chor Hai', the party pointed out that those (BJP) who challenged the Sena Tiger, got a resounding reply "kaan ke neeche" (below the ears).

"We have always respected Modi as the PM...His name should evoke pride among the people, but not in such a maniacal manner," the edit urged, on the incident which created embarrassment in BJP circles.

It recalled how in 1971, the then prime minister Indira Gandhi had brought Pakistan to its knees by severing East Pakistan to create an independent Bangladesh during the India-Pakistan war.

"Her 'bhakts' had even coined a slogan of 'Indira Is India' and blatantly insulted Mother India....However, despite her heroism in the 1971 War, she had to face a humiliating (electoral) defeat, which was largely due to the vulgarity exhibited by her hysterical 'bhakts' then," the edit said.

"We are bringing all this to the notice of the BJP leadership because they cannot challenge the Shiv Sena supremacy on the strength of these shameless hirelings," it declared, hinting at the roughing up of a BJP corporator by the Sena's women corporators in the BMC that day.

On the BMC function (5 July), the party wondered why the BJP corporators created such a ruckus when the Rs 647-crore grant was not coming from the BJP treasury nor was it intended for the Shiv Sena's coffers.

"The money (compensating losses from Octroi after it was replaced by GST) was given by the Maharashtra government for Mumbai city, but these (BJP) 'city fathers' behaved as if it was coming from their own pockets," the edit said.

The Sena again warned the BJP not to tread in its path like the proverbial 'black cat', and said that the 'red brigade' and even the Congress-Nationalist Congress Party which had dared to challenge the party's might are "nowhere in the picture today."

Similarly, it warned the BJP that "those who shamelessly rant 'Modi, Modi' will also prove to be your nemesis".
Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi criticised the Centre on the treatment of the border confrontation between India and China in Sikkim, questioning Prime Minister Narendra Modi's silence on the issue.

Why is our Prime Minister silent on China?  Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) July 7, 2017

This was also not the first time Gandhi launched a social media tirade against the prime minister. He took to Twitter again on Wednesday to call Modi a "weak prime minister."

India has a weak PM pic.twitter.com/NKbUO1iOHX  Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) July 5, 2017

Gandhi attached two news reports relating to Modi's recent visit to the United States. One report says that Modi did not raise the H1B visa issue during his talks with US president Donald Trump, while the other report speaks of India's acceptance of the term "India-administered Kashmir" by the US State Department in its order designating Hizbul-Mujahideen leader Syed Salahuddin a global terrorist.

Gandhi remarks came in the wake of a face-off with Chinese troops in Doka La, a disputed territory between China and Bhutan. Tensions from the long-drawn standoff have been rising as Beijing stated that Chinese president Xi Jinping will not be meeting Narendra Modi at the G20 Summit.

India has currently pushed in more troops in a "non-combative mode" to strengthen its position in an area near Sikkim, where its soldiers have been locked in a standoff with Chinese troops for almost a month now in what has been the longest such impasse between the two armies since 1962.

The Congress party also expressed its concerns over rising infiltrations along the border with China.

According to PTI, AICC spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi said that "unfortunately, it appears that this government has been caught napping" and has not been able to implement recent accords between the two countries signed by the UPA government, which has been violated.

"National security under this government is going through very a turbulent time in different facets....When will this government take strong corrective measures on national security for national interest, with respect to our border situation? Any right thinking person and certainly a responsible Opposition would be alarmed and concerned as we are," he added.

Singhvi also said that Congress, however, stands solidly behind the government on issues of national security and on steps taken in the national interest to resolve the current stand-off with China.

With inputs from agencies.
New Delhi: The Congress should come up with constructive suggestions on GST instead of blindly opposing it, Union minister M Venkaiah Naidu said on Friday as he hit out at former finance minister P Chidambaram for his comments against the tax reform.

Describing the Modi government's Goods and Services Tax (GST) law as "very, very imperfect", the Congress leader had said on Thursday it could not be labelled "one nation, one tax" since it had seven or more tax rates.

Reacting to the comment, Naidu said Chidambaram wanted "to dampen the positivity emerging out of the transition towards GST".

Instead of "blindly opposing and criticising" the GST, the Congress should come up with "constructive" suggestions, the information and broadcasting minister told reporters in New Delhi.

Rejecting the allegation that GST was implemented in "haste", Naidu said the new system was implemented after 17 years of discussions with various parties.

Claiming that it had been "widely welcomed by one and all" across the country, "except the habitual tax evaders", Naidu said some people may be facing problems because of the lack of "proper understanding" of the system.

Central ministers and Members of Parliament of the BJP and its allies would tour the states to interact with the people and spread awareness on the taxation reform, he said.

The minister said there would be some hiccups in the beginning as reforms were not "cast in stone" but improved with experience.

Naidu also read out extracts from speeches of Congress leaders where they had supported the GST.

He said the reform was initiated by former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and not by the UPA as the Congress was claiming.

The minister also compared the implementation of the GST with economic reforms undertaken in 1991 by the then Congress government.
Damned if she does; damned if she does not. No matter in what way Mamata Banerjee reacts to the developments in the North 24 Parganas district, either as the chief minister of West Bengal or as the chief of the Trinamool Congress, she risks being identified with one side of the communal divide.

With the BJP already pitching in aggressively for the Hindus, she actually does not have much of a choice. Even if she is entirely even-handed in her approach, she would find it hard to escape being branded partisan. This would, in turn, shape perceptions that matter in elections.

Mamata is facing what might be called the secularism trap. As a secular politician of the old school, she is hard-wired to appear sympathetic to the Muslims but she cannot be oblivious to the Hindu backlash to it.

With the BJP cleverly ensuring, through its polarising rhetoric, that a balancing act is impossible, she lands in a by now familiar predicament of all secular politicians: how to position oneself in the times of Hindu consolidation.

That they should be in a plight like this tells us something about the hollowness of the version of secularism peddled by members of the political class so far. It appears it had no depth, no inner strength and no intellectual vigour to stand up to the smallest challenge that comes its way.

It survived long in a situation of no competition, and when one presented itself it was quick to sink in its own shallowness. It took for granted the easy, agreeable co-existence of religious communities and overlooked the frictions that could put them in conflict at some point in time. There was no effort to take the idea of secularism deeper through conscious effort, leaving it fragile.

The BJP and the wider Sangh Parivar have been smart enough to exploit the weakness in the narrative and if they are reaping a healthy political dividend they are not to be blamed. Its rather amusing to watch commentators of the Left orientation lamenting the trend of communal polarisation for political ends and attributing the rise of the BJP to it.

They ignored the political potential of religion. The fact that secularism never went much beyond debates in academic circles and its social depth was pretty limited remained unacknowledged. There was a huge vacuum waiting to be filled and the BJP has moved in.

While it is understood that religion and politics make a dangerous combination and the forces making political capital of it at this point, and the country, could pay a heavy price for it at a later time, the fact remains that the secular resistance is proving to be no challenge at all.

The BJP continues with its political conquests with religion as a prop  it's not open always though  a valid, logically justifiable question to the tactic remains elusive.

To the secularists, the threat should have been apparent during the Ram Temple movement and Rath Yatra of Lal Krishna Advani in early 1990s. The rise of Narendra Modi in Gujarat should have been an eye-opener too. But they simply did not know how to react.

The intellectuals went into the slam mode while the political dispensations sought to take the legal route. Both approaches lacked the intellectual content to face the rising challenge. Both appeared hollower when Modi began his ascent to the top.

Now the question is whether secularism was just an intellectual fashion statement thriving on sophisticated language or there was more to it.

Secularism is a great concept but the fundamental flaw with it in the Indian context was in looking at it through the minorities prism. The majority simply did not figure anywhere; if it did as the potential tormentor of the minorities.

The secular political class was happy to give it a malicious twist, putting the minority and the majority as separate sides in a conflict. Now, the whole idea of benign treatment to the minorities is under the threat of being scrapped. The secularists have to take the blame for it.

Coming back to Mamata, she has the difficult task of evading the secular trap. Whichever way she acts, she cannot escape being branded along communal lines. Managing the aftermath of the current communal flare-up will be a real test for her.
Kolkata: Leaders from various parties on Friday slammed the TMC government for preventing them from visiting riot-hit Basirhat with the BJP politicos saying they would meet the governor on Saturday to demand President's Rule in West Bengal.

"We wanted to go and meet the people there to restore peace, but the TMC government did not allow our leaders. The state government does not want the cooperation of opposition parties," state BJP president Dilip Ghosh said.

He said the BJP would organise a rally in Kolkata on Saturday to condemn the role of the state government.

"We will also meet Governor KN Tripathi and demand in writing the imposition of President's Rule in the state," he said.

He said the state government should take the help of the Centre to restore law and order in Basirhat and alleged that 'jehadi' elements were fomenting trouble there.

The state BJP chief claimed one person was killed in the riot and demanded that the state government give a compensation of Rs 10 lakh and a job to the family of the victim.

TMC leader and minister Jyotipriya Mullick said that the state administration was trying to restore peace and all should cooperate when the chief minister has appealed for it.

"Why are the opposition parties in a hurry? They can go there later," he said.

State Congress president Adhir Chowdhury, who was also stopped from visiting Basirhat, said, "The main intention of our visit was to tell the people there to live together in peace".

CPM MP Mohammed Salim, who too was stopped from visiting Basirhat with a left delegation, alleged the police has failed to control the riots.

"They are stopping peace lovers and not those fomenting riots," he alleged and said "instead of controlling riots, the chief minister was busy quarrelling with the governor."
Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh government is set to review the performance of its employees who are over 50 years of age and recommend compulsory retirement of those who are not up to the mark.

According to an order issued by Chief Secretary Rajive Kumar, additional chief secretaries, chief secretaries and secretaries of all departments have been asked to review the performance of the staff till 31 July.

The date for determining the age of 50 years has been fixed for 31 March.

The directive cites the finance handbook rules which states that the appointing authority, at any given time, can retire the staff without giving any reason by a three months' notice and government orders issued in this connection from time to time.

A government spokesperson said there was nothing new in the order as there was already a provision for reviewing the performance of all staff who crossed 50 years.

The three-month-old Adityanath government has dusted the service rulebook to weed out the underperformers under a provision first proposed in 1985 but rarely used.

The spokesperson said some departments were not carrying out this exercise on a regular basis and the order was aimed at ensuring it.

The departmental heads have been asked to give to the personnel department the list of those who are to be given compulsory retirement, he said.

Pushing for efficiency, the Uttar Pradesh government has taken the step to ensure expertise and proper work ethics among government staff, an official said.

The BJP swept to power in the country's most populous state earlier this year on the promise of clean and efficient administration and an improved law-and-order situation.

"A vibrant bureaucracy is the need of the hour for the state. After the BJP came to power, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has created an atmosphere of confidence among the public by deploying competent and honest bureaucrats in important positions. This belief has created an atmosphere of development in the state," a senior BJP leader said.
Hong Kong: China's first operational aircraft carrier has arrived in Hong Kong for the first time today in a display of military might less than a week after a high-profile visit by president Xi Jinping.

Xi's trip marked 20 years since Hong Kong was handed back to China by Britain, and analysts said it left little doubt that Beijing viewed the city as a destabilising hotbed of unacceptable political dissent.

His three-day visit culminated in a 30-minute speech warning that any challenge to Beijing's control over the city crossed a "red line", seen as a salvo against a new wave of activists calling for self determination or independence, concepts intolerable to Beijing.

President Xi also inspected 20 squads of troops last Friday at the city's biggest military parade in the past two decades, where helicopters and armoured vehicles were displayed. The 305 metre-long (1,000 feet) Liaoning, a secondhand Soviet ship built nearly 30 years ago and commissioned in 2012, arrived in the city at around 7:30 am.

The country's national defence ministry had said the Liaoning, named after a northeastern Chinese province, was part of a flotilla on a "routine training mission". It would mark the 20th anniversary of China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) entering the city, defence ministry spokesman Wu Qian told reporters last Thursday.

Enthusiasm for the aircraft carrier was high with people queueing overnight at the PLA garrison in central Hong Kong for public tour tickets earlier this week. But ticket-holders are banned from bringing cameras when they board the aircraft carrier on Saturday, reports said, while foreign media outlets have not been invited to cover the event.

Authorities have also set up a temporary no-fly zone in the area where the Liaoning will be berthed near the city's Tsing Ma suspension bridge. After the handover in 1997, some feared the PLA would be heavy-handed given the army's crackdown on student protesters in Beijing's Tiananmen Square in 1989.

Instead they have maintained a low profile and are barred from interfering in local affairs. China launched its first domestically built aircraft carrier in April, but it is not expected to enter service until around 2020 once it has been fully equipped and armed.
Beijing: A prominent Chinese labour activist was sentenced on Friday to four and a half years in prison for "inciting subversion" through a written account of the 1989 Tiananmen crackdown, his lawyer told AFP.

Liu Shaoming, a former factory worker, was detained in southern Guangdong province in May 2015 after describing his involvement in the pro-democracy movement on a United States website.

Liu's lawyer, Wu Kuiming, told AFP the verdict was announced by the Guangzhou Intermediate People's Court.

"His crime is 'inciting subversion of state power,'" Wu said. "The evidence is some online articles he wrote to recall the 4 June event."

Wu said they will appeal the court decision.

Several Chinese rights advocates have been jailed for trying to keep alive the memory of the Tiananmen Square pro-democracy movement that was crushed by the military.

Hundreds of civilians  over 1,000 by some estimates  are believed to have died in the crackdown.

Liu, who was featured earlier this year in the documentary "We the Workers," travelled to Beijing to join the student-led demonstrations.

According to Amnesty International, he was also a member of China's first independent trade union.

"This is a most callous and unjust verdict against Liu Shaoming," William Nee, China researcher at Amnesty International, said in a statement.

"He is a prisoner of conscience and must be immediately and unconditionally released. All that Liu Shaoming is guilty of is the legitimate exercise of his freedom of expression."
Paris: French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe on Friday laid out a raft of measures aimed at boosting Paris's attractiveness to high finance to cash in on Britain's exit from the European Union.

Among them are scrapping a plan to widen a current 0.3 percent tax on financial transactions, eliminating the top income tax bracket, and keeping bonuses out of the calculation of severance pay for risk-takers such as stockbrokers.

"You can regret this (Brexit) decision or welcome it, but it's a fact," said Philippe, speaking on the roof of the Monnaie de Paris  the national mint  with the city's glass-and-steel La Defense financial district visible in the distance. "You have to deal with it."

In another step aimed at attracting foreign businesses, the Paris area is to open three international high schools by 2022 in addition to the existing six. Philippe also announced that work had begun to establish an international tribunal in Paris to handle financial cases in English.

Most international financial contracts are written in English and make reference to British law. Also in the pipeline is the 'CDG Express', a rail line linking Charles de Gaulle airport to the city. French President Emmanuel Macron has pledged to relax France's rigid labour laws to free its economy from red tape and excessive taxation.

The French financial sector currently represents about 4.5 percent of national output and employs around 800,000 people. Paris is competing with Dublin, Frankfurt and other centres for an expected shift in finance jobs out of London as a result of Brexit.

Several banks, especially Asian institutions, have recently announced that they would move European headquarters from London to Frankfurt in response to Brexit.

Bloomberg News said on Thursday that it would move investment banking activities from London to its Frankfurt headquarters.

So far Brexit has had a limited impact in Paris, apart from banking giant HSBC's decision to relocate 1,000 employees from London to the French capital. JP Morgan Chase, for its part, is moving to Dublin, Frankfurt and Luxembourg.

"At this stage there are no commitments besides HSBC's," said junior finance minister Benjamin Griveaux. "We're working on it. Today is an important signal to investors."

With Britain at risk of losing the "passporting rights" which financial firms use to deal with clients in the rest of the European Union when it leaves, employees in direct contact with customers may need to be based on EU territory in future.

Other jobs will need to move to deal with business that must be booked in the European Union, as will risk management workers, who must be based in the EU to satisfy banking supervisors' requirements.

The financial transaction tax (TFF), first introduced in 2012, was to have been extended to include "intraday" transactions from 2018.

The decision not to do so angered Oxfam, a major advocate of the tax. "They have killed an advance on the TTF and kissed goodbye to extra revenue that could have benefited the poorest people," said Alexandre Naulot, spokesman of Oxfam France.

However, the government is maintaining the rate at 0.3 percent, after a Senate report suggested a reduction to 0.2 percent. "To investors, and to those disappointed by Brexit, I want to say that we are ready to roll out the blue, white and red carpet for you," said Paris regional president Valerie Pecresse. "Welcome back to Europe," she added, in English.
Hamburg: It is possible for the United States to rejoin the Paris agreement on climate change, and G20 leaders meeting in Hamburg will urge President Donald Trump to find a way to do so, British prime minister Theresa May said on Friday.

May, who has previously said Britain was disappointed by Trump's decision last month to withdraw the United States from the global agreement, is due to hold a bilateral meeting with Trump on the sidelines of the G20 summit.

"I hope they will be able to find a way to come back in to the Paris agreement ... I believe it is possible. We are not renegotiating the Paris agreement, that stays, but I want to see the US looking for ways to rejoin it," she told BBC TV.

"The collective message that will be given to President Trump around this table will be the importance of America coming back in to that agreement and I hope we will be able to work to ensure that can happen."
Hamburg: With broad grins and a warm handshake, President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin warmed up for their historic encounter on Friday under the shadow of US outrage about Russian election-meddling and nagging questions about potential Trump campaign collusion.

Ahead of a formal, sit-down meeting, Trump and Putin were seen exchanging pleasantries as a leaders' retreat got under way in Hamburg. A brief video clip showed Trump outstretching his hand to Putin as officials gathered around a table, then patting Putin's elbow as both men smiled. In another clip, Trump casually patted Putin on the back as they stood side by side.

Video of the brief exchange was posted to Facebook by the German Cabinet. It was the first known in-person interaction between the two men, who have spoken by telephone since Trump was inaugurated in January.

The two leaders planned later Friday to hold longer talks on Syria and other issues on the sidelines of the Group of 20 summit of industrialised and developing nations. The White House said it has scheduled 35 minutes for the meeting.

"Much to discuss," Trump tweeted in advance of the encounter.

I look forward to all meetings today with world leaders, including my meeting with Vladimir Putin. Much to discuss.#G20Summit #USA  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 7, 2017

The heavily anticipated meeting is being closely scrutinised for signs of how friendly a rapport Trump and Putin will have. Trump's predecessor, president Barack Obama, had notoriously strained ties to Putin, and Trump has expressed an interest in a better US-Russia relationship. But deep skepticism about Russia in the US and ongoing investigations into whether Trump's campaign coordinated with Moscow during last year's election have made a US-Russia detente politically risky for Trump.

As leaders gathered at a summit hall in Hamburg for a group photo, Trump and Putin stood on opposite sides of the tableau. Putin chatted casually with German Chancellor Angela Merkel before taking his spot for the photo next to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. After the cameras snapped away, Merkel, in the center, dismissed the group with a firm nod of the head.

Outside the summit site, anti-globalisation protesters were causing problems for first lady Melania Trump, who was kept from joining other leaders' spouses for their own program of events. Melania's office said that because of the protests, local police hadn't cleared her to leave the government guest house where she and Trump were staying. Demonstrators set dozens of cars ablaze a day earlier.

In the lead-up to the meeting, Trump used a speech in Warsaw on Thursday to voice a list of grievances about Russia. He urged Putin's government to "cease its destabilising activities in Ukraine and elsewhere and its support for hostile regimes  including Syria and Iran  and to instead join the community of responsible nations in our fight against common enemies and in defense of civilisation itself."

But much of the focus  both in Washington and Moscow  will be on whether Trump broaches the issue of Russia's meddling in the election. Putin, a former Russian intelligence agent, is known to come to high-profile meetings like this well-prepared.

In a news conference before he flew to Germany, Trump again refused to unequivocally accept the conclusion by multiple US intelligence agencies that Russia interfered to try to help Trump win last November. Trump said it could have been Russia, but that other countries could have meddled, too.

"Nobody really knows for sure," Trump said.

Trump, who likes to have neatly packaged achievements to pair with high-profile meetings, may seek some concessions from Russia to show he's delivering progress and helping restore a once-productive relationship that he recently described as being at an "all-time low." Putin would almost certainly want something in return.

The list of issues ranges from Syria to Iran to Ukraine, and now North Korea, following Pyongyang's test this week of a missile capable of striking the US.

Russia wants the US to return two compounds in New York and Maryland that were shuttered by the Obama administration as punishment for election meddling. It also wants the US to ease Ukraine-related sanctions. The US seeks a resumption of adoptions of Russian children by American parents, an end to harassment of US diplomats and other measures.

In Washington, Trump is under intense pressure from both parties to confront Putin directly over the election interference. Several senior Democratic US senators served notice in a letter Thursday that Trump would be in "severe dereliction" of his presidential duty if he fails to make clear that Russia's interference in US democracy will not be tolerated.

"The upcoming elections cannot be a playground for president Putin," said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and others, including the top Democrats on the Intelligence, Armed Services, and Foreign Relations committees.

And Rep. Adam Kinzinger, an Illinois Republican and House Foreign Affairs Committee member, said this week that he will "raise holy hell" if Trump goes soft on Putin.

With emotions running so high, every detail of the Trump-Putin meeting will be parsed for deeper meaning, from their facial expressions to how they shake hands.

"The big thing to watch will be what Putin asks for and what he offers in return and whether there's a sense of receptivity on the president's part," said Derek Chollet, a former Pentagon and State Department official now at the Washington-based German Marshall Fund.

The Trump-Putin tete-a-tete was the highest profile meeting that Trump was holding while at his first G20 summit, where was also meeting Friday with President Enrique Pena Nieto of Mexico, another nation with a rocky relationship with Trump's young administration.

Pena Nieto had been scheduled to visit the White House shortly after Trump took office, but scrapped the trip at the last minute to protest Trump's insistence that Mexico pay for the border wall he has vowed to build to deter illegal immigration. Pena Nieto insists Mexico won't pay, and Trump has been vague about how he'll force the US neighbour to cover the costs. Another issue is the North American Free Trade Agreement, which Trump has vowed to renegotiate.

The Putin meeting comes midway through a hectic, four-day European visit for Trump, who addressed thousands of Poles in an outdoor speech in Warsaw, Poland, on Thursday. He met in Germany with Chancellor Angela Merkel, the summit host, and had dinner with two Asian allies  Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and South Korean President Moon Jae-in  to discuss North Korea's aggression.

The Group of 20 gathering of wealthy and developing nations is the first since Trump announced that the US would withdraw from the Paris climate agreement, deeply disappointing Merkel and other US allies who had hoped to maintain momentum in battling climate change. Undeterred, European leaders have vowed to press forward.
Hamburg: At long last face to face, President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin voiced confidence on Friday that their historic first meeting would pave the way for a positive trajectory for their two countries. If thornier issues like election meddling came up in their two-hours-plus meeting, they discussed them only in private.

In characteristically confident fashion, Trump said he and the Russian leader were holding "very, very good talks" as journalists were briefly allowed in to witness part of their meeting in Germany. Seated with an American flag behind him, Trump appeared informal and relaxed and said it was "an honor" to be with Putin.

"We look forward to a lot of very positive things happening for Russia, for the United States and for everybody concerned," Trump said.

The White House said in advance that 35 minutes had been allotted for the meeting. But it extended well beyond that, clocking in at 2 hours and 16 minutes, the State Department said.

Trump offered no details about what issues he and the Russian leader had discussed, describing them only as "various things." Putin was similarly vague, telling reporters through a translator that they were discussing international problems and bilateral issues.

Still, Putin described the fact that they were meeting as a positive sign in itself, and he said he hoped the meeting would "yield positive results."

"Phone conversations are never enough definitely," Putin said. "If you want to have a positive outcome in bilaterals and be able to resolve most international policy issues, that will really need personal meetings."

Then the leaders shook hands firmly but briefly before reporters were escorted out of the room. Trump did not respond to shouted questions about whether they would discuss Russia's meddling in the US election  a topic lawmakers in Washington have been demanding that Trump raise directly.

Both kept their composure amid the commotion of cameras clicking and journalists lobbying questions as anxious aides moved about nearby. The US. leader's son, Donald Trump Jr., took to Twitter to say the noise from the cameras made it difficult to even hear the two leaders' words.

"How many pictures do you need of the same scene?" he said.

With all the Cameras clicking away rapid fire you can't actually hear what they're saying? How many pictures do you need of the same scene?  Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) July 7, 2017

The heavily anticipated meeting is being closely scrutinized for signs of how friendly a rapport Trump and Putin will have. Trump's predecessor, President Barack Obama, had notoriously strained ties to Putin, and Trump has expressed an interest in a better US-Russia relationship.

But deep skepticism about Russia in the US and ongoing investigations into whether Trump's campaign coordinated with Moscow during 2016's election have made a US-Russia detente politically risky for Trump.

Putin, slightly hunched in his chair, rubbed his fingers together as he listened to Trump address reporters during the public portion of their meeting. Also in the meeting: Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

In a prelude to their formal sit-down, Trump and Putin shook hands and exchanged broad grins earlier Friday in a brief exchange caught on video as a leaders' retreat got under way in Hamburg. A brief video clip showed Trump outstretching his hand to Putin as officials gathered around a table, then patting Putin's elbow as both men smiled. In another clip, Trump casually patted Putin on the back as they stood side by side.

Video of the brief exchange was posted to Facebook by the German Cabinet. It was the first known in-person interaction between the two men.

Trump alluded to the campaign controversy as he started the day with a jab at his vanquished Democratic opponent, Hillary Clinton. He wrote on Twitter that "everyone here is talking" about her campaign chairman's "disgraceful" response after the FBI discovered Democratic Party computers were hacked  a breach later blamed on Russia.

Outside the summit site, anti-globalization protesters were causing problems for first lady Melania Trump, who was kept from joining other leaders' spouses for their own program of events. Mrs. Trump's office said local police hadn't cleared her to leave the government guest house where she and Trump were staying because of the protests, in which demonstrators set dozens of cars ablaze.

In the lead-up to the meeting, Trump used a speech in Warsaw on Thursday to voice a list of grievances about Russia. He urged Putin's government to "cease its destabilizing activities in Ukraine and elsewhere and its support for hostile regimes  including Syria and Iran  and to instead join the community of responsible nations in our fight against common enemies and in defense of civilization itself."

But much of the focus  both in Washington and Moscow  will be on whether Trump broaches the issue of Russia's meddling in the election. Putin, a former Russian intelligence agent, is known to come to high-profile meetings like this well-prepared.

In a news conference before he flew to Germany, Trump again refused to unequivocally accept the conclusion by multiple US intelligence agencies that Russia interfered to try to help Trump win last November. Trump said it could have been Russia, but that other countries could have meddled, too.

"Nobody really knows for sure," Trump said.

The list of issues facing the two countries ranges from Syria to Iran to Ukraine, and now North Korea, following Pyongyang's test this week of a missile capable of striking the US

Russia wants the US to return two compounds in New York and Maryland that were shuttered by the Obama administration as punishment for election meddling. It also wants the US to ease Ukraine-related sanctions. The US seeks a resumption of adoptions of Russian children by American parents, an end to harassment of US diplomats and other measures.

In Washington, Trump has been under intense pressure from both parties to confront Putin over the election interference. Several senior Democratic US senators served notice in a letter Thursday that Trump would be in "severe dereliction" of his presidential duty if he fails to make clear that Russia's interference in US democracy will not be tolerated.

"The upcoming elections cannot be a playground for President Putin," said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and others, including the top Democrats on the Intelligence, Armed Services, and Foreign Relations committees.

And Rep. Adam Kinzinger, an Illinois Republican and House Foreign Affairs Committee member, said this week that he will "raise holy hell" if Trump goes soft on Putin.

The Putin tete-a-tete was Trump's highest-profile meeting while at his first G-20 summit, but not the only with a nation whose relationship with his administration has been rocky.

Pena Nieto of Mexico had been scheduled to visit the White House shortly after Trump took office, but scrapped the trip at the last minute to protest Trump's insistence that Mexico pay for the border wall he has vowed to build to deter illegal immigration. Pena Nieto insists Mexico won't pay.

Asked by a reporter as their meeting started whether he still wanted Mexico to pay, Trump said: "Absolutely."

The Putin meeting came midway through a hectic, four-day European visit for Trump, who addressed thousands of Poles in an outdoor speech in Warsaw, Poland, on Thursday. He met in Germany with Chancellor Angela Merkel, the summit host, and had dinner with two Asian allies  Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and South Korean President Moon Jae-in  to discuss North Korea's aggression.
Hamburg: US president Donald Trump said on Friday he still wants Mexico to pay for a planned border wall, as he met his Mexican counterpart for the first time as head of state.

Asked at the meeting with Enrique Pena Nieto on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany, if he still wanted Mexico to pay for the wall, Trump said: "Absolutely".

Before that, both presidents delivered statements with Trump hailing the "successful day" so far.

"We're negotiating NAFTA (the North American Free Trade Agreement) and some other things with Mexico and we'll see how it all turns out, but I think we've made very good progress," Trump said.

Pena Nieto, through a translator, said that the meeting will help the two countries continue a "flowing dialogue", in particular "for the security of both nations, especially for our borders."

The Mexican president noted that "migration" is an issue that has "occupied" both administrations. He added that it was a "co-responsibility to deal with organised crime issues."

Building a wall between Mexico and the United States to stop illegal immigration  and Mexico paying for it  was one of Trump's key campaign pledges in last year's election.

In January, Pena Nieto cancelled a trip to Washington in response to Trump's insistence on the issue, plunging the countries' relations into their biggest crisis in decades.

The two leaders have since spoken by phone, and a series of high-level meetings have eased the tension.

Trump first met Pena Nieto in August 2016 when he was still a presidential candidate.

That visit turned into a public relations nightmare for Pena Nieto, who was lambasted for welcoming the brash Republican billionaire despite his insults and threats.
Hamburg: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said the geopolitical situation in the Gulf, West Asia and in the Korean Peninsula is a matter of concern as he asked BRICS nations to be a voice for stability, reform, progress and governance at the world stage.

During an informal gathering of BRICS leaders in Hamburg hosted by the Chinese president on the sidelines of the G20 Summit, Modi said the ups and downs in the global politics and worsening security situation are affecting everyone.

"BRICS has to be a voice of stability, reform, progress and governance at the world stage," he told the presidents from BRICS nations - Michel Temer (Brazil), Vladimir Putin (Russia), Xi Jinping (China) and Jacob Zuma (South Africa).

Modi said that the spread of terrorism is a threat for societies in Asia and Europe as he expressed concern over its increasing influence in the war-torn Afghanistan.

The West Asian region has been marred by conflict between Israel and Palestine and battle against the Islamic State terror group, civil wars in Syria, Libya and Yemen. Millions of people have fled their homes in Iraq and Syria due to conflict.

In the Gulf, a group of Arab states including Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain has severed air, sea and ground links with Qatar, triggering a diplomatic crisis in the region where millions of Indians are working.

Saudi and its allies accuse Qatar of supporting terror groups and maintaining close relations with Iran. The crisis has raised concerns of growing instability in the region.

Narendra Modi also voiced concern over tensions in the Korean Peninsula, saying it is a matter of concern.

Modi's remarks came in the backdrop of the US warning to North Korea that it would use military force in response to Pyongyang's "reckless" launch of a ballistic missiles. The US also blasted China and Russia for "holding the hands" of the reclusive nation's "vicious dictator" Kim Jong Un.
Hamburg: Chinese president Xi Jinping on Friday urged the BRICS countries to push for "peaceful settlement" of regional disputes, amidst a standoff between India and China in Sikkim and Beijing's growing assertiveness in the disputed South and East China seas.

Xi made the remarks at an informal leaders' meeting of the BRICS, which groups Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, ahead of a Group of 20 summit in the German port city of Hamburg, China's state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

He pressed the BRICS members to unswervingly build an open world economy, champion multilateralism and promote common development.

The BRICS leaders exchanged views on the current international political and economic circumstances and the G20's priorities, and reached important agreements on strengthening BRICS unity and coordination, jointly improving global economic governance and promoting sustainable development, the report said.

The Chinese leader, who presided over the meeting, also called on the BRICS countries to "push for peaceful settlement of regional conflicts and disputes, and to consolidate the role of the G20 mechanism as the premier platform for international economic cooperation," the report said.

The Xinhua report did not elaborate on what Xi meant by "regional disputes".

Apart from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi, the meeting was attended by Brazilian president Michel Temer, Russian president Vladimir Putin and South African president Jacob Zuma.

The leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, pledged to work together for positive results at the BRICS summit in the southeastern Chinese seaside city of Xiamen later this year.

China and India have been engaged in a stand-off in the Doka La area near the Bhutan tri-junction for the past three weeks after a People's Liberation Army construction party attempted to build a road. Doka La is the Indian name for the region which Bhutan recognises as Dokalam while China claims it as part of its Donglang region.

China is also engaged in hotly contested territorial disputes in both the South China Sea and the East China Sea. Beijing has built up artificial islands and militarised many of them.

Both the South China Sea and the East China Sea areas are stated to be rich in minerals, oil and other natural resources. They are also vital to global trade.

China claims sovereignty over all of South China Sea. Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines, Brunei and Taiwan have counter claims.

China also lays claim to tiny islands in the East China Sea between Japan and the Korean peninsula, and between Japan and Taiwan.

The US on Friday said it has flown two bombers over East Asian waters, as tensions continue to run high in the region. The B-1B Lancers took part in joint military drills with Japan in the East China Sea, the US Air Force said in a statement. They bombers then flew over the highly contentious South China Sea.

The US had also recently sent a navy warship near an artificial island in the South China Sea as part of the first "freedom of navigation" operation under President Donald Trump.

China has previously termed the US' move as "irresponsible" and warned that America's deliberate provocations would have "extremely dangerous consequences" to regional stability.
Hamburg: Chinese president Xi Jinping on Friday urged the BRICS members to unswervingly build an open world economy, champion multilateralism and promote common development.

Xi put forward the proposals at an informal leaders' meeting of the emerging-market bloc, which groups Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, ahead of a Group of 20 (G20) Summit in the German port city of Hamburg, Xinhua news agency reported.

The BRICS leaders exchanged views on the current international political and economic circumstances and the G20's priorities, and reached important agreements on strengthening BRICS unity and coordination, jointly improving global economic governance and promoting sustainable development.

The Chinese leader, who presided over the meeting, also called on the BRICS countries to push for peaceful settlement of regional conflicts and disputes, and to consolidate the role of the G20 mechanism as the premier platform for international economic cooperation.

Meanwhile, the leaders pledged to work together for positive results at the BRICS Summit in the southeastern Chinese seaside city of Xiamen later this year.
Washington: The Donald Trump administration is being drawn further into the crisis engulfing Qatar and many of its West Asian neighbours, a diplomatic tussle that it wanted to avoid.

Despite numerous United States appeals for Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt to resolve their issues with Qatar on their own, the state department said on Thursday that Secretary of State Rex Tillerson would visit the region next week in a bid to mediate a solution.

Spokeswoman Heather Nauert said Tillerson would visit Kuwait, which has been trying to broker an agreement, on Monday after stops in Ukraine and Turkey. She said Tillerson would meet with Kuwaiti officials, but his presence in the region leaves open the possibility that he may try to shuttle between the neighboring countries to forge a resolution.

The four nations cut off diplomatic ties to Qatar a month ago, accusing the tiny nation of funding terrorism and spreading unrest. Qatar has refused to comply in whole with a list of demands from its neighbours.

The United States has been supporting Kuwait's mediation efforts, but Tillerson's trip will mark a new level of American involvement in trying to broker a resolution.

Earlier Thursday, Nauert warned that the crisis over Qatar may not be quickly resolved.

"We've become increasingly concerned that that dispute is at an impasse at this point," she said. "We believe that this could potentially drag on for weeks; it could drag on for months; it could possibly even intensify."

She didn't specify what type of escalation the United States fears. But she said Tillerson remains in close contact with the countries involved.
Mosul: Islamic State fighters holding out in Mosul on a strip of land along the Tigris River are increasingly using suicide bombers in a desperate attempt to slow the steady advance of Iraqi forces, military commanders said on Thursday.

Iraqi forces pushing towards the al-Maydan and al-Shareen districts in the northern Iraqi city broke the militants' defences and have reached within 200 metres (yards) of the riverbank.

But they encountered stiff resistance from an estimated few hundred militants lodged among thousands of civilians in the Old City's maze of alleyways, particularly from foreign suicide bombers, Iraqi commanders said.

The military has predicted final victory this week after a grinding eight-month assault to oust Islamic State from the once two-million-strong city.

Mosul is by far the largest city ruled by Islamic State. It was here, three years ago, that the group declared the founding of its "caliphate" over parts of Iraq and neighbouring Syria.

Lieutenant General Sami Aridhi of the elite counter-terrorism service said Islamic State fighters were increasingly detonating explosives among civilians fleeing towards security forces and had even resorted to using women suicide bombers.

"They have begun to wait for the troops to reach them and then blow themselves up. They can't do any more than that," he told state television.

"They surge forward just to obstruct the troops, not to hold land or retain any other positions because, God willing, their end is clear to everyone and they are convinced that this is their end," he said.

Once Mosul has gone, Islamic State's territory in Iraq will be limited to areas west and south of the city where some tens of thousands of civilians live, and it is expected to keep up asymmetric attacks across the country.

Iraqi forces have reduced the territory under Islamic State control to 250 square metres, a senior official in the international coalition supporting Iraqi forces told Reuters.

"It has been a tough fight but we anticipated that right throughout this campaign because youre looking at a dispersed, disintegrated and demoralised enemy in those last pockets of Mosul," said New Zealand Army Brigadier Hugh McAslan.

"Throughout the last couple of weeks, we've seen exploitation of the population and an increase of atrocities against the local population as they look to flee a cruel and brutal occupation."

Air strikes continued to rain down just beyond the frontline on Thursday, and wounded soldiers, some displaying blast wounds, were evacuated.

Civilians interviewed on state TV said they had fled al-Maydan district, which is one of a handful of districts along the riverbank still in Islamic State hands.

McAslan said it was increasingly difficult to distinguish between fighters and local residents, whom Islamic State had coerced into taking up arms.

Prime Minister Haider Abadi declared the end of Islamic State's "state of falsehood" a week ago, after security forces took Mosul's medieval Grand al-Nuri mosque.

Months of grinding urban warfare have displaced 900,000 people, about half the city's pre-war population, and killed thousands, according to aid organisations.

The United Nations predicts it will cost more than $1 billion to repair basic infrastructure in Mosul, while Iraq's Kurdish leader said on Thursday in a Reuters interview that the Baghdad government had failed to prepare a post-battle political, security and governance plan.

The offensive has damaged thousands of structures in Mosul's Old City and destroyed nearly 500 buildings, satellite imagery released by the United Nations on Thursday showed.

In some of the worst affected areas, almost no buildings appear to have escaped damage, and city's dense construction means the extent of the destruction might be underestimated, the U.N. said. More damage is expected before the fighting ends.
London: The head of the public inquiry into the Grenfell Tower inferno in west London that claimed at least 80 lives is facing hostility from displaced residents.

Survivors of the blaze expressed concern over Martin Moore-Bick's planned inquiry at a meeting Thursday night and asked why there have been no arrests.

The retired judge said he will investigate to the "very best" once the inquiry begins.

Residents said they were frustrated with the inquiry plans.

"People firmly believe that arrests should be made as a result of the outcome of all of this," said resident Melvyn Akins. "If arrests are not made, people are going to feel justice may not be being done."

The 14 June fire destroyed a public housing apartment block. The fire quickly spread along the 24-story building's exterior.
London: The Libyan-origin suicide bomber, who carried out the terror attack in Manchester city killing 22 people, did not act alone, police said, indicating that more arrests are likely.

The Greater Manchester police said that their investigation into the terror attack carried out by Salman Abedi, 22, at the end of a concert by American pop star Ariana Grande in May, is likely to lead to further arrests.

Detective Chief Superintendent Russ Jackson, head of counterterrorism in north-west England, said that Abedi had carried the explosive device through the streets of Manchester for "several hours" before blowing up at his intended target.

"We are still working to understand the manner by which he became radicalised," Jackson told reporters at Greater Manchester Police headquarters this week.

Abedi's family is from Libya but fled during the dictatorship of Muammar Gaddafi. Abedi travelled to Libya numerous times and police are investigating how he learnt to make a bomb. Detectives are working with Libyan authorities to question Abedi's brother, 20-year-old Hashem, who is being held in Tripoli. He was arrested along with their father Ramadan.

"Salman Abedi travelled to Libya a number of times in his life. What we are looking at is the number of ways he learned the skills to build the device," Jackson said. Officers are still searching for a blue suitcase in a landfill site, which has been described as a "key line in the inquiry".

The police investigation into the attack is expected to continue for "many, many months to come" as police have 16,000 hours of CCTV footage and 755 statements to analyse.

More than 250 people were hurt with injuries ranging from paralysis and loss of limbs to internal and facial injuries in the blast.

The bomb had a "devastating" impact and gouged out a section of the concrete floor of Manchester Arena in the heart of the city. Greater Manchester Police also disclosed more emotional details of the aftermath of the attack on 22 May, describing how forensics officers had used roses and nameplates to pinpoint where the bodies of families' loved ones fell in a dignified way.
Hamburg: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday arrived in the German city Hamburg to attend the G20 Summit, after wrapping up his historic three-day visit to Israel.

He will attend the summit hosted by Germany on 7 and 8 July.

The theme of the summit this year is 'Shaping an Inter-connected World'.

"PM @narendramodi reaches Hamburg for the G20 Summit. Key multilateral and bilateral engagements will take place through the summit," the Prime Minister's Office tweeted.

PM @narendramodi reaches Hamburg for the G20 Summit. Key multilateral and bilateral engagements will take place through the Summit. pic.twitter.com/2L5NYuV5lR  PMO India (@PMOIndia) July 6, 2017

On the sidelines of the summit, Modi is to participate in a meeting of leaders of the BRICS  Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa  grouping tomorrow. He is also set to hold bilateral meetings with some of the world leaders there.

The G20, founded in 1999, comprises a mix of the world's largest and emerging economies, representing about two-thirds of the world's population, 85 percent of global gross domestic product and over 75 per cent of global trade.

The members of this summit are Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, the United Kigdom, the United States, and the European Union.
Finally, fresh data on Indo - US relationship - via FICCI and East West Centre.

The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry has partnered with The East West Centre in the US to crank out a timely and much needed update to the data that inform the Indo-US engagement across social and economic spheres.

This time, both India and the US during the Modi-Trump summit in Washington DC went the distance to shine a light on how many jobs are supported by bilateral trade. The FICCI report goes a step further and lists out a statewise break up for many of the trade verticals.

Titled "India matters for America, America matters for India", the report highlights eight crucial intersects: Security, trade, jobs arising from that trade, investment flows, Indian American diaspora and an interesting addition to a typical Indo-US longlist - sister relationships between states and cities in the US and India.

The FICCI reports comparison of the two countries GDP and per capita data is telling. With a population of 321 million, US GDP is $18 trillion while India has a 1.3 billion population and GDP of $ 2.1 trillion.

Just for context on data and scale, just New York States GDP alone is at least half or a tad more than 50% of India's GDP.

New York States GDP was $1.4 trillion. On an inflation-adjusted basis from 2009, the States real GDP was $1.28 trillion.

On military expenditure as a percentage of GDP, India is inching towards the American gold standard - US is at 3.3% while India weighs in at 2.4%.

It takes just under 6 days to start a business in the US, the corresponding number for India is 26 days.

Defense trade between the two countries has ballooned to over $ 15 billion now. India and US collaborate on at least 10 different military exercises and India has bought 6 varieties of defence equipment from the US since 2000 - C-130 Hercules transport aircraft, P-8I Poseidon ASW aircraft, RGM-84L Harpoon-2 anti-ship missile, C-17A Globemaster-3 heavy transport aircraft, AH-64D Apache combat helicopter and the CH-47F Chinook transport helicopter.

US exports amounted to $21.5 billion in goods and $18.1 billion in services to India in 2015. The United States is the top destination for Indian goods, accounting for 14% of Indias goods exports.

Within this, the subset of state-wise trade is illuminating.

Montana, up north west in the US, grew its trade with 62% between 2004 and 2015.

For Missouri in the US midwest, India is the fastest growing export market with an annual uptick of 23%.

Another western state Nevada pegs India as its 3rd largest goods export market in 2016.

US goods imports from India increased from $11 billion in 2000 to almost $45 billion in 2015.

Every US state exports to India, and these exports support more than 260,000 jobs directly and indirectly. Thirty-one states have more than 1,000 jobs dependent on exports to India, while an additional six states have 10,000 jobs or more. Per capita, exports to India support the most jobs in Maine, Nevada, the District of Columbia, New York, and California. Exports to India comprise the greatest percentage of export-dependent jobs in Nevada, New York, West Virginia, California, and the District of Columbia, says the FICCI report.

The student population in the US grew 25% year on year with a total of 166,000 Indian students in the United States during the 2015/16 academic year and contributed over $5 billion to the economy - these numbers have been confirmed by the White House too.

A senior White House official said Indian students in the US support 64,000 jobs in the country.

According to the FICCI report, Indian students make up 16% of all international students in the United States.

As for the diaspora, Indian Americans are the third largest Asian ethnic group in the United States after the Chinese and Filipinos. The 3.5 million strong Indian American community makes up approximately 18% of the Asian American population in the United States.

Shalabh Kumar of the Republican Hindu Coalition who raised $10 million for Donald Trump before the 2016 election claims that 1 million Hindu Americans swithced camps and voted Trump in 2016.
Niamey: Niger authorities rescued 67 West African migrants in Niger's northern desert this week after traffickers left them there without food or water, a humanitarian source told AFP on Friday.

One of the migrants later died.

"Sixty-seven migrants near death were saved (Wednesday) by defence and security forces near the town of Seguedine in the middle of the desert," the source said.

The migrants had left the town of Agadez "on three vehicles" before being "abandoned without provisions by the traffickers," the source added.

Agadez is a remote town in Niger on the edge of the Sahara that has become the smuggling capital of Africa, where traffickers prey on would-be migrants headed for a better life in Europe.

Seguedine lies about 635 kilometres to the northeast of Agadez.

Last year, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) recorded 335,000 migrants heading northwards out of Niger, some heading for Algeria, but most going to Libya in hope of either finding work there or boarding a boat to Europe.

The 750-kilometre trip from Agadez to the Libyan border takes between two and three days with only very short petrol and toilet stops on the way.

Many do not make it.

In early June, at least 44 Libya-bound migrants, including women and babies, died of thirst in the Sahara desert after their vehicle broke down in scorching conditions. A local radio station said 52 bodies were discovered.

Later that month, 24 migrants were rescued in the same area, but dozens more were presumed dead. The migrants were part of a group of at least 70 people who had left Agadez for Libya.

According to IOM, 600 West Africa migrants have been saved since April from the Niger desert after being abandoned by smugglers.

That part of the Sahara Desert, known as Tenere, has become "an actual open-air cemetary," local officials have warned.
Islamabad: Pakistan on Friday said that there will be no peace in the region until the issue of Kashmir is resolved.

It was stated during a National Security Committee meeting chaired by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif during which matters pertaining to national security and foreign policy were discussed, Sharif's office said in a statement.

"The participants reiterated that regional peace and progress was directly linked to the resolution of all outstanding issues including the core issue of Jammu and Kashmir," the statement said.

It further said that Pakistan continues to work for peace and progress in Afghanistan through an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace process with the help of both regional and global partners, and will continue to strive for the return of normalcy in Afghanistan at the earliest.

"This, however, requires simultaneous efforts by the Afghan government for restoring effective control on its territory," it said.

It was reiterated in the meeting that Pakistan has acted as a frontline state in global counterterrorism efforts with unparalleled sacrifices and successes.

"No other country in the world has done as much for global safety and security as Pakistan at a huge cost of both men and material," the statement added.

The meeting was attended by Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, Adviser to Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz and National Security Advisor Lieutenant General (R) Nasser Khan Janjua.

Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee General Zubair Mahmood Hayat, Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Muhammad Zakaullah, Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Sohail Aman and Director General ISI Lieutenant General Naveed Mukhtar also attended the meeting.
Islamabad: Pakistan on Thursday expressed concern over the reported sale of advanced weapons to India by some countries, saying it would undermine the strategic balance in the region.

"Pakistan will continue to raise its voice at the international fora which should objectively assess its actions and policies towards South Asian region," Foreign Office spokesperson Nafees Zakaria said at his weekly media briefing.

His comments came amid reports that the United States has cleared the sale of predator Guardian drones to India.

Zakaria said Pakistan was alive toward the issue of its national security which would be safeguarded at every cost.

He also rejected allegations about presence of the Haqqani network in Pakistan and said that it was just "rhetoric" and effort to shift blame on his country.

"The killing of a number of commanders of Haqqani network in Afghanistan clearly indicate that the group is based in Afghanistan and not operating from Pakistan," he said.

He also claimed that in Pakistan there was no organised presence of any terror outfit like the Taliban, Jamaat-ul Ahrar, Islamic State and Al-Qaeda.

Zakaria said that during the visit of the United States delegation headed by Senator John McCain, matters pertaining to Afghanistan were discussed.

He repeated Pakistan's support for an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace process. He alleged that New Delhi was against peace in the war-torn country.

The spokesperson also said that there are reports of Indian forces using ammunition containing chemical agents and precursors in Kahsmir. "We call upon the international community, particularly, relevant International organizations to initiate investigations into these reports," he added.
Hamburg: German police clashed with violent protesters Thursday in Hamburg a day ahead of the Group of 20 summit, using water cannons, pepper spray and batons to disperse marchers after some attacked them with bottles and other objects.

The skirmishes came hours before the two-day gathering of the world's top economic powers gets under way on Friday morning in Germany's second-biggest city.

Its host, German chancellor Angela Merkel, said she hoped the leaders would be able to find "compromises and answers" on a wide range of issues, although the prospects of finding common ground on climate change and trade were uncertain.

Thursday evening's protest as the G20 leaders arrived in Hamburg was titled "G20: Welcome to Hell," and a standoff between hardcore anti-capitalist protesters and police developed before the march itself really got going.

Police said they repeatedly asked some demonstrators to remove their masks, to no avail. They then decided to separate the group from the rest of the march, which they estimated at 12,000 people in total.

Black-hooded protesters attacked a police vehicle with bottles and bricks, breaking its window.

Organisers quickly called an end to the march after the violence broke out, police said. Skirmishes continued, with police advancing down the street with two water cannons while being pelted with bottles by a group of black-clad people.

A nearby building was plastered with the slogan "Borderless solidarity instead of nationalism: attack the G20." A small group on the roof set off fireworks. Police said windows at a furniture store and a bank were damaged. There was no immediate word on a number of arrests or injuries.

Many other groups are calling for peaceful protests and are pushing the G-20 leaders for action to fight climate change and address economic disparities in the world. Some are even calling for the dissolution of the G20 itself so the United Nations becomes the platform for such discussions.

In all, more than 1,00,000 protesters are expected in Hamburg for the summit, with some 8,000 considered part of Europe's violent left-wing scene, according to police.

The northern port city has boosted its police with reinforcements from around the country and has 20,000 officers on hand to patrol Hamburg's streets, skies and waterways.

Merkel is also hoping to keep things under control inside the city congress center where the summit is being held. With guests including United States president Donald Trump, Russian president Vladimir Putin and Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the search for compromises is expected to be challenging.

Merkel said leaders would address regulating financial markets, fighting terrorism and pandemics and combatting climate change, among other issues. She said "free, rule-based and fair trade" will be an important issue.

"You can imagine that there will be discussions that will not be easy," she said. "Globalisation can be a win-win situation. It must not always be that there are winners and losers."

In the wake of Trump's recent decision to pull out of the Paris deal fighting climate change, the battle against global warming promises to feature prominently in discussions at the summit.

Merkel has rejected calls from some to push for a strong "G19" statement  without the United States  on climate change. That is something that Zhu Guangyao, a Chinese deputy finance minister, told reporters Thursday that Beijing also did not support.

"The policies produced by the G-20 should be by the consensus of all member states," he said. "No one should be excluded."

Still, he added, "China will firmly promote its policies taking more measures against climate change."
Washington: Russian spies are ramping up their intelligence-gathering efforts in the US, according to current and former US intelligence officials, who say they have noticed an increase since the presidential election.

The officials say they believe one of the biggest US adversaries feels emboldened by the lack of a significant retaliatory response from both the Trump and former US president Barack Obama administrations, CNN reported on Thursday.

"Russians have maintained an aggressive collection posture in the US, and their success in election meddling has not deterred them," said a former senior intelligence official familiar with Trump administration efforts.

Russians could also be seeking more information on Trump's administration, which is new and still unpredictable to Moscow, according to Steve Hall, retired CIA chief of operations.

"Whenever there is a deterioration of relations between countries  the espionage and intelligence collection part becomes that much more important as they try to determine the plans and intentions of the adversarial government," Hall said.

Since the November election, US intelligence and law enforcement agencies have detected an increase in suspected Russian intelligence officers entering the US under the guise of other business, according to multiple current and former senior US intelligence officials.

The Russians are believed to now have nearly 150 suspected intelligence operatives in the US, these sources said. Officials who spoke to CNN say the Russians are replenishing their ranks after the US in December expelled 35 Russian diplomats suspected of spying in retaliation for election-meddling.

"The concerning point with Russia is the volume of people that are coming to the US. They have a lot more intelligence officers in the US" compared to what they have in other countries, one of the former intelligence officials says.

The FBI, which is responsible for counterintelligence efforts in the US, would not comment for the story.

Fueling law enforcement officials' concern is that the Russians are targeting people in the US who can provide access to classified information, in addition to ongoing efforts to hack the US government for intelligence, according to several of the officials.

In some cases, Russian spies have tried to gain employment at places with sensitive information as part of their intelligence-gathering efforts, the sources say.
Beijing: China on Friday said India was claiming Doka La as part of the tri-junction with Bhutan out of "ulterior motives". Beijing reiterated that New Delhi had violated the 1890 treaty between Britain and China.

China said the place where Indian troops "trespassed" was 2,000 meters from the point marked by China as the tri-junction border between India, China and Bhutan. "The so-called tri-junction point, as its name implies, is a point instead of a line or area. The convention between Britain and China relating to Tibet and Sikkim in 1890 states that Sikkim section of the China-India boundary commences at Mount Gipmochi," China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said.

"The illegal trespass by India border troops took place at the Sikkim section of the China-India boundary, 2,000 meters away from Mount Gipmochi. It has nothing to do with the tri-junction point," he added. "In disregard of the boundary convention, the Indian side takes the entire Doklam region as part of the tri-junction, that is out of ulterior motives. The Indian side introduced the idea of tri-junction point into the incident and attempts to enlarge the point into an area. That is absurd and out of ulterior motives."

Beijing and Thimphu both claim Doka La, where the Chinese were stopped by the Indian Army from building a road. New Delhi's objection to road building by the Chinese army in Doka La, a strategic point near India's crucial Siliguri corridor, is because of the pending ownership of the area. Beijing calls the road construction "just", saying Doklam is part of its territory.

China has been asking India to withdraw its troops from the area in order for a dialogue to take place. Indian and Chinese troops have been engaged in a standoff there since mid-June.

India has said Beijing's action to "unilaterally determine tri-junction points" violated a 2012 India-China pact which says the boundary would be decided by consulting all the concerned parties. The two countries, which fought a brief but bitter war in 1962, share over 200 km of border in the Sikkim sector.
Washington: US warplanes have flown over the disputed South China Sea, the US Air Force said Friday, a move aimed at asserting freedom of navigation rights in the hotly-contested area.

The flights come as both US president Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping attend the G20 meeting in Hamburg.

A US B1-B bomber and two F-15 fighters with the Japan Air Self-Defense Force departed Guam's Andersen Air Force Base and flew over the neighbouring East China Sea late on Thursday, the US Pacific Air Forces Public Affairs office said.

This is "the first time US Pacific Command-directed B-1B Lancers have conducted combined training with JASDF fighters at night," the statement read.

When the bilateral operations concluded, "the B-1Bs proceeded to the South China Sea before returning to Andersen Air Force Base," the statement read.

It was not immediately clear when or if a second US B1-B bomber joined for the South China Sea leg of the operation.

The mission "demonstrates how the US will continue to exercise the rights of freedom of navigation anywhere international law allows," the US statement read.

"Flying and training at night with our allies in a safe, effective manner is an important capability shared between the US and Japan," said Major Ryan Simpson, Pacific Air Forces chief of bomber operations.

The joint military flight demonstrates US-Japanese "solidarity ... to defend against provocative and destabilising actions in the Pacific theatre," the statement added.

Beijing claims nearly all of the South China Sea, parts of which are also claimed by Taiwan and Southeast Asian nations including the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam.

China has rapidly built reefs in the area into artificial islands capable of hosting military planes.

China also lays claim to tiny islands in the East China Sea between Japan and the Korean peninsula, and between Japan and Taiwan.
Beijing: China on Friday accused the US of trying to "flaunt military force" to harm its sovereignty in name of freedom of navigation after two American bombers flew over the disputed South China Sea disregarding Beijing's claims over the area.

The B-1B Lancer bombers from Guam airbase flew over South China Sea on late Thursday as part of operations intended to demonstrate the US commitment to freedom of navigation, the US Air Force said in a statement.

Asked about the flight by the US bombers, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told media inBeijing that there was no problem with freedom of navigation or overflight for the East and South China Seas.

"But China resolutely opposes individual countries using the banner of freedom of navigation and overflight to flaunt military force and harm China's sovereignty and security," Geng said.

China and Japan have a dispute over the uninhabited islands in the East China Sea.

In a statement, the defence ministry said China always maintained its vigilance and "effectively monitors relevant countries' military activities next to China. The Chinese military will resolutely safeguard national sovereignty and security as well as regional peace and stability."

China claims sovereignty over all of South China Sea.

Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines, Brunei and Taiwan have counter claims.

China is engaged in hotly contested territorial disputes in both the South China Sea and the East China Sea. Beijing has built up and militarised many of the islands and reefs it controls in the region.

Since Donald Trump took over the presidency, US dispatched two warships close to the artificial islands built by China to assert freedom of navigation.

The US flights over the South China Sea came as Trump is due to meet his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Hamburg to discuss among others the latest ICBM test by North Korea, which could reach US state of Alaska.

Trump has expressed unhappiness over China not doing enough to contain its ally North Korea.
Beirut: US-backed forces struggled to gain ground against the Islamic State group in Syria's Raqqa on Friday, facing a wave of car bombs and mortars unleashed by the jihadists, a monitor said.

The Syrian Democratic Forces penetrated Raqqa's Old City earlier this week after US-led coalition air strikes pierced two holes in its ramparts.

But the SDF and a unit of allied Arab fighters called the Syrian Elite Forces have made little progress inside the historical quarter, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said.

"Islamic State is using car bombs, mortar fire, and snipers to wage a counter-offensive inside the Old City," Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman said.

The Observatory estimates that up to 30 percent of Raqqa has been captured by the US-backed forces since they entered the city on 6 June.

Mohammad Khaled Shaker, a spokesman for the Syrian Elite Forces, told AFP there had been no notable advance on Friday.

"There are some clashes, but we have not reached the city centre yet," he told AFP.

Islamic State overran Raqqa in early 2014 and it has since become infamous as the de facto Syrian capital of the group's so-called "caliphate".

An estimated 2,500 jihadists are left defending Raqqa, according to the US-led coalition.

The global alliance is providing the SDF with air cover, weapons, equipment, and special operations forces on the ground as advisers.

The Observatory reported on Thursday that the coalition delivered a large shipment of weapons, ammunition and armoured vehicles to the SDF via Iraq.
Ankara: Officials say suspected Kurdish militants have detonated an improvised explosive device in southeastern Turkey as the armored vehicle of a district official was passing by. No one was hurt in the attack.

The blast occurred Friday in the town of Baykan in the mostly Kurdish province of Siirt. It came days after two ruling party officials serving in district organisations were killed in attacks also blamed on the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK.

Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said an operation was launched in the area to catch the assailants, adding that such attacks would not "end (Turkey's) patience and determination" in the fight against the PKK.

A cease-fire between Turkey and the PKK collapsed in 2015, reigniting a more than three-decade-long conflict that has left an estimated 40,000 people dead.
Ankara: Turkey's state-run news agency says Turkish police have detained 29 suspected Islamic State group militants in raids in Istanbul.

Anadolu Agency says 22 of the militants detained on Friday are foreign nationals. It didn't provide details on their nationalities.

The report says they were caught in raids at 20 different locations around Istanbul.

Anadolu says the suspects are believed to have fought with Islamic State in Syria and were making plans to return to the conflict-torn country.
London: The British government has launched a new project titled the 'Grand Trunk Road' to mark the 70th anniversary of India's Partition in August 1947 with volunteers from the Muslim, Sikh and Hindu communities in the UK coming together to stage special events.

The UK-wide project was launched this week to bring British Asians of all faiths and backgrounds together to reflect on their shared history through 11 special events funded by the Department for Communities and Local Government.

The aim is for the participants to remember lives lost and learn about the history of Partition first-hand from those who lived through the violence, displacement and ultimately the birth of India, Pakistan and eventually Bangladesh in 1971.

"Partition and its aftermath is part of who we are, whether we call ourselves Muslim, Sikh or Hindu, Pakistani, Bangladeshi or Indian," said UK communities secretary Sajid Javid.

"I hope this brave project will encourage British Asians of all three faiths to reflect on the divisions that ripped us apart in the past, thereby bringing us closer together in the future," he said.

Volunteers from Muslim, Sikh and Hindu communities will get together to stage events, including a play written, produced and performed by a group of Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs to tell the story of the 1948 London Olympics, the first time India and Pakistan met as competing nations in the country from which they had just gained independence.

An exhibition in Leicester tracing the history of migration from the subcontinent to East Africa will explore the impact of Partition from a different perspective.

It will explore the relationships formed, as Hindus, Sikhs and Muslims of South Asian background were forced to flee to the UK in the wake of Idi Amin's upheaval in 1972.

The exhibition will allow visitors to listen to the testimony of local residents.

UK minister for faith Lord Bourne said, "Just as the Grand Trunk Road has tied together India and Pakistan and their diverse cultures and faiths for millennia, this project will highlight the rich history that British Sikhs, Muslims and Hindus share.

"Events will be taking place up and down the country that will bring communities from the subcontinent together, foster new relationships and encourage friends and neighbours to document and share their memories of Partition."

A women's group in Slough in south-east England for Hindu, Muslim and Sikh women of all ages will also be set up to talk about the impact of Partition on their own families.

The UK government said it hoped that the conversation will lead to a more formal event for the whole community.

According to the Department for Communities and Local Government, the aim of all the events is to bring people together from the three main faiths of the Indian subcontinent to hold events that can explore a range of different experiences around the history of Partition and its aftermath.

A focus on lived experience and testimony will help to put in context the impact of this division in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and in Britain itself.
United Nations: The president of the United Nations conference drafting what could be the first treaty to ban nuclear weapons says 129 countries have agreed on the text, which is expected to be formally adopted on Friday although all nuclear-armed nations are boycotting the effort.

Elayne Whyte Gomez, Costa Rica's ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, told reporters on Thursday that "this will be a historic moment and it will be the first multilateral nuclear disarmament treaty to be concluded in more than 20 years."

She said that following Wednesday's final review of the text, she is "convinced that we have achieved a general agreement on a robust and comprehensive prohibition on nuclear weapons." Last December, United Nations member states overwhelmingly approved a resolution calling for negotiations on a treaty to outlaw nuclear weapons.
Samsung has posted its earnings guidance for the second quarter of 2017, which reveals that it will post an all time high 13.9 ~ 14.1 trillion Korean won (US$12.1 billion approx.) in operating profits for the quarter, 72% up from a year earlier. This will beat the 10.16 trillion won (~US$9.6 billion) that it posted back in Q3 2013. Last quarter it posted operating profit of 9.9 trillion won (about $8.7 billion) on revenue of 50.55 trillion won.

This will also exceeded the analysts earlier expectation of 13.1 trillion won. The main reason for jump in profits is likely to be due to strong memory chip sales and price that could have helped Samsung to widen margins.

Revenue will rise about 18% from a year earlier to 59 ~ 61 trillion Korean won, compared to analysts forecast of 59 trillion won.

Samsung did not announce the performance of each business division. We should know the exact profit amount and division-wise results when Samsung releases its full earnings results later this month.

Source
Sonys Playstation Now library has crossed 500 games as it adds latest PS4 games, in addition to PS3 games so that you can now stream PS4 games to Windows PC. With a single subscription, you can play over 500+ PS4 and PS3 games, including PlayStation exclusives.



List of PS4 games on Playstation Now include:

Killzone Shadow Fall

God of War 3 Remastered

Saints Row IV: Re-Elected

WWE 2K16

Tropico 5

Ultra Street Fighter IV

F1 2015

Darksiders II Deathinitive Edition

Evolve

MX vs ATV Supercross Encore

Resogun

Helldivers

Broken Age

Dead Nation: Apocalypse Edition

Grim Fandango Remastered

Akibas Beat

Castlestorm Definitive Edition

Exist Archive: The Other Side of the Sky

Nidhogg

Super Mega Baseball

Sony said that 2K, Aksys, Capcom, Codemasters, Deep Silver, Double Fine, Kalypso, Loot Interactive, MESSHOF, Metalhead, NIS America, Ripstone, SNK, THQ Nordic, XSEED, Zen Studios, and more will release new PS4 and PS3 games later this year.

There is also a seven-day free trial on PlayStation 4 and Windows PC. Sony is bringing back its $9.99 intro offer for the first month for new subscribers and the 1-year subscription for $99.99.

Source
With the football World Cup kicking off in less than a month, bars and beer brewers are preparing themselves for a spike in beer consumption. But the alcoholic drink,... Read More
This blog covers software patent news and issues with a particular focus on wireless, mobile devices (smartphones, tablet computers, connected cars) as well as select antitrust matters surrounding those devices.
Four in ten Americans believe that President Trumps administration should forgive all federal student debt in order to help stimulate the economy, a new survey revealed Friday.

According to MoneyTips.com, nearly 42% agree or strongly agree that the government should wipe out all debt, while less than 37% disagree or strongly disagree with that move, and the remaining 21% neither agreed nor disagreed.

Drilling into the data, we found millennials (18-29) were especially passionate about student loan debt forgiveness, strongly agreeing with the idea nearly twice as much as those 50 and older. Even if older people are still paying off their loans, younger people paid more and borrowed more for higher education, Michael Dubrow, MoneyTips co-founder, tells FOX Business.

Additionally, the survey of 466 Americans found that women (around 47%) were more in favor of loan forgiveness than men, at around 37%.

This is a terrible idea because all students who have paid for their loans in full will be in an uproar. All of a sudden, others who came after them will benefit immensely to their tremendous sorrow, Reecy Aresty, founder of Payless for College, tells FOX Business. Also, what about parent loans? Will they also be forgiven? Theres more parent loans than there are student loans.

Christopher Krell, CFP and partner at Cassaday & Company in McLean, Va., agrees, saying in order to forgive 25% of the current $1.3 trillion dollars of the student loan debt in the U.S., it would cost almost $330 billionwhich is something that the government simply cant affordlet alone banks.

Some however think its a good idea. Miranda Marquit of Student Loan Hero told MoneyTips.com that student loan forgiveness would go a long way towards helping millennials feel stable enough to take the next steps in their financial lives, as well as even starting businesses.

On the campaign trail, Trump proposed student loan forgiveness after 15 years of repayment. However, Trump and his Secretary of Education Betsy Devos initial education budget have sought to eliminate current loan forgiveness programs.

Brandon Yahn, founder of Studentloansguy.com, says he thinks the current student loan forgiveness plans are a good thing for the country.

Public Service Loan Forgiveness incentivizes college graduates to take jobs with the government or non-profits. These programs attract top talent to work in the public sector and in positions that generally benefit society. The forgiveness programs still promote responsible repayment (e.g. you must make on-time payments every month), and allowing people to get rid of their debt faster could boost overall economic spending, Yahn tells FOX Business.

Read More From MoneyTips:

5 Financial Facts: Donald Trump

How To Get Your Free Credit Report

Government Tool Shutdown Causing Major Issues For Student Borrowers
Hackers are reportedly targeting the computer networks of companies that operate nuclear power stations and energy facilities.

In an interview on FOX Business After-the-Bell, former CIA officer Mike Baker said that these cyber threats on nuclear facilities are most likely from state-sponsored governments.

It could be state sponsored actors, it could be Russia, could be China, could be Iran, could be North Korea, and that frankly is more likely, he said.

The former CIA officer believes that the likelihood of these hackers gaining control of facility operations are unlikely. Baker noted that business management systems, which are hooked up to the internet, and physical controls are on separate systems.

Theres a gap. Theres whats referred to as an air gap between those systems, so you dont have that con activity with the internet. It makes it far more difficult for hackers to penetrate that system that controls physically whats going on inside a nuclear power plant, he said.

Baker commented that many believe that the next serious war will be fought in cyberspace.

Any probing of critical infrastructure, such as a nuclear power plant, kind of foretells what could be happening, he said, [Hackers] could be mapping out the networks.
The Canadian government issued an apology and an $8 million payment to former Guantanamo Bay prisoner Omar Khadr, a man who once pled guilty to killing an American soldier, after Canadas Supreme Court ruled officials had violated Khadrs rights.

"On behalf of the government of Canada, we wish to apologize to Mr. Khadr for any role Canadian officials may have played in relation to his ordeal abroad and any resulting harm," said the statement from Canadian Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale and Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland.

The Canadian government did not reveal the terms of the settlement, but a government official previously said the deal was worth $10.5 million Canadian dollars, or roughly $8 million U.S. dollars. Khadrs lawyers had accused Canadian officials have subjecting their client to inhumane treatment, including sleep deprivation, to obtain intelligence that was later shared with U.S. officials. Canadas top court agreed.

The settlement was announced on the same day U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions visited Guantanamo Bay as part of a mission to assess the military prisons ongoing operations. The trip marks Sessions first visit to the complex.

"Recent attacks in Europe and elsewhere confirm that the threat to our nation is immediate and real, and it remains essential that we use every lawful tool available to prevent as many attacks as possible," U.S. Justice Department spokesman Ian Prior said.

In 2002, a 15-year-old Khadr was captured after a battle with U.S. soldiers near a suspected al-Qaida compound in Afghanistan. U.S. Army Sgt. First Class Christopher Speer was killed in the attack by a grenade that officials suspected Khadr had thrown.

Khadr pleaded guilty in 2010 to charges that included murder and was sentenced to eight years plus the time he had already spent in custody. He returned to Canada two years later to serve the remainder of his sentence and was released in May 2015 pending an appeal of his guilty plea, which he said was made under duress.

The widow of Speer and another American soldier blinded by the grenade in Afghanistan filed a wrongful death and injury lawsuit against Khadr in 2014 fearing Khadr might get his hands on money from his wrongful imprisonment suit. A U.S. judge granted them $134.2 million in damages in 2015.

Lawyers for the Speer family and the injured soldier, Sgt. Layne Morris, filed an application in Canadian court last month with the hope that any money paid by the Canadian government to Khadr would go toward the widow and Morris. Some legal experts have expressed doubts that the application would succeed.

Don Winder, the lawyer for the Speer family and Morris, did not respond to messages seeking comment.

After his 2015 release from prison in Alberta, Omar Khadr apologized to the families of the victims. He said he rejects violent jihad and wants a fresh start to finish his education and work in health care. Now 30, he resides in an apartment in Edmonton, Alberta.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
They're big! They're bad (at least, their stock price performances have been)! They're major oil companies Royal Dutch Shell (NYSE: RDS-A) (NYSE: RDS-B) and ConocoPhillips (NYSE: COP)! Shell is the largest oil company in the world by revenue (rival ExxonMobil beats it by market cap), while Conoco is the world's largest independent oil and gas exploration and production company.

Despite a September rally for oil stocks, both of these titans are trading well below their highs. Let's see which one looks like the better buy right now.

Returns

Both Shell and Conoco have implemented bold strategies to thrive in the current low-oil-price environment. Shell's massive purchase of BG Group gave it exposure to liquefied natural gas. Conoco sold off most of its Canadian assets to help get its debt load under control. Now, while comparing these strategies is like comparing apples and oranges, there is a way to weigh how well each has been executing since it implemented them: Look to the companies' returns.

The three primary return metrics are return on equity, return on invested capital, and return on capital employed. Each measures how well a company's management is deploying its investors' money, and, as you can see, there's really no contest here:

Shell has been outperforming Conoco on all return metrics since mid-2015. Currently, Shell's return metrics, measured on a trailing-12-month basis, are all positive, while Conoco's are all negative. That means Shell's management is doing a better job at deploying investors' capital.

Winner: Royal Dutch Shell

Dividend yield

A good yield isn't just important to value investors. It also can help salve the pain of investors in beaten-down industries while they wait for share prices to recover. Unfortunately, many oil and gas exploration and production companies have slashed their dividends since the oil price crash in 2014.

ConocoPhillips was no exception. The company's dividend was $0.74 a share in 2015, yielding just under 7% at the time. But in 2016, such a hefty payout became unsustainable, and management -- wisely, in my opinion -- cut the dividend by almost two-thirds to $0.25 per share. It has since raised it to $0.265 a share, but the current yield of 2.1% is the lowest it's been in nearly 10 years.

It's also far lower than Royal Dutch Shell's, which held its dividend steady at $0.94 a share even as the stock price plummeted. That's given Shell a juicy 6% yield. In the industry, only BP's is higher, at 6.3%. So even if Shell cut its yield in half, it would still be higher than Conoco's.

Winner: Royal Dutch Shell.

And all the rest

OK, so it's pretty obvious that Shell is beating Conoco, two metrics to none. I therefore went looking for a metric under which Conoco would prevail over Shell. And... I couldn't find one. Not one.

I looked at the companies' debt: While Shell has far more long-term debt than Conoco ($77.6 billion compared to $27.3 billion), that's because it's a much larger company. On the debt-to-equity ratio, Conoco's is actually higher right now, 43.7 to 39.6. And Shell incurred a lot of its debt from its massive purchase of BG Group, which added a great deal of value to the company as well.

Cash flow and free cash flow metrics? Shell wins. Operating income and profitability metrics? Shell again. I even just picked a random metric -- which turned out to be Daily Value at Risk 5%, with a 10-year look-back. Bet you can guess which company's was better. (Hint: not Conoco's.)

Sorry, Conoco: I tried. I really did.

Winner: Royal Dutch Shell

Why Shell was destined to win

We have to remember that when we compare an independent oil and gas exploration and production company like Conoco to an integrated oil major like Shell, the oil major is going to have a lot of advantages that the independent doesn't. Size and economy of scale are both important, as are the lucrative refining and marketing operations that Shell has and Conoco lacks (having spun them off as Phillips 66 in 2012).

So it stands to reason that Shell is going to absolutely flatten ConocoPhillips when they go up against each other head to head. It's like a boxing match between a flyweight and a super heavyweight. Even if the flyweight is the world champ in his class, the super heavyweight will remain the odds-on favorite. And in this instance, it's Royal Dutch Shell over ConocoPhillips, hands down.

10 stocks we like better than ConocoPhillipsWhen investing geniuses David and Tom Gardner have a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the newsletter they have run for over a decade, Motley Fool Stock Advisor, has tripled the market.*

David and Tom just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy right now... and ConocoPhillips wasn't one of them! That's right -- they think these 10 stocks are even better buys.

Click here to learn about these picks!

*Stock Advisor returns as of September 5, 2017

John Bromels owns shares of BP. The Motley Fool owns shares of ExxonMobil. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
It's been nearly four years since Textron (NYSE: TXT) unveiled its new Scorpion light attack fighter jet -- a revolutionary new warbird, designed and built in record time with off-the-shelf parts, and costing just a fraction of what taxpayers pay for most modern fighter jets.

Able to carry more than 9,000 pounds of ordnance between its wings and internal weapons bay, flying at two-thirds the speed of sound, and reaching altitudes of 45,000 feet, Scorpion should be a Pentagon budget-cutter's dream. It's said to cost just $3,000 per hour to fly, and less than $20 million a unit to buy. Yet to date, Textron hasn't been able to sell a single one.

That may soon change.

Friends in high places

Last week we learned that President Donald Trump will nominate Textron Systems head Ellen Lord to become the Department of Defense's new undersecretary of defense for acquisition, technology, and logistics. If confirmed by the Senate, that would make her the Pentagon's chief weapons buyer, responsible for allocating a Defense Department budget that could reach $640 billion next year.

For Textron, the timing couldn't be more propitious.

Timing is everything

Right now, the Pentagon is considering spending $6 billion (or more) to buy a new light attack warplane to first supplement, and later maybe even replace, its fleet of A-10 Thunderbolt II ground attack fighters.

The A-10 force, although invaluable in providing close air support today, is aging and due for replacement. Historically, the Air Force has argued that new F-35 Lightning II fighter jets from Lockheed Martin can take over the A-10's mission. But at a price tag of $95 million each, and costing more than $67,000 per hour to fly, using stealthy fifth-generation strike aircraft for ground attack seems kind of like overkill -- and uneconomical to boot.

Which brings us to the Air Force's latest solution, dubbed the OA-X project. Here, the Air Force is exploring the possibility of buying a light attack fighter for close air support roles -- something probably less capable than the A-10, which is no longer in production, but a whole lot less expensive than Lockheed's F-35. Three planes are reported to be in contention for OA-X: Embraer's A-29 Super Tucano and Textron's AT-6 Wolverine -- both slow-moving turboprop aircraft -- and also Textron's Scorpion jet, a more capable ground attack plane that could also fight air-to-air.

Judging from the price tag the Air Force is looking to pay, and the capability it needs to buy, Textron's Scorpion appears to be tailor-made for the OA-X role. And if the person who will soon be in charge of buying weapons for the Pentagon hails from the same company that makes the Scorpion, well, one imagines that she might be inclined to agree with that assessment.

What it means for investors

At a valuation of just 0.9 times sales, Textron stock is currently the only large defense contractor stock selling for less than its sales -- my rule of thumb for spotting bargains in the defense sector. It may not remain this cheap for long, however, as it appears that I'm not the only one thinking Textron may get a leg up in future Pentagon purchasing decisions.

One day after Trump made his pick for Pentagon acquisitions chief known, shares of Textron stock were up nearly 4%.

10 stocks we like better than TextronWhen investing geniuses David and Tom Gardner have a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the newsletter they have run for over a decade, Motley Fool Stock Advisor, has tripled the market.*

David and Tom just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy right now... and Textron wasn't one of them! That's right -- they think these 10 stocks are even better buys.

Click here to learn about these picks!

*Stock Advisor returns as of June 5, 2017

Rich Smith has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Textron. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
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HAMBURG, Germany (AP) a President Donald Trump voiced optimism that there are "very positive things" in store for the United States and Russia as he sat down with President Vladimir Putin for an historic first meeting.

Seated next to Putin on the sidelines of an economic summit in Germany, Trump said it was "an honor" to be with Putin. As journalists were briefly allowed in to witness part of the meeting, Trump said that he and Putin had already held "very, very good talks."

"We look forward to a lot of very positive things happening for Russia and the United States," Trump said.

Trump offered no details about what issues he and the Russian leader had discussed, describing them only as "various things." Putin was similarly vague, telling reporters through a translator that they were discussing international problems and bilateral issues.

Still, Putin described the fact that they were meeting as a positive sign in itself.

"Phone conversation is never enough," Putin said. He said he hoped the meeting would "yield positive results."

With Secretary of State Rex Tillerson at his side, Trump sat in front of an American flag with his hands clasped together in triangle formation. Putin, slightly hunched in his chair, rubbed his fingers together as he listened to Trump address reporters. His foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov, sat nearby.

The highly anticipated meeting is the first between Trump and Putin, taking place under the shadow of U.S. outrage about Russian election-meddling and nagging questions about potential Trump campaign collusion. The White House had said there was no set agenda for the session, although Tillerson said the Syria war would be a key topic.
Leaders from the world's top economies prepared for tough talks with U.S. President Donald Trump on climate change and trade on Friday as a Group of 20 summit got underway in Germany amid the threat of violent protests.

The meeting in the port city of Hamburg comes at a time of major shifts in the global geo-political landscape, with Trump's "America First" policies pushing Europe and China closer together.

Trump will meet Russia's Vladimir Putin for the first time on Friday afternoon, an encounter that will be intensely scrutinized following allegations by U.S. intelligence agencies that Moscow meddled in the U.S. election to help Trump win.

The summit also brings together Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping at a time when Washington is ratcheting up pressure on Beijing to rein in North Korea after it test-launched an intercontinental ballistic missile and threatening the Chinese with punitive trade measures.

Amid the big egos and seemingly intractable conflicts, the host, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, faces the daunting task of steering leaders toward a consensus on trade, climate and migration - all issues that have become more contentious since Trump entered the White House half a year ago.

Trump's bilateral with Putin was scheduled to take place just 15 minutes after the start of the discussion on climate, a scheduling conflict that could complicate a deal.

"Merkel, as the G20 host, must not sacrifice ambition for unity. Instead, we need a G19 commitment to climate action that demonstrates the intent to implement and even go beyond what 195 nations agreed to in Paris," said Jennifer Morgan of Greenpeace, referring to the climate accord Trump has pledged to leave.

Facing her own election in two months, Merkel met with Trump for one hour at a hotel in Hamburg on Thursday evening to try to overcome differences that envoys have been unable to settle in weeks of intense talks, including a last minute trip to Washington by the chancellor's top economic adviser.

The two leaders shook hands and smiled for the cameras, showing none of the tension that hung over their first two meetings, in Washington in March and on Trump's first trip to Europe in May. After that, the usually cautious Merkel said the United States was no longer a reliable partner and urged Europe to take its fate into its own hands.

"There is quite a delicate balance that Angela Merkel will have to navigate in a way, because it is not clear that being confrontational won't just create even more of a credibility problem for G20 cooperation," Indonesian Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati told Reuters in an interview.

A senior German official involved in the talks said he expected negotiators would be working around the clock to try to break the deadlock before Saturday, the final day of the summit.

TRADE WAR

On climate, sources told Reuters that U.S. officials were pushing for a mention of fossil fuels as a viable alternative to cleaner energy sources and that the Europeans were resisting. In addition to the United States, Saudi Arabia was proving difficult to get on side.

On trade, the sources said that Washington was backtracking on language condemning protectionism that Trump agreed to at a Group of Seven meeting in Sicily in late May.

Hanging over the trade discussions is a threat by Washington to use a Cold War-era law to restrict steel imports based on national security concerns, a step that would hit the Chinese as well as partners in Europe.

German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel suggested on Thursday that the measures could trigger a transatlantic trade war.

Merkel was born in Hamburg and she chose the city, a trading hub that helped launch the career of the Beatles, to send a message of openness.

The summit is being held only a few hundred meters from one of Germany's most potent symbols of left-wing resistance, a former theater called the "Rote Flora" which was taken over by anti-capitalist squatters nearly three decades ago.

As leaders arrived on Thursday, riot police fired water cannon at a group of about a thousand black-clad protesters who hurled bottles in a demonstration organizers had dubbed "Welcome to Hell".

Some 20,000 police from all of Germany's 16 states have been deployed on the streets of Hamburg. They will be facing off against up to 100,000 protesters, including an estimated 8,000 who police say are prepared to use violence.

After sessions on terrorism, the global economy and climate on Friday, the leaders will be joined by their spouses for dinner at the Elbphilharmonie, a striking new glass concert hall perched atop an old warehouse building overlooking the Elbe River.

(Additional reporting by Thomas Escritt, Andreas Rinke, Roberta Rampton, Joseph Nasr, Sabine Siebold; Editing by Ralph Boulton)
Gordon Chang, author of aNuclear Showdown,' said Friday that the People's Republic of China is weaponizing North Korea behind the scenes and damaging U.S. policy.

aTheyare [China] using it to undermine U.S. policy and perhaps put Americans in jeopardy which is going to happen pretty soon,a Chang told FOX Businessa Ashley Webster.

Chang believes China is using North Koreaas provocative missile tests as a short-term advantage over the U.S.

aEvery time North Korea does something provocative like launch this missile, you know we run to Beijing and ask for their cooperation," Chang said. "We stop talking about cyber-attacks, predatory trade practices, Taiwan, South China Sea. So the Chinese like this dynamic so they are using North Korea against us."

On Thursday, President Trump warned North Korea over its intercontinental ballistic missile test, saying the U.S. would consider "some pretty severea consequences.

aSomething will have to be done about it,a Trump said during a news conference in Poland.

Chang said a cost imposition on China is one way the U.S. can reign in North Koreaas leader Kim Jong-un.

aYou tell them [China], either you do business with the U.S. or you do business with North Korea, but not both,a he said.
Arguably the most presidential periods of Donald Trumps administration were in February when he addressed a joint session of Congress and in May on his first foreign foray when he visited Saudi Arabia and Israel, followed by Belgium for a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) meeting and Italy for a Group of Seven (G7) meeting.

The latter occurred at a period of time when it was particularly hot in the DC kitchen (given the election tampering investigation and the President having just fired the FBI Director). It was a good time to get outta Dodge.

Given some of the events of the last week or so, such as the Presidents most un-presidential and erratic personal tweet storms, now seems like another good opportunity to leave town and be perceived as more presidentialwhich he did for a day in Poland follow by the Group of 20 (G20) meeting on Friday and Saturday in Hamburg, Germany.

The G20 meeting and current global circumstances, however, makes this trip a decidedly more dicey endeavor than his last trip. Dont expect a Trump bump in popularity.

The G20, first established in 1999 as a forum for addressing and seeking global financial stability with finance ministers and central bank leaders, began with a rocky start.

Many still recall protestors at an initial gathering dubbed the Battle in Seattle. The controversies have continued, including at the 2009 G20 Pittsburgh meeting which included police using tear gas to disperse demonstrators, yet the leaders agreed to regulate previously unsupervised financial instruments called swaps (among other things).

Demonstrators have been out in force this past week in Hamburg (German Chancellor Angela Merkels hometown and a left-learning city).

On Wednesday, zombie-like demonstrators in what was dubbed a Welcome to Hell march continued the long tradition of the G20 protests. (Protests at times have criticized the G20 for doing too much, and other times for not doing enoughfor example, on addressing climate change).

With that backdrop, the G20 remains a huge hairy deal, the leaders of which represent nations comprising 85 percent of the GWP (global world production), 80 percent of global trade and two-thirds of the population.

These are key leaders with whom President Trump should work if hes to do what the White House touted as the goals of the trip: to promote American prosperity, protect American interests, and provide American leadership. There are, however, many challenges.

1A key G20 agenda item will be the issue of global warming and the Paris Climate Agreement which all G20 leaderssave President Trumpsupport.

They will also discuss free trade at a time when many agreements are being pursued, including but not limited to the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and even a new European Union (EU)/Japan free trade deal which is on the verged of being inked.

Here again, President Trump will be the G20 oddball in that he has withdrawn from the 11-nation TPP, continued to threaten withdrawing from the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), talked about about imposing a 35 percent tariff on German autos, and an expected steel import tariff and/or quota.

His isolationist view is in sharp contrast to the more globalist view of the majority of G20 leaders.

Finally, the G20 agenda includes immigration. The contrast here: the EU has welcomed hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees while President Trump seeks to ban citizens from some Muslim nations to the U.S. and to build a big beautiful wall on the U.S./Mexican border to keep people out.

Given the issues to be discussed, Mr. Trumps desire to promote American prosperity with G20 leaders will be definitively difficult, if not impossible.

2On the Presidents desire to protect American interests, there too, are high hurdles. At the NATO meeting he neglected to tout Article 5, the main mantra of NATO that an attack on one is an attack on all. Instead, he chided NATO leaders for not contributing enough to the organization to the obvious smirks of those in attendance.

Yet now, in light of North Koreas continued aggressive talk aimed squarely at the U.S., development of nuclear weapons and the launch on July 4th of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) capable of reaching the U.S. (at least, it is said, Alaska), a common response from G20 leaders would be of assistance.

Here again, given the Presidents rough relations with world leaders, he cant expect much cooperation. (He should provide leadership here and make the case that North Korea is a global threat demanding a global repsonse, not just a threat to the U.S.)

To date, the President has pinned his hopes to rein in North Koreas nuclear program on Chinese President Xi Jinping, whom he wined and dined at the Trump private Mar-a-Lago Club in April.

China not only shares a border with North Korea but has significant trade-related influence. Those hopes, however, seem to be evaporating as evidenced by a Trump tweet in recent days complaining about the 40 percent increase in first quarter trade between China and North Korea.

President Trump may completely close that door if he should impose steel import tariffs/quotas which would disproportionally impact China as they produce more than half of all global steel (and ten times what is produced in the U.S.).

3As for President Trump demonstrating America leadership, he gave a positive speech with a different tone which was warmly received in Warsaw on Thursday and spoke about the importance of the Westeven finally endorsing Article 5a welcome and truly presidential effort. As Senator Bob Corker (R-TN), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee said, it was a re-set on how the U.S. will deal with the EU.

Kudos to the President. However, given the Presidents out of the mainstream position on key international policy matters, it remains to be seen if he can do anymore.

A Pew Research poll conducted in 37 nations revealed confidence in the U.S. President to do the right thing on international relations has fallen from 64 percent last year to 22 percent now.

Leaders such as the G20 host, German Chancellor Merkel who is up for election this fall, wont be eager to be seen as too close to Mr. Trump. In fact, his policy and political positions have essentially thrown the global Pick-up Sticks game into the air.

Which nation or nations will become leaders is currently in doubt. Interestingly, China seems to be trying to fill the void created by the U.S. on a number of fronts, namely on trade.

4And finally, what of the highly anticipated bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the G20 between Russian President Vladimir Putin and President Trump?

During the 2016 presidential campaign, Mr. Trump said he would love to have better U.S.-Russian relations. But given issues like Russias annexation of Crimea and the concomitant sanctions imposed upon Russia, tampering with our election and related investigations, and the conflict in Syria, its doubtful any significant short-term thaw in relations will be seen.

That said, our President, if anything, is unpredictable and last year he said that Mr. Putin was a much nicer guy than he. Who knows what might be accomplished.

We will see how it all works out. For my part, I hope our President does better than expected. The Warsaw speech was a good start, but given the tremendous challengesmany imposed upon the President by himselfthere is a long road ahead.

(About the Author: Former US Trading Commissioner Bart Chilton is a policy and political commentator, freelance journalist, and author of Ponzimonium: How Scam Artists Are Ripping Off America. He can be reached at bartchilton@bartchilton.com.)
Polish President Andrzej Duda is calling out the media, after reports that his wife Agata Kornhauser-Duda avoided shaking hands with President Donald Trump while being greeted.

Contrary to some surprising reports my wife did shake hands with Mrs. and Mr. Trump @POTUS after a great visit. Let's FIGHT FAKE NEWS.  Andrzej Duda (@AndrzejDuda) July 6, 2017

During an appearance on FOX Business, 'Justice with Judge Jeanine' host Judge Jeanine Pirro, weighed in.

Now weve got the President of Poland saying this is fake news, I mean everyone is picking up Donald Trumps impression of the news, she said. It appears to me that the two presidents were speaking, she made eye contact, the first lady of Poland makes eye contact with the first lady of the United States, they shake hands thinking that the two presidents are speaking and its not at all unusualget over it.

Meanwhile, President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin met in Hamburg, Germany on Friday.

I cant wait to hear whats going to happen when Putin and President Trump meetit will go on for days as to what each one was thinking, what was going on in the KGB mind and then the art of the deals mind. It will be interesting, said Judge Jeanine.
More than two-dozen individuals in Lakewood, N.J. have been charged with swindling the government out of about $2.4 million in unmerited public assistance benefits  an alleged crime the town's former mayor called horrific on Friday.

[These programs are] designed to help the poor. If you take this money improperly, you are stealing money from the poor  Not only the taxpayer, but the poor, New Jersey State Senator Robert Singer, former mayor of Lakewood, told FOX Business Friday.

While Singer said there are safeguards in place at the local level, much like hackers who find new ways to infiltrate systems, people have allegedly found ways to subvert these public assistance programs.

This is a terrible, terrible thing that is happening. These programs are designed to help the poor, Singer said. [We dont have enough money to help all of them], let alone have money be stolen.

The state comptroller said Friday he is prepared to prosecute those individuals who steal from the state.

My office will continue to ensure that only individuals and families truly in need of benefits receive them, and that those who choose to steal from New Jersey taxpayers are referred for prosecution, State Comptroller Philip James Degnan said in a statement to FOX Business Friday.

The Ocean County, New Jersey prosecutors office would not comment on further arrests Friday, but said the investigation is continuing in coordination with the FBI and multiple other federal agencies.

On Thursday, the prosecutors office announced 12 additional individuals  6 couples  had been charged in the widening scandal for misrepresenting their incomes to show levels low enough to qualify for public assistance programs including Medicaid, heating benefits and food stamps (SNAP). These couples fraudulently amassed wealth benefits of about $400,000.

The defendants have been issued complaints and have until Tuesday to respond, the prosecutors office said.

Seven additional couples, including a Rabbi and his wife, were charged just last week with defrauding government assistance programs out of at least $2 millionbringing the grand total to 26 individuals. The charges carry a maximum penalty of up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense, the prosecutors office stated.

One of the couples charged last week allegedly received Medicaid benefits for multiple years despite their annual income of more than $1 million, the complaint said.

In response to the widespread abuse of public assistance programs, a voluntary council of influential Lakewood business leaders said it was saddened by the arrests and announced it will provide educational classes to the community in order to prevent future abuses.

"In the days ahead we will help launch a set of intensive educational programs that can ensure that such does not happen again, and will invite the public to participate in these timely programs," the Lakewood Vaads Rabbi Moshe Zev Weisberg said in a statement last week.
Retired four-star general Jack Keane on Friday said the United States will impose aa policy of maximum pressure on North Koreaa to prevent any companies from doing business with the communist state.

aAny country that does business with North Korea, we are going to seek them to stop doing that,a Keane told FOX Businessa Trish Regan.

Although sanctions on North Korea has failed in the past, the retired general believes China provides upward of 80 to 90 percent of North Koreaas economy and trade.

aSanctions have never worked with North Korea,a Keane said. aBut we never tried it to the degree that we are going to try this time particularly with China who provides most of the trade and economic support.a

Keane said the Trump administration believes China hasnat fully cooperated in easing tensions in the Korean peninsula.

aThe Trump administration is not going to escalate militarily,a Keane said. aWhat they are going to do is escalate with whatas called a policy of maximum pressure on North Korea.a

According to Keane, the Trump administration will dramatically increase sanctions on China as needed.

aThereas never been sanctions on China like this before,a he said. They recognize that they are on a collision course with China if they are unwilling to assist the United States and the region with denuclearization.a
The United States is making very good progress on trade issues with Mexico, President Donald Trump said on Friday after a meeting with Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto, but he also repeated a pledge to make the southern neighbour pay for a border wall.

"We're negotiating NAFTA and some other things with Mexico and we'll see how it all turns out, but I think that we've made very good progress," Trump said on Friday after the meeting at the Hamburg summit of 20 large economies.

Pena Nieto, whom Trump called his "friend", added that the meeting would "help us continue a very strong dialogue" on NAFTA.

Disputes over migration, Trump's proposed border wall, which Mexico says it will not pay for, and his claim that free-trade with Mexico costs jobs in the U.S., have strained relations between the two countries since Trump's election.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. 2022 FOX News Network, LLC. All rights reserved. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Market data provided by Factset. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Legal Statement. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper.
Bill Cosby's retrial has been set for November in Pennsylvania.

Judge Steve ONeill signed an order Thursday that requires all parties to report to the Montgomery County Courthouse in Norristown on November 6.

BILL COSBY TRIAL: WHAT IS A MISTRIAL?

Cosby will again be tried on charges he drugged and molested a woman more than a decade ago. A mistrial was declared on June 17 after the jury failed to reach a verdict after more than 52 hours and six days of deliberations.

Cosby said his encounter with accuser Andrea Constand was consensual.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Bridget Malcolm may one of Australias most successful models, but the Victorias Secret stunner admitted that she didnt always feel so confident.

I got scouted to model on the street when I was 14, and started working when I turned 15, the 25-year-old shared in a blog post. We had to wait for my self-cut hair to grow out, and for my braces to come off. I was also extremely shy and nervous  I had memories of sitting in my first meeting with my agency, bright red, feeling terrified that someone would talk to me.

VICTORIA'S SECRET FASHION SHOW 2016: ALL THE MUST-SEE MODEL MOMENTS

Malcolm admitted it took years until she finally felt at ease around strangers.

I couldnt understand why I was modeling  everyone else around me seemed so much cooler and more confident, she said.

However, Malcolm insisted the secret behind her newfound confidence was simply to stop caring about being cool. She also pushed herself to develop relationships with people she met along the way, which has made her more comfortable speaking up.

The more I opened up to the people I worked with, the more relationships I developed within the industry; resulting in some of my most rewarding and closest friendships, she explained. I stopped worrying about whether people would find me out as a fraud in the industry  and that became a part of my success. The less energy I invested into worrying about fitting in, the more energy I had to put into other aspects of my life.

Malcolm urged her fans to do the same for a happier, more fulfilled life.

You dont want to look back on your life and realize all the time you wasted on focusing on your perceived flaws, she warned. I can guarantee that no one else cares as much about you as you do; and that is a huge comfort to me!
Ben Affleck is stepping out with his rumored girlfriend three months after finalizing his divorce from Jennifer Garner.

The Hollywood A-lister is reportedly dating "Saturday Night Live" producer Lindsay Shookus.

A source told E! News the new couple are in "the early stages" of their relationship but it's "more than a summer fling."

PHOTOS: Ben Affleck, Jennifer Garner celebrate July 4 together

The source added they are taking things slow and just "having fun and care for each other."

Shookus and Affleck recently met up in London where they were caught by the paparazzi on a date night.

A rep for Affleck did not immediately return Fox News' request for comment.

Affleck and ex-wife Jennifer Garner filed for divorce nearly two years ago after 10 years of marriage. They have three children together.
While some new lingerie brands have been targeting their marketing campaigns to appeal to the average size woman, some industry insiders are wondering if Victorias Secret (VS) seems to be taking the opposite tack, using skinnier models than they have in the past.

Current Angel Elsa Hosk came under fire on Instagram this week after posting a picture of herself topless that some followers criticized because of Hosk's seriously slim frame. Commenters wrote a slew messages for the supermodel like, "Girl you gotta eat something you're skinny as hell," "Homegirl needs a burger," and "way too skinny."

Hosk, who started working for VS in 2015, isn't the only model who seems to be a departure from the lingerie seller's previous claims of featuring curvy gals (at least in relation to typical size 0 fashion models.) Svelte models Jasmine Tookes and Georgia Fowler started working with the fashion retailer in 2015 and 2016. In the past, the brand used to feature more curvaceous models like Tyra Banks, Stephanie Seymour and Laetitia Casta.

IRELAND BALDWIN STRIPS DOWN TO LINGERIE

"The models do look thinner, but then again, they've always been thin, brand expert Scott Pinsker told Fox News. What's interesting is that these Victoria's Secret models are marketing to other women, so it's less a commentary on what men find attractive, and more about the idealized notion of beauty in the eyes of American women."

President of Boston-based Maggie Models, Robert Casey, says the lingerie retailer has always sold fantasy, not reality.

Everything about their marketing from the design of their stores, to the lavish runway shows, to the Michael Bay directed commercials, to the jewel encrusted fantasy bras showcases an over the top, heightened sense of the reality, Casey said. Their price point and extensive locations appeal to the average woman, but nothing about their marketing has ever presumed to have any relation to an average woman.

BROOKE SHIELDS POSES IN LINGERIE 37 YEARS AFTER CALVIN KLEIN

Chris Applebaum, a director known in part for his sexy Carls Jr. commercials starring voluptuous models like Charlotte McKinney and Kate Upton, agreed, telling Fox News: Most people know theres a difference between Victorias Secret Angel supermodels and the rest of the population.

These days the lingerie field is more crowded than ever, and trying lots of new approaches. In 2014, Aerie announced it would stop airbrushing their models and began to feature women like plus size model Iskra Lawrence dubbing this as the #AerieReal campaign. They stuck to their new business model and saw a 20 percent increase in sales in 2016.

Another brand, Lonely, also started a social media campaign #LonelyGirlsProject where women of all shapes and sizes could post pictures of themselves wearing the lingerie. The brand gained attention when actresses Lena Dunham and Jemima Kirke posed in the lingerie for an unretouched photoshoot in 2016.

CARMEN ELECTRA LAUNCHES LINGERIE LINE

Rob Shuter, pop culture expert and editor in chief of NaughtyGossip.com, said even though there is a push for brands to showcase all body types, VS will do what it takes to keep raking in the cash. And they know what theyre doing. The company made $1.8 billion in 2016, according to Digital Commerce 360.

VS is a profit business, said Shuter. They will use whoever they think will sell more underwear.

Applebaum credited Victorias Secrets continued success for their brand loyalty, regardless of which models they use.

I applaud the promotion of all body types. I think its important for brands to remain true to their core consumer, core principals, and company values, Applebaum explained. Once you deviate from that you confuse consumers, lose consumers, and muddy the message of your brand.

Victoria's Secret did not reply with a comment for this article.
Police in Indiana reported that 11 teenagers became ill and had to be hospitalized after they consumed gummy bears reportedly laced with THC, a substance associated with and found in marijuana.

La Porte County Police said they are investigating the incident after they received a call asking for medical assistance, according to WNDU. When police arrived at the home, they found a 19 year-old man outside the residence.

WOMAN CONTRACTS FLESH-EATING BACTERIA WHILE FISHING OFF ALABAMA COAST

The male told Deputy Phillips that he had ingested an unknown type drug and was ill and wanted to go to the emergency room, a press release from the La Porte County Sheriffs Office stated.

The young man said his friends, who were at a house nearby, also consumed the drug.

Police were able to locate the home where they discovered the other male and female teenagers, aged between 18 to 19-years-old.

All complained of rapid heart rate, pain in their legs and blurred vision; several were suffering from hallucinations, police said.

WHO WARNS OF UNTREATABLE SUPERBUG GONORRHOEA FOUND IN AT LEAST 3 PATIENTS

Police were able to determine that the gummy bears were in fact laced with THC, also known as tetrahydrocannabinol, a substance found in marijuana.

The teenagers were transported to hospitals and police are investigating where the gummy bears came from and if criminal charges will be implemented.
A Spokane man has become Washington state's third fatality in an outbreak of the rodent-borne hantavirus thats struck a total of five victims in the state since February. The man, who was in his 50s, was likely exposed to the respiratory illness in a barn in Adams County, according to the Spokane Regional Health District and Adams County Health Department.

The rare illness is usually spread through deer mice droppings, but can also be spread through contact with urine, saliva or nesting materials of infected rodents, or by inhaling dust contaminated with the virus. The virus, which kills more than a third of its victims, cannot be transmitted from person to person.

DARTMOUTH STUDENT DIAGNOSED WITH MUMPS

Symptoms may appear between 1 and 8 weeks after exposure, with early indications of infection presenting as fatigue, fever, muscle aches, dizziness, chills and abdominal problems, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Symptoms may progress to coughing and shortness of breath.

The latest victim, who was not identified by name, became sick in late June and died several days later, The Spokesman-Review reported. The four other recorded cases, which includes two fatalities, were men and women ranging in age from their 20s to their 50s, and hailed from four counties across the state, David Johnson, spokesman for the Washington State Department of Health, said.

About 14 percent of the deer mice population in Washington have tested positive for the virus, The Spokesman-Review reported. Johnson told Reuters that all victims were exposed to infected mice.

PAINKILLER MAKER STOPS SALES AT FDA REQUEST BECAUSE OF ABUSE

It could happen in a barn, it could happen in an RV thats been sitting out for the winter, Malia Nogle, the health district epidemiologist, told The Spokesman-Review.

The outbreak is the worst recorded in Washington in at least 18 years, public health officials said on Thursday. The three fatalities also mark the highest death toll in the state during a single year since it was first identified in the Four Corners region of the U.S. Southwest in 1993, Reuters reported.
The parents of a Pennsylvania girl who overdosed on heroin are hoping to help others struggling with drug addiction by sharing their daughter's poem about her battle in her obituary.

Delaney Farrell, of Selinsgrove, died last Saturday, five years after she was introduced to heroin. She was found dead inside a hotel bathroom in Williamsport, according to WNEP.

In her obituary, Farrell's parents described their daughter as "funny," someone who loved to "always make a joke" and eat dozens of Oreo cookies.

"Delaney would also write in her journals or on just random pieces of paper; some were private but some she would share," the obituary read. The obituary included a poem Farrell had sent to her sister about her struggle to overcome her drug addiction.

"Funny, I don't remember no good dope days. I remember walking for miles in a dope fiend haze," the poem read.

HOW TO RECOGNIZE HEROIN ADDICTION AND HELP WITH RECOVERY

She continued to say everything she remembered, from her "sisters cry and [her] dad having to break down the door," to "shooting up in the bathroom and falling out at the park."

Farrell described the guilt she felt while she was using drugs, "remember only causing pain, destruction and harm."

"I remember constantly obsessing over my next score but what I remember most is getting down on my knees and asking God to save me cuz I don't want to do this no more !!!" Farrell wrote at the end of the poem.

HIGH HOPES RIDE ON MARIJUANA PAINKILLERS AMID OPIOID CRISIS

Bridget Farrell, her mother, told WNEP that she wanted to share her daughter's poem about the struggles with drug addiction in hopes that it could help someone going through the same situation.

"If it could help even just one person it would be worth it. What do you think she would have said? She definitely would have wanted me to do it," Farrell told the news station.

"That's what she was going through and that's what was going through her mind and that was her life at the time," she added.
A pair of Texas police officers are being recognized for their good deed after a neighbor snapped a few photos of them mowing the lawn of a disabled veteran. The photos made their way onto the Longview Police Department Facebook page on Wednesday after the neighbor contacted the department.

Moments Like These, a post on the departments Facebook page read. There are times in the police profession that we understand why were really excited about this job. The days and night of high speed pursuits, food chases, drug arrests of someone who needs to be taken off the streets are the instances where our blood pressure soars, and we get that feeling of exhilaration. We think this is why we became officers.

HANTAVIRUS OUTBREAK KILLS 3 IN WASHINGTON, SICKENS 2 OTHERS

However, there are times in our profession where acts of kindness expose a brighter shine, we notice a compelte stranger a person who is in need of a smile, a short conversation, a meal, a ride, a window repaired, a tire changed, an appearance at a special event, or just a simple act of kindness, the post read.

The post went on to identify Officers Duncan and Preston as a 27-year veteran of the force and a rookie still in field training, and said the photos are reflective of times during the profession where relationships are built within the community.

WOMAN CONTRACTS FLESH-EATING BACTERIA WHILE FISHING OFF ALABAMA COAST

Our officers recognize when members of our community like Robert Upshaw in need of a little help. These are moments I am proud to be a police officer, a police officer in Longview Texas, the post read. This act is not only a flicker of light in our community but a spark that is intended to reunite communities. Robert told us the next day a group of kids from his old neighborhood came and trimmed his yard and trees.

The posts writer then asked other members of the community so to submit photos or videos of kind acts throughout the community. As of Friday, the post had garnered 1,000 reactions and had been shared more than 400 times.
President Trump will greet an unfriendly crowd when he arrives at the G-20 summit in Hamburg, Germany, on Friday.

Since his Inauguration, President Trump has made few friends on the worlds stage. Most recently, leaders of the G-20 almost unanimously panned his decision to withdraw from the 2015 Paris Climate Accords.

If there has been any sign of improvement, it came just this very morning in the presidents speech in Poland. In a shift from many earlier statements, Trump auspiciously stated that the fundamental question of our time is whether the West has the will to survive, pressing the need for unity.

We should stop tiptoeing around the Russians and make it clear that Vladimir Putin poses an existential threat to the West.

The message of the Warsaw speech was long overdue. Trump explicitly endorsed Article Five of the NATO treaty. By reassuring our allies, Trump has taken the first critical step toward repositioning the United States as a global leader following the trend of global retreat that has plagued our alliances.

If President Trump and his defense team are serious about The president will also have a tremendous opportunity to further assert Americas leading position when he meets with Vladimir Putin on Friday. The president must stand up to the Russian president and demand that Russia leave Ukraine, Crimea, and Syria. The president must make it clear that President Putin must work with us as our ally rather than as our adversary.

Russia, they must make dramatic, far-reaching, and sustained efforts to counter Russias brazenness.

At a minimum, President Trump and U.S. defense leaders like Secretary Jim Mattis should call out Russia on its violations. The Trump administration must make it clear that Moscows attempts to present itself as a constructive partner in global stability are deeply flawed at the present time. We should stop tiptoeing around the Russians and make it clear that Vladimir Putin poses an existential threat to the West.

For instance, Russia and China have recently called on North Korea to freeze nuclear activity, and in return, they have called for the United States to stop defensive military exercises with South Korea.

This proposition is ridiculous, and Trump should make that clear. North Koreas recent launch of its ICBM  a missile that can reach as far as Alaska  is only the latest in a string of aggressive policies from Pyongyang against the West. The president must be unequivocal with Putin that the West will not accept these acts of aggression, and will meet them in a unified way.

President Trump was right on track this morning -- we need strong values and determination to survive. A divided West will be no match for Vladimir Putin. Only a consistent, collective effort among our allies can put us ahead once again.
In October 2013, David Letterman asked Donald Trump, his guest one night, if hed ever met Russian President Vladimir Putin. It was a simple question and Trump quickly responded, Hes a tough guy. I met him once. It wasnt the only time President Trump would claim to have directly interacted with Putin. In 2015, Michael Savage asked Trump if hed ever met Putin and, once again, Trump replied, Yes. And then adding detail, One time. Yes, long time ago. But, as Trump would later come to admit, this wasnt true, hed never actually met the Russian strongman.

In recent years, Trump has repeatedly claimed that he had met Putin, talked with Putin, or even had a relationship with Putin. And yet, by the end of the 2016 presidential campaign, he would come to deny all of these exaggerated assertions.

The imaginary Trump-Putin relationship really began to blossom in 2013. As Trump was excitedly preparing to bring the Miss Universe pageant to Moscow, he took to Twitter writing, Do you think Putin will be going to The Miss Universe Pageant in November in Moscow - if so, will he become my new best friend?

Trump did indeed invite Putin to attend the Moscow pageant, which took place in November 2013, saying I know for a fact that he wants very much to come. In the end, Putin didnt show up for the big event. The Washington Post later reported that a one-on-one meeting between the two men was scheduled for the day before the pageant, but that Putin had cancelled at the last minute. Other press reports said the meeting didnt happen because Trump arrived in Moscow later than originally expected.

Whatever the reason the two men werent able to connect in Moscow, Trump didnt feel he had been snubbed. Hed later brag that, while in Moscow, Putin had sent him a present, a beautiful present with a beautiful note. Trump also said he spoke to all of [Putins] people while in Russia.

Months later, in 2014, Trump would claim to have had much closer contact with Putin during his visit to Moscow, saying I was in Russia, I was in Moscow recently, and I spoke indirectly and directly with President Putin who could not have been nicer. He also told Fox & Friends that, When I went to Russia with the Miss Universe pageant, [Putin] contacted me and was so nice.

Trump has also suggested that, more than just having talked or met with Putin, he had a relationship with the Russian president. In November 2013, during an MSNBC interview, Trump was asked Do you have a relationship with Vladimir Putin? To this, Trump replied, I do have a relationship and I can tell you that he's very interested in what we're doing here today. Adding for a second time during the interview, But I do have a relationship with him. He went on to praise Putin, saying hes done a very brilliant job in terms of what he represents and who hes representing.

In 2015, as Trump began his run for the presidency, he began to get cagey about his contacts with Putin. Yet, he seemingly didnt want to give up on the claims of contact and appeared to intentionally leave the impression that he might have talked to Putin during his time in Russia in 2013.

The day after his announcement speech in 2015, Sean Hannity asked Trump, Have you had any contact with [Putin]? And Trump replied, Yes. When Hannity pressed Trump on whether hed actually talked to Putin, he twice replied, I dont want to say.

In September 2015, Trump didnt dismiss the idea that Putin had unsuccessfully tried to meet with him while in New York. On Fox News, Trump was asked, Did Putin go up to your office and did you guys like bond or anything this week? He is in town. Trump oddly replied, No, I didn't know anything about him coming to my office. It doesnt appear that Putin actually made any such effort to meet with Trump at that time.

It was widely noted when, during a November 2015 Republican primary debate on the Fox Business Network, Trump said of Putin, I got to know him very well because we were both on 60 Minutes, we were stablemates. In the weeks before the debate, Trump had repeatedly bragged on the campaign trail about being Putins stablemate. But, by this point, media scrutiny had greatly increased and Trump was quickly forced to admit, when appearing on Fox News the following day, that his and Putins 60 Minutes segments were shot at different times. He backtracked, saying, No, no -- I didn't meet him. No, but they had us on together. I call us stablemates but we never met.

When asked during a May 2016 CNN interview if hed ever met with Putin, Trump again replied, No. Once again, Trump couldnt quite quit his habit of leaving people thinking there was some kind of communication between him and Putin. When asked if hed ever spoken with Putin, Trump again gave his cryptic reply, I dont want to say. Fox News Bret Baier would later pointedly ask him about his non-answer to the question of if hed ever spoken to Putin and Trump continued to be evasive, saying, I have no comment on that. No comment. He added, Lets assume I did. Perhaps it was personal. You know I don't want to -- I don't want to hurt his confidence.

In May 2016, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov put Moscow on the record, saying that Putin did not meet with Trump during his 2013 visit to Moscow.

But Trumps on-again, off-again relationship with Putin didnt truly come to an end until the summer of 2016. Russia, if youre listening, I hope youre able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing, Trump famously said, referencing Hillary Clintons missing emails during a July 2016 news conference. During the press frenzy that followed his request for Russian assistance, Trump began to speak very clearly about the extent of his relationship with Vladimir Putin.

Over and over, Trump began to tell the press that hed never met Putin. I never met Putin, I don't know who Putin is, Trump said on July 27, 2016. Why do I have to get involved with Putin? I have nothing to do with Putin. I've never spoken to him, Trump went on to say.

When, on July 31, 2016, George Stephanopoulos asked Trump, What exactly is your relationship with Vladimir Putin? Trump responded, I have no relationship with him. Trump explained in detail this time, I have no relationship with Putin. I don't think I've ever met him. I never met him. I don't think I've ever met him. And then he went into Suessical Green Eggs and Ham level detail: I didn't meet him in Moscow, I have never spoken to him on the phone, and sweepingly I don't have a relationship with him. I didn't meet him. I haven't spent time with him. I didn't have dinner with him. I didn't go hiking with him. I don't know -- and I wouldn't know him from Adam except I see his picture and I would know what he looks like.

Trumps long, complicated, and make-believe relationship with Putin had finally come to an end. But now, with their conversations since Trumps 2016 election and a verifiable in-person meeting scheduled to occur during the G20 summit on Friday in Germany, a genuine version of President Trumps long-feigned relationship with Vladimir Putin can finally begin.
North Koreas missile and nuclear advances have vaulted the reclusive country to a top-level security priority for the Trump administration. On July 4th, while Americans celebrated Independence Day, the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea test-launched its first intercontinental ballistic missile (usually considered with a range of at least 5,500 kilometers or 3,420 miles). To date, Pyongyang has detonated five nuclear explosions, of which four took place during Barack Obamas presidential tenure. The prospect of ocean-crossing projectiles being mated with nuclear warheads has sparked a new and heightened urgency for Washington and its allied governments in Japan and South Korea.

As expected, the riveting fear of a missile-borne nuclear explosion in San Francisco in the not-too-distant future has conjured up lots of rattle-brained counter-measures, some leading to a land war to eliminate North Koreas ominous nuclear saber-brandishing. This school of thought advocates airstrikes to take out the DPRKs nuclear-launching facilities. But since the North adopted fast-fueling solid propellants for its rockets, there is much less time to find and fix targets that formerly required several hours to off-load liquid fuels to missiles on launchers that were sitting ducks. Additionally, the North Koreans adopted road-mobile launchers that can be moved around the country, presenting a greater challenge to locate targetable missile carriers. Even luckily destroying some ready-to-launch missiles on the ground would not end the threat Pyongyang poses from secret firing sites.

As expected, the riveting fear of a missile-borne nuclear explosion in San Francisco in the not-too-distant future has conjured up lots of rattle-brained counter-measures, some leading to a land war to eliminate North Koreas ominous nuclear saber-brandishing.

Pre-emptive air attacks on North Korean soil almost certainly would trigger a massive land war, as the Norths military unleashed its artillery and mobile-rocket launchers just over the boundary line that divides the Korean Peninsula into two statesNorth and South Korea. The two countries are separated by a two-mile wide Demilitarized Zone set down after the 1950-53 Korean War, which stopped with only an armistice, not by a formal peace treaty, meaning the two are technically still at war. Each side of the DMZ is dotted with massive armaments, as both countries stare at each other eyeball-to-eyeball, never blinking lest the other interprets it as weakness.

Defending the Republic of Korea (the Souths formal name) are some 28,000 U.S. troops, a contingent stemming from the Korean War, which saw 33,000 Americans fall defending the sovereignty of the ROK against the DPRKs invasion that was buttressed by hundreds of thousands of Chinese infantry. Hostility along the DMZ never diminished since the war, and the heightened tensions easily could re-ignite a second round of the distant conflict.

What must Donald Trump do to deal with a nuclear-arming and missile-perfecting North Korean menace?

First, President Trump, who has acted prudently (much to the chagrin of his shrill critics in the media), must avoid stumbling into a Peninsula war that some voices are calling for. Make no mistake: the United States and its South Korean allies could smash to smithereens the North Korean antiquated armed forces. But despite its general unpreparedness for 21st -century warfare, it would kill many thousands of people in greater Seoul with its 20 million inhabitants before being brought to heel by U.S. and ROK forces. Plus, another Korean War would likely see a repeat of Chinas intervention so as to block an expansion of American influence in a defeated North, risking a major power collision.

A new Korean War would net the United States nothing except many American combat casualties and huge financial expenditures to rebuild the North and parts of the South. In short, the U.S. victory would be a Pyrrhic one. Ruling out war or preemptive military strikes against DPRK, what can the Trump White House do?

Soon after taking office, the Trump administration tried to induce China to rein in its wayward ward by curtailing it trade, financing, and diplomatic cover with the DPRK. It was the right thing to attempt, if for no other reason than to silence critics who said it should be tried.

But it is now clear that Beijing is unwilling to exert pressure on its fraternal communist ally. North Korea could never have achieved its current nuclear and missile development without Chinese assistance. Accordingly, Trumps Department of Treasury has leveled sanctions against one Chinese bank, a business, and two individuals for their support of the Norths escalating threat. Washington also showed its displeasure with China by recently sending two U.S. Navy warships into the South China Sea, which Beijing claims as its own lake.

A response to Chinas creating and militarizing islands in the Spratly Island chain is worthy in its own right to offset Chinese hegemonic South China Sea claims. But coupled with U.S. sanctions on Chinese entities it signals an end to the Obama administrations weakness.

It behooves the Trump administration to double-down on comprehensive secondary-sanctions on Chinas financial and industrial institutions that enable North Korea to stay economically afloat and to test-fire missiles and atomic weapons by supplying technical components.

Next, the United States must strengthen its anti-missile defenses in the Western Pacific, particularly military bases on Hawaii, Guam, and Japan as well as South Korea.

Opening talks with Pyongyang to achieve North Korean de-nuclearization will not succeed. The DPRK hungers for a nuclear armory; it will not surrender its gains for promises of aid, peace, or international acceptance any more than the Soviet Union would have abandoned its beginning nuclear buildup during the 1950s.

Powerful defensive and offensive weapons aimed at North Korea afford the United States the strongest deterrent against an adventurist regime. During the Cold War and after, Washington stared down the Soviet Union, China, and then Russia, which possessed many more lethal nuclear arms than North Korea.

In sum, mounting sanctions on China and North Korea and boosting deterrence offer a realistic means to contain the nuclear dangers arising from Pyongyang.
Foreign policy experts all over Washington seem completely stupefied when it comes to understanding President Trumps national security goals. And for a long time, I was one of them.

In happy hours all over town where we love to gather, some experts would describe Trumps approach as uneducated,unsophisticated or even unprofessional.

Rubbish. They just cant get over the fact that he doesnt share their often overly polished and overly sophisticated perspectives. I should know, it's my profession.

The simple fact is this: you dont need a Ph.D. from Yale or Cambridge to understand Trumps vision for Americas place in the worldyou just need to take the time to study his background.

He doesnt care about your foreign policy schools of thoughts, deep historical perspective or game-theory workshops. He just wants the best deals for America. Period. End of story.

Washingtons foreign policy brain trust would be wise to take heed the words of a 900-year-old Jedi master named Yoda: Unlearn what you have learned.

Understanding the Trump Doctrine is childs playjust dont overthink it.

Put away your Hans Morgenthau, Kenneth Waltz or just war theory training because President Trump has his own ideas when it comes to global affairs.

Our new president is very different than almost any other we can remember in modern times.

He does not have the professorial pontification skills or deeply intellectual mindset of Barack Obama. Nor does he have the government experience of George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George H.W. Bush, Ronald Reagan, Jimmy Carter, Gerald R. Ford, Richard Nixon, Lyndon Johnson or JFK.

Trump is cut from a different clothhes a street fighter and certainly not a slick, ivy league educated foreign policy expert.

The Donald is a rough and tumble, school of hard knocks, New York City businessman. He doesnt care about your foreign policy schools of thoughts, deep historical perspective or game-theory workshops. He just wants the best deals for America. Period. End of story.

All of this is exactly what the American people voted for. Something differentwith the old models of thinking being clearly rejected. And we need to make our peace with it.

But that doesnt mean he isnt sophisticated or doesnt have a sense of vision when it comes to international affairs.

In fact, Trump has his own loosely crafted foreign policy playbook, based on his own success and failures as a New York City businessman, entrepreneur and branding genius.

Our new president is taking his business acumen and applying it on a global stage. He has, at least in my opinion, what can be best described as a foreign policy balance sheet in his head. Trump looks at where he thinks America is winning, code for where Washingtons interests are moving forward, and losing, where Americas interests are not being served. And he tackles the losses on that balance sheet with ruthless efficiency.

And that all makes Trumps global agenda, one in which he takes on the toughest of problemsproblems that have been festering for decadesa very hard task, but one that is worth pursuing.

Taking on China over North Korea will be an immense challengecreating tensions in a relationship with the two biggest global economies and militaries. Taking on trade deals that many times were not always in Americas best interests might be even harder. Asking our allies to spend more towards our common defense wont be easy. But who said change ever was?

Making all of this even more difficult is when people misinterpret the president's own words or cherry pick his ideas to change his message, all in an effort to take him down.

Will Trump abandon NATO, leave South Korea on its own to confront a nuclear North Korea and withdraw to some sort of fortress America? Never.

Again, his past clues you into his thinking. Like any CEO, our president is using his background in business to strike the best terms for the nation in its relationships. And just like any CEO, he is not going to break a signed deal, like alliances with key partners the world over - thats bad for the business of the nation. But he will try to ask for a little morejust like many of us do in our own lives and business deals. Shocker.

What unnerves people is the patented Trump approachblunt and straightforwardand almost never politically correct in how he sometimes goes about striking a deal. That will get smoothed out in the months and years to come, just like many other presidents in the past. The stature of the office, the highest in the land, has that impact on the occupant.

But Trump is not going to change his core thinking or personalitythat much is clear.

World leaders at the G-20 should already understand by now who our president is and his approach.

Trump is not going to coddle you, make you feel all warm and fuzzy when you do something against Americas national interestshe is not Barack Obama. Hes going to tell you in his own Trumpian way he is not impressedand press you to change your position. And he might even do it on Twitter. And the media will go crazy over it, only amplifying the power of his message.

In fact, there might be a foreign policy vision that personifies the Trump Doctrine after all: mega-realism on steroidsand it's what the American people asked for. Trump has stayed true to what he said he would do in foreign affairs, and it's simple to understand, you just have to see the world through his own training and life experiencenot yours.

Let Yoda be your guide.
While most experts believe North Koreas test launch of an alleged ICBM this week marked a major technological breakthrough that significantly increased the threat of an attack by nuclear tipped North Korean missiles against the United States, a more serious problem is Chinas growing support of North Korea.

This test launch of North Koreas Hwasong-12 missile represented a significant and dangerous advance for its missile and nuclear programs since Pyongyang successfully tested a two-stage rocket capable of striking Alaska and Hawaii, possibly further.

While North Koreas recent claims that the missile can carry a large nuclear warhead and can strike anywhere on earth are unconfirmed and have been disputed by experts, given recent rapid advances in the Norths missile and nuclear programs, it is clear that Pyongyang is racing to achieve these capabilities.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Uns regime may have test launched as many as 84 missiles since he assumed office in December 2011, far exceeding the 31 missiles launched by his father and grandfathers governments. There also have been three nuclear tests under the current North Korean leader that were believed to be increasingly more powerful and more sophisticated. At the same time, North Korea has made repeated threats to attack the United States with nuclear weapons.

Lets be clear what this means: Chinas economic assistance and increased trade with North Korea is financing its growing missile and nuclear programs that Pyongyang is developing to attack the United States.

This situation cannot continue indefinitely. Because of the growing risk of a North Korean attack or military incident due to miscalculation by Pyongyang  possibly a missile striking a neighboring state by accident -- I believe military conflict with North Korea is inevitable if the United States does not take decisive action. Such action should be directed at the driver of this crisis: China and its continuing and increased support of North Korea.

China has been North Koreas benefactor since Moscow withdrew its support after the collapse of the Soviet Union. About 85 percent of North Koreas foreign trade is with China. According to a December 2016 Cato Institute report, China supplies North Korea with about 90 percent of its oil, 80 percent of its consumer products, and 45 percent of its food through trade and aid.

While China reportedly took steps earlier this year to pressure North Korea to halt its missile and nuclear programs by suspending purchases of North Korean coal, this trade has resumed. Instead, Beijing revealed in April that its trade with North Korea increased 37 percent in the first quarter of 2017.

Lets be clear what this means. Chinas economic assistance and increased trade with North Korea is financing its growing missile and nuclear programs that Pyongyang is developing to attack the United States. To stop these programs, China must halt or substantially cut back its trade and aid to North Korea.

So how can we accomplish this?

The United States should enact with an international coalition a new series of tough measures against North Korea that also pressure China to use its leverage with North Korea.

First, the U.S. should implement through an international coalition outside of the UN some of the strong sanctions against North Korea that China has been vetoing in the Security Council for the last 20 years. One of these sanctions should include stopping North Korean ships at sea to search them for missile and nuclear-related shipments as well as narcotics trafficking and counterfeit U.S. currency. Landing and overfly rights also should be denied to North Korean aircraft. This initiative would deny North Korea hard currency and help combat its proliferation of missile technology.

Another step should be cutting off North Koreas access to international financial institutions. Any bank  including Chinese banks  that violate this sanction would be barred from doing business with the United States and coalition countries.

These steps would be strongly opposed by China not just because Beijing has tried to shield North Korea from them but also because implementing such steps outside of the UN would undermine Chinas authority as a permanent member of the UN Security Council.

North Korea and China could also be pressured by the United States increasing its nuclear deterrent and missile defense systems in the Asia-Pacific. This might include returning the tactical nuclear weapons to South Korea that the U.S. withdrew in 1991.

Finally, the United States and its allies could pledge to shoot down all future North Korean ballistic missile launches.

All of the above measures would not just increase pressure on North Korea, they would drive up the costs to China for refusing to use its economic leverage against Pyongyang. They also would make it difficult for China to continue to exploit its relationship with North Korea at Americas expense. The United States would be sending China a clear message: the status quo with North Korea is unacceptable. We will not stand idly by as North Korea develops nuclear weapons that it plans to use to attack the United States.

This approach has another important advantage: they fall short of a direct attack on North Korea, an option that probably would have devastating consequences for South Korea due to a massive counterattack by the North using its huge arsenal of artillery and missiles against Seoul and northern areas of South Korea.

I fear that with the current perilous trajectory of North Koreas nuclear and missile programs, an attack by the United States and its allies on North Korea will one day be necessary. It is my hope that by implementing steps like those outlined above to pressure North Korea and make Chinas continued support of it untenable, that day will never come.
Two President Donald Trumps were on display in Warsaw on Thursday. On the first full day of his second international trip, President Trump gave a dark, powerful prepared speech and held a news conference in which his impromptu remarks contradicted key portions of that speech. Will the @realDonaldTrump please stand up?

Speaking in the Polish capital Warsaw, Mr. Trump endorsed views that relieved many Republicans who had privately begun to wonder whether the man they elected was up to the job. In a sharp break with his campaign bromance with Russias autocratic leader Vladimir Putin, Trump blasted Russia, calling upon Moscow to stop destabilizing Ukraine and other countries, end its support for such "hostile regimes" as Syria and Iran, and "join the community of responsible nations." He urged Americas allies to defend western civilization and rise to the challenge of defending it. Most important to many of those attending the two-day Group of 20 (or G-20) summit, he made a clear, unambiguous endorsement of Article Five of the NATO treaty, the principle of collective defense among alliance members, which he had refused to do on his first trip to Europe last May.

But in a press conference with Polands right-wing president at his side shortly before delivering his scripted speech, the other President Trump emerged. First, he declined to endorse the U.S. intelligence communitys conclusion that Russia had interfered in last years presidential election. Nobody really knows for sure" if Russia hacked into Democratic emails and engaged in other cyber intrusions aimed at undermining Hillary Clintons campaign, Trump said, once again challenging his own intelligence analysts high confidence assessment. Reverting to his singular, slashing style which many of the White House correspondents who cover him consider his true persona, Trump also criticized his predecessor, former President Barack Obama for saying nothing publicly about the alleged Russian hacking. Mr. Obama had thought that Mrs. Clinton would win the election and had choked, he told reporters, some of whom he once again blasted as purveyors of fake news. Trump went on to accuse his favorite news media target, CNN, of taking "too seriously" a mock video he tweeted which shows him wrestling a person to the ground with CNNs logo on his head.

The dizzying dual, or dueling performances led analysts like Nicholas Burns, the former U.S. Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs, among other veteran diplomats, to question which performance reflected Trumps real views.

Is it Tough Trump, the carefully scripted presenter of more traditional Republican hard-line foreign policy views, or Donald the demagogue, the president whose tweets bully critics and reflect a mystifying unwillingness to criticize Putin for his interference in American politics.

Is it Tough Trump, the carefully scripted presenter of more traditional Republican hard-line foreign policy views and positions, or Donald the demagogue, the Trump-unplugged president whose tweets and public statements often savage and bully critics and reflect a mystifying unwillingness to criticize President Vladimir Putin for his interference in American politics. The question is key, as Trump is scheduled to meet his Russian counterpart as president for the first time in Germany on Friday.

Democrats and other critics quickly criticized Trumps sharp break with protocol at his press conference  his harsh public criticism of a former president, the free press, and his own intelligence community on foreign soil. American presidents usually refrain from such attacks on pillars of American democracy when traveling abroad.

Referring to his news conference remarks, Rep. Adam Schiff, the California Democrat who is the ranking member of the House intelligence committee, accused Trump of capitulating to Putin and of unpresidential behavior. Trump not only contradicted his own intelligence analysts assertion that Russia had tried to interfere in the 2016 election, but rubbed in an earlier error by reminding reporters and viewers that the intelligence agencies conclusion that Iraq had Weapons of Mass Destruction had resulted in a big mess.

Charles Krauthammer, the Fox commentator, called Trumps press conference remarks unfortunate, noting that once again, the president had undermined his own powerful message and the sharp criticism of Russian aggression expressed in his speech.
Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said Thursday that the U.S. was no closer to war with North Korea after the rogue nation successfully tested an intercontinental ballistic missile earlier this week.

"I do not believe this capability in itself brings us closer to war," said Mattis, who added that the North Korean launch also doesn't change the Trump administration's determination to pursue diplomacy to resolve the nuclear threat.

"The president has been very clear and the secretary of states [Rex Tillerson] been very clear that we are leading with diplomatic and economic efforts," Mattis told reporters during an impromptu encounter at the Pentagon.

However, the Pentagon chief also suggested that Pyongyang might eventually push too hard.

"Any effort by North Korea to start a war would lead to severe consequences," said Mattis, who warned a House committee last month that while the U.S. would likely win a war against North Korea, it would be "a war more serious in terms of human suffering than anything we've seen since 1953."

Mattis spoke hours after Trump said he was considering "pretty severe things" in response to North Korea's ICBM test, which analysts say demonstrated the range needed to reach U.S. soil for the first time.

"It's a shame that they're behaving this way," Trump said, "but they are behaving in a very, very dangerous manner and something will have to be done about it."

As of Thursday there were no outward signs of U.S. moves to put more air, ground or naval forces in South Korea.

The U.S. has about 28,000 troops in South Korea, and Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, says about 300,000 U.S. citizens are in Seoul alone. Dunford predicted on June 12 that war casualties would be heavy  "and many of those casualties will be in the first three, five, seven days of the war where all those people in the greater Seoul area (are) exposed to the North Korean threat that we will not be able to mitigate initially."

With a population of more than 20 million, the South Korean capital is in easy range of North Korea's massive array of artillery guns north of the Demilitarized Zone that forms a buffer between North and South. Japan could also be a target. Beyond the nuclear threat, the North also is believed to have chemical and biological weapons.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
A federal judge in Hawaii on Thursday denied a motion to expand the exceptions to President Donald Trump's executive order banning travel to the United States for citizens from six majority-Muslim countries.

U.S. District Court Judge Derrick Watson denied an emergency motion filed by Hawaii asking him to clarify what the U.S. Supreme Court meant by a "bona fide" relationship in its ruling last month.



The Supreme Court ruled the administration could mostly enforce its travel ban, but said those "with a credible claim of a bona fide relationship with a person or entity in the United States" could enter.



Watson said the relationship question would be better posed to the Supreme Court, not him.



TRUMP TRAVEL BAN: SUPREME COURT REINSTATES KEY PARTS OF EXECUTIVE ORDER

"This court will not upset the Supreme Court's careful balancing and `equitable judgment,"' Watson said in his order.



Hawaii attorney general Doug Chin objected to the administration's omission of grandparents, aunts and uncles from its list of people meeting the definition of a close relationship.



The Trump administration has said the exemption to the ban would apply to citizens of the six countries with a parent, spouse, child, adult son or daughter, son-in-law, daughter-in-law or sibling already in the U.S.



The U.S. Department of Justice said in an emailed statement that it was pleased with the decision.



"If the plaintiffs elect to proceed, we are confident that the U.S. Supreme Court will again vindicate the President and his constitutional duty to protect the national security of the United States," the department said.



Hakim Ouansafi, president of the Muslim Association of Hawaii, said he respects Watson's ruling but thinks there will be more opportunities to ensure the ban does not exclude grandparents and others close family members.



"We will have people directly affected by this, for sure," Ouansafi said. "When you exclude that many people, the circle is much wider."



In March, Watson blocked the ban on travelers from Syria, Sudan, Somalia, Libya, Iran and Yemen in response to a lawsuit by the state of Hawaii that argued the policy discriminates against Muslims.



Watson said there was "significant and unrebutted evidence of religious animus" behind the ban, which prevents new visas for people from the six countries and suspends the nation's refugee program. The administration appealed to the San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which largely upheld Watson's injunction.



The U.S. Supreme Court said the president's ban on visitors from the six countries can be enforced pending arguments scheduled for October, as long as those visitors lack a "credible claim of a bona fide relationship with a person or entity in the United States." Likewise, the justices said, refugees can travel to the U.S. if they demonstrate those connections.



The high court's majority laid out the "bona fide" relationships it had in mind. For individuals, a close family relationship is required:

A spouse or a mother-in-law would be permitted. So would a worker who accepted a job from an American company, a student enrolled at a U.S. university or a lecturer invited to address a U.S. audience.



A relationship created for purposes of avoiding the travel ban would not be bona fide, the justices said.



The Associated Press contributed to this report.
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio defended his decision to join protesters at the G-20 summit in Germany a day after an NYPD cop was assassinated in the Bronx.

De Blasio appeared on the "Ask the Mayor" segment on WNYC's "The Brian Lehrer Show" Friday, calling in from Hamburg. The mayor departed Thursday evening to attend protest events, keeping hush about his plans until hours before he left.

De Blasio told Lehrer the government of Hamburg invited him to come about 10 to 12 days ago and he was going to announce the trip earlier this week.

"They wanted, I think, to represent the fact that there are a variety of views in the United States on how to proceed on the big issues that face this planet, particularly on climate change," de Blasio said.

De Blasio continued to attack Trump, with the mayor saying, as the "leader of the biggest city in the country," he has the responsibility to represent the U.S. differently from the president.

"We are not going to be intimidated by President Trump and we are not going to turn away from our values," de Blasio said. "I have said many times this is not someone you get something done by compromising with or yielding to. He only understands strength and we have to show strength."

De Blasio is expected to attend several events surrounding the G-20 summit in the next two days, the mayor's press secretary Eric Phillips wrote on Twitter. De Blasio will also be a main speaker at the Saturday demonstration "Hamburg Zeigt Haltung," or "Hamburg Shows Attitude."

The trip will also include a visit with his son, Dante, who is currently in Berlin for a summer internship, The New York Post reported.

MELANIA TRUMP BLOCKED BY G-20 PROTESTERS FROM LEAVING GERMAN GUEST HOUSE

The mayor's abrupt departure for Germany left him skipping a swearing-in ceremony for 524 new NYPD recruits. It also came soon after NYPD Officer Miosotis Familia was shot in the head and killed while sitting in her police vehicle in the Bronx. De Blasio said he decided to take the trip once he knew it wouldn't coincide with the funeral service.

"Obviously I did not want to do anything until we knew when the services would be," he said. "Her services will be early next week so then that's when it was finally time to announce I was going to accept this invitation."

Many New Yorkers and politicians slammed the mayor's decision to leave the city. Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis, one of de Blasio's Republican opponents in the upcoming mayoral race, blasted his trip with a comic photo.

"While #NYC 's subways crumble, sex crimes increase double digits, litter on streets pile up & the number of street homeless soars... #G20," Malliotakis tweeted Thursday night with a photoshopped image of de Blasio drinking beers and eating bratwurst.

"The photo is funny but the issue is serious. Our mayor is neglecting his basic responsibility of managing the city," Malliotakis told the New York Post.

TRUMP, PUTIN SET FOR FIRST FACE-TO-FACE MEETING DURING G-20 SUMMIT

"As the city mourns, its leader flees," said Ed Mullins, the head of NYPD sergeants union. "And then he wonders why he has a problem with the police. A real leader stays with the city in this time of hardship."

Donald Trump Jr. also called out the mayor for leaving New York City while its "education, infrastructure etc rots under his 'progressive' stewardship!"

De Blasio will travel with three staffers and the cost of the trip will be covered by event organizers, Phillips told The New York Daily News.

Thousands of anti-capitalist protesters clashed with police in Hamburg on Thursday as Trump and other world leaders arrived for the summit. German police said 29 protesters were detained and 111 police officers were wounded, including three officers who were hospitalized. The protests are expected to continue through the weekend.
As President Trump reportedly questions Russian President Vladimir Putin on alleged Russian interference in the U.S. election, there is a growing focus on a different, as-yet-unanswered question: Where are the Democratic National Committee servers that were allegedly breached by Russian hackers, and has anyone in the government been able to look at them?

The notion that Russia interfered with the U.S. election is based in part, if not largely, on an investigation into the DNC's computer servers. The servers themselves, however, have yet to be viewed by a single government agency. Some lawmakers are hoping to change that amid growing questions surrounding the Russia narrative.

DNC EMAIL SERVER MOST WANTED EVIDENCE FOR RUSSIA INVESTIGATIONS

In the summer of 2016, the cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike revealed that "two separate Russian intelligence-affiliated adversaries" had hacked into the DNC network in May 2016. The group was reportedly called on by the DNC when the committee began to suspect something was up with its network in the months leading up to CrowdStrike's investigation.

CrowdStrike, a private company, has assisted with government investigations in the past. The company noted in its report on the apparent DNC breach that the attack had been perpetrated by a group that CrowdStrike had previously encountered while investigating a 2015 hack on the unclassified networks of the White House, State Department, and Joint Chiefs of Staff.

The firm has clients on both sides of the political aisle, working with groups like the DNC and reportedly the National Republican Congressional Committee. Critics have noted that the company's investors reportedly include the likes of employees of Google, a company that gave millions to the Clinton campaign, as well as a company run by a former staffer under both the Clinton and Obama administrations, Timothy Geithner.

TRUMP HITS PODESTA OVER DNC SERVER; EX-CLINTON CHAIR FIRES BACK

What draws the most questions, however, is the fact that CrowdStrike staffers are the only people to ever have investigated the DNC e-mail servers that contain evidence of Russian meddling, despite multiple requests by the FBI. Now, some lawmakers are demanding access as new questions are raised about what else might be in those servers, and why no one in the government has been permitted to look at them.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., is leading the Judiciary Committee investigation into alleged Russian meddling, and recently suggested he wants "to find out from the company [that] did the forensics what their full findings were."

Up until now, CrowdStrike has been providing investigators with what former FBI Director James Comey described in June as the "relevant forensic information... needed to understand the intrusion." The servers themselves, however, are another story.

While Comey suggested that his investigators believed they had sufficient information to understand the problem, he admitted in January before the Senate Intelligence Committee that his investigators were denied access to the physical servers. "Forensic folks always prefer to get access to the original device or server that's involved," he suggested.

Comey couldn't say why his people weren't given access, and testified that after "multiple requests at different levels... what was agreed to is that the private company would share with us what they saw."

Comey's testimony came just days after a Buzzfeed report in which the DNC claimed the bureau "never requested access" to the servers in question, and that it had been "providing access to all of the information uncovered by CrowdStrike  without any limits."

By March 2017, Comey, who was still FBI director at the time, told the House Intelligence Committee that his investigators still had not accessed the servers analyzed by CrowdStrike, but maintained that his investigators believed they had an "appropriate substitute."

Just last month, Jeh Johnson, the former Homeland Security secretary under President Obama, told the House Intelligence Committee that when his department offered to help the DNC with its hacking investigation, he was told the DNC "did not feel it needed DHS assistance at that time."

Incoming House Oversight chairman Trey Gowdy, R-S.C., reacted to Johnson's testimony by suggesting "there may be something else on that server [that the DNC] didn't want law enforcement to see."

In a tweet, President Trump suggested the DNC's apparent refusal to accept help from DHS was "all a big Dem HOAX!"

A British think tank that apparently worked with CrowdStrike recently suggested the firm has misinterpreted data in the past, and some experts have called the group's evidence of Russian interference in the U.S. election "flimsy."

CrowdStrike has defended its investigation multiple times, suggesting on one occasion that efforts to throw cold water on its conclusions could be part of a "Russian Intelligence disinformation campaign."
There are rumblings that freshman Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., may be a challenge to President Trump in 2020, but it appears some within her own party are not convinced.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the senior senator in Harris state, told The New York Times Thursday that Harris still needs to prove herself at her current job.

She just got here, Feinstein said, when asked about Harris future on a national stage. She continued, What she should do is concentrate on being a good, and possibly a great, United States senator. The rest will either happen or not happen.

Harris was elected in California in 2016, becoming the states first new senator in two decades. She is also the first black politician to represent the state. She was also the first woman elected the states attorney general. Former President Obama was once criticized by calling her by far, the best looking attorney general in the country. The crowd laughed, and he responded, Its true!

Harris fame grew during the questioning of Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein in June. The exchange was tense, with Harris interrupting Rosenstein as he started to say there wasnt enough time to explain the answer.

Republican Sen. John McCain first interjected, out of turn, with a plea to the committee chairman, Sen. Richard Burr: Mr. Chairman, they should be allowed to answer the question.

As the exchange between Harris and Rosenstein continued, Burr interjected and asked Harris to suspend.

The chair is going to exercise the right to allow the witnesses to answer the question, and the committee is on notice to provide the witnesses the courtesy  which has not been extended all the way across  extend the courtesy for questions to get answered.

Rosenstein then went on to answer the question, saying he believes Mueller has adequate authority.

The exchange comes months after Republicans voted to cut off Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren while she was reading a letter by Martin Luther King Jrs widow, Coretta Scott King, critical of then-Senate colleague and attorney general nominee Jeff Sessions.

After the intelligence hearing, Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden, a senior Democrat on the panel, tweeted: @SenKamalaHarris was getting facts onto the record. I was not interrupted by @senatorburr when I asked tough questions. She was.

Politico blared the headline, Trump hearings launch Kamala Harris.

Wade Randlett, a longtime Democratic fundraiser in Silicon Valley, told the magazine, The dominant trend in Democratic Party politics is fresh, new and interesting  thats what people are looking for  not old, steady and establishment. And Kamala is the trifecta on that.

Feinstein, 84, for her part, did tell the paper she is on the way to becoming a good friend of Harris.
While Secretary of State Rex Tillerson emerged from the sit-down between President Trump and Vladimir Putin claiming the U.S. president confronted the Russian leader on election meddling, it didn't take long for Tillerson's counterpart to provide Moscow's version of events.

Russias Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told reporters on Friday that Trump had actually accepted Putins assurances that Moscow was not behind the meddling in the 2016 presidential election.

Trump administration officials quickly pushed back, telling reporters at the G-20 summit in Germany that Lavrov's account was not accurate.

Lavrov's account also would appear to deviate from what Tillerson told reporters in his off-camera press briefing.

Lavrov had stressed that Trump heard President Putin stating clearly that the interference allegations are not true and the Russian government did not meddle.

President Trump, Im sure, will either say [this] himself or Rex Tillerson [will], this campaign has acquired a rather strange character, Lavrov said, according to a translation by Russia's Sputnik News. Because in the course of the months that these allegations have been around, not a single fact has been presented ...

Tillerson, though, told reporters in Fridays briefing that Trump opened the meeting by addressing concerns of Russias alleged meddling in the presidential campaign, leading to a robust discussion.

The president pressed Putin on multiple occasionsPutin denied involvement, as I believe he has done in the past, Tillerson said. They had a very robust and lengthy exchange on the subject.

Tillerson added that both presidents agreed the issue was a substantial hindrance to the ability to move the relationship between the U.S. and Russia forward.

The president was rightly focused on how do we move forward from what may be simply an intractable disagreement at this point, Tillerson said.

Russia has denied allegations of 2016 election meddling -- Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called the accusations absolutely groundless earlier this year.

Trump, Putin, Tillerson and Lavrov were the only people in the room for the meeting, other than translators.

Lavrov described the meeting, as a whole, as very productive, touching on issues like cybersecurity, North Korea and Ukraine.

A centerpiece of the conversation was efforts in Syria, perhaps the most serious source of tensions between Washington and Moscow. Tillerson claimed the meeting yielded indications the two countries could, in fact, work together.

As the meeting was wrapping up, The Associated Press reported the U.S. and Russia reached an agreement for a cease-fire in southwest Syria, to take effect July 9. According to the AP, a separate deal to create de-escalation zones was brokered. Tillerson confirmed the agreement during the briefing.

Do we have the same objections in mind? By and large, our objectives are exactly the same, but how we get there, we each have a view, Tillerson said, adding maybe theyve got the right approach and weve got the wrong approach.

TRUMP PRESSES PUTIN ON SYRIA, US ELECTION MEDDLING IN FIRST MEETING

Russia has backed Bashar Assad in Syria, while the U.S. has backed opposition forces for years. This conflict made Syria perhaps the toughest of many issues on the table for the highly anticipated talks Friday. As the two sat down, Trump said theyve had very, very good talks that will continue.

Tillerson did, however, confirm to reporters Friday that the Trump administrations stance on the Assad regime is left unchanged.

Our position continues to be that we see no long-term role for the Assad family or the Assad regime, and we have made this clear to everyone, Tillerson said.

Fox News' Brooke Singman and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
First Lady Melania Trump has been barred from leaving her temporary residence in Hamburg, Germany, due to G-20 protesters.

Trump is staying at a guest house that belongs to the Hamburg Senate while her husband President Donald Trump, attends the G-20 summit. Mrs. Trump was slated to join the spouses of other world leaders at an international summit on Friday but anti-globalization protesters are keeping the first lady from leaving.

We have no security clearance from the police to leave the guesthouse, Trumps spokeswoman for the German press agency told Focus, a German news agency.

The spouses normally get together while leaders are in meetings during international summits. Friday's program included a boat ride, lunch and a tour of a climate control center.

Thinking of those hurt in #Hamburg protests. Hope everyone stay safe! #G20  Melania Trump (@FLOTUS) July 7, 2017

The first lady tweeted earlier Friday: "Thinking of those hurt in #Hamburg protests. Hope everyone stay safe!"

On Thursday, nearly 100,000 anti-capitalist protesters demonstrated in the German city ahead of the G-20 conference. German police said 45 protesters were detained, another 15 were temporarily taken into custody, and 160 police officers were injured, including three officers who were hospitalized.

German authorities boosted their police presence ahead of the conference in preparation for the protests but called in more aid late Thursday after protests started to escalate.

The Group of 20 gathering of the worlds leading rich and developing nations is the first since Trump announced that the U.S. would withdraw from the Paris climate agreement.

On Friday, President Trump met with Russian President Vladimir Putin while on Thursday he met with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and had dinner with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and South Korean President Moon Jae-in.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Controversial Muslim activist Linda Sarsour gave a fiery speech last weekend where she said fellow Muslim-Americans do not have to assimilate and blasted Trump administration policies, even suggesting that resisting those policies could count as a form of jihad.

Sarsours remarks came at the annual Islamic Society of North America convention in Illinois. Sarsour, who was a lead organizer in the Womens March after President Trump's inauguration, slammed the new administration, specifically referring to the presidents executive order to temporarily ban travel from six predominantly Muslim countries.

Why are we so afraid of this administration and the potential chaos that they will ensue on our community -- and we already saw their potential when they come out every few weeks with Muslim ban one, Muslim ban two, Muslim ban three. They are relentless, they are persistent and consistent, and want to see how much we as a community can endure and want to see who our friends are and how hard were going to fight back against this administration, Sarsour said, adding she is outraged when she wakes up in the morning and remembers who is sitting in the White House.

The Supreme Court decided last week that much of the 'ban' could be enforced, while the high court prepares to take up the case in October.

Sarsour's criticism went beyond the ban, as she blasted "fascists" in the White House.

I hope that we, when we stand up to those who oppress our communities, that Allah accepts from us that as a form of jihad, Sarsour said. That we are struggling against tyrants and rulers not only abroad in the Middle East or the other side of the world, but here in these United States of America where you have fascists, white supremacists, and Islamaphobes reigning in the White House.

The term 'jihad' can be defined and interpreted in different ways. According to Merriam-Webster, jihad can be defined a holy war on behalf of Islam as a religious duty, or the more innocuous personal struggle in devotion to Islam especially involving spiritual discipline. The dictionary also defines jihad as a crusade for a principle or belief.

DAY AFTER TRUMP SWORN IN, HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS PROTEST PRESIDENCY IN CELEB-STUDDED MARCH

In an interview with The Washington Post on Friday, Sarsour said she was advocating solely for peaceful, nonviolent dissent. As Sarsour has faced some critical coverage for the speech, her Twitter page as of Friday was filled with tweets from defenders saying she only referred to jihad as a struggle.

Sarsour had been praised by the Obama administration for her advocacy work and had campaigned for Bernie Sanders. But she's also faced criticism from women's rights advocates for her defense of sharia law and other positions.

Further, she stirred more controversy in her speech last weekend by calling out her favorite person in the room -- Imam Siraj Wahhaj, whom she described as a mentor, motivator, and encourager. Wahhaj appeared on a list of unindicted co-conspirators in the 1993 World Trade Center bombings.

In the speech, she said the number 1, top priority was to protect and defend the Muslim community and suggested assimilation should not be a goal.

It is not to assimilate and to please any other people or authority, Sarsour said. Our obligation is to our young people, and to our women, and to make sure our women are protected in our community and our top priority, even higher than those priorities is to please Allah, and only Allah.
As Senate Republicans try to revise and resuscitate their alternative to the Affordable Care Act, issues with the current law of the land are only getting worse as co-ops crash, insurers pull out of individual markets and premiums spike to double-digit highs.

Democrats have decried the plan to repeal and replace ObamaCare and instead have pushed to patch up problems with the malfunctioning model. Even the laws namesake, former President Barack Obama, has admitted the ACA could use some tweaking.

In a recent Facebook post, Obama said the law wasnt perfect but represented a significant step forward for America. President Trump has called it a disaster and claims every other nation in the world has a better system in place.

OBAMACARE-REPEAL PUSH DRAWS OBAMA INTO FIGHT

The competing  and often contradictory  narratives and statistics on health insurance complicate efforts to dissect the data. But the overall trend lines still appear to be going in the wrong direction, upping the pressure on Congress to find a fix.

ObamaCare is absolutely imploding, Rep. Trent Franks, R-Ariz., told Fox News Americas Newsroom.

One glaring symptom of the ACAs challenges has been the fate of consumer operated and oriented plans, or co-ops. These small nonprofit insurers were created to boost competition, expand the number of health insurance providers available in rural areas and in turn lead to lower prices for coverage.

But thats not how its played out.

In 2014, there were 23 co-ops operating across the country. By 2015, all had posted annual losses, according to the National Alliance of State Health Co-Ops.

Since then, financial insolvency has claimed all but four.

The latest co-op casualty is Minuteman Health.

The company, which has around 37,000 customers in Massachusetts and New Hampshire, called it quits in late June. (The company plans to reopen as a for-profit in January 2018.)

CEO Tom Policelli blamed the exit on a provision in the ACA that requires insurers with healthier customers to make payments to insurers with sicker customers. Policelli called the risk adjustment program highly volatile.

Larger insurers have also begun to bolt certain states, leading to reduced options for consumers in the individual market.

A June Kaiser Family Foundation analysis estimates 38 out of 3,143 counties  or about 1.2 percent  could be at risk of having no insurer on the marketplace in 2018. This year, roughly a third of counties have access to just one insurer on the marketplace, according to the report.

Thats a hard fall for the ACA, which touted an average of five insurers participating in each state ACA marketplace in 2014. In 2015, that average bumped up to six insurers per state, ranging from one in West Virginia to 16 in New York, according to Kaiser. Things took a turn in 2016 following the failure of several co-ops, which brought the average down to 5.6 per state. In fiscal 2017, big insurance losses led to high-profile exits dragging the average down even more to 4.3.

The decision by health insurance giants Aetna and Humana to pull out of some state exchanges has rattled other insurers and raised concerns over the stability of the individual market.

In June, Anthem announced it would pull out of Ohios marketplace leaving some counties with no insurers. Anthems exit was particularly bruising because the state had been one of the most competitive marketplaces in the country. In 2016, 17 insurers sold plans in Ohio.

Anthem didnt mince words about why it was leaving. The company cited a lack of certainty around billions of federal dollars in subsidies they thought were coming their way as well as a lack of overall predictability.

Under ObamaCare, insurance subsides are doled out though refundable tax credits for individuals making between $16,000 and $47,000 per year as well as through cost-sharing reductions, where additional subsidies are paid by the government directly to insurers to help lower the amount customers pay for deductibles and co-pays.

The Trump administration has been vague about whether theyll pay and has said the president could decide to nix the subsidies whenever he wanted, creating more market confusion.

During the campaign season, Republicans seized on the uncertainty and cited rising insurance premiums as the primary reason ObamaCare needs to go. Its a fight that continues to this day.

Unlike candidate Trump who made bold statements about what he would do to get rid of ObamaCare and the speed with which he would do it, President Trump and his administration have waffled on ways to stabilize the insurance markets. The president even has suggested a few times letting it implode.

Trump tweeted Death spiral! following Aetnas announcement that it would pull out of the Virginia ACA exchange in 2018. When Humana announced its exit, Trump claimed, ObamaCare continues to fail.

The comments did little to soothe growing concerns of instability.

Some insurers still willing to offer plans under ObamaCare have braced themselves for financial hits by hiking premiums  though how much varies.

According to Kaiser, customers in Phoenix, Ariz., are facing a 145 percent increase whereas in Providence, R.I., customers could see a 14 percent decrease.

But those numbers could change for the worse.

A lot of what happens next with ObamaCare depends on if the Trump administration and Republican-controlled Congress  let alone Republicans and Democrats  can get on the same page.

Industry watchers warn that until the White House and Capitol Hill can present a united front, even more dramatic premium hikes will be passed on to customers.
Vice President Mike Pence praised President Trump's speech in Poland Thursday, telling Fox News' "Hannity" that Trump demonstrated "a commitment of will that will never back down to the shared values that we in this trans-Atlantic alliance have shared for more than 75 years."

Trump's address in Warsaw's historic Krasinski Square called on the U.S. and its Western allies to confront common threats, declaring "Our values will prevail, our people will thrive and our civilization will triumph."

Pence told host Laura Ingraham that Trump's speech displayed "unapologetic American leadership."

"It really is remarkable to think that for the last eight years we had an administration that was, more often than not, apologizing for America around the world," the vice president said. "And today in Warsaw ... President Donald Trump reaffirmed our nations commitment to be the leader of the free world."

Pence noted that Trump had urged Russia to cease what the president called "its destabilizing activities ... and its support for hostile regimes" ahead of Friday's much-anticipated meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the G-20 summit in Hamburg, Germany.

"For me, it was an example of the kind of bracing and direct and candid leadership that people across this country welcome in this president," said Pence, who later added, "frankly, ... leaders around the world, they are welcoming a President of the United States whos embracing his role as leader of the free world."
Call it the snub that wasnt.

Social media lit up Thursday with a clip showing Polands first lady supposedly ignoring President Trump in favor of greeting U.S. first lady Melania when he went in for a handshake during his visit to Warsaw.

&nbsp;

via GIPHY

But Polish President Andrzej Duda took to Twitter to call the reports FAKE NEWS.

Contrary to some surprising reports my wife did shake hands with Mrs. and Mr. Trump @POTUS after a great visit. Let's FIGHT FAKE NEWS, he tweeted -- a message that surely will delight the U.S. president who has focused intensely on battling media outlets he deems unfair and often uses the fake news label.

The clip in question clearly shows Trump extending a hand to Polish first lady Agata Kornhauser-Duda, who instead shakes hands with Melania Trump. However, the full video shows she shook the U.S. presidents hand immediately afterward.

The Internet couldnt help itself, however.

CNNs Chris Cillizza tweeted the clip along with the commentary: OHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGOD OHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGOD OHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGOD

He later acknowledged it wasnt a total snub and that the Polish first lady shook President Trumps hand after all.

I know! It was a funny video of a misunderstanding! Nothing more! The same thing has happened to me a billion times! he wrote.
A Florida congressman is urging the Senate to quickly pass legislation to toughen penalties against cop killers, in the wake of this weeks brutal murder of a New York City police officer.

Its time to protect those who put their lives on the line for us every day, GOP Rep. Vern Buchanan said in a statement released Thursday.

The congressman is the sponsor of Thin Blue Line Act, which would amend existing law to make the killing of a state or local law enforcement officer an aggravating factor in death penalty cases.

We need to send a strong message that the heinous targeting of police officers or first responders will not be tolerated, Buchanan added.

As of July 7, 2017, according to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, 24 officers have died in the line of duty in firearms-related attacks, a slight decrease from the 26 shooting deaths at this point last year. The total number of line-of-duty deaths, however, has risen 10 percent over the same point in 2016, due to traffic-related fatalities and other causes.

The Buchanan measure passed the House in May and has been referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa, has introduced a companion bill, which includes enhanced penalties for killing first responders and prosecutors.

Buchanan spokeswoman Gretchen Andersen said the congressman has been working with a national coalition of police and first responder groups to get the bill through the Senate and plans to reach out personally when Congress returns to Washington, D.C.

The assassination early Wednesday morning of NYPD officer Miosotis Familia came almost one year after five Dallas police officers were murdered in an ambush that occurred during a Black Lives Matter protest.

The 48-year-old mother of three was sitting in the back of a police van on Wednesday morning when a gunman, former convict Alexander Bonds, shot her at point-blank range.
Its almost like it never happened.

The Trump administration is erasing an Obama-era rule that withdrew hundreds of millions of acres of federally owned land from possible energy exploration.

In the process, it is also opening some U.S. coastal waters in the Arctic and Atlantic oceans for possible oil and gas drilling.

Speaking at a Department of Energy event in June, President Trump said, We don't want to let other countries take away our sovereignty and tell us what to do and how to do it. It's not going to happen.

White House officials say Thursday's order directing the Bureau of Land Management to speed up the permitting process for oil and gas leases is a step in that direction.

Couple the latest move with last week's repeal of the Clean Water Rule, and you have what administration officials call "a blueprint for energy dominance."

This latest decision also opens the gateway to a hydrocarbon-rich region thought to contain some 27 billion barrels of oil, and over 132 trillion cubic feet of natural gas.

This is all happening just as crude exports are on the rise -- surging to more than a million barrels every day in May and putting the U.S. on a record pace for 2017, according to government figures.

Analysts like Nicholas Loris of the Heritage Foundation believe that will mean more exports, hundreds of thousands of new jobs and, ultimately, more money in people's pockets.

When you roll back the regulations, this means you're saving on your electricity bills, this means price of gasoline is coming down a few cents a gallon, Loris said. "It can really ripple into tremendous economic benefits when that money is being put back into your wallet.

Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke called the effort to reduce permit times for energy leases on federal land an example of "good government and will further support the president's goal of American energy dominance."

The Environmental Protection Agency also amended the "Waters of the United States" rules that critics called unfair to agribusiness.

"We are taking significant action," EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt wrote, "to return power to the states and provide regulatory certainty to our nation's farmers and businesses."

But Bob Deans of the Natural Resources Defense Council warns the administration is unwisely putting a price tag on the health and safety of Americans.

It's shocking," he said. "President Trump is rolling back common sense safeguards to protect our air, land, water, rolling back real progress that we're making not only in fighting climate change but in creating the clean energy jobs of the future.

Ironically, it was President Obama who lifted the 40-year ban on exporting U.S. crude oil and also approved about two dozen liquified natural gas export licenses.

The latter, according to President Trump, could prove to be an increasingly lucrative export market for Europe in the future.
WASHINGTON -- Moving closer to taking a more direct role in European-led efforts to end the conflict in Ukraine, the Trump administration on Friday appointed a former U.S. ambassador to NATO as special envoy for resolving the crisis.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who will visit Kiev this weekend, named Kurt Volker as special representative for Ukraine negotiations. In that job, Volker will oversee U.S. efforts to press Ukraine and Russia to fully comply with the Minsk Agreement, which lays out a roadmap for reducing tensions in Ukraine's east. The accord was worked out two years ago in the capital of Belarus by the leaders of France, Germany, Ukraine and Russia but has yet to be implemented. Under the Obama administration, the U.S. had taken a hand's-off approach to Minsk, allowing the Europeans to take the lead.

Volker, a career diplomat and Europe specialist who also worked in the White House, is close to Sen. John McCain, a prominent critic of Russia's involvement in Ukraine and of the previous administration's approach to that intervention. Volker currently heads the McCain Institute for International Leadership at Arizona State University.

In announcing the appointment, Tillerson said Volker's "wealth of experience makes him uniquely qualified to move this conflict in the direction of peace." He said the U.S. remains fully committed to the Minsk agreements.

The State Department said Volker would accompany Tillerson to Kiev on Sunday and then hold regular meetings with senior Russian, German and French officials. He will "take responsibility for advancing U.S. efforts to achieve the objectives set out in the Minsk agreements," the department said.

Tillerson had been hinting for some time that he might appoint a special envoy to deal with Ukraine, a departure from his stated goal of reducing the number of such specialty posts at the State Department.

He told Congress last month that the United States remains committed to the goals of the Minsk agreements but suggested that the U.S. was not wedded to that format.

Administration officials said this week that the parties to the Minsk accords were seeking a greater U.S. role in the process and that an appointment was likely ahead of Tillerson's trip to Kiev. That trip follows President Donald Trump's meeting on Friday in Germany with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The Ukrainian government has been fighting Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine since 2014, after Russia annexed Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula. The fighting has cost some 10,000 lives.

The 2015 Minsk Agreement, which Ukraine signed as its troops were being driven back, has greatly reduced but not stopped the fighting, while attempts to fulfill its provisions for a political settlement, including greater autonomy for the east, have failed. Known as Minsk II, it followed a cease-fire deal reached the previous year, also in Minsk.
President Trump spoke proudly of the Western world pursuing innovation, cherishing art and writing symphonies  but the only instrument a Washington Post writer heard was a dog whistle.

Trumps Thursday speech in Warsaw was largely acclaimed  even by longtime critics  as the president took Russia to task for destabilizing actions around the world and praised the Polish resistance during World War II as a model for cultures fighting existential threats. But several left-leaning outlets  including The Post, The Los Angeles Times, Salon and The Atlantic  decried the speech as an ode to white nationalism and anti-Muslim, anti-immigrant rhetoric.

The Washington Post headlined an opinion piece from editorial board member Jonathan Capehart Trumps white-nationalist dog whistles in Warsaw. Capeharts biggest gripe centers around the section where Trump touted Western accomplishments and that began with the line, We write symphonies.

What on Earth does that have to do with anything? Capehart wrote. In that one line, taken in context with everything else Trump said, what I heard was the loudest of dog whistles. A familiar boast that swells the chests of white nationalists everywhere.

The Atlantic picked up where The Post left off, with an article called The Racial and Religious Paranoia of Trumps Warsaw Speech.

In his speech in Poland on Thursday, Donald Trump referred 10 times to the West and five times to our civilization, Peter Beinart wrote. His white nationalist supporters will understand exactly what he means. Its important that other Americans do, tooThe West is a racial and religious term.

Beinart added that what links American and Polish governments ideologically is their hostility to Muslim immigration.

The most shocking sentence in Trumps speechperhaps the most shocking sentence in any presidential speech delivered on foreign soil in my lifetimewas his claim that The fundamental question of our time is whether the West has the will to survive, he wrote. Trumps sentence only makes sense as a statement of racial and religious paranoia. The south and east only threaten the Wests survival if you see non-white, non-Christian immigrants as invaders. They only threaten the Wests survival if by West you mean white, Christian hegemony.

Beinart accused Trump of not speaking as president, but instead speaking as the head of a tribe.

Other outlets were less scathing in their criticism, but took shots at the president nonetheless.

Salon said Trumps speech ripped a line from Europes far-right playbook. The LA Times termed Trumps ideas ethnocentric and called his description of threats from terrorism as a thinly veiled reference to the Islamic world.

The Week cast the address as a dark vision of America and criticized his word choice.

While Trump said the word freedom 15 times during his speech  brave defenders of freedom, bled and died for freedom, demolish freedom  he did not once speak of democracy, Jeva Lange wrote.

But Trump won praise elsewhere.

The Wall Street Journal editorial called it a "defining speech" -- and a "determined and affirmative defense of the Western tradition."

I thought the speech was historic yesterday, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich told Fox & Friends, praising the president for defending Western civilization by name against Islamic terrorism and secular bureaucratic tyranny.

Said Gingrich: Its a remarkably important speech.
President Trump pressed Russias Vladimir Putin on U.S. election meddling while also making headway on the Syria crisis during their first formal meeting on Friday, according to administration officials who offered details on the highly anticipated sit-down in Germany which lasted more than two hours.

One of the big questions going into Fridays meeting on the sidelines of the G-20 summit in Hamburg was whether Trump would confront Putin over long-standing allegations of meddling in last years presidential campaign.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson told reporters that Trump in fact opened the meeting with those concerns, leading to a "robust" discussion.

"The president pressed Putin, on multiple occasions -- Putin denied involvement, as I believe he has done in the past," Tillerson said in an off-camera briefing with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin.

The two agreed this was a substantial hindrance to the ability to move the Russian, U.S. relationship forward, Tillerson said.

At the same time, he said the two leaders "connected very quickly" and had "positive chemistry," focusing on ways to move forward as opposed to "relitigating" the past.

The centerpiece of those efforts is Syria, perhaps the most serious source of tensions between Washington and Moscow. Tillerson claimed the meeting yielded indications the two countries could in fact work together.

As the meeting was wrapping up, The Associated Press reported the U.S. and Russia reached an agreement for a cease-fire in southwest Syria, to take effect July 9. According to the AP, a separate deal to create "de-escalation zones" was brokered -- Tillerson confirmed the agreement during his briefing.

Do we have the same objectives in mind? By and large, our objectives are exactly the same, but how we get there, we each have a view, Tillerson said, adding maybe theyve got the right approach and weve got the wrong approach.

Despite those comments, the U.S. and Russia have backed opposing sides in Syria, with Russia supporting its ally Bashar Assad and the U.S. having backed opposition forces for years. Both countries, though, are targeting Islamic State terrorists.

Tillerson confirmed to reporters Friday that the Trump administrations stance on the Assad regime is unchanged.

Our position continues to be that we see no long-term role for the Assad family or the Assad regime, and we have made this clear to everyone, Tillerson said.

Trump, Putin, Tillerson, and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov were in the room for Friday's high-profile meeting.

Given the controversy surrounding alleged Russian meddling in the U.S. presidential election and Democrats' efforts to tie Trump to Putin, the first meeting between the men was being closely watched.

Building expectations, Trump tweeted ahead of the meeting: "I will represent our country well and fight for its interests! Fake News Media will never cover me accurately but who cares! We will [Make America Great Again]!"

The Trump-Putin summit came amid shifting Trump rhetoric, as the president has begun taking a harder line with Russia. Trump was complimentary of Putin as recently as the October presidential debates, and during the election he often said he hoped the U.S. and Russia could improve relations.

But since assuming office Trump's optimism has waned, and he's criticized Russia for its unflinching support of Syrian leader Assad, even as he used chemical weapons. The U.S. also incurred Russian ire by agreeing to sell patriot missiles to Poland, and in a highly praised speech in Warsaw on Thursday, Trump specifically called out Russia for its subversive activities worldwide.

"We urge Russia to cease its destabilizing activities in Ukraine and elsewhere and its support for hostile regimes including Syria and Iran, and to instead join the community of responsible nations in our fight against common enemies and the defense of civilization itself," Trump said.

TRUMP CHIDES RUSSIA AHEAD OF PUTIN MEETING, THOUGH NOT ENOUGH FOR DEM CRITICS

Still, the change in tone has not been enough for some U.S. lawmakers, who urged Trump to confront Putin face-to-face over the alleged election meddling.

Asked on Thursday about the election meddling, Trump conceded he believed Russia was probably responsible -- but was quick to add the Kremlin may not have been the lone foreign entity trying to sow discord in American politics.

TRUMP, IN POLAND, VOWS THE 'WEST WILL NEVER, EVER BE BROKEN'

The Putin meeting is the highlight of a hectic, four-day European visit for Trump, who addressed thousands of Poles in an outdoor speech in Warsaw, Poland, on Thursday. He met in Germany with Chancellor Angela Merkel, the summit host, and had dinner with two Asian allies -- Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and South Korean President Moon Jae-in -- to discuss North Korea's aggression.

Fox News' Brooke Singman and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin met for more than two hours during a summit in Germany on Friday  and the two had a lot to talk about.

From foreign affairs to Russia's involvement in the U.S. presidential election, the two leaders discussed many topics as their conversation stretched nearly an hour and a half longer than the scheduled 35-minute timeframe.

We look forward to a lot of very positive things happening, with Russia and the United States and for everybody concerned, Trump said at his meeting with Putin.

Putin later said that many issues have piled up, including Ukraine, Syria, some bilateral and other issues.

Here are some of the topics Trump and Putin covered during their first face-to-face meeting.

Election meddling

Trump immediately pressed Putin on the allegations that Russia interfered in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, administration officials said after the meeting.

The president pushed Putin on multiple occasions  Putin denied involvement, as I believe he has done in the past, U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said.

TRUMP PRESSES PUTIN ON SYRIA, US ELECTION MEDDLING IN FIRST MEETING

The two agreed this was a substantial hindrance to the ability to move the Russian, U.S. relationship forward, he also said.

Russias foreign minister Sergey Lavrov told reporters following the meeting that Trump accepted Putins assurances that Moscow didnt meddle in the election.

Following the G-20 meeting, Trump tweeted that he "strongly pressed" Putin "twice" about the meddling.

He vehemently denied it. Ive already given my opinion, Trump said.

Trump added that he and Putin also discussed forming a cybersecurity unit together so that election hacking [and] many other negative things will be guarded and safe.

Now it is time to move forward in working constructively with Russia! Trump tweeted.

Syria

The U.S. and Russia announced an agreement for a cease-fire in southwest Syria to take effect July 9, according to the Associated Press.

Lavrov said Russian military police will monitor the cease-fire. He said the deal was brokered by Russia, the U.S. and Jordan. Moscow and Washington will ensure the cessation of hostilities and humanitarian access, Lavrov said.

Tillerson described the deal as the first indication of the Trump administration and Russia being able to work together in Syria.

TRUMP, PUTIN G-20 HANDSHAKE IGNITES TWITTER FIRESTORM

Do we have the same objectives in mind? By and large, our objectives are exactly the same, but how we get there, we each have a view, Tillerson said.

While Russia has backed Syrian President Bashar Assad, the U.S. has supported opposition forces  making Syria one of the more contentious issues between the two nations.

Trump tweeted on July 9 that the ceasefire seems to be holding.

Many lives can be saved, he said.

North Korea

Trump and Putin had a pretty good exchange on how to deal with the threat of North Korea, Tillerson also said.

However, the secretary of state added that the Russians see it a little different than we do.

MELANIA TRUMP BLOCKED BY G-20 PROTESTERS LEAVING GERMAN GUEST HOUSE

Tillerson noted that Russias ultimate goal mirrors what the U.S. wants: the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula. He said the differences are the tactics used to achieve that goal but would not elaborate.

North Korea successfully tested an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of reaching the U.S. for the first time earlier this week  adding a new stress for the Pentagons missile defenses.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
President Trump previewed his heavily anticipated Friday showdown with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin with a series of early morning tweets, promising to "represent our country well" and ambiguously adding the two larger-than-life leaders had "much to discuss."

Trump and Putin were set to participate later Friday morning in a bilateral talk at the G-20 summit in Hamburg, Germany. Given the controversy surrounding alleged Russian meddling in the U.S. presidential election and Democrats' efforts to tie Trump to Putin, the first meeting between the men is being closely watched. The men quickly greeted each other early Friday, with Trump shaking Putin's hand and patting him on the back.

"I look forward to all meetings today with world leaders, including my meeting with Vladimir Putin. Much to discuss," Trump tweeted.

He added: "I will represent our country well and fight for its interests! Fake News Media will never cover me accurately but who cares! We will [Make America Great Again]!"

The Trump-Putin powwow comes amid shifting Trump rhetoric, as the president has begun taking a harder line with Russia. Trump was complimentary of Putin as recently as the October presidential debates, and during the election he often said he hoped the U.S. and Russia could improve relations.

But since assuming office Trump's optimism has waned, and he's criticized Russia for its unflinching support of Syrian leader Bashar Assad, even as he used chemical weapons. The U.S. also incurred Russian ire by agreeing to sell patriot missiles to Poland, and in a highly praised speech in Warsaw on Thursday, Trump specifically called out Russia for its subversive activities worldwide.

"We urge Russia to cease its destabilizing activities in Ukraine and elsewhere and its support for hostile regimes including Syria and Iran, and to instead join the community of responsible nations in our fight against common enemies and the defense of civilization itself," Trump said.

Still, the change in tone has not been enough for some U.S. lawmakers, who are also urging Trump to confront Putin face-to-face over the alleged election meddling. It remained unclear Friday what Trump's agenda was for his meeting with Putin, but he did offer an odd Twitter aside Friday that hinted at the issue.

"Everyone here is talking about why John Podesta refused to give the DNC server to the FBI and the CIA. Disgraceful!" Trump said.

Though the critique appeared to be aimed more at his Democratic opponents, the Russians are accused of being behind the scheme to obtain Podesta's emails via a phishing scam and leak the contents to antisecrecy website WikiLeaks. Podesta served as the chairman of Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton's campaign.

Asked on Thursday about the election meddling, however, Trump conceded he believed Russia was probably responsible -- but was quick to add the Kremlin may not have been the lone foreign entity trying to sew discord in American politics.

The meeting between Trump and Putin is scheduled to last 35 minutes and will take place during the G-20 summit. Sources told Fox News that only Trump, Secretary of State Tillerson, an interpreter and Putin will be in the room.

The two world leaders are famous for their alpha-male personas. Putin is known as a skilled statesman, while Trump defines himself as a great businessman and world-class negotiator.

The Putin meeting is the highlight of a hectic, four-day European visit for Trump, who addressed thousands of Poles in an outdoor speech in Warsaw, Poland, on Thursday. He met in Germany with Chancellor Angela Merkel, the summit host, and had dinner with two Asian allies -- Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and South Korean President Moon Jae-in -- to discuss North Korea's aggression.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
President Trump tweeted Friday morning that "everyone" at the G-20 summit was talking about Democrats' refusal to cooperate with the U.S. probe of Russian election meddling -- prompting the target of the Twitter tear to blast the president as a "whack job."

Trump tweeted ahead of his arrival in Hamburg, Germany: "Everyone here is talking about why John Podesta refused to give the DNC server to the FBI and the CIA. Disgraceful!"

Podesta was the former chair of Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign whose emails were stolen after he fell for a phishing scheme; however, Podesta did not run the Democratic National Committee -- which also had its email system breached.

Several U.S. intelligence agencies expressed confidence the meddling was the work of the Russian government, a viewpoint Trump largely accepts -- however, Trump also contends other actors may have been involved.

Podesta responded angrily to Trump, calling the president names and imploring him to focus on the G-20 summit.

"On a x-country road trip with my wife," Podesta wrote in the first of seven tweets. "Pulled in for a pit stop in E. Fairmont W. Va. to see that our whack job POTUS @realDonaldTrump is tweeting about me at the G20. Get a grip man, the Russians committed a crime when they stole my emails to help get you elected President. Maybe you might try to find a way to mention that to President Putin."

He added: "BTW, I had nothing to do with the DNC. God only knows what you'll be raving about on twitter by the time we get to Utah. Dude, get your head in the game. Youre representing the US at the G20."

The Washington Times reported Wednesday that federal investigators have not been able to obtain the DNC server in question. The only cybersecurity experts whove looked at the device is a private company from California called CrowdStrike.

Some members of Congress reportedly raised questions about why the DNC has never allowed investigators to look at the server, which is a key piece of evidence.

The Associated Press contributed to this report
The U.S. Supreme Court upheld the latest version of President Trump's controversial travel ban that affects residents of some majority-Muslim countries.

The ban applies to people from Syria, Iran, Libya, Somalia and Yemen. It also placed limits on people from North Korea and Venezuela.

Since the president signed an executive order in January 2017 establishing a ban on travel of people from Muslim-majority nations, it has been a point of contention and challenged in court. Heres a look at the bans journey through the legal system.

June 26  Supreme Court upholds ban

In a 5-4 ruling, the Supreme Court issued its first substantive ruling on a Trump administration policy on June 26, upholding the travel ban. The court said the president has substantial power to regulate immigration.

Chief Justice John Roberts wrote the majority opinion, which was joined by his four conservative colleagues.

The sole prerequisite set forth in [federal law] is that the President find that the entry of the covered aliens would be detrimental to the interests of the United States. The President has undoubtedly fulfilled that requirement here, Roberts wrote.

Justice Sonia Sotomayor, who dissented, said "a reasonable observer would conclude that the Proclamation was motivated by anti-Muslim animus."

April 25  Supreme Court hears oral arguments

In the last case the justices will hear until October, oral arguments on the travel ban will be delivered before the Supreme Court on April 25. This is the first time the justices are considering whether it violates immigration law or the Constitution.

People waited for a seat inside the courtroom for days ahead of the hearing.

A decision is expected by June.

April 10  Chad removed from travel ban

The Trump administration removed Chad from the travel ban because the African country had improved its identity-management and information sharing practices enough, press secretary Sarah Sanders said.

It had been included on the list because of an office supply glitch that prevented it from supplying homeland security officials with recent samples of its passports. It was also unable to adequately share public safety and terror-related information with U.S. officials who screen foreigners seeking to enter the country, officials said.

March 30  More than a dozen states back lawsuit against ban

Washington, D.C. and 16 states backed Hawaiis lawsuit against the travel ban with an amicus brief filed with the Supreme Court.

President Trumps discriminatory ban both hurts the families caught up in the chaos of his draconian policies, and undermines our states residents, institutions, businesses and economies, New York Attorney Gen. Eric Schneiderman said in a statement.

Jan. 19  Supreme Court announces it will rule on the travel ban

The Supreme Court announced on Jan. 19 that it will rule on Trump's controversial travel ban. The justices plan to hear arguments in April and issue a final ruling by late June.

Dec. 4  Supreme Court OKs full enforcement of Trump travel ban

Handing the White House a huge judicial victory, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of Trumps travel ban affecting residents of six majority-Muslim countries.

Lower courts had said people from those countries with a "bona fide" relationship with someone in the United States could not be prevented from entry.

Grandparents and cousins were among the relatives courts said could not be excluded.

Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Sonia Sotomayor said they would have left the lower court orders in place.

Oct. 17  Federal judge temporarily blocks travel ban

U.S. District Judge Derrick Watson granted a request from Hawaii to temporarily block a version of Trump's travel ban, which was supposed to take effect at midnight ET on Oct. 18.

Hawaii argued that the revised ban  which included citizens from Chad, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, Syria and Yemen, and some Venezuelan government officials and their families  was a continuation of Trump's "promise to exclude Muslims from the United States."

"Todays dangerously flawed district court order undercuts the Presidents efforts to keep the American people safe and enforce minimum security standards for entry into the United States," the White House said in a statement. "The Department of Justice will vigorously defend the Presidents lawful action."

Oct. 10  Supreme Court dismisses one case

The Supreme Court didnt take action on a case that originated in Hawaii pertaining to Trumps travel ban and a ban on refugees.

However, it did dismiss another case that originated in Maryland. That case involved a ban that has since expired and been replaced with a new one by the administration.

Oct. 5  Justice Department asks Supreme Court to drop travel ban case

The Department of Justice asked the nations highest court to dismiss the case challenging the administrations travel ban. The administration argued the case should be dismissed because it was regarding a previous travel ban that is now moot.

Sept. 24  Trump signs new travel ban

As Trumps original ban was set to expire, the president unveiled new restrictions on travel to the U.S. from certain countries citizens.

The revised ban included citizens from Chad, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, Syria and Yemen. It also included some government officials from Venezuela.

Sept. 12  Supreme Court lifts restrictions

The Supreme Court blocked a lower courts decision that would have allowed refugees to enter the country under certain conditions, blocking a ruling that said a resettlement agency counts as a bona fide relationship.

Sept. 7  Appeals court limits travel ban

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit upheld a lower court ruling that would allow for more refugees to enter the country despite the ban. The federal court ruled that refugees working with a resettlement agency would be considered to have established an approved bona fide relationship with a contact in the U.S.

WHO DOES TRUMPS TRAVEL BAN BLOCK FROM ENTERING THE US?

It also expanded the scope of a bona fide relationship to include other family members, such as grandparents and other relatives.

July 19  Supreme Court allows for strict enforcement of refugee ban

The Supreme Court, temporarily, allowed for the administrations travel ban to keep a strict enforcement on its ban of refugees. It did, however, leave in place the court order that made it easier for travelers from the six Muslim-majority countries to enter the U.S. and allowed a previous expansion of bona fide relationships to stay.

July 13  Federal judge expands scope of travel ban

U.S. District Judge Derrick Watson, in Hawaii, ruled that a bona fide relationship certain travelers need before entering the U.S. could be expanded to include grandparents and other relatives.

The Justice Department filed an emergency request with the Supreme Court for clarification.

June 29  Travel ban goes into effect

After the Supreme Courts ruling, the Trump administration issued guidance on who would be allowed into the country and who would be barred.

June 26  Supreme Court allows for travel ban to continue

The Supreme Court announced it would allow Trump to forge ahead with a limited version of his travel ban. Trump hailed the decision as a victory for national security.

HAWAII GETS CHANCE TO MAKE CASE FOR FIGHTING 3RD TRAVEL BAN

The court said it would hear arguments in October, but until then, the ban on travelers from Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen could be enforced if the visitors lacked a credible claim of a bona fide relationship with a person or entity in the United States.

May 25  Travel ban blocked by federal court

The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals in Virginia blocked the travel ban from being implemented. It had begun to hear the case earlier in May.

We remain unconvinced [the ban] has more to do with national security than it does with effectuating the Presidents promised Muslim ban," the court said at the time.

March 30  Trump administration appeals ruling

The Department of Justice filed an appeal with the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to challenge the ruling against the travel ban.

March 29  Federal judge continues to block travel ban

U.S. District Judge Derrick Watson granted a request to continue to halt the travel ban.

March 16  Another federal judge temporarily blocks the order

Sitting in Maryland, U.S. District Judge Theodore Chuang temporarily halted the executive order. The injunction was not as comprehensive as the one issued earlier in Hawaii, but it did contend that the ban was discriminatory toward Muslims.

The order did not change the previous injunction in Hawaii, but rather just reinforced it.

March 15  Federal judge blocks travel ban

U.S. District Judge Derrick Watson prevented the travel ban from being implemented just before it was set to take effect. Watson granted the state of Hawaiis request for a temporary restraining order.

Trump called the decision an unprecedented judicial overreach.

March 8  Hawaii sues to block the travel ban

The state of Hawaii sued in an attempt to halt the Trump administrations travel ban from going into effect. Lawyers said the new executive order is resulting in the establishment of religion in the State of Hawaii contrary to its state Constitution.

Lawyers also argued that the ban would damage Hawaiis economy, educational institutions and tourism industry; and it is subjecting a portion of the states citizens to second-class treatment and discrimination, while denying all Hawaii residents the benefits of an inclusive and pluralistic society.

March 6  Trump unveils new travel ban

Trump signed a new executive order which barred travel from six predominantly Muslim countries for 90 days  removing Iraq from the new ban.

The new order also exempted permanent residents and current visa holders from the travel ban. Syrian refugees were still included in the new order but only for 120 instead of indefinitely.

Feb. 15  Trumps travel ban gets a defender

Texas Attorney Ken Paxton split with other states and defended the travel ban as he filed documents with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit asking to reconsider a decision blocking the ban.

Paxton argued that the order is a legal exercise of presidential authority.

Feb. 13  Federal judge grants injunction against ban

A federal judge in Virginia granted an injunction to prevent the administration from implementing the ban.

U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema said the ban was unconstitutional as it had a religious bias.

Feb. 9  Travel ban is again blocked

The travel bans suspension was upheld by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in a unanimous decision.

MUSLIM ADVOCATES, LEGAL ORG FILES SUITS OVER TRAVEL BAN

Those judges were Michelle Friedland, appointed by former President Barack Obama; Richard Clifton, appointed by former President George W. Bush; and William Canby, appointed by former President Jimmy Carter.

The court began to hear arguments from the Justice Department and lawyers from the states of Washington and Maryland  in opposition to the ban  on Feb. 7.

Feb. 6  Justice Department asks federal court to intervene

The Justice Department filed with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit asking it to intervene and reverse a previous judges decision to halt the travel ban.

Sixteen attorneys general filed an amicus brief in support of the lawsuit against the travel ban. Those included: California, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia and Washington, D.C.

Feb. 3  Judge declines to extend injunction against travel ban

U.S. District Judge Nathaniel Gorton did not extend a temporary injunction against the administrations travel ban.

But U.S. District Judge James Robart in Seattle did issue a temporary block of the ban on the same day.

The state has met its burden in demonstrating immediate and irreparable injury, Robart said as he ruled in favor of lawyers from the states of Washington and Minnesota.

Feb. 1  Administration tweaks travel ban

The Trump administration tweaked its travel ban to exempt legal permanent residents of the U.S.

AFGHAN GIRLS ROBOTICS TEAM ARRIVES IN US JUST IN TIME

They no longer need a waiver because if they are a legal permanent resident, they wont need it anymore, then-White House press secretary Sean Spicer said of green card holders.

Jan. 30  Senate Republicans save travel ban from Democrats

Senate Republicans squashed an effort by Democrats to overturn the executive order. When Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. sought a vote on legislation to reverse the ban, Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., objected.

Trump also fired acting Attorney Gen. Sally Yates on this day when she refused to defend the travel ban.

Jan. 29  Temporary stay issued on travel ban

A Boston federal court temporarily put Trumps travel ban on hold for one week.

The ruling stipulated that previously approved refugees, valid visa holders and lawful permanent residents or travelers from the seven countries included in Trumps order could not be detained or removed from the U.S. because of the executive order.

Jan. 28  Federal judge issues emergency injunction against ban

A federal judge in New York issued an emergency order blocking, in part, the executive order. U.S. District Judge Ann Donnellys ruling temporarily barred the U.S. from deporting people who arrived with a valid visa or who had already completed a refugee application.

As dozens of people were detained after their planes landed in the U.S., massive protests erupted at airports nationwide.

Jan. 27  Trump signs executive order barring travel from seven Muslim-majority nations

Trump signed an executive order which immediately barred entry into the U.S. for the citizens of Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen.

The order, dubbed Protection the Nation From Foreign Terrorist Entry into the United States, also halted the U.S. refugee program for 120 days, but indefinitely barred all Syrian refugees from entering the country.

Fox News' Barnini Chakraborty, Bill Mears and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Oregon followed the District of Columbia's lead this week in starting to offer gender-neutral licenses -- but whether the "non-binary" IDs will pass muster with the Transportation Security Administration is up in the air.

The TSA for years has been tightening ID standards as part of a post-9/11 security push.

Asked about the changes in Oregon and D.C., TSA assistant press secretary Michelle Negron acknowledged policies allowing residents to list a gender other than male or female are relatively new.

Were working to develop guidance, she told Fox News. In the meantime, she said they do not anticipate changes to screening procedures. She said officers will remain focused on ensuring that the ID presented is not fraudulent and that the traveler matches the photo on the ID and name on boarding pass.

TSA right now is focused on getting states into compliance with the REAL ID Act, a 2005 law setting minimum standards for state-issued licenses and identification cards that can be used to access federal agencies and airports. On Jan. 22, 2018, the TSA will no longer accept any ID that does not meet those standards.

Oregon officials are confident those who choose not to identify their gender will not have problems flying.

At this point, we don't expect any travel issues, but this is new territory for the whole country, said David House, Oregon DMV spokesman.

D.C. Councilmember Brianne K. Nadeau consulted with the National Center for Transgender Equality when drafting her bill, with the express purpose of ensuring compliance with REAL ID.

But Judicial Watch, a conservative public interest law group, argues federal law under REAL ID specifically requires gender be listed on any identification documents, in turn making the D.C. and Oregon IDs invalid.

Part of the confusion results from a 2008 regulation issued by the Department of Homeland Security. The rule states DHS would leave the determination of gender up to the States since different States have different requirements for when a transgendered individual should be identified as another gender.

Oregon began planning to move to non-binary IDs in June 2016 after a state court ruled in favor of a residents request to change gender from female to non-binary.

California and New York are poised to make similar changes. On May 31, Californias state Senate passed the Gender Recognition Act, which would add a third gender -- non-binary -- to male and female on official state documents. It is under consideration in the state Assembly.

A TSA spokesman confirmed that DMV officials in D. C. and Oregon notified the federal government, local law enforcement and corrections agencies of their plans prior to making the changes, but would not discuss the feedback provided.

Hayley Gorenberg, general counsel for the Lambda Legal Foundation, said there shouldnt be issues since the U.S. recognizes foreign passports with multiple gender categories. Pakistan recently joined Canada, India and Australia in offering multiple gender options.

The fact that the U.S. government accepts and has no issues with foreign passports [that have alternate gender categories] shows that it can function fine, Gorenberg told Fox News.

These IDs more accurately reflect the individual and are consistent with international airline standards, she said.

The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), which develops standards for the production of passports, has allowed an X field to be used since 1996.

Potentially complicating matters for the federal government is a pending lawsuit filed by Dana Zzyym, a U.S. Navy veteran and intersex person.

Since 2014, Zzyym has been trying to obtain a U.S. passport for use traveling overseas, but the State Department has repeatedly rejected Zzyyms application for an intersex passport.

The department permits individuals who transition from one gender to another to amend their passport to reflect their sex, but does not recognize an individual who is born with both male and female characteristics.

Lambdas Gorenberg told Fox News the case boils down to a matter of fairness and is urging the court to act expeditiously. Lamba Legal is representing Zzyym in the lawsuit against the State Department.

In its latest application denial, the State Department informed Zzyym they were unaware of generally accepted medical standards for evaluating a transition to any sex other than male or female.

On June 26, a federal court in Colorado granted Zzyyms request to have the lawsuit reopened.

Arli Christian, state policy counsel for the National Center for Transgender Equality, which helped write the D.C. law, said she hopes that developments like the new D.C. and Oregon policies will encourage more institutions to treat everyone with respect regardless of gender.

Even those states that do not move toward gender-neutral IDs will have to consider how to handle D.C. and Oregon licenses.

Brandy Brubaker, media liaison for the DMV in neighboring Virginia, said IDs like the new D.C. license represent an emerging issue about which the state is researching and seeking guidance.

As far as Oregon licenses, House noted bars and other establishments often reject out-of-state IDs for a myriad of reasons.

Setting aside questions about the non-binary license option, Oregon is moving to get into compliance with REAL ID by the end of the year, after having gotten an extension. Only two states -- Missouri and Minnesota -- are presently considered out of compliance with that 2005 law and did not get an extension.
A storied Revolutionary War musket ball that was melted from a famously toppled statue of King George III has gone on display in Philadelphia.

Experts believe that the ball is one of more than 42,000 melted from a statue of King George III that once stood on Bowling Green in Lower Manhattan. The statue was torn down by a mob of soldiers and sailors on July 9, 1776.

Dubbed Melted majesty, the musket balls were used to fight the British during the Revolutionary War, according to the Museum of the American Revolution, where the ball is now on display.

SOLDIERS FAITH: RARE BIBLE CARRIED AT THE BATTLE OF BUNKER HILL HAS MOVING INSCRIPTIONS

A spokeswoman for the Museum told Fox News that the musket ball was discovered across the street from Monmouth Battlefield State Park in New Jersey nearly 25 years ago by archaeologist Dan Sivilich.

The place where Sivilich found the musket ball with a metal detector was then private property, but is now part of the State Park.

The battle of Monmouth, one of the largest battles of the Revolutionary War, was fought on June 28, 1778.

'THE FIRST OVAL OFFICE': MUSEUM WILL SHOWCASE WASHINGTONS REVOLUTIONARY WAR TENT

Another eight musket balls were subsequently found within the Monmouth Battlefield State Park, as part of one of Americas first controlled battlefield excavations. In 2015, the nine balls were tested using X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRF) and compared to fragments of the statue in the collection of the New York Historical Society. The balls composition of lead and tin was discovered to match combination of lead and tin in the surviving pieces of the statue.

Being able to display this musket ball really brings this story full circle, signifying the transformation from loyal subjects of a king to radical Revolutionaries, said Philip Mead, chief historian and director of curatorial affairs at the Museum, in a statement. From the protests that still take place there to the installation of the Fearless Girl statue, it is interesting to see that Bowling Green is still a site for revolutionary statements as a people have continued to expand those ideals of liberty and equality.

Museum staff also took the musket ball to Bowling Green in Lower Manhattan on July 4, which is believed to be the first time that that piece of the statue has been back to that site since 1776.

ARCHAEOLOGISTS UNEARTH HISTORICAL TREASURE TROVE FROM 300-YEAR-OLD PHILADELPHIA TOILETS

Just ahead of the 241st anniversary of the statues toppling, the Museum of the American Revolution has built an impressive display to tell the musket balls fascinating story.

The display containing the musket ball also contains two fragments of the statue, which are on loan from the New York Historical Society, as well as tools similar to those used by the women of Litchfield, Conn. to melt pieces of the statue into musket balls.

The display case is embedded within an 8 ft. marble pedestal that holds a replica of the King George III statue created by Brooklyn sculptural studio StudioEIS. The replica is the first to be made of the famously toppled statue. A figure of a sailor throwing a rope to visitors is also next to the statue.

SHE WAS ONE OF GEORGE WASHINGTON'S SLAVES, UNTIL SHE MANAGED TO ESCAPE

The spokeswoman for the Museum told Fox News that the musket ball went on display Thursday morning.

Follow James Rogers on Twitter @jamesjrogers
It looks like a Batmobile  and now its headed to a city near you.

A NASA Mars rover concept vehicle akin to something out of the caped crusaders universe is embarking on an educational tour this month aimed to inspire the public about potential manned-missions on the Red Planet.

Experts believe the first person to step foot on Mars is already born, Rebecca Shireman, assistant manager of public relations for the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, told Fox News.

The 5,000-pound solar and battery-powered vehicle will be on display in Atlanta, Washington, D.C., Jersey City and New York City. It is made of aluminum ad carbon-fiber and can split in two pieces, with one half being a laboratory and the other being used for scouting purposes.

It was designed by SeaDek and Parker Brothers Concepts with the help of NASA Subject Matter experts and a former astronaut. The vision was to create a vehicle that would be as realistic as possible given the challenges of traveling on Mars, Shireman said.

One feature on the vehicle, Shireman said, are wheels designed to let the sands of Mars slip through.

The rover will not actually touch down on Mars and parts of it were built only for appearance, but NASA hopes some of its characteristics could be incorporated into future designs.

We would love for [the public] to be inspired to be part of the next generation of space explorers, whether that is as an astronaut or engineer or any other type of person that would be working on or with this journey to Mars, Shireman told Fox News.

The rover will return to the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida after the tour to be featured in a new exhibit opening this fall.

NASA said their next robotic rover will land on Mars in 2020 to search for signs of past life and collect geological samples.

The space agencys Curiosity rover, which landed on Mars in 2012, is currently beaming pictures of the Red Planet back to Earth with the help of artificial intelligence that helps it pick its targets.
The frigid, faraway body that NASA's New Horizons spacecraft will zoom by 18 months from now may actually be a cluster of small objects, new observations suggest.

New Horizons  which performed the first-ever flyby of Pluto in July 2015  will have another close encounter on Jan. 1, 2019, this time with a little-studied object called 2014 MU69.

Mission scientists recently had a chance to learn more about 2014 MU69, which lies about 1 billion miles (1.6 billion kilometers) beyond the orbit of Pluto and is thought to be 12 to 25 miles (20 to 40 km) wide. On the night of June 2, MU69 crossed in front of a distant star in a 2-second "occultation" visible from a narrow band of land and sea that stretched from the Indian Ocean through South Africa to southern Argentina and Chile. [Destination Pluto: NASA's New Horizons Mission in Pictures]

So New Horizons team members set up shop in various spots along the occultation path and pointed their telescopes skyward. They ended up taking more than 100,000 images of the occulted star, none of which captured 2014 MU69 itself, NASA officials said.

"These results are telling us something really interesting," New Horizons principal investigator Alan Stern, of the Southwest Research Institute in Boulder, Colorado, said in a statement.

"The fact that we accomplished the occultation observations from every planned observing site but didnt detect the object itself likely means that either MU69 is highly reflective and smaller than some expected, or it may be a binary or even a swarm of smaller bodies left from the time when the planets in our solar system formed," Stern added.

The team may be able to narrow down these possibilities soon. MU69 will make two more stellar occultations this month: one on July 10 and the other on July 17.

New Horizons scientists plan to use NASA's Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy  a 747 jet equipped with a 100-inch (2.5 m) telescope  to observe the July 10 event. The main goal is to hunt for debris around 2014 MU69 that could pose a danger to New Horizons during the upcoming flyby, agency officials said.

New Horizons team members will observe the July 17 occultation from southern Argentina, gathering data that could help nail down 2014 MU69's size. Scientists will also use NASA's Hubble Space Telescope to watch that event, searching for hazardous debris.

The $700 million New Horizons mission launched in January 2006. More than nine years later, on July 14, 2015, the probe gave humanity its first up-close looks at Pluto, revealing a startlingly complex and diverse world with vast nitrogen-ice plains and towering mountains of water ice.

The upcoming flyby of 2014 MU69 is the centerpiece of New Horizons' extended mission, which NASA officially approved last year.

Follow Mike Wall on Twitter @michaeldwall and Google+ . Follow us @Spacedotcom , Facebook or Google+ . Originally published on Space.com .
Earth could turn into a hothouse planet like Venus, with boiling oceans and acid rain, if humans don't curb irreversible climate change, physicist Stephen Hawking claimed in a recent interview.

"We are close to the tipping point, where global warming becomes irreversible. Trump's action could push the Earth over the brink, to become like Venus, with a temperature of 250 degrees [Celsius], and raining sulfuric acid," he told BBC News, referring to the president's decision to pull the U.S. out of the Paris climate deal.

But most climate experts say that scenario is a dramatic and implausible exaggeration: Relative to Venus, planet Earth is much farther from the sun and given its chemical makeup will never have such a thick carbon dioxide atmosphere, so it could not likely reach temperatures of 482 degrees Fahrenheit (250 degrees C) that Hawking described in the interview, they say. [Doomsday: 9 Real Ways the Earth Could End]

However, the general trend of runaway and catastrophic climate change is a real concern, experts said.

"Hawking is taking some rhetorical license here," Michael Mann, a climate scientist at the Pennsylvania State University, told Live Science in an email. "Earth is further away from the sun than Venus and likely cannot experience a runaway greenhouse effect in the same sense as Venus  i.e. a literal boiling away of the oceans. However Hawking's larger point  that we could render the planet largely uninhabitable for human civilization if we do not act to avert dangerous climate change  is certainly valid."

Hothouse planet

Venus is the second planet from the sun and the brightest planet in the solar system; though the planet is named after the Roman goddess of love and desire, don't expect to take a trip to the balmy planet with your sweetheart anytime soon. Despite being the same size as Earth and having roughly the same gravity as our home planet, it's a far cry from our water-drenched planet. Venus is the hottest planet in the solar system, with temperatures reaching 870 degrees F (466 degrees C). The reason for these sweltering temperatures is Venus' thick carbon-dioxide atmosphere that is dotted with sulfuric acid clouds; the atmosphere traps much more heat than our own does. It is also much closer to the sun, meaning it absorbs much more solar radiation than Earth. Churning volcanoes add to Venus' reputation as an inferno. [7 of the Hottest Places on Earth]

The leading theory about how Venus came to be such a hellscape is that the planet got caught in a feedback loop, wherein the planet absorbed more solar radiation than it released, causing more water vapor to get trapped in its atmosphere. That, in turn, led to greater heat absorption, and runaway warming (also called a runaway greenhouse effect).

"Basically, Venus was in a state of heat stroke  the planet was in a warming state and it couldn't cool down," said Tyler Robinson, an astrobiologist at the University of Washington.

Unlikely on Earth

Though most humans take for granted the relative constancy of an Earth-like climate, our planet has undergone dramatic changes in its 4.5-billion-year history. During the Great Oxygenation Event, around 2.5 billion years ago, photosynthetic cyanobacteria fueled a huge rise in oxygen in the atmosphere. Around 650 million years ago, the entire planet froze, in a phenomenon known as " snowball Earth ." And during the dinosaur age, the planet was, on average 18 degrees F (10 degrees C) hotter than it is now, with a carbon dioxide-rich atmosphere. And huge "carbon excursions" have led to massive extinctions in the past  such as the end-Permian extinction around 252 million years ago, when roughly 95 percent of sea life died out due to ocean acidification. [ Photo Timeline: How the Earth Formed ]

So it's not unreasonable to contemplate the possibility of a runaway climate scenario, Robinson said. Still, most experts, including Robinson, see that possibility as incredibly unlikely.

While in theory, a process similar to the one experienced on Venus could take place on Earth, the process would most likely occur over hundreds of millions of years, most experts believe, Robinson said. There are also very low odds that Earth's oceans could literally boil away like Venus' primeval oceans did, Robinson said.

Earth, meanwhile, is protected from solar radiation by an atmosphere that is dramatically different from that of Venus.

"Venus' atmosphere is about 100 times thicker than Earth's atmosphere, and composed almost entirely of CO2 [carbon dioxide]," Robinson said. By contrast, Earth's atmosphere is mostly molecular nitrogen and oxygen, with less than 0.04 percent coming from carbon dioxide, Robinson told Live Science in an email. [ Infographic: Earth's Atmosphere from Top to Bottom ]

Without a thick carbon dioxide atmosphere and the extra dose of solar radiation from the sun, only willful malice is likely to cause a runaway greenhouse scenario, said Kevin Zahnle, a space scientist at NASA Ames Research Center, who has analyzed runaway greenhouse projections for the planet.

"There is no rational expectation of a runaway [greenhouse effect] in the facts as we know them," Zahnle told Live Science in an email.

For one, there were much warmer climates on Earth in the relatively recent past, such as during the Eocene epoch (between 56 million and 34 million years ago), and no signs of a runaway greenhouse effect, Zahnle said. At that time, CO2 levels were likely three times higher than they are now. Even imagining a future with cars, planes and air conditioning on full blast, no climate projections predict such high levels of CO2 in our atmosphere, he said.

"A runaway greenhouse effect is not in the cards," added Kevin Trenberth, a climate scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado.

Of course, there is always the possibility of deliberate sabotage, Zahnle said.

"Dr. Evil might consider an engineering solution akin to the engineering solutions proposed to terraform Mars , but the scale of the effort would be stupendous," Zahnle said. "You'd need fluorocarbons  so Dr. Evil would need to create a worldwide religion dedicated to the sacred use of hairspray and underarm deodorants," Zahnle said. (In the past, some consumer aerosol products contained fluorocarbons, though the U.S. has banned the ingredients in the late 1970s.)

Climate catastrophe possible

Nontheless, Earth doesn't have to become like Venus for life on Earth to become hellish.

The Paris Agreement aimed to keep warming below 3.6 degrees F (2 degrees C) compared with preindustrial temperatures, but even reaching that level for sustained periods could cause changes that are already underway to completely disrupt ecosystems and farming, Trenberth told Live Science. [ Trump Pulls Out of Paris Climate Deal: 5 Likely Effects ]

"Trees will still grow but a different species is required. Or farming requires different crops," Trenberth said. "That threatens the water and food supply."

Food and water don't need to vanish, they just need to fall below demand and chaos breaks out, he said. "This sort of thing is increasingly likely after about 2050, as it is likely we will go through 2 degrees Celsius during that decade," Trenberth said.

It is also theoretically possible for CO2 levels to go even higher, Robinson said. If humans were to burn every last bit of fossil fuel on the planet, CO2 levels could rise to almost 10 times their current levels, Robinson said.

"Earth hasn't experienced CO2 levels this high in hundreds of millions of years, and the resulting sea-level change is likely hundreds of feet, so, say 'so long' to all your favorite coastal cities," Robinson said.

Originally published on Live Science .
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla.  The Trump administration will seek a heavier emphasis on human-spaceflight efforts, including crewed missions to the moon and Mars, Vice President Mike Pence said today (July 6).

During a 25-minute speech at NASA's Kennedy Space Center (KSC) here on Florida's Space Coast, Pence told the 700-plus members of the crowd that the United States is "at the dawn of a new era of space exploration," and called for a return to the moon and "American boots on the face of Mars." He also said the United States will maintain a presence in low-Earth orbit.

Pence  standing on a flag-draped podium in KSC's cavernous Vehicle Assembly Building  offered no time frame or budget for the expeditions, but said partnerships with commercial companies are key. He repeatedly called for a "re-establishment" of American leadership in space and made no mention of ongoing or future international partnerships or collaborations, such as the International Space Station, a $100 billion project of 15 nations. [ The First 100 Days: What Trump Has Done on Space So Far ]

Pence chairs the newly revived National Space Council , which will advise the White House on space policy. The council will begin its work with an initial meeting before the end of the summer, the vice president said today.

Pence also stressed that President Donald Trump's initiatives in space will extend well beyond NASA, though the heart of the program will be human spaceflight and exploration.

"President Trump's vision for space is much larger than NASA alone," Pence said, adding that the National Space Council will coordinate policy among several federal agencies and interests, including the military and commercial sectors.

Echoing Trump's "America first" theme, Pence said Trump intended to carry nationalism into space with renewed emphasis on human space exploration and discovery "for the benefit of the American people and all of the world."

"America will lead in space once again," Pence said.

The United States already has the biggest budget for space exploration, according to a 2016 World Economic Forum report.

"From the first moon landing to the International Space Station, the U.S. government agency NASA has been leading space exploration since its creation in 1958," the report states.

Trump's budget request for the fiscal year that begins Oct. 1 drops the Obama Administration's plan to send astronauts to an asteroid as a steppingstone to Mars, but maintains the program's multibillion-dollar, heavy-lift Space Launch System rocket and deep-space Orion capsule. The Trump administration's budget request also continues previous program funding for NASA's commercial partnerships with SpaceX, Boeing and other companies.

Since the end of the shuttle program in 2011, the United States has been dependent on Russia to fly crews to and from the space station, which flies about 250 miles (400 kilometers) above Earth. NASA hopes to turn over crew ferry flights to SpaceX and Boeing before the end of 2018.

Editor's Note: Space.com senior producer Steve Spaleta contributed to this report.

Irene Klotz can be reached on Twitter at @free_space. Follow us @Spacedotcom , Facebook or Google+ . Originally published on Space.com .
Bad news for criminals who are trying to remain hidden, nameless and faceless. New technology can predict what a terrorists face looks like from less than a drop of blood or single strand of hair.

Called the Parabon Snapshot, this new groundbreaking technology can take traces of DNA and literally put a face to the crime.

From a terrorist who built a bomb intended to kill hundreds of Americans through to a thief who stole your grandmother's handbag, this is the sort of American innovation that makes it hard for a bad guy to stay anonymous.

THIS FOAM COULD SAVE YOUR LIFE

Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) funded this exciting innovation and Parabon NanoLabs created it. DTRA safeguards Americans by focusing on combating weapons of mass destruction around the clock.

In war zones such as Iraq and Afghanistan, there are networks that build improvised explosive devices or IEDs. As such, there has been an urgent need to provide enhanced tools to help military teams identify, track, dismantle and defeat terrorist networks.

Similarly, terrorist plots such as the recent attacks in Manchester, Brussels and Paris have involved explosive devices so investigators immediately searched for clues to identify the bombmaker or possible bomb making network.

Snapshot is one very exciting solution for both the military and law enforcement. If the bombmaker left any trace of DNA, then the tech can take it and read the DNAs code to build a composite image of the bombmaker.

PARIS AIR SHOW: 4 NEW EXCITING AIRCRAFT FEATURED

Whats the picture like?

This new technology can build a picture, but how good is it? Extremely good.

Snapshot can predict the shape of a persons face. Within the face, it will predict the terrorist or criminals eye color and hair color. The tech can reveal skin color, going so far as to add the degree of freckling or pigmentation.

And it can accurately predict not just the appearance of the criminal, but also biogeographic ancestry in great detail as well.

How does it work?

In the simplest terms, the Parabon Snapshot uses DNA to build a picture of what a criminal looks like.

Effectively, Snapshot reverse engineers the DNA to provide a picture. It can do this because DNA carries genetic instruction that dictates a persons physical characteristics. Snapshot understands how this genetic data translates into physical appearance.

If you give Snapshot a DNA sample, it can then read thousands of the genotypes  also known as genetic variants  and translate them into a visual image of a perpetrator.

82ND AIRBORNE TURNS 100: HERE ARE 4 MAJOR INNOVATIONS OVER THE PAST 100 YEARS

Why is it used?

This is a big leap ahead for the use of DNA in capturing terrorists and criminals.

Just like how each persons fingerprint is unique, the same is true for DNA. A forensic DNA sample from a crime scene or terrorist strike can be matched to a database, for example, to try to identify the culprit.

But now if there is no match in a database, then there is still a way to use the DNA to put a face to the crime.

Investigators can use the DNA as a human blueprint too and have Snapshot transform it into a picture.

Capturing criminals

Early adopters in law enforcement, military and counter terrorism team have had great success with this new tool. It has been so successful that in that short span of time, Snapshot has been used by more than 80 agencies and Snapshot analysis has been undertaken in ten countries.

Investigators have been using Snapshot to help solve tough current criminal cases as well as crack cold cases.

Detectives from the Montgomery County Police Department in Maryland, for example, recently used the Parabon technology to create a composite for a suspect in a series of unsolved burglaries and rapes that occurred between June 19, 2010 and Sept. 2, 2012.

The technology has also reportedly been used by police in Florida to make arrests related to a 2011 homicide.

Rockingham County Sherriffs Office in North Carolina also used Parabon technology during its successful investigation into the murders of Douglas "Troy" and LaDonna French. Although there was lots of different DNA at the crime scene, there was no police database match. In Januray 2015, a month after the debut of Parabon's Snapshot service, Rockingham County Sherriffs Office contacted the company. Jose Alvarez, Jr. was arrested for the murder in August 2015.

In July 2016 Alvarez pled guilty to two counts of first-degree murder and was sentenced to two consecutive life terms without the possibility of parole.

Other applications

Beyond a military and law enforcement tool, Parabon says it is developing other potential applications for their research, including the ability to predict the risk of developing Alzheimers Disease.
As President Donald Trump seeks to reinvigorate U.S. manufacturing, many industry leaders are looking to robots as the most efficient way for American factories to compete with cheap labor overseas.

We think robotics has had a positive impact on U.S. manufacturing by creating better, safer and higher paying jobs for American workers, said Jeff Burnstein, president of the Association for Advancing Automation (A3), a trade group. Most importantly (robotics is) making American companies more competitive so that they can expand their business and ultimately, in many cases, add more workers than they did before they started automating.

AUTOMATION CAN REVITALIZE THE U.S. WORKFORCE

According to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data compiled by A3, U.S. companies added a record 136,748 robots to factory floors over the past seven years, while creating 894,000 new manufacturing jobs.

Instead of doing away with a job, we still have to have someone to be able to operate that robot. We have to have someone to be able to program that robot and someone to be able to work on it, said Rick Maroney, director of the Alabama Robotics Technology Park.

The $80 million research and development facility provides free technical training for workers in the state.

Our job is to make sure that all Alabama companies have the best skilled workforce possible, Maroney said.

ROBOTS BRING APPLE PICKING INTO THE 21ST CENTURY

According to A3, 80 percent of manufacturers say theyre having a hard time finding qualified applicants for skilled production positions. The Alabama program and similar investments in worker training are intended to help American manufacturers adapt to an industry that is becoming increasingly high-skilled and high-tech.

In addition to cross-training existing workers, some industry experts say robotics and coding (computer programming) should become staples in grade school shop classes.

Like a blue collar job, its something that you learn over time, said Scott Blanck, who founded Start Code, an Atlanta-based computer programming lab for children. You start with it. But then you get better at your craft as you go along. Because really this field is constantly changing. Youve always got something new to learn.

Blanck, who grew up in a blue collar family, tries to dispel popular stereotypes of coding as an activity reserved for Silicon Valley entrepreneurs or lone office nerds. In fact, Blanck sees parallels between the computer networks hes managed and the pumps and compressors his father maintained in the mine in northern Michigan where he worked.

At one point I realized, wow, Im doing my dads job, Blanck said. Were a generation later and the technology is different. But the ideas are still there. The ideas still matter.

Fox News Chip Bell contributed to this report.
Elon Musk and Tesla have made good on their promise to help Australia with its energy crisis, installing the world's largest lithium ion battery.

The battery will live in the state of South Australia, home to 1.7 million people who regulary suffer from power cuts and energy shortages.

"Tesla Powerpack will charge using renewable energy from the Hornsdale Wind Farm and then deliver electricity during peak hours to help maintain the reliable operation of South Australia's electrical infrastructure," Tesla said on its blog, discussing the deal. "The Tesla Powerpack system will further transform the states movement towards renewable energy and see an advancement of a resilient and modern grid."

The size and scope of this deal is a notch on Tesla's belt as an energy player, say experts.

"[A] big deal like this is both great validation and helps build scale around its battery technology," said Jackdaw Research chief analyst Jan Dawson via email to Fox News. "I certainly wouldnt call it an energy giant just yet  its still tiny in comparison with true energy giants, and its approach is still mostly focused on generating and storing power in individual homes. But this deal suggests its open to more industrial and large-scale applications too."

TESLA SHOWS OFF SOLARCITY SOLAR ROOFS FOR HOMES

South Australia has seen multiple blackouts in the past several months, including one last September. A 50-year storm severely damaged energy infrastructure in the state, which caused a blackout. Australia has also experience blackouts in the summer of this year, with the South Australia government looking for long-term solutions, including renewable energy, to secure the future of its grid.

Tesla is utilizing the same technology it has for its residential Powerwall. Homeowners install Powerwall to collect and store energy during the day so that it can be used day and night without interruption.

In a tweet, Musk voiced his gratitude to Australia, noting that it will be the "highest power battery system in the world by a factor of 3."

"If South Australia's willing to take a big risk, then so are we," Musk said at a news conference, discussing the deal.

The company won the contract through a competitive bidding process and is teaming up with French renewable energy provider Neoens Hornsdale Wind Farm on the project. Tesla will be responsible for the entire energy storage system component of the project.

FACEBOOK'S INTERNET BEAMING DRONE MANAGED NOT TO CRASH ON ITS SECOND OUTING

The announcement follows a conversation on Twitter with billionaire entrepreneur Mike Cannon-Brookes, who asked if Musk was serious about ending South Australia's rolling blackouts.

Musk responded by saying the company could do it in 100 days from the time the contract was signed or it would be free.

Tesla said the project would be completed by Decemeber 2017 and "will provide enough power for more than 30,000 homes, approximately equal to the amount of homes that lost power during the blackout period."
If you are a small child at Children's Hospital Los Angeles, about to receive chemotherapy drugs intravenously, IVEY might be at your bedside to distract and soothe you.

IVEY is not a nurse or doctor, but a small, 3D-printed robotjust 13.5 inches tallnamed for the IV procedures it help young patients endure.

Based on the open-source Hello-Robo MAKI model, IVEY was adapted for CHLA in collaboration with Maja Mataric, PhD, head of USC's Robotics and Autonomous Systems Center. It has six Dynamixel Actuators, providing six degrees of freedom in its headincluding two adorably big, Manga-style expressive eyes. IVEY is powered by Arduino IDE and built on ROS.

"There's a lot of literature now about how stressful and painful situations in childhood lead to later trauma, and, as an adult, perhaps they'll avoid care, leading to bad health outcomes," pediatric hospitalist Margaret Trost, MD, tells PCMag. "We know there's a lot of affinity for children with technology, and I'm a technology enthusiast generally, working a lot with the Health, Technology and Engineering group at USC, so our work here with IVEY is to examine how best to address this, while the pediatric patient is in a hospital setting."

During a demo in Dr. Trost's office at CHLA, IVEY's sweet voice gently guided us to indicate our pain levels on a tablet, go through breathing exercises, andthrough a series of game-style, on-screen visualsgrasp what's about to happen. IVEY was clear, helpful and, quite frankly, enchanting.

"IVEY is part of a clinical study here at CHLA with the Child Life Program to identify the most effective communication with patients," said Dr. Trost, who is also an assistant professor at the Keck School of Medicine at USC. "We're comparing IVEY as a scripted 'buddy' [who distracts] patients with general conversational topics, versus IVEY...as a helper, using more empathetic language, and, finally, comparing reduction in anxiety when working with the human Child Life specialist, but no IVEY."

Founded in 1901, CHLA officially opened a year later in a little house in what is now Los Angeles's Chinatown neighborhood. There were just 14 patients, surgery was carried out in the former pantry area, and a doctor did house-calls on horseback.

In 1932, it became affiliated with the Keck School, and CHLA has since embraced emerging technologies, from limb implants to avoid amputation in 1990 to gene therapy on newborns with severe immune deficiencies (aka bubble baby disease) in 1993.

Family Fitbit Challenge

Today, CHLA is tackling things like childhood obesity using wearables as part of clinical trials headed up by Juan Espinoza, MD, an attending physician at CHLA.

"In our work with pediatric obesity we don't use pharmacological intervention for children," Dr. Espinoza told PCMag. "Instead, we use Fitbits, not so much to track activity, but because we think they enhance our structured multidisciplinary eight-week program. We also believe in a family-centered solution, because you have to engage parents, in the form of a support group, and through education around nutrition. So they wear Fitbits too."

The idea is that Fitbit data doesn't lie, unlike self-reporting food diaries and activity journals of the past.

"That's the beauty of technology like wearables," Dr. Espinoza confirmed. "Because now we have the data to capture, verify, analyze and then propose new hypotheses and test those in a virtuous circle."

The children's data is safeguarded, as required by the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), but Dr. Espinoza, who is also an assistant professor of Pediatrics at Keck, has seen improvement among those wearing the gadgets.

Since the program started in 2015, CHLA has enrolled 132 families, evenly distributed between those wearing Fitbits and those not, and 84 percent of those who wore Fitbits saw a 50 percent improvement over the non-wearables group. "It works," according to Dr. Espinoza.

He's hoping these wearables can be used for some of the trickier aspects of working with young patients. "In pediatrics, one of the things we worry about is unnecessary or painful interventions. It's hard to restrain a 3-year-old to take blood samples and you feel like a terrible person afterwards.

"We already use light absorption and refraction to non-invasively measure things like blood oxygen levels. Now there are several manufacturers looking at using similar technologies to track changes in other molecules. A wearable that could track these markers, like renal and liver function, would be great, and far less invasive than our current approach for pediatric patients."

Using AI to Care for the Sickest Patients

There were lots of clinical trials we could have seen during our visit; CHLA has an entire program dedicated to innovation. But we closed out our tour with Randall Wetzel, Chairman of CHLA's Department of Anesthesiology Critical Care Medicine. He created the Laura P. and Leland K. Whittier Virtual Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (vPICU), a state-of-the-art machine that's learning to optimize care for critically ill children.

"I want to measure everything: because the real evidence comes from the electronic health records and flowing off the monitors in the ICU," explained Dr. Wetzel.

"We're capturing everything and analyzing it within neural networks inside our virtual ICU (vPICU). It's a vital prognostic tool and we've now developed a lot of advanced algorithms to assess critical care therapies and outcomes. We have over 100 data streams coming off each bedside, with an average of 20 beds per ICU, including drug interactions, test results, interventional settings, IVs, intracranial pressures from head traumas, and now we can understand the simultaneous events as they happen."

All this A.I. deep learning takes an enormous amount of processing power; CHLA uses GeForce Titan X GPU and is an Nvidia data science case study.

The vPICU connects with other medical institutions and research facilities to populate databases and extend telemedicine networks across the globe. CHLA is inviting data scientists and researchers to join as fellows, to extrapolate new studies, based on the vPICU data, extending its reach into underserved communities and rural areas.

"We've giving physicians, at the child's bedside, the benefit of the best data at their fingertips," stressed Dr. Wetzel, who is also professor of Pediatrics and Anesthesiology at Keck. "Information that is entirely currentnot from medical journals, or anecdotal evidence, or professorial pass-on. We know the amount of knowledge has surpassed our ability to retain it. We need a cognitive assist, a medical prosthesis, if you likeand that's what we're building here with the vPICU."

This article originally appeared on PCMag.com.
South Carolina authorities believe a drone may have been used to help an inmate escape a maximum-security prison.

Jimmy Causey, 46, was captured early Friday morning after a nationwide manhunt led Texas rangers to his location at an Austin Motel 6.

South Carolina Corrections Director Bryan Stirling told reporters during a press conference the use of drones is an immerging trend in South Carolina. We believe a drone was used to fly in the tools that allowed him to escape.

WOMAN BRANDISHES GUN, SCARES OFF DRONE

Stirling added the general public and policy makers in Washington should take heed. He warned there will be serious consequences and people will get hurt as a result of drones. These people are incarcerated physically but they are still continuing their criminal ways from behind bars.

This is not the first instance a drone was used to deliver contraband materials to inmates in South Carolina.

In May, two men were arrested on prison property in Lancaster County, SC after authorities say they tried to fly drones carrying contraband materials. Police found knives, marijuana, cell phones and drones on the suspects during their arrest.

HUGE DRONE CAN LIFT 500 POUNDS

Drone use is becoming more common for criminal activity in the U.S. and around the world, according to tech security expert David Kennedy.

We have actually seen terrorist organizations.ISIS using drone capabilities, Kennedy, chief technology officer at Binary Defense Systems told Fox News. The ability to put contraband on them and fly them into certain locations, you can get very precise. Theyre designed to be mobile.

He says up to 20 pounds can be carried for long distances by a drone, depending on the size. You can get extremely large ranges with them. We are talking anywhere between three to five miles you can transmit on.

WATCH 'SANTA' FLY BY DRONE

Stirling believes a drone could have delivered a cell phone, wire cutters, among other materials used in Causeys escape.

Drones are built with security measures to keep others from hacking into them, explained Kennedy. They are very difficult to track. For law enforcement they are fully unprepared when it comes to actually tracing these or where they are coming from.
Scores of veterans who've forged determination and grit on the front lines of Afghanistan, Iraq and Vietnam, have dreamed of taking those skills from the battlefield to the boardroom. And one of America's major food companies wants to make sure that happens.

Bob Evans Farms has launched an initiative offering financial assistance to veterans or active-duty members with exceptional business ideas and a passion for entrepreneurship.

The new grant program -- called "Heroes to CEOs" -- will award three $25,000 business grants to deserving veterans who submit a video sharing their business idea and a plan demonstrating a solid business concept.

The program, announced last week, was developed in partnership with The Mission Continues, a non-profit veteran advocacy group, to support active-duty members and veterans, particularly those transitioning to civilian life. The initiative is the largest veterans-only grant program currently available for all veterans.

"These veterans leave behind a world thats very structured, with strict lines about how things are done," Mike Townsley, CEO and president of Bob Evans Farms, told Fox News. "As an entrepreneur, lines tend to get blurred and you have to figure out how to do things on your own -- theres no handbook for that."

"We want to help them," Townsley said. "Many returning veterans have innovative and interesting ideas but need help getting started. These problems are only exacerbated by the lack of funding options for veteran entrepreneurs."

The grant program is available for veteran entrepreneurs as well as not-for-profits because veterans "want to give back," the company said. In addition to grant money, the winning candidates will also receive a mentoring session with Daymond John, the founder of Fubu and investor on the show, "Shark Tank."

To enter, veterans need to have a business plan and fill out an application at www.ourfarmsalutes.com. Applications will be reviewed until Aug. 8 and the winners will be announced Sept. 12.

"The Mission Continues and Bob Evans share a commitment to empowering military veterans towards continued personal and professional success," said Spencer Kympton, U.S. Army veteran and president of The Mission Continues. "We have countless examples of how veterans are contributing their skills, experience and passion towards improving their neighborhoods across the country."

Cristina Corbin is a Fox News reporter based in New York. Follow her on Twitter @CristinaCorbin.
Police say a fight over Star Trek and Star Wars led to an assault in the metro.

Jerome Dewayne Whyte, 23, was arrested July 1 on a complaint of assault and battery, possession of marijuana and outstanding Oklahoma County warrants.

Oklahoma City Police Department reports show that Whyte and another man were in the living room of an apartment in the 1400 block of NW 16 Street when they began arguing if Star Wars or Star Trek was better. The victim told police he became frustrated and stated "You're just a trick" before walking back to his room.

Whyte allegedly followed the man and shoved him to the ground. The victim got back up and told police he stated "You wanna replay that?" and was once again shoved to the ground.

Police say Whyte then wrapped his arm around the victim's neck and began choking him. The victim was near unconsciousness when he pulled out a pocket knife. Whyte let go and reached for the knife, cutting himself. He then left the room.

Read more from FOX 25 News.
San Diego firefighters who helped deliver a child in Sorrento Mesa were visited by the newborn and his grateful parents.

According to the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department, Tom Judge was driving wife Sydney to a hospital around 9:30 p.m. on June 12 when she told him to pull over and call 911 because the baby was coming.

Firefighters and paramedics from a nearby station responded to a commercial area at Oberlin Drive and Scranton Road, where the Judges were waiting.

Heston was delivered in the back seat of the Judge's car. He and Sydney were then transported by ambulance to Sharp Mary Birch Hospital.

"I am very proud of the crew who kept the Judges calm and helped deliver their boy, Heston,'' said SDFRD Chief Brian Fennessy. "We don't often deliver babies in the backs of cars but our crews are trained and prepared for just about anything.''

Heston and Sydney are doing well and the Judges wanted to meet the crew - - under less stressful circumstances -- to express their appreciation, according to the SDFRD.

Read more from FOX 5 San Diego.
A California man was arrested Thursday after a search of his property uncovered dozens of highly dangerous snakes, alligators and reptiles.

More than 80 animals were taken from the Thousand Oaks home of Todd Kates, with most of them being "very dangerous and highly regulated species of reptiles, Fox 11 quoted officials as saying.

We have monocled cobras, many types of rattlesnakes, spitting cobras, a king cobra, Gila monsters, gaboon vipers, puff adders, Mexican bearded lizards and Egyptian cobras, Marcia Mayeda of the LA County Animal Care and Control told the station.

The property also contained eight alligators housed in a pool covered by netting. Authorities were tipped off to the home after a cobra was spotted slithering through a neighbors property eight weeks ago. That snake was ran over by a car.

"It appears that, despite the multiple levels of permits, approvals, and periodic inspections required, the permit holder was housing deadly venomous snakes in an unauthorized, densely populated, residential neighborhood, and in such a manner that they posed a substantial risk to public safety," read a news release from the Department of Animal Care and Control.

Kates, 55, was booked on 16 felony counts of animal cruelty and is being held in Ventura County jail in lieu of a $250,000 bond, the Los Angeles Times reported, citing jail records.
A 5-year-old American boy who was found chained, beaten and starved in Mexico City may soon be reunited with his family in California.

Congressman Darrell Issa, R-Calif., has requested that the U.S.-born boy  who was allegedly abused by relatives in Mexico  return to the United States.

The boy was living with his paternal aunt in Mexico City when he was found severely malnourished and with bruises all over his body on June 27, according to the Mexico Attorney Generals Office. The boy, who was found shackled, was sent to the hospital with multiple injuries.

ABUSED 4-YEAR-OLD RESCUED IN MEXICO CITY MAY BE US CITIZEN

The boy is now in the custody of authorities in Mexico.

According to media reports, the father, Pasual Castro, an illegal immigrant who lives in California, left his son with his sister so the boy could learn Spanish. The mother, Dawn Sanderson, is a U.S. citizen but lost custody of the boy after she and Castro split.

I wasnt a good wife, but a bad mother Im not, she told Univision this week. I know I wasnt a good wife but my son shouldnt have to pay for that.

The father is unable to travel to Mexico because of his immigration status.

Mexican officials will decide who will have custody of the boy once he is released from the hospital.

The aunt and her boyfriend face charges of illegal deprivation of liberty for the purpose of causing harm.

A spokesman for Issas office said the father showed up at the congressmans office on Monday seeking help. The congressman immediately called the State Department and has been regularly communicating with the agency.

[The boy has been] in the hospital and doing much better, but theres obviously a long road to recovery ahead before he can be brought back, said the spokesman, Calvin Moore. Our concern chiefly is for the safety of the boy, and to make sure hes brought back to the United States and put into the safe, supportive environment that he deserves.
Flames and smoke that could be seen for miles destroyed an under-construction Oakland apartment building Friday, forcing hundreds of residents from surrounding buildings and frustrating officials struggling with an acute housing shortage in San Francisco Bay cities.

There were no injuries in the fire at the seven-story building, which had been due to house 196 families at market rates when it was completed next spring, according to the website for the project.

The blaze scorched the outside walls of nearby buildings and sent a giant crane on the construction site wildly spinning for a time. Fearing the crane would collapse, authorities ordered at least 700 people out of buildings nearby and made firefighters themselves retreat temporarily, acting Fire Chief Darin White said.

Flames and smoke were visible at least eight miles away across the bay in San Francisco.

"There was this enormous jet of fire," said Mark Ciana, who watched the fire from a commuter train. "It was kind of horrific to see a fire of that scale."

Cianca saw families near the site fleeing the blaze, which began just before dawn and burned until the end of the morning rush hour.

"They had their pets, and whatever they could carry. It was sad, horrific, and confusing, all at once."

Retail businesses also had been planned for the now-destroyed building.

The Bay Area has some of the highest housing costs in the nation, contributing to a 39 percent rise in homelessness in the past two years in Alameda County, which includes Oakland, officials said. Nearly half of those newly homeless are African-American.

Over the past two years, arson has consumed two mixed-use buildings in Oakland that would have included housing as the projects were under construction, Mayor Libby Schaaf told reporters at a news conference Friday. On Dec. 2, fire at an Oakland warehouse illegally converted into housing killed 36 people at a party there and became the United States' deadliest fire in years.

While authorities do not know the cause of Friday's fire, Schaaf called the cases of arson "disconcerting."

"Oakland is in the middle of a housing crisis and the loss of these valuable units only exacerbates it," she said.

The Alameda County Arson Task Force and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were investigating the fire.

Crews were expected to work over the weekend to bring down the crane and damaged scaffolding at the site before allowing some residents to return to parts of the neighborhood, Fire Battalion Chief Erik Logan said.

At least 10 of those evacuated were staying at an emergency shelter, while others found lodging from friends and family, Logan said.

___

AP writer Angie Wang in Phoenix contributed to this report.
The man who put O.J. Simpson behind bars predicted Thursday that The Juice will get cut loose  and deservedly so.

Retired Clark County DA David Roger, who won convictions against Simpson in 2008 for robbery and kidnapping, said the disgraced grid star has done enough time rotting inside a Nevada prison cell.

The guy did a lot of time on a robbery charge, I expect hell probably be paroled, Roger told The Post.

Simpson is set to appear before a Nevada parole board on July 20, and perhaps win his freedom.

Assuming he didnt do anything bad on the inside, I think nine years is a pretty good stay for his charges, Roger said. Obviously hed be on parole and would have to toe the line with parole officers. But I dont know if granting him parole would be out of line here.

The retired DA now has no official connection to the case, and Roger doubts hell even watch proceedings on TV when the legal drama unfolds in two weeks.

Simpson and two armed buddies confronted a pair of memorabilia dealers, with a load of O.J. souvenirs, inside the Palace Station Hotel & Casino on Sept. 13, 2007.

Roger said he had offered Simpson a plea bargain of 2  years, but the Heisman Trophy winner insisted he do no more than one year.

Click for more from The New York Post
A drone flew in wire cutters that allowed a South Carolina inmate to escape from a maximum-security prison for the second time earlier this week.

Jimmy Causeys elaborate escape also included cellphones smuggled into the prison, guns and $47,000 in cash. He was on the lam for more than two days after escaping Wednesday from Lieber Correctional Institution, about 90 miles southeast of Columbia. He was captured Friday hiding out in a Texas motel room.

"We believe a drone was used to fly in the tools that allow him to escape," South Carolina Corrections Director Bryan Stirling. He said investigators were still investigating to confirm a drone was used.

Investigators are trying to figure out how Causey got all of that cash. He had four cellphones with him and an ID card, State Law Enforcement Division Chief Mark Keel said.

"Everyone who assisted him we intend on bringing them to justice as well," Keel said.

The motel room in Austin where Causey was arrested is about 1,200 miles from Lieber. A tipster divulged his whereabouts to Texas Rangers.

Causey was serving life in prison after he was convicted of holding a Columbia attorney and his family at gunpoint in their home in 2004.

A year after he entered prison, he and another inmate escaped Broad River Correctional Institution near Columbia by hiding in a trash truck.

After his recapture, he was held in the state's most secure, super-max facility in Columbia. Eventually he returned to the system's general population.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Polk County detectives want to track down two men, disguised as women, who put a clerk in a choke-hold during a robbery.

There are warrants for Omar McCrae and Malik Taylor of Tampa. Detectives say both were dressed as women when, along with a third person, they robbed a Lakeland Home Depot back in June, stealing hundreds of dollars worth of gift cards. They got aggressive with a 73-year-old store clerk in the process.

Thursday, they struck again. Video shows the two suspects putting a 69-year-old female clerk in a choke-hold as they activated stolen gift cards from a Winter Haven Home Depot.

COPS: DAD PLAYED VIDEO GAMES AS 2 NAKED KIDS WENT OUT WINDOW

According to the sheriffs office, both men have criminal histories in Hillsborough County. McCrae has previous charges of prostitution, grand theft, petit theft, resisting arrest, giving false name to police, attempting to use another's ID, and failure to appear.

They say Taylor has 60 previous felonies and 29 previous misdemeanors, including aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, robbery, fraud, battery, forgery, resisting arrest, fleeing to elude, burglary, petit theft, criminal mischief, and trespassing.

Similar crimes were reported in Pasco County earlier this year.

READ MORE FORM FOX 13 NEWS TAMPA BAY.
The pilot of the small airplane that crashed in the Florida Everglades Wednesday night may have stolen the aircraft to go on the solo flight.

The wreckage of the Cessna 152 was discovered in gator-infested waters near the Everglades about 9:30 p.m., WPLG reported. An alligator was seen next to the body of the pilot, believed to be Mark Ukaere, just a few feet away from the aircraft.

Ukaere was a licensed pilot who was taking lessons to obtain an advanced certification, roommates told WSVN. He was last seen Saturday night leaving Miami Executive Airport. His roommates feared Ukaere was the pilot killed in the crash when he didn't come to church the next day.

ALASKA COUPLE COMMITTED SUICIDE BY PLANE, INVESTIGATORS SAY

Robert Dean, the owner of Dean International Flight Training & Aircraft Rentals, told WPLG that the student pilot took off on an unauthorized solo flight that night. The flight school owner added that Ukaere was licensed to fly the aircraft, but violated company policy.

He said he tried searching for the pilot, calling places that he might have flown and people he had been with before going to the FBI Wednesday morning.

ROMAN CANDLE FIGHT TORCHES CAR DRIVEN BY 14-YEAR-OLD BOY

"Every time anybody flies in the evening, they must fly with another pilot," Dean told the news station.

Dean believes the pilot suffered from spatial disorientation while flying in the dark.

"It's completely pitch dark there. You really don't know if you are right-side up or upside down," Dean said. "The plane just spirals down and crashes straight in."

The FAA and NTSB is still determining the cause of the crash.
A 29-year-old groomsman has been jailed for sexually assaulting the 15-year-old bridesmaid he escorted at a Pennsylvania wedding.

John Sylvester Young pleaded guilty last week to statutory sexual assault and corruption of minors. The plea came after prosecutors dropped some of the charges against him.

Young and the bridesmaid were paired together at a September 2016 wedding.

Police say Young gave the girl several alcoholic drinks at the reception, kissed and touched her, and then had sex with her when the bridal party retired to a Pittsburgh-area hotel.

The girl was related to the groom who, prosecutors say, confronted Young and contacted authorities.

Young was sentenced to 11 to 23 months in jail by an Allegheny County judge.
A Tampa man was sentenced to four months in jail Friday after participating in an inauguration day riot that injured six police officers and cost tens of thousands of dollars in damages in Washington D.C.

Dane Powell, 31, was captured on video carrying a black flag while throwing rocks and bricks at D.C. police officers and shattering store windows during the 30-minute riot that spanned 16 city blocks, prosecutors said. He was also dressed in black and had part of his face covered.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Kerkhoff said Powell was spotted in Logan Circle the day before President Trump's inauguration with gas masks and carrying the same black flag seen in the video, the Tampa Bay Times reported.

BIAS ALERT: TRUMP DEFENDS WESTERN CIVILIZATION  AND MEDIA CALL IT RACIST

"He initiated violence," Kerkhoff said. "He came to the District of Columbia to engage in violence by hiding his face, throwing rocks and running. He's a violent coward."

Kerkhoff called Powell "among the most violent" of the defendants that participated in the riot.

"He was throwing rocks and bricks at windows where people, customers and children were inside," she said. "He charged the police line with bricks."

CONNECTICUT MAN WRITES ANTI-TRUMP GRAFFITI OUT OF 'ANGER TOWARD LIBERALS,' POLICE SAY

Powell asked Judge Lynne Leibovitz for "leniency" and asked for "forgiveness for anyone who was scared, hurt or felt threatened," the Times reported.

Powell's attorney Ashley Jones told the court her client, who spent nine years in the Army, did not travel to D.C. to riot, but to protest peacefully. She also blamed police officers for inciting violence.

"Mr. Powell's motivation was to protest the inauguration," Jones said. "And during that protest he got carried away."

According to the Tampa Bay Times, Powell pleaded guilty in July to assault on a police officer and inciting a riot, which are considered felony charges.

Authorities said 234 people were arrested during the riots and of those, 198 cases are pending.

READ MORE FROM THE TAMPA BAY TIMES.
A 38-year-old Houston woman has been arrested on multiple charges of defrauding more than $1.1 million from a Catholic mission that supports schools in Mexico and Colombia.

Acting U.S. Attorney Abe Martinez says Rosina Blanco worked as a bookkeeper beginning in 2014 for the Basilian Father's Missions of the Catholic Church, based in the Houston suburb of Sugar Land, and fraudulently authorized electronic transfers from the mission account to accounts in her name.

Prosecutors say Blanco used the money for jewelry, furniture, luxury items and cars, real estate and services for her dog.

The Basilian Catholic priests order, based in Toronto, receives money from sources including individual mail solicitations, mission offerings and from the Congregation of St. Basil in Canada.

Blanco was to make an initial court appearance Friday.
The illegal immigrant accused of stabbing to death her four children and husband in their Georgia home put on a bizarre show in court on Friday, smiling and posing for news cameras and even giving a double "thumbs up" gesture.



Maria Isabel Garduno-Martinez, 33, whom local law enforcement identified as Isabel Martinez, entered the U.S. from Mexico illegally, U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement spokesman Bryan Cox said in an email to The Associated Press Friday. It's unclear if the rest of her family came to the U.S. legally.

Martinez appeared in her first court hearing on Friday after being charged with five counts of malice murder, five counts of murder and six counts of aggravated assault.

She denied legal representation, telling Gwinnett County Magistrate Judge Michael Thorpe that her attorney is the people and her faith.

Martinez allegedly stabbed her children and husband early Thursday morning in her Loganville home, about 30 miles east of Atlanta, police said. She had called 911 to report the stabbing just before 5 a.m., Fox 5 Atlanta reported.

JURORS BEING CHOSEN IN STUDENT DISMEMBERMENT CASE

Four children  Isabela Martinez, 10; Dacota Romero, 7; Dillan Romero, 4; and Axel Romero, 2  and their father, Martin Romero, 33, were found dead in the home.

A fifth child, identified by family members as 9-year-old Diana, survived the stabbing with serious injuries.

Martinez was immediately arrested and charged later that day.

At the hearing, Martinez held her arms open and swayed them back and forth as Thorpe read the charges against her. She then pressed her hands together in the "prayer" position.

Thorpe rebuked, saying: "Ma'am I'm going to ask you to cut out the displays for the camera. It's probably not good or to your benefit."

1 OF 3 ENDANGERED KEY DEER FOUND TIED UP IN CAR EUTHANIZED

The motive for the deadly stabbing is still unclear.

"What prompts a person to take the life of such innocent children and her spouse is something we may never understand," Gwinnett County police said in a statement. "This is a horrendous crime not only for the victims but for the extended family, neighborhood and community."

Click here for more from Fox 5 Atlanta.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions visited Guantanamo Bay on Friday in a show of support for the prison he has called a "perfectly acceptable" place to detain new terrorism suspects, as opposed to holding them in the U.S. and having his own Justice Department try them in civilian courts.

Sessions traveled to the military detention facility in Cuba with his deputy, Rod Rosenstein, and National Intelligence Director Dan Coats, to gain "an up-to-date understanding of current operations," Justice Department spokesman Ian Prior said. It was Sessions' first trip there since becoming attorney general.

"Recent attacks in Europe and elsewhere confirm that the threat to our nation is immediate and real, and it remains essential that we use every lawful tool available to prevent as many attacks as possible," Prior said.

Even as an Alabama senator, Sessions has long been a vocal supporter of the continued use of Guantanamo and its military commissions, calling it a "very fine place for holding these kind of dangerous criminals."

"We've spent a lot of money fixing it up," Sessions told the conservative radio talk show host Hugh Hewitt in a March interview. "And I'm inclined to the view that it remains a perfectly acceptable place. And I think the fact is that a lot of the criticisms have just been totally exaggerated."

President Donald Trump said during the presidential campaign that he wanted the detention facility open and promised to "load it up with some bad dudes." But he has not publicly announced any policy on the prison's future.

The embrace of Guantanamo Bay now represents a complete reversal of eight years of efforts to close the detention center, which opened on the base in January 2002 to hold and interrogate suspected enemy combatants. The Obama administration sent no new detainees there, and though it didn't fulfill a promise to shut it down, whittled the population from 242 to 41. That includes seven currently facing charges by military commissions. All are in the pretrial stage, including the five men charged with planning and aiding in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attack.

Obama's Justice Department maintained that the U.S. civilian court system was the most legally sound forum in which to prosecute terror suspects captured in the U.S. and overseas and cited hundreds of convictions in New York and other cities as proof.

Yet Sessions and other Republicans have long expressed concern that civilian courts afford legal protections to which suspected terrorists are not entitled. He has warned that valuable intelligence can be lost if a detainee is advised of his right to remain silent and to have a lawyer.

Rosenstein, however, has said he expects terrorism cases to be handled through civilian trials.

Former Attorney General Eric Holder sought unsuccessfully in 2009 to move the suspected ringleader of the Sept. 11 attacks, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, and four alleged co-conspirators from Guantanamo to New York for trial. Though the plan was derailed by political opposition, Holder has since expressed vindication as the military tribunal system at Guantanamo stalled. It is likely to be years before the men go before a jury of military officers.

The other military commission death penalty case, of the alleged mastermind of the deadly October 2000 bombing attack on the USS Cole in Yemen, has been similarly bogged down for years in pretrial litigation. Both have stalled largely due to issues related to the fact that the defendants were held for years in clandestine CIA facilities and subjected to treatment now widely regarded as torture.

Sessions lamented delays in the military system, telling Hewitt it is time to "get this thing figured out."

"By now, we should have worked through all the legal complications that the Obama administration seemed to allow to linger and never get decided, so nothing ever happened," he said. But, he added, "In general, I don't think we're better off bringing these people to federal court in New York and trying them in federal court where they get discovery rights to find out our intelligence, and get court-appointed lawyers and things of that nature."

__

Associated Press writer Ben Fox in Miami contributed to this report.
An unnamed Louisiana officer has sued Black Lives Matter and several of the movements leaders Friday after last summers ambush of law enforcement officers in Baton Rouge.

DeRay Mckesson, a member of the activist movement who has been involved in the Ferguson, Mo. and Baltimore, Md. protests, and four other Black Lives Matter leaders have been named as defendants in the suit. It was filed on behalf of one of the officers wounded in the July 17 attack by Gavin Long, a black military veteran, who killed three other officers in Baton Rouge before he was shot dead.

The suit does not name the officer, but its description of the plaintiff matches that of East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriffs Deputy Nicholas Tullier, who has injured during the ambush.

ALTON STERLING PROTESTS: SEVEN ARRESTED OUTSIDE BATON ROUGE POLICE HEADQUARTERS

Long shot Tullier in the head, stomach and shoulder, leaving him with brain damage. In December 2016, the 42-year-old father of two emerged from a vegetative state and regained some movement in his body.

The same attorneys who filed Fridays suit previously sued Black Lives Matter and Mckesson on behalf of a Baton Rouge police officer who was injured last year at a July 9 protest over a deadly police shooting.

This is quite a world, Mckesson told reporters on Friday when informed about the lawsuit.

Long, 29, from Kansas City, Mo., was armed with a semi-automatic rifle when he killed three officers and wounded three others outside a convenience store and car wash near Baton Rouge police headquarters.

Long had posted rambling internet videos calling for violence in response to police treatment of African-Americans, which he said constituted as oppression. He apparently posted a YouTube video from Dallas on July 10, three days after a sniper killed five officers and wounded nine others there.

LOUISIANA REP. CLAY HIGGINS CRITICIZED BY AUSCHWITZ MEMORIAL OFFICIALS FOR FILMING VIDEO IN GAS CHAMBER: ITS NOT A STAGE

Long also left behind a note saying he believed he had to inflict harm upon bad cops as well as good cops in hopes that the good cops (which are the majority) will be able to stand together and enact justice and punishment against bad cops.

Longs attack came two weeks after the fatal police shooting of Alton Sterling, a 37-year-old black man.

Mckesson was arrested in Baton Rouge during a demonstration protesting Sterlings death on July 9.

Fridays lawsuit claims Mckesson was in charge of a July 9 protest that turned into a riot. Mckesson did nothing to calm the crowd and, instead, he incited the violence on behalf of Black Lives Matter, the suit alleges.

The suit describes Long as an activist whose actions followed and mimicked those of the sniper who killed officers in Dallas days earlier. The suit also claims Black Lives Matter leaders incited others to harm police in retaliation for the death of black men killed by police and all but too late began to denounce the shootings of police after the Baton Rouge attack.

Mckesson said he has not spoken to his attorney, Billy Gibbens, about the lawsuit. Last month, Gibbens argued that Black Lives Matter cannot be sued because it is a movement not an organization. The federal judge assigned to the suit has not ruled on that case.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
A man who called a news station in Georgia Friday claiming he had a bomb at a Wells Fargo bank has died after a standoff with police, according to Fox 5 Atlanta.

The man identified himself to Channel 2 Action News as Brian Easley.

Cobb County Police confirmed the suspects death and said a bomb robot was searching the Marietta bank for any explosives.

Cobb County Police Chief Michael Register said it seems that a member of the tactical team may have been responsible for the deceased. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation has opened an investigation into the death.

Cobb County Police said they have responded to the bank, where Easley, who characterized himself as a "homeless veteran," called Channel 2 and claimed to have a bomb inside the building, according to the news station. He also told the station his bomb could take out the entire room.

Police smashed through the bank wall to free the two people trapped inside with Easley. Officers used a large military-type vehicle to break through the wall.

There were no reports of any other injuries.

Click here for more from FOX 5 Atlanta.
Vice President Mike Pence praised President Trump's speech in Poland Thursday, telling Fox News' "Hannity" that Trump demonstrated "a commitment of will that will never back down to the shared values that we in this trans-Atlantic alliance have shared for more than 75 years."

Trump's address in Warsaw's historic Krasinski Square called on the U.S. and its Western allies to confront common threats, declaring "Our values will prevail, our people will thrive and our civilization will triumph."

NYC HOSPITAL AGREES TO EVALUATE GARD

A New York City hospital on Thursday said it would be willing to admit and evaluate Charlie Gard, the terminally ill 11-month-old in London, just days after a European court ruled he should be taken off life support.

New York Presbyterian Hospital and Columbia University Irving Medical Center announced its willingness in a statement. It said a few conditions need to be met. Charlie needs to be transferred safely, legal hurdles cleared and it needs to receive emergency approval from the FDA for an experimental treatment as appropriate.

'SHE JUST GOT HERE'

There are rumblings that freshman Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., may be a challenge to President Trump in 2020, but it appears some within her own party are not convinced.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the senior senator in Harris state, told The New York Times Thursday that Harris still needs to prove herself at her current job.

SOUTH KOREAN PRESIDENT WOULD MEET WITH KIM

South Korean President Moon Jae-in said Thursday he is willing to meet with North Korean Dictator Kim Jong Un amid heightened tensions in the wake of Pyongyangs first intercontinental ballistic missile test-launch.

FOX BUSINESS: Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Energy to buy Oncor for $11.25b

FOX BUSINESS: Job growth seen accelerating; unemployment rate steady

FOX BUSINESS: South Australia picks Tesla to provide grid-scale battery

COMING UP ON FOX BUSINESS

7 AM ET: Ian Bremmer, Eurasia Group president, will appear on Mornings with Maria

9:45 AM ET: Alex Acosta, U.S. Labor secretary, will be a guest on Varney & Company

NOON: Rep. Mike Turner, House Armed Services committee member will be on Cavuto: Coast to Coast
Tensions are high among Turkeys oldest indigenous community over fears that a recent land grab by the government could lead to its cultural extinction.

Turkish authorities recently seized about 50 properties  monasteries, cemeteries and churches  that belonged to the Syriac Orthodox Church, claiming the ownership deeds had lapsed.

We went to sleep one night, and we woke up the next morning to see what was ours the night before no longer belonged to us, Kuryakos Ergun, chairman of the Mor Gabriel Monastery Foundation, said to Fox News. Turkeys Christians have never gone through as difficult of a legal period as they are now.

Church and community leaders in the southeastern region known as Tur Abdin, which translates to The Mountain of the Servants of God, say that among the properties seized were two functioning monasteries built some 1,500 years ago and that their loss will be a crushing blow their cultures survival.

Our churches and monasteries are what root Syriacs in these lands; our existence relies on them, Ergun said to Al-Monitor. They are our history and what sustains our culture.

While the country should be protecting this heritage, we instead see our culture is at risk.

Officials in both Turkeys embassy in Washington and New York City consulate refused to comment on the matter.

Mor Gabriel  one of the worlds oldest working monasteries since it was started in the fifth century  filed an appeal against the confiscations, but it was rejected in May by a governmental commission tasked with liquidating the seized assets.

Ergun also said that they have already filed with the court for about 20 of the title deeds with plans to do so for the remaining 30.

We have also filed appeals to the commission numerous times and taken witnesses. However, they told us that legally it was not possible to give it to us and that its transfer procedures to the Treasury had been completed, he added.

Analysts say the move by Turkeys government is part of a strategy.

"Erdogan's government is working to consolidate power and control over the country, especially its restive southeastern region where Kurds and Christians make up large parts of the population, Robert Nicholson, executive director of the Philos Project, an advocacy group focusing on Christian minorities in the Middle East, tells Fox News.

In the case of the Syriac Christians, Erdogan is using legal pretexts to seize and redistribute lands and churches that have been owned by Christians for over a millennium."

"Christians haven't always faced pressure from the Turkish government or even from Erdogan's Justice and Development Party, Nicholson added. But Turkish politics are changing, and it's still unclear how minority groups like the Syriacs will fare in the end."
The search is on for a missing service dog in Alabama.

A Marine Corps veteran in Magnolia Springs says his PTSD support dog disappeared after he was scared by the sound of a neighbor's 4th of July fireworks.

The last couple days have been agonizing silence mixed with small spurts of hope, said owner, Simon Flarity. He is a sleep under the covers and wake you up because it's breakfast time dog. He is a member of the family.

GOODWILL FLAG CENTER: PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES MAKE FLAGS FOR VETERANS

Flarity said he last saw his 11-year-old pit-bull, Tito, Tuesday morning. They had just come back to their dock from boating. It was a normal day on the water, until a sudden firework from a neighbors yard sent Tito running.

A very loud firecracker, and he was not expecting it, said Flarity. Whatever combination it was, it was enough to set his already being timid into a flight mode, and I haven't been able to find him since.

There is no question that this man loves his dog, but Flarity says Tito is also his lifeline. As a Marine Combat Veteran, he says Tito is his support dog, helping him overcome PTSD.

USS ARIZONA SURVIVOR WANTS HERO SAILOR WHO SAVED HIS LIFE RECOGNIZED

Tito to me is survival, said Flarity. Tito helps keep me from thinking of certain dates in combat when we were in Fallujah. He is certified in depression therapy. Some of my episodes have gotten to where hes had to crawl into my lap to help me break out of it.

Like searching for a needle in a haystack, Flarity navigates through the large open fields and deep woods of Magnolia Springs. About 30 of his family members and friends have helped him expand the search into Foley and Fairhope.

Read more at Fox 10.


Heat in the western United States has contributed to several wildfires, including one near Breckenridge, Colorado.

Hundreds were ordered to evacuate the popular resort area. The Peak 2 Fire ignited late on Wednesday morning and quickly spread to more than 70 acres in just hours. The cause is unknown.

Multiple fires are burning through northern Nevada, including a once 25,000-acre blaze that shut down part of Interstate 80 early in the week.

"Temperatures averaged 10 to 15 degrees [Fahrenheit] above normal across much of the interior West this past week," AccuWeather Meteorologist Renee Duff said. "The most extreme heat was centered over Nevada, Utah, Idaho and Montana, but even places closer to the coast such as Los Angeles experienced above-normal conditions for this time of year."





Summertime heat caused disruptions at Wimbledon in London this week after three spectators fainted on Thursday.

Temperatures peaked at 32 C (90 F) on Thursday. Play was halted for 20 minutes while medical personnel attended to the fans. Argentinian player Juan Martin Del Potro received a round of cheers after he passed up a water bottle to the stands during his match against Ernests Gulbis.

Tournament players have publicly complained about court conditions, especially after Bethanie Mattek-Sands' serious knee injury on Thursday. In a press conference, Kristina Mladenovic said the slippery courts could be a result of recent dry weather and warmth.

I guess the climate doesnt help; the fact that its too nice, too hot, too sunny, makes everything very dry. Thats what we got as an answer from the officials," Mladenovic said.

In Washington, D.C., Nationals fans sat for three hours during a rain delay that was missing one important thing: rain.





The Nationals were taking on the Atlanta Braves on Thursday night. Nationals officials had been monitoring a storm system and kept the tarp on the field.

Heavy rain has led to catastrophic flooding on Japan's Kyushu island. At least two people have been killed and another 20 are missing, according to the BBC.

"We are in an extremely serious situation," Deputy Prime Minister Taro Aso said.

Hundreds of thousands have been evacuated from Fukuoka and Oita prefectures. Roads and buildings were destroyed after heavy rain fell on Wednesday. The worst flooding was in the mountainous areas, AccuWeather Meteorologist Faith Eherts said.

Two people were killed and more than 100 were injured after an earthquake struck the central Philippines.

A 5.6 magnitude quake damaged local infrastructure as well. The quake reportedly damaged a power plant, cutting off power to much of the eastern region of the central Philippines.

A rare 5.8 magnitude quake in Montana was the state's strongest quake in 60 years, the United States Geological Service said.

The quake rattled the region early Thursday morning and was felt as far as Washington, Idaho and Calgary, Canada. There were no reports of severe damage.

Frequent rounds of rainfall and heavy storms in southern China resulted in widespread and deadly flooding early this week.





Areas from Guangxi to Zheijiang provinces have been hit hardest. Frequent rain has wreaked havoc in the area since June, killing more than 50 people.

According to China's Ministry of Civil Affairs, hailstorms, landslides and urban flooding have impacted 11 million people.
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Hong Kong customs officials said Thursday they have seized more than $9 million worth of ivory this week in the city's biggest haul in 30 years.

Customs officers discovered 7,200 kilograms (15,900 pounds) of elephant tusks on Tuesday in a shipment from Malaysia that had been labeled as frozen fish, the Customs and Excise Department said.

Customs officers displayed samples of the tusks piled on the floor at their offices close to some of Hong Kong's giant container ports.

The department said three people at a trading company in Hong Kong have been arrested in connection with the shipment.

Hong Kong, a major transshipment hub for illicit wildlife products, is preparing to ban local ivory sales by 2021.

But under Hong Kong's customs regulations, anyone found importing or exporting endangered species without a license or trying to smuggle such items into or out of the territory faces possible fines and imprisonment.
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Rescue workers recovered five bodies in southern Japan on Friday, bringing the death toll from heavy rains to seven, with five people missing and feared dead and more than 20 others unaccounted for.

Troops and other rescuers were able to reach some villages that had been cut off by torrential rains and rescued more than 300 stranded residents, officials said.

Heavy rain warnings are still in place for parts of the southern island of Kyushu after Typhoon Nanmadol swept across Japan earlier in the week, dumping large amounts of rain that damaged homes, roads and rice fields.

Japan's royal family postponed the formal announcement of Princess Mako's engagement to a college classmate on Saturday out of consideration for the suffering of people in the affected areas, palace officials said. A new date has yet to be decided.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said 12,000 troops and other rescuers were focusing on remote villages where hundreds are still stranded. The operation has been slowed by mud and floodwaters, and more flooding is forecast in the country's east.

The body of an elderly woman was found washed up by a river that had overflowed in Oita, the prefectural disaster management department said. Four other bodies were retrieved earlier Friday in Asakura in Fukuoka prefecture, one of the hardest-hit areas.

Television footage showed rice fields and homes flooded after a river overflowed. Roads and bridges were damaged and dozens of vehicles and houses were destroyed. Residents of remote villages were being airlifted by military helicopters while soldiers waded through floodwaters carrying elderly people on their backs.

Japan's Meteorological Agency said Fukuoka and Oita experienced unprecedented amounts of rain.

___

Follow Mari Yamaguchi on Twitter at twitter.com/mariyamaguchi

Her work can be found at https://www.apnews.com/search/mari%20yamaguchi
The Paris prosecutor's office is investigating suspected irregularities in the organization of a high-profile trip to Las Vegas by President Emmanuel Macron when he was a French government minister.

The prosecutor's office said a formal judicial inquiry was opened Friday into the case after a preliminary anti-corruption probe into the organization of the 2016 trip to the Consumer Electronics Show.

The inquiry is for "favoritism" but does not name a suspected perpetrator yet, leaving it to investigators to determine later who might be at fault.

Macron was economy minister at the time and used the trip to promote French technology startups.

The company tasked with organizing the trip is believed to have won the contract without going through proper open tender procedures, among other suspected problems.
Thousands of anti-globalization protesters set cars on fire and tried to block leaders' delegations from entering the grounds of the Group of 20 summit Friday in Hamburg, Germany, as authorities sent in police reinforcement from other cities on the second day of protests.

Dozens of police officers built moving lines in different parts of Hamburg and used water cannons to force protesters away from streets across the city. The city boosted its police presence with reinforcements from around the country for the G-20 summit but asked for more support on Thursday night after the situation started to escalate.

At least 45 demonstrators were arrested, 15 were temporarily detained, and 160 police officers were injured early Friday, including three officers who were hospitalized.

Unsere Befurchtungen haben sich bestatigt. Mehrere Kollegen wurden bei den gestrigen Krawallen durch Zwillengeschosse verletzt. #G20HAM17 pic.twitter.com/f8dbK3ubtV  Polizei Hamburg (@PolizeiHamburg) July 7, 2017

Hamburgs fire department said 11 protesters were severely injured and had to be transported to hospitals after a few of them fell from a wall during confrontations with police.

The fire department said it treated 26 people and took 14 of them to the hospital. It is not immediately clear why the protesters were climbing the wall.

Hamburg Police tweeted: "Our fears have been confirmed. Several of my colleagues were injured in yesterday's riots by high velocity projectiles."

"We've asked for a few hundreds more police officers - they're on the way," Andy Grote, the city's interior senator, told reporters. "The potential for criminal energy and violence of some is shocking."

German police tweeted on Friday that all the leaders got into the city's convention center safely.

The leaders, including German host Chancellor Angela Merkel, U.S. President Donald Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin and many others, were meeting to discuss issues such as international terrorism and climate change.

Germanys Justice Minister Heiko Maas told reporters that the violent protests were a disservice to the big crowd of overwhelmingly peaceful demonstrators.

Every peaceful protest is welcome, Maas said. But that is no free pass for unrestrained rampage.

These extremist criminals dont belong in the streets, but into court. Whoever torches cars and injures police officers does not deserve any kind of tolerance.

The violence broke out on Thursday ahead of the summit and continued into Friday, with demonstrators breaking windows at the Mongolian consulate and puncturing the tires of a car that belonged to the Canadian delegation.

TRUMP, IN POLAND, VOWS, 'THE WEST WILL NEVER, EVER BE BROKEN'

I look forward to all meetings today with world leaders, including my meeting with Vladimir Putin. Much to discuss.#G20Summit #USA  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 7, 2017

Police estimated there were 100,000 people in total at the demonstration Thursday. Some 12,000 people took part in the central march. Authorities also said organizers of the demonstration, intended to be a march, called off the event once violence broke out.

Police also said one of their helicopters was almost hit by a rocket flare and a pilot of a different chopper suffered eye injuries after a laser was pointed at them.

Trump arrived in Hamburg earlier Thursday following his speech in Warsaw where he called for defending Western values and rallying against "dire threats" to civilizations.

"Just as Poland cannot be broken, I declare today for the world to hear that the West will never, ever be broken, Trump said during his speech in Poland. Our values will prevail, our people will thrive and our civilization will triumph.

THE G-20: WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT INTERNATIONAL SUMMIT

Merkel and Trump met privately after his arrival on Thursday, discussing issues that include North Korea, the situation in the Middle East, the conflict in eastern Ukraine and "some issues on the G-20 agenda." The discussion lasted more than an hour.

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel also participated, according to a German government statement.

Trump then had dinner with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and South Korean President Moon Jae-in.

On Friday, Trump is slated to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin for about 35 minutes. Trump tweeted early Friday that he is looking forward to his meeting with the Russian president.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
As the battlefield use of commercial drones by ISIS extremists becomes more prevalent and sophisticated, there is growing concern that these unmanned aircraft systems could be used in terror attacks inside the U.S.

Drones, relatively inexpensive and easily purchased online or at a local big-box retail store, have been modified by ISIS fighters to drop grenades or to surveil troop movements overseas. The terror group continues to bolster its use of weaponized and surveillance drones against Iraqi and U.S. forces. In April, U.S. Central Command told Fox News that coalition troops have as many as 30 encounters a week with unmanned aerial vehicles.

In fact, ISIS announced the formation of a new drone warfare unit in January, whose sole purpose is to inflict a new source of horror for the apostates. And, according to a January report by the Combating Terrorism Center at West Point we should expect the Islamic State to refine its drone bomb-drop capability. It is likely that the Islamic States use of this tactic will not only become more frequent, but more lethal as well.

Col. John Thomas, CENTCOM Director of Public Affairs, confirmed this increased drone use to Fox News in an e-mail.

It is something weve observed and its an emerging threat, he said. We are concerned about it. We first saw an initial surge in ISIS drone activity in late-January. We work with teams across the Department of Defense to address and neutralize the enemy use of unmanned systems.

Thomas went on to say they are defeating ISIS drones regularly on the battlefield and claims unmanned aircraft vehicles, or UAVs, have had little real impact on the overall fight.

Combined Joint Task Force officials echoed these comments, saying that the Coalition takes this threat seriously and has implemented increased force protection measures and improved UAV counter-measures to protect Coalition forces and our partners on the ground.

They also stated ISIS drones will not dramatically impact the battlefield, but add that the Coalition remains responsive to this emerging threat through both active and passive measures, and we continue to improve force protection measures for all our Coalition personnel and Iraqi and Syrian partner forces. What is more interesting, they say, is the way our partners are now using the drones against the enemy. The Iraqi Security Forces have turned the tables on ISIS with its drone technology.

In April, the United States Army published a handbook entitled Counter-Unmanned Aircraft System Techniques to help train soldiers to defend against the threat during operations. The Army says that defending against UAS is a difficult task and no single solution exists to defeat all categories of the LLS [low, slow and small drones] threat.

So what does increased weaponized commercial drone activity overseas mean to the United States?

The Federal Aviation Administration estimates small, hobbyist unmanned aircraft system purchases may grow from 1.9 million in 2016 to as many as 4.3 million by 2020. That is a large number of potential weapons that can be controlled remotely and accurately.

According to the FBI, in 2011, a man named Rezwan Ferdaus planned to obtain a remote-controlled aircraft similar to a small drone aircraft, fill it with grenades, and fly the plane into the Pentagon using a built-in GPS system.

The government is on alert.

Fox News contacted the FBI and FAA to ask about any preparations that are being made to combat the potential threats. The FBI did not immediately respond and the FAA deferred comment to the Department of Homeland Security.

AIR FORCE WORKS TO TRACK ISIS DRONES TO THE SOURCE

According to a DHS spokesperson, DHS does consider commercial drones configured or modified to employ explosives or weapons a concern. This is due to low-cost, ease of access, and the quick-pace of this evolving technology to adapt beneficial Unmanned System equipment for nefarious purposes.

In January, a terrorist who shot and killed 39 people in a nightclub in Turkey, had two drones seized from his apartment, leading to speculation that he may have been preparing an aerial attack.

The massive increase in affordability and accessibility and considering the rise in incidents overseas, it is of concern. Dan Gettinger, Co-Director of The Center for the Study of the Drone at Bard College told Fox News, but he added It is hard to know the degree of seriousness to which we should take it.

He says that there are far more destructive and terrifying ways to attack large groups of people.

A 2008 study by the Rand Corporation, a non-profit national defense institute, found that is the case, but said the advantage that drones provide to terrorists is not, therefore, in the destructive power that they can carry; rather, it is in the way they carry it and the distance from which they allow an adversary to control its delivery. The value of this advantage to an adversary and, as a result, the likely attractiveness of these systems will therefore be driven by the benefits of aerial attack in solving specific operational problems.

The questions that remains to be seen is whether a drone attack will ever be considered strategically more effective than other forms of terrorism, Gettinger told us, adding Hopefully that is something we will never have to find out.
The liberation of Mosul from ISIS is nearly complete, but the Islamic State remains a formidable presence in Iraq, and numerous obstacles remain in the way of Iraqi Security forces totally eradicating the ruthless terror group.

Which pockets of the Sunni-dominated terror group the government sets its sights on next will depend on numerous factors: Which ISIS-controlled areas of Baghdad pose the greatest threat, which communities are in most urgent need of liberation and the outcome of a debate about whether to include Iranian forces, which were excluded from the Mosul fight.

One obscure but strategically important area in need of liberation is the Sunni-majority district of Hawija, which is 100 miles south of Mosul and 30 miles west of the oil-rich city of Kirkuk. The location of the district, which had a pre-ISIS population of around 450,000, enables the jihadists to attack the two cities as well as areas in north Tikrit. Also, Hawijas proximity to mountainous areas has also provided cover for ISIS cells.

There are constant complaints by local officials in Salahuddin and Diyala of ISIS fighters infiltrating into these areas from Hawija, and attacks have stepped up in the latter in the last few months, Middle East analyst Joel Wing, who runs the Musings on Iraq website, told Fox News.

The terrain favors the insurgents because they are remote, rural, and have lots of cover like palm groves, etc. that allow ISIS fighters to hide from the Iraqi forces and air surveillance. Diyala also offers access to Baghdad and has been the source for some car bombings into the capital.

The humanitarian and sanitary conditions are said to be beyond desperate, one resident, who can only be identified as Jassim for security reasons, told Fox News. There is no food, no medicine, no basic elements for life, not even water. It is difficult to obtain safe drinking water. All this has led to the spread of many diseases and many people have died from diseases easy to cure, because there is a lack of treatment. Death is the only cure for relief from the suffering.

Food prices have surged to 30 times what they were pre-ISIS, and the vast majority of those living there are not able to afford even such basics. Smugglers charge $200 per family member to escape and many of those fleeing end up killed by a landmine or sniper or drown in the Euphrates.

While the urgency of a Hawija offensive remains high, the complexity of such a venture is daunting. It has been planned and then delayed numerous times in the past year, with different participating forces reportedly unable to agree on the appropriate course and order of action.

Widespread worries have been raised over the likely participation of Iran-backed Shiite militias, the Peoples Mobilization Forces (PMF), often referred to as the Hashd al-Shaabi, in the military offensive to retake Hawija. While the militias have proven to be an effective fighting force against ISIS in participation with Iraqi forces, they were deliberately kept out of the Mosul offensive to avoid sectarian flares with Sunni residents. However, the Tehran-loyal fighters are reportedly being geared away for the final ISIS slaying  prompting concerns that they may commit revenge crimes against Sunnis and even Kurdish fighters given Irans opposition to Kurdish independence.

A spokesperson for the U.S.-led coalition told Fox News that the military is planning and what happens next is "very much the decision of the government of Iraq and the Iraqi Security forces," but that the "coalition will support their decision." Brigade General Hugh McAslan, a New Zealand deputy commander of the coalition force in Baghdad, emphasized that while the coalition does not provide direct support to the PMF "in the interest of safety" they "maintain situational awareness to their locations on the battlefield."

Kurdish security officials have bemoaned that Baghdads delay in a Hawija offensive has allowed the infiltration of ISIS sleeper cells and facilitated fatal hit-and-run attacks against the Kurdish Peshmerga in southern Kirkuk. The ongoing delay in liberation, some say, has also boosted the morale of existing ISIS militants as they have been able to carry out small but frequent attacks from this bastion.

Adding to the complexity, many in Hawija are believed to be sympathetic to the Sunni-dominated terror group, preferring its rule over the oppression of a Shia-led Baghdad government.

ISIS is in control of (Hawija) completely. Much of the time since 2003, it was under overt or covert control of Al Qaeda and Baathist elements, James Jeffrey, U.S. ambassador to Iraq from 2010-2012 and now the Philip Solondz Distinguished Fellow at the Washington Institute, told Fox News. Hawija will be a tough fight with the population probably joining in on the side of ISIS. With bigger issues like Mosul, people just dont want to focus on Hawija.

But besides Hawija, other areas need Baghdads attention: Tel Afar west of Mosul in the Nineveh province; the adjacent Salahuddin province; pockets in Anbar province close to the Syrian border; Diyala province; the Hamrin Mountains; two towns in Kirkuk province and 500 small villages in Kirkuk province.

Last week, Muhammad al-Khazary, an Iraqi Defense Ministry spokesperson, stated that preparations for the Hawija mission were in place, but no specifics have been made public.

This week, Kurdish officials said that, despite their increasing objections, Baghdad still intends to commence Tel Afar and Ramadi operations first.

Steven Nabil contributed to this report.
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The Latest on President Donald Trump's second official visit to Europe (all times local):

11:45 a.m.

The spokesman for Russian leader Vladimir Putin is shrugging off President Donald Trump's call to reduce Russia's dominance of the natural gas supply for Eastern Europe.

Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov tells reporters, "There's no energy monopoly in Europe" ahead of the planned meeting of the Russian and U.S. leaders in Hamburg, Germany.

Trump said in a speech in Poland Thursday that he wants to make sure Poland and its neighbors are "never again held hostage" to a single supplier of energy.

Peskov says: "All this will be decided by the market, it should not be decided politically."

___

11:35 a.m.

The Kremlin says that President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump have exchanged a handshake and a few words ahead of their sit-down at the G-20 summit.

Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that Putin and Trump "shook hands and told each other that they will shortly have a separate meeting."

Asked about Trump's tweet that he's looking forward to meeting with Putin and they have "much to discuss," Peskov answered that the Russian president is also looking forward to the encounter.

The long-anticipated Putin-Trump meeting will be closely watched to see whether Trump brings up Russia's meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. The two presidents are expected to focus on the Syrian war, the Ukrainian crisis and the fight against terrorism.

___

10:40 a.m.

President Donald Trump is joining fellow world leaders at the first session of a two-day summit in Hamburg, Germany.

The meeting of leaders of the Group of 20 global economic powers opens Friday with a discussion on fighting terrorism  one of the least contentious subjects on an agenda that also includes global trade and climate.

The G-20 comprises Argentina, Australia, Brazil, China, Germany, France, Britain, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Canada, South Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, the United States and the European Union. Saudi Arabia's King Salman isn't attending, and his country is represented by Ibrahim al-Assaf, the minister of state.

Also attending the summit are the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Guinea, Senegal, Singapore and Vietnam.

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10:38 a.m.

President Donald Trump is tweeting that "everyone" in Hamburg, Germany is talking about the Democrats' response to Russian election hacking ahead of his highly-anticipated meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Trump writes ahead of his arrival at the group of 20 summit: "Everyone here is talking about why John Podesta refused to give the DNC server to the FBI and the CIA. Disgraceful!"

Podesta was the former chair of Trump 2016 rival Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign. Podesta did not run the Democratic National Committee.

U.S. intelligent agencies have blamed the hacking of the DNC as well as Podesta's personal email account on the Russian government.

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10:33 a.m.

President Donald Trump has arrived at a German convention center to join other world leaders for an annual meeting.

Trump was welcomed with a handshake from German Chancellor Angela Merkel, the summit host.

Leaders of the world's rich and developing nation are discussing a variety of issues over two days of meetings, including trade and climate change.

Trump has two big meetings on his schedule apart from the formal summit agenda.

He'll meet for the first time as president with Russian President Vladimir Putin amid the backdrop of Moscow's meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

Trump tweeted Friday before arriving at the summit that he's looking forward to meeting Putin because they have "much to discuss."

Trump will also hold talks with Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto.

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9:45 a.m.

President Donald Trump is tweeting that he's looking forward to his first meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin at an international summit in Hamburg, Germany. Trump says in the tweet there is "much to discuss."

Trump was set to arrive shortly at the Group of 20 summit. He's scheduled to meet later in the day with Putin in a highly anticipated meeting.

The encounter is coming at a pivotal time in U.S.-Russian relations. Trump will be closely watched to see if he confronts Putin over Russia's meddling in the 2016 presidential election.

Other issues like Syria, the Ukraine and terrorism are expected to be discussed.

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9:30 a.m.

After weeks of anticipation, President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are preparing to meet at an international summit in Germany.

Friday's much-anticipated encounter comes at a pivotal time in U.S.-Russian relations. Trump will be closely watched to see if he confronts Putin over Russia's meddling in the 2016 presidential election.

U.S. lawmakers and federal investigators are continuing to look into Russia's election interference, along with possible collusion between Trump campaign associates and Russian government officials.

That puts Trump under intense scrutiny over how he handles the sit-down with Putin, a former Russian intelligence agent known to come well-prepared to meetings like this.
A former Guantanamo Bay prisoner who pleaded guilty to killing a U.S. soldier in Afghanistan received a multimillion-dollar payment from Canada, a government official said Thursday.

The official told the Associated Press that Omar Khadr had been given the money. A separate government official also familiar with the deal, which is expected to be announced Friday, said Khadr was given about $8 million.

Canada and Khadrs lawyers negotiated the terms last month, based on a 2010 court ruling that Canadian officials violated his rights at Guantanamo.

The Canadian Supreme Court ruled that Canadian intelligence obtained evidence from Khadr under oppressive circumstances, such as sleep deprivation, during interrogations at the detention center in 2003, and then shared that evidence with U.S. officials.

Khadr was 15 when he was captured by U.S. troops following a firefight at a suspected Al Qaeda compound in Afghanistan that resulted in the death of U.S. Special Forces medic, U.S. Army Sgt. First Class Christopher Speer. Khadr, who was suspected of throwing the grenade that killed Speer, was taken to Guantanamo and ultimately charged with war crimes by a military commission.

The Canadian-born Khadr pleaded guilty in 2010 to charges that included murder and was sentences to eight years plus the time he had already spent in custody. He returned to Canada two years later to serve the remainder of his sentence and was released in May 2015 pending an appeal of his guilty plea, which he said was made under duress.

His lawyers filed a $20 million wrongful imprisonment lawsuit against the Canadian government, arguing the government violated international law by not protecting its own citizen and conspired with the U.S. in its abuse of Khadr.

The widow of Speer and another American soldier blinded by the grenade in Afghanistan filed a wrongful death and injury lawsuit against Khadr in 2014 fearing Khadr might get his hands on money from his $20 million wrongful imprisonment lawsuit. A U.S. judge granted $134.2 million in damages in 2015, but the plaintiffs acknowledged then that there was little chance they would collect any of the money from Khadr because he lives in Canada.

Khadr's lawyers have long said he was pushed into war by his father, Ahmed Said Khadr, whose family stayed with Usama bin Laden briefly when Omar Khadr was a boy. Khadr's Egyptian-born father was killed in 2003 when a Pakistani military helicopter shelled the house where he was staying with senior Al Qaeda operatives.

After his 2015 release from prison in Alberta, Omar Khadr apologized to the families of the victims. He said he rejects violent jihad and wants a fresh start to finish his education and work in health care. He currently resides in an apartment in Edmonton, Alberta.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
A beaming Miss South Africa was photographed with children at a soup kitchen in what was supposed to be a feel-good charity event. But she ended up fending off accusations of racism for wearing gloves while interacting with black children.

Beauty pageant winner Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters, who is mixed-race, posted a video this week in which she said she and other volunteers wore disposable gloves at the event in the Soweto section of Johannesburg because they wanted to be hygienic.

"We thought it was the right thing to do, seeing as we were working with food," 22-year-old Nel-Peters said. The Miss South Africa organization said in a statement that Nel-Peters did not wear disposable gloves throughout the visit.

Race remains a sensitive issue in South Africa, where white minority rule ended in 1994.

Ikageng, the community center where the soup kitchen was set up, helps orphans and other vulnerable children, including some who are HIV positive.

One Twitter user said: "I really can't believe 'our' Miss SA is wearing latex so that she can touch these kids!!"

Another person posted photos of Nel-Peters preparing food at a different event, noting that she was "peeling potatoes without gloves for white folks."

Nel-Peters made local headlines last month when she reportedly escaped from her vehicle while being accosted by three armed thieves on a main road in Johannesburg. The episode prompted South Africa's police minister to reiterate a commitment to fight crime against women.

___

Follow Christopher Torchia on Twitter at www.twitter.com/torchiachris
Two U.S. bombers flew over the South China Sea on Friday as President Trump and Chinas President Xi Jinping prepare for a possible meeting on the sidelines of the G-20 summit in Germany.

The U.S. Air Force said in a statement the two B-1B Lancers made the flight from after training with Japanese jet fighters in the East China Sea, according to Reuters.

"This is a clear demonstration of our ability to conduct seamless operations with all our allies," U.S. Air Force spokesman Maj. Ryan Simpson said.

China has made claims to nearly all of the South China Sea, which holds strategic international shipping routes. About $5 trillion of shipping trade passes through the region every year, according to Reuters. Beijings claims in the region have been contested by Brunei, Malaysia, Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam.

The flight is the latest challenge from the U.S.

The USS Stethem, a guided-missile destroyer based in Japan, sailed within 12 nautical miles of Triton Island, which is part of the Paracel Islands in the South China Sea. It was the second time the Trump administration had made a freedom of navigation patrol since taking office in January.
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Paris authorities evacuated nearly 2,800 migrants Friday from ever-expanding makeshift street camps in the French capital, as Europe contends with an upsurge in new arrivals crossing the Mediterranean.

In heavy summer heat, groups of primarily African men and a few families lined up to board buses with a mixture of relief and apprehension. "We Need Dignity" read a handwritten sign next to a mattress stretched across cobblestones and surrounded by litter.

The migrants in the La Chapelle neighborhood on Paris' northern edge were taken to temporary shelters in the Paris region where they will be given medical checkups and guidance, police said. City Hall says it is the 34th such operation in the past two years.

Tents, sleeping bags and rudimentary cardboard structures housing migrants have sprung up on sidewalks and boulevards in the area, angering some residents even as others come to offer food and blankets.

City authorities estimate that dozens of people fleeing conflict and poverty in Africa and the Middle East pour in daily to Paris. Many continue on to the port of Calais to try to cross to Britain, but many stay in Paris in hopes of finding unofficial work or to seek asylum.

Such unauthorized camps "present serious risks for the security and health of their occupants as well as neighborhood residents," Paris police said in a statement.

About 350 police and 100 other officials and aid workers took part in Friday's operation. Police said the migrants will be given "proposals for orientation" to other sites scattered around France where they can try to seek legal paths to residency. Some may eventually be deported.

Arrivals have grown this summer around Europe, notably as more people are taking the risky sea journey from Libya. More than 2,000 have died.

Top European officials have tried this week to agree on solutions, notably to help Italy help cope with the tens of thousands of people arriving on its shores.

European Council President Donald Tusk called Friday for U.N. sanctions against migrant smugglers illegally taking people to Europe  notably in Libya, where lawlessness has allowed a lucrative trade in smuggling African migrants northward.

Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz said that would-be migrants should be stopped at the EU's outer borders and sent back to their homelands after being rescued and given any care needed. Kurz has previously suggested that some NGOs rescuing migrants on the high seas might be in collusion with human smugglers.

In France, a farmer has attracted nationwide attention with a video appearing to show police forcing underage migrants to go back to Italy. The national human rights watchdog urged the interior minister Friday to investigate the situation.

President Emmanuel Macron's government is expected to announce new measures to cope with the migrant crisis next week.

A center opened last year in northern Paris to help asylum seekers has provided temporary shelter for 12,000 people but is not large enough to care for everyone.
The threat of piracy and armed robbery of ships around the globe has continued to decline in the first half of 2017 - but kidnapping of crews is on the rise.

A new report from the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) says that the first six months of the year saw a total of 87 incidents reported to the organizations International Maritime Bureau. That compares with 97 reported for the same period in 2016.

A total of 63 vessels were boarded in maritime routes across the globe, according to the report. Twelve were fired upon and only four were successfully hijacked.

While piracy on the high seas has declined, the kidnapping of maritime crew members is on the rise.

A greater number of crews were kidnapped while at sea in 2016the highest in the past decadedespite the fact that global piracy has seen some of its lowest levels, according to a January report from the ICC.

The continued fall in piracy is good news, but certain shipping routes remain dangerous, and the escalation of crew kidnapping is a worrying trend in some emerging areas," said IMB Director Pottengal Mukundan in a statement released for the report.

"The kidnappings in the Sulu Sea between East Malaysia and the Philippines are a particular concern," he added.

The January report states that there had been a threefold increase in maritime kidnappings in 2016 when compared to the previous year. Pirates kidnapped a total of 62 people in 15 separate incidents. Just over half that number were captured off the coast of West Africa. The remaining 28 were abducted from tugboats, barges, fishing vessels, and merchant ships of the coasts of Malaysia and Indonesia.

While the African coast may not be the hotbed of piracy that it once was, southeast Asia has seen a steady rise since 2015, when the region saw more than one-third of pirate attacks globally.

Most of the pirates in the region had targeted ships with commercial cargo because it could be sold on the black market. However, the crews of the large vessels are increasingly targeted for abduction because it can yield a high ransom payout. Its widely believed that the kidnappings have increased in the region because stolen gas and other goods do not yield as high a financial reward as they once did.

According to a report from Oceans Beyond Piracy, a majority of the kidnappings occurred in the Sulu and Celebes Seas which separates the Philippines and Indonesia. The pirates will often take their captiveswho are usually ranking officers and/or engineers from bulk carrier shipsto the shoreline, where they are subjected to frequent abuse and under the constant threat of being killed by their captors.

The rise in these incidents has led authorities in Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines to draft a joint document on standard operating procedures in an effort to secure the waterways bordered by the countries.

In May 2016, the three countries also agreed to coordinated patrols to improve the maritime security.
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A diplomatic standoff between Qatar and four other Arab nations that accuse it of sponsoring terrorism has turned a spotlight on an opaque network of charities and prominent figures freely operating in the tiny Gulf country.

It also raises questions about what constitutes a "terrorist" in the Middle East.

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain have released a list of two dozen groups and nearly 60 individuals that they allege have been involved in financing terrorism and are linked to Qatar.

Qatar insists it condemns terrorism and that it does not support extremist groups.

The crisis began last month when the four Arab countries cut ties to Qatar. They demanded it end the alleged support of terrorism, and also that it cut its relations with Shiite power Iran and stop meddling in their affairs through support of Islamist opposition groups.

The energy rich nation is an important U.S. ally in a volatile region. It hosts about 10,000 U.S. troops at an air base used to launch coalition airstrikes against Islamic State fighters in Syria and Iraq.

The list of the groups and individuals released by Qatar's neighbors reflects longstanding concerns raised by U.S. officials. At the same time, it also includes political dissenters and opposition voices.

"The allegation that Qatar supports terrorism was clearly designed to generate anti-Qatar sentiment in the West," Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said Wednesday in a speech in London.

As he spoke, foreign ministers from the Arab quartet met in Cairo to review Qatar's response to their demands. At the top of those demands is that Qatar end support for the Muslim Brotherhood, which briefly held power in Egypt and whose offshoots are active across the Middle East.

Though Qatar has cracked down on dissent at home, it views the Brotherhood as a legitimate political force. This has put it at odds with Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Egypt, which have branded the Brotherhood a terrorist organization and see it as a threat to political stability and security.

In his speech, Al Thani said there is a danger in "labeling political opponents as terrorists merely to silence them."

"Our neighbors see change  those advocating for it and those reporting on it  as a threat, and they are quick to label anyone who opposes their governments as a 'terrorist,'" he said.

The Brotherhood's spiritual guide, Sheikh Youssef al-Qaradawi, was among those accused by Qatar's neighbors of having ties with terrorism. The 90-year-old Egyptian cleric, who has lived in Qatar for decades, previously was embraced by Gulf leaders and was seen alongside Saudi Arabia's top cleric, Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdelaziz Al Sheikh, and the UAE's rulers.

In 2013, he joined a chorus of preachers in the Gulf urging young men to defend Sunni Muslims in Syria, calls that coincided with official backing of rebels fighting to oust Syrian President Bashar Assad.

Al-Qaradawi differed from other Gulf preachers in that he strongly criticized Egypt's government when it ousted the Brotherhood from power. He also was critical of Gulf countries that backed the lethal crackdown.

Qatar's support of the Brotherhood has made it an outlier, as has its unique role as a mediator in hostage negotiations, helping to free Western captives held by al-Qaida in Syria and Yemen.

Christopher Mellon, a researcher with the New America Foundation who co-authored a report about ransom payments, said these negotiations have often involved paying extremist groups. He said European governments have similarly gone to extreme lengths to keep these transactions private.

"They're very deliberately nontransparent. They don't want anyone to know that they've paid," he said.

Reports emerged earlier this year that Qatar paid hundreds of millions of dollars to release members of its ruling family who were kidnapped in Iraq. Allegations were raised that the complex deal included Qatari payments to an al-Qaida-linked group in Syria, as well as to an Iranian-backed militia in Iraq.

Qatar said reports of ransom payments to these groups are false and that it provided Iraq's government with financial aid to support the release of the Qataris.

The Arab quartet's list names a number of Qatari nationals, including Khalifa al-Subaie, Saad bin Saad al-Kabi, Abdelrahman al-Nuaymi, Abdel-Latif al-Kuwari and Ibrahim al-Bakr. All have been sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury Department as material supporters of al-Qaida. Four of the five appear to be living in Qatar  their assets are frozen, they are under surveillance and are barred from traveling abroad  but they are not imprisoned.

The U.S. Treasury said in the case of al-Bakr, he was detained in Qatar in the early 2000s for his role in a jihadist network but that he was released from prison after promising not to conduct terrorist activity in Qatar. Treasury alleged that in 2006, he played a key role in a terrorist cell plotting to attack U.S. military bases in Qatar, and as of mid-2012 was serving as a link between Gulf-based al-Qaida financiers and Afghanistan. He is apparently now residing outside Qatar, according to experts closely monitoring these cases.

While some of those sanctioned by the U.S. have faced trial and may have been detained by Qatar at some point, there does not appear to be a single individual jailed in Qatar for terrorism financing, according to David Weinberg, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.

Weinberg, who has written extensively about terror financing in the Gulf, said Qatar has been "inexcusably negligent" when it comes to cracking down on such financiers.

"There's been a longstanding debate within the U.S. government about whether Qatar's lax enforcement is related to lack of capability or lack of will. My research leads me to believe it's the latter: lack of will," he said.

The Associated Press asked Qatari officials on Wednesday for information on the prosecution of individuals suspected of terrorism financing. The officials said they would look into the request but had not provided details by Thursday evening.

Also on the list is Sheikh Abdullah bin Khalid Al Thani, a senior member of Qatar's royal family and a former interior minister. The quartet accused him of giving shelter to Khalid Sheikh Mohammed in the 1990s as he actively funded al-Qaida operations abroad, but before he became the alleged mastermind of the 9/11 attacks.

The allegations leveled against Qatar cut both ways.

In Britain this week, a right wing think tank released a study alleging Saudi Arabia has spent 67 billion pounds (nearly $87 billion) to export its austere Wahhabi interpretation of Islam around the world. The report by the Henry Jackson Foundation has increased pressure on the British government to make public a study on Saudi Arabia's role in inciting extremism in Britain.

The quartet list also names Kuwaiti national Hajjaj al-Ajmi, who is sanctioned by the U.S. for allegedly raising funds that led to the procurement of weapons for al-Qaida-linked fighters in Syria. The UAE and its allies say he raised some of that money through a Qatar-based fundraising campaign, but he appears to be living in Kuwait.

___

Follow Aya Batrawy on Twitter at https://twitter.com/ayaelb
Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was released from jail on Friday after serving 25 days for organizing a wave of protests against government corruption while the country's leader President Vladimir Putin was away attending the G-20 summit in Hamburg, Germany.

Navalny was arrested on June 12 as thousands of protesters gathered for an unsanctioned demonstration in Moscow.

Navalny called for the protests in more than 100 Russian cities and towns that day to rally against government corruption. The protests were one of the strongest showings by the marginalized opposition in several years.

MELANIA TRUMP BLOCKED BY G-20 PROTESTERS FROM LEAVING GERMAN GUEST HOUSE

Nearly 2,000 people were detained at the protests, most of them in Moscow and St. Petersburg.

Navalny was photographed arriving at his Fund For Fighting Corruption Office on Friday, but he did not make a comment to the media.

TRUMP, PUTIN SET FOR FIRST-FACE-TO-FACE MEETING DURING G-20 SUMMIT

Navalny, a Russian anti-corruption campaigner, plans to challenge Putin for president in 2018, but the Central Election Commission said he is unqualified to run because of an embezzlement conviction, according to Reuters.

The opposition leader was originally sentenced to 30 days in jail but his sentence was reduced by five days last month. He had been arrested outside his home before attending the protest in Moscow.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Better late than never: President Donald Trump and Mexico's President Enrique Pena Nieto sat down Friday for their first face-to-face meeting since Trump took office with plans for a border wall still looming and Trump asserting that he'll "absolutely" send the bill to Mexico.

Journalists packed the meeting room on the sidelines of the Group of 20 summit of industrialized and developing nations for a first glimpse of the two leaders together.

Enrique Pena Nieto was scheduled to be among Trump's first international White House guests but abruptly canceled the visit after Trump moved forward with plans to construct a border wall along the U.S.-Mexican border and have Mexico pay for construction.

Trump insists that the wall is crucial to keeping drugs and criminals out of the U.S.  although those plans still remain unclear. Trump recently suggested that his wall would pay for itself if it were made of solar panels.

Asked Friday if he still expects Mexico to finance the wall, Trump replied: "Absolutely."

Pena Nieto, for his part, maintains that Mexico will not pay for the wall.

During his campaign, the president vowed to build an impenetrable wall along the length of the U.S.-Mexican border out of concrete and steel. But since his inauguration, he has faced resistance, with Congress unwilling to finance the plan.

Trump, who met with Pena Nieto during the campaign last year, insists that even if U.S. taxpayers have to cover the costs upfront, Mexico will eventually be forced to reimburse the U.S. in some way.

The strong reaction from Pena Nieto signaled a remarkable souring of relations between Washington and one of its most important international partners just days into the new administration. Since then, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly and Trump's son-in-law and top adviser, Jared Kushner, have worked to salvage the relationship.

As he kicked off his bid for the White House, Trump had derided Mexico as a source of rapists and murderers coming into the United States.

Trump looked to downplay the appearance of tension in their brief encounter on Friday, calling Pena Nieto a "friend."

Speaking through a translator at the top of the meeting, Pena Nieto said he hoped to continue a "flowing dialogue," particularly "for the security of both nations especially for our borders."

Trump also addressed his plans to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement, or NAFTA, which he has called, the "worst trade deal maybe ever signed anywhere."

The Trump administration formally told Congress in May that it intends to renegotiate NAFTA with Canada and Mexico. The White House had previously spread the word that Trump was ready to pull out of the pact enitrely, but then Trump reversed course and said he would seek a better deal first.

On Friday, Trump said they are making "very good progress" on "negotiating NAFTA and some other things with Mexico."

"We'll see how it all turns out," he added.

NAFTA took effect in 1994 and triggered a big increase in trade among the three countries. American farmers have mostly benefited from the reduction in trade barriers but the pact did encourage American manufacturers to relocate some operations to Mexico to take advantage of cheaper labor there. Critics blame NAFTA for wiping out U.S. factory jobs.

The White House said in a statement Friday that Trump and Pena Nieto discussed ways "to help workers in both countries" as part of the NAFTA renegotiation. The statement says leaders also discussed regional challenges, including drug trafficking, illegal migration, and the crisis in Venezuela.

It didn't say whether they discussed Trump's plans to build a border wall.

A readout from the Mexican government said the two men underscored "the importance of modernizing" NAFTA in a way that "results in tangible benefits for the economies and societies of North America."

___

Salama reported from Washington.
Turkey's deputy prime minister has accused the Netherlands of infringing on the rights of Turkish citizens after Dutch authorities said he was not welcome to deliver a speech there.

Deputy Prime Minister Tugrul Turkes had intended to travel to the town of Apeldoorn to commemorate the anniversary of the failed coup in Turkey a year ago. He says members of the local Turkish community had invited him to deliver a speech.

Turkes on Friday condemned Dutch authorities for intervening "against the democratic rights and free will of our people who live there and contribute to (the Dutch) economy."

An earlier row between Turkey and the Netherlands erupted in March after Dutch authorities refused to allow Turkish officials to hold campaign rallies there ahead of a referendum increasing the president's powers.
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Despite clinging to only a sliver of territory in Mosul, Islamic State militants managed to launch a counterattack Friday that reversed days of Iraqi army territorial gains in just a matter of hours  a setback that underscores the fragility of the Iraqi security forces despite years of U.S.-led coalition training as well as the instability likely to follow the city's liberation.

The offensive began just after noon, when 50 to 100 IS fighters began firing on units of the Iraqi army's 16th Division charged with holding the northwest frontline in the Mosul's Old City neighborhood. The attack broke through the army's first line of defense and the rest of its lines soon crumbled.

The surprise attack illustrated the resilience of the extremists who, though controlling less than a square kilometer (half-mile) of territory, have maintained the ability to conduct both conventional military counterattacks and insurgent strikes.

Hassan, a 45-year-old soldier with the 16th Division, described the close-fought battle inside the rubble-strewn alleyways of the Old City.

"Daesh started to attack us from everywhere. We were so close to them that we even fought with hand grenades," he said referring to IS by its Arabic acronym.

"We have lots of martyrs and wounded soldiers, but we can't evacuate them. It was epic," Hassan said, giving only his first name in line with military regulations.

The initial wave of Iraqi army casualties began arriving within an hour at a field hospital a few hundred meters (yards) from the front, carried on stretchers by medics on foot through the Old City's perilous terrain.

The neighborhood's narrow roads, once passable on motorcycles, are now covered with rubble and downed power-lines, and the footpaths that lead in and out of the Old City wind through houses, across rooftops, beside airstrike craters and down into basements.

At least five soldiers were killed and 25 wounded, said a doctor at the field hospital. The Iraqi military was forced to pull back about 75 meters (80 yards), behind a row of buildings along one of the Old City's few main roads, said an Iraqi officer overseeing the Mosul operation who spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations.

Similar IS counterattacks over the past month point to the difficult road ahead.

In late June, some 200 IS soldiers dressed in fatigues that resembled the Iraqi military's Shiite militia allies launched an offensive on two neighborhoods along Mosul's western edge. Iraqi army units crumbled and Iraq's special forces had to be dispatched to the area along with coalition surveillance and air support. The reallocation of resources stalled the Old City push, then in its early days.

In mid-June more than 100 IS fighters launched a large-scale counterattack from the Old City's southern front on Federal Police units stationed there, killing 11, seizing armored vehicles and weapons.

Meanwhile, south of Mosul, IS has successfully retaken a pocket of territory declared liberated months ago.

"The attack started two days ago. Daesh took Imam Gharbi village," said Salah Hassan Hamid, the mayor of Qaryara, a nearby town. He said policemen and tribesmen allied with the Iraqi military were sent in, but clashes were still ongoing and only half the village had been brought back under government control.

Two Iraqi journalists were killed and IS took a number of local residents hostage, the mayor added.

Following that attack, the U.N.'s migration agency suspended operations at two nearby camps  the Qayara air strip emergency site and the Haj Ali camp  where nearly 80,000 displaced Iraqis live. The fighting prevented six water-tanker trucks from entering the Haj Ali camp, where temperatures reached 122 degrees in recent days, agency spokesman Joel Millman said.

Despite the setbacks, coalition spokesman U.S. Army Col. Ryan Dillon said the counterattacks were costing IS large numbers of fighters and not having an impact on the overall operation to defeat the militant group.

Once Mosul is liberated, Dillon said, Iraqi security forces "can completely focus on not just a conventional fight but also on security and holding that ground."

However, Patrick Martin of the Institute for the Study of War, a Washington-based research group, said the IS offensives show the security forces allocated to Mosul once Iraq's special forces and police leave are inadequate.

"Regardless of how you defeat ISIS (in Mosul), the city is going to face a threat of ISIS resurgence," he said, using an alternative acronym for the Islamic State group.

"Two undersized Iraqi army units, police and tribal fighters. . It's just not enough to stave off a concerted IS attempt to re-infiltrate," he said.

___

Associated Press writers Salar Salim in Mosul and Balint Szlanko in Irbil, Iraq, contributed to this report.
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The U.N.'s top official for refugee affairs said Friday that granting citizenship to members of Myanmar's Muslim Rohingya minority is crucial for achieving peace in the country's western state of Rakhine, but economic development is also necessary.

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi spoke in Bangkok after an official visit to Myanmar. The Rohingya face severe discrimination in Buddhist-majority Myanmar and were the targets of violence in Rakhine in 2012 that killed hundreds and drove about 140,000 people  predominantly Rohingya  from their homes to displacement camps, where most remain.

The Rohingya have long been denied citizenship, freedom of movement and basic rights in Myanmar, where they are often seen as illegal immigrants from neighboring Bangladesh, although many have lived in the area for generations.

"The Muslim community, the Rohingya community suffers from a set of rules and regulations that contributes to their marginalization," Grandi said at a news conference. "To this you must add the general situation of poverty and underdevelopment that affects everybody in the state of Rakhine."

He said that in addition to providing the Rohingya with more freedom of movement and social services, "The Rakhine state where both communities coexist must see more development. There is an urgent need for development investments that must be, however, inclusive of the two communities."

Grandi said he received assurances from Myanmar's top leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, that refugees from her country who have been sheltering in Thailand  many for decades  will be welcome back home.

More than 100,000 refugees from Myanmar, virtually all from ethnic minorities, live in camps in Thailand near the border. Decades of fighting between the Myanmar army and ethnic guerrillas drove them to seek shelter in Thailand.

The installation of Suu Kyi's civilian government last year after five decades of military-led rule has raised hopes they can go home, but intermittent fighting in many areas and the absence of a peace agreement have stalled large-scale repatriation.

"Aung San Suu Kyi and the other ministers that I talked to agreed that the refugees were welcome back to Myanmar, but that it was important that such return must be voluntary and must be sustainable," said Grandi. "We cannot go back to a situation of insecurity or lack of resources."

He said he also discussed the issue when he met with Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha and other Thai government officials.

"We agreed that it was important to pursue, to continue, the return of refugees from Thailand to Myanmar," Grandi said.

Grandi next visits Bangladesh, which hosts hundreds of thousands of Rohingya from Myanmar who have entered since the 1970s.
A U.N. spokeswoman says the Security Council will receive a report on Cyprus in the coming days after the collapse of the latest diplomatic effort to reunify the long-divided Mediterranean island.

Alessandra Vellucci says the U.N. adviser on Cyprus, Espen Barth Eide, "very much" retains his post after nearly two weeks of talks in the Swiss Alpine resort of Crans-Montana ended before dawn Friday with no deal.

Britain's government said it was "enormously disappointed at the failure to reach a conclusion," and called for "calm reflection and consideration of next steps."

Britain, a former colonial overseer of Cyprus, joined Turkey and Greece as "guarantors" of the talks.

Cyprus has been split since 1974, when Turkish troops invaded following a coup by supporters of uniting Cyprus with Greece.
Local real estate developer Carl Braun has revised his proposal for a townhouse project in downtown Fredericksburg, and is seeking to amend proffers offered in 2003.

City Council will hold a public hearing on his request when it meets at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday in Council Chambers in City Hall, 715 Princess Anne St.

Brauns original proffers limited development of the property to a 77,500 square foot fitness center and a 24,000 square foot office building on 12.2 acres at 115 Young St., which is off Lafayette Boulevard behind Employment Resources Inc. and its Gladys H. Oberle School.

The new proposal is to develop the property as 91 townhouses in what would be known as Highland Park. Thats 11 fewer units than were in the plan he submitted last year, but pulled before a public hearing could be held in September. Braun said that he wanted more time to revise the site plan to address concerns of city staff.

His amended proffer conditions, developed over the last three years of public review, include a cash payment of $100,000 to offset the impact of the 42 students that the development is expected to generate. Other proffers would shift the Virginia Central Railway Trail between approximately 2 and 10 feet north; work with the City on interpretive signs along the trail; and coordinate a landscape buffer to both screen the site from historic Maryes Heights and preserve important viewsheds of the Heights from the VCR trail.

Braun has also proposed a natural trail to run through the area of the development adjacent to Hazel Run, and is proffering on-site water quality treatment of a portion of the stormwater discharged from the site into that Rappahannock River tributary.

He noted in a letter to the Planning Commission that a residential use of the parcel would reduce traffic 75 percent from what is allowed there, and create a catalyst for redevelopment along Lafayette Boulevard.

Mike Craig, the citys zoning administrator, has recommended approval of the proffer amendment.

City Council will hold three other public hearings Tuesday as well.

One deals with a request from Loisanns Hope House for a special-use permit to turn the single family home at 826 Lafayette Blvd. into additional housing for four homeless families. The house is within the Commercial/Transitional Office Zoning District, which permits such institutional housing by special-use permit.

In conjunction with that request, Loisanns is also asking the city to vacate a portion of the Spring Street public right-of-way between its house at 900 Lafayette Blvd. and the one next door at 826 Lafayette Blvd. so it can build a paved parking lot. The right-of-way is currently used as parking for the nonprofit and adjacent single family homes.

Executive Director Lisa Crittenden said that the nonprofit wants to give the property more of a campus feel and expand the amount of available parking.

Loisanns is located at 902 Lafayette Blvd. The right-of-way is currently used as parking for it and adjacent single family homes.

The other public hearings will address the renewal of Central Rappahannock Heritage Centers lease in the former Maury School Building gymnasium for another five years, and a propsal to amend the citys 2015 Comprehensive Plan to incorporate City Councils new 20-year vision statement for the city.
New U.K. Treasury chief Jeremy Hunt has reversed most of an economic package announced by the government just weeks ago, including a planned cut in income taxes. Hunt said Monday he was scrapping almost all the tax cuts announced last month by the Conservative government of Prime Minister Liz Truss, and also signaled that public spending cuts are on the way. It was a bid to soothe turbulent financial markets spooked by fears of excessive government borrowing. The move raises questions about how long the beleaguered prime minister can stay in office, though Truss insisted she has no plans to quit. She vowed to lead the Conservatives into the next general election, but many in the party want her gone.
There was a smile on my face one day last week when I found myself stuck behind several drivers poking along on State Route 3 heading west through Spotsylvania County.

It certainly wasnt the rolling, pokey-driver roadblock ahead that had me grinning.

No, what prompted my happy face that day was the knowledge that as of July 1, a new law targets drivers who camp out in the left lane, with each violation potentially costing them $100.

Del. Israel OQuinn, a Republican from Bristol, told WTOP radio that the change will address a particularly pervasive and ever-growing problem of cars going grossly under the speed limit in the left lane.

The legislator said he hoped the new penalty would encourage the slowpokes to move over, cutting down on road rage from drivers stuck behind them.

The left-lane lagger legislation is only one of a slew of new Virginia laws that just took effecta neat one adds blaze pink, a hot pink hue, to the types of hunting apparel required during hunting seasonsbut its the one Im celebrating.

For years now, there have been precious few times when Ive traveled from Fredericksburg west along Plank Road that I didnt end up grinding my teeth.

By the time Id get past Chancellor Elementary School, there were always a few drivers living in the left lane, with one or more in the mix going well below the speed limit.

These extreme lefties didnt seem to care that state law already degrees that left lanes (on four-lane roads) are for passing and right lanes are for traveling.

And they didnt seem to know that existing state law already required motorists in the left lane to move to the right if a motorist who wants to pass flashes lights or honks a horn.

My theory has always been that many of these drivers stopping up the left lane know they want to eventually make a left turn off Plank Road, and therefore just sit in that lane for miles and miles until they do.

This new law lets police ticket those drivers, especially if they are blocking up traffic in the process.

Now, I realize that this new law probably isnt going to be a huge focus for state troopers and jurisdictional police.

Enforcement officers are already stretched thin to keep the peace and enforce existing law, and will probably just try to deal with left-lane laggers when they come upon a big backup.

My hope, however, is the existence of the law and publicity about it will change some of this problem behavior, with some drivers realizing their left-lane hanging is dangerous to them and others.

Ive had readers get in touch to disagree with my thoughts on this, with some arguing that those left-lane hangers arent speeding or breaking any other motor vehicle laws while driving along in that lane.

But my argument has always been that they are in the wrong, because the left lane is intended to be the designated passing lane. State Police spokesmen have reiterated that, and told me they believe it is much safer for all involved for left-lane hangers to move over and let faster-moving vehicles get by them.

I live by that advice. Im always happy to move right after Ive passed another car and especially to let speedy drivers get on by me. That lets them get on down the road, making me safer by letting them get farther away from me.

I dont think the passing of a law with a $100 fine will do away with the slowdowns and jam-ups caused by these left-lane hangers.

But maybe, just maybe, hearing that tickets can now be written, with penalties of $100 per offense, might move some of these problem drivers back into the right ... lane.
Karen Pence became emotional as she perused the collection of artwork on display at the newly unveiled Combat Art Gallery at the National Museum of the Marine Corps in Quantico on Thursday afternoon.

Artand especially art therapyis near and dear to Pence. The artist and wife of Vice President Mike Pence uses her public profile to put the spotlight on art therapy.

Pence has witnessed first-hand the transformative power of art therapy for struggling teenagers, children with cancer, grieving families and soldiers struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder, just to name a few.

Art therapy is life-changing for adults, kids and families going through stressful times, she said.

Pence reminisced about a recent visit to the Schofield Barracks Health Clinic in Hawaii, where a soldier told her that he was in a dark place before beginning art therapy. Working with clay gave him a nonverbal way to communicate what he was thinking and feeling.

Pence also recalled attending a similar exhibition, where she observed a man sitting on a bench staring at a painting on the wall for hours. When the museums closing time neared, he asked the curator when he could bring his family back to see it.

This painting will tell them everything I cant, he said.

Research using magnetoencephalographya neuroimaging technique for investigating brain activityat Walter Reed National Military Medical Center has demonstrated the healing effect of art therapy on the brain, Pence explained.

One of her main goals is to elevate the profession of art therapy and encourage more people to become art therapists. She said these professionals do more than arts and craftsthey play a pivotal role in helping to save lives.

Speaking to the artists at the gallery, Pence noted that many artists find joy and healing in seeing their artwork on display. But, at the end of the day, the people who get to see their artwork derive just as much enjoyment as those who created it.

I know the pride and joy you feel having your work on displayit does something special, but it doesnt compare to the joy you bring others who get to see it, she said.

Artists went to war

Pences address at the Combat Art Symposium at the museum kicked off the gallerys inaugural show.

The gallery officially opens to the public this weekend with the exhibition Honor, Courage and Commitment: Marine Corps Art, 19752015. The gallery will feature changing exhibitions of the museums combat art collection or related collections on loan from others.

This first exhibition features 100 works by 22 artists and honors the Marines who have served during the last 40 years. It features only those works created by Marine artists, many of whom served as official combat artists.

These artists went to war, and they did art, reads the display at the entrance of the gallery.

These works of art represent only a tiny fragment of the museums total collection, which includes more than 9,000 works of art created by 350 artists. The exhibits will likely rotate every six months to one year.

Joan Thomas, the museums art curator, called the opening of the gallery a dream come true. She said the goal of the gallery is to give people a feel for where Marines have been and what they have seen. It is about more than just the paintings on the wallit is the Marines behind those paintings.

It is about the people who make the collection, Thomas said.

STORIES BEHIND THE ART

Nineteen works of art by Kris Battles, who served as an official combat artist for about eight years, are on display at the gallery. One painting, titled They Watch Us: The Future of Delaram, features six Afghan boys staring into the distance.

Although the picture doesnt show what the children are looking at, it is clear from their faces that they are observing something unusual to them. Battles recalled walking past the boys while on patrol with a group of Marines. He surreptitiously snapped a photo, so he could later create a painting of the scene he had witnessed.

Of all his works on display, Battles favorite piece is A Little Light Reading. The painting depicts a slice of life for soldiers on deployment in Iraq.

On a cold winters morning, several Marines sat in a tent preparing for the day ahead. The sun poked through a crack in the tent, casting its light on one Marine reading a newspaper while others chatted or glanced over books and magazines. A cup of coffee and a bottled drink were within arms reach, and, behind them, gear hung on the walls.

This isnt a poster or propagandait illustrates the everyday life of a Marine deployed on a FOB, Battles said. It shows people that the life of a deployed Marine isnt just patrolling, its moments like this.

Another combat artist, Peter Michael Gish, also had several works of art on display at the gallery. One painting, titled Helo Relief depicted a multinational effort to provide humanitarian relief to a Kurdish refugee camp. It showed hundreds of people huddled in tents while two helicopters buzzed overhead.

Gish said he was 67 years old when he visited that camp. He worked alongside many young Marinessome just 18 years oldwho were scared for their lives. But, at his age, Gish was not as nervous.

What do I have to be scared of at my age? he said.

Gish recalled a memory of a Marine who left behind a 1-year-old son during his deployment in Iraq. He carried his baby boys blanket with him to remind him of home. At that camp, the Marine saw a mother holding a shivering child, so he gave them the blanket.

It demonstrated how bad the condition of that camp was, but how much good we were doing by being there, he said.

Gish created another one of his paintings, Triage, while on a humanitarian mission in Somalia. He explained that thousands died every day during his deployment there. At one aid camp he visited, the dying were placed outside on blankets.

His painting depicts two women lying on the ground in brightly colored dresses. One of the women was so frail that her ribs protruded. Gish recalled how strange it was to see the juxtaposition of their bright clothes with the grim situation.

The day after painting that tragic scene, Gish found out that the two women had died during the night. He had captured the last few moments of their lives.

I felt so much sadness, but also so much hope watching the good work being done by so many there, he said.
David Christopher "Chris" Duggins, 54, of Spotsylvania County passed away Tuesday, July 4, 2017 at Spotsylvania Regional Medical Center. Chris was a Superintendent for Diamond Excavating. He was a member of Hooks Hollow Hunt Club and Vice President of Spotswood Hunt Club. Chris enjoyed being in the outdoors, hunting fishing or just being around God's beauty. More than anything, Chris loved his wife, children, brothers, sisters, nieces and nephews. His children were his world and he was proud of them and loved them more than anything. Survivors include his wife of 30 years, Amanda S. Duggins; two children Emily Anne Duggins and David Christopher Duggins II; two brothers Rusty Duggins (Karen) and Joe Duggins (Susan); three sisters Scottie Saum (Bill), Terry Duggins and Susie Duggins-Fletcher; and numerous nieces and nephews. He ws preceded in death by his daughter, Courtney Duggins and his parents, Barney and Anne Duggins. The family will receive friends from 5 to 7 p.m. Sunday, July 9 at Covenant Funeral Service, Fredericksburg. A service will be held at 11 a.m. Monday, July 10 at Mine Road Baptist Church. Burial will follow in the church cemetery. Online guest book at covenantfuneralservice.com.
Hermon W. Thombs of Fredericksburg, departed this life on July 2, 2017, after a brief illness. Hermon Thombs was born in Union Mills, NC, to the late George Thombs and Cordelia Thombs. He was a graduate of Olive Hill High School in Morganton, NC, and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in mathematics and physics from North Carolina College at Durham (North Carolina Central University) in 1956. Upon graduation from college, Mr. Thombs began his employment at the U.S.Naval Weapons Laboratory (Naval Surface Weapons Laboratory). He earned a Masters Degree in Business Management from the University of Northern Colorado. In 1956 he married Octavia Thombs, his college sweetheart and Miss Homecoming of 1955. Their devotion to each other was blessed with one beloved daughter, Kristel S. Thombs. Mr. Thombs spent the majority of his career as a computer technology specialist and as a writer of numerous scientific articles. He was officially commended for Superior Performance by receiving the Department of the Navy, Naval Surface Warfare Center in Performance Management and Recognition System Award. After his retirement, he became President and Chief Scientist of Computer Technology Consulting, Incorporated. This company "helped clients reap the benefits of Information Technology." Mr. Thombs moved with his family to Fredericksburg, Virginia, after living with his wife and daughter in civilian housing on the U.S. Naval Laboratory for fourteen years. He and his wife Octavia were married for sixty years. Before his death, they could be seen taking daily walks together in different parts of Fredericksburg and in previous times riding their bicycles. Traveling was a pleasure for them. Hermon Thombs is survived by his wife, Octavia; daughter, Kristel; one sister, Eula Corpening; sister-in-law, Virdell Robbins; brother-in-law, David Tedder; sister-in-law, Jennifer Tedder; cousins, nieces, nephews, and friends. The calling hour will be held in the Chapel at A. L. Bennett and Son Funeral Home, Inc., 200 Butternut Drive, Fredericksburg, VA on Saturday, July 8, 2017, from 3:00 to 4:00 p.m. Funeral services will follow at 4:00 p.m. Burial will be Monday, July 10, 2017, in Oak Hill Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Shiloh Old Site Building Fund in the name of Hermon W. Thombs. The family requests no food, photos, or flowers. Acknowledgment The family of Hermon Thombs would like to thank all of the family and friends who provided such a tremendous amount of support. Your love, prayers and expressions of kindness are greatly appreciated. May God shine on you and bless you and your families.
After crash, Milde shows grit, grace

I read the article about Paul Milde, chairman of the Stafford Board of Supervisors, who was hit head-on by a suspected drunken driver just three days before the Republican primary for the 28th District seat in the Virginia House of Delegates [Wreck gives Milde perspective on loss, June 21].

I live in Ferry Farms and grew up in White Oak. Milde reminds me of the spirit of the people Ive grown up with.

He didnt feel sorry for himself. He survived a near fatal collision. He kept it quiet before the election so that there was no distraction, yet was so mangled by the accident that he couldnt even be at the polls on Election Day.

But he got back up, responded graciously to his loss for the GOP nod for delegate and used this incident as a means for a positive personal reflection on life.

I admire his determination. And even though his term is ending on the Board of Supervisors, I hope we havent seen the last of him. Hes exactly the kind of representative we need in office.

Vicki Neulinger

Stafford,
Courtesy is due, respect is earned

With a Republican in the White House, some Free LanceStar letter-writers are complaining about disrespect of the president.

Where were these letter-writer when a black Democrat held the office? The term sanctimonious hypocrite comes to mind.

There is a difference between courtesy and respect. Courtesy come automatically with a title or position. Respect must be earned, regardless of title or position. Ask any parent.

The president works for us and that entitles us to criticism where appropriate.

Stephen Miller

Spotsylvania
Warren, who goes by the nickname, Hootie, has been at Fred Hutch for 24 years, making important contributions in immunotherapy and global oncology. He designed and led Fred Hutchs first clinical trial on T-cell therapy for patients with leukemia. More recently, he has concentrated on global oncology, and today about half of the research in his lab is focused on cancers that are particularly prevalent in Uganda, where Fred Hutch has a long-standing collaboration with the Uganda Cancer Institute, or UCI.

As program head, Warren will lead the research program with UCI, which was initiated because of the high incidence of infection-associated cancers in the region, and now encompasses Kaposi sarcoma, Burkitt and other non-Hodgkin lymphomas, cervical cancer, breast cancer, and Hodgkin lymphomas. He will also spearhead collaborations between Fred Hutch and Chinese medical researchers that go back decades. Today, Fred Hutchs China Initiative focuses on such health issues as infection-associated cancers, environmental exposures, immunotherapy, and cancer biomarkers for precision medicine.

The opportunities to grow these and other international partnerships, while bringing the full breadth of Fred Hutchs expertise and ingenuity to bear, make this an exciting time for Global Oncology at Fred Hutch, said Dr. Gary Gilliland, Fred Hutchs director and president. Under Hooties leadership, Global Oncology will work to engage oncologists, infectious disease doctors, epidemiologists and other researchers from Seattle, Uganda and elsewhere in unique research and training opportunities aimed at improving patient outcomes in the near-term and amplifying our impact globally in years to come.

In the global health field, Fred Hutch Global Oncology stands out for its focus. Most academic institutions and non-government organizations working in sub-Saharan Africa concentrate on infectious diseases such as HIV, tuberculosis and malaria. Fred Hutchs program is dedicated to ending the suffering caused by cancer in these regions. More than 70 percent of cancer deaths worldwide occur in low- and middle-income countries.

The Fred Hutch program grew out of a small 2004 research project with UCI, which led to a formal alliance in 2008. In 2015, the state-of-the-art UCI-Fred Hutch Cancer Research Centre opened in Kampala to house research, training, laboratories, and adult and pediatric outpatient clinical care.

At the alliances beginning, Uganda had only one oncologist serving a country of more than 40 million people. Today, a dozen young Ugandan doctors have trained in Seattle and returned to practice at the UCI. The alliance has completed more than 30 research projects on five cancers  Kaposi sarcoma, Burkitt lymphoma, cervical cancer, breast cancer, and Hodgkin lymphoma. It has enrolled more than 1,800 study participants and archived more than 160,000 research specimens.

Warren is active in the clinics research and treatment, traveling twice a year to Kampala and engaging in weekly Skype sessions to discuss cases with the UCI staff. He said that he plans to visit the clinic more frequently and spend more time there with his new responsibilities.

Dr. Warren brings to the collaboration a strong motivation backed by the requisite scientific knowledge and skills gained over the years, wrote UCI director Dr. Jackson Orem in an email. He has matching leadership skills and commitment to building capacity at the UCI through the collaboration.

Warren aims to build on the Uganda work as well as look for synergies with other Fred Hutch international efforts, including its China Initiative and a cutting-edge Fred Hutch laboratory in Cape Town, South Africa, built to do HIV vaccine research.

We produce breathtaking science on a daily basis here, he said. The problem is that much of the worlds population doesnt have access to it. One of our major goals is to think outside the box, to figure out how we can adapt the incredibly exciting work thats done here so that it can benefit people all around the world.

Warren has a Ph.D. in neurobiology from Harvard University and an M.D. from Harvard Medical School. He came to Seattle in 1993 as a medical oncology fellow at the University of Washington and a research associate in immunology at Fred Hutch. In the years that followed, he focused on understanding at the cellular and molecular level how some, but not all, newly transplanted immune cells called T cells attacked leukemia cells. He discovered a way to isolate the ones that did, multiply them in a lab and give them back to the patient  a technique known as adoptive T-cell therapy.

Warren also co-invented a powerful, next-generation sequencing technology that allows researchers an unprecedented deep look at the millions of different T cells  and the diseases they target  in each individual person.

Warren is committed to translating the scientific research and innovations developed at Fred Hutch to improve care half a world away. Were not going to be doing bone marrow transplants and T-cell therapy in sub-Saharan Africa this year, said Warren. But we can adapt the breathtaking discoveries and advances that we make here in Seattle to benefit the other 7 billion people in the world more than they do now."

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There currently are 93 Fisher Houses in the United States and in Europe with plans for more.
This log includes incidents in which there might have been a public disturbance or a risk to the public. Information comes from the Corvallis Police Department and the Benton County Sheriffs Office. It does not include all calls for service. The status of incidents might change after further investigation. Locations are approximate. People arrested or suspected in crimes are considered innocent until proven otherwise.

Corvallis Police Department

TUESDAY, JULY 4

TAMPERING WITH PROPERTY: 11:01 p.m., 1100 block of Northeast Second Street, Corvallis. Police responded to a report of a man throwing lit fireworks at people. Police arrested Myles Vincent Morris, 30, of Corvallis, for tampering with property. Morris told officers he was frustrated that cars had to go around lit fireworks in the street. He said he picked up the fireworks from the street and threw them onto his neighbors front lawn.

ILLEGAL FIREWORKS: 11:06 p.m., 2200 block of Southwest Butterfield Drive, Corvallis. Police responded to a fireworks complaint. Officers discovered several people with a large amount of illegal fireworks, including mortars, bottle rockets and other explosives. Police confiscated the fireworks and disposed of them at Fire Station 1.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 5

STRANGULATION: 5:45 p.m., Southwest Seventh Street and Southwest Western Boulevard, Corvallis. Police responded to a report of a man, Andrew Leitzel, 25, banging on and jumping onto the hood of a U-Haul truck as the woman inside attempted to leave. Officers determined Leitzel had also strangled the woman and pushed her down as she tried to leave. Police arrested Leitzel for coercion, harassment, strangulation and second-degree disorderly conduct. Leitzel was booked into the Benton County Jail and later released.

ROBBERY: 10:50 a.m., 3700 block of Southwest Bunchberry Avenue, Corvallis. Police responded after a woman reported a suspect in a Washington state armed robbery was at her home. Officers confirmed with the Clark County Sheriffs Office that Sean Andres-Delacruz, 20, of Corvallis, was wanted in two armed robberies in Washington. Police arrested Andres-Delacruz, who admitted to still having money from the robberies in his possession, for first-degree theft. Andres-Delacruz was booked into the Benton County Jail, where he also being held on the first-degree robbery charge out of Washington.

MOTORCYCLE THEFT: 10:52 a.m., 700 block of Northwest 11th Street, Corvallis. A man reported his Yamaha R1 was stolen from his home overnight. No suspects have been identified.

HARASSMENT: 12:47 p.m., 100 block of Northwest Fourth Street, Corvallis. A man reported he was driving on Northwest Monroe Avenue between Northwest Fourth and Fifth Streets when another man walked up to him at a stoplight, complained about his driving, reached into his window and ripped his nametag off before walking away.

TRAFFIC CRASH: 7:05 p.m., Southwest 35th Street and Southwest Washington Way, Corvallis. Police responded to an injury crash. A man driving a Camaro had turned left onto Southwest 35th Street and struck a Ford F-250. The driver of the Camaro, who was cited for failure to obey a traffic control device, went to Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center to be treated for a concussion. The other driver was not injured.

Benton County Sheriffs Office

SUNDAY, JULY 2

DUII: 12:42 a.m., Greenberry Road and Highway 99 West, Corvallis. A deputy contacted a vehicle stopped at the intersection of Highway 99 West and Greenberry Road. The deputy arrested the driver, Joseph Orie Cristman II, 29, of Monroe, for driving under the influence of intoxicants. Cristman had a blood alcohol concentration of 0.12 percent.

TUESDAY, JULY 4

BOMB THREAT: 2:20 p.m., Stow Pitt Road and Highway 99 West, Monroe. Deputies responded to a report of a bomb near the bridge over the Long Tom River. An Oregon State Police officer shot the suspicious item with a water cannon. Inside the item were capped needles, which were disposed of.

RESCUE: 10:55 a.m., Digger Creek Road and Highway 34, Alsea. Deputies assisted the Alsea and Corvallis Fire Departments in the rescuing of a man with a broken leg. The man was in a ravine and officials used a z-pulley system to pull him up to the road. Medics then took the man to Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center.

CRIMINAL MISCHIEF: 4:56 p.m., 7500 Northeast Arnold Avenue, Adair. Deputies responded to Adair Aerodrome for reported damage to the runway. There were multiple burn marks and holes in the runway caused by fireworks.
Police searching for suspect : Attempted sexual assault on 13-year-old

Mit einem Phantombild fahndet die Polizei nach dem Mann, der einen 13-Jahrigen in Friesdorf attackierte. Foto: Polizei

Bonn Late Wednesday night, a 13-year-old boy was attacked by a man in what police believe to be an attempted sexual assault. The boy was able to flee, and the police have now released a composite sketch of the offender.

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On his way home on Wednesday night, a 13-year-old boy was assaulted by a man. Police reported on Thursday that the suspect attacked the boy with sexual intent. It was around midnight and the boy was on Bonner Strae on his way home when he was approached by the man.

He offered to give the boy a lift on his bike. The 13-year-old agreed and they rode towards Friesdorf. At around 12:30 am (technically Thursday morning), the stranger stopped at the street Im Bachele and assaulted the youth with sexual intent, according to police. The boy first called for help and then fled. He ran home and together with his parents, they notified police.

Several witnesses also called police because they heard the boys cry for help. A patrol car arrived a short time later but could not locate the suspect. Witnesses say he had driven away in the direction of Dottendorf.

The suspected offender is described as follows:

around 40-years-old1.70 to 1.80 meters tallheavysetshort, dark hair and Mediterranean lookwearing shorts and a short, dark T-shirt at the time of the offenseriding a dark Citybike

The police have now released a composite sketch of the offender:

Anyone who may have information about the incident or the suspect is asked to contact police at: 0228 1 50. Police spokesperson Robert Scholten explained why the 13-year-old had been out so late: He was at his friends house and they were playing and he lost track of the time.
Bonn city center : Concerns about the Kaiserpassage shopping area

Bonn Zurich Group, owner of the Kaiserpassage in Bonn city center, says the continued vacancy there is a political issue. It blames the situation, in part on the long-term absence of parking spaces at the Uni-park garage.

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Next year, the small shopping mall called the Kaiserpassage will have been in Bonn for 40 years. Just off the city center, it used to be a place where high quality retail and good gastronomy were both a challenge and a reality. Now, there are many vacant spaces in the mall, a fact that cannot be overlooked.

At least half of the shops are not occupied at the moment, and some have been sitting empty for a long while already. But the mall doesnt look dingy despite the vacancy. Whoever would expect to find garbage or graffiti there would be proven wrong.

In the bistro Ente, tables and chairs used to be regularly filled both indoors and outside. The restaurant has now been empty for half a year. And there is no talk of anyone seriously interested in the space. A businesswoman in the mall says one should write about the big chain stores in the city which makes life more difficult for small business owners.

Rethinking the concept for Kaiserpassage The Alliance for Bonn (AfB) sees an urgent need for action in the matter. There is a need to address why the former prestigious object is now only a shadow of itself. The city administration and Zurich Insurance group see the problem as a result of changing shopping habits, discussion of diesel bans and the City-Maut (toll).

The Zurich Group writes, "In addition, the Kaiserpassage is adversely affected by the long-term absence of the parking facilities in the university garage." The garage was closed in 2013 for renovations and is not expected to open until 2019 earliest, in time for Christmas season. Rethinking the concept for the shopping mall will take some time, and the aim is "to maintain and further develop the quality of the property and the location".

The capital investment of the insurance group also plays a role. Division of space is a problem Whoever throws a glance into the passage might have the impression that some materials were left over from construction and they decided to add a pillar here and a gallery there. The city sees the angled division of the spaces as a central problem of the passage, as well as the relatively small retail spaces.
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Protecting the worlds oceans  an important goal of Germanys climate diplomacy

The worlds oceans are vital to our survival. They regulate the global climate and are a source of food and income for billions of people. Only a very small part of the seas enjoys legal protection, however. Our diplomats are working in New York right now to change this state of affairs.
bohlah at 7-07-2017 06:30 AM (5 years ago) (m)

On July 2, 2017, Ms. Atinuke Ogunsalu of Queensway Restaurant & Catering in Maryland, US, became the winner of the first ever Jollof Hackathon presented by I/O Spaces during Jollof Festival In Washington DC. The event was organized by Afropolitan Insights.

On July 2, 2017, Ms. Atinuke Ogunsalu of Queensway Restaurant & Catering in Maryland, US, became the winner of the first ever Jollof Hackathon presented by I/O Spaces during Jollof Festival In Washington DC. The event was organized by Afropolitan Insights.

Ms. Ogunsalu put skeptics to shame with her win and proved to all that Nigerians can indeed cook Jollof when she secured her country the win at the event. Her competitors at the event were Cameroon, Ghana, and Sierra Leone. Jollof is cooked in a single pot with rice and a tomato-based stew plus preferred meat, fish or poultry. It is very popular the world over especially among West Africans.



The winning chef arrived at the event venue; 1630 19th Street in North West of Washington DC, with high hopes despite heavy opposition fueled by the popular assertion at that Nigeria Jollof, was indeed nothing to write home about.



A good number of the over 600 people that attended the #JollofFestival had high expectations of team Ghana Jollof to win, unfortunately, Ghana sold out due quickly of food, though they had called for backup it never arrived on time so they were beaten by the clock.





According to Lucinda Mensah a Ghanaian Jollof enthusiast that TheAfricanDream.net spoke with said there was no Ghana jollof to taste when it was time to judge as we sold all since people were buying it like crazy. If Ghana had just one teaspoonful of jollof for the judges to taste we could have easily won. I noticed the Nigerians had a truckload of their jollof on deck, they came to battle and won fair and square.



When it was time to make their final presentations to the judges it was only Cameroon, Sierra Leone, and Nigeria that were left standing.



Four-time Embassy Chef Challenge participant and executive chef at the Ghana Embassy in Washington DC  Chef Francis Otoo  was joined by Gigi Ness of African Cuisine Inc, Tamara Raye of NATIVSOL, Maame Boakye of Dine Diaspora and Jamaican Andrea Coleman, (a) Jollof enthusiast, on the panel of judges to adjudge and announce the winner.



Each finalist was given five minutes to present their dish to the judges who based their decisions on participants presentation, taste, and originality.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qo5nFcmHBuo&feature=youtu.be



According to Chef Otoo whose opinion was shared by the other judges, Ms. Ogunsalu did not only capture a great taste and healthy combination of ingredients in her meal, she did an awesome job at presentation and that was something very pleasing to the tongues and eyes of the judges he told TheAfricanDream.net a media partner of the event.



Newly crowned #JollofFestival champion Ms. Ogunsalu told TheAfricanDream.net that she was glad to have carried the day for Nigeria, and felt that people can now actually jump off the fence and try Nigerian Jollof for themselves instead of being prejudiced.





The winner walked away with $1000 coworking services from event partner I/O Spaces and an opportunity to become a Chef at Jollof Caviar; an upscale African Fusion Restaurant Opening in Washington DC in 2019.



Ishmael Osekre, the Ghanaian-born, New York-based founder of Afropolitan Insights, creators of the festival in an interview with TheAfricanDream.net said he was very touched by the attendance and welcoming spirit received from participants, vendors, and the city of Washington DC, adding thanks to all your efforts we have set a great tone for #JollofFestival and we only look forward to building on it as we popularize the togetherness the meal brings here in the United States.





Afropolitan Insights is a collective of young Africans, African-Americans, and Caribbeans from Africa and in the Diaspora who curate events, create spaces for cultural exchange and social dialogue, celebrate diversity, innovation and ideas.



The Jollof wars will continue at the Jollof Festival NYC on July 23rd where organizers are determined to ensure all competitors participate in the competitions. To find out more about the premier Jollof Festival follow the #JollofFestival hashtag online or on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook as @JollofFestival







Ms. Ogunsalu put skeptics to shame with her win and proved to all that Nigerians can indeed cook Jollof when she secured her country the win at the event. Her competitors at the event were Cameroon, Ghana, and Sierra Leone. Jollof is cooked in a single pot with rice and a tomato-based stew plus preferred meat, fish or poultry. It is very popular the world over especially among West Africans.The winning chef arrived at the event venue; 1630 19th Street in North West of Washington DC, with high hopes despite heavy opposition fueled by the popular assertion at that Nigeria Jollof, was indeed nothing to write home about.A good number of the over 600 people that attended the #JollofFestival had high expectations of team Ghana Jollof to win, unfortunately, Ghana sold out due quickly of food, though they had called for backup it never arrived on time so they were beaten by the clock.According to Lucinda Mensah a Ghanaian Jollof enthusiast that TheAfricanDream.net spoke with said there was no Ghana jollof to taste when it was time to judge as we sold all since people were buying it like crazy. If Ghana had just one teaspoonful of jollof for the judges to taste we could have easily won. I noticed the Nigerians had a truckload of their jollof on deck, they came to battle and won fair and square.When it was time to make their final presentations to the judges it was only Cameroon, Sierra Leone, and Nigeria that were left standing.Four-time Embassy Chef Challenge participant and executive chef at the Ghana Embassy in Washington DC  Chef Francis Otoo  was joined by Gigi Ness of African Cuisine Inc, Tamara Raye of NATIVSOL, Maame Boakye of Dine Diaspora and Jamaican Andrea Coleman, (a) Jollof enthusiast, on the panel of judges to adjudge and announce the winner.Each finalist was given five minutes to present their dish to the judges who based their decisions on participants presentation, taste, and originality.According to Chef Otoo whose opinion was shared by the other judges, Ms. Ogunsalu did not only capture a great taste and healthy combination of ingredients in her meal, she did an awesome job at presentation and that was something very pleasing to the tongues and eyes of the judges he told TheAfricanDream.net a media partner of the event.Newly crowned #JollofFestival champion Ms. Ogunsalu told TheAfricanDream.net that she was glad to have carried the day for Nigeria, and felt that people can now actually jump off the fence and try Nigerian Jollof for themselves instead of being prejudiced.The winner walked away with $1000 coworking services from event partner I/O Spaces and an opportunity to become a Chef at Jollof Caviar; an upscale African Fusion Restaurant Opening in Washington DC in 2019.Ishmael Osekre, the Ghanaian-born, New York-based founder of Afropolitan Insights, creators of the festival in an interview with TheAfricanDream.net said he was very touched by the attendance and welcoming spirit received from participants, vendors, and the city of Washington DC, adding thanks to all your efforts we have set a great tone for #JollofFestival and we only look forward to building on it as we popularize the togetherness the meal brings here in the United States.Afropolitan Insights is a collective of young Africans, African-Americans, and Caribbeans from Africa and in the Diaspora who curate events, create spaces for cultural exchange and social dialogue, celebrate diversity, innovation and ideas.The Jollof wars will continue at the Jollof Festival NYC on July 23rd where organizers are determined to ensure all competitors participate in the competitions. To find out more about the premier Jollof Festival follow the #JollofFestival hashtag online or on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook as @JollofFestival

Post Reply I have been reporting on latest news from Nigeria for almost 10 years now. I report on every possible news area I come across, but always ensure my reports are compiled with dignity and fact to uphold my personal values and duty as a journalist Posted: at 7-07-2017 06:30 AM (5 years ago) | Addicted Hero
Chinese man indicted for espionage in Taiwan

ROC Central News Agency

2017/07/06 13:22:45

Taipei, July 6 (CNA) A Chinese man was indicted Thursday for violation of Taiwan's National Security Act after he was found to have attempted to bribe an official with money in exchange for classified information, the Taipei District Prosecutors Office said.

The offense carries a sentence of up to five years in prison, and a fine of NT$1 million (US$32,735), but due to his confession, prosecutors have asked the court to hand down a more lenient ruling.

The indictment said that Zhou Hongxu (), 29, from Liaoning Province and a graduate of Zhejiang University, enrolled in an MBA program at National Chengchi University in Taipei 2012-2016.

He returned to China last August before traveling back to Taiwan in February as a management investor.

Investigators found that he offered money to an official at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in exchange for information, but the official reported the matter to investigators, leading to his arrest in March.

The indictment said that Zhou took part in a cross-Taiwan Strait exchange program in Shanghai in 2014, where he became acquainted with a Chinese man surnamed Li (), who was a secretary for a Chinese organization.

Li often asked Zhou over dinner to scout for Taiwanese serving in the military, police, foreign ministry or other influential figures, and to have them travel overseas to meet with Chinese officials, according to the indictment.

After Zhou's return to Taiwan in August, he invited an official working at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs several times, offering the person at least US$2,500 per month in exchange for classified information and suggesting that the official make expenses-paid trips to Japan and other third countries to meet with Chinese officials.

After Zhou was detained in March, he initially denied the espionage accusations, but his attitude softened after being detained for four months, and he confessed.

(By Wang Yang-yu and Lilian Wu)

ENDITEM/J

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Military Strikes Continue Against ISIS Terrorists in Syria, Iraq

From a Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve News Release

SOUTHWEST ASIA, July 6, 2017  U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria yesterday, conducting 34 strikes consisting of 93 engagements, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.

U.S. Central Command continues to work with partner nations to conduct targeted airstrikes in Iraq and Syria as part of the comprehensive strategy to degrade and defeat the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, or ISIS.

Officials reported details of yesterday's strikes, noting that assessments of results are based on initial reports.

Strikes in Syria

In Syria, coalition military forces conducted 29 strikes consisting of 33 engagements against ISIS targets:

-- Near Shadaddi, two strikes destroyed five ISIS-held buildings, a command-and-control node and a vehicle-bomb-making facility.

-- Near Dayr Az Zawr, six strikes destroyed 34 ISIS oil barrels, eight oil stills, five construction items, five oil trucks, four front-end loaders, three oil storage tanks, an oil distillation tank and a wellhead.

-- Near Raqqa, 21 strikes engaged 15 ISIS tactical units and destroyed 13 fighting positons, two vehicles, two heavy machine guns, a front-end loader, an unmanned aerial vehicle site and a sniper position.

Strikes in Iraq

In Iraq, coalition military forces conducted five strikes consisting of 60 engagements against ISIS targets:

-- Near Beiji, a strike engaged an ISIS tactical unit and destroyed two staging areas and a vehicle.

-- Near Mosul, three strikes engaged three ISIS tactical units; destroyed 19 fighting positions, 15 medium machine guns, three staging areas, three improvised bombs, an excavator, a mortar system, a rocket-propelled grenade system and a supply cache; and damaged three fighting positions.

-- Near Rawah, a strike engaged an ISIS tactical unit and destroyed a staging area, a vehicle storage facility, a weapons cache and a vehicle.

July 3-4 Strikes

Additionally, 14 strikes were conducted in Syria and Iraq on July 3-4 that closed within the last 24 hours:

-- On July 3 near Raqqa, Syria, a strike destroyed eight ISIS fighting positions and a vehicle-bomb factory and damaged 10 fighting positions.

-- On July 4 near Hawl, Syria, two strikes engaged an ISIS tactical unit and destroyed a command-and-control node and a staging area.

-- On July 4 near Dayr Az Zawr, Syria, five strikes destroyed four ISIS oil separators, four oil storage tanks, two wellheads, two oil pipe junctions, an oil still and a refinery.

-- On July 4 near Raqqa, Syria, four strikes engaged two ISIS tactical units and destroyed a vehicle, a vehicle bomb and an improvised bomb.

-- On July 4 near Mosul, Iraq, two strikes engaged an ISIS tactical unit, destroyed two mortar systems and damaged five supply routes.

Part of Operation Inherent Resolve

These strikes were conducted as part of Operation Inherent Resolve, the operation to destroy ISIS in Iraq and Syria. The destruction of ISIS targets in Iraq and Syria also further limits the group's ability to project terror and conduct external operations throughout the region and the rest of the world, task force officials said.

The list above contains all strikes conducted by fighter, attack, bomber, rotary-wing or remotely piloted aircraft; rocket-propelled artillery; and some ground-based tactical artillery when fired on planned targets, officials noted.

Ground-based artillery fired in counterfire or in fire support to maneuver roles is not classified as a strike, they added. A strike, as defined by the coalition, refers to one or more kinetic engagements that occur in roughly the same geographic location to produce a single or cumulative effect.

For example, task force officials explained, a single aircraft delivering a single weapon against a lone ISIS vehicle is one strike, but so is multiple aircraft delivering dozens of weapons against a group of ISIS-held buildings and weapon systems in a compound, having the cumulative effect of making that facility harder or impossible to use. Strike assessments are based on initial reports and may be refined, officials said.

The task force does not report the number or type of aircraft employed in a strike, the number of munitions dropped in each strike, or the number of individual munition impact points against a target.

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Collaboration Fuels Fight Against ISIS, Official Says

By Cheryl Pellerin DoD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON, July 6, 2017  Close collaboration among coalition forces, the Iraqi government and international partners have helped to transform Iraqi security forces and partner forces in Syria in the fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, Operation Inherent Resolve's director of partner force development said today.

Canadian Brig. Gen. David J. Anderson, who also directs the Canadian-led ministerial liaison team, briefed Pentagon reporters by video conference from Baghdad. The general is responsible for staff oversight of the train-and-equip enterprise for the coalition's partner forces.

Anderson provided an overview of operations in Mosul in Iraq and Raqqa in Syria, a review of assistance to partner forces and a look at the efforts of the ministerial liaison team.

Syria and Iraq

In Raqqa, the Syrian Democratic Forces just finished the first month of offensive operations to defeat ISIS in the terrorist army's self-declared capital, taking about 17 square miles of ground from ISIS in and around the city.

"On Monday night, the SDF gained a foothold into the old city of Raqqa by breaching the ancient al-Rafiqa wall, and they are now progressively pushing further into the city," the general said. "The SDF are exerting pressure on ISIS from four different fronts throughout the city with a push to the east along the southern portion of the Euphrates River. ISIS is now completely encircled by SDF forces"."

The fight in Iraq is going well, the general said, but tough days lie ahead.

Still, he added, "I'm confident that our partner forces are up to the task."

In Mosul, the Iraqi security forces have pushed into the final 500-meter pocket of ISIS-held ground in the Old City. They're within sight of the Tigris River from the west "and are facing an enemy on its absolutely last legs," Anderson added, noting that the imminent liberation of Mosul "rids Iraq of ISIS and sets conditions for political reconciliation."

After ISIS

The coalition's role in preparing for what comes after ISIS is to train and equip forces to hold territory and wide-area security forces so stabilization can occur, Anderson said. The coalition's partner forces have liberated nearly 2 million Iraqis from control ISIS and taken back more than 70 percent of ISIS-held terrain.

"In the face of determined resistance, they have they have placed relentless pressure on Daesh," the general said, using the local name for ISIS.

Coalition support of partner forces takes the form of advice and assistance and kinetic elements such as strikes and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, Anderson said, along with training and equipment.

Since its inception, he added, the coalition has trained 106,000 members of the Iraqi security forces, including 40,000 Iraqi soldiers, 15,000 police, 6,000 border guards, 21,000 peshmerga fighters, 14,000 counterterrorism service forces and 9,500 tribal mobilization forces.

This year alone, the coalition has delivered weapons, about 900 Humvees and more than 1,300 support vehicles for 75,000 Iraqi troops and police.

"In Syria, we have trained over 8,500 members of the SDF, and just this year have delivered weapons and ammunition and over 400 vehicles and personal equipment for over 40,000 troops," Anderson said.

"This support is the essence of the 'by, with and through' strategy, enabling our partner forces to defeat ISIS," the general said. "These forces have liberated more than 4 million civilians throughout Iraq and Syria. They have fought and sacrificed dearly, and I honor their martyrs and, more importantly, I'm confident that they will win this fight."

Ministerial Liaison Team

The Canadian-led ministerial liaison team advises, assists and acts as a liaison to enable the campaign plan and set conditions for an enduring and sustainable Iraqi security force, Anderson explained. Specifically, he said, "we work with the ministries of interior, defense, peshmerga and health and for the national security advisor in the prime minister's National Operation Center."

The team of 13 members from eight countries is a true coalition effort, Anderson added.

Earlier this week, the team delivered the first of 100 "police presence in a box" packages, which the general said are temporary stations that give a local police force the equipment needed to establish themselves in areas where ISIS has destroyed the infrastructure.

"The equipment for this project arrives in a shipping container and includes a tent with a large working space, furniture, lighting, water tanks, laptops, phones, GPS, weapons storage, checkpoint equipment and two Land Cruisers -- in essence, everything they need to set up a visible presence," Anderson said, noting that the contents can be unpacked and set up quickly to allow the police to immediately begin serving their citizens.

Delivery of the first of the 100 containers will roll out over the summer and will be followed by a "border guard in a box" project that will give Iraq's border service a similar capability, he said.

"An effective and credible police and civil defense structure is imperative in order to make the transition from the current green, or Army, policing to true blue policing based on the model of intelligence-led community-based policing, which is the future," the general added.

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USS Gabrielle Giffords Completes Maiden Voyage, Arrives in San Diego

Navy News Service

Story Number: NNS170706-09

Release Date: 7/6/2017 11:58:00 AM

By Lt. Matt Vernam, USS Gabrielle Giffords (LCS 10) Public Affairs

SAN DIEGO (NNS) -- The newest Independence-variant littoral combat ship USS Gabrielle Giffords (LCS 10) arrived in San Diego July 5, after successfully completing her maiden voyage from Mobile, Alabama.

Following construction and acceptance trials earlier this year at the Austal USA shipyard in Mobile, Giffords sailed to Galveston, Texas, where she was commissioned June 10.

"Our Sailors are honored to represent the ship namesake, its homeport in San Diego and the U.S. Navy," said Cmdr. Keith Woodley, Giffords' commanding officer. "Every Sailor will continue, through USS Gabrielle Gifford's service to her nation, to fulfill the ship's motto, 'I Am Ready.'"

During her sail around transit from Mobile, Giffords Sailors conducted Combat Ship Systems Qualification Trials (CSSQT) events, various crew certification training events and regularly scheduled equipment and systems checks and transited through the Panama Canal.

Giffords is the ninth littoral combat ship to enter the fleet and the fifth Independence-variant LCS. She joins other LCS, including USS Freedom (LCS 1), USS Independence (LCS 2), USS Fort Worth (LCS 3), USS Coronado (LCS 4), USS Jackson (LCS 6) and USS Montgomery (LCS 8), who are also homeported in San Diego.

Giffords Sailors are excited for the future of their ship but also for their own return to San Diego.

"We have put in a lot of hard work over the past nine months," said Operations Specialist 1st Class Lee Tran. "It is going to be nice to have a little down time with friends and family before continuing to work the ship toward its next milestone."

Family and friends were similarly eager for some quality time with their returning Sailors. Many said they were also grateful for the support and friendships they forged with other families while their Sailors were away.

"Knowing I was not in this alone and that there were more families out there going through it too made me at peace knowing our Sailors had each other," said Morgan Witherspoon, friend of a Giffords Sailor.

LCS 10 is named after former Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords who survived an assassination attempt in 2011. Former Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus selected the LCS 10 namesake and said it is appropriate that the ship is named for Giffords, whose name is "synonymous with courage when she inspired the nation with remarkable resiliency and showed the possibilities of the human spirit."

LCS is a high-speed, agile, shallow draft, mission-focused surface combatant designed for operations in the littoral environment, yet fully capable of open ocean operations. As part of the surface fleet, LCS has the ability to counter and outpace evolving threats independently or within a network of surface combatants. Paired with advanced sonar and mine hunting capabilities, LCS provides a major contribution, as well as a more diverse set of options to commanders, across the spectrum of operations.

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Ike Hosts Reception with Canadian Allies

Navy News Service

Story Number: NNS170706-08

Release Date: 7/6/2017 9:15:00 AM

By Mass Communication Specialist Cole Keller, USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) Public Affairs

HALIFAX, Nova Scotia (NNS) -- The aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) (Ike) hosted a reception during a regularly scheduled port visit to Halifax, Nova Scotia, July 3.

The reception, which provided an opportunity for the U.S. and Canadian forces to highlight the partnership between the two countries, was attended by a number of high ranking Canadian officials.

"We operated closely with the Canadian armed forces in the Mediterranean while we supported the NATO mission against ISIS," said Rear Adm. Jim Malloy, commander, Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 10. "We met again prior to pulling in your harbor, reconnecting seamlessly as we always do."

More than 800 Canadian guests were in attendance. They were afforded an opportunity to see how the other side of the field operated.

"This is a unique opportunity for us to welcome Greek guests and other foreign guests to the largest aircraft carrier in the world," said Capt. Paul Spedero Jr., commanding officer of the Ike. "I can't tell you how exciting it is for people to visit a carrier and to see it in person. It's also a symbol of cooperation and history between our two countries."

The event was held in the hangar bay and tours of the ship's spaces were provided to visitors interested in seeing the world's finest nuclear-powered aircraft carrier.

"We are currently standing in the perfect example of Canada's and America's interoperability," said Rear Adm. John Newton, Canadian Navy, commander, Maritime Forces Atlantic. "It's amazing that no matter what the circumstance, that we are able to fully integrate our two systems together. We are able to provide for one another and protect one another."

The U.S. Naval Forces Band performed for the crowd while Canadian and U.S. Navy Sailors interacted with one another.

"We continue to further our partnership as we actively defend our nations and enforce a common goal of instilling peace and security throughout the world," said Spedero.

Both parties were allotted a time to speak to the guests and both expressed their deep appreciation for the other party.

"In my time being in this position I have gained a great appreciation for the high level of cooperation that exists between the Canadian and American militaries," said Consul General Steve Giegerich. "Your visit to our country during Canada 150 displays how far our two countries have come in the past 200 years and our dedication to working with one another. We have served shoulder to shoulder in our embassiess, in battle and at sea. The United States has no greater friend or ally than Canada."

Ike visited Halifax to participate in a series of celebrations in honor of Canada's 150th year. This year marked the first time a United States aircraft carrier visited the city since 1998.

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Qatar gives "negative" response to demands of Egypt and Gulf countries: Egyptian FM

People's Daily Online

(Xinhua) 09:07, July 06, 2017

Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said on Wednesday that Qatar's response to the demands of Egypt and Gulf countries was "very negative."

Shoukry's comments came during a press conference after his meeting in Cairo with his counterparts of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain to discuss their blockade of Qatar.

"We have held talks to discuss the recent developments of the Qatari crisis and the ways to deal with it," he said.

Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt cut off diplomatic ties with Qatar on June 5 and imposed punitive measures, accusing the gas-rich country of "supporting terrorism and interfering in their internal affairs."

The four Arab countries then issued a list of 13 demands to end rift with Doha including closing Al-Jazeera television and cutting diplomatic ties with Iran.

The four announced Wednesday morning that they received the Qatari response through Kuwait, who has played as a mediator to reach a solution for the crisis.

Among the six Gulf Cooperation Council states, Kuwait and Oman did not join the anti-Qatar blockade.

"There will be zero tolerance with the Qatari support for terrorism," Shoukry said, adding that there are evidences showing that Qatar supported terrorism and extremism.

Shoukry affirmed that another meeting will be held in Bahrain soon to further discuss the issue.

Egypt's administration, led by President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi, is at odds with Qatar for the latter has allegedly supported and hosted fleeing members of the Muslim Brotherhood group, an organization currently blacklisted by the Egyptian government.

The Brotherhood supports former Islamist President Mohamed Morsi, who was toppled by the military in July 2013 in response to mass protests.

In the latest development, U.S. President Donald Trump stressed on Wednesday the need for constructive negotiation between Qatar and its Arab neighbors, Egyptian state-run Ahram Online website reported.

Trump made the remarks in a phone discussion with his Egyptian counterpart Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi.

Trump also called on all the countries to follow their commitments at the Riyadh summit in May to stopping financing terrorists and discrediting extremist ideology, according to Ahram.

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In Warsaw, Trump Reaffirms Article 5 Commitment, Criticizes Russia's 'Destabilizing Behavior'

RFE/RL July 06, 2017

In a keynote address in Warsaw, U.S. President Donald Trump urged Russia "to cease its destabilizing activities in Ukraine and elsewhere" and specifically reaffirmed Washington's commitment to NATO's Article 5.

Trump spoke on July 6 before a cheering, flag-waving crowd of 10,000 people at historic Krasinski Square in central Warsaw, where former President Lech Walesa sat among guests in the VIP area.

He also said Moscow should end its "support for hostile regimes -- including Syria and Iran."

Trump called on America's NATO allies to join the United States in a defense of the West against "radical Islamic terrorism" and "any form of ideological support" that terrorists receive.

Trump said the United States repeatedly "has demonstrated not only with words, but with its actions, that it stands behind Article 5" of the NATO treaty -- the provision stating that an attack on one NATO country is an attack on all members of the alliance.

Many observers were closely watching Trump's comments about the treaty provision after he shocked NATO allies during a May meeting in Brussels by failing to mention it.

He said all NATO members must meet their financial commitments to the alliance, and he praised Poland for being one of the few NATO countries that has done so.

Trump described Poland as a long-time U.S. ally that is "an example for others who seek freedom and who wish to summon the courage and the will to defend our civilization."

Earlier on July 6, after meeting with Polish President Andrzej Duda, Trump said the United States is "committed to maintaining peace and security in Central Europe" and again said that Washington is "working with Poland in response to Russia's actions and destabilizing behavior."

The White House gave its blessing to a $7.6 billion deal to sell Patriot missile defense systems to Poland by the end of the year. U.S. missile defense systems in Eastern Europe have prompted repeated complaints from Russia in the past, and President Barack Obama had shelved such plans in 2009, as part of his administration's attempted "reset" of relations with Moscow.

A Kremlin spokesman said Moscow disagrees with Trump's description of Russia's behavior as "destabilizing" and said the Kremlin regrets that there is a lack of understanding between Russia and the United States.

Poland's proximity to Russia has heightened its concerns about Moscow's intentions in the region, especially after Russia's illegal annexation of Ukraine's Crimea region, its support of separatists in eastern Ukraine, and its alleged public opinion manipulation campaigns during elections in the United States and some European Union countries.

Trump told reporters after talks with Duda that he thinks Russia meddled in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, but said he also thinks "other people and, or, countries" may have interfered in the election campaign.

"Nobody really knows for sure," Trump said.

In Warsaw, Trump told a summit of Central and Eastern European leaders that "America will be your strongest ally and your steadfast partner" in their attempts to reduce the region's dependence on Russian energy supplies.

Trump encouraged leaders at the Three Seas Initiative summit to take advantage of newly available supplies of U.S. liquefied natural gas.

The Three Seas Initiative is a joint project of Poland and Croatia that was launched in 2016 with the aim of strengthening trade, infrastructure, and cooperation on energy and politics between countries that border the Adriatic Sea, the Baltic Sea, and the Black Sea.

Other countries involved in the initiative include Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romania, Bulgaria, Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia, Slovenia, and Austria.

After Warsaw, Trump traveled to Hamburg, Germany, for the Group of 20 summit, where he plans to meet on July 7 with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

He held talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel shortly after arriving. The two leaders shook hands and spoke briefly before leaving for closed-door talks.

Trump also will hold one-on-one talks with British Prime Minister Theresa May in Hamburg on July 7, May's office announced.

He is also expected to attend a Northeast Asia Security dinner with South Korean President Moon Jae-in and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

North Korea's intercontinental ballistic-missile test earlier this week was expected to be high on that agenda.

A demonstration, which organizers have labeled G20: Welcome to Hell, was planned for the night of July 6.

Some 20,000 police have been deployed in Hamburg to provide security during the G20 summit.

Hamburg police clashed with demonstrators on the night of July 5 ahead of the meetings, using water cannons to disperse some protesters.

Germany has said that among tens of thousands of protesters expected to converge on Hamburg during the summit, as many as 8,000 could potentially be involved in rioting and other violence.

With reporting by AP, Reuters, dpa, CNN, CNBC, and The Wall Street Journal

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/trump-europe-trip- poland-warsaw-visit/28597961.html

Copyright (c) 2017. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Trump Holds Talks With Merkel As Police Clash With Protesters Ahead Of G20 Summit

RFE/RL July 06, 2017

U.S. President Donald Trump has held talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in the city of Hamburg, a day before the start of the Group of 20 summit.

Trump's visit came as police and protestors clashed at a march against the G20 summit in the northern German port city, with police using water cannons and tear gas to clear around 1,000 masked anticapitalist demonstrators.

Police said organizers canceled the march following the violence, but many demonstrators remained on the streets. At least one person was seriously hurt and others were treated for minor injuries.

The demonstration, which organizers have labeled G20: Welcome To Hell, is expected to attract up to 100,000 protesters over the two-day event.

During a one-hour meeting, Trump and Merkel discussed the conflicts in Syria and Ukraine and the standoff with North Korea, a German government statement said on July 6.

The statement said U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel also participated.

Earlier, the two leaders shook hands and spoke briefly in front of reporters before leaving for the closed-door talks.

So far, the two have had what were perceived as awkward moments during talks in Washington and during Trump's first trip to Europe in May.

Merkel has spoken in recent days about "obvious" disagreements with Washington and her ruling Christian Democratic Union (CDU) recently dropped the term "friend" to describe Germany's relationship with the United States.

Later, Trump attended a Northeast Asia Security dinner with South Korean President Moon Jae-in and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

North Korea's intercontinental ballistic-missile test earlier this week was expected to be high on the agenda.

Trump is expected to face tough questions at the G20 gathering from European leaders over his decision to pull the United States out of the Paris climate accord.

He also faces skepticism about his perceived lack of support for NATO and the European Union, and his commitment to Ukraine's sovereignty against the backdrop of his desire to improve relations with Russia and his praise for Putin personally.

Tough talks on free-trade issues and immigration were also expected.

Some 20,000 police have been deployed in Hamburg to provide security during the G20 summit.

With reporting by AP and dpa

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/trump-merkel-g20- summit-protesters-clashes/28600208.html

Copyright (c) 2017. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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China Demands That India Pulls Back Border Troops Immediately

Sputnik News

19:14 06.07.2017

China has again warned India to pull back its troops from the Doklam area near the Sikkim sector, saying it will affect the dialogue process between the two countries.

New Delhi (Sputnik)  Despite blaming India for undermining its territorial sovereignty, Beijing softened its stance on the issue around the Kailash mountain and has agreed to open an alternate route. Earlier, it canceled the yatra through the Nathu La route in view of the ongoing stand-off between the two countries.

"China's territorial sovereignty has been undermined by Indian border troops. The Indian side is trying to justify the trespassing into Chinese territory in the name of security concerns. India's position is groundless," Li Ya, Political Counsellor in the Chinese Embassy in New Delhi, said on Thursday.

"We have strong evidence to prove that Doklam belongs to China. The activities conducted in Doklam are within China's sovereignty. It is the Indian side that trespassed and changed the status quo in the name of security concern. The Indian side has trespassed into another country's territory. No matter what activities it conducts there, it will not be acceptable to any sovereign state. The Indian border troops must pull back its border troops unconditionally and immediately. This is the pre-condition for any meaningful dialogue between China and India," the Chinese political counselor added.

"China consistently respects the Indian people's religious sentiments and attaches importance to Indian yatra (pilgrimage) to Kailash and Mansarovar in Xizang. Up to now, the official yatra through Lipuleku Pass and non-official yatra through Lhasa Purang are still on the rails. We are willing to discuss the possibility of alternative arrangements through other routes for Indian official yatris who had planned to visit Kailash and Mansarovar via Nathula Pass," Chinese Embassy Counsellor Xie Lian said.

 Sputnik

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Update: air strikes against Daesh

6 July 2017

The RAF are continuing to take the fight to Daesh in Iraq and Syria.

Summary

- Monday 3 July  Reapers and a Tornado/Typhoon pair attacked a Daesh headquarters, machine-gun team and defensive position in Raqqa. In northern Iraq, Tornados struck seven targets in Mosul and three truck-bomb workshops near Hawija.

- Wednesday 5 July  Typhoons hit seven Daesh strongpoints in Mosul, Tornados eliminated a sniper team in Raqqa.

Detail

The RAF is continuing to support Iraqi forces in their effort to liberate western Mosul. While the operating environment in the city is very challenging, particularly given the closely-packed buildings, very narrow streets, and the density of the urban population, our aircrew have continued to deliver precision strikes in close support of Iraqi troops on the ground. Daesh's current tactics, including the illegal use of civilians as human shields, and fighting from sites such as schools, hospitals, religious sites and civilian neighbourhoods, increases the risk to innocent life. While no military operations come without risk, particularly in dense urban environments and against such inhuman Daesh tactics, the RAF continues to take all steps necessary to minimise civilian casualties.

Two Royal Air Force Reaper remotely piloted aircraft conducted armed reconnaissance over Raqqa on Monday 3 July. One assisted Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) who had come under attack from a heavy machine-gun on the top floor of a building. A Hellfire missile through the building's roof silenced the terrorist fire. The second Reaper used two Hellfires in a successful attack on a Daesh headquarters for foreign fighters. A mixed Tornado and Typhoon pair were also active over the city. The SDF, advancing into the centre of Raqqa, encountered a strongly defended building. Our aircraft demolished it with a single Paveway IV guided bomb. Two flights of Tornados operated over northern Iraq the same day. One flight used three Paveway IVs to destroy a group of three workshops producing truck-bombs near Hawijah. The second flight supported Iraqi troops in the Old City of Mosul, and conducted strikes with Paveways and Brimstone missiles on seven Daesh positions, including six machine-gun teams.

Typhoons continued to support the Iraqi troops in west Mosul on Wednesday 5 July. Exceptionally careful coordination was needed given the very short distances between the Iraqi forces and the Daesh positions, but the two Typhoons were able to destroy seven strongpoints, including two with medium machine-guns, each struck by a Paveway IV. Tornados kept watch over the latest SDF advances in Raqqa, and used a Paveway IV to deal with a sniper team.

UK contribution to the fight against Daesh



Map of UK forces committed to Operation Shader

Campaign against Daesh



Map of Daesh losses and gains in Iraq and Syria since September 2014

Previous update

Friday 2 June: A mixed Tornado and Typhoon pair used a Brimstone to destroy an armoured truck moving along a main road on the outskirts of Raqqa. Two other flights operated over Mosul, where attacks were delivered in very close support to the Iraqi forces, hitting eight Daesh positions with a mix of Brimstones and Paveway IVs. The targets included three machine-gun teams and three groups of terrorists armed with rocket-propelled grenades. In addition, a truck-bomb, concealed close to one of the positions, was also fortuitously detonated by one of the attacks.

Saturday 3 June: A Reaper, operating south of Al Qaim in western Iraq, observed a group of dismounted terrorists, with an armed truck close by. One Hellfire missile killed several of the terrorists, a second destroyed the vehicle with a direct hit. West of Kirkuk, a pair of Tornados used a Paveway IV to destroy a Daesh strongpoint, whilst two mixed pairs of Tornados and Typhoons delivered five attacks in Mosul with four Brimstones and a Paveway against a truck-bomb, three sniper teams and a group with rocket-propelled grenades.

Sunday 4 June: A further mixed pair conducted three further attacks in Mosul, using a Brimstone to deal with a sniper, and two Paveway IVs against a pair of Daesh-held buildings from which fire was being directed at Iraqi troops.

Monday 5 June: Two Typhoons, supporting Syrian Democratic Forces close to Raqqa, used a Paveway IV to strike a Daesh-held building in the east of the city itself. Tornados meanwhile continued operations over Mosul, and employed a pair of Brimstone missiles to deliver pinpoint attacks on two firing positions located in a large multi-storey building, where the terrorists had stationed a recoilless anti-tank gun and a machine-gun.

Wednesday 7 June: A Reaper remotely piloted aircraft flew an armed reconnaissance patrol over northern Raqqa. It observed two extremists burying booby-traps along routes into the city. Hellfire missiles were deployed, killing both. Some 45 miles south-west of Raqqa, a mixed pair of Tornado and Typhoon fast jets used a Brimstone missile to hit one Daesh-held building. A Paveway IV guided bomb left a second target on fire.

Friday 9 June: Tornados struck a Daesh position in eastern Raqqa.

Saturday 10 June: A Reaper intervened in a fire fight in western Raqqa between the SDF and a group of Daesh fighters. The Reaper hit the latter with a very effective Hellfire attack. The same day, Paveway-armed Typhoons struck two entrances to a network of tunnels built beneath a factory in the north-east of the city.

Sunday 11 June: A Tornado flight patrolled the Mosul area and conducted two attacks. During the first, a Paveway IV was used against a mortar position some 20 miles west of the city. A Brimstone was then used against a Daesh firing point in western Mosul, close to the riverbank. A second Tornado flight, and two pairs of Typhoons, operated the same day over Raqqa. Paveway IVs accounted for four sniper positions and a Daesh-held building, while a simultaneous attack with two Brimstones eliminated two firing points in a building on the western edge of the city.

Monday 12 June: Royal Air Force Tornados patrolled over west Mosul. Despite Iraqi forces being exceptionally close to a target, a Tornado was able to use a single Paveway IV guided bomb to destroy a Daesh strong-point. Our aircraft then headed south to an area in the countryside near the small town of Karwi. A truck-bomb workshop had been identified in an isolated building, with three of its deadly products parked some distance away. The three truck-bombs were dealt with first. An attack with a pair of Brimstone missiles scored direct hits on two of the vehicles, and the secondary explosions from one of these then set off the third truck-bomb. A Paveway IV was then used to demolish the workshop.

Wednesday 14 June: A mixed pair of a Tornado and a Typhoon provided further assistance to the Iraqi forces in west Mosul, striking two terrorist-held buildings with Paveway IVs. Before returning to base at RAF Akrotiri, the aircraft struck a third Daesh building, some 24 miles west of Kirkuk.

Thursday 15 June: Reaper remotely piloted aircraft conducted armed reconnaissance in eastern Syria, some 35 miles north-east of Dayr az Zawr, and used a Hellfire missile to destroy a terrorist truck. Two Typhoons also struck three Daesh positions in Raqqa in support of the offensive by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). Elsewhere, two mixed pairs of Tornados and Typhoons operated over northern Iraq. A Daesh mortar was engaged east of Tal Afar, while six positions in Mosul, including machine-gun and sniper teams, were struck using a mixture of Paveway IVs and Brimstones.

Friday 16 June: Typhoons were again in action over Raqqa, when they bombed two further Daesh positions. Typhoons and Tornados, flying as mixed pairs, employed one Brimstone missile and four Paveway IVs to eliminate two machine-gun teams and three other Daesh strongpoints.

Saturday 17 June: Tornados and Typhoons suppressed a Daesh position in Raqqa, and struck six more positions in Mosul, again using a Brimstone and Paveway IV mix to deal with snipers and a machine-gun team.

Sunday 18 June: A Reaper patrolled over Raqqa. Its crew successfully spotted a Daesh mortar team and provided targeting assistance to a coalition air strike against them. The Reaper's crew then used Hellfire missiles to destroy a car-bomb and a second mortar team who were spotted in the act of firing at the SDF. The same day, Tornados and Typhoons were very active over Mosul. A Brimstone was used to target a group of terrorists engaged in a close-quarters firefight with Iraqi troops, while Paveways accounted for nine more targets, including two machine-gun teams, multiple snipers, and extremists armed with rocket-propelled grenades.

Monday 19 June: Flights of Royal Air Force Tornados and Typhoons operated over northern Iraq in support of the Iraqi security forces. Our aircraft conducted attacks in Mosul with Paveway IV guided bombs against six Daesh positions which the Iraqi forces had encountered, including a group of snipers and four machine-gun teams. Thirty miles west of Kirkuk, a Daesh weapons stockpile was also destroyed by a Paveway IV.

Wednesday 21 June: A pair of Typhoons assisted Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in Raqqa. Two buildings held by extremist fighters were hit with Paveway IVs. In Mosul, a Tornado flight used a Brimstone missile to destroy safely a car-bomb spotted by the Iraqi ground forces. The Tornado flight then used a Paveway IV to eliminate a medium machine-gun team. A mixed Tornado and Typhoon pair were also active that day over the city. A Brimstone attack was directed at a mortar position, while Paveways were used against three Daesh strongpoints, including two housing machine-guns.

Thursday 22 June: Tornados and Typhoons conducted attacks with Paveway IVs against six Daesh targets in western Mosul, with some strikes being called in by Iraqi forces positioned extremely close to the terrorist locations. Four machine-gun teams were amongst the threats successfully dealt with by our aircraft. The next day, a mixed Tornado and Typhoon pair used two Paveway IVs to target successfully a large group of Daesh fighters operating with a truck-bomb and an armoured personnel carrier in Raqqa, while in Mosul a Tornado flight conducted three precision attacks with Brimstone missiles on sniper positions.

Saturday 24 June: In similar fashion, a pair of Paveway IV-armed Tornados eliminated a terrorist sniper team in Raqqa.

Sunday 25 June: Operations against groups of Daesh extremists outside of Raqqa and Mosul have also been maintained. Tornados attacked a headquarters and mortar position in eastern Syria, some 55 miles north-east of Dayr az Zawr.

Monday 26 June: Careful intelligence analysis allowed a building on the outskirts of Al Mayadin, in eastern Syria, to be identified as a truck-bomb workshop. A flight of Royal Air Force Tornados struck the target, scoring a direct hit with a Paveway IV guided bomb which left the building ablaze. Two mixed pairs of Tornados and Typhoons, supported by a Voyager air refuelling tanker, meanwhile provided close air support to the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) pushing into Raqqa and to the Iraqi troops clearing remaining Daesh positions in west Mosul. A Brimstone missile accounted for a sniper team in Raqqa, and a Paveway similarly dealt with snipers in Mosul.

Tuesday 27 June: Our aircraft conducted invaluable reconnaissance operations during.

Wednesday 28 June: Two Tornado flights operated over Raqqa. At the north-western end of the city, at least one suicide bomber was known to be waiting inside a Daesh-held building, waiting for an opportunity to attack the SDF as they closed in. The building and the terrorists inside were struck with a Paveway IV. A second such weapon demolished a building in the east, from where heavy fire had been directed at the SDF. This successful strike allowed the SDF to resume their advance.

Thursday 29 June: A flight of Typhoons used a Paveway IV to silence a sniper team which had been firing on the SDF in eastern Raqqa. The same day, a pair of Tornados conducted a simultaneous Paveway attack on a group of three buildings, all occupied by Daesh extremists, in the south-east of the city. Another Tornado pair meanwhile supported Iraqi troops clearing remaining Daesh positions in the Old City in west Mosul. Our aircraft used Paveway IVs to deliver two successful attacks on strongpoints, using great precision with their munitions, given the extreme proximity of the Iraqi troops to the Daesh firing points.

Friday 30 June: Royal Air Force Tornados and Typhoons provided close air support to Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) pushing into Raqqa. The Typhoons worked closely with a coalition surveillance aircraft which had spotted a large truck-bomb. A direct hit from a Paveway IV removed the threat. A Tornado pair meanwhile bombed a Daesh-held building in the south-east of the city.

Saturday 1 July: A Reaper remotely piloted aircraft patrolled over Raqqa. A mortar was reported firing on the SDF, and the Reaper's crew spotted its muzzle flashes from a position concealed beneath a tree. A Hellfire missile destroyed the target. Typhoons were also active over the city, where they used a Paveway IV to silence a heavy machine-gun which was holding up an SDF advance. In northern Iraq, two Tornados assisted the Iraqi troops clearing remaining pockets of Daesh resistance in west Mosul. Paveway IVs were used to destroy two strongpoints from which the Daesh fighters were directing fire. The Tornados then responded to reports of a heavy machine-gun team and a group of suicide bombers preparing to attack the Iraqis  a third position was duly destroyed with a Paveway IV.

Sunday 2 July: Mixed pairs of Tornados and Typhoons operated over both Mosul and Raqqa. In Mosul, the Iraqi ground forces encountered three groups of snipers  all three positions, plus another Daesh-held building, were successfully struck with Paveways. In similar fashion, Paveway IVs were used against two terrorist firing points in Raqqa.

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INTERVIEW: 'Disarmament matters' in times of crisis, stresses new High Representative

6 July 2017  Izumi Nakamitsu has taken the helm of United Nations disarmament affairs at a time when needs are greatest for the world to invest in conflict prevention.

Some argue that disarmament is not the right issue to negotiate when the international security environment is deteriorating.

"We counter that argument," Ms. Nakamitsu, the newly appointed High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, told UN News, stressing that "disarmament matters" even more so in times of high tensions over security issues.

"Disarmament is all about preventing major catastrophes in times of conflict," she said. "It helps decrease tensions, create space for dialogue and build trust and confidence."

Her appointment also came at a critical phase of nuclear disarmament. UN Member States are negotiating a treaty on the prohibition of nuclear weapons, with the talks scheduled to conclude on 7 July.

To date, however, a number of countries are staying out of the negotiations, including the United States, Russia and other nuclear-weapon States, as well as many of their allies, including Japan. The Democratic People's Republic of Korea has not joined the talks either.

"Hopefully a treaty will be something they will be able to join eventually," she said, stressing that "the door must be open to all States and this inclusiveness will have to be built into the treaty."

Ms. Nakamitsu also spoke about the ongoing stalemate in the Geneva-based Conference on Disarmament, her goals for her first 100 days in office, and advice for women aspiring to senior UN leadership positions.

UN News: The Secretary-General has made conflict prevention one of his top priorities. How does the disarmament agenda fit into this picture?

Izumi Nakamitsu:: Disarmament is all about preventing major catastrophes in times of conflict. Everything we do in disarmament negotiations and discussions needs to fuse into the prevention agenda. What we are doing has an enormous preventive effect. Disarmament is also part of a political solution to the conflict. It helps decrease tensions, create space for dialogue and build trust and confidence. We counter the argument that when the international security environment is deteriorating or tensions are increasing, disarmament is not the right issue to be put on the table. Rather, because the security environment is difficult, we have to talk about disarmament. It has preventive and trust-building effects. It has to be part of a political solution to any dispute or conflict.

UN News: Disarmament is a politically charged subject. How do you intend to deal with this issue?

Izumi Nakamitsu:: Yes, it is politically sensitive and challenging. But the kind of work we do at the United Nations is always very challenging and politically sensitive. So the role we are expected to play is to build bridges between different political positions of Member States, give sound advice at the technical and substantive level, and make sure that Member States negotiating those very politically charged issues will be able to find their own solutions and find common ground. Political difficulty is just part of our job. And if I could add, that's why it is an exciting type of work.

UN News: The United Nations Conference to Negotiate a Legally Binding Instrument to Prohibit Nuclear Weapons is under way. What is the expected outcome? Nuclear-weapon States, many of their allies and States such as the Democratic People's Republic of Korea are missing from the negotiations. Does the absence of these States in the talks undercut the outcome?

Izumi Nakamitsu: Through a resolution, the General Assembly mandated Member States to negotiate a treaty. It is ongoing, so I can't really say what kind of treaty it is going to be. Member States are working very hard to conclude the negotiations by the 7 July deadline. It is true that a number of countries decided to stay out of the negotiations. Because which negotiations they will participate in or not is a decision made by those individual Member States, there is nothing we can say about it. But as the Secretariat, we've been advising Member States that are part of the negotiations that if they want to have the objectives of nuclear disarmament, then a treaty will have to be something that will become inclusive in the future.

Nuclear-weapon States and some of their allies are not able to join the negotiations at the moment, but hopefully a treaty will be something they will be able to join eventually. The door must be open to all States. This inclusiveness will have to be built into the treaty. I hope concerns expressed by non-participants will be taken into account by those negotiating the treaty.

UN News: The Geneva-based Conference on Disarmament (CD) has not produced any concrete results since 1996. How can you help break this deadlock?

Izumi Nakamitsu:: The Conference on Disarmament has been in stalemate for the past 20-plus years. I was in Geneva recently. I sensed that the frustration of not having produced any substantial results is shared by many Member States that are part of the body. As a result of this shared feeling that something has to happen, there is now a working group on the way ahead. Member States are beginning to engage in a process of putting their heads together and find an option on how to move forward. I advise all Member States involved to think outside the box and to be creative and innovative to find common ground. They still consider the CD to be an important instrument. I will definitely support the efforts of Member States.

UN News: Disarmament is more than just nuclear disarmament. Can you briefly explain other aspects of work undertaken by the UN Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA)?

Izumi Nakamitsu:: Nuclear disarmament remains important, with the nuclear weapons prohibition treaty being negotiated at the moment and the preparatory process having started for the 2020 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). We are in a critical phase of the overall nuclear disarmament issue.

But we also have a very acute, priority agenda in the area of chemical weapons. Chemical weapons use in Syria is one of the priority agendas not just for my office but also the Security Council and the international community. We have a very strong comprehensive Chemical Weapons Convention, but the taboo against chemical weapons use is unfortunately being undermined. We have to make sure that this norm is restored so that no chemical weapons use is allowed, and if it is violated, we have to bring perpetrators to accountability. We also have the Biological Weapons Convention and a number of different disarmament treaties. We need to make sure that proper implementation and well-functioning of these instruments continue. We have some financial issues with some of these, to which financial health must be brought back.

Conventional arms and light weapons is the area where we can demonstrate much more in terms of real impacts on the ground. The vast majority of the victims today get killed by conventional weapons, especially small arms and light weapons. This must be definitely highlighted as it has a direct link to what the UN does in its peace operations, etc. We work with governments to assist their capacity-building in these areas, including ways to improve the safety and security of ammunition stockpiles in order to avoid accidental explosions and diversion of ammunition.

The area I'm very interested in, and the Secretary-General is keen on, is what he calls 'frontier issues.' Those include cybersecurity and artificial intelligence. Cyberattacks have become a regular occurrence. We need to make sure that these new issues, closely related to rapid technological and scientific development, will become a top priority of Member States. They are now addressing these concerns at the expert level but our work must also be accelerated and intensified in this area.

So disarmament has many dimensions. I hope, through some of our efforts in disarmament education, the public, especially younger people, will have a comprehensive understanding of what constitutes the disarmament agenda, which is very complicated and multifaceted.

UN News: You started your current position in May. What would you like to accomplish in your first 100 days and during your term?

Izumi Nakamitsu:: I'm new to disarmament. So for the first 100 days, my ambition is to fully understand the disarmament file, a hugely complicated area with a lot of technical details. I already began to understand the political side of the issue, but within 100 days I would like to understand those technical details and have a better knowledge of all areas of disarmament. During my tenure? Well, I'm sort of a humble person. I don't have catchy words to characterize my ambitions for the medium or longer term. But there are a couple of things. The international security environment is very difficult at the moment, but I would definitely like to achieve a political understanding among most of the Member States of the UN  that because it is difficult, disarmament matters.

And the second is sort of a creation of the political will at the level of the Member States. I would very much like to have some sort of a vision of the international community for disarmament in the 21st century. There are new issues like cyber (security), artificial intelligence, etc. Disarmament is actually one of the oldest mandates of the United Nations  it goes back to the founding of the United Nations. We have a unique place in the UN. But I think it will also be really good if we can bring disarmament into the 21st century, and understand the new issues that the international community has to grapple with and the priority and sequence of the issues that we have to put our heads together to create a safer and more secure world. That is what disarmament is all about  it is about making the world a safer, more secure place.

UN News: The Secretary-General is committed to achieving gender parity in senior management appointments. What is the significance of a woman leading UN disarmament affairs?

Izumi Nakamitsu:: I'm the second female to head the UN disarmament office. I never actually thought about it. At the professional level, I don't think it makes much difference if you are a man or woman leading an office in any field. The important thing is that whoever is most qualified, men or women, should be doing the job. That's what the message should be.

UN News: Can you speak a bit about the strengths women can bring to disarmament?

Izumi Nakamitsu:: I don't usually generalize things. I have worked in the field and met female snipers. You cannot necessarily say women are peace-loving. But women's soft-spoken style or gentle approach may make a difference when tensions are high. I have always been able to speak to the most difficult people in those situations. I think it was partly because I am a woman. I showed up at negotiations at the country or local levels or at checkpoints; commanders were not expecting that a woman would show up to negotiate with them. The area of peace and security, including disarmament, tends to be still a bit dominated by men, as many people used to come with military backgrounds. But it's changing. What we do at the UN is political work. So if you are interested in peace and security, and a woman, the door is wide open for you.

UN News: Do you have any advice for women aspiring to senior UN leadership positions?

Izumi Nakamitsu:: Work hard. If you are working hard and doing a good job, have a trust in the system that there are always people who are watching you and appreciating your work. Think about how to excel in your job.

UN News: How does your previous experience in the Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO), the UN Development Programme (UNDP), the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and other parts of the UN system help you in your current post?

Izumi Nakamitsu:: Many different ways. I'm happy to have done all these different areas of work. Definitely for one thing, the network of people I have across the UN system is useful. Everywhere I go, I usually know people. That helps because if I need to do something or move a difficult file, I can always call up different people and ask them to give me advice. But more substantively, because of my years of experience in different fields, I really understand the close linkages between conflict, peace and security, humanitarian affairs and development, and how we need to look at these things more comprehensively to find a solution. One often-talked-about weakness within and beyond the UN system is working in silos.

UN News: Being a national of Japan, the only country to have suffered nuclear attacks, is there anything you can do to advance the disarmament agenda?

Izumi Nakamitsu:: Hibakusha, survivors of nuclear bombs, have been courageously sharing their stories and experiences. That has really moved a number of very influential actors in the international peace movement and across civil society around the world. They have not just kept nuclear disarmament discussions alive, but created additional momentum. Whenever I talk about nuclear disarmament, I always try to refer to their heroic and tireless efforts. I can be a messenger who spreads their words around the world through my work at the UN as well as convey voices I pick up from the international community back to Japan.

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In Warsaw Speech, Trump Vows to Fight Terrorism, Back NATO Allies

By Henry Ridgwell July 06, 2017

In his first major public speech in Europe, U.S. President Donald Trump has warned that the values of the West are under attack and questioned whether its people have the will to fight for it.

Speaking in Warsaw, Poland, the president said "The fundamental question of our time is whether the West has the will to survive. Do we have the confidence in our values to defend them at any cost? Do we have enough respect for our citizens to protect our borders?"

"While we will always welcome new citizens who share our values and love our people, our borders will always be closed to terrorism and extremism of any kind," he added to applause from the 5,000-strong crowd.

Many Poles are supportive of President Trump's proposed ban on immigration from some Muslim countries, and are fiercely opposed to accepting quotas of refugees from Europe.

The president said he had called on Muslim nations to drive out the menace of terrorism.

"We must stand united against these shared enemies to strip them of their territory and their funding, and their networks, and any form of ideological support that they may have."

Throughout his speech the passionate crowd  many of whom had reportedly been bussed in from across Poland - repeatedly chanted "Donald Trump" and "USA".

Small groups of protestors, many of whom demonstrated against President Trump's withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement, were kept well away from the speech in Warsaw's Krasninski Square.

Speaking in front of a monument to the 1944 Warsaw Uprising, Trump lavished praise on his Polish hosts and hailed their fight for freedom from Nazi and Communist rule.

"Those heroes remind us that the West was saved with the blood of patriots; that each generation must rise up and play their part in its defense," he told the cheering crowd.

Trump praised Warsaw for meeting its NATO defense spending target of 2 percent of GDP  and said U..S pressure on NATO allies was yielding results.

"As a result of this insistence, billions of dollars more have begun to pour into NATO the United States has demonstrated not merely with words but with its actions that we stand firmly behind Article 5, the mutual defense commitment," he said.

That confirmation comes as Poland and many other NATO countries are shaken by Russia's actions in Ukraine.

Trump is due to hold his first face-to-face meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the G20 summit in the German city of Hamburg, which starts Friday.

The warm welcome in Poland was a boost for Trump ahead of that summit, says Marek Matraszek, Chairman of lobbyist firm CEC Government Relations.

"It will show voters in the United States and it will show Brussels, that actually it's probably not wise to think that one can garner up a coalition of resistance to Trump as some would like to see; that there are countries in central Europe that actually really don't want to see that and actually do want to see the United States working with Europe militarily and economically," Matraszek told VOA in an interview.

News conference

At a news conference earlier with his Polish counterpart, Trump said he believes Russia may have tried to interfere in the 2016 US election, but said others may have been involved.

He also pledged to end Poland's dependence on Russian gas and to boost LNG shipments from the United States.

President Trump warned he would take unspecified action against North Korea after its recent missile test  which Pyongyang claims proves it has the technology to make intercontinental ballistic weapons.

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ICC: South Africa Failed Obligations by Not Arresting Sudan's Bashir

By Anita Powell July 06, 2017

Judges at the International Criminal Court have ruled that South Africa failed in its obligations to the war crimes court by failing to arrest Sudan's wanted president when he visited the nation for a summit of African leaders in 2015. The ruling comes as South African officials dig in their heels in their decision to withdraw from the court after the controversial incident.

Two years after Omar al-Bashir's whirlwind visit to South Africa, judges at the International Criminal Court unanimously ruled the nation's officials erred by failing to arrest Sudan's president on an international war crimes warrant.

The court issued a warrant in 2009 for the Sudanese leader on charges of genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity for his involvement the long-running conflict in Darfur, where the United Nations estimates 300,000 people have been killed and more than two million have been displaced.

On Thursday, Judge Cuno Tarfusser said the three judges had unanimously agreed on the ruling.

"By not arresting Omar al-Bashir while he was on its territory between 13 and 15 June, 2015, South Africa failed to comply with the court's request for the arrest and surrender of Omar al-Bashir, contrary to the provisions of the statute, thereby preventing the court from exercising its functions and powers under the statute in connection with the criminal proceedings instituted against Omar al-Bashir," said Tarfusser.

But the panel said they would not refer the matter to a higher authority at the United Nations.

Southern Africa Litigation Center executive director Kaajal Ramjathan-Keogh told VOA her legal advocacy group welcomes the ruling, including the decision not to refer the case to the Assembly of States Parties, or members, of the court.

"A referral to the ASP or the U.N. Security Council would practically have not been of much effect in any case If we look at the referrals of other similar countries in similar situations: Uganda, Djibouti Kenya, the DRC," said Ramjathan-Keogh. "They were all either referred to the ASP or the United Nations Security Council, or to both bodies, who have taken no action on them. So I imagine South Africa would have been in precisely the same boat. They would have been referred, they would have been very upset about it and there would have been no follow-through from either of those bodies."

South Africa announced its intent to leave the court in 2015, after the public disagreement with the court over the Bashir incident. The ruling African National Congress party said last week that it remains committed to leaving the court.

Other African nations and the African Union have frequently accused the court of targeting Africans. The court disputes this charge and notes it is investigating situations in a number of countries, but has yet to try a case from a non-African nation.

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US Bombers Buzz South China Sea as Trump and Xi Prepare For G20 Meeting

Sputnik News

22:20 07.07.2017(updated 22:23 07.07.2017)

oAs the presidents of the US and China participate in the Group of 20 Summit in Hamburg, the two nations continue to rattle their sabers in the disputed South China Sea. The latest muscle-flexing came from the United States Air Force, which flew a pair of B-1B Lancers over the contested waters Friday.

This is "the first time US Pacific Command-directed B-1B Lancers have conducted combined training with JASDF [Japanese Air Force] fighters at night," according to a statement issued by the US Pacific Air Forces Public Affairs office. After the bilateral exercises, "the B-1Bs proceeded to the South China Sea before returning to Andersen Air Force Base."

The mission "demonstrates how the US will continue to exercise the rights of freedom of navigation anywhere international law allows," the US statement read. The United States has formally remained neutral in the South China Sea dispute, but the American leadership has protested Chinese activities such as building artificial islands to house military facilities in the economically-significant sea region. They have used naval power in the past to enforce "freedom of navigation" through the South China Sea.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told Reuters that while the American bombers were not violating any laws, it was distasteful to China that countries like the United States would use "the banner of freedom of navigation and overflight to flaunt military force and harm China's sovereignty and security."

Also speaking to Reuters, China's Defense Ministry said that the Chinese military "effectively monitors relevant countries' military activities next to China. The Chinese military will resolutely safeguard national sovereignty and security as well as regional peace and stability."

This is the latest in a continued military build-up in the South China Sea foreshadowing next week's Malabar trilateral naval exercises between India, Japan and the US. China, which reads the exercises as a tacit threat against their claims in the sea, has deployed a small fleet of 14 vessels to patrol the waters in response to the upcoming exercises.

US President Donald Trump is expected to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Hamburg and discuss North Korea  specifically, that country's recent claim that they have successfully tested an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) for the first time. Some experts believe that the alleged ICBM could reach American territory such as Hawaii, Guam, Alaska and even Washington state.

The relationship between the United States and China has been as precarious as ever since Trump took office in January. Trump, whose frequently denigrated China as a currency manipulator and job thief during his presidential campaign, pivoted and attempted to establish better ties with Beijing when North Korea emerged as perhaps the largest foreign policy challenge facing the US.

China is North Korea's primary trade partner and Beijing holds considerable sway over the rogue state's leadership, but despite all efforts so far, Pyongyang has not abated their missile program. Trump recently declared that his attempts to disarm North Korea through Chinese economic pressure a failure.

"While I greatly appreciate the efforts of President Xi & China to help with North Korea, it has not worked out. At least I know China tried!" he tweeted on June 20. "Trade between China and North Korea grew almost 40% in the first quarter. So much for China working with us  but we had to give it a try!" he added on July 5.

Since then, the US relationship with China has flagged once more, with the Americans expressing their displeasure through implicit objections against Chinese territorial claims in the South China Sea. Smaller nations such as Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam all also claim at least part of the sea as their territory.

 Sputnik

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Vietnam Goads India to Counter China in South China Sea

Sputnik News

21:22 07.07.2017(updated 21:23 07.07.2017)

Amid an atmosphere of heightened border tension between India and China, Vietnam has renewed a license for Indian state-owned company ONGC Videsh to explore oil blocks in the South China Sea for the next two years.

New Delhi (Sputnik)  India has consistently taken the strategic road on oil exploration in the South China Sea, as ONGC Videsh expressed unwillingness due to the project's commercial unviability. The oil block exploration areas are in a maritime region that China claims as its own.

China has reiterated that it opposes any exploration activities in the region. "China resolutely upholds its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea, firmly opposes unilateral and illegal oil and gas activities by any country, enterprise or institution in the waters under China's jurisdiction. We hope the relevant country can bear the larger picture of regional peace and stability in mind and refrain from actions that will complicate the situation," Geng Shuang, China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson, said in response to a question about the renewal of ONGC Videsh's exploration rights.

Earlier, Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh said India was welcome to play a bigger role in Southeast Asia. "ASEAN supports India to play a greater role in the political and security domain, and create a regional rule-based region. We hope India will continue to partner our efforts for strategic security and freedom of navigation in the South China Sea on the basis of international law and legal convention," Minh said.

Of late, India has become a major defense supplier to Hanoi, which is seen as part of a process to create a formidable alliance against China in the region. Last year, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a $500 million special loan to Vietnam to buy defense equipment, on top of $100 million given previously to help it buy patrol boats.

 Sputnik

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Notorious Russian Hacker With Links To FSB Scandal Sentenced To Prison

Mike Eckel July 06, 2017

A notorious Russian hacker whose exploits and later arrest gave glimpses into the intersection of computer crime and Russian law enforcement has been sentenced to two years in prison.

The Moscow City Court issued its ruling July 6 against Vladimir Anikeyev in a decision made behind closed doors, one indication of the sensitivity of his case.

Anikeyev was head of a group of hackers known as Humpty Dumpty, or Shaltai Boltai in Russian. The group was accused of intruding into e-mail accounts and computer servers of Russian government officials, including the spokeswoman for Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev.

He was detained in November 2016, but his arrest only became public in January, along with the arrest of two officers with the cybercrime division for the Federal Security Agency (FSB).

Russia news reports said Anikeyev, who had been living in Ukraine, was detained at a Moscow airport after being lured back to Russia with an offer of payment for an unspecified hacking operation.

The two FSB officers -- Sergei Mikhailov and Dmitry Dokuchayev -- were charged with high treason, accused of passing classified information to U.S. intelligence. Mikhailov was reportedly arrested during a meeting of FSB officers in Moscow in December, taken from the room with a bag over his head.

The unit that the two worked in, the Center for Information Security, was the lead FSB division overseeing cybercrime and routinely cooperated with U.S. law enforcement to investigate and prosecute hackers and others.

At least three other people, including a former employee of the Moscow-based cyberresearch firm, Kaspersky Lab, have also been charged in the case.

The senior officer who headed the unit, Andrei Gerasimov, was reportedly pushed into early retirement, according to the Kommersant newspaper.

Another former member of the Shaltai Boltai group, Aleksandr Glazastikov, fled to Estonia. In an interview with Estonia's public broadcaster published in February, and another published later in The Financial Times, he asserted that the group's hacking activities had allegedly been overseen by the FSB cyberunit.

In March, U.S. prosecutors unsealed indictments against Dokuchayev and another officer in the FSB cyberunit for their alleged role in hacking Internet giant Yahoo and stealing information to 500 million user accounts in 2014.

Two other Russian-linked hackers were also charged in that announcement, including Aleksei Belan, whom the U.S. had been linked to the intrusions on the U.S. Democratic Party computers in early 2016.

The indictment also listed an unnamed FSB officer as being involved in the hack as well. Computer experts who have monitoring Russian hacking for years says that officer is believed to be Mikhailov.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/moscow-court sentences-prominent-hacker-to-jail/28600099.html

Copyright (c) 2017. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Steeped in Martyrdom, Cubs of the Caliphate Groomed as Jihadist Legacy

By Jamie Dettmer July 06, 2017

They are known as the cubs of the caliphate, youngsters enlisted by the Islamic State, which views them as "the generation that will conquer Baghdad, Jerusalem, Mecca and Rome."

The West and the Middle East communities from which they have been recruited see them as a grim threat, the deadly legacy of a murderous caliphate on the brink of military defeat.

As the terror group's territory shrinks in the face of offensives on IS strongholds in Syria and Iraq, the militants have highlighted in a series of chilling videos in recent months what they hope will be in store for their enemies. The militants are counting on the revenge of the lion cubs, the child soldiers they have been enlisting in northern and eastern Syria and western Iraq, and grooming determinedly since Islamic State's leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi proclaimed himself the emir of all Muslims in June 2014.

Steeped in a culture of martyrdom, the threat posed by the cubs  both to themselves, as well as others  is worrying de-radicalization experts, who fear Western governments are not giving enough thought about what to do with them.

Western governments are the most likely to come up with the resources, analysts say, needed to rehabilitate IS's cubs. There is little in the works, though, being planned to shape or establish rehabilitation programs, according to rights groups and charities working to reintegrate child soldiers in other conflict zones.

Rehabilitating 'cubs'

They say that when they raise the issue of the cubs, they are battling a prevalent attitude among Western officials that these child soldiers are different from those in other conflicts and maybe beyond rehabilitation.

"It would be a terrible mistake to think that because someone was a cub for a year or two, they are lost forever - they can be saved and rehabilitated," says Mia Bloom, a Canadian academic, who is co-authoring a book on jihadist child soldiers.

"Not only have Western governments not started to calculate what would be involved in a successful rehabilitation program, they don't even want to consider that the four-year-old is not culpable," she argued. Of the cubs who are the sons and daughters of foreign fighters, Western governments often are trying to slam the door on them. "In many cases they have canceled the passports, revoked citizenship," said Bloom.

"What we are seeing with many of the Western governments is a complete rejection of the children because they fear they could be potentially members of sleeper cells or time-bombs waiting to explode," she said.

Bloom worries that will be a self-fulfilling prophesy, if programs aren't established quickly to start the long and expensive process to reintegrate them, which she insists is possible.

Experts point to the successes achieved by clinical psychologist Feriha Peracha, who has been overseeing a project partly funded by the Pakistani Army to de-radicalize and rehabilitate young Pakistani militants recruited by the Taliban.

When Peracha first got involved in rehabilitation efforts in Pakistan's Swat Valley in 2009, she was terrified, fearing initially the radicalized youngsters could kill her at any moment. But she quickly began to sympathize with the boys, aged between eight and 16, who she saw were brainwashed, had been taught by rote the Koran in Arabic, and trained to be killers.

Deprogramming initiatives

Her deprogramming efforts have drawn wide praise since then.

"We have reintegrated 192 without any recidivism," said Peracha. She said the two most important aspects that have ensured success are maintaining "monitoring up to five years after reintegration, and ensuring alternative life opportunities and goals for the boys."

Peracha says it can take six months to four years to reintegrate a young militant depending on the factors that pushed them into militancy. Teenagers take longer than pre-teens. Each student costs approximately $200 to $350 per month.

In Syria and Iraq, the challenge is even greater. The Islamic State has enlisted thousands of youngsters, some as young as four years old, in northern Syria and Iraq, indoctrinating them ideologically, and training them as suicide bombers, spies and as executioners.

And there has been no let-up in the effort. In March, the militants' weekly online magazine, Al-Naba' highlighted IS's determination to continue to groom youngsters even in the face of battlefield losses.

If anything, there seems to be a greater urgency in the militants' recruitment efforts. The high casualties IS has sustained partly explains the continued enlistment of kids.

In a video released last year by IS of the training of recruited pre-teens and teenagers in in Syria's Al-Khayr province, the narrator concludes ominously, "Even if we are all eradicated and no one survives, these cubs will carry the banner of jihad and will complete the journey."

Many cubs will survive the offensives currently underway against the terror group - 2,000 suspected cubs currently are in detention in Iraq. Rachel Taylor of Child Soldiers International, a nonprofit based in London, says throwing cubs into detention centers isn't an answer.

Exploited children

Taylor says that doesn't mean refraining from punishing those who are guilty of war crimes, but not all of them should be treated as terrorists. "We need to recognize that they are children who have been exploited. Stigmatizing them can be as psychologically damaging, if not more so, than the trauma they underwent as child soldiers," she added.

"They need education, jobs and a role; you have to offer them stable, productive alternatives to violence, otherwise you will add another cycle of violence," she warned.

Taylor disputes the idea that somehow the cubs of the caliphate are different from child soldiers in the Congo or Colombia. When it comes to recruitment, the drivers are the same, she argues. "The ideology is secondary - the drivers are lack of security, desire for revenge, desire for a role, the need to find food, shelter and support and to seek material benefits," she said. The role of parents in recruitment is often crucial, she notes.

That certainly seems the case in Syria and Iraq. According to several studies, and from anecdotal information gathered by VOA from refugees since 2014, youngsters who joined IS were often coerced to do so in different ways, ranging from being cajoled by parents, to kidnappings from orphanages. Some parents were eager for at least one of their children to enlist because of the monthly payments IS paid the families of cubs; but others did so because they agreed with the terror group's ideology.

The role of families in the recruitment complicates rehabilitation. The standard practice for reintegrating child soldiers is to reunite them with their families as quickly as possible; there are dangers, though, if the parents were complicit in the recruitment. One answer would be to require whole families to go through a rehabilitation program.

"There is not a one-size-fit-all," cautioned the Canadian academic Bloom. "We are going to need programs that are suited to every level of involvement - from those like the girls, who witnessed violence, to boys who have shot someone or cut off someone's head or detonated an explosive device," she said.

Doing that while conflict rages will be impossible, de-radicalization experts say. Trying to do it even post-conflict will be a challenge, especially in wrecked communities, where families will be mourning the deaths of relatives amid an atmosphere of anger and grievance.

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Trump: Russia, Others May Have Meddled in US Election

By Ken Bredemeier July 06, 2017

President Donald Trump said Thursday that Russia might have meddled in last year's U.S. presidential election to help him win the White House, but that others also might have interfered.

"I think it was Russia and I think it could have been other people and other countries. Could have been a lot of people [who] interfered," Trump said at a news conference in Warsaw before heading to the G-20 summit of leaders of the world's biggest economies in Hamburg, Germany. "Nobody really knows. Nobody really knows for sure."

Trump's statement is at odds with the more definitive conclusion reached by the U.S. intelligence community that Russian President Vladimir Putin personally directed a campaign to discredit the quadrennial U.S. election and to damage the reputation of Trump's opponent, former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

The intelligence finding was reached in August, three months before the November election, leading Trump to again question why his predecessor, former President Barack Obama, "did nothing about it."

Trump said, "Why did he do nothing about it? He was told it was Russia by the CIA  as I understand it. It was well-reported. And he did nothing about it. They say he choked. Well, I don't think he choked  I think what happened is he thought Hillary Clinton was going to win the election and he said, 'Let's not do anything about it.' Had he thought the other way, he would have done something about it."

Trump justified his skepticism about the intelligence community's conclusion about the Russian interference in the U.S. election by citing its incorrect analysis that Iraqi strongman Saddam Hussein was stockpiling weapons of mass destruction before the 2003 U.S. invasion toppled him.

"I remember when I was sitting back, listening about Iraq  weapons of mass destruction," Trump recalled. "How everyone was 100 percent sure that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction. Guess what? That led to one big mess. They were wrong. And it led to a mess."

The U.S. intelligence community concluded that Russia last year planted fake election-related stories throughout social media outlets in the U.S. and most prominently hacked into the computer files of Clinton's campaign chief, John Podesta.

The file-sharing, anti-secrecy group WikiLeaks subsequently released thousands of Podesta's emails almost every day in the weeks just before the election detailing embarrassing, behind-the-scenes efforts by Democratic officials to help Clinton win the party's presidential nomination.

Clinton has said the release of the emails was one of the reasons she lost the election, which national surveys had shown she was likely to win.

In a Warsaw speech that followed his news conference, Trump accused Russia of engaging in "destabilizing behavior" in world affairs, a claim Moscow rejected.

Trump is set to meet Putin for the first time Friday on the sidelines of the G-20 summit for face-to-face talks, but it remains uncertain whether the Russian election meddling will be discussed.

In Washington, several Democrats in the Senate said it would be a "severe dereliction" of Trump's role as the American leader if he did not confront Putin about Moscow's election interference.

Representative Adam Schiff of California, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said that Trump, by equivocating on whether Russia interfered, "is not putting America first, but continuing to propagate his own personal fiction at the country's expense."

Numerous investigations of the Russian interference in the election are underway in the United States, including several in Congress.

Special counsel Robert Mueller is conducting a probe into whether Trump campaign aides illegally colluded with Russian officials to help Trump win and whether the president obstructed justice by firing the former head of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, James Comey, who was leading the Russia investigation before Mueller took over.

Trump said he was thinking of "this Russia thing" when he ousted Comey and has generally been dismissive of the investigations, saying that Democrats are using the Russian interference as an excuse for having lost the election.

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US agrees to sell Patriot missile defense systems to Poland: Ministry

Iran Press TV

Thu Jul 6, 2017 9:25AM

The United States has agreed to provide Poland with surface-to-air Patriot missile systems, as the eastern European country hosts US President Donald Trump ahead of a G20 summit of world leaders in Germany.

"A memorandum was signed tonight that the US government has agreed to sell Poland Patriot missiles in the most modern configuration," said Poland's Defense Minister Antoni Macierewicz during a press conference aired on the country's public television on Thursday morning.

"I am glad that I can pass on this information on the day of President Trump's visit to Warsaw," he added.

Back in May 2010, US Patriot missiles were deployed to Poland's northwestern town of Morag as part of international drills but were later moved farther away from the Russian border, to the towns of Torun and Ustka, reportedly due to Moscow's objections.

In March, Warsaw said that it expected to sign a deal worth up to $7.6 billion with Raytheon, a major US defense contractor and industrial corporation, to purchase eight Patriot missile systems by yearend.

The polish government views the deal as central to a comprehensive modernization of its armed forces by 2023. Two-thirds of Poland's military equipment still dates to the Soviet era. Its armed forces have also suffered from decades of under-investment.

The deal can also be perceived in line with NATO's military buildup in Eastern Europe against what it considers to be a "Russian threat."

Russia, which views the deployment of NATO forces near its borders as a provocation, has strongly denied any plans to invade Poland or the Baltic countries. It has repeatedly slammed NATO's military buildup near its borders, saying such a move poses a threat to both regional and international peace.

The news of the US-Poland Patriot agreement came a day after President Trump arrived in the Polish capital, Warsaw, where he is expected on Thursday to give a major speech.

According to the White House, Trump would in his speech lay out his vision for America's relations with Europe and NATO member states, and "and what that means for American security and American prosperity."

Meanwhile, the 12th summit of the Group of Twenty (G20) will be held on Friday and Saturday in the German city of Hamburg, where Trump is likely to meet with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin for the first time.

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Poland Signs Memorandum To Buy Patriot Missile Systems From U.S.

July 06, 2017

Polish Defense Minister Antoni Macierewicz says the United States has agreed to sell Patriot missile-defense systems to Warsaw.

Macierewicz said a memorandum on the deal was signed shortly after U.S. President Donald Trump arrived in Warsaw for a summit of Central and Eastern European leaders.

Macierewicz said the Patriot missile systems in the deal would be "in the most modern configuration."

"I am glad that I can pass on this information on the day of President's Trump visit to Warsaw," Macierewicz said.

In March, Poland said it expected to sign a $7.6 billion deal with U.S. firm Raytheon to buy eight Patriot missile-defense systems by the end of the year.

The Patriot missile system is designed to detect, target, and destroy incoming missiles.

The upgraded Patriot system can also destroy incoming aircraft and cruise missiles.

Based on reporting by Reuters and AP

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/poland-trump-united- states-patriot-missiles/28599127.html

Copyright (c) 2017. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Poland, US Sign Patriot Missile System Deal - Defense Ministry

Sputnik News

09:00 06.07.2017(updated 09:46 06.07.2017)

The Polish Defense Ministry and the United States signed an agreement on the delivery of US Patriot missile systems to Poland, Polish Defense Minister Antoni Macierewicz said Thursday.

WARSAW (Sputnik)  The signing took place during US President Donald Trump's visit to Warsaw.

Poland will receive Patriot missile systems from the United States by 2022, Polish Defense Minister Antoni Macierewicz said Thursday after announcing the signing of the deal.

"Deliveries will begin in 2022," Macierewicz said at a briefing.

The Patriot systems' "operation readiness" is set for 2023, according to the agreement.

The US president visited Poland on Wednesday kicking off his second foreign trip. He has already left the country and is currently in the German city of Hamburg, where world leaders are gathering for G20 summit, which will take place on Friday and Saturday.

Macierewicz specified that the systems would be equipped with advanced Integrated Air and Missile Defense Battle Command System (IBCS).

The intention to acquire Patriot systems was announced by Polish authorities in late March. The country is expected to receive eight batteries that will cost $7.5 billion.

Patriot is a long-range, all-altitude, air defense system capable of countering tactical ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and advanced aircraft.

 Sputnik

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Russia blocks UN condemnation of North Korea's missile launch

Iran Press TV

Thu Jul 6, 2017 6:8PM

Russian diplomats have objected to a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) condemnation of North Korea's recent missile launch, saying the US-drafted statement referred to it as an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).

Russia's UN mission said in an email to its Security Council colleagues on Thursday that Moocow believed Pyongyang fired an intermediate-range ballistic missile on Tuesday.

"The rationale is that based on our (Ministry of Defense's) assessment we cannot confirm that the missile can be classified as an ICBM," the mission said, adding, "Therefore we are not in a position to agree to this classification on behalf of the whole council since there is no consensus on this issue."

According to the draft statement, the council would start work on "further significant measures" against North Korea.

The UNSC statements have to be agreed by all 15-members. It was not immediately clear if the US would continue to negotiate with Russia in an effort to reach a council consensus on a statement of condemnation.

The council met on Wednesday to discuss the missile launch by North Korea.

US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley slammed Russia's reluctance to recognize that North Korea had test-launched an ICBM.

"If you need any sort of intelligence to let you know that the rest of the world sees this as an ICBM, I'm happy to provide it," she told the council.

Haley said the US would propose new UN sanctions in coming days.

She also warned that if Russia and China did not support the move, then "we will go our own path." Haley said Washington was ready to use force "if we must."

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi have already urged dialogue and restraint to cool down the current confrontations on the Korean Peninsula.

The two diplomats said in a recent joint statement that the international community should take collective measures to settle the current crisis peacefully instead of pushing it to an armed conflict.

Russia and China have also called on North Korea, South Korea and the United States to sign up to a Chinese de-escalation plan designed to defuse tensions around Pyongyang's missile program. The plan would see North Korea suspend its ballistic missile program and the United States and South Korea simultaneously call a moratorium on large-scale military exercises.

On June 3, the United Nations Security Council imposed a fresh array of sanctions on North Korea in response to a number of missile tests carried out by Pyongyang this year.

Unsettled by North Korean missile and nuclear programs, the United States has adopted a war-like posture, sending a strike group and conducting joint military drills with North Korea's regional adversaries Japan and South Korea.

North Korea accuses the United States of plotting with regional allies to overthrow its government. Pyongyang says it will not relinquish its nuclear deterrence unless the United States ends its hostile policy toward North Korea and dissolves the US-led UN command in South Korea.

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The European Union (EU) has made a EUR 19 million contribution to the Nuclear Safety Account (NSA), one of the nuclear safety funds managed by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).

The press service of the EBRD reported that the EUs contribution is vital for the support of the Chornobyl spent nuclear fuel facility project, known as ISF-2.

Ukrainian Ecology and Natural Resources Minister Ostap Semerak took part in the meeting of the assembly of Chornobyl Shelter Fund donors on July 6.

"Today I am taking part in the traditionally important meeting of the Assembly of Chornobyl Shelter Fund donors in London. First in many years Chornobyl Shelter Fund Assembly members pointed out strengthening of Ukraine's position in environment safety and desire to complete the project, which is important for the entire European continent, as soon as possible and as better as possible," he wrote on his Facebook page late on Thursday.

The donor council members pointed out taking all financial and organization measures to implement the Shelter project in line with the approved plan and schedule.

"It is important that today we have approved the financing for designing the technical part of the project to dismantle unstable part of the Shelter facility, which has been staying under the new safe confinement since November 2016," Semerak said.

The Assembly decided to earmark funds to buy the required equipment for dismantling unstable parts over reactor four of the Chornobyl nuclear power plant (NPP).

"I again thank all members of the Chornobyl Shelter Fund Assembly donors for huge assistance in overcoming the aftermath of the Chornobyl disaster, understanding and solidarity showed by 28 partner countries for almost 30 years. I hope that our final Chornobyl Shelter Fund Assembly meeting will take place at the Chornobyl NPP in December 2017 as we planned. Ukraine would again confirm that it is a reliable partner in implementing global safety measures," the minister said.
China warns against escalation of tensions over North Korea

Iran Press TV

Thu Jul 6, 2017 10:15AM

China has warned against any rhetoric and action that could further escalate tensions on the Korean Peninsula, two days after Pyongyang test-fired its first ever intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).

"We also call on relevant parties to stay calm, exercise restraint, refrain from words and deeds that may heighten tensions, and jointly make effort for the easing of tensions," said China's Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang in a press conference on Thursday.

North Korea announced on Tuesday that it had successfully tested the ICBM, with the North's leader Kim Jong-un calling it a gift to the United States on July 4, America's Independence Day.

Shuang's comments came after US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson strongly condemned the launch and described it as a new escalation of the "threat" to Washington, its allies, the region, and the whole world.

On Wednesday, US Ambassador to the United Nations (UN) Nikki Haley also told the UN Security Council that her country was prepared to exert force if needed to deal with the perceived threat posed by North Korea and singled out China as key to any diplomatic solution.

Meanwhile, Russia accused the US of attempting to negatively affect Moscow's relations with Pyongyang by leveling false allegations about the purported abuse of North Korean migrant workers in the Russian Federation.

"These allegations are unfounded. They fabricate and publish this nonsense... and then we stand and feel like justifying ourselves after this fake news," said Maria Zakharova, a spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, in a press conference in the Russian capital.

She added that North Korean migrant laborers work in Russia according to an entirely legal 2007 intergovernmental agreement. She also said that the agreement was not in violation of any UN Security Council resolutions regarding Pyongyang.

Unsettled by North Korean missile and nuclear programs, the US has adopted a war-like posture against Pyongyang. The US recently deployed an advanced missile system on South Korean soil to counter potential threats from the North, angering Pyongyang.

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Trump Considering 'Pretty Severe' Response To North Korea's ICBM Test

RFE/RL July 06, 2017

U.S. President Donald Trump says he is considering "some pretty severe things" in response to North Korea's intercontinental ballistic-missile (ICBM) test earlier this week.

Speaking in Warsaw on July 6, Trump called on all nations to confront North Korea's "very, very bad behavior."

The remarks were Trump's first public comments on the issue since North Korea tested an ICBM on July 4.

Trump declined to offer specifics about what a U.S. response might entail, though he called North Korea a "threat" and said the United States would "confront it very strongly."

"It's a shame that they're behaving this way," Trump said of North Korea's leaders. "But they are behaving in a very, very dangerous manner, and something will have to be done about it."

Late on July 5, the U.S. ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, said the United States would use its "considerable military forces" on North Korea "if we must."

"The United States is prepared to use the full range of our capabilities to defend ourselves and our allies," Haley told an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council on July 5.

"One of our capabilities lies with our considerable military forces," Haley said. "We will use them if we must, but we prefer not to have to go in that direction."

Haley described North Korea's ICBM test as a sharp military escalation and she threatened to respond with further trade restrictions, including moves to cut off trade with other countries that do business with Pyongyang in violation of UN resolutions.

"We will not look exclusively at North Korea," she said. "We will look at any country that chooses to do business with this outlaw regime."

British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson told the BBC on July 6 that North Korea's ICBM test was "reckless" and illegal and that it is important for the world to stand together against Pyongyang's actions.

Johnson said China must take additional steps against North Korea over its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile tests.

"What the North Koreans are doing is reckless, it's indefensible, it's in defiance of UN resolutions," Johnson said ahead of a July 7-8 Group of 20 summit in Hamburg.

"The single most important thing is that the country with the most direct economic relationship with North Korea, that is China, has got to continue to put on the pressure," Johnson said. "In the last six months or so we are seeing some real changes in Beijing's attitude to North Korea and that's got to go further."

Haley told the 15-member UN Security Council that the United States will soon present a new resolution calling for further sanctions on North Korea.

The ambassadors of France and Britain said they would back a new resolution strengthening sanctions against North Korea.

Russia condemned North Korea's actions but told the Security Council that it opposes further sanctions or any military force against Pyongyang.

Russia's deputy UN ambassador, Vladimir Safronkov, said a compromise between North Korea and Washington is needed to ease tensions.

But North Korea has said it would not negotiate unless the United States ended what Pyongyang called a "hostile policy."

China's UN ambassador, Liu Jieyi, also condemned North Korea's ICBM launch, calling it a "flagrant violation" of UN resolutions and "unacceptable."

But he said Beijing -- North Korea's only ally -- opposes the use of military force.

Liu called on "all the parties concerned to exercise restraint, avoid provocative actions, and belligerent rhetoric, demonstrate the will for unconditional dialogue and work actively together to defuse the tension."

With reporting by BBC, Reuters, AP, AFP, TASS, CNN, and Interfax

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/trump-north-korea-icbm-test -pretty-severe-response/28599303.html

Copyright (c) 2017. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Pyongyang's ICBM Capability Not to Bring US Closer to War With N. Korea - Mattis

Sputnik News

23:02 06.07.2017

The successful test of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) by North Korea will not bring Washington and Pyongyang closer to war, according to US Secretary of Defense James Mattis.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik)  The successful test of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) by North Korea will not bring Washington and Pyongyang closer to war, US Secretary of Defense James Mattis said on Thursday.

"I don't believe this capability in itself brings us closer to war because the President has been very clear, Secretary of State's been very clear that we are leading with diplomatic and economic efforts," Mattis told reporters as quoted by Fox News.

US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said on Wednesday that the United States is prepared to use the full range of capabilities, including military options, to defend the country and its allies against North Korea.

Pyongyang announced on Tuesday it had successfully launched its first intercontinental ballistic missile at 00:30 GMT. North Korea said the missile traveled 580 miles and reached an altitude of 1,740 miles during its 39-minute flight before "accurately hitting the target waters in the open sea" in the Sea of Japan.

 Sputnik

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Pyongyang: Destroying South Korea Would be a 'Piece of Cake'

Sputnik News

22:00 06.07.2017(updated 00:17 07.07.2017)

North Korean state media railed against its southern neighbor Thursday for staging a joint missile drill with the US following Pyongyang's jarring intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) launch, saying it would be a "piece of cake" to destroy South Korea.

The report, published by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), decried Seoul as "puppet military gangsters," claiming "It will be as easy as a piece of cake for the [North] to wipe out the puppet forces as we are now able to destroy even the US mainland across the ocean."

Pyongyang claims the Hwasong-14 ICBM, is capable of striking the "heart of the United States" with "large heavy nuclear warheads." The ominous benchmark was passed despite US President Donald Trump's Twitter proclamation before entering office that the development of such a missile "won't happen!"

The launch was timed to take place as the US was celebrating its Independence Day on July 4. "I guess they are not too happy with the gift package we sent them for the occasion of their Independence Day," North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said of the launch, according to KCNA.

After confirming the launch, US and South Korean forces fired deep strike missiles off South Korea's east coast to counter "North Korea's destabilizing and unlawful actions" according to a US Army statement.

"Testing an ICBM represents a new escalation of the threat to the United States, our allies and partners, the region, and the world," said US Defense Secretary Rex Tillerson in a Tuesday statement. "Global action is required to stop a global threat."

Recently inaugurated South Korean President Moon Jae-in condemned the launch, and though he has previously called for dialogue with the North, he joined other nations in advocating tighter sanctions on the isolated country.

During a meeting of the UN Security Council Wednesday, US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley said that the actions of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) were "quickly closing off the possibility of a diplomatic solution" and that the US was prepared to use force against the North if need be.

She also put pressure on China, the DPRK's chief ally, to be more active in addressing the North's issues.

"The international community can cut off the major sources of hard currency to the North Korean regime," Haley said, proposing possible sanctions, "We can restrict the flow of oil to their military and their weapons programs. We can increase air and maritime restrictions. We can hold senior regime officials accountable."

Liu Jieyi, China's Ambassador to the UN called the launch "unacceptable" and a "flagrant violation" of UN resolutions, saying that Beijing calls "on all the parties concerned to exercise restraint, avoid provocative actions and belligerent rhetoric, demonstrate the will for unconditional dialogue and work actively together to defuse the tension."

 Sputnik

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Trump Promises US Will Deal with North Korea 'Very Strongly'

By Jeff Seldin July 06, 2017

President Donald Trump labeled North Korea's behavior a threat and promised, "we will confront it very strongly."

North Korea carried out a test launch Tuesday of its first intercontinental ballistic missile, complete with a re-entry vehicle that would allow it to be equipped with a nuclear warhead.

U.S. military officials estimated the missile had a range of 5,500 kilometers, potentially putting parts of the northwestern United States within Pyongyang's reach.

Speaking at a news conference Thursday in Warsaw with Polish President Andrzej Duda, Trump warned North Korea he is considering "some pretty severe things."

"They are behaving in a very, very dangerous manner and something will have to be done," he said. "There are consequences for their very, very bad behavior."

The U.S. president did not elaborate on which options are under consideration, but Defense Secretary Jim Mattis told reporters later Thursday at the Pentagon there was still time for a diplomatic solution despite North Korea's continued provocations.

"I do not believe this capability in itself brings us closer to war because the president's been very clear, the secretary of state's been very clear, that we are leading with diplomatic and economic efforts," he said.

"We are working with allies. We are working with the Chinese," Mattis added. "But obviously any kind of effort by North Korea to start a war would lead to severe consequences."

Mattis said the U.S. military has readied several options in case diplomacy ultimately fails but noted U.S. defenses were not being buttressed as a result of the ICBM test and that the launch itself did not take the Pentagon by surprise.

"We knew it as soon as he [North Korea's Kim Jong Un] fired it," said Mattis. "We assume these sorts of things from him right now."

The United States has 28,500 troops stationed in South Korea, and about 50,000 in Japan.

The U.S. and South Korea also have deployed some components of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, or THAAD, anti-missile system in South Korea. Other missile defenses include the Aegis ballistic missile defense system, which can be deployed on naval vessels.

And, in a test last month, a U.S.-based missile interceptor knocked down a simulated incoming North Korean ICBM. Other tests of the system, however, have met with mixed results.

"We do have confidence in our ability to defend against the limited threat, the nascent threat that is there," Pentagon spokesman Capt. Jeff Davis said Wednesday.

On Wednesday, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said the U.S. is prepared to defend itself and its allies.

"One of our capabilities lies with our considerable military forces," she told an emergency meeting of the Security Council. "We will use them if we must, but we prefer not to have to go in that direction."

Haley said the United States will propose new sanctions against North Korea shortly. A new draft resolution will be circulated among Security Council members "in the coming days," she noted, adding the measure "raises the international response in a way that's proportionate to North Korea's escalation."

Among new sanctions under consideration, U.S. officials indicated, are restrictions on the flow of oil and other energy supplies to Pyongyang's military and weapons programs, tightened controls over air and maritime traffic to North Korea, and further moves to hold senior officials of the Kim Jong Un regime accountable for the country's defiance of international demands to shut down its nuclear-weapons development program.

The U.S. and China remain far apart on what to do about North Korea, and Beijing's response to the next U.S. move on North Korea will be key to the success of the American effort.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un boasted Wednesday about the missile launch.

He told a group of scientists and technicians the new rocket was "a package of gifts" timed to coincide with the U.S. Independence Day holiday.

The regime's Korean Central News Agency said Kim expected the U.S. would be "displeased" by Pyongyang's achievement, and he urged his scientists to conduct further tests as "big and small 'gift packages' to the Yankees."

Margaret Besheer, Joyce Huang, Saibal Dasgupta and Victor Beattie contributed to this report.

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US, Others Look to China to Help Increase Pressure on North Korea

By William Ide July 06, 2017

The United States is calling for a tough response to North Korea's launch this week of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) and one key country Washington and others are looking to for help is China, particularly as the U.S. seeks to draw up new and tighter sanctions.

North Korea is expected to be a key topic when Chinese leader Xi Jinping and U.S. President Donald Trump host talks on the sidelines of this week's Group of 20 summit in Hamburg, Germany.

Japan, South Korea and the United States are also scheduled to hold trilateral talks on North Korea during the summit on Friday and Saturday.

Britain's foreign minister, Boris Johnson, has called on China to do more to increase pressure on Pyongyang.

"The single most important thing is that the country with the most direct economic relationship with North Korea, that is China, has got to continue to put on the pressure. And in the last six months or so, we are seeing some real changes in Beijing's attitude to North Korea and that's got to go further," Johnson said in an interview with BBC radio.

China indispensable

China is North Korea's biggest ally and trading partner. Over the first quarter of this year, China saw its trade with North Korea grow by nearly 40 percent.

At the same time, however, Beijing has begun implementing new sanctions, on North Korean coal, that were passed late last year. In February, Beijing banned the import of coal for the rest of the year, and according to statistics released in April, those imports to China dropped by almost 52 percent, compared with the same period last year.

Chinese analysts argue that China is already doing more than it is being given credit for.

"The West believes that China has great influence over North Korea, highlighting its military alliance with the North and North Korea's economic reliance on China and argues that strong sanctions through either can change its behavior, but such thinking and assumptions are incorrect," said Cai Jian, a North Korea specialist and professor at Shanghai's Fudan University.

In an interview with VOA's Mandarin service, Cai said that what North Korea really needs is security assurance, which China cannot provide.

So far, China has expressed its condemnation of the launch along with other countries, calling it a "flagrant violation" of United Nations resolutions. China has not, however, said anything definitive regarding sanctions.

Tighter sanctions

At an emergency United Nations Security Council meeting on North Korea Wednesday, U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley said a new draft resolution would be circulated among council members "in the coming days."

U.S. officials have indicated that restrictions on the flow of oil and other energy supplies to Pyongyang's military and weapons programs, tightened controls over air and maritime traffic to North Korea, and further moves to hold senior officials of the Kim Jong Un regime responsible are among the new sanctions under consideration. Chinese analysts have indicated that controls on travel to North Korea and its export of labor could also be considered.

The export of forced labor is a key conduit through which North Korea obtains funds from overseas. The issue was highlighted recently when Secretary of State Rex Tillerson unveiled a new report on human trafficking. In the ranking, released late last month, China was listed among the world's worst human trafficking offenders.

In comments, Tillerson accused Russia and China of, in effect, paying North Korea for slave labor.

Still, some are skeptical that sanctions can stop North Korea.

Richard Bitzinger, a senior fellow at Singapore's S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, said sanctions may make the West feel good but are unlikely to change North Korea's behavior because they do not impact the elite.

"Kim and the top one percent of the North Korean hierarchy have ways to get around sanctions and make sure that they stay in that comfortable lifestyle," he said. "We are past the point where the North Koreans will give up their nuclear weapons and missile systems."

Ripe for disruption

Others argue that there are "chokeholds" that could be better used to dismantle and disrupt North Korea's illicit overseas financing and procurements for its weapons programs.

They also note that North Korea's sanctions pale in comparison to what was used to help broker a deal with Iran.

In a recent report, titled "Risky Business", the Center for Advanced Defense Studies argues that while North Korea uses a wide range of networks to skirt international programs and continue its pursuit of nuclear weapons, the system is "centralized, limited and vulnerable." The report argues that the disruption of key facilitators could greatly increase pressure on Kim Jong Un to return to the negotiating table.

"China, the largest market exploited by North Korean overseas networks, represents about 85 percent of total North Korean trade," the report said. "Yet, this entire trading system has consisted of only 5,233 companies from 2013 to 2016."

Such work is already underway. Last year, the U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned Dandong Hongxiang Industrial Development Co., its company head Ma Xiaohong and three other employees over their close ties to North Korea's nuclear weapons program. And while China is opposed to unilateral sanctions, it also carried out its own investigation.

Ma was arrested, but charges against her, if any, have not been made public and no one knows where she is. Ma is a former communist party member who also held a seat on Liaoning Province's People's Congress before her arrest.

Late last month, the U.S. Treasury Department imposed sanctions on two Chinese citizens and a shipping company for helping North Korea. The Bank of Dandong, based in a city that is a key crossing point to North Korea, was also sanctioned, accused of money laundering for Pyongyang.

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Debris of Missing IAF Helicopter Found, Three Crew Members Dead

Sputnik News

21:45 06.07.2017(updated 00:38 07.07.2017)

The wreckage of a missing advanced light helicopter of the Indian Air Force (IAF) has been found in the Pampunpare district of Arunachal Pradesh following a 24-hour joint search operation conducted by the Army, the Indo-Tibetan Border Police and Arunachal Pradesh police on Wednesday.

New Delhi July 6 (Sputnik)  The helicopter had gone missing Tuesday while carrying out a flood relief mission near Itanagar in the northeastern state. It had carried out five sorties evacuating people stranded after landslides between Naharlagun and Sagalee. There were three crew members and a member of the Arunachal Pradesh police on board when the aircraft was reported missing. Though search and rescue operations were initiated, they were hampered by bad weather.

"The Arunachal Pradesh Police team spotted the wreckage of the helicopter on the evening of July 5. On the morning of July 6, rescue parties comprising IAF Guards and a medical team, the Army and the [National Disaster Response Force] NDRF were able to reach the crash site along with the Arunachal Pradesh Police team, who had sighted the wreckage. The bodies of three personnel have been recovered so far. A Court of Inquiry has been ordered to investigate the cause of the accident," the Indian Air Force said in a statement.

The helicopter was on a flood relief mission in the states of Manipur, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, where more than 100,000 people have been displaced due to heavy floods.

More than 20 people have been killed and over 600,000 people affected by the heavy rains and subsequent flooding, which have not let up since the start of India's monsoon season in northeastern states of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.

The Indian Air Force lost two of its pilots in a crash of its frontline aircraft Sukhoi-30MKI in May this year. The jet crashed near the China border. The reason for the accident is yet to be disclosed.

 Sputnik

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Larijani: Safeguarding navy forces vital for boosting Iran's authority in Caspian sea

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Bandar Anzali, Gilan, July 6, IRNA -- Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani said safeguarding Iranian navy would play a key role for boosting Islamic Republic's authority in the Caspian sea.

Talking to reporters on the sidelines of his visit from Iranian Navy's North Fleet and 4th Naval District in Bandar Anzali in northern province of Gilan, Larijani hailed Iranian navy hardware and software achievements.

In recent years, Iran has made major breakthroughs in its defense sector and attained self-sufficiency in producing important military equipment and systems.

Iran has also conducted other major military drills to enhance the defense capabilities of its armed forces and to test modern military tactics and state-of-the-art army equipment.

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Parliament speaker: US to pay heavy price for anti-Iran decision

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Rasht, July 6, IRNA -- Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani blasted a recent anti-Iran decision by the US Senate, and said that Washington will pay a heavy price for its decision.

"They might think that they can create new problems for us, but it is not such that they can create costs for us and they evade paying anything themselves," Larijani said on Thursday, addressing Gilan provincial administrative council meeting in Rasht in northern Iran.

The Iranian parliament, meantime, pointed to the big international and regional powers' support for the terrorist groups, and said, "Although supporting terrorism, including financial supports for terrorist groups over past several decades has threatened us, but they themselves were also involved."

He reiterated that the big powers' supports for terrorist groups have not been limited to the past few years, but it is for many years that they are sponsoring terrorism.

"They might even think that they create problems for us through taking anti-Iran decisions, but it is not so," Larijani said.

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Iran sanctions not without costs for US: Larijani

Iran Press TV

Thu Jul 6, 2017 2:53PM

Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani has denounced US Senate's adoption of new sanctions on Iran, saying the new restrictions against Tehran will not be without costs for Washington.

Last month, US Senate voted for a bill to impose new sanctions on Iran over its ballistic missile program, alleged support for terrorism and human rights violations. The bill would become law if passed in the House of Representatives and signed by US President Donald Trump.

Addressing the administrative council of Iran's northern Gilan Province on Thursday, Larijani said US officials "might suppose they could put up new roadblocks for Iran, but it is not like that they would incur costs on us without paying anything themselves."

Iranian officials say the new US restrictions violate a landmark nuclear agreement with the Islamic Republic, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), to which the US is a party.

Under the JCPOA signed between Iran and the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council - the United States, France, Britain, Russia and China - plus Germany, Iran undertook to put limitations on its nuclear program in exchange for the removal of nuclear-related sanctions imposed against Tehran.

Elsewhere in his remarks, the top Iranian parliamentarian touched on foreign-backed terrorism plaguing the region and said the scourge had backfired on its supporters.

"Support for terrorism, including financial assistance, albeit being perilous to us over the past decades, has afflicted its sponsors as well," Larijani said.

"Certain countries' support for terrorism is not a matter of the recent one or two years. It has been for decades that big powers and some regional countries have been using pressure and terrorism [against Iran]," he added.

Larijani said, "Such measures did not affect the Islamic Republic, because we aptly managed and resolved these problems with appropriate decisions."

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Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland has said that Canadian companies are interested in trade with Ukraine under the free trade area (FTA) agreement.

"Ukraine has the free trade agreement between Ukraine and CanadaCanadian business has been already reporting to me their enthusiasm for the trade," she said at the Ukraine Reform Conference held in London on Thursday.

The minister said that Ukraine and Canada 100 years of historic emigration connection and Canada will continue cooperating with Ukraine.
Daesh families join final battle for Mosul: Iraqi commanders

Iran Press TV

Thu Jul 6, 2017 5:48PM

Iraqi commanders engaged in an operation to liberate the northern city of Mosul say family members of Daesh terrorists have joined the battle as it nears its end.

The commanders said on Thursday that female Daesh elements were firing on Iraqi forces and using children as human shields in Mosul's Old City.

Lieutenant General Sami al-Aridi, of the Iraqi special forces, said, "The women are fighting with their children right beside them," adding, "It's making us hesitant to use airstrikes, to advance. If it weren't for this we could be finished in just a few hours."

Another Iraqi officer, whose name was not mentioned, said, "There are civilians there, but they are Daesh families."

Daesh militants are using other tactics such as bombings, sniper fire, and mortar attacks to slow the advance of the Iraqi forces.

Three female bombers hiding among civilians fleeing Mosul killed at least three soldiers over the past week.

Separately on Thursday, UN humanitarian coordinator in Iraq, Lise Grande, said as many as 15,000 civilians, possibly even as high as 20,000, were still trapped in Mosul.

Mosul fell to Daesh in 2014, when the terror outfit began its campaign of death and destruction in Iraq.

The Iraqi army soldiers and allied volunteer fighters have been leading the Mosul liberation operation since October 2016. They took control of eastern Mosul in January and launched the battle in the west in February.

Iraqi authorities expect the battle to end in coming days as remaining Daesh elements are bottled up in a few districts of the Old City.

Earlier this week, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi congratulated his forces on their "big victory" in Mosul.

The battle for Mosul has already forced 87,000 people from their homes, with some 2,000 to 3,500 people fleeing from the city on a daily basis, according to the UN.

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Daesh traps up to 20,000 civilians in Mosul Old City: UN official

Iran Press TV

Thu Jul 6, 2017 9:52AM

A senior UN official has warned that up to 20,000 civilians have been trapped in the remaining areas controlled by Takfiri Daesh terrorists in Mosul's Old City.

"Our estimate at this stage is that in the final pockets of the Old City, there could be as many as 15,000 civilians, possibly even as high as 20,000," UN humanitarian coordinator in Iraq Lise Grande said on Thursday.

"The people that are still trapped inside of these pockets are in terrible condition," facing shortages of food, she said.

"They're in extreme danger from bombardment, from artillery crossfire. The [Daesh] fighters that are still there are still directly targeting civilians if they try and leave," she pointed out.

Iraqi forces are engaged in heavy fighting with Daesh terrorists to recapture a small pocket of territory on the west bank of the River Tigris.

In the latest battles, the Iraqi federal police forces reportedly captured an underground Daesh training camp in western Mosul. The camp which is as large as 1,500 square meters at the depth of 10 meters was built for Daesh terrorists to receive heavy military training.

According to Iraq's al-Sumariah news network, Daesh executed 200 Iraqi civilians on Tuesday as the civilians were trying to flee the city of Tal Afar, located 63 kilometers west of Mosul, to government-controlled areas in Nineveh Province.

Separately, Commander of Iraqi Federal Police Ra'ed Shaker Judat said at least 60 Daesh terrorists had died as Iraqi forces advanced through Mosul's Old City, the last district controlled by the group in the city.

He said the Iraqi forces had also seized explosive belts, rockets, and rocket launchers from the terrorists.

Judat further said that Iraqi forces had also raided three residences used to make bombs, discovering several booby-traps and explosive-laden vehicles, defusing all the devices.

Daesh named Mosul as its so-called headquarters in Iraq back in 2014, the year it launched a terrorist campaign inside the Arab country.

Iraqi forces have now pushed Daesh into a shrinking rectangle no more than 300 by 500 meters in area beside the Tigris River.

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UN: Mosul Civilians in 'Extreme Danger' as Anti-IS Battle Continues

By VOA News July 06, 2017

As many as 20,000 civilians are trapped and in "extreme danger" in Mosul as the Iraqi military attempts to remove the last remaining Islamic State jihadists in the city, a United Nations official is quoted as saying.

"Our estimate at this stage is that in the final pockets of (Mosul's) Old City, there could be as many as 15,000 civilians, possibly even as high as 20,000," Lise Grande, a U.N. humanitarian official in Iraq, told AFP.

Grande said those left are "in extreme danger from bombardment, from artillery cross-fire."

"The (IS) fighters that are still there are still directly targeting civilians if they try and leave," she said.

The battle in Mosul so far has forced more than 900,000 people to flee their homes, with about 700,000 still displaced.

Iraqi soldiers have been pushing further into the city. IS fighters, who once held a tight hold on Mosul, now control only a small portion of land along the Tigris river.

Since October, an assault on the city by Iraqi forces has decimated the group's numbers.

Last week, Iraqi forces retook control of a destroyed historic mosque in Mosul, where three years ago the head of the Islamic State group, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, declared the establishment of a caliphate.

On Tuesday, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi congratulated the Iraqi military on a "big victory in Mosul," although fighting is still fierce in the city.

"Praise be to God, we managed to liberate (Mosul) and proved the others were wrong, the people of Mosul supported and stood with our security forces against terrorism," the prime minister said, as he praised the army.

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General Haftar says Benghazi 'liberated' from rival militia

Iran Press TV

Thu Jul 6, 2017 8:30AM

Powerful Libyan General Khalifah Haftar says his forces have "liberated" the city of Benghazi after pushing out rivaling militia from its eastern parts.

"Your armed forces declare to you the liberation of Benghazi from terrorism, a full liberation and a victory of dignity," Haftar said in a short televised speech on Wednesday. "Benghazi has entered into a new era of safety and peace."

The announcement came shortly after Haftar's self-proclaimed Libyan National Army (LNA) was able to break the final pockets of resistance in Libya's second city and overtake the seafront district of Sabri using heavy artillery fire.

Littered with burnt cars and debris from destroyed buildings, Sabri has been reduced into a ghost town following the deadly clashes of the past few weeks.

If true, the victory concludes the so-called "Operation Dignity" that Haftar launched in May 2014. LNA officials say over 5,000 of their men were killed in the long-running fight.

The militant groups are likely to mount heavy comebacks against the LNA to regain the city, as it has been the case throughout the Benghazi battle.

Libya has faced a power vacuum since a US-led NATO intervention in 2011, which led to the downfall of its longtime dictator Muammar Gaddafi. Rival governments were set up in Tripoli and eastern Libya back in 2014.

The country has been grappling with chaos and the emergence of numerous militant groups, including Daesh Takfiri terrorists who are concentrated in Iraq and Syria.

Haftar is known for partaking in the 1969 coup that brought Gaddafi to power. He switched sides during an uprising against the former dictator in 2011.

The general refuses to recognize Libya's UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA), led by Fayez al-Sarraj from Tripoli.

On May 2, however, the two leaders held a rare meeting in the United Arab Emirates and reached an agreement to unify their efforts to curb terrorists, including Daesh.

Haftar's forces have also been involved in the ongoing clashes with Daesh and other militant groups over controlling Libya's key oil facilities.

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In Myanmar, UN refugee chief calls for solutions to displacement and exclusion

6 July 2017  Concluding his first visit to Myanmar, the United Nations refugee chief today appealed for inclusive and sustainable solutions to protracted displacement and statelessness.

"These are complex issues but they are not intractable," said High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi in a press release issued by his office (UNHCR).

In Kachin and Rakhine states, some 100,000 and 120,000 people, respectively, have remained displaced for more than five years following the eruption of inter-communal conflict between Buddhists and minority Muslim Rohingya.

In Rakhine state, Mr. Grandi met with displaced Muslims in Sittwe's Dar Paing camp who expressed their strong desire to return home. He also reached out to Rakhine and Muslim communities north of Maungdaw and listened to their safety and livelihood concerns.

He also met with high-ranking officials in the South-east Asian nation to discuss humanitarian access in Kachin and Rakhine states.

"A crucial first step is to pursue freedom of movement and access to services and livelihoods for all. Accelerated pathways to citizenship are also part of the solution, as are efforts to tackle exclusion and poverty," Mr. Grandi said, alluding to the country's denial of citizenship for the Rohingya.

Among the officials he met with were State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi; the Minister of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement, Min Myat Aye; the Minister of Labour, Immigration and Population, U Thein Swe; and the Minister of Border Affairs, Lt. Gen Ye Aung.

"I was very happy to hear the State Counsellor saying that refugees are welcome back from Thailand," said Mr. Grandi. "We agreed that returns must be voluntary and sustainable. Refugees should not come back to a situation of dependency but of self-reliance."

He highlighted that the recommendations of the Advisory Commission of Rakhine State provide an important roadmap for the way forward.

The High Commissioner will next visit Thailand before concluding his regional trip in Bangladesh next week.

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Pakistan rules out 'organized presence' of any terror outfit on its soil

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Islamabad, July 6, IRNA -- Pakistan rejected 'organized presence' of any terror outfit, including TTP (Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan), Jamaat-ul Ahrar, Daesh and Al-Qaeda, Haqqani Network on its soil.

Foreign ministry spokesperson Nafees Zakariya at his weekly news briefing in Islamabad on Thursday said allegations made by some neighboring states (pointing to Afghanistan) about presence of Haqqani network in tribal areas of Pakistan are mere rhetoric.

"This is only aimed at putting the blame of their own failures on Pakistan," he said.

Zakariya noted the killing of a number of commanders of Haqqani network in Afghanistan clearly indicate that the group is based in Afghanistan and not operating from Pakistan.

He maintained that as result of effective counter-terrorism operations, the terrorists are on the run and their infrastructure has been dismantled.

Zakariya said during the visit of the US delegation headed by Senator McCain, matters pertaining to Afghanistan were also discussed.

He added Pakistan believes in an Afghanistan-led and Afghan-owned peace process. Peace and stability in Afghanistan has direct bearing on peace and stability in Pakistan.

Zakariya said Pakistan is ready to assist in all efforts aimed at bringing peace to the neighboring country.

When asked about the sale of advanced weapons to India by different countries, the spokesperson said Pakistan is deeply concerned about the matter which undermines the objectives of preserving strategic balance in the region.

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South Korea's Moon Says Ready to Meet North's Kim Under 'Right Conditions'

Sputnik News

14:53 06.07.2017(updated 16:25 06.07.2017)

According to media reports, South Korean President ready to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

MOSCOW (Sputnik)  South Korean President Moon Jae-in said Thursday he is ready to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un under the "right conditions," according to local media.

"When the right conditions are fostered and when there is a chance to reverse the current tension and situation of confrontation on the Korean Peninsula, I am ready to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at any time and any place," Moon said.

In a speech at a think-tank in Berlin quoted by the Yonhap news service, the South Korean president called on Pyongyang to return to the negotiating table and maintained that Seoul would not seek reunification "by absorption."

South Korean President Moon Jae-in said Thursday that family members on each side of the demarcation zone need to reunite as part of Seoul's effort to maintain humanitarian and non-political ties with North Korea.

"We need to let these people meet their loved ones while they are still alive. It is a humanitarian issue that must come before any political consideration," Moon said as quoted by the Yonhap news service.

Speaking at a think-tank in Berlin in a speech released by the presidential office, the South Korean president estimated some 60,000 South Koreans remain separate from family members in the North.

 Sputnik

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Putin attacks sanctions, condemns as 'short-sighted'

Iran Press TV

Thu Jul 6, 2017 9:35AM

Russian President Vladimir Putin has denounced as "short-sighted " the sanctions imposed by the European Union (EU) and the United States on his country over the Ukraine crisis.

Putin made the remarks in an editorial published in German business daily Handelsblatt on Thursday prior to the G20 summit, saying that sanctions against Russia "are not just short-sighted but go against the principles of the G20 for cooperation in the interests of all countries."

The Russian leader also called for an end to protectionism, saying only "open trade relations" could stimulate world economy.

"I am convinced that only open trade relations, based on uniform norms and standards, can stimulate the growth of the world economy and promote an improvement in relations between states," he noted.

The two-day summit is scheduled to start in the northern Germany city of Hamburg on Friday with the aim of bringing together the leaders of the world's biggest developed and emerging economies.

Washington and Brussels have slapped a series of sanctions against Moscow since 2014 after the Crimea region voted in a referendum to separate from Ukraine and rejoin Russia.

The West brands the development as Moscow's annexation of the territory.

The US and its allies in Europe also accuse Russia of having a major hand in the crisis in eastern Ukraine, an allegation denied by Moscow.

The crisis has left over 10,000 people dead, according to the United Nations.

In a tit-for-tat move on August 2014, Moscow banned most food imports from the EU, the US and other countries that had imposed sanctions over the reunification of Crimea and support for east Ukraine's pro-Moscow fighters.

In a latest decree signed by Putin, Russia extended the embargo on produce, dairy, meat and most other foods to December 31, 2018.

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With U.S.-Russia Relations Plummeting, Trump Set To Meet Putin For First Time

Mike Eckel July 06, 2017

U.S. President Donald Trump is set to hold the most consequential meeting of his 6-month-old presidency: a face-to-face sit-down with Russian leader Vladimir Putin in an effort aimed at stemming a deepening crisis in U.S.-Russia relations.

With Kremlin actions overshadowing Trump since before his January inauguration, the U.S. leader is looking for common ground with Putin: on the grinding war in Syria and the unresolved conflict in Ukraine; on hacking and cyberwarfare; on North Korea's ballistic-missile tests; and on the fight against terrorism.

Their meeting is scheduled for July 7 on the sidelines of the Group of 20 summit of major industrialized countries being held in Hamburg, Germany -- a summit that will also be closely watched for White House intentions on trade deals and climate change.

Trump has repeatedly called for a new approach to Moscow, saying there are plenty of areas of overlap.

But Trump's efforts are tinged by multiple congressional investigations, and an FBI criminal probe, into Russia's alleged interference in last year's presidential election and interactions between Trump associates and Russian officials.

Russia and the United States "have considerable potential for coordinating efforts in the sphere of the struggle against international terrorism, drug trafficking, organized crime, and the spread of mass-destruction weapons," the Kremlin's top foreign adviser, Yury Ushakov, told reporters in Moscow earlier this week.

"Discussions with Trump may touch upon the issues of arms control and strategic stability whose maintenance Russia and the United States bear special responsibility for as the largest nuclear powers," he was quoted as saying.

To date, the White House has made no major reversals of Russian policies begun under Trump's predecessor, Barack Obama.

Sanctions imposed in 2014 for Russia's illegal annexation of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula remain in place. So do the sanctions levied in December in response to U.S. intelligence conclusions that Russia actively interfered in the 2016 election campaign.

Those measures included the seizure of Russian diplomatic compounds in Maryland and New York, which U.S. officials have said may have been used for intelligence-gathering. Moscow has repeatedly complained about that, and last month, the Foreign Ministry threatened the seizure of some U.S. diplomatic properties if the compounds aren't returned.

Tension have also risen sharply in Syria, where Washington and Moscow share some overlapping goals in defeating Islamic State militants. That overlap has been frayed, however, by Moscow's stalwart backing of Syria's president, and reports of chemical weapons attacks against civilians.

The White House is also hoping to enlist Russian backing for sterner measures against North Korea, just days after Pyongyang tested what the U.S. confirmed was an intercontinental ballistic missile.

On the eve of the meeting, during a visit to Poland, Trump made several moves that were likely to annoy Moscow.

He made an explicit endorsement of the most important component of the treaty that established the NATO alliance: Article 5, which stipulates that an attack on one member should be considered an attack on all members.

That was welcome reassurance for former Soviet bloc members of NATO, such as the three Baltic states and Poland, who fear Russian's more assertive military actions of recent years.

The White House also gave its blessing to a $7.6 billion deal to sell Patriot missile-defense systems to Poland by the end of the year. U.S. missile-defense systems in Eastern Europe have prompted repeated complaints from Russia in the past, and Obama had shelved such plans in 2009 as part of his administration's attempted "reset" of relations with Moscow.

Trump also pushed for a long-term deal to supply Poland with U.S. liquefied natural gas, which would help reduce Poland's dependency on Russian gas.

And in a speech in Warsaw's Krasinski Square, he called on Russia to "cease its destabilizing activities in Ukraine and elsewhere."

But the U.S. leader also downplayed the consensus among U.S. intelligence agencies, and many Republicans and Democrats in Congress, that Russia had actively meddled in the election that he ended up winning.

"Nobody really knows for sure," Trump told a news conference in Warsaw on July 6 when asked about the allegations of Russian interference.

Trump's presence at the G20 summit will also be closely watched for hints into Trump administration policy, particular regarding trade.

As a candidate last year, Trump railed against major trade deals negotiated by the Obama administration, and his campaign was built around an "America First" approach to trade.

He has canceled one that would link up Pacific Rim economies, and in May, his administration notified Congress that it planned to renegotiate the NAFTA trade deal linking the economies of the United States, Mexico, and Canada. He called the 23-year-old agreement "the worst trade deal ever."

The Trump administration's open disdain for the science behind climate change has also worried European and Asian allies. Trump announced last month he intended to withdraw the United States from the 2015 Paris climate accord, under which the U.S. pledged to cut greenhouse gas emissions.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who is hosting the summit and who is up for reelection in September, said among the issues G20 leaders would be tackling would be terrorism, combatting climate change, and regulations of financial markets

Thousands of antiglobalization activists were expected to protest in Hamburg during the two-day summit.

Merkel said that "free, rule-based, and fair trade" would be an important topic.

"You can imagine that there will be discussions that will not be easy," she said. "Globalization can be a win-win situation. It must not always be that there are winners and losers."

With reporting by AP

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/trump-putin-meeting-g20 -us-russia-relations/28600159.html

Copyright (c) 2017. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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'High Reliability': Putin Praises Performance of Kh-101 Cruise Missiles in Syria

Sputnik News

15:17 06.07.2017(updated 15:47 06.07.2017)

Russia's advanced Kh-101 cruise missiles, used in Syria, showed a high degree of reliability, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday.

NOVO-OGARYOVO (Sputnik)  Russia's Defense Ministry said Wednesday a group of Russian Tu-95MS (Bear-F) strategic bombers delivered earlier in the day an airstrike against Daesh terrorist organization (banned in Russia) targets in Syria using Kh-101 missiles.

"Regarding the use of our weapons, including in the fight against terrorists in the Syrian Arab Republic, I would like to thank both the military and the designers of one of our state-of-the-art Kh-101 missile systems. This missile showed a very high degree of reliability," Putin said at a meeting of the commission for military-technical cooperation (MTC).

He praised Russian weapons used against terrorists in Syria.

"I will note that Russian weapons demonstrate reliability and great capabilities during the anti-terrorist operation in Syria," Putin said.

He added that when exporting armaments, Russia is taking into account the international situation to prevent intensification of any conflicts.

The Kh-101 (in Russian: X-101) is a strategic, air-launched Russian cruise missile, manufactured using modern technology to reduce radar visibility. It can destroy a target up to 4,500 kilometers away. This type of missiles could be equipped with a nuclear warhead. The Kh-101 uses GLONASS, the Russian satellite navigation system, for trajectory correction and is reported to have an accuracy of five to six meters.

The Tupolev Tu-95 is capable of carrying a maximum of eight of these missiles.

Previously, the Russian aviation launched Kh-101 missile strikes on Daesh targets in February 2017, destroying several terrorist camps, training centers and a command post of one of the major terrorists' units near Raqqa.

The Kh-101, in service since 2013, was first tested in the 1990s. The missile is one of the newest and most technologically sophisticated weapons which made their debut in Syria. It was first used in combat on November 17, 2015 as part of Russia's limited aerial campaign aimed at helping Damascus destroy radical groups trying to overthrow President Bashar al-Assad.

 Sputnik

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Prime Minister of Ukraine Volodymyr Groysman has said he intends to discuss with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) the withdrawal of the clause on the land reform from the current program of cooperation with the Fund.

"I do not expect the IMF to remove it, this will be a decision of the IMF, we will have a dialogue and discuss this," the prime minister said at the Dragon Capital investment conference in London on Friday, answering the question whether he expects the clause on land reform to be excluded from the current version of the cooperation program.
Putin Seeks Parliamentary Approval to Deploy Warplanes in Syria

Sputnik News

10:15 06.07.2017(updated 10:22 06.07.2017)

Russian President Vladimir Putin submitted on Thursday a protocol to an agreement with Syria on the deployment of the Russian Armed Forces aviation group for the lower chamber of parliament's ratification.

MOSCOW (Sputnik)  The protocol submitted to the State Duma was signed in the Syrian capital of Damascus on January 18, 2017.

Putin ratified the August 2015 intergovernmental agreement on the deployment of the Russian Armed Forces' air group in Syria in October 2016.

Under the agreement, Russian military personnel gain immunity identical to that provided by the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. Russian troops are also not subject to border checks when entering Syria.

Putin approved a decree on signing a protocol to the agreement in December 2016. The protocol regulates Russia's aviation group deployment in Syria, its movable and immovable assets in the country and matters connected to the counterterrorist operation itself, according to the Kremlin press service.

Russia began its counterterrorist air campaign in Syria on September 30, 2015, at the request of Syrian President Bashar Assad.

 Sputnik

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Syrian letters to UN blast Turkey's 'expansionist delusions'

Iran Press TV

Thu Jul 6, 2017 4:28PM

Damascus has written to the United Nations, denouncing Turkish forces' recent incursions into the Syrian territory as a proof of Ankara's partnership in terrorism plaguing the Arab country.

In two letters addressed to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres and the world body's Security Council, the Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates blasted on Thursday Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for adopting a "policy of aggression and expansionist delusions" in Syria.

The letters cited Turkey's fresh attacks in the city of Azaz, the town of Akhtarin and the neighborhood of Jibrin, all situated in Syria's northern Aleppo Province.

"Erdogan's acts grossly contravene the international legitimacy, the goals and principles of the UN Charter and the resolutions of the international Security Council that affirm the sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of Syria," the letters read.

Turkey's attacks are part of the Ankara government's "subversive role" in Syria, which makes it the "main partner" in terrorism and conspiracy against Damascus that threaten regional and international security and stability, they added.

The letters also reminded the UN about Syria's previous letters to the world body that condemned Turkey's occupation of the Syrian land, support for terrorist groups and construction of walls along the Syrian border.

They further stressed the Syrian people and army's resolve to defend every inch of their territory and combating "the Takfiri terrorism supported and endorsed by Erdogan's regime."

The silence of the UN Security Council towards Turkey's measures would embolden it to continue defying the will of the international community that seeks to put an end to the Syria crisis, the letters concluded.

In August 2016, Turkey began a unilateral military intervention in northern Syria, code-named Operation Euphrates Shield. Ankara claimed that the campaign was aimed at pushing Daesh terrorists from Turkey's border with Syria and stopping the advance of Kurdish forces.

Turkey ended its Syria offensive in March 2017, but has kept its military presence there.

In recent weeks, Turkey has sent reinforcements into areas near the Kurdish-held districts of Aleppo, such as Afrin, raising fears of further clashes in the region.

Earlier this week, Commander Sipan Hemo, of the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG), accused Turkey of preparing for a major military campaign in Aleppo.

"These (Turkish) preparations have reached the level of a declaration of war and could lead to the outbreak of actual clashes in the coming days," he told Reuters. "We will not stand idly by against this potential aggression."

Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus said the military preparations were legitimate measures against a threat from Kurdish forces.

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Clashes with Turkey likely in days: Syrian Kurdish militants

Iran Press TV

Thu Jul 6, 2017 7:8AM

The head of a US-backed Kurdish militant group fighting in Syria says a confrontation is likely "within days" between his fighters and the Turkish forces recently deployed to Syria's Aleppo Province.

"These [Turkish military] preparations have reached level of a declaration of war and could lead to the outbreak of actual clashes in the coming days. We will not stand idly by against this potential aggression," said Sipan Hemo, the commander of Syrian Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG), told Reuters on Wednesday.

Turkey and Kurds harbor historical hostilities toward one another. Ankara considers Kurdish populations, whether in Syria, Iraq, or Turkey itself, as "terrorist" groups bent on taking away territory from Turkish soil.

The YPG fighters have been involved in a major attack against Takfiri Daesh terrorists in Syria's northern city of Raqqah since June. And Turkey has deployed forces to Syria without obtaining a permission from the Syrian government.

The YPG is part of a larger coalition of fighters  the so-called Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF)  which has been engaged in operations aimed at liberating Raqqah. The US considers the SDF, which also includes Arab fighters, as its main proxy force fighting on the ground in Syria.

Ankara has already expressed its deep concern about the advancement of YPG forces in northern Syria.

Hemo indicated that the YPG would continue to fight Daesh terrorists even after their defeat in Raqqah, saying it was committed with "the international coalition to cleansing Syria of terrorism," referring to a US-led coalition carrying out aerial bombardment against purported Daesh positions in Syria.

The US's provision of weapons to the YPG has further incensed Turkey, a NATO member, prompting Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to warn the White House about the purported consequences of arming the "terrorist" YPG.

In an attempt to address Turkish concerns, the US said last month that it would have the Kurdish fighters in Syria disarmed once Daesh has been flushed out of Raqqah. Turkey wasn't impressed. Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus said on Wednesday that no group armed in the Middle East had ever returned the weapons it had received.

Washington has "formed more than a terrorist organization there, they formed a small-scale army," he said.

Kurtulmus also retorted that Hemo's claims about a declaration of war by Ankara was not true, saying that his country would however respond to any hostile move by the YPG.

"This is not a declaration of war. We are making preparations against potential threats. Their (YPG) primary goal is a threat to Turkey, and if Turkey sees a YPG movement in northern Syria that is a threat to it, it will retaliate in kind," Kurtulmus said.

Ankara fears that the YPG will permanently hold parts of land in northern Syria after Daesh is routed.

Referring to that possibility, President Erdogan said recently, "I want the entire world to know that in northern Syria, on our border, we are never going to allow a terrorist state to be established."

In a bid to keep the Kurds far from Turkey's southern border, the Turkish government has also been training armed men affiliated with the so-called Free Syrian Army (FSA) to fight Kurdish forces for some time.

"If there is a threat against us, our troops will conduct any operations with the Free Syrian Army (FSA) on the ground," Erdogan announced in an interview with France 24 television aired on Wednesday.

Last week, however, Hemo said that the YPG had never "threatened Turkey or its security," while slamming the Turkish intervention in Syria as "occupation" of Syrian territory. He also said that the Kurdish fighters under his command planned to capture an area between the northwestern border towns of A'zaz and Jarablus, both of which are currently under the control of Turkey-backed FSA militiamen.

In separate comments made in an interview with the Saudi-owned Asharq al-Awsat daily published on Wednesday, Hemo also said that Washington has already set up seven military bases in Syria's northern areas, which are controlled by the YPG or SDF, including a major airbase in the vicinity of Kobani, a town at the border with Turkey.

The city of Raqqah, which lies on the northern bank of the Euphrates River, was overrun by Daesh terrorists in March 2013.

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Syrian peace talks to resume in Kazakh capital late August

Iran Press TV

Thu Jul 6, 2017 5:44AM

Iran, Russia and Turkey have agreed to resume the next round of Syrian peace talks in Astana in late August following their decision to continue discussions on creating four de-escalation zones in Syria.

"[It has been] decided to hold the next high-level international meeting on Syria in Astana in the last week of August 2017," the three mediators of the peace talks said in a joint statement on Wednesday.

Prior to the next round, the joint working group of the three countries will meet in Iran on August 1-2 to continue delineation of de-escalation zones, the communique added.

The statement further underlined the need for efforts to secure the stability and territorial integrity of Syria, noting that there can be no military solution to the crisis.

Delegations from Russia, Iran and Turkey as well as the Syrian sides and the United Nations teams held the fifth round of Syrian peace talks in Astana on July 4-5. Jordan and the United States also participated as observers.

During the previous round of the talks in May, the participants agreed to create the four de-escalation zones.

Russia and Iran, which support the Syrian government, and Turkey, which backs anti-Damascus militant groups, seek to find a mechanism to delineate the zones by the end of August.

More than 2.5 million people are believed to be living in the general area of the four zones which span the southern provinces of Dara'a, Quneitra and Sweida.

The rest of the areas cover the northwestern province of Idlib, parts of the central province of Homs, and the militant-controlled Eastern Ghouta Province near Damascus.

"During these consultations, the Turkish side said it needed more time in order ... to make an appropriate decision," top Russian negotiator Alexander Lavrentyev said at the end of the Astana talks.

Lavrentyev noted that the details with regard to the southern de-escalation zone needed to be agreed with the United States and Jordan, which support the militants in the area.

If the agreement on the de-escalation zones is finalized, Russia, Iran and Turkey will be able to immediately deploy forces on the borders of those zones within weeks, the Russian diplomat noted.

Bashar al-Ja'afari, the head of the Syrian government's delegation, slammed Turkey's positions during the talks, which he said hindered an agreement on the details of the safe zones.

"The Turkish delegation objected to the adoption of any documents related to the implementation of mechanisms of the agreement on the de-escalation zones," he said.

Turkey's representatives made no comments to the media after the talks.

After the end of the fifth round of Astana meetings, UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura described the progress at the talks as "simple" but "important" and noted that the results achieved in this round of negotiations will be used during the upcoming Geneva talks on Syrian crisis.

US ready for joint steps with Russia

On Wednesday, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson expressed Washington's preparedness to take several joint steps with Moscow over the Syrian issue and called on all parties fighting Daesh Takfiri terrorists to avoid conflict with one another.

"The United States is prepared to explore the possibility of establishing with Russia joint mechanisms for ensuring stability, including no-fly zones, on the ground ceasefire observers, and coordinated delivery of humanitarian assistance," Tillerson said in a statement.

"If our two countries work together to establish stability on the ground, it will lay a foundation for progress on the settlement of Syria's political future," the statement said without any direct mentioning of the Astana talks.

Tillerson lauded US-Russia cooperation in establishing de-confliction zones in Syria, saying the joint efforts show "that our two nations are capable of further progress."

Syria has been grappling with foreign-backed militancy since 2011. Over the past few months, Syrian forces have made sweeping gains against Takfiri elements, who have lately increased their acts of violence across the country following a series of defeats on the ground.

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Tillerson Says U.S. Prepared To Cooperate With Russia In Syria

RFE/RL July 06, 2017

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the United States is prepared to cooperate with Russia in Syria, including on military matters, in a renewed gesture at reconciliation ahead of a meeting this week between the two nations' leaders.

Tillerson said late on July 5 that the United States is open to establishing no-fly zones in Syria in coordination with Russia as well as jointly setting up mechanisms to monitor cease-fires and to ensure delivery of humanitarian aid.

The U.S.-Russia cooperation would create stability in Syria, Tillerson said, as U.S.-backed forces continue their assault on the Islamic State extremist group, which he said is "badly wounded" and on the "brink of complete defeat."

"If our two countries work together to establish stability on the ground, it will lay a foundation for progress on the settlement of Syria's political future," Tillerson said.

Tillerson's statement came as U.S. President Donald Trump prepares to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin for the first time on July 7 at a Group of 20 summit in Hamburg, Germany. The two are expected to discuss Syria, in what Tillerson said he hoped would be a "good exchange."

It was Tillerson's first detailed statement addressing the war in Syria. He stressed that the administration's goals are to prevent a resurgence of extremism from emerging in areas that U.S.-backed forces have recently liberated from IS control, and to enable Syrian civilians to return to their homes and rebuild their lives there.

"While there are no perfect options for guaranteeing stability, we must explore all possibilities for holding the line against the resurgence of ISIS or other terrorist groups," he said.

"The United States believes Russia, as a guarantor of [Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's] regime and an early entrant into the Syrian conflict, has a responsibility to ensure that the needs of the Syrian people are met and that no faction in Syria illegitimately retakes or occupies areas liberated from ISIS's or other terrorist groups' control," he said.

"Russia also has an obligation to prevent any further use of chemical weapons of any kind by the Assad regime," he said.

Tillerson said further U.S. cooperation with Russia would build on already successful efforts to avoid accidental clashes as both nations have waged battles on Syrian territory in recent months.

"The United States and Russia have already achieved progress in establishing deconfliction zones in Syria that have prevented mutual collateral damage," he said. "This cooperation...is evidence that our two nations are capable of further progress."

With reporting by AP, AFP, and Reuters

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/tillerson-says-us- prepared-cooperate-russia-syria-no-fly-zones- trump-putin-visit/28598755.html

Copyright (c) 2017. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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At UN, panel probing chemical weapons use in Syria urges independence

6 July 2017  Noting that its members are working in a highly politicized environment, the panel investigating the use of chemical weapons in Syria today appealed to the international community to allow it to complete its work in an independent, impartial and professional manner.

"We do receive, unfortunately, direct and indirect messages, all the time, from many sides, telling us how to do our work; my message again, to the Council today was, please let us do our work," said Edmond Mulet, the head of the three-member panel leading the Joint Investigative Mechanism on Chemical Weapon Use in Syria.

"We have a highly professional team," Mr. Mulet told reporters at United Nations Headquarters, speaking alongside the two other members of the panel, Judy Cheng-Hopkins and Stefan Mogl. "We will present our findings based on fact and science."

The Joint Investigative Mechanism, comprising the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) and the UN, is currently investigating the 4 April 2017 attack on the town of Khan Shaykhun. Images of that incident showed children struggling to breathe as a result of the possible use of sarin gas. Also being examined are the incidents in Umm Hawsh on 16 September 2016, where sulphur mustard may have been used.

Addressing the press following a closed-door briefing to the Security Council on the Mechanism's sixth progress report, the panel said that the starting point of the Mechanism's investigation is the determination by an earlier fact-finding mission that a specific incident in Syria involved or likely involved the use of chemicals as weapons.

The Mechanism is now gathering all relevant information concerning the two reported incidents, and stressed the importance of feedback from the Syrian Government on flight logs, notes on movements and lists of people interviewed.

"We're working with the Syrian Government on this, and hopefully we'll be given the necessary tools to do our work," Mr. Mulet said, encouraging any other government, organization or entity to share information about these incidents with the Mechanism.

He added that the three members of the panel "absolutely condemn" the use of chemical weapons and is working to identify the purported perpetrators.

Findings are expected to be presented to the Security Council in mid-October, said Mr. Mulet.

'Progress' in Astana, ahead of Geneva talks

Also today, the UN Special Envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, said "progress" had been achieved in the latest round of international talks in the Kazakh capital of Astana which will contribute to supporting the intra-Syrian talks due to resume in Geneva on Monday.

The discussions in Astana  being held between the Syrian conflict parties and led by Russia, Turkey and Iran  have focused on de-escalating the violence and strengthening a ceasefire in Syria.

"We have tried already three times you know with the ceasefire in Syria in the last period of the last three years, so we really want to give a chance to what is being done here and we believe that efforts have been producing progress," Mr. de Mistura told the press.

There are also discussion about confidence-building measures, including humanitarian demining and the issue of detainees, abductees and people who disappeared during the conflict.

The UN envoy confirmed that a new round of the intra-Syrian talks would begin in Geneva on 10 July, and that the progress in Astana could lead "to some progress on the political side" during the talks.

There have been technical discussions and meetings, said Mr. de Mistura, bringing "some clarity" and "some form of unity" among the opposition.

He noted the G20 meeting in Hamburg, Germany, due to start tomorrow, would be "a good occasion" for world leaders to address the Syrian conflict.

Mr. de Mistura's work is guided by UN Security Council resolution 2254 (2015), which endorsed a roadmap for a peace process in Syria, including issues of governance, constitution and elections.

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Kurdish Officials: Turkish Movements in N. Syria Threaten Raqqa Operation

By Rikar Hussein, Mutlu Civiroglu July 06, 2017

Syrian Kurdish officials say Turkey's shelling of Kurdish militias in northwestern Syria and its troops' mobilization in the border region are preparation for a full-fledged military assault on northern Syria, which could impede U.S.-backed operations to rout Islamic State from its de facto capital, Raqqa.

Following intense, cross-border Turkish artillery attacks and military deployments near northwestern Syria's Afrin region since last week, Nasser Haj Mansour, a senior military adviser to the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), told VOA that Turkish military actions were a "declaration of war" that could push thousands of U.S.-backed fighters to leave the battlefield in Raqqa and respond to developments in the border region with Turkey.

"Members of the Army of Revolutionaries and YPG who are fighting in the operation for Raqqa will leave that battlefield to defend their homes in Afrin," Mansour told VOA. "This will be a serious setback for the ongoing operation on Raqqa."

The Army of Revolutionaries is a predominantly Arab armed group allied with the Kurdish YPG, also known as the People's Protection Units. The two Syrian groups, along with several other local militias, have formed the SDF, which is supported by the U.S.-led coalition in its Raqqa operation.

The SDF has made advances in Raqqa since the start of the operation last month. It has encircled the city and breached a strategic wall surrounding the last redoubt of IS defenders in Raqqa's Old City neighborhoods.

Turkey opposes the role of the main component of the SDF  the Kurdish YPG  alleging that the group is a terrorist organization linked to Kurdish separatists inside Turkey, known as the PKK. Turkey, the United States and the European Union have designated the PKK as a terrorist group for its decades-long autonomy push against the Ankara government in Turkey's southeast.

Ankara was outraged by a U.S. decision in May to supply arms to the YPG in preparation for the Raqqa operation.

Turkey: 'We are protecting ourselves'

The Turkish government has said its recent military movements in northwest Syria are legitimate measures in response to attacks from the YPG forces in the Afrin region.

"This is not a declaration of war. We are making preparations against potential threats," Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus told the Reuters news agency on Wednesday. "It's ... a legitimate measure so that we can protect our independence. We cannot remain silent against those sending missiles from Afrin."

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also said on Wednesday that Turkey was ready to carry out ground operations against the YPG if needed.

"If there is a threat against us, our troops will conduct any operations with the Free Syrian Army on the ground," he told France 24 television.

Turkish artillery has pounded YPG positions in northern Syria several times in the past. To counter the YPG's growing influence and prevent its aspirations for Kurdish autonomy in Syria, Turkey also has supported efforts by several Arab and Turkmen militia groups, part of the rebel Free Syrian Army (FSA), to gain control of a large swath of land in northern Syria.

Kurdish officials say recent Turkish attacks are coming in support of plans by FSA opposition groups to control Afrin.

The YPG has not disclosed whether it suffered casualties from the Turkish shelling, but sources in the Afrin region told VOA that three civilians had been killed and dozens more wounded in the attacks.

Khalil Sabry, an administrator at a hospital in Afrin, told VOA that dozens of civilians from villages situated along the Turkish border had been hospitalized with injuries suffered in the attacks.

"We had to call on civilians to donate blood as the number of injured civilians increased on Tuesday," Sabry added.

One woman, 47, and her two children, 14 and 12, died from the overnight shelling on Tuesday, he said.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an activist-run monitoring group, also confirmed that Tuesday's attacks had hit more than a dozen villages in the region.

The casualties prompted thousands of people to march on streets of Afrin on Wednesday, condemning the attacks and pleading for international intervention.

U.S. perspective

In the past, the U.S. has intervened to ease tensions between its two allies when conflict started to surge. The U.S. military began patrolling along the Turkey-Syria border in April to prevent direct confrontations between the two sides.

U.S. officials say their focus is on defeating IS in Syria and Iraq, and that they expect their allies to all be on the same page. The U.S. says it expects transparency over possible Turkish incursions in the region.

"Our position with regard to that has been fairly consistent with Turkey, which is that the fight in Syria is a complicated one and we need to be in very, very close coordination with our allies, including with Turkey, in terms of what happens there," a senior U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity because of government protocols, said in a news briefing Wednesday about U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson's visit to Istanbul on July 9.

The official said the U.S. wants to remain in close contact with Turkey on developments in northern Syria and "reinforce our message to them that any action that they take or we take needs to be done in full transparency with the rest of the coalition to make sure that there are no surprises, and that we're working toward the same goal."

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EU tells Erdogan to cancel constitutional overhaul

Iran Press TV

Thu Jul 6, 2017 1:10PM

Europe has advised Turkey to cancel a proposed overhaul of its constitution or forfeit its request to join the European Union (EU).

The European Parliament "calls on the Commission and the member states, in accordance with the Negotiating Framework, to formally suspend the accession negotiations with Turkey without delay if the constitutional reform package is implemented unchanged," the EU stated on Thursday.

Turkey rejected the EU's demand to stop the constitutional overhaul as unacceptable, questioning its rationality.

Turkey rejects any proposals to drop European Union accession talks, said Turkish EU Affairs Minister Omer Celik said on Thursday.

Celik said it was wrong for EU lawmakers to call for the suspension of Turkey's membership talks, adding demands of this nature would be answered "with the back of our hand".

"Europe displaying inappropriate behavior towards Turkey is not a situation we can accept," said Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus.

Turkey held a referendum on changes in the constitution in April, expanding the powers of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

President Erdogan says the constitutional overhaul is needed to ensure stability in Turkey.

Opposition parties and human rights groups, however, say the constitutional reforms threaten judicial independence and push Turkey towards a one-man leadership.

EU leaders have sided with the opposition on the matter, criticizing Erdogan over the overhaul, as well as his government's harsh crackdown on its opponents after a failed coup attempt against Ankara.

Turkey has been critical of the EU's stance and expressed resentment against President Erdogan. "Being against our President Erdogan is also not a rational stance from Europe," said Kurtulmus.

Kurtulmus pointed out that the Turks will run their country as they deem appropriate, and in regard to the EU accession, the onus was upon the Europeans to decide.

"Europe must decide... Do they really want to enlarge?" he asked.

In the meantime, EU leaders are reluctant to exert much pressure on Ankara, fearing to undermine an agreement struck last year whereby Turkey effectively stopped refugees headed to Europe.

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Turkish Police Detain Rights Activists; EU Parliament Advises Suspension On Accession Talks

July 06, 2017

Amnesty International says Turkish police have detained the group's director in Turkey along with other human rights activists.

The nongovernmental rights group says its Turkey director, Idil Eser, was detained on July 5 along with activists and trainers during a "digital security and information management workshop" near Istanbul.

Turkey's Hurriyet daily reports that 12 people were arrested during a police raid at a hotel on the Buyukada Island retreat.

There was no immediate comment from Turkish police or any indication of what the rights activists were accused of.

Amnesty International Secretary-General Salil Shetty said the group is "profoundly disturbed and outraged that some of Turkey's leading human rights defenders, including the director of Amnesty International Turkey, should have been detained so blatantly without cause."

Shetty said the activists should be "immediately and unconditionally released."

Their whereabouts were not known.

The detentions come less than a month after Amnesty International's Turkey chair, Taner Kilic, was remanded in custody on what the group described as "baseless charges" of having ties to Fethullah Gulen, the alleged mastermind of Turkey's failed July 15, 2016, coup.

Meanwhile, the European Parliament has advised the European Union to formally suspend accession talks with Turkey amid growing concerns over human rights and rule of law.

The parliament voted 477-64 with 97 abstentions on July 6 to approve a nonbinding report recommending the suspension of talks following Turkey's referendum in April that approved constitutional amendments to give the president sweeping new powers.

The parliament called on the EU's 28 member states to formally suspend the talks "without delay" if the constitutional reforms are implemented without change by Ankara.

Omer Celik, the Turkish minister in charge of relations with the bloc, said the report was "geared toward sabotaging relations."

Tensions between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the EU have been high because of European concerns that he was trampling on rights and punishing opponents in a clampdown after a failed coup attempt against him in July 2016.

Based on reporting by AP, dpa, AFP and Hurriyet

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/turkey-amnesty-international- director-activists-detained/28599652.html

Copyright (c) 2017. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Turkey's Opposition Leader on Long March for Justice

By Dorian Jones July 06, 2017

On Day 20 of his "March for Justice" Kemal Kilicdaroglu still has a spring in his step. The 68-year-old leader of Turkey's Republican People's Party (CHP) has often been criticized for being an ineffectual opposition party leader. Now, Kilicdaroglu is galvanizing opposition to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his year-long crackdown on dissent following last July's failed coup.

"This march has already made a difference, said Volkan Yosunlu, who like so many got up in the early hours of the morning to travel from Istanbul to join the march. "For 20 days, tens of thousands of people walking together proclaiming the same message of justice is a reflection of a growing awareness and something positive is really emerging out of this," said Yosunlu.

Marchers' spirits high

"Adalet" means justice, and that is the simple message marchers carry on banners, placards and t-shirts. Marchers say they are trying to reach across the political divide bring attention to the thousands of people who have been jailed and lost jobs in Erdogan's post-coup crackdown.

"There are deputies arrested, there are many journalists arrested. Also the academics. Also the education system fell apart," claims Zeynep Altiok CHP deputy leader as she walks towards Istanbul flanked by cheering fellow marchers. "The judiciary system is also very much under pressure. So all this together, from different levels of society everybody feels it for them right now, everybody feels for justice, everybody seeks for justice."

Erdogan blasts marchers

President Erdogan accuses the marchers of treason and of collaborating with terror groups.

"You are launching a march for terrorists and for their supporters," Erdogan bellowed on Sunday. "You have never thought about marching against terrorist groups, you can convince no one that your aim is justice."

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has even suggested the march could be a second coup attempt against him.

March picks up steam

Despite such rhetoric the march goes on, and continues to pick up more supporters along the way. The growing success of the march is putting Erdogan in a difficult situation.

"There is really not much Erdogan can really do," points out Semih Idiz political columnist of Al Monitor website. "He knows if he prevents it, then the issue grows even larger, the interest it attracts, would grow not just in Turkey but internationally. So he is in a dilemma here, no doubt about. It seems to be almost a prelude to something else. Now people don't know what this will be prelude too, but there is this feeling that will be a prelude of sorts to something else," added Idiz.

Many passing cars and trucks sound car horns in support, while people line the road to applaud.

"People are really giving big support to us," this woman marcher says, "They wave at us, they kiss us and wish us the best, they hug us with love, they get tears in their eyes. They say 'May god Help you." She adds, "We have seen incredible support from the people. We got some negative reaction too, but mostly it was positive."

Erdogan still strong

Erdogan still enjoys considerable backing in the country. On the march route, his supporters blast his campaign song and display a four-finger sign, symbolizing support for the president.

Political divisions in Turkey will likely deepen as more people join the march. Kilicdarolgu worries about such tensions, but insists they are committed to peaceful resistance. "We have never been and we will never be in favor of violence. They tried to force us to show violent behaviors, they tried to provoke us, but we never, ever responded," he said.

Kilicdaroglu is calling for greater police protection for the march. The march is scheduled to arrive Sunday in Istanbul.

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Prime Minister of Ukraine Volodymyr Groysman believes that it would be possible to get most from the interaction with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) through to the launch of a new cooperation program.

"If you ask me, as prime minister, would I like to launch a new program and hold a dialogue on a new program? Yes, I would like and would consider this to be the most efficient way to create an action plan for our work," the prime minister said during the Dragon Capital investment conference in London on Friday, responding to a question about the revision of the cooperation program with the IMF.

At the same time, Groysman stressed Ukraine needs to comply with the commitments it has taken under the current cooperation program.
Taipei, Taiwan, July 07, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- At Taiwan Cloud Expo of Computex Taipei 2017, Chief Telecoms exhibition of its Chief App Cloud service drew a great deal of attention and was highly rated. The recent success of Chief Telecom at Computex Taipei evidences the event is effective in international business matchmaking to help bring in many business opportunities to Taiwan companies. Chief Telecom appreciated the invitations from the Industrial Development Bureau and Taipei Computer Association



Chief Telecom hopes its comprehensive made-in-Taiwan solutions can be a good precedent to promote cooperation among different companies to together develop the cloud-based economy, accelerate the internationalization of locally developed cloud applications, and enable turnkey exports for overseas market expansion, said Johnny Liu, President of Chief Telecom. Our exhibition at Taiwan Cloud Expo of Computex Taipei 2017 has successful showcased to the world the genuine strengths of our cloud service, and we are grateful to the meticulous planning and implementation of Taiwan Cloud Expo to demonstrate the competitiveness of Taiwans digital economy to the world.

As a trendsetter actively engaging in telecommunications innovation, Chief Telecom became listed on the Taipei Exchange on June 28 this year. Because of Chief Telecoms neutral data center role in the telecommunications industry and its customers clustering effect, the companys internet data center (IDC) service is a top choice of local and overseas telecommunications carriers, submarine cable leasing services, and international internet service carriers in Taiwan. Chief Telecom is not only an important Taipei submarine Cable eXchange center (TPCX) in East Asia but also the Taipei Internet eXchange (TPIX) with the highest number of members as well as the highest internet traffic in Taiwan.

In order to continue strengthening its TPIX and promoting the cloud-based digital economy, Chief Telecom is taking a series of initiatives including partnering with domestic and overseas internet leaders such as Google, Yahoo, and Cisco to help organize the Taiwan Peering Forum (TPF) on August 7, 2017. The TPF is intended to bring in overseas experiences in exchange centers, enable in-depth sharing with relevant Taiwan companies, and help create more business opportunities. Participation in the TPF is completely free of charge in order to encourage attendance. For more details about the TPF, please visit http://tpf2017.tpix.net.tw/en/index.php .

About Taipei Computer Association (TCA)

One of the organizers of COMPUTEX TAIPEI and the largest industrial organization in Taiwan. Established in 1974, TCA has nearly 4,000 corporation members engaged in fields such as software, hardware, and network communication service. The current Chairman is Mr. Tung Tsu-hsien, who is also the Chairman of Pegatron Corp.

About Chief

Chief Telecom, the leading brand of VPN service provider in Greater China, was established in January 1991. Chief went through its growth period in three total different phases, from the role of a system integrator at the early stage in 1991, to the largest telecommunications bandwidth wholesaler in Taiwan in 1996, and then a special Type II operator of telecommunication center in 2000.

In 2006, Chunghwa Telecom (CHT), the largest telecom service provider in Taiwan, acquired more than 70% shares of Chief Telecom. In 2008, Chief cooperated with Microsoft to provide Windows Live IP calling service on Windows Live Messenger platform.

With carrier-neutral position, Chief's partners not only can freely select circuits from any of domestic and/or international carriers to satisfy their connectivity needs to Greater China and/or other countries, but also can count on Chief to differentiate their services in highly competitive market.

More information, please visit: http://www.chief.com.tw/dispPageBox/hp.aspx?ddsPageID=ENINDEX




A Danville man pleaded guilty Thursday in federal court to aiding in the preparation of a false tax return.

According to documents filed with the court, Timothy Harris, 49, owned and operated TNA Tax Services and TNT Tax Services in Danville and Rocky Mount, according to a news release from the Department of Justice.

Harris admitted he used these businesses to prepare false tax returns for clients that claimed bogus business losses in order to seek refunds, according to Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Departments Tax Division and Acting U.S. Attorney Rick A. Mountcastle for the Western District of Virginia.

After the IRS revoked Harriss electronic filing identification number in December 2012, he used another persons number to continue filing tax returns, according to the release. Harris admitted his fraudulent conduct caused a tax loss of more than $250,000.

Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 24. Harris faces a statutory maximum sentence of three years in prison, a term of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties.
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwired - Jul 6, 2017) - HAWKEYE Gold & Diamond Inc. (the "Company" or "HAWKEYE") (TSX VENTURE:HAWK)(FRANKFURT:HGT) (ISIN: CA42016R3027) (WKN: A12A61) is pleased to announce it has amended its Sale and Purchase Agreement (SAPA) with the vendor of the 2 Aces Project (the "Property) to acquire, for staking costs, a 100% interest in an additional 332-hectares within the 2 Aces' Area of Interest. The Property, now totaling 5,374-hectares, situated approximately 30 kilometres south-southeast of the Town of Barkerville, BC, Canada, includes claims on the north and south shore of Cariboo Lake and is located contiguous to both the western boundary of HAWKEYE's 2 Aces property and Barkerville Gold Mines' ("BGM") claims to the north and west. The Property lies within the southeasterly-striking Snowshoe Group of the Barkerville Terrane. This is the geological formation that hosts Barkerville Gold Mines' ("BGM") current gold mine development sites, including Island Mountain, Cow Mountain and Bonanza Ledge, and exploration projects, and also underlies a number of historic to recent placer gold claims.

About the Barkerville-Cariboo District and BGM

Placer gold was discovered and mined in the Cariboo Lake area along a number of drainages including Keithley, Snowshoe, Simlock and Harvey's Creeks starting in 1860. The town of Barkerville became established as the centre of the historic Cariboo gold rush following the 1861-1862 discoveries to the north on Lightning Creek, Williams Creek and the surrounding area. The recorded production estimate from 1861-1987 reported more than 5,000,000 ounces of gold which included 3,800,000 ounces from placer operations and 1,230,000 ounces from lode mining. Recently, BGM, the current principal property holder in the district, announced resource definition on lode gold projects and large exploration programs focused along the Cariboo Break, a structural corridor aligned with the principal NW to SE-directed high strain zones in the Barkerville Terrane. BGM has eight (8) drills conducting a 130,000 metre drill program in 2017 and continues to release positive results.

Message from the President

Mr. Greg Neeld, President & CEO states, "HAWKEYE continues to generate its portfolio of properties in the Barkerville-Cariboo gold district. The acquisitions place HAWKEYE in a historical mining centre continuously productive for more than 150 years and with recent exploration successes and ongoing mine development activity. Our land position now has increased to 11,069 hectares and we intend to acquire additional claims in the Barkerville area. The Company has procured the Property based on its favourable location and regional geological features on strike with the Cariboo Break which transects many known lode gold projects, and past-producing lode and placer gold mines. BGM is drilling 250,000 metres within two years and its success identifying greenfield drill targets points to increased potential and opportunity within the Barkerville-Cariboo gold district. We look forward to implementing our exploration program on the Property."

The 2 Aces Project

The 2 Aces Project is situated six (6) kilometres south of the historical Cariboo Hudson Mine between the north shore of Cariboo Lake and the north arm of Quesnel Lake within the Late Proterozoic to Paleozoic Snowshoe Group of the Barkerville Terrane. The principal successions of the Snowshoe Group are comprised of siltstone, quartzite, conglomerate, and sandstone with lesser volcanics, black slate and limestone, which have undergone multi-stage deformation with penetrative fabrics and regional metamorphism ranging from lower greenschist (chlorite) to locally amphibolite (garnet-staurolite) grade.

The lithologies are characterized by moderate to steeply dipping, southeasterly striking, locally overturned folds with northwesterly shear zones and plunging lineations, regional southeasterly striking thrust faults and later faulting along a general north-northeast direction. The principal mineralization is associated with high strain zones and parallels magnetic features from regional and detailed airborne geophysics tracing from northwest of Barkerville to the southeast through the Property. Gold mineralization typically is associated with quartz veins, iron carbonate (ankerite), and pyrite cutting amenable metasedimentary units of greenschist grade.

The Property contains favorable geological units overprinted by extensive deformation on strike with a known corridor of gold mineralization.

Previous work on the Property included geological mapping, airborne geophysics, and reconnaissance soil and stream geochemistry surveys. The Property exhibits geochemical anomalies for gold, arsenic and base metals.

Amended Agreement Details

The 2 Aces Property acquisition, including six original and three new claims, is subject to a $12,000.00 cash payment and the issuance of 50,000 shares and a further 250,000 share issuance should the project proceed to a pre-feasibility study. The acquisition is not subject to an NSR. The Sale and Purchase Agreement between HAWKEYE and the Vendor is subject to TSX approval.

HAWKEYE has a right of first refusal on certain other properties controlled by the Vendor within the historical Barkerville-Cariboo district.

Qualified Person

Greg Davison, M.Sc., P.Geo., Senior Technical Advisor to HAWKEYE is the Company's designated Qualified Person within the meaning of National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101"). Mr. Davison has prepared, reviewed and validated that the technical information contained within this release is accurate.

About HAWKEYE

HAWKEYE Gold & Diamond Inc. is a junior mineral exploration and development company based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada and is publicly traded on the TSX Venture Exchange under the trading symbol HAWK and the Frankfurt Exchange under the ticker HGT; ISIN# CA42016R3027 and WKN# A12A61. HAWKEYE's corporate mandate is to build strong asset growth and shareholder value through the acquisition of low-cost, high-potential cash flow and production opportunities with blue sky discovery potential, and to manage our business in an environmentally responsible manner while contributing to the local community and economy.

HAWKEYE GOLD & DIAMOND INC.

Per:

"Greg Neeld"

President & CEO

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Cautionary Notes Regarding Forward Looking Statements

This News Release contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that relate to future events. These statements are only predictions and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our or our industry's actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. While these forward-looking statements, and any assumptions upon which they are based, are made in good faith and reflect our current judgment regarding the direction of our industry, actual results will almost always vary, sometimes materially, from any estimates, predictions, projections, assumptions or other future performance suggested herein. Except as required by applicable law, the Company does not intend to update any of the forward-looking statements to conform these statements to actual results.

Issued: 17,875,897 shares
The State Enforcement Service has written off UAH 4 million more from accounts of Sanofi Avensis Ukraine LLC, part of global Sanofi group, in favor of fraudsters, and the amount written off by the authority totaled near UAH 46 million, Sanofi said in a statement.

"Another attack on the financial assets of the Ukrainian branch of the international pharmaceutical company took place because of the actions of the enforcement service, whose representatives collected funds worth more than what is indicated in the court decision, to which they refer," the company said.

Sanofi Avensis Ukraine said that "the brutal illegal seizure attack continues despite the complaint filed with the Supreme Council of Justice, the criminal proceedings initiated over the committed fraudulent actions, numerous appeals of the company to the Ministry of Justice and other authorized bodies and senior officials."

Sanofi-Aventis Ukraine said that it continues to take all legal measures to protect its rights and prevent the transfer of stolen funds to scammers' accounts and bring those responsible to justice in accordance with Ukrainian legislation.

In addition, Sanofi-Avensis Ukraine is considering the possibility of addressing international mechanisms for protecting the rights of foreign investors.

"The lack of adequate protection of our rights may adversely affect the further plans of the Sanofi Group to develop business in Ukraine," the company said.
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwired - Jul 7, 2017) - Orca Gold Inc. (TSX VENTURE:ORG) ("Orca" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that further to the Company's May 30th news release disclosing the results of the Revised Preliminary Economic Assessment ("Revised PEA") of the Block 14 Gold Project in the Republic of the Sudan, the supporting NI 43-101 Technical Report has now been filed and is available on the Company's website and on www.SEDAR.com.

Highlights of the Revised PEA on a 100% Basis

The Revised PEA is based on contract mining with material treated at Galat Sufar South ("GSS") through a 3.4 Mtpa standard carbon-in-leach ("CIL") processing plant. Process water will be supplied from a bore-field 85 km south west of GSS where the Company has discovered a new and extensive water resource in a Nubian sandstone aquifer system (see Company News Release dated May 30, 2017). Using a gold price of US$ 1,100/oz for mine design, and US$ 1,200/oz for economic analysis, highlights of the Revised PEA include:

Pre-tax NPV 7% of US$ 278.2 million and an IRR of 26.5% (+78% from Jul '16 PEA);

of US$ 278.2 million and an IRR of 26.5% (+78% from Jul '16 PEA); After-tax NPV 7% of US$ 227.7 million and an IRR of 23.1%;

of US$ 227.7 million and an IRR of 23.1%; In-pit mineral resources comprising 41.0Mt grading 1.46g/t for 1,928 Koz (+57% from Jul '16 PEA) in the Indicated category and 3.4Mt grading 1.56g/t for 173 Koz (+25% from Jul '16 PEA) in the Inferred category;

92% of the in-pit mineral resource is in the Indicated category, the balance of which, 8%, is in Inferred;

1,630 Koz of gold produced from Indicated resources and 147 Koz produced from Inferred resources over the life of mine ("LOM");

Mine life of 13.2 years with average annual LOM production of 135,000 ounces of gold;

Average annual production in years 1-5 of 146,000 ounces of gold;

Average gold recovery of 84.5%;

Cash costs of US$ 701/oz for LOM;

All-in sustaining costs of US$ 752/oz for LOM;

Pre-production capital costs of US$ 211 million (including a 25% contingency);

Sustaining capital costs of US$ 92 million; and

Payback period of 3.0 years, after-tax, from commencement of production.

Sensitivity Analysis Gold Price (US$/oz) 1,100 1,200 1,300 1,400 Silver Price (US$/oz) 15.71 17.14 18.57 20.00 Pre-tax NPV 7% (US$ millions) 177.0 278.2 379.4 480.7 After-tax NPV 7% (US$ millions) 141.7 227.7 313.7 399.8 Pre-tax IRR (%) 20.2 26.5 32.3 37.6 After-tax IRR (%) 17.6 23.1 28.2 32.9

Based on the very positive conclusions of the Revised PEA, the Company has commenced a Feasibility Study on Block 14, scheduled for completion in Q1 2018.

About Orca Gold Inc.

Orca Gold Inc. (TSX VENTURE:ORG) is a Canadian resource company focused on exploration opportunities in Africa. Our flagship asset is the 70%-owned Block 14 Gold Project in the Republic of the Sudan. Block 14 is situated on a 2,170 km2 concession. Orca has advanced the project from discovery to Feasibility Study stage within five years and plan to reach a construction decision by Q1 2018.

The technical contents of this release have been approved by Hugh Stuart, BSc, MSc, a Qualified Person pursuant to NI 43-101. Mr. Stuart is President of the Company and a Chartered Geologist and Fellow of the Geological Society of London.

On behalf of the Board of Directors:

Richard P. Clark, CEO and Director

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information

This press release contains forward-looking information and forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws, including statements regarding Orca's (the "Company", the "Corporation", "we" or "our") plans and expectations relating to the Block 14 project ("Block 14") in northern Sudan and the revised Preliminary Economic Assessment (the "Revised PEA") and Definitive Feasibility Study ("DFS") currently being completed and/or conducted by the Corporation. These statements relate to analyses and other information that are based on forecasts of future results, estimates of amounts not yet determinable and assumptions of management. Statements concerning mineral resource estimates may also be deemed to constitute "forward-looking statements" to the extent that they involve estimates of the mineralization that will be encountered if the property is developed. The assumptions, risk and uncertainties outlined below are non-exhaustive. Should one or more of these risks and uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results, performance or achievements of the Corporation, or industry results, may vary materially from those described in this press release.

Any statements that express or involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance (often, but not always, identified by words or phrases such as "expects", "anticipates", "believes", "plans", "projects", "estimates", "assumes", "intends", "strategy", "goals", "objectives", "potential", "possible" or variations thereof or stating that certain actions, events, conditions or results "may", "could", "would", "should", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved, or the negative of any of these terms and similar expressions) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements.

Forward-looking statements and forward-looking information are not guarantees of future performance and are based upon a number of estimates and assumptions of management at the date the statements are made including without limitation, assumptions about the following (the "Forward-Looking Factors"): future prices of gold and other metals; successful exploration, development, and production of Block 14; the timing and completion of the DFS; the timing and likelihood of a production decision; performance of contractual obligations by counterparties; operating conditions; political stability; obtaining governmental approvals and financing on time; financial projections and budgets; obtaining licenses and permits; government regulation of the Corporation's mining activities; environmental risks and expenses; market conditions; the securities market; price volatility of the Corporation's securities; currency exchange rates; foreign mining tax regimes; insurance and uninsured risks; financial projections and results; competition; availability of sufficient capital, infrastructure, equipment and labour; dependence on key personnel; dependence on outside parties; conflicts of interest; litigation; land title issues; local community issues; estimation of mineral resources; realization of mineral resources; timing and amount of estimated future production; the life of Block 14; reclamation obligations; changes in project parameters as plans continue to be evaluated; and anticipated costs and expenditures and our ability to achieve the Corporation's goals. While we consider these assumptions to be reasonable, the assumptions are inherently subject to significant business, social, economic, political, regulatory, competitive and other risks and uncertainties, and contingencies, many of which are based on factors and events that are not within the control of the Corporation and there is no assurance they will prove to be correct.

Forward-looking statements are subject to a variety of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ from those reflected in the forward-looking statements, including, without limitation known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors relating to the Forward-Looking Factors above, and those factors disclosed under the heading "Risk Factors" in the Corporation's documents filed from time to time with the securities regulators in the provinces of Canada.

In addition, a number of other factors could cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Corporation to differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking information, and there is no assurance that the actual results, performance or achievements of the Corporation will be consistent with them. For further details, reference is made to the risk factors discussed or referred to in the Corporation's annual and interim management's discussion and analyses on file with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities and available electronically on the SEDAR website at www.sedar.com. Although the Corporation has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events, results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements and forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause actions, events, results, performance or achievements not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements or information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Such forward-looking statements and information are made or given as at the date of this press release and the Corporation disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required under applicable securities law. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or forward-looking information.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
Tatneft trying to collect $144 mln from Ukraine in Ukrtatnafta case in U.S., UK

Russia's Tatneft has filed claims to U.S., British and Russian courts seeking to collect $144 million from Ukraine in the Ukrtatnafta case, the press service of Ukraine's Ministry of Justice has reported.

"Despite the fact that the case appealing the decision of the ad hoc arbitration tribunal is now being heard by the Court of Cassation of France, OAO Tatneft applied for recognition and enforcement of the arbitration award in three foreign jurisdictions: the Russian Federation, the United States and Britain," the ministry said.

The Ministry of Justice said that the attempt to collect in the Russian Federation failed. The Moscow Arbitration Court refused to accept the statement of Tatneft, recognizing that it has no effective jurisdiction in this case.
Eighteen states on Thursday sued Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, alleging she unlawfully delayed new federal regulations designed to protect student loan borrowers from being ripped off by for-profit colleges and other schools.The rules, which would have made it easier for students to have loans forgiven if they were defrauded or deceived, were developed by the Obama administration and had been set to take effect last Saturday.But last month DeVos delayed their implementation and launched an effort to rewrite them, arguing they were unfair to students and schools while putting taxpayers at risk for "significant costs."The suit, filed by attorneys general from 18 states plus the District of Columbia, said DeVos' move violated the Administrative Procedures Act because she did not satisfy the standards for a delay, and also failed to give the proper notice or offer the public time to comment.The suit also criticized DeVos for saying a reason for the delay was a pending legal challenge to the regulations by the California Association of Private Postsecondary Schools. The "reference to the pending litigation is a mere pretext for repealing the rule and replacing it with a new rule that will remove or dilute student rights and protections," the suit said.California Attorney General Xavier Becerra was among the officials, all Democrats, who filed the suit. Students shouldn't have to worry that "their American dream will be stolen by unscrupulous purveyors of a sham college education," he said."The Trump administration should do everything in its power to protect our students," Becerra said. "These regulations should be implemented because they're good for students and because that's what the law requires."The suit, led by Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey, was filed in U.S. District Court in Washington."These rules served as critical protections against predatory for-profit schools that exploit hard-working students _ students who are simply trying to invest in their own education and future," said New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, who also was among those filing the suit.A spokeswoman for DeVos did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday.The regulations, known as borrower defense to repayment, were developed after a series of high-profile collapses of for-profit chains such as Corinthian Colleges Inc. and ITT Technical Institute left thousands of students stranded.The rules were adopted in November and designed to streamline the loan-forgiveness process for students who have been defrauded or deceived.They were to have taken effect July 1 along with a new gainful employment rule that would have limited the amount of debt that students at career-training schools _ for-profit and not-for-profit _ could take out relative to the incomes they were expected to earn.Schools that exceeded the limits would risk losing their ability to offer federal student aid.The for-profit college industry strongly opposed the new rules. In May, the California Association of Private Postsecondary Schools filed a federal lawsuit to block the borrower defense rules from going into effect.Becerra and seven other state attorneys general, along with the District of Columbia, filed a motion to intervene in that suit, saying they wanted to make sure the regulations were adequately defended.On June 14, DeVos announced she was delaying the borrower defense and gainful employment rules as part of a "a regulatory reset."The Obama administration's efforts "missed an opportunity to get it right," she said.DeVos plans to hold two public hearings this month on the rules and said her aim is "to protect students from predatory practices while also providing clear, fair and balanced rules for colleges and universities to follow."She specifically cited the pending litigation against the borrower defense regulations as a reason for delaying those rules.
The Ohio House on Thursday handed Gov. John Kasich the first veto overrides of his administration, but it did not attempt to undo his veto of a budget provision to freeze enrollment in the Medicaid expansion he's fought to defend.Mr. Kasich had exercised his line-item veto authority 47 times last week before signing the $65 billion, two-year budget into law, and the chamber, sometimes with Republicans and Democrats working together, overrode 11 of them.One of the those overrides is designed to give counties and some public transit authorities six more years to prepare for the loss of more than $200 million a year in revenue from a now defunct tax.Other overrides affected Medicaid rates for providers and nursing homes, attempts to rein in Medicaid costs, and limits on the power of the quasi-legislative Ohio Controlling Board.The controlling board provisions are in direct reaction to Mr. Kasich's use of the board in late 2013 to use the panel to draw down billions of federal dollars to launch the Medicaid expansion over the objections of many of his own party in the General Assembly.But the most controversial Kasich veto, one in which he again thwarted fellow Republicans, will stand, at least for now. That provision would have required his administration to seek federal permission to freeze enrollment into the controversial Medicaid expansion.The Affordable Care Act currently pays 95 percent of the tab for those who earn up to 38 percent above the federal poverty level to qualify for government-supplied health coverage.If the federal waiver were granted, enrollment would have been frozen as of July 1, 2018. Anyone already in the program at that time would continue to be covered. But, with the exception of the mentally ill and addicted, no one else could enter the program after that date, and anyone who drops off because of eligibility issues that later change would not be able to re-enroll.The Kasich administration has suggested that 500,000 could ultimately lose coverage as a result. The program currently serves about 725,000, far more than was originally expected when the governor enacted the program three years ago.House Speaker Cliff Rosenberger (R., Clarksville) left the door open to revisit the issue in September. There is no firm deadline for action other than the end of the legislative session nearly a year and a half from now.He insisted he had the 60 votes for an override if he had brought it to a vote."At this juncture, we want to give the summer to let the federal government see if they're going to come to a conclusion in Congress before we take action moving forward with the freeze waiver request," he said.The chamber voted 87-10 to override the governor's veto of the General Assembly's managed-care tax replacement language.The federal government nixed the state's gimmick in which they used a sales tax on managed-care organizations doing business with Medicaid to raise state funds that were leveraged to draw down even greater federal funds to spend on Medicaid.The Kasich administration has replaced the tax with a new franchise fee on all managed-care companies, Medicaid and otherwise. That will take care of the state's $500 million-a-year revenue problem, but it doesn't provide a permanent solution for counties and public transit authorities that levy piggyback sales taxes.The General Assembly added a provision requiring the administration to seek federal permission to raise the amount of the fee for six years to continue replacement funds for the local entities. The Kasich administration had planned to provide partial replacement of the money for two years, but then those dollars would end."They have enjoyed the revenue for six years," Rep. Bill Seitz (R., Cincinnati) said. "They should enjoy the revenue for another six years...They will not get a full replacement..., but they will get substantial reimbursement if our request to the federal government is granted..."Our counties are the administrative arms of the state," he said. "We depend on them to provide local jails, the court system, the probation system, the job and family service system, the child support system, the indigent defense system. We cannot leave our partners in the dust."The sole negative vote from northwest Ohio belonged to Rep. Derek Merrin (R., Monclova Township).
Oleksandr Yaroslavsky, the owner and president of DCH group of companies, has announced the purchase of a 100% stake in INGO Ukraine insurance company (Kyiv).

"Some 100% of the shares have been bought. The shares are in the process of registration," Yaroslavsky told reporters in Kharkiv.

As reported, in May DCH completed formal procedures for closing a deal to purchase a 25% stake in INGO Ukraine insurer. Subsequently, DCH intended to increase its stake in the company to 100%.
Oklahoma City police are investigating an Uber driver's complaint that a state senator "made advances on her during transit," The Oklahoman has confirmed.Sen. Bryce Marlatt, R-Woodward, is accused of grabbing the driver forcefully and kissing her on the neck while she was driving late June 26.The driver reported she was assaulted on the Lake Hefner Parkway in Oklahoma City on the way to a hotel. She reported she later took the customer to The Pump Bar in Oklahoma City.The driver approached a police officer at a convenience store two days after the incident. She said she needed to file a police report. She told the officer she "wants to press charges."The victim was able to obtain basic information for the suspect "and was able to find a picture of him on the internet which she showed me," the officer wrote in a crime report.Marlatt has not been arrested and police detectives have not brought any paperwork on the investigation to prosecutors yet for a decision on whether a charge is warranted.Police on Wednesday released the crime report on the Uber driver's complaint but blacked out Marlatt's name and any information about his employment. Sources, though, confirmed he is the suspect in the sex crimes case.Marlatt, 40, is married, and he and his wife celebrated their 21st wedding anniversary earlier in June, records show. "Best wife in the history of the world," he wrote on Twitter. "Thanks for choosing me!"Marlatt did not respond Wednesday to requests for comment. Fellow senators were notified Wednesday by email that his grandfather had died and "he probably won't be able to be reached for the rest of the week.""What's been reported is not tolerated and has no place on the Uber app," an Uber spokeswoman said Wednesday. "We are working with the Oklahoma City Police Department and will provide any information to them that would be helpful for their ongoing investigation."Marlatt was arrested in December 2014 after he was found asleep and smelling of alcohol in his parked pickup on a road in Woodward County. He later pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor.Marlatt was first elected in 2008. He easily won re-election last year, defeating his only opponent in the Republican primary.The incident is the latest embarrassment involving the Oklahoma Legislature. Two other GOP senators resigned earlier this year after coming under criminal investigation, and a GOP representative quit because of a sexual harassment scandal.
Description

GIS - 07 July, 2017: The Mauritius Revenue Authority (MRA) launched its annual blood donation campaign this morning at its headquarters in Port Louis in the context of the activities marking its 11th anniversary this year. The blood donation will be replicated simultaneously in the various departments of the MRA namely, Customs House, Plaisance Air Transport Service, and Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport.

The Minister of Health and Quality of Life, Dr Anwar Husnoo who was present at the launching ceremony lauded the MRA for this initiative and recalled that the MRA is making its contribution to the Blood Bank for the eleventh time. He encouraged the organisation to pursue this social endeavour every year and appealed to other Government entities to adhere to this practice. Dr Husnoo further reassured that the blood supply in Mauritius is safe and that all blood collected goes through screenings and tests by the Ministry of Health and Quality of life. All the tests are in conformity to international standards, he said.

According to the Minister, the increase in the number of pints collected, that is from 31 000 in 2001 to 46 000 as at date, represents the contribution of less than 3% of the population. On that score, he made an appeal to the public to contribute to this generous action to ensure that the Blood Bank is adequately stocked .

The MRA Blood Donation is now an established feature regrouping all staff and stakeholders around the noble cause of donating ones blood. Over the past ten years, the MRA has collected some 6 250 pints of blood and has received the Best Organiser trophy from the Association of Blood Donation Organisers.
The Oregon Department of Motor Vehicles core software is so, so old. How old is it?So old it runs on COBOL , one of the earliest program languages to be written using English syntax and tied to the work of the same legendary programmer who coined the term bug. So old that users rely primarily on keyboards, not mouses, to navigate it. So old it predates Ronald Reagans presidency and the 1984 birth of Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg.Lauren Mulligan, a spokesperson for the Oregon Department of Transportation, compared it to the classic computer game  Oregon Trail , with green-on-black text and blocky, blinking cursors.Its so outdated that they dont even teach it anymore, generally, in computer programming, Mulligan said. So  [finding] employees in the future to be able to maintain the system is a problem.In fact, they wont have to. After at least four decades  maybe five  the department is finally upgrading its driver and vehicle software systems. For that, the DMV has chosen FAST Enterprises  DS-VS commercial-off-the-shelf product.Its a massive, expensive undertaking for the department, and it will mean big changes in the way it does business. According to an ODOT press release, the 10-year contract is worth $69.4 million and is part of a larger transformation program that will also involve a lot of staff training and work to create more efficient business processes. The implementation itself will be a multi-year process, with the department expecting to do initial rollouts in 2019.Were really taking a holistic view of the program and making sure our employees are supported throughout the process because a lot of their jobs are changing, Mulligan said.That was one lesson the state took away from its preparation for the software procurement, which involved both a request for information and conversations with other states who were going through similar software modernizations. Employee training is especially important, given that even the longest-lasting DMV employees have probably been using the COBOL-based software their entire careers.Another result of that preparation was that ODOT walked away with a preference for pre-baked software, as opposed to highly customizable systems. And thats exactly how FAST built the solution ODOT is buying  DS-VS offers configuration in lieu of a code-heavy back end. So if and when ODOT wants to make changes, it shouldnt take a ton of technical expertise to do it.The modernization will mean that the Oregon DMV will have an integrated system for both drivers and vehicles, where before they were separate. An employee at the counter will be able to see that the driver theyre talking to has multiple vehicle registrations, for example.But its larger than that. The new system will give ODOT the ability to put more services online, Mulligan said  though that will take some extra work.Ideally by expanding online services in the future, folks will be able to skip the line anyway and just be able to handle their business from home or the phone or anywhere theyre at, she said.
As the votes were tallied in November and it became clear that Donald Trump was the nations next president, Noah Kunin wrote a blog post titled,  Why Im staying at 18F. On July 5, Kunin wrote another post, this one entitled, Why Im leaving 18F.

Kunin, 18Fs infrastructure director, made the reason for this total shift clear: He was leaving because of the administration of President Donald Trump.

Kunin has been with 18F since 2014, when the Obama-era agency was created to be what was essentially a tech startup within our federal government, a valuable consultancy for other agencies and, later, for state governments as well. In Kunins first post, he wrote of compartmentalizing his personal politics in order to keep using his talents to improve government tech, which would ultimately better the lives of real people.

My oath to this country was not to a particular office, or person, and certainly not to a political party. It was to the Constitution and to the people, wrote Kunin in November.

His post, and others like it, surely provided reassurance to many in the civic tech community, where a mixture of fear and occasional cautious hope took hold in the weeks after Trumps election. Kunins first post was short, to the point; his second, however, was detailed and lengthy, filled with pontificating and anecdotes, and a real sense that the technologist who wrote it was grappling with a difficult decision.

While Kunins reasoning was nuanced, he did point to two specific recent developments as directly responsible for his coming departure: former FBI Director James Comeys testimony that Trump had repeatedly asked him for personal loyalty, and the reorganization of 18F via administrative order into the General Service Administrations Federal Acquisition Service , a move that Kunin says resulted in the group being told that it was now under the leadership of the Commissioner of the Federal Acquisition Service, a person appointed directly by the White House.

Every day he remains in office, civil servants have to ask themselves if political appointees are being given their positions due to merit, or to personal loyalty to Trump, or someone else in the Administration, Kunin wrote. That creates a creeping rot, an institutional mistrust even of those appointees who are getting their positions based on merit. Legions of government employees, both politically appointed and otherwise, constantly act in accordance with their values of honesty, courage and compassion, just to name a few. Trump is setting a standard that threatens to poison those values for years to come.

In March, 18F Deputy Executive Director Hillary Hartley also departed  nearly a month before her term was set to end, leaving the group for Canada, where she is helping to form the Ontario Digital Service

Georgia Advises State Agencies on Online Content Strategy Practices

Georgias state government has rolled out a guidance plan aimed at helping its many agencies create better online content, complete with an accompanying series of content strategy certification courses.

The state government laid out the steps in a blog by Kendra Skeene, who oversees Georgias enterprise Web platform, titled, Putting Our Best Face Forward: Business Case for Content Strategy. The central aim of the post was to show state agencies how to take control of their online content, integrating strategy into their daily business.

Some of the advice in the blog included: adding content to strategic visions, making sure the right people are on the job, educating those people, and finally empowering them to succeed. Skeene emphasized that adding content to agency's strategic vision was a vital first step that made the others possible. In addition, she pointed members of state agencies to content strategy certification courses being offered by GeorgiaGov Interactive

Pittsburgh Rolls Out Online Database of For-Sale City Properties

Pittsburgh has launched a new database that contains online records of all city properties that are up for sale, announcing the move in a press release that notes for years there was no such list available to the public.

Pittsburgh is offering the info through a new website from its Department of Finance, which was constructed with help from the Department of Innovation and Performance. With this site, users can view all currently available properties on an online map, or they can search for them by street name or parcel number.

Since the early 1990s I have wanted to display the citys tax and property information on a visual basis," said Finance Director Paul Leger in the press release. "This administration has taken the first big step to getting that done and we will continue this process until all data from the department will be available visually as well as textually. Its a dream come true and a real convenience for anybody looking to purchase city property.

The visualization is part of an evolving trend sweeping through the open data practices in many major cities, wherein public-sector innovators and data scientists are working to make the info they release easier for average citizens to access, process and ultimately understand.

Pittsburgh officials also noted that improvements are planned for the for-sale site, one of which will be an online application to purchase. Pittsburgh also recently announced that many city permits can now be secured online and with credit cards

Naperville, Ill., Launches New Open Data Portal

Naperville, Ill., one of Chicagos largest suburbs, has launched a new open data portal that gives the public easy online access to police incident reports, the salaries of public servants and many other data sets.

Open Data Naperville breaks its data sets up into four categories, including financial stability, economic development, public safety and high-performing government. Mirroring a trend seen recently throughout government, it also uses interactive maps to make its data easier for residents to understand and benefit from.

In addition, the site contains links to agendas, videos and related documents associated with Napervilles City Council, boards and commissions. It also contains the results of a citizen satisfaction survey conducted in 2016 to collect feedback on public works, transportation, public safety, utility services and public information practices.Open Data Naperville is powered by Socrata , a prominent company in the public-sector data solutions space.
(TNS) -- DELPHI, Ind. -- A trail task force has launched a crowdfunding campaign to fund safety improvements to the Delphi Historic Trails system, including trail cameras, more lights and other upgrades.The campaign, sponsored by the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority (IHCDA) and offered through the crowdfunding platform developed by Patronicity, is being run by the Caroll County Wabash and Erie Canal Inc., a local nonprofit."It is inspiring to see the response Delphi citizens and officials have had to the tragic murders of Abby Williams and Libby German earlier this year," said Lt. Governor Suzanne Crouch, who chairs the IHCDA Board, in a press release issued Wednesday. "This project will make the historic trail system safer and renew a sense of security for residents and visitors of Delphi."If the campaign reaches its crowdfunding goal of $50,000 by Aug. 30, the Delphi Historic Trails Safety and Security project will receive a matching grant from IHCDA's CreatINg Places program.As a community we will not stand idle on the importance of safety for our trails," said Jacob Adams, Director of Community Development for the City of Delphi. "We plan to set the precedence for trail safety for every community moving forward."After months of planning, the Delphi task force has identified several safety improvements that can be installed along the trails. Lighting, cameras, informational kiosks, and public wi-fi will all be installed at certain points along the trails, and access to Freedom Bridge Plaza and Bicentennial Plaza will be improved.Additionally, trail markers will be erected at every tenth of a mile along the trails so local Emergency Services can have more precise information on where 911 callers are and how to best reach them. An endowment fund will also be supported at the Carroll County Community Foundation to provide for long-term maintenance of the trail safety measures.CreatINg Places employs a donation and reward-based method of crowdfunding called crowdgranting. In crowdgranting, citizens actively support projects and activities through web-based donations which, if the fundraising goal is reached within a set time, are matched by a sponsor.Since the program began, 13 projects have been launched and raised in excess of $400,000 in public funds. 11 of these campaigns have met their their fundraising goal and therefore were awarded matching funds from IHCDA. The other two projects remain open.The CreatINg Places program is available to projects located in Indiana communities or neighborhoods which contain a traditional downtown or traditional neighborhood commercial node. Non-profit entities (with 501c3 or 501c4 status) and Local Units of Government are eligible to apply.Eligible projects must have a minimum total development cost of $10,000, where the recipient will receive $5,000 in IHCDA matching funds should they successfully raise $5,000 through Patronicity. IHCDA will provide matching grant funds up to $50,000 per project.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) went live in late 2016 with its collaborative emergency planning tool MARP  the Mutual Aid Resource Planner. Less than a year into the effort, DHS reports MARP is gaining traction.Emergency planners in Michigan and Ontario, Canada, have used the tool to develop cross-border mutual aid plans. New Orleans officials have employed MARP during Flood Apex resiliency experiments.The tool allows us to go through all of our scenarios, to figure out targets and resource needs for tornado, hazmat, pandemic scenarios, said Brandon Lewis, program coordinator for the Detroit/Southeast Michigan Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI). It tracks your resource needs versus what you currently have available and it identifies your gaps.While emergency managers have many tools at their disposal for collaborative planning with adjacent communities, DHS says MARP differs from most others in that it is intrinsically tied to geospatial data.As an Esri ArcGIS Online configurable template, MARP can take in city and county data on emergency resources as a function of place: Planners know not just how many fire trucks may be available, but also where they typically reside, for example.Because ArcGIS typically incorporates data from across the civic spectrum, it can serve as a broad-based planning platform. It provides a foundational capability where different mission applications can reside and share information with each other, said Chris McIntosh, who leads Public Safety at Esri.In a hurricane response, you might have the chief of operations, the mayor, the emergency planner. The application shares information with all the players in the ecosystem, so you are not building stovepipes. You are building a collaborative environment, McIntosh said.DHS vision for MARP goes further, extending collaboration beyond the individual jurisdiction to drive more effective communications between cities, counties and regional authorities.Under MARP, all those users would all be connected. They would enter in their available resources and compare their unmet needs, said DHS S&T First Responders Group (FRG) Program Manager Ron Langhelm. Such cross-jurisdictional efforts could enhance efficiencies, especially in times of crisis. If one fire department has a surplus of resources, this helps to ensure those resources are requested and allocated by other fire departments in the proper manner, so you dont get four people all thinking they are going to get the same resources.Of course, this kind of collaborative planning goes on all the time in emergency management. While DHS reports at least 400 people have looked at the MARP application since it went live, the agency does not track actual user numbers, and some in the EM community are skeptical.Honestly it is just another system in a field that has dozens of systems already, said Michael Bunner, director of emergency services in Warren County, Ohio. I just dont have capacity for another one.DHS officials acknowledge there are other planning tools available, but they say MARP takes the practice to a new level.Langhelm describes a not-uncommon scenario in which jurisdictions collaborate to plan for a wildfire. Its a good plan but it is static, a paper document that doesnt reflect real-world changes.Now, with an evacuation, you may have a destination, you may have done the legwork to make sure those facilities are able to receive those evacuees, he said. But if all you have done is identify places to go and you have had no conversations beyond that, then you get evacuees arriving to a destination and the building is locked.Likewise, he suggested, a typical plan might go into pretty good detail about the number of trucks that are available, but without a geospatial component, planners might fail to take into account the availability of any given transportation corridor. Conventional plans can miss geographically dependent details.Along the same lines, a conventional mutual aid agreement may overlook critical details on the human side. If you request a fire truck, you need a system that will make sure it shows up with the people to run the truck and make that a reality. You dont want to get a shipment of bulldozers and not have any drivers to operate them, Langhelm said.His point is simply this: Conventional methodologies cant cover all the bases the way a geospatial-based, online system can.In Detroits UASI, Lewis said his experience with MARP so far has confirmed this assertion.On the one hand, MARP gives him a new level of transparency into the assets of other nearby jurisdictions. I can see our regional resources, and I can see what the counties bring to the table, he said.Beyond just assets, though, Lewis said MARP gives him visibility into the methodology of other nearby planning authorities  something he never had before. Sometimes as planners we get locked into our own preferred way of doing things. It can be nice to see what other people are doing, to see into their methodology, he said. MARP can help me to see some angle I hadnt considered before.MARP can do this only if users are willing to devote the time and effort to uploading their data. DHS officials caution this may be a heavy burden for some, depending on the degree to which a jurisdictions information already exists in digital format.It does require the user base to bring in their resources and make them available. That may mean importing them from an Excel list, or opening them up from another database. It is completely dependent on the user's ability to make that information available, Langhelm said. In some communities that information is all there already. In others, they will have to do some work to open up that access.Some will find it worth the effort if MARP can provide a means to streamline multiple planning programs, consolidating efforts and potentially saving resources. By taking planning online, it's a way to override a lot of smaller one-to-one conversations to have one bigger community conversation, Langhelm said.The system also could help to give cities and smaller localities greater influence in the emergency planning process, when states undertake required Threat and Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment (THIRA) reporting for FEMA. By providing greater visibility into local needs  by literally putting local needs and resources on the map  MARP can be a way for the local authority to have more of a voice than in the past, he said.Looking ahead, DHS will continue fine-tuning MARP as more users come aboard. The last wrinkles will be based on stakeholder requirements, Langhelm said. This is an ongoing process and we are still in collection mode for users comments. We will still be making adjustments as we move forward.
(TNS) - Missouri will soon have a system to notify the general public when a law enforcement officer is killed or injured.Patterned after the Amber Alert system for missing children, the so-called Blue Alert law was approved Thursday by Gov. Eric Greitens, who had championed the idea.The measure was part of a package of crime-related changes to state law approved by members of the House and Senate in May.In addition to the Blue Alert plan, the new law creates the crime of illegal reentry. If a person is deported from the United States for committing a crime and then returns and commits a felony, they also would be guilty of illegal reentry in Missouri.The offense would be a class C felony, punishable by three to seven years.The measure also adds museums that cater to children under 18 to the list of public places where sex offenders are banned.The Blue Alert provisions are designed to promote public safety and protect police officers. When it goes into effect, Missouri will be the 28th state to adopt the program, according to U.S. Department of Justice figures.The measure also enhances the penalties for assaults on law enforcement officers."We must stand up for those who stand guard for us," Greitens said in a releaseThe changes come partially in response to the unrest in Ferguson following the police shooting death of Michael Brown by Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson in 2014.The legislation is Senate Bill 34.2017 the St. Louis Post-DispatchVisit the St. Louis Post-Dispatch at www.stltoday.comDistributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
(TNS) -- NEW YORK  Die Kitties Die! screamed the headline in the New York Daily News when, in 2013, former Metropolitan Transportation Authority chief Joe Lhota criticized a decision to pause trains in a Brooklyn subway station to rescue a pair of kittens lost on the tracks.These days, New York so badly needs to get the trains to run on time that Lhota, whose unfortunate anti-cat comments caused a minor scandal, has been brought back as chairman of the transit agency.Extreme measures are in order to fix the 112-year-old subway system, and nothing  not budget cuts, political infighting, or cats  can stand in the way.Delays have doubled over the last five years, and accidents are on the rise. A subway derailed recently, crashing into a wall and igniting a trash fire after hitting equipment left on a track near 125th Street in Harlem. Nobody was seriously injured, but hundreds of terrified passengers had to evacuate through a smoky underground passage lighted only by their cellphones.On the heels of the derailment, Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed an executive order last week declaring a state of emergency on the subways, making official what many New Yorkers in their gut already knew. The governor also allocated an additional $1 billion for improvements.Few think it will make much impact for the largest subway system in the United States, with 665 miles of track and 472 stations.Its a good start, but where will the other billions come from? asked John Raskin, executive director of the Riders Alliance, a grass-roots passenger advocacy group.The alliance has been holding impromptu protests demanding improvements in service and has even published a book, Subway Horror Stories, with first-person accounts of mishaps on the subway.Recent months have brought plenty of fresh anecdotes. Passengers improvised a graduation ceremony May 31 on a stalled E train from Queens to Manhattan for Jericho Marco Alcantara, who missed the real thing at Hunter College because of a delay.When a rush-hour train stalled for 45 minutes last month without power or air conditioning, doors and windows locked, turning the cars into a virtual steam bath. Passengers stripped nearly naked and someone scrawled on a steamy window I will survive.Two weeks ago, passengers escaped from a similarly stalled train by walking along the subway tracks, in peril of electrocution.Subway riders are tired of risking their lives, their jobs, their sanity, yelled one of the protesters, Jackie Cohen.To be sure, the system isnt as bad as it was in the 1980s, when cars were covered with graffiti and riders had to look over their shoulders for fear of being mugged.Today the subways are in some ways victims of their own success. The citys economy is booming and so is public transit ridership. Nearly 6 million people a day use the subway, up from 4 million in the 1990s, and they are packed into a system that has barely grown at all.The Metropolitan Transportation Authoritys own data show that about one-third of the 58,651 delays reported in April, the most recent month available, were caused by overcrowding.Many of the subway systems cars date back to the time of the 1964 New York Worlds Fair. And the system cannot ease overcrowding by simply ordering new cars because the 70-year-old switching system is too antiquated to manage more cars on the same tracks without a risk of collisions.There have been upgrades over the years. With champagne toasts and a live jazz band, a black-tie crowd of dignitaries hosted by the governor attended the New Years Eve opening of the long-delayed Second Avenue subway, built at a cost of $4.5 billion.Many subways now have Wi-Fi and a link to free downloads from the New York Public Library. Buses are adding USB charging stations.But upgrades that dont lend themselves to photo opportunities have gone neglected.What we need is the unsexy, behind-the-scenes maintenance and equipment that actually keeps the subway running, Raskin said.The tracks are not well-maintained. When something goes wrong, they do a quick fix on them, said John Ferretti, a subway conductor and shop steward for the Transport Workers Union. We work on cars that are almost 60 years old where the power and the air conditioning is not working. People yell at us because we are wearing an MTA uniform. When that train is stuck, its up to us to keep 2,000 customers from freaking out.Politically speaking, the New York subway system is something of an orphan. Contrary to expectations, it falls under the jurisdiction of the state, not the city, a situation that has allowed the mayor and the governor  in this case Bill de Blasio and Andrew Cuomo, Democrats who dont particularly get along  to blame each other when something goes wrong.The governor has been indifferent to issues surrounding the subways. He feels he can take the votes of urban Democrats for granted and that he has to spend his time wooing swing voters in the suburbs, said David Bragdon, executive director of TransitCenter, a foundation dedicated to public transportation.New York also gets short shrift because, unlike Paris, London, Beijing, Tokyo and Moscow, which also have large subway systems, it is not a national capital.The London subway system is older. So is the Paris subway system. But they are national capitals. New York is not, and we have a federal government that is hostile to urban areas, Bragdon said.The rising chorus of complaints about the subway system prompted Cuomo last month to bring Lhota back.A respected administrator, Lhota is credited with getting the transit system up and running quickly after the devastating flooding in 2012 from Superstorm Sandy  after which he resigned to make an unsuccessful bid for the Republican mayoral nomination. (It was during that mayoral campaign that he became famous for his comments about the kittens.)His reappointment has raised expectations.Lhota has been given 30 days to conduct an audit that he calls the subway recovery and transformation plan. At a conference of transportation experts last week, he said his priority was to upgrade the technology to current standards.The system opened in 1904. It was designed in the 19th century. For the most part, it is still running on concepts that were developed by folks in the late 1800s, and thats problematic in this, the 21st century, Lhota said at the conference.The promised improvements may come just in time for subway riders who say they are losing patience. This year for the first time in decades, subway use dipped slightly  a phenomenon attributed to commuters switching to ride-sharing apps and bicycles.I havent had anything terrible happen to me, but honestly Im worried. Im old now. What if I have to climb out of a train? said 82-year-old Marilyn Savetsky, a retiree clutching her Chihuahua who attended a protest recently. She has now switched to the bus.Jason Hanes, 35, a recruiter for an insurance company, said he got so fed up with the subways that he changed his lifestyle.The subways are just too erratic, Hanes said. I moved to New Jersey and bought a car.
Last week, Volkswagen (VW) cemented its interest in establishing an electric vehicle (EV) carsharing network in California's capital city of Sacramento. The auto manufacturer, as a part of the $14.7 billion settlement caused by the 2015 diesel emissions scandal, will devote $44 million to build out its first Green City, or network of electric vehicle charging stations and EV carsharing services.The hope is that this carsharing network will expose a lower-income demographic to the benefits of driving zero-emission vehicles, according to theSacramento was tentatively chosen in March of this year as the first of four potential Green Cities. Los Angeles community leaders attempted to lure the project down south, arguing that the higher population and global recognition from buildout in their city would make for a better first use case.But with L.A. celebrities and an international reputation comes crippling traffic and hundreds of miles of sprawl. Due to this  and some of the worst congestion in the country  VW decided to stick with Sacramento. Not only is the traffic more manageable, the company said, but the city is also less spread out and, due to current electric vehicle capabilities, a fleet cant travel more than 100 to 200 miles without recharging.In April, Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg mentioned the possible partnership as evidence that the city is lifting its national reputation as a location for technology and transportation innovation. The VW announcement ties in with the work done to prepare the California capital for the onset of autonomous vehicles.Referring to Sacramento as the "Goldilocks" of cities, Steinberg toldearlier this year that its not too big, its not too smallits the perfect petri dish to not only test this new technology, but show how it can be brought to scale.Final approval for the project rests on the California Air Resources Board (CARB), who, along with former Attorney General Kamala Harris, uncovered the scandal and negotiated the settlement. CARB members told VW to retool" an early plan, stating that the network would not do enough to serve low-income residents.The city has indicated its interest in the EV carsharing network, offering free shuttles to individuals without homes, and recently launched an EV carsharing program for public-housing residents
Mississippi Adds Traffic, Government Skills, Envisions an Active Alexa

FEDS EXAMINE DIGITAL ASSISTANTS State agencies arent the only public-sector entities taking a closer look at digital assistants.



In April, the General Services Administrations Emerging Citizen Technology program  part of the feds Technology Transformation Services Innovation Portfolio  announced a new pilot to explore making federal-level public service information available to digital assistants, also known as artificial intelligence-driven personal assistants (IPAs).



These same services that help power our homes today will empower the self-driving cars of tomorrow, fuel the Internet of Things, and more. As such, the Emerging Citizen Technology program is working with federal agencies to prepare a solid understanding of the business cases and impact of these advances, GSA said in a declaration of principles.



On May 17, GSAs Emerging Citizen Technology program hosted a five-hour hackathon in Washington, D.C., challenging more than 100 hackers nationwide to work with federal agencies on identifying what data streams theyre interested in making public  and how best to migrate these to IPAs.



Utah Department of Technology Services Chief Technology Officer David Fletcher told Government Technology that interest from the feds speaks volumes about the future for digital assistant technology.



Once they get involved, you know that its going to go somewhere," he said, "and with the millions of people who have bought the devices, you know that its a solid platform now for us."





Utah Fishes for Tech-Savvy Government Watchers, Anglers

With the number of so-called voice-first devices, including digital assistants like the Amazon Echo and the Google Home, projected to increase nearly four-fold this year according to industry enabler VoiceLabs, early adopter states like Mississippi and Utah are doubling down to enhance their skillsets and do a better job of connecting citizens with government.In its 2017 Voice Report released early this year, VoiceLabs predicted 24.5 million voice-first devices will ship this year  up from 6.5 million in 2016 and 1.7 million in 2015  boosting the total in circulation to 33 million.Perhaps chief among them is the Amazon Echo, which writer Adam Marchick said evolved last year from novelty to in-the-home powerhouse, with over seven million devices in households.Both Mississippi and Utah, which began exploring digital assistant technology in 2016 and 2015, respectively, through their subsidiaries of Kansas-based NIC Inc., are focused on identifying needs and creating skills for Alexa, the Echos smart assistant.Apple just released their digital assistant home platform so that might be something we expand into but right now, the market is saying Alexa is the first platform to go in and then others will follow, Dana Wilson, general manager of NIC subsidiary Mississippi Interactive (MI), toldOf course, agencies in both states are watching the digital assistant market eagerly as are their counterparts in states like Arkansas, which reportedly is exploring an area common with Utah: migrating certain online services of its Game and Fish Commission to voice-first devices.Mississippis relationship with MI dates to December 2010, but the state launched its digital assistant capabilities in 2016 with ms.gov and is enhancing them this year. Here, residents deliver their asks to Alexa  including questions on taxes to vehicle licensing and registration  and answers come from the states MyMS platform.Two more abilities added recently include traffic alerts within a 20-mile radius and queries about elected officials. Ask Alexa who the secretary of state is in Mississippi, Wilson said, and shell give you the information and ask if you want their phone number.Alexa can now also deliver fun facts about Mississippi, and aggregate local news in addition to national headlines.But CIO Craig Orgeron, who also is executive director of the states Department of Information Technology, toldthatthe state sees a future where instead of just asking Alexa when your professional license is due and her giving you a date, maybe the vision is, what if she were able to give you a date and then ask if youd like to renew your license."So, Wilson added, instead of her just providing you information, "We can foresee her doing an actual transaction."Echoing a common finding among public agency officials, Orgeron said state residents have come to expect that technology is going to respond and deliver.Digital assistants, he said, are just the latest platform through which the state can enhance their experience and create a closer relationship between citizens and government  possibly on-boarding users who have avoided other Internet devices.I think the divergence would be the interface, how you talk to your device and maybe the artificial intelligence (AI) component of your device getting smart on your behalf. It knows where youre going and its able to help you that way in addition to the voice component, Orgeron said.Utah was the first state to launch an Alexa skill for the Amazon Echo in April 2016, and Department of Technology Services Chief Technology Officer David Fletcher toldthis is the year it, like Mississippi, digs deeper, embedding it with some data-driven functionality thats more real-time.Installation numbers werent available, but Utah.gov , a drivers education skill, proved popular with students who found it useful for taking a sample drivers license test.In May, the state went live with Utah Fishing , a skill produced in collaboration with the Division of Wildlife resources that tells Echo owners where fishing hot spots are in its 150 lakes and rivers  plus species information, stocking reports and which lures are working best.Similar hunting information isnt available, he said, because hunting is seasonal and more infrequent by nature, while fishing is year-round.Also that month, it launched Utah Public Meetings , a guide to the hundreds of public meetings every day by the 3,000 governmental organizations around the state that are required by law to give notice of meetings. City Council, county and school district board, and all state agency meetings are now searchable by location or ZIP code.Fletcher said he sees digital assistants as another channel for distribution of content information, and an audience thats growing rapidly  helped by the Echo becoming more entrenched, APIs being released and prices dropping. Like Mississippi, however, the state is focusing on Alexa for now  and not yet digital assistants by other makers.Theres a lot of interest in Utah and the technology, so I think were going to add new skills to Echo and as these new devices take off, well look at them as well, Fletcher said. I think the fact that all the major players have jumped into this market is indicative of the future, that its not something that is going to go away.
The owner and president of DCH Group, Oleksandr Yaroslavsky, is considering the possibility of buying Prominvestbank (PIB, Kyiv), at the same time, he has not filed relevant documents to the National Bank of Ukraine.

"There is no application yet, but I am considering the issue... We have not submitted any documents to the National Bank yet, we do not have the seller's consent," he told journalists in Kharkiv.

Yaroslavsky made it clear he is interested in acquiring bank assets, not necessarily PIB.

"I intend to acquire some kind of banking structure, even if it is not Prominvestbank," he said.
(TNS) -- Police are investigating after the town's website was reportedly hacked early Thursday morning, but officials say no personal information of users of the site was breached.The website  www.westhartfordct.gov  was inaccessible, with a notification that says either: "This site can't be reached" or " www.westhartfordct.gov took too long to respond."Police said the town's Information Technology department took down the web page after finding it had been hacked at about 7:30 a.m. The department worked to restore the website, which is now back up, but police said there may have been some interruption in services while the page was offline.Police said they worked with the Connecticut Intelligence Center, part of the state Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection, to find out how the hack happened. The center told police that a large number of government websites have had issues with defacement and as far away as California.Police said there is no threat to public safety. The hack is limited to the public website, they said, and is separate from the town's network, and no personal data was compromised.
(TNS) -- An AT&T-backed bill to end traditional landline phone service in Illinois is now the law of the land.Overriding Gov. Bruce Rauner's veto, the General Assembly approved the telecom modernization bill on Saturday, enabling AT&T to disconnect its remaining 1.2 million landline customers statewide, pending approval from the Federal Communications Commission.But holdouts may have some time before AT&T pulls the plug for good on its legacy telephone service."It's important for our Illinois customers to know that traditional landline phone service from AT&T is not going away anytime soon," Paul La Schiazza, AT&T Illinois president, said in a statement Wednesday.With customers switching to internet-based and wireless phone services, AT&T has been pushing for legislation to allow it to unplug its aging landline network and focus on the modern alternatives. AT&T said it is losing about 5,000 landline customers statewide each week, with less than 10 percent of Illinois households in its territory still using the service.While AT&T ultimately needs approval from the FCC to abandon a long-standing obligation to maintain its "plain old telephone service," it has already gotten similar legislation passed in 19 of the 20 other states where it is the legacy telephone carrier, with California as the only holdout."The new Illinois law helps plan for the eventual transition to only the technologies that customers overwhelmingly prefer today  modern landline service and wireless service," La Schiazza said. "While the timetable for that transition is undetermined at this time, it could take a number of years."Critics say the new law will leave behind vulnerable Illinois residents, particularly the elderly, who disproportionately rely on traditional landline telephone service for everything from connecting with family to monitoring life-threatening medical conditions.Representatives of AARP Illinois and the Citizens Utility Board, an Illinois nonprofit watchdog group, expressed disappointment over the legislation."If AT&T succeeds in ending traditional landline phone service, we think that will hurt people  particularly seniors and those with medical conditions  who depend on a landline as their most reliable link to vital services," CUB spokesman Jim Chilsen said.Chilsen said his organization is not done fighting and will shift the battle to the national level in a bid to keep in place the FCC rulings requiring AT&T to provide traditional landline service."AT&T still must get final Federal Communications Commission approval to end traditional home phone service, so CUB will do everything it can to protect landline customers as this battle moves to Washington," Chilsen said.As part of the new state law, AT&T is required to notify Illinois customers of its plans to disconnect their landline service before petitioning the FCC. Customers who believe that landlines are their only viable phone option will be able to appeal to the Illinois Commerce Commission.Julie Vahling, associate state director of AARP Illinois, said the organization will focus on working with consumers who plan to appeal their landline disconnection."We'll move on to the next fight for consumers, to try to make sure that they're educated and know how to go about appealing to keep their traditional landline service," Vahling said.The legislation, House Bill 1811 , also includes an increase in the fee all phone customers  mobile, online and traditional landline  pay for 911 emergency service. Outside of Chicago, the monthly rate next year would nearly double to $1.50 per line, up from 87 cents. Chicago is authorized to raise its 911 fee to $5 per month, up from the current $3.90, pending City Council approval.The legislation went through several incarnations before landing on the governor's desk Saturday. Rauner issued an amendatory veto the same day, which was mostly focused on the 911 rate increases.Both chambers voted to override the veto: by a 90-22 vote in the Illinois House and a 43-1 vote in the Senate.Meanwhile, AT&T's La Schiazza offered a measure of reassurance to the company's dwindling ranks of landline customers, especially those who would rather fight than switch."We value our customers, and we want to keep them," La Schiazza said. "While most customers are enjoying updated technologies today, including wireless service and modern landline service, AT&T currently continues to sell and provide traditional landline phone service to our customers."
The ancient city of Multan, Pakistan, is home to an upscale pizza restaurant where meals are brought to diners via robot waitresses. As Yahoo Tech reported , Pizza.com owner Osama Jafari designed the prototype robots himself and said the creations have boosted business.The 24-year-old, who studied engineering at Islamabads National University of Sciences and Technology, also said Chinese robot waiters are what inspired him to build his approximately $6,000 fleet of robot waitresses. All of the parts for the autonomous creations were fabricated locally.Jafari said he is already working on the next generation, which he hopes will be more interactive.
Detectives from the National Anti-corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) has conducted investigatory actions in PrivatBank's Dnipro office on July 6 as part of its probe into what happened before the bank was nationalized in December 2016, NABU chief Artem Sytnyk has said.

"The searches involved events before the bank was nationalized," he told the Kyiv-based Interfax-Ukraine news agency in London on Friday.

NABU earlier confirmed that the searches were conducted as part of the criminal case about facts of possible wrongdoing by National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) officials, as well as extremely large payments made by PrivatBank managers and owners (Part 2 of Article 364, and Part 5 of Article 191 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine), which resulted in UAH 116.8 billion in capitalization funds received by the bank.

PrivatBank, meanwhile, in a press release said the work of the detectives in the bank's main office had been agreed on several days earlier. The bank said the searches involved loans issued by the PrivatBank's top managers.
The criminal trial accusing the former Ukrainian president, Viktor Yanukovych, of treason will continue, the interests of the accused in the court will be represented by a public lawyer, Ukrainian Prosecutor General Yuriy Lutsenko said.

"Yanukovych turned out to be a coward even back in the early stage of the trial, but... This country has the practice of providing any person with a public lawyer. It is according to this procedure that this trial went ahead today," Lutsenko told journalists on Thursday.

A public lawyer will be provided very soon, the prosecutor general said.

"The trial will continue further. I am certain that even here, nothing will stop the law and justice: neither Yanukovych's escape, nor his cowardice, nor his loud soap bubbles regarding a coup d'etat," Lutsenko said.

A day earlier Yanukovych said that he did not want to attend the treason trial in Ukraine, and was recalling his defense lawyers from the court.

His lawyer Vitaliy Serdiuk claims that once his client made such a decision - not to attend the trial and to recall his lawyers - any decisions by the Obolonsky district of Kyiv in this case will be legally void.
Stoltenberg will come to Kyiv for NATO-Ukraine Commission meeting

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg will visit Ukraine on July 9-10 and take part in a meeting of the NATO-Ukraine commission, which will be also attended by President Petro Poroshenko, the Alliance's press service said on Thursday.

Stoltenberg will visit Kyiv at the invitation of the Ukrainian authorities as the head of the North Atlantic Council - the main political governing body of NATO, consisting of permanent representatives of member countries of the organization.

The meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Commission with the participation of the president of Ukraine will be held on July 10, the report says.

A meeting between Poroshenko and Stoltenberg is also planned, the Ukrainian president's press service reported.

During the visit, the NATO secretary general will deliver a speech at Ukrainian parliament, meet with the speaker and heads of parliamentary factions. Stoltenberg will hold a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister of Ukraine Volodymyr Groysman and will open a new building of the NATO mission in Ukraine.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman during his meeting with British MPs said Kyiv and London have reached a new level of cooperation, the Ukrainian government's website said on Thursday evening.

"There was a conference today about reforms in Ukraine. Yesterday there was a meeting between British Prime Minister Theresa May and myself. As a former parliament speaker, I think ties between our parliaments are a good channel for cooperation on the legislative level and the coordination of joint activities. We understand your principled, unremitting support. We think now we are entering a new level of coordination," Groysman said during his official visit.

The Ukrainian PM told members of the inter-parliamentary group about the main reforms underway in Ukraine and results, including in battling corruption, state electronic purchases, work with media, state registers and Ukraine's new e-declaration system.

"Reforms are underway. Ukraine is changing. The economy is recovering. We have to maintain this, and I thank you for all your support," Groysman said.
Using paint that contained lead was, for a time, the way of the world.

When the world didnt know any better.

Not that very long ago lead-based paint was used practically everywhere.

On walls and exteriors of houses. And on door frames, porches, stairs, railings and window sills. In plain sight and within easy reach.

Chances are, the Environmental Protection Agency says, if you live in a house built in or before 1977, it contains lead.

Lead paint was the good stuff, a safe-housing advocate, Beth McKee-Huger, said Thursday. It was the prestige paint for decades.

Until 1978, when the federal government banned lead-based paint as a hazard. But its toxic legacy still lurks, under our noses and too close for comfort. And in the form of peeling walls and dust laced with lead particles, it still poses a very real and present danger, especially to children.

And especially in older homes. The EPA calculates a sliding scale of the chances of lead contamination from 24 percent in houses built in the United States between 1960 and 1977, to 69 percent (1940-69), to 87 percent (before 1940).

Younger children may chew and ingest lead-paint flakes and chips and or place fingers coated with lead dust into their mouths. This can cause behavioral problems, kidney damage, hearing loss, slower growth rates, anemia and other conditions.

Low-income rentals can be particularly susceptible, because they are most prone to be in disrepair. And conditions such as leaky plumbing and flaking paint can expose lead contamination.

So, a $2.9 million grant from the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development to address lead contamination in 165 low- to moderate-income homes in Greensboro is good news. In collaboration with the nonprofit Greensboro Housing Coalition, the city will use the money to remove or encapsulate lead in local homes before it can pose health problems.

The need is urgent. The list of families waiting to have lead paint removed from their houses numbers about 117.

But while the federal grant may be news, the threat of lead contamination in Greensboro is not. In 2011, the city won a $3.1 million HUD grant to assess lead problems in 305 houses. In 2006, a local real estate company settled a lawsuit by a woman whose daughter was poisoned by lead in one of its apartments.

Following a series of stories in the News & Record about lead contamination in 2005, Guilford County took a major step to remedy the threat.

The Board of Health unanimously passed an ordinance that required doctors to test all children who are younger than 6 for lead poisoning (37 tested positive in 2015). It was the first and strongest ordinance of its kind in the state.

Even so, the scope of the problem is enormous. Getting rid of all of it may never happen, Brett Byerly, executive director of the Housing Coalition, said Thursday. Its going to be an ongoing battle absolutely.

And it doesnt come cheaply. The cost to assess and repair one home can total as much as $10,000.

But the benefits will be significant, and lasting. The grant includes some money to repair damage that may contribute to lead poisoning, such as a leaky roof. And the bulk of the funds will go to local contractors.

More importantly, decreasing the number of homes with the hazard increases available stock of affordable housing in the city  which is in short enough supply to begin with.

And it gets the lead out for the current occupants in those homes and any who may follow. Now and forever.
GREENWICH  Detective James Manning earned recognition from the Greenwich Police Department for identifying an alleged serial robber.

Manning was named Officer of the Month in June for spotting a black Range-Rover in the parking lot of the J House, where the alleged robber, David Byers, a sometime-model, was having a drink.

The departmental recognition cites the detective for his self-initiated, proactive conduct.

A police perimeter was established at the hotel after Manning contacted headquarters. Byers returned to the vehicle, and driving at a high rate of speed, nearly struck a police officer and careened over hedges and curbs to flee the scene.

He was eventually captured in San Diego by a team of FBI agents in early May.

The FBI arrest was based on information developed by GPD, according to the Officer of the Month citation.

Byers is set to be charged in two robberies of the Chase bank in Riverside and a gas station. He is still being held in custody in San Diego, where he has outstanding criminal charges on theft. Byers was charged with stealing gym equipment last year.

Greenwich police said this week they are preparing to send a team of officers to San Diego to bring him back to face justice in Connecticut, but the legal process is still ongoing in California.

Manning was promoted to detective in 2010. He also served as an accident investigator and with the community impact section of the department.
How do we respond to people around us whom we believe to be more talented than we are?

Emotionally, we can feel like we are in a competition and were losing, or we may fear failure. We may also convince ourselves that to retreat from the fray is a form of Godly modesty.

Jesus Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30) provides an interesting perspective on this question.

Jesus described a scenario where a very wealthy man prepares to leave home for extended travel plans. Before he sets out, he entrusts three of his employees with talents (in this case, currency) with the expectation that they would invest his money wisely and provide him with a good return on investment.

To the first employee, he gives five talents, to the second he entrusts two and to the third employee he gives one talent. All we are told is that their employer apportioned the amounts to each according to his ability (verse 15).

While the man was gone, the first two employees call their brokers (we might imagine) and invested wisely, doubling the money. The one-talent employee, however, calls by the local hardware store, purchases a shovel, and buries the one, solitary, talent in the backyard.

When the man returns, he applauds and rewards the first two employees (and no doubt requests the number for their broker). He says the same to both: Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master. (verses 21 and 23). But the one-talent employee is strongly reprimanded then removed from service.

So why did the third employee sideline the talent and refuse to risk investment? We are not given any specific reasons but when his employer interrogates him, he pleads, Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here, you have what is yours. (verses 24-25).

There is nothing in the parable to support his accusation. On the contrary, his employer had shown himself to be generous in trust. Is it possible that this mans pride was wounded when he found himself to be the guardian of just one talent?

In stark contrast, the late John Stott wrote, Ambitions for Godif they are to be worthy, can never be modest. There is something inherently inappropriate about cherishing small ambition for God. How can we ever be content that (Jesus) should acquire just a little more honor in the world? No! Once we are clear that God is king, then we long to see him crowned with glory and honor, according to his true place. We become ambitious for the spread of his kingdom and righteousness everywhere.

And perhaps with the first two servants in mind, he continued, the people of God should be eager to develop their gifts, widen their opportunities, extend their influence and be given promotion in their work  not now to boost their own ego or build their own empire, but rather through everything they do to bring glory to God.

So how do we pursue Godly ambition? How do we steer clear of not only prideful ambition but also false modesty (pride by another name) that impedes Gods ambition in and through us? Here are a few things to consider:

1. Search your heart. Invite God to bring to mind those thoughts, words, actions or inactions that have emanated from a place of pride. Pray also that you might gain Gods larger perspective and plans for the talents He has given you. Paul writes, no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined what God has prepared for those who love him but, Paul continues,  these things God has revealed to us through the spirit. (1 Corinthians 2:8-10)

2. Recover Joy. In my own life, I have come to see that joy is a useful barometer of Godly ambition. Interestingly, the first two employees were invited to enter into the joy of your master. When joy runs thin in my own labors it is likely that I am taking myself a little too seriously and not trusting in the goodness of the master. Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury, wrote, There is a simple joy in the lord. The work of our salvation is done  let's savor that. Life is a place of joy and celebration, tragedy and challenge  but all within the presence of God.

3. Be courageous. This begins with praying for the courage to fail. Cardinal Vincent Nichols wrote, We tend to shy away from people who have failed. This is a terrible idea. We need courageous people who have learned from their mistakes. Pray also for the courage to be yourself. Our proclivity to compare with one another  the talents we presume that others have in comparison to our little bundle of talents, the secret pride we may have in believing we have a big bundle of talents  is a great weapon used against us. This kind of comparison will always steal peace, joy and contentment. It will also cloud the clarity of Gods greater calling upon your life.

Marianne Williamson offers this final word of encouragement: We ask ourselves, 'Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?' Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same...

Drew Williams is the senior pastor of Trinity Church.
J: When did you come here?

R: We came up here in 1976 (from New York) ... I was born in 1930, so I will be 87 this year. Ive been in the same condo since then.

J: So you lived in New York City for most of your life?

R: Then I moved up to Yonkers before moving up to Greenwich.

J: So growing up in New York City, growing up during that time you must have between 10 and 15 during World War II. What was that like, growing up in such a major city?

R: I was 6 years old. I watched the Hindenburg go over Manhattan before it went up in flames at (Naval Air Station) Lakehurst (NJ). It was gigantic. It came right over 136th Street where I was, and I could just see it going and said, Where does it end? And then it burned up in Lakehurst ... It went to Lakehurst for landing, and unfortunately there was a storm. It must have been an electric shock. There was a leak in the back of the zeppelin -- it was hydrogen not helium  and it caught fire.

J: And you said your name is a German name. Were your parents born here?

R: No, I was born here. They were born overseas and my younger brother, he was also born here.

J: Do you still have family there?

R: Yes. They came over in 1936. My grandfather came over and stayed for a week or two, and then he went home, and that was around the time the Hindenburg went up.

J: And what was it like growing up in New York City, being a teenager? What did you do for fun, how did wartime affect what you did?

R: Oh, you know, we had little gangs. We would say, Oh, lets create a little havoc over here, you know. And we would come back. Then I moved up to near Columbia Presbyterian and I joined the Boy Scouts and became a Boy Scout leader. Then I met a young lady and fell in love, and we got married in 1953.

J: You met her in the city?

R: No, in Yonkers. (Her name was) Mary. My mother went up for a friends party, and one street away was the two girls, sisters, that came over. And I fell in love with the older one. I said, Can I call you? She said, Yeah, so I used to take the subway up and the bus up to Yonkers.

J: What was her family like? Where were they from?

R: Italian. Her name was Mary and Jenny was her younger sister.

J: So around 1950 you were about 20 years old.

R: And then I went to City College. I got a bachelors degree and then I went to Columbia and got a masters degree (for engineering). Then a group of Columbia professors came up with an invention for some long-range radar and they wanted to build equipment, and Columbia University at that time said they dont build ... they just studied. So (the professors) bought a 20,000 square-foot lot on 131st Street ... to track long-range radar from Cape Canaveral down to Trinidad, and then the company then built smaller instruments that could go down in submarines for listening to sonar. It was all classified at the time...

J: Oh wow.

R: I became the head of the engineering department when I worked for Columbia. Five professors formed the company and ... from there until six years later when we went down ... it was long-range radar detection, and we built part of it together with RCA ... And then if you remember, they had that famous what happened to the the tapes. The people were saying they erased the tapes in Washington.

J: Yeah, thats right.

R: They did tests in our lab and they couldnt find out what was erased. That was in the 1970s. Then we moved to New Jersey and we continued our work ... and our company was sold to another company: Nicolet Scientific Co. Nicolet was located in Madison, Wis. and they had different divisions. Our division was from New York.

J: What was the main use for the radar and sonar?

R: First was radar, and the others had to be small enough to go down the submarine hatch and the submarine floor for sonar detection. It was all classified at that time, so I got a (military draft) deferment. I didnt have to go into the Army or Navy.

J: So what happened after that?

R: I was in Yonkers, commuting to New Jersey after the company moved, and I became president ... Then the company was sold to another company and then I became president of that company, and they dissolved the company ... and I retired.

J: Was that when you came here?

R: 1980s or so. I came here about 30, 35 years ago. I retired first, and then I came up here. We were looking for a place, and I drove up here and we found a place, a nice condo up here. After (we got married in 1953), we stayed two years up in the Netherlands, up on Netherlands Avenue in the Bronx. We had an apartment and then we decided to live for a while with her parents, and then we got our own apartment and started traveling to Europe.

J: What was it like seeing everything?

R: We had a deal with the boss. We will work for the summer, we wont take a vacation, and add it to the next years vacation. And we got a VW Bug before anyone got it over here, and we would get six weeks to travel. If I list them all, I went to Ireland, England, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, France, Spain, Majorca, everywhere.

J: What was your favorite?

R: I liked the Scandinavian ones. Sweden was very nice.

J: Did you and Mary still have family in either Italy or Germany?

R: My wife had family in Italy. I had family, but I didnt keep up with them  but the first time we landed in Hamburg, we had 30 members of the family waiting for us at the airport. And we had four hours of sleep on this 17-hour slow flight to Germany. They took us in their VW Bug and wanted to take us on a tour of Hamburg, and finally at 4 oclock, Please, we are going to fall asleep! So, we slept and then we were with the whole family. I got a picture of them all on the stairs, on all the rows.

J: And you came to Greenwich in the 1970s.

R: Yes, they were in the third phase of building the condo and one of the people who had paid a down payment, her husband had just died, and she didnt want it anymore. So one condo became available just as we got there. Im the first owner and still the oldest one there. That was in 76.

J: What made you chose Greenwich in the first place?

R: How did we ever get up here? I dont know how we got to Greenwich. We just traveled around and saw Greenwich seemed like a nice place. I had a VW with a sunroof in 1961. I think once a day I would see another VW Beetle.

J: And youd wave.

R: Oh, definitely.

E: jturiano@greenwichtime.com; T: @jturianoGT; IG: @greenwichgreen
Next conference on reforms in Ukraine will be held in Denmark in 2018

Prime Minister of Ukraine Volodymyr Groysman has stated the next conference on reforms in Ukraine would be held in Denmark in 2018.

"Good news: the London conference establishes the tradition to annually discuss at a high international level the results and prospects of Ukrainian reforms, as well as the priorities of their international support," the premier wrote on his Facebook page.

He also expressed gratitude to the partners of Ukraine for their support.

"The next conference to support reforms will take place in Denmark in 2018," he said.

Within the framework of the visit to the UK on July 5-7, Groysman took part in the conference on reforms in Ukraine held in London on July 6.
This beer is stable and frugal, just like me. Photo: Scott Olson/Getty Images

Yesterday was supposed to be business as usual for Wisconsin governor Scott Walker  squeeze in some casual union-busting, eat precisely two ham sandwiches at noon, be home to the family in time for dinner. At some point, though, he learned Wired had run a piece called Nothing Bums Me Out Like Scott Walkers Instagram Feed that mocked the painfully bad photos he insists on posting to social media. (Here are his versions of food porn.) The story apparently angered the governor, but because hes a turn-the-other-cheek kind of guy, he tweeted (and Instagrammed!) this hospitable gesture:

For those in the liberal media who don't like my Instagram, Facebook or Twitter, I have a simple response: Can I get you a beer? pic.twitter.com/0McVhygIUe  Scott Walker (@ScottWalker) July 6, 2017

Everyones still waiting for the liberal media to issue its formal reply, but that didnt stop people on Twitter from dragging Walker for his offer of MillerCoors beer-water:

Imagine if you will, a middle aged man squatting to photograph his Miller Lite. "This will be a good burn," he thinks wrongly  Chase Mitchell (@ChaseMit) July 6, 2017

To be fair this is by far the least harrowing of Scott Walker's food/bev pics  Patrick Monahan (@pattymo) July 6, 2017

Scott...I have bad news pic.twitter.com/kJMUKGJU0n  Lib Crusher (@lib_crusher) July 6, 2017

Good lord Scotty boy you might as well have shaken it up and let it sprayed you in the face after all the comments I just read   The Immoral Oracle (@YourLeastFavBFF) July 6, 2017

The Union Made irony is hard to top, but the critics who managed to exact a reply from Walker were less political. People were simply peeved the governor would pick Miller instead of New Glarus, or another of his states highly rated independent breweries:

You live in a state responsible for @newglarusbeer and you still drink Miller Lite?  d_mcc (@d_mccarthy37) July 6, 2017

You are from a state with some of the greatest independent breweries in the world, and you offer me this? Delete your account.  Mark Rechtin (@MarkRechtin) July 6, 2017

By this point, Walker was clearly a little annoyed himself (hence the beer pairing suggestion), but got the memo and broadened his offer to the liberal media:

How about some cheese curds with your beer? pic.twitter.com/gYqlhuF2ld  Scott Walker (@ScottWalker) July 7, 2017

Don't like drinking beer from a can? How about a bottle of one of these? #Chill pic.twitter.com/N9hYhQyjtC  Scott Walker (@ScottWalker) July 7, 2017

Walker might avoid this whole controversy next time, though, by calling his goodwill gesture to haters a mystery item, and tucking it inside one of his infamous brown bags. Theres a seemingly endless supply of those lying around anyway:
Google has announced that its voice-activated smart speaker Home will soon be available in France. The device will go on sale in starting August 3 and it will cost 149.

Needless to say, the device will speak and understand French. Among its existing markets, the speaker already offers support for French language in Canada, where it launched late last month. Recently, Google Home started getting Bluetooth support as well.

Source | Via
Motorola has sent out an interesting save-the-date to the press. The graphic shows a colorful tunnel with the text you wont want to miss this. The bottom of the invite reads "#hellomotoworld" which likely indicates a global launch.

By contrast, the Moto Z was announced and released in separate global events and a dedicated launch event, where Verizon pricing and availability was detailed.



GIF invitation

Motorola chose New York to showcase whatever its announcing on the 25th. Our hunch is that Motorola could even be launching two devices: both the Moto X4 and the Moto Z2, both of which have been discussed about in the news for the past couple of months or so in various spec leaks and render spills.

Another plausibility is that the Moto X4 is the only smartphone being announced and that Motorola is saving the Moto Z2 launch for much later in September for IFA, though we dont think this is as likely. In any case, well be waiting to see what Motorola is ready to show off in New York.

Which phone are you more excited for? The Moto X4 or the Moto Z2?

Via
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Haiti - FLASH : Creation of a Task Force to combat spoilers





Thursday at a press conference, the deputy spokesman of the National Police of Haiti (PNH), Garry Desrosiers announced that the Ministry of Justice had created a Task Force in partnership with the Central Directorate of the Judicial Police, the Public Prosecutor's Office and the Secretariat of State for Public Security.



This Task Force is composed of 20 police officers, which is responsible for problems of insecurity at the borders. This unit will have the task of collecting complaints from the population concerning cases of spoliation.



This Task Force will have full power to carry out interventions and arrest individuals attempting to illegally take possession of small peasant lands or who are involved in acts of violence in land conflicts.



Garry Desrosiers indicated that the Ministry of Justice intended to extend this type of unit throughout the country.



PI/ HaitiLibre


















Published on 2017/07/06 | Source

Added episode 14 captures for the Korean drama "Fight For My Way" (2017)

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Directed by Kim Dong-hwi, Lee Na-jeong

Written by Lim Sang-choon

Network : KBS

With Park Seo-joon, Kim Ji-won, Ahn Jae-hong, Song Ha-yoon, Son Byung-ho, Kim Ye-ryung,...

20 episodes - Mon, Tue 22:00

Synopsis

A drama about a man and a woman who live a life with nothing to show for.

Broadcast starting date in Korea : 2017/05/22

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Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has appointed former U.S. ambassador to NATO Kurt Volker a special representative for Ukraine.

Volker will coordinate the efforts of the State Department for the settlement of the conflict in Ukraine, U.S. Secretary's representative Robert Hammond said.

Volker was born in 1962. He is a specialist in international relations. Since 1986 he worked as an analyst in the CIA, since 1988 - in the U.S. Department of State. In 1998 he became the first secretary of the American mission to NATO, in 2005 - Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs, and in 2008-2009 he was the U.S. ambassador to NATO. During the past several years, he worked at the McCain International Republican Institute.
IWC winners revealed

By Jo Gilbert

Excellence in all its vinous forms was celebrated at last night's International Wine Challenge when the great and the good of the wine trade gathered at Londons the Park Lane Hilton Hotel.

Once again, all facets of the trade from producers to winemakers, retailers to suppliers were recognised in their various categories, which included some existing and new additions.

There was some cross-over with Harpers' 50 Best Indies list, with Loki Wines, Tanners and Yapp Brothers all scooping top awards for their customer service and top wine collections.

Marks & Spencer sparkled the brightest out of the supermarkets by winning both the corporate social responsibility award and the supermarket of the year award for its innovation and gains in the wine category over the past year.

There was however, one clear winner of the night.

Liberty Wines showed there are at the top of their game with a total of four trophies.

Libertys MD David Gleave MW and his team walked away wine educator of the year, on-trade supplier of the year, large agent of the year, and topped things off with the merchant of the year prize.

Here, we have the full list of winners and who walked away with the distictive IWC trophies.







IWC Merchant of the Year Awards of the Year

(Sponsored by Harpers Wine & Spirit)

Liberty Wines

Demonstrating growth over the past year in tough trading conditions is remarkable. Liberty Wines excels in every aspect of its business, offering a great range, producers and staff.







Small Agent of the Year

Seckford Agencies

Seckford Agencies does tremendous work championing the wines of South Africa and has organised a roadshow with producers. It offers customers great selling support and is one of the most important agents for New World wines in the UK.







Online Retailer of the Year

(Sponsored by Ramon Bilbao)

Laithwaites Wine

Laithwaites has had an impressive year, offering outstanding personalised customer service. It is branching out to new platforms and has a brilliant mobile site, which in part has led to sales via smartphones growing by 60%.







Highly Commended

Roberson Wine







High Street Chain of the Year

(Sponsored by Lanchester Wines)

Oddbins

With superb consumer engagement and relevance to a younger audience, while retaining its quirky communication, Oddbins is trying to shine a new light on to existing regions as well as revitalise traditional categories in a new way.







Innovator of the Year

(Sponsored by Schott Zwiesel)

Conviviality

The judges found that Convivialitys Mode technology was forward-thinking in terms of using an insight-led strategy to work with customers in order to build wine ranges that are relevant to consumers. This is not only an innovation but also a very good sales tool.







Large Independent Merchant of the Year

(Sponsored by Hatch Mansfield)

Tanners Wine Merchants

Tanners has a tremendous wine range and a real understanding of its customer base, which helps it to focus on providing a winning customer experience.







On-Trade Supplier of the Year

Liberty Wines

Demonstrating exemplary performance with a truly remarkable and successful business model, Liberty is not just about the wine, but offers true excellence in customer service, logistics solutions, and staff and customer education.







Small Independent Merchant of the Year

(Sponsored by KWV)

Loki Wine

A forward-looking, innovative and successful merchant engaging with new customers, Loki offers a comprehensive approach to the wines of the world and is proactively engaged with the local community.







Supermarket of the Year

(Sponsored by Encirc)

Marks & Spencer

M&S sparkled over the past year. Leader in its class, with a truly impressive quality range demonstrating innovation, M&S understands the changing structure of the market and showed very impressive sales as well as market share gain against the competition. M&S understands the importance of developing different formats to reflect local demographics.







Highly Commended

Waitrose







Wine List of the Year

(Sponsored by Sogevinus)

Yapp Brothers

The Yapp Brothers list is concise, beautifully illustrated with great writing and offers much more than a simple list of wines.







Highly Commended

Hallgarten Druitt & Novum Wines







Wine Educator of the Year

(Sponsored by the WSET)

Liberty Wines

Making impressive investments in staff training, Liberty trains 1,500 people each year. It created the Liberty Wines Academy and has invested in the on-trade, which is a sector that is crucial to the future of the wine business.







National Convenience Chain of the Year

(Sponsored by Treasury Wine Estates)

The Co-operative

The Co-op showed an impressive sales growth in a static market. The multiple has clearly demonstrated its focus on the development of a convenience strategy is not solely based on location but on individual demographic profiles and has tailored its clusters accordingly. The focus on the European hub and bulk shipping further improves availability.







Corporate Social Responsibility Award

(Sponsored by Maison Castel)

Marks & Spencer

M&S continues to be the leading retailer with a responsible CSR strategy. It is doing the best for its staff, its customers and for people in need around the world.







Wine Club of the Year

The Wine Society

The Wine Society offers a brilliant range of wines as well as outstanding service. This is a true club, in that you have to be a member to be able to buy the wines. It is well established but still at the top of its game.







Merchant of the Year

Liberty Wines

Liberty Wines has swept the board in this years IWC Merchant Awards. It has won two awards as a specialist in the wines of Italy and Australia. It has scooped the Educator of the Year award, and has won not only the hotly contested On-Trade Supplier award, but also beat the equally keen competition for Large Agent. Quite simply, Liberty has had an amazing year. The judges were left with no doubt that it was the only possible winner of this years IWC Merchant of the Year.







Planet Earth Awards

Sustainable Trophy

(Sponsored by Nomacorc)

Dalrymple Cave Block Chardonnay 2014

Organic Trophy

Domaine Laporte Les Duchesses Pouilly Fume 2015

Biodynamic Trophy

Stefano Lubiana Sasso Pinot Noir 2013

Fairtrade Award

(Sponsored by Origin Wine)

Stellenrust Old Bush Vine Chenin Blanc 2015







Special Awards

The Len Evans Trophy (for consistency over five years)

Gonzalez Byass

The James Rogers Trophy (for best wine in the first year of production)

Hambledon Classic Cuvee Rose NV

IWC Personality of the Year

Joe Fattorini

Lifetime Achievement Award

May-Eliane de Lencquesaing







Own Label

Own-Label Range of the Year

(Sponsored by Copestick Murray)

Berry Bros & Rudd







Winemakers of the Year

Fortified Winemaker of the Year

Sergio Martinez, Emilio Lustau

This year was an outstanding year for Martinez, with Lustau sherries being awarded one Trophy, 14 Gold medals, 14 Silver and 10 Bronze.

Sparkling Winemaker of the Year

Christophe Rapeneau, Champagne Charles de Cazanove

This is the first time that Champagne Charles de Cazanove has been shortlisted, which makes its victory even more exceptional. Charles de Cazanove was awarded one Trophy, two Gold medals, one Silver and four Bronze.

White Winemaker of the Year

Dr Franz Michel, Domdechant Wernersches Weingut

Every wine that Domdechant Wernersches Weingut entered into the IWC 2017 was awarded a medal. In total it received one Trophy, four Gold medals, eight Silver and three Bronze.

Red Winemaker of the Year

Alain Serveau, Maison Albert Bichot

Maison Albert Bichot has had an outstanding year in 2017, as well as winning the Champion White Trophy, it was awarded six Trophies, seven Gold medals, and two Silver medals for its red wines.

Sweet Winemaker of the Year

Peter Munzenrieder & Christoph Munzenrieder, Weingut PMC Muenzenrieder

This is the first time that Weingut PMC Muenzenrieder has won the Sweet Winemaker of the Year award. It was awarded an incredible two Trophies, three Gold medals and three Silver.

Sake Brewer of the Year

(Sponsored by The Prefecture of Hyogo)

Hitoshi Suzuki, Ichinokura

Ichinokura is a young Sake company, only founded in 1973, with the aspiration of leading the industry into the 21st century and promoting a sophisticated and vibrant sake-drinking culture, through brewing high-quality sake in the Miyagi Prefecture. It has produced honjozo, junmai, junmai daiginjo, daiginjo, koshu and sparkling sake.







Cellar Door

IWC/VisitEngland Cellar Door of the Year

High Clandon Estate Vineyard

The team at High Clandon Estate Vineyard has crafted a truly exceptional visitor experience and this victory is the result of their boundless passion and pride. The teams knowledge and attention to detail has created something that visitors cannot help but fall in love with, whether they are a wine buff or simply looking to try something new. High Clandon Estate Vineyard is a beacon of Englands flourishing wine tourism.







Regional Merchant of the Year

South and South East: Dunells Premier Wines

(Sponsored by london wine fair)

London: Lea & Sandeman

London (highly commended): Borough Wines

Central England: Loki Wine

South West: Great Western Wine

(Sponsored by london wine fair)

Northern England: House of Townend

(Sponsored by les Grands Chais de France)

Northern England (highly commended): John Hattersley Wines

(Sponsored by les Grands Chais de France)

Wales: Mumbles Fine Wines

Scotland: Woodwinters Wines & Whiskies

Northern Ireland: James Nicholson Wine







Specialist Merchant Award

Australia: Liberty Wines

Bordeaux: Berry Bros & Rudd

(Sponsored by ALLIANCE DES CRUS BOURGEOIS DU MEDOC)

Burgundy: Flint Wines

Champagne and Sparkling: Waitrose

En Primeur: Corney & Barrow

England: Waitrose

Fortified: Waitrose

Germany: The Wine Barn

(Sponsored by Wines of Germany)

Italy: Liberty Wines

Languedoc Roussillon: Yapp Brothers

Loire: Yapp Brothers

New Zealand: The New Zealand Cellar

Portugal: The Wine Society

Portugal (highly commended): Laithwaites Wine

Regional France: The Wine Society

Rhone: Lay & Wheeler

Sake: Tengu Sake

South Africa: Seckford Agencies

South America: Las Bodegas

Spain: Indigo Wine

USA: Roberson Wine






The number of violations of the ceasefire in the area of the Anti-Terrorist operation (ATO) has increased by a quarter for the past week, Principal Deputy Chief Monitor of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission Alexander Hug has said.

"In the reporting week we note an increase in such violations by 25% compared to the previous week. We recorded an increase in tank, mortar, and artillery shelling," he said at a briefing in Kyiv on Friday.

According to him, 365 shelling were registered in the week, compared to 100th week earlier.
The franchisee of two Subway outlets is facing Court for allegedly underpaying a Chinese employee in excess of $16,000.



Legal action has commenced in the Federal Circuit Court by the Fair Work Ombudsman against Danmin Irene Zhang, who, with her husband, owns the Subway franchise outlets in Sydney.



The company Zhang and her husband operate, G & Z United Pty Ltd, is also facing Court.



G & Z United Pty Ltd faces penalties of up to $54,000 per contravention and Ms Zhang faces penalties of up to $10,800 per contravention.



The FWO alleges a Chinese employee was underpaid $16,345 for work performed across the Artarmon and Stanmore Subway stores between October 2014 and April 2016, except for a four-month period where she returned to China.



The worker, aged in her late 20s, was in Australia on a Skilled Nominated (subclass 190) visa at the time. FWO inspectors investigated after she lodged a request for assistance.



It is alleged that inspectors found she had been paid flat rates of $14 to $14.50 for all hours worked, leading to underpayment of her minimum hourly rates for ordinary hours, casual loadings and penalty rates for evening, weekend and public holiday work.



She was entitled to receive minimum rates of more than $18, plus casual loading, for ordinary hours and penalty rates of up to $52.22 on public holidays under the Fast Food Industry Award 2010.



Moreover, a special clothing allowance was allegedly also underpaid and laws relating to record-keeping, pay slips and requirements to inform employees about their terms of engagement and classification were allegedly violated. The worker was back-paid in full earlier this year.



It is also alleged the underpayment of the worker occurred despite Ms Zhang having received summaries of applicable minimum Award wage rates from the Independent Purchasing Company Australasia.



Thats the company which works closely with the Subway franchisor to help ensure Subway franchisee outlets meet compliance and branding requirements.



Fair Work Ombudsman Natalie James said legal action has been commenced because of the alleged blatant exploitation of a vulnerable overseas worker.



James said the exploitation of workers in franchises continues to be an ongoing problem for the FWO and she welcomed the Governments proposed new laws relating to underpayments within franchise networks.



In April this year, James made a submission to a Senate Inquiry supporting the Fair Work Amendment (Protecting Vulnerable Workers) Bill 2017. James stated that the package of measures contained in the Bill will go some way to giving the FWO the tools to combat the most serious worker exploitation.



James said that in an environment where the public are demanding greater transparency and accountability by well-known franchise brands, it is crucial that franchise service networks are proactive in ensuring they have systems in place to promote and ensure compliance.



She added that the Fair Work Ombudsman remains keen to work with businesses that want to make a commitment to compliance with workplace laws part of their brand.



With the Government proposing new laws to capture franchisors that fail to deal with exploitation of workers by their franchisees, the Fair Work Ombudsmans door is always open, said James.



We are always willing to work with any franchise ready to take action to show it takes compliance with workplace laws throughout its network seriously.




The fashion industry reaches billions of consumers with its powerful and convincing communication channels and, whether we like it or not, almost dictates what many of us decide to wear today and tomorrow.

What do you know about the fashion industry and should you even care? Probably more than you think.

With such a massive reach and influence on human behaviour comes great responsibility. A responsibility that becomes even more clear when looking at the sheer size of the environmental and social impacts of the industry  from sweatshops to packaging filling up in landfills  and the tasks ahead to curb the projected future of the industry.

A recent pulse check of the industrys environmental and social sustainability performance revealed a weak industry with few sustainability champions living up to their responsibility. In this murky forecast, however, also lies great business opportunities for the industry. But action is required now, and it must be done differently than the past  continuing business as usual is simply not enough.

The fashion industry has a clear opportunity to act differently, pursuing profit and growth while also creating new value for society and the world economy. This comes with an urgent need to place environmental, social and ethical improvements high on the agenda. Big players have already started the journey: H&M, Kering Group, Li & Fung and Target all have various sustainability initiatives currently underway.

Its true that in the past decade, the fashion industry has been an incredible engine of global development and progress on sustainability. Awareness is growing slowly; individually, companies are optimizing business practices to limit their negative impact on the environment. Kerings Environmental Profit & Loss initiative is a great example of how a large luxury-goods company works to measure its environmental impact and then puts into in place strategies to minimize that impact. But with current trajectories of garment production and consumption, pressures on natural resources and societies around the globe will intensify by 2030 to the point of threatening industry growth itself.

The Global Fashion Agenda, in collaboration with Boston Consulting Group, has made an in-depth assessment of the industrys environmental and social performance  the first edition of the Pulse of the Fashion Industry report. Drawing on the Sustainable Apparel Coalitions Higg Index  a survey of more than 90 senior managers responsible for sustainability issues and a variety of other sources 

it offers the first comprehensive fact-based survey on the health of the industry  with a Pulse Score by type of company, size, region and stage in the value chain.

As of today, the sustainability pulse of the industry is weak. First, company size, far more than price, correlates with a higher pulse score: most large fashion brands show progress, but the great mass of small to midsize firms representing around half of the market  a blind spot in the industry  have done little to improve their sustainability. Secondly, global apparel consumption is projected to rise by 63 percent, to 102 million tons by 2030, increasing the need for the fashion industry to address its environmental and social footprint. As populations continue to grow and the planets resources are stretched to their limits, the industry will face strained access to resources and materials  ultimately putting profitability at risk. Innovations in production, materials and practices will become a necessity to survive. Global supply chain manager Li & Fung recently rolled out its HER program; promoting health, financial inclusion and gender equality to over 85 of their factories. Such sustainability initiatives can present a viable case study for individual businesses today and in future.

Improving its environmental and social performance would not just advance the industrys commercial prospects. It would also add as much as 160 billion ($183 billion) by 2030 in annual value to the world economy. Yet it also shows that even if most of the industry implemented todays best practices individually, it would not be enough to capture this value and close the gap. As of yet, too few concerted, cohesive, persistent initiatives bring together players from across the fashion industry ecosystem, allowing them to implement novel solutions that go beyond todays best practice. The Sustainable Apparel Coalition is a great example of a multi-stakeholder initiative with the potential to drive transformational change, with its membership currently representing around 40 percent of the global apparel and footwear industry (by turnover), also including leading NGOs, academic institutions, government agencies and private solution providers.

To enhance the industrys current and future position  and forestall excessive regulatory intervention  its time to act differently. The industry must move beyond fragmented individual actions. Through collective efforts such as the Sustainable Apparel Coalition and Global Fashion Agenda, the industry can unite around an agenda for change, drive the needed systemic change and work jointly on disruptive innovation. By further consolidating existing initiatives and fostering ground-breaking innovation, fashion can collectively galvanize change at scale and start living up to its responsibility at par with its wide reach.

Jonas Eder-Hansen is the Chief Content Officer of Global Fashion Agenda. He is responsible for securing strategic outcomes for the Global Fashion Agenda and its flagship event, Copenhagen Fashion Summit  the world's largest event on sustainability in fashion. Jonas is a graduate from Copenhagen Business School and since 2005 has been the Research Director at the CBS Centre for Corporate Social Responsibility. Since 2011 he has been the Development Director of the Danish Fashion Institute  a network organization working to promote Danish fashion internationally.

Photo: Lehtikuva / Antti Aimo-Koivisto
The service will be made available again in the second half of next year following the adoption of a new piece of legislation that rationalises regulations on the provision of taxi services in the country. The Finnish Parliament passed the bill in April and it is set to enter into force in July, 2018.

While we are looking forward to the new regulations entering into effect, we have come to the conclusion that it is best to pause UberPop as of 15 August until the new regulations facilitate a better operating environment, Joel Jarvinen, the general manager of Uber Finland, said in a blog on Thursday.

He added that the decision to suspend the service was made in order to ensure neither the employees nor drivers of Uber face any unnecessary difficulties.

We want to ensure we are in the best possible position next summer to be able to offer new excellent options to Uber users in Finland. We are currently operating only in Helsinki, but after the new law has come into effect we can also weigh up any other options that are viable in the renewed operating environment, he explained.

Uber launched its primary service in Helsinki, Finland, in 2015. The application, it reveals, has been downloaded over 150,000 times and is used actively by hundreds of drivers to offer rides in the capital. Uber states that it is committed to supporting the drivers for whom the application has been an important source of revenue and eventually helping them transition to the new system.

Finnish laws currently allow anyone with a taxi license to use the ride-sharing application. A number of drivers, however, have been ordered to pay fines and relinquish their earnings to the state.

Uber Finland is suspected of operating an unlicensed taxi service and aiding and abetting operating an unlicensed taxi service in an ongoing investigation. The District Court of Helsinki confiscated almost 250,000 euros worth of assets from Jarvinen as a so-called protective measure on 28 June, 2017.

UberBlack, the ride-sharing service intended for licensed drivers, will remain available in Helsinki.

Aleksi Teivainen  HT

Photo: Aleksi Tuomola  Lehtikuva

Source: Uusi Suomi
The EMA is currently headquartered in London, the United Kingdom. The headquarters, along with its staff of roughly 900 highly skilled employees, is to be relocated due to the imminent withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union.

The Finnish government has announced Helsinki as its candidate to host the European Medicines Agency (EMA).

Helsinki was ultimately one of only few, if not the only, viable candidates to host the agency, judging by the re-location criteria.

The location, for example, has to be accessible by air with frequent and convenient flight connections from the capitals of all other member states of the European Union. It must also offer convenient intercontinental flight connections and sufficient hotel capacity for people attending meetings and seminars.

The European Council has also stipulated that the children of agency staff must have access to international and multi-lingual schooling. Almost 650 such children were schooled in London in September, 2016.

The Finnish government states in its press release that the application will be drawn up in collaboration with the City of Helsinki. The deadline for applications is a the end of this month, while a decision on the location is to be made by the EU General Affairs Council in November, 2017.

Jan Vapaavuori (NCP), the Mayor of Helsinki, recently voiced his exasperation with the indecision of the government.

Helsinki is working intensely on an application to host the European Medicines Agency. We have had to take initiative because the state cannot make up its mind. The application period is about to end, he tweeted in early July.

Aleksi Teivainen  HT

Photo: Daniel Leal-Olivas  AFP/Lehtikuva
Out Of Order | New Theatre, Oxford | Tuesday, June 27

WERE in the biggest political tangle in half a century, no one knows what Brexit means, no one seems to have a plan and according to the now ex-chancellor the prime minister is a dead woman walking!

Ray Cooney must have jumped for joy when all that lot landed in his lap just as he was reviving his Nineties not-quite-political farce, Out Of Order.

Cue loads of remarks about May and Corbyn and lip service paid to who they are  they certainly caused the New Theatre audience to laugh, although not terribly loudly.

As with all Ray Cooney farces the situation hardly matters.

This time its a government minister pretending to his wife that hes at a crucial Commons debate when actually hes in a hotel room about to indulge in some extra-parliamentary consultation with a sexy secretary  Jeremy Corbyns sexy secretary, apparently.

But there is no real politics in this piece  just sex, or various frustrating attempts to get it. The thing is that no one ever gets any in a Ray Cooney farce, although lots of people wind up with next to no clothes on or around their ankles in compromising positions.

The set is designed to give maximum confusion and evasion: a bedroom door, window, cupboard and entrance, and people disappear in and out of these with bewildering regularity as the government minister, Mr Willey  I know  tries to get out of an ever-deepening series of crises entirely of his own making.

A jealous husband, a bored wife and an angry nurse all add to the churn and the lies and misleading statements get weirder and weirder.

This stuff works when its done at breathtaking speed  the way the Mill At Sonning do it, in other words.

It has to be so fast that you dont have time to think about how silly it is  you get swept along and come out at the other end dizzy and saying Wow, what a ride.

Anything even slightly under that pace and the show starts to plod and thats what happened with this one.

It had quite a few moments of fun and some spirited performances from Sue Holderness as Willeys wife and Shaun Williamson as a parliamentary aide do their best to keep it running. But it did not run smooth and fast throughout.

When that happens it becomes predictable and the thing with farce is the surprise.

If you know whats coming then it becomes like a game of bingo as you tick off the ingredients  girl in underwear, husband on the rampage, unexpected wife, outraged hotel manager, misrepresented oral sex. Havent things moved on since Brian Rix?

This is still a good night out, but if the Mll had done it then it would have been a lot better night out.

Until Saturday.

Mike Rowbottom
A five-year-old boy was battered to death in a park by his mother's boyfriend, who flew into a rage after the child lost one of his trainers, a court heard.

Marvyn Iheanacho (39) is accused of causing Alex Malcolm fatal head and stomach injuries during a violent assault.

Witnesses heard a "child's fearful voice saying 'sorry'", loud banging, and a man screaming about the loss of a shoe, jurors were told. Prosecutors say the banging could have been from "repeated assaults" on Alex in Mountsfield Park, Catford, south-east London.

Mr Iheanacho, from Hounslow, west London, is standing trial at Woolwich Crown Court, where he denies murder.

Temper

"The prosecution say that he died at the hands of this defendant, a man who was looking after him, acting as his stepfather, but who on the afternoon/early evening of November 20 last year lost his temper and violently assaulted the boy, causing him fatal head and stomach injures," said prosecutor Eleanor Laws QC.

The jury heard he was in a relationship with Alex's mother Lilya Breha and would often stay at her flat in Catford.

CCTV captured Mr Iheanacho taking Alex from his home, on three separate buses, to the park, where they arrived at around 5.12pm, when it was already dark.

Ms Laws said there were no witnesses or CCTV footage of "the defendant landing blows on Alex", but added: "There is, however, clear evidence as to the fact the defendant lost his temper with Alex before he sustained his injuries."

The trial continues.
Gardai in a murder investigation acted with "great laxity" in how they dealt with evidence, a defence barrister has told a trial jury.

Bernard Condon gave his closing speech to the jury yesterday in the trial of Christopher McDonald (34), from the East Wall area of Dublin.

Mr McDonald has pleaded not guilty to the murder of 36-year-old Keith Walker at Blanchardstown Racing Pigeon Club on the Shelerin Road, Clonsilla, on June 12, 2015.

The trial has heard that Mr Walker was shot 18 times by a gunman dressed as a woman.

Mr Condon told the jury that there was a problem with the evidence and a "great laxity in the way some of the gardai have dealt with this case".

He said there remained unanswered questions and unfilled gaps and the prosecution was asking the jury to take "jumps into the unknown".

Speaking for the prosecution, Denis Vaughan Buckley said there was "more than ample evidence" to conclude that the accused was guilty.

Mr Buckley reminded the jury of the evidence given by two teenage boys, who said they met a man carrying a handbag and dressed in women's clothes on the evening of the shooting.

Mistake

The man, who had a cut over one eye, asked them for directions to the pigeon club.

Mr Buckley told the jury to look at the photographs taken of Mr McDonald after his arrest.

He also pointed to forensic evidence, which showed firearms residue on a latex glove and wig found alongside a handbag and a gun that a ballistics expert said was the one used to kill Mr Walker. The accused's DNA was found on the glove.

Mr Condon said there were many matters that were poorly dealt with in the trial. He pointed to the fact that Detective Sergeant Paul Tallon had written in a statement that he found dark glasses along with the gun, but no glasses were actually found.

He asked the jury to consider that a woman in nearby Whitestown had told gardai that a young man asked her to dress him as a woman.

He pointed to an inconsistency in evidence given by a garda who had retrieved CCTV footage that was shown to the jury.

The garda initially said it did not have a live time stamp but later said that was a mistake.

There were further questions over the taking of samples.

Regarding the evidence of the teens, Mr Condon said neither one had identified Mr McDonald as the man they spoke to.

He also pointed to evidence given by one of the teens, who said he saw lipstick on the man's teeth. "Mr McDonald doesn't have two front teeth," he said.

Horrific

Regarding the bag, gun, wig and glove, Mr Condon said there was a four-day gap between Mr Walker's death and the items being found.

He further pointed to evidence that showed that each item had sources of DNA other than Mr McDonald's.

Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy will continue his charge to the jury at the Central Criminal Court today.
A garda is being prosecuted for assaulting an RTE cameraman who was injured while filming a violent protest in Dublin city centre.

Garda Sean Lucey is alleged to have hit cameraman Colm Hand in the groin during a baton charge.

Mr Hand also had his camera damaged in the incident, it has been alleged.

Gda Lucey is being summoned to court to face assault and criminal damage charges after a complaint was made to the Garda Siochana Ombudsman Commission (GSOC).

Serious

Judge Michael Walsh granted the issuing of the summonses at Dublin District Court after an application by the Director of Public Prosecutions, who is acting on behalf of the commission.

Stuart Duguid, an officer with the commission, told the court that Mr Hand was allegedly assaulted at the junction of O'Connell Street and Cathedral Street on February 6 last year.

Judge Walsh said it was a serious allegation and asked what the background was.

Mr Duguid said that, at the time of the alleged assault, gardai were using batons to move back a line of protesters, some of whom were being violent. The court heard that Mr Hand was in front of the gardai, filming the violence.

State solicitor Michael Durkan said, after the alleged assault, Mr Hand made a complaint through his employer to GSOC. The court heard that Mr Hand had attended hospital, was seen by a doctor and suffered bruising to his groin.

This was the basis for the assault allegation, said Mr Durkan.

The criminal damage charge related to the part of the camera that was allegedly broken off.

Judge Walsh granted the application after Mr Duguid signed the information he had sworn before the court.

A legal representative for the accused was present in court. Violent clashes broke out when 1,000 people turned out for a protest against the launch in Ireland of anti-Islam group Pegida.

Gardai intervened when people thought to be linked to the group were singled out and attacked by a group of men.

Pegida - which stands for Patriotic Europeans Against The Islamisation of the West - began in Germany last year, largely in response to the European refugee crisis.

Clashes

As small groups of Pegida supporters approached the GPO from surrounding streets, violent clashes quickly broke out.

Members of the Garda Public Order Unit baton charged protesters back towards O'Connell Street and then set up a cordon in the middle of North Earl Street. O'Connell Street was closed to traffic in both directions between Abbey Street and Cathal Brugha Street, while Cathedral Street was cordoned off by public order.

Mounted garda and garda dogs were used to control the crowds. Gardai directed Luas to suspend services from Smithfield to the city centre.
Baz Ashmawy has opened up for the first time on the drink-driving incident that saw him arrested six years ago.

The 50 Ways to Kill Your Mammy star admitted he had not spoken about the experience until now because he had been "ashamed" and his family get "upset" when he talks about it.

Speaking on his summer series The Baz Thing on RTE Radio 1, the presenter admitted he felt like his world had "collapsed" when he saw the news of his arrest had broken.

"I remember I arrived in the studio to review the morning papers and there was my face all over nearly every front page," he said.

"I could literally see that my world was collapsing right in front of me."

While Ashmawy is ashamed of the incident, he no longer lets it get to him and has accepted nothing can be done to change it.

"It's difficult for me to talk about. It's something I'm ashamed of and something I hate about myself but, not just that, I kind of passed all those feelings on to my family and the people I love," he added.

"It was embarrassing and shameful for them. I know they get upset when I talk about it.

Hospital

"I was sorry I did it but the fact is I did do it and all the flippin' sorries in the world aren't going to change that."

The 42-year-old's career took a hit after his arrest and he lost his previous radio job and found it difficult to secure any other work.

"The reason I'm talking about it tonight is because shortly after that incident I ended up in hospital with my health," he said.

"My contract was cancelled. I lost my job in radio. No one would employ me in TV.

"I was unemployed for 18 months. We had a one-year-old, Hannah, and my missus was seven months pregnant.

"I swear to God if I could touch it it would turn to sh*t. I hit rock bottom.

"You see you can avoid looking in the mirror for a long time but one day when you least expect it you'll catch your reflection and you'll be forced to ask yourself do you like who you see? Are you happy? And I didn't. I wasn't."
Ciaran Colgan, pictured at Ennis Court, abused the victim on three occasions

A Dublin paedophile, who admitted to gardai that he sexually abused a four-year-old girl nearly a decade after committing the sick crimes, has been jailed for two years.

Judge Gerald Keys imposed a four-year prison term with the final two years suspended on pervert Ciaran Colgan (56), of Gleann na hEorna, Springfield, Tallaght, at Ennis Circuit Court yesterday.

Colgan, who also set up a fake Facebook profile to sexually exploit another underage girl, went to a Dublin garda station in 2010 to confess that he had sexually abused the four-year-old girl nine years earlier in Co Clare.

Complaint

Colgan made admissions to gardai that he had abused the girl on three occasions between 2001 and 2003 in west Clare.

Colgan identified the child by name and told officers that he didn't wish to make a statement but if a complaint was ever made he would admit to everything.

Colgan walked free from the station as there was no complaint against him.

However, four years later he offended again when he posed as a 16-year-old boy on Facebook and sent sexually explicit messages to a 12-year-old girl.

In March, Colgan received a four-year jail term at Cavan Circuit Court with the final two-and-a-half years suspended for the sexual exploitation of a child concerning the Facebook offence.

Yesterday, Judge Keys said he couldn't ignore that conviction.

In relation to the offence before the Ennis court, Judge Keys told Colgan: "You abused your victim for your own sexual gratification and you abused your position of trust when babysitting."

In Colgan's favour, the judge said he had no previous convictions at the time of the offence; had pleaded guilty; came forward voluntarily and admitted his criminal con- duct.

Judge Keys said Colgan had apologised for his wrongdoing and was prepared to engage with the Probation Service and undergo treatment under the sex offenders programme.

Colgan, whose marriage ended in 1992, is the father of two grown-up children, aged 27 and 26.

The case came to court after the Clare victim went to a garda station last year to make formal complaints against Colgan.

When interviewed by gardai, he confessed, telling officers: "I am sorry. I am very sorry."

Colgan abused the girl on three occasions when babysitting her.

In her victim impact statement, the complainant said she had come forward and put "myself in this complicated and sensitive process mainly to ensure the protection of other children but also as closure for myself so that I continue to heal and better myself".

Disgusted

She added: "I was such a young girl in a vulnerable situation and I was used for pleasure by an adult I was expected to respect."

"At the age of five, I didn't have the words to describe how I was feeling but now I do.

"As a child, I felt different to the children around me. I remember feeling disgusted and ashamed of myself for what happened, which I see is a massive burden to carry."

She said that in the years after the abuse "I bottled up all my emotions and it took a toll on my mental health and I suffered low self-esteem and I went through a period of self-harming".

"My childhood innocence was taken from me and I was forced to grow up too fast with a warped version of the world. It wasn't a world I wanted to live in," she said.

Judge Keys backdated the sentence to May 15 to when Colgan entered his guilty plea.
ABINGDON, Va.The Washington County Public Library received a $15,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts to host a Big Read program.

The library in Abingdon is the only organization in Virginia to receive the grant. Its the second time the library has received the grant on its own. The first time was in 2015. In the past, the library partnered with Barter Theatre to apply.

We were extremely proud of having that status, said Charlotte Parsons, library system director. It is a good example of how aggressive we can be to secure funding for our community.

Seventy-five nonprofits  from schools to libraries and arts organizations  in 32 states received a grant. The 2017-18 grants range from $5,000 to $20,000 and total more than $1 million.

In a partnership with Arts Midwest, the NEA Big Read initiative broadens our understanding of our world, our communities, and ourselves, by focusing on a single book, according to an NEA news release.

All organizations will host a Big Read project between September and June 2018. There are 21 works of literature  including Emily St. John Mandels Station Eleven and Claudia Rankines Citizen: An American Lyric for the recipients to choose from and focus on.

The local library will focus on A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula Le Guin. For a six-week period in October and November, activities involving the book will take place.

We chose this book because of its connection to our county, Parsons said. Local artist Charles Vess is creating new illustrations for the novels 50th anniversary reissue.

Vess, an Abingdon native, is a well-known fantasy artist whose focus is illustrating myths and fairytales. He will be the keynote speaker during the events in the fall, and will focus on what its like to bring another persons world to life.

Other events to take place are a workshop to write scientific fiction and fantasy, education outreach and the Symphony of Mountains will perform music from Fantasia, among others, Parsons said.

Since 2006, more than 1,400 Big Read programs have been funded by the NEA, providing more than $19 million in grants to organizations nationwide.

Through the NEA Big Read we are bringing contemporary works to communities across the country, helping us better understand the diverse voices and perspectives that come with it, said Jane Chu, NEA chairman, in a news release. These 75 organizations have developed unique plans to celebrate these works, including numerous opportunities for exploration and conversation.

The library will hold a kickoff celebration Oct. 7 at Virginia Highlands Community College.
(file photo)

A post on Zhihu.com, Chinas answer to Quora, of the heart-warming way the University of Science and Technology of China helped a needy student went viral on July 5, getting around 20,000 likes in one day.

When Shannon first started university, he spent less than one dollar a day on his daily meals, as his family was far from well-off. His purchase history showed that his monthly expenditure on food was about $26.

One day, he received an unexpected email from the university student card administration center telling him to claim a $20 grant. He was surprised, as he had never talked to anybody about his familys situation. A university staff member explained to him that if a record shows a monthly expenditure amount of less than $30, the grant is automatically allocated to the students account.

As the news spread, interestingly, a student from a well-off family attempted to get the allowance as well. He ate out instead of in the university cafeteria for a month, so that his monthly student card expenditure was less than $30. But the student didnt get any allowance. In response to his complaint of unfair treatment, the university staff said the record had also revealed that he barely ate in the university cafeteria; therefore, he wasnt recognized as a needy student.

The move has won a good deal of praise from netizens, saying the policy is not only considerate, but smart.

A focus on people is a core value practiced by the university. Many people hold the stereotype that scientists lack such concern, as the mass media always depict scientists as cold. But in fact, we are very caring people who want to use technology for good, a graduate from University of Science and Technology of China, Yuan Lanfeng, told Guancha.cn.
Nearly 80 PA people have been charged for Jan. 6 riot. Three are dead.

news
Graduates from the Third Military Medical University in China took a series of aerial photos to commemorate their five-year university life. (Xinhua/Fan Xin)
Good for you...

I'm speaking of a New York City Subway rider, GREGORY LOCKE, who is a hero in my book because he shared his post on Facebook as a lesson for all of us.

I read the following in the current World Jewish Congress (WJC) digest and pass it along to you in its entirety:

After a Manhattan subway was defaced with swastikas on several windows and advertisements, a group of riders joined together to erase the racist graffiti.

In a Facebook post, subway rider, Gregory Locke wrote that 'the train was silent as everyone stared at each other, uncomfortable and unsure what to do. One guy got up and said "hand sanitizer gets rid of Sharpie." Locke continued that the man found some tissues and everyone got to work.

"I've never seen so many people simultaneously reach into their bags and pockets looking for tissues and Purel," Locke wrote. "Within about two minutes, all the Nazi symbolism was gone."

His post has been shared nearly 300,000 times and received an outpouring of support from Facebook users.

(Wow. Just think of all that we can accomplish together!)

More about the WJC:

Founded in 1936, the World Jewish Congress is the representative body of Jewish communities and organizations in more than 100 countries, across six continents. Working as the permanent address on behalf of world Jewry with foreign governments and international agencies, the WJC safeguards Jewish security; combats anti-Semitism, bigotry and extremism; supports Israel and advances Middle East peace; advocates on issues of human rights and promotes and enhances interfaith relations.

And I also heard from the ADL:

This comes directly from JONATHAN A. GREENBLATT, CEO and National Director of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL):

Right now, Jewish families in America (and across the world) are more concerned than they have been in many years. Multiple incidents of harassment, vandalism, and hate speech have shaken us to our core. We are not alone in feeling this way. The growing culture of violence and vitriol is lashing out at all communities of 'otherness.' From recent immigrants to LGBT people and from African Americans to Muslims, minority populations are being targeted just as surely as we are.

The ADL stands with all groups imperiled by this hate epidemic. We will not allow our families, or those of our neighbors, to live in fear. The truth is that a vast majority of Americans still treasure diversity and mutual respect. We will not yield to a few isolated bullies with an Internet connection any more than we will cower in the face of violence.

(That says it all!)

Age is JUST a number...

The Jewish Pavilion was honored to celebrate the 100th birthday of RUTH ABELS at a June Sabbath service at Brookdale Island Lake.

"It's not every day someone turns 100 years old and to share it with that loving delightful person along with her devoted family members was truly memorable," said Program Director Emily Newman.

Ruth was joined by family members from near and far; her best friend, FLORENCE who is 105; and dozens of residents. Ruth was bashful about her friends and neighbors realizing she turned 100 years old but she quickly noticed the sincere fondness, friendship and love she feels.

Special thanks goes to Cantor ALAN ROBUCK who led a festive and engaging musical Shabbat.

Ruth (the mother of FLORY KAHN) received 100 roses from Joff Stride, executive director of Brookdale Island Lake, and was also featured on the jelly jar on the television News.

Celebrating a belated 4th of July...

The Boa Belles of the Red Hatter's Society will hold a belated Fourth of July celebration at their next meeting on Thursday, July 20th, beginning at 12:30 p.m. The luncheon/meeting will take place at Victorio's Oyster Bar and Grill. There will be prizes for the best decorated Red, White and Blue hat in honor of America's Independence Day.

The fabulous and fun event is being hosted by VINNIE COON, BEA MICHALSKI and JACKIE SHERIDAN.

A reminder...

On Thursday, July 13th, beginning at 7 p.m., The Professors of Jazz will perform a concert and also a jam session at the Dr. Phillips Center for Performing Arts.

(This is too good to miss!)

Laughs at the JCC...

Did you know that The Roth Family Jewish Community Center of Greater Orlando, has a Laughter Club? The class is free to JCC members and it is not only fun to attend, it is healthy and stress reducing.

(Better than my cookies!)

Ruth Abels with 100 roses.

It takes place on Mondays in the JCC Group Exercise Studio at 12:15 p.m.

(Hope to see you there.)

One for the road...

Maurice was 70 years old and made an appointment to see his doctor. His doctor asked him a few questions.

"Mr Levy, what about urination? Do you have any problems?"

Maurice replied, "No doctor, it's very regular, every morning at precisely 7 a.m."

"And what about your bowel movements?"

Maurice replied, "They're fine also doctor, every morning at precisely 8 a.m."

The doctor asked, "So then why did you come to see me, Mr. Levy?"

Maurice replied, "Oy, doctor, I don't wake up before 10 a.m."
AMSTERDAM (JTA)-Livraria Ets Haim is the world's oldest functioning Jewish library. As such, it is no stranger to the prospect of imminent destruction.

Founded in 1616 by Jews who fled Catholic persecution in Spain and Portugal, the three-room library is adjacent to Amsterdam's majestic Portuguese Synagogue in the Dutch capital's center.

The 30,000-volume collection mostly contains manuscripts written by people who fled the Inquisition on the Iberian Peninsula or their descendants. The oldest document is a copy of the Mishneh Torah, the code of Jewish religious law authored by Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon, or Maimonides, that dates to 1282. Ets Haim's volume is pristine but for the scars left behind by an Inquisition censor, a Jew who had converted to Christianity and singed away entire passages of the book.

Ets Haim as a whole faced a similar fate-or worse-in 1940, when the Nazis invaded the Netherlands and had 75 percent of its Jews murdered. Yet the Nazis left the Portuguese Synagogue intact, and instead of burning the library's collection, they shipped the books to Germany. The collection was discovered there, with light damage, after the war.

After the war, the books were returned to Amsterdam. But the Dutch Jewish community lacked the resources to preserve the collection. Library curators determined that the Ets Haim building would need to be renovated thoroughly to ensure the proper conditions, so in 1979 the books were sent to Israel.

Following extensive renovations to the building, which dates to 1675, the collection returned home in 2000. And now, relying upon 21st-century technology, its custodians are determined to make the library's works accessible to interested parties around the world. The aim, according to Ets Haim's curator, Heide Warncke, is to ensure that the knowledge stored between its pages is never lost again.

In 2014, using advanced imaging equipment, the National Library of Israel has partnered with Ets Haim to digitize its entire catalog. And now the partners will make everything available online-and for free.

The Jerusalem library will include Ets Haim's books in Ktiv, a vast international collection of digitized Hebrew manuscripts that is set to launch in August. The scans-from centuries-old stores like Ets Haim's-are ultra high-resolution files that are resistant to digital decay. For added security, they are stored on several servers worldwide.

"Like many Holocaust survivors have in their lives, the books of Ets Haim have demonstrated a remarkable ability to cheat death," said Aviad Stollman, head of collections at the National Library of Israel. "But we still need to do our part to ensure this exquisite Jewish library is preserved for centuries to come."

The library is housed in a two-story wooden building with a steep, spiral staircase and two octagonal sky windows that provide defused light. It is open to the public only a handful of times each year during guided tours that typically need to be booked in advance. (Accredited scholars may access the library year-round.)

Warncke said the restrictive policy is meant to protect the books, which are at risk of being damaged by humidity and changes in temperature.

The Ets Haim collection, which in 2003 was added to UNESCO's list of World Heritage items, owes its richness to its genesis from Iberian Jews, she added.

These Jewish immigrants were pioneers in philosophy, innovation, trade and medicine, she said. When they fled the Inquisition, they brought knowledge to the Netherlands on theology, astronomy (as evidenced in Ets Haim's Hebrew-language book from the 17th century titled "Collection of Astronomical Treatises") and medicine.

One decidedly modern volume, the "Dictionary of Maritime Terms," was published in 1780 by the translator David Franco Mendes in Amsterdam, offering entries in Dutch, French, Portuguese and Spanish alongside fine sketches of ship parts. Though his book is secular in essence, Mendes was a prominent member of the Jewish congregation as well as an insurance broker.

Other Sephardic Jews used the relative tolerance they encountered in the Netherlands to resume the study of Jewish texts that had been largely stunted throughout Europe following the Inquisition.

"The people who founded Ets Haim and helped it grow had been living under persecution for decades," said Ruth Peeters, a senior cataloger at the library. "You can see in the books their enthusiasm about being able to reconnect with their Jewish traditions openly and resume the study of it. Ets Haim is a testament to the cultural revival they led."

At times, this enthusiasm for theological debate tested the borders of acceptability even in the Netherlands, which despite being a relatively tolerant nation was also a deeply religious Christian one. One such publication was the benignly titled book "Selected Works by Various Authors." Written in Spanish in the 17th century by Saul Levi Mortera, it contains "refutation of the gospels, acts, epistles" according to Ets Haim, and "arguments against Christianity," according to the Israeli library.

Such explosive publications were kept at Ets Haim as manuscripts and were printed rarely, Warncke said, so as to limit their distribution and avoid angering Dutch society.

This culture of debate among the Jewish community, as well as its exposure to different religions and ideas that an international trading hub provided, produced heretics like the philosophers Baruch Spinoza-who was excommunicated by Jews for his atheist musings, possibly because they also offended Christians-and Uriel da Costa.

There is no way of knowing for sure, but both men (who died in 1632 and 1640, respectively) may well have frequented Ets Haim to conduct their research, Warncke confirmed.

"It was, after all, the largest collection around of Jewish writings," she said.

And while there is no record of Spinoza's activity at the library, his father had enrolled him in the Ets Haim seminary, which was Amsterdam's first Portuguese Jewish seminary, of which the library was a part.

Another controversial figure did leave an indelible mark on the library: Shabbetai Zevi, the Turkey-born eccentric Jewish luminary who divided the Jewish world with his claim that he was the Messiah. Under duress, he converted to Islam in 1666.

One of Ets Haim's most remarkable documents is a letter sent that year to Zevi by 24 Dutch Jews who left the community over their support for Zevi's messianic claim. In the three-page Hebrew-language document, they ask for word from their messiah and recount the story of Shabtai Raphael, who was banned from the city over his support for Shabbetai Zevi. The letter never reached the self-proclaimed messiah, probably because he had already converted to Islam when the envoy sent with it reached the Ottoman Empire.

Whereas these documents are well researched, new discoveries are always being made, said Warncke. As an example, she cited a 15th-century author's dedication to his wife-a rare tribute for a woman that reflected the progressive nature of Dutch Jewry at the time.

Digitization, she said, is "one of the possibilities to make our manuscripts accessible to a bigger audience. That can lead to more knowledge. There are many secrets still to be unlocked."
JERUSALEM (JTA)-Israeli politicians rushed to condemn their government's decision Sunday to freeze a plan promoting pluralistic prayer at the Western Wall.

Voices from across the political spectrum, including members of the governing coalition, criticized the vote by the Cabinet as a reckless affront to American Jewry. They warned it could weaken the community's support for Israel.

"Canceling the deal constitutes a severe blow to the unity of the Jewish people and communities as well as the relationship between Israel and Diaspora Jewry," Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman said in a statement.

However, as in the past, such concerns were not enough to affect policy: An overwhelming majority of the Cabinet voted in favor of freezing the plan. Amid the outcry, haredi Orthodox politicians celebrated another success in preserving the powers and privileges granted to their community by the state.

When Israel approved the Western Wall plan in January 2016, it was widely hailed as a historic compromise between non-Orthodox and Orthodox Jews. The Reform and Conservative Jewish movements, the multi-denominational Women of the Wall prayer group and the haredi Western Wall rabbi negotiated the plan over several years.

They agreed to significantly upgrade the egalitarian prayer space at the southern end of the Western Wall plaza and allow leaders of the Reform and Conservative Jewish movements to manage it. In exchange, the Western Wall Heritage Foundation would maintain control of the main prayer section. Women of the Wall, which for nearly two decades has protested limitations on prayer rites in the women's section of the familiar Western Wall plaza, would move to the expanded space, known as Robinson's Arch.

But when the plan was made public, haredi leaders decried the concessions to what they saw as illegitimate forms of Judaism, and Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz, who heads the Heritage Foundation, quickly withdrew his support. The haredi political parties have since pushed the government to scrap the plan entirely, which it came just short of doing Sunday.

Among the Cabinet ministers, only Liberman, the head of the hawkish Yisrael Beinteinu party, and Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz, a member of the ruling Likud, voted against the freeze. In announcing the decision, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had appointed Likud Minister Tzachi Hanegbi and Cabinet Secretary Tzachi Braverman to draft a new plan for the site. He said construction on the pluralistic prayer section would continue uninterrupted.

Rabbi Rick Jacobs, the head of the Reform movement and a vocal advocate of the plan, called the government's decision an "unconscionable insult to the majority of world Jewry."

"The stranglehold that the Chief Rabbinate and the ultra-Orthodox parts have on Israel and the enfranchisement of the majority of Jews in Israel and the world must-and will-be ended," he said Sunday in a statement. "We are assessing all next steps."

Tzipi Livni, a prominent lawmaker in the opposition Zionist Union political coalition, took to Facebook to explain why Israeli Jews should be concerned about the feelings of their American counterparts when it comes to prayer at the Western Wall and a new bill that would require the state to recognize only conversions completed under the auspices of the haredi-dominated Chief Rabbinate.

"Why do we care about Jewish Israelis from the Western Wall and the Conversion Law? Because it is important to us that Israel remain the state of the Jewish people and that Judaism be what connects us-and not what divides us," Livni said Sunday in a post.

"The cancellation of the Western Wall arrangement and the new conversion law tear the Jewish people apart. The prime minister of the Jewish people divides them for the purpose of political survival, and gives the ultra-Orthodox parties a monopoly over the Judaism of all of us."

Shuki Friedman, the head of religion and state research at the Israel Democracy Institute think tank in Jerusalem, said many Israelis resent the influence that haredi leaders exert over state institutions. But, he said, most people do not prioritize issues of religion and state, nor do they embrace liberal forms of Judaism.

"Unfortunately, this isn't something that will shake up Israeli politics. The storm is mostly in the media," Friedman told JTA. "Generally speaking, the Reform and Conservative movements have failed in Israel, and the public isn't really concerned about them. Therefore, mainstream politicians aren't going to challenge the haredim on an issue like the Western Wall. "

Meanwhile, he said, the haredi political parties have an almost singular focus on protecting their narrow interests. That makes them useful to forming and maintaining governing coalitions, but at the cost of accommodating those interests.

Health Minister Yaakov Litzman of the haredi United Torah Judaism party welcomed the Cabinet decision as a victory over liberal Jews.

"This decision sends a clear message to the entire world that Reform Judaism has no access to or recognition at the Western Wall," he said Sunday in a statement. "I thank the rabbi of the Western Wall, Shmuel Rabinowitz, and the chief rabbis of Israel. To their merit we were able to sanctify God's name."

Also Sunday, government ministers approved a bill that would require the state to recognize only conversions conducted under the auspices of the Chief Rabbinate. The conversion bill, drafted last month by Interior Minster Ayreh Deri, head of the haredi Shas party, apparently aims to circumvent a March 2016 Supreme Court ruling that allowed those who undergo private Orthodox conversions in Israel to become citizens under the Law of Return.

Since helping to form the current government in 2015, haredi politicians have rolled back various efforts to reform the relationship between synagogue and state-many of them enacted under the previous government, which did not include them.

In November 2015, the Knesset postponed and watered down a law that would have ended the traditional exemption from military conscription for most haredi men. And in July 2016, Education Minister Naftali Bennett assumed the authority to ignore a law slashing state funding for haredi schools that do not teach math and English. State funding for yeshivas has reached record highs three different times under the current government.

However, some Israelis are mounting challenges to the religious status quo outside of the Knesset. The Cabinet's decision came on the day of a High Court of Justice deadline for the state to respond to petitions on its failure to implement the Western Wall plan and build the pluralistic prayer space. How the court would react to the freeze was unclear.

Also, in an unprecedented move, the semi-official Jewish Agency issued a resolution on Monday calling on the government to reverse its decision, saying the move was un-Zionist.

"We deplore the decision of the [Government of Israel] which contradicts the vision and dream of Herzl, Ben-Gurion and Jabotinsky and the spirit of the Zionist movement and Israel as a national home for the entire Jewish people and the Kotel as a unifying symbol for Jews around the world," said the resolution, which the agency's board of governors passed unanimously.

Theodor Herzl, David Ben-Gurion and Zeev Jabotinsky were perhaps the most important Zionist leaders of the 20th century.

"We declare that we cannot and will not allow this to happen. We call on the GOI to understand the gravity of its steps and accordingly reverse its course of action," the resolution continued.

Stuart Eizenstat, the former U.S. ambassador to the European Union, was at the Cabinet meeting Sunday before the vote to freeze the Western Wall plan. He presented a report by the think tank he co-chairs, the Jewish People Policy Institute, that urged the government to promote Jewish pluralism, in part to ensure the continued support of American Jewry.

While dismayed by the ministers' decision, Eizenstat said he felt his message was heard.

"I've been doing this for many years, and I've never seen a meeting that lasted so long nor one that had such a spirited debate," he told JTA. "There was tremendous engagement on our point by nearly all the minsters. It was clear they took it seriously."
Mortar shells fired from Syria into the Israeli Golan Heights Saturday prompted the IDF to respond with a retaliatory strike in Syria, purportedly killing Syrian soldiers.

Despite the incidents, a military escalation between Israel and Syria is unlikely and is in neither side's interest, said Prof. Efraim Inbar, former director of the Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies at Israel's Bar-Ilan University.

"This is nothing new for the IDF to retaliate to spillover from Syria," Inbar told JNS.org. "This is an implementation of old policy."

"Israel has no interest in an escalation and I'm not sure the Syrians have an interest in an escalation either," he said. "Even if the Syrians have the ability to do so, they are busy reconquering parts of their land that were lost by [President Bashar] Assad. There is a civil war there and we are not the clear enemy of Assad."

Yet in a December 2016 interview with the Syrian daily newspaper Al-Watan, Assad maintained that despite his nation's years-long civil war, "Israel alone remains our enemy country."

Regarding the incident that prompted Israel's weekend strike in Syria, the IDF said mortars fired into the Jewish state appeared to be errant fire originating from clashes between warring factions near the Israel-Syria border. Around 10 mortar rounds were confirmed to have landed in Israeli territory near Syria's Quneitra area. No injuries or damage were reported.

Reflecting its policy for all fire landing in Israeli territory from Syria, the IDF held the Syrian regime responsible, saying it would "not tolerate any attempt to harm Israeli sovereignty and the security of its citizens."

Echoing the IDF's statement, Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman warned Saturday, "The Assad regime is responsible for what occurs in its territory and will continue to suffer the consequences if such events recur."

In addition to launching defensive air strikes on Syrian military targets-destroying two Syrian regime tanks and machine gun post-Israel also filed an official complaint with the United Nations over the incident.

IDF spokesman Avichay Adraee confirmed, via his Arabic-language Facebook page, that the Israeli Air Force struck Syrian army targets in response to the mortars landing in Israel's territory from Syria.

The Hezbollah-affiliated Al Mayadeen TV station reported that two Syrian soldiers were killed in the Israeli strike, and Syrian officials confirmed "several" deaths without providing further details.

"Our policy is clear: We will not tolerate any spillover or trickle whatsoever-neither mortars nor rockets, from any front. We will respond strongly to any attack on our territory or our citizens," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday at Israel's weekly cabinet meeting.

Elaborating on Israel's concerns in the region, Netanyahu noted "Iran's attempts to establish itself militarily in Syria as well as its attempts to arm Hezbollah-via Syria and Lebanon-with advanced weaponry."

The Begin-Sadat Center's Inbar explained that Israel "is an actor with a very low profile in Syria." The Jewish state, he said, is "interested in preventing weapon deliveries to Hezbollah and we want to prevent an Iranian front in the Golan Heights. We basically have defensive aims."

During a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in March, Netanyahu expressed his strong opposition to Iranian forces and terror proxies-many equipped with Russian-made heavy artillery-operating in Syria, close to Israel's northern border.

"Israel does not want a Shi'ite corridor," Inbar said. "Assad is an ally of Iran, so to some extent we would like the forces against Assad to keep the Iranians away, but the future of Syria is not in Israel's hands. We are a small state, and our ability to influence events there is limited-very limited."

In line with reports that Netanyahu has lobbied for a security zone along the Israel-Syria border as part of any future negotiated resolution to end the six-year-long Syrian Civil War, Inbar said Jordan and Israel are cooperating on an effort to establish such a buffer zone between Israel, Jordan and Syria.

Saturday night's events followed the IDF's confirmation that it downed a Syrian drone violating Israeli airspace over the Golan Heights in April, and Syrian state media reports that Israel launched an airstrike during the same month near Damascus International Airport on an Iranian weapons cache that was destined for Hezbollah.
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley addresses the U.N. Security Council in April.

(JNS.org) U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley slammed the U.N. Security Council Thursday for its inaction on Iran, which she says has "repeatedly and deliberately violated" sanctions.

"The Security Council has failed to even take minimal steps to respond to these violations," Haley told a council briefing on Iran. "We must show Iran that we will not tolerate their egregious flaunting of U.N. resolutions."

Jeffery Feltman, the U.N.'s under-secretary-general for political affairs, briefed the council on Iran Thursday. Feltman noted that Iran launched a medium-range ballistic missile in January.

"As in the case of the ballistic missile launches by Iran in March 2016, there was no consensus in the Security Council on how this particular launch related to Resolution 2231," said Feltman.

Haley, however, said Iran has clearly violated Resolution 2231, which calls for the Islamic Republic to refrain from activity related to nuclear-capable missiles.

China and Russia, which hold veto power in the Security Council, are unlikely to agree to more punitive measures against Iran.
(JTA)-Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shelved a controversial bill that would have made the haredi Orthodox-dominated Chief Rabbinate the only body authorized by the government to perform conversions in Israel.

Netanyahu's office announced Friday that the legislation will not be considered for six months while a "team" he will appoint comes up with recommendations for an "arrangement" on the issue. The decision comes after an outcry by the Reform and Conservative movements and American Jewish communal organizations, who felt that the bill would impugn the validity of non-Orthodox Judaism.

Netanyahu's coalition partners agreed with his compromise, which keeps the status quo on conversions in place during the six-month delay. Netanyahu also asked Israel's Supreme Court to put off ruling on the issue during that time. A suit pending before the court seeks government recognition for non-Orthodox conversions performed in Israel.

"In effect, the appellants and the Government of Israel agree together to freeze all proceedings, to freeze the appeal to the High Court of Justice on the conversion issue, to freeze Government and Knesset legislation on the conversion issue," the prime minister's statement said.

The bill, which had advanced June 25, would grant the Chief Rabbinate a monopoly on conversions performed in Israel. Individuals who convert under Reform, Conservative and private Orthodox auspices in Israel would not be eligible for citizenship under the Law of Return. The bill would not affect conversions performed outside of Israel.

Non-Orthodox movements have long protested the power of the Chief Rabbinate, which holds a monopoly over marriage and divorce in Israel. A rabbinate monopoly over Jewish conversion within Israel ended last year, when a court ruling forced the state to recognize Orthodox conversions performed outside the rabbinate's purview. The bill would have restored that monopoly, and is the latest front in a decades-long fight over conversion between the rabbinate and non-Orthodox Jews.

American Jewish leaders are also protesting the freezing of a compromise to expand a non-Orthodox prayer space at the Western Wall.

A source described by Haaretz as a "senior official" said that Netanyahu decided to call a cabinet meeting on the conversion bill after receiving harsh warnings from the heads of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee on Thursday.

The bill also outraged American Jewish officials, who have said they are weathering calls for a retaliation against Netanyahu's government. Steve Nasatir, president of the Chicago federation, told The Times of Israel that any lawmaker who votes for the conversion bill is not welcome in his community.

On Friday, the bill's critics welcomed Netanyahu's decision to shelve it. The Jewish Agency for Israel, which acts as a liaison between the Israeli government and world Jewry, praised the decision, adding that it hopes the same "spirit of understanding" will extend to the Western Wall controversy. Jerry Silverman, CEO of the Jewish Federations of North America, thanked Netanyahu's government for acceding to American Jewish concerns, and said he looked forward to reaching a compromise on conversion.

"I'm hopeful that the work that will be done will yield results," Silverman told JTA. "I'm grateful to the prime minister for listening to our feedback from across the federations-all of our community, frankly."

Leaders of the Reform movement also praised the decision, calling it an "important rebuke to the aggressive behavior of the ultra-Orthodox toward diaspora Jewry and the non-Orthodox streams."

"We will continue insisting that the Haredi establishment not have a monopoly over conversion and if necessary, we will not hesitate to go back to the courtroom," Rabbi Gilad Kariv, CEO of the Israeli Reform movement, and Rabbi Rick Jacobs, president of the Union for Reform Judaism, said in a statement.
Jewish Agency Chairman Natan Sharansky, center, in brown cap, and Knesset member Dov Lipman, directly to his right, at a protest held by American and Israeli Orthodox and Conservative Jews outside the Chief Rabbinate offices in Jerusalem, July 6, 2016.

(JTA)-Israeli politicians and Jewish leaders are fighting again over an age-old question: Who counts as a Jew? And who gets to decide?

This week, Israel's government inflamed simmering tensions over Jewish conversion when a Cabinet committee advanced a bill that would further empower the country's haredi Orthodox Chief Rabbinate. The measure declares that the rabbinate is the only body authorized by the government to perform conversions in Israel.

Defenders of the bill say it consolidates the conversion system in Israel and safeguards its integrity. But the bill has enraged non-Orthodox Israelis and American Jews who see it as a betrayal of Jewish pluralism.

While the bill does not apply to conversions performed outside of Israel, Jewish leaders fear it will impugn the validity of Reform and Conservative Judaism worldwide.

Here's what you need to know about the controversial legislation.

The bill gives the Chief Rabbinate authority over all official conversions in Israel.

The aim of the bill is to "establish that conversion performed in Israel will be recognized by law only if it is done through the state conversion system," which is run by the Chief Rabbinate.

In other words, for those who convert to Judaism in Israel, the state will recognize them as Jewish only if they convert through the rabbinate. Any other Jewish conversion performed within Israel, even under private Orthodox auspices, would not be valid in the eyes of the state. But the bill clarifies that private conversions of any denomination would not be outlawed-just unrecognized.

The rabbinate already determines who is Jewish for the purposes of marriage and divorce within Israel. Under the bill, if a non-Jewish resident of Israel wanted to convert to Judaism and gain citizenship under the Law of Return, the rabbinate would also control that process.

The goal is to consolidate Israel's conversion system under an authority that everyone considers valid.

"Conversion in Israel will be a state-run, uniform conversion, according to Torah law, that will be recognized by all of the Jewish people," the bill states.

The bill would prevent Israel from recognizing non-Orthodox conversions.

Until last year, the rabbinate controlled all official conversion in Israel But in March 2016, the Israeli Supreme Court ruled that the state must recognize conversions performed by private Orthodox courts outside the rabbinate's purview.

Religious pluralism advocates celebrated the ruling as a victory because it broke the monopoly of the Chief Rabbinate. Liberal Jewish leaders argued that the next step would be for the court to force recognition of private non-Orthodox conversions in Israel, and a petition before the court asks it to do just that.

The proposed legislation would turn back the clock 15 months, taking away recognition from the private Orthodox courts, and also block any possibility of the state recognizing non-Orthodox conversions performed within Israel.

"They understand that the Supreme Court will grant us what we justly deserve," said Yizhar Hess, CEO of the Israeli Conservative movement. "This law aims to block the Supreme Court. This strengthens the haredi Chief Rabbinate and will anchor it in a way it isn't anchored today."

Some government officials have said the bill would prevent African asylum seekers in Israel from getting a Reform conversion and subsequently obtaining citizenship. But there is no discernible movement among asylum seekers to pursue Jewish conversion.

The bill would not affect conversions performed outside of Israel...

Backers of the bill appear to understand that they cannot risk invalidating Reform and Conservative conversions performed abroad. The measure stresses multiple times that it only applies to conversions performed in Israel, not to any performed outside its borders.

So even if the bill passes, Diaspora Jews who converted through the Reform and Conservative movements can still gain automatic Israeli citizenship under the Law of Return.

"American Reform and Conservative Jews, including Reform and Conservative converts, are considered Jews under the Law of Return," a senior Israeli official told JTA on Monday. "The proposed conversion law will not change that in any way."

...but Jewish leaders are still raising hell over it.

If American Jewish leaders are angry about the crisis over the Western Wall, they are apoplectic about this bill. They acknowledge that it does not affect Diaspora conversions. But Jerry Silverman, CEO of the Jewish Federations of North America, warned of a domino effect that could lead the rabbinate one day to extend its reach across the ocean.

"The biggest challenge for the North American Jewish community is codifying the rabbinate as the sole owners of conversion in Israel," Silverman told JTA on Wednesday. "We think that it will be a domino effect, and it opens the door to give them more decision capability well beyond Israel."

Silverman has spent the past few days lobbying Knesset members against the bill, and some local American Jewish leaders have made threats in the wake of Sunday's committee vote. Steven Nasatir, president of Chicago's federation, told The Times of Israel that any lawmaker who votes for the bill "will not be welcome in our community."

"This would set back the current reality and make all matters of conversion subject to the furthest right of the ultra-Orthodox world," Rabbi Rick Jacobs, president of the Union for Reform Judaism, told JTA. "It would begin the slow erosion of the Law of Return and affect the validity of conversion throughout the Jewish world."

This is the latest battle in a decades-long war.

American Jews and haredi Orthodox Israeli politicians have been fighting over this issue for at least three decades; this is just the latest round.

In 1987, a Reform Jewish convert sought citizenship under the Law of Return, and the Israeli Supreme Court allowed it despite haredi protest. Ten years later, a government commission was appointed to come up with a solution to the conversion debate, which had been exacerbated by the mass arrival of Soviet immigrants who had Jewish ancestry but were not necessarily Jewish. The commission recommended a pluralist conversion school that would lead to an actual conversion ceremony performed by the rabbinate.

In 2010, a bill was introduced that would allow a range of local Orthodox rabbis in Israel to perform conversions, but would make the rabbinate the sole authority over all conversions performed in Israel. Amid a massive outcry from Diaspora Jewish leaders, the bill was shelved.

In 2014, the government voted in a Cabinet decision to let those local Orthodox rabbis perform state-recognized conversions-but not under the authority of the rabbinate. After joining the governing coalition the following year, haredi parties succeeded in getting the decision repealed.

Then, a year later, the Supreme Court issued its ruling on private Orthodox conversions. And here we are.
As the school year comes to an end, Central Florida students who depend on free and reduced lunches will no longer have access to proper and nutritious food. To help with this situation, JFS Orlando kicked off its Summer Food Drive, which began July 1 and continues through July 31.

During the summer months, JFS Orlando provides roughly 40 percent more families with food from the Pearlman Emergency Food Pantry. Help JFS keep the pantry stocked and consider donating non-perishable food items to help feed those in need.

JFS Orlando is also seeking organizations to serve as host sites for the food drive. If interested, please contact Amanda Benedit, Development Coordinator at amanda.benedit@jfsorlando.org or 407-644-7593, ext. 227.

Drop off donations at the JFS Orlando offices located at 2100 Lee Road, Winter Park 32789.
NEW YORK (JTA)-For years, Laurie Grauer had waved a rainbow flag emblazoned with a Jewish star at the Chicago Dyke March, sometimes marching near activists waving Palestinian flags. It had never been a problem.

But this year, Grauer was confronted by the LGBT parade's organizers, questioned about her support for Israel and asked to leave because she was carrying the flag. She was one of three women with Jewish flags kicked out of Sunday's parade.

Grauer says she was used to Israel being a sensitive issue in queer spaces. But she did not expect to be condemned for displaying her Jewish identity.

"To say that you can only identify one way is very dangerous," said Grauer, the Midwest manager for A Wider Bridge, a pro-Israel LGBT group. "Here you have this march that is supposed to be something for people that feel oppressed, invisible, marginalized, [where] they can be who they are. I wasn't pushing my views on people and was told the way you're expressing yourself is unacceptable."

The incident at the Dyke March was just the latest in a series of clashes over Israel at activist events for the Lesbian, Gay Bisexual and Transgender, or LGBT, community. Being pro-Israel at LGBT events has become difficult, LGBT Jewish leaders say, and at times the opposition to Israel has spilled over into making Jews feel uncomfortable about displaying their identity.

Similar tensions arose earlier in June at the Celebrate Israel Parade in New York City, where activists from the far-left Jewish Voice for Peace infiltrated the parade delegation of Jewish Queer Youth, an LGBT group, and held anti-Israel banners. One of the protesters said he was there to "counter Israel's pinkwashing"-that is, to stop the pro-Israel LGBT group from using Israel's relatively progressive attitudes to distract from the Palestinian issue.

Last year, an event featuring an Israeli group at an LGBT conference in Chicago was canceled, then reinstated, and took place amid vocal protest.

Nor are these debates new. In 2011, New York City's LGBT Community Center agreed to lease space to Queers Against Israeli Apartheid, leading gay adult film star and pro-Israel activist Michael Lucas to call for a boycott of the center. The center relented, opting not to host any groups connected to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

"We've seen that in a number of different settings, these kinds of incidents have absolutely been increasing in frequency," said Idit Klein, executive director of Keshet, an LGBT Jewish organization.

The LGBT community is "more likely to be sensitive to and have empathy with others who experience oppression and discrimination. People see injustices being perpetrated against Palestinians by the Israeli government," she said. "Many don't necessarily understand the complexity of the history."

Several Jewish groups have called on the Dyke March to apologize for expelling the activists, but march organizers are standing by their decision. In a statement Sunday, they said the women were expelled because they were pro-Israel activists and the march is anti-Zionist.

The statement noted that Grauer was a member of A Wider Bridge, which the Dyke March called "an organization with connections to the Israeli state and right-wing pro-Israel interest groups." It also accused Israel of pinkwashing.

"This decision was made after they repeatedly expressed support for Zionism during conversations with Chicago Dyke March Collective members," the statement read. "The Chicago Dyke March Collective is explicitly not anti-Semitic, we are anti-Zionist. The Chicago Dyke March Collective supports the liberation of Palestine and all oppressed people everywhere."

Not all Jews have condemned the march for excluding the Jewish women. Jewish Voice for Peace, the group that infiltrated the Celebrate Israel Parade and a backer of the anti-Israel Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement, tweeted its support of the expulsion.

Klein said the tensions over Israel in the broader LGBT community also exist within the LGBT Jewish community. Conversations over Israel in that context become increasingly touchy because people connect their stances on Israel with their overlapping identities.

"There's an extra layer of identification as a group that experiences injustice, so that adds a layer of intensity," the Keshet leader said. "It makes it a struggle to enable people to be in one space together. I haven't figured it out and nor has anyone else."

Other LGBT Jewish activists linked the tensions over Israel to a general decline in civil discourse. Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum of Congregation Beit Simchat Torah, a New York City LGBT synagogue, said acrimony on social media has spilled over into on-the-ground events.

"It's become less respectful, more with a tremendous character assassination, and that deeply saddens me," Kleinbaum said. "The larger political world has become that way. Social media has created a platform for people who don't care about nuance"

Three years ago Kleinbaum's synagogue, which regularly joins the Celebrate Israel Parade, faced criticism from some of its pro-Israel members for its sympathy to the Palestinians and criticism of Israeli policy.

And if it is not just the left, it's not just Israel either, said Mordechai Levovitz, executive director of Jewish Queer Youth. He's seen people berated or excluded from activist circles because they are politically conservative or too openly religious. Israel is doubly complicated, he added, because it connects both to a political issue and ethnic identity.

"This is rooted in an approach that's all about shutting other people down instead of hearing people who disagree with your point of view," Levovitz said. "Israel is a very complex issue for Jews because it doesn't have to do with a state's policy, it has to do with your identity. How can you say you can have pride in one aspect of your identity but not the other?"

Jewish LGBT leaders hope they can stem these trends through dialogue and explanation, distinguishing Israel's politics from the nation's right to exist, and Israel from Judaism. Kleinbaum will attend a roundtable of LGBT leaders across communities Wednesday where she will share her personal experience regarding Israel.

"People are behaving in an anti-Semitic way without knowing that's what they're doing," said Lilli Kornblum, past president of Or Chadash, a former LGBT synagogue in Chicago. "They may be more open to understanding the nuances of the community. My goal between now and next year's Dyke March is we've got a year to sit down and talk about this. I'm much more likely now to go" to the march next year.

In the meantime, the women who were kicked out of the march have said they feel anguished. But Grauer said that although she was pained by the incident, she has been supported by activists from across the wider LGBT community.

"I was really hurt and betrayed in that safe environment," Grauer said of the Dyke March. "I can't say I'm being betrayed by the queer community as a whole. When you have people like that who also speak up, I can never say I was betrayed."
(JTA)-American Jewish leaders are calling it a betrayal.

They say that 17 months after achieving an historic agreement to provide a non-Orthodox space at Judaism's holiest prayer site, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reneged in a Cabinet vote Sunday, effectively canceling the deal and caving to the interests of his haredi Orthodox coalition partners.

Netanyahu disagrees. Far from killing the compromise, he believes the vote has given it new life. And far from betraying Diaspora Jewry, he says the vote shows his concern for Jews around the world.

In a lengthy conversation Monday with a senior Israeli official, JTA was given some insight into Netanyahu's defense of the vote freezing the 2016 Western Wall agreement: why he did it, what the vote leaves in place and what it means moving forward.

The agreement, which was passed by the Cabinet in January 2016, has three components. First is a physical expansion and upgrade of the non-Orthodox prayer section south of the familiar Western Wall plaza. Second is the construction of a shared entrance to the Orthodox and non-Orthodox sections. Third is the creation of a government-appointed, interdenominational Jewish committee to govern the non-Orthodox section.

Sunday's decision, the senior official said, leaves in place the physical expansion of the prayer site while suspending the creation of the interdenominational committee. Netanyahu's haredi partners, the official said, objected to the idea that the committee amounted to state recognition of non-Orthodox Judaism.

With the controversy over the committee frozen, the official said, actual building at the site can start unhindered and will be expedited.

"The symbolic piece was holding the practical piece hostage," the official, who wished to remain anonymous due to the sensitivity of the issue, told JTA. "What was frozen yesterday was the symbolic part. The practical part of advancing the prayer arrangements, that can now move forward. Regrettably, there are those on both sides who are spinning this as cancellation."

However, several aspects of the project as it stands are murky. It isn't clear whether the expansion of the site will proceed according to the dimensions outlined in the 2016 agreement. Nor is it clear whether construction will begin on the shared entrance to the site or whether the non-Orthodox space will have a staff, accessible prayer books and Torah scrolls, as promised in the agreement.

The official told JTA that the suspension of the deal is itself a compromise: the haredi parties wanted to cancel the deal altogether, a step he said that Netanyahu was unwilling to take. Freezing the agreement, the official said, allows for continued negotiations to rework it. It also may provide an acceptable answer to the Supreme Court, which is considering a petition to force the government to provide an "appropriate space" for non-Orthodox prayer at the wall.

The official added that "The prime minister takes Israel's relations with Diaspora Jewry very seriously."

But non-Orthodox leaders were not placated by these assurances.

Rabbi Steven Wernick, CEO of the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, called Sunday's vote "sleight of hand." He is treating it as a cancellation of the agreement, given that the agreement had not been implemented nearly a year and a half after being passed.

"It's not really a freeze, it's a kill," he said. "It's already been frozen. It hasn't been moving for 18 months. We were waiting, and assured by the prime minister that entire time that negotiations were happening and they would get back to us. That hasn't happened."

Jewish leaders also called the expansion of the prayer space insufficient. They noted that the shared entrance would grant the non-Orthodox space equal standing with the Orthodox section, but the current plan for expanding the space is unknown.

"The physical portion of this agreement was far more extensive, including opening the site to the main plaza, making it visible and accessible," Rabbi Rick Jacobs, president of the Union for Reform Judaism, told JTA. "What the government is currently planning to do in no way meets the promises and the details of this agreement."

Anat Hoffman, chairwoman of the Women of the Wall prayer group, whose activism led to negotiations over the wall, also said that any physical expansion of one of the most sensitive sites in the world would take years. Given the delays that have already plagued the process, Hoffman said she is hesitant to trust assurances from Netanyahu.

"We sat for three years in good faith, our group split over this, we paid such a price, how could I possibly believe you?" she recalls telling Tzachi Hanegbi, a government minister and Netanyahu ally, on Tuesday. "And now you're going to compromise over the compromise?"

On Tuesday, at the conclusion of its board of governors' meetings in Jerusalem, Jewish Agency for Israel Chairman Natan Sharansky urged 200 employees who represent the agency abroad to prepare for criticism of the government's suspension in the Diaspora. The night before, the Jewish Agency canceled its scheduled gala dinner with Netanyahu over the Cabinet vote.

According to a statement, Sharansky urged the emissaries to "listen to expressions of anger and criticism that are being heard in many Jewish communities and bring them to the attention of public figures and politicians in Israel."

After meeting with the prime minister on Monday, Jerry Silverman, CEO of the Jewish Federations of North America, told The Times of Israel that American Jewish groups plan to lobby Israelis to support their concerns about religious pluralism. American Jewish leaders, he said, will also invest more in lobbying Israeli lawmakers.

But the Israeli official told JTA that trying to force change in Israeli religious policy is what leads to acrimony over these issues. Better, he said, to let the laws change gradually and quietly.

"So what you have is, you have the status quo: a set of slowly evolving, informal rules," the official said. "Often you get into trouble when one of the sides tries to formalize something by going to court or by legislation."
(JTA)-They've tried strongly worded statements. They've tried private meetings with the prime minister. They've tried negotiations, protest and prayer.

But for the past five years, despite broad internal consensus and consistent pressure, the American Jewish establishment has been unable to persuade Israel's government to create an equitable space for non-Orthodox prayer at the Western Wall.

The latest setback in that fight came Sunday, when Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the suspension of a 2016 agreement to expand the holy site's southern section, used for egalitarian prayer, and appoint an interdenominational commission to oversee it. The compromise was a result of three years of negotiations among the Jewish Agency for Israel, non-Orthodox leaders, the Israeli government and the Western Wall's haredi Orthodox management.

Work to expand the egalitarian section will continue during the suspension, Netanyahu's office said. But any new agreement would have to be negotiated by Israel's Cabinet and come to a new vote before moving forward.

The suspension is a result of pressure from Netanyahu's haredi Orthodox partners, who allowed the compromise to pass last year but have since railed against it, blocking its implementation. American Jewish leaders had hailed the agreement last year as a step forward for Jewish pluralism and, at the time, Netanyahu called it a "fair and creative solution."

Now the American Jewish leaders who pushed for the agreement say they feel betrayed by Netanyahu. They will be meeting in Israel this week to discuss a response, and the Jewish Agency will hold a special session Monday to discuss the issue. But no leaders committed to concrete plans for a response, beyond continued vocal protest.

"It's deeply troubling and very disappointing that they would suspend the implementation of this resolution," Jerry Silverman, CEO of the Jewish Federations of North America, told JTA on Sunday. "We are going to be assertive in asking what's next."

Advocates for the agreement have warned of a crisis among American non-Orthodox Jews should the compromise collapse. Last year, Rabbi Rick Jacobs, president of the Union for Reform Judaism, said the collapse of the deal "will signal a very serious rupture in the relationship between North American Jewry and the State of Israel."

On Sunday, Jacobs expressed strong disappointment in the suspension, but did not say it would lead to any concrete loss of support for Israel from the Reform movement. He cited a list of recent Israeli government decisions opposed by the Reform movement, including recent legislation to bar supporters of Israel boycotts from entering the country, and another law legalizing Israeli settlements' appropriation of Palestinian land.

"This decision screams out that when all is said and done, the State of Israel and government of Israel is willing to sell our rights and our well-being for coalition politics," he told JTA "This does not add up to be a compelling example of what all of us understand Jewish life to be, and if there's growing dissonance between those who lead the State of Israel and those who lead American Jewry, the consequences are serious."

Rabbi Julie Schonfeld, executive vice president of the Conservative Rabbinical Assembly, said the best way forward for non-Orthodox leaders may be Israel's Supreme Court. A court petition filed by a range of Israeli pluralist groups in 2013 seeks to compel the government to provide for non-Orthodox prayer at the wall, but had been tabled while the 2016 agreement was being negotiated and implemented.

Now that the agreement is suspended, Schonfeld believes the Supreme Court may rule favorably on the petition, forcing the government to accede to non-Orthodox demands.

"The Israeli Supreme court seems to be the only governmental venue that appreciates the long-term impact of Israel advocating its role as the home for all Jews," she said. "Inevitably, we will find our way back to the courts. We will continue to protest."

The Prime Minister's Office did not response until Monday afternoon, when it released a statement saying it was working to ensure that Jews of all streams can feel comfortable praying at the wall.

Cabinet Secretary Tzachi Braverman said in the statement that Netanyahu had issued a directive instructing that work be expedited to create a comfortable egalitarian section to the south of the Western Wall plaza. A small prayer area near that site, known as Robinson's Arch, has been in use since 2000.

Braverman said Netanyahu had issued a directive that "Jews from all streams be able to continue praying there-as they are able to do today."

Braverman also said that Netanyahu instructed him and fellow minister Tzachi Hanegbi "to continue dialogue in order to try and reach a solution."

"It is important to Prime Minister Netanyahu that every Jew is able to pray at the Western Wall," Braverman said in the statement, adding: "I recommend that those trying to exploit this issue be precise with the facts."

Leaders of Diaspora Jewry and the Women of the Wall group originally sought a space at the familiar Western Wall plaza to the north of Robinson's Arch where women and men could pray together and women could wear tallitot and yarmulkes and pray from a Torah scroll. The January 2016 compromise called for a larger and more permanent prayer space to the south of the plaza, a single entrance to the entire Western Wall complex, a pluralistic joint committee to oversee the southern area and a budget to pay for it.

Critics of the freeze are unlikely to be assuaged by Braverman's terse defense of the status quo.

Anat Hoffman, chair of the Women of the Wall prayer group, called the decision "shameful to the government and its women ministers who were exposed using their vote against women."

"It's a terrible day for women in Israel when the prime minister sacrifices their rights while kowtowing to a handful of religious extremists, who want to enforce their religious customs while intentionally violating the rights of the majority of the Jewish world, 51 percent being women," she said.

"Women of the Wall will continue to pray as we always have in the women's section at the Western Wall, with a Torah scroll and prayer shawls, until women's equality will be established at the Kotel. Just like you wouldn't ask a man to take off his kippah, don't ask us to stop praying according to our conscience."

Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman, the head of the right-wing Yisrael Beiteinu party and one of two Cabinet members to vote against the decision to freeze the agreement, said in a statement that it "constitutes a severe blow to the unity of the Jewish people, Jewish communities, and the fabric of relations between the State of Israel and the Jews of the Diaspora."

Liberman said at the beginning of his party faction's meeting Monday that he would not bring down the government over the issue, however, but work to come to a compromise.

Yair Lapid, head of the opposition Yesh Atid party, spoke in English at the beginning of his party's faction meeting in order to reach the Jewish Diaspora, particularly U.S. Jews, he said.

"I want to tell you that the vast majority of the citizens of Israel oppose the two decisions taken yesterday by the government," he said, referring to the Western Wall decision and a separate conversion bill that would solidify conversions in Israel under the authority of the haredi-dominated Chief Rabbinate.

"Do not give up on us. We have no intention of giving up on you. We are one people. It might take time. It might take elections. But in a democracy the majority decides and the majority in Israel want us to be one nation."

He also said, "We will fight this together until these two decisions are canceled."

Sephardi Orthodox Shas Party leader Arye Deri, who opposes the Western Wall compromise, said during his party's meeting that dividing the Western Wall "destroys Jewish unity."

He added: "Every Jew in the world, and non-Jews, can come pray there.

"We have nothing against Jews, in any place they may be. They are all our brothers. Our fight is against the approach, this ideology which is attempting to bring a new Judaism here, is trying to destroy everything that we built here over the years."

A range of other groups criticized Sunday's decision, including the American Jewish Committee, the Women of the Wall, the Israel Democracy Institute think tank and the Jewish Agency, whose chairman, Natan Sharansky, was one of the architects of the 2016 agreement.

"After four years of intense negotiations, we reached a solution that was accepted by all major denominations and was then adopted by the government and embraced by the world's Jewish communities," Sharansky said in a statement. "Today's decision signifies a retreat from that agreement and will make our work to bring Israel and the Jewish world closer together increasingly more difficult."

Non-Orthodox leaders also decried the Israeli government's advancing a bill to centralize authority for Jewish conversions under the Israeli Chief Rabbinate, a haredi-dominated body. Silverman compared the bill to a 2010 bill on conversions in Israel, which American Jewish groups also opposed because they argued it would delegitimize non-Orthodox conversions.

"The conversion bill that was approved by the ministerial committee and Knesset is one that definitively changes the status quo in conversions," Silverman said. "This is something that almost every 10 years comes up, and would have a dramatic effect on who is a Jew, which obviously has a significant impact."
The headlines of the Jewish press this week were filled with stories about angry American Jews arriving in Israel and denouncing the Israeli governments decision regarding egalitarian prayer at the Western Wall.

Jerry Silverman, head of the Jewish Federations of North America, called the governments decision a direct insult to diaspora Jewry and vowed to launch a campaign to fight back. Rabbi Rick Jacobs, president of the Union for Reform Judaism, said the battle to reverse the decision is worth fighting for. A statement issued by the top institutions of Conservative Judaism declared that the rising influence of an intolerant religious establishmentas exemplified by the Western Wall decisionis an existential threat to [Israels] future.

This weeks other headlines, however, reported some threats to Israel that are genuinely existential, not merely a rhetorical flourish.

Mortar shells fired from Syria struck the Golan Heights on three consecutive days. A Hamas rocket hit the Shaar Hanegev region of southern Israel. There are new warnings of possible attacks on Israels northern towns from southern Lebanon, where the Iranian proxy Hezbollah has positioned more than 100,000 missiles.

I understand that the Western Wall developments have ignited strong feelings in both camps. I do not doubt the sincerity of those sentiments. I am not taking a position or advocating any particular proposal. I am merely asking everyone to keep a little perspective.

Jerry Silverman does not live on the Golan Heights, Rick Jacobs does not reside in Shaar Hanegev and the American leaders of Conservative Judaism do not live in towns along the Israel-Lebanon border.

They are talking a lot about fighting. I admire their passion; something lacking in many American Jews. But Israeli Jews who could be hit by Syrian mortars or Hamas rockets are the ones doing the real fightingfighting for their lives.

Worrying every day about a rocket crashing into your childs kindergarten, or mortar fire sending your family racing to a bomb shelter, is very different from worrying about traffic on the Long Island Expressway or the difficulty of getting tickets to that hot new Broadway show.

I would have a lot more respect for diaspora Jewish leaders if, in addition to launching a campaign over prayer regulations at the Western Wall, they would also launch a campaign against the international pressure on Israel to allow concrete into Gaza (where it is used to build terror tunnels). Or maybe a campaign for funds to build more bomb shelters to protect Israelis against Hezbollah missile strikes.

I am not one of those who say that the only people who have a right to express their views on Israel are those who live there. Nor am I minimizing the significance of the status of the Western Wall or the hurt feelings of some American Jews.

I do believe that Israel is a mature enough society to have a full and open discussion about issues such as the Western Wall controversy at the same time that it deals with national security threats.

But I also believe that Jews who live in the comfort and security of lush American suburbs should be mature to always keep in mind that our brothers and sisters (indeed our children and grandchildren) in Israel are the ones whose fight should come first. Their lives are at stake.

So by all means, write and speak and argue about the Western Wall. But cool the rhetoric. Keep some perspective. Dont delude yourself into thinking that your quarrels are a battle over Israels existence. There are genuine threats to Israel, and they have nothing to do with who prays where or when. Those Arab rockets, missiles and mortars are not aimed at one Jewish faction or another. They have all our names on them.

Stephen M. Flatow, a vice president of the Religious Zionists of America, is an attorney in New Jersey. He is the father of Alisa Flatow, who was murdered in an Iranian-sponsored Palestinian terrorist attack in 1995.
The Jews of Israel are watching Muslims near and far killing themselves, and contemplating horror scenarios of a serious threat from Iran, Hezbollah, or some other evil source. There are near daily efforts of individual Palestinians to attack Jews, but for the most part, the Muslim front is quiet for us while chaos prevails among those who have declared their intention to destroy us.

The furor among Jews has ratcheted up to what we havent seen in some time. Optimists or the indifferent see it as another round in the rituals of conflict, with lots of noise and few tangible consequences. One of my PhDs, who is also a politically active Orthodox rabbi, used the concept of rituals to describe what was happening. Those who see this uptick as unique might take a look at my Rituals of Conflict, which I published a bit more than 20 years ago. It describes nastiness that looks pretty much like this one, even though it touched on other details.

Current spats concern the governments response to ultra-Orthodox demands to suspend work on a portion of the Western Wall meant for joint prayer with men and women according to the practice of non-Orthodox Jews, and to tighten the control of the official Rabbinate on procedures of conversion.

Activists and commentators quarrel over the details of the changes and their implications for various kinds of individuals. Those trying to sort their way through competing contentions can begin with what appears in an overseas paper, Jerusalem Post, the Times of Israel, or whatever blogs Google produces in English, Hebrew, Russian, French and/or Spanish.

Non-Orthodox religious Jews claim that the Western Wall belongs to all of Judaism. Ultra-Orthodox and Orthodox politicians and rabbis claim that it is Israels to manage, and some claim that non-Orthodox rituals are not Judaism.

It may help in understanding the ultra-Orthodox position to think of Catholics and Protestants, both Christians. But Protestants are not mounting a campaign to take part of St Peters Basilica for their rituals.

My own summary is that it is an intellectual and political mess of competing claims by activists. Yet mine is the view of a cynical and indifferent secular Jew, perhaps made more Israeli than American over the course of spending more than half my long life in this place. I have felt religious at various times, and for some years Ive been studying Talmud with a religious friend I tell him the lessons have made me more Jewish and less religious. I value participating in conversations and arguments that have continued among rabbis and others for more than two thousand years, but I find more than a little nonsense, along with wisdom, some humor and cynicism in the holy texts.

Among my perceptions are the following.

 The governments action was unnecessary, gratuitous, and perhaps inconsequential, but a damaging concession to the ultra-Orthodox parties that is likely to affect, at least in the short run, relations with Jews outside of Israel.

 Even before the suspension, there was little if any work being done on the extension of the portion of the Western Wall meant for non-Orthodox prayer; and whatever change was made to procedures of conversion may affect few individuals.

 The context of the government decisions was the weakening of the prime minister, currently under police inquiries, and the exploitation of the situation by ultra-Orthodox politicians for their own advantage among supporters. At least part of the excitement of the ultra-Orthodox reflects the concern of one ultra-Orthodox party leader to move attention away from police investigations into his own activities and those of family members.

 Threats by American religious activists from Reform and Conservative sectors to withhold their support of Israel appear parve in the context of some doubts about American Jews discipline behind their rabbis political demands. Moreover, its just those sectors of American Jewry that have already been wavering in their attitudes of Israel. JStreet attracts many of the politically active members of Reform and Conservative congregations.

 At least some of the tension over the rights of non-Orthodox religious Jews in Israel shows the impact of American and Israeli secular politics. Non-Orthodox American Jews are firmly in the anti-Trump camp, and Israeli Jews have been expressing admiration for Trumps move away from Obamas affinity for Palestinians and other Muslims. An item in The Economist shows that only Israelis and Russians, among the countries surveyed, show more positive attitudes toward Trump than toward Obama.

 While most American Jews identify with Reform or Conservative communities, the overwhelming majority of Israeli Jews are divided between a near majority who are secular, a substantial number who are Orthodox or ultra-Orthodox, and a large number described as Traditional, who are somewhere between Orthodox and secular. The religious demography of Israel produces either opposition or indifference to the demands of non-Orthodox religious activists and their rabbis.

 While religious but non-Orthodox Jews demand equal rights at Judaisms sacred sites, Orthodox and ultra-Orthodox rabbis demand the right to preserve those sites for what they consider to be the proper rites of Judaism.

 There are secular Israelis who avoid the Western Wall, and all of Jerusalem on account of what they describe as the undesirable influence of the ultra-Orthodox. Some say that they last visited the Western Wall, or Jerusalem, when accompanying overseas relatives.

 Threats by American Jews to withhold financial contributions encounter several contentions that are as much speculation as certainties. A substantial amount of the money raised by American Jews comes from Orthodox and ultra-Orthodox donors, and is meant for the activities of their comrades in Israel. The increasing wealth of Israel makes donations from overseas less important. Major donors may weigh the opportunity to put their family name on an Israeli facility above the preaching of a local rabbi. A substantial portion of fund raising by American Jews remains within the US, where it is meant to cope with the problems of American Jews, including the sensitive issues of assimilation, drifting away from Judaism, and intermarriage, Orthodox Jews are inclined to say that those problems are a result of Americans drift from Orthodoxy, while secular Israelis may express a lack of power or concern with what happens to Americans.

Gevalt? Or another round in the occasional tussle of Jews about internal matters, currently during a lull in the threats from those who hate us all, and see us as a blot that should be eradicated from what they view as holy?

Comments welcome. Irashark@gmail.com.
Chinas latest high-speed train model Hexie, type CRH5G, arrived at Xian, western Chinas Shaanxi province, on July 6, making its first public debut.

The train will mostly be used for the newly constructed high-speed rail from Baoji to Lanzhou, which will start service on July 9.

Running between two western provinces, the train was developed to resist both cold and sand. The more modern and roomy train will also provide a better riding experience for passengers.

The dolphin-shaped train has a lower center of gravity and less wind noise. In addition, the body of the train has been widened by 10 centimeters. The train is also equipped with onboard Wi-Fi, enabling passengers to remain connected.

According to the Xian Railway Bureau, the new model is equipped with Chinas first domestically-developed network control system, as well as an independently developed traction system. Over 90 percent of the trains parts are manufactured China.
Yes, he was a Jew. But he was killed because he was an American.

The tragedy of Otto Warmbier took a strange twist shortly after his death last week.

It was only then that we discovered that the young American imprisoned by North Korea to 15 years of hard labor at a one-hour show trial for the crime of stealing a propaganda poster as souvenir was Jewish. After his release following 17 months of brutal captivity and return to his parents in the United States, in a coma and suffering severe brain damage, we learned what was purposely suppressed during the course of negotiations for his freedom.

North Korean justification for his imprisonment rested on the claim that Warmbier stole the poster in a Pyongyang hotel lobby on orders from the Friendship United Methodist Church in Wyoming, Ohio, to bring it back as a trophy in exchange for a used car worth $10,000. Negotiators felt that disproving that absurd claim with the revelation of Ottos Jewish identity would be an embarrassment to the North Koreans which would only stiffen their resolve and make negotiations more difficult.

Following Ottos death, the rest of the story could finally be revealed.

Otto was Jewish by matrilineal descent. Like many fellow millennial Jews of his generation he joined the Birthright to Israel trip in 2014. It was on that trip that he was given a Hebrew name and it was on that visit to the Kotelthe Western Wallthat he sensed a powerful personal connection with his past and his people. He movingly wrote a blog post about his experience: The Western Wall was a truly incredible experience for me, he said. Just being at a spot that has been so central to Judaism for thousands of years was completely surreal. The power that emanated from the wall showed on the faces of all those who were near it. When I was forced to step away to avoid holding up the group for the third time, it honestly felt like saying goodbye to a loved one, he went on. It was difficult to wrap my mind around the concept of such a pinnacleI had done what so many Jews wish to do. Each year at Chanukah, my family finishes the prayer by saying next year in Jerusalem. For me, it was this year in Jerusalem. And this day at the Western Wall.

A spark had been lit within him. In spite of his secular background and lack of formal religious education, he was sufficiently inspired to become involved in and active with the Hillel group at his University of Virginia. Otto was a Jew. And that is why there was no autopsy.

But there is one mistake we dare not make in the aftermath of this startling revelation. There are those who have already been hard at work transforming this into a Jewish story. To watch it play out on the Internet, on the blogs of haters and anti-Semites of which there are all too many beyond belief, is to discern the myriad ways in which the moment the word Jew appears there is a tsunami of hidden motives and agendas ascribed to the victim in order to turn him into the villain.

It is hard to read. Once the neo-Nazis, the far leftists, those who are convinced that the Jews own the media and control the world discovered Otto was a Jew they immediately saw the connection. Of course he mustve been working for Mossad. Surely he was an Israeli agent. Obviously he was there on a spy mission. Thats why he deserved what happened to himand no tears deserve to be shed on his behalf.

And it gets worse. There were those who said that Otto had no one to blame but himself for his own murder. As a Jew, we learned from numerous postings, he mustve been guilty of preaching white privilege. By condoning the horrible inequities of American society he reaped the fruits of his own sins.

Once it was clear that the North Koreans brutally murdered a Jew the story for many took on a totally different perspective. And that is why it is so extremely important for us not to fall into the trap of emphasizing Ottos religious identitya fact which had absolutely no bearing on the barbaric nature of their crime, since it was unknown to the North Koreans,.

Otto was first and foremost a human being. His story needs to be publicized for what it is: a powerful message about a despotic regime ruled by a maniacal dictator intent on flexing his muscles and demonstrating his unlimited power against an American citizena deeply troubling warning in light of North Koreas nuclear capabilities.

This is one time when the Jewish angle is perhaps interesting but certainly not paramount. This wasnt a Jew who was singled out; it was an Americanbecause he was an American. It would be a terrible mistake for us now to stress Ottos faith when the fate of civilized mankind is equally imperiled by the perpetrator of Ottos heinous murder.

Rabbi Benjamin Blech, a frequent contributor to Aish, is a professor of Talmud at Yeshiva University and an internationally recognized educator, religious leader, and lecturer. Author of 19 highly acclaimed books with combined sales of over a half million copies, his newest, Redemption- Then and Now, commentaries and essays on the Passover Haggada is presently available on Amazon and your local Judaica book store. See his website at rabbibenjaminblech.com.
There are four important aspects to the governments decisions on Sunday relating to egalitarian prayer at the Western Wall and the conversion bill. The first is that by and large, the headlines of the stories distort rather than explain what the government decided.

The second is the nature of the American Jewish communitys response to the governments moves.

The third important aspect of the story is what the governments decisions tell us about how the government perceives Israels relations with the American Jewish community.

Finally, the aftershocks of the decisions tell us something important about the prospects for Jewish unity today.

To the first issue. From the headlines in the newspapers, it is easy to assume that the government just struck a blow at egalitarian prayer at the Western Wall plaza and changed for the worse the status of non-Orthodox conversions in Israel. But neither is the case.

As far as the Western Wall is concerned, the government decision doesnt harm the egalitarian prayers at the holy site. For the past several years, egalitarian prayer services have been taking place regularly at Robinsons Arch along the southern wall of the Temple Mount Plaza, just outside the archeological park.

The area, easily accessible from the Dung Gate, is easier to reach by car and foot than the regular Western Wall complex.

In January 2016, after protracted negotiations with progressive American Jewish groups, the government agreed to connect the Robinsons Arch complex to the Western Wall complex. The government also agreed that management responsibility for the egalitarian prayer area would be transferred from the ultra-Orthodox-controlled Western Wall Foundation, to a new body that would include representatives of Reform and Conservative Judaism as well.

On Sunday, the government reversed that decision.

People have every right to be angry about the governments move. It just reneged on its agreement, and that isnt right.

Substantively, though, the government didnt change the status quo. It just chose not to change it.

While wrong, it doesnt justify the vitriol being leveled at the government by American Jewish leaders threatening to rethink their support for Israel.

As for the conversion law, the governments decision on Sunday should make the members of the American Jewish community angry, but not for the reasons they claim. The draft conversion law the government just approved doesnt change the status of converts who were converted by non-Orthodox religious courts outside of Israel.

Twenty years ago, the Neeman Commission decided, with the agreement of the Reform and Conservative movements, that people who converted in Reform or Conservative conversions outside of Israel would receive citizenship if they chose to make aliya under the Law of Return. They would not, however, be registered as Jews for the purpose of marriage, divorce or burial by the state rabbinate.

This would remain the case under the proposed law.

The people who are harmed by the conversion law are the more than half a million Israeli citizens from the former Soviet Union who made aliya under the Law of Return because they have Jewish lineage, but are not halachicly Jewish because their mothers are not halachically Jewish.

As Rabbi Shlomo Riskin, the chief rabbi of Efrat and noted conversion expert, explains, According to great halachic authorities like the former chief rabbi of Israel Rav Ben-Tzion Uziel, although [these Israeli citizens] are not formally Jewish and must undergo a formal conversion, it is incumbent upon the Religious Court to convert them because they have Jewish seed (zera Yisrael). Riskin adds, Of course, we must always encourage observance of the commandments, but the bottom line must be to love and embrace them; they are living in Israel and their children will be going to the IDF.

Uziels ruling informs the conversion policies of religious-Zionist rabbis and conversion courts, but it is rejected by the ultra-Orthodox religious authorities who today exercise absolute control over state conversions.

When the Neeman Commission reached its accord with the Conservative, Reform and Orthodox Jewish authorities in 1997, the Orthodox authorities included both ultra-Orthodox and religious-Zionist, or Modern Orthodox, rabbinic authorities.

As a result, the assumption of the commission members was that the state conversions would be conducted in an atmosphere that reflected a plurality of views represented in the Orthodox Jewish world, including the view of Rav Uziel, which informs the judgment of religious-Zionist rabbinic authorities.

This assumption ceased to be correct however in 2004.

That year, then-prime minister Ariel Sharons coalition began unraveling. Sharons decision to adopt the policy of the Left and unilaterally withdraw from Gaza while destroying the Israeli communities in Gaza and northern Samaria and forcibly expelling their 10,000 residents tore his party and government apart. Sharon fired the ministers from the National Religious Party and the National Union.

To survive in office, Sharon had to retain the support of the ultra-Orthodox parties. To this end, he acceded to their demand to kick religious-Zionist rabbis out of the state rabbinate and replace them with ultra-Orthodox rabbis. Sharons move gave the ultra-Orthodox total control over all state conversions.

Since then, the ultra-Orthodox rabbis have used their absolute to cancel the conversions performed by the most senior rabbis in the religious-Zionist community. Some of the converts affected have been Jews for decades and raised Jewish children.

Their Judaism and that of their children was retroactively denied by the rabbinate.

The ultra-Orthodox rabbinic courts subject half a million Israeli citizens who made aliya under the Law of Return to humiliating and drawn-out conversion processes even though many of them have lived their entire lives as Jews in Israel.

Rather than be given consideration as Rav Uziel and the national-religious religious authorities prescribe, they are treated as though they never had any relationship with the Jewish people of which they have always considered themselves members.

Due to the progressive American Jewish groups enthusiastic support for the withdrawal from Gaza and the destruction of the Israeli communities in Gaza and northern Samaria, they did not object to Sharons move.

And now, by mischaracterizing the government- backed conversion bill as a slap in the face to Reform and Conservative converts, they miss the real reason they should be fighting the legislation.

They should be fighting the bill because a large majority of the members of their communities are intermarrying. The children of many of those marriages who want to make aliya will be subjected to the same humiliating conversion processes undertaken by the ultra-Orthodox state rabbinic courts as the half a million Israelis who are not registered as Jews with the Chief Rabbinate face.

The fact that this doesnt seem to be a concern for them indicates two things. First, their anger over the proposed law is not substantive. The contents of the billfrom their perspectivedo not change the status of their converts. They have been living at peace with that status, which they agreed to, for 20 years.

At the same time, the American Jewish leaders who threaten not to speak to or host Israeli politicians who support the bill, ignore the fact that the current law would doom the children of their intermarried community members to second-class status in Israel if they try to convert halachically in the framework of aliya, rather than ensuring that they are treated with the love and respect their deserve.

Along these lines, and in relation to the Israeli citizens from the former Soviet Union, Rabbi Riskin notes, The entire fabric of Israeli society would be torn asunder if a division were made between Israelis and halachic Jews. The religious courts must do their utmost to expose them to basic Shabbat, festivals and kashrut observance, but the most important goal must be to bring them into the Covenant with the Jewish people. After all they have gone through because of their Jewishness under the Communist regime, it behooves us to incorporate them within our Jewish collective as part of the miracle of the ingathering of the exiles.

So both in the case of the governments decision regarding the Western Wall and in relation to its decision regarding the draft conversion law, American Jewish leaders are reacting with fury unhinged from the substance of the decisions themselves.

They cry foul to perceived, but largely imaginary, slights while ignoring the real problem with the conversions bill.

This then brings us to the government, and what apparently motivated it to take action that so provoked the American Jewish leadership.

In an interview with The Jerusalem Post, Rabbi Julie Schonfeld, vice president of the Conservative Rabbinic Assembly, accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of preferring momentary political advantage to the interests of the Jewish people. In her words, The prime minister will do what he sees as beneficial for the next five minutes of his political life... Theres no possible way that the prime minister and his officials can argue theyre acting in the best interests of the State of Israel. They are betraying the citizens of the State of Israel in order to keep themselves in power for the next five minutes.

While nasty, her criticism is not without foundation.

But what was Netanyahus alternative? If the American Jewish community flies off the handle and declares war against the government, threatening to blackball the elected leaders of the Jewish state when they adopt measures that while impolite have little substantive effect on their positions, then why should Israel take their views into account? If everything that the government does is terrible, then dialogue is reduced to recrimination. Sitting with progressive Jewish leaders from America means being subjected to a lecture about how terrible Israel is by people who do not live here and are not interested in having a serious discussion about what is actually on the table.

The fact that they are not interested in having that sort of discussion, and that they have no interest in making Israel their home, is demonstrated by their indifference to the real implications of the draft conversion law. Leaders truly invested in the future of both their communities and of their communities ties with Israel would be appalled by the retention of monopoly control over conversions by rabbinic authorities who refuse to recognize the difference between children of intermarriage and non-Jews with no relation to Judaism and the Jewish people.

They would insist that religious-Zionist rabbis be reinstated in the state rabbinate, and work avidly to ensure that conversions once approved cannot be overturned.

The real problem here is that while everyone involved speaks of the need for Jewish unity, no one involved in the conversation seems to be motivated to work toward that goal.

Jewish unity isnt achieved by mutual recrimination.

And it isnt achieved by one-upmanship. It is achieved through compromise based on mutual respect and love for fellow Jews. Absent that, nothing good will come from negotiations or laws or agreements. Absent that, nothing good will come at all.

Caroline Glick is the senior Middle East Fellow at the Center for Security Policy in Washington, D.C.; the deputy managing editor of The Jerulsaem Post; and a contributor to the Jewish World Review.
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The CBI raids on Lalu Prasad on Friday morning will weaken the already crippled national Opposition further, and have the potential of altering political realignments in Bihar.

First, the background.

Lalu Prasad is convicted in the fodder scam, and was thus ineligible to contest in the 2015 Bihar assembly elections. Yet, he, along with Nitish Kumar, succeeded in stopping the BJP juggernaut. This marked the beginning of the rise of the next generation of the Yadav family.

But Lalus past came back to haunt him. With the Supreme Court asking for other fodder scam cases to be expedited, an aggressive BJP that can see Lalu is the real challenger in Bihar, and a hostile Centre only happy to deploy central investigative agencies, Lalu is suddenly confronted with a maze of cases.

There is a common thread to the cases -- of Lalu misusing his political power to acquire assets in quid pro quo deals, and then channelling those in either land acquisitions or through creation of shell companies. The Income Tax and Enforcement Directorate investigations and, the various complaints in specific instances, go back to this fundamental charge.

All of this has already weakened Lalu considerably. He is well aware, after having to fight fodder scam cases for close to two decades, how it can cripple you and erode your political strength. And now with the CBI raids, the sense of vulnerability will only get enhanced.

The raids have two broad political implications.

The first is on the national stage.

Do remember that because of his years in politics, his aggression, a loyal Muslim base, and by virtue of being one of the few non-BJP leaders to have never compromised with the party even covertly, Lalu carries more weight than his numbers dictate in national politics. Ever since the 2015 victory, his focus has been on defeating Modi in 2019, and he has been a relentless champion of opposition unity. On August 27, Lalu is organising a mega rally in Patna - where opposition leaders, even those fighting with each other in their respective states like Akhilesh Yadav and Mayawati may come together.

Lalu will remain an important figure in the opposition. But each charge, each new revelation, each raid only erodes his political capital, his ability to take a more pro active role in playing this role, and gives ammunition to the BJP to portray the opposition as a conglomeration of corrupt parties, of discredited leaders.

The second, more tangible, implication is for Bihar politics.

Nitish Kumar, like his old rival and now potential friend Narendra Modi, is acutely image-conscious. Even during the campaign, he was careful to distance himself from Lalu Prasads governance and assert his own integrity. Nitish has also, over the past two years, built up more than a functional relationship with the centre and the BJP. In politics, signals and messaging matter. And by supporting demonetisation, by deciding to vote for Ram Nath Kovind, Nitish told BJP that he is available.

Why is he doing this?

There are three explanations. The first is that this increases his bargaining position with Lalu in government- confronted with the prospect that Nitish could switch to BJP anytime, Lalu has to broadly fall in line, tame his ministers, and let the CM remain the boss. The second is that Nitish sees that given the political landscape, forging opposition unity and being able to put up a strong contest against Narendra Modi in 2019 is looking increasingly difficult. His ambitions of being the PM candidate of such an opposition alliance too are not certain to be realised. If this is the case, why not keep the option of engaging and even collaborating with Modi? And the third explanation is that Nitish is aware that Lalus RJD is the bigger party in terms of size, numbers, and organisation and, thus, Lalu can at any stage, most probably in 2020, stake claim for leadership of the alliance for his son. This would leave Nitish bereft of options.

What the CBI raids do is give Nitish even more room. If he decides to keep the alliance intact, he becomes even more powerful within Bihar; Lalu would be busy confronting these allegations and would be so desperate to remain in power that he would not assert at all. If Nitish decides that these raids - or when agencies call Lalus sons for questioning - is a good moment to break away, BJP will- in all likelihood - provide him a cushion. This will, in turn, leave Lalu bereft of options, for he would then be battling both a hostile central government and a hostile state government; he would also not have the power and privileges that come with controlling executive power in Patna.

The CBI raids should thus be viewed against this backdrop of the centre tightening the noose around Lalu. It weakens the secular opposition further, gives Nitish Kumar more leeway, makes Lalu and his entire family more vulnerable both legally and politically, and strengthens the BJP.

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US President Donald Trump must be giddy: this week, on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany, he will finally meet his Russian counterpart and strongman-hero Vladimir Putin.

It is rare for someone who has reached the exalted office of President of the United States to retain the capacity for, much less interest in, hero worship. But it is also rare  if not unprecedented  for someone in that position to owe so much to a single foreign leader. For Trump, Putins likely intrusions in the 2016 presidential election may well have contributed to his victory, even as they have also done considerable damage to his presidency.

Trump expressed his admiration for Putin well before the election, and, it seems, fantasised about meeting him  a dream so potent, apparently, that it drove Trump to claim that he actually had, at the 2013 Miss Universe pageant in Moscow. (Before the pageant, Trump took to Twitter to ask his followers whether they thought Putin would attend, and, if so, whether he would be Trumps new best friend.)

That story was debunked, but Trump wasnt ready to give up on his dream. In 2015, he seemed to indicate that he and Putin had shared the green room on the US news programme 60 Minutes, for which they were both interviewed, though he quickly backtracked on those claims, as their interviews had actually taken place on different continents, which was easily verifiable. Trump then claimed to have spoken to Putin by phone  a story he later revised to say that he had spoken with members of Putins inner circle.

In any case, Trumps fantasy will now become reality. But, at a time when a special counsel is investigating whether Trumps campaign colluded with Russias election meddling, lifting any of the sanctions, even the most trivial ones, that Barack Obama introduced to punish Russia for its interference in the campaign might not be the most sensible idea. Yet there are whispers that Trump may do just that. And, given his tenuous relationship with sensibleness, such a scenario is not farfetched.

Were Trump to take that tack, Putin would of course have reason to celebrate. But, short of such an outcome, one must ask whether, from Putins perspective, Russias apparent efforts to help Trump get elected have paid off.

Trump is certainly sowing chaos across the West. Russias generals, we can assume, rejoice each time Trump refuses to endorse NATOs Article 5  the alliances bedrock collective defence clause  and instead poisons the alliance by railing against its leaders for their inadequate defence spending.

Trumps disagreements with German Chancellor Angela Merkel  who declared after the G7 summit in May that the US can no longer be considered the reliable partner it once was  have also fuelled deep uncertainty. Left to lead efforts to resolve the ongoing crisis in Ukraine, Germany no doubt is feeling somewhat exposed  and Russia is feeling somewhat heartened.

But Trumps evident belief in the chaos theory of government is, overall, probably not good for Russia, especially at a time when its economy, after three years of sanctions and low oil prices, is gasping for air. Putin is failing to uphold his end of a tacit bargain with the Russian middle classes  you keep quiet, and I keep improving your lifestyle  and the resulting disquiet is increasingly on display on the streets of Russias cities. Another source of uncertainty is the last thing that Putin wants or that Russias economy needs.

Of course, it is unlikely that growing dissent will dissuade Putin from standing for re-election next spring. In fact, he probably feels that he has little choice but to remain president for the rest of his life, for the sake of his own safety.

But without that all-important bargain  which provided Putin with a kind of legitimacy more durable in Russia that any vote could ever be  it will become increasingly difficult to keep the various factions of the Russian elite in line. Instead, those factions ever-suspicious members may well begin to question the long-term viability of the system that Putin has constructed.

No one knows what will happen as those questions attract more attention. In 1998, a year before Putin first became president, few outside Russia  or within the country, for that matter  had ever heard of him. It was the implosion of Boris Yeltsins legitimacy in his last year in office that put the thin-skinned ex-KGB colonel on Russias political map.

At the root of the affinity between Trump and Putin is the sense that both are essentially strongmen. But that affinity  and their relationship, whatever it may be  could be what weakens them. Just as Putins interventions in the US presidential election have undermined Trumps presidency, reflected in record-low approval ratings, Trumps chaotic behaviour has damaged Putins position, already undermined by his own economic mismanagement. Putin must now look over his shoulder even more often  for challenges from the street and, perhaps, for challenges from within.

At the upcoming G20 summit, Trump should savour his long-awaited handshake with Putin. Before long, both Trump and his autocratic hero could be regretting that they ever sought each other out.

Nina L. Khrushcheva is Professor of International Affairs and Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at The New School and a senior fellow at the World Policy Institute.

@projectsyndicate

The views expressed are personal
CGTN photo

Russia made an objection on Thursday to a United Nations Security Council condemnation of DPRK's latest rocket launch because the US-drafted statement labeled it as an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), to which Moscow disagrees.

The Russian mission to the United Nations said it had proposed amendments to the US draft. It was not immediately clear if the United States would continue to negotiate with Russia in an effort to reach a council consensus on a statement.

Security Council statements have to be agreed by all 15 members.

Moscow believed the DPRK fired an intermediate range ballistic missile on Tuesday. The DPRK said it tested an ICBM and the United States said that was likely true.

'Not an ICBM'

"The rationale is that based on our (Ministry of Defense's) assessment we cannot confirm that the missile can be classified as an ICBM," Russia's UN mission said in an email to its Security Council colleagues.

"Therefore we are not in a position to agree to this classification on behalf of the whole council since there is no consensus on this issue," the email said.

The Russian mission to the United Nations insisted it had not blocked the statement but rather suggested that the United States "make appropriate amendments to it."

The United States had circulated the statement for adoption by the 15-member council after announcing plans for a new sanctions resolution.

The draft statement recalled that the council had agreed to take "further significant measures" in the event of another nuclear test or missile launch and that the top UN body would "begin to work immediately on such measures."

The draft statement included a strong condemnation of the launch, setting the stage for a draft resolution on tougher sanctions that the United States said it planned to present in the coming days.

'Sanctions will not resolve the issue'

Addressing an emergency council meeting on Wednesday, Russian Deputy Ambassador Vladimir Safronkov said Moscow opposed the move, arguing that "sanctions will not resolve the issue."

"Any attempts to justify a military solution are inadmissible and will lead to unpredictable consequences for the region," warned Safronkov.

US Ambassador Nikki Haley called the launch "a clear and sharp military escalation" and warned that Washington was ready to use military force "but we prefer not to have to go in that direction."

The launch, described by DPRK leader Kim Jong Un as a "gift" to Americans as they prepared to celebrate Independence Day on July 4, marked a milestone in Pyongyang's decades-long drive for the capability to threaten the US mainland with a nuclear strike.

(Source: Reuters, AFP)
The caption under a photo of the Zanskar valley where you can see a couple of herdsmen walking down a path with their horses, says I wondered how paths were made. Born and brought up through his early childhood in Ladakh, Isaac Tsetan Gergan left to study in Woodstock in Mussoorie and graduated in Design from the Emil Carr University of Art and Design in Vancouver, British Columbia before returning to re-trace the paths of his childhood.

In a place like Ladakh which suffers from extreme weather and has terrain that is both beautiful yet unforgiving, there is more to Gergans query than philosophy. After The Elusive Light, a collection of photographs that Gergan has taken over the years in Ladakh, is a view from the other side, stripped of the stereotypes that this beautiful land has been reduced to in the last few years.

The photographs on display at the IIC (India International Centre) exhibition  as is only to be expected  show a fair bit of the landscape. More important, however, to the story that Gergan is telling are the photographs of the people, kitchens, homes and even the odd flower that restores the idea of the place as the peoples own.

Tsemo Gompa-Castle. (Isaac Tsetan Gergan)

Curiously, most of the portraits are in black and white. The way black and white flattens an image and brings out the face more than colour does, fascinates me. So I change them in post-processing, Gergan says. In a way, Gergans method echoes the larger narrative of Ladakh that has been wrested from its local people, reducing them to an appendage to those who arrive and consume the place as fodder.

Consequently, a lot has changed in Ladakh. The one thing I have, sadly, seen changing over the last few years is the erosion of the community. There was a time when a marriage in the community meant that every other family would contribute 500. And when another marriage would take place, they would return the favour with 510. People helped each other. With tourism and all the money coming in, that has stopped. People now only compete, Gergan says.

Ladakhs own story is a million miles away from the pictures of its lakes and valleys that cascade through social media pages in the summers, when everyone from Delhi to Mumbai is a traveller. It is one of the most fragile ecosystems in the world, one of the rarest cold deserts  where it snows more than it rains  and has a history that is rich, both in tradition and politics.

Traditional kitchen, Chansa. (Isaac Tsetan Gergan)

A picture of a Ladakhi kitchen is evidence of the difficult life that poses unique challenges, and therefore requires unique solutions. There is huge scarcity of water. Ladakh is completely dependent on glaciers for water. So there have to be methods to tackle the situation. A majority of the toilets, for example, are built on the second floor, and are dry toilets so the waste can later used as manure. But with the influx of tourists, water tanks are coming up everywhere, and all of this will be at the expense of the local reserves,  Gergan says.

There is an irony here, of Ladakh having become so mainstream an idea on the outside, it is prepared to self-destruct to be able to hold onto that idea.

More than half of Ladakhs economy is run by tourism, which is roughly a six month window in the summer. During the winter, it recuperates and plans ahead. But the damage done by half-a-year of laying the carpet out for outsiders has increased exponentially over the last few years.

A Dard woman. (Isaac Tsetan Gergan)

The sheer amount of garbage that people bring into Ladakh is horrifying. Because you see, the place is landlocked and there is no way to get the garbage to go away. Even the water toilets are eventually only contaminating local water bodies that we depend on, Gergan says.

Ladakh for six months in the winter disappears from everyones memory. It is as if it does not exist. As a result, Gergan says, local people have started looking elsewhere as well. Very few people stay back in the winter. Everyone is now buying a house in Jammu or Delhi, and they move out when the winter starts. The ones who stay back hold a lot of festivities. Most marriages there happen in the winter, he adds.

Ladakh is home to a growing space for research and art. Unfortunately, it is only the one-way commercial temptation of momentarily inhabiting obscure landscapes that people partake in. Gergans photographs, though some of them might feel like deja vu, attempt to distance Ladakh from the view that has become common on the outside.

Photographer Isaac Tsetan Gergan at his photo exhibition at India International Centre annexe. (Arvind Yadav/HT Photo)

Quite effectively, he has chosen to caption his photos with little stories and thoughts, as one who wants to write more than just a travel article might. Does it scare him then, the way people treat his town a bit like a park? Yes it does. But I take positives out of the fact that most of the region is still undiscovered, and inaccessible, most of Kargil for example. But I can see how things will continue to change, he pauses and says, laughing, You know, it is like the worst of your enemies and the best of your friends visit Ladakh.

What: After The Elusive Light: Photographing Ladakh

When: 11 am to 7 pm, till July 11

Where: Art Gallery, Annexe Building, India International Centre (IIC), 40 Max Mueller Marg, Lodhi Estate

Nearest Metro Station: Khan Market
Sonam Kapoor is rumoured to be dating Delhi-based fashion entrepreneur, Anand Ahuja and much has been said and written about their [alleged] relationship. Though none of the two have ever confirmed anything about their romantic link-up, given the time they spent together, and love they shower on each other via social media, leaves very little scope for speculation. Sonams recent posts on Instagram, where she spoke about her sweetheart in a poetic manner became the talk of the town but what caught everyones attention was how Anand reacted to it in a rather loving way.

The 31-year-old actor shared a photo of her dressed in a floral Dolce & Gabbana dress, and wrote, When I was just a little girl I asked my mother what will I be? Will I be pretty? Will I be rich? Heres what she said to me Que sera, sera Whatever will be, will be The futures not ours to see Que sera, sera What will be, will be When I grew up and fell in love I asked my sweetheart what lies ahead? Will we have rainbows day after day? Heres what my sweetheart said Que sera, sera Whatever will be, will be The futures not ours to see Que sera, sera What will be, will be.

Interestingly, it didnt take too long for Sonams rumoured beau Anand, to react to her post. love love love! he commented on one of the pictures from the series.

However, this is not the first the time when Anand hinted towards his feelings for Sonam. He often posts photos of Sonam on his Instagram page. There were quite a few clicks of them while they were recently in London, besides candid shots that he regularly shares with the Neerja (2016) actor. Not to forget the way Anand congratulated Sonam when she was honoured with a special mention at the 64th national National Awards, and his special birthday wish for the actor on June 9.

Here are a few glimpses:

1...2...3!! #everydayphenomenal A post shared by anand ahuja (@anandahuja) on Jul 1, 2017 at 4:14pm PDT

Aila! ...  A post shared by anand ahuja (@anandahuja) on Jul 1, 2017 at 4:41pm PDT

everyday A post shared by anand ahuja (@anandahuja) on Jun 18, 2017 at 8:42pm PDT

fam   A post shared by anand ahuja (@anandahuja) on Jun 18, 2017 at 3:05am PDT

These two look just so adorable! Dont you agree?

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Speaking about the conception of the character of Jagga Jasoos, director Anurag Basu took a walk down the memory lane and shared, When I was a child, I had stacks of Tintins comics in my room. I used to love adventure stories when I was a kid. The setting and details of such stories often stay at the back of your mind and resurface when you are creating something of your own. Jagga Jasoos is my childhood playing on the screen.

The film stars Ranbir Kapoor and Katrina Kaif in the lead with music composed by Pritam.

Just after the trailer and teasers came out, there was a hullabaloo about Ranbirs hairdo.

Ranbir and Katrina in a still from Jagga Jasoos.

I am aware that the hairdo is the most obvious point of discussion, said Basu, adding, I wanted to give Ranbir a unique hairdo. This look wasnt my first choice. When we started trying out different looks, there was one we liked, but it did not make him look very child-like, which was an essential. No other look, apart from this one, matched our narrative. Its a coincidence that it is the same as that of Tintin.

Anurag Basu said that even after the whole industry appreciated his previous release Barfi, his daughter didnt really like it. Now, he wanted to make something which children can attach to.

Talking about the vision of the film, Anurag Basu noted, During my childrens vacation, I am compelled to show them Hollywood films that cater to children, because Bollywood doesnt produce sufficient films for them. So, I wanted to make a film that children can enjoy, one that the entire family can watch and enjoy together. I sincerely believe we should make films that cater to all. Its tough, but we should try.

The film is an adventurous drama where Ranbirs character is on the look for his missing father. The films trailer and the newly released songs Ullu ka Pattha and Galti se Mistake and Jhumri Telaiya have left the audiences in anticipation and people are eager to witness the world of Jagga Jasoos.

Disney and Pictureshuru Productions Jagga Jasoos directed by Anurag Basu is set to release on July 14.

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After the controversial episode incurred with PM Modi over her short dress, Priyanka Chopra reminds her fans that her style is still the best. In an Instagram post, Priyanka is wearing a black floral dress and a crochet hat, posing against the beautiful view in her Paris balcony.

Oh world ... what's next.. #latenighttmusings #just @ulyanasergeenko @cristinaehrlich A post shared by Priyanka Chopra (@priyankachopra) on Jul 6, 2017 at 11:21pm PDT

After attending the Paris Couture Week recently, she had returned to New York last night. The actor had even shared a picture of her bed, with a pillow that had her name written on it.

On the professional front, PeeCee will be seen soon in her upcoming Hollywood flick, A Kid Like Jake. In the movie, shell be seen against Jim Parsons, Claire Danes and Octavia Spencer.

Playing dress up with @peter_dundas and @cristinaehrlich (love the proud mommy face) @dundasworld and chk out the Mood board in the background!! Inspiration! A post shared by Priyanka Chopra (@priyankachopra) on Jul 5, 2017 at 8:22am PDT

The movie revolves around a set of parents who are in search of a kindergarten for their 4-year-old Jake. Since the parents cant afford private school fees, the preschool director encourages the parents to emphasize on Jakes gender variant to get him a scholarship and story builds so on.

She will soon begin to shoot for the third season of Quantico as well.
Heres a Computer Science graduate, an alumnus of Delhi Universitys St. Stephens College who has penned a film that questions the social evil of honour killings. Rahul Dahiya has also directed G Kutta Se (English title: G  A Wanton Heart), which explores themes such as freedom to choose, gender equality, and sexual psyche of society. The film was the official selection at Chicago South Asian Film Festival and MAMI Mumbai Film Festival 2015, and has won praise in India as well.

Dahiya, who has worked as an assistant director with filmmaker Sudhir Mishra on the film, Khoya Khoya Chand (2007), shares that a heart-wrenching incident in his mothers village motivated him to make the film. I came to know of a girl who was electrocuted by her family for being in love. The image stayed in my head. I wanted to explore how your loved ones can turn against you and even kill you for a feeling like that. The film draws from my personal experiences. I made this film to expose the hypocrisy surrounding sex and the simmering brutality even in our so-called prosperous villages... The reason is always linked to the familys honour, says this Gurgaon resident who shifted to Mumbai in 2005.

Dahiya says the film is set in Haryana because he understands the language, nuances and its people better. But, this could be happening anywhere in the country. Honour killing is not an isolated issue... There are crimes against women even in cities like Delhi and Mumbai.

Ask him how filmmaking became a part of his life, and Dahiya shares, Back in college, I didnt have any plans of filmmaking. In second year, I became interested in moving images. It all started with the experience of processing film roles in the dark room. I began photography and started recording shots of time spent on campus and gradually, got interested in films.

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Bollywood actor Swara Bhasker has launched an online campaign against mob lynching on Change.org, demanding a ban on cow vigilante groups.

Veteran journalist Kuldip Nayar, dalit activist Jignesh Mevani, Tehseen Poonawala, students leaders Kanahaiya Kumar, Shehla Rashid and actor Swara Bhaskar at the launch of a national campaign against mob lynching, in New Delhi on Monday. (PTI)

The actress made an appeal to lawmakers for the enactment of a Manav Suraksha Kanoon (MASUKA) to stop such crimes. In her petition, Swara stated, I am an actress in the Indian Film Industry. But as a conscientious citizen of India, cannot allow these lynchings to take place... I, along with thousands of young Indians, stood up against this public menace in protests that were recently held across 20 cities of the world.

We, together, said #NotInMyName, to such violence. Next day, PM Modi issued a statement condemning the killings in the name of gau raksha (cow protection). But even after vigilante violence has continued, she added.

The actress concluded her appeal, saying it was time for Prime Minister Modi to walk his talk as the youth of this nation has elected the first PM born after independence.

We want him to preserve our social independence, she added.

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The Reserve Bank of India on Thursday said bank customers who are victims of fraudulent or unauthorised electronic transactions will not bear any loss if the transaction is due to a fault in the banks security system, or a third-party breach.

However, the zero liability is conditional on the customer reporting the unauthorised transaction due to a third-party fault within three days of receiving the alert from the bank, according to the revised norms on customer protectionlimiting liability of customers in unauthorised electronic banking transactions.

The draft norms were issued in August 2016.

The RBI has mandated banks to pay the amount involved in a transaction within 10 days of reporting by the customer.

Read more | Delhi cafe staff booked for cloning cards, duping customers of Rs 6 lakh

Last year, after a malware injection in the systems of Hitachi Payment Services Pvt Ltd, about 3.2 million debit cards were compromised; similarly, hackers had infected the servers of the Union Bank of India with malware.

Digital transactions rose 2.36% to Rs 113.73 lakh crore in June, from Rs 111.11 lakh crore in May, provisional data released on Wednesday by RBI said.

According to the latest norms, the maximum liability of the customerin case the transaction was because of the customers negligence or if the customer did not adhere to reporting timelines, is set at Rs 5,000-25,000. The draft norms had set it at Rs 5,000.

To be sure, the current maximum liability of the customer will be as per the nature of the transaction and hinges on the seven-day reporting deadline.

If the customer misses the three-day deadline but reports the unauthorised transaction caused due to a third-party breach within seven days, the customer will have to share some liability.

In such a loss the customers liability is a maximum of Rs 5,000 in case of basic savings bank deposits.

For other savings bank accounts, pre-paid instruments, gift cards or credit cards with up to Rs 5 lakh limit, current and overdraft accounts with annual average balance of Rs 25 lakh, the customer liability is at Rs 10,000.

The maximum liability of Rs 25,000 is for credit cards with a limit above Rs 5 lakh and other current and overdraft accounts. The liability will be lower than the transaction value for the aforementioned amounts.

Banks, which have the burden of proving customer liability, will determine the amount the customer has to shell out as per the board policy, if the customer misses the seven-day deadline. The central bank said the bank must resolve the complaint and establish customer liability, if any, as per its board policy but the timeline must not exceed 90 days.

According to the central bank, while banks must ask customers to mandatorily register for SMS and e-mail alerts, for electronic banking transactions, the banks must also provide 24x7 access through multiple channels like website, phone banking, SMS, etc for reporting.

(Published in arrangement with Livemint.com)
Sitting idle in the narrow lanes of Lallapura in Varanasi, master weaver Shahid Jamaal is visibly disappointed as four out of his five power looms are shut for about a fortnight.

After the implementation of GST, disappointment looms large in Lallapura area which is known for weaving of Banarasi sarees.

As a result of pre- and post-implementation impact of the Goods and Services Tax (GST), wholesalers have stopped placing orders for the sarees.

GST will increase the manufacturing cost of sarees as the prices of raw material, including yarn, will go up in the new tax regime, Jamal said.

Weavers of Varanasi demand that the government should exempt textile from GST.

Fear of the new tax regime compounded with lack of clarity led to the textile industry protesting in several parts of the country. Since July 1, a 5% GST will be added to textiles including the Banarasi sarees, so far left out of the tax net.

A wholesaler has informed me about the new rates of yarn. Instead of Rs 350 per kilogram, it will now cost Rs 380. Rates of material used in finishing and embroidery will also go up, he said.

How will I compensate for the increased manufacturing cost? Wholesalers will not pay for it. They will give old rates for sarees, Jamaal added.

But experts and lawmakers point out that an increase in tax can be passed on to consumers, and so will not impact the weavers.

Just like the Banarasi weavers artisans feel that GST will kill the art of zardozi and chikankari.

Already facing tough competition from Chinese clothes and machine works, chikankari and zardozi workers in Lucknow also share the resentments against GST.

There are around 3.5 lakh chikankari workers in and around Lucknow. Imposing Goods and Services Tax (GST) on handicraft would increase the problems of artisans who are already struggling to make ends meet, said founder of Self-Employed Womens Association (SEWA) Runa Banerjee.

Representatives of the industry are planning to meet union finance minister Arun Jaitley to seek exemption from GST and inform him about the ground realities of this unorganised sector.

A trader at Janpath market in Lucknow, Dilip Khairjani, said procedural complexities would make it practically difficult to implement GST on chikankari.

Tax burden on every product priced below Rs 1,000 will be 5% and those above this amount will attract 12% tax under GST. Add to it the procedural complexities and costs. The final burden will be 18-20% on every product, he said.

Taxation would be different for stitched and unstitched pieces of handicraft, he added.

In the run up to the GST implementation, state governments were instructed to convert their sales tax offices into Seva Kendras to help small and medium scale businessmen.

The fear around GST is exaggerated because it involves IT. But these state GST Seva Kendras are supposed to help in registration, said revenue secretary Hasmukh Adhia while addressing 5-day masterclass on GST in New Delhi.

Reports have been pouring in from different part of the country on businesses complaining about confusion around GST.

States were supposed to arrange for tax officers to come and train traders and businessmen, nothing has happened so far. Bother sellers and buyers are confused about GST, said Sushil Jain, president of federation of industrialists, traders and jewellers in Noida.

Some traders in Lucknow agreed that taxation procedure under GST remained unclear.

(Inputs from Lucknow)
The Chennai-based Shriram Group and IDFC are in discussions to potentially merge the groups various businesses to create a financial services behemoth with combined revenue over $4 billion three people directly aware of the talks said on condition of anonymity.

A spokesperson for Shriram Capital said the company had no comment to offer. An IDFC spokesperson said the company evaluates opportunities from time to time and would inform stock exchanges at the appropriate time should anything concrete fructify.

The three people said that the entire lending business of the holding company Shriram Capital, which includes listed entities such as Shriram Transport Finance and Shriram City Union Finance, will be merged with IDFC Bank, and the unlisted entities under Shriram Capital, which includes the life and general insurance companies, with IDFC.

According to the three people, a formal announcement on merger talks and exclusivity can be expected in the next few weeks, maybe even days.  The two parties have just entered talks. The details of the share swap will have to be worked out one of the three said. The deal still has to cross many hurdles, a second added.

Founded in 1974 by Ramamurthy Thyagarajan, AVS Raja and T. Jayaraman, the Shriram group has 24 operating companies with more than 60,000 employees and Assets Under Management (AUM) in excess of Rs.90,000 crore. It is now controlled by billionaire Ajay Piramal. A spokesperson for the Piramal Group said the conglomerate wouldnt comment on speculation.

IDFC was founded in 1997 by a group of public and private sector financial institutions and began as a lender for infrastructure projects later diversifying into merchant banking, asset management and private equity among others. The company went public in 2005 and in 2014 received approval from Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to set up a new private sector bank, IDFC Bank.

According to the people cited above, the merger talks mark a deviation from Piramals earlier strategy of merging Shriram Capital with Piramal Enterprises. Piramal bought a close to 20% stake in Shriram Capital in 2014 for approximately Rs 2,000 crore .

However, the plans to merge the two companies were found to be unfeasible owing to mismatches in valuation and market capitalization of the two companies which would have potentially resulted in a large stake dilution in the merged entity for Piramal group said the first person cited above.  The potential merger of Shriram with IDFC will also pave way for Piramal group to exit Shriram Capital at a later stage if it so wants.

The Shriram Ownership Trust, an employee trust, holds 45% stake in Shriram Capital. The latter has, in the past, held merger talks with other banks in order to cash out, the people cited above said.

Some of the shareholders of IDFC Bank which includes HDFC are keen to exit their holding in the bank and see the merger as a way of doing that, the second person said.

A merger could give IDFC Bank an edge in the retail business by giving it access to Shriram Transport Union finance which has a fantastic retail book, the third person said.
Pushing for efficiency, the Uttar Pradesh government is reviewing the performance of its employees and will retire or even sack those found wanting, a move that has caused a flutter among the 1.7-million strong workforce.

In an order issued Thursday, chief secretary Rajiv Kumar asked all additional chief secretaries, principal secretaries and secretaries to screen the performance of staff who are 50 and above and submit a list by July-end.

Those whose performance is not up to the mark would be considered for compulsorily retirement as per the government rules, says the order issued after chief minister Yogi Adityanath called for strict adherence to the compulsory retirement rule.

The three-month-old Adityanath government dusted the service rulebook to weed out the underperformers under a provision first proposed in 1985 but rarely used.

Timely disposal of work, punctuality and public image are some of the criteria the staff would be measured against. Based on the ratings, department heads would recommend names for compulsory retirement or termination.

Mere transfers are not enough to spruce up the government machinery, which has become rusted and needs to be greased and geared up for delivery of important projects and schemes, an official said on condition of anonymity.

The service handbook says a government employee above the age of 50 can be retired compulsorily after a three-month notice or salary in public interest.

The BJP swept to power in Indias most populous state on the promise of clean and efficient administration and an improved law and order situation.

The deadline for implementing the scheme was June 30 but as there has been a bureaucratic reshuffle, officers have been given more time to complete the screening, an official said.

I am sure half of the work force will lose their jobs -- the way government employees take their jobs for granted, SS Mishra, an office-bearer of the UP government joint employees council, told HT on Thursday.

.

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The 41th session of the World Heritage Committee on Friday decided to put China's Qinghai Hoh Xil on the prestigious World Heritage List as a natural site. So far, China has 51 sites inscribed to the List.

Hoh Xil, an isolated region in the northwestern part of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in China, covers an area of 3.7 million hectares. As the world's largest, highest and youngest plateau, it hosts many endemic species, especially Tibetan antelopes, which give birth in the site after a long migration.

The Committee holds the session in Krakow, southern Poland between July 2 and 12 and is supposed to assess the nomination of 34 sites for inscription on UNESCO's World Heritage List.
Let me briefly tell you a story about a British Indian man from London. He can speak Hindi, watches Indian films and stays on top of news from the subcontinent. For most of his life he dated women of Indian origin and expected to marry one. Then one day he met a woman from Mexico, fell in love, and two years later they were married. As you have probably figured out, that man is me.

This column is not really about me, but there is a reason I brought that up. This column is actually about a Sikh couple in Britain that caused a national uproar last week. Sandeep and Reena Mander lived in a nice house just outside of London, with a stable income and good jobs. Like many other couples without children, they applied to adopt a child and give an orphan a home. That is when their problems started.

The local officials denied their application. As only white children were in need, white British or European applicants would be given preference, meaning they were unlikely to be selected [as parents], they told the media. In other words, the couple were too brown to adopt a white child.

From one perspective this makes sense. Why shouldnt orphaned children go to a couple of the same background? That makes it easier for them to grow up while learning about their heritage and background.

But it also makes no sense. Isnt it better for an orphan to find a loving and stable home than wait for a couple of the same background? Is the child worse off being alone, or growing up in a different culture? Naturally, the Mander family is taking them to court.

But such kind of taboos against inter-cultural, inter-racial and inter-religious mixing are common in our society. The Hindustan Times reported last week that a hotel in Bengaluru had denied a room to a mixed-religion couple from Kerala. The hotel denies it, but we know this is not unlikely. Great Britain and America have laws against such discrimination because it was so common.

People are right to say that mixed-families are hard work. But they are also easier than most people assume. I had never met a Mexican person before my wife and knew very little about their culture. But it turns out they love eating spicy food, they love big families, they love dancing and they are quite religious. Sounds to me like a typical Indian family. We had a reception where the bride wore a Punjabi lehnga, and a wedding party in Mexico where the grandfather of the bride danced to bhangra and the Indians ate tacos (basically, daal and chawal wrapped around in a roti).

Its not that I think culture and religion are irrelevant, neither do I judge anyone for marrying someone of the same background. Some traditions have a lot to teach us and our shared histories are indeed important. But the people who say its important we preserve our traditions never truly explain why. As one my favourite comedians, Vir Das, likes to point out, sati was also part of Indian culture. Was it worth preserving that? Of course not. Culture changes, it evolves, it never remains the same.

Its the same with religion. People say you cant pick the best bits out of religion  you have to choose one or the other  but why not? Most of us already pick and mix the bits we like.

But what about the kids? Well thats easy. They can learn about two cultures instead of one. They can learn Spanish as well as English and Hindi. No one loses out if an Indian orphan is raised by white parents, or some Sikh parents raise a white child to learn Punjabi. All that matters is they provided a loving home.

People say the only thing certain in life is death. But to me thats only a part of the bigger process. The only thing certain is that everything will evolve and die, just after passing on its genes to something new. Something more beautiful than before. So why are we fighting against inter-mixing when its the basis on which humanity has thrived?

Sunny Hundal is a writer and lecturer on digital journalism based in London

The views expressed are personal

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DEHRADUN: Mass screening will be held for the people above the age of 30 years in three districts for early diagnosis and timely treatment of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as cancer and diabetes.

Dehradun and Pauri Garhwal in Garhwal region and Nainital in Kumaon region will see health camps conducted under the aegis of the National Health Mission. The population-based screenings will be held for identifying five common NCDs high blood pressure, diabetes and three types of cancers - oral cavity, breast and cervix.

A sensitization workshop was held in Dehradun on Friday in which chief medical officers, medical superintendents and officials associated with non communicable diseases control programme of all districts were briefed about the campaign. The workshop will be followed by training of health workers, who will conduct field visits for screening individuals.

During the workshop, experts highlighted how NCDs do not exhibit symptoms until complications arise, and hence the early detection of such diseases was important for preventing and controlling them on time. Front line health workers will visit from door-to-door and fill up a checklist of all people above 30 years by asking information for identifying if they are suffering from or are vulnerable to any of the above diseases, NHM director (national programmes) Dr RS Aswal told Hindustan Times on the sidelines of the workshop.

Based on their scores indicating vulnerability, the health workers will motivate them to the visit the nearest health facility for detailed tests.The population thus found to be positive will in turn be referred to higher-level health facilities for confirmation and further treatment.

Persons at risk will be advised about healthy lifestyle to prevent the onset of NCDs.

According to the Union ministry of health and family welfare, NCDs account for over 60% of all mortality in India. In the first phase of the screening campaign, a total of 100 districts were chosen across the country, out of which three are in Uttarakhand. Apart from the screenings, awareness activities will be held under the move to sensitize locals to visit the nearest health centres and get themselves checked on their own for such diseases on a regular basis once they cross 30 years.

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Former BBC India correspondent Mark Tully was admitted to a private hospital in Dehradun district on Friday after he started bleeding.

Tully, 81, was admitted late in the afternoon to the intensive care unit (ICU) of the Himalayan Institute Hospital Trust at Jolly Grant, around 25 km from Dehradun. An ambulance rushed him from Haridwar to the hospital. It was not immediately known why Tully was in Haridwar.

The patient had been suffering from loose motion and vomiting for the past four-five days. He started bleeding from rectal area (on Friday) after which he was brought to the hospital. He has been admitted to the ICU...his condition is stable but he has been kept under observation, a doctor told Hindustan Times over the phone.

The patient will undergo colonoscopy on Saturday, after which his condition will be known, the doctor said.

The hospital is taking the best possible care of Mark Tully, the hospital public relations officer Sushil Kaptiyal said.
DEHRADUN: The Uttarakhand government welcomed the Supreme Courts stay on the high court order declaring the Ganga and the Yamuna as living entities.

Drinking water minister Prakash Pant said the development will accelerate the pace of the Namami Gange project, which aims to clean the Ganga by October next year.

We requested the Supreme Court to give directions following the Uttarakhand high court order. The order was tricky in a way that officials were technically responsible for the river beyond Uttarakhand and which was not practical, Pant told Hindustan Times on Friday, welcoming the stay order.

He added that the government will examine the apex courts directives, if any. Works under the Namami Gange project programme are yet to be completed. I think the stay will help accelerating the pace of the pending works.

On March 20, the high court declared the Ganga and the Yamuna as juristic person bestowing on the two rivers the same legal rights enjoyed by humans. The order came five-days after Whanganui River in New Zealand was granted a similar status.

The high court had allowed the director of the Namami Gange project, the Uttarakhand chief secretary and the advocate general the right to represent the Ganga. Uttarakhand had objected the chief secretary being made responsible for matters beyond the state, while the Centre was reportedly not convinced of involving the Namami Gange project director in the matter.

The high court had sought a reply from the Ganga, the state government and three other parties in a PIL challenging a decision to make garbage dump in Rishikesh.

Mohan Rawat Gaonwasi, a senior BJP leader and an expert member of the National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA), said there was a need for a task force to ensure time bound cleansing of the Ganga.There is a disconnect between officials and the people living on the banks of the river. The locals have to be involved and this has to be monitored by a task force, he asserted.

Millions of Hindus revere the Ganga that travels a 2,525-km route from Gangotri in Uttarakhand till Ganga Sagar in West Bengal before finally merging into the Bay of Bengal.

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It doesnt matter if you spell best as bast and answer as answar, you could still help students crack Delhis Universitys law entrance examination with the help of smartphones.

Days of students carrying chits or notes to the examination hall may be a trick of the past because messaging app WhatsApp has seeped into universities. The Delhi police are probing at least four reported cases of students using WhatsApp on their smartphones to get answers in the Delhis Universitys law entrance exam held over the weekend.

The modus operandi  students carry more than one cell phone into the hall and deposit one phone when asked by the teacher. The minute they get the question papers, they take photographs of the question paper and WhatsApp it to their counterparts, who then send the answer key within minutes. The best part is it works better than text message and does not run the risk of talking over the phone.

On Sunday, when an invigilator reported a Delhi University student in south campus college using WhatsApp to copy the answers, the officers on checking his cell phone were shocked to find answers of all the four pages in four image files. His associates on the other line who were sending the answers had typed All the bast showing that they too took help from others to send the answers.

Another image found on the students WhatsApp record was that of the Answar for all the 100 questions. Police suspect the role of organised gangs in Haryana, who hire private teachers to type answers on a plain A4 sheet, take photos and WhatsApp it back to the students.

This is not the lone case. Police in north Delhi registered an FIR against two students who were caught with three mobile phones at Hans Raj College on Sunday. The invigilator, while checking their phones, saw the phone had answers sent via WhatsApp.

Vinay Gupta, Dean of Examination, DU said there were eight-nine cases of students sneaking mobile phones in centres such as Hans Raj, Kirori Mal and Hindu. Gupta said they have written to the police. These students carried two mobiles and submitted one with the examiner. But when they took out the other phone, they were caught.

Of the nine cases, the use of WhatsApp to cheat was found only in four cases.

Following such cases, Delhi police have asked the university officials to keep an eye on students carrying cell phones. Another student adopting a similar modus operandi was caught at law faculty, while writing the same exam.

The photos were taken within seconds of receiving the questions. Invigilators may not be very attentive while distributing the papers, hoping that nobody would cheat. In multiple choice questions, this works well with the student inside the class who only has to tick the correct answer, said an investigating officer.

The dean said they would make frisking stricter from next year. The system is already strict due to which there was no paper leak unlike previous years. But we will take steps to ensure nothing like what happened this year is repeated, he said.

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The seven-year-old missing girl, whose decomposed body was found 10 days ago inside a steel trunk dumped in a drain in northeast Delhis Usmanpur, was raped before the murder, police said. The police on Friday claimed to have solved the kidnapping, rape and murder case with the arrest of the girls 25-year-old neighbour.

AK Singla, deputy commissioner of police (northeast), said the arrested man, Ibral, has disclosed that after kidnapping the girl, he took her to his home and raped her. When the girl started crying and told him that she will tell her parents about the sexual assault, he panicked and smothered her to death. Ibral claims that he was drunk at the time of the crime, said Singla.

Fearing that leaving the girls body in home will land him in jail, Ibral changed the girls clothes, wrapped the body in a blanket and put it inside a trunk, said police. He spent the night at home with the girls body in the trunk, said a senior investigating officer.

The next morning, around 5am, he dumped the trunk near the fifth pusta drain in Usmanpur, the officer said.

Seeing nobody around, Ibral threw the trunk in the drain, hoping that with the girls body weight the truck will submerge in the water, the officer said. After dumping the body, Ibral returned home and continued his normal life. He even joined the girls parents in search for the missing girl.

After two day, Ibral went to Loni in Ghaziabad where his mother and sister were staying. Unable to bear the guilt, Ibral told his mother about the crime he committed. His mother reprimanded him and asked him to leave home. She did not inform anybody in the family or the police about her sons crime.

Ibral went underground and stayed at different hideouts in Delhi and Loni until he was arrested from there on Wednesday night, police said.

Pink kurta-salwar and blanket gave cops clues about the killer

The seven-year-old girl went missing on June 21 while she was playing outside her home in Gamri village near Shahdara. Despite efforts, neither the police nor her family members could locate her. On June 28, the police control room was informed about a trunk that was floating in a drain at Kartar Nagar area in Usmanpur. The caller claimed that a human leg was dangling out of the box. The trunk was opened and a girls highly decomposed body was found inside.

Teams of the northeast district police were clueless about the killer and the motive behind the murder when they began their probe. Except the clothes the girl was wearing and a blanket her body was wrapped in, there was nothing else in the box that could help investigators reach the killer.

We focused our probe on the clothes and blanket. We showed them to the girls family who said that it did not belong to them. Also, their daughter was wearing a different set of clothes on the day she went missing, said the investigator.

The police then launched a door-to-door drive and showed the clues to the neighbours. A woman in the neighbourhood claimed that the pink kurta-salwar belonged to Ibrals sister. Cops reached Ibrals home and found it locked. They then met his mother and questioned her during which she told everything her son had told her. We conducted raids and caught Ibral. He confessed to the crime, said the officer.

Ibral works as a construction worker. His wife left him six months ago and went to her native home in Bihar.
Over a fortnight after an alleged argument over a seat in a Mathura-bound local train claimed the life of Junaid Khan, members of a family were beaten up in the same train on Friday.

Railway police said that they had received a complaint from a Delhi family in this regard. In their complaint, they told the police that they were returning from Govardhan and boarded the train at Mathura to reach Ghaziabad.

The family said some passengers boarded the train at Chhatta station. They claimed there was a commotion as there was rush in the train.

Some passengers, including women and children who boarded at Chhatta station, were beaten up due to a dispute over a seat, leading to injuries to a woman passenger, a railway official said.

Police said the victims de-boarded at Old Faridabad railway station and lodged a zero FIR at the GRP Police station. Santosh Dubey of Nangloi, Delhi, suffered injuries and was taken to BK Hospital for treatment, police said.

The railway police in Mathura will investigate the matter.

Meanwhile, villages in Khambi  from where four people were arrested in connection with the murder of Junaid  threatened to launch an agitation at Jantar Mantar. Some villagers said a decision will be announced on Sunday.

Junaid, 16, was stabbed and killed on a train while he was on his way home in Ballabhgarh after shopping for Eid on June 22.

We have called meeting of the committee members on Sunday to decide next course of action, said Nityanand Sharma who was chosen as head of the 60-member committee at a Mahapanchayat last Sunday. The Mahapanchayat was held to discuss the issue of arrest of five youth from Palwal district, specially from Khambi village.

Police had announced a reward of 2 lakh on Monday for information leading to identification of the accused who stabbed Junaid to death. Among the four men arrested, three are in their 20s and work in private sector while one is in his 50s and works with the Delhi Jal Board. They are all residents of Khambi.

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Delhi Police have arrested a 35-year-old gangster who was allegedly involved in several murders, attempts to murder, and carjacking cases in Delhi and Haryana, police said.

A cash reward of R1.5 lakh was announced on the arrest of the gangster, identified as Ajay Dabas alias Barwala.

Police said Barwala is a life convict in two double murders cases registered in 2009 in Bahadurgarh, Haryana. Barwala along with his accomplices Ajayvir and others had killed four rivals of the latter in a single day to settle their scores. Barwala was arrested and awarded life imprisonment. But in 2015, he jumped parole that was given to him to attend his brothers wedding, police said.

Barwala belonged to Anil Bhagte gang, a slain interstate gangster, who was involved in the kidnapping case of a businessman of Model Town in which he and his accomplices had demanded a ransom of R2 crore for his safe release in 1998. The case was cracked by the crime branch and seven persons were arrested. Bhagte was among the top ten most wanted criminals of Delhi at that time, said police.

Romil Baaniya, deputy commissioner of police (southeast), said Barwala was arrested from Okhla Mandi area on Wednesday following information about his arrival in the area with an illegal weapon. He was riding a motorcycle when our team members caught him. One pistol and five cartridges were recovered from him, said the DCP.

After he jumped parole, the DCP said, last year, Barwala and his associates murdered his former partner in cable business Devender Rathi who later became his rival because he stopped giving Barwala his share in the business profit after he went to jail. Rathis brother-in-law Manjeet too was attacked but he survived, police said. Barwala and his associates also robbed a Hyundai verna car at gunpoint the same year in Begampur area. They were wanted in all three cases.

To evade his arrest, Barwala stopped using cell phones and was not in touch with his family members, the DCP added.
In April this year, Badrilal Meenas CT scans showed there were 75 pins embedded in his body. Six hospitals, four months and one surgery later the number of pins increased to 150 and Meena has no idea how.

The man, who is from Barda Village in Kota, underwent two surgeries last week at Asian Institute of Medical Sciences (AIMS) in Faridabad where around 100 pins were removed. Surgeons, however, suspect that Badrilal suffers from mental illness and had been piercing the pins into his body himself.

I do not know how the pins got in there, said Badrilal. Even his son and wife claim they dont know when and how the pins got there. Doctors now say he will undergo psychiatric evaluation after recovery if he agrees to it.

Badrilals curious case was first detected at a private hospital in Kota where he had gone complaining of foot ache and diabetes. He has visited six hospitals since and lost over 30kgs.

Doctors say he arrived at the Asian Institute of Medical Sciences (AIMS) in Faridabad last fortnight complaining of breathlessness and throat pain. In the CT scan before the surgery, Badrilals neck looked like a pin-cushion. He had more than 150 pins in his throat, elbows, abdomen and ankles. 10 of these were piercing his windpipe, three going through his food pipe, one in the vocal cord and two cutting through his carotid artery  the main artery that supplies blood to the brain. Surgeries were performed on June 29 and July 2 to remove pins from his neck and abdomen.

Earlier, seven pins had been extracted from his neck and four from the upper and lower limbs at the Northern Railway Central Hospital in Delhi. He was further referred to Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, psychiatry department. We wanted to admit him for psychiatric evaluation. He kept denying there was any problem and refused to be admitted, said Dr Smita Deshpande, head of the department at Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital.

I cannot give a diagnosis, but he might be delusional and psychotic. He could have inserted the pins because he imagined he was following commands of the voices in his head. We have had cases where people have killed others, cut off their testicles or harmed themselves because a voice told them to do so. Or it could be because he wanted to inflict self-harm, she said.

Dr Deshpande added that Badrilal needs help for the underlying cause or the condition could surface again.

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The National Green Tribunal on Friday asked all states and Union Territories to identify and inform it about no-pollution zones in their areas where deregistered diesel cars banned in the National Capital Region can run.

Have you identified no-pollution zones in states so that we can send old diesel vehicles to such areas? The states were directed to identify areas where the dispersion of the air is higher and vehicular density is the least.

We have been asking you time and again about the report. Why dont you submit it? Do it expeditiously, a bench headed by NGT chairperson Swatanter Kumar said.

The tribunal had last year ordered the Delhi government to cancel the registration of all diesel-powered vehicles over 10 years old and barred them from running in the Capital. It had ordered that only de-registered diesel vehicles less than 15 years old can get a no-objection certificate (NoC) and run in select areas outside Delhi-NCR. These areas were to be demarcated by states where vehicle density is less.

The green panel in July last year had said all deregistered vehicles would not be permitted to ply in Delhi-NCR.

However, the authorities will issue NOC for such vehicles to be registered outside the Delhi-NCR. We clarify that in terms of the orders of the tribunal, every state has to identify areas where the dispersion of the air is higher and vehicular density is least..and put them on the respective websites, it had said, adding that the Delhi RTO will issue NOCs for transfer of these vehicles only for such areas identified by the states.

The bench on Friday also asked the Delhi government to not stop plying of destination buses in the city.

Government should do everything to make people aware of these buses, the bench said.

The destination bus project launched by the Delhi government from May 1 on the directions of the green court is an attempt to decongest Delhi by giving office goers a cheaper and an easy alternative to using their private cars. However, it has failed to evoke public enthusiasm with very low ridership being reported from these buses.
On Wednesday evening, when Mohammad Adil repeatedly stabbed 21-year-old Riya Gautam outside her home in east Delhi, it was not the first time he had wielded a knife.

Months earlier, Adil had pulled out a knife to profess his love to Riya near a mall in east Delhi, investigators said. The duo was on talking terms then and Adil was keen that Riya accepted him as her lover.

He told Riya he could even die for her. To prove that, he stabbed himself in his abdomen using a knife he was carrying with him, said an investigator. Adil has been on the run since Wednesdays incident.

But the injury inflicted on him, the investigator added, was superficial. Neither did the violent incident reach the police, nor did Adil seek medical aid. Riyas response to that act remains unknown, but she may never have imagined that Adil would use the knife on her too one day.

Adil sometimes served as a helper on his uncles Eeco van that served as a cab. But he also stole motorcycles. There are four cases of bike thefts against Adil since last year. He had been arrested twice, his second prison term coming to an end early this year.

The polices probe so far has revealed that Riya was aware of Adils criminal past and wanted him to come clean on it. Call detail records of the accused and the victim have suggested that the two were on talking terms for over two years and police suspect that their relationship was romantic for some parts of it.

While Adil had allegedly been threatening and even assaulted Riya earlier this year, compelling her to seek police action, their meeting on Wednesday was a mutual and conscious decision, police said.

What triggered the brutal knife attack that cost Riya her life will be known once Adil is arrested. But Adil was clear about what to do after the attack. He did not go home. Instead, he called his stepfather and mother one by one over the phone.

He requested his stepfather to hide his mother and younger brother from the police. He then called his mother and told her do exactly as her husband asked her to, said an investigator.

His mother and brother were tracked down by the police quickly, but their interrogation has not helped the cops much. Multiple teams have been conducting raids in three different states where Adil is suspected of hiding.
Are you a quota student? Dont these reservation guys feel ashamed? Why dont the SC guys study harder?

Being a lower-caste student in a higher-education institution is often a virtual war where questions such these are shrapnel that lodge deep in the psyche and left lasting damage to ones confidence. The dismal dropout rates  just 11% of Dalit students who enroll in school stay through university, found the NSSO in 2014  bear out this fact.

A rash of suicides linked to caste in Indias universities over the past few years  including the tragic death of Rohith Vemula at University of Hyderabad  underlined the hostility and indifference Dalit students face in campuses where their mere presence shatters millennia-old taboos of caste.

Now, the Telangana government has a novel solution to the problem: Build Indias first university exclusively for Dalit students  an upgrade on an already thriving set of residential schools and undergraduate institutions meant only for the weaker sections.

This is a great idea.

First, such an institution takes care of the most insidious of all discrimination: Peer group bias. The jabs and bile Dalit students face range from slurs on their looks, complexion to language, diction, clothing and even the kind of food they eat. In canteens, hostel rooms and in the playground, they are humiliated, racialised or made fun of all because they are considered inferior, free-loaders or worse, unworthy of their position in the university. For a Dalit student to fall in love is often a cycle of abuse and ridicule.

The root of much of this hate comes from a feeling of superiority burnished by a smarter grip over English and familiarity in the ways of the city. Historically denied access to such institutions over centuries, Dalit students often struggle to catch up in paraphernalia, if not in core academics. How does one feel confident if one is constantly singled out in class, feels alien from ones peers and inferior in articulating themselves? Students who come from similar caste backgrounds eliminate this bias.

Second, the presence of a majority of Dalit students will transform the university, both in its institutional structure and practical functioning. Suddenly, stigmatised processes such as remedial classes, teaching in non-English languages or back-up tutoring will not carry the taboo that mostly upper-caste students and teachers associate with it.

In one stroke, Dalit students will no longer be the perennial other, to be discussed in clipped accents and distant objectivity by forward caste scholars resting on centuries of privilege, but in charge of their own histories and testimony. The flawed notion of merit  carefully built on an edifice of lower-caste corpses and a centuries-long headstart by upper-caste communities  will stand demolished. In the face of a strong and confident Dalit student group, professors and directors will no longer feel comfortable articulating casteist notions of progress or failure. For once, the link between academic achievement and caste backgrounds will be clear, not obfuscated by a fog of merit.

Can such a university do better? Only in promoting the recruitment of more SC/ST teachers, whose numbers are just 7% and 2% respectively, while upper-caste teachers form more than two-thirds of the pie, found the last All India Survey on Higher Education three years ago. The presence of more teachers from unprivileged backgrounds would foster greater empathy, innovation in pedagogy and curricula, and most vitally, snap the link between academics and caste pride.

The experience of the historically all-Black universities in the United States has shown that clubbing underprivileged students together doesnt trigger greater segregation, instead it nurtures talent and confidence in communities that have historically been told theyre unworthy and meritless. This exercise also shouldnt derail the urgent need for more caste awareness and Dalit empowerment in our universities.

An all-Dalit university will finally show us that the things that are killing our Dalit students in premier universities  loneliness, isolation, depression  are not disjoint individual things but intrinsically linked to how our campuses are built on caste.

To demolish that edifice can only be a good idea.

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Mumbai: After two rounds of seat allotment in the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) across the country, 68 seats remain vacant in 23 institutes for the remaining rounds - 131 seats got confirmed in the second round.

However, not a single seat remains in IIT Bombay as all of its 929 have been taken in the first two rounds.

There were barely 14 seats left in IIT-B so they were bound to be taken over in the second round. Our academic session for the new batch will begin from July 20, saya a professor from IIT-B.

After round two, the Joint Seat Allocation Authority (JoSAA) on Friday released statistics of seat vacancy in IITs, National Institutes of Technology (NITs), Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIITs) and other Government Funded Technical Institutes (GFTIs). A total of 10,988 seats were up for grabs in 23 IITs, including the Indian School of Mines-Dhanbad (ISM-Dhanbad).

After round two, there are just two seats left in IIT Delhi, six in IIT Kharagpur, 16 in IIT (BHU) Varanasi, and newer IITs in Goa and Jammu have two and three seats left vacant, respectively.

About 76 seats were left vacant in IITs even after six rounds last year. Officials had highlighted that most of the vacant seats were in the newer IITs and, therefore, JoSAA will conduct seven rounds of admission to all these institutes this year. Hopefully not a single seat will go vacant in IITs as well as other institutes this year, said an official from JoSAA.

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Gurgaon Police arrested a 64-year-old man, accused of raping his five-year-old granddaughter, from Mumbai airport on Wednesday evening. His 59-year-old wife was also held on charges of abetting rape and hiding it from the victims mother.

The accused were trying to flee to London, when a three-member team of Gurgaon Police nabbed them after a tip-off from the immigration authorities.

The duo was brought to Gurgaon on Thursday and sent to judicial custody in Bhondsi jail. A case against the two grandparents was registered under Section 6 and Section 10 of the Pocso Act, along with Section 506 (criminal intimidation) of the IPC.

The accused were caught by our team from the airport while they were waiting for a flight. They wanted to escape the country as they were anticipating arrest in the case. Earlier, a team from the women police station had gone to Jamshedpur and found their house locked and alerted us. Following this, we intensified our search for the couple. A look out notice had been issued against the accused earlier, said inspector Kailash, station house officer, women police station, who directed the entire operation.

Kailash said that the victims mother, who is the couples daughter-in-law, should be appreciated for ensuring that a case was registered against the grandparents despite opposition from the family, including her husband. Without her efforts, this case would not have come out in the open, said the inspector.

The victims family stays in Sector 59, Gurgaon. They originally hailed from Jharkhands Jamshedpur. The grandfather, retired from a private company as an engineer, was financially well off and stayed in Jamshedpur.

According to the victims mother, who had filed the complaint with the women police station in Sector 51 on June 28, the grandfather took advantage of the girl during her stay in Jamshedpur, and he was aided and abetted by his wife.

On March 2016, when the accused visited their home in Gurgaon, the victims mother caught the grandfather misbehaving with the girl, but the matter was dropped as her husband told her it was just a matter of parental affection.

The entire incident was revealed when the victim was taken to a leading private hospital in Gurgaon on April 2017.

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Residents of Tulip White society in Sector 69 are arranging for monsoon essentials such as raincoats and gumboots for the police team at Badshahpur police station.

They volunteered to do so after a Hindustan Times reporter shared a photo on the micro-blogging site Twitter of a traffic police personnel managing traffic at Jharsa barefoot in the rain. Seeing the photo, the residents decided to act and provide for the team at the police station.

We owe it to our men. Seeing the photo on Twitter, we pitched the idea to society forums and WhatsApp groups and received a positive response. This drive is a means to acknowledge the efforts of the Gurgaon traffic police, said Amit Saxena from the s residents welfare association (RWA) of the society.

As part of their efforts, residents will bring their children to the police station on Sunday to sensitise them towards how the police work.

As monsoon is approaching, we wanted to fulfill their (police personnels) basic needs with gumboots and rain coats. Last year too, during the infamous traffic gridlock on Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway that lasted for hours, the traffic police worked away from their families (for hours) to ensure smooth traffic flow. The children will gift the raincoats and gumboots to the police personnel as a gesture of appreciation, said Saxena.

Well get the supplies by Saturday evening. Along with the shoes and the coats, water flasks will also be distributed. A supplier agreed to supply the items on a no-profit basis because of what we intend to do. If every citizen group does its bit towards our citys finest men, Gurgaon will become the happiest city to live in. Initiatives such as these go a long way and we hope other societies join in, he added.

Rahul Agarawal, another resident from the society in Sector 69, said, I was crossing Vatika Chowk the other day and saw a traffic policeman running around the intersection managing traffic, barefoot. We spoke to the team at Badshahpur police station and they were very happy to hear about our plan.

Rajender Kumar, station house officer (SHO), Badshahpur police station, said the residents had met him a few days ago and proposed to provide some material. It is good that the residents are thinking about the police force. The material will be useful for the personnel, he said.

For a healthy and a happy community, it is important that we recognise and appreciate the efforts of those who care for us.Through this (initiative), we hope to teach our children and the future generations to respect the police and people such as firemen, municipal workers and others who serve the community, said Saxena.

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There are as many as 400 airstrips which are lying vacant with the cattle grazing the ground, Rajiv Nayan Choubey, secretary, civil aviation said on Thursday.

Speaking at the 1st International Aviation Security Seminar organised at the NSG campus in Manesar, Choubey said: these airstrips were built during the World War 2, and most of them were located in small cities.

Instead of securing these small airstrips 24/7, only the flight should be secured. That way not only would the security be kept in mind, but the economic growth would also come in the loop, he said, adding: only two or three flights land each day on these airstrips.

For securing the 30-40 people in these flights, should I be deploying 70-80 security personnel in the airstrip throughout the day? Choubey asked.

He said it was interesting how these airstrips work. Only small flights go to these airstrips and they take almost double the amount from the customers. What we need right now is viability cap funding where a cap of, for instance, Rs 2,500 is put. The airlines cant charge more than that from the customers and the subsidy will be provided by us, Choubey told the Hindustan Times.

This was one of the challenges presently faced by the countrys aviation ministry, he said. Other challenges included combing security aspect with economic growth.

The need of the hour is finding a balance between economic growth and security and thats where NSG comes into play. It has a veto which it can use when decisions are taken, the civil aviation secretary said.

Another challenge, Choubey mentioned, was in-flight wifi which India has still not enabled.

India and North Korea are probably the only two significant nations presently which still dont allow in-flight wifi facility -- the reason being security, he said.

The secretary said they were working to bring technology to play a key role in helping the security.

He also talked about the need for bomb-proof runways and how they were working to build underground runways, wherever possible.

It all eventually comes down to costs. If runways are over the ground, roads need to be diverted- for which land acquisition is required. Underground runways are very costly, he said.

Read I Aviation companies, defence firms, govt set to tango at Aero India 2017 show

Choubey said that Indias security infrastructure was way better than that of most developed nations.

The 2-day seminar, which concluded on Thursday saw atleast 300 representatives from various stakeholders in security and aviation department-- bureau of civil aviation security of India (BCS), central industrial security force, national security guard, airport authority of India and other central and state agencies.

This was a first of its kind seminar in India. The aim was to get all the stakeholders under one roof and discuss the challenges faced the country presently in terms of security and costs. And thus, find solutions, NSG PRO, Group Commander, Rakesh Kumar told HT.

The seminar was followed by unfurling of the countrys 26th highest monumental flag in the campus in the presence of union minister Rajiv Pratap Rudy, former MP Naveen Jindal, along with hundreds of NSG officers and their families.
Andrew Garfields comment that he is a gay man right now just without the physical act have not gone down well on social media.

Speaking during an NT Platform discussion on Monday, Garfield said he prepared for his role in Tony Kushners Angels in America, in which he plays a gay man battling AIDS in the 80s by watching RuPauls Drag Race.

My only time off during rehearsals  every Sunday I would have eight friends over and we would just watch Ru. This is my life outside of this play. I am a gay man right now just without the physical act  thats all, he said.

Twitter lit up following his comments

This article grosses me out.Ur a talented guy,but seem to be completely oblivious to what is coming out of ur mouth. https://t.co/td9DPhVRmP  Scott Evans (@thescottevans) July 6, 2017

Andrew Garfield, pulling a James Franco while discussing acting in "Angels in America." Straight actors, please stop this nonsense. pic.twitter.com/BPkJLPiZaJ  AKA Kalinda Sharma (@Nico_Lang) July 5, 2017

Andrew Garfield is tearing apart gays on Twitter like a new season of Looking  Ira Madison III (@ira) July 6, 2017

speaking of, i am rich without the physical act https://t.co/UlWxuxUnB9  Fariha Roisin (@fariharoisin) July 6, 2017

Me reading articles about Andrew Garfield saying he's gay but not really gay pic.twitter.com/UN2PUuDpUB  Adam Valentine (@Adam86Valentine) July 6, 2017

Me when Andrew Garfield said he's a gay man "without the physical act" because he watches RPDR in his free time pic.twitter.com/UrSu1AnFpn  Tom the  (@tommybravos) July 6, 2017

Me, Grabbing Andrew Garfield by the shoulders and shaking him: IT'S CALLED BISEXUALITY pic.twitter.com/lH4tj8Ol5c  sami (@ezekielfiguero) July 6, 2017

Andrew Garfield is "gay without the physical act" because he watches RuPaul.



- Rich Straight White Men Try To Be Interesting Vol. 53  akili (@broxbeeble) July 6, 2017

Straight tourists who try on oppression for kicks make me so tired. Andrew Garfield and James Franco... guys... you will never understand.   Hamish Steele  (@hamishsteele) July 5, 2017

I like how Andrew Garfield's view of being gay is having friends over to watch RuPaul.  Eric M. (@thefilmviews) July 6, 2017

someone: are you gay?



andrew garfield: not physically pic.twitter.com/KAgGHUHpYD  alec (@collapsedinlove) July 6, 2017

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Spoilers follow

For Indian fans of superhero franchise Spider-Man, its a delight to spot Hollywood actor Robert Downey Jr in a kurta pyjama at a traditional Indian wedding in a scene from Spider-Man: Homecoming, which seems to have embraced diversity.

Whether it is Downey Jr, a turbaned student in a scene, or an Asian sidekick for actor Tom Holland -- the latest version of the superhero tale swings in the diversity way, justified by the presence of an ethically diverse cast including Laura Harrier, Zendaya, Jacob Batalon and Tony Revolori.

Director Jon Watts, left, and actors Jacob Batalon, centre, and Tom Holland, pose during a promotional event for their latest film Spider-Man: Homecoming in Seoul, South Korea. (AP)

Zendaya, who rose to fame as a Disney star with the series Shake It Up!, says this is one reason why she got attracted towards the film, which released in India on Friday.

I love being part of the movie because of the diversity that it brings to the table. Its time (to open doors for people of colour in the industry), Zendaya told IANS.

Zendaya arrives at the Los Angeles premiere of Spider-Man: Homecoming at the TCL Chinese Theatre. (AP)

British actor Holland, 20, was introduced as Spider-Man last year in Captain America: Civil War, and got his first solo movie as the web slinger with Spider-Man: Homecoming.

He dropped hints about a big Indian reference in the new film, and was seen matching to the tunes of popular Hindi song Eespiderman, eespiderman, tune churaya mere dil ka chain. In fact, he went on to express his desire to swing into Indian cinema as the superhero in the desi version of the film too.

The audience was pleasantly surprised to see how the makers had infused a bit of Indian culture in the film with Iron Man Downey Jr hobnobbing at a wedding, and getting an essence of desi celebrations with sari-clad women and genda phool (marigold) in abundance.

US-based Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige had teased the Indian reference in the film, in an interview to IANS back in 2016.

The scene is not shot in India, as Feige had reasoned then that it doesnt suit the budget to get the whole crew and cast to the country for just one scene.

Follow @htshowbiz for more
Employees of the Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation (BMRCL) struck work for about seven hours on Friday to protest against the arrest of one of their colleagues a day ago.

A scuffle had broken out between metro employees and personnel of Karnataka State Industrial Security Force, which is in charge of security at stations, on Thursday at the Sir M Vishveshwarayya Central College metro station here.

As a result, FIRs were filed against five metro employees. Metro trains were halted in Bengaluru after workers protested against the arrest on Thursday.

However, metro authorities confirmed that they had managed to sort out the issue and services resumed at 11.40 am.

Speaking to HT, Pradeep Singh Kharola, managing director of the BMRCL, said: We have managed to break the deadlock and services have resumed.

However, Kharola said he could not do anything about the case. These are legal matters in which there is little we can do.

Sandita, a regular metro commuter was very frustrated about the situation and said, I am getting late for my office because the metro is closed. Also, its really frustrating as we didnt get any notice on the closing of the metro. And if something like this is happening, we should be informed beforehand.

Another commuter, Abdul Javed talked to ANI and said, I have been waiting for the metro station to open from the past 45 minutes. We didnt even know about any strike, and there was nothing in the newspaper regarding this. It gets difficult when the metro stops working.

(with ANI inputs)

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The BJP on Friday asked Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar to end his alliance with the Rashtriya Janata Dal after an early morning CBI raid on RJD chief Lalu Prasads home and 11 other places in yet another corruption case.

The RJD in turn accused the Modi government of trying to browbeat the opposition and framing Prasad, saying the party would not be cowed down.

The Centre is trying to scare us, but I assure you we will not be cowed down by such actions. We will fight it out at the legal and political level and emerge victorious, RJD spokesperson Manoj Jha said.

He said Friday would go down as one of the darkest days in history. Suddenly these agencies have become new alliance partners for the BJP and they are using it, Jha said.

The RJD is a senior partner in the ruling coalition led by Kumars Janata Dal (United). The Congress is the third ally.

The (CBI) action being taken is outside the party purview, so I would not like to comment on it... But yes, it is high time Nitish Kumar sever ties with the RJD, BJPs Bihar president Nityanand Rai said.

Kumars JD (U) used to be part of the BJP-led NDA before he walked out in 2013 after Narendra Modi was named the prime ministerial candidate.

Kumars ties with alliance partners are strained at the moment. He has broken ranks with the opposition to back the NDAs presidential pick Ram Nath Kovind, setting off a war of words with the Congress and the RJD, who asked him to reconsider his position.

Union minister Giriraj Singh asked Kumar to break his silence and clear his stand on his alliance with the RJD.

Kumar, who talks of good governance and zero tolerance towards crime, cannot remain a mute spectator anymore, he said.

Fridays raids were carried out at 12 locations in five cities a day after the CBI filed cases against Prasad, his wife Rabri Devi and son and deputy Bihar chief minister Tejashwi, among others.

The CBI is examining possible irregularities in the awarding of contracts to private firms to operate railway hotels, including two BNR hotels in Ranchi and Puri, when Prasad was the rail minister in the Manmohan Singh government. The agency is looking at whether Prasad and his family benefitted from them.

The action came on the day Prasad was in Ranchi in neighbouring Jharkhand to appear in a fodder case, which involves large-scale embezzlement of government funds.

The 69-year-old leader was in 2013 found guilty in one of the fodder cases and had to step down as a member of Parliament. He also stands barred from electoral politics. Though he has challenged the verdict, early this month the Supreme Court ordered a fresh trial in a third fodder case.

His family, too, is battling similar charges.

The income tax department recently searched 22 locations in New Delhi and adjoining areas in connection with corruption charges against his daughter Misa Bharti and her husband Shailesh Kumar, who were also questioned.

Tejashwi and his elder brother, Tej Pratap, who is the states health minister, are also accused of corruption.

with agency inputs

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Patna Close on the heels of fresh raids on Friday at places associated with the family of RJD chief Lalu Prasad, including his Patna residence, the BJP stepped up pressure on chief minister Nitish Kumar to break his silence on the future of the ruling grand alliance and immediately drop Prasads sons from his cabinet in the wake of the development.

This is an acid test for Nitish Kumar. Whether he will drop deputy CM Tejashwi Prasad Yadav and health minister Tej Pratap Yadav from his ministry or prefer not to take any action to save his chair, remains to be seen, said senior BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi, welcoming the CBI raids.

The raids clearly brought a sense of deja vu to Modi, who has been, for the last three months, single-handedly making revelations to corner Prasad and his family, for allegedly acquiring assets worth over Rs 1,000 crore through questionable means.

Modi, who was addressing a press conference, accompanied by party leaders Nand Kishore Yadav and Devesh Kumar, also credited Nitish Kumar, now CM, for first bringing into public domain, Lalu Prasads alleged complicity in handing over two railway hotels to Harsh Kochar, a co-accused, as part of a quid pro quo deal.

Then, in August 2008, JD(U) state president Lallan Singh and party spokesman Shivanand Tiwari exposed the benami deal for handing over two acres of prime land to RJD chiefs family via Prem Chand Gupta family owned Delight Marketing, the BJP leader said.

In this context, the then JD(U) national president Sharad Yadav had led a delegation that met the Prime Minister to demand action in the matter. Today, the company, re-named as LaRa (an acronym for Lalu-Rabri) Projects LLP, is building Bihars biggest mall on the said land in the state capital, Modi said.

Even the state government had admitted before the Patna high court that the upcoming 12-storey mall, with a built up area of 7.07 lakh sq ft, 1,000 shops and a 5-star hotel, was being constructed illegally. The matter has come full circle in 11 years, Modi said.

He also rejected the RJD charge that CBI had been unleashed out of vendetta. The debate should centre on the merits of the case, instead of issuing one-liners, he argued. As for terming Prasad a habitual offender, Modi said, it was Shivanand Tiwari, now an RJD leader, who had coined the term first.

State BJP president Nityanad Rai trained his guns on Prasad to question how a person, who is on record to have admitted he was unsure of having two square meals day in his early years, could come to acquire such huge assets.

How could someone amass so much wealth, without resorting to corrupt practices, he questioned, urging the chief minister to end the unholy alliance with RJD, starting with the sacking of Prasads two sons from the cabinet if they refused to step down.

Politics in the state is set for a new churn, Rai said, hinting that the people were getting restless over the drift in governance.

Leader of Opposition Prem Kumar also chipped in to take a dig on Prasad for misusing his position in power for personal gains. Our stand has been vindicated, Prasad and his family are corrupt, he said.

Union minister Rajiv Pratap Rudy said that the law was taking its course and the chief minister would have to take a call on whether he would like to bear the burden of Prasads misdeeds for remaining in power or act as per demands of propriety.

Another BJP Union minister Giriraj Singh, asked the JD (U) chief to act as per his governments zero tolerance policy against corruption.

QUOTE

In August 2008, JD(U) state chief Lallan Singh and party spokesman Shivanand Tiwari exposed benami deal for handing over two acres of prime land to Prasads family via PC Gupta family owned Delight Marketing

Sushil Kumar Modi, senior BJP leader

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The BJP has welcomed CBI raids on RJD chief Lalu Prasads residence and 12 other places over a fresh case of alleged irregularities in awarding tender for the maintenance of hotels.

The Central Bureau of Investigation carried out raids at 12 places in Patna, Delhi, Ranchi, Puri and Gurugram in connection with the case involving Lalu Prasad and his family members.

It is right time for (Bihar Chief Minister) Nitish Kumar to end his party JD-Us alliance with the RJD and should sack Lalus two sons from his cabinet without delay, Bharatiya Janata Party state president Nityanand Rai told IANS here.

Rai said politics will change in Bihar after the CBI raids.

Leader of opposition Prem Kumar told the media here that Nitish Kumar should act against Lalus two sons.

Our stand has been vindicated, Lalu and his family is corrupt.

Read more | From fodder scam to properties: Lalu Prasad and his family are caught in a web of trouble

For nearly three months, BJP leaders have repeatedly alleged corruption charges against Lalu and his family members. It was alleged that Lalu had accumulated Rs 1,000 crore illegal property.

The CBI has registered the case against Lalu; his wife and former Chief Minister Rabri Devi; Tejaswi Yadav; former Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) Managing Director P.K. Goyal; and the wife of Lalus confidante Prem Chand Gupta, Sujata on allegations of awarding the tender for development, maintenance and operation of hotels in Ranchi and Puri in 2006.

In the same year, the hotels were transferred to the IRCTC.

Lalu Prasad was the Railways Minister between 2004-09.

Read more | I-T department slaps benami transaction charges against Lalus family
With her WhatsApp messages seeking support for six jail staffers arrested in connection with the death of an inmate at Byculla prison going viral, Maharashtra DIG (prisons) Swati Sathe has withdrawn herself from the case.

The officer was relieved by the authorities from conducting the departmental inquiry. The probe has now been handed over to special inspector general (prisons) Rajvardhan Sinha, a senior official said.

Bhushankumar Upadhyay, additional director general of prisons, said, After the WhatsApp message episode, DIG Sathe was relieved on her request and the probe handed over to special inspector general (prisons) Rajvardhan Sinha.

On July 2, Sathe had posted three messages in the WhatsApp group Maharashtra Karagruha, in which she made an appeal to her colleagues in the prisons department to support the arrested staffers, whom she called as sisters, another official said.

As the messages went viral, Sathe was criticised for seeking support for the jail staff who are facing murder charges in connection with the death of Manju Shette.

According to the official, a letter demanding action against Sathe was sent to Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis by a former jail superintendent along with the screenshots of her WhatsApp messages.

This morning, Sathe wrote a letter to Bhushankumar Upadhyay, requesting him to relieve her from the inquiry of the prison staff in connection with Manju Shettes death, the official said.

Sathe was unavailable for comments.

Shette, 45, died at the J J Hospital on June 23 after being allegedly beaten up by the Byculla jail officials and staff as she failed to account for two eggs and five loaves of bread, which were distributed by her to the inmates, police had said.

The police had registered a case of murder against the jail officials. On Saturday, the Crime Branch of Mumbai Police arrested all the six accused  Manisha Pokharkar, Wasima Shaikh, Shital Shegokar, Surekha Gulve, Aarti Shingne and Bindu Naikade.

Shettes death had sparked protests in the prison with over 200 prisoners, including Sheena Bora murder case accused Indrani Mukerjea, being booked for rioting.
In more trouble for Lalu Prasad, the CBI on Friday raided 12 places across the country, including his Patna home, over alleged irregularities in awarding of tenders for hotel maintenance when the Rashtriya Janata Dal chief was the railways minister.

The case has been registered against Prasad, his wife Rabri Devi and their son Tejashwi, who is the deputy chief minister of Bihar, CBI sources said. The then Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation managing director PK Goyal and the wife of Prasads confidante Prem Chand Gupta, Sujata, are among the other accused. Gupta is a former union corporate affairs minister.

The simultaneous raids in Bihars capital Patna, Delhi, Gurgaon in Haryana, Puri in Odisha, and Ranchi in Jharkhand began at around 7:30am.

The RJD chief was not at his home when a CBI team reached his residence at 10, Circular Road in Patna. He is in Ranchi to appear in a CBI court in the fodder scandal that involves large-scale embezzlement of government funds.

The CBI is examining irregularities in awarding tenders to private firms for operating railway hotels located close to stations. Among the places being raided were a few farm houses and two hotels, including the popular Chanakya BNR hotel in Ranchi.

The raid, sources said, was being conducted by the Delhi team of the investigating agency. The CBI and police were tight-lipped over the searches.

Read |From fodder scam to property holdings: Lalu Prasad and his family are caught in a web of trouble

These raids comes weeks after income-tax department searched locations in New Delhi and adjoining areas in connection with corruption charges against Prasads daughter Misa Bharti and her husband Shailesh Kumar, who were also questioned.

Tejashwi and his elder brother Tej Pratap, who is the Bihar health minister, are also battling charges of corruption.

The RJD chief, who has proposed a grand alliance to take on the BJP in 2019 Lok Sabha election, accuses the Modi government of a witchhunt against his family and denies the charges.

Prasad is being tried in the fodder scandal. He had to step down as a member of Parliament and was barred from electoral politics for at least six years on being found guilty in one of the cases in 2013.

(With agency inputs)

Also read | Down maybe, but far from out: What the future holds for Lalu Prasad
The construction of the crucial road link to the last Indian post of Lipulekh Pass in Uttarakhand on the Chinese border could take several more months, the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), which is undertaking the project, has hinted even as experts have stressed on accelerating the work on a war footing amid an escalating tension with China.

Lipulekh pass located at an altitude of 17,000 feet in Chaudans valley of Dharchula sub-district in Pithoragarh district connects India with Tibet (China).

The Lipulekh pass is used mostly by Kailash Mansarovar pilgrims to reach the famous Hindu pilgrimage site in Tibet and local traders, who are engaged in barter with Tibetan traders since decades. The construction of the roads through Uttarakhand would make it easy for people to visit Kailash-Mansarovar.

The Sikkim route to Mansarovar, which was opened in 2015 to enable pilgrims to travel the 1500-km long route from Nathu La to Kailash by buses, has been closed by China amid an ongoing border stand-off over the construction of a road by Chinese troops in Doklam area in the state.

China has accused Indian troops of trespassing into Doklam, which the Chinese refer to as Donglang, a disputed territory claimed by Bhutan.

In June last year, Union surface transport minister Nitin Gadkari said it would be completed by April 2017. The Centre gave a go ahead for road connectivity until the end of the border almost a decade ago.

The BRO is undertaking the 76-km road project through a rugged mountainous terrain between Ghatiabagarh and Lipulekh. BRO officials said the challenging stretch of the road is yet to be built and could take many more months.

A 50-km stretch of the road has been laid and remaining 26-km rocky portion is the most challenging, Major Manish Narayan, commanding officer (BRO), told the Hindustan Times recently.

SS Pangti, a retired bureaucrat who hails from Johar valley on the India-China border, said the road connectivity till the Himalayan pass is strategically vital from the point of view of keeping an eye on Chinese activities in western Tibet.

At least for the security of the nation, greater emphasis on Uttarakhand roads right up to its borders is much needed. If roads could be built up to Nathula (Sikkim) and Shipki-la (Himachal) and many other high passes in the Himalayan belt, why not up to Lepulekh? Pangti asks.

The BRO said they are doing every bit to complete the connectivity at the earliest. The Indian Air Force helicopters lift construction material from Pithoragarh air base to the site and at times it has to be halted due to inclement weather. The work at present has been stopped due to the ongoing Mansarovar pilgrimage.

The work will resume after the pilgrimage is over in September. After that several villagers in the upper reaches migrate to lower areas and we have asked the BRO to continue work only on given time frame C Ravishankar, district magistrate of Pithoragarh, told HT.

The India and China agreed on restarting pilgrimage and trade through Lipulekh in 1982, two decades after both the countries engaged in a war. India shares an international boundary with China via two districts of Uttarakhand  Pithoragarh and Chamoli.

From time to time there had been reports of Chinese intrusion into the Indian territory in Chamoli. Last month, a Chinese helicopter reportedly violated the Indian air space by entering Barahoti area of Chamoli.

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Internet services were patchy and curfew-like restrictions put in place in large parts of the Kashmir Valley on Friday as separatists have called for a week-long protest to mark the first death anniversary of Hizbul militant Burhan Wani.

To avoid a repeat of the violence that rocked Kashmir after Wani was killed in a gunfight with security forces on July 8, 2016, security has been stepped across Jammu and Kashmir.

Last summers street protests left 100 people dead, most of them civilians, as locals regularly clashed with security forces.

The Hurriyat Conference leaders have called shutdowns on July 8, and July 13 when 22 Kashmiris died during protests against the regime of Maharaja Hari Singh in Srinagar in 1931. They have also asked people to visit homes of slain militant leaders on July 9.

Internet services were blocked for more than 12 hours before they were suddenly restored at around 11am on Friday.

Sources said the cyber restrictions were put in place to prevent spread of rumours or thwart bid to mobilise protesters but it was not clear why the services were brought back up.

Security forces on several occasions have said protesters and militants use messaging platforms to bring crowds together.

The government has called in 21,000 additional central forces personnel in view of the Hurriyat Conferences call for a shutdown on Saturday.

Movement has been restricted and curfew-like curbs are already in force in most parts of the old city of Srinagar.

The separatist protest call coincides with that of Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin, recently declared a global terrorist by the US.

Salahuddin has said Hafta-e-Shuhuda (martyrs week) will be observed beginning July 7 on both sides of the line of control.
A Delhi court on Friday allowed the Enforcement Directorates plea in Disproportionate Assets case involving Himachal Pradesh chief minister Virbhadra Singh.

The Court also adjourned the matter and extended the judicial custody of LIC agent Anand Chauhan till September 4.

The Enforcement Directorate told the Delhi court that it wants more time to file a supplementary charge-sheet.

The court on Monday dismissed Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singhs plea seeking quashing of a money laundering case against him.

The high court earlier on July 3 rejected the plea seeking quashing of proceedings registered by the Enforcement Directorate under Prevention of Money Laundering (PMLA).

The bench of justice RK Gauba said the plea against his possible arrest and attachment cannot be allowed.

It would be wrong if not naive to consider cognizable case so simplistically. Mere classification of offence as cognizable would not conference right of arrest on the police officer. Meaning of cognizable needs to be seen. Authority of arrest remains subject to restricts under law. Cognizable cannot have static meaning. Only because there are prerequisites to arrest in cognizable case, it does not mean that empowered agency cannot investigate without authorisation of a court. PMLA offences are different from general offences. PMLA is a special code, establishes own authorities with adjudicatory powers, the bench observed.

The court also informed that the Enforcement Directorate has the authority to arrest and freeze assets in a cognizable case.

The Enforcement Directorate had filed the case after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) booked Singh on disproportionate assets charges.

The court bench had earlier said plea against possible arrest and attachment cannot be allowed.

The CBI had in March filed a chargesheet against Singh, his wife and seven others for allegedly accumulating assets of over 10 crore disproportionate to his known sources of income. An FIR by the CBI was registered in 2015.
Farmers reeling from drought should not be coerced for recovery of loans and government should interfere if a financial institution is found to be doing so, the Supreme Court said on Friday.

The governments approach should be preventive rather than compensatory and it should travel the last mile to reach out to the farmers, a bench headed by Justice Dipak Misra told the Tamil Nadu government while hearing a PIL filed by state farmers.

The courts remarks comes a day after a bench headed by chief justice JS Khehar gave time to the Centre to implement its new schemes for farmers.

The bench was informed that farmers were forced to commit suicide because banks that lend money to them take coercive action for recovery. Such an action should be suspended in case of crop failure of no rain.

The court asked the state to devise a mechanism where farmers can go to the government seeking help, if an action was taken against them for loan default due to crop failure.

Administrative action should also be taken to get rid of middlemen who purchase produce from farmers at throwaway prices.

Job of the executive is to ensure that farmer suicides do not happen. It should be dealt at the ground level. This should not happen at all, the court said as it took on record report of the Tamil Nadu legal services authority on the agragarian crisis in the state.

The bench posted the matter for further hearing on August 4, asking the state government to respond to the report.
Even as RJD chief Lalu Prasad seeks to forge a grand opposition unity, he is in the middle of one of his worst political and personal crises. He and his family today face a maze of corruption charges  some old going back to the fodder scam, many new linked to land deals and alleged money laundering.

Apart from the CBI raiding his house on Friday morning, a mix of judicial orders, an aggressive BJP led by Bihar leader Sushil Kumar Modi levelling allegations, and energetic central investigative agencies has resulted in this acute crisis. The allegations also have implications for the Mahagatbandhan. Prasad denies all charges.

The allegations

Personally, Lalu Prasad  convicted in the fodder scam  continues to face legal troubles.

One of the five fodder cases has reopened. And following a Supreme Court order to complete the trial within nine months, the court has started hearing the cases on a priority basis. Lalu has had to travel to Jharkhand to appear before the concerned court on a weekly basis.

Then there are a spate of allegations against family members.

The Income Tax department raided 22 locations in New Delhi and adjoining places, related to land and farm houses owned by Lalus daughter, Misa Bharti and her husband Shailesh Kumar. The two were also questioned. ED too has begun investigations.

His son and deputy chief minister Tejashwi Prasad Yadav is alleged to hold heavy stakes in a company promoting Bihars biggest mall in the state capital worth Rs 750 crore; another son Tej Pratap is alleged to hold big tracts of land and a petrol pump (cancelled but stayed by court); and daughters  Misa, Hema and Ragini  have been accused of being directors in many shell companies. In all of this, the charge is that Lalus position in power was misused to amass assets.

There are also accusations against Prasad of taking prime land from RJDs senior leaders like Raghunanth Jha, Kanti Singh and few ordinary people in lieu of giving them ministerial berths and jobs during his stint at railway minister from 2004-09. The land plots were gifted to Prasads two sons by the donors.

Lalu Prasads family own six companies . All these companies are shell companies promoted to purchase land or other real estate property and then sold over to Lalus family at throwaway prices. Besides, the way his close associates gifted lands to his sons when they were minors show how he has a huge hunger for land, said Sushil Modi.

Political blame game

The RJD chief has put up brave face asserted there was nothing wrong in his family having business interests insisting they were ready for a probe. What is wrong if my sons have interest in a mall. Should they wear tattered clothes.

But the pressure shows. Lalu has taken to astrological remedies holding Sunderkand path at his residence.

Insiders say the RJD chief is apprehensive of Income Tax and ED tightening its noose on his children including two sons on charges of money laundering and owning benaami assets, which could lead to imprisonment upto seven years.

The RJD would be in crisis, if the IT or ED summons the deputy CM. It would tarnish the Yadav scions image as a future leader of the party, said a senior alliance leader.

The charges have also left him on weaker footing in the alliance, giving space to chief minister Nitish Kumar to act more assertive in governance and supporting BJP on issues. Key decisions by the government have also been held up like filling up posts in various boards and corporations have been put on hold.

The BJP is keeping a wait and watch policy even as some of its leaders claim the coalition would break if investigating agencies crack on Prasads two sons.  We can have early polls in Bihar, said a BJP leader, seeking anonymity. What is clear is that Lalu Prasads grand opposition unity efforts emerge from the difficult spot he is in.

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The G20 Summit began on Friday in the German port city of Hamburg as world leaders assembled to discuss fight against terrorism and ways to improve open trade while Prime Minister Narendra Modi met his counterparts from the BRICS bloc.

While host German Chancellor Angela Merkel welcomed the leaders to open the 12th G20 Summit, a separate meeting of BRICS leaders took place on the sidelines.

The official details of the BRICS meet could not be immediately ascertained.

Outside the summit venue, violent protests continued by various rights groups, including anti-capitalist groupings. The police had to resort to water canons, tear gas and pepper spray.

Modi reached Hamburg on Thursday evening and has bilateral meetings lined up with various leaders, including from Japan, South Korea and Vietnam.

Modi will participate in the leaders retreat and the sessions on Global Growth and Trade and on Sustainable Development, Climate and Energy. Later in the evening, he will attend a concert for leaders at Elphilharmonie.

Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May arrives for the G20 leaders summit in Hamburg. (Reuters Photo)

The port city has been converted into a fortress for the summit, which is being attended by 4,800 journalists from more than 67 countries.

Fighting terrorism, climate change and global trade are expected to be the key areas of discussion at the two-day Summit, whose theme is Shaping an Inter-connected World. The meet is taking place at a time when differences have emerged among several leaders expected to be present -- mostly on publicly stated views of US President Donald Trump -- including on issues like climate change and open trade.

Russias Vladimir Putin, Turkey PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan, French President Emmanuel Macron and the UK Prime Minister Theresa May are participating in the summit.

While Hamburg happens to be city of birth for the Summit host Merkel, it is also known as an anti-establishment bastion of Left-wing radicals.

At least 30 protests are expected to be held here ahead of the summit that may attract thousands of people, including from anti-capitalist groups. Local authorities expect these protests to remain peaceful and around 15,000 police personnel will be deployed to protect the venue. Besides, nearly 4,000 personnel will keep a tab on the airport and train security.

A protestor plays the flute as German police walk behind, at a demonstration during the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany. (Reuters Photo)

While counter-terrorism and economic reforms will dominate the discussions, the Summit will also discuss issues like free and open trade, climate change, migration, sustainable development and global stability.

Prior to the summit, Modi had said he was looking forward to engaging leaders from other G20 countries on the vital issues affecting our world today that have a bearing on economic growth, sustainable development, and peace and stability.

The Prime Minister had said the world leaders would review progress on decisions since the Hangzhou Summit last year and deliberate on issues of terrorism, climate, sustainable development, growth and trade, digitisation, health, employment, migration, womens empowerment, and partnership with Africa.

Modi will hold meetings with leaders of countries such as Canada, Japan, and the UK on the sidelines of the summit.

The Prime Minister is visiting Hamburg from July 6-8 for the G-20 Summit. His pre-planned bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the Summit are with Argentina, Canada, Italy, Japan, Mexico, ROK (Republic of Korea), the UK and Vietnam, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Gopal Baglay said on Thursday.
Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday urged members of the Group of 20 (G20) major economies to cooperate more in education, training, employment, business start-up and wealth distribution-related mechanisms.

"Progress on these fronts will make economic globalization work better," he said at the annual G20 summit in Hamburg, a major port city in northern Germany.

This year's summit, scheduled for Friday and Saturday, is themed "Shaping an Interconnected World."
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping discussed a range of issues during an informal gathering of BRICS leaders on the margins of the G20 Summit in Hamburg on Friday even as the Chinese leader called for the peaceful settlement of regional disputes.

External affairs ministry spokesperson Gopal Baglay tweeted a photo of the two leaders smiling and shaking hands. He said Modi and Xi had a conversation on a range of issues.

The interaction, held against the backdrop of a tense standoff between Indian and Chinese forces in the Sikkim sector, came a day after China ruled out a formal bilateral meeting between the two leaders in Hamburg, with officials saying the atmosphere is not right.

Television reports said the discussion between Modi and Xi lasted about five minutes.

The Chinese president, who presided over the informal meeting, called on the BRICS countries to push for peaceful settlement of regional conflicts and disputes, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

During the meeting of the leaders of the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) grouping, the two leaders praised the roles played by each others countries in the international arena.

In his address, Modi appreciated momentum in BRICS under the chairmanship of President Xi and extended full cooperation and best wishes for the BRICS Xiamen Summit, according to a statement from the external affairs ministry.

Concluding the meeting immediately after Modis remarks, Xi appreciated Indias strong resolve against terrorism and the momentum in BRICS introduced under Indias chairmanship and through the outcomes of the Goa Summit in 2016.

Xi also appreciated Indias success in economic and social development and wished India even bigger success.
In a city that doesnt permit installation of statues of even Mahatama Gandhi or its founder Le Corbusier, a statue of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) ideologue Pandit Deendayal Upadhayay has been put up at Haryana Raj Bhawan in Chandigarh.

The installation of the statue is part of the chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar governments decision to commemorate the birth centenary year of the RSS ideologue. Governor Kaptan Singh Solanki and Khattar unveiled the statue in the Raj Bhawan on June 8. Chandigarh building bylaws do not allow any such installation on official premises.

This has provided ample ammunition to principal opposition party Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) whose leader Abhay Chautala shot off a stinker to Khattar on Thursday flaying the recent installation.

Abhay, who had also written to Khattar on June 19 against what he alleged as wasteful expenditure on the birth centenary of the RSS ideologue, also criticized the installation.

I am surprised that no one outside those connected to your party were invited for the unveilingTherefore, I like to believe that since you must have had doubts about its propriety, that is why the hush-hush affair, he wrote and added that he was also surprised at the governments decision to install the statue of a party figure inside the Raj Bhawan complex.

Raj Bhawan is above party politics and hence any attempt to politicise it, is reprehensible, Abhay wrote and further held that no previous government had ever attempted to inject politics in the Raj Bhawan complex.

Raj Bhawan is the residence of the governor but it is not a private property which is subject to the whims and fancies of the occupant and the government in power. Therefore, I would like to believe that the installation and unveiling of the statue was a private affair of the governor, and that it was not commissioned out of the state funds, he said while seeking clarification on it.

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The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) searched the homes and properties of former railway minister Lalu Prasad and his family on Friday as part of investigations into alleged misconduct in giving out contracts for the maintenance of railway hotels.

The raids were carried out at 12 locations in five cities a day after the CBI filed cases against Lalu, his wife Rabri Devi and son and deputy Bihar chief minister Tejashwi, among others.

Read | I-T department slaps benami transaction charges against Lalus family

The CBI is examining possible irregularities in the awarding of contracts to private firms to operate railway hotels, including two BNR hotels in Ranchi and Puri, and whether Lalu and his family benefitted from it.

The CBI alleges that the Indian Railways under Lalu Prasad awarded contracts to run the BNR hotels to a company called Sujata Hotels, which then transferred two acres of prime land in Patna to family members of Lalu through an intermediary company called Delight Marketing. The land changed hands at a rate far below the market price.

Here is a timeline of events leading up to Fridays raids:

18.9.2001: Railway board decides to transfer complete management of catering services, including railway hotels, to IRCTC

9.3.2004: Indian Railways signs memorandum of understanding with IRCTC detailing the modalities of transfer of management of static and mobile catering to IRCTC

May 2004: Lalu Prasad becomes railway minister

Read | From fodder scam to properties: Lalu Prasad and his family are caught in a web of trouble

31.8.2004: Chairman of railway board tells railway board that only catering managed by private contractors pertaining to pantry, refreshment room should be transferred to IRCTC and department catering shall continue to remain with railway at present

30.11.2004: Secretary of railway board informs Yadav about the taking over of existing railway hotels in Ranchi and Puri by IRCTC

25.02.2005: Railways informs IRCTC about the transfer of BNR hotels to IRCTC. The same day land owned by Harsh Kochhar and Vijay Kochhar of Sujatha Hotels sold to Delight Marketing Company for Rs1.47Cr, less than the prevailing market rate

25.08.2005: Secretary of railway board sends to Lalu minutes of the board meeting related to transfer of hotels in Ranchi and Puri

10.7.2006: Director IRCTC moves proposal for development of BNR hotels through Private- Public Partnership

03.11.2006: Advertisement seeking bids from private contractors published

13.11.2006: Director IRCTC amends the eligibility condition. The amendment allows Sujatha Hotels to bid for contract

Read | Benami land deals: Lalus daughter Misa Bharti quizzed by IT officials for 5 hours

15.11.2006: Fresh advertisements issued based on amended eligibility

27.12.2006: Sujata Hotels win contract for the two railways (BNR) hotels in Ranchi and Puri

May 2010 - February 2014: Delight Marketing Company controlled by Sarla Gupta begins gradual transfer of land to Lalus wife Rabri Devi and son Tejashwi

05 July 2017: The CBI files Regular Case

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The lynching of a 45-year-old Muslim trader in Jharkhands Ramgarh last month was not a spur-of-the-moment assault but a well-planned move in which gau rakshaks allegedly followed the man for two hours before attacking him, police said on Friday.

Police said that a Bajrang Dal member, Raj Kumar, first saw trader Alimuddin Ansari purchasing meat at about 7.30am in Chitarpur market of the BJP-ruled states Ramgarh district.

Kumar suspected the meat bought was beef  banned in Jharkhand under a 2005 law  and quickly alerted four-to-five members, Ramgarh deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Virendra Choudhary said.

Kumar then allegedly followed Ansari  who was driving a Maruti Van  for around 15 kilometres and gave constant location updates to 10-12 more members, who gathered at one spot, ready to intercept the Muslim man. Police said they gathered the information by trawling through the mobile phone call records of the accused.

The Bajrang Dal men finally allegedly intercepted Ansari around Bazartand, pulled him out, set fire to the car and lynched him, egged on by a mob of around 100 that had gathered by then.

The investigation so far indicates the accused were in touch with each other between 7.30 am to 9.30 am on the fateful day, Choudhary said. It was a well-planned attack.

At the time of the assault, Ansari was carrying around four sacks of meat that was later confirmed to be cow meat by a forensic laboratory in Ranchi, Ramgarh superintendent of police Kishore Kausal said.

The lynching made national headlines because it came just hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi warned cow vigilantes to not take the law in their own hands, underlining the aura of impunity many of these right-wing Hindu groups function in.

This was also the latest in a string of violence over the cow  considered holy by many Hindus. In April, a Muslim dairy trader was lynched in Rajasthans Alwar. Earlier in June, a Muslim man was thrashed and his house set on fire following rumours of cow slaughter, which is banned in Jharkhand.

By Wednesday, police had taken five among the 12 named accused in the FIR into custody for interrogation.

All the accused Chotu Verma, Santosh Singh, Deepak Mishra, Raj Kumar and Chotu Rana were sent to jail on Thursday. Of the five, four are Bajrang Dal activists, Choudhary said.

In Ranchi on Thursday, hundreds of people from different communities took out a protest rally under the banner of Not In My Name. Students from different colleges, social workers and intellectuals demanded the government to initiate immediate action to stop such crimes.

Every act of communal violence is an attack not only on a particularly community but also on equality, rationality and democracy. When the state itself contributes to such climate, it is important for people to educate, agitate and organiSe on this issue, said economist Jean Dreze.

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A company that won the contract to run railway hotels transferred a parcel of prime land in Patna to a close confidant of Lalu Prasad the same day the railway ministry under him began the leasing of hotels to private firms, the Central Bureau of Investigation has alleged.

HT reviewed the CBIs internal files that said on August 25, 2005, the Railway Board allowed private companies to run railway hotels, including two in Ranchi and Puri.

The same day Sujata Hotels, which eventually won the contract for the BNR hotels in Puri and Ranchi, sold two acres of land cheaply to Delight Marketing Company controlled by Sarala Gupta, the wife of former Union minister of corporate affairs Prem Chand Gupta who is a member of Lalus Rashtriya Janata Dal and a close confidant of his, it said.

The CBI files showed that 10 land deeds were executed by Harsh Kochhar and Vijay Kochhar of Sujata Hotels in favour of Delight Marketing Company which later transferred the plot to family members of Lalu Prasad, including his wife Rabri Devi and son and Bihar deputy chief minister Tejashwi for Rs 62 lakhs.

The CBI said the value of the land was no less than at Rs 90 crore at prevailing market price.

Read | From fodder scam to properties: Lalu Prasad and his family are caught in a web of trouble

Federal agents searched the homes and properties of Lalu and his family on Friday as part of investigations into alleged misconduct in giving out contracts for the railway hotels. The raids were carried out at 12 locations in five cities a day after the CBI filed cases against Lalu, his wife Rabri Devi and son and deputy Bihar chief minister Tejashwi, among others.

A CBI source, citing a noting on a file by the then chairman railway board, that Lalu directly monitored the contract procedure and even tweaked eligibility criteria that allowed Sujata Hotels to bid for the two hotels.

OSD to MR (Minister of Railway, Lalu Yadav) rang up and informed that MR has desired that proposal for budget hotels, including for the one for which advertisement has been given in papers, be withdrawn till the policy in this regard is finalised. Necessary action maybe kindly taken, said the noting on August 26, 2006.

Read | Down maybe, but far from out: What the future holds for Lalu Prasad

CBI sources told HT that 17 bidding forms were issued but only two, including that of Sujata Hotels, were received.

HT could not immediately reach those mentioned in the story as they are currently being investigated by the CBI. Their phones remained unreachable.

Here is a timeline of events leading up to Fridays raids:

September 18, 2001: Railway board decides to transfer complete management of catering services, including railway hotels, to IRCTC

March 3, 2004: Indian Railways signs memorandum of understanding with IRCTC detailing the modalities of transfer of management of static and mobile catering to IRCTC

May 2004: Lalu Prasad becomes railway minister

August 31, 2004: Chairman of railway board tells railway board that only catering managed by private contractors pertaining to pantry, refreshment room should be transferred to IRCTC and department catering shall continue to remain with railway at present

November 30, 2004: Secretary of railway board informs Yadav about the taking over of existing railway hotels in Ranchi and Puri by IRCTC

February 25, 2005: Railways informs IRCTC about the transfer of BNR hotels to IRCTC. The same day land owned by Harsh Kochhar and Vijay Kochhar of Sujata Hotels sold to Delight Marketing Company for Rs1.47Cr, less than the prevailing market rate

August 25, 2005: Secretary of railway board sends to Lalu minutes of the board meeting related to transfer of hotels in Ranchi and Puri

July 10, 2006: Director IRCTC moves proposal for development of BNR hotels through Private- Public Partnership

November 03, 2006: Advertisement seeking bids from private contractors published

November 13, 2006: Director IRCTC amends the eligibility condition. The amendment allows Sujata Hotels to bid for contract

November 15, 2006: Fresh advertisements issued based on amended eligibility

December 27, 2006: Sujata Hotels wins contract for the two railways (BNR) hotels in Ranchi and Puri

May 2010 - February 2014: Delight Marketing Company controlled by Sarla Gupta begins gradual transfer of land to Lalus wife Rabri Devi and son Tejashwi

July 5, 2017: The CBI files Regular Case

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In a late night call on Thursday, Prime Minister Narendra Modis office told Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar that federal agents were about to raid his deputy Tejashwi Prasad Yadav and Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad over an alleged land-for-hotels scandal.

Government officials said Kumar was informed after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which carried out the raids on Friday, told the Prime Ministers Office (PMO) that it feared trouble while searching the homes and properties of Lalu and his son Tejashwi.

The CBI officials in charge of the investigation expressed apprehensions of law and order problem during the raids, (and) hence asked the PMO to inform the Bihar government, said one of the officials with knowledge of the development.

Senior Bihar government officials confirmed the tip off from the PMO, saying they were asked to be ready to tackle any violent protest.

I was told to be on standby yesterday late night. I was not told any reason but was asked to review security arrangements and prepare for crowd control, a top police officer in Bihar told HT.

All the officials spoke on condition of anonymity either because of the sensitivity of the matter or they were not authorised to speak to journalists.

K C Tyagi, Rajya Sabha member and national spokesperson for Nitish Kumar-led Janata Dal (United) or JD (U) denied having any such knowledge.

This is a conspiracy to defame Nitish Kumar. Is the PMO running the CBI for them to know about the raids? The chief minister is unwell and not commenting on this issue, he said.

Nitish Kumar travelled to Rajgir on Thursday afternoon, apparently to recover from a bout of illness. His office gave no reason for his travel.

Kumars political opponents offered two explanations for his staying away from Patna: To avoid meeting the Congress-led opposition presidential candidate Meira Kumar, and possible advance information about the raids on his alliance partners.

In 2015, Nitish Kumars JD (U), the Congress and Kumars long standing bete noire Lalu Prasad cobbled a grand alliance or mahagatbandhan and formed the government in Bihar.

The CBI raid has come at a time when the relationship among the allies has plummeted to the lowest ebb since 2015 state polls.

Cracks in this political experiment, once seen as an alternative to the BJP, came out in the open when Nitish Kumar decided to back BJPs presidential candidate Ram Nath Kovind instead of the combined opposition candidate Meira Kumar, who hails from Bihar.

Kumars party also refused to heed the opposition call for a boycott of the late night parliament event for the launch of the Goods and Service Tax.

Two days ago, Nitish Kumar lashed out at the Congress for failing to bridge differences within the opposition and offer a credible narrative against the BJP.

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Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad attacked the BJP on Friday, terming the Central Bureau of Investigation raids on his house political vendetta by the ruling party and vowing that he wont be cowed down by the probe.

Talking to reporters in Ranchi, Prasad blamed the BJP and RSS for intimidating him and his family in false cases, hours after the CBI raided his residence in connection with an alleged land-for-hotels scandal.

The BJP is wary of me. It wants to put me and my family in jail before the 2019 parliamentary pollsLalu will prefer dying that succumbing to such pressures, he told a large gathering of reporters. He was in Ranchi to appear before a special CBI court in connection with a fodder scam case.

I am not the one to be cowed down.

The CBI raided 12 places across the country, including his Patna home, over alleged irregularities in awarding of tenders for hotel maintenance when the RJD chief was the railways minister.

The raids began simultaneously in Delhi, Gurgaon, Puri, Ranchi and Patna at around 5.45 am on Friday when Prasad was in Ranchi to appear at a CBI court.

I do not blame the CBI sleuths. They are acting on the direction of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP president Amit Shah and RSS. It was unfair to raid my house in my absence. Still I have advised my family members to cooperate with the CBI officials and ensure their exit smoothly under our police protection, Prasad said.

Cases have been registered against Prasad, his wife Rabri Devi and their son Tejashwi, who is the deputy chief minister of Bihar, CBI sources said.

The CBI is examining irregularities in awarding tenders to private firms for operating railway hotels located close to stations. Among the places being raided were a few farm houses and two hotels, including the popular Chanakya BNR Hotel in Ranchi.

These raids come weeks after income-tax department searched locations in New Delhi and adjoining areas in connection with corruption charges against Prasads daughter Misa Bharti and her husband Shailesh Kumar, who were also questioned.

Tejashwi and his elder brother Tej Pratap, who is the Bihar health minister, are also battling charges of corruption.

Prasad is being tried in the fodder scandal. He had to step down as a member of Parliament and was barred from electoral politics for at least six years on being found guilty in one of the cases in 2013.

The RJD chief said he has no idea how and when a fresh case has been filed against him. The entire operation to implicate me was planned and executed so covertly that even my media friends didnt get a feel of it. How was a search warrant procured so quickly, he wondered.

As he spoke, he took out a chit from his pocket to counter the CBI charges in the alleged railway hotel contract scam. He said the allotment of the railway rest houses to private firms was carried out by an autonomous body, IRCTC, which was formed in 1999 and became operational in 2002.

Prasad said he assumed charge of the railway ministry on May 31 2004. Two years later, IRCTC floated an open tender to lease out these properties for a period of 15 years for their development and proper upkeep. You may find out, no IRCTC files come to the railway ministry for approval, he stressed.

Prasad reminded that during his tenure, Indian railways became a profitable entity from a loss making sector and the success story became a subject for study at various national and international institutions including Harvard and IIM Ahmedabad.

I never indulged in any corrupt practices during my tenure though there were opportunities for me to make big money.

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The CBI on Friday swooped in on RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, raiding 12 locations associated with him across the country, including his Patna home, over alleged irregularities in awarding of tenders for hotel maintenance in 2006 when the Rashtriya Janata Dal chief was the railways minister.

Police officials arrive at Lalu Prasads residence in Patna as the CBI conducts simultaneous raids across 12 locations associated with Yadav and his family. (AP Dube/HT Photo)

The simultaneous raids in Bihars capital Patna, Delhi, Gurgaon in Haryana, Puri in Odisha, and Ranchi in Jharkhand began at around 7:30am.

Police officials cordon off the entrance to Lalu Prasads residence in Patna while the CBI conducts raids, on July 7, 2017 (AP Dube/HT Photo)

The case has been registered against Prasad, his wife Rabri Devi and their son Tejashwi, who is the deputy chief minister of Bihar, CBI sources said. The then Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation managing director PK Goyal and the wife of Prasads confidante Prem Chand Gupta, Sujata, are among the other accused. Gupta is a former union corporate affairs minister.

RJD members and supporters gather outside Lalu Prasad Yadavs Patna residence as word breaks of a CBI raid at the premises. (AP Dube/HT Photo)

A view of Lalu Prasad Yadavs Farm House Sarla Villa in Shakuntla Farms, also raided by CBI early morning on July 7, 2017 in New Delhi. (Vipin Kumar / HT Photo)

The RJD chief was not at his home when a CBI team reached his residence at 10, Circular Road in Patna. He is in Ranchi to appear in a CBI court in the fodder scandal that involves large-scale embezzlement of government funds.

Rakesh Asthana, additional Director CBI addresses a press conference as the CBI registers a case against Lalu Prasad Yadav, his wife and son on July 7, 2017 in New Delhi. (Arun Sharma / HT Photo)

The CBI team conducting the raids across multiple cities is so far mum over their investigations. (AP Dube/HT Photo)

The CBI is examining tenders awarded to private firms for operating railway hotels close to stations. Among the places raided are a few farm houses and two hotels, including Ranchis Chanakya BNR hotel.

The raid, said to be an operation conducted by the Delhi team of the investigating agency has CBI and police tight-lipped over the searches.
Jammu and Kashmir finance minister Haseeb Drabu made two rather unusual requests to Speaker of the Assembly Kavinder Gupta on Friday.

He sought separate directions to two opposition MLAs  one to salute him from the Well of the House and other to resign as a legislator.

He claimed that National Conference MLA Devender Rana, while participating in the discussion on the Goods and Services Tax resolution, had said he would salute him from the Well if the constitutional safeguards were included in the preamble of the presidential order on the implementation of the GST in Jammu and Kashmir.

A direction may be given that he (Rana) salutes me whenever the next session takes place as he is not present in the House today (Friday), Drabu said, prompting everyone present, including media and those at the visitors gallery, to burst into laughter.

Referring to Congress legislator GM Sarooris remark that if the safeguards were included in the presidential order on GST, he would put in his papers, the minister said a direction should now be issued to the opposition MLA asking him to resign as the condition set by him was fulfilled.
BJP Kerala unit president Kummanom Rajasekharan on Friday asked the government to order a crime branch probe into the death of a Yuva Morcha leader due to burn injuries.

Yuva Morcha Palakkad district secretary Sajin Raj (30) died of burn injures at the Medical College hospital here on Thursday.

He was found laying with severe burn injuries near a car on road at Palamoodu near Attingal police station near here early morning and succumbed to the injuries later in the day at the hospital.

Stating that there was mystery in the death of the leader, Rajasekharan said a special team of crime branch should probe the incident.

Quoting relatives and friends of the deceased, the BJP leader said there was no reason for Raj to commit suicide and also there was no personal or financial issues that worries the deceased.

Relatives have complaint that police was attempting to treat the case as a matter of suicide.

Police should come to a conclusion only after a detail probe, he said.
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A few days after the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen militant Burhan Wani on July 8 last year, a video surfaced on social media showing Wani and an accomplice tapping their rifles and humming a Kashmiri folk song playing in the background. The lyrics of the song in the video went: You will miss me, o mother, when I will be buried under the earth...

That video touched a chord with many in Kashmir where militants enjoy wide public support. Any Kashmiri will cry, the video touches you, a 40-year-old woman from old Srinagar said.

Viral videos that capture militants at play and leisure, shocking videos of alleged rights excesses committed by security forces on Kashmiri civilians, the alleged use of instant messaging platforms to mobilise stone pelters and recruit foot soldiers for militants and the frequent gags on internet are bringing a paradigm shift in the narrative of the Valleys conflict. But the government seems to be losing the online war, with the militants and separatists seemingly always a step ahead. The week-long protest calendar by separatists to mark Wanis first death anniversary calls for a Kashmir Awareness campaign on social media.

The PDP-BJP government is the most unpopular government Kashmir has seen in the last decade. So even if the government tries to reach out to people through social media, it wont make much of a difference for its public relations because I think it will face similar kind of criticism on social media to the one it faces on ground, says Irfan Mehraj, an activist with the Jammu Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society (JKCCS) and editor of e-magazine Wande.

Militants are no longer faceless. They wear military fatigues, strap ammunition across their chests and smile at you from forests. Given how successfully Wani struck a chord with people through social media and attracted youngsters, newer militants are trying out the same.

Read | Kashmirs disturbing new reality

Police sources say although they check and analyse all latest militant videos, they are not dependant on them for gathering information on insurgents who are already profiled by police intelligence. But Kashmir watchers, like senior journalist and former Kashmir bureau chief of Reuters Sheikh Mushtaq, point out that militant videos play a huge role in humanising the insurgents to the common population and putting forward their viewpoint. You see them and get to know them through these videos. They penetrate your computers and mobile phones. This is quite different from the militancy of the 1990s, when there were no such technologies.

Stone-pelting protesters now shoot videos of clashes and upload them onto social media almost in real time. Many such videos were shared widely after a clash near an encounter site in Kulgam in February. With commentary on how forces were allegedly shooting at protesters and killing Kashmiris, the videos captured disturbing visuals from the clashes.

Director general of state police, SP Vaid, says police is successfully putting a check on all sorts of militancy propaganda on social media.

Videos capturing atrocities and human rights violations of Kashmiris have dominated the narrative this year and proved to be a major headache for the administration.

In April, a video emerged of a group of Kashmiri youth heckling CRPF jawans returning from duty on the day of Srinagar bypolls on April 9 and resulted in a national outrage. What followed, however, was a torrent of videos showing security forces committing atrocities and human rights excesses on civilians, including using a human shield by the army and the targeted shooting of a teenage stone pelter on the day of the bypoll.

Read | Facts, allegations: Tracking Major Gogois human shield story

Army Major Leetul Gogoi tied Kashmiri shawl weaver, Farooq Dar, to the bonnet of a jeep as a human shield and drove him around for five hours across 17 villages over 28km on April 9. A video of the act, which surfaced a few days later and was shared by many. including former chief minister Omar Abdullah. had put the spotlight on the now infamous act. Soon after these videos went viral, the administration on April 17 snapped high-speed mobile internet services and on April 26, banned 22 social media sites, including Facebook, Twitter and

WhatsApp, for a month.

Internet gags check violence or curb dissent?

The security establishment tries to keep pace through its cyber cells but the governments main response is to snap mobile internet services, like it did after Wani was killed. Post-paid mobile internet services were restored in mid-November, while pre-paid services were restored on January 30 this year  making the blackout period the longest in Kashmir till now.

The blackout did not stop youth from mobilising in large number and organising stone pelting protests. The unrest that began after Wanis death left over 90 people dead last year. The idea that without internet there would be no street protests was also debunked when both broadband and mobile internet services were snapped across Kashmir for the bypolls in Srinagar constituency  eight civilian protesters were gunned down by forces that day. Senior police officers, however, argue that with functioning internet, the scale of violence would have been higher.

The suspension of 3G and 4G services in April was to curb the uploading of multimedia content that could provoke violence, while letting users access the basic minimum internet on their phones.

Read | Secret browsers, encrypted messages: How Kashmiris are dodging social media gag

Similarly, the April 26 order by state home secretary RK Goyal to ban 22 sites said the step was taken because the government felt that continued misuse of social networking sites and instant messaging services is likely to be detrimental to the interests of peace and tranquility in the state. The social media ban turned out to be a colossal failure. Most Kashmiri users switched on to Virtual Private Network (VPN) apps to overcome the ban and what came as a real surprise was that the Whos Who of Kashmir were all leading a busy social media life throughout the ban.

This year, internet services were completely or partially snapped at least seven times in Kashmir. But activists say the administration is clueless about how to control the space, which is being increasingly used for dissent, and hence gags it.

Kashmiris chose dissent online, because the offline real world democracy wasnt working. Even then they were pushed to the wall. The ban on social media was the peaking of an authoritarian state that cant tolerate dissent. The state has lost both the battles offline and online. Now its just brutalisation that works in reality and virtually, says Srinagar-based blogger Muhammad Faysal, who has over 15,000 followers on Twitter.

According to data since 2012 provided by internet shutdowns.in, a project by the Software Freedom Law Centre (SFLC), Jammu and Kashmir has recorded 35 instances of complete or partial internet shutdowns, the highest among states.

Govt talks only of developmental work

CM Mehbooba Mufti has a verified Twitter account with around 21,000 followers, but is yet to write her first tweet. On the other hand, the leader of opposition, former CM Omar Abdullah, is a Twitter star with 1.88 million followers and a tweet on almost every topic relevant to Kashmiris.

The PDPs official Twitter handle is mostly focused on promoting the developmental work of the government. Mehboobas verified Facebook page is a collection of videos of her public appearances and short press statements.

The ruling dispensations engagement on social media is mostly related to sharing news about development work and success stories. Thats their mandate. They do not go beyond that. If they express anguish over civilian killings or injuries, they will face tough questions by social media users, said Moazum Mohammad, a journalist with English daily Kashmir Reader.

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A Centre-appointed panel has suggested more than 200 new schools and 25 colleges as a part of an exercise to overhaul the education system for minorities.

The panels report, submitted on Thursday to the minority affairs ministry, has suggested that the new schools should follow the CBSE syllabus even as students may be allowed to attend Madrasas for religious teachings.

As per 2011 Census, literacy rate of Muslims stand at 68.53, the lowest among all minority communities and less than the national average of 72.98%. While the community is grappling with low rate of literacy, there are also concern over the poor quality of education, keeping the largest minority community at an double disadvantage.

The panel, headed by former parliamentary affairs secretary Afzal Amanullah, has also suggested that five national institutes in fields like science and technology, health sciences and architecture to be set up for research and specialised education. All institutes would provide co-education as the government is keen to improve the abysmally low literacy rate among Muslim women, said Amanullah.

We have not said only minority students will be allowed to study in these institutes. But we want these institutes to come in minority-dominated areas so that the local boys and girls have an advantage, Amanullah told HT.

The panel has identified places like Anantnag, Darbhanga where the new schools can be set up. Altogether, 211 schools have been proposed in which students will be taught free of cost.

With an eye on skill development of the minorities, the panel has also proposed that the colleges will have constant dialogue with offices of Skill Corporation of India so that they remain updated of the requirements of the workforces for the local economy.

Amanullah claimed that while the Muslims are in dire need of modern education, the panel has not just focused on them, but looked at the needs of other minority communities as well. We have focused on imparting secular education. But if anyone wants to pursue theological studies, we have said that students can go to madrasas before the school hours.

The minority affairs ministry constituted an 11 member committee to recommend modalities to facilitate the educational development of the minorities.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday met his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Hamburg.

The two leaders last met at the annual bilateral summit in Japan in November last year.

Japan is Indias largest bilateral donor. Japanese Overseas Development Agency (ODA) supports Indias efforts for accelerated economic development, particularly in priority areas like power, transportation, environmental projects and projects related to basic human needs.

The Ahmedabad-Mumbai High Speed Rail, the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor, the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor with 12 new industrial townships, and the Chennai-Bengaluru Industrial Corridor are all mega projects on the anvil.
India said on Thursday that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold meetings with leaders of countries like Canada, Japan, and the UK on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Hamburg but ruled out any scheduled bilateral meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

The Prime Minister is visiting Hamburg from July 6-8 for G-20 Summit. His pre-planned bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the Summit are with Argentina, Canada, Italy, Japan, Mexico, ROK (Republic of Korea), the UK and Vietnam, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Gopal Baglay said when asked about Prime Minister Modis schedule in Hamburg.

In addition, he will also participate in the BRICS Leaders meeting. There is no change in the Prime Ministers schedule, he said, suggesting that there was no scheduled bilateral meeting between Modi and Xi.

Comments by Baglay, who is accompanying Modi on his overseas trip, came after Chinese Foreign Ministry officials also ruled out the possibility of a Xi-Modi meet.

China and India have been engaged in a standoff in the Dokalam area near the Bhutan tri-junction for past 19 days after a Chinese Armys construction party attempted to build a road.

Fighting terrorism, climate change and global trade will be at the core when Prime Minister Modi and leaders from the worlds other top economies assemble for a two-day G20 Summit beginning on Friday.
Flooding has virtually paralysed a Manipur hospital that had been rights activist Irom Sharmilas jail for almost 16 years.

The Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences (JNIMS) in Imphal has weathered adversities such as periodic highway blockades causing shortage of medicines, militancy and counter-terrorism.

But the hospital had no insulation against floodwater that submerged much of low-lying Porompat, the Imphal locality where the 28-year-old JNIMS is situated, on Wednesday.

Except for emergency service, all kinds of routine operations have been suspended as our laundry area is flooded. But our doctors, nurses and subordinate staff are trying their best to serve patients, said L Ranbir Singh, JNIMS superintendent.

Much of the hospital complex is less than a feet over the water level. But officials fear the worst if it rains harder.

The JNIMS has often played second fiddle to the central-sector Regional Institute of Medical Sciences in Lamphelpat area. But JNIMS began to steal the limelight after a special ward was turned into Sharmilas detention centre. She was released on August 9 last year after she ended her fast against the controversial Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act of 1958.

Rain-ravaged state

Many parts of greater Imphal area are inundated for five days now. Many offices are under at least knee-deep water.

State disaster management officials said Manipur is witnessing flash floods after the embankments of major rivers breached at several points due to heavy rainfall since Cyclone Mora hit the Northeast in May.

The impact of the first wave of flood in May has been less severe than the second wave from the second week of June.

The BJP-led state government has declared the disaster a state calamity. The situation is grim to say the least, chief secretary O Nabakishore said.

Agriculture officials said 20% of the states cultivable area was under water. We have requested the Centre to declare it (flood and landslides) as a calamity of a severe nature and focus attention accordingly,said chief minister N Biren.

Floods and landslides have killed 24 people in Assam since April, including 3 on Thursday.

Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram too have suffered due to incessant rainfall causing flash floods and landslides, cutting off many areas.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping briefly discussed a range of issues during an informal gathering of BRICS leaders in Hamburg on Friday, raising hopes of a resolution to the three-week-old standoff between Indian and Chinese troops in the Sikkim sector.

Addressing the gathering before the interaction, Xi also called on BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) countries to push for peaceful settlement of regional conflicts and disputes, Chinese state media reported.

External affairs ministry spokesperson Gopal Baglay tweeted a photo of the two leaders smiling and shaking hands. He said Modi and Xi had a conversation on a range of issues.

But there was no indication whether the two leaders specifically discussed the border dispute that has roiled bilateral relations. According to sources, the conversation lasted about five minutes.

The interaction, held against the backdrop of the tense standoff between Indian and Chinese forces, came a day after China ruled out a formal bilateral meeting between the two leaders in Hamburg, with officials saying the atmosphere is not right.

Indian officials had responded by saying no formal meeting had been planned.

The BRICS leaders met on the margins of the G20 Summit. During the meeting, Modi and Xi praised the roles played by each others country in the international arena.

Modi appreciated momentum in BRICS under the chairmanship of President Xi and extended full cooperation and best wishes for the BRICS Xiamen Summit, according to a statement from the external affairs ministry.

Concluding the meeting immediately after Modis remarks, Xi appreciated Indias strong resolve against terrorism and the momentum in BRICS introduced under Indias chairmanship and through the outcomes of the Goa Summit in 2016.

Xi also appreciated Indias success in economic and social development and wished India even bigger success.

Ahead of the meeting of BRICS leaders, however, China kept up the pressure on India over the standoff at Donglang, which began on June 16 when Indian troops opposed the construction of a road by Chinese forces in an area claimed by Bhutan.

India has ulterior motives in claiming the entire Doklam or Donglang region as part of the tri-junction with Bhutan, and New Delhis stance goes against its acceptance of a British-era convention on national boundaries in the area, foreign ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang told a news briefing.

The so-called tri-junction point, as its name implies, is a point instead of a line or area. The 1890 convention between Great Britain and China relating to Tibet and Sikkim (shows that the point) commences at Mount Gipmochi in the east and follows the water-parting until it meets Nepal, Geng said.

Noting that successive Indian governments had recognised the 1890 convention, Geng contended that the illegal trespass by Indian troops had occurred at a point 2,000 metres from Mount Gipmochi and had nothing to do with tri-junction point.

In disregard of the boundary convention, the Indian side takes entire Doklam region as part of tri-junction...The Indian side introduced idea of tri-junction point into the incident and attempts to enlarge the point into an area. That is absurd and out of ulterior motives, he said.

Soon after Modi and Xi interacted at the BRICS meet, state-run Xinhua news agency said in a commentary that India should immediately pull back its trespassing troops as a precondition for any meaningful dialogue between the two sides.

It is not acceptable to any sovereign country that India has crossed a demarcated border into another country on the grounds of its security concerns, said the commentary headlined Immediate withdrawal is only wise move for India.

India has no right to interfere in China-Bhutan boundary issues and is not entitled to make territorial claims on behalf of Bhutan. Indias argument that the Chinese construction would represent a significant change of status quo with serious security implications is unconvincing, the commentary added.
The Supreme Court on Friday put on hold an Uttarakhand high court decision declaring the river Ganga a living entity that bestowed on it same legal rights as a person.

The state government had in June challenged the decision in the Supreme Court, saying it be relieved of the duty of being the legal guardian of the holiest Hindu river, which is also one of the dirtiest in world.

While declaring Ganga and Yamuna rivers living entities, the high court declared director general of Namami Gange project, Uttarakhand chief secretary and advocate general the right to represent the Ganga, which is choking on toxic industrial waste and untreated sewage that have reduced it to a dirty trickle at several places.

Reverentially referred to as Maa Ganga (Mother Ganga) for the water it provides to millions and fertile plains it feeds, the 2,500km river originates from Gangotri in Uttarakhand and criss-crosses several states before emptying into the Bay of Bengal.

The state government said the verdict was unsustainable in the law and had various legal repercussions.

The plea asked that in case of human casualties in a flood, can the affected people file suit for damages against the chief secretary and whether the state government would be liable to such financial burden.

The high court erred in not considering Ganga an inter-state river. The high court went beyond its jurisdiction in passing the verdict, as no plea was made for declaring the rivers as a living entity. The petitioner had only asked the high court to remove encroachments.

The Supreme Court also issued a notice to the person on whose plea the high court gave its order.

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Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi on Friday questioned the government over the stand-off with China in the Doklam area in Sikkim sector and questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modis silence on the issue.

Why is our Prime Minister silent on China? Gandhi tweeted.

Why is our Prime Minister silent on China?  Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) 7 July 2017

Gandhis tweet came after Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping came face to face at the BRICS leaders meeting at Hamburg in Germany. There is no bilateral meeting scheduled between the two leaders.

The genesis of the feud between the countries lies in Doklam at the tri-junction of India, Bhutan and China.

Beijing and Thimpu both claim Doklam, where the Chinese were stopped by the Indian Army from building a road.

New Delhis objection to the road in Doklam, a strategic point near Indias crucial Siliguri corridor, is due to the pending ownership of the place.

Beijing calls the road construction just, saying Doklam belongs to China.

The Congress earlier this week said the government had been caught napping on the situation on the border with China and there had been a large number of incursions.
A wildlife photographer from Bengaluru has for the first time sighted a rare pale skinned tiger in the Nilgiris in Tamil Nadu, where he was on a visit last week.

The sighting of the tiger has sparked interest among conservationists and wildlife enthusiasts, because this is said to be a normal tiger and not a white tiger.

Nilanjan Ray, a wildlife photographer from Bengaluru, spotted the tiger in the Niligiris Biosphere Reserve last week.

Speaking to HT, Ray, an alumnus of the Indian Institute of Management-Calcutta, said it was a very serendipitous sighting. "I was travelling in the reserve with a forest guard, when this tiger leaped on to a hillside and hid in some undergrowth, likely startled by noise of the vehicle," he said.

Read more | With increase in numbers, tigers fight it out for space in Ranthambore reserve

For a while, Ray said, there was a game between them and the tiger. "Every few minutes we would see it lift its head from the undergrowth for a few seconds," Ray said.

Ray's attempts to capture photographs, though, were unsuccessful, until another tiger joined it. "It was then that I was able to click a few photographs," Ray said.

However, Ray, feeling heady from the sighting, was not prepared to the reaction he got when he posted the pictures on social media. "Many people said this was a fake and there was a general hue and cry," he said.

"So, I decided to send the photos to the Parvish Pandya, a zoologist who consults for the wildlife magazine Sanctuary Asia, and Belinda Wright, a renowned conservationist and film-maker, to review the photographs," Ray said.

Pandya told Ray that this pale skin was called colour morphism, which is the result of genetic variation. Meanwhile, Wright told him that she had seen a similar tiger in Ranthambore in the 1980s, but this tiger was even paler.

Read more | Finding a new home: Tigers from highly-congested Corbett park to be relocated

"This was not a white or albino tiger, which, Wright said, are only available in zoos and bred there," Ray said.

A senior forest official told HT, that Ray had informed the department and they had seen the photos. "The tiger looks like a sub-adult. But do not know the sex of either tiger," the official said.

The official said camera traps would be set up in the area to track the tiger. "While we know the location where the tiger was spotted, we cannot reveal it because this could endanger the tiger," the official added.

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Constable Sohan Singh, who played an important role in gunning down gangster Anandpal Singh and had sustained bullet injury was Friday airlifted to Medanta Hospital in Gurgaon.

Doctors at SMS Hospital in Jaipur, where the Rajasthan Polices emergency response team (ERT) commando was undergoing treatment, said Singh developed an infection that was unresponsive to medicines.

Health minister Kali Charan Saraf said the decision to shift Singh to Gurgaon was taken following chief minister Vasundhara Rajes directions.

SMS Hospitals superintendent Dr DS Meena said the police commando was brought to hospital on June 25, a day after the late night encounter, with bullet injury in his spinal cord. He later developed an infection in the lungs. The infection is not fatal but a medical board formed to monitor his treatment decided to send him to a better health facility, Meena said.

The superintendent said the infection was resistant to treatment.

After the decision to shift him out of SMS Hospital was taken, state government coordinated with the Union health ministry and sought an air ambulance to take Singh to Gurgaon.

Home secretary Deepak Upreti, director general of police Manoj Bhatt, additional DG of armed battalions OP Galhotra, Jaipur police commissioner Sanjay Agarwal and top officers of the special operations group (SOG), including inspector general MN Dinesh, were present at the SMS Hospital to ensure smooth movement of the commando to Jaipur airport.

We created a green corridor and took him to the airport in just seven minutes, said police commissioner Agarwal.

The air ambulance with Singh on board took off from Jaipur around 5.30 pm.

SMS Hospital administration said Dr Dhananjay Agarwal, who was taking care of the commando, accompanied him to Gurgaon. The medical records were emailed to Medanta even before the air ambulance arrived, said an officer.

The commando looked stable when he was wheeled out of SMS Hospital. He also removed the oxygen mask once and gestured to people surrounding him. Some members of his family were also present.

The Rajasthan police and people of the state are praying for him to get well soon. Im sure he will be back with us soon, said Umesh Mishra, additional DG of SOG.

Prayer meetings are being held at police lines across the state for Singhs speedy recovery.
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Battling an everyday struggle due to the acute shortage of water in their district, young men in Bharatpur now face a new strain they dont quite know how to handle. As the neighbouring Haryana sits on Rajasthans repeated pleas for release of water from Yamuna river, villagers, especially the unmarried lot, in at least two blocks  Deeg and Nagar  in Bharatpur have moved a new request before the central and state governments: help us get married.

A group of men rallied its way through various intersections in the city on Friday to submit a memorandum, via Divisional Commissioner Suvir Kumar (Bharatpur range), to both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje, pointing out their unusual quandary of being turned down as marriage prospects by families in nearby villages and bordering states owing to the lack of water in their region. The official confirmed receiving the memorandum, and said it will be forwarded to the senior officials.

Already, hundreds of farmers have been sitting on a dharna for the past six days in the districts Jondela village demanding release of Yamuna water through the Gurgaon canal. As per the water-sharing pact signed by five states  Haryana, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan  on May 12, 1994, the Central Water Commission had sanctioned 1,281 cusecs of Yamuna water to Bharatpur but Haryana has refused to follow the directive.

Bharatpur currently receives 500 cusecs through the Gurgaon canal in Haryana and 300 cusecs through Agra canal in Uttar Pradesh.

The central government, so far, has not intervened in the matter despite CM Raje urging the Haryana government and the Union water resources minister Uma Bharti to release the water to Bharatpur, even shooting off threats of blocking development works related to the neighbouring state.

While the two states wrangle over the sharing of the natural resource, the men in Bharatpur are losing sleep as age catches up with them and they continue to wait for families willing to marry off their daughters in this parched region.

Dharamvir Singh, a native of Mavai village, said families from Agra, Mathura, Hathras, Aligarh and Govardhan in Uttar Pradesh have married off their daughters to the youths of Bharatpur in the past but are now ignoring the proposals citing lack of water.

We live barely 35 km from Yamuna and 100 km from Ganga, Singh points to the irony while expressing his anguish over the scarcity of what is a basic necessity.
At first glance, Basirhat is at peace. Shops have reopened in many places, and fear doesnt seem to stalk people on the streets anymore.

But scratch the surface of this picture, and one can see a strong undercurrent of communal tension thats still capable of blowing up in the face of a wary Bengal government. In fact, police personnel barely managed to avert a number of communal clashes on Friday.

While life returned to normal in places like Swarupnagar, Taki and Baduria, the mood remained tense at Sardarati, College Para and Chapapukur Road. All political parties were kept at bay, with police preventing members of the BJP, CPI(M) and the Congress from visiting restive areas. While a 20-member BJP team was arrested at Michaelnagar, about 50 km from Basirhat, a contingent of Left leaders  led by Lok Sabha MP Md Salim  was intercepted 40 km away at Ashoknagar. Among the arrested people was actor-turned-BJP MP Roopa Ganguly.

Tension mounted on Chapapukur Road when some youngsters from the minority community ventured into a Hindu-dominated neighbourhood. Police resorted to caning and bursting tear gas canisters to disperse the crowd.

Some residents of the area were miffed that chief minister Mamata Banerjee hadnt visited them yet. We have been under siege for the last five days. I remember how Mamata used to rush to various places at the drop of a hat. Why isnt she coming here to take a first-hand look at our situation then? asked Ruma Pal, a homemaker.

Several teams of police and BSF personnel, led by five IPS officers, were stationed in the area.

The authorities erected barricades at Trimohini junction to separate two zones dominated by Hindus and Muslims. Warring members of the two communities gathered at Sardarati and College Para around 4 pm, giving the authorities a few anxious moments. Luckily, things settled down after an hour, said Pintu Hati, a resident of Harishpur.

Nasim Akhtar, the Basirhat police station in-charge, was transferred the same evening.

BJP state president Dilip Ghosh said he would present the governor with a memorandum demanding the dismissal of the Mamata Banerjee government in favour of Presidents rule on Saturday. The party will organise a protest rally in Kolkata that afternoon.

As local residents have been venting their frustration at the ruling party since Thursday afternoon, Trinamool Congress offices were found to be either locked or vandalised in areas such as Bibipur, Harishpur, Bhyabla and Bodhotola. All ruling party leaders seem to have left Basirhat. None of them can be seen, said Somnath Chatterjee, a resident.

Chatterjee resides near the house of Kartik Ghosh, the only person to have been killed in the violence that broke out over a Facebook post on Sunday. Ghosh was attacked with sharp weapons while he was returning home by motorcycle on Wednesday afternoon.

The residence of Tapas Sarkar, chairman of the Basirhat municipality, was attacked in Bodhotola. Basirhat Choumatha vice-chairman Sudeb Saha also got a taste of mob fury after miscreants stoned his house. Neither Sarkar nor Saha were seen in the area ever since.

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At least five persons died and six others took critically ill allegedly after consuming poisonous liquor in Azamgarhs Raunapur area late on Thursday night.

The critically ill persons have been admitted to district hospital, said excise officials.

Locals informed us that around 15 persons have consumed country made liquor on Thursday evening and all of them complained of headache and stomachache after some time, District excise officer Sudarshan Singh told HT.

Their kin rushed them to the government hospital where five persons died in the wee hours of Friday.

They have been identified as Charitra, Ramvriksh, Shivkumar, Shyam Preet and Ramnarayan.

The victims are from Kewatahia and Salempur-Raulpur villages of the area. Those in hospital are under observation.

Read more: Four police constables arrested for consuming liquor in dry Bihar

The exact cause of death would be clear from the post mortem report, district excise officer said.

Prima facie it appeared that the liquor they consumed was poisonous and prepared locally. He said the drive to destroy liquor dens in the villages has been launched.
Chief minister Yogi Adityanath has directed district magistrates and district police chiefs to dispose of public complaints lodged till June 30, by July 31. The CM set the deadline after holding a videoconference to review disposal of public complaints by officials in districts on Thursday.

Yogi also interacted with complainants during the review meeting--a first for any UP chief minister. In nearly 3 hours, the CM checked status of around 67 public grievances. Such review meetings will now become a monthly affair with the CM indicating that he will conduct such status checks at a days notice.

I am not asking for the moon. I am only asking you to ensure that such complaints like ones relating to land grabbing by land sharks and non registration of FIRs. These can easily be settled at the place of their origin. But if people from far-off places are travelling to the state capital to get such complaints redressed, it reflects poorly on the system, the CM said at the meeting.

My government believes in apki sarkar, apke dwaar (your government at your doorstep), he said. The review meeting wasnt open to the media but sources said that the CM singled out those district magistrates and district police chiefs whose performance in disposing of public grievances was ranked lowest.

The DMs whom Yogi spoke to were from Azamgarh, Varanasi, Lucknow, Allahabad, Pratapgarh, Sitapur, Hardoi, Barabanki, Sultanpur and Gautam Budh Nagar. The SSPs with whom he interacted were from Lucknow, Sitapur, Hardoi, Varanasi, Allahabad, Mirzapur, Gorakhpur, Kanpur (city), Unnao and Pratapgarh.

After the interaction, the CM ordered that all top bureaucrats--from the chief secretary and the director general of police in the state and the DMs and SSPs in districts  will be accountable for timely disposal of public grievances.

While the DMs and SSPs have been tasked with holding regular review meetings at district level while commissioners and inspector general of police will review complaint disposal status at divisional level followed by a monthly overall state level review at the level of the chief secretary and the DGP.

After the disposal, the officials at each level will also be required to submit a completion certificate to their superiors. A core team should be formed at each level to ensure that complaints are settled at the place of their origin so that complainants dont have to travel to the state capital for the purpose, the CM said. He also directed the DMs to carry out a drive to ensure that poor get ration cards and access to free or subsidised food.

Hunger deaths are a blot on the system. We will hold the DMs and district food supply officers accountable for hunger deaths. I would like to see DMs and SSPs working as a team in the districts, he said.

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In the second such incident in past two days, a teenage girl was molested and assaulted by an auto driver at Thane.

On Friday morning, the 19-year-old girl, a resident of Thane rural, came to Thane as she works in private firm there. " The victim and her friend hailed a rickshaw. An unknown man also sat in rickshaw with them" said a police officer from Thane nagar police station.

As the auto driver headed towards Khopat, she noticed the driver, Mahendra Arun Pitale,49, was going the wrong way. When she asked him to stop, an argument ensued between them, and Pitale turned around and slapped the girl. The victim then got down from the rickshaw and started shouting at him. Pitale the assaulted her and touched her inappropriately ," added officer.

When people nearby witnessed the incident, they beat up Pitale and handed him over to the police.

The police at Thane nagar station are in the process of registering a case against Pitale.

On Wednesday, a 20-year-old college student was returning home , when the a 27-year-old autorickshaw driver, identified as Sikandar Nisar Shaikh, made an obscene gesture at her near Alok hotel at Thane station. The auto driver was later arrested.

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Accidental Prime Minister, a much talked about movie on former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh based on a book written by his media advisor Sanjaya Baru, is now in the news for all the wrong reasons.

The Opposition parties in Maharashtra have alleged the money from Rs328-crore sugar factory scam was diverted to make this movie.

Vijay Gutte, the son of main accused in the scam, who has produced movies namely Badmashiyaan and Emotional Atyachar, is directing the movie.

The scam It was alleged that Gangakhed Sugar and Energy Private Limited, a sugar mill owned by Ratnakar Gutte and others, used names of 2,298 farmers from the village in Parbhani district, some of whom were dead, to apply for loans worth Rs328 crore from six banks including five nationalised and one private one. The police started to probe the allegations after a Bombay high court order The matter came to light after some farmers approached the UCO Bank in Gangakhed, Parbhani district for crop loan Gutte said,There is no connection between the allegations made against me and the movie. My son is an independent person and I dont get involved in his professional work as I have no knowledge of film-making. He clarified the allegations against him are false and he is ready to cooperate with the investigators. The charges of loans disbursed in the name of farmers diverted to a sugar mill are superficial in nature, Gutte said.

Barus book gave a detailed account of the tenure of Dr Manmohan Singh in his first term as PM. It had sparked a controversy when it was published ahead of the 2014 general elections.

It was alleged that Gangakhed Sugar and Energy Private Limited, a sugar mill owned by Ratnakar Gutte and others, used names of 2,298 farmers from the village in Parbhani district, some of whom were dead, to apply for loans worth Rs328 crore from six banks including five nationalised and one private one. The police started to probe the allegations after a Bombay high court order.

Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant said this shows the link between the film makers and the BJP, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). There have been deliberate attempts to malign our partys image. After the BJP came to power, there has been a rise in such attempts, Sawant told HT. Considering this, I have doubts whether the matter will be seriously investigated and the culprit of such a serious crime will be punished, he said.

Sharad Pawar-led NCP too believes that BJP is also involved in the matter and the enforcement directorate should take up the probe. Nawab Malik, partys spokesperson, said, We suspect many ruling party members are involved in the scam, which cannot be done without backing of those who are in power. The police should immediately arrest the accused and the case should be handed over to ED for investigation.

Ratnakar Gutte, also leader of BJP ally Rashtriya Samaj Paksha (RSP), refuted the allegations saying his son is an independent person and the charges are politically motivated.

BJP spokesperson Madhav Bhandari said Gutte has no relation with his party and he was originally from the NCP.

The allegations are far from fact. He [Ratnakar Gutte] is not related to the BJP in any way. Moreover, he is a former NCP politician and was close to Ajit Pawar, former deputy chief minister and energy minister. Guttes name also surfaced in some coal deals made by the Maharashtra State Electricity Board (MSEB) in which irregularities were found, Bhandari said.

Read more: Anupam Kher to play Manmohan Singh in a film based on Sanjay Barus book?

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Firearm? Check. Badge? Check. Cow meat detection kit? Check.

By next month, police across the state will get meat detection kits to check if the meat they have seized is that of a cow.

The kits will test the meat and give a result in just 30 minutes, said forensic science laboratory (FSL) director Krishna Kulkarni. This means police will no longer have to wait days to find out the type of meat seized.

Around 45 forensic vehicles will get the kits, worth Rs8,000 each. A single kit can test at least 100 samples, according to senior officers.

The Maharashtra Animal Preservation Act, 1976, bans the killing of cows and calves.

The kits will come in handy during situations such as the one that arose in Shivaji Nagar, where police seized 700 kg of meat three days ago.

The meat, suspected to be beef, was being transported from Panvel. Police sent samples to the FSL. They are questioning two people in connection with the case.

Once the new kits arrive, the police will no longer have to seize vehicles transporting meat as it can be tested on the spot. It will also help them register a case quickly if the seized meat turns out to be beef.

If preliminary tests reveal that the meat is that of a cow, we will collect samples and conduct a DNA test in the FSL. We will then draw up a final report, said Kulkarni.

An FSL official said DNA testing is expensive.It costs almost Rs750 to examine a single sample. Each year, the FSL receives thousands.

Until now, DNA testing was only available in Mumbai, Nagpur and Pune. In a few days, the FSLs in Aurangabad and Nashik will also get this facility.

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A meeting called to discuss problems faced by fishermen saw sparks flying with Congress MLA Nitesh Rane losing his cool and allegedly throwing fish at a senior government officer.

In a video clip aired by local news channels, Rane is purportedly seen talking to the fisheries commissioner of Sindhudurg in his office packed with people on Thursday. It showed that during the meeting, the legislator suddenly lost his cool, picked up a fish which was dumped on the commissioners table and threw it at him.

The MLA from Kankavli in coastal Sindhudurg district said he did so to protest the officers alleged ignorant attitude towards the woes of the traditional fishing community of the Konkan region.

There are two kinds of fishermen in Sindhudurg. One who use traditional methods for fishing and the other who use modern technology, Rane said. He said according to the state governments rules, fishing areas are clearly demarcated for both communities. Yet, those using modern technology often cross over to the areas earmarked for fishermen using traditional methods, resulting in financial losses to them, he alleged.

We approached the fisheries commissioner of Sindhudurg and brought to his notice the government resolution (GR) of February 4, 2016 that lays down clear rules for both communities of fishermen, Rane said. Due to ignorant attitude of officers like the fisheries commissioner, nothing is being done to enforce these rules due to which traditional fishermen are incurring huge losses, he said.

To add to the woes of traditional fishermen, their counterparts from neighbouring states also enter into the waters of Maharashtra, claimed Rane, the son of senior Congress leader and former Chief Minister Narayan Rane.

No steps have been taken to solve these issues. Traditional fishermen are facing injustice for long now. Thus, we had to take an aggressive stand today, he said.

The MLA recently took a jibe at the Shiv Sena by seeking a place in the Guinness World Records for the Uddhav Thackeray-led party for vowing to quit the BJP-led Maharashtra government many times (and not doing so).

Rane, whose father was once with Shiv Sena before joining Congress, last month wrote a letter to the Guinness authorities, making this tongue in cheek demand. However, reacting to Ranes letter, Sena spokesperson Manisha Kayande had then said that her party already holds a Guinness record for collecting largest quantity of blood in a day (24,200 bottles) at a blood donation camp in 2010.

Nitesh is a child in politics who is basking under the glory of his father without any substance of his own. He should be made aware that the Sena already holds a Guinness record and we are proud of it, Kayande had said.
Screenshots of WhatsApp messages showing Swati Sathe, DIG, jail, seeking support for the six jail staff arrested for the brutal assault and murder of convict Manjula Shetye went public on Thursday, leading to a controversy.

The messages, apparently sent by the deputy inspector general (DIG) on a social messaging group with senior prison officials as its members, show Sathe asking the department to support their six accused sisters.

In one of the messages, Sathe blamed the media for the arrest.

Sathe, meanwhile, has written to her superiors requesting to be removed from the inquiry team of Shetye murder case.

A top official of the prison department told HT they will seek legal opinion before initiating disciplinary action against the DIG. Sources said leaking of messages seemed to be a result of a fallout between jail officials.

IG Rajvardhan Sinha will conduct the inquiry.

The message that was circulated. (HT)

Shetyes family has demanded action against Sathe. DIG Swathi Sathe should be arrested for supporting and seeking support for the six murder accused, says Manjula Shetyes brother Anant. Sooner or later people will stop trusting the police force as instead of giving justice they are supporting their own staff members. If I get any proof that she actually sent out the messages, I will approach the investigating officers, seeking her arrest.

The post-mortem reports revealed there were 1 to 16 contusions in her body. The complainant, who is also a witness in the case, told the police Shetye was brutally assaulted for complaining about two eggs and five pieces of pav (bread) missing from morning ration.

She said that Shetye was stripped inside the barrack, the jail staffers even inserted lathi (stick) inside her private parts.

Shetye was left in an unconscious state for a while following which after consulting a resident doctor, she was admitted in JJ hospital, where she was declared dead.

The death triggered a violent protest by other prisoners and some 200 of them, including former media bigwig Indrani was booked for rioting, assaulting and mischief with fire.

The case was later transferred to the crime branch, who arrested the six jail officials  jailer Manisha Pokharkar, and the constables Bindu Naikade, Waseema Shaikh, Shital Shegaonkar, Surekha Gulve and Aarti Shingne.
Bogus PAN cards, student databases and women tele-callers  a combination of these helped a gang cheat 17 medical aspirants in Navi Mumbai Rs3.02 crore in four months.

Police recently busted the multi-crore MBBS admission scam and arrested seven accused. A few others are yet to be traced, they said.

The gang initially operated from a rented house in Kopar Khairane, and shifted to Sanpada in April last year, said Prashant Burde, joint commissioner of police, Navi Mumbai.

They set up an office called The Aspirations near Sanpada railway station complex. Using bogus PAN cards and voter identity cards, the gang opened accounts at different banks.

Using information obtained from different sites, the gang made a database of students who had cleared the NEET exam recently. They hired seven or eight women to work as tele-callers. These women contacted the students and their parents, saying they had tie-ups with Kashibai Nawale College in Pune, Terna Medical College in Nerul and Arvind Medical College in Indore. They told parents they could secure seats for their children through a management quota, he said.

As many as 17 parents deposited money in the gangs bank accounts. The accused shut their office on September 23 last year and fled.

A few parents approached the police, who registered a complaint against the accused. Within a few weeks, the case was transferred to the economic offences wing (EoW), which operates under the city crime branch.

The accused had fled to different places. We sent officials to look for them. We arrested five of the gangs members from Delhi in February  Abhishek Jha, 25; Saurabh Singh, 24; Gaurav Singh, 26; Sushilkumar Verma, 30; and Hemandra Sarkar, 31  but they refused to divulge information during interrogation. Further investigations led us to Rishikesh Singh alias Mukesh Bhagat, 31, the main accused. We arrested him and accused Atirek Sinha, 29, from Bangalore on Tuesday, said Tushar Doshi, deputy commissioner of police (crime branch).

Police recovered scores of bogus PAN cards, voter identity cards and SIM cards from the gang. The accused were produced before a judicial court and remanded in police custody till July 10.

Police said they were investigating whether the accused duped residents of other cities using the same modus operandi. They have also asked Navi Mumbai residents to be wary of agents or middlemen who promise to secure engineering or medical seats for their children.

After Class 12, medical and engineering aspirants sit for several entrance examinations. Students who fail to make the merit list desperately look for unscrupulous ways to get into good institutions. Touts take advantage of this, said a college principal, who did not wish to be identified.

The touts offer to help these students secure seats in premier engineering or medical colleges in exchange for sums ranging from Rs20 lakh to Rs60 lakh. Touts visit colleges and look for students who do not feature in the merit list, said the principal.

READ

Aspirant, aide held for cheating in constable recruitment exam

Three men cheat job aspirants of Rs 1 crore

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While three unidentified men pulled a Mumbai college student inside a car, took her to a secluded place and one of them raped her in Charkop Thursday morning, five people got injured after a four-wheeler in which they were travelling flipped twice on the eastern expressway in Thane on Thursday. Hundreds of black-and-yellow taxis operating from the Mumbai International airport stopped went on a flash strike on Friday morning over parking space issue, inconveniencing passengers at the airport. Screenshots of WhatsApp messages showing Swati Sathe, DIG, jail, seeking support for the six jail staff arrested for the brutal assault and murder of convict Manjula Shetye went public on Thursday, leading to a controversy. Also, plans to construct anti-sea erosion bunds have been rejected by the Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA) over the last two years, officials told HT.

Here are todays top five picks:

1. Mumbai woman abducted and raped, told: Asked you to stay away from him

Three unidentified men pulled a Mumbai college student inside a car, took her to a secluded place and one of them raped her in Charkop Thursday morning, according to the complaint filed by the woman. The police have registered a case against three unidentified men. The complainant told the police the three men stopped the car and allegedly pulled her inside the vehicle. She claimed they took her car to a secluded place, all the while warning her we asked you to stay away from him.

2. 5 injured as car flips twice, hits divider in Mumbai

Five people got injured after a four-wheeler in which they were travelling flipped twice on the eastern expressway in Thane on Thursday. According to the police, the car was heading towards Thane. A vehicle in the front applied brakes suddenly. The car flipped twice and hit the divider near Korum Mall, Nitin Company, Thane. With the help of nearby residents the injured were taken to Mumbai based hospital. We will take their statements, after which a case will be registered with the Naupada police station, said a police officer from Thane commissionerate.

3. Mumbai inmates death: Jail officer tells colleagues to support accused sisters, seeks out of probe

Screenshots of WhatsApp messages showing Swati Sathe, DIG, jail, seeking support for the six jail staff arrested for the brutal assault and murder of convict Manjula Shetye went public on Thursday, leading to a controversy. The messages, apparently sent by the deputy inspector general (DIG) on a social messaging group with senior prison officials as its members, show Sathe asking the department to support their six accused sisters.

4. Kaali-peelis on flash strike, your return journey from Mumbai airport may be cumbersome

Hundreds of black-and-yellow taxis operating from the Mumbai International airport stopped went on a flash strike on Friday morning over parking space issue, inconveniencing passengers at the airport. AL Quadros, a taxi union leader, said the cabbies are in talks with GVK, the company that runs the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport. More than 2,000 cabbies have gone on strike and have stopped pre-paid taxi booking from the international airport, said another union leader.

5. As Maharashtra loses 12km of coastline, MCZMA stops construction of walls around sea

Plans to construct anti-sea erosion bunds have been rejected by the Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA) over the last two years, officials told HT. These bunds are constructed, either using cement or sand, to protect the shoreline from erosion. People owning land along the coast have requested MCZMA for permissions to construct anti-sea erosion bunds or a protection wall.
Hundreds of black-and-yellow taxis operating from the Mumbai International airport stopped went on a flash strike on Friday morning over parking space issue, inconveniencing passengers at the airport.

AL Quadros, a taxi union leader, said the cabbies are in talks with GVK, the company that runs the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport.

More than 2,000 cabbies have gone on strike and have stopped pre-paid taxi booking from the international airport, said another union leader.

He said the taxi unions are protesting against the decision of the airport management company to reduce their parking space at the airport.

Sources said passengers have to rely on app-based cabs of Ola and Uber.

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The Bharatiya Janata Party-led government is likely to walk the extra mile to get noise pollution rules relaxed for the upcoming Ganesh festival, besides removing restrictions on the height of the human pyramids during dahi handi.

In a meeting held with the main organisers of the events, BJP leaders and senior government officials on Thursday, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis accepted their demands to consider issuing an ordinance to relax silence zone norms during the Ganesh festival. He also accepted their demand to appoint a senior counsel, Tushar Mehta, to argue the case filed by one of the Dahi Handi mandals in the Apex court. The meeting was held after a request made by city BJP president Ashish Shelar.

The decision has political overtones given that the bickering saffron allies have been trying to outdo one another to give patronage to these popular, local festivities, seen as being integral to Maharashtras cultural identity, yet again, this year.

Just hours before this meeting, a delegation of Sena ministers, led by environment minister Ramdas Kadam, met Fadnavis, calling for an intervention by the government to remove curbs on celebrating these festivals in the next two months. A day before, Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray had demanded the same.

Over the last week, decibel levels in both the saffron parties about removing restrictions in these festivities have only increased.

During the meeting, Ganesh festival mandals raised the issue of silence zone restrictions within 100m of schools, courts and hospitals. The organisers said the festival mandals in the vicinity of these institutions face difficulties owing to noise restrictions.

We do not want to make the festivals noisy, but that does not mean our century-old traditions should be silenced. We have demanded the court give us an exemption of 30 days a year from the norms of the silence zones and the days should be distributed among all festivities of all religions on the lines of distribution for the 10pm deadline on loudspeakers. Fadnavis has assured us he will take up the issue with the Centre, said Ashok Godse, president, Shreemant Dagadushet Halwai Ganpati Trust, Pune.

If the Centre failed to act on our request within the stipulated period and before the festivals begin, the government will issue an ordinance for the exemptions, Shelar said.

Officials who attended the meeting said the government is likely to seek powers from the Centre to take a call on granting relaxations from silence zones during the festivities.

The Centre, state governments or the urban local bodies do not have any say in the restrictions imposed in the silence zones as per the order of the Supreme Court. The state wants the power to decide the exemptions because it hampers the celebration of the festivals across the religions, Shelar said.

With regards to Dahi Handi, the state government will appoint a senior counsel, in a petition filed by one of the organisers of the festival in the Apex court. The hearing in this matter is on July 10. The governments stance will be to point out how Dahi Handi celebrations are a part of the states cultural identity and while safety norms are necessary, there should not be blanket curbs on human pyramids.
A 25-year-old waiter allegedly killed a chef of a Chinese restaurant in Bhiwandi during a heated argument on Thursday.

The men were fighting over the delay in preparing food which led to fewer customers visiting the restaurant.

The waiter Manjit Kumar (26) is a resident of Uttar Pradesh and had come to Bhiwandi a few months ago while the deceased Abhijit Roy was from Kolkata and had come to Bhiwandi six months ago.

Both of them were employed at the chinese restaurant in April.

According to the police, around 11pm on Wednesday Kumar and Roy had a heated argument over delay in preparing and serving food.

Roy did not like Kumar entering the kitchen while he was cooking as he found it disturbing, said an officer from Narpoli police station. Meanwhile, whenever Roy would take time to prepare the food, Kumar would get into the kitchen and ask him to work faster as customers would leave and not return when they took time to serve the food, he added.

They had an argument over the matter again on Wednesday night when the owner of the restaurant intervened and sorted things out. Around 2am, the men broke into an argument again inside the restaurant during which Kumar hit Roy with a cylinder. Roy suffered deep injuries on his face and started bleeding profusely.

Kumar allegedly got scared and fled the spot. When another waiter walked into the room in the morning, he found Roy lying in a pool of blood. He alerted the hotel owner and took Kumar to Kalwa Hospital but he died during treatment, said the officer.

The police said that there were three people in the restaurant when the incident took place. Of which, another waiter who was lying right next to Roy pretended to be asleep because he did not want to be a part of the argument and watched Kumar hit Roy.

The police also said that he did not speak up after the incident as he was scared and fell asleep later.

We have recorded his statement and a case of murder has been registered. We are searching for Kumar and suspect that he has fled to UP, said the officer.

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Three unidentified men pulled a Mumbai college student inside a car, took her to a secluded place and one of them raped her in Charkop Thursday morning, according to the complaint filed by the woman. The police have registered a case against three unidentified men.

The complainant told the police the three men stopped the car and allegedly pulled her inside the vehicle.

She claimed they took her car to a secluded place, all the while warning her we asked you to stay away from him.

When they reached the spot, two of them allegedly held her while one of them raped her, alleged the woman. They then threw her out of the car. The woman said she took an autorickshaw back home, said a Mumbai police officer.

Read more: Mumbai man rapes granddaughter, beats her up

She approached her friend who then accompanied her to the Charkop police station.

The police have registered the case under sections 376 (punishment for rape) of the Indian Penal Code.

The police have already formed teams to record statements of eye-witnesses to put together a detailed and verified sequence of events. The police are also checking the CCTV footage along the stretch  the route which the woman said they took.

Officials said they are in the process of identifying the car and the owner to establish the identity of the three men. .

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The state government sought a report from prison authorities on the DIG Sathe incident.

DIG (prisons) Swati Sathe sent messages through a social networking group to jail officials to support the arrested employees of Byculla jail.

Minister of state for home Ranjit Patil said that additional director-general of prison BK Upadhyay had been asked to inquire about the episode and submit a report.

According to officials from the home department, the prison authority has been asked to submit a report immediately. Sathe was conducting the administrative probe, especially into the reasons that led to the killing of Manjula Shetye and the rioting that took place after that. The crime branch is probing the case of murder registered against the officials independently. Even then, what she did was uncalled for and has embarrassed the government, the official said.

Meanwhile, Dhananjay Munde, leader of opposition in the legislative council, demanded Sathes suspension and an investigation by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB). The WhatsApp messages prove that she was trying to help the officials involved in the crime. It would be improper to have such an official in the force,Munde said.

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Office-goers travelling to Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) from Bandra, Sion and Kurla railway stations may soon travel more comfortably to their workplaces in air-conditioned buses.

The hybrid buses that the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) is planning to introduce are expected to hit the streets in mid-July.

Although the plan to ply eco-friendly buses in BKC was conceived in early 2013, it was delayed by four years owing to issues with overall structure of the plan, and operations and maintenance.

Read: Mumbai gets 25 new hybrid buses

We are expecting the delivery of first five of the 25 hybrid buses to arrive by this weekend. We will handover the buses to Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking to operate, said Pravin Darade, additional metropolitan commissioner, MMRDA.

The bus service will be operated between Bandra, Kurla and Sion suburban railway stations from BKC for commuter convenience.

The minimum fare will be Rs15 and maximum fare will be Rs25.

Read: Mumbai: Technical issues delay BKC hybrid bus service

Purchased from M/s. Tata Motors Ltd., each bus, which cost Rs1.61 crore, is an air-conditioned 32-seater electric/hybrid series bus.

The buses have been purchased under the initiative taken by MMRDA to promote clean fuel and supported by the policy FAME 2015 which is about promoting electric transport under National Electric Mobility Mission 2020.

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Though people defecating in the open continues to be an ugly sight in the city, Mumbai got revalidated as an open-defecation free city (ODF) by the quality council of India (QCI), a Union government affiliated agency, on July 6.

Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis tweeted about the certification congratulating the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and civic chief Ajoy Mehta on Friday. The city received its first validation by QCI in January and after that the agency held another assessment in the first week of July, said civic officials.

CM @Dev_Fadnavis congratulates BMC Commissioner Ajoy Mehta for the achievement of Mumbai becoming Open Defacation Free (ODF) ! pic.twitter.com/Eenn3Nikks  CMO Maharashtra (@CMOMaharashtra) July 7, 2017

According to the certification, the city will be re-assessed every six months by QCI. Mehta said BMC has constructed 1,318 toilets in six months, when not more than 300 were made available in the last decade. He said, "We have ensured that there is a toilet in every 500 meters of OD areas. We have deployed clean-up marshals in every ward to impose penalties on people defecating in the open."

According to data, 439 clean-up marshals have been deployed at various spots. In the last 15 days, 660 people were fined for Rs100 each for defecating in the open. BMC has also conducted 225 street plays across the city to spread awareness on the issue. On June 30, the civic body inaugurated 31 community toilets.

The BMC declared Mumbai open-defecation free in December last year. However, it said it would not take responsibility for people defecating on lands owned by other government agencies such as the railways, Mumbai Port Trust, defence land and Aarey Colony in Goregaon.

Maharashtra has a three-tier verification process to decide if a town is open-defecation free or not. First, the urban local body inspects the city, then an audit is conducted by the collector and finally the state. The cities and towns then approach the Centre seeking a certification declaring them open-defecation free under the Swachh Bharat mission.

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With 342 unsolved murders in the past two years, the Maharashtra police have taken up a special drive to tackle these cases.

A case in point could be the gruesome murder of a 35-year-old homemaker in Abone taluka in Nashik (rural), which took place when the Maratha reservation stir was at its peak in October last year.

The brief probe concluded the woman could have been killed while resisting a robbery attempt at her home. The killers could never be traced as the investigating officer at the short-staffed rural police station was busy handling law and order during the month-long agitation.

Six months later, in May 2017, when the case was re-opened, one  amongst the 50-odd persons picked up for questioning  turned out to be the lover of the woman. He identified the womans husband as the probable suspect.

Following his sustained interrogation, which was followed by a polygraph test, the womans husband confessed to the crime, and was arrested.

This is one of the 25 cases solved in the past two months as part of the drive. The results are encouraging. Twelve more cases are on the verge of being cracked, said additional director general of police, law and order, Bipin Bihari, who is spearheading the probe into the piled up unsolved serious offences registered across the state in the last two years.

Unidentified bodies constitute a major chunk of the unsolved murder cases, sources in the state police HQs said.

Read: Mumbais streets were more unsafe for women in 2016

With 47 cases, Nashik district tops the list, followed by Kolhapur district at 55 . Mumbai city, with a large police force (over 47,000 men) and 24x7 CCTV surveillance is not far behind. The city police are still clueless about 32 murders in the past two years.

Over the years, Maharashtra has earned the reputation of having a large number of unsolved murder cases across the country.

Sources said director general of police (DGP) Satushchundra Mathur had convened a meeting of inspector generals (IGs) from seven police ranges and police commissioners from an equal number of commissionerates to discuss find ways to solve the cases.

Sources said that during brainstorming it emerged that factors like preoccupation with law and order duty, shortage of staff (in rural areas), lack of investigation skills in officers, non-adherence to scientific investigation were responsible for lackadaisical investigation.

To overcome the problem, it was decided to form dedicated teams in police stations to re-investigate those cases, while seniors (from senior inspectors to the superintendents of police and inspector generals) were asked to guide and supervise the investigation on a day-to-day basis. The constant supervision of the cases not only motivates junior officers to prove their skills, it also streamlines mobilisation of resources, sources said.

Bihari said 12 cases were solved within a week after the drive was launched.

Meanwhile, commenting on the unsolved cases in Nashik and Kolhapur, a senior officer in the state police HQs said it was on account of the large number of unidentified bodies found in those districts.

A maximum number of state and national highways pass through these two districts. Often bodies of people killed elsewhere are dumped beside the highways, the official said. We are in the process of creating a database on unidentified bodies and a software is being developed wherein police stations across the state would be alerted about unidentified bodies found anywhere in the state through our website. This will accelerate the process of identification and expedite investigation, the official said.

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A driver working with a travel agency in Pune was robbed of his car and valuables by three men at Kalyan-Shilphata Road two months back. A case was registered with the Pune police a few days back.

The accused allegedly hired Nitin Bhansodes car to travel to Mumbai on June 16. They spiked his tea and after he went unconscious, allegedly fled with his Tavera and valuables worth Rs2.59 lakh. Bhansode gained consciousness in the bushes at Kalyan-Shilphata Road two days later.

He lodged a complaint with the Pune police. An FIR was filed, which was forwarded to Tardeo police station. The police said that they were trying to identify the three men. Meanwhile, Bhansode has been asked to come from Pune.

Bhansode said in his complaint that he received a call on June 16. The person on the other end said that he needed to travel to Mumbai urgently to pick up his family.

An officer from Tardeo police station said, "The driver got a call from an unknown person on June 16. He hired a car for Mumbai claiming that he needed to get his family back to Pune. They left in the morning and reached Haji Ali in the afternoon."

The three stopped the car for refreshments. The accused offered Bhansode food and a cup of tea. After this, he was asked to take them to Juhu Beach. There he started feeling dizzy and lost consciousness.

"While registering the complaint, Bhansode could only recollect that they reached Juhu beach and after that he started losing consciousness. He was woken up by a passerby two days later near Kalyan-Shilphata Road, added the officer.

Bhansode went to a relative's place at Kamothe in Navi Mumbai and contacted his family members, who took him back to Pune. He approached a local police station and lodged a complaint, which was transferred to Juhu and later came to the Tardeo police.

"We are waiting for the victim to come to the police station and help us make a sketch of the accused. We will circulate it among other police stations, said the officer.

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Following a clash and much heckling between members of the Shiv Sena and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at an event in the Mumbai civic body earlier this week, the Shiv Sena, in an editorial in mouthpiece Saamana on Friday, condemned those who picked a fight chanting Prime Minister Narendra Modis name.

The editorial pointed out former prime minister the late Indira Gandhi had to lose elections after Congress sycophants started shouting Indira is India slogan. The angry spark of this disrespect grew into a raging fire that ultimately led to her defeat. In the 1971 war, she had brought Pakistan to its knees before India, but yet she had to taste defeat. The defeat was because of the extremist Indira-bhakti (devotion for Indira) on display, it said.

The Shiv Sena editorial said even Modi will agree that his name should taken with pride and not in madness.

Read: GST event in Mumbai: Shiv Sena leaders abuse PM Modi

The chief minister and the BJP chief should pinch themselves and ask was chanting Modis name in insanity necessary at the event in the Mumbai civic body, the party said in the editorial. It said such people, irrespective of whether they come from a political or a religious background, are real threat to this nation.

At the event, state finance minister Sudhir Mungantiwar presented a Rs647.34 crore cheque to Mumbai Mayor Vishwanath Mahadeshwar and Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray as a first compensation for the BMCs loss of revenue from the octroi duty, scrapped under the new Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime.

BJP corporators shouted Modi Modi as Thackeray stepped on to the dais, prompting Sena members to pass a defamatory remarks against the prime minister. This led to sloganeering and heckling between the two parties until Municipal Commissioner Ajoy Mehta requested the BMC corporators to calm down.

Some have given this the colour of aggression between the Shiv Sena and BJP. We have never bothered about these colours. If someone is deliberately trying to put the Shiv Sena down, then we will have to show we are Maratha by caste, our religion is Maharashtra and our gotra is Shivaji Maharaj, the Sena said.

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After the Supreme Court restrained admissions on the basis of the Joint Entrance Examination-Advanced (JEE-Adv) 2017, students are worried as there are rumours that their exams could be re-evaluated.

A petition filed in the Apex Court has questioned the Indian Institutes of Technologys (IITs) decision to award bonus marks to all students who appeared for the JEE-Adv examination held across the country on May 21.

Admissions to IITs, National Institutes of Technology (NITs), Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIITs) and other government -funded technical institutes (GFTIs) have been halted for now. After two rounds of seat allotments, which came to an end on July 6, as many as 3,236 seats remain vacant in all IITs, NITs, IIITs, including 68 in IITs.

Many websites are hinting at re-evaluation and re-admission based on fresh marks. This will be the courts worst decision and will affect lakhs of students, said Abhinav Sharma, one of the lucky few who bagged a seat in IIT-Bombay in the first round.

The petition highlights how students, even those who had not attempted these specific questions, were granted bonus marks. This resulted in more students qualifying for IIT admissions and eventually affecting the overall ranks of students.

Following the Supreme Courts orders, the JEE-Adv and Joint Seat Allocation Authority (JoSAA) websites ran a ticker announcing that the admission process had been suspended for now.

As directed by the Honourable Supreme Court of India on July 7 (for JEE Advanced 2017), admission and counselling has been suspended till further orders, read the statement.

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Starting next month, pay 10 times the existing fare of Rs5 to visit Veermata Jijabhai Bhosale Udyan, also known as Byculla zoo, where the popular attraction now is the penguin enclosure. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporations (BMC) general body of elected representatives gave final approval to hike the entry fee for an individual from Rs5 to Rs50. The same for a family of four will be Rs100.

This is the first time in nearly two decades that the entry fee for the zoo will be increased.

The initial proposal was to charge Rs100 each, which was met with strong opposition from parties and residents alike. After the Shiv Senas group leader, Yashwant Jadhav, moved an amendment to increase the fee to Rs50, the proposal was approved by the Congress.

Read: Tiny feet likely at Mumbai zoo penguin enclosure soon?

The civic administration had proposed the hike after the Humboldt penguins began attracting large crowds to the zoo. Civic officials said the revenue would be used to maintain the penguin enclosure and other enclosures to be constructed for exotic species.

According to the proposal, to attract more people to the zoo, the civic body will charge a family of four  two adults and two children below the age of 12  Rs100. For a third child, the family will be charged an extra Rs25. If the fifth member is above the age of 12, the family will be charged Rs50 extra.

Authorities will also increase the monthly morning-walk charges for citizens at the zoo  from Rs30 to Rs150.

Read: You may have to pay Rs 100 to visit the penguin enclosure at Byculla zoo in Mumbai

The BMC will also charge more for photographing and recording videos of the penguins  from the present Rs10 to Rs100 for photographs and Rs30 to Rs300 for videography.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which had earlier opposed the proposal and even staged a walk out from standing committee, didnt oppose the proposal in the general body and blamed mayor Vishwanath Mahadeshwar for not allowing BJP to raise their concerns. The Shiv Sena took the Oppositions help to pass a proposal that is unjust to the zoo visitors and the morning walkers. They didnt even allow us to speak in the meeting, said Manoj Kotak, BJP group leader.

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Mumbai Return: Journeys Beyond the City WHERE: Bhau Daji Lad museum, Byculla WHEN: July 1 to 31, 10 am to 5.30 pm (closed on Wednesdays and public holidays) CALL: 2373-1234 Entry: Rs 10

When Rahul Srivastava and Matias Echanove embarked on the Mumbai Return project five years ago, they didnt expect to come across Mumbaiites with ties that still bound them to ancestral villages.

Even after two or three generations here, families have extensive relationships back in villages, despite the prevailing belief that rural-urban migration is a one-way street, says Srivastava, co-director of the design collective, urbz. Some younger people in our ethnographic study said they dont want the village to become the city. The distance is part of what allows both places to retain specific qualities.

This loop between Mumbai and villages in the Konkan is explored in Mumbai Return: Journeys Beyond the City, a collection of photographs, installations and artistic renderings of rural homes and urban settlements.

Warli art represents a range of journeys. (Sandeep Bhoir)

Urbz, which also has bases in Goa, Sao Paulo, Seoul, Geneva, and Bogota, had explored the urban-rural loop in Circulatory Lives, at the Center for Contemporary Art in Bordeaux and in Geneva. But India, Srivastava underlines, is a different beast because of the degree of mobility the Indian Railways offers.

One of the installations at the Bhau Daji Lad museum, titled Design Comes As We Build, showcases an architectural model of a typical Mumbai chawl, juxtaposed with a model home with essentially the same structure. The essence is to highlight how traces of urban living are now seen in some Konkan villages.

An installation titled Design Comes As We Build showcases an architectural model of a typical Mumbai chawl, juxtaposed with a model home with essentially the same structure.

One hamlet had piped water supplied from a well. This was constructed by a Mumbai-return family. On the other end of the spectrum, you also see Mumbai-style flats all over, explains Srivastava. Villages are increasingly becoming part of the urban realm but they have also, so far, preserved a different relationship to space and the environment.

Urbzs work in Dharavi, Naigaon and Bhandup, where many residents hail from Ratnagiri district, is what birthed Mumbai Return. But the exhibition, Srivastava concludes, invites all Mumbaiites to reflect on their rural roots and consider a rereading of the history of migration in India.

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Three people -- who had gone on a vacation to Bangkok along with 10 others -- are suspected to be suffering from swine flu, the district health department officials said on Thursday.

The three people include an 11-year-old boy, his 45-year-old mother, and another man , also 45, from a different family in Ghaziabad. The families are from Gandhi Nagar and Nehru Nagar localities here. The health department has collected their samples and sent them for further testing at a government lab in Delhi.

The mother and the child suffered from cold and fever in Bangkok itself. After the families returned, the two tested positive for swine flu at a private hospital in Ghaziabad. After a couple of days, a male member of another family developed some symptoms and also tested positive for swine flu at the private hospital, said GK Mishra, district malaria officer.

All three are under treatment at the hospital. They have been advised to be in isolation. They are showing signs of recovery now and there is no need to hospitalise them. Their other family members have also been provided preventive medicines. We received the samples of the three suspected swine flu patients and sent them for further testing to the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Delhi. If NCDC reports are positive, the three patients can be termed positive for swine flu, Mishra added.

Officials said they have enough stock of medicines and will soon procure syrup used for swine flu treatment. The department is also gearing up with facilities and have also made two isolation wards at district MMG Hospital and the Sanjay Nagar Combined district hospital.

According to the district health officials, 625 persons tested positive for swine flu in 2015 and five of them died. However, there were no positive cases of swine flu in 2016 in Ghaziabad district.

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The Ghaziabad police on Friday nabbed a group of seven men who had allegedly robbed Rs12.76 lakh in cash from a petrol pump owner near Hindon airbase in Sahibabad on June 12. One of the men is a former employee of the victim, Ravinder Pal Singh Chauhan, who was robbed of the cash by two men on a bike. He was on his way to a bank to deposit the cash when he the incident took place.

According to the police, the plan was hatched by Ravindra Yadav, the former employee, who had left his job in January and later told his brother-in-law, Deepak Yadav, about the large amount of cash dealt with at the petrol pump. On the day of the incident, locals spotted two bikers breaking the windows of Chauhans Hyundai i10 car and fled with the bag of cash, police added.

After Ravindra told Deepak about the cash they dealt with, Deepak got in touch with Akhilesh, who has several cases of robbery and theft against him. He roped in five other persons and planned to rob the victim on June 12, said HN Singh, senior superintendent of police (SSP).

According to the police, around 1.45pm on June 12, Chauhan, 52, was driving his car from the petrol pump in Karhera to the bank near the airbase. Two bikers intercepted him when the vehicle slowed down due to a speed breaker on the Karhera Road. The road has several speed breakers, starting from the Raj Nagar Extension overbridge to the Hindon airbase.

The two bikers fled with the cash bag, but two more persons on a bike and the rest of the gang members were closely watching the incident from a car nearby. They were keeping an eye out for anything going wrong and were meant as back up to the two men who snatched the bag, the SSP added.

Apart from the arrests, police said they also recovered Rs4.05 lakh cash, two bikes and the car used in the crime. Five countrymade weapons were also recovered from their possession, police said. Six of the men are from Loni while Ravindra stays at Karawal Nagar in Delhi.

Relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for robbery and criminal conspiracy were levied against them. They were produced before Ghaziabad court on Friday.

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The Enforcement Directorate on Thursday filed its first charge sheet in the alleged Rs 3,700 crore ponzi scheme perpetrated by a Noida-based firm, which had promised money for likes on social media to lakhs of gullible investors.

The central probe agency filed the voluminous prosecution complaint (charge sheet), of which the operational part is a 50-page report, before a special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court here.

Enforcement Directorate (ED) joint director Rajeshwar Singh said the charge sheet has been filed after over four months of investigation into the case,in which over Rs 654 crore assets have been attached by the agency.

The case involves a firm named Ablaze Info Solutions Private Limited, owned by Anubhav Mittal, who is the alleged kingpin of the ponzi scheme case. He was arrested by the ED in the case.

Officials said a supplementary charge sheet is soon expected to be filed.

The agency said Mittal had collected several thousand crores of rupees from the customers of his company by false inducements and later siphoned off the same by means of generating false or bogus bills/invoices with the assistance of various persons who are under scrutiny.

The ED had on January 5 registered a criminal case under the PMLA based on an FIR of the Uttar Pradesh Polices Special Task Force (STF), which had first unearthed the alleged ponzi or multilevel marketing scam.

The agency later filed a second FIR in the case, also known as the Enforcement Case Information Report.

The modus operandi of the accused according to their business scheme as alleged was that through their web portal, they promoted a scheme where by liking the webpage  which were fictitiously shown associated to international social media groups like Google and Facebook  the users will earn money, the agency said.

The accused persons propagated a false story that the promotional web pages linked on these international social media portals pay Rs 6 per likes, out of which they pay Rs 5 to the investment/user, the ED had said.

The probe agency had said that the fraudsters allegedly cheated about 6.5 lakh gullible investors of an estimated Rs 3,700 crore, a fraud bigger in value than the infamous Saradha chit fund scam of West Bengal and Assam, which is pegged at Rs 2,500 crore.
In their first 25 years of diplomatic relations, India and Israel have established and achieved a lot and there are enthusiastic and passionate discussions on both sides on how much more they can do. Indian prime ministers first visit, and Narender Modis second, as chief minister of Gujarat he had already visited Israel in 2006, is considered groundbreaking event in the diplomatic world. This is because it was the first visit of an Indian PM after the establishment of full diplomatic ties in 1992, and also because an Israeli PM, Ariel Sharon, had already visited India back in 2003.

Current enthusiasm towards Israel is largely driven by the defence sector, business groups, and policy think-tanks. One of the dominant arguments is that India can benefit a lot in areas such as defense, agriculture, trade, technology-driven development, etc. Hence, Indias policy towards Israel should be guided not by old ideology(ies) but by realpolitik  pragmatic and rational.

Is this the driving force behind India-Israel growing relations?

The decision not to establish diplomatic relations with Israel after Indian Independence, from the point of view of Nehruvian ideology, was the combination of four ideas: Third World activism, anti-colonialism, solidarity with the Asian-African societies through the Non-Alignment movement, and the staunch support for Palestinian statehood. These ideas determined Nehrus diplomatic engagement with the larger world and with the State of Israel too.

Thinking theoretically about India-Israel ties, a better explanation comes out of the constructivist theory of international relations, which takes into account the role of identity of a nation-state and popular political values in understanding the foreign policy choices of a given State. According to the constructivist theory, nation-States are not only after security, survival or prosperity but they act for ideas as well. National interests are driven by circumstances but they do change because of certain ideas such as free-market economy or cultural-religious nationalism. Therefore, nation-states do not have a portfolio of interests that they carry around independent of social context. They can define/redefine their national interests in the process of confronting a situation or the question of self-identity of the nation.

The ideological alignment between India and Israel around cultural-religious nationalism coupled with neo-liberal free market economy is an important driving force today. The way each State defines its national-identity has direct links with the attitudes towards the other. The significant rise of BJP, therefore, asserted and continues to assert closer relations with Israel. The current ideological alignment matters in their ongoing bilateral relations as much as the Nehruvian ideology mattered in the past.

It should not be a surprise, hence, that the period 1998-2004, when BJP was in power, was instrumental in the evolution of the ties between the two states. The period precisely the political background that made possible the historic 2003 visit of Sharon to India. Hindu nationalists have long looked to Jewish nationalists for inspiration. LK Advani, senior though now irrelevant BJP leader, writing in his blog, has described his role in establishing diplomatic ties with Israel in 1992. According to him, these ties were fortified immensely during the six years of the BJP-led NDA regime under Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

Michael Walzer, political philosopher, has mapped the role of ideological alignment between India and Israel in his latest work  The Paradox of Liberation: Secular Revolutions and Religious Counterrevolutions (2015, Yale University Press). He explains why, not long after very sincere secular national liberation movements came to power in India and Israel, they were replaced by religious reactionary movements opposed to secularism.

In his analysis, Israel and India went through parallel paths, at roughly the same time, and appear to be reaching the same outcome.

The second part of the growing convergence is about the image of the State. The idea of a strong State, at least in militaristic/security sense, is an ideological notion with which the BJP wants India to be identified with. A strong State that follows the dictum offence is the best defence.

One illustration that shall capture this is the speech that Modi delivered in Himachal Pradesh after the surgical strike against Pakistan in October 2016. In his words: Our armys might is being discussed across the country these days. We used to hear earlier that Israel has done this. The nation has seen that Indian army is no less than anybody. PMs faint reference is indicative of the tendency to emulate the strong image that Israel is known for. Often in class room conversations with students at Jindal University about why do they choose to study Israel I get one inevitable answer, that is, Israel is such a strong and powerful State.

In short, the historic moment of India-Israel diplomatic relations is a shift from one ideology to the other. Ideas such as anti-Colonialism and Third World Activism mattered in the past and current ideas such as religious-cultural nationalism and neo-liberal free market economy matter now.

Good business and strategic benefits are just the venerer for the current deeper camaraderie.

Dr. Khinvraj Jangid teaches at Jindal Centre for Israel Studies, Jindal School of International Affairs, OP Jindal Global University, Sonepat.

The views expressed are personal
The G20 summit, which begins in Hamburg today, is being held at a time when the biggest threat to world economy  climate change  is confronted with multiple political challenges. Recent developments are a definite cause for concern. First, efforts by the German G20 presidency to retain reference of climate financing in the draft communique has run into resistance from the US and Saudi Arabia.

Second, recent US policies on revising its Clean Power Plan and methane regulations, while underestimating the cost of carbon pollution and lifting of moratorium on coal production and corresponding mining jobs, are bound to have adverse climate implications.

The US has undoubtedly played a key role in addressing many global challenges given its economic, military and diplomatic strength. However, its recent withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement would leave a significant gap in meeting global emission reduction targets.

The G20, therefore, needs to demonstrate the power of numbers and guide the future of global climate governance through the strength of emerging partnerships. As a forum for the worlds most powerful economies, representing 85% of global gross domestic product (GDP), the G20 presents an ideal opportunity to reaffirm that climate action is in the economic and security interest of all nations.

It is opportune that Germany holds the G20 presidency this year. G20 under German leadership can rightly establish that there are significant opportunities in the global pivot towards non-polluting energy. Germany has announced fostering economic stability; making the global economy viable for future; and establishing G20 as a community of responsibility, by promoting investments in infrastructure and renewable energy in Africa, as the three-pillared objectives of the summit.

Germany recognises that climate risks on the economy could be better managed by linking climate and energy policy more closely. A secure, economically efficient and greenhouse gas neutral energy supply accessible to everyone, in line with the Paris agreement, is a fundamental prerequisite for global economic growth and sustainable development.

Germany has long-standing strategic relations with India and a shared history of successful development cooperation with a thriving partnership in the areas of climate and energy in recent times. The Indo-German Energy Forum (IGEF) and Indo-German Environment Forum (IGEnvF) are making significant contributions to further development of the Indian energy sector and collaboration on environmental issues, including biodiversity management and climate change mitigation. Germany can thus expect complete cooperation and support from India at the forthcoming G20 summit.

The expectations of India, as of the rest of the world, from the German G20 presidency are likely to be centred around bringing a new momentum to the discussions on the climate - energy nexus. In terms of leadership, India expects the G20 to support other developing nations in making progress on ambitious implementation of the Paris agreement. This requires the G20 to provide a long-term direction and certainty through adaptation of common guidelines for the economy, including strengthening technological innovation and employment in future-oriented industries.

India has emerged as a key G20 member who has significantly influenced the ongoing process of reshaping the worlds economic and financial order. India strongly believes that stabilising the world economy and financial markets require joint efforts to mitigate climate risks. For India, it is therefore imperative that G20 leads the global transition in adopting a low emission pathway. The alignment of G20 policies with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and emphasis on energy security, is high on Indias agenda.

India hopes that the energy transition, accelerated by the Paris Agreement, must continue. To ensure investments in low emission energy systems and climate resilient infrastructure, India expects the G20 to foster appropriate political frameworks, financing instruments and economic incentives.

Politically, the relationship between other G20 countries and the US (particularly the Trump administration) will most likely remain complicated. India expects the German G20 presidency to convincingly demonstrate that climate change has high cost and is a risk multiplier that jeopardises past and future progress of the global economy.

Thus, our economies and energy systems need to be transformed at an unprecedented scale and speed.

Driving forward, the implementation of the Paris Agreement and the 2030 Agenda in a coherent and mutually supportive manner will provide us with significant opportunities for modernising our economies, for enhancing competitiveness, and stimulating employment and growth.

Aparna Roy is Associate Fellow, Observer Research Foundation

The views expressed are personal
How does one read the three-day visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Israel? Both before and during the visit there has been a running commentary in the media, which leaves little to interpretations and assessment. The announcement of direct flights and multiple visas for longer duration would help those who commute between the two countries. Modern India continues to remain an enigma to much of the Israeli public, and if structured properly, the cultural centre should take them closer to the contemporary landscape than the romanticised version of ancient Bharat.

Recognising the value of symbolising in their societies both Modi and his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu went out of their way to make one another comfortable and at ease. Though both the leaders have met in the past, this was their first working meeting. If Modi charmed the ordinary Israeli by taking the time to visit 11-year old Moshe Holtzberg and Netanyahu was with Modi throughout the time, overlooking some of the serious challenging facing his coalition.

This bonhomie was clearly reflected in the joint statement. Both are committed to raising the bilateral relations to strategic partnership but avoided spelling out the details. Though food security, namely cooperation in agriculture, water, desalination, water management and cleaning the Ganga were referred, the details are missing. Out of the seven agreements, five are Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) whose effectiveness would be tested when they are implemented on the ground. While terrorism figured prominently, both followed the traditional template. India has a qualitative edge over Israel in space technology, and this is reflected in the three MoUs signed on behalf of Isro.

Both countries are committed to the reinforcement and expansion of existing cooperation in agriculture, and in practical terms, this would mean a quantitative change. For example, currently, Israel has established 17 centres of excellence in India and hoping to expand it to 25 within the next two-three years. This is a sizeable number for Israel but a drop in a bucket in the Indian context. The transformation has to be quantitative but cannot be carried out only by the government, but by private companies and parties.

The real impact of the visit has to be located elsewhere. Political hurdles and uneasiness marked the bilateral relations both before and after normalisation. There were no bilateral problems or disputes between the two countries but their different worldviews and Indias desire to accommodate third parties, namely, Palestinians, Arabs, and Pakistan, in that order, has limited its ability to pursue an independent policy towards Israel.

Normalisation partly reduced this but it did not remove the political hesitation. This is more visible in the bilateral trade and reluctance of Indian business houses to engage with Israel even on a commercial basis. Many of the business giants are concerned that their limited presence in West Asia would be hampered by the Israeli connections and possible sanctions and boycotts. Their unfamiliarity with the complex and changing West Asian dynamics only make matters worse.

By his visit to Israel and de-hyphenating Palestine from Indias West Asia policy, Modi has mowed the grass, as they say, and created a level playing field. Whether it is defence or cyber security, Indias private sector will have to take the lead. The initial signal was the signing of deals worth $4.3 billion in the first meeting of the CEO Forum. The size might look small, but it is worth noting that the total bilateral trade is just over $5 billion and is dominated by the diamond trade.

While preparing to be a facilitator through visa, flight, and other economic opportunities, Modi puts the private sector as the prime force behind the bilateral relations. This is in line with the de-centralisation of the bilateral relations since the mid-1990s when much of the focus moved away from the national capital to states and from political issues to economic development.

By normalising Israel within Indias West Asian interests and policy, Modi has done the political work and signalled a warmer political climate vis-a-vis Israel. He has used his charm offensive to reach out to the ordinary Israeli and the local media, which normally cover local and sensational issues. The result: Local media devoted considerable space to Modis visit. The murmurs against Netanyahu spending the whole three days with Modi were also far limited by Israeli standards. Now it is up to the business communities of both the countries to take things forward.

PR Kumaraswamy teaches at Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi

The views expressed are personal
Security forces in North Sinai have successfully foiled a terrorist assault on some checkpoints south of Rafah, killing 40 militants," the army said in a statement

The Egyptian military said on Friday that 26 army personnel were killed or injured by car bombs targeting a security checkpoint near Rafah in North Sinai, and that the army had killed 40 militants in the attacks.

"Security forces in North Sinai have successfully foiled a terrorist assault on some checkpoints south of Rafah, killing 40 militants," the army said in a statement.

"Forces at one checkpoint were targeted by [a number of] car bombs, which killed and injured 26 personnel," the statement added.

The army did not provide a breakdown of the casualties. No group has claimed responsibility for the attacks.

A number of foreign states have issued statements via foreign ministries or diplomatic missions condemning the attacks, among them Germany, the UK, Kuwait, and the UAE.

Arab states also condemned the attack with Kuwait, UAE and Tunisia expressing their support for Egypts war on terrorism.

Security forces have been battling an Islamist insurgency for several years in North Sinai; militants have killed hundreds of security personnel. Egyptian troops have also killed hundreds of militants during operations in the border region.

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Actor Rana Daggubati feels Nivetha Thomas, whose film Ninnu Kori is slated to hit the screens worldwide on Friday, is Telugu cinemas best find in recent times.

Rana attended a special screening of the film on Wednesday night.

Post the screening, he tweeted: Saw a beautiful film with some exceptional performers. Ninnu Kori. So happy and proud that Im working in a time of such brilliant people.

Directed by Shiva Nirvana, Ninnu Kori also stars Nani and Aadi Pinisetty.

Rana went on to add, Nivetha, you are Telugu cinemas best find in recent times.

"A storyteller doesn't find the story it's the story that finds them" @i_nivethathomas you are Telugu cinema's best find in recent times.  Rana Daggubati (@RanaDaggubati) July 5, 2017

On the career front, Rana awaits the release of Telugu political drama Nene Raju Nene Mantri.

In June, he made his television debut with the show, No.1 Yaari with Rana, and it has been well received so far.

Follow @htshowbiz for more

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Its going to be a beach wedding in Goa this October for Telugu cinemas favourite couple -- Samantha Ruth Prabhu and Naga Chaitanya. The two will get married on October 6.

The couple wanted a fun wedding and zeroed-in on Goa without much fuss. The couple has planned two weddings: First a traditional Hindu wedding followed by church nuptuals.

I love this pic of #chaisam. So much in love!! pic.twitter.com/8oVkmEAFXW  Nagarjuna Akkineni (@iamnagarjuna) January 30, 2017

It will be a weekend wedding with just a close bunch of friends and family  say a 100-odd people. There will be a traditional Telugu ceremony on Day 1. The following Sunday, there will be a Christian wedding at a heritage church in Goa, where Sam and Chai will exchange vows, a source was quoted as saying by Times of India.

Chaitanya and Samantha, who have been in a relationship for a long time, officially got engaged on January 29 in Hyderabad. The two first met on the sets of Gautham Vasudev Menons Telugu romantic-drama Ye Maaya Chesave (2010), and went on to work together in films such as Autonagar Surya and Manam.

Post his engagement, Chaitanya was quoted as saying in agencies. Wherever I go, Im asked about my marriage. Honestly, theres no pressure anymore because everybody knows. I believe this phase... where people constantly want to know about my marriage...it wont last long. Nobody is going to ask me this question next year.

#Chaisam It's official now. My mother is my daughter now. Couldn't be happier!!more pics to come pic.twitter.com/YTv2RULSMO  Nagarjuna Akkineni (@iamnagarjuna) January 29, 2017

Meanwhile, Chaitanya has also confirmed that Samantha intends to continue acting after marriage. When he did admit to being in a relationship in October 2016, he had said then that he wont stop Samantha from acting after marriage. I dont think Id ever tell her what she should and shouldnt do. Im proud of her growth as an actress and I will encourage her to continue working. It was through sheer talent and hard work she got where she is today. I dont think she should throw away her successful career because of marriage, Chaitanya said.

Samantha, will be doing a pivotal role in upcoming Telugu horror-comedy Raju Gari Gadhi 2 which also stars her soon-to-be father-in-law and actor Akkineni Nagarjuna. The film is the sequel to 2015 Telugu sleeper hit Raju Garu Gadhi.

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Iceland is Europes fastest growing travel destination of 2017 so far, marking a six-year streak that shows no sign of slowing. In the latest edition of the European Travel Commissions 2017 travel and trends report, Iceland reported a 56% spike in visits in the first four months of the year compared to the same period of 2016.

The Nordic nation has been the top-performing European growth destination since 2012, with movies and shows like Game of Thrones,The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and Interstellar shining the spotlight on the country and inspiring wanderlust in intrepid travellers. Clever and aggressive tourism marketing campaigns have also helped sell the country on its otherworldly landscape, unique, natural surroundings and friendly Icelanders in recent years.

Over the last five years, growth per annum has averaged 25% to the country, with 2016 recording an whopping 40% growth. But analysts expect the streak to slow in the coming years, owing to accommodation capacity and other infrastructure constraints which are having a hard time keeping up with the tourism boom.

Meanwhile, following a sizable gap, Montenegro is the second fastest-growing destination in Europe of 2017 so far, posting 25% growth compared to last year. Rounding out the top five spots are Malta, Finland and Cyprus.

The report also notes that Finland has become especially interesting for Chinese travelers, with a sizable number of arrivals from China this year. A similar trend is also seen for Estonia. Improved air connectivity is credited with helping Portugal, Serbia and Croatia boost their arrivals numbers, while Croatia and Bulgaria also saw a notable increase in visitors from the UK.

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Kolkata Police arrested actor Vikram Chatterjee after midnight on Thursday for his role in the car crash that killed his co-passenger, popular model and TV host, Sonika Chauhan in Kolkata on April 29. Sonika was in the seat beside Chatterjee, who was driving the car.

Here are 10 things to know about the case:

1. Popular face in the world of modelling, Sonika Chauhan died on April 29 when the car hit a pavement. The car was being driven by TV serial actor Vikram Chatterjee allegedly in a drunken condition.

2. It has been alleged that Vikram consumed alcohol at a party and also while he was driving the car. Forensic reports on a bottle found inside the car have also indicated that it contained alcohol.

3. Police was looking for the actor over the past few weeks. He was on the run.

4. Forensic reports indicated that the car was moving at a speed well over 100 kmph.

5. Sonikas friends gave confidential statements to a magistrate. Those statements contradicted the ones given by the actor. Forensic findings also went against him.

6. Initially, Vikram Chatterjee denied that he had consumed alcohol, but he admitted it later. His father alleged that the airbags of the Toyota car did not activate, otherwise Chauhan would have survived.

7. There were allegations that police were trying to treat the actor leniently. His blood samples were taken as many as nine days after the incident

8. The two were taken to a hospital about 6 km from the accident spot even when there were more than one hospital nearby. The public works minister, Aroop Biswas, a confidante of chief minister Mamata Banerjee, rushed to the hospital on learning about the incident.

9. The death split Kolkatas modelling and silver-screen world. Many of Sonikas friends accused Vikram Chatterjee of suppressing the truth.

10. The models friend organised a candlelight walk on May 8, 2017 demanding justice for Sonika. On May 30, 2017, Vikram was charged with culpable- homicide not amounting to murder, a non-bailable section, for Sonikas death.

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TV actors Divyanka Tripathi Dahiya and Vivek Dahiya are one of the most popular couples of Indian television. After dating each other for a couple of months, the couple tied the knot last year on July 8. As they gear up to celebrate their first wedding anniversary, the couple talks about their plan to head off to Europe soon. Read on to know what they love about each other, what they would like to change, and their plans to start a family.

What have you planned for your first wedding anniversary?

Vivek: When you are an actor, your lifestyle is such that you are not able to plan much. However, I wanted this year to be different and have planned nice vacation for the two of us. We will be leaving for Europe for our anniversary [July 8] and its going to be a celebration as well as a vacation for us.

Divyanka: We are flying off to Europe to celebrate the special day. Both of us are fond of travelling, and hence Vivek has planned this trip for me.

The actors say they are lucky to got to spend time with each other in Nach Baliye.

What surprises have you planned for each other?

Vivek: I have planned something, but it is very personal. I never talk about my surprises, because I dont want to reveal anything. The excitement will go away, if she reads about it anywhere.

Divyanka: Spending quality time together and being with each other in a new unexplored place, is what our first anniversary is going to be all about. We are looking forward to this long awaited break.

How would you describe your year together?

Vivek: The last year has been phenomenal. Thank God Nach Baliye happened. We got to know each other. This gave us the chance to work with each other and come closer. Before that, we were not getting any time to be with each other. Maximum, we would take two days out and go to Chandigarh once a month.

Divyanka: Its been wonderful! We have so many great memories starting from our traditional, multi-city monsoon wedding last year to learning and growing together along with some exciting trips to Paris, London, Cardiff, Sri Lanka, Udaipur and Goa.

The actors say they have never felt uncomfortable in the public glare.

You are one of the most loved celebrity couple. Does the media glare ever bother you?

Vivek: We have never got uncomfortable because of our fans. We have received tremendous love from them. Its beautiful to know that people love us. Where ever I go, my fans always ask me how Divyanka is, and I will feel odd if they stop doing that.

Divyanka: Its a part and parcel of being an actor. Its our fans, who wished for us to be together even before we had ever thought about it. The media then supported us in the journey we had. Hence, there are pros and cons to each and every industry and we accept both gracefully.

What is the one thing that you love about each other and what is it that you would want to change?

Vivek: The best thing about Divyanka is that she is so kind. Like you often see women bicker on things, but she isnt petty. She doesnt like to get into the nitty-gritty of things. What I dont like about her is that she should take care of herself more. I understand that she is a workaholic, but she needs to take care of her health too.

Divyanka: A relationship is never about changing each other but rather accepting each other the way you are. And I think we are perfect for each other - we understand each others thought process, respect each others decisions and hence what more can one ask for.

The actor couple say that they are in no hurry to start a family.

Now that you have been together for a year, are there any plans of starting a family?

Vivek: There are no plans as of now. We are both very ambitious and want to concentrate on our careers and make that part of our lives secure.

Divyanka: We are just completing one year and hence there is still time.

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Police arrested actor Vikram Chatterjee (29) in connection with the death of model and TV anchor Sonika Chauhan in an April car crash in Kolkata.

Chatterjee was earlier charged with culpable homicide not amounting to murder which is a non-bailable section (304) of the IPC. He was also charged with dangerous driving.

According to police sources, he was arrested late on Thursday night by officers of Tollygunge police station near Acropolis Mall in Kasba. The actor was missing for several days before his arrest.

Chatterjee will be produced in Alipore court on Friday.

The accident happened around 3:30am on April 29 when Vikram and Sonika were returning from a late night party. The car veered out of control, and hit a pavement. Sonika (27) was rushed to a hospital about six km away where she was declared dead.

Vikram was summoned to Tollygunge police station and questioned a few times earlier.

The Bengali TV serial and film industry was split over the incident, with a number of people questioning the apparently callous attitude of the police towards the investigation.

The actors blood samples were taken nine days after the incident and many questioned whether it would reveal anything at all.

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Floods engulfing parts of southern Japan are reported to have killed at least six people and left hundreds stranded as the torrents swept away roads and houses and destroyed schools.

The Kyodo news agency reported on Thursday that six people had died, with around 20 people still missing after unprecedented torrential rain caused rivers to burst their banks swamping parts of Kyushu, the southernmost of Japans four main islands.

Hundreds of thousands of people were ordered to flee as soldiers and emergency services battled to reach people cut off by torrents of swirling water or threatened by landslides.

We are in an extremely serious situation, deputy prime minister Taro Aso said, warning of the danger of collapsing hillsides and adding many people are still missing.

A defence forces personnel crosses a river during rescue operations in Asakura. (AFP Photo)

More than 50 centimetres (20 inches) of rain fell over 12 hours on Wednesday, the meteorological agency said, with downpours expected to continue through Friday, as the region grapples with the aftermath of a typhoon that ravaged the country this week.

Authorities lifted special heavy rain warnings for the hardest hit prefectures of Fukuoka and Oita, although other warnings for rain, landslides and flooding remained in place.

Cows are seen in the mud following heavy flooding in Asakura. (AFP Photo)

Four people died in the city of Asakura in Fukuoka prefecture, Kyodo said, while a further two died in Hita in Oita prefecture. Hundreds were believed to be in areas cut off by damaged roads.

Japan is deploying 7,800 police, rescue personnel and troops in affected areas of Kyushu, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said, telling reporters that there are about 20 people who are unaccounted for.

Residents walk on a damaged road to a safer place following the flooding caused by heavy rain in Asakura. (AP Photo)

Those included a child reportedly carried off by a fast- flowing river and a couple who had not been seen since their house was swept away.
A former Guantanamo Bay prisoner who pleaded guilty to killing a US soldier in Afghanistan has received a multimillion-dollar payment from Canadas government after a court ruling said his rights were abused, a Canadian official said Thursday night.

The official confirmed that Omar Khadr has been given the money. A different official also familiar with the deal said it is for $10.5 million Canadian dollars (US$8 million). Both insisted on speaking anonymously because they were not authorised to discuss the deal publicly.

The government and Khadrs lawyers negotiated the deal last month, based on a 2010 Supreme Court of Canada ruling that Canadian officials violated his rights at Guantanamo. The deal is expected to be announced Friday. A spokesman for the public safety minister declined to confirm a settlement payment was made.

News that Khadr would receive millions first leaked earlier week and sparked anger among many Canadians who consider him a terrorist.

The Canadian-born Khadr was 15 when he was captured by US troops following a firefight at a suspected al-Qaida compound in Afghanistan that resulted in the death of an American special forces medic, US Army Sgt. First Class Christopher Speer Khadr, who was suspected of throwing the grenade that killed Speer, was taken to Guantanamo and ultimately charged with war crimes by a military commission.

He pleaded guilty in 2010 to charges that included murder and was sentenced to eight years plus the time he had already spent in custody. He returned to Canada two years later to serve the remainder of his sentence and was released in May 2015 pending an appeal of his guilty plea, which he said was made under duress.

Khadr spent 10 years at Guantanamo. His case received international attention after some dubbed him a child soldier. He was the youngest and last Western detainee held at the US military prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

The ruling by the Supreme Court of Canada found that Canadian intelligence officials obtained evidence from Khadr under oppressive circumstances, such as sleep deprivation, during interrogations at Guantanamo Bay in 2003, and then shared that evidence with US officials.

Khadrs lawyers filed a $20 million wrongful imprisonment lawsuit against the Canadian government, arguing the government violated international law by not protecting its own citizen and conspired with the US in its abuse of Khadr.

The widow of Speer and another American soldier blinded by the grenade in Afghanistan filed a wrongful death and injury lawsuit against Khadr in 2014 fearing Khadr might get his hands on money from his wrongful imprisonment suit. A US judge granted them $134.2 million in damages in 2015.

Lawyers for the Speer family and the injured soldier, Sgt. Layne Morris, filed an application in Canadian court last month with the hope that any money paid by the Canadian government to Khadr would go toward the widow and Morris. Legal experts have said the application would be unlikely to succeed.

Don Winder, the lawyer for the Speer family and Morris, didnt immediately return messages Thursday night.

After his 2015 release from prison in Alberta, Omar Khadr apologised to the families of the victims. He said he rejects violent jihad and wants a fresh start to finish his education and work in health care. The 30-year-old currently resides in an apartment in Edmonton, Alberta.

His lawyers have long said he was pushed into war by his father, Ahmed Said Khadr, whose family stayed with Osama bin Laden briefly when Omar Khadr was a boy. Khadrs Egyptian-born father was killed in 2003 when a Pakistani military helicopter shelled the house where he was staying with senior al-Qaida operatives.
A senior Facebook official met Pakistans interior minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan on Friday to discuss a demand that the social media platform should remove blasphemous content or be blocked in the country, where it has more than 33 million users.

Khan met Joel Kaplan, Facebooks vice president dealing with global public policy, and discussed various steps and actions being taken to remove blasphemous content, the interior ministry said in a statement.

The meeting came after a Pakistani anti-terror court sentenced a man to death for comments on Facebook that were deemed blasphemous.

The interior ministry quoted Khan as saying that the Muslim Ummah (brotherhood) was greatly disturbed and had serious concerns over the misuse of social media platforms to spread blasphemous content. Nothing is more sacred to us than our religion and our holy personalities, he said.

Khan appreciated the understanding shown by Facebook and the cooperation extended to Pakistan on these issues. Pakistan believes in freedom of expression but that shouldnt include insulting Islam or fomenting religious tensions, he added.

Facebook described the meeting as constructive and said it had raised its concerns over recent court cases, according to an email cited by Reuters. Facebook also said it applied a strict legal process to any government request for data or content restrictions..

The social media behemoth also expressed its deep commitment to protecting the rights of people who use its service and to enabling them to express themselves freely and safely.

Khan said Pakistan is playing a proactive role in engaging internet service providers and finding solutions to the misuse of social media. A special meeting of ambassadors of Muslim countries had been convened in March with a single point agenda  blasphemous content on social media and how to effectively raise the voice of the Muslim world.

Kaplan told Khan Facebook recently launched a digital literacy campaign, iChamp, that aims to touch secondary schools across Pakistan to educate youngsters on the benefits and safe use of the internet.

This programme will be supported by Facebooks Free Basics project, which provides free access to dozens of websites. Under the venture covering 76 districts across all four provinces, Gilgit-Baltistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, an estimated 600,000 students will be trained by experts with free handbooks and other resources.

Kaplan also said Facebook has reiterated its commitment to keep the platform safe and to promote values that are in congruence with its community standards. Social media site is also committed to removing fake accounts and explicit, hateful and provocative material that incites violence and terrorism, he added.
Protesters clashed with police, torched patrol cars and blocked roads in the German city of Hamburg on Friday in fresh violence just before the start of the G20 summit, police said.

An operation is under way against violent individuals who threw petrol bombs and set fire to patrol cars near a police station in the citys Altona district, federal police said on Twitter.

In the west of the city, a plume of black smoke was rising, and cars in some areas had been set alight, the local Hamburg police said separately.

Police said demonstrators had blocked several intersections and so-called transfer corridors -- roads designated to help delegations move between meetings.

On Thursday, a planned peaceful march by around 12,000 people protesting against globalisation turned violent.

At least 76 police officers were injured, a Hamburg police spokesman told AFP.

Fridays clashes occurred as leaders from the worlds 20 biggest developed and emerging economies were to begin a two-day meeting focussing on trade, terrorism, climate change and other key global issues.

Hamburg, a vibrant port city, is a citadel of leftwing radicals and authorities have long been bracing for possible violence on the sidelines of the summit.

The German police officers union GdP on Friday hit out at anarchist groups called the Black Blocks, accusing them of hijacking peaceful demonstrations by tens of thousands of people to deliberately attack police.
The United States is making very good progress on trade issues with Mexico, US President Donald Trump said on Friday after a meeting with Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto, but he also repeated a pledge to make the southern neighbour pay for a border wall.

We are negotiating NAFTA and some other things with Mexico and well see how it all turns out, but I think that weve made very good progress, Trump said on Friday after the meeting at the Hamburg summit of 20 large economies.

Pena Nieto, whom Trump called his friend, added that the meeting would help us continue a very strong dialogue on NAFTA.

Disputes over migration, Trumps proposed border wall, which Mexico says it will not pay for, and his claim that free-trade with Mexico costs jobs in the U., have strained relations between the two countries since Trumps election.
With broad grins and a warm handshake, President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin warmed up for their historic encounter on Friday under the shadow of US outrage about Russian election-meddling and nagging questions about potential Trump campaign collusion.

Ahead of a formal, sit-down meeting, Trump and Putin were seen exchanging pleasantries as a leaders retreat got under way in Hamburg. As officials gathered around a table, Trump outstretched his hand to Putin and then patted his elbow and both men smiled. A brief video clip shows Trump casually patting Putin on the back as they stand side by side.

Video of the brief exchange was posted to Facebook by the German Cabinet. It was the first known in-person interaction between the two men, who have spoken by telephone since Trump was inaugurated in January.

The two leaders planned later Friday to hold longer talks on Syria and other issues on the sidelines of the Group of 20 summit of industrialised and developing nations. The White House said it has scheduled 35 minutes for the meeting.

Much to discuss, Trump tweeted in advance of the encounter.

The heavily anticipated meeting is being closely scrutinised for signs of how friendly a rapport Trump and Putin will have. Trumps predecessor, President Barack Obama, had notoriously strained ties to Putin, and Trump has expressed an interest in a better U.S.-Russia relationship. But deep skepticism about Russia in the U.S. and ongoing investigations into whether Trumps campaign coordinated with Moscow during last years election have made a US-Russia detente politically risky for Trump.

As leaders gathered at a summit hall in Hamburg for a group photo, Trump and Putin stood on opposite sides of the tableau. Putin chatted casually with German Chancellor Angela Merkel before taking his spot for the photo next to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. After the cameras snapped away, Merkel, in the center, dismissed the group with a firm nod of the head.

In the lead-up to the meeting, Trump, during a speech in Warsaw on Thursday, urged Russia to cease its destabilizing activities in Ukraine and elsewhere and its support for hostile regimes  including Syria and Iran  and to instead join the community of responsible nations in our fight against common enemies and in defense of civilization itself.

But much of the focus  both in Washington and Moscow  will be on whether Trump broaches the issue of Russias meddling in the election.

During a news conference in Poland on Thursday, Trump again refused to accept the conclusion by multiple US intelligence agencies that Russia interfered to try to help Trump win last November. Trump said it could have been Russia, but that other countries could have meddled, too.

Nobody really knows for sure, Trump said.

US lawmakers and federal investigators continue to look into Russias election interference, along with possible collusion between Trump campaign associates and Russian government officials. That puts Trump under intense scrutiny over how he handles the sit-down with Putin, a former Russian intelligence agent known to come to meetings like this well-prepared.

Trump, who likes to have neatly packaged achievements to pair with high-profile meetings, may seek some concessions from Russia to show hes delivering progress and helping restore a once-productive relationship that he recently described as being at an all-time low. Putin would almost certainly want something in return.

The list of issues ranges from Syria to Iran to Ukraine, and now North Korea, following Pyongyangs test this week of a missile capable of striking the US.

Russia wants the US to return the two compounds in New York and Maryland that were seized by the Obama administration as punishment for election meddling. It also wants the US to ease sanctions it imposed on Russia after Putin annexed the Crimean Peninsula, and over Russias support of separatist elements in Ukraine.

The U.S. wants a resumption of adoptions of Russian children by American parents, which Russia banned in 2012, along with an end to what it claims is intensifying harassment of US diplomats and other officials stationed in Russia.

Lawmakers in both political parties say Trump must confront Putin over the election.

Several senior Democratic US senators served notice Thursday that Trump would be in severe dereliction of his presidential duty if he fails to confront Putin over the issue, telling Trump in a letter that he must make clear that Russias interference in US democracy will not be tolerated.

The upcoming elections cannot be a playground for President Putin, said Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York; Dick Durbin of Illinois, the Senates No. 2 Democrat; and the top Democrats on the Intelligence, Armed Services, and Foreign Relations committees.

Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said this week that he will raise holy hell if Trump goes soft on Putin. It is very important for us to make a statement that Russia does not meddle not just in our elections, here and the future, but in our allies, he said.

Every detail of the Trump-Putin meeting will be scrutinized, from their facial expressions to the color of their neckties to how they shake hands.

The big thing to watch will be what Putin asks for and what he offers in return and whether theres a sense of receptivity on the presidents part, said Derek Chollet, executive vice president and senior adviser for security and defense policy at the German Marshall Fund, a Washington think tank.

Before Putin, Trump will try to manage another rocky international relationship when he meets with Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto.

Pena Nieto had been scheduled to visit the White House shortly after Trump took office, but he scrapped the trip at the last minute due to disagreement with Trump over the U.S. presidents insistence that Mexico pay for the wall he has vowed to build along the U.S.-Mexico border to deter illegal immigration. Pena Nieto insists Mexico will not pay.

Trump has vowed to tighten border security and crack down on undocumented workers and drug cartels, but he has been less firm on getting Mexico to pay for the wall.

He reassured Pena Nieto in April that he would not pull out of the North American Free Trade Agreement, which involves the US, Mexico and Canada. But Trump said he could still withdraw if he concludes that a renegotiated pact would not produce a fair deal for all sides.

The Putin meeting is the highlight of a hectic, four-day European visit for Trump, who addressed thousands of Poles in an outdoor speech in Warsaw, Poland, on Thursday. He met in Germany with Chancellor Angela Merkel, the summit host, and had dinner with two Asian allies  Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and South Korean President Moon Jae-in  to discuss North Koreas aggression.

The Group of 20 gathering of the worlds leading rich and developing nations is the first since Trump announced that the U.S. would withdraw from the Paris climate agreement, deeply disappointing Merkel and other U.S. allies who had hoped to maintain momentum in battling climate change. Even as Trump has said in vague terms he would like to renegotiate the Paris accord, European leaders have vowed to press forward.
Margaret Thatcher was a divisive figure as the Conservative prime minister between 1979 and 1990, but indications are that she still splits opinion despite passing away in 2013  there are fears that if her statue is installed in Parliament Square, it may be vandalised.

The most recent statue installed in the square was of Mahatma Gandhi before the 2015 general election. His is one of 11 statues that include Nelson Mandela, Winston Churchill and Abraham Lincoln. Thatchers statue has been created by sculptor Douglas Jennings.

Prime Minister Theresa May  the second woman to be British prime minister after Thatcher  said on Friday that concerns over vandalism should not stop the plan to install the statue from going ahead.

May told BBC: I understand there are a number of issues that have been raised around the statue. What Im very clear about is there should be no suggestion that the threat of vandalism should stop a statue of Margaret Thatcher from being put up.

Besides concerns over vandalism, there are objections from Thatchers family and Royal Parks. The plan was to install it between the statues of George Canning and Abraham Lincoln on the west side of the square, but it has now been officially turned down.

The Parliamentary Estate, which has also objected to the proposal, pointed out there is already a statue of Thatcher in the House of Commons. The Westminster Councils planning guidelines say that the square is within the monument saturation zone, considered unsuitable for new memorials.

It is also a rule that statues are not installed within 10 years of the subjects death.

A Royal Parks spokesman said: Numerous times we have requested assurances from the applicant that they have approval from the family for the statue. To date we have not had those assurances.

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Chinas sole operating aircraft carrier arrived on its first port call to Hong Kong on Friday as part of efforts to stir patriotism amid commemorations of the citys handover from British to Chinese rule 20 years ago.

The Liaoning steamed into port with its escort of two guided missile destroyers and a missile frigate, dropping anchor at a naval base across from the skyscrapers of Hong Kong Island.

China's sole aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, arrives in Hong Kong waters on July 7, 2017, less than a week after a high-profile visit by president Xi Jinping. (AFP)

Authorities are distributing 2,000 tickets for visits to the ships, limited to Hong Kong permanent residents.

In keeping with the high security accompanying last weeks formal anniversary of the July 1, 1997, handover, the area surrounding the naval base has been made a no-fly zone from Friday through Tuesday, the South China Morning Post reported. The order bars all aircraft apart from official ones, along with drones, model aircraft, kites and balloons, the paper said.

Last weeks celebrations were highlighted by the presence of Chinese President Xi Jinping, who inspected troops of the Peoples Liberation Armys Hong Kong garrison and delivered a hard-line speech aimed at pro-democracy activists in the territory.

The Liaoning, the China's first domestically built aircraft carrier, sails into Hong Kong for port call on July 7, 2017 to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) garrison's presence in the semi-autonomous Chinese city and former British colony. (AP)

Increasingly riven by political divisions, Hong Kong returned to Chinese rule under the one country, two systems framework that allowed it to keep its own freedoms and institutions for 50 years. However, many see Beijing as tightening its grip on the thriving financial center by stonewalling calls for democratic reforms and expanding its control over the media.

Meanwhile, Chinese authorities are turning to events such as the Liaonings visit in hopes of stirring pride in Chinas accomplishments and identification with the communist government in Beijing.

As the ships pulled in, they were welcomed with gongs, lion dancers, flag-waving greeters and plumes of spray from fire boats.

Aircraft carrier Liaoning sails into Hong Kong. (Reuters)

Rear Adm. Ding Yi, commander of the Liaoning battle group, said the visit would showcase Chinas progress in developing its navy.

Our navy group is here in Hong Kong to take part in celebrations, and this will enable our Hong Kong compatriots to enhance their understanding of the development of our military, Ding said after stepping off the Yinchuan, a destroyer.

Hong Kong residents take photos as China's aircraft carrier Liaoning arrives in Hong Kong on July 7, 2017. (AFP)

Addressing the gathering, newly inaugurated Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam thanked Beijing for allowing the carriers visit, according to the SCMP.

This will greatly enhance Hong Kong citizens understanding and recognition of the country, the paper quoted her as saying.

The Liaoning, China's first aircraft carrier, right top, sails into Hong Kong for a port call, Friday, July 7, 2017. (AP)

Commissioned in 2012, the Liaoning was built from an unfinished carrier purchased from Ukraine. It carries Chinese J-15 fighter jets along with helicopters and was undergoing exercises at sea before arriving in Hong Kong.

Chinas second aircraft carrier is being produced domestically based on the Liaoning and is undergoing final preparations before its commissioning.

Fighter jets and helicopters on board China's aircraft carrier Liaoning as it sails into Hong Kong on July 7, 2017. (Reuters)
India launched 12 investigations against Chinese products this year, second only to the US, as New Delhi became more protective of its manufacturing sector, the Chinese state media said on Friday.

The measures by India against Chinese products came amid a rise in bilateral trade, according to the latest statistics from the General Administration of Customs (GAC) .

Bilateral trade between China and India amounted to 229 billion yuan ($33.7 billion) between January and May, up by 30.1% year-on-year, state-controlled China Daily reported, quoting figures released by GAC.

Officials told the newspaper that India was increasingly protective of its manufacturing sector, and more so in the high-end products segment.

We have also discovered that India's trend of launching trade remedy investigations has already shifted from lower-end products, such as garments, glass and mining products, to higher-end goods such as new materials and machinery, said Xue Rongjiu, deputy director of the Beijing-based China Society for WTO Studies.

Indias investigations into Chinese goods included cases against aluminium foil and photovoltaic products.

Because India's manufacturing structure is similar to China's, especially in the lighting and photovoltaic industries, both are facing the same problem to boost exports to developed markets, said Li Gang, vice-president of the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation in Beijing.

Li argued that because of the similarity of the manufacturing sectors of the two sides, India has become more protective for its own factory business while competing with China in third-party markets.

It has also adopted trade-remedy measures against countries including the United States, Ukraine, Iran and Kenya on a number of agricultural and manufacturing products, the report said.

Though bilateral trade has increased, according to latest data, India continues to have a major trade deficit with China, the worlds second largest economy with an $ 11 trillion valuation.

In 2016, the deficit was around $52 billion in trade valued at $70 billion. The deficit widened since the export of iron ore to China declined.

An increase in iron ore exports from India to China in the first four months of 2017 has contributed to a rise in bilateral trade. The iron ore exports were valued at $ 1.04 billion, an increase of almost 45% over the same period last year.
A man who claimed to be a US senator and tried to get inside Trump Tower to see Ivanka Trump has been arrested, police said.

NBC New York said the man had two knives on him when he tried to get into US President Donald Trumps New York City home on Thursday and asked for Ivanka.

Police said he had a bullet-resistant vest and a fake ID.

Adames Benitez, 52, was arrested on charges of criminal possession of a weapon and possession of a forged instrument. Police said he appeared to be mentally unstable.

Ivanka Trump lives in Washington.
Nepal is sending a high-level team to India to convey its concerns over the impact of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) amid fears in official circles in Kathmandu that New Delhis new tax regime could increase the prices of imported goods.

The GST regime, implemented by New Delhi on July 1, has already started impacting the economy of Nepal, which is largely dependent on India for imports and also uses Indian ports such as Kolkata for exports.

Under the new regime, prices of goods imported from India will shoot up and goods imported from third countries via India will become more expensive, officials said. Authorities at Kolkata port, through which Nepal exclusively imports goods from third countries, have started imposing additional service charges and cargo-handling charges.

The Nepalese team will visit New Delhi next week, after Indian authorities expressed their readiness to sort out issues, said commerce secretary Naiendra Uphadhyay.

Indian officials are organising a briefing with relevant stakeholders in New Delhi, where the two sides will find ways to lessen the tax burden, officials said.

Nepals commerce ministry has already written to its Indian counterpart to waive taxes on Nepal-bound goods and items exported via India. The finance and commerce ministries have also constituted two panels to study the impact of GST on Nepals economy.

Our concern is that India should not impose taxes on goods that Nepal imports from India as well as goods we import via Indian ports. Nepal has trade and transit treaties with India and our demands are all trade and transit-related matters should be governed by the provisions of the treaties, not by changes in the tax regime, said one official.

As a landlocked country, Nepal should get a waiver, officials said.

Deputy prime minister Krishan Bahadur Mahara raised Nepals concern with external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj during a visit to India this week and urged her to intervene.

Reports in the Nepalese media suggested imports and exports have slowed down due to the GST and confusion on the Indian side about the tax to be levied on export and import goods.
Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai made her debut on Twitter on Friday evening with a simple Hi.

The 19-year-old joined the social media platform following her last day in school and within an hour-and-a-half had a 115,000 followers.

Today is my last day of school and my first day on @Twitter [THREAD]  Malala (@Malala) July 7, 2017

Graduating from secondary school (high school) is bittersweet for me. I'm excited about my future, but... 2/  Malala (@Malala) July 7, 2017

On Twitter, Yousafzai announced her Girl Power Trip to meet girls in the Middle East, Africa and Latin America.

On and off Twitter, I'm fighting for girls  will you join me? 6/  Malala (@Malala) July 7, 2017

The Pakistani education activist came into prominence when a Taliban gunman shot her in the head in 2012 as she was leaving school in Pakistans Swat Valley, northwest of the countrys capital Islamabad. She was targeted for her campaign against efforts by the Taliban to deny women education.

In 2014, at 17 years of age she became the youngest person to win the Nobel peace prize. In the years since, Yousafzai has become a regular speaker on the global stage, championing girls education.

She lives in Britain, where she received medical treatment after she was shot, and completed her secondary education.
Pakistans oil and gas regulator on Friday ordered a subsidiary of Royal Dutch Shell to pay about 257 million rupees ($2.4 million) in damages and compensation for a tanker explosion that killed more than 200 people last month.

The Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) has held Shell Pakistan Ltd (SPL) responsible for the blast in Punjab province on June 25 after the tanker carrying gasoline for the company rolled over, and villagers rushed to collect leaking fuel.

The road accident was caused by non-professional driving/vehicle being lesser than required specs, the authority said in a report seen by Reuters.

The report shows that they have completely ignored the safety standards of the vehicles procured from the contractors, OGRA spokesman Imran Ghaznavi told Reuters, referring to Shell Pakistan.

Officials from the company could not immediately be reached for comment.

The company earlier issued a statement saying: Road safety is a priority at Shell. Our transport vehicles undergo regular maintenance and checks to ensure road worthiness.

At least 217 people were killed in the explosion and 61 were injured, according to Amir Mehmood, spokesman for Victoria Hospital in nearby Bahawalpur city.

The energy regulator ordered Shell Pakistan to pay a penalty of 10 million rupees ($95,000).

In addition, the regulator ordered the company to pay one million rupees ($9,478) in compensation to the families of each of those killed and half a million ($52,750) for each person injured.

The regulator also ordered the company to upgrade its infrastructure in line with its standards.

The OGRA sent a letter to the company on Monday asking for a detailed report on the accident but the authority had not got a reply, Ghaznavi said.

The company has the right to appeal against the fine and compensation demand, he said.
The Paris prosecutors office is investigating suspected irregularities in the organisation of a high-profile trip to Las Vegas by President Emmanuel Macron when he was a French government minister.

The prosecutors office said a formal judicial inquiry was opened on Friday into the case after a preliminary anti-corruption probe into the organization of the 2016 trip to the Consumer Electronics Show.

The inquiry is for favoritism but does not name a suspected perpetrator yet, leaving it to investigators to determine later who might be at fault.

Macron was economy minister at the time and used the trip to promote French technology startups.

The company tasked with organizing the trip is believed to have won the contract without going through proper open tender procedures, among other suspected problems.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry had phone calls with his Russian and Kuwaiti counterparts on Thursday and discussed the results of a recent meeting between the four Arab countries boycotting Qatar, as well as ways to boost the fight against terrorism.

Shoukry told Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov that the four countries, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt, have reaffirmed their rejection of "Qatar's support for terrorism and extremism, and of their demands of Qatar in this regard, according to a foreign ministry statement.

Last month, the four Arab states severed diplomatic ties and transport links with Qatar, accusing the oil-rich Gulf state of supporting terrorism and supporting regional foe Iran. Doha has denied the accusations.

Foreign ministers from the four countries convened in Cairo two days ago as a 10-day deadline for Doha to meet their demands had expired. They condemned Qatars response as "not serious and "negative."

The four states said late on Thursday that Doha's refusal to abide by a list of demands they had issued it, proves its links to terror groups, pledging to take new political, economic and legal measures against it.

During Thursday's phone conversation with Lavrov, Shoukry called on the international community to boost the fight against terrorism and the crackdown on the financing of terrorist groups.

The two leaders also discussed the Syrian crisis ahead of upcoming peace talks between Syrian government and opposition scheduled in Geneva this month.

The duo agreed to convene in Cairo or Moscow soon to discuss issues of mutual interest.

Also on Thursday, Shoukry received a phone call from Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khalid Al-Sabah during which the pair discussed the Cairo talks to solve the rift with Doha.

Al-Sabah promised to visit Cairo soon to carry a message to Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi.

Kuwait has been acting as a mediator since the beginning of the crisis with Doha.





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China on Friday accused India of ulterior motives in claiming the entire Doklam or Donglang region as part of the tri-junction with Bhutan, saying New Delhis stance went against its acceptance of a British-era convention on national boundaries in the area.

The alleged trespass by Indian troops occurred at a considerable distance from the point defined by China as the tri-junction, foreign ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang told a regular news briefing.

The so-called tri-junction point, as its name implies, is a point instead of a line or area. The 1890 convention between Great Britain and China relating to Tibet and Sikkim (shows that the point) commences at Mount Gipmochi in the east and follows the water-parting until it meets Nepal, he said.

The illegal trespass by Indian troops had occurred at a point 2,000 metres from Mount Gipmochi and had nothing to do with tri-junction point, he contended.

In disregard of the boundary convention, the Indian side takes entire Doklam region as part of tri-junction...The Indian side introduced idea of tri-junction point into the incident and attempts to enlarge the point into an area. That is absurd and out of ulterior motives, he said.

India and China have been locked in a tense standoff in the Sikkim sector since Indian troops opposed the construction of a road by Chinese troops at Donglang, which is claimed by Bhutan. India has said its troops were acting in coordination with the Bhutan government.

New Delhi and Thimphu have asked Beijing to maintain status quo in the region. But China responded by accusing Indian troops of illegally crossing the frontier and obstructing the activities of its forces.

India and Bhutans perception of the tri-junction differs from that of China, and a Chinese map has depicted the point far south of its depiction on Indian maps.

Geng noted that successive Indian governments had recognised the 1890 convention.

The Indian government has repeatedly recognised the effectiveness of the 1890 convention on the boundary between Tibet and Sikkim. It has nothing to do with 1962 war since (the boundary) is already recognised by the Indian side. Once it has been recognised, the convention has been effective. It has nothing to do with passing of time or changing of governments, he said.

Geng dismissed the contention of Indias external affairs ministry that China violated the understanding reached on the tri-junction by the Special Representatives, who head the mechanism to resolve the bilateral boundary dispute.

To tell you clearly, there is no breach, no violation (of the understanding between the Special Representatives). We always believed that the line is not an area. By equating the point with an area, it is the introduction of a new concept (by India), he said.

A statement issued by the external affairs ministry last Friday said the Indian side has underlined that the two governments had in 2012 reached agreement that the tri-junction boundary points between India, China and third countries will be finalised in consultation with the concerned countries. It added that any attempt to unilaterally determine the tri-junction point is in violation of this understanding.

The statement further said that India and China had also reached an understanding in 2012 reconfirming their mutual agreement on the basis of the alignment of the boundary in the Sikkim sector.
Soon after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping exchanged greetings at an informal meeting of BRICS leaders in Hamburg, Chinas state-run media again said Indian troops should immediately withdraw from the Donglang region as a precondition for dialogue.

The interaction between Modi and Xi, who had a conversation on a range of issues, raised hopes of a possible end to the three-week-old standoff between Indian and Chinese troops in the Sikkim sector.

However, a commentary by state-run Xinhua news agency headlined Immediate withdrawal is only wise move for India said India should pull back its trespassing troops as a precondition for any meaningful dialogue between the two sides.

The commentary reinforced Chinas position that a resolution of the standoff is possible only if India orders its troops to withdraw.

The standoff began on July 16 after Indian troops opposed the construction of a road by the Chinese army at Donglang or Doklam, which is claimed by Bhutan. India has said its troops were acting in coordination with the Bhutan government and both countries have asked China to maintain status quo.

India has tried to justify its incursion in the name of protecting Bhutan, arguing that Doklam is Bhutanese territory, the commentary said. It referred to a 1890 convention between Britain and China to contend that Doklam belongs to China.

This convention was inherited by India and confirmed by successive governments of the former British colony, it added.

Indias argument that the Chinese construction represents a significant change of status quo with serious security implications  is unconvincing, the commentary said.

By creating disputes in Doklam, India seeks to obstruct border negotiations between China and Bhutan, and follow its own ulterior motives in the area, it said.

Moreover, India has no right to interfere in China-Bhutan boundary issues, nor is it entitled to make territorial claims on behalf of Bhutan.

The commentary accused India of breaking the status quo by trespassing onto Chinese soil.

The commentary ended with a word of advice: It is clear that if the Chinese Dragon and the Indian Elephant co-exist harmoniously and achieve peaceful, cooperative development, it will benefit not only their combined 2.7 billion people, but also those living beyond their borders.

Otherwise, a spiral of bilateral rivalry would definitely result in a slow down in their growth.
An assertive US president willing to tear up existing deals. Clashing positions over trade and climate change. North Korea launching a long-range missile. A global economy that is growing but leaves many people out.

A lot is on the table at this years summit of world leaders from the Group of 20 (G20), a group of countries that make up over 80% of the global economy.

Here is a quick rundown:

Trump and Putin

US President Donald Trump will have a keenly watched one-on-one meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, which comes amid congressional and FBI investigations into links between Trumps campaign aides and Russia. Moscow and Washington have sharply divergent views on the Syrian war, the Ukrainian crisis and other issues on the agenda, making any quick deals unlikely.

In a speech in Warsaw ahead of the summit, Trump sought to demonstrate that he was not overlooking Russian behaviour. We urge Russia to cease its destabilising activities in Ukraine and elsewhere, and its support for hostile regimes, including Syria and Iran, and to join the community of responsible nations in our fight against common enemies and in defense of civilisation itself, he said.

Trade

The Group of 20 typically includes a vow to support free trade and a ban on all forms of protectionism. But that was before Trump joined the group.

Trump says trade has to be fair to American companies and workers, not just free and open.

The European Union, a G20 member, is countering by announcing a free-trade deal with Japan and insisting that the protectionism ban needs to stay. The protectionism reference was dropped by the smaller Group of 7 summit in May after a tussle with the Trump administration and the new wording emphasizes free and fair.

Climate

Trumps announcement that the US will withdraw from the Paris climate treaty has put him sharply at odds with many other leaders, not least the summit host, German chancellor Angela Merkel. Yet shes eager to come up with a collective statement on the issue.

A woman holds a placard during a protest demonstration at the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany. (Reuters Photo)

That could include other countries expressing their commitment to exceed their treaty commitments to limit greenhouse gases as a response to Trump. The US could also at least commit to a global approach to fight global warming.

That possibility dismayed the environmental group Greenpeace. Spokesman Tobias Muenchmeyer said since emissions reductions would be implemented at the national level, a vague global pledge is a license to do nothing.

Growth is not enough

This year, the global economy is doing fairly well, and financial markets have been buoyant. But that has not reassured people across the developed world, where wages are stagnant and technological change and foreign competition are threatening jobs.

The G20 could agree on using the tools that governments have  budget and tax policy on top of central bank stimulus  to push the economy forward. Ways to soften the impact of trade and globalization could include more education and programs to help people who lose their jobs. The implementation, however, is left up to national governments.

Lets see what we can accomplish together, said Merkel as the summit began. I think that globalisation can be managed so that it is a win-win situation, where there are winners there dont always have to be losers.

North Korea

North Korea is not on the official agenda and probably wont be discussed in the final summit statement. But that does not mean it will not be discussed on the sidelines, with key players the US, China, and South Korea all in attendance.

Trump warned North Korea that he is considering some pretty severe things in response to the isolated nations unprecedented launch this week of a missile capable of reaching the US. He offered no details, but called on all nations to confront North Koreas very, very bad behaviour.
US President Donald Trump voiced optimism that there are very positive things in store for the United States and Russia as he sat down with President Vladimir Putin on Friday for an historic first meeting.

Seated next to Putin in Germany, Trump said it was an honour to be with Putin. As journalists were briefly allowed in to witness part of the meeting, Trump said that he and Putin had already held very, very good talks.

We look forward to a lot of very positive things happening for Russia, for the United States and for everybody concerned, Trump said.

Putin said he had a long conversation with Trump, and that many issues have piled up, including Ukraine, Syria, some bilateral and other issues. He said he and Trump also spoke about fighting terrorism and cybersecurity during their two-plus-hour meeting.

With secretary of state Rex Tillerson at his side, Trump sat in front of an American flag with his hands clasped together in triangle formation. Putin, slightly hunched in his chair, rubbed his fingers together as he listened to Trump address reporters. His foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov, sat nearby.

Trump raised US concerns about Moscows meddling in the 2016 presidential election, US secretary of state Rex Tillerson said. He said Putin denied being involved.

Trumps decision to confront Putin directly over election interference fulfilled ardent demands by US lawmakers of both parties that the president not shy away from the issue in his highly anticipated meeting with Putin.

Trump has avoided stating unequivocally in the past that Russia interfered, even as investigations proceed into whether Trumps campaign colluded with Russians who sought to help him win.

Putins denial of culpability notwithstanding, he and Trump agreed that the issue has become a hindrance to better relations between the two powers, said Tillerson.

Tillerson said the two leaders had agreed to continue the discussion, with an eye toward securing a commitment that Russia wont interfere in U.S. affairs in the future.

I think the president is rightly focused on how do we move forward from something that may be an intractable disagreement at this point, Tillerson said.

In their meeting, the two also discussed a ceasefire deal for southwestern Syria that was reached by Russia and the United States and first reported Friday by The Associated Press.

Phone conversations are never enough definitely, Putin had said earlier. If you want to have a positive outcome in bilaterals and be able to resolve most international policy issues, that will really need personal meetings.

Then the leaders shook hands firmly but briefly before reporters were escorted out of the room.

US President Donald Trump meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin during their bilateral meeting at the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany. (Reuters Photo)

Both kept their composure amid the commotion of cameras clicking and journalists lobbying questions as anxious aides moved about nearby. The US leaders son, Donald Trump Jr, took to Twitter to say the noise from the cameras made it difficult to even hear the two leaders words.

How many pictures do you need of the same scene? he said.

The heavily anticipated meeting was closely scrutinized for signs of how friendly a rapport Trump and Putin will have. Trumps predecessor, President Barack Obama, had notoriously strained ties to Putin, and Trump has expressed an interest in a better US-Russia relationship. But deep skepticism about Russia in the US and ongoing investigations into whether Trumps campaign coordinated with Moscow during last years election have made a US-Russia detente politically risky for Trump.

In a prelude to their formal sit-down, Trump and Putin shook hands and exchanged broad grins earlier Friday in a brief exchange caught on video as a leaders retreat got under way in Hamburg. A brief video clip showed Trump outstretching his hand to Putin as officials gathered around a table, then patting Putins elbow as both men smiled. In another clip, Trump casually patted Putin on the back as they stood side by side.

Video of the brief exchange was posted to Facebook by the German Cabinet. It was the first known in-person interaction between the two men.

Trump alluded to the campaign controversy as he started the day with a jab at his vanquished Democratic opponent, Hillary Clinton. He wrote on Twitter that everyone here is talking about her campaign chairmans disgraceful response after the FBI discovered Democratic Party computers were hacked  a breach later blamed on Russia.

Outside the summit site, anti-globalization protesters were causing problems for first lady Melania Trump, who was kept from joining other leaders spouses for their own program of events. Mrs. Trumps office said local police hadnt cleared her to leave the government guest house where she and Trump were staying because of the protests, in which demonstrators set dozens of cars ablaze.

In the lead-up to the meeting, Trump used a speech in Warsaw on Thursday to voice a list of grievances about Russia. He urged Putins government to cease its destabilising activities in Ukraine and elsewhere and its support for hostile regimes  including Syria and Iran  and to instead join the community of responsible nations in our fight against common enemies and in defense of civilization itself.
US President Donald Trump meets Russian leader Vladimir Putin for the first time Friday, in an eagerly awaited encounter at a G20 summit marked by the growing divide between America and its Western allies.

On the eve of a face-off that carries consequences for world crises including the wars in Syria and Ukraine, Trump set the tone Thursday with a strong attack against Moscow for its destabilising actions.

The property tycoon and the ex-KGB agents first meeting promises to be dissected frame by frame, with their handshake and body language to be scrutinised for any sign of rapprochement or estrangement.

While Trumps pro-wrestling approach is showy, bombastic and impulsive, Putin thrives on judos discipline and mental toughness, where a core technique is to keep an opponent off-balance and exploit his weakness, noted Derek Chollet from think-tank German Marshall Fund.

Read more | Merkel hopes for G20 win-win solutions, police brace for protests in Germany

How these contrasting styles of machismo interact... will likely be the defining feature of their relationship moving forward.

The Kremlin said the meeting was crucial for regional security and stability, with Putin saying earlier this year that US-Russia ties appeared to have deteriorated under Trump.

The blockbuster bilateral comes on the sidelines of what is expected to be the most fraught G20 summit in years in the German city of Hamburg.

Trumps America First and climate sceptic stance are set to test the relationship with longstanding allies, while North Korea adds more volatility to global security.

Scenes outside the heavily guarded conference hall were also stormy, as anti-globalisation protesters fought running battles overnight with police, who fired tear gas and used water cannon to disperse extreme-left Black Bloc militants late Thursday.

Read more | G20 Summit: Counter-terrorism, climate change may hog agenda

- End destabilising action -

Trump had alarmed Western partners wary of a resurgent Moscow with his refrain on the campaign trail pledging to have a great relationship with Putin and Russia.

But amid accusations that Moscow had a hand in propelling him to the White House, Trump finds himself in a tight spot over his complex relationship with the Russian leader.

Read more | Anti-G20 march in Hamburg called off after clashes between police and protesters

In a key speech in Warsaw marking his first stop on his European tour, Trump fired a rare salvo of criticism.

We urge Russia to cease its destabilising activities in Ukraine and elsewhere, and its support for hostile regimes -- including Syria and Iran -- and to instead join the community of responsible nations in our fight against common enemies and in defence of civilisation itself, he told a cheering crowd of 10,000.

He admitted that Moscow may have tried to influence the 2016 election that brought him to power, but also suggested others too may have been involved and blamed predecessor Barack Obama for failing to act.

- Pros in the room -

When Trump and Putin sit down for their afternoon meeting, they will not be short of crucial issues to discuss, including the wars in Syria and Ukraine, North Koreas nuclear programme and efforts to combat terrorism.

A White House source confirmed to AFP that Trump will only be joined in the meeting by Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and a translator, an extraordinarily small cast list that raised concerns among experts.

Neither Tillerson or Trump have any experience of foreign policy. That is one reason why they need pros in the room when meeting Putin, said Thomas Wright of the Brookings Institution, who added that Trump was now more likely to appease Putin.

Read more | After Israel visit, PM Modi arrives in German city Hamburg for G20 Summit

Former US ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul expressed concern that Trumps National Security advisor H.R. McMaster and his team -- seen as moderating influences in the White House -- were being sidelined.

Putin likes small meetings. This means WH is letting Kremlin dictate the terms of this meeting. HR, at a minimum, should also be there, he wrote on Twitter.

Ahead of the talks, the US also extended a hand of cooperation to Russia, voicing willingness to work together on establishing no-fly zones in Syria as part of a joint effort to stabilise the war-ravaged country.

- Very bad behaviour -

North Koreas successful test of an intercontinental ballistic missile also casts a dark shadow on the US leaders first G20 summit.

In his first public remarks since the test, Trump said in Warsaw that Pyongyangs military sabre-rattling must bring consequences and warned he was considering a severe response to its very, very bad behaviour.

Read more | Sikkim standoff: Modi, Xi unlikely to meet at G20 summit due to border row

After repeatedly urging Beijing to ratchet up the economic pressure on North Korea, Trump will hold what promises to be a testy meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the G20.

At a dinner meeting grouping north-east Asian leaders but which excluded Xi, Trump was asked if he had given up on the Chinese leader, but replied: Never give up.
The highly-anticipated handshake has finally happened. US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin met for the first time on the sidelines of the Group of 20 Summit in Hamburg, Germany, under the shadow of intense speculation of Russian meddling in the 2016 US presidential elections.

In a video of the brief informal exchange, posted by the German Cabinet on Facebook, between the leaders of the two biggest economies, Trump was seen outstretching his hand to Putin as officials gathered around a table, then patting Putins elbow as both men smiled. In another clip, Trump casually patted Putin on the back as they stood side by side.

Twitterati couldnt stop ruminating if this would make it to Trumps long list of awkward handshakes.

Lmao I can see the headlines now.. "Trump; Putin still locked in the longest boner inducing handshake ever recorded"  Sean Pinkerton (@PnkrtnMusic) June 30, 2017

there are 3 outcomes of the first moments of the Trump/Putin meeting:

1) painful handshake

2) Trump goes for a hug

3) Putin dodges contact  Laura (@tailor31415) June 30, 2017

"Trump and Putin: A Love Story"



Trumps reaction after the handshake pic.twitter.com/QNzrwCrRs9  Michelle Kos (@Kosselle) July 7, 2017

"Trump and Putin: A Love Story"



Trumps reaction after the handshake pic.twitter.com/QNzrwCrRs9  Michelle Kos (@Kosselle) July 7, 2017

I wish Trump and Putin had practiced this handshake in advance of the #G20 pic.twitter.com/hAXcMLU66w  BiffTannen34 (@BiffTannen34) July 7, 2017

Trump's handshake & backrub with Putin is the most UnAmerican thing that I've ever seen. (Since Trump's speech yesterday)#TrumpRussia pic.twitter.com/XBKXRGTxm2  Scott Dworkin (@funder) July 7, 2017

Some, however, were left disappointed that Trump didnt try out his white-knuckle handshake that he did during his meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron in May.

Telling detail: Trump didn't try out his jerky, log-sawing, alpha-male handshake on Putin.



By day's end, Putin will probably annex Florida.  Brent Shepherd (@ShepcatZero) July 7, 2017

Anyone else notice Trump didn't dare try that macho handshake with Putin...I know an obedient dog when I see one...#whosagoodboy  Bryent Wagner (@BryentWagner) July 7, 2017

Trump infamously famous handshakes - mostly awkward or aggressive - have been a subject of much discussion on social media. Be it the extremely long and firm handshake with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, the jerky one with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson or the lack of one with Germany Chancellor Angela Merkel, the US Presidents handshakes have never failed to draw international headlines.
A federal judge in Hawaii on Thursday left Trump administration rules in place for a travel ban on citizens from six majority-Muslim countries.

U.S. District Court Judge Derrick Watson denied an emergency motion filed by Hawaii asking him to clarify what the U.S. Supreme Court meant by a bona fide relationship in its ruling last month.

The Supreme Court ruled the administration could mostly enforce its travel ban, but said those with a credible claim of a bona fide relationship with a person or entity in the United States could enter.

Watson says the relationship question would be better posed to the Supreme Court, not him.

This court will not upset the Supreme Courts careful balancing and equitable judgment, Watson said in his order.

Hawaii attorney general Doug Chin objected to the administrations omission of grandparents, aunts and uncles from its list of people meeting the definition of a close relationship.

The Trump administration has said the exemption to the ban would apply to citizens of the six countries with a parent, spouse, child, adult son or daughter, son-in-law, daughter-in-law or sibling already in the U.S.

Hakim Ouansafi, president of the Muslim Association of Hawaii, said he respects Watsons ruling but thinks there will be more opportunities to ensure the ban does not exclude grandparents and others close family members.

We will have people directly affected by this, for sure, Ouansafi said. When you exclude that many people, the circle is much wider.

In March, Watson blocked the ban on travelers from Syria, Sudan, Somalia, Libya, Iran and Yemen in response to a lawsuit by the state of Hawaii that argued the policy discriminates against Muslims.

Watson said there was significant and unrebutted evidence of religious animus behind the ban, which prevents new visas for people from the six countries and suspends the nations refugee program. The administration appealed to the San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which largely upheld Watsons injunction.

The U.S. Supreme Court said the presidents ban on visitors from the six countries can be enforced pending arguments scheduled for October, as long as those visitors lack a credible claim of a bona fide relationship with a person or entity in the United States. Likewise, the justices said, refugees can travel to the U.S. if they demonstrate those connections.

The high courts majority laid out the bona fide relationships it had in mind. For individuals, a close family relationship is required: A spouse or a mother-in-law would be permitted. So would a worker who accepted a job from an American company, a student enrolled at a U.S. university or a lecturer invited to address a U.S. audience.

A relationship created for purposes of avoiding the travel ban would not bebona fide, the justices said.

___

Associated Press writers Sudhin Thanawala in San Francisco and Caleb Jones in Honolulu contributed to this report.
US officials said the United States and Russia have reached an agreement for a cease-fire in southwest Syria.

The ceasefire is set to take effect from July 9 at noon Damascus time.

Word of the ceasefire emerged as US President Donald Trump is meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the G20 summit.

The officials were not authorised to discuss the cease-fire publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

The deal marks a new level of involvement for the US in trying to resolve Syrias civil war.

A separate deal to create de-escalation zones was brokered Russia, Turkey and Iran, but not the US. Follow-up talks this week in Kazakhstan to finalize a cease-fire in those zones failed to reach a deal.

The US and Russia have been backing opposing sides in Syrias war.
Top American Senators have asked Pakistan to do more to eliminate terrorist safe havens in the country.

A bipartisan Congressional delegation led by Senator John McCain conveyed this to authorities in Pakistan during a visit to the country this week.

While they have taken positive steps, we told Pakistani leaders they must do more to eliminate safe havens & terrorist groups in the region, Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren, who was the part of the delegation, said in a tweet.

I met with Pakistan army chief General Bajwa to discuss the critical role Pakistan must play in countering terrorism in the region, she wrote in yet another tweet.

Warren said she and the group of Senators travelled to Pakistan and Afghanistan to discuss counter-terrorism and security in the region.
Presenting a bold front in the wake of the CBI raids at his residence and other premises, that lasted close to 11 hours, RJD chief Lalu Prasad promised all cooperation to the CBI in its investigations into allotment of railway hotels contracts in 2006 when he was the Union railway minister.

I received a call from Patna about the arrival of the CBI raid party and I immediately asked my family members to co-operate fully, said a haggard looking Lalu, who had gone to Ranchi to appear in a special CBI court in connection with a 1990s fodder scam case.

A large number of his supporters had assembled outside Lalus house in Patna as soon as the news of his return spread. The crowd forcibly entered his house as soon as his convoy came. Lalu and other senior RJD leaders, then, addressed the party workers.

Look at the vindictive attitude of (PM Narendra) Modi and Amit Shah. They did not spare my minor son, he said, while referring to his younger son, deputy CM Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, who has been named as an accused in the railways hotels lease case.

Official records show Tejashwi is in his mid-20s.

As Lalu was presenting his side of story to the media, Tejashwi suddenly lost his cool over the presence of reporter of a TV channel. We are boycotting your channel. You may go away, he shouted as Lalu and finance minister Abdul Bari Siddiqui tried to pacify him. The commotion led to an abrupt end of Lalus interaction with the media.

Earlier in the day, at Ranchi, an unusually docile RJD chief, while talking to media persons at the state guest, said, I am not the one to be cowed down.

Minutes after appearing at the special CBI court , Prasad told reporters the BJP and RSS were trying to intimidate him and implicate his family in false cases. The BJP is wary of me. It wants to put me and my family in jail before the 2019 parliamentary polls. The raids are part of political vendetta. Lalu will prefer to hang rather than succumbing to BJP pressure, he said.

CBI officials carried out the raids on Friday after registering cases against him, his wife Rabri Devi and their son, Tejashwi, in the matter pertaining to allotment of railway hotel contracts in 2006 when Lalu was the Union railway minister.

The CBI has also booked Rajya Sabha member Prem Chand Guptas wife, Sarla Gupta and businessmen Vijay Kochhar and Vinay Kochhar, among others in the case.

I do not blame the CBI sleuths. They are acting on the direction of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP president Amit Shah and the RSS. It was unfair to raid my house in my absence. Still I have advised my family members to cooperate with the CBI officials and ensure their exit smoothly under our police protection, Prasad said.

He said he has no idea how and when a fresh case has been filed against him. The entire operation to implicate me was planned and executed so covertly that even my media friends didnt get a whiff of it. How could they procure a search warrant so quickly, he wondered.

As he spoke, he took out a chit from his Kurta pocket to counter the CBI charges in the alleged railway hotel contract scam.

He said the allotment of the railway rest houses to private firms was carried out by an autonomous body, IRCTC, which was formed in 1999 and became operational in 2002. In 2003, the railway ministry handed over its rest houses, which were in utter shambles, to IRCTC.

NDA was in power at the time and Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the Prime Minister.

Prasad said he assumed charge of the railway ministry on May 31, 2004. Two years later, IRCTC floated an open tender to lease out these properties for a period of 15 years for their development and proper upkeep. You may find out, no IRCTC files come to the railway ministry for approval, he stressed.

Prasad reminded reporters that during his tenure, Indian railways became a profitable entity from a loss making one and the success story became a subject for study at various national and international institutions, including Harvard university in the USA and IIM, Ahmedabad.

I never indulged in any corrupt practice during my tenure though there were opportunities for me to make big money, Lalu said.

The present government, the RJD chief said, was taking the Indian railways towards privatization. I am told the entire catering services have been leased out to private players. Today, a second AC ticket costs higher than air fares, he rued.

Lalu also accused the government of insulting him. This government doesnt want people to complain. It is trying to stifle peoples voices. People like me who speak out are being threatened by misusing investigating agencies like CBI, ED and IT, he said.

The RJD chief speculated his decision to hold a massive rally christened,Bharat bachao, BJP bhagao, in Patna on August 27 could be a reason behind the fresh CBI case.
An Egyptian national security officer was shot dead on Friday by gunmen in the governorate of Qaliubiya, according to an interior ministry statement.

The unidentified assailants, who were riding a motorbike, shot the senior policeman while he was on his way to the mosque in the town of Al-Jabal Al-Asfar in the northern part of Greater Cairo.

The attack came hours after the Egyptian military said 26 soliders were killed or injured by car bombs near a checkpoint in the North Sinai city of Rafah.

The military said it killed 40 militants while foiling an assault targeting a number of checkpoints in the area.

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Six months into the war, a major loss in the Ozarks made the score Rebs 2, Yanks 0.

Missouri was a mess. A state convention overwhelmingly rejected secession in March 1861, but public sentiment was mixed. By late July, Brig. Gen. Nathaniel Lyon and the Army of the West were deep in the Ozarks, trying to keep southwestern Missouri in Union hands.

Lyon failed. On August 6, 12,000 Confederatesthe ad hoc Western Army of General Ben McCullochcamped on Wilsons Creek, 10 miles southwest of the Union post at Springfield. Waist-high prairie grass and scrub oak covered the rolling hills on both sides of the water.

The Army of the Westa force of U.S. Regulars and loyalist volunteers, mostly German immigrants from St. Louisnumbered only 5,000. The volunteer enlistments were expiring, and repeated requests for reinforcements had been denied. Lyon would have to pull back a hundred miles to Rolla, the nearest railhead, but he feared McCulloch would overtake him. So Lyon decided to gamble: I propose tothrow our whole force upon him at once, and endeavor to rout him before he can recover from his surprise.

Union Colonel Franz Sigel added an even more surprising twist. He would split two regiments of volunteers from Lyons army and march around the Confederate camp to attack it from the rear. The Germans were absolutely devoted to Sigel, himself a German immigrant who had led troops back home in the failed Revolution of 1848. While extremely risky, the plan was so unexpected it just might work.

The Army of the West and the Western Army waited restlessly for days while their commanders hesitated. Hell and Damnation, thundered Confederate surgeon John Wyatt. Suspense is killing us all. When the decision was finally made to move, Lyon and McCulloch ironically launched the same plan: a night march on the enemy and a surprise attack at dawn.

On August 9, McCulloch recalled his pickets to join their commands for the march on Springfield. Shortages already plagued the Southern cause, and each man averaged only 25 rounds of ammunition. Few Confederates had

leather cartridge boxes to keep that ammunition dry; when a late-day thunderstorm rolled in off the prairie, the operation was postponed. In the confusion, the pickets failed to return to duty, leaving McCullochs army unprotected.

Lyon and Sigel, however, stepped off as planned about 6 p.m. Rather than taking the Telegraph Road straight into the heart of the Confederate camp, Lyons 4,300 men tramped over farm lanes and fields to arrive just north of the camp, on the west side of Wilsons Creek. Sigels 1,100 men emerged atop a hill south of the camp, on the east side of the creek. Lyon ran into some foragers in the darkness and shots were fired. But the foragers escaped to warn their commander, Colonel James Cawthorn, of the impending attack. Cawthorn dispatched 300 mounted troopers to the top of a ridge that would soon earn the name Bloody Hill.

Lyons artillery opened fire at 5 a.m., scattering the horsemen. But it took more than an hour to fully consolidate the Union hold on the high ground. Meanwhile, Captain William Woodruffs Pulaski Light Artillery blasted away at Lyon from the other side of Wilsons Creek. Lyon ordered Captain Joseph Plummer across the creek to defend the Union left with a force of U.S. Regulars and Missouri Home Guards. Plummer got as far as the cornfield on John Rays farm before a sharp skirmish with the 3rd Louisiana Infantry and 2nd Arkansas Mounted Rifles drove him back across the creek.

Two miles to the south, Sigel heard the initial bombardment and unleashed his artillery on the unsuspecting Rebels camped around Joseph Sharps farm. The camp erupted in pandemonium as Sigel directed his troops to cross Wilsons Creek and cut off any escape down the Telegraph Road. All had gone well so far, and when his men captured dozens of fleeing Southerners, Sigel assumed the column behind them was the gray-clad 1st Iowa Infantry in hot pursuit. He realized too late that it was actually the 3rd Louisiana with a contingent of Missouri State Guards and two artillery batteries. McCulloch had cobbled the force together on the fly, and it fired into Sigels men at close range, dropping a third of the volunteers on the spot. Surprised and panicked, many of the remaining Germans at first refused to return fire, believing they were facing Union troops. Then they ran.

Back at Bloody Hill, Woodruffs artillery barrage bought Maj. Gen. Sterling Price enough time to form a battle line at the base of the hill. The Yankees struggled down the slope, unable to advance in a line, as the Southerners pushed back until their momentum was checked. After a brief respite, the armies re-engaged at close range with Lyon leading a charge. Minutes later, he was dead, shot through the heart and both lungs, the first Union general killed in combat.

McCulloch ordered reinforcements to Bloody Hill. Soon 3,000 Confederates were primed for a final assault on the Union position. Major Samuel Sturgis, now leading Lyons army, evaluated his options. There werent many. No one in Union command knew what had happened to Sigel. Ammunition and supplies were dangerously low. Still, Sturgis line held against a fierce attack that brought the enemy to within 20 feet of Union artillery. Prices men were forced to fall back again, but they had unknowingly won the day. Sturgis couldnt risk another fight.

A scorching August sun beat down as Sturgis ordered his men to Springfield. We watched the retreating enemy through our field-glasses, recalled Confederate Brig. Gen. Nicholas Pearce, and were glad to see him go.

Christine Kreiser is a senior editor for Americas Civil War.

Originally published in the July 2013 issue of Americas Civil War. To subscribe, click here.
Defeats in the East and West doomed the Confederacy. July 1863 would have been an excellent time to end the war.

A supreme irony of the American Civil War was that onof all datesthe Fourth of July, 1863, the Confederacy, at the height of its power, suffered two enormous reverses from which it would never recover. But instead of using these twin calamities as an opportunity to sue for peace, the South forged ahead for two more years into wrack and ruin.

At Gettysburg, Pa., the 4th, the remnants of Robert E. Lees Army of Northern Virginia began their on the evening of retreat after three days of battle, leaving behind nearly 5,000 dead, 6,000 missing or captured and a large number of its 13,000 wounded. Following the defeat of Maj. Gen. George Picketts charge a day earlier, Lee had drawn up his army in expectation of an attack by Union Maj. Gen. George Meade. But Meade declined, and there was nothing for Lee to do but retreat. The losses were so severe he was never again able to take the offensive, and the following year Northern forces began to close in on the Army of Northern Virginia. Gettysburg became known as the high tide of the Confederacy.

On the same July day a thousand miles southwest of Gettysburg, Lt. Gen. John C. Pemberton surrendered his Confederate army at Vicksburg, Miss., to Maj. Gen. Ulysses Grant after a six-month battle and a two-month bombardment and siege that starved out the Rebel army and the inhabitants of the city. Vicksburg was the last Rebel bastion on the Mississippi River, and its loss cleaved the Confederacy in two, fatally crippling the Souths efforts in the wars Western Theater.

The politicians in Richmond would admit none of this, however. Despite the grievous losses, they insisted the Confederacy must fight on to final victory. Early on, the South had its chances, but by July 4, 1863, it was too late. It would have been an excellent time to stop the war.

In the days leading up to these defeats, Confederate President Jefferson Davis became so anxious he had to be put to bed, and his physicians actually worried he was dying. When he at last arose to receive the battle reports, he found that not only had Vicksburg fallen and Lee lost at Gettysburg, but further dispatches arrived warning that the Union armies were taking full advantage of the situation, with Maj. Gen. William S. Rosecrans now moving against General Braxton Bragg in Tennessee, and Bragg in full retreat, and Federal troops suddenly landing in force on the barrier islands off the coast of Charleston, S.C. On the heels of this came news of the fall of Port Hudson, La., and worse, that Robert E. Lee wanted to resign.

A lesser man might have pulled the shade and returned to bed, but Jefferson Davis did no such thing. While acknowledging we are in the darkest hour of our political existence, Davis sought to put the best political face on it by insisting to his Cabinet that the loss of all that land in the West and the return of Lees army to Virginia meant the South now had that much less territory to defend.

If Jefferson Davis picture of the Souths prospects seemed rosy, it was not reflected in the thinking of many of his senior commanders. Maj. Gen. John B. Gordon said, The shock of Vicksburg was felt from one end of the Confederacy to the other, while Lt. Gen. James Longstreet, Robert E. Lees Old War Horse, wrote afterward, For myself, I felt that our last hope was gone, and that now it was only a question of time with us.

It was indeed as bad as that, and worse. Worse because, fatally wounded as it was, the Confederate Army was still extremely dangerous, and leaders like Davis knew it. Their sense of reality had been clouded by the succession of feeble Northern generals who for two years had been bulldozed by Lee. There was dissent against the war in the North and cries for making peace. If the Confederacy could only hold on until the presidential election in November 1864, there was a good chance Abraham Lincoln and the Republicans would be turned out of Washington, and a new administration could be persuaded to let the South go its separate way.

What they did not count on was the likes of Ulysses Grant, whose military philosophy defied anything that had been seen so far in the war or, for the most part, in modern military history. Here was a general who rejected out of hand the notion that he who fights and runs away lives to fight another day, substituting instead the tactics of a pit bull which, once in close quarters with an opponent, will hang on till-death-do-us-part.

Grants willingness to sustain losses that would have been unthinkable in the early years of the conflict now seemed to present the Norths best chance of winning the war quickly, and Lincoln was not hesitant to say so (I cant spare this manhe fights). Despite the bloody draft riots that paralyzed New York and Chicago in the summer of 63, the Federal armies were growing stronger every day while the Confederacy grew weaker.

Its high point had been reached at Gettysburg and at Vicksburg, though no one on either side had any sure way of knowing it. Such was their blind hatred of the North that for Davis and those surrounding him there was nothing left but to hope for the best and fight it out till the last dog died. And that would not be a long time in coming, for after Vicksburg Lincoln brought Grant east to face the hitherto indomitable Robert E. Lee.

In both tone and substance, Lincolns yearend message to Congress was conciliatory toward the South and, like his Emancipation Proclamation the year before, it contained both the carrot and the stick. He realized the Confederates were suffering, and tried an appeal to their sense of reason. The carrot was contained in a document titled A Proclamation of Amnesty and Reconstruction, which offered a full presidential pardon to all soldiers and employees of the Confederacy who would lay down their arms, take the Loyalty Oath and accept the Emancipation Proclamation. The stick, by implication, was that otherwise all bets were off, although no deadline was specified.

The Southerners, however, were treated to a demonstration of things to come less than two months later, when the North sent William Tecumseh Sherman on a rampage across the state of Mississippi. Ostensibly planned as a mission to destroy Confederate supplies, the operation soon turned into little more than a punitive raid, during which Sherman abandoned whatever allegiance he might have felt toward the Sermon on the Mount. With a force of 15,000 men the ham-fisted Ohioan cut a swath of devastation 10 miles wide and 150 miles long, in which he refined and perfected the pyromaniac urges he would later unleash in Georgia and the Carolinas during his famous March to the Sea. Little or no property was spared, public or private; looting and burning were the order of the day. When Sherman was finished, little was left among the smoking ruins from Vicksburg to Meridian but a bewildered and miserable population of women, children and old menliving testimony to the terrible consequences of rejecting the presidents amnesty program.

Even so, if Lincolns magnanimous gesture had any chance of success, it was likely doomed in the fine print, which excluded from pardon all officials of the Confederate government, army generals, former U.S. congressmen and federal judges, and high-ranking naval officersin other words, everybody in a position to actually bring the war to a close. Thus, what Lincoln saw as an act of reconciliation might have worked in the reverse. A corollary to Samuel Johnsons superb observation that The prospect of hanging concentrates the mind wonderfully, might easily read, Few things cause a man to struggle on than the notion of a noose around his neck.

For their part, the Rebel leaders werent about to be reconciliated, let alone reconstructed, as Jefferson Davis own message to the Confederate Congresswhich happened to be delivered the same day as Lincolnsmade abundantly clear. After admitting that Grave reverses had befallen the Southern armies, Davis went on to denounce Lincoln as a despot, and the Yankee armies as criminals and savages while reiterating the Confederate mantra that an impassable gulf divided the two sections of the country.

The Confederate legislators, finding themselves likewise unpardonable, fully concurred with the president and in a joint resolution declared Lincolns offer nothing more than a sham to provoke desertions within the Rebel armies. Their decree informed Southern citizens that the Lincoln amnesty proposal was only to delude and betray, and would ultimately lead to your subjugation, destruction of your political and social fabric and, in the end, public degradation and ruin. In short, the document concluded, It is better to be conquered by any other nation than the United States.

And the Fourth Estate, while not formally excluded from the amnesty, weighed in with even stronger denunciations of Lincolns gesture than those of either the president or Congress, probably on the assumption that, should the South concede, their heads would likely be among the first to roll.

Thus was the reaction of the Confederate leadership to the tragic summer that saw the whole complexion of the war turn against them. Defeat at Gettysburg was one thing, but if Vicksburg had held firm, there might have been hope. The brilliant Lee with his unimpeachable Army of Northern Virginia might yet again have pulled the rabbit out of the hat. But the loss of Vicksburg was simply too great to overcome, and there was now no way to redeem it, or the Mississippi River Valley.

Soberer men might have looked to their maps and reflected on these things, but from Jeff Davis on down, the Southern leadership appeared seduced by the poisonous cocktail of hatred, pride, arrogance and fear. Still, anybody with a brain ought to have seen it: The Confederate treasury was nearly bankrupt $600 million in debtand so awash in paper money that a barrel of flour cost four months wages for the average earner. Whereas before the twin disasters of the Fourth of July, Confederate diplomats abroad had been received at least cordiallyeven if the results were not satisfactory; now their British and French counterparts became coolly civil, and sometimes not even that.

Of the territory the Southern Confederacy laid claim to in 1861, nearly half was now goneall of Kentucky, Tennessee, Missouri, Maryland and Oklahoma; most of Mississippi and Arkansas; and parts of North Carolina, Louisiana and Alabama. Their armies in the field were now outnumbered at least two-to-one, which might have been considered fair odds in the old days, but the old days were gone and Lincoln had just put out a call for a new draft of 500,000 menmore than were serving in all Confederate armies combined.

Clearly, the handwriting was on the wall, and yet the prevailing powers in the Richmond government refused to face these facts, or at least refused to accept them. Margaret Mitchell in her Civil War novel hit the nail square on the head when she created Scarlett OHara, whose defining philosophy was, I wont think about that! I just wont think about it! Tomorrow will be another day!

It would take a phalanx of modern psychiatrists to unravel the peculiar psychology that infected the Southern leadersor perhaps not even that; to paraphrase Freuds opinion of the Irish, the Southerners seemed to be a race of people for whom psychoanalysis would be of no use whatsoever. One thing for sure is that these were not impressionable 18-year-old girls like Scarlett OHara, but for the most part mature, well-educated men, many of whom did in fact see the handwriting and yet, like Longstreet, kept their conclusions to themselves. But in most cases these people simply ignored facts that they knew to be true, and therein lay the tragedy.

At least 620,000 Americans died fighting in the Civil War, and millions more were wounded and disfiguredas many as one-half of them in battles fought after the Fourth of July, 1863. Between then and the end of the war, by far the worst of the destruction occurred: the burning of Atlanta, Phil Sheridans ruthless campaign in the Shenandoah Valley, Shermans Meridian Raid and March to the Sea, the burning of Columbia, S.C., and other places.

By wars end, the South was utterly and dismally prostrated, its infrastructure of railroads and communications wrecked, much of its commercial and private property destroyed, its fields fallow and its livestock decimated. With the Souths agricultural economy in ruins, the huge population of former slavesnearly 4 million of them became wretched, for the system of housing, feeding and clothing them was broken. Even if it had been possible to employ them, there was little money to do it, for in the intervening years of the war the textile mills of England and France had found other sources of cotton or switched to other fibers.

The disenfranchisement of former Confederate soldiers and officials left an enormous leadership vacuum that was filled in many cases by incompetents and malfeasants or, under the harsh terms of Reconstruction, left up to the occupying Union army, which was there mainly to keep order.

It would have been smarter if Jefferson Davis, above all others, had looked reality in the eye in the days following the Fourth of July, 1863. What would have stared back at him was the inescapable truth that, as a practical matter, there was by then no way the Southern Confederacy could win the Civil War militarily. Politics was the sole remaining hopethe possibility, however remote, that the Republican administration would be defeated in next years elections and, remoter still, that whatever new administration came to power would see fit to agree to split the country into two separate nations.

A large part of the problem with the Confederate leaders was that they simply did not trust Lincoln and the Yankees. After all, hadnt Lincoln promised from the beginning that he had no intention of disturbing slavery in the states where it existed, and then turned around with the Emancipation Proclamation? Once they laid down their arms, the Confederates reasonedDavis and the Congress chief among themwhat was to keep the Northern monster from descending wolf-like upon them?

There were, to be sure, those who proposed to do just that. Massachusetts Senator Charles Sumner, for one, advocated breaking the seceded states into military districts to be ruled indefinitely, by a single Republican czar in Washington, who could do with them as he pleased without concern of opposition, political or otherwise, including the resettlement of the population. Sherman, for another, thought along similar lines, proposing that any Southernerman, woman or childwho did not readily accept Federal authority would be banished from the country and become a denizen of the land, whatever that meant, but it rather sounded like a way of describing wild animals. He even used for illustration the British policy of forcibly repopulating Northern Ireland with Scottish settlers.

Contributing heavily to the tragedy was that the Southern leadership would not, or could not, understand that Abraham Lincoln was the best friend they had among those holding the power in the U.S. government. Instead, they had demonized him to such a degree that whatever he said or did was instantly taken as yet another example of his mendacity.

It is unfortunate that the Confederates did not adopt the English model as their diplomatic paradigm, for however shrewd and shifty the Brits diplomacy had become over the centuries, it was above all else rational. The deliberate approach of that most rational of nations was always to ask at some point, But what is best for Great Britain? and if compromise was best, then compromise it was. Hence after Yorktown they conceded the sovereignty of the United States, and did likewise in the War of 1812.

ln the end, the Southerners were fooled by their own party linemistrust, blind hatred and too much blood spilled by now to quit. But what if they had attempted a diplomatic approach following Gettysburg and Vicksburg, and sought an audience with Lincoln?

First, their bargaining position was infinitely better than it would be afterward. The war had become so bloody and the casualties so horrendous that Lincoln himself, some months before the election of 1864, drew up an extraordinary document in which he stated: This morning, as for some days past, it seems exceedingly probable that this administration will not be re-elected. Then it will be my duty to so cooperate with the President-elect as to save the Union between the election and the inauguration, as he will have secured his election on such ground that he cannot possibly save it afterward. The despondent president then showed the document to each of his Cabinet members and had them sign the back of it as witnesses, and put it away for future use, if necessary.

Equally as extraordinary, Lincoln drafted yet another secret document in his own peculiar style, so he said, proposing that a peace commission be appointed to see on which terms the Confederates would agree to a restoration of the Union. Though nothing came of it, clearly this showed that the president was receptive to any honest and reasonable solution that would bring the country back together.

It is not likely, however, that what Lincoln had in mind was simply a cessation of hostilities and return to business as usual. The slavery issue was extremely tricky for him and any approach to the Richmond government would have been in the nature of a feeler. But with an election looming he didnt have to be reminded that there were four slaveholding states still in the Union whose vote would turn on every perceived nuance in regard to the subject. How the president would have handled the question of slavery if the peace commission had gone forward is anybodys guess, but at least it would have gotten the two sides talking.

Suppose that in the summer of 1863 Jefferson Davis had convened a peace commission to approach Abraham Lincoln on the subject of restoration? Who might have composed such a body is almost as interesting as the notion itself. Robert E. Lee, for instance, would have carried great weight, being highly, if begrudgingly, respected in the North. On the other hand, soldiers often dont make good diplomatsor for that matter, good politiciansas Grant himself proved in years to come.

In any case, it is almost a certainty that if the Confederates had shown a willingness to rejoin the Union after the fall of Vicksburg they would have received a far better deal than what they got, which was just a step or so above becoming Shermans denizens of the land. Slavery of course would have been abolished, but a great many SouthernersJefferson Davis foremost among themknew the institution was eventually doomed, with or without war; their main concern would have been what to do with all the freed slaves, and second, how to account or compensate for the financial loss of what they referred to as property.

Considering that the value of the slaves in the Confederate states was approximately $6 billion total, while the financial cost of the war to the federal government was running approximately $6 billion per year, the rational solution ought to have been apparent. Compensating the Southerners would have been worth it at twice the cost.

Lincolns concerns at seeing the nation restored necessarily would have included secure agreements from the Confederate leadership, as well as agreements state-by-state, that henceforth the South would abide by the laws of the land as enacted by the U.S. Congressto which it could send representatives, as in the old days. Dissolution of the Rebel government and disarmament of its military would of course be part of this equation, although given Southern mistrust, it would doubtless have presented another tricky subject.

To speculate on the particulars of any such peace accord is beyond the scope of this hypothetical essay, but it is by no means idle conjecture that if the Confederacy had sought to make peace after the fall of Vicksburg, then tens of thousands of lives would have been spared, and place names such as Chickamauga, Atlanta, the Wilderness, Spotsylvania and Cold Harbor would not conjure up the images of death and terrible suffering that they did then, and do today.

If cooler and more reasonable heads had prevailed in the Confederacy after the misfortunes at Vicksburg and Gettysburg, the Union would have been restored and slavery abolished; the Southern armies could have retired from the field with honor, and with the Southern economy more or less intact instead of the bankruptcy and ruin for nearly 100 years that attended its ultimate surrender. That this solution was not in the stars remains a pity.

Adapted by Winston Groom from his book, Vicksburg 1863 (Alfred A. Knopf, 2009).

Originally published in the July 2013 issue of Americas Civil War. To subscribe, click here.
Alaska Airlines is making special efforts to make sure that the astronomy enthusiasts are able to enjoy the view of the total solar eclipse from their flight. Also, a simulator has been created by Google and scientists to allow the people to have a preview of what the solar eclipse will look like from their place.

A total solar eclipse will be witnessed by the United States this year, taking place after 100 years. According to reports from Time, August 21 will have this rare astronomical phenomenon taking place and the airline company, Alaska Airlines is making it possible for its passengers to catch a glimpse of it.

Flying above the Pacific Ocean will give the passengers the opportunity to not only view the total solar eclipse, but also enjoy the best view possible. A special charter flight is scheduled to depart from Portland, Oregon at 7:30 A.M on August 21, to the West Coast. Moreover, from July 21, the airline will be holding contests for the people of Alaska, across social channels that will give them an opportunity to win a seat on the flight.

In similar reports from Newsweek it has been said that Google and the scientists at the University of California, Berkeley have created a simulator, so that people all across the globe can preview how the solar eclipse will appear in the place where they live. The creation of the simulator is a part of the Eclipse Megamovie Project that has urged amateur astronomer from all across the world to contribute video that they have captured of the Eclipse in order to use it in a film chronicling its path.

Alaska Airline's Vice President of Marketing, Sangita Woerner, has said that as an airline, they have the power to provide a lifetime experience to the astronomy enthusiasts. Notably, the last total eclipse took place in 1918 and it was visible in the United States.

@ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
China reportedly donated thousands of arms and guns to the Philippines through President Rodrigo Duterte in order to help the country in its fight against Maute group, Islamist gunmen. Marawi City, in the Southern part of the country, is still under the control of the so-called IS-backed group.

The said arms and guns were shipped and this served as the first example of military aid from China since President Duterte threatened to move away from the U.S. and build ties with China. It was then reported that the help which came from China was the first in the administration of Duterte.

According to South China Morning Post, the ammunition and the weapons were worth 50 million yuan or US$7.35 million. This just highlighted the beginning of the new era of China-Philippines ties as also confirmed by no other than Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte.

Apart from the weapons and military aids, China also donated 15 million pesos or US $300, 000 in order to help for the rehabilitation of Marawi City, Philippines. Since reports were claiming that there are still parts in Marawi City which are still under the control of the Maute group, the Philippine government cannot start with the rehabilitation yet.

Just last Wednesday, confirmed reports were disclosed that the military found 17 dead bodies killed by the Islamist group. These members of the Maute group claimed that they are part of the Islamic State movement who also besieged Marawi City since May 23, 2017.

The Philippine military and troops have already battled the Maute group for more than a month as they were being backed by artillery and airstrikes. But President Rodrigo Duterte felt these were not enough that's why he acknowledged the help given by China.

So far, 400 people have already been killed in the said conflict which includes 70 military troops and 290 militants. There were also some civilians who lost their lives while most of the residents have fled to neighboring cities and worse, much of the place is in ruins.

Before China's help, President Duterte has been very reluctant to acknowledge the help of the United States telling that he has no knowledge of the technical assistance offered by the country. It can be recalled that the country has long depended on the U.S. when it comes to ammunition and arms.

@ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Latest reports just confirmed that Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau met Queen Elizabeth on Wednesday for a private audience at her Scottish residence. It was then reported that the Queen received the world leader at the Palace of Holyrood located in Edinburgh.

This was the second time Justin Trudeau met Queen Elizabeth during his term as prime minister of Canada. It can be recalled that last 2015, the two met when Trudeau visited Britain and his visit also include an audience with the former Britain's Prime Minster David Cameron.

According to ABC News, Queen Elizabeth did not meet Prime Minster Justin Trudeau in purpose as the Queen did not travel just to attend Canada's celebration of its 150th birthday last weekend. Reports were rife that instead of the Queen, Prince Charles and Prince William were the ones who represented the Queen and attended the ceremony.

Meanwhile, Canada's Prime Minster Justin Trudeau was in Europe because of the G20 summit which will be held this weekend. Along with this purpose, he also visited the new prime minister of Ireland, Leo Vradakar last Tuesday.

But that second meeting was not actually their first encounter together as well as on their 2015 meeting. It can also be recalled that during the 1970s, Justin Trudeau was able to shake the Queen's hand when he was still a child. He was accompanying his father, Pierre that time for the latter's U.K. visit.

With this, National Post reported that Prime Minster Justin Trudeau had good words to say about Queen Elizabeth and their very first encounter when he was still a child. He said that the Queen was always gracious and lovely and that everything in the first meeting was nice moment since his father liked the Queen so much. Moreover, he even added that his father was proud to be introducing his son to Queen Elizabeth.

It was claimed that Justin Trudeau's father and Queen Elizabeth kept a good relationship and even met for several times. However, there was this one time during his 1977 visit to the Buckingham Palace which caused controversy. But despite that, Canada's current Prime Minster Trudeau is implying that he has good ties with the Queen.

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The Wold Health Organization just released a report that the death toll in Yemen continues to rise because of the cholera outbreak. In its latest report, there have been 275, 987 suspected cases of cholera already and 1,634 deaths as well.

This cholera outbreak in Yemen has been spreading for months already and a lot of its populations were greatly affected. The more alarming in this case was that children under the age of 15 comprise 41% of the cholera cases while 33% of the deaths are accounted for people older than 60.

According to CNN, the World Health Organization already issued statements regarding the early treatment of this illness. The said organization said that if the person gets caught in the morning with cholera, he needs to be treated by the end of the day and not the next day. If the treatment will not be addressed ahead of time, then the case will worsen.

With this, the WHO then concluded and added that the cholera outbreak in Yemen is so far the worst cholera outbreak in the world. The prime cause which WHO deemed was the reason was that 14.5 million people in Yemen o not have access to sanitation plus clean and potable water.

Reports said that cholera is caused by Vibrio cholera bacteria which can be found in food and after that have been contaminated with feces. In fact, eighty percent of people with cholera don't feel the symptoms but they can already spread the virus. The worst case is those who show symptoms of the illness and have an onset of watery diarrhea because this can lead to death as caused by severe dehydration.

In order to deal with the cholera outbreak in Yemen, the World Health Organization collaborated with the United Nations Children's Fund as well as the local health authorities. The said groups and organizations delivered necessary medication and help to stop the worsening outbreak.

The assistance and aids which were brought to Yemen to combat the cholera outbreak included the establishment of 45 diarrhea treatment centers as well as 236 oral rehydration therapy corners. The Rehydration therapy was of utmost importance since people who are infected with the illness need to rehydrate as soon as possible.

With the cholera outbreak in Yemen and the increasing death toll, the World Health Organization said that the greatest challenge is reaching the people. Moreover, the efforts have been complicated because of the ongoing Yemen' civil war.

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Kate Middleton's relationship with Queen Elizabeth was hitting the headlines the past years since she married Prince William. Being the newest member of the royal family, some people said that there were a lot of awkward interactions between the Duchess of Cambridge and the Queen herself.

Even until these times, people and the press were wondering as to the exact date when Kate Middleton met Queen Elizabeth. When Kate and Prince William started dating, it was still unsure if the Duchess met the Queen already during the dating stage.

But during their engagement interview, Kate Middleton revealed that she met Queen Elizabeth at the wedding of Peter Philips and Autumn Phillips. He also recalled that very significant moment as she added that the Queen was very friendly as they were with other guests. After that, William also disclosed that his grandmother also wanted to meet Kate that time.

After the so -called first meeting with Queen Elizabeth, Kate Middleton got an invitation to the Windsor Castle the time when Prince William was inducted into the Royal Order of the Garter. Her presence made headlines as this was her first royal engagement as she arrived in a car with Prince Harry. Perhaps, Kate has made a good first impression with the Queen during their first meeting.

Mail Online also reported that the relationship of Kate Middleton and Queen Elizabeth grew stronger even after the engagement. It can be recalled that when Kate's wedding dress was displayed last July 2011, the Queen accompanied Kate for an official viewing. A year after that, she invited the Duchess of Cambridge to join her on three more engagements.

Kate Middleton even recalled the times when n she was a bit apprehensive because William was not with them during one of those engagements. But she was thankful to Queen Elizabeth since she was very supportive of her. In fact, the Queen took the time to make sure that Kate was happy for that occasion.

Apart from those instances, Queen Elizabeth also showed how she is fond of her granddaughter-in-law through her hospitality to Kate Middleton's parents. The Queen invited Kate's parents to Royal Ascot last 2011 and 2012. Further, she even invited them to ride a boat during her Diamond Jubilee River Pageant.

Now, with the arrival of Prince George and Princess Charlotte, it was reported that Kate Middleton and Queen Elizabeth become closer. This is also beneficial to Kate's relationship and marriage with William.

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A number of foreign ministries have issued statements condemning a militant attack in North Sinai on Friday that killed or injured 26 Egyptian soldiers.

In an official statement, the German embassy in Cairo said there was no justification for such violent terrorist acts, stressing that Germany supports Egypt in combating terrorism.

We share the sorrow with the families of the victims, the statement added.

I am disgusted by the terrorist attack on members of the Egyptian Armed Forces as they did their duty in Rafah, North Sinai today, UK ambassador to Egypt, John Casson, said in a statement posted on his official Twitter account.

He added that the UK acknowledges the sorrow and anger that Egyptians feel today, expressing his deep condolences.

These inhumane attacks, whether in Egypt or in England, only strengthen our determination to defeat the terrorist killers, Casson said, adding that the UK would continue standing with Egypt in its war against terrorism.

"Another outrageous terror attack in Egypt. The United States stands with Egypt against terrorism," the US embassy in Cairo posted on its Twitter account, launching a hashtag of #USSupportForEgypt.

Arab countries also denounced the attack. Kuwait stressed its support for all measures taken by Egypt to preserve its security and stability.

All efforts should be made to fight such dangerous phenomena that targets humanity and the security and stability of the whole world" read a foreign ministry statement.

The UAE in a foreign ministry statement described the attack as a new crime that is added to the black record of terrorism and terrorists.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas also condemned the attack, with presidency spokesperson Nail Abo Rodaina denouncing in strongest terms the terrorist operation.

He also stressed the Palestinian nation and leaderships support for Egypts war on terrorism.

Palestinian group Hamas has also condemned the attack, with spokesman Fawzi Barhoum describing it as a cowardly terrorist act that doesnt only target Egypt and its stability, but also the security of all Arab nations.

Tunisia also decried the attack through its foreign affairs ministry.

In the face of the dangerous implications of terrorism and extremism of all kinds for the security and stability of states and the serious threat to international peace and security, Tunis is reiterating its call for the international community to join efforts and intensify coordination to overcome it and snuff out its sources, the statement said.

On Friday morning, Egypts military announced that 26 army personnel were killed or injured by car bombs that targeted a security checkpoint near Rafah in North Sinai, and that the army had killed 40 militants in the attacks.

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J ohn Outram's striking building is the first listed in Historic England's new post-modernism project, recognising the most significant architectural examples of the late 20th-century movement.

The Isle of Dogs Storm Water Pumping Station in east London has been given a grade II* listing and joins the nearly 400,000 buildings in the upper categories of grade II* and grade I  a select group of England's finest and most important buildings given special protection so they can be enjoyed for generations to come.

Built between 1986 and 1988 for Thames Water, the pumping station is the first demonstration of Outram's mature style and is one of his best-known buildings.

Despite being built more than 100 years after Sir Joseph Bazalgette's spectacular Gothic Abbey Mills Pumping Station, a beacon of the tradition of impressive municipal pumping stations that largely came to an end in the Thirties, both structures are an exuberant celebration of their utilitarian function.

Bazalgette's building was christened a "cathedral of sewage" and Outram's a "temple of storms".

Roger Bowdler, Historic England's director of listings, praised Outram's pumping station as "one of the most exciting buildings of the Eighties".

"Outram exulted in the panache and exuberance of classicism, and gave this utterly functional structure an exterior which is unforgettable," he said.

"It is vital that we keep the list up to date: its really exciting that we are starting to see the very best of post-modern buildings find their place among Englands finest works of architecture."

Outram,83, believes decoration is the "origin and essence of architecture" and describes his life's work as a "rebellion".

"The oldest architecture I ever visited was the painted caves of 20,000-year-old Lascaux," he said. "Decoration is the origin and essence of architecture... I was told, in 1955, at the beginning of my life as an architect, that my medium was both to be illiterate and devoid of metaphysical capacity. My work has been a rebellion."

Tamsie Thomson, director of the London Festival of Architecture, said: "The listing system is a brilliant mechanism for capturing our historic and architectural memories.

"Outram's Pumping Station is a brilliant example of post-modernism in one of the fastest-changing parts of London and to celebrate that building as we consider our city's built environment memories couldn't be more fitting.

"England's 'youngest' listed building is still James Stirling and Michael Wilford's No.1 Poultry in the City of London. That post-modern gem was finished in 1998 and added to the National Heritage List last November."
News, events, history, and other mid-week tidbits.

Tuesday, October 25, 4:30  7 p.m.

Orr Area EMS Open House

Brats and burgers will be served. Event includes a new ambulance tour and blood pressure screenings. For more info: 218-780-3798.

Orr Fire Hall

4540 Lake St., Orr

Tuesday, October 25, 12  6 p.m.

Essentia Health Job Fair

Talent recruiters and department managers will be on-site at Essentia Health-Virginia. Candidates from all backgrounds are encouraged to attendnurses, nursing and clinical assistants, surgery technicians, radiology technicians, respiratory therapists, human resource professionals, and those interested in environmental services or nutrition services. Essentia staff will greet candidates, conduct an initial screening and filter them to appropriate hiring managers for interviews. Select candidates will be verbally offered a position before leaving. Candidates are asked to bring a resume, but its not required. Attire is business casual. For more info: www.essentiacareers.org.

901 9th St. N., Virginia
The Egyptian cabinet, Al-Azhar and the Coptic Orthodox Church have all condemned a terrorist attack that killed a number of army personnel in southern Rafah in North Sinai on Friday morning.

Twenty-six army personnel were killed or injured by car bombs that targeted a security checkpoint near Rafah in North Sinai, and the army killed 40 militants while foiling the attacks, the military has announced.

In an official statement, the cabinet praised the army for foiling the attack and Prime Minister Sherif Ismail offered his condolences to the victims.

Ismail stressed the necessity of efforts worldwide joining together to confront terrorism and putting an end to the support for terrorism.

Al-Azhar also issued a statement condemning the attack; Grand Imam Ahmed El-Tayyeb said that the pure blood [of the slain soldiers] will be a curse to those cowards and their supporters domestically and internationally, and those who sold their religion and betrayed their nations.

El-Tayyeb also called for unified international efforts in countering terrorist groups and those countries which sponsor them.

Such terrorist operations will make Egyptians more determined to face terrorism until it is eliminated, and to avenge the martyrs, he added.

The sheikh also called on all Egyptians to stand behind their armed forces and police to defeat terrorism.

The Coptic Orthodox Churchs official spokesman, Father Bolous Halim, said the church offers its condolences, hoping that the families of the martyrs find solace.

May God aid Egypts army and its police in their just and victorious fight against terrorism and evil powers that target the aspirations of the nation and its stability and security. May Egypt live free, powerful and secure in the care of God, the spokesman added.

The army has not provided a breakdown of the casualties in the attack. No group has yet claimed responsibility.

Security forces have been battling an Islamist insurgency for several years in North Sinai; militants have killed hundreds of security personnel. Egyptian troops have also killed hundreds of militants during operations in the border region.

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The high-concept album deals with life in a "harsh, savage environment".

Gary Numan has announced his first album since 2013's Splinter (Songs From A Broken Mind).

Savage (Songs From A Broken World) is a dystopian concept album set in a post-global warming hellscape where western and eastern cultures have melded together, technology has been lost, and "human kindness and decency are just a dim and distant memory".

Compounding these problems, religion resurfaces as a way for people to process the guilt resulting from their savagery, "and it really goes downhill from there", according to a press release from Numan's camp.

Numan also dropped a track from the album, which features backing vocals from his daughter Persia:

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Numnan has announced a tour in support of the new album, which features dates across the UK, Europe and North America. No Irish dates are listed at present.
The eight minute track sounds like it could be for an intense sequence.

The movie music maestro Hanz Zimmer has just given us the first official release from his score for upcoming epic Dunkirk . Aptly entitled 'Submarine', the lengthy and ferocious instrumental builds and build until it sounds like a terrifying siren in the middle of a war zone.

Anyone who is familiar with the work of Zimmer will know he's a frequent collaborator with director Christopher Nolan so his involvement here is no surprise. The now 59 year old has previously worked on The Dark Knight trilogy and was nominated for academy awards for his work on other Nolan films Inception and Interstellar.

The World war 2 set Dunkirk tells the true story of the 400,000 Allied troops who had been trapped on a beach on the French coast while they waited to be rescued and returned to Britain. the Film stars Harry Styles, Kenneth Brannagh, Tom, Hardy, Mark Rylance and Ireland's own Cillian Murphy.

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Both the film Dunkirk and its soundtrack will be released on July 21. Catch 'Submarine' Below:
WASHINGTON - If you find your way to the website of the nonprofit Securing America's Future Energy, you'll come across this statement:

"Ninety-two percent of America's transportation sector is monopolized by a single fuel. This exposes our country's economic and national security to a volatile and easily manipulated global oil market. America must address its overwhelming reliance on oil."

While this sounds like the position of a peak oil theorist or keep-it-in-the ground environmental group, the message comes from a coalition of retired four-star generals, other retired officers and corporate executives, who all warn that the country's overwhelming dependence on oil threatens its economy and security. Headed by military leaders such as Gen. James Conway, the former commandant of the Marine Corps, Securing America's Future Energy, or SAFE, is lobbying lawmakers to adopt policies to reduce oil demand - a goal that is anathema to the oil industry and its many allies in the Republican Congress and Trump administration.

Their thinking is rooted in decades of war in the Middle East and long-standing fears of a shock to the U.S. economy should oil prices spike again, Conway said in an interview. He cited not only the great cost of sending troops there to fight - more than 6,000 have been killed in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan - but also defending the shipping lanes that oil tankers travel to supply world markets.

"Since the turn of the century, we have had as a primary focus on the Middle East," he said. "And it's because we want to create and ensure as much stability as we can there to make sure the oil continues to flow."

The message from Conway and his band of military brass presents a potentially valuable ally, with some serious conservative bonafides, to a movement to shift the country away from oil that has largely been dominated by climate change groups and so-called Green politicians, such as Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, the former Democratic presidential candidate.

'Middle ground player''

For now their influence remains relatively limited - Conway described his group as "a fledgling effort." But the generals' campaign to wean the U.S. economy from oil is nonetheless gaining traction among constituencies in Washington and could eventually add pressure on oil companies and refiners around Houston and across the country, already contending with low prices, slipping U.S. demand and increased competition from newer energy technologies.

"They're a middle ground player who can talk to the auto companies and environmentalists and act as a broker within these different groups," Frank Maisano, a partner at the energy lobbying firm Policy Resolution Group, said of the SAFE coalition. "They have pretty good street cred on what are hard issues in Washington right now."

Front and center of their lobbying effort is convincing the government to take steps to open America's roadways to automated, electric cars and natural-gas powered trucks - an issue about which the oil industry has largely stayed quiet, but poses a potential existential threat to its business. The generals also call for increasing domestic oil production to reduce dependence on the Middle East and maintaining Obama-era policies to increase the fuel efficiency of new cars to more than 50 miles per gallon by 2025 by advancing automated cars and other technologies.

Those policies are under review by the Trump administration.

The nonprofit, which took in more than $6 million in contributions in 2015, declined to provide a list of financial supporters, but said they included foundations, wealthy individuals and corporations such as Federal Express and Southwest Airlines, both of which have large exposures to the oil market. Other backers include the Hewlett Foundation and Energy Foundation, charities backed by the founders of Hewlett Packard that support clean energy.

The common denominator, said Leslie Hayward, vice president of communications at SAFE, is "a vested interest in reducing the nation's oil dependence."

Mideast instability

Membership on SAFE's board fits two categories: military figures such as Adm. Dennis Blair, former director of national intelligence, and Gen. P.X. Kelley, former commandant of the Marines, and executives of companies that have large fuel budgets, such as Fred Smith, the FedEx CEO, and David Steiner, the CEO of the Houston trash hauling company Waste Management.

But whether in Washington or the Houston boardrooms of some of the world's largest oil companies, there is little disagreement that instability in the Middle East through the rise of terrorist groups like al-Qaida and the Islamic State poses a risk to global energy markets and thus the U.S. economy.

Where groups diverge is on solutions, with groups like the American Petroleum Institute, which represents Exxon Mobil and the rest of the country's largest oil companies, arguing salvation lies in increasing U.S. production through hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling technologies that have opened up vast domestic oil and gas reserves.

Chris Tucker, senior managing director at FTI Consulting, whose clients include oil and gas companies, said that in some ways, the generals are fighting the last war, discounting the revival of a U.S. oil industry that has flooded global markets with crude.

SAFE "is one of those groups whose entire program and mission was built on the energy scarcity premise, that the U.S. was running out of oil and the folks in the Middle East were the only ones who have it," Tucker said. "But obviously, that thesis has not aged particularly well over the past couple years."

That sentiment is shared by many Republicans, for maintaining an oil and gas industry that has driven significant economic growth over the past decade remains a priority. Oil prices are below $50 a barrel, and net imports of foreign oil only represented 24 percent of U.S. consumption in 2015, the lowest level since 1970, according to the Department of Energy.

"I agree it's a good idea to reduce our dependence on foreign oil," said James Dickey, chairman of the Texas Republican Party, "but why not use technologies that have made the capture of oil more efficient than ever and have identified more sources of oil in the United States than any time in our history?"

For now, the policies promoted by SAFE are gaining little traction within a Congress focused on health care and tax policy. And while Conway remains on good terms with the oil and gas industry - he has visited the Dallas oil investor Boone Pickens' ranch on more than one occasion - the general concedes that could one day change.

Policy's 'minefields'

Still, Conway, who was a member of Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney's military advisory council in 2012, is not about to join a "keep it in the ground" rally anytime soon. Appointed by former president George W. Bush to lead the U.S. Marine Corps as it waged war in Afghanistan, Conway might be best known among civilians for questioning the repeal of the military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy regarding homosexuals in the ranks.

But during his tenure as Marine Commandant, he observed the logistical difficulties in keeping troops operating in remote corners of the world supplied with petroleum-based fuel and got to thinking about the country's own strategic risks in relying on oil supplied by foreign powers.

"Conway is a very conservative Republican, but he's one of those really smart guys who sees it all," Burke said. "He was giving a speech at Navy Energy Day in 2009, and the Marine Corps gave him the numbers on how much fuel they use and said, 'Are you kidding me?' "

Conway retired from the military in 2010. Asked whether he would have advocated for reducing oil consumption while still leading the Marine Corps or serving on the Joint Chiefs of Staff, he laughed.

"No, I think our leadership is reluctant to say what we're doing is because of oil. There's too many minefields," he said. "If you'd had this conversation with me when I was active, I'd be using terms like 'vital national interests.' We wouldn't be talking as explicitly."
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LONDON - In the master plan advanced by President Donald Trump, an unabashedly aggressive United States is supposed to reclaim its rightful perch as the center of the commercial universe, wielding its economic dominance to dictate the rules of global trade.

As it turns out, the rest of the planet has its own ideas.

Major economies show no inclination to accept U.S. designs on trade - an attitude on display Thursday as the European Union and Japan agreed to the broad outlines of a free trade deal before a summit meeting of world leaders. If completed, the deal would further the exchange of goods and services between their two markets while, in relative terms, diminishing opportunities for American companies.

These two trading powers, both bedrock U.S. allies, are effectively proceeding with plans to bolster globalization just as the United States is retreating into protectionism. Large areas of the global economy are on divergent paths, creating more uncertainty for multinational companies.

Last fall, Canada and the EU struck a mammoth trade deal, establishing the rules for a significant chunk of commerce across the Atlantic. The bloc's latest deal tethers its fortunes closer to Asia and to Japan, which has the world's third-largest economy.

Meanwhile, the United States debates the merits of erecting a wall along its southern border, argues about the legality of barring immigrants from several predominantly Muslim nations, and contemplates imposing tariffs on steel imports.

"We were able to demonstrate a strong political will to the effect that Japan and the EU will hoist the flag of free trade high amidst protectionist trends," Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan said at a news conference in Brussels announcing the agreement. "This is an achievement we should be proud of which also sends a strong message to the world."

The EU and Japan are placing a bet on global integration as a source of enhanced prosperity - economic ties that come with geopolitical benefits.

For Japan, the deal would strengthen its relationship with Europe and reinforce economic links in an era in which Tokyo is obsessed with adjusting to China's rise as a global commercial power. Japan is particularly eager to forge stronger alliances as protection against China's naval-backed territorial claims.

For the EU, the deal reinforces the power of its single marketplace stretching from Ireland to Greece while delivering proof of its global aspirations. This, just as Europe contends with Britain abandoning the bloc in a step that will diminish its size.

In the Trump view, the United States is best served by striking bilateral trade arrangements, which are confined to two participants. With the world's largest economy, the United States owns the advantage in any such deal, enabling Washington to demand favorable terms.

In taking this approach, the United States risks having less of a voice in the global trade discussion as other economies take their own paths.
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Oil companies are shelling out more cash and signing long contracts for a limited supply of monster rigs that drill wells much faster than the older models that led the U.S. first shale boom.

Some rig suppliers have recently signed 18-month and two-year contracts for these so-called super-spec rigs, collecting up to 20 percent more in daily rates as U.S. producers scramble to lock down the most efficient rigs in the nation's fleet.

Earlier this year, oil producers had resisted entering higher-priced long-term contracts, but these new agreements with Houston's Nabors Industries and others signal oil field contractors have regained some clout in a market that earlier forced deep discounts, squeezed profit margins and forced them to cut thousands of jobs during the oil downturn.

"Every single one of the super-spec rigs that can work is working today," James West, an analyst at investment bank Evercore ISI in New York, said in an interview. "Now we're seeing that exploration and production companies can't get these rigs if they don't sign contracts."

Rig contractors have dispatched hundreds of these machines across the country in a record 23-week upward streak in the U.S. rig count this year, which ended last week as the count fell by one to 940, according to the Houston oil services giant Baker Hughes. In recent weeks, oil prices have fallen to around $45 a barrel, which may discourage shale drillers from bringing on additional rigs.

If oil stays cheap, the nation's rig count could drop about 20 percent next year from an expected 1,000 at the end of 2017.

But even then, oil companies aren't likely to give up the super-spec rigs that can drill a well in less than 10 days, shaving more than a week from the average drilling time in 2010.

"It's all about efficiency," West said.

Investors coined the term "super-spec rigs" last summer when these powerful, upgraded machines first emerged with the capacity to load 750,000 pounds of pipe - the weight of a fully loaded Boeing 747 - and drilling systems with 1,500 horsepower, more powerful than the roaring engines of two semi-trucks.

Houston rig contractor Patterson-UTI Energy, which has already deployed all of its super-spec rigs, has set aside $145 million this year to upgrade other machines in its fleet. And as drilling activity has surged in West Texas and other spots, Patterson has hired almost 4,000 new workers since January for both its drilling business and its pressure pumping segment, which includes hydraulic fracturing.

Xtreme Drilling Corp., a Canadian rig supplier, said this week it has locked in more than $24 million in revenue over the next year with three contracts for upgraded super-spec rigs, pushing the rig day rates toward $22,000 a day.

And Nabors Industries, a Houston rig contractor, recently said it has contracted some super-spec drilling rigs at prices of up to $23,500 a day, almost 20 percent higher than spot rates in places like the Permian Basin and the Eagle Ford Shale.

Oklahoma-based Helmerich & Payne, the largest U.S. rig contractor, said late last month spot prices for high-performance rigs topped out around $19,000 to $20,000 a day.

Matt Porter, president and CEO of Xtreme, said the higher rates his company has gotten for super-spec contracts show operators will pay a premium for more efficient drilling even though oil prices have slumped in recent weeks.
A San Antonio woman is suing ride-hailing company Lyft Inc. for more than $1 million, alleging that she was sexually assaulted by one of its drivers during a ride home last month.

In the five-page complaint filed last Friday, Morgan Lee accused Lyft and driver Refugio Campos of acting with flagrant and malicious disregard for her health and safety. The suit also seeks unspecified punitive damages.

It appears to be the first lawsuit of its kind filed against a ride-hailing company in Bexar County district court.

Lyft spokesman Scott Coriell said the driver was deactivated  as soon as we were made aware of these allegations. He said customer safety is Lyfts top priority.

We have a trust and safety team dedicated to responding to incidents that impact the safety of the Lyft community, Coriell said. We also have a critical response line available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to assist passengers and drivers.

Campos has not been arrested in connection with the alleged incident, San Antonio Police Department spokesman Sgt. Jesse Salame said. He had no other details. Lee also named Campos in her lawsuit, but he couldnt be reached for comment.

Campos father, who shares the same name, disputed the allegations.

RELATED: Texas man posing as a Lyft driver suspected of stabbing rider to death after argument

Shes lying about that, the elder Campos said.

Lee, 25, immediately reported the alleged incident to SAPD on the night of June 10. A copy of the police report reflects that a police officer was dispatched to respond to an alleged rape. The driver and passengers names were redacted in the report in which the alleged victim admitted to being intoxicated. She said a friend ordered a ride home for her and that she kept blacking out during the trip, the report said.

At some point during the ride, the driver pulled over at an unknown location to allow the passenger to vomit, according to the police report. The driver allegedly crawled in the back seat, she told the police. She next remembered the driver sexually assaulting her before she started punching him, the report said. He then dropped her at home, according to the report.

Once home, the passenger texted the license plate number of the drivers vehicle to her friend, the report said.

Police then transported the passenger to police headquarters, where she gave a statement to a detective. She was examined by a sexual assault nurse, the report said.

According to the website whosdrivingyou.com, there have been 225 sexual assaults involving ride-hailing companies around the world. The website is an initiative of the Taxicab, Limousine & Paratransit Association, which is opposed to companies like Lyft and Uber.

San Antonio Police have been tracking crimes involving drivers for transportation-network companies (TNC), Salame said in an email. However, he was unable to immediately provide any details on the findings.

On May 29, less than two weeks before Lees alleged assault, Gov. Greg Abbott signed House Bill 100, which his office said in a statement would end a patchwork of local regulations on ride-sharing companies in Texas. The law will override local provisions and create a consistent framework across the state for popular ride-hailing companies, the statement said.

RELATED: Lyft fires Austin driver accused of drunken driving with a customer in the car

As part of the new law, drivers must undergo annual criminal background checks, according to the statement.

Contracts that the city of San Antonio had entered into with individual companies to continue serving customers are now null and void because of the new law, said Steve Baum, an assistant director at SAPD who oversees regulation of vehicles for hire. Municipalities, however, can still regulate ride hailing operations at airports.

City Council approved the contracts terms in December, despite opposition from several independent taxi drivers and owners, who demanded that drivers undergo mandatory fingerprint background checks  the same as taxi drivers.

Fingerprint background checks were set up as voluntary, but the city required ride-sharing companies to periodically notify their drivers that they could undergo free fingerprint background checks at the Police Department. Drivers could upload SAPDs verification to their app, giving consumers a choice to only use verified drivers. That process is still available for drivers to go through, but there is no method for customers to know when drivers have gone through that voluntarily program, Baum said.

Online records indicate Campos, 30, was arrested 10 years ago for theft of property between $50 and $500 and possession of a controlled substance under a gram. He served probation and the charges were dismissed.

Nevertheless, Robert Morse, Lees Houston lawyer, said Campos should never have been in the car with Lee because of his arrest. Asked if the charges were significant enough to warrant barring Campos from driving for Lyft, Morse responded, It should be if Im putting my daughter in the damn car. Just about any criminal record should disqualify you.

Morse said he wants to find out what will disqualify someone from being a Lyft driver. A DWI seems obvious, he said, but the rest of the rules seem to be fairly fluid.

RELATED: Lyft releases first diversity report, showing edge over Uber

Ride-hailing companies fight like hell to minimize the extent of the background searches they have to run, he added, noting that companies have pulled out of cities because of such requirements. In 2015, both Uber and Lyft closed their local operations for about six months after a city ordinance took effect. A key issue for them was the background check process.

pdanner@express-news.net
One of the most notable homes in River Oaks, a three-acre estate built in the mid-1980s for a Saudi Arabian prince, is on the market for $20 million.

Built on the banks of the Buffalo Bayou, the 23,870-square-foot home at 1000 Kirby Dr. has 9 bedrooms and 15 bathrooms.
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Truth BBQ in Brenham, one of the most celebrated new barbecue joints in the state, recently announced it would open a second location in Houston.

Local food writers salivated over the news, and the general theme in coverage was that Truth would only add to the city's embarrassment of barbecue riches. But for those of us who have reported on Texas barbecue over the past decade, the most intriguing aspect of the announcement was that restaurateur Johnny Carrabba would be an investor in the venture.

The fact that an established, deep-pocketed restaurateur - previously unassociated with the barbecue business - would publicly invest in a small Texas barbecue joint is a relatively new phenomenon here. And, given the increasing popularity of Texas barbecue both nationally and internationally, I expect we might see more of it.

Why would a successful restaurateur want to invest in the notoriously difficult business of cooking and selling barbecue? There is, of course, the profit motive. The most successful Texas barbecue joints are, in fact, very profitable. But if a restaurateur is mainly concerned with profit, there are far easier cuisines with higher profit margins - burgers or Tex-Mex, for example.

There is a mentorship factor, too. Pitmasters often are classic entrepreneurs willing to throw caution to the wind. "If you build it, they will come" is the usual mantra. But the reality is that opening a restaurant takes a lot more than just cooking great barbecue.

More Information Truth BBQ 2990 U.S. 290, Brenham 979-830-0392 Open Fridays-Sundays See More Collapse

Many pitmasters in Houston, with its frothy barbecue-startup scene, open on a shoestring with little business experience. I suspect established restaurateurs are taking notice and seeing an opportunity to offer their experience in exchange for an ownership stake.

Undoubtedly, there have always been silent investors in Texas barbecue joints. However, I think we will see more publicly announced, high-profile investments because owning a Texas barbecue joint is becoming a status symbol.

In the restaurant business, there is no cuisine more celebrated and mythologized than Texas barbecue. It is only natural that successful restaurateurs would want to add that feather to their caps.

High-profile venture capital investment in Texas barbecue is still new, and whether it will grow as a trend remains to be seen. Of course there will be inevitable cries about the "corporatization" of Texas barbecue. It's a valid concern, and potential investors would be wise to take a "hands off" approach.

There is some precedent for this in Houston. Bill Floyd and Bryan Caswell (Reef, Little Bigs) partnered with pitmaster Greg Gatlin to open Jackson Street BBQ downtown. Though by all accounts Caswell and Floyd were emphatically "hands on" in the establishment of the restaurant, it does provide an example of nonbarbecue restaurateurs establishing a well-regarded Texas barbecue joint.

For his part, Carrabba already has professed a more hands-off mentorship approach in his investment with Truth BBQ and its celebrated pitmaster and owner, 29-year-old Leonard Botello IV.

"We're just ready to sit back and let Leonard do his thing," Carrabba said in the announcement.
Houston police are investigating a report of skeletal remains found inside a home near the Texas Medical Center.

The call came into police shortly before 1:45 p.m. Friday, from the resident of a home in the 6100 block of Bowling Green Street.

Police believe the remains were of a homeless man who had previously squatted in the vacant house but had not been seen for several months, according to television reports. The remains were found during a home inspection.

"We don't have an identity," said Houston police detective Dustin Crowder. "We do think it is a male based on the clothing that they were wearing."

Houston police were on the scene Friday evening. It was not immediately clear how the remains got into the home.

This is a breaking news story. Check back here for developments.




Britain's foreign minister Boris Johnson arrived in the Middle East on Friday to meet representatives from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait in a bid to heal a rift between Qatar and other Arab states.

Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt, and Bahrain broke diplomatic relations with Qatar last month, which they accuse of supporting terrorism and allying with regional foe Iran.

"The Foreign Secretary will urge all parties to get behind Kuwait's mediation efforts, which the UK strongly supports, and work towards de-escalation and Gulf unity for the sake of regional stability," the foreign office said in a statement.

"He will also discuss a range of security and bilateral issues with a particular focus on working together to address the common threats of extremism, radicalisation and terrorism."



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Michael Mabe on Thursday described how a Texas City police officer last December allegedly rifled through his dying father's pockets and took more than $2,000 in cash that the 74-year-old grandfather-to-be was carrying for Christmas presents.

At a news conference, the son said he wonders if his father, James Mabe, might have survived, if the officer had provided immediate medical assistance instead of allegedly stealing his money after he was found unresponsive in his pickup truck Dec. 19 in the coastal city of 50,000 near Galveston.

The Texas City Police Department said Thursday that charges, including theft, were pending against Linnard R. Crouch Jr., a third-generation officer whose personnel file details a history of complaints from citizens and supervisors. Crouch resigned under pressure Jan. 30 after more than a decade with the department.

The department's announcement came the day after James Mabe's widow, Linda, filed a federal lawsuit against Texas City and Crouch seeking a jury trial and punitive damages.

"What happened to Jim haunts me daily," Linda Mabe said at the news conference, her voice cracking. "I cannot accept it."

James Mabe, 74, was driving his pickup when his congestive heart failure incapacitated him, Michael Mabe said.

Someone called 911 to report a truck stopped on a major Texas City thoroughfare, according to the lawsuit. Crouch was dispatched, found the elderly Mabe unresponsive in the driver's seat and called for paramedics.

Later that day, shortly after Linda Mabe learned that her husband of 46 years was dead, Crouch walked up and handed her a clear bag with a stack of cash with a $100 bill on top, Michael Mabe wrote in a February letter to the police department.

Linda Mabe said she had given her husband $2,400 in cash to shop for Christmas gifts; her son said at the news conference that the couple did not use credit or debit cards.

When family members checked the bag after returning home, the lawsuit says, they found the wad of cash was a single $100 bill with smaller bills tucked inside.

"Mr. Mabe was well known by all that knew him to never carry $1 bills in his pockets," the son wrote in his February letter. "Instead, he collected them in the console of (his) truck for his soon-to-be-born granddaughter. He was known to suggest he was starting her college fund."

Only one with access

The couple's son, a real estate attorney, called the police department several times that month to lodge a complaint. He said he asserted that Crouch was the only person with access to both the wad of $100 bills in James Mabe's pocket as well as the stash of $1 bills in the truck's console, suggesting Crouch intentionally used the $1 bills to conceal the missing thousands of dollars.

A supervisor who responded to the son's first phone calls said on Jan. 3 that the department found no evidence of wrongdoing and that, besides, no officer would "risk his career for such a small amount of money," Michael Mabe wrote in his February letter.

However, further investigation uncovered video footage from Crouch's body camera.

The family has obtained a memo dated Jan. 17 from an assistant police chief to the chief describing footage showing Crouch "removed money from Mr. Mabe's right front pocket he appears not to have reported."

Sgt. Kenneth Brown, a department spokesman, said Crouch was confronted and chose to resign rather than face disciplinary action and firing. The investigation then continued, leading to evidence of theft as well as possession of a controlled substance.

"These charges have been presented to the Galveston County District Attorney's Office and will be presented to a grand jury upon completion of the investigation," a news release stated. The grand jury will decide whether the ex-officer should be indicted.

The Mabe family's lawyer questioned what happened in the six months between the Jan. 17 memo and Thursday's announcement of pending charges.

"If that had been you or I, we would have been arrested that day," said civil rights attorney Randall Kallinen. "I believe that six months is an extremely long time for a simple crime: theft, caught on video."

The Mabe lawsuit asserts Fourth Amendment search-and-seizure violations and argues that Texas City failed to train, supervise and discipline its officers, permitting a "code of silence."

The December incident was not the first to land Crouch in hot water. He faced a variety of unsatisfactory performance reviews over his decade on the force, according to personnel records obtained by the family and included in the lawsuit.

In 2011 he got several "unsatisfactory" ratings in his annual performance review. Supervisors cited "poor decisions throughout this year" leading to a loss of confidence, such as when he "hung up on, yelled at, and pointed his finger at a sergeant of this Department. Inexcuseable! (sic)"

On that evaluation, Crouch acknowledged that he "had a bad year," which he attributed to going through five surgeries and a divorce.

'Pattern of dereliction'

More recently, he was reprimanded and suspended last year due to a "pattern of dereliction by Cpl. Crouch in not completing reports," including a missing one that may have jeopardized a case.

No one returned messages left Thursday at phone numbers listed for Linnard Crouch or his parents. Since he has not been charged, there are no court records that would list an attorney.

In a twist, the incident that led to Crouch's resignation came almost exactly a half-century after a 1966 incident that led the same agency to fire Crouch's grandfather for theft, according to civil service commission records.

His grandfather, Clarence L. Crouch, was fired from the department after an incident on Nov. 29, 1966, according to civil service commission records.

Clarence Crouch and his partner were on patrol when they found a door ajar at a business, which they entered, according to the commission records. Crouch "removed several transistor radios without the owner's permission (and) stated to the officer accompanying him that the radios would make good Christmas gifts."
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At sundown, the sweat flowing from his brow and a little red-faced from the heat, Mac McCullough was taking canvas blankets off the top of the fireworks canisters getting ready for the show.

Nightfall quickly approaching, he was making his final checks of the intricate wiring that had been done since early dawn Monday. With only two helpers, Mac McCullough spent hours working under a canopy through the heat of the day tediously wiring each mortar in preparation for the 17.5-minute show that would draw cheers and applause from the grateful crowd.

This was what Mac said he was meant to do - entertain.

As a child, the pyrotechnician loved fireworks just like his young peers, but his fascination went beyond just lighting firecrackers or shooting bottle rockets and his craving for more didn't get satisfied until later in life as an adult. He had to be the go-to guy for fireworks on his block in the neighborhood.

"We did a lot of fireworks back in the early 80s at the house and my wife told me if I was going to do this, I might as well go and get a license," he laughed.

Like a good husband taking his wife's advice, McCullough did just that and the rest, he says, is history.

His classroom was assisting local companies with their shows and learning ropes - safety first, wiring, ordering, transporting, and obtaining paperwork now from both the state and federal governments.

"That's the only way you can get certification is to work in some other shows before you take the test," he said. "Anyone with average intelligence should be able to pass the test."

After achieving his license, Mac said it wasn't long before the fireworks companies began to seek him out.

"If you're licensed, they need you," he said. He said he wouldn't be there if the one-day paycheck was bad, but the fun with each show can't be rivaled.

McCullough began his business in 1985 and has never looked back.

He's lived in Kentucky, Missouri, and got to Crosby, Texas, as quick as he could. A resident for 25 years, he's earned a reputation as a pyrotechnician that loves the area.

The city of Liberty has contracted McCullough for over 20 some odd years to do their show and each one never disappoints.

"I use 3-inch to 6-inch diameter shells with a wide variety of effects," he said. "And that one large rack over there that they're uncovering is the finale, worth about 35-45 seconds worth. It goes into the air quick at the end."

All the cabling from each mortar is wired to the slat, a long piece of wood that hosts alternating black and red post for positive and negative wiring. Those wires are part of a long, encased cable that runs 70-80 feet to the firing panel that hosts the electronic firing system. All of it is choreographed with patriotic music that is saved onto a CD and sent to KSHN radio station, which plays the music over the radio for a simulcast.

The mortars are carefully placed inside ABS type tubing, some plastic and some fiberglass.

"Some are reinforced plastic and schedule 40 tubes, polyethylene tubes," he said.

The tubes are supported by a solidly built wood rack that is heavy enough it's not moving, even if all of them went off at the same time - heavy enough, he said, that you could put a dance floor on it.

"You never put your head over one of those tubes," he said, "because if there was an accident and it fired, it would take your head off in a second."

McCullough and his helpers man the firing console some 70-80 feet away so that if something does go wrong, they are out of the line of fire.

"You get misfires, but after 32 years of doing this, you learn to be very careful," he said. "We've had some equipment damage, but never anything significant."

Prior to the actual show, McCullough becomes the maestro of the show when he sits down and figures out the firing sequence to match up with the music, and now it's easy.

"It's cut and dry now," he said. "After doing as many shows as I have, I know exactly what I want."

None of the fireworks he uses are sold to the general public.

"You have to have a federal license to possess and purchase these," he said.

A lot of the federal paperwork and regulations were non-existent until the tragedy on 9/11.

"The security became much tighter. They look at everybody, every year with background checks," he said. "You really have to have a squeaky-clean background and the Department of Homeland Security gives you a letter to carry with you that shows that you've been cleared."

McCullough has built a nice business out of his love for fireworks setting up displays for the cities of Galena Park and Jacinto City, and the next day for the Houston Country Club in Tanglewood and many more.

Assisting McCullough in the fireworks show was the city of Liberty Fire Department.

"Our job here is to stand by in case we have any type of emergency," said Brian Hurst, fire chief. "Typically, it's fire-related if we have debris fall down and catch some of the brush on fire. We also have an ambulance we bring in and park near the pavilion for medical emergencies."

The chief said they had a fire truck, a brush truck, and a mule they use for firefighting in the mud.

"We use our volunteers inside the park and the paid staff are stationed outside the park so that they don't get hung up in traffic trying to get out and answer calls in the city," he said.

The chief, who has been at the helm for the last two years, ascended quickly to the top spot.

He began as a volunteer fireman in Cleveland and went to fire school.

His first job as a fireman was in 1996 in Montgomery, Texas, and stayed there for a couple of years before coming to Liberty where he has worked his way up the ranks to chief.

"I started out as a pipeman and ended up as the fire chief," he said proudly. A pipeman is the firefighter most often seen riding the back of the truck and the first to drag the hose to the scene and work the nozzle.

"It was a beautiful night for fireworks," the chief said. The wind was blowing gently away from the crowd which made the show even safer for families.

"There was a great turnout. I think it was all fantastic!" he said.

Several thousand residents and visitors filled the park and lined Main Street for a great view. Prior to the fireworks, kids were able to play in the bouncy houses, climb onto and look inside both a fire truck and police car and there was music to satisfy all.
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A New Caney father killed when an SUV ran over him outside a birthday party is being remembered as a loving father who aspired to grow his business.

Ray Jasso, 28, was at the party on July 2 with his two young children in the 18200 block of Emerald Court Sunday when Raul Najera, 25, of Houston, allegedly slammed his Chevrolet SUV into Jasso and another person before fleeing the scene. Jasso and the other injured person were taken to the hospital, where Jasso later died.

5 CONVICTIONS: Habitual DWI offender gets life in prison

Montgomery County Sheriff's detectives arrested Najera at his Houston home in the 600 block of Frisco Street Wednesday afternoon on a first-degree murder charge. He is booked into the Montgomery County Jail on a $500,000 bond.

A visitation will be from 5-8 p.m. Friday with a Rosary at 6 p.m. at the Rosewood Funeral Home in Porter. A funeral Mass will start at 1 p.m. Saturday at St. John of the Cross Catholic Church in New Caney.

Jasso's friends said you couldn't find anyone who loved his kids more or worked as hard as he did. He owned a wood company and had aspirations to expand his operations in the future, his friends said.

"Ray was genuinely a good person and an even better father," said Jasso's friend Tiffany Murphy, adding that he helped her through tough personal times. "He was always working and took great pride in everything that he did. Ray was one of the few friends who was always brutally honest with me and didn't sugarcoat anything."

Chris Garcia, who knew Jasso since they were young, said the two enjoyed fishing together. He said Jasso could be pointed out of any crowd with his "cheesy" smile and sincerity.

"His family and I grew up with his family riding four-wheelers and bikes," Garcia said. "Everything we did together was a good memory I'm not going to forget."

For Brenda Castanon, Jasso's death comes as the two had rekindled a friendship that remained dormant for years after they graduated high school together. Now in their late 20s, they had their own kids and planned on getting them together for a play date.

The play date never happened.

"I feel in awe about it all," Castanon said. "I'm in disbelief. Something like that so tragically happening to anybody, I could never imagine."

Investigation

Najera reportedly was at the birthday party and got into a fight with the homeowners, investigators said. Najera was not invited to the party, detectives said, and was being told to leave when he hopped into an early 2000s model Chevy SUV and backed down the driveway.

As Najera made his way down the driveway, he struck an exit gate and pulled into the cul de sac near the house, court documents show. Detectives say that's when Najera backed over Jasso, who was in the middle of the cul de sac, before slamming into a parked truck.

Video taken by one of the party-goers shows Jasso lying in the middle of the street with the SUV's headlights pointing right at him. Detectives said Najera then drove forward over Jasso again  this time dragging him for sometime before Jasso eventually broke free.

The SUV sped off. Jasso was pronounced dead at Conroe Regional Medical Center.

Detectives pulled still shots of the SUV's license plate from the video, which traced back to Najera's home. Detectives found the vehicle at the home with the back license plate removed and damage consistent with the multiple impacts.

Najera is facing life in prison, if convicted.
HAMBURG, Germany - The growing international isolation of the United States under President Donald Trump was starkly apparent Friday as the leaders of major world economies mounted a nearly united opposition front against Washington on issues ranging from climate to free trade.

At a gathering of the Group of 20 world economic powers - normally a venue for drab displays of international comity - there were tough clashes with the United States and even talk of a possible transatlantic trade war.

The tensions were a measure of Trump's sharp break with previous U.S. policies. They were also a warning signal of Washington's diminished clout, as the leaders of the other nations who gathered in Hamburg mulled whether to fix their signatures to statements that would exclude Trump or to find some sort of compromise. Two European officials said they were leaning toward a united front against Washington.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who faced the difficult job of bridging the differences, made little attempt to paper over the disagreements after the first day of meetings.

"The discussions are very difficult. I don't want to talk around that," Merkel said.

She described the view of most participants that "we need free but also fair trade," a rejection of Trump's skepticism about the value of sweeping free-trade agreements. And she predicted that the lower-level officials charged with negotiating a final statement deep into the night "had a lot of work ahead of them."

Some of the clearest divides had to do with climate change after Trump's decision to pull the United States from the Paris climate accord. There were sharp warnings about U.S. steel policy as Trump mulls restrictions on imports.

The summit was also the venue for the first face-to-face meeting between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, whom U.S. intelligence agencies accuse of intervening in November's election to swing it in favor of the Republicans. The two leaders sat for a 2-hour-and-16-minute meeting, which started out with warm jokes but ended with a disagreement about whether Trump accepted Putin's denial that his country had interfered in the election.

In one of the most consequential decisions of his young administration, Trump could within days impose the restrictions on steel, a move that could affect trade with more than a dozen major countries.

"We will respond with countermeasures if need be, hoping that this is not actually necessary," European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker told reporters, adding figuratively: "We are prepared to take up arms if need be."

Juncker warned that Europe would respond in days, not months, if Trump announces the restrictions.

The comments made for a remarkable display of disharmony as the gathering got underway. They also were a reflection of how European officials not only do not fear Trump but also see much to gain from opposing him. Trump is deeply unpopular in Europe, and politicians here can get a boost when they emphasize their differences.

Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross has nearly finished a multi-month review of U.S. steel imports, and he has said that the large amount of steel imported by the United States puts national security at risk because it has weakened the domestic steel industry. The White House is considering using this rationale to impose new restrictions, either by imposing tariffs or quotas, or a combination of the two.

Ahead of the summit, the White House was close to making a decision, but top Trump administration advisers slowed the process down at the last minute, persuading Trump to meet with other world leaders at the G-20 before deciding how to proceed.

The Trump administration has blamed China for what it says is a "global overcapacity" of steel, essentially arguing that China's government is subsidizing its steel industry and allowing producers to create and export so much steel that it drives down prices and makes it difficult for U.S. producers to compete.

But any U.S. restriction on steel imports would have a relatively muted effect on China and would hit other countries much harder.

The largest exporters of steel to the United States are Canada, Brazil, South Korea, Mexico and Turkey, according to the IHS Global Trade Atlas. Germany also has a large steel industry, and German officials have been concerned about what a unilateral move to impose restrictions on steel imports to the United States might mean.

Trump and Merkel spoke about trade and steel a few days ago, a reflection of how seriously both sides consider any new action on the issue.

U.S. negotiators were pressing their international counterparts on what they described as a global glut of steel production in the hopes that they can reach an agreement by Saturday on how to curb it, a U.S. official said. The official said the issue was consuming significant time.

Other countries have also stood in opposition to Trump's drive to erect trade barriers.

When there is protectionism, "the entire international economy shrinks," Japanese Foreign Ministry spokesman Norio Maruyama told reporters.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told leaders that all countries in the global economy must abide by "free and fair rules, and these rules need to be maintained at the high level, and need to be respected," Maruyama said.

In a Twitter post Friday, Trump wrote of the G-20 that "I will represent our country well and fight for its interests! Fake News Media will never cover me accurately but who cares!"

After the conclusion of the first day of meetings, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said that Trump's interactions with foreign leaders were going very well.

"We've had very productive economic meetings," he told reporters at the summit. "There's been very substantive issues discussed," he said without going into detail.

As Trump entered the meetings Friday morning, he strode up to Merkel, smiling, then shook her hand vigorously. Walking away, he looked toward reporters and pumped his fist in the air.

The White House's National Economic Council has changed the Trump administration's approach to steel in the past week, people familiar with the strategy said. It is hoping to galvanize other countries at the G-20 to work together to confront China over its government support for its steel industry, with the idea that joint pressure could be more effective and remove the possibility that the United States has to move alone.

It is unclear, though, whether that approach will be effective. European Union officials on Friday emphasized their commitment to free trade and open borders.

"It's up to us to avoid such things as protectionism, this very simple thing. That would be wrong," Juncker said.

The EU has pointed proudly at a wide-ranging trade deal with Japan, concluded Thursday, as a retort to Trump's protectionist inclinations. Juncker said Europe expects to increase its exports to Japan by a third after trade barriers drop away.

Merkel "certainly will have to use all of her diplomatic skill to make headway on these difficult questions," Juncker said.

After Friday's meetings, lower-level negotiators were poised to gather late and hammer out details through the night.

Another EU leader, European Council President Donald Tusk, said he was heartened by Trump's words of support for Western organizations such as NATO during a Thursday visit to Warsaw ahead of the G-20. But he was cautious about whether the American outlook had actually changed after months of strain between Washington and Europe.

"We have been waiting for a long time to hear these words from President Trump," said Tusk, a former prime minister of Poland. "But the real question is whether it was a one-time incident or a new policy. President Trump said yesterday in Warsaw that words are easy but it is actions that matter. And the first test will be our meeting here in Hamburg."

- - -

The Washington Post's Isaac Stanley-Becker contributed to this report.
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Tomball residents cherish it. Folks in Jersey Village desire it. And the promoters of dozens of Houston-area real estate developments, from The Woodlands to Clear Lake, have promised to deliver it.

What is this highly sought-after quality?

A "small-town feel."

In 15 months of reporting on Houston's suburbs and exurbs, I've heard this phrase again and again, usually uttered in a tone of wistful nostalgia. It's often cited as a vital civic asset that's at risk in rapidly growing cities such as Pearland that really were small towns within some residents' lifetimes.

When Tomball, a northwest Harris County town of 11,000, sought input from residents for a comprehensive plan in 2009, a "small town feel" was the quality most residents said they wanted to preserve. Five years later, residents of Jersey Village, population 8,000, also cited the preservation of a small-town ambiance as a key planning objective for the town in west Harris County.

A search for the phrase "small-town feel" in the Chronicle's digital archives yielded 245 hits. Most were articles about real estate projects that used the phrase as a marketing tool. They carried headlines such as "Bay Oaks: Resort-style living with a small-town feel" and "Creekside Village will create a small-town feel."

More than 80 percent of Americans now live in urban areas. Yet elected officials, community leaders and real-estate developers continue to try to recreate Mayberry in major metropolitan regions, even as communities struggle to retain distinct identities within an enormous, expanding blob of subdivisions and shopping centers.

You can see the fruits of these efforts in Old Town Tomball, which features a vintage railroad car, an ice cream shop that evokes an old-time soda fountain, and a row of antique stores. The Humble City Cafe, in that northeast Harris County town's historic center, resembles a cozy diner from the 1950s.

Many Americans associate small towns with qualities such as friendliness, faith, devotion to family and friends. Cities, in this worldview, are seen as cold, crowded, dirty and dangerous.

A small town is a place where a homeowner welcomes a new neighbor with a freshly baked pie. A city is a place where a guy staring at his phone looks up suspiciously when you say "Good morning" as you pass on the street.

I asked Scott Davis, senior vice president of the real estate consulting firm Meyers Research, why a "small-town feel" was featured so frequently in promotions of new projects. Davis said it reflects an effort by developers to "create a sense of community and belonging."

Some companies are including facilities for community activities like wine tastings and farmers markets in new projects, Davis said.

"When you look at the distances people drive and their schedules, they really are searching for a place that gives them a sense of connection," he said.

Desire for a quality of life

Charles Marohn has spent his entire life in a small town: Brainerd, Minn., population 14,000, made famous in the 1996 Coen Brothers movie "Fargo." Marohn, an engineer and planner by profession, is the president of Strong Towns, a nonprofit that seeks to develop financially stable towns, cities and neighborhoods.

Marohn said the yearning for the qualities of small towns is really a desire for a quality of life than can be achieved in a community of any size. He noted that a friend had recently expressed affection for the small-town feel of the place where he lived: Brooklyn, N.Y.

"Humans are tribal people, and studies have shown that we operate really well in groups of 200 or less," Marohn said. "A neighborhood is really a place where you can get down to that kind of scale."

'A kind of romantic ideal'

Downtown revitalization projects in a number of Houston-area communities seek to create walkable places where people can interact with their neighbors - a classic feature of American small towns, said Rice University sociology professor Stephen Klineberg. Sugar Land Town Square is a successful example, he said, as are certain older Houston neighborhoods like Montrose.

"It really does capture, more than anything, a kind of romantic ideal of what a community is supposed to look like," Klineberg said.

Perhaps, then, the real-estate agents promoting developments with a "small town feel" might really be talking about vibrant, walkable neighborhoods - small towns, of a sort, within a larger urban area. Some of us can find what these agents are selling just by walking out our front door.
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AUSTIN - Despite nearly a week of behind-the-scenes wrangling and public pressure, the Republican plan to repeal and replace Obamacare still doesn't meet U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz's key objectives.

"I'm trying to bring folks together to unite the conference behind the shared goal: let's lower premiums," Cruz told reporters as he left a town hall meeting in Austin.

But asked if the Senate plan does that yet, Cruz was clear: "not sufficiently."

Those remarks come just 24 hours after Cruz told an audience outside of Dallas that he's not certain that repealing and replacing Obamacare will get done. Cruz remains one of the key GOP holdouts preventing passage in the Senate.

At the same time though, Cruz said Thursday that he has not given up on getting a bill done.

"I still believe we can get it done," Cruz said. "I believe we can get to yes - I don't know if we will."

Cruz came to Austin determined to talk about veterans issues, but more than 200 protesters outside had different plans and at least a half-dozen successfully infiltrated the event to confront him on health care.

Gary Marsh, a 67-year-old Austin resident, interrupted Cruz's presentation to press him on why he's not fixing the problems with Obamacare instead of trying to repeal it entirely.

Instead of having Marsh and the other protesters dragged out, Cruz let Marsh continue forseveral minutes before reiterating the failures he sees with Obamacare.

Cruz countered that repealing Obamacare was a central part of why the American people elected Republicans to retake the House and the Senate and the White House and he would continue to push to do just that.

"This law isn't working," Cruz said. "People are hurting under it."

After the town hall meeting, Cruz said he didn't cut the protesters off because he wanted to hear them out.

"I think it was a good opportunity to have the exchange," Cruz said.

The exchange came just hours after police in Austin arrested seven protesters outside U.S. Sen. John Cornyn's office, the Austin American-Statesman reported.

Cruz has been traveling the state trying to hold town hall meetings focused on reforms he is pressing for the Department of Veterans Affairs. In McKinney on Wednesday and in Austin on Thursday, Cruz said the agency needs to hire a chief information technology officer to improve the agency's systems and be able to identify problems before they turn into scandals.

In addition, Cruz said ultimately Congress needs to give veterans more chances to see private sector doctors rather than being required to just going to the VA systems. He said while many veterans like the care they get at the VA, others want and deserve choice.

The rallies have been organized by Concerned Veterans For America, a conservative leaning nonprofit advocacy group that has been pushing to allow veterans into private health care options rather than rely on the traditional VA bureaucracy.

Cruz is expected to hold another town hall at noon on Saturday at the Sheraton Brookhollow Hotel in Houston.

Cruz has become one of the most important players in the debate over how to repeal Obamacare. While a contingent of moderate Republicans in the Senate hinted at opposing the Senate plan, Cruz and other conservatives announced they couldn't support the bill. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell was forced to postpone a vote on the issue until after the Senate returns from their annual Fourth recess.

Since announcing his opposition to the bill, Cruz has met with McConnell and other Senate leaders and Vice President Mike Pence who have tried to get his support for the Senate plan.

Cruz rose to national prominence through his opposition to Obamacare and ran for president in 2016 with a declared mission to repeal "every word" of the law.

On Thursday, Cruz said there could be "catastrophic" consequences for Republicans if they fail to repeal Obamacare. But it could be even worse if they pass only a partial repeal and try to pitch it as something bigger.

"Now I think there is an even worse outcome in failing to do it, which is passing a bill that is entitled Obamacare - that has it in the title - but that doesn't actually fix the problem," Cruz said.

Cruz said if Republicans do that and premiums continue to skyrocket, "that's how you get a Speaker (Nancy) Pelosi or a leader Chuck Schumer."

Protesters at the rally in front of the Renaissance Austin Hotel admitted they had little chance to get Cruz to back down.

"But sitting at home isn't going to help," said Adrienne Balkany a resident of Buda, who stood in nearly 100 degree temperatures during rush hour to hold a sign advocating for a single payer health care system.
AUSTIN - After long fighting Texas' voter ID law for discriminating against Latino and African American voters, the U.S. Department of Justice declared the latest revision of the controversial state law now satisfies President Donald Trump's administration, according a filing in federal court Wednesday.

The about-face from the DOJ comes after federal officials focused their attention on voter fraud last week by demanding state governments hand over their voter rolls to a federal commission on a quest to examine the president's claim that 3 million to 5 million illegal votes were cast in the 2016 election.

The DOJ proposed that Texas' legislative voter ID law revision signed into law this year "eradicates any discriminatory effect or intent" and "leaves no ongoing violation of federal law for the United States to pursue or the Court to remedy," according to the department's filing with the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas in Corpus Christi.

Critics of the law and the administration disagree. They say Texas' track record of having four court rulings in five years find that the state has discriminated against black and Latino voters should justify continued judicial oversight despite the administration's change of heart.

"What we've seen is Texas cannot be trusted to protect every Texan's right to vote," said Manny Garcia, deputy executive director for the Texas Democratic Party, citing a history of what he called "state-sponsored discrimination" amid court rulings that found the Republican-led Legislature worked to minimize the impact of ethnic minorities via photo voter ID laws in drawing district lines.

U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos, who twice ruled Texas' voter ID law intentionally discriminates against minority voters, will decide whether Texas' revised law meets all the court's remedies and whether to require the state ask permission to change voter ID laws in the future.

Texas' photo voter ID law, passed in 2011, requires most voters to present one of seven acceptable forms of photo identification at the polls to preserve integrity at the ballot box. The law was quickly snarled up in the courts and became known as one of the strictest voter ID laws in the country.

The court forced the state to water down the law by allowing voters without a valid photo identification to vote after completing an affidavit in the 2016 election. Confusion over what rules to follow delayed hundreds of people from voting and caused others to walk away, according to a report released last month from the Texas Civil Rights project.

Granting leniency

Gov. Greg Abbott eventually made edits to the state's voter ID law in an emergency order during this year's legislative session, spurring lawmakers into hours-long running debates about photo voter IDs, discrimination and intent.

Under the new version of the law, called Senate Bill 5, voters without a photo identification will be able to cast their ballots if they show some other documentation with their name and home address, such as a bank statement or utility bill. They also must sign an affidavit swearing to their identify and attesting to having a "reasonable impediment" to obtaining a valid photo ID. Voters could face a two-year jail sentence if they are found to have provided false information.

'Intimidating' effect

The DOJ wrote in the court filing that the Texas Legislature's adoption of Senate Bill 5 this spring satisfactorily refined the state's voter ID law and satisfies the department.

The Justice Department under former President Barack Obama had fought against the state in voter ID court cases, joining minority groups that filed suit against the state. Under the Trump administration, the DOJ backed off its previous argument that Texas passed the voter ID law to purposefully discriminate.

Attorney General Ken Paxton's office did not respond to requests for comment.

The Legislature largely improved the state's voter ID law this year, critics said, but it comes with new issues that can disenfranchise voters.

"While the new law codifies much of the court's 2016 order relaxing the 2011 law, it also adds a new criminal penalty for providing false information on the reasonable impediment form. We are very concerned that this law will have the effect of intimidating folks who truly have a reasonable impediment to obtaining a photo ID and ultimately prevent them from casting a vote," said Beth Stevens, voting rights director for the Texas Civil Rights Project.

The legal filing came days after Trump asked states to hand over voter registration data. Texas agreed to share much of its data with the administration - such as names, addresses, birth dates and voting histories - but has declined to release information such as partial Social Security numbers.
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WESLACO - Gunner's Mate 2nd Class Noe Hernandez, the Valley's own, was laid to rest Thursday with much love and ceremony.

Hernandez was one of seven sailors aboard the USS Fitzgerald who were killed last month when the Philippine-flagged ACX Crystal collided with the Navy destroyer off the coast of Japan.

At Thursday's burial ceremonies at the Weslaco City Cemetery, his wife, Dora Hernandez, gave thanks to the community in English and Spanish for the outpouring of support. She described it as overwhelming.

Hundreds of family and friends, dignitaries, military veterans, Navy personnel and several of Hernandez's shipmates attended the ceremonies.

"He was a good man," said shipmate Matthew King, 32, a petty officer first class who came to the Rio Grande Valley to support Hernandez's family and honor his friend.

King was aboard the Fitzgerald at the time of the collision. His voice trailed off, and his eyes welled with tears as he contemplated the near sinking of the 550-foot vessel.

"I'm dealing with a lot of different emotions," King said of managing the loss, while searching for the strength to perform his duties. "Right now our rally is, 'The Fitz will fight again.' As the ship begins to heal, we will heal with her."

The Fitzgerald was towed to the American naval base at Yokosuka, Japan, where Navy divers searched for the missing sailors. Vice Adm. Joseph Aucoin, commander of the U.S. 7th Fleet, initiated an investigation into the collision, led by Rear Adm. Brian Fort. There also is a safety investigation, and the U.S. Coast Guard is leading the marine casualty investigation.

Hernandez was a four-year member of the U.S. Army JROTC program at Weslaco High School. It was there that he met Dora, and the pair became sweethearts.

Ana Delgado, 26, remembered when Dora introduced her friends to Hernandez over lunch one day, playing games of "Marco Polo" at the pool, and eating tacos at their favorite restaurant.

Delgado and other former classmates asked Dora permission to make T-shirts featuring Hernandez. She offered them a photo of her husband with their 2-year-old son, Leon, sitting on his lap. Written at the bottom was the epitaph "My heart stays with you all."

"That was his parting message to Dora and Leon," Delgado said. "Every time he left that's what he would tell them."

Hernandez joined the Navy in 2009, leaving the Valley for ports in Italy, California and finally Japan.

On Wednesday, hundreds of community members attended the wake at San Martin De Porres Catholic Church in Weslaco, offering condolences to the family.

Thursday morning, the community packed Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Mercedes for the funeral Mass. Afterward, the procession stopped at Hernandez's boyhood home, then passed his old high school en route to the cemetery.

At the cemetery, six sailors clad in dress whites carried the casket to its final place. There, Hernandez was accorded full military honors, including a 21-volley salute.

As taps was sounded, Virginia Hernandez-Lozano, Hernandez's mother, wrapped her arms around a U.S. flag presented to her and wept.

Roses were laid atop the casket adorned with photos of Hernandez with his family. Dora knelt, pressed her fingers to her lips, then touched them to the casket.

"No!" Hernandez-Lozano cried as the casket was lowered into the earth. "My son!"
Islamic State (IS) militants attacked a village south of Mosul, killing several people including two journalists, even as they were about to lose their last redoubt in the city to an Iraqi military onslaught, security sources said on Friday.

The assault on Imam Gharbi village appeared to be the sort of diversionary, guerrilla-style strike IS is expected to employ as U.S.-backed Iraqi forces regain control over cities IS captured in a shock 2014 offensive.

Security sources said IS insurgents had infiltrated Imam Gharbi, some 70 km (44 miles) south of Mosul on the western bank of the Tigris river, on Wednesday evening from a pocket of territory still under their control on the eastern bank.

Two Iraqi journalists were reported killed and two others wounded as they covered the security forces' counter-attack to take back the village on Friday. An unknown number of civilians and military were also killed or wounded.

The fighting forced the U.N.-affiliated International Organization for Migration to suspend relief operations at two sites where it houses nearly 80,000 people near Qayyara, just north of Imam Gharbi, a U.N. statement said.

With water trucks no longer able to reach the sites, the displaced people could run short of water at a time of midsummer temperatures well over 40 Celsius (104 Fahrenheit), it said.

The insurgents were still in control of half the village by Friday evening, security sources said.

In Mosul, IS clung to a slowly shrinking pocket on the Tigris west bank, battling for every metre with snipers, grenades and suicide bombers, which forced Iraqi troops to fight house-to-house in densely-populated blocks.

The Iraqi military has forecast final victory this week in what used to be the de facto capital of IS's "caliphate" in Iraq, after a grinding eight-month, U.S.-backed offensive to wrest back the city, whose pre-war population was 2 million.

But security forces faced ferocious resistance from several hundred militants hunkered down among thousands of civilians in the maze of alleyways in Mosul's Old City.

Mosul was by far the largest city seized by IS in its offensive three years ago where the ultra-hardline group declared its caliphate over adjoining parts of Iraq and Syria.

ASYMMETRIC ATTACKS

Stripped of Mosul, IS's dominion in Iraq will be reduced to mainly rural, desert areas west and south of the city where tens of thousands of people live, and the militants are expected to keep up asymmetric attacks on selected targets across Iraq.

Adhel Abu Ragheef, a Baghdad-based expert on Islamist militant groups, said IS was likely to carry out "more of these raid-type attacks on security forces to try to divert them away from the main battle", now in Mosul and then in other areas west of Mosul including near the Syrian border still under IS control.

Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi declared the end of IS state of falsehood" a week ago, after security forces took Mosul's medieval Grand al-Nuri mosque - although only after retreating militants blew it up.

Months of grinding urban warfare in Mosul have displaced 900,000 people, about half the city's pre-war population, and killed thousands, according to aid organisations.

The United Nations predicts it will cost more than $1 billion to repair basic infrastructure in Mosul. Iraq's regional Kurdish leader said the Baghdad central government had failed to prepare a post-battle political, security and governance plan.

The offensive has damaged thousands of structures in Mosul's Old City and destroyed nearly 500 buildings, satellite imagery released by the United Nations on Thursday showed.

In some of the worst affected areas, almost no buildings appear to have escaped damage, and Mosul's dense construction means the extent of the devastation might be underestimated, U.N. officials said.



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"Any jackass can kick down a barn," former U.S. Houston Speaker Sam Rayburn once said with his famous Texas bluntness, "but it takes a good carpenter to build one."

Now, Rayburn wasn't talking about Ted Cruz specifically, but our state's junior senator is undergoing a fascinating transformation from barn burner - or kicker - into an aspiring legislative craftsman.

Campaign speeches are no longer filled with red-meat rhetoric about eliminating the IRS. A man who once had his ambitions set on the White House is now talking up his constituent services. We'd guess Cruz is feeling some pressure from U.S. Rep. Beto O'Rourke, D-El Paso, who is serving as challenger in the 2018 Senate race.

In fact, while speaking Wednesday at a town hall event run by the Koch-sponsored Concerned Veterans for America in McKinney, north of Dallas, some of the biggest applause Cruz received was after he explained his "compromise" idea for health care, according to Texas Tribune reporter Kirby Wilson.

Ted Cruz talking compromise? And we thought that President Donald Trump was the most unlikely thing about politics in 2017.

There's no legislative language yet for Cruz's amendment to the Senate's Better Care Reconciliation Act, also known as Trumpcare. The general proposal is that insurance companies would be allowed to sell plans that don't meet the federal minimum standard as long as they also offered at least one compliant plan in the same state.

Being a constructive legislator is new to Cruz, so here's a lesson any good carpenter should know: Measure twice, cut once. This means the Senate should stop its rush to pass a health care bill - any health care bill - just so Trump can go on television can claim that he had a legislative victory. Take your time, hold committee hearings and welcome expert testimony. Texas' senior senator, John Cornyn, a Republican, has said that Aug. 1 is the drop-dead date to pass a bill. Why the hurry? Health-care markets remain stable, according to a June report from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The real risk to insurers or individuals comes from White House threats to withhold federal subsidies that make coverage more affordable.

Meanwhile, spending on health care represents nearly 20 percent of the U.S. economy. This is too important to mess up.

It is also too politically risky. There were twice as many protesters as attendees at a town hall event that Cruz held in Austin on Thursday. Even at the McKinney town hall, the protesters almost matched the modest crowd inside.

That McKinney event was supposed to be a friendly audience for Cruz, but he was hit coming and going on health care. One Cruz supporter didn't like the Republican health-care bills because they don't lower premiums. A detractor argued that cutting costs by lowering insurance standards would open the door to "junk" and "subprime insurance."

Politicians all across Texas are facing similarly frustrated constituents. There is admittedly little to admire in Republican-crafted bills that cut coverage for the working-class and middle-class Americans and give tax handouts to the rich. Cruz and Cornyn face weekly protests outside their offices. Groups advocating Medicare-for-all are holding their own town hall events this weekend. And there's a health-care protest at Houston City Hall on Monday.

If Cruz is serious about seeking a quick compromise, he should look at the Market Stability and Premium Reduction Act, which has been proposed by the Center for American Progress, a liberal think tank. That plan adopts parts of the House bill, such as separate subsidies for high-cost patients, without totally gutting the core of Obamacare. It would be an uncontroversial update to the Obamacare status quo - not exactly the repeal that Cruz once promised.

Any plan has to build on a national health-care system assembled from different parts that don't necessarily fit together. The elderly and poor are covered by single-payer Medicare and Medicaid. Veterans have a British-style nationalized health-care system. Everyone else relies on a uniquely American system of for-profit insurance companies, which most people receive through their employers.

It would take a master craftsman to lend our current American health care system any sense of elegance. As a good carpenter knows, sanding down the rough edges is easier than building a whole new barn. Cruz and his Republican coworkers should consider a bipartisan sandpaper job to be victory enough.
Sometimes it's helpful to divide people who work in certain government jobs into three categories: Attack dogs, lap dogs and watch dogs.

Take, for example, EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt. As Oklahoma's attorney general, he was an aggressive attack dog who won headlines in his state by criticizing and suing the Environmental Protection Agency. Now, as the man President Trump tapped to take charge of the EPA, he's earning a reputation as a lap dog for the very industries he's supposed to regulate.

Instead, we need him to become what we expect the EPA to be: a watchdog over our country's environment.

His supporters give the man credit for jumping into his job with both feet. Legal experts tracking the EPA have told The New York Times that in just four short months, Pruitt has taken steps to undo, delay or block more than 30 environmental regulations. That's the most dramatic rollback of rules in such a short period in the agency's history, a record one environmental law professor calls "astounding."

But it's also horrifying to environmental activists watching as Pruitt dismantles much of the authority of the regulatory body we trust to protect our nation's air, water and public health. Just this week, a coalition of states entered a legal challenge claiming Pruitt violated the law when he reversed a ban on a pesticide the EPA's scientists say can damage the brain development of fetuses and children.

The EPA administrator has also taken steps to repeal a rule that curbs pollution in our country's waterways. He's delayed the date by which chemical plants must comply with a rule to prevent spills and explosions. He's filed a proposal of intent to weaken the climate change regulations known as the Clean Power Plan. And he tried to delay a rule requiring oil and gas well owners to control leaks of methane.

Here in the nation's energy capital, we're all in favor of expediting the complex and difficult process of producing and refining hydrocarbon products. But we also believe in doing it in a way that's compatible with protecting the environment.

What's especially troublesome is that Pruitt is acting with almost no input from the EPA's 15,000 employees. Instead, he's farming out much of the work to outside lawyers, lobbyists and other industry allies like the Republican Attorneys General Association, a group that's received more than $4 million in funding from the oil and gas industries.

All of this would come as a surprise and a disappointment to a couple of former Republican presidents. Teddy Roosevelt, the most committed environmentalist ever to occupy the White House, was also a corporate trust buster who would've been mighty upset that a federal employee charged with protecting the environment is doing the bidding of industry he's supposed to regulate. And even Richard Nixon, who founded the EPA, would have expected the agency's boss to consult with his staff before precipitously rolling back environmental regulations.

Pruitt clearly wants to shift the priorities of the agency he leads. For example, he's talked about putting more resources into cleaning up hazardous waste at old industrial sites. But at the same time, he proposes cutting the budget for cleaning up Superfund sites by about 25 percent.

The new EPA administrator needs to stop taking his cues from the industries he regulates. At the same time, he needs to talk with the professionals in his own agency - experts with decades of experience serving under presidents in both parties - before he impulsively rolls back environmental regulations. The attack dog who's become a lap dog needs to evolve into a watch dog.
Blame Obama

Regarding "Who is X?" (Page A16, Wednesday), the editorial blames the invasion of Iraq for creating a "power vacuum that empowered Iran and opened the door to ISIS." For more than 60 years the Middle East has been called the "troubled" Middle East, as the nations there have been involved in one war after the other, and one regime after the other has fallen or risen to power. Do you not recall the wars between Israel and the Arab nations, the fall of the Shah of Iran, the long war between Iraq and Iran, Iraq's invasion of Kuwait, and so on? The strife between the Muslim sects has existed for centuries.

The nations united with the U. S. defeated the Iraq army and removed from power Saddam Hussein, a ruthless despot who had used poison gas against his own people, had made war against neighboring nations and was a continuing menace in the Middle East. That action was welcomed by many Iraqi people.

Only after the Obama administration withdrew our troops from Iraq did that country suffer further upheaval and the rise of ISIS. Also, it was during the Obama administration that the Russians invaded Ukraine and sent troops and aircraft into Syria. For eight long years of the Obama administration the North Koreans continued developing nuclear weapons and long range rockets; the Syrian tyrant used poison gas against the Syrian people; and the Chinese created and claimed islands in the South China Sea, openly challenging the U.S. and other nations in the area.

The Obama administration created a power vacuum in the world, and now the Trump administration has to deal with a dangerous world, while being attacked by the political left seeking to overthrow his administration.

Edmunds Travis Jr., Houston

Support Trump

Regarding "Obama brings message of tolerance, respect in childhood home Jakarta" (Chron.com, Saturday), for eight years former President Obama created policies that crippled our economy and bashed the United States during his visits overseas as he tried to change America into an European socialist country. President Trump's agenda is to restore the economy and ethics in America and once again restore America's prominence in the world.

Obama is on the wrong side of the pro-America policies of President Trump and needs to support our duly elected president or remain silent with dignity and respect for him and the office.

Robert T. Haas,Missouri City

Clearly incurious

Regarding "A Trumpist trade war would hurt U.S. workers" (Page A17, Wednesday), columnist Paul Krugman pointed out that President Trump doesn't understand international trade, and worse, he doesn't know what he doesn't know.

I'd take that a step further - Trump doesn't seem to care about what he doesn't know. He doesn't appear to work on any of his campaign promises like health care or tax reform; he simply tells Congress to get it done and then criticizes or praises the outcome as he sees fit.

He complains of disrespect shown to him, but he shows his contempt for the United States every day by failing to take his job seriously. I didn't vote for him but after the election I took a deep breath, wished him well and said I hope he would be such a good president I'd happily vote for him in 2020. I'd rather vote for Richard Nixon.

Bob Adams, Galveston
Proposed Medicaid cuts

Regarding "Why ... target the kids?'" (Page A1, Sunday), thank you for taking the time to profile some of the medically fragile children who would be dramatically affected by the proposed cuts to Medicaid in Texas.

As a high-income family that has paid tens of thousands of dollars in federal and state taxes over the years, my husband and I have been deeply frustrated by how few government resources were available to assist our family when our own child was diagnosed with a disability. I can only imagine what the challenges must be like for parents with less means.

However, having lived in other states that are far more financially supportive of their residents with disabilities, I also know that Texas should be capable of doing better. Needless to say, I am disappointed in our senators' proposal to target the kids for cuts in health-care spending, especially U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, who has been vocal in support of the Senate bill known as the Better Care Reconciliation Act of 2017.

Afreen Ahmed, Houston

On Dome, read the ballot

Regarding "On Dome, no means no" letter (Page A17, Wednesday), the writer stated that voters rejected a plan to save the Astrodome in November of 2013. No, voters rejected a proposition to issue a $217 million redevelopment bond and the levying of an ad valorem tax.

A vote against the issuance of a redevelopment bond and the levying of an ad valorem tax is just that. It was not a vote to demolish the Astrodome.

The Astrodome is an asset of Harris County. Harris County Judge Ed Emmett and the Commissioners Court are elected to run the county. Emmett is doing his job, and I support his efforts.

Julie Grothues, Houston

Drunk with power

Regarding "Judges rebuke regulators in Spec's case" (Page A3, Monday), the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission is clearly overdue for a top-to-bottom reformation. With reports of officials taking luxury trips on the public's dime, using strong-arm tactics to force settlements from retailers and wholesalers with flimsy or no evidence of wrongdoing, it's hard to tell the good guys from the bad. It's disappointing to read that the agency tasked with keeping alcohol flowing legally is using its mandate so shabbily.

We know about absolute power and its ability to corrupt, but some people don't need very much authority to fall into dishonesty.

Bob Gayle, Houston
In late 2015, the Congress found that the Strategic Petroleum Reserve was, "one of the nation's most valuable energy security assets." Why would the Trump Administration conclude, just a little over a year later, that the SPR is not so valuable after all?

The rationale for the administration's current budget recommendation - selling off more than half of the SPR's current inventory, shutting down two of four storage sites in Texas and Louisiana, and eliminating the Northeast Gasoline Reserve - was supported by Energy Secretary Rick Perry in congressional testimony last month.

That rationale, however - that we are producing a lot more domestic oil so we can close SPR sites - appears to be grounded in a view of oil markets in 1973. The SPR - its value to domestic and global energy security, U.S. consumers and our economy - needs to be viewed instead through the lens of the dramatic changes that have taken place in the last 40 years.

RELATED: Is the Strategic Petroleum Reserve worth the cost?

First, while it's true that domestic oil production has substantially increased, key oil data then were not dramatically different than now. In 1973, daily crude and oil product net imports were about 6 million barrels and in 2016 they were about 5 million; consumption back then was 17 million barrels per day and today, it is about 19 million (for a population that has grown by 50 percent).

Second, there was no global oil market 40 years ago. The WTI futures contract had been introduced just a few years earlier, and federal price controls discouraged surplus domestic production capacity. These market features virtually ensured that the OPEC oil embargo of 1973-74 would have an outsized impact on U.S. oil - and gasoline - prices. Today, oil prices are deregulated, and spot cargoes move around the globe. Futures contracts, options and swaps help manage risk, establish links between markets and physical product, and provide flexibility for buyers and sellers. These features and instruments lessen the risks of physical disruptions and provide industry and consumers with enormous benefits.

Third, our crude oil and product imports and exports link us to global oil markets. Even with no net imports, when global prices spike, ours will, too. World GDP growth fell from 4 percent to 2 percent after prices spiked in 1999-2000. On the flip side, using the SPR provides benefits to the U.S. economy. After an announced swap of 30 million barrels of SPR oil in 2000 when spare capacity was tight and heating oil inventories were low, oil prices immediately dropped by more than 20 percent. A Department of Energy Report estimated that maintaining and modernizing the SPR to meet current statutory requirements would yield consumer and economic benefits of over $300 billion to the U.S. through 2040.

RELATED: Federal oil reserve at a crossroads

Fourth, much of the increase in U.S. unconventional oil production is occurring in unconventional locations such as North Dakota. This has reversed traditional pipeline flows; crude oil is now moving from north to south into the Gulf of Mexico where the SPR's storage and distribution systems and 60 percent of the nation's refining capacity are located. The result is a congested system in which SPR oil released in an emergency could be displacing commercial oil volumes, not providing much-needed incremental oil to the marketplace. Infrastructure upgrades are called for.

Finally, reserves in the ground can't provide us oil we need in an emergency disruption - increased domestic production does not equate to emergency surge capacity.

Also, oil production in the U.S. is in the hands of the private sector. Industry rightly cares about production schedules, contracts and making money (which it does when prices spike), not about maintaining expensive surplus capacity for emergency disruptions; this is - and appropriately so - the role of the federal government and the SPR.

The law establishing the SPR was passed in 1975, a policy response focused largely on physical disruptions.

The law, however, included an important - and prescient - role for the SPR, relevant to today's marketplace: preventing significant harm to the U.S. economy from oil disruptions.

The SPR plays a key role in the international response during an emergency, as the U.S. is obligated to meet over 40 percent of the total global release of strategic stocks.

Rapidly putting large volumes of oil from the SPR onto the water and into global markets mitigates the harmful impacts of price spikes on the global economy.

Congress recognized as much when, in 2015, it authorized $2 billion to expand and modernize the SPR's distribution system and build new terminals. Robust modernization would create thousands of jobs; anemic modernization of only two sites, while shutting down the other two, would reduce them.

After four mandated oil sales from the SPR - one for its own modernization, another for budget balancing and two for funding unrelated programs - enough is enough.

We should support the view of Congress that the SPR is one of our most valuable security assets. In today's world of changed markets, unrest, and collective energy security responsibilities, we should be modernizing the SPR, not selling it off.

Moniz, the 13th U.S. Secretary of Energy, is the founder of the Energy Futures Initiative, a nonprofit dedicated to promoting energy innovation.
The Suez Canal Authority is committed to a ban on allowing Qatari ships to dock in ports within the Suez Canals economic zone, chairman Mohab Mamish has said.

In press statements on Friday, Mamish said that Egyptian ban on the ships is being imposed on all ports within the zone based on Egyptian sovereignty over its territorial waters.

The decision, however, does not include a ban on passing through the canal, as under the Constantinople 1869 agreement it is illegal to ban ships coming from any country from passing through.

Mamish pointed out that the revenues of the canal would not be affected by the ban due to the already low number of Qatari ships that dock in the ports.

On 5 June, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Bahrain cut ties and trade links with the tiny oil-rich state over Qatars alleged support of terrorist groups and its relationship with Iran.

Qatar denies supporting terrorists and has defended its close ties with Iran.

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As millennials take centre stage, organisations are going to have to evolve and find ways to attract and retain this new generation, says Ertas.

Millennials really want to work for employers with purpose but some of the old school employer brands just weren't engineered in the environment of having purpose, they were more product-centric, she explains.

While traditional organisations may have been founded without a greater purpose in mind, Ertas says many are already adapting to the demands of the new generation.

Companies like Volvo were established in that time but theyre still trying to create a greater mission which gives employees the chance to embrace purpose, she says.

Currently, Volvo is promoting its Vision 2020 initiative which seeks to ensure that, by 2020, nobody is killed or seriously injured in a new Volvo car.
Can you remember your favourite teacher? The person who introduced you to a still-cherished book, flicked a switch in your brain, or ignited a passion that years later still burns strong and bright?

I can.

Mrs Jette Axlev helped nurture my ambition, set me on course to succeed and helped build in me a sense of self-confidence. She inspired me to go into politics, and to get involved in the student council. I remember her classes vividly. She would introduce bombshell topics to stimulate vigorous discussion and debate, teaching myself and my classmates the importance of critical thinking. I owe Jette a lot, and am happy to say I'm still in contact with her on Facebook.

I was lucky. My ambition was nurtured by a teacher who saw all who passed through her door as a talent to be realised, and I grew up in Denmark, a country with a decent education system that was well funded . Many children today are not so lucky.

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Education has the power to transform lives and empower young people. Yet, right now, 260 million children - 160 million of whom are girls - will grow up without ever meeting their favourite teacher. They'll miss out on opportunities to shine and to shape their own lives. Their future will be moulded by poverty, discrimination and limited circumstance. Natural leaders - born to bring about real, lasting change - will not have the opportunity to rise above their peers, or inspire future generations.

Education has the power to transform lives. Its absence curtails them.

Photo credit: Plan International / Bea Uhart

This is doubly true for girls, who are more likely than boys to be completely excluded from education. School should be a space for girls to explore their own authority, test out and raise their voice, and stretch themselves to the limit of their abilities (and good teachers will push them just that little bit further). And school is not only important for academic learning; school can help promote beliefs, values, and expectations that equip students to take on leadership roles later in life, and challenge negative social norms or gender inequality.

Living up to the challenge of the Global goals

The Global Goals have set the world a bold challenge: ensure inclusive and quality education for all by 2030. And so many of the other Global Goals will not be achieved if children cannot have an inclusive, quality education. If we are ever to achieve this ambition, funding for education in 136 low and middle income countries must rise from $1.2 trillion today to $3 trillion in 2030.

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Even those who struggled at the blackboard, chalk in hand, will recognise that money is the missing facto. And here's the point: if we don't act now, over 400 million girls will miss out on secondary-level skills by 2030.

This is my bombshell topic.

Bridging the gap in educational funding

That's why ahead of their summit in Hamburg this July we're asking the G20 nations to recognise the importance of education, put their hands in their pockets, and plug the education financing gap. We want to see G20 nations commit to meeting the long-standing target of spending 0.7% of Gross National Income as Official Development Assistance, and to allocate at least 15% of this expenditure to education.

We also want countries to acknowledge and address the many barriers currently stopping girls from fully participating in school. These range from safety in and on the journey to school, to harmful practices such as child marriage. Equally limiting are social norms that place less value on girls' education and girls being unable to contribute meaningfully to school decision-making processes.

We believe that girls should be encouraged to speak out in the classroom, participate in all subjects, and take on leadership roles within the student body and in-school decision-making mechanisms (it worked for me). It astonishes me that I have to say this in 2017, but isn't it time for our education systems to challenge gender norms, not reinforce them?

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Governments should encourage more female teachers into all levels of education, and women should be encouraged and supported to take on management and leadership positions within schools.

So here's the lesson. By closing the education funding gap and addressing the barriers preventing girls from equal participation at school, we can help develop the next generation of female leaders and ensure a brighter future for all.
Councils deal with housing issues, social care issues involving children and older people and people with disabilities. They deal with the collection of rubbish - planning applications and numerous other important local issues.

Most of the those working for councils up and down the land are conscientious and hard working and do a good job.

One problem is that most local residents are only vaguely aware of how councils work and who is in charge of them. Hardly any voters know that councils are made up of salaried council workers and officers doing the actual work and elected councillors who set the targets and strategies for the council often along political lines and ideologies.

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The dreadful Grenfell Tower fire has brought to light a lot about the nature of councils - not so much what they can do well but what they cannot do.

Having worked for a council and the police and having been involved in local politics and elections I think the Grenfell Fire tells us several things.

One of the major weaknesses of how local councils work is the pretence around 'consultations' with local residents.

In my experience most consultations with local people are little more than 'rubber stamp' exercises. They are often done to be seen to be done but there is rarely a reality in allowing ordinary citizens - especially poorer ones with little influence - an actual say in what the council does.

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When relations with local people do go wrong - with or without a consultation - relations become polarised and local people can quickly become the enemy - as the council turns inwards and ignores them.

In theory all local people in any area should be represented by an elected councillor - but often smaller groups of citizens will not get actual support - especially if they are poorer and less influential.

They can be left in a vacuum of representation and yet assumed to be represented.

The Grenfell fire has - in my view - highlighted another major weakness around most councils up and down the land - that they could ever deal with something as traumatic and disastrous as an incident such as this fire.

It is a nonsense to expect a local Council to move from everyday matters of meetings and processes around welfare and planning and disposing of rubbish - into a world class disaster recovery role involving allegations of neglect and possible crimes and mass death.

I doubt that any Council in the land could step up and provide the leadership and urgency of actions required at a terrible disaster like that at the Grenfell Tower.

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I heard one one London MP suggesting that all local Councils should have a book somewhere on how to deal with this sort of situation - as if this is anything near what is required.

There needs to be another set of resources ready in the UK to step into the role of disaster recovery - providing people with experience of disasters and the gut wrenching trauma involved in dealing with people who have suffered loss and who may be angry and traumatised themselves.

We cannot and should not delude ourselves that local councils can suddenly step up and deal with something so terrible as the Grenfell Tower fire - or worse.

As I understand the theory of it - the Government could step in and bring in further resources and leadership but in the case of the Grenfell Tower fire have for the most part chosen to leave it in the hands of a failing local Council to continue to let the victims down for weeks after the terrible fire itself. Only now are the Government sending outside 'specialist' - only time will tell if they are the people with the right experience and skills.

Presumably the Government - if they choose to - could send in the military to supplement local efforts - but are they any more experienced in dealing with civil disasters? They would bring disciplined and brave soldiers to lend support - but experience of civil disasters and disaster recovery?

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So for me the Grenfell fire highlights a couple of things - it doesn't surprise me that relations between the local council and poorer residents had broken down - most councils cannot and do not actually consult with local people in any meaningful way.

It does not surprise me that a local Council could not morph overnight from an organisation dealing with everyday council matters in a world class PR and disaster recovery resource providing leadership and direction to hundreds of traumatised citizens and dealing with the intensity of world media interest.

The government appears to have sat on its hands and left Kensington and Chelsea Council to continue to fail its most vulnerable citizens in this particular case - this for reasons we may never get to the bottom of.

In a more general sense - anyone who thinks that Councils are necessarily capable of dealing with major disasters like this is wrong. We can ignore this issue for another few years of course, until the next disaster occurs.
Don't get me wrong, I love weddings.

There's nothing like seeing your friends or family declare their love for one another, followed by drinks, then food, then drinks, then dancing... and then more drinks.

It's the cost of it all that I don't like.

I don't want to sound ungrateful, (and to anyone whose wedding I have attended, I loved it, I truly did!) but the price of clothes, travel, transport, wedding gifts and more - it can all add up.

According to a study by American Express, the average UK wedding guest will attend four weddings this summer, at a humongous total cost of 1,728 - a figure not to be sniffed at.

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However, there's no need to panic if you've got a collection of invitations pinned to the fridge, I've put together some helpful tips on how to save money as a wedding guest this season.

Save money on your wedding outfit

Whether it's a stylish city wedding or a country barn affair complete with hay bales, you need to be wearing the appropriate attire. Sadly, it's considered socially unacceptable to wear the same outfit to every wedding you attend this summer (you can shake your fist at social media for that one). So here are three brilliant tips to help you keep the cost of your wedding clothes down.

1. Accessorise

Trick everyone by purchasing one plain dress and lots of accessories to go with it. Big belts, statement necklaces, brightly coloured jackets - these will help make your dress look like a completely different outfit at every wedding you attend.

2. Raid a wardrobe

If your friend isn't attending the same wedding as you and you're lucky enough to be the same size as them, then get yourself over to their house and find the perfect outfit. Play nicely and don't forget to let them raid your wardrobe in return.

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3. Hit the charity shops

Save lots of money and contribute to charity at the same time. You never know what you'll find and you'll be less likely to encounter the horror of someone else in the same dress.

Save money on accommodation and transport

If you are close to the happy couple, you immediately have the advantage. By learning the date of the wedding before everyone else, it's a chance for you to do some research and score the cheapest place to stay and the cheapest way to travel. Here are three expert ways to save a few quid.

1. Hotel comparison websites & get cash back

Once you've worked out your budget have a look at comparison sites to find suitable accommodation at the cheapest price. Check cashback websites to see if your chosen hotel is listed and if you can get money back on your booking.

2. Clear your cache

When looking at flight comparison sites, be sure to clear your cache and cookies. Travel websites and airlines can track how many times you've visited and may offer you different prices based on that.

3. Team up

If you know lots of people attending the wedding, then enquire if you can get a group discount when booking your travel or accommodation. Close friends might feel comfortable sharing a family room, which will bring the cost down even more. Feeling brave? Contact the happy couple to see if you can get in touch with other guests that you don't know, who might also like to share.

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Save money on wedding gifts

It's very easy to overspend on a wedding gift, but with a bit of thought, there are ways to cut costs while still getting something special for the happy couple.

1. Offer your expertise

Wedding organisation can be hectic and stressful, and if you can help to alleviate this in any way, it will be much more appreciated than a cheese grater or a set of coasters. And if you're handy with design tools, why not offer to create the wedding invitations?

2. Club together

If there is a crowd of you that know each other, then a group gift is a way to get something far more exciting than you could afford. By pooling your resources you'll be able to buy a weekend break away, or something gorgeous for the home.

3. Buy secondhand and upcyle

Got a good eye? You may be able to pick up an unusual and unique gift from a charity shop. Or, if you're good with your hands you could buy something in need of a little love and then upcycle it using your crafting skills. For example, polishing up an old cocktail making kit, or taking a coat of paint to a vintage chair or coffee table.

I hope I've given you some brilliant ideas on how to survive the 2017 wedding season, without destroying your savings.

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paul mansfield photography via Getty Images

This week is Pride in London; the LGBT festival that climaxes in a colourful parade marching through the gay heart of Soho. The topics of love, desire and identity are being explored in galleries, theatres and even churches across the capital. It's not surprising brands want a piece of the conversation, but when does the real message of inclusivity get lost under a rainbow coloured veil of commerciality?

Skittles gave up their rainbow, whilst brands from Barclays to Tesco are supporting new colourful versions of theirs. A hit with the creative industry, we have to ask if these temporary brand gestures can create a truly meaningful and lasting impact to the LGBT community?

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At the Cannes Lions everybody was talking about diversity. I mean everybody. "Come out; be honest. I am what I am and that's a pretty good brand idea," said Sir Ian McKellen. The 78-year-old Oscar nominee and gay rights activist was in town urging brands to include more diverse role models within their stories. A little less conversation a little more action, as the lyrics go.

What we see is so important when it comes to reframing concepts of LGBT, gender, race, mental illness, and religion. Anyone who has a role in creating, distributing, and telling stories at any level in the advertising and editorial industries, has the ability - and responsibility - to better represent the diverse audiences they are speaking to.

Imagine how powerful it is, especially for a young person, to see a character on screen that they can actually relate to. When Aziz Ansari and Alan Yang interviewed Lena Waithe for their new Netflix series Master of None, they hadn't envisaged the part being played by a black lesbian. So taken with Waith's audition, they rewrote the entire script. The stand-out Thanksgiving episode, where Waith's character comes out to her family, was written in part by the actor herself. This personal expression within the project created one of the show's most authentic and popular characters. "You don't want to be the face of something, you want to be the voice," said Waith.

Therein lies the real question: who are the brands re-writing the script from the inside? Those who are increasing minority representation within their ranks, among their management and in their board rooms? "This industry has the immense power to change the stereotypes, to break the stereotypes," said Sheryl Sandberg, COO, Facebook. She's not just talking about the content we make. We have to be responsible for the whole operation, from factory too floor. Inclusivity is not just a marketing idea.

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Some brands are getting it right. Channel 4's latest partnership with London in Pride sits alongside a special season of LGBT programmes. Four powerful 30" films tell the stories of four characters, each contemplating the loss of a relationship with a loved one, which has come about because they wouldn't accept them for who they are. The ads mark 50 years since Parliament first voted to start legalising homosexuality. However 50 years on, the LGBT community still faces a daily battle for equality, with 42% of Londoners falling victim to hate crime in the last 12 months.

Visit other parts of the world and the struggle is even harder. In Istanbul an increasingly conservative government has just banned a pride parade in the city, for the third year in a row. At the end of this rainbow are real people, facing real discrimination. As creatives we have the ability to give one another a voice, to persuade one another, to change one another, to motivate one another to action. Because action is what's needed. Not another rainbow coloured logo.
Luke MacGregor / Reuters

In a former life as a Member of Parliament I can recall saying to a constituent: "A giant social housing scheme with thousands of residents? In a pretty hill-side in Gloucestershire? How on earth did they ever get a planning permission for that?"

The Matson Estate was genius. Don't get me wrong, like every community it has its issues. It also has character, good community cohesion, family-housing and sheltered housing living cheek by jowell and wonderful views of Gloucester and beyond from Robinswood Hill.

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The reply I got from my former constituent was: "Ah, thankfully it got planning permission in the 1950s. we liked to do the big stuff back then!"

That conversation has crossed my mind many times in my new role, as Executive Director of Back Heathrow - the campaign for a new runway.

Back in 1930s, the engineer and aircraft builder Richard Fairey paid the Vicar of Harmondsworth 15,000 for a 150-acre plot to build a private airport near the village of Heath Row and almost since then there have been consistent calls to expand the airport.

A new runway was mooted by Jim Callaghan's government in 1978 before a 1990 study into airports called Runway Capacity in the South East concluded that expanding Heathrow "would afford the greatest benefits". The Blair government's Future of Air Transport White Paper recommended a third runway at Heathrow, as did Gordon Brown's in 2009 and, most recently, Theresa May's government last year endorsed Heathrow Expansion.

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As you've probably guessed, my point here is that both the Conservatives and Labour have endorsed building a new runway at Heathrow, but it still hasn't happened. It's time it did.

The benefits of the biggest privately-funded infrastructure project in Europe are clear: 77,000 new jobs in west London and the Thames valley; 180,000 new jobs across the country, 10,000 new local apprenticeships. It's easy to see why Heathrow expansion has such enormous support amongst local residents, trade unions, business groups and politicians from across all the major parties.

As someone who grew up in the neighbourhood I also agree that it is right that noise and air pollution are tackled with comprehensive measures, measures that the Airport's Commission, the local community and politicians are having their say on and will continue to shape.

Over 100,000 people have signed up to our campaign to encourage politicians not to back out when they are given a vote on Heathrow expansion come the Winter.
NurPhoto via Getty Images

This morning's newspapers are filled with the story that Volvo is to go 'all electric' from 2019 - focusing on Battery Electric Vehicles, Plug-in Hybrids, and so-called 'mild hybrids', and ending sales of cars with only a combustion engine.

Does this signal 'the death knell' for diesels, the 'end of the road' for the combustion engine, and the 'historic end' of gas guzzlers?

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Well, yes and no...

Will we really see the back of the combustion engine? Are electric cars really clean?

Beyond the hype, it is worth clarifying first that Volvo will in fact continue to sell cars with a combustion engine, and cars that produce greenhouse gas emissions.

'Mild hybrids' are cars with a smallish battery and an electric motor capable of powering the vehicle over short distances and/or providing a temporary boost alongside the engine. The battery is charged solely by the internal combustion engine, which means that mild hybrids still use petrol or diesel as their only fuel. Hybridisation of this sort is an important step forward, but is largely about improving the efficiency of fossil fuel use.

Plug in Hybrids (or 'PHEVs') are a further step towards full electrification. Unlike mild hybrids, PHEVs can also be charged directly from the mains. PHEVs should in principle have lower carbon emissions than conventional vehicles. However, as discussed in a recent Policy Exchange report, Driving Down Emissions, in practice the relative emissions from PHEVs vary considerably depending on usage patterns, the size of the battery, and how often they are charged. If PHEVs are charged rarely and used mainly for longer journeys, they may be no better than conventional vehicles in terms of efficiency or emissions (in fact they can be worse).

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On the other hand, Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs) already have much lower emissions than conventional cars. One of the criticisms levelled at BEVs is that the emissions are simply moved from the tailpipe to the power station. Whilst this is true to an extent, the 'indirect' emissions associated with the power used in a BEV are lower than the direct tailpipe emissions in a conventional car. This difference will only increase as the power system is decarbonised.

When will we see mass adoption of electric cars? When will they become the default option for motorists?

Here the signs are promising, although there is still some way to go. BEV cars and vans are already cheaper to buy and run than conventional cars (based on total cost of ownership). But this is in part due to the fact that they are eligible for significant grants from the Government.

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Looking forward, BEVs and PHEVs are expected to become cost-competitive with conventional cars without grants by the early 2020s. Indeed, the Government needs to be careful not to over-subsidise the technology, and should signal a withdrawal of grants by around 2020.

What about trucks and buses?

Whilst electric is quickly becoming a viable and affordable option for cars and small vans, the same cannot yet be said about larger vans, trucks and buses. It is difficult to apply battery-only technology to double decker buses and HGVs due to the huge batteries that would be required, and the long charging time.

For this reason, technology developers are also looking at alternatives such as hydrogen fuel cells, which have a far greater energy density than electric batteries. One company is developing a hydrogen powered HGV that could travel 1,200 miles without refuelling. The challenge with fuel cell vehicles is how to produce, transport and distribute large volumes of low carbon hydrogen.

Another alternative is to move to natural gas fuels such as LPG. This is commonly used in the US and Europe, but relatively uncommon in the UK despite the existing network of 1,400 LPG refuelling stations. LPG can deliver a significant reduction in local air pollutants (NOx and particulates) but offers little or no savings in greenhouse gas emissions (unless the gas is produced from wastes or renewable sources).

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'I'm afraid to tell you there's no money left'

One final thing to consider is the fiscal impact of this shift. The Government currently raises around 28billion through duties on petrol and diesel. Long-term forecasts by the Office for Budgetary Responsibility assume that this will increase to around 40billion by 2030.
When I was 22 I lost my brother. He developed cancer of the spinal fluid which eventually spread to his brain and succumbed to his illness in late 2006 - from the first headaches to his last breath, the illness took ten months to take him away.

The proceeding years were filled with confusion - senses unwilling or unable to take in the gravity of the situation. Amongst it all, life carried on as normal amid an infinity of questions. Emotions torn to shreds by shock, disbelief and grief. Life wasn't supposed to be this way - it wasn't in the script. What I was later to learn was PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder), had begun.

The following year I'd decided to join my parents on holiday. They'd chosen to revisit a place in France where we'd gone as a family a few years before - in hindsight a huge mistake. Even so, sat in the early evening one night, thinking back over the past couple of years and everything that it had brought with it, I decided to write.

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I found I couldn't stop. I'd finally found a way of putting things in order - of ordering perspective amongst the madness. Uncontrollable questions segmented into sentences; pages filled with lists, thoughts, ambitions, plans. I'd written things before but this was different - this was a way to deal with whatever I was yet to deal with.

By writing I was able to pinpoint things I wasn't capable of expressing. Grief - and all of the emotional wrangling I would come to experience over the following years - hadn't yet started to feel its grip. But I finally had a release, a cathartic process to aid a slow process of acceptance and readjustment.

It is easy to see why writing could unlock some of those doors; the creative concentration needed demotes regular thought to the background - a distant hum of questions heard but not listened to. Easier said than done.

I hate quoting famous lines in blogs - it all gets a bit pretentious sometimes. However, Graham Greene, in the captivating second part of his autobiography, wrote something I can never forget: "...sometimes I wonder how all those who do not write...can manage to escape the madness, melancholia, panic and fear which is inherent in a human situation".

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From grief to loneliness, curiosity to creativity, writing brings about the best in people. It means synapses charged and energised and imagination stirred - something missing in many walks of life.

A recent National Literacy Trust research report underlines this. The report looked at writing for enjoyment and its link to wider writing in young people, and used data from 39,411 pupils aged 8 to 18.

The results were striking. The report found that writing enjoyment was also connected to writing behaviour, confidence, motivation and attainment. Children also rated themselves higher, on average, as writers and were more motivated by achievement than by approval.

Simply put, writing from an early age is not only important academically - providing young people with higher literacy levels and increasing attainment levels - but also socially, helping to change perceptions of success from seeking the approval of others to craving personal achievement.

This is a hugely important distinction.

In a world where myriad YouTube clips, Facebook videos and Snapchat posts provide instant gratification, a child's imagination can, at times, become stunted. Writing is the perfect antidote to this. It's the creation of worlds; Adrian Mole's East Midlands suburbia to Harry Potter's Hogwarts - entire literary universes created at the tap of a keyboard of a flick of a pen.

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Writing isn't just the hobby of those in more favourable postcodes either. I hear my wife sometimes, a primary school teacher, reading excerpts from some of her pupils' stories. She works in an inner-city school known for its social deprivation, but the creative expression can be, at times, astonishing.

At the very base level, before the gritty realities of life start chipping away at expression, every child should have the opportunity to release the imagination within.

Which is why competitions and schemes that aim to underline the importance of writing are so important. The Wicked Young Writer Awards established by the long-running musical Wicked in partnership with the National Literacy Trust hopes to inspire young people to use creative writing to look at life a little differently.

Since its launch in 2010, the Award has received over 20,000 entries and aims to recognise excellence in writing. It also encourages creativity, helping to develop writing talent in young people between 5-25 years old from all backgrounds and areas of the UK.

A couple of weeks ago I browsed through the entries and stumbled across the winner of the 5-7 years old category. It was a poem written by 7 year-old Adam Rafael Holmes and was called Auntie Helen has gone to Heaven. I could ramble on for a few paragraphs about why it was so powerful and full of meaning but in the end that would take away the simple hope of it, which is its beauty. Here's a verse:

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When you come back again, Maybe a cat you will be To live as my pet and fetch mice for me. You could talk like Puss in Boots. Or become a tree with long roots. Perhaps a bow-head whale, You would flip and flap your tail. Beware people on ships looking over the rail. For two hundred years you could sail. Or be a crocodile and talk with me on the land Because if you are a whale, you might get stuck in the sand.
How To Write An Effective Musicians Bio

As an artist, writing a bio for yourself can be a difficult task. As difficult as writing is, writing about yourself can be even harder, but an effective bio is key to communicating to the world why they should care about you and your music.

_____________________________

Guest post by Leticia Trandafir of Landr

Writing an artist bio is one of the hardest things to do as a musician. Its hard enough to writelet alone write about yourself!

But your music bio is one of the most important parts of your musician press kit. Especially once you release music, you need a solid promotion plan. So a good bio is your starting point.

Your bio is a key tool that communicates why people should care about you and your music. A good bio gets people intrigued to listen to your musicespecially if youre not already known. It may well be the reason why more people come see your show!

You need an about blurb for all your social channels, gigs and festival applications because people crave the stories and context behind the music.

So heres your step-by-step guide to writing your best artist bio possible with tips from seasoned professionals.

1. Take Notes

Open up a blank document on your computer. Write down all your basic info and everything you consider a milestone in your music career. Point form is fine!

Need some help? Answer these questions:

Where are you based?

When did you start making music, releasing music and/or playing shows?

What was the aha moment that made you start making music?

What genre can people expect to hear?

How do you describe your sound? Get specific.

What are your influences?

What are your releases so far? (EPs, albums, mixes, remixes, etc.)

What are the most notable shows youve played?

What are you doing right now (touring, recording, collaborating, etc.)?

What other related projects are you involved in (a radio show, event organizing, etc.)?

2. Start Simple

Once youve filled out the bullet points above, youre ready to start writing.

Begin by fleshing out your notes into full sentences. Write in the third person (i.e. He/She/They instead of I). Start with a factual, neutral tone.

Avoid opinion based phrases like: Incredibly influential, critically acclaimed, wickedly talented, etc. Leave that up to journalists and fans.

In the editing phase, make your music bio more writerly. Think about how the sentences flow one after the other. Read it out loud to see how it soundsitll give you a good idea if it reads well.

Write everything you need to, then edit ruthlessly. Cut out 50%.

If its too hard to even start, ask someone else to help you write it. Pick someone with writing experience. Give them the bullet point notes and your music for reference. Ask for an honest draftand compensate when necessary!

3. Edit And Style

Structure is Key

Split up your text into 2-3 easy to read paragraphs.

The first paragraph should be the most important onejournalists might copy-paste only that part when writing about you. It should give a good picture of who you are as an artist, what kind of music you play and your top achievements (shows, releases, collaborations).

Go more in depth in the second paragraph. Give some background. But no need to go too far back either Sandra became a music lover at age 9 when she first heard the Beatles Thats unnecessary!

The last paragraph should be about what youre currently working on.

Once you have that, rewrite three versions of your music bio:

The Tweet version (one-liner) The short one paragraph version (150-200 words) The longer 3 paragraph version (max 300-400 words)

Do it With Style

Dont over-embellish or distort the truth. Even if you arent an international touring artist, find the thing that makes you special and focus on that. You dont need to have a won Grammy to write an interesting bio.

Dont name drop too much. Youve opened or played with famous artists? Name 1-2, those that matter the most and best match your stylistic affinities. Even better: describe your musical aesthetic without falling back on other artists.

Hot Tip: Train yourself to become specific at describing music and sound by reading a lot of good music journalismfor example The Quietus, The Wire or the book How to Write About Music. Also read record descriptions on online stores like Beatport, Hardwax, Bleep or Boomkat. Youre a music fan anyways, so itll be fun!

Get a few writer friends to thoroughly spellcheck and edit your bio. The spellcheck again!

If it makes sense for the kind of music and scenes youre involved in, add some humour. If it doesnt fit the music, abstain yourself.

Go Global

Consider translating your bio into 1-2 other languages by natives or professional translators. A background in music will helpmusic genres have a lot of quirks that not all translators will get. Choose wisely!

Think of what audience and countries your music is reaching. When you release with LANDR, check your dashboard to see where your music is streaming the most. Translate your bio into the languages of the top 3 countries.

Keep it Fresh

Dont forget to update your music bio oftentake a pass at it every month or so. Edit it based on new accomplishments, releases, shows and projects.

4. Tips From People Who Read Hundreds Of Artist Bios

We asked some industry professionals to give us their best tips for writing music bios. Take notes!

PATTI SCHMIDT  festival curator and radio personality

Patti Schmidt is a curator for the world-renowned MUTEK festival. She writes most of the bios on their website. She also has over two decades of experience writing for radioeverything from short blurbs to 10-page artist profiles.

Pattis DOs

When Im reading artist bios, Im always looking for a conceptualization of the artist. I like a little bit of background: Where did you start? What was the revelatory entry point into creating or producing?

Think about your audiencewho is the bio for? Make several versions for several audiences: for the public on your social media, for festival submissions, for the press.

Think about the experience you offer as an artist. The bio should make people excited to come see your shows.

Im always trying to get people interested in something they dont know they might like. So Im searching for that nugget, that thing that conveys what is touching or interesting about an artist. I want people to come see it.

Describe your aesthetic with attention to precision and what is unique about you.

When it comes to music, youre trying to create entry pointsespecially if youre an experimental artist. This is a big point of debate, because some artists think that their art should stand on its own. But that doesnt help me! My business has always been to convey. Its not about dumbing it down, but creating access points.

Pattis DONTs

Avoid a long list of releases and reviews. The music bio should not seem like a series of record reviews or lists. Mentioning recorded work can be helpful in understanding an artist, but its just one component to use judiciously.

Stay away from comparisons to other artiststreat yourself as a unique artist.

Avoid passive sentences. Use the active voicewhere the subject of your sentence performs the verb. For example:

Passive voice : Boundaries get pushed by Aurora Halals music, which mesmerizes in a bold quest for both experimentation and intimacy.

Active voice: Aurora Halals music pushes boundaries and mesmerizes in a bold quest for both experimentation and intimacy.

Avoid boilerplate genre identifications. Electronic is much too broad. Even techno could use more specifics. Is it hypnotic, dreamy, dark or inspired by 90s Detroit?

CHRISTINE KAKAIRE  music journalist and editor

Christine Kakaire is a music journalist, editor, copywriter, curator and radio host. She writes for all the biggest names in music journalismPitchfork, Resident Advisor, Red Bull Music Academy, Boiler Room, Ableton, Google Play, Berlin Community Radio and Electronic Beats.

Christines DOs

Shorter is better. If youve been making music for multiple decades then take up more spaceif not, 300 words is more than sufficient.

Cover your top 4-5 achievements you are the proudest of.

Include descriptions of your music and sound in your own words. This makes your bio more personal.

If someone is reading your bio in full, its because they already have an interest in youlet the music do the selling for you.

This is a functional piece of text geared towards media, bookers and promoters. Journalists will most likely just cut and paste the first couple of paragraphs so front load the first paragraph with a brief overview of your most recent stuff and talk about historical stuff later.

If youre writing it yourself, get another person to check it before you publish.

If your music bio is being written in a language that isnt your native tongue, ask a native speaker to check the grammar.

Always: SPELL CHECK!

Christines DONTs

If youve been active as an artist for a while, no need to include every single gig, remix, track, release, review from your entire career. A music bio should be a highlight reel, not a longhand version of your Discogs profile.

Of course, your bio should be positive, but avoid filling it with over-the-top adjectives. Substance always beats style. If youre not sure, err on the side of toning it down.

Dont open with Johns love of music started when he heard X band on the radio for the first time 99% of bios have a similar opening sentence.

Avoid long laundry lists of names, venues, record labels or festivals within sentences. Most readers will lose interest by the 4th or 5th name, so only include the most relevant ones.

Never skip the spell check. Check and double check that all proper nouns (names of people, record labels, magazines etc.) are spelled and formatted correctly.

CHRISTOPHER CARGNELLO  composer and songwriter

Christopher Cargnello is a composer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. Hes toured the world, written music for TV and topped the Quebec charts with his band Skinny Bros. Hes also been hired to write multiple bios for other artists.

Christophers DOs

Focus on career achievements more than telling your backstory.

Know (and use) correct lingo. It looks bad when a musician gets these terms wrong in their bio. It also looks awkward when an up-and-coming artist writes that they performed with a really big act when in fact they just performed at the same festivalmaybe even on the same stage, but much earlier in the day.

Here are some terminology tips:

 Shared the stage with  means you were an opening act. Usually in a one-off situation (as opposed to touring with someone as their opening act).

 Performed with  means you were on stage with that artist while they performed, usually in their band, or as a featured performer during their show.

 Compose  usually means you wrote the instrumental portion of a song.

 Write  usually means that you wrote the lyrics.

If youre speaking about hip hop and electronic music,  produce  means you were essentially the beat-makerthe person who created the instrumental track. But if youre speaking about country, folk, rock, or other kinds of more organic music, produce means you were the record producermore of a creative manager during a recording session.

Nowadays the term  composer  generally refers to someone who writes music for TV and film.

The term songwriter generally refers to someone who writes pop songs that contain lyrics and instrumental accompaniment.

Be ready to edit the shit out of your bio. Especially if you have lots of achievements. Shorten or remove some facts to make space for others.

When the list gets too longespecially with touring locationslump them together in geographic regions. If you had gigs in the United States, Guadeloupe, Cuba, Trinidad & Tobago, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand just say that you toured across the United States, the Caribbean, and Southeast Asia.

Mention something that you are currently doing! Even if you dont have much going on at the moment, its better to say Max is currently working on new, original material than to say nothing at all.

Christophers DONTs

Dont write bios that are too long. If its for an award ceremony or a festival website, give them 1-2 paragraphs, less than 200 words. If its for industry people, get everything into 3-4 paragraphsunder 400 words.

You want your music bio to be compelling. Rely on interesting and impressive facts, not clever wording, to make up the bulk of your bio.

Dont try to stretch an inch into a mile and make it sound like youve toured the world and recorded with every important person over the past decade. A small number of achievements written in a factual, confident manner reads way better than a bloated list of hyperboles.

Dont write every single festival youve played at. Its better to only mention a few. For example: Camille is a true veteran of the Canadian festival circuit, having performed at dozens from coast to coast, including Halifax Jazz Fest, Francofolies in Montreal, Calgary and Vancouver Folk Fests.

5. Where To Put Your Music Bio

Now that you have a killer bio its time to make sure it hits home.

Here are the places you should put it:

*You may need to request access or get verified to edit these.

Dont forget to make sure you keep it updated!

6. Get Inspired

If youre still having trouble, read some good music bios to get inspired.

Pay close attention to whats included in each bio and how its written (style, grammar, etc.). Does it make you want to listen to an artists music? Does the tone fit the artists image and music? Thats what you should aim for.

Here are some places to look for great music bios:

Your Bio Is Key

Writing a drum-tight music bio is the key component of a good music promotioncampaign.

Your bio is the tool that will get journalists, festival-goers and future fans intrigued by you. Its the way you represent your image and music to the world before they even press play.

Words have powerthe power to get more people to come see your show and listen to your music.

Remember to make your music bio unique, keep it short and spell check!

Thanks to Patti Schmidt, Christine Kakaire, Christopher Cargnello, Sarah Lamb, Dave Vega, , Ruth Grader, Lowebrau, Grey People, Bruno Belluomini and Volvox for their precious contribution to this article.

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Hoosic River Revival's New Executive Director Welcomes Challenges



Judith Grinnell has led the Hoosic River Revival effort since 2008. NORTH ADAMS, Mass.  After nearly a decade of trying to restore and revitalize the Hoosic River, the nonprofit board leading the charge has faced its share of twists and turns.

The Hoosic River Revivals new executive director welcomed the most recent challenge.

Earlier this year, the organization learned of plans to move a proposed model railroad museum onto property adjoining the proposed floodplain of the restored South Branch of the Hoosic.

We were in the process of interviewing [finalists] when we learned about the railroad museum having moved its location. To say we were disappointed and concerned is to put it mildly, founder Judy Grinnell said Thursday at the groups new Main Street office.

"We had to tell [the finalists]. It was not fair to say we were going to be proceeding with the next level of design [on the South Branch], and three years from now we were going to do a conceptual plan for the North Branch.

Do you know what he said? Those things happen. I consider this a challenge I can deal with and want to deal with. The others were not so positive.

Matthew Millers can-do attitude helped push him to the head of the pack, and on May 15, he began working for Hoosic River Revival. At first, he did the job remotely from Arkansas, where he most recently served as executive director of the Ozark Natural Science Center.

In mid-June, he moved to North Adams to take over the reins from Grinnell, who served as the executive director and public face of the organization since it began in 2008.

In a joint interview to introduce Miller to the community, Grinnell explained that her fellow volunteers on the board of directors decided it was time to hire the non-profits first full-time employee to help implement its vision.

A little more than a year ago, I announced to the board that I thought it was time for somebody with a different skill set, different experience, more large project management experience than I had, Grinnell said.

We had gone from dream to design of the pilot project, and we needed somebody to take us from design to development. My heart is still in the project very much, but I believe for the benefit of the project we needed somebody who could do just what I said: take us to a different level.

Grinnell said she has no plans to step aside from the campaign.

Im not going to go away, but Im going to back away, she said.

After a national search that yielded 40 applicants, the board believes it found the perfect match in Miller, who brings more than 30 years of experience in natural resource conservation and environmental education.

Miller said he is excited to join a campaign he said has all elements needed for success.

What really caught my eye was the three major aspects of a project: the ecological aspect, the community aspect and the economic aspects of the project, he said. In my thinking, those are the three parts that you have to have in a successful project like this. That was really exciting, that those considerations were put in.



Matthew Miller discusses plans for the South Branch of the Hoosic River during an interview on Thursday. Although much of his experience, including his most recent posting in Arkansas, is in rural settings, Miller said he has an appreciation for the challenges of working in an urban environment like North Adams and pointed to his involvement with a river walk project in Columbus, Miss., a city of 23,000 on the banks of the Tombigbee River.

There are [different challenges in an urban environment], but looking at this project, it is sort of a combination of the community and the economic side where youre doing river revitalization and getting people back to the river, whether its walking along green spaces or an outdoor cafe or an outdoor event space, he said. But its still an urban setting. And along with that, theres river restoration where youre taking a river thats been totally changed from its natural setting and trying to do something that puts it more back into its natural form.

And, Grinnell is quick to emphasize, preserving and enhancing the flood protection created by the aging flood chutes that have protected the city for more than 60 years.

[Flood protection] is a priority for us as an organization, but its also a priority for city officials and the federal government, Grinnell said. Any of the stakeholders who have been working with us have encouraged us to say it not once but 10 times.

With change, there is often fear, whether youre changing jobs or youre changing houses or anything. To address that fear, we cannot say often enough that flood control is going to happen, its just going to look different in some places. In other places, there will be no difference.

The Army Corps of Engineers, which engineered the flood chutes, is supportive of Hoosic River Revival's efforts and needs to sign off on any modifications.

Right now, the Corps approval process is on hold while engineers at Saski Associates await input from the model railroad museum organizers. How the museum uses the former Sons of Italy property will affect the engineering of the nearby river.

Grinnell said Hoosic River Revival is communicating with the museum and hopes to get an answer soon about its plans for placing a building on the site.

We know approximately where its going to be, but its 11 acres, Grinnell said. Theyre not going to need 11 acres. Their building will probably be 1 acre in size.  Were probably still going to [use the same configuration for the river], but we cant say to the Corps, Its going to be approximately there. You have to be very exact.

Were stalled, but were working on seeing if they can be a little more definitive with us so we can move as expeditiously as possible.

Grinnell said that there is $8 million of state bond money on the table for construction of the South Branch restoration, but that expenditure has a sunset in 2019. Last year, the nonprofit told the city it hoped to break ground on the project in 2018.

With the final design of the South Branch restoration on hold due to uncertainty on the Sons of Italy property, the organization earlier this year decided along, with the commonwealths Division of Ecological Resources, to start work on the North Branch. Money that would have been going to final design on the South Branch is instead going toward a conceptual design of the revivals second phase, the North Branch of the Hoosic, which enters downtown from the east.

While the main focus is still on the South Branch, Miller noted that phase two will have its own unique set of challenges.

We have a more narrow river corridor than the South Branch, so its more confining to work with, he said. Theres more infrastructure to deal with. Its flow rate is higher [about double]. Its really two separate rivers. It has different hydraulics and hydrology. Its not a carbon copy of the South Branch.

Its a unified project when you look at it from 30,000 feet, but when youre in the trenches, theyre very different.

Miller said in his brief time in the Steeple City, he is yet to meet anyone resistant to the idea of restoring and revitalizing the Hoosic River, an endeavor advocates say can help create natural habitats while providing a new economic development opportunity for North Adams.

We cant make the South Branch of the Hoosic River look like what it looked like pre-North Adams, Miller said. But in areas of the project, we can help develop a floodplain and connected river thats closer to a natural setting and a natural functionality of the river than it is now.

In places where we cant do that, we can work more on revitalization and at least make the river accessible and usable by people and visitors and businesses.
The spots for temporary parlets were marked out on Main Street. The spaces will be designed and used for Downtown Street Art on July 27.

Jersey Barriers On North Adams Main Street Mark Spots For Parklets

NORTH ADAMS, Mass.  The parking spots blocked by Jersey barriers bookending Main Street are not for utility work or VIP parking but for incoming parklets.

Artist Jim Peters and his wife Kathline Carr, Director of Makers Mill, have been charged with designing one of the two temporary parklets - essentially extensions of the sidewalk for pedestrian usage - on Main Street for the upcoming DownStreet Art.

The parklets are part of Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts' Berkshire Cultural Resource Center DownStreet Art call for an art project.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of DownStreet Art and artists have been selected to create murals, pop-up art, and the parklets.

Currently, the parking spaces are blocked off with Jersey barriers and traffic cones. What appears to be a parallel parking nightmare will soon become a temporary interactive green space that will flow from the sidewalk into the road.

Peters said he is in the process of building his earth loom park design.

"It is going to be an arch of natural wood we will bring in stuff with it like weeds, old clothes, paper, and rags," he said. "We will have some trees cut up and stumps so people will have somewhere where they can sit and weave."

He said the looms will come in various sizes so kids and adults alike can interact with the park.

The second parklet is at the other end of Main Street near American Legion Drive and will be designed by another artist.

Peters said someone already took to his spot and wrote: "Driverless Car Bomb Parking" in the space  however, Peters changed the wording to something less hostile.

"I have no idea who wrote that there but I changed it to Driverless Boar Band Parking," he said. "It is going to be covered up eventually anyways."

He said he hopes to start putting the parklet together this weekend and have it completely ready for DownStreet Art.

"I am making it in my backyard right now and I am going to bring it down in pieces," he said. "It should be cool."

DownStreet Art is July 27.
Stephanie Bosley is looking to follow in her father's footsteps with her bid for state representative.

Stephanie Bosley Announces Campaign For State Representative

NORTH ADAMS, Mass.  Stephanie Bosley is looking to follow in her father's footsteps.

The 29-year-old Democrat announced her campaign for state representative, a seat her father held for 24 years. She becomes the first to announce a campaign in the special election to fill out the term of Rep. Gailanne Cariddi, who died on June 17.

"I wish I was running under different circumstances. I considered Gail a mentor and I envisioned that if I did run for state rep. she would be there as a mentor," Bosley said.

Bosley has most recently worked at 1Berkshire in client relations. There she worked with businesses to make sure they understood their membership and what type of resources are available to help them grow.

"I got to see how big of an impact the creative economy and tourism is," Bosley said.

That experience has led to one of her top priorities: workforce development.

She hopes to craft policies that will align education and job training with not only the companies in the 1st Berkshire District now but also those who could potentially move here. Bosley would like to work close with MCLA and McCann to align the curriculum to suit business development needs.

"We need to make sure our workforce is ready for the jobs that are available and couple potentially be available," Bosley said.

The North Adams native has previously worked with the American Cancer Society, the town of Adams' Community Development Office, the Northern Berkshire Community Coalition, and the Northern Berkshire Neighbors. She worked with AmeriCorps at the former COTY youth center.

She grew up and was educated in North Adams before going to UMass Amherst to receive her Bachelor's Degree in political science, and then later the McCormack Graduate School of Policy and Global Studies at UMass Boston for her Master's Degree in Public Affairs.

She moved a little bit after school when she worked with AmeriCorps, but eventually, she ditched the city life in Boston to return home in 2013. Now she lives in North Adams with her husband, Josh Meczywor, and has been involved with the North Adams Democratic City Committee.

"It is a really special time to be in the Northern Berkshires," she said, highlighting the energy behind and the successes of the creative economy including the expansion of the Mass MoCA and the Clark Art Museum.

Bosley had always had it in the back of her mind to run for state representative because she grew up talking shop with her father. Now she feels she is professionally in a position to make the jump.

"I've always been interested in the state representative seat. Growing up with my dad in the role, I saw the impact a state rep could have on the Northern Berkshires," Bosley said.

Her father Daniel Bosley represented the First Berkshire District from 1987 until 2011. He stepped away from the seat to run for sheriff but was defeated by Thomas Bowler.

The seat would be Stephanie Bosley's first elected post, but one she that suits her interest. Her political interest had been focused on state-level policy.

A particular positive impact on the county would be for an improved transportation system, she said. That is another specific area of focus she said she'd like to bring to the office.

"It takes about an hour to get to North Adams from Pittsfield on the bus and it is costly," she said.

Bosley has taken a leave of absence from her job and is focusing full time on her campaign. There have been talks of others jumping into the race, but Bosley is the first to announce an actual bid for it.

The special election will be on Nov. 7 to fill out the remaining year of Cariddi's term.
UNESCO: Cave of the Patriarchs Belongs to Palestinian Authority

The Fellowship | July 7, 2017 Cave of the Patriarchs, or Cave of Machpelah, is in Hebron.

In a secret vote today, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) named one of the holiest Jewish places a Palestinian site. Arutz Shevas Chana Roberts reports that Israel lambasted the decision, saying the U.N.s hypocrisy knows no bounds:

UNESCOs World Heritage Committee on Friday announced their decision to award Israels Cave of the Patriarchs (Mearat Hamachpela) to convicted terrorist and Hevron Mayor Tiyassir Abu Sanina, as a representative of the Fatahs Palestinian Authority.

The resolution passed 12-3, with six abstentions, and declares the site to be an endangered Palestinian heritage site.

Adam and Eve, as well as Avraham and Sarah, Yitzhak and Rivka, and Yaakov and Leah, are buried in the cave, which Avraham bought from Ephron the Hittite, long before Islam existed.

The hypocrisy knows no bounds, Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan (Likud) said. The Palestinians campaign of incitement and lies via UNESCO.

UNESCOs obscenity has been exposed: While ISIS destroys historical sites in Aleppo, Palmyra, Mosul, and other areas, UNESCO chooses to concentrate on Hevron and the Cave of the Patriarchs, which was never, and were never, under any threat for as long as the State of Israel has existed.

You cannot rewrite history, and you cannot erase it. Our father Avraham bought the Cave of the Patriarchs and paid for it in full. It is, and has always been, the burial place of our forefathers. Our response will be to strengthen and deepen our connection to the Jewish city of Hevron
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Joan Lee  a former British hat model and wife of Stan Lee  has died, aged 93. She suffered a stroke earlier in the week and was hospitalised, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

"I can confirm the sad news that Joan Lee passed away this morning quietly and surrounded by her family," a family statement has reads. "The family ask that you please give them time to grieve and respect their privacy during this difficult time.

Joan was married to Stan for 69 years, the pair having met after the Marvel Comic legend was supposed to take her friend on a date. They had two children, Joan Celia (born 1950) and Jan, who died three days after being born.

Marvel issued a statement reading: We are so saddened to hear about the loss of Joan Lee. We lost a member of the Marvel family today and our thoughts and prayers go out to Stan and his daughter Joan in this difficult time.

While celebrating his 75th year creating comics, Stan retold the lovely story of how he met Joan, who was married to a solider at the time.

Notable deaths in 2016 Show all 42 1 /42 Notable deaths in 2016 Notable deaths in 2016 Debbie Reynolds was an American actress, singer, businesswoman, film historian, and humanitarian. She died on December 28 in Los Angeles Rex Notable deaths in 2016 Actress Carrie Fisher died on December 27 aged 60 Rex Notable deaths in 2016 Comedian and Actor Ricky Harris died on December 26 aged 54 Rex Notable deaths in 2016 British singer George Michael died on 25 December aged 53 Getty Notable deaths in 2016 Rick Parfitt OBE was an English musician, best known for being a singer, songwriter and rhythm guitarist in the rock band Status Quo. He died on December 24 in Marbella, Spain Rex Notable deaths in 2016 Lord Jenkin of Roding died at the age of 90 on the 21 December PA wire Notable deaths in 2016 Rabbi Lionel Blue died on the 19 December Rex Notable deaths in 2016 Zsa Zsa Gabor died on December 18 Getty Notable deaths in 2016 Leonard Cohen died on 7 November Getty Images Notable deaths in 2016 Grand secretary of the Orange Order Drew Nelson died on 10 October aged 60 after a short illness PA Notable deaths in 2016 Aaron Pryor, the relentless junior welterweight died Sunday, Oct. 9, at the age of 60 at his home in Cincinnati after a long battle with heart disease AP Notable deaths in 2016 Polish Director Andrzej Wajda died on October 9, aged 90 Reuters Notable deaths in 2016 Stylianos Pattakos has died following a stroke on 8th October. He was 103 years old. AP Notable deaths in 2016 Dickie Jeeps, was an English rugby union player who played for Northampton. He represented and captained both the England national rugby union team and the British Lions in the 1950s and 1960s. He died on 8th October. He was 84 Getty Notable deaths in 2016 Duke of Westminster Billionaire landowner the Duke of Westminster, Gerald Cavendish Grosvenor has died on 9 August, aged 64 Rex Features Notable deaths in 2016 Christina Knudsen Sir Roger Moores stepdaughter Christina Knudsen has died from cancer on 25 July at teh age of 47 Getty Images Notable deaths in 2016 Caroline Aherne The actress Caroline Aherne has died from cancer on 2 July at the age of 52 Getty Images Notable deaths in 2016 Christina Grimmie Christina Grimmie, 22, who was an American singer and songwriter, known for her participation in the NBC singing competition The Voice, was signing autographs at a concert venue in Orlando on 10 June when an assailant shot her. Grimmie was transported to a local hospital where she died from her wounds on 11 June Getty Notable deaths in 2016 Kimbo Slice Former UFC and Bellator MMA fighter Kimbo Slice died after being admitted to hospital in Florida on 6 June, aged 42 Getty Notable deaths in 2016 Muhammad Ali The three-time former heavyweight world champion died after being admitted to hospital with a respiratory illness on 3 June, aged 74 Getty Images Notable deaths in 2016 Sally Brampton Brampton who was the launch editor of the UK edition of Elle magazine has died on 10 May, aged 60 Grant Triplow/REX/Shutterstock Notable deaths in 2016 Billy Paul The soul singer Billy Paul, who was best known for his single Me and Mrs Jones, has died on 24 April, aged 81 Noel Vasquez/Getty Images Notable deaths in 2016 Prince Prince, the legendary musician, has been found dead at his Paisley Park recording studio on 21 April. He was 57 Notable deaths in 2016 Chyna WWE icon Joan Laurer dies aged 45 after being found at California home on 20 April Notable deaths in 2016 Victoria Wood The five-time Bafta-winning actress and comedian Victoria Wood has died on 20 April at her London home after a short illness with cancer. She was 62 Notable deaths in 2016 David Gest The entertainer and former husband of Liza Minnelli, David Gest has been found dead on 12 April in the Four Seasons hotel in Canary Warf, London. He was 62-years-old PA Notable deaths in 2016 Denise Robertson Denise Robertson, an agony aunt on This Morning for over 30 years, has died on 1 April, aged 83 Notable deaths in 2016 Zaha Hadid Dame Zaha Hadid, the prominent architect best known for designs such as the London Olympic Aquatic Centre and the Guangzhou Opera House, has died of a heart attack on 31 March, aged 65 2010 AFP Notable deaths in 2016 Ronnie Corbett British entertainer Ronnie Corbett has passed away on 31 March at the age of 85 2014 Getty Images Notable deaths in 2016 Imre Kertesz Hungarian writer and Holocaust survivor Imre Kertesz, who won the 2002 Nobel Literature Prize, has died on 31 March, at the age of 86 REUTERS Notable deaths in 2016 Rob Ford Rob Ford, the former controversial mayor of Toronto, has died following a battle with a rare form of cancer. The 46-year-old passed away at the Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto on 22 March Notable deaths in 2016 Joey Feek Joey (left) passed away in March after a two-year cancer illness. She was part of country music duo, Joey + Rory, with her husband Rory (right) Jason Merritt/Getty Images Notable deaths in 2016 Umberto Eco Italian writer and philosopher Umberto Eco died 19 February 2016 aged 84 EPA Notable deaths in 2016 Harper Lee Harper Lee, the American novelist known for writing 'To Kill a Mockingbird', died February 19, 2016 aged 89 2005 Getty Images Notable deaths in 2016 Vanity Vanity, pictured performing in 1983, died aged 57 REX Features Notable deaths in 2016 Dave Mirra The BMX legend's body found inside truck with gunshot wound after apparent suicide aged 41 Notable deaths in 2016 Harry Harpham The former miner became Sheffield Labour MP in May after many years as a local councillor. He died after succumbing to cancer, at the age of 61. Notable deaths in 2016 Dale Griffin The Mott the Hoople drummer died on January 17, aged 67 REX Notable deaths in 2016 Rene Angelil Celine Dion's husband and manager Rene Angelil has lost his battle with cancer on 14 January, aged 73 2011 Getty Images Notable deaths in 2016 Alan Rickman Legendary actor Alan Rickman has died on 14 January at the age of 69 after battle with pancreatic cancer. He is largely regarded as one of the most beloved British actors of our generation with roles in Love Actually, Die Hard, Michael Collins, and Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves and an illustrious stage career 2015 Getty Images Notable deaths in 2016 Maurice White The Earth, Wind & Fire founder died aged 74. The nine-piece band sold more than 90 million albums worldwide and won six Grammy awards Notable deaths in 2016 Lawrence Phillips Former NFL star found dead in prison cell on 13 January in suspected suicide, aged 40 AFP/Getty Images

"When I was young, there was one girl I drew; one body and face and hair. It was my idea of what a girl should be. The perfect woman. And when I got out of the Army, somebody, a cousin of mine, knew a model, a hat model at a place called Laden Hats. He said, 'Stan, there's this really pretty girl named Betty. I think youd like her. She might like you. Why dont you go over and ask her to lunch.' Blah, blah, blah.

"So I went up to this place. Betty didnt answer the door. But Joan answered, and she was the head model. I took one look at her  and she was the girl I had been drawing all my life. And then I heard the English accent. And Im a nut for English accents! She said, 'May I help you?' And I took a look at her, and I think I said something crazy like, 'I love you.' I dont remember exactly. But anyway, I took her to lunch. I never met Betty, the other girl. I think I proposed to [Joan] at lunch.

Unhappy with her marriage, Joan fled with Stan to Nevada, where they established residency so Joan could quickly divorce her ex-husband. An hour after being granted the divorce, the pair married in the courtroom next door.

Stan credited Joan with helping create the Fantastic Four. The writer was depressed at the time and thinking of leaving the business when Joan said: "Before you quit, why dont you write one comic you are proud of? From there, the iconic characters were born.

Access unlimited streaming of movies and TV shows with Amazon Prime Video Sign up now for a 30-day free trial Sign up

Joan also helped develop Marvel TV, voicing two characters: Miss Forbes on the Fantastic Four, and Madame Web in Spider-Man. She also had a cameo role in last years X-Men: Apocalypse. Joan was also an author, writing the 1987 novel The Pleasure Palace.
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Although Spider-Man: Homecoming has only just reached cinemas, Marvel fans are already looking towards the various sequels, such is the nature of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Speaking to the Toronto Sun, the studios president Kevin Feige discussed how they currently have a five-movie story arc for Tom Hollands Peter Parker.

We are looking at a five-movie storyline  Civil War, Homecoming, Avengers: Infinity War, Untitled Avengers, Homecoming 2  or whatever we end up calling it  as an amazing five-story journey for Peter Parker, Feige told the publication.

In the way that the events of Civil War directly inform the opening of Homecoming and his state of mind as he goes back to high school, so too will the events of the next two Avengers movies as he continues with high school.

Films to get excited about in 2017 Show all 13 1 /13 Films to get excited about in 2017 Films to get excited about in 2017 Star Wars: The Last Jedi Director: Rian Johnson Rian Johnson Cast: Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, and Lupita Nyong'o Plot: No details yet, but it will continue directly on from Rey coming face-to-face with Luke at the end of The Force Awakens. Release Date: 15 December 2017 Films to get excited about in 2017 Thor: Ragnarok Director: Taika Waititi Taika Waititi Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Cate Blanchett, Tessa Thompson, Jeff Goldblum, Karl Urban, and Mark Ruffalo Plot: Story details are minimal as of now, but Thor's third return to screen has already been teased to feature a loose adaptation of the famous 'Planet Hulk' storyline. Release Date: 27 October 2017 Films to get excited about in 2017 You Were Never Really Here Director: Lynne Ramsay Lynne Ramsay Cast: Joaquin Phoenix, Alessandro Nivola Plot: A war veteran's attempt to save a young girl from a sex trafficking ring goes horribly wrong. Release Date: Unknown Films to get excited about in 2017 Annihilation Director: Alex Garland Alex Garland Cast: Natalie Portman, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Tessa Thompson, and Oscar Isaac Plot: A biologist's husband disappears. She thus puts her name forward for an expedition into an environmental disaster zone, but does not quite find what she's expecting. The expedition team is made up of the biologist, an anthropologist, a psychologist, and a surveyor. Release Date: Unknown Films to get excited about in 2017 Wonderstruck (image from Far From Heaven) Director: Todd Haynes Cast: Julianne Moore, Michelle Williams, and Amy Hargreaves Plot: The story of a young boy in the Midwest is told simultaneously with a tale about a young girl in New York from fifty years ago as they both seek the same mysterious connection. Release Date: Unknown Films to get excited about in 2017 Mother (image of Darren Aronofsky) Director: Darren Aronofsky Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Javier Bardem, Michelle Pfeiffer, Domhnall Gleeson, and Ed Harris Plot: A couple's relationship is tested when uninvited guests arrive at their home, disrupting their tranquil existence. Release Date: Unknown Films to get excited about in 2017 The Killing of a Sacred Deer (image from The Lobster) Director: Yorgos Lanthimos Cast: Colin Farrell, Nicole Kidman, and Alicia Silverstone Plot: A surgeon forms a familial bond with a sinister teenage boy, with disastrous results. Release Date: Unknown Films to get excited about in 2017 Blade Runner 2049 Director: Denis Villeneuve Denis Villeneuve Cast: Ryan Gosling, Harrison Ford, Robin Wright, and Jared Leto Plot: Thirty years after the events of the first film, a new blade runner, LAPD Officer K, unearths a long-buried secret that has the potential to plunge what's left of society into chaos. K's discovery leads him on a quest to find Rick Deckard, a former LAPD blade runner who has been missing for 30 years. Release Date: 6 October 2017 Films to get excited about in 2017 Lady Bird (image of director Greta Gerwig) Director: Greta Gerwig Cast: Saoirse Ronan, Laurie Metcalf, and Lucas Hedges Plot: The adventures of a young woman living in Northern California for a year. Release Date: Unknown Films to get excited about in 2017 The Kidnapping of Edgardo Mortara (image of director Steven Spielberg and star Mark Rylance) Director: Steven Spielberg Cast: Mark Rylance, Oscar Isaac Plot: The Kidnapping Of Edgardo Mortara recounts the story of a young Jewish boy in Bologna, Italy in 1858 who, having been secretly baptized, is forcibly taken from his family to be raised as a Christian. His parents' struggle to free their son becomes part of a larger political battle that pits the Papacy against forces of democracy and Italian unification. Release Date: Unknown Films to get excited about in 2017 How to Talk to Girls at Parties Director: John Cameron Mitchell John Cameron Mitchell Cast: Elle Fanning, Ruth Wilson, and Nicole Kidman Plot: An alien touring the galaxy breaks away from her group and meets two young inhabitants of the most dangerous place in the universe: the London suburb of Croydon. Release Date: Unknown Films to get excited about in 2017 The Dark Tower Director: Nikolaj Arcel Nikolaj Arcel Cast: Idris Elba, Matthew McConaughey, and Tom Taylor Plot: Gunslinger Roland Deschain roams an Old West-like landscape in search of the dark tower, in the hopes that reaching it will preserve his dying world. Release Date: 28 July 2017 Films to get excited about in 2017 Suburbicon Director: George Clooney George Clooney Cast: Matt Damon, Julianne Moore, Josh Brolin, and Oscar Isaac Plot: A crime mystery set in the quiet family town of Suburbicon during the 1950s, where the best and worst of humanity is hilariously reflected through the deeds of seemingly ordinary people. When a home invasion turns deadly, a picture-perfect family turns to blackmail, revenge and betrayal. Release Date: 24 November

This original 22-movie arc ends with the Untitled Avengers in May of 2019 and then two months later it will be Peter and Spider-Man that usher us into the aftermath and how things proceed from there.

Following Homecoming 2, the future of Spider-Man with Marvel remains somewhat unknown, as both Feige and Amy Pascal have been unclear about the rights.

For those who have seen the film, the post-credits scene may hold some key hints towards the franchise's future. Homecoming is in cinemas now.
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Katy Perry has sparked outrage for telling her pet dog nugget to go chase some koalas in an advert for an Australian department store chain.

This might sound fairly harmless to non-Australians or people who know little about koala bears but the problem of dogs attacking koalas is a big one in the country.

The RSPCA in Queensland, the second-largest Australian state, says it has taken in more than 170 koalas with 25 per cent of those victims of dog attacks.

Recommended Katy Perry managed to annoy a lot of Scottish people at Glastonbury

Myer, a mid-to-up market Australian department store, has been forced to pull down the advert which was branded disgusting by animal lovers and insensitive by one of the countrys leading wildlife charities.

The advert shows the pop superstar, who is the most followed person on Twitter and recently became the first person to reach 100 million followers on the site, telling viewers how they can win 8,000 free tickets to her next show in Australia, and then telling her teacup poodle: "Let's go and chase some koalas, Nugget!".

"This is just absolute ignorance from Perry and Myer, and inappropriate on so many levels," Gold Coast wildlife vet, Claire Madden, told The Courier-Mail.

"Perry is a role model to so many young people, and this just destroys all the good work we do to try to encourage people not to let their dogs come into contact with koalas."

According to the country's department of environment and heritage protection, on average roughly 110 koalas are attacked by dogs each year, and most attacks are fatal.

In pictures: Katy Perry's Super Bowl outfits: Show all 8 1 /8 In pictures: Katy Perry's Super Bowl outfits: In pictures: Katy Perry's Super Bowl outfits: In pictures: Katy Perry's Super Bowl outfits: Flame mini-dress custom made by Jeremy Scott In pictures: Katy Perry's Super Bowl outfits: In pictures: Katy Perry's Super Bowl outfits: Sketch of flame mini-dress custom made by Jeremy Scott In pictures: Katy Perry's Super Bowl outfits: In pictures: Katy Perry's Super Bowl outfits: Beach bowl themed dress custom made by Jeremy Scott In pictures: Katy Perry's Super Bowl outfits: In pictures: Katy Perry's Super Bowl outfits: Sketch of beach bowl themed dress custom made by Jeremy Scott In pictures: Katy Perry's Super Bowl outfits: In pictures: Katy Perry's Super Bowl outfits: Football jersey dress custom made by Jeremy Scott In pictures: Katy Perry's Super Bowl outfits: In pictures: Katy Perry's Super Bowl outfits: Sketch of football jersey dress custom made by Jeremy Scott In pictures: Katy Perry's Super Bowl outfits: In pictures: Katy Perry's Super Bowl outfits: Star silver dress custom made by Jeremy Scott for Moschino In pictures: Katy Perry's Super Bowl outfits: In pictures: Katy Perry's Super Bowl outfits: Sketch of star silver dress custom made by Jeremy Scott for Moschino

The Australian Koala Foundation estimates there are fewer than 100,000 koalas left in the wild but that figure could potentially be as low as 43,000.

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Katy Perry I challenge you to come and spend a day with me (a wildlife vet) and learn first hand why your comment should NOT be streamed across the nation, Ms Madden said.

She added: "Koalas attacked by dogs is one of their biggest threats and primary reasons for presenting to wildlife hospitals across Australia.

"Come visit me and you will quickly learn how adorable and precious our koalas are and how undeserving your comment is."

A spokesperson for Myer said: We are aware of comments in relation to Katy Perry's Witness: The Tour advertisement and a particular reference made to koalas.

We are currently removing the material which references koalas.

Fans expressed their disappointment with the musician on Twitter, with one critic saying: Heard the radio ad and wasn't impressed by the koala chasing bit.

Another posted: Please tell Katy Perry that her puppy dog can't chase Koalas.

The Independent contacted a representative of Perry for comment.
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Female citizens of Poland have been dressing up as characters from The Handmaid's Tale to protest the visit of Donald Trump.

Activists based in Warsaw donned the red robes and white bonnets seen in the dystopian US series centred on the removal of women's rights starring Elisabeth Moss and Joseph Fiennes. They were lashing out against the arrival of the US President who addressed the country on Thursday (6 July).

A video on Twitter, captioned We will never become handmaids! showed demonstrators holding signs that read Dumb Trump.



One protestor interviewed on the scene said: The current president of the United States is not only a sexist and a misogynist who often brags about molesting women but also someone who really endangers our Earth."

Protestors later ripped their bonnets in unison.



The Handmaid's Tale has been used in several US protests fighting the Planned Parenthood bill in a bid to defend rights involved with abortion and women's access to contraception.

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Based on Margaret Atwood's novel of the same name, The Handmaid's Tale - which also stars Ann Dowd and Alexis Biedel - is set in a future where a Christian fundamentalist government has subjugated women's rights due to worldwide infertility.
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Nasa is going to fire a bullet at an asteroid in an attempt to save the Earth.

The agency has laid out the plans for its DART mission  where it will send a space capsule the size of a fridge towards an asteroid to shoot it off course. For now, the mission is just a test, but in the future it could be used to save Earth from what scientists say is an underappreciated threat from asteroids.

The mission has now been approved by Nasa and will move into the preliminary design phase, getting ready for testing in a few years.

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In this 1984 photograph of the first untethered spacewalk, NASA astronaut Bruce McCandless is in the midst of the first "field" tryout of a nitrogen-propelled backpack device called the Manned Maneuvering Unit (MMU) Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space A Hubble Cosmic Couple The spectacular cosmic pairing of the star Hen 2-427  more commonly known as WR 124  and the nebula M1-67 which surrounds it ESA/Hubble & NASA Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Veil Nebula Supernova Remnant Nasa's Hubble Space Telescope has unveiled in stunning detail a small section of the Veil Nebula - expanding remains of a massive star that exploded about 8,000 years ago Nasa's most stunning pictures of space The Soyuz TMA-15M rocket launch The Soyuz TMA-15M rocket launches from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Monday, Nov. 24, 2014, carrying three new astronauts to the International Space Station. 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DART would be NASAs first mission to demonstrate whats known as the kinetic impactor technique  striking the asteroid to shift its orbit  to defend against a potential future asteroid impact, said Lindley Johnson, planetary defense officer at NASA Headquarters in Washington. This approval step advances the project toward an historic test with a non-threatening small asteroid.

DART's target is an asteroid that will pass by Earth in 2022, and come back two years later. More specifically, it's actually two asteroids: a binary system called Didymos B made up of a larger and a smaller rock.

It's the smaller one that Nasa will try and knock off course. But by using a binary system, scientists will be able to check with more accuracy how well their test has worked.

A binary asteroid is the perfect natural laboratory for this test, said Tom Statler, program scientist for DART at NASA Headquarters. The fact that Didymos B is in orbit around Didymos A makes it easier to see the results of the impact, and ensures that the experiment doesnt change the orbit of the pair around the sun.

When the mission is launched, the DART craft will fly up to the asteroids, training its automatic driving tools onto Didymos B. When it finally hits the rock, it will do so at a speed nine times faster than a bullet  smashing into it with enough force that it can be seen from Earth.

Even at that speed, the difference that the collision initially makes to the asteroid would be minimal. But it would be enough to throw off its course, and that small nudge will over time lead the asteroid to change its path.

Scientists will watch that path and find out how well the system has worked for throwing it off course. That in turn will help show how well it would work for a more apocalyptic, world-ending asteroid.

DART is a critical step in demonstrating we can protect our planet from a future asteroid impact, said Andy Cheng of The Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland, the DART investigation co-lead. Since we dont know that much about their internal structure or composition, we need to perform this experiment on a real asteroid. With DART, we can show how to protect Earth from an asteroid strike with a kinetic impactor by knocking the hazardous object into a different flight path that would not threaten the planet.

Small asteroids fly to earth almost every day, but they are so little that they burn up in the atmosphere. Nasa spends its time looking for larger ones that could cause damage and estimating when they might do so  it thinks that it has found 93 per cent of asteroids of this size.

Nasa set up an office called the Planetary Defense Coordination Office (PDCO) in an attempt to keep Earth safe last year, amid increasing worryi that the planet was under threat from asteroids.
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Its the moment in a wedding ceremony where everyone holds their breath: when the minister asks whether anyone has any objections as to why the couple should be wed.

On the majority of occasions though - in real life rather than rom-coms, anyway - no one says anything.

But that wasnt the case for the wedding of Lancashire couple Mark Whiteley and Joanne Green though.

Whiteley and Green at their 'wedding'

With 100 friends and family members assembled to watch them tie the knot, guests were left gobsmacked when a woman stood up to object, saying Whiteley and Green were already married.

It was a dramatic moment when, as the congregation gasped, the best man stormed over to the woman to have words.

Only then was it revealed that the people Whiteley and Green were married to were in fact each other, and the whole scene was one big stunt - theyd married in secret months earlier and hadnt told anyone.

With their real marriage certificate

Whiteley is a theatre boss, and the officiant, objector and best man were all actors playing roles.

He and GP receptionist and nurse Green had had a shotgun wedding whilst on holiday in Nashville, Tennessee in March - they said their vows in the Rhinestone Wedding Chapel.

The objection scene was all rehearsed to distract their guests attention before a video of their legal wedding ceremony was played, revealing the truth.

We didnt set out to do anything different but once the seed was sown we had the recipe for an amazing (possibly terrible) day, 50-year-old Whiteley told Rossendale Free Press.

We hedged our bets that it would work out. We just wanted to do something a bit theatrical, weve got a flair for a drama. We were worried about people being upset because its extremely sneaky to have been married three months and not even told our children.

We hadnt worn rings until the ceremony and we thought that was really important. But it has taught us how important marriage is and how important the sharing of your love with your family and friends is, and it was amazing to exchange rings.

After all had been revealed, Green and Whiteley went on to celebrate with their guests.

Not all of them may have been surprised by the couples antics though.

We decided it would be much more fun to get married in America, so we hatched a plan, 49-year-old Green said. We were so nervous, we didnt know if it was going to work.

Most people kind of expected something unusual because of who we are. It was a mix of nerves and excitement knowing we were going to really shock everybody, but they all thought it was brilliant.

That day really felt like the wedding - not Nashville.
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A global UK-based public relations firm has been forced to suspend staff and apologise for its role in a media campaign launched in South Africa, which critics have said was stoking racial tensions.

London-based Bell Pottinger said this week that it had fired one partner and suspended another, as well as two other employees, pending an investigation into the campaign, which was said to have focused on the dominant role of businesses owned by white people in South Africa.

We are deeply sorry that this happened, the PR companys chief executive, James Henderson, said in a statement on Thursday. He said an initial investigation, conducted by independent international law firm Herbert Smith Freehills, had provided concerning evidence, especially in a country with such a troubled racial history.

The accusations relate to Bell Pottingers year-long relationship with Oakbay, a company controlled by the wealthy Gupta family of Indian-born businessmen, which has widely been accused of exerting undue influence over South African president Jacob Zuma.

Bell Pottinger is also being investigated by the UKs Public Relations and Communications Association following a complaint from South Africas main opposition party, the Democratic Alliance (DA).

The DA, which is supported by many white South Africans, has blamed the PR company for working to divide and conquer the South African public by exploiting racial tensions in a bid to keep Jacob Zuma and the ANC in power.

Those allegations reportedly stemmed from leaked emails that suggested Bell Pottinger had worked with Oakbay to create a narrative that grabs the attention of the grassroots population.

An email published in South African media claimed to show that Bell Pottinger said the campaign needs to stress the continued existence of economic apartheid.

Media and civil society groups have also accused Bell Pottinger of portraying anyone opposing the Gupta family and president Jacob Zuma as white monopoly capital.

South Africa, which is the continents most industrialised economy, abolished apartheid more than two decades ago, but many living there are still frustrated by lasting inequality.

According to Reuters, black people make up about 80 per cent of the 54 million-strong population, but a lot of the land and a large proportion of businesses remain in the hands of white people, who account for just 8 per cent of the population.

The spat around Bell Pottinger has sparked furious social media campaigns, with hundred taking to Twitter and Facebook and expressing their dismay with hashtags such as #bellpottingermustfall.

Bell Pottinger offers services including lobbying, speech writing and public relations consulting to wealthy individuals, companies and governments.
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South Australia has picked Tesla to install the world's largest grid-scale battery, which would be paired with a wind farm provided by France's Neoen, in a major test of the reliability of large-scale renewable energy use.

South Australia, the fifth-biggest state with a population of 1.7 million, has raced ahead of the rest of the country in turning to wind power. Its shutdown of coal-fired plants has led to outages across the eastern part of the nation, driving up energy prices.

The drawback to South Australia's heavy reliance on renewables has been an inability to adequately store that energy, leading to vulnerabilities when the wind doesn't blow.

Recommended Renewable energy sets new record for UK electricity generation

The project is designed to have a storage capacity of 129 megawatt-hours, which is enough to light up 30,000 homes, a Tesla spokesman told Reuters.

Under the terms of the agreement, Tesla must deliver the 100-MW battery within 100 days of a contract being signed or it's free, matching a commitment made by Tesla CEO Elon Musk in a Twitter post in March.

"There will be a lot of people that will look at this, 'did they get it done within 100 days? Did it work?'" Mr Musk told reporters in South Australia's capital city of Adelaide.

We are going to make sure it does.

The 100-day deadline will begin within a few weeks, a political source said, after a connectivity agreement is reached between South Australia, Telsa, Neoen and the Australian Energy Market Operator.

Mr Musk and a spokesman for South Australia Premier Jay Weatherill declined to reveal the cost of the project.

Mr Musk said a failure to deliver the project in time would cost his company $50m or more, without elaborating.

Lithium Ready

The battery, designed to provide emergency back-up power if a shortfall in energy is predicted, will be built on site in South Australia, a spokesman for the state government said.

Tesla said in a statement that upon completion by December 2017, the system would be the largest lithium-ion battery storage project in the world, overtaking an 80 megawatt-hour power station at Mira Loma in Ontario, California, also built using Tesla batteries.

The neighbouring state of Victoria is also seeking 100 megawatt-hour battery capacity, to be installed by January.

Business news: In pictures Show all 13 1 /13 Business news: In pictures Business news: In pictures Flybe collapses Airline Flybe has collapsed. All future flights on the Exeter-based airline have been cancelled  leaving more than 2,300 staff facing an uncertain future, and wrecking the travel plans of hundreds of thousands of passengers. The chief executive, Mark Anderson, said: Europes largest independent regional airline has been unable to overcome significant funding challenges to its business. AFP via Getty Business news: In pictures Future product placement will be 'tailored to individual viewers' Marketing executives say that product placement in films and televison shows on streaming services such as Netflix may be tailored to individuals in future. For instance, if data shows that a viewer is a fan of pepsi, a billboard in the background of a shot would host an advert for pepsi, while for a viewer known to have different tastes it could be for Coca-Cola Paramount Business news: In pictures Corbyn wishes Amazon a happy birthday In a card sent to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos on the company's 25th birthday, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn writes: "You owe the British people millions in taxes that pay for the public services that we all rely on. Please pay your fair share" Business news: In pictures No deal, no tariffs The government has announced that it would slash almost all tariffs in the event of a no-deal Brexit. Notable exceptions include cars and meat, which will see tariffs in place to protect British farmers Getty Business news: In pictures Fingerprint payment NatWest is trialling a new bank card that will allow people to touch their hand to the card when paying rather than typing in a PIN number. The card will work by recognising the user's fingerprint NatWest/PA Wire Business news: In pictures Mahabis bust High-end slipper retailer Mahabis has gone into administration. 2 Jan 2019 Mahabis Business news: In pictures Costa Cola Coca-Cola has paid 3.9bn for Costa Coffee. A cafe chain is a new venture for the global soft drinks giant PA Business news: In pictures RIP Payday Loans A funeral procession for payday loans was held in London on September 2. The future of pay day lenders is in doubt after Wonga, Britain's biggest, went into administration on August 30 PA Business news: In pictures Musk irks investors and directors Elon Musk has concluded that Tesla will remain public. Investors and company directors were angry at Musk for tweeting unexpectedly that he was considering taking Tesla private and share prices had taken a tumble in the following weeks Getty Business news: In pictures Jaguar warning Iconic British car maker Jaguar Land Rover warned on July 5, 2018 that a "bad" Brexit deal could jeopardise planned investment of more than $100 billion, upping corporate pressure as the government heads into crucial talks AFP/Getty Business news: In pictures Spotif-IPO Spotify traded publically for the first time on the New York Stock Exchange on Tuesday. However, the company isn't issuing shares, but rather, shares held by Spotify's private investors will be sold AFP/Getty Business news: In pictures French blue passports The deadline to award a contract to make blue British passports after Brexit has been extended by two weeks following a request by bidder De La Rue. The move comes after anger at the announcement British passports would be produced by Franco-Dutch firm Gemalto when De La Rues contract ends in July. The British firm said Gemalto was chosen only because it undercut the competition, but the UK company also admitted that it was not the cheapest choice in the tendering process. Business news: In pictures Beast from the east economic impact The Beast from the East wiped 4m off of Flybes revenues due to flight cancellations, airport closures and delays, according to the budget airlines estimates. Flybe said it cancelled 994 flights in the three months to 31 March, compared to 372 in the same period last year.

Lithium-ion batteries have been in widespread use since about 1991, but mostly on a small scale, such as in laptops and mobile phones.

A typical lithium-ion battery can store 150 watt-hours of electricity in 1 kilogram of battery, representing more than double the capacity of nickel batteries.

Its proponents has been pushing to use lithium batteries on a grander scale.

For lithium technology to take off on a global scale, they clearly need the storage capacity to make sure renewables can deliver 24 hours a day, seven days a week, said Adrian Griffin, a geologist who specialises in lithium extraction.

Dozens of companies from 10 countries, including privately owned Lyon Group, working with US power company AES Corp, had expressed interest in the South Australian project.

Reuters
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Donald Trump tag-teamed with Polands President Andrzej Duda to criticise their respective countries domestic media outlets, making Mr Duda the latest world leader to bond with Mr Trump over a dislike of fake news.

During a joint press conference in Poland, Mr Trump again condemned CNN when asked to respond to what has happened since he tweeted a doctored video of himself body-slamming a person whose head had been covered with the networks logo.

In the days since then, news organisations discovered that the Reddit user behind the video had a history of creating memes that were racist and anti-Semitic. In a statement, CNN said that the network reserves the right to publish his identity in the future if he continued to create offensive content  resulting in allegations by Trump supporters and some journalists that the network was trying to blackmail him. CNN has pushed back against these claims.

Standing next to Mr Duda, Mr Trump said what CNN did was unfortunate for them. As you know now, they have some pretty serious problems.

They have been fake news for a long time. Theyve been covering me in a very dishonest way, he added.

He then turned to the Polish President to ask if he had this problem, to which Mr Duda responded by smiling and nodding his head.

After the right-wing Law and Justice Party assumed office in 2015, the government has been accused of significantly clamping down on press freedoms. Mr Duda also signed a law allowing the government to take political control of state media outlets, resulting in claims that the government is turning public news organisations into mouthpieces for the party.

In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour Show all 39 1 /39 In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 20 May 2017 US President Donald Trump and Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud arriving for a reception ahead of a banquet at Murabba Palace in Riyadh Getty Images In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 20 May 2017 US President Donald Trump, accompanied by First Lady Melania Trump, and Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud being welcomed at Murabba Palace in Riyadh Getty Images In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 20 May 2017 US President Donald J. Trump with King of Saudi Arabia Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud during a welcome ceremony with traditional sword dancers at Murabba Palace, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia EPA In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 20 May 2017 King of Saudi Arabia Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud with US President Donald J. Trump and wife Melania during a welcome ceremony at Murabba Palace, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia EPA In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 20 May 2017 US President Donald Trump adjusts the Collar of Abdulaziz Al Saud Medal, after it was bestowed upon him by Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud at the Royal Court in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Reuters In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 20 May 2017 Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud presents U.S. President Donald Trump with the Collar of Abdulaziz Al Saud Medal at the Royal Court in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Reuters In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 21 May 2017 Palestinians print posters depicting US President Donald Trump in preparations for his planned visit, in the West Bank town of Bethlehem Reuters In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 21 May 2017 US President Donald Trump accompanied by first lady Melania Trump, his daughter Ivanka Trump and her husband White House senior advisor Jared Kushner, before delivering his remarks to the Arab Islamic American Summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Reuters In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 21 May 2017 US President Donald Trump looks on as U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Muhammad bin Nayef exchange a memorandum of understanding Reuters In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 21 May 2017 First Lady Melania Trump shares a laugh with a child during a visit to the American International School in the Saudi capital Riyadh Getty Images In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 21 May 2017 US President Donald Trump holds a bilateral meeting with Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa AP In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 22 May 2017 Israeli soldiers rest during preparations ahead of President Trump's landing in Tel Aviv, Israel Getty Images In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 22 May 2017 First Lady Melania Trump makes her way to board Air Force One in Riyadh as she heads with her husband the US President to Israel Getty Images In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 22 May 2017 US President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump board Air Force One for Israel, the next stop in Trump's international tour, at King Khalid International Airport AP In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 22 May 2017 Israeli soldiers wait for the arrival ceremony of US President Donald Trump at Ben Gurion airport near Tel Aviv, Israel AP In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 22 May 2017 US President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump arrive aboard Air Force One at Ben Gurion International Airport in Lod near Tel Aviv, Israel Reuters In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 22 May 2017 US President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump disembark Air Force One on arrival at Ben Gurion International Airport AP In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 22 May 2017 US President Donald J. Trump and his wife, US First Lady Melania Trump are welcomed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu upon arrival at Ben Gurion Airport, in Lod outside Tel Aviv, Israel EPA In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 22 May 2017 US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sit during welcome ceremony in Tel Aviv AP In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 22 May 2017 US First Lady Melania Trump chats wife Sara Netanyahu as US President Donald Trump chats to Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a welcoming ceremony to welcome Trump at Ben Gurion International Airport Reuters In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 22 May 2017 US President Donald Trump delivers a speech upon his arrival at Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv Getty Images In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 22 May 2017 US President Donald Trump gestures during a press conference with Israel's President at the President's Residence in Jerusalem Getty Images In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 22 May 2017 US President Donald Trump watches as First Lady Melania Trump signs the guest book at the President's Residence in Jerusalem Getty Images In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 22 May 2017 US President Donald Trump walks with first lady Melania Trump in Jerusalem's Old City Reuters In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 22 May 2017 US President Donald Trump visits the Western Wall, the holiest site where Jews can pray, in Jerusalems Old City Getty Images In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 22 May 2017 US President Donald Trump stands next to Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz at the plaza in front of the Western Wall, Judaism's holiest prayer site, in Jerusalem's Old City Reuters In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 22 May 2017 US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and White House senior advisor Jared Kushner leave notes at the Western Wall in Jerusalem Reuters In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 22 May 2017 US First Lady Melania Trump touches the Western Wall, Judaism's holiest prayer site, in Jerusalem's Old City EPA In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 22 May 2017 Ivanka Trump, assistant and daughter of US President Donald J. Trump, touches the Western Wall, Judaism's holiest prayer site, in Jerusalem's Old City EPA In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 22 May 2017 President Donald Trump visits the Western Wall AP In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 24 May 2017 US President Donald J. Trump arrives in a vehicle to Saint Damaso's Court for a private audience with Pope Francis in Vatican City EPA In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 24 May 2017 Pope Francis walks past Ivanka Trump and First Lady Melania Trump on the occasion of the private audience with President Donald Trump, at the Vatican AP In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 24 May 2017 Pope Francis exchanges gifts with US President Donald Trump during a private audience at the Vatican Getty Images In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 24 May 2017 Pope Francis meets US President Donald Trump and his wife Melania during a private audience at the Vatican Reuters In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 24 May 2017 Pope Francis with US President Donald J. Trump EPA In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 24 May 2017 Pope Francis gets into is car after meeting with US President Donald Trump AP In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 24 May 2017 President Donald Trump and his wife Melania look at the frescoed ceilings during their visit to the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican L'Osservatore Romano/Pool Photo via AP In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 24 May 2017 US President Donald Trump security vehicles are seen in front of Air Force One before take off from Leonardo da Vinci-Fiumicino Airport in Rome, Italy Reuters In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 24 May 2017 US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump wave to reporters before boarding the Air Force One to Brussels, at the end of a 2-day visit to Italy including a meeting with Pope Francis at the Vatican, at Rome's Fiumicino international airport AP

What we want to see in the United States is honest  beautiful, free  but honest press, Mr Trump said. We want to see fair press. I think its a very important thing. We dont want fake news. By the way, not everybody is fake news, but we dont want fake news. Bad thing. Very bad for our country.

The US leader has frequently criticised media outlets that he views to have published unfavourable work about him or his administration.

Last week, about an hour after MSNBC host Mika Brzezinski accused him of lying every day, destroying the country and having teensy hands, Mr Trump claimed on Twitter that Ms Brzezinski was bleeding badly from a face-lift when he saw her last year at his Mar-a-Lago resort, sparking a feud.

During the press conference, Mr Trump added that NBC is equally as bad as CNN, despite the fact that I made them a fortune with 'The Apprentice', but they forgot that.

Mr Duda, meanwhile, railed against some of Polands news networks, accusing one of refusing to cover his recent trip to Croatia.

He claimed that he is permanently criticised by that broadcaster because it doesnt like him as President of Poland.

But I believe this is just the reality, Mr Duda said. This is the right of the media. In Poland we've got an absolute liberty and freedom of the media.

Mr Duda is not the first leader that has bonded or attempted to bond with Mr Trump by condemning dishonest media.

Last week, South Koreas President Moon Jae-in told the US leader in the Oval Office: I also suffer a bit from fake news, as you do. The two laughed and sat smiling next to each other before Mr Trump began to address the people in the room, according to the White House pool report.

People close to Mr Trump have also suggested that the US President will connect with Russian President Vladimir Putin over their disdain for fake news.

The pair will have a highly anticipated bilateral discussion on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Germany on Friday.
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A man has been arrested in connection with the Manchester Arena terror attack.

The 19-year-old was arrested at Liverpool John Lennon airport on suspicion of offences contrary to the Terrorism Act and remains in custody, Greater Manchester Police said.

A property on Thelwall Avenue in Fallowfield is being searched as part of the investigation.

Police said that, as it stands, 23 people have been arrested in connection with the investigation, of whom two were quickly de-arrested, and 20 were released without charge.

Anti-terror officers have already said police suspect suicide bomber Salman Abedi did not act alone and detectives want to speak to his brother in Libya.

Detective Chief Superintendent Russ Jackson, head of the North West Counter Terrorism Unit, said earlier this week that while detectives do not now think Abedi was part of a large network, they do suspect the involvement of others in the attack which had been planned for months.

He said officers were engaged with the authorities in war-torn Libya where Abedis brother, Hashem, is currently being held.

Manchester explosion in pictures Show all 37 1 /37 Manchester explosion in pictures Manchester explosion in pictures People running down stairs as they attempt to exit the Manchester Arena after a blast, where U.S. singer Ariana Grande had been performing, in Manchester Twitter/@ZACH_BRUCE/ via REUTERS Manchester explosion in pictures Helpers attend to people inside the Manchester Arena after a suspected suicide bomber detonated an explosive device at the end of an Ariana Grande concert, killing 22 people PA wire Manchester explosion in pictures Armed officers guard outside a hotel near the Manchester Arena following reports of an explosion, in Manchester, Britain EPA Manchester explosion in pictures Police officers are seen outside the Manchester Arena, where U.S. singer Ariana Grande had been performing, in Manchester, northern England Reuters Manchester explosion in pictures Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures AFP/Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures Police and fans close to the Manchester Arena, after reports of an explosion Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures There have been reports of explosions at Manchester Arena where Ariana Grande had performed Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures Police deploy at scene of explosion in Manchester, England, at a concert in Manchester Arena AFP/Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures Police stand by a cordoned off street close to the Manchester Arena Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures Police deploy at scene of explosion in Manchester, England AFP/Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures Police deploy at scene of a reported explosion during a concert in Manchester, England, on May 23, 2017. British police said early May 23 there were "a number of confirmed fatalities" after reports of at least one explosion during a pop concert by US singer Ariana Grande. Ambulances were seen rushing to the Manchester Arena venue and police added in a statement that people should avoid the area AFP/Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures An ambulance drives away from the Manchester Arena, where U.S. singer Ariana Grande had been performing, in Manchester Reuters Manchester explosion in pictures Police escort members of the public from the Manchester Arena in Manchester, England. Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures A woman sits in the street in a blanket near the Manchester Arena as police guard the area following reports of an explosion, in Manchester, Britain EPA Manchester explosion in pictures Two women wrapped in thermal blankets stand near the Manchester Arena, where US singer Ariana Grande had been performing, in Manchester Reuters Manchester explosion in pictures A Royal Logistic Corps (RLC) bomb disposal robot is unloaded outside the Manchester Arena following reports of an explosion, in Manchester. At least 19 people have been confirmed dead and others 50 were injured, authorities said. It is being treated as a terrorist incident until police know otherwise EPA Manchester explosion in pictures A Royal Logistic Corps (RLC) bomb disposal robot is unloaded outside the Manchester Arena following reports of an explosion, in Manchester EPA Manchester explosion in pictures Members of the public receive treatment from emergency service staff at Victoria Railway Station close to the Manchester Arena on May 23, 2017 in Manchester, England. There have been reports of explosions at Manchester Arena where Ariana Grande had performed this evening. Greater Manchester Police have have confirmed there are fatalities and warned people to stay away from the area Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures Armed police after a suspected terrorist attack at the Manchester Arena at the end of a concert by US star Ariana Grande left 19 dead PA wire Manchester explosion in pictures Emergency services arrive close to the Manchester Arena in Manchester Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures An amoured police vehicle patrols near Manchester Arena in Manchester Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures A man carries a young girl on his shoulders near Victoria station in Manchester AFP/Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures Police officers stand at the Miller Street and Corporation Street Crossroads, in front of the Manchester Arena in Manchester, England Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures Police block a road near to the Manchester Arena in central Manchester, England AP Manchester explosion in pictures Armed police patrol near Victoria station in Manchester, northwest England. Twenty two people have been killed and dozens injured after a suspected suicide bomber targeted fans leaving a concert of US singer Ariana Grande in Manchester Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures Police forensic officers leave the Manchester Arena as they investigate the scene of an explosion in Manchester Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures A forensic officer collects evidence on a walkway between Victoria station and Manchester Arena following a deadly terror attack in Manchester, Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures A woman and a young girl wearing a t-shirt of US singer Ariana Grande talks to police near Manchester Arena following a deadly terror attack in Manchester, Getty Manchester explosion in pictures EPA Manchester explosion in pictures Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham and Manchester City Council Leader Sir Richard Leese speak to the media outside Manchester Town Hall after a suicide bomber killed 22 people, including children, as an explosion tore through fans leaving a pop concert in Manchester Dave Higgens/PA Wire Manchester explosion in pictures The media gather behind a police cordon in Manchester Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures Flowers left close to the Manchester Arena, the morning after a suicide bomber killed 22 people, including children, as an explosion tore through fans leaving a pop concert in Manchester Danny Lawson/PA Wire Manchester explosion in pictures Ariana Grande concert attendees Karen Moore and her daughter Molly Steed, aged 14, from Derby, leave the Park Inn where they were given refuge after last night's explosion at Manchester Arena Getty Manchester explosion in pictures Signs saying 'We love Manchester' are displayed in a window in Manchester, England Getty Images

Mr Jackson said: We dont have evidence of a large network. We do however suspect others were either aware or complicit in the knowledge of this attack.

And he did not rule out further arrests.

Abedi killed 22 people when he detonated a bomb in the foyer of Manchester Arena at the end of an Ariana Grande concert in May.
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The Government has announced it will extend its cladding testing programme in the wake of the Grenfell Tower fire, after facing heavy criticism that its methods were too simplistic.

At least 200 samples from high-rise blocks in 54 local authorities have failed testing, according to a Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) spokesperson. Buildings at three separate NHS trusts have also failed tests.

But the 100 per cent failure rate has led many to question the testing methods.

Tests had previously been limited to the core of the panels and not the structure as a whole, which sources told The Independent would not form an accurate picture of how a building would react in a fire.

The Government announced earlier this week that testing would be extended to six aluminium composite material (ACM) cladding systems, the type of panel that is believed to have aided the rapid spread of the blaze in north Kensington which killed 80 people last month.

Experts will now look at how different varieties of cladding insulation with different types of Aluminium Composite Material (ACM) panels react in a fire, including unmodified polyethylene, fire retardant polyethylene, and non-combustible mineral, a DCLG spokesperson said.

The tests will now involve building a 30ft (9m) high demonstration wall with a complete cladding system and subjecting it to conditions which replicate "a severe fire".

Lord Porter, chairman of the Local Government Association (LGA) said he was pleased the panel had responded to concerns by making "much-needed changes".

He said: "Councils worked speedily to send samples of ACM cladding for testing. These showed that only 10 per cent of the 166 councils which own their housing stock have high-rise buildings with confirmed ACM cladding.

"But we have been clear all along that entire cladding panels and the insulation behind them need to be fire tested together as a system, rather than just the core of the panels on their own."

In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Show all 51 1 /51 In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Police have released images from inside the tower where at least 58 people have died Metropolitan Police In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire A still from a video shared by polices what appears to be a stationary bicycle sitting among the ashes In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire A still from a video shared by police shows the remnants of a burnt-out bathroom In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Picture showing the lifts on an unknown floor Metropolitan Police In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Emergency crews outside the front entrance to the tower Metropolitan Police In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Fire crews inspecting flats in the burnt out tower London Metropolitan Police In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Grenfell Tower is seen in the distance PA In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire A drone flies near the scene of the fire which destroyed the Grenfell Tower block REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire 'Theresa May Stay Away' message written on the messages of support at Latymer Community Church for those affected by the fire Ray Tang/REX In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire An aerial view of the area surrounding Grenfall tower Getty In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Donated shoes sit in the Westway Sports Centre near to the site of the Grenfell Tower fire Getty Images In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Messages of support for those affected by the massive fire in Grenfell Tower are displayed on a well near the tower in London AP In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire A local resident stands on her balcony by the gutted Grenfell Tower in Latimer Road Getty Images In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Messages of condolence are left at a relief centre close to the scene of the fire that broke out at Grenfell Tower, EPA In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire A police officer stands by a security cordon outside Latimer Road station Getty Images In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Firemen examine the scorched facade of the Grenfell Tower in London on a huge ladder AP In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire A search dog is led through the rubble of the Grenfell Tower in London as firefighting continue to damp-down the deadly fire AP In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn comforts a local resident (name not given) at St Clement's Church in west London where volunteers have provided shelter and support for people affected by the fire at Grenfell Tower David Mirzoeff/PA In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn hugs councillor Mushtaq Lasharie as he arrives at St Clement's Church in Latimer Road, where volunteers have provided shelter and support for people affected by the fire at Grenfell Tower Getty Images In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn meeting staff and volunteers at St Clementis Church in Latimer Road David Mirzoeff/PA In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Firefighters with a dog walk around the base of the Grenfell Tower REUTERS/Peter Nicholls In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Emotions run high as people attend a candle lit vigil outside Notting Hill Methodist Church near the 24 storey residential Grenfell Tower block in Latimer Road, West London Getty Images In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Debris hangs from the blackened exterior of Grenfell Tower Getty Images In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire A woman speaks to Mayor of London Sadiq Khan outside Notting Hill Methodist Church near Grenfell Tower in west London after a fire engulfed the 24-storey building Yui Mok/PA Wire In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire A woman holds a missing person posters near the Grenfell Tower block REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Sadiq Khan speaking with a resident James Gourley/REX In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Ken Livingstone walks near the scene of the Grenfell Tower fire Getty Images In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Mayor of London Sadiq Khan is confronted by Kai Ramos, 7, near Grenfell Tower in west London after a fire engulfed the 24-storey building Yui Mok/PA Wire In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Mayor of London Sadiq Khan speaks to a woman outside Notting Hill Methodist Church near Grenfell Tower Yui Mok/PA Wire In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Volunteers distribute aid near Grenfell Tower Getty Images In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Family and friends of missing Jessica Urbano, 12, wearing photographs of Jessica pinned to their t-shirts gather near Grenfell Tower EPA In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Family and friends of missing Jessica Urbano, 12, wearing photographs of Jessica pinned to their t-shirts gather near Grenfell Tower EPA In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Family and friends of missing Jessica Urbano, 12, wearing photographs of Jessica pinned to their t-shirts gather near Grenfell Tower EPA In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire People attend a vigil at Notting Hill Methodist Church near Grenfell Tower Getty Images In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire People gather to observe a vigil outside St Clement's Church following the blaze at Grenfell Tower Getty Images In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire People light candles as they observe a vigil outside St Clement's Church following the blaze at Grenfell Tower Getty Images In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire People attend a vigil at Notting Hill Methodist Church near Grenfell Tower Getty Images In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire A man distributes food from the back of a van near the scene of the fire which destroyed the Grenfell Tower block REUTERS/Paul Hackett In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire A firefighter is cheered near the scene of the fire which destroyed the Grenfell Tower block REUTERS/Paul Hackett In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire A T-shirt with a written message from the London Fire Brigade hangs from a fence near The Grenfell Tower block REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire A young girl on her way to lay flowers near Grenfell Tower Getty Images In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire The remains of residential tower block Grenfell Tower are seen from Dixon House a nearby tower block Getty In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Volunteers prepare supplies for people affected by the Grenfell Tower block which was destroyed in a fire REUTERS/Neil Hall In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Volunteers move a car to make space for a lorry picking up supplies for people affected by the Grenfell Tower block REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire People distribute boxes of food near the scene of the fire which destroyed the Grenfell Tower bloc REUTERS/Paul Hackett In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire A woman touches a missing poster for 12-year-old Jessica Urbano on a tribute wall after laying flowers on the side of Latymer Community Church next to the fire-gutted Grenfell Tower AP In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire A man looks at messages written on a wall near the scene of the fire which destroyed the Grenfell Tower block REUTERS/Paul Hackett In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Candles and messages of condolence near where the fire broke out at Grenfell Tower EPA In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Police carry a stretcher towards Grenfell Tower Rick Findler/PA Wire In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Emergency services at Grenfell Tower Rick Findler/PA Wire In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Police carry out a body from Grenfell Tower in west London after a fire engulfed the 24-storey building Rick Findler/PA Wire

Private landlords were also urging the government to extend the testing to different types of cladding, not just ACM, to calm the fears of worried residents.

The Building Research Establishment (BRE) is carrying out the testing on behalf of DCLG but a spokesperson told Inside Housing magazine that the organisation is only testing ACM panels.

Landlords have reportedly been told non-ACM cladding is not being prioritised, despite communities secretary Sajid Javid urging local authorities to send in samples as soon as possible.

In a letter to Mr Javid, Lib Peck, leader of Labour-led Lambeth Council, said: Why is this ACM testing continuing when it is clear that all will fail? Surely we need to establish whether other forms of cladding are combustible?

Nick Murphy, chief executive of Nottingham City Homes, told Inside Housing: Where I think things have got really confused is where they are making statements about 100 per cent of tower blocks failingI can see how that is worrying for tenants.

Recommended I understand why the Grenfell Tower residents are so angry

It comes as a two housing providers in Salford suspended the removal of cladding from its high-rise blocks because of "unclear" Government advice.

Salix Homes followed City West Housing Trust in halting work on buildings that failed Government fire safety tests.

It said it was "acting in line" with other housing providers across the country.

Eight tower blocks operated by Salix were among 29 in Salford to not pass the combustibility tests, the highest of any local authority area in England disclosed by the DCLG.
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The head of the inquiry into the fatal Grenfell Tower fire was heckled by residents and survivors of the disaster as he met them for the first time.

Retired appeal court judge Sir Martin Moore-Bick said he would look into the matter to the "very best" of his ability at a meeting in a centre overlooked by the burnt-out high-rise block in west London.

A short video shows Sir Martin being heckled, as well as him telling the meeting: "I can't do more than assure you that I know what it is to be impartial.

"I've been a judge for 20 years, and I give you my word that I will look into this matter to the very best of my ability and find the facts as I see them from the evidence.

"That's my job, that's my training, and that's what I intend to do. Now if I can't satisfy you because you have some preconception about me as a person that's up to you."

In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Show all 51 1 /51 In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Police have released images from inside the tower where at least 58 people have died Metropolitan Police In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire A still from a video shared by polices what appears to be a stationary bicycle sitting among the ashes In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire A still from a video shared by police shows the remnants of a burnt-out bathroom In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Picture showing the lifts on an unknown floor Metropolitan Police In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Emergency crews outside the front entrance to the tower Metropolitan Police In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Fire crews inspecting flats in the burnt out tower London Metropolitan Police In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Grenfell Tower is seen in the distance PA In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire A drone flies near the scene of the fire which destroyed the Grenfell Tower block REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire 'Theresa May Stay Away' message written on the messages of support at Latymer Community Church for those affected by the fire Ray Tang/REX In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire An aerial view of the area surrounding Grenfall tower Getty In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Donated shoes sit in the Westway Sports Centre near to the site of the Grenfell Tower fire Getty Images In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Messages of support for those affected by the massive fire in Grenfell Tower are displayed on a well near the tower in London AP In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire A local resident stands on her balcony by the gutted Grenfell Tower in Latimer Road Getty Images In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Messages of condolence are left at a relief centre close to the scene of the fire that broke out at Grenfell Tower, EPA In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire A police officer stands by a security cordon outside Latimer Road station Getty Images In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Firemen examine the scorched facade of the Grenfell Tower in London on a huge ladder AP In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire A search dog is led through the rubble of the Grenfell Tower in London as firefighting continue to damp-down the deadly fire AP In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn comforts a local resident (name not given) at St Clement's Church in west London where volunteers have provided shelter and support for people affected by the fire at Grenfell Tower David Mirzoeff/PA In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn hugs councillor Mushtaq Lasharie as he arrives at St Clement's Church in Latimer Road, where volunteers have provided shelter and support for people affected by the fire at Grenfell Tower Getty Images In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn meeting staff and volunteers at St Clementis Church in Latimer Road David Mirzoeff/PA In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Firefighters with a dog walk around the base of the Grenfell Tower REUTERS/Peter Nicholls In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Emotions run high as people attend a candle lit vigil outside Notting Hill Methodist Church near the 24 storey residential Grenfell Tower block in Latimer Road, West London Getty Images In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Debris hangs from the blackened exterior of Grenfell Tower Getty Images In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire A woman speaks to Mayor of London Sadiq Khan outside Notting Hill Methodist Church near Grenfell Tower in west London after a fire engulfed the 24-storey building Yui Mok/PA Wire In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire A woman holds a missing person posters near the Grenfell Tower block REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Sadiq Khan speaking with a resident James Gourley/REX In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Ken Livingstone walks near the scene of the Grenfell Tower fire Getty Images In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Mayor of London Sadiq Khan is confronted by Kai Ramos, 7, near Grenfell Tower in west London after a fire engulfed the 24-storey building Yui Mok/PA Wire In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Mayor of London Sadiq Khan speaks to a woman outside Notting Hill Methodist Church near Grenfell Tower Yui Mok/PA Wire In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Volunteers distribute aid near Grenfell Tower Getty Images In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Family and friends of missing Jessica Urbano, 12, wearing photographs of Jessica pinned to their t-shirts gather near Grenfell Tower EPA In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Family and friends of missing Jessica Urbano, 12, wearing photographs of Jessica pinned to their t-shirts gather near Grenfell Tower EPA In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Family and friends of missing Jessica Urbano, 12, wearing photographs of Jessica pinned to their t-shirts gather near Grenfell Tower EPA In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire People attend a vigil at Notting Hill Methodist Church near Grenfell Tower Getty Images In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire People gather to observe a vigil outside St Clement's Church following the blaze at Grenfell Tower Getty Images In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire People light candles as they observe a vigil outside St Clement's Church following the blaze at Grenfell Tower Getty Images In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire People attend a vigil at Notting Hill Methodist Church near Grenfell Tower Getty Images In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire A man distributes food from the back of a van near the scene of the fire which destroyed the Grenfell Tower block REUTERS/Paul Hackett In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire A firefighter is cheered near the scene of the fire which destroyed the Grenfell Tower block REUTERS/Paul Hackett In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire A T-shirt with a written message from the London Fire Brigade hangs from a fence near The Grenfell Tower block REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire A young girl on her way to lay flowers near Grenfell Tower Getty Images In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire The remains of residential tower block Grenfell Tower are seen from Dixon House a nearby tower block Getty In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Volunteers prepare supplies for people affected by the Grenfell Tower block which was destroyed in a fire REUTERS/Neil Hall In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Volunteers move a car to make space for a lorry picking up supplies for people affected by the Grenfell Tower block REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire People distribute boxes of food near the scene of the fire which destroyed the Grenfell Tower bloc REUTERS/Paul Hackett In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire A woman touches a missing poster for 12-year-old Jessica Urbano on a tribute wall after laying flowers on the side of Latymer Community Church next to the fire-gutted Grenfell Tower AP In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire A man looks at messages written on a wall near the scene of the fire which destroyed the Grenfell Tower block REUTERS/Paul Hackett In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Candles and messages of condolence near where the fire broke out at Grenfell Tower EPA In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Police carry a stretcher towards Grenfell Tower Rick Findler/PA Wire In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Emergency services at Grenfell Tower Rick Findler/PA Wire In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Police carry out a body from Grenfell Tower in west London after a fire engulfed the 24-storey building Rick Findler/PA Wire

Sir Martin has already faced calls to resign amid criticism and frustration from survivors that the apparent remit of his inquiry may be too narrow.

After the meeting, local resident Melvyn Akins, 30, who was brought up in the area, said there was "frustration, anger and confusion" in the meeting and people were left with "a lot more questions" about their futures.

Concerns about the health of people living near the blaze, the air quality, evacuation procedures, the condition of the block and the inquiry's terms of reference were among the wide-ranging questions posed in the meeting.

Sir Martin told the residents that he was keen to have the terms of reference sorted before Parliament goes into recess saying he could not start his work until the terms of reference were in, according to Mr Akins.

He said: "It is going to be an uphill struggle. People feel abandoned. Now you have got somebody coming in (Sir Martin) and saying 'I am going to look into it all thoroughly' and it is not good enough.

"People firmly believe that arrests should be made as a result of the outcome of all of this. If arrests are not made, people are going to feel justice may not be being done."

As he entered the centre, Sir Martin told reporters: "I have been invited by the Lancaster West Residents Association.

"They are all waiting for me so I am not going to give you any comment about credibility."

Sir Martin left at 9.47pm, almost three hours after he arrived at around 7pm, and described it as a "very useful meeting" before getting into a waiting car.

Resident Jacqui Haynes said she was more angry and frustrated after she came out of the meeting than when she went in.

She said of the retired judge: "He is trying to rush us so they can give us this document where the devil is in the detail and we will have one week to deal with it.

"Us residents who don't have their expertise, who don't have their professionalism and resources have had to fight...

"This is going to be a long fight and we have to persevere. They are relying on us giving up, being tired and becoming overwhelmed."

She said she told the meeting that the official figureheads there, apart from the residents association and including Sir Martin, had been "commissioned by the Government or the council in some way".

She said: "I gave them the message that all the people who were supposed to care about us before, did not.

"With respect, we do not have that much confidence (in them) because they are being paid a hell of a lot of money to trouble shoot this stuff.

"We know they have their own concerns and their own motives for doing these things."

An official start date for the inquiry has yet to be set.

Press Association
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Malala Yousafzai might be just 19 years old but she has experienced more in those years than most do in their lifetimes. Despite the action-packed life the Pakistani activist and Nobel Peace laureate has led, she is only just graduating from school.

Yousafzai, who is celebrating her last day of school this Friday, said she was excited about what the future had to hold, but it was a bittersweet occasion, because of being aware that many girls would never get the opportunity to finish their education.

Yousafzai, who was shot in the head by the Taliban in an attempt to stop her campaigning for girls education in 2012, said that she would be back on her Girl Power Trip next week to meet girls in the Middle East, Africa and Latin America.

Today is my last day of school and my first day on Twitter, she said on the social media site.

Graduating from secondary school (high school) is bittersweet for me. I'm excited about my future, but I know that millions of girls around the world are out of school and may never get the opportunity to complete their education.

Next week, I will be back on my #GirlPowerTrip to meet girls in Middle East, Africa and Latin America.

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their sides seventh try against Brazil during the Womens Rugby League World Cup group A match at Headingley Stadium, Leeds PA UK news in pictures 31 October 2022 GBs James Hall competes during the mens parallel bars qualification at the World Gymnastics Championships in Liverpool AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 October 2022 People dressed in Halloween costumes paddle board along the river Avon in Christchurch, Dorset PA UK news in pictures 29 October 2022 Members of the public take pictures as police officers remove activists from a road during a Just Stop Oil protest, in London Reuters UK news in pictures 28 October 2022 A cosplayer attends the MCM Comic Con London 2022 at the ExCel Centre in London Reuters UK news in pictures 27 October 2022 98-year-old D-Day Veteran Bernard Morgan, whose story is among those featured on the giant poppy wall, during the launch of The Royal British Legion 2022 Poppy Appeal, at Hay's Galleria in central London PA UK news in pictures 26 October 2022 A 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Each girls story is unique - and girls' voices are our most powerful weapons in the fight for education and equality."

Yousafzai has been a pupil at the all-girls' Edgbaston High School in Birmingham since March 2013. She achieved a string of A's and A*s in her GCSE exams in 2015 and plans to study PPE at Oxford University in the autumn of this year.


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A Conservative minister has called on Sadiq Khan to move Notting Hill Carnival away from the area it has been held in for 50 years because of the Grenfell Tower fire.

In a move that has sparked anger, Minister of State for International Trade Greg Hands told the London Mayor that Carnival should be moved due to its proximity to a major disaster site.

The Chelsea and Fulham MP also called for the Greater London Authority (GLA) to take over the running of the event in conjunction with the organisers.

The Carnival is an important and symbolic community celebration in our capitals calendar ... clearly it must go ahead, he wrote.

However, we have to ask ourselves if it is appropriate to stage a Carnival in the near proximity of a major national disaster.

I would like you to consider moving the location and the GLA, with its experience of running major events, taking over the Carnival, in conjunction with the current organisers.

But the comments have been condemned by members of the local community, who have accused the MP of using the Grenfell Tower disaster as an excuse to move the event.

One community organiser told The Independent: It just shows how detached politicians are from whats going on on the ground. I think this is another ploy to try to move it or get rid of it, it happens every year, its just another excuse.

If anything this should be an opportunity to come together to honour the victims.

Jamal Williams, a resident from Barandon Walk on the Lancaster West Estate, said: Notting Hill Carnival is imbedded into our community. Its love, its unity and the one day of the year our community get together. The thought of having that taken away by a minister who is so culturally out of touch is unimaginable. I knew a man from Grenfell Tower who took me to my first ever Carnival. He took me to Carnival arts as a child.That very same man has perished.

Kensington MP Emma Dent Coad said: It is frankly bizarre for Greg Hands to propose moving Carnival. Who would benefit from this?

The Carnival community are already coming up with their own ideas of how to best pay their respect to their friends and neighbours who lost their life in this horrific man-made disaster.

He should show more respect to the community for once. Survivors and the community must decide. Notting Hill Carnival will stay in Notting Hill.

Confrontations between police and revellers have not been uncommon in Carnivals 50-year history, starting from its first year when it was run without local authority permission.

But growing tensions between the north Kensington community and authorities in the wake of the fire that killed at least 80 people has led some to fear civil unrest.

Justice4Grenfell coordinator Yvette Williams told The Independent there is always a propaganda campaign leading up to the carnival over fears the event could provoke riots.

The Carnival route does not go near Grenfell and Im failing to find the link between the Grenfell Tower fire and Carnival, she said. There is always a propaganda campaign about riots leading up to Carnival every year.

Mr Khan quickly shut down Mr Hands request, writing on Twitter: Notting Hill Carnival is a firm London tradition and incredibly important to the local community. It should not be moved.
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Donald Trumps understanding of international trade deals has been called into question by Polands President after he seemingly misunderstood the scope of US influence on export pricing.

Andrzej Duda was forced to correct Mr Trump during a joint press conference as part of the US leaders second foreign visit.

The former real estate mogul joked that the US would be able to influence the pricing for Liquid Natural Gas (LNG) exports.

Maybe we can get your price up a little bit, but that's okay. He's a tough negotiator, he said.

We can enter a contract within the next 15 minutes. Do you have anybody available to negotiate?

But Mr Duda reminded Mr Trump that imports are private transactions and are not negotiated between governments.

It is not the president of the United States and the president of Poland who are going to sign the long-term contract for LNG gas deliveries to Poland, he said. But the contract will be signed by companies, by a Polish company and an American company.

Poland began receiving shipments of US LNG earlier in the year.

While the US approves permits that allow export terminals to operate, LNG purchases are private transactions.

It came after Mr Trump pledged stronger trade ties between Poland and the US.

"America stands ready to help Poland and other European nations diversify their energy supplies, so that you can never be held hostage to a single supplier," he said.

European Council President Donald Tusk said he welcomed the surprising diplomatic words from Mr Trump during the meeting in Warsaw.

Mr Trump said he stood firmly behind the mutual defence commitments of the Nato alliance and criticised Russia in the meeting ahead of the G20 summit.

Mr Tusk, a former Polish prime minister who has voiced concern at Mr Trump's apparent willingness to favour better ties with Moscow at the expense of the EU, said: "I've heard yesterday in Warsaw, surprising diplomatic words from the American president about Transatlantic community, about the cooperation between the United States, Europe, about our common political tradition and civilisation, and about the readiness to protect and to defend the whole Western community.

"We have been waiting for a long time to hear these words from President Trump but the real question is whether it was a one-time incident or a new policy."
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Theresa May has failed to guarantee that post-Brexit deals will make up for lost trade from the European Union after the UK leaves.

The Prime Minister was repeatedly asked to say whether new deals being sought would compensate, but could only respond that she wants the UK to be a global Britain with free trade agreements.

Ms May was speaking from the G20 summit in Hamburg where she is due to have a bilateral meeting with US President Donald Trump and others for potential discussions about future trade.

Recommended Climate change not an objective for UK at G20 as May meets with Trump

Brexit Secretary David Davis was also to meet business leaders demanding the UK stay in the single market immediately after leaving the EU.

They fear losses from the UKs rupture with the single market and the customs union of the EU, which accounts for half all British trade.

Asked if she could guarantee that post-Brexit deals being sought by Trade Secretary Liam Fox could make up for any lost activity with the EU, she said: What I want to see is the United Kingdom as a global Britain with free trade agreements around the world.

Thats what Liam is looking at.

 What is the G20?

Pressed again on whether she could guarantee it, she said: Thats what Liam is looking at in terms of his talks that weve already started with the Americans, talks were having with India and with other countries around the world.

But I do want to see that do want to see that deep and special partnership with the EU, a comprehensive free trade agreement with the EU, so that we can continue to trade with the European Union.

Thats not just in our interests in the interest of the other 27 member states as well.

 G20 protest: 76 police officers injured in violent demonstration

But business leaders are not convinced by the Governments confidence and have called for the UKs relations with the single market to remain effectively unchanged until a new trade deal is implemented.

Director-general of the CBI Carolyn Fairbairn was to say on Friday that now is the time to be realistic about the negotiations, adding: Our proposal is for the UK to stay in the single market and a customs union until a final deal is in force.

The CBI and others were to meet Mr Davis at the Foreign Secretarys country residence at Chevening to press the point home.
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Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin are to meet for the first time today amid violent protest in Hamburg as the two leaders hold a full bilateral meeting, which will include a photocall and public comments.

The timing of the meeting, which according to the White Houses schedule will start at 2.45pm, would mean the two leaders would be unlikely to take part in the working session on energy and climate change. Russias news agency Interfax said the meeting was at 3pm, UK time, which might allow them to attend the start.

The climate change question is the most contentious facing the summit, with Donald Trump having removed the United States from the Paris Climate Agreement of 2015, to the widespread condemnation of international leaders.

All eyes will be looking out for the now widely ridiculed Trump handshake, through which a growing number of US congressman and world leaders have had their arms and whole bodies wrenched in President Trumps direction.

Hamburg police have already asked for reinforcements to deal with widespread protesting, including the burning out of cars.

After the meeting Mr Putin is expected to speak again about the need for more global cooperation to combat terrorism.

The Russian President has already met representatives from the other BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India and China) and called for more efforts for G20 countries to work together to defeat terrorism. Moscow, he said, would issue a call to jointly neutralise political, economic, social and ideological conditions allowing the expansion of terrorism.

He added: No nation can deal with this evil on its own and offer a reliable protection to its citizens.
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Ian Paisley Jr has hit back at the DUP's critics, deploring the vilification of his party but boasting that despite the hate, they "got the money".

The son of the DUP's founder, the Reverend Ian Paisley, and MP for North Antrim was giving an after-dinner speech at an event for British and Irish politicians in London.

Mr Paisley said other groups would have not tolerated the level of abuse targeting the DUP since the general election, but that the party's 10 MPs had "kept their heads down" while leader Arlene Foster struck a deal with Theresa May to prop up her minority government.

The party "got 1.5bn out of it", he added.

He told the audience: "I'm not asking for sympathy - I've got the money, the cheque cashed," the Evening Standard reports.

"The DUP deal is something that I believe should be universally celebrated. 1.5bn for all of our people, our Catholic people, our Protestant people, our people of no religion. I ask you, how could you object? You shouldnt and I dont believe you can," he said.

Mr Paisley said his party had been the victim of abuse and misrepresentation since the deal with the Conservatives he claimed people "would not have got away with" had similar abuse been directed to Muslim groups.

He said: "We were the recipients of vitriol the likes of which would probably be considered reprehensible and indeed would not have been directed at any other group. If I certainly said some of those things about other groups in our society, or if you had said them, even about Muslim groups, in this city, you wouldnt get away with it.

You got away with it about us. And I think that is something that needs to be said, but needs to be left there."

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 11 November 2022 City workers attend a Remembrance Day ceremony at Lloyd's of London, in the City of London, to mark Armistice Day, the anniversary of the end of the First World War PA UK news in pictures 10 November 2022 A grey heron lands on the river Dodder in Dublin on a sunny autumn morning PA UK news in pictures 9 November 2022 Australia and Spain play during the Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup group A match at the Copper Box Arena, London PA UK news in pictures 8 November 2022 A migrant attempting to communicate with journalists is pinned against a fence by members of staff, before being taken out of view, at the Manston immigration short-term holding facility, located at the former Defence Fire Training and Development Centre in Thanet, Kent PA UK news in pictures 7 November 2022 Handout photo issued by Just Stop Oil of a protester who has climbed a gantry on the M25 between junctions six and seven in Surrey, leading to the closure of the motorway PA UK news in pictures 6 November 2022 A grey seal with its pup, at the Donna Nook National Nature Reserve in north Lincolnshire, where they come every year in late October, November and December to give birth to their pups near the sand dunes, the wildlife spectacle attracts visitors from across the UK PA UK news in pictures 5 November 2022 Demonstrators with placards calling for a General Election march near the Houses of Parliament AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 4 November 2022 A peacock is seen in the early winter sunshine in the Dutch Gardens in Holland Park AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 3 November 2022 Florence Kasumba, Letitia Wright, Tenoch Huerta and Lupita Nyongo attend the European Premiere of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever in London Getty UK news in pictures 2 November 2022 A red squirrel gathers nuts in Pitlochry, Scotland Reuters UK news in pictures 1 November 2022 Englands Tara-Jane Stanley scores their sides seventh try against Brazil during the Womens Rugby League World Cup group A match at Headingley Stadium, Leeds PA UK news in pictures 31 October 2022 GBs James Hall competes during the mens parallel bars qualification at the World Gymnastics Championships in Liverpool AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 October 2022 People dressed in Halloween costumes paddle board along the river Avon in Christchurch, Dorset PA UK news in pictures 29 October 2022 Members of the public take pictures as police officers remove activists from a road during a Just Stop Oil protest, in London Reuters UK news in pictures 28 October 2022 A cosplayer attends the MCM Comic Con London 2022 at the ExCel Centre in London Reuters UK news in pictures 27 October 2022 98-year-old D-Day Veteran Bernard Morgan, whose story is among those featured on the giant poppy wall, during the launch of The Royal British Legion 2022 Poppy Appeal, at Hay's Galleria in central London PA UK news in pictures 26 October 2022 A meerkat explores a pumpkin in the enclosure at Wild Place, Bristol, where some of the animals are having pumpkin treats as part of their environmental enrichment PA UK news in pictures 25 October 2022 King Charles III welcomes Rishi Sunak during an audience at Buckingham Palace, where he invited the newly elected leader of the Conservative Party to become Prime Minister and form a new government PA UK news in pictures 24 October 2022 Rishi Sunak celebrates with Tory MPs outside the Conservative Campaign Headquarters after becoming the new leader of the Conservative Party Reuters UK news in pictures 23 October 2022 The Green Man at October Plenty, Borough Market's annual Autumn Harvest festival, in London, which returns for the first time post pandemic PA UK news in pictures 21 October 2022 Sculptor Peter McKenna puts the finishing touches to a pumpkin that will form part of the Planet A Hebden Bridge Pumpkin Trail in the West Yorkshire town PA UK news in pictures 20 October 2022 Britains Prime Minister Liz Truss delivers a speech outside of 10 Downing Street in central London to announce her resignation AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 19 October 2022 Salmon leap up Stainforth Force on the River Ribble in the Yorkshire Dales as they swim upriver to their spawning grounds during the annual Salmon migration PA UK news in pictures 18 October 2022 Just Stop Oil protesters continue their protest for a second day on the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, which links Kent and Essex and which remains closed for traffic, after it was scaled by two climbers from the group PA UK news in pictures 17 October 2022 Hundreds of students take part in the traditional Raisin Monday foam fight on St Salvator's Lower College Lawn at the University of St Andrews in Fife PA UK news in pictures 16 October 2022 A protester holds a placard during a march into central London at a demonstration by the climate change protest group Extinction Rebellion AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 15 October 2022 A member of the public drags an activist who is blocking the road during a "Just Stop Oil" protest, in London, Britain REUTERS UK news in pictures 14 October 2022 Germanys Womens double skulls during day one of the World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals at Saundersfoot beach, Pembrokeshire PA UK news in pictures 13 October 2022 Family and mourners arrive at St Michael's Church, in Creeslough, for the funeral mass of 49-year-old mother of four Martina Martin, who died following an explosion at the Applegreen service station in the village of Creeslough in Co Donegal on Friday PA UK news in pictures 12 October 2022 Motorists in Coventry pass trees showing autumnal colour PA UK news in pictures 11 October 2022 A woman and her dog in the the North Sea at Tynemouth Longsands beach before sunrise PA UK news in pictures 10 October 2022 Police officers remove a campaigner from a Just Stop Oil protest on The Mall, near Buckingham Palace, London PA UK news in pictures 9 October 2022 A drummer plays during the Diwali on the Square celebration, in Trafalgar Square, London PA UK news in pictures 8 October 2022 Timothee Chalamet attending the UK premiere of Bones and All during the BFI London Film Festival 2022 at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, London PA UK news in pictures 7 October 2022 Two young male fallow deer lock antlers in Dublins Phoenix park as rutting season begins PA UK news in pictures 6 October 2022 The Princess of Wales during a cocktail making competition during a visit to Trademarket, a new outdoor street-food and retail market situated in Belfast city centre, as part of the royal visit to Northern Ireland PA UK news in pictures 5 October 2022 Greenpeace protesters interrupt Prime Minister Liz Truss as she delivers her keynote speech to the Conservative Party annual conference PA UK news in pictures 4 October 2022 Prime Minister Liz Truss and Britains Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng wearing hard hats and hi-vis jackets, visit a construction site for a medical innovation campus in Birmingham AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 3 October 2022 British artist Sam Cox, aka Mr Doodle, reveals the Doodle House, a twelve-room mansion at Tenterden, in Kent, which has been covered, inside and out in the artist's trademark monochrome, cartoonish hand-drawn doodles PA UK news in pictures 2 October 2022 Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring Manchester City's second goal against Manchester United at Etihad Stadium. Haaland went on to score a hattrick, his third of the season in the Premier League. City beat United 6-3. Manchester City FC/Getty UK news in pictures 1 October 2022 Protesters hold up flags and placards at a protest in London. A variety of protest groups including Enough is Enough, Don't Pay and Just Stop Oil all demonstrated on the day AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 September 2022 British Prime Minister Liz Truss, who has not been seen in days, leaves the back of Downing Street after a meeting with Office For Budget Responsibility following the release of her governments mini-budget Getty UK news in pictures 29 September 2022 The Virginia creeper foliage on the Tu Hwnt i'r Bont (Beyond the Bridge) Llanwrst, Conwy North Wales, has changed colour from green to red in at the start of Autumn. The building was built in 1480 as a residential dwelling but has been a tearoom for over 50 years PA UK news in pictures 28 September 2022 Criminal barristers from the Criminal Bar Association (CBA), demonstrates outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, as part of their ongoing pay row with the Government PA UK news in pictures 27 September 2022 David White, Garter King of Arms, poses with an envelope franked with the new cypher of King Charles III 'CIIIR', after it was printed in the Court Post Office at Buckingham Palace in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 26 September 2022 A gallery staff member poses next to a painting by Lucian Freud - Self-portrait (Fragment), 1956 - on show at a photocall for the Credit Suisse exhibition - Lucian Freud: New Perspectives at the National Gallery in London PA UK news in pictures 25 September 2022 Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer is interviewed by Laura Kuenssberg in Liverpool before the start of the Labour Party annual Conference which he opened with a tribute to Queen Elizabeth II and sang the national anthem PA UK news in pictures 24 September 2022 Handout photo issued by Buckingham Palace of the ledger stone at the King George VI Memorial Chapel, St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle PA UK news in pictures 23 September 2022 A climate change activist protests against UK private jets while lighting his right arm on fire during the Laver Cup tennis tournament at the O2 Arena in London EPA UK news in pictures 22 September 2022 Woody Woodmansey, Lee Bennett, Kevin Armstrong, Nick Moran and Clifford Slapper attend the unveiling of a stone for David Bowie on the Music Walk of Fame at Camden, north London PA

The dinner was held by the not-for-profit CHAMP group set up after the Good Friday Agreement to promote peace in Northern Ireland and also included speeches from Sinn Fein.

During his speech, Mr Paisley did not mention the collapse of power sharing in Northern Ireland, which has seen the province without a government since January.

Negotiations between the DUP and Sinn Fein have so far failed to reach an argument.

The DUP MP is a patron of the organisation along with the former UUP MP Danny KInahan and former SDLP MP Alasdair McDonnell.
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A proposal for a statue of Margaret Thatcher in Parliament Square should not be abandoned due to threats of vandalism, Theresa May has said.

Backers of the ten-foot bronze statue of the divisive Baroness Thatcher, which is reported to cost 300,000, had hoped for the memorial of Britains first female Prime Minister to join the likes of Winston Churchill, Mahatma Gandhi and Abraham Lincoln in the famous square dedicated to historical giants.

But the plans to stand the statue on a stone plinth on the western edge of Canning Green were blocked following concerns by authorities that it did not have the blessing of Baroness Thatcher's daughter, Carol. Neighbours also raised concerns about the potential for such a controversial statue to be defaced.

However, when asked about the decision to block the statue, Ms May intervened: I understand there are a number of issues that have been raised around the statue. What I'm very clear about is there should be no suggestion that the threat of vandalism should stop a statue of Margaret Thatcher from being put up.

Concerns were raised last year that the Public Memorials Appeals Trust, who lodged the application, could not guarantee that Baroness Thatcher's family consented to the statue, which was to stand on a stone plinth on the western edge of Canning Green. Last year the Mail on Sunday reported that Baroness Thatchers daughter objected to the statue, due to the fact the design didnt include a handbag.

In a letter to City of Westminster council, the Royal Parks organisation said it was objecting to the application on behalf of the Government as the trust failed to give the assurances [we] sought.

Baroness Thatcher was the Conservative Prime Minister from 1979 until 1990

On Thursday, the Royal Parks added: Numerous times we have requested assurances from the applicant that they have approval from the family for the statue. To date we have not had those assurances.

But concerns were also raised by conservationists over the threat of vandalism. In their response to the planning application, the Thorney Island Society (TIS) advised that the principle of leaving a 10-year gap between the death of a subject and the installation of a statue should be adhered to.

The group said: While Lady Thatcher was also widely respected, it cannot be said that she was uncontroversial in this country.

There is a strong case for the 10-year rule to be respected  there should be a decent interval before permanent statues are erected, especially when they are controversial enough to risk vandalism.

Responding to reports the statue had been blocked on the grounds of vandalism, the Conservative MP Jacob Rees-Mogg told the Daily Mail: Blocking it for fear of thugs and vandals is the lily-livered approach that Lady Thatcher most disdained.
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Theresa May has ruled out renegotiating the Paris climate accord ahead of a meeting with Donald Trump at the G20.

The US president has said he will pull the US out of the deal but first wants to see if he can change its terms to be more favourable to the United States.

Britain did not include climate change as one of its four main objectives ahead of the summit but after arriving in Hamburg for the meeting Ms May told reporters that the Paris Agreement was non-negotiable.

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I was clear to President Trump how disappointed the UK was that the United States had decided to pull out of the Paris Agreement and also clear that I hope they will be able to find a way to come back into the Paris Agreement, she told the BBC.

She added: We are not renegotiating the Paris Agreement. That stays.

The statement from the Prime Minister means she joins Angela Merkel and other European leaders in saying she will not change the treaty.

Mr Trump is meeting Russian president Vladimir Putin for the first time today. Like Mr Trump, Mr Putin has publicly doubted that climate change is caused by human activity.

The US president himself has said in the past that he believes climate change is a conspiracy by the Chinese propagated to hobble American manufacturing industry. Ms May will meet with Mr Trump tomorrow for bilateral talks.

Downing Street had previously said that the UK was committed to the treaty as it was signed but would only say that the British Government don't see any need for renegotiation rather than explicitly rule it out, as Ms May has now done.

The Prime Minister was yesterday criticised by Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn for not including climate change in her four objectives for the gathering of world leaders.

He called for Ms May to put pressure on Donald Trump to change course on his catastrophic decision to pull out of the Paris Agreement.

President Donald Trump speaks ahead of the G20 on Thursday (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) (AP)

NGOs, including Oxfam, had also warned that climate change should be at the top of the agenda, warning that it was real and its happening right now.

At the start of June, the US President confirmed he would pull the US from the Paris Agreement.

Apparently misunderstanding the name of the treaty, he argued that he was elected to represent the citizens of Pittsburgh, not Paris.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 11 November 2022 City workers attend a Remembrance Day ceremony at Lloyd's of London, in the City of London, to mark Armistice Day, the anniversary of the end of the First World War PA UK news in pictures 10 November 2022 A grey heron lands on the river Dodder in Dublin on a sunny autumn morning PA UK news in pictures 9 November 2022 Australia and Spain play during the Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup group A match at the Copper Box Arena, London PA UK news in pictures 8 November 2022 A migrant attempting to communicate with journalists is pinned against a fence by members of staff, before being taken out of view, at the Manston immigration short-term holding facility, located at the former Defence Fire Training and Development Centre in Thanet, Kent PA UK news in pictures 7 November 2022 Handout photo issued by Just Stop Oil of a protester who has climbed a gantry on the M25 between junctions six and seven in Surrey, leading to the closure of the motorway PA UK news in pictures 6 November 2022 A grey seal with its pup, at the Donna Nook National Nature Reserve in north Lincolnshire, where they come every year in late October, November and December to give birth to their pups near the sand dunes, the wildlife spectacle attracts visitors from across the UK PA UK news in pictures 5 November 2022 Demonstrators with placards calling for a General Election march near the Houses of Parliament AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 4 November 2022 A peacock is seen in the early winter sunshine in the Dutch Gardens in Holland Park AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 3 November 2022 Florence Kasumba, Letitia Wright, Tenoch Huerta and Lupita Nyongo attend the European Premiere of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever in London Getty UK news in pictures 2 November 2022 A red squirrel gathers nuts in Pitlochry, Scotland Reuters UK news in pictures 1 November 2022 Englands Tara-Jane Stanley scores their sides seventh try against Brazil during the Womens Rugby League World Cup group A match at Headingley Stadium, Leeds PA UK news in pictures 31 October 2022 GBs James Hall competes during the mens parallel bars qualification at the World Gymnastics Championships in Liverpool AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 October 2022 People dressed in Halloween costumes paddle board along the river Avon in Christchurch, Dorset PA UK news in pictures 29 October 2022 Members of the public take pictures as police officers remove activists from a road during a Just Stop Oil protest, in London Reuters UK news in pictures 28 October 2022 A cosplayer attends the MCM Comic Con London 2022 at the ExCel Centre in London Reuters UK news in pictures 27 October 2022 98-year-old D-Day Veteran Bernard Morgan, whose story is among those featured on the giant poppy wall, during the launch of The Royal British Legion 2022 Poppy Appeal, at Hay's Galleria in central London PA UK news in pictures 26 October 2022 A meerkat explores a pumpkin in the enclosure at Wild Place, Bristol, where some of the animals are having pumpkin treats as part of their environmental enrichment PA UK news in pictures 25 October 2022 King Charles III welcomes Rishi Sunak during an audience at Buckingham Palace, where he invited the newly elected leader of the Conservative Party to become Prime Minister and form a new government PA UK news in pictures 24 October 2022 Rishi Sunak celebrates with Tory MPs outside the Conservative Campaign Headquarters after becoming the new leader of the Conservative Party Reuters UK news in pictures 23 October 2022 The Green Man at October Plenty, Borough Market's annual Autumn Harvest festival, in London, which returns for the first time post pandemic PA UK news in pictures 21 October 2022 Sculptor Peter McKenna puts the finishing touches to a pumpkin that will form part of the Planet A Hebden Bridge Pumpkin Trail in the West Yorkshire town PA UK news in pictures 20 October 2022 Britains Prime Minister Liz Truss delivers a speech outside of 10 Downing Street in central London to announce her resignation AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 19 October 2022 Salmon leap up Stainforth Force on the River Ribble in the Yorkshire Dales as they swim upriver to their spawning grounds during the annual Salmon migration PA UK news in pictures 18 October 2022 Just Stop Oil protesters continue their protest for a second day on the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, which links Kent and Essex and which remains closed for traffic, after it was scaled by two climbers from the group PA UK news in pictures 17 October 2022 Hundreds of students take part in the traditional Raisin Monday foam fight on St Salvator's Lower College Lawn at the University of St Andrews in Fife PA UK news in pictures 16 October 2022 A protester holds a placard during a march into central London at a demonstration by the climate change protest group Extinction Rebellion AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 15 October 2022 A member of the public drags an activist who is blocking the road during a "Just Stop Oil" protest, in London, Britain REUTERS UK news in pictures 14 October 2022 Germanys Womens double skulls during day one of the World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals at Saundersfoot beach, Pembrokeshire PA UK news in pictures 13 October 2022 Family and mourners arrive at St Michael's Church, in Creeslough, for the funeral mass of 49-year-old mother of four Martina Martin, who died following an explosion at the Applegreen service station in the village of Creeslough in Co Donegal on Friday PA UK news in pictures 12 October 2022 Motorists in Coventry pass trees showing autumnal colour PA UK news in pictures 11 October 2022 A woman and her dog in the the North Sea at Tynemouth Longsands beach before sunrise PA UK news in pictures 10 October 2022 Police officers remove a campaigner from a Just Stop Oil protest on The Mall, near Buckingham Palace, London PA UK news in pictures 9 October 2022 A drummer plays during the Diwali on the Square celebration, in Trafalgar Square, London PA UK news in pictures 8 October 2022 Timothee Chalamet attending the UK premiere of Bones and All during the BFI London Film Festival 2022 at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, London PA UK news in pictures 7 October 2022 Two young male fallow deer lock antlers in Dublins Phoenix park as rutting season begins PA UK news in pictures 6 October 2022 The Princess of Wales during a cocktail making competition during a visit to Trademarket, a new outdoor street-food and retail market situated in Belfast city centre, as part of the royal visit to Northern Ireland PA UK news in pictures 5 October 2022 Greenpeace protesters interrupt Prime Minister Liz Truss as she delivers her keynote speech to the Conservative Party annual conference PA UK news in pictures 4 October 2022 Prime Minister Liz Truss and Britains Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng wearing hard hats and hi-vis jackets, visit a construction site for a medical innovation campus in Birmingham AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 3 October 2022 British artist Sam Cox, aka Mr Doodle, reveals the Doodle House, a twelve-room mansion at Tenterden, in Kent, which has been covered, inside and out in the artist's trademark monochrome, cartoonish hand-drawn doodles PA UK news in pictures 2 October 2022 Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring Manchester City's second goal against Manchester United at Etihad Stadium. Haaland went on to score a hattrick, his third of the season in the Premier League. City beat United 6-3. Manchester City FC/Getty UK news in pictures 1 October 2022 Protesters hold up flags and placards at a protest in London. A variety of protest groups including Enough is Enough, Don't Pay and Just Stop Oil all demonstrated on the day AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 September 2022 British Prime Minister Liz Truss, who has not been seen in days, leaves the back of Downing Street after a meeting with Office For Budget Responsibility following the release of her governments mini-budget Getty UK news in pictures 29 September 2022 The Virginia creeper foliage on the Tu Hwnt i'r Bont (Beyond the Bridge) Llanwrst, Conwy North Wales, has changed colour from green to red in at the start of Autumn. The building was built in 1480 as a residential dwelling but has been a tearoom for over 50 years PA UK news in pictures 28 September 2022 Criminal barristers from the Criminal Bar Association (CBA), demonstrates outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, as part of their ongoing pay row with the Government PA UK news in pictures 27 September 2022 David White, Garter King of Arms, poses with an envelope franked with the new cypher of King Charles III 'CIIIR', after it was printed in the Court Post Office at Buckingham Palace in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 26 September 2022 A gallery staff member poses next to a painting by Lucian Freud - Self-portrait (Fragment), 1956 - on show at a photocall for the Credit Suisse exhibition - Lucian Freud: New Perspectives at the National Gallery in London PA UK news in pictures 25 September 2022 Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer is interviewed by Laura Kuenssberg in Liverpool before the start of the Labour Party annual Conference which he opened with a tribute to Queen Elizabeth II and sang the national anthem PA UK news in pictures 24 September 2022 Handout photo issued by Buckingham Palace of the ledger stone at the King George VI Memorial Chapel, St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle PA UK news in pictures 23 September 2022 A climate change activist protests against UK private jets while lighting his right arm on fire during the Laver Cup tennis tournament at the O2 Arena in London EPA UK news in pictures 22 September 2022 Woody Woodmansey, Lee Bennett, Kevin Armstrong, Nick Moran and Clifford Slapper attend the unveiling of a stone for David Bowie on the Music Walk of Fame at Camden, north London PA

We are getting out, but we will start to negotiate, and we will see if we can make a deal thats fair. And if we can, thats great, he said.

The leaders of France, Germany and Italy immediately issued a joint statement saying the Paris accord was irreversible and could not be renegotiated, but the UK had shied away from taking this explicit position.
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Theresa Mays German hosts at the G20 are to play the EUs official anthem at the end of the world leaders official dinner  creating a potentially awkward moment for the PM.

Surrounded by EU and other world leaders  including Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker, Council president Donald Tusk, and Angela Merkel  Ms May will sit through Ode de Joy, the signature tune of European unity.

When asked about the fact the anthem would be performed in front of Ms May, her spokesperson said: It's a very famous and well-loved piece of music.

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Senior UK government officials told the press that the summits organisers plan to play Ludwig van Beethovens ninth symphony at a concert for leaders and their spouses after dinner on Saturday.

The symphonys final movement, usually set to words by German poet Friedrich Schiller, has been adopted as the Anthem of the Europe since 1972.

The Prime Minister is starting Brexit negotiations on the back foot after unexpectedly losing her majority at the 8 June general election last month.

At the summit she will meet with the leaders of other G20 nations, which include EU countries such as France, Germany, and Italy.

She is expected to discuss the situation in North Korea, which has just tested a new missile, as well as push for action on terrorist funding, migration, modern slavery, and the global economy.
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Theresa May has pledged to stay Prime Minister for the entirety of the two-year Brexit negotiating process  facing down her critics who say she should quit after a weak election result that saw her lose the majority won by David Cameron and blow a 20-point poll lead.

Asked during a visit to Hamburg for the G20 whether those sitting around the table expected her to be in place as leader in two years time, the Prime Minister said:

Yes. We will be playing our absolutely full part and Ill be playing my full part and the issues that we are discussing are important.

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Having triggered Article 50 at the start of this year, Ms May has just under two years to complete the secession process from the European Union. She gave no hint about when or if she would eventually step down.

Her comments follow claims by her Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson that the Prime Ministers political prospects became very difficult after the general election result.

Mr Johnson went on to say he believed Ms May had turned her situation around after the setback with unbelievable grace and steel and put things back together in the period after the vote.

The latest poll from YouGov for The Times newspaper shows Labour with an eight-point lead over the Tories, a result that would likely give Jeremy Corbyns party a majority of seats in the House of Commons if there was a second general election.

General Election 2017: Big beasts who lost their seats Show all 7 1 /7 General Election 2017: Big beasts who lost their seats General Election 2017: Big beasts who lost their seats Nick Clegg Darren O'Brien General Election 2017: Big beasts who lost their seats Gavin Barwell Getty General Election 2017: Big beasts who lost their seats Angus Robertson General Election 2017: Big beasts who lost their seats Nicola Blackwood PA General Election 2017: Big beasts who lost their seats Alex Salmond PA General Election 2017: Big beasts who lost their seats Rob Wilson Rex Features General Election 2017: Big beasts who lost their seats Ben Gummer PA

A survey of Tory activists published by the ConservativeHome website shows that party opinion has turned sharply against Ms May since the election, with her partys view of her now net negative.

No single figure has stepped up to replace her leadership of the party for the crunch negotiations, however. The most popular senior figure in the party among activists is now David Davis, the Brexit Secretary  who has overtaken Mr Johnsons previous lead.

During her visit to Hamburg Ms May is set to hold bilateral talks with US President Donald Trump as well as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
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A teenager has been jailed for 30 years after suffering what her lawyers said was a miscarriage, after she was raped a year ago.

A court in El Salvador, a country that has perhaps the worlds most strict laws on reproductive rights, found that Evelyn Beatriz Hernandez Cruz, 19, had killed her baby by throwing it into a latrine pit after she gave birth. It convicted her of aggravated homicide.

Activists say the sentence is simply the latest in a series of cases in which women are sent to jail, frequently for 30 or 40 years, after suffering miscarriages. Lawyers for the teenager are to file an appeal.

The judgment sentencing Evelyn to 30 years in prison shows how in El Salvador justice is applied without direct proof, without sufficient evidence that clarifies what a woman has done, said Morena Herrera, Executive Director of the Citizens Group for the Decriminalisation of Abortion.

In this case, Evelyn did not kill her newborn child. She simply experienced an obstetric emergency and the state prosecutor has badly interpreted the facts and unfortunately the judge hasnt listened to the witnesses that told her there was no direct proof.

In a statement, she added: Were going to appeal this decision. Luckily, we still have recourse within the judicial system that - as weve demonstrated in other moments - can be effective so that women unjustly sentenced like Evelyn can regain their freedom.

 Salvadorean activist gives her thoughts on Donald Trump

Prosecutors told the court that the teenager had aborted the feotus who thrown its remains into a latrine at her home in Cojutepeque, 25 miles east of the countrys capital, San Salvador.

One of the teenagers lawyers, Dennis Munoz, had argued his client had an out-of-hospital birth in April last year because he did not even know she was pregnant and had confused labour pains with stomach ache.

We think its important that this injustice is known in El Salvador - that because of a prejudice, for being a woman, for having a stillbirth that she didnt have control over - she was convicted, said Mr Munoz.

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. 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The case has played out against the backdrop of an ongoing fight for reproductive rights in the Central American nation. There are a small handful of countries that do not permit abortion under circumstances. Activists say, no country prosecutes the law with as much aggression as the staunchly Catholic El Salvador.

Prior to 1998, abortion was permitted in cases of rape, incest, where a foetus was injured or if the mothers life was in danger.

That year, under pressure from the church and right wing politicians, the law was changed to remove any exceptions whatsoever. Some estimates have suggested that between between 1998 and 2013, more than 600 women have been jailed after being accused of having had an abortion.

Late in 2016, a bill was introduced in the El Salvador Assembly that would decriminalise abortion in cases where a pregnancy puts the life and health of the woman at risk, a medical diagnosis where the foetus cannot survive, a pregnancy resulting from sexual violence or human trafficking.

El Diario De Hoy reported that Mr Munoz will file an appeal. He said he was ultimately prepared to take the case to the countrys Supreme Court if he had to.

Amnesty International said the episiode underscored the need for El Salvador to repeal its "retrograde anti-abortion law".

El Salvadors anti-abortion law is causing nothing but pain and suffering to countless women and girls and their families, said Erika Guevara-Rosas, the group's Americas Director. It goes against human rights and it has no place in the country or anywhere.
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Former classmates of Philando Castile have given out the first scholarship in the name of the man they knew who was killed by police during a traffic stop in which he informed the officer that he had a licenced firearm in his car.

The scholarship awards $5,000 a year to a young man of colour each year, and has been established by alumni of Central High School, where Mr Castile went to school.

The first scholarship was awarded to Marques Watson, who graduated from the school this year and is headed to St Paul College for two years to study mechanical engineering before he transfers to a four-year university.

Before I received this scholarship, I had no way at all, that I was going to be able to help myself, and my family really has no money to help me, Mr Watson told Minnesota Public Radio. This scholarship is great because it takes a little weight off my shoulders.

The scholarship committee hopes to raise $100,000 so that they can establish an endowment for the scholarship. So far, theyve raised $50,000 toward that goal.

Mr Castile graduated from the high school in 2001, and his life was cut short last July when a police officer shot him after pulling him over for a broken taillight. The officer later argued in court that there were other circumstances that led him to pull the trigger, including suspicions that Mr Castile may have robbed a convenience store earlier that day.

Black Lives Matter organises march to Trump Tower Show all 15 1 /15 Black Lives Matter organises march to Trump Tower Black Lives Matter organises march to Trump Tower Kandy Freeman participates in a Black Lives Matter protest in front of Trump Tower in New York City, U.S. January 14, 2017. Stephanie Keith/Reuters Black Lives Matter organises march to Trump Tower People participate in a Black Lives Matter protest in front of Trump Tower in New York City, U.S. January 14, 2017. Stephanie Keith/Reuters Black Lives Matter organises march to Trump Tower Hawk Newsome, a Black Lives Matter activist, leads a protest outside Trump Tower in New York City on January 14, 2017. Dominick Reuter/AFP/Getty Images Black Lives Matter organises march to Trump Tower Hawk Newsome (C) leads a chant during a Black Lives Matter protest in front of Trump Tower in New York City, US. January 14, 2017. Dominick Reuter/AFP/Getty Images Black Lives Matter organises march to Trump Tower People participate in a Black Lives Matter protest in front of Trump Tower in New York City, U.S. January 14, 2017. Stephanie Keith/Reuters Black Lives Matter organises march to Trump Tower An NYPD officer speaks with a Black Lives Matter leaders during a protest in the snow outside Trump Tower in New York City on January 14, 2017. Dominick Reuter/AFP/Getty Images Black Lives Matter organises march to Trump Tower Kandy Freeman participates in a Black Lives Matter protest in front of Trump Tower in New York City, U.S. January 14, 2017. Stephanie Keith/Reuters Black Lives Matter organises march to Trump Tower An NYPD officer speaks with a Black Lives Matter leaders during a protest in the snow outside Trump Tower in New York City on January 14, 2017. Dominick Reuter/AFP/Getty Images Black Lives Matter organises march to Trump Tower Carol Garza, a Black Lives Matter supporter, protests outside Trump Tower in New York City on January 14, 2017. Dominick Reuter/AFP/Getty Images Black Lives Matter organises march to Trump Tower People participate in a Black Lives Matter protest in front of Trump Tower in New York City, U.S. January 14, 2017. Stephanie Keith/Reuters Black Lives Matter organises march to Trump Tower A Black Lives Matter supporter protests in the snow outside Trump Tower in New York City on January 14, 2017. Dominick Reuter/AFP/Getty Images Black Lives Matter organises march to Trump Tower Black Lives Matter activists march in front of Trump Tower on January 14, 2017 in New York City. Kevin Hagen/Getty Black Lives Matter organises march to Trump Tower Black Lives Matter activists march in front of Trump Tower on January 14, 2017 in New York City. Kevin Hagen/Getty Black Lives Matter organises march to Trump Tower Black Lives Matter supporters protest in the snow outside Trump Tower in New York City on January 14, 2017. Dominick Reuter/AFP/Getty Images Black Lives Matter organises march to Trump Tower Black Lives Matter Kandy Freeman marches in front of Trump Tower on January 14, 2017 in New York City. Kevin Hagen/Getty

The officer also argued in court that Mr Castiles black skin did not play a part in his decision to shoot.

A video of him dying spread like wildfire on the internet after Mr Castiles girlfriend live streamed him covered in blood in the drivers seat after the shooting. It was the latest in a series of videos showing police killing black men around the country, which have sparked protests and discussions about police brutality in the US.
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Democrats in Congress are being mocked online for their newly proposed, less-than-inspiring campaign slogan.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee recently asked supporters to vote on a campaign sticker for the 2018 midterms. Among the choices was the decidedly unconvincing, Democrats 2018: I mean, have you seen the other guys?

Not exactly the most inspiring political slogan, @dccc, tweeted Propublica journalist Derek Willis.

Dems are asking people to vote on a new sticker and I'm not sure anyone in history has been as bad at this, added Adam Serwer, senior editor at The Atlantic.

While some found the tepid campaign slogan amusing, others felt it symbolised a sad political reality.

Have you seen the other guys? is everything wrong with Democrat messaging, one user tweeted. No positive vision, just they're worse!

Recommended Democrats accuse Republicans of attempting to rush healthcare bill

Some users even suggested campaign slogans of their own, including: Living wages for every worker, and Health care for all.

Seriously, get it together and start acting like we are in the fight for our lives! wrote one user. No Human Resources 'feel good' posters.

The spat signified a growing unhappiness among many Democrats with the party leadership  an unhappiness that has been mounting since the 2016 election.

Donald Trumps surprise victory  and the failure of Democrats to flip any Congressional seats in the ensuing special elections  has left many Democrats doubting their own leadership. The looming 2018 midterm elections, and the chance to take Congress back from the Republicans, have only heightened this feeling.

Some moderates even told Politico they would eschew party messaging in 2018 in favour of their own, individual brands.

If the left and the right are going to have a certain message, Im going to have my own message, Representative Lou Correa said.

According to Politico, however, the party leadership has already focused in a new, somewhat improved slogan for 2018: A better deal. The slogan is meant to imply that Democrats will give Americans a better deal than the self-described deal-maker in the White House.

Whether it will motivate the Democrats base to get out and vote, however, remains to be seen.

One of our concerns coming out of 2016 was it appeared that the message was largely Im not him, Representative Mark Pocan said. Thats not an aspirational message. You need to give people a reason to vote.
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In his first meeting with Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto since taking office, Donald Trump has doubled down on his plans to build a border wall  and have his southern neighbour pay for it.

Asked whether he still expects Mexico to pay for his signature campaign promise, Mr Trump responded, Absolutely.

The world leaders met on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany. They had previously scheduled a meeting for the early months of Mr Trump's presidency, but cancelled over disagreements about the border wall.

Recommended First pictures emerge of Trump and Putin meeting at G20

"It is evident that we have some differences with the new government of the United States, like the topic of the wall, that Mexico of course will not pay," Mr Pena Nieto said at the time.

Nevertheless, Mr Trump on Friday said he considers the Mexican president a "friend". Mr Pena Nieto said only that he hopes to continue a "flowing dialogue".

The promise to build a wall along the US-Mexican border was a feature of Mr Trump's presidential campaign, during which he accused Mexican immigrants of "bringing drugs" and "bringing crime". The President claims the wall is necessary to protect against illegal immigration.

US Customs and Border Patrol recently announced they had started searching for a construction firm for the wall. Congress, however, has yet to authorise money to pay for it.

The most recent budget passed by Congress allocates $20m for prototypes, but no funding for the wall itself. Even Republicans in Congress appear unenthusiastic about the proposal.

Mr Trump, meanwhile, has started proposing alternative solutions, such constructing the wall with solar panels.

"This way, Mexico will have to pay much less money," Mr Trump explained during a rally in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. "A solar wall. It makes sense. Let's see. We are working it out."

The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Show all 9 1 /9 The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and the media White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer takes questions during the daily press briefing Getty Images The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and the Trans-Pacific Partnership Union leaders applaud US President Donald Trump for signing an executive order withdrawing the US from the Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations during a meeting in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington DC. Mr Trump issued a presidential memorandum in January announcing that the US would withdraw from the trade deal Getty The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and the Mexico wall A US Border Patrol vehicle sits waiting for illegal immigrants at a fence opening near the US-Mexico border near McAllen, Texas. The number of incoming immigrants has surged ahead of the upcoming Presidential inauguration of Donald Trump, who has pledged to build a wall along the US-Mexico border. A signature campaign promise, Mr Trump outlined his intention to build a border wall on the US-Mexico border days after taking office Getty Images The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and abortion US President Donald Trump signs an executive order as Chief of Staff Reince Priebus looks on in the Oval Office of the White House. Mr Trump reinstated a ban on American financial aide being granted to non-governmental organizations that provide abortion counseling, provide abortion referrals, or advocate for abortion access outside of the United States Getty Images The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and the Dakota Access pipeline Opponents of the Keystone XL and Dakota Access pipelines hold a rally as they protest US President Donald Trump's executive orders advancing their construction, at Columbus Circle in New York. US President Donald Trump signed executive orders reviving the construction of two controversial oil pipelines, but said the projects would be subject to renegotiation Getty Images The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and 'Obamacare' Nancy Pelosi who is the minority leader of the House of Representatives speaks beside House Democrats at an event to protect the Affordable Care Act in Los Angeles, California. US President Donald Trump's effort to make good on his campaign promise to repeal and replace the healthcare law failed when Republicans failed to get enough votes. Mr Trump has promised to revisit the matter Getty Images The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Donald Trump and 'sanctuary cities' US President Donald Trump signed an executive order in January threatening to pull funding for so-called "sanctuary cities" if they do not comply with federal immigration law AP The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and the travel ban US President Donald Trump has attempted twice to restrict travel into the United States from several predominantly Muslim countries. The first attempt, in February, was met with swift opposition from protesters who flocked to airports around the country. That travel ban was later blocked by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. The second ban was blocked by a federal judge a day before it was scheduled to be implemented in mid-March SANDY HUFFAKER/AFP/Getty Images The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and climate change US President Donald Trump sought to dismantle several of his predecessor's actions on climate change in March. His order instructed the Environmental Protection Agency to reevaluate the Clean Power Plan, which would cap power plant emissions Shannon Stapleton/Reuters

Mr Trump previously met with Mr Pena Nieto in a surprise trip to Mexico during his campaign. At the meeting, he appeared to ignore the Mexican president's insistence that his country would not pay for the wall.

Later, when Mr Trump threatened to raise tariffs on Mexico to help pay it, Mr Pena Nieto cancelled their scheduled meeting.

Mr Trump's criticism of Nafta  a trade agreement between the US, Mexico, and Canada  has also inflamed relations between the countries. Mr Trump said at the meeting that he is "negotiating" the deal with Mexico.

"Well see how it all turns out but I think we've made very good progress," he said.

Mexican Foreign Minister Luis Videgaray, however, told Reuters he did not expect much to change as a result of Friday's meeting.

"We have to put it in context and not have expectations that are unjustified," he said.
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Jewish leaders in Poland have criticised Donald Trump after he broke with decades of tradition and missed a visit to a Holocaust memorial.

Every US President who has visited the country since the Soviet Union was overthrown in 1989 has paid their respects at the monument for the 1943 Warsaw Ghetto uprising.

Commemorating Jewish resistance fighters who took up arms to battle Nazi oppressors, the memorial is only a mile away from the spot where the US leader delivered a speech during his visit to the Polish capital earlier this week.

The President's address in Krasinski Square made reference to the uprising, in which hundreds of Jews took up arms to fight their Nazi oppressors, as he paid tribute to "the triumph of Polish spirit over centuries of hardship".

But he was accused of a "slight" against Poland's Jews in a joint statement issued by community leaders, including the country's chief rabbi.

"Ever since the fall of Communism in 1989, all US presidents and vice-presidents visiting Warsaw had made a point of visiting the Monument to the Heroes of the Warsaw Ghetto," they said in a statement.

They added: "For the Jews of Poland, rebuilding in a democratic Poland their communal life, after the horror of the Shoah and the devastation of Communism, this gesture meant recognition, solidarity and hope.

"We deeply regret that President Donald Trump, though speaking in public barely a mile away from the Monument, chose to break with that laudable tradition. We trust that this slight does not reflect the attitudes and feelings of the American people."

 Donald Trump arrives in Poland ahead of G20 in Germany

The rebuke was signed by Anna Chipczynska, president of the Jewish Community of Warsaw, Lesaw Piszewski, president of the Union of the Jewish Communities in Poland, and Michael Schudrich, Poland's chief rabbi.

After the statement was issued ahead of the President's stopover in Poland, Mr Trump dispatched daughter Ivanka to visit the monument.

In a later Facebook post she described laying flowers at the memorial as "a deeply moving experience".

She added: "It was a privilege to be able to pay my respects and remember with gratitude those who fought with such tenacity against all odds."

Mr Trump delivered his speech just a few streets away at the foot of a memorial to another doomed World War 2 uprising, in which the Polish Home Army resistance group fought for two months in 1944 to liberate the city from German occupation.

He was in Warsaw for less than 24 hours before flying to Hamburg ahead of the G20 summit.
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Donald Trump did not so much as mention the prospect of a wall on the US-Mexico border after publicly suggesting that his southern neighbour should pay for it, Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto has said.

Mr Trump and Mr Pena Nieto met recently on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany. In a photo op before their meeting, Mr Trump said he "absolutely" expected Mexico to pay for the wall.

According to a spokesman for Mr Pena Nieto, however, Mr Trump did not broach the subject during their ensuing talks.

Recommended Trump says Mexico will pay for border wall after meeting with Nieto

"It is a subject that was not touched, because we have a noticeable difference," Mexican Foreign Minister Luis Videgaray told Mexico's "In the Morning" radio programme. "It was not subject of the conversation".

In fact, Mr Videgaray added, Mr Pena Nieto didn't even hear the President's photo-op comment.

"I was there and I did not hear it. President Pena did not hear it either," the spokesman said.

In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour Show all 39 1 /39 In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 20 May 2017 US President Donald Trump and Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud arriving for a reception ahead of a banquet at Murabba Palace in Riyadh Getty Images In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 20 May 2017 US President Donald Trump, accompanied by First Lady Melania Trump, and Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud being welcomed at Murabba Palace in Riyadh Getty Images In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 20 May 2017 US President Donald J. Trump with King of Saudi Arabia Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud during a welcome ceremony with traditional sword dancers at Murabba Palace, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia EPA In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 20 May 2017 King of Saudi Arabia Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud with US President Donald J. Trump and wife Melania during a welcome ceremony at Murabba Palace, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia EPA In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 20 May 2017 US President Donald Trump adjusts the Collar of Abdulaziz Al Saud Medal, after it was bestowed upon him by Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud at the Royal Court in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Reuters In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 20 May 2017 Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud presents U.S. President Donald Trump with the Collar of Abdulaziz Al Saud Medal at the Royal Court in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Reuters In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 21 May 2017 Palestinians print posters depicting US President Donald Trump in preparations for his planned visit, in the West Bank town of Bethlehem Reuters In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 21 May 2017 US President Donald Trump accompanied by first lady Melania Trump, his daughter Ivanka Trump and her husband White House senior advisor Jared Kushner, before delivering his remarks to the Arab Islamic American Summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Reuters In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 21 May 2017 US President Donald Trump looks on as U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Muhammad bin Nayef exchange a memorandum of understanding Reuters In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 21 May 2017 First Lady Melania Trump shares a laugh with a child during a visit to the American International School in the Saudi capital Riyadh Getty Images In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 21 May 2017 US President Donald Trump holds a bilateral meeting with Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa AP In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 22 May 2017 Israeli soldiers rest during preparations ahead of President Trump's landing in Tel Aviv, Israel Getty Images In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 22 May 2017 First Lady Melania Trump makes her way to board Air Force One in Riyadh as she heads with her husband the US President to Israel Getty Images In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 22 May 2017 US President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump board Air Force One for Israel, the next stop in Trump's international tour, at King Khalid International Airport AP In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 22 May 2017 Israeli soldiers wait for the arrival ceremony of US President Donald Trump at Ben Gurion airport near Tel Aviv, Israel AP In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 22 May 2017 US President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump arrive aboard Air Force One at Ben Gurion International Airport in Lod near Tel Aviv, Israel Reuters In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 22 May 2017 US President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump disembark Air Force One on arrival at Ben Gurion International Airport AP In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 22 May 2017 US President Donald J. Trump and his wife, US First Lady Melania Trump are welcomed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu upon arrival at Ben Gurion Airport, in Lod outside Tel Aviv, Israel EPA In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 22 May 2017 US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sit during welcome ceremony in Tel Aviv AP In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 22 May 2017 US First Lady Melania Trump chats wife Sara Netanyahu as US President Donald Trump chats to Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a welcoming ceremony to welcome Trump at Ben Gurion International Airport Reuters In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 22 May 2017 US President Donald Trump delivers a speech upon his arrival at Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv Getty Images In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 22 May 2017 US President Donald Trump gestures during a press conference with Israel's President at the President's Residence in Jerusalem Getty Images In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 22 May 2017 US President Donald Trump watches as First Lady Melania Trump signs the guest book at the President's Residence in Jerusalem Getty Images In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 22 May 2017 US President Donald Trump walks with first lady Melania Trump in Jerusalem's Old City Reuters In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 22 May 2017 US President Donald Trump visits the Western Wall, the holiest site where Jews can pray, in Jerusalems Old City Getty Images In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 22 May 2017 US President Donald Trump stands next to Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz at the plaza in front of the Western Wall, Judaism's holiest prayer site, in Jerusalem's Old City Reuters In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 22 May 2017 US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and White House senior advisor Jared Kushner leave notes at the Western Wall in Jerusalem Reuters In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 22 May 2017 US First Lady Melania Trump touches the Western Wall, Judaism's holiest prayer site, in Jerusalem's Old City EPA In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 22 May 2017 Ivanka Trump, assistant and daughter of US President Donald J. Trump, touches the Western Wall, Judaism's holiest prayer site, in Jerusalem's Old City EPA In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 22 May 2017 President Donald Trump visits the Western Wall AP In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 24 May 2017 US President Donald J. Trump arrives in a vehicle to Saint Damaso's Court for a private audience with Pope Francis in Vatican City EPA In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 24 May 2017 Pope Francis walks past Ivanka Trump and First Lady Melania Trump on the occasion of the private audience with President Donald Trump, at the Vatican AP In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 24 May 2017 Pope Francis exchanges gifts with US President Donald Trump during a private audience at the Vatican Getty Images In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 24 May 2017 Pope Francis meets US President Donald Trump and his wife Melania during a private audience at the Vatican Reuters In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 24 May 2017 Pope Francis with US President Donald J. Trump EPA In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 24 May 2017 Pope Francis gets into is car after meeting with US President Donald Trump AP In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 24 May 2017 President Donald Trump and his wife Melania look at the frescoed ceilings during their visit to the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican L'Osservatore Romano/Pool Photo via AP In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 24 May 2017 US President Donald Trump security vehicles are seen in front of Air Force One before take off from Leonardo da Vinci-Fiumicino Airport in Rome, Italy Reuters In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 24 May 2017 US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump wave to reporters before boarding the Air Force One to Brussels, at the end of a 2-day visit to Italy including a meeting with Pope Francis at the Vatican, at Rome's Fiumicino international airport AP

In tweets following the meeting, Mr Pena Nieto said he spoke with Mr Trump about issues surrounding migration, security and economic development  including the importance of "modernising Nafta". He did not mention talks about the wall.

A White House readout of the meeting also did not mention the border wall.

Instead, the White House said the two men discussed "regional challenges" like drug trafficking, illegal migration, and the crisis in Venezuela.

The meeting marked the first visit between the two leaders since Mr Trump took office. He had previously travelled to Mexico as a candidate, and even gave a joint speech with Mr Pena Nieto.

The relationship deteriorated, however, when Mr Trump threatened to raise tariffs on Mexico in order to pay for the border wall. The Mexican President baulked, and cancelled their scheduled meeting.

"It is evident that we have some differences with the new government of the United States, like the topic of the wall, that Mexico of course will not pay," he said at the time.

Mr Trump had made the promise of a wall between Mexico and the US a hallmark of his campaign, claiming it would help control illegal immigration and the flow of drugs. He repeatedly insisted  despite protestations  that Mexico would fund the wall itself. Calls of "Build the wall!" were common at his rallies and fundraisers.

Since taking office, however, Mr Trump's proposal has lost some steam. Congress failed to allocate any funding to the wall's construction in their 2018 budget, and even Republicans appear opposed to the plan.

Asked recently if the wall would be built during his first term in office, Mr Trump replied only, "Yeah sure, we have plenty of time".
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Russian foreign minister has claimed Donald Trump accepted Vladimir Putins assurances that Russia did not meddle in the US presidential election.

After the two leaders emerged from a meeting that lasted two hours and sixteen minutes - at one point, First Lady Melania Trump entered the room to hurry them along - US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Mr Trump had raised the issue of Moscows alleged cyber-meddling in the election at the start of their conversation.

He said the US had talked about such attacks represented a threat to the democratic process. An official from the White House later indicated that the President had not in fact accepted assurances from Mr Putin that Russia did not meddle in the 2016 election.

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. 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The president opened the meeting raising the concerns of the American people about Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, said Mr Tillerson. They had a very lengthy and robust conversation on this

 Trump meets Putin for first time since winning presidency

He said Mr Trump pushed him on the issue and that Mr Putin stood firm in his denial.

I think the president is rightly focused on how do we move forward from something that may be an intractable disagreement at this point, Mr Tillerson said.

In his own briefing to reporters, Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov said Mr Trump accepted Putin's assurances that Russia did not meddle in the election.

"The [issue of cybersecurity] got a lot of attention, which is understandable," Mr Lavrov said. "President Trump mentioned that in the US, some circles are fuelling - even though they cannot prove [anything - the allegations of Russian meddling in the US elections."

When pressed, Mr Lavrov said that Mr Trump or Mr Tillerson would likely provide further information to the press.

"In the course of the months that these allegations have been around, not a single fact has been presented, which is admitted by those in the [US] Congress who have led this movement at some point," Mr Lavrov said. "And President Trump said that he heard President Putin stating clearly that it is not true, that the Russian government did not meddle" in the elections."

Mr Trump left the scene of his conversation with Mr Putin, to head to Hamburgs Elbphilharmonie, a concert that is the venue for a formal G20 dinner. He was accompanied by the First Lady Melania Trump.

Earlier, the US President had spoken to reporters as he and Mr Putin posed for photographs before their discussions, accompanied only by their translators, Mr Tillerson and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

President Putin and I have been discussing various things, and I think its going very well, said Mr Trump. We look forward to a lot of very positive happenings for Russia and for the United States, and for everyone concerned.

For his part, Mr Putin said he was happy to be able to meet Mr Trump in person.

We spoke over the phone but phone conversations are never enough, definitely, he said. I hope that, as you have said, our meetings will yield positive results.

During the over two hours that the two presidents were in the meeting, the world leaders discussed a range of issues, including Russia's annexation of Crimea, a reported agreement for a cease fire in Syria, and ways to cooperate in the fight against terrorism in the world

"This is our first indication of the US and Russia being able to work together in Syria," Mr Tillerson said of the cease fire in Syria, which was described as a potential building block to further cooperation in the war-torn country. Mr Trump and Mr Putin had a "lengthy discussion of other areas in Syria where we can work together."

Before the meeting between the two presidents, observers were keen to see how they would interract in person. The two countries haven't had the greatest relationship so far in Mr Trump's nascent presidency, and the White House has at times described the relationship with the Kremlin as at all-time lows. The relationship became exacerbated in April when Mr Trump ordered a missile strike on a Syrian government airbase in April to the chagrin of the Russian military.

The Russian government officially supports the embattled Syrian regime headed by Bashar al-Assad, while the US government has called for that president's ouster.

The 2017 G20 summit is the twelfth meeting of the Group of Twenty, which is an assembly of some of the most powerful countries on the planet, as well as the European Union.
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Donald Trump just spent almost two hours and 16 minutes in a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany.

The meeting was originally scheduled for 30 minutes. It included only the leaders, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, and two interpreters.

The US President went into the meeting with no set agenda that was made public, but it is reported he and Mr Putin spoke about a ceasefire in southwest Syria, Ukraine, the fight against terrorism, and cyber-security.

Ahead of meeting, Mr Trump said it was an honour to meet Mr Putin. The Russian leader, in turn, said that conversations over the phone were not enough to discuss all the matters at hand.

Tom Bernes, a Distinguished Fellow with the Centre for International Governance Innovation, told The Independent that the mood at the G20 was one of "curiosity" about what would be discussed in the meeting.

Mr Trump as the Uncertainty Engine in the mix is part of the issue in determining what will come out of the Trump-Putin meeting and the final document - the G20 Communique, Dr Stephen Saideman, an expert on the Western alliance at Canadas Carleton University, told The Independent.

Given the personalities of the brash Mr Trump and the ex-spy Mr Putin, this is a matter of winning and losing in the one-on-one meeting.

Mr Putin is likely to win he said.

The US leader is facing pending FBI, House, Senate, and special prosecutor investigations into his campaign teams alleged ties to Russian officials as well as obstruction of justice charges.

Mr Tillerson has said there was "positive chemistry" between the two leaders and that there was "not a lot of re-litigating of the past" between them. Much of the focus was how to "move the relationship forward".

Keir Giles, an Associate Fellow on Russian affairs at Chatham House, told The Independent that in not acknowledging past grievances - especially the topic of Russian interference in the 2016 US election - he is in a way "excus[ing] Russia [for] an absolutely inexcusable hostile action against the US".

Mr Tillerson noted Mr Trump opened the meeting with the issue, with Mr Putin denying Russia's role in it. According to Mr Lavrov, the US leader accepted the declaration, but that was not exactly the story on the US side.

"In the context of this meeting the US side has been unable, or quite possibly unwilling, to exercise deterrence in order to constrain Russia," Mr Giles said.

The Secretary of State, who spoke to reporters off-camera, said Mr Trump had repeatedly brought up the allegations.

He noted that the leaders discussed wanting a "framework" of some sort to "judge" cyber-security threats in light of the chaos caused by the hacking allegations and email leaks from the Democratic National Committee.

However, Mr Saideman commented that this idea may be a moot point if the Russians do not admit to the hacking activity.

The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Show all 17 1 /17 The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Paul Manafort Mr Manafort is a Republican strategist and former Trump campaign manager. He resigned from that post over questions about his extensive lobbying overseas, including in Ukraine where he represented pro-Russian interests. Mr Manafort turned himself in at FBI headquarters to special counsel Robert Muellers team on Oct 30, 2017, after he was indicted under seal on charges that include conspiracy against the United States, conspiracy to launder money, unregistered agent of a foreign principal, false and misleading US Foreign Agents Registration Act statements, false statements, and seven counts of failure to file reports of foreign bank and financial accounts. Getty The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Rick Gates Mr Gates joined the Trump team in spring 2016, and served as a top aide until he left to work at the Republican National Committee after the departure of former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort. Mr Gates' had previously worked on several presidential campaigns, on international political campaigns in Europe and Africa, and had 15 years of political or financial experience with multinational firms, according to his bio. Mr Gates was indicted alongside Mr Manafort by special counsel Robert Mueller's team on charges that include conspiracy against the United States, conspiracy to launder money, unregistered agent of a foreign principal, false and misleading US Foreign Agents Registration Act statements, false statements, and seven counts of failure to file reports of foreign bank and financial accounts. AP The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation George Papadopoulos George Papadopoulos was a former foreign policy adviser for the Trump campaign, having joined around March 2016. Mr Papadopoulos plead guilty to federal charges for lying to the FBI as a part of a cooperation agreement with Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation. Mr Papadopoulos claimed in an interview with the FBI that he had made contacts with Russian sources before joining the Trump campaign, but he actually began working with them after joining the team. Mr Papadopoulos allegedly took a meeting with a professor in London who reportedly told him that Russians had "dirt" on Hillary Clinton. The professor also allegedly introduced Mr Papadopoulos to a Russian who was said to have close ties to officials at the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Mr Papadopoulos also allegedly was in contact with a woman whom he incorrectly described in one email to others in the campaign as the "niece" to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Twitter The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Donald Trump Jr The President's eldest son met with a Russian lawyer - Natalia Veselnitskaya - on 9 June 2016 at Trump Tower in New York. He said in an initial statement that the meeting was about Russia halting adoptions of its children by US citizens. Then, he said it was regarding the Magnitsky Act, a US law blacklisting Russian human rights abusers. In a final statement, Mr Trump Jr released a chain of emails that revealed he took the meeting in hopes of getting information Ms Veselnitskaya had about Hillary Clinton's alleged financial ties to Russia. He and the President called it standard "opposition research" in the course of campaigning and that no information came from the meeting. The meeting was set up by an intermediary, Rob Goldstone. Jared Kushner and Paul Manafort were also at the same meeting. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Jared Kushner Mr Kushner is President Donald Trump's son-in-law and a key adviser to the White House. He met with a Russian banker appointed by Russian President Vladimir Putin in December. Mr Kushner has said he did so in his role as an adviser to Mr Trump while the bank says he did so as a private developer. Mr Kushner has also volunteered to testify in the Senate about his role helping to arrange meetings between Trump advisers and Russian Ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Rob Goldstone Former tabloid journalist and now music publicist Rob Goldstone is a contact of the Trump family through the previously Trump-owned 2013 Miss Universe pageant, which took place in Moscow. In June 2016, he wrote to Donald Trump Jr offering a meeting with a Russian lawyer, Natalya Veselnitskaya, who had information about Hillary Clinton. Mr Goldstone was the intermediary for Russian pop star Emin Agalaraov and his father, real estate magnate Aras, who played a role in putting on the 2013 pageant. In an email chain released by Mr Trump Jr, Mr Goldstone seemed to indicate Russian government's support of Donald Trump's campaign. AP images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Aras and Emin Agalarov Aras Agalarov (R) is a wealthy Moscow-based real estate magnate and son Emin (L) is a pop star. Both played a role in putting on the previously Trump-owned 2013 Miss Universe pageant in Moscow. They allegedly had information about Hillary Clinton and offered that information to the Trump campaign through a lawyer with whom they had worked with, Natalia Veselnitskaya, and music publicist Rob Goldstone. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Natalia Veselnitskaya Natalia Veselnitskaya is a Russian lawyer with ties to the Kremlin. She has worked on real estate issues and reportedly counted the FSB as a client in the past. She has ties to a Trump family connection, real estate magnate Aras Agalarov, who had helped set up the Trump-owned 2013 Miss Universe pageant which took place in Moscow. Ms Veselnitskaya met with Donald Trump Jr, Jared Kushner, and Paul Manafort in Trump Tower on 9 June 2016 but denies the allegation that she went there promising information on Hillary Clinton's alleged financial ties to Russia. She contends that the meeting was about the US adoptions of Russian children being stopped by Moscow as a reaction to the Magnitsky Act, a US law blacklisting Russian human rights abusers. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Mike Flynn Mr Flynn was named as Trump's national security adviser but was forced to resign from his post for inappropriate communication with Russian Ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak. He had misrepresented a conversation he had with Mr Kislyak to Vice President Mike Pence, telling him wrongly that he had not discussed sanctions with the Russian. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Sergey Kislyak Mr Kislyak, the former longtime Russian ambassador to the US, is at the centre of the web said to connect President Donald Trump's campaign with Russia. Reuters The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Roger Stone Mr Stone is a former Trump adviser who worked on the political campaigns of Richard Nixon, George HW Bush, and Ronald Reagan. Mr Stone claimed repeatedly in the final months of the campaign that he had backchannel communications with WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and that he knew the group was going to dump damaging documents to the campaign of Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton - which did happen. Mr Stone also had contacts with the hacker Guccier 2.0 on Twitter, who claimed to have hacked the DNC and is linked to Russian intelligence services. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Jeff Sessions The US attorney general was forced to recuse himself from the Trump-Russia investigation after it was learned that he had lied about meeting with Russian Ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Carter Page Mr Page is a former advisor to the Trump campaign and has a background working as an investment banker at Merrill Lynch. Mr Page met with Russian Ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak during the 2016 Republican National Convention in Cleveland. Mr Page had invested in oil companies connected to Russia and had admitted that US Russia sanctions had hurt his bottom line. Reuters The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Jeffrey "JD" Gorden Mr Gordon met with Russian Ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak during the 2016 Republian National Convention to discuss how the US and Russia could work together to combat Islamist extremism should then-Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump win the election. The meeting came days before a massive leak of DNC emails that has been connected to Russia. Creative Commons The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation James Comey Mr Comey was fired from his post as head of the FBI by President Donald Trump. The timing of Mr Comey's firing raised questions around whether or not the FBI's investigation into the Trump campaign may have played a role in the decision. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Preet Bharara Mr Bahara refused, alongside 46 other US district attorney's across the country, to resign once President Donald Trump took office after previous assurances from Mr Trump that he would keep his job. Mr Bahara had been heading up several investigations including one into one of President Donald Trump's favorite cable television channels Fox News. Several investigations would lead back to that district, too, including those into Mr Trump's campaign ties to Russia, and Mr Trump's assertion that Trump Tower was wiretapped on orders from his predecessor. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Sally Yates Ms Yates, a former Deputy Attorney General, was running the Justice Department while President Donald Trump's pick for attorney general awaited confirmation. Ms Yates was later fired by Mr Trump from her temporary post over her refusal to implement Mr Trump's first travel ban. She had also warned the White House about potential ties former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn to Russia after discovering those ties during the FBI's investigation into the Trump campaign's connections to Russia. Getty Images

Mr Trump and Mr Tillerson "want[s] to bury the hacking of the election for both domestic purposes and working with Russia. They see it as an obstacle, not as an attack that needs to be addressed," he explained.

Another point that is curious is that despite the lengthy meeting - which First Lady Melania Trump interrupted and tried to end after about an hour - the pressing threat of North Korea was not brought up, at least according to Mr Tillerson.

The President has repeatedly said North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and their ongoing tests of nuclear weapons was one of the most important issues for the security of the US. He has railed against the United Nations Security Council for its inaction and gone after China's President Xi Jinping on Twitter and in various speeches for continuing to trade with Pyongyang.

Mr Saideman said the President and Mr Tillerson's criticism of others is just "noise. ...[and] insincere. If it was important, it should have been discussed."

It seems though that both foreign ministers are calling the meeting as a success because of the Syrian ceasefire agreement. However, Mr Tillerson said "we'll see what happens in the ability to hold that ceasefire".

Russia has long-been one of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's few allies and the Defence Ministry has noted that US warplanes will be treated as "targets" should they cross the Euphrates River.

According to Mr Giles, Moscow did indeed win "the manipulation game".

Mr Lavrov was quick to give his concise account to the Russian media, while Mr Tillerson was far more "reactive," Mr Giles said.

"In the absence of any credible US participant in the meeting, the Russian version is likely to stand."

Despite the US media's focus on the bilateral, it is not the biggest priority at the G20.

In terms of substance, were not expecting much to come out of the face-to-face, Mr Bernes noted.

Mr Bernes, who spent four decades as Canadas representative to international financial institutions, said that Germanys ambitions for the meeting were modest given their upcoming election, but Mr Trumps election threw a curveball.

He explained that Germany wanted sustainability and a focus on Africa to be the main topics of the discussion, however developments have forced protectionism and climate change to the forefront.

What everyone is hoping is a victory [in] not having a roll back from previous positions. Nothing happening is almost a good thing at this point.

It will be hard to gain consensus given that the US president does not want more action on climate change besides a re-negotiation of the Paris Agreement that several countries have already said will never happen and his America First approach to US trade.

The document is expected to be issued after the end of the summit on 8 July.
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The leaders of the US and Russia both claimed a political victory after their first meeting, as the two sides appeared to have brokered a potentially meaningful ceasefire in part of Syria  a surprise development few had anticipated.

The Trump administration claimed the US President had, from the start of a meeting that lasted two hours and sixteen minutes, pressed Vladimir Putin in a very robust and lengthy exchange over Russias alleged interference in the US election. Russia then claimed Mr Trump accepted Mr Putins assurance that it had not. That in turn, was then denied by a US official.

Alongside the different versions of the much-anticipated encounter between the leaders of the worlds two most heavily armed nuclear powers, it appeared the two sides had managed to pull out something of genuine value  a ceasefire in south-west Syria that would be guaranteed by Russia, the US and Jordan.

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who along with Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov and the leaders translators were the only other people permitted in the room, said there had been positive chemistry between the two presidents.

For more than a decade, the relationship between the two countries has been nothing less than tense. In Syria, the US and Russia have taken different sides in a civil conflict that has in many ways become a proxy war.

Yet, Mr Tillerson said Russia, an ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, had an interest in seeing stability there. Though Mr Tillerson said details about the ceasefire need to be worked out, Mr Lavrov said Russian military police would oversee it, with a monitoring centre set up in Jordan.

Mr Tillerson said the understanding is designed to reduce violence in an area of Syria near Jordans border and which is critical to the US allys security. Jordans Petra news agency said it would go into effect on Sunday.

He called the area a very complicated part of the Syrian battlefield but said the deal is our first indication of the US and Russia being able to work together in Syria.

Moscow has staunchly backed Mr Assad, supporting the Syrian militarily since 2015. Washington has backed rebels fighting the regime of Mr Assad. However, both the US and Russia have declared their opposition to Isis and claim they are focused on rooting out the extremist group.

But, previous ceasefires during Syrias six-year civil war have proved fruitless, with one party or another breaching them and leaving little lasting impact.

It was not immediately clear exactly which areas of southwestern Syria would be covered by the upcoming ceasefire but earlier talks between the United States and Russia about a de-escalation zone covered Deraa province, on the border with Jordan, and Quneitra, which borders the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.

Sir Michael Fallon, the UK Defence Secretary, said that while he welcomed any ceasefire in Syria he wanted to see results on the ground.

The recent history of the Syrian civil war is littered with ceasefires and it would be nice ... one day to have a ceasefire, Mr Fallon said at an event in Washington.

None of these have turned out to be ceasefires, they have been broken persistently, broken by the regime and indeed broken by Russian activity itself. So... we welcome any ceasefire, but lets see it, lets see the results on the ground, he said.

On the domestic front, Mr Trumps decision to confront Mr Putin over Russias alleged interference in the US election, will only help him at home in Washington. Much of the US Presidents term has been taken up fighting off allegations that his campaign team colluded with Moscow to tilt the contest in his favour.

 Trump meets Putin for first time since winning presidency

Several probes into the issue are underway on Capitol Hill, while a special prosecutor, Robert Mueller, is leading a federal investigation into possible collusion and whether Mr Trump may have obstructed justice.

Mr Tillerson said the US President pressed Mr Putin on more than one occasion regarding Russian involvement in the US election. He said the Russians had asked for proof and evidence of its involvement.

The two leaders agreed that this is a substantial hindrance in the ability of us to move the Russian-US relationship forward, he said.

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. 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Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. 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Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. 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I think the President is rightly focused on how do we move forward from something that may be an intractable disagreement at this point.

A day earlier, speaking in Poland, Mr Trump had said Russia probably meddled in the election but said that other countries likely did as well.

Earlier, the US President had spoken to reporters as he and Mr Putin posed for photographs before their discussions.

President Putin and I have been discussing various things, and I think its going very well, said Mr Trump. We look forward to a lot of very positive happenings for Russia and for the United States, and for everyone concerned.

For his part, Mr Putin said he was happy to be able to meet Mr Trump in person.

We spoke over the phone but phone conversations are never enough, definitely, he said. I hope that, as you have said, our meetings will yield positive results.
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Vladimir Putin will employ flattery to manipulate "sociopathic narcissist" Donald Trump, former spies have predicted ahead of the two leaders' much-anticipated first meeting

The two presidents will come face to face for the first time at the G20 summit on Friday afternoon, against a backdrop of allegations that Russia interfered in last year's US election.

It comes a day after Mr Trump ramped up political tensions by accusing Russia of "destabilising" Ukraine and supporting hostile regimes.

But veteran spies who have studied manipulation tactics predicted Mr Putin would have the upper hand in their high-stakes meeting in Hamburg and would exploit his American counterpart's ego to his own advantage.

Trump is just about a sociopathic narcissist, Glenn Carle, a retired CIA interrogator and analyst, told the Daily Beast.

He added: Fulsome praise, full of garbage, is a small price to pay to get what you want.

Naveed Jamali, a former undercover FBI double agent, said: "The truly scary part is Putin only has to say to Trump You are right and the haters are wrong to manipulate him."

The Polish government bussed people into Warsaw on Thursday to ensure a large and friendly crowd for a speech by Mr Trump, who smiled as spectators chanted his name during the address.

 Trump on North Korea: There are consequences for their bad behaviour

He later tweeted: "Thank you to everyone, including the haters, for the great reviews of the speech!"

Speaking in Krasinski Square, Mr Trump stopped short of condemning Moscow for meddling in the US presidential election and refused to say whether he would raise the issue when the leaders meet behind closed doors.

But he sought to demonstrate that he was not overlooking Russian acts that have sparked global concern, especially from Poland and other eastern and central European nations.

"We urge Russia to cease its destabilising activities in Ukraine and elsewhere, and its support for hostile regimes including Syria and Iran, and to join the community of responsible nations in our fight against common enemies and in defence of civilisation itself," he said.

His criticism of Russia did not extend to its actions during last year's presidential campaign. Multiple US intelligence agencies have concluded Russia meddled in the election to benefit Mr Trump, who has refused to embrace the finding wholeheartedly.

As investigations into Russian interference continue, the US President is under intense scrutiny over how he handles his first meeting with Mr Putin, a former KGB agent.

A group of senior Democratic US senators on Thursday said Mr Trump would be in "severe dereliction" of his presidential duty if he fails to confront his Russian counterpart.

During a news conference before his Warsaw speech, Mr Trump questioned the reliability of US intelligence and argued Russia was not the only country that might be guilty of interfering.

"Nobody really knows for sure," he said.

Syria, North Korea and Ukraine are all expected to be on the agenda as the two presidents meet, with ex-spies predicting Mr Putin would look to influence US policy.

Oleg Kalugin, former KGB general, told the Daily Beast: Putin, he has been in power for so many years and, by character, he knows how to handle things and how to outsmart others, including presidents of the United States.
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A British woman has been murdered in a robbery at her home in Mauritius while her son was in the house.

Janice Farman is believed to have been smothered with her pillow by thieves, who stole money and jewellery from her home, before escaping in her car.

The 47-year-old's body was found on her bed after police were called to the property in Albion in the early hours of Friday morning.

Ms Farmans 10-year-old autistic son was also found in the property. He was being cared for by the island's Child Development Unit.

Police said they were hunting three suspects.

A police spokesman said officers "went to the property and found the woman lying in bed."

He added: "The suspects drove away in the victim's car. The car has been found. It will be examined and we hope we will get evidence from the vehicle."

A colleague of Ms Farman, who did not want to be named, said: "She is the most kind-hearted lady I have met in my life. She would never hesitate to offer her help as and when needed."

Ms Farman, who is thought to hail from Clydebank, Dunbartonshire, was managing director of PECS Data Services in Mauritius.

Stephen Littlechild, the company's group managing director said his colleague had been "brutally murdered in her own home."

He added: "In view of these tragic events, we have decided to close our Mauritius office today, so we can make sure all our team have access to counsellors and as a mark of respect to a wonderful lady.

"Our thoughts are with Janice's family, friends and colleagues."
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Miss South Africa has been forced to fend off allegations of racism after she was photographed wearing gloves to meet orphans with HIV.

Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters met children at soup kitchen in Johannesburg, handing out meals at what was intended to be a feel-good charity event.

The 22-year-old, who is mixed-race, said she wore disposable gloves for hygiene reasons as she was dishing out food at Ikageng community centre.

But she faced a barrage of criticism on Twitter, with some many accusing her of being racist or afraid of touching people with the disease.

All of the children at the soup kitchen on Wednesday were either orphans, HIV-positive, or both.

One Twitter user wrote: "I want to know why she would put on latex gloves to touch black children."

Another said: "I really can't believe 'our' Miss SA is wearing latex so that she can touch these kids!"

A third suggested she wore gloves "to protect herself from black kids" becaues she feared they would "contaminate her".

The hashtag #MissSAChallenge went viral on Thursday, after thousands of South Africans posted photos poking fun of the beauty queen.

Some posted photos of themselves wearing gloves to type at a desk, make a drink, and read a book.

But the community centre described the social media storm as "ridiculous", with programme director Carol Dyanti adding: "All volunteers, including our staff members, wore gloves during the food preparation. It was mandatory.

"It was such successful day and I am sorry that the focus is now on the glovs rather than the positive impact it had."

Miss Nel-Peters, in a video posted on Twitter, said: "We were handing out food to young kids and that was the only intention with wearing the gloves.

"It was purely to be as hygienic as possible. I really feel like my intention were really misunderstood but I would like to apologise if I offended anyone."

Race remains a sensitive issue in South Africa, where apartheid ended in 1994.
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China must step up and exercise its influence with North Korea in order to resolve escalating tensions in south-east Asia, Theresa May has said.

As she arrived in Hamburg for the G20 summit, the Prime Minister condemned North Koreas recent successful testing of a new long-range missile and said that she would support a tightening of sanctions against the authoritarian regime.

Speaking to reporters aboard her RAF Voyager plane as it touched down on the tarmac in Germany, the Prime Minister argued that it was important that we see China playing its role.

China has historically backed the maverick North Korean regime because of its shared ideological heritage and geographic proximity, but has begun to change its tone in recent years.

Earlier this year China condemned another North Korean missile test but it reacted angrily at the end of June after the US imposed sanctions against a Chinese bank accused of having links to Pyongyang.

What I think needs to happen is first of all, we absolutely condemn the action that North Korea has taken, Ms May told reporters.

What we need to see is a China who can exercise influence on North Korea [and] playing a greater role in doing that. If there are proposals to tighten sanctions and extend sanctions, we will do that.

On North Korea, its important that we see China playing its role and any other [country] who can exercise influence."

In pictures: North Korea military drill Show all 8 1 /8 In pictures: North Korea military drill In pictures: North Korea military drill North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un watches a military drill marking the 85th anniversary of the establishment of the Korean People's Army (KPA) KCNA/Handout via REUTERS In pictures: North Korea military drill A military drill marking the 85th anniversary of the establishment of the Korean People's Army (KPA) is seen in this handout photo by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) KCNA/Handout via REUTERS In pictures: North Korea military drill A military drill marking the 85th anniversary of the establishment of the Korean People's Army (KPA) is seen in this handout photo by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) KCNA/Handout via REUTERS In pictures: North Korea military drill A military drill marking the 85th anniversary of the establishment of the Korean People's Army (KPA) KCNA/Handout via REUTERS In pictures: North Korea military drill A military drill marking the 85th anniversary of the establishment of the Korean People's Army (KPA) KCNA/Handout via REUTERS In pictures: North Korea military drill This image made from video of still images broadcast in a news bulletin by North Korea's KRT, shows what was said to be a 'Combined Fire Demonstration' held to celebrate the 85th anniversary of the North Korean army, in Wonsan, North Korea. KRT via AP Video In pictures: North Korea military drill This image made from video of still images broadcast in a news bulletin by North Korea's KRT, shows what was said to be a 'Combined Fire Demonstration' held to celebrate the 85th anniversary of the North Korean army, in Wonsan, North Korea. KRT via AP Video In pictures: North Korea military drill This image made from video of still images broadcast in a news bulletin by North Korea's KRT, shows what was said to be a 'Combined Fire Demonstration' held to celebrate the 85th anniversary of the North Korean army, in Wonsan, North Korea. KRT via AP Video

Ms May's emphasis on Chinas role is similar to that of the US. The American ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Hayley, said following the latest missile launch that "much of the burden of enforcing UN sanctions rests with China because 90 per cent of trade with North Korea is from China.

The Prime Minister also spoke about the US President's controversial decision to withdraw from the Paris Agreement on climate change.

I have already made clear our position to President {Donald] Trump: we continue to believe the Paris Agreement is something we should all be supporting and obviously there will be a discussion about the United States' position here at the G20 but I and others around that table will be encouraging President Trump to look at ways the United States can come back into the Paris Agreement," she said.
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Melania Trump is reportedly trapped inside her hotel in Hamburg due to anti-capitalist protesters surrounding the building.

The First Lady was due to be involved in an event for the spouses of leaders taking part in the G20 summit, organised by Angela Merkels husband.

But a spokesperson for the US delegation told German media that they had been unable to get clearance for Ms Trump to leave the hotel where she is staying.

Ms Trump has expressed her sympathies for those hurt in the protests which erupted across Germany's second largest city and urged people to remain safe on Twitter.

President Trump made it to the summit on time after driving through the city at a fast speed under heavy police escort.

The German Chancellors husband, Joachim Sauer, was due to take Ms Trump on a tour of the German Climate Computing Centre with the US President's daughter, Ivanka Trump, and other spouses of G20 leaders on Friday.

German officials said the idea for the visit came from Mr Sauer who is a professor of physical and theoretical chemistry.

The centre, which uses super-computers to map climate changes effect on regions across the world, is situated near the secured hall where Ms Merkel, President Trump, and other leaders are meeting.

Other partners, including Ms May's husband Philip, Emmanuel Macron's wife Brigitte Macron, and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's wife Sophie Gregoire Trudeau are currently on the sightseeing tour with Mr Sauer which also involves a boat ride and lunch.

Malcolm Turnbull, the Australian prime minister, tweeted that he was under security lockdown with the Indonesian president, Joko Widodo. Police protecting the hotel where Mr Turnbull is staying briefly came face to face with protestors at one point.

At least 76 people were hurt in clashes with police in Hamburg as the force used water cannons on black-clad protesters who threw water bottles.

The "Welcome to Hell" rally is one of a number of protests held in the city against both the G20 summit and Mr Trump's maiden appearance there.

Iran's 'Trumpism' contest Show all 10 1 /10 Iran's 'Trumpism' contest Iran's 'Trumpism' contest AFP/Getty Images Iran's 'Trumpism' contest AFP/Getty Images Iran's 'Trumpism' contest AFP/Getty Images Iran's 'Trumpism' contest AFP/Getty Images Iran's 'Trumpism' contest AFP/Getty Images Iran's 'Trumpism' contest AFP/Getty Images Iran's 'Trumpism' contest AFP/Getty Images Iran's 'Trumpism' contest AFP/Getty Images Iran's 'Trumpism' contest AFP/Getty Images Iran's 'Trumpism' contest AFP/Getty Images

Police said beforehand they were expecting up to 100,000 demonstrators to descend on the city and around 20,000 police would be safeguarding the summit.

Ahead of the protests, reports emerged suggesting demonstrators were planning to take advantage of the decision to hold the summit in a busy inner-city area and emulate police crowd control strategies to kettle Trump, Putin and Erdogan.

Hamburg, the birthplace of Chancellor Merkel, is a hub for counter cultural movements and home to many radical left-wing and anarchist groups.

More follows
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The UNs main cultural heritage body has voted to make the West Bank city of Hebron a world heritage site, a decision which has been praised by Palestinians but drawn outrage from the Israeli authorities for ignoring the citys Jewish history.

The Unesco board voted in a secret ballot on Friday, while six countries abstained, in favour of elevating the ancient citys status following a proposal from Palestinian representatives.

The proposal called Hebron an Islamic city, leading the Israeli ambassador to Unesco, Carmel Shama-Hacohen, to storm out of the session, denouncing the choice of language for downplaying the importance of Hebrons Tomb of the Patriarchs to the Jewish faith.

 Israeli checkpoints impede daily life in Hebron

The site  known as the Ibrahimi Mosque by Muslims  is revered in both religions.

The city is regarded as the second most important site in Judaism, and one of Islams four holy cities. It is currently divided into two sectors  one governed by the Palestinian Authority, and one by Israel, which the international community considers an occupation.

It is unusual for Unesco to vote in secret, but Fridays ballot was cast at the suggestion of hosts Poland, Croatia and Jamaica.

The request was immediately decried by several other states, leading to a heated argument, which only quieted down when the chair was forced to call security.

Israeli officials have slammed the decision  the second anti-Israeli resolution passed by the UN in less than a week following the World Heritage Committee decision to deny Israels claims to the Old City of Jerusalem.

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Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu denounced the vote as delusional.

Only in places where Israel exists, like in Hebron, is freedom of worship guaranteed for all, he said. Everywhere else in the Middle East, mosques, churches and synagogues are being destroyed... well continue to safeguard the Cave of the Patriarchs, freedom of religion and truth, the prime minister added.

To disassociate Israel from the burial grounds of the patriarchs and matriarchs of our nation is an ugly display of discrimination, and an act of aggression against the Jewish people, Israels ambassador to the UN, Danny Damon, said.

Israeli education minister and head of the national Unesco committee, Naftali Bennett, said in a statement that Jewish ties to Hebron are stronger than the disgraceful Unesco vote.

Unsurprisingly, the decision was welcomed by Palestinians.

The Palestinian Authoritys Fatah spokesman in Europe, Jamal Nazzal, said in a statement that it was historic justice and another reflection of the international position which opposes Israeli policy, and of our position which rejects recognising Jerusalem as the capital of the occupation.

In May, Unesco also voted on a resolution rejecting Israeli sovereignty over holy sites in the disputed capital of Jerusalem.

The body also accused Israel of actions that have altered, or purport to alter the character and status of the Holy City, leading to angry calls in Israel for all UN activities to be suspended and its missions to Israel and the Palestinian territories shut down.

Palestine was recognised as a full member of Unesco in 2011 despite intense opposition from Israel and the US. The decision was celebrated by Palestinians and campaigners who saw it as a stepping stone on the path to giving the territories full statehood.

Relations between Unesco and Israel have been rocky since.
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Israel is taking 20 per cent of asylum seekers wages and returning it when they leave the country, in a new tax that has led to accusations of racism.

Launched in May the toll only applies to Eritrean and Sudanese migrants who came into the country illegally and hold temporary visas.

Businesspeople employing the migrants  often in unskilled jobs in the hospitality and services sector  are also subject to a 16 per cent tax.

Both deductions are then placed in a fund which migrants can claim if they leave Israel.

 Trump: Israelis and Palestinians are 'reaching for peace'

The government says this is for their own good.

But many asylum seekers, who have fled war and persecution, say the measure is discriminatory.

Most endured a perilous journey through Egypts unstable Sinai peninsula to get to Israel. Some were detained in the desert.

"They want us to leave the country," said Teklit Michael, a 29-year-old Eritrean national. "They want to break our spirit."

The measure was a calculated plan to make sure that people understand they are not welcome, according to Ruvi Ziegler, a refugee law expert and researcher at the Israel Democracy Institute.

Aid workers have also claimed that some migrant workers were sacked because of the new tax, while some employers had begun paying workers off the books to avoid the charge.

Officials said it will take some months before they know how many migrants leave because of the tax.

There are an estimated 45,000 Africans currently seeking asylum in Israel, but only a very small amount are recognised refugees.

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. 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Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. 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Between 2009 and 2013, just 0.15 per cent were granted asylum, according to the Hotline for Refugees and Migrants campaign group.

Many face widespread discrimination within Israel, including violent attacks.

In 2015, the Israeli government introduced a scheme to pay African asylum seekers $3,500 (2,700) to leave the country.

Mr Netanyahu said the move was intended to protect the Jewish and democratic character of Israel.
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In the early dawn of 5 July, a 200-strong force of anti-Isis fighters launched a surprise attack on the Old City of Raqqa, which is the last big urban centre held by Isis anywhere in Syria and Iraq. Recruited mostly from survivors of a tribe that Isis massacred three years ago, the five-man assault teams, into which the attackers were divided, at first made quick progress and reached a well-known local mosque in the Old City called Othman bin Affan.

But Isis is still a formidable force, using expert snipers, suicide bombers and great numbers of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) to inflict casualties. Abu Imad al-Sheity, the commander of the anti-Isis group, told The Independent in an interview by phone from the front line, that the Daesh [Isis] militants learned that the local civilians were telling us the position of their snipers. They targeted them and killed dozens. It was a horrible massacre. The UN says that there are between 50,000 and 100,000 civilians still left in Raqqa.

Sheity says his fighters retreated to the Baghdad Gate at the entrance to Raqqas Old City. He adds the pull-back was to protect those civilians who were still alive, but the hard-fought battles this week are a sign that Isis is still capable of defending this isolated city on the north bank of the Euphrates river which is now besieged by Kurdish-led (though sometimes ethnically Arab) units which are backed by the immense firepower of the US Air Force and its allies. Since the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) offensive to take the city started on 6 June, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says that 224 civilians have been killed by US-led airstrikes.

Commander Sheitys tribe lost about 1,700 victims in an Isis massacre

The group that tried to fight its way into Raqqa this week is known as the Syrian Elite Forces, which belong to the Syrian Free Army umbrella group. But Sheity says that he and most of his men come from the al-Sheitaat tribe that lives mainly in Deir Ezzor province further south along the Euphrates. In 2014, the Sheitaat resisted the rising power of Isis and were massacred with at least 900 of its members shot, crucified, beheaded, thrown down wells and buried in mass graves that are still being unearthed. It was the worst single atrocity carried out by Isis in the war in Syria.

Sheity, a young man with long dark hair, says that the losses of his tribe were even greater: We lost about 1,700 tribesmen, including those who disappeared as well as those killed. Isis, then at the height of its power, wanted to show that it would mercilessly punish any individual or tribe which resisted the newly established Caliphate. The places where the Sheitaat live is one of the diminishing number of enclaves where here Isis is still in control.

Raqqa is now under heavy attack by the SDF, which are led by Syrian Kurdish troops, but also contain Arabs who are often from local tribes. This is politically important because Raqqa and this part of the Euphrates Valley are populated by Arabs who would resent Kurdish occupation. Though the Syrian Kurdish forces, the YPG, are committed and experienced soldiers, what makes it impossible for Isis to resist in the long term is the massive US air strikes.

Snipers, mines and drones dropping explosives are making life difficult for the Syrian Elite Forces

SDF fighters say that Isis defensive tactics in Raqqa are different from those in earlier battles where there was greater reliance on suicide bombers and car bombs. Probably in order to avoid being targeted from the air, Isis in Raqqa is relying more on a vast network of tunnels, often dug by civilians and by prisoners sentenced to forced labour. Isis is making more use of small drones to drop explosives, which unnerves attacking Arab and Kurdish troops who are used to their side enjoying complete control of the air.

Raqqa, with a population of 300,000 is much smaller than Mosul which had some 1.4 million inhabitants before Iraqi forces started their attack on it almost nine months ago on 17 October 2016. Sheity, the commander of the Syrian Elite Forces, says that in some parts of the city Isis had evacuated people before the fighting began.

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty

When Isis fighters later withdraw, they left the area behind them heavily seeded with mines. Daesh planted mines even in the shops and bins on the corners of the streets and buildings, says commander Sheity. They used a lot of drones dropping explosives. He thought that the clashes over the last month were the most intense since the operation against Raqqa started last year. More than anything else, Sheity says it is the Isis snipers that hold up his advance, quickly changing their positions and moving through tunnels or holes in the walls of houses.

The SDF split into groups of five-man assault teams in Raqqa

As in Mosul, where Isis blew up the al-Nori mosque last month, Isis in Raqqa has destroyed shrines to the companions of the Prophet Mohammed. Advancing from the east, commander Sheity and his men found that every trace of the tombs was gone.

At the height of their power in Raqqa, Isis had a well organised administration staffed by well-trained experts. In a phone interview with The Independent, Jasim, 25, a graduate of an institute of accounting in Raqqa, described how he had worked for two years for Isis in Mosul and Raqqa. He and his two teenage brothers (aged 14 and 16) had taken advantage of an SDF amnesty and surrendered earlier this year. He joined the force attacking Raqqa two weeks ago.

Jasim says that all the managers in the Isis accounting office where he worked were Iraqi, confirming that Isis was always essentially an Iraqi movement. We Syrians were second-class employees or servants, he says. He was paid $300 a month compared to about $400 for a fighter, though both got a free monthly supply of fuel, flour, rice and some kinds of food basket. He finally fled in May this year after several abortive attempts. I managed to flee through a smuggler, an Iraqi who was a fighter with Isis, says Jasim. It cost me and my family members about $5,000.
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Airbnb has launched a feature enabling Milan residents to offer up their spares rooms or apartments to refugees and migrants.

The home rental site partnered with the local authorities, the Refugees Welcome Italia NGO and the Community of Sant'Egidio, a Catholic organisation, to create the Open Homes Refugees scheme.

The project launched on Wednesday 5 July and has already seen over 100 people sign up.

We will support this beautiful initiative in any way possible, and we are very proud of Milan for being the first city to launch it in Italy, said Pierfrancesco Majorino, Milans councillor for social affairs. Milan citizens are always very supportive of new and challenging projects, among many the one launched a year and half ago where families hosted refugees from all over the world.

They have been very intense experiences, both for the families and for the refugees, but were proud to be involved in vital work thats still ongoing.

The new initiative was inspired by last years Open Homes Project, which saw residents open up their homes to the relatives of those hospitalized in Milan.

Hosts will be able to share their homes with people in need by applying through airbnb.it/welcome/refugees. Active Airbnb hosts can share their listing for free, while new hosts will be taken through the process with a step by step guide on how to create a new listing  this will include identity and security checks.

The two partner NGOs will then will be able to log onto the site to check availability and book beds for their clients.

Milan is a pilot city for the programme, but anyone can register their listing on Open Homes across Italy.

The country has been inundated by refugees over the last few years. In the last week of June alone, more than 10,000 refugees arrived from Africa via the Mediterranean route. The total number since the beginning of 2017 is reportedly 85,000.
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No one was harmed at Heathrow on Tuesday and Thursday of this week, when first Terminal 3 then Terminal 4 were evacuated after someone set off a fire alarm at lunchtime.

At Manchester airport on Wednesday, though, there was some damage. An unusual item was identified in the hold baggage screening area, and the bag containing it was blown up in a controlled explosion. Again, no one was harmed.

Recommended Heathrow airport flights disrupted after Terminal 3 evacuation

So should we deem the week a success for the unceasing effort to keep airline passengers safe and secure? Speaking with the considerable benefit of hindsight, I am not sure we should.

Lets start with those pesky fire alarms. Terminals 3 and 4 are huge. Were they stand-alone airports, each would rank in the UK top 10 for passenger numbers. At both terminals, what happens at a distant departure gate has precious little bearing on the check-in area, a good quarter-mile away. I was surprised, therefore, to see that in each case the immediate response to a someone triggering a fire alarm was to evacuate the entire terminal.

Passengers who had already passed through security and gone airside were led down to the apron. From the social media footage I have seen, they appeared to have been allowed to mill around, in a zone where passengers are normally very strictly controlled.

Landside, large crowds formed in the area where vehicles drop off.

Both arrangements struck me as far from ideal. The wholesale closures delayed dozens of flights, to the considerable cost of the airlines. For thousands of passengers, the stress and upset of being involved in an evacuation was compounded by the resulting delays and, in some cases, missed connections.

After the Terminal 3 false alarm, I asked Heathrow about why the whole terminal was evacuated, and whether anything might change in the way that fire alerts are handled in the light of the incident; plenty of passengers complained about chaotic scenes, with staff uncertain how to respond. I asked again after the Terminal 4 event.

On Friday, a Heathrow spokesperson told me: Due to a technical fault the activation of a fire alarm in Terminal 3 and 4 resulted in alarms being triggered on a wider scale. Passengers and colleagues were evacuated from both terminals on two separate occasions during the course of this week. Our investigations showed these to be false alarms and passengers and colleagues were re-entering the terminals within less than an hour of both incidences.

We regret the disruption caused by this and apologise to those affected. We continue with our investigations into the matter.

The security scare at Manchester airport on Wednesday morning had a far greater effect. Many flights were cancelled or severely delayed, as bomb-disposal experts blew up the harmless object that had caused the kerfuffle. Understandably, the airport wont say what it was that caused an alert; those who would do us harm must not be allowed to gain a closer understanding of security processes.

But with, once again, the invaluable asset of hindsight, I will observe that the complete evacuation of Manchester Terminal 3 strikes me as a response towards the extreme end on the spectrum of options.

The safety and security of our customers and employees will always be our number one priority, the Manchester airport statement concluded.

Of course. But all three demonstrations of disarray concern me. Troublemakers may conclude that it takes a trivial anti-social act to cause widespread disruption at our biggest airports. Perish the thought, but there is a risk that the odd idiot who dawdled in duty free and is running late for his flight might hit a fire alarm button in a bid to delay his plane departing  a variant on the fools who get caught in traffic en route to the airport and phone in bomb threats aimed at stalling the departure.

My final worry is, I hope, unfounded: that terrorists plotting who-knows-what mayhem could identify opportunities from the airports reactions to perceived dangers.

An abundance of caution sounds a good principle for running an airport, and indeed your life. But caution can be overabundant. If the reaction in these hypersensitive times to every perceived threat is to empty an entire airport terminal, there is a risk that terrorists will gain comfort from all the disruption, and even weave our jittery reactions into their next outrage.

I would love to be comprehensively wrong.
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President Trump has told a crowd of cheering Polish nationalists in Warsaw that the great threat to the world is from radical Islamic terrorism, which should make it good news for him that Isis is losing Mosul, the heart of its self-proclaimed Caliphate and its de facto capital in Iraq. At the same time, US-backed Syrian-Kurdish forces are closing in on Raqqa, the last big Isis-held city in Syria, which they will capture in the coming weeks or months.

Isis has been the most powerful enemy of peace in the Middle East and beyond over the last three years, so why is its defeat in its two largest strongholds not making the region feel a safer place? Instead, the mood is edgy and fearful, bringing to mind the atmosphere in Europe in 1914 when many different conflicts were escalating and cross-infecting each other. It is not so much that the great powers are itching to fight each other in the Middle East, but, as in the period before the First World War, there are so many wild cards, in the sense of inputs or ingredients of uncertain value in the political mix, that almost anything could happen.

The wild cards are of two different kinds, though both are dangerous. One source of uncertainty revolves around deeply flawed leaders like Donald Trump himself, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Saudi Arabia and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. All have a great appetite for power at home and abroad, combined with a reputation for arrogance and poor judgement. Ominously, all are leading players in potentially explosive confrontations and crises that could easily turn into serious wars, where they have not already done so.

The current situation in northern Iraq and eastern Syria, where Isis is on the retreat, is a good example of this. The implosion of Isis creates a vacuum leading to further conflicts over who will fill the gap left by its defeat: as regards Syria, Turkey is deeply alarmed by the rising power of the Kurds, who, backed by US-led air power, have established a de facto state along the southern Turkish frontier. Syrian Kurds, for their part, fear that the Turkish army will invade northern Syria and end their quasi-independence once the US no longer needs their 50,000 fighters to combat Isis.

 Iraq PM Haider al-Abadi hails 'big victory' in Mosul

What is US policy in the struggle for eastern Syria which has drawn in their own country, Russia, Iran, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Israel, the Syrian government, al-Qaeda, Isis, Kurds and many others? The US has already fired missiles at a Syrian government airbase and shot down a Syrian military aircraft, but otherwise nobody knows what Trump intends to do. Will he betray the Kurds once the US has no further use for them against Isis in order to get back on good terms with Turkey? Alternatively, the US could limit its role in Syria and Iraq once Isis is defeated or see both countries as the future arena for a confrontation with Iran.

We dont have a policy in Syria, said one former State Department official. Everybody in the Middle East knows that whatever is said by the Pentagon, State Department or National Security Council lacks authority because whatever assurances they give may be contradicted within the hour by a presidential tweet or by one of the factions in the White House. The ex-official lamented that it was like living in an arbitrary and unpredictable dictatorship.

Donald Trumps genius for spreading chaos was displayed in May during his visit to Saudi Arabia, when his fulsome endorsement of Saudi policies encouraged Riyadh to blockade Qatar and seek to turn it into a Saudi vassal state. The US President gave his support to Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who has since taken over as Crown Prince, and has been the effective ruler of the Kingdom since 2015. His record since then is of undiluted failure: he backed a rebel offensive in Syria that precipitated Russian military intervention; he started bombing Yemen in a war that is still going on and is devastating the country; and he is destabilising the Gulf by trying to crush tiny Qatar.

 Drone footage shows the devastation in Mosul's old city and the destroyed al-Nuri Mosque

Crises have always been erupting in the Middle East, but today there is a sense of them spinning out of control. US policy is to be redirected to supporting its own interests, comically supposing that it was previously a model of altruism and self-denial.

Under Trump, the US is to focus more on repelling the advance of Iranian influence, something much encouraged by Israel and Saudi Arabia. But the US needs a degree of cooperation with Iran if there is to be a de-escalation of the violence in Iraq and Syria. Confrontation with Iran is a recipe for fighting the Shia community as a whole and is a guarantee of instability.

A more aggressive policy towards Iran is conceived with dangerous frivolity. Media pundits and think tank luminaries have little idea of what they are talking about, any more than they did when invading Iraq in 2003. They speak of the US supporting guerrilla war by ethnic minorities against the central government in Iran, a tactic that is likely to get a lot of people killed but without worrying the authorities in Tehran too much.

US military action in Iraq and Syria is largely continuing so far along the same lines as under President Obama, because nobody in the Trump administration knows what to put in its place. It has become more militarised with officers in the field deciding on what and when to bomb. The US-directed bombardment of Mosul has become noticeably more devastating under Trump than it was under Obama last year.

 Children of Mosul describe life under Islamic State

The analogy between the Middle East today and Europe in the years leading up to 1914 is illumination. There are strong parallels between Trump and Kaiser Wilhelm II, or Kaiser Bill as he was known derisively in Britain, in the way in which both men have stumbled into situations they did not understand. Both were the egocentric and ill-informed advocates of a bombastic nationalism in which they portrayed themselves as defending their nations  America or Germany  against the plots and self-aggrandising policies of foreign states. In 1896, the Kaiser suddenly shot off a notorious telegram offering support to the Boers against a British intrusion, much as Trump was to tweet his support for Saudi Arabia against Qatar over a century later.

Trump and the Kaiser behaved with the same blend of hubris and self-pity, seeing themselves and their nations as eternal victims, often blaming the media for malign misrepresentation. In 1908, the Daily Telegraph published a notorious interview with the Kaiser in which he made various offensive remarks about the English, whose suspicions of himself are quite unworthy of a great nation. He concludes with a very Trump-like bleat in which he insisted that I am the friend of England, and your press  at least a considerable section of it  bids the people of England refuse my proffered hand and insists that the other holds a dagger.

The Kaiser did not invent the phrase the Yellow Peril, but he used it to warn of the threat that China and other East Asian states posed to Western civilisation much as today Trump rants on about the dangers of radical Islam.
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Donald Trump seems upset that China has not solved the North Korean problem. But does the US President realise that China may not want to solve the problem?

I have been to both Koreas and wrote about my trip on these pages some time ago. I have seen a little bit of each country and understand a small amount of how each think.

So what is going on? Has Trump put enough thought into figuring out what each of the main players, North Korea, South Korea and China want out of this little standoff, or is he just guessing?

Firstly, to the North. UK, US, Soviets and the Chinese all fought side by side with the Koreans in the Second World War to expel the Japanese from their brutal occupation of the Korean Peninsula. Few remember we were all once allies.

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Nearing the end of the war the Soviets and Americans agreed that the Soviets would liberate north of the 38th parallel and the Americans liberate south. The two soon-to-be-Cold-War-adversaries installed their puppet regimes on each end of Korea.

In the chaotic aftermath Kim Il-sung rose to lead the North. Today the Korean people venerate Kim Il-sung as a demigod whose year of birth now marks Year One in the new Korean calendar.

Then came the Korean War. Despite the overwhelming weight of objective evidence to the contrary, the history books of the North say the war began when the American invaded north. Regardless of the truth, the North believes the war was started by the Americans because that is what the demigod Kim Il-sung told them to believe.

For the North Koreans, the Americans have a history of wanting to destroy their country. And to be honest, the Americans would rather that the North does not exist. In other words the Northern fear of the Americans is probably an accurate fear to hold nowadays.

 Trump on North Korea: There are consequences for their bad behaviour

When looked through the eyes of the North Koreans, nuclear weapons seem like an essential element for their survival. If you were North Korean, would you fear the Americans? Getting the North Koreans to back down is not possible. To them, nuclear weapons are the essence of survival itself.

So would reunification fix the problem? North Korea still hopes to reunite the two Koreas  but under the Northern system of government. The South on the other hand wants to either reunite the peninsula under the Southern system or stay separate.

Citizens in the South are divided along with their age. Old people in the South want reunification, the young look at German reunification, see the cost and say no thanks.

But even for the unifiers, those on both sides will promote their own systems and defend an attack from the other.

Having spent time in both Koreas I cannot see a way for a peaceful reunification. The differences between North and South Korea are many times larger than the differences between East and West Germany.

Peaceful reunification of Korea as a solution to the current crisis is a pipe dream. Truthfully, both Koreas would like to see the other sides government gone. There is no government of national unity option.

Neither Russia nor China would like to see American troops on their borders with North Korea. For Russia and China, a South Korean takeover of the North, with consequent US influence and troops, is just not on the cards.

Perhaps the best that can be hoped for is a continuity of the status quo, until one day China takes over the North as a semi-autonomous province, a bit like Tibet.

China also knows, that if it wanted to, it could walk across the border and take over North Korea at the drop of a hat. But why would China want that instability? Isnt it better for an unpredictable North Korea to keep the US on its toes?

Here, perhaps something more Machiavellian is at play. The United States defeated the Soviet Union in the Cold War by slowly driving the Soviets bankrupt. Are the Chinese today doing the same thing to the Americans?

Fifteen years ago, when the US looked like cutting defence spending, the Chinese rattled their sabres in the Taiwan Strait. The US kept spending and borrowing. Five years ago, when the Americans wanted to cut spending, the North set off a nuclear test. The Americans kept spending, and borrowing.

Perhaps, up until now the Chinese havent stopped the North Koreans, because the North has been doing precisely what the Chinese wanted  keeping the Americans spending.

Recommended America says it is prepared to use military force against North Korea

But what now, with Trump in the White House? Trump put the onus on the Chinese and the Chinese hate losing face. The Chinese dont like a bluff being called.

Has Trump pulled a master stroke by putting the Chinese in a corner where they have to act? Do the Chinese want to appear impotent in front of Trump by not stopping Kim Jong-un?

China is battling the US for dominance by rebuilding the Silk Road, about which I have written on these pages before. While building their dominance the Chinese dont want a shooting war when they are about to win the economic one. So what now?

What we are likely to see is the Chinese pulling Kim Jong-un back, just enough to appear in control, but not enough to stop the Americans spending money.

Andrew MacLeod is a visiting professor to Kings College London, chairman of Griffin Law, a former high-level UN official and co-founder of BrexitAdvisoryServices.co.uk
A leading lobby group has issued a fresh, damning Brexit warning, forecasting that the whole of the EU could face a tipping point if financial firms quit London as a result of the countrys split from the bloc.

TheCityUK said on Thursday that, while the outcome of the UKs split from the EU is still uncertain, there is a general expectation that the country will lose some access to the single market. As a result, businesses will have to relocate parts of their UK activity to EU locations.

In the banking sector, that migration is already happening.

Bloomberg this week reported that Deutsche Bank is preparing to move large parts of the trading and investment-banking assets it currently books in London to its hometown of Frankfurt.

Read more: Banks don't need to quit UK post-Brexit, says watchdog boss

Standard Chartered, Nomura, Sumitomo Mitsui and Daiwa Securities have all settled on the German city as their EU hub, and Citigroup, Goldman Sachs, and Morgan Stanley are understood to be weighing a similar move.

Other cities, like Dublin, Paris, Amsterdam and Berlin are also being considered for shifts by some companies, and TheCityUK in Thursdays report warned that this "fragmentation" of the banking sector would not just harm London, but the whole EU.

"Shifts out of the UK may gradually erode the cluster effect of the financial ecosystem, with the threat of a tipping point in the ecosystem being reached at some stage in the future," it said.

"Most European centres do not currently have the depth of talent or capital pools, nor the infrastructure to maintain a financial ecosystem the size of Londons."

It added that because of this, the whole of Europes economy and competitiveness could be jeopardised, while other global financial hubs, like New York and Singapore, reap the benefits.

London, the report cautioned, will face "greater challenges in attracting and retaining cross-border talent as immigration policies become more restrictive".

Read more: Here's how Brexit will affect hit TV shows like 'Game of Thrones'

"Other financial centres are adopting coherent strategies and developing fast," it said. "The UK cannot afford to stand still."

Over the next few years, and in addition to New York and Singapore, TheCityUK predicts that Hong Kong will pose a particular threat to Londons position as a leading international financial centre.

"Europe as a whole is likely to become less efficient, as economies of scale are reduced and firms have to comply with multiple legal and regulatory regimes and are required to hold capital in multiple jurisdictions," it said.

Shanghai and Mumbai also look likely to capitalise in the sector for emerging market business, and San Francisco and Tel Aviv look well-placed to take advantage of the rapid rise of the fintech industry.
A frictionless Border post-Brexit will be impossible if the UK insists on leaving the single market and customs union, the EU's chief negotiator has said.

But Michel Barnier told the Irish Independent that the EU "will find solutions" to deal with the Irish Border, which he insists is one of his top priorities.

"There will of course be consequences from Brexit. I hope they will be as limited as possible," Mr Barnier said yesterday.

"I want to preserve the Good Friday Agreement and the common travel area, and I want to find solutions with the Republic of Ireland and with the British authorities.

"Don't ask me to tell you now - when the negotiations have only just started - the solutions that we will come up with.

"We will find solutions," he said after meeting local politicians, trade unions and business representatives in Zeebrugge, one of Belgium's main UK sea links.

Earlier, in a stark warning to hard Brexiteers, Mr Barnier had said he wasn't sure the EU's red lines "have been fully understood across the Channel".

"I have heard some people in the UK argue that one can leave the single market and build a customs union to achieve 'frictionless trade' - that is not possible," Mr Barnier said in a speech in Brussels.

"A trading relationship with a country that does not belong to the European Union obviously involves friction," he told the European Economic and Social Committee, a consultative assembly of trade union and employers' representatives.

He said trade "will never be as fluid for a country that chooses to leave the single market and the customs union".

Meanwhile, British Brexit Secretary David Davis will be confronted today by business leaders demanding an indefinite delay in Britain's departure from the Single Market and the Customs Union.

The Brexit Secretary has invited some of Britain's most senior executives to his grace-and-favour residence at Chevening in Kent for an informal summit.

In a major escalation of the business community's attempt to soften Brexit, the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) group called on the Government to reach an open-ended "transitional deal" with the European Union to protect businesses.

Mr Davis and other senior Tory Eurosceptic MPs have said that they expect Britain to leave the Single Market after Brexit negotiations end in March 2019.
Farmers have been urged to leave wildflowers in field margins and along hedgerows to help support the declining numbers of bees.

Ireland has 98 different species of bees, with a third of them now threatened with extinction.

Teagasc countryside management specialist Catherine Keena warned that the drive for tidiness on farms was helping to kill off the important crop pollinators.

"We need more pollinators in the countryside. Bees need food all year round," she said.

"Farmers can help bees by allowing space for wildflowers to grow and flower within hedgerows and field margins, around farmyards, along farm roadways and in field corners. The quest for neatness on farms should not override consideration for bees."

Ms Keena urged people to just leave some of the margins of ditches and fields alone.

She said there was also a message in it for the wider public and county councils. "You go around the countryside now and you see everybody trying to make everything perfect," she said, adding that hedgerows should not be sprayed off, as it kills the wildflowers.

Ms Keena advised farmers spraying insecticides to spray early or late, as it helps protect the honeybee because they are less active.

Bees aid in the pollination of oilseed rape, peas, beans and all soft fruits such as apples.

"To me, the most important reason farmers should be interested in bees is that we are selling our produce based on our green image, and our bees are declining," she said.

Ms Keena added that the measures under GLAS, such as the sand and the bee boxes, were helping preserve them.

Gerry Ryan, president of the Federation of Irish Beekeepers' Associations, said many beekeepers work closely with farmers by placing beehives in fields of oilseed rape, peas and beans to aid pollination.
the stock market-listed Irish forecourt retailer Applegreen will continue to eye expansion opportunities in the eastern United States after buying a chain of filling stations in South Carolina as part of a $75m (66m) deal, according to CEO Bob Etchingham.

The company has agreed to buy a chain of 34 filling stations around South Carolina's state capital, Columbia.

Eleven of the stations include Burger King outlets, while they also have other food offerings, such as Subway.

The deal also includes the acquisition of eight stand-alone Burger King sites. Applegreen already has 17 Burger Kings at its forecourts in Ireland.

Founded by Robert Brandi, the chain operates 'Pitt Stop' stores at filling stations it operates under a number of franchises with oil firms including Exxon, Mobil, Shell and Sunoco.

The business is being acquired by Applegreen under a sale and leaseback structure.

The Irish company is paying $5.4m (4.7m) for the trade and certain assets of Brandi Group, while a US institutional investor will buy property assets of the business for $70.1m (61.5m).

Once the transaction completes towards the end of this year, Applegreen will enter into a long-term lease arrange with that property investor for the sites.

The business being acquired is generating annual adjusted earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation of about $3m.

Applegreen already operates a total of 13 filling stations in Long Island and Massachusetts.

Mr Etchingham told the Irish Independent that Applegreen will probably bed down the latest acquisition over a one- to two-year period before contemplating another US acquisition.

"We are opportunistic," he said. "We regard the east coast as being where we would like to develop in the US.

"We wouldn't be averse to filling out between New England and South Carolina if the right opportunity came along."

The CEO said the way the Brandi deal is structured meant that it de-risked the acquisition for Applegreen.

"We were conscious of the fact that we're relatively new to the US and we don't have any in-depth knowledge of the South Carolina market, so this is a way of de-risking it to some extent," he said. "It's a capital-light approach that we've taken.

"While the ebitda is less than it could potentially be, we feel it's the right thing to do."

He added that one of the attractions of the deal was that Brandi Group is so heavily invested in food retailing.
An Bord Pleanala has given the green light to developer Gerry Gannon for a 60m housing development at Belcamp on the Malahide Road in north Dublin.

The permission will allow Gannon Properties Ltd to construct 165 homes, a cafe and childcare facility on lands at Belcamp Hall.

The Gannon firm has sought permission for 263 residential units but the number to get the go-ahead was cut by the council and now An Bord Pleanala.

The plan represents Mr Gannon's largest foray in the house construction market since he recommenced building after the housing crash. He paid 105m for 200 acres at Belcamp in 2004 and the site being developed is 37 acres of the overall holding.

Belcamp House is an 18th Century Georgian building that served as a boarding school and seminary and boasts an Oval Room modelled on the US presidential office.

Planning documentation lodged by Mr Gannon's company stated that the Belcamp complex - which is a protected structure - has been severely vandalised and burnt in parts despite extensive security, adding that round-the-clock security is not sustainable into the future.

The Bord Pleanala planner in the case recommended that planning be granted after concluding that the development "would not comprise premature or piecemeal development, give rise to a significant risk of flooding or detract from the residential amenity of the area, would provide an appropriate quantum, mix and design of development and would provide for the rehabilitation and preservation of Belcamp House".

In the 76-page report, the planner also said she did not consider the quantum of development proposed unwarranted.

She had regard to the particular vulnerability of the protected structures on the appeal site and the detailed design of the development in giving the plan the go-ahead.

The planner also accepted that there is an urgency to bring forward development in respect of the site to safeguard the structures on site and to bring about their restoration.

In its appeal, the Irish Georgian Society (IGS) said Belcamp is the only landscape in Ireland with an authentic connection to the American Revolution.

The IGS stated that the proposed development has the potential to result in a significant negative impact on the architectural heritage of Belcamp.

The IGS also argued that the Belcamp landscape is of considerable historical significance to the US and of wide international significance to many European and American cultures.
The chairman and CEO of JPMorgan, Jamie Dimon, has formally confirmed the US investment banking giant's plans to grow its business in Dublin.

However, he stopped short of saying how many staff the bank plans to hire here in the wake of Brexit.

In a statement released following a meeting yesterday with Taoiseach Leo Varadkar in Dublin, Mr Dimon said: "Ireland is at the forefront of training its workforce to keep up with the latest developments in technology and business innovation, and the country has a global, open environment that will keep it economically competitive.

"I met with Prime Minister (sic) Varadkar today to discuss our plans to grow JP Morgan's business over the next several years."

His meeting with the Taoiseach and statement in relation to the US bank's plans to grow its Irish operations follows several months in which speculation has intensified in relation to its post-Brexit plans.

JPMorgan recently announced its acquisition of 200 Capital Dock, a 130,00 sq ft office building being developed by US real estate firm Kennedy Wilson in Dublin's docklands.

Commenting on the move, the plans for which were first reported by the Irish Independent, Carin Bryans, senior country officer for JP Morgan Ireland, said at the time: "Given the momentum of our local businesses, this new building gives us room to grow and some flexibility within the European Union."

While 200 Capital Dock is capable of accommodating up to 1,000 employees, it may not represent the full extent of JP Morgan's ultimate ambitions in relation to Dublin.

As the Irish Independent has previously reported, JP Morgan widened its search for potential Dublin office space last April.

A delegation from the bank visited the capital for a series of meetings with property agents and companies involved in the development of offices in Dublin's docklands.

The bank's executives were brought on a tour of the area, and carried out an inspection of a number of the major office sites now under construction.

Those parties who met with the JP Morgan team were required to sign a strict confidentiality agreement, the terms of which prohibit them from discussing the bank's potential plans and requirements in terms of Dublin.

JP Morgan currently employs around 450 people in Ireland with plans to add more jobs in the coming year.

JP Morgan's Irish staff work in custody & fund services, investment banking, and payments and treasury services.
Primark's total sales increased 15pc at constant exchange rates in the 16 weeks to June 24, its fiscal third quarter

Dublin-headquartered clothing retailer Primark has returned to underlying sales growth for the first time in 18 months. Low prices and warm weather drove a strong performance in Britain in its latest quarter, according to owner Associated British Foods (ABF).

Primark's performance confounds fears that a squeeze in British consumers' spending power could dent demand.

ABF - which also has major sugar, grocery, agriculture and ingredients businesses - said Primark's better-than-expected third-quarter performance meant the group's outlook for the year to mid-September 2017 had "marginally improved".

The statement sent its shares as much as 6pc higher, making it the FTSE-100 index's biggest riser. The shares retreated later to close up 2.6pc.

Primark's total sales increased 15pc at constant exchange rates in the 16 weeks to June 24, its fiscal third quarter, and were up 21pc at actual exchange rates, ABF said.

Finance director John Bason said Primark's overall like-for-like sales were positive in the quarter, having been flat in the first half.

"The UK is very strong. It's not a bit of an improvement, it's a big improvement," he said, but declined to give a specific figure.

"It's a combination of factors but first and foremost the product and particularly the stores are looking great at the moment," he said, noting the contribution of a later Easter holiday this year and better weather. (Reuters)
Journalism researchers at the University of London, led by Galway-born Tom Felle, are to lead a major European push to combat 'fake news'.

The team has been awarded a new grant by the Google Digital News Initiative (DNI) to help journalists find and verify information in big data. The grant of 300,000 (341,000) will be used to build a web-based app called DMINR.

The app combines machine-learning and artificial-intelligence technologies to help journalists fact-check, make sense of data and verify information. It also has applications for investigative journalism by sorting and finding connections in so-called 'big data' such as police, government and environmental data, and company records.

'Fake news' was a thorny issue in the US presidential race and remains a divisive subject there following Donald Trump's presidential election victory.

City's researchers will work with test users in up to 30 European newsrooms, including the Investigations Unit at RTE, data teams at the 'Telegraph' media group and the 'Guardian' in the UK, to build the web-based software tool.

The project aims to develop a "technological solution to a growing problem in journalism - how to conduct public-interest journalism in a news ecosystem, where resources are shrinking and, more starkly, newsrooms are closing down", according to project lead and senior lecturer in Digital Journalism at City, Tom Felle, a former journalist with the Irish Independent.

"As more and more information is stored and made available electronically - by governments, public bodies, supra-national organisations and others - sifting through mass data has become increasingly difficult," he said.

The project is expected to begin in September and take two years to complete.
When European Union and Japanese leaders endorsed a preliminary free-trade agreement yesterday it was in significant measure a counter to Donald Trump's protectionist stance.

The political green light in Brussels yesterday came a day after negotiators for both sides reached a breakthrough over food and car exports, which had been sticking points since talks started in 2013.

They were resolved in time to coincide with today's G20 meeting of the leaders of the world's wealthiest countries, including Japan and the EU, in Hamburg, which the US president travelled to Europe to attend.

The trade deal with Japan is the EU's biggest to date, surpassing an accord with South Korea, and marks the 28-nation bloc's second with a fellow member of the Group of Seven leading industrialised nations following a recent pact with Canada.

It's also a big deal for Japan, which has faced resistance from its domestic agricultural sector to opening up the country to more imports.

The two-way agreement is politically important in the EU and Japan at a time when big multinational trade deals have ground to a halt.

"We in the European Union firmly believe in the political purpose of a world which is built on openness, co-operation and trade," EU President Donald Tusk told reporters in the Belgian capital during the EU- Japan summit.

"The world really doesn't need to go 100 years back in time. Quite the opposite."

Europe and Asia are stepping up co-operation and championing open markets as unease mounts over Mr Trump's "America First" policy, which has shaken the multilateral trade order. Since taking office in January, Trump has pulled the US out of a new trans-Pacific commercial accord, frozen talks on a deal with the EU, ordered the renegotiation of a long-standing pact with Canada and Mexico, and threatened to curb American imports of steel. The EU-Japan deal bolsters the free-trade credentials of Japan's Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, and is a political triumph for German Chancellor Angela Merkel as she prepares to host the Group of 20 summit.

Donald Trump is due in Hamburg for the July 7-8 gathering after visiting Poland.

"Japan and the EU will hoist the flag of free trade high amidst protectionist trends," Abe said while standing alongside Tusk and Juncker. "This is an achievement we should be proud of, which also sends a strong message to the world."

Abe, whose political clout at home has been weakened by scandals and a heavy defeat in a Tokyo election, has faced calls within his own party to maintain protection for Japanese cheese producers. Merkel has clashed openly with Trump over trade after he labelled Germany "very bad" for its export strength, including shipments of cars to the US.

The new pact also signals a determination in European capitals to prevent the UK's planned exit from the EU from undermining the bloc's global footprint.

The two-year Brexit process began in March.

"The EU is more and more engaged globally," Tusk said.

Both sides will continue talks into the autumn and aim to produce a legal text by year-end. The goal is for the agreement to take effect provisionally in "early" 2019.

Before the final free-trade deal could take provisional effect, it would need to be approved in Europe by the European Parliament and EU governments. (Bloomberg)
In 2002, Sony stole an early march on the rising superhero trend with Spider-Man, a well-crafted reinterpretation of a much-loved Marvel Comics character. It starred a nicely cast Tobey Maguire, and used the dizzy mix of action and humour that would become a well-worn template in years to come. It was pretty good, and spawned two sequels. Then, in 2012, a mere decade after the original film, they relaunched the franchise, with the ever so slightly drippy Andrew Garfield starring in a highly competent note-for-note remake of the 2002 version. That got a sequel too, but Garfield then had his webs clipped. Now Sony have returned to the spider well for go number three.

In fairness to them, this latest rehash has been cooked up in conjunction with Marvel Studios, and the Avengers franchise. That film series is the black hole of Hollywood, a sprawling billion dollar behemoth that subsumes everything it encounters. In the 2016 Avengers spin-off Captain America: Civil War, baby-faced English actor Tom Holland made his debut as a young Peter Parker, who donned the spider suit to wade into a brewing superhero war.

That was the teaser for this film, which will lead to Spider-Man's inclusion in the next Avengers film, in 2019... and so on, ad infinitum. The quality that has distinguished the character from other superheroes is his callow youthfulness, a factor played up in Spider-Man Homecoming. Peter Parker is 15 going on 16, and keen as mustard to take on the world with the powers he developed after being bitten by a genetically modified spider.

He can leap high walls, lift very heavy things and spin webs from his palms that allow him to swing from skyscrapers across New York City. But he's prone to rashness, and Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) reckons Peter's not ready for the big time yet, and has enrolled him in what he calls a Stark Industries internship. The mogul's put-upon second-in-command Happy Hogan (Jon Favreau) will be Peter's point of contact, and Tony will monitor the apprentice hero from afar. But Peter soon grows tired of the training wheels, and begins investigating a spate of puzzling crimes alone.

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A criminal gang has been holding up stores and robbing ATMs using strange and powerful hi-tech weapons. They're the work of an embittered salvage man called Adrian Toomes (Michael Keaton), who developed them using alien technology recovered from the scene of that epic battle with extraterrestrials at the end of Avengers Assemble. Toomes has also made a fearsome flying suit for himself, but is otherwise a very working class villain - he's been denied the American dream, and has now decided to steal it.

When Peter sets out to stop him, he soon gets out of his depth, and sends Happy and Tony into a panic by hacking into his new Stark Industries Spider-Man costume to reveal its awesome potential. And things get even messier when Liz (Laura Harrier), the high school girl Peter is smitten with, gets mixed up in it all.

Given the fact that film-makers have been hacking the hell out of this story for almost two decades, there's a certain freshness to Spider-Man: Homecoming. We are spared yet another rehash of Uncle Ben's death, and instead are presented with Peter's vivacious widowed aunt, May (Marisa Tomei), a woman so youthful and attractive that Tony Stark is constantly asking after her.

Downey Jr.'s interventions are sparely used, but effective, and no one needs to be told how good Michael Keaton is at acting. I felt his villainous role might have been fleshed out better in the writing, but he inhabits it most convincingly, bringing humour and pathos to a part others would have made less of.

Tom Holland is good as the puppyish, impetuous Peter, and makes the most of the comic moments that come his way. There are some decent action sequences, particularly an unfortunate incident on the Staten Island Ferry, but for all that the film sags in the middle, and lord knows how many more of these things we'll be subjected to in the next decade.

Spider-Man Homecoming (12A, 133mins) 

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Single men have come to its rescue and Blind Date is set to begin filming next week, the Herald can reveal.

Producers were thrilled to see a slew of males apply for the show at the 11th hour, after there had been worries the show would not have enough men to work with.

"Whether it's First Dates Ireland or Blind Date, women are always more ready to apply for shows like this," a source told the Herald.

"Fortunately, producers got a lot of guys applying at the last minute so they're very happy with the cast of characters they will be introducing viewers to later this year."

Applications closed on June 30.

Producers spent weeks narrowing down their pool of applicants before meeting the daters to get a better sense of their personalities.

Expand Close TV3 unveiled comedy superstar Al Porter as the host of its brand new entertainment show Blind Date. Pictures :Brian McEvoy / Facebook

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Whatsapp TV3 unveiled comedy superstar Al Porter as the host of its brand new entertainment show Blind Date. Pictures :Brian McEvoy

Unfortunately, viewers are going to have to wait a while before they can see the matchmaking in action as the show will not air until the autumn.

"An air date hasn't been decided on yet but it will probably be September or October before anyone gets to see it," the source added.

Potential daters are asked a range of questions to help find their perfect match.

These include being asked if they have been married or divorced in the past, and what the reasons were for their previous relationships not working out.

All ages will be featured on the show and LGBT contestants will be included on the programme for the first time.

Presenter Al Porter will be playing Cupid on the TV3 series in the role made famous by the late Cilla Black, who hosted the UK version of the series from 1985 to 2003.

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It will be one of the biggest TV gigs yet for the Tallaght comedian, who said he was "beyond delighted" to be fronting the show.

Lucy Kennedy was previously slated to present the Irish version of the show back in 2015 before the idea was shelved and later revived by new director of programming, Bill Malone.

Blind Date is also making a comeback in the UK this year, around the same time as the Irish version, and will be hosted by comedian Paul O'Grady.
"We're just a big, giant, real life cartoon," stuntman The Great Orbax says, not long after sticking a fork up his nose and snapping a mouse trap on his twin brother's tongue.

The Canadian brothers, who perform under the stage name Monsters of Schlock, are in Dublin this weekend to take part in the annual Laya Healthcare City Spectacular.

They'll be treating audiences to equal portions of shock and humour as they do things to their bodies that they probably shouldn't.

'Orbax' and 'Sweet Pepper' have been travelling around the world doing their unique act for years and hope to impress their Irish audiences.

"Ireland is the most hospitable country I think we've ever been too," Sweet Pepper says.

"The crowds so far have been great too."

Unsurprisingly, the duo have both landed in hospital at various stages of their career after their acts went wrong.

"I was on fire once," says Orbax, who once worked in academia.

"I got third degree burns to 10pc of my body, so I was in hospital for quite a bit.

"That was not fun."

Sweet Pepper's worst encounter came when he was on the wrong end of his brother's chainsaw.

"I don't like chainsaws anymore," he says, pointing to a scar on the side of his mouth.

Video of the Day

The Monsters of Schlock perform in Dublin's Merrion Square this weekend and Cork's Fitzgerald Park next weekend. The festival will also see performances from jugglers, break dancers, mysterious magicians and many more.

To find out more about the Monsters of Schlock, visit their website here and to see what else is in store at the Laya Healthcare City Spectacular, visit its website here.
Joyce Mulligan, from Ballymun, got notice from her bin provider that her charges are on the way up. Photo: Arthur Carron

A waste-collection company has hiked bin charges before the pay-by-weight increases have been introduced.

Mother-of-four Joyce Mulligan said she was unhappy to get a notice that her annual charges would increase by 28 from August.

"It's terrible my bin charges are going up so soon and I'm worried it could be the first of several price increases," said Ms Mulligan (60), who lives in Poppintree, Ballymun, Dublin.

"I was paying a yearly charge of 172 but now I've been informed by Greyhound it is going up to 200 next month.

"The Government should introduce a system to cap bin charges at a certain level.

"Something has to be done to prevent further price increases.

"If bin price increases are not controlled, it is going to lead to a big increase in illegal dumping of rubbish by people who can't afford big rises."

She added she was against illegal dumping but was worried that the problem could get worse in some areas as a result of the current policy.

She said that the company should collect green bins weekly, as the fortnightly collection meant that many householders were forced to put green items into black rubbish bins because the green bins were full after only a week.

Dublin city councillor Noeleen Reilly said the public was already starting to witness rises in bin bills from waste management companies, despite the separate pay-by-weight not being implemented until September.

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"I have already been contacted by concerned customers of Greyhound who have been told that their bills will go up this month from 17 to 19.50 per month," she said.

"This is even before pay-by-weight comes in in September, when bills are expected to increase further.

"The Government has given waste management companies a free pass to charge what they want and this is why communities are so concerned about the impending new charges.

"They need to stand up to these companies, regulate the industry and reinstate the waiver system for low income families and those with particular health needs.

"We already have a huge problem with illegal dumping in the capital."

A number of Greyhound customers in Ballymun have been informed of the new, higher 19.50 monthly charge in recent days.

"To ensure collection in August, please make sure payment is made before August 1, 2017," said the company's message to customers.

They were invited to switch to a "fair usage" plan costing 16.50 per month, which includes a 10pc discount on their bills.

The company said customers who actively used their brown bins created more than 25pc less black bin waste.

Environment Minister Denis Naughten confirmed on June 27 that "a more flexible frame for waste collection charges" was approved by the Government, including pay-by-weight or per-lift.

A "one-size-fits-all" mandatory, nationwide per-kilo charging system would not be implemented, said the minister.
A jury has convicted an Egyptian national of raping a woman he met after she became lost on a night out in Dublin city.

Mohamed Okda (30) was staying in a friend's flat in the city in February 2014 when he met the woman in an upset state.

Okda, formerly of Coolfin, Rathdowney, Co Laois had pleaded not guilty to two counts of raping the woman and one count of sexual assault at a flat in Dublin city centre on a date on February 9, 2014.

After a seven day trial at the Central Criminal Court a jury took just under three hours to return unanimous guilty verdicts on all counts.

Mr Justice Michael Moriarty thanked the jurors for their care and diligence and told them it was a verdict he agreed with. He remanded the man into custody for sentence on July 28th.

Gardai had objected to a defence application to allow Okda remain on bail. Sean Guerin SC, prosecuting, told the court that there was an issue regarding his residency here and gardai considered him a flight risk.

In her evidence the married mother said that she lived outside Dublin and was visiting the city with two female friends for a night out. At the end of the night she said she was drunk and tired.

She lost her friends and became upset because they weren't responding to texts or phone calls. The accused man approached her and offered to help her find her friends, she said.

He suggested she come back to the flat where she could continue to try to contact her friends on her phone. The woman said that back at the flat she lay down on a sofa bed in the living area of the house and blacked out.

She said that when she came to she could feel Okda trying to touch her and move her clothes. She said she told him to stop and said she was married and had children.

I told him that I wanted to go, I wanted to leave, to find my friends, she testified. She said he took her glasses away and she couldn't see at all without them.

When I tried to say no, he kept pushing me back down, she said. She tried to use her mobile phone but he took it off her.

She said he was telling her to open her mouth to perform oral sex and he was aggressive. She became frightened and and stopped resisting in the hope that he would finish and let her go

I asked him not to kill me. I told him I had children and a husband. He had this dazed look. I was afraid if I didnt do he would kill me.

She said he then raped her and afterwards, she asked could she leave and he said yes. She partly dressed herself hurriedly and left the house without her glasses, she said.

She said she was disoriented and as soon she left the house she ran across the road and started trying to stop cars. Four cars passed her before a taxi stopped and she told him she had been raped, she testified. The driver took her to the local station.

After his arrest the man told gardai that he had consensual sex with the woman. He said she started touching him first and that he didn't do anything she didn't want him to do.

Under cross-examination by Ciaran O'Loughlin SC, defending, she said she wasn't sure whether she said to the taxi driver that she had been attacked or raped.

She said she did tell him "my husband will never forgive me" and said the driver replied "it's not my fault, I was attacked". She denied that her version of events on the night was untrue or inaccurate.

Mr O'Loughlin put it to her that in the course of having sex with Okda she suddenly became horrified at what she was doing.

Okda denied to gardai that he had done anything to frighten the woman and said she had behaved in a confused way during sex.
A judge has imposed a four-year prison term on a "guilt-ridden" paedophile who sexually abused a four-year-old girl.

Judge Gerald Keys imposed a four-year prison term with the final two years suspended on Ciaran Colgan (56), of Gleann na hEorna, Springfield, Tallaght, at Ennis Circuit Court yesterday.

Colgan, who also set up a fake Facebook profile to sexually exploit another underage girl, went to a Dublin garda station in 2010 to confess that he had sexually abused the four-year-old girl nine years earlier in Co Clare.

Complaint

Colgan made admissions to gardai that he had abused the girl on three occasions between 2001 and 2003 in west Clare.

Colgan identified the child by name and told officers that he didn't wish to make a statement but if a complaint was ever made he would admit to everything.

Colgan walked free from the station as there was no complaint against him.

However, four years later he offended again when he posed as a 16-year-old boy on Facebook and sent sexually explicit messages to a 12-year-old girl.

In March, Colgan received a four-year jail term at Cavan Circuit Court with the final two-and-a-half years suspended for the sexual exploitation of a child concerning the Facebook offence.

Yesterday, Judge Keys said he couldn't ignore that conviction.

In relation to the offence before the Ennis court, Judge Keys told Colgan: "You abused your victim for your own sexual gratification and you abused your position of trust when babysitting."

In Colgan's favour, the judge said he had no previous convictions at the time of the offence; had pleaded guilty; came forward voluntarily and admitted his criminal con- duct.

Judge Keys said Colgan had apologised for his wrongdoing and was prepared to engage with the Probation Service and undergo treatment under the sex offenders programme.

Colgan, whose marriage ended in 1992, is the father of two grown-up children, aged 27 and 26.

The case came to court after the Clare victim went to a garda station last year to make formal complaints against Colgan.

When interviewed by gardai, he confessed, telling officers: "I am sorry. I am very sorry."

Colgan abused the girl on three occasions when babysitting her.

In her victim impact statement, the complainant said she had come forward and put "myself in this complicated and sensitive process mainly to ensure the protection of other children but also as closure for myself so that I continue to heal and better myself".

Disgusted

She added: "I was such a young girl in a vulnerable situation and I was used for pleasure by an adult I was expected to respect."

"At the age of five, I didn't have the words to describe how I was feeling but now I do.

"As a child, I felt different to the children around me. I remember feeling disgusted and ashamed of myself for what happened, which I see is a massive burden to carry."

She said that in the years after the abuse "I bottled up all my emotions and it took a toll on my mental health and I suffered low self-esteem and I went through a period of self-harming".

"My childhood innocence was taken from me and I was forced to grow up too fast with a warped version of the world. It wasn't a world I wanted to live in," she said.

Judge Keys backdated the sentence to May 15 to when Colgan entered his guilty plea.
The High Court has been asked to approve legal aid for six individuals who want to oppose claims by CAB that certain assets seized as part of its investigation into the Kinahan crime gang are the proceeds of crime.

CAB had previously secured court orders freezing assets including jewelry, motorbikes, property and cars which it seized following raids at various locations in March 2016.

CAB's proceedings are against several parties including Liam Byrne, who the bureau says is a member of the Kinahan gang, and several of his associates.

Byrne's brother David was shot dead in the Regency Hotel in February 2016.

The legal aid applications were made on behalf of Kelly Quinn, Sean McGovern, Anita Freeman, James Byrne, Sadie Byrne, and Liam Roe, were opposed by CAB.

The say they cannot afford to pay lawyers to represent them in what will be a lengthy and complex case.

In her sworn statement, Ms Quinn, an unemployed mother of two and the partner of the late David Byrne, has made claim that a almost 8,000 seized by the gardai following a search of her home at Kildare Road Crumlin should be returned to her.

She says the money came from "a whip around" from friends following her partner's death and are not the proceeds of crime. She says she lives in rental accommodation and her only asset is her car.

The late Mr Byrne's parents Sadie and James Byrne of Raleigh Square Crumlin are also seeking legal aid.

Mr Byrne says in his affidavit and his only income is his old age pension. He claims a Rolex Oyster Perpetual watch worth 35,000 seized by the gardai is not the proceeds of crime.

His wife Sadie, who is also in receipt of the OAP of 227 per week, has made a claim over an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak watch which belonged to her late son, worth an estimated 12,500, and a Lexus Jeep worth 22,500, which was registered in the name of a company.

Liam Roe an unemployed man of Mangerton Road, Drimnagh, is seeking legal aid over the seizure of an Audi A5 car and a Kawasaki motorbike worth a total of 38,000. He denies he is a member of any organised crime gang.

He says he is not in receipt of any income or any social welfare, has no assets other than ones that were seized, and receives funding from his father.

Sean McGovern and Anita Freeman also seek legal aid. He wishes to contest CAB claims over their "de facto family home at Kildare Road, Crumlin. Ms Freeman is making a claim in respect of a BMW car, worth 23,000 seized by CAB.

Mr McGovern says he no other assets aside from the property and that the couple and their two young children are living off allowances benefits from the State plus a redundancy payment his partner received in 2016.

Opposing the applications, CAB said its investigations revealed that Mr Roe travelled to the US, UK and Spain on six occasions between July 2015 and July 2016.

He also attended the Conor McGregor Chad Mendes fight in Los Vegas in July 2015. Neither the fight nor flight tickets were paid through any known account in the name of Mr Roe.

CAB also claim there were other examples of when it had been shown Mr Roe had access to large amounts of money.

CAB says Mr Roe is unwilling to talk about money or how he funds his day to day living expenses.

He has claimed to CAB he goes to the UK to buy cars which he sells here and received a compensation of IR330,000 arising out of a road traffic accident.

In relation to Mr McGovern and Ms Freeman, the bureau said they are living a lifestyle far beyond what could have been their known income.

Mr McGovern, CAB said, took 16 flights in 2016 to locations including Malaga, Amsterdam, Birmingham and Dubai. Ms Freeman had take eight flights in 2016, and in recent days had flown to Manchester before travelling on to Dubai, CAB said in a sworn statement.

CAB also alleges the property was purchased by a Mauritian Trust Fund for 150,000 and renovated at a cost of

247,000. Ms Freeman had taken flights between 20015 and June 2017 to UK, Spain, and Las Vegas. She had also taken one this week to Dubai, the court also heard.

Ms Quinn, CAB said, has taken seven flights out of Dublin to the UK. While the final destination was unknown the destinations are believed to include Spain, and Los Vegas.

CAB said James Byrne who has been sold a property in Dublin in 2015 for 80,000. The couple had also sold a site for 100,000 in 2006.

Mr Byrne had also settled a claim made against him by CAB in 2004 when he paid over 200,000 following a tax assessment.

Sadie Byrne failed to supply any documents that support her claim over the Lexus Jeep, CAB say The Byrnes strongly contest claims made against by CAB in regards to the properties sales.

Ms Justice Carmel Stewart reserved her decision.
Better think twice before tucking into that medium-rare double cheese burger.

Safefood Ireland has warned there is "no way of knowing" if rare burger meat is safe.

A leading food safety expert said he was "very surprised" restaurants were offering undercooked burgers and putting their customers at risk.

Professor Martin Cormican, from the school of Medicine in NUI Galway, said small children and pregnant women were at an even higher risk of becoming ill.

"Restaurants need to understand that not every customer is the same and some are at more risk than others. There are liability issues," Prof Cormican said.

He said that every burger had the potential to have the deadly bacteria, Vtec, which could cause severe illness.

"Although steak can have its bacteria killed on the outside, mince has the potential for the bacteria to end up in the middle where if not cooked properly, has the potential to make you seriously ill," he said.

Safefood Ireland has launched its Burger Fever campaign as it was revealed 96pc of Irish people consider themselves well informed about food safety, yet 51pc are eating undercooked burgers.

A batch of French mince was recalled last week from French supermarkets over worries for the presence of Vtec, and Prof Cormican said it could easily happen in Ireland.

"Don't take the risk, and especially if you're taking medicine for illnesses like rheumatoid arthritis which severely impacts your immune system," Prof Cormican said.

Dr Linda Gordon, chief specialist in food science at Safefood, said around 2pc of all mince had Vtec in it so the risk was always there for the "growing trend" of burger lovers.
European Union cartel busters have switched their attention to motor insurance brokers operating in this market.

It comes after a dawn raid on Tuesday at Insurance Ireland, the representative body for the sector.

One of the largest insurance brokers in the market, Marsh Ireland, has now admitted it was raided.

But another broker, Aon, refused to comment on reports it was the subject of an unannounced swoop.

It is understood firms that have been raided this week have been given legal advice not to admit they are subject to a swoop.

Advice issued by law firm A&L Goodbody states: "Do not issue a press release or comment publicly on the dawn raid unless it becomes public knowledge.

"Advise your staff that confidentiality is imperative in this situation and do not disclose the dawn raid to any third party."

Commission officials are here for at least a week, investigating allegations of cartel activity in the motor insurance industry. They may also return later.

They are turning up at offices demanding to seek named executives and taking mobiles, laptops and desk tops. Most insurance companies have denied they have been raided by the European Commission Competition Directorate officials, accompanied by Irish competition enforcers.

The denials come despite the EU Competition Commission, headed by Margrethe Vestager, saying on Tuesday it was carrying out raids on motor insurers.

In a statement, it said it was carrying out "unannounced inspections at the premises of companies active in motor insurance in the Republic of Ireland".

A spokeswoman for the commission said it was unable to name the companies and organisations it raided.

Insurance Ireland maintains its database is available to all market entrants.

A cartel is a conspiracy against consumers to keep prices artificially high. A cartel usually means restricting new entrants to a market. Motor premiums have been going up by as much as 70pc at times over the past three years.

It is understood various databases with details about drivers and their claims history are the focus of the raids, with claims new entrants cannot get access to these databases.

The raids come as the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission is already involved in a probe into alleged cartel activity in the insurance industry.

Last year, Zenith Insurance stopped offering car coverage in this country. At the time it was the largest Gibraltar-based motor insurer here.
Thousands of elderly people are languishing on a waiting list for HSE home care help - and the number has risen since the beginning of the year.

The number of people waiting for HSE free home care supports has climbed to 4,600 as demand for the service, particularly among the elderly, continues to grow.

The figures - up from 4,381 at the end of last year - show the human cost of the current scheme of home care which, according to the Department of Health, has led to a patchwork system of delivery across the country.

The extent of the waiting list is revealed in a Department of Health document which was part of a public consultation launched yesterday which aims to get the views of the public on what kind of statutory home care scheme they would like to see. It is likely any scheme will involve an assessment and possibly a financial contribution.

Health Minister Simon Harris and Minister of State for Older People Jim Daly urged as many people as possible to give their opinion between now and the end of August. Mr Harris said a report will be ready at the end of the year but could give no timeline on when the scheme would be up and running.

Asked how soon it would be set up, he suggested a two-year timeframe was "ambitious" but "realistic". "It took seven years to put the Fair Deal nursing home [scheme] in place.

"We cannot take that long with this scheme because of the demographics and ageing population with a need for care. Equally, it is important to get it right," he said.

When in place, it will guarantee older people and people with a disability a minimum level of home care - but it is unclear how it will be funded.

Mr Harris insisted it would not be a replica of the Fair Deal scheme and it would also have to involve regulation of home care services for the first time.

The questionnaire accompanying the consultation signals some of the direction the eventual scheme may take. It asks the public if people who receive home care should make a financial contribution based on a means test, "taking account of the limited resources of the State". It also asks whether, if a person receives a certain level of home care services based on health need, they should purchase additional hours with their own money.

The aim is to support people who want to remain in their homes to be allowed to do so rather than having to prematurely enter a nursing home.

"It is estimated that about 20pc of the over-65 population receive some form of community-based support service annually from the State," Mr Daly said.

"I would like to find out what people also think about current home care services - what is working well and what needs to be improved."

The system of regulation of home care services has not yet been worked out. It may fall to inspectors from the Health Information and Quality Authority to carry out the work. But it is more complex than regulating nursing homes because it involves people's own homes.

The Department of Health document points out that currently there is no charge for home care provided by the HSE.

It will spend around 370m on home care services this year. Currently, around 49,000 people have a home help service and another 16,750 have a home care package.

There are 190 people getting intensive home care packages. Many others purchase care from private providers.
Legislation to force private nursing home owners to be more transparent about top-up fees for Fair Deal residents may be introduced if the owners don't act voluntarily, Health Minister Simon Harris has warned.

He said all nursing home residents and their families should be quoted the full breakdown of fees for therapies, social activities and other services before entering a nursing home, and the fees need to be set out clearly in the contracts people have to sign.

He was speaking in the wake of a report by Age Action which found residents are being charged up to 100 a week, in some cases for social activity services they cannot use.

Some have been asked to pay a "doctor's fee" even though they have a medical card.

Mr Harris said: "It is quite upsetting that someone be charged for a service they did not receive." And it is "utterly unacceptable" anyone be asked to make a contribution for a doctor's service when they have a medical card, he stressed.

"It's very clear what the Fair Deal covers and what it does not. The issue is one of transparency."

He urged anyone with problems relating to these charges to bring their grievances to the ombudsman.

A review of the Fair Deal scheme is underway but it will not be finished until the end of the year.

But it will include an examination of what services are not currently covered and whether some of these should be included in the State-subsidised package for residents. The minister pointed out that Nursing Homes Ireland, representing private nursing homes, has agreed on the need for transparency around the charges.

Tadhg Daly, of Nursing Homes Ireland, said there was a clear lack of certain services, not covered by Fair Deal, for private nursing home residents.

A review of payments to nursing homes under the Fair Deal scheme needs to be urgently finalised, he added.

There are 4,725 residents in HSE-run nursing homes.

They are not charged any top-up fees.

Services such as chiropody, physiotherapy and incontinence wear are paid for by the HSE.
The Dublin 4 area has been hit by an infestation of flies.

Massive swarms have been reported in the Ringsend and Irishtown areas.

Dublin City Council is trying to determine what has caused the problem.

Its been going on for the last three or four days, said Labour senator Kevin Humphries. My office had four queries in a short space of time.

We asked how many people were experiencing problems with the flies and we were inundated with people saying they were being driven demented.

The council havent yet identified the problem. Theres speculation about what it could be but theres no clear indication yet.

The new Poolbeg Incinerator is located in the Ringsend area, and was shut down last month in relation to a lime leak.

A waste water treatment centre, completed in 2003, is also in Dublin 4. However, there is no indication of what may be causing the problem.

Sinn Fein councillor Chris Andrews said it has affected local businesses. He is expected to raise the issue at next Mondays Dublin City Council meeting.
Any reductions in the Universal Social Charge (USC) will have to be funded through tax hikes in other areas, EU experts have warned.

As the Cabinet met to discuss plans for Budget 2018, ministers were warned that USC cuts will have to be balanced out by raising the tax bands, cutting tax credits, or hikes to indirect taxes like VAT. Another option would be to bring in a third income tax rate set at 35pc, an EU Commission report said.

The study was released as ministers were being briefed by new Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe on his strategy for the October Budget.

It is understood the minister made a presentation informing colleagues there will be in the region of 500m available for tax cuts and new spending, including commitments made during the recent public sector pay talks.

"The message was positive but cautious," said one source afterwards.

"We are aiming to have a balanced budget for the first time since the economic crash."

Ministers were asked to bring forward proposals for areas where monies already being spent could be better allocated.

The Irish Independent understands Taoiseach Leo Varadkar set out that middle-income workers and parents should be the biggest winners from the budget.

After the special meeting, Mr Donohoe said the economy is "growing strongly, with domestic demand now driving the recovery".

"While there is much focus each year at budget time on the fiscal space, or the capacity for increased spending, it is crucial that we also look at the totality of what we are spending to ensure that we are getting best value for every cent of taxpayers' money.

"This will ensure we can provide the services our people need, lower the tax burden in an affordable and sustainable way, keep our economy on the right track and build a society that provides opportunity for all," he said.

The minister will release an economic statement next week which will formally set the parameters for the budget.

At that launch he is expected to again stress the need for reduced marginal tax rates, which yesterday's EU study acknowledged are among the highest in Europe.

The EU Commission suggested a third income tax rate set at 35pc.

This would mean a set amount of income would be taxed at 20pc, another slice of income would be taxed at 35pc, with the rest taxed at 40pc.

On scrapping the USC, the EU said: "The analysis showed that it would only be possible to recover a substantial part of revenue losses by lowering the entry-point to the tax system via a reduction of the tax credits.

"At the same time, the introduction of a third, intermediate, tax band would help to reduce the marginal tax rates in such constrained set of policy choices."

The EU said this country faces a 'trilemma' when it comes to changes to its income tax system. This is because it has three competing aims of trying to continue to generate revenue, maintain the progressive nature of the tax system, and avoid high marginal tax rates.

Mr Donohoe indicated earlier this week that the Government no longer intends to completely abolish USC but will instead integrate it into PRSI.

The move was described by Sinn Fein's Pearse Doherty as "the biggest U-turn in my lifetime in terms of the financial cost of it".

The USC raised 4bn last year, with the tax set to yield 5.6bn by 2021 if it is not changed from the way it operates at present.

Meanwhile, Mr Varadkar has signalled his intention to appoint three Fine Gael backbenchers who missed out on ministries as chairs of Oireachtas committees.

Fergus O'Dowd, Alan Farrell and Josepha Madigan will take up new positions which come with an allowance of 9,120 each.
An application seeking to transport five warhead rockets via Shannon Airport was among 16 permits refused by the Department of Transport under the carriage of munitions of war order this year.

Other applications to transport class one explosives and bombs on a number of flights through Irish airspace from the United States to Germany and the United Arab Emirates were also refused.

Figures provided by the department show 377 exemptions for munitions of war, weapons and dangerous goods were allowed to date this year.

A total of 6,761 permits have been made for munitions of war on flights travelling through Irish airspace, or landing at Irish airports, since 2010.

The Ukraine Air Alliance sought the special exemption to transport the warhead rockets from Turkey to the United States and land at Shannon Airport on May 5, which was refused.

Another application refused included the personal weapons of troops on a flight from the US to Qatar, which was due to land at Shannon this January.

A total of 135 flights with personal weapons of troops on board landed at Shannon Airport up to this May, with more than 22,000 US troops passing through the airport in that period. Only five exemptions were sought to transport weapons via Dublin Airport, all of which were granted.

The majority of flights this year carried weapons en route to Kuwait, followed by Jordan, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Israel, Turkey and Qatar.

There have been repeated concerns raised about Ireland's neutrality given the use of Shannon Airport, in particular, as a stop-over for the US military. However, senior gardai said they have "no intelligence whatsoever" to suggest it is a terrorist target.

The Air Navigation (Carriage of Munitions of War, Weapons and Dangerous Goods) Order 1973 provides no munitions or weapons of war may be carried by an aircraft in Irish airspace - without an exemption.

Transport Minister Shane Ross said he "recently decided" his department should conduct an internal review of this order, given the changes to international law in the past 44 years.
Two Irish women injured in car collision in northern France are now said to be in a stable condition.

The other six people caught up in the incident were released from hospital after receiving non-critical injuries, but the two young Irish women remain in hospital.

The two women are believed to be from Dublin.

The crash occurred in Beaumont-en-Auge on Wednesday, according to local media reports.

French newspaper Ouest-France reported that one of the women was airlifted to hospital in the city of Caen in a critical condition.

However, her condition is understood to now be accessed as 'stable'.

The other young woman's injuries are also said to be non-life threatening.

The Department of Foreign Affairs said it is aware of the case and is providing assistance.

The accident occurred on Wednesday July 5, around 2pm in the afternoon.

The Audi and Citroen C4 collided on A13 road between Paris and Caen.

The cause of the accident is unknown at the moment.

Eight fire engines attended the incident.
Parvovirus is one of the most serious and lethal viral infections of dogs. Epidemics of the disease have rarely been seen in recent years due to widespread vaccination of dogs, but there are concerns that there may now be an increased risk of this happening again. Many pet owners have become complacent about vaccination, and when less than 70% of a local population of dogs are unprotected against a viral disease, a new epidemic is a real threat.

Last week, amongst the callers to my radio vet spot on Newstalk's Pat Kenny Show, one lady contacted me describing how all eight of her dogs had been struck down by a serious gastro-intestinal illness. One dog had died, two had to spend several days in intensive care at the vets, and the other five had recovered after simple treatment. Initial tests for Parvovirus had come back as negative. Could it still be Parvovirus, and what should she do?

It's impossible for a radio vet to comment on detail on such incidents: the best advice is always to liaise closely with your own vet, who is aware of all of the important details around the situation.

But there are some broad facts about Parvovirus that are worth sharing. First, if a dog tests as negative initially, it does not definitely mean that Parvovirus has been definitively ruled out as the cause of an illness. The most commonly used tests for Parvovirus have "high specificity but low sensitivity": this means that when Parvovirus is identified, it's almost 100% sure that Parvovirus is the cause of the illness, but when the test comes back as negative, it still hasn't been completely ruled out.

In this case, there were other possible causes, including so-called "compost toxicity", when dogs eat rotting vegetation that can include poisonous compounds. The lady's dogs often went for walks together in woodland, and there was a chance that they could have all rummaged around in the undergrowth, eating substances that created severe gastrointestinal irritation.

But the truth was that a mini-outbreak of Parvovirus remained a possibility, and that's a worry for pet owners all over Ireland.

I heard recently about a veterinary colleague based in Australia who is currently dealing with a local epidemic of Parvovirus: the first after many years of freedom from the disease. The situation there is similar to Ireland, with many animals who have lapsed vaccinations. In her case, Parvovirus has definitely been confirmed through tests. In her small town, there have been over twenty dogs affected, and most of them (nearly 80%) have died despite the best efforts of the vets to save them. A wide range of ages of dogs have fallen ill, from pups of just eleven weeks of age through to an elderly dog of thirteen, with many of all ages in between these extremes. The one factor in common with every affected dog was that they had not been vaccinated for at least 18 months.

My Australian colleague has been using social media to keep everyone informed about the outbreak, with online maps used by all the vets in the town to show where the disease has happened. The map resembles the fall-out maps after a nuclear accident: you can see how the virus has spread from street to street, gradually crossing the town. All of the local residents now know about the epidemic, and their dogs have been fully vaccinated. The one bit of good news is that vaccination is highly effective, and this Australian epidemic is already settling down.

Canine Parvovirus was first discovered in the 1960's when it was identified as the cause of mild diarrhoea in dogs. In the 1970's the virus mutated into a new genetic variant which caused the life threatening bloody gastroenteritis that is still the hallmark of the illness. The virus is passed on by dogs licking areas that have been contaminated with dog faeces from infected dogs. The secret of the virus's success is that it is incredibly infectious: one teaspoonful of dog faeces contains fifty million infective doses of Parvovirus, and the virus remains active for up to a year in a contaminated area. Cleaning and disinfection needs to be done thoroughly, using special chemical agents proven to be effective against the virus. Even then, unvaccinated dogs should be kept away for at least a year.

When dogs get Parvovirus, intensive treatment is needed, including intravenous fluids, antibiotics, pain relief and other medications. The sadness is that even when everything possible is done, most dogs still die, and they suffer for up to a week before it finally becomes obvious that they are not going to make it. Veterinary staff find Parvovirus one of he most devastating illnesses to deal with.

The good news is that it's easy to protect dogs against Parvovirus: all puppies need a full course of vaccinations. Repeat booster vaccinations should be given one year later, then typically at 3-year intervals throughout the dog's life, in combination with other vaccinations. The precise vaccine requirements vary , depending on the vaccine brand used, and the local disease situation, so owners should always consult with their own vets to find out the safest answer for their own pets. Whatever you do, make sure that your pets are protected.
Plans for a 1bn Ireland-France electricity interconnector connecting Great Island and La Martyre in France have taken a step forward after the European Union approved a 4m grant last week.

600km of cable will be laid between France and Ireland.

The cable will carry fibre optics which will improve Internet and Broadband capabilities in the country.

Power grid operator Eirgrid and its French counterpart will get 4 million from the European Union to help cover some of the planning costs for their proposed Ireland-France electricity 'Celtic interconnector'.

The cable will link the two countries' electricity networks, allowing power to flow in both directions.

The European Commission has approved 4 million for spending on an economic assessment of the plan, technical and environmental studies and work needed to get permits in both jurisdictions.

The cable would have a capacity of 700 megawatts, close to what would be provided by two average-sized power plants, or enough power to supply up to 450,000 homes. It would allow both nations to trade electricity.

Eirgrid said the importance of a link to the continent had grown as Brexit became a reality.

'This is a substantial step forward for the project and we strongly welcome the significant financial support from the European Commission for the Celtic interconnector," said chief executive Fintan Slye.

Francois Brottes, chairman of RTE, said the grant was a clear recognition of the work done on the project by both grid operators.

Ruth Deasy of the EU Commission in Dublin said: "This 4m grant is the next step to getting 600kms of cable laid between France and Ireland.

'It will mean Ireland will have a much more secure energy supply (and will be able to take advantage of lower prices on the open energy market). These cables will also carry fibre-optics which may improve our internet and broadband capabilities.'
Wexford woman Annette Walsh has been named as one of the Rehab Group's Staff Champions.

Annette, who is a Programme Facilitator with RehabCare at the Whitemill Industrial Estate, packed in a successful publican trade to pursue her passion of social care support.

'I packed it (the pub trade) in. I felt I really didn't have much of a purpose in life and knew I needed to do something else other than run pubs.

'I always wanted to work in the nursing or social sector. After finishing school at 17, I departed for England with that intention. While I was there I volunteered with a social club for people with disabilities. But after a year, I yearned for home and gave up the dream of becoming a nurse. When I returned I joined the family pub trade.

'I'm from Rathangan, a rural part of the county. In 1989, I set up a club in the parish for older people to get them out of the house and socialising in the community. It was a new concept at the time, we held weekly social gatherings, public meetings and holidayed around Ireland.

'It was a huge success and went on for 21 years. I got a real sense of achievement and purpose. One Christmas I was at a loose end and packed in the pub trade. I got tired of working the anti-social hours with no purpose.

'I then decided to join the Rehab Group on a Community Employment (CE) scheme in 2003 and was later appointed as a Programme Facilitator. I knew that this is where I needed to be. When I left the pub trade, college never came into my mind.

'But in 2007, I was supported by RehabCare to complete a degree in social care and graduated three years later with a sense of achievement that I have never felt before. I was able to bring that learning to the RehabCare centre here in Wexford.

'I've been here 13 years and I've never had a day where I've been bored. All of the time you want to try and bring something new to it. When I look back on when I first joined, things have progressed so much in social care over the last ten years. I'm privileged to have the opportunity to work with people who have physical, intellectual or mental disabilities. When I achieve certain goals with people, be it big or small, I get huge job satisfaction.

'I remember one of the people who uses Rehab service coming to me saying that he had a dream of going to Lourdes, but he had a fear of flying. Somehow we managed to bring him to Waterford Airport, let the experts talk him through the process of flying, from the moment you check in a bag to disembarking. We then booked him on a short flight from Waterford to Galway so he could get the experience of flying a short distance. This all resulted in him achieving the dream of spending a week in Lourdes.

'That story is one of the highlights of my career, when you turn somebody's dream into a reality and give them independence. The most challenging part is the fact there are not enough hours in the day to support people individually.

'I have a job that I really enjoy doing, from morning to the evening. I might go home tired, but never bored or in a bad mood, no two days are ever the same.'
Rob Kardashian and Blac Chyna arrive at her Blac Chyna Birthday Celebration And Unveiling Of Her "Chymoji" Emoji Collection at the Hard Rock Cafe on May 10, 2016 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Greg Doherty/Getty Images)

Rob Kardashian (L) and Kim Kardashian attend the World's Most Beautiful Magazine Launch Event at Drai's Hollywood on August 10, 2011 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)

Rob Kardashian and Blac Chyna are seen on April 14, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by XPX/Star Max/GC Images)

Rob Kardashian and Kris Jenner arrive at Rob Kardashian's 26th birthday celebration at 1 OAK Nightclub at The Mirage Hotel & Casino on March 15, 2013 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Denise Truscello/WireImage)

Rob Kardashian's family is reportedly "deeply disappointed and frustrated with him" after he posted revenge porn against ex-girlfriend Blac Chyna on Instagram.

In a lengthy series of posts on Instagram, Rob (30), who has a eight-month-old daughter with Chyna, lashed out at her in a lengthy, crude and downright bizarre rant on Wednesday.

The couple have been on and off throughout their 15-month relationship, seeming only to make it work for a few months and that was usually during filming of their doomed E! reality show Rob & Chyna. When she became pregnant, their relationship was tumultuous as ever and soon after baby Dream Renee was born in November, they went their separate ways.

It should come as no surprise that his latest outburst has "deeply disappointed" his family, including his mother Kris Jenner who finally supports him and bought him a 2.5m home in Calabasas, California.

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"Hes made a difficult situation even worse. At this stage, the primary concern is protecting Dream from all this nastiness," a source told People.

Similarly, TMZ reports his five sisters are "ashamed" of him and fear that his antics might damage the family's brand.

"We're told the Kardashians are adamant...ANY public feuding between Rob and Chyna is unacceptable. They are ashamed the war has become a public spectacle and hurting the family name," the showbiz site reports, adding they "maintain loyalty" to their brother, but are prioritising little baby Dream, who will one grow up and read what was said.
It's good news for the weekend as Ireland is set to bask in sunshine, with temperatures of up to 20 degrees.

Today, there will be mostly cloudy and humid conditions dotted with patches of rain and drizzle, according to Met Eireanns Liz Walsh.

Fresher, drier weather should come in from the northwest with top afternoon temperatures hitting between 17-20 degrees.

Saturday is to remain generally dry with moderate westerly breezes and highest temperatures of 16-19 degrees, before becoming cloudier at night with temperatures dropping to 12-13 degrees.

Saturday is the best day of the weekend. We should see parts of the country brightening up much more than the past few days, Ms Walsh told Independent.ie.

However, those in the Munster coastal regions will see low cloud and mist which will hopefully clear up.

A mild Sunday will wrap up the weekend with scattered outbreaks of rain and moderate winds. Temperatures in the afternoon will range from 17-20 degrees although the northwest will see a cooler 14 or 15 degrees.

Those in Dublin and Cork will have the best weather for Sunday but rain will develop around midday for places like Mayo and Donegal and slowly move south-east for a bit of a wet end to weekend," Ms Walsh said.

She added that the rain won't be too heavy and there will be somewhat light, scattered showers.

While we may see highs of 20-21 degrees, next week does not appear to be breaking away from this period of unsettled weather.

That rain will probably still be lingering on from Sunday for a damp start to the working week, she added.
UNDER scorching sun, I made several journeys this week in South Sudan aboard a canoe, an effective form of transportation in vast swathes of a country the size of France but with very few paved roads.

The canoe I travelled on was fibreglass. Traditionally canoes here are carved from old palm trees, ones that have been allowed to grow for many years. Local people spot when a tree is ready. The tree is cut down, its crown and roots chopped off, and the insides of the trunk removed to make it hollow. Then the now hollow trunk is covered in dry grass and set on fire, and from the ashes the canoe appears. They say it can take almost a week to carve a good canoe.

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Our canoe makes its way through the vast swamp shouldering Nyal town, Panyijar County, its outside channels broad and shallow. The inside canals are long and flow idly in their course, twisting in all directions, collecting into the enormous marshlands of Unity State.

The ground is dry and dusty, bearing no life but the short thin specks of grass, yellowing under the relentless glare of the sun. A once small quiet town with ancient palm trees and scattered thatched houses, Nyal is now a vibrant hub of activity. Extended fighting has forced people to seek refuge in the town and the islands surrounding it.

This was not the vista imagined exactly six years ago this weekend when on July 9th 2011 South Sudan became the worlds newest country, born amid much hope and optimism for a fresh start following years of civil war with Sudan. Gaining independence, South Sudan was created from the 10 southern-most states of Sudan. Today this young country faces a catastrophic humanitarian crisis.

A power crisis between President Salva Kiir and former Vice President Riek Machar, which began in December 2013, has escalated and spiralled into a national, political and ethnic conflict. Civilians have been attacked, and schools and hospitals have been looted and burned. Tens of thousands of people have been killed.

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As they flee their homes in fear, people have left behind their livelihoods and often get stranded in places where there arent enough facilities to support tens of thousands of new arrivals. Many retreat to very isolated areas like the swamp were travelling through, keeping themselves far away from fighting, but also cut off from aid.

The canoe brings us from Nyal to these remote islands where the price of relative safety can mean living in cramped conditions and eating water lilies and the occasional fish, and with no clean water or sanitation.

Nyariek, a member of Oxfams protection team in Nyal, is a regular traveller to these islands. Some are still hidden in the swamps, too afraid to come out, she says. Those that braved the journey have no choice but to ask organisations like Oxfam for help. Those that were left behind, with no food, are hopeful that their family members will return with food.

One of those operating a canoe here is Elizabeth. The left hand side of her green high-vis bears the logo of our governments Irish Aid programme, which has supported Oxfams free canoe transportation programme in Nyal.

Thanks to the people of Ireland, canoes like Elizabeths offer a vital lifeline  bringing aid to those people unable to leave the islands and providing transport to vulnerable groups like older people, children, those with disability or seeking medical treatment to Nyal where they can get help. They are piloted by local people who know these waterways inside out, allowing them to play a leading role in delivering desperately needed humanitarian assistance to their communities.

Following the death of her husband last year, Elizabeth has been forced to be both father and mother to the children, left with the overwhelming responsibility of being the sole breadwinner in a time of war and uncertainty. Earning an income from the canoes has been a lifeline as she waits to cultivate her land.

The attack took place at four in the afternoon in Guak, she says. The soldiers took everything we had; cows, beds, chairs, and even mosquito nets. Luckily we had ran to the islands before as we had been warned about the attack.

Elizabeth, like the people Ive met in South Sudan over the years, is an inspiration. Coping with adversity and challenge, she looks to the future.

I am strong and have travelled to many islands in the swamp. I have been called when there is an emergency and someone needs to go to hospital, and also during the food distribution when many people need help transporting the food they received to far areas.

I have hope for my children to go back to school so that they can have a better life than what we are facing now. One without war, hunger and loss.

In total 3.8 million people have fled their homes: two million are displaced within the country, while 1.9 million have fled to neighbouring countries, mainly Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan and Uganda. An average of 2,000 people a day are crossing into Uganda where the Bidi Bidi refugee camp close to the South Sudanese border is now the largest refugee settlement in the world. It opened less than a year ago.

Back in February, famine was declared in parts of the country; 100,000 people were facing famine, and one million more were on the brink. Since then Oxfam and other humanitarian organisations have raced to respond  aid from Ireland and elsewhere has made a really important difference: we have helped prevent famine from spreading. For now.

But hunger hasnt stopped so there is no room for complacency: the food crisis continues to spread. 25,000 people in the areas previously declared in famine and most at risk are still facing catastrophic levels of hunger. They have run out of ways to cope and survive, meaning their lives depend on aid. Six million people are severely hungry and in need of urgent assistance.

The rainy season which is just starting here brings huge risk of water borne diseases like cholera which is already taking hold across the country. Such diseases often causes diarrhoea, meaning those affected cant absorb the little food they have access to and quickly become dehydrated. The rains mean people can start planting, but it will be months until crops produce food and can be harvested.

While immediate help to fight hunger is needed now, what the people of South Sudan ultimately need is peace. The international community needs to redouble its efforts to bring all warring parties to the negotiating table and to peacefully end their differences.

We may have been able to prevent famine from spreading, but this does not mean we should lower our guard: action in the next few months is crucial if we want to avoid the worst.

For more information visit Oxfam Ireland

Colm Byrne is Oxfam Irelands Humanitarian Manager
Equality and education campaigner Malala Yousafzai has taken to her personal Twitter account for the first time, asking people to join in her fight for girls rights.

The 19-year-old has long been an advocate for womens education  but at a personal cost. In 2012, at the age of 15, she was shot in the head by Taliban militants in Pakistan for her views.

In a string of messages, the teenage Nobel Prize winner explained she was tweeting on a bittersweet day.

While she has now finished secondary school she knows that other girls wont have the opportunities she has been afforded.

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Malala, who will receive her A-level results this summer, won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014 alongside Kailash Satyarthi.

She was made a UN Messenger of Peace earlier this year.
Anti-G20 protesters try to breach the security zone and disrupt the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany, July 7, 2017. REUTERS/Hannibal Hanschke

Anti-G20 protesters are detained as they try to breach the security zone and disrupt the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany, July 7, 2017. REUTERS/Hannibal Hanschke

Police walks through smoke from flares as anti-G20 protesters try to breach the security zone and disrupt the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany, July 7, 2017. REUTERS/Hannibal Hanschke

Protesters stand near a burning barricade during the demonstration during the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany, July 6, 2017. REUTERS/Pawel Kopczynski

A demonstrator throws a bottle towards police on the first day of the G20 summit in Hamburg (AP)

Police confront protesters on the first day of the G20 summit in Hamburg (AP)

U.S. President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump arrive for the G20 leaders summit in Hamburg, Germany July 6, 2017. REUTERS/Axel Schmidt

Melania Trump is reportedly trapped inside her hotel in Hamburg due to anti-capitalist protesters surrounding the building.

The First Lady was due to be involved in an event for the spouses of leaders taking part in the G20 summit, organised by Angela Merkels husband.

But a spokesperson for the US delegation told German media that they had been unable to get clearance for Ms Trump to leave the hotel where she is staying.

Ms Trump has expressed her sympathies for those hurt in the protests which erupted across Germany's second largest city and urged people to remain safe on Twitter.

President Trump made it to the summit on time after driving through the city at a fast speed under heavy police escort.

The German Chancellors husband, Joachim Sauer, was due to take Ms Trump on a tour of the German Climate Computing Centre with the US President's daughter, Ivanka Trump, and other spouses of G20 leaders on Friday.

German officials said the idea for the visit came from Mr Sauer who is a professor of physical and theoretical chemistry.

The centre, which uses super-computers to map climate changes effect on regions across the world, is situated near the secured hall where Ms Merkel, President Trump, and other leaders are meeting.

Other partners, including Ms May's husband Philip, Emmanuel Macron's wife Brigitte Macron, and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's wife Sophie Gregoire Trudeau are currently on the sightseeing tour with Mr Sauer which also involves a boat ride and lunch.

Malcolm Turnbull, the Australian prime minister, tweeted that he was under security lockdown with the Indonesian president, Joko Widodo. Police protecting the hotel where Mr Turnbull is staying briefly came face to face with protestors at one point.

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At least 76 people were hurt in clashes with police in Hamburg as the force used water cannons on black-clad protesters who threw water bottles.

The "Welcome to Hell" rally is one of a number of protests held in the city against both the G20 summit and Mr Trump's maiden appearance there.

Police said beforehand they were expecting up to 100,000 demonstrators to descend on the city and around 20,000 police would be safeguarding the summit.

Ahead of the protests, reports emerged suggesting demonstrators were planning to take advantage of the decision to hold the summit in a busy inner-city area and emulate police crowd control strategies to kettle Trump, Putin and Erdogan.

Hamburg, the birthplace of Chancellor Merkel, is a hub for counter cultural movements and home to many radical left-wing and anarchist groups.
German riot police detain protesters during the demonstrations during the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany, July 6, 2017. REUTERS/Pawel Kopczynski

Dozens of police were injured in clashes with protesters before a G20 summit in Hamburg on Thursday, tarnishing the start of a meeting Chancellor Angela Merkel hopes will cement her role as a stateswoman as she seeks re-election in September.

Merkel, who is campaigning for a fourth term, can ill afford the images of chaos and disharmony that dominated news coverage of the summit. The summit, which starts in earnest on Friday, is a chance for her to polish her diplomatic credentials but would be disastrous if marred by widespread violence.

Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Previous Next Close German riot police detain protesters during the demonstration at the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany, July 6, 2017. REUTERS/Fabian Bimmer German riot police use water cannons against protesters during the demonstration during the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany, July 6, 2017. REUTERS/Fabian Bimmer German riot police detain a protester during the demonstrations during the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany, July 6, 2017. REUTERS/Fabrizio Bensch Prime Minister Theresa May and husband Philip followed by Chancellor Philip Hammond arrives in Hamburg for the G20 leaders' summit. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Thursday July 6, 2017. See PA story POLITICS G20. Photo credit should read: Stefan Rousseau/PA Wire A protester makes a selfie at the front of the bonfire on the street during the demonstration during the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany, July 6, 2017. REUTERS/Hannibal Hanschke An anti G-20 and US President Donald Trump placard reads "The Punch is coming" following clashes between protesters and German riot police in Hamburg, Germany, July 6, 2017. REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach Anti-G20 protesters light garbage in the middle of a road in the Schanze district following clashes with German riot police in Hamburg, Germany, July 6, 2017. REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach Police officers lead detained demonstrators during a protest against the G-20 summit in Hamburg, northern Germany, Thursday, July 6, 2017. The leaders of the group of 20 meet July 7 and 8. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber) Police officers in operation during a protest against the upcoming G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany, Thursday July 6, 2017. The leaders of industrialised nations, G20, are holding a two day summit starting Friday in Hamburg. ( Bodo Marks/dpa via AP) Police officers in operation during the protest against the upcoming G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany, Thursday July 6, 2017. The leaders of industrialised nations, G20, are holding a two day summit starting Friday in Hamburg. (Christian Charisius/dpa via AP) German police cars stay at the front of the protester's placards on the building during the demonstration during the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany, July 6, 2017. REUTERS/Fabian Bimmer German riot police detain protesters during the demonstrations during the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany, July 6, 2017. REUTERS/Pawel Kopczynski Anti-G20 protesters try to breach the security zone and disrupt the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany, July 7, 2017. REUTERS/Hannibal Hanschke Anti-G20 protesters are detained as they try to breach the security zone and disrupt the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany, July 7, 2017. REUTERS/Hannibal Hanschke Police walks through smoke from flares as anti-G20 protesters try to breach the security zone and disrupt the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany, July 7, 2017. REUTERS/Hannibal Hanschke Protesters stand near a burning barricade during the demonstration during the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany, July 6, 2017. REUTERS/Pawel Kopczynski / Facebook

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She met U.S. President Donald Trump for an hour on Thursday evening, but less than an hour later police clashed with anti-capitalist demonstrators near the summit venue, firing water cannons and pepper spray at hundreds of black-clad protesters after they threw bottles.

Nearly 75 police officers were injured throughout the evening, with three requiring treatment in hospital, police said. The pilots of a police helicopter sustained eye injuries when laser pointers were directed at them, police said.

Protesters damaged cars, set other objects ablaze and threw bottles in roving clashes that lasted until midnight.

A Reuters eyewitness saw at least one protester with blood on his face being treated.

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"Welcome to Hell" was the protesters' greeting for Trump and other world leaders arriving for the two-day meeting.

Merkel has taken a high-risk gamble by choosing to hold the summit in the northern port city of Hamburg, partly to show the world that big protests are tolerated in a healthy democracy.

Before meeting Trump, she struck a consensual tone, holding out hope for agreement on the divisive issue of climate policy and pledging to broker compromises. She promised to represent German and European interests at the summit, but added:

"On the other hand, as hosts we - and I - will do all we can to find compromises."

Expand Close Police officers in operation during a protest against the upcoming G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany, Thursday July 6, 2017. The leaders of industrialised nations, G20, are holding a two day summit starting Friday in Hamburg. ( Bodo Marks/dpa via AP) / Facebook

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Whatsapp Police officers in operation during a protest against the upcoming G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany, Thursday July 6, 2017. The leaders of industrialised nations, G20, are holding a two day summit starting Friday in Hamburg. ( Bodo Marks/dpa via AP)

Trump faces a testy confrontation at the summit with leaders of the other big Group of 20 economies after deciding last month to pull the United States out of the 2015 Paris climate deal.

German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel cited "many commonalities" on foreign policy after a meeting that included Merkel, Trump, U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, and Trump family members and advisers Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump.

But he told German broadcaster that "clear differences" on climate change and trade continued to divide the two allies.

Merkel said there were "various options" that could be discussed, noting that nearly all other G20 countries besides the United States stood by the accord.

As the leaders began holding informal meetings, thousands of protesters from around Europe, who say the G20 has failed to solve many of the issues threatening world peace, poured into Hamburg to join the main demonstration.

Police expected around 100,000 protesters in the port city, some 8,000 of whom are deemed by security forces to be ready to commit violence. At least 13,000 protesters joined the main march on Thursday, including around 1,000 black-clad and masked anarchists, police said. Up to 20,000 police officers from across Germany are on hand.

As summit host, Merkel must seek consensus among the G20 leaders not only on the divisive issue of climate policy but also on trade - an area fraught with risk as Trump pursues his 'America First' agenda.

Indonesian finance minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati said Merkel must be careful not to allow acrimony to undermine the summit.

"There is quite a delicate balance that Angela Merkel will have to navigate in a way, because it is not clear that being confrontational won't just create even more of a credibility problem for G20 cooperation," she told Reuters.

Merkel earlier said she was committed to an open international trading system, despite fears of U.S. protectionism under the Trump administration.

"We're united in our will to strengthen multilateral relations at the G20 summit ... We need an open society, especially open trade flows," Merkel said in Berlin.

She and Trump discussed G20 themes, North Korea, the Middle East, and the conflict in eastern Ukraine, according to German and U.S. government officials.

Later, Merkel met with Turkey's Tayyip Erdogan, who this week sharply criticised the German government's rejection of his plans to address Turkish citizens outside the G20 event.

Trump, who earlier in Poland called again on NATO partners to spend more on defence and said he would confront the threat from North Korea, will also meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin for the first time on the sidelines of the summit.

Their meeting, scheduled for Friday, will be closely watched at a time when mutual ties remain strained by U.S. allegations of Russian election hacking, Syria, Ukraine and a U.S. dispute over Trump associates' links to Moscow.

Ahead of the meeting, Putin threw his weight behind the Paris accord.

"We see the Paris Agreement as a secure basis for long-term climate regulation founded on international law and we want to make a comprehensive contribution to its implementation," he told German business daily Handelsblatt.
Doctors treating imprisoned Nobel Peace laureate Liu Xiaobo have stopped using cancer-fighting drugs so as not to overwhelm his severely weakened liver, raising concerns that China's most prominent political prisoner is critically ill.

The team decided to stop use of an inhibitor drug for advanced liver cancer in light of Mr Liu's rapidly deteriorating liver functions, according to a statement on the website of the First Hospital of China Medical University.

It said a traditional Chinese anti-tumour treatment was also suspended while low-molecular heparin had been added to treat venous thrombosis developing in Mr Liu's left leg.

The latest statement appears to be part of an effort by Beijing to show it is providing him with the best possible care, amid questions about his prison conditions and international calls for him to be freed to seek treatment abroad.

Zeng Jinyan, a close family friend in contact with Mr Liu's brother-in-law Liu Hui, said the inhibitor drug, Sorafenib, had failed to work.

"He is yet to see any improvement after two to three weeks, but its side effects are causing his liver functions to badly deteriorate with severe accumulation of abdominal fluid," Ms Zeng wrote in a statement posted online.

"So the drug must be suspended, and the focus has shifted to preserve his liver and to give his body a chance to breathe."

Mr Liu was diagnosed with late-stage liver cancer in May while serving an 11-year sentence for inciting subversion by advocating sweeping political reforms that would end China's one-party rule.

He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2010, the year after he was convicted and jailed by a Chinese court.

In the years since, China has ignored international calls to free him while isolating him to the degree that he has been unable to convey any message to the outside world.

His wife, Liu Xia, has been under strict house arrest in Beijing despite never being accused of any crime.

Even after he was transferred to hospital in the north-eastern city of Shenyang under a medical parole, Mr Liu, his wife and family members were largely prevented from communicating with the outside.

In her statement, Ms Zeng repeated the call that Mr Liu should be freed and allowed to seek treatment overseas. Before then, his doctors should be able to speak freely about his medical treatment, and he should be transferred to a top international hospital in China, she wrote.

Although the Chinese government has so far showed no sign that it would free Mr Liu or allow him to travel overseas, it has acceded to family requests to allow liver cancer experts from Germany, the US and elsewhere to join the Chinese medical team.

AP
Omar Khadr pictured in 2015, as the former Guantanamo Bay prisoner received a multimillion pound payment from the Canadian government (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP, File)

A former Guantanamo Bay prisoner who pleaded guilty to killing a US soldier in Afghanistan has received payment of millions of pounds from Canada.

Canadian government officials confirmed that Omar Khadr has been given 10.5 million Canadian dollars (6.2 million).

The government and Khadr's lawyers negotiated the deal last month, based on a 2010 court ruling that Canadian officials violated his rights at Guantanamo.

The agreement is expected to be announced later on Friday.

The Canadian-born Khadr was 15 when he was captured by US troops following a firefight at a suspected al Qaida compound in Afghanistan that resulted in the death of US Army Sergeant First Class Christopher Speer.

AP
Rescuers work amid the rubble of a building that collapsed in Torre Annunziata, near Naples (Ansa/AP)

Rescue workers have identified two bodies in the rubble of a five-storey apartment building that partially collapsed south of Naples, firefighters said.

Crews have been digging mostly by hand to find seven people reported missing in the residential building along a passenger railway line in the seaside town of Torre Annunziata, three miles from the Pompeii archaeological site.

The cause of the collapse remains unknown, but authorities are investigating whether it was related to renovation work in the building.

Officials had said seven people, including two children, were missing. An elderly resident who had been believed to be inside was later accounted for.

Witnesses said there was no explosion before the collapse, but that a train had just passed, according to the Ansa news agency.

Images show the structure partially collapsed, revealing the interiors of some apartments.

About 80 rescue workers were removing rubble mostly by hand, passing it out in buckets, as firefighters on retractable ladders checked the stability of the section that remained intact.

Firefighters asked for silence among onlookers during the search in the hope of hearing survivors, and the work has been paused periodically to allow sniffer dogs to check the scene.

The train line that passes Mount Vesuvius and connects Naples with such tourist sites as Pompeii and the Amalfi coast was temporarily closed after the collapse.

The Italian railway said in a statement that the vibrations from passing trains have no impact on the stability of adjacent buildings.

AP
U.S. President Donald Trump says something to reporters as he and First Lady Melania Trump depart for travel to Poland and the upcoming G-20 summit in Germany, from the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, U.S., July 5, 2017. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

Donald Trump has reportedly had trouble getting a hotel room for the upcoming G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany.

His team apparently waited too long to book accommodations for the President and his travelling staff and were told none of the major hotels had vacancies, Buzzfeed reported.

The local newspaper Hamburger Abendblatt reported that the Four Seasons had to turn him away as they were full.

In an ironic twist for the hotel chain owner, every luxury hotel in town seemed to be booked up. There do not appear to be any Trump-owned properties in the northern German city.

Buzzfeed did some digging and found that King Salman of Saudi Arabia and his massive entourage are staying at the Four Seasons as well two other high-end hotels.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is staying at the Park Hyatt and German Chancellor Angela Merkel will make camp at the Atlantic Kempinski with India and Canada.

However, the Hamburg government's Senate House will reportedly host him, while staff will likely stay at the US Consulate there.

This is not the first time a US official has had trouble with hotels in Germany. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson had to stay several miles away - at a sanitarium outside of Bonn - from other leaders at the February G20 ministers' meeting.
An Irish-American said he was "shocked" after his house was broken into by the animal.

The black bear broke into the house of Chris O'Dubhraic, who is living in Colorado.

The animal spent six hours raiding the contents of O' Dubhraic's home in Colorado Springs as he slept soundly in bed.

The whole incident was caught on camera.

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The surveillence video shows the beast standing on its hind legs wrecking the cupboards of the kitchen for food, ripping the pantry door apart and opening the fridge door.

The bear can be seen munching on apple oatmeal, strawberries, raspberries and blueberries.

O Dubhraic, whose grandparents are from Co Clare, told Independent.ie of his shock when he realised that there was a bear in his kitchen.

"I was shocked," said O' Dubhraic.

He also added that he has never been to Ireland but "hopes to visit soon."

A wildlife officer soon arrived to O'Dubhraic's home after it had left the house on Tuesday.

The animal was shot dead after it was seen charging toward the house.
A man has escaped charges after killing his neighbour, who was trying to drown twin babies.

David Cash Freeman rushed to a neighbours home in Ada, Oklahoma after a 12-year-old girl ran to his house for help, according to KFOR-TV.

When he arrived at the girl's home, investigators say he found his neighbour Leland Foster attempting to drown his three-month-old twins in a bathtub, while holding a knife and threatening their mother.

Freeman then allegedly shot Foster three times.

According to Fox 13 news, the district attorney's office said that Freeman considered Foster "a threat" and responded in the best interests of the children.

"Mr. Freeman reported that even after firing two (2) shots, he still considered the decedent to be a threat observing him to [be] armed with the knife and responding to the cries of the mother to help her because she felt the children were going to die, and viewing the decedent's evil intent expressed in his facial expression, he felt compelled to fire the third shot to attempt to get past this violent man to render aid and prevent the man from getting back up to harm anyone anymore."

The mother of the children also credited Freeman with saving their lives, according to the investigative report, which reads: "the neighbor saved their life and that she was glad that he did or they would have all been dead... Leland was going to drown the babies and the knife was meant for her."

The Pontotoc County District Attorney ruled the shooting was a "justifiable use of deadly force under Oklahoma Law".

Oklahoma law allows for what is known as 'justifiable homicide,' defined by "the lawful defense of such person or of another, when the person using force reasonably believes such force is necessary to prevent death or great bodily harm to himself or herself or another."

On Thursday, the district attorney also praised the Ada Police Department, adding that the shooting was a tragic situation but the loss of life was necessary.
Brian Hall told police his neglected stepson was 'not my responsibility' Daytona Beach Police Department

The stepfather of a five-year-old boy who was found so badly malnourished that he could not stand up or speak, reportedly told authorities: "He is not my responsibility".

Brian Hall, 29, was arrested for allegedly failing to report neglect of the boy, who was discovered dehydrated and eating cereal of a filthy carpet at his family's home in Daytona Beach, Florida. He weighed just 11kg,

Naomie Hall, the boy's 24-year-old mother, was also detained.

Police were called to investigate allegations of child neglect by officials from the Florida Department of Children and Families, the Orlando Sentinel reported.

After they arrived at the home on 29 June, officers found the boy was still using nappies, suffering from dry skin and so malnourished his weight did not register on a growth chart.

The child was taken to hospital, where he was placed in intensive care.

Daytona Beach Police Department arrested his mother on suspicion of child neglect causing great bodily harm.

Mr Hall arrived home soon after investigators arrived, telling authorities: "He is not my responsibility. I'm not his father. I come from a rich and white family."

While being questioned by police he pointed to his own two children, who also lived at the home, and said: "Those two are taken care of."

Police informed him that he was legally obliged to report child neglect and arrested him.

The boy has been given physical and speech therapy in hospital, while his siblings have been taken into care by authorities.
U.S. President Donald Trump shakes hands with Russian President Vladimir Putin during the their bilateral meeting at the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany July 7, 2017. REUTERS/Carlos Barria

Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin kicked off their highly anticipated one-one-one meeting by trading disparaging comments about the reporters gathered to cover it.

At a photo op before their private G20 summit meeting, the Russian President leaned in to Mr Trump, gestured to the journalists in the room, and asked: "These are the ones hurting you?

"These are the ones. You're right about that, Mr Trump responded.

Mr Putin appeared to be commiserating with Mr Trump on complaints that the media is attacking him. The President has repeatedly accused the news media of reporting falsely on his administration, referring to them as fake news and the enemy of the American people.

The brief aside drew outcry from journalists, many of whom pointed to the Putin regimes poor track record with the media. Almost 60 journalists have been killed in Russia since 1993, according the Committee to Protect Journalists. Most of these reporters covered topics like politics, corruption, and war.

Mr Trump himself has hinted at retaliating against journalists.

This week, the president retweeted a gif depicting him body-slamming a man with a CNN logo superimposed on his head. He also called a female journalist 'crazy" and "dumb as a rock," and accused her of "bleeding badly from a facelift". He has also reportedly suggested jailing journalists who leak classified information.

Deputy White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders has defended Mr Trump's actions by calling him a president who fights fire with fire.

"I think hes been very clear that when he gets attacked hes going to hit back," she said at a press conference.

Just 24 hours before Fridays meeting with Mr Putin, the President mounted yet another attack on the American media, this time in a joint press conference with Polish President Andrzej Duda.

Commenting on a recent CNN article, Mr Trump claimed that the outlet had some pretty serious problems.

They have been fake news for a long time. Theyve been covering me in a very dishonest way, he said. NBC is equally as bad, despite the fact that I made them a fortune with The Apprentice, but they forgot that.

Many felt the comments were in poor taste, especially following a speech in which Mr Trump had positioned the US as an example for the world.

Potus disparaging abroad of US media dilutes respect for American democracy & gives license to autocrats to crack down on their own media, tweeted Richard Haass, the president of the Council on Foreign Relations.

A trashing of the American press corps and Intel community in Eastern Europe of all places, added NBCs Chuck Todd. Could Putin have asked for anything more?
Donald Trump shakes hands with Vladimir Putin during the G20 summit in Hamburg (German government/AP)

Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump sit down together at the G20 summit (AP)

President Donald Trump has accepted Russian president Vladimir Putin's assurances that Moscow did not meddle in the 2016 US presidential election, the Kremlin's foreign minister said.

Sergey Lavrov made the claim to reporters following Mr Trump and Mr Putin's lengthy meeting on the sidelines of an international summit in Germany.

That account appears at odds with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson's description of the meeting.

Mr Tillerson said the president was "rightly focused on how do we move forward from what may be simply an intractable disagreement at this point".

US intelligence officials have blamed Russia for election hacking and other efforts to influence the election to help Mr Trump win.

Mr Lavrov said the Russian military police will monitor a ceasefire in southwestern Syria, after a Russia-US deal.

He described the lengthy talks as "very constructive" and said they touched on cybersecurity, Ukraine, North Korea and other issues.

Under the ceasefire deal Mr Lavrov says was brokered by Russia, the US and Jordan, Moscow and Washington will ensure the cessation of hostilities and humanitarian access.

A monitoring centre will be set up in Jordan, and the Russian military police will oversee its implementation.

AP
Police confront protesters on the first day of the G20 summit in Hamburg (AP)

A demonstrator throws a bottle towards police on the first day of the G20 summit in Hamburg (AP)

Anti-globalisation activists have clashed with police across the German port city of Hamburg, leaving scores of officers injured.

Responding to a second day of protests as world leaders attended the G20 summit, police ordered in more than 900 additional officers from across the country.

At least 196 police officers were injured, dozens of activists had to be taken to hospital and more than 70 protesters were detained.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel condemned the violent protests as "unacceptable".

"I have every understanding for peaceful demonstrations," Mrs Merkel said. "But violent demonstrations endanger human lives, they endanger people themselves, they put police officers and security forces in danger, put residents in danger, and so that is unacceptable."

She thanked security forces for their work as the G20 met behind a heavy police presence in a no-go zone that was off-limits to most.

Thousands of officers in full riot gear patrolled as many as 30 different protest marches. Most of the demonstrations were peaceful and creative, but some rioters threw petrol bombs, iron rods and cobble stones.

More than 20,000 officers were on hand to guard the city's streets, skies and waterways.

Police trucks blasted protesters back with water cannons, and officers physically dragged away a group holding a sit-in at the entrance to the summit grounds after they jeered and yelled at a convoy heading inside.

Anti-globalisation protesters also kept US first lady Melania Trump from joining the spouses of the other world leaders at the summit.

Protesters repeatedly tried pushing into the no-go zone - among them a group of 22 swimmers from Greenpeace who tried accessing the area from the Elbe River but did not succeed, police said.

Later on Friday, activists attempted to get near Hamburg's highly protected philharmonic hall, where international leaders were listened to a concert and had dinner together. Greenpeace boats blasted music toward the performance hall to disrupt the leaders' meeting there.

Police condemned the "shocking criminal energy and high potential of violence" on display and tweeted a photograph of an officer with a bloody wound they said was caused by slingshot catapults.

Some officers had to be taken to the hospital, including one whose eye was injured when a firework went off in front of him.

The city's fire department said 11 activists were severely injured and taken to hospital after falling off a 13ft wall after fleeing from a confrontation with riot police.

Police could not say how many activists were injured in the clashes, but the fire department said that as of Friday morning they had taken 60 protesters to hospitals across the city.

AP
Earhart was the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean but when attempting to fly around the world in 1937, her plane crashed and Earhart was declared missing and eventually dead. Photo: AP

A newly discovered photograph proves that Amelia Earhart did not die in a plane crash but was captured by the Japanese, experts have claimed 80 years after her disappearance.

The photograph was found in a former "top secret" file at the US National Archives and is believed to have been taken in 1937 - the same year Ms Earhart disappeared during her round-the-world flight attempt.

Expand Close A photograph from the US National Archive which it is claimed shows Amelia Earhart and her navigator Fred Noonan in the Marshall Islands in 1937 / Facebook

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Whatsapp A photograph from the US National Archive which it is claimed shows Amelia Earhart and her navigator Fred Noonan in the Marshall Islands in 1937

It had been generally accepted that Ms Earhart, and her navigator Fred Noonan, died on July 2, 1937, when their plane crashed close to Howland Island in the central Pacific Ocean, amid poor visibility and low fuel levels.

A new documentary, 'Amelia Earhart: The Lost Evidence' on the History channel, however, argues that the photograph proves Ms Earhart and Mr Noonan were picked up by the Japanese military, who believed they were spies, and taken prisoner.

It states the pair had crash-landed in the Japanese-held Marshall Islands.

The film also proposes that the US government knew of Ms Earhart's whereabouts and did nothing to rescue her.

Expand Close In this undated photo, Amelia Earhart, the first woman to cross the Atlantic Ocean by plane sits on top of a plane. Photo: AP / Facebook

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Whatsapp In this undated photo, Amelia Earhart, the first woman to cross the Atlantic Ocean by plane sits on top of a plane. Photo: AP

In the documentary, the photograph is subjected to facial-recognition and other forensic testing. It is judged authentic, and likely to be that of Ms Earhart and Mr Noonan.

"When you see the analysis that's been done, I think it leaves no doubt to the viewers," Shawn Henry, a former executive assistant director for the FBI, told 'NBC News'.

It is claimed that the photo shows Ms Earhart and Mr Noonan on a dock in the Marshall Islands, with the Japanese ship, the Koshu, towing the American's plane in the background.

The photo was discovered by Les Kinney, a retired US treasury agent, who has spent years trying to unravel the mystery of the Earhart expedition.

He said the photo "clearly indicates that Earhart was captured by the Japanese".

The documentary tells of "a world-famous aviator who got caught up in an international dispute, was abandoned by her own government, and made the ultimate sacrifice," Mr Henry said.

"She may very well be the first casualty of World War II."

Experts stated the hairline of the man in the photo matched that of Mr Noonan.

"The hairline is the most distinctive characteristic," said Ken Gibson, a facial recognition expert. "It's a very sharp receding hairline. The nose is very prominent.

"It's my feeling that this is very convincing evidence that this is probably Noonan."

Marshall Islands residents have previously claimed they saw the plane crash near the island, with Ms Earhart and Mr Noonan being taken away by the Japanese.

"We believe that the Koshu took her to Saipan [in the Mariana Islands], and that she died there under the custody of the Japanese," said Gary Tarpinian, the executive producer of the documentary.

"We don't know how she died. We don't know when."

Japanese authorities told NBC that there are no records indicating that Ms Earhart was in Japanese custody.

Ms Earhart was the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean in 1932.
The US and Russia have reached an agreement for a ceasefire in south-west Syria, according to officials.

The ceasefire is set to take effect at noon on Sunday.

Word of the ceasefire emerged as US President Donald Trump met Russian President Vladimir Putin at the G20 summit.

The deal marks a new level of involvement for the US in trying to resolve Syria's civil war.

A separate deal to create "de-escalation zones" was brokered by Russia, Turkey and Iran, but not the US.

Follow-up talks this week in Kazakhstan to finalise a ceasefire in those zones failed to reach a deal.

The US and Russia have been backing opposing sides in Syria's war.

Jordan and Israel also are part of the agreement, one official said.

The two US allies both share a border with the southern part of Syria and have been concerned about violence from the civil war spilling over the frontier.

Moscow has been supporting Syrian President Bashar Assad and Washington is backing rebels who have been fighting Assad. Both the US and Russia oppose the Islamic State group in Syria.

Previous ceasefires in Syria have collapsed or failed to reduce violence for long, and it is unclear whether this deal will be any better.

Earlier in the week, Syria's military said it was halting combat operations in the south of Syria for four days, in advance of a new round of Russia-sponsored talks in Astana. That move covered the southern provinces of Daraa, Quneitra and Sweida.

Syria's government briefly extended that unilateral ceasefire, which is now set to expire on Saturday - a day before the US-Russian deal would take effect.

The new agreement will be open-ended, one US official said, describing it as part of broader discussions with Russia on trying to lower violence in the war-ravaged country.

Officials said the US and Russia were still working out the details as Mr Trump and Mr Putin concluded their more than two-hour meeting on Friday.

The US has been wary of letting Iran gain influence in Syria - a concern shared by Israel and Jordan, neither of which wants Iranian-aligned troops massing near their territories.

A US-brokered deal could help the Trump administration retain more of a say over who fills the power vacuum left behind as Islamic State is routed from additional territory in Syria.

Though US and Russian officials had been discussing a potential deal for some time, it did not reach fruition until the run-up to Mr Trump's meeting with Mr Putin on the sidelines of the G20 summit, officials said.

AP
A man who killed a hospital security guard and a sheriff's deputy after escaping from custody in 2006 has been executed following an unsuccessful campaign to spare his life over concerns about his mental health.

William Morva, 35, was pronounced dead after a lethal injection at Greensville Correctional Centre in Jarratt, Virginia.

It was the first execution carried out in the state under a new protocol that makes more of the lethal injection procedure secret.

The execution came hours after Virginia's Democratic governor announced that he would not spare Morva's life despite pressure from mental health advocates, state legislators and lawyers who said his crimes were the result of a severe mental illness that made it impossible for him to distinguish between delusions and reality.

Morva, wearing jeans and a blue shirt, said "no" when he was asked whether he had any last words.

In denying a clemency petition, governor Terry McAuliffe concluded Morva received a fair trial.

He noted that experts who evaluated Morva at the time found he did not suffer from any illness that would have prevented him from understanding the consequences of his crimes.

He also said prison staff who monitored Morva for the past nine years never reported any evidence of a severe mental illness or delusional disorder.

"I personally oppose the death penalty; however, I took an oath to uphold the laws of this Commonwealth regardless of my personal views of those laws, as long as they are being fairly and justly applied," Mr McAuliffe said in a statement.

Morva was awaiting trial on attempted robbery charges in 2005 when he was taken to hospital to treat an injury. He attacked a sheriff's deputy with a metal toilet paper holder, stole his gun, and shot an unarmed security guard, Derrick McFarland, in the face before fleeing.

A day later, Morva killed another sheriff's deputy with a bullet to the back of the head. The deputy, Eric Sutphin, had been searching for Morva near Virginia Tech's Blacksburg campus when he was shot.

Experts who examined Morva for his trial said he suffered from personality disorders that resulted in "odd beliefs".

After his trial, a psychiatrist diagnosed him with delusional disorder, a more severe mental illness akin to schizophrenia that made him falsely believe, among other things, that he had life-threatening gastrointestinal issues and that a former presidential administration conspired with police to imprison him, his lawyers said.

The lawyers argued that Morva escaped and killed the men because he was under the delusion that he was going to die in jail.

Morva was the first inmate executed in Virginia since officials made changes to the state protocol that have drawn fire from lawyers and transparency advocates. The changes came after lawyers raised concerns in January about how long it took to place an IV line during the execution of convicted killer Ricky Gray.

Execution witnesses used to be able to watch inmates walk into the chamber and be strapped down. A curtain would then be closed so the public could not see the placement of the IV and heart monitors. After the curtain was reopened, inmates would be asked whether they had any final words before the chemicals started to flow.

In Morva's execution, the curtain was closed when the witnesses entered the chamber and was not opened until he was strapped to the trolley and the IV lines were in place.

Virginia used a three drug mixture obtained from a compounding pharmacy whose identify remains secret under state law.

AP
A day heavy in green Indian equity markets saw a day, heavy in green, today. Nifty 50 ended, up by 321.5 points. Sensex ended, up by 1181.34 points. Top Gainers today were HDFC, HDFC Bank, Infosys. Top Losers ... November 11, 2022 | 11-11-2022 3:43 pm

In early trade, Rupee rises 71 paise to 80.69 / $ Early on Friday, the rupee strengthened 71 paise to 80.69 against the dollar as investors' attitudes were bolstered by easing US CPI data and a decline in the dollar index. Forex traders claime... November 11, 2022 | 11-11-2022 2:24 pm

Sensex zooms over 1,100 pts; Nifty above 18,300; IT index top contributor Domestic benchmark indices in the fast lane today led by IT and Metal stocks outperforming. Both the Sensex and Nifty benchmarks were nearly 2% higher amid positive global cues. On the se... November 11, 2022 | 11-11-2022 2:00 pm

NIBE receives order of Rs11.88 crore from Goa Shipyard; Stock slips 1% Nibe Limited stocks in focus as the company announced the receipt of purchase orders. As per the regulatory filing, it has received two purchase orders dated November 08, 2022 from G... November 11, 2022 | 11-11-2022 12:53 pm

Ashoka Buildcon receives provisional certificate for NHAI road project; Stock up 2% Ashoka Buildcon Limited has informed the declaration of October 26, 2021 as the Commercial Operation Date (CoD) for its Hybrid Annuity Mode (HAM) Project of National Highways Authority of ... November 11, 2022 | 11-11-2022 12:26 pm
The petition reads  It's time for PM Modi to walk his talk.

The issue of mob lynching has been haunting the country for quite some time now but it is disappointing that the government hasnt addressed it until now. A lot of people, including celebrities poured out on streets to protest against the same on June 28 and condemned the violence that is taking place in the name of the religion but the violence continues.

YouTube/Hindi Kavita

In the wake of all this, actress Swara Bhaskar, who often takes stands on social issues filed a petition on change.org that reads, It's time for PM Modi to walk his talk. The campaign seeks the enactment of Manav Suraksha Kanoon (MASUKA) to help curb lynchings across the nation.

In her petition, Swara stated, "I am an actress in the Indian Film Industry. But as a conscientious citizen of India, cannot allow these lynchings to take place... I, along with thousands of young Indians, stood up against this public menace in protests that were recently held across 20 cities of the world."

Respected PM @narendramodi @PMOIndia This needs your attention & action sir! We look 2 the elected leader of #India https://t.co/KZQCYLBcQ7  Swara Bhasker (@ReallySwara) July 5, 2017

"We, together, said #NotInMyName, to such violence. Next day, PM Modi issued a statement condemning the killings in the name of gau raksha (cow protection). But even after vigilante violence has continued."

PTI

The petition has laid out five demands, which are:

1. The enactment of a Manav Suraksha Kanoon (MASUKA) in the upcoming session of the Parliament.

2. Collection of data about mob lynching by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) as no data exists.

3. Setting up of a national helpline so that the cases of vigilant violence can be reported.

4. Ban on cow vigilante groups.

5. Police reforms to ensure independence of police, awareness and sensitisation among law enforcers regarding rights of individuals and ills of mob justice/vigilantism.

About 23,607 people have already supported the petition!

"If you think this is a selective protest, this is the problem with your thought process," she told Mumbai Mirror.

"We want him to preserve our social independence," she states.
Bollywood actor Shahid Kapoor is celebrating his second wedding anniversary with wifey Mira Rajput today but that hasn't given him an excuse to miss his work out. The actor who is only aging backwards recently posted a steamy hot photo of himself posing shirtless.

Instagram/Shahid Kapoor

The 36-year-old became a fitness freak ever since he worked for his body during Udta Punjab and since then there has been no looking back. The Rangoon star has been posting photos of his in shape body which is proof that his six pack abs are drool worthy.

Here's taking a look at Shahid's latest photo that's making the internet all dizzy.

Favere favere kaam chaloo hai.  A post shared by Shahid Kapoor (@shahidkapoor) on Jul 6, 2017 at 10:07pm PDT

While some envied his muscles, some fans wished him on his anniversary instead.

A post shared by Shahid Kapoor (@shahidkapoor) on Jan 17, 2017 at 12:03am PST

We are so jealous of Mrs Kapoor who has the pleasure of touching his abs, while we continue to heart his pictures on Instagram. But we don't mind that at all. Also, Happy anniversary, Sasha.
1. 9 Relationship Lessons You Can Learn From Bollywoods Most Loved Couple Shahid And Mira

#marriedtothephone A post shared by Shahid Kapoor (@shahidkapoor) on Jan 16, 2017 at 12:43am PST

Today, the delicious duo complete two years of their wedding. And ever since the two have come together, we can't stop gushing over how romantic the two are. From dinner dates, Koffee With Karan appearances or hitting the gym, Shamira never fail to give us couple goals.

2. Ranveer Singh's Wax Statue Was Unveiled In Paris And It Looks Nothing Like Him

Twitter

Ranveer Singh celebrated his 32nd birthday on July 6 and bought himself a swanky white Aston martin. But the gift that could have touched him and his fans the most was to be his wax statue that was unveiled in Paris.

3. Swara Bhaskar Starts Online Petition Against Mob Lynching, Urges PM Modi To Walk His Talk

YOUTUBE/HINDI KAVITA

Actress Swara Bhaskar, who often takes stands on social issues filed a petition on change.org that reads, It's time for PM Modi to walk his talk. The campaign seeks the enactment of Manav Suraksha Kanoon (MASUKA) to help curb lynchings across the nation.

4. Aamir Khans Dangal Takes China By Storm, Fans Dance On Uncle Khans Song To Pay Him Tribute

And if you doubt as to how much people have caught the movies fancy, here's a video that you ought to watch. Some of the fans in China paid tribute to the superstar by dancing on his track Dhaakad and it's phenomenal.

5. Onir Reveals The Downside Of His Sexual Orientation, Says He's The Only Openly Gay Filmmaker

There are so many bigger filmmakers who are yet to come out. Nobody writes or says rubbish about them. But because I am the only openly gay filmmaker in our film industry I am vulnerable to all kinds of attacks, he told DNA.
Annual Gay Pride Parade hosted in countries across the world have one message to convey to the whole world, that of love and togetherness. Here are twenty colourful pictures showing the participants in different nations celebrating and spreading pride:

1. Revellers take part in the Gay Pride Parade in San Salvador, El Salvador.

reuters

2. Riot police use rubber pellets to disperse LGBT rights activists as they try to gather for a pride parade, which was banned by the governorship, in central Istanbul, Turkey.

reuters

3. Participants carry a rainbow flag during the Gay Pride Parade in Mexico City, Mexico.

reuters

4. Participants pose for a photograph as they take part in the annual Gay Pride parade in Paris, France.

reuters

5. LGBT rights activists try to gather for a pride parade, which was banned by the governorship, in central Istanbul, Turkey.

reuters

6. Participants take part in the LGBT Pride March in Manhattan, New York City.

reuters

7. People attend the Gay Pride Parade in San Salvador, El Salvador.

reuters

8. Participants take part in a "die in" during the LGBT Pride March in Manhattan, New York City.

reuters

9. A participant poses for a photograph while taking part in the annual Gay Pride parade in Paris, France.

reuters

10. Participants take part in the annual Gay Pride parade in Paris, France.

reuters

11. Participants get ready as they attend a gay pride parade in Chennai, India.

reuters

12. A person dressed up as President Donald Trump in the Grim Reaper outfit participates in the LGBT Pride March in Manhattan, New York City.

reuters

13. French policemen patrol as increased security measures are enforced during the annual Gay Pride parade in Paris, France.

reuters

14. Riot police disperse people as LGBT rights activists try to gather for a pride parade, which was banned by the governorship, in central Istanbul, Turkey.

reuters

15. People throw confetti into the crowd during the LGBT Pride Parade in Valencia, Spain.

reuters

16. A reveller takes part in the Gay Pride Parade in San Salvador, El Salvador.

reuters

17. People attend the Gay Pride Parade in San Salvador, El Salvador.

reuters

18. Participants take part in the LGBT Pride March in Manhattan, New York City.

reuters

19. A participant takes part in the annual Gay Pride parade in Paris, France.

reuters

20. People attend the Gay Pride Parade in San Salvador, El Salvador.

reuters
Bengali Star Vikram Chatterjee was arrested by Kolkata police personnel in the wee hours of Friday. Chatterjee was facing a culpable homicide charge for the car crash which resulted in the death of TV anchor Sonika Chauhan.

A senior police officer from Kolkata police informed that the police had intercepted a cab outside Acropolis Mall on Rashbehari Avenue connector in the Kasba area, south of Kolkata at midnight yesterday. Reports suggest that Vikram was driving at a very high speed seconds before the accident happened.

The actor has been absconding after he had been charged with a culpable homicide not amounting to murder. Chatterjee had been in trouble as he had been charged with causing the death due to negligent and rash driving.

The accident had taken place in the wee hours of April 29. It has reported that Vikarm's anticipatory bail plea hearing was scheduled to be heard at Kolkata HC on July 12 or 13.
A reply to an RTI query by a Meerut-based activist has shown that a total of 6,110 rapes were committed in the state in 18 months between January 2016 and June 2017. The data was provided by the national human rights commission (NHRC). Local RTI activist Lokesh Khurana had filed a petition soon after the Jewar gangrape on May 25, where four women were allegedly sexually assaulted off Yamuna Expressway on Jewar-Bulandshahr road.

Representational Image

According to the document, of these, 3,219 cases involved abduction, rape and murder in the said period, while 1,327 of them were gangrapes. Besides, 1,092 rapes (without murder) were also committed in the 18 months. In all, 6,110 women were sexually violated, including 52 alleged rapes in police custody.

If one calculates the annual figures, it works out that 4,073 rapes would happen in the state in 12 months. If one normalizes this data to account for the states population, it works out that there were 3.7 rape incidents committed in the state for every lakh of its female population in 2016.

Khurana told TOI, Jewar gangrape was only a trigger point. The numbers I got from NHRC were disturbing.

Representational Image

Additional director general (crime) Chandra Prakash, however, said not much should be read into these numbers which were unconventional. We never talk about crime in absolute numbers. According to the last NCRB data (for 2015), UP stands at 23rd position across the country in a number of rapes reported per lakh of the population. If at all, there is a spike, an important catalyst has been our thrust in filing FIRs. After interventions like UP 100, separate FIR counters at SSP offices and Twitter Seva, there has been an exponential increase in filing of FIRs which otherwise went unreported in the past," the ADG said.

The conventional national crime records bureau data for 2016 is scheduled to be released in August.
Indian and Israeli companies signed strategic pacts worth $4.3 billion (excluding defence) on the sidelines of the first CEOs Forum held in Tel Aviv on Thursday. With Prime Ministers Narendra Modi and Benjamin Netanyahu presiding, almost 30 CEOs from both sides promised to power the economic and investment relationship.

AP

The business leaders gave a thumbsup to the $40 million innovation fund announced on Wednesday, but urged both governments to restart discussions on an FTA (free trade agreement) and investment protection pact to deepen economic ties.

They also sought easier registration of businesses in both countries, more connectivity by increasing direct flights, standardisation of requirement to make sure products are of the highest quality and promotion of tourism and cultural exchanges. The aim is to increase bilateral trade from the present $4-5 billion to $20 billion in five years.

ALSO READ: How Modi's Historic Visit Will Take Indo-Israel Ties Beyond Just Shalom-Namaste

AP

The CEOs asked the Israeli government for longer-term multiple entry business visas, change of rules for investors, opening up of the agriculture sector for tie-ups and knowledge transfer. Israeli businessmen said India should have more effective intellectual property protection. They also sought more worker visas, smoother dispute resolution and "encourage the full utilisation of buybacks, given the defence procurement from Israel".

ALSO READ: India-Israel Join Hands To Clean Ganga Together And Conserve Water

AP

In their joint statement on Wednesday, the two governments acknowledged the validity of many of these recommendations.

The statement said the two PMs "tasked the India-Israel CEO Forum to come up with early recommendations" to boost bilateral cooperation in innovation and entrepreneurship.

The statement said the governments would work on "granting of multiple entry visas to business people for up to five years", and would begin negotiations on an investment protection agreement. Israel will be the partner country for the annual Technology Summit to be held in India in 2018.

ALSO READ: PM Modis Diplomacy Stuns Pakistan. Here Is How Pakistani Media Has Covered His Israel Visit

AP

The strategic MOUs signed on Thursday include those between Texmaco and Leshman-Lesico; Alpha Design and Elbit Land Systems; Elcomm Innovations and Eccopia Scientific; Wipro and Israel Aerospace; Dynamatics Technologies and Israel Aerospace and Elcom Systems; Cadila Healthcare and Phibro Animal Health Corporation; Sun and Water-Gen; tGELF and LEAD; Telerad Tech and Zebra Medical Vision; Kalyani Strategic Systems and Israel Aerospace; and Mahindra and Shachaf.

ALSO READ: As PM Modi Embarks On Historic Visit, Here Are 5 Reasons Why Israel Matters To India
When Kainoa Little failed to find a media buyer for his photos of the Mosul conflict, he decided to make them available online for everyone to see, free of charge.

As photographers compete with one another to sell their photos to media houses, their snapshots tell the same story - of war ripping apart lives and forcing people to leave their homes.

The Washington-based photographer, who specialises in war photography, went to Mosul in April 2017 to capture the efforts of Iraqi Federal Police to free Mosul from ISIL militants. But Little's photographs went beyond - they captured the struggle of refugees fleeing their homes, of soldiers risking their lives to save the people, and of chaos threatening to ruin everything.

1. "American and Burmese medics fail to resuscitate a sniper victim"

Kainoa Little

2. "Civilians flee from fighting in west Mosul"

Kainoa Little

3. "Refugees from west Mosul wait near the Tigris River crossing"

Kainoa Little

4. "Federal Police take positions in a ruined cinema"

Kainoa Little

5. "A Federal Policeman reacts as Islamic State bullets impact the other side of the wall near him. Police were fighting Islamic State for control of this cinema in west Mosul"

Kainoa Little

6. "An Islamic State bullet punches through the wall near a Federal Policeman"

Kainoa Little

7. "A Humvee passes civilians fleeing battles in Musharrifah, northwest Mosul"

Kainoa Little

8. "Civilians fleeing battles in Musharrifah, northwest Mosul"

Kainoa Little

9. "A Federal Policeman in a ruined cinema in west Mosul"

Kainoa Little

10. "Civilians fleeing battles in Musharrifah, northwest Mosul"

Kainoa Little

11. "A woman learns from American and Burmese medics that her son will survive a bullet wound in the leg"

Kainoa Little

12. "Federal Police broke open this door and entered a building suspected of containing an explosive device"

Kainoa Little

13. "A cook prepares large amounts of rice for the soldiers"

Kainoa Little

14. "Federal Police fire on Islamic State positions in West Mosul"

Kainoa Little

You can go through the rest of his work here.
The tech industry, and even Hollywood, have always been obsessed with the idea of holograms. Its not a sci-fi movie if there isnt some sort of holographic communicator or computer at hand, and weve been trying our hardest to make both of those things a reality. Now, a breakthrough is coming out from an unexpected source.

Image courtesy: RED

High-end camera maker RED has just announced its launching a premium smartphone called Hydrogen One. The big news here, however, is not the phone itself. Its the holographic display.

An effervescent press release for the Hydrogen One indicates that the 5.7-inch display on the smartphone somehow features nanotechnology that seamlessly switches between traditional 2D content, holographic multi-view content, 3D content, and interactive games. All of this is touted to work without the need for a headset of any sort, or even glasses. How exactly is works though, is still not clear. However, in a post on the companys forum shortly after, RED founder Jim Jannard says, there is no good way to describe it until you see it.

Jannard also insists their technology is something completely new and not lenticular (using lenses and magnifying glasses to give the impression of 3D) which is inferior tech in every way, has been tried many times before and failed for good reason. (see Amazon 3D Fire, LG Optimus, etc).

Another thing apparent from Jannards post, is that the Hydrogen One will draw on REDs expertise in camera building. The device will have its own rear and selfie cameras, but is designed to be modular (like the Moto Z), allowing you to later add accessories to improve the camera experience significantly.

RED says the new smartphone will ship early 2018, and is currently available for pre-order on their website at $1,195 (Rs 77,300) for the aluminium version and $1,595 (RS 1,03,300)for titanium.
In the bit of escalation in a long-standing legal battle with Apple, chip maker Qualcomm is petitioning the US government to ban the entry of new iPhones in the country. In addition, it also wants new iPhone already in the US to be banned from selling.

Qualcomm has previously claimed that Apple violated six of its patents related to improving smartphone battery life. According to the company, none of these patents define a standard of requirement, so they arent obliged to license them.

Qualcomm has filed a lawsuit with both the US International Trade Commission and the US district court in southern California, where the two companies are already embroiled in two other patent dispute cases.

Qualcomms inventions are at the heart of every iPhone and extend well beyond modem technologies or cellular standards, Qualcomms legal counsel Don Rosenberg said in a statement. Apple continues to use Qualcomms technology while refusing to pay for it.

Apple, for its own part, has in the past accused Qualcomm of abusing its position as a market leader for LTE modems, and charging high fees for the use of those patents. Those licenses are required to be reasonably priced however, as LTE is an international standard, unlike the current case Qualcomm has filed.
President Moon Jae-in and German Chancellor Angela Merkel met in Berlin on Wednesday amid heightened tensions after North Korea launched an intercontinental ballistic missile.

Moon called for tougher sanctions but stressed several times that only dialogue can bring the ultimate solution to the crisis.

"There is a difficult situation now to produce momentum for dialogue," presidential spokesman Park Soo-hyun quoted Moon as saying. "However, there must not be a war on the Korean Peninsula ever again. It is imperative for the international community to increase sanctions and pressure on North Korea over its provocations, but the issue should be resolved through dialogue and eventually peace."

Merkel told him that she hopes to caution U.S. President Donald Trump that a rapid response could lead to dangerous consequences. A Cheong Wa Dae official said she was referring to military retaliation. Trump the same day warned of a "severe response" to the latest missile test.
The Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola SAN said it was regrettable that the Senate Committee Chairman on Appropriation, Senator Danjuma Goje would seek to trivialize the issues he raised about the unilateral slashing of the budgetary allocation to key national infrastructure by the National Assembly.

In a Statement personally signed by the Minister and sent in from Zimbabwe where he is currently attending the 35th Annual General Meeting of the Shelter Afrique, Fashola said he was responding only for the purpose of refocusing attention to the issues at stake.

According to the Minister, the Senators reference to the patriotism of legislators should not be spoken but demonstrated as regards his calls for a more developmental budgeting approach.

Explaining this further, the Minister declared: In this context, it is left for Nigerians to then decide whether budgeting for constituency roads is more patriotic than budgeting to complete the Kano-Maiduguri Road that connects five states, the Lagos-Ibadan road that connects three states and helps to move food, imported goods and fuel across the country; or the 2nd Niger Bridge that connects the East and West geopolitical zones of at least 11 states together.

I will also leave Nigerians to judge whether it is more patriotic to budget for the Mambilla Power Project that will contribute to more power across Nigeria or reduce the budget to build street lights in legislative constituencies.

The Minister noted that the response to the issues he raised certainly should not have been accusations of his blackmailing the Legislature or referring to those who shared his views as his surrogates.

Reiterating his respect for the Parliament as a House where very vigorous debates about development should take place, Fashola advised Senator Goje to acquire the temperament for such debate and disagreement.

Let me reiterate that I see parliament as a House where very vigorous debates about development should take place and it is important for Goje to acquire the temperament of debate and disagreement.

Decrying the senators admonition that he should learn how to behave like a Minister and the reference to the Senate awaiting how he would be handled by the House of Representatives, the Minister declared,  I think first that the language is unparliamentary and therefore not deserving of a reply.

Noting that Gojes faux pas gave a clearer insight into how the Senator and those who may be minded like him may be thinking having transited from the Executive arm to the Legislative arm, the Minister called for caution.

 It seems that it is such people who need a behavioural prescription about legislative function, Fashola said.

According to the Minister, a good budget remained a necessary tool for the executive to do its work because when services were inadequate, the members of the public often looked to the executive arm for answers.

I need a better budget as a tool to do my work and that is why l am speaking out, he said.

Source: ( PM News )
Charles Chukwuemeka Oputa (AKA CharlyBoy) has given reason he advocated for the release of leader of the Indigenous people of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu.

In a post he shared via his Facebook page, he maintained that he stand for equal rights and justice. Charly said,

For whatever reason, no man deserves to be ilI-treated in his fatherland as Nnamdi Kanu. Hence, the need for my inclusion in the ever-growing calls for his release at the time. I am for equal rights and justice, period.

Advocating for the okada community doesnt necessarily make me an okada rider. Advocating for gay rights, doesnt make me gay.

Everybody is witness to the several injustices against the Igbos, we may differ on methodology. Biafra for me is a mindset. If there was no great injustice in the land, there would be no call for Biafra. So dont get it twisted.

Sometime in January 2017, I wrote about my thoughts on the Biafra and the many things my Igbo kinsmen can alternatively dedicate their all to.

I titled the article The illusion called Biafra, those who havent read it should read it up because what I wrote therein will always be my stance on Biafra.

We should channel our energies and abilities towards developing the South-East to become the economic-hub of Nigeria. Igbo nation and my people are great but for us to move forward, we must kill these individualistic tendencies, and come together to do great things.

Let it be clear to all that the sufferings and poverty of the People from the South East is also the sufferings and poverty of the peoples from the other geopolitical zones in Nigeria including my northern brothers. Even the nascent anti-corruption fight in the country has seen all tribe accordingly represented.

Therefore, I conclusively insist that Our Mumu Don Do because; The Failure of Leadership is evident in our agitation for Fairness, Justice and Equality for every Nigerian not just for every Igbo man.

And so the Mind of the typical Igbo Leader Needs a Revolution so that it can be realigned for the interest of the people rather than the interest of a few.

Charles Chukwuemeka Oputa (AKA CharlyBoy) has given reason he advocated for the release of leader of the Indigenous people of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu. In a post he shared via his Facebook page, he maintained that he stand for equal rights and justice. Charly said, For whatever reason, no man deserves to be ilI-treated in his fatherland as Nnamdi Kanu. Hence, the need for my inclusion in the ever-growing calls for his release at the time. I am for equal rights and justice, period. Advocating for the okada community doesnt necessarily make me an okada rider. Advocating for gay rights, doesnt make me gay. Everybody is witness to the several injustices against the Igbos, we may differ on methodology. Biafra for me is a mindset. If there was no great injustice in the land, there would be no call for Biafra. So dont get it twisted. Sometime in January 2017, I wrote about my thoughts on the Biafra and the many things my Igbo kinsmen can alternatively dedicate their all to. I titled the article The illusion called Biafra, those who havent read it should read it up because what I wrote therein will always be my stance on Biafra. We should channel our energies and abilities towards developing the South-East to become the economic-hub of Nigeria. Igbo nation and my people are great but for us to move forward, we must kill these individualistic tendencies, and come together to do great things. Let it be clear to all that the sufferings and poverty of the People from the South East is also the sufferings and poverty of the peoples from the other geopolitical zones in Nigeria including my northern brothers. Even the nascent anti-corruption fight in the country has seen all tribe accordingly represented. Therefore, I conclusively insist that Our Mumu Don Do because; The Failure of Leadership is evident in our agitation for Fairness, Justice and Equality for every Nigerian not just for every Igbo man. And so the Mind of the typical Igbo Leader Needs a Revolution so that it can be realigned for the interest of the people rather than the interest of a few.

Source: Naijaloaded
The Nigerian army has reacted to viral insinuations in some quarters that the Boko Haram insurgency is getting hotter.

According to Punch Metro, the Nigerian military on Thursday said there is no proof that Boko Haram attack has risen in recent times.

It also said that highways that have a history of insurgency attacks would be patrolled aerially and also have stationed mobile land troops.

The military was said to have allowed the insurgents way back into attacking the nation after the initial success of capturing Sambisa Forest last year.

The insurgents in recent attacks have laid siege on the University of Maiduguri, laid ambushes on highways and allegedly kidnapped policewomen.

Addressing a press conference, Maj. Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru, the head of military counter-insurgency operations in the North-east, said that in the last few weeks against the belief that there has been a rise in insurgency attacks there was no evidence to buttress that fact.

He disclosed that between March and July 19,642 Boko Haram captives were rescued by Nigerian troops in battles with insurgents which led to the killing of 404 terrorists with 810 others arrested,

He argued that what has happened is that the insurgents have made unsuccessful attacks in some areas which have gained mileage in the media.

He added that the attacks on the University of Maiduguri because of the eagle-eyed security on watch have largely been unsuccessful.

On recent successes of counter-insurgency operations in the North-east, Attahiru said among the terrorists killed by troops includes Abu Fatimah, a wanted notorious leader of the terrorist group.

He said Abu Fatimah was killed in Talala, Damboa local government area of Borno state, also killed was another terrorist, Mustapha Salihu on the wanted list.

He said that within the period under review, a total of 97 incidents of improvised explosive devices were recorded with minimal casualties, adding that five Boko Haram terrorists who disguised as IDPs to cause havoc among the camp of 404 IDPs in Damboa were apprehended by the military.

He said These successes were not without some cost as the Army lost one officer and 12 soldiers while 4 others were wounded in action at various operation in the said period.

We are using this opportunity to call on residents of Borno and Northeast to join hands with the Military in bringing to an end the menace of insurgency in the region. The residents should as well be vigilant with their wards as Boko Haram terrorists have resorted to the use of women and children as Suicide bombers.

While saying that 70 terrorists surrendered to troops in Gwoza, the Theatre Commander added that more insurgents have indicated willingness to surrender.

He said, Very soon the issue of ambush on convoy on highways will be a thing of the past as the Army will in few weeks introduce a measure to checkmate these occurrences.
A controversial Ugandan pastor, Aloysius Bugingo, has been summoned by a court in the capital, Kampala to defend himself against allegations that he burned copies of the Bible. Wameli Anthony Yeboah, the lawyer representing one of the complainants who took Pastor Bugingo to court said in court that the action abused objects of worship:

It is criminal for him to burn Bibles because it goes against the constitution which guarantees freedom of worship and he is abusing the objects of worship which include Bibles, Qurans, rosaries and any other items people may choose to use during worship.

Pastor Bugingo has in the past denied allegations of burning bibles.

However his own television station Salt TV has aired recordings of him calling for certain copies of the Bible to be destroyed.

A controversial Ugandan pastor, Aloysius Bugingo, has been summoned by a court in the capital, Kampala to defend himself against allegations that he burned copies of the Bible. Wameli Anthony Yeboah, the lawyer representing one of the complainants who took Pastor Bugingo to court said in court that the action abused objects of worship: It is criminal for him to burn Bibles because it goes against the constitution which guarantees freedom of worship and he is abusing the objects of worship which include Bibles, Qurans, rosaries and any other items people may choose to use during worship. Pastor Bugingo has in the past denied allegations of burning bibles. However his own television station Salt TV has aired recordings of him calling for certain copies of the Bible to be destroyed.

Source: Naijaloaded
Three U.S. senators have sent warning to the President of the United States of America, Donald Trump against making any deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin to return two seized Russian diplomatic compounds, a letter from the lawmakers showed.

The Senators are, Jeanne Shaheen, Marco Rubio and Johnny Iakson wrote in their letter to Trump.

The return of these two facilities to Russia while the Kremlin refuses to address its influence campaign against the U.S. would embolden President Vladimir Putin and invite a dangerous escalation in the Kremlins destabilising actions against democracies worldwide, they said.

The senators wrote their letter ahead of a scheduled face-to-face meeting between Putin and Trump on Friday on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Hamburg.

Senior Trump administration officials have said that the two leaders could discuss the return of the two diplomatic compounds in the U.S. states of New York and Maryland.

But the three senators urged Trump to remove the return of these facilities from any negotiation or consideration in your discussions with President Putin during your upcoming trip.

Former President Barack Obama shut down the two compounds in December 2016, amid allegations that Russia interfered in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

Russia denies meddling in the vote, insisting that it does not interfere in the internal affairs of other countries.

Source:( PM News )
It seems Tekno has thrown in the towel in his fight with Starboy Record Boss, Wizkid, as the artiste who replied Wizkids tweet where he called him a duck, is now begging the international star to forgive and forget.

Tekno who was slammed by Nigerian music lovers after his social media brawl with Wizkid was made public, further offered to produce a song for Wizkid.

Here are his tweets;

Here are his fans reaction;
Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday pushed President Moon Jae-in again to "remove" a a Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense battery the U.S. recently stationed in southern Korea.

Xi met Moon on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Germany and called on Korea to "remove obstacles to the improvement and development of bilateral relations," according to Xinhua News. This has been Beijing's habitual code for THAAD.

Beijing fears that the powerful radar that comes with the THAAD will be used to spy on its military movements. A Cheong Wa Dae official said, "The THAAD issue was discussed but remains unresolved. President Moon repeated his position and the two sides agreed to refer to the issue as an 'area of disagreement.'"

Moon said after their meeting that the "area of disagreement" has not been resolved. Instead, the two leaders agreed to tackle the issue in future talks between lower-ranking officials.

When Moon asked Xi to ease up on an unofficial boycott of Korean business in China, the Chinese president said he has no choice but to consider the "interest and concerns" of his people.


Mr Fidelis Igbokwe, the Chief Executive Officer of TRPPN, a South Africa -based information and communication technology firm, said on Friday that the presidential assent to the Diaspora Commission Bill was a welcome development.

The law will establish the Diaspora Commission Act under the supervisory jurisdiction of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The law has the responsibility to coordinate and organise Nigerians in and from the Diaspora to contribute human capital and material resources, including their expertise, for the development of the country and its constituent states.

The law will also provide a database on various fields and potentials as a resource base for Nigeria and the world to draw from as well as protect the interests of all Nigerians.

There is an estimated 15 million Nigerians abroad.

Igbokwe, who developed a travel and tourism application known as TRPPN, told the NAN in Johannesburg, South Africa, that many Nigerians abroad were willing to contribute to the development of the country.

This is a welcome development because it shows that the government is active and through policies implementing what we have been yearning for.

There are many willing to contribute to grow and empower Nigeria, he said.

Igbokwe said some advanced countries encourage their citizens abroad and use their competence and resources to drive development.

He, however, urged the government to match the policy with action by recognising and appreciating such qualified Nigerians willing to take advantage of the Diaspora law.

Some Nigerian intellectuals stay abroad because the governments of their host countries recognise and appreciate them.

Such governments allocate funds for research and projects.

These intellectuals will ask government similar questions if they are willing to take such steps through funding ideas aimed at improving the standard of living in our country, he said.

Igbokwe said the government should consider encouraging such intellectuals to play positive roles in implementing the Diaspora law to enable it work.

Source: ( PM News )
The Jigawa Government has declared Friday, July 7, as a public holiday to enable public servants offer special prayer for President Muhammadu Buhari s quick recovery.

Alhaji Ismail Ibrahim, the Public Relations Officer, Office of the states Head of Civil Service (HoS), announced this in a statement in Dutse on Thursday.

Ibrahim said that the State Executive Council took the decision at its sitting on July 5.

He explained that the government declared Friday as a work-free day in order to enable public servants to join other citizens to offer special prayers for President Muhammadu Buharis wellbeing.

During this day, it is expected that all public servants and the entire people of the state will pray to Almighty Allah to grant our president quick recovery.

It is also expected that they will also pray to Almighty Allah to grant Jannatul Firdausi to late Danmasanin Kano, Alhaji Yusuf Maitama Sule, he added.

The state of health and absence of the President Buhari has become a subject of many discussions but the Presidency has said that the situation does not amount to a Constitutional Crisis.

Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu said in a statement dismissed an article which speculates that Nigeria faced imminent political and constitutional crisis on account of President Buharis absence to attend to his health in London.

The contentious article entitled The Gentlemans Agreement that Could Break Apart Nigeria, was published in the United States-based Foreign Policy magazine.

Garba said the article was a needlessly sensational and exaggerated speculations by conspiracy theorists.

He said it was misleading for the writer to compare President Buharis case to that of the late President Umaru Musa YarAdua, adding that the circumstances are completely different.
A heartbroken Lagos big boy has reached out to Relationship expert, Joro Olumofin, on why his girlfriend broke up with him.

He shared screenshots of the last chat they had and revealed that his enstranged girlfriend allegedly broke up with him because he asked her to use BRT while he has two cars.

He further listed things he did for her before their break-up.

See the chat:
A Lagos woman who hawks cooked beans and yam has narrated her r*pe experience in the hands of a bricklayer after she went to an uncompleted building where he claimed he was working to collect money for the beans he bought.

A bricklayer, Emmanuel John, was on Friday arraigned in an Ikeja Magistrates Court for allegedly raping a 38-year-old food vendor.

John, 34, however, denied the charge and was granted bail in the sum of N200, 000.

The Magistrate, Mrs A.O. Gbajumo, who gave the ruling, also told the accused to provide two sureties as part of the bail conditions.

According to Gbajumo, the sureties should be gainfully employed and also show evidence of two years tax payment to the Lagos State Government.

Earlier, the Prosecutor, Sgt. Mike Unah, said the accused, who pleaded not guilty to the two-count charge of conspiracy and r*pe, committed the offences on June 20 at Addo in Ajah, near Lagos.

Unah alleged that the accused, who resides at Mashy Hill Estate in Ajah, conspired with another person now at large, to forcefully have carnal knowledge of the complainant.

Unah said that the complainant she was hawking cooked beans and yam when the accused called her and told her he wanted to buy beans.

The prosecutor said the accused convinced the victim to follow him to an uncompleted building where he claimed he was working, to collect money for the beans he bought.

He said the complainant, who had no idea that the accused was planning to r*pe her, followed him.

The food vendor said that immediately she entered the building, Johns accomplice removed her wrapper and when she tried to scream, the man pushed her on the floor and held her hands, while John r*ped her.

She also claimed that Johns accomplice also forcefully had carnal knowledge of her without her consent. The complainant said that they pushed her out of the building half-n*ked, after taking advantage of her.

The food vendor said she was helped by a man, who saw her crying outside the uncompleted building. She said the man stormed into the building and caught John after she narrated her ordeal to the man.

The complainant reported the case to the police and John was arrested while his accomplice is still at large, Unah said.

The prosecutor said that the offences contravened Sections 260 and 411 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Section 260 prescribes 14-year jail term upon conviction for rape.

The case was adjourned until Sept. 9 for mention.
A man has found himself in serious trouble after he was caught red-handed having s*x with his friends wife.

A 26-year-old woman has been disgraced after she was caught pants down by her husband having s*x with a married neighbour in their matrimonial home. The sad incident took place in Zimbabwe.

The woman identified as Precious Muranda was caught with her husbands friend, Shadreck Chipoka. The angry husband, Normero Mbuzi caught his wife with the neigbhour after badging in on them due to a postponed trip to Kariba.

According to H-metro, the two were caught in the act around 10pm. The wife of the randy man also came to witness the sad incident as people called for them to be beaten. They were detained in the house until Tuesday before being handed over to the police.

Expressing sadness over the incident, Mbuzi said this is not the first time he is catching the wife in such a shameful act.

This is no the the first time I have caught my wife cheating on me with other men and I thought that she would change but now I have realized she cannot. said Mbuzi.

He added: I even doubt the paternity of our last daughter because I dont think she is my child. I no longer love her and I want her to leave my house and go with her boyfriend.

Speaking after she was caught, Muranda said she does not regret cheating on her husband as he was failing to look after the family.

I am wrong and what I have don is bad but I am not prepared to leave my husband or my home. If my husband wants me to leave I will not be going with the children and Chipoka should provide money to ferry my property to my village. she said.

She added: I cheated because my husband is not responsible for my well-being and that of the children.

Also speaking, Chipoka said that it was the first time his is dipping his joystick into the neigbhours well and begged for forgiveness.

Yes, we were caught having s*x with Muranda by her husband and it was for that day Chipoka said. He added: I have my family and I cannot take Precious as my second wife as suggested by her husband, I am still to apologise to my wife.

We have engaged relatives and we are to meet this Saturday to deliberate on the way forward, I regret my actions and feel sorry for my neighbour over my actions.
The Nigerias Consul General in South Africa, Mr Godwin Adama, have given Nigerians in South Africa that are unemployed that the mission was working with Nigerian professionals to assist unemployed youths.

Adama in Johannesburg, South Africa, on Friday said that the mission was determined to ensure that such Nigerians were kept busy in an occupation.

He said that Nigerian professionals had been approached to engage such youths to make them earn a living.

We have encouraged Nigerian professionals and others who can offer assistance in any area to move these youths out of the streets.

The response has been positive and we are optimistic that more will be achieved in this direction,  Adama said.

According to him, this is one way of informing the South African authorities that the mission is not in support of Nigerians involved in crime.

The consul general, however, said that the mission would give papers to Nigerians who voluntarily want to return home.

We are ready to give papers to those who want to return home. We give Emergency Travel Certificates (ETCs) to those who do not have passports.

The mission recently sent home two Nigerians with health challenges, paid their fares, while their families received them on arrival, he said.

Adama also said that the mission visited the deportation camps in South Africa to document Nigerians there.

About 100 Nigerians were deported a month ago.

We issued them ETC after documentation that ascertained they were Nigerians and their cases had been concluded.

The mission cooperated and gave them papers to go home, he said.

Source: ( PM News )
Nigerians have been called upon on Thursday by the Former Chief of Army Staff, Gen. Martin-Luther Agwai, to support the Nigerian Army to win the war against the Boko Haram insurgents.

Agwai, who was the special guest at a seminar to round off activities to mark the 2017 Nigerian Army Day Celebration (NADCEL), said the support was necessary as military might alone could not win the war.

If people believe that it is only the military that can bring an end to Boko Haram war they are making mistake because those who are involved in the warfare are after political and not only military targets.

It is important to note that this type of warfare is difficult to win.

Strategically, the enemy in this warfare remains focused on changing the minds of decision makers.

Politically, it involves national and international networks. Operationally, it uses different messages to different audiences,  he said.

The former army chief warned that the Boko-Haram terrorists were after the political class and other high ranking Nigerians, contrary to the notion that the terrorists were only after military personnel.

He, however, suggested that almost all personnel in the army should be given infantry training, irrespective of their calling, if the war against terrorism must be won.

My suggestion is that the Nigerian Army must be infantry dominated to fight the next war that we are fighting. It must be infantry dominated.

Every army personnel should have the skill to perform infantry functions whether you are in the engineering or the armoured corps or any other corps; because everywhere is a battle field you dont know where warfare will start.

The clear message is that the infantry dominated at the tactical level and that is where the enemy fights more. With all the strategies you have if you do not have tactical capabilities you will be defeated, he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that 12 officers and four soldiers were presented with awards for outstanding performance during the occasion.

Source: ( PM News )
A medical doctor in the habit of selling hard drugs to people, has been nabbed after residents exposed the mans dealings.

A South African medical doctor from Limpopo has been arrested after he was found selling nyaope (an illegal street drug) and other drugs.

According to Daily Sun SA, the 34-year-old clinical doctor was tracked down after concerned residents alerted authorities.

Police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Moatshe Ngoepe said the doctors arrest was part of the provinces clampdown on drug dealers.

In the Waterval policing area outside Louis Trichardt, the police arrested a clinical doctor attached to the local hospital during a tactical sting operation, said Ngoepe.

Information was followed up that led the police to a house where the doctor and his accomplice, aged 27, were arrested.

During the arrest, nine sachets of nyaope, four rocks, two smoking pipes and an undisclosed amount of dagga were found.

In Lebowakgomo outside Polokwane, a 28-year-old suspect was arrested after officers confiscated drugs valued at R14 850, and R1 302 in cash

In the Mahwelereng cluster, the police also arrested four suspects, aged between 27 and 54, for dealing in, and the possession of, dagga.

A total of 111 sachets of dagga were confiscated, with the street value of R2 220, as well as cash amounting to R3 000.

These operations will be conducted continuously to rid the affected areas of this scourge, said Ngoepe.

The arrested suspects would appear in different courts soon.
The footage, which shows a group of clearly distressed young women lined up against a wall, is valuable evidence against persistent denials from Tokyo.

A rare 18-second film clip went on public display for the first time Wednesday showing Korean women who were forced into sexual slavery for Japanese troops in World War II.

Kang Sung-hyun, a member of the team, said, "Dr. Kim Han-sang, who is our resident researcher in the U.S., texted me a photo early in the morning. After checking it, I couldn't go back to sleep." He said the footage "is more powerful than a thousand words."

A team headed by Prof. Jung Chin-sung at Seoul National University spent two years combing through the archives of the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration.

Taken in 1944, the film shows seven women who had been taken prisoner in China's Yunnan Province near the border with Burma after U.S. and Chinese troops liberated the region from occupying Japanese forces. A Chinese officer is seen talking with one of the women, while the others avert their eyes in silence.

There is ample documentary evidence that the Japanese Imperial Army was directly responsible for rounding up the sex slaves, but so far only four photos of the time of their plight have surfaced.

"I wondered who took those photos and where." Kang said, "And I found out that it was shot by Sergeant Edwards Fay, a cameramen of the U.S. Army Signal Corps."

Due to limited resources, only a few members of the Korean team were able to go to NARA in Maryland. NARA houses 10 billion documents and more than 300,000 film records. Finding footage of the Korean sex slaves was tantamount to finding a needle in a haystack.

"There was no catalogue or index so we couldn't do a broad search," said Kang, who has traveled to NARA over the last 10 years. "The film had to be treated with chemicals to preserve it. My hands swelled up after half an hour, but I wasn't allowed to wear gloves for dear of damaging the film, and my eyes developed problems after I touched them with my bare hands."

Kim discovered the clip after searching through hundreds of canisters of film.

What happened to the women in the footage? Kang said, "They were freed from Japanese captivity but were then held in an Allied prison for almost a year and a half. Five of the seven are Korean, and they were all rescued by the Korean provisional government and returned home," Kang said. "My guess is that they all probably died."
Retired Deputy Superintendent of Police, Mr. Christopher Archibong, 55, paraded by the for defiling a nine-year-old girl (name withheld) the Cross River State Police Command on Thursday.

Parading Archibong alongside 62 other criminal suspects at the commands headquarter in Calabar, the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Hafiz Inuwa, said the retired traffic warden committed the crime on May 31, 2017, in Calabar.

Inuwa explained that the suspect lured the victim into his uncompleted building, adding that Archibong threatened to kill the little girl when she initially resisted him.

He said, On May 31, 2017, one traffic warden officer who retired as a DSP, Mr. Christopher Archibong, 55, defiled a nine-year-old girl. On June 5, 2017, when she could no longer bear it, she informed her mother of the incident and the case was reported to the police on June 7, 2017. Upon his arrest, the suspect confessed to the crime and he will be charged to court soon.

But in an interview with PUNCH Metro, Archibong denied the matter, saying the whole incident was a setup.

He said, I was set up by my close neighbours who got jealous of me after I bought a piece of land to build my house. I retired as a DSP in February this year, I am a law abiding citizen of Nigeria. I did not rape the girl as it is said, he said.

When asked why he confessed to committing the crime in his statement, Archibong simply said, I was under pressure, so, I had to admit.

The commissioner also paraded 10 murder suspects for allegedly killing four people during a clash between two rival cult groups, Klans and Baggers, confraternity in Ochong community in Obubra Local Government Area of the state.

On June 8, 2017, we received an intelligence report in our Ikom Area Command office that two rival cult groups, clans and baggers confraternity clashed in Ochong community and the conflict led to the killing of four persons.

As a result, 10 suspects believed to be principal actors in the murder case were arrested. Investigation is still on, while those arrested will soon be charged to court, he said.

Similarly, the Commissioner also paraded one Nnamoso Okon and Victor Edet for stealing a car battery from the vehicle of a police officer who was on night duty on July 2, 2017.

He added that during searching, the police recovered 12 car batteries from the two suspects.

From May 2017 till date, the Cross River police command has arrested a total of 63 suspects for various offences committed across the state.

So far, we have recovered nine locally made pistols, seven live cartridges, 12 car batteries, four rounds of 9mm ammunition, three machetes, 10 motor batteries, armoured cables, three plasma television among others, he said.

Source: ( Punch Newspaper )
According to a The Sun UK report, Kat Armendariz, a young lady from El Paso in Texas, took the opportunity to snap the ultimate selfie  of the moment that her sister gave birth.

The woman risked her sisters wrath by getting out her phone and capturing her sister Kimberly screaming in pain as she struggled to push out her baby.

In the photo, Kat can be seen smiling into the camera as her sister lies on the hospital bed, hands over her eyes in anguish.

New aunt Kat uploaded the shot to Imgur with the caption SELFIE! While my sister is about to shove a baby out her vag!

The epic image has been viewed over 500,000 times and has over 1,000 comments.

Many felt the image was insensitive to her sister, who was in the middle of both an intimate and painful experience.

But Kat said that thankfully Kimberly saw the funny side of the image.

Kat said to Mashable: She wasnt in too much pain at first, so she thought it was pretty funny.

I told her I was going to do it, she just started the oxytocin and the labour pains began almost instantly.

She started to feel it and right when she was like, Oh my god I cant take this, I took the photo.

Many people agreed that the photo was hilarious, albeit slightly cruel and funny.

One said: Shes gonna hate you for this later.

And another commented: If someone took my picture while I was in labour, I would make a point of keeping my placenta just so I could throw it at them.

However not everyone saw the funny side to the story, with one user saying: Keep on smiling, your turn will come one day.

While Kimberly hasnt made Kat regret her selfie, a few other people have been made to wish they never took theirs.
The Senate on Wednesday accused the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN), of misleading the public and blackmailing it over the manipulations made by the lawmakers in the 2017 Appropriation Act.

The upper chamber asked Fashola to resign his appointment if he was overwhelmed by the volume of work at his ministry.

At the plenary, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, Senator Danjuma Goje, raised a point of order to

He said, Initially, I wanted to come under a motion but, yesterday, the House of Representatives took up the matter. Since we are on the same page with the House, I feel I should not come under a motion. But I will like to seize this opportunity to advise the minister that he should remember that he is now a minister and should behave like a minister.

He is not a governor (anymore) and this National Assembly is not Lagos State House of Assembly. This is an Assembly composed of very patriotic Nigerians, very experienced Nigerians; many had done his job; many were governors before him.

President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, interrupted Goje, saying, Senator Oluremi Tinubu (Lagos Central), you are not paying attention to this matter.

Goje continued, Fashola should know that he is dealing with the National Assembly of Nigeria, not of Lagos. If the job is too much for him  the ministry is too big; it comprises three ministries, which are works, housing and power; if he cannot adjust, then, he should do the honourable thing. He should so the needful.

No amount of blackmail by him; no amount of propaganda by him or his surrogates will stop this National Assembly from discharging its duties in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution. We have sworn to uphold and protect this Constitution, and this we will do to the end of this Assembly.

For now, I will cease fire and watch to see how the House will handle him. If he is well handled there, we will leave him with them. But if we are not satisfied and they pass him to us, then, we will take him over.

Saraki, in his remarks, said the Senate would see how the House of Representatives would handle the matter before taking further action.

I am happy that the House of Representatives are also taking up this issue. It is a matter that we must be responsible, especially those at the (executive) cabinet to look at issues from a national point of view in the interest of all Nigerians.

We will definitely wait for the outcome of his appearance before the House of Representatives before further contributions. But we have take your comment, Chairman of Appropriations, he said.

Source: ( Punch Newspaper )
The Sri Lanka government has expressed interest in partnering with Nigeria in tea production to support the the countrys agricultural development in line with the Federal Governments economic diversification plan.

This was made known by the Sri Lanka High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr Thambirajah Raveenthiran, said this at the Global Ceylon Tea Party to mark the 150th anniversary of tea in Sri Lanka.

Raveenthiran said that Sri Lanka was famous for its tea estates and was an industry that supported almost 10 per cent of its population.

He added that the country produced teas in different regions with distinctly different characteristics enhanced by specialised processes of manufacturing.

The envoy expressed his countrys willingness to share its expertise with Nigeria.

Nigeria has its tradition of tea production dating back in the 1950s.

The country imports around five million kilogrammes of tea annually; this is not a significant volume for a population of 182 million people.

Sri Lanka invites the beverage industry in Nigeria to partner with Sri Lanka companies and grow the tea segment, he said.

The Global Ceylon Tea Party is a unique 24-hour celebration of 150 years of Ceylon Tea, hosted by Sri Lankan missions globally.

Sri Lanka is the worlds fourth-largest producer of tea and tea production is one of the main sources of foreign exchange which contributed more than 1.5 billion dollars in 2013 to the countrys economy.

Source: ( PM News )
Three male suicide bombers on Friday attacked the students hostel of the University of Maiduguri, according to an eye witness, who pleaded anonymity, said the suicide bombers attacked the new male hostel block (A) of the institution.

He said the attackers entered the hostel in spite of the trenches dug to fortify the security of the school.

He said two of the bombers detonated their explosives and blew up themselves.

According to him, the third one was shot down by security men while trying to flee the scene of the attack.

The attack came at a time when students are on vacation. Only the suicide bombers were killed but they caused damage to the building, the eye witness said.

The Public Relations Officer of the Borno Police Command, ASP Victor Isuzu, confirmed the incident.

Isuzu, however, said the command had neutralised two suicide bombers before they entered the university.

He said security men shot dead the bombers before they crossed the universitys fence.

He said the command had deployed additional personnel to beef up security at the institution.

Source: ( PM News )
Hog Prices Closed Mixed Barchart - 1 hour ago Lean hog prices were mixed on Friday with 12 to 52 cent losses through the April contract. The deferred contracts closed 10 to 15 cents in the black with May UNCH. The USDA National Average Base Hog Price... HEZ22 : 84.350s (-0.62%) HEJ23 : 94.100s (-0.13%) KMZ22 : 94.900s (-0.63%)

Friday Cotton Closes Triple Digits Higher Barchart - 1 hour ago Cotton added 116 to 182 points to the upside on Friday after a brief pause for the WASDE numbers. That kept the board under the high on Tuesday, but ended as a weekly gain of 253 points. USDAs FAS... CTZ22 : 88.20s (+2.11%) CTH23 : 86.33s (+2.09%) CTK23 : 85.56s (+1.89%)

Wheats Close in Black on Friday Barchart - 1 hour ago Wheat futures ended with +1% gains on Friday. KC HRW closed the strongest on Friday with 1.8% to 2% gains, leaving the Dec contract 10 1/4 cents in the red. CBT SRW closed between 1% and 1.3% higher across... ZWZ22 : 813-6s (+1.28%) ZWH23 : 835-2s (+1.15%) ZWPAES.CM : 7.4644 (+1.39%) KEZ22 : 943-4s (+1.97%) KEPAWS.CM : 9.0182 (+2.07%) MWZ22 : 945-6s (+1.53%)

Triple Digit Losses in Friday Cattle Barchart - 1 hour ago The cattle complex faded on Friday on a recovery in the grain complex. Front month fat cattle futures ended the day $0.72 to $1.77 lower. December contracts were 13 cents weaker for the week. Feeder cattle... LEZ22 : 151.525s (-1.01%) LEG23 : 153.250s (-1.14%) LEJ23 : 157.050s (-0.91%) GFX22 : 176.950s (-0.94%) GFF23 : 178.575s (-1.72%)

Soy Prices Rally on Friday Barchart - 1 hour ago Front month soy futures ended the day higher on a bounce back from Thursday. Beans closed with 1.6% to 1.9% gains of as much as 27 cents. That left the Jan contract at a net 12 1/4 cent loss for the week.... ZSX22 : 1455-4s (+1.75%) ZSPAUS.CM : 14.2086 (+1.90%) ZSF23 : 1450-0s (+1.90%) ZSH23 : 1453-6s (+1.80%)

Corn Markets Close in Black Barchart - 1 hour ago Corn futures bounced back into the weekend with gains of 2 to 4 3/4 cents. USDA announced a private export sale of 209,931 MT of corn to Mexico this morning. The Ukraines Ag Ministry had 7.8 MMT of... ZCZ22 : 658-0s (+0.73%) ZCPAUS.CM : 6.5662 (+0.81%) ZCH23 : 663-0s (+0.53%) ZCK23 : 662-6s (+0.49%)

What are we buying? Blue Line Futures - 1 hour ago The inflation impact on markets.
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The German unit of Swiss insurer Baloise will use a new robo-adviser developed by Deutsche Banks Deutsche Asset Management (Deutsche AM), according to a report by finews.com.Baloise will be the first insurer to used Deutsche AMs robo-adviser, but other partners are set to follow, the report said. The insurer will offer the robo under the brand name Baloise Monviso. A website for the service is already up and running.Baloise will offer its clients Deutsche AM wealth-management services through the internet, and customers will be able to sing up for customized investment packages through Monviso. The entire service, from initial deposit to investment strategy, will be handled digitally, according to finews.com.The service is aimed at people who might not have as much to invest as high-net-worth clients, with a minimum required sum of 400 euros to participate.Deutsche AM expects that three to five other firms will sign up for the service, according to finews.com.
If it were up to Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) chief executive Andrew Bailey, UK-based firms wouldnt have to scurry in search of new homes because of the EU-Britain divorce."Authorities should not dictate the location of firms," Bailey was quoted as saying in a Reuters event. He said companies should be able to take their own decisions on where they locate, subject to appropriate regulatory arrangements being in place which preserve the public interest.The FCA chief believes Britain and the EU are capable of preserving free trade for financial services. "When I hear people say firms need to re-locate in order to continue to benefit from access to EU financial markets, I start to seriously wonder," he said.For Bailey, the ability to have open markets and freedom of location should not be restricted just because of Brexit. He also cited the need for a sensible transition period.It remains to be seen whether the FCA would have its say, as currently it is already being shut out of Brexit negotiations  a situation the European Securities and Markets Authority is not denying.There are times when they want to discuss Brexit without us being present, and there are issues they want to discuss amongst themselves, so we have a bit of shuttling in and then shuttling out, shared Bailey as quoted in a recent Financial Times report.Meanwhile, the Association of British Insurers is hoping for an orderly withdrawal, a stable transition, and a sensible and mutually beneficial future trading relationship between the UK and the bloc. ABI is also in favour of formal cooperation between political parties as well as between the houses of parliament so that an arrangement is reached during Brexit negotiations.
Reinsurer Willis Re has today announced that global CEO John Cavanagh will be succeeded by James Kent as he steps down from the role.



Kent, previously deputy global CEO at the firm, will take over at the helm of the reinsurance arm of Willis Towers Watson at the end of December this year, with Cavanagh retiring.



The new head first joined Willis Re in 2004 and has served as the global deputy CEO since December 2016. He was appointed president of Willis North American business in 2010, running the firms Bermuda operations prior to that. Before Willis, he spent 13 years working with Aon Re (now Aon Benfield).



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Carl Hess, head of investment, risk & reinsurance, Willis Towers Watson, thanked Cavanagh for his tremendous contribution, to the firm, adding that the current leader has worked side-by-side with his replacement Kent for many years, and that the pair share the same passion and enthusiasm for the delivery of superior client results, he commented.



Not only is John a recognized leader of the Willis Re business, he is also a leading figure in the global reinsurance industry. John has been instrumental in creating the reinsurance business we have today and will leave a strong legacy, Hess said of the retiring CEO.



Speaking of his new role, Kent said he was honored by the opportunity to lead Willis Re, going on to say: It has been a pleasure to work with John over the past few years to cement Willis Res position as one of the worlds leading reinsurance advisors. It is also appropriate that Johns significant contribution to our industry is recognized as it marks exactly 42 years to the day since he began his career in reinsurance. In succeeding John, I look forward to further enhancing our proposition to help clients effectively manage their risk while building on the collaborative culture so integral to our proposition for both clients and colleagues.



Cavanagh, who began his career in the (re)insurance market in July 1975 and has led the Willis Re business as CEO since 2012, said: It has been a privilege to serve as CEO of Willis Re, where we have successfully grown the business in the face of very tough market conditions. I am delighted that James Kent is taking over from me as global head; he is an exceptional talent and I have no doubt Willis Re will continue to go from strength to strength under his leadership. I have enjoyed a fantastic career in reinsurance broking, but it is now time to move on.



The industry veteran joined Willis Re in 2009, having spent 21 years at the Carvill Group where he was joint CEO, and prior to that was the deputy managing director of Minet Re, and a director of the North America reinsurance division at Willis Faber and Dumas.





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Former Swiss Re chief executive Michel Lies is poised to replace Tom de Swaan as chairman of Zurich Insurance.Subject to shareholder approval, Lies will take the post after Zurichs annual meeting in April. The reinsurance expert was with Swiss Re for almost four decades, holding various roles before becoming CEO from 2012 to 2016.A report by the Financial Times said Zurich downplayed any bigger meaning being attached to the move, as both Swiss firms have no cross shareholdings.We made clear at several occasions that Zurich is not considering any transformational M&A transactions, according to the company as quoted by the report. Zurich said Lies was chosen not because of his Swiss Re ties but for his skills, insights, and experience.De Swaan, who has been part of Zurichs board since 2006, is leaving amid company policy prohibiting directors to serve more than 12 years. The report said he is also turning 72  the mandatory retirement age  next year.
App-based insurance platform Trov is finally nearing its much-heralded entrance into the United States market, with Japan and Canada also in its sights.The online insurer essentially takes the agent out of the equation, allowing customers to tailor their insurance needs  in much the same way as Uber and Netflix allow a customer to hail a ride or watch their favorite shows whenever they want, however they choose.The US company currently operates in Australia and the United Kingdom, but will soon enter the US and Japanese markets.Jeff Berezny, VP of marketing and communications at Trov, said in a blog post the company was ecstatic to announce its progress toward its US launch.We've been working hard over the past several months to get Trov On-Demand Insurance ready for the US, which includes working closely with each and every state regulator.Were happy to announce that Trov On-Demand Insurance has been approved by regulators in 23 states, so we're almost halfway there! he said.We're already live in Australia and the UK, but that's only the beginning. We'll be rolling out in several new countries in the near future ... Canada and Japan are next up!Through Trovs app, users create an online inventory of their most valuable possessions. Once the inventory is completed, they can then swipe on the items that they want protected, then choose a price and deductible suitable to their financial conditions. Once a policy has been secured, customers may then submit their claims through text messages.The app can be used to insure just about anything, from insuring a laptop against the risk of loss or accidental damage, to a pair of skis for a weekend trip. The company then both bills and collects premiums through the app, sharing the portion of the proceeds with its insurance underwriting partner.From binding a policy to making a claim, the consumer doesnt have to speak to anybody, CEO Scott Walchek previously told the Wall Street Journal. Trov unbundled insurance, Walchek said, much like Apples iTunes unbundled individual songs from albums.Trov has partnerships with Munich Re in the US, with Sompo and Munich Re in Japan, with Suncorp in Australia, and with Axa in the UK.

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Officials worked Wednesday to tally up the flood damaged to central Vermont roads, culverts and a municipal water system following last weeks storms to determine if the state will seek federal assistance for repairs.

Heavy rains on Saturday, on the heels of storms last week, caused roads and culverts to wash out in parts of Addison, Orange, Rutland, Windsor, and some Washington County towns.

This storm has been devastating for several communities, Vermont Emergency Management Director Erica Bornemann said Wednesday. We are working to ensure we provide relief to all communities that suffered damage, which requires a thorough accounting of damage so we can make a compelling case for a disaster declaration, should we reach thresholds.

Some of the hardest hit areas were Brandon, Thetford, Norwich and Tinmouth.

As of Wednesday, about 16 communities had major damage and more than 30 more had minor damage, state emergency management spokesman Mark Bosma said.

The damage amount to reach federal disaster levels is $1 million statewide and $3.61 per capita in counties, Bosma said.

As we work with towns and cities to assess all damage, we have not yet determined that Vermont will qualify for a federal disaster declaration. However, we are prepared to quickly initiate the process once we verify numbers in the coming days, said Bornemann.

The heavy rains on Saturday also caused flood damage to a section of railroad tracks in Hartford, forcing the suspension of Amtrak train service through the area. The tracks have been fixed and service was restored Wednesday.

Nearly 4 inches of rain fell in Brandon on Saturday, washing out a section of road in the village of Forest Dale, causing close to $500,000 of damage and prompting the temporary evacuation of 15 families, Brandon Town Manager David Atherton told the Rutland Herald. The families were back home by Monday. The towns new $2.38 million downtown culvert also saved the downtown from flooding, town officials said.

During Tropical Storm Irene in August 2011, runoff couldnt fit into a narrow culvert and flooded the downtown.

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Topics Flood Vermont
The committee that organizes the nations oldest continuous Fourth of July celebration says its trying to figure out how a woman was struck by a parade float and wants to prevent future accidents.

The crash occurred Tuesday in Bristol, R.I.

A committee officer told WJAR-TV that theyre following up with police and that safety is the parades priority.

The 69-year-old woman from Maine suffered superficial cuts and abrasions to her legs, said Bristol Police Capt. Brian Burke.

Police are investigating, but the driver of the truck, which was towing a trailer holding the float, has not been cited.

At this point there are no charges that will result, Burke said. It appeared to be just an unfortunate accident.

The woman was standing toward the front of a trailer carrying a replica of the USS John F. Kennedy aircraft carrier. She was part of the Saratoga Museum group sponsoring the float.

The trailer was stopped, waiting to enter the parade route. When the vehicle started slowing moving, she was struck and dragged a short distance, Burke said.

Frank Lennon, president of the USS Saratoga Museum Foundation, said the volunteer is fine and the group will absolutely be back at the parade next year.

Everybody was very lucky. There was no serious impact to anything, he said.

A Fourth of July celebration has taken place in Bristol since 1785 and now attracts around 100,000 people.

Burke said that to his knowledge, this is the first time there has been an accident like this.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
A coroner says a utility worker was killed by flying debris when a Pennsylvania house exploded while he was responding to a reported natural gas leak.

The National Transportation Safety Board continues to lead the investigation into Sunday afternoons blast in Manor Township. The Lancaster County coroner says an autopsy Wednesday showed 54-year-old Richard Bouder, of East Lampeter Township, died of multiple trauma injuries caused by the debris.

Bouder was one of three UGI Utilities employee working outside the home when the explosion occurred. The company says the others, whose names havent been released, are expected to fully recover. A Lancaster Area Sewer Authority inspector, Denny Hoffert, was released from a hospital Tuesday.

The federal Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration and Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission are also investigating.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Energy Pennsylvania
Swiss Re is switching the entire $130 billion it holds in liquid assets to track ethical indices, the latest move towards principled investments by the insurance industry.

The worlds second-largest reinsurer is 90 percent of the way through shifting its holdings from tracking traditional benchmarks, a process it expects to complete by the end of the third quarter in 2017.

It said taking environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria into account reduced the risk of losses especially for long term investors.

This is not only about doing good, we have done it because it makes economic sense, Swiss Re Chief Investment Officer Guido Fuerer told Reuters on Thursday.

Equities and fixed income products from companies and sectors with a high ESG ratings have better risk-return ratios.

Institutional investors are increasingly looking at how companies perform on environmental, social and governance-related issues, given the potential for poor behavior to lead to a share price hit.

A Bank of America Merrill Lynch Equity and Quant Strategy team last month said ESG-based investing reduced bankruptcy risks for U.S. stocks, while companies with the widest credit default swap spreads are the ones with the weakest ESG credentials, according to research by Hermes Investment Management.

The MSCI ESG Leaders Index has gained 11.2 percent in 2017, slightly outperforming the MSCI International World Price Index, which has risen 9.6 percent.

The decision by Swiss Re follows moves by peers to weave ESG into their own investment processes. For example, AXA, Frances largest insurer, last year said it would stop investing in tobacco and divest all of its 1.8 billion euros ($2 billion) of assets in the industry.

At the time AXA called tobacco the biggest threat to public health in the world. Unlike its rivals, Swiss Re said it would not be shifting its investments away from any particular industry or company.

It is very delicate to exclude whole sectors, keeping diversification in mind. The ultimate point is to put incentives to companies to become more sustainable over time, said Swiss Res Fuerer.

He said Swiss Re is the first insurer to base its whole portfolio on ethical principles, with portfolio managers being told to use MSCIs environmental, governance and social indices when making investment decisions.

MSCI rates companies according to various ethical criteria, with the score combined with market capitalization weight to create an index. That means companies with a more ethical performance have a greater weight in the index.

($1 = 0.8814 euros) (Additional reporting by Paul Arnold in Zurich and Simon Jessop in London; editing by Duncan Miriri)

Topics Pollution Swiss Re
Symantec Corp. is acquiring Israeli cyber security startup Fireglass, the company said on Thursday, in a small deal designed to boost its products that protect corporate email and web browsing from threats.

Symantec is paying an undisclosed sum for the Tel Aviv-based company of about 40 employees. Fireglass specializes in an area of security called browser isolation, a technology that creates virtual websites allowing users to browse any content without having viruses touch their network.

Browser isolation is an area that Symantec had been looking to enter for some time, Chief Executive Greg Clark said in an interview. He cited a Gartner report that projected that 50 percent of enterprises would adopt browser isolation by 2021.

Healthcare companies, financial institutions, government and telecommunications firms have been early adopters of the technology, he said.

While its what I would call a tuck-in acquisition, it will be very valuable to us as we bring it to our customers, Clark said.

Symantec has been one of the most serial acquirers in security companies in recent years, gobbling up Lifelock Inc for $2.3 billion earlier this year and Blue Coat Inc for $4.65 billion in 2015.

The deal will also increase the companys footprint in Israel, a hotbed for cyber security, where Clark said Symantec has been looking to expand. Israel, which has more than 400 cyber security startups, attracts about 20 percent of private global cyber investment, Reuters has reported.

Large U.S. technology companies often go shopping in Israel when they are looking for acquisitions and engineering talent. Last month, Microsoft agreed to acquire Hexadite, a U.S.-Israeli provider of technology to automate responses to cyber attacks for an undisclosed sum.

The deal is expected to close in the third quarter of the calendar year.

Fireglass, founded in 2014 by a former Check Point Software Technologies executive, was backed by investors such as Lightspeed Venture Partners and Norwest Venture Partners. It had raised $20 million in early 2016 and competes with Menlo Security.

(Reporting by Liana B. Baker in San Francisco; editing by Gopakumar Warrier)

Topics Mergers & Acquisitions Cyber InsurTech
Finance firms should not be forced by regulators to change location after Britain leaves the European Union in 2019, Andrew Bailey, chief executive of the UKs Financial Conduct Authority told a Reuters Newsmaker event on Thursday.

Banks, insurers and asset managers based in Britain are already making contingency plans to shift some operations to continental Europe after Brexit takes effect in case access to the EU single market is closed off.

But Bailey said Britain and the EU are in a position to preserve free trade for financial services, meaning such moves need not happen.

Firms should be able to take their own decisions on where they locate, subject to appropriate regulatory arrangements being in place which preserve the public interest, Bailey said, in his first major speech on Brexit since Britain triggered the formal EU divorce proceedings in March.

Authorities should not dictate the location of firms, he told an audience in Canary Wharf, home to some of the worlds biggest banks.

Future financial sector relations between Britain and the EU should be based on mutual recognition or regulatory cooperation but not exact mirroring of rules, Bailey said.

Frankfurt, Paris, Amsterdam, Luxembourg and Dublin are all vying for a slice of Britains financial services industry after Brexit. Bailey said such competition was good.

But he also said Brexit should not be used as an excuse to restrict the ability to have open markets and freedom of location.

The roots exist to come out with sensible outcomes on this.

Some companies have already announced plans to move people to continental European locations to retain access to the EU single market. Bailey said a transition period based on current trading arrangements was needed this year.

This would avoid a regrettable situation whereby firms had to press the button on moves to the EU before they know what the outcome of Britains negotiations with the bloc will be.

It needs to be a sensible period, Bailey said.

Bailey questioned whether restricting trade in this way was an inevitable or necessary response to Brexit.

When I hear people say firms need to relocate in order to continue to benefit from access to EU financial markets, I start to seriously wonder.

No Location Policies

France and other EU countries, for example, want the clearing of euro denominated derivatives, which London dominates, located within the EU after Brexit.

It does not require a location policy, Bailey said.

Joint oversight with the EU of clearing houses in London is something that is very clearly preferable to the cost and risk that is introduced by a location based policy.

Such joint oversight was already working well between the UK and United States regulators in clearing, he said.

He dismissed talk in the EU that given the dominance of Britains financial services sector, the largest in Europe, there should be specific rules for the UK, rather than the existing general regime for recognizing non-EU financial firms.

I do not accept that, Bailey said.

Non-EU financial firms from the United States, Singapore and elsewhere can currently offer their services in the EU if their home regulation is deemed by Brussels to be equivalent or as tough as the blocs own rules.

This regime should be applied to Britain in the same way.

It would not be the best outcome to adopt a special treatment for the oversight of outsourced service provision arrangements involving the UK and EU when there are already arrangements in place which can form the basis of an equivalence arrangement, Bailey said.

No Race to Bottom

Britain was not interested in a race to the bottom in regulation after Brexit, he said.

Britain has worked hard over the years to build up relations with EU and national regulators across the bloc, he said, though he conceded that he was already being locked out of EU regulatory discussions about Brexit.

Its perfectly reasonable  It does not concern me.

There are already fears that asset managers in Britain will be prevented from managing funds based in the EU after Brexit, but Bailey said this longstanding cross-border delegation should continue.

It works well today. There is no reason to disrupt that model, Bailey said.

Critics of Brexit have said that Britain will end up being a rule taker, meaning it will have to copy and paste the blocs rules into UK law if it wants to maintain access in financial services.

I dont want to be in a situation where we become a pure rule taker, Bailey said.

(Reporting by Huw Jones; editing by Jason Neely and Jane Merriman)

Topics Legislation Europe
Swiss Re has partnered with Ping An Property & Casualty Insurance Co. of China Ltd. to launch Chinas first mobile-enabled typhoon property parametric insurance solution.

This solution is designed to provide an affordable, easy-to-use insurance product for both individuals and enterprises located in areas that are prone to typhoons, and covers the economic losses caused by typhoons, said Swiss Re in a statement.

In addition to the technological support and reinsurance service from Swiss Re, the solution uses the companys catastrophe models and data on natural disasters to generate quotes for Ping Ans customers.

Swiss Re said the solution gives customers the ability to purchase insurance, make inquiries and complete the claims settlement process from a mobile device. It also provides real-time tracking of a typhoons path and wind speed, provided by Chinas national meteorological center.

The trigger for the payout amount is also based on this information, Swiss Re said.

The insurance covers eight coastal provincial regions in Southeast China: Guangdong, Zhejiang, Shanghai, Fujian, Jiangsu, Guangxi, Shandong and Hainan.

When a typhoon occurs, a user can access an inquiry page, check if the claim terms have been triggered and submit a remote self-service claim. The system will then automatically calculate the claim amount and settles the claim within three days. This product offers a maximum payout of RMB 20,000 (or Chinese Yuan Renminbi) ($2,940) per address for individuals and RMB 500,000 ($7,350) per address for enterprises.

Typhoons are the most often and costliest natural catastrophes which occur in China, commented John Chen, president of Swiss Re China.

They can cause severe life and property loss in economically developed and densely populated regions, he said. The successful launch of this product can serve as an important example for other regions affected by similar natural disasters.

Using its catastrophe modeling and big data capabilities, Swiss Re said it takes into consideration the insureds risk exposure, builds an on-line pricing engine based on cloud technology and produces a quote for users of the solution based on the real-time atmospheric circulation information.

China is a vast country that experiences diverse natural disasters, but has a low level of insurance coverage, which leaves a significant protection gap, said Mike Mitchell, head of Property and Specialty Reinsurance, Swiss Re.

Products such as this help accelerate economic recovery after natural disasters, and allow people to return quickly to normal life, added Mitchell.

Source: Swiss Re

Topics Catastrophe China Swiss Re
Managing general agency and surplus lines insurance broker, J.M. Wilson, has added Ryan Bartolacci as assistant fleet underwriter in its Portage, Michigan, office.

He is responsible for quoting new and renewal fleet transportation accounts, setting up and binding policies, assisting underwriters, and serving independent insurance agents in 21 states.

Bartolacci is a recent graduate from Olivet College where he earned a Bachelors Degree in Insurance and Risk Management. During his studies, he was an intern for J.M. Wilson in the Personal Lines Department. Additionally, he interned with two independent agencies, Gibson in South Bend, Indiana and Russell & Schrader Insurance Agency in Charlotte, Michigan.

Source: J.M. Wilson

Topics Underwriting
A federal judge on June 30 dismissed a lawsuit from candy maker Mars Inc. against a Wisconsin woman the company claimed violated a company trademark with chocolates she makes.

The McLean, Virginia-based company filed the lawsuit in its home state in April, but the woman argued the lawsuit lacked jurisdiction because she conducts no business outside of Wisconsin. Eastern District of Virginia Judge Liam OGrady granted Syovata Edaris motion to dismiss on jurisdictional grounds, but the lawsuits merits were not weighed.

The Madison-based chocolate maker accused Mars of trademark bullying and noted her chocolates are distinctly different than the product in question that Mars sells.

Mars sued Edari in April, saying her chocolates, branded as CocoVaa, are confusingly similar in name to the companys cocoa extract supplements, called CocoaVia. Mars said Edaris chocolates would likely confuse and deceive consumers.

The company still has the option of refiling the lawsuit in Wisconsin.

Our position has always been that we will protect our trademark rights in order to maintain the integrity of our brands, Mars said in a statement from spokeswoman Denise Young. The company did not say what its next step will be.

Edari said she picked her brand name because Vaa was her fathers nickname for her as a child. Edari is a former federal public defender and represented herself with the help of attorney Cary Citronberg.

As a criminal defense attorney were used to representing the underdog, Edari said in an email. It was surreal being the underdog in this battle, and sitting across from four lawyers representing Mars. This time the underdog won. I cant wait to get back to my chocolate kitchen in Madison.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Lawsuits Wisconsin
National professional liability and management liability wholesale insurance brokerage, Founders Professional, has added Catherine Koclanes to its team in Chicago, Illinois, as a wholesale broker.

Koclanes will assist Founders retail partners in securing coverage for their management liability and professional liability risks.

Prior to joining Founders Professional, Koclanes was a professional liability broker with a wholesale brokerage, in Tampa, Florida, where she focused on securing professional liability insurance across numerous industries. Koclanes has extensive experience with professional liability insurance and will continue to provide Founders retail agents with solutions to their complex risks.

Source: Founders Professional

Topics Agencies
Floridas new chief financial officer is officially on the job.

Flanked by family and friends, Jimmy Patronis was sworn in June 30 during a brief ceremony held in the office of Gov. Rick Scott.

The Republican governor picked the former legislator and utility regulator to take the job that had been held by Jeff Atwater. Atwater announced earlier this year he would end his term early to take a top position at Florida Atlantic University.

Patronis does not have a background in the banking or insurance industries. But he was an early political ally of Scott during his initial run for governor in 2010.

After his swearing-in, Patronis deflected questions regarding insurance and potential staffing changes. He said he still needs to get up to speed on the office operations.

In his first newsletter from the Florida Department of Financial Services, Patronis acknowledged the importance of the insurance industry to the state and said he will work on common sense solutions for Floridas economic industries.

My years of business and legislative experience have taught me many things. As an employer, I know that financial accountability is key to ensuring that my employees have steady jobs and can pay their bills and put food on their familys tables. I believe that a fair and affordable workers compensation system is vital to protecting workers from the harmful effects of on-the-job injuries, and I recognize first-hand that effective contract management is crucial to making the most of our money and warding off rising costs.

As a lifelong Floridian, Ive seen the devastating impacts of hurricanes, as well as the need for cost-effective insurance coverage and an insurance industry that is ready, willing and able to help policyholders get back on their feet, Patronis said.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Florida
Authorities say a prescription drug ring at an outpatient psychiatric center has led to the arrest of three health care workers.

News outlets report 34-year-old Andrea Reene Opoku, 29-year-old Nikita Marie Piernas and 36-year-old Tyrone Leonard Thomas were arrested Wednesday in connection with a 42-count indictment that led to the arrest of nine others. The workers were employed at Merit Healths Gulf Oaks Outpatient Center in Biloxi.

They are accused of obtaining fraudulent prescriptions for a variety of opioids and other drugs. They each face multiple charges including fraud and conspiracy to distribute or dispense controlled substances outside the scope of professional practice.

According to the indictment, Opoku led the operation by giving out prescriptions with Piernas help.

Its unclear if the accused have lawyers.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Mississippi Drugs
Londra ha aperto con +0,42%, Parigi con +0,58% e Francoforte con +0,51%. Tokyo arretra dell'1,27%, Hong Kong arretra dello 0,2%, Shanghai avanza dello 0,3%. Perde l'1,7% Sydney e cresce dello 0,95% Seul. Wall Street affonda: -4,44% il Dow Jones, -4,41% il Nasdaq

Apertura positiva per le borse europee, che tentano il rimbalzo dopo le perdite dei giorni scorsi. Ieri Wall Street aveva lasciato sul terreno oltre il 4%. A Piazza Affari, lFtse Mib segna +0,7% a 16.670 punti. Margine Btp-Bund tedesco in calo a 194 punti, con rendimento del decennale all1,5%. Londra ha aperto con +0,42%, Parigi con +0,58% e Francoforte con +0,51%. Lo spread tra Btp e Bund apre a 194 punti, in calo rispetto alla chiusura di ieri a 197, giornata in cui e arrivato a sfiorare i 210 punti. Il rendimento del decennale e all1,5%.

Borse asiatiche

Le Borse asiatiche in perdita ma in modo piu contenuto, dopo il profondo rosso dei giorni scorsi. Tokyo arretra dell1,27%, Hong Kong arretra dello 0,2%, Shanghai avanza dello 0,3%. Perde l1,7% Sydney e cresce dello 0,95% Seul. Anche i future di Wall Street sono in rialzo e provano a reagire, dopo una nuova chiusura in profondo rosso. Nel mondo superati i 900 mila contagi, oltre 45 mila decessi. Negli Usa contagi oltre quota 200.000. La Germania estende il lockdown fino al 19 aprile. Merkel: La pandemia non conosce festivi. In Italia aumentano i contagi, calano ricoveri e decessi: il totale dei casi di coronavirus sale a 110.574, piu 4.782 nelle ultime 24 ore. Le borse asiatiche avevano aperto in calo: le azioni di Hong Kong erano negative sulla scia del forte calo di Wall Street, mentre permanevano preoccupazioni per la rapida diffusione del coronavirus nella contea di Jia, provincia dellHenan che confina con quella dellHubei, epicentro della pandemia, con 600mila persone sono tornate in isolamento. Lindice Hang Seng scende in apertura dell1,07%, ovvero 247,12 punti, a 22.838,67. Lindice di Shanghai cala dello 0,52%, o 14,29 punti, a 2.720,23, mentre lindice composito di Shenzhen sulla seconda borsa cinese perde lo 0,44%, o 7,35 punti, a 1.652,73.

New York

Wall Street affonda: -4,44% il Dow Jones, -4,41% il Nasdaq.
Ford Motor Company (F) is one of the biggest automotive companies in the world. In addition to its Ford-branded vehicles, it also markets luxury vehicles under the Lincoln brand and auto parts under the Motorcraft name. For the fiscal year ending 2020, it reported annual revenue of $127 billion and net income of $1.3 billion.

Ford's wholly-owned automotive subsidiaries operate in numerous countries around the world, including Canada, Brazil, Australia, and India. The company's European automotive operations include wholly-owned subsidiaries headquartered in Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom. In addition to these core automotive subsidiaries, Ford owns various other companies around the world. Below are some of the most important of those businesses.

1. Ford Motor Credit Company, LLC

Ford Motor Credit Company, LLC is a financial services company offering financing products to Ford consumers and Ford dealers. The company provides automobile loans and leases to retail, commercial, and government buyers of new and used Ford vehicles. It also offers business loans and lines of credit to its dealers for inventory and facility investments and other approved business uses.

Ford Motor Credit Company handled 50% of all lease shares for retail sales for Ford vehicles sold in the United States in 2019. Ford Motor Credit Company is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ford Motor Company. It operates in Europe under its own subsidiary, FCE Bank plc, which is headquartered in the United Kingdom.

2. Changan Ford Automobile Corporation, Ltd.

Changan Ford Automobile Corporation, Ltd. is a 50-50 Chinese joint venture between Ford Motor Company and China's state-owned Chongqing Changan Automobile Company, Ltd., one of China's four biggest auto manufacturers. The company produces and distributes Ford-branded vehicles in China. Changan Ford operates an engine plant, a transmission plant, and five assembly plants.

3. AutoAlliance (Thailand) Co., Ltd.

Rayong, Thailand-based AutoAlliance (Thailand) Co., Ltd. is a 50-50 joint venture between Ford and Mazda Motor Corporation. AutoAlliance operates an integrated automotive manufacturing facility for compact trucks and passenger cars. The company produces Ford- and Mazda-branded vehicles for Thailand and markets in other developing countries in Southeast Asia and beyond.

4. Getrag Ford Transmissions GmbH

Getrag Ford Transmissions GmbH is a joint venture held equally between Ford and the German-based company Magna PT International GmbH (formerly Getrag International GmbH). Getrag Ford Transmissions produces transmissions for Ford automobiles at its manufacturing plants in Germany, England, India, and France.

5. Ford Motor Land Development Corporation

Ford Motor Land Development Corporation (known more commonly as "Ford Land") is a full-service real estate company originally established in 1970 to develop acreage surrounding Ford Motor Company's corporate headquarters in Michigan. It now owns and manages more than 220 million square feet of real estate globally in 48 countries.

The company also provides planning and engineering services, facility management services, and dealership design services in support of Ford's international operations. Ford Land is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ford Motor Company. The company is in the process of a campus transformation to bring together over 30,000 employees from 70 buildings to two primary locations.
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Breaking AI Stock News: Intellagents, a FatBrain AI (OTCQB: LZGI) Company, Announces Hiring of Insurtech Industry Veteran as Chief Revenue Officer

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Press Release

MPs from Middle East find innovative solutions to regional water issues

Geneva, 7 July 2017

Members of the IPU Committee on Middle East Questions gathered in Geneva on 6-7 July to find innovative solutions to regional water issues. IPU/Jorky

Members of Parliament from the Middle East, including Israel and Palestine, have declared that access to clean water should not be politicized and should not be used as a weapon in regional conflicts.

In a second roundtable, organized by the Inter-Parliamentary Unions (IPU) Committee on Middle East Questions, MPs from Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Morocco, Palestine and the United Arab Emirates have also agreed concrete measures to tackle the water crisis that threatens to further aggravate regional instability.

The areas earmarked for action include: mapping those communities most threatened by water scarcity, establishing a regional parliamentary network on water governance and supporting MPs on shaping equitable and sustainable legislation on water management.

The roundtable meeting, which took place from 6-7 July, was one of a series of events intended to bring together MPs from the Middle East with water management experts in a bid to help meet the challenge set out in Sustainable Development Goal 6, which calls for viable management of water and sanitation.

Experts from the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), the development organization WaterLex and Synchrotron-light for Experimental Science and Applications in the Middle East (SESAME), a Jordan-based group that brings scientists together from across the region, worked with the MPs to identify technological solutions to water safety, availability, accessibility and affordability.

The Middle East is one of the most water-stressed regions in the world. This is a major contributing factor to the conflicts here. Our aim is to use our joint expertise in technology and policymaking to help relieve a major source of tension and, hopefully, create an environment where peace-building can move ahead, said Committee President Denise Pascal Allende.

The outcomes of this second round table will be presented to IPU Members at its October Assembly with clear steps for on-the-ground implementation.

This round table is the latest effort by IPU to build trust and transform elements that can potentially cause or exacerbate conflict into reasons for co-existence, said IPU Secretary General Martin Chungong. The constructive non-political discussions between MPs and experts that occurred throughout this meeting show that regional solutions can be found to regional problems; and, most importantly, that, by uniting different experts and communities through the neutral lens of science, peace can move from an aspiration to concrete reality.

The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) is the global organization of national parliaments. It works to safeguard peace and drives positive democratic change through political dialogue and concrete action.


A project of constructing 3,812 houses in the Southeastern Maysan governorate has been approved by Iraq.



According to news source, the state National Investment Commission in Baghdad has been asked by the cabinet of ministers to invite developers and investors for the project. It said the Construction and Housing Ministry would allocate land with an area of around 1.6 square km for the project.



The report stated, "The horizontal project will be completed within three years and the investors must agree to build schools, health centers and a civil defense centre on an area of 10,000 square meter at their own expense,"



It also added that the project comprises houses of three different sizes, including 212 square meters, 160 square meters and 127 square meters.



| Soruce: Zawya | By S.Seal
As the initial phase of the new Karbala International Airport (KIA) becomes operational, a major addition to the Middle Easts portfolio of airports will appear as early as 2018. The airport will be situated on the outskirts of Karbala, about 60 KM southwest of Baghdad and about 40 KM north of Najaf. It is expected to be particularly used for religious tourism traffic.



Construction of the airport is part of the Iraqi Governments efforts to diversify the economy away from dependence on the oil and gas sector, with considerable employment being generated, both by the construction process and by the airport itself, once it opens. The project dates back to 2008, when the Iraqi Government, the countrys transport ministry and the Iraqi Civil Aviation Authority (ICAA), announced the creation of a new airport in Karbala Governorate, strategically located between the cities of Karbala, Najaf and Al Hillah.

The French company, Aeroports de Paris Ingenierie (ADPI), was contracted by the transport ministry to conduct site selection studies, leading to the development of an airport master plan. Detailed design of the facility consists of two runways, taxiways and aprons, three passenger terminal buildings and associated support facilities, such as a fuel farm. There will also be a 62 meter air traffic control tower.



The Al Rida Investment Group (RIG) and Khairat Al-Subtain (KAS) are privately financing the project. Karbala, like Najaf Airport, will act as a gateway to one of the holiest pilgrimage sites for Shia Moslems.

Miles Roberts, general manager of Copperchase Iraq, said, Its going to open up Iraq.



While the battle to push back Daesh in the north and centre of Iraq continues, security in the south, around the new airports site, has never been a problem.

Roberts further stated, Down here, they never really had any issues. People will feel safer here than even flying into Baghdad.



UK-based Copperchase has been involved in more than 150 airport projects worldwide since the 1990s, with the Middle East having been a particular focus for the company. The new airport will be built in four phases. Phase one will see the creation of a terminal initially capable of handling two million passengers annually, but four million after around a year in service. This is described as a functional airport that will allow operations to get under way.

Revenues from the airports operation will be reinvested in the facility. The timetable for future expansion is dependent on the level of those revenues, but phase two will see capacity rise to six million, with two further phases possible over the following decade.

The initial runway will be 4,500 M  the longest in Iraq and large enough, said Roberts, for anything except the Space Shuttle. The land for the new airport measures 9 KM by 6 KM and is open countryside: Theres been a certain amount of quarrying in one corner, but otherwise its been used for agriculture.

Building time for the first phase is scheduled as two years, but Copperchase hopes to complete it in 18 months. With that tight schedule in mind, it has employed several extremely experienced senior personnel, who have constructed airports in daunting conditions around the world.

Project manager, Pieter van der Schraaf, for example, has handled more than 20 airport projects in locations as diverse as Bangkok, Rotterdam and Doha, while one of the worlds leading authorities on runway design, John Napton, of the UKs Newcastle University, is contracted as a consultant.

In addition to building the airport, Copperchase has also secured the rights to operate it for the next 25 years. Several airlines have already expressed in interest in operating from the new airport, said Roberts, but he was not yet in a position to name them.

Over time, the company intends to develop additional elements of the airport from operating revenue profits. But it is also seeking investors who may want to take on elements of the airport operation or associated activities, such as hotels, car parking, retail and other facets. When operational, the airport will ease travel for millions of religious pilgrims, who visit Karbala each year, said Nahidh Mohammed Salih, chairman of Copperchases Iraqi business.



He added that Salih said the projects three planned phases would cost $2 billion. However, work on the second and third phases would depend on demand. Meanwhile, Copperchase is also involved in building up maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facilities at Najaf Airport. Currently, there are no third-party major servicing facilities in Iraq. The companys plan is, initially, to develop a line maintenance capability at Najaf, with hangar maintenance being added almost immediately.

David Plumpton, technical director of Lama Aviation Services, a fully owned subsidiary of Copperchase, said, We will focus on A checks for the first four to six months, then build up to C checks by the back end of 2018.

There is an obvious need for improved maintenance facilities in the country: For example, Iraq Airways send a lot of their aircraft to other countries, predominantly Turkey, said Plumpton. Theres not enough hangarage in Iraq to support their own requirements, let alone those of the surrounding countries. Iran, we know, has a very strong maintenance requirement. Theres hangarage at Baghdad, but no significant third-party maintenance hangars.



The work on building up an MRO capability at Najaf will take place in two phases. The first will be a two-bay hangar for Airbus A320 or Boeing 737-sized aircraft, explained Plumpton. A second hangar will bring an additional two bays, although this may end up as a single bay big enough for an Airbus A330 or Boeing 777, depending on customer reaction. We know a certain number of A330s and 777s would like to fly into Najaf.



That new MRO capability would boost Najaf Airports attractiveness to foreign carriers, said Plumpton: We know there have been operators that have resisted flying into Najaf because theres no maintenance capability.

Also at Najaf, Lama hopes to take on the contract for ground-handling currently undertaken by the airport authorities. Najaf is a former military airbase that now functions as a small, but expanding, regional airport, with a 3,000 meter runway and four departure gates. Opened in 2008, it now handles services from more than 20 airlines. Iranian carriers are prominent, although several Gulf carriers also operate there.

Together, the new and expanded facilities at the two airports will considerably improve transport options in the southern part of Iraq.



| Soruce: Arabian Aerospace | By S.Seal
On last Sunday, Iraqs oil marketing company stated that the country exported 592.378 million barrels of petroleum during the first half of 2017.

In its statement, SOMO said that represented a monthly exportation rate of 98.729 million barrels, and a daily rate of 3.290 million barrels.

The company also stated that the exports yielded revenues worth USD26.771 million during that period, recording a monthly return of USD4.592 million a month.

As per statements, the exports were acquired by 37 world companies. The Iraqi petroleum ministry said earlier on Sunday that the average of Iraqi petroleum exports during June stood at 3.273 million barrels, up from 3.262 barrels in May.

Iraq is OPECs second largest producer after Saudi Arabia. Iraq is OPECs second largest oil producer after Saudi Arabia, recording a daily production of 477.5 million barrels per day in 2016.

Despite the planned increase, Iraq is recommending an extension of an OPEC agreement to cut members production, by 1.8 million barrels daily, beyond June.

A spokesperson of the Cabinet, Saad al-Hadithi, had said that Iraq wants the production cuts to extend for nine extra months to offset oversupply and enhance prices. He said the slashed production since the signing of the agreement last year had helped improve oil revenues gradually for exporting companies.



| Soruce: Iraqi News | By S.Seal
In Canada, a court has issued a warrant for the seizure of hundreds of thousands of barrels of oil reportedly originating from the Kurdistan Region in a tanker recently seen off North America's eastern seaboard.

A court in Halifax, Canada, has recorded a warrant for the arrest of the cargo of 721,915 barrels of crude oil abroad the M/T [motor tanker] Neverland, on June 29, 2017.



The plaintiff is the Republic of Iraq et al and the defendant is The Ship M/T Neverland et al.



The UK-based S&P Global Platts, a provider of commodity information, stated, The Italian-flagged Neverland departed Ceyhan on June 13 with more than 700,000 b/d, destined for Augusta, Italy, but it turned off its transponder on June 21 just past Gibraltar, heading toward the Atlantic Ocean.



As per reports, Automated Identification System (AIS) detected the ships location on Friday at approximately 300 miles off the Canadian coastal city of Halifax and approximately 600 miles off of the US coastal city of Boston.

The Kurdistan Region sends oil through a pipeline connected to Turkeys Ceyhan port to world markets. The Kurdish Minister of Natural Resources Ashti Hawrami told that the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) sells its crude oil on a free-on-board basis and is not directly involved with the final buyers of their product.



S&P Global Platts reported, A senior Iraqi Oil Ministry official told S&P Global Platts that the ministry has been authorized to challenge the legality of the shipment and any other tankers, marking increased tension following recent warming between Baghdad and Erbil.

Hawrami responded that "We don't have any intention of upsetting Baghdad. Our policy is to discuss and solve problems and not to create new obstacles."



Although crude oil exports from the KRG have been delivered to other places, the Neverland would be the first to voyage across the Atlantic since the United Kalavrytas attempt to deliver oil to America in 2014.

Baghdad and Erbil have been in dispute over the Kurdistan Regions share of oil revenues since early 2014 when the then Iraqi government under former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki cut the Regions budget over the prospect of independent exports of Kurdish oil to international markets.



| Soruce: Rudaw | By S.Seal
Ireland's media funding laws need to be adapted for the digital age, according to the chair of the Oireachtas Communications Committee.

Fine Gael TD Hildegard Naughten's comments come following a conference at which stakeholders proposed a number of ideas to address funding issues for public service broadcasters.
Panda Waste customers could be fined up to 25 for throwing away food in their black wheelie bins.

Changes to contracts also include allowing workers to enter people's property to inspect their rubbish.
US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin will have their first face-to-face encounter at the G20 summit in the German city of Hamburg today.

They have both said they want to repair ties which have been damaged by the Syria crisis and Russia's alleged meddling in the US election.

Meanwhile, 76 police have been hurt during clashes in Hamburg ahead of the meeting of world leaders.

Water cannon, batons and pepper-spray have been used to disperse demonstrators.

The skirmishes came hours before the two-day gathering of the world's top economic powers gets under way on Friday morning in Germany's second-biggest city.

Its host, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, said she hoped the leaders would be able to find "compromises and answers" on a wide range of issues - although the prospects of finding common ground on climate change and trade were uncertain.

Thursday evening's protest as the G20 leaders arrived in Hamburg was titled "G20: Welcome to Hell", and a stand-off between anti-capitalist protesters and police developed before the march itself really got going.

Police said they repeatedly asked some demonstrators to remove their masks, to no avail. They then decided to separate the group from the rest of the march, which they estimated at 12,000 people in total.

Black-hooded protesters attacked a police vehicle with bottles and bricks, breaking its window.

Organisers quickly called an end to the march after the violence broke out, police said. Skirmishes continued, with police advancing down the street with two water cannons while being pelted with bottles.

A nearby building was plastered with the slogan "Borderless solidarity instead of nationalism: attack the G20". A small group on the roof set off fireworks. Police said windows at a furniture store and a bank were damaged. There was no immediate word on a number of arrests or injuries.

Many other groups are calling for peaceful protests and are pushing the G20 leaders for action to fight climate change and address economic disparities in the world. Some are even calling for the dissolution of the G20 itself so the United Nations becomes the platform for such discussions.

In all, more than 100,000 protesters are expected in Hamburg for the summit, with some 8,000 considered part of Europe's violent left-wing scene, according to police.

The northern port city has boosted its police with reinforcements from around the country and has 20,000 officers on hand to patrol Hamburg's streets, skies and waterways.

Ms Merkel is also hoping to keep things under control inside the city congress centre where the summit is being held. With guests including the US and Russian presidents as well as Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the search for compromises is expected to be challenging.

Ms Merkel said leaders would address regulating financial markets, fighting terrorism and pandemics and combating climate change, among other issues. She said "free, rule-based and fair trade" will be an important issue.

"You can imagine that there will be discussions that will not be easy," she said. "Globalisation can be a win-win situation. It must not always be that there are winners and losers."

In the wake of Mr Trump's recent decision to pull out of the Paris deal fighting climate change, the battle against global warming promises to feature prominently in discussions at the summit.

Ms Merkel has rejected calls from some to push for a strong "G19" statement - without the US - on climate change. That is something that Zhu Guangyao, a Chinese deputy finance minister, told reporters on Thursday that Beijing also did not support.

"The policies produced by the G20 should be by the consensus of all member states," he said. "No one should be excluded."

Still, he added, "China will firmly promote its policies taking more measures against climate change".

AP
The companys operations are based in Dublin.

The UK, in particular, is showing very, very strong trading at the moment, John Bason, chief financial officer, said.

Against a background of what a lot of retailers have been reporting, I think we are a standout.

The sales provide a contrast with the likes of Next and Marks & Spencer, whose clothing sales are stuttering as cash-strapped UK households look to the likes of Primark to make their money go further.

Its a similar story outside of fashion as discount grocers Aldi and Lidl continue to boost their UK share of food spending.

The UK economy has got consistently more people into a job, but at a lower average real wage. That means people are seeking out more value wherever it might be, said UBS analyst Andy Hughes.

Primarks sales gave a boost to shares of Associated British Foods, majority owned by the family of chief executive George Weston, which rose up to 6.2%, valuing the business at 24bn (27.3bn).

Associated British Foods, which also has major sugar, grocery, agriculture and ingredients businesses, said Primarks better-than-expected third-quarter performance meant the groups outlook for the year to mid-September 2017 had marginally improved.

Reuters, Bloomberg, Irish Examiner staff.
RTE has been given the green light to relocate the set of the popular soap on its Donnybrook campus despite local residents branding it as unacceptable.

The broadcaster is moving the famed Carrigstown set as part of its decision to sell 8.64 acres of land for 107.5m to Cairn Homes.

The Fair City lot comprises of 11 separate sets and the planning application provides for a new home for McCoys pub, the Hungry Pig, the Dolphin Pod, the Community Centre, the Helping Hand charity shop and the other locations where the soap is shot.

The height of the new set has risen from 20ft to 27.75 ft which RTE said is consistent with prevailing heights of adjacent homes located on Nutley Road.

RTE was also seeking to increase its night-time use of the set.

However, the Nutley Residents Association objected to the plan.

In granting planning, Dublin City Council said the proposed development will not injure the amenity of property in the vicinity.

The council said the use of the set for two nights a week (up from two a month) will stop after three years from the date of the permission so that a full assessment can be made of its impact.

The relocated Fair City set will now operate from 8am to 6pm on Monday to Saturday, with options of extending this to 10pm two nights per week.

Local residents raised concerns about the proximity of the set to existing homes of Nutley Rd; the visual impact of the development; the noise to be generated by the plan and its hours of operation.

They said many of the homes had young children and that increased noise levels after 8pm were unacceptable.

The residents have the option of appealing the decision to An Bord Pleanala.
The Dail Public Accounts Committee sought an update on the request yesterday after a similar call was made by Garda college whistle-blower, civilian head of human resources John Barrett, amid claims management is drip-feeding information to delay probes.

Speaking during the latest PAC meeting on the ongoing controversy, Social Democrats TD Catherine Murphy said she had requested that the committee contact the Central Bank last week seeking action on its behalf.

She said an update is now needed, and that there is a genuine reason for why the St Raphaels Garda credit union should be examined in greater detail.

The call was echoed in an 80-page letter sent by Mr Barrett which  as reported in yesterdays Irish Examiner  said the Central Bank should investigate transactions at the credit union since 1999.

This, he said, is because of concerns some money meant for EU funds for the college may have passed through credit union accounts instead for unknown reasons.

The development came as PAC chair and Fianna Fail TD Sean Fleming confirmed the committee did not receive the information requested by Garda Commissioner Noirin OSullivan on the wider college controversy by yesterday morning.

Responding to the news, Fianna Fail TD Marc McSharry said he believes there has been a wilful delay from the gardai in providing details, claiming the PAC is being drip-fed information.

However, Mr Fleming would only say the issue will be noted in the PACs report on the college financial scandal, which is due to be published in 10 days.

Meanwhile, correspondence from Garda executive director of finance Michael Culhane to the PAC yesterday said the official has now fully retracted claims Mr Barrett breached the Official Secrets Act by taking notes on what he said happened.

Other correspondence from the gardai said all Garda college-linked accounts are now closed except those that are held privately or are club accounts  an issue Mr McSharry said remains of concern.

In a separate event, the PAC met in private yesterday to finalise its separate report into claims of financial issues, lack of transparency and commercial conflicts of interest allegations surrounding several third level institutions. The PAC investigation, criticised by Skills Minister John Halligan this year for allegedly giving an unfair impression of his local college, is now due to be published next Tuesday, two days before the Dail breaks until mid-September.
In its EU-wide Cultural and Creative Cities Monitor the commission used 29 different indicators to rank cities, with Dublin ranked fourth among XL Group cities, behind Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Lisbon, and Stockholm, and was ranked best for having an enabling environment.

In the S-M Group Cork came fourth but was ranked first for cultural vibrancy, as well as being listed in the top eight ideal cultural and creative cities alongside the likes of Paris and Eindhoven.
The Department of Justices Irish Refugee Protection Programme (IRPP) is also having problems finding further facilities here to accommodate asylum seekers from Greece who are fleeing strife in the Middle East and beyond.

In a briefing document to Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan, the department said that 459 asylum seekers had arrived from Greece. Some 183 of these are children, comprising 70 aged 0-4, 82 aged 5-12, and 31 aged 13-17.

It said 38 had been housed in the community using both local authority housing and accommodation pledged to the Red Cross.

It said about 100 more were due to be housed over the next two months and a further 160 in the third quarter of this year.

Officials said 344 asylum seekers have been interviewed for relocation and 264 of those have been cleared for entry to Ireland.

It is envisaged that Ireland will have met its commitment for 1,040 by September 2017, it said.

But the department added: The challenge for the IRPP is scaling up the programme sufficiently to deal with the unprecedented numbers arriving and to put in place plans to disperse arrivals in multiple counties.

Two full pages in the briefing document are redacted, but it does publish what it says are the three main issues arising:

Difficulties in procuring further emergency reception and orientation centres (EROCs) in which to accommodate arrivals, which in turn slows the rate at which asylum seekers can be brought from Greece to Ireland.

Inability to find suitable accommodation in communities in a reasonable timeframe for those who are ready to move out of EROCs and into the community.

Difficulties with service provision to our arrivals whether in EROCs or in the community. This is emerging as a very significant issue.

Elsewhere in the 149-page briefing document, officials say that 4,000 people were refused leave to land at ports of entry last year.

The report said officials were urgently examining the impact of a Supreme Court judgement last May on the right of asylum seekers to work.

It said there were high-profile judicial reviews ongoing with potentially significant impact on the department, including a review seeking to prevent the enforcement of deportation orders and claims for damages in relation to delays in processing cases.

The report said 300m of inward investment had been attracted through the Immigrant Investor Programme  which grants Irish residence to high net worth people from outside the European Economic Area.

However, the report said despite an ongoing campaign by NGOs for an earned regularisation programme for undocumented migrants, government statements had said it cannot engage in a general regularisation programme.

In the policing division section, the department said that a recent report by the Policing Authority highlighted its concerns at the slow pace of civilianisation in An Garda Siochana.

This presents a potential risk to the wider reform programme, said the department.

In view of the concerns raised, the minister requested the Garda commissioner for a response with a view to a meeting thereafter to discuss how any blockages can be overcome.

At the date of publication of the briefing document, last month, it said that response was awaited.

While the department said that Budget 2017 provided funding for 500 civilians, the Policing Authority has approved 137.

It said the commissioners five-year workforce plan, which was required by the authority by the end of 2016, was still outstanding.
Mr Murphy has been accused in the Dail of lacking a sense of urgency on freeing up nearly 200,000 vacant properties around the country which could ease the homelessness crisis.

Labours Jan OSullivan expressed her disappointment after it was revealed the vacant home strategy, which was due in the spring, has been delayed until at least late autumn.

The fact that we have nearly 200,000 vacant houses in the country, excluding holiday homes, and that a large number of those are in our urban centres and in our cities in particular, is a real opportunity and there is not the sense of urgency which there should be with regard to bringing a reasonable percentage of those homes back into use, to be used by people who are currently homeless or on housing waiting lists, said Ms OSullivan.

Mr Murphy told the Dail he is reviewing the entire Rebuilding Ireland strategy, developed by his predecessor Simon Coveney to address the rental, housing, and homelessness crisis.

While Mr Murphy said the first draft of the vacant homes element of the Governments wider housing strategy is very good, he added that it is not ambitious enough.

I will be using the current review of Rebuilding Ireland to see what new ideas we can bring to bear. This will require engagement with the Minister for Finance, he said.

If budgetary measures are needed to reinforce the ambition, this may delay the publication of the strategy but this will not delay the commencement of work. There is a lot of information to be gathered in order to have a targeted, effective approach but existing property interests should note that changes are coming.

It has been reported that Mr Murphy, along with Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe, is considering raising the amount of property tax homeowners pay on vacant houses. Along with incentivising people to make use of houses, raising property tax would also take in extra funds to allow Government make cuts to income tax.

Mr Murphy said making sure vacant properties are lived in would require a carrot-and-stick approach.

Ms OSullivan said Labour would support the Government if it goes ahead with a tax on vacant homes. If that is one of the reasons he is saying that he will have to delay until after the budget, let us by all means move on some of the other measures and then bring this tax in at that time. I would certainly support it, she said.
Venezuelas democratic institutions are in ruins, its coffers are empty, and its citizens are searching for food in rubbish dumps.

Its people are dying from starvation, from preventable and curable diseases (at much higher rates than the Latin American average), and from violence  including, in some cases, gunshot wounds inflicted by their own government.

More than three quarters of Venezuelas 31m people want to free themselves from the stranglehold of their rulers, a small group of no more than 150 mafia-like figures (mostly military) who have hijacked the countrys democracy, robbed it blind, and created a devastating humanitarian crisis.

The 18-year-old regime  established by Hugo Chavez, and now led by President Nicolas Maduro  would rather hold an entire country hostage than lose power and potentially have to answer for crimes against humanity in the International Criminal Court. But how long can it hold on?

Venezuelans have actively pursued a change of government. In the December 2015 parliamentary election, two thirds of voters lent their support to the democratic opposition.

That outcome should have loosened the regimes grip on the state and helped to re-establish the checks and balances envisioned in the constitution that Chavez himself drafted.

But the regime has systematically undermined the National Assembly through rulings from a Supreme Court that it packed with loyalists, using the outgoing legislature.

Opposition lawmakers brawl with supposed government supporters who tried to forced their way into the National Assembly.

At the end of last March, the Supreme Court went a step further, taking over all of the Assemblys powers  a move so blatantly illegal that even the chavista Prosecutor General Luisa Ortega Diaz denounced it as a rupture of the constitutional order.

With that, desperate Venezuelans took their opposition to the streets. On April 1, they began holding almost daily protests demanding another general election, despite the mortal danger of public opposition.

Indeed, since the protests began, the regimes security forces have killed 85 demonstrators and wounded over 1,000 more, including by throwing tear-gas canisters into crowds and launching pellets at peoples chests, at close range.

More than 3,000 protesters face criminal charges, simply for exercising their democratic rights.

Cornered, the ruling clique has become defiant. Maduro recently announced that if the regime cannot muster the votes needed to stay in power, it will use its weapons instead.

But he is also taking more extreme political action to protect the regime: he has now ordered, by presidential decree (rather than by referendum, as the constitution requires), a constituent assembly, to be chosen on July 30, to draft a new communal constitution.

The demonstrations have become what is essentially a popular uprising, with Venezuelas people calling on the armed forces to evict the regime from power.

People march next to the fence of La Carlota Air Base during a protest on the Francisco Fajardo highway, in Caracas, Venezuela, Saturday, June 24, 2017.

Ortega, for her part, has called on the Supreme Court to annul the regimes push to rewrite the constitution, but the court declared her request not receivable.

Venezuelans recognise that a Marxist-Leninist constitution approved by regime-appointed deputies would complete Venezuelas transformation into another Cuba within a month.

The question is whether the rest of the world will stand by idly.

Luis Almagro, the secretary-general of the Organization of American States (OAS), has called its member states attention to the Venezuelan regimes grave constitutional and human rights violations.

At last months OAS General Assembly in Mexico, 14 countries (Argentina, Brazil, Bahamas, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Guyana, Jamaica, Mexico, the United States, Peru, St. Lucia, Uruguay, and Paraguay) proposed a draft resolution on how to initiate a dialogue with the Venezuelan regime  to no avail.

Such a dialogue would have focused on pushing Venezuelas regime to comply with the commitments mediated by the Vatican last autumn, including holding free and fair elections this year, releasing political prisoners, restoring the National Assemblys constitutional powers, and accepting humanitarian assistance.

But, though 20 OAS member states supported the resolution, 10 did not, owing to their dependence on Venezuelan oil and financing. That left the resolution three votes short of the required two-thirds majority.

Emboldened by what it perceived as a victory, the Venezuelan regime has ramped up its violence against protesters and organised a bogus coup against itself.

During the recent siege of the Legislative Palace, an officer of the National Guard assaulted Julio Borges, the president of the National Assembly  the only institution with any legitimacy left.

The regime is also set to appoint a tame new deputy prosecutor general to replace Ortega, who has had her bank accounts frozen and is barred from leaving the country.

The opposition is firing back, organising via the National Assembly an official referendum, on the basis of articles 333 and 350 of the constitution. Venezuelans will be able to weigh in on Maduros plan to rewrite the constitution and the oppositions push for new elections, the restoration of all checks and balances, and the formation of a national unity government.

The vote will take place on July 16, in all churches in Venezuela, and with international observers.

Having lost all legitimacy, Venezuelas kleptocratic and murderous regime is hanging on by a thread.

Already, individual OAS member states have imposed targeted sanctions on officials affiliated with the regimes aggressive drug-dealing faction  the sub-group responsible for murdering young people in the streets and torturing some 300 political prisoners. (The European Union has yet to join the effort.)

By rejecting a democratic transition, the regime is only prolonging its own agony and creating higher costs for Venezuela.

While the ruling clique is not eager to negotiate, a deal offered via the OAS or at the United Nations Security Council could prove difficult to refuse in the current context.

Such a deal would require an immediate general election and the cancellation of the constituent assembly, and could be implemented relatively quickly and easily, according to the existing constitution.

If successful, it could help reinvigorate international trust and cooperation. More immediately, it would give the desperate, starving, and repressed Venezuelan people their country back.

Enrique ter Horst, former special representative of the UN Secretary-General in El Salvador and Haiti, was UN Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights.

www.project-syndicate.org
The political activist said the need of the hour was to bring together different energies in the country.
A virtual private network (VPN) service can help you safeguard your identity, location, and activities online. When looking for a VPN youll want to consider your options carefully. For instance, a VPN should keep your internet usage private and secure but not at the expense of too speed. If anonymity is a concern, you should look for a VPN with clear and transparent data collection policies. The number of available servers and country locations a VPN offers is also important if you are trying to get around region locks. And finally, extra perks arent necessary but could sweeten the deal.

Our in-depth VPN reviews cover all these issues and more, so you can choose the best VPN service for your needs. Whether your primary concern is anonymity, streaming your favorite shows from another country, speeds, or price, weve got picks for each category. Below that you can find information about how we test and what to look for when choosing a VPN.

Granted, not everyone wants a full-fledged VPN servicealthough it should be a priority if online privacy is important to you. You might just want a VPN for occasional usewhen youre using public Wi-Fi, for instance. If so, check out our roundups of best free VPNs for Chrome and best free VPNs for Windows for our recommendations, and caveats about a free VPNs limitations.

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Best VPN services

1. ExpressVPN  Best VPN overall Pros Consistently good speeds

Easy-to-use desktop program

Broad device support Cons Logs data transfer amounts

More expensive than many competitors Its hard to select the best overall VPN. Some services are weaker on privacy, but are significantly easier to use with tons of features, while others could stand an interface redesign. For many years we chose the best VPN based purely on privacy, but that is no longer the sole concern of most people when choosing a VPN. Privacy is important, to be sure, but so are performance, extra features, a wide country selection, and ease of use. ExpressVPN has it all, making it our top choice for VPNs. ExpressVPN is one of the fastest VPNs weve tested, and it has a very easy-to-use app. Its servers are all diskless, running everything in RAMa welcome practice thats become fairly standard these days. ExpressVPN also has wide device support, as well as a smart DNS feature for set-top boxes, consoles, and more. Its not the cheapest VPN out there, but you do get solid value for the price, and the service is regularly bringing in third-party auditors to bolster its privacy credentials. Read our full ExpressVPN review 2. NordVPN  Best VPN for features Pros Excellent speeds

Enough features to appeal to power users and novices

No-logs policy

Diskless servers Cons Expensive If you like ExpressVPNs speeds and features, but want something a little different, NordVPN is also an excellent choice. Nord is arguably more feature-filled than ExpressVPN, and the service is just one part of a larger suite of privacy and security focused products. The desktop app is very easy to use, and offers a lot of different features including access to the TOR network over VPN, multi-hop VPNs, and ad-tracker and malware blocking. NordVPN has gone a long way to bolster user trust. After years of not being transparent, the company is now upfront about whos running the show, it also undergoes third-party audits, carries out vendor assessments, and uses diskless servers. Read our full NordVPN review 3. Mullvad  Best VPN for privacy Pros Good speeds

Higher level of anonymity possible than with most VPN services

Windows desktop is easy to use Cons Not guaranteed to work with Netflix

Lacks the extra services that some VPNs offer

No password protection for your account Best Prices Today: As Hotspot Shield is to speeds, so Mullvad is to privacy and anonymity. Weve never seen another VPN that actively resists knowing who you are the way Mullvad does. Mullvad doesnt ask for your email address, name, or anything else. Instead it assigns a random account number that acts as your identifier and login. Mullvad accepts payments using standard methods such as credit cards and PayPal, but you can also mail your payment in cash to remain as private as possible. Mullvad has a no-logging policy and doesnt collect any identifying metadata from your usage. Mullvad is also fast, ranking within our top five for speeds. Though oddly we did find that on Windows, Mullvads OpenVPN configuration was actually faster than its Wireguard implementation. Read our full Mullvad review 4. IVPN  Best VPN for privacy runner-up Pros Excellent speeds for its U.S., UK and European servers

Interface is easy to understand

Default WireGuard protocol connects quickly Cons Its on the expensive side at $100 per year

Server network is under 100 servers Best Prices Today: Coming in behind Mullvad is IVPN. This Gibraltar-based VPN recently moved to dumping email-based identifiers and going with randomly assigned account numbers instead. Similar to Mullvad, it accepts a variety of payment options for privacy including cash, as well as the standard credit cards, PayPal, and other options like Bitcoin and Monero. IVPN doesnt rank as one of our fastest VPNs, but it does have acceptable speeds for most casual uses. Another option is OVPN. This VPN doesnt go to the levels that Mullvad and IVPN do, but it does only require a username and password to create an account. OVPN doesnt require an email address, though you can add one as a backstop for account recovery should you forget your password. OVPN doesnt rank in our top 10 for speeds, but its just outside the top performers at number 12. Read our full IVPN review 5. Hotspot Shield  Fastest VPN Pros Very fast

Large country selection and plenty of servers Cons Domain visits are recorded, though not tied to you

Expensive While our pick for best overall VPN, ExpressVPN, boasts above-average speeds, Hotspot Shield is on another level. No other service comes close to hitting the speeds weve seen with this service. This isnt just a one-off occurrence either; Hotspot Shield has consistently been at the top with speeds that are 12 to 15 percentage points above the competition. In our tests, Hotspot Shield maintained around 67 percent of the base speed. Thats substantially faster than youll see with most VPN servicesthough your experience may vary. On the downside, Hotspot Shield doesnt allow for a way to pay anonymously and its privacy policy may not sit well with some. Still, Hotspot Shield has excellent speeds, its desktop application is very nice, and as a bonus it works with U.S. Netflix. Read our full Hotspot Shield review 6. AirVPN  Best VPN for torrents Pros Excellent speeds

Detailed real-time information about the network

Good pricing with many subscription options Cons Team is largely anonymous Torrents get a bad rap, and if were honest, thats for good reason. Using torrents is the number one way to download pirated material including movies, TV shows, music, and games. But thats not all there is to torrenting. Its a very efficient way to download legitimate software such as Linux distributions and authorized content from sites such as BitTorrent Now. Whatever your reasons, when it comes to torrenting, a VPN makes it easierespecially if the network youre on blocks torrenting. There are many VPNs among our top picks that could be used for downloading torrents, but our preferred choice is AirVPN. This no-frills VPN has a reasonable number of servers and country locations, really good speeds, excellent network transparency, and a focus on user protection. The price is also right at about $58 a year. Read our full AirVPN review 7. AVG Secure  Best VPN for novices Pros Good speeds

Allows an excellent 10 simultaneous connections Cons Does log some data

No real customizability for power users If you want something thats all about ease of use then AVG Secure is a good choice. First, it comes from a known and trusted security company, so there are fewer worries about data security than with one of the independent services. The key thing with AVG Secure is that the interface is easy to understand and use. It has a big Change location button to help you select the country youd like to appear to be in. The app also tells you what your current IP address is and how long youve been connected to the VPN. Thats pretty much it. This VPN also works with streaming services and it has P2P servers. One thing it doesnt have is a lot of extra features, which is actually perfect for anyone looking for a no-frills VPN. Read our full AVG Secure review 8. Private Internet Access  Best budget VPN Pros Good number of extra features such as multi-hop and split tunneling

Diskless servers

Allows for up to 10 simultaneous connections Cons App panel locked to lower-right corner of screen

New ownership may give some users pause Best Prices Today: Choosing the best VPN for you can often come down to price. When thats the case its hard to beat Private Internet Access. Its got very good speeds and an everyday price of just $40 for a full year. It really is hard to beat for that simple reason. This no-frills VPN offers a good server and country count. Plus, advanced users can adjust their level of data encryption, data authentication, and handshake protocols. Read our full Private Internet Access review 9. PersonalVPN  Best U.S.-based VPN Pros Reasonably priced

Fast servers in many locations around the world

Good for power users and novices Cons Not a lot of extra or specialized features

Tiered pricing has odd choices for premium features Best Prices Today: If you want a VPN based in the good ol USA, we recommend WiTopias PersonalVPN. The speeds are good, the price is right, and the app is very easy to use. Its true that a lot of VPN review sites stress the importance of having a VPN thats outside of the so-called Five Eyes countries, which includes the U.S.some will even say to avoid the Fourteen Eyes. The idea being that if you use a U.S.-based VPN your activities may end up being secretly monitored by Western authorities. Snowden revealed such truths back in 2013. But if youre using a VPN to access your accounts for Gmail, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or any other U.S.-based service, then staying outside the Fourteen Eyes is more or less pointless. Sure, that VPN with an exotic locale may be able to easily ignore U.S. subpoenas for data, but the American online services you use are another story. Besides if an American VPN does you wrong, itll be a lot easier to hold it to account than one based in Singapore, or even Sweden.

What is a VPN?

VPNs create a secure tunnel between your PC and the internet. You connect to a VPN server, which can be located in the United States or a foreign countrysay, France or Japan. Your web traffic then goes through that server to make it appear as though youre browsing from that servers location, and not from your actual location.

When youre using a VPN, its difficult for others to snoop on your web-browsing activity. Only you, the VPN service, and the website youre visiting will know what youre up to.

A VPN can be a great response to a variety of concerns, such as online privacy, anonymity, greater security on public Wi-Fi, and, of course, spoofing locations.

While a VPN can aid privacy and anonymity, I wouldnt recommend fomenting the next great political revolution by relying solely on a VPN. To become an internet phantom (or as close as you can realistically get to one), it takes a lot more than a $5 monthly subscription to a VPN.

Beyond that, a VPN is an excellent choice for staying secure while using Wi-Fi at the airport or your local cafe. Hackers sitting on public Wi-Fi can try to hack your PC, but a VPN makes that task much harder.

Finally, you may want a VPN to spoof your location to download content you shouldnt have access to, but this too has limits. A VPN used to be the go-to solution to watch U.S. Netflix overseas. That changed in 2016 when Netflix opened up to almost every country on Earth. Since then, the company has invested a lot in detecting and blocking VPN users. Even people using a VPN inside their own country will be blocked by Netflix if detected.

There are VPNs that can fool Netflix, but they are rare and there are no guarantees these services will outsmart Netflix forever.

Beyond Netflix, a VPN can help to download an Android app that is only available on a foreign version of Google Play, or stream content from regionally restricted services such as the UK-bound BBC iPlayer or Disney Plus.

One final note of caution: Do not rely on your VPN to protect banking information on an open Wi-Fi connection. Whenever possible, leave online financial dealings for home over a hard-wired connection.

What to look for in a VPN

Before anything else, understand that if you want to use a VPN you should be paying for it. Free VPNs typicall sell your browsing data in aggregated form to researchers and marketers, or give you a paltry amount of data transfer every month. Either way, a basic rule of thumb is that a free VPN will not protect your privacy in any meaningful way.

The next thing to consider is a VPNs logging policies. In other words, what kind of data is a service collecting about you and your VPN activity, and how long is that data saved?

Privacy is the basic principle of a VPN, and what good is it to avoid passive government surveillance only to have a VPN provider record all your website visits?

Ideally, a VPN will say it only keeps logs for the briefest of periods. Some providers, for example, only log activity in RAM during a session or automatically send all records to oblivion once theyre created. Other providers may keep records for a few hours, days, weeks, or even months.

VPN policies also vary when it comes to personal information. Some VPNs want to know very little about you, preferring users sign on with a pseudonym and pay with Bitcoin. Thats a little exotic for most people, which is why many services also accept PayPal.

Paying this way isnt ideal for privacy, but it means the VPN doesnt have your payment information on recordthough it would be available from PayPal.

After the logging policies, you want to know how many servers the VPN offers and how many country connections it has. The number of servers provides an idea of how much load a VPN can take before slowing to a crawl due to overwhelming traffic.

The country connections, meanwhile, matter most to those who want to spoof their location; however, non-spoofers should also make sure there are connections in their home country. If you live in Los Angeles, for example, and want access to American content, then youll need a VPN that provides U.S. connections. It wont work to try and watch Amazon Prime Video over a Dutch VPN connection, because as far as Amazons concerned your computer would be in the Netherlands.

Some users will also want to research a VPN providers peer-to-peer (P2P) file-sharing policies. There are VPNs that block torrents. Others turn a blind eye to them, but will sell you out in a heartbeat should you be up to no good. P2P is not our main focus here, but we will note in each review whether a particular provider allows file sharing or not.

Finally, how many devices does a VPN support from a single account? In this age of smartphones, tablets, laptops, and PCs, a VPNs cost should include licensing for at least five devices. Also, a provider should have Android and iOS apps to make it easy to connect a smartphone or tablet to the service.

How we tested

We judge VPNs on a variety of criteria including overall connection speeds, privacy protection, usability of the interface, country choices, server count, and cost.

Speed tests are kept as simple as possible. We connect to five different global locations for a given VPNtypically North America, Europe, the United Kingdom, Australia, and a wild card somewhere in Asiaon three different days at different times of the day running the test at each location multiple times.

Before the test begins we check the speed of our base Wi-Fi connection using an online speed test. Then we connect to the VPNs servers around the world and run the speed test again. We then show each result, average them out, and calculate the average as a percentage of the base speed.

Remember that internet speeds can vary wildly based on location, routers, PCs, time of day, connection type, the load on the VPN and speed test servers, and numerous other factors. In other words, our test results will likely differ from yours. For that reason, consider our speed results only as a rough guide for how each VPN performs.

Judging server choices by country is also kept simple. We expect a VPN to offer a variety of country connections with a minimum of at least 20.

Privacy and anonymity is judged on the guarantees the companies make, as well as its reputation from any news items were aware of that may impact the trustworthiness of these claims. We also take a look at the data encryption, authentication, and handshake protocols used.

Finally, for pricing we expect to pay $60 per year, and anything over that needs to justify its cost with extra features or unique selling points of some kind.

Other notable VPNs

There are many more worthwhile VPNs than just our favorites listed above, including AVG Internet Security, CyberGhost, ESET Security Premium, FastestVPN, Hide.me, HMA Pro 4, OVPN, Trend Micro Maximum Security, Windscribe Pro, Perfect Privacy, PrivateVPN by TrunkSpace Hosting, PureVPN, Speedify 10, VPNCity, ClearVPN, Malwarebytes Privacy, TorGuard, VeePN, AceVPN.com, and SurfEasy.

Well keep evaluating new ones and reevaluating services weve already tested on a regular basis, so be sure to come back to see what else weve put through their paces.

FAQ 1. Is it legal to use a VPN? Yes! It is perfectly legal in most countries, including the United States, to use a VPN. While using a VPN, you might find some websites that try to block your connection, but this is an individual websites use policy and has nothing to do with the legality of the VPN itself. One thing to note though, while its legal to use a VPN, some of the activities done while using a VPN might be illegal. Such things as downloading pirated copyrighted content or accessing dark web markets are illegal whether you use a VPN or not. 2. Do VPNs protect against malware and computer viruses? No, a VPN connection itself does not protect you from malware and computer viruses. It does however encrypt your internet traffic and keep prying eyes from accessing your browsing history. Some VPN services, such as Nord VPN, do however provide additional security features such as ad and malware blockers. Additionally, many antivirus suites now offer VPN services along with their security features. Although VPNs and antivirus software are used for different purposes, there is still a degree of overlap that makes using both tools together beneficial. 3. Will a VPN affect my internet speeds? Most likely you will see a moderate speed decrease to your internet while using a VPN. This is mainly due to the process of your internet traffic being rerouted and encrypted through a VPN server before heading on to its destination. The amount of latency you will experience through this process is down to what countrys server you choose to proxy your traffic through. If you choose a server located on the other side of the world, then you will notice a much greater hit than if you were to connect to a server nearby in your same country. Thankfully, most modern VPNs should have the infrastructure to maintain high-speed, secure data transfer rates. So its likely you can still browse and stream with no noticeable impact while using a reputable VPN like those listed above. 4. Will a VPN make me anonymous online? Unfortunately, its not as simple as just turning on your VPN and disappearing off grid. While VPNs certainly offer better privacy and security, they dont make you completely anonymous. There are a mindbogglingly number of ways that companies track you across the internet and a VPN isnt capable of blocking all of them. For example, when you sign into a website, your identity is revealed to that website. Or when you log into your Gmail account while using a VPN, Google can now collect cookies based on your browsing. 5. How many servers should my VPN have? There is no set number of servers that make one VPN better than another. However, most major VPN providers offer between 3,000 to 5,000 servers. Also, we recommend avoiding any paid services whose providers have under 1,000 servers as this may be an indication that the company is not yet well established, meaning that there is a higher chance for reliability issues. It is common for VPN providers to advertise the number of servers they have, but this is largely a marketing gimmick and doesnt generally equate to the quality of the VPN provider itself. Things such as the spread of server locations and server quality are as important, if not more so, than the number of available servers.

Editors note: Because online services are often iterative, gaining new features and performance improvements over time, our reviews are subject to change in order to accurately reflect the current state of the services.

Want to find the perfect VPN for a specific use? Check out some of our other best VPN roundups to learn more:
This Week in Review

A weekly review of the best and most popular stories published in the Imperial Valley Press. Also, featured upcoming events, new movies at local theaters, the week in photos and much more.
Despite Israels 5th election in four years, it remains a beacon of democracy and freedom

The Israeli elections are fast approaching. On November 1, Israelis go back to the polls for the fifth round of elections in less than four...

What is a Jew? Israeli museum attempts an answer

JERUSALEMI was on a short visit to Israel and spent time with a friend with whom I have been engaged in a 30-year argument. Elli...
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Downy Woodpeckers are year-round residents of our area, raising their families in summer as well as spending winters here. When the breeding season arrives, a pair selects a nest site in a dead branch and sets to work excavating a cavity. Both male and female dig the cavity, and all the work is done with their beaks  breaking off pieces of wood and discarding them as the nest takes the shape of a gourd, larger at the bottom.

You can tell the male from female because the male has a red patch on the nape of his neck. Females lack this colorful adornment.

Woodpeckers employ three strategies for safe and secure nests. They need to be hard to find, difficult to reach, and hard to get into. A nest that is well-hidden high in a tree is difficult for such predators as snakes and raccoons to find and reach. And, if reached, a cavity nest with a small entrance is hard to get into.

It takes the pair about 16 days to excavate the nest, then male and female take turns incubating the three to nine eggs the female lays. It takes just 12 days for them to hatch.

With as many as nine babies in the nest, it must be hard to keep it clean, right? Baby woodpeckers are fed several times each hour, and what goes in must come out.

Removal of baby woodpecker poo is made easier because it comes out in the form of a fecal sac  a gelatinous capsule that Papa carries in his beak and drops well away from the nest.

Leaving the nest must be a little scary for young woodpeckers. Imagine looking out of the nest from 15 feet up the tree and trying to fly for the first time.

Young downy woodpeckers do this when theyre just 3 weeks old.

The fledglings are fed by the parents for another 3 weeks, then theyre on their own.

Of the seven species of woodpeckers that can be found in this area, the downy is the second most common, outnumbered only by the red-bellied woodpecker.

Both the downy and the red-bellied can be seen in most suburban neighborhoods that have lots of trees. You can enjoy these birds by stocking a simple tube feeder with sunflower seeds. Nuthatches, chickadees, titmice and finches will also be drawn to these feeders, providing you with many hours of pleasure enjoying these birds.
The Prime Minister Narendra Modi to attend the G-20 Summit reached Hamburg, Germany. Here PM Modi will hold meetings with the leaders of Argentina, Canada, Italy, Japan, Mexico, South Korea, United Kingdom and Vietnam.

The official spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said that as mentioned earlier, the Prime Minister is visiting Hamburg from July 6-8 for the G-20 Summit and his pre-planned bilateral meetings on the sidelines are with Argentina, Canada, Italy, Japan, Mexico, R.O.K., U.K. and Vietnam.

He also mentioned that Prime Minister Modi will also participate in the BRICS leaders' meeting.

PM Modi after completing his three-day visit to Israel flew to Germany.

Also Read:

Goods and Services Tax resolution passed in Jammu and Kashmir Assembly

BJP to Mamata Stop playing communal politics

Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets 2008 Mumbai terror attack survivor Moshe
[JURIST] The Constitutional Court of Spain [official website, in Spanish] ruled [text, PDF, in Spanish] Wednesday that provisions of the Catallan budget that allocated funds to the upcoming independence referendum are illegal. The court held [Politico report] that any funds allocated to financing the October 1 referendum [JURIST report] are unconstitutional and therefore void. The ruling aligned with the Madrid governments strong opposition to Catalian independence. The Spanish government continues to argue that not only does the Spanish Constitution not allow for secession, but that funds intended for the referendum would be used illegally.

The Catalonia independence movement has gathered momentum in recent years following the economic crisis in the country that began in 2008. In 2015 the Constitutional Court of Spain declared unconstitutional [JURIST report] a resolution by the Parliament of Catalonia that proposed a plan for the regions independence from Spain by the end of this year. In September of 2015 the High Court of Justice of Catalonia summoned [JURIST report] Catalonia President Artur Mas over his involvement in the 2014 independence referendum [JURIST report]. In 2014 Mas signed a decree [JURIST report] calling for a referendum on secession and independence from Spain, inciting confrontation from Spains central government in Madrid. In February 2014 Spains parliament rejected [JURIST report] Catalonias proposed referendum, which asked voters if they wanted Catalonia to become a state, and, in the case of an affirmative response, if they wanted this state to be independent. When Catalonia proceeded with the referendum, the Constitutional Court held the independence vote to be unconstitutional [JURIST report].
How will Vietnamese students be affected by US immigration rules?

VietNamNet Bridge - The news that the US and other western countries are tightening immigration policies may force Vietnamese students to rethink their education plans.

















The news that the US and other western countries are tightening immigration policies may force Vietnamese students to rethink their education plans.



Nguyen Phuong Anh, who graduated from Franklin & Marshall University and has a full scholarship at Georgetown University, believes that the new policy wont have negative impact on Vietnamese students.With the separation of powers, these decisions need to be approved by the bicameral chamber. In addition, the power of the states in the US is big, while most of the universities are privately run, and they attach importance to the role and contribution of international students, Anh said.The 9X generation student believes that policies related to education pursued by the states in the US and universities will not be affected.

However, the new policies may affect students futures after they finish four-year study in the US.



Vu Tuan Minh, a new student at Rice University, thinks the policies would make it difficult for international students to stay in the US and look for jobs after graduation.



It would be much more difficult to obtain an H1B visa in the future than now.



Vietnamese students and parents need to think about their goals of studying in the US. Do students want to study in the US just to improve knowledge or do they want to stay in the US after school?



He said that only a few students with outstanding abilities can stay and work in a competitive working environment in the US.



Many Vietnamese students hope they can stay in the US and get good jobs. Some believe the US offers better job opportunities. Others want to work in the US to get money to pay back for their studies.



Anh studies in the US to improve her knowledge. Staying in the US is not always a good choice in all cases, she said. Many friends of Anhs have returned to Vietnam after finishing school.



Vo Tuan Son, a Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam graduate, now works for an UN agency, andvbelieves that studying overseas is not the only way to develop. Son graduated from a school in Vietnam and found a good job with high pay and working conditions.



He said school only provides a part of the knowledge one needs in work and life. He often works for three to four organizations and companies at the same time, believing that he receives most knowledge from work.





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Le Ha
NORTH PLATTE  Many Nebraskans dont know or at least havent thought about the many uses for water, especially in the Platte Basin.

The traditional uses such as irrigation and electricity generation are clear in the names of Central Nebraska Public Power and Irrigation District and Nebraska Public Power District.

The feature that made those projects viable  an ability to store water in times of excess for later releases  increased the value of Platte River water for other purposes: groundwater recharge benefiting the Platte and Republican basins, ensuring adequate Central Platte flows for threatened and endangered species, recreation, habitat for fish and other wildlife habitat, and municipal water systems.

The two districts also must meet water responsibilities for the three-state Platte River Recovery Implementation Program and operating license conditions set by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

CNPPID General Manager Don Kraus of Holdrege and NPPD Water Resources Manager Brian Barels of Columbus said there is a lack of public understanding about water uses and how the same water can accomplish several goals at Centrals Lake McConaughy, Nebraskas largest reservoir, and as it heads downstream.

Barels said NPPDs water stored in the lake initially is used to cool the coal-fired Gerald Gentlemen Station south of Sutherland, Nebraskas largest power plant. It might also pass through the North Platte Hydro and then water crops and/or go through Centrals Supply Canal hydros.

And dont forget all the recreation along the way, Barels said, or the benefits to fisheries, other wildlife habitat and groundwater recharge.

Here today, were using those same systems for groundwater recharge to make everything more sustainable, Kraus said.

I think there is a lack of understanding of the plumbing, he added, especially for project structures and uses that cant be seen from Interstate 80.

State Sen. John Lowe of Kearney said he was reminded while on last weeks Nebraska Water and Natural Resources Tour how important western Nebraska is for water, electricity and natural resources that flow to the states urban areas.

Kraus said a big challenge for CNPPID is operating in the precipitation transition zone between arid western Nebraska and wetter areas along the eastern border. You have to have these surface water systems to work in that transition, he said.

Both districts were born from an interest in bringing water to south-central Nebraska in dry times.

Some NPPD water rights date back to the late 1800s. Central facilities came online in 1941, having been constructed during the Dust Bowl years of the late 1930s.

Irrigation

Holdrege-based Central is Nebraskas largest irrigation district.

CNPPID Public Relations Coordinator Jeff Buettner said surface water is delivered to about 107,000 crop acres in the primary service area in Gosper, Phelps and Kearney counties. However, there are benefits to more than 500,000 acres when water delivery contracts with other projects and groundwater recharge are considered.

Lake McConaughy on the North Platte River north of Ogallala is the flagship. At capacity, it is 22 miles long, holds 1.7 million acre-feet of water and covers about 30,000 surface acres.

Barels said NPPD has a storage right in Lake McConaughy for 125,000 a-f. About 35,000 irrigated acres are served through NPPDs Kearney, Dawson and Gothenburg canals, and the district contracts to deliver water to other projects  Dawson Countys 30-Mile and Cozad canals  for a similar number of acres.

The lake also holds an environmental account managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for downstream target river flows for threatened and endangered species.

Energy

Centrals three Supply Canal plants, Jeffrey, J-1 and J-2 began operations in 1941, underwent major rehabilitations in 2001-2003 and now have a combined generating capacity of 63 megawatts. That electricity has been sold to Kansas City Power and Light since 2014.

Generation from the 50-MW Kingsley Hydro, which was completed in 1984, is sold to NPPD.

Gothenburg Division Manager Devin Brundage said the CNPPID system has been automated since 1972 with around-the-clock monitoring at the Gothenburg Control Center. Its third-generation supervisory control and data acquisition system has about 6,000 monitoring points.

NPPD operates the 24-MW North Platte Hydro and 1.5 MW Kearney Hydro. However, its most important use of water for energy is to cool Nebraskas largest power plant, the 1,365-MW coal-fired Gerald Gentleman Station south of Sutherland.

Water issues

Barels wonders if people who come to Lake McConaughy for recreation understand the waters many uses.

Nebraska Game and Parks Commission officials have estimated there were 1.2 million-1.3 million lake visitors in 2016 and a record 200,000-plus for the recent long July 4 weekend.

When Nebraska Department of Natural Resources Director Jeff Fassett was asked if the CNPPID and NPPD projects could be built today, he said, Probably not.

Fassett said one reason is they were constructed before Clean Water Act, Endangered Species Act and federal relicensing requirements had to be met.

Water availability is a huge issue, he added. So we have to improve what we have.
OGALLALA  Everything is big about Nebraskas largest traditional power plant, the coal-fired Gerald Gentleman Station south of Sutherland, and the Kingsley Hydro that sits just below Lake McConaughy north of Ogallala.

The main thing they have in common is Big Mac, Nebraskas largest reservoir.

Lake water powers Central Nebraska Public Power and Irrigation Districts 50-megawatt Kingsley Hydro and provides essential cooling water for Nebraska Public Power Districts GGS.

Low-sulfur coal from Wyoming is used in the two GGS generating units. A 665 MW unit came online in 1979, and a 700 MW unit began generating in 1982.

The coal is transported to the plant by rail, pulverized into fine powder and burned to generate steam to turn the turbines.

GGS Manager Gerry Phelps and plant tour guide Michal Pinkerton, a laboratory technician, said there are two co-products. The fly ash  99 percent is collected in baghouses  is sold as a concrete pavement additive, primarily in Southwest states. Bottom ash, which Pinkerton called the heavy stuff, is trucked to farms and feedyards for land treatment.

Phelps said low-nitrous oxide burners installed in 2006 and 2012 cut those emissions in half. A more recent activated carbon injection system is expected to eliminate more than 90 percent of the coals mercury emissions.

Coal dust control and sewage treatment are other environmental projects added over the years.

Phelps said that because of increased automation, plant employee numbers dropped from around 300 in the 1990s to 187 as of March.

GGS uses 19,000 tons of coal in 24 hours at peak generation. Three wells provide the water turned into steam for the turbines.

The Lake McConaughy water is for cooling only.

Phelps said there is about a 20-degree change in water temperature as it moves through the plant at about 500,000 gallons per minute.

The water must return to at least 75 degrees before it can go into Sutherland Reservoir. From the GGS roof, tour guide Pinkerton pointed out a smaller adjacent reservoir where the water can be held to cool, if necessary.

NPPDs website says most district revenue is from wholesale power supply agreements with 46 towns and 25 rural public power districts and cooperatives. NPPD also provides retail service to about 80 communities.

Its estimated that 600,000 Nebraskans depend on NPPD for electricity.

The district is a member of several power pools, including the Southwest Power Pool.

Its 2016 generation mix was 42 percent nuclear, 32.5 percent coal, 9 percent wind, 8.8 percent hydro, 5.8 percent purchases and 1.9 percent gas-oil.

Were there when wind isnt, Phelps said, noting that the unpredictability of renewable energy means traditional plants such as GGS remain important. He added that computing the true cost of wind energy requires adding in backup system costs.

During a tour inside the Kingsley Hydro below Kingsley Dam, CNPPID Gothenburg Division Manager Devin Brundage said, I can have this thing from a dead stop to a full load in about six minutes.

He described the spinning water-powered turbine as a jumper cable to Gerald Gentleman, explaining that if operating power is ever lost at GGS, the hydro could quickly generate the 25 megawatts required to get it up and running again.

The most visually impressive part of the hydro is a high-powered fan of water shooting from a large pipe into Lake Ogallala. Brundage said the spray is not generating electricity, but is used to maintain water oxygen levels required to protect Lake Ogallala trout.

The Kingsley Hydro can be operated manually. However, like everything else on the CNPPID system, it mostly is remotely operated from the Gothenburg Control Center.
OMAHA -- In his last 24 hours, Zachary Bearheels didnt die while licking the windows of a salon in central Omaha.

He didnt die when police arrived at that scene, though responding officers described him as agitated.

The Oklahoma man  stranded after being kicked off a bus in Omaha  didnt die while traveling 5 miles through the heat from downtown Omaha to an Aksarben-area business district.

Bearheels didnt die while dancing in front of a convenience store nine hours after the window licking.

His death didnt come until just a few minutes after Omaha police officers shocked him with a Taser a dozen times and punched him as many as 15 times.

According to autopsy results released Thursday, a Douglas County coroners physician couldnt say with medical certainty that either the punching or the repeated use of a Taser caused Bearheels death. Dr. Michelle Elieff instead said he suffered a sudden death associated with excited delirium ... physical struggle, physical restraint and use of a (Taser).

But she was careful to note that associated with does not equal caused by, Douglas County Attorney Don Kleine said.

In turn, Kleine may be hamstrung when it comes to the charges hes considering in Bearheels death. In order for Kleine to prove a manslaughter case under state law, he must demonstrate that someones unlawful actions were the proximate cause of a death.

Asked why the Taser or the punching couldnt be considered a proximate cause of Bearheels death, Kleine said:

I dont know the answer to that. And well sort through that. There hasnt been a final decision made about that by Kleines office.

Im just letting people know what the doctor said.

Kleine said he will take another week to 10 days to make a charging decision. He said his office plans to contact use of force experts to further evaluate the officers actions.

The ambiguous autopsy may not be all that significant when it comes to possible punishments.

Under state law, second-degree assault  using a weapon to cause bodily injury  carries the same penalty as manslaughter: up to 20 years in prison. In second-degree assault cases, prosecutors need to prove only that a person used a weapon to cause injury.

Omaha Police Chief Todd Schmaderer has recommended that the city fire Scotty Payne, the officer who used a Taser to shock Bearheels 12 times  many of those shocks coming while Bearheels was handcuffed and on the ground, according to Schmaderer. The chief also recommended firing Officer Ryan McClarty, who reportedly struck Bearheels as many as 15 times after Bearheels ripped one of his wrists free from a handcuff.

To prove manslaughter, Kleine would have to show definitively that an officers actions (such as the repeated use of a Taser) caused someones death.

Elieffs autopsy doesnt do that. Kleine said Elieff looked for evidence that the use of the Taser directly caused Bearheels death, such as if one of the prongs had lodged in his heart. (The prongs did not. One hit his stomach; the other his right thigh.)

Elieff couldnt decide whether the strikes or the shocks or the struggle while handcuffed  or perhaps all of those things, combined with his underlying mental illness  caused Bearheels excited delirium, Kleine said.

The autopsy did have a few clear-cut findings:

 Bearheels had no alcohol or drugs in his system. Family members have said that Bearheels suffered from bipolar disorder and schizophrenia and was off his medications.

Very simply, he was ill, Kleine said. He wasnt under the influence of anything. He was a person in a disturbed state because of his mental illness.

 Bearheels suffered 30 bruises, including 12 to his head and face, nine to his torso and two to his neck. The bruises ranged in size from 1/8 inch to 4 inches long.

 Bearheels suffered no skull fractures or broken bones. In turn, Elieff ruled out blunt-force trauma as a cause of death.

 Bearheels body temperature was 102.4 degrees, above the normal body temperature of 98.6 degrees. Kleine said he was told an elevated body temperature is common in excited delirium cases.

Asked if repeated shocks from a Taser causes increases in body temperature, Kleine said he didnt think so.

Across the country, coroners often have attributed Taser deaths to excited delirium, a condition in which a person, whether because of mental illness or drug use, becomes violent, hyper-aggressive, agitated and feverish.

A significant portion, though not all, of fatal Taser incidents involve repeated shocks, said Ed Byers, a doctoral student in criminal justice at the University of Louisville and a 31-year law-enforcement veteran. Of those who died, roughly 79 percent had mental health issues or were displaying erratic behavior.

Schmaderer last month provided the following account:

In the early morning hours of June 4, Bearheels was kicked off a bus that was taking him to Oklahoma City. Another passenger complained about his behavior.

More than 15 hours later, Omaha police officers first encountered Bearheels outside a Brazilian wax salon where he was licking windows. About 3:50 p.m. June 4, two officers gave him water and offered to take him to a shelter or a hospital. Bearheels became agitated but did not commit any crime, so he was allowed to leave the area.

On the evening of June 4, Renita Chalepah, Bearheels mother, called Omaha police to report him missing. She had been expecting him to arrive home in Oklahoma at 12:30 p.m. June 4.

In the early morning hours of June 5, Omaha Police Officers Jennifer Strudl and Makyla Mead were called to a report of a man who was refusing to leave a Buckys convenience store at 60th and Center Streets.

Strudl and Officer James Mosby, who had been nearby, were able to put handcuffs on Bearheels without incident and put him in the back of a cruiser.

Strudl spoke on the phone with Chalepah for 23 minutes. Mead arrived and called a sergeant, who said there was insufficient justification to detain Bearheels or place him in emergency protective custody. Under state law, authorities can seek a commitment if the person is mentally ill and a danger to himself or others.

Officers decided to take Bearheels to the bus station, one of the options discussed with Chalepah.

Bearheels was in the cruiser for 36 minutes. When Strudl opened the door to buckle Bearheels seat belt he leapt out of the car and walked away.

Payne, who had just arrived at the scene, joined Mead and Strudl in trying to maintain control over the handcuffed Bearheels, who was 5-foot-9 and 250 pounds. They requested backup at 1:32 a.m., and McClarty arrived 3 minutes later.

The four officers tried to move Bearheels back to the cruiser, and Payne warned him he would be shocked with a stun gun. The officers tried to carry Bearheels, Schmaderer said, but he broke free and landed on his feet.

After additional warnings, Payne loudly announced, Taser, Taser, Taser and discharged the Taser.

Payne continued to activate the Taser. Bearheels then ended up in a seated position with his back against the rear of the cruiser. For the next minute and 45 seconds, as Bearheels sat on the ground and offered no resistance, Schmaderer said, Payne activated the Taser three times.

Bearheels was able to pull his left hand out of the handcuffs, in the process ripping skin off his hand. He then turned toward McClarty, swinging his arms and kicking his legs.

McClarty hit Bearheels in the head multiple times with his fists, Schmaderer said. While McClarty delivered the blows, the chief said, Payne activated his Taser.

Video showed Mr. Bearheels to be motionless on the final few strikes, Schmaderer said. Bearheels was placed on a gurney, his hands cuffed to the rails. Inside the rescue squad, he stopped breathing and didnt have a pulse.

He was pronounced dead at 2:16 a.m., about an hour and a half after Strudl first encountered him.
LINCOLN  Nebraskas top election official said he will share voter registration data with a federal commission, but only if he receives assurances about how the data will be used and secured.

Secretary of State John Gale said in a statement Thursday that he would release the information as long as its release complies with state law. He also said he wants the voting commission created by President Donald Trump to assure his office that the data will receive a high level of security.

Knowing how the data will be used, how it will be secured and how it might be publicly shared by the commission is vitally important, Gale said.

In a letter sent last week, the federal commission asked for each states publicly available voter roll data, including names, party affiliations, addresses and the last four digits of Social Security numbers.

The commission is tasked with investigating allegations of voter fraud.

Gales statement seemed to indicate that voters Social Security numbers would not be shared with the commission.

He pointed to other Nebraska laws that allow Social Security numbers to be withheld from the public.

At least 44 states plan to share some or none of the data requested. Of those, about 10 states will provide no information.

Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate has said hell share only voter information that is public record and only if a formal request is made that complies with state law. Social Security numbers are not public record in Iowa.

Gales decision received an endorsement from Gov. Pete Ricketts and State Sen. John Murante of Gretna.

I think hes spot-on, Ricketts said. Basically what hes saying is that you have to comply with Nebraska law, and our law is specific about the uses of the data. ... He also had some concerns about whether the data was going to continue to be secure, and he had some questions about that.

Sens. Kate Bolz and Adam Morfeld of Lincoln, who both signed a letter urging Gale to reject the request, praised Gale for his prudence.

They requested assurances from Gale that his concerns would be addressed if he shares the information. They also advised Gale to remain cautious about how the information may be used.

The ACLU of Nebraska called Gales decision a victory for voter privacy and the integrity of the states elections and asked Gale to stand strong in rejecting future requests for data.

Gale said Thursday that Nebraskas voter registration file is a public record under state law and may be released for certain purposes related to elections, political activities, voter registration, law enforcement and jury selection.

To obtain the file, Gale said, anyone requesting it must complete an affidavit under penalty of election falsification indicating that the list will be used only for the allowed purposes and that it will not be copied.

The commission has not said how it will use the information, but it will be released publicly, which Gale said could conflict with Nebraska law. For instance, voter information may not be used for commercial purposes.

Nebraska voter records include a registered voters name, address, phone number (unless designated as private), birth date, party affiliation and date of registration.

A voters voting record  whether he or she voted in an election over the past 10 years, not who he or she voted for  is also available.

The Secretary of States Office said the commission has not requested all of that information, but it did seek additional information not covered under state statutes, including information on felony convictions, military and overseas registration status, and information regarding registration in another state. That information will not be provided to the commission, the Secretary of States Office said.

Gale said he also has received no clear assurances about the security of the national database.

In light of the domestic and foreign attacks in 2016 on state voter registration databases, the commission will need to assure my office of a high level of security, he said.

Gales response comes a day after six state senators, including Bolz and Morfeld, sent him a letter urging him to reject the commissions request.

Nebraskans for Civic Reform and the ACLU of Nebraska also asked Gale not to share the information. The civic reform group took issue with the commissions vice chairman, Kris Kobach, who has helped write controversial voting and immigration-related laws. Kobach is the Kansas secretary of state.

Murante said Thursday that it seems perfectly appropriate for Gale to cooperate with the commission.

There is no information that is confidential, classified or could compromise Nebraskans in what the commission requested, he said.

Murante said Nebraska already shares voter information with other states in an effort to eliminate duplicate voting. The sharing is voluntary, so not all states participate.

However, he said that to the limited extent the voter rolls include any Social Security data, that would not be public.
Im amazed at how much interesting stuff remains in my notebook after Ive completed stories. Thats especially true when I write a series, as Ive done this week about the June 27-29 Nebraska Water and Natural Resources Tour.

Left-behinds are bits of interesting information not essential to the story, including detailed sense-of-place descriptions, wordy quotes and anecdotes that just dont fit. Here are a few examples from my water tour notebook.

Did you know there is a diving bell at the Kingsley-Dam Lake McConaughy Water Interpretive Center? Central Nebraska Public Power District Public Relations Coordinator Jeff Buettner said its the only one known to have been used in Nebraska.

The orange tank was commissioned by CNPPID from an Omaha company after an early 1940s rock slide on the south side of the dam blocked the outlet tower portals.

Buettner said large klieg lights were attached to the diving bell, but it was a bust because the Central employee who volunteered to be lowered into the lake still couldnt see anything in the murky water. Plan B was to dress divers in traditional diving helmets and weighted shoes. They could at least feel the debris or the drag line used.

Buettner said that when the diving bell was pulled out of storage for display, the original air pump also was found and restored. A letter written by the Central volunteer is part of the display.

Buettner also described an April 1972 storm that threatened dam safety. Three days of constant 40-45 mph winds down the axis of the lake caused high waves that eroded through the riprap in a few places to expose the dams clay core.

Rumors circulated that the dam was about to fail and the downstream community of Keystone was evacuated.

Then a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers official wanted the spillway gates opened. Buettner said that would have sent 54,000 cubic feet of water per second downstream and flooded Platte Valley towns below Lake McConaughy.

He was told by former CNPPID employee Don Long that General Manager Richard Dirmeyer gave assurances that damage to the dam core was minimal and it would not fail. Gov. Jim Exon then intervened with the corps on behalf of the district.

Basically, (the core) was unaffected by all those hours and hours of having water beat against it, Buettner said, because it was like a kiln-fired brick.

The dams riprap was repaired and reinforced, and Lake McConaughys maximum elevation was reduced from 3270 to 3265.

Also remaining in my notebook is the reaction to tour scenery by a University of Nebraska-Lincoln grad student who came to Nebraska last fall from California. He was particularly entranced by storm clouds and lightening in the western sky during the June 28 night drive from the Haythorn Ranch north of the lake, across Kinglsey Dam and south to Ogallala.

You dont see a sky like this in California, he said.

Maybe hes like other people from places with ocean beaches, mountain ranges and other grand natural resources who come to the Great Plains with low expectations of seeing anything to take their breath away.

He said the drive over the lake  and perhaps other rural Nebraska scenery  reminded him of Big Yellow Taxi song lyrics, Dont it always seem to go that you dont know what youve got til its gone. They paved paradise and put up a parking lot.

I remember when that Joni Mitchell song came out, I said, exposing myself to an age reference that followed.

I like the Counting Crows version, he said.

Lori Potter is a Hub staff writer.
Clarify our goals

By JAMES JAY CARAFANO

Tribune News Service

Anyone who thinks the United States should get deeply involved in the Syrian civil war ought to have his head examined. But there are no easy answers for this quagmire. If there were, the strongmen in Tehran and Moscow wouldnt stand by and let responsible nations implement them.

That is not saying the U.S. should sheepishly acknowledge the dictatorial, genocidal regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad. We have to do something. But what?

For starters, we have to clarify our objectives, the foremost of which should be crushing extremists like the Islamic State and al-Qaida. Further, in addition to keeping the war from destabilizing Iraq and Jordan, we must remain mindful of refugee populations and the possibility of the conflict rippling over into Israel, Lebanon and Turkey. Finally, the U.S. needs to contain the growing negative influence of Iran.

All this can be done without diving head-long into the Syrian civil war.

That said, its clear the U.S. military will have to get at least somewhat involved.

If Syrias domestic troubles and the terrorists who call it home would simply stay within the borders that mark the nation on a map, the U.S. could sit things out. But like a homeowner who spots a fire in his neighbors backyard, we have to take action.

That means continuing to support others with military operations aimed at wresting extremists territorial control. It also means working with allies to prevent Iran from completing a highway connecting it with Israels neighbor Lebanon. We must also promote stable, humane governance in liberated territories.

A 25-year Army veteran, Heritage Foundation vice president James Jay Carafano directs the think tanks research on foreign policy and defense issues.

More talk, no troops

By JOHN B. QUIGLEY

Tribune News Service

The administration of President Donald Trump needs to get its act together lest we dig ourselves deeper into the Syrian quagmire without truly intending to.

Late last month, barely one hour before the White House surprisingly warned the Syrian government against launching a chemical attack, Secretary of Defense James Mattis told reporters the U.S. wasnt interested in getting more involved in Syria.

Days later, with no chemical attack having occurred, Mattis took credit for a great success, saying the White House threat had worked. It is also a fact that Canada did not bomb Cleveland that day.

The White House statement, it seems, was a follow-up response to an April incident in which the Syrian government launched an attack that killed and injured scores of civilians.

Whatever policy one favors for the United States in Syria, missiles should not be launched absent clarity over the circumstances.

And the Trump administrations June threat was only its most recent move that could embroil us more deeply in the Syrian war.

Deeper military involvement by the United States in Syria will only prolong a conflict that has already consumed too many lives. Problematic as it may seem, diplomacy is the only way to go.

John B. Quigley is a distinguished professor of law at Ohio State University.
KEARNEY  The Kearney Area Parkinsons Support Group will meet from 2-3 p.m. Monday at First United Methodist Church at 4500 Linden Drive.

Erin Howard, transportation safety manager at Nebraska Safety Center, and Lauren Erickson, occupational therapist with New West and a driving rehabilitation generalist, will speak about the Safety Centers Driver Training and Evaluation Program.

The program helps people with changes in their medical condition, people with a stroke or brain injury, and elderly drivers through an evaluation process to provide a recommendation on operating a vehicle safely.

The evaluation can include a clinic assessment at New West and a driving assessment at the Safety Center.

The support group meetings provide an opportunity to meet with people who have Parkinsons or a related condition and people who serve in a support role.

For more information, call Rod Behrhorst at 308-830-0170.
RACINE  U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan doubled down on his commitment to tax, welfare and health care reforms during a visit to a Racine business Thursday afternoon.

Our job and our goal is to get tax reform done in 2017, so that when we roll into a new year in 2018 we roll into having a new tax code, Ryan said. If we allow manufacturers or businesses to write off 100 percent of the costs of their equipment, then theyll buy more equipment, theyll put more people to work, do more expansions.

Ryan visited Burlington Graphic Systems, 2600 Chicory Road, a company specializing in printing for businesses and manufacturers.

The event  which included a ribbon-cutting for the companys newest addition  was closed to the public.

Ryan fielded a few questions from a handful of employees, but he was not available to reporters. Ryan, the nations third-highest ranking Republican, represents Wisconsins 1st Congressional District, which includes Kenosha County.

Health care

When questioned about health care, Ryan said the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) is collapsing. He said employees at Burlington Graphics wont be affected by the Republican plan to repeal Obamacare.

You get your health care here, Ryan said. He said the employer-sponsored market is not affected by the Republican plan. Obamacare is the individual market  thats roughly 10 percent of Americans who have to buy their own health insurance, he said.

In Washington, the Trump administration is still pressuring Republican senators on the fence to back the Republican bill.

Some 22 million Americans would lose their health insurance coverage over the next decade under the bill unveiled by Senate Republicans last month, according to the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office.

Welfare reform

Ryan said Republicans are also committed to welfare reform.

We have a 20th century welfare system which was designed to fight poverty. We are 32 years into the war on poverty, we have spent trillions of dollars, and yet our poverty rates are around the same place that they were when we started this war on poverty, Ryan said.

He said welfare in its current form discourages some people from working.

Redesign our welfare system so it always pays to work, Ryan said. Weve got to fix the ways these benefits are designed so that they can be customized to the person.

Ryan suggested placing work requirements on able-bodied welfare recipients.

Ryan made no mention of President Donald Trump, but he did tell those in attendance to avoid the news.

I always tell people: Dont turn on the news all that often, Ryan said. I just dont let it distract me.

Ryan, 47, is up for re-election in 2018, and a handful of Democrats have already pledged to run against him.
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When I first read about neurosyphilis in medical school, I became convinced that Mrs. Thatcher, who I detested intensely because it was fashionable detesting her, had general paralysis of the insane. The condition, marked by episodic bouts of temporary insanity, which indicated that the spirochetes were feasting on expensive real estate in the brain, seemed a plausible explanation why she had introduced the poll tax.

A little bit of medical knowledge can lead to tomfoolery by the juvenile. I began diagnosing the powerful with medical conditions. I thought the former leader of the Labour Party, Neil Kinnock, who had an odd affect, was both hyperthyroid and hypothyroid  when he spoke he looked myxedematous, and when was silent he looked like he had Graves disease. The tacit, but not silent enough, Prince Charles spoke in a tone that seemed a cry for help for acutely thrombosed piles. I also realized that the Prince of Wales  who is the most compelling evidence for the magical kingdom of elves  wasnt reducible to a single diagnostic code. Diagnosing Hillary was relatively straightforward. After reading a third of her memoirs, which permanently cured my insomnia, I felt someone had inadvertently given her dextrose without thiamine.

Theres something delightfully empowering, and annoyingly juvenile, about diagnosing the famous with medical conditions. It is also strangely pedagogic. Ill never forget the symptoms of syphilis, not because Ive seen patients with them (nor because I have them), but because Ive templated these symptoms on people who almost certainly dont suffer from syphilis.

Thus, its no surprise that many are keen to diagnose Mr. Trump with a medical condition  my preferred diagnosis would be KluverBucy syndrome, but that would expose my juvenile intent. Far removed from childish diagnostic name calling, many serious people seriously believe that Mr. Trump has a neurocognitive condition which is seriously impairing his judgment and decision making.

Analyzing Trumps speech pattern, experts have questioned what his decline of verbal fluency indicates. Possibly mild cognitive impairment (MCI)? Possibly the first signal of dementia? Possibly normal aging? STAT outlines the evidence. STAT has gallantly fought overdiagnosis and overmedicalization. MCI is the mother of overdiagnosed conditions  its more capacious than the Pacific Ocean  technically anyone can have it on a bad day, or after opening the 2nd bottle of wine. I hope STAT will do an expose of physician-industry relationships which have led to overdiagnosis of MCI.

That even Mr. Findlay, a serious journalist with hardly the juvenile disposition that I possess in abundance, has fallen for the medicalization of Trump, begs the question  what gives?

There is, of course, a historical curiosity how pain and disease influence a persons worldview. Thoreau once said that nothing drives a revolution more forcefully than a man with unfulfilled bowels. Many historians believe that Karl Marxs hidradenitis suppurativa  painful inflammation of the sweat glands  made him angry about capitalism. Which means that the Bolshevik revolution was conceived, not by the events of Bloody Sunday, but under the smelly arm pits of an unkept Nineteenth Century Londoner.

The analysis of Trump is not historical but in the present and Mr. Trump is certainly no Karl Marx. Even so, theres little precedence for medicalizing POTUS because of their policies. When Bush Jr. alluded that he spoke to God, no one tried diagnosing him with temporal lobe epilepsy. Even Bill Clinton, the man who once put a preposition on trial, escaped the wrath of DSM.

Why, then, are people so obsessed with giving Mr. Trump an ICD-10 or DSM-5 code?

Many readers will say that conflating Mr. Trump with the flawed, yet genuine leaders that Ive mentioned is moral relativism. And Id agree. The Iron Lady was no follower. Bill had several leadership moments, even when he wasnt alone. Even Bush rose to the occasion  he rose to other occasions when the world might have been better off if he stayed sitting. Even the reptilian Hillary would, arguably, have been more of a leader than the comically bumbling Trump.

The comically bumbling Trump who could, in a parallel universe, be auditioning for the next Austin Powers, and who seems not to be enjoying his presidency terribly, is the heart of the problem. Theres an incessant attempt at delegitimizing Trump. It was never enough saying Trump is a joke. And Trump is evil no longer suffices  even though the look on the Popes face, when he stood next to Trump resembled the look on Gregory Pecks face when he saw that his adopted son, Damian, had 666 written on his scalp.

The medicalization of Trump is part of an emerging phenomenon, thus far innominate, which Ill call rational delegitimization, in which scholars, incredulous of Trumps behavior, seek biological substrates to delegitimize him. It is an extension of the very legitimate and necessary legitimization of variation we like when we find that the variation has a biological explanation. But this is a very slippery slope.

Researchers have tried to show that conservatives and progressives have different brain structures  apparently, progressives have a larger anterior cingulate gyrus and conservatives have a larger amygdala. Ill let you guess the abundance of which structure is more desirable.

This type of research can ossify polarization permanently. Already, many believe that their moral high ground shuts debate with opposing worldviews. The last thing you want is for people to believe they have not just the moral, but biological high ground. Tying biology with morality breeds a new class of biological theocrats who make the Ayatollah a libertarian, free love-seeking, cannabis smoker in comparison. Combining tribalism, functional MRI and p <0.05 can spit out BS of a scale one struggles to comprehend.

A colleague of mine hasnt been herself for a few months. I often put academic blues to the promotion cycle, but she has already made associate professor. So, I inquired. With eyes swelling with genuine tears she told me that she was very upset that many normal (the air quotes are hers, not mine) people voted Trump.

This gets to the crux of the issue, which is our inability to grasp the broad coastline of what is normal (note absence of air quotes). I said to my colleague, as diplomatically as I could, that she needs to expand her definition of normal  actually, I said she needs to get out more.

It is normal for normal people to disagree about the least worst presidential candidate in 2016. It is normal for normal people to ask of those who disagree with them how could you be so stupid? It is normal, though worrying, to shrink the real estate of legitimacy by safe spaces. This is called having an opinion, which is what sets us apart from other mammals, notably the duck-billed platypus and, mercifully, the sheep.

The presence or absence of a disease, organic or psychiatric, is conditionally independent of whether someone agrees or disagree with your worldview. To seek biological substrates to delegitimize opposing views risks delegitimizing the already precarious medical sciences. Ideally, normal people politely agree to disagree, but even when they dont, theyre still normal.

Mr. Trump has a condition which is very prevalent in our society and under diagnosed in 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Its called ineptness. It doesnt have an ICD code, yet. Which is just as well, because if ineptness became a preexisting condition, all insurance markets will truly enter an inept death spiral.

History will tell us if Mr. Trump had an unprecedented or, as he put it, unpresidented level of ineptness. But even if he does that doesnt make him diseased. Normal can be aesthetically pleasing, or distasteful. And, for all his faults, and there surely are many, and notwithstanding #covfefe, Trump is probably normal.

Saurabh Jha is a radiologist and can be reached on Twitter @RogueRad. This article originally appeared in the Health Care Blog.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com
Local Fine Gael councillor Pat Dunphy has said he is very disappointed with the response thus far from the Minister for Health to calls for the provision of 24/7 cardiac care in the south-east.

At last weeks meeting of the Piltown Municipal District, local councillors expressed sympathies to the family of Thomas Power, the 39-year-old man who died recently while being brought to Cork University Hospital for treatment.

The people of the south-east have become increasingly vocal in their demand to see full time, 24/7 high-level emergency cardiac in this region. They say more lives are being put at risk by the current situation, where people are having to travel to Cork after 5pm.

Cllr Fidelis Doherty noted that at a special meeting in June, the councillors had agreed to write to Minister for Health Simon Harris seeking to resolve the matter.

It's a big local issue, she said.

There is no way we can accept whats going on  there's no cover after 5pm in the evening.

The Fine Gael councillor and chairman of the Piltown Municipal District said the party had held a meeting the other night, and written to the Taoiseach on foot of that.

It is unacceptable that the people in this region are left without 24-hour cardiac care, she said.

 It wouldn't happen in any other area of the country.

Cllr Doherty noted councillors from other areas were also active, and said a regional approach was being taken.

Cllr Pat Dunphy said the issue was about emergency cover and needed to be addressed, without waiting around for reports.

I'm very disappointed with our Minister, he said.

He is not really communicating. We have had a couple of motions gone through, and we are not really getting anything back.

South Kilkenny TD Bobby Aylward has also recently raised the matter in the Dail with Taoiseach Varadkar, observing that politicians from the south-east have been calling for 24/7 cardiac services for years.

The idea that we expect critically-ill patients who present to UHW outside of Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm

to travel to Cork University Hospital is not workable, he said.

Its simply not possible to do this in a quick enough way to maintain patient safety.
Question: Is there an age limit for opening an ABLE account for a person with a disability? What documentation do you need to provide to show that the person is eligible?

Answer: People of any age who developed a qualifying disability before age 26 can open an ABLE account and contribute up to $16,000 per year (as of 2022). The money can be used tax-free for any expenses that benefit the person with the disability, and up to $100,000 in the account doesnt count toward the $2,000 asset limit for Supplemental Security Income benefits.

To qualify for an ABLE account, you must meet Social Securitys definition of having severe functional limitations with an onset before age 26. IRS regulations dont require account owners to submit documentation to the plan showing that they are eligible based on the severity and onset of their disability, although some plans have stricter requirements. Even if your plan doesnt require the documentation, its a good idea to keep the records yourself. We recommend that account owners keep documents that prove theyre qualified in their own personal files in case the IRS or Social Security Administration asks for them, says Kaellen Hessel of the Oregon ABLE Savings Plan (opens in new tab).

Subscribe to Kiplingers Personal Finance Be a smarter, better informed investor. Save up to 74% Sign up for Kiplingers Free E-Newsletters Profit and prosper with the best of Kiplingers expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail. Profit and prosper with the best of Kiplingers expert advice - straight to your e-mail. Sign up

Those who are already receiving benefits under Supplemental Security Income or Social Security Disability Insurance (and who started receiving those benefits before age 26) are automatically eligible to open an ABLE account and dont need other documentation, says Hessel. People may also qualify if they have a written diagnosis from a doctor certifying that they are blind or disabled and the age of onset was before age 26.

Certifying when the disability began can be a bit tricky. Oftentimes, a disability may start before the age of 26, but doctors and the patient dont know whats causing the symptoms until later, says Hessel. When we launched Oregon ABLE, a man with a traumatic brain injury asked us if he qualified. He was in a serious car crash before he was 26, but it wasnt until after 26 that doctors were finally able to diagnose him. Since he had a disability that whole time and it was clearly tied to the crash, he qualified.

When in doubt, we recommend getting a doctors note. It can be a surprisingly simple process, she says.

Similar to 529 college-savings plans, ABLE accounts are administered by the states, but they are generally open to residents of any state (Floridas plan is limited to its own residents). Twenty-four states now offer ABLE accounts, and several more are expected to introduce plans soon. Several states provide a state income tax deduction to residents contributing to their states plan. When choosing a plan, look at possible tax breaks as well as fees, investing options and other details.

For more information about ABLE accounts, updates on states offering the accounts and a tool that compares programs, see the ABLE National Resource Center (opens in new tab). Also see How to Open an ABLE Account for a Special-Needs Child for more information about picking a plan.
SYDNEY, July 7 (Reuters) - Iron ore shipments to China from Australia's Port Hedland terminal dropped to 36.6 million tonnes in June from 38 million tonnes the month before, port data released on Friday showed.

Overall iron ore shipments from the world's biggest export terminal for the steelmaking raw material dipped to 43.1 million tonnes from 44.08 million in May, according to the Pilbara Ports Authority. Port Hedland is used by three of Australia's top four iron ore miners, BHP Billiton , Fortescue Metals Group and Gina Rinehart's Hancock Prospecting.

Rio Tinto uses the nearby Dampier and Cape Lambert ports to ship iron ore.

(Reporting by James Regan; Editing by Joseph Radford)
(Recasts to include turnaround plan, adds shares)

SYDNEY, July 7 (Reuters) - Australian organic infant formula maker Bellamy's Australia Ltd said Chinese authorities have suspended the import licence of its newly-acquired production plant, upending a turnaround plan unveiled less than a month ago.

Bellamy's stock has been roiled by problems with sales and regulations in China, its top export market. The company outlined a plan in June to buy formula cannery Camperdown Powder Pty Ltd, and the firm's Chinese accreditation, as a key plank in a turnaround plan.

In a sharemarket filing on Friday, Bellamy's requested a trading halt "to allow the company to determine the reasons and impact of the Camperdown's suspension of its CNCA license by the China authorities overnight," referring to China's Certification and Accreditation Administration.

The statement did not say whether the Chinese authorities had given a reason for the suspension, or provide further details.

Bellamy's replaced its chairman and chief executive officer earlier this year following a series of regulatory and strategic missfires associated with selling formula to China.

In March, it warned it would miss a 2018 deadline to register its products for sale on the mainland after a change of ownership at its Australian powder supplier meant the supplier needed to apply for a fresh registration. In June, under new leadership, the company said it would buy a 90 percent share of Camperdown cannery for A$28.5 million ($22 million), saying it was China-registered.

Bellamy's shares, which listed at A$1.00 in 2014, hit a closing high of A$15.07 in August as investors bet on its ability to tap China's seemingly insatiable appetite for quality Australian formula. In recent months the shares have backtracked, closing at A$6.74 on Thursday, before being suspended.

($1 = 1.3194 Australian dollars)

(Reporting by Tom Westbrook and Byron Kaye; Editing by Richard Pullin)
Editor's Note: Kitco readers, have your say! Check out our newest feature -- KITCO CHAT! -- where you can share your comments and ask questions directly to us.

(Kitco News) - Many people from around the world are flocking to Italy's northern Piedmont region to try their luck in the search for gold, this according to a report by The New York Times.

Tourists are scouring for gold along the Elvo River, in the hopes of coming across a deposit formed by retreating Alpine glaciers.

What makes this area, dubbed the country's Klondike, so unique is that the Elvo River flows along the Bessa Natural Reserve, which is an historic open-field gold mine.

The site was the "ancient world's biggest gold deposit" between the second and first century B.C., said Aldo Rocchetti, the director of a museum dedicated to gold and the Bessa gold field.

Gold fever has overwhelmed the area throughout the years for centuries, but recently the region saw a revival of gold hunters coming over in the hopes of finding the precious metal.

A lot of people who arrive try to make contact with local gold-seeking associations.

"Some people have the idea that you go and find gold like an A.T.M. machine," Arturo Ramella, one of the founders of the Biella Goldpanning Association, told The New York Times. "We know you can't live off of this so we try to discourage people. There are some retirees that go every day and if they find a flake or two it can add up, but it's not going to substitute a salary, not in Italy."

The chance of finding easy gold is so alluring that many can't resist the temptation, according to the media report. "Because there is always the possibility to find gold here -- it's a very attractive stream," Ramella said.

There are local laws that limit the amount of gold that can be discovered to five grams per day. Yet, this is more than enough, according to the locals. "You never find more than a few grams," said Giuseppe Pipino, who brought competitive gold panning to Italy.

In fact, most of the gold nuggets discovered in the area nowadays are the size of bread crumbs, according to the media report.

Also, there are additional regulations that oversee how the gold can be extracted. For example, in Piedmont, search for gold may be done with pans only.
MILAN, July 7 (Reuters) - Italy's debt with the European Central Bank edged down in June after hitting a record high the previous month when capital flew out of the euro zone's third-largest economy.

Italy's net debt to the ECB's Target 2 payment system, which settles cross-border payments in the euro zone, fell to 413.9 billion euros in June from 421.6 billion euros in May, the Bank of Italy said on Friday.

The country's position is monitored monthly and an increase in liabilities can indicate financial stress.

Italy's position worsened during the euro zone's sovereign crisis as foreign investors cut their holdings of the country's debt. As the European Central Bank has pressed ahead with its bond buying programme Italians have preferred foreign assets, diversifying away from negative-yielding government bonds.

(Reporting by Giulio Piovaccari, writing by Giulia Segreti)
SOFIA, July 7 (Reuters) - Bulgaria has repaid 950 million euros ($1.1 billion) of a five-year Eurobond in an operation that further reduces the Balkan country's public debt, the finance ministry said on Friday.

The Balkan country does not plan to tap international markets this year, and the ministry said the repayment will bring the public debt-to-GDP ratio, one of the lowest in the European Union, to 24 percent from 25.9 percent at present.

Bulgaria raised 2.0 billion euros from the global markets in 2016, putting the money aside to prop up banks, but as such support was not needed, the ministry used part of the proceeds to repay maturing Eurobonds. ($1 = 0.8757 euros)

(Reporting by Tsvetelia Tsolova; Editing by Hugh Lawson)
By Meng Meng and Josephine Mason

BEIJING, July 7 (Reuters) - Mining and electric utility executives in China are preparing for a possible government intervention into coal markets after prices hit the 600 yuan ($88.25) a tonne threshold the state planner said would trigger steps to cool prices.

A prolonged heatwave across northern China, hydropower cuts in the south, a fresh crackdown on mine safety and imports curbs have triggered a weeks-long rally in the world's top buyer of the fuel.

On Friday, the most-active futures prices hit 598.6 yuan ($88.04) per tonne. That's up 18 percent since mid-May. In January, state economic planner the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) said in a document it is comfortable with a price of 470 yuan ($69.12) to 570 yuan ($83.82 )per tonne and will use measures to cool the market if it rises above 600 yuan.

But spot physical prices offered by major producers, such as Shenhua, ChinaCoal and Shandong Energy, are already at 600 yuan, sources with the three companies said driven by strong demand.

"Our coal mines are almost working around the clock now," said Wang Binghua, president of State Power Investment Corp, on the sideline of a company news conference this week. It has 81 million tonnes of annual coal capacity.

It is not clear what level of intervention the government would consider. The NDRC may try to force miners to cut prices or set limits on the amount of inventory utilities and trading companies can hold to prevent them from buying extra volumes that could push prices higher or create shortages, according to four mining company executives and one power company executive.

At least three of the top four mining firms, including ChinaCoal, Shenhua and Yitai, have halted spot sales to meet increasing demand from long-term contracts with clients, sources with the three companies said.

The NDRC, Shenhua, ChinaCoal, Shandong Energy and Yitai did not respond to requests for comments.

Major utilities buy on long-term contracts at about 570 yuan ($83.83) per tonne, although the smaller plants and traders are exposed to the cash market.

Analysts say utilities have about 20 days of inventory on hand, which is enough to see them through the busy summer months.

Still, the price gains have tested Beijing's efforts to boost supplies, quell concerns about tightening availability during peak demand season and cool the red hot market.

In a June 30 document, the NDRC asked miners to boost output as part of a series of steps to ensure power supplies over the summer.

"Policy makers are trying to curb the rally in prices. But there is such a big demand for coal now that (Shenhua)'s spot prices has reached 600 yuan," said a source from Shenhua.

A senior official at top utility Huaneng said a stable coal price was an increasingly important issue ahead of the Communist Party Congress this fall.

"Our internal discussion with NDRC officials showed that the agency is keen on stabilising prices and making sure utilities get enough supply during summer in preparation for the Congress meeting," the official said.

(Reporting by Meng Meng and Josephine Mason; Additional reporting by Muyu Xu; Editing by Christian Schmollinger)
* Antalis blames market conditions for decision not to go ahead

* Investors stay away due to legal and financial risks

* Banks overconfident in hot market

By Yoruk Bahceli

LONDON, July 7 (IFR) - Antalis threw in the towel on a debut high-yield offering on Friday after investors dug their heels, scared off by the financial and legal risks carried by the French paper and packaging company.

This is the first time in 2017 that a junk issuer has not been able to proceed with a trade in the euro high-yield market according to Thomson Reuters data.

Even the riskiest borrowers have so far been able to find a price get their deals away though there are signs of increased pushback from investors towards aggressive high-yield trades as shown by Manutencoop last week .

"Antalis has decided to postpone the offering of the senior secured notes due to market conditions," the company said in a statement.

On Wednesday, a banker on the deal had said the 325m seven-year non-call three-year senior secured notes would be Thursday's business, but no updates were seen throughout that day.

The notes were whispered at a low six-handle yield, but several sources said they had widened to a seven-handle by Thursday afternoon.

UPHILL BATTLE

Investor sources had expected the deal, deemed not "straightforward", to struggle from the start, highlighting the legal and financial risks.

They pointed to litigation risks against Sequana, which owns 81.6% of Antalis. Antalis accounts for more than 80% of Sequana's consolidated sales.

"We're not going to play the deal with our chief concern surrounding the Sequana litigation and the potential contamination impact on Antalis further down the line," an investor said.

"It's very difficult to price this type of risk."

In February Sequana was ordered by a court to pay US$138.4m to a subsidiary of British American Tobacco. The case revolves around a funding agreement between the BAT subsidiary and Windward Prospects, a former Sequana subsidiary, over dividend payments from 2009. Sequana has appealed the decision, which is likely to take over a year to be finalized.

In June, Sequana floated Antalis as part of its plan to exit creditor protection. However, Antalis's shares have subsequently slumped nearly 20%.

While the deal was being marketed, the lead played down the legal case and said Antalis is a separate public entity and has been operating and funded as such for a number of years.

"It's been independent in the Sequana group for at least five years," he said.

Several accounts were also sceptical of Antalis's margins, which flatlined last year.

"It is a business with incredibly skinny margins. When your margins are that skinny, you've got so little room for error," said a second investor.

The company's Ebitda margin stood at 3.6% in 2016, unchanged from the previous year. Overall sales fell by 6%.

The lead, however, had stressed that tight margins were not unique to Antalis but a characteristic of all distributors.

RED LINE

While Antalis is the first issuer to fail to get its trade over the line, signs had already started to emerge last week that the market was not as gung-ho as it had been recently.

Italian facilities manager Manutencoop had to cut down its deal and pay 2017's highest coupon on a Single B euro deal in order to lock down investors worried about the litigations it faces.

"What you are seeing is that there is some red line that the European investor base isn't willing to cross," the second investor said.

"Banks just got too confident that they could bring whatever company to the market, regardless of the issues it has."

He pointed to the poor secondary performance of Antalis' outstanding loans, which he said already gave a good indication of investor sentiment around the name before the deal was announced.

A term loan/RCF strip for Antalis was quoted at 58.3 bid at the close on June 30, when a save-the-date announcement was sent out for Antalis' deal, according to Thomson Reuters LPC data.

A banker away from the deal, who had looked at the credit in the past, agreed and said that the lead banks had overpitched the deal at the six-handle pricing targeted initially.

Goldman Sachs (B&D) and Credit Suisse were leading the trade.

(Reporting by Yoruk Bahceli)
* BOJ's move quickly taken in stride

* Nikkei falls 0.5 percent for the week

* Put-call ratio rising on geopolitical tension

By Ayai Tomisawa

TOKYO, July 7 (Reuters) - Japan's Nikkei share average dropped to a three-week low on Friday after global shares tumbled, although investors quickly took in stride the Bank Of Japan's decision to raise its purchases of government bonds in its market operations.

In a move aimed at stemming a rise in yields, the central bank on Friday offered to buy an unlimited amount of 10-year JGBs at a yield of 0.110 percent and also increased its buying of five- to 10-year JGBs through an auction to 500 billion yen from 450 billion yen. The market then trimmed the losses as the weakened yen supported overall sentiment, but investors moved past the decision and focused on major global events before the market closed.

The Nikkei dropped 0.3 percent to 19,929.09, the lowest closing point since June 15. For the week, the Nikkei dropped 0.5 percent.

A sharp sell-off in both U.S. and European shares overnight sapped investors' risk appetites.

Wall Street retreated after disappointing labour market data clashed with the possibility of a more hawkish Federal Reserve. Markets are focused on U.S. jobs data due out later in the day.

Investors also remain cautious with rising yields in Europe on bets the European Central Bank is moving ever closer towards unwinding its massive monetary stimulus. "There are fears about the end of lose monetary policy in the global market," said Isao Kubo, equity strategist at Nissay Asset Management.

Fridays notable losers domestic-demand sensitive stocks such as real estate firms and construction companies. Mitsui Fudosan Co and Mitsubishi Estate Co dropped 2.3 percent and 2.2 percent, respectively.

Kajima Corp shed 2.3 percent and Taisei Corp declined 1.3 percent.

Also keeping investors on the back foot is simmering tension in the Korean peninsula after North Korea's launch this week of what it said was a nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missile.

Before the G20 summit on the weekend, Japan, the United States and South Korea agreed to push for China to play a larger role in reining in North Korea's nuclear ambitions. Mutsumi Kagawa, chief global strategist at Rakuten Securities, said the geopolitical risks have cast a cloud over the Japanese market for now, with the Nikkei's put-call ratio - viewed as an indicator of investor sentiment - rising since earlier this week.

The ratio is calculated by dividing the number of traded put Nikkei options by the number of traded Nikkei call options.

"The rising put-call ratio reflects investors' cautious stance in the market, which reminds us about the geopolitical tensions in the region in the spring," Kagawa said.

The broader Topix dropped 0.5 percent to 1,607.06.

(Editing by Shri Navaratnam)
LJUBLJANA, July 7 (Reuters) - Sberbank said on Friday it had acquired a stake worth 40.6 million euros ($46.25 million) in Slovenian food retailer Mercator from Agrokor, helping reduce the struggling Croatian food group's debts with the Russian bank.

Agrokor, the biggest employer in the Balkans with about 60,000 staff, was put under state management in April after piling up debts amounting to at least 40.4 billion kuna ($6 billion) during a rapid expansion in the region.

Sberbank, which is the Croatian firm's biggest creditor, acquired 18.53 percent of Mercator at an auction which was initiated by the Russian bank.

Sberbank had said the sale of the Mercator stake would cut Agrokor's debt to the bank. Agrokor still owns about 70 percent of Mercator.

"Sberbank fully understands Mercator's crucial role for the Slovenian economy and will act in the best interest of the company," the bank said in a statement.

Apart from Sberbank, Russian VTB bank and several Croatian banks are among Agrokor's creditors, as well as Agrokor bondholders and suppliers. ($1 = 6.5014 kuna)

($1 = 0.8779 euros)

(Reporting By Marja Novak; Editing by Edmund Blair)
SINGAPORE, July 7 (Reuters) - NetLink NBN Trust, the broadband unit of Singapore Telecommunications (Singtel) , is set to price its initial public offering at S$0.81 per unit, IFR reported, citing two sources with knowledge of the transaction.

NetLink is offering 2.9 billion units in the IPO that is set to raise S$2.35 billion ($1.7 billion). The IPO had an indicative range of S$0.80 to S$0.93 per unit, reported IFR, a Thomson Reuters publication. Singtel, Southeast Asia's largest telco, did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment on the pricing.

($1 = 1.3822 Singapore dollars)

(Reporting by S Anuradha of IFR; Writing by Aradhana Aravindan; Editing by Sherry Jacob-Phillips)
The following company announcements, scheduled economic indicators, debt and currency market moves and political events may affect South African markets on Friday.

ECONOMIC EVENTS

South Africa's Reserve Bank releases foreign and gold reserves at 0600 GMT.

SOUTH AFRICAN MARKETS

South Africa's rand weakened on Thursday as investor fretted over policy uncertainties including the independence of the central bank, although traders eyeing short positions and betting on further weakness helped it claw back some ground. GLOBAL MARKETS

Asian shares lost ground on Friday after a weak session on Wall Street, while global sovereign debt yields were elevated across the board on bets the European Central Bank is moving closer to unwinding its massive monetary stimulus. WALL STREET

U.S. stocks were sharply lower on Thursday after disappointing labour market data clashed with the possibility of a more hawkish Federal Reserve, while rising tensions in the Korean peninsula providing additional pressure. GOLD Gold fell on Friday, set for its biggest weekly loss in two months, as investors sought higher returns from a firmer U.S. dollar and rising Treasury yields and awaited American non-farm payroll data later in the day. EMERGING MARKETS

For the top emerging markets news, double click on - - - -

Some of the main stories out in the South African press:

BUSINESS DAY

- TFG, Truworths look offshore for growth

- Big miners pay CEOs top dollar

BUSINESS REPORT

- R20bn CDB boost for Eskom

- Unsure investment environment reduces IPO placings

(Compiled by Nqobile Dludla) Keywords: SAFRICA MARKETS/FACTORS
COLOMBO, July 7 (Reuters) - The Sri Lankan rupee fell slightly on Friday as demand for dollars from importers surpassed selling of the U.S. currency by exporters and banks, while expectations that imports would increase weighed on the local currency.

The spot rupee was at 153.65/75 per dollar at 0608 GMT, compared with Thursday's close of 153.63/68.

"The downward pressure is there. We can see some foreign banks buying dollars to settle import bills," said a currency dealer, requesting anonymity.

"The state banks were not seen in the market but we expect them also to come in as the importer demand is there."

The spot rupee resumed trading on June 19 for the first time since May 5, when the central bank fixed its reference rate at 152.50.

Dealers said they expected seasonal demand for dollars to pick up from August.

The rupee has been under pressure since early this year after the central bank stopped defending the currency at a time when the island nation faces a balance of payments crisis.

The central bank is also compelled to buy dollars from the market to meet the reserve target set by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) under a $1.5 billion, three-year loan programme.

Sri Lankan shares were up 0.14 percent at 6,723.6, as of 0617 GMT. Turnover stood at 657.1 million rupees ($4.28 million). ($1 = 153.5000 Sri Lankan rupees)

(Reporting by Ranga Sirilal and Shihar Aneez; Editing by Biju Dwarakanath)
TAIPEI, July 7 (Reuters) - Taiwan's exports, imports and trade balance for June, released by the Ministry of Finance on Friday. JUNE REUTERS POLL MAY Exports (y/y pct) +13.0 +8.7 +8.4 Imports (y/y pct) +3.7 +11.95 +10.2 Trade balance (US$ bln) +5.83 +3.3 +3.46 JUNE MAY Exports to China (y/y pct) +21.0 +6.4 Exports to U.S. (y/y pct) +7.0 +12.9 Exports to Japan (y/y pct) +6.8 +3.8 Exports to Europe (y/y pct) +7.3 +13.0 The ministry's web site is: (Reporting by Jeanny Kao and J.R. Wu; Editing by Richard Borsuk)

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and may not reflect those of Kitco Metals Inc. The author has made every effort to ensure accuracy of information provided; however, neither Kitco Metals Inc. nor the author can guarantee such accuracy. This article is strictly for informational purposes only. It is not a solicitation to make any exchange in commodities, securities or other financial instruments. Kitco Metals Inc. and the author of this article do not accept culpability for losses and/ or damages arising from the use of this publication.
ISTANBUL, July 7 (Reuters) - Here are news, reports and events that may affect Turkish financial markets on Friday.

The lira stood at 3.6250 against the U.S. dollar at 0509 GMT, little changed from 3.6218 at Thursday's close.

The yield on the benchmark 10-year bond was at 10.81 percent in spot trade on Thursday and rose to 10.82 percent in Friday-dated trade.

The main BIST 100 share index fell 0.12 percent to 100,627.01 points on Thursday.

GLOBAL MARKETS

Asian shares lost ground on Friday after a weak session on Wall Street, while global sovereign debt yields were elevated across the board on bets the European Central Bank is moving ever closer towards unwinding its massive monetary stimulus. CYPRUS TALKS COLLAPSE

Talks to reunify the divided island of Cyprus collapsed amid anger and recriminations in the early hours of Friday, marking the end of a process seen as the most promising in generations to heal decades of conflict. ERDOGAN AT G20 SUMMIT

President Tayyip Erdogan is attending the G20 summit in Hamburg, where he will attend various sessions. He will meet Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni.

RIGHTS ACTIVISTS DETAINED

Turkish police detained 10 people including the local director of Amnesty International and other rights activists on suspicion of membership of a terrorist organisation, Amnesty said on Thursday in what it called a "grotesque abuse of power". CASH BALANCE The Treasury will announce its cash balance for June (1430 GMT).

For other related news, double click on:

Turkish politics Turkish equities Turkish money Turkish debt Turkish hot stocks Forex news All emerging market news All Turkish news For real-time quotes, double click on:

Istanbul National-100 stock index , interbank lira trading , lira bond trading (Reporting by Daren Butler)
* Iron ore shipment to China from Australia dropped for first time since Feb

* Iron ore rebounded after days drop

* Steel, coke and coking coal also rose

(Update prices, changed text throughout)

BEIJING, July 7 (Reuters) - China's iron ore futures rose on Friday for the first time in four days, supported by the first monthly decline in iron ore export from Australia since February which raised supply concerns even as Chinese stockpiles remain ample.

Iron ore shipments to China from Australia's Port Hedland terminal dropped to 36.6 million tonnes in June from 38 million tonnes the month before. The most-traded iron ore on the Dalian Commodity Exchange gained 3.3 percent on Friday, closing at 484 yuan ($71.18) a tonne.

"The decline on Australia's iron ore shipment to China is helping to lift the market, which also gives the long position investors a chance to hike the price amid China's plentiful inventory at the ports," said Xu Bo, analyst at Haitong Futures.

Stockpiles of imported iron ore at ports stood at 140.3 million tonnes last week, just below the record level of 141.5 million tonnes in previous week. Bo also pointed to the fact that market investors have a large amount of funding to draw from to take new positions in the market.

"In general, liquidity remains at an adequate level these days," he said.

China's central bank said it will skip open market operation for the 11th day in a row on Friday since liquidity in the banking system was "relatively high". The higher iron ore prices pulled steel prices up as well, helped by concerns of a short-term supply gap as China shuts some plants to address overcapacity issues.

The most-active rebar on the Shanghai Futures Exchange closed 1.1 percent higher to 3,428 yuan on Friday.

China has eliminated about 120 million tonnes of capacity by shutting more than 600 steel mills producing low-grade construction steel during the first half of the year. By Thursday, stockpiles of rebar rose 327,000 tonnes to 5.04 million tonnes, compared with same period last year, according to data on the website of consultants Mysteel.

Spot rebar prices were down 0.11 percent to 3,807 yuan a tonne on Thursday, according to Mysteel. Iron ore for immediate delivery fell on Thursday 2.1 percent to $61.96 a metric tonne, according to Metal Bulletin.

Other raw materials also rose on Friday, with coking coal climbing 1.8 percent to 1,798.50 yuan a tonne and coke gaining 1 percent to 1,128 yuan per tonne. ($1 = 6.7996 Chinese yuan renminbi)

(Reporting by Muyu Xu and Beijing Newsroom; Editing by Christian Schmollinger)
* IPO to be priced at S$0.81 per unit - IFR

* Indicative price range was S$0.80-S$0.93/unit

(Adds details of offer)

SINGAPORE, July 7 (Reuters) - NetLink NBN Trust, the broadband unit of Singapore Telecommunications (Singtel) , is set to price its IPO near the bottom of expectations, raising about $1.7 billion in Singapore's largest listing in more than four years.

The offering is set to be priced at S$0.81 ($0.5865) per unit, Thomson Reuters publication IFR reported, citing two sources with knowledge of the transaction. The IPO had an indicative range of S$0.80 to S$0.93 per unit. NetLink is offering 2.9 billion units in the IPO, which will be the biggest in Singapore since Mapletree Greater China Commercial Trust's $2.06 billion listing in February 2013.

It is slated for debut on the Singapore stock exchange on July 19.

Singtel, Southeast Asia's largest telco whose biggest shareholder is Singapore state investor Temasek Holdings , did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment on the pricing.

Singtel will own 24.99 percent of NetLink, which provides high-speed broadband network, after the IPO. ($1 = 1.3810 Singapore dollars)

(Reporting by S Anuradha of IFR; Additional reporting and writing by Aradhana Aravindan; Editing by Sherry Jacob-Phillips and Muralikumar Anantharaman)
(Adds BlackRock declined to comment)

HONG KONG, July 7 (Reuters) - An unnamed institutional investor launched a selldown worth about $260 million in China Vanke Co Ltd , China's second-largest property developer, IFR reported on Friday, citing a term sheet.

The investor is offering 92 million shares at an indicative range of HK$22.60 to HK$23.20 each, equivalent to a discount of up to 4 percent from Friday's close of HK$23.55, added IFR, a Thomson Reuters publication. The shares are equivalent to 7 percent of the Hong Kong-listed stock, the term sheet showed.

Hong Kong stock exchange data showed fund manager BlackRock Inc owns 92.97 million shares of Vanke, or about 7.07 percent of the stock.

Vanke did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment on the stock sale, while BlackRock said it does not comment on individual holdings.

(Reporting by Fiona Lau of IFR; Writing by Elzio Barreto; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)
(Rewrites, adds background on dispute, share price)

By Natalie Grover and Michael Erman

July 7 (Reuters) - Eli Lilly and Co won a years-long patent dispute with Actavis on Friday after the UK Supreme Court ruled that the generic drugmaker's versions of Lilly's top-selling cancer drug Alimta directly infringe on certain Lilly patents in Britain, France, Italy and Spain.

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd owns the generic versions of Alimta in question after buying Allergan Plc's generic business Actavis last August.

Alimta, whose chemical name is pemetrexed, is Lilly's top-selling oncology treatment and generated sales of $2.3 billion last year.

This decision applies to about $300 million worth of annual sales, Evercore ISI's Umer Raffat said.

The court's key conclusions confirm that the Alimta vitamin regimen patent would be infringed by these generic pemetrexed products in Britain, France, Italy and Spain prior to June 2021, said Michael Harrington, senior vice president and general counsel for Lilly. The court also upheld the indirect infringement finding by the UK Court of Appeal, Lilly said, adding that the full judgment is expected by Wednesday.

In major European countries, the basic compound patents for Alimta expired in December 2015 but its vitamin regimen patents run until June 2021.

The so-called vitamin regimen patent in question covers a method in which patients take folic acid and vitamin B12 prior to Alimta, to reduce the drug's toxicity and allow it to interrupt the ability of cancer cells to reproduce.

The UK Court of Appeal in June 2015 ruled that the Alimta vitamin regimen patent would be indirectly, not directly, infringed when the generic product is reconstituted or diluted in saline.

The announcement on Friday implies that the UK Supreme Court found the Actavis product being infringed, regardless of the diluent used, Lilly said.

A U.S. appeals court ruled in favor of Lilly in a similar case in January. It still faces a review of the issue by the U.S. Patent Trial and Appeal Board, which analysts said could result in further appeals if it is not in Lilly's favor.

Teva could not be immediately reached for comment.

Shares of Lilly rose 30 cents to $81.90 on the New York Stock Exchange on Friday morning. Teva's U.S. shares fell 25 cents, or 0.8 percent, to $31.52.

(Reporting by Natalie Grover in Bengaluru and Michael Erman in New York; Editing by Saumyadeb Chakrabarty and Bill Rigby)
Fashion, design, photography

By Yun Suh-young

Seoul is the new cool, the burgeoning place of fashion, design and art that is not only attracting trendsetters but also some high-end brands to hold exhibitions.

Hype started early last month when a series of haute couture fashion houses such as Cartier, Louis Vuitton and Chanel announced their opening of exhibitions in Seoul. This summer is a season of abundance for people seeking stylish exhibitions. There are design, photography and fashion exhibitions galore. Here are some recommended exhibitions not to miss this summer.

Louis Vuitton bags are displayed on a model of one of the earliest biplanes at the "Volez, Voguez, Voyagez" exhibition held at the Dongdaemun Design Plaza in Seoul. / Courtesy of Louis Vuitton



Louis Vuitton

Among the exhibitions by haute couture houses, Louis Vuitton's truly stands out. Unlike Chanel's "Mademoiselle Privee" which lacks heavily in content, or Cartier's "Highlights" which focuses solely on its art collections, Louis Vuitton's "Volez, Voguez, Voyagez" manages to deliver its brand philosophy through its collection of artifacts which are carefully and cleverly curated.

The overall experience, without exaggeration, is overwhelming. Any doubts viewers may have at the beginning disappear the moment they step into the entrance, welcomed by a digital screen of a biplane flying in sync with the visitors' motions.

The exhibition takes the visitor on a long journey of the 163-year-old brand from its birth to the present, starting with the story of the founder, Louis Vuitton. He was a box maker who first developed the flat trunk, which is considered the beginning of modern luggage. Fascinating inventions followed such as the vertical wardrobe trunks and all types of box-shaped trunks for various uses that he created to help travelers carry their fancy belongings. The rest of the history is written by his son Georges and grandson Gaston-Louis who developed the brand into what it is today, represented by the invention of the single key and Monogram canvas.

The exhibition space is divided into different zones showing how the bags evolved according to needs and occasions. Particularly interesting is section 4 which exhibits bags invented for expeditions, yachting, automobile, aviation and train travel. In the second half, section 8 is another gem which exhibits the variety of collaborations with celebrity designers.

The exhibition wins visitors over, even if they weren't originally fans.

An audio guide is recommended since it's free, but even without the guide, the exhibition is enriching enough just by viewing the collections.

The exhibition runs through Aug. 27

Hours: 10:30 - 18:30 (Mon-Thu, Sun), 10:30 - 21:00 (Fri, Sat, holiday)

Admission: Free, Audio guide: Free

Location: Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP)

"Lily Cole on Spiral Staircase" by Tim Walker is on display at the "VOGUE like a painting" exhibition at the Seoul Arts Center. / Courtesy of D Communication



Vogue

Fashion magazine Vogue's photography exhibition "VOGUE like a painting" takes visitors into a mesmerizing adventure, moving back and forth in time between modern-day fashion photography and classical paintings the photographs were inspired by.

The exhibition is the first held in Seoul with 100 images from Vogue's archive over its 125-year history. The exhibition is the second to be held following the first which was held in Spain in 2015. Having been met with great enthusiasm in Spain, Vogue decided to take its exhibition to other cities, the next candidate being Seoul.

"VOGUE like a painting" examines the relationship between fashion photography and classical paintings in categories divided into portraits, still-life, Rococo, landscape, and avant-garde to pop-art, making the viewer compare the old and the new.

The photographs are mesmerizing in the sense that they feel more magical than real. Famous fashion photographers, such as Irving Penn, Paolo Roversi, Peter Lindbergh, and Tim Walker to name a few, reinterpreted paintings from the times of Italian artist Caravaggio to the American impressionist Jackson Pollock and reproduced them in their own style or incorporated these works of art into their photographs.

In the Seoul exhibition, there are 40 additional pieces that weren't showcased in Spain as well as 20 more Korea-related photographs prepared by Vogue Korea.

Renting an audio guide is recommended for a more in-depth understanding of the works, but it is only available in Korean.

The exhibition runs through Oct. 7

Hours: 11:00 - 20:00 (closed last Mondays of the month)

Admission: 13,000 won (adults), Audio guide: 3,000 won

Location: Seoul Arts Center

Garments are shown at the "Unbuttoning the French fashion from the 18th to the 20th century" exhibition at the National Museum of Korea. / Courtesy of Les Arts Decoratifs, Paris

Les Arts Decoratifs

A less spotlighted but still highly recommendable exhibition is "Unbuttoning the French Fashion from the 18th to the 20th Century," a collection brought from the French decorative arts museum, Les Arts Decoratifs in Paris.

The exhibition sheds light on the sociological evolution of French attire with the focus on buttons. An extensive collection of buttons as well as garments, paintings, books, photography and craftwork adorn this exhibition, fascinating viewers.

The buttons introduced in the exhibition are from the collection of Loic Allio, designated as a French national treasure in 2011.

This is the first tour exhibition to be held outside of France, following its successful Paris show in 2015 under the title "Deboutonner la mode." The Seoul exhibition features 1,815 pieces from the French museum's collection and reflects French history and culture from the late 17th century all the way to the 1950s.

The 18th century was the golden era of buttons, as they started to be produced in all forms. People started showing off their status with buttons in the 19th century while looks were simplified with the advent of industrialization. "Art nouveau" and "dandyism" appeared in this period. The 20th century gave birth to functional design and buttons became an item to emphasize the silhouette.

Renting an audio guide is recommended for this exhibition if you're Korean. The narration is done by actor On Ju-wan who does a good job in explaining the collections in a rather dramatic tone.

The exhibition runs through Aug. 15

Hours: 9:00 - 18:00 (Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri), 9:00 - 21:00 (Wed, Sat), 9:00 - 19:00 (Sun, holiday)

Admission: 9,000 won (adults), Audio guide: 3,000 won

Location: National Museum of Korea

Products designed by Karim Rashid displayed at the "Design Your Self" exhibition at the Seoul Arts Center / Courtesy of Art Center Ida

Karim Rashid

A design exhibition to color up this summer is the Karim Rashid exhibition, "Design Your Self."

Rashid is well-known in Korea for his many collaborations with Korean companies, most notably the "Eau" water bottle with Paris Baguette. However, this Seoul exhibition is the first large-scale exhibition to be held in Asia.

His designs are almost immediately recognizable for their pop colors and streamlined shapes, which reflect Rashid's philosophy of aiming to make the world "happy" with his design. The designs are rather kitsch, drawing strong pros and cons, but nevertheless do bring up the mood.

The exhibition space is decorated very much like Karim Rashid himself _ the walls cut like his profile and curved shapes engulfing the space in all forms and colors.

There are 350 pieces of furniture, objects, commercial products, media art and design sketches featured in the exhibition as well as supersized structures he created especially for this Seoul exhibit.

"I want to change the world," he says, whose quotes are embedded on the walls both in print and as digital artwork. He believes in "designocracy" or design democracy. "Design is about shaping contemporary experiences and shaping our future lives" he says.

In line with this philosophy, his works displayed in the exhibition are curated to reflect his burning will to change the world to become a better place. A video shows his efforts to create environmentally-friendly products, using the least harmful materials as possible for humans and for the environment.

An audio guide is recommended to enrich the viewing experience, yet the narration isn't top notch, despite being done by popular actress Ha Ji-won.

The exhibition runs through Oct. 7

Hours: 11:00 - 20:00 (closed last Mondays of the month)

Admission: 14,000 won (adults), Audio guide: 3,000 won

Location: Seoul Arts Center
By Yoon Ja-young

Paik Un-gyu, minister of trade, industry and energy nominee

The designation of Paik Un-gyu, an energy engineering expert, as the minister of trade, industry and energy implies that making a shift in the country's energy policy will be his biggest task.

"I feel a huge responsibility as I was designated as the first trade, industry and energy minister of the President Moon Jae-in administration amid a tough economic environment," the minister nominee said Tuesday.

He said he will focus on enhancing industrial competitiveness through two strategies of "first mover" and "fast follower," on top of creating quality jobs by nurturing new industries in the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

After earning a doctorate in ceramic engineering at Clemson University, he has been working as a professor at Hanyang University, with research focused on the development of environment friendly materials.

He has been known as a scholar who strongly supports transition to environment friendly energy. After joining President Moon's election camp, he designed the administration's energy policy of shifting from coal-fired and nuclear power generation to environment-friendly sources such as LNG and renewable energies.

Cheong Wa Dae also acknowledges that his top task will be energy policies.

"We expect Paik to lead in searching for future energy sources, on top of securing new growth engines," a Cheong Wa Dae spokesman said while introducing the minister nominee.

In a recent interview with local media, Paik said that energy policies should change, reflecting the value of the time. He said that the renewable energy sources should be expanded to make up 20 percent of total power generation by 2030. He also expected the country to be free of nuclear power plants by the mid 2060s, by halting new construction and not extending the lifespan of those currently being operated.

However, he has to handle conflicting interests along the way. The administration stopped the construction of two new reactors - Kori 5 and 6 - and the nuclear related industries as well as some residents are showing concern over economic damage. Transition to renewable energy or LNG will inevitably raise electricity rates, which will weigh on manufacturers and hurt their competitive edge.

Park Chan-kook, a researcher at the Korea Energy Economics Institute, said the government should maintain harmony between diverse values while setting energy policy. "The pace of renewable energy expansion will be slow though transition is needed."

The minister nominee also has been showing negative views on diesel cars, but any measure to decrease them will face opposition by the industry as well as drivers.

While he is an energy expert, coping with trade issues is also among his main tasks as trade minister. U.S. President Donald Trump continued pressuring Korea for renegotiation of the Korea-U.S. free trade agreement during the summit with President Moon. Coping with China's economic retaliation following deployment of a U.S. missile defense system in Korea is among pending issues for the minister nominee.

"Professors-turned-ministers tend to lack strong leadership. He should prove leadership in the beginning of his term to gain control over the huge ministry that covers diverse sectors," a former ministry official said.
President Moon Jae-in delivers a speech during the Korea-U.S. Business Summit at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in Washington, June 28. / Yonhap



By Kang Seung-woo





President Moon Jae-in talks with Thomas Donohue, president and CEO of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, during the Korea-U.S. Business Summit. / Yonhap

The joint statement focusing on North Korea's denuclearization was the highlight reel during President Moon Jae-in's visit to the United States.

Above all, Moon's U.S. trip is said to have sought quality over quantity as Korean companies came up with detailed investment plans rather than just signing non-binding memoranda of understanding (MOUs).But economic fruits from his maiden overseas trip as Korean president are also as productive as diplomatic achievements, observers pointed out Tuesday.

During Moon's visit to Washington, D.C., for a summit with U.S. President Donald Trump, the business delegation, comprised of 52 top executives, announced that they will invest $12.8 billion into the U.S. economy over the next five years.

Plus, Korean corporations plan to spend $22.4 billion to purchase aircraft and other American products and resources.

These measures are unlike Moon's predecessors, who typically promoted multiple MOUs with much fanfare, with many of them falling through.

Market watchers believe that the massive investment will help ease growing protectionist moves from the Trump administration.

"Amid mounting complaints about the trade imbalance between the two nations in the United States, the business delegation's investment plans have given a message that they can set up a win-win situation," said an official at a local business organization.

"It will effectively ease claims for a renegotiation of the Korea-U.S. free trade agreement (FTA)."

In the selection of representatives, the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry also prioritized companies with investment plans and projects in the U.S., which received credit for resulting in the specific action plans.

Taking a closer look at the economic achievement from the presidential trip, Samsung Electronics announced a long-awaited plan to build a plant for home appliances in South Carolina. The global tech giant will invest $380 million (436 billion won) and create 950 full-time jobs.

In addition, Samsung is planning to invest $1.5 billion in its semiconductor factory in Texas by 2020 to boost production of processor chips for smartphones and other devices.

The Samsung investments came four months after its cross-city rival LG Electronics came up with a plan to build a manufacturing facility for washing machines in Tennessee, along with its $300 million under-construction North American headquarters in New Jersey.

Those investments are expected to help alleviate trade pressure from the Trump administration that has pushed global companies as well as local business entities to build their factories in his country as part of efforts to create jobs for Americans under his campaign pledge of "Make American Great Again."

Furthermore, some hope that the global home appliance powerhouses' investments may prompt Whirlpool to drop long-standing anti-dumping allegations against Samsung and LG.

In May, the U.S. company filed a petition against the Korean companies, claiming they repeatedly relocated their washer manufacturing facilities to avoid trade sanctions, and the U.S. International Trade Commission instituted a 120-day investigation June 5.

SK Group has decided to beef up ties and expand investment in the U.S. shale gas sector in line with President Moon's focus on new renewable energy and liquefied natural gas.

The nation's third-largest conglomerate signed an MOU with General Electric and Continental Resources to form a strategic alliance for the shale gas project and announced its plans to invest 1.8 trillion won in the U.S. over the next five years.

The deal is expected to help Korea to diversify its energy imports and further sell U.S. energy resources to a third country.

The Moon administration plans to raise the proportion of power supplies from clean and renewable energy sources to 20 percent of the total by 2030.

"I hope that Korea-U.S. economic cooperation can expand on the existing level of mutual trade and investment so that it can help both countries become strategic economic partners who work together to pioneer the world market," Moon said during the Korea-U.S. business summit.

The delegation's big investments are also receiving rave reviews from the U.S. media as they say that Korean firms' investments keep up with the U.S. government's economic policy and shield trade pressure from Washington.
By Nam Hyun-woo



Korea's annual economic growth rate may plummet to 0.4 percent in 10 years if the fast aging of the population continues unaddressed, the Bank of Korea said Thursday.



The country's average growth rate from 2000 to 2015 was 3.9 percent and the figure is expected to decline to 1.9 percent in the 2016 to 2025 period under its baseline scenario, the bank said in a report.



It expects the rate to drop further to 0.4 percent in the 2026 to 2035 period because of the rapidly aging population.



"The numbers show that the negative impact of Korea's aging population is huge," the BOK said. "This is because the pace of aging is very fast and Koreans typically cut their spending a lot after retirement."



According to the country's statistics agency, Koreans older than 65 accounted for 12.8 percent of the population in 2015, and the proportion is expected to grow to 28.7 percent in 2035 and 42.5 percent in 2065.



"Such a rapid demographic change can pose a huge threat to the country's economic growth," the BOK said.



Koreans tend to reduce their expenditures more sharply than other developed economies because the country's social security net is relatively weak.



The report suggested three measures to contain the negative economic impact from the rapid demographic change: Postponing the retirement age by five years, raising the rate of women's labor force participation to that of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) members' average and maintaining labor productivity at the current level.



By postponing the retirement age, the BOK projected Korea's growth rate can be raised by 0.4 percentage points from the baseline assumption over the next 10 years.



The BOK also predicted the country's economic growth rate will improve by 0.3 to 0.4 percentage points for the next 20 years, if Korea raises the women's labor force participation rate from the current 57.4 percent to the OECD average of 66.8 percent.



Should Korea manage to reach Iceland's 88 percent, the growth rate will jump by 0.6 to 0.7 percentage points, the report estimated.



By maintaining Korea's labor productivity growth rate at the 2.1 percent of 2016, the economic growth rate will also rise 0.4 percentage points.



The report concurred: "If those measures take effect, Korea's economic growth rate will be standing at higher than 2 percent for the next 10 years and between 1 percent and 2 percent thereafter."



The central bank also suggested that stabilizing the housing market and lowering expenses for private education will help raising Korea's low birthrate. Korea's total birthrate, which refers to the average number of children that a woman aged between 15 and 49 decide to have, was 1.18 in 2016, the lowest among OECD members.




New administration follows secrecy of predecessors



By Nam Hyun-woo



The Moon Jae-in administration is accused of continuing the secrecy of its conservative predecessors in the legal battle between the Korean government and the U.S. buyout fund Lone Star Funds over the sale of the Korea Exchange Bank (KEB).



Korea's Ministry of Justice said this week it has not decided whether to disclose the future ruling of the International Center for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) on the issue.



"The justice ministry is repeating the hitherto stance that it has yet to reach a conclusion after talks with Lone Star," said Soorun Asia Law Office attorney Song Ki-ho, who filed a petition to release the information last month. "I don't know why it's taking so long.



"As far as I know, Lone Star has no reason to conceal anything and I don't know why the Korean government hesitates to declare if it will announce the ICSID ruling, which will come out later. I recommend the Moon administration change the stance of its conservative predecessors."



An ICSID rule states that the international investment dispute arbitrator is required, with agreement from claimants and respondents, to disclose its decision publicly.



The justice ministry's response means the government does not want to disclose the process of the legal battle, worth $4.68 billion, according to Song.



The dispute dates back to 2003, when Lone Star acquired a 51.02 percent stake in KEB from a German bank. Several years later, when the fund tried to sell the stake at great profit, disputes arose on whether the 2003 acquisition was proper.



Critics claimed Lone Star was not eligible for the deal because it was not a financial capital corporation. Korea's law prohibits non-financial capital firms from gaining significant stakes in financial companies.



In 2011, the government ended the controversy by announcing that Lone Star is a financial capital corporation and the acquisition was lawful.



A year later, Lone Star exited Korea after selling its stake to Hana Financial Group. Through the process, Lone Star gained about 4.9 trillion won in profit.



In November 2012, Lone Star sparked another controversy in Korea when it filed a request with the ICSID that claimed the Korean government should compensate it for damage for the "belated" approval of its sale of its KEB stake to Hana Financial and return the taxes it paid during the postponed period.



Song said the government's response to Lone Star's move was "secretive" during the previous Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye administrations. The latest known development in the arbitration was a hearing on the merits at The Hague in June last year and a battle through papers two months later. It is not known what happened afterward.



"I am in the dark about what happened over the past year because the government says nothing about the legal battle, which might burden our taxpayers with billions of dollars," Song said. "The new government should rethink its stance about the confidential-first approach."



A justice ministry official said "there is no document or information regarding the government's agreement or disagreement on the disclosure of the ICSID decision."



Reportedly, six ministries and other government arms are engaging in the litigation and they are yet to make a decision about whether to agree or not.



"What is much worse is that the government is refusing to disclose how Lone Star came up with the $4.68 billion compensation," Song said.



Song and Minbyun, or Lawyers for a Democratic Society, filed suits against the National Tax Service (NTS), asking it to disclose the exact amount of taxes Lone Star wants to get back, who are involved and how Lone Star calculated the amount.



The NTS then briefly said "the $4.68 billion is comprised of the deficit and interest of the profit that Lone Star could earn had the KEB sale been done at the time it wanted and it got the profit it actually earned. Also, the amount includes the taxes levied during the protracted period and interest on them."



On May 18, a high court ruled that the NTS should disclose the amount, but the tax agency refused and appealed to the Supreme Court.



An NTS official stressed that the appeal should not be interpreted as it trying to conceal something.



"It is our duty to protect taxpayers," he said. "We are trying to protect taxpayers, not Lone Star." But he did not explain what that means.



Lone Star's litigation is expected to haunt Financial Services Commission Chairman nominee Choi Jong-ku, who is now preparing for a parliamentary hearing before his appointment.



In 2011, when Choi was a standing commissioner of the financial regulator, he said Lone Star was a financial capital corporation eligible to own KEB in the case against civic groups and then opposition Democratic Party, which claimed Lone Star was an industrial capital corporation focusing on non-financial industries.



Also in the same year, the Financial Services Commission postponed its approval of the KEB deal between Lone Star and Hana Financial Group, saying Lone Star's legitimacy as a large financial firm shareholder was questionable. This triggered Lone Star's litigation with the ICSID.



Having been involved in both Lone Star moves, the decade-old issue will likely be at the center of the debate at Choi's hearing.




By Nam Hyun-woo



KEB Hana Bank denied Friday speculation that it was considering selling a significant stake in its China unit.



The Korean Economic Daily said that Hana Financial Group Chairman Kim Jung-tae and KEB Hana Bank President Ham Young-joo recently met with China Energy Company (CEFC) Chairman Ye Jianming in Seoul and talked about the sale of shares in Hana Bank China.



Citing an unnamed source, the report said KEB Hana was "carefully" considering the sale.



The report said the China unit's deteriorating profitability prompted the talks on the stake disposal. Its net profit declined to 5.6 billion won in 2013 from 17.4 billion won a year earlier. In 2014 and 2015, it posted net losses, but turned to a 28.6 billion won net profit last year.



Regarding the report, KEB Hana said the CEFC chairman came to Korea for a separate purpose and the meeting was a courtesy.



"The bank is not considering selling its stakes in the Chinese subsidiary," a KEB Hana official said. "To our knowledge, Chinese regulations prohibit a foreign financial firm from selling its stakes to domestic entities."



The bank also said the earnings postings for 2014 and 2015 do not fully reflect the China-based bank's profit.



Korea Exchange Bank (KEB) and Hana Bank merged to become KEB Hana Bank. Before the two banks joined together in September 2015, their Chinese units merged in advance.



"The 2014 and 2015 figures do not reflect KEB China's earnings. When KEB China's earnings are added, the bank's net profit stands at 14.4 billion won in 2014 and 20.5 billion won in 2015," the official said.



"Since their merger in 2014 took place in China earlier than that in Korea, there is still confusion over the China unit's profits. Also, the bank considers China as a key post for globalization and will continue to put emphasis on the unit's operations there."




Three Nepalese cyclists pose with their bikes in front of Seoul City Hall, June 27. The three, from left, Dilip Chhetri, Anish Dhakal and Nirmal Baral are on a tour to promote environmental protection and world peace. / Courtesy of Anish Dhakal



By You Soo-sun

Three Nepalese men set out on an environmental crusade Dec. 30, 2016, with a plan to set foot in 100 countries during their five-year journey. With just a bicycle and a backpack each, they arrived in Korea on June 18: their 14th country.

What motivated their trip was a 7.8-magnitude earthquake that struck Nepal in April, 2015, killing up to 9,000 people. "It was the most haunting experience. We felt a big sinking  everywhere around, people were screaming and crying," said Anish Dhakal, 22, who initiated the trip, the "World Bicycle Tour for Environmental Protection and World Peace."

Two others joined him. Nirmal Baral, 39, is a social worker. He is also the only married man of the three and a father of two children. His wife and two little children were at first opposed to him taking off for five years, leaving his job and his family behind. He told them: "Life may mean nothing. I want to do something for my country."

And just like that, he persuaded them. Dilip Chhetri, a social worker and a student at the same school Anish attends, is from near Sindhupalchowk, one of the most affected areas. His house collapsed and nine people in his village died.

The trio bikes from one country to another where they can  a healthy and eco-friendly method, explained Dhakal: "If we can travel from one country to another by bicycle, then why can't others use it once a week?"

They talked of the hunger, the backaches and leg cramps they have endured throughout the trip. Yet, they never lost their smiles throughout the interview. The most memorable for them all was crossing the border from Myanmar to Thailand.

"It was uphill, there were no houses around, no food and no water," Dhakal said. "My favorite food is water now. I got to know the real taste of it."

They have so far hit Nepal, India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Brunei, Singapore, Malaysia and Taiwan in the last six months. They have many more to go. But they are determined to finish the journey as to spread the word, and to spread the love.
By Park Si-soo



North Korea said it will make an "important announcement" at 3:30 p.m. today. It didn't elaborate.

The announcement will come hours after North Korea test-fired another ballistic missile. It was believed to be the North's most successful missile test in its push for nuclear weapons capable of hitting any part of the United States.














By Park Si-soo



North Korea said it successfully tested an intercontinental ballistic missile on Tuesday -- a watershed moment in its decades-long push to develop a nuclear weapon capable of hitting the United States.

It said the Hwasong-14 missile flew a trajectory that military experts said could allow a weapon to hit the U.S. state of Alaska. The reclusive state said the missile reached a cruising altitude of 2,802 kilometers and flew 933 kilometers before landing in the East Sea.

The announcement came hours after North Korea launched an intercontinental ballistic missile from an airfield in Panghyon, about 100 kilometers northwest of the North's capital, Pyongyang, Tuesday morning.



"The test launch was conducted at the sharpest angle possible and did not have any negative effect on neighboring countries," North Korea's major news presenter Lee Chun-hee said smiling, in what North Korea said was an "important announcement" made at 3:30 p.m.



"The test was conducted under the supervision of leader Kim Jong-un, and it was capable of hitting anywhere in the world."

Moon will tackle N. Korea issue at G20 Moon calls for security meeting over N. Korean missile launch Trump urges China to get 'heavy' with North Korea after missile launch The presenter said the Hwasong-14 missile reached an altitude of 2,802 kilometers (1,741 miles) and hit its target precisely after flying for 39 minutes.



It was believed to be the North's most successful missile test in its push for nuclear weapons capable of hitting any part of the United States.



Japan's defense ministry said the missile "greatly exceeded" an altitude of 2,500 kilometers and flew 930 kilometers before landing in Japan's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).



Tuesday's launch came days before a summit of G20 leaders in Hamburg, Germany, and a day after U.S. President Donald Trump called China's President Xi Jinping and Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to discuss the nuclear threat from Pyongyang.



U.S. President Donald Trump, who has turned to Beijing for help in reining in North Korea, sent a series of tweets after the launch, apparently ridiculing his North Korean counterpart and urging China to do more.



"North Korea has just launched another missile. Does this guy have anything better to do with his life?" Trump wrote.



"Hard to believe that South Korea and Japan will put up with this much longer. Perhaps China will put a heavy move on North Korea and end this nonsense once and for all!"



North Korean leader Kim Jong-un signs an order sheet for the test-firing of an intercontinental ballistic missile in this Korean Central News Agency photo released on Tuesday. / Yonhap




More than 30 defects were found in the North Korean ferry Mangyongbong, which recently started a regular service on the route between its eastern port of Rajin and Russia's Vladivostok, during the Russian port authorities' safety inspection, a U.S. broadcaster reported Friday.



According to records from the Asia-Pacific Port State Control (PSC) Committee, a total of 34 problems were found in an inspection at the Russian port on May 25, when the ship entered the port for the first time for the service, Voice of America said.



The defects, including seven in fire prevention facilities and three in life rescue equipment, were related mostly to the safety of the vessel and passengers, the broadcaster said.



Later, the Russian authorities also reported to the committee that they discovered that none of the defects had been corrected in another safety inspection on June 1, when the ship departed the port, according to the broadcaster.



Most North Korean ships are believed to have failed to pass PSC safety checks as they are outdated, it added.



Earlier, Russian news media reported the Mangyongbong began its once-a-week service on the route on May 17.



Commissioned in 1971, the 102-meter-long, 14-meter-wide North Korean boat originally sailed between the North's Wonsan and Japan's Niigata mainly to transport pro-Pyongyang Koreans residing in Japan who wanted to live permanently in the communist country. The vessel has been drastically remodeled to be used as a tour boat after Japan banned the ship's entry into its port in 2006 due to sanctions for Pyongyang's first nuclear and missile tests that year. (Yonhap)




President Moon Jae-in and Chinese President Xi Jinping shake hands ahead of their summit at Intercontinental Hotel in Berlin, Thursday. / Yonhap



By Kim Rahn

President Moon Jae-in and Chinese President Xi Jingping reaffirmed that the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula was their common goal, pledging for heavier sanctions on North Korea to prevent its further nuclear and missile development, Cheong Wa Dae said Thursday.

During their first summit in Berlin on the sidelines of the G20 summit, Xi also expressed his support for Seoul's leading effort to resume talks with Pyongyang and create peace on the peninsula.

The summit took place two days after the North test-fired an alleged intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). The meeting lasted for 75 minutes, much longer than the initially scheduled 40 minutes.

"The two leaders confirmed that they could not accept the ICBM provocation and agreed to closely cooperate to resolve the issue fundamentally, as North Korea's nuclear and missile programs threaten peace and stability not only in South Korea and China but also Northeast Asia," presidential spokesman Park Soo-hyun said.

"For their joint goal of denuclearizing the peninsula, they agreed to impose heavier sanctions and stronger pressure to prevent Pyongyang's additional provocations while at the same time inducing the North to make the right choice and accept a peaceful resolution through dialogue."

Moon asked for China to make more of a contribution in addressing the issue and take a leading role as a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council (UNSC). His call is in line with the international community's criticism of China, perhaps North Korea's only ally, for not actively playing a major role over the issue.

Xi responded that China was making efforts to fully carry out UNSC resolutions against North Korea and to prevent Pyongyang from developing its missiles. "Xi said that along with measures by the Security Council, he would cooperate with related countries to come up with proper actions," Park said.

Xi also supported Moon's attempt to resume contact and talks with the North, improve inter-Korean relations and relieve tension on the peninsula, saying he would cooperate.

Park said the two leaders exchanged opinions on some contentious issues, implying the deployment of a U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery in South Korea.

Moon's predecessor, Park Geun-hye, decided to install the anti-missile system here as a deterrent to North Korea's missile threats. But China opposed it claiming the X-band radar of the system could spy on its military activities; and has taken economic retaliatory measures against South Korean businesses.

"Those measures (over THAAD) have shrunk economic, cultural and human exchanges between the two countries. Considering the influence this situation will have on the relations between the people of our two countries, I request your attention and support to revitalize exchanges and cooperation in various fields," Park quoted Moon as saying.

Xi then said he could not ignore the Chinese people's concerns, but added he hoped the two countries' exchanges will be normalized and expanded. The two nations agreed to strengthen communication through various channels, including meetings of high-ranking officials, to boost mutual understanding.

Moon said he would soon visit China for deeper discussions on pending issues, while inviting Xi to visit South Korea for the PyeongChang Olympic Winter Games next year.

Commemorating the 25th year of diplomatic relations, Seoul and Beijing also agreed on the need to develop the relationship into a partnership for practical and strategic cooperation.

Moon expressed his gratitude to Shanghai Salvage, a Chinese state-run company that successfully salvaged the sunken ferry Sewol from seas off the southwestern coast of Korea in March nearly three years after the tragic sinking.

"I'm well aware that the salvage operation was really difficulty but the company did the job quickly and successfully. I heard that President Xi encouraged the company workers. I'd like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude," Moon said.
By Lee Han-soo



A Korean man who fled the country after raping a minor was repatriated after committing the same crime in Australia, according to the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) Thursday.



The rapist, surnamed Hwang, 35, was initially sentenced to 30 months' jail, suspended for four years, in 2010 for raping and assaulting a female high school student.



But during his probation, police and the prosecutors' office investigated Hwang for breaking and entering in June 2012.



Sensing his probation would be cancelled, Hwang fled to Australia after a layover in the Philippines in July 2012.



The Korean court sentenced Hwang to an additional eight months in prison in his absence.



But even in Australia, Hwang's old habits continued.



He was eventually caught and an Australian court sentenced him to nine years in prison on four charges of rape and attempted rape during his stay in New South Wales.



The Korean MOJ and prosecution office are known to have been responsible for Hwang getting a heavier penalty by providing Australian authorities with his Korean rape case and criminal history information.



The MOJ requested that Hwang be extradited after he finished his sentence in Australia.



Australian authorities decided to deport him on Tuesday after Hwang was released on parole. This allowed the MOJ to arrest him at Sydney International Airport and return him to South Korea.



"We hope the notion that fleeing to another country in the hope of avoiding punishment but eventually leading to being caught and brought to justice will spread as an outcome of this case," a MOJ official said.




By Sah Dong-seok



It is not news that Korea is devoid of any viable energy resources except coal. After being liberated from Japan's colonial rule in 1945, South Korea managed to survive on electricity transmitted from North Korea.

The North's electric power situation was relatively good at the time thanks to Japan's massive construction of hydroelectric power plants there. As the inter-Korean confrontation heated up, the then-communist North cut off its power supply to the South. This left South Korea struggling with a chronic power shortage before nuclear power began to come on line in the late 1970s.

In fact, Korea is a globally rare success story when it comes to nuclear energy. It has the sixth-largest number of nuclear reactors in the world, generating about one-third of its energy needs from 24 reactors. Korea is building four reactors in the United Arab Emirates under a $20 billion contract. Its rags-to-riches industrialization would not have been possible without the government's successful nuclear energy development.

So it comes as a surprise that Moon Jae-in, the new liberal president, has vowed to phase out nuclear power over the next 40 years. Of course, he promised a nuclear-free era in Korea during his campaign, but few had expected him to announce his zero nuclear policy so swiftly.

His anti-nuclear policy direction is not basically wrong. As he said in a ceremony marking the closure of the country's first and oldest nuclear reactor in mid-June, there is a growing need to put top priority on public safety and the environment in drawing up energy policy. Given Japan's Fukushima nuclear disaster in 2011 and a major earthquake that hit the southeastern city of Gyeongju and its nearby areas last year, the importance of nuclear safety cannot be overemphasized enough.

The problem is that the new head of state may be too hasty, dismissing possible serious problems.

First and foremost, energy security could be threatened, considering that Korea imports nearly 97 percent of its energy needs. Moon vowed to increase the portion of renewable energy to 20 percent by 2030 and increase LNG-fired power production to replace riskier nuclear energy and dirty coal power.

As far as renewable energy is concerned, however, Korea has a long way to go. Renewables are estimated to account for about 5 percent of electricity demand at the moment. To be more precise, however, the portion of eco-friendly renewable resources such as wind and solar power is less than 1 percent. Skeptics see the 20-percent goal as unattainable, noting that power plants with solar panels and wind turbines require lots of land and that municipal governments are picky about such facilities.

The Moon administration hopes that LNG-fueled power plants will replace nuclear power as a primary energy source. But this will disturb the country's commitment to the Paris climate agreement on reducing carbon emissions.

Electricity bills will inevitably go up if coal and nuclear energy are replaced by the more expensive LNG and renewable resources. Estimates for higher energy costs range from a low of 20 percent to a high of 79 percent, but what is certain is that households as well as businesses will have to foot higher electricity bills. If LNG prices soar along with crude oil prices after many nuclear reactors are phased out, the consequences will be disastrous.

Ditching nuclear power domestically will toll the death knell for the country's laboriously nurtured atomic industry. When it comes to commercial nuclear technology, Korea is actually unbeatable, with related jobs numbering more than 100,000.

Moon's anti-nuclear policy will also undermine the country's ambitious plan to export more reactors abroad. Given that the state-run Korea Electric Power Corp. has boasted its continuous development of domestic nuclear capacity, going nuclear-free will send a negative signal to foreign countries looking to buy reactors from Korea. Would any country be willing to buy reactors that are not built domestically?

Germany is often cited as a good example Korea should follow in shedding nuclear power. The country vowed to shut down 17 reactors within 11 years in May 2011, two months after the Fukushima meltdown. Eight of Germany's decrepit reactors were closed immediately and the remaining nine will be phased out gradually through 2022.

With the portion of atomic energy falling and that of renewable energy rising, however, Germans have been bearing higher energy costs. Electricity rates applied to German households are the second highest in the European Union.

What clearly sets Germany apart from Korea is the difference in natural environment. Germany is rich in available renewable resources such as wind, whereas Korea has few options. For example, Korea has a weak and baffling wind capability as a whole.

Most decisively, Germany can obtain electric power from its neighboring countries in the case of an emergency because their power grids are connected. But Korea has no such last resort.

What is most embarrassing is that the new administration is faithfully carrying out half-baked pledges drawn up hurriedly in the run-up to the election, with prominent energy experts excluded. In June, the government surprised the public by ordering a temporary halt to the building of two partially completed reactors and stating that whether their construction should continue will be determined after gathering public opinion just for three months.

All of this suggests that the government may be taking perfunctory measures after concluding that nuclear power should go. It's certainly putting the cart before the horse.

Moon's perilous pursuit of a purely idealistic energy agenda may throw the nation into turmoil. Even now, he should make a decision on nuclear power after an in-depth debate and review involving top energy experts.

The writer is the executive editor of The Korea Times. Contact him at sahds@ktimes.com.
Presidential chief policy adviser Jang Ha-sung, right, speaks with

another presidential aide at Cheong Wa Dae in this recent photo.



By Oh Young-jin





Presidential chief policy adviser Jang Ha-sung used his excellent Wharton School English to rebut U.S. President Donald Trump and his staffers about key trade issues and defense burden-sharing disputes during the recent Korea-U.S. summit in Washington.

In this saga, the former activist professor and anti-chaebol fund founder saved the day for the country  so said virtually all the newspapers. Thrown in for a cameo part was the senior presidential secretary for economic affairs, who stood in for a trade minister, who had not been appointed at the time.

It is not hard to fathom that Cheong Wa Dae used a briefing for reporters covering presidential affairs to feed them some behind-the-scenes tidbits on President Moon Jae-in's first summit.

But the way it was treated by presidential public relations managers leaves a couple of things to be desired.

The newspaper accounts say that Jang jumped into the debate when President Moon alone was coping with at least three U.S. officials  Trump, Vice President Mike Pence and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson  who were pressing him on the unfairness of the two countries' free trade agreement and cost sharing of maintaining U.S. forces here. Moon defied the U.S. and made a counterproposal to conduct a joint survey to see whether the trade deal was unfair, while disputing Trump's assertion that Korea was a freeloader in the military alliance.

Then, Jang interrupted and declared that he would speak English to help make the American side understand the situation better.

The presidential PR man told the papers that Trump welcomed Jang and talked in recognition of Jang as his alumnus from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Jang gained his doctorate, while Trump attended it as an undergraduate. That brought about laughter and served as an icebreaker.

Jang pressed the U.S. side by saying that his book was to be translated into Chinese and published there for sale but it was halted as the result of China's retaliation over Korea's decision to deploy a U.S. missile interceptor. Trump joked that it would incur more of a trade deficit for his country if Jang's book was published in English and sold in the U.S.

Jang must have a good command of English but it is questionable whether his intervention was worth the trouble.

At the joint press conference after the meeting, Trump went off script and complained strongly about his grievances about the trade deficit and talked as if the two sides had agreed to renegotiate the bilateral trade deal, and he accused Korea of not paying a fair share for the U.S. military presence here.

There is little indication that Jang had influenced the course and outcome of the summit as much as the presidential office had argued. Besides, Cheong Wa Dae later explained that there was no agreement on the FTA renegotiation but it decided not to protest Trump's claim.

Reports about Jang inducing Trump into a joking mood are not convincing, either. Of course, they deserve some benefit of the doubt, considering the possibility that parts of the story were added and subtracted as the content of the briefing was made into press accounts.

Westerners use an exchange of jokes to check the other side out before a meeting or talks. Trump is a master joker and shrewd businessman so it can't be ruled out that he softened the atmosphere to make the Korean side less attentive so as to ambush it later.

Cheong Wa Dae may argue that this was not the case, citing Trump's quixotic and unpredictable behavior.

Only on the basis of the reports, it is not clear under which circumstances Jang inserted himself during the summit. It is quite possible that he acted on the spur of the moment and, if so, he risked taking the spotlight from Moon, and giving the impression that the Korean side lacked discipline and showing weaknesses in teamwork.

Already having more than 30 summits under his belt, Trump proved to be a smart skipper, having Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross read down the U.S. list of grievances at the meeting in order not to let President Moon take the initiative.

The presidential office obviously wanted to use it to dispel the notion that the Moon team gained little in the economic portion of the summit, while doing relatively well in the reassignment of roles between Seoul and Washington in dealing with the North.

But using the media for this purpose is unhealthy. The Blue House triggered a feeding frenzy and virtually dictated the tone and direction of the coverage.

Besides, it deprived the media of its duty of confirming what the presidential aide said through third parties.

The journalists may have skipped fact-checking perhaps out of patriotism or for the fear of being chewed out by their editors for missing the stories all other papers cover. Or the journalists may have been swooning over the immensely popular President.

The resulting image is the media  the supposed watchdogs  and the presidential office  the power that they should keep an eye on are sleeping in the same bed. The bed is courtesy of the Blue House.

Belated as it it be, some checking may be in order  perhaps asking the White House to see whether Cheong Wa Dae's accounts jibe with theirs, including Jang's alleged English proficiency as well. It is just a thought.

Oh Young-jin is The Korea Times' chief editorial writer. Contact foolsdie5@ktimes.com and foolsdie@gmail.com .
SK Telecom models promote Samsung Electronics' Galaxy Note Fan Edition (FE) smartphones available for sales on Friday here. The device is priced at 699,600 won ($606.34), down 30 percent from the price of the Note 7 last year. / Courtesy of SK Telecom



By Lee Min-hyung

Repackaged Galaxy Note 7 smartphones will go on sales Friday, with Samsung Electronics equipping the device with a safe battery and updated software.

Only 400,000 units of the device, called the Galaxy Note Fan Edition (FE), will be available, according to the nation's three mobile carriers. It is priced at 699,600 won ($606.34), down about 30 percent from 988,900 won of the Note 7, the sales of which were scrapped last year over its battery problems.

Samsung downsized the battery capacity for the repackaged device. This comes as part of the firm's efforts to enhance hardware safety to avoid a recurrence of last year's unprecedented handset recall over continuing reports of battery fires.

The company also added a series of updated functions to the device, including the artificial intelligence (AI) voice assistant, Bixby. The Galaxy Note FE also comes with the same user interface as the Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus that were introduced this year.

The Note FE is available in four colors  gold platinum, silver titanium, blue coral and black onyx.

Samsung has yet to decide whether to sell the repackaged Note devices overseas.

The Note 7 made its debut in mid-August last year, but Samsung soon scrapped its production and sales for good due to faulty batteries.

Even after the company offered refunds to the Note 7 users, international environmental bodies have called for the company to recycle the parts used for the handset.

"Greenpeace welcomes Samsung's decision to launch the repackaged Note 7, but the company needs to unveil a specific plan over how it will recycle parts for the remaining Note 7s," said Lee Hyun-sook, Greenpeace East Asia senior global campaigner.

In March, Samsung said it would sell repackaged Note 7 phones, in response to growing calls to deal with the ill-fated handsets in an environmentally-friendly way. For its launch in overseas markets, the company said nothing has been confirmed due to regulations from each country.

At that time, Samsung unveiled its plan to sell some Note 7 parts, such as camera modules and chips, which can be recycled for test materials. The company also pledged to extract metals and metal compounds including copper, nickel, gold and silver from the stockpile of more than four million Note 7 devices to recycle them.

Samsung Electronics is expected to launch its latest Note series, the Galaxy Note 8, next month.

"Even though the Note FE comes about a month or two before the launch of Samsung's new flagship Note series, the repackaged device is expected to go out of stock soon after its debut, due to the popularity of the Note series here," a mobile industry source said.
McDonald's Korea CEO Cho Ju-yeon, right, poses with Korea Army Training Center Commander Maj. Gen. Koo Jae-seo at the boot camp in Nonsan, South Chungcheong Province, Monday. The hamburger chain agreed to offer free burgers to recruits there. / Courtesy of McDonald's Korea

By Park Jae-hyuk

McDonald's Korea decided to offer 13,000 Happy Value burgers free to recruits at the Korea Army Training Center (KATC) in Nonsan, South Chungcheong Province.

The U.S. burger chain's Seoul affiliate said Tuesday that CEO Cho Ju-yeon and KATC Commander Maj. Gen. Koo Jae-seo signed an agreement at the world's largest boot camp where army recruits go through five weeks of military training.

The newly opened Nonsan McDonald's store nearby will deliver 500 burgers at a time, so as to offer 13,000 burgers in total before 2018.

McDonald's Korea also plans to offer free meals every week to recruits who are not visited by their families. The company vowed to cooperate with the KATC as well, to contribute to the community and to encourage recruits and soldiers to be the best they can be.

"I'm happy to encourage army recruits, who are enduring hard times for the country and the people," Cho said. "As we opened a store near the boot camp, McDonald's Korea will actively contribute to the community, recruits and soldiers."

Even before the event, the woman has been recognized for her interest in the military.

Earlier this year, she ordered the Seoul Station store to sell Big Macs and other hamburgers in the morning for parents who were traveling by train to visit their sons in the military.

Before her decision, all McDonald's stores worldwide had only sold breakfast menu items consisting of muffins and hotcakes, so the Seoul Station branch has become the world's only store selling hamburgers in the morning.

"Despite opposition by some executives, the CEO pushed ahead with her decision, as she was concerned about young soldiers like her 19-year-old son," a McDonald's Korea official said.

On top of the event for soldiers, McDonald's Korea is offering medium-size iced coffee for free to 300 customers by order of arrival in stores nationwide. The event will end this Friday.
#NZ murder suspect Court OKs extradition of 'suitcase' murder suspect to New Zealand A Seoul court on Friday approved the extradition of a woman believed to be the mother of two children whose bodies were found in suitcases in New Zealand in August. The Seoul H...

#KBO Landers starter Kim Kwang-hyun wins top KBO pitching award After making a successful return from a two-year stint in the majors, SSG Landers starter Kim Kwang-hyun was named the winner of South Korea's top professional pitching award on Fr...
Historic ties of north Meck span throughout region Though the north Mecklenburg area didnt see significant population growth until a few decades ago, its rich history dates back to the Revolutionary War. That was the basis of...

An easier-than-expected first mammogram experience HUNTERSVILLE  Scheduling a cancer screening probably ranks somewhere on your to-do list between "clean out the garage" and "donate those clothes that don't fit." Sure, you'll get to it at...
PRESS RELEASE

Chilcot: Tony Blair Was Not Straight with the Nation over Iraq War

July 6, 2017 (EIRNS)In a rare interview with the BBC, Sir John Chilcot, who chaired the British public inquiry into the 2003 Iraq War, charged that then Prime Minister Tony Blair was not "straight with the nation" when he took Britain to war against Iraq in 2003.

"Tony Blair is always and ever an advocate. He makes the most persuasive case he can. Not departing from the truth, but persuasion is everything."

When asked by the interviewer whether Blair was truthful with him and the public, he replied:

"Can I slightly reword that to say I think any Prime Minister taking a country into war has got to be straight with the nation and carry it, so far as possible, with him or her. I dont believe that was the case in the Iraq instance."

Asked whether Blair had given the fullest version of events to the inquiry, Chilcot said:

"I think he gave anwhat wasI hesitate to say this, rather, but I think it was, from his perspective and standpoint, emotionally truthful, and I think that came out also in his press conference after the launch statement. I think he was underas you said just nowvery great emotional pressure during those sessions... He was suffering. He was deeply engaged. Now in that state of mind and mood you fall back on your instinctive skills and reactions, I think."

He agreed the questioning sessions with Blair had been "extraordinarily intense".

While Chilcot gave his interview to the BBC, in another part of London a high court was listening to an appeal by private individuals to allow them to take Tony Blair to court for the war crime of waging aggressive war. This hearing will go on for another week before a judgment is made by the court.
PRESS RELEASE

De Mistura: Geneva and Astana Processes Support Each Other

July 6, 2017 (EIRNS)UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura had nothing but praise for the fifth meeting on the Syrian ceasefire in Astana, despite Western news media characterizations of it as a failure. In De Misturas view, there was, indeed, progress made at the meeting, even though the documents on implementation of the de-escalation zones were not signed, and that this process is crucial to the next meeting in Geneva, which convenes on July 10.

He argued that the two processes reinforce each other.

"Astana is particularly meant for producing a ceasefire, what they call a de-escalation, and that is why we believe that Astana does deserve patience and support, and there is more energy and time requiredand we are with them in trying to make sure this will happen,"

he said during a press conference after the meeting closed on July 5. He said that while necessary, de-escalation is an interim step. "What is needed in order to sustain is progress on the political side," and that is very much facilitated if theres a cease fire on the ground that is holding.

"You can imagine having a Geneva meeting in the middle of escalation instead of de-escalation. That wouldve not helped," De Mistura said in response to a question.
PRESS RELEASE

Tillerson Hopes for Good Exchange Between Trump and Putin

July 6, 2017 (EIRNS)U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson commented on the upcoming meeting between Presidents Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin.

"We are at the very beginning, and I would say at this point its difficult to say exactly what Russias intentions are in this relationship, and I think thats the most important part of this meetingis to have a good exchange between President Trump and President Putin over what they both see as the nature of this relationship between our two countries,"

Tillerson said in a comment to reporters aboard his flight to Hamburg, broadcast by Fox 10, as reported by TASS.

Tillerson said Washington has been working to "identify areas that we should have mutual interest inand Syria certainly is one."

"I think the important aspect of this, is that this is where we began an effort ... to rebuild confidence between ourselves and Russia at the military level, but also at the diplomatic level. So I think this is the effort that serves both of our interests, as well as the broader interests of the international community,"

he said, adding that Washington hoped it would pave the way for other important discussions that would strengthen bilateral ties.
PRESS RELEASE

Tillerson Offers Opening to Russia on Further Cooperation in Syria

July 6, 2017 (EIRNS)Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, before he left for Germany, yesterday issued a statement on the Syria situation which seems to be an opening to cooperation with Russia on bringing stability to the war-torn country.

"The United States and Russia certainly have unresolved differences on a number of issues, but we have the potential to appropriately coordinate in Syria in order to produce stability and serve our mutual security interests,"

he said.

"The United States is prepared to explore the possibility of establishing with Russia joint mechanisms for ensuring stability, including no-fly zones, on the ground ceasefire observers, and coordinated delivery of humanitarian assistance. If our two countries work together to establish stability on the ground, it will lay a foundation for progress on the settlement of Syrias political future."

That opening is weakened, however, by the statements continuation of elements of the false narrative about Syria that characterized the previous administrations policy towards Syria. Tillerson said, for example, that the United States believes that Russia,

"as a guarantor of the Assad regime and an early entrant into the Syrian conflict, has a responsibility to ensure that the needs of the Syrian people are met and that no faction in Syria illegitimately re-takes or occupies areas liberated from ISISs or other terrorist groups control."

Its not clear whether or not the word "faction" includes the Syrian government, but if it does, its tantamount to saying that the Syrian government has no right to re-occupy its own sovereign territory that had been previously occupied by illegal armed groups.
Joshua Cohens third novel, Moving Kings, is a brilliant book whose brilliance comes via a bait and switch. It opens as a comic portrait of a midlife crisis, but concludes as a somber cautionary tale frothing with cataclysms, including fire and gunplay. It starts tucked deep into a subculture  in this case the peculiarities of running a New York City-area moving company  but expands to consume whole swaths of race and religion. It comes on as unassuming yet stylish, but circles around tricky questions of occupation and power in the U.S. and Israel. And yet none of it feels messy or overreaching  indeed, it feels master-planned to slowly unsettle your convictions, as the best novels do

If any contemporary novelist is primed to write with such breadth and command, its Cohen, whos best known for a pair of hypermaximalist novels: 2010s Witz, an 800-page imagining of a modern-day annihilation of Jews, and 2015s Book of Numbers, a 600-page peroration on Internet culture. Moving Kings is similarly ambitious, but at a more book-club-friendly length.

Early on we meet David King, owner of the firm Kings Moving, whos gathering some household wares for his cousin Yoav, who plans to spend some time in the United States after his mandatory stint in the Israel Defense Forces. Theres a hint of bigger themes in Davids name, as well as in Cohens observation of the warehouse of castoff goods David picks from, deprived of their relationships with their owners. Kings Moving seems to spend as much time disrupting homes as settling them, cleaning out evicted and foreclosed homes in Brooklyn and Queens.

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Leaving everything empty, leaving everything a mess  who wouldve guessed that the army had been training him for moving?  Joshua Cohen, Moving Kings

But David mostly recalls the successful, neurotic assimilated Jewish men of Philip Roths 70s novels. Davids grasp of (and interest in) Israeli politics was largely limited to a youthful stint on a commie polyamory kibbutz. Hes a philanderer with an estranged daughter (her student friends  all majored in communications but minored in avoiding interactions with parents), but he treats his foibles lightly. Even Yoavs arrival is the stuff of shtick. When David explains that Yoavs break is like to calm down, whatever, a colleague responds, From what? From killing Arabs? Thats it, from killing Arabs, he replies, dripping sarcasm.

Yoav and his fellow IDF vet, Uri, are new to the country and new to the language. Of such things are conventional American assimilation novels usually made. But Cohens chief provocation in Moving Kings is to suggest that their stints patrolling the West Bank have prepared them for the work of casually trashing out the homes of poor and destitute Tri-State denizens. The pair have enough callousness baked into them, Cohen suggests, to be successful Americans. Committing petty theft by accident, and not by accident  leaving everything empty, leaving everything a mess  who wouldve guessed that the army had been training him for moving? Cohen writes. Which meant that moving was what  a duty? A calling? A job? Another occupation?

Cohen has a brain-on-fire intellect and a Balzac-grade enthusiasm for understanding varieties of experience.

Thats a debatable comparison  are poor Americans truly as stateless and disenfranchised as Palestinians?  but Cohen has the nerve to see the idea through to its limits. A later chapter (pointedly subtitled Another Occupation) focuses on Avery, a black Vietnam vet who converted to Islam, then slips off the cliff of everyday survival and succumbs to addiction. Charged with cleaning out Averys home before the developers snarled up for the workweek in their bulldozers, the Kings Moving workers (thugs? soldiers?) are as eager to proclaim themselves victims of circumstance as Avery was. Im not  the Jew to pity, not the Israeli to condemn, Yoav insists. But he has a home to go to at night.

Cohen is persuasive in suggesting a relationship between bottom-rung lives in America and the West Bank. But an equivalence? Thats trickier. To do that, hed have to show more of Yoav and Uri in their army days, and more of the lives they casually impinged on there. Hed also have to dive deeper into their heads than he does. Uri, for instance, had a capacity for easy cruelty: A woman keening in the kitchen to the pitch of boiling water, you shut her up with the butt of your gun. But how much of this is connected to IDF culture, or Israeli life, or Uris own flaws is an open question.

Even so, Cohen has a brain-on-fire intellect and a Balzac-grade enthusiasm for understanding varieties of experience, which encourages the reader to stick with his provocations. So that sense of humor comes in handy, as does Cohens language, which is rich with coinages and run-on riffs and mind-bending metaphors: When Uri smokes weed, his brain flew out of his mouth all wet and winged and gooey and purpurogenous. (Though the occasional homely sentence glops out too, as if from a malfunctioning plastic extruder: Rubbleshouldered Route 1 rose into eyesquint and earpop.)

His brain wasnt wired for prayer, just panic, Cohen writes early on of David King, who unwittingly set this dynamic of neurosis and aggression in motion. Thats true of most of the characters in Moving Kings, who are shaped by their religious backgrounds but not exactly moved to calm or compassion because of them. In fact, the closing pages of the novel suggest quite the opposite.

Americans and Israelis may not be engaged in the same conflict, but they share a similar challenge in solving complicated questions of faith, race and the law. Cohens book is a comic and harrowing study of the consequences of ignoring them.

Athitakis is a reviewer in Phoenix and the author of The New Midwest.

Moving Kings

By Joshua Cohen

Random House: 256 pp., $26
Slip a fresh $20 bill under the bulletproof teller window of Donnie Andersons Medex marijuana dispensary on Century Boulevard  perhaps for a gram of cannabis or some THC-infused toffees  and the legal tender is transformed into something else: drug money.

Though the transaction is legal in California, under federal law that bill is not much different from the contents of a drug cartels safe  cash that most banks wont touch.

So how is Anderson supposed to pay his employees, suppliers or business taxes? He deposits cash, in drips and drabs, into an account held by a limited liability company that his bank thinks is a property management firm.

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The bank doesnt know what we do, he said.

If this sounds like money laundering, youre not far off.

Yet consider this: That same $20 exchanged at Canndescent, another cannabis company, takes a direct and transparent route into the financial system.

When the marijuana cultivator sells its product to a dispensary, one armored car drops off the pot and another picks up the cash payment  and then heads to a downtown Los Angeles branch of the Federal Reserve Bank.

There the cash is deposited into the account of a local credit union, one thats eager to do business with Canndescent.

1 / 11 Tom DiGiovanni, chief financial officer of Canndescent, at the cannabis companys cultivation site in Desert Hot Springs. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) 2 / 11 Adult cannabis plants grow inside a temperature controlled room at Canndescents greenhouse in Desert Hot Springs. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) 3 / 11 A gardener trims cannabis plants at Canndescent. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) 4 / 11 Every young cannabis plant has a tag and bar code at Canndescents Desert Hot Springs facility. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) 5 / 11 A gardener at Canndescent trims adult cannabis plants to allow more light to filter down. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) 6 / 11 Gardeners trim cannabis plants at Canndescent in Desert Hot Springs. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) 7 / 11 A gardener holds a cannabis trimming at Canndescents Desert Hot Springs facility. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) 8 / 11 Buds on a cannabis plant are trimmed by hand at Canndescent. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) 9 / 11 Every young cannabis plant at Canndescent has a tag and bar code for tracking. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) 10 / 11 Adult cannabis plants grow inside a temperature-controlled room at Canndescent. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) 11 / 11 Canndescents cannabis is sealed in child-proof containers at the companys Desert Hot Springs facility. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

After all the horror stories Ive heard, it does seem like a little bit of magic, said Tom DiGiovanni, Canndescents chief financial officer.

Indeed, though the same laws apply to Andersons dispensary and Canndescents Desert Hot Springs farm, the world of cannabis banking is so full of contradictions that one business can truck money to a federal facility while the other is left to play a high-stakes game of hide-and-seek with its cash.

Its the early stages of the Wild West, said California Treasurer John Chiang, who is leading an effort to reform cannabis banking, a problem dating back to 1996 when California legalized medical marijuana.

With recreational use set to become legal next year under Proposition 64, cannabis sales in the state are expected to top $7.5 billion in 2020, up from about $3.3 billion last year, according to data provider New Frontier and cannabis investor network Arcview Group.

But while Proposition 64 broadened the legal use of pot, it did nothing to relax banking regulations.

It left significant questions unresolved, Chiang said. How do you handle the taxation of cannabis dollars and the banking of billions of dollars of transactions that are going to take place here in California?

Last year, Chiang created a group of cannabis and banking industry trade groups, attorneys, regulators and others, trying to figure out how to bring the cannabis industry into the financial mainstream. But its a vexing challenge, and one that cannot be solved by the state alone.

Marijuana is legal for medical use in 29 states and for recreational use in eight, yet the federal Controlled Substances Act lists it alongside heroin and LSD as both dangerous and having no accepted medical use.

And for banks, federal laws are paramount.

Banks and credit unions can guarantee deposits because they have federal deposit insurance. They rely on Federal Reserve systems to make wire transfers, handle electronic payments and process checks. And they all answer to at least one federal regulator.

Banks and credit unions also are required to tell federal authorities if they suspect that their customers might be engaged in illegal activity. And when it comes to following those rules, the stakes are high.

The FDIC could step in and shut down a bank, and it can do that with very little notice, said Julie Hill, a law professor at the University of Alabama and former finance industry attorney who has studied cannabis banking. Nobodys ever gotten their bank brought back to life after its been closed by regulators.

Because of that, many banks wont even take the risk.

From a federal level, its illegal, Jim Brush, chief executive of Summit State Bank in Santa Rosa, told Chiangs working group in May. It really doesnt matter what California does.

Still, federal officials have cracked open the door for banks and credit unions.

In 2013, the Justice Department said it would focus its marijuana-enforcement efforts on preventing sales to minors, interstate trafficking and a handful of other crimes.

The following year, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, or FinCEN, part of the U.S. Treasury Department, released guidelines for financial institutions that want to work with marijuana companies. They require additional reporting and demand that banks monitor companies for activities that remain Justice Department priorities.

FinCEN reported that 368 banks and credit unions were serving the industry in March, up from fewer than 300 at the beginning of 2016. But thats a tiny fraction of the nations nearly 12,000 banks and credit unions.

Hill said so few institutions are playing along because FinCENs guidelines dont offer clear legal protection. And some banks dont want to be in the uncomfortable position of policing cannabis companies.

How would you know a business isnt selling to minors unless youre in the store all the time? Hill said.

Whats more, with a new administration in the White House and avowed marijuana opponent Jeff Sessions running the Justice Department, its not clear whether the the feds will take a harder line on pot.

With many cannabis companies unable to get bank accounts, they are often left to deal in cash, which is inconvenient and dangerous.

Take Jerred Kiloh, owner of Higher Path Collective. His Sherman Oaks dispensary had sales of about $4 million last year, so he owed more than $200,000 in taxes to Los Angeles alone, he told Chiangs group.

Imagine, Kiloh said, carrying that much cash.

Right now, at the downtown office of finance, theres a six-story parking structure 500 yards away, he said. I have to walk through what is essentially a homeless encampment with a duffel bag full of cash, walk across the street, go through security and then sometimes stand in line.

Kyle Kazan, a former Torrance police officer who runs a firm that invests in cannabis growers and retailers, said the lack of access to banking poses big safety risks.

Real lives are in danger because theres so much cash in play here, Kazan said.

In one infamous case from 2012, an Orange County dispensary owner was kidnapped, tortured and had his penis cut off by assailants who thought that the businessman was burying cash in the desert outside Palm Springs.

Burying cash might seem ridiculous in the 21st century, but its not unheard of in the cannabis industry.

We get lots of cash, and sometimes it has been washed  actually washed  because it had been buried out in the backyard, said John Bartholomew, treasurer-tax collector for marijuana-rich Humboldt County, speaking to Chiangs group last year.

Cash payments are a hassle for governments too. Todd Bouey, L.A.s assistant director of finance, told Chiangs group that the city had to buy new currency-counting machines because office workers were spending so much time counting and recounting cash tax payments from marijuana businesses.

No one comes in with the type of cash they come in with, Bouey said.  It was taking hours to get through one deposit.

Still, Bouey said that only about 20% of marijuana businesses that pay taxes are doing so in cash. Most pay with checks, indicating that they have bank accounts  either openly or on the sly.

Even though they are few, and mostly small, there are banks and credit unions that are hungry for customers and willing to quietly open accounts for cannabis businesses.

The Los Angeles-area credit union serving Canndescent has been losing traditional members, and hopes that by serving young, growing companies in a booming industry, it will be able to offer checking accounts, home loans and auto loans to the companies employees.

Well probably max out at about 200 businesses, and were basically at capacity, said an executive, who provided details of the institutions cannabis banking operations on the condition that neither his name nor the institutions be used. I dont need to get inundated with phone calls.

Finding a willing institution is just the first challenge. Next, companies have to qualify for an account  and be able to afford it.

At the credit union, cannabis companies have to pay an upfront fee of as much as $10,000 to cover the cost of independent financial audits and criminal background checks for the owners.

The credit union also charges recurring fees to cover the cost of ongoing due diligence and reporting required by FinCEN. For growers, the credit union charges $5,000 a month. For dispensaries, its $7,500.

Were verifying that theyre not breaking any laws, not evading taxes, not doing anything that could be a legal or ethical violation, the executive said. We assume were going to be investigated at some point by our regulators and maybe by the IRS or the DEA.

Companies also have to hire the armored car services to take their cash directly to a Federal Reserve Bank branch. We dont want cash coming to the credit union, the executive said. If we did, then wed have people signing up to rob the place.

Other businesses that handle lots of cash, such as big-box stores, often have their cash sent directly to the Federal Reserve.

Matthew Schiffgens, a spokesman for the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, said in an email that its no different for marijuana businesses  with the understanding that the credit union must make sure that its clients are following FinCEN guidelines and other rules.

The National Credit Union Administration, the industrys insurer and chief regulator, also has taken an agnostic approach to cannabis, telling credit unions to proceed with caution.

Weve said, look, this is your business decision, spokesman John Fairbanks said. We expect you are going to analyze the risks of doing business with these companies and take prudent and necessary steps to mitigate that risk.

To that end, the L.A.-area credit union is not making loans to cannabis businesses. Its easy for the credit union to close down a checking account if it thinks that a business is breaking the rules, but unwinding a loan could be trickier. And if federal authorities go after a business and seize its assets, the credit union might be unable to collect.

Despite the high fees, plenty of companies are signing up for accounts.

Dan Grace, chief executive of Dark Heart Nursery in Oakland, which supplies cannabis plants to dispensaries and commercial growers, figures that two of his companys 50 employees spend all their time on cash management. He said a bank account that would cost him $60,000 a year in fees would more than pay for itself.

When we have employees handling so much cash, we have to have lots of checks and balances, said Grace, who is not one of the credit unions clients.

Others, though, balk at the price. Anderson said theres no way it would make sense to pay $7,500 a month for a checking account for his dispensary.

Theyre trying to rob the industry, he said. They all look at us like cash cows. Id rather take my chances and do what weve been doing.

Chiangs working group has focused largely on the problems faced by cannabis businesses because of shaky access to banking, but is now turning to potential solutions.

Hezekiah Allen, executive director of the California Growers Assn. and a working group member, said one idea thats caught his interest is the creation of a bankers bank  some kind of private entity that could do upfront due diligence and compliance work.

Our members would go through a week or 10-day-long screening process and, if they meet the requirements, theyd be able to open an account with one of a dozen banks, Allen said.

Nicole Howell Neubert, an attorney who works with cannabis businesses and a member of Chiangs group, said at this point she hopes that the state can simply find a way to make a few more banks and credit unions feel more comfortable.

Ultimately, it requires a federal fix to address the issue, she said. But I think there will be some enterprising, smaller financial institutions that will see this as an opportunity and, I hope, move forward.

james.koren@latimes.com

Follow me: @jrkoren

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If you find yourself in a more money-spending mood while shopping at the Target store in West Hills next week, that might be no coincidence. The chains San Fernando Valley branch is one of two-dozen Southern California Targets being outfitted with audio systems and specially curated music to shop by.

Thats right: Muzak is back.

Actually, it never left. The big difference nowadays is that the musical manipulation of consumers behavior is both more entertaining and presumably more effective.

Oh, and its no longer Muzak, which many people might associate with perky renditions of Girl From Ipanema while riding an elevator. The firm was acquired in 2011 by Texas Mood Media, and the audio service was rechristened with that companys moniker.

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Mood subsequently was purchased by the private equity firms Apollo Global Management and GSO Capital Partners. That deal closed last month.

Danny Turner, Moods senior vice president of programming and production, told me that playlists of popular music  as opposed to the generic instrumentals of Muzak past  are now a crucial aspect of differentiating a business in the eyes of consumers.

Major brands realize that to move forward, these positive, emotional connections have to be made  and theres no better way to do that than music, he said.

Muzak, which debuted in 1934, was based on the idea that a catchy soundtrack can put consumers in a shopping state of mind. The company also tinkered with stranger ways that background sounds might influence peoples behavior.

In the 1940s, Muzak introduced what it called stimulus progression, which was intended to boost office workers productivity by exposing them to instrumental arrangements that gradually increased in tone and tempo over 15-minute cycles. It sold variations of the service to workplaces for decades.

Turner, a former programming exec at XM Satellite Radio (now SiriusXM), called stimulus progression musical voodoo and said the service was really bizarre.

Its almost an intimation that music is being used for nefarious reasons, he said.

As opposed to unapologetically corporate reasons. Mood says it reaches more than 150 million consumers daily in over 100 countries. U.S. clients include McDonalds, CVS, Whole Foods and Marriott.

An influential 1982 study on supermarket shoppers published in the Journal of Marketing concluded that the tempo of instrumental background music can significantly influence both the pace of in-store traffic flow and the daily gross sales volume purchased by customers.

Interestingly, the study found that the higher sales volumes were consistently associated with the slower tempo musical selections while in contrast, the lower sales figures were consistently associated with the faster tempo music.

It attributed the phenomena to the fact that as customers move more slowly through the store, they tend to buy more.

A 1990 study in the Journal of Consumer Marketing determined that age is a factor. It found that younger shoppers are cool with music playing loudly in the foreground, whereas older shoppers prefer their tunes playing more softly in the background.

These days, the emphasis seems to be on providing customers with a pleasing, comfortable environment  think iTunes without the earbuds. What people want are bespoke experiences, Turner said.

Target began fiddling with the concept in 2011 in a couple of its Minnesota stores. Kristy Welker, a company spokeswoman, told me this represented a complete change for the retail chain.

For years and years, she said, we wanted a distraction-free shopping experience. Then we heard from guests who said they liked the music in our commercials.

The Minnesota tests inspired Target to introduce music to more of its stores during construction or remodeling. For example, when a new Target opened in downtown Los Angeles in 2012, it came equipped with an audio system. This was also the case with outlets that opened recently in San Diego, Long Beach and near USC.

Along with the West Hills store, music will be arriving any day at Targets Fullerton and Puente Hills branches.

Welker said the companys main request to Mood, which is providing the chains playlists, is for tunes that are upbeat, as befitting the companys playful branding.

Turner said he and the dozens of DJs who work with him try to do a deep dive into the DNA of the brand when compiling an acoustical portrait of a particular business.

Its apparently harder than it seems. While you dont have to be a marketing genius to realize that Elton Johns Funeral for a Friend might not be a great retail choice, Turner said he and his team go through a variety of permutations before finding that just-right mix for companies.

He declined to discuss specific clients, but he offered the example of a time he and his family stopped by a branch of a major sandwich chain.

The store had a digital jukebox that allowed customers to select songs, and someone had picked the hard-rocking Master of Puppets from Metallica.

Dont get me wrong, Im a huge fan of Metallica, Turner said. Still, hearing Master of Puppets while enjoying a tuna salad and some sea-salt chips isnt necessarily the best experience.

If hed been calling the shots, Turner added, the sandwich shop would have been playing a collection of uptempo songs from the 80s, 90s and 2000s, including a certain feel-good ditty from Pharrell  musical selections more befitting of the chains family-friendly vibe.

Mood says its clients pay anywhere from $25 to $50 monthly per store for personalized playlists. That made me wonder if the Company Formerly Known as Muzak would ever offer a streaming consumer service to compete with the likes of Spotify and Pandora. It seems like a natural extension of the brand.

Turner said I might be on to something. I figure my brainstorm is good for at least a 10% finders fee.

As the Pet Shop Boys put it: Ive got the brains, youve got the looks. Lets make lots of money.

David Lazarus column runs Tuesdays and Fridays. He also can be seen daily on KTLA-TV Channel 5 and followed on Twitter @Davidlaz. Send your tips or feedback to david.lazarus@latimes.com.

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As big as a studio apartment, Heather Dubrows closet is so spacious that its become a gathering place in her Orange County mansion.

At most parties, everyone ends up in the kitchen. But when we entertain, everyone ends up in my closet, said Dubrow, 48. Theres music in there, and the room is attached to my beauty salon. So it is a really fun area.

So fun, in fact, that theres even a personal Champagne call button  which the Real Housewives of Orange County star uses to request refreshments from the kitchen.

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I need that call button in case theres a Champagne emergency in the closet, Dubrow said. When I had it installed, [my husband] Terry said, When it rings in the kitchen, whos going to bring the Champagne? And I looked at him and said, You.

The 400-square-foot style sanctuary is her favorite room in the eight-bedroom, 22,000-square-foot Newport Coast home that the actress, television personality and author shares with her husband and their four children. She films Heathers Closet, her YouTube series, from the closet.

What makes the closet special?

Its my favorite room because it is mine. Its the one place in the house that I can literally drown the world out. There are no windows, so its incredibly private.

Besides getting dressed and sipping Champagne, what else do you use the space for?

My daughter and I just took up the ukulele, so I come in here and practice. I play dress-up with my things. Its where I start and end my day.

Describe the aesthetic.

Modern. Black and white. It looks like a Chanel store. I have everything behind glass.

Where do you find furnishings?

Everywhere. This is difficult to believe, but I dont go to stores and shop. I hate that. It takes too much time. I dont like looking through things. I like shopping online. And if I can get something at Chanel or Amazon, I will.

Any favorite pieces of furniture or special items?

I have two Milo Baughman leather chairs from Restoration Hardware. They are beautiful, very modern. I have a collection of black and crystal obelisks that I love.

Do you have any design tips for space-challenged style lovers?

Get a collapsible rolling rack that slides under your bed. It will give you extra closet space when you need it and makes it easier to select and pack outfits when traveling. You can take it out, set it up and see your clothes; it is easy to forget what you have in the closet.

Get a cover for it, and rotate your clothes; leave the covered rack in the garage, and put your off-season clothes on the rack to make more room in your regular closet.

Biggest closet design expense?

I like to think the most expensive thing in the closet is me, but the biggest splurge was the custom mirror. It cost about $20,000.

hotproperty@latimes.com

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The Spanish missionaries who founded Mission San Fernando Rey de Espana in the late 1700s were quick to recognize the agricultural potential of the surrounding countryside, which was much like their native land in temperament and appearance.

The plains and foothills outside the mission walls were soon planted with olive groves and vineyards interspersed with grazing land for cattle.

The olive trees especially thrived in the alluvial soil; long after the mission had been secularized, the Los Angeles Olive Growers Assn. was formed in 1890 to industrialize the growing of the trees and the production of a myriad of olive-based products: olive oil, pickled olives, pitted olives, canned olives and more.

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The association planted a 1,000-acre olive grove, which became a 2,000-acre grove in less than 10 years. A massive packing plant was built nearby, and San Fernando Valley olives were shipped to markets and ports across the world via the boxcars of the Southern Pacific Railroad.

By the time William Mulholland opened the floodgates of the Los Angeles Aqueduct, the area below the Cascades was covered in olive trees as far as the eye could see. When the city annexed the mouth of the aqueduct and the land around it, some poetical bureaucrat dubbed the new neighborhood Sylmar, a portmanteau that means sea of trees.

With the aqueduct now delivering the bounty of the Sierra snowmelt directly to Sylmar, more water-intensive agricultural uses, including chicken farming and horse ranching, became widespread.

Meanwhile, the same dry air and sunshine that led olives to thrive drew tubercular pilgrims to the Valley to rest and recover at Olive View Hospital, one of many sanitariums that opened across Los Angeles. It was a massive 750-bed complex that was soon joined by a new Veterans Administration hospital in providing advanced medical care for those suffering from consumption.

The olive trees would make way for tract homes at the end of the Second World War, and freeways were soon cutting through the fallow farmlands of Sylmar. In 1971 the Sylmar quake brought down the old VA hospital, and the newly opened, state-of-the-art expansion wing of Olive View Hospital collapsed.

The hospital has been rebuilt and reopened, and the site of the VA hospital is now a park. The sea of olive trees is gone, but there are still traces of the rural: Here and there a farm remains, and horseback riders are a frequent sight.

Neighborhood highlights

The great outdoors: The nearby foothills and mountains are popular destinations for hikers, and nearby Hansen Dam has a swimming pool to help beat the Valley heat.

Saddle up: Have horse, will travel to Sylmar, which has miles of equestrian trails and is home to the Stetson Ranch Equestrian Park.

California history: Nearby Mission San Fernando offers a glimpse of mission life, and Sylmars Nethercutt Collection of antique cars, musical instruments and trains is a local favorite.

Neighborhood challenges

A rural vibe: The olive groves are gone, but theres still a gritty, rural vibe to Sylmar. If you arent comfortable in cowboy boots and plaid button-downs, NoHo might be a better choice.

The San Fernando mission is nearby. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

Expert insight

Joseph Scudieri, a real estate agent with Century 21 Peak, describes Sylmar as a family-friendly hillside neighborhood with a breathtaking view and a variety of mom-and-pop restaurants and stores. He said the neighborhood is less congested than most of Los Angeles.

Half of it is flat, and the other half starts to climb up the hill, where the houses get nicer and the views get better, Scudieri said. Many of those hillside homes, he added, are million-dollar ranch-style properties with stables and a lot of land.

Scudieri said there is a lot of inventory in Sylmar at the moment.

A lot of people in the neighborhood are retiring and moving out of state, he said. There are a lot of houses for sale. In my area, there were seven or eight homes available at the same time.

Those looking for a more modern home, however, might consider looking elsewhere.

There is not too much new construction, he said. It is an older city.

Report card

There are more than a dozen public schools within the boundaries of Sylmar including Herrick Avenue Elementary and Sylmar Elementary, which had scores of 820 and 775, respectively, in the 2013 Academic Performance Index. El Dorado Elementary had a score of 723, Olive Vista Middle scored 738 and Sylmar Senior high scored 709.

Market snapshot

In the 91342 ZIP Code, based on 49 sales, the median sales price for single-family homes in May was $490,000, according to CoreLogic. That was a 5.4% increase in median price over the same month the previous year. There were 20 condominium sales in May that resulted in a median sales price of $360,000, up 5.2% year over year.

Times staff writer Rachel Spacek contributed to this report.

hotproperty@latimes.com

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Qualcomm Inc. fired back at Apple Inc. on Thursday in a fierce legal battle over patents, asking the U.S. International Trade Commission to ban the import of certain new models of iPhones.

The San Diego-based company alleges that Apple is infringing on six patents issued between 2013 and 2017 that improve performance and battery life in smartphones. It filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in San Diego and is seeking a limited ban from the International Trade Commission on iPhones made by contract manufacturers in Asia.

Apple has been infringing these patents knowingly, willingly for quite some time now in their new phones, said Don Rosenberg, Qualcomms general counsel. We decided  frankly, sparked by all their litigation efforts against us  that we werent going to just defend ourselves, which we will do very vigorously, but we were going to have to go on the attack.

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As a practical matter, Qualcomm is seeking a limited ban on iPhone 7s that contain cellular modem chips made by Intel Corp. and run on AT&Ts and T-Mobiles networks.

Qualcomm supplies Apple with cellular modems for iPhone 7s on Verizon and Sprint, as well as older iPhones on all U.S. networks. It is not seeking to ban imports of iPhones that use its own chips.

Qualcomm also alleges certain iPads are using the six patents without a license.

If the ITC rules in Qualcomms favor, an import ban could block some upcoming iPhone 8 models, which are expected to launch this fall.

It is unknown how Apple splits its modem supply between Qualcomm and Intel for the iPhone 8. But given the legal battle between the two tech giants, analysts believe Intel may have won the larger share.

In January, Apple filed a lawsuit attacking the core of Qualcomms patent licensing business model  alleging that Qualcomm is collecting patent royalties on technology that it had nothing to do with inventing. Antitrust regulators in the U.S. and South Korea have brought similar legal actions.

Apples contract iPhone manufacturers in China and Taiwan have stopped paying royalties to Qualcomm at Apples behest, leading Qualcomm to cut its financial forecast for the year.

On Thursday, an Apple spokesman reiterated a statement issued earlier this month when Apple amended its original lawsuit.

Qualcomms illegal business practices are harming Apple and the entire industry, the company said. They supply us with a single connectivity component, but for years have been demanding a percentage of the total cost of our products  effectively taxing Apples innovation.

Qualcomm says regulators have been spurred on by Apple in an effort to lower Apples costs. According to Qualcomm, without Qualcomm cellular technology, the iPhone is little more than a glorified iPod.

An iPhone 7 sells for $700 or more, and Qualcomm receives about $10 per iPhone for use of its thousands of cellular technology patents, according to estimates from analysts at Canaccord Genuity.

Persuading the ITC to issue a ban could be an uphill battle for Qualcomm. Even if it succeeds, the decision could be vetoed by the Trump administration. Samsung won a ban on iPhone imports in a long-running patent dispute with Apple in 2013, but it was overturned by the Obama administration.

In May, Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook told analysts that he didnt think the ITC would ban iPhones because Apple has been willing to license Qualcomms technology but has not received what it considers to be fair terms.

I dont believe anyone is going to enjoin the iPhone based on that, he said at the time. I think there is plenty of case law around that subject. But we shall see.

Rosenberg, however, said there is no case law that helps Apple in this action.

These are good patents. These are patents that are clearly infringed by the iPhone, Rosenberg said.

The six patents are not essential to cellular standards and are not included in Qualcomms existing license agreements with Apples contract iPhone makers, Rosenberg said.

While not standard essential patents, they are quite important and vital to the functioning of the iPhone and other devices that use them, Rosenberg said. They improve performance. They improve efficiency. And all of them reduce the depletion of battery power, which is such an important element for all of us when we use our phone all day long.

Qualcomm alleges that Apple infringes on the six patents through techniques used in its A-10 graphics processor and its A-10 applications processor  as well as with voltage switching, envelope tracking and other circuitry technology inside the iPhone.

In court documents, Qualcomm contends the six patents represent a small portion of its non-standard essential patent portfolio that it says Apple uses without a license.

The ITC typically takes about 18 months to investigate patent infringement. The lawsuit in San Diego federal court would be put on hold until the ITC issues a ruling.

Bernstein Research analyst Stacy Rasgon said seeking an iPhone ban wasnt a surprise. Given the length of the typical ITC investigation, Ragson said, it doesnt change anything in the near term.

Tim Long, an analyst with BMO Capital Markets, said in a research note that the Qualcomm patents in the lawsuit show that its intellectual property is broader than simply 3G/4G cellular radio technology.

These patents are all relatively new, most issued in the past four years, countering some claims that Qualcomms patents are old and outdated, said Long.

News of Qualcomms request came after the markets closed Thursday. Qualcomm shares rose 1% to $55.35 on Friday. Apple shares rose 1% to $144.15.

mike.freeman@sduniontribune.com

UPDATES:

1:35 p.m.: This article was updated with Qualcomms and Apples stock prices at the close of trading on Friday.

This article was originally published at 10:20 a.m.
Fifty years ago, Disneyland opened Pirates of the Caribbean, an attraction that one of the companys former top creative executives still describes as the greatest ride in Disneyland history.

On the 15-minute water-led excursion, guests first wind through skull- and treasure-laden caverns before going back in time to an era when those pirate skeletons were joyful looters.



For the record: An earlier version of this post misspelled the last name of former Imagineer Claude Coats as Coates. Additionally, the last name of current Imagineer Kathy Mangum appeared on some references as Magnum.

A morality tale in reverse, then  the celebrated pirates life ends inevitably in death and desiccation. Or maybe not  after all these years, the ride remains open to interpretation even among the most dedicated of Disney philes.

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Ive tried to analyze what is happening in that ride, says Tony Baxter, a former senior executive at Walt Disney Imagineering and now a creative consultant for the division. Is it a book report of some movie? I think its more metaphorical to falling asleep and having this incredible dream-like experience.

From the time it opened, Pirates has been one of the parks best-known and most popular attractions; it is also one of its most elastic. Though never transformed for any holiday, the ride has survived numerous tweaks through the decades. At Disneyland, scenes have been altered over the years to heighten association to Capt. Jack Sparrow of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies and to downplay the aggressive lust of the seafaring rogues; an upcoming change involving the bridal auction was recently announced.

At other Disney parks, the ride has been adjusted in even more essential ways: At Disneyland Paris, Pirates unfolds in a more chronological fashion; at Shanghai Disneyland, it is much more closely aligned with the films.

Even so, the Pirates of the Caribbean tale continues to remain somewhat elusive, perhaps symbolic of the cryptic nature of Imagineering, Disneys highly secretive arm devoted to theme park experiences.

Beginning July 14, however, some of those secrets will be laid bare. At the D23 Expo, Disneys biennial three-day fan fest, Pirates will dominate the Anaheim Convention Center with a museum-like exhibit and a Friday afternoon talk by Imagineers such as Baxter and Orlando Ferrante, the latter of whom worked on the Disneyland original, that will take the audience through the 50-year history of the attraction.

Period of growth

Its a swashbuckling celebration that will also offer a spoon full of sugar; Disney, like its Caribbean ride, is adapting to todays cultural climate. The parks are currently in the midst of a period of growth. Star Wars-inspired lands are coming to Disneyland and Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla., with the latter also receiving a Toy Story-themed area. Around the globe, Disney parks are increasing their Marvel presence, and Hong Kong Disneyland is destined to receive an injection of Frozen.

RELATED: Disneylands Pirates of the Caribbean: 50 years of change

Such widespread change has provoked as much anxiety as excitement  can Disney parks maintain the Disney magic with all those Avengers on the loose? As a classic that has been forced to keep up with the times and deal with big-screen fame, Pirates offers hope that the parks can be modern while still feeding the magic of nostalgia. Because, Imagineering luminaries say, one central tenet continues to connect all the disparate properties: storytelling.

If you go back, the amusement business didnt tell stories, former Imagineering chief Marty Sklar says of theme parks before Disneyland.

They were just thrill rides. Walt [Disney] changed that by creating stories. Thats the basis of everything that Imagineering does. When I talk to Imagineers, I always say Im jealous because they have so many new technologies, but you have to have a good story or else youre wasting your time.

Walt [Disney] changed that by creating stories. Thats the basis of everything that Imagineering does.  Marty Sklar, former Imagineering chief

A peek at the future

While Disney doesnt release attendance forecasts, more than 65,000 die-hards typically come to D23 looking for an early look at the companys future and insights into its past. This years biggest draw will no doubt be the pavilion dedicated to Disney parks, which will reveal for the first time the model of the in-development Star Wars-inspired lands.

Talks throughout the weekend will also probe the depths of Imagineering. One will focus on Disneys legacy of female Imagineers, while another will look at the Imagineers who have been deemed Disney Legends, including Baxter, Sklar and this years honoree, Wayne Jackson.

There also will be a spotlight on Pirates of the Caribbean, which even in its middle age is serving as a microcosm for Disneys need to adapt to generational shifts. Those who are resistant to change will no doubt have strong opinions about the recent announcement that the bridal auction scene in Pirates will be modified at Disneyland, Walt Disney World and Disneyland Paris; by the end of next year, looted trinkets, not women, will be on the block.

Those fans who object can console themselves with the knowledge that the red-headed woman, who currently seems to approach her precarious position with a bit of a femme fatale attitude, will be staying.

Originally conceived by animator-turned-Imagineer Marc Davis, the Redhead, as shes known, has become a fan favorite.

If you look at her in that scene, shes the center of attention, says Kathy Mangum, a senior vice president with Imagineering. Shes certainly the anti-victim. If you look at the other women next to her who are tied up, theyre very much the victim, but you can tell shes used to being the center of attention and she seems to be enjoying it.

The bridal auction scene on Pirates is set for an update. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)

Soon, the Redhead will take on a role of even greater importance, transitioning from a prisoner to fearsome pirate, part of the crew forcing town residents to surrender their wares.

While the scene preserves the auction, which was part of the rides March 1967 opening, it also gives Pirates of the Caribbean something the attraction has long lacked  a strong central female character  while doing away with a set piece that relegates women to property.

Mangum says that Imagineering has been pondering changes to the scene for a while, but was slow to act in part because Pirates is the last ride overseen by Walt Disney himself.

After consulting with diversity groups, including Imagineerings in-house WIN  the Womens Inclusion Network  Imagineering decided to adapt the ride for a generation weaned on strong female Disney characters such as Merida, Elsa, Moana and Judy Hopps.

Last November, for the first time, we had a woman who was a viable candidate for the president of this country, Mangum says. I hate to say times are changing, but theres an advancement in pop culture and society, and the timing felt right. We didnt link it to any one initiative, but as we talked about it, we couldnt think of a really valid reason for keeping it as it is.

Tie-back to Walt

Does she expect a backlash? Because it was Walts last attraction, Mangum says, some fans are not going to want any kind of change. We understand that. I understand that. But its the same reason we added Jack Sparrow. You have to think ahead to other generations who wont have the tie-back to Walt.

And yet even Walt had some doubts about the scene. In an interview in a 1999 issue of the E-Ticket, a now-defunct Disney parks fanzine, Claude Coats, an Imagineer instrumental in the creation of Pirates of the Caribbean, recalled Walts reaction upon seeing a near-completed version of the auction scene.

He came in one time and even said, This will be all right, wont it? He was just a little doubtful of auctioning off the girls. Was that quite Disney or not?

A scene from Pirates of the Caribbean at Disneyland. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)

A focus on farce

Yet the ride, originally planned as a walk-through with wax figures, has endured, says Sklar, not because it emphasizes the harrowing acts but because it focuses on farce. I think it was approached from the standpoint of the humor, Sklar says.

Disneys love affair with pirates extends far beyond the ride and film franchise. Walt Disneys first known foray into pirating was the 1927 short Alice Foils the Pirates, the 42nd of his 56 Alice Comedies, films that featured animated backgrounds with a live action young girl.

While Alice Foils the Pirates is considered a lost film, D23s pirate exhibit will feature art from some never-made pirate-themed cartoons, including one that would have starred Donald Duck, as well as artifacts from the ride and the Pirates of the Caribbean films.

And looking at Disneylands Pirates of the Caribbean, as well as its surrounding New Orleans Square, may even give some hints about Disneys future. Today, be it the Avatar-inspired Pandora at Walt Disney World or Cars Land in Anaheim, or the Star Wars lands in development, theme parks are moving toward bigger, more fully immersive worlds based on a single theme.

New Orleans Square is often considered the template for such an approach, so much so that some fans have constructed a narrative that ties Pirates of the Caribbean with the Haunted Mansion. One doesnt exist, however, says a spokesman for Imagineering.

Before you get to Pirates, Baxter says, youve been immersed in a world that is complete. Even the Mark Twain sailing by New Orleans is part of that story.

To those nervous about a park overrun by Stormtroopers and superheroes, Baxter offers the reassurance that Pirates will remain a cornerstone. It has so many yardsticks by which everything is measured that I think it will stay in position as our primary wonder for a long time.

Todd.Martens@latimes.com

Follow me on Twitter: @toddmartens

ALSO

Meet Disneys philosopher king: the brain behind Avatars Pandora and Marvels Guardians ride

Behold animatronic Cosmo (and Rocket) inside Disneylands Guardians of the Galaxy ride
My name is Todd and I am addicted to Disney theme parks.

This spring, I spent 10 days at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla., despite the fact that I live less than an hour away from Disneyland, which I visit at least several times during any given month. For the amount of money it cost me to go to Disney World, I could have gone almost anywhere on the planet, a fact that was pointed out to me by a woman I had hoped to date.

"Why?" she said, with a mixture of confusion and disgust when I told her about my then-upcoming trip; she herself was headed to Spain for two weeks. The implication: Why didn't I take this opportunity, as a single man in his soon-to-be-late-30s, to explore the world rather than the World Showcase?

That's a good question.

Its not weird to be a fan of Disney parks. Just shy of 18 million people visited Disneyland alone last year, according to a report from Los Angeles consulting firm Aecom, and the tourist franchise it spawned has shaped and reflected American pop culture for more than 60 years. And yet I recognize that my habit of visiting Disneyland multiple times each month could be viewed as odd.

So while I wasn't going to change my vacation plans, I realized I needed a solid answer to that semi-disgusted Why?  one that went beyond the standard conclusion that its fun.

After things with the woman went bust, and I returned from Florida, I rang up Marty Sklar. If anyone should be able to articulate why we love Disney parks, its a former head of Walt Disney Imagineering who wrote speeches for Walt. So, I asked Sklar, why did I pick Disney World over, say, Spain?

"That's a hard question to answer," he said.

Clearly, this wasnt going to be as easy as I thought.

(Sveta Dorosheva / For The Times)

Familiar complaints

Disneyland has many detractors with a familiar litany of complaints: Its hot. Its crowded. Its expensive. There are too many strollers. There are too many childless guests complaining about the strollers. Parts of the park, especially Main Street U.S.A., present a tidied-up vision of America that never existed.

Irving Biederman, a professor of psychology at USC, has been to some Disney parks and his gripe is one I regularly hear from friends: too fake. As a child, Biederman rode the parks submarine attraction and was less than enamored with the mechanical fish.

One of the things I don't like about Disneyland is the design almost forbids surprises, he says. The fish weren't real. I would have preferred real fish. Then something unusual could happen. If it's fake fish, there's no surprise. Once you get by the initial experience of Disneyland, one of its shortcomings is there's going to be no surprises.

Im about to counter with the level of spontaneity present at Disney Worlds Animal Kingdom, when he notes that even with such shortcomings, it makes perfect sense that millions of people will endure potential headaches to experience a place such as Disneyland.

Humans, he says, are infovores. Were always on the prowl for new information and fresh experiences that have the ability to trigger opioid receptors in the brain, which in turn give us pleasure. He offers as an example two windows, one looking out toward a brick wall and the other a grand, beach-like vista.

So, he asks, which window would you gaze out? It's a no-brainer. We would take it as a sign of pathology if someone was staring at the brick wall.

Disneyland, with its lush and fanciful architecture  a fairy-tale castle up ahead, a Swiss mountain to the right, and ol western-like movie set to the left  is full of details that attract our brains attention.

The Main Street Electrical Parade returned to Disneyland earlier this year and runs through Aug. 20. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)

So why do we go to theme parks? It gives us new experiences if you haven't been there before, or if you've only been there once or twice it's still different from your everyday life, Biederman says. There can be other elements  the thrill we get of rides that are exciting. That's an opioid release.

The concept of repeat visits, however, gives him pause. He questions whether I would want to watch the same movie 20 times and then he begins asking things like, Does your repeated engagement with the Disney experience stem out of anxiety or fear of less safe, less predictable settings?

I am indeed beginning to experience anxiety when, mercifully, he assures me that I am not crazy. Your self-awareness of this as a potential problem is an indication that this engagement with the world of Disney is not a distortion of reality, he later clarified in a follow-up email. If your passion was music, painting, cooking, chess, or automobile mechanics, people wouldnt bat an eye.

For the record, I am also quite heavily obsessed with music, and have recently taken up cooking. Disney devotion can connote endless adolescence, but as Biederman began to interview me, the ways in which I engage with the parks became more clear.

Sometimes, I dont even go on a ride; instead, I simply people-watch and soak up the atmosphere. Other times, Ill bring work, sit with my laptop in the lobby of the Grand Californian, only venturing into one of the parks when I need to clear my head. Increasingly, Ive been approaching the parks from a more studious perspective, investigating its history and reporting on new developments.

While in Orlando, I worked on a story about the then-upcoming debut of the Avatar-inspired land of Pandora. During an interview, veteran Imagineer Joe Rohde, who oversaw its creation, reiterated that nothing at a Disney park was there by accident.

If a detail is onstage, Rohde says, that detail is there for a reason. The detail does not exist to serve its own purposes. It only exists to serve narrative purposes.

A small thing, perhaps, but one that turns any visit to a Disney park into something more akin to a game. In Disneylands New Orleans Square, for instance, there is what appears to be a boarded-up tunnel, which many fans believe was a crypt designed to connect the story lines of Pirates of the Caribbean and the Haunted Mansion.

Unlikely, but such minutiae turn the park into more of an active experience, as the many fan websites prove. We are not simply spectators, were players, exploring a world that has been crafted by master designers while concocting our own set of stories.

You're not gaga over cartoon characters, Biederman says with a hint of relief.  I think your motivation is kind of an intellectual one. What you're sensitive to and trying to understand is the brilliance of the design.

Yes, yes, thats it  Im sensitive to brilliance. Im feeling better about myself already.

Cars Land at Disney California Adventure represents one of the theme parks most meticulously detailed areas. (Paul Hiffmeyer / Disneyland Resort) (Paul Hiffmeyer / Disneyland Resort)

A lot to unpack

There are also emotional factors at play, and most certainly nostalgia. Its no secret that many gravitate to Disney parks for family bonding experiences, which the parks leverage at every photo op. But as I dont have a girlfriend, let alone children, such a thesis doesnt apply to me.

Sklar, after a moment, offered the theory of Disney artist/Imagineer John Hench, who worked on Fantasia, Peter Pan and more.

John Hench used to say that Disneyland was reassuring, Sklar said. You could speak to a stranger. You feel safe. You know you're going to be respected. Everything is clean. It's an example that you take back to your own community. Why can't it be like this? Why can't we treat people like we get treated at the Disney parks? Why can't our streets be as clean as it is at Disney?

It's reassuring because you know things work.

Idealism, then, which appeals to my serious streak of hopeless romanticism; perhaps thats the answer? I ask Andrea Letamendi, a clinical psychologist who has delved deep into fandom, what she thinks.

It's much more complicated than it being one thing, she said, adding: Theres a lot to unpack.

She keys in on my ability to work while at Disneyland, noting that Im not going there solely for escape, and compared my enjoyment of the parks with that of those who engage in cosplay, which, she says, enables many to heighten aspects of their personality; in my case, she suggests, Disneyland speaks to my optimistic nature.

I may not wear a costume but, she said, Disneyland obviously enables me to feel more in touch with my identity. For you, she said, that's who you are. Maybe for other people it bothers them. Why are you here by yourself? Why do you collect Disney artifacts?

But, she continued, you find it quite calming, and you find it to be a nice blanket and cushion to relax in. You're not alone. Many people have that experience, but I can see why it's difficult to relate to that.

She does, however, wonder if its sustainable as I get older. If you see a guy in his 50s just kind of wandering around the park, it's off-putting. As a psychologist, I know there's nothing wrong with it. But I know that society has concerns.

Pandora at Walt Disney Worlds Animal Kingdom in Florida treats the entire land as environmental storytelling. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

Yet for all its youthful draw, Disneyland is not a playground. Theme parks are a thoroughly modern invention based as much on technology as the belief in pixie dust, and were only just beginning to understand their growing role as a storytelling medium.

Large, immersive worlds invite us to be participants in theater on a grand scale. Its possible to go on a wild simulator ride such as Flight of Passage at Pandora and simply just enjoy the thrill of soaring on the back of a dragon-like creature called the banshee. Or one can slow down and piece together the narrative blocks of the story, discovering how an entire make-believe eco-system fits together. Its like walking through a real-life video game.

Your brain comes into that place where another brain has done all the organization, all the super cohesiveness that your brain is looking for, explained Rohde. So its like surfing on a wave instead of surfing out to sea against it.

In the end it may be as simple as some people asking Why? and others asking Why not? My personal theory is that there are people who enjoy Disneyland, and those who just havent admitted it yet. Even Biederman, who expressed plenty of Disney skepticism, paused when I mentioned Pirates of the Caribbean; in seconds he was telling me about the first time he went, how riveted he was.

Pirates of the Caribbean, he repeats. I love that. One of the things I love about Pirates of the Caribbean is the smell. I love that musty smell. It gives you a sense of adventure.

Todd.Martens@latimes.com

Follow me on Twitter: @toddmartens

ALSO

Still crazy after all these years: Pirates of the Caribbean anchors a Disneyland on the brink of great change

Meet Disney's philosopher king: the brain behind 'Avatar's' Pandora and Marvel's 'Guardians' ride

Behold animatronic Cosmo (and Rocket) inside Disneyland's 'Guardians of the Galaxy' ride
CBS S.W.A.T. reboot will take on the Trump years, #BlackLivesMatter, says Shemar Moore By Meredith Blake Stephanie Sigman and Shemar Moore (Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP) Dont let the funky theme song or the 70s origins fool you. While technically a remake  of both the original series and the subsequent 2003 film based on it  CBS upcoming cop drama S.W.A.T. is very plugged into the current moment, according to its cast and creators. In the series, former Criminal Minds star Shemar Moore plays a native Angeleno who runs a tactical unit for the LAPD and finds his loyalty torn between his fellow officers and the community in which he was raised. As co-creator Aaron Rahsaan Thomas told reporters Tuesday at the Television Critics Assn. press tour, the series was inspired by his experiences growing up in Kansas City, which have helped him understand both sides of the raging debate over police violence. I grew up in a neighborhood that had a very complicated view towards police officers, said Thomas, who created the series with veteran showrunner Shawn Ryan. On one hand, a 12-year-old kid who was a neighbor of mine was shot and killed by a police officer. On the other hand, another neighbor of mine was an actual police officer. Moore, best known for his long run on the CBS procedural Criminal Minds, noted the diversity of the cast and creative team and added that, while the show is primarily designed to entertain, it will also resonate politically. Were taking on the Trump years, he said. I dont care who you voted for. Its just whats happening today. Its Black Lives Matter. As much as some people dont want to hear it, its All Lives Matter. Its not just black versus blue or black versus white. Its every ethnicity. Its fear. Its racism. Its terrorism. Its subject matter of today. Ryan, who created the groundbreaking drama The Shield, about corrupt Los Angeles police officers, said he was excited about the chance to examine the often charged relationship between law enforcement and the communities they serve. Los Angeles is such a diverse, amazing community, and seeing an officer who kind of lives in the city and sort of sees the people that are being policed as humans and as neighbors and as friends was really important to me. Facebook

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Netflix getting A Little Help from Carol Burnett By Libby Hill What do you get when you pair up a living legend with a bunch of little kids? Comedy gold, if Netflix has its way. The online streaming service announced Monday that comedy icon Carol Burnett will be returning to television with A Little Help With Carol Burnett, an original unscripted series that pairs Burnett with children to tackle lifes dilemmas. Someone once asked me how old I am inside, Burnett said in a statement Monday. I thought about it and came up with, Im about 8. So its going to be a lot of fun playing with kids my age. Kids ages 4 to 8 will join Burnett as celebrities and everyday folks bring their real-life problems to the show to get advice in front of a live studio audience. Were thrilled Carol is bringing her unique sensibilities to Netflix, Bela Bajaria, the services vice president of content acquisition, said in Mondays announcement. Carol is truly a legend in the entertainment industry with unprecedented success and fandom across TV, film and the stage, and we are both honored and excited to work with her. A Little Help With Carol Burnett will be produced by Dick Clark Productions and is the companys first Netflix project. This is the second television project announced this year for Burnett, 84. In February, ABC ordered a pilot for the multi-camera comedy Household Name, starring Burnett, though the series has not been picked up in its current iteration. Debuting in 2018, A Little Help With Carol Burnett will feature 12 half-hour episodes. Facebook

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Ken Burns explains why his Vietnam War documentary is more relevant than ever By Libby Hill Ken Burns in Beverly Hilton on Sunday. (Richard Shotwell / Invision) History doesnt repeat itself, Ken Burns told a room of journalists gathered Sunday at the Television Critics Assn. summer press tour in Beverly Hills Were not condemned to repeat what we dont remember, Burns explained. Its that human nature never changes. Its a curious statement from the storied documentarian, particularly given his latest project, the 18-hour, 10-part documentary series The Vietnam War, directed with Lynn Novick. But just because humanity isnt trapped in a constantly repeating cycle doesnt mean that the echoes of modern strife arent plentiful throughout the upcoming PBS series. This is a story about mass demonstrations all across the country against the current administration, Burns said in response to a question about what the youth of America will find relevant in The Vietnam War. About a White House obsessed with leaks and in disarray because of those leaks, about a president railing against you, the news media, for making up news. Its about asymmetrical warfare, which even the mighty might of the United States Army cant figure out the correct strategy to take, and its about big document drops of classified material thats been hacked, that suddenly is dumped into the public sphere, destabilizing the conventional wisdom about really important topics and accusations that a political campaign reached out to a foreign power at the time of a national election to influence that election. This is the film we started in 2006, and every single one of those points are points about the Vietnam War having nothing to do with today, Burns concluded. By creating a fully-formed picture of Vietnam, Burns hopes to shed light on the rancor and alienation defining this present moment, he explained. For Novick, the thematic relevance only serves to help teachers who have long struggled in tackling the Vietnam War. Weve had great response from teachers already that the Vietnam War is difficult to teach because its controversial and unsettled history and theyre looking forward to using the film in the classroom, Novick said. Those resonances that Ken is talking about, those will be assignments for students. Were not going to have to work very hard with teachers to come up with those themes, and students are curious about whats happening now. The Vietnam War premieres Sept. 17 at 8 p.m. PDT Facebook

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Goodbye, MTV Moonman trophy. Hello, Moon Person By Emily Mae Czachor MTVs token space cadet just scored an identity revamp  and gender didnt make the cut. In a recent interview with the New York Times, MTV President Chris McCarthy said the networks iconic Moonman trophy has been discontinued. From now on, the metallic figurine  whose impenetrably opaque helmet has become the unofficial face of MTVs Video Music Awards  will go by Moon Person instead. Because who knows whats really going on beneath that lacquered astronaut getup, anyway. Why should it be a man? McCarthy told the Times. It could be a man, it could be a woman, it could be transgender, it could be nonconformist. This new development is just the latest installment in MTVs string of efforts to do away with gender norms during its awards proceedings. The network eliminated gender-specific categories at its MTV Movie & TV Awards earlier this year, where all nominees were placed in neutral categories (i.e. best actor in a show, best actor in a movie). And the network isnt going to stop there. McCarthy also announced a new MTV reality series  still in development called We Are They about a group of gender-nonconforming young adults coming of age. With Katy Perry hosting, the VMAs will broadcast from the Forum in Inglewood on Aug. 27. Heres the full list of nominees. Facebook

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Sam Shepard: Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright, actor and ... avant-garde drummer? By Randall Roberts Sam Shepard in 2014. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) Sam Shepard, whose death at 73 was announced on Monday, will be remembered for his cross-discipline versatility. As a Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright, he penned classic off-Broadway plays including True West, Buried Child and Fool for Love. An Oscar-nominated actor, he starred in films including Days of Heaven, The Right Stuff, Crimes of the Heart and The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford. To fans of underground music, however, Shepard served a lesser-known role as the drummer for seminal New York avant-garde folk band the Holy Modal Rounders, with whom he performed on the crucial late 1960s albums Indian War Whoop and The Moray Eels Eat the Holy Modal Rounders. The band is best known for its song If You Want to Be a Bird, which plays during the classic scene in Easy Rider in which Dennis Hopper, Peter Fonda and Jack Nicholson roar down the highway on their motorcycles. Thats Shepard playing drums as Rounders founders Peter Stampfel and Steve Weber whoop and yowl. It was in his capacity as a percussionist, in fact, that he drew the attention of a young Patti Smith, who, in her 2010 memoir Just Kids, recounted their first early 70s meeting at seminal music club the Village Gate. Escorted to the club by Todd Rundgren, who had just issued his album Runt, Smith described the Holy Modal Rounders set as like being at an Arabian hoedown with a band of psychedelic hillbillies. I was fixed on the drummer, who seemed as if he was on the lam and had slid behind the drums while cops looked elsewhere. Smith, who at the time was freelancing for Crawdaddy magazine, introduced herself to this drummer, who said his name was Slim Shadow. The two started hanging out, wrote Smith, describing his tales as being even taller than mine. He had an infectious laugh and was rugged, smart, and intuitive. In my mind, he was the fellow with the cowboy mouth. Only later did she learn Slims real identity when a friend pulled her aside after seeing them at a restaurant together. As recounted in Just Kids, Smith wrote that her friend asked, What are you doing with Sam Shepard? Sam Shepard? I said. Oh, no, this guys name is Slim. Honey, dont you know who he is? Hes the drummer for the Holy Modal Rounders. No, corrected her friend, Hes the biggest playwright off-Broadway. He had a play at Lincoln Center. He won five Obies! Once she learned of his reputation and acclaim, Smith and Shepard continued to see each other -- despite his being married at the time -- and eventually collaborated on a play called Cowboy Mouth. Smith described telling him of nervousness at writing for the stage, which she had never done. But Shepard urged her on, Smith wrote, telling her that you cant make a mistake when you improvise. Replied Smith: What if I screw up the rhythm? You cant, Shepard explained. Its like drumming. If you miss a beat, you create another. 7:15 a.m. Updated to correct the title of Smiths memoir, Just Kids, and to identify the Holy Modal Rounders co-founders, Stampfel and Weber. Facebook

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Lady Gaga subpoenaed in producer Dr. Lukes lawsuit against pop singer Kesha By Randall Roberts The ongoing offstage drama between the pop singer Kesha and her former producer Dr. Luke has entangled another platinum superstar: Lady Gaga. On Saturday, attorneys for Dr. Luke, whose real name is Lukasz Gottwald, issued a statement regarding their attempt to depose Lady Gaga about relevant conversations she may have had with Kesha. The artist, who was born Kesha Sebert, is the subject of a defamation suit filed in New York by Dr. Luke stemming from allegations of sexual misconduct, which the producer vigorously denies. The statement reads: Dr. Lukes counsel served a subpoena on Lady Gaga because she has relevant information regarding, among other things, false statements about Dr. Luke made to her by Kesha. This motion has become necessary because Dr. Lukes counsel has not been able to obtain, despite repeated request [sic], a deposition date from Lady Gaga. The protracted legal battle between Dr. Luke, left, and Kesha has brought Lady Gaga into the fray. (Kevin Winter / Getty Images) Representatives for Gaga, whose real name is Stefani Germanotta, said in a statement issued to The Times on Monday morning: As Lady Gagas legal team will present to the court, she has provided all of the relevant information in her possession and is at most an ancillary witness in this process. Dr. Lukes team is attempting to manipulate the truth and draw press attention to their case by exaggerating Lady Gagas role and falsely accusing her of dodging reasonable requests. Among the information Lady Gaga has provided are copies of text messages that were, according to a report on TMZ, heavily redacted. Lady Gaga has been a vocal Kesha supporter. Last year, Gaga wrote about her peers plight in an Instagram post: The very reason women dont speak up for years is the fear that no one will believe them or their abuser has threatened their life or life of their loved ones/livelihood in order to keep their victim quiet and under control. What happened to Kesha has happened to many female artists, including myself, and it will affect her for the rest of her life. The news comes at a particularly crucial moment for Keshas career. On Aug. 11, she will release her highly anticipated new album, Rainbow. The record, featuring songs such as Learn to Let Go, will arrive via Dr. Lukes imprint, Kemosabe, a situation Kesha sought to avoid in a 2014 lawsuit of her own, which she later dropped. Facebook

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Ride on, genius: Celebrities mourn the loss of Sam Shepard By Emily Mae Czachor Acclaimed actor and playwright Sam Shepard died July 27 at age 73. (Charles Sykes / Associated Press) Sam Shepard  Oscar-nominated actor and critically acclaimed playwright, author, screenwriter and director  died on July 27 after suffering complications from ALS (Lou Gehrigs Disease). When news of his death broke Monday morning, Twitter erupted with posts to mourn, honor and remember one of show business beloved renaissance men. View Instagram post This story was updated with additional reactions. Facebook

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Macaulay Culkin got his first tattoo with goddaughter Paris Jackson, and its a match By Emily Mae Czachor For Paris Jackson, getting inked is nothing out of the ordinary. With more than 50 tattoos already under her belt, the 19-year-old daughter of late pop king Michael Jackson collects body art like postage stamps. According to E! News, the budding actress got her latest over the weekend: an understated sketch of a red spoon, just below the crook of her left arm. A new tattoo might be old-hat for Jackson, but it wasnt for Macaulay Culkin, Jacksons 36-year-old godfather -- and first-time tattoo patron -- who emerged from West Hollywoods Tattoo Mania with a matching spoon on his own forearm. Though neither Jackson nor Culkin spoke to the meaning of the double-inking, the design is supposedly meant to represent a kind of chronic struggle. And thats not the only news that Culkin made recently. The Internet nearly lost its collective mind last week when a new photo emerged of the Home Alone actor looking healthy and happy. E! News even declared that Culkin definitely just won 2017s greatest makeover. Your eyes aren't deceiving you. Macaulay Culkin definitely just won 2017's greatest makeover (thus far, at least). https://t.co/IdKjxii5KZ pic.twitter.com/SOAuSx57oU  E! News (@enews) July 27, 2017 Facebook

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Alex Jones products are almost as bad as his conspiracy theories, says John Oliver By Meredith Blake Over the last year, conspiracy theorist and influential radio host Alex Jones has come under intense scrutiny for his fringe beliefs, most notably his claim that the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School was a hoax perpetrated by the government. On Sundays Last Week Tonight, John Oliver noted that Jones status as a Sandy Hook truther qualified him for an Easy Pass to hells version of the champagne room. But he spent most of his time on a relatively overlooked aspect of Jones conspiracy empire -- the wide range of products that he sells in order to fund it. According to Oliver, Jones spends nearly a quarter of his airtime plugging InfoWars-branded merchandise, including Wake Up America Patriot coffee to Combat One Tactical Bath Wipes and a powder called Caveman True Paleo (made from chocolate and domesticated bird corpses, Oliver joked). As the comedian pointed out, it just so happens that many of the products Jones sells, often at a significant markup, purport to address the conspiracy theories with equally wild-eyed zeal. Think: water filters to remove chemicals that supposedly turn frogs gay or vitamins to boost your immunity and ward off germs from allegedly disease-ridden refugees. Jones even has his own in-house expert, Dr. Edward Group, with dubious qualifications (and equally questionable hair) to back up his various outlandish claims. InfoWars is essentially a QVC for conspiracy, Oliver argued. So in the spirit of InfoWars, Oliver decided to introduce his own personal care product, John Oliver Moisture-Armored Tactical Assault Wipes, available via Infowipes.com. The price? A mere $1 million. Worth every penny, were sure. You can watch the complete segment here. Facebook

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Vintage Casablanca poster sells for $478,000 By Trevell Anderson How much would someone pay for a vintage movie poster? Well, if that film is Casablanca, one persons answer is $478,000. Thats how much a bidder coughed up Saturday for the only known surviving Italian-issue poster for the 1942 film starring Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman. The poster sold through Heritage Auctions of Dallas. The buyer has just set a world record and acquired what we in the poster collecting world would equate to a masterpiece, said Grey Smith, Heritages director of vintage posters. The stunning artistry put into this poster makes it stand head and shoulders above any paper produced for the film. The poster, measuring 55.5 inches by 78.25 inches, was produced in 1946. The film opened in Italy on Nov. 21 that year, almost four years after its U.S. premiere. Featuring artwork by Luigi Martinati, the poster is considered the best of the pictures numerous advertisements, Smith said. Previous Italian-issue posters for the film have sold for as much as $203,000. A U.S.-issue of the poster has fetched $191,200. The auction featured other rare posters for the film, with a half-sheet going for $65,725, and a postwar Spanish-release poster selling for $35,850. ---------- For the Record An earlier version of this article misstated the purchase price of the Casablanca poster sold Saturday as $487,000. Facebook

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There is no Plan B for public broadcasting without federal funding, PBS president says By Libby Hill Paula Kerger, chief executive of PBS (Frederick M. Brown / Getty Images) PBS President and Chief Executive Paula Kerger wasnt pulling any punches Sunday at the Television Critics Assn. summer press tour in Beverly Hills. When people say, What is the Plan B for [loss of federal funding]? There is no Plan B for that, Kerger said of the potential budget crisis public broadcasting faces under the Trump administration. The Corporation for Public Broadcasting has been under fire for months, with President Trumps proposed budget axing the institutions $450-million budget. Though its easy to suggest that budget cuts would threaten Big Birds livelihood, the true victims of defunding would be far more human. Kerger explained that of PBS $450-million budget, one-third goes to radio. Of the television budget, most goes to community service grants that local stations use for up to 50% of their operating budgets. PBS itself will not go away. But a number of our stations will. If you are a station for whom 30 or 40 or 50% of your funding is suddenly pulled away, theres no way you can make up that money, Kerger said. You will find big parts of the country that will suddenly be without public broadcasting. The fate of public broadcasting is currently in flux, waiting for the end of Congress August recess for resolution. Currently, the House Appropriations Committee has approved the bulk of the PBS budget, while the House Budget Committee recommended doing away with funding altogether. Budget concerns aside, Kerger also addressed other unresolved PBS matters. The second seat of PBS NewsHour has been vacant since the untimely death of co-host Gwen Ifill in November 2016, leaving Judy Woodruff as the shows sole anchor. We have encouraged [executive producer] Sara Just and Judy Woodruff and the team at NewsHour to take their time and think very carefully about who that right person [to replace Ifill] is, Kerger said. Im hopeful that they will be making an announcement sometime over the next few months of a new anchor. Kerger also announced an upcoming project aimed at inspiring the country to come together in celebration of literature. The Great American Read is an eight-part series launching in spring 2018 that explores the nations 100 best-loved books, chosen by the American people and culminating in the first-ever national vote to choose Americas Best-Loved Book. Facebook

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AMC Visionaries adds Eli Roth, Roots, Gibney for new docu-series By Meredith Woerner Robert Kirkman, left, and Eli Roth at the Television Critics Assn. summer press tour in Beverly Hills. ( Tommaso Boddi/Getty Images for AMC) AMC announced several additions to its upcoming Visionaries docu-series Saturday at the Television Critics Assn. summer press tour in Beverly Hills. Writer-director-actor Eli Roth (Cabin Fever, Hostel) will be offering a deeper look into his signature style of genre filmmaking with Eli Roths History of Horror (working title) and Ahmir Questlove Thompson, Tariq Black Thought Trotter (founding members of The Roots) and Alex Gibney (Going Clear, History of the Eagles) will executive produce a series called Rap Yearbook (another working title). The cable network also has three other installments in development: History of Video Games, Outlaws of the Internet, and History of Martial Arts. The new Visionaries members join the previously announced programs Robert Kirkmans Secret History of Comics and James Camerons Story of Science Fiction. Kirkman and Roth were present at the AMC panel with Cameron appearing via satellite to show sneak peeks from the comics and sci-fi iterations of the series. A sizzle reel for the Secret History of Comics utilized plenty of classic panel pages and a sort of motion comic-like animation to illustrate the early days of Marvel Comics, going all the way back to the Stan Lee and Jack Kirby days. But the real treat was a collection of cameos, famous faces opining about their love of the form including Lee himself, J.K. Simmons, Kevin Smith, and Method Man, who earnestly revealed, You have to be born a comic book fan, I think. And there are plenty more talking heads to come, the AMC press release promised Patty Jenkins, Lynda Carter, Famke Janssen, Michelle Rodriguez, and Todd McFarlane. The second clip shared a look at Camerons love letter to science fiction. Today, science fiction is mainstream but it didnt used to be that way, the director explained. When I was a kid science fiction wasnt cool, but I thought it was cool. Cameron wants to focus on closing the gap between current fans knowledge of modern day sci-fi to the pioneering works of literature that inspired the blockbuster offerings of today. The Terminator and Avatar director noted that without Jules Verne and H.G. Wells there would be no Avengers, Star Wars or his own works. The series will be divided by theme -- space travel, time travel etc.-- and include appearances from Paul W. Anderson, Roland Emmerich, Paul Verhoeven, Bryan Singer, Keanu Reeves, Jonathan Nolan, David Gerrold and D.C. Fontana. When asked how their respective series would showcase diversity -- the footage screened was very male-centric -- Kirkman responded that History of Comics would have two episodes devoted to diversity. One will focus on the women who helped Wonder Woman creator William Moulton Marston steer the course of the hugely famous female superhero, and another highlighting people of color titled The Color of Comics. The episode explores the history of black characters, and the lack of black characters in the comic book industry, said Kirkman. which touches on the creation of Black Panther  the Marvel character  and does a really cool focus on this company called Milestone Comics that was founded by a group of African American comic book creators to create characters that appealed to them and represented them, because there was a huge lack of representation in comics even in the 90s. You wouldnt have horror without Mary Shelley and Frankenstein, Roth added. He cited the late George Romero as an example of how he wants to break down the themes within the horror genre. At the height of the civil rights movement [Romero] puts an African American as the lead of Night of the Living Dead and at the end of the movie hes shot by a bunch of rednecks. Not because of the color of his skin, but because they think hes a zombie. But you can read into the implications of that. What [Romero] was doing with using genre to explore racism was so ahead of its time. its just as potent today as it was 50 years ago. Its absolutely something were going to be discussing. Roths urgency to document the horror masters was apparent. It was the death of Scream moviemaker Wes Craven that inspired Roth to get involved in Visionaries. The panel then took a turn for the analytical when the creators were asked how their series would reflect the world today. The fact that dystopian science fiction has come back, especially in television and in movies, is very important, said Cameron. It means that in the age that we live in right now the challenges that face us are technological. Theyre science challenges: climate change, genetics, artificial intelligence, things like that. These are really on our horizon as major, existential threats. The best horror reflects whats going on in our times, said Roth. He used Jordan Peeles Get Out  which addressed modern day racial tensions as a reference. Its no accident that movie coming out right now is making over $200 million at the box office. You can tell its really resonating with people. Bouncing off Camerons dystopia revelation, Roth then turned his lens onto the current political climate, I dont think weve ever seen a cast of characters like this in our White House thats straight out of WWF wrestling in the 80s. When [Anthony Scaramucci] is coming out with things that would make Rowdy Roddy Piper in his heyday blush. This is a farce, is this actually happening? When will we start seeing this dystopian outlook on the current political climate in the movies? Possibly before Roths series, which will air sometime in 2018, after History of Comics and the Story of Science Fiction in 2017. Facebook

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President Trump got a fan letter from a young boy this week. Stephen Colbert introduced another young fan Friday By Greg Braxton Stephen Colbert, host of CBS The Late Show. (Michael Loccisano / Getty Images) White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders took time during a White House briefing this week to read a fan letter to President Trump from a 9-year-old boy named Dylan who has the nickname of Pickle. Sanders read part of the letter to reporters: Youre my favorite President ... I dont know why people dont like you. Sanders interjected, Neither do I, Dylan. The letter continued, You seem really nice. Can we be friends? Sanders assured Pickle that she had spoken directly to Trump about him, and the president would be more than happy to be your friend. Stephen Colbert on Friday brought another young fan of Trumps onstage Friday night to read her own letter during his CBS Late Show. Dear President, my name is Norah, but everybody calls me Mustard, the little girl recited. She continued, Youre my favorite current president. Norah then presented some probing questions to Trump: I was wondering, does the attorney general enjoy your full support? And how do you plan to implement the ban on transgender people currently serving in the military? Will those on active duty be called home? Sounds like a logistical nightmare. She continued, One more thing: Are you a puppet of Vladimir Putin? I love puppets! I made one at camp! Love, Mustard. The Late Show audience cheered. Facebook

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Broadways Great Comet producer apologizes for controversial Mandy Patinkin casting By Nardine Saad (Jeff Schear / Getty Images) The producer behind Broadways struggling musical Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812" has joined the apologetic refrain for the diversity uproar that followed the decision to bring in Mandy Patinkin to replace departing star Okieriete Oak Onaodowan, who is black. The production came under fire this week following its move to replace Onaodowan, who was in the original cast of Hamilton, with Tony Award winner Patinkin in a titular role. As part of our sincere efforts to keep Comet running for the benefit of its cast, creative team, crew, investors and everyone else involved, we arranged for Mandy Patinkin to play Pierre, co-producer Howard Kagan said in an official statement posted Friday on Twitter. Kagan said they had the wrong impression of how Onaodowan felt about Patinkins casting and how it would be received by members of the theater community, which we appreciate is deeply invested in the success of actors of color  as are we  and to whom we are grateful for bringing this to our attention. We regret our mistake deeply, and wish to express our apologies to everyone who felt hurt and betrayed by these actions, he said. The legendary Broadway star dropped out of the musical on Friday after the announcement that he would be replacing the African American star was met with disdain. Patinkin was to join the cast for a limited run from Aug. 15 through Sept. 3, but declined the part because he would never accept a role knowing it would harm another actor. I hear what members of the community have said and I agree with them. I am a huge fan of Oak and I will, therefore, not be appearing in the show, the Homeland alum tweeted. Another tweet on the shows account included an apology to Patinkin for any misunderstanding and said they understood his decision to withdraw from the show. Our deepest apologies. pic.twitter.com/Mks7XLGxbq  The Great Comet (@GreatCometBway) July 28, 2017 pic.twitter.com/vSZk6K2KOV  The Great Comet (@GreatCometBway) July 28, 2017 Onaodowan, who had replaced recording artist Josh Groban in the role of Pierre earlier this month, is scheduled to continue to perform through Aug. 13, after which, he stated Friday on Twitter, he will not return to the show. It is unclear if his decision to leave the production was his own or prompted by other factors. Show creator Dave Malloy, whose musical was inspired by a portion of Leo Tolstoys War and Peace, also apologized Friday on Twitter for how everything went down and missing the racial optics of their casting decision. They had previously asked actress Brittain Ashford to step aside for the casting of better-known singer-songwriter Ingrid Michaelson during the summer months and they didnt anticipate that Patinkins casting would be viewed differently, Malloy said. Despite 12 Tony Award nominations, Comet only received two wins -- for set and lighting -- at the June ceremony and ticket sales ebbed when Groban departed. Malloy said that sales for shows after Aug. 13, when Michaelsons run would also end, were catastrophically low. So they decided to cast Patinkin, hoping that his star power would help boost sales, because the weird show was in desperate shape and on the brink of closing. Facebook

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Eagles, Doobie Brothers will play Classic Northwest show Sept. 30 in Seattle By Randy Lewis The reconfigured Eagles, shown during a July 15 performance at Dodger Stadium, will continue with a Sept. 30 Classic Northwest concert with the Doobie Brothers in Seattle. (Kevin Mazur / Getty Images) The EaglesClassic music festival series will continue with at least one more stop, this time in Seattle. But unlike the inaugural Classic West bill July 15-16 at Dodger Stadium, which is having a Classic East encore this weekend in New York, the added Classic Northwest show on Sept. 30 will be just a single day and feature the Eagles and Doobie Brothers only. The Classic West and East shows teamed the Eagles, Steely Dan and Doobie Brothers on one day, with Fleetwood Mac, Journey and Earth, Wind & Fire on the second day of each. Tickets for the Classic Northwest bill go on sale Aug. 5 at 10 a.m. at Ticketmaster. At the outset of the Eagles portion of Classic West on July 15, co-founder Don Henley indicated it was still uncertain how much of a future his long-running band might have absent co-founder Glenn Frey, who died last year at 67. To make the Classic West and East shows possible, the group tapped Freys son, singer-guitarist Deacon Frey, and country music star Vince Gill to handle the lead vocals on the many Eagles songs that were originally sung by Glenn Frey. In case this is our last dance, Henley told the crowd at Dodger Stadium, where he was joined by longtime bandmates Joe Walsh and Timothy B. Schmit, we want to thank all of you in Southern California for all your support. Facebook

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In her new Hulu series, Sarah Silverman wants to love America -- seriously By Greg Braxton Executive producers Amy Zvi, left, and Adam McKay, star/executive producer Sarah Silverman and executive producer Gavin Purcell at Hulus I Love You, America panel at the TCA summer press tour. (Willy Sanjuan / Invision/Associated Press) From her stand-up act to her Comedy Central series to her Twitter account, comic-actress Sarah Silverman has a long history of courting laughs and controversy. Her outspokenness and sometimes absurd, sometimes acerbic views on everything from celebrity to culture to politics, particularly President Trump and his administration, have raised eyebrows. On her upcoming Hulu series, I Love You, America, Silverman is focused more on forming bonds than being provocative. In surveying the current political landscape and the comedy shows that skewer it, Silverman says she wants to reach out to all on the political spectrum. For me, [those shows are] great, but they really connect with more like-minded people. Theyre brilliant. Theyre funny. But Im hoping to, with this show, connect with un-like-minded people, Silverman said Thursday during a panel at the Television Critics Assn.'s summer press tour in Beverly Hills. The mission of the show is that were all the same. But whats important is that its funny. Although the exact format of the show is still being refined, Silverman did reveal some elements, including a monologue, a focus group in the studio and field pieces in which she travels around the country talking to people. For example, Silverman says she plans to go to Slidell, La., to meet a family that says they have never met a Jewish person. I cant help but have preconceived notions. They cant help but have preconceived notions, said Silverman. All I can do is just try to be open and brave and go into the situation. And same for them. Although Silverman and executive producer Adam McKay didnt make any sharp criticisms about Trump at Thursdays session, they did take exception to his attacks against so-called entertainment liberals or the Hollywood elite. What is he talking about? said Silverman. Im from ... New Hampshire. Everybody out here is from somewhere else. The goal of the show will be to seek common ground and understanding, she said: Ultimately were all the same. The thesis of the show is that everybody just wants to be loved. Facebook

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Jerry Seinfeld is Forbes highest-paid comedian; Amy Schumer still only woman to crack the top 10 By Nardine Saad If Jerry Seinfeld is this years king of comedy, then Amy Schumer is the queen. The Comedy Central star once again landed on Forbes list of highest-paid comedians, the financial magazine announced Thursday. She was the first woman comic to crack the top 10 last year and remains the only woman on the list this year. The Trainwreck and Snatched star made an estimated $37.5 million between June 2016 and June 2017 thanks to her Netflix show The Leather Special, her memoir The Girl With the Lower Back Tattoo and endorsement deals with Bud Light and Old Navy. That ranked the raunchy comic No. 5 on the list filled with veteran comedy heavyweights. Meanwhile, the Seinfeld and Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee star shot back to the top of the list this year, earning an estimated $69 million. Seinfeld was eclipsed last year by Kevin Hart, who this year dropped to the No. 6 spot with $32.5 million. Chris Rock trailed Seinfeld for the second spot on Forbes list, earning $57 million. His record-breaking $20 million-per-special contract with Netflix paved the way for several comics, including Seinfeld, to cut lucrative deals with the streaming service, which is poised to become the go-to-destination for comedy specials. In addition to touring, those deals significantly padded the incomes of several stars on Forbes list. In the third and fourth spots, funnymen Louis C.K. and Dave Chappelle, who earned $52 million and $47 million, respectively, also made expensive deals with the streaming service to make their millions. To see Forbes complete list, click here. For the record, 10:40 a.m.: A previous headline and version of this story said that Schumer was the first woman to make the top 10 list this year. Schumer was the first woman to make the top 10 last year. Facebook

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American Horror Story: Cult gets sickeningly sweet in official poster By Libby Hill We're just beneath the surface... #AHSCult pic.twitter.com/GvnMD1KieQ  AmericanHorrorStory (@AHSFX) July 27, 2017 What exactly is beneath the surface in American Horror Story: Cult? Bees, apparently. The seventh season of FXs hit horror anthology series is slowly revealing itself via its official Twitter account. On Thursday, the series shared the official poster for the series, and it is super messed up. The poster features a deathly pale woman who happens to be missing the top of her head and, for that matter, her brain. Instead, the inside of her head is a honeycomb, replete with bees and, of course, honey. This is creepy for so many reasons. Here are a few: This poor woman has had the top of her skull removed, bringing to mind that particularly gruesome dinner scene featuring Anthony Hopkins and Ray Liotta in the 2001 film Hannibal. Even more horrifying is that this poor, sweet woman is definitely dressed like a clown. The white makeup, lines through the eyes and exaggerated ruby red lips suggest that AHS: Cult is drawing inspiration from traditional grotesque whiteface clown makeup. Think more Pennywise, less juggalo. (And if none of that is enough to scare you, please enjoy this clown dating site I stumbled across while researching all of this.) FXs American Horror Story: Cult premieres on Sept. 5. Facebook

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Stephen Colbert had some [bleeped] thoughts on Anthony Scaramuccis NSFW rant By Yvonne Villarreal (Richard Boeth / Associated Press) Stephen Colbert took a cue from incoming White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci -- or the Mooch, as hes called -- by giving Thursdays episode of The Late Show a decidedly NSFW vibe. We got an incredible taste of unfiltered Mooch today, Colbert said during his monologue. He was, of course, referring to Scaramuccis disapproving -- and often vulgar -- comments about White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus and chief strategist Steve Bannon in a New Yorker article that sent social media tongues wagging Thursday. But to even discuss the matter, Colbert had to issue a warning to CBS censors: Youre going to want to break out the extra bleeps for this one, he said before diving in. (If only we could get our ellipses to put in some overtime!) In his colorful conversation with New Yorker correspondent Ryan Lizza, which took place Wednesday night,Scaramucci was trying to get to the bottom of who leaked that he had dinner at the White House with President Trump, the first lady, Sean Hannity and the former Fox News executive Bill Shine. Scaramucci described Priebus as a  ... paranoid schizophrenic who had blocked him from the White House for six months -- prompting Colbert to break out an impression of Scaramucci. Yes, the guys paranoid, OK? He thinks his own communications director is gonna stab him in the back again, Colbert said with an exaggerated Italian accent. Front stab! he added with a knifing gesture. The New Yorker article also detailed how Scaramucci accused Bannon of seeking to build [his] own brand off the  strength of the president and made some other inflammatory remarks that we cant fully detail. So well let Colbert take it from here. Facebook

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Longtime Disney imagineer Martin Sklar dies at 83 By Richard Verrier (Jae C Hong / Associated Press) Martin Marty Sklar, the pioneering Walt Disney Co. imagineer who played an instrumental role in the design of Disney theme parks, has died, the company announced Thursday night. He was 83. During his 54 years at Disney, Sklar worked closely with Walt Disney and led the creative development of the Burbank companys theme parks, attractions and resorts around the world, including the companys ventures in the cruise business, housing development and the redesign of Times Square in New York. Everything about Marty was legendary  his achievements, his spirit, his career, Disney Chief Executive Robert Iger said in a statement. He embodied the very best of Disney, from his bold originality to his joyful optimism and relentless drive for excellence. He was also a powerful connection to Walt himself. No one was more passionate about Disney than Marty and well miss his enthusiasm, his grace, and his indomitable spirit. Sklar was born in New Brunswick, N.J., and attended UCLA, where he was editor of the Daily Bruin newspaper when he was recruited to create the Disneyland News for Walt Disneys new Anaheim theme park in 1955. After graduating in 1956, he joined Disney full-time and would become Disneys lieutenant. He wrote speeches, marketing materials and a film showcasing Walts vision for Walt Disney World and the Epcot theme park in Florida. READ MORE> Facebook

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Is a happily ever after coming to The Mindy Project? By Yvonne Villarreal The Mindy Project creator/executive producer/star Mindy Kaling with executive producers Matt Warburton, left, and Ike Barinholtz at the shows Television Critics Assn. press tour panel. (Willy Sanjuan/Invision/AP) Is there a happily ever after written in the stars for the final season of The Mindy Project? Series creator Mindy Kaling, who also plays the titular heroine at the center of the Hulu comedy, took the stage Thursday at the Television Critics Assn. press tour in Beverly Hills to discuss the shows swan song season. And when asked if Kalings rom-com-obsessed character, Mindy Lahiri, would get her storybook ending, the 38-year-old actress suggested it wouldnt necessarily be in the way viewers expect. I think that all of us would agree that we do have happily ever after, the connotations of it, said Kaling, who was joined onstage by executive producer and showrunner, Matt Warburton, and producer and star Ike Barinholtz (sporting a neck brace from a recent stunt gone wrong). But happily ever after isnt the same as no loose ends, she said. That everything is tied up neatly in a bow is something we arent super interested in. That side of it I think were trying to avoid, Kaling added, while also leaving the audience with the sense of feeling that it was about something and that it really was a project and that she had some growth in the end. And for fans wondering whether or how Danny Castellano (played by Chris Messina) would factor into all that, the season promises to shed some light on that. For the unitiated, Messinas Danny is Mindys former fiance and the father of her child. Messina, who hasnt been a series regular since Season 4, is set to return for multiple episodes. And while the Season 5 finale ended with Mindy marrying boyfriend Ben (Bryan Greenberg), hints were thrown that the new episodes would bring some clarity to the Mindy-Danny relationship. The one thing we can promise the audience is a little bit of clarity about where they stand, Warburton said. Its so great to see him back because weve always known theyre always going to be in each others lives  but its great to actually see what that means this season. Its complicated, added Kaling. Theyre both married to other people, so we went into that season with all of that, which makes things sort of fun and delicious. Other familiar faces set to return for the final season are Mark and Jay Duplass, Adam Pally and Glenn Howerton. Kaling, in discussing the decision to end the series, promised a good finale. The decision to end the show was our decision, and I think thats always very hard, Kaling said. It was like, God, should this be the end? ... I think right now the idea of doing a prequel or something like that just felt  we just have such a good finale. We have such a good finale that weve known about for awhile. The final season of The Mindy Project will start its rollout on Hulu in September. Facebook

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Tiffany Haddish clarifies controversial Bill Cosby remarks: Im not afraid of the Big Bad Wolf By James Reed Actress Tiffany Haddish has clarified her remarks about wanting to work with Bill Cosby. (Christina House / For The Times) A joke that Tiffany Haddish recently told The Los Angeles Times has backfired on the breakout star of the new film Girls Night. Talking to The Times Trevell Anderson, Haddish credited Bill Cosby as a comedy inspiration, seemingly unfazed by the multiple sexual-abuse allegations levied against the beleaguered, 80-year-old TV legend. I still want to work with Bill Cosby, I dont care, she told The Times earlier this month. Ill drink the juice. Ill take a nap. I dont give a damn. But seriously, I would love for him to play my grandfather in something. Her remarks raised eyebrows and ire on social media, with some fans questioning her intentions and a New York magazine story noting that the actress seems to have wandered into problematic fave territory. I've been rooting hard for Tiffany Haddish but I find nothing funny about her making light of Bill Cosby drugging women  Stephanie. (@qsteph) July 26, 2017 Twitter: "We loved Tiffany Haddish in #GirlsTrip. Sweetie is doing amazing!"



Tiffany Haddish: "I'd love to work with Bill Cosby."



Twitter: pic.twitter.com/X23DQWb2wi  hellresidentNY (@hellresidentNY) July 27, 2017 On Thursday, Haddish attempted to clarify those comments while speaking on a panel at the Television Critics Assn.'s summer press tour in Beverly Hills. What I said was a joke, she said, noting that when youre expected to be funny in promotional interviews, there are risks. Youre going to say some bad jokes. Haddish said her point had been that Im not afraid to do anything. Im not afraid of any kind of job. Im not afraid to play any kind of girl as long as it doesnt compromise my morals.... Ive been through things. Ive been victimized, she added. I dont agree with what he did or anything, but, at the end of the day, Im not afraid of the Big Bad Wolf. Thats what I was trying to say, and I was trying to do it in a humorous way. Times staff writer Sarah Rodman contributed to this report. Facebook

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Tracy Morgan thanks God, and Tiffany Haddish reflects on her success at Last O.G. panel at TCA By Sarah Rodman Tracy Morgan, left, Tiffany Haddish and Ryan Gaul of the new TBS comedy The Last O.G. at the TCA press tour in Beverly Hills on Thursday. (Frederick M. Brown / Getty Images) Thank God. Thats what Tracy Morgan had to say about what it means for the 30 Rock and Saturday Night Live alum to be returning to TV three years after the devastating accident that put him in a coma and resulted in the death of his friend James Jimmy Mack McNair. The stand-up comic and actor, whose new TBS comedy, The Last O.G. premieres Oct. 24, was full of gratitude and thoughts on starting over during the presentation for the show at the Television Critics Assn. summer press tour Thursday in Beverly Hills. Executive produced by Morgan, Jordan Peele and John Carcieri, The Last O.G. chronicles the adventures of Tray (Morgan). Newly sprung from prison after serving 15 years, he has to acclimate to the changed times, his gentrified Brooklyn neighborhood and his former girlfriend (Tiffany Haddish of Girls Trip) raising the children he didnt know existed with another man. This is a show about humanity, this is a show about second chances, this is a show about redemption, said Morgan, answering a question about whether it would explicitly explore African American issues. I wanted to transcend that... I wanted to deal with humanity. Haddish, naturally, fielded several questions about Girls Trip, the new comedy film that has minted her as a star. I feel like a foster kid whos been in the system for a long time and then turned 16 and somebody adopted them and said, You can go to college and you aint got to pay no school loans or nothing,  she said of how shes been feeling in the wake of the films superb box office. Im happy! Ive been accepted finally after all these years of hard work, blood, sweat and tears. Haddish said she was looking forward to her role in The Last O.G. since its a character who has gone through a transition in her life, just as she herself has. Her fellow cast mates, including Cedric the Entertainer, good-naturedly ribbed her about becoming a diva since shes now a movie star. But Morgan noted seriously that Haddish has been nothing but a pro: She comes to work. Haddish joked: My bank account, it dont show movie star yet. Im waiting on it. They say nine months; its like a baby. Im waiting for the delivery. Morgan said it was important to surround himself with scene stealers such as Haddish and Cedric and was clearly earnest in his appreciation of his collaborators and their sensitivity to his physical needs. They make sure I sit down... they dont ask me, they [say] sit down for a little while. So Im good. Im taken care of by my people, and I love them with my heart. Facebook

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It can be TGIF every day on Hulu: The service lands popular ABC programming block in SVOD deal By Yvonne Villarreal Every day can be Friday in the 90s with help from Hulu. The streaming service announced Thursday it has signed a deal with Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution for the exclusive streaming rights to programs that were part of the popular ABC programming block known as TGIF. The announcement was made during the streaming services day of panels at the Television Critics Assn. press tour in Beverly Hills. The shows under the deal include Full House, Family Matters, Perfect Strangers, Step by Step and Hangin With Mr. Cooper. Nabbing the rights to Full House is particularly noteworthy considering Hulus rival Netflixs success with reviving the comedy, which is returning for a third season in September. With the Hulu deal, more than 800 episodes of the five sitcoms from the bygone family friendly lineup will be available beginning Friday, Sept. 29. These shows are more than just beloved hits, they were part of a cultural tradition to tune in every Friday night, said Craig Erwich, Hulus senior vice president of content in a statement. Facebook

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TV Academy announces which awards will be handed out during Primetime, Creative Arts Emmys By Nardine Saad Get your Emmys ballot ready  the Television Academy has announced which categories will be awarded during this years 69th Primetime Emmy Awards and the separate Creative Arts Emmy Awards. The main event will take place at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles on Sept. 17 and will be hosted by The Late Show star Stephen Colbert. Prizes will be awarded to comedy and drama series, limited series, reality competition, variety talk and sketch, television movie, acting, directing, and writing during the live telecast on CBS. HBOs Westworld and NBCs Saturday Night Live lead the nominees with 22 nods apiece, a total that includes several below-the-line categories to be doled out at the two Creative Arts Emmys ceremonies the week before. Honoring artistic and technical achievements that could make or break your play-at-home ballot, the Creative Arts Emmys will be held in the same venue on two consecutive nights on Sept. 9 and 10. Theyll be put together for one show, produced by Bob Bain, that will air on FXX on Sept. 16. The first night will cover categories that include animation, choreography, cinematography, costuming, make-up, hairstyling, documentary and nonfiction awards, editing, lighting, sound-mixing, technical direction, variety special and some writing awards. The second night will lean more heavily on front-of-the camera talent, awarding the likes of guest actors and actresses and stunt work, in addition to childrens programs, commercials, main title designs and theme music, music composition and supervision, prosthetic makeup and additional sound and editing categories. For a complete list of this years nominees, click here. Heres the complete list of the awards being handed out during the Primetime Emmys telecast: COMEDY SERIES

DIRECTING FOR A COMEDY SERIES

DIRECTING FOR A DRAMA SERIES

DIRECTING FOR A LIMITED SERIES, MOVIE OR DRAMATIC SPECIAL

DIRECTING FOR A VARIETY SERIES

DRAMA SERIES

LEAD ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES

LEAD ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES

LEAD ACTOR IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE

LEAD ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES

LEAD ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES

LEAD ACTRESS IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE

LIMITED SERIES

REALITY-COMPETITION PROGRAM

SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES

SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES

SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE

SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES

SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES

SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE

TELEVISION MOVIE

VARIETY SKETCH SERIES

VARIETY TALK SERIES

WRITING FOR A COMEDY SERIES

WRITING FOR A DRAMA SERIES

WRITING FOR A LIMITED SERIES, MOVIE OR DRAMATIC SPECIAL

WRITING FOR A VARIETY SERIES Facebook

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Kesha finds redemption in new song: The past cant haunt me if I dont let it By Emily Mae Czachor For Kesha, Learn to Let Go is not just an aptly titled track off her upcoming Rainbow LP. Its become one of my mantras over the last few years, she said in a remarkably uplifting letter that the singer published Thursday to accompany a new video for the song. (This is her new M.O., it would seem.) Learn to Let Go, which Kesha co-wrote alongside her mother, Pebe Sebert, is a heartrending chronicle of redemption. Had a boogeyman under my bed/ Putting crazy thoughts inside my head, she sings, while real home-video footage of a whimsical young Kesha cuts between clips of a grown Kesha frolicking through the forest. The chorus rings like a self-empowered anthem: The past cant haunt me if I dont let it. My mom is always telling me how you have to learn to accept that you cant try to control everything, she wrote in the letter. When you realize that you are not the one in control and you stop holding onto regrets  its liberating. Your past only has as much effect on your future as you want it to, Kesha continued. Its about embracing your past, but not letting it define you. Her new album, Rainbow, will be released Aug. 11. Facebook

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Stephen Colbert to bring animated Trump series to Showtime By Meredith Blake Stephen Colbert has ridden anti-Trump sentiment to the top of the late-night ratings. Now hes riding it all the way to premium cable. On Thursday, Showtime announced it had ordered 10 episodes of an as-yet-untitled animated series featuring cartoon renderings of the president, his family and inner circle. The satirical half-hour series, executive produced by Colbert and The Late Shows show runner Chris Licht, will debut on Showtime this fall. According to the network, turnaround on the series will be quick in order to incorporate current events. Stephen and Chris have an uncanny genius for deconstructing the world of President Trump, and this series opens a new realm for them, Showtime President David Nevins said in a press statement. Tim Luecke, who co-created the animated version of Trump who frequently appears in Late Show bits  including a recent segment from the notorious presidential suite of the Moscow Ritz-Carlton  will serve as lead animator. The announcement caps off a period of good news for Colbert, who racked up six Emmy nominations this month and will be hosting the awards in September. The recently concluded Russia Week, in which the comedian traveled to Moscow and St. Petersburg, brought The Late Show its biggest margin over The Tonight Show since its premiere in 2015. While The Late Show airs on CBS, Colbert has also developed ties with his corporate cousins at Showtime. Many point to his riveting election night special Stephen Colberts Live Election Night Democracys Series Finale, which aired on the premium network, as a turning point after an uneven transition from The Colbert Report. For its part, Showtime has invested heavily in political content over the last 18 months, most notably the documentary series The Circus, from journalists Mark Halperin and John Heilemann. Facebook

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Matt Damon gets punched right in the face in George Clooneys Suburbicon trailer By Nardine Saad  Matt Damon, Oscar Isaac and Julianne Moore star in the trailer for George Clooneys Suburbicon. In George Clooneys latest directorial effort, Suburbicon, the pleasantries of a 1950s town are undone when a home invasion exposes the communitys criminal subculture and racial tensions. And Matt Damons Gardner Lodge gets stuck in the thick of it -- defending his young son, making death threats, killing mobsters and getting popped square in his bespectacled face at the office -- as seen in the first trailer that Paramount unveiled Thursday. Did we mention this is a comedy? The dark, screwball kind from the minds of screenwriters Clooney and frequent collaborators Ethan and Joel Coen and Grant Heslov? Well, it is, in case that wasnt clear from the previous description. These animals took everything from us, a blood-splattered Gardner tells his son Nicky (Noah Jupe) at the dinner table. I have to make decisions like whats best for the family. After Gardners wife is murdered, he invites Auntie Margaret (Julianne Moore) to come live in the manicured suburban community to help with his son. Meanwhile, he gets mixed up with a loan shark that sets him on the warpath of a formidable, coffee-swilling collector named Roger (Oscar Isaac). The film is based on a script that the Coen brothers wrote years ago that Clooney found, and they agreed to have him direct it, according to Moore. Paramount acquired the U.S. rights to the film, billed as a comedy, crime and mystery, at the Berlin Film Festival last year. It will be shown at the Toronto International Film Festival in September and hits theaters on Oct. 27. Facebook

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Woody Allens Wonder Wheel to complete Amazons turn to full-service distribution By Mark Olsen Woody Allen at the American Film Institutes Life Achievement Award tribute to Diane Keaton on June 8, 2017, in Los Angeles. (Christopher Polk / Getty Images for Turner) Thursday it was announced that Woody Allens latest film, Wonder Wheel, will have its world premiere as the closing-night film at this years New York Film Festival. The film stars Kate Winslet, Justin Timberlake, Juno Temple and James Belushi in a story set around Coney Island in the 1950s. But that wasnt the only Allen item of the day. Variety reported that Wonder Wheel will also be the first film fully distributed by Amazon when it opens in theaters on Dec. 1. The company has already made fast inroads to the movie business, winning Academy Awards this year for Manchester by the Sea and The Salesman, but has up to now worked with established distribution partners such as Roadside Attractions or Bleecker Street to help get those movies into theaters. Amazon released Allens 2016 film, Cafe Society, starring Jesse Eisenberg, Kristen Stewart and Steve Carell, in partnership with Lionsgate. The online giant also released Allens six-part Crisis in Six Scenes, in which he starred alongside Elaine May and Miley Cyrus, late last year via the Amazon Prime Video streaming service. The move by Amazon is yet another way the company is distinguishing itself in relation to streaming rival Netflix. Where Netflix has been seen as pulling back from theatrical distribution, opting for either extremely limited or no theatrical release at all of its titles to drive viewers to its own platform, this latest push by Amazon renews its commitment to traditional theatrical releases. The New York Film Festival slot for Wonder Wheel gives Amazon the three marquee spots at the showcase. Previously announced, Richard Linklaters Last Flag Flying will open the festival, and Todd Haynes Wonderstruck, which premiered at this years Cannes Film Festival, will show in the centerpiece slot. Other upcoming Amazon titles include Mike Whites Brads Status, starring Ben Stiller, and Luca Guadagninos remake of Suspiria, starring Dakota Johnson. Facebook

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Mick Jagger releases two new, politically charged singles By August Brown (Dave Gatley / Los Angeles Times) Mick Jagger has been looking to the past on recent albums and festival dates. But a pair of urgent new singles are firmly set in the present. On Thursday, the Rolling Stones frontman released two tracks, Gotta Get A Grip and England Lost, that describe, as he put it in a statement, the anxiety, unknowability of the changing political situation in a post-Brexit U.K. The production is resolutely modern, built on programmed drums and clanging guitar noise. The London grime artist Skepta even joins him for a verse on England Lost. Ostensibly, its about seeing an England football team lose, but when I wrote the title I knew it would be about more than just that. Its about a feeling that we are in a difficult moment in our history. Its about the unknowability about where you are and the feeling of insecurity, Jagger said in a statement. Its obviously got a fair amount of humour because I dont like anything too on the nose but its also got a sense of vulnerability of where we are as a country. The Girls actress Jemima Kirke also stars in a new clip for Gotta Get A Grip. The songs are Jaggers first new solo material since 2001s Goddess In the Doorway. Facebook

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Katy Perry to host 2017 MTV Video Music Awards By Libby Hill The MTV Video Music Awards are returning to California and getting a certified California Gurl to host. Katy Perry took to her Twitter feed Thursday to announce her upcoming gig hosting -- and performing -- at the VMAs in August. Ive been training with MTV in zero gravity, eating astronaut ice cream, and Im on a group text with Buzz Aldrin and Neil deGrasse Tyson, Perry said in a statement. Come August 27th, Ill be ready to be your MOONWOMAN! Brace for impact, kids. Perry will kick off the evening as the first announced performer for the ceremony. On Tuesday, Perry earned five VMA nominations for her video contributions over the last year, tying with the Weeknd, with only Kendrick Lamar earning more. Were thrilled to have global phenomenon Katy Perry as the host and a performer at the 2017 VMAs, said Bruce Gillmer, head of music and music talent for Global Entertainment Group, Viacom, in a statement from MTV. She is at the forefront of music culture and the perfect person to anchor this years show, which promises to be one of the most diverse and music-filled in VMA history. The 2017 MTV Video Music Awards will air from the Forum in Inglewood on Aug. 27. Find a full list of nominees here. Introducing your MOONWOMAN. Brace for impact! August 27th on @MTV @VMAs pic.twitter.com/WJsIYq7WiM  KATY PERRY (@katyperry) July 27, 2017 Facebook

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Turns out Larry David and Bernie Sanders are related! By Yvonne Villarreal Turns out Saturday Night Live was on to something when it cast Larry David to play Sen. Bernie Sanders. During his freewheeling appearance Wednesday at the Television Critics Assn. press tour in Beverly Hills to promote the upcoming ninth season of HBOs Curb Your Enthusiasm, David revealed that the resemblance is rooted in reality: Sanders is a distant relative. Hes in the line ... like a third cousin, or something, he said. The genealogical discovery comes courtesy of Davids appearance in an upcoming episode of the PBS series Finding Your Roots. I was very happy about that, David said. I figured there was some connection. David played Sanders on Saturday Night Live through the 2015-16 election cycle and also appeared alongside the senator on the late-night sketch show. Its the kind of family secret that David isnt ashamed to admit. I love Bernie, yes, David said. I love Bernie. Facebook

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Trumps proposed transgender military ban turns late-night into hostile territory By Libby Hill If theres one upside to the Trump administrations early-morning Twitter proclamations, its that it gives late-night shows all day to craft their reactions. Wednesday began with President Trump announcing a ban on transgender individuals serving in the United States military and ended with late-night hosts uniformly blasting the policy decision in hilarious fashion. On The Late Show, Stephen Colbert had plenty to say about Trumps tweets, which ended with an uncharacteristic thank you. Thank you? Colbert responded, shocked, before offering his own profane two-word response to the president. Colbert went on to discuss what he saw as the greatest fallacy of the presidents reasons for banning transgender soldiers: increased medical costs. Though a 2016 study funded by the Pentagon found that military medical spending on transgender soldiers would increase anywhere from $2.4 million to $8.4 million, Colbert wanted to reframe those figures. To put that number in perspective, the military spends five times as much on Viagra, Colbert explained, And if your erection lasts for more than four hours, thats too bad, because youre stuck on a submarine for the next six months. On The Daily Show Trevor Noah had similar concerns about the presidents cost-related excuse, pointing out that taxpayers are paying $60 million for Trump to travel to his various properties throughout his presidency. Noah also pondered which of Trumps generals hed consulted with, given that the Pentagon was unaware of his proclamation, suggesting that perhaps hed spoken with The General Online. Late Night With Seth Meyers also invoked the cartoon general from the car insurance commercials, when Meyers opted to turn discussion of Trumps tweets over to four of his female writers. Today it might be trans people, but tomorrow its gay people, and then the next day its black people, and after that its women, and then its immigrants, the writers pointed out, all of those groups represented between them. On The Tonight Show Jimmy Fallon had the good sense to turn over a portion of his monologue to transgender comedian Patti Harrison, who had plenty to say about Trumps Wednesday announcement. When I saw the headline this morning, at first I just read, Donald Trump bans transgender people, and I was like, Yeah, that sounds like him, Harrison deadpanned. But then I realized it was just in the military and I was shocked, because I assumed he already did that. But it was James Corden who took a completely different take on the transgender military ban, opting for a stylish and heartfelt song and dance, expressing his love and appreciation for the LGBT community. Facebook

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Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr are on the road again in new song collaboration By August Brown Ringo Starrs new LP includes a collaboration with fellow former Beatle Paul McCartney. (Ethan Miller / Getty Images) Any time the surviving Beatles reunite on record is a historic occasion. But a new single from Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr packs in even more classic-rock star power. Starrs new song Were on the Road Again is one of several collaborations with his former bandmate on his new LP, Give More Love. The song also has guest appearances from Joe Walsh, Edgar Winter and Steve Lukather. Its a slightly goofy ode to life on the road, as Starr boasts that, We play really tight; we play really loud and cheekily references his own song Photograph. The two Beatles last recorded together on Starrs 2010 album, Y Not, and performed McCartneys Queenie Eye at the 2014 Grammys. Starr announced the McCartney studio collaboration back in February, thanking the fellow Beatle in a Twitter post. Thanks for coming over man and playing Great bass. I love you man peace and love.  pic.twitter.com/Z5kpyLLlkO  #RingoStarr (@ringostarrmusic) February 20, 2017 Set for release on Sept. 15, Give More Love will also feature cameos from Peter Frampton, Don Was, Richard Marx and Dave Stewart, among others. You can hear Starrs new track with Paul McCartney via Rolling Stone. Facebook

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Curb Your Enthusiasm returns this fall -- and you can expect a Pirates of the Caribbean vibe? By Yvonne Villarreal Actor-creator-executive producer Larry David speaks at the Curb Your Enthusiasm panel during the Television Critics Assn. summer press tour at the Beverly Hilton. (Chris Pizzello / Invision/AP) Larry David revealed the real reason Curb Your Enthusiasm is at last returning after a six-year hiatus: People wouldnt stop bugging him about it. The Seinfeld co-creator took the stage Wednesday at the Television Critics Assn. press tour in Beverly Hills -- joined by his Curb cohorts Susie Essman, Jeff Garlin and J.B. Smoove and executive producer Jeff Schaffer -- to discuss the shows coming ninth season. So, why bring back the show now after all these years? Im not a misser, David told reporters. I dont really miss things, people that much, but I was missing it. I thought, yeah, what the hell. And I got tired of people asking me if the show was coming back. I couldnt get asked that question anymore and I wasnt ready to say, No, never. The often madcap and sometimes hilariously perplexing 30-minute panel -- led by Davids gruff wit and deadpans -- kicked off with a teaser for the season. There was David in a shower, David talking about constipation, David enduring the displeasure of middle-seat status on a flight. The amount of uncomfortable situations [real Larry David] has been in these last six years, Schaffer said, youre going to see it all. Its like were sitting in the Ft. Knox of awkward. As for TV Larry David, Schaffer said viewers will learn very quickly what hes been up to during the years that have passed. Once the show starts to air, it will be self-evident, he said. It goes to this really strange, fun, crazy place.... And you will never expect where it ends. The trip to that ending begins Oct. 1 when the comedy returns to HBO. The 10-episode season brings back Curb favorites like Cheryl Hines, as well as frequent faces Richard Lewis, Bob Einstein, Ted Danson and Mary Steenburgen. And what would a long-awaited return be without some guest stars? Elizabeth Banks, Ed Begley Jr., Carrie Brownstein, Bryan Cranston, Lauren Graham, Jimmy Kimmel, Nick Offerman, Nasim Pedrad and Elizabeth Perkins will get in on the fun. For those who still need something to pin their hopes on about what this season will entail, Garlin offered this absurdly brilliant comparison. It really thematically follows Pirates of the Caribbean. ... Its more like the last one than the first few. Facebook

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At TCA 2017, HBO defends Confederate, announces Jon Stewart special and says Deadwood movie is inching closer By Greg Braxton Casey Bloys, president of HBO programming, addresses reporters at the Television Critics Assn.'s summer press tour at the Beverly Hilton on Wednesday. (Chris Pizzello / Invision / Associated Press) HBO, which has the hottest show on television with Game of Thrones, recently came under fire with the announcement of a new series called Confederate from a team that includes Game of Thrones producers D.B. Weiss and David Benioff. The series revolves around events that lead to the Third American Civil War and examines an alternate reality in which the South seceded from the Union and thus, slavery is still legal. Casey Bloys, president of HBO programming, defended the project Wednesday during the premium networks session at the summer edition of the Television Critics Assn. gathering at the Beverly Hilton. Bloys said that, in hindsight, the announcement was mishandled because it lacked the context and the vision that he received from Benioff and Weiss in discussing the series. He admitted it was misguided to believe they could simply announce a series with such a sensitive and volatile subject matter. We could have done a better job with the press release, he said. There was no benefit of context. My hope is people will judge the actual material instead of what it could be or should be or might be, he said. Well rise or fall based on that material. He added that he felt the series, rather than being divisive, would be able to advance the racial discussion. Although the topic is controversial, he said he and the producers of the show all feel this is a risk worth taking. Bloys also stressed that the depiction of slavery would not echo Gone With the Wind and would not include whips and plantations. In other major HBO news, former Daily Show host Jon Stewart will perform a stand-up special at a date and time to be announced, and host the latest Night of Too Many Stars, an all-star benefit for autism. Also, a movie reboot of HBOs western Deadwood is closer to reality. Bloys said the shows creator, David Milch, has completed a script that will please fans of the series while also being accessible to those less familiar with the show. But, he said, reuniting the large cast, which included Timothy Olyphant and Ian McShane, may prove challenging. Facebook

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Two Jon Stewart comedy specials are coming to HBO By Yvonne Villarreal Jon Stewart, seen here presenting at the ESPYS, will return to HBO for his first stand-up special in two decades. (Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP) Jon Stewart will headline two stand-up specials for HBO. The news was announced Wednesday at the Television Critics Assn. press tour in Beverly Hills. The former Daily Show host will get a stand-up special  his first since since 1996s Jon Stewart: Unleavened aired on the network. A date and location have not been confirmed. Were excited to bring Jon to the network with this pair of specials, said HBO programming president Casey Bloys in a statement. Weve all missed his uniquely thoughtful brand of humor. Im really thrilled to be able to return to stand-up on HBO, added Stewart in a statement. Theyve always set the standard for great stand-up specials. Plus, I can finally use up the last of the Saddam Hussein jokes left over from my first special. Stewart will also host the latest Night of Too Many Stars, the all-star benefit for Next for Autism, a nonprofit organization focused on people living with autism spectrum disorder. The special will air live this fall and will take place from the Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York. The specials are part of Stewarts four-year deal with the premium cable network. Facebook

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Angelina Jolie talks about difficult split from Brad Pitt By Nardine Saad A-lister Angelina Jolie is adjusting to the domestic growing pains of life as a single mom  making a proper breakfast, keeping house and picking up dog poop. I never woke up and thought, I really want to live a bold life. I just cant do the other. Its the same as I cant make a casserole. I cannot sit still, she said in a sprawling new interview with Vanity Fair, in which she discussed her high-profile split from actor Brad Pitt. Ive been trying for nine months to be really good at just being a homemaker and picking up dog poop and cleaning dishes and reading bedtime stories. And Im getting better at all three. But now I need to get my boots on and go hang, take a trip, the humanitarian said of her plans to head to Africa for a mission with the preventing Sexual Violence Initiative. Angelina Jolie opens up about putting her family first, life after Brad, health issues & her most personal film yet https://t.co/nKyf4dO8ls pic.twitter.com/WkXCgWR1PV  VANITY FAIR (@VanityFair) July 26, 2017 The Oscar-winning actress explained how and when her marriage devolved, though she didnt go into great detail about the breakup for the sake of their six kids. The marriage began suffering in the summer of 2016 while she was in post-production on her fifth directorial effort, First They Killed My Father, a film about Cambodias Khmer Rouge genocide, which hits Netflix in September. Things got bad, Jolie said. I didnt want to use that word. ... Things became difficult. The director became slightly defensive at the mention of the familys globe-trotting lifestyle, which reportedly had been grating on Pitt. "[Our lifestyle] was not in any way a negative, she asserted. That was not the problem. That is and will remain one of the wonderful opportunities we are able to give our children. ... Theyre six very strong-minded, thoughtful, worldly individuals. Im very proud of them. After 12 years together and a few years of marriage, Jolie filed for divorce from Pitt in September 2016. While her ex was couch-surfing, she and the kids spent nine months in a rental property before settling into a six-bedroom, 10-bathroom Los Feliz manse once owned by film legend Cecil B. DeMille. Its just been the hardest time, and were just kind of coming up for air. [This house] is a big jump forward for us, and were all trying to do our best to heal our family. The divorce filing came suddenly for the health of the family on the heels of a spat Pitt had with their 15-year-old son, Maddox. They reached a divorce settlement privately in January after battling publicly for months over custody of the kids. The Oscar-winning producer had been vilified with accusations of child abuse and having an affair with his Allied costar Marion Cotillard. But he arguably won over public opinion with his introspective GQ Style interview in May in which he admitted to sobering up after boozing too much. Last year, Jolie was diagnosed with hypertension and developed Bells palsy when nerve damage caused one side of her face to droop. She took up acupuncture to treat it. Sometimes women in families put themselves last, she said, until it manifests itself in their own health. Thats just the latest in her medical history. Following a preventative double mastectomy in 2013, she had her ovaries and fallopian tubes removed in 2015, which sent her into menopause. I cant tell if its menopause or if its just been the year Ive had, she said, quipping about her dry skin and the idea that she could still be considered a sex symbol. I actually feel more of a woman because I feel like Im being smart about my choices, and Im putting my family first, and Im in charge of my life and my health. I think thats what makes a woman complete. For the record, Aug. 4, 12:55 p.m.: A previous version of this story said that First They Killed My Father would hit Netflix this month. It debuts in September. Facebook

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Caitlyn Jenner questions why Trump isnt fighting for transgender service members By James Reed (Taylor Jewell / Invision/Associated Press) There are 15,000 patriotic transgender Americans in the US military fighting for all of us. What happened to your promise to fight for them?  Caitlyn Jenner, tweeting in response to President Trumps transgender military ban announced Wednesday Read More Facebook

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Robert Pattinson confirms hes kind of engaged to singer FKA Twigs By Nardine Saad (Mike Coppola / Getty Images for People) Twilight heartthrob Robert Pattinson says hes kind of " engaged to singer FKA Twigs. The actor addressed the engagement rumors Tuesday in a direct response to shock jock Howard Sterns questioning on Sirius XMs The Howard Stern Show. Youre engaged, right? Stern said after calling the edgy English songstress his fiancee. Yeah, kind of, Pattinson, 31, responded uneasily. The Good Time star, whose relationships have been intensely scrutinized since he dated Twilight co-star Kristen Stewart at the height of the teen vampire frenzy, agreed that hes been a bit protective of his romances. Hes been dating the Water Me singer, real name Tahlia Barnett, since 2014 and theyve been rumored to be engaged since April 2015. Save for public appearances together, Pattinson has kept pretty mum about the relationship. Its one of the most frustrating things in the world because you want to be able to show off a relationship, he told Stern. You kind of get stuck in this position where you have to make decisions whether you want to let the kind of crazy people in. Pattinson was referring to the Twi-hards or, as he called them, a crack troupe of crazies who believe every decision he makes is part of some big conspiracy. To protect [the relationship] you kind of think, I want to create a big boundary between it. But then it makes it difficult for your actual relationship, he said. Additionally, Pattinson also discussed the racial disparagement his fiancee faces on social media for dating him. He tries to tune out the hate when he can, but he isnt always successful. I think its like professional trolls, he said of rude commenters. They get so addicted to kind of just wanting to cause hurt and pain on someone and its just one of the most difficult things to know how to confront. Its a faceless enemy. ... It might seem fake to them, but its definitely real in your life. Pattinson said responding to hate can just be feeding into it. It makes me feel less powerful if youre trying to attack and make it go away. Its like trying to attack a reflection in the water or something. You just look crazy, he said. Facebook

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David Letterman cringes when late-night TV hosts refer to viewers as fans By Emily Mae Czachor A profoundly bearded David Letterman made a rare talk-show appearance Monday -- one of just a handful of public ventures since the end of his run on The Late Show in 2015. Only this time, Letterman arrived as a guest. In an unusual turn of events, the former late-night host played interviewee on the season premiere of stand-up comedian Norm Macdonalds podcast, Norm Macdonald Live. The longtime pals discussed a number of matters, from Lettermans first-ever hosting gig (a game show called Wordbusters) to the time he found himself face to face with Richard Nixon. The two also discussed late-night TVs changing landscape and how Letterman never felt comfortable thinking of himself as the star of his own show. I could not possibly, and still dont, consider myself a star, because I couldnt refer to myself as a star, Letterman said. Johnny Carson was a star, theres no question of that. So for me to adopt that -- Starring Dave Letterman -- that was just ridiculous. In the same way, I always cringe a little when people refer to the folks who watch their show as their fans, Letterman added. I just think thats a little too  you know, you kind of just stepped over the line of basic humility there. Macdonald commented on late-nights packed roster of big-name hosts -- none of whom he finds particularly unique, except Conan OBrien, who he thinks has changed it up a little. On any plans for a late-night return to the host seat, Letterman told fans not to expect too much. Ive done it for 30 years, he said. I dont want to do it anymore. Watch the full episode above (warning: some profanity). Facebook

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Olivia de Havilland, 101, files motion to expedite her Feud lawsuit By Nardine Saad Olivia de Havilland at her Paris home in 2003. (Jean-Marc Giboux / Getty Images) Citing her advanced age, legendary actress Olivia de Havilland has filed a motion in her Feud lawsuit for a preferential trial date this fall. De Havillands attorneys filed in Los Angeles Superior Court on Tuesday, requesting that the jury trial be set in November or no later than 120 days of her motion being granted. The 101-year-old is hoping that a judge will fast track the trial during her Sept. 13 hearing date, which is just days before Feud is expected to be a big winner at the Primetime Emmy Awards. (The miniseries is nominated for 18 awards.) The Gone With the Wind star sued FX and Feud showrunner Ryan Murphy last month over her depiction in the miniseries about rival actresses Bette Davis and Joan Crawford. The two-time Oscar winner, who was played by actress Catherine Zeta-Jones on the show, makes legal claims about violations of her common law and statutory rights of publicity, her right to privacy and unjust enrichment. Based on her unusually advanced age, resulting particular susceptibility to disease, and recurring health issues, there is a substantial likelihood that she, as with anyone at this advanced age, may not survive for any extended period of time, the motion said. It is likely that if a trial preference motion is not granted, Olivia de Havilland will be prejudiced, because on the normal schedule, trial would not be set within the next 120 days. Her team also argued that because she is the sole plaintiff, De Havilland is crucial to the trial. Olivia de Havilland has a substantial interest in the litigation as a whole here as her personal statutory right of publicity cause of action does not survive her death. ... Further, should Olivia de Havilland die before her trial date, she will not be able to enjoy the benefits which she would receive in damages, the motion said. De Havillands June 30 lawsuit said the show damaged her professional reputation for integrity, honesty, generosity, self-sacrifice and dignity. She claimed that FX, Murphy and Fox producers never sought or obtained her permission to be depicted in the series and that Zeta-Jones portrayal of her in an episode about the 1963 Oscars cast her in a false, hurtful and damaging light. The defendants have not yet responded to de Havillands initial filing. According to Deadline, the Paris-based actress will not be attending the September hearing but may return to Hollywood if the trial is expedited to November. Olivia de Havilland 101: Everything you need to know as the movie legend celebrates her 101st birthday Facebook

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Despacitos Luis Fonsi, Daddy Yankee call out Venezuelan president for using song to push agenda By Nardine Saad Luis Fonsi, left, and Daddy Yankee. (Sergi Alexander / Getty Images) Despacito singers Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee and co-writer Erika Ender have condemned Venezuelas President Nicolas Maduro for appropriating their international hit song for political gain. The chart-topping Puerto Rican recording artists and Panamanian songwriter on Monday called out Maduro, currently the subject of violent and sometimes fatal nationwide protests over his policies, for reworking their lyrics to appeal to voters during his weekly television show on Sunday. The revision promoted the leaders plans for a controversial citizens assembly to be elected on July 30 and tasked with rewriting Venezuelas 1999 constitution and bypassing the opposition-led legislature. Our call to the Constituent Assembly only seeks to unite the country ... despacito, Maduros version said. The term despacito means slowly in Spanish and in the original version of the song refers to the singers wooing techniques. Maduros supporters swayed to the remix dressed in matching T-shirts and baseball caps that brandished campaign slogans. the Associated Press said. The president was seen clapping along to the remix while the audience danced, according to the BBC. I DO NOT AGREE WITH THIS, Ender wrote in Spanish on Instagram, citing a news story about Maduros use of the song. I cannot see so much pain in people I love so much. Warrior people, people with iron will. Good people, who are fighting for freedom of rights and expression. ... I love Venezuela, a land that has given me true brothers and sisters. Brothers who suffer because of the situation that exists. Ender also lamented seeing the song she co-wrote be used without permission to advertise campaigns linked to a regime that has sowed so much discontent and suffering. View Instagram post On repeated occasions, I have said how much I enjoy the versions of Despacito that have been released on a global level. However there has to be a limit, Fonsi also wrote in Spanish on Instagram. I have never been consulted, nor have I authorized the use of or the change of lyrics of Despacito for political means, much less in the middle of the deplorable situation in a country I love so much, Venezuela. He added that his music is for everyone who wants to listen to it and enjoy it, not to use as propaganda that tries to manipulate the will of the people who are crying out loud for their liberty and a better future. View Instagram post Daddy Yankee took a much more blunt approach in his post, sharing an image of a news article about Maduro with a large red X superimposed on it. What can you expect of a person who has stolen lives from young dreamers and people who are looking for a better future for their children? the reggaeton rapper wrote in Spanish. That you illegally appropriated Despacito does not compare to the crimes you commit and have committed in Venezuela. Your dictatorial regime is a mockery not only for my Venezuelan brothers, but for the whole world. With that nefarious marketing plan, you will only continue to highlight your fascist ideology, which has killed hundreds of heroes and injured more than 2,000. View Instagram post Millions of Venezuelans joined a general strike last week amid economic turmoil and a shortage of food and medicine in the country. Government opponents dealt a symbolic blow on Sunday to Maduro, casting votes in an unofficial referendum that rejected his plan for the constitutional overhaul. The government denounced the opposition balloting as illegal and seditious, according to The Times, but turnout appeared high at thousands of makeshift voting places set up throughout the country and abroad. Facebook

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Netflix invests in Matt Groenings Disenchantment By Libby Hill Matt Groening is ready to take another crack at this television thing. The creator of The Simpsons, which debuts its 29th season on Fox this fall, has a new show courtesy of Netflix. The streaming service provider announced Tuesday that it had ordered 20 episodes of Disenchantment, an adult animated comedy series set in a deteriorating fantasy kingdom. The show centers around a hard-living young princess named Bean, voiced by Abbi Jacobson (Broad City), her elf companion, Elfo (Nat Faxon), and personal demon Luci (Eric Andre). Ultimately, Disenchantment will be about life and death, love and sex, and how to keep laughing in a world full of suffering and idiots, despite what the elders and wizards and other jerks tell you, Groening said in a statement Tuesday. Matt Groenings brilliant work has resonated with generations around the world and we couldnt be happier to work with him on Disenchantment,  Cindy Holland, vice president of original content for Netflix, said in a statement. The series will bear his trademark animation style and biting wit, and we think its a perfect fit for our many Netflix animation fans. The series joins Netflixs Bojack Horseman in aiming for an audience unafraid of exploring the less-savory aspects of adulthood. Disenchantment will premiere on Netflix 10 episodes at a time, beginning in 2018. Facebook

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Broad City stars talk about the decision to bleep President Trumps name on the show By Yvonne Villarreal Abbi Jacobson, left, and Ilana Glazer of the series Broad City speak at the Television Critics Assn. press tour at the Beverly Hilton on Tuesday. (Chris Pizzello / Invision/Associated Press) Broad City creators and stars Ilana Glazer and Abbi Jacobson consider the bleeping out of President Trumps name from the comedys upcoming fourth season a different kind of joke. The two appeared onstage Tuesday at the Television Critics Assn. press tour in Beverly Hills to discuss the new season and how they reworked the show in the wake of Trumps election. We just got to a point where in real life were talking about the current administration, were talking about Trump  and it sounds so gross every day saying it so many 
Lady Macbeth is full of surprises. First off, its not Shakespeare, but rather an adaption of the Russian novel Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District by Nikolai Leskov. But what will really get audiences talking is the lead performance of controlled fire by British actress Florence Pugh. Its a startling, provocative breakthrough of terrifying inner strength and placid resolve.

Directed by acclaimed theater director William Oldroyd in his feature film debut, Leskovs story is adapted for the screen by playwright Alice Birch, resetting the action to rural 1865 England.

As the story opens, young Katherine (Pugh) enters into an arranged marriage with the controlling Alexander (Paul Hilton) at the remote estate where he lives with his domineering father Boris (Christopher Fairbank). An affair with a stablehand, Sebastian (Cosmo Jarvis), takes place under the suspicious watch of Katherines maid Anna (Naomi Ackie) and sets off a chain-reaction of humiliation, deception, betrayal, seduction, murder and survival.

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Oldroyd compares the character of Katherine to that of Daniel Plainview, played by Daniel Day-Lewis in There Will Be Blood, for the way in which the audience comes to understand her actions even as they are increasingly terrified by her. For Pugh, the character was never a villain, even as she is not exactly a conventional heroine.

She does bad things, but shes still kind of good, Pugh said.

Im probably the worst person to ask about Katherine now, because I am such a Team Katherine. I cant possibly think of not being Team Katherine, she added.

Recalling her first time reading the script, she said, Its that youre not expecting it, every page is just bigger and better than before. You dont see it coming. I remember halfway through, just smiling, thinking, Oh my God, shes epic. And when a character does that to you, you have to give your all in trying to get it.

Id love to see more characters like those two onscreen ... women who do something, women who have something to say, women who become something.  Florence Pugh on her characters in Lady Macbeth and Fighting with My Family

The actress, now 21, was 19 when she was cast in the part. For Oldroyd, it was Pughs ability to convey the transformation of Katherine, from young and innocent to cunning and willful, that set her apart from other actresses he was seeing for the role.

We met a lot of people who when you met them, I could see them as Lady Macbeth. You could see those things straightaway and there was nowhere else for us to go, he said. You needed to feel it was a journey for her, and Florence had the innocence but also a sort of steely core. And thats the real power she has as an actress.

Oldroyd also responded to all the ways in which Pugh projected a sense of personal power, a self-contained dynamo the opposite of the poised, porcelain English rose stereotypes of the female lead for British heritage costume dramas.

What I loved about Florence was that she completely shattered that idea, he said. We met somebody who was young and open and available and robust and joyful and playful and very grounded and earthy. All of those qualities she brought were so important for Katherine.

Oldroyd continued, You can imagine a lot of people who were helping us make the film  financiers and executives  they had an idea in their mind those other actresses, and so they were slightly confused. They said, Well this isnt the sort of person we imagined for Lady Macbeth, and I said, Well thats the whole point.

Having already impressed critics in its debut at last years Toronto International Film Festival, Lady Macbeth went on to screen at Sundance and the Los Angeles Film Festival and now finds itself positioned as intelligent counterprogramming to summer blockbusters.

Pugh was in Los Angeles earlier this summer after having just finished shooting on Fighting With My Family, in which she plays the British wrestler known as Paige. In a Los Feliz cafe on a midweek afternoon, a steady stream of aspiring starlets strolled through the door, all having perfected the casual glamour of the off-duty actress. Pugh bounded in with purpose, looking both casual and glamorous in an unstudied way, wearing sneakers, shorts and a ribbed top.

Two of Pughs three siblings were performing professionally before she started, so she had already seen firsthand the day-to-day struggles of auditions and rejection. Which is why even though she wanted to act, she didnt respond at first to an open audition call at her school. But she finally put herself on tape and got the part, cast in the movie The Falling from her very first audition.

She had been planning to eventually go to drama school, but after shooting The Falling she got an agent and set off on a year-and-a-half of more auditions. She spent time in Los Angeles to shoot a television pilot called Studio City. It was shortly after finding out that the pilot wasnt picked up that Pugh first got the script for Lady Macbeth.

I think its so interesting which ways your career can go, she said. I would have been a completely different actor doing a completely different story and I would have missed Lady Macbeth.

Stephen Merchant, who wrote and directed Fighting With My Family, auditioned some 60 women for the role of Paige. He had an early look at Lady Macbeth, but Pughs controlled performance did not completely convince him that she was right for the expressive role of a gothy bad-girl wrestler.

I was looking for someone who could be fiery and vivid, but also funny and vulnerable  and convince as a wrestler. Its a tough role for any actor, Merchant said via email. Flo worked hard in her auditions to convince me she can do it all. Turns out she can.

Merchant found out just how much she could do when on only Pughs fourth day of filming she went out in front of 20,000 wrestling fans at the Staples Center to re-create Paiges debut match.

I was amazed at how calm and self-possessed she was, recalled Merchant. I was more nervous than her. Paiges theme-tune played and she just strode out there like she was a superstar wrestler. Im editing that sequence at the moment and Im constantly amazed by her performance. She didnt miss a beat.

For her part, Pugh recalled the experience by saying that performing in front of a cheering, roaring crowd snapped into focus why wrestlers put up with physical injury and emotional adversity to climb back into the ring time and again. When I was in the ring and the roar started, I remember thinking, I am a superhero for 10 minutes. Anything I do they will either like or dislike, and its up to me, she said. Youre essentially invincible for about 10 minutes, and I was like, I get it.

MORE: Is a repressive 19th century drama from a newbie director the most radical movie of the season? 

Though she will also be seen in the upcoming thriller The Commuter and the horror film Hush, between the characters of Katherine and Paige, Pugh realized her career is off to an unusual launch. Shes playing women of power and decisiveness, full of the kind of contradictions that can be rare opportunities for a young actress.

Id love to see more characters like those two on-screen, said Pugh. not just women who are empowering, but women who do something, women who have something to say, women who become something. To me its an important thing. The women Im attracted to playing I hope will mean something to someone.

And I cant say that Ive achieved that because Im at the beginning of my career, she added, but I hope to create characters that people want to watch  and they either want to be or are or its something that they recognize. Why shouldnt there be more epic, brilliant female characters onscreen?

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Shaun of the Deads Edgar Wright accelerates toward the mainstream with Bay Driver

The LA Film Festival embraces and explores the city with a new spark
Movie recommendations from critics Kenneth Turan, Justin Chang and other reviewers.

Baby Driver Edgar Wrights exuberant, one-of-a-kind vehicular-action-thriller-musical-romance stars Ansel Elgort as a tinnitus-afflicted, music-loving getaway driver alongside a superb supporting cast that includes Kevin Spacey, Lily James, Jamie Foxx, Jon Hamm and Eiza Gonzalez. (Justin Chang) R.

Beatriz at Dinner Salma Hayek gives perhaps the best performance of her career as an empathetic holistic healer who comes face to face with a rotten billionaire real-estate mogul (a marvelous John Lithgow) in this queasily funny and suspenseful dark comedy from director Miguel Arteta and screenwriter Mike White. (Justin Chang) R.

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The Beguiled Superbly acted by an ensemble that includes Nicole Kidman, Kirsten Dunst and Colin Farrell, Sofia Coppolas Southern gothic chamber piece brings artful precision and a deft, distinctive feminist reading to a Civil War-era story previously adapted in 1971 by Don Siegel. (Justin Chang) R.

The Big Sick Kumail Nanjiani and Zoe Kazan are terrific as a young couple navigating the challenges of interracial romance and Muslim immigrant identity in director Michael Showalters delightful, serious-minded comedy, which also features powerhouse supporting turns from Holly Hunter and Ray Romano. (Justin Chang) R.

Dawson City: Frozen Time An aesthetic knockout thats crammed with amazing facts, a documentary thats also a detective story, a history of a particular place that turns into an examination of an entire art form, this Bill Morrison documentary inspired by the Klondike gold rush and a legendary cache of silent films will make you swoon. (Kenneth Turan) NR.

The Lost City of Z Based on David Granns nonfiction bestseller about British explorer Percy Fawcett (well played by Charlie Hunnam), James Grays rich, meditative and deeply transporting adventure epic is the sort of classical filmmaking that feels positively radical. (Justin Chang) PG-13.

A Ghost Story Casey Affleck dons a bedsheet and stars opposite Rooney Mara in writer-director David Lowerys quietly compelling low-budget experiment, a simple story of love and loss that gradually pries open a window onto eternity. (Justin Chang) R.

My Journey Through French Cinema A passionate, opinionated, drop-dead fascinating documentary essay about key decades in that countrys film history put together by clear-eyed enthusiast Bertrand Tavernier. (Kenneth Turan) NR.

Okja A parable of friendship, an environmental fable and corporate satire, Bong Joon Hos film is something truly special and to be celebrated wherever and however you may discover it. (Mark Olsen) NR.

Wonder Woman With forthright emotion, spirited humor and a surprisingly purposeful sense of spectacle, director Patty Jenkins and her superb star, Gal Gadot, have made a thrilling new superhero saga that might just save the typically nonthrilling DC Extended Universe. (Justin Chang) PG-13.

See the most-read stories in Entertainment this hour 

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One week after the temporary Louis Vuitton X Supreme shop popped up in downtown Los Angeles, it appears to have suddenly popped down.

The closure also appears to have happened the same day as a minor incident outside the temporary store, at 833 E. 3rd St., to which the Los Angeles Police Department responded Friday morning.

The French luxury labels website now includes the words Monday-Sunday: closed, below the address for the downtown Arts District pop-up shop.

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A Friday morning visit to the location found the bold red-and-white signage that marked the South Garey Street entrance had been removed, and there was no evidence of the long lines of people that had been snaking down the block for the last seven days.

According to the companys website, four of the other eight pop-ups are also currently closed, leaving just the Beijing, Seoul and Miami boutiques open.

A crowd of people waits in line to get into the Louis Vuitton X Supreme pop-up shop in downtown Los Angeles on June 30, 2017, the day it opened. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

A definitive end date for the shop, which had been selling a pre-launch assortment of pieces from the collaborative capsule collection between Vuitton and coveted skate-influenced Supreme brand, had not been previously announced. Its unclear whether the closure had been planned or whether it was in response to the early Friday morning kerfuffle near the shop.

According to LAPD Officer Irma Mota, police received a 4:30 a.m. radio call regarding a large group of people at 3rd and Garey streets. Mota said officers arrived at the scene and advised the crowd to quiet down or [stop doing] whatever it was they were doing.

They did so, and then officers left the location, Mota said.

A Louis Vuitton representative declined comment on Friday about the incident or the future of the DTLA pop-up, confirming only that it would be closed for the remainder of the day.

Well update this post with additional information as it becomes available.

 A collaboration between French luxury label Louis Vuitton and New York-based streetwear brand Supreme wont officially launch for another few weeks, but some pieces from the capsule collection are available at eight pop-up shops around the globe, in

adam.tschorn@latimes.com

For more musings on all things fashion and style, follow me at @ARTschorn.

ALSO:

Ready to visit the Louis Vuitton x Supreme pop-up store? Read this first

L.A. gets one of just 8 Louis Vuitton X Supreme pop-up shops worldwide

Barbie, are you ready for man-bun ken and Dad-bod Ken?
The Kooples threw a cocktail party in the newly refurbished Hotel de Crillon to celebrate the launch of its first line of Italian-made handbags, codesigned with Emily Ratajkowski and fittingly called the Emily.

Guests including Audrey Marnay, Rossy de Palma and Ellen von Unwerth mingled in sprawling rooms and balconies overlooking the fountains of the Place de la Concorde.

Ratajkowski, who is also the face of the French contemporary brands fall collection, showed off her deep tan in a long black skirt with a split that rose to her hipbone, paired with a strapless lace corset.

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Im one of those girls who has like 40 bags, or something, and I only wear four of them. So I looked at my bags and said, What are the ones I love the most and like to use the most? said Ratajkowski.

The Californian, who is quick to point out that she was born in London, said she also thought of her grandmothers old Prada and Dooney & Bourke purses.

They were super open to my ideas, she said of the brands founders and artistic directors.

Brothers Alexandre, Laurent and Raphael Elicha, each in a distinctive pair of glasses and black hat, said they chose Ratajkowski as their muse because she is feminine, sexy and cool.

She is seduction incarnate, said Raphael, the youngest of the trio, whose age gap with the older siblings spans over a decade.

Like Ratajkowski, who shot to fame after appearing in Robin Thickes Blurred Lines music video, The Kooples has enjoyed a rapid ascension. In recent years, the brand has expanded quickly in the U.S. market, where it has 30 points of sale, including Bloomingdales, and five stand-alone stores.

The company wants handbags, which come in three sizes of the same boxy model with gold-metal corners, to bring in 20 percent of sales within the next three years, said chief executive officer Nicolas Dreyfus. Accessories generate 7 percent of the brands sales at present.

Available in stores from Sept. 1 in black, red and taupe, the bags will come in an expanded range of colors in future, he added. Prices range from 295 euros to 395 euros.

Launch Gallery: The Kooples Celebrates New Bag Line in Paris

ALSO

The DTLA Louis Vuitton X Supreme pop-up shop has popped down  at least for now

Kim Kardashian West teases future plans for new KKW Beauty line
Could getting organized be the path to romance and true love? In Marie Kondos newest book, The Life-Changing Manga of Tidying Up: A Magical Story (Ten Speed Press: $14.99, paperback), the bestselling author and organizer extraordinaire proposes that the answer is yes.

Using charming and whimsical illustrations by award-winning Japanese manga artist Yuko Uramoto, Kondo introduces real-life lessons of her signature KonMari Method for tidying up in the format of a graphic novel.

Its funny how lessons couched in cute, comic-book style seem easier to digest.

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ALSO: Books to help you ger rid of stuff  like more books 

If organizational mandates are medicine, this book is like a spoonful of sugar.

However, in case you are thinking Kondos gone soft  she hasnt.

In the book, Kondo maintains her motto of keeping only what sparks joy in strictly instructing fictional heroine Chiaki, a young Tokyo woman with more clutter than direction, to show her how to regain control of her life  and possibly find love with the cute guy next door.

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10 high-tech gadgets to help you get to sleep

Bonnie McCarthy contributes to the Los Angeles Times as a home and lifestyle design writer. She enjoys scouting for directional trends and reporting on whats new and next. Follow her on Twitter @ThsAmericanHome

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Midnight Stroll: In the July 3 California section, an article about an effort by LGBTQ activists to reach out to those on the streets of Hollywood referred to St. Johns Health Center in Santa Monica. It should have said St. Johns Well Child and Family Center, which has clinics in South and Central L.A.

If you believe that we have made an error, or you have questions about The Times journalistic standards and practices, you may contact Deirdre Edgar, readers representative, by email at readers.representative@latimes.com, by phone at (877) 554-4000, by fax at (213) 237-3535 or by mail at 202 W. 1st St., Los Angeles, CA 90012. The readers representative office is online at latimes.com/readersrep.
An attorney for Blac Chyna filed Friday for a temporary restraining order against reality star Rob Kardashian after he posted sexually explicit images of the model on Instagram and Twitter.

Lisa Bloom, a well-known celebrity attorney, said Chyna, her client, was a victim of cyberbullying by ex-boyfriend Kardashian. A hearing on the order will be held Monday.

Kardashian, 30, posted the images Wednesday while accusing Chyna, the mother of his child, of cheating on him.

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Some legal experts have said the posts could be problematic because in 2013, California lawmakers passed a law penalizing what is known as nonconsensual pornography. A violation of the law is a misdemeanor resulting in up to six months in jail.

Mr. Kardashian, you are now on notice: Revenge porn is illegal, Bloom said Friday. Cyberbullying your ex is harassment. Chyna ended your relationship months ago, and she has the right to live as she chooses, work as she chooses, dress as she chooses, date who she chooses and be intimate with who she chooses.

Chyna and I both believe that this is an important womens rights issue, as too many women and girls have been slut-shamed by exes. Bloom added. It stops now. Her body, her choice. Her life, her choice. Back off.

Bloom and her co-counsel, Walter Mosley, are slated to appear in a downtown courtroom Monday to request the appropriate restraining orders against Kardashian. Los Angeles Superior Court officials said a copy of the restraining order filing wont be available until that day.

Los Angeles County sheriffs officials, whose jurisdiction includes Kardashians residence, said they have not received any complaints about his postings. That would be required for any kind of investigation to begin. Attorneys for Kardashian did not return messages this week.

Rob Kardashian and Blac Chyna throw down (and dirty) on social media  In a series of Instagram posts Wednesday, Kardashian claimed Chyna had sent him the images. Kardashian later deleted the explicit images from his account, where he repeatedly had accused her of infidelity. Kardashian took to Twitter about 12:35 p.m. that day to state that his Instagram account had been shut down, and he resumed posting other images, including a very explicit one, that he claimed were of Chyna. The most explicit image eventually disappeared from his Twitter account. Bloom was among the first Wednesday to publicly suggest Kardashian might have violated the state law on revenge porn. The attorney recently was involved in another civil case in which she succeeded in preventing a former boyfriend of actress Mischa Barton from releasing explicit videos of the star.

UPDATES:

3:25 p.m.: This article was updated with information from Blac Chynas attorney about the filing.

11:30 a.m.: This article was updated with background on the Mischa Barton case.

This article was originally published at 11:20 a.m.
A fast-moving wildfire burning in northern Santa Barbara County has grown to 19,000 acres, forcing evacuations amid soaring temperatures, officials said.

The Alamo fire, which started Thursday and eventually grew to 6,000 acres, roared across another 12,000 acres by Saturday afternoon near the border of San Luis Obispo County, prompting a frantic response from firefighters across Southern California, officials said.

The fire, located near Highway 166, was only 10% contained, officials said. Crews were battling to protect Tepusquet Canyon, their efforts hampered by extreme heat, low humidity and winds from the northeast.

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Low humidity, high heat and the winds are right  and theres just a lot of stuff to burn, said Santa Barbara County spokeswoman Gina DePinto. She said firefighters main focus Saturday is to secure the south and east sides of the blaze. If winds shift toward the northwest, as expected, homes could burn, she said.

Temperatures in the fire area were expected to reach up to 100 degrees Saturday, with humidity as high as 20%, said Todd Hall, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard. Winds will stay between 10 and 20 mph, he said, with possible gusts of up 35 mph Saturday night.

Things will cool down in the evening, however, when temperatures are expected to stay below 85 degrees, and humidity will remain under 30%, Hall said.

Columns of smoke could be seen Saturday from several miles away in Santa Maria and south across the county to the Santa Ynez Valley, according to fire officials.

Close to 200 homes have been evacuated, officials said. A mandatory evacuation order remained in effect for Blazing Saddle Drive, White Rock Lane and Tepusquet Road, south of Blazing Saddle Drive to Santa Maria Mesa Road. An evacuation warning also was issued for the Buckhorn area, DePinto said, though some people chose to stay.

A Red Cross shelter has been set up at the Minami Community Center in Santa Maria. Large animals also were being sheltered at the Elks Unical Event Center.

DePinto said 1,000 personnel are on site, up from 350 Friday. Those include crews from Santa Barbara County, Cal Fire, Ventura County and Los Angeles County. She said more help is on the way.

Fire crews are being assisted by five water-dropping helicopters and four retardant-dropping air tankers.

Officials dont know yet what caused the fire.

Meanwhile, a vegetation fire near Cachuma Lake in the Santa Ynez Valley about 50 miles south was continuing to burn out of control Saturday, prompting evacuations of campers and residents in the area, fire officials said.

The blaze near Camp Whittier was started by a car fire about 2 p.m. and blackened at least 500 acres, said Capt. Dave Zaniboni of the Santa Barbara County Fire Department.

About 80 campers were initially trapped at the Circle V Ranch Camp, but U.S. Forest Service firefighters managed to reach the group, and they are safely sheltering in place, he said.

The fire is continuing to burn on both sides of Highway 154, so vehicles are unable to reach camp at this time, Zaniboni said.

Cal Fire public information office Chris Elms explains how the the #AlamoFire grew to 19,000 acres today. pic.twitter.com/g2e4xQW0o6  Javier Panzar  (@jpanzar) July 8, 2017

View from our back pad! These photos of the #AlamoIC #AlamoFire were taken 2 hours apart in the same spot! Stay safe, #team6638! pic.twitter.com/3Ys7mh7Sf7  Makinzy (@makinzyspisak) July 8, 2017

Aircraft using the Twitchell Reservoir water to their full advatange. #AlamoFire is now 250 acres. @KSBY pic.twitter.com/utvz8n4Kwa  Megan Abundis (@meganrabundis) July 7, 2017

javier.panzar@latimes.com

andrea.castillo@latimes.com

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UPDATES:

5:50 p.m.: This story was updated with new information about a separate fire near Cachuma Lake.

4:25 p.m.: This story was updated with new information about the acreage burned.

12:15 p.m.: This article was updated with new information about evacuations and firefighting efforts.

July 8, 10:05 a.m.: This article was updated with new details from fire officials about the size of the blaze.

7 p.m.: This article was updated with more information on the Tower fire and evacuation areas.

6:10 p.m.: This article was updated with more details on the fires spread.

5:45 p.m.: This article was updated with increases in the fires size and other details.

This article was originally published at 3:55 p.m. July 7.
Southern Californias air quality board is moving to cut public speaking time in half and place other restrictions on participation in an effort to limit disruptions at its meetings.

The changes, to be considered by the South Coast Air Quality Management District board at a public hearing Friday, were drafted in response to a protest by environmentalists last month that disrupted the panels proceedings and included an obscenity-laced confrontation between board Chairman William A. Burke and a demonstrator.

The proposal by air district staff would cut the speaking time allotted to each member of the public from at least three minutes to no more than one and one-half, and add other restrictions to address public decorum and meeting disruptions.

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The new provisions would also:

Give the chair of the board the power to order the removal of any person willfully interrupting the meeting so as to render the conduct of the meeting infeasible

Prohibit members of the public from approaching the dais unless admitted by the chair

Bar people from standing in the aisles, walkways or blocking doorways

Air district spokesman Sam Atwood said the new time limit was proposed to accommodate as many speakers and comments as possible and to help ensure a respectful atmosphere at its meetings.

William Burke of the South Coast Air Quality Management District, in April 2016. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

At the June 2 board meeting, dozens of activists opposed to a planned expansion of oil company Tesoros refinery stood up and began chanting at agency officials from the auditorium in Diamond Bar during public comment on an unrelated item. The proceedings ground to a halt.

Video live-streamed by an audience member showed that at one point Burke, who is African American, approached and confronted a man in the audience who he believed had threatened and cursed at him using racially derogatory language.

The panel then recessed to a private conference room to conduct the rest of the business on the agenda without members of the public present. The air district later cited a provision of state law that allows public bodies that have been willfully disrupted to reconvene in a private location as long as the media is allowed to attend.

The air district later took the unusual step of editing out more than 18 minutes of footage from the official webcast of the meeting, with a spokesman saying it did not believe that it was appropriate to place a video on its website showing persons engaged in aggressively disruptive behavior and making inappropriate comments.

In response to Public Records Act requests, the air quality district released uncut video from the meeting in which members of the board can also be heard using obscenities.

Bahram Fazeli, policy director for Communities for a Better Environment, which organized the June 2 protest, said that activists engaged in civil disobedience but not aggressive or disrespectful behavior and that the man who cursed at the board was not one of the groups members.

Fazeli urged the air district to create more engagement and participation opportunities, not limit them.

tony.barboza@latimes.com

@tonybarboza

UPDATES:

7:45 p.m.: This article was updated with a statement from an air district spokesman.

This article was originally published at 6:00 p.m.
Planning on watching a movie this weekend at Hollywood Forever Cemetery?

Start chilling your rose.

The state Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control on Friday reversed course and said it now is allowing guests to bring their own wine, beer and champagne to Cinespia, the weekly summer movie screenings at the fabled Hollywood cemetery.

The move clears the way for Cinespia patrons to enjoy the prior BYOB policy at Saturdays showing of A League of Their Own.

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Today the ABC rescinded the temporary restrictions on BYOB alcohol at this weekends screening and screenings moving forward, the group said in a statement issued by a publicist.

Effective immediately our patrons can bring their own beer and wine to Cinespia in the same fashion as before. We will also continue to have a beer and wine bar with drinks for sale at each screening.

John Carr, a spokesman for the state ABC, said the agency made a decision late Thursday and waited until Friday to notify the film screenings organizers.

Patrons will be permitted to carry in outside alcohol for the foreseeable future, Carr told The Times via email. No other restrictions were in place, he said.

ABC just wants to ensure public safety is emphasized and the event organizers watch alcohol consumption, Carr said.

Its unclear what led to the change of heart by state regulators.

Cinespia had described the ban on outside alcohol as a temporary last-minute restriction, which was first imposed by the state for the July 4 showing of Jurassic Park.

To satisfy those irritated by the abrupt change in policy, Cinespia pointed out that beer and wine were available for sale to patrons, although some complained on social media about long lines Tuesday. Before the ABCs about-face, beer, wine and champagne were to be sold at reduced prices during Saturdays showing of the Penny Marshall classic starring Tom Hanks, Madonna and Geena Davis.

The initial move by state regulators caught aficionados of the screenings by surprise.

For more than 15 years, thousands have flocked to the burial ground behind Paramount Studios to watch classics such as Chinatown and Singin in the Rain while sipping on the merlot or ales they toted in. Many enter hours before the screening to enjoy a picnic dinner  and nab a choice viewing spot on the crowded lawn.

A publicist for Cinespia had said the original change in alcohol policy by state officials was not triggered by a specific event or mishap.

matt.hamilton@latimes.com

Twitter: @MattHjourno

UPDATES:

July 7, 2017, 6:05 p.m.: This article was updated with confirmation that state officials are now allowing alcohol at this weekends showing.

This article was originally published July 6, 2017, at 9:25 p.m.
A man accused of wounding a Los Angeles officer during a shootout with police  and streaming some of the gunfight in a video on Facebook  was charged this week with more than a dozen felonies, court records show.

Qasim Knox, who was also injured in the shooting, faces a total of 19 charges, including multiple counts of attempted murder or assault of a peace officer. The 25-year-old was also charged with murder in connection with a March 31 killing in South L.A.  an investigation that led to the shootout with police eight days ago.

Knox has not yet made an appearance in court, missing hearings that were scheduled for this week, a spokesman for the district attorneys office said.

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The SWAT officer wounded in the shooting, described as a 20-year veteran of the LAPD, is recovering at home, Chief Charlie Beck said this week. The officer was shot in the hip, though Beck said he was spared from a more serious injury because the round ricocheted off some of his gear.

Knox was one of four suspects detectives were looking for as part of their investigation into the South L.A. homicide, the LAPD has said. Court records show he was one of four men sought in the killing of Whitney Yorke, a 32-year-old man shot as he sat in a chair outside a Jefferson Park home.

On June 29, as police were serving warrants in connection with the homicide, they noticed Knox driving a blue vehicle. The vehicle took off, with the police in pursuit.

The chase wound its way down to the South Bay, where, police said, Knox bailed from his car and ran through an apartment complex near El Segundo and Aviation boulevards. LAPD detectives and SWAT officers, along with Hawthorne police, ran after him, Beck said.

Knox fired multiple rounds at the officers, who returned fire, Beck said. Residents of the complex described a dramatic scene, with bullets whizzing by and loud bursts of gunfire.

At some point, Knox pulled out a cell phone and began filming himself, putting the footage on his Facebook page, authorities said. A portion of the footage aired by NBC4 shows him shouting into the camera: Its over with. Its over with.  They got me.

Police said they found a loaded gun at the scene after Knox was taken into custody.

Prosecutors also charged Knox with being a felon in possession of a gun and ammunition, noting in court records that he was convicted of robbery in 2014.

kate.mather@latimes.com

@katemather

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Police are seeking assistance with identifying a man who they said tied up and sexually assaulted two women inside their apartment in the Fairfax District.

The Los Angeles Police Department released a sketch of the assault suspect on Thursday in connection with the Monday attack.

The man was armed with a handgun when he entered the victims apartment at 11:50 p.m. in the 400 block of North Ogden Drive, police said.

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He then tied the womens hands and assaulted them, according to the police department.

The man fled the apartment when one of the victims started screaming.

A neighbor told KCBS-TV she heard the victims scream and asked if anybody needed help. The victims emerged from the apartment and pleaded for help, she said.

They explained that the man, who was also armed with a knife, had held them at gunpoint and threatened them, the neighbor told the television news station.

The suspect is described as white, between 30 and 40 years old, 5 foot 10 to 6 feet, weighing 160 to 180 pounds and has a short gray beard.

veronica.rocha@latimes.com

Twitter: VeronicaRochaLA
In his first meeting as president with his Mexican counterpart, Donald Trump on Friday said he absolutely intends for Mexico to pay for the controversial wall he wants to build along the United States southern border, setting off a furor in Mexico over a goal his own administration has largely abandoned.

Trump and Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto met on the sidelines of the Group of 20 summit here, amid sharp disagreements over trade and immigration. Some officials had hoped the brief encounter could help heal badly strained relations between the two neighbors.

The proposed wall continues to make that difficult.

As journalists were allowed in to see the two leaders take their seats, one reporter asked Trump if he still wanted Mexico to pay for the wall.

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Absolutely, Trump said.

Mexico has repeatedly said it will not pay for a new border barrier, and Trumps words set off a furious reaction in Mexico City.

Mexican officials, however, decided to ignore the remark, at least publicly.

Pena Nieto didnt hear Trumps exchange with the reporter, and there was no further discussion of the wall in the private talks that followed, Mexican officials said.

The wall was not part of the conversation, Mexican Foreign Minister Luis Videgaray said in a news conference here. Thats what we had agreed to, and thats how it was.

Whether Pena Nieto and his delegation really didnt hear the comment, Mexican officials were privately angry that Trump responded the way he did. The president easily could have ignored the question, one Mexican official said. A little more than an hour after the meeting with the Mexican delegation, Trump ignored reporters questions at the opening of his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Trumps statement was consistent with the campaign rhetoric, but not with what his administration actually has done. In March, the administration asked Congress for $4.1 billion to begin construction on additional border fencing and walls, conceding that Mexico would not be paying for it.

Its coming out of the Treasury, Trumps budget director, Mick Mulvaney, told reporters when asked who would pay for the wall. So far, that request has met with a chilly reception on Capitol Hill.

Homeland Security Department officials have made clear that the administration does not intend to build a wall along the full length of the border, the way Trump often has described it. There are already about 600 miles of wall, fencing or other blocking constructions along the 2,000-mile border, which traverses rivers, desert and hilly terrain.

Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly testified earlier this year that there would be no wall from sea to shining sea, and officials have said the focus will be on additional border fortifications in or near urban areas, most likely more fences than walls.

Videgaray said most of the 40-minute meeting was dedicated to the landmark 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement, which Trump initially panned as a terrible deal for the United States and threatened to pull out of, but now says he is willing to re-negotiate.

Talks begin Aug. 16, and Videgaray said the parties agreed to try to reach terms by the end of the year. (Mexico prefers to use the word modernize rather than re-negotiate.) Canada is also a signatory.

In his recorded weekly radio address, however, which was released Friday, Trump angrily denounced countries that have gotten rich by destroying American jobs, and called for a total re-negotiation of NAFTA, once again saying something in public that goes well beyond what his administration has actually proposed.

If we dont get it, we will terminate, that is, end, NAFTA forever, Trump said.

Videgaray also said the two governments agreed to explore ways to promote farm jobs for temporary workers, a program that has existed for decades and allows thousands of Mexicans annually to travel to the United States legally to plant and harvest crops. Mexico has worried that the workers might get caught up in the Trump administrations efforts to reduce immigration.

Before Trump responded to the reporters question on Friday, the two presidents delivered prepared statements.

Trump referred to Pena Nieto as a friend. In addition to NAFTA, he was negotiating some other things with Mexico, and well see how it all turns out, but I think weve made very good progress, he said.

Speaking through a translator, Pena Nieto said the meeting would help the two countries continue a flowing dialog especially for the security of both nations, especially for our borders.

He noted that migration is an issue of concern to both administrations. And he added that it is the co-responsibility to deal with organized-crime issues.

Videgaray confirmed that these issues came up in the private talks, although the emphasis was on NAFTA. The White House said after the meeting that the two presidents also discussed regional challenges, including drug trafficking, illegal migration, and the crisis in Venezuela.

Trump has been controversial in Mexico since the day he declared his candidacy and characterized many Mexicans as rapists and criminals who should be kept out of the U.S. Opposition to Mexican immigration to the U.S. became a hallmark of his campaign.

Though enduring a brutal wave of violence, some of it related to drug trafficking, Mexico is nevertheless one of the United States largest trading partners, shares long and strong cultural ties and enjoyed relatively good diplomatic relations and security cooperation with Washington before Trump took office.

The two presidents met last August when Trump was a candidate. He traveled to Mexico City in a visit that many Mexicans saw as disastrous. Trump contradicted Pena Nieto on the wall and seized control of a news conference, calling on American reporters and ignoring the Mexicans as the Mexican president looked on helplessly.

Pena Nietos domestic favorability ratings dropped to an all-time low afterward.

In January, Pena Nieto canceled a scheduled first meeting when Trump threatened to impose a tax on Mexican imports to pay for the wall.

The two have also shared several telephone calls, some quite contentious. In one, according to an official account that became public, Trump suggested that hed send U.S. troops to Mexico to fight drug traffickers if Mexicos army didnt step up. Nothing could be more anathema to Mexicans sense of sovereignty and nationalism.

Even before Fridays encounter, expectations in Mexico were low that it would be a chance to reset the two governments troubled relations. One prominent newspaper, El Financiero, said talking to Trump is a conversation with a deaf man.

Despite the formal and public tension, other officials in the U.S. and Mexican governments are working more closely. Videgaray sustains a close relationship with presidential son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Kelly have traveled to Mexico City several times and received their counterparts in Washington.

Bennett reported from Hamburg, Wilkinson from Washington. Cecilia Sanchez contributed from Mexico City.

tracy.wilkinson@latimes.com

For more on international affairs, follow @TracyKWilkinson on Twitter

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Hoping to project new-found cooperation, the United States and Russia on Friday declared a cease-fire in a corner of Syria, but the announcement already has been met with widespread skepticism on the ground and in diplomatic quarters.

The announcement came at the Group of 20 summit in Hamburg, Germany, as presidents Trump and Vladimir Putin of Russia sat down for their first face-to-face meeting since Trumps election.

For the record: This article gave the impression that Tel Aviv is the capital of Israel. The capital is Jerusalem, though the United States and most other nations do not recognize it as such and maintain their embassies in Tel Aviv.

Simultaneously, Jordan, the third signatory to the cease-fire, said the agreement to end the fighting in Syrias southwest would allow stability and free access of humanitarian aid for this key area in Syria. It is slated to begin Sunday, along an agreed-to line of division between Syrian government forces and their allies on one side, and U.S.-backed rebels and other militias on the other side.

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U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the agreement showed the progress that can be made when Russia and the United States agree to cooperate.

Numerous similar efforts, however, have collapsed. Cease-fires agreed to by the U.S. and Russia in Syria  including including a recent ill-fated attempt to save the historic city of Aleppo  have never lasted long, and the U.S. has often accused Moscow of using the cover of such pauses in battle to seize territory.

What may be different this time, I think, is the level of commitment on the part of the Russian government, Tillerson told reporters in Hamburg. In many respects, people are getting tired. Theyre getting weary of the conflict. And I think we have an opportunity, we hope, to create the conditions in this area, and the south is I think our first show of success. Were hoping we can replicate that elsewhere.

The ability to make such a move, he said, comes from major progress in the fight against Islamic State, which had occupied parts of Syria but is being gradually driven out.

Tillerson said the U.S. and Russia had agreed on what forces would monitor the cease-fire but refused to identify them. His Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, said in a separate briefing that monitors would come from the ranks of the Russian police, something many rebel groups may be loath to accept.

Russia has backed the brutal government of Syrian President Bashar Assad, while the U.S. has sided with anti-Assad rebels, though Washington has focused its efforts on ousting Islamic State, not directly targeting Assad.

Tillerson did reiterate the U.S. government position, which has wavered somewhat under the Trump administration, that Syria must eventually have new political leadership.

We see no long-term role for the Assad family or the Assad regime, Tillerson said. How Assad leaves is yet to be determined, but our view is that somewhere in that political process there will be a transition away from the Assad family.

The Obama administration had long insisted Assad had to be removed from power sooner rather than later, but once Russia entered the fray, that goal faded.

Despite Tillersons optimism, there was weary doubt about how successful this effort would be, even within the Trump administration.

This is an important step but a first step, a senior State Department official involved in the negotiations said. This is more complex than [cease-fires] we have tried in the past.  There are a lot of spoilers on the ground.

Southwest Syria has been a battleground between Iranian-backed Hezbollah militias fighting alongside Syrian government units against the rebels and is also home to an Islamic State affiliate known as the Khaled bin Walid Army whose militants are positioned less than a mile from the triangular border area between Syria, Jordan and Israel.

The jihadis have resisted all efforts to dislodge them, despite rebel factions in the south receiving significant support from Western countries, including the U.S.

As fighting raged in parts of the southwest, there has been a flurry of talks in recent weeks on numerous proposed cease-fire deals involving Russia, Iran and Turkey that would eventually encompass most of Syria.

Earlier this week, Syrian pro-government activists reported a Russian proposal for so-called deconfliction zones that would see Russian and Turkish troops policing the northwest province of Idlib, the rebels last major stronghold in the country. Russian and Iranian troops would enforce the cease-fire in Homs province, while only Russian troops would be stationed in the countrys south, in what is presumably a nod to Jordan and Israel.

Amman and Tel Aviv have repeatedly expressed concern regarding Hezbollah and other pro-government factions supported by Iran near their borders.

Yet Israel may not accept a Russian presence in the Golan Heights. On Friday, the Israeli daily Haaretz quoted anonymous Israeli officials who said they vehemently oppose[d] this idea and would prefer that American troops take on policing duties in the south.

Tillerson ahead of the Hamburg summit outlined several possible joint mechanism plans for working with Russia to lay the groundwork for a cease-fire, including the establishment of no-fly zones and on-the-ground monitoring forces.

But much of the skepticism greeting Fridays announcement came from suspicion over how effective Russia can be in maintaining a cease-fire, given that much of its focus in Syria has seemed to aim at bolstering Assad.

Russia has never been able to deliver a cease-fire, Robert S. Ford, who left Syria in 2014 as the last U.S. ambassador there, said recently in discussing the range of options that await the battered country.

The State Department official, who briefed reporters on condition of anonymity, said Russia had made overtures in the last month offering to use its influence on the Syrian government.

Given the stakes, the official said, it was worth doing this  [but] we are doing this with eyes open.

Wilkinson reported from Washington and Bulos reported from Amman.

tracy.wilkinson@latimes.com

nabih.bulos@latimes.com

For more on international affairs, follow @TracyKWilkinson on Twitter

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The U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals on Friday rejected a request from the state of Hawaii to expand the number of people who can bypass President Trumps travel ban, dealing one of the main challengers to the presidents executive order two court losses in two days as it fights to minimize the bans effect on travelers.

The order from the appeals court came a day after a Honolulu-based federal district judge denied the same request, saying he would not usurp Supreme Court orders that had revived a limited version of the travel ban.

In its order, a panel of three 9th Circuit judges said they do not fault the Hawaii judge for rejecting the states claim against how the ban is being implemented.

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The judges suggested that the bans challengers made a technical mistake in their filing in Honolulu when they asked U.S. District Judge Derrick Watson to clarify the Supreme Courts instructions on the ban, instead of asking for injunctive relief or to modify the injunction of the travel ban.

Although the district court may not have authority to clarify an order of the Supreme Court, it does possess the ability to interpret and enforce the Supreme Courts order, as well as the authority to enjoin against, for example, a partys violation of the Supreme Courts order, the judges wrote.

The judges  Michael Hawkins, Ronald Gould and Richard Paez  were appointed by Democratic presidents and had previously refused to reinstate the ban in June before the Supreme Court took over the case.

In his order on Thursday, Watson said those challenging the ban need to go to the Supreme Court to get clarification on whether the government is appropriately implementing it.

But in its appeal to the 9th Circuit, the state of Hawaii said that Watson was simply incorrect.

At issue is which refugees and visitors to the United States can sidestep the ban  and how to determine whether such people have close relatives living in the United States or are associated with the country in other ways that let them bypass the ban.

Although Trumps executive order halts travel by nationals of six majority-Muslim countries and refugee resettlement from all places, it provides exceptions for those with what the Supreme Court called bona fide connections with the United States, such as a parent, spouse, child, adult son or daughter, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, sibling, fiance or fiancee, and in-law parents.

But the administration blocked grandparents, grandchildren, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins, brothers- and sisters-in-law. Travel ban challengers asked Watson to force the government to count all of those categories as bona fide U.S. connections.

Ban opponents also argue that a resettlement groups interactions with a refugee constitute a bona fide relationship. The administration argues otherwise.

The Trump administration indicated after the Hawaii judges order that it was celebrating another court win after a series of losses over the travel ban.

If the plaintiffs elect to proceed, we are confident that the U.S. Supreme Court will again vindicate the president and his constitutional duty to protect the national security of the United States, the department said in a statement Thursday.

The ban, which puts a three-month pause on travel to the United States by nationals of Syria, Sudan, Somalia, Libya, Iran and Yemen and a four-month halt to all refugee resettlement, had been blocked by federal judges since an original version of it was signed in January.

Those judges included Watson, who ruled against the ban in a March case filed by the state of Hawaii. Trump administration losses in that case and another filed in a Maryland federal court were upheld in the 9th Circuit and 4th Circuit appellate courts before requests were made to the Supreme Court to rule on the constitutionality of the ban.

On June 26, the Supreme Court said the ban could be put back into place with exceptions. The court suggested its move was a compromise before it heard full arguments on Trumps executive order in the fall.

We are now in the middle of a 90-day partial travel ban. The Trump administration has reserved the option to extend or even expand the travel ban at the end of it. Many felt the balance struck by the Supreme Court was nuanced and fairly reasonable, but the Trump administration has flouted the Supreme Courts order from the start, Hawaii Atty. Gen. Douglas Chin said in a statement after the state filed its appeal. What happens in the next several weeks matters a lot if the administration is not subject to the checks and balances of the courts.

Hawaii and other travel ban opponents argue that the ban unconstitutionally discriminates against Muslims and is part of the presidents campaign promise to suspend all Muslim immigration. The Trump administration says the president is acting within his power to ensure national security while the government develops better vetting procedures for travelers from the countries, which it says have ties to terrorism.

Read the latest national headlines >> 

jaweed.kaleem@latimes.com

Jaweed Kaleem is the Los Angeles Times national race and justice correspondent. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

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UPDATES:

4:20 p.m.: This article was updated to report an appeals court declined to take up Hawaiis request to allow more people to be exempt from President Trumps travel ban.

This article was originally published at 1:45 p.m.
Its the mayoral race that, just a few months ago, no one saw coming. Then, with a bulging campaign bank account and a solid lead in the polls, Ed Murray was on his way to being reelected to a second term as mayor of what the Census Bureau called Americas fastest-growing city.

Thanks to powerful Democratic connections and a solid economy buoyed by Amazon.com, Murray had kept the competition at bay.

Then came the lawsuit.

In April, Delvonn Heckard, 46, claimed in court papers that Murray, 62, sexually abused him when Heckard was a drug-addled teen in the 1980s. Three other men came forward to make similar claims. Murray denied the accusations but, under pressure, announced in May he wouldnt run in Seattles Aug. 1 primary.

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Three weeks ago, Heckard suddenly dropped the lawsuit, claiming he wanted to wait until Murray was out of power and promising to refile later. Murray quickly claimed vindication and toyed with running again as a write-in candidate. He passed on that but promised to explore legal options, suggesting that Heckards attorney had politically exploited his client to end Murrays career.

You were not successful, Murray said in comments directed at the lawyer during a televised news conference last month. I will continue to be mayor of this city.

But only until his term ends in December. Thereafter, it will be one of 21 candidates who suddenly stormed the county elections office after Murray announced his withdrawal from the race.

The Seattle mayoralty, a prized sort of end-of-career job paying $175,000 a year, historically has not been a jumping-off place for those who seek higher office in Olympia or Washington, D.C. Thats a route more often taken by the mayors counterpart, the King County executive. Several execs have moved on to become governor or take D.C. roles. One, Gary Locke, went on to become President Obamas Commerce secretary and later ambassador to China.

Even with Murrays departure, no one is expecting major changes to an office that has been a modern model of liberalism. If the polls can be believed, Murray, the citys first openly gay male mayor, is likely to be replaced by the citys first openly gay female mayor, another devoted Democrat who shares Murrays goals.

Jenny Durkan is among an energetic and eclectic crowd of well-known figures and also-rans vying for a spot in the primary. The top two vote-getters will face off in November.

The ultimate winner would oversee a city of about 700,000, where crime is comparatively low and the economy spectacularly climbing. On average, the Census Bureau says, 57 newcomers take up residence here every day.

Still, challenges remain, and each candidate was willing to pay a nearly $2,000 registration fee for the opportunity to at least sound off on Seattle concerns far away (President Trump and Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions) and close to home (Amazon.coms relentless downtown expansion and traffic gridlock).

Jessyn Farrell, a former state legislator who quit the House to run for mayor, summed up the latter problem:

Being stuck in traffic is the worst. It harms our quality of life, our health, our economy and our environment. A recent study showed the average Seattle commuter wasted 55 hours stuck in traffic in 2016, ranking us in the top 10 nationally for worst gridlock.

Most of the Seattle 21 indicate they will faithfully engage in the citys preponderantly Democratic, if not far-left, politics. The City Council, for one, is weighing a plan to establish an income tax on the rich; if approved, the ordinance would impose a 2% tax on single residents with yearly incomes exceeding $250,000 and married residents with incomes over $500,000.).

A good number of candidates hope to win votes by bashing the Trump administration. Libertarian Casey Carlisle, for one, supports Murrays defiant stand against Sessions, who threatened to revoke some federal funds if Seattle remains a sanctuary city. The mayor said hed find supplemental funding while suing the U.S.

The lack of federal funding would be a badge of honor for our city, Carlisle said. Seattle then can brag that we dont accept money from Trump.

Conversely, businessman Gary Brose has chosen to go against the Seattle tide, opposing the citys effort to gradually raise the minimum wage to $15 and a proposed city-county drug-user injection center for addicts, the first in the U.S. He told Ballotpedia that the police are somewhat unnecessarily restrained due to the federal involvement here, referring to a Justice Department lawsuit seeking reforms after years of police abuses and civil rights violations.

The primary field also includes former Mayor Mike McGinn, a bike-riding enthusiast who is blamed by many for Seattles gridlock by turning streets into bike lanes, while 70-year-old Thom Gunn is running because the Seattle he remembers has disappeared: We took a beautiful farmers daughter, the City of Seattle, and we made it a dog, he told Seattle Weekly.

James W. Norton Jr., a Seattle police officer, said he was inspired to pay the $1,954 entry fee because of people he met responding to 911 calls; they are the citizens most affected by government policies and convinced him changes are needed.

Candidate Mary Martin, a Socialist, says, My party and my campaign oppose all forms of the meritocratic liberal hysteria, which, while its directed at Trump, actually attacks the working class.

Leading the polls for now is Durkan, appointed by President Obama as the U.S. attorney for the Western District of Washington in 2009, when, as she explains, I became the first openly gay U.S. attorney in our countrys history. That only took 211 years.

Durkan served until 2014 and now heads a Seattle law firm. She says solving homelessness is one of her priorities. We need to get people in housing and not living in tents, under bridges and in their cars, she said. There are nearly 3,900 unsheltered people experiencing homelessness in our city. Thats heartbreaking and unacceptable.

If Durkan becomes mayor, it would create an odd tension on at least one front. Though Washington is one of the few states to legalize retail marijuana sales, the drug remains illegal under federal law  and as U.S. attorney, she had cracked down on medical marijuana dispensaries.

But this is Seattle, where reinvention is part of the civic character. Durkan hasnt endorsed pot sales outright, but she had noted an upside to a different kind of enforcement.

We cannot go back to the old approach , she said. The way that marijuana was enforced previously and in some states today is one of the main reasons that an entire generation of African American men were locked up unnecessarily  and Im proud that were leading the nation in the new path forward.

Anderson is a special correspondent.
Donald J. Trump became president by winning the Electoral College despite collecting nearly 3 million fewer votes nationwide than his opponent. To Trump, the popular vote results werent simply a reflection of his campaign strategy or large blue-state populations. They were proof of election fraud.

Thats the germ of the idea behind the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity, an ad hoc group Trump created by executive order May 11 to identify the laws, policies and practices that either enhance or undermine the publics confidence in the voting process, as well as the vulnerabilities that could lead to fraudulent registrations and votes. Not coincidentally, the commission also tapped into an ongoing argument between Republicans, who say voter fraud is a real problem that needs to be addressed with new safeguards at the polls, and Democrats, who say fraud is a smokescreen that the GOP is using to justify its voter-suppression tactics.

We havent seen evidence of widespread fraud in either Trumps election or previous ones  indeed, the research has mostly suggested that theres been very little of it. Nevertheless, we have no objection to a meaningful, concerted effort to get to the bottom of the issue once and for all.

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If the president is sincere about examining the weaknesses in the countrys election system, he should disband this commission and send Kobach back to Kansas.

But if a study of the subject is to be taken seriously, it will have to be done by a panel that is truly bipartisan in makeup, open-minded about what it will find, dispassionate in its analysis and transparent in its methodology. If its conclusions are foreordained or if its methods are secret or if it represents only one side of the debate, that wont work.

Which brings us to the group Trump assembled. Based on the history and initial actions by its point person, Vice Chairman Kris Kobach, theres little reason to think this commission can produce credible answers to the questions that Republicans have been raising about the sanctity of elections. Worse, we fear it will ignore the very real threat to election integrity posed by hackers and meddling foreign powers, as seen in the last presidential campaign.

Kobach, who is Kansas secretary of state, is an ideologue whos already concluded that voter fraud is so severe that states should make it harder for people to register and vote, such as by requiring them to show proof of citizenship at the polls. If the commissions goal is to produce a reasoned and fair-minded analysis of the voting process that persuades people across party lines, its a mistake to put such a polarizing person in charge.

In one of his first official acts, Kobach sent a letter to election officials in every state asking for sensitive personal information about the 200 million U.S. registered voters  not just names and addresses, but partial Social Security numbers, voting histories and felony convictions. What privacy protections will be applied? Is it wise to consolidate that much valuable personal information in one place? Why is all that information necessary? If the commission has considered these questions, there was no hint of it in Kobachs letter.

Nor has Kobach shown himself to be forthright and trustworthy when discussing the information he collects. Witness the fine a federal magistrate recently levied on him for the patently misleading statements hed made to the court about election-related documents he brought to a meeting with President-elect Trump in November.

The response to Kobachs request from state officials has been frosty. More than 40 states refused to provide some or all of the requested information, with both Democratic and Republican secretaries of state raising concerns about privacy safeguards and potential misuse.

The request for data was only a small part of Kobachs letter to state elections officials. He also asked for their comments and recommendations on policy or legal obstacles to voter integrity, recommendations for preventing voter intimidation or disenfranchisement and vulnerabilities with voting technology. Those are good topics for a commission to examine. But not this one.

There are enough challenges facing the nations voting system to keep a commission busy for years. How should we modernize outdated voting machines? How do we protect electronic voting machines from tampering, as the Department of Homeland Security believes Russian hackers attempted last year?

Then there are a host of issues related to voter turnout. Are there ways to alter the voting process that would get more people to vote? Have voter-ID laws and other tightened security measures had a deterrent effect on actual fraud or have they merely discouraged voting among poor and minority communities? We suspect the answer is the latter, but we want to see the data.

If the president is sincere about examining the weaknesses in the countrys election system, he should disband this commission and send Kobach back to Kansas to run his gubernatorial campaign. Then he can convene another, fully bipartisan commission with a broader mission to safeguard U.S. elections from all threats, be they the occasional duplicate ballot or the hacking of an entire election by a foreign power, and with an open-minded leader who isnt already invested in a particular outcome.

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When President Trump meets Russian President Vladimir Putin in Germany on Friday, it is entirely appropriate for him to explore possible areas of cooperation, including in minimizing conflict between the two countries in Syria and in defusing the crisis posed by North Koreas nuclear program.

But that will not be enough. Trump must also confront Putin on Russias outrageous attempts to interfere with last years American elections and its continuing attempts to intimidate neighboring countries, including Ukraine and the Baltic states. The problem is that speaking those hard truths will take Trump out of his personal and political comfort zones.

The Trump-Putin meeting, which was originally expected to be a casual encounter at the Group of 20 meeting in Hamburg, has been upgraded to a more substantive conversation. No subject is more pertinent to such a discussion than Russian interference in the U.S. election. In January, a declassified report by U.S. intelligence agencies concluded that the Russian meddling, ordered by Putin, was a significant escalation in directness, level of activity, and scope of effort compared to previous operations aimed at U.S. elections and represented the new normal in efforts to influence U.S. politics.

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No subject is more pertinent to such a discussion than Russian interference in the U.S. election.

As president, Trump should be offended by such interference even though he was the candidate favored by the Kremlin. Yet his reaction to revelations about Russian involvement has been a mixture of denial, disinformation and dismissiveness. The problem isnt, as Hillary Clinton claimed in last years campaign, that Trump is Putins puppet. Its that the president equates concern about Russian interference with a rejection of the legitimacy of his own election.

On Thursday, the president was still casting doubt on the conclusion of the intelligence community that Russia attempted to influence the election. At a news conference in Warsaw with Polish President Andrzej Duda, Trump said that although I think it could very well have been Russia that meddled in the election, it could well have been other countries.  I think a lot of people interfere.

This sort of willful blindness is bad enough when the president is speaking to American audiences or to reporters. But it becomes a dereliction of duty if it prevents him from confronting Putin about what the intelligence community and many in Congress see as a continuing threat to American democracy. Even worse would be any move by Trump to relax sanctions imposed by the Obama administration in response to Russian interference in the election. Those sanctions included the closing of two compounds used by Russian diplomats in New York and Maryland and that Washington said were used for espionage.

Trump also must confront Putin about Russias aggressive behavior toward its neighbors, including Ukraine where it has supported pro-separatists in a conflict that has cost 10,000 lives. On Thursday, Trump did say that Russia needed to cease its destabilizing activities in Ukraine and elsewhere. When he meets Putin he must make clear that U.S. sanctions imposed in connection with Russian activities in Ukraine will remain in place until those activities cease.

Finally, Trump must communicate to Putin that the U.S. is dedicated to the security of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, recent additions to the NATO alliance that were once part of the Soviet Union. Leaders of those nations have been unsettled by a Russian missile deployment at Kaliningrad on the Baltic Sea and provocative military maneuvers. Russia also has engaged in disinformation and fake news campaigns in the Baltic States, particularly in Russian-language media.

As recent members of NATO, the Baltic states have a special reason to be concerned about Trumps commitment to the alliance, which he called obsolete during the campaign. In his speech in Warsaw on Thursday, Trump said that we stand firmly behind Article 5, the provision of the NATO treaty that says an armed attack against one member will be considered an attack against all. (The president raised eyebrows in May when he omitted an explicit endorsement of Article 5 from a speech he delivered at NATO headquarters in Brussels.) Trump needs to tell Putin that the U.S. makes no distinction in its commitment to Article 5 between old and new members of the alliance.

Trump prides himself on plain speaking and a disregard for political correctness. He should put those qualities to good use when he sits down with Vladimir Putin.

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Even when President Trump has a good idea, he doesnt stick with it long enough. Like pushing China on North Korea.

Of North Korea, said candidate Trump: We should put pressure on China to solve the problem. As president, he initially placed the issue front and center in the U.S.-China relationship.

But a couple months later, Trump appears to have lost hope in Beijing. While I greatly appreciate the efforts of President Xi & China to help with North Korea, it has not worked out. At least I know China tried, he tweeted recently.

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A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman responded that his nation had played an important and constructive role in promoting peace on the Korean peninsula. Exactly how the Peoples Republic of China helped is not clear, however. It cut back on coal purchases, but other commerce with North Korea continues. The Trump administration asked the Xi government to act against ten firms and individuals who trade with the North, but is still waiting for action.

People look longingly to Beijing only because enlisting Chinas help appears to be the best of several bad options.

Most proponents of the China card imagine Beijing cutting off trade, especially energy and food. Having just returned from Pyongyang  the North Korean government invited me but the Cato Institute paid my expenses  I found both energy and food to be in seeming good supply. Despite reports that gasoline prices have increased, there was no visual evidence of a shortage.

An undefined diplomatic duty wont prompt China to act. The Trump administration must therefore convince Xis government that punishing North Korea benefits China. Which means Washington must take into account Beijings interests.

First, Chinese officials have long blamed the U.S. for adopting a threatening policy, which spurred the North to build nuclear weapons. Thus, Washington should work with South Korea and Japan to develop a package of benefits  economic assistance, security assurances, peace treaty, diplomatic recognition, and more  to offer in return for denuclearization, and present it to Beijing, then to the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea.

Second, China fears a messy collapse if the DPRK refuses to disarm. Nightmares of millions of refugees crossing the Yalu River, factional conflict in Pyongyang, combat among competing military units spilling across the border, and loose nukes have created a strong Chinese preference for the status quo. The U.S. needs to emphasize that the present situation is also dangerous and discuss how the allies are prepared to assist with any ill consequences. A commitment to help care for refugees and accept Chinese intervention in the North, for instance, might help assuage Beijings concerns.

Third, Beijing does not want to facilitate Korean reunification, creating a larger and stronger state allied with the U.S. and leaving American troops on the Yalu, or even farther down the peninsula. Among the issues worth discussing: respect for Chinese economic interests in North Korea, withdrawal of U.S. forces after reunification, and military nonalignment of a unified Korea.

Fourth, the U.S. could offer additional positive incentives. Trade, Taiwan, and territorial issues all provide areas where Washington could offer specific concessions in return for Beijings assistance. That obviously would increase the price of any agreement, but the U.S. has to decide how far it will go to promote denuclearization.

Of course, such an approach leaves much to be desired. Even if Kim Jong Uns government accepted benefits in exchange for disarmament, human rights abuses could still continue. Or Pyongyang might refuse and survive, leaving an even more dangerous and impoverished nuclear nation. In the event of government collapse, China might resurrect the DPRK, only with more pliable rulers.

However, there are no better options. Military strikes might not destroy the Norths main nuclear assets and probably would trigger a second Korean War, which would result in horrific death and destruction even for the victors. Targeting Chinese firms would damage relations with Beijing without necessarily significantly weakening Pyongyang. People look longingly to Beijing only because enlisting Chinas help appears to be the best of several bad options.

If there ever were a time for the U.S. to negotiate for Chinese cooperation, it is now. Trump and Xi appear to have established a positive relationship. The tragic death of Otto Warmbier after his release by Pyongyang adds urgency to efforts to address North Korea. Moreover, in Pyongyang I saw no visible signs of the warm friendship that officially exists between North Korea and China. In fact, North Korean officials said they wanted to reduce their dependence on any one nation.

Winning Chinese assistance remains a long shot, but Trump should put his self-proclaimed negotiating skills to work. There is no alternative, other than essentially accepting North Korea as a nuclear state, which the president presumably does not want as his foreign policy legacy.

Doug Bandow is a senior fellow at the Cato Institute and a former special assistant to President Reagan. He is the author of Tripwire: Korea and U.S. Foreign Policy in a Changed World and coauthor of The Korean Conundrum: Americas Troubled Relations with North and South Korea.

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Time is short if you care about preserving some of Californias greatest natural wonders and recreational opportunities. Six national monuments in our state are at risk, along with parts of all four of the national marine sanctuaries off the California coast  Channel Islands, Monterey Bay, the Greater Farallones and Cordell Bank.

Heres the situation: In December, President Obama proclaimed millions of acres in the Bears Ears region in Utah as a national monument, a process strongly opposed by some. In response, President Trump in April ordered a review of 27 monuments that had been declared or enlarged over the last 20 years. He then doubled down with instructions to reconsider recently set aside marine sanctuaries.

Land and sea monuments are designated by presidents under the Antiquities Act of 1906; marine sanctuaries are established by the secretary of Commerce or Congress under the National Marine Sanctuaries Act of 1972. While I think Californians should support all of these sites, particular consideration ought to be paid to our marine sanctuaries. They protect Pacific Ocean waters and beaches  arguably our states most celebrated attraction, the key to our identity. Close to 65% of Californias population lives in coastal counties.

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Within the marine sanctuaries there are some state-established no take fishing zones, and areas off-limits to personal, motorized watercraft. But generally the sanctuaries are where we work and play  open to recreational and commercial fishing, to shipping, to other commerce and scientific research, as well as swimming, surfing, boating and diving. The only activities that are prohibited throughout the sanctuaries are ocean dumping, seabed mining and oil drilling.

Lost opportunity costs related to oil drilling, dumping and mining represent gained opportunity benefits for coastal economies.

And that is clearly what is bugging the Trump administration. The directive aimed at the sanctuaries is called the America First Offshore Energy Executive Order. It requires the Department of Commerce to review sanctuary expansions and lost opportunity costs related to hard mineral mining and oil, gas and methane hydrate drilling. Never mind the science that tells us we need to leave fossil fuel reserves underground and under the sea if were to avoid the most catastrophic effects of climate change.

The administration suggests that not all stakeholders were heard from when the sanctuaries were created or expanded. But in reality, the set-asides are the result of years of open advocacy and debate that included the public, scientists, conservationists and all manner of commercial interests. Just ask former Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D-Petaluma), who fought for expansion of the Greater Farallones and Cordell Bank sanctuaries throughout her 20-year congressional career. The boundaries she proposed were finalized just two years ago. The result is that taken together, marine sanctuaries now protect one-third of the California coast from offshore oil drilling.

This area is a national treasure. It needs and deserves permanent protection from oil and gas exploration, Woolsey told the Los Angeles Times five years ago. Even the Western States Petroleum Assn. appears to agree. In June, its president said, I am not aware of any of our members chomping at the bit to drill in the sanctuaries.

President Trump doesnt seem to get it, or to understand that lost opportunity costs related to oil drilling, dumping and mining represent gained opportunity benefits for coastal economies. According to a 2015 report by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, recreational fishing in Californias marine sanctuaries generates more than $200 million a year and supports more than 1,300 jobs. In the Monterey Bay area alone, the sanctuaries contribute to a $3.5-billion tourism economy and more than 35,000 jobs. The sanctuaries also shelter major seabird and sea mammal breeding sites, dozens of threatened or endangered fish and mammal species, including great white sharks and blue whales, and protect our beaches from the kind of oil spill that coated Santa Barbaras coastline, pelicans and gulls in 1969.

I spent part of the Fourth of July weekend diving in the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary, south of Ventura. In kelp forests 60 feet tall just off Anacapa Island, we encountered red and black sheepshead, also opaleyes, senoritas, blacksmith and sea bass. In the light-dappled surge zone, where waves broke close above us, there were big orange Garibaldi, spiny lobsters waving their antennae and an octopus. A sea lion and a harbor seal checked us out. Watching an orange and purple Spanish shawl nudibranch, like a tiny living jewel, reminded me of John Muirs observation: Every natural object is a conductor of divinity.

You have just a few days  at the latest July 10  to register your support for Americas national monuments with the Department of the Interior. The six at risk in California are the San Gabriel Mountains monument, Mojave Trails, Carrizo Plain, Sand to Snow, Berryessa Snow Mountain and Giant Sequoia.

As for the marine monuments and sanctuaries, you can contact the Department of Commerce until July 26. Send them the message on the hoodie I wore warming up between dives last week: The ocean is rising and so are we.

David Helvarg is the executive director of the conservation and policy organization Blue Frontier. His latest book is The Golden Shore  Californias Love Affair with the Sea.

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Since President Trump has taken office, reporting in the public interest has seen an encouraging resurgence. There is a renewed sense of purpose among reporters covering the White House and a renaissance in investigative journalism. All this should help burnish the medias tarnished credibility.

But this good work is competing with a less admirable trend. The media have a bad habit of turning themselves into the story. And their tendency toward solipsism is as unbecoming as the presidents thin-skinned narcissism.

Often the president uses his Twitter account to insult journalists. In February he called the FAKE NEWS media the enemy of the American People. Recently this sniping has turned into a full scale assault: Trump slandered MSNBCs Mika Brzezinski and celebrated violence against CNN  my former employer  by spreading a crude, doctored WWE video of the president body-slamming an embodied CNN logo.

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These tweets are dishonest, sexist and disturbing. They violate traditional standards of respectability and show deep contempt for the free press. CNNs senior media correspondent, Brian Stelter, has argued that the president aims to tear down outlets that dare challenge him.

Trump uses demeaning personal attacks to draw his targets off message and into an imbroglio on his terms.

Of course its tempting to respond, but dishonest, sexist and disturbing is just Trump being Trump. Commentators should understand by now that President Trumps effort to brand traditional media fake news is akin to candidate Trump smearing his opponents as Little Marco and Crooked Hillary. He uses demeaning personal attacks to draw his targets off message and into an imbroglio on his terms.

While Hillary Clinton and Marco Rubio learned that engaging in this battle is neither constructive nor strategic, much of the press is ignoring those hard-won lessons and is itching to fight back. Entering this arena with the president is never a good idea.

For example, after reporting on Trumps anti-CNN tweet for days, the network published an article about an anonymous Reddit user who posted one version of the body-slamming video. A line in the article seemed to suggest CNN might out or doxx the Reddit user, sparking an intense Twitter pile-on by the presidents online fans. CNN  originally the victim in this story  found itself on the defensive as newspapers around the country ran articles about journalistic ethics rather than the presidents outrageous behavior.

The fact that the media cant win these fights isnt the only reason to resist the impulse to fire back; when the Fourth Estate stoops to the presidents level, important news goes un- or under-covered.

The same day the media were busy clutching their pearls over the presidents vile tweet about MSNBCs Brzezinski, the White House instituted its new travel ban.

The day the president ginned up outrage with the CNN body-slamming video, the Senate reportedly sent two new, secretly revised healthcare proposals to the Congressional Budget Office.

A new travel ban and changes to healthcare are consequential stories. But when viewers tuned in to cable news and Sunday shows, they were treated to heaping doses of media self-indignation at Trumps slights.

During these convulsions of self-reflective coverage, the media appear to be more concerned with their own interests than the interests of the American public. That undermines their relevance to news consumers and feeds the unfortunate perception that the D.C. press is a self-interested elite.

Media defenders insist that intense coverage of the presidents war on journalism is warranted as a bulwark against encroachment on press freedoms. This is a legitimate concern. Real reporting is warranted when the administration takes actions that hinder the medias ability to do their job. The presidents Twitter tantrums, however, hardly qualify.

Besides, Americans dont need convincing that the presidents conduct is out of line. According to a recent Survey Monkey poll, a majority of Americans disapprove of his use of Twitter. An NPR/Marist poll shows that more than 70% of Americans believe civility in Washington has declined since Trump took office.

News organizations should therefore be more judicious about how much exposure to afford his attacks.

Instead of giving top billing to outrageous anti-media tweets, news outlets should dedicate more airtime to reporting about the presidents executive orders, new standards at the Environmental Protection Agency, knee-capping of the State Department through understaffing, plans to slash student aid and food stamp assistance, efforts to radically alter our healthcare system, and instability in the Middle East and on the Korean peninsula.

In a Supreme Court decision establishing new organizations right to publish the Pentagon Papers during the Vietnam War, Justice Hugo Black wrote that the press was protected so that it could bare the secrets of government and inform the public. The media would do well to keep this standard in mind as they decide when and how to cover Trump.

Stop taking the presidents bait. Its a losing proposition.

Jessica Yellin is former CNN Chief White House Correspondent and a senior fellow at USCs Annenberg Center on Communication Leadership and Policy.

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To the editor: The story of Korean War veteran Hiroshi Miyamura was more than worthy of its front-page placement on our Independence Day. (Hiroshi Miyamura and his hometown had a lot in common. They believed in America, July 3)

As a child of a refugee and an immigrant, I have seen our country devolve into something I almost cannot recognize. Miyamuras life and the courage of his fellow Americans in Gallup, N.M., in standing up to the xenophobia of the 1940s, are a lesson we all need to learn.

Thanks to Sgt. Miyamura, and thanks to The Times for putting a smile on my face and a tear in my eye on July 4.

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Christopher Franciosa, Encino

..

To the editor: About 10 years ago I traveled to Gallup with a group of Japanese-American Korean War veterans from the Los Angeles area.

We were privileged to take part in a citywide commemoration to honor Hershey Miyamura, Gallups hometown hero. It was an impressive event that also paid tribute to many of the towns war heroes, both fallen and still living.

Thank you for sharing the moving story of Miyamura. His is a story not just for the citizens of Gallup or about Japanese Americans; it is truly an American tale.

Mark M. Nakagawa, Gardena

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To the editor: As a Los Angeles Police Department officer, its not uncommon for strangers to thank me for my services. Now, its my turn to thank a group of strangers.

Recently, my partner, Officer Matthew Medina, received an outpouring of support following a Times article about his need for a marrow transplant. More than 134 people joined the Be the Match Registry after reading his story. (An LAPD officer needs a bone marrow transplant. His ethnicity limits his chances of getting one, June 22)

There is an urgent need for marrow donors, especially for people of color. Patients typically match a donor of their same ethnicity, but most potential donors are white and Matt is Filipino. He is still looking for his match.

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To those 134+ people: You have given hope to thousands of patients, including Matt. For that I am forever grateful.

If you want to learn more about the registry or join as a committed donor, visit join.bethematch.org/match4matt. Thanks again to those who already have.

Dante Pagulayan, Long Beach

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On Thursday, President Trump spent yet another day embarrassing the United States on the international stage. Yes, he gave a pretty good speech before a Polish crowd in Warsaw in which he pledged to defend the values of the West. But then, in a news conference with the Polish president, he proved he was not serious about that pledge.

As Trump stood before the television cameras, he repeated his oft-stated contention that nobody knows who hacked the American presidential election, even though U.S. intelligence agencies and most members of Congress know for a fact it was the Russians. He then went on to rail against the free press with his tiresome blather about fake news. He even wondered aloud why NBC is not nicer to him since he made them a bunch of money as host of The Apprentice.

This nonsense is getting old and boring and it would be a relief if it could simply be ignored, but, of course, Trumps wayward words have consequences  especially because, today, he is meeting for the first time with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the G-20 summit in Hamburg, Germany. If Trump actually cared about the West, or at least about his own country, he would be putting Putin on notice that attacks on Americas democracy will not go unpunished. Trump, though, cannot separate in his mind the proven Russian meddling from his obsession with his clouded victory over Hillary Clinton. Thus locked in his own delusion, he is unlikely to make an issue of the election hack with Putin.

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1 / 51 la-1491523602-y7ephyarj1-snap-image (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 2 / 51 la-1491368625-0bgh58ihw8-snap-image (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 3 / 51 Top of the Ticket cartoon (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 4 / 51 Top of the Ticket cartoon (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 5 / 51 Top of the Ticket cartoon (David Horsey / Los angeles Times) 6 / 51 Top of the Ticket cartoon (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 7 / 51 Top of the Ticket cartoon (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 8 / 51 Top of the Ticket cartoon (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 9 / 51 Top of the Ticket cartoon (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 10 / 51 Top of the Ticket cartoon. (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 11 / 51 Top of the Ticket cartoon (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 12 / 51 Top of the Ticket cartoon (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 13 / 51 Top of the Ticket cartoon (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 14 / 51 Top of the Ticket cartoon (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 15 / 51 Top of the Ticket cartoon (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 16 / 51 Top of the Ticket cartoon. (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 17 / 51 Top of the Ticket cartoon (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 18 / 51 Top of the Ticket cartoon (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 19 / 51 Top of the Ticket cartoon (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 20 / 51 Trump inspires millions to take to the streets -- to oppose him. (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 21 / 51 Top of the Ticket cartoon (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 22 / 51 Top of the Ticket cartoon (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 23 / 51 Top of the Ticket cartoon. (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 24 / 51 Top of the Ticket cartoon (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 25 / 51 Top of the Ticket cartoon (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 26 / 51 Top of the Ticket cartoon. (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 27 / 51 Top of the Ticket cartoon (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 28 / 51 Top of the Ticket cartoon (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 29 / 51 Top of the Ticket cartoon (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 30 / 51 Top of the Ticket cartoon (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 31 / 51 Top of the Ticket cartoon (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 32 / 51 Cartoon caption contest winner at the DENT conference in Sun Valley, Idaho: Jon Duval, executive director of the Ketchum Community Development Corporation. (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 33 / 51 Old radicals and big media descend on Selma (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 34 / 51 Horsey imagined the creation of the Ann Coulter phenomenon in this cartoon from 2007. (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 35 / 51 This David Horsey drawing is a reconfiguration of a cartoon he first published in 2006. (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 36 / 51 Donald Sterling, owner of the L.A. Clippers, should give Cliven Bundy a call. After Sterling loses his NBA franchise and the deadbeat Nevada rancher loses his cattle, the two old racists will both need a buddy. Maybe they can team up together and open an all-white rodeo. (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 37 / 51 Besides sending a chill up the spine of the international community, Vladimir Putin has accomplished one other thing by seizing Crimea and threatening the rest of Ukraine: Putin has brought back the bear. (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 38 / 51 The right-wing insurrection at the Bundy ranch in Bunkerville, Nev., has taken another weird turn with new revelations about the family history of Cliven Bundy. (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 39 / 51 See full story (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 40 / 51 See full story (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 41 / 51 See full story (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 42 / 51 See full story (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 43 / 51 See full story (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 44 / 51 See full story (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 45 / 51 David Horsey / Los Angeles Times (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 46 / 51 See full story (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 47 / 51 See full story (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 48 / 51 See full story (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 49 / 51 See full story (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 50 / 51 See full story (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 51 / 51 See full story (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times)

Instead, we can expect Putin to play to Trumps self-absorption. It will not be a shock if Trump lumbers out of the session with the cagey Russian proclaiming he has found a new best friend. That is more or less what he did after hosting Chinas President Xi Jinping at his Mar-a-Lago resort in April. Back then, Trump made himself look foolish by announcing that, after being schooled by Xi for 10 minutes, it dawned on him that the situation with North Korea is really complicated. Maybe he should have read a book or talked to someone in the State Department before he met with Xi, like a normal president. Reportedly, Trump is going into the meeting with Putin just as untutored, with no agenda at all.

While Trump is galumphing around Hamburg meeting with world leaders who laugh behind his back, the wild man who runs North Korea as his own private dungeon is reveling in his latest affront to America. On the Fourth of July, Kim Jong Uns military shot off its first test of a missile that could hit U.S. soil.

In response, Trump fired of a couple of tweets. One said it is hard to believe South Korea and Japan will put up with this much longer. The other suggested that Perhaps China will put a heavy move on North Korea and end this nonsense once and for all.

The apprentice president must think the cake he served Xi at Mar-a-Lago  The most beautiful piece of chocolate cake that youve ever seen, Trump bragged at the time  persuaded the Chinese president to dump his impetuous ally, Kim. It aint gonna happen.

North Korea is Chinas East Germany. The Chinese government does not want to see a united Korean peninsula that is tied closely to the U.S. It perceives that the fall of Kim might very well lead to instability in China. And, the truth is, there is a large faction within Chinese ruling circles who believe anything that is bad for the U.S. is good for China. As a result, they dont really mind that North Korea is presenting Trump with a thorny problem that has no good solution.

Chinas leadership will do what is in Chinas interest and they are still far from putting a heavy move on Kim. They cannot be expected to go out of their way to help a president whose tough talk dissipates as soon as an autocrat from afar gets him in a room and flatters his ego.

In his Warsaw speech  for once reading from a prepared text instead of winging it  Trump told the crowd, The fundamental question of our time is whether the West has the will to survive. Actually, the more pertinent question, just now, is whether Trump has the attention span and the brainpower required to be the leader of the West. So far, in the judgment of the international community, the answer is a resounding no.

UPDATE: Recently, the Associated Press reported that Environmental Protection Agency Director Scott Pruitt met with Dow Chemical CEO Andrew Liveris shortly before Pruitts agency reversed a ban on a chemical manufactured by Dow that has been shown to be harmful to childrens brains. That report was the basis for two sentences in my column on July 2 that drew the inference that the meeting between Pruitt and Liveris may have affected the EPAs decision.

Now, the AP reports that Rachelle Schikorra, a spokeswoman for Dow, said the formal meeting never happened due to schedule conflicts. Pruitt and Liveris did have a brief introduction in passing, according to an EPA statement, but no substantive issues were discussed.

I am glad the AP updated their report and I regret that I formed an opinion based on what appears to be a mistaken account. The broader argument made in my column that Pruitt has dramatically shifted the EPA in a direction favorable to industry remains inarguable. Neither fans nor foes of Pruitt would disagree with that.

David.Horsey@latimes.com

Follow me at @davidhorsey on Twitter
Kamala Harris works to forge relationship with Central Valley

Sen @kamalaharris talking grapes with Fowler Packing Co president Dennis Parnagian in the fields outside metro Fresno pic.twitter.com/smVuRfbSpQ  Cathleen Decker (@cathleendecker) July 5, 2017

The drought may be over in the minds of urban Californians, quite literally washed away by huge accumulations of rain last year that filled reservoirs and left the states mountains covered with snow even now.

But the farmers and others in the Central Valley, veterans of multiple drought-and-flood cycles, know the reprieve is only temporary. On Wednesday they pressed new U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris to work to ensure a more reliable source of water for the nations most bountiful farming region.

This area is drying on the vine, Ryan Jacobsen, executive director of the Fresno County Farm Bureau, told Harris during a roundtable with Central Valley officials.

A long-term solution can only come through federal and state action to protect the areas water supply, he said.

Jason Phillips, chief executive of the Friant Water Authority, said recent rainfall had done little to stem problems caused by nearly a decade of drought.

A canal that runs from Fresno to north of Bakersfield sunk in some places as much as 2 feet in two years, he said, wreaking havoc on a system that operates on the force of gravity.

We cannot get all the water to our growers, he said.

The meeting between Harris and nearly two dozen agriculture and water officials was meant to ease what is typically a fraught relationship between the states Democratic leaders  all of whose power bases are in metropolitan areas  and the mostly Republican Central Valley powers that traditionally look at them with skepticism.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein has worked for two decades to aid the agricultural industry  at the roundtable, several nodded as Harris referred to the senior senator as an incredible warrior for the area.

But Harris predecessor, former Sen. Barbara Boxer, was allied more with environmental groups that have fought dams and other water systems. As a result, she was viewed negatively by many here.

Harris was intent Wednesday on persuading the Central Valley representatives of her interest in places beyond her base in Alameda and San Francisco counties.

They, on the other hand, worked to convince her to be more in the Feinstein mold on issues important to the area  from reliable water to immigration programs to environmental protections that take into consideration the areas needs.

President Trump was highly popular in much of the Central Valley, apart from Fresno County, which leans Democratic because of its metropolitan shadings. But some issues important to the valley cut in politically unorthodox ways.

Republicans here are more concerned than those elsewhere with passing a plan that would give legal status to immigrants, on whom agriculture depends. With undocumented workers worried about deportation, and the border tightening to those not yet here, the labor supply has already shrunk, farmers said.

Theyre out there working, being productive people, said farmer Joe Del Bosque. They work hard for us, and we have nowhere to reach.

Del Bosque said he recently held a training session for new workers. Of the 200 people who showed up, only a handful were born in the United States, he said.

Environmental regulations prized by Democrats elsewhere are often frowned on by some party members here and blamed for the areas water difficulties.

Several of the participants lobbied Harris for her support of dams that have long been under consideration by federal and state officials, particularly the Temperance Flat Dam, which would be constructed on the San Joaquin River.

Harris offered no assurances on the topic to the group on Wednesday. Afterward, speaking to reporters, she also did not take a position.

One of the things that were going to have to figure out ... is what is the right solution for that, she said of a plan to construct the Temperance Flat Dam and several others. Is it going to be about the building of dams? Is it also going to be about looking at  also looking at  other sources of renewable and sustainable reliable sources?

Both sides signaled they did not expect an alliance on all fronts. But Harris said she would serve as an advocate for farmers during the crafting of a new farm bill and other measures before the Senate.

William Bourdeau, executive vice president of the politically influential Harris Farms, told the senator he wished the majority of her supporters who reside in urban areas would have a better understanding of the risks and challenges of farming.

We need somebody to explain the symbiotic relationship we have, he said.

I agree with you completely, she replied.
Presidents typically acknowledge no ghostwriters. Even when the wordsmith was clearly visible, White House officials in previous administrations have insisted that the president wrote the initial draft or crafted the final version of his major speeches.

One of the many unique characteristics of the Trump White House is that it has largely dropped that fiction.

Instead, President Trumps major speeches, like the one he delivered in Warsaw on Thursday, get treated more like those of a reigning monarch: The government writes them, he delivers them. They become policy because hes spoken them, not necessarily because he has adopted the words as his own.

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Good afternoon, Im David Lauter, Washington bureau chief. Welcome to the Friday edition of our Essential Politics newsletter, in which we look at the events of the week in Washington and elsewhere in national politics and highlight some particularly insightful stories.

Warning of terror as a threat to the West

Thursdays speech on terrorism had some of the now-familiar hallmarks of Trumps scripted speeches:

Unlike the exuberance he sometimes shows in his extemporaneous rally speeches, the delivery was wooden, somewhat halting, like a person reading a text with which hes not entirely familiar.

As is often the case, there was an unscripted side remark when he hit a particularly vivid passage. (Thats tough, he said, after reading a sentence about Poland being attacked in 1939 by the Nazis from the west and the Soviets from the east).

And, like his Inaugural address, which also was largely written by his policy adviser Stephen Miller, the tone was dark and foreboding, warning that the unique civilization of the West faces attacks from the South or the East that threaten to undermine its will to survive.

As Brian Bennett and I wrote, the speech framed the fight against terrorism as a clash of civilizations, an approach that Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama both had carefully avoided.

The extent to which that view captures Trumps own thinking is hard to know  hes not a person who has exhibited a consistent ideology  but it does encapsulate the views of the administration faction that includes Miller and White House strategist Stephen K. Bannon.

The Bannon wing of the White House has lost some fights in recent months over policy issues, including trade. And Bannon for a time appeared to be locked in a no-win battle with Trumps adviser and son-in-law, Jared Kushner.

But the terrorism speech served as a reminder that the nationalist, populist part of Trumps administration remains powerful, especially because of its ability to shape what the president says in public.

Kushner at home

Speaking of Kushner, hes become politically toxic in a place where his familys real estate company has a lot of money at stake  Jersey City  Barbara Demick reports. The citys mayor, Steve Fulop, recently withdrew his support for a tax abatement the Kushners were counting on for a major new development project.

Its all an example of the two-sided nature of Trumps entanglement of his political life with the families business dealings. The Trump and Kushner families appear to have benefited in some ways from the presidency but have lost in others.

The Putin meeting

The most intensely watched part of Trumps trip  indeed, one of the most carefully scrutinized moments of this phase of his presidency  was always going to be his initial meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Several hours before the meeting, Trump tweeted an odd comment about Hillary Clintons former campaign manager, John Podesta: Everyone here is talking about why John Podesta refused to give the DNC server to the FBI and the CIA. Disgraceful! he wrote.

The everyone here is talking part was almost certainly untrue  its hard to imagine that more than a handful of people in Hamburg, Germany, for the G-20 economic summit had Podesta on their minds. Clearly, however, as he prepared to meet with Putin, Trump did. [Several other parts of the tweet involve apparent confusion on Trumps part  Podesta had nothing to do with the Democratic National Committee server, nor did the CIA].

When the two leaders sat down, shortly after 4 p.m. local time, they exchanged routine pleasantries. The two met for two hours and 16 minutes, far longer than the typical Trump meeting. Check back on our Essential Washington blog for details as they become available. Whether anything more comes of the meeting may not be known for days, weeks or even longer.

Healthcare still hanging by a thread

With the Senate on recess, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky continues to call Republican lawmakers to see whether theres a path forward to a deal that would get 50 votes on the healthcare overhaul. So far, there isnt.

At stake is the health coverage for millions of people, many of them children.

The potential impact on kids has not gotten much attention in this years healthcare debate. But as Noam Levey wrote, children would be hit hard by the steep reductions in Medicaid that the Senate plan would bring about.

The political paradox is that many of the places that would feel the most impact are rural areas that supported Trump, Levey wrote. In 780 counties nationwide, Medicaid and the related Childrens Health Insurance Program, or CHIP, provides the coverage for more than half the children. Most of those counties are rural and majority white; most voted for Trump in the last election.

Republican conservatives have used the drive to repeal Obamacare as a vehicle for achieving a long-sought goal of rolling back Medicaid. But the scale of the potential loss of coverage to children is one reason why a number of Republican senators from places like West Virginia, Ohio and Maine have balked at the bill.

McConnell still has time to negotiate a deal, perhaps two more weeks before he would have to give up, Senate aides say. Lots of ideas have been floated, including the revival of a plan to simply repeal the Affordable Care Act and promise a replacement later. As Lisa Mascaro wrote, that idea has been pushed for months by groups funded by the Koch brothers.

But as McConnell feared, the healthcare plan is not getting any more popular the longer it sits in public view. This week, at least one more Republican lawmaker, Sen. John Hoeven of North Dakota, said he did not support the bill, at least as it is currently written.

Sen. Jerry Moran of Kansas, who previously had said he did not support the bill, said in a town hall in his state that there are people who tell me they are better off under the Affordable Care Act, and I believe them.

McConnell, himself, in brief remarks to a Rotary Club lunch in Glasgow, Ky., hinted that the GOP might have to negotiate a bipartisan agreement with Democrats to stabilize healthcare markets, rather than continue its effort to repeal Obamacare.

If my side is unable to agree on an adequate replacement, then some kind of action with regard to the private health insurance market must occur, he said, according to the Associated Press, which covered the speech. No action is not an alternative.

The loyalist

Vice President Mike Pence didnt have much in common with Trump when he was picked as the No. 2 on the Republican ticket. His influence within the administration remains in question.

But as Noah Bierman wrote, Pence has adopted a consistent strategy for coping with the turbulence of the Trump White House: Insist that everything is normal.

The risks for Pence in the role of total loyalist, are clear, Bierman writes, but at least he gets points for consistency.

States repudiate Voter Fraud Commission

Trumps commission to investigate possible voter fraud has been controversial since the moment it was created, largely in response to Trumps false claim that he lost the popular vote in 2016 only because of millions of illegally cast votes.

The panels vice chair, Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, is a lightning rod for Democrats, who fear the commission will become an excuse for Republicans to push bills to make voting harder.

So when the commission asked states to turn over data on voters, fights with Democratic states were pretty much guaranteed, even though most of what the panel asked for already was public information.

The surprise is that many Republican state officials also have pushed back. So far, 44 states have said they would withhold at least some of the data the commission has requested. Republican officials from places like South Carolina and Mississippi have denounced the panels request as an example of federal overreach.

A missile test and a not so realistic defense

North Koreas test this week of a new missile booster that appears to be capable of propelling a projectile as far as Alaska marked a big step forward for that countrys nuclear weapons program. And thats a big problem for the Trump administration.

Even before he took office, Trump promised that North Korea would not be allowed to develop an intercontinental ballistic missile on his watch. Seems like theyve now achieved that goal.

So far, Trumps main strategy has been to hope that China would solve the problem for him. Thats not worked.

As Barbara Demick wrote, however, the administration does have steps it could take  notably, measures to toughen international economic sanctions against the North Koreans. The existing sanctions arent nearly as tough as those the Obama administration imposed on Iran, for example.

Winning international agreement for similarly tough sanctions on Pyongyang would be a big test of the administrations diplomacy.

Meantime, another sort of test  of an anti-missile defense system  appears to have accomplished less than touted.

At the end of May, the military staged a test of a missile-defense system, shooting down a mock warhead high above the Pacific. The head of the U.S. Missile Defense Agency proclaimed the test a realistic success.

This is exactly the scenario we would expect to occur during an actual operational engagement, Vice Adm. James D. Syring said at a news conference.

Well, only if the scenario includes being able to place a large radar array directly under the path of the oncoming warhead, David Willman reported.

What the military described as a realistic test was actually a carefully scripted challenge that doesnt provide much confidence that a missile shield would work under adverse conditions, Willman found.

On Thursday, Defense Secretary James Mattis made a point of telling reporters that the North Korean missile launch did not bring the two countries closer to war. The U.S is focused on diplomatic efforts to push back the North Korean nuclear program, he said.

All the presidents tweets

Trumps tweet showing a mock fight between him and a character representing CNN escalated his feud with the network he loves to hate. Critics accused the president of inciting violence against journalists.

Twitter has long been Trumps favored means of pushing his message. Were compiling all of Trumps tweets. Its a great resource. Take a look.

Logistics

That wraps up this week. My colleague Christina Bellantoni will be back Monday with the weekday edition of Essential Politics. Until then, keep track of all the developments in national politics and the Trump administration with our Essential Washington blog, at our Politics page and on Twitter @latimespolitics.

Send your comments, suggestions and news tips to politics@latimes.com.

If you like this newsletter, tell your friends to sign up.

David.lauter@latimes.com

@davidlauter
Trump called him my African-American. But he has few kind words for the president. By Mark Z. Barabak (Mark Z. Barabak/Los Angeles Times) On the day that changed his life, Gregory Cheadle almost stayed in bed. He was tired  he traveled a lot in his long-shot bid for Congress  but asked himself: How often does a candidate for president come to the far reaches of Northern California? And why pass up a crowd and the chance to hand out more fliers? So Cheadle roused himself that June 2016 morning and secured a spot up close when Donald Trump swooped in for a rally at Reddings municipal airport. It was hot, the atmosphere was loose and Trumps patter seeming more stand-up comedy than campaign spiel. He went into one of those sidelong digressions, about protesters and an African American  great fan, great guy  and, by the way, whatever happened to him? It was then, Cheadle said, he raised his hand and jokingly shouted, Im here. Trump looked and pointed, his voice a throaty rumble. Look at my African-American over here! he exclaimed. Are you the greatest? In the days and weeks that followed Cheadle was attacked on social media and harassed by people who dug up his phone number and email address. For a time he stayed home, too nervous to venture outside. All, he said, because the media portrayed him as something he was not and never has been: a Trump sycophant. Read More Facebook

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Trump quietly signs Russia sanctions bill By Noah Bierman President Trump quietly signed legislation Wednesday that imposes new sanctions on Russia and limits his ability to remove them, according to two White House aides. Trump signed the bill without cameras or an immediate press release. He had opposed imposing new sanctions on Moscow but had little choice after a nearly unanimous Congress approved the bill, guaranteeing they would override a veto. The bill, which also imposes new sanctions on Iran and North Korea, prevents American companies from investing in many energy projects that are funded by Russian government interests. It also prevents Trump from unilaterally lifting the sanctions. It thus marked an unusual move by Congress to tie the presidents hands on foreign policy. Trump did not want to give up that leverage. But the vote in Congress was a strong sign that lawmakers do not trust Trump to stand up to Russian President Vladimir Putin, whom Trump has repeatedly praised, and the widening federal investigation into possible coordination last year between his presidential campaign and Moscow. Passage of the sanctions bill already has sparked a harsh reaction in Moscow. Putin announced last week that the United States would need to shed 755 personnel, including U.S. diplomats, from its embassy and consulates in Russia. President Obama expelled 35 Russian diplomats, said to be spies, from the United States last December. A White House aide said a statement would be issued later Wednesday. Facebook

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Senior GOP senators serve notice: No action on healthcare at this point By David Lauter Trump administration officials continue to push the Senate to take another run at healthcare legislation, but on Monday senior Republican senators pushed back, making clear that theyre done with the topic for now. Theres just too much animosity and were too divided on healthcare, Sen. Orrin G. Hatch (R-Utah), the head of the Senate Finance Committee, said in an interview with Reuters. I think we ought to acknowledge that we can come back to healthcare afterward, but we need to move ahead on tax reform, Hatch said. His remarks were quickly followed by others in GOP leadership positions. I think its time to move on to something else, Sen. Roy Blunt of Missouri told CNN. If the question is do I think we should stay on healthcare until we get it done, I think its time to move on to something else. Sen. John Thune of South Dakota also chimed in. Until someone shows us how to get that elusive 50th vote, I think its over, he told reporters. The remarks seemed a coordinated effort to respond to administration officials, including budget director Mick Mulvaney and Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price, who said over the weekend that they wanted the Senate to keep working on healthcare. Last week, the Senate defeated several different Republican plans to repeal all or part of the Affordable Care Act. The votes made it clear that with unified Democratic opposition to repeal, and divisions among Republicans, the campaign to overturn the law has stalled out, at least for now. Congress faces several other pressing issues that will be demanding lawmakers attention, including deadlines at the end of September to raise the federal debt ceiling and fund government agencies for the coming fiscal year. And the administration is eager to move on tax proposals, with officials rather optimistically saying they hope to see votes by November on a tax package that is not yet written. Facebook

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Good news for Atty. Gen. Sessions: Trump has 100% confidence in Cabinet By Noah Bierman To Q re Sessions, spox Sanders says Trump has 100% confidence in Cabinet. Last wk she wouldn't say if he had it in Sessions. Kelly effect?  Jackie Calmes (@jackiekcalmes) July 31, 2017 President Trump has called Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions beleaguered and even VERY weak, but Sessions seemed to get good news from the White House press secretary, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, on Monday. Trump has 100% confidence in all of his Cabinet secretaries, Sanders said in response to a question about Sessions job status during the daily White House briefing. Last week, when speculation about Sessions was rife, Sanders repeatedly declined opportunities to provide assurances that the attorney general enjoyed the presidents full confidence. Trump himself said time will tell when he was asked last week about Sessions. The willingness to tamp down speculation about Sessions may reflect the arrival Monday of retired Gen. John F. Kelly as the new White House chief of staff. He is tasked with restoring order to the administration. Sanders also batted down reports that the White House was discussing moving Sessions to another post, as secretary of Homeland Security. That job became vacant Monday after Kelly was sworn in as Trumps new chief of staff. Sanders said the White House has had no conversations about any Cabinet members switching jobs. Republican senators have publicly opposed firing Sessions, and a couple have objected to shifting him to another post as well, given that it could appear that Trump is trying to affect the investigations of himself and his campaign in the context of Russias election interference. Trump has said publicly that his frustration with Sessions, once among his closest allies, stems from Sessions decision to recuse himself from the Russia investigation, an act that led to the appointment of a special counsel. Facebook

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Can Trump really cut health insurance payments for members of Congress and their staff? It would be easy By Lisa Mascaro Reeling from the failure to repeal the Affordable Care Act, President Trump now threatens to block federal funding that lawmakers and their staff rely on to help buy health insurance. Trumps threats are not empty. The administration could simply stop the payments -- which are provided to Capitol Hill lawmakers and staff much the way many employers help pay employees monthly insurance premiums -- by dashing off new federal regulation. But the easy attack on lawmakers skims over what many say was a complicated, but fair-minded, compromise made during the Obamacare debates several years ago. Under Obamacare, if lawmakers want insurance through their employer - the federal government - they are required to buy policies through the ACA exchanges. There had been great criticism at the time, largely from opponents of the healthcare bill, that lawmakers and congressional staff should not be exempt from the law. The argument was they should have to live under it. So they did. Usually those buying individual insurance on the exchanges can apply to see if their income and geographic area allow them to qualify for a federal subsidy. For lawmakers, though, that was prohibited. Instead, they get the regular employer contribution they did before, much in the same way other workers do when their companies buy insurance. For federal workers, the government covers about 70% of the costs, about the same paid by employers in the private sector, according to Kaiser Family Foundation. The administration affirmed that federal support for lawmakers and their staffs in an Office of Personnel Management regulation issued in 2013. To cut those funds off, Trump administration could simply reverse course, and issue another regulation changing the rules. Trump appeared ready to do so in a series of weekend tweets. Why should Congress not be paying what public pays, Trump tweeted over the weekend. If a new HealthCare Bill is not approved quickly, BAILOUTS for Insurance Companies and BAILOUTS for Members of Congress will end very soon. But such a move would likely cause an uproar in Congress. Its not just members of Congress, but also their staffs, who would have to pay full price for their insurance. Stopping Trumps action, though, seems tough. It would require Congress to pass legislation ensuring the federal payments would continue to be made. Few lawmakers would likely take up that cause. And even if Congress were able to pass a bill protecting the payments, it seems doubtful Trump at this point would sign it into law. Facebook

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U.S. hits Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro with sanctions By Associated Press Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro celebrates the results of Sundays election in Caracas. (Ronaldo Schemidt / AFP/Getty Images) The Trump administration has hit Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro with financial sanctions. The move comes after Venezuela held a weekend election that will give Maduros ruling party virtually unlimited power in the South American country. The Treasury Departments Office of Foreign Assets Control announced the sanctions against Maduro in a brief statement on Monday, a day after the Venezuelan vote to elect a constituent assembly that will rewrite the constitution. A longer explanation from the White House was also expected. The administration imposed sanctions on more than a dozen senior current and former Venezuelan officials last week, warning the socialist government that new penalties would come if Maduro went ahead with Sundays election for the assembly. Facebook

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Anthony Scaramucci is out as White House communications director By Brian Bennett Anthony Scaramucci, the brash New Yorker who was announced little more than a week ago as President Trumps White House communications director, was ousted Monday before he had even officially taken the job. John F. Kelly, the newly sworn-in White House chief of staff, told Scaramucci around 9:30 a.m. EDT that he was going to be replaced, according to a person close to White House. In a statement officially announcing the move, the White House said Scaramucci felt it was best to give Chief of Staff John Kelly a clean slate and the ability to build his own team. While Scaramuccis time at the center of the presidents circle was short, it was consequential, prompting the resignations of first Sean Spicer as White House press secretary and then Reince Priebus as chief of staff. The most notable firings and resignations in the Trump administration >> A former hedge fund executive on Wall Street, Scaramucci, who enjoyed media attention, also had come on strong stylistically, highlighted by a profane tirade against colleagues Priebus and Trump strategist Steve Bannon in an exchange last week with a New Yorker reporter. The abrupt shift in Scaramuccis status seemed to reflect Kellys mission to bring order to the chain of command within the chaotic administration. In getting Scaramucci to leave, Kelly was undoing Trumps own hiring decision. Scaramucci had told reporters when he was hired that he would be reporting directly to the president at Trumps request, bypassing the normal chain that would have the communications director -- like all staff -- report to the chief of staff. Scaramuccis unusually short tenure reflects a moment of extreme turbulence in the White House, which has been embroiled in infighting as it confronts low poll numbers for the president, a floundering legislative agenda and the investigations involving Russian meddling in last years presidential election. After word spread of Scaramuccis ouster, Spicer, who resigned when Scaramucci took over but was still working in the White House, walked out of his office to a throng of reporters. Is this a surprise party? he asked. UPDATE 12:15 p.m.: This story has been updated throughout with additional details and background. This article was originally published at 11:49 a.m. Facebook

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Trump swears in John Kelly, says ex-secretary of Homeland Security will do an even better job as chief of staff By Noah Bierman President Trump swore in his new chief of staff, John F. Kelly, on Monday morning, formalizing a shake-up in his top ranks that was announced Friday evening with word of the resignation of Reince Priebus. We look forward to - if its possible - an even better job as chief of staff, Trump said to Kelly, formerly the secretary of homeland security. Ill try, sir, Kelly replied. JOHN KELLY is now chief of staff. Sworn in during ceremony in Oval Office minutes ago. pic.twitter.com/dMEQ4rhpFA  Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs) July 31, 2017 Trump is hoping that Kelly, a retired general, will retool and bring order to a White House that has struggled with low poll numbers, staff infighting, a faltering legislative agenda and an investigation into Russian election meddling and potential collusion and obstruction of justice. Yet Trump said the administration has done very well after a reporter asked what would be different under Kelly. He cited the unemployment rate, the thriving stock market and unnamed polls that, he said, show high business confidence. Were doing very well. We have a tremendous base, he said.The country is optimistic. And I think the general will just add to it. Trump praised Kellys performance at the Department of Homeland Security, where Kelly focused on immigration issues at the southern border, as record-shattering, with very little controversy. There was no word on whom the president might name to replace Kelly at the department. Trump reportedly has considered moving Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions there from the Justice Department, reflecting his unhappiness with the attorney general, but Republican senators preemptively have signaled their opposition to such a move. Facebook

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Risky investigation, stalled agenda  Trumps in trouble, so heres his strategy By Noah Bierman (Spencer Platt / Getty Images) Hosts of Southern Californias Morning Answer radio show were wrapping up a two-hour live broadcast from a white tent just outside the West Wing last week and marveling at their access to Cabinet secretaries and prominent administration figures. If youre a Trumpkin, host Brian Whitman told his listeners on AM 870, this is like fantasy camp. The White Houses daylong hospitality for Salem Radio Network, a nationwide chain of Christian and conservative stations, underscored President Trumps continued courtship of  and increased dependence on  core supporters as he confronts a stalled agenda and increasingly perilous investigations into whether his campaign colluded with Russia and he subsequently sought to obstruct the inquiries. Read More Facebook

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Obamacare vote isnt the only sign of GOP resistance to Trump By Noah Bierman In the year since Donald Trump won the Republican presidential nomination, party leaders have been reluctant to challenge a man who has formed a tight bond with conservative voters, even when he upset party orthodoxies and norms of presidential behavior. But that reticence is breaking down. A convergence of contentious issues, as well as embarrassing infighting and shake-ups at the White House, have a number of Republicans suddenly in open resistance to Trump on a number of fronts. Read More Facebook

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Trump ousts Reince Priebus as chief of staff in latest White House shake-up By Noah Bierman John Kelly (Susan Walsh / Associated Press) President Trump ousted his beleaguered chief of staff, Reince Priebus, naming Homeland Security Secretary John F. Kelly to replace him Friday in the latest White House shake-up as the administration struggles to emerge from bitter staff infighting and a stalled legislative agenda. Trump announced the abrupt reshuffle in three posts on Twitter hours after the Senate killed his latest plans to rewrite President Obamas signature healthcare law, dealing another harsh blow to the White House. The tweets, sent as Trump was returning on Air Force One with Priebus after a speech on gang violence in New York, caught Capitol Hill and others off guard even though Priebus stature in Trumps inner circle has been in sharp decline for some time. Read More Facebook

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Putins spokesman accuses U.S. of political schizophrenia By Associated Press Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov attends a meeting in Moscow on June 21. (Sergei Karpukhin / EPA) Russia urged the United States on Monday to show political will to mend ties even as it ordered sweeping cuts of U.S. embassy personnel unseen since Cold War times. President Vladimir Putins spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said it will take time for the U.S. to recover from what he called political schizophrenia, but added that Russia remains interested in constructive cooperation with the U.S. We are interested in a steady development of our ties and are sorry to note that we are still far from that, he said. Peskovs statement followed Sundays televised comments by Putin, who said the U.S. would have to cut 755 of its embassy and consulate staff in Russia, a massive reduction he described as a response to new U.S. sanctions. The Russian Foreign Ministry had previously said that the U.S. should cut its embassy and consular employees to 455, the number that Russia has in the United States. Along with the caps on embassy personnel announced Friday, it also declared the closure of a U.S. recreational retreat on the outskirts of Moscow and warehouse facilities. Moscows action is the long-expected tit-for-tat response to former President Obamas move to expel 35 Russian diplomats and shut down two Russian recreational retreats in the U.S. over reports of Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election. Facebook

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White House urged to refrain from Obamacare sabotage as Trump mulls subsidy cutoff By Laura King A pair of prominent lawmakers urged President Trump on Sunday not to sabotage the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, in the wake of failed Republican efforts to scrap his predecessors signature legislative achievement. But Trump urged GOP senators to try again to push through some version of repealing and replacing the law, even though Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said last week it was time to move on to other matters. Trump senior advisor Kellyanne Conway said the president would decide in coming days whether to block subsidies that are a crucial component of the existing healthcare law. Hes going to make that decision this week, and thats a decision that only he can make, Conway said on Fox News Sunday. Two of the lawmakers who blocked the Senate GOP repeal plan last week, however, criticized the administrations continued efforts to overturn the law. Sen. Susan Collins, the Maine Republican who steadfastly rejected a series of GOP healthcare measures last week, blamed the Trump administration for encouraging instability in the insurance markets by continuing the uncertainty over whether the subsidies  cost-sharing payments that reduce out-of-pocket healthcare costs for poorer Americans  would continue. Im troubled by the uncertainty that has been created by the administration, Collins said on NBCs Meet the Press. She contested Trumps characterization of the payments as an insurance company bailout. Thats not what it is, she said, calling the reduction payments vital assistance to low-income Americans. And Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska said further action on healthcare should be done in a bipartisan manner and not rushed. You cannot do major entitlement reform singlehandedly, and you wouldnt do major legislative initiatives singlehandedly, she told reporters in Alaska. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) echoed Collins criticism of Trumps threat to stop making the cost-sharing payments. You know, I really think its incomprehensible that we have a president of the United States who wants to sabotage healthcare in America, make life more difficult for millions of people who are struggling now to get the health insurance they need and to pay for that health insurance, he said on CNNs State of the Union. Prior to heading out for a day at his Virginia golf property, Trump tweeted that Republican senators should press ahead with efforts to scrap Obamacare -- a day after he tauntingly exhorted them not to be quitters in the quest for a legislative victory for him. Don't give up Republican Senators, the World is watching: Repeal & Replace...and go to 51 votes (nuke option), get Cross State Lines & more.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 30, 2017 The White House budget director, Mick Mulvaney, on CNNs State of the Union, said it was official Trump administration policy that the Senate should keep working to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, eschewing an August recess if necessary. Senators, he said, need to stay, they need to work -- they need to pass something. Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price, while acknowledging a responsibility to follow the law -- Obamacare -- also signaled that Trump was not accepting defeat in efforts to get rid of the measure. Our goalas well as the presidents goal, is to put in place a law, a system, that actually works for patients, he said on Meet the Press, adding, You cant do that under the current structure. Facebook

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Frustrated in defeat, Trump threatens healthcare of voters  and lawmakers By Joseph Tanfani Frustrated by the failure of the Obamacare repeal in the Senate, President Trump on Saturday threatened to end federal subsidies for healthcare insurance  for Congress as well as the rest of the country. After seven years of "talking" Repeal & Replace, the people of our great country are still being forced to live with imploding ObamaCare!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 29, 2017 If a new HealthCare Bill is not approved quickly, BAILOUTS for Insurance Companies and BAILOUTS for Members of Congress will end very soon!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 29, 2017 If a new HealthCare Bill is not approved quickly, BAILOUTS for Insurance Companies and BAILOUTS for Members of Congress will end very soon! Trump tweeted, fuming about Congress failure to repeal the Affordable Care Act, which he said was imploding. Such a move could cause havoc and much higher premiums in insurance markets, since many low- and moderate-income people depend on those subsidies to help cover the cost of their policies. Through a series of administrative maneuvers by Congress and the Obama administration, members and their staffs also benefit from those subsidies. Targeting congressional healthcare might score Trump some populist points with his base, but it would likely come at a cost of poisoning his relationship with Congress. Just making the threat on Saturday highlights how far things have eroded between Trump and top GOP lawmakers. And it comes a day after Trump pushed out former Chief of Staff Reince Priebus, an establishment Republican who was the GOP congressional leaderships trusted liaison in the White House. Trump actually has a jarring amount of leverage over thousands of congressional staff who depend on employer health care contribution. https://t.co/lRPmrmDIJs  Kyle Cheney (@kyledcheney) July 29, 2017 Trumps longstanding threat to let the health insurance plans fail would come with its own political price. The federal government sends about $600 million a month to insurance companies to help cover the cost, and Trump is threatening to cut that off to allow Obamacare markets to collapse. His goal is to pressure Congress to send him a repeal bill, but so far the strategy has failed. The confidence Trump has expressed that if he followed through with the threat the fallout would land not on him but on Democrats, because they created Obamacare, is not widely shared in Washington. If health care collapses, voters will blame Trump and the GOP.



That's what happens when you control the White House and Congress. pic.twitter.com/iEjEGyapAL  Sahil Kapur (@sahilkapur) July 29, 2017 Facebook

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Iran condemns new U.S. sanctions, vows to pursue missile program By Ramin Mostaghim Iran defied Washington and condemned new U.S. sanctions over its development of missiles capable of being armed with nuclear warheads. We will continue with full power our missile program, Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Ghasemi told state television IRIB on Saturday, dismissing new sanctions passed by Congress last week as, hostile, reprehensible and unacceptable. Its ultimately an effort to weaken the nuclear deal, Ghasemi said, adding, The military and missile fields  are our domestic policies and others have no right to intervene or comment on them. Iran had agreed to limit its nuclear activities under the 2015 agreement with the U.S. and other world powers in exchange for sanctions relief. Ghasemi argued Saturday that the U.S. had violated that agreement by linking the missile program to the nuclear deal and restricting Iranian banking activities in the U.S. He argued that Irans latest missile tests dont break the agreement because the weapons are defensive. The new wave of pressure on missile projects in Iran will push the Islamic theocracy into a corner, predicted Iran analyst Hojjat Kalashi in Tehran, noting that the government of President Hassan Rouhani, who was reelected in May, is coping with an economic downturn and may step back from the compromise nuclear deal. The new Iran sanctions bill, which also targets Russia and North Korea, was passed by the House and Senate this week. It would penalize those involved in Irans ballistic missile program as well as those who do business with them, impose an arms embargo on Iran and label its Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps a terrorist group. White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders has said President Trump will sign the bill. On Friday, the U.S. was joined by Britain, France and Germany in condemning Irans recent launch of a satellite-carrying rocket and warned that it violated a United Nations resolution implementing the 2015 nuclear deal. In a joint statement, they urged Iran to stop developing missiles and rockets capable of carrying nuclear warheads that have a destabilizing impact on the region. In response to a rocket launch Thursday, the U.S. Treasury Department imposed sanctions on subsidiaries of an Iranian company involved in Tehrans ballistic missile program. But Nader Karimi Juni, an analyst close to Rouhanis government, said Iranian leaders dont believe the U.N. and European powers will ultimately back the U.S., and so Iran will not compromise on missile projects and will remain defiant. Facebook

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Trump jabs U.S. mayors, who push back, calling president out of touch with cities By Kurtis Lee (Spencer Platt / Getty Images) President Trump wants police to know that he  not mayors  has their back. Ive met police that are great police that arent allowed to do their job because they have a pathetic mayor or a mayor that doesnt know whats going on, Trump said Friday in a speech before police officers in Brentwood, N.Y. The comments from Trump, who in his address highlighted crime in cities like Chicago and Los Angeles, drew applause from some in attendance. In a statement following Trumps remarks, the United States Conference of Mayors, a bipartisan group, released a statement pushing back against the president. The presidents comments today prove how out of touch he is with the realities of life in American cities. Mayors number one priority is  and always will be  the safety and protection of their residents, said New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu, the groups president. There is no daylight between the mayors of our cities and the uniformed officers who work tirelessly to keep us safe every single day. During the speech Trump called on police and immigration officials to be rough with suspected gang members in cities nationwide. In a recent interview with The Times, former New York Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, who recently launched a $200-million initiative to empower city governments and mayors, stressed the key to good governing is experience as a manager  something, he said, Trump was not. Bloomberg added that the mayors are much more in tune with the needs of residents than the federal government. You got to remember a mayor and the local city council are much closer to the public than the governor and the state legislature, or the president and the federal legislature. So if the public is in favor of something, the local officials know it and they get held responsible, he said. Facebook

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The growing parade of exits under Trump administration By Len de Groot A lot of people have left President Trumps early administration  Chief of Staff Reince Priebus was replaced Friday. The White House communications department has been the scene of many of the recent turnovers as it wrestles to craft a message sometimes at odds with Trumps frequent tweeting. At the National Security Council, there has been a leadership struggle since Michael Flynn resigned in the face of pressure over undisclosed contacts with Russia. One appointee was fired over comments he made at a private function. Others have been removed as Flynns successor, H.R. McMaster, has moved to add loyalists to the council. Here are the most noteworthy departures: Read More Facebook

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Trump urges officers and immigration officials to be rough on animals terrorizing U.S. neighborhoods By Barbara Demick ( (Evan Vucci / Associated Press)) President Trump on Friday called for police and immigration officials to be rough with suspected gang members in order to rid the country of animals he said are terrorizing communities. Please dont be too nice, Trump told police recruits at Suffolk County Community College in Brentwood, a heavily Latino suburb of New York City. Like when you guys put somebody in the car and youre protecting their head, you know the way you put the hand  like, dont hit their head, and theyve just killed somebody?  You can take the hand away. He implied that he was satisfied with rough handling of suspects by the police. When you see these thugs being thrown into the back of a paddy wagon  you just see them thrown in, rough, he said. Scoffing at calls for what he describes as political correctness, Trump also renewed his pledges to build a wall along the Mexican border. He accused the Obama administration of admitting criminals into the United States. Read More Facebook

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Analysis: In a Washington run by men, two overshadowed Republican women make their point on healthcare By Cathleen Decker In a Washington that has grown demonstrably more testosterone-fueled since President Trumps inauguration, it took two Republican women to secure the end of a long effort to repeal and replace Obamacare. They were the same two women  Maine Sen. Susan Collins and Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski  who had been excluded from the 13-member working group drafting the Republican bills. Nobodys being excluded based upon gender. Everybodys at the table, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell had said of his all-white-males group. In the early hours of Friday, the duo was overshadowed by the more dramatic and unexpected no vote from Sen. John McCain of Arizona. There was reason for the attention lavished on McCain  a war hero and veteran senator returns to the Capitol days after a dire cancer diagnosis. But without both Collins and Murkowskis steadfast opposition, his vote would have been meaningless. Also largely overlooked: Hawaii Sen. Mazie Hirono, a Democrat who like McCain made an arduous trip to Washington despite her recent diagnosis of late-stage kidney cancer. Social media buzzed Friday with praise for the women senators from many fronts, including from men. But from many women, there was also a sense of familiarity at being ignored or taken for granted. Read More Facebook

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Clinton Foundation donor who was denied a visa settles leak case against the U.S. By Joseph Tanfani A billionaire Nigerian businessman and major Clinton Foundation donor banned from entering the U.S. two years ago on terrorism grounds has settled a lawsuit against the U.S. government. Gilbert Chagoury last year sued the FBI and other government agencies in U.S. District Court in Washington, saying he had been damaged by what he described as improper government leaks to the Los Angeles Times. The Times reported last year that Chagoury had been denied a visa to travel to the U.S. in 2015 on suspicion that he had provided aid to terrorist groups. One document, citing unverified information from an unnamed source, said that Chagoury  who is of Lebanese heritage  had funneled funds to Hezbollah, the Lebanese militia and political group designated a terrorist organization by the U.S. Chagoury, an ardent Lakers fan who for decades lived part of the year in Los Angeles, angrily denied that he ever provided funds for terrorism. He said the publicity forced him to sell his Beverly Hills mansion at a loss and caused a bank to close his account. A philanthropist, Vatican ambassador and longtime friend of Bill Clinton, Chagoury once was invited to the White House after contributing to a Democratic get-out-the-vote campaign. He donated at least $1 million to the Clinton Foundation. Emails released last year showed that a Bill Clinton aide pushed Hillary Clintons aides at the State Department to get Chagoury access to top U.S. diplomats. In the settlement filed in court on Friday, the Justice Department said Chagoury has never appeared on the list of Specially Designated Nationals, figures such as terrorists and narcotics traffickers who are generally barred from doing business in the U.S. The government did not grant Chagourys request for a court hearing to dispute the reports that led to his exclusion from the U.S. As I have often said, I have loved America my whole life because it was the land of freedom and justice, he said in a statement, adding that he hopes the agreement will help repair his reputation. The Justice Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Chagoury, who lives most of the time in Paris, has not applied for another visa, said his spokesman, Mark Corallo. Facebook

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Trump ousts Priebus, announces John Kelly as new chief of staff President Trump announced via Twitter on Friday that he had named retired Gen. John Kelly, head of the Department of Homeland Security, as White House chief of staff, replacing Reince Priebus. I am pleased to inform you that I have just named General/Secretary John F Kelly as White House Chief of Staff. He is a Great American....  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 28, 2017 ...and a Great Leader. John has also done a spectacular job at Homeland Security. He has been a true star of my Administration  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 28, 2017 I would like to thank Reince Priebus for his service and dedication to his country. We accomplished a lot together and I am proud of him!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 28, 2017 Read More Facebook

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Rep. John Delaney of Maryland to run for president By Associated Press Rep. John Delaney of Maryland says hes running for president, instead of governor or reelection, in 2018. Delaney, a Democrat, announced his plans in a statement Friday. The politically moderate banking entrepreneur is in his third term in Marylands 6th Congressional District, which includes western Maryland and a large section of Montgomery County, the states largest county. The 54-year-old is worth roughly $90 million and is one of the Houses wealthiest members. He spent about $2 million to help finance his first House race in 2012. His consideration of a possible Maryland gubernatorial bid months ago quickly drew interest in his House seat. Several candidates already have expressed interest in running for the seat. Facebook

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McCain set to head back to Arizona to undergo chemotherapy and radiation treatments By Kurtis Lee (Shawn Thew / EPA) Sen. John McCain is headed home. Hours after McCain spurned his party and voted in opposition to a GOP measure to repeal the Affordable Care Act, the senators office announced Friday he will return to Arizona to undergo chemotherapy and radiation treatments for his recent diagnosis of brain cancer. McCain, 80, was found this month to have a brain tumor known as a glioblastoma. He is scheduled to return to Washington in September after his initial treatments. The glioblastoma  an aggressive type of cancer  was discovered when McCain had a blood clot removed from above his left eye. According to the Mayo Clinic, which is overseeing McCains treatment, glioblastoma is difficult to treat. After returning to Washington this week and voting in favor of opening Senate debate on repeal, McCain was among three Republicans early Friday morning to vote in opposition to a so-called skinny bill that would repeal the ACA, known as Obamacare. The move by McCain, who has served in the Senate since 1987, has drawn the ire of members in his own party and some in the right-wing media. Facebook

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McCains surprise vote doomed GOP healthcare bill, but did it open the door for Senate bipartisanship? By Lisa Mascaro Sen. John McCain is usually happy to spar with reporters, but he ducked into an elevator ahead of the Senate healthcare vote late Thursday without saying a word about how he would vote. Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer, though, already knew the answer. The Democratic leader had been talking with the Arizona Republican all week  four, five times a day  ever since McCain returned to work after being diagnosed with brain cancer. Earlier in the week, McCain had dramatically salvaged the stalled GOP bill by voting to begin debate, only to go on to deliver a blistering speech against his own party leaders partisan, closed-door process in crafting it. Weve been spinning our wheels on too many important issues because we keep trying to find a way to win without help from across the aisle, he told them. Were getting nothing done. Schumer and McCain have been longtime colleagues, a kind of frenemies who seem like throwbacks to an earlier era of Congress. They worked together on big legislation, including the 2013 immigration overhaul  grand ideas that seem all but impossible in todays Congress. They had plenty to discuss. About the Senate, about it working again, about working together, and about how this bill was so poor for the American people, Schumer said. And he knew that, so did half his colleagues, but he had the courage to vote no. The moment stunned the Senate when McCain stepped up to cast his vote  a single down-turned finger  dooming the healthcare bill. Audible gasps filled the galleries, which were packed with onlookers. But his vote  along with no votes from Republicans Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska  did more than shelve the long campaign to repeal the Affordable Care Act. It cracked open a new divide in the Senate, which seems to be split not so much between Republicans and Democrats, but by those senators who want to work together versus those stuck in hardened partisan tribes. Read More Facebook

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U.S. hits Iran with more sanctions in response to satellite launch By Associated Press The United States is slapping Iran with new sanctions in response to its launch of a satellite-carrying rocket into space this week. The sanctions target six Iranian subsidiaries of the Shahid Hemmat Industrial Group. The Treasury Department says that group is central to Irans ballistic missile program. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin says the sanctions illustrate deep U.S. concerns about Irans missile testing and other actions. He says the U.S. will continue countering Irans ballistic missile program, including Thursdays provocative space launch. The U.S. has said that launch flouted a U.N. Security Council resolution because the technology is inherently designed to be able to carry a nuclear payload. The sanctions come as the Trump administration continues debating its Iran policy and whether to scrap the 2015 multilateral deal that limits the development of Irans nuclear capabilities. Facebook

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Political betrayal. McCain vote against Obamacare repeal draws ire from conservative writers By Kurtis Lee (Cliff Owen / AP) Though John McCain was one of three Republicans who helped Democrats squash the legislation to repeal Obamacare, conservative media is homing in on the Arizona senator for spurning his party in the healthcare vote. Here are some of todays headlines: John McCain: Traitor to the conservative cause (Washington Times) McCain, who was recently diagnosed with brain cancer, has been a staunch opponent of Obamacare, but in the end he could not support the so-called skinny repeal measure put forward by his colleagues in the Senate. In this piece, Cheryl K. Chumley, jabs McCain for his vote. For American voters expecting their Republican-dominated House, Senate and White House to honor their years of repeal promises and actually, well, repeal Obamacare, McCains thumbs-down was a face-slap moment that will be remembered in history as a textbook classic case of political betrayal, she writes. McCains odd definition of leading the fight to stop Obamacare (National Review) This article is simple  its a quick compare-and-contrast of McCains recent comments versus his vote on Friday. Last year, during a tough reelection, McCains campaign ran a television ad that boasted the senator is leading the fight to stop Obamacare. But last night his office put out a statement noting the GOP Senate bill did not offer a replacement to actually reform our health care system and deliver affordable, quality health care to our citizens. The author of this piece, Jim Geraghty, concludes: Its very difficult to characterize McCains decision as leading the fight to stop Obamacare. Thats more like leading the fight to keep Obamacare in place while you continue to look for a replacement that you like better. John McCain burns Mitch McConnell sides with Democrats (American Spectator) When McConnell, the majority leader, stood on the Senate floor Friday after the bills failure, he was clearly annoyed. McCains no vote had led to applause moments earlier from Democrats. In a move thats no surprise to anyone, John McCain voted against the embarrassingly named Skinny Repeal, voted against his party (or is it his party?) and voted to keep Obamacare going as is, writes Melissa Mackenzie. Facebook

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Meet the two female GOP senators who opposed the healthcare bill from the start By Kelcey Caulder Sen. John McCain shocked Republicans and Democrats alike with his vote early Friday morning to kill the latest Republican effort to repeal Obamacare. But McCain was not the only Republican to play a role in blocking the final version of the overhaul bill. Two female Republican lawmakers, Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, also voted against the bill. Collins has opposed repeal and replace efforts from the beginning, and Murkowski has also been critical of much of what the Senate Republican leadership has proposed. Collins said it would be a big mistake for Republicans to pass legislation without trying seriously to work with Democrats to reach bipartisan solutions. Instead, she called for both parties to work together to improve the healthcare system. Murkowski and Collins were the first from their party to come out against repealing the ACA without having new, replacement legislation on the table. In statements posted on Twitter, Collins, who voted against the same proposal in 2015, said she did not think it was constructive to repeal the law without a replacement, while Murkowski encouraged senators from both sides of the aisle to work together to address healthcare issues. I will vote no on the motion to proceed to repeal the Affordable Care Act without a replacement. I voted against this same proposal in 2015. pic.twitter.com/Szuke5zYNL  Sen. Susan Collins (@SenatorCollins) July 18, 2017 My recent statement on the Senate Healthcare Process: pic.twitter.com/j19Ok1KwWw  Sen. Lisa Murkowski (@lisamurkowski) July 18, 2017 The two senators were also the only Republicans to vote against opening debate on repeal of Obamacare earlier this week. Their opposition to Republican healthcare efforts has drawn a lot of criticism within the party, some of it expressed in vulgar, even violent terms. Georgia Rep. Buddy Carter said in an interview Wednesday with MSNBC: Somebody needs to go over there to that Senate and snatch a knot in their ass. A Texas congressman said the female senators narrowly avoided an Aaron Burr-style showdown with him. President Trump publicly rebuked Murkowski on Twitter for her vote. Senator @lisamurkowski of the Great State of Alaska really let the Republicans, and our country, down yesterday. Too bad!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 26, 2017 Trump has not criticized Collins by name for her vote, but warned Tuesday at a rally in Ohio that any senator who votes against repeal and replace is telling America that they are fine with the Obamacare nightmare, and I predict theyll have a lot of problems. Facebook

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The current Senate GOP effort to repeal Obamacare is dead. Now what? By Noam N. Levey (J. Scott Applewhite / Associated Press) The sudden collapse of the GOPs Senate campaign to repeal or replace the Affordable Care Act does not mean the issue disappears. Significant problems and challenges remain, particularly for Obamacare insurance marketplaces. The defeat increases the odds that Congress will begin to look at a more limited approach to shore up the current law and stabilize markets. The GOPs repeal effort may return, but in the meantime heres a look at what a temporary fix might look like: Read More Facebook

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Paul Ryan responds to the failure of the GOP healthcare bill By Associated Press House Speaker Paul Ryan said Friday that hes disappointed and frustrated by the failure of Republican healthcare legislation in the Senate. But Ryan said in a statement that we should not give up after promising for years to repeal and replace Obamacare. We were sent to Washington to fulfill the pledges we made to our constituents, the statement said. While the House delivered a bill to repeal and replace Obamacare, unfortunately the Senate was unable to reach a consensus. At the same time, the speaker said that overhauling the tax code is at the top of the Houses list of priorities. He pledged to pursue historic tax reform in the fall. He issued his statement as the House prepared to leave Washington for its annual August recess. The House passed legislation repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act in May. But after a failed vote early Friday in the Senate, its not clear if GOP leaders will be able to resuscitate the efforts. Facebook

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Economic growth rebounded to 2.6% annual rate in second quarter By Jim Puzzanghera The Port of Los Angeles (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times) The U.S. economy rebounded this spring after a weak winter, expanding at a solid 2.6% annual rate as consumers picked up their spending pace, the Commerce Department said Friday. Total economic output, also known as gross domestic product, for the April-through-June period was in line with analyst expectations for a bounce-back based in part on pent-up demand. The economic growth rate was more than double the 1.2% pace in the first quarter. That figure was revised down Friday from an earlier estimate of 1.4%. After the winter blues, the economy has rebounded, said Sung Won Sohn, an economist at Cal State Channel Islands. Read More Facebook

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Never mind healthcare. President Trump has made slogans great again By Mark Z. Barabak ( (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)) His promise to repeal and replace Obamacare has crashed and burned. Tax reform hasnt gotten far. The White House is in disarray, and big plans to rebuild the nations infrastructure have hit a brick wall. But there is one unimpeachable triumph President Trump can point to: Hes made great again great again. The Make America Great Again 2016 campaign slogan  limned in block letters and emblazoned on countless cherry-red ball caps  has been reimagined, repurposed and cheekily appropriated for countless pitches and commercial products. Apart from the now-familiar caps, mercantile options include aprons, beanies, beer cozys, coffee mugs, hoodies, leggings, swimsuits, T-shirts, water bottles and, for the special someone, Donald Trump Make America Great Again Womens Booty Shorts. But MAGA, as the president short-hands the phrase in Twitter posts, is also popping up in places having little or nothing to do with politics: on a catwalk at New Yorks Fashion Week, high in the sky promoting classical music in Phoenix, on the menu at an Italian restaurant in Atlanta. Read More Facebook

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If Adam Schiff is Californias next U.S. senator, he might want to thank President Trump By Mark Z. Barabak (J. Scott Applewhite / Associated Press) The road to elected office can be long and winding and is not always paved with the best of intentions. Some politicians  think of the Kennedys or the Bush family  are born to the trade. Others are borne by tragedy. Former Santa Barbara Rep. Lois Capps succeeded her husband when he died of a heart attack. Former New York Rep. Carolyn McCarthy was spurred to run when her husband was killed and her son gravely wounded in a mass shooting on the Long Island Rail Road. Typically, though, the ascension is more methodical, one rung after the next, often with a pinch of right-place, right-time fortune thrown in for good measure. Lately that bit of luck has visited itself on Adam B. Schiff, in the form of Russian meddling and a president who hurls tweets like poison thunderbolts. Read More Facebook

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Kris Kobach says Trumps voter fraud panel will keep voter data secure. Some states arent buying it By Kurtis Lee (Jessica McGowan / Getty Images) After weeks of legal battles and bipartisan pushback from top election officials nationwide, President Trumps voter fraud commission has renewed a message for the states: Its safe to pass along your data about voters. Individuals voter registration records will be kept confidential and secure throughout the duration of the commissions existence, Kris Kobach, vice chairman of the commission, wrote in a letter sent late Wednesday to all 50 secretaries of state. Even so, by Thursday, much of the criticism that greeted an earlier request from the commission was repeated by election officials and activists, who have expressed concerns about privacy and have called the panel both a sham created by an insecure president and a tool to suppress votes. Trump  without evidence  has repeatedly alleged that 3 million to 5 million illegal votes were cast in last years presidential election. (Trump prevailed in the electoral college, while Democrat Hillary Clinton won the popular vote by about 3 million votes.) Read More Facebook

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President Trump said our guys are rougher than the violent gang MS-13. What did he mean? By Brian Bennett (SAUL LOEB / AFP ) When President Trump said this week his administration is going after bloodthirsty criminal gangs like the notoriously violent MS-13, he added a menacing flourish: Our guys are rougher than their guys. The comment raised concerns that Trump was instructing immigration agents to use excessive force when going after suspected gang members. Not so, Trumps top spokeswoman said on Thursday. I think the president means that our guys are going to do whatever it takes to protect Americans, protect American lives, protect our borders, White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in response to a question about what Trump meant by rougher. Trump wants people to do their jobs, not go beyond the scope of what they should do, Sanders said. Trumps comment came during a rally in Youngstown, Ohio, on Tuesday night. We are throwing MS-13 the hell out of here so fast, he said, boasting that his administration is liberating towns and cities from gangs. And, well, I will just tell you this, were not doing it in a politically correct fashion, Trump added. Were doing it rough. Our guys are rougher than their guys. Trumps comment was meant to boost morale among immigration officers looking to arrest and deport gang members, said one senior administration official, who would speak only without being identified to discuss the presidents thinking. As part of Trumps crackdown on immigrants in the country illegally, he has instructed the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency to target a suspected gang member for deportation before that person has been convicted of a crime, said ICE director Thomas Homan. Homan joined Sanders at her daily briefing at the White House. The two spoke to preview the presidents Friday trip to Long Island, N.Y., where he will tout his administrations efforts against MS-13 and other gangs. For Trump, who grew up in Queens, recent headlines about MS-13 violence in central Long Island have hit close to home. In April, four young men were found hacked to death in a park in Central Islip, N.Y., a senior administration official told reporters Thursday night. He is a New Yorker and he knows New York, the administration official said. It is absolutely a personal issue. And he knows whats happening in New York -- and its not just Long Island -- is a tragedy and there are communities like that all across America. Facebook

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Boy Scouts chief apologizes for presidents political rhetoric at national Jamboree. Trump wont By Brian Bennett President Trump wont apologize for a surprisingly political speech this week to Boy Scouts that provoked a backlash for his attacks on his predecessor, his election rival, dissident Republicans and the news media. White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders delivered that word on Thursday, just after a top executive of the Boy Scouts of America issued an apology on behalf of the organization for allowing the political rhetoric to occur during Trumps address Monday evening at the National Scout Jamboree held in West Virginia. Michael Surbaugh, the organizations chief executive, in a statement extended his sincere apologies to those in our Scouting family who were offended by the political rhetoric that was inserted into the jamboree. He noted that the groups invitation to the president to speak was in keeping with a long-standing tradition since 1937; eight of 11 incumbent presidents have attended. But, Surbaugh wrote, we have steadfastly remained non-partisan and refused to comment on political matters. We sincerely regret that politics were inserted into the Scouting program. At the White House, however, Sanders indicated that neither she nor Trump saw any reason to apologize, or considered his remarks in any way out of line. I was at that event and I saw nothing but roughly 40,000 to 45,000 Boy Scouts cheering the president on throughout his remarks, Sanders said. I think they were pretty excited that he was there and happy to hear him speak to them, she added. Sanders said she had not seen the statement from the Boy Scouts chief. During his rambling 38-minute speech to the Scouts in Glen Jean, W.Va., Trump criticized Hillary Clinton and President Obama and singled out congressional Republicans who were not in lockstep with him on healthcare. He got much applause and supportive chants from his audience, and even credited the Scouts -- who are too young to vote -- for being among the millions who elected him. But almost immediately, the Boy Scouts organization was inundated with protests from former Scouts, parents and others angered by the presidents partisan words. Facebook

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Trumps words kind of hurtful, Sessions says, but he has no plans to resign By Joseph Tanfani President Trumps scathing criticisms have been kind of hurtful, Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions said Thursday, even as he again signaled that he wants to stay on the job. He wants all of us to do our job, and thats what I intend to do, Sessions said in an interview with Tucker Carlson of Fox News. Separately, Sessions told the Associated Press that it hasnt been my best week  for my relationship with the president. He made the comment in El Salvador, during a visit to highlight joint efforts to take on the MS-13 gang. The attorney general said he hadnt met with Trump but looked forward to talking to him about it. If he wants to make a change, he has every right, Sessions said. I serve at the pleasure of the president. Ive understood that from the day I took the job. But, he said, I believe with great confidence that I understand what is needed in the Department of Justice and what President Trump wants. I share his agenda. The comments were the first this week on the subject from Sessions, who has been subjected to harshly critical tweets from Trump for three days. The president has called him weak and said he wasnt aggressive enough in going after leakers. Last week, after Trump criticized Sessions in a New York Times interview, Sessions told reporters he planned to stay on as long as it was appropriate. Sessions has seemed to redouble his attempts this week to win back the presidents favor. He announced another crackdown on so-called sanctuary cities that dont cooperate with immigration enforcement and on Friday traveled to El Salvador to highlight arrests of MS-13 gang members, both favorite topics of the president. The Justice Department also plans to address leaks next week. Sessions said his department was stepping up leak investigations. Some people need to go to jail, he said. The president has every right to ask the DOJ to be more aggressive on that, and we intend to. On Wednesday evening, after Anthony Scaramucci , Trumps incoming communications director, falsely claimed in a tweet that hed been the victim of a leak, Sessions chief spokeswoman released a statement agreeing that leaks are undermining the government and promising to aggressively pursue leak cases wherever they may lead. Trump has made it clear that he is most angry with Sessions for recusing himself from supervising the ongoing investigation into his administrations ties with Russia. But Sessions defended that decision. I understand his feeling about it because this has been a big distraction for him, he said on Fox. Im confident I made the right decision, the decision thats consistent with the rule of law, and an attorney general who doesnt follow the law is not very effective at leading the Department of Justice, he said. In the interview, Sessions reached back to Trumps campaign slogan to praise the president as a strong leader. He is determined to move this country in the direction that he believes it needs to go to make it great again, he said. Sessions has received considerable support in recent days from conservative Republicans, including many of his former Senate colleagues. On Thursday, Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.) went to the Senate floor to discourage Trump from moving against Sessions, saying that the Senate would not allow the president to make a recess appointment that would bypass the normal confirmation process. A recess appointment would allow Trump to appoint a person who could serve without confirmation until the start of 2019. Such appointments can only be made if the Senate formally takes a break, which senators of both parties have said they will avoid in order to prevent Trump from avoiding confirmations. If youre thinking of making a recess appointment to push out the attorney general, forget about it, Sasse said. The presidency isnt a bull, and this country isnt a china shop. 1:55 p.m.: This post was updated with additional remarks by Sessions and remarks by Sen. Ben Sasse. 5:50: This post was updated with additional quotes from Sessions interview. Facebook

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For Trump White House, cable television becomes the venue for intramural sniping By Noah Bierman President Trump and his aides love to complain about leaks from within the White House. But on Thursday, the infighting was out in the open. The incoming communications director, Anthony Scaramucci, in a morning phone call broadcast on CNN, compared the West Wing to a fish that stinks from the head down, implying that White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus is responsible for at least some of the leaks. Later, Trump press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders declined to come to Priebuss defense and say whether Trump has full confidence in his chief of staff. Another Trump advisor, Kellyanne Conway, used a prison analogy for the broader backstabbing among aides, telling Fox News that her West Wing colleagues were using the press to shiv each other. While the knifings might suggest a new level of chaos in a White House known for it, the style is all Trump. As a businessman, he has a history of fostering rivalries among his employees. He always did sort of like competition, backstabbing, infighting kind of stuff, said Barbara Res, who spent nearly two decades as a top executive in Trumps real estate business. He set people up to do that. Trump led the charge this week, using his Twitter account and an interview with the Wall Street Journal to ridicule his attorney general, Jeff Sessions, one of Trumps first and most prominent campaign supporters. By Thursday, both Priebus and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson were seeing their fates publicly debated, less than a week after Sean Spicer was forced out as press secretary after months of speculation and presidential slights. The Priebus intrigue was amplified by Scaramucci on Twitter and in the CNN interview. He blamed Priebus for leaking Scaramuccis personal financial disclosure forms -- which are publicly available -- and suggested that Trump encouraged Scaramuccis offensive in a phone conversation the two men had just before the aide dialed into CNN. When Sanders was asked about the Scaramucci-Priebus dustup, she said that the president likes healthy competition on his staff. The president likes that kind of competition and encourages it, Sanders said. The result is a White House that increasingly suggests the presidents former way of life. As the star of a reality TV show, he fomented internal competition and firings among apprentices; their cable television appearances, meanwhile, recall the confessionals familiar to reality show fans, in which characters confide directly to the camera their anger or enmity toward others on the show. The primary attribute for a successful tenure in the Trump White House is masochism, tweeted Rick Wilson, a longtime Republican operative and Trump critic. The repeated evidence of dysfunction and the high level of insecurity among Trumps core aides help explain the White Houses inability to focus on its agenda. Trumps critics voiced suspicions on Twitter that the public staff blow-up was a deliberate distraction from the struggle in Congress to pass a healthcare bill, as well as from the ongoing investigations into potential collusion between his presidential campaign and Russia and the backlash to Trumps surprise Twitter announcement on Wednesday that transgender people will be barred from military service. But those issues also were being heavily covered on cable news. The stories that were overshadowed were those Trump was trying to promote: a deal his administration helped strike with Foxconn to build a production facility in Wisconsin, possibly creating thousands of new jobs, and nascent efforts to craft a tax overhaul plan. Facebook

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Democrats criticize financial industry backgrounds of two Trump bank regulator nominees By Jim Puzzanghera Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.). (Joe Raedle / Getty Images) Senate Democrats on Thursday criticized the financial industry backgrounds of President Trumps nominees for two key banking regulatory positions, arguing they would not protect the interests of average Americans. Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and others sharply questioned Joseph Otting, the former chief executive of Pasadenas OneWest Bank, and investment fund manager Randal Quarles during a confirmation hearing by the Senate Banking Committee. Trump nominated Otting to be the comptroller of the currency, a powerful regulator of national banks. Quarles has been tapped to be the Federal Reserves vice chairman for supervision, who is in charge of the Feds oversight of the nations largest bank holding companies and other regulatory efforts. The two are expected to be friendlier to the banking industry than recent Democratic appointees. Read More Facebook

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Senator warns Trump there will be holy hell to pay if he fires Sessions By Joseph Tanfani A prominent Republican Senator issued a blunt warning to President Trump not to interfere with the Russia investigation, saying any effort to get rid of special counsel Robert S. Mueller III could be the beginning of the end of the Trump presidency. Sen. Lindsey Graham, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, told reporters Thursday that there will be holy hell to pay if Trump fires Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions, a favorite of conservatives who represented Alabama in the Senate for 20 years. Grahams warning was the sternest yet from Senate Republicans to Trump about the potential consequences of firing either Sessions or Mueller. The chairman of the Senate judiciary committee, Sen. Charles Grassley, (R-Iowa), issued his own warning in a tweet Wednesday night, saying his committee would not take up a nomination of a replacement attorney general this year, which is required before the Senate can vote to confirm. Everybody in D.C. Shld b warned that the agenda for the judiciary Comm is set for rest of 2017. Judges first subcabinet 2nd / AG no way  ChuckGrassley (@ChuckGrassley) July 27, 2017 Starting with an interview in the New York Times last week and continuing with a three-day barrage of critical tweets, Trump has raged at Sessions for his decision to recuse himself from supervising the investigation into the Russian attempts to influence the election, and into whether anybody involved in Trumps campaign participated in the scheme. Trump also has bitterly complained about Mueller, whom he has accused of leading a witch hunt, and Deputy Atty. Gen. Rod J. Rosenstein, who appointed Mueller and who is now supervising the probe. Justice Department regulations say that only the attorney general, or in this case Rosenstein acting in his place, can fire the special counsel. If Sessions were gone, Trump could try to appoint a replacement willing to carry out the firing. Graham said he will introduce a bill next week that would require court review if anyone tried to fire a special counsel who was investigating the president. I think Ill get all the Democrats and I hope to get a good number of Republicans, he said, adding that the enacting such a law is not just for Trump but for any future president. We need a check and balance here. Graham said Trumps campaign to marginalize and humiliate the attorney general is not going over well in the Senate or among conservatives. He also said Trump, who has called on Sessions to investigate his former rival Hillary Clinton, has gone way beyond what is acceptable in a rule of law nation. This is not draining the swamp, he said. What hes interjecting is turning democracy upside down..taking 200-year-old concepts that were a nation of laws and not men and trying to turn it upside down. Sen. Graham: "Any effort to go after Mueller could be the beginning of the end of the Trump presidency." https://t.co/6Pd60LrGRU pic.twitter.com/EXBOwBC35C  ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) July 27, 2017 Facebook

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Watch live: White House news briefing with Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders Facebook

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Trump administration threatens to retaliate against Alaska for GOP senators Obamacare repeal vote, news site reports By Noam N. Levey The Trump administration threatened to block federal aid to Alaska in an effort to bully one of the Republican senators opposed to the current Senate GOP push to roll back the Affordable Care Act, according to a report by the Alaska Dispatch News. The news site reports that Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke on Wednesday called Alaska Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan with a warning that Murkowskis vote had put Alaskas future with the administration in jeopardy. According to the report: Sullivan said the call from Zinke heralded a troubling message. Im not going to go into the details, but I fear that the strong economic growth, pro-energy, pro-mining, pro-jobs and personnel from Alaska who are part of those policies are going to stop, Sullivan said. I tried to push back on behalf of all Alaskans.  Were facing some difficult times and theres a lot of enthusiasm for the policies that Secretary Zinke and the president have been talking about with regard to our economy. But the message was pretty clear, Sullivan said. The threat followed disparaging comments made by the president about Murkowski, including a Twitter attack Wednesday morning Senator @lisamurkowski of the Great State of Alaska really let the Republicans, and our country, down yesterday. Too bad! Trump wrote. Murkowski dismissed the presidents attacks in an interview with MSNBC. Were here to govern. Were here to legislate, she said. Were here to represent the people who sent us here. And so every day shouldnt be about campaigning. Every day shouldnt be about winning elections. How about just doing a little bit of governing around here? Thats what Im here for. Murkowski and Maine Sen. Susan Collins were the only Republicans who voted against a procedural motion Tuesday to begin debating legislation rolling back the 2010 healthcare law, often called Obamacare. Sullivan, also a Republican, voted in favor of advancing the bill. Murkowski has urged a more open process to develop the legislation, which Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky) has put together behind closed doors without committee hearings or input from Democrats. A spokeswoman for Zinke did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Facebook

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Iran angered by report that Trump wants additional nuclear inspections By Shashank Bengali Iran responded angrily Thursday to reports that the Trump administration would push for inspections of military facilities to ensure Tehran is complying with the 2015 nuclear deal. Iran will not succumb to further pressure, Hamid Reza Taraghi, a hard-line analyst who is close to Irans leadership, told The Times. Taraghi did not say whether Iran would refuse inspectors access to military facilities but insisted the Islamic Republic was complying with the agreement, which required Iran to shelve its nuclear program in exchange for relief from economic sanctions. President Trump has said he wants to tear up the deal and doesnt believe Iran is complying, although his administration certified it was in a report to Congress this month. The Associated Press reported Thursday that Trump was pushing for inspections of suspicious Iranian military sites, either to prove that Iran was violating the deal or force it to refuse, which could cause the agreement to collapse. Iranian officials have argued in the past that inspections of military sites would be off-limits. But under the agreement it signed with the United States and five other world powers, Iran agreed to the so-called Additional Protocol, which allows U.N. inspectors limited access to any site where illicit nuclear activity is suspected. Taraghi, a former lawmaker, said the Additional Protocol allowed for snap inspections and that international inspectors had installed closed-circuit cameras in all nuclear-related facilities. They have access to everything going on here on the ground, Taraghi said. What else do they want to know? It was not immediately clear what military sites the Trump administration was seeking to have inspected, or whether it had evidence that Iran was breaching the terms of the deal. U.N. inspectors monitoring Irans compliance had not requested access to military facilities as of July 25, according to a paper published Thursday by Mark Fitzpatrick, executive director of the International Institute for Strategic Studies in Washington. If US has good evidence of #Iran violations, then an inspection request is warranted, Fitzpatrick tweeted. A request designed to trap Iran into saying no isnt. Facebook

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Top U.S. general says Pentagon will not change policy on transgender troops until White House acts By W.J. Hennigan The nations senior military officer said Thursday that there will be no modifications to Pentagon policies for now despite President Trump social media posts declaring a ban on transgender troops in uniform. Marine Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, wrote in a memo to commanders and senior enlisted leaders of the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines that the military will continue to treat all of our personnel with respect. Dunford said Pentagon policy on transgender troops would not change until the White House has issued Trumps directive to Secretary of Defense James Mattis through formal channels  not on Twitter  and the secretarys office issues guidance on implementation to the service chiefs. Its unclear when that might happen. The unusual memo appeared intended to calm widespread confusion and concern at the Pentagon, which was blindsided when Trump wrote Wednesday that Pentagon would not accept or allow transgender troops to serve in any capacity. The presidents posts appeared to reverse a year-old Pentagon policy that allowed transgender soldiers to openly serve for the first time, and to seek sex reassignment surgery, hormone therapy and other treatments at military hospitals. Trumps surprise announcement not only marked a retreat for the Pentagon push to bar gender-based discrimination. It also was an about-face for Trump, who had repeatedly vowed his support for the LGBT community during the campaign last year. The posts raised questions about the fate of thousands of transgender service members, including some deployed overseas, and whether they would be kicked out of the military under Trumps directive. Dunfords memo appeared to address those fears, at least for the short term. There will be no modifications to the current policy until the Presidents direction has been received by the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary has issued implementation guidance, he wrote. In the meantime, we will continue to treat all of our personnel with respect, he added. As importantly, given the current fight and the challenges we face, we will all remain focused on accomplishing our assigned missions. In his tweets, Trump said he had decided to bar transgender troops because the military cannot be burdened with the tremendous medical costs and disruption that transgender in the military would entail. Experts said neither justification was accurate or fair since the expected medical costs were negligible and transgender troops have been openly serving for the past year without disruption. The sweeping declaration drew rebuke from war veterans and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender advocacy groups, who vowed to challenge Trump in federal court if self-identified transgender service members are forced out of the military. VoteVets, a liberal military veterans advocacy group, said Thursday it had collected more than 20,000 signatures from veterans, military families and other supporters to oppose the ban. Facebook

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Analysis: Trumps war against elites and expertise By Cathleen Decker (Saul Loeb / AFP/Getty Images) When President Trump campaigned this spring at the Hermitage, the home of Andrew Jackson, one part of his predecessors approach got a special endorsement. It was during the Revolution that Jackson first confronted and defied an arrogant elite. Does that sound familiar? Trump asked to laughs from his audience. When Trump ally and National Rifle Assn. President Wayne LaPierre teed off six weeks later on Americas greatest domestic threats, he cited not homegrown terrorists but what he termed the three most dangerous voices in America: academic elites, political elites, and media elites. The rhetoric against elites came from two men who would seem to be card-carrying members of the club: LaPierre made more than $5 million in 2015, the most recent year for which his compensation was publicly released. Trump lived before his inauguration in a gold-plated home in the sky above New Yorks Fifth Avenue, a billionaires luxurious domain. Yet for Trump and his allies, a war on elites has been central to the campaign which put him in the presidency and has maintained the loyalty of his core voters. Trump has taken particular aim at entities that could counter his power, which has helped stoke the ardor of his political backers. Read More Facebook

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Top Trump advisor Kellyanne Conway says colleagues using the press to shiv each other By Noah Bierman White House staffers continued their angry campaign against leaks -- and each other -- as top advisor Kellyanne Conway used vivid language in a Fox interview Thursday to denounce colleagues who are using the press to shiv each other in the ribs. The comments came shortly after Anthony Scaramucci, the new White House communications director, delivered his own attack on leakers -- all but blaming Reince Priebus, the White House chief of staff -- in an interview on CNN. If the Trump White House at times resembles a reality show, cable television has become the confessional booth where the players vent their anger at each other. That dynamic was on vivid display Thursday morning. Kellyanne Conway: "Now, there are leaks, and then there are people using the press to shiv each other in the ribs. Thats different." (Fox)  David Wright (@DavidWright_CNN) July 27, 2017 Conway largely backed Scaramucci without explicitly taking sides in his public war against Priebus, whom he publicly suggested leaked Scaramuccis financial disclosure forms to the press. The forms are public and available through a request. We just have to cut down on people thinking its cute and its popular and it somehow enhances their resume and their portfolio for later on to curry favor with folks who are more interested in covering the style and not the substance here, Conway said of those who leak to he press. Asked specifically whether she agrees with Scaramucci that Priebus leaked the financial forms, Conway passed on the opportunity to defend Priebus. Leakers are easier to figure out than many think, she said, perhaps ominously given Scaramuccis threats to fire suspects. This West Wing is a very small place. Facebook

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Warfare in the West Wing breaks into the open as Scaramucci takes aim at Priebus By Brian Bennett A knife fight for control of the West Wing broke into the open Thursday morning as President Trumps new communications director Anthony Scaramucci lashed out at White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus in a televised interview, accusing Priebus of leaking and standing in the way of Trumps agenda. The fish stinks from the head down, I can tell you two fish that dont stink, OK, and thats me and the president, Scaramucci said, calling in to CNNs morning show New Day. I dont like the activity thats going in the White House, he said. Scaramucci, who had said the day he was named to the White House job that he and Priebus were like brothers, drastically amended that in the interview, comparing the two of them to the brothers who, in the Bible, were the characters in the first murder. Some brothers are like Cain and Abel, other brothers can fight with each other and get along. I dont know if this is reparable or not  that will be up to the president, he said. Scaramucci on his relationship with Reince: "Some brothers are like Cain and Abel." Uh, Cain killed Abel. https://t.co/UQ8F9HiXLx  Dan Merica (@merica) July 27, 2017 President Trump has a track record of encouraging rivalries among people who work for him. Scaramucci said he had spoken with Trump for 15 minutes to go over what he was going to say before he called CNN, implying his warning to Priebus carried Trumps backing. Trump, Scaramucci said, has given me his full support and his full blessing. When Scaramucci was hired, Trump told him he would report directly to the president, bypassing the chief of staff, and setting up the clash that played out Thursday on national television. If you want to talk about the chief of staff, we have had odds, we have had differences. When I said we were brothers from the podium, thats because were rough on each other, Scaramucci said. The tension between Scaramucci and Priebus flared after Politico published a story Wednesday about Scaramuccis publicly available financial disclosure form showing he still stands to profit from his stake in an investment firm he founded. The disclosure form was available to the public because Scaramucci had been nominated earlier this year for a job at the Export-Import Bank of the U.S., and the forms become public 30 days after they are filed. But Scaramucci, in a tweet Wednesday night, seemed to imply Priebus had leaked the form to make him look bad, or knew who did, and called for an FBI investigation. He later deleted the tweet, apparently after being informed that the form was not leaked. Over the last five days, Scaramucci said to CNN, he has done a major amount of work interviewing assistants to the president and communications staff. He also had dinner with Trump on Wednesday night in addition to his phone conversation with the president Thursday morning. The two of them want everyone to know we have a very, very good idea of who the leakers are, who the senior leakers are, in the White House, he said. Scaramucci took aim specifically at Priebus for leaking details about internal White House discussions and maneuvers. If Reince wants to explain that hes not a leaker, let him do that, Scaramucci said. Scaramucci appears to be giving voice to Trumps frustration with people in the White House the president believes are slowing down policy efforts, even though Trump has shown a pattern of repeatedly stepping on his own efforts on healthcare, job creation and other initiatives with unplanned tweets on topics such as Russia, transgender troops and unfounded allegations of voter fraud. There are people inside this administration who think its their job to save America from this president, Scaramucci said. Its not their jobs ... to rein him in or do things to him that slow down his agenda. People in the Washington are back-stabbers, Scaramucci said. Im more of a front-stabbing person. Facebook

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Scaramucci tweets, then deletes, confusing statement that referred to information in Politico report as a leak By Colleen Shalby In a now deleted tweet, incoming White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci sent out a confusing statement Wednesday night, addressing information reported earlier by Politico as a leak. The article reported on Scaramuccis financial disclosures. According to Politico, those details had been filed with the Office of Government Ethics, so its unclear what  if anything  was leaked information. Scaramuccis tweet further confused as it ended with White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus Twitter handle. Just before those characters, he noted that he intended to contact the FBI and the Justice Department. Some speculated that Scaramucci was implying that Priebus was behind the leak. But in a new tweet roughly two hours after the original, he tweeted what appeared to be a clarification, correcting a headline of news site Axios. Wrong! Tweet was public notice to leakers that all Sr Adm officials are helping to end illegal leaks, he tweeted, ending it  once again  with Priebus handle. Wrong! Tweet was public notice to leakers that all Sr Adm officials are helping to end illegal leaks. @Reince45 pic.twitter.com/AB0reseuX1  Anthony Scaramucci (@Scaramucci) July 27, 2017 Five days ago, Scaramucci, responding to a question about reported tensions between him and the chief of staff, said he and Priebus are a little bit like brothers, where we rough each other up a little, which is totally normal for brothers. 10:15 p.m. PT: This post was originally published at 8:52 p.m. It was updated with information from Scaramuccis new tweet. Facebook

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Senate Judiciary chair fires off warning to Trump about Sessions By David Lauter Sen. Charles E. Grassley (R-Iowa), the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, fired off an unmistakable warning to President Trump on Wednesday evening: Dont even think about trying to get a new attorney general confirmed this year. Trump has been publicly tormenting Jeff Sessions, appearing to want to push the attorney general into stepping down from his job. But in a tweet, Grassley made it clear that if Trump pushed Sessions out, he would have to live with an acting attorney general for a long time. Everybody in D.C. Shld b warned that the agenda for the judiciary Comm is set for rest of 2017. Judges first subcabinet 2nd / AG no way  ChuckGrassley (@ChuckGrassley) July 27, 2017 Any nominee for attorney general would have to pass through the Judiciary Committee before getting a confirmation vote, so Grassleys no way would be a formidable barrier. Grassley has been an administration loyalist on nearly all issues so far, but as a veteran senator, he has a strong independent streak and, as previous administrations have found, he can be implacable if angered. His message comes as conservative allies rally support for Sessions. Several other Republican senators have spoken out in favor of the attorney general, a former colleague who was well liked during his years as senator from Alabama. Senate Democrats already have said they would use procedural motions to prevent the Senate from formally going on a recess this summer, blocking Trump from making a recess appointment that would bypass the Senate. Republicans used similar maneuvers to block recess appointments by President Obama. If Sessions were to step down and not be replaced, Deputy Atty. Gen. Rod Rosenstein would become acting attorney general. Trump has been critical of Rosenstein as well as Sessions, so that option presumably would not appeal to him. Facebook

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Under fire from Trump, Sessions should stay focused on his job, White House says By Joseph Tanfani (Alex Brandon / Associated Press) In spite of a daily barrage of Twitter attacks from President Trump, the White House press secretary said Wednesday that Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions should stay focused on performing his duties as the nations top law enforcement officer. You can be disappointed in someone and still want someone to continue to do their job, Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Wednesday, hours after Trump criticized Sessions for the third straight day  this time for not replacing acting FBI Director Andrew McCabe. Sessions was one of Trumps earliest and most loyal supporters, but the relationship has turned icy as Trump continues to seethe about Sessions decision to step aside from supervising the investigation into alleged Russian interference with last years election. Sessions was at the White House for meetings Wednesday, the second time this week hes visited the West Wing, but once again did not see Trump, Sanders said. Sanders did not clear up the main question surrounding Trumps strategy of publicly battering the attorney general: If the president is so unhappy, why doesnt he simply fire Sessions? Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said Wednesday that Trumps apparent attempt to humiliate Sessions into quitting was a sign of weakness. To me, weakness is when you play around the edges, and you dont use the power you have, Graham said in an interview on CNN. Sanders said that Trump wants Sessions to continue to lead the Department of Justice. He wants him to focus on things like immigration, leaks and a number of other issues, she said. One of Trumps public complaints has been that Sessions hasnt been aggressive enough in pursuing leakers of classified information. In fact, the Justice Department is expected to announce next week some leak prosecutions. On Tuesday, Sessions also announced new measures to cut off some federal funds to so-called sanctuary cities that dont cooperate with immigration enforcement, another favorite issue for the president. But Sanders added that, at this point, a leak investigation would not salvage Sessions standing with Trump. I dont think thats the nature of the relationship, she said. In two tweets Wednesday morning, Trump criticized Sessions for not replacing McCabe, whose wife ran for office as a Democrat in Virginia in 2015. He suggested that McCabe had a conflict of interest in his duties as deputy director of the FBI during the investigation of Hillary Clintons handling of classified emails as secretary of State, although McCabe did not move into that job until months after his wifes campaign was over. McCabe took over the bureau as acting director when Trump fired James B. Comey in May. Sanders also declined to answer a question on why Trump did not fire McCabe himself, saying only that Trump looked forward to seeing his nominee as FBI director, Christopher Wray, be confirmed by the Senate soon. Facebook

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Trump, on Twitter, announced a ban on transgender service members. Now the military has to figure out what he means By Brian Bennett (Alex Brandon / Associated Press) President Trump surprised even the Pentagon on Wednesday morning by his unexpected announcement, via Twitter, of a ban on transgender service members. The military has not had a chance to decide how to put such a ban into effect, acknowledged Trumps top spokeswoman, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, as she fielded numerous questions on the topic later from White House reporters. Secretary of Defense James Mattis, who was on vacation, wasnt informed until Tuesday that Trump had decided to bar transgender service members from serving in any way. Sometimes you have to make a decision and once he made a decision, he didnt feel it was necessary to hold that decision, Sanders said. The president concluded, based on consultations with his national security team, that allowing transgender individuals to serve erodes military readiness and unit cohesion, she said. White House and Pentagon officials had been discussing details of medical coverage for transgender service members on active duty. But Trump went far beyond that with his series of tweets that the military will not accept or allow transgender individuals to serve in any capacity in the military. It will be up to the Defense Department to determine the specifics of the policy, including whether active-duty transgender service members will be kicked out of the military, Sanders said. Estimates of the number of current service members who are transgender range from 1,300 to about 16,000. The implementation policy is going to be something that the White House and Department of Defense will have to work together to lawfully determine, Sanders said. I would imagine the Department of Defense will be the lead on that, she added. Trumps tweets overshadowed other announcements he had planned to make Wednesday about adding manufacturing jobs to the economy and donating $100,000 of his second-quarter paycheck to the Department of Education to support science and math education. The president has expressed concerns since this Obama policy came into effect, Sanders said. She added that the president considered allowing transgender people in the ranks is a very expensive and disruptive policy. At one point, an exasp
Amid a slew of administrative reassignments in the Newport-Mesa Unified School District, former Newport Elementary School principal Rich Rodriguezs transfer to College Park Elementary for the coming school year led Newport Elementary parents to a discussion Thursday night where they talked with district staff about the qualities they expect in their schools next leader.

During the forum at the Newport Beach campus attended by more than 20 parents, speakers said theyd favor an administrator who supports school staff, self-evaluates, infuses arts in classrooms, engages with parents and students and values transparency.

Parents said they were notified of Rodriguezs request for transfer before the last day of school last month.

Like all employees, he has the opportunity to make a change, but we personally thought he did a great job here, parent Jason Price said. We want to know that the program Rich put in place survives.

Parent Darcy Gassel said she is excited for the opportunity to get a new leader who could help the school grow further.

Hopefully this will bring us together to find the right principal, Gassel said. The principal sets the tone for the school, and Newport El is unique in that its small and has tremendous parent support.

Newport Elementary and the district made an online survey available for comments from parents who could not attend the meeting Thursday.

District spokeswoman Annette Franco said input from the forum will be considered during the interview process for a new principal.

Regardless of whether it is an internal candidate or someone from outside, the important thing to note is that the district works very closely with parents and staff to meet the needs for the school, which is why well go above and beyond to make the forum, Franco said.

Interviews for the principal position will be conducted next week by panels of Newport-Mesa staff members, teachers and parents. The top candidates will move on to interviews with Supt. Fred Navarro and his leadership team, who will make the final recommendation for board approval.

Rodriguezs reassignment to be principal at College Park in Costa Mesa is part of a series of principal transfers for the coming school year, which starts in September. He will replace College Parks former principal Julie McCormick, who relocated to Newport Coast Elementary to replace former principal Duane Cox, who moved to Rea Elementary in Costa Mesa.

Cox is replacing Reas interim principal, Alex Morales, who replaced Kalim Rayburn after Rayburn left the district.

Several College Park teachers and parents were upset by the transfer of McCormick, a speaker of multiple languages who had been at the school for eight years and helped spearhead its Mandarin language immersion program in 2015. The district announced her reassignment in May.

Newport-Mesa board President Karen Yelsey said at the time that the board understands the transfer is difficult for the community but that such changes are well-thought-out at the district level.

For the community, it can be difficult when someone they respect and like is someone they lose, Franco said this week. However, we have to do whats best for the schools, and if the district sees an internal principal that they feel is strong for one school, well make that placement.

The district faced a similar administrative shuffle last summer after Laura Canzone  then known as Laura Sacks  requested reassignment from her post as principal of Mariners Elementary School in Newport Beach amid complaints from teachers and parents about her leadership and the accuracy of a school award application she filed during the 2015-16 school year.

Canzone was transferred to Costa Mesa Middle School, where she served as a principal on special assignment during the 2016-17 school year before she resigned from the district this spring.

Her replacement at Mariners, Matt Broesamle, previously was principal of California Elementary School in Costa Mesa. The announcement of his transfer in June 2016 drew a crowd of California Elementary parents to a board meeting where they expressed a desire to keep Broesamle at the school while also stating the qualities they wanted in a new principal.

Broesamle was replaced at California Elementary the following August by Jacob Topete, who previously was an assistant principal for Newport Heights and Whittier elementary schools.

Alexandra.Chan@latimes.com

Twitter: @AlexandraChan10
The sea was calm at 5:18 p.m. Thursday as three yellow rescue boats pulled away from the shore, between Newport Beach lifeguard stands 15 and 17, and into the horizon.

This was the time and place where, three years ago, Ben Carlson leapt into the ocean to make his final rescue.

On the anniversary of Carlsons line-of-duty death, the first for Newport lifeguards in the divisions nearly 100-year history, dozens of friends and colleagues gathered at the beach to salute his sacrifice.

The boat ceremony has recognized Carlson every year since his death, but this was the first time his father, Chris Carlson, had seen it.

Its just neat to see this community remember Ben the way that they do, he said.

From permanent memorials like the larger-than-life statue of Carlsons likeness at McFadden Square, at the end of Newport Pier and yards from the city lifeguard headquarters that now bears Carlsons name, to small gestures, like the maxim Ben Did Go on the marquee of Malarkys Irish Pub, where he had tended bar, the city reveres Carlson for his actions on July 6, 2014.

The swells were larger than usual that day. Carlson, 32, a seasonal lifeguard with 15 years of experience, was manning a rescue boat when he dove into the heavy surf to assist a struggling swimmer.

A crashing wave knocked the men underwater. The swimmer, clutching the buoy Carlson gave him, surfaced, unhurt. Backup quickly arrived, and everybody made it back to shore safely except Carlson. Searchers recovered his body three hours later near Newport Pier.

The ceremony Thursday was brief, but for us, it means a lot, said Rob Williams, Newport Beach chief lifeguard.

Last week, the Ben Carlson Memorial & Scholarship Foundation put a new plaque at the base of the McFadden Square statue. On the anniversary of Carlsons death, the statue wore fresh leis.

The plaque tells Carlsons story. The statue, facing the water with one hand shading its eyes as it perpetually scans the waves, shows it.

hillary.davis@latimes.com

Twitter: @Daily_PilotHD
Im always intrigued reading about the pension issues that confront so many municipalities in California and elsewhere concerning its employees.

I can remember early in my working career that many looked askance at municipal careers because they supposedly paid significantly lower salaries. Well, I guess that isnt quite the way it worked out, as those employees oftentimes managed to earn as much or more than in the private sector.

As noted in the Daily Pilots recent issue on pensions (Local cities pension payment plans draw optimism and doubts, June 30) a retired Costa Mesa firefighters retirement pension is $156,000 annually. I wonder how much the average private sector retiree is paid?

I loved the quote from the president of the Costa Mesa Firefighters Assn., who stated that firefighters do not receive Social Security, and their pension is the only source of retirement income. Really. Tell that to the millions of those other workers not quite so lucky.

He goes on to say that the Costa Mesa firefighters shared in the citys cost-savings burden during the economic downturn. Wow. They couldnt have taken too much of a haircut based on the current payouts.

I dont mean to beat up on Costa Mesa, as Newport Beach and so many other cities spend lavishly on employee retirements as well. No wonder pensions are in such a world of hurt.

Pete Rabbitt

Newport Beach

Rohrabacher should challenge Trumps behavior

On May 27, 2016, during the waning months of the Obama administration, Rep. Dana Rohrabacher and USC professor Greg Autry wrote in the Washington Times of an existential American crisis.

That particular crisis was, in their judgment  undermining our core values, tearing apart our electorate and threatening our national security.

That was then. Now, under a new Republican administration, Rohrabacher (R-Costa Mesa) feels no compunction to speak out against President Trumps vulgar, irresponsible, reprehensible Twitter attacks. Is there any doubt that Trump is also  undermining our core values, tearing apart our electorate, and threatening our national security?

Rohrabachers moral compass needs to be recalibrated. It appears that his actions are motivated only by a troubling, blind, fealty to partisanship. His constituents deserve better. Sad.

Ralph Sims

Newport Beach

Church group calls for change in justice system

We write as people of faith who are either attendees at, or members of, Irvine United Congregational Church.

Our progressive Christian faith prompts us to express both outrage and heartbreak over the latest miscarriage of justice involving a black man killed by a police officer, in this instance in St. Paul, Minn.

Whether the result is an acquittal, as here, a hung jury, or conviction on a lesser charge, it has proven very difficult for the survivors of these victims to achieve full justice. This episode happened in St. Paul; others have happened in Ferguson, Mo., New York City, Cleveland, Baltimore, Houston. In short, this is a national problem.

Last year, Philando Castile was pulled over for a broken tail light and wound up dead, despite the presence of his girlfriend, pleading for his life, and her 4-year-old child.

Officer Jeronimo Yanez contended that he feared for his life when Castile reached for his identification. Video evidence was inconclusive, and it has proven difficult for juries to go against the word of a police officer. This is particularly true when our laws and a legal system that give law enforcement officers too much latitude in the use of justifiable deadly force.

The toll on black life racked up in the last few years should not be the subject of controversy. As Americans we should be able to think of ways to address the problem, ways which respect both the courage needed to be in law enforcement and the sanctity of black life.

Law enforcement should be an ally of citizens that they are charged with protecting and serving, not a mortal threat to some. There is a need for basic reform in the criminal justice system throughout our country.

David A. Smith and 41 members of the Irvine United Congregational Church Advocates for Peace and Justice Ministry

Irvine
Lets build a coastal city for people to enjoy now and in the future. Newport Beach should remain a charming coastal town along the tranquil bay.

To most Newport Beach residents, Mariners Mile is our Main Street and the heart of our town. This access to the beaches services our schools, neighborhoods, business districts and post office. West Pacific Coast Highway should not be a raceway or a motor corridor for commuter and commercial traffic. Newport Beachs stretch of PCH should instead be a meeting place thats welcoming to and safe for walkers and bicyclists.

There is a growing movement in beach towns to transform PCH into a more pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly thoroughfare. From Seal Beach to San Diego, cities are prioritizing protecting children, residents and visitors, and to do so, they have found ways to slow traffic, enhance safety, widen sidewalks and bike lanes, and make other changes that facilitate the flow of pedestrians and bicyclists.

Without a clear vision guiding the transformation of Mariners Mile, ongoing efforts will continue to be suboptimal and disappointing. Newport Beach cannot have it both ways. A village attracting people and a cross-town freeway are incompatible.

Todays property owners, residents and community strongly desire that Mariners Mile be transformed into a village akin to Corona del Mar.

The continuing evolution is most evident in the Mariners Mile Strategic Vision and Design Framework, dated Oct. 4, 2000. This document recognized the inherent conflict in designing a welcoming village and high-volume highway, and it set forth a strategy to discourage the policy of widening Pacific Coast Highway through Mariners Mile.

Additional support for rethinking the widening of PCH along Mariners Mile comes from the concept of induced demand. Induced demand suggests widening a road to ease congestion, but typically ends up causing more people to choose to drive the road and therefore does not achieve the intended aim.

Property owners, local merchants, residents and communities throughout Newport Beach are now contesting the Mariners Mile Revitalization Plan under consideration by the Planning Commission. Information is available at protectmarinersmile.org.

The council must consider the future of Mariners Mile from a citywide perspective. We now have a golden opportunity to build a genuine and lasting community consensus. We can make a strong commitment to work together and to encourage city planners to prioritize safety and community. The General Plan process is the most appropriate means to assure enhancing and revitalizing our beach citys main street to create a village for our enjoyment.

A clear vision must guide the plans citywide framework. We can look to seaside towns, from Sunset Beach to San Clemente, that have limited their highway to two lanes. Recently Corona del Mar and Laguna Beach have grappled with these issues and have chosen to remain two-lanes highways.

The Newport council must determine Mariners Miles future within the comprehensive framework of the citywide General Plan and work to have West PCH fall under city jurisdiction, not Caltrans, to assure that the city determines its destiny.

PATRICK GORMLEY lives in Newport Beach.
The library is booming, said city librarian Cindy Cleary to board members of the Glendale Library Foundation during a meeting last month.

Were seeing more and more young people, she added with a smile.

Ive seen them, too, settled into the new seating areas upstairs and down, iPads or laptops in front of them, headsets plugged in.

The remodeled, re-imagined library is experiencing new life and a new sense of purpose and hope as a center of civic life.

Downtown Central is representative of a shift in how libraries are seen and used.

With a recording studio available by appointment for musicians or story corps historians, and a Maker Space furnished with 3-D printers and sewing machines, the library is inviting the public to engage more fully in the creative process.

Cultural and historic exhibits artfully curated in the new Reflect Space encourage community members to expand their awareness of local and world history. Computer stations and meeting rooms abound.

But for me, as a still fairly new grandparent of two, its the traditional aspect of the library that holds the most excitement.

The Glendale Central Librarys childrens area  with its own special observation window overlooking the downstairs reading room  shines as a safe place where children can begin to explore on their own, where they can discover the worlds mysteries and magic and begin to understand the grown-ups in their lives.

Its where past and future come together in stories shared across generations.

Ive found Im not alone in this somewhat sentimental feeling about libraries and the relationships they foster both with books and people.

I emailed a number of my grandma friends asking for their special experiences as children, parents or grandparents, in or out of libraries, and I received a treasure trove of responses, only some of which I can share here now.

Shirley Croft, whose daughter taught in Glendale before moving to Chicago with her family, reflected on her book-rich childhood and how it shaped her experience as a parent and grandparent.

Childrens books are my greatest joy, she wrote. I was blessed to have a mother who loved to read stories, so I was read to on a daily basis as a child. Therefore, it seemed the most natural thing for me to read to my own children. Hence, many trips to the library for plenty of material.

Now, she reads to her young grandson via Skype and looks forward to initiating the practice with his baby brother.

Katherine Yamada, my Glendale News-Press columnist colleague and longtime Friend of the Library, was quick to reminisce about her childhood trips to the Carnegie Library in the Central Valley town of Dinuba, near the farm where she grew up.

It was a rare treat when my mom took me along to town She dropped me off at the library set high up off the ground with lots of steps leading to the front door. Once inside, I browsed to my hearts content, she wrote.

After she checked out her selections, Id go outside and sit on the steps... to read while waiting for my mother, learning about the world beyond the farm, she added.

Hoover High grad Patti Strout, whose children grew up alongside ours in church and Scouts and choir, now lives in Santa Barbara, a comfortably drivable distance from their two sets of grandchildren.

She emailed me from New York, where she and her husband, Alan, have been spending time in a small-town library, researching Alans family history.

We have multi-generational library experience, she wrote, praising the library resources that included old volumes of city history, computer access to ancestry.com and librarians willing to phone old-timers who might remember family names.

With regard to the newest generation in their family, Patti wrote about recent visits with her granddaughter to the branch library near their daughters home.

One day, the two of them watched a Disney movie about oceans in the company of 10 or so other families with strollers and young children.

The next day, they came back to see a magician perform for close to 75 people 50 of them kids.

The real magic, Patti wrote, was that he kept all of us, young and old alike, spellbound for an hour.

Then her granddaughter insisted on checking out one of the books the magician shared, so her daddy could read it to her that night.

Glendale has a variety of summer, as well as year-round, library opportunities for children and their families, including the Reading by Design summer reading program, arts and crafts, board game days, magic, marionettes and movies.

With or without our grandchildren, I think Ill go see Moana when it comes to the Library Connection@Adams Square.

JOYLENE WAGNER is a past member of the Glendale Unified school board, from 2005 to 2013, and currently serves on the boards of Glendale Educational Foundation and other nonprofit organizations. Email her at jkate4400@aol.com.
The state Senate has approved SB 328, a bill that calls for California middle and high schools to start no earlier than 8:30 a.m. Prominent school districts like South Pasadena Unified and La Canada Unified have already voted to require middle and high schools to start school at 8:30 a.m.

The Glendale Unified School District should also start its schools after 8:30 a.m. There have been many studies on this, and the benefits to teenage students are startling. They include: increased physical growth, better attention in school, better attendance, lower likeliness of major diseases and a decrease in teen depression.

Glendale Unified School District may be waiting for the state Assembly to make its decision, but I dont think we need to wait. We should be the front-runners, not late-followers, in the education of our youth.

Connor Choi

Ninth-grade student

Clark Magnet High School

..

Young men (and some women) with no regard for the law driving fast expensive cars should actually put Glendale at the bottom of the Allstate Americas Best Drivers Report.

Obviously city spokesman Tom Lorenz and Chris Cochran, spokesman for the California Office of Traffic Safety, never drive in Glendale.

Seldom a day goes by that I dont see speeding, cellphone use and a total disregard for stop signs. On the rare occasion young drivers do stop they dont recognize the concept of the car that arrives first at a four-way stop has the right of way. When you honk as a reminder, the finger is the usual response.

I have been passed by cars at the intersection of Pacific Avenue and Stocker Street who have used the left-turn lane as a passing lane. Amazing!

More enforcement would certainly help but there dont seem to be enough officers or time and education is a complete waste of time and money.

When someone does figures out how to solve this problem they should be given a Nobel Prize.

Jim Kussman

Glendale

..

It is always interesting and amusing to review the annual bad driving record of the city of Glendale, and the same canned objection by the city, which actually is nonresponsive to the report.

First of all, this is not just an Allstate report; that company is just one of a great number of insurance companies that are members of a huge, highly technical database that also includes the Department of Motor Vehicles, the California Highway Patrol, and the service centers where you take your vehicle (your carrier can tell you how many miles you drove your car in any given policy period based on those records). This is an incredibly complex operation, being a rival to the IRS.

The law in California is that you must report, within 10 days, any accident involving bodily injury, or property damage in excess of $1,000, so these are not minor claims, as the city wants you to believe. If you did include all the minor incidents that occur in Glendale, another data bank would probably have to be set up.

There is a culture that now dominates Glendale driving patterns, a mixture of aggression, thoughtlessness, arrogance and an overlay of hysteria. Perhaps the fact that the vast majority of all the fancy BMWs, Mercedes, Lexus vehicles, etc., are leased and not owned, a lack of ownership concern has something to do with it, as there is as much lack of concern for the vehicle as there is for the public. With all the amazing new safety devices the latest cars have, you would think accidents would decrease, but Glendale motorists find a way to overcome them.

Does anyone think next years report will be any better? I doubt it.

James Weling

Glendale

..

There was a time when they came after the Muslims, and I didnt do anything because I wasnt a terrorist.

Then they came after the Latinos, and I didnt do anything because I wasnt a rapist or a criminal.

Then they came after the Asians, and I didnt do anything because I wasnt related to Kim Jung Un.

Then they came after African Americans, and I didnt do anything because my life surely matters.

Then they came after the blue-eyed white Christians, but I didnt have to do anything because I was a corporation!

Mike Gomez

Glendale

..

On June 28, I attended a hearing of the Glendale Community Development Department concerning a variance requested by Wells Fargo to keep the fence on the southern boundary of their new branch at Foothill Boulevard and Pennsylvania Avenue.

Like all residents who spoke against the application, I believed Wells Fargo built in violation of plans approved in July 2015. Those plans required a 7-foot wall along the southern boundary. That action came shortly after a teenager drove through a wall at a gas station on the southwest corner of Foothill and New York Avenue, ending upside down in the backyard of a home below.

I was shocked to hear Wells Fargo claim the city had approved the fence in September 2015, with a set of plans as proof. Neither the hearing officer nor the planner disputed this.

What happened between July and September 2015? Why werent the Far North Glendale Homeowners Assn., the Crescenta Valley Community Assn., or immediate neighbors informed of the change? All were involved in discussions with the builder and city prior to July 2015. There was no public Design Review Board hearing on Wells Fargos permit application. If this is an example of how the streamlined Administrative Design Review works, it doesnt.

Wells Fargo claims it was told to apply for a variance only a week prior to the branch opening. Now the Development Departments staff report recommends granting the variance.

This raises two vital issues: the safety of those who live downhill from the property and the accountability of Glendale city planners. Did the city approve one set of plans and later drastically revise them without public notice, only to force the applicant through a sham variance process?

Mary-Lynne Fisher

La Crescenta
Sherman Alexie keeps running into his mother on book tour, catching glimpses of the woman at the center of his new memoir, You Dont Have to Say You Love Me. He sees her in the quilt decorating his hotel in Boston, a vivid reminder of her artistry and industry. And then there are the sirens that keep going off when Alexies giving a reading, just at the moments the author finds himself getting emotional.

Lillian Alexie died in 2015. I assumed I would no longer have to deal with her and her judgment of me, Alexie says. She continues to haunt me, even more so now.

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Sherman Alexie comes to at ALOUD at the Aratani Theatre on Tuesday July 18th at 7:00 p.m. 

Sherman Alexie in 2009. (Kevin P. Casey / For the Times)

A difficult, complicated human being

Over a career spanning 25 years, Alexie has published two dozen books of fiction and poetry, along with writing and producing films and teaching at the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, N.M. All of his work is personal, even autobiographical, wrestling with ideas about indigenous identity, family, politics and pain. But You Dont Have to Say You Love Me is his most raw, vulnerable book. In chronicling his childhood on the Spokane Indian Reservation in Wellpinit, Wash., Alexie ponders his brilliant and troubled mother, a woman he deeply loved and, at times, hated.

Lillian Alexie lived her entire life on the reservation; her character was shaped by the racism, poverty, alcoholism and sexual violence she faced, along with what her son figures was likely undiagnosed bipolar disorder (which affects Alexie himself). She was mercurial: cold, critical, withholding at some moments, rage-filled and verbally abusive at others. Alexie writes of the time Lillian hurled a soda can at his head, knocking him out. He was 10. Given his childhood history of hydrocephaly, brain surgery and seizures, this was a particularly cruel act. (In a book mostly about his relationship with his mother, his relationship with his own wayward brain is an important subplot; half a year after his mother died, still in a state of complex grief, he underwent surgery for a benign brain tumor).

One of the things I realized during this tour, as I talk about her, Alexie says, is that she was a difficult, complicated human being. And white guys have written hundreds of biographies about complicated, difficult men. You see white men reading them on airplanes all the time! His book about his mother, he says, is the same kind of book, except its about an ordinary  in heavy quotation marks  native woman from an ordinary tribe in an ordinary place, but its about her unrealized greatness as well, he says, her unappreciated greatness.

Its no surprise that a woman like that  famous on her reservation for bringing food to funerals, one of the last native speakers of her indigenous language, a pathological liar and narcissist  would manage to hang around after death to haunt her son, no matter that he doesnt believe in ghosts or an afterlife. I dont believe in magic, but I believe in interpreting coincidence exactly the way you want to, Alexie adds, laughing.

Much laughter

Talking on the phone from his home in Seattle, Alexie laughs easily. His writing often blends humor with sadness, and this wide emotional range comes through in conversation with him. In the new book, short chapters punctuate longer ones, and poems run throughout, with turns from funny to sad to funny that can stop a reader in her tracks. Its constructed, he writes, like one of his mothers quilt  an observation made by his wife, who emerges, along with his sisters, as the books hero.

I was consulting them constantly, he says. I was so unsure of writing about an indigenous woman, even though shes my mother, that I wanted to make sure that I was being fact-checked spiritually, emotionally, technically by the indigenous women in my life. I wanted to make sure that my thought process was constantly going before the jury of the Indian women I love the most.

Alexie left his reservation schools to attend a nearly all-white public high school, where he was the only Indian except for the mascot. It was the beginning of the bicultural life of an urban Indian. I might have been indigenous to the land itself, but I was a first-generation cultural immigrant to the United States, he writes, a dual status his mother, who never left the reservation, never shared. Im up there standing on a stage or signing all these books, and Im getting all this attention for these gifts I have, he says. And I just start thinking about the ways in which my mothers gifts were never recognized. Were it not for racism and sexism and classism and all the difficulties that a native woman faced in her generation, she could have expressed those gifts, she could have been legendary.

Writing about Lillian  her gifts and her curses  changed him, Alexie says: You ask the people closest to me, they would tell you theres been a small but dramatic change in who I am.

Donald Trump: More of the same

Hes always been political. Id like to think Im more pissed off in this moment but I dont think I am. I mean, Trump is horrible for the country and the world, but all presidents have been pretty equal in their horribleness for us. Hes not new to us, he says. When we look at Trump we see Andrew Jackson. But hes enthusiastic about the way our current politics could lead to a flourishing in Native American literature  a new movement of engaged, activist writers and artists springing up in the wake of the Dakota Access Pipeline protests.

That focused indigenous energy is going to result in some amazing art, and I think its going to start some amazing careers, he said. Theres this younger generation of natives thats so diverse in their interests, in their approach to the world, theyre much more educated and world-aware  its going to be an Algonquin round table with actual members of the Algonquin tribe!

Brief moments of glorious connection

On an individual level, Im trying to operate without armor, Alexie says. Im going to say emotional things in the moment out of vulnerability, out of pain, things that could be wrong, things that could be wrong-headed, but I hope in doing that, that it inspires empathy in other people, not just Indians. As a writer, he continues, Ive had hundreds of brief moments of glorious connection with other human beings. And on this tour its happening in an even bigger way than it ever has before. Its making me feel human.

Just being human is a political act, he argues. One of capitalisms primary goals is to turn us all into wallets, into predictable algorithms. And Im an inconsistent, messy, dysfunctional human being. I feel like saying, I dont know, Im a mess is resistance.

At readings, Alexie speaks aloud the Spokane words that were his mothers native tongue, that he had to learn in adulthood. One is the word for wild salmon, another for the mother of a son. I talked about it with a friend, he says. I talked about using these words for the first time in public, and how inferior and inadequate I feel, and she said to learn a language all you have to do is have the courage of a child. Here his voice cracks. And so in writing this book and presenting it to the world and trying to re-embrace my mother, trying to forgive my mother, trying to forgive myself, Sherman Alexie says, Im just trying to have the courage of a child.

Tuttle is the president of the National Book Critics Circle.
Does Sweden sound like a cool change of pace? United, Swiss and Lufthansa are offering a $399 round-trip fare, including all taxes and fees, from LAX to Stockholm.

The fare is for departures on Tuesdays, Thursdays or Saturdays between Nov. 14 and March 14. Returns are on Wednesdays or Fridays and must take place by March 14.

A seven-night minimum stay is required. The deal is subject to availability; a holiday blackout will apply.

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Info: United, (800) 864-8331; Swiss, (877) 359-7947; Lufthansa, (800) 645-3880.

Source: Airfarewatchdog

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In Las Vegas, the circus is coming. But its now what you think. After 146 years, Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey packed up its tents for the last time in May.

Now, a re-imagined show called Circus 1903 brings the old-time feel of the circus  without live animals  will come to Paris Las Vegas on July 25 for a five-month run.

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The Paris Theater, which was home to Jersey Boys until it closed in September, will be transformed into a big top for the staging of a turn-of-the-century circus, complete with two elephants.

The pachyderms in this show  Mom Queenie and her calf, Peanut  are giant puppets, crafted by the puppeteers who brought horses to life in the hit stage play War Horse.

The elephants appear throughout the show as Queenie teaches Peanut the ropes of life in a circus. Theyre joined by Willy Whipsnade, the slick ringmaster, and the usual acts such as contortionists, a juggler, knife throwers, a strongman and trapeze artists.

Circus 1903 is produced by Simon Painter and Tim Lawson. The pair has staged circus-themed shows and Broadway musicals in more than 300 cities around the world.

The Vegas incarnation of the Greatest Show on Earth will play at 7 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays. There also will be 3 p.m. shows Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays. Circus 1903 will be in town through Dec. 31.

Tickets cost $49 to $129. They can be purchased online or by calling (702) 777-2782.

Info: Circus 1903

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@latimestravel

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Neither Noralyn Bangon nor her husband were home when the airstrikes began  fortunate for them, because their house was among the first hit.

We paid for it with the combined sweat of our hard work  my husband from his work in local government, and me from my savings when I worked abroad as a nurse for 12 years, she said wistfully weeks later.

In May, the Maute group, an Islamist militant organization affiliated with Islamic State, seized the city of Marawi in the southern Philippines, a region that has become a hot spot for militant groups. Now, from evacuation centers outside the city, thousands of evacuees such as Bangon helplessly wait while their homes are reduced to rubble, in many cases by government airstrikes.

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They wonder what their lives, and their city, will be like when the battle is over.

Marawi is an overwhelmingly Muslim city in a predominantly Catholic country. It is on the southern island of Mindanao, where Muslims sought refuge centuries ago when the Philippines was under Spanish rule and its people were being forcibly converted to Catholicism.

To this day, we have not given up our way of life, the way we dress and what we eat, said Norhata Alonto, 67. In Marawi, minarets rather than spires stretch toward the sky, and pork  a staple in most of the country  is not openly sold.

The irony that the city has fallen to an Islamist extremist group is not lost on its people. The Mautes  trampled on our pride and our history as a people that was never subjugated by a colonial power, Alonto said.

A fire rages after airstrikes by the Philippine air force in the southern city of Marawi. (Bullit Marquez / Associated Press)

It was days after the fighting began that Bangon, 52, first saw the full extent of the destruction in Marawi on the front page of a newspaper.

I thought I was looking at Syria, said a weeping Bangon, using a scarf she had tied around her head to wipe away her tears.

Government troops remain in fierce battle with the militants, employing air power almost every day to flush out fighters holed up in several corners of the city center.

More than 200,000 residents fled Marawi as armed men in black masks burned buildings, took civilians as hostages and killed Christians. Those who had the resources fled in vans and trucks, others who did not made it out on foot. Bangon holed up with relatives for several days, then fled.

An estimated 300 to 500 civilians remain trapped in the area held by the Maute group; the government says they are being used as human shields. The fierce battle has claimed the lives of more than 400 people.

It is unclear how many of the dead are civilians. But last week, the Philippine military recovered the mutilated bodies of 17 civilians while conducting clearing operations in one of the most pulverized parts of Marawi. The military blamed the militants for the deaths.

The fighting was sparked by a botched military operation to capture Isnilon Hapilon, listed as one of the worlds most-wanted terrorists with a $5-million bounty for his capture.

Military intelligence indicated that Hapilon had slipped into Marawi for medical treatment, and security forces launched a surgical operation to arrest him. It went awry when Hapilons men resisted with unexpected ferocity, turning back the military forces.

Marawi was turned into an urban war zone. The militants planted sniper nests in tall buildings and used mosques to stockpile weapons. Tunnels and basements in homes, fortified to withstand the clan wars that are common there, were used as underground passages and hide-outs.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte immediately declared martial law on the entire island of Mindanao, including Marawi, and the government has employed a combination of precision airstrikes and on-the-ground clearing operations against the rebels.

Marawi residents who fled fighting between Philippine soldiers and Islamic State-backed militants rest in an evacuation center in Marawi city, southern Philippines. (Jes Aznar / Getty Images)

As the fighting has dragged on, it has tested Dutertes strongman image. In April, after the military prevented an attack in the central Philippines, he spoke with typical bluster about what he would do to terrorists.

Give me salt and vinegar and Ill eat his liver, he said.

In a televised speech recently, Duterte told soldiers to not hesitate to engage just because there are civilians, assuring them that he would protect them from disciplinary action if they cause accidental deaths.

It is the duty of the civilians to flee or seek cover, Duterte said.

Those such as Bangon who managed to flee are crammed into Islamic schools, known as madrassas, and gyms overflowing with more than 40,000 people.

Bangon and 30 relatives are sharing a classroom in a school 11 miles from Marawi. They eat, sit and sleep on desks; jeans and tattered shirts hang from a sagging rope on a chalkboard. Her 80-year-old mother sleeps on two carpets piled on top of each other to soften the floor.

The evacuees say they need water, food that is halal  and an end to the airstrikes.

The airstrikes are a major factor in the internal displacement of civilians within the area and local residents, the Philippine Commission on Human Rights said in a statement.

The military asked for the publics understanding. We are appealing to our people. This is an operational need. We would like to end the carnage as soon as possible [while still] respecting the lives and property, said Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana in a news conference last month.

If we stop the airstrikes, our soldiers will die, Lorenzana added.

Military spokesman Jo-ar Herrera said the government initially refrained from using airstrikes but was ultimately forced to employ an aerial offensive when the Maute firepower became clear.

They were using .50-calibre machine guns strong enough to shoot at our planes, antitank weapons and [rocket-propelled grenades]. Precision airstrikes and ground clearing operations [are] a calibrated and deliberate response to deal with these terrorists, Herrera said.

Military analysts say that the mostly landlocked terrain of Marawi, combined with the dynamics of urban warfare in its confined spaces, poses a challenge for the Philippine armed forces, which is mostly trained for jungle fighting.

The Philippine military is bound by rules of engagement. They will not sacrifice civilian lives or do widespread demolition of structures while the opponent is indiscriminate, said Jose Antonio Custodio, a military historian and security expert.

Any military of any decent nation will face the same problems in an urban environment, he said.

The U.S. military has reportedly been providing assistance despite strains with Duterte, who announced last fall that he was separating from the United States. A Philippine military spokesman, Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla, said American troops were in Marawi in a noncombat capacity.

Santos is a special correspondent.

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Thousands of protesters took to the streets here on the official opening day of the G-20 summit, burning vehicles and clashing with riot police who used water cannons and pepper spray to beat them back. At least 11 protesters were seriously injured in one incident Friday.

The injured demonstrators were hospitalized in critical condition after they fell 13 feet from a barricade during a clash with police. As G-20 leaders wrapped up their meetings across town, additional injured protesters were arriving at hospitals.

Police officers were also injured during the clashes with demonstrators, according to a spokesman for the Hamburg Police Department. He did not elaborate on how they sustained their injuries.

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The images were seeing are clear. Were prepared for more violent acts, the police spokesman said.

Later in the day, as world leaders began to arrive at the Elbe Philharmonic Hall for a concert, protesters tried to reach the waterfront hall by boat.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel condemned the violent demonstrations during a news conference at the end of the talks on Friday.

The security forces and their service have my full support, she said.

Protests against the G-20 in Germanys second-largest city turned violent on Thursday night, the eve of the summit.

By the time President Trump, Merkel and other world leaders sat down for discussions at the summit Friday morning, cars were burning in western parts of the city.

The escalating demonstrations forced First Lady Melania Trump to stay in her hotel and miss events she was scheduled to attend because it was unsafe to leave, police said. The black-clad anti-globalization demonstrators pelted police with bottles and blocked streets with trash bins.

Police responded with powerful water cannons, in one instance dousing hundreds of protesters gathered on top of a wall.

What we saw this morning was bigger and more violent than we expected, said Joachim Lenders, a spokesman for the Hamburg police union DpolG.

Merkel had insisted before the summit that Hamburg was a fitting host because the city is a symbol of free trade, one of the focus points for world leaders discussions on Friday and Saturday.

But protesters who marched with signs criticizing globalization said the meeting was misplaced in the left-leaning metropolis.

Im against [President] Trump and the G-20 being in Hamburg. Its a left-wing city, it doesnt fit in here, said Theresa Verweyen, 22, who was at a protest that turned violent on Thursday evening in Hamburgs Schanzenviertel neighborhood, a stronghold of the anti-capitalist and squatter scene in Germanys second-largest city.

During the night, groups of anarchist and radical activists threw glass bottles at police officers, who deployed water cannons and lines of officers to block off entire streets. On Friday afternoon, police said a total of 160 officers had been injured since protests started earlier this week.

Organizers of the Welcome to hell protest said they could not confirm how many demonstrators were injured overall but that many people were hurt when police used the water cannons to clear crowds.

A demonstrator faces police officers during a July 7 protest in Hamburg Germany. (Christof Stache / AFP/Getty Images)

Hamburg Interior Minister Andy Grote said Friday that 45 terrifying, potentially violent people were arrested overnight.

City authorities were braced for violence even before the G-20 meetings officially started. Earlier this week, police found explosive devices in and around the city.

Police Chief Ralf Martin Meyer said Tuesday that he was worried the weapons could be a sign that there will be massive attacks during the summit.

A police spokesman said Friday that officers were still confiscating weapons.

Protests started on Wednesday evening and were mostly peaceful. The largest demonstration at that point was a rave that started in Hamburgs harbor with cars blasting techno music and dancers following in the streets.

But police said there was a marked change by Thursday night, when protests became more violent. By then, Trump had already arrived in Hamburg and had held a meeting with Merkel earlier in the evening.

At around 1 a.m. on Friday morning, crowds in the St. Pauli neighborhood were chanting Hamburg hates the police. Officers tried to clear the streets with water cannons and armored vehicles; demonstrators responded by lighting scrap metal on fire and yelling.

In one case, a bar owner formed a makeshift barricade with stacked tables as police formed a human chain just outside the entrance of the establishment.

1 / 25 Demonstrators are hit by water cannons of the police as they protest in Hamburg, Germany, where leaders of the worlds top economies gather for a G20 summit. (DAVID YOUNG / AFP / Getty Images) 2 / 25 A protester is detained by German police officers during the G-20 summit in Hamburg, Germany. (Massimo Percossi / EPA) 3 / 25 A demonstrator holds up her hands as she faces policemen during a protest in Hamburg, Germany, where leaders of the worlds top economies gather for a G20 summit. (Christof Stache / AFP/Getty Images) 4 / 25 Riot police run throgh smoke in Hamburg, Germany, where leaders of the worlds top economies gather for a G20 summit. (Odd Andersen / AFP/Getty Images) 5 / 25 Protesters clash with German police officers as they try to block a bus during the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany. (Carsten Koall / EPA) 6 / 25 A demonstrator dressed as a clown performs next to policemen during a protest in Hamburg, Germany, where leaders of the worlds top economies gather for a G20 summit. (Christof Stache / AFP/Getty Images) 7 / 25 Riot police chase protesters in Hamburg, Germany, where leaders of the worlds top economies gather for a G20 summit. (Odd Andersen / AFP/Getty Images) 8 / 25 Riot police use water cannon against a protester throwing road signs in Hamburg, Germany, where leaders of the worlds top economies gather for a G20 summit. (Odd Andersen / AFP/Getty Images) 9 / 25 A policeman and a protester clash in Schanzenviertel quarter closed to the Rote Flora building ahead of the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany. (CARSTEN KOALL / EPA) 10 / 25 A protester waves a flag next to a fire on street near Rote Flora building in Schanzenviertel quarter ahead of the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany. (RONALD WITTEK / EPA) 11 / 25 Police forces use water cannons to disperse protestors ahead of the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany. (FELIPE TRUEBA / EPA) 12 / 25 Police officers are silhouetted by fires lit by demonstrators during a protest against the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany. (Markus Schreiber / AP) 13 / 25 Protesters pound drums during a demonstration ahead of the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany. (Filip Singer / EPA) 14 / 25 Protesters stand in front of a water cannon during a demonstration ahead of the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany. (Armando Babani / EPA) 15 / 25 A protester throws a can during a demonstration ahead of the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany. (John MacDougall / AFP/Getty Images) 16 / 25 A protester plays a recorder in front of riot police during a demonstration ahead of the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany. (Odd Andersen / AFP/Getty Images) 17 / 25 Police lead away a bleeding protester during a demonstration ahead of the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany. (Armando Babani / EPA) 18 / 25 Police arrest a protester during a demonstration before the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany. (Odd Andersen / AFP/Getty Images) 19 / 25 Police officers use water cannons during a demonstration against the G-20 summit in Hamburg, Germany. (Michael Probst / Associated Press) 20 / 25 Protesters take off after riot police storm a demonstration against the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany. (Odd Andersen / AFP/Getty Images) 21 / 25 Riot police move through the smoke from a smoke bomb during a demonstration against the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany. (Odd Andersen / AFP/Getty Images) 22 / 25 Protesters take part in a demonstration at the Fish Market ahead of the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany. (Ronald Wittek / EPA) 23 / 25 Protesters throw flares at riot police during a demonstration against the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany. (Odd Andersen / AFP/Getty Images) 24 / 25 Demonstrators gather at the harbor before an anti-G20 march in Hamburg, Germany. (Thomas Lohnes / Getty Images) 25 / 25 Police officers keep back protesters during an anti-G20 demonstration in Hamburg, Germany. (John MacDougall / AFP/Getty Images)

Some protesters used what they call a five-finger tactic: They split into smaller crowds of several hundred people so that police could only stop part of a demonstration by blocking off a street. One protester called the scene a cat-and-mouse game.

Several hours later, when Trump, Merkel and other world leaders sat down Friday morning for discussions, cars were burning in western parts of the city. German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaube and other government officials were late for the meeting because their cars were held up by protests.

In some parts of the city, shops and restaurants put up signs saying they were closed for the day.

German Justice Minister Heiko Maas warned on Friday that anyone committing crimes under the guise of the freedom to protest does not belong on the street. They belong in court.

Hamburg police called for help Friday morning, prompting convoys of hundreds of officers who traveled from all over Germany to man the streets.

Lenders, the police union spokesman, said the department needed even more officers to patrol all of the protest areas in addition to the hall where G-20 talks are taking place and hotels where the 20 leaders and their staffers are staying.

In the early morning we saw black blocks of anarchists and fires in the streets. People in the city are talking about warlike conditions and I can understand why, he said.

Mirena Reinhard, 16, said she and dozens of other students from her school in northern Hamburg skipped class to go to a protest for young people. Reinhard said she was not here to be violent as she demonstrated against Germanys weapons exports to war areas.

Iray Mohamd, a 60-year-old electrician who was born in Iran, said he was against Trumps climate and defense policies and does not want the American presidents views to spread in Germany at the summit.

Look at the 2% of GDP that he wants from NATO members. Its billions of euros. We dont want that for weapons, Mohamd said.

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UPDATES:

12:45 p.m.: This article was updated with additional details, including the condition of some of the injured protesters and comments from German Chancellor Angela Merkel about the protests.

This article was originally published at 10:05 a.m.
Egyptian security officials have raised the toll from a blitz attack by Islamic militants in Sinai to 23 soldiers killed and 33 wounded, making it one of the deadliest attacks in the volatile peninsula this year.

Officials say the militants unleashed a suicide car bomb and heavy gunfire on an Egyptian military checkpoint in the northeastern Sinai Peninsula on Friday morning.

The initial death toll was placed at 10. Officials later told the Associated Press that more bodies were retrieved from the rubble of a demolished building at the site.

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The attack took place in the village of el-Barth just south of the town of Rafah. Authorities say five officers are among those killed, including a high-ranking special forces officer, Col. Ahmed el-Mansi.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they arent authorized to speak to the media.

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7 a.m.: This article was updated with the latest death toll.

This article was originally posted at 1:45 a.m.
A major Islamic State group counterattack Friday along the northern edge of Mosuls Old City neighborhood has pushed Iraqi army forces back about 82 yards and is threatening recent gains along other Old City fronts, an Iraqi military officer said.

The officer said the attack was launched just after noon Friday and estimated that it was carried out by 50 to 100 Islamic State fighters. A doctor at a medic station said he received more than a dozen wounded Iraqi soldiers.

Both men spoke on condition of anonymity, in line with regulations.

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Iraqi security forces have retaken almost all of Mosul  Iraqs second largest city  from Islamic State militants who overran it in 2014.

In late June, Islamic State counterattacks on the western edge of Mosul  neighborhoods retaken months earlier  stalled the push by Iraqi forces to go deeper into the Old City as they forced a reallocation of Iraqi ground forces, coalition surveillance and air support.

Unlike the Friday attack, the late June counterattack was launched from outside Mosul, most likely from Tal Afar, an Islamic State-held town about 37 miles west of Mosul.

The counterattacks underscore the extremist groups resilience in Iraq, despite significant territorial losses and months of heavy fighting with Iraqi forces backed by U.S. air power.

Also on Friday, The U.N.'s migration agency suspended operations in two camps  the Qayara air strip emergency site and the Haj Ali camp  near Mosul hosting nearly 80,000 displaced Iraqis due to sporadic violence and exchange of gunfire.

International Organization for Migration spokesman Joel Millman said the security situation prevented six water-tanker trucks from entering the Haj Ali camp, where temperatures reached as high as 122 degrees in recent days.

Humanitarian groups have repeatedly suspended operations in and around Mosul due to security concerns since the fight to retake the city from Islamic State began last October.

In April, the United Nations suspended operations in the same area due to security threats along the road south of Mosuls western half.

In February, the U.N. suspended operations in eastern Mosul weeks after the area was declared fully liberated as Islamic State attacks continued to inflict heavy civilian casualties.

In both instances the U.N. resumed operations within a matter of days.

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The owners of a pizza shop in Pakistan say business is booming now that theyve introduced a robot waitress.

Osama Jafri, the engineer who designed the 55-pound robot, said it can greet customers and carry pizzas to their tables. The robot resembles a woman wearing a long dress and apron, and Jafri said he wrapped a scarf around its neck so as not to offend conservative patrons.

He said sales at Pizza.com, in the town of Multan, have doubled since the robot was unveiled in February. Jafris father, Aziz, who owns the restaurant, said he has three more robot waitresses and plans to open a new branch.

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He said, I used to sell pizzas, but now restaurant owners want to buy robots from me.

DONT MISS: Silicon Valley has a new vision for the pizzeria. It involves lots of robots
The two Islamic State jihadis scrambled up to the roof of the building, breaking cover for a moment before quickly hiding from sight. But it was too late. They had been spotted by the camera drone hovering above Mosuls Old City, their images beamed to black-clad special forces operatives huddled around a tablet roughly 300 yards away.

Lt. Col. Muhannad Tamimi, a battalion commander, turned to his walkie-talkie. Staff Col. Arkan, he said. Staff Col. Arkan, two militants on the roof. Strike. Record these coordinates. Tamimi pinched the screen of the tablet, then recited a string of numbers off the smartphone in his other hand.

Received, came a voice from the radio.

That message set in motion a response that would materialize minutes later in the form of a shriek and a ground-shaking boom  yet another coalition airstrike directed by Col. Arkan Fadhil, 36, and his team from Iraqs Counter-Terrorism Service.

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Lt. Col. Muhannad Tamimi, right, communicates with JTACs in the Old City quarter of Mosul (Nabih Bulos / For the Times)

Known as Joint Terminal Attack Controllers, or JTACS, the team is playing a vital role coordinating and directing the coalitions air support in the Iraqi governments long campaign against Islamic State. Watching JTACS in action also serves as a reminder that the offensive against Islamic State involves a coalition of Western governments.

One recent morning, as dawn lightened the skies above west Mosul, Fadhil reported to a house on the citys edge, some 2 miles from the front line. On a wall hung a large satellite map of the Old City. Blue symbols, set a small distance from markings posted a day earlier, showed the troops torturous advance into Islamic States last redoubt in Mosul.

A heavy barrage had already begun when the JTAC team parked two Humvees bristling with antennae by the houses side and set up a command center. Two hulking M-RAPs, armored trucks used by the coalition, rumbled to a stop at an adjacent house.

Good morning, sunshine, said Fadhil in English to an Australian officer, who grinned in response as he shook Fadhils hand.

His battalion would be working with the Australians, but different coalition members are assigned to work with other units in Iraqs security forces. Fadhil spoke with an easy drawl, giving a passable impression of an Iraqi Tom Cruise circa Top Gun  a result of his time in America training with the Rangers and gaining the skills he now discussed with obvious pride.

He recalled the first time he directed a coalition strike in July 2015. Like everyone around him, he spoke in abbreviations and acronyms.

It was on this VBIED in Ramadi. I saw it coming at us, said Fadhil, flashing a boyish grin. He used the abbreviation for vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices: in other words, car bombs  one of Islamic States signature weapons.

All the commanders were watching me calling it in, and then I got it. It was great, he said.

Fadhil entered one of the Humvees and settled before an array of communication devices and displays. One display glowed with the words Arkan Angel, a reference to Archangel, his call sign.

Theres some hostile fire coming from this building, said a voice on the radio in Arabic, relaying a string of coordinates.

It marked the opening move in Fadhils almost ascetic brand of combat, one dictated by numbers and audio broadcasts, and where the sounds of war would only occasionally intrude.

Two Islamic State teams, one armed with rockets and the other with machine guns, were holding back the days advance. Fadhil consulted his tablet, then relayed the information to his Australian counterparts.

RPG team and MMG team 1-5-0-9, he said.

The Australians then directed coalition warplanes to positively identify the target  forces armed with rocket-propelled grenades and a medium machine gun.

We wont just drop a bomb on everything thats called in. We have to check every target to the last second of the execution of the mission and confirm there are no civilians near it.  Then we hit it, explained Fadhil.

It sounds like a long process, but its minutes.

A voice with a thick Australian accent interrupted Fadhil.

RPG and MMG 1-5-0-9. And Ill let you know if we can work anything out for that second MMG, said the voice.

Until the second target could be confirmed, Fadhil responded, hed request an artillery strike on another position.

Though Fadhil and his team had dozens of engagements with Islamic State under their belt  the Counter-Terrorism Service has spearheaded most of the governments offensives against the group  they face an especially difficult time in the Old City quarter, home to anywhere from 100,000 to 150,000 people, according to U.N. estimates. Hidden among them are some 400 militants, who vowed to make a last stand in the one-time capital of their caliphate.

The militants had more than three years to prepare for the governments assault and knocked holes into the walls of buildings, transforming the district into a labyrinthine network of wormholes and shroud-covered walkways to conceal their movements from reconnaissance drones.

The jihadists also have turned residents into human shields, coercing them to hide in buildings they use as military positions, coalition and Iraqi commanders say. Fadhil recalled an incident in May, when three strikes on West Mosuls Seha neighborhood were called off.

We were all good to go, and we couldnt see any civilians on our [reconnaissance] platforms. But soldiers on the ground saw them, he said. They immediately reported it and the hits were canceled.

But it doesnt always work that way.

The U.S. military acknowledged that on March 17 hundreds of civilians were killed in an air raid on a building commandeered by two Islamic State snipers in the Jadidah neighborhood of west Mosul. A Pentagon investigation blamed the deaths on explosive materials stored inside the building.

Fadhil insisted that the attack had been done by the book.

It was a legitimate target  but if anyone through the approval priority  from the guy on the ground to the highest  if they had a 1% chance of knowing there were civilians there, they would have called it off, he said.

Lt. Col. Muhannad Tamimi, left, and Lt. Gen. Abdul Wahab Saaedi look at a drone feed in the Old City quarter of Mosul. (Nabih Bulos / For the Times)

The number of civilians killed in military actions against Islamic State is a point of dispute between the Pentagon and human rights groups. The Pentagon puts the number of deaths in the hundreds. Some human rights groups say that, since 2014, thousands of civilians have been killed in Syria as well as Iraq in fighting against the militants.

Though Fadhil has the authority to approve strikes himself, he explained that certain targets, such as bridges and other infrastructure, need more approval. Other units, such as the Iraqi armys 9th Division, has U.S. servicemen assessing strike information alongside Iraqi commanders.

The close-quarters combat in the Old City quarter means some of the hardest calls Fadhil makes are what he called danger close-fire missions.

That means the strike is very close to our forces, so its very dangerous, he said. As if on cue, the Humvee door opened. One of Fadhils JTACs asked him if he could push a strike on a position a mere 40 yards from the advancing Iraqi troops.

Fadhil paused for a beat. Sure, he said, giving a slight nod before turning to a visiting reporter and smiling.

Back on the front line, Tamimi, the special forces commander, squinted at the tablet used to direct the attack on the two militants hiding on the roof. A puff of smoke now dominated the screen where the building with the militants had stood.

Tamat al muaalajah, he radioed to his men up ahead. Strike complete. He made the comment matter-of-factly, without emotion.

Theres no more hostile fire from that building. Advance.

Bulos is a special correspondent.

Twitter: @nabihbulos

ALSO

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A cocaine user on a five-day meth binge broke into a Bethlehem home and later forced a tractor-trailer driver out of his moving rig, which he then crashed before jumping into the Lehigh River, authorities said.

Terry Lee Edwards Jr. (Courtesy photo | For lehighvalleylive.com)

It all unfolded beginning shortly before 10 a.m. Wednesday in the 400 block of Brighton Street in Bethlehem.

Terry Lee Edwards Jr., 32, no known address, faces 14 charges in the series of incidents, including nine felonies. He was sent to Northampton County Prison in lieu of $125,000 bail.

Edwards allegedly broke into an apartment on Brighton Street, waking the sleeping tenant, by smashing the rear sliding-glass door.

Another tenant there, Allan Wilkins, told lehighvalleylive.com he's been there 25 years and the commotion was extraordinary.

"It's such a quiet street, so quiet here," he said. "Never any trouble, you never see a police car, you never see an ambulance."

Inside the apartment, Edwards ripped the thermostat off the wall and confronted the tenant before jumping out a front window, according to police.

Moments after responding to the burglary, Bethlehem police were called to Riverside Drive for the report of an attempted carjacking. The driver told police he saw a man, later identified as Edwards, walking in the middle street. As the driver slowed his 2006 Ford Econoline E-450, Edwards leapt onto the passenger side, held onto the mirror and tried to open the door handle. The driver sped up, and Edwards jumped off.

He then climbed onto the passenger side of the cab of a passing tractor-trailer and got inside, ordering the male driver to "drive, drive drive," according to police.

Edwards grabbed a steel bar from the passenger-side floor and tried swinging it at the driver, yelling, "I'll kill you, I'll kill you," police said.

The truck driver pulled the emergency brake and jumped out.

He looked back to see Edwards in the driver's seat and heard the gears grinding, then saw the truck back up and crash into a guardrail along the north side of the road, according to police; he got the rig back onto the road and crashed into the southern guardrail.

Edwards exited the tractor-trailer and jumped into the nearby Lehigh River, police said.

Police quickly took Edwards into custody, and said he "was speaking rapidly, was distracted easily and appeared paranoid." He admitted to the five-day crystal methamphetamine binge and cocaine use, according to police.

His driver's license was suspended, DUI-related, court records say.

Edwards was arraigned Wednesday afternoon before District Judge Richard Yetter III on the following felonies: burglary, criminal trespass, aggravated assault and two counts each of robbery of a vehicle, theft and receiving stolen property. He is also charged with two counts of unauthorized use of a vehicle, driving under the influence of drugs, DUI while under suspension and fleeing an accident involving damage.

Yetter sent him to the prison to await a preliminary hearing tentatively scheduled July 18 before District Judge Nancy Matos Gonzalez.

Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @KurtBresswein. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
Bethlehem resident Jay Brew takes great pleasure in hunting down the perfect door knob or historic light as he remodels historic homes.

On a tour of two of his East Market Street properties Thursday, Brew pointed out some of his favorite details.

There's the replica gas ceiling light topped with a real antique bell meant for catching soot from the burning lamp, authentic plaster medallions and the knob at the end of the staircase that comes off in your hand a la "It's a Wonderful Life."

"We try to figure things out with these old homes to work with them," he said.

But there's also an eye to the modern amenities expected in high-end lodgings, like Westin Dream Bends, QLED TVs, a gym and Google WiFi.

Brew and his wife Dr. Mary Ellen Williams own 11 properties in Bethlehem's Historic District, many bought in the last year with an eye towards preserving the homes and their green spaces.

But his decision to convert two of the properties into Airbnb rentals has put him at odds with some of his neighbors, who object to room rentals in a residential area, and city zoning.

The Chandler House, 258 E. Market St., shut down its Airbnb operations after the city notified Brew he was violating city zoning. The city zoning officer determined Airbnb rentals could be considered hotel, rooming house or bed-and-breakfast uses -- all of which are prohibited at the property without going before the zoning hearing board to obtain a use variance.

Brew hopes to go before the zoning hearing board in August to get a variance and resume operations.

Brew and Williams' home is not the only Airbnb in the city or the historic district, but it has become Bethlehem's test case for how to handle Airbnbs. Bethlehem has about 51 active hosts on the online room rental site, drawing 2,000 visitors to the city, according to Airbnb.

The city is currently reviewing all of the online listings it can find for potential zoning violations, Alicia Miller Karner, city director of community and economic development, said last week.

While the zoning issue is pending, Brew is allowing guests who already booked rooms at the Chandler House to stay for free. Last weekend, the house hosted millennials from New York City, who went hiking, dined downtown and took in historic sites, he said.

But the headaches with the Chandler House have not deterred him from moving forward with the renovations at the JL Mott House -- named for the massive St. George's Stove still in the kitchen -- across the street. The home is listed on Airbnb and Brew hopes to finish the remodel of the the house by Aug. 1.

The first-floor Meyers bedroom off of the foyer, named for the original owner of the home, features a gas fire place with seating area, one of the home's original gas lights and a massive bed.

The second-floor is divided into two suites or the whole home can be rented.

The Benigna suite, which is still under construction, is modeled off an ornate room at the Plaza Hotel, down to a door knob from the hotel. It boasts a gigantic gold mirror, crystal chandeliers and sconces and lots of gold rococo.

JL Mott also includes an innovator's suite, highlighting unique products. Guests can lounge on a balcony overlooking the yard or relax in the library, which features a cloud light that guests can link their cellphones to and play music and change the lighting.

The third floor is being converted into two guest rooms alone with a full bathroom nicknamed grandma's attic, Brew said. The quirky decor will include all the sort of things you'd expect to find in your grandmother's attic.

Brew and his wife Dr. Mary Ellen Williams bought the historic East Market Street homes intending to restore them into high-end luxury rentals through their company Dr. & Sir LLC.

After struggling to find tenants for the large homes, the couple decided to turn to the online room rental website Airbnb. While the properties are still being marketed as long-term rentals, Brew doesn't think he'll have any takers.

"We are hoping to resolve this," he said.

Sara K. Satullo may be reached at ssatullo@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @sarasatullo and Facebook. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
GAZA CITY, (Palestinian Territories): A UN official in war-battered Gaza Sunday called for a genuine political process to avert further bloodshed, after the military conflict between Israel and Islamist group Hamas that ravaged the Palestinian enclave.



As thousands of Gazans slowly tried to piece back together their lives, top UN staff visited the territory after an Egyptian-brokered ceasefire Friday halted 11 days of mutual bombardment.



On Sunday, in a badly-damaged district of Gaza city, volunteers swept up clouds of dust at the feet of collapsed buildings, while others shovelled debris onto the back of a donkey-drawn cart.



Israeli air strikes on the Gaza Strip since May 10 have killed more than 200 Palestinians, rendered thousands homeless and laid waste to buildings and key infrastructure across the blockaded territory.



It was the latest such bombardment to hit the crowded coastal strip of some two million people, after three previous wars with Israel since 2008.



Philippe Lazzarini, head of the UN Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA, said the reconstruction needed to go hand in hand with efforts to create a different political environment.



We need to have a genuine focus on human development, on proper access to education, jobs and livelihoods, he said. But this needs to be accompanied by a genuine political process.



Speaking earlier to a group of journalists, he said the layers of hardship in Gaza keep getting thicker, because the root causes of the conflict have not been addressed.



US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, speaking ahead of an imminent trip to the region, reaffirmed Washingtons support for a two-state solution so Israelis and Palestinians can live with equal measures of security, of peace and dignity.



Israeli strikes on Gaza killed 248 Palestinians, including 66 children, and have wounded over 1,900 people, the Gaza health ministry says.



Rockets from Gaza claimed 12 lives in Israel, including one child and an Arab-Israeli teenager, an Israeli soldier, one Indian, and two Thai nationals, medics say. Some 357 people in Israel have been wounded.



There is controversy about how many of those killed in Gaza were combatants, and how many were civilians. Israels Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed the bombing campaign had killed more than 200 terrorists in Gaza.



Lynn Hastings, of the UN aid agency OCHA, said the intense bombing had devastated peoples mental health.



During the last war in 2014, we had humanitarian pauses, where people were able to get out, she said.



That really speaks to the amount of trauma that was experienced this time, where there was absolutely no pause for people to breathe.



The comments that I have heard are not I need access to water  even though there are 800,000 people who dont have access to clean water right now  but about the impacts on their lives overall and how they are ever going to recover from this, she said.AFP




A truck driver accused of running over his wife, fatally injuring her, pleaded guilty Friday in Northampton County Court to a downgraded charge.

Maurice Butch Adams (Courtesy photo | For lehighvalleylive.com)

Maurice Butch Adams, now 43, of Norcross, Georgia, had been charged with criminal homicide in the incident March 8 outside the View Inn and Suites at 3191 Highland Drive in Bethlehem Township.

His attorney, John J. Waldron, said he had been in negotiations with the prosecutor, county Assistant District Attorney Erika Farkas, and they came to the agreement that a more appropriate charge would be involuntary manslaughter, given the allegations.

Adams pleaded guilty to the lesser charge before Judge Anthony S. Beltrami and faces sentencing scheduled Sept. 8. Guidelines call for a minimum term of 15 to 24 months, Waldron said.

Maurice Adams remains in custody and will have about six months' time served at the time of sentencing.

Farkas was unavailable for comment following Friday's plea.

Catrina Adams, 43, was pronounced dead at the scene of her injuries after she was run over by Maurice Adams truck.

"It was involuntary manslaughter with a deadly weapon, which was his truck, his cab," Waldron said of the agreed-to charge.

The couple were staying at the hotel with their daughter, who is 11 or 12, and trying to find a home in the Lehigh Valley, Waldron said.

The Adams had been having an argument when Maurice Adams decided to sleep in the cab rather than the hotel the night before the incident, according to Waldron.

Maurice Adams reportedly was trying to avoid the argument when Catrina Adams came into the cab that morning.

"He was basically in his cab trying to leave the parking area," Waldron said. "She was in front of the cab. She was on the driver's side of the cab. He was just trying to leave. He was driving slowly.

"Just ends up that he hit her and he ran her over. It wasn't intentional. It was basically criminal negligence."

Maurice Adams dialed 911 and tended to his wife until emergency medical services arrived.

The couple's daughter has been staying with Maurice Adams' mother in New York and plans to spend time this summer with Catrina Adams' family in Georgia, Waldron said.

"It's just really a sad situation for both families," the attorney said.

Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @KurtBresswein. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
An Easton police investigation into sales of crack cocaine merged in the past few days with a probe of recent violent crime, culminating Friday morning with a raid on a West Ward apartment, an official said.

Peter Murphy, 24, was taken into custody just after 6 a.m. in an apartment at 24 N. Seventh St. and faces a charge of delivery of cocaine, police Lt. Matthew Gerould said.

Vice Unit investigators oversaw controlled buys from the residence, Gerould said. A narcotics search warrant was served during Friday's raid.

Police searched for about an hour on the rainy morning and a dark blue minivan was seized from North Seventh Street. A police dog was seen near the vehicle and the dog also was taken into the building.

It wasn't immediately clear what, if anything, was found in the apartment.

Murphy had a bandage across his nose, but Gerould said it was there when police arrested him. Murphy later said in court that he banged into the electrical service on the side of the home.

Gerould wouldn't specify what violent crime police were looking into because he said doing so could harm the investigation. He also wouldn't elaborate on the type of evidence sought.

There have been four incidents of shots-fired in Easton since June 25. Police are investigating if the first two -- near the parking lot of the Karl Stirner Arts Trail off 13th Street and in a parking lot in the 600 block of West Berwick Street -- were related. A teenager has been charged in the West Berwick Street incident.

Investigators are also looking into connections between shots fired late Tuesday night in the 800 block of Spruce Street and another incident about the same time in the 1200 block of Ferry Street. No one is charged in those crimes.

Murphy, who was on parole from a May 19, 2013, burglary in the 300 block of Palmer Street, appeared midmorning before District Judge Antonia Grifo.

Noting that he was new to the area -- when he was previously charged he lived in Newark -- she set bail at $50,000. Authorities said that in his 2013 arrest he gave police a New Jersey driver's license and a different name.

Grifo allowed a 10 percent bail option if approved by court officials, but reminded Murphy that even if he made bail, he would have a detainer due to the probation violation.

Murphy said he was staying with someone in the Seventh Street apartment but didn't live there.

Court records show he was sentenced Aug. 22, 2013, to nine to 23 months in jail and 48 months of probation. He was released on parole on Feb. 21, 2014, getting credit for time served.

The bearded Murphy, wearing blue jeans, a black T-shirt and black and brown sneakers, spoke softly in answering the judge's questions Friday. He described the prior burglary as a "wrong place, wrong time" incident.

After the judge left the courtroom, Murphy said he was "gonna stay on the straight and narrow."

But he added he knows what's going to happen next.

"I'm gonna be in jail the next couple of years," he said.

Tony Rhodin may be reached at arhodin@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyRhodin. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
Officers who fired 51 shots at an armed robbery suspect, killing him, were "entirely justified" in their use of force, Lehigh County's district attorney announced Friday.

On the morning of May 21, Joseph M. Hodgin shot a clerk at Whitehall Pharmacy during a robbery, prosecutors said. That incident followed two armed robberies in two days at MacArthur Road (Route 145) businesses in Whitehall Township.

After the pharmacy robbery, the 43-year-old Hodgin fled into Allentown, and police said he led them on a chase that ended when he rammed two police cruisers in the 700 block of North 19th Street, near West Green Street.

Hodgin allegedly pointed the handgun at officers trying to arrest him, and four officers opened fire, shooting a total of 51 .40-caliber bullets, District Attorney Jim Martin said in his report.

Hodgin was taken to Lehigh Valley Hospital in Salisbury Township, where he was pronounced dead of gunshot wounds to the body, according to the Lehigh County Coroner's Office.

Hodgin had 16 gunshot wounds, as well as morphine and heroin in his system, according to the district attorney's report.

Martin said Hodgin "brought about his own demise" by committing a forcible felony and trying to escape with a deadly weapon.

He had shot a clerk and "clearly demonstrated that he had, and would continue to endanger human life or inflict serious bodily injury unless he was arrested without delay," Martin said in the report.

No police officers were injured in the gunfire, but one suffered minor injuries as a result of his car being rammed by Hodgin, authorities said.

Allentown police Chief Glen Dorney all four officers were on administrative leave during the use-of-force investigation, which is standard protocol. That also gave the officers time to decompress from the traumatic event, the chief added.

The four officers then underwent fitness for duty evaluations, and were all cleared to return to work about a week ago.

Asked about the 51 shots fired, Dorney said he had "zero concern whatsoever with their actions."

Video cameras in the police cruisers recorded the incident, and the gunfire lasted seconds. Dorney said after initially viewing the video, he could see the officers acted appropriately.

"Based on the circumstances that they were faced with, it was absolutely, 100 percent a great job," Dorney said. "I'm proud of the officers, of their performance. They showed a lot of courage, bravery and self-control...Unfortunately, Mr. Hodgin put these guys in that position that they didn't want to be in. They did their job appropriately."

The chief also offered condolences to Hodgin's family.

"His family still lost a loved one," the chief said. "It's the last thing we wanted to do."

Clerk pulls a pipe during robbery

Investigators said at about 8 a.m. on May 21, Whitehall Township police were called for a robbery alarm at Whitehall Pharmacy, 4117 Main St.

There, they found Kanchan Patel with a gunshot wound to his leg. Patel told officers a man in a grey hooded sweatshirt came into the store and demanded money.

Patel later told police he did not think the gun the robber was holding was real, and that when he pulled money out of the register he also grabbed a copper pipe. The robber, later identified as Hodgin, shot at Patel at least three times and wounded the clerk in the leg, police said.

Patel said he threw the money at Hodgin, and Hodgin picked it up, ran to a white Ford F-150 truck and fled. Patel told police he crawled to the phone and called his wife to call an ambulance.

Police said the description of Hodgin and the truck matched those of a suspect in two previous armed robberies in Whitehall, and the vehicle he used to flee.

The first armed robbery was May 17 at the Dunkin Donuts, 2369 MacArthur Road, followed two days later by an armed robbery at a Sunoco 1-Stop, 2304 MacArthur Road.

Patel was hospitalized following the shooting, and needed emergency surgery, according to police.

'Gun, gun, he's got a gun'

Police put out a description of the robber and his truck over emergency radio, and an Allentown city surveillance camera caught a white Ford F-150 entering the city from Whitehall Township.

Officer Michael Vernotica saw the truck on Seventh Street, near Tilghman Street, and began following the truck, investigators said. The truck had a Florida license plate, but was listed to a Coplay address: Hodgin previously lived in Seminole County, Florida, but at the time was staying with a relative in North Whitehall Township, outside Coplay.

Vernotica put on his lights and sirens, and a high-speed chase ensued in the city, police said. Hodgin ran red lights and stop signs on Chew Street and then 17th Street, according to police. At one point, an officer tried to cut off the truck to stop the chase, but Hodgin was able to avoid crashing, police said.

Officer Jason Aduddell was involved in the chase, and was traveling on 19th Street when he saw the truck speeding toward him, according to police.

Hodgin swerved to avoid hitting the cruiser, but hit the passenger side and took off the bumper. The truck then struck a parked car, went up on two wheels and then crashed head-on into a second police cruiser driven by officer Chad Mertz, police said.

The airbags were deployed in Mertz's cruiser and he was injured, but he got out of the car and joined officer Aduddell on the passenger side of the truck. Officer Vernotica was on the driver's side of the truck.

Officer Jack Dewalt was also part of the chase, and reported he saw Hodgin crash into Mertz's cruiser. Dewalt got out of his vehicle, drew his weapon and began running toward the truck, police said.

Adudell told investigators he repeatedly ordered Hogin to show his hands, and he saw Hodgin fumbling at his waistband in the truck and then saw a revolver in Hodgin's hand.

Mertz reported he also saw Hodgin holding a handgun in his right hand, and that Hodgin raised the gun toward himself and officer Aduddell.

Aduddell yelled, "Gun, gun, he's got a gun."

"I knew that the suspect had a very clear shot to just pull the trigger and shoot Officer Mertz," Aduddell told investigators.

Aduddell said he heard a shot, and then he, Vernotica and Mertz opened fire; investigators said the shooting lasted seven seconds.

Dewalt told investigators he heard Aduddell yell about Hodgin having a gun, and that the first shots occurred before he got to the passenger side of the truck.

When the firing stopped, police said, there was an eight second pause. During that time, Hodgin was allegedly trying to get out of the passenger side of the truck and was not following officers' commands.

Aduddell fired several more rounds and Dewalt also fired his weapon "several" times at Hodgin, police said. The second round of shots lasted five seconds, police said.

Hodgin was slumped over in the truck, and officers pulled him out and began CPR, investigators said. A silver Smith & Wesson five-shot revolver with a laser sight was found in the truck and was secured, and a grey hoodie was also found in the backseat of the cab, authorities said.

Police said the revolver contained one .38-caliber cartridge and four .38-caliber discharged casings.

Sarah Cassi may be reached at scassi@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @SarahCassi. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
John Andretti is back in the garage after having his spleen and gall bladder removed last month.

The former NASCAR and IndyCar driver returned to his team's Indianapolis headquarters.

Andretti's ongoing battle first emerged in early May when it was announced he had been diagnosed with colon cancer that had spread to his liver. At the time, Michael Andretti acknowledged his cousin was in "excruciating pain" and was upset because it could have been prevented had John Andretti simply undergone a colonoscopy earlier.

The 54-year-old Pennsylvania native, and alumnus of Moravian College in Bethlehem, said his prognosis is getting better since last month's surgery.

"I went in the week after my surgery and they basically said, we don't need to see you for maybe about another three weeks," Andretti told WTHR-TV in Indianapolis. "Scheduled the next appointment and they said we'll scan you then. Until then, no chemo, you're a free man.'"

Andretti begins another round of chemo later this month.

Good news, the spleen & gall bladder were clean. Next stop is a scan & consult with Dr. Iannitti in 1 month.Then back to chemo for 3 months.  John Andretti (@John_Andretti) June 28, 2017

I receive so many prayers and positive vibes/comments from fans, friends & family, that I feel so blessed. Really makes a huge difference.  John Andretti (@John_Andretti) June 29, 2017

Thank you for continuing to get the word out to be screened. Really means a lot to me. https://t.co/X7Kst0Zk9R  John Andretti (@John_Andretti) July 5, 2017

But there's quite like spending the day in the garage with his 24-year-old son, Jarett, who competes in sprint cars.

"I'm actually feeling more like a human again. You start losing all the chemo things that go along with it," John Andretti told the television station. Nothing changes your life more than having to go through all that."

Andretti held news conferences in Charlotte, where he was undergoing treatment, and Indianapolis in May and it's not clear whether he'll make another appearance before NASCAR's July 23 Brickyard 400.

He may be best known as the first driver to attempt the Memorial Day double -- racing 500 miles at Indy and 600 miles in Charlotte in the same day.

Andretti also started 49 consecutive IndyCar races from 1990-92 before moving to NASCAR, where he made 29 or more starts every year from 1994-2003. He won two races and 37 top-10 finishes in 393 career Cup starts, and he won once in IndyCars.

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A Northampton County man will spend four years behind bars after admitting to stealing from cars over five months in federal parklands around the Delaware Water Gap.

Lewis Davenport, 40, was sentenced Thursday in federal court in Scranton after pleading guilty to conspiracy and identity-theft charges.

Between April and September of 2015, Davenport and others broke into parked vehicles at least three times at the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area -- a 70,000-acre park on the northern New Jersey-Pennsylvania border -- and stole electronics, cellular phones, credit cards and other items, according to court documents and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania.

Some of the credit cards were used in Easton and the Monroe County community of Bartonsville. Davenport has previous addresses in Easton and Bangor.

In a request for a two-and-a-half-year sentence, Davenport's defense said he had a substance abuse problem, but also that "drug addiction does not excuse Davenport's crimes, and he knows it."

However, the U.S. Attorney's Office said in a news release that Davenport has an extensive criminal history including 19 convictions for theft- and credit card fraud-related activities.

In addition to four years in prison, Davenport was also sentenced to pay $1,174.89 in restitution and serve two years of supervised probation upon release from custody.

After Davenport's guilty plea last fall, the National Park Service reminded visitors that any valuables left in a car should be locked in the truck or otherwise out of sight.

Protecting Resources: Protecting You! Lewis Davenport, 39, of Northampton County pled guilty recently to charges of... Posted by Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area on Tuesday, January 17, 2017

Steve Novak may be reached at snovak@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @type2supernovak and Facebook. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
A tractor-trailer driver has died following a crash early Friday afternoon on Interstate 78 in Warren County, just a few miles into New Jersey.

The truck went off the eastbound highway and into the center guide rail about 1:20 p.m. in Pohatcong Township, between the Pennsylvania line and Exit 3 for Route 22, according to New Jersey State Police. The cause of the crash is still under investigation.

The driver, a man from Mt. Vernon, N.Y., was seriously injured and pronounced dead on arrival at St. Luke's Hospital in Phillipsburg, state police said. His identity will be released after family is notified.

The accident closed two of the three eastbound lanes for much of the afternoon, leading to delays up to 45 minutes and backing up traffic across the Delaware River into Pennsylvania. As of 4:45 p.m., the New Jersey Department of Transportation reported traffic at normal levels.

At the time of the crash, westbound traffic farther east in Hunterdon County was still backed up from a separate crash about 10 a.m. just west of Exit 11. In that crash, a tractor-trailer slid off the highway, and authorities were cleaning up a fuel leak.

Steve Novak may be reached at snovak@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @type2supernovak and Facebook. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
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Leicesters newest bar and shop  selling 500 bottles of wine and champagne  will open this month.

45 St Martins is opening in the same unit as the old Simpkins and James wine shop, on the corner of St Martins and Cank Street.

It will be the second bar from the people behind Burleighs London Dry Gin, following on from 45 West, across the road in Hotel Street, a bottle shop and bar stocking gins, spirits and craft ales.

It is also the latest in a string of openings in that corner of the city  including 33 Cank Street, Middletons Steak House and Grill, Grillstock, Bodega Cantina, Delilah, and Knight and Garter.

The new bar and shop is being set up by Phil Burley correct and business partner Graham Veitch, who are putting a considerable investment into it.

Work on the premises is well underway, and it will open on July 21.

The two bars will have a combined staff of around 24.

Phil said: Predominantly its going to be a shop selling premium wines and champagnes, but will also stock wines to suit the average Joe Bloggs.

The whole idea will be to sell bottles that are pre-chilled and ready to take home, and costing up to 400-500 a bottle.

One of the unique selling points of the bar is an enomatic wine machine  costing something like 10,000  which can preserve very expensive bottles of wine for up to 10 weeks once they have been opened.

It means the average person can treat themselves to a single glass of something very expensive.

The house champagne, he said, would be Billecart-Salmon, which is also served at the London Ritz.

He said: Their champagnes are exquisite and are priced from sensible money to ridiculous amounts, depending on the vintage or brut.

Its one of the best independent houses in Champagne.

Burleighs London Dry Gin has become something of a local success story in recent years, selling a range of craft gins distilled and bottled in Nanpantan, in the Charnwood countryside.

It has plans to expand its footprint around the UK this year.

The gin company and bar business are two of four related companies, alongside a gin school and an engineering business supplying stills to small artisan distilleries.

Phil said: Im trying to build the 45 brand.

We opened 45 West as a knee-jerk reaction two years ago to the bar scene in Leicester not buying Burleighs Gin.

Its gone incredibly well for us, but were not complacent and now I want to bring more premium wines into the city centre.

I believe 45 West is the best bar out there and our clientele has cemented its success, but people dont want to go to just one bar and I believe no-where else has the offering 45 West has.
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Soft centres, nutty centres, milk, white or dark - whatever your preference, we're pretty sure most people are big fans of chocolate.

So, it's great that there's a day dedicated to celebrating this wonderful cocoa-based sweet treat.

Yes, today - July 7 - is World Chocolate Day!

That means you've got a great excuse to treat yourself to a lovely box of choccies - and what could be better than that?

Well, how about making your own?

That's exactly what we did, at Leicester chocolate emporium, Cocoa Amore.

What is Cocoa Amore?

Cocoa Amore was opened in October 2013 by Pete Gardner, who had previously run Chocolate Alchemy in Loughborough for four years.

Soon after opening, Cocoa Amore became the number one shopping experience in Leicester and the number one chocolate shop in the UK, according to Trip Advisor.

It was also named one of Britain's 20 best small shops in the UK in 2015, which resulted in an invitation to the House of Commons.

And, when the Queen paid a visit to Leicester earlier this year, Cocoa Amore made 150 salted butter chocolates (think posh Werther's Originals) for the Monarch and her guests.

Pete's desire is to provide good quality yet affordable handmade chocolate and to educate people as to why it's worth spending a bit more money and buying better quality chocolate.

On the ground floor of Cocoa Amore is the shop selling an array of beautiful handmade chocolates as well as high quality chocolate from brands including Casa Luker and Willie's Cacao.

There's also a cafe area, where you can indulge in a pretty special hot chocolate - made with milk, white or dark chocolate - or even a chocolate egg and soldiers!

Upstairs is where the choctastic workshops take place.

Chocolate workshop

You'll be educated, entertained and stuffed full of delicious chocolate during one of these workshops, which last around two and a half to three hours.

Ours was led by the lovely Dan, who talked us through the origin and history of cocoa, and the make-up of dark, milk and white chocolate and how this differs between manufacturers.

Our mouths were called into action as the taste tests started with the Cocoa Amore house chocolates. I was so eager to get sampling the first one that I quickly forgot the advice we'd just been given - 'don't munch the chocolate, savour it by letting it melt.' It's not easy to do, but you do get much more flavour that way.

We worked our way around the cocoa belt, tasting an array of chocolate including a 72% chocolate from Vietnam, a 70% from Madagascar, and, my favourite, a 65% from Tumaco, Columbia. We even tried a chocolate made with goat's milk - but that's an experience I don't think I'll be repeating.

Tummies full, it was time to get messy making our own chocolates using a huge tub of melted 70% house dark chocolate. Aprons and gloves are provided, although I still managed to splatter my shoes. I may have got a bit carried away whacking the mould to remove the air bubbles.

You get to choose the flavour of your choice for the filling, so I went for rosewater- and mmm, that was a good choice.

As well as making the filled choccies, the workshop includes truffle-making, and all the hours spend making Playdoh creations with my children paid off when it came to hand rolling these little beauties.

What to do whilst your chocolates are setting? Enjoy more chocolate, of course - this time of the drinking variety.

Decorating and wrapping your chocolates brings the experience to and end, and then it's the tough part. Deciding whether to share them with your friends or scoff them all yourself.
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Keith Vaz this week used a Westminster debate on safety in theme parks to call for a change in the law capping the 'woefully low' bereavement damages relating to the death of children.

The Leicester East MP today describes in further detail why he feels the existing maximum is still not enough.

This is his full statement

"The whole of Leicester was affected deeply by the tragic death of Evha Jannath at Drayton Manor theme park in May.

"It is unthinkable as a parent that when you wave off your child in the morning you will not see them again - yet for Mussamath, Evhas mother, this was the tragic reality.

"The family is devastated to have lost their daughter, sister and niece and we are all trying to come to terms with how this tragic event was able to take place.

"Evha died on the Splash Canyon ride at Drayton Manor Park.

"Her tragic death has raised a number of questions relating to theme park safety which are especially relevant with the school summer holidays approaching.

(Image: SWNS.com)

"Three people have died in theme parks since 2005 and we can all agree this is three too many.

"Ensuring that all water rides of this type are safe, countrywide, is essential.

"In the immediate aftermath of the event LEGOLAND, Alton Towers and Thorpe Park closed their water rides - however these have since reopened.

"We must address safety concerns relating to seatbelts on these rides and also ensure that all parks have acceptable signage and working public address systems to inform the ride-goers to remain in their seats.

"Another issue we must examine is that of bereavement compensation.

"The current law on statutory bereavement caps the amount that families can receive at 12,980 where the child is below the age of 18.

"This is different from Northern Ireland, where the cap is low but still higher than England at 14,400.

"In Scotland there are no fixed amounts for damages and awards are given on a case-by-case basis at the judges discretion.

"In 2013, the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL) commissioned research to discover public attitudes to bereavement damages.

"Of the 2,000 people surveyed 50% thought that bereavement damages should be more than 100,000 and threequarters thought bereavement damages should be awarded on a case-by-case basis.

"In Parliament I intend to take the issue of bereavement compensation forward.

"I will also will push for mandatory seatbelts on rides, proper staffing at theme parks and clear announcements on all rides.

"We never want any family affected by this kind of tragedy again."
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Its hard enough being a customer in Primark, with its huge stores filled with bright lights and endless stock.

But have you ever wondered what it would be like to work there?

This ex-employee gave a detailed account of what's it's like to work at the shop for the Derby Telegraph.

What is it really like to work at Primark?

Before becoming a reporter, I worked at the Primark store in Derby's Cornmarket  and here is what I learnt about one of the UK's biggest discount stores.

The tills were a race against time. With queues of 20 people being perfectly normal, life at the checkout could be tough.

Weirdly, Primark staff have two buttons to choose from under the counter when they want the next customer to come along  each announcing that your till is free in either a male or female voice.

The male one was louder and more effective.

If you want a customer discount at Primark, it's very easy. If you want an employee discount, you have to wait until Christmas and even then you only get 10%.

For customers, an item with any kind of slight fault or mark gets 10% knocked off without debate if they ask for it, as I saw many times on the tills.

But don't take it too far or else you will end up in the Book of Faces. Behind the customer services desk on the third floor is a thick folder full of CCTV close-ups of the faces of customers who have nicked, conned or otherwise behaved badly in the store.

I still see some of those culprits walking around the city and I wonder if they know of their notoriety.

Endless folding is the biggest part of working at Primark. On your first day, you get a ten-minute crash course in how to fold everything and then you're set free.

On a ridiculously busy weekend, this can be a killer. The most frustrating thing was finishing folding a pile of trousers only to turn your back and have a snotty little kid destroy your hard work.

But, when you needed to take a break from the tills, there was something deeply relaxing about spending an hour mindlessly folding t-shirts and talking to no-one.

Sometimes, especially if you were working on the shop floor, customers would ask you if you had an item of clothing in a different size  and we would dutifully go and check the stockroom.

The thing is  none of us really knew where anything was. It's a massive room filled with cardboard boxes and it's basically a lucky dip. In the six months I worked there, I found one item successfully, which was actually quite a proud day.

Urine and faeces on the shop floor was pretty common. There were even different cryptic announcements via the speakers ("cleaner to menswear, code two") so cleaning staff knew to expect a bodily fluid when they arrived at the mess.

All the hardest staff work on the ground floor. Sometimes that level is like the Wild West and you have to be tough to stick it out  an angry alcoholic wandering in off the street would not be surprising.

Softer staff, like me, got put on customer service, childrenswear or homewear, which were safely tucked away all on the top floor.

To deal with all of this, you've got to have a pretty strong workforce. The staff in Primark are the best I have ever worked with.

The store was filled with big characters who made new workers feel welcome from the start and genuinely wanted to help customers.

Overtime is rewarded very fairly too, with every extra minute worked added to your paycheque. If you're looking for a job, and you can stomach everything here, Primark's a good bet.
PARIS: Millions of people tuned in on Sunday to watch Frances Emmanuel Macron at a private heavy metal gig in the gardens of his Elysee presidential palace, part of a YouTube video by two comedians.



Macron pledged in February to welcome McFly and Carlito, two French YouTubers followed by 6.5 million people, in the Elysee if they succeeded in garnering more than 10 million views for a video promoting social distancing measures during the pandemic.



McFly and Carlito won the bet and were allowed to shoot a 36 minute video, which within hours of release on Sunday morning had been viewed almost 2.7 million times.



The French President and the YouTubers exchange stories during the show, which ends with a stroll in the Elysee gardens, where French band Ultra Vomit perform a hard rock version of the French lullaby A Green Mouse (Une souris verte). Macrons ratings in the 18-24 age group category have risen by eight points over a month, to 51%, versus a general approval rating of 40%, which is up three points, the latest poll published by Journal du Dimanche showed.Reuters




A group of youths drinking from early in the day broke into Mountrath GAA Club and started a fire as darkness fell, burning flags and chairs at the side of the pitch.

Arising from the incident, Codie Doheny (19), Kiln Lane, Mountrath, was yesterday (Thursday, July 6) charged with trespassing, and arson, at the Mountrath GAA Club, on July 16, 2016.

Inspector Maria Conway gave evidence at the district court that on that date, a group of youths entered the grounds of Mountrath GAA Club and set fire to a number of items.

Chairs, flags and tyres were all burnt, with 500 of damage caused.

Defence, Mr Declan Breen said that his client had been drinking earlier in the day and his group gravitated towards the GAA grounds, to which there was easy access.

As darkness was falling someone decided to light a small fire at the side of the pitch.

Mr Breen said his client accepted this was an awful thing to do.

Mr Breen said that Doheny had left school a year and a half ago and had been leading a very aimless life, going through an extremely bad patch between June and September of last year. He had been before the court on three occasions, most recently in the district court on May 4 where he was convicted of robbing the Mountrath community hall.

He was also before the recent circuit court, for his part in an attack on an off-duty garda in Mountrath.

Hes in serious need of guidance, said defence.

Judge Catherine Staines asked did the accused have 500 in court to pay for the damages, to which Mr Breen replied that he did not as he has to pay 1,000 compensation in the circuit court by November 28 and is currently on 100 per week social welfare.

Said the judge to the accused: People work very hard to get these chairs and flags to help young people in sport. This is very unfair.

Telling him that the money would eventually have to be paid, Judge Staines adjourned the matter to December 7, to await the finalisation of the circuit court case.

She also directed an up to date report on the accused for that date.
Rural burglary in Laois will not go away, but the conviction of a local gang has led to a significant fall in its incidence locally, according to the top garda in Laois-Offaly.

Chief Superintendent John Scanlon welcomed the jailing of three Laois men at Portlaoise Circuit Court. Brothers, Thomas and Gerard and their cousin William McInerney were jailed last week after being caught by gardai in July 2016.

The people of Laois and surrounding counties can feel safer as a result of the outcome of this investigation, Chief Supt Scanlon told the Leinster Express.

He said the apprehension, conviction and jailing last week by Judge Keenan Johnson was important in the fight against rural crime.

The overall hurt and damage to people in rural Ireland in this period was significant. We have had a significant reduction in rural burglaries, he said.

The garda said the modus operandi used in farm robberies has not been seen since. Gardai believe insider knowledge was needed to carry out farm thefts linked to the gang.

He praised the members of the Gardai who intervened and 'put their lives on the line' to capture the gang. He said the four had suffered serious injuries and one has yet to return to work.

The garda thanked the text alert groups for their 'invaluable and immeasurable' contribution to the investigation. He acknowledged the farming community and the loss of property they have suffered as a result of crimes, suffered prior to the arrests.

He praised communities for the work they do in 'watching out for themselves'. He acknowledged the financial cost borne by communities through text alert and CCTV to protect their properties.

He warned that while this gang has been dealt with, vigilance remains critical.

We are not out of a job because these people have been locked up. People have to remain vigilant.

While we have seen a significant downturn in rural crime due a number of signficant arrests, but, into all vacuums of criminality comes other criminality to replace them, he said.

As regards coping with crime the chief superintentent said more resources were always needed but 30 recruits have come on stream with a further 10 to follow shortly.

We are short of gardai but we are seeing significant extra numbers being delivered to the Laois-Offaly Division, he said.

He said community policing is returing and drugs units have been established in Portlaoise and Tullamore.

He said this would help frontline policing and he hopes that division will have staff up within 18 months.

He does not envisage a reopening of garda stations closed during the boom. Neither does see 24-hour garda stations outside Portlaoise because he said he wanted to see more gardai out on the beat.

He said a strategy has been drawn up for the policing in the division.
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Two men, described as "Del Boy and Rodney", who were charged with trespassing on a property in south Kildare, have agreed to make a charity donation to a senior citizens' club.

Myles Connors (20), 44 Bennekerry, Carlow, and James OReilly (21), 2 Strawhall, Athy road, Carlow, both appeared at Naas District Court last Wednesday, July 5.

They were charged with trespassing on a property at Walterstown, Nurney on April 8 last.

Grada Inspector Patsy Glennon said that three men entered the rear yard of the property in a white van. They got out and were heading to a shed when the injured party saw them and asked them to leave.

Nothing was taken by the men.

Tim Kennelly, solicitor, representing Mr OReilly, said the men were traders and their job involved calling into yards buying and selling scrap.

He said his client had been asked to do some work by Mr Connors, whose wife was in hospital expecting a second child.

Mr Kennelly said his client had been in the USA, and did not want any convictions to destroy his chances of returning.

Conal Boyce, solicitor, representing Mr Connors, said that the property owner said the men did not take anything.

Judge Desmond Zaidan suggested the two defendants were like Del Boy and Rodney, up to no good.

Mr Kennelly said that is probably what they are like.

The Court was told the men had no previous convictions and Judge Zaidan agreed that they would make a donation of 600 each to Hollywood Senior Citizens club by September 6 next.

The case was adjourned for the donations to be made.
Kildare businesses have been warned by gardai to be alert to an email scam which could cost them dearly if they fall for it.

According to gardai, companies across the country have recently been targeted by a series of fraudulent purchase order emails. This is a scam wherein fraudsters attempt to obtain equipment from suppliers by providing them with a fraudulent purchase orders.

The scam operates in the following way:

A supplier will receive an email requesting a quotation for specific item/s of equipment, often medical or I.T. equipment, and often in large quantities and of high value. Once the quotation has been provided, a purchase order is emailed to the supplier, which bears resemblance to an authentic purchase order of the relevant company. The purchase order typically instructs delivery to an address not affiliated with the company. After shipping the item/s of equipment, the supplier never receives payment and is unable to retrieve the shipped products.

Companies are being given tips on how to identify the Fraudulent emails/POs:

 Incorrect domain names are used to send emails and purchase orders. The majority of Irish email addresses will always end in @company name.ie. An example of an incorrect domain being used in these fraudulent emails is @company name.com.

 The delivery address is not the purchasing companies address. Fraudulent addresses will typically be a domestic residence or a self-storage facility, often based in Dublin, or other locations nowhere near company ordering the goods.

 Poorly written email with grammatical errors are always a sign of a suspicious email.

 Unusually large quantities are requested.

 Rush to ship priority/overnight

 Use of a false or unknown contact. If requests are received from an unknown company contact that raises your suspicion, please contact the company direct to verify the validity of the request. Do not contact the name/number used on the email/purchase order. Please note fraudulent emails may contain seemingly legitimate contact information so it is important to look for other signs.

What you can do:

Confirm legitimacy: If you are unsure about a quotation request sent by email, or the subsequent purchase order, please contact the company for confirmation of its legitimacy.

Report suspicious emails: If you have received any suspicious emails please forward them to legitimate company and contact An Garda Siochana.
In 1997, Steve Jobs returned to Apple having been ousted a decade before. In that time the famous Mac hadnt progressed. Microsofts Windows had caught up and overtaken it. Sales were down 30% year-on-year. It was haemorrhaging cash and talent. There were no new products in the pipeline. Speaking to staff Jobs explained, There are a lot of great people at Apple, but theyre doing the wrong things because the plan has been wrong.

I think you still have to think differently to buy an Apple computer. The people who buy them do think different. They are the creative spirits in this world, and theyre out to change the world. We make tools for these kinds of people.

Isnt he describing the 2.35 million who voted Lib Dem in 2017 and how they feel about themselves? So heres his advice to us, We too are going to think differently and serve the people who have been buying our products from the beginning. Because a lot of people think theyre crazy, but in that craziness we see genius.

Weve all met them havent we? The people who voice support for us in their communities, in their workplaces, in the pub, among their friends, on line. Their endorsement makes us smile with a quiet satisfaction because we have done and said those things too. We too have been lone voices  crazy ones.

We too make tools for these kinds of people; information and campaigns for those who want to take and use power in their communities. Who want to change the world. Tools that help them achieve things they didnt know they could achieve or even knew that they needed to achieve.

For forty years, up to 2007, we prioritized this approach and did this together with all kinds of folk, in all types of communities, helping people realise more and more of their potential in what people havent appreciated was one of the great movements for freedom this country has known.

But we are now where Apple was in 1997. How did Jobs turn things round? He used the concepts of creativity and difference and above all he used the concept of community  the community of those who bought Apple, but who didnt even live in the same street or talk the same language. Apple had market share of 10% and he made a feature of its minority status.

In our terms he took the 2.35 million people who voted for us in 2017 and made a community of them, made them proud of what they stood for in that vote, celebrated their sense of difference and made others want to belong to the community that was in the know. A community which with our leadership can do things they never thought they could do  or even thought they needed to do.

We have just fought an election on process. So mark these words of Jobs, This isnt about processor speed or memory. It is about creativity.

Heres to the crazy ones, he wrote. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in square holes. The ones who see things differently. They are not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you cant do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do.

7,000 attended the 1971 Glastonbury Festival. Now forty-six years on, 100,000 swear they were there. If, like Jobs, we take Robert Frosts road less travelled by which made all the difference, in a few years time, 18 million will believe that they were one of the 2.35 million who voted for us in June 17. Starting from 7.4% is an advantage not a handicap.

This piece should be read in conjunction with The Future and Practice of Garage Politics.

* Bill le Breton is a former Chair and President of ALDC and a member of the 1997 and 2001 General Election teams
Stability. Order. Security. That is what these big multinational summits are meant to project. They are designed to reassure the lower orders (thats you, me and a few billion others), that Planet Earth is in safe hands as it hurtles around the sun at 66,000 miles per hour.

I am not reassured. In fact, a look at the G20 Hamburg line-up has left me seriously worried.

North Korea now has an Intercontinental Ballistic Missile, nuclear weapons and a juvenile dictator with a bad haircut. But Russia, China and America cannot agree on how to deal with him.

Russia, the United States and its allies are on the cusp of coming to blows over Syria and Ukraine. India and China are the same over their border at the rooftop of the world.

Then there is China against everyone over the South and East China seas. Saudi Arabia is trying to squeeze Qatar into submission and under attack for human rights abuses in Yemen and support for Islamic extremism. Russia has a corruption problem, gay problem and human rights problem.

Italy has a potential bankruptcy problem. The UK has a Brexit problem compounded by a leadership vacuum.

South Africas Jacob Zuma fears a prison cell when he leaves office. Ditto for Brazils Michael Temer and South Korea has just sent their president to jail.

Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto is unsuccessfully fighting a war against the drug cartels with an approval rating that has plunged from 53 to 17 percent.

Turkey is politically schizoid. It cant decide whether it wants to be in or out of the EU, secular or Islamic, pro or anti-NATO, a democracy or a dictatorship. Indonesia is also fighting to save its secular political institutions in the face of a resurgent Islam.

A ray of hope has emerged from recent elections in France in the form of Emmanuel Macron. But he is saddled with a legacy of economic mismanagement which has led to poor national productivity, unemployment levels at 10 percent-plus, a $2 trillion debt and a public sense of entitlement that will be difficult to overcome.

It is a big problem for Macron, and if he wants confirmation he should chat with Argentinas Mauricio Macri who has spent the past 18 months trying to come to grips with the results of 12 years of economic mismanagement by successive Kirchener governments.

Then there is Donald Trumpthe leader of the Free World. His base in rural America is built on granite. Everywhere else in the US it is sinking into the sand. The result is a hopelessly divided country which weakens his position on the international stage.

Not that he had much support from the other world leaders to start with. They dont know whether to laugh at his tweets or panic at his attacks on the press and any critic anywhere; or his anti-free trade America First policy; his withdrawal from the Paris Climate Change Agreement; travel bans; attacks on the rule of law; his dislike of the EU; his military posturing; and/or his ghetto vocabulary. Normally, the attendees of these summits look to the President of the United States for leadership. Not this time.

There are a few bright spots. Germanys Chancellor Angela Merkel is the mortar that has held the European cornerstone in place through successive crises. But her room for manoeuvre is circumscribed by federal elections in September. And, after 12 years at the top, Ms Merkel would be the first to argue that it is time for fresh blood.

There are some willing and able to take on the role. Macron has already been mentioned. There is also Canadian Premier Justin Trudeau, although his taste in socks leaves something to be desired and, although Canada is an important countryas is Australia, its economy is not big enough to fill the current leadership vacuum.

While the leaders are locked in their debating chamber, the streets of Hamburg will be filled with 100,000-plus angry demonstrators. The city fathers have recruited an additional 14,000 police to deal with them. They are a rainbow coalition of dissent that will be shouting about trade, gay rights, Israel, Brexit, austerity, Yemen, Syria, press freedom, Trump, Putin, Erdogan. But what they are really demanding is reassuring leadership so that they go back to being butchers, bakers and candlestick makers.

* Tom Arms is foreign editor of Liberal Democrat Voice and the author of The Encyclopedia of the Cold War and the recently published America Made in Britain that has sold out in the US after six weeks but is still available in the UK.
I am sure that the hon. Gentleman would agree that the soft fruit industry in this country is a big success story. One of the major producers in my constituency is 77 staff short at the moment. That means leaving fruit unpicked. There is a real risk that this major success story could be undermined unless we get a good new seasonal agricultural workers scheme deal in place for the post-Brexit situation.

Wera Hobhouse made two interventions on different days on the Grenfell Tower disaster. On Monday she asked Sajid Javid:

And she asked what was being done to build trust with the families:

Does the Minister agree that the uptake of temporary accommodation by only 14 families is disappointing? If he thinks that this is to do to with a lack of trust rather than the quality of the housing, will he tell us what is being done to build that trust?

Alistair Carmichael came out of the whiply shadows several times this week. He has about four jobs in the Shadow Cabinet, and one of them is Northern Ireland. He was withering about the Governments record:

The Secretary of State is right when he says that we need greater transparency on political donations, but he must be aware that the House has already expressed its view on that matter. The Northern Ireland (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2014 set the relevant date as being 1 January 2014. Why is he now seeking to change that?

You know, Mr Speaker, that I do not often hanker after the days of Tony Blair, but if we had reached this state of affairs under his premiership, we would have seen not just involvement by the Prime Minister, but active leadership, and he would probably have made the statement to the House. With all due respect to the Secretary of State, it is a matter of regret that the Prime Minister is not here today.

Later he asked about the NHS workforce post Brexit given the fall in doctors and nurses:

The Secretary of State will be aware that that figure represents in excess of 5% of the total workforce in the NHS. This matter will have to be addressed, engaging with the recruitment sector, the employment sector and, indeed, the devolved Administrations. Is that how he will handle it

He also found time for a Westminster Hall debate on renewable energy in the islands:

I am delighted to serve under your chairmanship, Sir David, and I am pleased to welcome the Minister to his new role. He is one in a fairly long line of Energy Ministers during my tenure in the HouseI am not entirely sure how many I have seenbut he brings with him a reputation for being a diligent and effective Minister, and I wish him well in his time in the Department. It is the convention on these occasions to say how pleased we are to have secured the debate. Although I will keep my tie on, I will break with convention by saying that I am not particularly pleased; I have been around this course for the past 15 years and I am immensely frustrated that debates of this sort are still necessary.

I think it will be helpful for those who might be watching our proceedings from elsewhere to be quite clear not only what the debate is about but what it is not about. It is not about individual projects that may be under consideration; there are a number in my constituency, including in Orkney and with Viking Energy in Shetland. To say that we need a strategy to unlock the potential of renewable energy generation is not to say that any individual project in itself is right or should go ahead, nor is it to be confused with the consultation currently being undertaken by Ofgem on replacing Shetlands power station with a 278 km, 600 MW high-voltage direct current cable. That is exciting some comment at the moment, but it is a proposal of which I remain to be convinced; having been around this course for many years, I do not regard it as quite so difficult or challenging for that particular project to get a cable on the seabed.

The debate is about how Government and the forces of government can unlock the potential for renewable energy generation that we all know is there within our island communities. A study commissioned jointly by the then Department for Energy and Climate Change and the Scottish Government in 2013the Scottish Islands Renewable Projectestimated that the Western Isles, Orkney and Shetland could between them supply up to 5% of Britains total electricity demand by 2030. That is a quite significant prize and it is within our grasp. However, it is something that we already know will only happen if we can get everybody working together.

In that connection, I welcome the intervention this morning from Councillor Donald Crichton, chair of the Sustainable Development Committee in the Western Isles Council, calling for cross-party consensus building on this. As he said, the Conservative partys manifesto commitment at last months general election to

support the development of wind projects in the remote islands of Scotland, where they will directly benefit local communities

is an important and welcome step. Similarly, I also place on the record my appreciation of the efforts of Lord Dunlop of Helensburgh, who, in his time as a junior Minister in the Scotland Office and before, did a lot to push this particular issue.

That manifesto commitment was welcome, and I am pleased that it has survived the cull of so many other commitments from that unfortunate document. However, we are looking to the Minister for some outline of what the commitment will actually mean in practical terms. If you will forgive me, Sir David, there is quite a history here, and it is important that we remind ourselves of some of it. A lot of the issues that underpin this history come from the fact that Ofgemfor reasons that are understandable in relation to non-renewable technologieshas for some time adhered to a system of locational charging. For renewable projects, far from the centres of populations and the ultimate points of consumption, that does not necessarily make the same sense, so we have looked for different ways around that over the years.

Back in the days of the late Malcolm Wicks, we tried the idea of a cap on transmission charges. That was brought in by him and the then Labour Government, and was then extended by Chris Huhne when he was Secretary of State for Energy, but that in itself did not provide the solution we had hoped for. We then moved on to the new contracts for difference regime, and within that it was suggested that we could have a dedicated islands strike price. Unfortunately, at the point that that was being submitted to the European Commission for state aid approval, it was felt that it could be delayed by the islands element, so it was removed for later submission. It was resubmitted at a later stage and went through the pre-approval application process, which concluded some time around the end of 2015.

In the meantime, we had a general election, and the Conservative Government that came in in 2015 had a manifesto commitment to have a moratorium on onshore wind developments. The point at which the Government decided to go ahead with the CfD auction round that we are currently part of, without any provision for the islands, sticks in my memory for two reasons. First, it was the morning after the American people had elected President Trump, and secondly, I remember very clearly taking the call from the Secretary of State on my mobile phone while I was going through Edinburgh airport. However, a consultation period followed, which should have ended in the early part of this year and to which we I think we still await the Governments formal response.

I remind the House of that history at this point because it is germane to the debate. Although the commitment in the Conservative partys manifesto from last month is new, the issue is notit has been within the machinery of government for some considerable time. Although we hope that that commitment will be given the green light, it is far from the case that the work needs to start from scratch. What is now needed is the degree of political commitment to implement the commitment and to tell us exactly what it means, because time is not in plentiful supply.

If provision for the islands of Scotland is to be included in the next round of CfD auctions, we are looking at something that has to go through the machinery of government and possibly even the state aid consent procedures in order to be in place by the end of next year, so there is a need for some degree of urgency in the approach to this. When the industry hears from the Minister later, it will be looking for a degree of clarity. We are not looking for the blueprint on everything that is meant by the manifesto commitment, but we want to hear some sort of outline or framework through which this can be turned into a reality.

What are we looking at here? Are we revisiting the idea of an islands strike price, or are we looking at something that might, somehow or another, find a mechanism for including onshore island generation with offshore wind? I do not know just how doable that would be, or how workable it would be from the point of view of the industry, but those are some of the ideas that have been floated. Alternatively, does the Department have some new mechanism that is going to be brought forward?

In any event, when in all those processes will the work start in order to obtain state aid approvals? I understand that the Government will proceed on the basis that, regardless of what happens with Brexit, state aid regulation compliance remains a feature of our regulatory landscape for the foreseeable future. Is it the Governments aspiration that any projects that would be brought forward under this new scheme would be eligible for the next round of CfD auctions? If that is the case, will the Minister at this stage consult within Government to get a commitment that the next auction round will not go ahead unless and until this scheme is in place and island-based projects are able to compete?
ROME: Thirteen people died and two children were seriously injured Sunday when a cable car slammed into the side of a mountain in northern Italy, emergency services said.



The toll could rise further from the accident in Stresa, a resort town on the shores of Lake Maggiore in Italys Piedmont region, the Alpine rescue service said on Twitter.



A spokesman said two children aged nine and five had been seriously injured and taken by helicopter to a paediatric hospital in Turin.



A statement by Prime Minister Mario Draghi expressed his profound grief and offered his condolences to the victims families.



The 20-minute cable car ride, popular with tourists, links Stresa with the 1,500-metre (4,900-foot) summit of the Mottarone mountain, and offers spectacular views of the Alps.



The ministry of infrastructure said in a statement that the accident occurred around 12:30 pm (1030 GMT) as the cabin, with 11 people aboard, was about 100 metres (yards) from the summit.AFP




If you like good French wine (and lets be honest, theres a lot to like!) and dream of discovering the countrys beautiful natural landscapes, then why not combine the two? From Alsace to Burgundy, join us on a journey across some of Frances most beautiful wine routes.

The Alsace Wine Route

Inaugurated in 1953, this is one of Frances oldest wine routes. The Alsace Wine Route runs across the region from north to south, spanning over 99 miles through breath taking scenery made up of mountains and vineyards. Along the way, take advantage of the numerous stops to taste Pinot Noir, Muscat and Reisling.

The Route des Cretes

Hire a car in Marseille and head off to explore one of the most beautiful wine routes in France. The route des Cretes begins at Cassis and ends in the Mediterranean town of La Ciotat, taking you through the stunning national park of Calanques along the way. A short route with a distance of just 9 miles, it offers awesome views over sea and mountain alongside the chance to discover the delicious wines of Cassis.

The Val de Loire Wine Route

Orignating in Nantes and ending at Saumur, this wine route offers connoisseurs a good insight into the richness of the wines of Anjou and Touraine. A number of unmissable stops can be found along the way, providing the perfect opportunity to taste the local specialties: Saumur, Sancerre, ChinonAs if the great wine wasnt reason enough to follow the route, it also passes by the magical chateaux of Chambord, Chenonceaux and Cheverny  some of Frances most beautiful castles.

The Champagne Trail: Reims Mountain

This route follows 43 miles of beautiful countryside from Reims to Epernay (the capital of the Champagne region), and as its name suggests focuses on one thing: champagne! There are plenty of routes through the Champagne region; this one passes by charming villages, champagne houses, churches and unique vineyards. The potential stops along the route are numerous and at each, theres the opportunity to learn more about this unique beverage and taste varieties which come straight from the producers.

The Route des Chateaux, Medoc

Hire a car in Bordeaux and head off to discover some of the best French wines along this popular route. The Route des Chateaux in the southern region of Medoc allows wine lovers to taste some of the best known AoC certified wines in the world, such as Saint-Julien, Margaux and Pauillac, all in the heart of some of the regions most prestigious castles. Not to be missed!

The Route des Grands Crus, Burgundy

The wines of the Burgundy region are some of Frances best known, drank and enjoyed across the world. For an itinerary which allows for a taste of some of the areas finest, set off from Dijon and drive the 37 miles to Santenay, discovering the wine regions of the Cote de Beaune and the Cote de Nuit along the way. Among the iconic wines available to try and buy along the route, the Meursault, the Pommard and the Vougeot varieties are the best of the best.

And thats not all

The Jura wine route; the route du Patrimoine in Bordeaux; the Provence wine routesin total, France boasts over 600 miles of road allowing you to explore the countrys vineyards, and is a dream for wine lovers across the globe. Cheers!

IMG: Shutterstock
A LIMERICK woman has called on Minister for Health Simon Harris to clarify the policy on cuts of supports to breast cancer patients once and for all.

Valerie Murphy, a specialist in prostheses and support wear for breast cancer patients, based in Askeaton, says the confusion has caused a lot of stress and worry.

It is very callous. I have had women calling me that are so upset over this. I am very nervous about what is going to happen, said Valerie.

It began last week when the HSE sent an email stating that as from July 1 there was a new allowance in place of 68.50 every two years.

The value a woman with a medical card would have got ranges from 100 to 300 per year and it is reduced to 34.25. They are allowed a breast prosthesis every two years and two surgical bras every year. The cost of a breast prosthesis starts at 150 and can be over 200. It is approximately 50 for a surgical bra, said Valerie. Changes were also made to the provision of wigs or hairpieces to patients.

After the story hit the national media, Minister Harris said on Monday that the HSE had no authority to make a policy decision to cut the supports of women who had breast cancer surgery.

He said he was extraordinarily angry and a bit disgusted at the HSEs decision to reduce the allowance to women who have had a mastectomy and need a prosthesis and other clothing supports. Minister Harris said he made it clear to the HSE in the bluntest terms there should be no reduction in service.

However, on the following day [Tuesday], Valerie said she spoke to five HSE offices in different counties.

Four out of the five received an HSE email stating that the decision on the new policy is deferred until August. Some of the offices stated that they are only accepting applications for mastectomy products up until the end of July or until they have further instruction. This is very worrying as it contradicts what Simon Harris said on Monday. He stated that there would be a stop on the move, said Valerie.

She wrote to the Minister this Tuesday and asked: Both breast cancer survivors and those of us in the business are very stressed with this whole situation. Can you please clarify if the move has been stopped or has it been deferred until August?

Valerie said there are huge ramifications if the cuts as originally proposed do go ahead. For 34.25 women wouldnt even bother buying the stamp and sending off the paperwork, she said

I, along with many other mastectomy fitters, will not be able to keep my service going if these changes occur. This will result in women having to go to the breast cancer clinics, to nurses who are overworked already.

I provide a visiting service to many of these women as they are elderly or immobile. It will cost the government a whole lot more if women have to be sent to the hospital in taxis or have a nurse visit. Hospitals are overcrowded as it is

Mastectomy fitters are specially trained to do this job. If a woman is not properly fitted then it can result in back pain, neck pain and shoulder drop. Should a woman experience these problems she will have to visit a GP or hospital. Another drain on the HSE if this policy is sanctioned.

We are experts in what products to use. We are saving the health service money in the long run. These drastic changes were not thought through at all, said Valerie in her contact with Minister Harris.

She trained for a year in America where patients are entitled to six bras every year regardless of whether they have a medical card equivalent or not.

She has set up a petition which has garnered over 1,000 signatures in two days and is can be signed at ipetitions.com One woman wrote: It is awful to make a woman pay for something that can make them feel like a woman again.

A lot of the comments refer to self confidence and self esteem and how they feel when they get their new surgical bras and that they look well, said Valerie, who has been in touch with colleagues around the country to form a group that will ask to meet Minister Harris to resolve the issue.

Deputy Niall Collins said the controversy has caused a lot of distress.

It is a disgraceful gender-based attack on a very vulnerable group of people in our community. There was absolutely no consultation - it came out of the blue. It has caused a lot of distress and anger. The cost of this hugely important service in the context of the over all HSE budget is negligible, said Deputy Collins. The HSE had not replied to a media query at the time of going to press.
AN APPLICATION to transport five warhead rockets via Shannon Airport was refused by the Department of Transport this May.

Documentation obtained by the Limerick Leader shows that the Ukraine Air Alliance sought a special exemption to transport the rockets from Turkey to the United States this May 5.

Figures provided by the department show that a total of 6,761 permits for munitions of war were granted for flights travelling through Irish airspace from 2010 up to this May, including 377 exemptions to date this year.

Sixteen applications have been refused given the nature of the weapons, including in one case the personal weapons of troops on a flight from the US to Qatar, which was due to land at Shannon.

A total of 135 flights with personal weapons on troops on board landed at Shannon Airport up to this May, while only five exemptions were sought to transport weapons via Dublin Airport.

Forty-six flights carried weapons, largely the personal weapons of troops, en route to Kuwait, while others were destined for Jordan, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Israel, Turkey and Qatar.

There have been repeated concerns raised about Irelands neutrality given the use of Shannon Airport, in particular, as a stop-over for the US military.

However, senior gardai in Limerick said they have no intelligence whatsoever to suggest it is at risk as a terrorist target.

John Lannon, of the group Shannonwatch, which monitors the use of Shannon by foreign military, said the refusal of some permits is to be welcomed, but said it has to be questioned what is being transported on the hundreds of planes that arent being inspected?

Shannon Airport was always meant to be a civilian airport; it was not designed as a military base. It is now a major security risk for the airport and the entire region. We need to stop Ireland's involvement in the ongoing carnage across the Middle East, Mr Lannon told the Limerick Leader.

Other applications to transport class one explosives and bombs on a number of flights through Irish airspace from the United States to Germany and the United Arab Emirates were also refused.

That applicant, Atlas Air Inc, a global airfreight company with military customers, made a total of 216 applications this year.

Aer Lingus also made several applications to transport glock pistols, ammunition, Sig Sauer pistols and carbine pistols, which were all granted by the department.

The Air Navigation (Carriage of Munitions of War, Weapons and Dangerous Goods) Order 1973 provides that no munitions or weapons of war may be carried by an aircraft in Irish airspace  without an exemption granted under the order.

Minister for Transport Shane Ross said that he recently decided that his department should conduct an internal review of this Order, given the changes to international law in the past 44 years.
IRISH WATER has made no commitment to work on Askeaton's sewerage problem anytime soon  despite the fact that toilet paper has been spotted flowing in waste water on the towns Main Street.

Local people have been pressing the water authority for almost a year to begin work on a new sewerage treatment scheme for the town.

Irish Water has completed a concept design study which recommended a solution, and the long-awaited project has now received approval to proceed to the design and planning stage, which could take between 12 and 18 months.

When this is complete, Irish Water will assess the availability of funding to go on to the construction phase.

But its not likely that funding will be available for at least four or five years, as Askeaton is outside the current Capital Investment Plan which runs from 2017 to 2021, and funding for the construction stage is not available at this time, according to Irish Water.

They did say that the funding situation will be assessed at regular intervals.

Fine Gael TD Tom Neville said that he has been raising the issue for some time with Irish Water.

But Fianna Fail Cllr Kevin Sheahan was unimpressed with the new information from Irish Water, and said that the situation is extremely urgent.

Last week, I witnessed a foul smell coming from an incoming tide in the area close to the new bridge of the Askeaton bypass, and it happened two days in a row.

I looked at the surface of the water, and it had a nasty looking scum, light brown-coloured scum, on the surface of the water, said Cllr Sheahan.

In addition to that, on the Main Street in Askeaton, theres a manhole opposite the entrance to the funeral parlour in the middle of the road.

About three weeks ago, I went across the road to visit the funeral parlour. There was evidence of a strong flow of water coming from the manhole onto the street. People were hopping over it and jumping over it to avoid it.

There was evidence of toilet paper escaping out the sides of the manhole. It was at a very busy funeral. The people from Askeaton and from outside Askeaton were all complaining. I saw that myself, added Cllr Sheahan.

The Askeaton councillor said that two days later, a publican on the same street had to close his doors because of the strong smell caused by the manhole.

This very week, a man who rents a house on Main Street, told me the smell of sewerage in his house and on the street, was very very pronounced. Its not a 10 minute wonder thats happening every now and again. This thing appears to be out of control for the last month, and we have ample evidence that that is accurate, said Cllr Sheahan.

I have never seen that manhole oozing before, and I had a business right beside it for years. It appears that the situation is disimproving as we go forwards.
THE newly elected Mayor of Limerick Stephen Keary has said controversial comments described as racist were taken out of context.

The Croagh Fine Gael councillor attracted controversy ahead of his election after reports claimed he suggested non-nationals were coming to Ireland to live off the welfare system.

Ireland is a home of the handouts, he told a meeting of the Adare-Rathkeale district, a comment which saw a petition signed by thousands calling for Taoiseach Leo Varadkar to veto his nomination as mayor.

However, in an interview with the Limerick Leader this week, Mayor Keary  the father-in-law of Junior Minister Patrick ODonovan  said: The [reports from the] Rathkeale meeting I think didn't contextually portray the sentiments I expressed. It was based around figures which were given to us at a recent housing SPC meeting where I asked a question around housing list figures. I was told the housing list was 6,000 and the number of people on the waiting list was 1,600 who were not Irish.

"I won't say anything else other than Not Irish. From that, I was making the statement that it was putting pressure on our housing authority to be able to find houses for everyone.

The new mayor said he was sticking to the line that if he offended people he was sorry.

But asked if he apologised, or regretted making the remarks, he added: I want to draw a line in the sand. What was said was said. I've done all I am going to do. I'm going to leave it at that. I want to move onto the rest of my year to do my mayoral duties as bet I can.

Cllr Keary pointed out that living in Croagh places him geographically at the centre of Co Limerick. Following his election  securing 27 votes  he erected signs on the west-side of the village, wishing Limerick the best of luck.

- See the Limerick Leader broadsheet for the full interview - in shops now
May 1, 2021, 4 PM

The United States Azulillo Chilean Blue Crocus forever postal card will have a locally hosted first-day ceremony Aug. 11 at Americover 2017 in Independence, Ohio. Lloyd de Vries discusses the card and the show in his First-Day Covers column in the July 24

By Charles Snee



Its been rather warm of late in Sidney, Ohio, where the Linns editors ply their trade to bring you the absolute best in philatelic reporting and feature writing. Speaking of which, the presses are spooling up to print the July 24 issue of Linns Stamp News that goes in the mail Monday, July 10 to subscribers. Here we unveil a few teasers of exclusive content to pique your philatelic curiosity.

Why is a U.S. postal card picturing a Chilean blue crocus being issued in Ohio?

Lloyd de Vries, in First-Day Covers, provides the answer. He also notes that the 10 Disney Villains stamps issued July 15 will be a challenge for most cachetmakers because of the rigid copyright protections Disney attaches to the use of its characters images, to include payment of substantial fees.

Exploring the Seated Liberty issue: Perus first canceled-to-order stamps

The stamps, issued Sept. 8, 1895, pay tribute to Nicolas de Pierola, on the occasion of his second election as the president of Peru. These and other stamps of Peru are great fun to collect, with many unexpected challenges, writes Thomas P. Myers in this months Stamps of Latin America.

ODonnell, Texas, pays tribute to a star of the popular television Western Bonanza

Dan Blocker, who portrayed Eric Hoss Cartwright on the long-running show, is memorialized on a July 6 special postmark from the Texas town where he lived as a child. Linns associate editor Michael Baadke features the postmark and provides a succinct biography of Blocker in Postmark Pursuit.

Want to subscribe?

Get access to all of these articles, and so much more, with a Linns Stamp News print or digital edition subscription!

Sign up and start reading now!
Jul 7, 2017, 6 AM

The co-winners of the nonphilatelic part of the June cartoon caption contest are T. Ryan of San Francisco, Calif., and Joe Timko of Vicksburg, Mich. The contest featured the 24 stamp picturing Washingtons crossing of the Delaware from a 1976 Bicentennia

U.S. Stamp Notes  By John M. Hotchner

Mention presidents these days, and one of the first themes to be raised will be tweeting.

What if previous presidents, even those well before the time of social media, used Twitter as a method of communication?

That question seemed to weigh on the minds of several entrants in the June cartoon caption contest.

The contest stamp for June featured the stoic figure of George Washington leading the Continental Army, in, shall we say, uninviting weather, across the Delaware River to surprise British forces at Trenton, N.J.

Connect with Linns Stamp News:

Sign up for our newsletter

Like us on Facebook

Follow us on Twitter

This 24 stamp is the second in a 1976 souvenir sheet reproducing the painting Washington Crossing the Delaware by Emmanuel Leutze.

David DHondt of Sun City, Calif., represents the first group of entries with, If anyone tweeted too soon, well be trumped!

Washingtons wife Martha was mentioned in many of the entries. Given the headwinds George is facing in the picture, this line from Steve Kotler of San Francisco, Calif., seems especially appropriate: I told Martha to go easy on the starch!

Another group of entries dealt with the location of post offices, first-day ceremonies, and the availability of the latest commemorative stamps.

From this group, Kevin Maloy of Tracy, Calif., weighed in with, Hang on guys! Theres one more post office across the river that still has the Jenny Invert sheets on sale!

There is a tie for first place in the nonphilatelic line part of the contest. The topical line reflecting todays concerns was submitted by both Joe Timko of Vicksburg, Mich., and T. Ryan of San Francisco, Calif.

On the philatelic side of the contest, Kenny Moore of Rocklin, Calif., won the prize with, Were overloaded. Well have to go back and add more postage!

Both winners will receive Linns Stamp Identifier published by Amos Media Co., or a 13-week subscription to Linns (a new subscription or an extension). The book has a retail value of $12.99.

Here are the best of the runners-up

After this, Ill never order ice water again! from David Vikan of Dickinson, N.D.

Quick men  gather round. This is a selfie to remember! by Robert Fabian of Needville, Texas.

Maybe we could borrow skates from someone   from John Watson, sent by email.

Steady men, full speed ahead, the buffet and fireworks start in 15 minutes! by Tim Collins of Antioch, Ill.

I love my new hat and cape from Ivankas Presidential Collection of mens clothing, from Laura and Tom Tomaszek of Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Hmmm  Did I blow the candles out before we left? by Richard Parker of Houston, Texas.

Thanks and a tip of the hat to all who entered.

The next cartoon caption contest will be announced in the Aug. 14 Linns.
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The rise and fall of the house of Medici Florence was once a great city. But like great lands before it, and in a lesson to societies such as ours even now, it was led to its decay by the downfall of vision, its leaders choosing regression over progress /news/talking-point/the-rise-and-fall-of-the-house-of-medici-111646993370871.html 111646993370871 story

In the year 1740, residents of Florence welcomed a memorably named character called Lady Pomfret. It was a time of economic and cultural depression in the capital of Tuscanyan autonomous state, with the Italian unification a century awayand what was once a great city where the House of Medici patronized Leonardo da Vinci and Galileo Galilei, now confronted spectacular decline. The Florentine army was an assemblage of 3,000 decrepit men, its rolls reconciled to such gloomy observations as has lost his sight" and walks with a stick". The great Florentine navy employed a grand total of 198 equally rickety sailors manning three prehistoric galleys. Florence, where the Renaissance birthed fabled works of art in monumental halls, now cradled heaps of beggars in streets that stank.

Like great lands before it, and in a lesson to societies even now, Florence was led to its decay by the downfall of vision, its pain alleviated only by wistful memories from happier times. There were many compelling figures who led it. But with the passage of time, their journey appeared to go backwards rather than forward. Many of the early Medici looked to the future, took leaps of imagination, and shaped great destinies. But by the end of the saga, there were those who looked dangerously to the past, favouring prejudice over wisdom, fearful of the uncertainties of progress. Tangled in a web of parochialism, they destroyed a magnificent legacy. By the time Lady Pomfret arrived, these later Medici had brought Florence to a perilous crossroads, glory fading as darkness loomed.

With the death of the last Medici grand dukes in the 1730s, a uniformly despised Austrian offshoot of that house inherited Tuscany. These new masters had little patience for the creative valuables accumulated by their predecessors, more interested as they were in gold to finance wars in their faraway homeland. How great a pity it is," fumed Lady Pomfret, that a wretch should possess (the Medici inheritance) who only watches for an opportunity to destroy it!.... What the Medici aspired to by virtue, obtained by guilt, kept by fortune, and transmitted from generation to generation" had fallen into the hands of a line hated by its subjects. The Tuscans," another observer sniffed, would give two-thirds of their property to have the Medici back, and the other third to get rid of the (Austrians)." They thought the Medici terrible, only to encounter worse.

Yet there was a strange kind of hope ahead: In only three generations, the foreigners would flee, never to return. And they left intact most of the Medici treasures. It was not out of generosity that they took nothingthey had no option. For unlike other dukedoms, it had long been settled that if there were no Medici in Florence, all that the Medici created would vest in the people of Florence. And in this, at last, a small triumph was seized from an ocean of bitterness, allowing a once-great city to remain at least a majestic reminder of a fascinating past, silent tales told by every building and each Medici portrait.

Anna Maria Luisa de Medici in The Electress Palatine in mourning dress by Jan Frans van Douven, 1717.

*****

The saviour of Florence and its art was a haughty widow in black. Sensible and strong, she drove in carriages drawn by eight horses, receiving visitors in apartments furnished in silver. There is a stately portrait of her, rivers of black lace flowing, as she points to a painting of her decidedly dead husband. They had enjoyed a happy marriage, despite his syphilis, but when he died, Anna Maria Luisa de Medici, his childless spouse, returned to the wilting city of her birth. She did not then imagine that it would also fall upon her to serve as custodian of her familys legacy; that it would be her duty to ensure something more than an uncertain future for all that her ancestors had enshrined in Florence.

The origin of the Medici depends on whom you ask. Once they achieved celebrity, mythology was fabricated: It was claimed that they were descendants of a giant-slaying knight whose issue were destined for greatness. Others scoffed that the early Medici sold vegetables. The Medici were men of commerce, either way, and early ventures into more glamorous public offices did not serve them wellone 14th century prototype was a military failure, while another flopped in a civilian role. In the fashion of their times, both lost their heads. At various moments the family was exiled from Florence, but eventually came to dominate the city, and indeed to shape it in their imagewith courage, innovation, and mountains of gold.

The first of the great Medici was a 15th century banker who knew when to keep his head low, given the headlessness that was the fate of his ancestors, but who quietly embraced ideas without irony. Conscious that usury was prohibited in the Bible, Cosimo de Medici managed to build up a great financial empire nonetheless, mollifying god by constructing churches: The Duomo in Florence owes its magnificent dome to Cosimos perseverance. His advice to his family was pragmatic: Be inoffensive to the rich and strong, while being consistently charitable to the poor and weak." Even as he protected Donatello, who produced a provocative homoerotic sculpture of David, Cosimo bowed to the ancien regime: When the nobles mounted horses, he rode a mule. Not all fell for the charade, howeveras Pope Pius II summarized with a hint of envy, He is king in everything but name."

Over time, the gout-ridden Medici, many of whom were also breathtakingly ugly, rose in power, violently disregarding their sage ancestors counsels, but continuing his tradition of artistic patronage. Cosimos grandson Lorenzo pulverized the nobilityone grandee who conspired against them in 1478 had his head hammered on to the door of his own home as a knocker. Another conspirator, an archbishop, was hanged, in full public view, though he escaped castration. An apoplectic Vatican, which owed the Medici colossal sums in debt, declared Lorenzo the child of iniquity and the suckling of perdition". Lorenzo himself carried on with sumptuous indifference, buying power with one coin, and sponsoring Botticelli and Michelangelo with the other. The businessman was now a prince.

Conscious that the religious types could impede their ascent, by 1513 the Medici installed one of their own as popemoney determined such matters, and Rome itself was a hotbed of transactional intrigue. Giovanni de Medici, as Pope Leo X, was the kind of pontiff who enjoyed hunting more than ministering to the faithful. He also preferred boots, which made the matter of kissing His Holiness feet somewhat awkward, and merrily distributed cardinals hats to relatives when he wasnt legitimizing the illegitimate and gathering favours in return. He kept a pet elephant, Hanno, and was enraged when he discovered a plot to poison the bandages he applied to treat an anal condition. Since god has given us the papacy," he declared, despite such travails, let us enjoy it."

He had a point. By now, the Medici were shaping not just Florence, but the destinies of Europe itself. Leo despised Martin Luther and would go down as the pope who watched while the Protestant breakaway spiralled out of handhis bull of censure was burnt publicly by Luther in 1521 and the history of the West changed course forever. But for his family, Leo proved a tremendous politicianthe Medici, who had again been exiled from Florence, were restored to honour. After one short-lived placeholder, a nephew succeeded as the second of the Medici popes. It was Giuliu de Medici, as Pope Clement VII, who refused to grant Henry VIII of England the famous divorce he sought, inadvertently putting that monarch on his career-defining path that featured five more failed marriages, several beheadings, and the advent of the English Reformation. Though not in the intended manner, the hand of the Medici had reached even into London.

With the English breaking away from Catholicism, Clement embraced the French, couriering his cousin into the arms of their heir apparent in Paris. Catherine de Medici would come to acquire a pronounced reputation for genocidal ruthlessness, her Florentine instincts carving into the destinies of France. She was a detached sort of woman: When her daughter had an affair, she suggested to her irate son-in-law that the lovers head be also detached in the presence of the girl. But at the time of her union with the French dauphin, Catherine was a hapless teen, whose 10 immediate years of childlessness reduced her to drinking mules urine and placing dung on her source of life" to rectify matters. And this after being made to consummate her marriage under the nose of her royal father-in-law, who reported that both she and the prince had shown valour in the joust".

In the end Catherine produced several sons, and by 1560 found herself presiding as regent over a country split by civil war, her inner Medici rising to the occasion, brushing aside even her offspring. The first of her three boys died with the words oh, my mother" on his lips, and the second was a cipher. But the last refused to do her bidding. Appalled, she inflicted on him a 6-hour lecture. She was, in the words of a foreign envoy, an indefatigable princess, born to tame and govern a people as unruly as the French".

In the end, Catherine died unhappy, but less unhappy than another cousin of hersMarie de Mediciwho too became queen of France, in 1610, her husband murdered a day after his succession. After a series of misadventures, this woman died in a pool of vindictive sadness, banished by her own son, accumulating hatred for the Medici with each of her misguided actions.

While these Medici relations built (and destroyed) strategic bridges with scions of royal houses, in Florence the principal line too attracted high-born wives. The results were catastrophicthe decline of the house had begun. In 1661, Cosimo III was married to a cousin of Louis XIV of France, but the bride was a headstrong woman repulsed by all things Italian. From her first night in Florence, she conspired to escape, making life difficult for her husband till he could no longer bear the headache. She attempted to smuggle out Medici jewels, and enjoyed massively embarrassing pillow fights" with a male cook. She feuded with her mother-in-law, and the family palace in Florence, it was recorded, became the devils own abode". Where music once echoed in its corridors, now from morn till midnight only the noise of wrangling and abuse could be heard".

Having produced three children, the French Marguerite was permitted to depart, on the condition that she park herself in a convent outside Paris and maintain decorum. Instead, the lady harassed her husband for quantities of his fortune, and decided to commence affairs with a variety of men. Such were the scandals surrounding Marguerite that the head of the convent advised a conspiracy of silence (as) the sole antidote to (her) depravity and excesses". She was then relocated to another convent (a spiritual brothel", she called it dryly) where she occupied her time by telling on the cross-dressing Mother Superior, before the Mother Superior could tell on her. In the end, she too died in debt and sadness, a fate that would visit her children also in the fullness of time.

Time, in fact, had already enveloped Florence in gloom. Cosimo III, who carried the name of his illustrious ancestor but none of his virtues, was a resentful fanatic. He opened an Office of Public Decency in a city where his forebears once championed the freedom of artistic expression. Masterpieces carved nude were removed from public view because they were, he decided, an incitement to fornication". Christian prostitutes were whipped if they took Jewish customers, and Jewish tradesmen were persecuted into leaving. With commerce on the decline, revenues at an all-time low, and the political star of the Medici eclipsed by greater houses in a changing European landscape, Florence began its descent into oblivion. There is no town," the philosopher Montesquieu remarked sardonically, where men live with less luxury."

Intellectual inquiry also died its own death as the Medici, unable to reconcile to uncontrollable change, found comfort in regressionas with societies everywhere at certain junctures, stern orthodoxy and a return to puritanical pasts offered solace when true salvation was nowhere to be found, progressive energy completely drained. His Highness," it was announced, will allow no professorto read or teach, in public or private, by writing or by voice, the philosophy of Democritus, or of atoms, or of any saving Aristotle." And this when it was a Medici who first supported Galileo, enabling him to discover the realities of outer space. All it took for Florence to go back in time was a little bit of time itself and the wrong Medici at the helm.

Cosimos sons were marginally better. The first, in a faint reflection of the splendid patronage once extended by the family to geniuses, sponsored the inventor of the piano, but whiled away most of his energy in affairs with musicians. After he died, Cosimos second son, a botanist unhappily married to a woman who talked to horses, succeeded to the dukedom. He surrounded himself with handsome grooms, and got so fabulously drunk that at a banquet he vomited into his napkin and wiped his mouth with his wig. Soon he too died, and with the burial of its last male heir, the sun began to set in depraved tragedy on the House of Medici. And in that final moment returned the last of the many strong women the Medici had produced, making an effort to shroud decline with a semblance of dignity.

*****

Cosimo III knew his sons were no good (that is, they were homosexual), and for this reason he had tried hard to amend the rules of succession to allow his third-bornthe syphilitic Anna Maria Luisato inherit Tuscany. The effort failed, for the Medici no longer had influence. When her last drunken brother died in 1734, Anna Maria Luisa had to concede the Austrian succession. But this woman who never so far lost her dignity as even to smile" had large stores of that one quality that had evaded her father and brothers: basic common sense. Within a month of the succession, Anna Maria Luisa drew up an agreement known as the Patto di Famigliathe Family Pact, a historic instrument that would save all that the Medici had inspired and created in better days for the sake of posterity.

Cosimo de Medici. Photographs courtesy Wikimedia Commons

The Most Serene Electress (Anna Maria Luisa)," went the document, cedes, gives, and transfers to His Royal (Austrian) Highness at the present moment, for him and for successive Grand Dukes, all the furniture, effects, and rarities from the succession of her brother, the Most Serene Grand Duke, such as Galleries, Paintings, Statues, Libraries, Jewels, and other precious things...so that His Royal Highness commits himself to preserve them with the express condition that nothing which is for the ornament of the State, for the use of the public and to attract the curiosity of foreigners will be transported or taken away from the Capital and State of the Grand Duchy."

In other words, while accepting the foreign succession, Anna Maria Luisa ensured that they would not remove from Florence the treasures which alone could retain for a fading city some respectability in a shaky world. Everything contained today in the Uffizi Gallery, the Pitti Palace, the Palazzo Vecchio, the Palatine Library, the Laurenziana Library, and a large portion of the Bargello, not to speak of smaller buildings scattered around Florence, owes its presence and preservation to Anna Maria Luisas bequest to the people of Tuscany. It took only 16 years after her death for the Medici palaces to be thrown open, bringing in Florences first batch of touriststourists who to this day sustain the local economy and cultural flavour of Tuscany itself.

The Medici remain in Florence, in a manner of speaking, their name claimed by dozens of cafes and even the odd launderette. But Anna Maria Luisa remains special, elevated to legend in a style different from the other Medici. The Family Pact made her semi-divine. As the British ambassador in Florence reported after her death in 1743, The common people are convinced she went off in a hurricane of wind. All the town is in tearsfor the loss of her." The last of the Medici had departed, but she had ensured that the stamp of her house would remain forever in the city they built; a stamp that was also a lesson in how all it takes for rot to imperil greatness is a few wrong steps, a return to conservatism, and the running out of that small thing we call luck.
How do you brand a rainbow? The rainbow flag is striking and immediately recognizable as a symbol of gay pride unlike the many conflicting initialisms for the queer movement around the world /news/talking-point/how-do-you-brand-a-rainbow-111646993096294.html 111646993096294 story

Two weeks ago, for a story that had multiple references to the queer community, we were at a loss for the correct initialism to use. Like several newspapers, we follow a stylebook, which is updated periodically to be accurate and sensitive. But the queer movement, hearteningly, is moving at a pace that is hard to keep up with. We have in recent times gone up a letter from LGBT and settled on LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer). But this time there was some deliberation on leaving out the new additions: I (intersex) and A (allies). An online search of The New York Times suggests that the paper has stayed with LGBTQ. The Guardian, however, seems to use LGBTQ, LGBTIQ and LGBTIQA, in that order of frequency. The Times Of India uses the first two. Part of the discrepancy arises from opinion piecesa guest writer might wish to use LGBTIQA, for instance, as The Guardian usage reveals.

After we put our issue to bed, I tweeted that LGBTIQA was losing the plot as an initialism, which is, after all, meant to make referencing easier. We couldnt possibly be adding more letters to it. Since Twitter is an excellent place to be corrected, somebody pointed out that it had already expanded to LGBTQQIAAP (adding questioning, asexual, and pansexual). A journalist friend from Canada said LGBTTIQQ2SA (adding transsexual and 2-Spirited) was winning favour in that part of the world. Twitter also steered me to QUILTBAG, an acronym with dubious aesthetic merit. A feasible suggestion was to use either LGBT or LGBTQ with a + sign.

To cross-check, we asked Genderlog to publish a poll on our behalf. Genderlog is a Twitter handle started by novelist Nilanjana S. Roy and run by journalists Noopur Tiwari, Amrita Tripathi and Lounge columnist Natasha Badhwar, as an effort to broaden discussions on gender. Twitter polls only allow four options so we had LGBTQQIAAP (11 %), Queer (22%), QUILTBAG (2%). LGBT+ or LGBTQ+ was the clear winner at 65% (this is what we will use in Lounge henceforth).

The 2016 Media Reference Guide by GLAAD, a US non-governmental media monitoring organization, states that LGBTQ is the preferred initialism, being more inclusive of younger members of the community who embrace queer as a self-descriptor. But this is not an issue easily resolved. A gay friend argues that queer" is itself an umbrella term. For him, including queer as part of the initialism is redundant. Queer is full-spectrum. Queer is the rainbow, he insists.

Why should it matter how we refer to queer persons, movements and protests? It should matter because the value of effective branding for a cause cannot be underrated. Think Rosie the Riveter for feminism or the charkha for the swadeshi movement. The rainbow flag is striking and immediately recognizable. LGBTTIQQ2SA is only immediately recognizable as a bad idea.

The rainbow flag was originally designed in 1978 by San Francisco artist Gilbert Baker, who was challenged by Harvey Milk to come up with a symbol for the community. Even if you didnt know that Gilbert had assigned specific meanings to each of the original eight colours turquoise for magic and art and hot pink for sexI would find it hard to imagine a Lounge reader who didnt associate the flag with gay pride.

Better branding might not draw more people to identify as queer. But like an efficient real-world hashtag, efficient branding can bind together disparate efforts in favour of the queer movement.

Unlike marketing, which pushes ideas, products, and services, branding is about pull. It communicates the values and attributes that define what a brand is and what it is not. An inability to agree on an initialism suggests a confused self-identity. It also suggests that members of the queer community are unable to come together. For a movement that is chiefly about identity and acceptance, surely that is the last thing the community would want?

The writer tweets at @ aninditaghose
Aamshotto: Sun dried memories of summer mangoes A search for the best 'aamshotto' reveals unexpected treasures of the traditional Bengali kitchen /news/talking-point/aamshotto-sun-dried-memories-of-summer-mangoes-111646993108354.html 111646993108354 story

Heavy monsoon rain at our weekly family lunch reminded us that the end of the mango season was imminent. Inevitably, the discussion turned to aamshotto, the semi-hard, flavour-bursting, sun-dried treat beloved of Bengalis. The perfect aamshotto, my mum-in-law pronounced dreamily, is a chewy biscuit or brandy snap gone soft. Not too thin nor thick, the sweet just right, you can chew on it for a while and your entire mouth is an explosion of intense mango flavour." The last time we had tasted such aamshotto, we agreed, was when friends from Malda, West Bengals top mango-growing district and traditional centre for superb aamshotto, sent us some. Nothing from Kolkata could match it.

Across India, communities have found ways of preserving the countrys favourite fruit so that it can be savoured through the year, using ancient sustainable food practices. One method is to sun-dry the pureed pulp until it hardens, all moisture sucked out, leaving only an amber sheet of intense flavour, which will last for months in an airtight container.

In Bengal, with its manysome highly prizedvarieties of mangoes, the ritual of hand-pureeing the fruit and laying it out on a greased steel or stone platter in the hot sun was a highlight of kitchen calendars across villages and towns. Sometimes it was laid out on muslin-covered coarse madurs (woven reed mats), and when dry it would bear the criss-cross pattern of the mat. Girls learnt the art from their mothers and aunts and carried the knowledge into their marital homes. All this is fairly well-known. But as I conducted my recent search for real" aamshotto, I stumbled upon a lost art of Bengal that few appear to remember or know ofand little evidence of it remains.

Mangoes from the writers garden. Photo: Indranil Bhoumik/Mint

One of the persons I spoke to was my friend Ayesha Mallik because her mother and aunts are knowledgeable cooks and passionate memory-keepers of family history and lore. Aamshotto was no longer made in her home, she said, but you must see the intricately designed aamshotto moulds made by my fathers grandmothers grandmother, Akshaya Devi, some 200 years ago, which were in use by great-aunts even 70-odd years ago". This was the first time I had heard about aamshotto set in moulds, and, moreover, in moulds made by the women of the household. Ayeshas mother explained: Every home would have stoneware for widows to eat because stone is considered pure. When a plate broke, it would not be thrown away. Women would plane away the edges till a smooth shape emerged; then using a norul (the small chisel used by traditional hair and nail cutters or napits) they would work on the stone to create artworks that would function as aamshotto moulds."

As she spoke, she handed me a flat plate. The slate-coloured stone disc, about 8 inches in diameter, was cool and heavy in my hands. The rim was smooth, all jagged edges lovingly, painstakingly, planed away by the woman who had worked on it. The engraving on the surface took my breath away. It was the goddess Kali as she appears in Bengali mythology: four-armed embodiment of earth-destroying rage, caught off-guard by her beloved husband Shiva laying himself down in her path to stop her mission of annihilation, prompting her to stick out her tongue in shame, her fury checked as she realizes she has stepped on her consort. Every detail was etched in, from the goddess tongue to the weaponry in her four hands, to the strands of her dishevelled tresses. Shiva, dressed in his customary loincloth, is looking up at her, one foot of the goddess pressing down on his chest. On either side of this central image were the ghoul-like figures that traditionally accompany Bengals Kali thakur, etched in perfect synchrony. Every space between the figures on this stone canvas was filled with the emblematic designs of Bengali folk art. I needed to remind myself that this exquisite piece of art was created by a young untutored woman, working in her free time between household chores, equipped with only a norul and her imagination.

An intricately designed stone mould. Photo: Indranil Bhoumik/Mint

The other piece was paisley-shaped, about 10 inches in length, and it too had no rough edges. Covered with intricate designs, it was a beautiful three-dimensional alpona (freehand wall and floor art that uses rice paste) motif. Ayeshas aunt, who had seen these aamshotto moulds being used by her grandmother when she was a child, recounted the process. After the mangoes had been washed and peeled, the pulp would be put into huge buckets. Then, using their fingers, the women of the house would work with the pulp to get the right consistency. It was an art, and not everyone had the expertise or haath. My grandmother did and once she was satisfied that it was the right consistency, the puree would be spread on to the lightly oiled moulds that had been selected for that day, and these put out on the roof where the sun would be strongest."

At every point, knowledge passed down through generations, learnt through watching, and listening, and practice, came into play. The puree had to be the right consistency; you needed to spread it evenly and just to the right thickness; the sun had to be strong enough and you had to be confident that you would get the same strong sunlight for two-three consecutive days. I remember how my aunts and grandmother would keep an anxious eye on the sky through the day, praying there wouldnt be a sudden gathering of storm clouds." If you got any one of these factors wrong, the aamshotto would turn out too soft or too thick, failing the chewiness and flavour test. But if all went well, she continued, for us children the most thrilling moment was when the sun-dried layers would be carefully peeled off their moulds, each bearing its unique design, and we would be allowed to take our first bite of this heavenly treat".

She recalled the varieties of mouldsdifferent shapes and sizes and bearing different designs: alpona-inspired patterns, depictions of gods and goddesses, birds and animals for aamshotto meant specifically for children. Once the aamshotto had been stored, the moulds would be washed, dried and put into large wooden chests (sinduks) till required again. At one time there was a chest full of these moulds. Today, only these two remain."

Sunanda Basu, scholar and family friend, also treasures the two survivors of the many moulds that were once in her familys possession. These were made by my grandmothers grandmother," she explained as she carefully unwrapped the heirloom pieces. Our ancestral home was in Jessore, in East Bengalnow Bangladeshand these were passed down from mother-in-law to daughter-in-law. One of my paternal grand-aunts was the last woman in the family to use them. Our family had moved to Kolkata by then, and every summer she would send us aamshotto, each piece bearing an intricately worked design. For us children, there were smaller rounds, each with our individual names embossed on them. Those made us feel so important!"

The two circular moulds she has are exquisite. On one, the entire surface is engraved with intricate floral designs on perfectly round concentric circles. The dimensions and proportions of the flowers, leaves, patterns and curved lines are flawless. In sharp contrast to these curving patterns, straight lines and geometric designs dominate the other mould. Again, the flawless nature of the freehand execution is striking.

The art of setting aamshotto in moulds has died out; and except for the scant few preserved by a handful of families, the intricate and beautiful moulds themselves have also vanished, taking with them a unique art form practised by highly talented women for whom the kitchen was often the only sphere allowing creative expression and agency.

But what of aamshotto itself? My quest for excellent handcrafted aamshotto took me on a tasting trail through Kolkatas markets and non-profit-run artisanal food outlets promising authentic Bengali aamshotto. To no avail, however. Finally, its in Malda again that I found the real thing".

Aamshotto has been a cottage industry for Hasmat Sheikhs family for generations, like many other families in the district. The women are in charge of obtaining puree of the perfect consistency before spreading it out on muslin-lined mats, in a layer of the right thickness. Once it has dried, the men cut the sheets into smaller squares using a ruler, stack the cards in bundles and sell these to the middleman who will take them to retailers outside the district, even Bangladesh.

Different varieties of mango produce aamshotto of different flavours and quality. The Gopal Bhog variety yields the best aamshotto, fetching Rs1,200 per kg. But fewer households are producing the top-quality aamshotto of yore. Its a labour-intensive, weather-dependent enterprise and the returns are not always commensuratepeople are no longer discerning, satisfied with the soft over-sweet candy that has flooded markets. So sugar is being added to much of the commercial aamshotto today, marring both the flavour and texture. Bangladesh remains a big buyer of superior aamshotto, but export red-tape often stymies this trade.

Sheikh has heard that the state government has exciting marketing plans for Maldas high-quality aamshotto. But an investigation of the Malda aamshotto" (Rs420 for 200g) currently available at Biswa Bangla outlets in Kolkata (the governments high-end retail chain designed to showcase traditional artisanal goods) turned out to be disappointing. Seems like well need to depend on the generosity of our Malda friends for our aamshotto fix for a while.
MUMBAI :

In 1959, Jean-Luc Godard, then a critic, and a year away from launching one of the most significant film careers ever, wrote a polemic for the French magazine Arts. Addressing the film-makers whom he and his cohorts at the celebrated film journal Cahiers Du Cinema had sarcastically dubbed the tradition of quality, he wrote: We cannot forgive you for never having filmed girls as we love them, boys as we see them every day, parents as we despise or admire them, children as they astonish us or leave us indifferent; in other words, things as they are.

Godards phrasing of this complaint is revealing. He isnt disappointed in the old guard, or angry at them. He cant forgive them for what theyve done to his cinema. And he wasnt the only one at Cahiers taking such matters to heart. In 1954, in an essay titled A Certain Tendency Of The French Cinema, Francois Truffaut attacked le cinema de papa (daddys cinema). Aurenche and Bost are essentially literary men, he wrote, and I reproach them here for being contemptuous of the cinema by underestimating it (italics mine).

That article brought Truffaut welcome notoriety a few years before his debut film, The 400 Blows, played at the Cannes Film Festival in 1959 and alerted the world to the French New Wave. It was also notable for a phrase he uses in it: la politique des Auteursessentially, a policy of treating directors with a distinctive visual style as auteurs, or authors, and regarding them as superior to directors who couldnt (or wouldnt) put their stamp on source material. The Auteur Theory, as it came to be known, became one of the central theses of modern cinema.

No one takes cinema quite as seriously as the French. Certainly, this is reflected in critical thinking about film, which is dominated by ideas birthed in France. Auteurismwhich grew out of the critical work of Andre Bazin, Truffauts mentor, in the 1940smight be the most influential concept to emerge from the country, but consider the other French terms that have crept into the global lexicon. Film noir, that most American genre, was a term coined in France when post-war critics started noticing a predominance of downbeat, shadowy films from the US and called them noir (black). Montage, which came from the French monter (to mount or assemble), is the worldwide term for a rapid succession of images; a fundamental editing theory is the Soviet system of montage. Even mise-en-scenebasically, everything in front of the cameraoccasionally escapes the confines of academic film writing to confuse lay readers.

That the French have been, and remain, central to the critical discourse surrounding cinema is not surprising. To use a highly reductive analogy: If American films are about people doing things, French films are about the discussion of ideas. If you look at their films carefully, you can see where this argumentativeness comes from. I dont know any other cinema, especially in recent years, thats had as many charged scenes set in classrooms as the French.

It was Laurent Cantets The Class which placed this idea in my head. In 2008, the year when Cantets film won the Palme dOr, I had started to move my world cinema intake beyond the Bergmans and Fellinis. The Class thrilled me in ways that I wouldnt have expected a gritty-looking film about a man teaching a group of inner-city children to do. The back-and-forth between the professor and his students was unpredictably electrica discussion about Anne Frank, for instance, ends up as a snapshot of modern-day, multicultural France in all its complexity.

From that point on, I started noticing classroom scenes in all sorts of French films. Sometimes these were central to the narrativeas in The Class, or Nicolas Philiberts excellent documentary, Etre Et Avoir, which unfolds over a year in a rural preschoolor used ironically, or as a premonition. In Jeune & Jolie, the grave central character, who will soon start working as an escort, recites Rimbaud: No ones serious at seventeen. Blue Is The Warmest Colour, about the sexual awakening of a young student, has a reading of Pierre de Marivauxs La Vie De Marianne (which is echoed in the French title of the film, La Vie dAdele). I am a woman, and I tell my story, a student says aloud. Among the young men I attracted was one I myself noticed. My gaze fell upon him in particular. I didnt realize the pleasure I procured. Replace him with her and its almost a prediction of Adeles first glimpse of her soon-to-be lover Emma.

It isnt just that classrooms are featured in these films, its the argumentativeness of the people in them thats indicative of a culture that thrives on debate and deconstruction. This could range from the philosophical arguments in Things To Come to the bruising scene in Divines, in which the motormouth protagonist, Dounia, demolishes her teachers self-control. Though classrooms may figure prominently in French films, they arent treated as a hallowed space. Its worth remembering that one of the foundation texts of French cinema, Jean Vigos Zero De Conduite, was a celebration of student anarchyas was the equally influential film it inspired, Truffauts The 400 Blows.

I happened to be in France last month. Speaking to a dentist who worked in Paris, I mentioned how fascinating it was to see ideas debated by students in film after film. He replied that it wasnt surprisingthat structuring a cogent argument and debating it, often without any urgency to arrive at a solution, was something the French placed a premium on.

A cinema thats about ideas, and a country that takes seriously the idea of cinema (and not just movie-going)the evidence is everywhere. In Paris, I visited the Cinematheque, home to 40,000 films, 500,000 photographs and 30,000 film-related documents, and the Librairie du Cinema du Pantheon, a film-themed book store whose owner casually informed me that there were 15-20 repertory theatres in the vicinity (there isnt a single dedicated repertory in Mumbai).

On Deauville beach in Normandy, I came across signs commemorating the legendary Jean-Pierre Melville and Anna Karina, both of whom had shot films there. Walking past the mk2 theatre in Paris, I noticed their dream line-up of Eraserhead, Twin Peaks and I Am Not Your Negro. My favourite sighting, though, was in Chatelet, Paris. From high up on a wall, Richie Tenenbaum gazed down upon college-goers blowing off steam on a Friday night. Even the film graffiti there has good taste.
Are you the password? Future biometric tech will analyse your walking style and carefully study how you speak. And that's just the beginning /news/talking-point/are-you-the-password-111646993219758.html 111646993219758 story

Fingerprints and iris scans have been at the forefront of behaviour metrics" for a while. And according to HSBCs Trust In Technology" report, released in May, India tops the list of countries in the adoption of biometric techniques.

On an average, people in India (9%) are three times more likely than any other country (3%) surveyed to have used iris recognition to identify themselves," said the report, which studied over 12,000 people in 11 countries on perceptions of technology and habits.

The next level of biometric user authentication, however, will focus on a different facial feature, or the way you walk, or heartbeat patterns. Even brainwaves could become passwords with the help of EEG, or electroencephalogram, systems. Of course, these systems are still in development, and much remains to be ironed out.

For instance, brainwave signatures may be unique but EEG readings can differ depending on where the electrodes are placed, says Nitin Vasanth, chief executive officer of the Bengaluru-based NeuroTech Labs, which specializes in consumer wearable electronics with a focus on the brain-computer interface. Price would be an issue too.

But even Tesla founder Elon Musk is keeping tabs on this one: His latest venture is Neuralink, an American company that is reported to be developing implantable brain-computer interfaces.

Is the notion that you are the password" finally turning into reality?

Lip movement can be used to verify the liveness of a person (ensuring that the biometric being captured is real, not fake) as part of a face or iris authentication.

Lip sync

The key: Hackers can recreate someones face, but can they mimic a persons natural lip movement? Researchers with the department of computer science at Hong Kong Baptist University have created a lip motion password" system that authenticates a persons identity.

The technology, announced earlier this year, leverages the fact that every persons lip movement is unique. The researchers, led by Prof. Cheung Yiu-ming, have developed a computerized learning system which captures shape, texture and movement to create a lip sequence.

The lip motion password" system requires users to look at the laptop camera and repeat the password 10 times to create a sequencejust like you would record your fingerprints on a phone for the first time with multiple touches. Since the verification happens visually, even people with speech impairment can use this system. Still in the development stage, this new technology is expected to be used for financial transactions, electronic payments, and at ATMs.

Expert-speak: Lip movement on its own cannot be a viable method for user authentication. However, it can be used to verify the liveness of a person (ensuring that the biometric being captured is real, not fake) as part of a face or iris authentication. We use the face to authenticate by allowing the user to enrol using their Aadhaar (photograph) and then using a selfie to authenticate against the enrolled Aadhaar face. We use a combination of face movement and blinking to check for liveness of a person. Lip movement is arbitrary in nature. Ageing and facial hair growth will make it harder for a system to accurately use it for authenticating purposes."

Shankar, chief executive officer, FRS Labs, a Bengaluru-based company that specializes in authentication and fraud prevention solutions for businesses.

The signature or password created from the heart (ECG) will be far more secure.

Matching the beat

The key: The electrocardiograph (ECG)a measurement of the hearts electrical activityis a useful medical tool to detect anomalies in the vital organ, but researchers at Binghamton University in New York have developed a unique way of safeguarding a persons health records with their own heartbeat.

We reused ECG signals for data encryption. Through this strategy, security and privacy can be enhanced while minimum cost will be added," Zhanpeng Jin, assistant professor at Binghamton University, said in a press release. She is the co-author of a paper titled A Robust And Reusable ECG-based Authentication And Data Encryption Scheme For eHealth Systems. According to the university website, this new method is a combination of previous work by Zhanpeng, using a persons brain-print instead of the usual passwords to access computers and buildings, and cybersecurity work by her co-researchers.

Expert-speak: The heartbeat rhythm will be used to encode data, but the rhythm keeps changing over time due to various physiological parameters. They are not like fingerprints, which are stable. A reason it could be more effective than iris and fingerprint scanning is that it is not external. You can injure a persons hands, damage their eyes, but theres not much you can do with the heart. From that point of view, the signature or password created from the heart (ECG) will be far more secure."

Anand Madanagopal, founder and chief executive officer, Cardiac Design Labs, a Bengaluru-based company that provides cardiac monitoring and diagnosis through intelligent wearable devices.

Gait authentication in general can be effective, but not as a primary factor: in the sense that only this cant be relied upon for user authentication.

The right walk

The key: You could one day just walk" into your office cabin, without needing an iris or fingerprint scan. All you would have to do is walk as you would usually.

At the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organizations Data61 lab in Australia, researchers have developed a wearable that will not only utilize the kinetic energy created from a persons walk to generate power, but also use it to create a unique authentication key.

The wearable device monitors the kinetic energy created by a persons gait. The idea is based on the observation that if humans have unique walking patterns, then the corresponding patterns of kinetic energy should be unique too. The device keeps monitoring the energy patterns created by a persons gait to register a one-of-a-kind signature. The team at Data61 tested the wearable on 20 different subjects and was able to authenticate a person based on their gait with 95% accuracy, according to their research paper.

Expert-speak: Gait authentication in general can be effective, but not as a primary factor: in the sense that only this cant be relied upon for user authentication. This system could be used for anomaly detection. If someone is getting authenticated and there is a difference in their walking style, then one could probably raise an alarm. Thats why I think it would be better as an anomaly detection system. I dont think this could be used online. It would be more useful at physical gates (for entering an office building, etc.)."

Vaibhav Gupta, a New Delhi-based security researcher who leads the Delhi chapter of null and Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP), which are two separate non-profit, registered communities established to promote information security knowledge across the globe.
Modernity and the bad socks of history India's negotiation of modernity has largely been a case of embracing wonderful new ideas while retaining many bad ones /news/talking-point/modernity-and-the-bad-socks-of-history-111646993252140.html 111646993252140 story

At a recent academic conclave in Ettumanoor, not too far from the stunning frescoes in the local temple, the Kerala-based thinker M.N. Karassery delivered a brilliant oration on modernity and its peculiarities in our time. Though his wider argument has been well studied, the story he told to illustrate his point was an interesting one, featuring that bane of the right wing in India, Jawaharlal Nehru. The prime minister, this apocryphal yarn goes, had a colleague who worked very closely with him in his office. But every time he came into the room, he brought along a most obnoxious odour, till Nehru was compelled to ask what the source of this nasty smell was. Socks, came the resigned answer: The errant colleague was a miser who didnt mind leaving a stink if it saved him a few coins.

The next morning, on his way to work, Nehru picked up new socks for the man, and everyone heaved a sigh of relief. And yet somehow, when the colleague moved around, that unbearable smell continued to waft down the corridors, sparing not even the prime ministers esteemed nose. No longer intending to be delicate about the matter, Nehru demanded an explanation from his malodorous subordinate. Are you not wearing the new pair I bought you?" he asked. Yes, of course, came the wounded reply. Frowning, Nehru wondered what had happened to the old, threadbare pair. Oh those," replied the eccentric, brightening up, his hands going to his pockets. Those are right here with me!"

As Karassery pointed out, Indias negotiation of modernity, much like the man with the smelly socks, has largely been a case of embracing wonderful new ideas while retaining many bad ones for sentimental reasons or possible future use. There is history to the tradition. Lord Macaulay, for instance, famously pictured that class Indian in blood and colour, but English in taste, in opinions, in morals, and in intellect." He succeeded as far as taste was concerned, but for large numbers of this class, it was a simple matter of acting English (and speaking it) in the public sphere, while sustaining old ways in the private domain. Exposure to modernitys rationalism did not, for instance, provoke a divorce from religiosity. On the contrary, religion was refashioned to rise to modernitys challenge, with characteristic Indian lack of irony.

The railways, an exploitative cash cow for the British, were presented as a manifestation of the iron progress of science and reason in India. And indeed a number of orthodox parties viewed it with trepidation. In the 1880s, Brahmins in Thiruvananthapuram persuaded the local maharaja to prevent the fire carriage from defiling their temple town, but Brahmins in Puri were canny: The journey from Kolkata to their shrine was reduced overnight from 26 days to 12 hours, bringing far more pilgrims, more money, and amplified devotion atop screaming engines. Sweep across a century and a half, and savvy stargazers transmit their latest astrological recommendations to globe-trotting believers over WhatsApp, while havans and pujas are performed via Skype, their blessings touching the devout through a medium as invisible as the hand of god itself: the internet.

More significantly, it was modern methods such as the census that created in India new identities that could masquerade convincingly as ancient. Numbers determined who constituted the majority" and who were in the minority", enabling also the aggregation of diverse practices into what historian Romila Thapar calls syndicated Hinduism". Political consciousness followed, a product of modern impulses in a cloak of timeless tradition. Studies on the emergence of cow protection have shown how censuses opened up new battlefields to wage wars in the names of history, masses rallying around sensational calls that used instruments of modernity to service un-modern propensities. Violence, of course, followed everywhere.

By no means was this a predilection that afflicted the majority" only. One minority" now called the Muslims", despite massive internal diversities of their own, witnessed attempts to recreate a puritanism that never actually existed in this landin the south where Asias oldest mosque stands, minarets and domes replaced gabled roofs and woodwork. The burqa, never before known here, suddenly won appeal, with the prosperous leading the way. Prosperity, in fact, spawned innovative, unexpected expressions of religionan affluent middle class today fuels the demand for the dozens of rock-star swamis and gurus hovering about, who promise spiritual salvation even as they transform into corporate enterprises chasing solidly material rewards. Faith always featured such calculations, of course: Modernity merely raised the stakes and gave it spectacular scale.

Some years ago, the scholar Meera Nanda noted that India had 2.5 million places of worship but only 1.5 million schools, and that governments across the political divide were increasingly sponsoring religious causes. For her it was globalization and the paradoxical hyper-religiosity of its beneficiaries that had led to this state of affairsto the forming of a state-temple-corporate complex. Others, like Vinay Lal and Amrita Basu, have argued that in attempting to divorce religious feeling from our constitutional self-image and aspirations, our founding fathers ignored ground realities. The result was that these realities took an aggressive, unexpected turn, now visible in your nearest city in its current manifestation of cow-raksha (protection).

The truth is perhaps somewhere in the middlethat religion in India may never be fully divorced from public life and what we can aim to do is limit the degree to which it can pervert everyday business. But perhaps this was a debate that should have begun long ago, not now when the stench of the bad socks of history is overwhelming, no longer down the corridor as with Nehru, but very much closer, right under our collective noses.

Medium Rare is a weekly column on society, politics and history. Manu S. Pillai is the author of The Ivory Throne: Chronicles Of The House Of Travancore. He tweets at @UnamPillai
A.D. Singh: Sangria, sushi and all that jazz The founder of the Olive group on running 32 restaurants, serving 'baos' and 'berry pulao' with equal gusto, and throwing the best Thursday night parties /news/talking-point/ad-singh-sangria-sushi-and-all-that-jazz-111646993506100.html 111646993506100 story

I arrive at south Bombays legendary Breach Candy Club on a stormy afternoon. Angry waves are crashing against the rocks, threatening to swallow this spit of land with its India-shaped pool. What better place in Bombay could we have met in?" says A.D. Singh, who works out of the 139-year-old clubs first-floor cafe many days of the week.

I am here to find out how a young electrical engineer ended up becoming one of the architects of the stand-alone restaurant business in India. Today, his company, Olive Bar and Kitchen Pvt. Ltd (which was launched in 2000 with the opening of his flagship brand), runs 32 outlets across Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Pune and Kolkata.

Singhs story begins in the late 1980s, when he returned to India with a degree in engineering from Lafayette College, Pennsylvania. Back then, being a doctor or an engineer were the only safe choices. All of us started off that way and then along the way we found our calling." After brief stints in the corporate and NGO sectors, he came up with his first business idea: boat parties. It was an idea that came to me when my mother and I tried to put together a boat party during my sisters wedding."

That is how Party Lines was born in 1988, paving the way for Singhs future as an impresario of the good times. The boat-party business worked quite well for the next two years. From stylish dos on yachts and barges to setting up Indias first floating bar, Suzie Wong, it seemed like the waters off Marine Drive had become the hot new party spot in town.

But even as the boat parties were taking off, Singhor AD, as he is knownwas getting his first taste of the restaurant business with Just Desserts, which he had opened in partnership with chef Rahul Akerkar in 1990. Although it was a makeshift space on the premises of an Irani cafe, it had a winning combinationcakes from the best Parsi bakers in the city, and live jazz. I used to hate jazz as it was my fathers music, but along the way I fell in love with it. And ever since the 1990s, jazz has been there in one avatar or the other in many of my places," says Singh.

During the 1990s, Singh worked with and helped launch a bunch of brands, and there was plenty of learning by trial and error. All of Singhs properties in the 1990s and early noughties were without a template. They were (simply) restaurants I myself wanted to see in the country," he says.

Just Desserts ran from 1990-92 and was followed by a Latin American club called Copa Cabana on Marine Drive in 1996. It was a place where the young partied. It was a small hole and yet young people thought it was the best place to meet new people and have great conversations," says Singh, who used to be at the door himself to ensure that the crowd met his exacting standards.

This was followed by The Bowling Company, a concept that fused bowling with a bar at Phoenix Mills, much before the restaurant boom there. Soul Fry and Soul Kadi followed soon after, serving Konkani coastal classics along with a side of weekly karaoke.

Of these early ventures, only Soul Fry remains.

Olive, which opened in 2000 in Mumbais Khar neighbourhood, was special by all accounts. Singh believes there were old cantankerous spirits at the site; his wife Sabina even carried out an exorcism, on the advice of an English clairvoyant, before the place actually opened. The spirits were laid to rest, and Olive was launched without further ado. When we opened, we made three-four times the sales we had expected, and that was also the time we realized that there was a whole world waiting to be tapped outside south Bombay, and we had been too snobbish to realize that," Singh says.

Olive was on a roll. Food festivals and popular party nights on Thursdays ensured that the restaurant survived the three-year jinx that plagued most restaurants in Mumbai at the time.

In 2003, a Delhi-based entrepreneur consulted Singh on opening a restaurant in Mehrauli in the national capital. Singh seized the opportunity and Olive found a second home in a refurbished haveli with a giant banyan tree and a pebbled courtyard. Olive Delhi put Mehrauli on the map," says Singh. However, a sealing drive by the municipal corporation led to the closure of many establishments in 2006; Olive was among them. Although it reopened in 2009, the eating-out experience hasnt been quite the same in the historic neighbourhood of Mehrauli.

In the meantime, Singh had also embarked on more ambitious projects, like the Japanese-inspired fine-dining restaurant and bar called Ai in Sakets MGF mall. He also opened an exclusive nightclub, Lap, in central Delhis Samrat hotel in partnership with actor Arjun Rampal. Both these establishments failed to take off, but Singh, instead of worrying about his failures, expanded the brand that had workedOlive. He launched Olive as a bistro across the country, including in cities such as Hyderabad and Pune. He also tweaked Ai into a more casual format, relaunching it as Guppy by Ai in 2013. Later that year, he started the first SodaBottleOpenerWala, a restaurant that serves Parsi food, in Gurugram, adjoining Delhi. It was an immediate hit and, surprisingly, did equally well in Mumbai, the land of the original Irani cafe.

Singhs journey has been one of learning and adaptation. The failures in our company have taught me and my team a lot. It is interesting that while you might have a clear strategy of penetrating new markets with a particular brand, there are so many things you cant predict, and that is what makes it exciting," he says.

In 2006, his company turned in a profit of about Rs25 crore. It has grown exponentially since, and closed the last fiscal year with a turnover that was just under the Rs200 crore mark. There are plans to start outlets in Chandigarh and Goa, as well as overseas, in cities like Colombo and London. We see opportunity for some of our brands worldwide and are exploring them in different structures. London is first priority as the city has a long exposure to our cuisine and brands like Dishoom are showing the way for new Indian experiences and regional flavours. Other contemporaries like Indian Accent, Gaggan and Farzi Cafe have showcased Indian food in different parts of the world. And while the risks are bigger, this is definitely the next big direction for us," says Singh, who plans to take Ek Bar, a quintessentially Indian bar serving artisanal cocktails and modern Indian food, as well as SodaBottleOpenerWala, to London by early next year.

Singh believes Olive s growth is due, to a large extent, to the people who make up the company, including chefs Manu Chandra, Sujan Sarkar, Anahita Dhondy and Saby (who has since left the group to helm his own place). There are about 1,650 people working across the different brands . Our company is built around good people and they are our biggest asset, and we have supported them and helped them grow over the years, and in turn they have helped us grow," he says.

In the early days of his career, Singh worked in Cadbury and TCS, only to realize that it wasnt for him. He was nervous about telling his parents but they were very supportive. What I learnt later was that since I was dating a girl they didnt like, when I sat down to talk, they thought I wanted to marry her. Me leaving the corporate world was definitely the lesser of the two evils.-

When Manu Chandra and Chetan Rampal wanted to leave to start their own brand, Singh gave them a chance to branch out under his company. Thus was born Olive Cafes South, which launched successful products like gastropub Monkey Bar, the Asian restaurant Fatty Bao and the stylish East Village-style bar and restaurant Toast & Tonic. The day-to-day running of this vertical is left to them. This is a far cry from the early days of the business, when finding talented individuals was an incredibly difficult proposition. From then till now, so much has changed, and this year we will have our first batch of retirees, employees who have been with us for the last 15-18 years," he says.

Our mission is to build up the company to 100 restaurants by March 2022. And in keeping with this we are trying to open about 14 restaurants a year, and we are fairly committed to this growth and are building all the little pieces required to get there," says Singh. In this casual-dining space, the APC (average per customer), from Soda to Toast, could be anywhere between Rs500 and Rs1,500, so the idea is to serve up the best quality across every price point.

There is a strong story that permeates every brand, from the chic Tokyo vibe of Hello Guppy, with its Japanese-inspired small plates, to the cheerful Bombay street cafe vibe of SodaBottleOpenerWala, and the locally inspired modern cuisine and craft cocktails at Toast & Tonic. Singhs most recent offerings include the Delhi-based Goan-style beach-shack replica Lady Baga, which serves up a slice of the sunshine state with its hippie art and calamari and prawn curries.

Whats his personal favourite? I love Japanese food. Usually, with the opening of every other restaurant, I put on weight during the run-up to the opening," says Singh. But in the case of Ai, I lost weight, and the one dish that I would eat there nearly every day was the udon noodle soup with prawn tempura.The other dish that I keep returning to whenever I am in town is the salmon tartar in Hello Guppy."

Today, his advice to young entrepreneurs is to have a lawyer on board to protect their interests, be safe, and not invest all the money they have. He admits, however, that they dont listen to me as they are as headstrong as I was and raring to go and do their own thing."

Singh was around when the stand-alone restaurant business came into its own, and it is a continuing spirit of innovation that has kept his business relevant nearly three decades after he started. For him, there really is no business like the food business, complete with the glamour, blood, sweat, tears, and all that wonderful jazz in between.
Beautiful and bizarre things to buy: From writerly tools to wearable art In this weekly compendium of objects of desire, also a Vanities column by Swapan Seth /fashion/beauty/beautiful-and-bizarre-things-to-buy-from-writerly-tools-to-wearable-art-111646829616503.html 111646829616503 story

Title Tracking: Patterns Of India, A Colouring Book, by Roli

Patterns Of India, A Colouring Book: By Roli

With 79 decorative motifs from across the country, it can be used for colouring in, or simply for inspiration. The patterns, ranging from abstract to floral, come with a brief introduction on context, with full-page photographs by interiors photographer Henry Wilson.

At Cmykbookstore.com and CMYK book stores in Mumbai, New Delhi and Pune; Rs795.

Centrepiece: Cantilever Coffee Table by Portside Cafe

Furniture maker Portside Cafes Cement Series combines wood, leather and brass-plate detailing with the unusual material of cement, bringing out its inherent beauty and luxury.

At Portsidecafe.com or Portside Cafe stores in Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Jodhpur; Rs1.69 lakh.

Writerly Tools: Cigar pen by Montegrappa

Cigar pen by Montegrappa

The Italian luxury brand has remained a purist and brought out this limited- edition Cigar pen as fountain pens or rollerballs only, in sterling silver or 18k gold.

At Montegrappa, Palladium, Mumbai, and DLF Emporio, Delhi. Rollerball silver, Rs1,72,995; rollerball gold, Rs17,31,995 and fountain pen silver, Rs2,06,995.

Wearable art: Cloud Clutch by Cord Studio

Cloud Clutch by Cord Studio

This monsoon, carry the clouds with you. Handmade in suede leather, this clutch is perfect to store your everyday essentials and can also double up as a wallet.

At Cordstudio.in, and with the stockists in Delhi, Chennai, Bengaluru and Jaipur listed on the site; Rs2,800.

Luminor Submersible by Officine Panerai

Luminor Submersible by Officine Panerai

Sporting Italian design and Swiss technology, Officine Panerais Submersible watch series is a divers delight. The Luminor Submersible 1950 3 Days Automatic comes in a stainless-steel or polished red-gold case with luminous hour markers and a water resistance of 10 bar (~100m).

Luminor Submersible by Officine Panerai

At the Officine Panerai boutique, the Taj Mahal Hotel, Colaba, Mumbai; Rs5.9 lakh and Rs18.67 lakh for the red gold.

Compiled by Vangmayi Parakala, Nitin Sreedhar and Komal Sharma.

***

By Invitation: Vanities

An ode to things you dont need but must have

Sleeve garters

This week: Sleeve garters

A ready-to-wear shirt comes with its own convoy of concerns.

Primary amongst these is how it behaves with the sleeve length of your suit jacket. The matter becomes even more acute given the fact that in these hurried times, most men pick a shirt off the rack (the tribe of gentlemen who get their shirts hand-stitched is disappearing as rapidly as the western lowland gorilla).

Now, there is a certain science and sanctity to how much of your shirt sleeve must show from below your jacket cuff. And like all things manly, even on this count, size matters. Half an inch is all that you should see of the shirt sleeve. When you buy an off-the-rack shirt, the plot is murky. There are too many people in the marriage. There is the collar size. And then, the chest size. Most men tick these two off and pick the damn shirt. No one loses sleep over the sleeve length.

That leads to disturbing scenes. Such as 2 inches of the shirt jumping the light of right and flashing out of the cuff.

Now this is not to suggest that gentlemen have all the time in the world. We too have our weak moments. Such as a sale at Brooks Brothers or even Pink. It is for these and these moments alone that the good God created sleeve garters.

It is precisely that: a garter that you wear on the sleeve of your shirt.

It permits you to tweak your sleeve length. So that just half an inch of the sleeve makes a cameo in the sartorial movie that you are. They came into being in the latter half of the 19th century when shirts came in a single (extra-long) length. It also prevents cuffs from getting soiled while one does menial work.

Every gentlemans wardrobe must contain three pairs of these. One in gold. One in silver. And one in black. There is no need for a fourth. And all three must be metallic. Not silicone. And no, not even Tyvek. We are not attending a Trivium concert.

Now the tricky part is how to get social approbation for your sartorial sass. So midway through the meeting, you take your jacket off and settle it around the back of your chair. You fiddle with the right garter using your left hand. And because it is elastic, you can also snap it to convey your authoritative style. Eyebrows will rise. A certain curiosity will cloud the air in the room.

Dont be alarmed if a fabulous fool in the room asks you, Whats that?" Look him squarely in the eye and whisper, Those? Those are my garters."

By Swapan Seth , CEO, Equus
Heritage hunting with Mumbai Art Deco This architecture conservation group's newly launched website maps art deco buildings and lets you filter-search localities /news/talking-point/heritage-hunting-with-mumbai-art-deco-111646993183996.html 111646993183996 story

Art deco, the architectural style identified by its clean, geometric symmetry, originated in Europe and the US in the 1920s, and Mumbais architects took to it with abandon. And though they may be overshadowed by the more monumental Victorian structures like the Gateway of India and Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, art deco buildings dot the citys neighbourhoods, with Eros and Regal cinema halls being some of the most recognizable.

Over the past year, Art Deco Mumbai (Artdecomumbai.com), a self-funded, not-for-profit group, has been holding heritage walks, documenting and creating awareness about this style through Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. It was started in May 2016 by Atul Kumar, a finance professional. I live in Marine Drive, an art deco precinct. For years Ive been engaging with policymakers, conservationists, architects and citizen groups to create awareness of art deco. I decided it was time to take a digital initiative," says Kumar.

On 27 June, the group went live with its website, a repository as well as a handy tool to browse Mumbais art deco landscape. The Gallery" section allows you to look at images in random order, and if you find that engaging, the Inventory" tab lets you filter them according to neighbourhood. Lets say you live in Colaba and want to see where the art deco buildings are in your neighbourhood. You put on that filter and search in that area," says Kumar. You can learn to identify art deco buildings with the help of the Elements or Features" tab that shows details of the building facades, interiors, lobbies and stairwells. Eye Brows", for instance, are the streamlined extended shades over balconies and windows. And Frozen Fountains", the motifs that you spot on window grills and entryways that look like a fountain frozen in motion. If you want to go into more detail, theres a Research" tab, with articles curated under different headings like History or Era of Theatres".

Its said that Mumbai may have the second largest concentration of art deco buildings, after Miamis famous historic district in South Beach. Is there any truth in this? People claim so," says Kumar. So far weve documented buildings just between Colaba, Fort, Marine Drive and Churchgate, and weve already got 120 buildings. We havent even gone to Mohammad Ali Road, Warden Road, Malabar Hill. They are lined with deco, one after the other. Then there is Dadar, Matunga, Chembur. Itll be interesting when were able to establish the actual final number," he concludes.
Two nations' leaders meet in Moscow and confirm their agreement on regional and international issues

China and Russia are dedicated to boosting mutual political trust, connecting the Belt and Road with the Eurasian Economic Union and coordinating closely on global affairs, President Xi Jinping said when he talked with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on July 3, adding that the bilateral ties have added positive energy on the path to global peace and development.

Beijing's special relationship with Moscow will continue to develop, no matter what happens in the rest of the world, Xi said.

"No matter how the outside environment changes, the China-Russia relationship will not be affected," Xi said.

President Xi Jinping meets with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Russia on July 4. Two joint statements were issued, outlining the main political outcomes of the visit. Xie Huanchi / Xinhua

He made a state visit to Russia on July 3 and 4 before traveling to Germany for a state visit and to attend the G20 Summit in Hamburg.

Noting that China and Russia are good neighbors, friends and partners, Xi told Putin during talks at the Kremlin that the bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination is in the fundamental interests of the two countries and their peoples boasts a strong vitality and huge development potential and will be able to withstand the test of international vicissitudes.

This was Xi's sixth trip to Russia since taking office, and the third meeting between the two heads of state this year. They have met a total of 22 times.

The two presidents also met with representatives from nongovernmental organizations, media and enterprises, encouraging them to further contribute to bilateral relations.

With joint efforts made by both sides, the two countries have made progress in the areas of economics, trade, military, technology and people-to-people communication, Putin said, adding that they have also had constructive interactions in international affairs.

Two joint statements were issued on July 4, outlining the main political outcomes of the visit. One concerned bilateral ties, focusing on the development of China-Russia cooperation in various fields. The other dealt with global issues, with Russia and China declaring a unified position on important regional and international matters.

The two presidents also witnessed the signing of a number of documents to boost cooperation in such areas as investment, energy, finance and agriculture and approved the 2017-20 implementation outline for the Treaty of Good-Neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation Between China and Russia.

The foreign ministries of both countries also issued a joint declaration on the Korean Peninsula issue.

Putin presented Xi with the Order of St. Andrew the Apostle, one of Russia's highest honors, for his prominent work in strengthening friendship between the peoples of Russia and China.

"This is not only an honor for me but also a symbol of the great importance that Russia attaches to relations with China, and the Russian people's friendly feelings toward the Chinese people," Xi said at the award ceremony.

Yang Cheng, deputy director of the center for Russian studies at East China Normal University in Shanghai, says the two countries will continue their close ties and work on international issues at the same pace.

He says the meeting between Xi and Putin is not only significant to bilateral cooperation, but plays an important role in some multilateral relations, especially the relationship of both countries with the United States and the future trend of international politics and economics.

Contact the writer at anbaijie@chinadaily.com.cn and renqi@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily European Weekly 07/07/2017 page8)
Governor Greg Abbott has signed a bill creating a statewide ban on texting while driving into law. The ban is scheduled to go into effect on September 1.

Abbott Requests Further Work on Texting Ban

According to the Temple Daily Telegram, this was the fourth session in a role that the bill's author, Rep. Tom Craddick, R-Midland, attempted to pass such a measure. Abbott displayed hesitation prior to signing the bill, prompting speculation that the ban may not pass; however, the governor announced during a news conference Tuesday that the bill had been signed.

During the news conference, Gov. Abbott also stated that the ban did not fully achieve his goals and announced that continued work on the ban will be among a series of priorities to be addressed during a special legislative session set to start on July 18.

"I was not satisfied with the law as it was written," said Abbott. "Now that Texas does have a statewide ban on texting and driving, I am calling for legislation that fully pre-empts cities and counties from any regulation of mobile devices in vehicles. We don't need a patchwork quilt of regulations that dictate driving practices in Texas."

Insurers have praised Abbott for his decision to sign the texting while driving ban into law.

20 Percent of Texas Crashes Are Caused by Distracted Driving

The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) estimates that about one in every five traffic accidents reported in Texas is caused by distracted driving. In 2016, 455 people were killed in crashes involving distracted drivers.

Researchers have also noted that nearly 40 percent of Texas drivers regularly or sometimes use a cell phone while driving.

Other common forms of driver distraction include social media, checking email, reading, watching videos, interacting with a navigation system, and eating while driving.

Contact an Experienced Auto Accident Attorney

Thomas J. Henry Injury Attorneys is a personal injury law firm with offices in Corpus Christi, Texas, San Antonio, Texas and Houston, Texas representing accident victims nationwide.

Our attorneys are available to respond to auto accidents at any hour, day or night. Our lawyers understand that the immediate acquisition, or acquiring, of evidence is paramount to understanding how the accident occurred. Remember, your choice does matter. Contact our offices - we are available 24/7, nights and weekends.

Editors Note: This content is made possible by Thomas J. Henry Personal Injury Law. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of The San Antonio Express-News' or mySanAntonio.com's editorial staff. Learn more about our advertising products at www.hearstmediasanantonio.com.
Political events in the Bay Area

Fundraiser: The Ladies of the Resistance are hosting a benefit for the American Civil Liberties Union. The event is from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Spark Social San Francisco, 601 Mission Bay Blvd. N. For information: www.facebook.com/events/1786441441667992

Documentary: A screening of Get in the Way, on Georgia Democratic Rep. John Lewis work advancing civil rights in the 1960s and his other efforts to enact change nonviolently, will begin at 1:30 p.m. at Niles Discovery Church, 36600 Niles Blvd., Fremont. For information: http://bit.ly/2tLLsum

Peace talk: The East Bay and San Francisco branches of Womens International League for Peace and Freedom present historian, author and activist Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz, who will discuss the history of wars and gun violence and possible solutions. The free event is from 3 to 5 p.m. at the Eric Quezada Center, 518 Valencia St., San Francisco. For information: www.wilpfeastbay.org

Israel/Palestinians: The Jewish Voice for Peace and the American Friends Service Committee discuss human rights in Israel and the Palestinian territories, and how to confront prejudice in the United States. The talk begins at 7 p.m. at the Unitarian Universalists of San Mateo, 300 E. Santa Inez Ave. For information: www.sanmateopeaceaction.org

Environmental action: A conversation with the Sierra Clubs executive director and local environmental justice groups on what people can do to take action against President Trumps environmental agenda. The event is from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the International Hotel Manilatown Center, 868 Kearny St., San Francisco. For information: http://bit.ly/2rWxPUs

Climate forum: Cool Effect, a Bay Area nonprofit focused on climate change, is holding a forum to discuss environmental actions that will help reduce carbon emissions. The event is from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. at the Hawthorn Room at the Golden Gate Club, 135 Fisher Loop, San Francisco. For information: http://bit.ly/2turr9A

Health care film: A free screening of Now Is the Time: Healthcare for Everybody and discussion on single-payer health care. The event is at 7 p.m. at Or Shalom Jewish Community, 625 Brotherhood Way, San Francisco. For information: (415) 469-5564 or www.orshalom.org
Tamaulipas authorities said Wednesday they rescued three adults and two minors who had been kidnapped in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico.

Three men were arrested in connection with the case. Authorities only identified them as Adan, Francisco and Julio. All are facing kidnapping charges.
WASHINGTON - More than two years after its world premiere in 2015, John Strand's political drama "The Originalist" has returned to Washington, D.C.'s Arena Stage. The play, which runs to July 30, imagines the conversations between Justice Antonin Scalia (Edward Gero) and a liberal Harvard Law School clerk (Jade Wheeler) as the Supreme Court prepares to hear the landmark same-sex marriage case United States v. Windsor.

Gero spoke to The Washington Post about reprising his role, Scalia's legacy and the value of bipartisan discourse today.

Q. In the two years since the premiere of "The Originalist," our country has witnessed both a tumultuous presidential election and the death of Justice Antonin Scalia. Have the events of the past two years shaped the play's meaning for you?

A. John (Strand) had written a play on the question, "Is there a political middle?" I think that question has been answered for the moment: There is no political middle. The political bases are completely deaf. No one is listening. But this is a play about listening. Here are two archetypal characters who represent the far ends of the spectrum. But they come to each other with respect, and an incisive ear. We opened the play in Florida, on Inauguration Day, and people just straggled into the theater. They came out with a sense of hope.

Q. To prepare for your role in "The Originalist," you spent a significant amount of time meeting with Justice Scalia, reading his opinions and watching him in court. What is it like inhabiting Scalia's character after his death? How are you reflecting on his legacy now?

A. I miss the stories. I was expecting years more of stories to tell. (After Justice Scalia's death,) I felt an immediate loss, and also a loss for our country. I didn't agree with him, but he didn't care. In fact, he was affectionate with the people who didn't agree with him, because he would argue with them. He was so transparent, so consistent, and had enormous respect for language and words. He spent his entire life in the vineyard of language and the law. And that respect for language seems to be at the wayside for the moment.

Q. A major theme of "The Originalist" is the need to reach across partisan lines. But as you said, the "political middle" seems to be growing narrower and narrower these days. Do you think the play itself can challenge set opinions?

A. I have a deep sense of mission about it, in a way: as an artist, to rise to the level of citizen-artist, and contribute to the experiment. I've done over 100 performances now, and I find myself relaxing a bit more and listening to the audience. Depending on how they respond to some of his utterances, I can sense the Scalia in me wanting to press them, and maybe hit them a little harder with the stuff they don't want to hear, because that's exactly what he would do. It's great when the audience laughs, and it's great when they groan, because I can tell exactly what side of the aisle they're on. But by the end of the play, you get the sense that audiences are shifting their stereotypes of (Scalia). They may not agree with him, but they get a sense of who he was as a human being. That might lead them to rethink their own contribution to the discourse.

Q. Do you find yourself channeling Justice Scalia in real life?

A. I've been empowered by living in the role. (Scalia) really raised my game. In our correspondence, I would check and double-check and edit, to make sure everything was grammatically correct, and try to be elegant. In talking to people, I would look for flaws in the argument and support for the argument. I wouldn't be so eager to say "You're wrong." People ask me, "What would Scalia say about this?" I have no clue. It would only devalue his intelligence. I would never presume to know that.

Q. You've also performed in over 70 productions at Washington's Shakespeare Theatre. How has your experience as a Shakespearean actor prepared you for this role?

A. [(hakespeare's) plays are about the transformation of the human spirit, and the possibility of growing beyond yourself, shedding your skin, reinventing yourself, and opening your mind through archetypal characters, large ideals and big questions. Those are often questions of law. One of the things I found about (Scalia) was that he had great performative ability. When I spent time with him, he just came out with these long, complex sentences without so much as a thought, with incredible fluency. It's like listening to Shakespeare, it really is ... the grammar, the syntax, all those things.

Q. What are your goals as an actor now?

A. In many ways, this role is a synthesis of my entire life experience: Italian-American, Roman Catholic, New Jersey, all of that. Everything seemed to come together with this role. So I'm not done, and I hope not to be done for a long time. It's too important a time in the republic to not do something as substantive as this. I feel a sense of calling about it - to represent his legacy in some way. I'm happy to continue reading, going back to the Federalist Papers. I miss being at the (Supreme) Court. And I'm very grateful to bring it back to Washington. I've invited Justice (Neil) Gorsuch. I don't know if he'll come.
You Don't Have to Say You Love Me: A Memoir

By Sherman Alexie

Little, Brown. 457 pp. $28

---

In May 2015, author Sherman Alexie's mother, Lillian, was rushed to the hospital from her home on the Spokane Indian Reservation after she found it difficult to breathe. One month later, his mother fading fast, Alexie was stopped by his sister on the porch of the family home and given a warning before he could go inside and say his goodbyes. "I wanted to prepare you," his sister said. "You see, Mom is being (BEGIN ITAL)affectionate(END ITAL). She's, like, hugging people and telling us she loves us. It's (BEGIN ITAL)weird(END ITAL)."

"You Don't Have to Say You Love Me," the memoir of Alexie's troubled life history with his mercurial mother, is his first full-length work of nonfiction. For an author whose work in fiction and poetry is shot through with barely disguised personal elements, it's, like, weird to get the story in a form that purports to be free of made-up stuff. Weird - but also inventively arranged, wonderfully told and always utterly heartwrenching.

"There's too much real pain in this story for it to be a lie,"Alexie writes. "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me" is a master symphony, a rock opera, a long jazz-fusion jam on the theme of pain of all sorts: physical, psychic, cultural, tribal, economic, historical, romantic, linguistic and on and on. That pain begins in pre-memory, when, 5 months old and hydrocephalic, Alexie needs surgery to relieve the excess cerebral spinal fluid pressing on his brain, and from that moment on, the hits keep coming. It's the familiar reservation pain of too many funerals to count, too many rapes to fathom, too many family members in prison, too few roads leading away from poverty and too many roadblocks for those who do try to get out. It's the pain of living with his mother's on-again, off-again love for her children; with her searing, penetrating intelligence; with her sometimes simmering, sometimes boiling anger; and with her near-constant meanness, interrupted by acts of astonishing, and confusing, kindness, practiced for the most part on people other than her children.

"I imagine my mother's pain and shame were so huge that she could only approach them piece by piece," Alexie writes. In this way he, and his book, are much like his mother. Just as Alexie's struggles to grow up and make his own way in the world seem like so many shards of sharp glass, rarely coalescing into a single pane through which he can see clearly, so too is the book fractured: Its more than 450 pages are broken into 160 chapters. More than half of these chapters consist of poems or micro-prose pieces that serve to remind us that while Alexie may have first come to wide notice as a short-story writer ("The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven"), and then rose to fame as a young-adult author ("The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian"), he is first and foremost a poet, in love with little bits of language that add up to something big.

His days on the Spokane reservation (Alexie eventually moved to Seattle) were "like living inside an Edith Wharton novel - a place where good and bad manners were weaponized" while grief becomes "a flash fire in our bones" and a first kiss is "a naked Las Vegas Cirque du Soleil of the soul." An early girlfriend is "an eccentric small-town empath"; his younger self "the dry drunk poet with a Scrabble board full of mental illness acronyms"; his mother "a lifeguard on the shores of Lake F---ed."

Alexie looks to the tortured prisoners of Abu Ghraib in Iraq to find a fitting analogy for the corporal punishments visited on him and other Native American students by a white teacher in the second grade. He looks to "Star Wars" to explain the differences between more- and less-traditional Salish Indian families. And most movingly, he looks to the wild salmon population wiped out by the construction of the Grand Coulee Dam in the 1930s for an equivalent in the animal world to his mother, last speaker of the tribal language, the "last wild salmon that remembered ... who, in these pages, dies and dies and dies and is continually reborn."

Lillian Alexie died in June 2015; "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me" was all but finished by late 2016. The book is, in one simple way, the story of that year and a half, an urgent and sustained burst of writing that begins with his mother's death and encompasses a forest fire in August 2015, two months after her funeral, that threatened to wipe out the family home and the Spokane reservation, along with another bout of brain surgery in December 2015 that left Alexie temporarily unable to concentrate on much of anything. Intertwined with that slow-moving, recursive narrative are sections that skip and leap across the dynamic history of his family and his tribe.

Fourteen years ago, I read a notice that Alexie had contracted for a work of memoir titled "Inventing My Grandfather," billed as "a journey in search of a grandfather he never knew who died serving in the American Army in Okinawa in 1945." We're still waiting for that book. This delay isn't unusual for Alexie, who's well known for writing contracted books on his own schedule; nonetheless he has produced a considerable body of work: five collections of short stories, four novels, two screenplays and nine books of poetry. But having followed his career over that span, I wondered, where was that Alexie family history?

Now we know: He was waiting for a more urgent call, one created by his mother's death.

"I'm always in pain," Alexie writes. "But I always find my way to the story. And I always find my way home."

---

Berg's books include "38 Nooses: Lincoln, Little Crow, and the Beginning of the Frontier's End." He teaches nonfiction writing and literature at George Mason University.
The Gospel of Self: How Jesus Joined the GOP

By Terry Heaton

Or. 209 pp. $18 paperback

---

America's conservative evangelicals - the individuals behind that Republican bloc known as the religious right - are living in strange times. After eight unhappy years under President Barack Obama (only 24 percent of white evangelicals viewed him favorably as he prepared to leave office), evangelicals can now look to a Republican president and Congress to carry out their political will. Yet it remains to be seen whether President Trump and his crisis-besieged administration will do much good for the religious right and what their future may hold.

How evangelicals became wedded to the political right is a drama in many acts that plays out on a grand stage. It takes in cosmic questions of providence and apocalypse threaded together with earthlier (though no less moving) concerns about money, power and identity. In his book "The Gospel of Self: How Jesus Joined the GOP," Terry Heaton offers a view of that vast narrative from the personal level. Instead of telling the story of the religious right from a historical or sociological standpoint, Heaton narrates it from the inside, as a producer for the Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN) and right-hand man to televangelist and one-time presidential hopeful Pat Robertson. In many ways, the account Heaton supplies is far more disturbing than the big-picture plots.

Heaton, a prolific writer on modern mass media, recounts how he came to work for Robertson at the CBN, the contributions he made to Robertson's ambitious Christian programming and political mission, and his mentor's eventual run for president and 12-year tangle with the IRS over the funneling of ministry funds to his political campaign, an activity that caused the CBN to lose its tax exempt status for a while. Heaton was moved to become a television producer in the service of the Lord after an intense conversion experience in 1980. He had struggled with "depression, sex, suicide, drugs, and alcohol," but after his conversion he regained control of his life, and began to read the Bible and watch Christian television, then in its infancy. By 1981, he had taken a job with the CBN, producing stories for Robertson's "The 700 Club."

The show is a kind of news magazine comprising several different segments centered on Robertson's view of the world: Commentators unpack the proper Christian reading of daily news, special features track trends and crises in the church, those miraculously saved or healed appear or call in to tell their tales, and Robertson's sermons fill in the gaps. Though the focus is on faith, Robertson's politics are clear. When Haiti suffered a devastating earthquake in 2010, Robertson chalked it up to the nation's alleged "pact with the devil" - his provocative explanation for the success of the slave rebellion that resulted in Haitian independence. Robertson informed "700 Club" viewers that Obama was a secret Muslim intent on instituting sharia law around the world; that political assassinations are licit; that welfare programs for the poor are morally wrong; and that food stamps for hungry families lead only to fraud and dependency.

Heaton produced the show's news segments, personal-interest stories and miracle reports until 1986, working behind the scenes and growing closer to Robertson. It's easy to trace, in his narrative, the ascendancy of the religious right as a potent Republican bloc, not least by watching Robertson's ever-growing designs on the presidency through Heaton's up-close vantage.

The past several years have yielded a number of books that provide a very clear (and edifying) picture of the movement's origins. In 2013, there was "Blessed: A History of the American Prosperity Gospel," by Kate Bowler, which traced the unfolding of America's unique tradition of money-grubbing televangelists squeezing congregants for cash while living large themselves; then came"American Apocalypse: A History of Modern Evangelicalism," by Matthew Avery Sutton, in 2014, followed in 2015 by "One Nation Under God: How Corporate America Invented Christian America," by Kevin Kruse, both of which closely track evangelicals' swift romance with political conservatives in the 20th century. This year, Frances FitzGerald published "The Evangelicals: The Struggle to Shape America," which traced today's demotic, emotive evangelical politics back to the Great Awakenings of the 18th and 19th centuries.

The tragedy that emerges in "The Gospel of Self" is what Heaton's immersion in Robertson's politicized Christianity did to his own newfound faith. "Little did I realize at the time how [fighting the culture wars] dramatically weakened my/our beliefs in the capabilities of an almighty God," he writes. "The 700 Club" aired many segments on miracles, but Robertson refused to broadcast any reports of Christians asking for God's help and not receiving it. Heaton reports that Robertson told him that doing so would "cost [his] ministry millions." By then, Robertson had made miracles one of the focal points of his show - and a major draw for viewers and their donations. If he were to acknowledge, even with plenty of genuine faith, that miracles don't always come to pass, the electrified crowds might not have flocked to the ministry in such large numbers.

One day, Heaton received a letter from an Indiana father who was an avid "700 Club" fan. He tore into Heaton and Robertson for making his 9-year-old daughter's death from cancer not only painful but spiritually agonizing. She, like her father, had been a faithful viewer and had believed Robertson's claim that true believers receive the miracles they pray for. Worse than her painful illness, the father wrote, "was the rejection she felt from God, because He would not heal her." Heaton writes that "to this day I pray for that little girl ... and beg forgiveness for playing a role in what she went through."

Heaton's troubles mounted. He found himself lying to Robertson about the miraculous healing of his own back spasms (in reality, despite Robertson's charismatic prayers, the spasms did not relent), and about helping to direct ministry monies (illegally) to Robertson's failed 1988 presidential campaign. By the end of his time at the CBN, Heaton writes, he "started drinking heavily, something that would profoundly alter my relationship with the God I loved."

Robertson presented himself as a shepherd of souls, but in his quest for temporal power, he led his flock astray and left their faith to wither. This isn't the story one usually hears about the rise of the religious right, but for Christians, it is perhaps the more important one.
Chinese, French and Iranian energy giants signed a $4.8 billion (4.2 billion euros; 3.7 billion) deal on July 3 to develop the world's largest natural gas reserve in the Persian Gulf.

The parties - China National Petroleum Corp, France's Total and the National Iranian Oil Co, through its Petropars subsidiary - will develop the South Pars gas field, the first major energy investment since sanctions against Iran were lifted early last year. Production is to begin within 40 months, according to the agreement.

The French company will have a 50.1 percent interest, with CNPC owning 30 percent and Petropars 19.9 percent.

China National Petroleum Corp, France's Total and the National Iranian Oil Co, through its Petropars subsidiary, signed a $4.8 billion deal on July 3 to develop the South Pars gas field in the Persian Gulf. Xinhua

As China's biggest oil and gas producer, CNPC "can provide experience in gas development, needed investment and access to the Chinese market for this project", says Wang Lu, an analyst from Bloomberg Intelligence.

The investment could further diversify China's import sources and secure the country's natural gas supply, he says.

China aims to raise the share of gas in primary energy consumption to a range of 8.3 to 10 percent in 2020, from 5.9 percent in 2015, Wang says. He adds that China will rely more on gas imports to achieve the target.

CNPC said it was finalizing details with the Iranian side.

Iran's Petroleum Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh says the country's oil industry needs about $200 billion in investment over the next five years. The country, with its 33.5 trillion cubic meters of proven reserves, ranks first in the world, according to BP.

According to the International Energy Agency, the South Pars field holds an estimated 51 trillion cubic meters of gas. It accounts for approximately 19 percent of the world's total gas reserve.

"Iran's crude oil supplies to China have remained consistent and fairly stable," says Oceana Zhou, an analyst at S&P Global Platts.

With the new deal, China and Iran are expected to further enhance cooperation in the energy sector, Zhou says. "This is a mutually beneficial relationship, as Iran needs international partners to develop both its upstream and refining sectors."

Challenges also exist, including "geopolitical risks and currency instability", says Liang Jin, manager of natural gas department at Beijing-based JLC Network Technology Co.

"Offshore investments are often exposed to these challenges, especially in Iran. But the transcontinental collaboration will, to some extent, lower project risks and present an irresistible opportunity for all parties," she says.

Regarding the reasons behind Chinese energy giants' overseas expansion, Zhou says: "They are investing in foreign upstream projects with the aim of establishing themselves as international companies and upgrading their profiles."

Contact the writers through jingshuiyu@chinadaily.com.cn

( China Daily European Weekly 07/07/2017 page15)
As the US backs away from its customary role, expert sees Asian giant leading the drive for global growth

Nicola Casarini says it is China and not the United States that now has a grand plan to drive global growth.

The head of the Asia program at the Institute of International Affairs, the Rome-based foreign policy think tank, was speaking ahead of the G20 summit in Hamburg, which begins on July 7.

Nicola Casarini says the Belt and Road Initiative is very important for Italy because the country could become an access point for Chinese and other goods into Central and Northern Europe. Provided to China Daily

He believes China, with its own vision of globalization embodied in its Belt and Road Initiative, is the one country that is now taking a lead while the world's largest superpower is looking increasingly isolationist.

"China has a growth plan. The United States used to have one, particularly after World War II with the Marshall Plan and other initiatives," he says.

"The big problem now is that the US is retreating from a system it itself created and this could have some very fundamental consequences for the global order."

Casarini, 46, says he hopes the G20 meeting will build on the success of the last one, held last year in Hangzhou, where the final communique called for fiscal stimulus measures and made clear its opposition to protectionism. The meeting also saw the ratification of the Paris climate change agreement by President Xi Jinping and then US president Barack Obama.

"I expect climate change to feature quite big at the meeting. You could have a situation where you have 19 countries in agreement and just the United States in opposition. This would be remarkable, given that Washington has traditionally been a global leader."

Casarini, who was speaking from Rome, addressed the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, which was attended by 29 foreign heads of state, in May.

He said the initiative is very important for Italy because the country could become an access point for Chinese and other goods into Central and Northern Europe.

China is investing through its Silk Road Fund in a network of five ports in the northern Adriatic, including the Italian ports of Venice, Ravenna and Trieste, and Koper in Slovenia and Rijeka in Croatia. This will give it an alternative to the port of Piraeus in Greece as a route into North and Central Europe.

"China's 21st Century Maritime Silk Road is very important to Italy because it ends up in the Mediterranean, and Italy is in the center of the Mediterranean," he says.

"Our ports provide an alternative route for goods bound for Central and Northern Europe."

Casarini believes many in Europe and elsewhere have yet to catch up with the significance and scale of what China's initiative could deliver.

"The Belt and Road is a strategic vision of great significance and magnitude. We have yet to see a proper response to it from many countries in Europe, particularly my own. I think countries like Vietnam, Russia and even Tajikistan, for example, have been better at doing that. From Italy's point of view, we need to make an assessment as to the importance of China for us for the next 30 to 50 years and not just the immediate short term."

Casarini, who is from near Bologna, studied political science at his hometown university before studying in Geneva and then at the London School of Economics, where he earned a doctorate.

His main specialization is China-Europe relations, and he has held senior positions at a number of leading institutions, including the European Union Institute for Security Studies in Paris, where he worked under Catherine Ashton, the EU's high representative for foreign affairs and security policy.

Two years ago, he joined the Institute of International Affairs, one of Italy's leading foreign policy think tanks, which was founded by Altiero Spinelli, a founding father of the European Union in the 1960s.

Casarini has written a number of books, including Remaking Global Order. The Evolution of Europe-China Relations and Its Implications for East Asia and the United States, which examines the state of the China-Europe relations.

He believes one of the major issues as far as the European Union is concerned is reciprocal access to China's markets. This was an issue raised at the EU-China summit in Beijing in June.

"To what extent China is prepared to open up to investment coming from Europe is one of the key questions. We have leading technology in a wide variety of areas, including high-speed rail," he says.

"This is one of the questions about Belt and Road. European companies want as much a part of infrastructure development in China as Chinese companies want to be in Europe."

One of the stress points of the euro is seen as the instability of Italian banks, which some suggest could see the country crashing out of the single currency.

Casarini does not expect Italians to vote for either a euro or EU exit, even if the populist Five Star Movement founded by veteran comedian and activist Beppe Grillo wins power in next year's general election.

"Like in France, you have growing sections of the population that are fed up with the European Union but in the end they still voted for (Emmanuel) Macron (new French president) and I would expect something similar in Italy, even if we have a Five Star Movement government."

He believes the UK, which voted to leave the EU last year, has always had a profoundly different attitude toward Europe.

"I spent five years in London doing my PhD and I don't think I ever saw a European Union flag. It was always a pragmatic relationship. They always had a lukewarm relationship with the continent and always looked more globally toward the United States, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and South Asia."

He believes there are many complex aspects to the possible future relationships between the EU, China and the UK, given that there is no existing China-EU trade treaty.

"If the UK and China reach a trade agreement on their own, will goods from China entering the UK be allowed to enter the EU also, even if there are differing regulations?" he asks.

Casarini believes that China will shift some of its investment away from the UK, despite the new "golden era" of relations, as a result of Brexit.

"You will see a reconfiguration of investment. Chinese company headquarters will be moved to other parts of Europe. Some of the clearing of the RMB will be moved from London, to places like Paris, Frankfurt and Luxembourg," he says.

"Over the next five to 10 years, I believe that the UK will be poorer not just in terms of investment but also in human capital, with many European professionals, including academics and doctors, leaving for the Continent."

andrewmoody@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily European Weekly 07/07/2017 page32)
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The Texas Supreme Court on Friday issued an order to suspend Harris County Justice of the Peace Hilary Green from office immediately based on allegations that she illegally abused prescription drugs, sent sexually explicit texts to a bailiff while on the bench and paid for sex.

The state supreme court had been asked to take the unusual emergency action by the State Commission on Judicial Conduct, which in May presented a 316-page document in support of an immediate suspension. That document summarized evidence it had collected in its own investigations of previously secret complaints made against Green from 2012 to 2015.

It's the first time any Texas judge has received a temporary suspension in at least a decade in a contested matter, the commission says.

The commission alleged that in its own closed proceedings, Green already had admitted to many allegations against her, including illegally obtaining prescription drugs and using marijuana and Ecstasy while she was presiding over low-level drug possession cases involving juveniles in her south Houston courtroom. As a justice of the peace for Harris County Precinct 7, Place 1, Green handles thousands of low-level criminal and civil matters a year, including traffic tickets and evictions.

In its one-page ruling, the supreme court agreed with the judicial conduct commission that the evidence, including Green's own admissions, justified her immediate removal as the state watchdog agency prepares for a longer civil trial that's required under Texas law to remove any elected judge from office.

Related: Complaints allege Justice of the Peace abused drugs, lied and paid for sex

Commission lawyers also argued in court filings that there are ample grounds to conclude that Green brought discredit upon the judiciary and should permanently be removed from office, including evidence that she used "her assigned bailiff in an effort to illegally obtain prescription drugs."

She's also been accused of lying about allegations that she abused her authority in eviction matters to favor a friend  a con man and five-time felon.

In her own filings to the state's highest court, Green complained that the commission practiced "assembly line justice" and treated her unfairly. She maintained she had stopped abusing prescription cough syrup about three years ago, and had provided evidence of having passed several recent drug-screening tests.

Green's attorney, Chip Babcock, argued against suspension, noting that voters had a chance to review and "forgive" misbehavior outlined in the commission's allegations, some of which were published in newspaper stories, before they opted last year to re-elect Green, a former trial attorney who first took office in 2007. She was previously elected in 2008 and 2012.

Related: Divorce turns ugly for Ronald Green and Hilary Harmon Green

But commission lawyers countered that Green had made behind-the-scenes efforts to ensure the "public has no right to see the very best evidence of the worst of her conduct  the excerpted text messages on file under seal (with the Supreme court) that show her illegal and inappropriate conduct in striking detail."

Green also has sought to discredit complaints based on information provided by her ex-husband and by a former extramarital lover.

Some of the evidence used against Green first surfaced in a contentious divorce filing by her ex-husband, Ronald Green, a former city councilman and ex-controller. A Chronicle story about allegations made in the divorce is the basis of one of the judicial misconduct complaints from 2015.

Another source of complaints against Green was Claude Barnes, a former boyfriend who Green accused in her supreme court filing of threatening to destroy her after their break-up.

Barnes provided details of Green's alleged drug abuse, detailing where and when she allegedly obtained and used prescription drugs and illegal drugs. He also has alleged that he and Green paid call girls for three-way sex, including on one occasion when Green was out of town attending a judicial conference.

Related: Ethics issues arise in rulings by justice of the peace

In 2012, the commission received complaints alleging that Green unethically ruled in eviction matters to help a five-time convicted felon. Green lied about her relationship with that ex-neighbor, a contractor who also renovated Green's home, in responses she provided under oath to the commission, according to the agency's supreme court filings.

The commission's next move will be to prepare for a trial to remove Green permanently from office. Under Texas law, another judge will be appointed to hear that case and ultimately will make findings of fact and conclusions of law on whether Green should be formally removed from office.

Babcock said Friday he learned of the high court's suspension order from the Chronicle and was surprised that there was no discussion in the order of any of the legal arguments he'd made on Green's behalf.

"The Supreme Court's order is very disappointing and it is surprising that on the face of the order it does not appear that they considered Judge Green's response to the request for temporary suspension," he said. "We are still looking into that issue and will determine what steps Judge Green takes when we have concluded our investigation."
On this date in ...

1917: Lillian Crotto, 16, who had gained infamy in Albany when she "eloped" with an Albany man who was later charged with kidnapping and rape while she gave birth to his child, was again at the center of a sordid affair. She alleged that she was the victim of an Italian white slavery ring after nearly being abducted in New York City by Ferdinando Crisafulli. Crisafulli claimed that he bought the girl directly from her mother.

1967: The premiere of the state lottery program did not meet expectations. While the State Department of Taxation and Finance and the Lottery Commission would not have final figures on the first month's sales for several days, a Times Union survey indicated lottery sales upstate were less than $4 million. The state, operating its first lottery in 134 years, went into the venture with expectations that the Empire State's residents and tourists would gamble $30 million a month or $360 million on the lottery annually.

1992: Was old TV the best TV? Some of the most entertaining prime time programming these days could be found on Nick at Nite, with its smorgasbord of classic shows. Now the nostalgic cable channel was moving beyond its 1960s-style programming to embrace classics of the '70s and '80s. Nick has acquired more than 650 hours of classic shows from the MTM Library. "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," which would be added to the lineup in September, would be joined by both Bob Newhart sitcoms, "Rhoda," "Phyllis," "WKRP in Cincinnati," "St. Elsewhere," "Hill Street Blues" and "The Betty White Show."

Want to read more about the Capital Region's past? Have any memories or thoughts about how our history relates to today's events? See http://blog.timesunion.com/history/
PALCO, Kan. - At his first town hall meeting since coming out against the Senate Republicans' health-care bill, Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan., wanted to make himself clear.

He didn't want legislation jammed through on a party-line vote, but he would "not necessarily" vote against it. He'd met people who "tell me they're better off" because the Affordable Care Act was passed, but he knew plenty of people were hurting, too.

"It's worthy of a national debate that includes legislative hearings," Moran said after the 90-minute event that brought 150 people to a town of 277. "It needs to be less politics and more policy."

Moran, the only Republican senator holding unscreened town halls on health care this week, revealed just how much his party is struggling to pass a bill - and even how to talk about it. The people who crowded in and around Palco's community center aimed to prove that there was no demand for a repeal of the ACA, even in the reddest parts of a deep red state.

That had taken some planning. Moran announced the Palco event with a full week's notice, and Kansas' pro-ACA groups mobilized to fill it. Planned Parenthood caravanned at least 20 people from the Kansas City suburbs, four and a half hours to the east; the city's chapters of Indivisible did the same. The American Association for Retired People and Alliance for Healthy Kansas made more calls, driving loyal voters to Palco.

The result was a polite but heated round of questions that Moran occasionally chose not to answer. When a 59-year old veteran named Jeff Zamrzla asked if it was time for "Medicare for all," Moran waited for applause to die down, then moved on to the topic of Medicaid funding. With a smile and a shrug, he told women in bright pink Planned Parenthood shirts that he wouldn't have an answer they liked.

"That was a win for Planned Parenthood patients," said Elise Higgins, 29, the regional director of organizing for Planned Parenthood Great Plains. "He didn't just talk about defunding."

Moran did the opposite, largely allowing skeptics of the Republican bill to frame the whole conversation. For all 90 minutes, a woman named Yaneth Poarch, 46, stood behind the senator holding a sign with caricatures of Republican leaders, and the warning "When you lose your health care, remember who took it away."

Neither security guards nor staff did anything to move her.

The setting made the dissent, and Moran's careful positioning, verge on surreal. Palco was in Kansas' rural Republican heartland, miles from Moran's hometown of Plainville. The visitors from eastern Kansas, and the local Democrats from nearby Hays, found themselves next to Moran's old roommate, some high school friends, and a physician. All of it took place in Rooks County, which gave the president a 73-point landslide over Hillary Clinton last year; Moran beat a token Democratic opponent by 79 points.

Until this year, the voters who cast those ballots had confidently favored repealing the ACA. Like Trump, Moran ran on "full repeal," claiming to be the first Republican member of Congress to do so.

"Obamacare was rammed through Congress on a purely partisan basis in the face of significant public opposition," Moran said in 2015 after the new Republican majority in the Senate passed a test vote on repeal. Moran had chaired the party's 2014 Senate campaign effort, making that majority possible.

On Thursday, Moran took another tone. He did not describe the task facing Republicans as repeal; it was "repair, replace, whatever language people are using." The heart of the problem was Medicaid, and while Gov. Sam Brownback, R-Kan., has vetoed plans to accept the ACA's Medicaid expansion.

Pressed by activists and voters, Moran said that he did not want to cut back Medicaid. "I have concern about people with disabilities, the frail and elderly," Moran said. "I also know that if we want health care in rural places and across Kansas, Medicare and Medicaid need to compensate for the services they provide."

After the town hall meeting, Moran told reporters the version of the GOP's bill that he opposed put too much of Medicaid at risk.

"Medicaid, except for the extension part of Medicaid, is not really a part of fixing the Affordable Care Act," he said. "So we've coupled two things, both of which are very difficult. Kansas is a place that's treated Medicaid payments very conservative. If there are people receiving those payments who don't deserve them, deal with that issue."

In Washington, and at the height of the Tea Party's activism in Kansas, it had been easy to find conservatives who could sell Medicaid cuts. None of that came out in Palco. Instead, Moran was stopped several times by disability rights advocates who worried that the GOP's bill would destroy their lifestyles.

"I am very worried about waivered services," said Mike Oxford, a 58-year old activist with the disability group ADAPT.

"Well, my concern with Medicaid is in significant part related to people with waivered services - and you're right," said Moran.

Oxford, who carried a sign reading "I am Medicaid," said he was comforted by the answer. "Here in Kansas, that would be the only place they could find money," he said. "The senator's right - we've been skinned down to zero."

But despite the thanks from people who wanted him to kill the Senate bill, Moran never ruled out a yes vote. Despite the Kansas Hospital Association's opposition to the bill, Moran said he had not found any hospitals that benefited from the ACA. Asked after the town hall whether he could vote for a repeal-and-delay plan - favored, in some interviews, by President Trump - Moran didn't rule it out.

"There'd be skepticism by many Americans because of how long it's taken," he said. "Can we come up with something in another year? Maybe, if that happened, there would be a desire on the part of all members of the United States Senate to find a replacement."

The desire wasn't there quiet yet, he said. "There are senators with genuine concerns about this legislation. More senators than are having town hall meetings," said Moran, who has two more town halls in western Kansas in coming days.
NEW DELHI -- Their meeting is likely to be all smiles and polite handshakes, as world leaders look on. But as Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping left for Friday's G-20 summit in Hamburg, tensions between the two rising Asian powers have escalated over a patch of disputed territory claimed by both China and the tiny Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan.

Border scuffles between India and China have simmered in the past, but analysts from both sides said the latest spat has the potential to spiral into conflict between the two nuclear-armed nations. So far, troops from the two countries, who are usually unarmed to avoid provocation, have engaged in what is known as "jostling," when soldiers attempt physically to push rivals back.

The standoff began at the end of June, while Modi was meeting President Donald Trump, prompting some Indian analysts to wonder if the timing had anything to do with China's disdain for India's increasingly close ties to the United States.

"The Chinese are making their unhappiness clear on India and America's relationship," said Sameer Patil, director at an India-based foreign policy think tank called Gateway House.

The dispute started after Chinese construction trucks, accompanied by soldiers, rolled south in the disputed region of Doklam to build a road. India and Bhutan consider the region to be Bhutanese territory; China claims the land as its own. The countries disagree on the exact location of the "tri-junction," where the three borders meet.

The argument bears some of the hallmarks of China's efforts to fortify islands in the disputed South China Sea, where it has riled both the Philippines and Vietnam and risked confrontation with the U.S. Navy.

India and Bhutan have traditionally been close allies; India often provides the small country with financial and military assistance. It was the first country Modi visited after being elected.

Indian analysts say China's move in Doklam threatens a narrow sliver of strategically important land, known as the chicken's neck, which connects central India to its remote northeast. In response to what it believed was extraterritorial Chinese road-building, New Delhi sent reinforcements supporting Bhutan -- according to ex-Indian army officals, at Bhutan's request.

Chinese officials say that India's intervention amounted to a provocation, violating an 1890 treaty with Great Britain that appears to grant China access to the region. According to Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang, the pact was affirmed by Indian leaders after independence.

"As to the boundary negotiation between China and Bhutan," he said Wednesday, "we have repeatedly stated that Doklam has always been part of China's territory and under China's effective jurisdiction without disputes."

The government's messages were bolstered by stern statements in China's state-run press. The Global Times newspaper printed a furious editorial warning India of China's military might. "The Indian military can choose to return to its territory with dignity, or be kicked out of the area by Chinese soldiers," it read.

Wang Dehua, from the Shanghai Municipal Center for International Studies, said, "By continuing to increase deployment of troops at the border India once again underestimates China's capability and determination to safeguard its territory. It also fails to estimate the cost of confrontation."

Hopes for a discussion between Modi and Xi on the Doklam dispute on the sidelines of the G-20 summit were scuppered after Indian media reported the government had not requested a one-on-one meeting. Instead, Xi and Modi will meet among leaders from other G-20 countries, to discuss various international issues.

"China has taken a very stubborn attitude, and there is little appetite in India to accommodate China's behavior," said Patil.

Modi had come into office with high hopes of building Sino-Indian relations; experts say he was the most pro-China prime minister since independence. Xi net Modi in India in 2014 shortly after he was elected, in the first visit by a Chinese leader in eight years.

Instead, the two nations have become increasingly suspicious of one another. During Modi's recent visit to the United States, a deal was struck to buy surveillance drones that could be used to monitor Chinese naval activity in the Indian Ocean. In April, China fulminated over the Dalai Lama's tour of Arunachal Pradesh in northeast India, known in China as south Tibet. (China considers the Dalai Lama an opponent and a separatist whose power threatens its control over Tibet.)

India also refused to join China's "One Belt One Road" program, a massive infrastructure project involving 70 countries aimed at reviving old Silk Road trade routes. Plans include an improved connection between China and Pakistan, and would allow Pakistan access to other countries in Central Asia.

China on the other hand blocked efforts to designate a Pakistan-based militant outfit, Jaish-e-Mohammed, as a terrorist organization. It has also stood in the way of India's bid for membership in the Nuclear Suppliers Group, an organization of countries that supply - and control - the export of nuclear materials, equipment and technology.

China has billions of dollars in investment deals with Sri Lanka and Nepal, and this year took part in a joint militarty training exercise with the Nepalese. India considers both neighbors to be allies.

"I think the root cause is that the Chinese feel that their moment has arrived and that they do not need to accommodate Indian interests in any way, given the huge power differential in their favor," said India expert Ashley Tellis, senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. "Chinese suspicion that India was casting its lot entirely with the United States has only intensified Beijing's determination to be even less accommodative towards New Delhi."

Politically, neither Modi nor Xi can be seen to be giving in to the other's demands. Modi's nationalist government has insisted upon maintaining the integrity of Indian borders, banning maps and representations of disputed regions in the north. Xi, too, cannot be seen to be relenting to what the Global Times called "unruly provocations" from India, as he prepares to face a Chinese Communist Party conference in the fall.

---

Denyer reported from Beijing.
WASHINGTON - A man who was shot and wounded by a District of Columbia police officer Wednesday night in the Park View neighborhood of Northwest Washington raised a handgun toward the officer who fired, authorities said in a statement.

The man, identified as Kenneth Burley, 28, of Southeast, was taken to a hospital. Police said his injuries did not appear to be life-threatening.
A Russian-born hacker who took over half a million computers and stole tens of thousands of credit card numbers was sentenced Friday to nine years in prison.

Alexander Tverdokhlebov, 29, said in Alexandria, Virginia, federal court Friday that he would "try to redeem myself."

The Russian-born U.S. citizen spent almost a decade in Russian Internet forums where hackers form alliances and sell software and stolen information. To join, he had to get a current member to vouch for his criminal bona fides, prosecutors said.

Over the years, Tverdokhlebov put up for sale at least 40,000 stolen credit cards and control of 500,000 private computers through malicious software. He also hired two Russian students studying in the United States to cash out funds from a compromised bank account. He stole sensitive financial information from at least 100 people, prosecutors said.

Tverdokhlebov took in about a million dollars in wire transfers from Russia and China. His bitcoin funds, which he has agreed to forfeit to the government, are now worth about $4.5 million.

He was arrested in California in February and pleaded guilty in March.

Before his arrest he lived a lavish life in Los Angeles, prosecutors said, taking expensive vacations and driving a BMW. He kept $272,000 in various safeboxes in L.A. and Las Vegas for a "rainy day."

In court, Tverdokhlebov struggled to explain his actions.

"I had all the skills and all the resources to live the same lifestyle legally," he said.

In a court filing, defense attorney William Cummings noted that his client was a regular user of marijuana, cocaine and alcohol.

"You're a talented young man,' Judge T.S. Ellis said after sentencing Tverdokhlebov to 110 months in prison. "You never thought that you would be caught."

Cummings, who had asked for a lighter sentence, said he understood the judge's decision given the amount of money involved. But he said he believed his client truly had "turned the corner."

In fact, just before sentencing Tverdokhlebov told prosecutors that he should be handing over more illicit profits than they had demanded.
Federal and Alameda County arson investigators were among those trying to determine the cause of a huge blaze that destroyed a seven-story building under construction in Oakland on Friday, displacing 700 nearby residents and leading one City Council member to suggest the fire was deliberately set.

No one was injured in the predawn inferno that sent flames and smoke high above the area of downtown Oakland previously known as Auto Row.

A tall construction crane that had apparently been damaged in the fire and was swiveling out of control and in danger of collapsing caused fire officials to order the evacuation of nearby residents, many of whom were planning to spend Friday night in an emergency shelter nine blocks away.

The blaze at the Alta Waverly mixed-use building at 23rd and Valdez streets happened less than two months after an arson fire destroyed a similar development of apartments and retail space just across the Oakland border in Emeryville for the second time in a year.

Burning down housing doesnt help make #Oak housing more affordable. It only speeds up displacement of existing residents, tweeted Councilman Abel Guillen, who declined to elaborate.

Other officials, while clearly frustrated, said firefighters needed time to conduct their investigation. The Alameda County Arson Task Force and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives teamed with Oakland fire investigators to search for what caused the blaze even as firefighters were still putting out hot spots at the scene.

Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf said the fact that recent nearby fires had been determined to be deliberately set was disconcerting.

Oakland is in the middle of a housing crisis, and the loss of these valuable units only exacerbates it, said Schaaf.

The fire broke out about 4:30 a.m. and was knocked down about three hours later, said acting Fire Chief Darin White. The high plume of smoke was clearly visible in San Francisco. White said it was too early to say what caused the fire.

While not commenting on a possible cause, Schaaf said the city would reach out to developers to make sure they have surveillance cameras and security guards keeping watch over their construction sites. She also advised the public to be vigilant and immediately report suspicious activity around such building projects.

Councilman Noel Gallo, who represents East Oakland, cautioned against early speculation on a cause.

I think more security is definitely coming, not just cameras but people guarding buildings, Gallo said.

Portions of the building at 2302 Valdez St. could be seen separating from the structure and falling to the ground as the fire raged. Firefighters arrived at the scene within five minutes of the initial report and were confronted by flames on the roof that were spreading rapidly, White said. He said a substantial amount of flames were billowing from the center of the building.

The swiveling crane, apparently moved by heat generated by the fire, caused firefighters to retreat and to employ a drone to inspect the condition of the apparatus from above.

Concerned about the stability of the crane, fire officials set up barricades around the site and will not allow even arson investigators to begin work at the scene until the crane is dismantled. Deputy Chief Erik Logan said that would probably happen over the weekend.

White said hundreds of people living in surrounding buildings, including a 22-story apartment house, were evacuated. He said some neighboring buildings were damaged by the high heat, smoke and water.

At least 80 firefighters battled the blaze. Firefighters from Berkeley, Albany and Alameda County responded to help.

Federal and county investigators were called in to hunt for clues after two fires at a $35 million mixed-use project under construction in neighboring Emeryville, the most recent one on May 13. Investigators concluded that blaze was arson and released grainy surveillance camera photographs of a man riding a bicycle near the seven-story residential and business development.

White said similar surveillance cameras were present in the area of Fridays fire.

Within hours of the first alarm, an evacuation center was set up at Christ the Light Cathedral at 2121 Harrison St., and an overnight shelter was open at the St. Vincent de Paul facility at San Pablo and Grand avenues. About 10 displaced people asked to stay at the shelter, others were staying with relatives.

In the chaos, nearby residents in pajamas and bathrobes stood on street corners, brushing ash from their hair and gazing at flames licking up the side of the building.

I was scared, said Mout Khamphou, 50, who was sitting in her car getting ready to go to work when she saw smoke coming from the building next door.

She said she drove away, thinking the fire wasnt bad. But then she turned around and went back to find the fire burning out of control.

I called my husband and I said, I saw the fire start. You have to be careful and get ready to get out. He called me and said, Oh honey, the fire started getting worse, and he asked where my passport and papers are. I was crying a lot, I worried.

Samantha Pham, 55, who lives in an apartment building next door to the construction site with her husband and 14-year-old son, managed to get out with her family and dog. Left behind were all their belongings.

What are we going to do? Im just sad. I dont know where were going to sleep tonight, she said. Where are we going to live?

According to a project website, the building known as Alta Waverly  set to be completed next spring  was to include 196 market-rate apartments and up to 31,500 square feet of retail, with parking for residents in an underground garage. The building was designed by the Oakland architectural firm Pyatok for the Wood Partners development firm.

Were still gathering facts, but there are no reports of any injuries and thats the most important thing, said Joseph Keough, the CEO of Wood Partners, based in Atlanta.

The building was part of the Broadway Valdez Specific Plan district, an area designated by the city in 2014 where developers can get speedier approval for projects if they meet certain mixed-use requirements.

A 22-year-old construction worker on the project was staying at a nearby hotel when one of his co-workers got a text from his mother alerting them to the fire. The worker, who asked that his name not be used, said, What are the chances. Its just unbelievable. Its the first big project Ive been on, and it just caught fire. My tools are inside and theyre all probably gone.

San Francisco Chronicle staff writer Deb Wandell contributed to this report.

Kimberly Veklerov, Sarah Ravani, Hamed Aleaziz and Steve Rubenstein are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: sravani@sfchronicle.com, kveklerov@sfchronicle.com, haleaziz@sfchronicle.com, srubenstein@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @Haleaziz @SarRavani, @KVeklerov, @SteveRubeSF
WASHINGTON - Special Counsel Robert Mueller has turned in a proposed budget to the Justice Department, but officials declined to make the document public and committed only to releasing reports of the team's expenditures every six months.

That means the public won't get a window into how much money Mueller thinks he will need to spend, though he will provide information on what he is spending. The first report will come some time after Sept. 30, said Peter Carr, a spokesman for the special counsel's office.

Mueller is less than two months into his investigation of possible coordination between Donald Trump's campaign and the Russian government to influence the 2016 election, and Mueller's every move has come under scrutiny. President Trump has decried the probe as a "witch hunt," and he and his supporters have raised questions about whether Mueller and his hires can be impartial.

A Justice Department spokesman declined to comment.

Carr said Mueller has hired 16 lawyers to work with him. Together, the team is a formidable collection of legal talent with experience prosecuting national security, fraud and public corruption cases, arguing matters before the Supreme Court and assessing complicated legal questions.

Trump and his allies have pointed out that many are Democratic donors.

Seven special counsel team members have donated to Democratic campaigns - five of those to Hillary Clinton's - and their giving totals nearly $53,000, according to Federal Election Commission records. The others have not donated at all, the records show.

The special counsel's budget also could become a source of contention. Shortly before Mueller was appointed, Trump seemed to express disdain that tax dollars were being spent on the Russia investigation, writing on Twitter, "The Russia-Trump collusion story is a total hoax, when will this taxpayer funded charade end?" He will likely soon have specific dollar figures to pair with his tweets.

The regulation under which Mueller was appointed does not detail how the special counsel must disclose expenses to the public. It requires only that Mueller "be provided all appropriate resources by the Department of Justice," that he submit a proposed budget within his first 60 days and that he make a budget request 90 days before the start of the fiscal year.

When Patrick Fitzgerald, at the time a U.S. attorney, was appointed as special counsel to investigate the leak of the identity of CIA Officer Valerie Plame, the U.S. Government Accountability Office audited his expenditure statements every six months and released them publicly.
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The fire that consumed an apartment and retail complex being built near downtown Oakland on Friday wasnt the first to rip through a half-finished housing development in the area in recent years. It was the fifth.

While the cause of the latest blaze is not known, all four of the previous fires  including two at one site on the Oakland-Emeryville border  have been ruled arson by the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, said agency spokeswoman Alexandria Corneiro.

One of the four previous fires, which broke out at a development just east of Lake Merritt last October, was publicly identified as arson by Corneiro for the first time late Friday.

That has prompted concern among city leaders coping with a housing shortage, as well as developers who have responded by beefing up security at construction sites and residents shocked by images of flames and billowing smoke. All want answers, but there have been no arrests.

The previous arsons, according to the ATF, to hit projects under development:

The Intersection

A $35 million mixed-use project called the Intersection under construction in downtown Emeryville, on the Oakland border, has burned twice in the past year in fires that were so big they damaged nearby homes and businesses. The ATFs Corneiro said Friday that both cases were confirmed as arson.

After the latest blaze, on May 13, investigators released grainy images of a man in a sweatshirt riding a bicycle and wearing a backpack in the middle of the night near the seven-story complex, which is located on the 3800 block of San Pablo Avenue. A similar fire struck the project last July, and the second fire happened despite armed guards and surveillance cameras.

There were no injuries in the fires, which occurred when the complex was roughly half-built. A $100,000 reward is being offered for information that leads to the conviction of an arsonist. The Intersection is set to be built again, offering 105 residential units and 21,000 square feet of retail space.

The developer, Rick Holliday of Holliday Development, has told The Chronicle the fires were an attack on housing. The ATF has not commented on a possible motive.

Lester Avenue project

A massive fire Oct. 31 gutted a three-story apartment complex under construction east of Oaklands Lake Merritt. The fire was reported around 5 a.m. and quickly spread through the unfinished 41-unit building on the 300 block of Lester Avenue.

Corneiro said the cause was considered arson by ATF investigators, but she would not elaborate or specify whether the agency had identified possible suspects.

The owner, who has not responded to requests for comment, was sued in 2015 by former tenants who claimed he drove them out to make way for the new complex, ignoring a rodent infestation and allowing construction workers to tap into their electricity, causing sky-high utility bills.

Red Star

On June 14, 2012, a blaze that authorities said was deliberately set tore through a construction site for the Red Star senior housing complex near the West Oakland BART Station, shutting down BART service for 12 hours and causing an estimated $25 million in damage. The project at Fifth Street and Mandela Parkway has not been rebuilt.

Federal investigators said they found where the fire started and how it began , but would not reveal what evidence led to their finding. A security guard, though, reported he had been forced to run from the site after being threatened by three young men shortly before the building went up in flames.

Laura Zaner, a spokeswoman for property owner the Michaels Organization, said Friday the company had given up on developing the project and was shopping for a buyer. She said the company was devastated by the fire, which halted the building of affordable housing units for senior citizens.

The complex was about two months from opening when it burned down, she said.

Michael Bodley is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: mbodley@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @michael_bodley
Russian readers are able to get more information about China by reading New Dialogue China Economy Special, a new magazine launched on Wednesday at the Peace Conference Center in Moscow.

The magazine is produced under the cooperation of Economic Daily from China and Russian newspaper Izvestia.

The magazine will be published every two months, and showcase the development of China's economic and financial activities, and traditional culture, said Qian Zhu, Chinese director of the publication.

Zhang Xiaoying, publisher of Economic Daily, said the magazine prints lots of interesting stories about cooperation between the neighboring countries, and it is a lively footnote to the China-Russia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership of Coordination.

Some cultural exhibitions, such as a photography exhibition and tea culture exhibition, were held during the launch ceremony, which attracted many Russians.

"The launch of New Dialogue China Economy Special is yet another strong voice for China-Russia media cooperation, and reflects the high level of bilateral relations," said Li Hui, China's ambassador to Russia.

Li said this year is the 60th anniversary of the establishment of the China-Russia Friendship Committee for Peace and Development, and the last of two years of China-Russia media exchanges.

Andrei Denisov, Russian ambassador to China, said both Economic Daily and Izvestia are mainstream newspapers with great influence in their respective countries, and their cooperation is in the interests of the two nations.

renqi@chinadaily.com.cn

Women look at traditional Chinese bowls at an exhibition at the launch of New Dialogue China Economy Special magazine in Moscow, Russia, on Wednesday.Ren Qi / China Daily

(China Daily 07/07/2017 page4)
NEW YORK - The man who ambushed a New York officer in a parked police vehicle earlier this week, gunning her down with a shot to the head, had been acting erratically in recent weeks and was "paranoid the police were following him," an official said Thursday.

Alexander Bonds' behavior had become so worrisome that his girlfriend called 911 in the hours before police say he shot and killed officer Miosotis Familia in the Bronx. But Bonds kept ducking out of sight, eventually reemerging to use a stolen gun, said New York Police Department Chief of Detectives Robert Boyce.

The grim account contributed to the emerging picture of Bonds, who had sprinkled his Facebook page with news stories and commentary about police misconduct.

For some, the portrait brought to mind similar ambushes that police say have been carried out by men who raged against police officers - including the gunman who killed five law enforcement officers in Dallas one year ago Friday.

"Make no mistake about it: Officer Familia is dead because of one reason and one reason only," New York City Police Commissioner James O'Neill at a briefing Thursday. "And that's Alexander Bonds and his hatred of police."

The recent killings of law enforcement officers mark an uptick in line-of-duty deaths. Familia is among 24 officers fatally shot this year, up from 22 at the same point in 2016, according to the National Law Enforcement Memorial Fund, a nonprofit that tracks line-of-duty deaths. Four of those killings were ambush attacks, the group said.

Last year, there were 64 officers killed in shootings, up from 41 fatal shootings a year earlier and accounting for nearly half of all line-of-duty deaths nationwide.

Overall, law enforcement line-of-duty deaths have declined since the 1970s.

"These incidents are not new," William Bratton, a former New York police commissioner, said in an interview Thursday. "They have always been a part of policing. . . . But when they do occur they attract an enormous amount of attention."

Familia's death reverberated far beyond the quiet Bronx community where she lived, sending a chill through law enforcement officials in the city and across the country.

On Thursday afternoon, politicians and public figures walked in and out of the brick apartment building where Familia lived with her twins, mother and a cat. Neighbors said they often saw the single mother at the playground across the street with her two youngest children. She also has a 20-year-old daughter, according to O'Neill.

Just after 11 a.m. Thursday, the 12-year-old twins emerged with several relatives and piled into a waiting NYPD van near the curb. A family friend explained they have business to attend to - the grim after work of a family death.

Patrick Lynch, president of the Patrolmen's Benevolent Association, called Familia "a brave officer who just went out to do a day's work in uniform, her job like so many others."

"Unfortunately a vicious mad man took her life," he said. "That's a terrifying possibility every officer faces each day. But on days like this becomes painfully real."

Familia was a 12-year veteran of the police department. Neighbors said they rarely saw her in her uniform, but Hector Payan, whose brother lives not far from Familia's building, said Familia had talked about the meaning she found in her work of keeping people safe.

"She told me it was amazing work and I think around here, we appreciated it and I hope she knew that because that was a good lady," he said. "She was really a part of this neighborhood."

Familia was killed as she sat in a NYPD mobile command post just two miles from her home. Friends of Bonds said that he was a good person, but described him as troubled and shaken by his time in prison.

"He had to come back just really depressed about what happened to him," said Karl Nemeth, a friend of Bonds who served with him during his sentencing at Attica Correctional Facility in Attica, N.Y.

Bonds served seven years for robbery and was released on parole in May 2013.

"You could tell it had broken him down," Nemeth said of Bonds' time behind bars.

Over the two weeks before the shooting, Bonds had become paranoid that police and emergency medical services personnel were following him, Boyce said. On July 1, Bonds's girlfriend took him to a hospital for psychiatric treatment, but he was released not long after.

Boyce said police found several bottles of medications inside Bonds's home, including antipsychotic drugs and antidepressants. A law enforcement official told The Post on Thursday that it did not appear Bonds was taking the medication at the time of the shooting.

In a video posted to Bonds's Facebook page in September, he says, "I'm not playing, Mister Officer. I don't care about a hundred police watching this s---. You see this face. You see this face or anything, leave it alone. Trust and believe."

Some said the overall public mood toward police appeared to have improved recently, while others such as Bratton pointed to the gunman's mental-health issues - and his access to a gun that police say was reported stolen in West Virginia in 2012.

"You put guns and mental health together and it's a combustible mixture," said Chuck Wexler, executive director of the Police Executive Research Forum, who regularly works with departments.

Yuseff Hamm, the president of the NYPD Guardians, a union of black NYPD officers, said many of his members are not harboring fear that they will be attacked, rather they are carrying anger that the relationship between police and some neighborhoods are so deeply deteriorated.

"As police officers, we face fear every day when we suit up and go protect the public," Hamm said. "This doesn't create additional fear. It's anger. It's like: you're targeting someone because of the uniform that they're wearing, not because they've done something to you."

- - -

The Washington Post's Emma Ockerman, Wesley Lowery and Julie Tate contributed to this report.
HAMBURG, Germany - Protesters torched cars and blocked roads Friday as German authorities called in reinforcements to try to control running street battles while leaders of the world's biggest economies met for talks.

Rallying against global capitalism, protesters played a game of cat-and-mouse with riot police, trying to shut down major streets and disrupt the first day of the Group of 20 summit.

By midnight, Schanzenviertel, a center of the city's left-wing activism, had become a battlefield, where about 1,500 militant protesters had set up barricades, smashed store windows and lit fires in the streets. Special forces carrying firearms were trying to clear the area, as authorities shut down some of the surrounding train stations. Police said heavily disguised protesters were attacking officers and throwing molotov cocktails.

Across Hamburg, smoke billowed from cars set ablaze. Armored police vehicles fanned out across the city, and helicopters patrolled. At least 196 officers - and many protesters - were reported injured since clashes began late Thursday, and about 100 protesters had been arrested, police said Friday evening.

Both numbers were expected to rise, as tussles continued late into the evening. Protesters persisted in their attempt to seize intersections and other public spaces after beginning the day by trying to penetrate a broad police cordon clearing traffic along routes linking the summit venue to the airport and hotels.

"The G-20 says it stands for 80 percent of the world, or the world economy," said Jana Schneider, 26, a criminology student in Hamburg. "Well, not me."

One street blockade caused first lady Melania Trump to miss an event with the spouses of other world leaders. President Donald Trump was the target of many protests.

Hamburg police called in reinforcements from across the country to join 20,000 officers already deployed. Forty-five water cannons were available to disperse crowds, and a no-fly zone was in place over portions of the city.

Crowds were expected to receive a high-profile boost after New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said he would join a major rally planned for Saturday.

The discord has produced an anguished debate, unfolding on the sidelines of the summit, about security and free expression, in a port city that, for a thousand years, has connected northern Europe to the far reaches of the globe. Its trademark openness is being tested as protesters - who could number as many as 100,000 by Saturday - turned the old merchant city into a site of a global contest over capitalism and environmental degradation, among many concerns.

Past summits have drawn similar demonstrations. But this year's protest has targeted a triad of divisive figures: Russia's Vladimir Putin, Turkey's Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Trump.

They are among the foreign leaders being hosted by German Chancellor Angela Merkel at a downtown conference center and the lofty Elbphilharmonie concert hall, a crown jewel of the city, which is among the country's most affluent and yet burdened by an unemployment rate higher than the national average.

"This week is about Angela Merkel's austerity policy going global via G-20," said Jan van Aken, a member of the German Parliament from the far-left Die Linke party.

He accused the German government of seeking to suppress protest, saying its approach was autocratic and would "make Erdogan, Putin and Trump feel at home here."

The government is sensitive to this point. Merkel appealed for calm, saying on Friday that she respected "peaceful demonstrations" but considered violence "unacceptable."

"The main issue is that the summit is again, after Brisbane, in a democracy," said Wolfgang Schmidt, a Hamburg politician involved in summit planning. Summits in Turkey and China followed the 2014 meeting in Australia. "You want to make sure that protest and dissenting views are heard, but you also need to maintain security, and with 42 highly protected heads of state and finance and foreign ministers, it's a challenge."

Tensions boiled over Thursday near Hamburg's harbor, as police tried to isolate a group of "black bloc" activists - known for their anarchist sympathies and for concealing their faces - from more than 10,000 protesters gathered for a "Welcome to Hell" demonstration.

"The police behaved very badly last night," said Christian Buettner, 33, as he sat with other protesters blocking access to a bridge.

Some of the protesters played cards and drank iced tea. Elke Steven, who was monitoring the police response for a legal watchdog group, said police continued on Friday to turn too quickly to force. An officer deployed from Cologne said she sympathized with some of the activists' complaints - but not their unwillingness to obey warnings to clear the streets.

Meanwhile, authorities defended their policing tactics. Hamburg's interior senator, Andy Grote, told reporters that the amount of "criminal energy and the potential for violence" among protesters had been "shocking."

But the approach of many protesters made for a stark contrast with scenes of looting and rioting in pockets of the city.

Rather than being dragged from an intersection that police were trying to clear, Mona Jostem, 26, chose to leave of her own accord. "I'm not protesting the police," she said. "But if we can delay the meetings or disrupt them in some way, maybe we can make them feel how fed up we are."

Michael Steiger, 52, said he sympathized with the officers. But he said they would be wise to remember Germany's history of political dissent - on issues as diverse as nuclear power and reunification - and the dangers of the state's use of force against its own citizens.

"I understand they have to do it," said Steiger, who works with the Boy Scouts in Greifswald, in northeastern Germany, in an effort to engage young people in the struggle against racism. He was born in Hamburg but moved east several years after reunification to join in advocacy work.

"For years now, Germany has proudly allowed protest, after great repression," he said. "Why stop now that the world is watching?"
Gov. Gregg Abbott has called a special session of the Texas Legislature to begin July 18. He has placed several things on the 30-day agenda with one of the top priorities being tax relief. Gov. Abbott recently sent out a campaign email that stated, Texans are being crushed by property taxes. No government should be able to tax people out of their homes. Join the fight to reform property taxes in Texas. Now that sounds like something we can all get behind!

Heres the problem . . . the Governor who made that statement also signed into law Senate Bill 1 which is the States budget for the next two years. That bill requires that, Property values, and the estimates of local tax collections on which they are based, shall by increased by 7.04 percent for tax year 2017 and by 6.77 percent for tax year 2018. This increase in local property evaluations, totaling 13.81 percent over two years, was mandated to balance the state budget without new state funds for schools. The budget also made cuts to the level of state funding to counties for indigent defense and indigent health care. Because these services are mandated by law, counties will have to increase their expenditures to cover the state cuts.

So, are the citizens of Texas being overtaxed, and if so, why? Texas ranks 46th in total state and local taxation but we depend heavily on property taxes to support our local education system and local services provided by cities and counties. Fifty-six percent of the property taxes levied in Texas support the local schools, 28 percent are levied by cities with county taxes representing only 16 percent of the total. The governor and lieutenant governor would have you believe that greedy cities and counties are to blame for high property taxes. Most county expenditures are mandated by the state legislature for indigent defense, indigent health care, jails, courts and other state responsibilities. The lions share of property taxes go to the schools.

School finance has been a hot button issue in Texas for many years. The state of Texas continues to shirk its duty to adequately fund education. In 2006, the state funded 45 percent of the cost of schools with local districts also providing 45 percent with 10 percent coming from federal funds. Since 2006, the state of Texas has failed to keep pace with rising costs and now funds only 38 percent of the education bill while local districts must shoulder 52 percent of the costs. The reduced funding by the state represents $339 per student per year. This new round of mandated increases will make that disparity grow wider.

How did we get here? Texas Association of Counties General Counsel, Jim Allison very articulately summed up the situation recently. And I quote, Since Texas entered the USA by treaty as a separate nation, we were able to retain our public lands and dedicate them in our constitution to support education. For many years, the Permanent Education Fund carried most of the public education load. As our population increased, education became more costly and revenues from the state lands and investments declined. Rather than commit additional funding from the state, the legislature has required local property taxes be increased to meet the public school funding formula, while hiding behind the appraisal process. Since enrollment increases by over 80,000 students per year, more local taxes are required each year that the state fails to fund its share. We are headed for a train wreck and Lt. Gov. Patrick and Gov. Abbott are looking for a scapegoat, rather than solutions.

In the regular session of the legislature, Lt. Gov. Patrick championed the passing of Senate Bill 2 with support from Gov. Abbott and also our Senator, Charles Perry. This bill would require an automatic rollback election if a city or county raised taxes 5 percent or more. This was their proposed solution to rising property taxes. Remember, these are the same guys who mandated a 13.81 percent increase in property evaluations over the next two years to fund schools and passed a budget cutting state spending for indigent health care and indigent defense which will have to be funded by counties.

Senate Bill 2 failed by a large margin in the House of Representatives. Our representatives proposed House Joint Resolution 73 which would truly address property tax reform by placing a constitutional amendment on the next ballot to eliminate unfunded mandates and force the state to provide funding for programs they mandate to local jurisdictions. Lt. Gov. Patrick let this bill die by preventing it from coming to a vote in the senate.

In a public back and forth about this issue House Speaker Joe Straus pointed out to Lt. Gov. Patrick that House Bill 21 addressed the major cause of rising property-tax bills, which is local school taxes. In a written statement Speaker Straus stated, As it passed the House, this legislation would begin to reduce our reliance on local property taxes in funding education. Nobody can claim to be serious about property-tax relief while consistently reducing the states share of education funding.

I can assure you the Commissioners of Hale County are all about keeping property taxes in check. Since I have been in office we have only raised taxes one time. We raised the tax rate last year by 1.58 percent to return the rate to what it was in 2008 when the commissioners rolled the rate back. Of the 38 counties in the Panhandle, Hale Countys rate of $0.5079 is well under the average rate of $0.5906 per $100 of evaluation.

The bill imposing property tax caps on the city and county will be at the forefront of the special session. Gov. Abbott and Lt. Gov. Patrick are adamant about protecting you from higher taxes, or so they claim. Now you have the facts and you can make up your own mind about who is trying to force local property taxes to increase. Are the governor and lieutenant governor really concerned about your tax bill or is this a political shell game?

It is obvious to me that more funding is required to educate our young people. If state leaders refuse to carry their share of the burden, then the local folks will have to. I never like to point out a problem without suggesting a solution. It seems to me the solution is relatively simple. The revenue needed to support our local schools could easily and painlessly be raised by a moderate increase in sales tax. The mechanism for collection of sales tax is already in place and the state would not have to create a new agency to implement collections. In my opinion, it is the fairest of all taxes. Everyone has to pay, even those folks who operate in a cash only underground economy.

However you feel about this situation, please dont just sit back and remain silent. I challenge you to contact Senator Charles Perry and Representative Ken King and let your voice be heard! Contact information can be found at Texas Legislature Online, or go to www.capitol.state.tx.us.
Washington

A pre-emptive military strike may be among the "pretty severe things" President Donald Trump says he is considering for North Korea, but it's a step so fraught with risk that it ranks as among the unlikeliest options.

Even a so-called surgical strike aimed at the North's partially hidden nuclear and missile force is unlikely to destroy the arsenal or stop its leader, Kim Jong Un, from swiftly retaliating with long-range artillery that could kill stunning numbers in South Korea within minutes. An all-out conflict could then ensue.

And while Trump's Pentagon chief, Jim Mattis, says the U.S. would prevail, he believes it would be "a catastrophic war."

In Poland on Thursday, Trump said the time has arrived to confront North Korea.

"I don't like to talk about what I have planned, but I have some pretty severe things that we're thinking about," the president said. "That doesn't mean we're going to do them."

Trump didn't mention which "severe" options he is weighing following North Korea's July 4 test-launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile.

The administration has been reviewing its overall North Korea policy for months, having declared earlier attempts at "strategic patience" with the North to have failed. The administration has spoken about starving North Korea of cash for its nuclear program and getting other countries to add diplomatic and economic pressure.

But Trump and his aides have not ruled out the possibility of war with an adversary that is openly defying U.N. Security Council resolutions and threatening the United States.

"It's a shame that they're behaving this way," Trump said, "but they are behaving in a very, very dangerous manner and something will have to be done about it."

Trump was referring to North Korea's test-launch Tuesday of an unarmed ballistic missile that for the first time demonstrated the range needed to reach U.S. soil.

The ICBM was launched on a lofted trajectory so that it fell short of Japan. U.S. analysts calculated that if it is launched on a standard attack trajectory, the missile could reach Alaska. With further testing, they say, North Korea will achieve even longer ranges.

The missile launch created a new reality for the U.S. and its South Korean and Japanese allies, which are in range of the North's missiles.

With a population of more than 20 million, Seoul is in easy range of North Korea's artillery guns north of the Demilitarized Zone that forms a buffer between North and South. Japan could also be a target.

Beyond the nuclear threat, the North also is believed to have chemical and biological weapons.
Warsaw

President Donald Trump said Thursday that Western civilization was at risk of decline, bringing a message about "radical Islamic terrorism" and "the creep of government bureaucracy" to the one European capital he views as most hospitable to his nationalist message.

Trump, who broke with tradition by attacking U.S. leaders and institutions while abroad, delivered his message in a speech to a friendly Polish crowd before a two-day summit meeting of Group of 20 leaders in Germany. Hours later, he flew to the German city of Hamburg, where he held a low-key private meeting with Chancellor Angela Merkel, who perhaps best symbolizes the deep skepticism shared by Western leaders toward Trump's persona and his policies, ranging from addressing climate change to confronting Russia.

Trump roused his Polish hosts by recounting the country's history of resistance to invaders, including Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union.

But he said nothing about the right-wing government's crackdown on judges and journalists and its refusal to accept more migrants, policies that have upset European Union leaders. He instead praised Poland as a defender of liberty in the face of existential threats.

"The fundamental question of our time is whether the West has the will to survive," he said. "Do we have the confidence in our values to defend them at any cost? Do we have enough respect for our citizens to protect our borders? Do we have the desire and the courage to preserve our civilization in the face of those who would subvert and destroy it?"

Pressed at a news conference earlier in the day about Russian interference in the U.S. election, he said that "nobody really knows" if other countries might have been involved. He blamed President Barack Obama for not responding publicly after Obama learned about reports of possible election meddling last summer.

Trump  who is under pressure to confront Putin during their first face-to-face meeting Friday in Hamburg over his attempts to sway the election  delivered a mixed message on Russia, one tailored for his Polish audience, the other straight out of his Putin playbook.

The president made his sharpest criticism of Moscow since taking office, urging Russia to "cease its destabilizing activities in Ukraine and elsewhere and its support for hostile regimes, including Syria and Iran," and asserting that it must "instead join the community of responsible nations in our fight against common enemies and in defense of civilization itself."

And Trump moved to reassure Poland and other allies fretful about Russia's aggression, making a full-throated endorsement of the collective defense principle that undergirds NATO, something he was unwilling to do during his first trip to Europe in May.

"The United States has demonstrated not merely with words but with its actions that we stand firmly behind Article 5, the mutual defense commitment," Trump said.

But he also said he was not entirely convinced that Russia was solely responsible for interference in the 2016 election, breaking with U.S. intelligence agencies, which have agreed that the efforts emanated from Moscow and were directed by Putin.

"I think it was Russia, and it could have been other people in other countries," Trump said when asked for a yes-or-no answer to the question about Russian meddling. "Nobody really knows for sure."

After meeting with Merkel Thursday night in Hamburg, Trump dined with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan and President Moon Jae-in of South Korea, discussing a response to the latest threats from the North.
William Morva was executed Thursday nightin Virginia, after supporters failed to convince Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D) that Morva's mental illness merited clemency and a life sentence in the 2006 murders of a sheriff's deputy and an unarmed hospital security guard.

Morva was pronounced dead at 9:15 p.m., according to Lisa Kinney, a spokeswoman for the state corrections department."When asked whether he had any last words, Mr. Morva responded 'no'," Kinney said. "The execution was carried out without complications."

McAuliffe, who is personally opposed to the death penalty, said he would not stop the execution because he is convinced Morva received a fair trial. The governor also dismissedclaims Morva was experiencing delusions at the time of the shootings.

"After extensive review and deliberation, I do not find sufficient cause in Mr. Morva's petition or case records to justify overturning the will of the jury that convicted and sentenced him," McAuliffe said in a statement.

As governor, McAuliffe blocked a scheduled execution in April, but has allowed two others to proceed.

In seeking clemency, Morva's attorneys said the jurors who sentenced him to death were not told about theseverity of his mental illness. His case became part of a larger national effort to eliminate capital punishment for people with illnesses like Morva's delusional disorder.

Responding to the governor's decision Thursday, Morva's legal team said the execution "will not make our community safer. He is not 'the worst of the worst' for whom the death penalty is supposed to be reserved. He is a person with a severe mental illness whose problematic and criminal behaviors were driven by his chronic psychotic disorder."

"William apparently will go to his grave never having received treatment," attorney Dawn Davison of the Virginia Capital Representation Resource Center said in a statement.

Morva, 35, was convicted in 2008 for shooting Cpl. Eric Sutphin and hospital security guard Derrick McFarland after escaping from custody.

His clemency effort garnered support from local, national and international advocates pressing to stop states from executing people withsevere mental illnesses. Amnesty International, the ACLU of Virginia and mental health organizations delivered more than 30,000 petitions to McAuliffe asking him to commute Morva's death sentence.

More than two dozen members of the Virginia General Assembly and three of the state's representatives in Congress, all Democrats, also asked McAuliffe to block the execution. And on Wednesday, one of the daughter's of the slain sheriff's deputy said she, too, had written to McAuliffe supporting clemency for the man who killed her father.

Morva was scheduled to be executed by lethal injection at 9 p.m. at the Greensville Correctional Center, about 160 miles south of Washington. He was executed with a combination of three drugs that includes midazolam. The controversial sedative has been used in other states' executions that were prolonged and apparently painful.

The last execution in Virginia in January was the first to rely on midazolam and the first since the passage of a state law that keeps secret the drug suppliers to shield them from political and public pressure.

Lawmakers in eight states, including Virginia, Ohio and Tennessee, have introduced bills that would make people with severe mental illness ineligible for the death penalty. Advocates say capital punishment was not intended for people who are incapable of distinguishing between delusions and reality.

The legislative proposals address punishment, not guilt or innocence. The Supreme Court has already said people with intellectual disabilities and juveniles may not be executed because of their diminished culpability.

After years of appeals in state and federal court, the high court declined to take up Morva's case in February.

Elizabeth Morva, his mother, has expressed remorse for her son's actions and said that he has not received the psychological treatment he needed.

"If someone had intervened sooner, I truly believe William would never have killed those two men," his mother wrote in an affidavit in support of her son. "But I cannot change the past. I can only say that I am so sorry and ask that my son please be spared."

Mary Pettitt, the Montgomery County, Va., commonwealth attorney, who helped prosecute Morva, had told McAuliffe the jury had sufficient information about his mental health and urged him not to overturn a fair verdict.

Pettitt said Thursday that the governor had reached the same conclusion as the jury that "Morva knowingly and deliberately over a two-day period killed two men and left another for dead" in what she called a "senseless tragedy."

In addition to law enforcement officials, McAuliffe said he heard from family members of the victims. Only Sutphin's daughter has issued a public statement and asked for privacy for other relatives.

Years before the shootings, Morva's friends and family were concerned about his mental health following his decision to drop out of Blacksburg High School.

He went barefoot in winter, sometimes slept in the woods and told people he had special powers and was in training to fight in the wild on behalf of Native Americans. Morva's daily routine became consumed by unusual habits - eating large amounts of raw meat and spending hours in the bathroom.

His mental health deteriorated further when he was locked up for a year in jail awaiting trial on attempted robbery charges. Morva was convinced that someone at the prison was trying to kill him and intentionally withholding medical care, he told his mother in a series of phone calls from jail on recorded lines.

In August 2006, a deputy escorted Morva to Montgomery Regional Hospital for treatment of minor injuries. In the bathroom, Morva knocked the deputy unconscious, took his gun and then shot McFarland, the unarmed security guard. The next day, he shot Sutphin, the decorated sheriff's deputy, who was out searching for Morva on a wooded trail near the campus of Virginia Tech.

The jury that sentenced Morva to death in 2008 heard from two doctors who diagnosed him with a personality disorder similar to schizophrenia. They noted his odd behavior and that Morva's maternal grandmother had been treated for schizophrenia in the 1950s.

But the doctors told jurors that Morva was not delusional - a determination that later was rebutted by another doctor and Morva's new team of lawyers.

After reviewing the conflicting medical evaluations, McAuliffe said Thursday that he was persuaded by the initial findings at trial that Morva was not suffering "from any condition that would have prevented him from committing these acts consciously and fully understanding their consequences."

Morva's diagnosis of delusional disorder came during the appeals process and after a more in-depth psychiatric evaluation. Davison, Morva's attorney, stressed on Thursday that Morva "was in the grip of a powerful psychosis" at the time of the shootings. Morva has not accepted in-person visits from his lawyers and his mother for years. He insisted they were part of the conspiracy to kill him.

Despite his opposition to capital punishment, McAuliffe has allowed two executions to go forward. Ricky Gray was the last Virginia inmate to be executed in January for killing two young girls in a brutal 2006 home invasion.

In April, McAuliffe commuted the death sentence of Ivan Teleguz in a murder-for-hire case because of what the governor described as a flawed sentencing process.

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Gregory S. Schneider contributed to this report.
It was no accident that President Donald Trump chose Poland's capital to offer his latest jeremiad about the perils facing the West. The country's right-wing nationalist government gave the American leader a platform to plant his flag ahead of what may be a testy Group of 20 summit in Germany.

Poland's obliging ruling party bused Trump supporters to Warsaw from rural areas of the country - a move familiar to most populist strongmen. "A large crowd carrying Polish and American flags gathered in the square for Trump's remarks," wrote my colleagues. "At least one person waved a campaign-style 'Make America Great Again' banner, and another waved a Confederate flag."

Then, Trump pronounced upon what is now a familiar theme. He warned of the perils facing his country and Europe, particularly those of Islamist extremism and immigration. They are, in his thinking, existential challenges. "The fundamental question of our time is whether the West has the will to survive," Trump said.

This sense of almost apocalyptic fatalism has possessed Trump's rhetoric for months, including during his inauguration speech, in which he invoked the specter of "American carnage." His perennial message is one of fear of a dark and dangerous world.

An undisguised hostility to Islam and swarthy immigrants seems deeply ingrained among the nationalist ideologues in the White House, including advisers Stephen K. Bannon and Stephen Miller, who scripted the latest speech. In an essay published last year, Michael Anton, the director of communications for the National Security Council, suggested that increased immigration into a country is a sign of "a people, a civilization that wants to die."

In Warsaw, Trump appealed to the blood-and-soil nationalism and Christian triumphalism that has defined his political brand and that of the far right in Europe. "We can have the largest economies and the most lethal weapons of anywhere on Earth. But if we do not have strong families and strong values, then we will be weak and we will not survive," he said.

"I declare today for the world to hear that the West will never, ever, be broken," Trump said in a closing fit of bravado. "Our values will prevail. Our people will thrive. And our civilization will triumph."

But what values? Which people? And what civilization? Trump, after all, has made it clear that his vision of the West is different from the one invoked by the prevailing establishment.

"I will work with our allies to reinvigorate Western values and institutions," Trump said on the campaign trail last April. "Instead of trying to spread 'universal values' that not everyone shares, we should understand that strengthening and promoting Western civilization and its accomplishments will do more to inspire positive reforms around the world than military interventions."

Anton, Bannon, Miller and their colleagues are not just right-wing nationalists, but also profound skeptics of the international order. They are hostile to multiculturalism and the very concept of universal values; they resent the multilateral commitments that defined American policymaking for more than half a century.

The most glaring omission in Trump's speech - though no longer surprising - was of any discussion of democracy or human rights. (Jewish groups were also upset that, for the first time since 1989, an American president visiting Warsaw did not go to the hallowed site of the Warsaw Ghetto.) Unlike other presidents who extol the merits of democratic norms and the free press, Trump stood alongside his Polish counterpart, President Adrzej Duda, and bashed America's mainstream media as "fake news."

The irony, of course, is that many in Europe see the Polish government itself as a threat to Western values. Last year, the European Union's executive gave Poland an official warning that changes imposed on its constitutional court posed "a systemic risk to the rule of law." Critics also pointed to new restrictions faced by independent journalists and the wholesale transformation of the national broadcaster into a state mouthpiece.

Whatever Trump's idea of the West may be, it's bound to be challenged in Hamburg, where he landed later Thursday. German Chancellor Angela Merkel chose to host the G-20 summit in this northern port city for a reason: Hamburg, one of the prominent cities of the medieval Hanseatic League, has long been open for trade and represents the sort of transnational connections and bonds that form the spiritual bedrock of the European Union.

Trump "has a concept of globalization that differs very sharply from mine," Merkel said in a recent interview. "You have to take that into account when we assert our interests."

On Thursday, there were clear signs of that new assertiveness. The EU announced a historic free-trade pact with Japan. It encompasses nearly 30 percent of the global economy and 40 percent of global trade, according to my colleague Ana Swanson.

In a clear jab at Trump, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said the agreement "shows that closing ourselves off from the world is not good for business, nor for the global economy, nor for workers. As far as we are concerned, there is no protection in protectionism."

The tensions between Trump's nativism and the cosmopolitan "globalism" of Europe's elite won't be resolved any time soon. But they reflect a more real divide in global politics than Trump's anachronistic clash of civilizations.

"There is nothing pure about Western civilization. Its ability to absorb and incorporate outside influences has proved a great strength, not a weakness," wrote Post columnist Eugene Robinson. "Imagine Italy without tomato sauce, a gift from the New World - or the United States without the high-tech companies founded by immigrants, gifts from the Old."

But in their zeal to "Make America Great Again," Trump's team is all too willing to wind back the clock.
President Kennedy was furious with himself.

The young American commander in chief had just ended two days of meetings in Austria in June 1961 with the far more battle-tested Soviet premier. John F. Kennedy was departing the Soviet embassy in Vienna, leaving photographers wondering why his smile had vanished, and got into his car with his spokesman, Pierre Salinger, and Secretary of State Dean Rusk. As they headed toward the U.S. embassy, the 44-year-old president pounded the shelf beneath the car window, irate over his performance with Nikita Khrushchev, the 67-year-old Communist leader.

"'Kennedy was very upset,'" Rusk later noted, according to historian Michael Beschloss' book, "The Crisis Years: Kennedy and Khrushchev." "'He wasn't prepared for the brutality of Khrushchev's presentation. . .Khrushchev was trying to act like a bully to this young President of the United States.'"

As President Trump prepares for his own tete-a-tete with Russian leader Vladimir Putin on Friday at the Group of 20 summit of world leaders in Hamburg, Germany, the Cold War showdown between Kennedy and Khrushchev 56 years ago feels like an historical primer. This time, it's the American leader who is older - Trump is 71 and Putin is 64. But, like Khruschev, Putin is the far more seasoned operative and political compared to Trump, a real estate magnate who has served as commander in chief just six months.

The backdrops of the Kennedy-Khrushchev and Trump-Putin meetings are also similar: Back then, the countries clashed over Cuba and Southeast Asia just as there are tensions now over Russia's support for Syria and its interventions in Ukraine. Not to mention the allegations that Russia interfered in the U.S. presidential election on Trump's behalf.

Given the stakes, what will Trump and Putin say to each other? Will they forge any partnerships or engage in verbal warfare? Who will dominate?

These were the same questions that hovered over the Kennedy-Khrushchev meetings, which were held June 3 and 4 in Vienna amid weeks of anticipation and speculation in U.S. newspapers.

The day after the first meeting at the U.S. embassy, The Washington Post front page carried three stories about it. In his piece, "Kennedy Sits Down with Master Politician," reporter Chalmers Roberts wrote that the "Soviet hope is that Mr. Kennedy will buckle under to Khrushchev in some form or other." But his article concluded on an optimistic note: "Yet it may be that Mr. Kennedy can impart to Khrushchev a feeling that the young man in the White House is, as Robert Frost put it, both Harvard and Irish; that he both understands the realities of the world and has the courage to act to protect American interests, Cuba or Laos or Nikita Khrushchev notwithstanding."

The first day wasn't without comedy. "By accident," The Post reported, "President Kennedy almost sat in Mrs. Khrushchev's lap tonight." The article described how Kennedy had been perched on a sofa talking to the Austrian president and Soviet premier when several women joined them. The men rose, and while attendants re-arranged the furniture, Kennedy lost track of who was sitting where. "Thinking the sofa was still beneath him, Mr. Kennedy started to sit down," the article noted. "He got as far as half-squat when he discovered to his horror he was about to sit on Mrs. Khrushchev. He quickly shifted to a chair and smiled an apology to Mrs. Khrushchev."

In that first day of talks, Khrushchev seemed to impose himself naturally. He walked into the American residence, "his heavy footsteps shaking the rafters," Beschloss wrote in his book. The men said they wanted to understand each other better, much like Trump has said about Putin. But soon, their conversation turned tense, according to Beschloss. The Soviet leader said America must acknowledge Communism's right to exist and develop, and bashed American policy that sought the "liquidation of the Communist system." Kennedy shot back that it was the Soviet Union that wanted to "liquidate the free system in other countries," and Khrushchev disagreed harshly. "The Soviet Union is against implanting its policy in other states," he said.

In a moment that seems eerily similar to accusations about Russia's involvement in the U.S. presidential election, Khrushchev told Kennedy that the Soviets had "voted" for him in 1960. How? The Communists had been holding two Americans prisoners who had been shot down in July 1960 while President Eisenhower occupied the White House. Eisenhower's vice president, Richard Nixon, was Kennedy's opponent in the presidential election that year. The Soviets intentionally waited to release the prisoners until late January 1961, shortly after Kennedy was inaugurated.

"Mr. Kennedy, do you know that we voted for you?" the premier asked the president, according to Khrushchev's memoir.

The president laughed when Khrushchev explained and conceded the point, the memoir recounted.

Kennedy tried to charm Khrushchev with self-deprecation, but he wasn't able to persuade his counterpart to admit mistakes, according to Beschloss.

"It was more than a mistake. It was a failure," Kennedy said of the Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba, which had just occurred two months earlier. The Soviet leader would only admit to errors made by his predecessor, Joseph Stalin, Beschloss recounted. As for America's interest in overthrowing Fidel Castro, Khrushchev scoffed at Kennedy. "Can six million people really be a threat to the mighty U.S.?" he asked.

Eventually, talk turned to Laos, where the U.S. military and CIA-backed operatives were aiding anti-Communist forces. Kennedy said he didn't want to discuss the details of U.S. or Soviet military operations in Laos, but did say America views "Sino-Soviet forces and the forces of the United States and Western Europe as being more or less in balance," according to "The Crisis Years." This declaration infuriated the Joint Chiefs of Staff in Washington and "sent Khrushchev into near ecstasy," Beschloss wrote. For the rest of his life, the Soviet bragged that he got the leader of the free world to admit that two opposed nations had equal power.

By the end of the second day of meetings - when Khrushchev demanded that the U.S. agree to Communist control over access to Berlin - Kennedy was spent. He said farewell to Khrushchev. He got in the car with Salinger and Rusk. And he headed back to the U.S. embassy to meet with New York Times reporter James Reston.

"I said it must have been a rough session," Reston wrote in his memoir, "Deadline." "Much rougher than he had expected, he said."

In his book, Beschloss says Kennedy told the Times reporter: "So he just beat the hell out of me. . .I've got a terrible problem. If he thinks I'm inexperienced and have no guts, until we remove those ideas we won't get anywhere with him. So we have to act."

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The Washington Post's Magda Jean-Louis contributed to this story.

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Part of a continuing series about facets of the past that remain relevant.
Xi says good relations between the CPC and SPD help strengthen ties

President Xi Jinping said his state visit to Germany, which began on Tuesday, has achieved great success, with numerous new consensuses and practical outcomes reached between the two countries.

Xi spoke on Thursday in Berlin while meeting with Martin Schulz, chairman of the Social Democratic Party of Germany, before traveling to Hamburg for the G20 Summit on Friday and Saturday.

The president said that his visit has outlined a new path for advancing the China-Ger-many comprehensive strategic partnership.

China has developed its relations with Germany from a strategic level and with a long-term perspective from the beginning, Xi said, adding that China would like to make joint efforts with Germany to push their ties to a higher level.

Both countries are important economies and influential world powers, Xi said. In the 45 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations, their relationship has developed rapidly in all aspects, he added.

The president spoke highly of the contributions made by the Social Democratic Party, known by its German acronym as SPD, to the development of Chinese-German relations. Exchanges between political parties have played a special and important role in bilateral ties, he said.

The Communist Party of China and the SPD have maintained good exchanges and cooperation, improving mutual understanding and trust between the two parties and the two countries, he added.

China would like to enhance dialogue and communication with the SPD in all areas to make positive contributions to deepening the friendship and cooperation between the two countries, Xi said.

Schulz said that Germany attaches importance to the role that China has played in international affairs. The SPD has been dedicated to developing relations with the CPC and pushing forward German-Chinese cooperation, he said.

The SPD firmly adheres to the one-China policy, he said, adding that the party would like to enhance exchanges with the CPC to advance bilateral relations.

anbaijie@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 07/07/2017 page3)
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A Texas prison inmate has been charged for the second time with threatening to kill U.S. District Judge David Hittner, who dismissed the inmate's civil rights lawsuit more than 10 years ago against the prison system.

George Yarbrough  who pleaded guilty in 2014 to sending a threatening note to Hittner  sent another death threat in April to the Houston-based federal judge, according to the federal indictment.

PERFECT TIMING: Dallas teen murder suspect posts rap video same day as arrest

The latest letter was dated April 19, the anniversary of the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City. The contents of the note were not disclosed.

Hittner, who has been a federal judge since 1986, declined to comment about the case.

The handwritten note sent in September 2014 also arrived by U.S. mail.

"I'm going to kill you whenever I make parole," it said. "You have ruined my whole life. I have lost all my loved ones."

The note also threatened to "get" Hittner's relatives.

BUSTED: 36 fugitives arrested by SWAT in Montgomery County warrant sweep

Yarbrough, now 45, had faced up to 10 years in prison for the threatening communication but was sentenced instead to 21 months. The order from Senior U.S. District Judge Nancy F. Atlas allowed him to serve the sentence in state prison alongside a 25-year sentence for burglary and a 15-year sentence for theft from Denton County on 1999 convictions.

Yarbrough was ordered to undergo mental health treatment in prison, but a federal appeals court concluded he was not given a proper chance to challenge the requirement and it was later dropped.

In a letter he sent in September 2016 to Atlas, Yarbrough accused Hittner of using "the power of his position to influence the Texas Prison System" to put him into an administrative segregation unit.

PROTEST: G20 protests in Hamburg, Germany turn violent

The Texas Department of Criminal Justice has restricted his mail since 2014. The latest threat was mailed while Yarbrough was being transferred between units, spokesman Robert Hurst said Friday.

"His outgoing mail is closely monitored," Hurst said. "We are investigating how this happened."

Yarbrough is currently housed in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice's Coffield Unit in Tennessee Colony in East Texas, prison officials said.

He was first sent to state prison in October 1991 for a five-year sentence for possession of cocaine in Dallas County. He was released in 1996 but sentenced again in 1999 on the Denton County charges.

In the latest case, Yarbrough is charged in federal court with mailing a threatening communication. Court records indicate he is representing himself and does not have a lawyer.

Gabrielle Banks contributed to this report.
A GoFundMe page has been created for the Houston father that drowned Tuesday night while trying to save his son.

The page, created on behalf of his family, is seeking donations to pay for 27-year-old Rufino Suarez' funeral.
China's Ambassador to the UK Liu Xiaoming said on Thursday that Britain has become a key partner in delivering President Xi Jinping's international development and infrastructure plan.

Speaking at a forum at UK business advisory firm Deloitte's offices in London entitled "Outbound investment: How the United Kingdom Benefits from China's Growth," Liu outlined several concrete examples of Britain's support of Belt and Road Initiative.

"Britain, at a policy level, is the first major Western country to apply to join the Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank," he said. "It was also among the first to approve and sign the guiding principles on financing the development of Belt and Road during the Belt and Road Forum."

Liu commended two major construction projects, the Hinkley Point C nuclear power plant that includes Chinese partner China General Nuclear and a 1.7 billion pound ($2.2 billion) development at Royal Albert Dock in east London which Chinese ABP Group and CITIC have broken ground on.

He also noted the current health of China's economic relationship with the UK.

"The first five months (of this year) saw trade in goods between China and Britain increased by 6.5 percent," Liu said. "China's financial direct investment in Britain stands at $18 billion, far outnumbering that of any European country."

At the event, organized by the China Europe International Business School, several industry figures including Han Ruixiang, CEO of ICBC London, Rita Liu, head of Alipay in Europe, and Deloitte vice chairman Angus Knowles-Cutler, discussed the impact Britain's vote to leave the European Union would have on Chinese merger and acquisition activity in the UK.

Last year, Chinese deal-makers completed over 170 European acquisitions worth more than $90 billion, up 40 percent on 2015, according to analysis concluded in late November by Deloitte.

Deloitte found that Germany attracted the biggest number of acquisitions by Chinese companies, with 34 deals. The UK was second with 32.
A Waco real estate agent was arrested Thursday after police accused him of deceiving an elderly man with dementia into selling him his family's lucrative mineral rights.

Jody Scoggins, 31, befriended the 66-year-old disabled man last year and had the man's mail forwarded to Scoggins's office, according to the arrest affidavit acquired by the Waco Tribune-Herald.
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WESLACO  Gunners Mate 2nd Class Noe Hernandez, the Valleys own, was laid to rest Thursday with much love and ceremony.

Hernandez was one of seven sailors aboard the USS Fitzgerald who were killed last month when the Philippine-flagged ACX Crystal collided with the Navy destroyer off the coast of Japan.

At Thursdays burial ceremonies at the Weslaco City Cemetery, his wife, Dora Hernandez, gave thanks to the community in English and Spanish for the outpouring of support. She described it as overwhelming.

Hundreds of family and friends, dignitaries, military veterans, Navy personnel and several of Hernandezs shipmates attended the ceremonies.

He was a good man, said shipmate Matthew King, 32, a petty officer first class who came to the Rio Grande Valley to support Hernandezs family and honor his friend.

King was aboard the Fitzgerald at the time of the collision. His voice trailed off, and his eyes welled with tears as he contemplated the near sinking of the 550-foot vessel.

Im dealing with a lot of different emotions, King said of managing the loss, while searching for the strength to perform his duties. Right now our rally is, The Fitz will fight again. As the ship begins to heal, we will heal with her.

The Fitzgerald was towed to the American naval base at Yokosuka, Japan, where Navy divers searched for the missing sailors. Vice Adm. Joseph Aucoin, commander of the U.S. 7th Fleet, initiated an investigation into the collision, led by Rear Adm. Brian Fort. There also is a safety investigation, and the U.S. Coast Guard is leading the marine casualty investigation.

Hernandez was a four-year member of the U.S. Army JROTC program at Weslaco High School. It was there that he met Dora, and the pair became sweethearts.

Ana Delgado, 26, remembered when Dora introduced her friends to Hernandez over lunch one day, playing games of Marco Polo at the pool, and eating tacos at their favorite restaurant.

Delgado and other former classmates asked Dora permission to make T-shirts featuring Hernandez. She offered them a photo of her husband with their 2-year-old son, Leon, sitting on his lap. Written at the bottom was the epitaph My heart stays with you all.

That was his parting message to Dora and Leon, Delgado said. Every time he left thats what he would tell them.

Hernandez joined the Navy in 2009, leaving the Valley for ports in Italy, California and finally Japan.

On Wednesday, hundreds of community members attended the wake at San Martin De Porres Catholic Church in Weslaco, offering condolences to the family.

Thursday morning, the community packed Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Mercedes for the funeral Mass. Afterward, the procession stopped at Hernandezs boyhood home, then passed his old high school en route to the cemetery.

At the cemetery, six sailors clad in dress whites carried the casket to its place. There, Hernandez was accorded full military honors, including a 21-volley salute.

As taps was sounded, Virginia Hernandez-Lozano, Hernandezs mother, wrapped her arms around a U.S. flag presented to her and wept.

Roses were laid atop the casket adorned with photos of Hernandez with his family. Dora knelt, pressed her fingers to her lips, then touched them to the casket.

No! Hernandez-Lozano cried as the casket was lowered into the earth. My son!

anelsen@express-news.net

Twitter: @amnelsen
A 26-year-old North Texas man allegedly confessed to authorities earlier this summer that he had engaged in an inappropriate relationship with one of his students while substitute teaching, police said.

Spencer Colt Newton turned himself in to the Denton Police Department Thursday and was charged with having an improper relationship between an educator and student, a second-degree felony.
Chinese President Xi Jinping (C) presides over an informal leaders' meeting of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, ahead of a Group of 20 (G20) summit in Hamburg, Germany, July 7, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]

HAMBURG, Germany - Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday urged the BRICS members to unswervingly build an open world economy, champion multilateralism and promote common development.

He put forward the proposals at an informal leaders' meeting of the emerging-market bloc, which groups Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, ahead of a Group of 20 (G20) summit in the German port city of Hamburg.

The BRICS leaders exchanged views on the current international political and economic circumstances and the G20's priorities, and reached important agreements on strengthening BRICS unity and coordination, jointly improving global economic governance and promoting sustainable development.

The Chinese leader, who presided over the meeting, also called on the BRICS countries to push for peaceful settlement of regional conflicts and disputes, and to consolidate the role of the G20 mechanism as the premier platform for international economic cooperation.

Meanwhile, the leaders pledged to work together for positive results at the BRICS summit in the southeastern Chinese seaside city of Xiamen later this year.
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School & Education, Local News, Business & Finance

By Long Island News & PR Published: July 07 2017

Lexi Willets of the William Floyd High School graduating Class of 2017 took second place in the Future Business Leaders of America competition.

Mastic Beach, NY - July 7, 2017 - Lexi Willets, a member of the William Floyd High School graduating Class of 2017, recently took second place in the FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America) National competition in the fast-paced Client Services category, which involves resolving a customer issue in a specific scenario in a timely manner. She also took first place in the New York State competition this past April.

Lexi competed in three rounds before the final scenario which involved assisting a customer calling into an emergency helpline following a hurricane. Under pressure, Lexi skillfully appeased the caller and resolved the issues and concerns. She was able to think quickly and handle the emergency with compassion and composure, said Lee Cillo, William Floyd business teacher and FBLA co-advisor along with fellow business teacher Kristin Puric. This is what makes Lexi stand out and do so well with any scenario she is faced with. She is an exceptional young lady.

Lexi will be attending Queens University of Charlotte, NC, in the fall, where she will be studying business management.

Lexi was one of only approximately 9,600 of Americas best and brightest high school students who traveled to Anaheim, CA, for this four-day conference. Participants from across the United States and abroad attended this exciting conference to enhance their business skills, expand their networks, and participate in more than 70 business and business-related competitive events.

The award was part of a comprehensive national competitive events program sponsored by FBLA-PBL that recognizes and rewards excellence in a broad range of business and career-related areas. For many students, the competitive events are the capstone activity of their academic careers. In addition to competitions, students immersed themselves in interactive workshops, visited an information-packed exhibit hall, and heard from motivational speakers on a broad range of business topics.

About FBLA-PBL, Inc.
Culture / Art Republik

Artists Nguyen Gia Tri and Phi Phi Oanh show Singapore the art behind Vietnamese lacquer painting, from the modern to the contemporary

Jul 07, 2017 | By Ilyda Chua

Vietnamese lacquer painting, also known as son mai, returns to Singapore with exhibitions featuring artists Nguyen Gia Tri and Phi Phi Oanh.

The unique history of son mai originated in the 1920s. While lacquer is widely used in Asia as a finish, pioneers of the technique, including Nguyen Gia Tri, first experimented with lacquer in an attempt to emulate the qualities of modern oil paintings that they were first exposed to during the French colonial period.

The result is a very interesting art form that combines the special material qualities of lacquer with the expressive potential of painting, says Phoebe Scott, curator of the National Gallery Singapores ongoing exhibition, Radiant Material, featuring works by both Nguyen Gia Tri and Phi Phi Oanh.

The unique properties of lacquer allows for the layers of lacquer to be built up and consequently sanded down, Phoebe explains. This causes the under-layers to be visible and exposes the nuanced effects of texture and colour that gives lacquer painting its signature luminous, ethereal qualities.

Despite being separated by over eight decades, both artists are connected by a similar quality: experimentation. While Nguyen Gia Tris work with the material helped pioneer lacquer painting as a technique, Phi Phi Oanh continues to push its boundaries. In Pro Se (2017), she takes inspiration from the digital world, with elements of the iPad, personal photostreams, and Google Earth searches visible in her work; in her solo exhibition at FOST Gallery, Make Shift, she further explores the technical aspects of the medium.

As someone who is ethnically Vietnamese but who was born and grew up in the United States, Phi Phi Oanh brings a fresh perspective to a traditional medium like Vietnamese lacquer, says FOST founder, Stephanie Fong. She approaches this medium experimentally, treating it as an area of artistic research to explore the critical possibilities of lacquer as painting  using unconventional substrates for lacquer like glass, metal and fibreglass or Kevlar composite, allowing her to work with different formats and widening the conceptual approach.

Radiant Materials, featuring works by both artists, including a special commission by Phi Phi Oanh, will show at National Gallery Singapore until 3 September. Make Shift, a solo exhibition by Phi Phi Oanh, will run at FOST Gallery until 27 August.

ilyda chua
Our Back Pages

Issue 126

Issue Date: Spring 1999

Editor: Marlene Cookshaw

Pages: 114

Number of contributors: 26

Buy Issue 126: Print Edition

In this issue, poetry by writers who were, or who have come to be, important figures in the Canadian writing landscape sit alongside fresh fiction by emerging voices. The writing group Pain Not Bread, made up of Roo Borso, Kim Maltman, and Andy Patton, contribute six poems taken from Introduction to the Introduction to Wang Wei. Pain Not Bread were winners of the 1993 Malahat Long Poem Prize for this work, and here we have six poems from the piece, with a brief introductory note giving context. There is a similar contextual note from Peter Dale Scott, who introduces his excerpt from Minding the Darkness, a book-length work released in 2000, which completed the trilogy that started with Coming to Jakarta and Listening to the Candle. There is also poetry by Don Coles, Carole Langille, and Maggie Helwig, as well as a quietly moving poem by Kate Braid, a domestic piece that takes an ordinary day and looks carefully at the wonder, really, at the luck of it.

The fiction selections include two atmospheric, turbulent pieces that each examine a problematic family relationship in careful detail. Nicole Fronteaus Halfmoon Bay tells the story of a young girl living a precarious existence with her mother; in this story, the childs voice is both frail and powerful, her vulnerability highlighted deftly. N. J. Tookes Temperament is a lengthy story that presents us with different ways of seeing, and the possible dangers of a certain kind of intimacy and closeness. A blind elderly man is the protagonist in this tale of complicated family histories, unspoken truths, and the compromises we make in long-term relationships. These are striking pieces, made more remarkable by the fact that they are first publications for both authors.

The issue also includes an extract from Grant Budays novel White Lung, a zippy little scene that flies off the page. Budays novel was released in 1999, with Anvil Press. Reviews include Michael Kenyon appreciating Bill Gastons mysterious, spiritual Sex is Red, and Joan Givers review of Anne Flemings Pool-Hopping and Other Stories, a collection that was a finalist for the 1999 Governor-Generals Award.

Micaela Maftei

About Our Back Pages
There are so many things to do in Ocho Rios Jamaica! Make Jamaica your next vacation destination!



Ochos Rios Jamaica

The fifth and last port on our ten day Panama Canal cruise was Ocho Rios, Jamaica (first: Aruba, second: Cartagena, third: Panama, fourth: Costa Rica). We had originally signed up to spend the day at an all inclusive beach resort, but as we got closer to the end our cruise (((sob))), we realized that wed been floating on an all inclusive resort for a week, and would rather do something a little more adventurous in Ocho Rios.

We went to the excursion desk and asked them to sign us up for something challenging. So they did! In Jamaica we toured the Green Grotto Caves (okay, this part was pretty leisurely), and then climbed a waterfall (this was the challenging part). Thank you again to Princess Cruises for allowing us this wild adventure. It goes without saying that all opinions are mine and they are sincere.

Love this? Pin it to your TRAVEL BOARD for later!

Follow Mama Loves Food on Pinterest for more easy recipes and adventures!

Pulling into port never gets old for me. Seeing the jewel toned water near the coast and experiencing the first glimpses of a place Ive never been. Its a travelers happy place.

Ocho Rios had a modern skyline along part of the beach which reminded me again of Miami, but then as you panned over, there were beautiful white buildings dotting the hillside and those made me think of Greece and the Mediterranean!

We took a short bus ride to Green Grotto caves, stopping on the way to pick up water shoes for those who didnt have their own. I strongly strongly (strongly!) suggest purchasing a pair if you plan to climb the waterfall  they were very comfortable and made me feel a lot safer than had I just worn sneakers.

Board your air-conditioned transportation for a scenic drive along the Ocho Rios coastline and through the town of St. Anns Bay, where Columbus ship was marooned, en route to the Green Grotto Caves in Discovery Bay  Princess Cruises website

The vegetation in Jamaica was super colorful and vibrant. It is reminiscent of the building colors and you can clearly see that they were inspired by the lush landscape. Across the street from the caves was a jerk chicken restaurant that smelled absolutely divine. Deeeeeevine. Sadly, we didnt have time to grab any. Guess Ill just have to go back!

Located near Columbus 1494 landing site, the extensive maze of limestone caves are five million years old and have an exciting and rich history. Used by runaway slaves, Taino Indians, and pirates, the caves were also utilized during the Second World War as a secret hiding place for large barrels of rum. Visitors to this attraction date as far back as the 18th century.  Princess Cruises website

They gave us super sexy hair nets and hard hats. Safety first, yo. I felt like a lunch lady. Which, kind of I am, so I guess it was pretty appropriate.

Greet your guide and don a protective hard hat for your tour of the caverns interconnecting passages. Walk through chambers, light holes, stalactites and stalagmites, and see the subterranean lake that lies deep within the caves core.  Princess Cruises website

The entrance to the Green Grotto Caves was the biggest and most expansive part. it housed a stage, a bar, and several tables and chairs. Turns out, in the seventies it was used as a night club!

They later learned that the vibrations from the music were damaging the health of the cave and stopped, but some remnants remain. It was fun to see how the caves have been used for so many different things over the years.

During the 17th C when the English invaded the island of Jamaica, the Green Grotto Caves were used as a hideout for the Spaniards who were being driven out of the country.

Green Grotto Caves website In the mid 20th Century, between the two world wars, they were used by smugglers running arms to Cuba. In the latter years during the Second World War, the Government of Jamaica used the entrance of the cave as a storeroom for rum in barrels. 

Our guide stated the caves were also used as part of the Jamaican underground railroad, and that the escape route shown above was for a local politician! No one recent, of course. At least we hope. Hah!

As you walk through the caves you will see limestone formations that have been christened after the individuals they resemble, including Abraham Lincoln, Freddie Krueger, and cartoon character Scooby Doo, among others. Your guide will demonstrate the caves musical stones and you can make a wish at the wishing well.  Princess Cruise website

Do you spy the snake in the cave (two pictures up). Thankfully the snakes that we saw at Green Grotto werent venomous like the eyelash viper we saw in Costa Rica.

 Wikipedia Another fun fact about these caves, the filming of the 1973 James Bond film Live and Let Die, used the caves for villain Doctor Kanangas underground base beneath a cemetery on the fictional island of San Monique!

Our guide kindly handed out pennies for the wishing well, but no one wanted to be the first one into the cave. Im not normally brave, but I figured Princess wasnt sending me somewhere unsafe, so I stepped up and went in.

Nothing scary at all, and got to make the first wish. That has to count for something, right?

After the cave tour, we headed to Dunns River Falls to climb the waterfall. I know Ive said it before, but I feel like it bears repeating. Wesley and I love waterfalls.

This one was very cool and it emptied directly into the ocean. Ive never seen that before!

The water was moving quite quickly, and we had to climb together holding each others hands at the rougher parts. If you do this excursion, prepare to be soaked. I wasnt, but Im a good sport so no big.

One of Jamaicas national treasures, Dunns River Falls is a breathtaking beauty. A natural phenomenon due to its ability to regenerate itself with deposits of calcium carbonate and sodium from the flowing water, it is also one of the only waterfalls in the world that empties directly into the sea. Approximately 600 feet high, sparkling water cascades over natural stepping platforms that allow you to climb from the bottom to the top.

 Princess Cruise website A frequent sight is a group of enthusiastic climbers holding hands in a chain, as theyre being led to the top of the waterfall by a trained guide. For visitors who prefer not to get wet, a walkway along the side of the falls allows you to take full advantage of the experience. The surrounding area is lush with overhanging trees, cool mists, and tropical foliage.

If you plan on checking out Dunns River Falls, my suggestions would be to get a waterproof phone case so you can take pictures and videos (heres what we used), and go early. The waterfall is very popular and the park gets super crowded by late morning/early afternoon. Choose an excursion that does the falls first and gets you there as the park opens. It will make for a more enjoyable experience! And if weve got you thinking about cruising (doooo it! #iheartcruises #cruiser4life), then make sure to check out all the amazing destinations and itineraries offered by Princess Cruises

Where weve cruised

Europe

Copenhagen, Denmark | Berlin, Germany | Tallinn, Estonia | St. Petersburg, Russia | Helsinki, Finland | Stockholm, Sweden

Caribbean, Central, and South America

Cozumel, Mexico | Belize City, Belize | Roatan, Honduras | Grand Cayman Island | Costa Maya, Mexico | Ochos Rios, Jamaica | Limon, Costa Rica | Panama City, Panama | Cartegena, Colombia | Aruba

Alaska and Canada

Vancouver, British Columbia | Whittier, Alaska | Skagway, Alaska | Juneau, Alaska | Hoonah, Alaska
We already know that Massachusetts brews some of the best beer in the country. This month's Best Of Mass Breweries is all about finding the best of the best.

Do you think Sam Adams puts Massachusetts on the map? Do you light up when Wormtown Brewery is on tap? Do you sing Tree House Brewing Company's praises far and wide? Let us know who deserves to be crowned the best brewery in Massachusetts in the comments below.

Since we can't compare beer to cider, we're asking for beer-only nominations this time. You can nominate your favorite brewery in the state until Monday, July 17 at 12 p.m. After that, readers can cast votes for their favorite Massachusetts brewery until Wednesday, July 26. Once the poll closes, our judges will visit all 10 breweries to crown one the best in the commonwealth.

What are you waiting for? Let us know who brews the best beer in the comments section.
Former Boston Celtics big man Kelly Olynyk has agreed to a deal with the Miami Heat, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

Free agent Kelly Olynyk has agreed to a four-year, $50M-plus deal with the Miami Heat, agent Greg Lawrence tells ESPN.  Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 6, 2017

After convincing Gordon Hayward to leave the Utah Jazz, the Celtics rescinded Olynyk's qualifying offer to help create cap space. They were always unlikely to keep the big man if they found a way to lure one of the top free agents, but will still miss Olynyk's impact, including his ability to space the floor. At the moment, the Celtics frontcourt situation is a bit of a mystery. They have Al Horford and not much else.

As for Olynyk, the Heat's situation should be a nice fit. Hassan Whiteside can control the paint, Olynyk can stretch the floor, and Goran Dragic can make plays for everyone else. Olynyk will just need to be sure to apply plenty of sunscreen when he hits the beach.
HOLYOKE - The year was 1965 when Ruben Urbina decided to leave his home in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, a city on the west coast of the island, touching the Caribbean Sea.

He was in his early 20s, and he told no one of his journey to the city of Holyoke in Western Massachusetts, where his brother, Jose Rafael, lived.

One day, he flew into Bradley International Airport, got a bus ticket to Holyoke, where the buildings were taller and the weather colder, and "was able to find his way to Lyman Street to his brother's front door," says Urbina's daughter, Gloria Urbina. He knocked, and his sister-in-law answered and "she couldn't believe her eyes," his daughter shared recently.

A year later in another city in Puerto Rico, Guaynabo, some 150 miles away from where Urbina had grown up, Gloria Martinez made a similar choice. She was the same age as Urbina, and she left Puerto Rico behind, traveling over 2,700 miles to live with her brother, Santiago, on High Street in Holyoke, less than a mile away from Urbina's new home.

Little did Urbina and Martinez know, their paths had formed a triangle that converged in Holyoke.

They found jobs - Urbina in a factory making specialty paper in South Hadley and Martinez as a seamstress in a factory in Holyoke, and they found each other, at an international event in Springfield.

"They were married at Blessed Sacrament Church in Holyoke," recalled Gloria Urbina, one of three daughters the couple would eventually have, who would later bring seven grandchildren into the family.

The Catholic church, which would later become Our Lady of Guadalupe, became the center of much of the life they built together in Holyoke, where they still live.

"It is a story of a great dream," says their daughter. "They left what was known and moved to the unknown. They worked really hard to raise a family that was close-knit and their hopes were that their children would do better than they did and our children would do better than we did. Hard work, faith in the Lord, commitment to family, it all pays off in the end."



Theirs is just one story of the Latino and Puerto Rican migration to Holyoke, a larger narrative which is being collected by the Nuestros Senderos (Our Paths) project.



Led by the Holyoke History Room of the Holyoke Public Library, Nuestros Senderos focuses on the Puerto Rican and Latino experience in the Paper City.

"As the archivist of the history room, I knew I was missing something," said Eileen Crosby, who has been the archivist for the last four years. "I knew their experience did not have a presence in the history room."

To change this, the public has been sharing personal narratives and photographs, which Crosby has been digitizing. Crosby has met with families in the library, at their homes and in their businesses to gather the stories. An exhibit, on display through mid-July, features seven stories of people who made the journey to Holyoke.

There is Rafael Fernandez, who was from Cidra, Puerto Rico, where he sold fruit from his father's farm and worked in his uncle's restaurant, an experience which would shape his life in Holyoke years later. But first, after migrating to Holyoke in 1969, he worked for 20 years at AmPad Corp., until an injury forced him out of the factory and into a new life.

This change brought him back to his agricultural and culinary roots from Puerto Rico. He and his wife, Ada, purchased a small restaurant on Suffolk Street, which would turn into a Holyoke institution, the Fernandez Family Restaurant.

There are many other stories like these, some featured at the library and others waiting to be told. Crosby continues to collect family stories. People who are interested can email her at ecrosby@holyokelibrary.org, or call 413-420-8107.

"I really just opened the door," said Crosby, "but they are the only ones who can tell their stories."

It's time for this story to be told, says Gloria Urbina. "Everyone has a rich culture," she said. "It is nice to showcase ours."

Crosby said the history room is also looking for volunteers to help collect stories. She hopes to make the stories and photos public through the Massachusetts Digital Commonwealth website, which is a repository for cultural heritage materials across the state.
Boston Police are investigating a double shooting in Roxbury that left one man dead and a 14-year-old male injured.

The shooting occurred in the area of Blue Hill Avenue and Cheney Street around 6:45 p.m. Thursday night, according to a Boston Police Department press release.

A group of officers near Grove Hall sprinted towards the scene and discovered two male victims suffering from gunshot wounds.

The 14-year-old male was transported to Boston Children's Hospital with non-life threatening injuries. According to WCVB.com, he was shot in the foot.

The other victim, whom police said is between the ages of 18 and 21, was more seriously injured. He was transported to Boston Medical Center where he was later pronounced dead.

Commissioner William Evans told WCVB that shootings and violence seem to spike in the city around July 4. Despite a patrol of officers being just 50 feet away from the shooting, there was nothing more they could do, he said.

The shooting appears to be gang related, WCVB reports.
A Bridgewater teen wound up at a local emergency room after taking a bite on the finger from a capuchin monkey at the Brockton Fair, reports The Enterprise.



Nicole Madden, 18, told the paper she had been feeding apples to a number of the critters when one reached out, grabbed her left hand and chomped down on the index finger.



"On my way out of the fair, I went to the petting zoo and I love monkeys," she told The Enterprise. "It bled. When he was biting my finger (it hurt)."



An on-site paramedic treated Madden at the fair and a friend later shuttled her to Good Samaritan Medical Center for further treatment. The events occurred around 11 p.m. Wednesday.



The fair's operations coordinator said the fair hires a company to provide the animals and all had been inspected and determined healthy and well.



"I don't anticipate there being any kind of issue," Sue Rodrigues told The Enterprise.



Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals reported the incident to law enforcement, but a spokesperson told The Enterprise the organization doesn't expect any animal cruelty charges to result, although it opposes the keeping of wild animals in captivity, especially in fair or carnival settings.



Madden was released from the hospital at 3 a.m. with a bandaged finger and antibiotics prescription, reports The Enterprise.
NORTHAMPTON -- The Hampshire Council of Governments has joined a movement that targets President Donald Trump's recent statements about whether the United States should be party to a United Nations treaty on climate change and his decision to walk away from the deal.

The controversy centers on the "Paris Agreement," a treaty under the auspices of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, written when the UN body convened in the French capital for two weeks in 2015.

Last month, Trump referred to the Paris Agreement as nonbinding and said the U.S. would not adhere to it, while leaving open the possibility of negotiating the creation of a new climate change deal that the president said should better hew to America's interests.

Trump's action spawned waves of opposition, including formation of a large coalition dubbed "We Are Still In" that now includes the Hampshire Council of Governments.

The group's board of councilors unanimously voted on June 15 to join the coalition.

The agency released a statement on Thursday announcing their opposition to the president's position:

"The Hampshire Council of Governments (HCG) unanimously voted to join a national movement and sign the 'We Are Still In' Paris Agreement open letter to the international community. The HCG joins community and civic leaders, governmental officials, college and university leaders, and investors to reduce the causes of climate change. HCG and the City of Northampton are the only local communities to sign the letter."

Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey joined the coalition on June 5. Healey said she is among 19 state attorneys general in the U.S. who joined.

The AG posted the following on the state website after joining the coalition:

"The Trump administration's announcement undermines a key pillar in the fight against climate change and damages the world's ability to avoid the most dangerous and costly effects of climate change. Importantly, it is also out of step with what is happening in the United States.

"In the U.S., it is local and state governments, along with businesses, that are primarily responsible for the dramatic decrease in greenhouse gas emissions in recent years. Actions by each group will multiply and accelerate in the years ahead, no matter what policies Washington may adopt."

In his remarks on June 1, Trump said that "in order to fulfill my solemn duty to protect America and its citizens, the United States will withdraw from the Paris Climate Accord" and "begin negotiations to reenter either the Paris Accord or a really entirely new transaction on terms that are fair to the United States, its businesses, its workers, its people, its taxpayers. So we're getting out. But we will start to negotiate, and we will see if we can make a deal that's fair. And if we can, that's great. And if we can't, that's fine."

Former president Barack Obama chose to implement the Paris Agreement on behalf of the country via executive order. Obama did not seek the UN treaty's approval from the U.S. Senate.
State House negotiators working behind closed doors to craft a state budget quietly dropped a proposal to study a high-speed rail link between Springfield and Boston.

The proposal wasn't included as part of the $40.2 billion state budget that lawmakers whisked to Gov. Charlie Baker's desk on Friday afternoon.

The proposal, pushed by state Sen. Eric Lesser of Longmeadow, made it into last year's state budget proposal but Baker vetoed it, calling for a more holistic look at transportation needs. Peter Picknelly, CEO of Peter Pan Bus Lines, lobbied against the proposal.

Earlier this year, Lesser's proposal again cleared the state Senate with bipartisan support, as well as the backing of the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce.

But the proposal died during secret talks between negotiators from the House and the Senate tasked with working out differences between competing state budget proposals and getting a compromise to the governor.

"Something clearly happened between last year and this year," Lesser said on Friday. "Someone maybe got to them. We don't know. But I think that's something we're going to have to get to the bottom of."

Lesser pointed to House lawmakers when asked about the death of the proposal. "I think you have to ask the House," he said.

"For reasons that have not been explained, it was dropped," Lesser, D-Longmeadow, told MassLive.com. "I think, frankly, it's sketchy."

A spokesman for Brian Dempsey, the top House budget negotiator, did not respond to a request for comment.

Karen Spilka, the Senate's top budget negotiator, is a supporter of the study. She joined Lesser in June when he went on a statewide tour to build visibility and support for the proposal.

Lesser noted that two other transportation studies are moving ahead: One $1.5 million study is looking at potentially connecting North Station and South Station, two transit hubs in Boston.

Separately, the state budget compromise calls for the Massachusetts Department of Transportation to pull together a working group by October 2017 to identify economic and cultural benefits of establishing seasonal rail service between New York City and Pittsfield between Memorial Day and Columbus Day.

The MBTA runs a similar service called CapeFLYER, which provides seasonal trips from South Station to Hyannis, connecting transit riders to the Cape and Islands.

"So I think people should be asking what happened and why people want to put the brakes on a project that has the potential to transform an entire region and transform the state's economy," Lesser said Friday.

Lesser added that he has also filed an east-west rail study bill, separate from the budget amendment that died. He plans to continue to press for the proposal.

"We know the public is behind us," he said.

Newton Mayor Setti Warren, a Democrat who is gearing up to challenge Baker for the Corner Office in 2018, put out a statement criticizing Beacon Hill lawmakers for jamming through a budget compromise on a Friday in July.

"By canceling the study of the East-West bullet train, Beacon Hill has decided that we're not going to be a Commonwealth that connects the booming Boston area economy with important cities and towns in Western Massachusetts who have much to offer," Warren added in the statement.
A Tygnsborough town employee is on administrative leave after officials discovered a "significant amount of money" is missing from cash tax payments.

The missing money was discovered in May after a change in personnel and new financial processes were implemented in the town's finance departments, according to a statement from Tyngsborough Police Chief Richard D. Howe and Town Administrator Matthew T. Hanson.

"This has apparently been going on for a period of several years," Howe said. "While we are confident that we have determined how much money is missing, we cannot release the specific details at this time due to the ongoing investigation."

A town hall employee has been placed on administrative leave pending the results of the investigation, Hanson said. That employee's identity was not released.

Tyngsborough recently created a combined Finance Department, with oversight from an appointed finance director, as well as a combined appointed treasurer/collector position. These changes increased internal controls, the statement said, and lead to the discovery of missing funds.

"While our new financial oversights discovered the accounting irregularities, the Town is committed to conducting an independent forensic audit of the situation and will continue to expand financial protocols and software integration to prevent this from ever happening again," Hanson said.

A Tyngsborough police detective and a State Police detective assigned to the Middlesex District Attorney's Office are assisting in the investigation.

"The town and the Tyngsborough Police Department are dedicated to a complete and thorough investigation which will result in a full accounting of all missing funds and identification of the person or persons who are responsible," Chief Howe said.

The investigation is ongoing. Additional information will be released at the conclusion of the investigation.
HAMBURG, Germany - German security forces clad in riot gear clashed with protesters on the eve of the Group of 20 summit here, using water cannons and pepper spray to clear an anti-capitalist march in which a militant group with anarchist sympathies had a prominent presence.

The skirmish followed an hour-long standoff adjacent to Hamburg's harbor, where protesters were attempting to move from a public square toward the downtown conference center where Germany's chancellor, Angela Merkel, is hosting foreign leaders, including President Donald Trump, in a two-day summit that begins Friday.

When police attempted to separate a group of "black bloc" activists from the roughly 12,000 people who had assembled to protest inequality and economic greed, authorities met a hail of rocks and bottles. As police rushed the group, some of the protesters fled. But a phalanx of activists dressed in dark clothes, with their faces concealed, held their ground. They carried signs that condemned the state and declared, "Welcome to hell."

Armored vehicles spewing powerful volleys of water rolled toward the protesters. Smoke bombs detonated in the crowd.

Police made some arrests but said they did not have a final tally Thursday evening. They said 15 officers were injured, two of whom were hospitalized. A furniture store and a bank were damaged, police said.

Medics could be seen treating the injuries of protesters on the sidelines of the demonstration.

After police broke up a large throng of anti-state militants clad in black, a lively crowd remained, resisting calls to disband as they chanted anti-capitalist slogans. The showdown persisted as the sun set in the northern German port city.

Police expressed concern that violence could escalate after nightfall. "We are skeptical as to whether this evening and tonight will remain peaceful," Hamburg police chief Ralf Martin Meyer said on ZDF television.

The street marches planned for the summit - emulating the forceful dissent seen at past G-20 gatherings - cover a range of issues, including calls for environmental protection, denunciations of ethnic nationalism and opposition to free trade.

But the Hamburg protests have gained added momentum as a stand against Trump and his brand of "America First" populism. An estimated 100,000 protesters were expected to converge on the old merchant city during the summit.

Meanwhile, 20,000 officers were being deployed at about 30 registered demonstrations, in the largest police operation in Hamburg's history. Forty-five water cannons were available to disperse crowds. A no-fly zone was in place over portions of the city.

"No demonstrator can decide whether or where heads of state and government meet in Germany on the chancellor's invitation," said Thomas de Maiziere, the German interior minister.

Before Thursday's protests began, officials had raised fears that they could turn violent. But the gathering at first resembled an open-air concert, with bands from around the world performing. People shared potato stew and passed around art materials for posters. One sign announced support for the Black Lives Matter movement.

Sebastian Keller, 35, said he wanted to highlight how politicians serve only economic interests, not average people.

"I'm not anti-government, but something has to change so human beings get to enjoy a little bit of the wealth," said Keller, who grew up in East Germany and was 8 years old when the country was reunified. "Ever since," he said, "Germany has become obsessed with capitalism."

The protests draw on a tradition of left-wing activism in Germany's second-largest city and the birthplace of its chancellor, who is hosting world leaders at a downtown conference center and the lofty Elbphilharmonie concert hall, a crown jewel of the city. A few miles away is a nerve center of left-wing German radicalism, Rote Flora, a former theater where activists have squatted for nearly three decades.

A spokesman for Rote Flora, Andreas Blechschmidt, who registered Thursday's demonstration, promised self-defense "if the police attack us." He added: "Violence can be a productive form of protest."

Protests were expected to continue Friday and Saturday, stoked by the presence of divisive foreign leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Erdogan's presence pits Turkish nationalists against Kurds in a country with the largest Turkish community outside Turkey. The German government has barred Erdogan from addressing his supporters at the summit.

Yavuz Fersoglu, a spokesman for an umbrella organization of Kurdish groups in Germany, said Kurds are joining hands with anti-globalization groups for a major march on Saturday, which organizers say will draw about 100,000 people.

Trump is a particular flash point.

Planning for protests began before his November victory, but "it became clear after his election that the action would have to be much bigger," said Emily Laquer, a spokeswoman for the Interventionist Left, a radical left-wing group in Germany and Austria.

Local businesses were preparing for an unpredictable several days.

Richard Canning, the manager of a bar on a cobblestone street near the philharmonic that he said withstood much of the bombing during World War II, planned to close on Friday and Saturday out of concern for the safety of his staff.

He said he was sorry to lose business but happy to see Germany take on the difficult role of hosting international negotiations.

"I think that Germany is seen to be one of the major powers in Europe, and rightly so, because since the Second World War it has been building bridges, so I'm happy it's holding itself up to the world," Canning said.

(c) 2017, The Washington Post. Isaac Stanley-Becker wrote this story. The Washington Post's Michael Birnbaum in Hamburg and Stephanie Kirchner in Berlin contributed to this report.
WEST SPRINGFIELD -- The town is looking to increase passive recreation, including hiking and mountain biking, at Bear Hole Watershed, a 1,700-acre wilderness area bordering Westfield and the East Mountain Range to the west and Holyoke and Ashley Reservoir to the north.

A fundraiser by Colorado Ski and Bike and the West Springfield Partnership for Education is slated for Sunday, July 16, to raise money to help maintain trails and promote more recreational activity throughout the watershed.

The fundraiser is the brainchild of Adam Jaber, manager of Colorado Ski and Bike in West Springfield, according to Mayor Will Reichelt. "The idea is to bring people into Bear Hole," Reichelt said in a video promoting the upcoming fundraiser.

"Not a lot of people understand that Bear Hole is West Springfield, that it's our land, that it's available for passive recreation," he said. "So, really, it's a fundraising opportunity for the partnership, but it's also a way for us to highlight the asset that we have here in Bear Hole."

The event will feature different trail rides, from easier, short routes for kids and beginners to the "Holy Scat!" challenge, a 12-mile trail loop through challenging terrain that's intended for accomplished mountain bikers.

The watershed area was once home to the Bear Hole Resort, a 19th century getaway spot for the area's elite that survived until the turn of the last century.

One of the resort's features was a cage containing "a three-legged bear from the Adirondacks," according to the West Springfield Environmental Committee.

Funds raised from the event will go toward maintaining and updating trails for biking, hiking, running and walking.

"What we're really hoping to do is make that conversion from watershed resource area to more of a passive recreation area," Reichelt said.

"And we're doing that through getting mountain bike groups together, getting people from conservation, from the Environmental Committee, from Friends of West Springfield Park & Rec, which we hope to kind of incorporate this under them," the mayor said.

More information about the fundraiser is available at www.coloradoskishop.com.
Missoula County commissioners on Thursday accused the Secretary of State of using artificial data to drive a personal legislative agenda and called the tone of several recent emails sent by the newly elected official as both "unprofessional" and "juvenile."

In one email response, Secretary of State Corey Stapleton [email protected] went so far as to suggest he didnt have the time or interest to fight voter fraud. At the same time, however, he said he was willing to "change the rules" to match what he described as rampant voter fraud in Missoula County.

BY MARTIN KIDSTON

Full Story: http://missoulacurrent.com/government/2017/07/missoula-county-stapleton-fraud/
For doctors in the digital age, your social media fingerprint has the power to either advance or damage your career. Share on Pinterest Studies show that many doctors are not following professional guidelines when it comes to using social media. Whether youre using social media to post pictures of your vacation in the Cayman Islands or to reach out to colleagues regarding a challenging patient, the line between personal and professional, as well as whats appropriate, can sometimes become blurred. Research has shown that many physicians using social media report minimal formal training in professional conduct online, as well as a lack of awareness regarding which guidelines to follow. A number of recent studies have highlighted the level of unprofessional social media content posted by physicians. These included profanity, references to (or appearing to be) intoxicated, and sexually suggestive photographs. They also included possible HIPAA violations, which have the potential to damage careers. While this behavior has been observed across all career stages, including attending physicians, the levels were highest among residents and recently graduated physicians . Its easy to get caught out when talking about patients online, as an article in The Hospitalist highlighted. Even supposedly innocuous identifying features can turn a seemingly harmless post on social media into a patient privacy violation. Any physician who uses social media has to be mindful and conscious about protecting private patient information even on personal accounts, said Toni Brayer, M.D., chief executive officer of Sutter Pacific Medical Foundation in San Francisco, CA. But your online presence and interactions can also be powerful tools, said ophthalmology resident Steven M. Christiansen, M.D., an avid blogger and Twitter user based at the University of Iowa in Iowa City. How can you turn social media to your advantage? And what guidelines can you follow to make the most of professional social media?

Using social media for your reputation Matt Dull, M.D.  who is due to start his critical care fellowship at the Spectrum Health Hospital in Grand Rapids, MI  became interested in using social media professionally when he heard a keynote speaker at a national medical conference discuss the fact that patients were looking for providers on social media. He said that being engaged with your patients on social media will be of increasing importance in the years to come, Dr. Dull explained. As a resident, he said, he doesnt need to engage patients outside the hospital. But, he added, In the future, I will be looking for ways to reach patients and potential patients through social media. Indeed, an increasing number of patients turn to doctor rating sites such as Rate MD, Yelp, and Vitals when choosing a physician. We know that [those sites] are increasingly important avenues for patients seeking more information about healthcare providers, said Dr. Brayer. Weve learned that stars matter and we celebrate good reviews internally and respond to any patient complaints directly for our physicians. As Dr. Christiansen noted, We have worked too hard in our training to let a few poor ratings keep patients from coming to see us. Social media can help us create and establish an online presence we control.

Connect with colleagues and learn One of the greatest benefits of social media for physicians is the ability to connect with colleagues to improve diagnostic and other medical skills. I only recently started using social media for professional purposes, said Dr. Dull. He started by joining the International Hernia Collaborative, a large Facebook group for surgeons to discuss complex hernia operations. From there, I found all of the other professional ways to leverage social media, he said. I now regularly find interesting journal articles, medical blog posts, and discussions of new therapies through Twitter. Indeed, a survey of 153 Dutch clinicians found that 76 percent of them used Twitter to extend their network of colleagues, while 71 percent used it to update their colleagues about their work. Pathologists, for instance, use social media to share images with colleagues, students, patients, and even the general public, while professional medical organizations such as the American College for Chest Physicians use it to promote their specialty and provide education, which extends to patients. I use social media to promote health and wellness and as a way of letting people know what is happening in my organization and in the community, said Dr. Brayer. As a physician I have a strong voice and see myself as an expert with useful information. Twitter is also becoming a hugely effective tool for communicating content live from medical meetings. Dr. Christensen and his colleagues published a study in Ophthalmology in August 2016, comparing Twitter activity during the American Academy of Ophthalmologys 2014 and 2015 meetings. The tweets reached 23.7 million Twitter users in 2014, and 24.5 million in 2015. Social media is also a powerful outlet for advocacy, says Dr. Christensen. A 1-minute YouTube video that highlighted his ophthalmology-related discussions with congressional representatives was viewed 1,700 times in the first week of its posting. I can tell you that my involvement in social media has opened up countless opportunities to network with others both within ophthalmology and many other specialties. Steven M. Christiansen, M.D. Whether you are going to use social media to connect with your colleagues, reach out to potential patients, or educate the general public, adhering to professional guidelines is key to protecting yourself and turning social media to your own advantages.

Practice safe social media The American Medical Association (AMA) , and most specialty medical societies, have developed ethics policies on the use of social media during the past few years. These recommendations tend to revolve around the privacy of both you and your patients. Here is a summary: Do not post any patient-identifiable information anywhere, ever. Set privacy settings on media sites to protect your own information and content, but know that even if you restrict your posts to your own network, the information can leak out. A good rule of thumb is to never post anything that you wouldnt want to see in a peer-reviewed journal. Maintain appropriate boundaries of the patient-physician relationship. Just because you are online doesnt mean that the rules are relaxed. Separate your personal and professional content. Set up a separate Facebook page to promote your practice or talk about professional issues, and leave the personal one for family and friends  not patients. Say something if you see a colleague posting unprofessional content that may violate professional standards. Recognize the potential consequences of your online life, including negatively affecting your reputation among patients and colleagues. Dr. Brayer has first-hand experience of putting these guidelines into practice. An emergency department physician who Dr. Brayer friended on Facebook frequently mentioned patients that she had treated. Even though no names were used, it bothered me to see those posts, Dr. Brayer said. As the AMA policy suggests, Dr. Brayer told her friend that these posts could violate privacy rules. I would recommend health professionals should never post anything with stories about patients or conditions, even if they think they are shrouding identity. Its too close of a line to walk and patient privacy is our oath and responsibility, Dr. Brayer said.
A deviated septum refers to a displacement of the thin wall within the nose that separates the nasal cavity. An estimated 80 percent of people in the United States (U.S.) do not have a straight nasal septum. Deviated septum, as a medical condition, generally only refers to severely displaced septums. The prevalence of deviated septums in the U.S. is therefore far lower. When symptoms interfere with breathing, anti-inflammatory medications and corrective surgery may be required.

What is deviated septum? Share on Pinterest The septum separates the nasal passages, and displaced or tilted septums are called deviated septums. The nasal septum is a wall made of cartilage and connective tissue that separates the nasal passages. The nasal passages are lined on either side with mucous membranes. When the nasal septum is extremely tilted towards one side, it causes one nasal passage to be larger than the other. Depending on the severity of this difference, nasal blockage, reduced air-flow, and breathing problems can occur. A misaligned septum can also interfere with nasal drainage, leading to an increased rate of infection and postnasal drip.

Causes While some cases of deviated septum are genetic or inherited, the condition can also be caused by an injury. Deviated septum can develop in utero, or while the fetus is still in the womb, as well as during the birthing process. A 2012 study in India, found that neonatal deviated septum affected 20 percent of newborns. These cases were related to birthing challenges and occurred more often in larger birth weight babies and those who experienced difficult deliveries. Deviated septums that are present from birth often have an S or C shape. They are usually smooth and occur more often in the front (anterior) portion of the nose. The extent of the deviation may increase or change naturally as the person ages. Traumatic or injury-induced deviations later in life tend to have an extreme angle, are irregular in shape, and impact all septal regions equally. Injury-related deviations may also include dislocated or fractured portions of cartilage.

Symptoms and complications The most common symptoms of a deviated septum are difficulty breathing and ongoing sinusitis, infection, or inflammation of the nasal mucous membranes. Symptoms are often mistaken for those of a respiratory infection, common cold, or allergy. People with mild cases of deviated septum may only notice symptoms during these times. Other symptoms and signs associated with deviated septum include: nasal blockage, often more intense on one side

nasal congestion

frequent sinus infections

sinus infections that are resistant to medication

frequent nosebleeds

frequent crusting or dry nose, often in the larger nostril due to increased air flow drying out mucous membranes

noisy breathing while sleeping

facial pain

postnasal drip

headaches

snoring

whistling noise while inhaling or exhaling

a tendency to sleep on one side, often the side opposite the blocked nasal passage

in severe cases, sleep apnea Cases that have a significant deformity can be more severe in infants, due to their smaller respiratory passages and reliance on nasal breathing. Complications of severe cases have the potential to be fatal. People should seek medical attention anytime breathing becomes difficult or laborious, or dizziness or confusion occur.

Diagnosis Many other medical conditions can cause similar symptoms, such as nasal polyps, infections, and allergies, so an ear, nose, and throat (ENT) specialist is typically required for diagnosis. Once the condition is suspected, a doctor will begin by reviewing medical history for possible causes. These include injuries, previous surgeries, and chronic symptoms. The doctor will then physically examine the nasal septum using a speculum and bright light.
A new study finds that lutein, a compound that gives egg yolk and some plants their color, can reduce chronic inflammation in patients with coronary artery disease, the most common type of heart disease. Share on Pinterest Researchers have recently found that lutein, a compound found in egg yolk, can reduce inflammation levels among patients with heart disease. In a report on their work in the journal Atherosclerosis, the researchers  from Linkoping University (LiU) in Sweden  also describe how they discovered that certain immune system cells take up and store lutein. Heart disease is a general term for several types of heart condition. The most common form in the United States is coronary artery disease, a condition that restricts blood flow to the heart and causes heart attacks. Heart disease is the primary cause of death worldwide, with an estimated 17.3 million people dying from the disease every year. This figure is expected to rise to 23.6 million by 2030. Heart disease is also the number one cause of death in the U.S., responsible for 610,000, or 1 in 4, deaths every year. Of these, 370,000 are down to coronary artery disease. Having a heart attack is often the first sign for many people that they have coronary artery disease. In the U.S., around 735,000 people experience heart attacks each year.

Atherosclerosis and inflammation Coronary artery disease develops because a process called atherosclerosis builds up fatty deposits, or plaque, in the walls of the arteries that supply blood to the heart. This results in narrowing arteries that can partially or totally block the flow of blood. Over time, as the plaque builds up and the arteries become narrower, the heart muscle does not get enough blood. This can cause angina, which is a condition felt as pain or discomfort in the chest and the most common symptom of coronary artery disease. Coronary artery disease can also lead to heart failure, a condition wherein the heart cannot pump enough blood to meet the bodys needs. Other problems, such as irregular heartbeat, or arrhythmia, can also develop. Advances in basic science have shown that atherosclerosis is not just a fat-depositing process; it also involves an ongoing inflammatory response that plays a key role in all stages of the disease. The LiU researchers remark that inflammation plays an important role in many aspects of coronary artery disease, such as heart attack and angina. Study leader Lena Jonasson, who is a cardiology consultant and LiU professor in medical and health sciences, says, We know that chronic inflammation is associated with a poorer prognosis. She explains that a significant number of patients who have had a heart attack continue to have persistent low-level inflammation in their bodies, even after effective treatments that involve drugs, revascularization, and lifestyle changes.

Carotenoids and inflammation In their study paper, Prof. Jonasson and colleagues refer to previous studies that have suggested that what we eat can affect inflammation in our bodies. They highlight a group of compounds called carotenoids, which are antioxidants with potential anti-inflammatory properties. Carotenoids are a large family of fat-soluble pigments  that is, compounds that give color to other materials  that are naturally present in vegetables and some animal foods. The family includes some well-known pigments such as beta-carotene and lycopene. Foods that are rich in lutein  the carotenoid at the center of the new study  include dark green leafy vegetables such as spinach, parsley, and kale. Lutein is also present in egg yolk. Several studies have found that low levels of carotenoids are linked to higher levels of inflammation markers in the blood. Prof. Jonasson and colleagues wanted to investigate this further, to address the question of whether or not carotenoids themselves possess anti-inflammatory effects. Some studies have already investigated the relationship between carotenoids and inflammation, but these have either been done in animals or in healthy humans. Their findings, the researchers note, may not have been representative of what happens in the bodies of people with low-level inflammation, such as patients with coronary artery disease, in whom the immune cells are more susceptible to stimulation.
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"To clearly understand the impact of these results, it is essential to first define what psychotic-like experiences are: namely, experiences of perceptual aberration, ideas with unusual content and feelings of persecution," said the study's lead author, Josiane Bourque, a doctoral student at Universite de Montreal's Department of Psychiatry."Although they may be infrequent and thus not problematic for the adolescent, when these experiences are reported continuously, year after year, then there's an increased risk of a first psychotic episode or another psychiatric condition."She added: "Our findings confirm that becoming a more regular marijuana user during adolescence is, indeed, associated with a risk of psychotic symptoms. This is a major public-health concern for Canada."One of the study's objectives was to better understand the mechanisms by which marijuana use is associated with psychotic-like experiences. Bourque and her supervisor, Dr. Patricia Conrod at Sainte Justine University Hospital Research Centre hypothesized that impairments in cognitive development due to marijuana misuse might in turn exacerbate psychotic-like experiences.This hypothesis was only partially confirmed, however. Among the different cognitive abilities evaluated, the development of inhibitory control was the only cognitive function negatively affected by an increase in marijuana use.Inhibitory control is the capacity to withhold or inhibit automatic behaviours in favor of a more contextually appropriate behaviour. Dr. Conrod's team has shown that this specific cognitive function is associated with risk for other forms of substance abuse and addiction."Our results show that while marijuana use is associated with a number of cognitive and mental health symptoms, only an increase in symptoms of depression -- such as negative thoughts and low mood -- could explain the relationship between marijuana use and increasing psychotic-like experiences in youth," Bourque said.These findings have important clinical implications for prevention programs in youth who report having persistent psychotic-like experiences."While preventing adolescent marijuana use should be the aim of all drug strategies, targeted prevention approaches are particularly needed to delay and prevent marijuana use in young people at risk of psychosis," said Patricia Conrod, the study's senior author and a professor at UdeM's Department of Psychiatry.Conrod is optimistic about one thing, however: the school-based prevention program that she developed, Preventure, has proven effective in reducing adolescent marijuana use by an overall 33%."In future programs, it will be important to investigate whether this program and other similar targeted prevention programs can delay or prevent marijuana use in youth who suffer from psychotic-like experiences," she said. "While the approach seems promising, we have yet to demonstrate that drug prevention can prevent some cases of psychosis."The study's results are based on the CIHR-funded Co-Venture project, a cohort of approximately 4,000 adolescents aged 13 years old from 31 high schools in the Greater Montreal area. These teens are followed annually from Grade 7 to Grade 11.Every year they fill out computerized questionnaires to assess substance use and psychiatric symptoms. The teens also complete cognitive tasks to allow the researchers to evaluate their IQ, working memory and long-term memory as well as their inhibitory control skills.To do their study, the research team first confirmed results from both the United Kingdom and Netherlands showing the presence of a small group of individuals (in Montreal, 8%) among the general population of adolescents who report recurrent psychotic-like experiences.Second, the researchers explored how marijuana use between 13 and 16 years of age increases the likelihood of belonging to the 8%. Finally, they examined whether the relationship between increasing use of marijuana and increasing psychotic-like experiences can be explained by emerging symptoms of anxiety or depression, or by the effects of substance use on developing cognitive abilities.Source: Eurekalert
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Degenerative brain diseases include memory disorders such as Alzheimer's disease as well as Parkinson's disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). While the connection between TBI and degenerative brain diseases has been known, no comprehensive research data exist on the impact of TBI on degenerative brain diseases among adults of working age.Researchers from the University of Helsinki and the Helsinki University Hospital have now examined the relationship between TBI and degenerative brain diseases in a study encompassing the entire Finnish population.The study combined several nationwide registers to monitor more than 40,000 working-age adults, who survived the initial TBI, for ten years. Importantly, the persons' level of education and socioeconomic status were accounted for."It seems that the risk for developing dementia after TBI is the highest among middle-aged men. The more severe the TBI, the higher the risk for subsequent dementia. While previous studies have identified good education and high socioeconomic status as protective factors against dementia, we did not discover a similar effect among TBI survivors," explains Rahul Raj, docent of experimental neurosurgery and one of the primary authors of the study.A significant discovery is that the risk of dementia among TBI survivors who have seemingly recovered well remains high for years after the injury. Raj points out that TBI patients may occasionally be incorrectly diagnosed with dementia due to the damage caused by the TBI itself, but such possible errors were considered in the study."According to our results, it might be so that the TBI triggers a process that later leads to dementia.""These results are significant for the rehabilitation and monitoring of TBI patients. Such a reliable study of the long-term impact of TBI has previously been impossible," says Professor Jaakko Kaprio, a member of the research group.The WHO has predicted that TBI will become a leading cause of death and long-term illness during the next ten years. Already one per cent of the population in the United States suffers from a long-term disability caused by TBI. In western countries, the ageing of the population and age-related accidents increase the amount of TBIs, while in Asia, TBIs caused by traffic accidents are on the rise.Dementia is commonly seen as a problem of the elderly. However, the Finnish study shows that TBI may cause dementia to develop before old age, and that dementia caused by injuries are much more common than was thought."It is a tragedy when an adult of working age develops dementia after recovering from a brain injury, not just for the patient and their families, but it also negatively impacts the whole society. In the future, it will be increasingly important to prevent TBIs and to develop rehabilitation and long-term monitoring for TBI patients," says Docent Raj.Source: Eurekalert
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In the study, 296 low-income moms were asked about beliefs and rules regarding their 4-to-8-year-old child's television watching behavior, how they manage screen time and if they allow television during meals.The amount of screen time children should be allowed, in particular TV--which is still the most popular electronic medium--is a huge issue in all demographics, but perhaps even more so for low-income children, said first author Sarah Domoff, a researcher at the U-M Center for Human Growth and Development and assistant professor at Central Michigan University.That's because television watching is a risk factor for obesity, and low-income children watch more TV and have higher obesity rates than higher-income peers.Understanding how mothers manage television for kids can foster positive, nonshaming conversations between clinicians and low-income parents about TV, which could ultimately help reduce screen time, Domoff said.Five themes emerged during questioning. Mothers said that what their children watch on television is more important than how much. To that end, they focus on restricting programming and set time limits only in extreme cases.The mothers in the study were confident in the programming choices they make for their children and put much thought into appropriate television. This challenges the assumption that low-income mothers experience problems managing their child's media use, Domoff said.Positive experiences outweigh negative ones and challenges seem to reflect specific child factors or situational stressors, such as meal or bedtime. Moms also expressed concern about the effect of violent programming, but don't worry as much about commercials."That's important because we know that exposure to advertisements for fast food or sugar-sweetened beverages has been implicated as a risk factor for child obesity," Domoff said.Mothers said their children vary in how much television they want to watch, with some demanding more than others--say, to fall asleep or eat. In cases where mothers worry about a child watching too much, they limit viewing time as well as restricted programming.Researchers also found that moms enjoy the time they spend sharing quality programming with their children--especially watching their children learn."That's important because for families with fewer resources, watching television was something they valued, and it appeared to be an important activity that they enjoyed," Domoff said.Finally, whether a mother allows television during meals depends on her goals. If she views meals as time for talking and family bonding, she doesn't allow television. However, if meals are viewed strictly as time for children to eat, mothers are more likely to allow television if it helps achieve that goal."Meals can be a very stressful time in some households," Domoff said. "The mother might need to get to a second job on time and need the child to eat quickly. Allowing television during the meal might encourage certain children to eat and help the mother accomplish her goals."However, Domoff said that TV use during meals is also a risk factor for obesity, and other strategies to help children eat should be encouraged.Source: Eurekalert
Since the whole film industry is majorly based on looks, there's a lot of pressure to be fit, or at least look like you are. A person needs to be fit to stay and survive in the industry for a long time.

Ganesh Acharya is an excellent choreographer and is known for his incredible dancing skills, but he was more famous for his weight, which is quite unfortunate and unfair, tbh. But, not anymore! He has now lost all that weight and recently showed off his new look.

Hard work pays off ! A post shared by Pursue what you preach? (@ganeshacharyaa) on Dec 15, 2016 at 12:43am PST

Tired of all the fat-shaming, the talented choreographer and National Award winner has lost 85 kgs in one and a half year! Sounds unbelievable, right? His hard work paid off and he looks so happy now!

He documented his weight-loss journey on his Instagram page, and it's honestly quite inspiring.

Mummyyyyyyyyyy? A post shared by Pursue what you preach? (@ganeshacharyaa) on Jan 18, 2017 at 1:47am PST

He recently spoke to the Hindustan Times about this change and said, Karna hi tha! Ek soch thi ki I just have to do this. Logon ne Ganesh Acharya ko mota hi dekha hai (I had to do this! I had thought that I just have to do this. People have only seen the fat Ganesh Acharya), that's why I wanted to change the image. I have lost almost 85kg now.

He said that even though it was a difficult process, he never gave up. It was tough for me. I have been working on my body for the past one-and-a-half years. I had even put on 30-40kg for my film Hey Bro' (2015), and my weight had then touched 200kg. Ab vahi weight utaar raha hoon (I am shedding that weight now).

Gym in abudabi ? A post shared by Pursue what you preach? (@ganeshacharyaa) on Mar 4, 2017 at 4:26am PST

He feels like after this miraculous transformation, he has more energy. I danced even when I had so much weight, but the difference between then and now is that the energy in my dance has doubled, he explained.

No pain no gain ? A post shared by Pursue what you preach? (@ganeshacharyaa) on Jan 1, 2017 at 6:46pm PST

So, if need some motivation to hit the gym, Ganesh Acharya is here to help.
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CASEVILLE  The members of the Caseville Historical Society recently held its month meeting at Maccabee Hall, 6733 Prospect St.

There were 21 members and two guests present.

President Rich Bass called the meeting to order and welcomed all in attendance. The minutes of the previous meeting and the treasurer's report were presented and approved by the group with no changes. Bass advised the group about upcoming activities.

First mentioned was the History Skills Workshop on "Taming the Chaos and Clutter-Preservation and Storage of Artifacts for Small Museums" being presented by the State of Michigan Historical Society on July 21 in Lansing.

Second was the Elkton Historical Society's Log Cabin Day from 1 to 4 p.m. on June 25 featuring free ice cream sundaes.

Another event available to interested persons is the Michigan U.P. Conference to be held June 23-25 at Iron River and Caspian. A number of topics will be covered at this conference. Anyone interested in these activities may find more information available at the museum office.

Bass said a thank you note has been received from the Caseville Library Club for allowing them to use the museum for their May meeting. A thank you was sent out to the Point of Sand Point Association for its recent donation in memory of Judy Amons.

Membership Committee Chairwoman Mary Taylor announced two new members, Linda A. Raschke, sponsor, and Brigitte La Croix, active.

Events Committee Chairwoman Joyce Miller called on Audrey Jesmore to report on the recently held Ice Cream Social. She said the event was a success. Jesmore offered thanks to Al and Pam Mason for donating the toppings for the event, the Dairy Queen for donating the cups and the plastic ware. Cash donations were also received from Thumb National Bank and Independent Bank.

Next, Sherry Hoelzle reported the Ladies' Luncheon held on June 8 was a sold out event. Salads and desserts were donated by the membership. Attendees heard an interesting talk on the history of quilt-making presented by Barb Brooks from Bad Axe's Back Streets Quilt Shop. Joyce Miller said the Charity Island Boat Tour scheduled to take place following the July meeting is a sold-out event. This event will include a boat ride to and from the island, a light lunch, and a tour of the island.

The Cheeseburger Museum will be open during the entire Cheeseburger in Caseville Event, from noon to 4:30 p.m. each day Aug. 11-20. Gift baskets to be raffled are now being accepted. 50/50 tickets are also available to be sold. They offer a cash first place prize of $400, and a second place prize of $100. Volunteers will be needed to work at this event, as it is very well attended and can become quite busy.

Huron County's All Museum Weekend, scheduled for Sept. 23-24 will again feature a classic car show at Maccabee Hall. The car show will be from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sept. 23. The museum will again be displaying automotive-related memorabilia and would appreciate loans of items to include in that display. Moore Shoreline will sponsor this event and the Caseville Booster Club will sell food and beverage items.

The Harvest Dinner and Auction, scheduled for 1 to 3 p.m. on Nov. 12, is the last planned event for the year. This dinner will be prepared by J.D. Barbeque. Attendance is limited to 32 persons.

Reporting for the Archival and Museum Committee, Bass said 48 visitors had toured the museum over the past month. Items have been recently donated by Kathryn Karle, Noel W. Perry, Dennis Gursin, Last Call Drywall, Helping Hands Thrift Store, Kelly Pierce and Karen Jacobs. The new display of a mid-century Ladies' Millinery Shop is coming along nicely. Items still needed for this display include vintage fabric, an old cash register, sewing patterns, thread bin, notions, button-on-a-card, school dress, ankle sox, yarn, and undergarments.

The Genealogy Committee reports that Barb Eimers is available the first Thursday of each month to assist those interested in completing family or building histories. Eimers is available at Maccabee Hall from 1 to 4 p.m. to offer help in utilizing the research materials available at the museum.

The next meeting is scheduled for July 20. All meetings are open to the public and everyone is invited to attend. Meetings are not only fun, they are a great way to meet and interact with other persons interested in preserving the history of the local community.

For more information, call 989-856-9090, visit www.thehchs.org/caseville, e-mail chscm@comcast.net, or like the group on Facebook.
CASS CITY  Hills & Dales General Hospital recently welcomed Dr. Steven Jensen, Board Certified Urologist, to its clinic staff.

Dr. Jensen will start seeing patients on Tuesday, July 25 at Hills & Dales Urology Clinic. Dr. Jensen is the managing and senior partner of Tri-City Urology and specializes in adult and pediatric urology, urological cancers, female urology, and minimally invasive treatment of kidney stones and cancer.

Additionally, Dr. Jensen has specialty training in renal transplantation and vascular surgery. He is the only urologist in the Tri-City Area trained and experienced in laparoscopic urologic surgery including laparoscopic prostatectomies and partial nephrectomies. He has extensive experience in office ultrasonography, cystoscopy, vasectomies and many other advanced services. He is also a leader in the state of Michigan for his technique used on the bladder for urinary incontinence. Dr. Jensen has also incorporated cryotherapy into his prostate/kidney cancer treatments; this is minimally invasive and offers decreased side effects compared to surgery and radiation.

Dr. Jensen is a diplomat of the American Board of Urology and holds memberships in the American Medical Association, American Urologic Association, and the Michigan State Medical Society. He received his B.A. in biology at Utah State University. His medical degree was earned from Utah School of Medicine, with extensive training at the Howard Hughes Institute specializing in molecular genetics. He completed his urologic residency at the University of Kentucky.

Dr. Jensen will see patients three times per month at Hills & Dales Urology Clinic, located at 4672 Hill St. in Cass City. He will also perform surgery once a month in Hills & Dales General Hospital's state of the art operating rooms.
UNIONVILLE  The National FFA Organization recently awarded a $1,500 America's Farmers Grow Ag Leaders scholarship to Grant Gremel of Unionville-Sebewaing Area FFA.

The scholarship is sponsored by Monsanto Fund. Gremel plans to use the funds to pursue a degree at Michigan State University.

This scholarship is one of 1,888 awarded through the National FFA Organization's scholarship program this year. Currently 115 sponsors contribute more than $2.7 million to support scholarships for students.

For 33 years, scholarships have been made available through funding secured by the National FFA Foundation. This generous funding comes from individuals, businesses and corporate sponsors to encourage excellence and enable students to pursue their educational goals.

The 2017 scholarship recipients were selected from 8,337 applicants from across the country. Selections were based on the applicant's leadership, academic record, FFA and other school and community activities, supervised agricultural or work experience in agricultural education and future goals.
CASS CITY -- Hills & Dales General Hospital recently welcomed Dr. Steven Jensen, Board Certified Urologist, to its clinic staff.

Dr. Jensen will start seeing patients on Tuesday, July 25 at Hills & Dales Urology Clinic. Dr. Jensen is the managing and senior partner of Tri-City Urology and specializes in adult and pediatric urology, urological cancers, female urology, and minimally invasive treatment of kidney stones and cancer.

Additionally, Dr. Jensen has specialty training in renal transplantation and vascular surgery. He is the only urologist in the Tri-City Area trained and experienced in laparoscopic urologic surgery including laparoscopic prostatectomies and partial nephrectomies. He has extensive experience in office ultrasonography, cystoscopy, vasectomies and many other advanced services. He is also a leader in the state of Michigan for his technique used on the bladder for urinary incontinence. Dr. Jensen has also incorporated cryotherapy into his prostate/kidney cancer treatments; this is minimally invasive and offers decreased side effects compared to surgery and radiation.

Dr. Jensen is a diplomat of the American Board of Urology and holds memberships in the American Medical Association, American Urologic Association, and the Michigan State Medical Society. He received his B.A. in biology at Utah State University. His medical degree was earned from Utah School of Medicine, with extensive training at the Howard Hughes Institute specializing in molecular genetics. He completed his urologic residency at the University of Kentucky.

Dr. Jensen will see patients three times per month at Hills & Dales Urology Clinic, located at 4672 Hill St. in Cass City. He will also perform surgery once a month in Hills & Dales General Hospital's state of the art operating rooms.
Camp Lejeune Town Halls Aim to Help Those Exposed to Toxic Water. Heres How You Can Go.

Retired Marine Master Sgt. Jerry Ensminger made it his mission to tell the world that if they lived or served on Camp Lejeune...
If you think about it, there is not a better time to build a new morning fitness habit than right now with the end of...
ANN ARBOR, MI - Ride-sharing company Uber is offering passengers a way to tip their drivers and is test-driving the new feature on the streets of Ann Arbor.

Ann Arbor is the first city in Michigan to access Uber's tipping feature, which debuted Thursday, July 6 and allows passengers to add a tip to their fare once their ride is complete.

The tipping feature was announced June 20 and rolled out in Minneapolis, Houston and Seattle that same day, said Megan Capiak of Uber's communications team.

"Whenever we launch a new feature, we always start in a few cities to make sure it works well," Capiak said in an email to The Ann Arbor News. "This will help us refine, improve and create the best tipping experience for drivers and rider by the time in-app tipping is available across the U.S. by the end of July."

Users must have the latest version of the Uber Driver app to be able to accept and track tips, which are included in total earnings and do not include service fees. Tips can be cashed out at any time with Uber's Instant Pay feature.

Tipping is one of the initiatives Uber is test-driving this summer as part of the company's 180 Days of Change program.

In a letter posted June 20 by Uber's Aaron Schildkrout and Rachel Holt, the company addressed why the changes are being implemented.

"For the next 180 days (and beyond), we'll be making meaningful changes to the driving experience. Some changes will be big, some will be small - all will be changes drivers have asked for," the letter said.

"Why now? Because it's the right thing to do, it's long overdue, and there's no time like the present. This is just the beginning. We know there's a long road ahead, but we won't stop until we get there."

The tipping feature is set to be available to all passengers across the country by the end of the month, Capiak said. Uber wants the tipping experience to be amazing for both drivers and riders, she added.

"The design of the feature delivers not only on what drivers have asked for, but also on the things riders have come to appreciate about Uber: it's hassle-free and it's 100 percent optional," Capiak said.

"A lot of riders have also told us they want the option to tip their drivers for excellent service. We believe the experience will be magical for both riders and drivers in the end."
GRAND RAPIDS, MI - Good news and bad news can be found in West Michigan's job market, according to economist Brian Long.

Employment in the greater Grand Rapids area is growing at a record pace while the Kalamazoo area's job market is still recovering from the Great Recession, said Long, director of Grand Valley State University's Institute for Supply Management.

The differences boil down to the regions' industrial mix and its workforce, said Long, who tracks employment and industrial purchasing trends in the Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo markets.

The Grand Rapids area has benefitted from a comeback in the automotive and office furniture industry while diversifying by expanding its health care and food processing industries, Long said.

Automotive parts suppliers and office furniture companies in Kent and Ottawa counties were financially strong enough to survive the Great Recession and stage a stronger comeback when cars and furniture starting selling again, he said.

"Of course, nobody is doing as well as Grand Rapids," said Long. Grand Rapids metropolitan area recently led the nation's largest cities by posting a 4.4 percent increase in new jobs for 2016.

Kent County's employment levels are up 14.8 percent since 2007 after dropping 8.5 percent in 2010. Jobs for residents of Kentwood are up 15.5 percent over 2007 while employment for Wyoming residents is up 12.4 percent.

Employment in Ottawa County has grown 20 percent since 2007 after falling 4.8 percent in 2010, says Long..

Allegan County has enjoyed a 15.5 percent comeback in employment since 2007 after falling 7 percent in 2010.

Meanwhile, Kalamazoo County is .6 percent ahead of its 2007 workforce levels despite losing fewer jobs during the Great Recession.

The city of Kalamazoo's workforce is down 3.7 percent while its neighboring suburb, Portage, is down 3.7 percent from 2007 workforce levels.

Kalamazoo's comeback would be more tepid without the Kalamazoo Promise, a philanthropic gesture that offers free college scholarships to graduates of Kalamazoo Public Schools, Long said.

The workforce in Van Buren County is down 8.9 percent from its 2007 levels while Calhoun County is down 3.9 percent. Berrien County employment levels are down .7 percent from 2007, Long said.

"For the state of Michigan, the raw employment number dropped by 11.3 percent in 2010, but as of May 2017, employment is now up 1.1 percent higher than April 2007. Not great, but still positive," Long said.
DEXTER TOWNSHIP, MI - The fight to halt construction of the ET Rover natural gas pipeline near Silver Lake is heating up.

The Ann Arbor YMCA is partnering with area residents to organize a protest against the pipeline from 6-8 p.m. Friday, July 7, at the Y's Camp Birkett, a summer camp for children next to Silver Lake in Dexter Township, about 12 miles northwest of Ann Arbor.

Toni Kayumi, president and CEO of the Y, said there will be a variety of speakers and musicians at the demonstration, and both children and parents are expected to be among those carrying signs. The Y's website indicates local politicians will be joining.

"We'll also be walking as a group to where the bulldozers and barbed wire are just a stone's throw away from camp," Kayumi said.

The Y is concerned the new pipeline will come dangerously close to the camp, putting the camp's staff and children in the blast zone if there's ever an explosion. Residents who live near the route have similar concerns and fear there would be no way to evacuate in an emergency, and they're worried about environmental impacts.

Ann Arbor resident Alison Beatty, who grew up on Silver Lake, is among those planning to protest Friday night. Her family's home is on the east side of the lake near the pipeline route.

Beatty said construction crews have been busy preparing the route for installation of the pipeline.

"All week long they have scraped the entire length of our segment, burned brush, and laid tracks for the major equipment," she said. "The rumbling of the incessant construction equipment has been nonstop."

Beatty said Friday night's protest will be moved into the lodge at Camp Birkett if it storms.

According to the National Weather Service, there's a chance of showers and thunderstorms.

Energy Transfer Partners is building a 713-mile gas pipeline from West Virginia and Pennsylvania through Ohio into Michigan, passing through Washtenaw County on its way to Livingston County.

The project has federal approval and Energy Transfer Partners says safety is its top priority.

Alexis Daniel, a spokeswoman for Energy Transfer Partners, said the Rover pipeline route was approved after it was surveyed and carefully vetted and planned for more than two years.

The Dexter Blueberry Farm is among those concerned about the pipeline construction. The farm posted on Facebook this week that it has retained legal counsel and is looking to the court for relief.

"The Rover pipeline (Energy Transfer Partners) has started the clearing phase on a gas pipeline that will go through the east blueberry field in the coming months," the farm wrote on Facebook.

"The pipeline will cut through and impact almost half the field (3.75 acres of the 8.6 acres planted). We will lose one of the best picking areas, under the power lines. We expect the damages caused by Rover pipeline to have a long term impact on the farm and growing blueberries in that area. To date, Rover has not offered any compensation for the extensive blueberry crop damage. Rover instead sued us to condemn the property and was awarded immediate possession. We are looking to the court for relief."

The farm added, "This is in stark contrast to Enbridge when their pipeline came through the property. Enbridge and their agent were caring, considerate and willing to negotiate fair compensation for blueberry and other damages.

"You will also notice another set of ITC transmission poles on your next visit too. ITC has been helpful and considerate in working with us and the farm. I thought I was growing blueberries, but it seems utilities too. We thank you for being such loyal and fantastic customers."

The farm indicated it expects to open no later than July 17, and the picking looks to be good this year thanks to rain at the right times.

Alexis Daniel, a spokeswoman for Energy Transfer Partners, said the company offered fair market value as compensation for permanent and temporary access to the farm's property.

"It is inaccurate to say we have not made any compensation offer. We regret that we were unable to come to a mutual agreement with the owners," she said. "Our first priority is to negotiate voluntary easement agreements with landowners. As a company, we have a success rate of more than 90% in terms of voluntary agreements across all our projects. It is only a last resort that we turn to legal options."

At least one Washtenaw County commissioner has vowed to stand with residents in front of bulldozers if it comes to that.
BAY CITY, MI -- A Highland Township man who two years ago faded into a sea of phragmites to avoid repercussions for illegally hunting ducks has taken a plea deal.

Damon A. Freeborn, 36, on Friday, June 30, appeared before Bay County District Judge Mark E. Janer and pleaded guilty to single counts of attempted assaulting, resisting or obstructing police and general violations of wildlife conservation. Both charges are misdemeanors.

In exchange, the prosecution agreed to dismiss a two-year felony count of assaulting, resisting or obstructing police.

After Freeborn pleaded, Janer proceeded to sentence him to 16 days in jail with credit for all 16 days already served. The judge also ordered him to pay a $225 fine.

Police reports state that at about 10 a.m. on Oct. 11, 2015, a Department of Natural Resources officer encountered three adults and two juveniles duck hunting at the end of Cotter Road in Hampton Township. The officer conducted a standard check of the hunters' licenses, firearms and harvested wildfowl.

One of the adults, Damon A. Freeborn, presented the officer with his hunting license, but the document did not bear a federal duck stamp. Freeborn told the officer he had indeed purchased such a stamp from a Walmart. He showed the officer a receipt from Walmart, but the slip did not indicate Freeborn had bought a duck stamp, court records show.

The officer returned to his vehicle to run Freeborn's name and see if he had bought a duck stamp. The officer's search resulted in the Law Enforcement Information Network (LEIN) indicating Freeborn was wanted on nine misdemeanor warrants.

When the officer returned to the group of hunters, they told him Freeborn was gone, having seemingly disappeared. He left behind his 12-gauge shotgun, ammunition and his license, which the officer confiscated.

The officer wrote in his report that Freeborn had walked into phragmites, a reed abundant in wetlands that "often obstructs ... views because of its ability to grow in tall, dense patches," according to the state's website.

The officer issued a citation to another member of the hunting party for having a firearm that could hold more than three shells.

Michigan law states: "In the taking of migratory birds, it shall be unlawful for any individual to take waterfowl without a current federal migratory bird hunting stamp, validated by the individual's signature written across the face thereof in ink."

Authorities issued a warrant for Freeborn on Nov. 20, 2015. The DNR arrested him Friday, June 16.
Turkey is truly part of the mess in the region. And how does Turkey get invited to the G20.......? Some are getting excited that ISIS may be out of Mosul but, that is just one city and just one faction in the area. And now Qatar has become enemy #1 with the USA/Saudi's because of a LNG pipeline and their lack of adherence to Whabbism.............President Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday reaffirmed Turkey's support for Qatar in its dispute with four other Arab states, saying their demands against the tiny Gulf nation were unacceptable.Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt accuse Qatar of supporting terrorism and allying with regional foe Iran, charges Doha denies, and have cut diplomatic and commercial ties.Among their demands is for Qatar to end an accord under which Turkey maintains a military base in the Gulf state."We remain loyal to our agreement with Qatar. If it requests us to leave, we will not stay where we are not wanted," he said through an interpreter, adding there had been no such request.Turkey, the most powerful regional country to stand by Qatar, has sent 100 cargo planes with supplies since its neighbors cut air and sea links. It has also rushed through legislation to send more troops to the military base in Doha.Two contingents of Turkish troops with columns of armored vehicles have arrived since the crisis erupted on June 5.Erdogan, who was speaking ahead of the G20 leaders summit in Hamburg later this week, also took a swipe at the United States saying its arming of "terrorist" Kurdish groups would backfire and that it would be impossible for Washington to recover heavy weapons as it has promised to do so.He also said Ankara was ready to carry out ground operations in northern Syria against Kurdish forces if it felt threatened.Elsewhere in Syria, Erdogan said he was optimistic on the implementation of de-escalation zones that are under discussion in the Kazakh capital Astana with Russia and Iran. He said he would discuss the next steps with Russian President Vladimir Putin during the G20 summit in Germany.Erdogan added that he hoped the Astana talks would pave the way for political negotiations under U.N. auspices in Geneva, but said Syrian President Bashar al-Assad had no future in the country. Russia and Iran are both allies of Assad."Of course he has to leave," Erdogan said. "Those who want Assad to remain are still going after their interests in Syria."
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Keene Memorial Library in Fremont will again welcome Celtic fingerstyle guitarist and storyteller Jerry Barlow in concert.

The event will be held at 7 p.m. Monday at the library, 1030 N. Broad St. The program is sponsored by the Friends of the Keene Memorial Library and is free to the community.

Light refreshments will be served following the performance. Childrens programming will be available in case any couples want to make it a date night.

Barlow is described as a warm, accessible performer and storyteller. His unique and skillfully delivered repertoire incorporates favorite traditional pieces as well as his own Celtic-inspired compositions. His expressive arrangements of lively jigs, spirited reels, and haunting airs is described as music to soothe the soul, warm the heart and lift the spirit.

Barlows latest CD, Voyage of Hope, was released in early September. It features songs about the Irish immigration to America in the mid-1800s. His 2011 recording, Fields and Fences, was one of five nominees for Instrumental Album of the Year by the Independent Music Awards. The Indie Acoustic Project selected the title song from Jerrys CD, Bring Down the Storm, as one of the best songs of 2006.

Music from all of Barlows recordings can be heard regularly on National Public Radio stations. He has been featured in Fingerstyle Guitar magazine, and was profiled in Celtic Connection. He has performed in the Gates Auditorium for the University of Denvers Lamont School of Music, the Arvada Center for the Performing Arts, and is a favorite of High plains Public Radios Living Room Concert Series in Amarillo, Texas.

For more information, contact the library at 402-727-2694 or visit www.jerrybarlow.com.
All Original, All Nebraska will be presented by Dan Holtz, a recently retired professor of English at Peru State College, at 7 p.m. Tuesday at First Lutheran Church, 3200 E. Military Ave., Fremont.

Holtz celebrates and commemorates people, places, and events in Nebraska history with acoustic-folk, country-rock, and honky tonk country songs as he plays the guitar and harmonica. He is the recipient of the 2015 Addison E. Sheldon Award for the preservation and interpretation of Nebraska history.

He also is a past president of the Board of Trustees of the Nebraska State Historical Society and currently serves as a member of the Nebraska 150 Foundation, a statewide committee involved in planning Nebraskas Sesquicentennial celebration/commemoration.

Holtz has presented programs across Nebraska as well as at the Nebraska State Capitol and the Nebraska State Historical Society. Additionally, he has appeared at the Kennedy Center for Performing Arts and at the Bob Devaney Center for the state quarter dedication ceremony in 2006. He released his second CD, All Original, All Nebraska, in June 2016.

The program is made possible by Humanities Nebraska, the Nebraska Cultural Endowment, and First Lutheran Women as part of the Humanities Nebraska Speakers Bureau. The event has been approved as an official event of the Nebraska Sesquicentennial in conjunction with the Nebraska 150 Celebration. The public is invited to attend this free program.

Prior to the program at 6 P.M., First Lutheran Women will host an indoor, catered picnic that includes chicken salad croissants and homemade pies. For the meal, tickets are required. Cost is $10 and can be obtained by calling Jan at 402-727-0989, Beth at 402-721-3053, or Carol at 402-652-8166.
State-owned Air India launched its first flight to Washington DC from New Delhi, thereby adding its fifth destination in the US.

Air India has deployed its 238-seater Boeing 777-200 LR aircraft to cater to the new direct service to the US. The plane offers eight seats in first class, 35 in business and 195 in economy class.

The launch took place at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport here in the presence of Charge de Affairs of US Embassy Marykay Loss Carlson, Air India Chairman and Managing Director Ashwani Lohani, Commercial Director of Air India Pankaj Shrivastava, among other airline officials.

Indian Ambassador to the US Navtej Sarna, Lohani and Srivastava are also flying to Washington.

The occupancy on flights to Washington is at 90 per cent for the month of July, according to the airline spokesperson.

The airline will operate a bigger 321-seater Boeing 777- 300ER aircraft between July 9 and 17, he said.

Washington is the the fifth destination for Air India. The service to the US capital will be offered three times a week.

Apart from Washington, Air India flies to four US airports - New York, Newark, Chicago and San Francisco.

There are daily flights to Newark, New York and Chicago. However, its Delhi-San Francisco flight is operated six times a week.

The national carrier also plans to fly to other destinations in the US, such as Los Angeles and Houston among others.

Air India's operations to the US account for 20 per cent of the total revenue of the national carrier. In the last fiscal, the state-owned carrier mopped up an estimated Rs 3,200 crore revenue, which is an increase of 17 per cent over FY 2014-2015, from its US operations alone.
Ashwani Gujral of ashwanigujral.com told CNBC-TV18, "PSU banks could again continue upsides, Central Bank of India is a buy with a stop loss of Rs 88, target of Rs 100. Ceat is a buy with a stop loss of Rs 1,870, target of Rs 1,940. Motherson Sumi is a buy with a stop loss of Rs 309, target of Rs 325. Hindustan Petroleum is a sell with a stop loss of Rs 514, target of Rs 495. SRF is a sell with a stop loss of Rs 1,560, target of Rs 1,500."

"State Bank of India (SBI) could have a 10 percent style rally, Rs 295-300 closer to whenever the IPO is done. But no need to get overexcited. All of these PSU banks are looking for a trading rally of 10-15 percent, which happens from time to time because shorts get covered. There is some good news, etc. but overall these are the banks which are creating the problem for the Bank Nifty otherwise probably Bank Nifty would be higher," he said.

"You can buy Reliance Industries but from here you have to take that incremental 10 percent type of call instead of taking the 40 percent call."

"Bharti Airtel has been hanging around this Rs 350-400 forever. Telecom is now more or less utility type of stocks. I dont think they are going to make you great amounts of wealth. So I have no view on Bharti Airtel."

"United Spirits  buy on all declines as I have been saying that both with ITC and United Spirits are getting into some sort of a bull zone. So Rs 2,800-3,000 remains a target. So any time you get a decline, it should be time to buy."

"Lupin is up 2 percent, that rally continues. I think REC and PFC have also bottomed out. So possibly time to look at those stocks as well.

"Lupin remains a buy with a stop of Rs 1,100, target of Rs 1,165. Ceat is a buy with a stop of Rs 1,900, target of Rs 1,960 and Bata is a buy with a stop of Rs 565, target of Rs 590.

"Bata is a positional call. I do think that it has probably hit some sort of a bottom and in the next few weeks, we should cross Rs 600. Even Glenmark could see some upside but these are all trading moves and you have to understand that maybe 10-15 percent type move and then they fall back so that needs to be kept in mind. Glenmark and Aurobindo Pharma are two other stocks which could be looked at."

: Reliance Industries Ltd. is the sole beneficiary of Independent Media Trust which controls Network18 Media & Investments Ltd
Air India

Debt-laden Air India will sell the land parcel in Mauritius to state-owned NBCC Ltd for Rs 3.1 crore amid the government's decision to divest stake in the national airline.

"Air India has agreed to sell its asset measuring one-acre land in the State of Mauritius to NBCC India Ltd and the transaction valuing Rs 3.10 crore will take place within a few days," the construction firm said in a BSE filing.

On June 28, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs gave its in-principle approval for the disinvestment of Air India, which has been in the red for long.

Air India, which has a debt burden of more than Rs 52,000 crore, is staying afloat on taxpayers' money.

The previous UPA government had extended bailout package worth little over Rs 30,000 crore to the national carrier for a ten-year period starting from 2012.

NBCC Ltd has entered the Mauritius market. It will help develop a social housing project and construct a new Supreme Court building in Mauritius, which together are estimated to cost USD 50 million.
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IDFC and Shriram Group are all set to announce their mega-merger plan on Saturday, which would create a USD 10 billion dollar financial behemoth, sources have told CNBC-TV18.

The boards of IDFC and Shriram Group are likely to meet and decide on exclusive talks for a merger.

The deal has been in the making for several months and now they have got clarity on the contours and the structure of the transaction with an exclusivity period of 90-120 days in which the deal can be finalised.

As per available information, the entire lending business of holding company Shriram Capital which includes listed entities -- Shriram Transport Finance and Shriram City Union Finance -- will be merged with IDFC Bank. The unlisted entities under Shriram Capital, which include the life and general insurance companies, will be merged with IDFC.

The deal is likely to be very complex and structured in order to meet with the Reserve Bank of Indias guidelines.

The merger is likely to help IDFC capture market share.
State Bank of India (SBI) chairwoman Arundhati Bhattacharya speaks during an interview at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), Russia, June 2, 2017. REUTERS/Grigory Dukor - RTX38O0R

It is a good thing for chief executive officers and key management personnel to be concerned about the stock of their company, but another matter to be publicly hard selling it to prospective investors.

Earlier this week, State Bank of India chairman Arundhati Bhattacharya, stunned regulators and investors alike when she urged investors to buy shares of the bank. In an interview to a business daily she said: From FY19 we will be much better. Therefore, I urge you all to buy our shares now. You wont get it at such a price.

Fund managers and some regulators claim that CEOs and promoters are increasingly trying to condition the market by talking up their stock, as the performance of the share price is a key result area. Also, compensation of key management personnel at many private companies is linked to the performance of the stock. However, in the case of public sector companies, this is not the case.

But in private sector firms, CEOs are accountable for the stocks performance, which often results in them pushing the envelope. Promoters aspire to have their companys stock in the portfolio of money managers and on the buy list of analysts, and yet, it can be in poor taste in senior management personnel publicly comment about the price of the stock.

What makes this development even more perplexing is that regulations are rather stringent in India. Listed entities are bound by listing agreement and disclosure requirements regulation of Sebi (2015), which clearly states that The listed entity shall promptly inform to the stock exchange(s) of all information which shall have bearing on performance/operation of the listed entity or is price sensitive or shall affect payment of interest or dividend of non-convertible preference shares or redemption of non-convertible debt securities or redeemable preference.

In response to an emailed questionnaire from Moneycontrol, an official spokesperson of SBI replied: The statements made in the Interview have not been quoted in the right perspective and were not intended as a recommendation to buy stock of SBI. Based on the clarification given to ET they have removed the said statement from the online interview and further, we have advised ET to carry the said clarification in ET print edition.

Of late, advisory firms claim that CEOs are increasingly talking up their stock and it requires tougher intervention by regulators.

Anil Singhvi, chairman of ICAN Investments Advisors, believes that there are two issues in such cases. He says: First, CEOs need to be more responsible while talking about the company. And big companies too have to be made accountable when such comments are made. Second, regulators need to take appropriate action too. I find it very disturbing that there is discrimination between small and big companies.

Lawyers and compliance officers claim that exchanges are not reacting fast enough to clamp down in such cases, especially if the companies are large or state-owned.
Job loss | The pandemic has wreaked havoc on the job landscape in India. According the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE) about 21 million salaries employees lost their jobs during April-August. There were 86 million salaried jobs in India during 2019-20. In August 2020, the count was down to 65 million after 3.3 million jobs were gone in the particular month, mostly among the industrial workers and white collar workers, as per the CMIE. (Image: Shutterstock)

A middle-aged IT sector employee was in for a shock recently when his human resource manager informed him about his termination over the phone and giving less than 24 hours to resign.

What was worse was that he had willingly agreed to be a part of this situation when he had signed his employment contract a few years ago.

The shock over his termination wouldn't have been as devastating if the IT executive had either read his offer letter properly or renegotiated the terms of employment.

Typically, a letter of employment often called the offer letter is considered a legal document on which an employee signature declares consent to the terms of employment. It also means that he/she has fully understood is ready to bear the consequences of any future actions by the company.

Apart from the basic details including whether it is a full-time position, part-time position and remuneration payable, conditions of employment that refer to the work timings, leave policies, severance policies and termination clauses are equally important.

Sharanya Ranga, Partner, Advaya Legal said that an employee should carefully read through the key clauses impacting his/her employment with the employer including termination with or without cause, notice period and payment in lieu of notice, severance pay among others.

For senior employees, having a carefully drafted non-compete clause is very important. Though employment contracts usually favour employers, an employee should look at the terms governing the employment relationship and try to negotiate on such aspects, she added.

Senior human resource officials at companies said that usually the designation and cost-to-company is what employees look at. The head of human resource practice at a mid-size ITeS firm explained that in majority of cases, whether a prospective candidate will accept the offer will depend on the hike that they have been provided and the job position.

Conditions of employment which include clauses related to the notice period and termination are ignored. This is a lapse on the part of the candidate because in scenarios of sudden retrenchment without pay, they are left with no bargaining power since they had agreed to these terms in the initial contract, the official added.

The Industrial Disputes Act, 1947 (IDA) gives a guidance on the conditions related to retrenchment of workmen. The rules say that a workman who has been an employee of a company for over a year cannot be sacked or laid off without being given one month's notice in writing.

Rituparna Chakraborty, Senior Vice-president, TeamLease Services said that any contract of employment needs to have a notice period and see that before signing it. While notice periods in long-term contracts are usually 30 days, they could even be even lesser. One should negotiate for atleast a 30-day notice period, she added.

Law also states that if an individual has served for five years in a company (as per IDA Act), they are required to be paid 15 days salary for every completed year of service as gratuity if they are retrenched.

Though in regular circumstances, a notice period of 30 days is generally given, in some cases employees have been asked to resign within 12-24 hours. However, if this part of the employment contract duly signed by the concerned employee, no relief can be sought.

Experts also suggest that candidates should talk to their prospective human resource heads to have a favourable contract drafted. Chakraborty added that in todays world, terms like permanent job are redundant, it is possible for individuals to negotiate their way out.

If you possess a niche skill or degree or are being hired at a senior position, you may be able to have your way. For an entry-level talent, it is tough, she added.
petrol diesel price hike

The All India Petroleum Dealers Association (AIPDA) has given a call for a nationwide "No Purchase-No Sale" protest on July 12.

The association took the decision after their demands were not met, according to Financial Express. It claims that traders are incurring losses following the introduction of dynamic pricing system on June 16.

Under the dynamic pricing system, rates of petrol and diesel change on day-to-day basis instead of on fortnightly basis.

Petrol and diesel prices are revised daily in sync with any movement in international oil rates. Rates change at 6am every day depending on movement in cost on the previous day.

Petrol & Diesel Rates Nov 10, 2022 Petrol Rate in Mumbai Nov 10, 2022 Current Petrol Price Per Litre 106 106 View more Diesel Rate in Mumbai Nov 10, 2022 Current Petrol Price Per Litre 94 94 View more Show

The dynamic fuel pricing, or daily revision of retail selling prices (RSP), was initially implemented on a pilot basis in Udaipur, Jamshedpur, Visakhapatnam, Chandigarh and Puducherry from May 1 before its nationwide implementation last month.
The Gujarat High Court has adjourned the Essar Steel vs Reserve Bank of India (RBI) case by five days to July 12.

This is the second time that the high court has adjourned the case.

The RBI had directed Essar Steel lenders to refer the debt-laden steel firm to National Company Law Tribunal for insolvency proceedings. Essar had moved the court against proceedings. and a special bench on July 4 had posted the cast for hearing on July 7. The RBI was also ordered to file its reply by then.

The debt-ridden steel producer had questioned the cut-off date of March 31, 2016 fixed by the RBI for selecting the 12 accounts to be filed at the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) under the insolvency and bankruptcy code (IBC).

Meanwhile, foreign lender Standard Chartered Bank had also demanded that the Essar's request to stay the proceedings be quashed.

However, on July 4, adjourning the hearing till July 7, the high court's single-judge bench had asked the RBI to submit its reply on the matter even as it ordered the NCLT to hold back insolvency proceedings until the next hearing.

Essar Steel argued its case on Friday while the RBI will now respond on July 12.

On June 13, the RBIs internal advisory committee (IAC) recommended for IBC reference all accounts with fund and non-fund based outstanding amount greater than Rs 5000 crore, with 60 percent or more classified as non-performing by banks as of March 31, 2016.

Lawyers say that this will have to be fast-tracked and the order may be in favour of the RBI because it has been said that the bankruptcy code is clear that no civil court shall entertain any such matter. As per the ordinance, if NCLT (National Company Law Tribunal) admits it, it can only further be contested with the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) and further to the Supreme Court.

"High courts under writ or supervisory jurisdiction have no power to interfere in such matters. All these efforts have been tried by borrowers previously," said Manoj K Singh, founding partner of law firm Singh & Associates.

Essar Steel, with a debt of about Rs 42,000 crore, had contended before the court that after months of negotiations with its lenders, the company had reached a settlement with the creditors.

The company was trying to restructure the package approved by its board of directors but before any concrete decision was arrived at with the creditors, a notification in the form of a press release on June 13 by the RBI classified a few companies whose accounts are disclosed as non-performing assets (NPAs).

Essar Steel has demanded that the overseeing committee (independent 5-member panel set up by RBI) take into account its interest payments of Rs 3,500 crore to the lenders, higher capacity utilisation at 80 percent in its steel plant and a resultant 42 percent rise in its earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization (Ebitda) in FY17.

The steel producer has also stated before the court that RBI has given six months time to many other large defaulters to come clean and that they should also be given the same opportunity. The company has over Rs 37,300 crore debt that was first restructured under CDR (corporate debt restructuring) in 2016 and then under the Joint Lenders Forum in January 2017.

Technically, it is a good line of argument. RBI/banks cannot take 31 March 2016 date as the cut-off date and ignore the fact that the company has repaid Rs 3,467 crore in one financial year said Prem Rajani, managing partner at law firm Rajani Associates.

"As regards the powers of the RBI to identify 12 companies, in my view, because there has been an amendment pursuant to the banking regulation ordinance, the RBI has the prerogative to cherry-pick an account. It empowers the RBI to do so to direct banks to file cases against defaulters. A defaulter cannot say 'Why me? There are other defaulters too'," he added.
business GST impact on agri: Traders, APMC market struggles with transition India successfully launched the historic Goods and Services Tax (GST) on July 1. While the corporates may have adapted to the new regime with a few hiccups, the agriculture sector has been grappling to come to terms with this transition. Traders in Rajasthan and Gujarat have been protesting against GST.
Tight financial condition has forced the Mumbai University (MU) to break Rs 111-crore worth fixed deposits (FDs) in just 17 months to pay staff salaries.

In total, 100 FDs of one year term each were prematurely broken in 22 months from July 2015 to May 2017, reported the Times of India.

The university's general fund has fallen significantly in the past few months amounting to Rs 20 lakh, according to an RTI data sought by Anil Galgali quoted Times of India.

Even though, reasons for university's rigid finances are unknown, the state government's delay in payment of salary grants amounting to Rs 240 crore added to university's current state.

Mumbai University has over 2,500 employees. The monthly salary of all the employees amount to Rs 6-7 crores, said the report. This estimate excludes the amount required for pension.

According to Times of India, the RTI data on university's fixed deposits and their withdrawals shows about Rs 110.9 crore was encashed prematurely between November 2015 and April 2017.

A rough calculation done by Times of India suggests the interest generated of Rs 3.6 crores till date would have been four times had the FDs been allowed to mature till their due dates.

Nevertheless, insiders are aware of the university's financial conditions.

"The university, as part of its financial planning, keeps its reserve funds in FDs only and breaks them whenever required. We receive only 75% advance payment for 1,000 employees. That too we have not received from the government since April 1," registrar M A Khan told Times of India.

According to Times of India, since 1998 the vice chancellors of the university have been resorting to encash deposits as the state government denied paying salaries for thousands of non-teaching staff members. Each new pay commission seems to have only added to the university's burden.

During the same period, the university was carrying out seven major construction works--the new library building, the international hostel, and the new examination building at Kalina campus in suburban Mumbai in Santacruz.

Other construction projects include the Kalyan sub-centre at Mauje-Gandhare in Kalyan (West), Ambadave Model College building at Vidyanagari, Tarale Model College building at Talere in Sindhudurg district, and a girl's college hostel at Nariman Point.

Almost all the constructions are nearing completion and hence need extra funds, Khan told Times of India.

He added that all the administrative measures are recorded in computers to bring transparency.

The highest amount encashed by prematurely withdrawing an FD was Rs 6.6 crore with the Bank of Baroda, which earned an interest of Rs 14.7 lakh, reported Times of India.

"On September 29, 2016, 17 FDs were prematurely encashed, on September 14, 26 FDs, on September 7, 21 FDs and September 30, 6 FDs were encashed before their due date. In September 2016 alone, 71 FDs were prematurely encashed," Galgali told the paper.

"These issues are demanding more money, hence expenses are being made time to time following due process," Khan said.
The Reserve Bank of India has a list ready of 48 major corporate defaulters, sources have told CNBC-TV18.

Only 12 companies have come up so far, but the central bank will announce a second, third and fourth list in due course.

Meanwhile, as companies approach courts in connection with NPA cases, the government is keeping all options open.

A government official has told CNBC-TV18 that it will exercise more options in corporate bankruptcy cases, but will wait and watch.

It has a backup plan but right now has confidence in the courts.

Meanwhile, the Gujarat High Court on Friday adjourned the Essar Steel vs Reserve Bank of India (RBI) case by five days to July 12. The company is one of the major defaulters identified by the RBI.

The RBI had directed Essar Steel lenders to refer the debt-laden steel firm to the National Company Law Tribunal for insolvency proceedings.
Skytrax released its list of worlds 100 best airports. Singapore Changi Airport continues to lead for the eighth consecutive year. Four Indian Airports managed to take their place in the list. Delhis Indira Gandhi International Airport ranked 50th, while Mumbais Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, Bengalurus Kempegowda Airport and Hyderabad Rajiv Gandhi International Airport ranked 52, 68 and 72 respectively. Here are the worlds top 10 airports of 2020 on the basis of airport customers review. (Image: PTI)

Retailers at premium locations including airports, hotels, malls, etc. will not be able to charge a higher MRP for their products from January 1 next year after the Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs on Thursday released an order banning the practice of dual MRP, reported The Times of India.

The decision, which was taken on request of the Legal Metrology Organisation (LMO) of Maharashtra, disallows the companies and sellers from charging different prices for soft drinks, water or snacks at certain locations.

The sellers currently charge inflated MRP despite the fact that quantity, quality and weight of the product is same as the ones sold in local departmental stores.

In Mumbai, the LMO has released fresh notices to FMCG companies like Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Red Bull, Flipkart, Amazon to cease the practice of dual MRP. The LMO had sent such notices earlier but companies found a way to evade the directive.

The report quoted the Controller of LMO, Amitabh Gupta: "It has been a long-drawn-out battle because the big companies approached the Bombay high court and other fora. They claimed the Legal Metrology Act was silent on dual MRP so they could charge a different price. The Act has now been amended to prohibit companies from levying two different MRPs for a single product unless done under legal provisions. Clearly, there is no law that permits them to do so."

The LMO has also encouraged consumers to complain to them if the companies do not abide by the orders.
live bse live

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Three in every four motorcycles in the budget segment (having engines up to 110cc) is sold by Hero Motocorp, the largest two-wheeler manufacturer in the country.

Strong brands like Splendor and Passion Hero generate nearly six times the volumes sold by its closest competitor Bajaj Auto in this segment. The average selling price, which is around Rs 47,000-48,000, is the single largest defining factor for the price conscious buyer.

For years every manufacturer  Bajaj Auto, Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, Mahindra and TVS Motors  tried to break into Heros bastion without any success. Challengers like Discover, Platina, Livo, CD110, Dream, Crux, YBR 110, Centuro, Max, Jive could not break the consumers affiliation to the Hero best-seller Splendor.

Keeping this in mind Honda decided to play on its strength - scooters. Two in every three scooters sold in the country is made by the Japanese giant led by the Activa which alone has a 50 percent share of the segment.

Thus, to challenge Hero in the entry motorcycle segment, Honda launched the Cliq priced at Rs 42,499, making it the most affordable scooter in its line-up. This is a significant discount compared to the Activa, the countrys largest-selling scooter priced at Rs 50,800.

Speaking to Moneycontrol Yadvinder Singh Guleria, Senior Vice President (Sales and Marketing) Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India said, With the Cliq, we want to change the buying behaviour. The weighted average price a consumer pays for a 110cc motorcycle is Rs 44,000. So the buyer knows that he wont get a scooter at that price. With the Cliq we have put a scooter on his affordability map.

Honda believes that the absence of an option below Rs 45,000, lack of good roads in areas outside the metros, poorer reach into the hinterlands and lower acceptability of the vehicle in the rural market led to lower popularity of the scooter in non-urban and non-semi-urban markets.

Once we come to Cliq, though we have the trend of scooters, the point was the weighted average of volume against price in the 110cc engine displacement was coming to Rs 49,000 for scooters. So, we have given the same scooter at Rs 42,499. Mileage and maintenance are very important. We have kept costs lower than a motorcycle with on-par mileage, said Guleria.

The popular two-wheeler in such markets is the low-cost 100cc motorcycle known for their rugged build and high mileage. The Hero Splendor is the automatic choice for many in such markets thanks to its legacy. While the Splendor is priced at a slight premium compared to the Cliq models like Bajaj CT100, Hero HF Deluxe, TVS Sport are the motorcycles in the Cliqs price bracket.

Even today the 100-110cc motorcycle segment is 36 percent of the total two-wheeler market at 16-17 lakh units. Of this, the 110cc segment is fairly large in the price bracket of around Rs 47,000. If a brand (Honda) has some saliency in terms of acceptability why not explore that? We have been doing that with motorcycles; we cannot say we are very satisfied with our performance since 2012 which is when we launched the Dream series. Then, why not try scooters?, added Guleria.

Scooters have become the preferred choice of the buyers replacing entry motorcycles in the urban markets. Lauded for its high utility value, easy riding, greater acceptability in the family are some of the reasons why buyers switched to scooters pretty rapidly. In the rural market that switch is taking place at a slower pace.

We said to ourselves let us try to push our core strength for which we are known in this country. This is high also since the highest selling two-wheeler is a scooter in this country. So why not challenge this mindset in this eco-system. Mobility needs are changing, roads are better, peoples acceptability is changing. Our conservative estimate is that at least 25-30 percent of the budget motorcycle buyer will consider the Cliq, added Guleria.

Honda did try with Motorcycles

While the wing logo is known for scooters more than motorcycles in India the company did try its best to compete in the 100-110cc bike segment challenging the dominance of Hero.

Honda launched as many as five models in the 100-110cc segments  Dream Yuga, Dream Neo, Livo, CD 110, Twister (phased out). Its share in the segment, however, stands at 8 percent. Hero is the leader in the segment with 75 percent share followed by 11 percent held by Bajaj.

The segment of motorcycles having engines up to 110cc closed last year with volumes of 6.48 million units, marking a slight drop compared to 2015-16 when the segment clocked 6.66 million units. However, the share of up to 110cc bikes has been on a constant decline.

From around 80 percent some years ago this segment shrank to 58 percent last year, according to data supplied by the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers. This is because buyers of entry bikes have either moved to scooters or have graduated to bigger engine bikes.

Whatever Honda has done in the entry segment is against the tide. There are fewer number of natural 110cc bike buyers and it is reducing. There is no tail wind supporting you. In scooters, there is a chance that a new product will get some share quickly but not so in motorcycles, added Guleria. As per Honda, the Cliq is developed in order to explore that opportunity.
Editors note: This is the last in a series of four columns about the Bible story of Esther.

Esthers people were in trouble.

While the evil Haman had been executed, orders by King Xerxes to kill all the Jews in ancient Persia were still in place.

Esther lets the king know that Mordecaithe man whod previously exposed a plot to assassinate the kingis actually her cousin.

Then the young Jewish woman, an orphan whod become queen, falls at the kings feet weeping and begging to have Xerxes revoke the orders that would lead to the Jewish peoples extermination.

The king gives his signet ring to Mordecai and tells him to write some new orders. Under these orders, the Jewish people are allowed to take up arms and defend themselves against their enemies.

And apparently there are thousands of enemies living within the 127 provinces that extend from India to Ethiopia  foes who plan to murder the Jewish people and plunder their belongings.

When the time of the impending annihilation arrives, the Jewish people are able to defend themselves. Government officials, who work for the king, actually help the Jewish people. Some 800 enemies are killed in the capital city of Susa alone and 75,000 in the provinces.

The Jewish people do not plunder their enemies goods.

Mordecai will become second in command in Persia and will seek the good of the Jewish people.

And 30 years after Esther makes her bold stand, a man named Nehemiah will lead a large group of Jewish people back to Jerusalem where theyll rebuild city walls that had been torn down decades earlier.

The story of Esther is an amazing, historical account of raw courage in the face of death and of trusting God when circumstances look bleak.

Folded within this story are lessons on dealing with fear and standing up for whats right  even if youre the only one doing so. There are leadership lessons, too, as we see a terrible leader, the arrogant Haman who only had his own best interests at heart; King Xerxes, an unwary leader who fell for Hamans scheme; and Mordecai, a good leader who worked for the welfare of his people.

But to me, one of the greatest lessons we can learn from Esthers story is how God is at work even when we cant see it.

Why do I say this?

Walk with me back through this story.

After King Xerxes banishes his first queen, he takes his attendants advice to gather virgins from throughout the kingdom and put them into a harem from which hell select a new queen.

I find that a bit strange. Dont royals usually like to marry other royals? Why wasnt another queen selected from the families of some of Xerxes noblemen?

Was it a coincidence that the lovely Hadassah (wholl become known as Esther) just happened to be among the virgins swept up into the harem?

Once she arrives, Esther quickly finds favor with the harems overseer who orders her special food, puts her in the best rooms and assigns seven personal maids to her. Esther quickly gains the admiration of everyone who sees her.

Was that a coincidence, too? Perhaps she just had a great personality? Or was God giving Esther favor among those around her?

King Xerxes will love Esther more than all the other women and crown her queen.

How could anyone call that a fluke?

Then after the wicked Haman rises to power and becomes second in command, King Xerxes orders everyone to bow to the evil leader.

But Mordecai wont do it. Is it because he knows Haman comes from a long line of evildoers, the Amalekites, who picked off the Israelite (Jewish) stragglers as they wandered in the desert centuries earlier?

Or is it because Mordecai sees through the thin veneer of pretense and into Hamans fiendish heart?

Could God be given any credit for giving Mordecai that discernment even in the midst of the kings supporters who readily bowed to Haman?

Whats more, how did Mordecai just happen to learn about a plot by two other men who planned to assassinate King Xerxes? Was that, too, just happenstance? Arent most conspirators fairly adept at keeping their plans secret?

Eventually, Haman will decide not only to kill Mordecai but all the Jewish people. He slyly tells the king about a group of people who dont follow his laws and should be eliminated and the king lets Haman proceed with his plan.

Mordecai then persuades Esther to go to Xerxes and plead for her peopleeven though its against the law and is punishable by death to approach the king without having been invited.

Was it just by chance that the hot-tempered king happened to be pleased to see Esther  and extended his royal scepter, saving her life?

Do you think God had any hand in helping Esther find favor with the king?

When the king asked Esther what she wanted, the distressed queen could have blurted out the whole story of Hamans devious plan. Instead, she invites the king and Haman to a banquet.

She doesnt expose Hamans plan at that dinner, but invites the two men to a second one.

More situations, which surely cant be chalked up to coincidence follow, such as:

Haman is headed home from the first banquet when he happens to see Mordecai and is angered again by the mans refusal to bow.

The wicked Haman takes the advice of his wife and friends and builds a 75-foot-tall gallows on which he plans to hang Mordecai.

A restless king just cant sleep and asks that a book of memories be read to him. In that book is an account of how Mordecai exposed a plot to kill the king. (Could God have had a hand in this?) The king discovers nothing has been done to honor Mordecai.

Haman just happens to be in the outer court on his way to see the king about Mordecais execution, when hes called in to see Xerxes. The king will tell a mortified Haman to honor Mordecai in the exact way the villain had hoped to be recognized.

At the next banquet, Esther exposes Hamans plot and the king explodes at the villain.

But wasnt there a chance the king could have disbelieved Esther? Stuck up for Haman instead? And sought retribution against Esther for criticizing his handpicked prime minister?

Instead, the king orders Hamans execution to be on the same gallows hed had built for Mordecai. Whats the likelihood of that?

How could all of these things be a coincidence?

You know, theres an old saying that truth is stranger than fiction. As a newspaper journalist for 35 years, I can attest to that. Ive written news stories and columns I couldnt have dreamed up.

I believe we can see Gods gentle hand all the way through the Esther story, putting the young woman and her cousin in the right places, at the right times, to do the right things  even when it was tough. He was their guide, protector and comforter.

God can be that for us, too.

He is here even when the situation looks hopeless  even when we cant see how things will ever work out.

Hes at work as we face: a financial or health crisis, a failing marriage, a divorce or a troubled child. Hes at work while we wonder if well ever find a wonderful person to marry or have that child weve been longing for or fulfill our dreams of an education or a career.

We never fight our battles alone, not with the almighty, all-knowing, all-seeing God of the universe on our side. Hes as gentle as a whisper and as close as a prayer.

And it doesnt matter whether youre a queen or a commoner, our God knows how to help people in trouble.
mployees walk along a corridor in the Infosys campus in Bangalore (Image: Reuters)

Infosys said on Friday that it has strengthened its partnership with Udacity, a global online education company, to impart skills in new technologies.

The partnership, continuing for second consecutive year, will include a nanodegree programme to the new batch of trainees before joining the Infosys training programme in Mysuru.

The partnership is aimed at preparing the current talent pool to work on more ambitious projects, and accelerate the deployment of these hires on projects, said Infosys in a statement.

The programme also enables the learner to develop unique, in-demand skills through project-based and real-world scenarios.

At Infosys, our focus has evolved from learning specific technology skills to learning to learn. We are consistently investing to bring a culture of lifelong learning early, especially for our young engineers. Through our partnership with Udacity, we are now able to complement this learning, and build a strong foundation with specialised skills training, and I look forward to scaling this partnership further, said Navin Budhiraja, chief technology officer, Infosys Ltd.

As slowing growth and automation loom large for the Indian IT industry, the right skills and reskilling have taken centrestage in the future of industry discussions.

There is great demand within the IT industry in India to upskill workers and lead the world in software development, and we are excited to take our partnership with Infosys into our second year to further train their talent pool, said Vish Makhijani, Chief Executive Officer of Udacity.

While some companies are reskilling employees in-house, several are tying up with third party providers and educational institutions to ensure that the workforce is adequately skilled.
Photo: Reuters

India, the world's biggest sugar consumer, is likely to raise import duty on the sweetener to 50 percent from 40 percent in an attempt to restrict the cheaper flow of the commodity from overseas, a government official said on Friday.

"There have been some apprehensions of cheaper imports flooding the Indian market. That's why the government is likely to raise the duty to 50 percent," the official, who did not want to be identified, said.

The government in April allowed the duty-free import of 500,000 tonnes of sugar by the end of June to keep a lid on prices after local production fell by a fifth from a year ago.

However, in 2017/18 marketing year starting from October 1, India's sugar output is expected to jump a quarter from the previous year to 25 million tonnes.
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Auto companies had a bumpy ride in FY17, as demonetisation and BS-IV implementation impacted sales. Many leading players reported low single-digit growth for the second year in a row, and were also hit by the subtle shift in consumer preference within two-wheelers. A normal monsoon is expected to boost rural income, but structural changes continues to impact industry dynamics. How then should investors tread this space?

FY17 started off on a god note for the industry (Perhaps some support from a weak base). But demonetisation threw a spanner in the work.

The double-digit growth in the first half was completely eroded in the second half post demonetisation. Re-monetisation is now almost complete, but growth cannot be taken for granted; companies will have to reposition their offerings in line with the change in consumer preference

Within two-wheelers, motorcycles continue to lose market share to scooters and mopeds. Motorcycle sales grew a meagre 1.9 percent compounded over FY12-17 and lost market share from 78 percent to 66 percent during this period. Scooter sales grew in FY17 on back of rapid urbanization and its gender-neutral appeal. Mopeds sales was aided by slew of new product launches. However, mopeds are facing competition from entry level bikes.

There has also been a decisive shift in the preference in the motorcycle market from 100/110cc and 150cc to 150cc+-350cc market. The shift is mainly due to customers wanting to upgrade.

An analysis of the 150cc+ segment and Royal Enfield (RE) sales (a proxy for 350cc plus bikes) suggest that the segment above 350cc has started showing slackness. Recent RE numbers indicate that the sales has declined 18 percent (Y-o-Y) in 1Q18.

So while the two-wheeler growth is in a slow lane, most new buyers are likely to go for motorcycles in the 150cc to 350cc category and for scooters.

The shift in the market warrants a change in investor preference as well. Given the change in industry dynamics and the positioning of the businesses of leading players, our favourites are Hero MotoCorp and Eicher Motors. We await positive cues to turn bullish on Bajaj Auto

Financial Snapshot

Hero MotoCorp

Within the two-wheeler segment, Hero MotoCorp is expected to benefit from rural demand (55% market share of rural sales) on good monsoon forecast, and complete recovery post demonetization. Slew of new launches including a new 200cc bike by March 2018 should also aid volumes. Hero has 36.9 percent market share in domestic two-wheeler segment and enjoys the benefit of strong distribution network and brand recall because of low cost products and better resale value.

Hero is a formidable player in 100/110cc and 125cc but has lost out on the growing premium motorcycle segment. However, the management is reworking on its product portfolio and expects FY18 to be much better for premium motorcycles.

Additionally, Hero is focusing on exports and plans to expand presence in fast growing markets like Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal. It has recently added Argentina and Nigeria; the benefits from these locations are yet to come. It plans to spread out to as many as 50 countries by 2020 from 35 countries currently.

The short-term revival on the back of rural growth, structural changes from an upcoming product rejig, focus on exports market and reasonable valuations makes it a stock worth accumulating for the long term.

Eicher Motors

Eicher Motors (24% market share in 150cc and above segment) with a strong brand recall is better placed to capture the growth that will come from growing preference for premium vehicles. To capture the growth, Eicher has already planned to increase its capacity to 825,000 units in FY18, up 24 percent from last year. Eicher is also present in the commercial vehicle segment with 13.3 percent market share including exports.

Operationally, the company is expanding its reach and has added 150 dealers in its network in the country to increase penetration in small towns. It has also started adding more exclusive stores abroad to increase its global footprint. It added 12 exclusive stores in international market and opened a direct distribution subsidiary in Brazil.

Eicher has witnessed stellar growth in the past. The stock trades at a trailing multiple of around 46 times and 34.5 times FY18 (projected) and 26.7x FY19 (projected) earnings. Albeit our high comfort on the business, the valuation leaves little room for comfort and we would advise investors capitalize on dips to build position in the stock.

Bajaj Auto

Although Bajaj has a strong presence in premium motorcycle segment, it appears to have lost out from competitive headwinds and is also facing challenges from its export division that contributes nearly 38 percent of volumes. Net sales of the company declined 8.6 percent in FY17 owing to decline in volume (9.7%) on account of demonetization, competitive intensity and lackluster exports market. Revival of exports is key to its fortunes and a strong rupee is making matters difficult for now. Additionally, the revival post demonetization in three wheelers is yet to happen, particularly in the cargo segment.

Bajaj Auto has historically traded at an average PE of 19 times over last five years and is currently trading at trailing PE of 20.9 times, which leaves little room for comfort.
3:30 pm Market at Close: Equity benchmark indices ended the session on a flat note, with a tad negative bias. The Nifty close above 9650-mark.

The Sensex closed down 8.71 points at 31360.63, while the Nifty ended 8.75 points lower at 9665.80. The market breath was narrow as 1393 shares advanced against a decline of 1284 shares, while 137 shares were unchanged.

Lupin and Reliance were the top gainers on both indices, while ICICI Bank, ONGC, Bharti Infratel, and Indiabulls Housing lost the most.

3:00 pm Market Outlook: This earning season will be marked by impact of destocking ahead of goods and services tax (GST) implementation and also postponement of demand. So we expect some kind of volatility coming out of that in this earnings season, Swati Kulkarni, Executive Vice President and Fund Manager at UTI MF said.

2:30 pm Market Check: Sounding extremely bullish on the market going forward, JM Financial's Associate Director & Technical Analyst Gautam Shah said the Nifty is on track to hit 10,000-level in the next 6 weeks.

Looking at the charts, it is pretty clear that the bulls are here for the long run, the marathon, Shah said in an interview to CNBC-TV18.

The bullish momentum in the market was regained post its consolidation phase that lasted over the past one month. Shah said the movement only helped the market create a foundation for a breakout. With earnings lined up now, the market is getting prepared for that big breakout. The levels of 9550-9600 seen during this phase becomes a major support area, he added.

2:00 pm Market Check: Equity benchmarks recouped losses in afternoon trade, with the Sensex turning in positive terrain and the Nifty inching towards 9,700 level. The recovery was driven by index heavyweight Reliance Industries that rallied 2 percent to hit a fresh 52-week high.

The 30-share BSE Sensex was up 21.12 points at 31,390.46 and the 50-share NSE Nifty gained 1.10 points at 9,675.65. About 1,411 shares advanced against 1,154 declining shares on the BSE.

1:45 pm NESCO on radar: NESCO is in focus after Franklin Templeton bought 1 lakh shares in the company.

NESCO has an exhibition centre by the name Bombay Exhibition Centre.

In an interview to CNBC-TV18, Sumant Patel, CMD of NESCO spoke about the latest happenings in the company.

1:28 pm Upper circuit: Hindustan Foods shares were locked at 10 percent upper circuit at Rs 176.30 intraday on bagging two orders for the supply of leather shoes.

"... has successfully bagged orders from two new customers for manufacturing and supply of leather shoes," the Goa-based company said in its filing.

One order is from Reliance Brands under Steve Madden brand and second is from Arvind Lifestyle Brands under US Polo & Arrow brands.

1:05 pm Market Check: Equity benchmarks continued to fall amid rangebound trade in afternoon, following weakness in European and Asian markets.

The 30-share BSE Sensex was down 42.67 points at 31,326.67 and the 50-share NSE Nifty fell 17.50 points to 9,657.05 despite positive market breadth.

About 1,334 shares advanced against 1,166 declining shares on the BSE.

Lupin retained its top position in the buying list among Sensex stocks, up 4.5 percent followed by Dr Reddy's Labs (up 2 percent), Cipla (1.4 percent) and Sun Pharma (0.9 percent).

12:50 pm MOSt on NMDC: NMDC share price rallied more than 3 percent intraday after Motilal Oswal, with its buy rating, expects the stock to give 59 percent returns at Rs 180. It is betting on company's strong fundamentals with attractive valuations, though it sees some pricing pressure.

"At conservative 59 percent payout versus last five-year average of 79 percent, the dividend yield at 5.3 percent is attractive. Although there is near-term pressure on pricing, the volumes growth outlook remains robust due to the company's strong competitive advantage. Valuations are extremely attractive. We value the stock at Rs 180, based on 6.5x EV/EBITDA FY19 and book value for capital work in progress (CWIP)," it explained.

12:35 pm Europe opening: European bourses opened lower as investors look out for fresh economic data, a G-20 meeting in Hamburg and continue to mull the possible end of monetary stimulus from central banks.

US President Donald Trump is to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin for the first time at a G-20 meeting in Germany. Their first encounter happens only hours after Trump said that Russia had interfered in the 2016 election and blamed the country for a "destabilizing behavior".

12:10 pm Buzzing: Aditya Birla Fashion & Retail (ABFRL) shares extended gains after ICICIdirect has initiated coverage on the stock with a buy recommendation and a target price of Rs 210. The stock rallied over 1.5 percent intraday after this report, in addition to 0.8 percent upside in previous session.

ABFRL enjoys a vantage position in its mens portfolio built over wide offerings across price points (mass to luxury), broad categories (mens, womens and kidswear & accessories) and diversified market channels (MBO+EBO+SIS).

"Newer brands coupled with the existing portfolio would provide cohesive growth to company's revenues, which are expected to grow at a CAGR of 15 percent to Rs 8,841 crore and return on capital employed expansion to 14.6 percent (against 2.4 percent currently)," it reasoned.

11.43 am Market Check: Equity benchmarks continued to consolidate with negative bias but the broader markets outperformed in late morning trade.

The 30-share BSE Sensex was down 48.94 points at 31,320.40 and the 50-share NSE Nifty fell 19.40 points to 9,655.15.

The BSE Midcap index gained 0.1 percent and Smallcap was up 0.3 percent on positive breadth. About 1,251 shares advanced against 1,070 declining shares on the exchange.

11:20 am IPO: Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority has given an in-principle approval for the IPO of SBI's life insurance subsidiary, reports CNBC-TV18 quoting sources.

It is learnt that SBI Life is likely to file draft red herring prospectus (DRHP) with capital market regulator SEBI in coming weeks.

The life insurance subsidiary of the country's largest bank will approach the insurance regulator again for final nod after SEBI approval.

SBI Life is expected to raise Rs 7,400-8,500 crore through IPO, which valued it at Rs 65,000-70,000 crore, sources said.

If it lists on the bourses, then it would be the second direct listing of an insurance company. So far ICICI Prudential Life Insurance (which started trading in September last year) is the only insurance company listed on exchanges.

11:00 am Market Outlook: Sunil Singhania, CIO-Equity, Investment at Reliance Mutual Fund feels this is a good time for the mutual fund industry. Growth in mutual fund industry will be healthy & robust, he believes.

Investors have started diversifying to financial assets from physical assets, he said.

Majority of analysts feel the markets are currently highly valued, especially after a 18 percent rally since the beginning of 2017. Earnings have to recover and economic growth has to be over 7 percent in current financial year (given expectations of normal monsoon) to match current market valuations, according to them.

According to Singhania, the markets are never fairly valued, whether its undervalued or mildly overvalued.

"We have had corrections in recent past but it hasn't been that long. Inflows from retail investors in mutual fund will continue despite market correction," he said.

He is seeing euphoria in some sectors of the market.

He likes PSU banks having adequate capital & better placed to raise capital. Insolvency & Bankruptcy Code can be a near-term pain but a good initiative to resolve non-performing assets (NPAs), he feels.

10:45 am Earnings: Infosys is scheduled to report its results for the quarter ended June on July 14, Friday, the IT major said in a statement on Thursday.

A meeting of the Board of Directors of the Company will be held at the Registered Office on July 13 and 14, 2017 to consider audited consolidated financial results of the Company and its subsidiaries as per Indian Accounting Standards (lndAS) for the quarter ending June 30, 2017.

The board will also consider audited standalone financial results of the Company as per lndAS for the quarter 'ending June 30, 2017. The financial results of the IT major will be approved by the board on July 14.

Infosys shares underperformed benchmark indices by a wide margin. The IT major slipped a little over 6 percent in the last 6 months and nearly 20 percent in the last one year.

10.24 am Market Check: Equity benchmarks continued to trade lower in morning trade, weighed by banking & financials and auto stocks.

The 30-share BSE Sensex was down 52.98 points at 31,316.36 and the 50-share NSE Nifty fell 22.40 points to 9,652.15.

HDFC, ITC, ICICI Bank, Infosys, Tata Motors, Asian Paints, Axis Bank and Maruti Suzuki were top contributors to Sensex' losses.

Lupin was biggest gainer, up 4.5 percent followed by Dr Reddy's Labs with 2 percent upside.

10:05 am Buzzing: Glenmark Pharma share price rose nearly 2 percent intraday on approval from the US health regulator for antihypertensive drug.

"Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Inc, USA has been granted final approval by the United States Food & Drug Administration (US FDA) for Amlodipine and Olmesartan Medoxomil tablets, 5 mg/20 mg, 5 mg/40 mg, 10 mg/20 mg, and 10 mg/40 mg," the pharma company said in its filing.

Amlodipine and Olmesartan Medoxomil is the generic version of Azor Tablets of Daiichi Sankyo Inc.

Amlodipine and Olmesartan is a combination drug used to treat high blood pressure.

9:46 am Listing: After stellar response to the issue, AU Small Finance Bank is all set to make a debut on exchanges on July 10. The issue price is fixed at higher end of price band of Rs 355-358.

Experts feel the stock price is expected to open over Rs 400, given the overwhelming response to the public issue and indication from the grey market premium that is around Rs 75-80.

The initial public offer of AU Small Finance Bank, which was opened during June 28-30, was oversubscribed 53.60 times on strong response from QIBs and HNIs.

The portion set aside for qualified institutional buyers was oversubscribed 78.77 times and non-institutional investors 143.51 times while the reserved portion of retail investors oversubscribed 3.31 times.

AU Small Finance Bank raised Rs 1,912 crore through the issue, including Rs 563 crore from 34 anchor investors.

The public issue was an offer for sale by promoters and investors.

9:28 am GST impact: Neelkanth Mishra of Credit Suisse said GST introduced uncertainty on several fiscal fronts. Taxes subsumed under GST were to contribute nearly Rs 10.6 lakh crore in FY18 (36 percent of India's total taxes), he added.

With some assumptions, he estimates centre-state split at 45-55.

Even adjusted for the compensation pool, a 50-50 CGST-SGST split may distort tax sharing, according to him.

As compensation payments will be made to the states every two months and on a fixed growth assumption, most of the volatility, if any, would be faced by the centre, he feels.

General government spending, yields and spreads could thus see some volatility, according to Mishra.

Also read - Buy, Sell, Hold: 3 stocks and 2 sectors are being tracked by analysts today

9:15 am Market Check: Equity benchmarks started off last day of the week on a negative note, dragged by profit booking and weak global cues.

The 30-share BSE Sensex was down 39.24 points at 31,330.10 and the 50-share NSE Nifty fell 17.25 points to 9,657.30. About 602 shares advanced against 479 declining shares on the BSE.

Tata Steel, Tata Motors, Wipro, ICICI Bank, HDFC Bank, IndusInd Bank and Infosys were under pressure while Lupin gained over a percent in early trade followed by Bharti Airtel, Cipla and Eicher Motors.

Tata Teleservices gained 5 percent. JBM Auto was up on entering into electric bus segment.

MEP Infra, Balaji Amines, Prakash Industries, Speciality Restaurants, IDFC, IDFC Bank, Shriram City Union and InterGlobe Aviation were midcap gainers while RBL Bank, Bhushan Steel and Jaypee Infra were losers.

GM Breweries fell 3 percent on weak earnings in Q1.

Stocks in Asia were softer following the weaker close stateside and as global bond yields rose overnight. The Nikkei 225 declined 0.14 percent and the Kospi was off 0.23 percent.
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For Nifty, the past year has been a tale of two halves. From July to December, the index lost more than 2 percent as demonetisation jitters rattled the bulls. However, the loss was more than compensated in the past six months with the index growing by over 17 percent.

Markets in the past one month appear to have entered the zone of consolidation and several experts opine that markets have run up too fast and there is very little comfort on valuation. Going by the headline number thats not totally untrue, at 20x FY18 Nifty earnings, valuation does look a tad expensive.

But the Nifty itself has been a study in dichotomy. A section of the index (especially consumer-facing businesses) has rallied to dizzying heights while the laggards have cost investors money.

A close scrutiny, therefore, throws up pockets of value and visibility that long-term investors can still find within the Nifty constituents.

Pharma: Long-term value

One of the biggest underperformers has been pharmaceuticals. US FDA action and pricing pressure in the US generics business has taken the sheen off this sector. While we do not blindly jump into the sector for the price underperformance, we believe that selective investing should pay off in the long term.

Generic companies broadly recognise that double-digit price erosion is here to stay in the US. Also, FDA (Food and Drug Administration) approval rate is still slow for complex products. On the CGMP (current good manufacturing practices) compliance, level of US FDA scrutiny has gone up, implying higher entry barriers for new players. In this context, we see reasonable margin of safety in Sun Pharma, Dr Reddys and Aurobindo Pharma.

For Sun and Dr Reddy's, FY18 might continue as another difficult year, but FY19 might spring positive surprises.

Dr Reddys has seen an improvement over the last month from a regulatory perspective with two key plants (Srikakulam and Miryalaguda) getting clean chits from the US FDA. However, remediation is still on for the other two. We like the gradual build-up of its IPR-intensive portfolio, biosimilars pipeline and another five products in early-stage global development.

Sun Pharmaceuticals, albeit the challenges in the US base business has stepped up its R&D expense and expects nearly 18 percent of revenue in FY20 to come from the speciality business like dermatology and ophthalmology, around 6 percent from the branded drug business, and about 45 percent from the complex generics business that involves long-acting injectables and controlled substances. The US FDA resolution of Halol could ease near-term pain.

Aurobindo Pharmas diversified portfolio, large product pipeline and better quality ANDA filings as reflected in its quicker approval pace lend support to the topline, while its cost leadership makes it best suited to mitigate US pricing pressures. Broadening of portfolio with focus on injectables, OTC, and higher complexity products, along with operational efficiencies will help Aurobindo to grow faster than its peers.

Financials: Looking beyond the dirty dozen

In the financials space, we prefer to go with financials exposed to the NPA trouble as resolution gathers pace. Our preference is for large relatively better-managed corporate lenders like State Bank of India, ICICI Bank and Axis Bank. With decent provision coverage, the near-term hit on account of resolution of troubled NPAs will be relatively less. From FY19, the earnings will see a boost from significant reduction in provisions. These entities, being well-capitalised, are likely to grab incremental market share from the beleaguered PSU banks.

Oil: Slippery but steady in the long term

ONGC didnt reap the benefit of subsidy reduction on account of falling crude prices and stagnant productivity. ONGCs Rs 80,000 crore projects will come to fruition over the next 34 years, which will enhance gas production by approximately 10 percent per annum. Sharpening focus on improving cost efficiencies will render these projects fairly viable despite challenging energy paradigms. The company will fund its capex through internal accruals. The undemanding valuation captures the bear-case risk of oil.

Reliance Industries (RIL) grandiose USD 20 billion core capex is seeing fruition. The company is investing in world-scale projects like petcoke gasification, off-gas crackers and telecoms, which are expected to drive future growth. RIL's plans with BP to invest USD 6 billion for developing 3 tcf of discovered gas resources in KG D-6 block and exploring options to partner in downstream fuel retailing and other new opportunities in the energy value chain, should utilise its expected free cash flows post completion of ongoing capex cycle.

Tata Motors: JLR listing could be icing on the cake

For Tata Motors, multiple tailwinds could drive earnings performance as JLRs (Jaguar Land Rover) model cycle will remain exciting over the next 18 months as it rolls out six new SUV models, driving mix improvement in both revenues and margins. JLR remains one of the fastest-growing global luxury company and it should continue to improve its market share. Profitability improvement at the China JV on higher utilisation should boost profits. Forex moves (GBP depreciation) should help earnings as the hedge book progressively rolls off and India business profitability too should start looking up from FY19.

L&T: New opportunities

For Larsen & Toubro, the operational performance should get a boost from inflows from metro, water and power T&D, the hydrocarbon business and the significant opportunity in the defence sector thereby growing the addressable market base. Execution should pick up with a positive rub off on margin and potential sale of developmental assets should reduce debt further.

Market gyrations in the upcoming earnings season and myriad global headwinds should provide ample opportunity to gradually invest in the zone of value within Nifty.
Trucks wait in a queue for the border customs control to cross into U.S. at the World Trade Bridge in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, November 2, 2016. Picture taken November 2, 2016. REUTERS/Daniel Becerril - RTX2T319

Truck operators' joy of removal of check-posts after the Goods and Services Tax roll out may be short-lived. The Hindu Businessline reports states may set up mobile squads for monitoring inter-state movement of goods till the e-way bill is rolled out.

E-way bill, which provide details of the goods, the consignee and the consignor, are expected by January.

Till now, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat have arranged mobile squads; Bihar and Madhya Pradesh are also planning to do it soon. "In the next few weeks, almost all the states may enforce some kind of monitoring of inter-State goods movement, a source in an MNC logistics company told the newspaper.

However, sources say even though check-posts have been removed, bribes are collected in the form of "fees" which have caused a delay in the transfer of goods. An amount between Rs 10,000 and Rs 12,000 is collected on the Kolkata-Mumbai route.

However, other inter-state business traders are looking at the bright side and looking forward to the simplified proceedings and shorter travel duration.

Also read: GST Rollout: Everything you want to know about India's biggest tax reform

Why are the bookings going down?

Even though the check-posts' procedures are removed, travel time is reduced  the bookings have reduced. This is because a major chunk of the business sector, SMEs, are yet to understand the concept of GST and still have to register with the new tax regime.

Also read: Are you a businessman who hasn't registered for GST yet? Here's what you need to do
In an interview to CNBC-TV18, SP Tulsian of sptulsian.com shared his readings and outlook on the market and specific stocks and sectors.

Below is the verbatim transcript of the interview.

Anuj: New 52 week high, in fact new nine year high on Reliance Industries. What are your thoughts on what would have transpired today?

A: Difficult to attribute any reason because I can't say that there has been expansion or maybe the value accretion seen in its telecom business. However, one thing which comes to my mind is the expansion in the refining margin because the crude, the kind of corrections which we have seen in crude, one may argue that they will be having the inventory losses, but the kind of end product or maybe the product mix, whether you take gasoline or maybe the middle heavy distillates that is diesel and petrol both, and the kind of procurement which the company is making from the small oil producing countries because the more crude falls, more the bargaining power to the purchaser will come because the countries like maybe Venezuela, Nigeria, those who are really starved of the US dollar will be selling the crude at any price.

So, I am not expecting that to happen for Q1, but Q2 I won't be surprised to see the GRM getting expanded by USD 1-1.5 per barrel and that will be seen quite positive because Q1 numbers probably may not factor in anything from the telecom operations. Either company may not disclose that or even if the company reports that, it will not be seen significant. So, difficult to take a call on that.

Coming on petrochemicals, because prices of petchem have seen to be stable because of the crude derivative or the raw material being the crude derivative seen to have softened. So, even there they have to pass through and I am not taking a very positive call on the gas exploration, on the British Petroleum (BP) press conference. If you just want to attribute some reason, you can always say that BP conference has happened and they are very bullish, Rs 40,000 crore investment, but quite positive, extremely positive on the refining margin and won't be surprised to see it expanding by about at least USD 1.5 per barrel in Q2 while Q2 has just begun.

Anuj: What are your thoughts on CDSL, right now we all know that it is a fact that it was such a sought after issue that is playing out right now, but at Rs 340 what would be the call on CDSL and BSE as well?

A: I won't be taking a positive view on CDSL for the simple reason that if you see the kind of growth which they have achieved of 57 percent in last financial year in terms of their business growth, inspite of that they have a market share of 44 percent. If you see the kind of transaction charges or maybe the charges which they are charging from the company being listed on the CDSL and NSDL, obviously that is seen shrinking. Always if you see, Sebi has always kept a watch on both depositories and kept on directing them to reduce the charges. So, I dont know how much really one can expect their business to grow.

If I take a call on the expected EPS, I don't think that can be seen above Rs 10 or maybe that will hardly be touching double digit. So, can you give a P/E multiple of 35? I doubt because sometimes what happens that we see these kind of in fact I have said that on the listing day also that probably you may have an upside of Rs 300 but beyond that it will be difficult to take a call and now it is ruling at Rs 350. So, definitely it has gone in a risky zone because even NSDL which is the depository and having a 56 percent market share, will be seen quite aggressive and sooner or later maybe in the next couple of years, even they will go public.

Coming rub off effect on BSE, BSE is holding 24 percent stake in the company and by virtue of that, the share price of BSE is moving up. However, can that argument again remain valid because 24 percent is a minority stake and you can't attribute the valuation criteria merely on that because the divestment or the offer for sale in CDSL has happened at the instance of Sebi or maybe the regulations because BSE had to bring it down, their stake till 24 percent and that is what has happened.

So, I won't be just taking a positive view on BSE also because the kind of cap on the charges and all sort of things and in my view because take the case of MCX where we have been taking a positive view, at least one can argue that the options are getting introduced and if they introduce the options in one commodity because Sebi has allowed only one commodity to be chosen by one commodity exchange, at least you have a very big trigger of new option getting introduced in the commodity market which can see their turnover increasing by 60 percent. So, unless and until you have some incremental income growth to be seen in CDSL, or BSE, I wont be chasing the momentum at the current level.

Surabhi: Has something changed fundamentally in terms of pricing; you have been telling us about the UP situation, but a lot of diverse sugar stocks are running up today.

A: I have been saying this for last one week and in my recommendations in this last one week or CNBC Awaaz and CNBC-TV18, maybe three or four have been the recommendations of sugar. Now, again, let me reiterate and repeat the things what has happened, in the month of June there was destocking happening at the dealers level, distributors level and retailers level and that has seen virtually sugar stocks getting exhausted. Now, if you see the situation, the kind of renewed orders are seeing that has already seen the prices having increased by Rs 0.60 to Rs 0.75 per kilogram in the UP.

In Bihar the prices have moved beyond Rs 37-37.50 per kilogram. That means there the prices have moved up by Rs 1 per kilogram. Now, whatever information which I have, that the cabinet is preparing a note of increasing the import duty from 40 percent to 50 percent, and that note should be out in maybe in the next one week or so, and apart from that, the global white sugar prices which fell to a low of USD 420 per tonne have started improving. So, if you take the situation going forward, the kind of inventory, the situation is very low on the inventory front. Except for UP sugar mills, no other mills are holding any inventory whether in Maharashtra, Karnataka, or Tamil Nadu.

So, even the sugar from UP is coming altogether to the Southern part of India and I wont be surprised to see the sugar prices further increasing by Rs 1. If you have the huge inventory carried by all these companies, in fact I have estimated and given the inventory gain about Rs 250 crore in Triveni Engineering, about Rs 200 crore in Dalmia Bharat Sugar, Rs 225 crore in Dwarikesh Sugar, I think these inventory gain is going to get hardened and situation going forward again is looking very robust. Maharashtra probably for the next season will record 70 percent production growth in the sugar because last year or in the current season, sugar production was low.

So, you have umpteen number of positive triggers which are in fact I sometimes feel that market was unable to catch any of this positive trigger and I have been repeatedly saying for last one week and I continue to have my positive bias and I wont be surprised to see the UP based sugar mills, these four or five sugar stocks moving up by about 15 percent in next couple of months from the current levels.
Clothes are displayed in a Lululemon Athletica retail store in New York, U.S., March 30, 2017. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid - RTX33FJU

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Aditya Birla Fashion & Retail (ABFRL) shares extended gains on Friday after ICICIdirect has initiated coverage on the stock with a buy recommendation and a target price of Rs 210. The stock rallied 2.5 percent intraday (from 0.8 percent) after this report, in addition to 0.8 percent upside in previous session.

ABFRL enjoys a vantage position in its mens portfolio built over wide offerings across price points (mass to luxury), broad categories (mens, womens and kidswear & accessories) and diversified market channels (MBO+EBO+SIS).

Strong track record of organic & inorganic growth, restorative growth in Madura through extensions and turnaround in Pantaloons position ABFRL at a vantage point leading to five-fold increase in PAT to Rs 262 crore by FY19, ICICIdirect feels.

It believes newer brands coupled with the existing portfolio would provide cohesive growth to company's revenues, which are expected to grow at a CAGR of 15 percent to Rs 8,841 crore and return on capital employed expansion to 14.6 percent (against 2.4 percent currently).

ABFRL combined Madura's portfolio of leading power brands with Pantaloons forte of largest value fashion retailer. The combination positions ABFRL as Indias fashion powerhouse offering 5000 styles and more than 200 brands.

A pan-India distribution network of 2,261 exclusive brand outlets (EBOs) spanning across 6.2 million square feet covering 375 cities and towns, ABFRL reaches out to over 13 million discerning customers.

With induction of brands like Ted Baker, Simon Carter and Forever 21, ABFRL continues to provide greater choice to its consumers across formats and channels. In-house design and product development capabilities remain central to merchandising requirements of its widespread network.

The research house said a slew of newer brands entering the Indian fashion industry resulted in flat like-to-like (LTL) in the past two years for Madura. It believes moderation of prices (around 10 percent), coupled with a change in inventory cycle from two to four season and launch of brand extensions (innerwear) would revive LTL growth to 5-6 percent in Madura posting revenue CAGR of 12 percent in the lifestyle category.

Furthermore, fast fashion (Forever 21 + People) is expected to grow at a CAGR 26 percent in FY17-19. Cumulatively, Madura's revenues are expected to grow at a CAGR of 13 percent to Rs 5,247 crore in FY17-19, it said.

The research house further said the integration issues of Pantaloons, since its acquisition in FY13, have largely been addressed. Refurbishment of store product mix by hiring a core team of 280 people across design, merchandising and sourcing has struck the right chord to Maduras ideology, resulting in consistent LTL growth for Pantaloons.

Increased share of private labels (61 percent versus earlier 45 percent) has resulted in a 300 bps expansion in EBITDA margins to 5 percent in FY17, it added.

With the right model in place, ICICIdirect expects Pantaloons to accelerate store openings to around 50 stores annually in FY17-19 (versus sub-30 stores over FY14-17), generating revenue CAGR of 19 percent to Rs 3,594 crore.

At 12:19 hours IST, the stock price was quoting at Rs 176.00, up Rs 3.70, or 2.15 percent on the BSE.

Posted by Sunil Shankar Matkar
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Voltamp Transformers was able to smoothly navigate the slowdown in Indias transmission & distribution space over the last 5-6 years thanks to its strategy of keeping its balance-sheet light. Its smart decisions to not borrow or create additional assets have paid off.

Since FY08, while annual sales remained in the region of about Rs 600 crore, the company kept on accumulating cash generated from its operations. Today, when the industry is on the verge of a turnaround, Voltamp is sitting on cash pile close to Rs 300 crore, which is about 25 percent of its market capitalisation. This is formidable in an industry which is suffering from excessive working capital and bloated balance sheets.

The excess cash holding, however, is suppressing the return ratios and making valuations look expensive. Hence, if one removes cash from capital employed, return on equity works out to a respectable 30 percent (against ROE of 14 percent reported in FY17) and price to earnings at around 14 times (based on FY18 earnings) which actually looks attractive.

Leadership in 220 KV

This debt-free company has a leadership position in the sub-220 KV transformer segment. The manufacturing capacity of the industry stands at around 1,37,000 mega volt amp (MVA). In this, the organised players account for about 70 percent of the total capacity. Voltamps capacity of 13000 MVA is close to 14 percent of the organised market. Importantly, in the sub-220 KV, Voltamp has higher market share.

The sub-220 KV transformers is used in smaller applications mainly by state utilities, solar and by the industrial clients. Thankfully, this particular segment has now seen a revival with orders coming from the state utilities and the solar sector. For instance, orders from the renewable energy space, which account for 20 percent of the revenue, grew two times in the last one year. This space is going to witness a similar demand with more and more capacity coming on stream.

This helps in growing the order book. Voltamp's order book, at the end of FY17, grew to about Rs 300 crore, up 25 percent on a year-on-year basis. With the higher orders, it was now able to improve its capacity utilisation significantly from 71 percent in FY16 to 78 percent in FY17. The company delivered 10189 MVA transformers in FY17 as against 8,367 MVA in FY16, indicative of the revival in its business.

This could also mean a strong earnings cycle, which was otherwise lying depressed.

Capex to Drive Earnings

It is important to remember that the company has ample financial resources to meet emergencies. At the peak of the business cycle in the FY09, on a sales turnover of Rs 742 crore, Voltamp made a profit of Rs 114.8 crore. Today, despite Rs 300 crore cash in books, its profits are about half of what they were at the peak of the cycle in FY09.

In FY09, the company used to make operating margins of about 24 percent, which dipped to around 4 percent in FY14 and now stands at 10 percent. Importantly, backed by improvement in utilisation, higher volumes and better realization, operating margins are expected to inch up further by around 400-500 basis points over the next two years. This should support earnings growth which is expected to be in the region of 20 percent in the coming years.

From FY19 onwards, the possible deployment of excess cash in the business for the creation of new capacities would improve its growth prospects and return ratios. Voltamp has already purchased some land and is patiently waiting for the market to revive and build additional capacity to grow further. It is expected that once the money is deployed in the business it will create value in terms of improving return ratios, which are depressed presently because of cash in the books.

The company has huge leeway in terms of creating growth. Currently, on a fixed-asset base of Rs 100 crore, the company is clocking a sales turnover of close to Rs 600 crore. Following that yardstick, if additional Rs 300 crore (cash in the business) is deployed in the business it gives enough visibility for future growth.
BJP, Left and Congress delegations were today prevented from visiting riot-hit areas in Basirhat, around 80 kilometers from here, by the police even as the situation there remained tense and Internet services suspended.

Ignoring an appeal by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, a BJP delegation, led by MP Roopa Ganguly, which was heading towards Baduria, was detained by the police at Michael Nagar near Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport here.

"We told the BJP leaders that they will not be allowed to proceed as per the decision of the administration. The situation is still tense. But they were adamant and said either they will court arrest or proceed towards the affected area. So we had to detain them," a senior police officer of Bidhannagar Police Commissionerate said.

They were subsequently brought to the airport police station.

Earlier in the day, the police also prevented the Left and Congress leaders from proceeding towards the riot-hit areas citing the law and order situation.

"We were stopped near Ashoknagar area on the ground that it might create a law and order problem. But we were not going there with any political motive. We were going there to meet the people affected by the communal clashes," Left Front Legislature Party leader Sujan Chakraborty said.

The Congress team, led by WBPCC chief Adhir Chowdhury, was also stopped at Barasat.

State BJP president Dilip Ghosh said his part organize a rally here tomorrow to "condemn" the role of the state government.

"We will also meet Governor K N Tripathi and demand in writing that President's rule be imposed in the state," he said.

Clashes broke out between members of two communities at Baduria in the Basirhat sub-division of North 24-Parganas district earlier this week over an "objectionable" Facebook post by a young man who has been arrested.

The West Bengal government said the situation was under control in Baduria, Swarupnagar, Deganga and Basirhat, which had witnessed violence. Prohibitory orders are in force there.

People in the troubled areas chose to stay indoors with shops and schools remaining closed and the transportation badly hit.

A campaign has been undertaken by the state administration for restoration of peace.

Police and paramilitary force personnel carried intense patrolling while Internet services in and around the riot-hit the areas remained suspended, a senior state government official said.

The police inspector in-charge of Basirhat, Nasim Akhtar, has been transferred by the administration.

In New Delhi, Union minister M Venkaiah Naidu described the communal violence in Basirhat as "unfortunate" and requested the state government to take effective steps to protect all people - "whether minority or majority".
I hope such informal summits becomes a tradition between both the countries. I'll be happy, if in 2019, we can have such informal summit in India: PM Modi (Reuters)

Diplomacy is a game of possibility where the skills of a leader can either build bridges or burn them. So, amid the Sino-India border stand-off over Dokalam area, avenues of diplomatic engagements are being looked into. The G-20 Summit in the German city of Hamburg provides an opportunity for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping to meet and interact.

It boils down to this, and this is important: There are around half a dozen windows available for the two leaders to interact on the sidelines of G20 summit.

Yes, the Chinese Foreign Ministry on Thursday denied any bilateral meeting between the Chinese President and the Indian PM, citing unconducive atmosphere. And the official spokesperson of Indian Ministry of External Affairs did not mention any Sino-India meeting while listing out PM Modi's bilateral engagements on the sidelines of G-20 Summit. However, the Indian spokesperson did mention that PM Modi will attend the BRICS Summit in Hamburg.

Read More: http://www.news18.com/news/india/no-bilateral-but-several-windows-in-hamburg-for-narendra-modi-and-xi-jinping-to-talk-1454743.html
The Nokia 3, Nokia 5, and Nokia 6 Android smartphones were launched in India in June from the house of HMD Global, the company which now sells Nokia branded smartphones.

The company announced the launch that Nokia 3 and Nokia 5 will be offline exclusive smartphones.

While Nokia 6 will be available for registration from July 14 on Amazon.

The pre-bookings of offline exclusive smartphone Nokia 5 have begun from Friday, while Nokia 3 is already out in the markets.

Price and availability of Nokia 5 in India

The launched price of the smartphone is Rs 12,899 for the offline market in India. The HMD Global said that along with the launch the Nokia 5 pre-bookings will be available at selected mobile retail outlets across Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Chandigarh, Jaipur, Kolkata, Lucknow, Indore, Hyderabad, Pune, Ahmedabad, and Calicut.

The HMD Global said that along with the launch the Nokia 5 pre-bookings will be available at selected mobile retail outlets across Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Chandigarh, Jaipur, Kolkata, Lucknow, Indore, Hyderabad, Pune, Ahmedabad, and Calicut.

The Nokia 5 buyers will also receive launch offers such as Vodafones 4GB extra data per month with a 1GB recharge of Rs 142 (prices may vary from circle to circle)

This offer is valid up to 3 months or 3 recharges which means the user will get 5GB data at the price of 1GB.

Postpaid customers avail the same offers for three consecutive billing cycles if their postpaid plan features 1GB or higher data plan.

Customers will also get Rs 2,500 off which is segmented as Rs 1800 on hotels and Rs 700 off on domestic flights on Makemytrip.com.

Things to keep in mind before Nokia 5 purchase

Though the price of Rs 12,899 price tag of the Nokia 5 is attractive, there are many smartphones in the price range of Rs 11,000 to Rs 14,000 which competes with it.

Its competitors are Xiaomi Redmi Note 4, Moto G5, Yu Yureka Black and Oppo A57.

These smartphones are available on any of the e-commerce websites while the Nokia 5 will be only available on major mobile outlets of the respective cities.

Nokia 5 Specifications and Features

The Nokia 5 home button comes with a fingerprint scanner and a display of 5.2 HD (720x1280 pixel)

It runs on Android 7.1.1 Nougat and is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 SoC coupled with 2GB RAM.

The device comes with 16GB inbuilt storage, which is expandable via microSD card (up to 256GB).

It comes with the 13-megapixel camera on the back along with the flashlight and an 8-megapixel sensor at the front.

Nokia 5 Design

Nokia 5 design is highlighted with a seamless aluminium 6000 series body that wraps the edges for a smooth, rounded shape, with 8mm thickness.

It measures 149.7x72.5x8.05mm and houses a 3000mAh non-removable battery.
Air tickets could soon get significantly cheaper as the user development fee (UDF) in Delhi for passengers on both domestic and international air travel are about to drop. Additionally, the parking and landing fees for airline carriers have been cut down to half.

According to a Livemint report, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has issued an order to reduce the UDF for passengers flying from Delhi Airport with effect from Friday.

The UDF for domestic flights has been cut down to a meagre Rs 10 from an earlier charge of Rs 578. For international flights, it will be as cheap as Rs 45 from Rs 1,335 per ticket.

Moreover, the initial tariff wherein both departing and arriving passengers had to pay the UDF has also been altered. Now, only passengers departing from Delhi Airport have to pay the fee.

If the carriers like IndiGo, Jet Airways, GoAir, SpiceJet, Vistara and Air India decide to pass on the benefits of reduced parking and landing fees to their customers, then ticket prices could well plummet.

The new tariff rates were pending implementation as the Delhi Airport operator had taken the revised tariffs to Delhi High Court, which had ordered a stay. Subsequently, Air India had challenged the Delhi High Courts decision in the Supreme Court which vacated the stay on July 3, paving way for the new tariffs to roll out.
Moneycontrol News

Amid the dispute over Hindi signage at Bengaluru Metro, Union Minister and former Karnataka chief minister DV Sadananda Gowda on Thursday supported the tri-language policy as long as Kannada is given priority.

Gowda said Bengaluru is not limited to Karnataka or India, but is popular globally. Foreigners in our city must be able to read, people from other states must be able to read the signs and Kannadigas must instantly recognise the language of the state, he said, reports The Hindu.

I made it very clear that Kannada must be given priority; it is our State language, Gowda told reporters.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is said to have been collecting information on policies across other states before coming to a conclusion on the issue.

KJ George, Minister for Bengaluru Development and Town Planning, however, said while supporting the Chief Ministers position that it is better to wait for the information-gathering processes by policies of other states before taking a stand.

Meanwhile, the Karnataka Development Authority has asked Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation (BMRC) to implement the two-language policy in all their public information systems within the next 15 days.

In a bid to clear doubts on the issue, Siddaramaiah is reported to have said that BMRC was not declared a public sector unit and there is no clause in the tripartite agreement with the State and Union to follow all Central rules.

Also read : Bengaluru objects to Hindi signboards in Namma Metro

Therefore, being deemed to be a company of the State, as per policy it should follow the two-language policy  Kannada and English.

As per a report in Times of India, names of a few stations including KempeGowda near the airport and Chickpet were masked, the reason for which was unknown.

A few weeks back the #NammaMetroHindiBeda hashtag was trending on Twitter, which was started by a few organisations to remove Hindi signage from the metro.
Brazil's President Michel Temer (clockwise from bottom left), India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Russia's President Vladimir Putin, China's President Xi Jinping and South Africa's President Jacob Zuma attend a BRICS leaders' meeting as he takes part in the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany July 7, 2017 Sputnik/Mikhail Klimentyev/Kremlin via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. EDITORIAL USE ONLY. - RTX3AGB3

rime Minister Narendra Modi today said the geopolitical situation in the Gulf, West Asia and in the Korean Peninsula is a matter of concern as he asked BRICS nations to be a voice for stability, reform, progress and governance at the world stage.

During an informal gathering of BRICS leaders in Hamburg hosted by the Chinese President on the sidelines of the G20 Summit, Modi said the ups and downs in the global politics and worsening security situation are affecting everyone.

"BRICS has to be a voice of stability, reform, progress and governance at the world stage," he told the presidents from BRICS nations - Michel Temer (Brazil), Vladimir Putin (Russia), Xi Jinping (China) and Jacob Zuma (South Africa).

Modi said that the spread of terrorism is a threat for societies in Asia and Europe as he expressed concern over its increasing influence in the war-torn Afghanistan.

The West Asian region has been marred by conflict between Israel and Palestine and battle against the ISIS terror group, civil wars in Syria, Libya and Yemen. Millions of people have fled their homes in Iraq and Syria due to conflict.

In the Gulf, a group of Arab states including Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain has severed air, sea and ground links with Qatar, triggering a diplomatic crisis in the region where millions of Indians are working.

Saudi and its allies accuse Qatar of supporting terror groups and maintaining close relations with Iran. The crisis has raised concerns of growing instability in the region.

The Prime Minister also voiced concern over tensions in the Korean Peninsula, saying it is a matter of concern.

Modi's remarks came in the backdrop of the US warning to North Korea that it would use military force in response to Pyongyang's "reckless" launch of a ballistic missiles. The US also blasted China and Russia for "holding the hands" of the reclusive nation's "vicious dictator" Kim Jong Un.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping today shook hands and had a conversation on a "range of issues" during the BRICS leaders' informal meeting here amid a stand-off between the armies of the two countries in the Sikkim section.

The conversation took place on the sidelines of the G20 Summit that began here today. In a tweet, external affairs ministry spokesperson Gopal Baglay said Modi and Xi discussed a range of issues.

"At d BRICS leaders' informal gathering @ Hamburg hosted by China, PM @narendramodi and President Xi had a conversation on a range of issues," the spokesperson tweeted. The ministry also tweeted a photograph of Modi and Xi shaking hands.

The meeting assumes significance as it comes a day after a top Chinese official said the "atmosphere" is "not right" for a bilateral meeting between Modi and Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the G20 Summit.

China and India have been engaged in a stand-off in the Dokalam area near the Bhutan tri-junction for the past three weeks after a Chinese Army's construction party attempted to build a road. Doka La is the Indian name for the region which Bhutan recognises as Dokalam while China claims it as part of its Donglang region.
The Bank of Japan should steadily proceed with an "implicit tapering" of its bond purchases as any rise in yields will be temporary with many private investors waiting to buy on dips, a former central bank policymaker said on Friday.

Sayuri Shirai, a former BOJ board member, said the central bank may temporarily accelerate purchases of Japanese government bonds (JGB) to contain rises in bond yield, but won't have to buy huge amounts to cap yields around its zero percent target.

The BOJ has already been slowing its JGB purchases to around 50-60 trillion yen ($440-528 billion), despite a loose pledge to buy at a pace that increases its holdings by 80 trillion yen per year, Shirai said.

"What the BOJ is now doing is implicit tapering. That was probably the BOJ's key aim in revamping its policy framework last year. The BOJ knew it was getting more difficult to maintain the current pace of bond buying," Shirai said.

"The BOJ may briefly increase its bond buying when yields are rising as is the case now. But I don't think it will be forced to keep buying at a pace well above 80 trillion yen to control yields as there's always strong appetite for JGBs in the market," she told Reuters.
People arrive for the G20 agriculture ministers meeting in Berlin, Germany, January 22, 2017. REUTERS/Hannibal Hanschke - RTSWSDN

The two-day G-20 Summit kicks off today in the German city of Hamburg where leaders from the world's 20 major economies will be meeting to discuss key issues, among which climate change and global trade are expected to take centrestage.

The success of the summit will rely heavily on Donald Trump and Angela Merkel finding common ground on a range of pressing issues. Trump's first time at the G-20 Summit is clouded by US' plan to withdraw from the Paris Agreement on climate change after the G7 summit in May.

India and G20

Closer home, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who will be heading to Hamburg after a three-day visit to Israel, will most likely reinforce Indias commitment to the Paris climate pact and renewable energy.

He is also likely to express his reservations over the trade protectionism advocated by some economies.

On the sidelines, PM Modi will hold a meeting with BRICS leaders ahead of the G20 summit. He will also likely be holding talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping. The meeting acquires significance as India and China are currently in the middle of a military standoff at the India-Bhutan-China trijunction in Sikkim sector of the border.

However, China said on Thursday that there is no possibility of a bilateral meeting between two leaders as "the atmosphere is not right."

Watch: What is G20?

Climate Change

According to the 2015 Paris climate accord, 196 countries including the US, had agreed to the take steps to keep the global rise in temperatures well below two degrees Celsius.

As soon as Trump vowed to pull out from the Paris accord, world leaders across the spectrum criticised his decision. India, China, Canada, and other European countries including G20 president Germany reaffirmed their commitment to the agreement.

Since the United States is the second largest emitter of the carbon in the world, commentators are eagerly watching whether world leaders will decide to go on a collision course with President Trump.

US and Them

Given the US president's unpredictable nature, his meetings with various world leaders will be scrutinised the world over.

As confirmed by various sources in the US government, Trump will be meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the summit. The meeting assumes significance amid renewed doubts over Russian meddling in last November's US Presidential elections. The FBI is currently conducting a probe in the matter.

In addition, the two leaders are embroiled in several contentious foreign policy issues  bombing Russias ally Syria, hostilities in Ukraine and Moscows "meek" support for North Korea.

Another interesting meeting would be between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping. Their interaction would come just after US approval of USD 1.3 billion arms sale to Taiwan. Add to it the US warship sailing near the disputed islands in the South China Sea on Sunday.

Read: China condemns US warship near South China Sea island as 'serious provocation'

North Korea

On Tuesday, North Korea successfully test-launched its first Inter-Continental Ballistic Missiles (ICBM) named Hwasong 14 as a gift to the US on their Independence Day.

The missile, which has an estimated range of 6,700 km, comes as a blow to Trump, who had had earlier said Pyongyangs goal of having an ICBM wont happen.

The reclusive states latest bravado is expected to overshadow all other trade and diplomatic disputes.



North Korea has just launched another missile. Does this guy have anything better to do with his life? Hard to believe that South Korea.....

 Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 4, 2017

The US President expects China to contain North Korea, as he mentioned in a series of tweets.



....and Japan will put up with this much longer. Perhaps China will put a heavy move on North Korea and end this nonsense once and for all!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 4, 2017





Trade between China and North Korea grew almost 40% in the first quarter. So much for China working with us - but we had to give it a try!

 Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 5, 2017

However, a few tweets later, he ridiculed China claiming that "Trade between China and North Korea grew almost 40 percent in the first quarter."

Global Trade

As countries across the world are trying to deal with the steel overcapacity crisis, the US Presidents Buy American, Hire American policy has made life more difficult for other world leaders.

The crisis has forced the steel giants like India's Tata Steel to cut production and go for consolidation.

In March, Japan, the second largest producer of steel in the world, had approached the World Trade Organisation (WTO) alleging that duties imposed on steel imports by India violate trade norms.

Read: UK mulls pension loophole fix to help Tata Steel: Report
German police remove protestors who are blocking a street at a demonstration during the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany, July 7, 2017. REUTERS/Pawel Kopczynski - RTX3AF92

Violent anti-capitalist protests against G20 summit in Hamburg, a town in eastern Germany, were witnessed as clashes between the police and protesters emerged, on Thursday evening.

The German riot police was seen drawing water cannons and pepper spray on protesters whereas the protesters retaliated using bottles and smoke bombs.

At least 75 police officers were injured at the venue. And three out them were admitted in hospitals, according to Reuters.

About 13,000 protesters participated in the march on Thursday. Out of which about 1000 were black-clad and masked anarchists, the police told Reuters. The protesters carried Welcome to Hell signs.

Some groups in Germany organised Welcome to Hell protests, which were a part of the 30 anti-G20 protests registered in Germany, over the last few weeks.

Protesters, including students, from all across Europe participated in the protest in Hamburg. People from US, Canada, also gathered in the protests.

The common concern of all this protest, and the protests before was capitalist agendas of the G20 nations, and not immediate concerns of the public.

In an article on the Guardian, Srecko Horvat, a Croatian philosopher, who came to protest against G20, wrote, The real problem is the dogmatic slumber of the leaders of the free world, represented at this G20 summit by Merkel, May and others, which is the origin of our current dystopian nightmare (wars, terrorism, the refugee crisis and climate change). In this sense, the current G20 is not just a demonstration of disagreement on all fronts, but  after Hamburg  whether the G20 can continue to exist at all.

While commenting on the overall transparency of the G20 meetings, a researcher from Toronto University, Kulik also said that press conferences are full of political jargons, according to The Indian Express.

According to reports, some of the protests on Thursday focused on environmental issues, with many expressing concerns that G20 countries are responsible for approximately 75 percent of the worlds greenhouse gas emissions.

Almost every G20 meeting has seen protests, some them have turned violent. In 2009,before the London summit, the London police drew on a sit-down protest of about 4,000 members. Similar protests were witnessed at Toronto, in 2010 which created a history as 1000 protesters were arrested by police to be sent to detention centres.
Atlantis by Giardino, the top ranked hotel in Zurich according to TripAdvisor, has promoted 44-year-old Kai Spehr from Deputy Manager to General Manager, replacing Martin Vossen who has moved on to be CEO of a small group of hotels in the Maldives.

A Swiss native, Spehr has been Deputy Manager (with responsibility for the F& B outlets) at Atlantis by Giardino since it opened in December 2015. A graduate of the Ecole Hoteliere de Lausanne who completed his MBA at the Swiss University of St Gallen with distinction, Spehr has previously worked at a number of five-star properties in Zurich including the Park Hyatt and The Dolder Grand.

Said Spehr, I am delighted to accept my first position as General Manager at Atlantis by Giardino. I have worked at the property from the beginning and am looking forward to building on its existing success, with a team that I know well.
Send items for Worship News to religion@thereporteronline.com. Address questions to Nancy March, editor, at nmarch@thereporteronline.com. Deadline is noon Thursday to appear in the Saturday Worship News and Notes. Presentation of Our Lord Ukrainian Catholic Church has one more Sidewalk Ukrainian...
Rabbis installation at Keneseth Israel will get a boost of student creativity
July 07, 2017

Open Deescalation Thread

I am off to appreciate the deescalation measures Hamburg police prepared for tonight.



Picture via Der Postillon bigger

Use as open thread ...

Posted by b on July 7, 2017 at 17:54 UTC | Permalink

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President Donald Trump's obsession with proving he won the election has gone from the slightly ridiculous to the dangerous. Rankled that he lost the popular vote to Hillary Clinton, Trump decided that only massive voter fraud could explain why reliably liberal California would tally 3.4 million more Democratic than Republican votes  and, he would assert on the basis of no evidence, many of those voters must have been immigrants here illegally.

Now he has appointed a special commission to try to uncover the evidence to prove his paranoia. But in the process, he is asking states to turn over information on individual voters that could become an unprecedented trove of personal data subject to potential widespread abuse. Paradoxically, some of the same people who balk at the idea of a federal registry of gun owners have no problem with the federal government's compiling information on their voting habits.

Former Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff warned this week in a column for The Washington Post that collecting names, birthdates, places of birth, addresses, party affiliation, voting history and the last four digits of voters' Social Security numbers in one location poses a national security risk. "We know that a database of personal information from all voting Americans would be attractive not only to adversaries seeking to affect voting but to criminals who could use the identifying information as a wedge into identity theft. We also know that foreign intelligence agencies seek large databases on Americans for intelligence and counterintelligence purposes," Chertoff wrote. While President Trump downplays Russia's meddling in the election, he can't deny that hackers intruded into voting systems in as many as 39 states. In large part because our system is so diffuse, hackers most likely were unable to do harm in the actual vote tally  but imagine what havoc they could wreak with all the data in one place.

Many states, including those that voted for Trump, are refusing or limiting the information they give to the new commission. Ironically, the commission's vice chair, Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, cannot by state law provide all the information he is seeking from other states. But the real issue is, what is the point of this exercise?

I have long supported state laws that require voters to show identification before voting and have never been enthusiastic about some voting "reforms"  such as so-called motor voter laws, which allow people to register when they obtain a driver's license, and the now ubiquitous practice of early voting. These practices devalue the sacred responsibility of voting, emphasizing convenience instead of civic responsibility.

Maintaining the integrity of our electoral system is paramount, but the Trump commission's data grab isn't the way to go about it. Kobach's fixation with illegal immigration, something the president shares, seems to be driving this commission. Kobach wrote the Arizona bill to prohibit public benefits to immigrants here illegally and to require police to check the legal status of anyone stopped by law enforcement. Kobach is a stalwart of anti-immigrant groups and has made a career promoting immigration restriction; it's no accident that he was appointed vice chair of the president's commission.

In the president's delusion, some 3 million to 5 million immigrants who are here illegally voted in 2016, which would have been some feat. At its high range, the president's estimate would mean that undocumented immigrants were about as likely to vote as Hispanic U.S. citizens. There are about 10 million undocumented immigrants who are 18 or older in the United States, so if roughly 5 million voted, it would mean that 1 in 2 undocumented immigrants cast a vote, a bit higher than the 47.6 percent of eligible Hispanic citizens who voted in 2016, according to Census Bureau data. On its face, the allegation is ludicrous.

If the president's commission wants to do something useful, it might gather comprehensive information on what voter data states collect, how states handle and store the data, whether they purge voter rolls of outdated information or cross-tabulate with death records, whether states aggressively pursue allegations of voter fraud, and what the outcomes of prosecutions are. Instead, the president has strayed off base. Speaking on MSNBC this week, Kentucky Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes summed it up best: "As my grandmother used to say, 'it's about as welcoming as a breeze off an outhouse.'" Not to mention a waste of money, time and effort.

Linda Chavez is the author of "An Unlikely Conservative: The Transformation of an Ex-Liberal." To find out more about Linda Chavez, visit www.creators.com.
Younger investors are shunning stable income stocks in favour more volatile growth companies; taking on more risk relative to older investors, according to online trading platforms.

Utility stocks SSE (SSE) and Centrica (CNA) are among the top 20 FTSE 350 dividend paying stocks, each paying 6% yields, while National Grid (NG.) offers a 5.1% yield.

But despite these attractive income offerings, for investors between 30 to 45 years old, these stocks fail to make the cut.

Utility stocks are not proving popular with our younger investors. They seem to want stocks that are quite volatile. They like volatility so they can move and jump around  buying there and selling there. Thats why they like tech stocks and Bitcoin and they trade them frequently, said Jordan Hiscott, chief trader at ayondo markets, the online trading platform.

Separate data provided by The Share Centre painted a similar picture. Among investors aged 60 years and older, National Grid and United Utilities were among the top five most bought companies in the past six months. However, these two stocks did not appear on the most bought stocks list for younger investors at all.

Small Oil and Gas Stocks More Popular

Instead, over the past six months, the most bought companies among investors aged 18-59 years old were small natural resources exploration companies Sirius Minerals (SXX), 88 Energy (88E) and UK Oil & Gas Investments (UKOG), according to the Share Centre.

Looking at the more detailed breakdown by age, Sirius Minerals was the most bought stock in June among 18-25 year olds, and 26-40 year olds, followed by 88 Energy.

Data provided by investment platform Tilney also showed that Sirius Minerals is the second top stock bought by the 18 to 45 years old investors over the past month. A European oil and gas exploration company Sounds Energy (SOU) came fourth on the top five most bought lists at Tilney.

Helal Miah, investment research analyst at The Share Centre, said that these basic resources exploration companies potentially provide a very high and quick return to investors if these groups drilling projects succeeded.

Once these companies granted regulatory approval, their share prices sky-rocket. Any positive news from these companies can see a huge spike in share price, said Miah.

Sirius Minerals is a producer of multi-nutrient fertilisers. The company currently organised into one business division: the UK segment. The stock is up 57.6% year to date. Sirius Minerals have a more volatile share price  as seen last year that its shares came down 60% from the peak level at 45.5p in August last year to 18p in December. Despite the strength of the companys share price so far this year, the current level is still lower than the Augusts peak level.

Looking at blue-chip stocks, Ayondos Hiscott said pharma stocks GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and AstraZeneca (AZN) were popular among investors aged 30 to 45 years old, thanks to their attractive yields and the prospect of the next generation of drugs. GlaxoSmithKline pays a 4.9% yield while AstraZeneca pays a 3.9% yield, according to Morningstar data.

You are Never Too Old or Too Young for Lloyds Bank

Investors from different age groups may favour different sectors, but no matter your age, Lloyds Banking Group (LLOY) is the top traded company of the year. Data from The Share Centre showed that for investors between 41 to 59 years and above 60 years old, Lloyds is on top of the most bought companies list, while the bank was the most bought stock by 18-25 years old in March and May.

Miah said it was not too much of a surprise to see a stark contrast between investments made by experienced investors and their younger counterparts, particularly given that the investment objectives for both cohorts vary dramatically.

On one hand, you have a group of investors that are getting closer to their retirement age and are therefore hunting companies that will offer them the income they desire to ensure a comfortable life. Indeed, the years of experience theyve encountered means theyve been there and done that, for the use of better words, and are therefore aware of the gains and losses to be made, so a preference for tried and trusted companies is likely to be desired.

Contrastingly, we have a younger group of investors that are likely to be investing for their future and are perhaps yet to get a grip of risk versus reward. What is surprising to me is the fact that this group are opting for such high-risk companies with volatile histories and recovery stories.
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Read our editorial policy to learn more about our process.
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XCOR Aerospace thus far has met its obligations as required by the economic development agreement signed nearly five years ago with the Midland Development Corp. and has collected $9 million in performance incentives, relocation payments and renovations. Still, the space industry company faces payroll, capital investment and rent obligations that officials said will be a challenge considering its financial status.

The economic development agreement with MDC shows XCOR must meet obligations of $8 million in total salaries and wages this year and $12 million next year.

Company officials told the Reporter-Telegram on Thursday that it was forced to lay off its 10 employees in Midland and 11 in Mojave, California. Key personnel would be hired back on a contractual basis, according to acting CEO Michael A. Blum. Where they are located would depend on the projects they are working on, he said. Engine development was a core task in Midland. Among the projects in Mojave, Blum said, was the Lynx suborbital spacecraft project.

The layoffs announced this week were at least the second XCOR executed in the past 15 months. Blum said XCORs financials have been hindered by expected funding that did not materialize. The company had been working on an upper stage for United Launch Alliances Vulcan launch vehicle. That contract was not continued, Blum said.

It was a disappointing piece of news and led to re-evaluating our financial situation, and it put pressure on the company in the last couple of months, Blum said.

The contract with the MDC says should the company (XCOR) fail to pay the recapture payment within 30 days of MDC written notice or notify the MDC that they cannot make the recapture payment, the company shall be considered in default, unless alternative arrangements have been made.

An XCOR timeline provided by the MDC shows the last of the incentive payments made to XCOR took place in September 2014 and that the company has met the terms of the contract in the following areas -- job creation, total annual compensation, capital assets and cumulative investment in capital assets. The company even met those requirements in 2016 as the contract allowed for previous year salary amounts above requirements to be rolled over. To meet compensation requirements in 2016, more than $3.7 million was rolled over from 2014 and 2015.

The economic development agreement between XCOR and the MDC appeared to front load the incentives, a practice Midland Development Corp. officials said Wednesday was stopped long before finding out XCOR laid off its employees in Midland and Mojave this week.

(Contracts now) are performance-based, said Keith Stretcher, a member of the MDC board and former city of Midland attorney. He pointed to a recent deal made with a company looking to upgrade the Vaughn Building in downtown Midland. There was no payment made to the company, and the taxpayers were not on the hook for any expenses when the company couldnt show money being spent on the building and couldnt show occupancy.

Still, XCORs announcement of layoffs put MDC officials in an awkward position of defending a deal made by a previous board and still showing support for a company in a difficult financial position.

Brent Hilliard, chairman of the MDC board, said that technically, XCOR is in compliance with the largest economic deal in MDCs history. He also said MDC and the city have and will receive a great deal from its millions in separate investments in facilities and infrastructure at the spaceport.

Hilliard told the Reporter-Telegram that moving forward, the MDC will pay after a company has fulfilled its contractual obligations.

As long as our present board is in place and as long as we are on the board, that will be something that is required, Hilliard said.

Hilliard said the MDC also will look at the current deal with another Spaceport Business Park resident, Orbital Outfitters, which inked a $7.2 million economic development deal in 2014. Hilliard said $1.5 million was Orbitals cash incentive. The rest went into facilities, including the Midland Altitude Chamber Complex at the Spaceport Business Park.

Hilliard and Stretcher both said the MDC will still look at economic development deals that make sense for Midland, including those in the space industry. However, expectations are they will primarily be focused on roads, education and health care. This year alone, the MDC pledged to invest $10.35 million with the Texas Department of Transportation for projects totaling $117.51 million. That includes money dedicated to help with the completion of east Loop 250.

We are listening to the community and trying to put taxpayer money for what they want, Stretcher said.
HOUSTON  Apache Corp. will complete its exit from Canada upon the closing of three recent transactions.

Apache has agreed to sell its Apache Canada Ltd. subsidiary to Paramount Resources Ltd. This includes properties located principally in the provinces of Alberta and British Columbia. In a separate transaction signed in June, Apache agreed to sell its Provost assets in Alberta to an undisclosed privately owned company. Also in June, Apache sold its assets at Midale and House Mountain, located in Saskatchewan and Alberta, to Calgary-based Cardinal Energy Ltd., according to a press release from the Houston-based company.

Production from Apaches Canadian operations averaged approximately 300 million cubic feet of gas equivalent per day for the second-quarter 2017, of which approximately two-thirds is natural gas. Aggregate proceeds from the three transactions are approximately $713 million. These proceeds, subject to foreign exchange movement and customary closing adjustments, will be used to fund a portion of Apaches 2017-2018 capital program, to reduce debt, or to improve overall liquidity.

Todays announcement is consistent with Apaches objective of streamlining our portfolio and focusing on assets in the United States, United Kingdom North Sea and Egypt. This strategic decision will enhance the companys resource allocation to its primary growth areas, particularly within the Permian Basin, said John J. Christmann IV, Apaches chief executive officer and president.

Upon completion of its exit from Canada, Apache will realize a significant reduction in asset retirement obligations and annual overhead costs. Total company revenues per BOE, cash margins per BOE, and earnings per share will also improve with the completion of these transactions. Apache budgeted $125 million of capital expenditures to Canada for 2017 and 2018. Unspent allocations will be redirected to other areas of the portfolio. The company plans to update its 2017 and 2018 guidance following the closings of the three transactions. The Cardinal transaction closed in late June, and the remaining two are expected to close by the end of August.

Apache has had a long-standing presence in Canada, and I want to extend my sincere gratitude to all employees associated with our Canadian operations, Christmann said. Your efforts and hard work over the years helped grow our Canadian business into one of the largest in the region. We are grateful for your commitment to excellence and responsible development.

With our decision to exit Canada, Apaches resulting global portfolio is more streamlined and our resources more focused. Our strong positions and enhanced focus in our core areas will drive improvements to overall returns on capital invested going forward, he said.
The rapidly changing status of environmental regulations may have oil and gas operators feeling like the volleyball being punched back and forth over the net.

Under the Obama administration, the Environmental Protection Agency issued new emission standards and compliance schedules under Quad Oa rules covering crude and natural gas-related facilities. June 3 was the deadline to have monitoring programs in place, and Aug. 2 is the date the rule is to take effect. The rules cover methane emissions and volatile organic compounds and sulfur dioxide emissions from crude and natural gas facilities that had been constructed, modified or reconstructed after Sept. 18, 2015.

But the EPA under the Trump administration had stayed the June 3 deadline for 90 days as it reconsidered the rules, which cover new source performance standards in May, and in June proposed a two-year stay of the standards for fugitive emissions, pneumatic pumps and professional engineer certification requirements..

But then, last week the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit struck down that 90-day stay, saying the EPA could reconsider the rule but couldnt delay the effective date as it worked to rewrite the regulation.

The unfortunate part for oil and gas operators is that the compliance deadline of June 3 for the fugitive emissions monitoring requirements  leak detection and repair  of the rule has come and gone. Whether or not any issues for operators will come about due to this is not yet clear, Luis Vasquez, environmental specialist with OTA Compression, said in an email.

The ruling means companies will have to move quickly to meet the Sept. 1 deadline for leak detection and repair surveys, said Grant Swartzwelder, OTA Compression president.

Swartzwelder, speaking by phone from his Irving office, predicted the issue will grow in importance in the Delaware Basin as producers increase drilling activity and output from the area.

He said OTA has more than 700 units in the field, -- compressors, combustion units or vapor recovery units -- and continues to sell more units, especially in the Delaware. That has prompted him to look for a Midland yard as a more central location, and he said he is currently in negotiations on two plots.

Were also seeing larger units deployed there. Delaware wells are coming in with bigger initial potentials with their longer laterals, Swartzwelder said.

This will increase the likelihood the facilities will fall under the EPA regulations, he said.

The size of these wells and their initial potentials make them more of a target for the EPA and regulatory groups, he said.

The good news, according to Swartzwelder, is that those wells also have a high amount of valuable vapor that can be recovered and sold, meaning investment in vapor recovery units can be recovered in a very short time. He called it the right thing to do not only from an economic standpoint and regulatory standpoint but from a green standpoint.

Its profit associated with doing the right thing, he said.

The bad news is the lack of natural gas pipelines to move that recovered gas to market, he said. To address the issue, OTA has developed a dual flare system that is easier to maintain and comply with the regulations, Swartzwelder said.

Gabriel Kent, lead environmental specialist with OTA Compression, said the company is already getting inquiries from clients in the aftermath of the rulings.

He urged operators to lay the preliminary groundwork for compliance.

Kent also cautioned that the debate over environmental regulations wont be limited to air emissions.

He cited as an example the Bureau of Land Managements rules that would limit the flaring and venting of natural gas on federal lands, requiring producers to capture that gas instead. The U.S. Senate in May voted to uphold the rule, which had been targeted for repeal under the Congressional Review Act.

The core of the argument from environmental groups such as the Clean Air Council, Earthworks, Environmental Defense Fund, Environmental Integrity Project, Natural Resources Defense Council and Sierra Club -- which sued to overturn the stay on the Quad O regulations -- is that the EPA overstepped its bounds with the stay, Kent said.

The appeals court agreed with the groups that the rule-making process was followed and the rules still have to go into effect while the agency reviews and possibly revises or repeals the rules, he said.

Swartzwelder predicted that the tug-of-war over methane emissions is just the beginning. Youve seen it with Exxon Mobil, where environmental groups stand up at shareholder meetings and demand the company account for the impact of climate change.

Concho Resources, Noble Energy, with their big wells, are becoming more visible, and they will become targets, he said. The best thing is to adhere to the regulations and cover themselves that way.

When Trump won the presidential election, contributions to environmental groups exploded, Swartzwelder said. He expects environmental-based regulations to shift from being driven by EPA action to being driven by court rulings as more and more environmental groups pursue litigation to push the EPA to fulfill its mandate and implement regulations.
Speaking at a coal-fired power plant in Maidsville, W.Va., on Thursday, Energy Secretary Rick Perry made a strange argument about supply and demand, seeming to confuse the relationship between two of the essential forces in the economy.

"Here's a little economics lesson: supply and demand," Perry said, according to Taylor Kuykendall of Standard and Poor's. "You put the supply out there, and demand will follow."

If Perry was suggesting that no matter how much coal the industry produces, there will be demand for it, he was clearly mistaken. Of course, demand for coal -- or any other item -- is not infinite. People will only buy so much of it at a given price, and producers will only be able to sell more if they bring down the price.

Another possible interpretation of Perry's odd remark is that he might have been repeating a theory that was once widely accepted among economists. On this theory, demand and supply will always be in balance across the economy as a whole. These days, however, many economists view this logic as deeply and dangerously mistaken.

This reasoning is usually associated with the French economist Jean-Baptiste Say, who argued in 1803 that oversupply in excess of demand across the economy as a whole was impossible (although he did not use those terms exactly).

Say claimed that the money consumers use to buy goods and services must come from, ultimately, those same consumers selling something else on the market. As a result, the supply from producers on the market would always be matched by demand, since -- according to Say -- producers would use what they earned making sales to make purchases for themselves.

Or, as Say's British contemporary David Ricardo wrote, "I think that demand depends only on supply."

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As later economists argued, however, people do not always use their money to buy things. Sometimes, they prefer to save money instead, or to pay down debts. That is especially the case during a panic, when firms and households are looking for security.

In that situation, then the supply of goods and services the economy produces can exceed the demand for them. When goods go unsold because no one is buying them, factories will sit idle and workers will be unemployed. Say himself recognized this problem after a financial crisis in England in 1825, and changed his tune.

The fact that Say seems to have been wrong initially is crucial to how modern governments manage panics. Today, economists and policymakers generally agree that during a crash, governments should put more money into the economy. When households and businesses have more to spend with, the demand for goods and services will increase, putting the economy back into balance.

John Maynard Keynes is usually credited with developing this remedy. According to the Keynesian view, if you put the demand out there, the supply will follow -- not the other way around, as Perry said.

Keynesianism has held sway over public policy for most of the past century, but there are still some conservative economists who disagree with him. Perry might have been thinking of conservative objections to Keynes when he said that demand follows supply.

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Yet in the context of a visit to a coal plant, it is not clear whether those objections are relevant. Say's arguments about supply and demand only applied to the economy as a whole, not to specific goods such as coal or electricity.

Say always recognized that there could be surpluses of particular commodities if it turned out that customers did not want them. Instead, he believed that firms would adjust to produce those goods that consumers did want to buy using their earnings from selling to the market, so that demand would always balance supply overall.

If producers in a given industry simply "put the supply out there," as Perry said, they'll be left with warehouses full of surplus goods. In other words, demand does not follow supply any more than one blade of a pair of scissors follows another, to borrow an analogy from the economist Alfred Marshall.

"We might as reasonably dispute whether it is the upper or the under blade of a pair of scissors that cuts a piece of paper," he wrote in 1890.
The Central Texas father who lost both his legs attempting to save his daughter from a boating accident, has died.

Patrick Oliver, 37, died with his family by his side, according to the Temple Daily Telegram.
DES MOINES  Fireworks lit up the night skies across Iowa this past Fourth of July holiday week, thanks in part to a new state law that allows more home fireworks displays.

But the real fireworks may have come in the days immediately after the Fourth.

Amid widespread public backlash and heightened public safety and emergency activity, multiple cities across the state are considering reinstating a ban on home fireworks.

But no changes to the state fireworks law appear imminent, according to state lawmakers who supported the new law. They say the law is working as intended by giving local communities the option to restrict home fireworks displays as they see fit.

In 1938, Iowa banned home fireworks, leaving Fourth of July home celebrations to only novelty items such as sparklers. That ban, which was implemented a few years after devastating, fireworks-ignited fires in the northwest Iowa towns of Spencer and Remsen, stood for nearly eight decades.

During this years legislative session, the Republican-led Legislature eliminated the ban, allowing Iowans to display consumer-grade fireworks such as bottle rockets and Roman candles and more.

The law included a provision that allows local governments  cities and counties  to restrict home firework displays further than what is written into the state law.

Cities are reacting

Apparently, Iowans took advantage of their newfound freedom and, in some cases, went too far.

In the days immediately following the Fourth of July, noise complaints were abundant, and local officials in cities across the state have stated their desire to reinstate the fireworks ban or at minimum reduce the time frame in which residents can display home fireworks.

 The city of Davenport wasted little time in reinstating its fireworks ban. On Wednesday, the day after the Fourth of July, the City Council stated its intent to enforce its longstanding fireworks ban that it had suspended after the Legislature acted in May.

We felt it was important we gave our citizens an opportunity to see if responsible use could happen under those guidelines, and I think we have all been concerned with some of the irresponsible use that we have experienced over the last few weeks, Davenport Mayor Frank Klipsch said Wednesday.

Eastern Iowa city reinstates ban on fireworks The fuse on fireworks in the city of Davenport has fizzled out.

 Sioux City mayor Bob Scott took to social media to announce his intention to propose a fireworks ban.

I will be proposing ... a ban on fireworks next Monday, Scott said in a Facebook post Monday night, the day before the Fourth. If people wont adhere to our rules then it makes no sense to allow them going forward. I am sorry for those citizens that have to endure this for one more day.

Iowa mayor proposes re-banning fireworks after citizens report 150 violations SIOUX CITY | Sioux City Mayor Bob Scott is so fed up with the bangs of illegal fireworks at 

 Officials in Waterloo and Cedar Falls said they will explore changing their home fireworks regulations. Although none mentioned an outright ban, some said they will look into reducing the hours and days in which home fireworks can be displayed.

We noticed a large amount of illegal use, and when possible, we tried to tell people to knock it off, Waterloo Fire Chief Pat Treloar said. I hope the state made a boatload of money on this mess because all it did for us as the city was cost money.

 In Cedar Rapids, an online petition to ban home fireworks had nearly 5,000 signatures by Thursday. Local officials there said they think more restrictions on home fireworks use are needed.

Law is working

State Sen. Jake Chapman, R-Adel, has for multiple years supported the repeal of the state fireworks ban. He guided the bill through the Iowa Senate this year.

Chapman said he is disappointed that some cities are making what he called knee-jerk reactions to fireworks complaints, but he added that is why state lawmakers built local control into the new fireworks law.

Its a local issue, and we put language within the bill that allows for cities to ban and restrict the use of fireworks. Obviously, we have heard from people that are upset about it, Chapman said. I suspect if its a big enough issue, those residents will have their local voices heard, both in direct contact and also at the ballot box.

However, Chapman said, he also heard from many people who were happy to have the ability to display home fireworks for the first time this Fourth of July.

If you walked outside the Fourth of July, or the night before, or depending on where you live even a few nights before, you could both see and hear just how loudly Iowans support their freedom to shoot off fireworks to celebrate the Fourth, Chapman said.

Chapman said his only concern is that cities are reacting to illegal home fireworks use, not residents who displayed fireworks within the parameters of state law and local regulations.

It doesnt really bother me what cities decide to do. We gave them that authority, Chapman said. But I think there are several cities that have knee-jerk reactions, if you look at their reasoning.

Fireworks complaints soar; eastern Iowa cities taking action WATERLOO -- If there was a honeymoon period with Iowa's new fireworks law, it's over as far 

Chapman said just as speed limits do not prevent all speeders and the states seat belt law does not force every driver and passenger to buckle his or her seat belt, no fireworks law is going to stop all individuals from displaying fireworks outside the laws boundaries.

I understand the frustration, Chapman said. "I dont want people shooting off fireworks after the time we allowed, either."

Chapman said because of that local control, he does not see a need to revisit the law during next years legislative session.

State Sen. Roby Smith, R-Davenport, agreed.

The law is working exactly how we thought it would, in a sense of giving local control to cities to decide if they want to ban them completely or limit the use. That was the whole reason we made sure that was in the law, so I have no problem with that, Smith said. At the state level, we took the big-picture approach to it, and then we allowed local communities to fine-tune it.

A spokeswoman for Gov. Kim Reynolds said the office does not have a comment on the fireworks law because its now being handled on the local level.
WATERLOO -- If there was a honeymoon period with Iowa's new fireworks law, it's over as far as some city officials in Waterloo, Cedar Falls, Evansdale and Elk Run Heights are concerned.

Elected and public safety officials in those cities received numerous complaints about fireworks being shot off outside the days and hours prescribed by local ordinances and state law; neighborhoods strewn with fireworks debris and clouds of smoke hanging overhead.

Additionally military veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder have complained about them.

While there may not be comprehensive immediate changes, Waterloo and Cedar Falls officials are considering clamping down considerably on the discharge of fireworks by the time the next state-permitted period for shooting them off rolls around, over the Christmas/New Year's holiday season. Evansdale plans such action over the coming month.

"This year was a trial year to say the least," said Waterloo Fire Chief Pat Treloar. "In the near future, we (Waterloo Fire Rescue) will make a number of recommendations to Mayor (Quentin) Hart and Waterloo City Council regarding the use of fireworks in city limits.

"I was personally surprised by the amount of smoke hanging in the air from fireworks especially on the Fourth," Treloar added. "Waterloo does have a perpetual burn ban in place primarily for air quality issues and any fireworks policy moving forward should consider the air quality issue. Also, the trash left behind from the use of fireworks was very noticeable and certainly an eye sore. I am sure as we move forward we will have plenty of discussions."

He added that on a positive note, "we did not have any significant calls for fires or injuries related to fireworks." Similarly none were reported in Cedar Falls, according to Public Safety Director Jeff Olson.

Treloar also confirmed that there were instances of individuals discharging fireworks illegally near the main fire station as well as elsewhere in town.

"We noticed a large amount of illegal use and when possible we tried to tell people to knock it off," Treloar said. "I hope the state made a boatload of money on this mess because all it did for us as the city was cost money," for enforcement.

Waterloo Police Chief Dan Trelka said he is recommending one immediate change to crack down on repeat violators.

"Weve handled 784 (complaints) since June 1," Trelka said. Six citations were issued. Olson said Cedar Falls received 61 complaints, mostly for fireworks discharged after 10 p.m. Police there issued warnings only.

"Most were very cooperative and quit as soon as police asked," Olson said. "Most were between 10 and 11 p.m."

Trelka said the one change he is recommending is adding fireworks complaints to the type of calls designated as a chronic nuisance. "It adds an additional penalty and allows us to bill for police services. That is actually on the council agenda for this Monday."

But in regard to any other changes, "I am sure there will be heavy discussion about this by our council," Trelka said. "Numerous people have contacted them and have complained about fireworks being allowed in Waterloo. I will watch how it all transpires with interest."

Iowa mayor proposes re-banning fireworks after citizens report 150 violations SIOUX CITY | Sioux City Mayor Bob Scott is so fed up with the bangs of illegal fireworks at 

Mayor Quentin Hart said the city is documenting and tracking all fireworks complaints for future City Council deliberation.

Waterloo allowed fireworks to be set off from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. on June 30 and July 3 and from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. on July 1, 2 and 4.

"Waterloo has not yet decided whether they will allow usage in the future," Trelka stressed. "As per council action taken, usage after 11 p.m on July 4 is prohibited in the city of Waterloo. Any future usage will be a priority topic of discussion."

Legislation signed May 9 by Gov. Terry Branstad legalized the sale and use of fireworks statewide from June 1 through July 8 and from Dec. 10 through Jan. 3 but gave cities the ability to put further restrictions on the use.

Some cities, including West Des Moines, Urbandale and chose to ban fireworks use while others, including Cedar Falls, allowed residents to shoot off the explosives during the entire statewide window.

Cedar Falls Mayor Jim Brown said some individuals in his city are taking full advantage of that window -- and then some, too late at night and breaking the law.

"I personally have heard from many concerned citizens regarding the after-hour fireworks and understand the extreme frustration," Brown said. "I've also inquired about raising the fines to those going later than allowed. Although it's ultimately up to the City Council, I'll be conveying my thoughts to them."

That "window" for shooting fireworks may narrow in Cedar Falls if one council member has his way.

"We've been inundated with phone calls, emails," said council member John Runchey. "This is the most hot-button issue in quite a while. Initially, I thought we could narrow our window much like Waterloo and really rein it in. I really feel strongly we should narrow it three or four days and maybe two and the end of the year. I don't even know if that's a good idea. I hate to see our police chasing after all these people when they're involved in other stuff.

Eastern Iowa city reinstates ban on fireworks The fuse on fireworks in the city of Davenport has fizzled out.

"I kind of wish people would respond to their neighbors and be a little more careful," Runchey said. "I've got some people talking about how the (fireworks debris) garbage as come down all over their yards. It's not the way people in Cedar Falls behave. I'm going to recommend we reduce it drastically, to like three or four days, and you have to be over by 10 (p.m.)"

Kevin Dill, executive director of the Black Hawk County Veteran Affaris Commission, said he wrote a letter to Waterloo Mayor Hart noting he's received "many complaints" from veterans with PTSD. That resonated with Runchey as well.

"I'm a veteran," Runchey said. "I think of what these kids (veterans) have done for us, and then us shooting off, celebrating what they've done. And it's so stupid."

Evansdale Mayor Doug Faas said his city, which adopted the state window like Cedar Falls, will be narrowing it soon, as a result of a consensus reached at Tuesday night's City Council meeting.

"Dates for use of fireworks in Evansdale will be from June 30 to July 4 and Dec. 28 to Jan. 1," Faas said. "Times of day will be until 10 p.m with the exception of July 4 (11 p.m.) and Dec. 31-Jan. 1 (12:30 a.m.). Penalties will include confiscation and destruction of fireworks and a fine of not less than $250. Repeat offenses could result in a fine of $750. The first reading of this new ordinance will be on the July 18 agenda." It requires approval on three readings for adoption.

The city of Elk Run Heights may be taking similar action.

"We will also be looking at what we could do such as cutting back on the days," Mayor Tim Swope said. "I will admit it's out of control."

State Sen. Jeff Danielson, D-Waterloo, a Cedar Falls firefighter and a proponent of the state fireworks bill, said the state law is doing what it was supposed to since it allows "total local control" by individual cities and counties, including a total ban or discharging fireworks. He suggested the issue may be less of a concern in rural parts of the state than in urban areas.

He also maintained the new legislation is better than the old "wink and a nod" state law that allowed possession of fireworks but not their sale or discharge.

"For local elected officials, my advice would be to try and stay as uniform as you can if you share borders," Danielson said. "For me, personally, I would think the week surrounding the Fourth of July is probably enough... Let's let calmer heads prevail, and allow local officials to hear people out, and that people do it respectfully."
CEDAR RAPIDS  Common sense tells him something must be done, but U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley is not as optimistic as he was a couple of weeks ago that Congress will approve health care reforms.

Compared to how optimistic I was the week before now ... Im very pessimistic, Grassley said in Mount Pleasant Thursday.

He said its obvious to him that the Affordable Care Act  Obamacare  isnt working the way it was proposed to Congress and the American public. Rather than seeing health insurance costs drop by $2,500 a year, Grassley said many people have seen increases of $3,000 or more and many have had to change doctors or lost the insurance coverage they had.

Despite the difficulties majority Republicans have had marshaling the votes to replace Obamacare, Grassley said he doesnt have a right to be pessimistic because we all know somethings got to be done.

Rather than repeal and replace, he told reporters after speaking to the Mount Pleasant Rotary Club, Grassley said Congress may opt for repeal, then replace.

That would put pressure on Congress to do something instead of dancing around like were doing now, the Iowa Republican said. Youd still have Obamacare as it is for another year or two while Congress figures out what should replace it.

Questions from the Rotarians ranged from health care to regulations, energy, Social Security, North Korea and President Donald Trumps upcoming meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Whatever the United States does in response to North Korea aggression, it has got to be almost non-military, but we cant rule out military force, Grassley said. His concern with a military response is that it likely would give North Korean leader Kim Jong Un time to destroy Seoul, South Korea.

Grassley would prefer economic sanctions, including sanctions on Chinese banks that do business with North Korea.

I think the president is disappointed that China hasnt done more, but he warned against relying too heavily on China to intervene with its neighbor.

He doesnt have high expectations for the Trump-Putin meeting.

But I hope (Trump) says were sick and tired of (Putin) meddling in our elections, Grassley said. He also wishes Trump would quit saying there is some question about Russian attempts to interfere in the November 2016 election.

We have CIA reports ... that without a doubt says they were trying to interfere, he said. Grassley believes the goal was not to elect one person or another, but to sow doubts about the process and democracy itself.

Earlier Thursday, Grassley met with about 20 business owners and managers in Columbus Junction. They quizzed him about health care, immigration and a range of other issues.

Grassley continues his 99-county tour Friday when he meets with businesses and associations in southeast Iowa.
'The big truck is still on ...
MASON CITY | A Mason City man who allegedly had a counterfeit bill in his possession when he was arrested Wednesday for domestic assault now also faces a felony forgery charge.

Eric D. Sombright, 25, had a large amount of money in his possession when he was arrested at 10:13 p.m. in the 600 block of North Kentucky Avenue on the misdemeanor domestic abuse charge, according to the Mason City Police Department.

After officers inspected the bills, they allegedly discovered one of them was counterfeit.

Sombright was arrested because he was accused of slamming his girlfriend against the wall and hitting her in the face at 11 a.m. on July 4 at a residence in the 500 block of East State Street.

He also was charged with misdemeanor obstruction of emergency communications because he took his girlfriend's cell phone and threw it across the room when she was dialing 911, according to police.

A criminal complaint states Sombright resisted arrest on Wednesday and started to run away, which led to a misdemeanor charge of interference with official acts.

 Mary Pieper
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MASON CITY | A man arrested in connection with a home burglary in Mason City received a five-year suspended prison sentence Wednesday.

Dylan Mennenga, 21, Mason City, was put on probation for three years for felony third-degree burglary. A $750 fine was suspended.

Restitution will be determined at a later date.

Police say Mennenga and co-defendant John D. Adams, 46, Rockford, fled the scene of the burglary at a residence in the 0 block of 25th Street Southeast shortly before 1 p.m. on March 23.

The home was unlocked and occupied at the time, according to criminal complaints.

Adams was captured in Georgia Hanford Park, and Mennenga was found about a half-mile away.

Burglary suspect found in Mason City park, 2nd in nearby neighborhood MASON CITY | Two Mason City men caught after a police search through Georgia Hanford Park an

Police initially charged Adams with felony first-degree burglary. Adams was accused of pulled a stun gun on another person.

Mennenga, who police say had methamphetamine in his pocket, was charged with felony counts of second-degree burglary and possession of a controlled substance  third or subsequent offense.

The trial information later filed by the Cerro Gordo County Attorney's Office charged Mennenga with third-degree burglary rather than second-degree burglary.

Adams was charged with third-degree burglary and misdemeanor assault while using or displaying a dangerous weapon.

Mennenga pleaded guilty to the burglary charge, and the state agreed to dismiss the drug charge, according to court documents.

Adams, who has entered a written guilty plea to his burglary charge, has a formal plea hearing for July 17. The state has agreed to dismiss the weapons charge.
Palm Bay Police are hunting for whoever stole a truck from a small dealership, then set the building on fire to cover his tracks.

Arsonist stole truck from Magic Hands Auto dealership in Palm Bay

Police believe suspect burned down the business to cover his tracks

Fire Marshal's Office offering reward for info leading to an arrest

"For somebody to just come in, burn it the way they did, it's just sad," said Magical Hands Auto owner Antonia Garayalde. "There's no words to describe our pain."

She and husband, Javier, are still in shock as they sift through the charred remains of the used car business they saved money for years to build.

Early Monday morning, police called them saying their business, Magical Hands Auto, was on fire.

Turns out a man had broke in and stole items, including keys to a truck for sale.

But the owners believe he knew he was caught on security cameras, so he set the building on fire to cover his tracks.

"As he came out, the place went up like that," said Garayalde.

Security cam video from a neighboring business shows the stolen 2005 white Ford Ranger backing up into a fence then driving away.

Police have been on the lookout for the truck and the suspected arsonist ever since.

For Garayalde and her family, it's been days of sleepless nights, wondering if the suspect will be caught, and how can they rebuild a business they put their all into.

One bit of solace for her, she was able to save an urn containing her sister's ashes -- she passed away last year.

"There's no need for anybody to be so evil and do this to any family," she said with tears in her eyes.

The State Fire Marshal's Office is offering a reward up to $5,000 for information leading to an arrest in this arson case.
MASON CITY | When Prairie Ridge Integrated Behavioral Healthcare officials decided to build a 25,000 square foot addition, they had no idea a merger with WellSource of North Iowa was coming.

However, when the WellSource mental health center proposed the merger a few months ago, Prairie Ridge Executive Director Jay Hansen was open to the idea, even though he knew it would be a challenge.

"It's the right thing to do," he said.

WellSource being integrated into Prairie Ridge also makes sense, Hansen added  not just because of the additional space being added to Prairie Ridge, but also due to the move toward more integrated health care.

Beginning Aug. 1, employees still with WellSource will become employees of Prairie Ridge.

Some WellSource employees have decided to take jobs with other providers, such as Turning Leaf Counseling in Mason City.

Mason City counseling center expands MASON CITY | Turning Leaf Counseling, located in Mason City's Brick and Tile building, is ex

Prairie Ridge, located at 320 N. Eisenhower Ave., was formerly known as Prairie Ridge Addiction Treatment Services.

The name Prairie Ridge Integrated Behavioral Healthcare was chosen because of the center's changing mission.

Instead of just treating substance abuse addiction, Prairie Ridge is taking a more holistic approach so patients can get all their needs met in one place, according to Hansen.

Those needs include mental health.

The staff has been working with patients diagnosed with both substance abuse addiction and mental health issues for a long time, according to Lorrie Young, clinical director of Prairie Ridge.

Mason City's Prairie Ridge expanding focus as well as facilities MASON CITY  Prairie Ridge is embarking on an $8 million expansion project as the program ta

After WellSource is integrated into Prairie Ridge, they will also treat those who have mental health issues but are not addicted to drugs or alcohol.

Prairie Ridge has a nurse practitioner coming on board so they will even be able to take care of some primary care needs, according to Young.

The nurse practitioner will be able to make referrals to Mercy Medical Center-North Iowa.

"We are so grateful for our partnership with Mercy," Young said.

Andy Eastwood, executive director of WellSource, said part of the reason for the merger is financial.

As an independent agency, it's difficult to maintain services, according to Eastwood.

"We are already seeing shrinking funds," he said.

Other health care providers across the country are merging to find economies of scale so more money can go toward client care, according to Eastwood.

Those providers  including WellSource and Prairie Ridge  also are merging to enhance care through integration, he noted.

Young said when services are integrated, the outcomes for patients are better.

Eastwood said WellSource is working to make the transition a smooth one so "people don't have interruptions in their care," whether their therapists are going to Prairie Ridge or another provider.

Eastwood, who has been with WellSource for nine years, will be pursing other opportunities when the merger takes place.

The expansion at Prairie Ridge is not expected to be completed until the end of August, so some WellSource staff will remain at the current building at 235 S. Eisenhower Ave. until then. However, they will become Prairie Ridge employees on Aug. 1.

The Prairie Ridge expansion doubles its space.

Young said at first Prairie Ridge officials thought they might be adding too much space, but now that Wellsource is being integrated, they now longer have that concern.

She said transitions like this can "be a little scary" for both patients and providers, so Prairie Ridge and WellSource are working to make sure "no one falls through the cracks."

The Prairie Ridge expansion includes smaller waiting areas in different parts of the building rather than one large waiting area. Young said this will give patients more privacy.

Ten additional beds are being added to the residential program for those with substance abuse issues. Prairie Ridge officials say there's currently a long waiting list for beds in this program, especially for women.

The emphasis at Prairie Ridge is to provide a warm, inviting atmosphere, Young said.

There's a lot of stigma attached to mental health and substance abuse issues, according to Young.

"We want to change that," she said.

Young said patients deserve a place "where they are treated with dignity and respect."
Bill Evers, a San Francisco attorney who co-founded the League to Save Lake Tahoe and served as head of the Mayors Office of Economic Development under both George Moscone and Dianne Feinstein, has died.

Mr. Evers died June 28 at his home in Pacific Heights after a short illness. He was 90, and he had still been driving to work at his law office on Van Ness Avenue.

During a long and distinguished career, Mr. Evers switched between private practice and public service. He was a partner in law firms Pettit, Evers & Martin and Evers & Hendrikson, and was there at the start of the Planning and Conservation League and People for Open Space, later renamed the Greenbelt Alliance. He also served a term as chairman of the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission.

An activist in eradicating urban blight, he chaired the Citizens Committee for Sign Improvement, which successfully fought to get free-standing billboards removed from residential neighborhoods in San Francisco, in the 1960s.

Mr. Evers was involved in the opening of the Alpine Meadows ski area, which opened in 1961, and Boreal Ridge, which opened in 1964.

When you are super energetic and you live 90 years, you get a lot of stuff done, said his son Elliot Evers, a San Francisco investment banker. He was a man of incredible integrity, curiosity and love.

Willam Dohrmann Evers was born May 6, 1927, a fourth-generation Californian. On his mothers side, the Dohrmann family owned and operated the Emporium department store. His father, Albert John Evers, was a noted San Francisco architect with the firm Ashley and Evers. Among his designs was the long-gone Hamms Brewery, noted for its twinkling sign of a glass filling with golden beer.

Mr. Evers grew up in Ross and then his family moved to San Francisco, where he graduated from Lowell High School in 1945. He rowed crew for Yale, class of 1949, and graduated from Boalt Hall law school at UC Berkeley in 1952.

Mr. Evers soon took a position as a legal assistant with the Securities and Exchange Commission in Washington. While there in 1957, Mr. Evers hit on his legacy idea during a dinner with Jim McClatchy, publisher of the Sacramento Bee. They had both grown up spending summers on the west shore of Lake Tahoe and were concerned about development of its shoreline.

By the end of the dinner, they had shaken hands to form the Tahoe Improvement and Conservation Association. Mr. Evers returned to San Francisco to build the organization, which later became the League to Save Lake Tahoe.

In the late 1950s, Lake Tahoe was facing some of the most serious environmental threats in its history, said league President Darcie Goodman Collins. Bills leadership helped turn the tide against those threats, and set our organization on a path to continue protecting Tahoe for these past six decades.

The league now has 6,000 members and an annual budget of $2.7 million. It is known far and wide for its Keep Tahoe Blue bumper sticker campaign.

While building the league, Mr. Evers also helped form the firm Pettit, Evers & Martin, specializing in government work and labor law. He was managing partner for 12 years, during which the firm grew from seven to 70 attorneys.

By the late 1970s, Mr. Evers was involved in public policy, and in 1977 he served as president of SPUR, the San Francisco Bay Area Planning and Urban Research Association. A year later, Mayor Moscone tapped him to run his Office of Economic Development, a post Mr. Evers kept under Mayor Feinstein after Moscone was assassinated in November 1978.

While at Yale, Mr. Evers had met Edwina Benington at a school mixer with Vassar. They were married while he was at Boalt and they raised four children on Jackson Street in San Francisco. After 26 years of marriage, they divorced, and in 1978 Mr. Evers married Britte-Marie Bittan Emblad. In addition to his own four children he adopted her two.

Mr. Evers was a member of the Bohemian Club for 55 years, serving as camp captain of the Hill Billies, and also belonged to the Pacific-Union Club. He ran daily for years. When he could no longer run, he rode a bike, and when he could no longer ride, he took daily walks.

In his later years, he became involved in the Gladstone Institutes, a nonprofit medical research institution in San Francisco. Mr. Evers was a founding member of the Presidents Council and served as chair of the Stem Cell Science Team.

Survivors include his wife; sons Elliot of San Francisco, John of Santa Rosa and Will of San Francisco; daughter Anne Hitz of Pacifica; and stepchildren Dr. Peter Emblad of Mill Valley and Marianne Emblad of San Francisco.

A memorial service will be private. Donations in his name may be made to the League to Save Lake Tahoe, Gladstone Institutes or Roots of Peace.

Sam Whiting is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: swhiting@sfchronicle.com Instagram: @sfchronicle_art
Republican efforts to replace President Barack Obamas Affordable Care Act would devastate childrens hospitals across California and make it harder for millions of people  young and old  to get the care they need, Sen. Dianne Feinstein said in San Francisco Friday.

The GOP plan before the Senate provides tax cuts for the very wealthy at the expense of health care for children, Feinstein told an audience of about 100 doctors, nurses, health care professionals and parents of patients at UCSF Benioff Childrens Hospital San Francisco. I dont know who would want that type of a tax cut.

Feinstein joined hospital officials on a morning tour of the sprawling Mission Bay facility, talking with doctors, nurses, parents and patients, before returning for a 45-minute pep rally aimed at revving up opposition to the GOP attack on the Affordable Care Act.

Theres still time to make a difference, Feinstein said.

Im going back (to Washington) Sunday and see if the bill comes to the floor Monday, Feinstein said. If it doesnt, it doesnt have the votes yet. We need to mobilize and call everyone you know.

The focus of concern is the GOP effort to trim Medicaid, which Obamas 2010 health care plan expanded to cover millions more people.

That includes more than 3 million of the 14 million people now covered in California, where the program is known as Medi-Cal.

State officials say California could lose $30 billion a year in federal Medi-Cal funds by 2027 and $114 million annually by 2037.

Medi-Cal is not just for the poor, said Mark Laret, chief executive officer of UCSF Health. One out of every two births in the country is on Medicaid. Were talking about your elderly parents in nursing homes.

In California, more than one-third of the states 39 million residents are on Medi-Cal, along with 1 out of every 2 children, 60 percent of nursing home residents and half the people with disabilities.

While 27 percent of San Franciscans (230,000 residents) are on Medi-Cal, that pales when compared with the 40 percent in Los Angeles County (4.1 million people) and the 50 percent in Fresno County (500,000 people).

Its not just people who got a boost from the Medi-Cal expansion, said Sam Hawgood, UCSF chancellor. The additional money is a boon to California hospitals, which now receive money from recently covered patients who previously would have been treated for free.

Even with the Medi-Cal expansion, the program still doesnt cover all medical costs. UCSF last year spent $289 million on uncompensated care for Medi-Cal patients, he said, a number that would soar if the program is trimmed.

Thats a special concern for childrens hospitals, since many of their young patients are on Medi-Cal. At UCSFs Benioff Childrens Hospital San Francisco, its 50 percent. At its sister hospital in Oakland, 70 percent of the patients are on Medi-Cal.

Kids will suffer if this (bill) goes through, said Dr. Michael Anderson, president of the UCSF Benioff Childrens Hospitals.

Feinstein also heard from three parents, who she described as true American warrior women, who talked about what the childrens hospital  and the Medi-Cal money to pay for needed care  meant to their children.

Two of them spoke alongside Feinstein. Kristin Chaset talked about her nearly 2-year-old daughter, Megan, who had heart surgery five hours after birth and spent more than 10 months in the hospital before finally going home to continuing nursing care and therapy.

Sally McDonald spoke of her daughter, Maggie, who underwent 80 surgeries for a congenital disorder, but was provided the resources that enabled her to graduate from Mission High School before she died at age 20.

There is no nice way to put this, McDonald said. The proposed health care bill will be fatal to many children.

In a statement Thursday, Feinstein called the GOP health plan an immoral policy. Pressed on that Friday, she pointed to the women who told the stories of their children.

Listen to these women, the senator said. Their children had the chance to live the life they had, something she suggested likely wouldnt happen if the proposed Medicaid cuts went through.

John Wildermuth is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jwildermuth@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @jfwildermuth
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Julius Castle, the long-dormant Telegraph Hill landmark where generations of San Francisco families celebrated wedding anniversaries and graduations, will get a new lease on life after the Planning Commission voted Thursday to allow the restaurant to reopen.

The vote was 7-0 despite a litany of complaints from Telegraph Hill residents who said the reopening would create a sleep-disrupting horror of traffic congestion, idling Ubers, noisy garbage trucks and drunken revelers.

That is city life, said Commissioner Kathrin Moore. We are not living in the suburbs, where everything has to be quiet 24/7. This is the reactivation of something that has been here longer than any of us have been alive.

Italian restaurateur Julius Roz opened the hillside restaurant at 302 Greenwich St. in 1924. He created a fanciful Gothic revival structure with pointed arched windows, medieval-style battlements and interior wood paneling from the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition. The words Julius Castle were spelled out in redwood at the entrance.

When Roz died in 1943, the property passed through several owners, until it was closed in 2007. Current owner Paul Scott, a Telegraph Hill resident, bought the property in 2012 and has been working since then to reopen it as a restaurant.

Scott said he has agreed to mitigation measures in relation to traffic, parking and noise requested by the Telegraph Hill Dwellers neighborhood association. The Planning Commission approval includes an agreement that Scott will limit trash pickup to after 6:30 a.m. and delivery hours to between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.

There is no debate there will be an increase in traffic when you open a restaurant on a residential street, I understand that, Scott said. We have a plan in place to address the concerns that people have raised, and I am willing to abide by those conditions.

John Lee, who lives at 1406 Montgomery St., said the Planning Department report on the project understates the severity of noise and traffic problem this project would create.

Robert Bigler, who owns five properties clustered around the restaurant, said that the closure of Julius Castle created a beautiful quiet neighborhood.

But resident Ashley Simmons said Julius Castle is an important part of city history  a place where her grandparents celebrated milestones and where her parents held their engagement party.

Yes, occasionally youll have a speeding cab or some loud voices, she said. That is part of what it means to live in a city.

Commissioner Rich Hillis said historic places like Julius Castle make San Francisco special.

It gives those of us who dont have the luxury of living on Telegraph Hill an opportunity to go up there and have a meal, he said.

J.K. Dineen is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jdineen@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @sfjkdineen
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The Trump administration forged ahead with its commitment to boosting domestic fossil fuel production Thursday, directing more public lands to be opened for oil and gas extraction  a move that could bring new drill rigs to California.

The state hasnt seen new onshore oil and gas leases offered up on federal land in four years because of environmental fights. The order signed by Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke on Thursday has some environmentalists fearing that de facto moratorium will soon end.

At minimum, the administrations action will intensify the push by energy companies to broaden drilling across Californias prime oil country, in the interior Central Coast region and the southern San Joaquin Valley, and promises a new round of drawn-out conservation battles.

Zinkes order calls for federal oil and gas leases to be auctioned off at least four times a year in every state where reserves are available. That charge does away with what the oil industry says are sometimes concerted efforts to delay or thwart lease sales and hamper energy exploration.

The order also seeks to reduce the nations backlog of drilling applications through speedier approval of oil- and gas-extraction permits.

The administrations action applies to 700 million acres of underground mineral reserves managed by the Bureau of Land Management, mostly in the West. It does not apply to national parks or national forests.

California ranks as the nations third-biggest producer of onshore oil and the 13th-biggest for natural gas. About 12 million barrels of oil and 9 billion cubic feet of natural gas were produced through some 500 leases on public lands in the state in 2016, according to the Bureau of Land Management.

Still, the oil industry has long complained that too much acreage is off-limits  10 percent of the states production is on federal land  and that environmental regulations governing drilling are unnecessarily cumbersome.

This executive order is a positive first step, but production on federal lands is a complicated process with oversight roles by a number of state and federal regulatory agencies, said Rock Zierman, chief executive officer of the California Independent Petroleum Association.

The American Petroleum Institute said the administrations action would benefit the industry nationally, allowing it to invest in projects that would create jobs and benefit consumers through lower energy prices.

Environmentalists, who had far greater access to the Obama administration than they do to President Trump, predicted a gloomy future for federally owned open space.

Were coming off a Fourth of July weekend when a number of Americans are out enjoying their public lands, and heres Zinke and Trump threatening to turn them into oil and gas fields, said Hollin Kretzmann, staff attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity, a group that has opposed drilling in California. This new directive could have far-reaching consequences. Even where you see no wells today, theres potential for oil and gas activities to expand.

Speaking at a news conference in Washington, Zinke said the order was part of Trumps broader America first energy policy, which has included several attempts to expand oil and gas development both onshore and off. In April, the administration issued a directive for the Interior Department to consider expanding ocean drilling, a review that is ongoing.

Were going to be a fair and prudent partner, but were not going to be an adversary to creating wealth and opportunity on some of our public lands, Zinke said.

Zinke criticized the Obama administration for putting off lease sales, saying the federal Mineral Leasing Act requires quarterly auctions. He also said oil and gas companies have been forced to wait an average 257 days for reviews of drilling applications on federally leased land even though the law limits the approval process to 30 days.

As of Jan. 31, the Bureau of Land Management had 2,802 unprocessed applications for mineral development, according to the Interior Department.

In California, the prime area for exploration is in Kern County, where most the of the states extraction is done now. The Bureau of Land Management also controls land in Tulare, Fresno, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Ventura and Monterey counties, where drilling could also expand.

Some areas have local protections in place, which would complicate any efforts to issue new oil and gas leases. In Monterey County, for example, residents voted last year to ban fracking and new oil development, though courts have put the prohibition on hold while a legal challenge is heard.

In any case, the orders effects will probably not be felt for at least a year in California. A pair of lawsuits over the Bureau of Land Managements lease sales are forcing the agency to redo the way in which it auctions drilling rights. In the meantime, no new leases can be offered.

The agency has not said when it expects to complete its new leasing plan, but plaintiffs in the case say it probably wont be until well into 2018. Even then, the plaintiffs are prepared to go back to court if they need to make sure the plan is ecologically sound.

Their fear is that drilling will not only destroy the publics enjoyment of federal lands and potentially litter the areas with industrial waste, but hasten climate change by increasing fossil fuel use.

The BLM and Interior Department under Trump are so ideological with their head in the sand that their environment analysis will probably be woefully insufficient, said Brendan Cummings, conservation director for Center for Biological Diversity, which brought the successful suits. And the very desire of them to go full bore with leasing regardless of the consequences makes any new leases legally more vulnerable.

Kurtis Alexander is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: kalexander@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @kurtisalexander
Amazon aims to imminently expand its grocery delivery business in Houston, according to Realty New Report.

The real estate news website posted Thursday that AmazonFresh, the e-commerce giant's grocery arm, was expected to occupy more than 100,000 square feet of warehouse space at the Fallbrook Pines Business Park in northwest Houston.
Dean Joseph Haag

March 12, 1963 -June 29, 2017

Dean Joseph Haag, 54, of Rochester, MN, formerly of Mason City, IA, went to be with his Lord and Savior on Thursday, June 29, 2017. His heart was broken when his wife, Kyla, lost her cancer battle in January, and then his personal battle with cancer took him from this world far too soon.

A Celebration of Life will be held at Noon on Saturday, July 8, 2017 at Hope Summit Christian Church, 1315 6th Ave. S.E., Rochester, MN 55904. Family will greet guests one hour prior to services.

Please direct memorials in Dean's name to a place very dear to him: Next Chapter Ministries, PO Box 9321, Rochester, MN 55903.

Dean was born March 12, 1963 in Mason City, IA to Dewey and Sharon Haag. Dean grew up in Rockwell, IA and graduated from Rockwell-Swaledale High School in 1981. Dean met the love of his life, Kyla Jones, in 1982 and they were married on May 6, 1987 in Las Vegas, NV. For the past 29 years Dean and Kyla lived and loved life together until they were separated by Kyla's death in January. We can find joy that they are together again.

Dean was employed at Fairway Ridge in Rochester as a maintenance guy. Prior to that he and Kyla owned and operated Dora Lake Lodge in Northome, Minnesota and he worked at Bergquist in Big Lake, MN. Previously, Dean worked at Curries Mfg. in Mason City, IA.

The time Dean spent mentoring and inspiring children to walk with Christ was the highlight of his days. He truly loved the kids he worked with, especially Savion, who stole his whole heart. Sharing God's word and leading the way for others to give their heart to Christ brought Dean much happiness. The smile on Dean's face and his laugh reminded all of us to find joy in life. He loved spending time with his family and friends. Walking a trout stream or dropping a line in a lake was a favorite pastime. He enjoyed watching sports, especially the Bears and the Twins. The residents and children at Next Chapter Ministries held a special place in his heart. He was a member of Dora Lake Alliance Church, in Dora Lake, MN and most recently, a member of Hope Summit Christian Church in Rochester, MN.

Dean is survived by his father, Darold Dewey Haag, sister, Sheryl (Jon) Mariner and mother-in-law, Jodee Jones, all of Mason City, IA. He is also survived by a sister-in-law, Audrae (Ed) Farrell of West Des Moines, IA, brother-in-law, Bud (Keri) Jones, of Cedar Falls, IA, and sister-in-law, Tara Jones, and fiance Bob Beauchaine of Manly, IA. He was dearly loved by his many nephews, niece, cousins and other family. Dean also leaves behind a very special friend, Savion Stanifer, whom he loved dearly.

Dean was preceded in death by his wife, Kyla Haag, his mother, Sharon Haag, his father-in-law, Brad Jones, and his grandparents.

Proverbs 3: 5-6
The owner of a Houston staffing company was sentenced to three years in prison for not paying $18 million in payroll, Social Security and Medicare taxes, spending the money instead on his ranch and personal travel.

Richard Floyd Tatum Jr., 57, was sentenced Thursday by U.S. District Judge Alfred Bennett who also ordered Tatum to repay the $18 million.

Tatum, who faced up to five years in prison, pleaded guilty to one count of failing to pay employment taxes in March.

Tatum owned Associated Marine & Industrial Staffing, a personnel firm that provided temporary workers to businesses in Texas and other states. The company had about 1,000 employees, including internal employees who worked for the staffing firm and external employees assigned to work at client works sites.

Between March 2008 and December 2012, Tatum withheld $12 million in payroll taxes from his employees but did not forward the funds to the IRS, according to the Department of Justice. Tatum also failed to pay the company's portion of Social Security and Medicare for that same period. He used the money to make payments on his ranch and take personal trips to Las Vegas, Hawaii and France, the Justice Department said.

RELATED: Former business owner pleads guilty in $18 million payroll tax scam

Richard O. Ely II, the Houston lawyer representing Tatum, said Tatum is destitute and doesn't have a way to pay the money back.

"He lost everything he had," said Ely, including property Tatum owned that was seized to pay bills. Associated Marine & Industrial Staffing is out of business and has no assets.

Tatum is free on bond until he is notified where to report to begin serving his sentence, said Ely.
The Woodland-based Summit Midstream Partners is partnering with Exxon Mobil to build natural gas pipeline systems in the Permian Basin.

Summit will invest $110 million to build pipeline gathering systems in New Mexico's Eddy and Lea counties near the Texas border in the Permian's booming Delaware Basin.
Contributed Photo / Westport Police Department / Contributed Photo

WESTPORT  Police said a local man was charged with larceny and identity theft after embezzling money from his employer.

Donald Luciano, 46, was charged with first-degree identity theft and second-degree larceny. Police said he turned himself in Thursday on an active warrant. He was held on a $50,000 bond and is due in Superior Court in Norwalk on July 13.
DAVENPORT, Calif.  Despite the wettest winter in years, the town of Davenport is close to running out of water.

A major waterline was damaged during the 2017 winter storms. Santa Cruz County declared an emergency and tapped into Mill Creek, but that source will run dry by the end of summer.

The damaged pipeline belongs to Cemex Corp., however, the Texas-based company refuses to pay $220,000 in repair costs.

So the bill is being passed down to Davenport's 400 residents. Those 400 residents already have the highest water bills in the county.

At a Thursday news conference, Supervisor Ryan Coonerty called out Cemex for its irresponsibility for not stepping up to meet its responsibility to the community to pay for repair costs.

"In order to address a significant health and safety concern for the people of Davenport, the county, at my urging, decided to repair Cemex' water lines," Coonerty said. "We have tried to work with Cemex to get them to repair this critical water line, but while Cemex has been out trying to sell the water rights, they are neglecting to maintain the water infrastructure that serves this low-income community. If this situation is not resolved, the county may be forced to take legal action."

Santa Cruz County issued the following press release below:

"Taking extraordinary action to restore the town of Davenport's water supply, the Davenport County Sanitation District on Thursday announced emergency repairs to assure the continued health and safety of the community.

Historically, water infrastructure owner Cemex Corp. has maintained the water lines that supply the town of Davenport. However, the company declined to repair $220,000 in storm damages to assure the continued delivery of water to hundreds of residents, forcing the Davenport County Sanitation District to take matters into its own hands. Since February, Davenport had been relying on a backup water supply that is expected to go dry within weeks.

For more than a century, operators of the Davenport Cement Plant supplied and subsidized the town of Davenport with clean, reliable water from San Vicente Creek. When the plant closed in 2010, Davenport water bills increased substantially, placing a burden on town residents, many of whom are low-income. Shifting the cost of winter storm damage to Davenport residents will have further severe impacts."

Cemex spokesperson Walker Robinson issued the following statement to KSBW Thursday afternoon:

"CEMEX works to be a good neighbor in communities surrounding our facilities, even in situations where our plants have ceased operations. It is disappointing that Santa Cruz County officials are suggesting anything less in Davenport. The City of Davenport developed around the cement plant when it was established more than 100 years ago, and the plant was the original water source for the community. CEMEX closed the Davenport plant in 2010, and since then continued to make water available to the County water treatment facility at no cost to the County.

"The damage to the main water line that was caused by major storms earlier this year did not occur on CEMEX property. CEMEX did discuss the issues caused by the storm damage with County staff and sent a letter to Santa Cruz County leaders in May offering them access so the County could make the repairs the County deemed necessary. The attempt to cast this as CEMEX cutting off water supplies is disappointing. CEMEX recognizes the importance of a reliable water supply and continues to make water available to Davenport through a backup line."
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Baytown police have shared mugshots of 10 theft suspects arrested at local stores in a week's time.

The Facebook post reminds shoppers that theft contributes to higher prices for all consumers.

"Eleven folks to be mindful of while in the stores; especially when we pay the cashier! Remember to thank them for their help with the higher price if you see them. (Then tell a store employee!)"

MANHUNT: One suspect still at large after Pearland armed robbery

An eleventh suspect, Jazmine Toussaint, 19, of Baytown, was included in the list although she did not steal from a store. Toussaint received deferred adjudication after stealing cash from a residential address.

Harris County court documents were not available for all suspects.

Savana K. Vasquez, 17, of Baytown, is accused of stealing makeup from Walmart at 4900 Garth Road on June 19. The list of stolen items includes foundation, concealer, nail polish, lip liner, lip creme and eyeliner.

SERIOUS DAMAGE: Baytown theft suspects make off with $7,000 in power tools

Weldon L. Blackshear, 45, of Baytown, pleaded guilty to failure to identify after he was arrested at the Bay Plaza shopping center on June 26.

Daevonna R. Goudeau, 22, of Baytown, was accused of stealing cash from Walmart on June 27.

Tarinzo D. Record, 23, of Baytown was also accused of shoplifting from Walmart on June 29. Record was accused of stealing three light bulbs, two cable labels and one outlet replacement.

Click through the slideshow to see mugshots for all 11 theft suspects.
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Fort Bend County Libraries' Missouri City Branch Library, located at 1530 Texas Parkway, will close for renovations beginning Monday, July 31. The library will remain closed for approximately 10 to 12 months.

Renovation and expansion of the Missouri City Branch Library is the first phase of a $19.8-million bond referendum approved by voters in November 2015, which included $6.4 million for the Missouri City Branch Library project and $13.4 million for a new library to be built on the north side of the county.

The current renovation and expansion project will include a 9,600-square-foot, 3-story addition to the existing library. The additional space will be used for a computer lab, study rooms, and meeting spaces.

"No one could have imagined how much the digital age would change all of our lives. Use of electronic resources - such as computers, the Internet, WiFi, and circulation of digital ebooks and audiobooks - have all shown increases at the Missouri City Branch Library, so the addition of a Computer Lab will definitely help us meet those needs of our library patrons," said Clara Russell, library director.

The library's technology system will be upgraded to allow RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) capability, which will speed up the check-out/check-in of library materials. The renovation will also include an expansion of the library's meeting room space, which is used for library programs and community gatherings. "Our adult and teen programs have really seen an increase in attendance, so the additional space being added to that room will be very helpful for all of our programs," says Russell.

During the period that the library is closed for renovations, books and other items that have been checked out from the Missouri City Branch Library may be returned to any of the nine branch libraries in the Fort Bend County library system.

Children and adults who are participating in the Summer Reading Club may pick up their rewards at any of the other library branches. The last day to pick up Summer Reading Club rewards is Aug. 31.

The last day to check out Nooks or LaunchPads from the Missouri City Branch Library is Saturday, July 15. The eReaders must be returned by Saturday, July 22.

"The library's resources that can be accessed through our website - such as the databases, Homework Help, Ask-a-Librarian chat, Cloud Library and OverDrive eBooks, Hoopla movies and music, and other online services - will still be available from any computer outside the library that has an Internet connection," says Russell.

For more information, call the library system's Public Information Office at 281-633-4734.
French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe used a rooftop presentation with a sweeping view over Paris to announce new tax initiatives benefiting bankers and traders as the race to win Brexit jobs heats up.

France will suppress the highest bracket of a payroll tax paid by banks and other financial companies and scrap a levy on intraday trading, Philippe said Friday in news conference atop the centuries-old Paris mint. His government also proposes to exclude bonuses from the calculation of severance pay for traders who are laid off, he said.

"Promoting the financial attractiveness of Paris means promoting France's economic development," Philippe said. "Each financier, each banker, each trader coming to settle in Paris will help create other jobs."

Paris is competing with cities include Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Madrid and Dublin for jobs that may shift to continental Europe as Britain prepares to leave the European Union. London has flourished as a hub for global finance in part because firms based in the capital have the right to do business across the 28-nation EU. When the U.K. quits the bloc, British banks as well as London-based firms from the U.S., Japan and other non-EU countries stand to lose this "passport" and may need to channel their business through units based in the bloc.

"This is a very important day for Paris as a financial center," Marie-Anne Barbat-Layani, the head of the French Banking Federation, said in an e-mailed statement. The government's announcements are "strong signals" for foreign banks looking to pick France for business, the lobby group said. So far, HSBC Holdings Plc is the only big international bank that has overtly showed a preference for Paris.

Deutsche Bank is preparing to move large parts of the trading and investment-banking assets it currently books in London to its hometown of Frankfurt in response to Brexit, people familiar with the matter say. Standard Chartered and Nomura Holdings are among other firms that have picked the city as their EU hub in recent weeks. Citigroup, Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley are weighing a similar move.

Emmanuel Macron, 39, became France's president in May, defeating the anti-euro, anti-immigration Marine Le Pen, on a pro-business reform platform. Philippe repeated the government's plans to cut France's corporate tax rate "by steps" to 25 percent by 2022 from 33 percent, trim the wealth tax by 2019 at the latest and create a 30 percent flat rate on capital revenues.
President Donald Trump, coming off a short visit to Poland, was greeted here in Germany on Thursday by the complex reality of foreign relations in the form of a pre-G20 meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

The two met at the Hotel Atlantic Kempinski Hamburg, where they shared a handshake and brief conversation before the two world leaders left reporters.

It was an instant contrast to the optics of their first meeting in March, which signaled a strained relationship.

Trump did not shake Merkel's hand before cameras in the Oval Office, although they did at other times of her White House visit. And at a news conference later in the day, much to Merkel's chagrin, Trump make a joke about American spying practices that were found to have swept up the German chancellor's conversations during President Barack Obama's administration.

"As far as wiretapping I guess by this past administration, at least we have something in common, perhaps," Trump said, turning to Merkel, who didn't smile.

Merkel, playing host to the international G20 conference on Friday and Saturday in her hometown of Hamburg, has seemingly ensured the conference will be full of prickly issues for Trump, whose relationship with the powerful German leader has so far been frosty.

The priorities of this meeting of the G20 include climate change, immigration and trade, all topics where Trump is at odds with the bulk of European leaders. And Merkel further set up a conflict with Trump in a speech to Parliament in June.

"Whoever believes the problems of this work can be solved by isolationism and protectionism is making a tremendous error," Merkel said, a not-so-thinly veiled swipe at Trump, who ran for president by promising nationalism, tightened borders, stricter trade deals and has since pulled out of the Paris climate accord.

The two world leaders are meeting Thursday evening before both taking part in broader conversations during the G20.

Trump's relationship with Merkel has been icy ever since the campaign, when Trump questioned the German leader's immigration policy.

"What's happening in Germany, I always thought Merkel was like this great leader. What she's done in Germany is insane. It is insane. They're having all sorts of attacks," Trump said in an October 2015 interview.

German policy towards Trump

Merkel, who is in the midst of running for her fourth term as chancellor of Germany, has taken a forceful posture on the United States and Trump ever since that visit, a departure from the close relationship she had with former President Barack Obama.

She even told voters at a beer hall in Bavaria in May that the United States could no longer be seen as a "reliable" ally for Europe.

Thursday afternoon's meeting will likely foretell a difficult two days for Trump, who is coming off a near euphoric visit to Poland, where the President was showered with praise from the conservative Polish government.

Trump has so far had an array of results on foreign trips.

Though Trump was heralded when he visited Saudi Arabia and Israel on his first foreign trip, European diplomats bristled at Trump's rhetoric about Article 5, the principle of common defense, during a speech on the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. And Trump, according to people who traveled with the President, later felt ridiculed during a meeting of the G7 in Italy when leaders implored him to stay in the Paris climate agreement.

Merkel's meeting may not even be close to the most difficult for Trump during his three day Trip to Germany, though, when he comes face to face with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday.

CNN's Kevin Liptak and Allie Malloy contributed to this report.
MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay - In coming weeks, cannabis-seeking citizens in this small South American nation will be able to walk into a pharmacy and buy government-approved marijuana for the state-mandated price of $1.30 a gram. No questions asked. No doctor's note required.

If that sounds like an attempt to create a stoner republic on the south Atlantic, would-be tourists should know a few things.

Uruguay is the world's first country to fully legalize the production, sale and consumption of marijuana. But under its strict rules, there will be no Amsterdam-style smoking cafes, and foreigners won't have access to the national stash.

Nor will there be shops selling ganja candies, psychedelic pastries or any of the other edible derivatives offered in pot-permissive U.S. states such as Colorado and Washington, where entrepreneurial capitalism fertilizes the United States' incipient marijuana industry.

Instead, Uruguay's government has developed a legalization model whose apparent goal is to make marijuana use as boring as possible. A vast regulatory bureaucracy will determine everything from the genetic makeup of the plants to the percentage of psychoactive compounds in their flowers.

The endeavor puts Uruguay (population: 3.4 million) at the forefront of a growing list of nations and U.S. states experimenting with marijuana. Pot has been legalized for recreational or medical use in more than half of U.S. states and Washington, D.C., but it remains essentially prohibited under federal law. American activists have been bracing for a confrontation with the Trump administration and Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who opposes the liberalization trend.

Canada, Mexico, Colombia and other nations across the Americas also are moving to legalize cannabis on a limited basis. But only Uruguay has set up a comprehensive system to regulate every facet of the plant's life cycle, from tiny seed to smoky haze.

Uruguayans say their model is designed to strike a balance between prohibition and the kind of exuberant marijuana economy emerging in some U.S. states, where well-funded businesses may have incentives to encourage consumption.

In Uruguay, anything that smacks of commercial marijuana branding or advertising is banned. The two private firms authorized to supply the pharmacies with industrial quantities of dope - four tons annually - can't even put their company labels on the packaging.

"The risk of what they're doing in Colorado is that you end up with something like the tobacco industry," said Julio Calzada, one of the public health officials who designed Uruguay's regulatory model after lawmakers approved legalization in 2013. He said the country won't allow a competitive industry peddling pot versions of Marlboro and Camel. "The concept here is totally different."

"To us, marijuana is a vegetable substance with a capacity to generate addiction, so what we're trying to do is control the production, distribution and consumption of that substance as effectively as possible," he said.

---

It's no fluke that this is happening in socially liberal Uruguay. Gambling and prostitution are legal and regulated here. Uruguay is also the only Latin American nation outside Cuba that has broadly legalized abortion, and it was one of the first to recognize civil unions and adoption by same-sex couples.

Uruguay also is accustomed to relatively high levels of regulation and a big state role in the economy, with an array of government-owned banks, gas stations and utilities. Over the years, activists began to argue: why not weed?

The experiment is not without skeptics and detractors - one reason it has taken longer than expected to fully implement the country's legalization model. Marijuana cultivation and consumption has been allowed for personal use, and the country now has at least 60 cannabis clubs that provide members with a monthly supply. But the government has been slow to roll out its system of pharmacy-based commercial sales to the general population.

Uruguay developed its pioneering model under ex-president Jose Mujica, a former Marxist guerrilla turned statesman. His successor, Tabare Vasquez, a trained physician, largely has sought to play down the legalization experiment, seemingly wary of a potentially negative impact on Uruguay's image. Legalization advocates close to the government say officials also have been hung up by international banking rules that sanction entities with ties to the narcotics trade.

Still, Uruguayan officials say the nation's pharmacies will be stocked with cannabis sachets and ready to begin dealing in the second half of July. The newly created Institute for the Regulation and Control of Cannabis (IRCCA) will coordinate distribution.

Anyone over age 18 who registers in a government database will be able to buy up to 40 grams per month at one of three dozen participating commercial pharmacies. Instead of showing ID, buyers will place their thumb on a scanner that links to a government database and tells the pharmacy how much marijuana they are eligible to purchase.

Nearly 4,500 Uruguayans have registered for the system, according to the IRCCA website, and officials are expecting that number to increase substantially once marijuana users realize that the product sold in pharmacies is vastly superior to the low-grade weed sold illegally on the streets.

Some marijuana users have chafed at the idea of registering with the government. But even legalization advocates concede that such a safeguard is necessary to prevent traffickers from buying up pharmacy stocks and smuggling Uruguay's crop into Brazil and Argentina, the country's much-larger neighbors.

"A lot of consumers here don't like the fingerprint system and point out that they don't have to do anything like that to buy a bottle of wine," Martin Fernandez, a human rights attorney in Montevideo who has become an expert on the country's cannabis law. "But we see it as something transitional that could disappear with time."

Access to the user database will be provided only with a judge's order and as part of a criminal investigation, Fernandez said, so it's not something a prospective employer or government social service agency could check. "The police don't even have access to it," he said.

Officials say the new system will drain away customers from the black-market marijuana economy, where a kind of pot known as "Paraguayan Pressed" predominates. It's similar to cheap, low-potency marijuana that reaches U.S. streets from Mexico and is cultivated on large outdoor farms. The final product is littered with seeds and plant stems.

Its levels of THC, the main psychoactive ingredient, are typically below 5 percent, while the state-approved version soon to be sold in pharmacies will be available in seedless flowers ("buds") at strengths of 5 and 10 percent THC, according to Eduardo Blasina, an agronomist who set up one of the two growing operations on state-leased land adjacent to the country's maximum-security prison.

"It's one of the most secure places in the country," he said.

Industrial-scale marijuana production is far more complicated than one might assume, Blasina explained.

Growing it outdoors in large fields is not an option, he said, because marijuana pollen can be carried by the wind, and once it reaches female plants, their THC levels fall and their flowers fill with undesirable seeds. The entire operation must be contained in climate-controlled greenhouses.

Any male plants that pop up must be culled to make sure they don't pollinate the flowering females, and Blasina likened tending them to "being an emperor who wants to be surrounded by virgins and kills off all the males." He's now the director of Uruguay's new Cannabis Museum, where tourists and curiosity seekers are often disappointed to find out the gift shop doesn't sell anything they can smoke.

One irony of the Uruguay model is that its pharmacies will be selling marijuana, even though the country hasn't approved commercial sales of medical or health products derived from the plants. But it was pharmacy owners who petitioned the government to give them responsibility for retail sales, citing their experience handling controlled substances, said Alejandro Antalich, whose pharmacy trade association represents 300 stores. "The neighborhood pharmacist is one of the most trusted figures in Uruguayan society," he said.

Uruguay's cannabis connoisseurs have little interest in this marijuana-for-the-masses. Nearly 7,000 have registered to grow plants for personal use (limit: six flowering plants), while others have signed up for one of the clubs that provide them with a monthly supply of pot far stronger than what the pharmacies will sell.

Marco Algorta, who started one of the country's first clubs, said that he and several of his fellow founders come from prominent Uruguayan families and that this has helped their young industry gain acceptance in elite circles. Now he wants the government to create the legal infrastructure for marijuana-derivative businesses to take off.

"Uruguay has an opportunity to become in cannabis what Switzerland is for chocolate or France is for wines," Algorta said. "We need to stop seeing it as a drug and start seeing it as an industry."
A former security manager for the Hawks' arena in Atlanta is suing the team for firing him based on his race, and for treating performers and celebrities at the arena differently depending on their race. Samuel Hayes III claims that white performers were routinely allowed to bypass security measures that were enforced for black artists.

In a lawsuit filed Monday in federal court against Atlanta Hawks LLC, Hayes said that he was hired in August to manage the day-to-day security at Philips Arena, the operating rights to which are held by the team's ownership group. Hayes said his firing in April "was based on race, including racial stereotypes, myths, assumptions, and preconceived notions of blacks (especially black men) as 'angry' and 'aggressive.'"

In the court filing, Hayes said that artists such as Axl Rose, Bon Jovi, Adele, Radiohead and Ariana Grande requested and were granted permission to bypass the arena's metal detectors. He claimed that, in October, comedian Amy Schumer asked that her entire production team be allowed that courtesy, which was granted.

By contrast, according to the lawsuit, performers who were denied permission to bypass the metal detectors included Drake, Future, Sean "Diddy" Combs, Kanye West, 2 Chainz, Jeezy, The Dream and Migos, as well as comedians Cedric the Entertainer, Eddie Griffin, D.L. Hughley and Katt Williams. In addition, black celebrities attending events there, including rapper Nelly and actor Tyler Perry were denied certain privileges granted to some white attendees.

The Hawks' Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer, Nzinga Shaw, told media outlets that Hayes was "terminated for poor performance and his claims are baseless." She added, "We will defend vigorously."

Hayes claimed that when he asked Jason Parker, the Hawks' Vice President of Customer Service and Operations, why security was tightened for concerts attracting large black audiences, but not for ones attracting mostly white fans, he was told that "hip-hop acts draw a different crowd, and the white acts bring in more money."

Hayes also said that, after not allowing Schumer access to the media entrance because the same access had previously been denied to Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed, Parker reprimanded him and demanded that he write the comedian a letter of apology. Hayes claimed that Parker, who is white, told him that "people perceive him as aggressive because he is a large black man with an intimidating voice."

In his discussions with Parker, Hayes said that, when expressing concerns with what he saw as prejudicial treatment at the arena, he cited the Hawks' recent commitment to racial diversity. In 2014, the organization had been rocked by then-general manager Danny Ferry's comment that free agent Luol Deng had "some African in him," which sparked an investigation that revealed a 2012 email in which then-owner Bruce Levenson complained of the "overwhelming black audience" at Philips and its potential deterrence to "southern whites."

According to the lawsuit, the Hawks fired Hayes for suspending one staffer and dismissing another without checking first with human resources, a step he said was never spelled out to him and an issue that had never before been raised with him. He is seeking a jury trial and unspecified damages.
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NORWALK  State Rep. Bruce Morris, D-Norwalk, a candidate in this years mayoral race, has sued the city and Board of Education after losing his job as school climate officer last year.

This Complaint arises out of employment discrimination based upon race, color, protected status as a State Legislator, retaliation for opposition to discriminatory employment practices and invasion of privacy, reads the introduction to the complaint.

Morris worked for Norwalk Public Schools for more than a decade, serving as human relations officer and later school climate officer. In July 2016, news broke he was no longer employed as the position was eliminated.

The complaint, prepared by Trumbull attorney Daniel T. Angelone and filed at state Superior Court in Stamford, names the city of Norwalk, Norwalk Board of Education and Norwalk Public School District as defendants.

Morris is seeking, among other things, the defendants pay him compensatory and punitive damages, as well as reasonable attorneys fees.

M. Jeffry Spahr, deputy corporation counsel in the citys law department, said the defendants have until later this month to respond to the complaint.

A response is not due until the end of July and were not sure whether or not this will be handled in house or by an attorney for the (school) board, Spahr said.

Board of Education Chairman Michael Lyons promised a vigorous legal defense.

We don't believe there is any merit to these claims, and will contest then vigorously, Lyons said.

The complaint levels seven counts against the defendants. In the first count, Morris alleges he and other black employees working in the school districts central office were discriminated against based upon their race.

In or about 2006, Defendants relocated African-American employees, including Plaintiff, to a secluded area of the office, essentially segregating them from other, non-African-American employees, the complaint reads.

Morris maintains the school district reduced his duties and responsibilities, including monitoring affirmative action and diversity policies, when it reclassified his position from director of human relations to school climate coordinator in fall 2015.

Morris was terminated from the new position June 30, 2016, after refusing to accept a retirement package. As part of the offer, he would have been required to dismiss discrimination charges he brought before the Connecticut Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities and agree to release the defendants from all legal claims. As such, he refused to accept the package, according to the complaint.

Although the elimination of the school climate officer position started out on good terms, Lyons said last July the retirement agreement quickly deteriorated as Morris argued for a better pension afterward and then filed a complaint with the CHRO.

According to Morris court complaint, the district unjustifiably disciplined him on or about Nov. 25, 2015, for leaving work without justification.

As grounds for discipline, Defendants claimed that Plaintiff violated a communications protocol, the complaint reads. However, upon information and belief, Defendants have never enforced any communications protocol against other, similarly-situated employees.

Morris last year filed complaints with the CHRO, alleging he had been unfairly disciplined and terminated. In March, the CHRO issued a release of jurisdiction, in effect giving him 90 days to file a lawsuit in state Superior Court if he chose.

In the complaint, Morris alleges the defendants invaded his privacy by intentionally publicizing settlement discussions mediated by the CHRO.

In late April, Morris filed paperwork to run for mayor against Democratic incumbent and former city police chief Harry Rilling. He has yet to make a formal public announcement regarding his candidacy.

The Democratic Town Committee will endorse its candidates July 20. Election Day is Nov. 7.

Morris is serving his sixth term in the state House of Representatives, primarily representing South Norwalk.
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NEW CANAAN  Since 2010, Donna Yellin has managed Lyn Evans Potpourri Designs. Even after the sudden death of the stores founder, Linda Evans Shotkus, in May 2016, Yellin maintained the store. But now, after nearly 40 years in business, the boutique clothing store will shut its Elm Street doors.

In a June 23 letter, Stan and Jenn Shotkus, the father-daughter team that assumed ownership of the store after Lindas death, announced the closing of not just the New Canaan branch, but the five other Lyn Evans stores in Connecticut and Massachusetts.

Since Lindas sudden passing last year, my daughter, Jenn Shotkus, and our fabulous staff have carried on her legacy; but with my health, and the business becoming more challenging, its time for me to turn the page and end on a High Note, the statement reads. According to the statement, Jenn Shotkus is looking to partner with new investors and re-open Lyn Evans in some form.

For Yellin, its the end of an era.

Intense doesnt begin to describe this last week, Yellin said on Monday, holding back tears. Its been very, very tough.

Lyn Evans is one of three businesses on New Canaans most prominent downtown street that have recently announced plans to close.

Walin & Wolff, at 36 Elm St., announced it would close its three locations. Scout and Mollys, at 108 Elm St., will also cease operations. Owners of Walin & Wolff and Scout & Mollys could not be reached for comment, but employees at both stores said they plan to remain open through the sidewalk sale, depending on inventory.

In recent months, Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Tucker Murphy has taken steps to revisit zoning regulations downtown to better accommodate the kinds of businesses  specifically service industry businesses  that are showing interest in New Canaan, and to address a concentration of vacancies on Main Street.

According to Murphy, the retail vacancy rate in town has traditionally been between 4 and 6 percent, and remain within that range with the most recent closings.

Really what it comes back to is these are very difficult times, Murphy said. We try to get the message across, it takes a village to save a village. At the chamber, we can knock ourselves out and run events, but people have to take notice and shop locally.

Murphy said she has heard from merchants that shoppers will come to their stores, investigate products without purchasing, and then exit the store to buy online.

Business magnate Warren Buffett weighed in on the trend away from brick-and-mortar retail in May at Berkshire Hathaways annual meeting in Omaha, Neb., saying the retail industry was too tough an investment in the age of online shopping.

Murphy, though, pointed out not all stores downtown seem to be upended by the online marketplace. Pimlico and New Canaan Music recently announced moves to bigger spaces  215 Elm St. and 90 Main St., respectively.

Still, Murphy said the stores leaving Elm Street will be missed.

Were very sad to see them go. Weve worked well with them. Im sorry to see them go, Murphy said.

justin.papp@scni.com; @justinjpapp1
The first of some 200 protesters to have their cases resolved after being arrested and charged with rioting during the Jan. 20 inauguration was sentenced to four months in jail Friday.

Dane Powell, 31, of Tampa, Florida, asked Judge Lynn Leibovitz for "leniency" as he stood next to his attorneys in the crowded courtroom and awaited his sentence.

"I stand before you today asking for forgiveness for anyone who was scared, hurt or felt threatened by me on that day," Powell said in D.C. Superior Court, his voice choking with emotion.

The rioting during President Trump's inauguration festivities lasted about 30 minutes and encompassed 16 city blocks, prosecutors said. Six police officers were injured and tens of thousands of dollars of damage was done to vehicles and store windows.

Authorities said 234 people were arrested and accused of rioting. Of those, 198 cases are pending.

In July, Powell pleaded guilty to assault on a police officer and inciting a riot, felony charges. Fifteen other people have pleaded to misdemeanor charges; 20 cases were dismissed.

During Friday's sentencing, Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Kerkhoff played a 10-minute compilation video in which she identified Powell throwing rocks and bricks at police and shattering store windows. Powell was dressed in black and his face was covered, but Kerkhoff identified him because his eyes were exposed, he was wearing brown boots and was carrying a black flag.

"He initiated violence," Kerkhoff said. "He came to the District of Columbia to engage in violence by hiding his face, throwing rocks and running. He's a violent coward."

Kerkhoff said Powell was seen in Logan Circle on the day before the inauguration with gas masks, a hammer and carrying the same flag that was seen in the video.

"He was throwing rocks and bricks at windows where people, customers and children were inside. He charged the police line with bricks," she said. "Mr. Powell is among the most violent" of the defendants, she added.

Powell's attorney Ashley Jones said her client, who spent nine years in the Army, has spent his life protesting and demonstrating for peace in an effort "to create a world where everyone is treated with humanity."

Jones said Powell did not travel to Washington to participate in violence, but to protest because he "was worried about the direction of this country."

Jones blamed the police officers for some of the violence saying the protesters were at times responding to the officers. "Mr. Powell's motivation was to protest the inauguration. And during that protest he got carried away."

Kerkhoff said one police officer was knocked unconscious after he was struck with a heavy rock or brick. Kerkhoff conceded however, there is no evidence that Powell threw the rock that struck the officer.

Giving Powell credit for pleading early in the case, Kerkhoff asked the judge to sentence Powell to six months in jail.

Security was heightened in the courtroom where supporters of Powell and supporters of police officers took up all 50 seats and spilled over into another 20 seats in a second courtroom. Two U.S. marshals descended on one person in the courtroom who they said they observed taking pictures in the courthouse, which is prohibited except for during weddings and other similar occasions. The marshals ordered the man to delete the photos.

Leibovitz, who is overseeing the rioting cases, praised Powell for quickly agreeing to a plea deal, which she said factored into her sentence. Leibovitz also noted that it was unclear if any of the rocks Powell through struck or injured the police officers. But she also criticized his violent actions.

"You chose to participate in violence. Your actions were willful and deliberate in the destruction of property and deliberately tried to hurt people," she said. Leibovitz also sentenced Powell to two years of supervised probation.

The trials for others charged in the protests are scheduled to begin later this year and run through 2018.

Powell's attorney requested her client be allowed to report to jail in August so he could finish his college classes later this month. Leibovitz denied the request and ordered Powell to jail. One Powell supporter cried out in the overflow courtroom.
The French artist Sophie Calle  I accept that she is an artist, though visual author may be more apt  will make you cry. She will do it with sublime efficiency. A blurred photograph. A three-word phrase. A video clip of the back of a head, the oceans horizon fanning from a kerchief quivering in the breeze.

Her work is not visual art, not short story, not autobiography but all three, and then some.

She is a correspondent from loves front lines, an impresario of one-act tragedies. In her works, memory and longing become almost concrete things, subject to a kind of emotional inspection  one that yields few answers but can be as gruesomely detailed and as fascinating as a vivisection.

I might tell you about the plot of a book, but that would not help you to know if you would be moved by it. So it is with Calles installations of photographs, video and text.

The themes of four projects, assembled as an exhibition called Missing at Fort Mason Center for Arts and Culture through Aug. 20, will intrigue you: The Last Image (2010) deals with the visual memories of individuals who lost the sense of sight at some point in their lives. Voir la Mer (2011) silently observes as people experience the sea for the first time. Rachel Monique (2007) is built around the death of the artists mother.

The largest and best known, Take Care of Yourself (2007), enlists the aid of interpretive specialists in coming to terms with a breakup letter, received via visual email from a lover. The piece occupied the entire French Pavilion at the 2007 Venice Biennale.

But none of this description can prepare you for the deeply intimate encounters into which you will enter.

Nor will the setting, at first. Fort Mason was built as a military facility, and its concrete, steel and cinder block construction materials were not chosen for their sentimental associations. Gradually, however, the logic of the layout takes over.

An exhaustive catalog of visual and verbal responses in Take Care of Yourself is laid out on long tables and spread out like charts and maps on the walls of the crisply functional Gallery 308. The callous email, maybe 600 words of jilting defensiveness, is analyzed through the agency of 107 women with differing expertise.

It is translated into braille, stenographic shorthand, Morse and binary code. A proofreader marks its repetitions and awkwardnesses. A headhunter determines that the letter shows a lack of courage and limited imagination, but allows that the writers manner might be useful in a company that was laying off workers with the hope that it did not stir up too much protest from the unions.

Presented in a grid on one wall are video recordings of the letter as it is acted, sung and danced. In a large projection in another room, a sharpshooter fires at it from a long distance, obliterating three occasions of the word love with three bullets.

Voir la Mer (To See the Sea) is displayed in the firehouse, where windows open to San Francisco Bay. Five video screens are each filled with the head of a man or woman, seen from behind. Beyond them, there are only waves and sky. The poor of Turkey are referred to as the people that never saw the sea, Calle told an audience at a recent talk. Those are the people Calle brought to this place from just a few miles away, and upon whose eyes, as they turn from the view, the camera sharply focuses.

Nearby, another work also deals with sight. For a piece in the mid-1980s, Calle asked people blind from birth to talk about their idea of beauty. Here, for The Last Image, she prompted people who had lost their sight to describe memories of the last thing they saw. One remembers a sunrise on the day of a botched operation. Another describes a hunter as he raises his gun.

Rachel Monique is presented in the forts chapel. A video is projected at the front, where an altar would be in some churches. We are told it is a recording of Calles mother in her final minutes, though we have no idea from the image of any difference, any boundary between living and dying. Arrayed around the room, like Stations of the Cross, are memories and stories in photographs and text.

The Fraenkel Gallerys Market Street outpost, FraenkelLab, is presenting a touching, related Sophie Calle exhibition. My Mother, My Cat, My Father, in That Order comprises responses to the deaths of cherished beings in the life of the artist, who has no children. One text from the chapel installation of Rachel Monique appears in a different format at the gallery.

It reads, On December 27, 1986, my mother wrote in her diary: My mother died today./ On March 15, 2006, in turn, I wrote in mine: My mother died today./ No one will say this about me./ The end.

Charles Desmarais is The San Francisco Chronicles art critic. Email: cdesmarais@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @Artguy1

Sophie Calle: Missing: Noon-8 p.m. Wednesdays-Saturdays, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sundays. Through Aug. 20. Free; advance tickets recommended. Fort Mason Center for Arts and Culture, 2 Marina Blvd., S.F. (415) 345-7575. www.fortmason.org.

Sophie Calle: My Mother, My Cat, My Father, in That Order: 1-7 p.m. Wednesdays-Thursdays; noon-7 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays. Through Aug. 26. Free. FraenkelLab, 1632 Market St., S.F. (415) 347-8366. https://fraenkelgallery.com/fraenkellab
WASHINGTON - The Trump administration has named Georgia Public Health Commissioner Brenda Fitzgerald as the next director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one of the most crucial public health positions in the U.S. government given the agency's role in tracking and stopping infectious disease outbreaks nationally and globally.

Fitzgerald, 70, an obstetrician-gynecologist who has headed that state's public health department since 2011, will succeed Tom Frieden. He stepped down in January after serving for eight years, longer than any director since the 1970s. Anne Schuchat, a veteran CDC official, has been serving as acting director.

The new director is currently president-elect of the nonprofit group that represents the nation's public health agencies, the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials. She has strong ties to Republican leaders in and from Georgia, including Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price and former U.S. House speaker Newt Gingrich. Fitzgerald, a Republican, ran unsuccessfully for Congress in 1992 and 1994 in her state's 7th congressional District.

In making the announcement Friday morning, Price said in a statement: "Having known Dr. Fitzgerald for many years, I know that she has a deep appreciation and understanding of medicine, public health, policy and leadership - all qualities that will prove vital as she leads the CDC in its work to protect America's health 24/7."

She takes the helm at the Atlanta-based agency at a critical time, as emerging disease outbreaks such as Ebola, Zika and antibiotic-resistant infections pose growing threats worldwide. Every president since Ronald Reagan has faced such threats, and experts say it is only a matter of time until at least one pandemic outbreak of an infectious disease confronts Trump.

"More than ever, CDC plays a critical role in safeguarding both U.S. and global health, providing technical assistance to partner countries to help prevent, detect and respond to future outbreaks before they spread, and scaling up immunizations and other critical public health interventions that save millions of lives every year," noted David Fleming, an executive at PATH, an international health technology nonprofit. Fitzgerald "brings to this position decades of experience in managing public health policy and practice and a deep professional background in women's health care," he said.

Frieden, who was New York City's health commissioner before becoming CDC director, also welcomed the appointment. "It's a good thing that she has experience running a public health agency," he said. "That's critically important to being successful at CDC."

Fitzgerald said in a statement Friday that she is "humbled by the challenges that lie ahead" yet "confident that the successes we've had in Georgia will provide me with a foundation for guiding the work of the CDC."

Although the HHS secretary has underscored his commitment to global health and in May traveled to Liberia, the country hardest hit by the 2014-2015 Ebola epidemic, Frieden said "the big question for me is, will there be a 2019 budget for global health when the Ebola money runs out." Should no new resources be allocated after about $600 million in emergency funds is gone, he warned, "CDC will have to retreat from the front lines of keeping Americans safe in more than a dozen countries."

The administration is proposing a $1.2 billion cut - 17 percent - for the agency in fiscal 2018. If implemented, it would result in the lowest CDC budget in more than 20 years. Frieden and others have sharply criticized the reduction, which they say would make Americans less safe and healthy and would increase health-care costs. The proposal also includes deep cuts - more than $100 million - for emergency preparedness in the United States and globally.

Separately, both House and Senate proposals to replace parts of the Affordable Care Act call for eliminating critical funds for key public health programs that make up about 12 percent of CDC's budget.

Public health organizations noted Fitzgerald's background as they praised her appointment.

"Her perspectives gained from clinical practice as well as serving as chief of a state public health agency will be crucial to her success" at CDC, said Jay Butler, ASTHO's president and chief medical officer for the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services.

Fitzgerald also received high marks from Georgia's academic public health communities for "bringing new research findings into practice," said Tony Mazzaschi, senior director for policy and research for the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health. At an April conference, he said "she was 100 percent engaged."

Within CDC, Fitzgerald's actions will be watched closely to discern whether she will allow politics to overrule science - as other Trump administration officials have been accused of doing - and whether she will be able to advocate effectively in Washington. On hot-button issues such as abortion, she condemned graphic antiabortion ads aired by her GOP opponent in her first bid for elected office, saying the government had no business dictating abortion policy.

Fitzgerald was in private practice for 30 years before she was picked by Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal (R) to head the state's public health department when it became a stand-alone agency in 2011. It was in the spotlight in 2014 for rescinding a job offer to a California doctor who posted online sermons condemning homosexuals, Muslims and Darwin's theory of evolution, according to news reports.

As a state official, Fitzgerald has said that public health's three fundamental responsibilities are inspections, such as of food; disease surveillance and monitoring, such as for Zika; and emergency response. All those responsibilities "must be maintained and strengthened," she said in an interview posted on ASTHO's website earlier this year.

In Georgia, she has encouraged programs to encourage language development among babies, pushed anti-obesity initiatives and helped coordinate state efforts during the Ebola outbreak.

The first U.S. health workers to became critically ill battling the Ebola epidemic in West Africa were airlifted to Emory University for treatment, setting off panic in the United States. Trump, not yet a presidential candidate, tweeted that they should be kept out of the country.

Fitzgerald holds a bachelor's degree in microbiology from Georgia State University and a medical degree from Emory's School of Medicine. She trained at Emory-Grady Hospitals in Atlanta, and as an Air Force major she served at the Wurtsmith Air Force Strategic Air Command in Michigan and at Andrews Air Force Base in Washington.
Churn in the business world is commonplace. Some companies last; others fail to make it and are forced to close shop.

Nebraska is lately seeing another type of churn, a troubling one: the closing of some entities that provide mental health and substance abuse services, and stressed financial conditions for others.

ABH Addiction & Behavioral Health Services, an Omaha-based small business that has provided services to adolescents and families, recently closed. ABH, which operated in Omaha for 17 years, was serving more than 50 youths at the time of its closing and had a waiting list for its services.

Journeys, a 16-bed residential therapeutic group home for teenagers in Omaha, closed in January.

Heightened regulations by state and local governments and insurers, as well as inadequate reimbursement for services, compelled ABH to close, Angie Bellinghausen, its president and clinical director, told The World-Herald.

It's true that in some cases, other providers can pick up the burden. That's what happened when three organizations commendably took over duties at Campus for Hope, an addiction treatment center in Omaha's north downtown, when Catholic Charities stepped away from providing such services.

But many mental health and substance abuse treatment providers in Nebraska are under major financial stress due to problems with claims processing and authorization of care under Medicaid. Nebraska lawmakers heard testimony on the problem Tuesday.

The reimbursement problem is also affecting other Nebraska health care providers, such as doctors, nursing homes and home health providers.

Nebraska shifted on Jan. 1 to a new Medicaid processing system called Heritage Health. Under it, providers of health care or behavior health services can choose among three managed care companies administering the bulk of the state's Medicaid program.

The new approach facilitates treating patients' range of conditions, mental as well as physical. But so far the claims processing has in many cases failed to reimburse providers accurately and in a timely fashion.

At least $27 million worth of claims have not been paid by the managed care companies in more than 60 days, Jessica Thoene, a speech-language pathologist from Kearney, told state senators. She spoke on behalf of an association of Nebraska providers including hospitals, home health and behavioral health providers, nursing homes and doctors.

"It's a huge issue," Thoene said. "There are a lot of providers in financial crisis."

CenterPointe, a behavioral health treatment center with programs in Omaha and Lincoln, took out a line of credit for the first time in 44 years to pay its bills in the wake of the reimbursement failures.

The state Department of Health and Human Services has given one of the Heritage Health managed care companies  Nebraska Total Care, a subsidiary of St. Louis-based Centene Corp.  until today to submit a plan for correcting its problems or else face state sanctions.

State officials have important work to do on this issue. Nebraska lawmakers should adequately fund provider rates. HHS should follow up on its demands on Nebraska Total Care by continuing its work to stabilize the reimbursement process in the wake of what State Sen. Steve Erdman of Bayard termed "very disturbing" testimony this week.

The providers across the state who help Nebraskans with mental health and substance abuse issues do invaluable work. Nebraska leaders need to take every step possible to make sure this major public need is being met.

This editorial appeared in the June 30 edition of the Omaha World-Herald.
From the chemical plants of Houston to the oil and gas wells of West Texas, the state is letting polluters off the hook, forgoing penalties in about 97 percent of incidents, environmental groups report.

Companies chalk up emission releases as unavoidable consequences of complex chemical processes and necessary maintenance. But they could be stopped with equipment upgrades if companies had the incentive to do so in the form of stiffer penalties, according to the report, Breakdowns in Enforcement.

Houston, with its massive industrial complex, had more such incidents than anywhere else during the five-year period examined in the report. But in one surprising finding, the analysis showed that supposedly small polluters were escaping penalties for big emissions by gaming the system.

The result is that thousands of tons of illegal air pollution is threatening public health, but is not being taken into account by Texas regulators, said Gabriel Clark-Leach, an attorney for the Environmental Integrity Project, which produced the report with Environment Texas.

State officials and companies have not seen the report, because it was published early Friday.

The groups logged more than 400 million pounds of pollution in the incidents, and penalties averaged just 3 cents per pound.

In the absence of state enforcement, advocates have turned to lawsuits, including a recent one that netted a civil penalty of $20 million against Exxon Mobil for releases from its Baytown complex.

The analysis of state records reveals that Texas imposed penalties on 588 out of 24,839 malfunction and maintenance events reported by companies from 2011 through 2016. The total fines for these violations of the law was $13.5 million.

The Houston area had 453 incidents, which released 5.2 million pounds of illegal air pollution, the analysis found.

But the largest releases of illegal pollution, in terms of total pounds, happened in the oil fields of West Texas, where 10 million pounds were released.

Under state and federal law, sources that emit less than 25 tons of sulfur dioxide and volatile organic compounds each year can claim an exemption from the federal Clean Air Acts more stringent permitting requirements that call for public notice and modern air pollution control equipment.

But many Texas facilities that have claimed this exemption emitted more than 25 tons of these pollutants during 2016, meaning they violated emission limits, the report said.

Of the 96 sites statewide that reported more than 25 tons of sulfur dioxide emissions during maintenance and malfunctions in 2016, almost half  47  improperly claimed to be insignificant sources that are exempt, according to the analysis.

Editor's note: This story was updated with new numbers, provided by the Environmental Integrity Project, for malfunction and maintenance events statewide and in Houston. The changes did not alter the conclusions of the analysis.
CALGARY, Alberta, July 06, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Critical Control Energy Services Corp. (Critical Control or the Corporation) (TSX:CCZ) announces that it has completed the proposed plan of arrangement approved by the shareholders of the Corporation (the Plan of Arrangement) at the Corporations annual and special meeting held in Calgary on June 29, 2017 (the Meeting) after obtaining final approval from the Court of Queens Bench of Alberta (the Final Order).



Prior to the completion of the Plan of Arrangement, there were 58,662,892 common shares of the Corporation outstanding. Subsequent to the completion of the proposed Plan of Arrangement, there are 43,934,032 common shares outstanding after 67,667 common shares held by odd lot shareholders were redeemed for $0.155 each in cash and 14,661,193 shares were exchanged for a total of 1,136,245 preferred shares.

The Corporation has also closed the private placement of preferred shares announced by the Corporation on May 11, 2017 and June 29, 2017 (the Private Placement). Pursuant to the Private Placement, an additional 1,013,000 preferred shares will be issued for gross proceeds of $2,026,000. The directors of the Corporation participated in the Private Placement and subscribed for 375,500 preferred shares for gross proceeds of $751,000.

Anyone trading in the shares of the Corporation is warned that any common shares acquired before the share exchange under the Plan of Arrangement is reflected in the trading of the common shares, a notice for which will be issued, are subject to an automatic exchange of the common shares acquired into preferred shares of the Corporation pursuant to the Plan of Arrangement.

Risk Factors Relating to Listing of the Preferred Shares

The Corporation has received conditional approval to list the preferred shares that were issued pursuant to the Plan of Arrangement and the Private Placement on the TSX, subject to the Corporation furnishing certain documentation evidencing that the preferred shares meet the minimum listing requirements of the TSX.

In the event the Corporation is unable to meet the minimum listing requirements of the TSX, or in the alternative, obtain a listing for the preferred shares on the TSX Venture Exchange or the Canadian Securities Exchange, within 120 days of the Final Order, the exchange of common shares for preferred shares under the Plan of Arrangement shall be reversed in accordance with the terms of the Final Order.

About Critical Control



Critical Control provides solutions for the collection, control and analysis of measurement and operational data related to oil and gas wells across North America. We provide services to capture the data, cloud-based software to visualize and manage it, and the business intelligence to make quicker and more informed operational decisions.
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Public universities in Texas saw a 12.5-percent decline in international student applications, and a new survey shows that the drop may extend further  to the number of foreign students who decide to attend Texas universities.

Only 35 percent of international students, when admitted to Texas universities, decided to enroll on campus, according to research from the Institute for International Education and several other groups that was released Thursday. Thats a decline from last years 44-percent enrollment rate.

The data means that there could be fewer international students on Texas campuses next year, as some admissions officers and analysts interviewed by the Houston Chronicle for an analysis of Texas applications projected.

"You follow the funnel," said Yvette Bendeck, the associate vice president of enrollment management at the University of Houston-Clear Lake. "The numbers will go down. With less (international) students, there will be some budgetary impact."

Though Texas and other southern universities saw declines, more broadly, the Institute said, yield remains strong in the U.S.

A number of survey respondents indicated they were bracing for a large drop that never came and feel optimistic, while some institutions are discouraged by fewer deposits and more students withdrawing their applications before a decision is even reached, the report read.

Jeff Fuller, a former UH admissions officer, told the Chronicle for its analysis of Texas applications that campus carry was a sticking point for some potential applicants, which could explain Texass declines compared to other regions of the country.

A fuzzy understanding of the legislations specifics skewed some students perceptions of the state and its universities.

The message that came across was that youre going to come to a school in Texas  and other parts of the U.S. now and everybodys going to be carrying a rifle on their shoulder, he said. He added that admissions staff members would discuss the laws specifics to mitigate concerns.

In its coverage of the survey release, The Wall Street Journal interviewed 18-year-old Utsav Gupta, of India, who said his parents allowed him to apply anywhere in the U.S. except Texas.

I really wanted to apply to Rice, Gupta was quoted as saying, but they didnt let me.

Aditya Mankare, by contrast, told the Chronicle that he wasnt swayed by politics.

He was attracted to the University of Houstons academics and affordability, he said, and arrives in Harris County next week before matriculation in the fall.

UH caught my eye, it being in a big city and having such diversity, he said. There are a lot of good things about Houston.

Click through the gallery above to see declines in international applications to Texas universities.
A San Antonio realtor had been worried about frogs or spiders. Not necessarily snakes. But when Lonna Atkinson, a realtor for REMAX, was checking the water meter at a rental house Thursday, she stumbled across a pit of the slithering creatures.

Atkinson told mySA.com that she's used caution while approaching the area before. This time, Atkinson was met with at least eight snakes which she said looked like "a momma snake and a bunch of teenage snakes."
Police are asking for the public's help in bringing a missing San Antonio teen back to his family.

Jon Zarzosa, 17, was last seen the morning of June 8 before his father left for work at 6:15 a.m., according to a Facebook post made by Bexar County Sheriff's Office. Officials said that one of Jon's siblings called their father around 11:30 a.m. to report Zarzosa was nowhere to be found.
The San Marcos Police Department is looking for the three suspects who held up employees of a Plucker's at gunpoint on Monday.

At approximately 2 a.m., the suspects, who were all wearing bandanas, hid near the store's dumpsters and followed an employee as he went inside, officials said.
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A man was shot dead on the East Side after what appears to be a drug deal gone wrong, according to police.

San Antonio Police Lt. Dave Berrigan said police responded to a shooting in progress Thursday at about 9:30 p.m. near the corner of Susan Marie and Laura Jean streets.

When police arrived on scene they found a 30-year-old man with two gun shots to the chest lying on the kitchen floor and a trail of marijuana going out to the cul-de-sac, Berrigan said.

Paramedics pronounced the man dead at the scene.

RELATED: SAPD: Target in SWAT scene near site of shootout arrested

Berrigan said there was more than a pound of hydroponic marijuana in the house and that the scene seemed to be a drug deal gone wrong.

"(There was) a large amount of hydroponic marijuana next to his body and a trail of hydroponic marijuana to the cul-de-sac," Berrigan said.

A car with a shot out window was found running in the driveway of the home. The owner of the car was not in the house and was transported to police headquarters for an interview.

RELATED: SAPD accuse man of robbing elderly women

Berrigan said there were two people in the house that were also interviewed by police.

At the scene, a woman claiming to be the victim's mother kept asking, "Is my boy dead?"

Berrigan said they believed that two shooting suspects are on the loose and are wearing all red.

smartinez-beltran@express-news.net

Twitter: @SergioMarBel
AUSTIN  As U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz prepared to appear at an upscale hotel northwest of downtown Thursday, about 100 protesters gathered across the street to decry him as the face of health care changes they say will hurt Texans.

Im from a rural community and theres people there that depend on Medicare and Medicaid. You have to take care of the people that need help, said protester Erin H., who asked that her last name not be used to avoid hard feelings in the small community in the San Antonio area from which she hails.
Dutch English

Capelle aan den IJssel, the Netherlands - 7 July 2017 - On the Extraordinary General Meeting of Shareholders held today Sean Fernback and Kees Molenaar have been appointed by the shareholders as members of the Supervisory Board of AND.



End of May AND announced to expand the Supervisory Board to five members and to nominate today Sean Fernback and Kees Molenaar for appointment as new members of the Supervisory Board. On 24 May, Sean and Kees were formally nominated and today the appointments are formalized. They are appointed for a period of four years.



Rob Westerhof, chairman of the AND Supervisory Board: "I am delighted with the announcement of these nominations. Sean Fernback, former CEO of HERE, is a true industry expert and brings a wealth of experience and in-depth knowledge of the mapping, navigation and location spaces. Kees Molenaar has a broad experience in advisory boards and is very familiar with the Dutch corporate governance model. I am certain that they will be of great benefit to the functioning of the Supervisory Board."



This is an English translation of the Dutch press release. In the event of any disparity between the Dutch original and this translation, the Dutch text will prevail.





Note for editor, not for publication.

For further information, please contact Hugo van der Linde on 0031-10-8851200 or go to www.and.com
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Despite nearly a week of behind the scenes wrangling, the Republican plan to repeal and replace Obamacare still isn't meeting U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz's primary objectives.

"I'm trying to bring folks together to unite the conference behind the shared goal: Let's lower premiums," Cruz told reporters as he left a town hall meeting in Austin.

But asked if the Senate plan does that yet, Cruz was clear: "not sufficiently."

Cruz came to Austin determined to talk about veterans issues, but more than 200 protesters outside had different plans and a half-dozen successfully infiltrated the event he was holding to confront him on health care.

Gary Marsh, a 67-year-old Austin resident, interrupted Cruz's presentation about 30 minutes into the hour long even to press him on why he's not fixing the problems with Obamacare instead of trying to repeal it entirely.

Instead of having Marsh and the other protesters dragged out, Cruz let Marsh continue for several minutes before reiterating the failures he sees with Obamacare.

"I think it was a good opportunity to have the exchange," Cruz said of why he didn't cut the protesters off.

Cruz came to Austin determined to talk about veterans issues, but more than 200 protesters outside had different plans and a half-dozen successfully infiltrated the event he was holding to confront him on health care.
Across 25 years and five administrations, we have kicked the North Korean can down the road. We are now out of road.

On Tuesday, North Korea tested an intercontinental ballistic missile apparently capable of hitting the United States. As yet, only Alaska. Soon, every American city.

Moreover, Pyongyang claims to have already fitted miniaturized nuclear warheads on intermediate range missiles. Soon, on ICBMs.

Secretary of State Rex Tillersons initial reaction to this game changer was not encouraging. Global action is required to stop a global threat, he declared.

This, in diplospeak, is a cry for (multilateral) help. Alas, there will be none. Because, while this is indeed a global threat, there is no such thing as global interests. There are individual national interests and they diverge. In this case, radically.

Take Russia and China. If theres to be external pressure on North Korea, it would come from them. Will it? On Tuesday, they issued a joint statement proposing a deal: North Korea freezes nuclear and missile testing in return for America abandoning large-scale joint exercises with South Korea.

This is a total nonstarter. The exercises have been the backbone of the U.S.-South Korea alliance for half a century. Abandonment would signal the end of an enduring relationship that stabilizes the region and guarantees South Korean independence. In exchange for what?

A testing freeze? The offer doesnt even pretend to dismantle North Koreas nuclear program, which has to be our minimal objective. Moreover, weve negotiated multiple freezes over the years with Pyongyang. It has violated every one.

The fact that Russia and China would, amid a burning crisis, propose such a dead-on-arrival proposal demonstrates their real interest is cutting America down to size by breaking our South Korean alliance and weakening our influence in the Pacific Rim.

And yet relying on Chinas good graces appeared to be Donald Trumps first resort for solving North Korea. Until he declared two weeks ago (by tweet, of course) that China had failed. At least I know China tried! he added.

They did? Trump himself tweeted out Wednesday that Chinese trade with North Korea increased by almost 40 percent in the first quarter, forcing him to acknowledge that the Chinese havent been helping.

The latest North Korean missile is menacing not just because of its 4,000-mile range, but because it is road mobile. And the transporter comes from China.

In the calculus of nuclear deterrence, mobility guarantees inviolability. (The enemy cannot find, and therefore cannot pre-empt, a mobile missile.) Its a huge step forward for Pyongyang. Supplied by Beijing.

How many times must we be taught that Beijing does not share our view of denuclearizing North Korea? It prefers a divided peninsula, i.e., sustaining its client state as a guarantee against a unified Korea (possibly nuclear) allied with the West and sitting on its border.

Nukes assure regime survival. Thats why the Kims have so single-mindedly pursued them. The lessons are clear. Saddam Hussein, no nukes: hanged. Moammar Gadhafi, gave up his nuclear program: killed by his own people. The Kim dynasty, possessing an arsenal of 10 to 16 bombs: untouched, soon untouchable.

What are our choices? Trump has threatened that if China doesnt help well have to go it alone. If so, the choice is binary: acquiescence or war.

War is almost unthinkable, given the proximity of the Demilitarized Zone to the 10 million people of Seoul. A mere conventional war would be devastating. And could rapidly go nuclear.

Acquiescence is not unthinkable. After all, we did it when China went nuclear under Mao Zedong, whose regime promptly went insane under the Cultural Revolution.

If we want to decisively alter the strategic balance, we could return U.S. tactical nukes (withdrawn in 1991) to South Korea. Or we could encourage Japan to build a nuclear deterrent of its own. Nothing would get more quick attention from the Chinese. They would face a radically new strategic dilemma: Is preserving North Korea worth a nuclear Japan?

We do have powerful alternatives. But each is dangerous and highly unpredictable. Which is why the most likely ultimate outcome, by far, is acquiescence.

letters@charleskrauthammer.com
Over the past two months, the Trump administration and the Republicans in Congress have proposed a budget and two health care plans that would take benefits away from core Republican constituencies, especially working-class voters. And yet over this time Donald Trumps approval rating has remained unchanged, at 40 percent. During this period the Republicans have successfully defended a series of congressional seats.

Whats going on? Why do working-class conservatives seem to vote so often against their own economic interests?

My stab at an answer would begin in the 18th and 19th centuries. Many Trump supporters live in places that once were on the edge of the American frontier. Life on that frontier was fragile, perilous, lonely and remorseless. If a single slip could produce disaster, then discipline and self-reliance were essential. The basic pattern of life was an underlying condition of peril, warded off by an ethos of self-restraint, temperance, self-control and strictness of conscience.

Frontier towns sometimes went from boomtown to Bible Belt in a single leap. They started out lawless. People needed to impose codes of respectability to survive. Frontier religions were often ascetic, banning drinking, card-playing and dancing. And yet there was always a whiff of extreme disorder  drunkenness, violence and fraud  threatening from down below.

These places are no longer frontier towns, but many of them still exist on the same knifes edge between traditionalist order and extreme dissolution.

I have a friend who is an avid Trump admirer. He supports himself as a part-time bartender and a part-time home contractor, and by doing various odd jobs on the side. A good chunk of his income is off the books. He has built up a decent savings account, but he has done it on his own, hustling, scrapping his way, without any long-term security.

This isnt too different from the hard, independent life on the frontier.

The virtues most admired in such places, then and now, are what Shirley Robin Letwin once called the vigorous virtues: upright, self-sufficient, energetic, adventurous, independent minded, loyal to friends and robust against foes.

The sins that can cause the most trouble are not the social sins  injustice, incivility, etc. They are the personal sins  laziness, self-indulgence, drinking, sleeping around.

Then as now, chaos is always washing up against the door. Very few people actually live up to the code of self-discipline that they preach. A single night of gambling or whatever can produce life-altering bad choices. Moreover, the forces of social disruption are visible on every street: the slackers taking advantage of disability programs, the people popping out babies, the drug users, the spouse abusers.

Voters in these places could use some help. But these Americans, like most Americans, vote on the basis of their vision of what makes a great nation.

In their view, government doesnt reinforce the vigorous virtues. On the contrary, it undermines them  by fostering initiative-sucking dependency, by letting people get away with their mistakes so they can make more of them and by getting in the way of moral formation.

The only way you build up self-reliant virtues, in this view, is through struggle. Yet faraway government experts want to cushion people from the hardships that are the schools of self-reliance.

In her book Strangers in Their Own Land, sociologist Arlie Hochschild quotes a woman from Louisiana complaining about childproof lids on medicine and mandatory seat-belt laws. We let them throw lawn darts, smoked alongside them, the woman says of her children. And they survived. Now its like your kid needs a helmet, knee pads and elbow pads to go down the kiddy slide.

Hochschild argues that these voters may vote against their economic interests, but they vote for their emotional interests, for candidates who share their emotions about problems and groups.

Id say they believe that big government support would provide short-term assistance, but it would be a long-term poison to the values that are at the core of prosperity. Anybody who wants to design policies to help the working class has to make sure they go along the grain of the vigorous virtues, not against them.
I am dismayed at the way the health care issue is being handled. Looks like the House and now the Senate are trying to cram something down our throats, and I dont like it. They need to listen to the American people.

Washington should not decide the future of health care in a vacuum. The American people want universal health care. Ohio Gov. John Kasich and Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper have the right ideas. Congress and the president should listen and learn from their successful formulas for lowering Medicaid costs and improving the quality of health care. They are demonstrating a truly nonpartisan approach.

Its critical that our leaders work together to solve this problem.

Kevin M. Henning, Boerne

Replace  Trump

Once again, I awake to a Twitter tirade by the president.

In only six months, Ive watched the moral fiber that has made our country great begin to unravel. I have voted for Republicans, Democrats, and independents throughout my 40 years of voting. I didnt always agree with their policies, but I felt the person I chose would do his best to solve our problems facing.

I belong to no political party. I am an American, plain and simple. As a retired member of our military, I retain the core values instilled in me. Duty, honor, country. I hang my head in shame when I see the childish behavior and disrespect for others being displayed while the needs of all Americans are set aside. I question the courage of congressional leaders who silently stand by. Very few have risen to demand better.

It seems as if our country is in a downward spiral, and nobody cares. I expect to be voting for many, many years to come. I will remember those who sat on their hands and did nothing when I go to the voting booth.

I do agree on one thing, however. We should repeal and replace. But lets start at the top and make America great again.

Richard Peterson, Schertz

Presidential insults

If you are given a dollar by someone but you do not accept it, it stays with the giver.

It is the same when you receive an insult from someone, including POTUS.

Bakul M. Bhatt
NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION, IN WHOLE OR IN PART DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN AUSTRALIA, CANADA, JAPAN, HONG KONG, SINGAPORE OR THE UNITED STATESReference is made to the previous stock exchange announcements by Electromagnetic Geoservices ASA ("EMGS" or the "Company") regarding the rights issue of 58,634,735 new shares at a subscription price of NOK 2.45 per share (the "Rights Issue").The subscription period in the Rights Issue expired on 6 July 2017 at 12:00 CET. A total of 52,065,521 shares were subscribed for in the Rights Issue, and as a result the Underwriters will subscribe for the remaining 6,569,214 shares. These remaining shares have been divided between the Underwriters according to their respective underwriting obligations. The Rights Issue will result in gross proceeds to the Company of NOK 144 million through the issuance of 58,634,735 new shares.Notifications of allocated new shares and the corresponding amount to be paid by each subscriber will be sent to the subscribers today, 7 July 2017. Subscribers having access to investor services through their VPS account will be able to check the number of new shares allocated to them from 12:00 CET today. Payment for the allocated new shares falls due on 11 July 2017.The new shares may not be transferred or traded until they are fully paid by the individual subscriber and the new shares have been registered with the Register of Business Enterprises. Subject to payment being received when due, the new shares are expected to be delivered to the respective subscribers' VPS account on or about 14 July 2017.The new shares are expected to commence trading on Oslo Brs on or about 14 July 2017.Following the registration of the new share capital in the Norwegian Register of Business Enterprises, the Company will have 91,428,874 shares outstanding, each with a par value of NOK 1.00.Hege Veiseth, CFO, +47 99 21 67 43EMGS, the marine EM market leader, uses its proprietary electromagnetic (EM) technology to support oil and gas companies in their search for offshore hydrocarbons. EMGS supports each stage in the workflow, from survey design and data acquisition to processing and interpretation. The Company's services enable the integration of EM data with seismic and other geophysical and geological information to give explorationists a clearer and more complete understanding of the subsurface. This improves exploration efficiency and reduces risks and the finding costs per barrel.EMGS operates on a worldwide basis with offices in Trondheim, Oslo, Houston, Villahermosa, Rio de Janeiro and Kuala Lumpur.For more information, visit www.emgs.com
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Two companies closely affiliated with Whataburger now own 18 acres at the crossing of Loop 410 and U.S. 281, a quarter-mile from San Antonio International Airport, after buying two shopping centers there last week.

EG Tejas, a company that Whataburger President and CEO Preston Atkinson and three other executives created in June of last year, bought 11.5 acres at the southwest corner of the interchange for an undisclosed price June 30, property records show. The land includes locations for T.J. Maxx, Sears and Specs Wine, Spirits & Finer Foods.

The properties are next to 6.5 acres that another company controlled by Whataburger executives, RE Pecan, purchased in December. Atkinson is listed as a manager of both companies, as well as Whataburger Chairman Thomas Dobson, Senior Vice President and general counsel Michael Gibbs and Chief Financial Officer Ed Nelson, corporate filings show.

The acquisition is an attractive investment opportunity, said Kim Isaacson, a spokeswoman for EG Tejas, in an emailed statement. Most of the retail tenants have a number of years left on their leases, and there are no plans to terminate leases of any current tenants.

The intersection of 410 and 281 is one of the most heavily trafficked parts of San Antonio. In 2015, an average of 259,477 vehicles drove along 410 there every day, and 88,203 vehicles on 281.

EG Tejas is not involved with the operations of Whataburger restaurants, Isaacson said. The company operates as an acquisition and development company and offers business and technology services, she said. Isaacson also serves as a shareholder relations official for Whataburger, according to LinkedIn.

The address for EG Tejas is a strip mall on San Pedro Avenue near North Star Mall. The company doesnt have a website, but the domain name EGTejas.com was registered last August by Mark Dubay, who is identified on LinkedIn as a manager of business architecture and information technology at Whataburger.

The affiliates properties are slightly more than a half-mile north of Whataburgers corporate headquarters in the Concord Plaza office complex on U.S. 281. The properties span 18 acres and were assessed at $18.6 million last year by the Bexar Appraisal District.

Whataburger moved its headquarters to San Antonio from Corpus Christi in 2009. One of the main reasons for the move was to be close to San Antonios airport to ease travel to the chains locations in other states, executives said at the time.

The beloved burger chain has increased its local landholdings drastically over the last two years. In October, a partnership between Whataburger and local investment firm Milam Real Estate Capital bought the 11-story Concord Plaza office building next to its headquarters. A few months earlier, the chain bought an adjacent three-story building through a subsidiary.

The company is growing fast  it now has more than 40,000 employees and 800 restaurants, according to its website. In 2012, the company said it had more than 22,500 employees and 740 restaurants.

EG Tejas bought the 11.5 acres from local company Adlan Concourse, which had owned it since 2007.

rwebner@express-news.net

@rwebner
A bill seeking to cap noneconomic damages that could be collected in medical malpractice lawsuits passed the House of Representatives yesterday. Should the bill become law, injured plaintiffs would be allowed to collect no more than $250,000 in noneconomic damages for cases of medical malpractice.

Bill Introduces Multiple Tort Reforms That Would Dampen Litigation

According to Medscape, the Protecting Access to Primary Care Act (PAPCA) passed the Republican-controlled House with a mostly party-line vote of 218 to 210.

Supporters of the bill say PAPCA will reduce premiums and deter frivolous lawsuits; however, opponents view the bill as an infringement on injured plaintiffs' rights and state prerogatives.

Currently 22 states have caps on noneconomic damages and five others limit total damages an injured malpractice plaintiff can collect. Most recently, legislators in Florida attempted to limit noneconomic damages to $500,000 in malpractice cases and $1 million in cases of catastrophic injury. The state's high court struck down the law claiming the restrictions were arbitrary and unconstitutional.

In addition to capping noneconomic malpractice damages to $250,000, the House bill would:

Exempt clinicians who order a drug or medical device from class-action and product liability lawsuits.

Require damages exceeding $50,000 be paid in installments.

Reduce the statute of limitations for a malpractice suit to 3 years after the wrongful act or 1 year after the plaintiff discovers it (whichever comes first).

Medical Malpractice Rates in the United Sates

According to the BMJ, medical errors result in 251,454 deaths every year, making it the third leading cause of death in the United States behind heart disease and cancer. Even when not fatal, medical errors can result in a life-time of pain and disability.

It is important to note, not all medical errors will result in a medical malpractice claim. In fact, medical malpractice requires that plaintiffs prove:

A doctor-patient relationship existed

The doctor was negligent in their diagnosis or treatment

The doctor's negligence was the cause of the injury claimed

The injury claimed led to specific damages

Common forms of medical malpractice include:

Misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis

Childbirth injuries

Medication errors

Anesthesia errors

Surgery errors

Contact an Experienced Medical Malpractice Attorney

Thomas J. Henry Injury Attorneys are leaders in the area of medical malpractice litigation. We have extensive knowledge and resources in order to represent our clients efficiently and aggressively. We represent clients/victims all over the country.

If you or a loved one have been injured due to medical malpractice, contact Thomas J. Henry Injury Attorneys immediately. We are available 24/7, nights and weekends.

Editors Note: This content is made possible by Thomas J. Henry Personal Injury Law. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of The San Antonio Express-News' or mySanAntonio.com's editorial staff. Learn more about our advertising products at www.hearstmediasanantonio.com.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, July 07, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Online e-cigarette retailers operating in Canada are selling products containing nicotine to teens as young as 14 years old. Teens are successfully buying in person and online, and retailers, couriers and postal agents are promoting, selling, delivering, and handing these products over, sometimes with no questions asked.



In a research exercise conducted by Inverite Verification Inc. in June and July of 2017 with teens aged 14 to 17 years old in Toronto, Winnipeg and Edmonton, 11 online e-cigarette product retailers sold nicotine-containing products to these minors. And most of those were shipped and delivered with no age verification.

I was not asked for my proof of age to receive the package but did have to show my drivers licence to verify my identification, said a 17-year-old teen from the Edmonton area. Her drivers license showed she was under 18, with a different address than the one on the package. Yet she was allowed to pick up the vaping liquid containing nicotine.

Legislation currently before parliament, Bill S-5, aims to prohibit the sale and delivery of vaping products to a minor.

There are ways for online retailers of vaping, tobacco, and even marijuana products to safely and securely verify age at the point of purchase, thereby preventing these products from ending up in the hands of minors.

In this rapidly developing regulatory environment online retailers of e-cigarette, vaping, combustion tobacco, and soon-to-come marijuana products should take steps to protect their business and the nations youth, says Dave McIntyre, senior developer at Inverite Verification, the company that has developed a product that allows for secure age verification for online transactions.

The underage minor is a significant market for these online e-cigarette businesses, judging by the number of products with flavours like peach jam, moose milk, bubbles strawberry gum, and candy floss.

Its scary how theyre so clearly targeting kids with these flavours, said Charles Taylor, an Edmonton father of two teenaged girls. There are vape-shops opening up all over the place and I've seen what looks to be underage teens with vapers.

Bill S5 contains a clause that will restrict the marketing and promotion of flavours and packaging designed specifically to attract teens. Do we need to wait for the regulations, and the fines, to start changing behaviour?

Learn more:

Read the full Inverite Research Report

Bill S-5, An Act to amend the Tobacco Act and the Non-smokers Health Act

Health Canada: Retailer Behaviour With Respect to Youth Access to Electronic Cigarettes

Inverite Verification Inc: www.inverite.com
By Dani Rodrik, Ford Foundation Professor of International Political Economy, Harvard. Originally published at VoxEU

Populism has been on the rise for quite some time, and it is doubtful that it will be going away. This column argues that the populist backlash to globalisation should not have come as a surprise, in light of economic history and economic theory. While the backlash may have been predictable, however, the specific forms it took were less so, and are related to the forms in which globalisation shocks make themselves felt in society.

Populism appears to be a recent phenomenon, but it has been on the rise for quite some time (Figure 1). Despite recent setbacks in the polls in the Netherlands and France, it is doubtful that populism will be going away. The worlds economic-political order appears to be at an inflection point, with its future direction hanging very much in balance.

Figure 1 The global rise of populism

Notes: See Rodrik (2017) for sources and methods.

Populism is a loose label that encompasses a diverse set of movements. The term originates from the late 19th century, when a coalition of farmers, workers, and miners in the US rallied against the Gold Standard and the Northeastern banking and finance establishment. Latin America has a long tradition of populism going back to the 1930s, and exemplified by Peronism. Today populism spans a wide gamut of political movements, including anti-euro and anti-immigrant parties in Europe, Syriza and Podemos in Greece and Spain, Trumps anti-trade nativism in the US, the economic populism of Chavez in Latin America, and many others in between. What all these share is an anti-establishment orientation, a claim to speak for the people against the elites, opposition to liberal economics and globalisation, and often (but not always) a penchant for authoritarian governance.

The populist backlash may have been a surprise to many, but it really should not have been in light of economic history and economic theory.

Take history first. The first era of globalisation under the Gold Standard produced the first self-conscious populist movement in history, as noted above. In trade, finance, and immigration, political backlash was not late in coming. The decline in world agricultural prices in 1870s and 1880s produced pressure for resumption in import protection. With the exception of Britain, nearly all European countries raised agricultural tariffs towards the end of the 19th century. Immigration limits also began to appear in the late 19th century. The United States Congress passed in 1882 the infamous Chinese Exclusion Act that restricted Chinese immigration specifically. Japanese immigration was restricted in 1907. And the Gold Standard aroused farmers ire because it was seen to produce tight credit conditions and a deflationary effect on agricultural prices. In a speech at the Democratic national convention of 1896, the populist firebrand William Jennings Bryan uttered the famous words: You shall not crucify mankind upon a cross of gold.

To anyone familiar with the basic economics of trade and financial integration, the politically contentious nature of globalisation should not be a surprise. The workhorse models with which international economists work tend to have strong redistributive implications. One of the most remarkable theorems in economics is the Stolper-Samuelson theorem, which generates very sharp distributional implications from opening up to trade. Specifically, in a model with two goods and two factors of production, with full inter-sectoral mobility of the factors, owners of one of the two factors are made necessarily worse off with the opening to trade. The factor which is used intensively in the importable good must experience a decline in its real earnings.

The Stolper-Samuelson theorem assumes very specific conditions. But there is one Stolper-Samuelson-like result that is extremely general, and which can be stated as follows. Under competitive conditions, as long as the importable good(s) continue to be produced at home  that is, ruling out complete specialisation  there is always at least one factor of production that is rendered worse off by the liberalisation of trade. In other words, trade generically produces losers. Redistribution is the flip side of the gains from trade; no pain, no gain.

Economic theory has an additional implication, which is less well recognised. In relative terms, the redistributive effects of liberalisation get larger and tend to swamp the net gains as the trade barriers in question become smaller. The ratio of redistribution to net gains rises as trade liberalisation tackles progressively lower barriers.

The logic is simple. Consider the denominator of this ratio first. It is a standard result in public finance that the efficiency cost of a tax increases with the square of the tax rate. Since an import tariff is a tax on imports, the same convexity applies to tariffs as well. Small tariffs have very small distorting effects; large tariffs have very large negative effects. Correspondingly, the efficiency gains of trade liberalisation become progressively smaller as the barriers get lower. The redistributive effects, on the other hand, are roughly linear with respect to price changes and are invariant, at the margin, to the magnitude of the barriers. Putting these two facts together, we have the result just stated, namely that the losses incurred by adversely affected groups per dollar of efficiency gain are higher the lower the barrier that is removed.

Evidence is in line with these theoretical expectations. For example, in the case of NAFTA, Hakobyan and McLaren (2016) have found very large adverse effects for an important minority of US workers, while Caliendo and Parro (2015) estimate that the overall gains to the US economy from the agreement were minute (a welfare gain of 0.08%).

In principle, the gains from trade can be redistributed to compensate the losers and ensure no identifiable group is left behind. Trade openness has been greatly facilitated in Europe by the creation of welfare states. But the US, which became a truly open economy relatively late, did not move in the same direction. This may account for why imports from specific trade partners such as China or Mexico are so much more contentious in the US.

Economists understand that trade causes job displacement and income losses for some groups. But they have a harder time making sense of why trade gets picked on so much by populists both on the right and the left. After all, imports are only one source of churn in labour markets, and typically not even the most important source. What is it that renders trade so much more salient politically? Perhaps trade is a convenient scapegoat. But there is another, deeper issue that renders redistribution caused by trade more contentious than other forms of competition or technological change. Sometimes international trade involves types of competition that are ruled out at home because they violate widely held domestic norms or social understandings. When such blocked exchanges (Walzer 1983) are enabled through trade they raise difficult questions of distributive justice. What arouses popular opposition is not inequality per se, but perceived unfairness.

Financial globalisation is in principle similar to trade insofar as it generates overall economic benefits. Nevertheless, the economics professions current views on financial globalisation can be best described as ambivalent. Most of the scepticism is directed at short-term financial flows, which are associated with financial crises and other excesses. Long-term flows and direct foreign investment in particular are generally still viewed favourably. Direct foreign investment tends to be more stable and growth-promoting. But there is evidence that it has produced shifts in taxation and bargaining power that are adverse to labour.

The boom-and-bust cycle associated with capital inflows has long been familiar to developing nations. Prior to the Global Crisis, there was a presumption that such problems were largely the province of poorer countries. Advanced economies, with their better institutions and regulation, would be insulated from financial crises induced by financial globalisation. It did not quite turn out that way. In the US, the housing bubble, excessive risk-taking, and over-leveraging during the years leading up to the crisis were amplified by capital inflows from the rest of the world. In the Eurozone, financial integration, on a regional scale, played an even larger role. Credit booms fostered by interest-rate convergence would eventually turn into bust and sustained economic collapses in Greece, Spain, Portugal, and Ireland once credit dried up in the immediate aftermath of the crisis in the US.

Financial globalisation appears to have produced adverse distributional impacts within countries as well, in part through its effect on incidence and severity of financial crises. Most noteworthy is the recent analysis by Furceri et al. (2017) that looks at 224 episodes of capital account liberalisation. They find that capital-account liberalisation leads to statistically significant and long-lasting declines in the labour share of income and corresponding increases in the Gini coefficient of income inequality and in the shares of top 1%, 5%, and 10% of income. Further, capital mobility shifts both the tax burden and the burden of economic shocks onto the immobile factor, labour.

The populist backlash may have been predictable, but the specific form it took was less so. Populism comes in different versions. It is useful to distinguish between left-wing and right-wing variants of populism, which differ with respect to the societal cleavages that populist politicians highlight and render salient. The US progressive movement and most Latin American populism took a left-wing form. Donald Trump and European populism today represent, with some instructive exceptions, the right-wing variant (Figure 2). What accounts for the emergence of right-wing versus left-wing variants of opposition to globalization?

Figure 2 Contrasting patterns of populism in Europe and Latin America

Notes: See Rodrik (2017) for sources and methods.

I suggest that these different reactions are related to the forms in which globalisation shocks make themselves felt in society (Rodrik 2017). It is easier for populist politicians to mobilise along ethno-national/cultural cleavages when the globalisation shock becomes salient in the form of immigration and refugees. That is largely the story of advanced countries in Europe. On the other hand, it is easier to mobilise along income/social class lines when the globalisation shock takes the form mainly of trade, finance, and foreign investment. That in turn is the case with southern Europe and Latin America. The US, where arguably both types of shocks have become highly salient recently, has produced populists of both stripes (Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump).

It is important to distinguish between the demand and supply sides of the rise in populism. The economic anxiety and distributional struggles exacerbated by globalisation generate a base for populism, but do not necessarily determine its political orientation. The relative salience of available cleavages and the narratives provided by populist leaders are what provides direction and content to the grievances. Overlooking this distinction can obscure the respective roles of economic and cultural factors in driving populist politics.

Finally, it is important to emphasise that globalization has not been the only force at play  nor necessarily even the most important one. Changes in technology, rise of winner-take-all markets, erosion of labour market protections, and decline of norms restricting pay differentials all have played their part. These developments are not entirely independent from globalisation, insofar as they both fostered globalization and were reinforced by it. But neither can they be reduced to it. Nevertheless, economic history and economic theory both give us strong reasons to believe that advanced stages of globalisation are prone to populist backlash.

See original post for references
Hidden lake discovery sheds light on alien hunt

(Nanowerk News) Evidence of new strains of bacteria in a lake hidden under an Icelandic glacier far from the sun has revealed how life might thrive in sub-surface oceans on the icy moons around Saturn and Jupiter.

Our preliminary results reveal new branches of life here, said Dr Gregory Farrant from Matis, a governmental research institute based in Iceland.

The lake  called Skaftarkatlar  is one of the best places on earth to study how life might evolve in the isolation of a subterranean ocean on a far away moon, as it lies beneath an ice sheet 300 metres thick and its waters have probably never been exposed to the atmosphere.

Its tricky to analyse DNA of microbes that are totally new to science because theres no prior knowledge about them, explained Dr Farrant, who is the lead investigator on an EU-funded research project called AstroLakes. Were dealing with a lot of unknowns.

The team is studying microorganisms found in 10 precious samples taken from the lake over the last decade. Sampling beneath the glacier is difficult  a pump pulses hot water down to melt the ice in a column and then a sampler is sent to the bottom, collecting small volumes of sulphur-rich water.

The work is predicated on the idea that underground oceans probably represent our best chance of finding life on other planets.

NASAs Cassini spacecraft has detected the building blocks of life in geysers hundreds of kilometres above one of Saturns icy moons, Enceladus. (Image: NASA/JPL-Caltech)

Water-rich jets

NASAs Cassini spacecraft has already detected organic molecules  the building blocks of life  by flying through geysers spouting hundreds of kilometres above the surface of Enceladus, one of Saturns icy moons.

By flying through the water-rich jets, the Cassini spacecraft has detected complex organic molecules as well as hydrogen, making Enceladus one of the most potentially habitable environments in this solar system, said Dr Gabriel Tobie, a planetary scientist from Frances National Center for Scientific Research at the University of Nantes.

Using mathematical modelling, Dr Tobie and his team have mapped the thickness of the ice shell on Enceladus as part of the EU-funded Exowater project.

What they have discovered is while Enceladus hidden ocean lies up to 35 to 40 kilometres beneath the icy surface at the equators, it could be less than 5 kilometres underground at the poles, a distance comparable to the ice caps on earth.

Thats much thinner than originally believed, and makes the subsurface ocean potentially accessible during future space missions. It also suggests there may be hydrothermal vents on the ocean floor.

This thinner crust implies that there is a huge heat source at this moons interior which may power hydrothermal vents on the floor of this underground ocean, said Dr Tobie.

On earth, life spawns around ocean floor vents, despite the lack of oxygen and searing temperatures, raising the possibility that the same might happen elsewhere in the solar system.

Other moons, like Saturns biggest moon, Titan, or Jupiters moon, Europa, may also harbour these building blocks of life, and these research projects contribute more base reference points for future space missions to find out.

At the moment, NASA is considering a trip back to Enceladus in a proposed mission called Enceladus Life Finder, and to Europa in its Europa Clipper mission.
Carrick-on-Suir ICA Branch was founded in February 1962 and 23 members gathered to mark the occasion in the Carraig Hotel on 14th June this year to celebrate and reminisce over a special meal.

Joining them for the evening was South Tipperary Federation President Ann Devitt and National Secretary Shirley Power, Owning.

A huge commemorative cake baked by Chief Hostess Margaret McNamara from the guild was on show before dinner.

The following day the Carrick ICA guild members completed their annual walk for Breast Cancer Research leaving from Cahir Castle and walking to the Swiss Cottage and returning to Cahir House Hotel for refreshments. All funds raised go to the Breast Cancer research Centre in Galway.

ICA Guilds all over Ireland fundraise and from 1995 to the present a total of 1.4 million euro has been donated to the Research Centre.

In the Carrick Guild, President is June ODwyer, Phil Coffey is Secretary and Ann Lonergan is Treasurer.

National Secretary Shirley Power commended the local guild members on their achievements over the years and paid tribute to those who were no longer with them.

She encouraged more ladies to become involved in the ICA and to take time out for themselves from their busy life schedules.

She spoke of the opportunities and benefits of becoming a member and even though there may be an older profile of members, all age groups are encouraged and welcome to join.

Shirley spoke of the flexible and sociable aspect of the association and how members can get involved to whatever level suits them.

Each guild has different interests and members are encouraged to participate and learn new skills.

Some crafts taught include heritage crafts like lace making, particularly Borris Lace with courses available to members to learn different types of Irish Heritage Crafts in the An Grianan Centre.

Each Guild has a Craft Specialist who helps members decide on which craft to focus on for the term and arranges public exhibition or display to showcase their work if they wish.

Other competitions include the National Pitch and Putt, the National baking competition and the National Choral and Set dancing competitions, which take place at Local, Federation and National levels.

There is also the Short Story Competition with winning authors work printed and sold at all National Meetings for all members to enjoy.

ICA members can compete in stitching, oil painting, crochet and many other crafts.

It is a relaxing way to be involved in the local community, learn new skills, showcase products, travel and meet up with other guilds locally and nationally. It is also important time out for women to enjoy the social and friendly atmosphere of their guild whilst always learning and sharing skills.
Tipperary County Council has come under political pressure to "take in charge" an "eyesore" lane littered with abandoned cars close to the Westgate and Sean Kelly Square in Carrick-on-Suir town centre.

Carrick-on-Suir Cllr Kieran Bourke tabled a motion at Carrick-on-Suir Municipal District's monthly meeting calling on the local authority to begin the process of taking Rookery Lane in charge.

This narrow lane is a cul-de-sac leading to a yard or square serving buildings on Bridge Street.

But he was disappointed with the Council's response that it wouldn't recommend doing this. According to the Council, the lane was not on the schedule of public roads and it was secured by a gate and lock. Taking it in change would cost the local authority considerable expense to bring it up to an acceptable standard. This cost would have to come from the Council's existing road maintenance budgets.

"Given the lack of public benefit, taking in charge this area is not recommended," the Council added.

Cllr Bourke said this lane was just off Sean Kelly Square, the appearance of which the Council is seeking to improve by designing a public realm plan for that area of the town centre. There were three cars abandoned down the lane with weeds four feet high growing around them.

"This reply says leave it (Rookery Lane) alone. We might was well not do anything at all with Sean Kelly Square.

"Why spend a load of money on Sean Kelly Square and have that eyesore just off it. It doesn't make any sense." he added.

Cllr Bourke also argued that the former Carrick-on-Suir Town Council surfaced the first 30ms of the lane some years ago so the local authority must have had authority to go down there.

And he pointed out that Carrick-on-Suir's lanes were part of the town's heritage with organisations like Carrick-on-Suir Business Association and Carrick-on-Suir Development Association making huge efforts to develop them.

Fellow Carrick-on-Suir Cllr David Dunne (SF) seconded Cllr Bourke's motion and supported his comments.

He said number of constituents contacted him about the lane's condition. "It's an eyesore that needs to be tidied up and taken in charge," he declared.

Cllr. Dunne also disputed the Council's contention that the lane was not a public contention. He said it was listed as a road on Ordnance Survey maps.

After hearing the councillors arguments, Carrick-on-Suir Municipal District Director Pat Slattery said the new public realm plan being drawn up for Sean Kelly Square could also look at Rookery Lane.
Italian Eurofighter jets are joining Bulgarian MiG-29 fighter jets on 07 July 2017 for joint air policing of allied airspace over Bulgaria. Part of NATOs enhanced air policing measures, the mission will last until October.

A MiG - 29A Fulcrum fighter jet from the Bulgarian Air Force, standing by for NATOs Air Policing mission at Graf Ignatievo Airbase, Bulgaria. - NATO photo by Cynthia Vernat, Allied Air Command Public Affairs Office

In addition to ensuring the safety of Bulgarias skies, the joint patrols will improve the ability of Bulgarian and Italian pilots to work together. The mission is also a demonstration of Allied solidarity.

Allied aircraft regularly patrol NATOs airspace together. In the summer of 2016, for instance, American F-15 fighter jets joined the Bulgarian Airforce for a similar mission.

Bulgarias MiG-29 fighter jets have been part of NATOs Integrated Air and Missile Defence System since 2004, when Bulgaria joined NATO. The system safeguards Allied airspace and its users.
(Natural News) Following the recent firings  whoops, resignations  of three top-level CNN executives over the made-up Russiagate conspiracy theory, other mainstream news outlets like The New York Times are reportedly following suit in at least correcting the record on this ridiculous saga. Though The Times has yet to fire anyone for repeatedly and incorrectly reporting that 17 intelligence agencies had confirmed that the Russian Federation interfered with the 2016 election, it did issue a correction on June 29 announcing that this claim was, indeed, fake news.

For months, CNN, The Times, The Washington Post (WaPo), and many others in the mainstream media have been parroting the lie that Russia hacked the presidential election. With no evidence other than baseless claims repeatedly made to this end by failed presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, these once-respected news outlets were all-too-happy to jump on the bandwagon because, hey, everybody else was doing it.

They more than likely never thought this lie would catch up with them, or that they would ever be held responsible for brazenly publishing it  and not just once or twice, but repeatedly. Now that it has, theyre one by one trying to cover their tracks and pretend as though theyre still respectable sources of honest news (when in reality theyve all been exposed as shameless purveyors of fake news).

The innate absurdity of the claim was immediately attacked by WikiLeaks and anti-establishment outlets who pointed out that this would necessarily need to involve full investigations from agencies like the Coast Guard, the DEA and the Energy Department in order to be true, writes Caitlin Johnstone for Medium.

Nevertheless, many high-profile pro-establishment outlets like Politifact and USA Today found Clintons claims to be 100 percent true on the grounds that James Clapper, then-Director of National Intelligence and notorious Russophobic racist, speaks on behalf of all 17 intelligence agencies. To this day Politifact stands by its false claim on the basis of that same spurious assertion.

Hillary Clinton: The head honcho knowingly spreading fake news conspiracy theories about Russia

Its been known since at least May 8 that 17 intelligence agencies did not, in fact, make any definitive assertions as to Russias alleged involvement in swaying the election. It was then that the truth was revealed that only a handful of analysts from just a few of these agencies  all aligned with the anti-Trump agenda, of course  had made these declarations on their own, apart from any official agency position.

This was later confirmed by former CIA Director John Brennan on May 23. And yet about one week later on May 31, Hillary Clinton gave yet another speech in which she claimed for probably the umpteenth time that her election loss was not the result of her own corruption and people simply not liking her abrasive, decrepit demeanor, but in typical Hillary fashion blamed it all on the Russians.

Its rather pathetic, but the good news is that the American people arent really buying it anymore. This is evident in the fact that even the most hardline, rank-and-file establishment sources are abandoning ship when it comes to pushing this false narrative, which in the process is exposing them all as purveyors of fake news.

This moronic conspiracy theory has been permitted to march on for far too long, and in the meantime weve been goose stepped to the brink of World War 3 as a result of this administrations idiotic behavior in Syria, warns Johnstone, being careful not to give President Trump a free pass amidst all the smoke and mirrors.

Thats where a real resistance needs to happen; not a McResistance to imaginary threats fed to the masses by the lying corporate media, but a real resistance to a very real and tangible threat from actions by the Trump administration and the unelected power establishment with which he is unquestionably aligned in a nation that the United States has no business involving itself in whatsoever

Sources for this article include:

NYTimes.com

Medium.com

ConsortiumNews.com

ExtraNewsFeed.com
English French

SAINT-JEAN-SUR-RICHELIEU, Quebec, July 07, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, Logistik Unicorp (Logistik) announces the completion of a cross-country Canadian supplier tour in support of its offering for the governments upcoming Operational Clothing and Footwear Consolidated Contract (OCFC2). Focusing on the countrys major manufacturing hubs, the supplier tour included five stops in total (Vancouver; Winnipeg; Toronto; Montreal; and Halifax) and resulted in over 100 new contacts for Logistik.



The intent of the supplier tour was two-fold, said Louis Bibeau, founder and president of Logistik Unicorp. We wanted to raise awareness about the OCFC2 program and the opportunities it will bring to Canadian industry and in doing so, expand Logistiks Canadian supply chain. Strengthening the countrys clothing and textile sector is very important to us and helping companies understand how to use programs like OCFC2 as a base to grow, diversify and access other markets is critical to the success of the sector at large.

Logistik worked alongside Canadas federal regional economic development agencies (RDAs) to organize the regional events and facilitate meetings with a wide range of companies. The events proved mutually beneficial as both groups worked towards the common objective of leveraging OCFC2 as a means of bringing new opportunity to all regions across the country.

The breadth and depth of expertise residing in clothing and textile companies across this country is energizing, added Mr. Bibeau. Were motivated by what weve seen and heard from Canadian suppliers and were now more confident than ever in our Canada First approach. Logistiks managed clothing solution for OCFC2 will not only create new, long-term jobs in Canada, it will support sustainable growth efforts for the sector for years to come.

Logistiks team will continue to meet with potential suppliers and visit facilities over the next few months. Interested suppliers that were unable to meet with Logistik are encouraged to make contact and register on the teams new supplier registration page at: www.OCFC2.com.

About Logistik Unicorp

Canadas leader in managed clothing solutions, Logistik Unicorp is a privately owned company headquartered in St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec. In Canada alone, Logistik supplies high-quality, innovative and functional garments to over 300,000 individual users in a wide variety of government and corporate organizations such as the Canada Border Services Agency, Canada Post, Correctional Service Canada, Parks Canada and the Department of National Defence (DND). Logistiks managed services method consists of providing the complete range of program activities tailored directly to their clients needs: R&D, design, production, sub-contracting, procurement, quality assurance, secure warehousing and distribution. Personalized account management and customized information technology solutions further enhance Logistiks offering. With subsidiaries in Germany, Tunisia, the United Arab Emirates, Australia, New Zealand, and Vietnam, Logistik also supplies customers around the world. More information about Logistik is available at: www.logistikunicorp.com.
(Natural News) On the morning of June 30 2017, a federal judge sentenced an Amish man to six years in prison. His crimes: making and selling herbal health products that were not adequately labeled, and obstructing a federal agency.

According to TheDailySheeple.com, the farmer, one Samuel A. Girod of Bath County in Kentucky, was convicted last March 13 for growing, manufacturing, and selling herbal supplements without approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Moreover, Girod was also charged for threatening a person who attempted to provide relevant information regarding his illegal activities to a grand jury.

Although he was only recently convicted, Girod first gained the attention of the FDA in 2013. Because of the nature of his Bath County business, Girod had been ordered by a federal court in Missouri to stop distributing his products until he allowed the FDA to inspect his operations, among many other conditions. When two FDA agents attempted to inspect Girods family farm, however, they were barred from entering the premises by Girod and others before they were made to leave.

Speaking to those gathered in the Kentucky courthouse, Girod, who chose to represent himself, stated that FDA regulations were not applicable to his products because they were herbal remedies, not drugs. Girod added that, as a member of the Old Order Amish faith, requiring the approval of the FDA was a violation of his religious freedom. (Related: Amish farmer facing 68 years in federal prison for making homemade products)

Girods products include treatments for skin ailments and sinus infections. As stated in an indictment, one particular product, TO-MOR-GONE, is notable for having a corrosive, caustic effect on human skin due to it containing bloodroot extract. Another product by Girod is an extract that he claimed could help cure cancer.

Jurors decided that TO-MOR-GONE lacked the appropriate warnings regarding its usage, and that the dosage and manner of use that is recommended on the package is hazardous to health.

After serving his time of six years, Girod will be subjected to three years of supervised release, during which Girod must avoid producing and distributing his products. Additionally, Girod must pay a restitution of $14,000 and $1,300 in assessment fees.

Girods supporters, 75 of whom stood outside the courthouse in downtown Lexington, expressed their disappointment in the ruling. Speaking to Kentucky.com, Arizona native Richard Mack called it a national disgrace and an outrage, noting that he used Girods Chickweed Healing Salve without experiencing any ill effects. The former sheriff and political activist said that the judge and jury had created a felon today out of a good, law-abiding citizen and that Giron was being punished for being stubborn.

This stubbornness, according to U.S. district judge Danny Reeves, is what led to Girods conviction. The judge told Kentucky.com that Girod brought all this onto himself because he steadfastly refused to follow the law.

Michael Fox, standby attorney for Girod, said that the punishment will deeply affect Girod. Keep in mind that Sam Girod is Amish. He does not live with electricity, phones, concrete, steel. Those are not normal; those are not natural in his life. An incarceration in a prison setting is going to be more punishment for him than [for] a normal person, Fox stated.

For more stories that are similar to this one, visit Freedom.news today.

Sources include:

TheDailySheeple.com

Kentucky.com
A man was arrested on charges of animal cruelty after authorities found dozens of "very dangerous" reptiles, including alligators and venomous snakes, Thursday in his Southern California home.

The County of Los Angeles Department of Animal Care and Control (DACC) and other agencies served search warrants at Todd Kates' property in Thousand Oaks and found 80 venomous snakes, between five and eight alligators, gila monsters, snapping turtles, birds and "other assorted animals" said DACC director Marcia Mayeda.

The investigation began eight weeks ago after Kates' neighbor ran over a caped cobra and reported it to officials, Mayeda said. That was when officials discovered that Kates, who had a California Department of Fish and Wildlife restricted permit, was violating the conditions to possess "very dangerous and highly regulated" animals at his Thousand Oaks home.

#ReptileHouse: Todd Kates taken away in cuffs after LA County find nearly 80 reptiles in his #thousandoaks house; More on @NBCLA at 4. pic.twitter.com/DPB6CQFwP8  Mekahlo Medina (@MekahloNBCLA) July 6, 2017

"The permit holder was housing deadly venomous snakes in an unauthorized, densely populated, residential neighborhood, and in such a manner that they posed a substantial risk to public safety," said DACC spokesman Don Barre.

Officials served search warrants in the 1300 block of Rancho Lane and in a rural property in the 800 block of Carlisle Road in an unincorporated area near Thousand Oaks, where Kates rented space to store more animals.

To be permitted by the state of California, people need to have proper housing or caging, said Lt. JC Healy of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Kates exceeded the number of animals that the state allows, Healy said.

Hundreds of snakes, lizards and alligators were seized at a home in Thousand Oaks. Mekahlo Medina reports for the NBC4 News at 5 p.m. on Thursday, July 6, 2017.

The animals were taken to the Los Angeles Zoo, where they will be handled by experts until they're taken to a new, permanent home.

Kates was booked on 16 felony counts of animal cruelty, jail records show. He is being held on $100,000 bail.

Ryan Hagen, Kates' stepson, told NBC4 on Thursday that his stepfather is an "animal lover" and thinks the animals were nurtured responsibly.

"He wouldn't want these animals hurt nor would he want them to hurt anyone else," he said.

Neighbors have been concerned for their safety for years. Three years prior, the DACC caught a white monocled cobra that was on the loose in the area. It was later transported it to the San Diego Zoo.

Albino Monocled Cobra on the Loose

NBC4's Hetty Chang contributed to this report.

Editor's Note: This article has been updated. A previous version of this story misspelled Marcia Mayeda's last name.
A two-alarm grass fire that burned 23 acres at a park in San Francisco's Excelsior District has been brought under control this afternoon, according to the San Francisco Fire Department.

The blaze was first reported at 1:25 p.m. at the Crocker Amazon Playground at 799 Moscow St., fire officials said.

Fire officials had asked residents in the area, including John McLaren School, to shelter in place and close windows and doors. The shelter in place advisory has since been lifted.

No one has been injured and no structures were burned, according to fire officials.

Firefighters will be at the scene into this evening to make sure the fire does not reignite.
LOS ANGELES, July 07, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- OMERS Private Equity, the private equity arm of OMERS, the pension plan for municipal employees in Ontario, announced on July 6, 2017 that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire a minority stake in National Veterinary Associates ("NVA"). The transaction is in partnership with NVAs leadership team and funds affiliated with Ares Management, L.P. (NYSE:ARES), which will continue as the majority equityholder of NVA. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. The transaction is expected to close during the third quarter of 2017, subject to certain closing conditions.



NVA is the largest independent owner-operator of veterinary hospitals, pet boarding and daycare centers in the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand with 502 locations and more than 1,800 affiliated veterinarians. NVA partners with leading hospitals which offer a full range of medical and surgical services within their local communities, and invests to support the needs of veterinarians as they deliver high-quality, compassionate care to companion animals and the people that love them. As one of the leading veterinary practice management organizations, the broad range of support services NVA provides to affiliated companion animal veterinary practices leaves veterinarians free to do what they do best  focus on pet care.

Were proud of the work we do every day to support more than 1,800 veterinarians and 7,000 team members at NVA practices around the country as they provide high-quality care to pets, said Greg Hartmann, Chief Executive Officer of NVA. We are very pleased to continue our partnership with Ares, and we are collectively eager to welcome OMERS Private Equity as an investor. We are excited for the additional value and support for growth that this new investment will bring as we continue to execute on our strategy of partnering with veterinarians in ways that help support the delivery of quality medicine to pets and outstanding service to clients. We also believe partnering with such a respected Canadian and international investor will help as we continue to execute on our growth strategy in the U.S., Canada and abroad.

Proskauer Rose LLP acted as legal counsel to NVA. Sidley Austin LLP acted as legal counsel to OMERS Private Equity. Jefferies LLC acted as lead financial advisor and William Blair & Company, L.L.C. acted as co-financial advisor to NVA in the transaction.

About National Veterinary Associates

National Veterinary Associates was founded more than 20 years ago and today is the largest independent owner-operator of veterinary hospitals and pet boarding and daycare centers in the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. The Company operates 502 locations in 41 states and 4 countries. NVA is affiliated with more than 1,800 veterinarians who care for over 5 million patients per year.

About OMERS

OMERS Private Markets (OMERS Private Equity and Borealis Infrastructure) invests globally in private equity and infrastructure assets on behalf of OMERS, the pension plan for municipal employees in Ontario. OMERS Private Equity's investment strategy includes active investment in a portfolio of industry-leading businesses across North America and Europe. Investments are aimed at steady returns to help deliver strong and sustainable pensions to OMERS members. OMERS Private Markets has offices in Toronto, New York, London and Sydney. For more information, please visit www.omersprivatemarkets.com.

Founded in 1962, OMERS is one of Canadas largest defined benefit pension plans, with more than CAD$85 billion in net assets, as at December 31, 2016. It invests and administers pensions for more than 470,000 members from municipalities, school boards, emergency services and local agencies across Ontario. OMERS has employees in Toronto and other major cities across North America, the U.K., Europe and Australia  originating and managing a diversified portfolio of investments in public markets, private equity, infrastructure and real estate. For more information, please visit www.omers.com.

About Ares Management, L.P.

Ares Management, L.P. is a publicly traded, leading global alternative asset manager with approximately $100 billion of assets under management as of March 31, 2017, and more than 15 offices in the United States, Europe and Asia. Since its inception in 1997, Ares has adhered to a disciplined investment philosophy that focuses on delivering strong risk-adjusted investment returns throughout market cycles. Ares believes each of its three distinct but complementary investment groups in Credit, Private Equity and Real Estate is a market leader based on assets under management and investment performance. Ares was built upon the fundamental principle that each group benefits from being part of the greater whole. For more information, visit www.aresmgmt.com.
After more than two years of Illinois historic stalemate, lawmakers voted to override of Gov. Bruce Rauners vetoes of an income tax hike and $36 billion spending plan, putting a budget in place.

The Senate voted to override the vetoes on Tuesday, while representatives in the House voted Thursday afternoon. All three bills passed the House by more than 71 votes, which was the number needed to override a veto.



Now that Illinois has its first full budget since 2015, here are some of the highlights of what this means for residents:

Income Tax Hike

Perhaps the most widely-discussed change is an increase in the state income tax. The hike will permanently increase the personal income tax rate by 32 percent, from 3.75 percent to 4.95 percent, while the corporate tax rate will go from 5.25 percent to 7 percent. Both increases are similar to a tax proposal that passed the Illinois Senate in May, and are projected to raise roughly $5 billion in revenue at a time when the state has a $6.2 billion annual deficit and a $14.7 billion backlog of overdue bills. A preliminary estimate found that a family with a combined income of $100,000 a year would pay about $1,100 more annually. Another estimate claims that a family of three, with an income of $75,000 a year would pay about $822 annually.

School Funding

If no budget was in place, K-12 schools would not have received any state funding and likely would have been unable to open in the fall. Schools have been receiving some form of state funding up to this point because they were fully funded over the last two years, through the stopgap budget passed in 2016, as well as individual appropriations the year before. Education appropriations ended at the close of the fiscal year on June 30, but now local schools will continue to receive state aid  with one condition. The spending plan contains a provision that makes funds contingent on an evidence-based model to change the school funding formula, akin to a bill passed in May that Rauner has vowed to veto, calling it a bailout for Chicago Public Schools.

Higher Education Funding

Higher education will get much-needed relief. The stop-gap budget passed in 2016 funded state universities through the first half of the 2017 fiscal year, meaning colleges across Illinois received no state aid beginning Jan. 1. The budget not only appropriates money for schools like Governors State, Chicago State and Northeastern Illinois - which have all been hit particularly hard by the impasse  for FY18, it also moves to back pay state universities for the six months of missed funding. However, the caveat is that higher education funding was cut by 10 percent across the board as part of Democrats acquiescence to Republican lawmakers requests for spending cuts during negotiations.

That FY17 funding will allow colleges to pay themselves back for grants many of them gave students  anticipating eventual reimbursement from the state  in lieu of the Monetary Award Program funding that was suspended for the 2017 to 2018 academic year. Roughly 130,000 Illinois students qualify for the need-based aid financial aid, which will restored in the event that the House votes to override the vetoes.

Road Construction

Road construction will continue after warnings statewide projects would be shut down without a budget.

Social Service Aid

Struggling social service agencies will be paid. Earlier this month, a patchwork of court orders and consent decrees dictatedthat the state pay certain suppliers, though Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza has warned that her office is required to pay out more than it receives in revenue each month. Mendozas office will be forced to continue to make those payments (though many of them are late and not in full), meaning the bill backlog that already sits around $15 billion would continue to pile up. By August, Mendoza has said the state will likely not have enough money to cover even those payments it is legally required to make, forcing a tough choice that could see state employee paychecks halted, or a missed pension payment.

Credit Rating

Two agencies have already given Illinois an extension after Sunday night's House votes, which was the first to pass the budget plan. But Moody's Investors Service has since put Illinois under review for a downgrade even if lawmakers override Rauner's veto. The agency said that while lawmakers have made progress, the package does not address the state's massively underfunded pensions or do enough to pay down bills.

Lottery Payments

After the budget impasse forced the Illinois Lottery to change its payment policy, the new plan would allow for winners to get paid in full.
Seven people were arrested after climbing Trump Tower in Chicago and unfurling a "Resist" banner Friday afternoon, police said.

Charges were pending against five women and two men whose ages were not immediately known, according to Chicago police. Police said possible charges were damage to property and trespassing. Environmnetal NGO Greenpeace, who claimed responsibility for the stunt, says that only four of its activists hung the sign.

The yellow, black and white banner could be seen shortly after 2 p.m. hanging over the river from the building at 401 N. Wabash Ave. It read Resist, Defend and Greenpeace over an image of Earth. It was cut down by authorities and fell into the river shortly after it was raised.

[[433176833, C]]

"Given that the banner was picked up by the wind and caused some property damage, it could have been a large public safety hazard," said Anthony Guglielmi, a spokesman for the Chicago Police Department.

Greenpeaces Twitter and Facebook accounts posted livestreams of the unfurling Friday afternoon.

At one point during the livestream a Chicago architectural boat tour passes by the tower as the guide describes the surrounding buildings.

[[433169993, C]]

Dario Parra, a Greenpeace spokesman, said in a statement after the unfurling that he grew up in Chicago in a community like the those he says are most adversely impacted by Trump administration policies.

Its only a few months into Trumps presidency, yet already hes managed to threaten our health and our communities and put our planets future in danger," he said.

Taylor Blevons was one of the activists who helped unfurl the banner, according to the Greenpeace statement. It is unclear if he was one of the seven arrested.

This action demonstrates that we will not accept the threats that the Trump administration poses to people here and around the world," he said. "Ignoring the science of climate change and removing us from the Paris Climate Agreement is just another indication that the billionaires who have hijacked our democracy are putting the short term profit of corporations over people and the planet."

President Donald Trump said last month the U.S. would no longer be a part of the landmark 2015 Paris Agreement with 196 countries, claiming the non-binding agreement imposed unfair standards on American businesses and workers.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel signed an executive order formalizing Chicago's commitment to adopt the guidelines of the agreement on environmental protections shortly after the president's decision.

Guglielmi said there would be an increased police presence near the tower after the incident.

Trump Tower officials did not immediately respond to request for comment.
Dozens of members of the Air National Guards 103rd Airlift Wing touched down in Connecticut Thursday.

A big welcoming crew waited as the Air National Guard members came in for their landing at the Air National Guard base in East Granby.

Thirty airmen from the 103rd Airlift Wing Unit returned home Thursday after deploying to southwest Asia last year.

"I'm happy to see my dad home because I've been waiting for my dad to come and I missed him so much," said Jeslyn Ramos, whose father returned Thursday, said with a smile.

Master Sgt. Jonathan Favreau is happy to be home after his third deployment.

"It's great to be home. It's great to be home so close to July 4th too," he said.

His wife Noreen had been waiting for this moment.

"I'm glad I have someone to cook for, instead of just me and the dogs," she said.

And Senior Airman Roy Walton was looking forward to his first meal back in the US.

Good America hamburgers. Thats what I want, he said.

While overseas, these airmen were focused on tactical airlift, transporting supplies and people through the region.

"We went and did the mission and we did it really well but being home is everything I hoped it would be and more," Walton said.

"It's great. There's nothing like coming home," Favreau said.

Of the nearly 300 airmen that deployed late in 2016, 200 have returned safely so far. The rest will be heading home later this summer.
A photo of a Transportation Security Administration (TSA) screener holding a more than 15 pound lobster is pinching the federal agency with some public scrutiny.

"Before (the TSA) shares photographs of packaged contents with the world, it ought to ask permission from the owner," Sen. Richard Blumenthal said at a press conference at Atlantic Seafood Market in Old Saybrook, where the giant lobster was sold.

Blumenthal said the TSA violated personal privacy after an agent posed in a picture with the lobster that was in a checked bag at Bostons Logan Airport.

The picture was posted on the agencys Twitter and Instagram before being shared thousands of times.

According to the TSA's website, a live lobster is allowed through security if it is packaged correctly. That's why the owner of the nearly 20-pounder has some questions.

"What other things (of ours) are you handling that you dont have any reason to be handling?" asked Atlantic Seafood owner Lisa Feinman.

The screener didnt handle the lobster properly, either, Feinman added. She said a lobster is supposed to be held by its body, underneath the arms, to support the weight  especially a 20-pound lobster that holds most of its weight in its arms.



TSA explained on Instagram that they needed to remove the giant lobster from its container to resolve a checked baggage alarm.

"I wrote to (the TSA). They wrote back saying they never release passenger identifying information," Blumenthal said. "Thats not good enough!"

NBC Connecticut asked TSA spokesman Michael McCarthy via email if agents are allowed to take pictures with peoples property.

"TSA is in direct communication with Senator Blumenthals staff and also reached out to the individual directly to discuss her concerns. TSA shares images through social media to better inform the traveling public about TSA's mission with behind the scenes look at operations around the country, but our posts never reveal passengers identities or include inappropriate content," McCarthy responded.

TSA could easily make a rule about handling and photographing items, according to Blumenthal, who added, "But if they fail to do the right thing, I would certainly consider legislation."
A 10-year-old boy who was swept into a culvert by the Branford River has been found dead in a pipe, according to police.

The boy was playing when he slipped from the embankment and fell into a pipe along the river while he was playing with his two brothers, Captain Geoff Morgan of the Branford Police Department said

His brothers tried to save him and one of them called 911, Morgan said.

The 10-year-old's body was found in the pipe around 4 p.m. on Friday. Police said the pipe goes underneath the water.

"When waterway swells around rainstorms, remind your children to not get around those pipes," Morgan said.



Officials said this is not an isolated incident and these culverts are all around the state.

Police are not publicly identifying the boy at this time.

Branford police, Branford fire and Guilford fire were at the scene, and New Haven fire rescue and Connecticut State Police also assisted.

Branford Public Schools said the boy was a student at one of its schools.

"Our collective hearts are broken and our thoughts and prayers are with the family. The school district is arranging for grief counselors to support children experiencing difficulties with the tragic passing of a classmate," the school district said.


A Mansfield man was seriously injured in a bicycle crash Thursday evening.

Connecticut State Police said that 19-year-old Stephen Grotton was riding his bike on Storrs Road (Route 195) in Mansfield around 6:15 p.m. when he somehow lost control and fell off onto the pavement. Grotton was seriously injured and airlifted to Hartford Hospital via Lifestar.

State police are investigating the crash.
The lack of a state budget has left some teens in Connecticut without a summer job, but the City of New Haven is making sure hundreds of youth can still gain valuable work experience this summer.

As part of the Youth@Work Program, the city hires about 600 New Haven youth between 14 and 21-years-old. Some work at the Department of Parks and Recreation, while others take on positions with non-profits and local camps.

This is the second summer Gateway Community College student Courtney Caple has a summer job tough New Havens Youth@Work.

I had to come back because it was too fun and were helping New Haven go green so why not, Caple said.

Caple and Shequerra Hobby are supervisors for the citys Youth Conservation Corps, which works with United Illuminating to promote energy efficiency.

Theyre trying to make New Haven go green so we partner with them and share information with residents so that they can lower their energy bills, save money, Hobby said.

The 11 high school student they are supervising packed bags with relevant information Thursday afternoon to pass out to residents.

Were about to go to Edgewood today to start canvassing, Caple said.

Giving young people work and employment and jobs is something that is good for your city, Director of Youth Services Jason Bartlett said. Theres less violence in your city, kids are engaged and it has been shown that crime drops when kids are working.

For those reasons, Bartlett said Mayor Toni Harp and the Board of Alders decided to move forward with the Youth@Work summer program even if it means running a deficit for now.

Its going to be a burden on our taxpayers and a burden on our budget, Bartlett said. But its the right thing to do.

Both Caple and Hobby said they are grateful city leaders gave the green light to the summer jobs program, despite the uncertainty at the state capitol.

I would tell them thank you because this helps a lot of people, Caple said.

Bartlett said he has been in contact with New Havens delegation of lawmakers in Hartford. He said he is hopeful once a budget is in place that the city will be reimbursed about $450,000 to fund the summer jobs program.
The once-reputable West Hartford Fence Company suddenly closed its doors for good, leaving some of its customers with unfinished projects and out thousands of dollars.

Elithea Mas was one of those customers.

In March, Mas got several quotes for a six-food cedar barrier for her property and she went with West Hartford Fence Company.

I was looking for companies that were well-reviewed, and preferably local, Mas said.

At the time, West Hartford Fence Company checked those boxes and, and $11,000, it cost significantly less than the competition. Still, not cheap.

Its not nothing, Mas said. This is money Ive put aside knowing the puppy was coming.

Mas put 40 percent, or $4,500, down in late March. The check cleared early April, but then May came around, then June, then July.

In that time I sent more emails (saying), You were supposed to get back to me with a time frame, you know, a status', Mas said. At one point I was desperate, (saying), Im just looking for where I am in the queue.

At first, she says, West Hartford Fence Companys owner Stephen Gifford said he was having issues with materials. Then, he stopped answering her calls and emails altogether.

Thats when Mas decide to post her problem on a neighborhood Facebook group, where she learned she wasnt alone.

Turns out, within the past two years, Gifford bought West Hartford Fence Company and another nearby business, Hartford Wire Works.

In May, NBC Connecticut Responds spoke with a Hartford Wire Works customer who was also out money when it shut down unexpectedly, after more than 100 years in business.

NBC Responds spoke with Gifford on Wednesday. He said he miscalculated, and that he had to close West Hartford Fence Company last week. He added:

When we accepted their deposits, we did so in good faith, and thought wed have the materials and personnel to fill their orders. We will be contacting customers to make them whole in the next few days.

I really just want my money back, Mas said. So I can use it towards another fence.

Mas has spoken with several other nearby fence companies and a few have offered to do the job at a discount.
For the past several years, Connecticut has seen a spike in the number of deaths caused by fentanyl, a highly dangerous opioid that is often used as a cutting agent with heroin.

Local, state and federal law enforcement have reacted aggressively, conducting a drug bust just this week in Hartford that uncovered half a million pounds of heroin and fentanyl worth upwards of millions of dollars.

The recent drug bust took place in Hartford, right outside of St. Francis hospital and is the largest packaged drug bust yet in Connecticut as well as in New England as a whole. This bust follows a string of fentanyl centric drug busts in the past year:

In May of 2016 2.5 kilograms of fentanyl were found in New Britain

In December of 2016, approximately 25 kilograms of fentanyl were discovered in a tractor trailer on Route 34 in Derby. The street value of this was $1.5 million.

In June of 2017 heroin and carfentanil were found in Bridgeport (carfentanil is similar to fentanyl and 10,000 times stronger than morphine)

In February of 2016, the United States Attorneys Office and the DEA developed a statewide initiative in Connecticut to combat the crisis, including a protocol for investigating fentanyl overdoses.

Across the United States, fentanyl-related overdoses and deaths are increasing with approximately 8 percent fentanyl related deaths in 2010 to more than 18 percent in 2015. This trend is mimicked in Connecticut, with a 21 percent increase in deaths involving opioids from 2015 to 2016. Where fentanyl is involved - the Connecticut Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME) recorded 483 deaths in 2016 compared to only 14 in 2012.

According to the US Drug Enforcement Administrations fentanyl briefing, the drug is 50-100 times more potent than morphine and 30-50 times more potent than heroin. And given its potency it is very easy to be exposed to the drug: the drug can be absorbed through injection and oral ingestion, but also through inhalation and skin contact.

This has made it difficult for drug enforcement agency conducting drug busts where fentanyl is present. Just this past September, 11 officers of a SWAT team were taken to the hospital after becoming exposed to the drug during a drug raid. The SWAT team had thrown a flash bag grenade into the house, forcing the drug into the air which the officers inhaled.

As a result, drug and law enforcement have been forced to create a new procedure for handling drug busts where fentanyl is suspected to be present.

But it is difficult to determine if fentanyl is actually present at the scene. Fentanyl is often used in conjunction with heroin and the DEA explains that the fentanyl allows drug manufacturers to increase the potency of heroin without using as much. This cuts production costs and in effect increases sales revenue.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) notes that an acid test can determine the presence of fentanyl alone, but when it is mixed with heroin, the test only shows the presence of heroin and not fentanyl. For law enforcement, this means they may enter a drug bust unprepared and find themselves exposed to the effects of fentanyl.

Hartford Deputy Police Chief Brian Foley has been a part of multiple drug busts in Connecticut including the most recent drug bust in Hartford. He believes that police officers should prepare for exposure to fentanyl for every heroin centric drug bust.

Its to a point now that we dont think we are going to find fentanyl, we basically know for every heroin operation there is going to be fentanyl there and we have to prepare as such, Foley said after the Hartford fentanyl drug bust where law enforcement wore hazmat suits and were sprayed down after entering the premises as a precaution against the fentanyl.

NIST, however, believe that preparing for the worst every time is not altogether beneficial.

People working day to day known need to know when and if to be concerned, said Jennifer Verkouteren a member of the Surface and Trace Chemical Analysis Group at NIST. Because they have limited resources and because if you dont it is just going to wear on you.

The Trace Chemical Analysis Group instead proposes using Ion Mobility Spectrometry (IMS) a type of technology that can perform data analysis on drug samples and determine if fentanyl is present in the compound.

In the field, the acid test can miss the color for fentanyl and only get the heroin. When you use this technology you can identify the fentanyl and take the proper precautions, said Verkouteren.
Islamic militants unleashed a suicide car bomb and heavy gunfire on an Egyptian military checkpoint in northeastern Sinai Peninsula on Friday, killing 23 troops and wounding 33, officials said.

Among those killed in the attack  the deadliest on the country's military this year  were five officers, including a high-ranking special forces colonel, Ahmed el-Mansi, according to security officials.

The assault started when a suicide car bomber rammed his vehicle into a checkpoint at a military compound in the village of el-Barth, southwest of the border town of Rafah, followed by heavy gunfire from dozens of masked militants on foot, said the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.

As the attack unfolded, ambulance sirens were heard from a distance rushing to the site. The officials initially put the death toll at 10 but later said that more bodies were pulled from under the rubble of a nearby building, used as a rest house for troops, that was destroyed in the attack.

The militants arrived at the site of the checkpoint  located in a remote, desert area  in some 24 Land Cruiser SUVs, and opened fire on the soldiers with machine guns for nearly half an hour, the officials said. The troop presence at the compound is estimated to have numbered about 60 soldiers.

After the attack, the militants looted the checkpoint, taking away weapons and ammunition before fleeing the scene, the officials added. It was unclear if they also took armored vehicles as well.

The next army compound is located an hour's drive away, leaving the targeted site with no support except for local, armed tribesmen from the Tarabeen, who have their own small checkpoints nearby.

The wider area of the attack is considered to be an ISIS stronghold and was the site of fierce battles in the spring between the tribesmen and militants. The officials told The Associated Press that some senior officers have voiced opposition to the location of the checkpoint, arguing that it provided no real cover.

Earlier, Egyptian army spokesman Tamer el-Rifai confirmed the attack on his official Facebook page, saying that 26 army personnel were killed or wounded in Friday's attack. He didn't prove a breakdown.

He said the army foiled attacks targeting a number of other checkpoints in the Rafah area and that 40 militants were killed. Witnesses said that they saw Apache helicopters carrying out airstrikes across Rafah after the attack. On his page, al-Rifai posted photographs of allegedly slain militants dressed in military uniforms.

No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack. However, Egypt has been battling a stepped-up insurgency in northern Sinai in recent years, mainly by militants from an Islamic State affiliate.

Though the ISIS affiliate has not managed to seize territory in Sinai it has a strong presence in the western and southern area of Rafah in the peninsula, on the outskirts of the town of Sheikh Zuweid, and inside the residential area of Sinai's largest city, el-Arish.

Over the past months, ISIS has focused its attacks on Egypt's Christian minority and carried out at least four deadly attacks that killed dozens, prompting army chief-turned-President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi to declare a state of emergency in the country. However, the restive northern Sinai has been under a state of emergency since October, 2014 after Islamic militants killed more than 30 soldiers in a single attack.

In January, eight policemen were killed in the city of el-Arish in a car bomb explosion.

The Sinai branch of the Islamic State group appears to be the most resilient outside Syria and Iraq, where the so-called caliphate is now witnessing its demise. The group's offshoot in Libya has been uprooted in months-long battles in the central city of Sirte while its branch in Yemen has failed to seize territories or compete with its al-Qaeda rivals
CARLSBAD, Calif., July 07, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SENTE, a privately held specialty aesthetics company pioneering the development of differentiated medical grade skincare products based on the science of glycosaminoglycans, today announces a partnership with SkinSpirit, a recognized leader and expert in advanced aesthetic skin and body care treatments.



"We are thrilled to have SENTE products offered to patients in the impressive network of SkinSpirit clinics," said Laurent Combredet, President and Chief Executive Officer of SENTE. SkinSpirit embodies everything SENTE thrives for, including exceptional patient outcomes, innovative skincare offerings and a strong emphasis on customer service.

Since opening in 2003, SkinSpirit has since experienced significant growth and become one of the top destinations for aesthetic skin and body care in the country, with eight locations based in California and Washington.

"We spend a lot of time researching new skincare lines to find the best new products to make your skin look and feel great, said Michael Dean Vistnes, MD, FACS, Founder and Medical Director of SkinSpirit. SENTE fills the void in current skincare offerings by taking advantage of the latest science-backed evidence supporting the many incredible benefits of heparan sulfate."

About SENTE:

SENTE is a privately held specialty aesthetics company leveraging its expertise and foundation in biotechnology to deliver novel, science-based skin care products. SENTE is a recognized leader in the development of innovative and targeted skincare products based on glycosaminoglycans. Founded in 2007 and based in San Diego, California, further information may be found at sentelabs.com. SENTE products are available through its exclusive network of physicians and medically supervised spas.

About SkinSpirit

SkinSpirit is recognized as a leader and expert in the most effective skincare treatments for the face and body. The expert SkinSpirit team is led by Dr. Michael Dean Vistnes and Dr. Richard Baxter, who provide ongoing training in the newest techniques, ensuring the best care and results. Contact any one of our eight locations in the San Francisco Bay Area and Seattle Area to learn more or make an appointment. More information can be found at skinspirit.com.
Three voices of Dallas reflect on the year since the police ambush that took the lives of five officers on July 7, 2016, and how to attempt to move past an unthinkable tragedy.

At Los Lupe's Cafeteria, "How we doing? Everything good?" asks Marea Teresa Bara of her customers. She has been working there for 42 years.

"I started when I was 12 years old," Bara said with a laugh.

"I love Dallas, come on down," said Dallas native Elizabeth McIver. "Except not too many people, please!"

And over at Odom's Barbecue, "West Dallas is home for us. My family has become a fixture in this community," said Burl Odom.

When asked about the year that's passed since the Dallas ambush shootings, Odom said no matter the hardship, Dallas won't be defeated.

"Dallas is a strong city, Dallas is a respectful city and Dallas has overcome a great deal," Odom said.

"I was here when Kennedy was killed. And we never got over that, really. It's been a stain. I mean, I've traveled the world, I've always had to like own that my whole life  everywhere in the world. Because then it was so unique, but this thing it's like well, you know, it happens everywhere," McIver said.

And it happened to people that crossed each of our paths and ate in the same restaurants.

"One [of the fallen officers], he used to come over here eat breakfast all the time," Bara said.

"And it only takes just that one guy with that one grudge and firearms to have something like that happen," McIver said.

As for the heated tensions between the police and the public?

"Well, the relationship has gotten better. Because the public as well as the police officers are conscious of one another now. So there's some respect that's given on both sides," Odom said.

To move forward after an unthinkable tragedy, could it be as simple as just keep moving?

"It's something that you just don't want to dwell on, it's something that we have to get past," Odom said.

"Because we gotta live, we got grand babies, we got to keep going," Bara said.

"It's something that we always think about. It's not anything that we just lay aside, there's always a thought," Odom said.

"We're better than this, we can do better, we can help people more," McIver said.

"Things will happen, we just have to deal with it as it comes along, and we deal with it and we continue to go," Odom said.
Police said they arrested a man for driving while intoxicated after he struck a Fort Worth police officer on Interstate 30 Friday morning.



Fort Worth police said the officer was conducting a traffic stop on westbound I-30 near Oakland Boulevard when he was struck by the man's vehicle at 3:11 a.m.

The officer reportedly sustained head and leg injuries and was transported to Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Fort Worth in unknown condition, according to authorities.

Police said they took the driver who struck the officer into custody and charged him with driving while intoxicated.
A South Carolina inmate broke out of a maximum-security prison using wire cutters apparently flown in by drone, officials said Friday, describing a new and devilishly hard-to-stop means of escape.

Convicted kidnapper Jimmy Causey, 46, was recaptured at a Texas motel before daybreak, more than two days after bolting to freedom in a plot worthy of a Hollywood script. It was the second time in 12 years that he escaped.

This time, he used a smuggled-in cellphone to coordinate the delivery of the breakout tools, investigators said. Then, with dusk approaching on the Fourth of July, he cut through four fences and left a dummy in his bed that fooled his guards. He got an 18-hour head start.

When he was caught, he had about $47,000 in cash, an ID card and two guns, authorities said.

"We believe a drone was used to fly in the tools that allowed him to escape," South Carolina Corrections Director Bryan Stirling said. He said investigators were still trying to confirm that, and he didn't elaborate on why they believe a drone was involved.

But an official aerial photo of the prison shows rings of tall fences and an expanse of more than 50 yards between the prison perimeter and the cellblocks, making it unlikely someone could have thrown or catapulted tools to him.

Kevin Tamez, a 30-year law enforcement veteran who consults on prison security as managing partner of the New Jersey-based MPM Group, said he wasn't aware of any other U.S. prison escapes aided by drones.

Tamez said that delivering something heavy such as wire or bolt cutters via drone would require a sophisticated plan and a powerful machine.

"They have to land for you to get the contraband off of them," he said. "They can't drop it like a bomb."

Tamez said there is no easy way for prisons to protect against the use of small, unmanned aircraft, other than hiring more guards to watch the fences.

Stirling said the state is spending millions to install netting at prisons to prevent people from throwing things over, but confessed that won't stop drones.

"Now they're going to fly over the nets," he said. "So what do we do next?"

A tip led Texas Rangers to a motel room in Austin where Causey was found sleeping around 4 a.m. Friday, authorities said. Texas officials released a photo of a handgun, shotgun, four cellphones and stacks of cash found with Causey about 1,200 miles (1,900 kilometers) from the Lieber Correctional Institution prison near Charleston.

Prison officials are investigating how his 8 p.m. disappearance Tuesday went unnoticed until 2 p.m. the next day.

"Everyone who assisted him  we intend on bringing them to justice as well," State Law Enforcement Division Chief Mark Keel said.

Later Friday, Corrections officials said one Lieber employee had been fired in connection with Causey's disappearance, providing no other details.

Causey was sentenced to life behind bars 13 years ago for holding a lawyer at gunpoint. Authorities said he believed the defense attorney did not do enough to keep him out of prison in the 1990s.

In his first escape, from a different South Carolina prison in 2005, he and another inmate hid in a garbage truck that was leaving the maximum-security institution. They were arrested three days later after a woman delivering pizza to a motel called police.

Drones have been used to deliver contraband such as drugs and cellphones to prisons across the U.S., including two cases in recent years from South Carolina. In May, two men were arrested for trying to fly knives, marijuana and phones into a medium-security state prison. Another man is serving a 15-year sentence after officials found a crashed drone outside a maximum-security institution in 2014.

Authorities in Britain said two inmates there escaped from prison last year by cutting through window bars using a saw and wire cutters that were believed to have been flown in via drone.

Advanced technology and highly motivated prisoners can be a dangerous combination.

"You have nothing to do but sit on the edge of your bunk and figure out ways to get past the system," Tamez said. "You can't get complacent with them. These guys aren't stupid."

Associated Press writer Diana Heidgerd in Dallas contributed to this report.
About 200 people gathered Friday evening for a public memorial ceremony outside Dallas City Hall to the five police officers who were killed in an ambush attack one year prior.

Mayor Pro Tem Dwaine Caraway, U.S. Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson, U.S. Rep. Pete Sessions and Interim Dallas Police Chief David Pughes were among the speakers who reflected on the night when gunfire erupted following a peaceful protest and march downtown.

On behalf of Mayor Mike Rawlings and the Dallas City Council, Caraway read a proclamation declaring Friday as Fallen Law Enforcement Officers Day.

The crowd came to pay tribute and say thank you to the five officers who gave their lives for the city  Sr. Cpl. Lorne Ahrens, Officer Michael Krol, Sgt. Michael Smith, Officer Patrick Zamarripa and Officer Brent Thompson. They also gathered to honor the families and to make them a solemn promise that their loved ones wouldn't be forgotten.

The Fallen Officers Memorial near City Hall will be a reminder of the sacrifices made that night.

Family members of slain officers sat in chairs in front of the crowd, with officers standing behind them.

A separate, private service was held at the DART Police Department in memory of Officer Thompson.

The Dallas Police Department officials, including Interim Chief David Pughes, discuss the state of the department on year after the shootings that killed five Dallas officers on July 7, 2016.

The services are part of the tributes called "Weekend of Honor" for those killed in the deadliest incident involving American law enforcement since the terrorist attacks of 9/11.

The commemoration continues on Saturday, with the "Value of a Life Festival." The event will start at 6:30 a.m. with a 5K "Run for the Blue" at Trinity Groves.

Race entry is free, though participants will have the option to make a donation during registration that will go to the families of slain and injured police officers.

There will be ample opportunity to pay tribute to the lives lost one year ago in Downtown Dallas when five police officers were killed in an ambush that was the deadliest incident involving American law enforcement since the terrorist attacks of 9/11.

At 10 a.m., a motorcycle ride will make its way down to the Southwest Center Mall.

At the same time, officers and community members will attempt to set a Guinness World Record for the longest chain of people making a heart shape with their hands. That will also take place at Southwest Center Mall. You are asked to register prior to arrival.

The weekend will conclude Sunday with a "Lifetime Achievement Reception" at Fair Park. The event will recognize officers from across the country who were killed in the line of duty over the past year as well as officers who have gone above and beyond to gain the public's trust.

[NATL-DFW] Dramatic Photos: Deadly Sniper Attack in Downtown Dallas

Friday morning, Gov. Greg Abbott ordered law enforcement agencies across the state to illuminate their light bars at 10 a.m. in honor of Texas peace officers.

At 11 a.m. at El Centro College, which was the scene of the July 7 attack and ensuing standoff with the lone gunman in the shooting, the school held a Renewal and Resilience Commemorative Ceremony.

"The program will focus on renewal and how we should reflect on the importance of community building, following last year's tragic event," El Centro College president Dr. Jose Adames said. "As we acknowledge the loss of five police officers and the many who were wounded  including Cpl. Bryan Shaw and Officer John Abbott from El Centro College  plus those who responded, we also want to honor the resilience of those officers, our college and our community."

Four survivors of the July 7, 2016, ambush in downtown Dallas are sharing their stories of courage, bravery, healing and hope one year later.

The Dallas Police Department released a statement on its web blog titled, "July 7th  One Year Later:
The U.S. military in Afghanistan has been ordered to wait days before announcing deaths of American service members, breaking with a long-standing policy.

Since the U.S. invasion in 2001, when a U.S. service member is killed in Afghanistan, the military command in Kabul makes the first announcement. As NBC News reports, this initial release is usually not specific or detailed, often identifying the area and basic information about the incident, but still withholding identifying information about the deceased.

Gen. John Nicholson, the commander of U.S. Forces Afghanistan and NATO's Resolute Support Mission, ordered a change to the policy last month, and it has since been applied twice: on June 10 when three U.S. soldiers were killed and one wounded in an attack in the east, and again on Monday, July 3, when one U.S. soldier was killed and two wounded in Helmand Province.

U.S. Forces Afghanistan did not release a statement or inform the public that an American soldier was killed on Monday. Instead, Wednesday morning the Pentagon released a statement saying that PFC Hansen Kirkpatrick was killed in an indirect fire attack in the Nawah District on July 3.
U.S. Rep. Kay Granger, R-Fort Worth, is back in her home district this week after a defense bill she authored as chairwoman of the House Subcommittee on Defense was approved.

It is a $650 billion spending bill for the military.

"Well, it's important, first of all, to the nation, because it's over half the spending for the Congress, is defense. So it's the biggest bill that's written, and I say the most important, because it funds the work force, it funds the equipment, it funds raises for our military. It's all there," Granger said. "And we did so much cutting for such a long time that what I'm trying to do is rebuild."

Granger said her committee heard from Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, along with military leaders from all of the branches.

"It's, 'We don't have enough people, we don't have enough planes and ships, and we don't have enough maintenance money to keep the planes and ships going,'" she said.

The bill will benefit her home district with money for military aircraft produced by Lockheed Martin and Bell Helicopter.

Congress left for summer break after the Senate put off a vote on its version of the health care bill. There are concerns about the future of Medicaid and whether pre-existing conditions would be covered in the bill.

NBC 5 political reporter Julie Fine asked Granger whether she thinks everyone with a pre-existing condition should covered.

"Yes. Now, let me explain, because, as an insurance agent, just because if you have a pre-existing condition, I can take you, it doesn't mean we'll (insurance) cover that condition. People don't take the next step, so you may have a pre-existing condition, you get insurance, you may pay higher, but it doesn't mean that condition will be accepted. So we need to be very clear to people," Granger said.

Fine then asked if anyone with a pre-existing condition should be accepted and covered by insurance.

"Not necessarily, because of the huge cost. We promised everything to everybody and then said it's not gonna cost you any more. That is just not going to happen. It is going to cost someone more," Granger said.

The Senate will be back in session next week, and on Friday, President Donald Trump meets with Russian President Vladimir Putting face-to-face for the first time since Trump was elected. There have been questions as to whether the president will bring up Russia's meddling in our election.

"They should be confronted. I am not as worried about it, because I am not that surprised about it. That is what the Russians have been doing. They have been spying for decades. It didn't surprise me that much. It concerns me because they have spied and meddled, but what they are accused of is trying to affect the outcome of the elections. That is a different situation. I do think they should be confronted with the proof we have. We don't have as much proof as we thought we did," Granger said.
At a Costco trip in May, Bill Wilner stopped by the food court to check out a new special  the $4.99 cheeseburger, 1/3 pound of cheesy meaty goodness on a bun clocking in at only 1,140 calories.



He reviewed his experience on Facebook:



He didn't like that the chain warehouse replaced the great BBQ beef sandwich.



But he admitted that the cheeseburger, with Challah bread bun, organic beef patty, cheddar cheese slice, special sauce, and lettuce and tomato was, "... pretty, pretty good!"



The warehouse chain, famous for its big portions and low prices, recently introduced the new hot sandwich. The burger is available as part of a trial-run at three Southern California stores  Pacoima, Lakewood and Corona. It's also available at Costcos across the country in Seattle, North Carolina, Georgia and Colorado.



Burger lovers opined about the softball-sized meat sandwich.



"Second day of Costco's food court having a cheeseburger and so far I'm 2/2," wrote Twitter user @HerardKyle07.



"That's a big thumbs up for the Costco burger - though I do prefer American cheese over cheddar" Said @skyguy76.



But not everyone is happy.



"WhyYyYy would u charge 5$ for a burgeR" wrote @katelinhv.



Tweeted @iampangean: "My local Costco is next door to an In-n-Out so I doubt I am getting my burger fix at Costco regardless."


President Donald Trump opened his first meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday by raising U.S. concerns about Moscow's meddling in the 2016 presidential election, U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said. He said Putin denied being involved.

Trump's decision to confront Putin directly over election interference fulfilled ardent demands by U.S. lawmakers of both parties that the president not shy away from the issue in his highly anticipated meeting with Putin. Trump has avoided stating unequivocally in the past that Russia interfered, even as investigations proceed into whether Trump's campaign colluded with Russians who sought to help him win.

Putin's denial of culpability notwithstanding, he and Trump agreed that the issue has become a hindrance to better relations between the two powers, said Tillerson, who attended the more-than-two-hour meeting along with Russia's foreign minister. Tillerson said the discussion about the election meddling was "robust and lengthy."

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Tillerson said the two leaders had agreed to continue the discussion, with an eye toward securing a commitment that Russia won't interfere in U.S. affairs in the future.

"I think the president is rightly focused on how do we move forward from something that may be an intractable disagreement at this point," Tillerson said.

In their meeting, the two also discussed a cease-fire deal deal for southwestern Syria that was reached by Russia and the United States and first reported Friday by The Associated Press. Though the U.S. and Russia have held conflicting views on Syria in the past, Tillerson said Russia had an interest in seeing the Mideast nation become a stable place.

The heavily anticipated meeting has been closely scrutinized for signs of how friendly a rapport Trump and Putin will have. Trump's predecessor, President Barack Obama, had notoriously strained ties to Putin, and Trump has expressed an interest in a better U.S.-Russia relationship.

But deep skepticism about Russia in the U.S. and ongoing investigations into whether Trump's campaign coordinated with Moscow during last year's election have made a U.S.-Russia detente politically risky for Trump.

The Putin meeting came midway through a hectic, four-day European visit for Trump, who addressed thousands of Poles in an outdoor speech in Warsaw, Poland, on Thursday. He met in Germany with Chancellor Angela Merkel, the summit host, and had dinner with two Asian allies  Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and South Korean President Moon Jae-in  to discuss North Korea's aggression.

Earlay in the meeting, Trump and Putin spoke to the press in short remarks. In characteristically confident fashion, Trump said he and the Russian leader were holding "very, very good talks" and said it was "an honor" to be with Putin.

"We look forward to a lot of very positive things happening for Russia, for the United States and for everybody concerned," Trump said.

Trump offered no details about what issues he and the Russian leader had discussed, describing them only as "various things." Putin was similarly vague, telling reporters through a translator that they were discussing international problems and bilateral issues.

Still, Putin described the fact that they were meeting as a positive sign in itself, and he said he hoped the meeting would "yield positive results."

"Phone conversations are never enough definitely," Putin said. "If you want to have a positive outcome in bilaterals and be able to resolve most international policy issues, that will really need personal meetings."

Then the leaders shook hands firmly but briefly before reporters were escorted out of the room. Both kept their composure amid the commotion of cameras clicking and journalists lobbying questions as anxious aides moved about nearby. The U.S. leader's son, Donald Trump Jr., took to Twitter to say the noise from the cameras made it difficult to even hear the two leaders' words.

"How many pictures do you need of the same scene?" he said.

Outside the summit site, anti-globalization protesters were causing problems for first lady Melania Trump, who was kept from joining other leaders' spouses for their own program of events. Mrs. Trump's office said local police hadn't cleared her to leave the government guest house where she and Trump were staying because of the protests, in which demonstrators set dozens of cars ablaze.

AP writer Josh Lederman contributed to this report.
Talks on global trade at the Group of 20 summit proved very difficult and differences on climate change also were clear, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Friday, as police and protesters clashed throughout the day in the summit's host city of Hamburg.

Merkel told leaders of the G-20 economic powers that they must be prepared to make compromises as she worked toward a summit outcome that everyone present could accept.

That is a challenging task at a time when President Donald Trump's Trump's "America First" rhetoric and decision last month to withdraw from the Paris accord against climate change have caused widespread concern.

Negotiators "still have a great deal of work ahead of them" to formulate a passage on trade in the summit's closing communique, Merkel said after the first day of meetings.

She added that most participants called for "free but also fair trade" and underlined the significance of the World Trade Organization, though she didn't specify which ones did not support the trade language.

"The discussions are very difficult, I don't want to talk around that," Merkel said.

The German leader said most summit participants backed the Paris climate accord. Speaking separately, French President Emmanuel Macron spoke of "the common engagement which we must take, we must defend, at a moment when it is called in question by certain people."

"It will be very interesting to see how we formulate the communique tomorrow and make clear that, of course, there are different opinions in this area because the United States of America regrettably ... wants to withdraw from the Paris accord," Merkel said.

Germany has been keen to preserve the G-20's tradition of making decisions by consensus. Merkel has rejected calls from some to push for a strong "G-19" statement  without the U.S.  on climate change.

Opening discussions earlier in the day, Merkel told fellow leaders that there are "millions of people following us with their concerns, their fears and their needs, who hope that we can make a contribution to solving the problems."

"We all know the big global challenges, and we know that time is pressing," she said. "So solutions can only be found if we are prepared to compromise ... without, and I say this clearly, bending ourselves too much out of shape. We can of course also name differences."

The leaders did make a joint statement on fighting terrorism, an issue on which there are few differences. They called for ensuring that there are "no 'safe spaces' for terrorist financing anywhere in the world" and pledged to work with internet providers and app administrators to combat the web's use for terror propaganda and financing.

Merkel noted that the countries at the summit represent two-thirds of the world's population, four-fifths of the globe's gross domestic product and three-quarters of world trade.

The G-20 comprises Argentina, Australia, Brazil, China, Germany, France, Britain, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Canada, South Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, the United States and the European Union.

Also attending are the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Guinea, Senegal, Singapore and Vietnam.

Merkel said the threat posed by North Korea's missile tests was brought up at Friday's meetings by the leaders of South Korea and other countries in the region, and all hoped that "the U.N. Security Council will find an appropriate answer" to Pyongyang's violation of U.N. resolutions.

The summit was also a forum for a flurry of bilateral meetings, including Trump's first encounter with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Outside the security cordon around the downtown congress center, anti-globalization activists set dozens of cars ablaze and tried unsuccessfully to block national delegations from entering the summit.

The city already had boosted its police with reinforcements from around the country and had 20,000 officers on hand to patrol Hamburg's streets, skies and waterways. Another 900 were called in to cope with the clashes.

Merkel thanked them for their work.

"I have every understanding for peaceful demonstrations," she said. "But violent demonstrations endanger human lives, they endanger people themselves, they put police officers and security forces in danger, put residents in danger, and so that is unacceptable."
A person's body was found near the wreckage of a small plane that was discovered in a swampy area of the Everglades in South Florida late Wednesday, officials said.

The single-engine Cessna 152 was found about seven miles west of Homestead, the FAA said in a statement. Miami-Dade Fire Rescue found the wreckage around 9:30 p.m. Wednesday in Everglades National Park, officials said.

Only the pilot was on board. Footage appeared to show a body amid the wreckage with an alligator lurking nearby.

The victim's roommate identified the pilot as Mark Ukaere.

Officials with the FAA said the owner of the plane notified them Wednesday night that the plane went missing from Miami Executive Airport on Saturday evening.

The pilot had a license and trained at Dean International Flight Training at the airport, according to owner Robert Dean.

Dean said the pilot took off with an instructor Saturday afternoon but later that evening he went back up alone.

"The instructor came into the building, left him out there to bring the books and write up all the information. He did not bring the books back into the place," Dean said. "He decided to go fly himself, so he basically took the aircraft away from here without any authorization. Our policy at the school is very very critical, that every time anybody flies in the evening, they must fly with another pilot."

School officials first thought the pilot was on a cross-country flight and initially called other companies where they thought the plane might be.

"We started the whole investigation a couple of days ago as far as looking at search and rescue for this aircraft, but the individual was qualified to fly the aircraft," Dean said. "But he broke every single company policy."

The school notified the FBI on Wednesday morning. However, NTSB regulations require "immediate notification" when an aircraft is "overdue and is believed to have been in an accident."

The same plane had an emergency landing incident last December, said Ahmed Mohamed, a student pilot at Dean Flight Training.

"This [plane] just has bad luck, that's it," Mohamed said.

Officials from the FAA and NTSB are investigating the incident. The Miami-Dade Police Department's homicide bureau is investigating the death.
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas, July 07, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- On Saturday, July 8 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m, the Texas State Aquarium will host International Save the Vaquita Day in its main lobby.

International Save the Vaquita Day is a global event to spread awareness for the vaquita, a critically endangered porpoise native to Mexicos Gulf of California, and support the ongoing fight to prevent its extinction. The vaquitas decline is mainly due to entanglement in gillnets, which fishermen in Mexico continue to use despite a recent law banning their use. With only 30 vaquitas remaining in the wild, there has never been a more urgent time to spread the news on the endangered vaquita and what is being done to protect it.

International Save the Vaquita Day activities will include learning stations with conservation games and activities, a photo station, and a table where guests can pledge their support for the vaquita and learn what they can do to help. All activities are included with guest admission during its regular hours of 9 a.m.  6 p.m. on Saturday.

The Texas State Aquarium has been active in efforts to save the vaquita for years and has donated over 75,000 to date towards conservation efforts. Onsite signage and social media are used as vehicles to spread awareness. In May, the #Pied4aPorpoise campaign, where participants pie themselves or someone else in the face, was kicked off by employees and shared on social media. Participants are also asked to donate $30 to VaquitaCPR.org for the $30 remaining porpoises. Donations will help fund a plan by the Mexican government and international conservation experts to capture those few remaining vaquitas and place them in a protective seapen. #Pied4aPorpoise and other campaigns have helped raise funds for this plan, but organizers say they still need hundreds of thousands of dollars in a short amount of time to make the plan a reality.

For more information on the vaquita and to donate to its conservation plan, visit VaquitaCPR.org.

###

The Texas State Aquarium (TSA), the Official Aquarium of the State of Texas, is a private, not-for-profit 501(c)(3) institution that is fully accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Its mission is to engage people with animals, inspire appreciation for our seas and support wildlife conservation. TSA provides high-quality science education about marine conservation and the habitats and species of the Gulf of Mexico to families primarily in Texas. Recently, it was named the number one cultural attraction in South Texas and one of the Top 20 Aquariums in the nation by TravelChannel.com. Learn more at texasstateaquarium.org.

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A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/c5f7ce6e-631f-4aac-88e0-b4874d96fc46
Water gushed from the ceiling of the 42nd Street-Bryant Park subway station in midtown Friday as torrential rains battered the tri-state area, prompting flood warnings for nearly a dozen counties in New York and New Jersey.



Video posted to social media showed a wall of water spewing from the ceiling to the platform at the station shortly before noon as the powerful storm system moved through. The rate of flow was so intense the yellow safety line on the platform appeared completely under water. User @mtehuitz quipped, "Refreshing, no? Thank you @MTA."



Dave Prices forecast for July 7th

Rainfall at LaGuardia and Kennedy airports broke July 7 records. At LaGuardia, 1.92 inches of rain were measured; at Kennedy, it was 1.54 inches.

The National Weather Service said about 1.54 inches of rain had fallen in Central Park at that point. Flood warnings were issued for parts of New Jersey and the Hudson Valley before the rain tapered off Friday evening.



More than 5 inches of rainfall had been recorded in parts of Warren County by 11:20 a.m., while parts of Morris County saw more than 4 inches. In Essex County's Newark, there were reports of at least one car stranded in water at one point; officials did confirm flooding in the area at the time.



Get the latest severe weather alerts here.

Area airports also experienced delays. The downpours didn't provide much relief from the heat though; the air remained muggy and uncomfortable and that was expected to continue Saturday. Another round of showers was possible Friday night.

Saturday also brings another chance for showers and thunderstorms north and west of the city in the afternoon, but the day won't be a total washout.

Sunday is the better half of the weekend and will bring mostly sunny skies and will be less humid. Comfortably warm temperatures are expected.

[NATL] Extreme Weather Photos: Record Heat Threatens Europe
What to Know The body of Officer Miosotis Familia was moved from a Manhattan hospital to a Bronx funeral home

Hundreds of officers saluted the ambulance carrying Familia during the somber procession Thursday evening

Police revealed new details about her killer, including that he was taken to a hospital for psychiatric treatment days before the shooting

Hundreds of officers honored a fallen NYPD officer on Thursday as her body was moved to a Bronx funeral home, and new details emerged about the troubled state her killer was in in the days leading up to the attack.

The body of Officer Miosotis Familia, 48, was taken from Bellevue Hospital to Schuyler Hill Funeral Home. Hundreds of her fellow officers stood and saluted as the ambulance left the hospital and as it arrived at the funeral home.

Some officers wiped away tears as the procession moved slowly down East Tremont Avenue in the Bronx shortly before 6 p.m. Residents also gathered on the street to pay their respects, as did members of the FDNY and other emergency services.

The somber event took place as new details emerged about 34-year-old Alexander Bonds, the man police say shot and killed Familia early Wednesday morning.

At a question-and-answer session following an NYPD swearing-in ceremony, Chief of Detectives Robert Boyce revealed that Bonds girlfriend took him to St. Barnabas Hospital on Saturday, July 1, for psychiatric treatment. He was released later that day.

Then on Tuesday night, just 2  hours before the shooting, Boyce said Bonds girlfriend called 911 to say he had been acting paranoid and erratic, but that he was not armed. She said he had been acting that way for weeks. Police were dispatched to check on Bonds, but they couldnt find him.

A short time later, after midnight Wednesday morning, police say he shot Familia through the passenger window of an NYPD mobile command unit as she sat with her partner. Newly released video from a bodega near 183rd Street and Morris Avenue shows dozens of officers rushing to help Familia after the shooting. The mother of three was taken to a hospital in critical condition. She later died.

Make no mistake about it  Officer Familia is dead because of Alexander Bonds and his hatred of police, Boyce said.

Bonds, who had been on parole for a robbery case in Syracuse, was gunned down by officers a block away from the crime scene following a brief chase. He had been arrested in New York City at least six times for charges including selling drugs and assaulting police with brass knuckles in 2001.

As the investigation continues, law enforcement sources said authorities are paying attention to a video posted on what appears to be Bonds Facebook page back in September. In the video, Bonds is allegedly rambling that law officers got away with killing and abusing people, he warned them to leave him alone or "we gonna do something."

"I'm not playing, Mr. Officer. I don't care about 100 police watching this," the suspect said in the page otherwise filled largely with inspirational quotes and quizzes.

While he railed in his video about how inmates are treated behind bars, prison records show he had been written up more than two dozen times for disciplinary reasons - mostly for relatively minor infractions, but sometimes for top-level violations such as attacking an inmate or fighting.

In a statement Thursday evening, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said the fact that Bonds was quickly released from the hospital only days before the shooting raises many questions. The governor said he is directing the state Department of Health and Office of Mental Health to launch, an immediate review of St. Barnabas Hospital's actions and policies in admitting, treating and discharging this individual.

"Under tragic circumstances such as these, it is critical to ensure all proper procedures and safeguards were taken, Cuomo said. This review will determine if all relevant state laws, regulations and guidelines were followed.

Cuomo has directed that flags on all state government buildings be flown at half-staff in memory of Familia.

St. Barnabas Hospital said it welcomes any investigation and will fully cooperate.

"We believe all mental health procedures and safeguards were properly followed in the hospital's evaluation of Mr. Bond during the 7 to 8-hour period he was observed in our emergency room on July 1," hospital spokesman Steven Clark said in a statement, which incorrectly referred to the killer as Bond, not Bonds.

At the question-and-answer session Thursday, NYPD Commissioner James O'Neill revealed that his department will retrofit more vehicles with bullet-resistant glass and panels, including the mobile command unit vehicles that Familia was in when she was shot to death. O'Neill said the original plan was to outfit all patrol vehicles with the ballistic glass, not command vehicles or buses. That changed in the wake of Familias death.

About 2,200 patrol cars have already been retrofitted with ballistic protection, ONeill said.

Flowers, handwritten notes and posters still lined the sidewalks outside Familias 46th Precinct stationhouse Thursday, hours after family members, fellow police officers, Mayor de Blasio and Commissioner ONeill gathered to pay their respects at the building where she spent her entire career. Some officers were visibly distraught, crying and hugging one another.

At Thursdays swearing-in ceremony, ONeill addressed 524 new NYPD recruits as they stood shoulder to shoulder on a path to policing.

Perhaps you and your family are questioning whether youre making the right decision today, especially after yesterdays tragedy in the Bronx, ONeill told the recruits. Im here to tell you, you are making the right decision.

Were angry. Were sad. Were frustrated. If we werent any of those things we wouldnt be human beings. But through times like these we must remember  policing is about hope.
What to Know A gunman shot seven staff members inside Bronx Lebanon Hospital, one of them fatally, before taking his own life.

The gunman has been identified as Dr. Henry Michael Bello, a former family doctor at the hospital who resigned in 2015

Dr. Tracy Sin-Yee Tam, 32, was killed in the shooting. She normally worked in the clinic but was covering a shift for another doctor.

One of the doctors wounded in last Friday's rampage shooting at Bronx-Lebanon Hospital vividly recalls the moment the "angry" gunman, dressed in black boots and a white lab coat, stormed the room and began firing.

Dr. Tariq Hassan was working on the 16th floor when Henry Bello, a former doctor who worked at the hospital, entered with a "big rifle" and shot at people.

Hassan was the first one hit, shot in the wrist and hand, but didn't realize it right away.

"The response on my body was amazing," he told News 4 Thursday from his hospital bed, where he continues to recover. "I fell down, but I didn't feel any pain at all."

"I didn't even know where he had hit me," said Hassan. "I just closed my eyes and I was still hearing the shots. The screaming was there."

He says he then began to feel the pain set into his hand.

"I tried to open my eyes and I was able to see around me. What I saw was the shooter actually putting gasoline (around the room) and he was about to light it," said Hassan.

"And I realized at that moment, I'm not dead. And maybe I should run."

Hassan said he started to run toward the shooter, "but I was getting drowsy, bleeding. I was just standing there. I saw the washroom door open, and I just ran into it and locked it."

Eventually, he was able to stagger to the 12th floor, where fellow staffers leaped into action. They carried him down nine floors to the operating room, SWAT teams clearing the way.

Diana Ruiz, an administrative assistant, previously described to News 4 how she and her colleagues went on autopilot to help her friend Hassan: "There was no time to think."

Hassan, an internist originally from Pakistan, says he just wants to get back to work.

A seventh doctor, 32-year-old Tracy Sin-Yee Tam, was killed before Bello used the rifle to commit suicide on the 17th floor of the hospital after failing to set himself on fire.

Bello, bent on killing a doctor sources said he had blamed for getting him terminated from the house physician job he held at Bronx-Lebanon from August 2014 to February 2015, used his old ID to gain access to the building. He was enraged that a specific doctor he'd asked for was not there, sources said.

NBC 4 New York exclusively reported Bello had been fired from a city job a week before the shooting spree. The latest termination was another setback for Bello, who had recently moved out of a men's homeless shelter on 30th Street in March and into his own apartment.
A former nursing assistant who was extradited from his native Guatemala to face charges of sexually abusing eight female patients at a Tarzana hospital is due in a Van Nuys courtroom Friday, while two of his alleged victims expressed relief that he is back in custody.



Ramon Eduardo Rodas Gaspar, 48, had been a fugitive since he failed to appear in court for a July 2006 hearing, nearly a month after a $150,000 bond was posted on his behalf.



Gaspar was arrested Feb. 13 in Guatemala and extradited back to Los Angeles last Friday, according to Deputy District Attorney Cindy Waterman with the Extradition Services Section.



Gaspar was initially charged with three counts involving two alleged victims at what was then known as Encino-Tarzana Regional Medical Center. He was subsequently charged with counts involving six other alleged victims at the hospital, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office.



He is facing seven counts of sexual battery by fraud, five counts of sexual penetration by a foreign object and three counts of sexual battery on an institutionalized victim, according to the District Attorney's Office.



All of the charges are felonies. The criminal complaint alleges that the crimes occurred between January 2005 and April 2006. Former patients reported being sexually assaulted by Gaspar after surgery, some while still under the effects of anesthesia, according to the Los Angeles Police Department, which began an investigation in June 2006.



On Thursday, two alleged victims told reporters at the LAPD's West Valley Station they had waited 10 long years for news of Gaspar's re-capture.



"For so many years, I waited and waited for that call to come and I pleaded for that call to come," alleged victim Courtney R. said. "I picked it up and I heard, 'I've been waiting 10 years to place this call.' And I just started crying."



Courtney was the first woman to come forward.



She said Gaspar assaulted her just before she was released from the hospital. "You know I was sick, I was in pain," she said. "He had scrubs on. He had a badge so you know the things he was doing made sense at that time. Until finally, upon discharge, is when he actually committed the sexual assault. I realized what had happened and I went to the LAPD."



LAPD Detective Ninette Toosbuy said she remained determined to bring Gaspar to justice over the past decade, vowing that she wouldn't retire until he was found and returned to Los Angeles.



She said his crimes were particularly egregious because he was in a position of trust.



"It's one of the few professions where that professional can tell you to undress. 'Please disrobe for me because I need to examine you,'" Toosbuy said. "And we do it without question. Why? Because we trust them."



Alleged victim Anna B. told reporters she was assaulted in a shower.



"It was my first shower. I hadn't been able to bathe for days," she said. "I was so relieved to get out of my bed and be able to shower. And that's where it occurred (at) that time."



Gaspar -- who worked at the hospital for about two years -- was arrested June 15, 2006, and booked on suspicion of three felony counts of sexual assault.



Several additional alleged victims came forward after police issued a news release about Gaspar on July 7, 2006, resulting in additional charges being filed against him, police said.



Gaspar skipped bail soon afterward and disappeared with his wife and 6- year-old son, according to the LAPD.



The case was featured on the Fox Broadcasting series "America's Most Wanted" and investigators learned Gaspar had fled to Guatemala. He is being held without bail.
Charges against a Philadelphia woman accused of attacking a police horse while protesting a demonstration against Shariah law in Pennsylvania have been upheld.

Harrisburg police say 23-year-old Lisa Joy Simon allegedly used a flag pole with a silver nail at the top to strike the horse on the side of the neck.

Simon allegedly resisted as Harrisburg Police officers tried to arrest her. She was later taken into custody and charged with aggravated assault to police, taunting police animals, disorderly conduct and other related offenses. Neither the horse nor the trooper was badly injured.

Simon's attorney argued at a hearing Wednesday that she was likely protecting herself as the trooper was using the horse to push back a crowd. PennLive.com reports a judge found enough evidence to send the case to Dauphin County court.

Simon was part of a group protesting against the anti-Islamic law demonstrators.

The incident occurred during an ACT for America Rally on June 10 at 11:32 a.m. on the Capital steps of North 3rd and State streets in Harrisburg. It was one of several rallies in cities across the nation Saturday that were sponsored by ACT for America, which is classified as an anti-Muslim hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center.
Editor's Note: The Amber Alert has been cancelled, and police were investigating Friday night whether a crime was actually committed. Read the updated story here.

Authorities issued an Amber Alert Thursday night for a 16-year-old boy who was abducted from Los Angeles by a woman considered armed and dangerous.

The boy was abducted at around 4 p.m. by 31-year-old Kandice Johnson, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.

He is black, with brown eyes and black hair. He is 5-feet-8 and weighs 150 pounds. Johnson is black, with red, green and black multi-colored braided hair, police said. She is 5-foot-3 and weighs 147 pounds.

She was last seen driving a 2014 black Toyota Camry, with a California license plate 7XWL023. The stolen car belongs to the teen's mother, police said.



The boy's mother identified Johnson as the woman sought in her son's disappearance, according to the LAPD. Johnson is not related to the teen, but is acquainted with his mother, police said.

The Amber Alert was in effect for Los Angeles and Orange counties.
A four-alarm fire early Friday gutted a partially constructed 7-story Oakland building, displacing at least 700 people who live nearby.

A caller reported seeing smoke from the structure at 2302 Valdez Street around 4:30 a.m., according to Interim Fire Chief Darin White.

Fridays blaze is the fifth major fire at an Oakland residential construction site in five years. All those fires happened at projects to build new apartments and retail space. The last four were rules suspicious or arson. Investigative Reporter Bigad Shaban has been looking into those fires, the likely causes and the many unanswered questions.

The now-destroyed building, which had been under construction for several months, is the Alta Waverly. Its architect is Oakland-based Pyatok and developer is Wood Partners of Mill Valley. Upon completion next spring, the mixed-use project was expected to feature 196 homes and up to 31,500 square feet of retail space.

Instead, flames have reduced the Alta Waverly to a charred skeleton that is unstable and missing chunks of scaffolding. Plumes of smoke not only blanketed the area, but were also visible from as far as the South Bay, and sidewalks for several blocks in all directions were littered with soot and ash. The National Weather Service of the Bay Area said a satellite detected temperatures as high as 1,145 degrees Fahrenheit from the Oakland fire.

Pyatok/Wood Partners

The first fire engine was on scene within five minutes of the initial call. Crews were forced to go on the defense immediately because flames were building at the center of the structure. In all, more than 80 firefighters battled the blistering flames with the assistance of more than two dozen fire apparatus, White said.

"We had zero injuries," he said with a smile.

But the danger has not passed.

The task of extinguishing the fire, which has since been knocked down, was made riskier as parts of the building crumbled around fire crews, while the scorching heat made a large construction crane swing, White said.

Four-Alarm Fire Engulfs Building Under Construction in Oakland

Radiant heat was felt for several blocks around the fire. That, combined with the threat of the careening crane prompted road closures and roughly 100 evacuations, according to White. People who have been uprooted were given shelter through 5 p.m. at the Cathedral of Christ the Light at 2121 Harrison Street. They can spend the night at St. Vincent De Paul at 2272 San Pablo Ave.

White was unable to specify when people will be allowed to return to their homes, citing ongoing concerns about the integrity of the crane. The evacuation order cannot be lifted until the crane, which could collapse, has been deconstructed and removed, he said. The Alameda County Sheriff's Office plans to send a drone into the scorched building to help the crane operator and Cal/OSHA determine the best way to dismantle it.

A four-alarm fire on Friday engulfed an Oakland building under construction, prompting evacuations in the area.

"I was scared," Mout Khamphou told the San Francisco Chronicle.

Khamphou said she was sitting in her car getting ready to go to work when she saw smoke coming from the building next door.

She drove away, thinking the fire wasn't bad, but called her husband who was still at home to warn him.

"I called my husband and I said, 'I saw the fire start. You have to be careful and get ready to get out.' He called me and said, 'Oh honey, the fire started getting worse and he asked where my passport and papers are. Our apartment won't be safe anymore.' I was crying a lot, I worried.''

She said she turned around and drove back to her neighborhood and found flames shooting from the building. Other evacuees told NBC Bay Area that when they went to close windows to prevent smoke from entering their homes, the glass was hot.

A four-alarm fire early Friday gutted a partially constructed 7-story Oakland building, displacing nearly 100 people who live nearby. Ian Cull reports.

According to White, it is too early to know what caused the fire because firefighters are still monitoring hot spots. It is only after structural engineers and Cal/OSHA have deemed the building safe that investigators with the Alameda County Arson Task Force can comb through the wreckage.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services is helping Oakland firefighters develop a plan to address the multiple hazards that are puting residents and first-responders at peril, White said.

A construction worker was of the opinion that someone may not have wanted more buildings along Auto Row, which is a hub for new developments. But that theory has not been corroborated by officials.

At a news conference, Mayor Libby Schaaf promised to offer "comfort and security" to those who were impacted by the fire as well as "relentlessly investigate" its cause.

"With a fire this size, it is miraculous that we have had no loss of loss, no injuries and nothing more than what appears to be cosmetic damage to any ancillary or surrounding structures, she said.

A four-alarm fire on Friday engulfed an Oakland building under construction, prompting evacuations in the area. Bob Redell, Pete Suratos and Rob Mayeda reports.

Meanwhile, city councilwoman Lynette Gibson McElhaney, whose district includes Alta Waverly, said Oakland leaders will not take Friday's fire lightly.

"We are concerned," she said. "We will look at what the investigation will reveal in terms of whether this was human error or foul play. But I think we all have to be concerned when several hundred units of housing are taken off the market in the middle of an unprecedent housing crisis."

Schaaf agreed.

"Oakland is in the middle of a housing crisis and the loss of these valuable new units only exacerbates that problem," she said. "We are very clear that this type of development is what Oakland needs to get through this moment where rents are skyrocketing, where housing is in high demand.

"This is a loss for our city and for this region right now."

A four-alarm fire on Friday engulfed an Oakland building under construction, prompting evacuations in the area. Bob Redell reports.

The developer reportedly had a roving security patrol at Alta Waverly, and White said confirmed the presence of security cameras in the vicinity. It remains unknown what, if any, surveillance footage was captured.

Wood Partners issued a statement Friday, in which the company's CEO Joe Keough said, "Our deepest concern goes out to those impacted by this unfortunate event. We are grateful that no injuries were sustained and we are working closely with local fire officials and investigators to identify the cause of the fire."



Fire officials told NBC Bay Area that their efforts to contain the blaze ensured that it didn't reach four homes to the east of the construction site.

The Alameda County Fire Department sent mutual aid to man Oakland's fire stations, while the city's fire department focused on the fire that quickly escalated from two to three and then four alarms.

Fires have plagued Oakland in recent months.

Last October, a five-alarm fire erupted at an apartment site under construction near Lake Merritt, which is under two miles from Friday's fire.

A three-alarm fire then claimed 36 lives during a December 2016 concert at the Ghost Ship warehouse, and a four-alarm fire in a West Oakland residential building killed four people in March.

People who witnessed the fire or may have any information about it are asked to call a tip line at 510-777-3333.

NBC Bay Area's Bob Redell and Pete Suratos and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
A cheating student sparked the investigation leading to Advanced Placement test scores being thrown out at Scripps Ranch High School, according to school district officials.

More than 540 students must retake the exam if they want college credit. The scores were invalidated on June 28 by the College Board and its test administrator Educational Testing Services.

The student accused of cheating was apparently leaning back from his desk and reportedly looking at someone else's test, according to Cindy Marten, Superintendent of San Diego Unified School District.

That student was taken out of the testing situation so there are no scores for that student, explained Marten.

The 547 students we're talking about, specifically, there was no incident of cheating on those scores, said Marten who noted there was just the one allegation of cheating.

A counselor giving the test self-reported the wrongdoing sparking the College Board to investigate.

NBC 7 first reported the investigation began when the College Board received a seating chart after the AP exams were conducted.

While only one student is accused of cheating -- the board found issues with certain testing regulations: the size of the tables, the seating chart and privacy partitions separating the students.

According to the College Board, those seating rules are in place to make sure no student gains an unfair advantage.



AP students arent happy their scores were invalidated.

Its hard to know that they told us to have integrity and not cheat, but we have to deal with their irresponsibility, exclaimed Scripps Ranch High School junior Katrina Marie who has to retake her AP exams.

"They should definitely pay for what they did, said Analicia Uribe, another Scripps Ranch HS student wholl have to retake the test. It was their fault and we had nothing to do with it.

The principal and an AP coordinator responsible for following the testing rules announced their retirements before the tests, according to Superintendent Cindy Marten.

Marten says they're looking at what type of disciplinary action can be taken against them even though they've retired.

Marten will meet Thursday with the College Board to talk about how to proceed. In the afternoon, she'll meet with the school board and attorneys to talk about legal options.

Despite pleas from parents, it appears the results will remain invalidated.

Students have to register to re-take the tests by this Friday. Heres a link for additional information.

The voided AP exams could have big consequences for students who aren't staying in San Diego this summer and won't be available to retake the exams. It's especially significant for seniors who already planned their first semester of college feeling confident with their prior test performance.


A heat advisory and excessive heat warning are in effect Friday for San Diego and neighboring counties, according to the National Weather Service.

Strengthening high pressure above the desert will bring hot weather inland Friday and Saturday.

An excessive heat warning is in effect until 9 p.m. Saturday.

A warning like this means heat illnesses are likely if preventative measures are not taken.

At Cowles Mountain, some people were out early trying to get in some exercise before the heat set in. Some of the hikers were up before dawn, tackling the trail in the dark.

"It's a little dangerous," said hiker Lindy Castillo. "You get tired a lot faster. The earlier, the better."

Temperatures in the Inland Empire could reach 105 to 110 degrees with Palm Springs expected to see 119 degrees on Saturday.

Officials issued red flag warnings for fire danger in Santa Barbara County's mountains and south coast due to dry, hot winds starting Thursday evening.

The Cleveland National Forest has announced it will close Three Sisters and Cedar Creek Falls for public and rescuer safety.

To the north in the Sierra Nevada, fire warnings were in effect from Sequoia to Yosemite, while flood warnings due to snowmelt are posted in northern Mono County in California and southern Lyon County in Nevada.

Excessive heat warnings were also in place in Arizona, where temperatures in Phoenix could hit 117 Friday. That's only a few degrees less than the record-breaking heat that baked the state last month.

Las Vegas, where the mercury could hit 113 degrees during the day Friday, won't get much of a release at night, said weather service meteorologist Chelsea Kryston. Overnight temperatures will linger at around 90.

The heat building into the weekend results from high pressure over the desert.

Spiking temperatures will be accompanied by more moisture moving up from Mexico that could add humidity to the heat wave in some areas.

In addition, a heat advisory has been issued for Friday with temperatures reaching triple digits in Ramona, Escondido, El Cajon and Alpine.

Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room or stay out of the sun and check on relatives and neighbors.

Young children and pets should never be left unattended in vehicles under any circumstances.

Cooling zones have been set up across the county.
A boy found beaten, and starved last week in Mexico City is at the center of an international custody battle.

The 5-year-old boy found in chains at a relatives house was born in Escondido and has dual citizenship.

Now, his parents say they want to care for him when he returns to the U.S.

An anonymous tip on June 28 led officers to the starving, injured boy and with chains wrapped around his legs in a neighborhood outside of Mexico City.

The boys father told NBC 7 he would send $500 a month to his sister and brother-in-law in Mexico City to care for the boy.

Pascual Castro, who is a Mexican national, says the last few weeks have been a nightmare.

An innocent child of 5 years, the father said in Spanish. He cannot defend himself.

Dawn Sanderson, who is estranged from Castro, said she lost custody of her son when he was only 11 months old.

Sanderson, who lives in Escondido, is a U.S. citizen. Shes also seeking custody.

"I'm going to do what I have to do without stopping until the day I have him with me," she said in Spanish to NBC News.



Castro is waiting for the boy to return to San Diego in the next few weeks. He said U.S. Congressman Darrell Issa is helping him with the paperwork.

The sister and brother-in-law face child abuse charges according to Mexican law enforcement authorities.

Now the child may be reunited with his family in the United States or placed in foster care in Mexico City.

Telemundo20 confirmed with Marcela Celorio, the Mexican Consul General in San Diego, that the boy may be placed in foster care at least temporarily.

What ultimately happens depends on the special prosecutor for the rights of children in Mexico City.
English Dutch French

Referring to the launch of the public consultation on the updated TV and broadband market analysis, Orange Belgium welcomes the intention expressed by the regulators to strengthen the competition on the fixed markets. Orange Belgium now calls upon the regulators to further develop and improve the draft decision as soon as possible in the interest of the consumers.

Since many years, the Belgian customers had been suffering from a lack of competition in the internet & TV market, associated with high retail tariffs with regular price increases. Orange's internet and TV ("Love") offer, launched last year, has marked a step change in the market dynamic by offering consumers a qualitative alternative at an attractive price. One year after launch, more than 50 000 customers trusts Orange for their Internet & TV. For that purpose, Orange spent more than 60M (excluding indirect costs) and created more than 200 (direct and indirect) jobs. Orange keeps improving its Love proposition regularly, with new content and features. Orange's internet & TV is only available in combination with a mobile subscription as today's wholesale tariffs don't allow to offer an economically sustainable standalone fixed offer.

Orange Belgium calls upon the regulators to move the market analysis forward with a clear focus on improving as fast as possible the cable access financial and operational conditions to allow the Belgian customers to benefit from a sustainable and effective competition on the Internet & TV market.

The proposed strengthening of the non-discrimination obligations will definitely contribute to an improvement of alternative operators' ability to compete.

With respect to the wholesale charges, the current retail-minus methodology has proven to be ineffective and non-sustainable. The wholesale prices must be based as fast as possible on a cost-plus methodology as used in other markets. By design, a cost-plus method provides infrastructure operators with the necessary returns on investment, while it also allows predictable and competitive conditions for alternative operators.

Considering first analysis and international benchmarks, Orange Belgium considers that the wholesale cost charged by the cable operators should decrease by an amount of up to 10  per customer per month.

Orange Belgium also welcomes that BIPT consultation raises the question of the framework for the fiber networks (FttH) roll out in Belgium. Even if these deployments will not be able to materially change the market in the short term, Orange Belgium considers that fair co-investment models allow to deploy fiber networks wider and quicker to the benefit of Belgian economy in the long term, as it has been the case in other countries, and is willing to consider them, subject to acceptable financial and operational conditions.

Orange Belgium will now carry out an in-depth analysis of the consultation files.

About Orange Belgium

Orange Belgium is one of the leading telecommunication operators on the Belgian market, with over 3 million customers, and in Luxembourg through its subsidiary Orange Communications Luxembourg.

As a convergent actor, we provide mobile telecommunication services, internet and TV to private clients, as well as innovative mobile and fixed line services to businesses. Our high-performance mobile network supports 2G, 3G, 4G and 4G+ technology and is the subject of ongoing investments.

Orange Belgium is a subsidiary of the Orange Group, one of the leading European and African operators for mobile telephony and internet access, as well as one of the world leaders for telecommunication services to enterprises.

Orange Belgium is listed on the Brussels Stock Exchange (OBEL).

More information on: corporate.orange.be, www.orange.be or follow us on Twitter : @pressOrangeBe.

Press contact

Annelore Marynissen - annelore.marynissen@orange.com - +32 (0) 479 01 60 58

Jean-Pascal Bouillon - jean-pascal.bouillon@orange.com - +32 (0) 473 94 87 31

press@orange.be

Contact investors

Siddy Jobe - ir@orange.be - +32(0)2 745 80 92
Officials with the San Diego County Sheriff's Department (SDSO) are investigating a threat against Encinitas Mayor Catherine Blakespear.

The department is taking the July 2 threat seriously, SDSO Captain John Maryon told NBC 7 San Diego. The department took a criminal report and it investigating the threat.

Blakespear told NBC 7 that the text message threat referenced fantasies the suspect had of committing violent sexual acts against her.

We are taking this seriously," Maryon said in a statement to NBC 7 San Diego, adding that he could not comment on the specifics of the threat due to the ongoing investigation. "To send something like that is not right, and its illegal.

Blakespear, elected mayor of Encinitas in November, said she is taking added protections to keep herself and her family safe. She is serving a two-year mayoral term.

Threatening sexual violence is aimed at making me feel fearful and vulnerable as a woman," Blakespear told NBC 7 in a statement. "Its goal is to terrorize me, and I recognize that."

She said she does not know who sent her the threat. Blakespear said she reported the threat to Sheriff's deputies on July 3.

Maryon said he could not comment further on the matter as the threat is under investigation.

The investigation is ongoing.

No further information was available.
For the second straight year, the U.S. Secret Service arrested a South Carolina woman trying to break onto White House grounds on the Fourth of July, police said.

Alicia Keppler was arrested early Tuesday morning while running along the south fence line of the White House, seeking to jump on to the grounds, according to police reports. Keppler scaled a bike rack security barrier, the reports said.

Keppler, 32, ignored orders from the Secret Service to back away from the security barrier near the fence line and was forcefully taken to the ground by an officer, according to court records filed by the officer. In his court filing, the Secret Service officer said Keppler refused to identify herself after her arrest and was not carrying identification.

At no time did the individual gain access to the actual White House grounds, a Secret Service spokesman said.

Keppler is being held at the D.C. jail without bond pending a hearing in U.S. District Court Monday afternoon.

The incident occurred exactly one year after Keppler was arrested for another attempt to trespass on White House property. Her July 4, 2016, attempt occurred at the White House Ellipse, along the east side of 17th Street NW, according to court records. The case was dismissed when Keppler agreed to enter a diversion program and was ordered to undergo mental health services.

Her attorney declined to comment, including on why Keppler has been twice accused of attempting to trespass on the Fourth of July.

Keppler resides in South Carolina, according to a court official.

She has a history of incidents on White House grounds and is known to the Secret Service, according to arrest reports. In addition to her July 4 arrests, Keppler was arrested for trying to unlawfully enter the grounds during the March 2016 White House Easter Egg Roll. The arrest report said Keppler approached the appointment gate, claiming to have an appointment. According to the arrest report, she ignored orders to step back. She attempted to run past security officers and was tackled and placed into custody, according to the officers report.

A court had issued an order Keppler stay away from the White House earlier in 2016, after another trespassing attempt at the White House. During that incident, she was accused of flailing her arms and screaming at officers while handcuffed near the southeast gate.

The arrests of Keppler are the latest in a string of attempts to breach security at the White House. An I-Team review of prosecutions handled by the U.S. Attorneys Office for the District of Columbia showed at least 20 prosecutions of people arrested for breaching security since 2014. A majority of the cases involved people for whom mental health screenings were ordered. Several of the cases, including Keppler's, involved multiple attempts spanning several months.

Former Secret Service officer Robert Caltabiano said the agency often arrests repeat offenders breaching security.

There really isn't a lot, at times, the government can do to hold them," he said. "They can arrest (the offender) for trespassing, and if there's no security component of threatening against the president, the reality is they're going to be released. And guess what? They do it again."
The Maryland man who admitted to killing his estranged wife and two other people during a string of shootings over two days in two counties was sentenced Friday to life in prison without parole for the crimes that took place in Montgomery County.

Eulalio Tordil had pleaded guilty in April to two counts of murder and two counts of attempted murder in Montgomery County. Authorities say he shot and killed two strangers during apparent carjacking attempts there on the second day of a shooting spree.

Police said Tordil was trying to carjack a woman May 6, 2016, outside the Westfield Montgomery mall when two men tried to help the woman. Both men and the woman were shot. Malcom Winffel, 45, died; the other two victims survived.

Later on the same afternoon, Claudina Molina, 65, was shot and killed outside a Giant grocery store in a shopping center in Aspen Hill.

The shootings came a day after Tordil fatally shot his estranged wife, 44-year-old Gladys Tordil, in the parking lot of High Point High School in Prince George's County.

Authorities said he also shot and wounded a bystander who tried to help her; that man survived.

Tordil pleaded guilty in the Prince George's County crimes last month.
Police have zeroed in on a person of interest in the slaying of a 77-year-old man at a Virginia senior center, but authorities said that person has also been found dead.

Cong Huu Nguyen, 77, was killed April 20 in his apartment at the Little River Glen Senior Retirement Community in the 4000 block of Barker Court in Fairfax. He died of trauma to the upper body, according to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.

Police announced Friday that they have identified a person of interest in the case, and that this person was someone Nguyen knew well. However, Fairfax County detectives and the Department of Homeland Security have determined that this person flew to Vietnam the day after Nguyen's killing and was later also found dead.

Authorities are continuing forensic examinations on the case. They will confirm the identity of the person of interest after that work is completed, they said Friday. They also plan to release the cause and manner of that person's death.

This person of interest was the only one believed to be involved in Nguyen's murder, police said.

Detectives are investigating the possibility that the motive involved financial gain, police said.
Immigrant children who cross the border without their parents have the right to a court hearing to challenge any decision to detain them instead of turning them over to family in the U.S., a federal appeals court said Wednesday.

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said two laws passed by Congress did not end the right to a bond hearing for unaccompanied immigrant children who are detained by federal authorities.

Tens of thousands of unaccompanied children fleeing gang and drug violence in Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador have entered the U.S. in recent years.

Federal officials place the vast majority of them with family in the U.S., who care for the minors while they attend school and while their cases go through the immigration court system.

But the Department of Human Services has the authority to hold children in secure facilities if they pose a danger to themselves or others or have committed a crime. Some have spent months in detention.

Immigration advocates estimate the size of the group in secure custody at several hundred children and say bond hearings allow them to understand why they are being held and challenge their detention.

"If you don't give kids transparency and a clear finite date when their detention will end you see all kinds of psychological effects," said Holly Cooper, co-director of the Immigration Law Clinic at the University of California, Davis.

Cooper represented plaintiffs in the legal fight over the bond hearings. The 9th Circuit ruling cited a declaration from one teenager who was held for 16 months, mostly at a juvenile detention center in Northern California. The teen, referred to only by his first name, Hector, said federal officials provided no explanation for his continued detention, and he received no hearing before an immigration judge. He was eventually released to his mother.

The Obama administration argued that two laws  one approved in 2002 and the other in 2008  did away with the bond hearing requirement in a 1997 court settlement by giving the human services department all authority over custody and placement decisions for unaccompanied children.

The Department of Justice said in a 2016 court filing that immigration judges "are not experts in child-welfare issues and possess significantly less expertise in determining what is in the best interest of the child" than human services officials.

Judge Stephen Reinhardt, writing for a unanimous three-judge panel of the 9th Circuit, said the two laws do not give exclusive authority over unaccompanied minors to HHS' Office of Refugee Resettlement.

Justice Department spokeswoman Nicole Navas said the agency was reviewing the court's ruling and considering its next steps.

Reinhardt said bond hearings are "an opportunity for counsel to bring forth the reasons for the minor's detention, examine and rebut the government's evidence, and build a record regarding the child's custody.

"Without such hearings, these children have no meaningful forum in which to challenge ORR's decisions regarding their detention or even to discover why those decisions have been made," he said.
Police in Worcester, Massachusetts, are searching for a man who robbed a convenience store armed with a syringe.

Police said they responded to Honey Farms Market on 304 Belmont St. in the early-morning hours Thursday for a reported armed robbery.

The clerk informed police that a man had entered the store armed with a syringe, demanding a pack of cigarettes and money from the register.

The suspect fled the area behind the market on foot. Police believe that the suspect then entered a dark-colored sedan and left the scene.

Police described the man as between 35 and 45 years old, approximately 5'5'' tall, with dirty blond hair and a beard.

No one was injured.

Investigation into the crime is ongoing. Tips can be sent to Worcester police anonymously by texting 274637, or by leaving an anonymous message at worcesterma.gov/police.
Police in Barre, Vermont, are searching for a driver who struck and seriously injured a pedestrian Saturday before speeding off.

The incident happened July 1 around 3 p.m. in the area of 124 North Main St.

The victim, Fred Godfrey, was struck while in a crosswalk. He is being treated at the University of Vermont Medical Center.

The vehicle is a silver-colored compact car. The front of the car may have damage to it.

Surveillance video shows there was a passenger in the vehicle at the time.

Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 802-466-6613 or email james.pontbriand@vermont.gov.
Police in Pelham, New Hampshire, are searching for suspects in a street fight that was caught on tape in the parking lot.

At least one of the suspects can be seen in the video with what police believe to be is a revolver.

The fight occurred on June 28 at approximately 10:30 p.m. in the parking lot of Tobacco Junction on Bridge Street.

According to a witness, the fight broke out between two males outside of Tobacco Junction. Police believe that others associated with those males quickly became involved.

In the surveillance tape taken from the store, one of the males originally involved in the fight can be seen opening his trunk and pulling out a possible firearm.

The unidentified male then shows his gun to the other people involved in the fight. Those suspects then got into a light-colored Ford Edge and took off southbound on Bridge Street.

The male with the possible firearm can then be seen motioning as if shooting the gun at the moving car.

The involved parties did not file a police report, but Pelham police are looking to identify anyone involved in the incident.
A team of first responders scrambled to rescue a 12-year-old boy who became stuck in thick mud up to his waist in Essex, Vermont.

The Essex Fire Department say Wednesday night, the boy was exploring a creek bed in an area of Sand Hill Park that's down an embankment and out of bounds for normal play, when he stepped into silty, gluey mud and was unable to free himself.

"It certainly could've been a tragedy," observed Essex Fire Chief Charles Cole.

Rescuers dug for 45 minutes with shovels and their bare hands to free the boy, even using a fire hose to loosen or blast away some of the mud, Cole said.

The child was not hurt in the incident, and was handed over safely to a relative, Cole told necn.

First responders did not publicly identify the child.

"I wouldn't go down there, because as a kid, I'm sure it'd look all fun and all, but just play at the park," advised Paige Bundy, 14, who was in Sand Hill Park Thursday.

"Obviously, it's just important to keep watching our kids," added Emily Pawlusiak, another park-goer.

Cole is now urging people to be extra careful on land around water, even small creeks.

"Don't assume things are dry and safe," the fire chief said.

Safety alerts went up from Vermont Emergency Management this past weekend for Vermont's rivers and streams. The state warned about high levels and faster currents than normal because of all the rain weve been having.

Those advisories could well be renewed in the coming days, because there's more rain in the forecast, and it's expected to be heavy at times.

"Just be careful around any stream, any pond, any place where water can be and can collect," Cole said. "The lands are just so saturatedeverything's really, really wetthere's more mud, there's more cave-ins."

Mevludin Bahonjic, a father who was at Sand Hill Park Thursday, said he's adjusted his activities because of the conditions.

"I usually take my daughter out fishing or in the kayak and stuff, and it's been very high," Bahonjic said of the water levels. "We've been trying to avoid it the past few days."

That's a smart move, safety experts say, to help keep summer fun from taking a dangerous turn.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, July 07, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Tango Mining Limited (Tango or the Company) (TSXV:TGV) announces that, pursuant its news release dated 17 June 2015, it has reached a settlement with ATC Enterprises DMCC (ATC) to settle accrued interest, balance due on last tender and the outstanding amount owing for the Oena offtake right for debt totaling C$342,895 by the issuance of 6,857,900 common shares at a price of $0.05 per share. This settlement with ATC effectively terminates the diamond offtake right with ATC with regard to the Companys Oena property, thereby eliminating the 10% fee that was payable on the first 2,000 carats of diamond sales.

The Company also announces that ATC has converted US$50,000 (C$65,000) of its remaining unsecured convertible note into common shares at a price of $0.05 per share, for a total of 1,300,000 common shares. ATC has also agreed to extend the term of conversion of their remaining US$200,000 unsecured convertible note to December 31, 2017.

The settlement arrangement with ATC is subject to the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
Boston Mayor Marty Walsh met with community leaders and police for over an hour Friday in an effort to find a way to stem the violence that has shaken the city this week.



An increased number of shooting and stabbing incidents have many in the community concerned about their safety. Walsh joined community leaders and police to help find a solution to the growing violence in the city.

"The conversation really was about how can we solve some of the issues, and how can we resolve the issues without policing, meaning how can we do it with just not depending solely on the police department," Walsh said. "I think we had a very good dialogue here."

Three separate shootings were reported in Dorchester on Thursday. An 18-year-old was killed and a 14-year-old was injured during a shooting on Blue Hill Avenue in Dorchester on Thursday. The incident is believed to be gang-related.

An earlier shooting where a victim was seriously injured happened just after midnight. Another shooting took place around 11 a.m. with one person suffering non-life threatening injuries.

Earlier on Thursday, a 15-year-old was arrested in connection to the stabbing death of an 18-year-old in Dudley Square.

This comes after a fatal stabbing in Roxbury on Wednesday that took a mans life after an argument.

Police Commissioner William Evans said even one violent incident like this is too many.

"Obviously, we've had a recent uptick over the last two weeks," Evans said. "We had geared up for July 4th. We had a lot of extra officers out there, but obviously that didn't do the trick. We're working together to see what we weren't doing and where we can improve.

"We had a great discussion. We're going to take a lot of things away from this, and hopefully things will settle down," he added. "Our hearts and souls are into it and hopefully, working together, we'll make the city a quiet place and an enjoyable place for the rest of the summer."
Not made your Christmas pudding yet? Don't know where to start? Come along to a Christmas pudding workshop at Norwich Central Baptist Church on November 21 with MasterChef contestant Jane Wyndham.

Not made your Christmas pudding yet? Don't know where to start? Come along to a Christmas pudding workshop at Norwich Central Baptist Church on November 21 with MasterChef contestant Jane Wyndham.

Norwich Foodbank provides over 4,700 food parcels Norwich Foodbank gave out 4,793 emergency food parcels to people across Norwich in the last year  with 1,790 of these going to children. Read more

Poppies cascading in Sheringham church A fall of poppies cascades from the pulpit in St Andrews Methodist Church in Sheringham, and anyone is welcome to come and see them. Read more

Bishop Graham's prayers for COP27 climate conference Bishop Graham is publishing daily prayers on social media for the current COP27 climate conference, and is asking all to join. Read more

Discovering the Orange in your life The vibrant colours of autumn have been inspiring regular contributor Jane Walters to focus on the positive. Read more

YMCA annual celebration set to inspire YMCA Norfolk is set to hold its much anticipated 2022 annual celebration and awards ceremony on November 17, after almost 3 years since the last event due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Read more

Hub manager vacancy at community shop Earlham Community Shop Community Interest Company is looking to appoint a manager for this new venture being developed in the heart of NR5 Norwich. Read more

Abbey Days brings Christmas Magic to Wymondham Visitors to Wymondham Abbeys Christmas fair will be able to treat their children to a magic show and fun baking workshop while they browse more than 60 stalls. Read more

Salvation Armys new Christmas Appeal in Norfolk The Salvation Army has launched their new Christmas appeal across Norfolk which, this year, has evolved from the much-loved Toys and Tins appeal. Read more

Are we storing up treasures on earth? Rising prices affect us all, and Anna Heydon urges us to spare a thought for those who will be struggling with the cost of living this winter. Read more

Latest Norfolk Christian community events Events of interest to the Norwich and Norfolk Christian community happening over the next few weeks are listed. Read more

Covid leaf memorial at Norwich church St Peter Mancroft Church Norwich Presents The Leaves of the Trees an installation by sculptor Peter Walker which provides a memorial for those who died of Covid-19 Read more

Community Chaplaincy Norfolk begins a new chapter Community Chaplaincy Norfolk (CCN) celebrated the beginning of a new chapter this week, as the new chair of trustees Chris Tomlinson led his first annual meeting. Read more

Lowestoft Christians launch on-line bible helps app The Lowestoft and Great Yarmouth branch of Good News for Everyone (GNFE), formerly the Gideons, have introduced a new mobile phone app called On-line Bible Helps. Read more

Addicts' rehabilitation centre plan for Drayton Hall Christian addiction charity Teen Challenge London is planning to turn Drayton Hall near Norwich into its headquarters and a rehabilitation centre for men, after it was gifted the freehold of the hall by its owner, the Lind Trust. Read more

The power of positive protest Philip Young encourages us to take a stand for what we believe, and has just written to Therese Coffey regarding climate change and the forthcoming COP 27. He explains why we should be prepared to protest. Read more

Norwich church celebrates with cribs and trees Rosebery Road Methodist Church in Norwich will be holding its annual Cribs and Trees Festival in December. Read more

Transforming Norwich lunch offers ministry tips Ex-Brighton vicar, Rev Phil Moon, will offer tips on how to keep going in ministry to the Transforming Norwich leaders lunch on Wednesday November 16. Read more
Artificial intelligence (AI) and blockchain are among new technologies that are driving a need for increased data center capacity, according to a telco, announcing an expansion recently.

China Telecom said in a press release that these rapidly maturing technologies, such as machine learning and adaptive security, will propel investment in data centers. And that they are one reason for its data center-business enlargement.

Interestingly, though, data centers themselves may end up using this new tech as heavily as the customers.

San Jose, California-based Litbit says in a recent blog post that it has developed the first AI-powered data center operator.

AI tool helps prevent data center disasters

Dac, as the AI tool is called, promises to find loose electrical hook-ups and leaking water, among other potential data center disasters. It uses machine learning.

Infrared vision is among Dacs skills, says CEO Scott Noteboom, writing in the companys blog. That superhuman insight, he claims, helps identify electrical arc flashes and alert managers to failing power supplies. Such things can be a precursor to server failure.

Litbit uses a human-to-machine learning interface that combines what existing human employees know and can tell the machines to look out for, along with real-time data. Vision, acoustics and touch combined with algorithms are used to detect anomalies.

Clone your best employees, the companys marketing proclaims. In this case, the AI computer is taught about data centers by the incumbents. A manager oversees it, but Dac can process thousands of data center specific thoughts per second.

Vibrations in server racks, for example, indicate hard drive issuesthe drives exhibit acoustics that arent normal. Those anomaly sounds are compared to normal ones captured ultrasonically at varying load levels.

Environmental controls are ripe for AI management. HVAC, for example, can be adjusted based on weather.

Environmental controls are another feature ripe for AI management and are used by DacHVAC, for example, can be adjusted based on weather.

Noteboom qualifies the obvious human job-loss element of his product by saying his AI tool has been created to let data center workers focus on more interesting and new things.

Additionally, however, Noteboom (speaking on the Infrastructure Masons panel at the DCD Webscale conference in San Francisco last month, which I did not attend) explains that the Dac product would be great for data center installs in remote locations, where highly skilled workers would have to be imported ordinarily. That is according to Data Center Frontier, who wrote about the panel.

Enter the robots

Robots are another entrant in the data center employment pool, says company Wave2Wave. (CEO David Wang, spoke on the same DCD panel.)

Wave2Waves product is a rack-mounted robot for making physical optical connections. The idea is to let data centers rapidly provision circuits.

Its tool, called ROME (Robotic Optical Switch for Data Centers) performs connections in a few seconds. The robot manages the cable connections, plucking components mechanically, almost like an old-school telecommunications switchboard where the panel-inserted electrical cords established voice connections.

Its faster than software-defined networking (SDN) orchestration software, the companys website explains.

Security benefits of AI and robots

Advantages to both Litbit and Wave2Waves products are also found in security. Omitting humans from the data center can be more secure.

Its a game changer in the physical connectivity space thats overdue for innovation, Wave2Wave says of its ROME connection-making robot.
LONDON, July 07, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Global Ship Lease, Inc. (NYSE:GSL) (the "Company") announced today that it has chosen to suspend its previously announced opportunistic senior secured notes offering. The Company intends to continue its ongoing efforts to identify attractive opportunities to proactively refinance its 10% Senior Secured Bonds due 2019.



About Global Ship Lease

Global Ship Lease is a containership charter owner. Incorporated in the Marshall Islands, Global Ship Lease commenced operations in December 2007 with a business of owning and chartering out containerships under long-term, fixed rate charters to top tier container liner companies.

At March 31, 2017, Global Ship Lease owned 18 vessels with a total capacity of 82,312 TEU and an average age, weighted by TEU capacity, of 12.3 years. All vessels are currently fixed on time charters, 15 with CMA CGM. The average remaining term of the charters is 3.4 years or 3.7 years on a weighted basis.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements provide the Companys current expectations or forecasts of future events. Forward-looking statements include statements about the Companys expectations, beliefs, plans, objectives, intentions, assumptions and other statements that are not historical facts. Words or phrases such as anticipate, believe, continue, estimate, expect, intend, may, ongoing, plan, potential, predict, project, will or similar words or phrases, or the negatives of those words or phrases, may identify forward-looking statements, but the absence of these words does not necessarily mean that a statement is not forward-looking. These forward-looking statements are based on assumptions that may be incorrect, and the Company cannot assure you that the events or expectations included in these forward-looking statements will come to pass. Actual results could differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, including the factors described in Risk Factors in the Companys Annual Report on Form 20-F and the factors and risks the Company describes in other reports filed from time to time with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Accordingly, you should not unduly rely on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly revise any forward-looking statement to reflect circumstances or events after the date of this press release or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.
By PTI

New Delhi, Jul 6 (PTI) IT firm Infosys will create 2,000 tech jobs in North Carolina over the next few years in a bid to woo the Trump administration that has been critical of outsourcing firms for "unfairly" taking jobs away from the US workers.

In May, the Bengaluru-based firm had announced its commitment to hire 10,000 locals for its US operations in the next two years. The first hub is being set up in Indiana and will hire 2,000 American workers by 2021.

"Infosys will open its next technology and innovation hub in North Carolina and hire 2,000 American workers in the state by 2021," Infosys said in a statement.

This is the second key milestone in Infosys' strategy to help drive American innovation and create the next-generation of American innovators, it added.

Infosys, which employs about 2 lakh people globally, will expand its local hiring in the US as it battles visa curbs imposed by the Trump administration that has made sending engineers to the US costly.

The move would also mean increase in labour costs for the company in the US.

The North American market accounted for over 60 per cent of Infosys' USD 10.2 billion revenue in the 2016-17 fiscal.

Over the past few weeks, there has been a growing sentiment of protectionism across various markets, including the US, that is seeking to safeguard jobs for locals and raising the bar for foreign workers.

The US had also accused Infosys and its larger rival, Tata Consultancy Services, of "unfairly" cornering the lion's share of the H-1B work visas by putting extra tickets in the lottery system. Every year, the US grants 65,000 H-1B visas while another 20,000 are set aside for those with US advanced degrees.

Other companies like TCS and Wipro have also announced similar moves of increasing local hires.

Infosys said the first 500 of the 2,000 North Carolina workers will be appointed by the end of two years, with the remainder to be hired in the state by 2021.

"These new hires will include recent graduates from the state's prestigious network of colleges, universities and community colleges, as well as local professionals," it said.

North Carolina is also contributing a USD 3 million grant towards upskilling these workers.

"North Carolina was a clear partner for us, and we are really excited to announce one of the largest jobs commitments ever in North Carolina state history," Infosys CEO Vishal Sikka said.

The North Carolina Technology and Innovation Hub will focus on areas like artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, user experience, emerging digital technologies, cloud and big data.

It will also facilitate greater collaboration and advancement in key North Carolinian industries like financial services, information technology, life sciences, clean technology, advanced manufacturing and others.

New Delhi, Jul 6 (PTI) IT firm Infosys will create 2,000 tech jobs in North Carolina over the next few years in a bid to woo the Trump administration that has been critical of outsourcing firms for "unfairly" taking jobs away from the US workers. In May, the Bengaluru-based firm had announced its commitment to hire 10,000 locals for its US operations in the next two years. The first hub is being set up in Indiana and will hire 2,000 American workers by 2021. "Infosys will open its next technology and innovation hub in North Carolina and hire 2,000 American workers in the state by 2021," Infosys said in a statement. This is the second key milestone in Infosys' strategy to help drive American innovation and create the next-generation of American innovators, it added. Infosys, which employs about 2 lakh people globally, will expand its local hiring in the US as it battles visa curbs imposed by the Trump administration that has made sending engineers to the US costly. The move would also mean increase in labour costs for the company in the US. The North American market accounted for over 60 per cent of Infosys' USD 10.2 billion revenue in the 2016-17 fiscal. Over the past few weeks, there has been a growing sentiment of protectionism across various markets, including the US, that is seeking to safeguard jobs for locals and raising the bar for foreign workers. The US had also accused Infosys and its larger rival, Tata Consultancy Services, of "unfairly" cornering the lion's share of the H-1B work visas by putting extra tickets in the lottery system. Every year, the US grants 65,000 H-1B visas while another 20,000 are set aside for those with US advanced degrees. Other companies like TCS and Wipro have also announced similar moves of increasing local hires. Infosys said the first 500 of the 2,000 North Carolina workers will be appointed by the end of two years, with the remainder to be hired in the state by 2021. "These new hires will include recent graduates from the state's prestigious network of colleges, universities and community colleges, as well as local professionals," it said. North Carolina is also contributing a USD 3 million grant towards upskilling these workers. "North Carolina was a clear partner for us, and we are really excited to announce one of the largest jobs commitments ever in North Carolina state history," Infosys CEO Vishal Sikka said. The North Carolina Technology and Innovation Hub will focus on areas like artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, user experience, emerging digital technologies, cloud and big data. It will also facilitate greater collaboration and advancement in key North Carolinian industries like financial services, information technology, life sciences, clean technology, advanced manufacturing and others.
By Express News Service

BENGALURU: A minor scuffle between Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) and Karnataka State Industrial Security Force (KSISF) personnel turned ugly after three KSISF personnel were assaulted. The incident was reported at Sir M Visvesvaraya Central College station on Thursday.

The assault, which was captured on CCTV, occurred around 9.40 am when Rakesh - the prime accused in the case, along with four of his colleagues attacked Anand Guddad, Lakshman and a woman security officer, Bharathi. At the time of the incident, the personnel was on duty at City Civil Court Gate of the metro station.

According to police, a minor scuffle was reported between Rakesh and Guddad early morning around 6.10 am. Rakesh, while entering the station for his work, refused to get his bag scanned for security check, stating that he was an employee.

Around 9.40 am, Rakesh - who was angered by the incident came with four of his colleagues and assaulted Guddad and two others who came to his rescue. Police was alerted, who took the staff to Halsuru Gate police station. Based on Anands complaint, a case has been registered for rioting and assault to deter public servant from discharging his duty.

BENGALURU: A minor scuffle between Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) and Karnataka State Industrial Security Force (KSISF) personnel turned ugly after three KSISF personnel were assaulted. The incident was reported at Sir M Visvesvaraya Central College station on Thursday. The assault, which was captured on CCTV, occurred around 9.40 am when Rakesh - the prime accused in the case, along with four of his colleagues attacked Anand Guddad, Lakshman and a woman security officer, Bharathi. At the time of the incident, the personnel was on duty at City Civil Court Gate of the metro station. According to police, a minor scuffle was reported between Rakesh and Guddad early morning around 6.10 am. Rakesh, while entering the station for his work, refused to get his bag scanned for security check, stating that he was an employee. Around 9.40 am, Rakesh - who was angered by the incident came with four of his colleagues and assaulted Guddad and two others who came to his rescue. Police was alerted, who took the staff to Halsuru Gate police station. Based on Anands complaint, a case has been registered for rioting and assault to deter public servant from discharging his duty.
Tushar Kaushik By

Express News Service

BENGALURU: A peoples organisation, Fight for RERA, which has been in the forefront of the movement demanding strict provisions under the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016 (RERA), plans to move the Supreme Court as it feels the provisions okayed by the Karnataka Cabinet on Wednesday greatly dilutes the Act.

Under the provisions okayed by the state government, a property will be excluded from the purview of RERA if the sale deed has already been executed or if 60 percent of the project work has been completed. According to Law Minister T B Jayachandra, the rules under the Act will be notified soon.

The convener of Fight for RERA-Karnataka chapter, M S Shankar, said, The state government has snatched away the basic rights of citizens. There are so many cases where builders abandon a project after 60 percent completion. He added that following Rajasthans model, which the state government said it did, wasnt wise as Bengaluru, unlike the western state, is a major real estate market in the country.

Its just not home buyers. All stakeholders in the real estate business  builders, developers, agents and buyers  are unanimous in recognising the Acts importance, but also feel its finer aspects are biased, particularly the provisions approved by the government. Another big question is how the government plans to measure the percentage, but Jayachandra has promised more clarity in the coming days.

Chief Executive Officer of Brigade Group (residential projects) Om Ahuja summed up the positive aspects of the Act, saying, The passing of RERA is a positive step for both the consumer and the industry. Three Ts (Transparency, Trust and Timely Delivery) will now become a reality. RERA will bring transparency into the sector which will attract large institutional players and open up the flood gates for foreign direct investments. Trust and timely delivery will help consumers in a big way.

A member of the management committee of Honey Developers said for all its good aspects, the Act lacked safeguards against builders getting exploited, and, at the same time, made it easier for builders to exploit consumers.

He said, Builders can face delays due to several issues, such as frivolous litigation, labour issues, lack of sales and strikes, but theres no provision in the Act for our safeguard. The 60 per cent completion rule helps builders play around with buyers, as it is the remaining 40 per cent which takes a much longer time.

He singled out a provision under the Act for praise, as per which, complaints registered by consumers with the regulatory authority have to be disposed of within two months.

Farook Mahmood, world president-elect of the international real estate body FIABCI, termed the Act the best thing for the industry as real estate was an uncontrolled and unregulated industry. We needed the accountability and transparency this Act brings in, he said.

Mahmood said the Act had flaws because it has been perceived only from a macro level. As an example, he said if any builder, developer or agent defaults, then all the parties are held liable, which is unfair. Why are only agents charged fees? This sounds unconstitutional. It also makes it tough for agents, especially the smaller operators, to thrive, he said.

What is RERA?

The Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016 (RERA) is a long-pending Act approved by the state cabinet on Wednesday. It is formulated to safeguard the interests of buyers of real estate commodities, to protect them from exploitation and to bring more transparency in the industry. States can alter certain rules under the Act. Under the Acts provisions, all transaction details pertaining to major construction projects will have to be uploaded on the RERA website.

Properties covered/exempted under RERA

If the area of construction is over 500 sqmt or if it has more than eight apartments, it will come under RERA. If the sale deed has been executed or if 60 per cent of the project has been completed, then RERA wont apply for the project.

BENGALURU: A peoples organisation, Fight for RERA, which has been in the forefront of the movement demanding strict provisions under the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016 (RERA), plans to move the Supreme Court as it feels the provisions okayed by the Karnataka Cabinet on Wednesday greatly dilutes the Act. Under the provisions okayed by the state government, a property will be excluded from the purview of RERA if the sale deed has already been executed or if 60 percent of the project work has been completed. According to Law Minister T B Jayachandra, the rules under the Act will be notified soon. The convener of Fight for RERA-Karnataka chapter, M S Shankar, said, The state government has snatched away the basic rights of citizens. There are so many cases where builders abandon a project after 60 percent completion. He added that following Rajasthans model, which the state government said it did, wasnt wise as Bengaluru, unlike the western state, is a major real estate market in the country. Its just not home buyers. All stakeholders in the real estate business  builders, developers, agents and buyers  are unanimous in recognising the Acts importance, but also feel its finer aspects are biased, particularly the provisions approved by the government. Another big question is how the government plans to measure the percentage, but Jayachandra has promised more clarity in the coming days. Chief Executive Officer of Brigade Group (residential projects) Om Ahuja summed up the positive aspects of the Act, saying, The passing of RERA is a positive step for both the consumer and the industry. Three Ts (Transparency, Trust and Timely Delivery) will now become a reality. RERA will bring transparency into the sector which will attract large institutional players and open up the flood gates for foreign direct investments. Trust and timely delivery will help consumers in a big way. A member of the management committee of Honey Developers said for all its good aspects, the Act lacked safeguards against builders getting exploited, and, at the same time, made it easier for builders to exploit consumers. He said, Builders can face delays due to several issues, such as frivolous litigation, labour issues, lack of sales and strikes, but theres no provision in the Act for our safeguard. The 60 per cent completion rule helps builders play around with buyers, as it is the remaining 40 per cent which takes a much longer time. He singled out a provision under the Act for praise, as per which, complaints registered by consumers with the regulatory authority have to be disposed of within two months. Farook Mahmood, world president-elect of the international real estate body FIABCI, termed the Act the best thing for the industry as real estate was an uncontrolled and unregulated industry. We needed the accountability and transparency this Act brings in, he said. Mahmood said the Act had flaws because it has been perceived only from a macro level. As an example, he said if any builder, developer or agent defaults, then all the parties are held liable, which is unfair. Why are only agents charged fees? This sounds unconstitutional. It also makes it tough for agents, especially the smaller operators, to thrive, he said. What is RERA? The Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016 (RERA) is a long-pending Act approved by the state cabinet on Wednesday. It is formulated to safeguard the interests of buyers of real estate commodities, to protect them from exploitation and to bring more transparency in the industry. States can alter certain rules under the Act. Under the Acts provisions, all transaction details pertaining to major construction projects will have to be uploaded on the RERA website. Properties covered/exempted under RERA If the area of construction is over 500 sqmt or if it has more than eight apartments, it will come under RERA. If the sale deed has been executed or if 60 per cent of the project has been completed, then RERA wont apply for the project.
Gopinath Rajendran By

Express News Service

CHENNAI: After four days of uncertainty, the Tamil Nadu Theatre Association has called off its strike. This results in the reopening of more than 1,000 theatres across the state, that closed to protest against the additional local body tax of 30 per cent the government announced it would levying, over and above the newly implemented GST.

The strike has been called off after a series of discussions between representatives of the film industry and the government. The two sides have now resolved to set up a committee thatll take the current issues surrounding the local body tax into consideration and come up with an amicable solution which might either involve letting go of the tax completely or bring it down to an acceptable percentage.

Speaking after a meeting with Finance Minister D Jayakumar, Information Minister Kadambur Raju and Municipal Administration Minister SP Velumani, the Tamil Nadu Cinema Theatre Owners Federation president Abirami Ramanathan said, Despite facing losses of about `20 crore each day, we went ahead with the closure. The government understood our pain. The ticket prices, for the moment, will only have GST added to it, he said.

CHENNAI: After four days of uncertainty, the Tamil Nadu Theatre Association has called off its strike. This results in the reopening of more than 1,000 theatres across the state, that closed to protest against the additional local body tax of 30 per cent the government announced it would levying, over and above the newly implemented GST. The strike has been called off after a series of discussions between representatives of the film industry and the government. The two sides have now resolved to set up a committee thatll take the current issues surrounding the local body tax into consideration and come up with an amicable solution which might either involve letting go of the tax completely or bring it down to an acceptable percentage. Speaking after a meeting with Finance Minister D Jayakumar, Information Minister Kadambur Raju and Municipal Administration Minister SP Velumani, the Tamil Nadu Cinema Theatre Owners Federation president Abirami Ramanathan said, Despite facing losses of about `20 crore each day, we went ahead with the closure. The government understood our pain. The ticket prices, for the moment, will only have GST added to it, he said.
Ayesha Tabassum By

Express News Service

Sofia Ashraf, rapper and activist, well-known for her song Kodaikanal Won't, has just released a new 'adult' film on Culture Machine's Blush channel. Through this film, titled Adult Movie, Sofia addresses parents and encourages them to talk to their children about sex. The video has already garnered 40,000 plus views and counting. She talks to Indulge about what prompted her to make this movie, and why she wants Censor Board chief Pahlaj Nihalani to take note of this.

Watch 'Adult Movie' here:

Sofia Ashraf, rapper and activist, well-known for her song Kodaikanal Won't, has just released a new 'adult' film on Culture Machine's Blush channel. Through this film, titled Adult Movie, Sofia addresses parents and encourages them to talk to their children about sex. The video has already garnered 40,000 plus views and counting. She talks to Indulge about what prompted her to make this movie, and why she wants Censor Board chief Pahlaj Nihalani to take note of this. Watch 'Adult Movie' here:
By Express News Service

NEW DELHI: Amidst tensions at the border with China, New Delhi on Thursday ruled out any scheduled bilateral meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the G-20 Summit in Hamburg. Militaries of both sides were expecting some diplomatic solution to the month-long stand-off over the construction of a road on tri- junction of India-China- and Bhutan.

Giving out details of PM Modis meeting, Ministry of external affairs said that Prime Minister holds meetings with leaders of countries like Canada, Japan, and the UK on the sidelines of the G20 Summit.

MEA spokesperson Gopal Baglay, who is accompanying PM on the overseas trip, in response to a question said, "The Prime Minister is visiting Hamburg from July 6-8 for G-20 Summit. His pre-planned bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the Summit are with Argentina, Canada, Italy, Japan, Mexico, ROK (Republic of Korea), the UK and Vietnam,"

"In addition, he will also participate in the BRICS Leaders' meeting. There is no change in the Prime Minister's schedule," he said.

Chinese Foreign ministry officials have already ruled out the possibility of Modi-Xi Jing Ping bilateral meeting. From combating terrorism to climate change and global trade will be the key issues during Prime Minister Modis meeting with leaders from the world's other top economies assemble here for a two-day G20 Summit beginning from Friday.

Indian army Chinese PLA has been involved in the fact off for nearly a month and both sides had deployed additional troops after the initial faceoff at the Doka-La area of Sikkim-Bhutan-Tibet tri-junction claimed on which all three countries have claims. Doka La is at the tri-junction of Sikkim, Bhutan and Tibet and is strategically important for India as the crucial Siliguri corridor known in military parlance as Chicken Neck having road and rail head is just 50 to 60 kms from there. Sources said that army has reservations over China making road upto Dolam, basically the buffer region leading to Chicken Neck Siliguri circuit would be dissolved. The Indian Army had blocked construction of the road by China in Donglong, a disputed territory between China and Bhutan.

NEW DELHI: Amidst tensions at the border with China, New Delhi on Thursday ruled out any scheduled bilateral meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the G-20 Summit in Hamburg. Militaries of both sides were expecting some diplomatic solution to the month-long stand-off over the construction of a road on tri- junction of India-China- and Bhutan. Giving out details of PM Modis meeting, Ministry of external affairs said that Prime Minister holds meetings with leaders of countries like Canada, Japan, and the UK on the sidelines of the G20 Summit. MEA spokesperson Gopal Baglay, who is accompanying PM on the overseas trip, in response to a question said, "The Prime Minister is visiting Hamburg from July 6-8 for G-20 Summit. His pre-planned bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the Summit are with Argentina, Canada, Italy, Japan, Mexico, ROK (Republic of Korea), the UK and Vietnam," "In addition, he will also participate in the BRICS Leaders' meeting. There is no change in the Prime Minister's schedule," he said. Chinese Foreign ministry officials have already ruled out the possibility of Modi-Xi Jing Ping bilateral meeting. From combating terrorism to climate change and global trade will be the key issues during Prime Minister Modis meeting with leaders from the world's other top economies assemble here for a two-day G20 Summit beginning from Friday. Indian army Chinese PLA has been involved in the fact off for nearly a month and both sides had deployed additional troops after the initial faceoff at the Doka-La area of Sikkim-Bhutan-Tibet tri-junction claimed on which all three countries have claims. Doka La is at the tri-junction of Sikkim, Bhutan and Tibet and is strategically important for India as the crucial Siliguri corridor known in military parlance as Chicken Neck having road and rail head is just 50 to 60 kms from there. Sources said that army has reservations over China making road upto Dolam, basically the buffer region leading to Chicken Neck Siliguri circuit would be dissolved. The Indian Army had blocked construction of the road by China in Donglong, a disputed territory between China and Bhutan.
By Express News Service

The atmosphere is not right for a bilateral meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping, Beijings foreign ministry said on Thursday.

The statement came amid reports that the leaders could meet on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Hamburg to resolve the standoff in the Sikkim section  the longest since the war in 1962.

Quick to react, the Ministry of External Affairs clarified that no such bilateral meeting was planned in the first place. So far, there is nothing on a bilateral meeting, but everything is fluid, said top Indian officials. However, a media report claimed that a BRICS meeting  of which both India and China are members  has been planned on the sidelines of the G20 sessions.

Modi, who has been on a whirlwind world tour, is also scheduled to meet leaders of Argentina, Canada, Italy, Japan, Mexico, South Korea, UK and Vietnam in Hamburg.

India can immediately withdraw border troops to its side of the boundary to uphold peace and tranquillity of the China-and-India border areas, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said. I think this is the precondition for any meaningful peace talks between the two sides, he said to a question on the two leaders meeting on sidelines of the G20.

Over the last week, public statements from Beijing have been getting increasingly harsh and shrill. On Thursday, Peoples Daily, the mouthpiece of the ruling Communist Party of China, urged Beijing to support Sikkims independence.

Beijing should reconsider its stance over the Sikkim issue. Although China recognised Indias annexation of Sikkim in 2003, it can readjust its stance on the matter, said an editorial in the paper.

As long as there are voices in Chinese society supporting Sikkims independence, the voices will spread and fuel pro-independence appeals in Sikkim.

Ironically, at a juncture when the world is increasingly concerned by Chinas posturing in the region  from the South China Sea to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and support to North Korea  the editorial says New Delhis regional hegemony is swelling to a tipping point, and warns that it will pay for its provocations.

Amid these developments, Chinese troops carried out exercises simulating battle scenarios at high-altitude areas in Tibet, testing new equipment including a light battle tank, reported news agency PTI.

As if in coordination, Pakistan successfully test-fired its short-range surface-to-surface ballistic missile Nasr, which its Army chief said has put cold water on Indian militarys Cold Start doctrine.

Nasr has put cold water on (the) Cold Start, Gen Bajwa said after the training launch of the short-range missile. Cold Start is a military doctrine developed by the Indian Armed Forces for use in a likely war with Pakistan.

The atmosphere is not right for a bilateral meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping, Beijings foreign ministry said on Thursday. The statement came amid reports that the leaders could meet on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Hamburg to resolve the standoff in the Sikkim section  the longest since the war in 1962. Quick to react, the Ministry of External Affairs clarified that no such bilateral meeting was planned in the first place. So far, there is nothing on a bilateral meeting, but everything is fluid, said top Indian officials. However, a media report claimed that a BRICS meeting  of which both India and China are members  has been planned on the sidelines of the G20 sessions. Modi, who has been on a whirlwind world tour, is also scheduled to meet leaders of Argentina, Canada, Italy, Japan, Mexico, South Korea, UK and Vietnam in Hamburg. India can immediately withdraw border troops to its side of the boundary to uphold peace and tranquillity of the China-and-India border areas, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said. I think this is the precondition for any meaningful peace talks between the two sides, he said to a question on the two leaders meeting on sidelines of the G20. Over the last week, public statements from Beijing have been getting increasingly harsh and shrill. On Thursday, Peoples Daily, the mouthpiece of the ruling Communist Party of China, urged Beijing to support Sikkims independence. Beijing should reconsider its stance over the Sikkim issue. Although China recognised Indias annexation of Sikkim in 2003, it can readjust its stance on the matter, said an editorial in the paper. As long as there are voices in Chinese society supporting Sikkims independence, the voices will spread and fuel pro-independence appeals in Sikkim. Ironically, at a juncture when the world is increasingly concerned by Chinas posturing in the region  from the South China Sea to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and support to North Korea  the editorial says New Delhis regional hegemony is swelling to a tipping point, and warns that it will pay for its provocations. Amid these developments, Chinese troops carried out exercises simulating battle scenarios at high-altitude areas in Tibet, testing new equipment including a light battle tank, reported news agency PTI. As if in coordination, Pakistan successfully test-fired its short-range surface-to-surface ballistic missile Nasr, which its Army chief said has put cold water on Indian militarys Cold Start doctrine. Nasr has put cold water on (the) Cold Start, Gen Bajwa said after the training launch of the short-range missile. Cold Start is a military doctrine developed by the Indian Armed Forces for use in a likely war with Pakistan.
ATLANTA, July 07, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Mueller Water Products, Inc. (NYSE:MWA) plans to release financial results for its third quarter ended June 30, 2017 on Thursday, August 3, 2017 after the market closes.



Scott Hall, president and chief executive officer of Mueller Water Products, and other members of the Company's leadership team will discuss the financial results during a conference call on Friday, August 4, 2017 at 9:00 a.m. ET. The conference call will be webcast live on Mueller Water Products website, www.muellerwaterproducts.com, and will be archived for approximately 90 days.

About Mueller Water Products, Inc.

Mueller Water Products, Inc. (NYSE:MWA) is a leading manufacturer and marketer of products and services used in the transmission, distribution and measurement of water in North America. Our broad product and service portfolio includes engineered valves, fire hydrants, metering products and systems, leak detection and pipe condition assessment. We help municipalities increase operational efficiencies, improve customer service and prioritize capital spending, demonstrating why Mueller Water Products is Where Intelligence Meets Infrastructure. For more information about Mueller Water Products, visit www.muellerwaterproducts.com.
Abhijit Mulye By

Express News Service

MUMBAI: Former Maharashtra revenue minister Eknath Khadse, who had to resign after his name was embroiled in a land scam, is likely to be reinstated in the state cabinet, party sources said.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) insiders said that he might be given the portfolio of Public Works Department (PWD). However, Khadse said that he was waiting for a decision from the party leaders. The report is expected to be tabled before both Assembly and Council House in monsoon session scheduled from July 24.

The report appears to have vindicated my stand, Khadse said. I am now waiting for the partys decision, he said, and added that he was a loyal soldier of the party. Though party insiders said that the chances of re-induction of Khadse into the state cabinet were very strong, a few others said that a few more legal hurdles would have to be cleared if that was to happen.

Khadse is currently the senior most leader of the state BJP with vast experience in administration. He was a minister in the Shiv Sena-BJP government during 1995-98 and also handled several portfolios. He was also the leader of Opposition in the state assembly for most of the time between 1999 and 2014. The power struggle within the BJP too was behind his ouster from the cabinet, party insiders said.

A committee under retired judge Dinkar Zoting had been appointed to enquire into charges of corruption against Khadse. The committee had recently submitted its report to the state government. A senior official from law and judiciary department said that the committee had not held Khadse responsible for any corruption in the land purchase case at Bhosri near Pune.

The report has stated that Khadse had paid the whole amount of stamp duty of the said plot. It means he did had no intention to evade the tax while taking undue advantage of his post and power in the government, the official said while adding that the state government was likely to present the report before the state legislature if it deems correct to do so.

The report observed that Khadse did not hide information about the purchase of land in the name of Mandakini - his wife - from the enquiry officers, the official added. The committee stated that there was no violation of rules or misuse of quasi-judicial power, but technically and morally, Khadses action (of purchase of land) was not good, the official claimed.

MUMBAI: Former Maharashtra revenue minister Eknath Khadse, who had to resign after his name was embroiled in a land scam, is likely to be reinstated in the state cabinet, party sources said. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) insiders said that he might be given the portfolio of Public Works Department (PWD). However, Khadse said that he was waiting for a decision from the party leaders. The report is expected to be tabled before both Assembly and Council House in monsoon session scheduled from July 24. The report appears to have vindicated my stand, Khadse said. I am now waiting for the partys decision, he said, and added that he was a loyal soldier of the party. Though party insiders said that the chances of re-induction of Khadse into the state cabinet were very strong, a few others said that a few more legal hurdles would have to be cleared if that was to happen. Khadse is currently the senior most leader of the state BJP with vast experience in administration. He was a minister in the Shiv Sena-BJP government during 1995-98 and also handled several portfolios. He was also the leader of Opposition in the state assembly for most of the time between 1999 and 2014. The power struggle within the BJP too was behind his ouster from the cabinet, party insiders said. A committee under retired judge Dinkar Zoting had been appointed to enquire into charges of corruption against Khadse. The committee had recently submitted its report to the state government. A senior official from law and judiciary department said that the committee had not held Khadse responsible for any corruption in the land purchase case at Bhosri near Pune. The report has stated that Khadse had paid the whole amount of stamp duty of the said plot. It means he did had no intention to evade the tax while taking undue advantage of his post and power in the government, the official said while adding that the state government was likely to present the report before the state legislature if it deems correct to do so. The report observed that Khadse did not hide information about the purchase of land in the name of Mandakini - his wife - from the enquiry officers, the official added. The committee stated that there was no violation of rules or misuse of quasi-judicial power, but technically and morally, Khadses action (of purchase of land) was not good, the official claimed.
Harpreet Bajwa By

Express News Service

CHANDIGARH: The "kar sewa" (voluntary service) to set up a martyrs' gallery began on Thursday at the Operation Blue Star Memorial near the Golden Temple in Amritsar.

President of Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), Kirpal Singh Badungar, said 300 photographs of martyrs including Jarnail Singh Bhindrawale, Shubeg Singh, Thara Singh and others would be placed in the gallery.

Besides, photographs depicting Sikh history and Operation Blue Star will be also displayed in the gallery. Sources said a committee will soon be constituted to select the photographs for the gallery.

The SGPC on June 15 gave the green light for setting up the gallery in memory of the people who were killed during the 1984 military operation to flush out separatist militants hiding inside the Golden Temple.

Jarnail Singh Bhindrawale, who was Damdami Taksal's chief at the time, was killed in the operation.

Sources said Akhand path (prayer) in memory of the slain leader began on Thursday. A total of 220 akhand paths (prayers), each lasting 48 hours, will be held. They will be completed over a period of 440 days. It is for the first time that individual prayers for the slain hardliners, including Shubeg Singh, are being held.

The SGPC president Kirpal Singh Badungar denied any political motive behind the setting up of the gallery and said that it was an emotive issue for the Sikh community. The Damdami Taksal chief Harnam Singh Dhumma Akal Takht Jathedar (high priest); Gurbachan Singh, head priest of Golden Temple; Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) chief Kirpal Singh Badungar and Delhi Gurdwara Management Committee (DGMC) chief Manjit Singh GK were present on the occasion of laying the gallery's foundation stone.

The gallery is being set up in the basement of the memorial.

CHANDIGARH: The "kar sewa" (voluntary service) to set up a martyrs' gallery began on Thursday at the Operation Blue Star Memorial near the Golden Temple in Amritsar. President of Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), Kirpal Singh Badungar, said 300 photographs of martyrs including Jarnail Singh Bhindrawale, Shubeg Singh, Thara Singh and others would be placed in the gallery. Besides, photographs depicting Sikh history and Operation Blue Star will be also displayed in the gallery. Sources said a committee will soon be constituted to select the photographs for the gallery. The SGPC on June 15 gave the green light for setting up the gallery in memory of the people who were killed during the 1984 military operation to flush out separatist militants hiding inside the Golden Temple. Jarnail Singh Bhindrawale, who was Damdami Taksal's chief at the time, was killed in the operation. Sources said Akhand path (prayer) in memory of the slain leader began on Thursday. A total of 220 akhand paths (prayers), each lasting 48 hours, will be held. They will be completed over a period of 440 days. It is for the first time that individual prayers for the slain hardliners, including Shubeg Singh, are being held. The SGPC president Kirpal Singh Badungar denied any political motive behind the setting up of the gallery and said that it was an emotive issue for the Sikh community. The Damdami Taksal chief Harnam Singh Dhumma Akal Takht Jathedar (high priest); Gurbachan Singh, head priest of Golden Temple; Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) chief Kirpal Singh Badungar and Delhi Gurdwara Management Committee (DGMC) chief Manjit Singh GK were present on the occasion of laying the gallery's foundation stone. The gallery is being set up in the basement of the memorial.
By PTI

MUMBAI: A metropolitan magistrate's court here today extended till July 14 the police custody of six personnel of Byculla prison, arrested in connection with the death of a woman inmate.

The accused-- Manisha Pokharkar, Wasima Shaikh, Shital Shegokar, Surekha Gulve, Aarti Shingne and Bindu Naikade-- were produced in the court as their police remand ended today.

During the hearing, the police officer who is investigating the case, told the court that so far they have recorded the statements of only four inmates of Byculla prison and need more time to continue the process.

"It's a lengthy process and we need to take permission from the court before recording their statements," the officer told the court.

"We need to define the role of each of the six accused after examining the CCTV footages. They are giving evasive answers...Also the stick used in the assault is yet to be recovered," the officer said.

After hearing the arguments, the court extended the custody of all the accused till July 14.

An inmate Manju Shette (45) had died at the governmentrun J J Hospital on June 23 after she was allegedly beaten up by jail staffers for failing to account for two eggs and five loaves of bread which she was supposed to distribute to other inmates.

The police had said Shette was allegedly tortured and a stick was inserted in her private parts. A case of murder had been registered against the jail officials. The Mumbai crime branch, which is investigating the case, had arrested the six accused on Saturday.

After Shette's death, around 200 prisoners had launched a protest on June 24. They had demanded that media be allowed inside the Byculla jail.

Indrani Mukerjea, the mother and prime accused in the Sheena Bora murder case, was among the inmates who were booked by police for rioting and other offences after they staged a protest over Shette's death.

MUMBAI: A metropolitan magistrate's court here today extended till July 14 the police custody of six personnel of Byculla prison, arrested in connection with the death of a woman inmate. The accused-- Manisha Pokharkar, Wasima Shaikh, Shital Shegokar, Surekha Gulve, Aarti Shingne and Bindu Naikade-- were produced in the court as their police remand ended today. During the hearing, the police officer who is investigating the case, told the court that so far they have recorded the statements of only four inmates of Byculla prison and need more time to continue the process. "It's a lengthy process and we need to take permission from the court before recording their statements," the officer told the court. "We need to define the role of each of the six accused after examining the CCTV footages. They are giving evasive answers...Also the stick used in the assault is yet to be recovered," the officer said. After hearing the arguments, the court extended the custody of all the accused till July 14. An inmate Manju Shette (45) had died at the governmentrun J J Hospital on June 23 after she was allegedly beaten up by jail staffers for failing to account for two eggs and five loaves of bread which she was supposed to distribute to other inmates. The police had said Shette was allegedly tortured and a stick was inserted in her private parts. A case of murder had been registered against the jail officials. The Mumbai crime branch, which is investigating the case, had arrested the six accused on Saturday. After Shette's death, around 200 prisoners had launched a protest on June 24. They had demanded that media be allowed inside the Byculla jail. Indrani Mukerjea, the mother and prime accused in the Sheena Bora murder case, was among the inmates who were booked by police for rioting and other offences after they staged a protest over Shette's death.
By PTI

NEW DELHI: Irshad Khan, son of a dairy farmer lynched by cow vigilantes, is not going anywhere. He is an Indian, and has no intentions of moving to Pakistan, he says.

"We Muslims will not go and live in Pakistan. India is our motherland too," said Irshad, as he made an impassioned plea today, seeking justice for his father.

The 24-year-old man, who was also attacked by the mob of self-styled 'gau rakshaks' in Alwar on April 1, alleged that "attempts were being made to let the accused go scot-free".

Addressing a public forum -- Agrarian Crisis, Cow Politics & Lynching -- hosted by the Bhumi Adhikar Andolan here, Irshad said, "Lynchings are continuing to take place as the government is not taking a strong stand".

Attempts were being made to divide the people on religion, and Muslims were often asked to leave India for Pakistan. But, he added, Hindu and Muslims had always lived peacefully in the country.

"Some bad elements don't want the two communities to be in harmony, so that vote bank politics can be orchestrated. Lynchings are also happening to divide the people," he said.

A string of lynching incidents has been reported in the country, the latest being that of a Muslim man killed by a mob for allegedly carrying beef in a van in Jharkhand late last month.

"Many Muslims have been assaulted or verbally abused and forced to chant a religious slogan by some outfit, who tell us (Muslims) to go to Pakistan. I say, we will not go to Pakistan. I was born here and India is also my motherland,"

Irshad told a packed hall at the Constitution Club here.

The 55-year-old Pehlu Khan was brutally beaten, after being intercepted by the vigilantes in Alwar, while he and his two sons, Irshad and Arif, were travelling in a pick-up car, carrying cattle from Jaipur.

"My father had been in dairy farming for a long time.

We were transporting the cattle with all the required permits, but the vigilantes threatened us then started assaulting us with belts, sticks, metal knuckle-caps. My father was punched in the eye and hit in stomach. He bled profusely, and, on April 3, he died at a hospital," said 19-year-old Arif, who still trembles recalling the incident.

Pehlu's uncle Hussain Khan, who also attended the event, alleged that "pressure was being exerted" to ensure "bail for the accused".

"We want justice for Pehlu. If these accused are allowed to go scot-free, we, the family, will go to the court in Rajasthan and commit suicide there," said Hussain, as the hall fell silent.

"Our loyalty and allegiance is questioned. We are being called beef-eaters and asked to leave the country and settle in Pakistan. Why are we Muslims being forced to prove our patriotism and nationalism," Hussain asked.

His forefathers, he said, had sacrificed their lives for the country's freedom.

"This (India) is also our country, our homeland. And, we will live here," Hussain asserted.

Historian and former professor of history at the Delhi University D N Jha also spoke at the event, which was attended by people from various sections of society.

NEW DELHI: Irshad Khan, son of a dairy farmer lynched by cow vigilantes, is not going anywhere. He is an Indian, and has no intentions of moving to Pakistan, he says. "We Muslims will not go and live in Pakistan. India is our motherland too," said Irshad, as he made an impassioned plea today, seeking justice for his father. The 24-year-old man, who was also attacked by the mob of self-styled 'gau rakshaks' in Alwar on April 1, alleged that "attempts were being made to let the accused go scot-free". Addressing a public forum -- Agrarian Crisis, Cow Politics & Lynching -- hosted by the Bhumi Adhikar Andolan here, Irshad said, "Lynchings are continuing to take place as the government is not taking a strong stand". Attempts were being made to divide the people on religion, and Muslims were often asked to leave India for Pakistan. But, he added, Hindu and Muslims had always lived peacefully in the country. "Some bad elements don't want the two communities to be in harmony, so that vote bank politics can be orchestrated. Lynchings are also happening to divide the people," he said. A string of lynching incidents has been reported in the country, the latest being that of a Muslim man killed by a mob for allegedly carrying beef in a van in Jharkhand late last month. "Many Muslims have been assaulted or verbally abused and forced to chant a religious slogan by some outfit, who tell us (Muslims) to go to Pakistan. I say, we will not go to Pakistan. I was born here and India is also my motherland," Irshad told a packed hall at the Constitution Club here. The 55-year-old Pehlu Khan was brutally beaten, after being intercepted by the vigilantes in Alwar, while he and his two sons, Irshad and Arif, were travelling in a pick-up car, carrying cattle from Jaipur. "My father had been in dairy farming for a long time. We were transporting the cattle with all the required permits, but the vigilantes threatened us then started assaulting us with belts, sticks, metal knuckle-caps. My father was punched in the eye and hit in stomach. He bled profusely, and, on April 3, he died at a hospital," said 19-year-old Arif, who still trembles recalling the incident. Pehlu's uncle Hussain Khan, who also attended the event, alleged that "pressure was being exerted" to ensure "bail for the accused". "We want justice for Pehlu. If these accused are allowed to go scot-free, we, the family, will go to the court in Rajasthan and commit suicide there," said Hussain, as the hall fell silent. "Our loyalty and allegiance is questioned. We are being called beef-eaters and asked to leave the country and settle in Pakistan. Why are we Muslims being forced to prove our patriotism and nationalism," Hussain asked. His forefathers, he said, had sacrificed their lives for the country's freedom. "This (India) is also our country, our homeland. And, we will live here," Hussain asserted. Historian and former professor of history at the Delhi University D N Jha also spoke at the event, which was attended by people from various sections of society.
By Express News Service

BENGALURU: The Central government and state governments continue to speak in different voices on the languages that need to be adopted by name boards at Namma Metros stations.

Union Minister for Programme Implementation and Statistics D V Sadananda Gowda on Thursday strongly advocated a three-language policy by the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd.

Gowda said, Media people are creating confusion. As a central minister, I say we should adopt the three-language system. The priority is for Kannada. Almost all the people of the country use Hindi. Bengaluru is not limited to Karnataka or India. If a city in India can be said to belong to all parts of the world, it is only Bengaluru. Foreigners should be able to read what is written, people from other states should be able to read as well as Kannadigas should be able to recognise what is written on name boards.

The state government, however, appears set on doing away with Hindi. Bengaluru Development Minister K J George said, My view is the same as that of the Chief Minister. Siddaramaiah recently said the state would protest against the imposition of Hindi on Metro as it was not a Central government project.

Bengaluru Central MP P C Mohan told reporters, The Centre can give its opinion on the issue. The state government has the right to take the final decision.

Hindi beda campaign

The issue of using Hindi at Metro stations drew attention last Sunday when Hindi names were camouflaged or removed from signboards at Chickpet and Kempegowda Metro stations. The Kannada Development Authority issued two notices to BMRCL against the use of Hindi.

#NammaMetroHindiBeda, an online campaign by Kannada group Banvasi Balaga, got national attention and was emulated in in Maharashtra with #Aapali MetroHindiNako.

BENGALURU: The Central government and state governments continue to speak in different voices on the languages that need to be adopted by name boards at Namma Metros stations. Union Minister for Programme Implementation and Statistics D V Sadananda Gowda on Thursday strongly advocated a three-language policy by the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd. Gowda said, Media people are creating confusion. As a central minister, I say we should adopt the three-language system. The priority is for Kannada. Almost all the people of the country use Hindi. Bengaluru is not limited to Karnataka or India. If a city in India can be said to belong to all parts of the world, it is only Bengaluru. Foreigners should be able to read what is written, people from other states should be able to read as well as Kannadigas should be able to recognise what is written on name boards. The state government, however, appears set on doing away with Hindi. Bengaluru Development Minister K J George said, My view is the same as that of the Chief Minister. Siddaramaiah recently said the state would protest against the imposition of Hindi on Metro as it was not a Central government project. Bengaluru Central MP P C Mohan told reporters, The Centre can give its opinion on the issue. The state government has the right to take the final decision. Hindi beda campaign The issue of using Hindi at Metro stations drew attention last Sunday when Hindi names were camouflaged or removed from signboards at Chickpet and Kempegowda Metro stations. The Kannada Development Authority issued two notices to BMRCL against the use of Hindi. #NammaMetroHindiBeda, an online campaign by Kannada group Banvasi Balaga, got national attention and was emulated in in Maharashtra with #Aapali MetroHindiNako.
Toby Antony By

Express News Service

KOCHI: The repatriation of Pakistan national Abdul Qadir is being delayed owing to the lack of response from the Pakistan High Commission, stated a report filed by the Foreign Regional Registration Office (FRRO) before the NIA Court in Kochi.Abdul Qadir, a fisherman from Balochistan province of Pakistan, was a crew member of the Iranian fishing vessel intercepted by the Indian Coast Guard off Alappuzha coast in July, 2015. Ever since the incident, Qadir has been languishing in prison in the state, despite being given a clean chit by the NIA last year.

The FRRO report stated the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of External Affairs had on two occasions approached the Pakistan High Commission to complete the repatriation procedures.

Abdul Qadir was taken to New Delhi in 2016 as part of verifying his identity. Though the verification procedure was completed, there was no further response. The procedures could not be completed as the Pakistan High Commission has not issued temporary travel documents to facilitate his travel back home, the report stated.

In March 2016, Qadir and the 11 Iranians were absolved of the charges. While the Iranians were repatriated within a week, Qadir was made to languish in the jail for no fault of his own. The Embassy of Iran had issued emergency travel documents for their citizen.Qadir is currently staying at the Viyyur Central Prison as detenu.

According to a document, Qadir belongs to Jeevani village, Bstivan, Baluchistan. However, another document stated belonged to Jan Mohammed Kaloi Village, Sanghar District, Sindh province. Though he is lodged in Viyyur jail, he is not a prisoner there. Qadir is not permitted to go outside, but he is free inside the jail. He actively takes part in the jail activities, including bringing jail products, a jail officer said.

Recently, Qadir had filed a petition requesting the court to direct agencies to expedite the repatriation procedures. The NIA had filed a report stating FRRO is the custodian of Qadir. Following this, the court sought a report from FRRO.Iranian-flagged fishing dhow Barooki with 12 crew members was intercepted off Kerala Coast. Initially, it was suspected the gang was smuggling drugs to India.

Long wait

The Ministry of External Affairs had on two occasions approached the Pakistan High Commission to complete the repatriation procedures

KOCHI: The repatriation of Pakistan national Abdul Qadir is being delayed owing to the lack of response from the Pakistan High Commission, stated a report filed by the Foreign Regional Registration Office (FRRO) before the NIA Court in Kochi.Abdul Qadir, a fisherman from Balochistan province of Pakistan, was a crew member of the Iranian fishing vessel intercepted by the Indian Coast Guard off Alappuzha coast in July, 2015. Ever since the incident, Qadir has been languishing in prison in the state, despite being given a clean chit by the NIA last year. The FRRO report stated the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of External Affairs had on two occasions approached the Pakistan High Commission to complete the repatriation procedures. Abdul Qadir was taken to New Delhi in 2016 as part of verifying his identity. Though the verification procedure was completed, there was no further response. The procedures could not be completed as the Pakistan High Commission has not issued temporary travel documents to facilitate his travel back home, the report stated. In March 2016, Qadir and the 11 Iranians were absolved of the charges. While the Iranians were repatriated within a week, Qadir was made to languish in the jail for no fault of his own. The Embassy of Iran had issued emergency travel documents for their citizen.Qadir is currently staying at the Viyyur Central Prison as detenu. According to a document, Qadir belongs to Jeevani village, Bstivan, Baluchistan. However, another document stated belonged to Jan Mohammed Kaloi Village, Sanghar District, Sindh province. Though he is lodged in Viyyur jail, he is not a prisoner there. Qadir is not permitted to go outside, but he is free inside the jail. He actively takes part in the jail activities, including bringing jail products, a jail officer said. Recently, Qadir had filed a petition requesting the court to direct agencies to expedite the repatriation procedures. The NIA had filed a report stating FRRO is the custodian of Qadir. Following this, the court sought a report from FRRO.Iranian-flagged fishing dhow Barooki with 12 crew members was intercepted off Kerala Coast. Initially, it was suspected the gang was smuggling drugs to India. Long wait The Ministry of External Affairs had on two occasions approached the Pakistan High Commission to complete the repatriation procedures
By Express News Service

BHUBANESWAR: The managing director of Micro Finance Ltd (MFL) Ashok Kumar Patnaik was on Friday sentenced to three and a half years of rigorous imprisonment in a multi-crore chit fund scam.

The special CBI court also imposed a penalty of Rs 15,000 on Patnaik.

Patnaik had pleaded guilty to the charges pressed against him by CBI. The agency court has directed MFL to deposit Rs 105 crore, failing which its properties would be attached.

The company faced charges of defrauding depositors out of around Rs 400 crore by floating six companies in Odisha. The firms included Micro Leasing and Funding, Micro Hotels, Micro Constructions, Micro Hospitals and Micro Media.

Patnaik was arrested by the CBI in March 2014.

In February 2015, the agency filed a charge sheet against five people including a former CMD of the company, Durga Prasad Mishra, and managing director Patnaik and three other directors of MFL. They were charged under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Prize Chit and Money Circulation (Banning) Act, 1978.

The company had been barred by the Reserve Bank of India in September 2012 from collecting deposits from people. The companys founders floated Micro Leasing and Funding Pvt Ltd to dodge the regulatory body and continue collecting public deposits.

BHUBANESWAR: The managing director of Micro Finance Ltd (MFL) Ashok Kumar Patnaik was on Friday sentenced to three and a half years of rigorous imprisonment in a multi-crore chit fund scam. The special CBI court also imposed a penalty of Rs 15,000 on Patnaik. Patnaik had pleaded guilty to the charges pressed against him by CBI. The agency court has directed MFL to deposit Rs 105 crore, failing which its properties would be attached. The company faced charges of defrauding depositors out of around Rs 400 crore by floating six companies in Odisha. The firms included Micro Leasing and Funding, Micro Hotels, Micro Constructions, Micro Hospitals and Micro Media. Patnaik was arrested by the CBI in March 2014. In February 2015, the agency filed a charge sheet against five people including a former CMD of the company, Durga Prasad Mishra, and managing director Patnaik and three other directors of MFL. They were charged under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Prize Chit and Money Circulation (Banning) Act, 1978. The company had been barred by the Reserve Bank of India in September 2012 from collecting deposits from people. The companys founders floated Micro Leasing and Funding Pvt Ltd to dodge the regulatory body and continue collecting public deposits.
By Express News Service

COIMBATORE: Army intelligence personnel have held two militants of National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB), an armed separatist outfit in Assam, near Sulur near Coimbatore on Thursday.

The duo suspected militants had been working at a poultry near Sulur for the past two years. Army sleuths had camped at Sulur for over a week to closely monitor their activities and after confirmation, they nabbed the suspects.

They were active members of NDFB and had been on the run for years, sources said.

COIMBATORE: Army intelligence personnel have held two militants of National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB), an armed separatist outfit in Assam, near Sulur near Coimbatore on Thursday. The duo suspected militants had been working at a poultry near Sulur for the past two years. Army sleuths had camped at Sulur for over a week to closely monitor their activities and after confirmation, they nabbed the suspects. They were active members of NDFB and had been on the run for years, sources said.
By Associated Press

JUBA: The trial for rapes and murder allegedly committed by South Sudan army soldiers one year ago at the Terrain hotel could be jeopardised if the victims don't come forward to testify, said a military court today.

"I demand the names and presence of those who were raped to come here," said Deng Manyiel, the head judge on a panel of four during the trial's fifth day of hearings. Another judge, Brigadier General Knight Briano, told The Associated Press that if the victims do not identify the accused, there is no legal way they can be convicted of rape or murder.

Twelve South Sudanese soldiers currently stand trial for the gang rapes of five foreign aid workers and the murder of one local journalist last July when fighting broke out in Juba, the capital. If convicted, the accused could face the death sentence.

To date, however, witness testimony by four employees of the hotel, who identified four of the accused, has only pointed to charges of looting.

"There's a fear that the rapes and murder won't be proven beyond a reasonable doubt," said Philips Anyang Ngong, a private prosecutor hired by Terrain.

Ngong partially blames the lack of convincing evidence on Internews, an international organization whose journalist was murdered and several members of their staff raped. He said there's been a "complete failure to cooperate" on their part.

The prosecution said it has been waiting for supporting documents from Internews that could help shore up the murder charge.

However, Internews said it is cooperating with authorities. "We are following the proceedings and continuing to cooperate with government officials and the FBI," said a spokesman for Internews.

The lead prosecutor told the court that the rape victims are coming "step by step," yet admitted that they still weren't "here yet." Survivors of the assaults say they're not going to testify unless they're guaranteed protection.

"We've been given no assurances or information on the procedures they have in place to facilitate witnesses coming forward," one of the survivors told AP. She said she's been in touch with the FBI who is acting as a liaison between the victims and the prosecution on the ground.

JUBA: The trial for rapes and murder allegedly committed by South Sudan army soldiers one year ago at the Terrain hotel could be jeopardised if the victims don't come forward to testify, said a military court today. "I demand the names and presence of those who were raped to come here," said Deng Manyiel, the head judge on a panel of four during the trial's fifth day of hearings. Another judge, Brigadier General Knight Briano, told The Associated Press that if the victims do not identify the accused, there is no legal way they can be convicted of rape or murder. Twelve South Sudanese soldiers currently stand trial for the gang rapes of five foreign aid workers and the murder of one local journalist last July when fighting broke out in Juba, the capital. If convicted, the accused could face the death sentence. To date, however, witness testimony by four employees of the hotel, who identified four of the accused, has only pointed to charges of looting. "There's a fear that the rapes and murder won't be proven beyond a reasonable doubt," said Philips Anyang Ngong, a private prosecutor hired by Terrain. Ngong partially blames the lack of convincing evidence on Internews, an international organization whose journalist was murdered and several members of their staff raped. He said there's been a "complete failure to cooperate" on their part. The prosecution said it has been waiting for supporting documents from Internews that could help shore up the murder charge. However, Internews said it is cooperating with authorities. "We are following the proceedings and continuing to cooperate with government officials and the FBI," said a spokesman for Internews. The lead prosecutor told the court that the rape victims are coming "step by step," yet admitted that they still weren't "here yet." Survivors of the assaults say they're not going to testify unless they're guaranteed protection. "We've been given no assurances or information on the procedures they have in place to facilitate witnesses coming forward," one of the survivors told AP. She said she's been in touch with the FBI who is acting as a liaison between the victims and the prosecution on the ground.
By PTI

ROME: Former Italian prime minister Matteo Renzi, the head of the ruling Democratic Party, on Friday said Italy should allow only a "fixed number" of migrants into the country as it grapples with a wave of people arriving by sea from North Africa.

"There has to be a fixed number of arrivals. We should not feel guilty if we are not able to welcome everyone," Renzi said in a video posted on his party's website.

"We have to save everyone, but we are not able to welcome everyone into Italy," he said.

Italy has been struggling to cope with a flood of migrants, mostly sub-Saharan Africans, crossing the Mediterranean Sea from Libya, a journey that has so far claimed more than 2,200 lives this year, UN figures show.

According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the country has accepted around 85,000 of the 100,000 people who have arrived this year -- an influx that has revived fears of a return to the European Union's migrant crisis of 2015, when hundreds of thousands of people arrived on the continent in search of a better life.

The massive wave has also exacerbated tensions with neighbouring Austria, which this week threatened to send troops to its border with Italy to stop migrants entering.

On Thursday, EU interior ministers backed an urgent European Commission plan to help crisis-hit Italy, which earmarks 35 million euros ($40 million) in aid for Rome as well as proposals for working with Libya and other countries to stem the flow of migrants.

The ex-Italian premier also warned that countries which fail to help with the migrant crisis "will suffer the consequences" in upcoming European Union budget negotiations.

"These countries that take Italy's money but build walls, if we become tougher and more determined in the discussions for the (EU) 2020-2026 budget in the coming months, they will suffer the consequences," he said.

Government data released Thursday showed that Italy has received 73,000 asylum applications since the start of the year -- an increase of 46 percent compared with the first six months of 2016.

ROME: Former Italian prime minister Matteo Renzi, the head of the ruling Democratic Party, on Friday said Italy should allow only a "fixed number" of migrants into the country as it grapples with a wave of people arriving by sea from North Africa. "There has to be a fixed number of arrivals. We should not feel guilty if we are not able to welcome everyone," Renzi said in a video posted on his party's website. "We have to save everyone, but we are not able to welcome everyone into Italy," he said. Italy has been struggling to cope with a flood of migrants, mostly sub-Saharan Africans, crossing the Mediterranean Sea from Libya, a journey that has so far claimed more than 2,200 lives this year, UN figures show. According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the country has accepted around 85,000 of the 100,000 people who have arrived this year -- an influx that has revived fears of a return to the European Union's migrant crisis of 2015, when hundreds of thousands of people arrived on the continent in search of a better life. The massive wave has also exacerbated tensions with neighbouring Austria, which this week threatened to send troops to its border with Italy to stop migrants entering. On Thursday, EU interior ministers backed an urgent European Commission plan to help crisis-hit Italy, which earmarks 35 million euros ($40 million) in aid for Rome as well as proposals for working with Libya and other countries to stem the flow of migrants. The ex-Italian premier also warned that countries which fail to help with the migrant crisis "will suffer the consequences" in upcoming European Union budget negotiations. "These countries that take Italy's money but build walls, if we become tougher and more determined in the discussions for the (EU) 2020-2026 budget in the coming months, they will suffer the consequences," he said. Government data released Thursday showed that Italy has received 73,000 asylum applications since the start of the year -- an increase of 46 percent compared with the first six months of 2016.
NEW YORK, July 07, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pomerantz scored a significant victory for investors in In re Petrobras Sec. Litig. (2d Cir. July 7, 2017), one of the largest securities class actions pending in the United States. The case involves the biggest corruption scandal in the history of Brazil, which according to Plaintiffs has ensnared not only Petrobras' former executives but also Brazilian politicians, including former presidents and at least one third of the Brazilian Congress. According to Plaintiffs, Defendants fraudulent scheme involved billions of dollars in kickbacks, tens of billions of dollars in overstated assets, as well as significant losses to Petrobras investors.



In a February 2, 2016 Opinion and Order, the District Court certified all the classes proposed by the Plaintiffs, encompassing not only purchasers of Petrobras American Depository Receipts, but also Petrobras bondholders who acquired securities pursuant to domestic transactions. Plaintiffs asserted claims under Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Sections 11, 12(a)(2) and 15 of the Securities Act of 1933. Defendants appealed the District Courts certification opinion on multiple grounds, including for failure to satisfy the requirement of ascertainability and for failure to satisfy the burden of showing that the Petrobras securities at issue traded in efficient markets. The Second Circuit accepted the appeal and largely rejected Defendants arguments, sending the case back to the District Court for further proceedings.

The Second Circuits decision is important and favorable precedent in several respects. First, in an issue of first impression, the Second Circuit squarely rejected Defendants invitation to adopt the heightened ascertainability requirement promulgated by the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, which would have required plaintiffs to demonstrate that determining membership in a class is administratively feasible. The Second Circuits rejection of this standard is not only a victory for bondholders in securities class actions, but also plaintiffs in consumer fraud class actions and other class actions where documentation regarding Class membership is not readily attainable.

With respect to Petrobras bondholders, the Court vacated the District Courts granting of class certification, but only to the extent that it did not perform an analysis regarding the impact of the Supreme Courts Morrison decision on the predominance requirement of class certification. Specifically, the Second Circuit required the District Court to analyze whether common answers to whether a transaction occurred in the United States could be ascertained via common proof. The record in this case easily supports such a determination. Indeed, as the Second Circuit acknowledged, the district court might properly certify one or more classes that capture [] all of the Securities holders who fall within the Classes as currently defined.

The Second Circuit also refused to adopt a requirement, urged by Defendants, that all securities class action plaintiffs seeking class certification prove through direct evidence (i.e., via an event study) that the prices of the relevant securities moved in a particular direction in response to new information. Reaffirming the Supreme Courts guidance in Halliburton II that the burden for plaintiffs seeking class certification is not an onerous one, the Second Circuit rejected the notion that complicated event studies be submitted by Plaintiffs at the class certification stage. The Court agreed with Plaintiffs that event studies offer the seductive promise of hard numbers and dispassionate truth, but methodological constraints limit their utility in the context of single-firm analyses.

Jeremy Lieberman, Managing Partner of Pomerantz commented: We are very pleased with the Second Circuits decision today, which provides important precedent for both domestic and foreign investors seeking redress for securities fraud impacting the U.S. capital markets. Plaintiffs allege that Defendants engaged in a sweeping fraud lasting nearly a decade, which caused billions of dollars in losses to Petrobras investors, and hobbled the political and economic framework in Brazil, one of the largest economies in the world. This decision represents a victory for class action plaintiffs in securities, antitrust and consumer cases. Most significantly, the Second Circuits decision allows this important case against Petrobras and other Defendants to proceed apace, lifting the automatic stay imposed by the Second Circuit. As a result, we intend to ask Judge Rakoff to set a trial date as quickly as possible, to allow the defrauded class members to finally have their day in court.

The complaint alleges that, throughout the Class Period, defendants made materially false and misleading statements regarding the company's business, operational and compliance policies. Specifically, defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) the company overstated its property, plant, and equipment on its balance sheet by overpricing contracts to certain companies relating to its refineries and operations and accepted kickbacks from construction companies approved for those contracts; (2) the company was receiving multi-billion dollar bribes from third-party contractors to secure contracts from Petrobras; (3) the company was in violation of its own Code of Ethics, as its employees and executives were routinely accepting bribes from certain construction companies; (4) the company's internal controls over financial reporting were ineffective and deficient; and (5) as a result of the foregoing, Petrobras' public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times.

The Pomerantz Firm, with offices in New York, Chicago, Florida, and Los Angeles, is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, the Pomerantz Firm pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 80 years later, the Pomerantz Firm continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomerantzlaw.com
By AFP

LONDON: G20 leaders meeting in Hamburg will seek to persuade US President Donald Trump to rejoin the 2015 Paris climate change accord, British Prime Minister Theresa May said today.

"I believe it is possible. We're not renegotiating the Paris Agreement -- that stays. But I want to see the United States looking for ways to rejoin it," May told the BBC as the two-day summit began in the German port city.

"I believe the collective message that will be given to President Trump around this table will be the importance of America coming back into that agreement, and I hope we will be able to work to ensure that can happen."

May had previously expressed to Trump her "disappointment" at his decision to pull the US out of the hard-fought climate deal, which was signed by 195 countries including the United States.

She is due to meet Trump today for a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the summit.

LONDON: G20 leaders meeting in Hamburg will seek to persuade US President Donald Trump to rejoin the 2015 Paris climate change accord, British Prime Minister Theresa May said today. "I believe it is possible. We're not renegotiating the Paris Agreement -- that stays. But I want to see the United States looking for ways to rejoin it," May told the BBC as the two-day summit began in the German port city. "I believe the collective message that will be given to President Trump around this table will be the importance of America coming back into that agreement, and I hope we will be able to work to ensure that can happen." May had previously expressed to Trump her "disappointment" at his decision to pull the US out of the hard-fought climate deal, which was signed by 195 countries including the United States. She is due to meet Trump today for a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the summit.
By PTI

HAMBURG: Notwithstanding a standoff between their armies, India said today that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping shook hands and had a conversation on a "range of issues" at an informal meeting of BRICS leaders here.

The interaction between Modi and Xi took place on the sidelines of the G20 Summit, even as tensions remain high between India and China in the Sikkim section.

In a tweet, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Gopal Baglay said Modi and Xi discussed "a range of issues" at the BRICS leaders' informal gathering in Hamburg "hosted by China." He did not elaborate on the issues discussed.

The ministry also tweeted a photograph of Modi and Xi shaking hands.

The informal interaction comes a day after a top Chinese foreign ministry official said the "atmosphere" is "not right"

for a formal bilateral meeting between Modi and Xi in Hamburg.

The standoff between China and India in the Dokalam area near the Bhutan tri-junction has dragged on for the past three weeks. It started after a Chinese Army's construction party attempted to build a road.

Doka La is the Indian name for the region which Bhutan recognises as Dokalam while China claims it as part of its Donglang region.

Later, in an address to BRICS leaders, Modi "appreciated"

momentum in the bloc under the Chinese chairmanship and extended full cooperation for the grouping's upcoming summit to be hosted by Beijing. He also extended full cooperation and best wishes to China for the next BRICS summit in the Chinese city of Xiamen later this year.

"Under Xi's chairmanship, the progress and positive momentum of BRICS has further deepened our cooperation," Modi said.

Modi said BRICS has been a strong voice and needs to show leadership on terrorism and global economy, according to a press release issued by the Ministry of External Affairs.

It quoted Modi as saying that G20 nations should also "collectively oppose terrorism financing, franchises, safe havens, support and sponsors."

In his speech, Xi also appreciated the momentum witnessed at the BRICS bloc during India's chairmanship before it was passed on to China, and praised India's strong resolve against terrorism, the press release said.

It quoted Xi as saying he appreciates India's success in economic and social development and wishes India even bigger success.

Chinese official news agency Xinhua said Xi urged BRICS countries to push for "peaceful settlement" of regional conflicts and disputes, and to consolidate the role of the G20 mechanism "as the premier platform for international economic cooperation."

The Xinhua report did not elaborate on what Xi meant by "regional disputes".

Besides India and China, Russia, Brazil and South Africa are part of the BRICS grouping.

HAMBURG: Notwithstanding a standoff between their armies, India said today that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping shook hands and had a conversation on a "range of issues" at an informal meeting of BRICS leaders here. The interaction between Modi and Xi took place on the sidelines of the G20 Summit, even as tensions remain high between India and China in the Sikkim section. In a tweet, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Gopal Baglay said Modi and Xi discussed "a range of issues" at the BRICS leaders' informal gathering in Hamburg "hosted by China." He did not elaborate on the issues discussed. The ministry also tweeted a photograph of Modi and Xi shaking hands. The informal interaction comes a day after a top Chinese foreign ministry official said the "atmosphere" is "not right" for a formal bilateral meeting between Modi and Xi in Hamburg. The standoff between China and India in the Dokalam area near the Bhutan tri-junction has dragged on for the past three weeks. It started after a Chinese Army's construction party attempted to build a road. Doka La is the Indian name for the region which Bhutan recognises as Dokalam while China claims it as part of its Donglang region. Later, in an address to BRICS leaders, Modi "appreciated" momentum in the bloc under the Chinese chairmanship and extended full cooperation for the grouping's upcoming summit to be hosted by Beijing. He also extended full cooperation and best wishes to China for the next BRICS summit in the Chinese city of Xiamen later this year. "Under Xi's chairmanship, the progress and positive momentum of BRICS has further deepened our cooperation," Modi said. Modi said BRICS has been a strong voice and needs to show leadership on terrorism and global economy, according to a press release issued by the Ministry of External Affairs. It quoted Modi as saying that G20 nations should also "collectively oppose terrorism financing, franchises, safe havens, support and sponsors." In his speech, Xi also appreciated the momentum witnessed at the BRICS bloc during India's chairmanship before it was passed on to China, and praised India's strong resolve against terrorism, the press release said. It quoted Xi as saying he appreciates India's success in economic and social development and wishes India even bigger success. Chinese official news agency Xinhua said Xi urged BRICS countries to push for "peaceful settlement" of regional conflicts and disputes, and to consolidate the role of the G20 mechanism "as the premier platform for international economic cooperation." The Xinhua report did not elaborate on what Xi meant by "regional disputes". Besides India and China, Russia, Brazil and South Africa are part of the BRICS grouping.
By PTI

HAMBURG: Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said the geopolitical situation in the Gulf, West Asia and in the Korean Peninsula is a matter of concern as he asked BRICS nations to be a voice for stability, reform, progress and governance at the world stage.

During an informal gathering of BRICS leaders here hosted by the Chinese President on the sidelines of the G20 Summit, Modi said the ups and downs in the global politics and worsening security situation are affecting everyone.

"BRICS has to be a voice of stability, reform, progress and governance at the world stage," he told the presidents from BRICS nations - Michel Temer (Brazil), Vladimir Putin (Russia), Xi Jinping (China) and Jacob Zuma (South Africa).

Modi said that the spread of terrorism is a threat for societies in Asia and Europe as he expressed concern over its increasing influence in the war-torn Afghanistan.

The West Asian region has been marred by conflict between Israel and Palestine and battle against the ISIS terror group, civil wars in Syria, Libya and Yemen. Millions of people have fled their homes in Iraq and Syria due to conflict.

In the Gulf, a group of Arab states including Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain has severed air, sea and ground links with Qatar, triggering a diplomatic crisis in the region where millions of Indians are working.

Saudi and its allies accuse Qatar of supporting terror groups and maintaining close relations with Iran. The crisis has raised concerns of growing instability in the region.

The Prime Minister also voiced concern over tensions in the Korean Peninsula, saying it is a matter of concern.

Modi's remarks came in the backdrop of the US warning to North Korea that it would use military force in response to Pyongyang's "reckless" launch of a ballistic missiles. The US also blasted China and Russia for "holding the hands" of the reclusive nation's "vicious dictator" Kim Jong Un.

HAMBURG: Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said the geopolitical situation in the Gulf, West Asia and in the Korean Peninsula is a matter of concern as he asked BRICS nations to be a voice for stability, reform, progress and governance at the world stage. During an informal gathering of BRICS leaders here hosted by the Chinese President on the sidelines of the G20 Summit, Modi said the ups and downs in the global politics and worsening security situation are affecting everyone. "BRICS has to be a voice of stability, reform, progress and governance at the world stage," he told the presidents from BRICS nations - Michel Temer (Brazil), Vladimir Putin (Russia), Xi Jinping (China) and Jacob Zuma (South Africa). Modi said that the spread of terrorism is a threat for societies in Asia and Europe as he expressed concern over its increasing influence in the war-torn Afghanistan. The West Asian region has been marred by conflict between Israel and Palestine and battle against the ISIS terror group, civil wars in Syria, Libya and Yemen. Millions of people have fled their homes in Iraq and Syria due to conflict. In the Gulf, a group of Arab states including Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain has severed air, sea and ground links with Qatar, triggering a diplomatic crisis in the region where millions of Indians are working. Saudi and its allies accuse Qatar of supporting terror groups and maintaining close relations with Iran. The crisis has raised concerns of growing instability in the region. The Prime Minister also voiced concern over tensions in the Korean Peninsula, saying it is a matter of concern. Modi's remarks came in the backdrop of the US warning to North Korea that it would use military force in response to Pyongyang's "reckless" launch of a ballistic missiles. The US also blasted China and Russia for "holding the hands" of the reclusive nation's "vicious dictator" Kim Jong Un.
By AFP

LONDON: In 2012, a Taliban gunman shot her in the head for advocating education for girls in her native Pakistan. Today, Nobel Peace laureate Malala Yousafzai completed her schooling in Britain, calling the achievement "bittersweet".

"Today is my last day of school and my first day on @Twitter," she wrote on her newly opened account, which gained more than 134,000 followers in three hours.

Yousafzai, who will be turning 20 this month, had been attending a school in the city of Birmingham where she was treated after the shooting in October 2012.

After blogging and campaigning for girls' education in her native Swat Valley, she was shot as she rode back to her village on a bus after taking an exam.

Yousafzai has since become a global icon for girls' education, winning the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014.

"Graduating from secondary school (high school) is bittersweet for me," she tweeted, adding: "I know that millions of girls around the world are out of school and may never get the opportunity to complete their education".

But she said she was "excited" about her future and promised to continue "fighting for girls".

Yousafzai has excelled at school and is awaiting the results of her A-level exams next month. She has been offered a place to study at Oxford University.

She has chosen to study Philosophy, Politics and Economics, a prestigious course that has produced many British politicians and world leaders including late Pakistani prime minister Benazir Bhutto.

LONDON: In 2012, a Taliban gunman shot her in the head for advocating education for girls in her native Pakistan. Today, Nobel Peace laureate Malala Yousafzai completed her schooling in Britain, calling the achievement "bittersweet". "Today is my last day of school and my first day on @Twitter," she wrote on her newly opened account, which gained more than 134,000 followers in three hours. Yousafzai, who will be turning 20 this month, had been attending a school in the city of Birmingham where she was treated after the shooting in October 2012. After blogging and campaigning for girls' education in her native Swat Valley, she was shot as she rode back to her village on a bus after taking an exam. Yousafzai has since become a global icon for girls' education, winning the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014. "Graduating from secondary school (high school) is bittersweet for me," she tweeted, adding: "I know that millions of girls around the world are out of school and may never get the opportunity to complete their education". But she said she was "excited" about her future and promised to continue "fighting for girls". Yousafzai has excelled at school and is awaiting the results of her A-level exams next month. She has been offered a place to study at Oxford University. She has chosen to study Philosophy, Politics and Economics, a prestigious course that has produced many British politicians and world leaders including late Pakistani prime minister Benazir Bhutto.
By AFP

HAMBURG: Trump, Putin hold first meeting at US President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin held their first face-to-face meeting Friday at a G20 summit marred by violent protests and a rift between America and its Western allies over climate change and trade.

"We look forward to a lot of very positive things happening for Russia, for the United States and for everyone concerned," Trump said. "It's an honour to be with you."

Putin told the US leader: "I'm delighted to be able to meet you personally Mr President. And I hope as you have said, our meeting will yield concrete results."

The blockbuster encounter could sway issues ranging from the North Korean crisis and conflicts in Syria and Ukraine to US-Russian disarmament treaties, world trade and global warming, analysts say.

Public images of the interaction between the brash property tycoon and ice-cool ex-KGB agent are likely to be dissected frame by frame for any sign of rapprochement or estrangement.

How the "contrasting styles of machismo interact... will likely be the defining feature of their relationship," noted Derek Chollet from think-tank German Marshall Fund.

Normally a ripple-free event in the diplomatic calendar, this year's G20 summit in the German port city of Hamburg promises to be one of the stormiest in the forum's history.

Trump's "America First" approach on trade and his climate-sceptic stance are straining relations with longstanding allies, especially in Europe.

And his tough response to North Korea's missile programme -- an issue where Russia and China are urging calm -- throws a further volatile ingredient into the mix.

Outside the heavily guarded G20 conference hall, protesters wreaked havoc, blocking US First Lady Melania Trump at her residence as demonstrators torched cars, smashed shop windows, fired flares at police helicopters and even slashed tyres on vehicles belonging to the Canadian delegation.

The violence forced Hamburg police to call in reinforcements from other German states, and G20 organisers to drastically curtail an official programme for spouses of visiting dignitaries.

"The Hamburg police could not give us clearance to leave," said the first lady's spokeswoman, Stephanie Grisham, explaining why she had been forced to miss a cruise tour.

End 'destabilising' action

On the presidential election campaign trail last year, Trump said he hoped relations with Putin could be rebuilt after Russia's acrimonious ties with his predecessor Barack Obama.

But Moscow faces mounting accusations that it interfered in the election to help propel Trump into the White House. As a result, Trump faces pressure at home and from US allies to take a combative tone.

In a key speech in Warsaw on Thursday, Trump fired a rare salvo of criticism at Russia, but did not name Putin specifically.

"We urge Russia to cease its destabilising activities in Ukraine and elsewhere, and its support for hostile regimes -- including Syria and Iran -- and to instead join the community of responsible nations in our fight against common enemies and in defence of civilisation itself," he told a cheering crowd of about 10,000 people.

Trump is joined at the Putin meeting only by Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and a translator, an extraordinarily small cast list that raised concerns among experts.

"Neither Tillerson or Trump have any experience of foreign policy. That is one reason why they need pros in the room when meeting Putin," said Thomas Wright of the Brookings Institution.

Storm over climate

North Korea's successful test of an intercontinental ballistic missile this week also casts a dark shadow over the US leader's first G20 summit.

Trump had warned Thursday that Pyongyang's military sabre-rattling would bear "consequences", saying he was considering a "severe" response to its "very, very bad behaviour".

After repeatedly urging Beijing to ratchet up the economic pressure on North Korea, Trump will hold what promises to be a testy meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the G20's sidelines.

Beyond the complex diplomatic waltz, the US leader also faces tough talks in the main G20 conference room, where a united front is forming against his dismissive attitude to global warming.

Trump may have vowed to pull the US out of the 2015 Paris climate protection accord, but G20 host German Chancellor Angela Merkel stressed that "many many other countries want to go on implementing" it.

"We are not going to paper over the differences but rather, we will call discord discord," said Merkel.

British Prime Minister Theresa May, meanwhile, said world leaders will redouble efforts over the two-day summit to persuade Trump to rejoin the Paris deal.

"I believe the collective message that will be given to President Trump around this table will be the importance of America coming back into that agreement, and I hope we will be able to work to ensure that can happen," she told the BBC.

HAMBURG: Trump, Putin hold first meeting at US President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin held their first face-to-face meeting Friday at a G20 summit marred by violent protests and a rift between America and its Western allies over climate change and trade. "We look forward to a lot of very positive things happening for Russia, for the United States and for everyone concerned," Trump said. "It's an honour to be with you." Putin told the US leader: "I'm delighted to be able to meet you personally Mr President. And I hope as you have said, our meeting will yield concrete results." The blockbuster encounter could sway issues ranging from the North Korean crisis and conflicts in Syria and Ukraine to US-Russian disarmament treaties, world trade and global warming, analysts say. Public images of the interaction between the brash property tycoon and ice-cool ex-KGB agent are likely to be dissected frame by frame for any sign of rapprochement or estrangement. How the "contrasting styles of machismo interact... will likely be the defining feature of their relationship," noted Derek Chollet from think-tank German Marshall Fund. Normally a ripple-free event in the diplomatic calendar, this year's G20 summit in the German port city of Hamburg promises to be one of the stormiest in the forum's history. Trump's "America First" approach on trade and his climate-sceptic stance are straining relations with longstanding allies, especially in Europe. And his tough response to North Korea's missile programme -- an issue where Russia and China are urging calm -- throws a further volatile ingredient into the mix. Outside the heavily guarded G20 conference hall, protesters wreaked havoc, blocking US First Lady Melania Trump at her residence as demonstrators torched cars, smashed shop windows, fired flares at police helicopters and even slashed tyres on vehicles belonging to the Canadian delegation. The violence forced Hamburg police to call in reinforcements from other German states, and G20 organisers to drastically curtail an official programme for spouses of visiting dignitaries. "The Hamburg police could not give us clearance to leave," said the first lady's spokeswoman, Stephanie Grisham, explaining why she had been forced to miss a cruise tour. End 'destabilising' action On the presidential election campaign trail last year, Trump said he hoped relations with Putin could be rebuilt after Russia's acrimonious ties with his predecessor Barack Obama. But Moscow faces mounting accusations that it interfered in the election to help propel Trump into the White House. As a result, Trump faces pressure at home and from US allies to take a combative tone. In a key speech in Warsaw on Thursday, Trump fired a rare salvo of criticism at Russia, but did not name Putin specifically. "We urge Russia to cease its destabilising activities in Ukraine and elsewhere, and its support for hostile regimes -- including Syria and Iran -- and to instead join the community of responsible nations in our fight against common enemies and in defence of civilisation itself," he told a cheering crowd of about 10,000 people. Trump is joined at the Putin meeting only by Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and a translator, an extraordinarily small cast list that raised concerns among experts. "Neither Tillerson or Trump have any experience of foreign policy. That is one reason why they need pros in the room when meeting Putin," said Thomas Wright of the Brookings Institution. Storm over climate North Korea's successful test of an intercontinental ballistic missile this week also casts a dark shadow over the US leader's first G20 summit. Trump had warned Thursday that Pyongyang's military sabre-rattling would bear "consequences", saying he was considering a "severe" response to its "very, very bad behaviour". After repeatedly urging Beijing to ratchet up the economic pressure on North Korea, Trump will hold what promises to be a testy meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the G20's sidelines. Beyond the complex diplomatic waltz, the US leader also faces tough talks in the main G20 conference room, where a united front is forming against his dismissive attitude to global warming. Trump may have vowed to pull the US out of the 2015 Paris climate protection accord, but G20 host German Chancellor Angela Merkel stressed that "many many other countries want to go on implementing" it. "We are not going to paper over the differences but rather, we will call discord discord," said Merkel. British Prime Minister Theresa May, meanwhile, said world leaders will redouble efforts over the two-day summit to persuade Trump to rejoin the Paris deal. "I believe the collective message that will be given to President Trump around this table will be the importance of America coming back into that agreement, and I hope we will be able to work to ensure that can happen," she told the BBC.
Champaign, IL (61820)

Today

Mostly clear skies this evening will become overcast overnight. Low 28F. Winds NW at 10 to 20 mph..

Tonight

Mostly clear skies this evening will become overcast overnight. Low 28F. Winds NW at 10 to 20 mph.
The American Red Cross issued an emergency statement early this week that they are facing a shortage of blood and are urging willing donors to come forth and donate blood or platelets as soon as possible.

Image Credit: Vladimir Mucibabic / Shutterstock

The Red Cross officials explain that the demand for the blood donated is much higher than the supply. Blood and platelets donated are being routinely sent to hospitals, the incoming donated blood and platelets are falling short of this supply. As of now the shortage is of 61,000 fewer donations than what is needed and over the last two months the shortages have been acute the statement says.

Shaun Gilmore, president, Red Cross Biomedical Services said that there has been a significant decline in the summer donations and thus overall blood supply is declining fast. He urged new and old donors to come forward and help them restock the hospitals with adequate amounts of blood so that lives are saved. Blood requirements for patients meeting with accidents or those who are being treated for cancers and blood diseases do not vary over the year or over seasons he explained. Round the year a health stock of blood is necessary to meet the demands.

Blood donations typically dip around the Independence day week. There are fewer blood donation drives around this time due most people being on vacations. Compared to any other week, around 700 less blood donation drives are help over the 4th of July week at community gatherings, places of worship etc. These fewer drives mean that the Red Cross doesnt get blood at any blood drives for more than an entire day.

There are several fears and myths regarding blood or platelet donation that need to busted and more social awareness is needed. Fear of needles is one such hurdle that stops may people for donating blood. Red Cross blood donors who do it regularly can help show new donors that it is really not a big deal to donate blood or platelets and help save lives. Statistics show that blood is needed by an American every two seconds and Red Cross needs nearly 14,000 blood donations every day in order to meet the needs of nearly 2,600 hospitals across the country who would need them on an emergency basis for their patients.

Blood donations can be safely made by persons over the age of 17 years in most states and at 16 with parental consent in some states. They should weigh at least 110 pounds and should be generally healthy. Height weight requirements are to be met by donors 18 years of age and younger before they can proceed to donate blood. There is a Red Cross Blood Donor App where an appointment could be made for a voluntary donation. The persons interested may also visit redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-REDCROSS (1-800-733-2767) to donate. Individuals need to complete a RapidPass online health history questionnaire to speed up the process of the donation. Appointments can be sought beforehand to reduce waiting times. Over the next few weeks after this lull in donations, the Red Cross has opened up an additional 25,000 additional appointment slots at the different donation sites to allow more donors to come and contribute.
Cerus Endovascular Ltd. today announced that it has received CE Mark approval for the commercial sale of its Contour Neurovascular System for the treatment of intra-cranial aneurysms (IAs) across the European Union (EU). The Contour Neurovascular System is a unique, fine mesh braid that is deployed at the neck of the aneurysm sac and provides a combination of flow diversion and flow disruption through a single device implant. The company intends to initiate a controlled commercial rollout in select CE marking countries through a direct sales force during the third quarter of 2017.

"CE Mark approval of our Contour Neurovascular System represents a significant milestone not only for our company, but, more importantly, for the millions of patients worldwide who carry the risks posed by unruptured intra-cranial brain aneurysms," said J. Todd Derbin, founder, chairman and chief executive officer of Cerus Endovascular. "We have designed the Contour Neurovascular System to deliver significant clinical advantages versus competing technologies. Notably, the system targets the neck of the aneurysm away from the vulnerable dome, it is self-anchoring for stability, it is re-sheathable for precise placement and since it is deployed across the neck, sizing criteria are less stringent, making it easier to use. Further, based on patients treated to date in a compassionate use setting, Contour achieved a 100% implant success rate with an excellent safety profile. Given these demonstrated attributes, we believe that Contour represents a true paradigm shift in the treatment of intra-cranial aneurysms, and we look forward to making this disruptive technology available to physicians in CE marking countries while advancing discussions with regulators in the United States and other key geographies."

"The evolution of aneurysm treatment, from surgery, to endovascular coils, to mesh baskets, has created new modalities that are less invasive and increasingly effective," said Dr. Tufail Patankar, consultant interventional neuroradiologist at Leeds General Infirmary in Leeds, UK. "However, even current treatments can be complex and risky. In contrast, the unique design of Contour allows for treatment of the aneurysm with a single, versatile device that can be deployed with existing microcatheter techniques. As a result, fewer maneuvers are required within and around the aneurysm than with other available device classes, such as flow diverters, allowing for safer embolization, reduced rupture rates, shortened procedure times and superior patient outcomes."

Cerus Endovascular is currently conducting a 45-patient single arm, multi-center pilot trial designed to demonstrate the safety of the Contour Neurovascular System in the treatment of unruptured aneurysms. The study is being conducted at four leading neurological centers in the UK and one in Hungary. With CE Mark approval, the company plans to conduct future prospective clinical trials through the initiation of a Post Approval Study and Registry.
While much about Alzheimer's disease remains a mystery, scientists do know that part of the disease's progression involves a normal protein called tau, aggregating to form ropelike inclusions within brain cells that eventually strangle the neurons. Yet how this protein transitions from its soluble liquid state to solid fibers has remained unknown -- until now.

Discovering an unsuspected property of tau, UC Santa Barbara physical chemist Song-I Han and neurobiologist Kenneth S. Kosik have shed new light on the protein's ability to morph from one state to another.

Remarkably, tau can, in a complex with RNA, condense into a highly compact "droplet" while retaining its liquid properties. In a phenomenon called phase separation, tau and RNA hold together, without the benefit of a membrane, but remain separate from the surrounding milieu. This novel state highly concentrates tau and creates a set of conditions in which it becomes vulnerable to aggregation. Kosik and Han outline their discoveries in the journal PLOS Biology.

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"Our findings, along with related research in neurodegeneration, posit a biophysical 'smoking gun' on the path to tau pathology," said Kosik, UCSB's Harriman Professor of Neuroscience and co-director of the campus's Neuroscience Research Institute. "The signposts on this path are the intrinsic ability of tau to fold into myriad shapes, to bind to RNA and to form compact reversible structures under physiologic conditions, such as the concentration, the temperature and the salinity."

The researchers found that, depending on the length and shape of the RNA, up to eight tau molecules bind to the RNA to form an extended fluidic assembly. Several other proteins like tau are known to irreversibly aggregate in other neurodegenerative diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, more commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease.

"There is an interesting relationship between intrinsically disordered proteins that are predisposed to become neurodegenerative -- in this case tau -- and this phase separation state," said Han, a professor in UCSB's Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. "Is this droplet stage a reservoir that protects tau or an intermediate stage that helps transform tau into a disease state with fibrils or both at the same time? Figuring out the exact physiological role of these droplets is the next challenge."

Subsequent analysis will consist of an intensive search for the counterpart of tau droplets in living cells. In future work, the researchers also want to explore how and why a cell regulates the formation and dissolution of these droplets and whether this represents a potential inroad toward therapy.
Loyola Medicine is enrolling patients in the first major study of a rare, debilitating lung disease that disproportionately affects people from Puerto Rico.

The hereditary disease is called Hermansky-Pudlak syndrome (HPS). It can cause bleeding problems, low vision, albinism and in some patients, a debilitating and often fatal lung disease called pulmonary fibrosis, said Loyola Medicine pulmonologist Daniel Dilling, MD.

HPS affects fewer than 1 in 500,000 people worldwide. But it is more common in certain geographic pockets, especially Puerto Rico, where it affects 1 in 1,800 people.

Loyola is the only center in Illinois participating in a multicenter study of how HPS develops in patients over time. The first Loyola HPS patient to enroll is Jonathan Colon, 44, of Chicago, whose parents are from Puerto Rico. Puerto Ricans who have HPS are believed to have descended from a single founding patient.

Mr. Colon has pulmonary fibrosis, characterized by a buildup of scar tissue in the lungs. Pulmonary fibrosis makes breathing increasingly difficult, and in later stages patients need supplemental oxygen around the clock. Small exertions such as walking across a room can leave a patient gasping for breath. Without a lung transplant, the condition can be fatal.

The course of the disease varies among patients. Mr. Colon was diagnosed relatively early in the disease, and is taking a new drug that has slowed the progression of his pulmonary fibrosis. Dr. Dilling said Mr. Colon eventually may need a lung transplant. The operation would be challenging, because in HPS patients, blood does not coagulate normally, increasing the risk of bleeding.

Dr. Dilling said people of Puerto Rican descent who have albinism (abnormally light coloring) should be screened for HPS to ensure early treatment. Many Puerto Ricans with albinism do not know they are at risk for HPS, Dr. Dilling said.

The study is called "A Longitudinal Study of Hermansky-Pudlak Syndrome Pulmonary Fibrosis." Its purpose is to identify the earliest evidence of pulmonary disease in individuals who are at risk for HPS pulmonary fibrosis. Researchers also hope to identify biomarkers that will help them understand the cause of HPS pulmonary fibrosis and facilitate future clinical trials. (A biomarker is a substance in the body that predicts the incidence or outcome of a disease.)

The study will enroll about 150 patients aged 12 and older who have been diagnosed with HPS. For more information about enrolling at the Loyola site, contact Josie Corral, RN, at 708-216-5744 or at [email protected]
For the first time ever, researchers have looked at the long-term use of psychiatric medication in Norwegian nursing homes. Psychiatric drugs are a collective term for medicines used to treat mental disorders, such as antipsychotics, anxiolytics (anxiety suppressants), antidepressants and sleeping pills.

The researchers followed approximately 1000 residents in different Norwegian municipalities for a period of six years. Experienced nurses who were specially trained for the study collected information about each of the patients during the period. Residents, nurses and family members all agreed to residents' participation in the research study.

Data collection in the study took place from 2004-2010. Nurses obtained information from residents' medical records and through interviews with residents' relatives via questionnaire. The information was also given to residents and relatives afterwards.

The study revealed that the use of medications for mental illness was high, regardless of whether residents had dementia or not. Those who had symptoms such as aggressive behaviour, irritability and hallucinations were more likely to be prescribed psychotropic medication.

The researchers discovered that even when residents' symptoms improved over time, many stayed on the medication.

Possible side effects of long-term use include more rapid progression of dementia, as well as higher risk of stroke, falls and early death.

The study has been published in the BMC Geriatrics journal.

Nursing care rather than medication

Norwegian national guidelines state that antipsychotics should be used for as short a time as possible. Administering these medications requires good follow-up of residents. It is important to assess whether the treatment is effective or if adverse effects occur. Changes in symptoms must also be observed and recorded.

"Antipsychotic medications shouldn't be the first treatment option. It's important to eventually try to eliminate the drugs, and then see how the resident is doing. High quality nursing care rather than medication has to be the primary focus," says Anne-Sofie Helvik, a postdoctoral fellow at NTNU's Department of Public Health and Nursing. She is the first author of the research article published in BMC Geriatrics.

"This means that nursing homes should look at the continuity and organization of care, and what principles drive them. They also need to be aware of how knowledgeable employees are in dealing with dementia and providing individualized person-centred care, for example," she says.

"When the nurses who are responsible for residents on a daily basis provide medication, they also need good systems for observing the symptoms and health of the elderly so that they can orient and update the doctor who's responsible for treatment. Doctors often spend only a few hours at a time in nursing homes and depend on information from the staff," says Helvik.

Risks are greater with longer stay

The research article further indicates that residents who lived in nursing homes for a long time also had a greater likelihood of being prescribed anxiolytic and antipsychotic drugs.

"Many of the employees do a wonderful job, but they need more knowledge and professional input to understand and facilitate the needs of the individual patients."

Helvik says, "It could be that the residents respond better to the care measures given to them immediately after they arrive, and so they aren't medicated early on. These measures might include reducing stress in patients with dementia by the staff getting to know the new residents, listening to how they feel, noting what challenges the residents have and how they're settling in."

The study shows that for various reasons, "more people get medicated when they've been in the nursing home for a long time. It may be that residents who've been there for a while don't receive the same level of attention and follow-up. Some residents may not respond well to the care measures that are given. We don't know the causes of our research findings yet, but it would be interesting to understand them better," says Helvik.

People who lived in larger nursing homes also used anxiety suppressants more often and longer than those living in smaller nursing homes. The researchers are not sure why that is the case, but it might be connected with noise levels.

"I imagine that larger nursing homes have more activity and higher noise levels, which in turn can contribute to insecurity and anxiety in residents," says Helvik.

Non-dementia residents on more sleeping pills

About 80 per cent of the residents of the study had dementia, while the rest suffered from serious age-related impairments that made it difficult for them to receive care at home.

The study shows that residents who did not have dementia took sleeping pills for long stretches more often than those with dementia.

Helvik suggests that people who do not have dementia may be better able to tell staff how they're doing, and can even request sleep medication.

She believes that increasing staff members' expertise and continuity of care, as well as their awareness of the consequences of drug use, would help to reduce the use of psychiatric medications in nursing homes.

"Many of the employees do a wonderful job, but they need more knowledge and professional input to understand and facilitate the needs of the individual patients. Some nursing homes also have the challenge of high staff turnover, which demands even more continuity of care and follow-up to know how the residents are doing. It's also important for nurses to have a solid understanding of the effects and side effects of the drugs," says Helvik.

More short-term residents than before

Kjellaug Enoksen heads the Norwegian Association for Retirement and Nursing Medicine, and is the chief physician for nursing homes in Asky municipality. She believes that the causes of high and prolonged medication may be linked to resources and expertise in nursing homes.

"The population of nursing homes has changed dramatically. Nursing homes have a lot more short-term residents than before. Once these patients have completed their treatment, they require additional medical and nursing resources to be discharged. This may mean that these resources get diverted from the long-stay patients in permanent beds," says Enoksen.

She has worked at several types of nursing homes and knows from experience that it can be tough to have enough resources and expertise on hand for nursing homes with permanent beds. Long-stay patients are also the most fragile, and need to be closely monitored by competent staff, as well as receive regular adjustments to their medications.

"When resources are transferred to other patient groups, it means that long-stay patients receive poorer follow-up and lower quality care than they should, resulting in their medication list not being reviewed.

Enoksen says that the Ministry of Health and Care Services issued a new regulation this year, which commits municipalities to ensuring a thorough review of medications in nursing homes once a year.

Medicine cheaper than nursing care

She thinks that financial resources may also be an issue if medicating patients is becoming the first treatment choice over nursing care.

"It costs money to hire a caregiver for extra shifts, and it's cheaper to medicate. It doesn't seem implausible for nursing homes to be susceptible to resorting to psychotropic drugs rather than using nursing staff," Enoksen says.

The chief physician believes that nursing homes have failed to place adequate emphasis on the correct skills. The nurses who have daily contact with residents should be provided with knowledge of quality care and good follow-up, such as protecting patients from environmental irritants and how to deal with agitated behaviour. A dissertation on the treatment of depression by Kristina Riis Iden from the University of Bergen describes this approach, she says.

"The results of this research show that caregivers report to the nurses if any of the residents seem depressed. The nurses in turn convey this information to the doctors who start treatment, but often they start medicating the resident without the necessary tests and examinations. So we also need doctors who are dedicated to being on location," says Enoksen.
Chennai: Attorney General KK Venugopal has recused himself from the case filed by the O Panneerselvam camp of the AIADMK asking for another trust vote in the Tamil Nadu assembly.



Venugopal told the apex court that he had given his legal opinion to the Panneerselvam camp in the matter and therefore it would not be appropriate for him to assist in the case. The Supreme Court accepted the A-Gs request and Solicitor General Ranjit Kumar will now assist the top court.



The SC had on Wednesday sought Venugopals assistance on the plea, which will be heard on July 11, against incumbent Chief Minister E Palaniswami and jailed AIADMK leader VK Sasikala.



O Panneerselvam, in his petition, has alleged that he had resigned under duress and has challenged the violence-marred proceedings of the February 18 trust vote in the Tamil Nadu Assembly.



Panneerselvam has also alleged that MLAs were threatened to vote for Palaniswami and has sought another trust vote via secret ballot. The petition was filed by Panneerselvam's aide K Pandiarajan.



On February 16, Palaniswami was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu following a bitter power struggle between Panneerselvam and VK Sasikala. Two days later, Palaniswami won the trust vote 122-11 in the 234-member assembly. The floor test had witnessed chaotic scenes that led to the eviction of the main opposition DMK and a walkout by its allies in protest.
New Delhi: Lalu Prasad Yadavs family finds itself the subject of yet another investigation, this time over alleged irregularities in the awarding of an IRCTC contract in 2006 when the RJD chief was the railway minister.



Lalu has been accused of accepting land in return for the contract via a benami proxy property which was eventually transferred to his wife Rabri Devi and son Tejaswi, now the deputy chief minister of Bihar.



Heres a list of the benami properties Lalu and his family members have been accused of holding:



Delight Marketing Company Pvt Ltd



Allegation: The firm was initially owned by RJD MP and Lalu confidant Prem Chand Gupta, but was transferred to Lalus wife and former Bihar chief minister Rabri Devi and son Tejaswi, who allegedly got prime land in Patna from industrialist Harsh Kochar against the allotment of tender for two hotels in Ranchi and Puri during Lalus stint as railway minister.



Status: The Income Tax department has provisionally attached the property.



AB Holdings Pvt Ltd



Allegation: Company owned by Tejaswi and sister Chanda was accused of money laundering.



Status: I-T has provisionally attached the land and construction has been stalled



AK Infosystem Pvt Ltd



Allegations: The company, owned by Rabri, Tejaswi and other family members, with property in Patnas three prime areas, was accused of owning benami assets and money laundering.



Status: I-T department has provisionally attached the properties.



Mishail Packers and Printers Pvt Ltd



Allegation: The company owned by Lalus elder daughter Misa and her husband Shailesh was accused of money laundering.



Status: I-T department has questioned Misa and Shailesh. The ED has also arrested Misas chartered accountant, Rajesh Agrawal.



Fairgrow Holding Pvt Ltd



Allegation: Owned by Lalus family, the company possesses property worth Rs 76 lakh and has been accused of money laundering.



Status: The BJP has been demanding a probe.



KHK Holding Pvt Ltd



Allegation: The company is owned by Misa and Shailesh with property in Delhis Sainik Farms. It has been accused of money laundering and holding benami assets.
The Delhi University (DU) released the 3rd Cut-off list for admissions in various courses in colleges under its purview. The admissions under the third cut-off list will close on July 10, 2017. The seats will be confirmed only after receiving the payments. The online payments of college fees will be accepted till 12pm on July 11, 2017. A diminishing trend of the 3rd cut off list is seen and many colleges have reopened the admissions to different courses due to withdrawls by students. The cut off percentage in the 3rd list are less than the minimum percentages in the second list by the colleges.



According to the Delhi University Admissions 2017 3rd Cut-Off List, Lady Shri Ram College has kept 98% cut-off for admissions in B.A (Hons.) in Psychology and 97.5% cut-off for B.A. (Hons.) in Journalism and B.A. (Hons.) in Economics. LSR has reopened admissions for B.A.(Hons.) Economics. SGTB Khalsa College topped the cut-off percentage in the 1st list with 99.66% cut-off for its B.Sc (Hons.) Electronics but that has fallen to 93.66% in the 3rd list. Lady Shri Ram College topped the 2nd and 3rd Cut-Off list for Delhi University Admissions.



The students can visit different colleges according to their eligibility starting today July 7, 2017 till July 10, 2017 from 10 am to 1pm for morning colleges and 4pm to 7pm for evening colleges. Once the approval is given to the student from the respective college, the student needs to make the required payment upon which the seat will be confirmed. For any withdrawals

The 4th and 5th cut-off lists will be out on July 13th and July 18th respectively.
Hamburg: Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday urged a political and peaceful settlement of regional conflicts and disputes, amid a standoff between India and China in Doklam sector and Beijing's growing assertiveness in the East and South China seas.



Xi made the appeal at an informal leaders' meeting of the BRICS - Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa - on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Hamburg, Germany.



He pressed BRICS members to unswervingly build an open world economy, champion multilateralism and promote common development. Apart from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi, the meeting was attended by Brazilian President Michel Temer, Russian President Vladimir Putin and South African President Jacob Zuma.



Xi, who presided over the meeting, said, "We should unswervingly follow multilateralism. He also urged the five-member bloc to push for political and peaceful settlement of regional conflicts and disputes.



Noting that the BRICS countries are all important G20 members, the Chinese president called on the bloc to support Germany as the host of the summit, and to send a signal that the G20 is committed to fostering partnership, building an open world economy, and boosting global economic growth.



The BRICS countries should uphold the spirit of partnership that features openness, inclusiveness and win-win cooperation, strengthen unity and cooperation, safeguard common interests and seek interconnected development, he said.



Currently, the global economy is showing some positive signs, and the prospects for the development of BRICS countries are growing brighter in general, which is very inspiring," said Xi.



The leaders pledged to work together for positive results at the BRICS summit in the southeastern Chinese seaside city of Xiamen later this year, the report said.



China and India have been engaged in a stand-off in the Doklam area near the Bhutan tri-junction for the past three weeks after a People's Liberation Army construction party attempted to build a road. Doka La is the Indian name for the region which Bhutan recognises as Dokalam while China claims it as part of its Donglang region.



China is also engaged in hotly contested territorial disputes in both the South China Sea and the East China Sea. Beijing has built up artificial islands and militarised many of them.



Both the South China Sea and the East China Sea areas are stated to be rich in minerals, oil and other natural resources. They are also vital to global trade. China claims sovereignty over all of South China Sea. Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines, Brunei and Taiwan have counter claims.



China also lays claim to tiny islands in the East China Sea between Japan and the Korean peninsula, and between Japan and Taiwan. The US on Friday said it has flown two bombers over East Asian waters, as tensions continue to run high in the region. The B-1B Lancers took part in joint military drills with Japan in the East China Sea, the US Air Force said in a statement.



They bombers then flew over the highly contentious South China Sea. The US had also recently sent a navy warship near an artificial island in the South China Sea as part of the first "freedom of navigation" operation under President Donald Trump.



China has previously termed the US move irresponsible and warned that America's deliberate provocations would have "extremely dangerous consequences" to regional stability.



(With PTI inputs)
Chandigarh: The Centre has approved renaming of Ganda and Kinnar villages in Fatehabad and Hisar districts of Haryana.



While village Ganda has been renamed as Ajit Nagar, village Kinnar has been rechristened as Gaibi Nagar, PTI quoted an official spokesperson of the Union Home Ministry as saying.



The Haryana government had recently changed the names of both villages on the demand of local residents who said they felt "embarrassed" with such names.



Notably, a teenaged girl from Ganda (which means dirty in English), Harpreet Kaur Malkat, had written a letter to the Prime Minister seeking change of name of her village.



Kaur had earlier told reporters that she was often teased by her friends and relatives from other areas when they referred to her village name.



In her letter to the PM over a year ago, the 14-year-old girl had highlighted how residents felt ashamed and embarrassed every time they needed to utter the village's name.



Likewise, villagers of Kinnar (which means eunuch in English), especially the younger generation, were demanding for a long time to change the outlandish name of the village which falls under Narnaund tehsil of Hisar.



(With PTI inputs)


New Delhi: The kingpin of a gang involved in minting of counterfeit coins has been arrested from Haryanas Kondli.



Deputy Commissioner of Police Sanjeev Kumar Yadav said Upkar Luthra, 50, was arrested from a hotel on Tuesday on a tip-off. Counterfeit coins of Rs 5 denomination with face value of Rs 8,500 were seized from him.



Luthra, who hails from Punjab and has a reward of Rs 1 lakh on his head, has confessed to his crime during interrogation. Yadav said that Luthra was wanted in several criminal cases, including murder.



He was earlier arrested in 1999 for counterfeiting coins and after his release started a unit for minting counterfeit coins in Delhi's Anand Vihar. Around 2008, Luthra fled to Nepal and started managing the trade from there while his brother Sweekar managed operations in India.



In October 2016, police busted a gang involved in minting and circulating counterfeit coins in Delhi and found it was being run by Luthra and his brother.



In December, police arrested Sweekar and recovered counterfeit coins with face value of Rs 17,390 from his possession.



The gang first carved out shape of coins from metallic sheets in lathe machines and then prepared coins using heating and hydraulic machines.



They also sprayed an anti-rust liquid on the coins to give a finishing touch before they were supplied to toll centres, weekly markets and small shopkeepers in various parts of Delhi, Rajasthan and Haryana.
The standoff between Indian and Chinese troops in the Doklam plateau is now officially in its fourth week.Its easy to get carried away by the bellicosity of the rhetoric emanating from Beijing, both from official spokespersons of the Foreign Ministry and also from editorial pieces in Global Times and Xinhua. But in case India needs a lesson from history on how to deal with Chinese aggression , then we need not look further than the summer of 1986 and Operation Falcon.In June of 1986, Indian troops discovered that their Chinese Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) counterparts, after the snow of the previous winter had melted, moved their positions further south and just ahead of the river of Samudorong Chu. This was about 20km south of the MacMohan Line The Indian troops promptly alerted the Eastern Command Headquarters, who in turn relayed the message to Delhi. The Indian Army Chief at that time, General Krishnaswamy Sundarji, was a man of eloquence but also believed in carrying a big stick. He immediately flew out in two Mi 26 choppers and alerted two brigades full of men to be moved to Samudorong Chu.The Chinese were taken aback by the swiftness and scale of Indias defence posture. For the next six months, an eyeball to eyeball confrontation ensued between Indian and Chinese troops, with India eventually getting the PLA troops to back off.Even as this standoff was playing out on the ground, back in Delhi word got around. The then prime minister Rajiv Gandhi had no clue about Operation Falcon until a senior US official alerted the Foreign Office. He had met Chinas supreme leader Deng Xiaoping who had personally said India needs to be taught a lesson.All hell broke loose in South Block and Rajiv Gandhi summoned General Sundarji. There was a tense meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security. Rajiv demanded why he was kept in the dark and asked for a climbdown in Indias troop positions. General Sundarji politely but firmly refused saying military matters should be left to professionals. Rajiv didnt press because a similar situation 30 years ago had cost India the 1962 war.Eventually, the situation was resolved only in the middle of 1987 when Indias then foreign minister ND Tiwari visited Beijing with a letter of peace from Rajiv Gandhi.The Chinese were impressed that India, a country which they had steamrolled in the Sino-Indian war of 1962 had now suddenly stood up and got counted. A full year-and-a-half later in the winter of 1988, Rajiv Gandhi undertook his ground breaking trip to Beijing which normalised ties. The last Indian PM to go to Beijing was his grandfather Pandit Nehru in 1954-55 during the heydays of Hindi-Chini Bhai Bhai.The lesson from Samudorong Chu and Operation Falcon is that the Chinese dont respond to weakness but to strength. General Sundarji had displayed a phenomenal amount of defensive strength without resorting to wild soundbites.In the current stand-off it would be naive to imagine the Chinese would back down, certainly not in the foreseeable future. But if India were to draw a clear line in the stand and show the ability and the intent to defend that line, then I dare say the Chinese will fall in line.
PM Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping conversed on a range of issues at informal gathering of BRICS leaders on G20 sidelines, a day after China rejected a bilateral meeting. It was not immediately clear if the Dokhlam standoff between the armies of the two countries came up for discussion.



Stay tuned for live updates:
Hamburg: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday spelled out a 10-point action plan on terror at the G20 summit in Hamburg, calling it the biggest challenge the world is facing today.



Making the lead statement on the theme of terrorism at G20 leaders retreat, Modi said it is important to understand terrorism before adopting any measures to counter it.



In an apparent reference to Pakistan, he said that some nations are using terrorism as a state policy to achieve their political goals. He also compared Pakistan-based terror groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad to ISIS and al-Qaeda, saying their names may be different but ideology is the same.



With leaders like US President Donald Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping listening, Modi regretted that the international response to terrorism was weak and said more cooperation was needed to fight the menace.



Among the measures proposed was sharing the list of suspected terrorists among the G20 nations and barring representing of nations that sponsor terror from entering representative nations.



In a reference to recently designated global terrorist Syed Salahuddin, he said stern action should be taken against designated terrorists. United States had declared Salahuddin a global terrorist hours before PM Modi met US President Donald Trump in Washington on June 26.



Here is the Prime Minister Narendra Modis action plan to counter terrorism in full:



1. A deterrent action against countries supporting terrorism. The representatives of those countries should be barred from entering G20 nations.

2. List of suspected terrorists should be shared between G20 nations. Stern action should be taken against designated terrorists.

3. The legal and expedition process for extradition of terrorists should be simplified.

4. Comprehensive convention on International terrorism should be adopted.

5. United Nations Security Council resolutions and other global proceedings should be implemented effectively.

6. G20 nations should come together for combined efforts and exchange of best practices for de-radicalisation programmes.

7. Terror funding sources and other media should be blocked.

8. On the lines of FATF (Financial Action Task Force), a Weapons and Explosive Action Task Force (WEATF) should be formed so that sources of ammunition to terrorists can be blocked.

9. G20 nations should cooperate on central cybersecurity to monitor activities of terrorists.

10. A mechanism on National Security Advisors on counter terrorism should be formed by G20 member nations.
Srinagar: The entire opposition on Friday boycotted the proceedings of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly over GST implementation, accusing the PDP-BJP government of using subterfuge to undermine the Constitution of the state.



As soon as the House assembled, CPI(M) MLA Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami said the government had violated the etiquette of the Assembly by bringing in the Jammu and Kashmir GST Bill 2017 before informing the House about the presidential order passed for extending the GST regime to the state.



Nawang Rigzin Jora of Congress accused the government of undermining the Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir in the way the GST legislation and the presidential order was handled.



The Government is resorting to subterfuge to undermine the special constitutional position of Jammu and Kashmir, Jora charged before leading his party MLAs to boycott the rest of the proceedings of the session.



Tarigami and PDF chairman Hakim Mohammad Yasin also staged a walkout from the proceedings after recording their protest.



The entire opposition benches became empty when independent lawmaker from Langate Sheikh Abdul Rashid also walked out of the House just before the GST bill moved by Finance Minister Haseeb Drabu was moved for consideration and passing.



Members from principal opposition party, National Conference, did not attend the House today as they had on Thursday announced their decision to boycott the proceedings for the rest of the session.



The core group decided that the NC legislators will boycott the remaining part of the legislative session as a protest against the government's "machinations to trample the aspirations of the people by demolishing the state's special status," a party spokesman said. He said the "anti-people" resolution is an unequivocal compromise with the special status of Jammu and Kashmir.
China on Friday said "ulterior motives" prompted India to include the tri-junction with Bhutan in the Sikkim standoff and asserted that New Delhi's acceptance of the 1890 Sino-British treaty on the boundaries in the area should not change with the passage of time."The so-called tri-junction point as the name implies is a point instead of a line or an area," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told a media briefing here.Asked about India's assertion that China is violating the agreement reached by the Special Representatives on the boundary in 2012 over the tri-junction, Geng said the road being built by China has nothing to do with it.Geng said the convention between Great Britain and China relating to Sikkim in 1890 stated that the Sikkim section of the boundary commences from the east of Mount Gipmochi."The illegal trespass by the Indian troops took place at the Sikkim section of the India-China boundary, 2,000 metres away from the Mount Gipmochi," he said.The Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson asserted that that the issue has "nothing to do with tri-junction point" and China had not breached the 2012 agreement. Asked to provide exact coordinates of the tri-junction, he said he had no information on it.Geng also sought to justify China's road building, saying that it is not part of the Doklam area. Geng questioned India's stand that Doklam is part of the strategic tri-junction also known as the Chicken's Neck, which is the key corridor connecting India with its north-eastern states."In disregard of the boundary convention, the Indian side takes entire Doklam area as part of the tri-junction. That is out of ulterior motives," Geng said."The Indian side introduced the idea of the tri-junction point into the incident in an attempt to enlarge the point into an area that is absurd and has ulterior motives," he claimed.He also sought to dismiss the perception that the 1962 India-China war changed the past alignment of the boundary as China occupied areas like Aksai Chin, which continues to be in its possession.The Indian government has repeatedly recognised the effectiveness of the 1890 convention, Geng said. "The boundary between Xizang (Chinese name for Tibet) of China and Sikkim was defined by this convention. Once the convention has been signed, the changes of the government will not affect the effectiveness of the convention. So it has nothing to do with the passing of the time," he said.The treaty has "nothing to do with the 1962 war", Geng asserted. "It has already been recognised by the Indian side. Once it has been recognised, the convention has been effective and it has nothing to do with the passing of time nor the change of the regime or the government," he said. The Indian troops intervened on June 16 on behalf of Bhutan to stop the road construction by the Chinese. China and India have been engaged in the standoff in the Doklam area near the Bhutan tri-junction for the past three weeks after a Chinese Army's construction party attempted to build a road. Doka La is the Indian name for the region which Bhutan recognises as Dokalam, while China claims it as part of its Donglang region.Geng's remarks come days after the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), in a statement, had asserted that India had underlined that the two governments had in 2012 reached an agreement that tri-junction boundary points among India, China and third countries would be finalised in consultation with the countries concerned."Any attempt, therefore, to unilaterally determine tri- junction points is in violation of this understanding," it had said.India argues that since it is a tri-junction involving the three countries, it also has a say in the issue, especially in the backdrop of 2012 agreement between Special Representatives of the two countries, that have till now held 19 rounds of talks.Bhutan, which does not have diplomatic ties with China, deals with Beijing through its Embassy in New Delhi. As a close friend and neighbour, Bhutan enjoys diplomatic and military support from India.Geng asserted that there was no breach or violation from the Chinese side in the incident."We always believe that the tri-junction is a point not a line or an area," he said, adding that "equating a point with the areas is an introduction of a new concept."When asked about the protest lodged by Bhutan over the issue, Geng reiterated that China and Bhutan reached consensus during their 24 rounds of boundary talks.
Beijing: India is not "entitled" to make claims on behalf of Bhutan, a commentary by a state-run news agency said on Friday, asserting that Doklam area in Sikkim sector where the Indian and Chinese soldiers are having face-off belongs to China.



After a three-week stand-off with China on Chinese territory, India should immediately pull back its trespassing troops, the commentary by Xinhua news agency said.



The timing of the commentary coincided with the G-20 meeting in Hamburg, Germany being attended by Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.



"The face-off was caused by Indian border guards who crossed the border at the Sikkim section into Chinese territory and obstructed routine road construction in the Doklam area of China's Tibet Autonomous Region," said the Xinhua commentary, the second in the last few days.



It said that by creating disputes in Doklam, India seeks to obstruct border negotiations between China and Bhutan, and

follow its own "ulterior motives" in the area.



"The claim cannot hold water. Doklam has long been under the effective jurisdiction of China. Both Bhutan and China have a basic consensus on the functional conditions and demarcation of their border region," the commentary said.



"Moreover, India has no right to interfere in China-Bhutan boundary issues, nor is it entitled to make territorial claims on behalf of Bhutan," it said.



India's current actions have not only "encroached on China's territorial sovereignty, but also impaired the independence of Bhutan", one of the world's smallest countries, which is closely allied with India, it said.



"Chinese construction is being conducted within its own territory. It is India that has broken the status quo by trespassing onto Chinese soil. It is not acceptable to any sovereign country that India has crossed a demarcated border into another country on the grounds of its "security concerns," it said.



Indian troops should immediately withdraw to the Indian side of the border as a precondition for any meaningful dialogue between the two countries, it said.



"It is clear that if the 'Chinese Dragon' and the 'Indian Elephant' co-exist harmoniously and achieve peaceful, cooperative development, it will benefit not only their combined 2.7 billion people, but also those living beyond their borders," it said.



"Otherwise, a spiral of bilateral rivalry would definitely result in a slowdown in their growth," it said.
Lucknow: The perfume capital of India Kannauj known for its fragrances has now come up with a unique stink bomb, which might be used to control the errant stone-pelting in Jammu and Kashmir and other regions.



The scientists at Fragrance and Flavour Development Center (FFDC) located in Kannauj have made a unique 'stink bomb'. This bomb is of size of a capsule and can be used instead of a pellet gun; also this foul smell bomb can be launched from the same gun which is used to fire tear-gas shells.



According to the scientists at FFDC, the smoke of this unique stink bomb will rise along with an unbearable stink; people will not be generally able to tolerate it. As per the scientists of FFDC, the smell of capsules is unbearable, but it has no ill effects on the health of the person. After the necessary clearances and approval of Defence Research and Development Organization and the Ministry of Defence, it will be handed over to the Army.



Speaking to ETV, Shakti Vinay Shukla, Principal Director, FFDC said that this stink bomb has been prepared by filling the smelling chemicals in a small capsule. This will soon be tested in Gwalior Defence Laboratory. The army could use it after the trials are done and are successful. The Ministry of Defence has approved its testing on the initiative of union minister Giriraj Singh, he said.
Even one year after he was shot down, Burhan Wani continues to be a bigger adversary to security forces in Kashmir in his death than he ever was alive. Never before, in recent times, has death anniversary of any militant been so anxiously anticipated by security forces as is Wanis on July 8.Posters bearing his photograph and messages like 'Go India Go Back' and 'We want freedom' have come up at several places in the valley, especially in South Kashmir.Forces have geared up to avoid two possibilities this weekend  militant attacks to mark Wanis death anniversary, and a successful protest that could become an annual ritual.As the weekend comes closer the state government is appearing to be jittery. Authorities decided to block the internet starting 10 pm Thursday night. Separatist leaders are being taken into preventive custody. Schools and colleges have been shut down. Routes to South Kashmir are being monitored to avoid public gatherings there. And the centre has decided to rush an additional 21,000 additional troops to the valley to contain the situation on the weekend.Posters bearing his photograph and messages like 'Go India Go Back' and 'We want freedom' have come up at several places in the valley. (Credit: Qayoom Khan)The added caution being exercised in view of the ongoing Amarnath Yatra.We are well prepared to handle any situation in Kashmir. We have sent 214 companies of central forces to control any situation which may arise on July 8 and during Amarnath Yatra, Union home secretary Rajiv Mehrishi told reporters in New Delhi.At the epicentre south Kashmir, police and army are conducting sudden frisking drills to curb movement of protestors from planning rallies in Burhan's hometown of Tral and neighbouring townships and mufassil areas of Pulwama, Pampore, Kulgam, Shopian and Anantnag.There is no question of allowing any rally or a gathering on the eve of Burhan Wanis anniversary, Muneer Khan, Kashmir's Inspector General of Police told News 18.Burhan who is believed to have given militancy a new lease of life by using social media to his advantage has come to become a cult in Kashmir. (Credit: Qayoom Khan)Police, CRPF and army men have been called out on streets to keep a tab on separatist supporters. Separatist homes have being raided and their electronic gadgets put under radar to tap on to their conversations. Several dozen cheerleaders and separatist supporters have been detained.At various nakas in Pulwama, Tral and Shopian, commuters and pedestrians are being scanned for banners, confetti, and flags of Pakistan, Taliban and ISIS.Cellphones of youth are being checked for militant videos and pictures and then deleted or confiscated.My mobile phone was smashed to pieces once police found militant clips on it. This way they need to break all phones in Kashmir, a youth told us near Lelhar, 15 km short of Pulwama.Many youth near Tral told News 18 that police was seizing their motorcycles, apparently to ensure no motorcycle protest rallies take place."If situation demands, we will not hesitate to place old Srinagar and townships under curfew or restriction. We will do everything to maintain peace," Khan said.Cellphones of youth are being checked for militant videos and pictures and then deleted or confiscated. (Credit: Qayoom Khan)There is every possibility of breach of law and order on July 8, and if any programme is organised successfully, it can become a trend in coming years, the source said adding we don't want that.Alternately, police and army have been told to be extra vigilant in Srinagar and outskirts against militant attacks. "There are credible inputs of militant commanders having visited Srinagar to strike on Hafta Shahadat (martyrs week)," said a local intelligence officer.But despite such strict measures in place, the protestors have remained defiant. In many area of South Kashmir, the youth have been able to hoist Burhan banners scribbled with 'Go India Go Back' and 'We want freedom' slogans. At other places, banners depicting pellet victims like Insha have been hung from electric poles and tall poplar trees."We will make Burhan Bhai's programme a success. We hoist the banners in the night and if police comes to pull them down we will not allow them to," a teenager told us at a Rohomu roundabout where many banners and confetti have been put up.In Tral near the graveyard of Burhan, we saw many young boys offering Fateh prayers."Come what may, we will carry out a rally here and we are doing it because we love Burhan," a youth said adding we are following no separatist leader's programme.In Tral near the graveyard of Burhan, many young boys were offering Fateh prayers. (Credit: Qayoom Khan)Both the separatists and Muzaffarabad based United Jehad Council (UJC) have given the call to commemorate the death anniversary of Burhan by giving a week long protest calendar.Separatist troika Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Muhammad Yasin Malik had earlier called for a complete shutdown on July 8 and asked people to reach Tral where they would address a freedom gathering jointly.The government has responded by arresting Malik and scores of separatist leaders and home detaining Geelani and Mirwaiz besides announcing a 10-day summer vacation in all educational institutions from July 6. All to ensure there are no protests in the Valley.At various places, banners depicting pellet victims like Insha have been hung from electric poles and tall poplar trees. (Credit: Qayoom Khan)Burhan who is believed to have given militancy a new lease of life by using social media to his advantage has come to become a cult in Kashmir. He has inspired a new breed of young militants to take centre stage and fight against what Wani termed was "India's illegal occupation of Kashmir".Former chief minister Omar Abdullah had last year said: "A dead Burhan can prove more dangerous than a living one." True, the cult of Burhan is finding many followers.
Former railway minister Lalu Prasad Yadav , his wife Rabri Devi and son and deputy CM of Bihar Tejaswi Yadav were among those booked by the CBI on Friday over alleged irregularities in awarding of an IRCTC tender to a private company in 2006.The tender, awarded during Lalus tenure as the railway minister (2004-2009), was to develop and maintain hotels in Ranchi and Puri.The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation Limited (IRCTC) took over the BNR hotels in Ranchi and Puri from the Indian Railways in January 2006. It invited bids in November to develop, maintain and operate the hotels for 15 years on a licence-fee model.Sujata Hotel Private Limited bagged the contract and paid Rs 15.45 crore and Rs 9.96 crore as licence fee for BNR hotels in Ranchi and Puri, respectively. Former Bihar chief minister Lalu has been accused of accepting two acres of land in exchange for awarding the contract. The land was allegedly transferred to a shell company owned by Lalus aide Prem Chand Gupta. The company allegedly transacted no other business apart from the land transfer.The IRCTC had then said that the memorandum was signed between the railways and the corporation on March 19, 2004, when Nitish Kumar was the railway minister in the NDA government.Apart from Lalu and his family members, those named in the FIR, a copy of which is with CNN-News18, include Prem Chand Guptas wife Sarla Gupta, directors of Sujata Hotels Vijay Kochhar and Vinay Kochhar and PK Goel the then managing director of IRCTC. The Delhi-based company LARA Projects LLP was also named.Searches were being carried out on Friday morning at 12 locations in Delhi, Patna, Ranchi, Puri and Gurgaon.Refuting the charges, Lalu told CNN-News18, "I have done nothing wrong."Forced into damage control mode, Kumar on Friday summoned the DGP, Home Secretary and the Chief Secretary to Rajgir city in Nalanda district where he has been staying since Thursday evening.Union minister Giriraj Singh questioned if Bihar CM Nitish Kumar would continue with Lalu as an ally. The truth about Lalu is out in the open. Nitish Kumar has to decide if he is really against corruption. His deputy chief minister has also been booked, Singh said, referring to Tejaswi Yadav.Former deputy chief minister of Bihar Sushil Kumar Modi also questioned if Nitish would break away from the alliance. Nitish should end his silence. He should remove Tejaswi Yadav from the post, he said.Speaking to CNN-News18, RJD leader Shivanand Tewari alleged political conspiracy. This was expected. This is a political conspiracy. The party has earlier too accused the Centre of using probe agencies such as the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate to target opposition parties.Hitting back, Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said blaming the BJP for such cases has become a fashion. The cases against Laluji have not been initiated by our government. They have been there for long.... Instead of facing the charges, blaming the BJP has become the fashion. By doing this, they are trying to hide their faults. Nitishji is a wise person, he is not involved in this.The CBI case marks the latest trouble for the Rashtriya Janata Dals first family. Lalus daughter and Rajya MP Misa Bharti was quizzed last month by Income Tax Department officials in connection with a Rs 1,000-crore benami (proxy) land deals case.On May 16, searches were carried out at 22 places in and around Delhi in connection with the alleged benami property deals. Lalus residence was also searched.Lalu was disqualified as a Lok Sabha member in September 2013 when a CBI court found him guilty in the multi-crore fodder scam case.
Hamburg: Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday that it was "mandatory" to implement the consensus of the Paris agreement on climate change, weeks after the US decided to pull out of the landmark deal.



He also asserted that India will implement the accord in "letter and spirit".



Modi, while speaking at the meeting of BRICS leaders here on the sidelines of the G20 Summit, said that on issues of climate change and terror, the role of BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) is "important".



"It is mandatory to implement the consensus reached at the Paris agreement. India will implement the agreement in letter and spirit," Modi said.



The comments come after President Donald Trump recently announced that the US will withdraw from the Paris climate accord, saying the deal agreed by more than 190 nations unfairly benefited countries like India and China.



Trump's decision had drawn sharp criticism from international leaders, business groups and green activists. Trump is also in Hamburg to take part in the G20 Summit.



"We have to ensure that international financial organisations fully reflect the world's current economic balances," Modi said.



Later, on twitter, the Prime Minister said, "On issues like climate change and terror, the role of BRICS is important".

The objective of the Paris Agreement is to prevent an increase in global average temperature and keep it well below 2C.



The Agreement was adopted on December 12, 2015, by 195 parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), replacing its predecessor Kyoto Protocol. It was finally ratified on November 4, 2016.



Modi also said, "It will be our common endeavour to establish the BRICS rating agency at the earliest."
New Delhi: Diplomacy is a game of possibility where the skills of a leader can either build bridges or burn them. So, amid the Sino-India border stand-off over Dokalam area, avenues of diplomatic engagements are being looked into. The G-20 Summit in the German city of Hamburg provides an opportunity for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping to meet and interact.



It boils down to this, and this is important: There are around half a dozen windows available for the two leaders to interact on the sidelines of G20 summit.



Yes, the Chinese Foreign Ministry on Thursday denied any bilateral meeting between the Chinese President and the Indian PM, citing unconducive atmosphere. And the official spokesperson of Indian Ministry of External Affairs did not mention any Sino-India meeting while listing out PM Modi's bilateral engagements on the sidelines of G-20 Summit. However, the Indian spokesperson did mention that PM Modi will attend the BRICS Summit in Hamburg.



BRICS is an important grouping where India and China both are key members. BRICS leaders would be meeting at the Elysee' Hotel in Hamburg city and this hour-long summit meeting, ahead of G-20 inauguration, would be the first opportunity for Modi and Xi to meet. They would also be in the same frame for the photo op of leaders.



After BRICS, the leaders will head for the official inauguration of the G-20 summit. After an official welcome by German chancellor Angela Merkel, all the G-20 heads will gather for the Leader's Retreat programme to discuss ways on combating terror. This two-hour long exercise will be in an intimate setting where mostly only leaders would be present. According to MEA officials, the German presidency has decided this format so that world leaders can have a free exchange of ideas.



On Friday evening, there is a concert organised for the G-20 leaders at the Elb Philharmonie hall in Hamburg. There again PM Modi and President Jinping, along with other world leaders, will turn up. This will be followed by an official dinner. Besides this, there will be many working sessions of G-20 on Friday and Saturday where both Modi and Xi will be present.



With his diplomatic deft, PM Modi has used such opportunities in past to defuse bilateral tensions and make a headway. Last month, India and Pakistan had both officially ruled out any bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the SCO Summit in Kazakh capita Astana. But, when the meeting happened, PM Modi had a tete-a-tete with his Pakistani couterpart Nawaz Sharif when they came face to face with each other at the Opera House. Modi also met Chinese President Xi Jinping then.



One thing is - despite all the loud rhetoric, the Chinese too would like to use the opportunity to defuse border tensions and find a way out of their present situation. The G-20 summit gives several windows for climbdown for the two Asian powers.
New Delhi: RSS affiliated think-tank India Foundation has called off its trip to China after two of its scholars were denied visa by the Chinese embassy in New Delhi on Thursday. The development came amidst mounting tension between India and China over a border standoff near Doklam in Bhutan.



BJP General Secretary and former RSS Spokesperson Ram Madhav is on the board of the think-tank, which includes four Union ministers  Suresh Prabhu, Nirmala Sitharaman, Jayant Sinha and M J Akbar.



According to sources, India Foundations trip to Shanghai was scheduled for later this week. A delegation of six people was scheduled to visit Fudan University in Shanghai as part of an exchange program. Two people in the delegation, however, were denied visas. This prompted India Foundation to cancel the visit, a source close to developments said.



The delegates were scheduled to depart for Shanghai as part of an exchange program between Fudan University and India Foundation. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was inked between the university and the foundation in 2015, after which the first Fudan Sino-Indian Forum was held in New Delhi.



This comes at a time when Beijing has said no to a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and its Chinese Premier Xi Jinping in Hamburg on the sidelines of the G20 summit. Sources in New Delhi, however, said that India had never asked for the meeting and it was Beijing that had sought a meeting.
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has a namesake in Israel -- a young town that seeks to emerge as the "City of the Future".



Modi'in Maccabim Re'ut is a modern city, located in central Israel, about 35 km south-east of the capital, Tel Aviv.



"It is a young city which is growing very fast with a youthful population," says Rabbi Akiva, who has been living in India for six years now.



He said he had visited Modi'in a few years before he moved to India.



"Though the city's nomenclature has no connection with Modi, the coincidence is amusing," he told PTI.



In a lighter vein, Akiva said the "in" in the name of the town could stand for India.



The rabbi also said Israelis were "happy" about Modi's visit to their country, the first by an Indian prime minister. Modi wrapped up his three-day visit to Israel yesterday.



Modi'in was not on his itinerary, with the prime minister visiting Tel Aviv and Haifa.



According to the official website of Modi'in, the cornerstone of which was laid in 1993, it is the "City of the Future".



"The city was named after the ancient city of Modi'in, the home of the Hashmonaim, the dynasty that personified the glorious heritage and heroism of Israel," it says.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday told the Tamil Nadu government to ensure no coercive steps are taken on farmers failure to repay loans. Saying that such steps compel farmers to commit suicide, the court said that the government must ensure that farmers get all the help they need. The SC said that the crop insurance had to be a measure of security for farmers and could not be a premium driven business.



Whenever you have information about coercive steps, intervene and help farmers. Devise a mechanism where farmers can approach state administration if banks pressurize them, the apex court told the Tamil Nadu government. It further asked the government to find a way to do away with middlemen so that farmers re able to sell their produce directly and not below MSP. The court added that the governments approach should be preventive rather than compensatory.



The SC has asked for a comprehensive reply from the government and slated the case for its next hearing on August 4.
Kolkata: Tollywood actor Vikram Chatterjee (29) was arrested late on Thursday night in connection with the death of model and TV anchor Sonika Chauhan in the car accident which took place in Kolkata in April.



Police sources said, the actor was arrested by officers of Tollygunge police station near Acropolis Mall in Kasba  located off Eastern Metropolitan Bypass.



He was missing for some time and on Wednesday we got the information that he was travelling in a radio taxi. We immediately alerted our officers and managed to arrest him. On Friday he will be produced in Alipore Court, a senior police officer told News18.



Chatterjee was earlier charged with culpable homicide not amounting to murder which is a non-bailable section (304) of the IPC.



Death of actress and TV host Sonika Chauhan (28) in a car accident had intensified the fight between the Trinamool Congress and BJP in Bengal.



On April 29, Sonika was killed in a car accident. She was accompanied by Vikram Chatterjee, who was driving the car allegedly under the influence of alcohol and also sustained injuries in the accident. Vikram, however, denied that he was drunk.



Then actor-turned-BJP state general secretary Locket Chatterjee said, Me and Sonika were good friends. It is unfortunate that she is no more. I know Vikram too but it is unfortunate that he is denying that he was drunk. He should come out with the truth and accept his mistake.



Locket also alleged that some TMC leaders including Arup Biswas  PWD minister who won from Tollygunge seat - are trying to shield Vikram. Everybody knows that Arup and his brother controls the Tollywood film industry. They are trying to shield the actor and we want Justice for Sonika. It is because of pressure from TMC leaders that the police have slowed down in the case. This is why Vikram was charged with minor cases so that he can get bail, she said.



On Aril 29, both Sonika and Vikram were returning from a party when the accident took place.



On May 5, Vikram was released on bail after he surrendered before a city court. On the same day he held a press conference and claimed that he was not drunk - which invited severe criticism from her friends on social media claiming that he was lying.



Vikram has acted in several Bengali movies like Ami Aar Amar Girlfriends (Me and My Girlfriends), while Sonika hosted Pro Kabaddi league and Big Boss Bangla.
Mumbai: If veteran Congress leader Saifuddin Soz had his way, he would have held a dialogue with Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani if he was not killed by security forces last year.



"Burhani Wani should have stayed alive so that I could have had a dialogue with him. I would have explained to him that Kashmir can become a strong bridge of friendship between India and Pakistan and he (Wani) could also be of help (in achieving it). But he is dead now," he told a TV news channel.



Soz's controversial comments came on the sidelines of a conference on the situation in Jammu and Kashmir organised by the Observer Research Foundation (ORF) here. Wani was killed by security personnel on July 8 last year. His killing had triggered violent protests in the Kashmir Valley that continued for months.



"Those who believe that he was a martyr can continue to believe so and those who believe he was murdered may do so. The incident has already taken place. We should try and increase friendship between India and Pakistan now and understand the pain of Kashmiris," he added.



Soz said Wani was a "symbol" of militancy in the border state and called for starting talks with separatists to resolve the Kashmir issue. "And how to deal with militancy? Through a dialogue. I want the government to talk to the Hurriyat Conference. If you can open a dialogue with us, open with the Hurriyat as well," he said.



Earlier, he said Kashmiris cannot be won over by the military force, asserting that the youths of the valley cannot be dubbed as "stone pelters" as they have a reason to revolt.



"The problem today is not in Jammu and Kashmir but in the minds of the people there, who feel alienated. Youth in Kashmir cannot be termed as misguided and stone pelters. Everyone wants to live in India but with dignity, love and affection, not with bullets," Soz said at a conference held here by the Observer Research Foundation.



Maintaining that it is impossible to run Kashmir using military force, Soz, a former Union minister, said "the RSS narrative" is totally unacceptable to the people of Kashmir.



The objective of the conference was to look at the 'Problems of Kashmir' through the prism of 'Kashmiriyat, Jamuhriyat, Insaniyat' and national integration.



Nasir Aslam Wani of the National Conference said Kashmiris still have to prove their Indian identity to the nation every single day. Discussions on cow protection, intolerance is the order of the day. Hold discussions over these issues with us, also to make us feel included," he said emphasising on the need to hold discussions with all stake holders, including the hardliners.



Holding talks hasn't hurt anybody except egos. Remember (former Prime Minister Atal Bihari) Vajpayee ji initiated talks with the Hurriyat. There should be composite talks with everybody to understand the minds of Kashmiris including the hardliners," Wani said.



TCA Raghavan, former high commissioner of India to Pakistan, who also took part in the discussion, said the 'k' in Pakistan stands for Kashmir.



"Kashmir is Pakistan's unfinished agenda. The sense of entitlement in Pakistan today has many dimensions," he said. Raghavan said during General Parvez Musharraf's tenure,

the capacity of the nation to bring about a consensus (over Kashmir) weakened and the most visible signs were violations across the Line of Control, terror attacks on suburban rail network in Mumbai and a number of terror strikes in India in a gap of 3-4 years.



Lt Gen (Retd) Syed Ata Hasnain, General Officer Commanding, 15th Corps, said that Pakistani military is an obstacle in the road to peace between the two neighbours.

"Unless its hold loosens, the situation cannot get any better. Pakistan's strength is not in its military but its strategic communication. They are able to entrench their opinion deep into the minds of Indians and Kashmiris," Hasnain said.



Gowhar Geelani, a journalist from Srinagar, said, "The problem is the mindset in Delhi vis-a-vis Srinagar which has remained frozen for seasons. Problems emanate from Delhi and Pakistan takes advantage of internal skirmishes," he said.
National Award-winning filmmaker Madhur Bhandarkar, whose film Indu Sarkar is slated for July 28 release, continues to face flak from the Congress. While the Congress has condemned the alleged "false depiction" and termed it fully sponsored, Bhandarkar continues to defend the film.



Now, Maharashtra Congress Chief Sanjay Nirupam has written to the Censor Board asking for a screening before the film is officially released. In a letter sent to Censor Board chief Pahlaj Nihalani, Nirupam has written, "The film is based on Emergency and is politically inspired. We request you to show us the film so that one can ensure the story doesn't hurt the sensibilities of any of our leaders."



However, director Bhandarkar has discarded such demands. Commenting upon the letter, Bhandarkar said, "I will show the film to Censor Board. Why should I adhere to any political party's demand?"



The filmmaker feels that the government of India has set up a body to ensure fair passage of the film according to rules and he would like CBFC to take a call on the story of the film.



Known for making films on hard-core issues, this is the first time Bhandarkar has touched upon a political topic. While speaking to CNN-News18, Bhandarkar shared the motive behind Indu Sarkar. I'm known to make real and topical cinema. What is being shown in the film has already been documented in books and documentaries for so many years. My film is 30% real and 70% fiction. It's about a stammering poet called Indu and her journey. I don't know why people are after it, issuing a fatwa against me and sending legal notices, he said.







"As a filmmaker, I feel this generation should know what actually happened during Emergency because no one has made a film based on Emergency," he added.



Bhandarkar also points out that no one really questions an author or a documentary filmmaker for showing bits of facts, therefore, he should also be given creative freedom.



"I don't know what the ruckus is all about. I'm getting notices to change the names in the film and to change the slogans in the film. I will do it if I find them suitable or if the board gives some direction. Let CBFC take a call," he rued.



The film's trailer doesn't name anyone but some initial sneak peeks into the movie shows how Neil Nitin Mukesh's looks resemble that of the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's son and party leader Sanjay Gandhi and the similarity is quite uncanny.
Cast: Tom Holland, Michael Keaton, Marisa Tomei, Jacob Batalon, Laura Harrier, Zendaya, Robert Downey Jr, Jon FavreauDirector: Jon WattsSo it turns out that the masterstroke in Spider-Man Homecoming is taking the protagonist back to class and treating the whole thing like a high school movie. This is the third time in 15 years that theyre taking a stab at the web-slinging superhero, and after Tobey Maguire got too old to keep playing the part, and the Andrew Garfield films failed to hit the sweet spot, were discovering that the key to re-energize the franchise lies in two simple words: Go young.Enter 21-year-old Tom Holland, who was first introduced as Spidey in last years Captain America: Civil War where he held his own alongside Marvels Avengers. Holland has just the boyish enthusiasm and earnestness required to play Peter Parker as a fresh-faced 15-year-old, and mercifully director Jon Watts and the writers spare us the backstory. Theres no bite from a radioactive spider; all thats taken care of in a single line of dialogue. As is the death of wise Uncle Ben. (We get no speech on power and responsibility.) What we get is a kid trying to figure out how to master the powers hes already acquired.Holland brings goofiness to the part, which makes the character genuinely likable. This is a novice Spider-Man, and many of the laughs come from watching him rough and tumble his way through the action.Speaking of action, this is your not your average Marvel film where the superhero must save the world from a power-hungry villain hell-bent on flattening entire cities. The films baddie, a blue-collar worker-turned-arms manufacturer, played by Michael Keaton, has no ambitions of world-domination; hes just a guy chasing a fast buck to feed his family. This is a much more intimate story, and the action set pieces are befitting the relatively modest scale of the plot. Which is not to say that they arent thrilling. Its just that they arent an orgy of explosions and special effects where you cant make out whos doing what to whom. A sequence involving an attack on the Staten Island Ferry is particularly well executed.But Spider-Man Homecoming is ultimately stronger as a character-driven coming-of-age comedy. Watts surrounds his leading man with an ensemble of characters whore key to Peters life: his worrying Aunt May (Marisa Tomei), his nerdy best friend Ned (Jacob Batalon), and of course his mentor figure, Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr), whos too busy to actually mentor him but shows up to dispense tough love each time the kid screws up.The film doesn't get everything right. Some of the supporting players  particularly Keatons villain  are underdeveloped. The climatic face-off is also a little overstretched. But these are minor quibbles in a movie thats both brimming with humor and invested with a lot of heart. A movie thats fresh and entertaining, and one that marks a welcome return for a superhero weve all missed.Im going with four out of five for Spider-Man Homecoming. Its light and breezy and so much fun.Rating: 4 / 5What's you reactionWrite Your Review
Kolkata: BJP, Left and Congress delegations were on Friday prevented from visiting riot-hit areas in Basirhat, around 80 km from here, by the police even as the situation there remained tense and Internet services suspended.



Ignoring an appeal by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, a BJP delegation, led by MP Roopa Ganguly, which was heading towards Baduria, was detained by the police at Michael Nagar near Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport here.



"We told the BJP leaders that they will not be allowed to proceed as per the decision of the administration. The situation is still tense. But they were adamant and said either they will court arrest or proceed towards the affected area. So we had to detain them," a senior police officer of Bidhannagar Police Commissionerate said.



They were subsequently brought to the airport police station.



Earlier in the day, the police also prevented the Left and Congress leaders from proceeding towards the riot-hit areas citing the law and order situation.



"We were stopped near Ashoknagar area on the ground that it might create a law and order problem. But we were not going there with any political motive. We were going there to meet the people affected by the communal clashes," Left Front Legislature Party leader Sujan Chakraborty said.



The Congress team, led by WBPCC chief Adhir Chowdhury, was also stopped at Barasat.



State BJP president Dilip Ghosh said his party would organise a rally here on Saturday to "condemn" the role of the state government.



"We will also meet Governor K N Tripathi and demand in writing that President's rule be imposed in the state," he said.



Clashes broke out between members of two communities at Baduria in the Basirhat sub-division of North 24-Parganas district earlier this week over an "objectionable" Facebook post by a young man who has been arrested.



The West Bengal government said the situation was under control in Baduria, Swarupnagar, Deganga and Basirhat, which had witnessed violence. Prohibitory orders are in force there. No untoward incident was reported.



People in the troubled areas chose to stay indoors with shops and schools remaining closed and the transportation badly hit.



A campaign has been undertaken by the state administration for restoration of peace.



Police and paramilitary force personnel carried intense patrolling while Internet services in and around the riot-hit the areas remained suspended, a senior state government official said.



The police inspector in-charge of Basirhat, Nasim Akhtar, has been transferred by the administration. In New Delhi, Union minister M Venkaiah Naidu described the communal violence in Basirhat as "unfortunate" and requested the state government to take effective steps to protect all people - "whether minority or majority".
Patna: RJD president Lalu Prasad Yadav termed Friday's CBI raids a witch hunt and said it was a conspiracy by the BJP against his family.



I have done nothing wrong and am open to any probe, he told the media during a press conference in Patna.



He said that the Narendra Modi government was targeting all opposition parties, adding he will end (BJP president) Amit Shah and Modi's arrogance.



"They (BJP) are scared of me. They know Lalu has the capacity to root them out and we will ensure it in 2019. We will reply in elections," he said.



The CBI on Friday carried out searches at 12 locations after registering a corruption case against the former railway minister and his family members, including wife Rabri Devi and his son, deputy chief minister of Bihar Tejaswi Yadav.



Lalu has been accused of accepting three acres of land for awarding an IRCTC contract to Sujata Hotel Private Limited to develop hotels in Ranchi and Puri. His family allegedly used a benami property to acquire the land.



Lalu also alleged that media reports about Rabri and son Tejaswi being questioned were false. We have cooperated with the CBI on raids, he said.



He also questioned the rational of action taken against Tejaswi as he was minor when the hotels run by IRCTC were handed over to a private company on lease.



He defended his decision to lease out those hotels as Indian Railways are earning Rs 1.15 crore annually under the agreement and that after expiry of lease period, all properties would be handed back.



The RJD president also ruled out any bickering within the ruling alliance in the state and claimed His planned rally on August 27 will unite all opposition forces.



Meanwhile, reacting to the CBI raids on Lalu, Trinamool Congress chief and West Bengal Chief Minister, Mamata Banerjee, said, This is nothing but political vendetta. The BJP has only two objectives. It uses government agency to disturb opposition parties and it uses the service of outsiders to engineer political riots. They will be thrown out of power in 2019.
Kolkata: BJP national general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya on Friday said the West Bengal government has "stooped to a new low" by trying to "malign" the office of the governor in order to "divert" attention from its own failures.



Vijayvargiya also issued a veiled threat to TMC ministers for attacking the governor by saying "those who are involved in scams should not talk much as they will soon go behind bars".



Coming out in support of the state Governor K N Tripathi, Vijayvargiya said, "K N Tripathi is a seasoned politician. He was Speaker of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly. He is well aware of the constitution and its norms.



"The Trinamool Congress is verbally attacking the governor and trying to malign his office in order to divert attention from the communal violence and its failure to control the situation. In doing so, it has stooped to a new low."



His comments comes in the backdrop of the recent war of words that broke out between the governor and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee over the recent incidents of communal violence in Baduria area of North 24 Parganas district.



"The TMC government, just for the sake of vote bank politics, allowed the incident to happen. In order to appease the minority, the majority community was made to suffer. Had the police taken action on the very first day, things would not have snowballed into such a situation. The police remained a mute spectator," he alleged.



When asked to comment on several ministers of the state government verbally attacking the governor, he said," the ministers and leaders of TMC should not talk much and should think before they speak. Those who are involved in scam should not talk big because they will be soon be going to jails for looting the public money. They will also have to go to jail just like their other colleagues".



Accusing the state police of failing to control the situation, Vijayvargiya, who is also the party's in-charge of West Bengal, had on Tuesday urged Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh to intervene.



West Bengal Food and Supplies minister and TMC president of North 24 Parganas district, Jyotipriyo Mullick, refuted the allegations of Vijayvargiya and accused the BJP and other "Hindu groups" of "fomenting trouble" in the area.
Within hours of CBI registering an FIR against RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav and seven others in a corruption case, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar summoned his top officials to Rajgir.State chief secretary, home secretary and the DGP were soon on their way, traveling a 100km south of Patna as sleuths from the central investigating agency went about their search operations at a dozen places in Delhi and Patna.The question now is whether the Bihar CM would react to the situation as one of the persons named in the FIR is none other than Lalus son Tejaswi Yadav  a minister in Nitish Kumars cabinet.But the larger question is: will these raids rupture ties between Nitish and Lalu leading up to the disintegration of the Bihar Mahagathbandhan (grand alliance).CNN-News18 had earlier reported that Nitish was readying to snap ties with Lalu in what could mark the premature end of one of the most unlikely  and successful  political alliances in the country.The political muck surrounding the RJD founder and his family after a series of raids by the Enforcement Directorate and the I-T Department on cases, including money laundering, has been a matter of concern for Nitish Kumar.BJP leader and former deputy chief minister Sushil Modi has said in the past that he was not surprised that the Mahagathbandhan was on the verge of collapse. Since day one, we knew that this kind of alliance cannot sustain for five years. We thought it will go on for at least 2-3 years, but so much bickering has been happening since beginning, he told News18.Highlighting the fact that Nitish had supported demonetisation, surgical strikes and, most recently, the nomination of Ram Nath Kovind as a presidential candidate, Sushil Modi has, of late, maintained that Nitish was very uncomfortable in this alliance. He cannot run the government with people like Lalu.Nitish and Lalu had been bitter political opponents for over two decades but came together in 2015 during the Bihar assembly polls and trounced the BJP. Nitish was accused then by the Opposition of showing rank opportunism for tying up with Lalu, one of the rare examples of political leaders convicted by a court of law in a corruption case.The coalition government began on a good note but a torrent of allegations and CBI raids on the Lalu family spoiled the show soon. For starters, Lalu is facing four separate trials in fodder scam cases in which regular hearing is taking place since the Supreme Court ordered in May this year that the trials must be completed within nine months.In the recent past, Income Tax Department and Enforcement Directorate have carried out a series of raids at properties allegedly belonging to Lalus family members through benami transactions.Lalus daughter Misa Bharti and her husband were questioned in this regard.While its alleged that Misa and her husband indirectly own 12 pieces of land, including a posh farmhouse in Bijwasan in Delhi, a shopping mall in Patna worth Rs 700 crore is allegedly owned through a complex channel by Lalus children, including Misa, her sister Chanda Yadav and others.Lalus son and Bihar deputy chief minister Tejaswi Yadav is also accused of holding a bungalow in Delhis New Friends Colony as a benami property.Tejaswi Yadav is also accused of owning a bungalow in Delhis New Friends Colony via a proxy. (Photo credit: Vivek Pathpal/Network18)Tejaswis brother Tej Pratap allegedly held control of a prime property and petrol pump in Patna, licence for which was recently cancelled by a public sector oil marketing firm.Should Nitish breakaway finally, he will have to join hands with the BJP, the erstwhile partner he broke away from in 2013 after it announced Narendra Modi as its PM candidate.For a man who was once dubbed as the secular alternative to Modi, it would indeed be an interesting homecoming to fight the 2019 Lok Sabha polls alongside accepting Modi as his leader.
Acapulco (Mexico): Rioting inmates at a Mexican prison slit their rivals' throats and beat them to death, leaving 28 dead and three wounded, officials said. Bodies were found strewn around the maximum-security wing, the kitchen, a prison yard and a conjugal visits area after the pre-dawn riot at the Las Cruces federal prison, said the security spokesman for the state of Guerrero, Roberto Alvarez.



"The incident was triggered by a permanent feud between rival groups within the prison," he told a press conference. State police have regained control of the prison, backed by federal police and the army, which set up a security cordon outside, he said.



The governor has ordered an investigation, including of prison staff, he said. Officials initially gave a death toll of five. Alvarez had earlier said that victims were stabbed and beaten to death.



Guards said some of the victims had their throats slit, according to an internal state police report. It also said gunshots had been fired in the maximum-security wing, apparently by prisoners.



There was a heavy security presence outside the prison, with soldiers and riot police encircling the compound and two helicopters hovering overhead.



Dozens of anxious relatives had gathered, demanding news on their loved ones. Mexico's chronically overcrowded prisons are frequently hit by riots and jailbreaks. This was the deadliest since 49 inmates were killed in February 2016 in a riot at the Topo Chico prison in Monterrey, in the northeast.



Inmates have de facto control over many of Mexico's jails. Contraband weapons and drugs are rife, and experts say organized crime networks often operate from inside prison walls.
The failure of China's Long March 5 rocket deals a rare setback to China's highly successful space programme that could delay plans to bring back moon samples and offer rival India a chance to move ahead in the space rankings.Experts say the still unexplained mishap shows that for all its triumphs, China's space programme is not immune to the tremendous difficulties and risks involved in working with such cutting-edge technology."China's approach has been slow and prudent, trying to avoid this kind of 'failure,' even though they knew it was going to occur sooner or later," Joan Johnson-Freese, an expert on China's space programme at the US Naval War College, wrote in an email.Authorities say the Long March 5 Y2 that took off Sunday in the second launch of a Long March 5 rocket, suffered an abnormality during the flight after what appeared to be a successful liftoff from the Wenchang Space Launch Center in the southern island province of Hainan. The incident is under investigation and the authorities have yet to comment on possible causes, or any knock-on effects on the programme as a whole.In a testimony to the high respect China's programme now commands, the failure drew widespread commentary in the space community, including from SpaceX founder and chief executive Elon Musk, who tweeted Sunday: "Sorry to hear about China launch failure today. I know how painful that is to the people who designed & built it."Nicknamed "Chubby 5" for its massive, 5-meter (16-foot) girth, the Long March-5 is China's largest and most brawny launch vehicle, capable of carrying 25 tons of payload into low-earth orbit and 14 tons to the more distant geostationary transfer orbit in which a satellite orbits constantly above a fixed position on the earth's surfaceThat's more than double that of the Long March 7, the backbone of the Chinese launching fleet, making it the linchpin for launch duties requiring such massive heft such as interplanetary travel.First among those is the mission slated for November by the Chang'e 5 probe to land a rover on the moon before returning to Earth with samples  the first time that has been done since 1976. China's most technically demanding mission to date, it had been put off before because of funding and then technology, Johnson-Freese said.While the Long March 5 has suffered other setbacks, the lunar mission is "certainly the most visible one," she said.Other upcoming Chinese missions include the launch next year of the 20-ton core module for China's orbiting Tiangong 2 space station, along with specialized components for the 60-ton station that is due to come on-line in 2022 and other massive payloads in future. The Long March 5 was also due to be the launch vehicle for a Mars rover planned for the mid 2020s.Problems with the Long March 5 may stem from its use of liquefied gases that are less stable than the sort of propellants used in other rockets, said Morris Jones, an Australian space analyst and regular contributor to SpaceDaily.com. Unlike earlier rockets that used highly toxic fuels, the Long March 5 burns a more environmentally friendly and less expensive kerosene-liquid oxygen-liquid hydrogen mix  which is more complex and harder to regulate.Jones called such setbacks typical of the development phase of a new rocket and said additional launches may be required to work out the kinks. Sunday's launch failure will delay the Chang'e 5 mission at least until next year, while there may also be a small delay in launching the space station components, Jones said.Finding a fix "takes a lot of time and effort but there is no other way to produce a reliable rocket," Jones said.Test launched for the first time last year in what had been a towering success, the 57-meter (187-foot) two-stage rocket is just slightly less powerful than the most powerful rocket in service, the US' United Launch Alliance's Delta IV, although SpaceX's Falcon Heavy is designed to carry a payload into low-earth orbit of more than 50 tons.Since the first launch in 1970, China's Long March series of rockets have been a remarkably solid bet, achieving a success rate of around 95 percent. That's helped facilitate a programme that conducted its first crewed space mission in 2003, making China only the third country after Russia and the US to do so, put a pair of space stations into orbit, and landed its Yutu, or "Jade Rabbit" rover on the moon. Administrators suggest a manned landing on the moon may also be in the programme's future.Not all has been smooth sailing, however.A Long March 3B rocket launched June 18 launch placed its communications satellite in a lower-than planned for orbit. Though the satellite is climbing into its proper altitude on its own, the effort will reduce its useful lifespan in space. A least two similar incidents reportedly occurred last year.With two mishaps coming so close together, Chinese space officials may decide to take a pause to re-evaluate manufacturing quality or other aspects of the programme, said Stephen Clark of Spaceflight Now. That may include launching another Long March 5 test flight before attempting the Chang'e 5 mission, Clark said.Both Clark and Johnson-Freese said they hope the failure doesn't deter Chinese officials in their pursuit of greater transparency and international participation in the country's space programme.Yet, rivals, primarily India, may see the setback as an opportunity to steal a march on China, whose geostrategic influence has benefited significantly from its role as a technology leader in space , said Johnson-Freese.India's Mars Orbiter Mission, called Mangalyaan , is already orbiting the red planet, years before China is ready to launch such a mission, and it won acclaim and a place in the record books earlier this year by placing 103 nano satellites in orbit from a single rocket."The failure of the Long March 5 may provide a window of opportunity for India," said Johnson-Freese.
Hong Kong: China's first operational aircraft carrier arrived in Hong Kong for the first time on Friday in a display of military might less than a week after a high- profile visit by president Xi Jinping.



Xi's trip marked 20 years since Hong Kong was handed back to China by Britain, and analysts said it left little doubt that Beijing viewed the city as a destabilising hotbed of unacceptable political dissent.



His three-day visit culminated in a 30-minute speech warning that any challenge to Beijing's control over the city crossed a "red line", seen as a salvo against a new wave of activists calling for self-determination or independence, concepts intolerable to Beijing.



President Xi also inspected 20 squads of troops last Friday at the city's biggest military parade in the past two decades, where helicopters and armoured vehicles were displayed.



The 305 metre-long (1,000 feet) Liaoning, a second hand Soviet ship built nearly 30 years ago and commissioned in 2012, arrived in the city at around 7:30 am.



The country's national defence ministry had said the Liaoning, named after a northeastern Chinese province, was part of a flotilla on a "routine training mission".



It would mark the 20th anniversary of China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) entering the city, defence ministry spokesman Wu Qian told reporters last Thursday.



Enthusiasm for the aircraft carrier was high with people queueing overnight at the PLA garrison in central Hong Kong for public tour tickets earlier this week.



But ticket-holders are banned from bringing cameras when they board the aircraft carrier on Saturday, reports said, while foreign media outlets have not been invited to cover the event.



Authorities have also set up a temporary no-fly zone in the area where the Liaoning will be berthed near the city's Tsing Ma suspension bridge.



After the handover in 1997, some feared the PLA would be heavy-handed given the army's crackdown on student protesters in Beijing's Tiananmen Square in 1989.



Instead they have maintained a low profile and are barred from interfering in local affairs. China launched its first domestically built aircraft carrier in April, but it is not expected to enter service until around 2020 once it has been fully equipped and armed.
Washington: A US judge rejected Hawaii's bid to exempt grandparents from President Donald Trump's temporary travel ban on Thursday, but ruled that the state could ask the US Supreme Court directly to clarify which parts of the order should take effect.



US District Judge Derrick Watson in Honolulu had been asked to interpret a ruling from the US Supreme Court that revived parts of Trump's March 6 executive order banning people from six Muslim-majority countries for 90 days.



The highest court let the ban go forward with a limited scope, saying it could not apply to anyone with a credible "bona fide relationship" with a US person or entity.



Trump said the measure was necessary to prevent extremist attacks. However, opponents including states and refugee advocacy groups sued to stop it, disputing its security rationale and saying it discriminated against Muslims.



Watson said in Thursday's ruling he "declines to usurp the prerogative of the Supreme Court to interpret its own order."



A spokesman for the Hawaii attorney general office said they would refile the request to the Supreme Court. Representatives for the Department of Justice could not be reached immediately for comment.



The government said after the Supreme Court ruling last month that a "bona fide relationship" meant close family members only, such as parents, spouses, fiances, siblings and children.



Grandparents, grandchildren, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews and cousins from Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen would still be banned.



The state of Hawaii asked Watson last week to clarify the Supreme Court's ruling, arguing the government's definition of "bona fide relationship" was too narrow.



Justice Department lawyers said its definition "hews closely" to language found in US immigration law, while Hawaii's attorney general office said other parts of immigration law included grandparents as close family.



The government reversed its position on fiances before the ban went into effect last week, saying they could also qualify for exceptions. The government described in a court filing a 72-hour scramble to "coordinate among multiple government agencies, and issue detailed guidance" on how to implement the Supreme Court's ruling.



The roll-out of the narrowed version of the ban was more subdued last week compared to January, when Trump first signed a more expansive version of the order. That sparked protests and chaos at airports around the country and the world.
Hamburg: Hamburg, a port city in northern Germany, which is hosting the G20 Summit, saw violent protests hours before world leaders - including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, US President Donald Trump and Chinese Premier Xi Jinping sat together for talks - leaving dozens of protesters and cops injured.



Police used water cannon and pepper spray to disperse protesters as they moved with the Welcome to Hell march against capitalism towards the summit venue. While initially police tried to bring the situation under control by issuing warnings to the protesters, emergency measures had to be imposed when the crowd was just 300 meters away from the venue.



At this point, some of the protesters turned violent and police used water cannon before chasing away the people. Parts of Hamburg are known for being home to anarchists and left-wing activists.



Hamburg Police said 76 officers had been injured in the violence, while it couldnt be ascertained how many protesters sustained injuries.



According to unconfirmed reports by local media, some of the protesters tried to attack the summit venue with home-made weapons.



Soon after this, about 20,000 officers were deployed in Hamburg to ensure that the summit continued unhindered.



On Friday morning, Hamburg streets wore a deserted look and armoured police vehicles could be seen on every street. All roads leading to the summit venue were blocked for not only vehicles but also pedestrians, a rare thing in this part of the world.



Only reliable way to travel around the city was the Underground Metro, which functioned as per normal schedule when this report was written.
Hamburg: US President Donald Trump told Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday that it was an honour to meet him for the first time and said he looked forward to "positive things" in the relationship between the former Cold War rivals.



The face-to-face encounter between Trump and Putin at a Group of 20 summit in Germany was one of the most eagerly anticipated meetings between two leaders in years.



Trump promised a rapprochement with Moscow during his campaign for the presidency last year. But he has been unable to deliver on that pledge because his administration has been dogged by investigations into allegations of Russian meddling in the U.S. election and ties between his campaign team and Moscow.



Moscow has denied any interference and Trump says his campaign did not collude with Russia.



Trump and Putin spoke through translators with their respective foreign ministers present for six minutes before reporters were allowed into the room for their statements. Afterwards the reporters were ushered out and the meeting continued.



"President Putin and I have been discussing various things, and I think it's going very well," Trumptold reporters, sitting alongside the Russian leader.



"We've had some very, very good talks. We're going to have a talk now and obviously that will continue. We look forward to a lot of very positive things happening for Russia, for the United States and for everybody concerned. And it's an honour to be with you."



Putin, through a translator, said: "We spoke over the phone with you several times," adding: "A phone conversation is never enough."



"I am delighted to be able to meet you personally, Mr. President," he said, noting that he hoped the meeting would yield results.



Both men sat with legs splayed. Trump listened intently as Putin spoke.



Before the meeting, some feared the Republican president, a political novice whose team is still developing its Russia policy, would be less prepared for the talks than Putin, a former KGB agent who has dealt with the last two US presidents and scores of other world leaders.



Amid criticism of Russia's actions in Ukraine and Syria and the investigations into its role in the US campaign, Trump has come under growing pressure to take a hard line against the Kremlin.



On Thursday, Trump delivered some of his sharpest remarks about Moscow since becoming president, urging Russia to stop its "destabilizing activities" and end its support for Syria and Iran.



But Trump stopped short of any personal criticism of Putin and declined to say definitively whether he believed US intelligence officials' assertion that Russia had interfered in the 2016 US election.



"I think it was Russia but I think it was probably other people and/or countries, and I see nothing wrong with that statement. Nobody really knows. Nobody really knows for sure, Trump said on a visit to Poland.
Tokyo: Two United States bombers flew over the disputed South China Sea, the U.S. Air Force said on Friday, asserting the right to treat the region as international territory despite China's claims in the busy waterway.



The flight from Guam on Thursday came as U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping prepare for a likely meeting on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Germany. The two leaders were expected to discuss what Beijing can do to rein in Pyongyang's missiles and nuclear weapons programmes.



The United States believes North Korea fired an intercontinental ballistic missile on Tuesday that put parts of the U.S. mainland within range of Pyongyang's warheads for the first time.



China claims nearly all of the South China Sea, through which about $5 trillion in ship-borne trade passes each year, a stance contested by Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam. Beijing usually protests against freedom of navigation operations such as bomber flights.



The United States has criticised China's build-up of military facilities in the South China Sea, concerned that they could be used to extend Beijing's strategic reach.



The two Lancers that made the latest flight had earlier trained with Japanese jet fighters in the neighbouring East China Sea, the first time the two forces had conducted joint night-time drills.



"This is a clear demonstration of our ability to conduct seamless operations with all our allies," U.S. Air Force spokesman Major Ryan Simpson said in a statement.



Two U.S. B-1B Lancer bombers flew from Guam over the South China Sea last month, while a U.S. warship carried out a manoeuvring drill within 12 nautical miles of one of China's artificial islands in the waterway in late May.
Sydney: Baby flatback sea turtle are fed at the Sea Life Sydney Aquarium in Sydney, Friday, July 7, 2017. Uniquely Australian and a vulnerable species, the tiny turtles were rescued after being trapped in their nest and will be released back into the wild after in early 2018. (Image: AP)
A third way on health care reform

It was with great interest I read the recent letters to the editor from Bev Jordan (What single payer would do, June 30) and Robert Batchelder (Heres the flip-side of single payer, July 6).

They are both right, and they are both wrong. If there were such a thing as a perfect system, wed all be using it.

I just watched a short film about a lady in the Netherlands, who was basically told by her physician she should have seen him much sooner. She had developed an almost totally clogged artery, had been trying to get a doctors appointment for months and then gets chastised for delaying her treatment. A friend of mine has been waiting for a heart valve repair or replacement for months now, being so short of breath that when he takes a short walk, he walks from one bench to the next to rest. I had a blood clot, and it was taken care of the day I returned from a trip. I had a heart attack and had surgery the next day. Thank you, Medicare!

The thing we in this country should do without delay is take care of all the fraudulent claims, the waste and the abuse of the Medicaid and Medicare systems. It has been estimated that about one third of the total Medicaid and Medicare costs goes to abuse, waste and fraud. A while back, federal authorities arrested more than 100 health care providers in several cities and charged them with defrauding Medicare out of $452 million. The article did not state how much of this money they were able to recoup. If we do this successfully, we will not have to make a choice between a mean or meaner Medicare and Medicaid bill.

There appear to be so many blatantly obvious fraud claims that you wonder if the government does not have a red flag detector. They did in the case of a dentist in Brooklyn who filed 991 claims in one day. Apparently the insurance companies do use this software, and now their fraud in health claims are one-tenth of the federal governments.

Medicaid and Medicare fraud is so lucrative that the Russian and Nigerian mobs have gotten involved, and it has been reported that one of New Yorks crime families has moved to Florida because defrauding Medicare is both more lucrative and less dangerous than traditional organized crime activities!

LYA HALE

Lynchburg

Just crony capitalism

I want to thank all of the taxpayers who contributed to the fencing and furnishing water for my 20 cows with calves and a bull on a tract of leased land on the Big Otter River watershed. This project to clean up the Virginia streams was budgeted by the state bureaucracy to cost over $10,000 per cow. Even though the project came in at 10 percent under budget, you the taxpayer picked up 100 percent of the tab to fence off a wealthy neighbors property who owned no livestock. Not only did you pay for nearly five miles of buffalo-proof fencing with 60 gates, you also bought five wells 520 feet deep of which three are worthless. These cattle never had access to Big Otter. If the DEQ or EPA had come to me and asked me to get the cattle out of the only spring branch that the cattle had access to on this property, I wouldve fenced off each side of the stream which was only 150 yards long and added another spring-fed water tank made out of a used earthmover tire for approximately $1,800, or 1 percent of the cost paid by you, the taxpayer.

I had the DEQ to check the upper end of Little Otter where most of my cattle are concentrated after installing 23 earthmover tires for water tanks fed by spring developments, existing ponds and existing wells, Only one spot came back positive, so I cut the shade off this stream and now the cattle chew their cuds in heat of the day under the shade on top of the ridges. I havent spent $200,000 in 40 years clearing the shade off of the streams, cross fencing or furnishing clean water for 500 head of cattle on more than 1,500 acres of mostly leased land. I did get $12,000 from the taxpayers to help furnish water in the drought of 2002, but the next year they tried to force me to give it back for a wetland violation. It didnt take me long to realize that when a cattleman takes government money, he loses his property rights.

The News & Advances July 2 editorial (Progress in Bay cleanup, but much work remains) concerning the cleanup of the Chesapeake Bay stated that Congress needs to restore the $78 million to help clean up the Bay. According to the latest agricultural census, Virginia has 700,000 mama cows, and if each cleanup project was budgeted as the one for my handful of cows, it would cost $7 billion to remove all the livestock from Virginias streams. I realize that not all of Virginias streams including Big Otter end up in the Chesapeake Bay, but $78 million is a long way from $7 billion that the bureaucracy will waste to fencing livestock out of the waterways.

The News & advance needs to concentrate on the governments fleecing of the taxpayers to enhance the value of millionaires property to correct a minor percentage of the pollution entering the Bay. Fencing off Virginias streams at taxpayers expense is an example of crony capitalism at its worst! The average cattleman has a net worth of $880,000 while the average American family has a negative net worth of $100,000 when the public debt is included.

RICHARD H. RUFF

Goode
No One Will

Ever Smash

Stuff Quite

Like He Did
In what the Guardian is calling "the latest in a long line of failures of justice against pregnant women" in El Salvador, a 19-year-old was on Wednesday sentenced to 30 years in prison after a stillbirth. Per Al Jazeera, Evelyn Beatriz Hernandez Cruz was convicted of "aggravated homicide," accused by prosecutors of not seeking proper prenatal care. Hernandez says she hadn't known she was pregnant until, at the age of 18, she went into labor in a bathroom in April 2016 after severe stomach and back pain; her pregnancy reportedly came about after she'd been raped repeatedly by a gang member. Per the BBC, Hernandez's lawyers say she'd been too scared to ever report the rapes to police.

She gave birth into a toilet, and prosecutors scoffed at her claims of ignorance, saying she knew about the pregnancy, didn't want the baby, and tried to kill him by tossing him into the toilet after he was born. Medical experts couldn't say for sure if the baby had been born deceased or died just after delivery. El Salvador is one of just six countries in the world that don't allow abortions under any circumstances. (The others are Chile, the Dominican Republic, Malta, Nicaragua, and Vatican City, per the Pew Research Center.) A parliamentary bill is now in circulation to ease the nation's abortion restrictions, but the bill is currently stuck in a legislative committee. The case is "a terrifying example of the need for El Salvador to urgently repeal its retrograde anti-abortion law," says Amnesty International in a release. (A tragic ending to one El Salvadoran woman's pregnancy.)
The Anti-Defamation League is accusing Jay-Z of trafficking in Jewish stereotypes on his new album. On "The Story of OJ," which Spin describes as a "black capitalism anthem," Jay-Z raps: "You wanna know what's more important than throwing away money at a strip club? Credit/ You ever wonder why Jewish people own all the property in America? This how they did it." A representative for the Anti-Defamation League tells Rolling Stone the lyrics "seem to play into deep-seated anti-Semitic stereotypes about Jews and money." The rep also says the idea contained in the lyrics is "odious and false."

The Anti-Defamation League isn't accusing Jay-Z of intentional anti-Semitism. "We know that Jay-Z is someone who has used his celebrity in the past to speak out responsibly and forcefully against the evils of racism and anti-Semitism," the rep says. But it worries his use of the stereotype legitimizes it. While Jay-Z hasn't responded directly, others have come to his defense. "The fact is this (Jewish) culture that promotes good business and financial well-being is and has been a guiding light to the black and specifically the hip-hop community," Vibe quotes Russell Simmons as saying. "He's attempting to use the Jewish people in an exaggerated way to showcase a community of people that are thought to have made wise business decisions," Guy Oseary, the Jewish manager of Madonna and U2, posts on Instagram. "Jay is giving the Jewish community a compliment." (Read more Jay-Z stories.)
Critics had high hopes for Tom Holland's Spider-Man after an appearance in last year's Captain America: Civil War. But can he handle a movie all his own? Apparently, yes. Critics have given Spider-Man: Homecoming a 93% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, noting sometimes basic is just better. More:



While "the movie ultimately gets a little big for its breeches, in a mayhem-and-effects-soaked climax that suffers from many of the excesses of other Marvel movies," most of Spider-Man: Homecoming maintains "a jokey, self-aware tone that is nicely evocative of the original comics," Michael O'Sullivan writes at the Washington Post. It's an "authentic, refreshingly nerdy and high-spirited reboot""it's Diary of a Wimpy Kid meets The Dark Knight."

It's certainly more of a high school comedy than your typical superhero movie, but that's A-OK with Peter Travers at Rolling Stone. "There's a spontaneous charge to the film, a euphoric innocence, that makes it a much-needed antidote to stale franchise formula," he writes. Plus "Tom Holland is the best movie Spider-Man ever," making "you finally feel that your friendly neighborhood web-slinger deserves to be a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe."

"Tobey Maguire was pretty good, Andrew Garfield was so-so," and Holland easily bests both, writes Soren Andersen at the Seattle Times. His "boundless ebullience  makes the picture a high point in the summer-movie season so far," Andersen says. The performances from Robert Downey Jr. and Marisa Tomei also get his admiration, along with the funny script and impressive special effects.

David Edelstein wasn't impressed with Downey Jr. or Jon Favreau, but he also loved the movie. It's "a trip back to a simpler era in superheroics" and "the breeziest, most convivial Marvel movie in ages," he writes at Vulture. "Michael Keaton is everything you could hope for," and Holland "maintains his springy, gee-whiz American energy without becoming tiresome," he adds. "All I missed were indications of Peter's 'Spidey sense.'"

(Read more movie review stories.)
A Delta Air Lines flight bound for Beijing returned to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport Thursday night after a passenger assaulted a flight attendant, officials say. Sea-Tac Airport spokesman Perry Cooper says the incident happened on Delta flight 129, KOMO reports. Cooper says a man in first class assaulted a flight attendant about 45 minutes into the flight, and passengers then helped restrain the man until the plane landed back in Seattle and he was removed by law enforcement, reports the AP. Officials say two people, including the flight attendant, were injured and taken to a hospital. The FBI says a 23-year-old man from Miami was arrested and is due in court Friday, CNN reports. (Read more Delta Air Lines stories.)
The world's eyes are on Hamburg, where G20 leaders are meetingand where Vladimir Putin and President Trump shook hands for the first time Friday. The two will hold a much-anticipated one-on-one meeting later in the day. Trump tweeted early Friday that he is looking forward to all his meetings with world leaders and he has "much to discuss" with Putin. Officials say the men will meet for around an hour Friday afternoon. A roundup of coverage:

CNN lists five things to look out for including optics and body languagethe things that tend to define a meeting like this, most of which is expected to be off-limits to the press. The handshake will be "over-analyzed for weeks," CNN predicts.

The BBC looks at the issues Putin and Trump have staked out different views on in recent weeks, including Ukraine and the Paris climate deal, and notes that the Russian media are not expecting much from the meeting.

Analysts tell the New York Times that the meeting looks like a "win-win situation" for Putin. If little comes of it, Russia can claim that Trump is weak and unable to act because of problems in the US. But if deals emerge, Putin will be able to take credit for rebuilding the relationship despite issues including alleged election interference.

The Kremlin says one issue that will definitely be raised is the return of two diplomatic compounds in the US seized in the final weeks of the Obama administration as payback for election meddling and other issues, reports the Washington Post.

The White House declined to comment on what Trump might ask of Putin, though Secretary of State Rex Tillerson says Trump wants to discuss Syria and possible areas of cooperation "including no-fly zones, on-the-ground ceasefire observers, and coordinated delivery of humanitarian assistance," reports Reuters.

Trump's critics say they worry Trump will be at a major disadvantage because of his lack of political experience compared to Putin, the Telegraph reports. "There's nothing ... the Kremlin would like to see more than a president who will settle for a grip and a grin and walk away saying that he had this fabulous meeting with the Kremlin autocrat," says Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff.

The Guardian reports that ahead of Friday's meetings, there have been massive protests in Hamburg, with more than 100 police officers injured and at least 40 people arrested.

(Read more Vladimir Putin stories.)
It may be called the "hermit kingdom," but an analysis by the Wall Street Journal shows that North Korea is hardly isolated. In fact, it maintains political and economic ties with 164 nations and has embassies in 47 of them. China is, of course, its biggest trade partner by far, with India second. Pyongyang, however, has relationships of various kinds all over the globe, from supplying construction workers in the Mideast to providing military training in Africa. All in all, these ties have helped the North "amass the money and technical know-how to develop nuclear weapons and missiles." The full breakdown is here. Other coverage:

Bet on it: At the Washington Post, conservative Charles Krauthammer runs through the US options in the wake of the North's ICBM test, all of them unpalatable, and concludes that the most likely one, "by far, is acquiescence." His damning intro: "Across 25 years and five administrations, we have kicked the North Korean can down the road. We are now out of road."

At the Washington Post, conservative Charles Krauthammer runs through the US options in the wake of the North's ICBM test, all of them unpalatable, and concludes that the most likely one, "by far, is acquiescence." His damning intro: "Across 25 years and five administrations, we have kicked the North Korean can down the road. We are now out of road." Forget Russia and China: If you think they will lead the charge, Krauthammer explains why you're sorely mistaken. The deal they proposed this week doesn't unwind North Korea's nuclear program but instead freezes nuke and missile testing, something the North has agreed to in the past and violated every single time. In exchange, the US would give up its joint exercises with South Korea. Russia and China's "dead-on-arrival proposal demonstrates that their real interest is not denuclearization. Their real interest is cutting America down to size by breaking our South Korean alliance and weakening our influence in the Pacific Rim."

If you think they will lead the charge, Krauthammer explains why you're sorely mistaken. The deal they proposed this week doesn't unwind North Korea's nuclear program but instead freezes nuke and missile testing, something the North has agreed to in the past and violated every single time. In exchange, the US would give up its joint exercises with South Korea. Russia and China's "dead-on-arrival proposal demonstrates that their real interest is not denuclearization. Their real interest is cutting America down to size by breaking our South Korean alliance and weakening our influence in the Pacific Rim." Advantage: Fellow Post columnist Charles Lane thinks the North's regime has an advantage over the US and other nations because of its singular focus on one goal: "Hold on to power, at all costs, and by any means necessary."

Fellow Post columnist Charles Lane thinks the North's regime has an advantage over the US and other nations because of its singular focus on one goal: "Hold on to power, at all costs, and by any means necessary." Tiny satellites: The key to tracking future North Korean missilesand issuing warningsmay be small, inexpensive satellites out of Silicon Valley. The New York Times explains, noting they were first developed to count cars in Target parking lots.

The key to tracking future North Korean missilesand issuing warningsmay be small, inexpensive satellites out of Silicon Valley. The New York Times explains, noting they were first developed to count cars in Target parking lots. Interceptors: The US also could try to shoot down the North's missiles with a new generation of interceptors, but the Economist sees a problem: "Given the speed at which North Koreas missile program is advancing, its ICBMs may be ready before Americas new interceptors are."

The US also could try to shoot down the North's missiles with a new generation of interceptors, but the Economist sees a problem: "Given the speed at which North Koreas missile program is advancing, its ICBMs may be ready before Americas new interceptors are." Apology to Tokyo: A top Japanese nuclear official is walking back this comment, referring to the possibility of the North hitting a nuclear reactor: "If it were me, I think it would be much better to drop (a missile) on central Tokyo." He later acknowledged it was "inappropriate," per Sky News.

(Read more North Korea stories.)
Sad news in the world of comics: Joan Lee, the wife of industry legend Stan Lee, is dead at age 93, reports Variety. She had a stroke last week and never recovered. Lee himself is 94 and had been married to Joan for 69 years. Her death prompted the Hollywood Reporter to recount how Stan Lee met his future wife, then a British hat model living in New York, back in the 1940s. A friend had told him about another hat model, but when he went to ask her to lunch, Joan answered the door.

"I took one look at herand she was the girl I had been drawing all my life," he once recalled. "And then I heard the English accent. And Im a nut for English accents! She said, 'May I help you?' And I took a look at her, and I think I said something crazy like, 'I love you.' I dont remember exactly. But anyway, I took her to lunch. I never met Betty, the other girl. I think I proposed to [Joan] at lunch. The two married Dec. 5, 1947, in Reno, Nevada, roughly an hour after Joan obtained a divorce. The Hollywood Reporter has the full story. (Read more Stan Lee stories.)
The West Bank city of Hebron's Old Town, as well a religious site it houses, were added to the UNESCO list of world heritage in danger in a 12-3 decision in Poland on Friday, drawing praise from Palestinians and outrage from Israelis. Israel, which claims Hebron as the birthplace of the Jewish people, said the decision's wording ignored its own historic links to the city, reports the AP, with the Telegraph adding the sites were recognized as Palestinian heritage sites. The Israeli ambassador to UNESCO left the session, in which the committee decided Israeli occupation was endangering the Old City and what's variously known as the Tomb of the Patriarchs or the al-Ibrahimi mosque; it's believed to house the tomb of Abraham, a key figure in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. The decision obliges the World Heritage committee to review Hebron's situation every year.

Israel's education minister, who heads Israel's national UNESCO Committee, said in a statement that "Jewish ties to Hebron are stronger than the disgraceful UNESCO vote." Israel's defense minister added "UNESCO is a politically biased, shameful and anti-Semitic organization whose decisions are scandalous, and I hope that with the help of our great friend the United States, the organization's budget will be cut off." The US had allied with Israel in an attempt to garner nay votes, with US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley writing to both UNESCO's director general and the secretary general of the UN asking them to come out against it. The Palestinian minister of tourism hailed the decision, claiming it showed Hebron and its mosque "historically belong to the Palestinian people." (Read more UNESCO stories.)
Estimados amigos,

Les doy cordialmente la bienvenida a este Blog informativo con articulos, analisis y comentarios de publicaciones especializadas y especialmente seleccionadas, principalmente sobre temas economicos, financieros y politicos de actualidad, que esperamos y deseamos, sean de su maximo interes, utilidad y conveniencia.

Pensamos que solo comprendiendo cabalmente el presente, es que podemos proyectarnos acertadamente hacia el futuro.

Las convicciones son mas peligrosos enemigos de la verdad que las mentiras.

There are decades when nothing happens and there are weeks when decades happen.

You only find out who is swimming naked when the tide goes out.

No soy alguien que sabe, sino alguien que busca.

Only Gold is money. Everything else is debt.

Las grandes almas tienen voluntades; las debiles tan solo deseos.

Quien no lo ha dado todo no ha dado nada.

History repeats itself, first as tragedy, second as farce.

If you know the other and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles.

We are travelers on a cosmic journey, stardust, swirling and dancing in the eddies and whirlpools of infinity. Life is eternal. We have stopped for a moment to encounter each other, to meet, to love, to share.This is a precious moment. It is a little parenthesis in eternity.
When Elizabeth Brenner's 21-year-old son died while hiking during a study-abroad trip in India, she began searching for other cases and found only partial data and anecdotal records. "Nobody was keeping track of this at all," she says. Brenner's son, Thomas Plotkin, was one of the millions of American students who have studied abroad in the last decadepart of a growing global youth travel industry estimated to be worth $183 billion a year, reports the AP in an extensive look at study-abroad deaths. The number of American students studying abroad has doubled in the last decade. But while US colleges and universities must report deaths on their campuses, they are not required to disclose most student deaths that occur abroad and the US Department of Education keeps no such statistics.

Brenner and other parents slammed one report that used partial data to conclude that students are less likely to die overseas than on a US campus, saying the findings are misleading and give parents the idea that programs are safer than they may actually be. Ros Thackurdeen, whose son Ravi drowned on a school-sponsored excursion to a beach in Costa Rica in 2012, has since amassed news reports and travel alerts documenting 3,200 students who died or were kidnapped, drugged, or injured abroad in recent decades. For 2014, she counted 14 student deathsnot the four listed by the Forum on Education Abroad. The AP's full piece takes a look at other deaths, what little legislation there is surrounding the issue, and the "duplicitous" setup in which students study abroad via independent, third-party operators, not their actual university or college. Read it here. (Read more study abroad stories.)
"I felt like I lost my mom to this pit that I couldn't pull her out of." That's how 20-year-old Brianna McLaughlin describes her mom, Kelly, after the former Head Start caseworker became addicted to OxyContin, then heroin, after neck surgery. As Julia Lurie details for Mother Jones, although Brianna's 16-year-old brother, Matt, had relatives to stay with during Kelly's latest stint in detox, the foster system around the nation has become overwhelmed with other kids who aren't so luckyvictims of the opioid epidemic who are forced to grow up too quickly, often assuming household duties typically undertaken by adults, while their parents are mired in their addictions. Lurie notes there were 30,000 more US kids in foster care in 2015 than in 2012 (an 8% increase), mainly because of the opioid crisis, which involves everything from painkillers and heroin to the even deadlier fentanyl.

"I can't remember the last time I removed a kid and it didn't have to do with drugs," notes Kerri Mongenel, a children's caseworker in Ohio, which has one of the country's highest overdose rates. "Every OD that happens [in Ashtabula County], I get a text. I've gotten two texts while we've been talking," an Ashtabula detective tells Lurie after less than an hour of conversation. Lurie notes the promises presidential candidate Trump made to fight Ohio's drug problemvows that appear to have "fizzled," she writes. Meanwhile, caseworkers like Mongenel continue to try to help the kids caught in the middle. "I used to get really pissed off at peoplelike how could you just let me take your kids and then go on a bender?" Mongenel says. Now, after learning how opioids affect parents' brains, she thinks: "Without the drugs, what would they be like?" More on the kids' heartbreaking situations here. (West Virginia residents are fighting their own opioid woes.)
Commencement addresses are typically filled with well wishes. Chief Justice John Roberts went the opposite route in a June 3 speech getting attention this week after the Washington Post published excerpts. Roberts told students at an elite boarding school for boys in New Hampshire that he hoped their future would see them hurt, ignored, and betrayedand Robert Barnes at the Post calls it "the best thing Chief Justice Roberts wrote this term." That's because Roberts went on to explain that with pain comes compassion. Being ignored teaches "the importance of listening to others," he said. Betrayal teaches "the importance of loyalty." One standout line: "I wish you bad luckagain, from time to time."

Bad luck means "you will be conscious of the role of chance in life and understand that your success is not completely deserved, and that the failure of others is not completely deserved, either," continued Roberts, whose son was among the graduating class of ninth-graders at Cardigan Mountain School. Time has a full transcript of the speech, which others are also applauding. Roberts could host a talk show, writes Ephrat Livni at Quartz, noting "he spoke gently yet reminded the boys that life is sometimes harsh for all, even privileged private school students." (Read more John Roberts stories.)
For the first time since becoming POTUS, Donald Trump has met Russian President Vladimir Putin. The meeting happened on the sidelines of what Reuters calls a "closely watched" G20 summit. They're not kidding, considering the first media coverage coming out of the summit focuses on the handshake between the two, which was of course caught on video.

Reuters notes that in addition to the handshake, Trump patted Putin on the arm and later on the back, and both men smiled. Per the Guardian, Trump told Putin, "Mr. Putin, it is an honor to be with you." Putin's reply: "Im delighted to meet you personally, and I hope our meeting will bring results." The moment took place at an informal meeting of G20 leaders as the summit began in Hamburg, Germany; Trump and Putin are to hold their formal meeting at 3:45pm local time. Read why the meeting could be a "win-win" for Putin here. (Read more President Trump stories.)
A woman charged with killing four of her young children and their father smiled and flashed a double thumbs up to news cameras during her first court appearance Friday before telling a judge she doesn't want an attorney. Isabel Martinez, 33, appeared before Gwinnett County Magistrate Judge Michael Thorpe a day after police said she stabbed the five to death and seriously injured another child at her home outside Atlanta, per the AP. The injured child, a 9-year-old girl, survived but remains hospitalized with injuries police described as serious. Before the hearing began, Martinez sat with other inmates and struck poses for camerassmiling, giving a double thumbs up, putting her hands in a prayer position, and spreading her arms out wide.

As Judge Thorpe listed the charges she facesfive counts of malice murder, five counts of murder, and six counts of aggravated assaultMartinez smiled, shook her head "no", and wagged her finger at him. The judge advised her sharply not to perform for the cameras. When the judge informed her of her right to have an attorney, she said through a Spanish-language interpreter that she doesn't want one. She later added that her attorney will always be the people and her faith. Thorpe advised Martinez to hire a lawyer or to allow one to be appointed for her. The four children killed were identified as Isabela Martinez, 10; Dacota Romero, 7; Dillan Romero, 4; and Axel Romero, 2. Their slain father was Martin Romero, 33. (Read more mother stories.)
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New Delhi:

Adding its fifth destination in the US, state-owned Air India on Friday launched its first flight to Washington DC from New Delhi.



238-seater Boeing 777-200 LR aircraft has been deployed by the airline to cater to the direct service to the US. Eight seats in first class, 35 in business and 195 in economy class have been offered by the plane.



The launch took place at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport here in the presence of Charge de Affairs of US Embassy Marykay Loss Carlson, Air India Chairman and Managing Director Ashwani Lohani, Commercial Director of Air India Pankaj Shrivastava, among other airline officials.



According to the airline spokesperson, the occupancy on flights to Washington is 90 per cent for the month of July.



Besides Washington DC, Air Indias other four direct flights to US airports - New York, San Francisco, Newark and Chicago.



With PTI inputs.

ALSO READ | Watch: Air India Bagdogra-Delhi flight takes off with faulty AC, passengers complain of suffocation

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Gurugram:

Two persons were arrested on Friday for allegedly beating and throwing an employee of a multi-national company from his fourth-floor accommodation after he complained about lack of amenities to his landlord, police said.

Ramesh Bisht, 21, worked with an MNC in Gurugram, died late last night after being beaten and thrown from the fourth floor of his paying guest accommodation in a building in DLF III by his landlord, his two sons and 10 others, a police official said.

Sushil, a resident of Nathupur village and Sishram, a native of Alwar in Rajasthan were arrested while the manhunt has been launched to arrest others, he said, adding that further investigation is going on in the case.

Bisht, a native of Uttarakhand, had been complaining to the PG owner Satpal Singh about frequent power cuts and erratic water supply in his room for the last three days, police said.
New Delhi:

Enraged by pro-Modi slogans at a recent BMC function, the Shiv Sena on Friday said Modi bhakts (a term loosely used for Modi supporters) would lead to his downfall just like those of former PM Indira Gandhi led to hers.

The Shiv Sena statement came days after BJP corporators raised pro-Modi slogans during a cheque-handing ceremony at the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation headquarters.

Shiv Sena in an editorial in the party mouthpiece Saamana said, today, those who are unnecessarily shouting pro-Modi slogans, are actually maligning his image. There was a time when the slogans in the name of Indira Gandhi were chanted too. Her bhakts had insulted the nation by shouting slogans like Indira is India and that insult triggered a spark of revolution which culminated into her defeat.

Sena said even winning 1971 war against Pakistan could not stop Indira Gandhi govt from losing elections.

The truth is that Indira Gandhi not only won the war against Pakistan in 1971 but also made Pakistan go down on their knees by dividing that country. We want to tell the BJP leadership that Gandhi still lost and that was because of the excessive Indira bhakti (worship) displayed by her supporters, the editorial said.

Calling BJP a friend, Shiv Sena cautioned BJP about the bhakts and said they can led to their fall too.

Our friend (the BJP) should remain cautious of its own bhakts. Those shouting pro-Modi slogans today may become the reason for his own downfall tomorrow, the edit said.

The Shiv Sena and the BJP corporators on Wednesday shouted slogans against each other during a Sena-controlled BMC function where the government was handing over an advance cheque of the GST compensation worth Rs 647 crore.

(With PTI inputs)

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Hamburg:

To attend G20 Summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday arrived in the German city Hamburg. Prime Minister flown to Germany after concluding his three-day visit to Israel.

The G20 summit which will be hosted by Germany is set to be organised on July 7-8. The theme of the summit this year is Shaping an Inter-connected World.

PM @narendramodi reaches Hamburg for the G20 Summit. Key multilateral and bilateral engagements will take place through the summit, the Prime Ministers Office tweeted.

On the sidelines of the summit, Modi is to participate in a meeting of leaders of the BRICS - Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa - grouping tomorrow. He is also set to hold bilateral meetings with some of the world leaders there.

The G20, founded in 1999, comprises a mix of the worlds largest and emerging economies, representing about two-thirds of the worlds population, 85 per cent of global gross domestic product and over 75 per cent of global trade.

The members are Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, the UK, the US, and the European Union.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
Hamburg:

Amid the standoff between India and China in Sikkim sector, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday met at the leaders' informal gathering in Hamburg, Germany. The two leaders discussed a range of issues, external affairs ministry spokesperson Spokesperson Gopal Baglay said.



PM Modi and President Xi shook hands and had a conversation on a range of issues during the BRICS leaders informal meeting, he said. The conversation took place on the sidelines of the G20 Summit that began here today.



In a tweet, external affairs ministry spokesperson Gopal Baglay said Modi and Xi discussed a range of issues.



At d BRICS leaders informal gathering @ Hamburg hosted by China, PM @narendramodi and President Xi had a conversation on a range of issues, the spokesperson tweeted.



The ministry also tweeted a photograph of Modi and Xi shaking hands. The meeting assumes significance as it comes a day after a top Chinese official said the atmosphere is not right for a bilateral meeting between Modi and Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the G20 Summit.

ALSO READ | G20 Summit: PM Modi promises full cooperation to Xi Jinping for upcoming BRICS meet in China



China and India have been engaged in a stand-off in the Dokalam area near the Bhutan tri-junction for the past three weeks after a Chinese Armys construction party attempted to build a road. Doka La is the Indian name for the region which Bhutan recognises as Dokalam while China claims it as part of its Donglang region.

ALSO READ | Sikkim standoff: 'Atmosphere not right' for Xi Jinping-Modi meet in G-20 Summit, says China

At d BRICS leaders' informal gathering @ Hamburg hosted by China, PM @narendramodi and President Xi had a conversation on a range of issues pic.twitter.com/ervZw46PH0  Gopal Baglay (@MEAIndia) July 7, 2017

(With inputs from PTI)

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New Delhi:

Jammu and Kashmir Assembly on Friday passed Goods and Services Tax bill amid boycott by the opposition. GST law will be applicable from Friday's midnight.

Opposition including National Conference, Congress, CPIM boycott assembly proceedings over the passing of GST Bill in Jammu and Kashmir.

Earlier today, President Pranab Mukherjee gave nod to an order pertaining to implementation of the Goods and Services Tax regime in Jammu and Kashmir, clearing decks for the state assembly for enacting a State GST law.

Official sources said that the President cleared the order and sent it to Ministry of Home Affairs for further action.

The PDP-BJP government had passed a resolution on Wednesday in the assembly after which the state cabinet under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti cleared a draft order for concurrence of the President.

Jammu and Kashmir is the only state which is yet to implement the GST which was rolled out in rest of the country on July 1.

The presidential order, which was concurred by state Governor N N Vohra, relates to the application of certain provisions of the Constitution of India through an order of the President issued under Article 370 that gives special status to the state.

States Finance Minister Haseeb Drabu had said yesterday that after the Presidential Order is received, the government will take it to the Assembly for enacting a SGST (state goods and services tax) bill.

Drabu, during the discussion in the Assembly on Wednesday, said that the government was not required to bring the resolution but it did so to get a sense of the House on the issue, a move termed by opposition National Conference and Congress as a sham.

This was the first time in the history of the Jammu and Kashmir assembly that a resolution, seeking a presidential order on a constitutional amendment, was discussed and passed.

ALSO READ: J&K: NC to skip remaining legislative session as protest

National Conference on Thursday said that party legislators will boycott the rest of the legislative session as a protest.

The National Conference issued a statement in this regard alleging that the protest against the governments conspiracies to trample the aspirations of the people by demolishing the states special status.

On Wednesday, former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah dubbed passing of resolution over GST implementation in the state as a sham and questioned there was absolutely no clarity on constitutional safeguards for the state.

ALSO READ: 'I can lynch you here: J&K minister to opposition MLA in Assembly

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New Delhi:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is in the German city Hamburg to attend the G20 Summit, on Friday said that G20 should collectively oppose terrorism financing, franchises, safe havens, support and sponsors. He was speaking at the BRICS Leaders' informal meet.

At the informal meeting of the BRICS leaders on the sidelines of the G20 Summit here, Modi emphasised that it was necessary to work together for sustained global economic recovery. He also referred to the reforms carried out by his government, including implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST).



BRICS has been a strong voice and needs to show leadership on terrorism and global economy, Modi said. He emphasised that the G20 should collectively oppose terrorism financing, franchises, safe havens, support and sponsors.



Here are the highlights:

#3:00 PM

Modi promises full cooperation and best wishes to Chinese President Xi Jinping for the upcoming BRICS Summit in China

#2:45 PM

President Xi appreciated India's strong resolve against terrorism and momentum in BRICS introduced under India's Chairmanship: MEA



#2:30 PM: PM Modi speaks at BRICS leaders informal meet:

-There has been positive momentum in BRICS under chairmanship of President Xi Jinping, best wishes to him for upcoming BRICS Summit

-GST implemented last week is India's biggest tax reform in last 70 years. It'ill help businesses



-G20 should collectively oppose terrorism financing, franchises, safe havens, support and sponsors



-BRICS has been a strong voice & needs to show leadership on terrorism & global economy



Besides, he advocated a collective voice against the practice of protectionism, especially in the spheres of trade and movement of knowledge and professionals.

ALSO READ | Sikkim standoff: 'Atmosphere not right' for Xi Jinping-Modi meet in G-20 Summit, says China

The BRICS bloc comprises Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. The BRICS leaders meet also come amidst a standoff between the armies of India and China in the Sikkim section. The G20 members, which include India and China, account for 80 per cent of the global economic output.

The G20, founded in 1999, comprises a mix of the worlds largest and emerging economies, representing about two-thirds of the worlds population, 85 per cent of global gross domestic product and over 75 per cent of global trade.

The members are Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, the UK, the US, and the European Union.

ALSO READ | Trump isolated over climate sceptic stance, says G20 host Angela Merkel

(With inputs from agencies)

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New Delhi:

A day after fresh clashes were reported in West Bengals Basirhat late Thursday night, the delegations led by BJP and CPI (M) and Congress were on Friday stopped from entering the riot-affected area. The West Bengal government has declared a ban on some organisations for allegedly inciting mob violence in the state.

On Thursday, police used tear gas shells and resorted to lathicharge at the irate mobs as fresh violence had erupted in the area. Sources said that the mob was angry as the police were only detaining Hindu youths and that they were only searching Hindu homes in Basirhat.

Here are the LIVE updates:

#12:45 PM

West Bengal: BJP MP Rupa Ganguly detained by Police while on her way to Basirhat

West Bengal: BJP MP Rupa Ganguly detained by Police while on her way to #Basirhat pic.twitter.com/3RGR0o4fGM  ANI (@ANI_news) July 7, 2017

#12:10 PM

WB: Congress delegation led by Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury stopped at Barasat. BJP MP Roopa Ganguly stopped at Michael Nagar Basirhat

#12:00 PM

WB: Left delegation led by CPI (M) MP Mohammed Salim made a second attempt to reach #Basirhat but were stopped by security forces



#10:15 AM

WB: CPI (M) MP Mohammed Salim who is leading a Left delegation has been stopped 50 kms before #Basirhat. Heavy deployment of security forces

#10:00 AM

West Bengal: CPI (M) MP Mohammed Salim arrives in Barasat, he is leading a Left delegation to violence hit Basirhat



#7:30 AM

West Bengal: Congress, BJP and Left delegations to visit violence hit #Basirhat today

ALSO READ | West Bengal violence: Fresh tension brews up in Basirhat; Mamata govt says situation under control

BJP, Left and Congress leaders were stopped from going to Baduria in West Bengals North 24 Parganas district as the situation was volatile following communal clashes earlier this week, officials said.

The situation is still tense. We have not allowed any delegation to go there as it might create problems, a senior district official said.



We have been stopped near Ashoknagar area on the grounds that if we go to those areas it might create law and order problem. But we are not going there for any political programme. We are going there to meet the people who have suffered due to riots, Left Front legislative party leader Sujan Chakraborty said.



Chakraborty said the Left Front would organise a demonstration against the police and the TMC government in Barasat area of the district.

ALSO READ | WB Facebook post row: Amit Shah constitutes team of BJP members over communal clashes in North 24 Parganas



The Congress team, led by WBPCC chief Adhir Chowdhury, was also stopped at Barasat for the same reason. The BJP team was led by state party president Dilip Ghosh.



Baduria and its adjoining areas witnessed a communal flare-up following a post by a youth on Facebook earlier this week.



Though the youth was arrested, members of two communities clashed, set up road blockades, damaged shops and set fire to vehicles.



(With inputs from agencies)

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New Delhi:

After the CBI raids on residence, RJD supremo on Friday said that it is a political conspiracy and he has been targeted after speaking against BJP.

"No wrong was done in the tendering, this is a BJP conspiracy. Me and my party will not be cowed down. We are ready to be decimated in order to bring Modi government out of power," said Lalu Yadav.

Lalu said that BJP is regularly targeting me him and his family under political vendetta. He added that BJP wants that we bow down in front of them.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Friday registered a case against RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav, his son and others on allegations of awarding tender for hotels in Ranchi and Puri. When this tender was given in 2006, Lalu was Railway Minister.

Searches related to the case were being conducted at 12 locations including Delhi, Patna, Ranchi, Puri and Gurgaon.

The case has been registered against the then railway minister, his wife Rabri Devi, Bihar Deputy Chief Minister and his son Tejashwi, the then IRCTC MD, P K Goyal, the wife of Yadavs confidante Prem Chand Gupta, Sarla, and others, CBI sources said. Gupta is a former Union corporate affairs minister.

Also read: CBI raids Lalu's residence: RJD chief calls it political conspiracy, says he has been targeted after speaking against BJP

Also read: Lalus residence raided, FIR registered; RJD calls it politics of revenge | Top developments



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New Delhi:

A notorious criminal with Rs 1.5 lakh bounty on his head has been arrested by the Delhi Police. The 36-year-old Ajay Dabas alias Ajay Barwala had fled from Police custody in April this year while being escorted to a Court in Haryana's Sonepat.

Ajay went on a shooting spree after the escape and committed four more crimes within a couple of months. After this, the police announced cash reward on his head.

Ajay, who entered into the world of crime at the age of 15 has been involved in around 26 cases of serious crime and he was also awarded death sentence which was later turned into a life imprisonment.

Initially, Dabas started with small crimes but soon he came in contacts with bigger gangsters of Delhi and started committing major crimes. One of the gangsters he worked with was Anil Bhakte.

However, Bhakte was killed in a police encounter and his gang was taken over by Ajay Dabas.

In between all this, Police arrested him several times but somehow he managed to escape from police custody. His terror was not limited to Delhi and he started spreading his gang in neighboring state of Haryana.

Ajay committed four murders in Haryana for which the court awarded him with capital punishment but later on his appeal his sentence was changed to life imprisonment.

On April 11, Dabas fled from police custody while being taken to a court in Sonepat, Haryana. Days later, he shot a tehsildar to settle his personal dispute.

A week later, he shot at one Amit in Dwarka area but the victim survived the attack.

Dabas continued to attack his rivals and on June 20, he and his aides attacked one Manjeet Kumar over an old standing rivalry but Manjeet survived.

Manjeet was the brother-in-law of Devender Rathi, his former business partner whom Ajay Dabas had earlier murdered because of a rivalry.

However, he is now again in police custody with increased security.

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New Delhi:

Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi, who had recently attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi by calling him a weak PM has yet again attacked him questioning his silence on China amid the standoff in Sikkim sector. Why is our Prime Minister silent on China? he wrote on Twitter.



China and India have been engaged in a stand-off in the Dokalam area near the Bhutan tri-junction region for the past 19 days after a Chinese army's construction party attempted to build a road. Doka La is the Indian name for the region which Bhutan recognises as Dokalam, while China claims it as part of its Donglang region.

On Wednesday, Rahul Gandhi had called PM Modi a weak prime minister for accepting the US referring to Kashmir as "Indian-administered Kashmir".



He also attacked PM Modi for not discussing the H1-B visa issue during his recent talks with US President Donald Trump. India has a weak PM, he tweeted.



On June 26, designating Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) chief Syed Salahuddin a "global terrorist", the US in a statement referred to the northern state as "Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir".

ALSO READ | Rahul Gandhi calls PM Modi a 'weak' prime minister for accepting US use of 'Indian-administered Kashmir'

Why is our Prime Minister silent on China?  Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) July 7, 2017

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New Delhi:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday left an everlasting impression on global powers on behalf of India at G20 summit in Germany's Hamburg. The day 1 of three-day conference of the industrialised and developed economies was favourable for India, as PM Modi made a strong case against Pak-grown terror and capacity building abilities of Indian infrastructure.

Rather crucially, he had an unscheduled meet with Chinese Premier Xi Jinping and had a discussion o a myriad of issues, including Sikkim standoff, and spoke on Gulf crisis and North Korea nuclear threat at BRICS summit.

Here are highlights of PM Modi's day 1 at Hamburg:



PM Narendra Modi arrives at Elbphilharmonie Concert Hall in Hamburg, Germany pic.twitter.com/Bw2w42FBsl  ANI (@ANI_news) July 7, 2017

#9:00 PM:

- PM emphasizes that Skill India, Digital India, financial inclusion measures are India's own initiatives in consonance with SDGs

-PM stresses need to be forthcoming on climate change action and that developing countries must've enough room to grow

-PM proposes international coalition of countries that can identify tech, develop systems & build capacities, says India ready to lead



-PM speaks about India's initiatives for SDG targets through consistent roadmap for implementation and the National Review as per UN guidelines



-PM lead speaker at session 2 on Sustainable Dev, Climate&Energy. Emphasises need for cooperation in world of opposing realities



-PM speaks about tech facil'n, ODA commitments, infra, labour mobility &health, says #G20 needs to play a bigger role.



Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in Hamburg on sidelines of #G20Summit pic.twitter.com/mcS6KXSGTp  ANI (@ANI_news) July 7, 2017

#8:00 PM: PM Modi at Session I on global growth and trade in Hamburg



PM : GST will create a unified market of 1.3 bn people and build resilience

PM: The rise in protectionism threatens gains from globalization. G20 must speak in one voice to support &sustain a regime of openness.

India's decision on demonetization has dealt a blow to corruption, boosted digitization and enlarged the formal economy: PM Modi

PM at Session I on global growth and trade: GST will create a unified market of 1.3 bn people& build resilience pic.twitter.com/bKO7C8uxHV  Gopal Baglay (@MEAIndia) July 7, 2017

PM :We r ready to carry forward fight against black money and corruption.Hope that #G20 will assume leadership to act on all imp issues pic.twitter.com/6pseNtVYgc  Gopal Baglay (@MEAIndia) July 7, 2017

PM.Growth& dev for all in India central to our pursuit of eco prosperity pic.twitter.com/akharSdSVx  Gopal Baglay (@MEAIndia) July 7, 2017

#7:00 PM: PM Modi equates LeT and JeM with ISIS and Al Qaeda

Naming Pakistan-based terror groups LeT and JeM, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said some countries were using terror as a tool to achieve political objectives and pressed for deterrent action collectively by the G-20 members against such nations.



Addressing the G-20 Summit, he equated Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed to ISIS and Al-Qaeda, saying their names may be different but their ideology is the same.



With leaders like US President Donald Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping listening, Modi regretted that the international response to terrorism was weak and said more cooperation was needed to fight the menace.



The Indian prime minister presented an 11-point Action Agenda which included suggestions for exchange of lists of terrorists among G-20 nations, easing and expediting of legal processes like extradition and concrete steps to choke funds and weapon supply to the terrorists.



Some nations are using terrorism for achieving political goals, Modi said in a clear reference to Pakistan.



He named LeT and JeM as terror operatives in the South Asia like Daesh (ISIS) and Al-Qaeda in the Middle East and Boko Haram in Nigeria. Their only ideology is to spread hatred and commit massacres, he added.



Regretting that the international response to terrorism has been weak, Modi said the nations are less networked in dealing with the menace while the terrorists are better networked.

#5:00 PM: PM Modi at BRICS gathering

- Speaking at the informal gathering of BRICS leaders, PMModi said the geopolitical situation in the Gulf, West Asia and in the Korean Peninsula is a matter of concern as he asked member nations to be a voice for stability, reform, progress and governance at the world stage. Modi said the ups and downs in the global politics and worsening security situation are affecting everyone.



- BRICS has to be a voice of stability, reform, progress and governance at the world stage, he told the presidents from BRICS nations - Michel Temer (Brazil), Vladimir Putin (Russia), Xi Jinping (China) and Jacob Zuma (South Africa). Modi said that the spread of terrorism is a threat for societies in Asia and Europe as he expressed concern over its increasing influence in the war-torn Afghanistan.



- In the Gulf, a group of Arab states including Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain has severed air, sea and ground links with Qatar, triggering a diplomatic crisis in the region where millions of Indians are working.



- The Prime Minister also voiced concern over tensions in the Korean Peninsula, saying it is a matter of concern.



- Modis remarks came in the backdrop of the US warning to North Korea that it would use military force in response to Pyongyangs reckless launch of a ballistic missiles. The US also blasted China and Russia for holding the hands of the reclusive nations vicious dictator Kim Jong Un.



#3:44 PM: Modi meets Xi during G20 summit



Amid the standoff between India and China in Sikkim sector, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday met at the leaders' informal gathering in Hamburg, Germany. The two leaders discussed a range of issues, external affairs ministry spokesperson Spokesperson Gopal Baglay said.



PM Modi and President Xi shook hands and had a conversation on a range of issues during the BRICS leaders informal meeting, he said. The conversation took place on the sidelines of the G20 Summit that began here today.



In a tweet, external affairs ministry spokesperson Gopal Baglay said Modi and Xi discussed a range of issues.



At d BRICS leaders informal gathering @ Hamburg hosted by China, PM @narendramodi and President Xi had a conversation on a range of issues, the spokesperson tweeted.

Suggested read: BRICS needs to show leadership on terrorism, says PM Modi

PM welcomes plan of action in #G20 on Counter Terrorism and presents 11 point action agenda for it pic.twitter.com/BqKBIhQr3k  Gopal Baglay (@MEAIndia) July 7, 2017

PM leads the way on one of the most grave issues of our times, is leadspeaker on theme of terrorism at Leaders Retreat pic.twitter.com/1uTlfcGOMF  Gopal Baglay (@MEAIndia) July 7, 2017

PM @narendramodi at the family photo of G20 leaders moments ago pic.twitter.com/erZ3DkHk4r  Gopal Baglay (@MEAIndia) July 7, 2017

At d BRICS leaders' informal gathering @ Hamburg hosted by China, PM @narendramodi and President Xi had a conversation on a range of issues pic.twitter.com/ervZw46PH0  Gopal Baglay (@MEAIndia) July 7, 2017

A warm welcome by a gracious host. Chancellor Merkel receives PM @narendramodi at the beginning of G20 Summit pic.twitter.com/PcVX7O8iFz  Gopal Baglay (@MEAIndia) July 7, 2017

Beginning with BRICS. PM @narendramodi speaks at BRICS grouping meeting on sidelines of G20 pic.twitter.com/SdAFRaaPRG  Gopal Baglay (@MEAIndia) July 7, 2017

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Pune:

Women rights activist Trupti Desai was booked under the Prevention of Atrocities Act on Thursday. She had allegedly assaulted a 33-year-old former member of her organisation on June 27 near Balewadi stadium in Pune, police said.



The complainant, Vijay Makasare, a doctor from neighbouring Amhednagar district, had alleged that Desai, who heads the Bhumata Ranragini Brigade, her husband Prashant and two other persons thrashed him after he fell out with Desai.



Other persons named in the complaint lodged with the Hinjewadi police station are identified as Satish Desai, Kantilal Gaware and two unidentified persons. Makasare stated that he was approached by Desai a few months ago and asked him to join her organisation.



I accepted her request and joined the organisation as I wanted to work for the society. However, later I realised that the functioning of the outfit was not transparent and the intentions to run the organisation was malafied, so I decided to part my ways, which irked Desai, Makasare said in his complaint.



Quoting the complaint, a police official said Desai asked Makasare to take her to Mumbai in his car for some important work on June 27.

ALSO READ | Bhumata Brigade chief Trupti Desai will not be allowed in Sabarimala temple: Kerala govt



My car was waylaid by Desais husband Prashant and four others near Balewadi stadium on Pune-Mumbai Highway. Desai snatched my two phones saying they contained a crucial evidence against her, Makasare stated in his complaint.



He alleged Desai, Prashant and others thrashed him and snatched his gold chain worth Rs 15,000 and Rs 27,000 in cash he was carrying with him. Makasare also accused Desai of passing derogatory remarks regarding his caste and threatening him of dire consequences if he dared to raise his voice against her outfit.



We have registered a case against Desai, her husband and four others under section 323 (punishment for voluntarily causing hurt), 394 (robbery), 341 (wrongful restraint), 506 (criminal intimidation) and relevant sections of Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, the Hinjawadi police station official said.



He said the Desai couple and others will be summoned for recording their statements. When contacted, the activist refuted the allegations, saying Makasare was trying to malign her image.



It was Makasare who approached me requesting membership to my outfit. However, we denied him the membership after knowing about his character. He is now trying to malign my image by levelling such baseless allegations. He filed the case out of a grudge over his non-induction into the organisation, she said.



Desai was instrumental in leading an agitation of women in November 2015 for gaining the entry to the core area of famous Lord Shani shrine in Ahmednagar district.



She subsequently led similar protests at the Mahalakshmi temple in Kolhapur and later at Lord Shiva temple in Trimbakeshwar near Nashik. Last year, Desai made an attempt to enter the Haji Ali dargah in Mumbai, but beat a retreat after an angry mob prevented her from proceeding further. On May 12, 2016, she made a successful second attempt and entered the dargah under tight security but not in the inner sanctum where women are not allowed.

ALSO READ: Women activists enter Mumbais Haji Ali Dargah after winning long legal battle

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Hyderabad:

While the city is still fighting a difficult battle against rabies, doctors on Thursday cautioned people to be vigilant against zoonotic diseases. The Institute of Preventive Medicines, in a survey last year, said that number of rabies cases is 62,000. The prevalence of many stray dogs in the city is causing rabies, say doctors.



Even though GHMCs sterilization and vaccination programme has been valid since 2009, the situation is not showing improvement. Authorities have failed to control the stray dog populace.



On World Zoonoses Day, doctors cautioned against many diseases being transmitted from animals to humans. The day is observed every year on July 6 to raise understanding against diseases that can be transmitted from animals to humans, also known as zoonotic diseases.



The experts say that rabies is one of the most commonly transmitted diseases from dogs. Rabies can result in death, if not cured early. The difficulty in getting the rabies immunoglobulin vaccine has complicated the issue further, becoming unaffordable for many patients affected by it.



"There are over 1,500 types of diseases that can be transmitted from animals to humans, including a variety of bacterial, viral and fungal diseases. People having pets are at risk if their pets are not vaccinated," said Dr Bhagavan Reddy, district veterinarian officer for Hyderabad and an employee of the Super Speciality Veterinary Hospital in Narayanguda, the location of a free animal vaccination camp organised on Thursday.



"Yearly vaccination is a must for pets. Regular deworming for pets and maintaining hygiene is very important. People also need to be careful while consuming meat, milk and eggs. If they are not cooked properly, there is a chance of contracting a zoonotic disease," he said.



More than 1,250 vaccinations were given during the drive. Also present was Dr D Venkateswarlu, director of Telangana government's animal husbandry department. The event was one in a series of camps in 100 cities in India conducted by Indian Immunologicals Ltd.
London:

In a big blow to the hopes of finding alien life on Mars, a study has revealed that the surface of the red planet has a toxic mix of chemicals that can wipe out living organisms.

The behaviour of the chemical compounds called perchlorates that are present in the Martian soil was studied by the researchers at the University of Edinburgh in the UK.



The study found that the chemicals can kill bacteria commonly carried by spacecraft when exposed to ultraviolet (UV) light in environmental conditions mimicking those on Mars.



Our findings have important implications for the possible contamination of Mars with bacteria and other materials from space missions, said Jennifer Wadsworth from Edinburghs School of Physics and Astronomy.



This should be taken into account in designing missions to Mars, said Wadsworth.



Two other types of chemicals found on Mars surface, iron oxides and hydrogen peroxide, can compound the effect of perchlorates, the study noted.



The combination of all three in experiments led to over 10-fold rise in death of bacterial cells compared with perchlorates alone. Since their discovery there several years ago, scientists have speculated on the influence that perchlorates may have on the habitability of the planet.



Researchers probed the potential reactivity of perchlorates and their effect on Bacillus subtilis, a bacterium found on spacecraft and common in soils and rocks.

ALSO READ | Lunar robots land on most active volcano of 'Mount Etna', scientists prepare for future landings on Mars, Moon



When magnesium perchlorate was exposed to UV radiation similar to that on Mars, it became capable of killing bacteria much more effectively than UV light alone, the experiment found.



Cells of B subtilis quickly died at concentrations of perchlorate similar to those found on the Martian surface. The latest study suggests that it may be highly damaging to living cells, although the Martian surface has been suspected for some time to have toxic effects.



This is owing to a toxic mix of oxidants, iron oxides, perchlorates and UV energy, researchers said. The study was published in the journal Scientific Reports.

ALSO READ | NASA's Opportunity Mars rover discovers evidence of ancient lake of liquid water on red planet



(With inputs from PTI)

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New Delhi:

In a world where safety of women is a matter of grave concern, search engine giant Google is adding up to this similar concern with its strange search results.

In a strange observation made by a bunch of people on Twitter, when you type 'South Indian Masala' in the search option, apparently the images of South Indian actresses appear in the search results leading to the objectification of women. And on the other hand, when you type 'North Indian masala' on Google images, you get the obvious results. A picture of butter chicken, chaat masala, and various spices.

Such differences in search options have raised multiple facets to the issue, some have taken it in a light mood making it a social media joke, while others are outraged with audacious sexism and some are launching questions asking why Google is showing 'South Indian actresses' when 'South Indian masala'is searched for.

A

Difference between South Indian Masala and North Indian Masala..

As per Google .. YYY pic.twitter.com/EXglCZAtWl a Z.N.M.D. (@mars_4you) July 7, 2017

A

A

To know the North-South divide, google images for 'North Indian masala' and then google images for 'South Indian masala'. a Numbyaar (@NumbYaar) July 6, 2017

A

So why is Google showing this?

The problem lies with Goole's algorithm, apparently when you type a keyword on Google images, it shows up photos that have meta tags as that particular keyword. Here it means, thousands of people have uploaded images of South Indian actresses with 'masala' as a tag.

Yes this technical error must be looked for, but what is alraming is the mindset of the society that tag the word 'masala' with women.

Now one must be wondering why a similar problem does not occur with searches for 'North Indian Masala'. This is because in North India, women are objectified with words like maal, item etc due to Google does not get confused with and correctly show spices used in North Indian dishes like butter chicke, rajma chawal and more.

A spokesperson from Google told to Huffington Post, "Search isn't always perfect. Sometimes, the way images are described on the Internet can yield surprising results to specific queries".

In a statement, Google said that they are aware that this is not an ideal situation, but they are working to improve their algorithms.

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Hamburg:

The leaders of 20 global superpowers on Friday pledged to fight terrorism in a firm and united manner. The leaders, who met in Hamburg, reaffirmed their commitment to countering terrorism in accordance with the UN Charter and all obligations under international law, including international human rights law.



Here are the 21 key points adopted by G20 leaders:



1. We, the Leaders of the G20, strongly condemn all terrorist attacks worldwide and stand united and firm in the fight against terrorism and its financing. These atrocious acts have strengthened our resolve to cooperate to enhance our security and protect our citizens. Terrorism is a global scourge that must be fought and terrorist safe havens eliminated in every part of the world.



2. We reaffirm that all measures on countering terrorism need to be implemented in accordance with the UN Charter and all obligations under international law, including international human rights law.

Implementing international commitments and enhancing cooperation



3. We call for the implementation of existing international commitments on countering terrorism, including the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, and compliance with relevant resolutions and targeted sanctions by the UN Security Council relating to terrorism. We commit to continue to support UN efforts to prevent and counter terrorism.



4. We will address the evolving threat of returning foreign terrorist fighters (FTFs) from conflict zones such as Iraq and Syria and remain committed to preventing FTFs from establishing a foothold in other countries and regions around the world. We recall UN Security Council Resolution 2178 (2014), which requires a range of actions to better tackle the foreign terrorist fighter threat.



5. We will facilitate swift and targeted exchanges of information between intelligence and law enforcement and judicial authorities on operational information-sharing, preventive measures and criminal justice response, while ensuring the necessary balance between security and data protection aspects, in accordance with national laws. We will ensure that terrorists are brought to justice.



6. We will work to improve the existing international information architecture in the areas of security, travel and migration, including INTERPOL, ensuring the necessary balance between security and data protection aspects. In particular, we encourage all members to make full use of relevant information sharing mechanisms, in particular INTERPOL's information sharing functions.

Read | G20 Summit: Modi equates Pak-based terror outfits with ISIS, Al Qaeda



7. We call upon our border agencies to strengthen cooperation to detect travel for terrorist purposes, including by identifying priority transit and destination countries of terrorists. We will support capacity building efforts in these countries in areas such as border management, information sharing and watch-list capability to manage the threat upstream. We will promote greater use of customs security programs, including where appropriate, the World Customs Organization's (WCO) Security Programme and Counter-Terrorism Strategy, which focus on strengthening Customs administrations' capacity to deal with security related issues and managing the cross-border flows of goods, people and means of transport to ensure they comply with the law.



8. We will address in close coordination the evolving threats and potential vulnerabilities in aviation security systems and exchange information on risk assessments. We recall the UN Security Council's Resolution 2309 (2016) which urges closer collaboration to ensure security of global air services and the prevention of terrorist attacks. We will promote full implementation of effective and proportionate aviation security measures established by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in partnership with all its contracting states as necessary. We call to urgently address vulnerabilities in airport security related measures, such as access control and screening, covered by the Chicago Convention and will act jointly to ensure that international security standards are reviewed, updated, adapted and put in place based on current risks.



9. We highlight the importance of providing appropriate support to the victims of terrorist acts and will enhance our cooperation and exchange of best practices to this end.

Fighting terrorism finance



10. We underline our resolve to make the international financial system entirely hostile to terrorist financing and commit to deepening international cooperation and exchange of information, including working with the private sector, which has a critical role in global efforts to counter terrorism financing. We reaffirm our commitment to tackle all sources, techniques and channels of terrorist financing and our call for swift and effective implementation of UNSCR and the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) standards worldwide. We call for strengthening measures against the financing of international terrorist organisations in particular ISIL/ISIS/Daesh, Al Qaida and their affiliates.



11. There should be no safe spaces for terrorist financing anywhere in the world. However, inconsistent and weak implementation of the UN and FATF standards allows them to persist. In order to eliminate all such safe spaces, we commit to intensify capacity building and technical assistance, especially in relation to terrorist financing hot-spots, and we support the FATF in its efforts to strengthen its traction capacity and the effectiveness of FATF and FATF-style regional bodies.

12. We welcome the reforms agreed by the FATF Plenary in June and support the ongoing work to strengthen the governance of the FATF. We also welcome the FATF intention to further explore its transformation into a legal person, which recognises that the FATF has evolved from a temporary forum to a sustained public and political commitment to tackle AML/CFT threats. We also appreciate FATF commencing the membership process for Indonesia that will broaden its geographic representation and global engagement. We ask the FATF to provide an update by the first G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors meeting in 2018. We call on all member states to ensure that the FATF has the necessary resources and support to effectively fulfil its mandate.

Read | G20 Summit: GST, Skill India, Tech industry, Pak-based terror, Gulf Crisis, Sikkim standoff and other issues PM Modi raised on day 1



13. We welcome that countering terrorist finance remains the highest priority of FATF, and look forward to FATF's planned outreach to legal authorities, which will contribute to enhanced international cooperation and increased effectiveness in the application of FATF's standards.



14. We will advance the effective implementation of the international standards on transparency and beneficial ownership of legal persons and legal arrangements for the purposes of countering financing terrorism.



15. Low cost attacks by small cells and individuals funded by small amounts of money transferred through a wide range of payment means are an increasing challenge. We call on the private sector to continue to strengthen their efforts to identify and tackle terrorism financing. We ask our Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors to work with FATF, FSB, the financial sector, Financial Intelligence Units, law enforcement and FinTech firms to develop new tools such as guidance and indicators, to harness new technologies to better track terrorist finance transactions, and to work together with law enforcement authorities to bridge the intelligence gap and improve the use of financial information in counter-terrorism investigations.



16. We call upon countries to address all alternative sources of financing of terrorism, including dismantling connections, where they exist, between terrorism and transnational organized crime, such as the diversion of weapons including weapons of mass destruction, looting and smuggling of antiquities, kidnapping for ransom, drugs and human trafficking.



Countering radicalization conducive to terrorism and the use of internet for terrorist purposes



17. Our counterterrorism actions must continue to be part of a comprehensive approach, including combatting radicalization and recruitment, hampering terrorist movements and countering terrorist propaganda. We will exchange best practices on preventing and countering terrorism and violent extremism conducive to terrorism, national strategies and deradicalisation and disengagement programmes, and the promotion of strategic communications as well as robust and positive narratives to counter terrorist propaganda.



18. We stress that countering terrorism requires comprehensively addressing underlying conditions that terrorists exploit. It is therefore crucial to promote political and religious tolerance, economic development and social cohesion and inclusiveness, to resolve armed conflicts, and to facilitate reintegration. We acknowledge that regional and national action plans can contribute to countering radicalisation conducive to terrorism.



19. We will share knowledge on concrete measures to address threats from returning foreign terrorist fighters and home-grown radicalised individuals. We will also share best practices on deradicalisation and reintegration programmes including with respect to prisoners.



20. We will work with the private sector, in particular communication service providers and administrators of relevant applications, to fight exploitation of the internet and social media for terrorist purposes such as propaganda, funding and planning of terrorist acts, inciting terrorism, radicalizing and recruiting to commit acts of terrorism, while fully respecting human rights. Appropriate filtering, detecting and removing of content that incites terrorist acts is crucial in this respect. We encourage industry to continue investing in technology and human capital to aid in the detection as well as swift and permanent removal of terrorist content. In line with the expectations of our peoples we also encourage collaboration with industry to provide lawful and non-arbitrary access to available information where access is necessary for the protection of national security against terrorist threats. We affirm that the rule of law applies online as well as it does offline.



21. We also stress the important role of the media, civil society, religious groups, the business community and educational institutions in fostering an environment which is conducive to the prevention of radicalisation and terrorism.

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Hamburg :

US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin shared a brief encounter on Friday ahead of their highly anticipated meeting on the sidelines of an international summit in Germany.



The two leaders had a brief encounter upon arrival at the G-20 summit of industrialised and developing nations, shaking hands and exchanging a few words. Their sit-down meeting, which may tackle a number of vexing foreign policy issues from the conflict in Syria to Russias provocations in Ukraine, will be overshadowed by the investigations into whether Trumps campaign coordinated with Moscow during last years presidential election.



In the lead-up to the meeting, Trump, during a speech in Warsaw on Thursday urged Russia to cease its destabilising activities in Ukraine and elsewhere and its support for hostile regimes, including Syria and Iran, and to instead join the community of responsible nations in our fight against common enemies and in defense of civilization itself.



But much of the focus, both in Washington and Moscow, will be on whether Trump broaches the issue of Russias meddling in the election.



Before the meeting today, Trump tweeted that he was looking forward to the visit, saying there was much to discuss.

Suggested read | G20 Summit: GST will create a unified market of 1.3 billion people and build resilience, says PM Modi at Session I



During a news conference in Poland on Thursday, he again refused to accept the conclusion by multiple US intelligence agencies that Russia interfered to try to help Trump win last November.



Trump said it could have been Russia, but that other country could have meddled, too.Nobody really knows for sure, Trump said.



US lawmakers and federal investigators continue to look into Russias election interference, along with possible collusion between Trump campaign associates and Russian government officials.



That puts Trump under intense scrutiny over how he handles the sit-down with Putin, a former Russian intelligence agent known to come to meetings like this well-prepared.The White House has scheduled 35 minutes for the meeting, raising questions about how much ground the leaders can be expected to cover.



Trump, who likes to have neatly packaged achievements to pair with high-profile meetings, may seek some concessions from Russia to show hes delivering progress and helping restore a once-productive relationship that he recently described as being at an all-time low. Putin would almost certainly want something in return.



The list of issues ranges from Syria to Iran to Ukraine, and now North Korea, following Pyongyangs test this week of a missile capable of striking the US.



Russia wants the US to return the two compounds in New York and Maryland that were seised by the Obama administration as punishment for election meddling.



It also wants the US to ease sanctions it imposed on Russia after Putin annexed the Crimean Peninsula, and over Russias support of separatist elements in Ukraine.



The US wants a resumption of adoptions of Russian children by American parents, which Russia banned in 2012, along with an end to what it claims is intensifying harassment of US diplomats and other officials stationed in Russia.



Lawmakers in both political parties say Trump must confront Putin over the election.



Several senior Democratic US Senators served notice on Thursday that Trump would be in severe dereliction of his presidential duty if he fails to confront Putin over the issue, telling Trump in a letter that he must make clear that Russias interference in US democracy will not be tolerated.

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London:

In 2012, a Taliban gunman shot her in the head for advocating education for girls in her native Pakistan. On Friday, Nobel Peace laureate Malala Yousafzai completed her schooling in Britain, calling the achievement abittersweeta.

aToday is my last day of school and my first day on @Twitter,a she wrote on her newly opened account, which gained more than 134,000 followers in three hours.

Yousafzai, who will be turning 20 this month, had been attending a school in the city of Birmingham where she was treated after the shooting in October 2012.

After blogging and campaigning for girlsa education in her native Swat Valley, she was shot as she rode back to her village on a bus after taking an exam.

Yousafzai has since become a global icon for girlsa education, winning the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014.

aGraduating from secondary school (high school) is bittersweet for me,a she tweeted, adding: aI know that millions of girls around the world are out of school and may never get the opportunity to complete their educationa.

But she said she was aexciteda about her future and promised to continue afighting for girlsa.

Yousafzai has excelled at school and is awaiting the results of her A-level exams next month. She has been offered a place to study at Oxford University.

She has chosen to study Philosophy, Politics and Economics, a prestigious course that has produced many British politicians and world leaders including late Pakistani prime minister Benazir Bhutto.

Today is my last day of school and my first day on @Twitter [THREAD] a Malala (@Malala) July 7, 2017

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New Delhi:

US President Donald Trump on Thursday denied a handshake by Polands first lady in Warsaw. US President is slated to go to Germany to attend the G20 summit.

The US President anticipated that Agata Kornhauser-Duda was heading towards him during the visit to Warsaw in Poland. Trumps initial reaction showed that he was disappointed.

But, Polands first lady went ahead to shake the hand of her US counterpart Melania Trump instead of Donald Trump.

Later, Trump gave a spirited speech at Poland. He addressed the issues of extremism.

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New Delhi:

Pakistan on Thursday voiced its concern over reported sale of advanced weapons to India by other countries. It also said that it would undermine strategic balance in the region.



In his weekly media briefing, Foreign Office spokesperson Nafees Zakaria said, Pakistan will continue to raise its voice at the international fora which should objectively assess its actions and policies towards South Asian region.



There are reports that the United States has cleared the sale of predator Guardian drones to India. Pakistan was alive towards the issue of its national security which would be safeguarded at every cost, Zakaria said.

ALSO READ: Pakistan test fires short-range Nasr missile, COAS says launch puts 'cold water' on India's 'cold start' doctrine



The spokesperson also rejected accusations about Haqqani networks presence in the country saying it was just rhetoric and effort to shift blame on Pakistan.



The killing of a number of commanders of Haqqani network in Afghanistan clearly indicate that the group is based in Afghanistan and not operating from Pakistan, he added.



He also rubbished organised presence of any terror outfit including Taliban, Al-Qaeda, Islamic State and Jamaat-ul Ahrar in Pakistan.



Talking about US delegations visit led by Senator John McCain, he said that matters relating to Afghanistan were discussed. He repeated Pakistans support for an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace process. He alleged that New Delhi was against peace in the war-torn country.



The spokesperson also said that there are reports of Indian forces using ammunition containing chemical agents and precursors in Kashmir. We call upon the international community, particularly, relevant International organizations to initiate investigations into these reports, he added.



With PTI inputs.

ALSO READ: Pakistan's Sartaj Aziz puts Kashmir as pre-condition for talks with India

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Hamburg:

US President Donald Trump faces isolation at Thursdays G20 summit over his climate sceptic stance, Chancellor Angela Merkel said, noting that many countries are determined to honour the landmark Paris accord.

Trump may have vowed to pull the US out of the 2015 climate protection deal, but many many other countries want to go on implementing it, Merkel told journalists.

Efforts to halt climate change is a key issue that world leaders gathering from tomorrow in the German port city of Hamburg are struggling to find consensus on.

Merkel has said that the talks on the issue would not be easy with Trump, who has once called climate change a Chinese hoax.

We are not going to paper over the differences but rather, we will call discord discord. Because there are also different opinions on some important questions, she said.

In the run up to the summit, negotiators from the 20 world powers have already been battling for days to lock down an agreement for a final communique.

Sources close to negotiations say the final document would reflect the 19 versus US situation, underlining that the Paris accord is irreversible, even though Trump has called for new negotiations.

It would reaffirm that other G20 nations are committed to the Paris accord while reflecting Washingtons decision.

Earlier fears that some G20 members such as Saudi Arabia could be tempted to side with the worlds biggest economic power has not materialised, said a source speaking on condition of anonymity.

Also read: G20 summit in Germany: PM Narendra Modi arrives in Hamburg after concluding 3-day visit to Israel

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Moscow:

For Russian President Vladimir Putin,a meeting with US counterpart Donald Trump on the sidelines of the Group of 20 summit in Germany offers a long-sought opportunity to negotiate a rapprochement with Washington. But controversy over the Trump campaign's ties with Russia will loom over the talks, making any agreements unlikely.

Rarely in recent history has a meeting of two heads of state generated so much excitement, anxiety and hope. The Kremlin views tomorrow's encounter as a watershed moment that could ease Russia-West tensions.

Some in the US, meanwhile, worry that Trump could make unjustified concessions to Russia. Amid investigations into possible collusion with Moscow by Trump's campaign, any deal with Putin would expose Trump to more criticism. And if the two fail to get along, that would further exacerbate tensions between Moscow and Washington and put them on a collision course in regions around the world.

"If Putin comes to the conclusion that even if Russia and the US reach agreement, Trump would be unable to implement it for domestic policy reasons, he would lose interest in seeking an agreement," said Dmitri Trenin, the director of the Carnegie Moscow Center. Putin, a KGB veteran who once described himself as an"expert in personal communications," always focuses closely ontrying to establish warm ties with his counterparts.

Kremlin-watchers say Putin meticulously prepares for meetings with foreign leaders, studying their track records and personal habits. "He believes that personalities not states, armies or companies determine the course of global events," Trenin said.

Fyodor Lukyanov, the head of the Council for Foreign and Defense Policies, said even if Putin and Trump develop a good rapport, Trump's ability to deliver on his promises will be a key factor for the Russian leader.

"If Putin has a positive view, as a minimum he will give (Trump) more time to sort things out," he said. "But he could possibly conclude that he (Trump) may not succeed in sorting things out and, moreover, doesn't really want an honest deal. If Putin decides it's not going to work, he will drop all constraints."

The tense environment for the Trump-Putin meeting contrasts with the Kremlin's early expectations. The Kremlin was very pleased with Trump's presidential victory, since he promised to improve ties with Russia and praised Putin during the campaign. It had hoped for a quick meeting after Trump's inauguration in January, but US congressional and FBI investigations into links between Trump campaign aides and Russia blocked an early encounter.

In the last few months, Moscow's hopes that Trump couldact to lift the sanctions imposed on Russia over the Ukrainian crisis have withered. Putin and his lieutenants have alsobecome increasingly impatient about US-Russia ties remaining at a freezing point. "We realise that the situation is difficult and relations with Russia have become hostage to the US politicalin fighting, but so what?" Putin foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov said this week. "We have difficulties of our own." Russia and the US have struggled to even set a specifictime for tomorrow's meeting and the White House says there's"no specific agenda" for it.

When the two presidents finally sit down for a talk, sharp differences remain on a wide range of issues, from Syria and the Ukrainian crisis to nuclear arms control. While Trump has said the US and Russia could pool efforts to fight the Islamic State group in Syria, Moscow's firm support for Syrian President Bashar Assad makes any agreement unlikely.

Moscow responded angrily when Trump ordered a missile strike on a Syrian base in April after a chemical attack blamed on Assad's forces, and was also vexed by the US downing of a Syrian warplane in June. After last month's incident, the Russian military suspended a hotline with the US to prevent mid-air incidents and warned that it would track US-led coalition aircraft as potential targets over Syria.

And when the White House warned last week that Assad was preparing for another chemical attack and would "pay a heavy price" if he launches it, Russia responded by offering the Syrian ruler a tour of its air base. Even though the Russian and US militaries in Syria have worked out a way to avoid collisions, the situation could grow more unstable if Putin and Trump fail to get along, Trenin warned.

Bitter differences over Ukraine haven't been resolved. Some US lawmakers have been pushing the White House to approve the delivery of weapons to the Ukrainian military in response to Moscow's support for separatists in eastern Ukraine a move that would cross a red line for the Kremlin.

Also clouding tomorrow's meeting are Washington's concerns about Russian violations of a landmark Cold-War eranuclear arms deal. Moscow has rejected those claims and instead accused the US of breaching the pact. The only issue where observers think a deal could be made is President Barack Obama's decision in December to shut down Russian Embassy compounds in Maryland and on Long Island, NewYork.

The Kremlin emphasized this week that it has shown remarkable restraint by failing to respond tit-for-tat and warned that its patience is running out. US officials have indicated that Washington expects Moscow to make some trade-offs in exchange for the two properties, but analysts in Moscow say the Kremlin isn't prepared to bargain on this.

"I would be surprised if Vladimir Putin offers any concessions in exchange for restoring what Russia sees as its inalienable rights," Trenin said. "If no agreement is reached, Russia will take retaliatory measures, which could trigger newUS moves."

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College is not only supposed to give you the skills you need in a particular field of study, but also the general life skills that you need to survive and thrive. Without good habits, your collegiate financial education can come via the school of hard knocks  through incurring fees and interest charges.

According to a new NerdWallet study, America's college students spend almost $800 million per year on bank and credit card fees through college-sponsored accounts with partnering financial institutions. These fees are generally avoidable through responsible handling of finances.

Students incur typical overdraft fees and late payment fees of around $35 per incident on average. Given that the average college student overdraws a bank account 2.2 times annually, undergraduate students in America rack up over $722 million in overdraft fees alone. Thats nearly three-quarters of a billion dollars!

The study also found that one-third of soon-to-be-graduating students with credit cards have missed a payment date and incurred a late payment fee, adding up to approximately $73 million annually. Combined overdraft and late fees were near $800 million in the past year and are likely to continue on past the $800 million mark before the end of 2017. Throw in interest charges from carrying credit card balances, and the annual cost to students surely passes the $1 billion mark.

Through a 2015 set of guidelines aimed at colleges and universities, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has tried to act as an advocate for students. The guidelines were intended to assist schools in selecting partner banks that provide the best financial packages for their students. Progress is slow, as the CFPB's 2016 Student Banking Report found that "many general marketing agreements do not prohibit certain fees account providers may charge students." These fees could include overdrafts, maintenance, and ATM fees on out-of-network devices.

How can you avoid these charges? Overdraft charges can easily be avoided by selecting an account that doesn't charge them, whether or not that account is part of your college's network. Credit unions or online banks may offer you a better alternative.

You can generally set up your account to de-activate "overdraft protection," meaning that banks will reject transactions instead of allowing you to spend beyond your limit and incur a charge for the privilege. Make sure that your account doesn't charge an insufficient funds fee for rejecting the charge  and that you have a second means of paying for important charges.

As to late fees, the only way to avoid them is to make your payments on time. Even if you must carry a balance, you must pay on time to avoid the double penalty of late charges and a drop in your credit score. You can check your credit score and read your credit report for free within minutes using Credit Manager by MoneyTips. In addition to late fees, many cards for the collegiate market will activate a penalty APR that can approach 30%  imposing a heavy penalty on carrying a balance.

College students can use one advantage they have over older Americans  their love for technology and apps. Gerri Detweiler, Head of Marketing Education for Nav, explains, "You can set up alerts for your bills...use technology to stay on top of your bills, because one late payment can drop your credit score 50, 75, 100 points or more." That same philosophy will keep you from accumulating unnecessary late fees, not to mention interest charges from carrying the balance over to the next month.

The easiest way to avoid banking fees is simple yet difficult  don't spend more than you can afford to pay off at the end of each month, and make sure that all bills are paid on time. This requires budgeting skills. Track your expenses to get a feel for where your money really goes. Incorporate those expenses into a long-term budget, and stick to that budget. It's best to get used to budgeting prior to college before you are faced with college's unique combination of expanded freedom and temptations to blow cash.

College is expensive enough without throwing away money through unnecessary fees. Educate yourself on proper handling of personal finances, and put what you learn into practice. That way, you will have plenty of pizza and beer money when you need it, and your friends will be asking for your secret. Be sure to teach them fiscal responsibility as well  next time, they can buy.

If you are starting from scratch with no credit history, check out MoneyTips' list of credit cards for limited or no credit, which can help you to build a credit history.
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So much for Tim Herbst and Dave Walker  GOP rivals with gubernatorial ambitions  following Ronald Reagans 11th Commandment thou shalt not speak ill of any fellow Republican.

The campaign manager for Herbst filed an elections complaint Wednesday against Walker, accusing the former U.S. comptroller general of failing to register as a formal candidate for governor as required by state law.

The Trumbull first selectman said Walker has been actively campaigning for the post, which is prohibited under the rules for exploratory committees like the one Walker set up to gauge support for his brand.

Herbst cited Walkers recent fundraising appeal and social media posts that he said make direct references to running for governor.

If a person is flagrantly violating state elections laws, someone else is going to bring it up if I dont, including Democrats, Herbst said. We cannot afford to nominate candidates for governor who are making rookie mistakes and, by virtue of their rookie mistakes, are demonstrating that they are not prepared to take on a tough campaign.

Walker, who served under presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, said the complaint to the state Elections Enforcement Commission has no merit.

Its a real disappointing distraction, Walker said. Im not a career politician. Herbst is the career politician. Why should I be an expert in campaign-finance rules?

An elections enforcement spokesman declined to comment on the pending complaint.

Under Connecticut law, candidates must register with the state within 15 days of making a public declarations they are seeking nomination for a specific office. What is considered a public declaration is open to interpretation, however.

Herbst, who is a declared candidate for governor, provided elections-enforcement officials a copy of an invitation to a July 11 fundraiser for Walker in Westport that said for governor. He also submitted a screen shot from Walkers Facebook page saying Dave Walker is working now to be nominated for Connecticut governor.

Walker said has he met with elections-enforcement officials to make sure he was in compliance.

We dont use the word candidate and thats the operative issue, Walker said.

This isnt the first time that Herbst has engaged in friendly fire with fellow Republicans.

In March, he criticized Peter Lumaj for contributing to Eliot Engel, a liberal New York congressman who refused to shake Donald Trumps hand during the president's speech to Congress. Lumaj, a conservative immigration lawyer from Fairfield who was the 2014 GOP nominee for secretary of the state, is exploring a run for governor.

Herbst sought to avoid being defined as an aggressor in his latest beef with Walker, who he said has criticized the records of a number of GOP office holders, including himself.

This is the big leagues, Herbst said. You want to be governor? You want to throw punches? Dont think people are going to sit back.

Walker said he will put up his record against Herbsts.

I know that I have far more experience than he does, Walker said. Im not surprised, but Im very disappointed in Tim, and so are others.

nvigdor@hearstmediact.com; 203-625-4436; http://twitter.com/gettinviggy
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KENT  Each summer some 350 hikers  dusty, grimy, backpack-laden  come through this small, upscale town along the Appalachian Trail.

They have long had to appeal, bladders bursting, to local business owners for a chance to use their facilities.

But this year, for the first time, they will find a sight for sore hikers: public bathrooms and showers.

After years of debate and delay, town meetings and questionnaires, Kent residents and visitors alike will find clean bathrooms at a welcome center open every day from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Anne McAndrew, owner of Backcountry Outfitters in town, said hikers are thrilled with the new bathrooms and showers.

Kent is a big stop for hikers, she said.  A lot of towns are eight, 10 miles from the trail, but Kent is right at a trail head.

Public showers arent often found on the trail, she said. Kents bathing station might be the only one right off the trail. The centers coin-operated showers are at the back, and for $2  in quarters  the dirty can get four minutes of hot water. Those quarters go into the towns general fund. Town receipts show 54 showers have been taken in just the few weeks the welcome center has been open.

Its not just the scruffy trail hikers who need public bathrooms, Kent has a bustling weekend tourism scene. Resident Karen Egenes-Quirk described decades of having to tell visitors and hikers that bathrooms were hard to come by. Some restaurants or gas stations have opened to tourists, but ownership would change and so would the practice.

And when the last business stopped opening its bathrooms to the public several years ago, the issue came to a head, said First Selectman Bruce Adams.

Appeal to state

Bathrooms in town have been a constant request to Adams in his eight years in office, he said. At a fundraiser in town, Adams spoke to Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, and told him as much.

 We have two problems in Kent, I told him, Adams said Thursday. And one of them is bathrooms.

Soon after, the town was awarded a $500,000 state grant to open a welcome center. Adams invited Malloy to the opening, but the governor said he couldnt make it.

Im told the governor even played a hand in it, Adams said.  A big thank you to the state of Connecticut. Fortunately we got to them when they still had some money.

With funds in hand in 2014, the town started getting the center together. They wanted to keep work on the project local, Adams said.

A royal flush

At the official opening ceremony Thursday evening, it was obvious town officials had succeeded. All of the contractors were from Kent or surrounding towns. Seven were former students of Adams at Kent Center School, where he taught seventh- and eighth-grade social studies for almost four decades.

I can take no credit for what they accomplished here, Adams said.

Moreover, several residents and businesses donated their time and work to the center. The biggest donation came from John Milnes Baker, a local architect who planned the building for free.

Thursday, Baker cut a small ribbon and christened the new center with what Adams called an opening royal flush.

Baker estimates his work on the project would have cost more than $25,000. Others also worked for free to beautify the bathrooms. They include a local greenhouse that planted a bush and selectman Mike Van Valkenberg, who built the sturdy wooden barriers that separate the center from an adjoining parking lot.

The town Chamber of Commerce donated a bulletin board with all the towns attractions mapped.

In every meeting over the years, wed say, Well, we havent got any bathrooms,  said chamber President Tim Good. Well, weve got them now.

And these are more than just bathrooms, they brought all the townspeople together.

blytton@hearstmediact.com; 203-731-3411; @bglytton
HARTFORD  In response to at least three recent teen suicides in Connecticut, including one in Greenwich, U.S. Sen Richard Blumenthal on Wednesday joined LGBT activists to call for increased public opposition to what they say are growing incidents of hate against young people based on their gender identification or sexual orientation.

Leadership is whats lacking today in Washington on so many fronts, said Blumenthal, who is sponsoring legislation aimed at funding so-called no-hate hotlines. If you hear mean, intervene, should be part of our culture, part of our mind set. and what were seeing from the Trump administration is exactly the opposite: the condoning, even the encouraging of hatred, bias and bigotry, which are truly unAmerican. They violate our basic American values and they betray our trust in all thats good in America. It isnt okay to talk that way with children, or to tolerate it in federal policy where it may be implicit.

Robin P. McHaelen, executive director of True Colors Inc., a Hartford-based advocacy group for the young LGBTQ community, said 10 percent of bullying complaints to local school officials are about adults targeting children. Since the election of Donald Trump last fall, the bullying has gotten worse.

This is a problem where so-called adults spend so much of their time making so many other people other: refugees, undocumented immigrants, Muslims, people with disabilities, unarmed men and women and people who are transgender, McHaelen said. Words fly, kids die and Trump tweets on. This isnt new, but its been generations since people have felt so free to act on their biases so publicly. Biases are passed from generation to generation.

On Tuesday night, a gay True Colors employee was assaulted on the street in New Haven, she said.

Following an afternoon news conference in the State Capitol complex, McHaelan said that the years first suicides, of transgender children, occurred in Glastonbury in March, and Waterbury in May.

The third suicide, in the early hours of June 18, occurred when Nicolas Del Priore, a gay 17-year-old at Greenwich High School, was struck by a train at the Cos Cob train station.

Steven Hernandez, executive director of the state Commission on Women, Children and Seniors, said that Connecticut has been a national leader, enacting laws to protect vulnerable children in state, including an anti-bullying law in 2011, citing a recent report indicating that 75 percent of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth have been harassed or intimidated.

State Child Advocate Sarah Eagan, said adults need to step up to show leadership on the issue of tolerance and civil rights.

Its our job as adults to teach that, model it, express it, to remember that words matter and that actions matter, she said. Your words become who you are. Kids are so vulnerable. Theyre not mini-adults. We know that kids who are lesbian or gay or questioning, or transgender, who know that they are that much more likely to be ridiculed, to be harassed, to be assaulted, to be bullied.

Eagan said that a recent report on adolescent risks submitted to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, shows that one third of state school students reported being sad or hopeless for two weeks or more during the year prior to the survey. About half of those students said they seriously considered attempting suicide during that time period, she said. The age that children feel that way is getting younger.

Staff writer Emilie Munson contributed to this report.

Step in if you witness harassment.

LGBT advocacy groups urge bystanders to intervene when witnessing harassment in public places, including schools.

* Speak up and if you are concerned for your safety, call 911. There are state laws protecting the rights of people of all ages based on their sexual orientation and gender identification.

* Support legislators and organizations that match your values. Volunteer for such causes and programs.

* Help children identify people and programs in the community to whom they can reach out for help, including the Office of the State Child Advocate and the State Victim Advocate.

* Formalize complaints in writing and submit it to school officials and local boards of education.
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RIDGEFIELD  Around this time two years ago, Cody Sperry and Chris Sexton were just a month into introducing their new restaurant, Hoodoo Brown BBQ, to Ridgefield-area residents.

But on Tuesday night, the pairs local barbecue offerings will broadcast to a national audience on the Cooking Channels Man Fire Food.

We have put a lot of work and time in over the two years, and its nice to have our restaurant visible to the masses, Sperry said. Connecticut isnt exactly a barbecue mecca, but we are definitely a unique dining experience in the area, and its cool that it will be now out there for all the world to see.

Hoodoo Brown BBQ, named after a famous cowboy, will be featured on the shows Monster Meat episode, set to air at 9 p.m. on Tuesday.

The restaurant plans to host a viewing party, complete with free chicken wings, on the night of the show.

In the episode, which features food from Nashville, Tenn., host Roger Mooking will sample some of the Route 7 restaurants outlaw barbecue, including pork butts, pork ribs, pork belly and beef brisket.

As the shows website says, That pork comes together in the Hogzilla, a towering sandwich with BBQ ranch dressing, fried green tomato and coleslaw. To wash it down, Roger and Hoodoo Brown Barbecue manager, Chris Sexton make a cocktail called, The Bloody Trinity, which is topped with smoked meat!

Sperry, who graduated from Ridgefield High School with Sexton in 2004, said filming his first TV appearance was a surreal experience.

With our style of cooking, there are no do-overs, Sperry said. It takes 16 hours to cook a brisket, 10 hours to cook a pork belly. We had to be on our A game.

He said he learned about the ins and outs of filming a food show and Mooking and his team were so awesome, allowing us to be ourselves and tell our story.

Hoodoo Brown BBQ opened in spring 2015. Sperry had been inspired by a guys trip to Texas, where he was able to try barbecue from more than a dozen restaurants.

When he returned from the trip, Sperry began trying to replicate traditional Southern barbecue with an apprenticeship on a Big Green Egg smoker and a part-time job at Ridgefield Prime butcher and seafood shop.

His friends, customers and family encouraged him to open a restaurant, Sperry said. He and Sexton opened Hoodoo in May 2015 near the intersection of routes 7 and 35.

A few days away from our national TV debut, it really makes you think about all the people who helped you get there, he said.

From the long nights, busy holidays, platter days, prime rib Thursdays, the crazy hours, has all led to this point, and I for one am excited to see what happens next.

aquinn@newstimes.com
Last month, I attended the G20 Young Entrepreneurs Alliance (G20 YEA) Summit in Berlin. The mission of G20 YEA is to enhance the entrepreneur ecosystem, empowering youth to grow sustainable, job-creating businesses. Once a year, G20 YEA selects the top young entrepreneurs in each member state to meet in advance of the Group of 20 Summit (happening this week in Germany).

Related: 5 Unique Traits of Millennial Entrepreneurs

As a delegate, I represented young entrepreneurs in my country, Canada, and engaged in high-level discussions with world leaders to build policy recommendations for G20 governments, to address job creation and youth unemployment.

The role of young people in shaping the world's economy is clear: We are the largest generation of youth in history; and, worldwide, millennials make up almost 50 percent of the global workforce. Given this increasingly young labor force, there is a growing need to explore alternatives to traditional job-creation strategies.

The biggest reason is that the current labor market cannot absorb us, and that fact threatens to result in even more unemployment and pressing social challenges. A poll from the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC) confirmed the obvious: that finding a well-paying job after graduation is a top concern for post-secondary students. Some 37 percent of those surveyed also said they didn't know how they would manage their finances after school.

So, with most of todays economies unable to produce sufficient employment opportunities, youth-led entrepreneurship offers G20 governments a strategic solution.

That's important because given the dearth of job prospects, many young people are turning to entrepreneurship. An estimated 54 percent of millennials have either started a business or want to start a business in the future. Many are establishing corporate contacts and using them to kick-start their entrepreneurial journeys. And even if they dont go all in and start businesses, roughly 90 percent of millennials surveyed said they think being an entrepreneur is more of a mindset than the act of starting a business itself.

So, what do young professionals need to succeed? At the G20 YEA summit, this year's theme was Digital Trends for Future Business, focusing on the challenges and opportunities of digital platforms, IoT, AI/VR and big data. At the end of the summit, delegates chose the following top three recommendations:

1. Ensure entrepreneur mobility through a G20 "entrepreneur visa" and administrative simplification.

To combat migration issues, the G20 YEA delegates declared that simplifying the migration process for young entrepreneurs could significantly motivate young people to grow their businesses internationally and promote the free flow of innovative talent across borders.

Toward this goal, the G20 YEA recommended a G20 Entrepreneur Visa program to provide, by 2020, short-term, multi-entry visas and administrative simplification for young entrepreneurs.

Already, a global approach to entrepreneurship is becoming a defining feature of some of the worlds most successful entrepreneurial endeavors. Consider, for example, Canadas own Start-Up Visa program, an international, short-term, multi-entry visa. In working with many young entrepreneurs myself, I have found that going global tends to be more of a forethought than a startup strategy.

Even in my own ventures, I've held the misperception that international sales is a "later stage"consideration. Due to the diversity of cultures and economic circumstances throughout the world, however, international markets offer opportunities for entrepreneurs to find early adopters.

Why should entrepreneurs struggle to find product-market fit in their local region if the problem they are solving is more pressing and the demand higher in an international market? Though "going global" may not always be the first idea young entrepreneurs have, this may be the direction many should consider to get market traction and reach profitability faster.

Related: 7 Truths About Success Millennial Entrepreneurs Just Don't Get

Support from programs like the proposed G20 Entrepreneur Visa would encourage the free movement of innovation and technology, would make going global easier and would reduce struggles for market validation. .

2. Implement smart taxation schemes.

While taxes vary between G20 countries, the financial and administrative burdens they impose on businesses can curb growth for early-stage ventures and small-to-medium sized enterprises (SMEs).

In North America, SMEs dominate the business market, representing 99.8 percent of all business in Canada and 99.7 percent in the United States. Coupled with investment and funding difficulties, tax regulations in the G20 nations disproportionately affect SMEs, making scaling difficult at at best. As occurs in Canada, most startups in the EU consider taxation the most burdensome policy they face. Without a strong cash flow, taxation can easily cripple early-stage startups.

In response, the G20 YEA delegates recommended tax incentives and progressive policy measures that would allow SMEs to scale. An example of such policy would be a separate tax category for young entrepreneurs working in priority areas of innovation and social entrepreneurship. Harmonization of taxation schemes across the G20 nations was also encouraged.

3. Ensure quality education.

A strong, unified entrepreneur community starts with a quality education. The delegates recommended that the G20 nations review educational priorities to ensure young people access to the knowledge and skillsets vital to todays technological and business realities. Listed were digital competencies, STEM education and venture-creation skills. It was also recommended that education systems be streamlined to reduce the fragmentation of knowledge in academic disciplines and emphasize ethical competency.

In other words, young people should be encouraged to develop business skills and entrepreneurial thinking, regardless of their field of study.

Despite a growing international interest in entrepreneurial endeavors, most education systems still refute the importance of values like entrepreneurship, creativity and innovation. Yet, business skills, more than ever, are essential tools for the future generation of young professionals.

With skyrocketing student loan debt rates, competence in financial planning and budgeting is beneficial for many students, not just those pursuing a career in accounting. Problem-solving and marketing skills in interviews were also dicussed.

Related: Millennial Entrepreneurs -- 4 Myths, Debunked

The three recommendations of the G20 YEA comminique aim to grow, support and expand the entrepreneurial ecosystem for G20 nations: Adequate entrepreneurial education will foster a creative, innovative spirit among young people. A G20 YEA entrepreneurship visa will support those who pursue entrepreneurship to test, validate and scale their ideas faster. And smart taxation schemes will help millennial entrepreneur-owned businesses to alleviate barriers and achieve sustainability.

Related:



Copyright 2017 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved



This article originally appeared on entrepreneur.com


TORONTO and TAMPA, FL, July 7, 2017 /CNW/ - Cott Corporation (NYSE:COT; TSX:BCB) ("Cott" or the "Company") announced today that the Company will release its second quarter ended July 1, 2017 financial results before the markets open on Thursday, August 3, 2017.

Cott will host a conference call, to be simultaneously webcast, on Thursday, August 3, 2017 at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time. A question and answer session will follow management's presentation. To participate, please call the following numbers:

Second Quarter 2017 Earnings Conference Call

North America: (888) 231-8191

International: (647) 427-7450

Conference ID: 50669182

This is a live, listen-only dial-in telephone line.

Webcast

A live audio webcast will be available through the Company's website at http://www.cott.com. The webcast will be recorded and archived for playback on the investor relations section of the website for two weeks following the event.

About Cott Corporation

Cott is a diversified beverage company with a leading volume-based national presence in the North America and European home and office bottled water delivery industry, a leader in custom coffee roasting and blending of iced tea for the U.S. foodservice industry, and one of the world's largest producers of beverages on behalf of retailers, brand owners and distributors. Our platform reaches over 2.3 million customers or delivery points across North America and Europe supported by strategically located sales and distribution facilities and fleets, as well as wholesalers and distributors. This enables us to efficiently service residences, businesses, restaurant chains, hotels and motels, small and large retailers, and healthcare facilities.

Website: www.cott.com

SOURCE Cott Corporation

For further information: Jarrod Langhans, Investor Relations, Tel: (813) 313-1732, [email protected]

Related Links

http://www.cott.com


TORONTO, July 7, 2017 /CNW/ - Echelon Financial Holdings Inc. (TSX: EFH) today announced that it will release its second quarter financial results after market close on Wednesday, August 9, 2017.

A conference call for analysts and interested listeners will be held on Thursday, August 10, 2017, at 11:00 a.m. (ET). The call-in numbers for participants are 647-427-7450 or toll free 1-888-231-8191, Conference ID 51025865. A live audio feed of the call will be available online through the Company's website at echeloninsurance.ca, or directly at conference call.

A replay of the call will be available until August 17, 2017. To access the replay, call 416-849-0833, or toll free 1-855-859-2056, password 51025865. An archive will be available on our website following the event.

About Echelon Insurance

Founded in 1998, Echelon operates in the property and casualty insurance industry in Canada, providing personal and commercial lines insurance exclusively through the broker channel. The Company operates and distributes insurance products through Echelon Insurance and The Insurance Company of Prince Edward Island. It trades on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol EFH. For more information, please visit echeloninsurance.ca.

SOURCE Echelon Financial Holdings Inc.

For further information: Company contact information: Kathy Shulman, Manager, Investor Relations, 905-214-7880, [email protected]

Related Links

http://www.echeloninsurance.ca/


UNICEF has received only 12 per cent of the funds it needs this year to send children affected by emergencies to school

HAMBURG, Germany and NEW YORK, July 7, 2017 /CNW/ - Funding shortfalls are threatening education for millions of children caught up in conflicts or disasters, UNICEF said today ahead of the G20 summit in Hamburg.

Of the $932 million needed this year for its education programs in emergency countries, UNICEF has so far received recorded voluntary contributions of less than $115 million. The funds are necessary to give 9.2 million children affected by humanitarian crises access to formal and non-formal basic education.

"Without education, children grow up without the knowledge and skills they need to contribute to the peace and the development of their countries and economies, aggravating an already desperate situation for millions of children," said Muzoon Almellehan, UNICEF's latest  and youngest  Goodwill Ambassador, speaking from Hamburg, Germany, where she is representing UNICEF at the G20 Summit. "For the millions of children growing up in war zones, the threats are even more daunting: Not going to school leaves children vulnerable to early marriage, child labour and recruitment by armed forces."

Funding gaps for UNICEF education programs in some of the world's hot spots vary from 36 per cent in Iraq, to 64 per cent in Syria, 74 per cent in Yemen and 78 per cent in the Central African Republic.

Pursuing educational opportunities has been cited as one of the push factors leading families and children to flee their homes, often at great risk to their lives. A survey of refugee and migrant children in Italy revealed that 38 per cent of them headed to Europe to gain access to learning opportunities. A similar survey in Greece showed that one in three parents or caretakers said that seeking education for their children was the main reason they left their countries for Europe.

For children who have experienced the trauma of war and displacement, education can be life-saving.

"When I fled Syria in 2013, I was terrified I would never be able to return to school. But when I arrived in Jordan and realized there was a school in the camp, I was relieved and hopeful," said Muzoon. "School gives children like me a lifeline and the chance of a peaceful and positive future."

As an education activist and Syrian refugee, Muzoon joins forces with UNICEF to speak out on behalf of the millions of children who have been uprooted by conflict and are missing out on school.

"I urge world leaders to invest in the futures of children living in emergencies -- and by doing so invest in the future of our world," Muzoon said.

Note to editors:

Education is one of six key actions that UNICEF is urging governments to take to protect child refugees as part of its Agenda for Action which calls for the protection of every child uprooted by war, violence and poverty. The Agenda for Action requests governments to:

Protect child refugees and migrants, particularly unaccompanied children, from exploitation and violence;

End the detention of children seeking refugee status or migrating, by introducing a range of practical alternatives;

Keep families together as the best way to protect children and give children legal status;

Keep all refugee and migrant children learning and give them access to health and other quality services;

Press for action on the underlying causes of large scale movements of refugees and migrants;

Promote measures to combat xenophobia, discrimination and marginalization in countries of transit and destination.

Key facts:

More than 25 million children between six and 15 years old, or 22 per cent of children in that age group, are missing out on school in conflict zones across 22 countries, according to a recent UNICEF analysis.

Across the globe, nearly 50 million children have been uprooted  28 million of them driven from their homes by conflicts not of their making, and millions more migrating in the hope of finding a better, safer life.

Refugee children and adolescents are five times more likely to be out of school than their non-refugee peers.

Lack of access to education is particularly high among children on the move, with half of the world's child refugees not able to start or resume their learning.

In 2016, just 3.6 per cent of global humanitarian funding was spent on education. $8.5 billion is needed annually to close this gap. Available funds are often short-term and unpredictable, resulting in high levels of disruption for children and their education.

During the first World Humanitarian Summit held in May 2016, UNICEF and partners launched the Education Cannot Wait fund aimed at addressing the funding gap to 13.6 million children with educational support over five years, and 75 million children by 2030.

In 2016, a total of 11.7 million children in humanitarian situations were reached by UNICEF with educational support.

About UNICEF

UNICEF has saved more children's lives than any other humanitarian organization. We work tirelessly to help children and their families, doing whatever it takes to ensure children survive. We provide children with healthcare and immunization, clean water, nutrition and food security, education, emergency relief and more.

UNICEF is supported entirely by voluntary donations and helps children regardless of race, religion or politics. As part of the UN, we are active in more than 190 countries - more than any other organization. Our determination and our reach are unparalleled. Because nowhere is too far to go to help a child survive. For more information about UNICEF, please visit www.unicef.ca. For updates, follow us on Twitter and Facebook or visit unicef.ca.

SOURCE UNICEF Canada

For further information: For interviews or more information, please contact: Stefanie Carmichael, UNICEF Canada416-482-6552 ext. 8866, [email protected]

Related Links

http://www.unicef.ca


BANGALORE, India and PALO ALTO, CA, July 6, 2017 /CNW/ - Infosys Limited (NSE, BSE, NYSE: INFY), a global leader in consulting, technology, outsourcing and next-generation services, will announce the results for its first quarter ended June 30, 2017 on Friday, July 14, 2017 around 9:00 a.m. Indian Standard Time (IST) (11:30 p.m. US ET on July 13, 2017; 8:30 p.m. PST on July 13, 2017; 4:30 a.m. London time; 11:30 a.m. Singapore/Hong Kong time). The results will also be available on http://www.infosys.com.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130122/589162 )



Following the release, the leadership team will be part of a common television interaction at 10:00 a.m. IST. The participating executives will address questions from the media during this interaction which will be streamed live on the Investor Relations section of the Infosys website.

An archive of this event will be uploaded on http://www.infosys.com after 2:00 p.m. IST on July 14, 2017 (after 4:30 a.m. US ET on July 14, 2017).

Earnings call I

(11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. IST; 2:00 a.m. - 3:00 a.m. ET)

The company will conduct a 60 minute conference call at 11:30 a.m. IST (2:00 a.m. US ET; 11:00 p.m. PST on July 13, 2017; 7:00 a.m. London time; 2:00 p.m. Singapore/Hong Kong time) on July 14, 2017 (open to investors / analysts in all regions), where the senior management will discuss the company's performance and answer questions from participants. To participate in the conference call, please dial the numbers provided below 10 - 15 minutes before the scheduled start time of the call. During this time, the operator will provide instructions on how to ask questions. As participation in the call is limited, early registration (by calling the numbers 10 - 15 minutes before the scheduled start time) is encouraged.

This event will be webcast live on the Investor Relations section of the Infosys website, following which it will be archived at http://www.infosys.com. The archive will be available after 3:30 p.m. IST on July 14, 2017 (after 6:00 a.m. US ET on July 14, 2017). In addition, a transcript of the conference call will be available at http://www.infosys.com.

Earnings call II

(6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. IST; 8:30 a.m. - 09:30 a.m. ET)

The company will also conduct a 60 minute conference call at 8:30 a.m. US ET (6:00 p.m. IST; 5:30 a.m. PST; 1:30 p.m. London time; 8:30 p.m. Singapore/Hong Kong time) on July 14, 2017 (open to investors/analysts in all regions), where the senior management will discuss the company's performance and answer questions from participants. To participate in the conference call, please dial the numbers provided below 10 - 15 minutes before the scheduled start time of the call. During this time, the operator will provide instructions on how to ask questions. As participation in the call is limited, early registration (by calling the numbers 10 - 15 minutes before the scheduled start time) is encouraged.

This event will be webcast live on the Investor Relations section of the Infosys website and an archive can be accessed at http://www.infosys.com after 11:30 a.m. ET on July 14, 2017 (after 9:00 p.m. IST on July 14, 2017). A transcript of the conference call will be available at http://www.infosys.com.

Summary of events

Event

Earnings release over the wire services

Date and Time

9:00 a.m. July 14, 2017 (IST)

11:30 p.m. July 13, 2017 (ET)

Web-site / Channel - http://www.infosys.com

Event

Live broadcast of management's comments on the results

Date and Time

10:00 a.m. July 14, 2017 (IST)

Web-site / Channel - Business television channels

Event

Webcast of management's comment on the results

Date and Time

2:00 p.m. July 14, 2017 (IST)

4:30 a.m. July 14, 2017 (ET)

Web-site / Channel - http://www.infosys.com

Event

Earnings conference call I

(open to questions for investors / analysts in all regions)

Date and Time

11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. July 14, 2017 (IST)

2:00 a.m. - 3:00 a.m. July 14, 2017 (ET)

Questions during the call can be addressed to [email protected]

Web-site / Channel - http://www.infosys.com

Telephone / Fax No.

India

Toll, Mumbai:

022 3938 1098

Toll, Bangalore:

080 3940 3977

Singapore

Toll-free:

800 101 2045

Toll-number:

+65 3157 5746

Hong Kong

Toll-free:

800 964 448

Toll-number:

+852 3018 6877

Japan

Toll-free:

0 053 116 1110

Toll-number:

+81 3 4589 9421

UK

Toll-free:

0 808 101 1573

Toll-number:

+44 203 478 5524

Germany

Toll-free:

00 8001 424 3444

Canada

Toll-free:

011 8001 424 3444

France

Toll-free:

0 800 914 745

US

Toll-free:

1 866 746 2133

Toll-number:

+1 323 386 8721

Event

Replay of conference call

Date and Time

Till July 20, 2017

Web-site / Channel - http://www.infosys.com

Telephone / Fax No.

Toll-free:

USA 1 855 436 0715

International toll:

+1 863 949 0105

Toll, Mumbai/India:

022 3065 2322

Toll, Bangalore:

080 3940 3988

Passcode: 4636#

Earnings conference call II

(open to questions for investors / analysts in all regions)

Date and Time

6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. July 14, 2017 (IST)

8:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m. July 14, 2017 (ET)

Questions during the call can be addressed to [email protected]

Web-site / Channel - http://www.infosys.com

India

Toll, Mumbai:

022 6746 5898

Toll, Bangalore:

080 3940 3977

Singapore

Toll-free:

800 101 2045

Toll-free:

+65 3157 5746

Hong Kong

Toll-free:

800 964 448

Toll-free:

+852 3018 6877

Japan

Toll-free:

0 053 116 1110

Toll-free:

+81 3 4589 9421

UK

Toll-free:

0 808 101 1573

Toll-number:

+44 203 478 5524

Germany

Toll-free:

00 8001 424 3444

Canada

Toll free:

011 8001 424 3444

France

Toll-free:

0 800 914 745

US

Toll-free:

1 866 746 2133

Toll-number:

+1 323 386 8721

Event

Replay of conference call

Date and Time

Till July 20, 2017

Web-site / Channel - http://www.infosys.com

Telephone / Fax No.

Toll-free:

USA 1 855 436 0715

International toll:

+1 863 949 0105

Toll, Mumbai:

022 3065 2322

Toll, Bangalore:

080 3940 3988

Passcode: 4637#

About Infosys Ltd.

Infosys is a global leader in technology services and consulting. We enable clients in 45 countries to create and execute strategies for their digital transformation. From engineering to application development, knowledge management and business process management, we help our clients find the right problems to solve, and to solve these effectively. Our team of 200,000+ innovators, across the globe, is differentiated by the imagination, knowledge and experience, across industries and technologies that we bring to every project we undertake.

Visit http://www.infosys.com to see how Infosys (NYSE: INFY) can help your enterprise thrive in the digital age.

Safe Harbor

Certain statements mentioned in this release concerning our future growth prospects are forward-looking statements regarding our future business expectations intended to qualify for the 'safe harbor' under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in such forward-looking statements. The risks and uncertainties relating to these statements include, but are not limited to, risks and uncertainties regarding fluctuations in earnings, fluctuations in foreign exchange rates, our ability to manage growth, intense competition in IT services including those factors which may affect our cost advantage, wage increases in India, our ability to attract and retain highly skilled professionals, time and cost overruns on fixed-price, fixed-time frame contracts, client concentration, restrictions on immigration, industry segment concentration, our ability to manage our international operations, reduced demand for technology in our key focus areas, disruptions in telecommunication networks or system failures, our ability to successfully complete and integrate potential acquisitions, liability for damages on our service contracts, the success of the companies in which Infosys has made strategic investments, withdrawal or expiration of governmental fiscal incentives, political instability and regional conflicts, legal restrictions on raising capital or acquiring companies outside India, and unauthorized use of our intellectual property and general economic conditions affecting our industry. Additional risks that could affect our future operating results are more fully described in our United States Securities and Exchange Commission filings including our Annual Report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2017. These filings are available at http://www.sec.gov. Infosys may, from time to time, make additional written and oral forward-looking statements, including statements contained in the company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission and our reports to shareholders. The company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements that may be made from time to time by or on behalf of the company unless it is required by law.

SOURCE Infosys

For further information: Investor Relations, Sandeep Mahindroo, +91-80-3980-1018, [email protected]; Media Relations, Sarah Vanita Gideon, +91-80-4156-3998, [email protected]; Chiku Somaiya, +1-7136706752, [email protected]
CANTON, N.Y. - Three families gathered around their dinner tables at homes around this small North Country town Thursday evening. At each, there were tears, laughter, silence.

Two state troopers and the owner of an ambulance company had knocked on the front door of each victim's home early Thursday morning. Two wives and a fiancee greeted them.

The somber men briefly recounted the details: The vehicle containing their relatives hit a jackknifed milk truck on Interstate 81 around 11:40 p.m., killing all three. A fourth man, a Maryland doctor, was also killed when he collided with the same truck moments later.

The trio -- Cory Moore, 50; Roderick "Rod" Cota, 63; and Gregg Williams, 58, employees of the R.B. Lawrence Ambulance Co. - were heading back in a company sedan after the ambulance Williams and Cota were in broke down on I-81 near Pulaski. Moore, the company mechanic, was called to pick them up.

The three families didn't know each other especially well, but in separate interviews at their homes with Syracuse.com they offered condolences to each other.

And they described their loved ones in similar terms: Each was a hard-working family man who loved his country, was driven to help people and tinkered on side projects in the spare moments between calls.

Each home's driveway was full of double- or triple-parked cars belonging to extended family or friends who traveled there to grieve.

Those lost were an ex-pastor with 15 grandchildren, a flashy craftsman on the cusp of two major life changes, and an ex-Navy man whose wife thought of military widows when she got the news at 6 a.m. on her doorstep.

"I know now how all those military spouses feel when you get that knock on your door," said Anne Williams about the news of husband Gregg's death. "It's just like somebody ripped your guts out. Your whole life just comes to a standstill."

Beyond the loss to each family, this tight-knit small town is also reeling. The three men comprised more than half the full-time workforce of the private company owned by a well-known business owner, R.B. Lawrence. Lawrence also runs the town's funeral home.

A car streaks up County Route 27 at sunset in Canton, N.Y. near where Cory Moore lives. He's one of three employees of R.B. Lawrence Ambulance company killed in a car crash on Wednesday night.

Three businesses reportedly closed early Thursday out of respect to the families, and fire departments across the region put black strips on their badges and lowered their flags to half-staff.

Mayor Mike Dalton said it was a "personal loss" for the 6,000-person village.

"It's a very personal thing what's happened," he said. "These people are all friends. That's the biggest problem, is they're considered family to the business, so it has a deep impact on these people who are left behind."

Residents knew the victims as the men who showed up when you needed a ride between hospitals during some of their most vulnerable periods. They would guide them as comfortably as possible to hospitals in Syracuse or Burlington, Vt.

Family said emotional former patients would walk up to the men at grocery stores and post offices to profusely thank the men for some extraordinary life-saving effort. For the relatives, it would be the first time they'd heard the story.

The Lawrence company executives declined an interview, saying in brief phone conversations the tragedy has left them understaffed and overwhelmed.

"We are such a small company that they are all family," Lawrence told the Watertown Daily Times. "They are just great people. I am not sure how we replace them or how we go on, but we are still in shock on this and still trying to figure out all that happened."

The sister of Cory Moore's fiancee holds this photo of him and relatives, including Robin Selleck, back, Lucas Lemere, 2, Heidi Moore, 12 and, Danielle Moore.

Cory Moore



A private airport is taking the unusual step of letting Cory Moore, an aviation buff, be buried there, family said. His fiancee's mother said Moore would like nothing else than to still "see the planes coming and going."

Moore was set to marry his long-time fiancee, Robin Selleck, in four weeks at the airport. She said she was grieving too deeply to talk to a reporter. The pair has one daughter, Heidi, 12, and he helped raise Selleck's children.

He was also weeks away from getting his pilot's license to fly his four-passenger Cessna, and the airport became a second home.

For the wedding, there were no invitations, only a date: Aug. 19. All were welcome to attend.

"That's who Cory was. It was probably going to be everybody in the North Country," said Donna Reif, Robin's mother.

As she spoke, another visitor arrived to pay his respects. This time it was a doctor from down the street who arrived on his bicycle and hugged Robin. He was among about 200 people the family said reached out in person or online to offer condolences Thursday.

Roderick "Rod" Cota

Patsy Cota holds a photo of Rod Cota while his son-in-law Ron Betts looks on.

Patsy Cota has been married to her husband, Rod, for 47 years. They have five children and 15 grandchildren. He was a long-time paramedic and had been pastor of the Brookdale Wesleyan Church for 10 years.

She said she was used to him coming home after midnight or so from his job as an EMT and the ambulance company supervisor.

He texted her around 11 p.m. to tell her a "band" had broken on their ambulance and that Moore was on his way to pick them up. Then at 11:19 p.m. he texted again.

"He texted me they that were still stranded but that Cory had just gotten there," she said. "He said he would be home after midnight."

She left the stairway light on and went to bed, she said.

It was still on when Lawrence and the police woke her up.

The sudden death of her husband reminded her of the joke he often told frightened patients in the ambulance.

"So, what were you going to do today?" Cota would say.

That could get a laugh. And it broke the ice.

So, what was she going to do Thursday? She had errands to run in Massena, but then came the knock on the door.

Gregg Williams



Gregg Williams' wife, Anne, holds this undated photo of her husband, Gregg, and his nephew.

About 30 minutes away in nearby DeKalb Junction, six family members of Williams family gathered in their living room, plates of donated food sitting mostly untouched on the table.

Anne Williams met Gregg three decades ago when they both worked at SUNY Canton. She was a receptionist and he did maintenance.

His daughter, Kelly Zakarauskas, 23, was married in May.

Williams served in the Navy on active duty between 1977 and 1982 and went back in on reserves between 1983 and 2000. That sense of public service compelled him to work for the State of New York in support jobs at detention centers and psychiatric centers and then for the ambulance company as a driver.

Zakarauskas said news of the crash traveled fast through the small town, and her family received acts of kindness from people they didn't know. That meant free sub sandwiches from a local deli and a deluge of condolences on social media.

"When something like this happens here, everybody you know and everybody you don't know offers you a hand," sister-in-law Kay Amo said.

Late Thursday night, Zakarauskas stepped out of her house, bathed in yellow light from the living room under a nearly full moon.

She saw her relatives' cars parked on the shoulder across the street. Something seemed odd. The cars weren't flattening the tall grass that normally grows there. Her neighbor, she realized, had mowed the shoulder to give the mourners a place to park.

Smiling, she said, "That's our neighbors."

This home in DeKalb Junction is where Gregg Williams and his wife of 30 years live. Family members gathered there Thursday night to grieve his death.

--

Reporter Patrick Lohmann covers New York state government and other topics. He can be reached any time: Email | Twitter | (315)766-6670




The leader of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, has said that former President Olusegun Obasanjo will die, if he makes any effort to stop the Biafra agitation.Kanu slammed the ex-President when he addressed a group of IPOB members, who paid him a solidarity visit in Umuahia.According to him, the agitation for Biafra was indestructible, hence, there was nothing any man or woman could do to stop the establishment of an independent Biafra State.He also said the struggle for Biafra was for posterity sake, adding that IPOB will be the first people on the continent of Africa to think about the future generation.Kanu said: the children are the people we are fighting for, because we dont want them to suffer the same nonsense we suffered.I say to people that IPOB members will be the first people on this continent to think about the future generations not themselves. It is because of children that we are doing what we are doing.There is no way a man who is 80 something years will wake up and say he wants to be President. You (the children) will not have people like Obasanjo to contend with.I remember when I was in primary school, in those days, they said that the Head of State is coming. The person referred to was Obasanjo. And today, he is still relevant in political discussions. That is how terrible, how horrible the zoo country can be. This is why we call Nigeria a zoo.You have seen the president of France. You have seen how young he is. How old was Obama when he came into power? How old is David Cameron when he ascended? How old am I?Only in the zoo, you have old men who would not retire with any grace. They keep disgracing themselves every blessed day and you wonder why you have no electricity when somebody like a dullard is in charge of the zoo. And you want something good to come out of there.What we want is very simple. We want to be free from the damnable zoological republic; nothing more; nothing less.We are indestructible. There is nothing any man or woman can do to stop Biafra from coming.I remember Obasanjo calling us names. The most suitable one is miscreants. From disparaging us, they decided to love us.At Biafra @50 event in Abuja, he talked about love and marriage. Yesterday, when they realized that we cannot be moved, they started to go back to what they know how best to go back to  which is, threatening language; We must eliminate Kanu! For those words coming out of his mouth, he is going to die.Now they will know powerful we are. Obasanjo should have asked Buhari about us before saying such nonsense. I know they will do it. They will try not that they will succeed. They will try. That is how the zoo works. First of all, they will intimidate you; put you inside prison, and then beg you.See video below.
The Accident Investigation Bureau is set to take the engine of the crashed private jet of a former Governor of Taraba State, Dambaba Suntai, who died in the United States last week, to its manufacturers in North America.The move came almost five years after the aircraft crashed in Yola, Adamawa State.The Commissioner/Chief Executive Officer, AIB, Mr. Akin Olateru, told journalists at the agencys headquarters at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, on Thursday that the paucity of funds had delayed the shipment of the aircrafts engine abroad for analysis since the crash occurred on October 25, 2012.He explained that the tear down of the engine in a North American aviation laboratory was necessary in order to determine the reason the plane went down in Yola.Olateru explained that the shipment of the engine for tear down was one of the processes of accident investigation, which the agency would carry out.He said, We are about to take the aircraft engine that involved the former and late Governor of Taraba State, Mr. Dambaba Suntai, in 2012 abroad. We are planning to send the aircraft engine back to the manufacturers for what we call engine tear down.It is one of the processes of accident investigation. Just to ship an engine abroad is a challenge. Investigation is still on because there is no money to ensure we check the engine that it was in the right situation before the crash.Suntai and five of his aides were involved in the crash of the Cessna 208 marked 5N-BMJ aircraft in the Adamawa State capital.Suntai, who did not recover fully from the crash, died in the US on June 28, 2017, according to reports.The late governor was said to be piloting the small aircraft at the time of the accident. The plane allegedly hit the ground behind the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation depot, along Yola-Numan Road at about 7pm.Suntai, who got his Private Pilot Licence at the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology, Zaria, was certified for visual flight, which is from 6am to 6pm, but reportedly flew the aircraft at 7pm when it crashed.He was immediately conveyed to a hospital in Yola and before his death last week, Suntai had been taken to various hospitals overseas for better medical attention.
A judge of the Federal High Court in Abuja, Justice Babatunde Quadri, on Friday dismissed an application by a former Governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido, requesting that his (the ex-governors) trial be returned to the former trial judge, Justice Adeniyi Ademola.Rejecting Lamidos request in a ruling, Justice Quadri held that it would better serve the interest of justice and public peace not to return the case to Justice Ademola.Justice Ademola, his wife, Olubowale , and Lamidos lead counsel, Mr. Joe Agi(SAN), were jointly prosecuted before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory by the Federal Government but were exonerated of all the 18 counts preferred against them on April 5, 2017.The Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice Ibrahim Auta, had re-assigned the case to Justice Quadri when Justice Ademola was on suspension as a result of the joint trial.But following the judgment exonerating Justice Ademola, the judges wife, and Agi, of the charges preferred against them, the lawyer had requested the Chief Judge to return the case to Justice Ademola.Agi had anchored his request to the Chief Judge on the grounds that it would be agonising for his Lamido and the other defendants to be subjected to the trial afresh when the prosecution, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, had already called 18 witnesses before Justice Ademolas court.But the EFCC had opposed the request insisting that with the joint trial which Justice Ademola and Agi underwent, the judge would likely be biased if the case was returned to him (Justice Ademola).However, the Chief Judge upon considering both Agis and EFCCs counter-requests insisted that the case should remain in Justice Quadris court.Despite the Chief Judges directive, Agi filed a motion on April 26, 2017, seeking Justice Quadris order directing the return of the case to Justice Ademola.
A fresh set of Nigerians resident in the ceded Bakassi in Cameroon, who returned yesterday, alleged that the neighbouring countrys genda...

A fresh set of Nigerians resident in the ceded Bakassi in Cameroon, who returned yesterday, alleged that the neighbouring countrys gendarmes have killed over 90 Nigerians since Wednesday.About 130 returnees, who landed at the Ikang jetty in the New Bakassi Local Government Area, Cross River State at 2am in wooden engine boats, said they managed to escape.They alleged they have lived under constant harassment from the Cameroonian authorities since the area was ceded.According to them, the situation that led to their return started on Wednesday when the gendarmes allegedly asked them to pay N100,000 for boat engine fee.One of the returnees from Akpankanya in Abana, Chief Umoh Umoh Inyang, who spoke Efik interpreted by Linus Asuquo Essien, recounted their ordeal: The Cameroonian gendarmes have been harassing us so much. They destroy our things, destroy our boats, beat us up and shoot many of us to death. They make a lot of trouble for us in Akpankanya in Bakassi.They would not let us carry on with our lives and livelihood in peace. The sufferings we have received are so great we had to come back. They would not let us go to the sea for our fishing and in our houses where we were just staying, they came and asked us to pay N100,000 each for each boat engine. When we said we do not have such money, they started beating us up and shot a lot of us.We had to leave suddenly and so many people missed their children and members of their families. We got to this Ikang jetty around 2am today.So, many of our people have been held captive there. They have killed over 90 of our people. So many people ran into the bush and so many others are scattered along the waterway.We came in all these boats you are seeing here. We were over 2,000 that were scattered over there. Right now, we dont know where so many others are. Some of us managed to land here around 2am. The others are scattered all over the place.We have about 137 that landed here in Ikang. The number is actually growing because we were 132 when we first got here.Also, Mr. Nse Edet Okon, from Akpankanya in Abana, who spoke through the same interpreter, said: There was so much pandemonium. They destroyed everything. In 2008, they killed three people who worked with me. The government should come to our aid and resettle us properly in our own country.In 2008, they killed three canoe boys who worked with me while the rest escaped by jumping into the water. This time around, they came and told me to pay N100, 000 tax for boat engine. I said I dont have that kind of money. That was why they started beating us.The Nigerian government should intervene urgently in this matter. Please, they should come and help. Let the international community like the United Nations (UN) also intervene in this matter.
Contrary to Senator Dino Melayes tweet, some Nigerians say the Abuja High Court refused to grant the senators quest to stop his recall...

Thank You Jesus. Status quo should be maintained says Federal High Court Abuja on the fake recall case. Yahaya Bello is a loser.  Senator Dino Melaye (@dino_melaye) July 6, 2017

For DINO Melaye to be rejoicing over a misunderstood injunction shows that he knows he has lost the battle with the people! He's miserable!  Ayekooto (@DeeOneAyekooto) July 6, 2017

Contrary to Senator Dino Melayes tweet, some Nigerians say the Abuja High Court refused to grant the senators quest to stop his recall process.Instead the court ordered status quo be maintained and fixed September 29 to hear the suit challenging the recall.The confusion is the interpretation of status quo. Majority of opinion is that the current process when Melaye approached the court should be maintained.This means that INEC which had started the recall process should continue its work.Melaye had in his twitter handle insinuated that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had been stopped by the court from continuing the recall process.According to the tweet, Melaye said: Thank You Jesus. Status quo should be maintained says Federal High Court Abuja on the fake recall case. Yahaya Bello is a loser.Immediately after Melayes, another tweet by Ayekooto followed castigating Melaye for misunderstanding the court.For DINO Melaye to be rejoicing over a misunderstood injunction shows that he knows he has lost the battle with the people! Hes miserable! Ayekooto tweeted.The court presided over by Justice John Tsoho actually rejected Melayes motion for a temporary injunction restraining INEC from proceeding with the recall process until the determination of suit challenging his recall.The judge ordered parties in the case to maintain status quo pending the hearing of the motion on notice.Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN) argued Melayes ex-parte motion.The judge adjourned till September 29 hearing of Melayes motion on notice and applications filed by three individuals, led by Chief Cornelius Olowo, who applied to be made parties in the suit.In the main suit Melaye faulted the recall process, saying it was tainted with political malice and initiated by his political enemies.
BILLINGS -- Lame Deer resident Thyanna Faith Littlesun admitted on Thursday in federal court that she was driving drunk last September when she crashed into another car in Busby, killing two boys and injuring a third boy who suffered severe head injuries.

An investigation found that Littlesun, 24, had a blood-alcohol concentration of .343 percent, or more than four times the legal limit of .08 percent, shortly after the crash, said Assistant U.S. Attorney John Sullivan.

Montana Highway Patrol crash investigators estimated that Littlesun was driving at 84 mph when her car slammed into a nearly stationary Pontiac that was occupied by four minors.

A 12-year-old girl who was driving the Pontiac suffered minor injuries, Sullivan said. A blood test on the girl was negative for alcohol and drugs.

During a hearing in Billings before U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy Cavan, Littlesun pleaded guilty to two counts of involuntary manslaughter and to one count of assault resulting in serious injury. There was no plea agreement.

The crash happened at about 1:10 p.m. on Sept. 10 in a 25 mph speed zone on U.S. Highway 212 in Busby, located on the Northern Cheyenne Reservation.

The Big Horn County coroner later identified the victims as James Walker and Stephan Bearchum, both 14 and of Lame Deer. Obituaries identified the boys as James Walker Lamewoman and Stephan Jaden Killsnight.

Autopsies determined the boys died from multiple blunt force trauma consistent with the crash.

Sullivan said Littlesun drank with friends in the morning and then stole a Buick Regal sedan. Another driver on Highway 212 reported that a female in a Buick was driving erratically and twice went into a ditch, he said.

A minute later, another person called 911 to report a two-car crash had just happened on the highway in Busby.

Responding law enforcement officers found the two 14-year-old boys deceased and lying in the roadway, Sullivan said. The 12-year-old passenger was extricated from the Pontiac and initially taken to the Indian Health Service emergency room in Crow Agency.

The passenger spent 19 days at St. Vincent Healthcare in Billings before being transported to Primary Childrens Hospital in Salt Lake City for in-patient rehabilitation, Sullivan said. The boy suffered severe traumatic brain injuries, facial and skull fractures, and a host of internal injuries, he said.

Officers found Littlesun, who was the only occupant in the Buick, in the drivers seat looking intoxicated and smelling like alcohol, Sullivan said.

The driver of the Pontiac told officers that she was leaving the parking lot at the Trading Post in Busby and turning right onto Highway 212 when a westbound vehicle came into her lane and hit her car, Sullivan said.

A crash analysis also was consistent with eye witness accounts, he said.

Littlesun denied stealing the Buick but agreed with the rest of the prosecutions evidence.

Littlesun faces a maximum 10 years in prison and a $250,000 on the assault charge and a maximum eight years and a $250,000 on the manslaughter charge.

Cavan said he would recommend that U.S. District Judge Susan Watters accept Littlesuns plea and ordered Littlesun to remain in custody. Watters will set a sentencing date.
The Resource Centre for Human Rights & Civic Education (CHRICED), Friday, called on the Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, to refuse to be cowed, saying Nigerians are fully behind him in his efforts to uphold national security.The Executive Director of the group, Com. Ibrahim Zikirullahi said under the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Acting President is empowered to deal with any threat to the constitutional order in the country.Reacting to the recent provocative outbursts from the National Assembly, threatening to impeach him over Ibrahim Magus continuous stay in office as Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), CHRICED observed that such threat was aim at undermining Nigerias democratic and constitutional order, and that, it should not be treated with a with kid gloves.Zikirullahi, in a statement issued in Abuja, added that in spite of President Muhammadu Buharis health challenge, there is no vacuum in government, describing the senate threat as a test for the sinister motive by the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki to grab power through backdoor.The group warned that there would be severe backlash from the Nigerian people, should these desperate elements make good their threat.We call on the Acting President, not to treat this development with a tepid response. In the interest of national security, there is an immediate need for the relevant agencies to be on red alert to thwart the plans of the enemies of our country.Despite President Buharis health challenge, and the fact that his sworn enemies, the perpetrators of corruption, are daily wishing him dead, there is a constitutionally-recognized Acting President in place.There is no power vacuum whatsoever to warrant the conversations that have now become the main preoccupation of the National Assembly, especially the Senate. Any attempt to grab power through the back door, would be stiffly resisted by the people of this country.CHRICED again admonishes Acting President Yemi Osinbajo, to assert his powers as conferred by the Constitution by decisively dealing with any threat to national security and the constitutional order.The Acting President should understand by now that the arrow-heads of these threats do not believe in democracy; they are only interested in naked power, which they have always used, not in the service of the Nigerian people, but for their own personal aggrandizement. By their nature therefore, the overt and covert activities of these characters without conscience, portend a grave danger to the polity.Consequently, Zikirullahi called on the international community to exert the necessary pressure and send a clear signal that no rascally threat to power grab would be tolerated.
The Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, has called on Nigerians to disregard calls for the restructuring of the country, describing such calls as mere political deceit.The governor made the call in Lokoja, the state capital, during a meeting with leaders of the organised labour, according to a statement on Thursday.He described those behind the agitation for the nations break-up and restructuring of the country as real enemies of the country, stressing that Nigeria under President Muhammad Buhari is on the path of restoring its lost glory.Bello appealed to Nigerians to support the Federal Government in its determination to right the wrongs of the past, noting that the President had since assumption of office made practical efforts to unite every segment of the country.He said, Every country has its unique challenges, but is making effort to overcome these challenges collectively irrespective of its cultural, religious or political differences.Bello, who is the youngest governor in country, said Nigeria is a blessed country with the prospect of a great nation and urged the people to support the government by being patriotic and peaceful.He noted that his administration had since assumption of office in the state taken bold steps to improve critical infrastructures such as road, rural electrification, water and quality health-care for the people of the state.Bello said Nigeria would benefit more as a united nation when their people live and work together.He said he would continue to advocate oneness among the different ethnic groups in the state as exemplified in the governance of the state since assumption and urged the people to watch out for sincere leaders who believe in the unity and oneness of the country and throw their support behind them.
Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN) has said the Senate should shelve all plans to remove the acting Chairman of the Economic and Fin...

Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN) has said the Senate should shelve all plans to remove the acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ibrahim Magu.He, however, said the Senate can have its way when Senate President Bukola Saraki becomes the acting President.Falana said this in a statement on Thursday.The senior advocate maintained that the acting Chairman of the EFCC did not need the confirmation of the Senate.The statement read in part, In view of the foregoing, the implementation of the resolution of the Senate on the removal of Mr. Ibrahim Magu as the acting Chairman of the EFCC should be ignored by the Presidency on account of its apparent illegality.However, the distinguished senators who are desperate to institutionalise official corruption and impunity in the country by removing Mr. Magu from office may have to wait for the planned installation of the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki as the Acting President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria!
The Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ibrahim Magu, on Friday said all he needs to prosecute the war a...

The Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ibrahim Magu, on Friday said all he needs to prosecute the war against corruption in Nigeria is the backing of the President and his Vice.

Magu made the declaration in Kano when he received a number of civil society groups at the EFCCs zonal office in the state.

The EFCC chairman said Nigeria is very lucky that the countrys leadership has since shown their sincere desire towards wiping out corruption during their administration.

Magu also revealed that that not less than 1000 corrupt people are holding Nigeria to ransom.

According to Magu, We should thus use our greater number to push these minor criminals out of service before they cause serious problems in the country

My messages to these corrupt persons, hanging around our necks and using all criminal strategies to create disharmony among Nigerians, is that their times are up; this one is a fight to finish

What more do we need? I think the backing of the President and his vice is enough for us to win the fight and we shall win it, no doubt about that, the end of this fight is just around the corner.

Magu made the declaration at a time that there has been so much controversy of his continued stay as Chairman of the anti-graft agency.

Senator representing Kogi West, Dino Melaye had faulted the Presidency for keeping Magu as Chairman of EFCC despite his rejection by the Senate.





Melaye has said Magu does not qualify to be the substantive chairman of EFCC because his mates in the Police Force are Divisional Police Officer, DPOs.

However, Osinbajo declared that as long as he remains in the acting capacity, no one would remove Magu as Acting Chairman of the agency.
Switzerlands supreme court has dismissed an appeal by former FIFA vice president Michel Platini against his four-year ban for financial wrongdoing.The Swiss Federal Tribunal said Thursday that the ban imposed by the Court of Arbitration for Sport does not appear to be manifestly excessive.Federal judges could intervene if they believed the legal process had been abused when CAS gave its verdict last year.Platini held little hope of gaining a victory from the Swiss court, according to a statement from the former UEFA presidents lawyers in Paris.Michel Platini reserves his rights to continue his fight with other judicial bodies, the statement said, without specifying which courts this could mean.The Swiss federal court is the fourth judicial body to find Platini was not entitled to $2 million in backdated salary that he was paid in 2011 for working from 1998-2002 as adviser to then-FIFA President Sepp Blatter.Platini and Blatter claimed they had a verbal agreement but were banned by FIFA for a conflict of interest.The evidence included Blatters attempt to increase Platinis FIFA pension fund with more than $1 million he was not entitled to.Platini was initially banned for eight years by FIFAs ethics committee in December 2015. That was cut to six years by FIFAs appeals committee, then by a further two years at CAS.The case removed Platini from the UEFA presidency and the February 2016 FIFA election to succeed Blatter.Blatter remains the subject of a criminal proceeding opened by Swiss federal prosecutors for suspected mismanagement of FIFA funds, including the Platini payment.
A resident of Ikorodu area of Lagos, Mr. Akinrinlade Ayodeji, has narrated how he narrowly escaped being lynched by a mob that had mistaken him for a member of the reprehensible cult, Badoo, which has been suspected of killing over 30 persons in the last 12 months.In a Facebook post, Ayodeji described how a simple act of going to fetch water at 7.30pm a few houses from his residence nearly cost him his life, as the residents had mistaken a jerry can of water he was carrying for engine oil, said to be one of the identifying tags of the Badoo cultists.Entitled, Ikorodus Badoo brouhaha: My story, Ayodeji said that on Monday, July 3, he had returned home from work at about 5:21pm, and had taken a nap which lasted till 7:39pm.On waking up, he discovered that he had no water, and decided to go get some water at a nearby tank.To his surprise, he said, someone accosted him, demanding to know what he was doing in the streets at that hour of the day, with a jerry can.Hey hey! What are you coming here to do at this time? Someone asked him; to which he said he replied, Sorry sir, I am actually here to fetch some water.The person questioning him was rather uninterested in whatever explanation Ayodeji had, and dealt him a slap across the face.He wrote: Before I could finish explaining myself, I saw a very furious man and decided to just turn back to my house. But before I could take three steps forward, I just felt a big and several bangs on my face through the back.At this point, I was lost, wondering if the world was ending today.Immediately, I saw people gathered, asking in Yoruba, Ki lo de, ki lo sele? (what happened, whats going on).Unlike the gruesome fate that befell Chinedu, allegedly a comedian, who was lynched by a mob in Ikorodu last weekend on the suspicion that he and two other victims were Badoo cult members, Ayodeji had a distinct fortune of being identified by his neighbours, effectively saving him from being beaten to a coma and then roasted alive.To cut the long story short, people attested that they know me, even asking the said baba (his assailant), Dont you know him?They all apologised after several slaps and molestation initially, then I just carried my gallon that someone else had helped fill with water, obviously out of pity, then walked towards my house, entered my room, put off my already tattered cloth, sat down and started imagining what just happened, hoping it was just a dream, behold, it wasnt, it was real! the obviously shaken Ayodeji wrote.He added that a few minutes later while he was still busy pondering about what had just happened, he heard some voices at the entrance to his apartment.When he opened the door, four elderly men that he suspected were landlords, alongside the man that had raised the false alarm and one of his neighbours, expressed deep apologies for what had just happened.They all said they were sorry for the ugly incident, with the man that punished me particularly holding me tight, just to show his level remorse.I almost shed tears at that point, but I had to be a man. I told them to take things easy, that two wrongs can never make a right, Ayodeji wrote.He confessed that though he told them that he was okay, the beating he received was severe, as several people slapped him repeatedly all at once, until someone identified him as a resident.He recalled that his awful experience was reminiscent of that of a friend of his who was lynched by a mob last Sunday at Odongunyan, when the individual was suspected of being a Badoo cult member.Reports say Badoo cult gangs rub engine oil on their bodies whenever they go for operations.They are said to break their victims heads with grinding stone or pestle, while they rape female victims.On one occasion, they were alleged to have fled with a baby after they had reportedly killed the parents and siblings.They are also said to use white handkerchiefs to collect blood of their victims.News has it that members of the Badoo cult invade homes in the dead of the night, during which they attack mainly families, killing everyone during each attack.Odua Peoples Congress leader, Gani Adams, claimed that reports available to his group indicated that the cultists get paid between N250,000 and N1,000,000 for each blood-soaked handkerchief submitted to their sponsors.Adams added that OPC was aware that influential members of the society were responsible for sponsoring the attacks.Meanwhile, the Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, has charged traditional rulers in Ikorodu to wake up from their slumber by helping the government to nip in the bud the rising wave of kidnapping and the Badoo menace in the state.See Ayodejis post:
London resident Nigerian, Mr. Marvyn Iheanacho, has been accused of savagely battering his girlfriends five-year-old son to death.Thirty-nine-year-old Iheanacho had allegedly flew into a rage after the boy lost one of his trainers in a park in South London, Daily Mail has reported.The boy quietly said sorry for losing his trainer, reports said.Prosecutors said Iheanacho lost his temper and violently assaulted child model Alex during a trip to the Mountsfield Park in Catford, south-east London.Iheanacho, who lives in Hounslow, west London, is standing trial at Woolwich Crown Court, where he denies murdering the boy.The prosecution said that he died at the hands of this defendant, a man who was looking after him, acting as his stepfather violently assaulted the boy, causing him fatal head and stomach injures.The defendant is a man who has ever since, we say, done his best to avoid being held accountable for those injuries, said prosecutor Eleanor Laws QC.A jury heard that Iheanacho was in a relationship with Alexs mother, Liliya Breha, and would often stay at her flat in Catford.CCTV captured Iheanacho taking Alex from his home, on three separate buses, to the park, where they arrived at around 5.12pm, when it was already dark.Alex was wearing black trainers, a red jacket, a woolly hat and gloves.Ms Laws told jurors there are no witnesses or CCTV footage of the defendant landing blows on Alex, but continued: There is, however, clear evidence as to the fact the defendant lost his temper with Alex before he sustained his injuries.She said prosecutors know the pair went to the play area because Alex lost one of his trainers, which was later found there by police.Describing an incident at about 6pm, she added: The defendant was heard shouting loudly at Alex after finding out that Alex had lost his shoe.One witness, Sarah Strugnell, saw Iheanacho bend down to the child and ask where his shoes were, the court heard.The man was very angry indeed and Sarah Strugnell describes how he was raging at the child who was very quiet, said the prosecutor.Her partner recalls hearing the loud banging and a male voice screaming about the loss of shoes and a childs fearful voice saying sorry.The prosecutor added: He describes the banging continuing. He shouted to his dogs which appeared to bring the males shouting to an end.It is the prosecution case that this banging could well have been in fact banging from repeated assaults upon Alex.At some point, whether during this confrontation or between this confrontation and the next sighting of the defendant by dog-walkers, soon after, back in the park, the boy had received extreme injuries.Iheanacho was then seen by dog-walkers Karen Leigh-Phillips and her partner Johanne, the court heard.The prosecutor continued: They approached a man, the prosecution say the defendant, who was talking on his phone and noticed a child lying flat on his back on the bench, with his arm dangling from the bench.They heard the defendant saying something into his phone about losing something and the fact that he was still looking for it. They also heard him say Hes fallen asleep and hes heavy.'Iheanacho then carried Alex unconscious as if he were a baby to a minicab office, from where he was taken back to Ms Brehas flat, despite the nearest hospital being just a five-minute walk away, the court heard.He told Alexs mother her son fell to his knees and hit his head and that he slapped him to try to wake him up, jurors heard.Ms Laws said Iheanacho then attacked a screaming Alexs mum, Ms Breha, after she called him a danger to her family and stopped her from calling an ambulance.But she grabbed the phone after noticing her son was getting cold, his face had turned blue and he had stopped breathing.The court heard Iheanacho told one paramedic Alex had fallen onto his knees and hit his head on the floor, but told others he had fallen from a climbing frame.Doctors at Lewisham Hospital tried to resuscitate Alex, but a CT scan revealed he was suffering from severe brain swelling, and he was transferred to Kings College Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.A post-mortem revealed bruises on the youngsters head, neck, and body, while a pathologist concluded the combination of impact type head injury and blunt trauma to the abdomen was consistent with inflicted injury.The prosecutor said Iheanacho denies causing any of the injuries to Alex, describing what happened as an accident.But she said Iheanacho delivered a forceful blow, such as a kick, a stamp, or a punch, and added: The prosecution say that Alexs death was no accident.The injuries suffered were extensive and did not result from a fall. The defendant lost his temper, most likely because Alex had lost his trainer.He has previous convictions for violence and has a tendency to lose his temper and lash out, the prosecutor said.The trial continues.
Addressing elders and chieftains at his residence in Ibeku, Umuahia, Abia State on Thursday, Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People o...

Addressing elders and chieftains at his residence in Ibeku, Umuahia, Abia State on Thursday, Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), said his organization would kill former President Olusegun Obasanjo if he attempts to harm the IPOB leader.



Mr. Kanus threat came after former President Obasanjo commented that Nigerians must do everything possible to stop the campaigning for the secession of Biafra, a cause spearheaded by Mr. Kanu.

The former president made the comment on Tuesday while speaking at the International Conference Centre in Abuja during the launch of the biography of the late Brigadier Zakariya Maimalari. He stressed that a failure to put an end to the Biafra agitation could lead to a repeat of the 1966 coup and the other events that eventually culminated in the civil war.



The Biafran agitator responded with a threat to the elder statesman. I remember Obasanjo calling us names. They said we must eliminate Kanu and for those words coming out from his mouth, he is going to die, Mr. Kanu declared.









I told Obasanjo that I have given instructions to IPOB should anything happen to me. Everything that comes from Obasanjos lineage will die the same day at the same time. It is a standing instruction to IPOB.

Wherever they are, we will kill them ourselves at the same time, the same day, 12 noon, wherever we find them all over the world. I am not like anything they have seen before, Mr. Kanu boasted.

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The Benin monarch, Oba Ewuare II has advised Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose to remain committed to democracy and good governance.

The Benin monarch, Oba Ewuare II has advised Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose to remain committed to democracy and good governance.Oba Ewuare II said no meaningful development could take place in an environment of rancour.The Benin monarch spoke when Fayose visited him.Fayose is in the state to deliver the 13th convocation lecture of the Benson Idahosa University.Oba Ewaure II said: We have been following some of your political wars. We are in support of resolving conflicts peacefully and we always pray for peace and we strive for it in Benin.I salute your commitment to democracy and good governance out there and we say keep on doing the good work in spite of the adversities being faced.Fayose said he was impressed with the achievements of the Benin monarch within a few months.He said: I represent the belief that this country must stay united in justice as without justice there would be no peace. I want to stay close to this palace and be an asset to it. You are a man of this generation and your support and advice would be invaluable.
The Presidencys insistence on Ibrahim Magu as Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) chief may have been strengthened by opini...

The Presidencys insistence on Ibrahim Magu as Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) chief may have been strengthened by opinions of legal giants.Acting President Yemi Osinbajo said yesterday in Kaduna that Magu would not be removed. The Senate is insisting on Magus removal, saying it will shun nominations from the Executive if the EFCC chief remains.Some legal experts, including Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs) met for about five hours on Wednesday night to review the Magu issue and the Senates threat.The Presidency, it was learnt, was told to keep Magu because it had valid constitutional reasons to do so. The experts relied on Section 171 of the 1999 Constitution.Besides, they endorsed EFCCs and Magus decision to seek the consolidation of all the cases on his status in court.The agency has written a letter to the Federal High Court, pleading for the consolidation of six suits.In a letter to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice Ibrahim Auta, Magu and the EFCC stressed the fact that the reliefs sought in the matters(six) and the subject matter are the same.The letter, written by the counsel to the two parties, Wahab Shittu Esq, is titled, Re: Humble appeal for consolidation of the underlisted matters.The matters are:Suit No. FHC/ ABJ/ CS/ 225/2017 Registered Trustees of African Patriotic Youth Assembly vs. Ibrahim Magu and six Ors., pending before His Lordship Justice A.R. Mohammed of Court 8 and presently adjourned to 27th September, 2017.Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/159/2017 John Mary Chukwukasi Jideobi vs. The Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and three Ors., pending before His Lordship Justice Quadri of Court 10 and presently adjourned to 10th October 2017.Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/374/2017 Lady (Barr) Chidinma Udebuani vs. The President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, pending before His Lordship Justice A.R. Mohammed of Court 8 and presently adjourned to 12th Sept, 2017.Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/227/2017 Ahmed Tijani Yusuf and anor. vs. Ibrahim Magu and five Ors., pending before His Lordship Justice A.R. Mohammed of Court 8 and presently adjourned to 27th Sept. 2017.Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/56/2017 Save Nigeria Group (SNG) Ltd/Gte vs. President Federal Republic of Nigeria and Six Ors., pending before His Lordship Justice Tsoho of Court 3 and presently adjourned to 12th Sept 2017.Suit by Jibrin Samuel Okutepa(SAN)This humble request is to avoid multiplicity of suits in respect of the same subject matter and also forestall possible conflicting judgments. Please find herewith attached front-page copies of each of the matters; the subject matter of this humble application. We will appreciate your approval of this humble request, Shittu wrote.Meanwhile, for about five hours, the Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, met with some Senior Advocates of Nigeria and legal on Wednesday night on the legal battle on Magu.A source said the session ended at about 1am on Thursday.The source said: At the session, the experts said the Presidency has a valid constitutional reason to keep Magu in office by virtue of Section 171 of the 1999 Constitution.They also said the decision of the Senate to reject the consideration of all nominations from the Executive because of Magu was subjudice to the ongoing matters in court.They asked the government to seek the interpretation of Section 171 of the 1999 Constitution in court.The government was also advised to declare its confidence in Magu. This informed the position of the government yesterday, declaring that its choice for the EFCC job remains Magu.
With fire danger on the rise in parts of western Montana, the Bureau of Land Managements Butte Field Office has issued a fire prevention order temporarily closing its North Hills area to shooting.

The field office issued the order to temporarily prohibit the discharge of firearms in the North Hills area 10 miles northeast of Helena, effective 12:01 a.m. on July 8 until further notice.

The order stems, in part, from upcoming hot weather conditions in the area and from a shooting-related fire that started in the North Hills area over the July 4 holiday.

Normally we see several of these shooting-related fires every season, though usually not until later in July, said Scott Haight, field manager for the Butte Field Office. This year, weve already had one fire and need to take steps now to prevent additional ignitions. Though were always reluctant to issue restrictions, the fire potential in the North Hills warrants taking this extra precaution.

Haight emphasized that access to the BLMs property in the North Hills area is still open to the public for a variety of recreational activities; the Fire Prevention Order only applies to shooting firearms.

I anticipate being able to lift the restriction sometime early in the fall or when weather conditions change, he said.

A copy of the Fire Prevention Order and a map of the affected area are available at the Butte Field Office, 106 North Parkmont, Butte, MT 59701.

For more information, call 533-7600.
US President Donald Trump will meet Russian leader Vladimir Putin for the first time Friday in Hamburg Germany, venue of the G20 summit. And it appears the meeting is on Putins terms.According to reports, the scope of the meeting is raising concerns among experts as Trump will only be joined by Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson and a translator to face the man whose country was believed to have influenced Trumps election last November.Former US ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul expressed concern that Trumps National Security advisor H.R. McMaster and his team  seen as moderating influences in the White House  were being sidelined.Putin likes small meetings. This means WH is letting Kremlin dictate the terms of this meeting. HR, at a minimum, should also be there, he wrote on Twitter.When Trump and Putin sit down for their afternoon meeting, they will not be short of crucial issues to discuss, including the wars in Syria and Ukraine, North Koreas nuclear programme and efforts to combat terrorism.On the eve of the encounter, Trump set the tone Thursday with a strong attack against Moscow for its destabilising actions.In a key speech in Warsaw marking his first stop on his European tour, Trump fired a rare salvo of criticism at Russia.We urge Russia to cease its destabilising activities in Ukraine and elsewhere, and its support for hostile regimes  including Syria and Iran  and to instead join the community of responsible nations in our fight against common enemies and in defence of civilisation itself, he told a cheering crowd of 10,000.He admitted that Moscow may have tried to influence the 2016 election that brought him to power, but also suggested others too may have been involved and blames his predecessor Barack Obama for failing to act.The property tycoon and the ex-KGB agents first meeting promises to be dissected frame by frame, with their handshake and body language including each facial twitch to be scrutinised for any sign of rapprochement or estrangement.While Trump pro-wrestling approach is showy, bombastic and impulsive, Putin thrives on judos discipline and mental toughness, where a core technique is to keep an opponent off-balance and exploit his weakness, noted Derek Chollet from think-tank German Marshall Fund.How these contrasting styles of machismo interact will likely be the defining feature of their relationship moving forward.The blockbuster bilateral meeting comes on the sidelines of what is expected to be the most fraught G20 summit in years in the German city of Hamburg.Trumps America First and climate sceptic stance are set to test the relationship with longstanding allies, while North Korea adds more volatility to global security.Scenes outside the heavily guarded conference hall were also stormy, as anti-globalisation protesters fought running battles overnight with police who fired tear gas and used water cannon to disperse extreme-left Black Bloc militants late Thursday.Trump had alarmed Western partners wary of a resurgent Moscow with his refrain on the campaign trail pledging to have a great relationship with Putin and Russia.But amid accusations that Moscow had a hand in propelling him to the White House, Trump finds himself in a tight spot over his complex relationship with the Russian leader.
The Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) has said it would engage in a showdown with the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commissi...

The Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) has said it would engage in a showdown with the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ibrahim Magu, over investigations into the recently-released Paris Club loan refunds to the states.





Alhaji Abdulaziz Yari, the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum, who is also the Governor of Zamfara State, stated this while speaking with some journalists in Abuja on Thursday.

Yari stated: I believe the EFCC does not have its own engineers to quantify, to know what is exactly on the ground. And a project that is done in Rivers State for N2m, in Zamfara it will be about N150,000.

You cannot say the price of things in Rivers should be the same in Zamfara or somewhere else. The terrain is entirely different and the cost is different, so the risk as well is entirely different. So, all these are taken into consideration.

If there is a project, which is suspected to be inflated, there are quantity surveyors. You cant just, because somebody wrote a petition, then, you say you are working on it without doing your own due diligence.

Then, why is the EFCC pursuing the governors? Get these people if you are really going to fight it. If you are ready for it, get anybody who did the wrong thing.

The Chairman of the NGF said he would write to the Federal Government, to report Magu and register the governors displeasure.

Yari added: To me, I am going to write to the Federal Government that enough is enough; that either the EFCC should do its work or we should do showdown with them (EFCC) because nobody became governor to be intimidated, to be harassed, to be abused by a DCP (Deputy Commissioner of Police, Magu).

The problem with the EFCC is that it only wants Nigerians to know it has invited a governor or that one former governor is arrested.

The commission will not tidy its work before going to court. It goes to court and lose all the cases because of the way it initiates the case; but never do so to achieve success.

You cant fight corruption that way and forever, they (EFCC) will not achieve anything.

According to the Zamfara State governor, he does not know why the EFCC is after him.

In the case of my humble self, I have no idea why the EFCC is actually interested in the issue of the London Paris Club refund.

It has been on this since inception up till now. It has been repeating, contradicting so many things especially about personalities.

So, if there is anything wrong there, it should approach the person whom it suspects did something wrong, and not to be making noise about it.

I challenge the chairman of EFCC to open up and say if he has ever come to me and interviewed me about what happened.

We didnt commit any fraud. I am not a signatory to that account but I am the head. We have director-general, we have head of finance, we have other officers of finance, he said.

Yari added: So, it is what governors agree that I, as chairman, append my signature on. So now, they are saying $86m fraud, N19bn fraud, $3m hotel; which one do we believe?

When it came to the issue of hotel, I challenge them that wherever they sighted a hotel in Lekki or anywhere, let them present it to the public and how did $2m get in there, through who, through which account? Who made the payment? Who is the owner of the property initially that took the money.

Is the EFCC saying that before I became a governor, I didnt have N150m? In my Code of Conduct papers, I have property and money worth billions.
GLOUCESTER TWP. -- Two men and a woman have been arrested and charged with running a "large-scale drug-trafficking organization," the Camden County Prosecutor's Office said Friday.

The trio, Alejandro Santiago, Jr., 29, of Camden, Joseph Lee, 42, and Lakia Plummer, 35, both of Gloucester Township, were arrested Wednesday during raids on a home in Camden, one in Gloucester Township and on two vehicles, authorities said.

Detectives seized approximately one kilogram of heroin, 750 grams of cocaine, two handguns, over $10,000 and two vehicles. The street value of the narcotics seized is $500,000. Officials said heroin and cocaine distribution facilities were being operated in the La Cascata section of Gloucester Township and the Whitman Park section of Camden.

The Camden arrest occurred in the 1400 block of Mount Ephraim Avenue. The other arrests were made in the La Cascata section of Gloucester Township.

All three were charged with drug distribution and possession, and weapons charges. Authorities allege the operation was distributing cocaine and heroin throughout Southern New Jersey. The street value of the narcotics seized is $500,000, officials said.

Bill Duhart may be reached at bduhart@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @bduhart. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
CAMDEN -- A Sicklerville man who was shot to death early Friday morning is the city's 10th fatal shooting of 2017.

Ahmid Murray, 22, died at Cooper University Hospital from multiple gunshot wounds shortly after midnight, the Camden County prosecutor's office said in a press release.

Police received reports at 12:18 a.m. that a person had been shot in the Crestbury Apartment Complex on 8th Street. They found Murray inside his vehicle with gunshot wounds, the prosecutor's office said.

The office said the investigation is ongoing and no arrests have been made.

Nine men and one woman have been killed in gun violence incidents this year. Six of those killings remain unsolved.

Police have made three arrests, the most recent being Andrew Whittaker, 23, of Sicklerville in the death of 30-year-old Edward Whittle Jr..

One shooting involved an officer firing on a suspect who had just shot his own wife, police have said.

So far this year, the number of homicides in the city is less than half of what the city saw in the first half of 2016. By this time last year, 26 people had been slain in the city, according to numbers from the prosecutor's office.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Camden County Prosecutor's Office Detective Mike Rhoads at (856) 225-8561 or Camden County Police Detective Mark Lee at (856) 757-7420.

Information may also be emailed to ccpotips@ccprosecutor.org.

Rebecca Everett may be reached at reverett@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @rebeccajeverett. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
LIVINGSTON-- Activists made a plea to freeholders Thursday night to join the call to rehire an an Essex County College adjunct professor who was fired last month following a heated Fox News interview.

About a dozen protesters and union members waving signs defended professor Lisa Durden outside Livingston Town Hall before taking the microphone at the Essex County Board of Chosen Freeholder's meeting to demand the media commentator be reinstated.

"I don't know what Essex County Board of Chosen Freeholders know, so we're here to tell them today," said Durden, who presented the board with a petition of 2,500 signatures in her support.

Durden, a journalism adjunct at Essex County College, was fired in June after appearing on prime-time Fox News show "Tucker Carlson Tonight" to support Black Lives Matters' decision to only invite black people to a Memorial Day celebration in New York City.

While freeholders do not have hiring or firing powers at the county college, they do appoint Board of Trustees members and offer grants to the college. Employment decisions are made by the school's separate governing body.

"The county is what pays the bills of Essex County College," Durden said. "We voted them in to make sure our children who go to county colleges are well educated."

Addressing the issue, Freeholder President Britnee Timberlake said the board will "ensure the college knows that the voices of the people were spoken tonight and should be heard."

She said a relationship has yet to be established between the board and newly appointed Essex County College President Anthony Munroe, but that a future meeting would be set up.

"I was happy to hear from the residents who came from all over the state tonight in support of free speech," said Timberlake, adding that protesters would be bettered served by channeling their demands toward the college's Board of Trustees.

Still, activists say the local politicians can influence the situation by speaking out publicly and through appointment powers.

"If (Trustee members) are not doing the right thing for students, they should not be granted that kind of job again in the reappointment," Durden said during the public comment session.

Durden previously compared her firing to a "public lynching" and recently retained a lawyer to explore legal options. She said she was given a suspension letter, signed by Vice President for Academic Affairs Jeffery Lee, right before walking into her speech class.

Her supporters say all professor's in higher learning should be able to discuss controversial issues without consequence, though the school has defended its decision.

In a June statement, Munroe said the college was "inundated with feedback" from frustrated and concerned students, faculty and families following Durden's television appearance.

"I fully believe that institutions of higher learning must provide a safe space for students," Munroe said in a statement. "The character of this institution mandates that we embrace diversity, inclusion, and unity. Racism cannot be fought with more racism.

Among her comments on Fox News, Durden said "You white people are angry because you couldn't use your white privilege card to get invited to the Black Lives Matter's all-black Memorial Day Celebration."

Members of Black Lives Matter, People's Organization for Progress, Rutgers AAUP-AFT, Seth Kaper-Dale for Governor and Black Youth 100 were among the groups that attended Thursday's meeting in support of the professor.

Avalon Zoppo may be reached at azoppo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter at @AvalonZoppo. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
The Greater Newark Fresh Air Fund must be doing something right.

Chermica Gardner of Newark decided to let her son, DaJean Ray, 8, attend camp this year more than 30 miles away from their Newark neighborhood. She's not used to this. She likes to keep her kids close, an entrenched value she remembers from how she was raised.

When an older son, who is now 15, went to a day camp, it was close to home.

"People can't watch your children better than you,'' Gardner said.

But she changed her mind after a friend told her about the benefits of Life Camp, a summer day camp program the Fresh Air Fund offers in Pottersville. Plus, other friends kept reminding her that DaJean would be fine, that it's time to let him go explore the outdoors with other children his age.

MORE: Recent Barry Carter columns

"My friend told me her kids went and that's when I joined,'' she said.

The Fresh Air Fund wants to hear stories like that as the camping season gets under way. Especially when it's a child's first time out camping.

DaJean had a ball on his first day, which was Monday. He went swimming, did some reading, played a little chess.

"I think it's a testament to the Fresh Air Fund and how concerned we are about the kids,'' said Trish Morris-Yamba, an assistant Fresh Air Fund coordinator.

While Life Camp gets kids out of the city for a day, the Fresh Air Fund works with about six other overnight camps that start this Monday. They include Camp Winonah in upstate New York; Camp Tecumseh in Pittstown; Camp Merry Heart-Easter Seals in Hackettstown, for special needs children; and Camp Marcella, which is for the blind, in Rockaway.

None of this is possible without you - the readers, who have been donating generously for years to send kids from the city to camp. If you would like to give this year, checks can be sent to the Greater Newark Fresh Air Fund, 43 Hill St., Newark, N.J., 07102, or a donation can be made by credit card at Newarkdaycenter.org. The names of contributors will be published on Sundays in The Star-Ledger.

Since 1882, the Fresh Air Fund has kept thousands of city kids off the street by offering a camping experience.

Last year, with your support, 300 kids spent the summer outdoors. Each year, the numbers change, but the Fresh Air Fund, which is operated by the Newark Day Center, the oldest social agency in New Jersey, works hard to send as many kids as it can to camp.

Marlin Maldonado, 10, of Newark is one of them. His mother, Graciela Arboleda, said he's shy but wanted to go to camp this summer.

"He wanted to try new things, meet new people and learn new things,'' Arboleda said.

Life Camp excites new kids once they participate, turning them into veterans who want to come back every year.

This is the second year for Newarkers Genesis Freeman, 8, and her cousins, Atiyah Freeman and Xavier Taylor, who are both 8 years old.

Genesis said she was looking forward to it. She likes arts and crafts, reading Junie B. Jones books at the camp library, working in the computer lab and participating in outdoor activities such as swimming.

In Newark, the kids start showing up to leave for camp as early as 7:30 a.m., even though the buses don't pull out of West Side High School until 8:30 a.m. Three buses leave from other locations in the city, with all returning by 5:30 p.m.

Gardner is getting better, but she admitted to being nervous about DaJean going on the first day.

"I was taking a picture of the bus and who he was with,'' she said. "I took a picture of the bus driver.''

Morris-Yamba said she understands. Over the years, she said, there have been parents who followed the bus to the some of the overnight camp sites.

"The parents want them to have a good time, but they are a little nervous about it,'' Morris-Yamba said.

MORE CARTER: West Orange remembers its fallen sons of Vietnam with traveling memorial wall

DaJean returned safely on Monday with a great report.

"I couldn't wait for him to get off that bus,'' Gardner said. "Whew, it was a relief.''

Most importantly, though, she felt good about sending him again on Wednesday.

He had company that day. Gardner's younger brother and sister - Isaiah and Tiffany Walls.

They had a ball as well. Tiffany, 12, liked arts and crafts. She made a bracelet from lanyard and played kickball, despite pesky mosquitos that she could have done without. Isaiah, 11, went hiking, saw some crawfish in the lake and got his hands gooey making slime.

"I don't like to be in the house,'' Isaiah said.

So, what about overnight camp next year, Ms. Gardner?

"I don't know,'' she said.

One baby step at a time.

"This right here was a big baby step,'' she said.

True, but an important one.

Barry Carter: (973) 836-4925 or bcarter@starledger.com or

nj.com/carter or follow him on Twitter @BarryCarterSL
Jersey City has declared an impasse in contract negotiations with the city's police officers union, further straining relations between the 900-officer police force and Mayor Steve Fulop.

The city's contract with the Jersey City Police Officers Benevolent Association expired in December and, according to a letter the POBA sent its members on Monday, the city told state officials that it wants an arbitrator to resolve the dispute.

The city's decision, which the union has likened to Gov. Chris Christie's actions during the recent state government shutdown, comes as police leadership is under fire by rank-and-file officers and the force is facing two investigations involving federal prosecutors.

Carmine Disbrow, the local POBA president, said the union was negotiating in good faith and the city was not. The union which says the city sought an arbitrator after two mediation sessions, represents about 700 police officers.

"Mayor Fulop can no longer hide the fact that negotiating in good faith was never in his playbook," Disbrow said. "This latest attack on our members widens the nearly irreparable split he has provoked between himself and the men and women protecting Jersey City."

City spokeswoman Jennifer Morrill noted the city has finalized new contracts with three of its unions, and a fourth is ready to be approved by the council later this month. The problem is "this negotiation, not the administration," Morrill said.

"We respect the POBA and are more than happy to let arbitration decide here," she said.

Neither the city nor the POBA would say what the dispute is. A law-enforcement source said the union is seeking a 1.5 percent raise annually for three years.

The city works with 10 labor unions, including two unions each for police officers and firefighters and three for civilian workers.

Last month police superior officers decisively rejected a proposed new contract agreed to by its union leadership and the city.

In its letter to members, which was obtained by The Jersey Journal, the POBA said the impasse "seems sadly reflective of the current state of politics, and is a reminder of lack of respect for law enforcement and the collective bargaining process that exists today."

The POBA targeted Fulop last month over the June 4 police pursuit that ended in a fiery crash on Tonnelle Avenue. Fulop said he wants officers fired and criminally charged over video that surfaced days after the pursuit showing officers kicking a man who later turned out to be a innocent bystander to the pursuit. Disbrow accused Fulop of interfering in county prosecutors' investigation of the crash for political reasons.

Terrence T. McDonald may be reached at tmcdonald@jjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter @terrencemcd. Find The Jersey Journal on Facebook.
JERSEY CITY - A 23-year-old man has been charged with savagely beating his girlfriend's 14-month-old twin boys nearly to death, authorities said.

Terrance Pernell, of Ocean Avenue, was arrested on Wednesday night after a nearly two-month long investigation by the Hudson County Prosecutor's Office.

On May 15, authorities were notified when they boys were brought to Jersey City Medical Center with "life threatening injuries," according to court records.

One of the boys had a bruised kidney, multiple chest injuries, several broken bones, a lacerated liver, and blood clot. His brother suffered a lacerated kidney, head trauma, chest injuries, and several cuts, the reports indicate.

The boy with the more serious injuries needed to be flown to a specialized hospital. Jersey Journal freelance photographer Joe Shine was at the scene the next day when the boy was airlifted. Information about the abuse was released after Pernell's arrest.

Pernell was responsible for caring for the twins on the day they were abused between 11:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. The complaint states Pernell was "known to be physically rough with young children" and was the "sole person who inflicted" the injuries on the children.

Both boys have since been released from the hospital, a spokesman for the Prosecutor's Office said.

Pernell is charged with two counts each of endangering the welfare of a child and aggravated assault. During his first court appearance on Thursday afternoon, the state motioned to detain Pernell before trial. His next court hearing is on Tuesday before Superior Court Judge Paul DePascale.

Caitlin Mota may be reached at cmota@jjournal.com. Follow her on Twitter @caitlin_mota. Find The Jersey Journal on Facebook.
JERSEY CITY -- As a two-term councilman, Steve Fulop developed a reputation as a fearless crusader against old-guard politics, where who you know and how much you donate count for more than what's good for the people.

Four years ago, Fulop pledged to bring his brand of political reform to City Hall, unseating Jerramiah Healy after a mayoral campaign that focused on corruption scandals linked to Healy's administration. Standing outside City Hall on his inauguration day, Fulop promised to lead "an ethical and competent" government.

Now that the mayor is campaigning to win a second term in November, his critics are questioning whether the ethical administration he said he would run has fallen short of his lofty 2013 goals. For Fulop, he has lived up to those promises.

"There will always be critics and aspiring politicians that will spin things for their benefit," Fulop told The Jersey Journal, "but while not perfect I'm proud of what we have done and it's hard to argue with facts that point to progress."

Matt Hale, who teaches political science at Seton Hall University, said it's common for political reformers to pivot from seeking radical reforms as candidates to, once elected, "making positive and doable changes" that don't throw out the old system.

"We have a deep entrenched political infrastructure -- machines -- in New Jersey," Hale said. "They are difficult to change and always need to be fed. So reformers start with one arm tied behind their backs."

REAL-ESTATE QUESTIONS

Almost immediately following Fulop taking office on July 1, 2013, critics howled that his administration's actions veered from the standard Fulop set for himself as a reformer councilman. Much of the criticism focused on the administration's dealings with real-estate developers.

John Thieroff, a longtime Fulop ally and a deputy mayor after Fulop took office in July 2013, resigned before the end of that year and by 2015 was publicly accusing the mayor's chief political operative of using his influence with the mayor to help developers. The mayor's spokeswoman denied the charge.

In late 2015 a super PAC formed called Coalition for Progress, which was linked to Fulop's potential 2017 gubernatorial run and fueled by donations from developers with ties to Jersey City, some barred from giving to Fulop directly because of the local pay-to-play law Fulop helped enact. Fulop hosted a November 2015 fundraiser for the PAC, soliciting donations from developers like Joe Panepinto, who gave $28,783. Panepinto is part of a development group behind 3 Journal Square, which received a 30-year tax break from the Fulop administration. Fulop has said the fundraiser was his only connection to the super PAC, which largely abandoned fundraising after Fulop said he would not run for governor. The PAC has not spent any money in support of Fulop.

Late last year, multiple city employees told The Jersey Journal, FBI agents interviewed city employees, asking questions about the city's real-estate development practices. The employees, who asked not to be identified discussing the matter, said one of the topics discussed during the interviews was whether a Fulop political operative had undue influence over administration matters.

The FBI declined to comment, citing its policy neither to confirm nor deny the existence of investigations.

"We see it is election time with faceless, baseless and unsubstantiated accusations for political motives," city spokeswoman Jennifer Morrill said. "The facts are we have the strongest record of rooting out corruption in Jersey City and have worked with law enforcement to eliminate practices predating this administration, which we will continue to do."

'PEOPLE FIGHT AGAINST CHANGE'

Fulop supporters say his critics' complaints are misguided.

"Reform is a lot harder than we think," said Freeholder Bill O'Dea, one of the few elected officials to back Fulop over Healy four years ago. "He went in there with the best of intentions ... the political system itself makes it a lot harder. People fight against change."

Shelley Skinner worked with Fulop when he was a councilman to elect education reformers known as "Parents for Progress" to the Jersey City Board of Education. The two had a somewhat public feud when Fulop in 2014 began courting support from the local teachers union, which opposes Skinner's agenda.

Shelley, whose education reform group spent more than $340,000 to elect Fulop in 2013, called Fulop's administration a success.

"I think that it is known that we have had our disagreements," she said, "but I think by and large you can't deny the fact that the city is in a better place than it was four years ago. That's just a fact. The schools are better, the streets are cleaner ... the city is enjoying a renaissance it would never have enjoyed under the previous administration."

Fulop points to a list of "good government" items he promised to enact and followed through on: eliminating the autonomous Jersey City Incinerator Authority and Jersey City Parking Authority and putting their duties under city control, a move Fulop said created more accountability; moving city elections to November, which he hopes will boost voter turnout; and merging the police and fire departments, which he said increased efficiency.

"Whether it's stable taxes, additional police, more parks or credit upgrades, we have made Jersey City a national model on many fronts. I think it is safe to say that the mayor's record speaks for itself," Fulop campaign spokeswoman Hannah Peterson said.

'ZERO OUT OF 100'

Fulop's efforts to live up to his reputation as a political reformer are playing out in the crowded race to find the next Downtown council member.

Fulop was a two-term Downtown councilman before becoming mayor, and his council successor and ally, Candice Osborne, is not seeking re-election. At least five people have said they want to replace Osborne. The election is Nov. 7.

Two of them are Jake Hudnut and James Solomon, who told The Jersey Journal their council runs are in part inspired by what they call Fulop's shortcomings. They are both the kind of liberal, political reform-minded voters who formed Fulop's base when he won nearly 80 percent of the vote Downtown in 2013.

Hudnut, a 34-year-old attorney, worked with Fulop on a 2013 school board campaign but is now running with Fulop rival Bill Matsikoudis. Asked how Fulop lived up to his promise to reform city government, Hudnut said, "zero on a score of one to 100." Hudnut blames Fulop's now-abandoned gubernatorial aspirations.

"It all of a sudden didn't turn into hiring the best and the brightest," he said. "It turned into what was best to get him to Trenton."

Solomon, 33, is willing to give Fulop kudos. A public policy wonk, Solomon cited Fulop dissolving the JCIA and JCPA as examples of him living up to a campaign pledge to reform city government. But the super PAC, Solomon said, was a major problem.

"It was largely funded by the financial interests to the city," he said. "I don't think ... the promise of reform has been lived up to."

Peterson dismissed Hudnut's and Solomon's comments about the mayor by saying the men are "trying to get their names in the newspaper."

Terrence T. McDonald may be reached at tmcdonald@jjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter @terrencemcd. Find The Jersey Journal on Facebook.
TRENTON -- A former teacher and youth minister admitted in court Friday to inappropriate contact with two boys.

Menachim Chinn

Menachim Chinn 40, of East Windsor, pleaded guilty to two counts of endangering the welfare of a child Friday in Mercer County Superior Court, in Trenton.

Both victims were students at the Shalom Torah Academy in Marlboro in Monmouth County where Chinn was a teacher.

He is facing concurrent five-year sentences and lifelong parole as a result of the plea deal.

Chinn admitted to inappropriately touching one victim at his home in 2012, and to inappropriate contact with another boy at the Shalom Torah Academy.

As part of the plea agreement, Chinn was released from detention on Friday and is subject to home electronic monitoring. He is permitted to leave his home for doctor and attorney visits, as well as religious services.

Chinn must comply with Megan's Law and register his address and internet access with the local authorities. He is prohibited from having any contact with the victims, and can have no unsupervised contact with minors, including his own children.

The ex-teacher is also barred from any future teaching or youth group positons, he must also undergo a physical and mental examination at the state's Adult Diagnostic and Treatment Center in Avenel, in Middlesex County.

Chinn must also surrender his passport, is barred from owning any weapons, and is not to use any drugs that are not prescribed to him, nor use alcohol in excess.

Olivia Rizzo may be reached at orizzo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @LivRizz. Find NJ.com on Facebook
A potential part of a future Mets rotation is officially entrenched in the organization.

On Friday, the Mets announced a contract agreement with first-round pick David Peterson, a left-handed pitcher out of the University of Oregon.

Peterson is slated to begin his minor league career close to Queens as a member of the Single-A Brooklyn Cyclones.

This wasn't the first time Peterson talked contract with a big league team.

In 2014, Peterson was a 28th round pick out of high school by the Boston Red Sox. Instead of taking a professional contract, Peterson went to Oregon. Three years later, he signed with the Mets after being selected with the No. 20 overall pick in June's MLB Draft.

According to Jim Callis of MLB.com, Peterson could be a quick riser through the Mets system and soon profile as a mid-rotation starter. With Matt Harvey staring at free agency after the 2018 season (or a trade before that day), the Mets vaunted rotation could need a young, cost-effective arm to join the group soon. That arm could be Peterson.

Peterson, 21, went 11-4 with a 2.51 ERA and a school-record 140 strikeouts in 100.1 innings this year at University of Oregon. He issued just 15 walks. He finished the regular season second in the nation in strikeouts and victories, while ranking fourth in strikeout-to-walk ratio (9.33) and seventh in strikeouts per nine innings.

Those numbers included a 17-strikeout game against Mississippi State.

The Mets have now signed 32 of their 40 draft picks, including their first 13.

Joe Giglio may be reached at jgiglio@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JoeGiglioSports. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
NEW BRUNSWICK -- A former Edison cop slashed the tires on the car of a woman he had an extramarital affair with and bullied on social media, a prosecutor revealed in court Friday.

Michael Dotro and his wife Alycia are accused of slashing the tires after the other woman posted a photo of herself and Dotro together, lawyers said in court. The 25-year-old victim worked in the Edison Police Department's violations bureau, prosecutors said.

Lawyers in the hearing Friday said Alycia Dotro allegedly left a nasty message on the woman's answering machine, and that Micheal Dotro is alleged to have cyber-bullied her on a social media Instagram account. Prosecutors said he changed the name on the account, apparently to hide his identity.

Michael Dotro is also facing charges in a separate case in which he is accused of arson and attempted murder for the firebombing of his captain's home in Monroe Township while the captain's family was in the house.

In court on Friday, lawyers dealing with the tire slashing case said that after ending the affair with the woman, Michael Dotro, also allegedly pressured her about $10,000 he claimed that she owed him.

Lawyers said the woman complained to the Edison Police Department's Internal Affair Division, and in March of 2013, investigators questioned Michael Dotro about the allegation.

Three days after Dotro was questioned, the tires were damaged on the woman's car, Middlesex County Assistant Prosecutor Russell Curley told Superior Court Judge Pedro J. Jimenez.

The comments came during a hearing on Curley's motion to present information about the internal affairs investigation at the Dotros trial.

"We're putting in context how the tire slashing came to be," Curley said.

Michael Dotro is also accused of searching the Edison Police Department computer records for information about the investigation of the tire slashing to determine if investigators had identified a suspect, Curley said. He said Dotro also talked with another person about the woman who owned the car, repeatedly referring to her using a profane word.

Dotro is also accused of buying marijuana while in uniform, having marijuana in his police duty bag and having prohibited weapons, including a blackjack and brass knuckles, in the bag, lawyers said.

Lawyers for Michael and Alycia Dotro objected to admitting the evidence of the internal investigation.

"Do we have to know about the cyber-bulling? Do we have to know that he had an extra marital affair? I already have hurdles to clear (in defending the former officer)." said Michael Dotro's lawyer, Robert Norton. He called the tire slashing a fourth-degree crime.

Richard Incremona, an attorney representing Alycia Dotro, argued that her case be severed from her husband's. She faces three of the 12 counts in the indictment. He also opposed having the prosecutor include evidence of the marijuana purchase, saying Michael Dotro is accused of buying the drug.

"My client is being dragged along," Incremona said.

Jimenez noted that Michael Dotro allegedly said he was buying it for his wife. Also, the judge said Alycia Dotro allegedly had drug paraphernalia in her home when police searched it.

Curley opposed the motion to sever the wife's case.

Jimenez said he will announce his decision on the motions to allow the internal affairs evidence and whether to sever the wife's case at a July 28 hearing.

The judge emphatically said the case will go to trial Aug. 15.

Tom Haydon may be reached at thaydon@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @Tom_HaydonSL. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
MORRISTOWN -- Three Chicago-area residents were sentenced to prison this week for burglaries in Chester and Mendham townships this past April, authorities said.

Nicholas Costello, 26, and Sonny Costello, 28, were sentenced on Wednesday to 270 days in the county jail, and Tony Thomas, 28, was sentenced on Friday to three years in prison, Morris County Prosecutor Fredric M. Knapp said in a news release.

Authorities say the men targeted one home in Chester Township and another home in Mendham Township on April 6.

One suspect would knock on a home's front door dressed in a safety/utility vest similar to those worn by electric company workers in order to distract the occupant of the home while an accomplice entered through another door, according to the prosecutor's office.

"The public should be vigilant in being aware of these types of diversionary burglary schemes when an individual may pose as a utility worker and another individual enters a home to commit a crime," Knapp said.

The Costellos each pleaded guilty to two counts of fourth-degree conspiracy to commit theft, and Thomas was sentenced to two counts of third-degree conspiracy to commit burglary and one count of fourth-degree receiving stolen property.

Justin Zaremba may be reached at jzaremba@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JustinZarembaNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit on Friday upheld the criminal convictions of three Orthodox Jewish rabbis who planned the kidnapping of a man to force him to grant his wife a religious divorce.

In upholding the convictions of Mendel Epstein, Jay Goldstein and Binyamin Stimler, the three-judge panel rejected claims of invasion of privacy and religious freedom among the other six points the three men made in their appeal.

Convicted in 2015 of conspiracy to commit kidnapping, Epstein, Goldstein and Stimler argued that their Fourth Amendment right to privacy was violated when FBI agents gathered information from their cell phone providers indicating their general locations during the investigations. During the trial, prosecutors used the information to show that they were in the vicinity of locations where beatings of husbands who refused to give their wives religious divorces occurred.

Defense attorneys argued the government should have sought a warrant for that information rather than obtain a court order, which requires less of a standard than a warrant to be issued.

They argued that collection of so-called cell site location information (CSLI) over 57 days was the equivalent of placing on their clients' vehicles a GPS tracking device, which courts have already considered an invasion of privacy.

But the panel - minus the consent of one judge - said the collection of CSLI is less intrusive than GPS tracking and noted its shortcomings, such as the signal not always being transmitted from the cell tower closest to the phone and a signal changing from one tower to another while the phone is not moving.

"While the rapidly evolving nature of CSLI may one day give us a reason to reconsider the distinction between GPS and CSLI, we decline to do so today," the court wrote.

But Judge Luis Felipe Restrepo disagreed. In an 11-page dissenting opinion on that point, he said the collection of information about a person's movements over 57 days with a court order rather than a warrant in this case "was a warrantless search that violates the Fourth Amendment."

Epstein, a prominent rabbi with homes in Lakewood and Brooklyn, was sentenced to 10 years in prison. Prosecutors charged Epstein, who is an expert in Orthodox Jewish divorce proceedings, was the mastermind behind the beatings.

Goldstein was sentenced to eight years in prison and Stimler was handed a sentence of slightly more than three years behind bars.

In their appeal, the three men also argued the government violated their rights under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act because the prosecution put a "substantial burden" on exercising their religion. They argued that in prosecuting them, the government did not use the least restrictive means, as required by law, to enforce federal kidnapping laws.

But the three-judge panel agreed with District Judge Freda Wolfson, the trial judge, when she ruled in 2015 that there was no "substantial" burden on the exercise of their religion and that the government's interest in preventing serious crimes is compelling enough to warrant prosecution.

The court said that there were other ways to obtain the divorce agreements without resorting to kidnapping, although it noted it was unclear whether the rabbis had exhausted all non-violent methods before turning to violence.

The three rabbis also argued Wolfson should have allowed jurors to hear evidence about Jewish marital law that would have negated a motive for kidnapping.

They contended that jurors should have been permitted to hear that by signing religious marriage agreements, husbands agree to any use of force by a religious tribunal obtaining a divorce on behalf of wives.

But the Circuit Court decision said that with their signatures on marriage contracts, husbands don't agree to "their particular kidnapping."

The panel, which also included judges Michael Chagares and Jane Roth, noted the government can prove kidnapping without offering a motive for the crime.

The 38-page decision also rejected three arguments having to do with Wolfson's charging of jurors before deliberations. One of them said jurors should have been told the kidnapping victims had to have been held for an "appreciable period."

The court, however, said it has upheld convictions for kidnappings that lasted minutes.

"No reasonable juror would have failed to find that the seizure, blindfolding and coercion by the defendants did not involve holding for 'an appreciable period,'" the court wrote.

MaryAnn Spoto may be reached at mspoto@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @MaryAnnSpoto. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
As the 2016-2017 school year reaches its end, I again extend my most sincere thanks and appreciation to Mr. Mandler, Chief Executive Officer of CarePoint Health and to Paula Nevoso, President of the CarePoint Health Foundation, for their continued patronage of Bayonne High School and the CarePoint Health Biological Discovery Center within the Academy for Fine Arts and Academics.

Since the start of our partnership in 2014. CarePoint Health's support of the life science research program and BioDome facility at Bayonne High School has led to countless opportunities for the students of the Bayonne Community. For the third year in a row, Academy for Fine Arts and Academics scientific researchers brought recognition and acclaim to Bayonne High School for their achievements at the Hudson County STEM Showcase, with achievements in the Animal Science and Medicine and Health categories.

Most notably, our own freshman Scholar Arsh Banerjee was named winner of the 2017 STEM Showcase, and delegate to the 2017 International Intel Science and Engineering Fair. In addition to achievements at the STEM Showcase, our young researchers put their creativity to work in competitions such as the U.S. Army and New Jersey School Boards Association Sponsored STEAM Tank, the Junior Science and Humanities Symposium, the Montclair State University Science Fair, the Young Science Achievers Grant Program and more.

These hard-fought honors, won in very competitive categories, continue a trend of student achievement and recognition in the sciences since the inception of the STEM Track of the Academy of Fine Arts and Academics, and speak volumes about the quality of students we've been able to attract to AfA2, as well as the quality of programs and resources we've been able to offer our students, thanks to the generous support fro CarePoint Health.

In another exciting venture, the students that inspired the creation of our successful Young Biologist summer research program, originally funded by CarePoint Health and the CarePoint Health Foundation as its inception in the summer of 2014, are preparing to embark on a scientific research expedition to Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands.

On a two-week tour through some of the world's most pristine and untouched ecosystems, our Young Biologists will conduct hands-on research in environmental science, biology, bioengineering and more, while simultaneously gaining invaluable life experiences through international travel. CarePoint Health's continued generosity towards the Young Biologist program each year has allowed our hardworking teachers and students to continue to dream big and expand upon opportunities for learning.

The programs supported by CarePoint Health have an extensive reach outside of Bayonne High School and the STEM Academy. Students throughout the Bayonne School District have been able to visit BioDome and learn from the faculty through summer and weekend based programs. BioDome receives a hugely positive reception at every AfA2 Open House and community night, with the Young Biologists in their blue lab coats eager to share their extensive knowledge with students, parents and community members.

CarePoint Health, through both their monetary gifts from the CarePoint Health Foundation and their additional support through offering site visits and lectures with medical professionals, has been a constant friend to the Bayonne Public School District and the students we serve. Catherine Shull-Fernald of Bayonne Medical Center has been instrumental in continuing this valuable partnership between our organizations, as have all of the medical professionals and leadership team at Bayonne Medical Center through their partnership with our Young Biologists program.

The students in the Bayonne community are worthy of opportunities, support, and resources that prepare them for success in the increasingly competitive 21st century global economy. CarePoint Health recognizes the incredible potential of the young students of our community, and understand that an investment in our students is an investment in the future of Bayonne. I thank CarePoint Health for their continued commitment to the students of Bayonne, and applaud them, Ms. Nevoso, and the entire CarePoint Health leadership for their recognition of the importance of education within our community.

Patricia L McGeehan, Superintendent of Bayonne Public School District

Health insurance is peace of mind

Health insurance is more than a policy, it's a piece of mind. It's knowing your family will be cared for and not having to worry about going broke when you get sick.

That's why I strongly oppose the Senate healthcare bill. The more I learn about it, the less I like it. Robbing healthcare from millions of Americans to give yet another tax cut to the rich and powerful is just plain cruel.

Our healthcare system needs to be improved--we all agree on that. But this bill would do exactly the opposite--for no other reason than greed. I urge a no vote on the Senate healthcare bill.

Richard Staten, Newark

Submit letters and Op-Eds to jjletters@jjournal.com.
The temptation is to gloat at the enduring image of Chris Christie slumped in his seaside cathedra, a figure of bronzed hauteur, courtesy of a local newspaper that he has tried to kill just for the joy of watching it die.

But gloating is unseemly, even as this snowballing farce he calls his administration nears its end, so instead we submit a courteous reminder of why this pie fight between our governor and the press still deserves the attention of an informed citizenry.

No bulletin here: Christie despises the media. That is why he pushed so hard for a law last December that would no longer require legal notices to appear in newspapers, a cause that was cheerfully joined by his occasional legislative canteen carrier, Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto.

It would have led to hundreds of job losses, the reduction of Statehouse coverage, and the closure of smaller papers. It was so malicious that it became known as Christie's "newspaper revenge bill."

But the bill died. It was not because Christie lied about how $80 million was generated from these ads and how it was a taxpayer rip-off - even though the actual figure is $32 million, with less than one-quarter of that coming from municipalities.

The bill died because legislators were deluged by calls from New Jerseyans who recognized it as an attack on transparency, people who want to be informed when their governor slathers himself in hogwash.

Especially since he often applies it with a fire hose.

As he prepares his exit, he seems to have grown weary of curating his image, however. There is little need at this point: His lasting legacy is that of an agile mind, a vindictive tongue, and a personality of a car alarm. And when these tools failed him, his default strategy was to demonize critics and hide behind mendacities such as "I did not get any sun today."

The delicious lie, exposed by the lens of Andy Mills of NJ Advance Media, was the final indignity. The tough talk tanked, the facade crumbled in public, and the reality of who he is came tumbling out. Christie even feigned disinterest in "optics" - a dubious claim for someone who spent seven years dragging an army of minions into town halls to capture those YouTube moments.

The bully routine used to charm some people, because they didn't recognize that underneath his media bashing was a contempt for public opinion, even when he was supposed to be doing his job. If you didn't like him staying in Florida when the blizzard struck, that was your problem. If you didn't like him staying in New Hampshire when the shore was whacked by 9-foot flood surges, grab a mop. If you wanted to know about a bridge closing, he had a cone-mover crack ready.

So nowadays, his polls lag behind any Kardashian and America turning Communist.

It's not accurate to say newspapers caused this, because this is mostly a story of hubris. But someone had to point out what was beneath the bluster and artifice, and as Edward Snowden said in admiration of Mills' work, "Rarely does a photographer capture the politics of an era in one frame."

Newspapers report on the people and institutions of your community and help drive the civic machinery. But their prime directive is to keep elected officials accountable, and if that duty requires an intrepid photojournalist hanging out of a Cessna at 1,000 feet for an hour, we'll do it.

It takes manpower, resources, and some ingenuity. But full disclosure: Mills has been chased by Israeli tanks through the Gaza Strip at 1 a.m., so all things being equal, this was kind of a day at the beach.

Bookmark NJ.com/Opinion. Follow on Twitter @NJ_Opinion and find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook.
MISSOULA -- There will never be voter fraud in Missoula.

Thats the headline to Montana Secretary of State Corey Stapletons letter to the editor published in the Missoulian in late June.

Though he meant it sarcastically, referring to the 91 (of 47,000) ballots rejected by Missoula County Elections officials as fraudulent in the May special election, the Board of County Commissioners agreed with the assessment.

What the secretary is either not cognizant of or willfully disregarding, is the level of effort that goes into canvassing the election, Commissioner Dave Strohmaier said Thursday. We went through all of this process in detail.

The commissioners met Thursday with Elections Administrator Rebecca Connors and Deputy County Attorney Matt Jennings to discuss the flurry of activity between Connors and Stapleton since the special election.

Of the 91 rejected ballots, Connors said one was incorrectly counted. The rest of the ballots had either no signature, a mismatched signature, or some other mistake on the form, and were voided.

The single miscounted ballot was mailed to an apartment building, where Connors confirmed the mail is sometimes mixed up among tenants.

A different person filled out the ballot and sent it back with their own signature  most likely they just didnt read it carefully enough to notice it was another persons ballot, Connors said.

They werent trying to replicate the voters signature on file, Connors said. They signed their own signature, which I think makes it a mix-up.

It was counted, even after the election offices process of checking signatures. The woman who should have received the ballot called the elections center, wondering why her ballot was listed as cast, when she didnt get one.

Something went awry, Jennings admitted. There is human error.

Connors found the miscounted ballot, voided it, allowed the woman to vote (it was well within the deadline) and reported the error to the Missoula Police Department and the Secretary of States office.

Thats where things got somewhat bizarre, Jennings said. We didnt know the magnitude that the Secretary of State was treating this with until we received a press release saying they were treating this as fraud.

The news release took county officials, including Connors, Jennings and the commissioners, by surprise and kicked off an email exchange between Stapleton and Connors. Stapleton continued to accuse Missoula County of not taking voter fraud seriously (and asserting all 91 rejected ballots were evidence of fraud), all while shifting the onus for actually investigating the incident away from his office.

I cannot prosecute fraud from Helena, Stapleton wrote in a July 3 email to Connors. All I can do is hold a mirror up to you, challenge you to question your OWN motives (versus mine) as to why 91 illegal signatures on mail ballots are once again going to be silently set aside on the shelf of indifference.

Connors responded July 5 asking if Stapleton (whose news release singled out Missoula County) thought the 528 rejected ballots in Yellowstone County constituted fraud. Or the 336 rejected in Gallatin County, or the 99 rejected in Lewis and Clark County or the 207 rejected in Flathead.

Stapletons legal counsel, according to Jennings, said the Secretary of State was using Missoula County as an example to try and start a dialogue on legislative action around voting procedures in Montana.

There was no elaboration as to what the legislation would entail.

Any conversation on legislative changes needs to start with accurate information, Jennings said.

The commissioners agreed that a conversation could happen and decided to reply to Stapleton, defending Missoula County against his allegations and asking what he thinks can and should be done to fix the issue.

The commissioners oversee the elections and appoint the elections administrator, putting them as elected officials in the line of fire as well, Strohmaier said.

Strohmaier began the meeting irked by the tone of Stapletons correspondence with Connors, saying he showed contempt and unprofessionalism.

Commissioner Jean Curtiss agreed, calling the matter ridiculous and juvenile.

There isnt any logic, Commissioner Cola Rowley said. Thats why Im confused."
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Republicans are injecting instability into federal insurance marketplaces by suggesting lowering subsidies for people who buy coverage, and its a slick trick to ensure the failure of the exchanges, the head of one of Montanas largest hospitals said Thursday.

Republicans favor the phrase death spiral when discussing the health of the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. One of the key provisions of the law, passed in 2010, was setting up marketplaces where people who didnt get insurance from their job or through federal programs like Medicare or Medicaid could buy coverage, often with subsidies covering much of the cost.

Great Falls-based Benefis CEO John Goodnow said the lifespan of the Affordable Care Act has been shortened because insurance companies are pulling out of the exchanges because of all the fear thats been created over funding.

All you have to do is threaten to defund the subsidies, he said Thursday on a panel in Helena organized by the Montana Nurses Association to discuss the bill.

The Better Care Reconciliation Act is the Senate version of a Republican bill to execute that partys long-promised repeal and replace of the Affordable Care Act. The Senate did not vote on the bill before their Fourth of July break because of a lack of enough support in light of a Congressional Budget Office estimate it would reduce the number of people with health insurance by 22 million.

Most of the discussion about the bill in Montana has focused on expected cuts to Medicaid by ending sufficient funding of an expansion of the program that offered coverage to the working poor and cuts to the overall program of $5.3 billion in federal funds in Montana alone over six years. About 120 groups in the state have come out against the bill. On Thursday, state Department of Public Health and Human Services director Sheila Hogan said the bill would cause 133,000 Montanans to lose coverage by 2022.

The Senate bill keeps the marketplace, which about 8 percent of Montanans use to buy coverage, but would reduce subsidies for people who purchase insurance on it.

About 85 percent of Montanans that buy on the exchange get subsidies. There are three insurance companies that sell on the exchange: PacificSource, Montana Health Co-op and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Montana. Last summer Blue Cross said it needed to raise its rates an average of 62 percent, while PacificSource requested a rate change of almost 20 percent.

Blue Cross spokesman John Doran said at the time the increases were because the marketplace population used far more medical and pharmacy services than anticipated.

Increased rates and companies dropping out of the exchanges entirely, something that has not happened in Montana, have been cited repeatedly by Republicans as evidence of the Affordable Care Act's incipient demise.

On a tele-town hall earlier this month, Montanas Republican Sen. Steve Daines mentioned several times that a third of the counties in the country only had one insurer on the marketplace.

I would just ask Sen. Daines to think about the people of Montana and think less about politics and do the right thing for the people he represents, said Todd Wampler, a member of the Montana Medical Association and a doctor in Helena.

On Thursday Daines reiterated what he wants to see in a final version of the bill, which Senate Republican leadership has said will be amended further in the coming week or so and will need to be re-scored by the Congressional Budget Office.

There are three things Im looking to see in the Senate healthcare bill," Daines said. "We need to reduce premiums and make healthcare more affordable for Montana families, take care of those with pre-existing conditions so that they have access to care and save and protect Medicaid for who it was originally intended for: the most vulnerable in our society.

Laura Terrill, vice president of external affairs for Planned Parenthood of Montana, was the most outspoken in discussing Daines.

While the senator did not take a stance on the bill during his tele-town hall, he did say that if the bill changed to no longer cut off Medicaid reimbursements to Planned Parenthood, which treats 15,000 Montanans annually, he could not support it.

Our patients dont come to us to make a political statement, Terrill said. They come to us to receive the health care they need and deserve.

Terrill called the bill the worst in a generation for women's health.

Its not surprising to me not a lot of U.S. senators want to go back to their constituents and talk about the benefits of this bill because it has very few, she said.

Daines, who has spoken out against abortion and Planned Parenthood in the past, has argued for moving funding to the 17 community health centers around the state, saying there are only five Planned Parenthood locations.

Goodnow told people to reach out to their senators. The time to get to your senators is right now. People really need to be getting to their senators, particularly during this recess.

Testers not the issue, Goodnow said of Montanas other senator, Democrat Jon Tester. Tester is dead set against this.  This is an issue for Montana with just Sen. Daines.

Dick Brown, president and CEO of the Montana Hospital Association, estimated a vote could come at the end of July.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation announced Friday the arrest of a man who allegedly made threats against U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst.

Robert William Simet, 64, was apprehended by the FBI over threats to assault the Iowa Republican senator, according to a statement released by the bureaus Omaha Field Office.

FBI Special Agent in Charge Randall Thysse said the safety of elected officials is something that cannot be taken lightly.

We appreciate those people who reported this to the proper authorities and for the response from our partners at the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Southern District of Iowa for their swift action on this matter, Thysse said.

Simet is currently in custody and will be transported to Council Bluffs, where he will make his initial appearance in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa, according to the FBI.
The Environmental Protection Agency has announced its proposed renewable fuel standard, setting targets for conventional biofuels for 2018 and biodiesel for 2019.

The standard would require 15 billion gallons of conventional biofuels  including corn-based ethanol  for 2018, staying at the current cap for those fuels. The agency also set a standard of 2.1 billion gallons of biodiesel in 2018 and 2019.

The proposal would cut the amount of advanced biofuels  fuels derived from biomass, a term for a variety of organic carbon  for 2018 to 4.24 billion gallons, down from 4.28 billion this year. Cellulosic biofuel targets would fall from 311 million gallons to 238 million next year, according to the EPA proposal.

In statements issued after the announcement, elected officials and other stakeholders applauded the EPA for maintaining the 15 billion gallons standard but expressed disappointment and concern about the biodiesel standards.

A 45-day comment period on the proposed standard started on Wednesday.

I commend the Trump administration for its commitment to keeping the Renewable Fuel Standard at the level set by Congress. I am also pleased the Environmental Protection Agency is bringing predictability and stability to the renewable fuels industry, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds said. I am disappointed biodiesel levels are not higher.

The Iowa Renewable Fuels Association, a lobbying group for the states liquid renewable fuel industry, said the industry had requested 2.75 billion gallons for biodiesel. Association Executive Director Monte Shaw Unfortunately, a change in administrations did not change the EPAs under-appreciation for the potential of U.S. biodiesel production, he said.

Keeping biodiesel levels frozen at 2.1 billion falls short of U.S. industry capabilities, even before imports are considered, Shaw said, noting that some biodiesel plants in Iowa are running under capacity and that the Renewable Fuels Association would urge the public to call for an increase in biodiesel levels during the public comment period.

Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa called the proposal a mixed bag, noting he was happy to see the EPA maintain the 15 billion gallons for conventional ethanol.

The lack of any increase for biodiesel is a missed opportunity. The proposal fails to recognize the ability of the domestic biodiesel industry to produce at much higher levels. The proposed cut to advanced and cellulosic fuels will have a chilling effect on the push toward next-generation biofuels, and will certainly harm investments in this area, he said, adding that the industry supports hundreds of thousands of jobs and reduces U.S. dependence on foreign oil.

The biofuel industry is good for the economy, good for the environment and good for national security, the Republican senator said. I am disappointed in the direction of these proposed volumes, and I hope the EPA will consider increasing these levels once stakeholders weigh in.

Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa, a fellow Republican, called the Renewable Fuel Standard critical to supporting our agricultural and rural economy, reducing our dependence on foreign oil and providing consumers with choices at the pump.

Ernst echoed Grassleys sentiments, praising the conventional ethanol standard and saying she was disappointed the biodiesel standard remained stagnant.

The Iowa Biodiesel Board called the proposal a setback.

If these volumes stand, the U.S. could restrict one of its most powerful opportunities to support American manufacturing of energy. Iowa, as the nations top biodiesel-producing state, has expanded capacity in anticipation of better times ahead  but that is now looking bleaker, said Tom Brooks, chair of the Iowa Biodiesel Board and general manager of Western Dubuque Biodiesel in Farley. We are disappointed to see biofuels cut overall, and volumes in biodiesels main category stay flat under the Renewable Fuel Standard volumes proposal.

This would set this important American manufacturing sector back at a time when we stand ready to take a large leap forward.

Rep. Dave Loebsack, the lone Democrat in Iowas Congressional delegation, criticized the reductions.

For all of President Trumps promises to fight for rural America, it appears he once again has turned his back on Iowas farmers and rural communities, the representative for Iowas 2nd District said. Now is not the time to sit on our laurels. We must aggressively push for the EPA to expand the RFS and the use of biofuels, not slash it. Folks in Iowa know that the RFS is working. It cuts down on our dependence of foreign oil, creates jobs, is better for our environment and lowers the price of gasoline at the pump.

 The Associated Press contributed to this report.
LINCOLN  Lewis and Clark County Sheriff Leo Dutton swiped through photos on his cellphone while having lunch Thursday near the epicenter of the 5.8-magnitude earthquake that shook Western Montana awake early that morning, pausing on one of a near-miss that could have been deadly.

An elk antler rack hung over a couple's bed had fallen off the wall, bounced off the bed and landed on the floor.

They were counting their blessings," Dutton said. "Somebody probably would have been impaled if they had been in bed."

There were no reports of major damage or injuries after the strong quake hit at 12:30 a.m. The epicenter was six miles south of Lincoln and tremors were felt in neighboring states. The shallow quake originated about three miles underground, according to a preliminary report from the U.S. Geological Survey.

The USGS recorded at least nine more tremors in the same area within an hour of the initial quake, ranging in magnitude from 4.9 to 3.1.

There was a power outage in Lincoln right after the quake and some homes and businesses reported trouble with internet service. Law enforcement around the region was flooded with calls about the quake, but no significant injuries were reported.

Part of a brick parapet from an apartment building in Butte fell to the ground, breaking a car's window, but injuring no one.

The Montana Department of Transportation sent maintenance and engineering crews to inspect roads and bridges in the Lincoln, Helena and Missoula areas, public information officer Lori Ryan said Thursday. The crews found no damage and none was reported to the department, Ryan said.

NorthWestern Energy said late Thursday morning that they had no reports of damage to their electric and natural gas network.

Spokesman Butch Larcombe said in the Lincoln area about 1,350 homes lost power right when the earthquake hit. Crews went out to a substation and closed a breaker to restore power after about 45 minutes. The substation was not damaged.

NorthWestern did some investigation of their natural gas system in the Helena area and found no damage. A few people called the utility to report the smell of natural gas, but crews didnt find any leaks.

The utility, as well as local law enforcement, encouraged people to check their property for damage.

Mike Stickney, seismologist at the Earthquake Studies Office, Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology on the Montana Tech campus in Butte, said the quake was probably the strongest in Montana since October 1964.

The location, he said, is not surprising. Its right along the axis of the intermountain seismic belt.

He said the quake occurred on a strike/slip fault, a vertical fault where one side moves horizontally against the other, similar to the kind of movement experienced along the San Andreas Fault in California.

He said he does not believe the quake is seismically tied to the recent swarm of smaller earthquakes in the Yellowstone National Park area. I dont see any direct relationship between these two sequences, he said.

The USGS reports the Lincoln quake was one of 20 within the last week and 236 within the last month.

Social media also shook with news of the quake, with Montanans sharing photos of stores where items fell off shelves, stories of being shaken awake and pets that were either on full alert or snoozed through the whole thing.

Dutton who was in the western side of his county surveying for damage, said he heard from the state Department of Emergency Services that this kind of seismic activity was likely to continue another two months.

Id buy some Velcro tape and start latching cabinet doors, he said. "We don't tend to pay attention around here to these things that might fall down and hurt you. We don't pay attention to things that might impale you in places where you're sleeping or dining. We got to remember it's going to happen again."

Zach Muse, Lincoln's volunteer fire chief, said he had three volunteers out when the quake was first reported and 10 making the rounds later in the day. Muse said visible emergency responders helped bring a sense of calm.

His biggest concern was fuel. Gas station pumps where running slow, which worried people.

Fuel is the biggest hing. If the tanks are comprised, were in trouble.

Dutton said his 911 call enter received 257 calls, most of which were of the "Did you know you had an earthquake" nature.

A better system is needed, he said, because it was difficult to connect outbound calls to responders. On the other hand, he said social media and the reverse-911 system worked well.

Petr Yakovlev, a geologist at the Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology in Butte, was up on Stemple Pass searching for the epicenter, which could be a small crack in the earth or another sign of disturbance. He said the quake was 19 kilometers, or about 12 miles, below the surface on one of two faults in the area. (Estimates of the quake's depth varied; the U.S. Geological Survey estimated the depth at 11.1 kilometers).

The bureau just finished mapping the area geologically in the last two years. On the map there's a big hole between Helena and the Flathead where nothing is supposed to happen.

"I guess it did," Yakovlev said. Thursday's quake was the first he'd experienced.
MISSOULA  The earthquake south of Lincoln that shook people from Spokane to Billings occurred along a fault not previously mapped by seismologists, which is not surprising in a region less studied than the seismically active West Coast.

We know many faults around here from their signature on the landscape or because they have had little or big earthquakes on them, but there are very likely many more we dont know about because theyve been quiet like this one, said Rebecca Bendick, an associate professor at the University of Montana who studies earthquakes, the formation of mountains and natural disasters worldwide.

Going forward there will probably be a dashed line on fault maps somewhere near Lincoln.

Montanas quake risk is unique, although the exact causes of it remain in debate, said Mike Stickney, seismologist at the Earthquake Studies Office of the Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology on the Montana Tech campus in Butte.

If you look globally, it is interesting and unusual to have a seismic belt such as we have form far from an active plate tectonic boundary, he said.

What is an earthquake?

Many fault lines in Montana remain unmapped. Yellowstone National Park has more quakes but weaker ones than those like the one centered near Lincoln. To understand why, it helps to review what an earthquake is and how the states iconic peaks formed.

Even though for us the surface of the Earth feels pretty firm, its always moving around super duper slowly, Bendick said.

Earths crust is not solid, but made from several tectonic plates that are pushed under, over or alongside each other where they collide.

The San Andreas and Cascadia faults are classic examples. In California, a plate that forms the part of the floor of the Pacific Ocean grinds along the side of another plate, moving several centimeters each year. Along the Northwest coast, an ocean plate slides underneath another that forms the western edge of the continent.

The faults in Montana are smaller and far from the edge of a tectonic plate. They move just millimeters or fractions of a millimeter each year, Stickney said. They are, in effect, cracks formed by extra pressures in the middle of the larger plate.

The basic physics of all earthquakes are the same. Bendick compared them to shooting a rubber band at a friend.

When you pull back a rubber band, you gradually load it with potential energy. Letting go of that rubber band releases the energy suddenly, shooting it forward. Faults store and release energy similarly.

Fault lines are sticky, Bendick said, so as forces are applied to the crust, the earth bends and stretches, loading it with energy. These tectonic pressures are unnoticeable to humans without scientific monitoring tools. But when they're released, they can shake walls or topple buildings.

When that bending finally is too much, the fault slips all of a sudden, she said. The earth lurches and shifts as it releases the stored energy. Thats an earthquake.

Types of earthquakes

There are three kinds of faults that shape the Earth in different ways.

Strike-slip faults, like the one near Lincoln and the San Andreas, are places with vertical fractures where rocks slide past each other horizontally with little upward or downward motion.

Normal faults occur when the crust is stretched to a breaking point, pulling apart to form a valley.

Reverse or thrust faults are places where one piece of the crust slides over the top of another, such as the Cascadia fault.

Each type creates unique seismic readings, which is how Montana seismologists were quickly able to determine the Lincoln earthquake was caused by a strike-slip fault even though they had not mapped or studied it.

Bendick compared those seismic signatures to musical genres.

You can hear a song youve never heard before and know its pop or its classical but that doesnt mean you know the artist or the name of the song, she said.

Yellowstone and the Intermountain Seismic Belt

The planets crust is thinner in the region near Yellowstone National Park, which sits on top of a collapsed super volcano. The Yellowstone hotspot bakes the surface and softens it. Thats why minor earthquakes are more frequent and a very big earthquake is less likely in the immediate region. The crust is weaker so it cant store up as much energy before being released, just like a thinner string will snap before a thicker one.

Activity in the Yellowstone region generally is unrelated to movement elsewhere in the Intermountain Seismic Belt, Stickney and Bendick said.

The Intermountain web of fault lines stretches from the Kalispell area through Lincoln and Helena toward Yellowstone. It then splits into two forks. The main one reaches the Wasatch Mountains and Salt Lake City in Utah. The smaller one branches into southwest Montana and central Idaho.

Stickney said the quake that originated about nine miles underground near Lincoln appears to be connected to an ancient zone of faults that runs basically from Helena through Missoula all the way to Spokane. That area, dubbed the Lewis and Clark Zone, is composed of 12 major faults.

He said many of Montanas modern earthquakes appear to be related to that old fault zone, which essentially is a network of weak points vulnerable to shift under modern tectonic stresses.

Identifying faults

The states known faults were identified one of two ways: with geographic clues of the landscape or because of earthquakes.

Bendick said one way to identify a strike-slip fault like the newly discovered one near Lincoln is to look for creeks and rivers that have a little jog in them, where the earth sheared sideways and redirected the water flow.

Many of western Montanas iconic mountain ranges also were formed bysudden seismic activity along a fault. That includes the Madison, Centennial, Tendoy, Red Rock, Big Belt and Mission ranges. When the tension at a fault was released, portions of the earths crust shot upward or cracked and folded to form peaks. Often, the valleys below lie along the fault line.

Most, if not all of those obvious range fronts were made by faulting over the last few million years, Bendick said. Which of those are active now and whether or not there are any little faults being created, we honestly dont really know. Its uncharted territory.

Scientists have spent more time studying bigger, faster faults, like those on the West Coast. They have larger teams, more monitoring equipment and more residents who submit citizen reports to flesh out their data collections. New technologies, like GPS, are making it easier to study the geologic forces at play in more remote areas like Montana, Bendick said.
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A 'high level' Nottingham drug dealer who was jailed for his part in a 1m cocaine conspiracy has been told by top judges that his 11-year jail term was fully derserved.

Anton Robinson, now 22, was one of 14 men caged for their roles in the plot to move high-purity cocaine into Nottingham from London, via Northamptonshire.

Robinson, of Susan Drive, Basford, was locked up in October last year at Nottingham Crown Court after being convicted of conspiracy to supply cocaine.

On Thursday, July 6, at London's Appeal Court, Judge Martyn Zeidman QC heard him argue he had been treated more harshly than other members of the gang.

The judge, sitting with Lord Justice Treacy and Mrs Justice May, heard Robinson's lawyers argue he had not played a "leading role" in the plot.

But Judge Zeidman ruled: "He was a high-level drug dealer in Nottingham, selling wholesale to other drug-dealers.

"The trial judge...had the opportunity during the course of the trial of assessing the particular role played by each of the conspirators.

"That gave the trial judge a real advantage in terms of the overall assessment.

"We have considered whether there was any unfairness in the sentence received by Robinson in comparison to those imposed on the others."

But the judge concluded: "There is no valid disparity argument.

"There is no basis on which it can be argued that this sentence was manifestly excessive or wrong in principle and this application is refused."

More than 7kg of cocaine, worth a potential street value of around 1 million, half a kilo of cannabis, worth in excess of 7,500, and quantities of ketamine, MDEC (recreational designer drug ethylone) and morphine were uncovered during the police investigation into the gang.


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Big names from Nottingham have thrown their backing behind a bid to bring Channel 4 to the city.

The founder of Experian and Nottingham Trent Universitys vice-chancellor are among the people who have submitted a response to the Governments consultation on increasing the regional impact of the TV broadcaster by moving it away from London.

Nottingham is one of a number of UK cities that could be considered for its new home, creating potential for regional economic growth and better connecting it to creative talent across the country.

The bid has been led by Marketing NG, the organisation tasked with promoting the city and wider county, and it has identified two potential city centre sites for a new head office.

They are the Boots Island site in the citys Eastside and Unity Square, opposite Nottingham railway station, which have both been earmarked for redevelopment.

Brendan Moffett, chief executive at Marketing NG, said: We believe the Midlands is the right choice for Channel 4  the region is home to a young, digitally talented community, and Nottingham could offer a very high profile location and excellent creative community links.

Nottingham is a city renowned for its pioneering spirit and desire to drive change through constant innovation.

We believe this spirit is a perfect fit for Channel 4, with its remit to reflect the strength and diversity of the modern British creative economy and represent the voices of a new generation.

Nottingham would provide the perfect location to help Channel 4 connect with the very best regional talent and deliver significant value to the local economy.

Mr Moffet said that Nottingham has a history of nurturing leading businesses  from global fashion empire Paul Smith to Experian, Capital One, Boots and Speedo.

He believes Channel 4 would have a significant presence in the city, and its relocation here would further boost the regeneration of the city centre, which is already underway with works such as in the Broadmarsh area.

Ian Curryer, chief executive of Nottingham City Council, said: "We support the bid to bring Channel 4 to Nottingham and believe it would a great for the city. Nottingham is a hugely creative city, full of inspiring people and projects, who are passionate about arts, culture and media.

The Island Site or Unity Square would both be perfect sites for Channel 4 to make their home, with a great central location and easy transport links to London. Plus with two top universities in the city, there is an abundance of talent coming up through the ranks.

"Nottingham is already home to some of the worlds biggest companies and some of the most creative and innovative media companies and Channel 4 would thrive in this city.

Professor Edward Peck, vice-chancellor at Nottingham Trent University, said: We support the consultation submitted and its proposal of Nottingham as an ideal location for Channel 4 in future.

A relocation to Nottingham would both benefit from and contribute greatly to student development opportunities, strengthening further the creative industries sector here and growing the talent base of the City.

Sir John Peace, who founded Experian, is the chairman of the Midlands Engine  the vehicle for bringing investment and creating jobs in the region.

He added: Channel 4 coming to the Midlands would be a vote of confidence in the regions ability to lead the national challenge of driving economic growth and furthering our ambitions to be known nationally and internationally as the best place in Britain to live, work, study and invest.

Mr Moffettt said the broadcaster could benefit from a deep talent pool in the city and wider region, with two gold standard universities and a wide catchment area fore recruitment with 1.1 million people living in Greater Nottingham  which also has the youngest workforce of the UKs core cities.

More than 1 billion has been invested in the citys infrastructure in recent years, including the extension of the citys tram network.

Mr Moffett added: Although the East Midlands is the fastest growing economy in the UK outside of the South East, there is still a major gap when it comes to London and the rest of the country. Theres a reason Nottingham needs a growth opportunity like this.

Nottingham is perfectly compatible with Channel 4s ethos and values. Its a youthful, creative, energetic and enterprising city, and an opportunity like this would be transformational for the local economy.

Channel 4 has issued a 46-page document in response to the Government's consultation saying it agrees with plans to support regional economic growth.

It says: "We are committed to increasing our contribution to the Nations and Regions in a meaningful, balanced and sustainable way and in accordance with our existing statutory duties."

It also uses a number of examples of how the channel supports regional production companies - however there is no mention of Nottingham in the entire document.

The response also says the channel has had meeting with stakeholders, from which there was "little or no discernable support" for a full or majority relocation of Channel 4.
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A diabetes sufferer told a jury that he was mystified how a night of joking ended with him accused of stabbing a friend.

Attilla Luzsanyi, 54, denied the assault which began when a crutch was used to whack the victim on the head just before midnight.

The visitor, said to be a friend for 20 years, ended up with five stab wounds in the chest, Nottingham Crown Court heard. He made a good recovery and gave evidence at the trial.

Luzsanyi said he went to a Wetherspoon's pub in the city and had two pints of Guinness before buying up to 12 cans of strong Polish beer that morning.

He took these to his bedsit on Player Street, Radford.

That night his friend arrived with a man nicknamed Dread, who brought his pet parrot with him.

Luzsanyi said: "We started talking, having a laugh and a joke at something. His parrot had been making us laugh because it does mad little tricks."

As well as having medication for diabetes, he told the court that he needs painkiller for a frozen shoulder, which has been a long-standing problem.

"I may have drunk too much sugar. Sometimes I get more than I should do," he said.

He said he had no memory of the incident where the friend was stabbed.

"If I would, I would have come out with it straightaway. I don't know, I don't recall it," he told the jury.

Gareth Weetman, defending, asked where the knife was kept.

"It is usually on the floor where my food is, to cut my onions and potatoes," he went on.

Mr Weetman asked: "Do you have any memory of picking the knife up and putting it against his chest?"

Luzsanyi told him: "No, no, not at all."

Gurdial Singh, prosecuting, told him: "It is a possibility you did pick up this knife. You can't exclude it, can you?"

The defendant replied: "No, I can't. It could have been someone else. I don't remember doing anything."

Mr Singh pointed out that Luzsanyi had been convicted of a similar offence seven years ago, adding: "It is almost identical to what happened here. You have a pre-disposition to violence."

Luzsanyi said: "If I knew what I was doing I would accept it and admit to my guilt. I just can't remember it."

The court has been told the wounded man was found on Alfreton Road shortly after he had been stabbed on January 20. One early report said the injuries had been inflicted by unknown men on the street and not in Luzsanyi's flat.

Paramedics found "five visible puncture wounds," the largest a centimetre wide. He was taken to the Queen's Medical Centre shortly after midnight.

Within four hours, medics were able to confirm that his life was not in danger.

The injured man blamed former friend Luzsanyi, who pleads not guilty to intentional malicious wounding and an alternative charge of unlawful wounding on January 20.

All the evidence has been given and the jury has begun to consider its verdicts.
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A primary school pupil has donated her brand new BMX bike to a charity very close to her heart.

Eight-year-old Ruby Moreton, who attends Netherfield Primary School, received the bike as part of the school's pupil reward scheme - and has donated it to a charity which was created in memory of her family friend, Harley Jae who sadly passed away in 2013 at the age of seven.

The scheme allows the pupils to collect points for showing good school values and using the points collected they can claim prizes.

Ruby collected a number of points over an 18-months period, which she put towards a big prize of a BMX.

She said: "I wanted to get the BMX because it was the best reward, but I already have a bike so I thought I would give it to charity.

"My dad's friend's son Harley died when he was seven and they've made a charity. I thought I could give it to them because I know it's sad so I thought I would make them happy."

Ruby handed the bike over to Danielle Walker, general manager of The Harley Jae Trust, during the school assembly on July 7, who said she was delighted to receive the bike.

She said: "We are overwhelmed by Ruby's generosity and the hard work that has gone into achieving her school reward, and then donating to our charity.

"The BMX will be raffled off at our teddy bears' picnic event in September and all proceeds will go towards buying new equipment for the paediatric critical care unit at the QMC. Well done Ruby and thank you so much on behalf of all of us at the Harley Jae Trust."

Proud mum Annette Moreton said: "Ruby said straightaway that she wanted to go for the bike, but as she had one already wouldn't it be nicer to give it to someone who needs it?

"Our friends and family already do fundraising for the Harley Jae charity, which raises money for equipment for seriously ill children, so it seemed the obvious choice."

The rewards scheme at the school is to encourage children to show integrity and perseverance, which are important school values.

Peter Hardern, the head teacher of Netherfield Primary School, said: "Our rewards point scheme motivates children to work hard, make the right choices and attend regularly. We like it when children save up their points for one of our bigger prizes  like a bike  because it helps remind others what we value.

"We're especially proud of Ruby, firstly for her hard work and secondly, for her generosity  well done."
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Heavy rain hit parts of Notts yesterday after hot weather caused intense storms to form.

A weather warning was in force yesterday afternoon due to heavy storms heading to Notts.

And while many places missed the intense rain, where they did hit the rain caused roads to flood temporarily - with this footage shot in West Bridgford yesterday evening (Thursday, July 6).

A Met Office spokesman told the Post it was hard to say just how much rain had fallen due to the isolated nature of the storms.

They said: "There were some intense, heavy showers yesterday, but some places had them and some didn't, and our figures depend on one of these falling on one of our weather stations.

"To put them into context, one of our stations at High Mowthorpe in Yorkshire over 12 hours had 35.4mm.

"But accumulations are not as much of the issue as the intensity which caused issues."

Those areas which missed storms yesterday are not likely to see any serious rain over the coming days.

The spokesman said: "There's a small chance of storms bubbling up in parts of Scotland and in the south from Saturday into Sunday, but where Nottinghamshire is there's little chance of storms of any intensity, just a few light showers."
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Handmade Burger Co  which has a restaurant in Nottingham  has reportedly collapsed into administration.

The chain, which sells more than 40 different specialist burgers, has appointed Leonard Curtis Recovery as administrator  which told The Times that nine of its 29 outlets have closed.

It added that the remaining outlets will continue to trade as normal if it finds a solution which will enable as many jobs as possible to be preserved.

The company, which has almost 900 employees, opened a branch at the intu Victoria Centre in November 2015.

The Post has contacted Leonard Curtis Recovery to find out what the future holds for the Nottingham outlet, which is located at the shopping centre's Milton Street entrance.

The business, which had its website was down this morning (Friday, July 7), is now seeking approval from creditors to pursue a company voluntary arrangement but if that is not achieved, it will seek a buyer for the chain.

Handmade Burger Co is the latest restaurant chain with a presence at the intu Victoria Centre to collapse, following on from the closures of Joes Kitchen in October last year and Coast to Coast in February.

Eds Diner also went into administration in October but was saved from closure after it was taken over by the owner of the Giraffe restaurant chain.
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Thousands of twitchers have flocked to a remote quarry on the edge of a village to try and get a glimpse of a bird rarely spotted in the UK.

Bird watchers came out in their numbers when they descended on the site in order to get a sighting of the European bee-eater.

The yellow, blue and brown beauty is more often found in southern Europe and North Africa, and the last time one was spotted in Nottinghamshire was back in 1970.

But a total of seven birds have been spotted at the Cemex quarry on Lings Farm in East Leake, with the first being seen last Sunday (June 25).

The sighting got the bird watching community all in a flutter and prompted around 2,500 enthusiasts to make their way to the site.

European bee-eaters have only been known to nest six times in Britain since 1920, but are becoming more common in recent years due to climate change.

The bird was last spotted in the UK in 2015 and intentional or reckless disturbance of a bee-eater nest is a criminal offence in the UK.

Tim Sexton, from Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust, said: "As the name suggests they feed mostly on bees however they have also been seen eating dragonflies, butterflies and moths at East Leake.

"Throughout Monday the birds were regularly seen mating and passing food to each other - a strong indication that they are looking to breed.

"The habitat within the quarry should provide all they need in terms of nesting opportunities.

"There is an active sand martin colony on site and the birds have been seen going to roost with the sand martins each evening.

"We are not yet sure how many pairs are present, however, should they stay to breed then they could be here until mid to end of August.

"In the last 50 years, there has been just a handful of breeding attempts by this species in the UK and this would be the first for Nottinghamshire."
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Nottingham Forest have signed a teenage defender from Manchester City.

The Reds announced the capture of 18-year-old Joe Coveney on Friday.

Centre-back Coveney has put pen to paper on a two-year deal at the City Ground, and the club has confirmed he will join their Under-23s squad ahead of the new season.

The youngster helped City win the Under 18 Premier League North trophy last season, and has chosen to join Forest at the end of a two-year scholarship at the Etihad.

A statement on the Reds website read: Nottingham Forest are pleased to announce the signing of young defender Joe Coveney from Manchester City who will now join up with The Reds' Under 23 side.

The 18-year-old, who is most comfortable when playing at the heart of the back-four, is known for his excellent distribution of the ball and has put pen to paper on a two-year deal at The City Ground.

Coveney signed a two-year scholarship with Manchester City in 2015 and helped them to win the Under 18 Premier League North trophy last season but has now opted to make the switch to join The Reds.
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Adam Lyth and Shaun Marsh posted half-centuries as Yorkshire got their NatWest T20 Blast campaign off to a flyer with a record-breaking 48-run win over Notts Outlaws at Headingley.

The Vikings amassed 227 for five, their highest ever T20 score, with opener Lyth hitting 82 off 50 balls and Australian debutant Marsh adding 60 not out off 37.

They shared 83 inside nine overs for the third wicket before Alex Hales smacked 47 off 26 balls to raise Notts hopes early on in their chase.

But they had too much to do after he departed at 55 for two in the seventh and finished with 179 for eight.

Lyth and Marsh underpinned Yorkshire's innings after winning the toss and were further boosted by David Willey (25 off 13), Jack Leaning (17 off seven) and Peter Handscomb (21 off seven).

The first time the Vikings run-rate dropped below 10 came in the ninth over, with Samit Patel getting Willey caught at long-on with his second ball.

Lyth pulled the second legitimate ball of the match for six off Luke Wood, but that was over the long boundary towards the East Stand side of Headingley.

The majority of the hosts' 11 sixes went to the short Western Terrace boundary, and Notts could not get any control.

Lyth hit New Zealand leg-spinner Ish Sodhi over long-on to bring up his fifty in style off 32 balls before later falling as one of three wickets to Harry Gurney, skying a catch behind.

Marsh was happy to get his fellow left-hander on strike early on before opening his shoulders. He reached his fifty off 43.

Leaning hit Steven Mullaney for back-to-back sixes in the 17th over before Handscomb did likewise off Luke Fletcher in the 19th.

Yorkshire scored 52 runs off their last three overs.

Notts got their chase off to a healthy start thanks to two sixes for Hales in first three overs, including one straight off England team-mate Willey.

The Outlaws had reached 32 without loss in the fourth by the time Hales was dropped on 30 at deep square by Azeem Rafiq off captain Tim Bresnan, who had Michael Lumb caught at mid-off later in the over - 33 for one.

Hales scored 42 of the first 50 runs, brought up in the sixth over.

Rafiq atoned for his earlier error with his first ball, in the seventh over, by getting Hales caught at deep mid-wicket, leaving Notts at 55 for two.

Adil Rashid bowled Samit Patel and Rafiq struck again in the eleventh, getting Rikki Wessels caught and bowled as Notts fell to 84 for four in the eleventh. And they could not recover.

They reached 15 overs at 126 for four, still needing 102.

Rafiq finished with two for 38 and Rashid one for 22 from their four-over spells, while Steve Patterson added two late wickets.

Tom Moores finished unbeaten on 23 in his T20 debut for the club as he takes over behind the stumps from Chris Read in the competition.

For Yorkshire, who face Derbyshire at Chesterfield on Saturday, the crowd of 10,037 was their highest ever outside a Roses clash.

Notts go to Birmingham Bears on Saturday evening.
WASHINGTON  Several states are seeking to join a legal challenge to a Trump administration decision to keep a widely used pesticide on the market despite studies showing it can harm children's brains.

Led by New York, the coalition filed a motion Wednesday to intervene in a legal fight over the continued spraying of chlorpyrifos on food. Massachusetts, Maryland, Vermont, Washington, and the District of Columbia are also seeking to join the suit pending before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in San Francisco.

The states claim that Environmental Protection Agency chief Scott Pruitt violated the law by ending his agency's effort to ban the pesticide sold by Dow Chemical after federal scientists concluded it can interfere with the brain development of fetuses and infants. Federal law requires EPA to ensure that pesticides used on food in the United States are safe for human consumption  especially by children, who studies show are typically far more sensitive to negative effects from pesticides.

"Job No. 1 for the EPA should be protecting Americans' wellbeing, especially that of our children," said Eric Schneiderman, the attorney general of New York, in announcing the legal action. "Yet the administration is jeopardizing our kids' health, allowing the use of a toxic pesticide for which it can't even identify a safe level."

The EPA said Thursday it was reviewing the lawsuit.

Pruitt told Congress last month his decision was based on "meaningful data and meaningful science." Despite repeated requests, EPA has thus far not provided The Associated Press with copies of any scientific studies Pruitt consulted in determining the pesticide is safe.

Public-health advocates have been pushing for years to ban chlorpyrifos, which is commonly sprayed on citrus fruits, apples, cherries and other crops. Lawyers for Dow and the makers of two other organophosphate pesticides also asked the Trump administration "to set aside" the results of government studies showing they pose a risk to nearly every federally protected endangered species.

Last month, the American Academy of Pediatrics also urged EPA to ban chlorpyrifos. The group representing more than 66,000 pediatricians and pediatric surgeons said it is "deeply alarmed" by Pruitt's decision to allow the pesticide's continued use.

Dow, which sells chlorpyrifos through its subsidiary Dow AgroSciences, did not immediately comment Thursday. In the past, the company has said it helps American farmers feed the world "with full respect for human health and the environment."

Spending more than $13.6 million on lobbying in 2016, Dow has long wielded substantial political power in Washington. Dow CEO Andrew Liveris is a close adviser to President Donald Trump and the company gave $1 million for Trump's inaugural activities.

Similar to a chemical spray developed as a weapon prior to World War II, Dow has been selling chlorpyrifos for use on farms since the 1960s. It is now among the most widely used agricultural pesticides in the United States, with about 5 million pounds sold domestically each year.

As a result, traces of the chemical are commonly found in sources of drinking water. A 2012 study at the University of California at Berkeley found that 87 percent of umbilical-cord blood samples tested from newborn babies contained detectable levels of chlorpyrifos.

Under pressure from federal regulators over safety concerns, Dow voluntarily withdrew chlorpyrifos for use as a home insecticide in 2000. EPA also placed "no-spray" buffer zones around sensitive sites, such as schools, in 2012. But a coalition of advocacy groups including the Natural Resources Defense Council and the Pesticide Action Network said those proposals don't go far enough and filed a federal lawsuit seeking a national ban on the pesticide.

In October 2015, the Obama administration proposed banning the pesticide's use on food. A risk assessment memo issued in November by nine EPA scientists concluded: "There is a breadth of information available on the potential adverse neurodevelopmental effects in infants and children as a result of prenatal exposure to chlorpyrifos."
Kevin Knoedlers robot had a mission: After a Martian habitat was damaged by a dust storm, the robot had to align an antenna, deploy a solar panel, walk up stairs to the habitat, and find and repair a leak.

Not only did the 1990 North Platte High School graduates robot took home the top prize in a virtual-reality competition  it completed its mission on the first run. In addition to a $50,000 bonus for the clean run, Knoedler won $125,000 for first place in the late June competition.

But tinkering with robots isnt Knoedlers profession. Knoedler is a stay-at-home father. He moved to Newbury Park, California, after graduating from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with his bachelors degree in engineering. He worked in programming before taking on his role as a stay-at-home dad 10  years ago, while his wife, a chemical engineer, works in the semiconductor industry. His children are 8 and 11.

Knoedler said his interest in the robotics competition was somewhere between a hobby and based on my previous work.

The Global Space Robotics Challenge aimed to engage citizen solvers, according to a NASA press release. NASA officials hope that someday, robots can arrive on missions ahead of astronauts and set up habitats and life support systems. Eventually, robots may even begin preliminary scientific research, according to the release.

When the competition was announced last August, 400 teams from 55 countries pre-registered. Ninety-two competed in the qualification round, and the top 20 advanced, each earning $15,000.

Knoedler said that as a high school student in North Platte, he didnt jump into programming.

It was more just learning the basics, he said. Math. Science. How to study, how to learn.

Regardless, Knoedler gives credit to his teachers in North Platte for igniting the spark.

Knoedler said a big chunk of his prize money will go to taxes. Hell use the rest of it for future robotics projects and for his childrens college savings fund.

Knoedler has seen his kids show a little interest in robotics already.

Its hard to say at this point, he said.
From the beginning of Nebraskaland Days through Independence Day, alcohol-related arrests in North Platte have remained low. The rest of Lincoln County saw more arrests closer to the holiday than during the state celebration.

During Nebraskaland Days, June 14-25, the North Platte Police Department made five arrests for driving under the influence. Thats one more DUI arrest than police made during the celebration last year, said Investigator John Deal.

Between June 30 and July 4, police made one DUI arrest; last year they made none, Deal said. While the Lincoln County Sheriffs Office only made one or two arrests during Nebraskaland Days, theyve made five for DUI since June 30, said Sgt. Larry Meyer.

The Sheriffs Office has beefed up its enforcement thanks to a grant that began June 30; the special enforcement wraps up Sunday. Any time the July 4 holiday lands in the middle of the week, as it did this year, the Sheriffs Office tries to obtain the grant for both weekends, Meyer said.

Both Deal and Meyer said the numbers of DUIs and other arrests during the celebrations have decreased in 20 years, even in 10 years, Meyer said. In his 12 years working for the Sheriffs Office, I can tell you its mellowed considerably, he said.

While Nebraskaland Days Wild West Arena is in the Police Departments jurisdiction, deputies work amps up for the Fourth of July, as more people head to area lakes, Meyer said. The workload doesnt decrease after the holiday.

Its pretty much all summer for us, Meyer said.

Meyer credited the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission with helping lower the workload in recent years, saying they tend to keep Lake Maloney under control.

Julie Geiser, public information officer for Nebraska Game and Parks, said enforcement has increased in recent years. She also mentioned more enforcement at Keith Countys Lake McConaughy.

Deal said that private security working for Nebraskaland Days also helps keep arrest numbers low. The celebrations executive director, David Fudge, said private security personnel began working its events at least 10 years ago. The security workers, alongside police officers, watch for those who should no longer be served and who have drunk too much, Fudge said. Deal and Fudge also noted the city has provided a shuttle service at the Wild West Arena for three or four years.

From stories that I heard from other people, Nebraskaland Days was like the Wild West, Deal said. I think times have changed in a lot of ways too.

Deal said the celebration has become more of a safe, family-friendly environment in recent years, and the Police Department has shifted from years of letting minors in possession off easy, or making a DUI driver walk home instead of arresting them.

We just dont do that anymore, he said, calling the departments policy zero tolerance, in part because of lawsuit liability should a minor in possession get hurt after being released by police.

Still, with the option of the city shuttle and people being more aware of DUI wrecks, I think people are getting safe rides, Deal said. It seems different than it used to be.

While fires caused no major structural damage in the area over the Fourth of July weekend, the North Platte Fire Department reported nine grass fires July 3 and 4.

Two of the grass fires were near Lake Maloney and at Sonic in North Platte.

At all of the grass fires, as well as two trash fires and one reported in the back of a truck, residents either extinguished the fire before crews arrived or firefighters extinguished the flames quickly.
After installing a viaduct in Hershey late last year, workers with Nebraskas Department of Transportation plan to move on to phase two of the project.

Workers will realign and resurface the existing highway  called Lincoln Avenue through town  before relinquishing the road to the village, said Gary Thayer, district engineer for the Department of Transportation.

This week, the department announced other projects in Lincoln and surrounding counties this week to be completed through the 2018 fiscal year. The projects use taxpayers highway use dollars, according to a press release from the department. The total amount spent in District 6 will come to $41,659.

On westbound Interstate 80:

 Resurfacing just past mile marker 170 for 5.9 miles.

 Sealing cracks near mile marker 150 at Sutherland.

On east- and westbound Interstate 80:

 Sealing road cracks just past mile marker 176 for 8.9 miles.

 Sealing cracks near mile marker 164 near Hershey for about 7 miles.

 Sealing cracks near mile marker 144 near Paxton for nearly 7 miles.

 Sealing cracks from Lexington to Overton for 10  miles.

On U.S. Highway 30:

 Resurfacing and milling seven miles between Hershey and Sutherland just past mile marker 157.

 Milling and resurfacing just more than nine miles between Gothenburg and Cozad, beginning just past mile marker 213.

Other area projects:

 Milling and resurfacing 10 miles on U.S. Highway 61 north in Keith County near Lake McConaughy, beginning just past mile marker 99.

 Milling and resurfacing nearly 11 miles near Thedford beginning near mile marker 210 on northbound U.S. Highway 2.
This letter is in response to the ongoing issues with Medicaid. This news is discouraging as those who are on Medicaid have disabilities or are children of poverty. These are people who often do not have resources or channels to be heard when they are discriminated against.

The issues with payments and health providers are not new. Two years ago, when searching for a general health provider for my son with disabilities, I called close to 30 health care providers before finding one who would accept him as a patient. He was and currently is on his fathers health insurance and will be until he is 26. Medicaid was and is his secondary resource for health insurance. Still, health providers did not want him as a patient knowing that Medicaid would eventually be his primary health care provider.

The current Nebraska and federal administration are seeking to cut Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act. When individuals cannot afford or are not provided health care, the emergency rooms of hospitals become their primary care providers. Hospitals are required to provide health care regardless of your ability to pay. Visits to the emergency room are very costly. Patients without health care wait until they have serious health care issues, which could have been prevented with early intervention. These costs are then absorbed by consumers with insurance and the ability to pay, resulting in increases in health care costs and insurance premiums.

Urge our state and national senators to ensure health care for all!

Angie Heckman

Lincoln
MATTOON -- U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin touted the benefits of the Affordable Care Act on Thursday, calling attempts to replace the plan shortsighted for citizens and risky to health care providers.

The Illinois Democrat met with officials at Sarah Bush Lincoln Health Center to discuss the current federal law and efforts to repeal and replace it since the change in presidential administrations earlier this year.

"It turned out to be a little more complicated," Durbin said. "The American people said repealing it isn't enough."

Recent Republican proposals received criticism on both sides of the issue, with some saying it cut too much and others arguing it "didn't go far enough," he said.

He noted the latest bill stalled in the Senate and Republican leadership has yet to put it up for a vote. Repealing the ACA was one of President Donald Trump's campaign promises and a goal of Republican lawmakers since it was put in place.

Durbin said the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimated that, with the new proposal, 23 million people in the country and 1 million in Illinois would lose insurance coverage.

The ACA is often referred to as "Obamacare" because of its adoption during former President Barack Obama's administration. Durbin said the current law contains provisions, such as guaranteed care for those with pre-existing conditions, that are "now at risk."

"Every major medical group opposes the bill," he said of the Republican proposal.

SBLHC President Jerry Esker told Durbin that repealing the ACA would present a "significant hardship" for health care providers.

Unpaid bills have decreased from about 8 percent in 2013 to less than 3 percent now, Esker said, which he called a "substantial" change for a $300 million operation.

The additional revenue from treating people with insurance coverage has meant more treatment programs and help funding construction projects such as SBLHC's new cancer center, Esker also said.

Though SBLHC has conducted many building and program expansions during its 40-year existence, several before the ACA was in place, Esker said the additional revenue "amped up that expansion."
According to a study commissioned by the Interstate Natural Gas Association of America, the U.S. and Canada will need to invest $546 billion in building new oil and gas midstream infrastructure through 2035. Of that amount, the industry will need to spend between $290 billion and $376 billion -- about 60% of the total at the midpoint -- on new natural gas-related infrastructure, including gas gathering and transmission lines, as well as processing, storage, and liquefied natural gas (LNG) export facilities. It's a long-term trend that plays right into the hands of Williams Companies (NYSE: WMB) and its master limited partnership, Williams Partners (NYSE: WPZ), because of the prime location of their natural gas infrastructure.

Hitting the accelerator on natural gas demand

Fueling the need for additional natural gas infrastructure is the expectation that natural gas demand in North America will accelerate over the next few years. After growing at a 3.2% compound annual rate from 2010 through 2016, gas demand growth is projected to increase by a 3.8% compound annual rate through 2021, according to analysts at Wood Mackenzie. Several factors drive that forecast, including the recent or upcoming completion of new gas-fired power plants, petrochemical plants, and LNG export facilities.

Because these new facilities run on natural gas, each requires a connection to the country's gas pipeline infrastructure, which drives expansion opportunities for pipeline companies. For example, Cheniere Energy (NYSEMKT: LNG) has two LNG export facilities under construction along the Gulf Coast that need access to a steady supply of natural gas. As a result, Cheniere Energy signed long-term supply contracts with Williams Partners, which led to the construction of the Gulf Trace and Gulf Connector projects. Meanwhile, there are 88 new natural gas-fired power plants under construction in the U.S., including 54 located near Williams' existing infrastructure. That proximity of these plants to its pipelines opened the door for Williams to build the Dalton Expansion, Hillabee phase 1 and 2, and Virginia Southside II, which will bring gas supplies to some of these facilities.

Location, location, location

Overall, Williams Companies has already captured $7 billion of expansion opportunities just along its key Transco pipeline, which runs along the East Coast from New York City to Texas. The largest project is its $2.6 billion Atlantic Sunrise Project, which should enter service in the middle of next year and help move gas from the Marcellus shale to end users in the Mid-Atlantic, including Dominion's (NYSE: D) Cove Point LNG export terminal in Maryland. Williams estimates that upcoming Transco expansions will supply it with $900 million incremental EBITDA on an annual basis, which represents meaningful earnings growth for a company expected to generate between $4.25 billion to $4.45 billion in adjusted EBITDA this year.

In addition to the projects it has already secured, Williams is pursuing 21 additional expansion opportunities across its interstate pipeline systems along the East and Gulf Coast. These projects would support new power plants, rising industrial demand, and exports via both LNG facilities and pipelines to Mexico. In fact, the company is already in final negotiation on three of those projects.

Meanwhile, the company has several potential demand-related expansion opportunities across the rest of its portfolio. In the West, for example, rising gas demand should drive growth opportunities on its Northwest Pipeline. Meanwhile, two proposed LNG export facilities could eventually get built along the West Coast, which would receive gas supplies from Williams.

Finally, on the supply side, Williams controls a large-scale gathering and processing position in the rapidly growing Marcellus and Utica shale plays, which will account for 70% of natural gas production growth over the next few years. Because of the strategic location of its assets, Williams currently gathers 34% of the gas produced in the region. However, thanks to the acreage dedications from its customers, Williams will capture additional expansion opportunities to build new gathering lines and processing plants as it supports these producers when they increase their gas output to meet the growing pull of demand.

Investor takeaway

Natural gas demand in North America is expected to accelerate in the coming years, which could require as much as $376 billion of new gas-related infrastructure spending by 2035. That long-term trend bodes well for Williams Companies, which should capture an outsize portion of these future expansion opportunities because of the strategic location of its natural gas infrastructure. In fact, the company expects that its investments in new gas-related infrastructure will fuel 10% to 15% annual dividend growth over the next several years, making it an awesome buy for investors.

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SPRINGFIELD  The Illinois House voted Thursday to override Gov. Bruce Rauner's vetoes of a budget package, giving the state its first spending blueprint in more than two years and ending the nation's longest fiscal stalemate since at least the Great Depression.

The action eases some financial woes, but it's fueled by a permanent 32 percent increase in the income tax rate, raising $5 billion more annually, and it reduces spending by more than $2 billion.

Illinois is staring down a $6.2 billion annual deficit and $14.7 billion in past-due bills.

Lawmakers, culminating two straight weeks of a special session that began ahead of the July 1 start of the fiscal year, approved the bill to raise taxes by a 71-42 vote. A plan to spend $36 billion in the fiscal year that began July 1 was OK'd 74-37. An override requires 71 votes.

"Today, Republicans and Democrats stood together to enact a bipartisan, balanced budget and end a destructive, 736 day impasse," House Speaker Michael Madigan, a Chicago Democrat, said after the votes. "I want to thank you all for your perseverance through this unbelievable struggle."

It turned out to be bigger struggle for 67 House Democrats than in the initial tax-increase vote Sunday. Madigan, who next year will become the longest serving state House speaker in the nation's history, had to call upon previously reluctant Democrats to keep the veto-override supermajority intact.

Fifteen Republicans voted "yes" on Sunday. On the override vote Thursday, only 10 pressed their green buttons. Madigan had to rely upon four of his own members who had voted against the tax hike on Sunday.

The override votes were critical for both sides with an election for governor  Rauner already faces several Democratic opponents  and much of the Legislature in 2018.

Both representatives from the Decatur area, Sue Scherer and Bill Mitchell, voted to override the governor's veto.

Mitchell, R-Forsyth, was one of 15 Republicans who voted last week to support the budget and tax increase, and was one of 10 Republicans who voted Thursday to override Rauner's vetoes.

In a phone interview after the vote, Mitchell stressed several times that the new $36 billion budget has $3 billion in cuts from what the state is currently spending through court-ordered payments, and that it increases transportation funding for rural schools in his district.

If Rauner or Madigan had presented a lower budget that would not call for any new taxes, Mitchell said he would have gladly supported it.

"I would have voted for a $32 billion budget if it was presented to me by the Speaker or the governor, but neither of them presented a budget like that where revenues meet expenses," Mitchell said.

Mitchell said the governor had left him a "very nice" voicemail earlier that morning about his vote, but said the two would just have to "agree to disagree" on the presented budget.

One of the bigger surprises Thursday was Scherer voting 'yes' to override Rauner's vetoes, as she previously voted against the income tax increase and has repeatedly stated her opposition to one. She originally voted 'no' to override the veto on Thursday, but switched her vote to help push the tally to 71, the minimum number of votes needed to override.

The Decatur Democrat, who is expected to be one of the Republicans' top targets to replace in next year's election, said in a phone interview that she was in "turmoil" over her decision. She said her hope was that Rauner would come back to the negotiation table after the General Assembly first passed the budget.

As the voting went on Thursday, Scherer said she sat in the chamber and thought about all the school superintendents, hospital chiefs and social service agencies that had contacted her and asked her for help.

"I thought, 'I cannot do the same thing the governor did, I cannot just kick them to the curb.' So I switched to a yes vote," Scherer said.

"I want people to understand that I did everything in my power to convince the governor to please come to the table and work this out through corporate loopholes and getting millionaires to pay their fair share," she said. "He simply would not do it, so I couldnt bear the state to go into total catastrophe."

State Sen. Andy Manar, who voted to override the veto in the Senate on Tuesday, said in a statement that the budget was a starting point to discuss more necessary reforms.

Its not perfect, and we have more work to do, said Manar, D-Bunker Hill. That includes negotiating additional reforms to save money for taxpayers.

The income tax increase means individuals will pay 4.95 percent instead of 3.75 percent. The corporate rate jumps to 7 percent from 5.25 percent.

Rauner rejected the budget plan because he saw no indication that the Democratic-controlled Legislature would send him the "structural" changes he's demanded. Those include a statewide property tax freeze, cost-cutting restrictions on compensation for injured workers, changes to pension benefits for state employees, and reforms making it easier for voters to merge or eliminate local governing bodies.

Instead, the vote to override is "another step in Illinois' never-ending tragic trail of tax hikes," Rauner said in a statement.

The budget "is not balanced, does not cut enough spending or pay down enough debt, and does not help grow jobs or restore confidence in government," the governor said in a statement. "It proves how desperately we need real property tax relief and term limits."

The standoff had effects statewide. Road construction work was shutting down. Public universities, cut to the bone, face a loss of academic accreditation. The United Way predicted the demise of 36 percent of all human-services agencies in Illinois by year's end.

The situation is "immoral," said GOP Rep. David Harris of Arlington Heights.

"There's no joy in voting for a tax increase," Harris said Thursday. "But how long can this impasse go on? We are looking into a financial abyss. The state is imploding financially."

Effects of the impasse were felt throughout Macon County, from stalled construction to struggling agencies. Construction of the Student Success Center at Richland Community College was halted for the second time since 2014, and several Illinois Department of Transportation projects were put on pause.

Many social service agencies reported the potential for cuts, but Dove Inc. was among the hardest hit. Executive Director Christine Gregory said the impasse could lead to closure of Decaturs only domestic violence shelter. It was not immediately clear Thursday how the new budget would affect those projects and programs.

Credit-rating houses threatened to downgrade the state's creditworthiness to "junk," signaling state debt purchases as highly speculative venture. Two agencies gave Illinois some breathing room Monday after the weekend tax vote.

But on Wednesday, a third credit-rating agency, Moody's Investors Service, put Illinois under review for a downgrade even if lawmakers reversed the veto. Despite progress, the package does not address the state's $130 billion unfunded liability in employee pensions or do enough to pay down bills, Moody's said.

"This budget is junk," Rep. Allen Skillicorn, an East Dundee Republican, said before the vote. "Illinois currently has unfunded pension liability of over $100 billion. This budget, these massive tax hikes, don't address that."

Voting was delayed for several hours as authorities investigated a report of a woman throwing a powdery substance in the governor's office. Springfield city Fire Marshal Chris Richmond said powdery substance that prompted a hazardous material investigation was collected from several locations on the second floor, including the governor's office. Rauner was not at the Capitol.

One person was taken into custody, said Dave Druker, a spokesman for the Secretary of State's office, which oversees Capitol security.
Great Lakes steel production shot up to 668,000 tons last week, an increase of 4 percent.

Steel mills in the Great Lakes region cranked out 642,000 tons of metal the previous week, according to the American Iron and Steel Institute. Most of the steel made in the Great Lakes region is produced in Lake and Porter counties in Northwest Indiana.

So far this year, U.S. steelmakers have produced 45 million tons of steel, about 2.1 percent more than they did during the same period in 2016. Steel mills have been running at a capacity of 74.4 percent so far this year, up from 72.6 percent through the same time last year.

Domestic steelmakers used about 73.6 percent of their steelmaking capacity in the week that ended July 1, down from 74.5 percent the previous week, according to the American Iron and Steel Institute. Some analysts say 90 percent would be considered healthy for the industry.

Steelmaking capacity utilization was a slightly healthier 74.5 percent during the same time period in 2016.

Overall, U.S. national steel output dipped by 12,000 tons last week to 1.71 million tons, a 0.69 percent decrease, according to the American Iron and Steel Institute.

Production in the Southern District, nearly always the country's second-largest steel-producing region, which spans mini-mills across the South, fell to 608,000 tons last week, down from 633,000 tons the previous week.
CROWN POINT  A criminal court judge determined Friday at a court hearing that James A. Lohnes was not mentally competent to stand trial for murder charges in the strangling of two women in January 2016 in Calumet Township.

Lohnes, 46, of Crown Point, will be held for 90 days at a mental institution while doctors determine whether he could ever become competent to stand trial.

Lohnes appeared confused at the court hearing in Lake Criminal Court as Judge Samuel L. Cappas explained to him the result of the mental evaluation.

Why didn't they tell me ahead of time I was going up there? he asked.

Cappas scheduled a new status hearing for Oct. 25.

Lake County Prosecutor Bernard Carter explained Friday that if doctors determine Lohnes has regained competency after the 90-day evaluation, the criminal case will proceed.

Otherwise new hearings will be scheduled periodically so the court can be advised of his mental status.

Lohnes faces two counts of murder in the strangling of Velia Taneff, 86, and her daughter, Lana Taneff, 63.

Police were dispatched the afternoon of Jan. 17, 2016, to the mother's property in the 2300 block of West 44th Avenue after receiving a phone call warning that Lohnes was a bad person who did residential work at the Taneff home.

The caller requested police conduct a welfare check because he was unable to reach either Lohnes or Velia Taneff by telephone.

Lana Taneff was discovered dead in the basement of the home on West 44th Avenue. Her mother was found strangled in an upstairs apartment of a building she owned next door to her home.

Lohnes was arrested by Ohio State Police after he was discovered driving drunk in Velia Taneff's blue 2003 Cadillac near Montpelier, Ohio, police said.

His attorneys, John Maksimovich and Arlington J. Foley, requested in January Lohnes be evaluated for mental competency due to his inability to remember critical, material events connected to the charges, according to a motion.

The attorneys noted Lohnes also did not appear to appreciate the gravity of the charges, the motion states.
INDIANAPOLIS  Election security is the watchword as secretaries of state from across the country meet this weekend in Indianapolis amid Republican President Donald Trump's repeated and unsubstantiated allegations of widespread voter fraud.

Indiana's Republican Secretary of State Connie Lawson said Friday that she "can't answer" whether some 5 million fraudulent votes were cast in the 2016 election as Trump claims.

She said she only knows there weren't any illegal votes in Indiana, and her fellow participants at the semi-annual conference of the National Association of Secretaries of State are committed to putting processes and protections in place so that remains the case.

"Everyone's goal here would be to increase the confidence of the American people in the security and integrity of our elections," Lawson said.

The 29 secretaries in attendance, alongside representatives from 37 states total, will be briefed on election hacking threats Saturday by FBI and Homeland Security officials, as well as the organization's own cybersecurity task force.

Connecticut Secretary of State Denise Merrill, a Democrat and the association's president, said the meeting is a rare opportunity for secretaries to learn from each other, identify best practices and collaborate on issues that affect them all.

"This is a nonpartisan organization and frankly one of the few places now that we can discuss sometimes controversial issues," Merrill said.
GARY  In a first-of-its-kind partnership between the Diocese of Gary, Catholic Charities and Habitat for Humanity of Northwest Indiana, a new single-family home will soon become a safe haven for struggling single-parent families.

Groundbreaking ceremonies Thursday morning for The Tabor House at 604 Harrison St. drew dozens of supporters from the three organizations as well as Gary Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson and Gary City Councilman Michael Protho, D-2nd. The home is in Garys 2nd District and will be directly across from Cathedral of the Holy Angels.

This is an innovative creation. Its a place where a single-parent family can truly find a home, Bishop Donald J. Hying of the Diocese of Gary said about the home designed as a temporary shelter to stabilize a family living in a struggling environment.

Housing is often the biggest barrier to a family moving into opportunities for education, employment and maybe becoming a Habitat homeowner, said Jennifer Dyer, executive director of Catholic Charities.

Dyer said a family would live in the home on average 12 to 18 months. The Diocese of Gary and Catholic Charities will work together to identify a family in need, she said.

Dan Klein, executive director of Habitat for Humanity of Northwest Indiana, called the project which began with discussions a year ago the beginning of stabilization of a family. Im excited my board was in favor of this.

The 1,900-square-foot, four-bedroom home features a living room, dinette, kitchen, a laundry room and two full bathrooms, according to plans distributed in the program.

The Diocese of Gary will hold the deed to the new home, Klein said.

In a surprise announcement, he told those gathered that Habitat for Humanity has received the deeds to the two homes directly south of the new homes location on Harrison Street. Those properties will eventually be demolished to redevelop the area, Klein said.

We are grateful for another opportunity to speak life into this community, Freeman-Wilson said.

The mayor said she attended the Synod Mass June 4 at the Genesis Center and joined the pilgrims' walk to Holy Angels Cathedral.

I received a firsthand view of the need in this community, Freeman-Wilson said about that experience.

Tabor House will take us one step closer, she said. I am hopeful for transformation, confident that when we all put our shoulders to the wheel that great things will happen in this community.

The bishop first mentioned the building of a Habitat for Humanity house during that Synod Mass.

We will never give up on the city of Gary, Hying said to the mayor during the Mass.

The Tabor House was so named because it was on Mount Tabor that Jesus transformation took place, Hying said on Thursday.

His disciples saw what could be, the bishop said. Here we get a glimpse of what could be. Each one of you is a key player.

In his opening prayer, Hying asked Gods blessing on the site and thanked God for the gift of Habitat for Humanity. May this Tabor House be an example of your life in our midst.

Sprinkling holy water on the site, Hying joked that the blessing would soften up the land.

Shovels in hand, a group including Hying, Dyer, Klein and Freeman-Wilson, broke ground for The Tabor House.

Klein said the Rev. Patrick Kalich and parishioners of St. Marys Catholic Church in Crown Point are donating $5,000 and will build the walls of the home in the cathedral parking lot.

Other donations to build The Tabor House are being sought, said Michael Wick, the Diocese of Gary chief of staff. Those items include everything from $12,000 to put in a storm sewer to $10 for a box of nails. For more information, contact Wick at 219 769-9292, ext. 258.
A vigil was held in the Bronx on Thursday night to honor two recent victims of gun violence.

"Two women cut short in the prime of their life; it's really sad," one mourner said.

Mourners gathered near Bronx-Lebanon Hospital to pay their respects to 32-year-old Dr. Tracy Tam. A disgruntled former employee of the hospital fatally shot her during a shooting rampage Friday.

Mourners also paid tribute to Miosotis Familia, 48, a Bronx city police officer who a man allegedly assassinated in the borough early Wednesday morning.



Those NY1 spoke with said it is important to stand with two women who dedicated their lives to helping others.

"I'm here to support the doctor that died, and this morning when I woke up I heard an officer got shot," one mourner said. "There's a lot of wicked things happening. We have to take care of each other."

"You can't live without the police. Then when you call the police, police feel unsafe," one woman said.

Officials said Tam was covering a colleague's shift when she was killed.

Officer Familia was a 12-year NYPD veteran and a mother of three.
Mayor Bill de Blasio is headed to Germany.

The mayor's press secretary confirmed that de Blasio will leave for Berlin and Hamburg Thursday night to attend events "surrounding the G20."

The Mayor will depart this evening for Berlin & Hamburg, Germany. He will attend several events surrounding the G20. +details to follow.   Eric Phillips (@EricFPhillips) July 6, 2017

Among the events de Blasio plans to attend include Saturday's Hamburg Zeigh Haltung rally, according to the Mayor's Office.

De Blasio is scheduled to take part in a rally in Hamburg on Saturday and will return to the city Sunday.

City Hall officials said the rally's organizers will pay for the mayor's trip.

Leaders of numerous countries, including President Donald Trump, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Russian President Vladimir Putin, are attending events at the summit.



It is the second time in less than two weeks that the mayor has left the city with little advance notice to the media.

In 2014 and 2015, de Blasio traveled to Italy. Reporters were informed of his plans well ahead of time.

The mayor's press secretary said de Blasio only just decided to make the trip to Germany.

The mayor is up for reelection this year, and the presumptive Republican nominee for mayor, Staten Island Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis, attacked him for leaving town.

"The news that Bill de Blasio is jetting off to Germany for the G-20 is a slap in the face of New Yorkers who deserve a mayor who works for them," Malliotakis said in a statement. "A member of the NYPD was murdered, a homeless crisis continues to worsen and our subway system seems to be on the verge of collapse and Mayor de Blasio has been criss-crossing the country pushing his national agenda, and now this."

Earlier in the day, Malliotakis took reporters on a tour of a garbage-strewn street in Borough Park, Brooklyn.

"It's absolutely awful," she said on the street. "It looks like a third-world country."

She said that since adding composting to the trash-mix, larger garbage items have been left to linger.

"They're not even providing the basic services of cleaning up the garbage. I mean, that's unconscionable," Malliotakis said. "Of course this community is going to be outraged.

The assemblywoman has a tough road ahead, but she is trying to connect the dots between local issues like trash pick-up and a mayor she says is refusing to do his job.
More than 240 years ago, a group of individuals stood up against a far-off king who taxed them without recourse. Americans honor their efforts each year on Independence Day.

The Illinois General Assembly had a funny way of celebrating this year.

On July 2, the Illinois House of Representatives passed a budget that includes the largest permanent income tax hike in state history and no structural spending reforms. The Senate concurred July 4, sending the budget plan to the governors desk. The governor vetoed the tax hikes and spending plan, but both chambers voted to override the vetoes, with the House doing so on Thursday.

One things for certain: This disastrous budget would not have moved without the will of one man.

House Speaker Mike Madigan can often seem like the only lawmaker in the Land of Lincoln. Nearly two-thirds of Illinoisans oppose an income tax hike. Madigan moved this legislation forward regardless of the peoples wishes.

Madigan has been at his post for 32 of the past 34 years. He will soon become the longest-serving state House speaker in U.S. history. And polling data indicate he is the most disliked politician in the state.

What recourse do Illinoisans have against this king?

Perhaps they could pay their property taxes in pennies. Or dump sugary soda into Lake Michigan. Or even elect a governor who ran against the tax hikes devoid of reform that Madigan passed in 2011.

Illinoisans tried the third option. And they still havent forgotten the sting of the 2011 temporary income tax hikes. Families were asked to pay billions in additional tax dollars on the promise that some extra cash was all it would take to right the ship. No need to address core spending drivers. No need to limit political staying power. Just put up and shut up.

Look where we are now.

Of course, there are some differences between this tax hike and that which lawmakers passed six years ago. None of them are encouraging.

For one, this time it's permanent. This plan increases the income tax rate to 4.95 percent from 3.75 percent. The corporate tax rate would increase to 7 percent from 5.25 percent. No sunset.

The 2011 tax hikes passed on a straight party-line vote, with Democrat majorities in both chambers and a Democrat in the governors seat.

This time, 15 House Republicans rolled over for Madigan, allowing him to protect vulnerable Democrats. A lone Republican cast a "yes" vote on Madigans tax hike in the Senate, Dale Righter of Mattoon. Righters was the deciding vote that sent the tax hike to Gov. Bruce Rauners desk. He was also the deciding vote to override the governors veto.

Analysis of the Houses last-minute amendment to the budget revealed Righter was showered with $4.8 million in earmarks for his district.

Madigan wins again.

Twelve lame-duck lawmakers voted in favor of the 2011 tax hikes. Six subsequently took jobs with the state. The rest went off into the sunset.

One Republican who voted for Madigans budget this July, state Rep. Chad Hays, has already said he won't run for re-election. More Republicans are likely to follow.

If not a Republican governor, what does independence from Madigan look like?

Voting him out of his district is little more than a running joke at the Statehouse. Madigan takes care of his own.

But perhaps Illinoisans could vote out Madigans House majority. After all, thats how they took away his speakership in the early 1990s, however briefly.

But thats been a tough task, given Madigan draws the legislative map. He even beat back a mass referendum effort to change that process. Twice.

Maybe a reform-minded state representative  from either party  could gin up enough support for an alternative budget plan?

Impossible when Madigan controls the legislative process. The Illinois House grants him more power than any state legislative leader in the nation.

No, the revolution against Madigan has not been one of political prowess or pitchforks. The revolution has not been televised.

Rather, its been a silent coup consisting of realtors, truck rentals and tearful goodbyes. The Illinoisans who leave the state may not know Madigan, but they know his handiwork: the nations worst income growth, highest black unemployment rate and a Great Depression-era economy are just a few examples.

Illinoisans are choosing to flee in record numbers.

But those who remain might take solace in these words from Founding Father Thomas Paine.

Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph.

Austin Berg is a writer for the Illinois Policy Institute, a conservative policy think tank, and can be reached at aberg@illinoispolicy.org.
Dear Colleagues:

We're doing it again.

Remember last year's campaign? Remember how dogged and relentless we were in covering Hillary Clinton's sloppy handling of her emails?

Remember the comparatively free ride we gave Donald Trump despite his repeated demonstrations that he was unserious, unsound and unfit? Remember all the hand wringing afterward about how we had embraced a false equivalence?

Apparently, we learned no lesson from that.

I keep reading and seeing all these stories on America's political polarization, the great divide between left and right. Ted Koppel did a couple such reports for "CBS News Sunday Morning," Robert Samuelson wrote a column about it for The Washington Post, Andrew Soergel pondered the question in U.S. News & World Report.

We have explored the role of social media, the loss of the Fairness Doctrine and the city/country divide in creating this break. But no one _ at least, no one I've seen _ has explored what seems to me the most glaringly obvious factor. We are not, after all, divided because Americans pulled back from the center and retreated into extremism.

No, we are divided because one party did. And it wasn't the Democrats.

Our political thinking being as fixedly bipolar as it is, many people will read the foregoing as an endorsement of the Democratic Party. It emphatically is not. Democrats are very often disorderly, disputatious and downright dumb, not to mention stunningly bad at deciding and conveying what they stand for.

In other words, they are pretty much what they were 30 years ago. The same cannot be said of the GOP. Consider a few recent headlines:

The Republican White House closes press briefings to cameras. The president issues coarse, sexist insults to the hosts of a morning news show. We learn he allegedly threatened them with an unflattering story in The National Enquirer. He tweets a juvenile video of him "wrestling" a cable news network. Oh, and a guest on a "news" program he admires claims America has kidnapped children and used them to establish a secret colony. On Mars.

That's all in the last few days. And it's been a pretty average last few days. By next week there will be a new list, equally outrageous. This is reality now.

A party that once provided a sober conservative counterweight to the Democrats' more liberal impulses has flat-out lost its mind, given itself over to rage, fear, schoolyard taunts and bizarre conspiracy theories. Which leaves me impatient with those who frame our political divide as if the issue were that left and right had equally abandoned the center. No fair observer can believe that.

To the contrary, it becomes more obvious every day that we are where we are because something is very wrong with the GOP. To not acknowledge and report that, apparently out of some misguided notion that doing so wouldn't be "fair and balanced" is, in itself, deeply unfair and unbalanced. In our terror of being called biased, we in media have neutered ourselves, abandoned our watchdog function.

We end up having mannered debates over whether to call the president's dozens of lies lies. Meantime, America's international prestige is eroding, its government is paralyzed, its friends are worried, its enemies emboldened.

Enough. You will never find answers where you are scared to ask questions. Here's what we should be asking:

How did the GOP get this way? And how can the right right itself?

Yes, I know some people will call those questions biased. Fine.

But I call them journalism.
Participants discussed the latest developments with regards to the implementation of the BEPS Project in the light of the debates taking place in the working groups of the Committee on Fiscal Affairs. A special workshop was dedicated to the Base erosion and profit shifting and the steps necessary to sign this convention. Participants were also updated on the progress of work regarding the toolkits addressing the specific needs of developing countries. Finally, the discussions allowed identifying the priorities of the countries of the region and their needs in terms of capacity building and training.

06/07/2017 - Fifty delegates representing 10 countries gathered in Cotonou (Benin) on 3-5 July 2017 for the second regional meeting of the Inclusive Framework on Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) for French speaking countries. These regional meetings offer participants from around the world the opportunity to provide their views and input to the Inclusive Framework on BEPS.
Agricultural News

Animal Scientist Dr. Bob Weaber Calls Genomics a 'Game Changer' for the Beef Cattle Industry







Animal Scientist Dr. Bob Weaber is just back from the Beef Improvement Seminar, where the future of genomics, as it relates to the beef cattle industry, was the main topic of discussion. Genomics, although a relatively new technology that has become available, has benefitted dairy producers already allowing them to quickly improve their dairy animals. Weaber spoke with Radio Oklahoma Ag Network Farm Director Ron Hays about genomics and the opportunity cow/calf producers have to implement genomics into their own operations to improve record keeping and assist with breeding decisions.





"If you don't get on the bus and adopt technology, you're not just standing still, you're relatively moving backwards," Weaber said. "If your competitors adopt a technology and uses a technology to accelerate genetic improvement, that has consequences for your business."





One question Weaber believes to be important for producers to consider when introducing genomics into their decision making, is how to strategically position themselves to maintain or potentially improve their competitive position. Whatever the answer, Weaber says it will certainly require adoption and effective utilization.





"It's one thing to genotype a bunch of animals, but it's a whole other thing to actually use that information in an effective way to make selection and improvement," he said, "which really changes the way you should think about replacement selection as a seedstock producer."





Listen to Dr. Weaber and Hays discuss the benefits of using genomics as a resource for decision making in the management of your herd, on today's Beef Buzz.





The Beef Buzz is a regular feature heard on radio stations around the region on the Radio Oklahoma Network and is a regular audio feature found on this website as well. Click on the LISTEN BAR below for today's show and check out our archives for older Beef Buzz shows covering the gamut of the beef cattle industry today.















Listen to Weaber and Hays discuss the benefits of using genomics as a resource for herd selection

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New Braunfels, TX (78130)

Today

Windy. Some showers early then partly cloudy overnight. Low 39F. Winds N at 20 to 30 mph. Chance of rain 40%. Higher wind gusts possible..

Tonight

Windy. Some showers early then partly cloudy overnight. Low 39F. Winds N at 20 to 30 mph. Chance of rain 40%. Higher wind gusts possible.
Agricultural News

Francie Kucera Tolle of Grant County Recognized as a Significant Woman in Oklahoma's Ag Industry

As part of a continuing series of stories on Significant Women in Oklahoma Agriculture, the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food & Forestry and Oklahoma State University are recognizing and honoring the impact of countless women across all 77 counties of the state, from all aspects and areas of the agricultural industry. The honorees were nominated by their peers and selected by a committee of 14 industry professionals. This week Francie Kucera Tolle of Grant County is featured this week as a Significant Woman in Oklahoma Agriculture.









Whether it's climbing into a combine to harvest the wheat or walking into a congressional meeting to discuss farm policy, Francie Kucera Tolle remains focused on one goal-"It's the legacy of it."







Rather than a legacy of how Tolle will be remembered, this is one centered on how others will value and appreciate agriculture as a result of her family's stewardship.







Having been born on a family farm and now farming with her husband Chuck, Tolle knows the importance of agriculture. She has been a resident in Grant County her entire life and laughed as she reminisced growing up on a farm with her three sisters.







"My dad brought a bottle calf home one time and we thought it was the greatest thing ever and asked for a few more. The next day we had 30 bottle calves and would be mauled when we got to barn," said Tolle. "A year later we wanted some feeder pigs and my dad brought home a whole truck load. Next, we thought we would like some sheep and our dad said, 'Really?' We changed our minds pretty quick."







Tolle spoke about the daily life lessons that were learned among the cattle and in the wheat fields. The greatest of these was work ethic and faith.







"You have to have faith because there is no telling what the weather will be,'' said Tolle. "You use your work ethic and do everything you can but in the end you have to have faith."







Growing up, Tolle did everything the hired hands did on the farm, saying it was expected of her and her sisters. She started driving the combine when she was 12 and basically lived in the barn with the stocker cattle during the winter. She went on to college with no plans on returning home. But as fate would have it she started dating a local farm boy and married him in 1990.







"I didn't really have plans on marrying a farmer," laughed Tolle. "I was a business major and liked marketing. But then I started dating Chuck and I came back to agriculture pretty quick."







They moved and started their own operation in 1992 in Grant County with a quarter of land, mainly growing wheat and running a cow-calf and stocker cattle operation. Their little operation began to grow as Tolle had two boys, Clint and Cole.







Tolle laughed and said her boys never wanted to drive the combine growing up because that was her thing. Now her boys are growing up and making their own legacy. Clint is married and will graduate college soon, with plans on returning to the farm. Cole just graduated high school and is beginning embark on his college journey studying construction management.







In addition to raising two boys and operating a farm, Tolle also works tirelessly to carry on the legacy of her dad, who taught her the importance of agriculture through policy.







"I got my love for policy from him," said Tolle. "He never went to college but he was the smartest man I ever knew."







It was not uncommon for Tolle and her father to be talking about world trade, farm policy and commodity markets. This sparked her interest and she began her work in farm policy in 2003 as Director of the Oklahoma Wheat Growers Association.







From here, many doors began to open for Tolle as she served as Agricultural Liaison to Congressman Brad Carson, Director of Agritoursim, Legislative Policy Analyst for the Oklahoma Farmers Union/American Farmers and Ranchers, State Director of Farm Service Agency and is now currently the Regional Director of the Risk Management Agency serving Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Texas.







When asked about her most rewarding experience, there was no hesitation as she recalled the implementation of the Livestock Forage Program, which resulted in paying over a billion dollars to farmers and ranchers in Oklahoma affected by the three year drought.







"I saw people literally cry because they were saved- I will never forget. That was pretty impactful," said Tolle.







Although she stays busy with policy and farming, she never forgets why she does it. Tolle is proud to say that she is only the second generation born in the United States.







"It's the legacy of it. My grandparents came here for this reason. Here I am fulfilling the dream they had. I don't want it to die," said Tolle.







Again, even though Tolle has left a legacy in what she does, this was not her goal in an individual sense. Instead, she hopes that through her work, people will know and understand the complexity of farming and in agriculture in general.







"It's not easy," said Tolle. "Yes it is rewarding but it is the hardest job you will ever do. If you don't love it, you won't do it. There is not another job where you work as hard as you do with farming."







Tolle is also quick to give credit to her husband for all of her success saying he is extremely supportive of everything she has done. Even with all of her accomplishments, her greatest one is building a legacy with her husband to make sure that others will value and appreciate agriculture as a result of their stewardship.







"My goal is to leave a legacy," she said.







Source - Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food & Forestry













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Dick Seitz (Class of 61) and his Cathedral High School buddies were at Mamas Pizza on Saddle Creek Road on Thursday evening last week, telling stories of the old days, when they heard what sounded like firecrackers outside. The noise actually came from hailstones, some as big as 4 inches in diameter.

Within a few minutes, Seitzs 2010 Honda CR-V had dozens of dings and dents  one of them deep enough to chip paint and break the lens on his right headlight  and cracks arrayed like a spiderweb in his windshield.

I couldnt believe it, said Seitz, who was at a drive-thru insurance claims office in La Vista this week. A claims adjuster had just given him a $7,000 check, which hell use to fix the CR-V. I like this car.

The check was Seitzs piece of what insurance companies now call the June 29 Omaha hail property damage catastrophe, setting in motion a tedious dance of home and vehicle inspections, repair estimates, contractor bids, deductibles and neighborhood disruption aimed at returning things to pre-storm condition.

The math for this catastrophe:

So far, 6,370 State Farm Insurance clients have claimed damage from the storm, 4,550 of them for vehicles and most of the rest for roofing. State Farm covers about one-fourth of the vehicles and houses in the state, so the total number of claims could reach 25,000.

If auto claims average $2,500 apiece and roofing claims average $5,000, as some industry groups estimate, thats more than $80 million in damage.

Most of the hail fell in two swaths of the metro area, one starting in Irvington and spreading east through the Keystone, Benson, Country Club and Dundee neighborhoods, and the other farther south, from about 180th and West Center Road toward Offutt Air Force Base.

Among those with hail damage to vehicles in that southern stretch: Travis Dingman, whose family owns Dingman Collision Centers.

I stood in the garage and watched it get pelted, Dingman said. It got some pretty big dents.

So far he hasnt scheduled an appointment for his SUV, although others are coming to the Dingman locations to have dents smoothed out or body panels replaced. Most of the broken glass has been replaced by auto glass shops, and now the body work is underway, with thousands of cars in the city due to seek repairs.

The customers are showing up with their insurance estimates, Dingman said.

The insurance and repair work is moving quickly with cars. Replacing windshields and other vehicle glass is a top priority to prevent water damage, said Brice Huddleston, who heads a 40-person State Farm catastrophe team in Omaha. The drive-thru office at 8614 Giles Road is writing about 160 claim checks a day.

Geico spokesman Rich Johnson said most of the clients 2,000 claims from last weeks storm  in Nebraska, Iowa and Illinois  were for damage considered low- to mid-severity.

In the category of ill wind blowing some good, Mike Durkin, general manager of Woodhouse Ford at 3633 N. 72nd St., said the dents and broken windows for the dealerships 400 new vehicles and 100 used vehicles  none of them total losses  mean bargains.

It was the right level of damage to pass along really good savings and still have a good vehicle, Durkin said.

After appraisals, Woodhouse sets a price on each car and truck, he said. About 50 have been sold so far.

Some people are willing to take it like that, and some want to have work done on it, he said.

For example, a Ford Focus with hail damage that usually sells for $16,145 is now priced at $10,990.

With homes, most repair work hasnt started yet because homeowners and insurance companies are still in the claims stage.

The hail likely damaged thousands of Omaha roofs, but often not siding or windows, said Jamie Pflug, who started Lastime Exteriors with his brothers, Tom and Tony, in Omaha 21 years ago.

It came down straighter than normal, Pflug said, with hailstones big enough to damage standard asphalt shingles and even pound holes in the tougher asbestos shingles found on some of the older homes in the area.

He cautioned against hiring storm chaser contractors, suggesting that people check out reviews posted on websites and hire established local companies.

Knocking on doors and leaving flyers that offer free inspections dont mean a company is fly-by-night, said Deb Drumheller, restoration office manager for Crafts Construction of Norfolk, Nebraska.

The company, owned by Tyler Wingate, has been in residential and commercial construction for 50 years. Crafts began storm repair work a few years ago and opened an Omaha office earlier this year after restoring some homes in the 80th Street and Hartman Avenue area in 2016.

Visiting neighborhoods in person and offering free inspections, she said, is a type of lead-generating service. Its a way our salesmen get into the field, get themselves known.

Crafts isnt registered with the Better Business Bureau, she said. Weve built our reputation without having to use the Better Business Bureau.

She said the company offers to pre-inspect for damage and then be present when the homeowner meets with the insurance adjuster to make sure that all the damage is noted and that the planned work will meet city codes. If there is insured damage, then the homeowner can decide whom to hire to make the repairs.

Im not putting insurance companies down whatsoever, she said. But theyre human. Theyre busy. They may overlook something.

Drumheller said the company urges homeowners to check out contractors credentials and get recommendations to avoid schemes that, for example, require paying money upfront.

We tell them Go with people that you feel like you can trust,  she said. Theres a lot of scammers out there.

Thats true, said James Hegarty, president and CEO of the Omaha Better Business Bureau. Some out-of-town contractors may do good work, but others invariably cause problems after damaging storms in the Omaha area.

Some took money upfront and didnt do the work or did poor-quality work, or they were not available for warranty repairs, Hegarty said. People should check online reviews and Better Business Bureau ratings from the companys hometown, he said, and not hurry into contracts.

Making temporary repairs to prevent further damage gives people time to check out contractors, he said.

We really believe that the best policy is to be patient and be absolutely certain you are dealing with a reputable firm, Hegarty said. Its really important for people to do their research.

Still, storm chaser companies pose a challenge for local contractors who already have work scheduled for their existing clients, said Danny Thompson, who owns Window World in Omaha and Wichita, Kansas, with his brother, Bryce.

The out-of-towners kind of sweep in and undercut you on price sometimes, Thompson said. Were not built to react that quickly. But were going to be here for you should anything go wrong down the road.
WASHINGTON (AP)  Several states are seeking to join a legal challenge to a Trump administration decision to keep a widely used pesticide on the market despite studies showing that it can harm childrens brains.

Led by New York, the coalition filed a motion Wednesday to intervene in a legal fight over the continued spraying of chlorpyrifos on food. Massachusetts, Maryland, Vermont, Washington and the District of Columbia are also seeking to join the suit pending before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in San Francisco.

The states claim that Environmental Protection Agency chief Scott Pruitt violated the law by ending his agencys effort to ban the pesticide sold by Dow Chemical after federal scientists concluded that it can interfere with the brain development of fetuses and infants. Federal law requires the EPA to ensure that pesticides used on food in the United States are safe for human consumption  especially by children, who studies show are typically far more sensitive to negative effects from pesticides.

Job No. 1 for the EPA should be protecting Americans well-being, especially that of our children, said Eric Schneiderman, the attorney general of New York, in announcing the legal action. Yet the administration is jeopardizing our kids health, allowing the use of a toxic pesticide for which it cant even identify a safe level.

The EPA said Thursday it was reviewing the lawsuit.

Pruitt told Congress last month that his decision was based on meaningful data and meaningful science. Despite repeated requests, the EPA has not provided the Associated Press with copies of any scientific studies Pruitt consulted in determining that the pesticide is safe.

Public-health advocates have been pushing for years to ban chlorpyrifos, which is commonly sprayed on citrus fruits, apples, cherries and other crops. Lawyers for Dow and the makers of two other organophosphate pesticides also asked the Trump administration to set aside the results of government studies showing they pose a risk to nearly every federally protected endangered species.

Last month, the American Academy of Pediatrics also urged the EPA to ban chlorpyrifos. The group, representing more than 66,000 pediatricians and pediatric surgeons, said it is deeply alarmed by Pruitts decision to allow the pesticides continued use.

Dow, which sells chlorpyrifos through its subsidiary Dow AgroSciences, did not immediately comment Thursday. In the past, the company has said it helps American farmers feed the world with full respect for human health and the environment.

Spending more than $13.6 million on lobbying in 2016, Dow has long wielded substantial political power in Washington. Dow CEO Andrew Liveris is a close adviser to President Donald Trump, and the company gave $1 million for Trumps inaugural activities.

Similar to a chemical spray developed as a weapon before World War II, Dow has been selling chlorpyrifos for use on farms since the 1960s. It is now among the most widely used agricultural pesticides in the United States, with about 5 million pounds sold domestically each year.

As a result, traces of the chemical are commonly found in sources of drinking water. A 2012 study at the University of California at Berkeley found that 87 percent of umbilical-cord blood samples tested from newborn babies contained detectable levels of chlorpyrifos.

Under pressure from federal regulators over safety concerns, Dow voluntarily withdrew chlorpyrifos for use as a home insecticide in 2000. The EPA also placed no-spray buffer zones around sensitive sites, such as schools, in 2012. But a coalition of advocacy groups including the Natural Resources Defense Council and the Pesticide Action Network said those proposals dont go far enough and filed a federal lawsuit seeking a national ban on the pesticide.

In October 2015, the Obama administration proposed banning the pesticides use on food. A risk assessment memo issued in November by nine EPA scientists concluded: There is a breadth of information available on the potential adverse neurodevelopmental effects in infants and children as a result of prenatal exposure to chlorpyrifos.
In his last 24 hours, Zachary Bearheels didnt die while licking the windows of a salon in central Omaha.

He didnt die when police arrived at that scene, though responding officers described him as agitated.

The Oklahoma man  stranded after being kicked off a bus in Omaha  didnt die while traveling 5 miles through the heat from downtown Omaha to an Aksarben-area business district.

Bearheels didnt die while dancing in front of a convenience store nine hours after the window licking.

His death didnt come until just a few minutes after Omaha police officers shocked him with a Taser a dozen times and punched him as many as 15 times.

According to autopsy results released Thursday, a Douglas County coroners physician couldnt say with medical certainty that either the punching or the repeated use of a Taser caused Bearheels death. Dr. Michelle Elieff instead said he suffered a sudden death associated with excited delirium ... physical struggle, physical restraint and use of a (Taser).

But she was careful to note that associated with does not equal caused by, Douglas County Attorney Don Kleine said.

In turn, Kleine may be hamstrung when it comes to the charges hes considering in Bearheels death. In order for Kleine to prove a manslaughter case under state law, he must demonstrate that someones unlawful actions were the proximate cause of a death.

Asked why the Taser or the punching couldnt be considered a proximate cause of Bearheels death, Kleine said:

I dont know the answer to that. And well sort through that. There hasnt been a final decision made about that by Kleines office.

Im just letting people know what the doctor said.

Kleine said he will take another week to 10 days to make a charging decision. He said his office plans to contact use of force experts to further evaluate the officers actions.

The ambiguous autopsy may not be all that significant when it comes to possible punishments.

Under state law, second-degree assault  using a weapon to cause bodily injury  carries the same penalty as manslaughter: up to 20 years in prison. In second-degree assault cases, prosecutors need to prove only that a person used a weapon to cause injury.

Omaha Police Chief Todd Schmaderer has recommended that the city fire Scotty Payne, the officer who used a Taser to shock Bearheels 12 times  many of those shocks coming while Bearheels was handcuffed and on the ground, according to Schmaderer. The chief also recommended firing Officer Ryan McClarty, who reportedly struck Bearheels as many as 15 times after Bearheels ripped one of his wrists free from a handcuff.

To prove manslaughter, Kleine would have to show definitively that an officers actions (such as the repeated use of a Taser) caused someones death.

Elieffs autopsy doesnt do that. Kleine said Elieff looked for evidence that the use of the Taser directly caused Bearheels death, such as if one of the prongs had lodged in his heart. (The prongs did not. One hit his stomach; the other his right thigh.)

Elieff couldnt decide whether the strikes or the shocks or the struggle while handcuffed  or perhaps all of those things, combined with his underlying mental illness  caused Bearheels excited delirium, Kleine said.

The autopsy did have a few clear-cut findings:

 Bearheels had no alcohol or drugs in his system. Family members have said that Bearheels suffered from bipolar disorder and schizophrenia and was off his medications.

Very simply, he was ill, Kleine said. He wasnt under the influence of anything. He was a person in a disturbed state because of his mental illness.

 Bearheels suffered 30 bruises, including 12 to his head and face, nine to his torso and two to his neck. The bruises ranged in size from 1/8 inch to 4 inches long.

 Bearheels suffered no skull fractures or broken bones. In turn, Elieff ruled out blunt-force trauma as a cause of death.

 Bearheels body temperature was 102.4 degrees, above the normal body temperature of 98.6 degrees. Kleine said he was told an elevated body temperature is common in excited delirium cases.

Asked if repeated shocks from a Taser causes increases in body temperature, Kleine said he didnt think so.

Across the country, coroners often have attributed Taser deaths to excited delirium, a condition in which a person, whether because of mental illness or drug use, becomes violent, hyper-aggressive, agitated and feverish.

A significant portion, though not all, of fatal Taser incidents involve repeated shocks, said Ed Byers, a doctoral student in criminal justice at the University of Louisville and a 31-year law-enforcement veteran. Of those who died, roughly 79 percent had mental health issues or were displaying erratic behavior.

Schmaderer last month provided the following account:

In the early morning hours of June 4, Bearheels was kicked off a bus that was taking him to Oklahoma City. Another passenger complained about his behavior.

More than 15 hours later, Omaha police officers first encountered Bearheels outside a Brazilian wax salon where he was licking windows. About 3:50 p.m. June 4, two officers gave him water and offered to take him to a shelter or a hospital. Bearheels became agitated but did not commit any crime, so he was allowed to leave the area.

On the evening of June 4, Renita Chalepah, Bearheels mother, called Omaha police to report him missing. She had been expecting him to arrive home in Oklahoma at 12:30 p.m. June 4.

In the early morning hours of June 5, Omaha Police Officers Jennifer Strudl and Makyla Mead were called to a report of a man who was refusing to leave a Buckys convenience store at 60th and Center Streets.

Strudl and Officer James Mosby, who had been nearby, were able to put handcuffs on Bearheels without incident and put him in the back of a cruiser.

Strudl spoke on the phone with Chalepah for 23 minutes. Mead arrived and called a sergeant, who said there was insufficient justification to detain Bearheels or place him in emergency protective custody. Under state law, authorities can seek a commitment if the person is mentally ill and a danger to himself or others.

Officers decided to take Bearheels to the bus station, one of the options discussed with Chalepah.

Bearheels was in the cruiser for 36 minutes. When Strudl opened the door to buckle Bearheels seat belt he leapt out of the car and walked away.

Payne, who had just arrived at the scene, joined Mead and Strudl in trying to maintain control over the handcuffed Bearheels, who was 5-foot-9 and 250 pounds. They requested backup at 1:32 a.m., and McClarty arrived 3 minutes later.

The four officers tried to move Bearheels back to the cruiser, and Payne warned him he would be shocked with a stun gun. The officers tried to carry Bearheels, Schmaderer said, but he broke free and landed on his feet.

After additional warnings, Payne loudly announced, Taser, Taser, Taser and discharged the Taser.

Payne continued to activate the Taser. Bearheels then ended up in a seated position with his back against the rear of the cruiser. For the next minute and 45 seconds, as Bearheels sat on the ground and offered no resistance, Schmaderer said, Payne activated the Taser three times.

Bearheels was able to pull his left hand out of the handcuffs, in the process ripping skin off his hand. He then turned toward McClarty, swinging his arms and kicking his legs.

McClarty hit Bearheels in the head multiple times with his fists, Schmaderer said. While McClarty delivered the blows, the chief said, Payne activated his Taser.

Video showed Mr. Bearheels to be motionless on the final few strikes, Schmaderer said. Bearheels was placed on a gurney, his hands cuffed to the rails. Inside the rescue squad, he stopped breathing and didnt have a pulse.

He was pronounced dead at 2:16 a.m., about an hour and a half after Strudl first encountered him.
COUNCIL BLUFFS  The man charged in the shooting death of a Pottawattamie County sheriffs deputy is set to go to trial Aug. 15.

Wesley Correa-Carmenaty has not waived his right to a speedy trial and hasnt asked that the trial be moved from Council Bluffs to Sioux City, Pottawattamie County Attorney Matt Wilber said.

As of Wednesday, thats what weve learned, so were planning on picking a jury in August, Wilber said.

Correa-Carmenaty, 24, is charged with first-degree murder in the May 1 shooting death of Deputy Mark Burbridge. He also has been charged in the attempted murder of Deputy Pat Morgan and an Omaha man.

Sioux City attorney Greg Jones, who is representing Correa-Carmenaty, said its possible his client could waive his right to a speedy trial before Aug. 15.

August is the date weve agreed on, and it could still be in Council Bluffs, Jones said.

Both attorneys said the trial could be moved by the judge. Wilber said if an impartial jury cannot be selected, the judge could declare a mistrial and then relocate to Sioux City.

As of yet, there hasnt been a motion to move, Wilber said.

Correa-Carmenatys trial initially was set for July 25 but was continued.

He is accused of attacking Burbridge and Morgan after they returned him to the Pottawattamie County Jail. He was convicted earlier that morning of voluntary manslaughter for a botched robbery in 2016 that left Anthony Walker dead. Correa-Carmenaty was sentenced to 45 years in prison.

Authorities said Correa-Carmenaty fought with the deputies and grabbed one of their guns, mortally wounding Burbridge and wounding Morgan before stealing the jail van and crashing through a closed garage door.

At a nearby intersection he is accused of trying to carjack an Omaha mans vehicle and shooting him. Both Morgan and the man have made full recoveries since.

Correa-Carmenaty then got back in the van, officials said, and forced a woman at gunpoint to drive him to Omaha. She was not injured.

Correa-Carmenaty eventually was captured by officers in Omaha near the Interstate 480 entrance ramp and Cuming Street.

Correa-Carmenaty is being held at the Woodbury County Jail in Sioux City.

He faces charges of first-degree murder, two counts of attempted murder, second-degree kidnapping, three counts of first-degree robbery, intimidation with a dangerous weapon, two counts of felon in possession of a firearm, escape and first-degree criminal mischief.
ASHLAND, Neb.  Citing benefits the project will bring to the community, the Ashland City Council on Thursday night approved, in its final reading, an ordinance to annex a controversial housing development.

Theres no rhyme or reason that we would pass something that would be to the detriment of our community and our school, Councilman Jim Anderson said during the meeting.

Some residents have come out against annexation of Whitetail Run, a five-phase housing and commercial development proposed for 30 acres on the southeast edge of town.

Ashland Investment Co., the developer of Whitetail Run, is planning to build 50 homes in the first phase of the subdivision. The second phase would be a 4-acre commercial tract that might include a hotel, restaurant and other retail or office space. Subsequent phases would add 100 additional homes.

Annexation of Whitetail Run is necessary to move ahead with tax increment financing, which was requested by the developers to bring water and sewer lines to the edge of the development and to add turning lanes on the highway.

City Councilman Paul Gossin said the community will benefit because access to water and sewer in the area will spur growth to the southeast. The existence of flood plains prevents growth to the north and east, leaving the only other option for growth at the west side of the city.

The Ashland-Greenwood school board publicly came out against TIF for the residential subdivision, citing worries about an influx of students that could force the school district to move forward with new facilities sooner than it had planned.

The school board also noted concerns over the future of state aid to schools, especially after the district learned its state aid had been cut more than $500,000 for the upcoming school year.

Since the City Council began discussing annexation and TIF last May, crowds have gathered at council and Planning Commission public hearings and meetings. Most who spoke publicly voiced opposition to the citys plan to annex and grant TIF for Whitetail Run.

All of the council members thanked the public for their input and praised the people who came forward to voice their opinions.

Whether you are for or against it or whatnot, it helps drive our community, said Councilman Russ DeVries. Thats what we need: people involved and engaged in the community. It makes things happen and brings us closer together.
(Mattern) brings tremendous experience and ability to her new position, Papillion Police Chief Scott Lyons said in the release.

Mattern started as a Papillion officer in December 2002. During her time with the department she has worked with the patrol division, the criminal investigations unit and the crime prevention unit. Shes currently a training officer and Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies manager.
A new report from the Madison Region Economic Partnership indicates that about 96 percent of board of director positions are filled by white people.
Share your opinion on this topic by sending a letter to the editor to tctvoice@madison.com. Include your full name, hometown and phone number. Your name and town will be published. The phone number is for verification purposes only. Please keep your letter to 250 words or less.
LINCOLN (AP)  A 69-year-old Columbus man has been sentenced to four years in federal prison for having child pornography.

The U.S. Attorneys Office for Nebraska said Michael Kruse was sentenced Thursday in Lincolns federal court. In addition to his prison term, Kruse will serve 5 years of supervised release and register as a sex offender.

Prosecutors said the investigation turned up more than 600 videos and images of child pornography on Kruses computers and storage media.
LINCOLN  Omaha Police Chief Todd Schmaderer will be the chairman of a search committee to help find the next superintendent for the Nebraska State Patrol.

Retired FBI executive Weysan Dun, retired U.S. Attorney Deborah Gilg and Hall County Public Defender Gerry Piccolo will serve on the committee, Gov. Pete Ricketts announced Friday.

The group will advise Ricketts during his search to replace former Superintendent Brad Rice.

Ricketts fired Rice last week after a preliminary personnel review found interferences in internal investigations and violations of internal policy at the highest levels of the Nebraska State Patrol.

While Ricketts has declined to discuss the details of the review, he has mentioned use of force investigations, including one described in a World-Herald report about a driver who died in a high-speed pursuit.

Ricketts has also said a use of force incident involving a trooper striking a man with the butt of his rifle was a factor in Rices removal. A report on that incident was in Sundays World-Herald.

Information collected from the personnel review has been provided to the FBI and the U.S. Attorneys Office.

The governor named Maj. Russ Stanczyk as interim head of the State Patrol.

Schmaderer has been Omahas chief since 2012. Dun was a special agent with the FBI in charge of its Omaha office until retiring in 2012.

Gilg, who retired earlier this year, was a U.S. attorney under former Attorney General Loretta Lynch. Gilg was the first female U.S. attorney in Nebraska when confirmed in September 2009. Piccolo has been the Hall County public defender since 1990. He is also a past president of the Nebraska Criminal Defense Attorneys Association.

Ricketts said the search for a new superintendent will be all-encompassing. He is seeking candidates from agencies in and out of state.

Ricketts will work with the committee to source candidates, as well as solicit their input, he said.

Working together, we will find the next leader for the Nebraska State Patrol who will drive continuous improvement throughout the organization and lead with the unimpeachable integrity Nebraskans expect, Ricketts said.

Interested applicants or other inquiries may be directed to pete.ricketts@nebraska.gov or 402-471-2244.
State Debate: Commentators offer more details on GOP health care impact; Right Wisconsin blogger claims Randy Bryce 'over his head'
HAMBURG, Germany (AP) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel told leaders of the Group of 20 economic powers Friday that millions of people are hoping they can help solve the world's problems, and warned them that they must be prepared to make compromises.

As the leaders discussed terrorism, trade and climate change, protests against their gathering continued in various parts of Hamburg. Anti-globalization activists set dozens of cars ablaze and protesters tried unsuccessfully to block leaders' delegations from getting to the downtown convention center where the summit is being held.

Police ordered in several hundred more officers from across the country on Friday.

Inside the security cordon, Merkel's prospects of finding common ground issues such as climate change and multilateral trade looked uncertain at President Donald Trump's first G-20 summit. Trump's "America First" rhetoric and decision to withdraw from the Paris accord against climate change have caused widespread concern in Europe and beyond.

"There are of course millions of people following us with their concerns, their fears and their needs, who hope that we can make a contribution to solving the problems," Merkel told fellow leaders at the start of a working lunch at which they were to discuss global growth and trade.

"I am absolutely sure that everyone will make an effort to achieve good results," she added.

"We all know the big global challenges, and we know that time is pressing," Merkel said. "So solutions can only be found if we are prepared to compromise ... without, and I say this clearly, bending ourselves too much out of shape. We can of course also name differences."

Merkel noted that the countries at the summit represent two-thirds of the world population, four-fifths of the globe's gross domestic product and three-quarters of world trade.

The G-20 comprises Argentina, Australia, Brazil, China, Germany, France, Britain, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Canada, South Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, the United States and the European Union.

Also attending the summit are the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Guinea, Senegal, Singapore and Vietnam.

Before the summit, the leaders of China, India, Russia, Brazil and South Africa met and called for a more open global economy.

In a statement following their meeting, the so-called BRICS nations voiced support for a "rules-based, transparent, non-discriminatory, open and inclusive multilateral trading system" and emphasized the need for increasing "the voice and representation" of emerging markets and developing countries in global economic and financial institutions.

Speaking at the meeting, Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke against global trade restrictions, saying that financial sanctions on a political pretext hurt mutual confidence and damage the global economy an apparent reference to Western sanctions against Russia.

The BRICS leaders also urged the international community to work jointly to implement the Paris climate agreement.

The summit, at which Trump was holding his first meeting with Putin, follows skirmishes Thursday evening between police and protesters at a demonstration in Germany's second-biggest city that was expected to be the largest flashpoint around the summit.

Police said that at least 111 officers were hurt during those clashes, one of whom had to be taken to a hospital with an eye injury after a firework exploded in front of him. Twenty-nine people were arrested and another 15 temporarily detained.

On Friday, there were further incidents but nothing as intense as Thursday's skirmishes.

Dozens of officers built moving lines in different parts of Hamburg and used water cannons to force away protesters from streets across the city. Some were physically moved for hundreds of meters (yards) from a protest sit-in in front of the first security checkpoint near the summit grounds.

None of the activists managed to push into the no-go zone around the summit that the police had established.

The city has boosted its police with reinforcements from around the country and has 20,000 officers on hand to patrol Hamburg's streets, skies and waterways.
University of Wisconsin-Madison students register to vote on Oct. 12, 2016 at the UW-Madisons Multicultural Student Center.
This undated file photo shows John Hancock's signature on the Declaration of Independence, which was formally signed by 56 members of Congress beginning Aug. 2, 1776. National Public Radio marked Independence Day on July 4th, 2017, by tweeting the entire declaration, but it seems some Twitter users didnt recognize what they were reading. Some of the founders criticisms of King George III were met with angry responses from supporters of President Donald Trump, who seemed to believe the tweets were a reference to the current president. Others were under the impression NPR was trying to provoke Trump with the tweets. (AP Photo, File)
Thick layer of smog with 'very poor' air continues to choke Delhi

Curbs under stage 3 of anti-pollution plan to continue in Delhi-NCR: CAQM

Air India launches Delhi- Washington flight, adds fifth destination in US

India

pti-PTI

New Delhi, July 7: State-owned Air India on Thursday launched its first flight to Washington DC from New Delhi, thereby adding its fifth destination in the US.

Air India has deployed its 238-seater Boeing 777-200 LR aircraft to cater to the new direct service to the US. The plane offers eight seats in first class, 35 in business and 195 in economy class.

The launch took place at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in the presence of Charge de Affairs of US Embassy Marykay Loss Carlson, Air India chairman and managing director Ashwani Lohani, commercial director of Air India Pankaj Shrivastava, among other airline officials.

Indian ambassador to the US Navtej Sarna, Lohani and Srivastava are also flying to Washington.

The occupancy on flights to Washington is at 90 per cent for the month of July, according to the airline spokesperson.

The airline will operate a bigger 321-seater Boeing 777- 300ER aircraft between July 9 and 17, he said.

Washington is the the fifth destination for Air India. The service to the US capital will be offered three times a week.

Apart from Washington, Air India flies to four US airports - New York, Newark, Chicago and San Francisco.

There are daily flights to Newark, New York and Chicago. However, its Delhi-San Francisco flight is operated six times a week.

The national carrier also plans to fly to other destinations in the US, such as Los Angeles and Houston among others.

Air India's operations to the US account for 20 per cent of the total revenue of the national carrier. In the last fiscal, the state-owned carrier mopped up an estimated Rs 3,200 crore revenue, which is an increase of 17 per cent over FY 2014-2015, from its US operations alone.

PTI

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Story first published: Friday, July 7, 2017, 9:10 [IST]
Bengaluru's Namma Metro comes to a halt, commuters stranded as staff protest

India

oi-Anusha

Hundreds of commuters were left stranded as Bengaluru's Namma Metro services came to a halt on Friday. The staff of Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited staged a protest against the police after their colleague was arrested for assaulting a guard deployed at a Metro station on Thursday.

Passengers who were all set to board the metro on Friday morning were forced to take alternate transport after BMRCL confirmed that services had come to a halt. "I travel from Jalahalli to Jayanagar via the Metro. Today I was told that no trains were running and I had to take a cab to reach college. I had to spend Rs 260 for the cab. The metro ride generally takes less time and costs me Rs 40," said Sahana, a student of a college in South Bengaluru.

The protest was a fallout of a scuffle between security personnel of Karnataka State Industrial Security Force and BMRCL staff that took place outside the Majestic Metro station on Thursday. BMRCL staff refused to provide their bags for scrutiny when asked by the security personnel. What started off as the argument escalated into a physical fight. While the security personnel and Metro staff came to blows, police complaints were filed by both parties. The Bengaluru police arrested a staff of the BMRCL as well as a KSISF guard after which protests began against the police.

Train service temporally stopped - will tweet once the issues are resolved  BMRCL (@cpronammametro) July 7, 2017

While the security personnel and Metro staff came to blows, police complaints were filed by both parties.Onlookers recorded videos of the scuffle where the BMRCL staff are seen thrashing a KSISF guard. Metro that was supposed to start plying at 5 AM from all stations, did not roll out of Friday.

OneIndia News
People of Himachal have decided to go with Modi; all other factors irrelevant: CM Thakur

BJP backs Tripathi, says TMC trying to malign governor office to divert attention

India

oi-PTI

Kolkata, July 7: BJP national general secretary Kailash Vijayvergiya on Thursday said the West Bengal government has stooped to a new low by trying to malign the office of the governor in order to divert attention from its own failures.

Coming out in support of the state Governor K N Tripathi, Vijayvergiya said, "K N Tripathi is a seasoned politician. He was speaker of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly. He is well aware of the Constitution and its norms.

"The Trinamool Congress is verbally attacking the governor and trying to malign his office in order to divert attention from the communal violence and its failure to control the situation. In doing so, it has stopped to a new low."

His comments comes in the backdrop of the recent war of words that broke out between the governor and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee over the recent incidents of communal violence in Baduria area of North 24 Parganas.

"The TMC government, just for the sake of vote bank politics, allowed the incident to happen. In order to appease the minority, the majority community was made to suffer. Had the police taken action on the very first day, things would not have snowballed into such a situation. The police remained a mute spectator," he charge.

Accusing the state police of failing to control the situation, Vijayvergiya, who is also the partys in-charge of the state, had on Tuesday urged Home Minister Rajnath Singh to intervene.

State Food Supplies minister and TMC president of North 24 Parganas district, Jyotipriyo Mullick, refuted the allegations of Vijayvergiya and accused the BJP and other Hindu groups of fomenting trouble in the area.

PTI
Sonia tells Lalu, Nitish to meet her again after Cong gets new president

CBI raids Lalu, files case in alleged land scam

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

The Central Bureau of Investigation has registered a case against former Bihar chief minister Lalu Prasad Yadav, his wife, son and also four others. The case was registered in connection with the alleged irregularities in the tenders for hotels in Ranchi and Puri in 2006 when Lalu was the union railway minister.

The CBI filed cases against Rabri Devi, Tejashwi, a former managing director of the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation and Sarla Gupta, the wife of Lalu's close aide Prem Chand Gupta.

CBI sources told OneIndia that raids were conducted in at least 12 locations in Delhi, Patna, Gurgaon, Ranchi and Puri. The residences of Lalu, Rabri and the former IRCTC MD were also raided.

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The case on hand relates to the irregularities in the tender for development, operations and maintenance of the BNR hotels in Ranchi and Puri. The tenders were awarded to Suajata Hotels in 2006 which is a private venture. The BNR hotels, are heritage hotels and were taken over from the Railways by the IRCTC.

Rakesh Asthana, spokesperson CBI said that the raids started at 7.30 am today. The raids are continuing at different locations, he also said. He also said that this case was registered on July 5 and after conducting a preliminary inquiry.

The CBI alleged that the Patna land was illegally transferred to Lalu's family as a favour. This was done in exchange for a 15 year lease given to one Harsh Kochar who runs two hotels for the Railways in Puri and Ranchi. Kocchar sold the two-acre plot in Patna to a company owned by the wife of an MP from Lalu's party named Prem Gupta. Later, the land was transferred in the name of Lalu's wife and sons.

OneIndia News
CBSE Class 12 re-evaluation: Last day to submit scrutiny applications today

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

Today is the last day for students to approach the CBSE with scrutiny applications of the class 12 answer sheets for re-evaluation. The Delhi High Court had lifted all conditions imposed by the CBSE on students looking to re-evaluate their class 12 exam results.

In its order the court said that the relief would be applicable to all students and not just those who came to the Delhi High Court. Out of the 11 students students who appeared for the CBSE class 12 exams of which 2.47 per cent applied for reevaluation.

On June 28, the CBSE had limited the scrutiny facility to just 12 subjects which included English, Hindi and Mathematics. The board had also restricted the right of a student to apply for scrutiny to only 10 questions.

The board's notification was challenged in the Delhi HC. While on June 23 the board had assured that it would entertain all applications from students, it went ahead and issued a notification with the restrictions.

It cannot be denied that grave and irreparable loss and damage would ensure to the petitioners so far as their admissions to colleges and universities are concerned. Balance of convenience is also in favour of the petitioners," the court said. The court has fixed July 26 as the next date of hearing.

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Story first published: Friday, July 7, 2017, 6:00 [IST]
Clarity, not tough talk, India says while refusing to withdraw forces along China border

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

There is no end in sight to the Indo-China stand off near the Sikkim-Tibet-Bhutan tri-junction. India wants some clarity from China and not tough talk before it could think of withdrawing its troops from the region.

Highly placed sources informed OneIndia that there is no question of a withdrawal at this juncture. There is too much at stake if we withdraw troops at this juncture, the source also said.

So far there has been only tough talk in the Chinese media. Instead China must arrive at some clear terms before we can consider withdrawal of our forces from the border, the official also said.

India also wants some serious diplomatic engagement on this issue. Until China talks the stalemate is going to continue. It is not sufficient if China speaks through its state media, the officer noted. These matters are to be handled at a diplomatic level, he further said.

The Chinese are annoyed that the Indian troops are stalling the road work. India says that Bhutan has strongly protested the intrusion of its territory. The unilateral move by China violates the agreements with India and also impacts the sovereignty of Bhutan, India also points out.

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Story first published: Friday, July 7, 2017, 11:02 [IST]
Delhi: Four killed as fire breaks out in house

India

oi-Chennabasaveshwar

By Chennabasaveshwar

Four persons of a family died and another was injured after a fire broke out at their house in Seemapuri in Delhi on Friday, the Delhi Fire Services said.

According to reports, the incident took place hours after the family fell asleep after celebrating the birthday of their 12-year-old daughter.

The fire broke out at 3 am and could be controlled only after an hour, the police said. Prima facie, the cause of the fire is short-circuited.

According to the police, the fire broke out in an electric meter due to a short-circuit and spread to the other area. The fire department officials pulled out five persons from the house. Four of them were declared "brought dead", the police said.

They died due to suffocation. The deceased have been identified as Sanjay Verma (40), his father Vijay Verma (63) and his children, Harshu (12) and Chiku (four), the police said. Sanjay Verma's wife Mona (34) is undergoing treatment at GTB Hospital with 40 per cent burn injuries, they added.

Four dead and two injured after fire broke out in the basement of a house in Delhi's Dilshad Garden earlier today pic.twitter.com/tFz1iDy3Kn  ANI (@ANI_news) July 7, 2017

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Story first published: Friday, July 7, 2017, 11:45 [IST]
First Ransomware attack reported in India: Clothing company in Gurgaon falls prey

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

For the first time a Ransomware attack has been reported in India. A Gurgaon based clothing company became the victim of the attack. Hackers demanded a ransom of Rs 25 lakh from the company.

The hackers are said to have encrypted the entire data of the clothing company housed at Udyog Vihar phase 1 Gurgaon. Ransomware is a type of malicious software which blocks access to a computer system and then threatens to delete the data until the user pay the ransom to the hacker.

The IT manager of the company, Mrityunjay Kumar complained to the cyber police that the server had become inaccessible. In his complaint Kumar said that the hackers are expert criminals and they had professionally managed to hack the systems which led to breakdown in the operations.

He further stated that he tried to remote test the server by was unable to access it. He then contacted the hackers whose email displayed on the system. The accused them demanded the ransom amount in bitcoins.

The Gurgaon police's cyber crime wing has registered a case under section 384 of the Indian Penal Code and section 66 of the IT Act. The probe into the matter is still on.

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Story first published: Friday, July 7, 2017, 5:45 [IST]
HC fumes over some industries not being shifted out of Delhi

India

pti-PTI

New Delhi, Jul 7: The Delhi High Court has expressed displeasure over the presence of industries in the residential areas and "failure" of the authorities to relocate them to designated sites on the outskirts of the city.

A bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar said that continuing with the industrial units in the non-conforming or residential areas amounts to a violation of the Supreme Court's directions against such practice.

The court made the Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd (DSIIDC) and North Delhi Power Limited (NDPL) as parties in the case and sought their response by August 10 on what action can be taken against the defaulting units.

It said there is no reason for people who were alloted land in the industrial areas of Narela and Bawana here to relocate their units should continue to hold those plots, alloted by DSIIDC, despite not shifting to that place. The bench noted in its order that such industrial areas were set up by the government at a huge cost to the public exchequer.

It said that non-shifting of the units to industrial areas was not only contempt of the apex court's orders, but also punishable under the Delhi Municipal Corporations Act, IPC and the Criminal Procedure Code. The bench noted that despite the seriousness of the violation, no action has been reported.

The court also observed that while the North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) has claimed to have sealed 339 properties, it has not given the dates when such action was taken.

"Clearly officials of the NDMC have connived in the same and their liability has to be fixed," the bench said and sought details of the corporation's officials posted in the area during the relevant period.

The court also directed the NDMC to carry out a fresh inquiry of the industries and inform the bench about the zone-wise details of the units within two weeks from July 6.

"The details shall disclose the date of commencement of the industrial activity and date of the sealing of properties," the bench said.

The NDMC has been directed to provide a list of the sealed units to the DSIIDC and the NDPL within two weeks. DSIIDC has been asked to place on record, within two weeks, the persons who were alloted land in the two industrial areas but have not relocated their units there.

DSIIDC, in an affidavit, also has to disclose why required action has not been taken against those allottees who have not moved to the plots given to them in the industrial area.

PTI
How Lalu's family bagged Rs 90 crore plot for a throw away sum of Rs 62 lakh

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

The Central Bureau of Investigation today carried out raids at 12 different places including the residence of former Railway minister Lalu Prasad Yadav. The CBI is probing the alleged misconduct in giving out contracts for railway hotels.

An internal file of the CBI dating back to August 2005 suggests that the Railway board had allowed private companies to run hotels. CBI sources tell OneIndia that a preliminary enquiry had been conducted and it was shown that two private companies in Ranchi and Puri were allowed to run railway hotels.

The private company in question was the Sujata Hotels which had won the contract for the BNR hotels in Ranchi and Puri. Ironically on the same day that the contract was awarded two acres of land were sold to Delight Marketing, the CBI inquiry had also found.

CBI officials say that the Delight Marketing Company is controlled by Sarala Gupta, wife of former Union Minister for Corporate Affairs, Premchand Gupta. The former minister is a member of the Rashtriya Lok Dal of which Lalu Yadav is the boss.

The CBI says that the land was transferred at a dirt cheap cost of Rs 62 lakh. In fact there were 10 land deeds that were executed by Harsh and Vijay Kochhar of the Sujata Hotels in favour of Delight Marketing. The Delight Marketing Company in turn transferred the land to Lalu's wife Rabri Devi and son and Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar Tejashwi for a throw away sum of Rs 62 lakh. The CBI says that the land in question is estimated at Rs 90 crore.

OneIndia News
How a small town in Nepal is helping bandh-hit Darjeeling with essential items, internet

India

oi-Oneindia

By Oneindia Staff Writer

Darjeeling, July 7: Necessity is the mother of invention for the bandh-hit residents of Darjeeling, literally. At a time when the hills are facing severe shortage of essential items as shops and trade centres remained closed for more than 20 days now, locals have come up with creative methods to tide over the crisis.

Instead of waiting for the indefinite strike to end, which has entered 23rd day on Friday, the locals are visiting a neighbouring small town in Nepal to buy essential items and use internet.

The West Bengal government has banned internet services across Darjeeling and adjoining areas, citing law and order problem.

The tiny town in Nepal, Pashupatinagar, situated down the Darjeeling-Mirik Road, has become the favourite shopping destination for the people of Darjeeling. The residents of the hills can easily cross the Indo-Nepal border on foot as they are not required to furnish any written permit to visit Pashupatinagar, as is generally the case to go to any foreign country.

However, if one is travelling in a vehicle, then permission from the Nepal police is needed to visit the town. The locals say it is very easy to get permission as Nepali policemen are very friendly in nature.

Thus on a regular basis, the residents of the hills are travelling around 30 km through the porous border to reach Pashupatinagar. During their way back home from Nepal, the Indians are bringing with them food items which include rice, lentils, biscuits and noodles. They are also buying liquor and soft drinks to keep themselves free from any thirst.

"Every day, hundreds from Darjeeling come to buy goods such as rice, lentils, vegetables, meat and even liquor bottles and crates of soft drinks," a Nepali police officer posted at the border was quoted as saying by The Times of India.

"Usually, there is a bar on the amount of goods one can carry past the border, but given the prevalent crisis in Darjeeling, the cops are being lenient," he added.

Many natives of the hills are crossing the border to use internet in cafes of Pashupatinagar. The petrol pump in the Himalayan town is also attracting a lot of hill residents to help them get their fuel quota.

Currently, the people of Darjeeling are facing severe petrol and diesel shortage due to the ongoing strike.

This time, the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) is spearheading the protest to demand the separate state of Gorkhaland. Over the last few weeks, other pro-Gorkhaland parties too have joined the GJM to demand their homeland.

The entire crisis in the hills began after the Mamata Banerjee government announced the decision to make Bengali compulsory for all schools. The anti-Bengali protest soon metamorphosed into pro-Gorkhaland agitation. Last month, three supporters of the GJM were allegedly killed in a police firing.

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Story first published: Friday, July 7, 2017, 8:49 [IST]
Kashmir: Why Musa's breaking away from Hizbul is good news for India

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

The breaking away of Zakir Musa from the Hizbul Mujahideen to form a new terror outfit in Kashmir is being viewed with keen interest. While the split meant that a new terror outfit was in the making, this is indirectly good news for the Indian security agencies.

Musa a powerful militant will take with him men from the Hizbul Mujahideen. This means that there would be a two way split in the outfit which in turn would weaken the Hizbul.

Musa the successor to Wani is an engineering graduate from Chandigarh. He hails from Noorpora in Tral, South Kashmir. He fell out with the Hizbul after he issued a threat in which he said that he would behead the separatists.

Musa has since the split issued several statements which include his support for the al-Qaeda. There are reports that suggest that the al-Qaeda may launch its wing in Kashmir.

However Intelligence Bureau officials say that the group will get no traction as it is seen as a foreign group. The only foreign group to get traction in the Valley is the Lashkar-e-Tayiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad. This is because they are Pakistan based groups and the entire Kashmir ruckus is funded by that country.

The immediate fall out of Musa leaving the Hizbul was that 15 members of outfit joined him. The Intelligence Bureau sees more men from the Hizbul following Musa. This would mean that the Hizbul will weaken considerably. Moreover Musa who has been riding the al-Qaeda ideology will not get the desired traction in the Valley.

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Story first published: Friday, July 7, 2017, 5:50 [IST]
Maharashtra police to use portable kits for detection of cow meat

India

oi-Madhuri

In order to contain law and order issues, Maharashtra Police will now introduce cow meat detection kits to know if the meat seized from a vehicle, restaurant or anywhere else is beef (cow or bullock meat) or buffalo meat. A senior officer said that around 45 forensic vehicles will get the kits, worth Rs 8,000 each.

According to forensic science laboratory (FSL) director Krishna Kulkarni, the kits will test the meat and give result in 30 minutes. The Maharashtra Police plans to launch the meat detection kits drive by August.

The new kits will help the police in testing the meat on the spot and register a case if the seized meat turns out to be beef. "If preliminary tests reveal that the meat is that of a cow, we will collect samples and conduct a DNA test in the FSL. We will then draw up a final report," said Kulkarni.

The move is expected to counter the several incident of violence which has been triggered in the state due to suspected case of beef consumption.

The mobile forensic support units will also be able to collect blood samples and fingerprints to generate forensic evidence for judicial scrutiny. At present, the state's forensic science laboratories available in the Pune, Mumbai and Nagpur get around 100 meat samples for testing every month but their reports take days.

The Maharashtra Animal Preservation Act, 1976, bans the killing of cows and calves. In January, Bombay High Court had upheld the same but had said that mere possession of beef won't invite criminal action. This legislation was approved by President Pranab Mukherjee in 2015.

OneIndia News
Next Vice President of India: Opposition may chose Sharad Yadav, Raja

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

With the race hotting up for the elections for the next Vice President of India, the opposition is contemplating the candidature of either Sharad Yadav or D Raja. The move to select Sharad JD(U) as the candidate is interesting considering that the party is backing the BJP's Ram Nath Kovind in the presidential poll.

If the opposition by the Congress decides on Yadav's candidature then it would interesting to note if the JD(U) would change its stance and vote for Meira Kumar instead of Kovind.

The Congress had convened a meeting recently to decide on the candidate. During the discussions apart from Yadav, the name of CPI(M) leader D Raja too cropped up. The Congress has tried reaching out to Yadav already.

However if Yadav were to turn down the offer, then the Congress may pick Raja as its candidate. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar who is part of the JD(U) had announced his support to BJP's Kovind. He was reportedly upset with the opposition which took too much time to declare its candidate for the presidential poll.

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Story first published: Friday, July 7, 2017, 6:40 [IST]
No respite from the ongoing indefinite bandh in the Hills

India

oi-Amitava

By Amitava

Darjeeling, July 6, 2017: The meeting of the Gorkhaland Movement Coordination Committee (GLMCC) has resolved to continue with the ongoing indefinite bandh in the Hills of North Bengal.

The GLMC, a conglomeration of pro-Gorkhaland forces, was formed with the objective of spearheading a joint movement for Gorkhaland. The committee met in the Hostel of St. George School in Pedong, 22 km from Kalimpoing town on Thursday.

"We have decided to continue with the ongoing bandh for Gorkhaland" stated Kalyan Dewan, Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) leader who heads the committee. The hills are in the grip of an indefinite bandh since June 15. The bandh was called by the GJM.

The committee resolved to extend the Gorkhaland movement to Terai and Dooars regions of the plains (comprising of Jalpaiguri and Alipurduar districts contiguous to the Darjeeling district.) "We will involve non-Gorkha communities for our movement in the plains" added Dewan.

Data and Research Cell; Legal Cell and Human Rights Cell have been constituted by the coordination committee. "The cells will look into different aspects including taking legal recourse relating to police excess and human rights violation by the State Government" stated Binay Tamang, Assistant General Secretary, GJM.

"The district administration and police are stopping food supplies, ration and even baby food from reaching the Hills from the plains. In case of any deaths owing to lack of food it will be the State Government will have to take responsibility" stated Tamang.

The coordination committee stated that the proposed Gorkhaland map will include Terai and Dooars along with the Hills. The next meeting for the committee will take place on July 18. In case there is offer for dialogues by the Centre the coordination committee representatives will attend.

Meanwhile Pawan Chamling, the Chief Minister of Sikkim has threatened to approach the Apex Court stating that the state of Sikkim has lost Rs. 60 thousand Crores in the past 30 years owing to unrest in the Hills of Bengal in the form of blockade of the NH10 which is the lifeline of Sikkim.

Addressing a function in Namchi in Sikkim, Chamling stated "The State of Sikkim did not merge with India just to be sandwiched between China and West Bengal. There is a standoff in Nathula between China and India. Down in the plains of Siliguri, Sikkim vehicles are being vandalized, our people are being harassed and they are stopping goods including essential commodities from being brought to Sikkim. I am in touch with the Union Government over this issue and am contemplating filing a case in the Supreme Court."

Chamling recently had written to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh in support of the demand of Gorkhaland. In 2011 the Sikkim Assembly had also passed a resolution in favour of Gorkhaland.

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Story first published: Friday, July 7, 2017, 6:10 [IST]
North Korea's missile programme impacts India's national security: MEA

India

oi-Chennabasaveshwar

By Chennabasaveshwar

India on Friday joined the chorus of international communities' concern about North Korea's pursuit of missile programme. The Ministry of External Affairs stated that North Korea's nuclear programme did impact India's national security.

The MEA said proliferation pose grave threat to international peace and India's national security. Further, it called upon North Korea to refrain from such actions that undermine international peace.

The MEA issued statements following the European Union and Japan's call for further sanctions against North Korea after Pyongyang tested an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) in defiance of repeated UN resolutions.

US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley earlier said North Korea's ICBM launch test was a "clear and sharp military escalation" and military action remained on the table.

Chinese Ambassador to the UN Liu Jieyi criticized North Korea for launching an ICBM, but also was critical of the US and South Korea for deploying the Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (Thaad) missile system (THAAD) in Seoul.

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Imran Khan discharged from hospital, to resume long march from same point where he was shot

Pakistani currency note found in Sabarimala temple 'hundi'

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

A Pakistan currency note in the denomination of Rs 20 was found in the 'hundi' of the Lord Ayyappa temple in Sabarimala. The note was found by the management after it had opened the 'hundi' for counting.

The police were immediately informed about the incident. A probe in this regard has been launched. The note was first spotted when the currencies were being passed through the conveyor belt to the counting machine.

The police said that the foreign currency used to be found in the temple 'hundi.' However since it is a Pakistani note, the matter is being probed seriously. The police say that they do not rule out mischief in this regard.

However the matter is being viewed seriously and we will get to the bottom of this, the police also said. This is probably for the first time that a Pakistani note has been found in the Hundi of the Sabarimala temple.

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Story first published: Friday, July 7, 2017, 6:35 [IST]
Poverty makes flood situation in Assam worse

India

oi-Oneindia

By Oneindia Staff Writer

Guwahati, July 7: Almost the entire Assam looks like a marooned island as rain continues to submerge more and more areas across the state. As per the latest figures, a total of 24 people have lost their lives in the ongoing floods with three more deaths reported on Thursday. All the latest three victims are children.

According to the report of the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), Sankar Doley, 10, drowned in the Subansiri at Guwalbari village in Lakhimpur district of Upper Assam on Wednesday.

In central Assam, 10-year-old Drupati Chauhan drowned in floodwaters of the Brahmaputra at Samaguri in Nagaon district and Sumaya Khatun, 7, drowned in the Kopili at Mayong in Morigaon district on Wednesday.

A total of around 4 lakh people have been affected by the current wave of floods, leaving 15 districts in the state inundated.

Officials and activists working for the relief and rescue operations in the state say that the entire flood situation becomes worse because most of the affected are poor people.

"The flood-affected areas in Assam are poverty pockets and most vulnerable to natural and manmade hazards. The affected people could be further pushed into poverty if immediate assistance is not provided. Currently, there are very few agencies responding to this crisis and the coming 30 days are crucial as rainfall continues," Oxfam India chief executive officer Nisha Agrawal told The Telegraph.

On Thursday, Oxfam India--an aid and development charity agency-started providing relief materials to seven flood-affected districts in the state.

On the first day of its work with flood victims, the NGO provided food, drinking water, sanitation and public health, and temporary shelter support in Lakhimpur in Upper Assam and Karimganj in south Assam's Barak Valley.

In the coming days, Oxfam will also provide relief in Jorhat, Golaghat, Cachar, Dhemaji and Biswanath districts.

Telecom major Vodafone on Thursday said it is offering 50 minutes' free talk-time to its customers to contact anyone in case of emergencies. "With monsoon in full force in the Northeast, many areas are flooded. To help people, we are offering 50 minutes' free talk-time to all our customers in the affected areas in the region," Vodafone India business head (Assam & Northeast) Nidhi Lauria said.

Oxfam India is also planning to provide relief materials in neighbouring Manipur, where flood situation is grim too. In Assam, the worst affected is Karimganj district, where over 1.8 lakh people have been impacted, followed by Lakhimpur, with over 81,000 people in need of assistance.

The Karimganj district authorities are running 66 relief camps where 14,536 people have taken shelter while 46 relief distribution points have been set up.

Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Thursday directed the revenue and disaster management department and district administrations to reach out to the affected people and step up relief and rescue operations. He also sanctioned ex gratia of Rs 4 lakh each for the family members of those killed in the current floods within 48 hours.

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Story first published: Friday, July 7, 2017, 7:08 [IST]
To counter Indian Army, Lashkar, Jaish, Hizbul to fight as one entity

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

As the Kashmir Valley will witness the completion of one year since Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist Burhan Wani died, an Intelligence Bureau dossier speaks of 200 terrorists being trained in Pakistan. What is interesting is that the three major terrorist groups Lashkar-e-Tayiba, Jaish-e-Mohammad and Hizbul Mujahideen would now function as one solitary unit.

The dossier in the possession of OneIndia speaks about the new routes that terrorists are looking to take from Pakistan in a bid to enter India. The dossier states that there are at least 200 terrorists who are being trained in Paksitan in a bid to be launched in Kashmir.

What is interesting is that the terrorists of the Lashkar-e-Tayiba, Jaish-e-Mohammad and the Hizbul Mujahideen are training under one roof. They are planning a major attack in India an IB officer said. The training camps have been set up in Deosai Park at Gilgit-Baltistan in Pakistan occupied Kashmir.

The three terrorist groups decided to come together as one entity in a bid to pool in resources. They feel if all three groups operate together then it would be a stronger force. Moreover they felt the need to be stronger as the Indian Army is in a clean up mode after the centre gave them a free hand.

Once the training is complete, they would look to infiltrate into Kashmir through new routes. The usual route in the west and north are blocked. Hence they would look to come in through Kargil and Drass sectors in Ladakh. These routes would not be easy owing to their inhospitable conditions.

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Story first published: Friday, July 7, 2017, 15:42 [IST]
Venkaiah Naidu compares GST roll-out to 1991 economic reforms

India

oi-Chennabasaveshwar

By Chennabasaveshwar

Union Minister M Venkaiah Naidu on Friday likened the roll out of historic Goods and Servies tax (GST) to the economic reforms of 1991.

Naidu attacked opposition party Congress' claim that GST was UPA's contribution to the country. 'This reform was initiated by [former Prime Minister] Atalji, not by UPA as Congress is claiming,' Naidu said. Further, Naidu compared the implementation of the GST with economic reform undertaken in 1991 by the Congress.

Since the roll out of GST both BJP and Congress are at loggerheads over owning the idea of GST policy and its rules.

Senior Congress leader P. Chidambaram has been criticizing BJP for GST rules, it's economic effects on the economy. Chidambaram said that GST roll out should have been delayed by two months. Yesterday, he suggested that the process should have undergone a dry run before implementation. He further raised the demand that the real estate, electricity, and petroleum products be brought under GST regime.

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Story first published: Friday, July 7, 2017, 12:55 [IST]
Man rapes 8-year-old to use her blood for removing obstacles to his marriage

Sonika Chauhan death case: Actor Vikram Chatterjee sent to Police custody till July 10

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

Alipore Court on Friday sent Actor Vikram Chatterjee, accused in model Sonika Chauhan death case, to Police custody till July 10.

The Kolkata police arrested Vikram Chatterjee, 29, who was earlier charged with culpable homicide not amounting to murder in connection with the death of the model and TV anchor.

He was arrested late on Thursday night by officers of Tollygunge police station near Acropolis Mall in Kasba. The actor was missing for several days before his arrest.

The accident happened around 3:30am on April 29 when Vikram and Sonika were returning from a late night party. The car veered out of control, and hit a pavement. Sonika (27) was rushed to a hospital about six km away where she was declared dead.

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Woman techie from Infosys found dead in Karnataka

India

oi-Oneindia

By Oneindia Staff Writer

A woman employee of software major Infosys was found dead in her rented room at Mysuru. Meenakshi, 21, was found hanging by a rope from the ceiling fan in her rented room on the second floor of the house. The police have registered a case of suicide.

Police said the body was decomposed since the death occurred two-three days ago. Meenakshi, who hailed from Kalaburgi North Karnataka, joined the IT consulting company three months ago as a trainee.

Though no suicide note or evidence of foul play was found in the room, the decomposed body has been sent for autopsy to ascertain the cause of death, which could have occurred two-three days ago.

Neighbours alerted the police after complaining of foul smell emanating from the room that was locked from inside and no response on Meenakshi's mobile phone.

Assuring Meenakshi's family of its support, the IT major said in a statement from Bengaluru: "We are saddened by the loss of our employee at Mysuru. We are working with the local authorities investigating the case. Our sympathies and prayers are with her family."

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Story first published: Friday, July 7, 2017, 7:42 [IST]
Fact Check: PM Modi did not take pleasure in peoples suffering post demonetisation

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Amid stand off Modi, Jinping exchange pleasantries at G20 summit, praise each other

International

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

During an informal meeting of BRICS leader in Hamburg, Germany Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping praised the roles played by China and India respectively in international arena.

Amidst the stand off, the Chinese President Xi Jinping appreciated India's strong resolve against terrorism. He also said that thanks to India there was momentum introduced in the BRICS. The statement was made at the G20 summit that began on Friday at Hamburg.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that positive momentum in BRICS under China. Modi said that this was thanks to the chairmanship of Jinping. He also wished him luck for the upcoming BRICS summit.

The two leaders earlier exchanged pleasantries ahead of the summit. The meeting of the two leaders is a much watched one considering the two nations are at a stand off at the border.

Host German Chancellor Angela Merkel welcomed the leaders to open the 12th G20 summit, a separate meeting of BRICS leaders took place on the sidelines.

Outside the summit venue, violent protests continued by various rights groups, including anti-capitalist groupings. The police had to resort to water canons, tear gas and pepper spray.

Russia's Vladimir Putin, Turkey's Recep Tayyip Erdogan, France's Emmanuel Macron and the UK's Theresa May are participating in the summit.

While Hamburg happens to be city of birth for the summit host Merkel, it is also known as an 'anti-establishment bastion' of Left-wing radicals.

While counter-terrorism and economic reforms will dominate the discussions, the summit will also discuss issues like free and open trade, climate change, migration, sustainable development and global stability.

Prior to the summit, Modi had said he was looking forward to "engaging leaders from other G20 countries on the vital issues affecting our world today that have a bearing on economic growth, sustainable development, and peace and stability".

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Border stand-off: Chinese army conducts exercises simulating battle scenarios in Tibet

International

pti-PTI

Beijing, July 7: Amid the Sikkim standoff, the Chinese army is carrying out exercises simulating real battle scenarios at high-altitude areas in Tibet, testing new equipment, including a light battle tank.

The exercises were being carried at an altitude of 5,100 metres, the Chinese language service of the state-run Xinhua news agency reported from the Tibetan capital Lhasa. Besides testing the new equipment, the exercises involve conducting live firing exercises.

The exercises also involve combat operations command, combat synergies, live fire shooting training, and comprehensive inspection of arms integration, the report said. The simulation also involves offensive and defensive training.

Last week, Chinese Defence spokesman Colonel Wu Qin told the media here that the trials of the tank, reportedly weighing about 35 tonnes, were taking place during military exercises.

Xinhua has also released photos of the exercises on its website. The exercises were being held in the backdrop of heightened India-China tensions at Dokalam area in the Sikkim sector.

China and India have been engaged in a standoff in the Dokalam area near the Bhutan tri-junction for the past three weeks after a construction party of the Chinese Army attempted to build a road.

Doka La is the Indian name for the region which Bhutan recognises as Dokalam, while China claims it as part of its Donglang region.

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Story first published: Friday, July 7, 2017, 9:37 [IST]
G20 summit: Modi arrives in Hamburg

International

oi-Vikas

By Vikas

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday arrived in the German city Hamburg to attend the G20 Summit, after wrapping up his historic three-day visit to Israel.

He will attend the summit hosted by Germany on July 7 to 8. The theme of the summit this year is 'Shaping an Inter-connected World'

"PM @narendramodi reaches Hamburg for the G20 Summit. Key multilateral and bilateral engagements will take place through the summit," the Prime Minister's Office tweeted.

On the sidelines of the summit, Mr. Modi is to participate in a meeting of leaders of the BRICS - Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa - grouping on Saturday. He is also set to hold bilateral meetings with some of the world leaders there.

The G20, founded in 1999, comprises a mix of the world's largest and emerging economies, representing about two-thirds of the world's population, 85 per cent of global gross domestic product and over 75 % of global trade.

The members are Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, the UK, the US, and the European Union.

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G20: Trump, Putin face off for the first time

International

ians-Oneindia

By Oneindia Staff Writer

Hamburg, July 7: US President Donald Trump is to meet his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, for the first time at a G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany.

They have both said they want to repair ties damaged by the crises in Syria and Ukraine, as well as Russia's alleged meddling in the US election.

Climate change and trade are set to dominate as the two-day summit opens, with mass protests in the streets. By choosing to hold the summit in Hamburg, Germany's northern hi-tech powerhouse, Chancellor Angela Merkel is seeking to show mass protests can be tolerated in an open democracy, correspondents say.

The G20, or Group of Twenty, is a summit for 19 countries, both developed and developing, plus the EU.

The individual countries are Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, the UK and the US.

What can we expect from the Trump-Putin talks?

The two leaders are due to meet in the afternoon for an hour, Russian media say, though other reports suggest it could be about 30 minutes.

It is unclear if they will speak to reporters afterwards or to what extent media will be admitted to the meeting. After phone calls between the leaders in January and May, the White House and Kremlin released summaries of the conversations.

Oneindia News
Indo-China stand off: How the world is seeing it

International

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

The stand off between India and China along the border has attracted global attention as well. The tense stand off which is into its fourth week now is being closely watched by several countries.

The BBC termed it as, " An eyeball to eyeball stand off." The New York times on the other hand said, " India was violating an 1890 border agreement." The Asia Times reported," China blocks entry of Kailash Mansarovar." The Guardian on the other hands said, "Armed conflict between two Asian powers unlikely."

The New York Times:

In the NYT report it was stated that India was violating an 1890 border agreement between Britain and China that previous governments had pledged to uphold. It should be respected to end a very serious incursion by India, the report stated.

BBC:

The BBC reported that both India and China have rushed more troops to the border region, and the two sides are in an "eyeball to eyeball" stand-off. The BBC report cited Luo Zhaohui Chinese ambassador as telling the Indian news agency PTI, that India had to "unconditionally pull back troops" for peace to prevail.

The Guardian:

In the Guardian it was reported that the Armed conflict between the two Asian powers is unlikely. China has demanded the withdrawal of Indian troops from a scrap of disputed territory to end an escalating border row between the two Asian powers that has drawn in tiny Bhutan. Beijing claims the Indian troops are occupying its soil, but both Bhutan and India maintain the area in question is Bhutanese territory.

The Asia Times:

Angry over India's assertiveness on Bhutan's behalf, China on 20 June, blocked entry to Kailash Manasarovar pilgrims at Nathu La Pass. Nearly 50 pilgrims stranded at the border were forced to return home. China says the Nathu La route will be reopened for them only after India withdraws its troops from Donglang, the Asia Times said in its report.

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Story first published: Friday, July 7, 2017, 10:55 [IST]
Now Pakistan will hoist 400 feet tall flag at Wagah

International

oi-Oneindia

By Oneindia Staff Writer

Pakistan has announced that it would hoist its tallest flag at the Wagah border. The flag would be hoisted atop a 400 foot flag pole. Reports in the Pakistan media state that the government had already begun preparations in this regard. If Pakistan is able to to hoist this flag, then it would be the 8th tallest in the world.

On March 5, India hoisted the National Flag at Attari. However it was torn due to strong winds. The flag had to be replaced within a couple of days. The flag has already been replaced five times since. In fact on one occasion the flag fell to the ground when the daily beating retreat ceremony was on.

The Pakistan government decided to hoist this flag after many had complained about dampened spirits. They said that the Indian flag could be seen from Lahore and this had dampened their spirits.

OneIndia News
For whats believed to be the first time in nearly four years, there is a solid contender that could turn the former Spectrum Brands property into a major employment site again.

Exact Sciences Corp. is considering the location at 601 Rayovac Drive to house its second processing lab and customer service offices, CEO and President Kevin Conroy confirmed Friday.

Its one of two sites were evaluating. Nothing is final, Conroy said. He said the other location is suburban.

A Fitchburg city official confirmed Friday that a site in that community also is a finalist, but declined to elaborate.

Publicly traded Exact Sciences is developing tests to screen for cancer. Its first product, Cologuard, a DNA-based stool test for colorectal cancer, has been on the market since August 2014 and the company expects to process 470,000 tests this year.

Exact already fills two buildings and part of a third at University Research Park. It is expanding its Cologuard processing lab in the town of Madison and recently completed a secondary stock sale to pay for that project and to add a second processing lab for future needs.

The stock sale netted the company $253.4 million, with the sale of 450,000 shares beyond the initial 7 million-share sale, the company said, in papers filed Wednesday with federal regulators.

An application submitted to the Madison Urban Design Commission on June 28 does not name the company considering the Spectrum Brands site. But it calls for building a clinical lab and warehouse with a total of 115,000 square feet of space on whats now a parking lot just south of the existing buildings.

The four-story, 157,000 square-foot office building that housed Spectrum Brands headquarters would remain. The adjacent research and development building, 630 Forward Drive, would eventually be torn down and replaced by a parking lot; new additions could connect the office building with the new labs in a second construction phase.

The location provides the ability for the facility to double in size as the company is experiencing fast growth, says the letter of intent submitted by the Potter Lawson architectural firm.

No specific timetable or price is listed for the project.

Madison city officials are happy to see a proposal that could bring several hundred jobs to the West Side neighborhood, said Natalie Erdman, director of the Department of Planning, Community and Economic Development.

Were very excited about having jobs in that area of the city with access to transportation, Erdman said. Jobs with benefits that pay a living wage  were very interested in jobs like that for our residents.

Erdman said Exact Sciences has not yet asked for tax-increment financing  a program that uses future property tax revenue to help fund construction costs  but she thinks the project would qualify because of the jobs it would add.

What theyve told us is that they like this location, like what they could do there ... they want to make sure they can get through the process on time to start construction, she said.

Erdman said the company wants to start construction this fall.

The buildings, just off Schroeder Road between Gammon Road and Whitney Way, have been vacant since Spectrum Brands moved to Middleton in October 2013. The research and development center dates back to 1966; the office building was completed in late 1985.

They are part of a 33-acre stretch of land owned by AREH, a New York real estate group affiliated with businessman Carl Icahn and Icahn Enterprises Holdings, which bought the two properties for $22 million in 1999, according to the city assessors office website.

As of 2017, they are assessed at $6.8 million  $5.6 million for the office building and $1.2 million for the tech center.

In Fitchburg, city administrator Patrick Marsh said he has not received a written proposal from Exact Sciences at this point; nor has the city made a TIF offer to the company.

Marsh said he expects to hear any day now which site Exact is interested in.

Were hoping its Fitchburg, he said. Were very excited about the possibility, and wed love to work with them.
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Dont expect pig wrestling at the Stoughton Fair this year.

Organizers would like to put last years pig-wrestling controversy behind them and focus on whats happening this weekend  including grandstand events like a horse-pull Friday night and a bull-riding rodeo Saturday night.

The fair, in its 92nd year, also features food, music, fireworks and, of course, the showing of lots of animals.

The Stoughton Fair had to drop pig wrestling last year after it stirred up animal rights activists, and City Council members threatened to ban the activity.

Although pig wrestling had been a signature part of the fair for seven years, organizers were forced to cancel the main event two weeks before the 2016 fair.

Luther Sperle, president of the board that oversees the fair, called the hoopla and accompanying media hype a big headache.

We are all volunteers. We do the best we can down here, he said. The way it went down, it was tough on us and it was hard to concentrate on putting the fair together.

The city of Stoughton went on to pass a law banning pig wresting within city limits, Sperle said.

The Stoughton Fair is nothing if not wholesome, he said.

I dont think you are going to find another more family-friendly fair than ours. We dont charge admission. We dont charge you to park. There are families that will come down every day because its free.

Fairgoers spend money in other places, such as for grandstand events or food, which is how organizers sustain the fair, Sperle said.

This years big event is the rodeo Saturday night. The Stoughton Fair started it last year and board members werent thrilled with the results.

It wasnt much. We got what we paid for, said Trevor Dybevik, vice president of the fair board.

The Stoughton Fair used to bring in rodeos years ago, but stopped because they got too expensive. Last year, they tried bringing back a rodeo to phase out pig wrestling. The fair board doesnt like to do the same event forever, either, Dybevik said.

Since last years rodeo was so disappointing, this year theyve hired CC Bucking Bulls, a Wisconsin-based rodeo company and one of the top in the Midwest, he said. They will be bringing more than 30 mature bulls.

Its very expensive, so we are hoping to get a very large crowd, he said.

One of the biggest events for children is the Saturday morning kiddie tractor pull, and its free. Children ride a little pedal tractor with a weight on it, and there are three weight classes. The winner of each weight class takes home a pedal tractor.

To keep the fair free, organizers rely heavily on the local businesses that support it, Sperle said.

They are dedicated to seeing this fair succeed. We have very generous people in this town when it comes to the fair.

They also rely on groups like 4-H and FFA that show their animals. This year the Stoughton Fair is recognizing the Caine family who farm in Fitchburg and have been showing their cattle at the fair for 75 years, Dybevik said.

The grandpa was the first one to show Brown Swiss cattle from his family farm at the Stoughton Fair. That was 75 years ago and there has been a Brown Swiss from the Caine farm at the Stoughton Fair every year since, Dybevik said.

Family members show their cattle, but if children from the local 4-H club dont have cattle to show, the Caine family lets them show their animals, he said.

Whats unique about the Stoughton Fair, Dybevik said, is that after 4-H and FFA members show their animals Saturday, on Sunday theres an open show in the Dairy Barn where anyone else can bring their cattle to show.

Then the Caine family and all of these kids will show these Brown Swiss all against each other, so it is funny, he said.

Thomas Caine, 84, the family patriarch, has also been providing the tug-of-war rope for the 4-H Olympics for more than 40 years, Dybevik said.

Patrick Caine bought the farm from his parents in 2003 and has continued the family tradition. Hes been showing the cattle as long as he can remember and hes 50 years old.

Its an excellent opportunity for the younger generation who arent from farms to experience the cattle, Patrick said, speaking for his father, too. It helps educate them about the dairy industry, teaches them work ethic and responsibility and theyll develop lifelong memories throughout the fair.

He said he especially likes the Stoughton Fair, calling it one of only two local independent fairs left. Lodi is the other one.

There are plenty of county fairs in the area, and many cities and towns have their own community festivals, but independent fairs are getting scarce.

The kids seem to really like these little fairs like this, these independent fairs, Dybevik said. These are two very popular fairs  the Lodi Fair, which is over 150 years, and ours is 92 this year. They are really all about the kids, and at least for our fair, there is no county or state funding.

The Lodi Agricultural Fair, in its 152nd year, is also running through Sunday . The Dane County Fair is July 19-23 at the Alliant Energy Center. And the Wisconsin State Fair is Aug 3-13 in West Allis. It is 166 years old this year.

Patrick Caine said when he was young and showing his animals, he always favored the Stoughton Fair. Its always been the best fair. Its down to earth.

Young people learn not so much the business side of farming, but how to handle animals and how to feed them, he said. They learn how to equip them and fit them and how to show them. Its a learning experience for them. Thats whats important.
A Madison man was charged Friday with two counts of human trafficking after two women told police that he prostituted them earlier this year and kept the money they made, paying them instead in heroin, to which both were addicted.

Harry A. Miller, 59, also threatened to kill a dog belonging to one of the women if she tried to leave him or refused to perform sex acts for money, according to a criminal complaint, filed in Dane County Circuit Court.

Miller appeared in court Friday, where he was ordered jailed on $10,000 bail. A preliminary hearing was set for Thursday.

According to the complaint:

A 24-year-old woman told police in May that Miller had given her heroin on a daily basis during March after she performed sex acts on what she said was an unknown number of people. She said she was addicted to heroin and had been buying heroin from Miller since February while living in local motels.

When she found herself homeless and sick from heroin withdrawals, Miller had the woman come to his apartment on Greenway Cross, where he asked her to work as an escort for heroin. He posted her photo to a website and advertised her for sex, the woman told police.

She said he was also physically abusive toward her, striking her on at least one occasion and grabbing her by the throat on others. Another time he shoved her out of his apartment with little clothing to wear in cold, rainy weather, leaving her outside all night, the woman told police.

Last month, a 29-year-old woman told police that she lived with Miller starting in March because she was homeless and needed a place to stay. Also a heroin addict, she said she began prostituting herself for drug money under Millers control, but Miller kept the money and paid her in heroin.

She also said that Miller used violence to control her, beating her almost daily if he suspected she withheld money from him or believed she had stolen something. He also restricted access to her phone, she told police.
'There is no level of corruption greater than a President participating in the award of a contract to himself'

Independent 18 Oct 2019
Rumble 09 Nov 2022

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Hamburg, officially the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg, is the second-largest city in Germany after Berlin, as well as the overall 7th largest city and largest non-capital city in the European Union with a population of over 1.85 million. Hamburg's urban area has a population of around 2.5 million and is part of the Hamburg Metropolitan Region, which has a population of over 5.1 million people in total. The city lies on the River Elbe and two of its tributaries, the River Alster and the River Bille. One of Germany's 16 federated states, Hamburg is surrounded by Schleswig-Holstein to the north and Lower Saxony to the south.
E! Online 21 Jun 2021

New couple alert?! Not so fast... For the past two months, Alex Rodriguez has been living the single life after he and Jennifer..
A man being stabbed by a knife-wielding stranger at a West Side steakhouse while celebrating his wedding anniversary Thursday night was saved from greater injury when a waiter jumped on the assailant, Madison police said.

Rickey Resch, 48, of Madison, was arrested on a tentative charge of first-degree reckless endangerment while armed after being subdued by employees and customers at LongHorn Steakhouse, 418 S. Gammon Road, police said.

A 63-year-old man from Freeport, Illinois, was taken to a hospital with stab wounds to his shoulder. Doctors said they were mostly superficial ... but a couple would need stitches, said police spokesman Joel DeSpain.

The victim and his wife were having dinner at the restaurant for their wedding anniversary. The 43-year-old waiter had noticed Resch and his strange behavior, police said.

The waiter said he had a look in his eye and was twitching and mumbling to himself, DeSpain said.

When Resch began stabbing the victim, the waiter jumped at Resch and knocked him to the floor, but Resch got up and came at the waiter, police said.

The waiter grabbed a chair and created some distance while others began to intervene, with several people disarming the suspect and others going to the aid of the victim and his wife, DeSpain said. As Resch was taken away, people in the restaurant burst into applause, and the waiter was thanked for his actions.

The witnesses said he did a great job and didnt know what would have happened without him interfering, an officer said in his report.
Rumble 19 Oct 2022

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Reuters India 13 Jun 2019
Sri Lanka will import 200,000 metric tons of rice immediately from India, Pakistan and Myanmar to address the rice shortfall in its domestic market, a statement from the Ministry of Industry and Commerce said on Friday.

Due to heavy floods this year, Sri Lanka is facing a severe rice shortage. Sri Lanka will purchase 100,000 metric tons of rice from India immediately, Minister of Industry and Commerce Rishad Bathiudeen said, adding the rice will be purchased from private Indian importers.

The other 100,000 metric tons of rice will come from Pakistan and Myanmar. A four-member team from Sri Lanka will leave for Pakistan and Myanmar on Friday evening to pick rice varieties for the Sri Lankan market, and the purchase with Pakistan and Myanmar will be at government to government levels, Bathiudeen said.

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka has also commenced government level talks on the possibility of purchasing rice from Thailand, Bathiudeen added.

(Xinhua)
The annual gathering of the flotsam and jetsam from the four connected lakes in the center of Dane County is coming soon.

The Dane County Take a Stake in Our Waters shoreline cleanup will begin on the last two Mondays of July, first on Lakes Mendota and Kegonsa beginning July 24, then on Lakes Monona and Waubesa beginning July 31.

Property owners can drag out as much trash, dead fish, lake weeds and algae and pile it at the end of the pier so the debris will be collected. No yard waste or household waste is accepted.

The pickup, done by barges, begins early in the day on the two Mondays, so shoreline dwellers are asked to have their materials at the end of their piers by 7 a.m. on their scheduled pickup day.

The priority is to collect as much garbage that has washed ashore and to remove hazards from the water, such as floating logs and branches.

Dane County is pleased to help shoreline residents enjoy summer recreation and our wonderful lakes, said Sue Jones of the Dane County Office of Lakes and Watersheds.

The barge crews will make one full pass around each lake, so it may take several days for a barge to reach a particular pier.

The barge wont be able to access piers if the water is too shallow. A minimum of two feet of water is necessary for a barge to get up to the pier.

Jones said owners who arent living in their lakefront property should notify those living in their homes of the shoreline debris collection.
Worldwide Plethysmograph Market Key Trends & Industry Forecast 2017 - 2025

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Plethysmography is a non-invasive process to measure the changes in volume in a particular organ or the whole body, by observing either the blood contained in it or the fluctuations occurring in the air. The process involves blood pressure cuffs or other types of sensors which are connected to a machine called as plethysmograph. The doctor may recommend plethysmography if a person exhibits signs of respiratory problems or a blood clot in the limbs. The whole body plethysmograph consists of an airtight chamber, in which a patient is seated. The thoracic movement of a person while breathing are transferred into the volume, which are measured & evaluated. All plethysmograph work on the same principle, which are considered to be clinically more reliable than other volume detection techniques.Its low cost and the fact that it is a less invasive procedure are major factors predicted to drive the plethysmograph market during the forecast period. However, the availability of alternate methods for plethysmography such as gas dilution tests and spirometry which are also less expensive is projected to restrain the market during the forecast period.Obtain Report Details @Globally, the plethysmograph market is segmented based on type into the lung, body, limb, and others divisions. Lung plethysmographs accounted for a major market share in terms of revenue in 2016. The rising prevalence of lung disorders owing to the consumption of tobacco & alcohol and sedentary lifestyles are anticipated to drive the plethysmograph market during the forecast period. However, limb and body plethysmographs are expected to witness high CAGRs during the forecast period which is attributed to the precision and accuracy offered by the two methods and the rising geriatric population. The low capability of substitute methods such as spirometers to provide absolute lung volume is likely to be a major driver of this segment during the forecast period.In terms of application, the global plethysmograph market is classified into the adult and baby categories. Adults captured a major market share in terms of revenue owing to the rising number of cardiovascular disorders caused by sedentary lifestyles and the growing awareness about technologically advanced diagnostic techniques. However, the babies segment is estimated to observe a high CAGR owing to technological advancements in the fluctuating volume detection techniques and the increasing prevalence of lung & cardiovascular disorders in infants.On the basis of end-user, the global plethysmograph market is divided into the following groups: hospitals, ambulatory surgical centers, clinics, and others. Hospitals generated extensive revenue in 2016 owing to their positive reimbursement policies, improved infrastructure, and other medicare facilities. Clinics and ambulatory surgical centers are estimated to exhibit rapid CAGRs during the forecast period on account of the rising prevalence of lung disorders and the shifting patient preference toward preventive health care. However, rising per capita expenditures are a major factor predicted to propel the segment during the forecast period.Geographically, the global plethysmograph market is distributed over North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa. North America held a prominent market share in 2016 due to the rising adoption of technologically advanced diagnostic techniques in the country. Asia Pacific is likely to record a high CAGR during the forecast period due to government funding toward the prevention and control of vital diseases in India & China and rising awareness about plethysmography techniques. Rising demand for precise & accurate diagnostic tools is projected to drive the market for plethysmographs in North America by 2025.Prominent players in the plethysmograph market globally include D. E. Hokanson, Inc., Becton, Dickinson and Company (Carefusion), COSMED, MGC Diagnostics Corporation, MEC (Medical Electronic Construction), Geratherm, and Ganshorn.Fill the form for an exclusive sample of this report @About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. We have an experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, who us e proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.ContactTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA  Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:Browse market research blog:
Global Outlook for Implantable Neurostimulation Devices Market By Key Trends and Analysis 2025

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Implantable neurostimulation devices are used to modulate the nervous system in order to improve biological functions. The activity involves the modulation of electrical signals transferred from the brain to various organs and vice versa. The devices either function by stimulating the nerve impulse or inhibit the pain signals at the target site. This technology improves the life of patients who are suffering from the profound loss of their sense organs or severely paralyzed. The small neurostimulation device is surgically implanted under the skin, which sends mild electrical signal to the spine, causing different sensation to the area of chronic pain. It modifies the pain signals before they reach from the affected site to the brain.The rising adoption of neurostimulation devices by physicians and the increasing prevalence of chronic neuro-muscular disorders are major factors predicted to drive the market for implantable neurostimulators during the forecast period. However, the discomfort caused by the invasive surgical procedure for implanting the device which is also expensive is a major restraint for the market. The trend of outsourcing medical devices is being adopted by manufacturers, propelling the market globally.Obtain Report Details @The global implantable neurostimulation devices market has been segmented based on technology into the following categories: spinal cord stimulation (SCS), deep brain stimulation (DBS), sacral nerve stimulation (SNS), gastric electric stimulation (GES), vagus nerve stimulation (VNS), and others. Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) held a major market share in 2016 owing to the rising prevalence of Parkinsons disease and epilepsy. However, sacral nerve stimulations (SNS) is expected to witness a high CAGR over the forecast period owing to the increasing number of patients with urinary incontinence and the rising awareness among the population about nervous system disorders. Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) is estimated to remain dominant during the forecast period due to technological advancements and the growing mindfulness about pain management in developing economies.In terms of application, the global implantable neurostimulation devices market is divided into the following segments: pain management, epilepsy, Parkinsons, urinary & fecal incontinence, and others. Parkinsons generated extensive revenue in 2016 which is attributed to its rising prevalence and increasing adoption of technologically advanced pain management therapies. The pain management segment is projected to remain dominant during the forecast period owing to the positive reimbursement policies and rising unmet needs for the treatment of neuromuscular disorders in rural areas.On the basis of end-user, the global implantable neurostimulation devices market is split into the following groups: hospitals, clinics, ambulatory surgical centers, and others. Hospitals dominated the market in 2016 due to the availability of trained and well-qualified personnel in them and positive reimbursement policies. The rising prevalence of Parkinsons & epilepsy and the increasing disposable incomes are major factors projected to propel this segment during the forecast period.Geographically, the global implantable neurostimulation devices market is distributed over North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa. North America accounted for a major market share in 2016 which is attributed to the rising adoption of technologically advanced pain management therapies and the post-surgical success of neuromodulation. However, Asia Pacific is anticipated to display a high CAGR during the forecast period on account of extensive government funding to improve the health care infrastructure in the developing economies of Asia Pacific and the rising awareness in the population about implantable neurostimulation procedures. The high per capita expenditure of the population on health care and recent FDA approvals for the newly developed implantable neurostimulation devices are estimated to propel the market in North America during the forecast period.Key players in the global implantable neurostimulation devices market include St. Jude Medical, Medtronic Inc., Boston Scientific Corporation, BioControl Medical, Synapse Biomedical Inc., Nevro Corporation, Spinal Modulation, and Cyberonics, Inc.Fill the form for an exclusive sample of this report @About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. We have an experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, who us e proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.ContactTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA  Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:Browse market research blog:
Bone Anchored Hearing Aids Market Global Industry Volume By Region 2017 - 2025

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Bone Bone-anchored hearing aids are surgically implantable devices designed to treat hearing loss. This device works by transmitting the sound received through bone conduction to the nerve fibers in the inner ears. The bone-anchored hearing device is a niche segment in the bone-anchored hearing aids market. The bone-anchored hearing device consists of an externally worn receiver and a sound processor. The sound processor resembles a standard behind-the-ear hearing aid, and there is an external abutment that helps the titanium implant to vibrate. It takes approximately 3 to 4 months for the implant to get fused with the living bone, and the process is termed as osseointegration. Once the bone-anchored hearing aid is osseointegrated, the implant conducts sound to the inner ear via the bone. Hence, the sound travels the inner bone without involving the ear canal or the middle ear. The hearing aids were approved by the FDA in 2002 for treating unilateral sensorineural hearing loss.Obtain Report Details @The growth of the bone-anchored hearing aids market is attributed to the increasing prevalence of hearing loss in children and older population. According to the WHO, annually 360 million individuals are affected with hearing loss, accounting for 5.3% of the total world population. An article published in CDC, stated that during the span of 1997 to 2007, 2 to 3 of 1,000 children, who were born in the U.S., faced hearing loss in one or both ears. Increasing customization in the product has proven beneficial for the users. The customization of hearing devices are done according to the users. For instance, in case of older people, the bone-anchored devices are designed in a way that they help in increasing the quality of digital sound. In addition, increasing demand for aesthetic hearing aids has propelled the growth of the bone-anchored hearing aids market.The global bone-anchored hearing aids market is segmented according to raw material, end-user, and geography. In terms of material, the global market is segmented into titanium alloy, ceramics composites, and others. In terms of end-user, the market is segmented into hospitals and medical centers. According to geography, the market is segmented into North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Middle East & Africa.Globally, North America dominates the bone-anchored hearing aids market. Since technology is widely used in countries such as the U.S. and Canada, the demand for bone-anchored hearing aids is higher in North America. Increased use of medical technology and improved and developed health care are attributed for the market growth in Europe. Increasing health care services and rising patient pool are major drivers for the market growth in Asia Pacific. Hence, Asia Pacific is an emerging market for bone-anchored hearing aids during the forecast period. Rising health care infrastructure and facilities in Latin America are factors which are expected to drive the market growth in the region. Middle East & Africa is a slow growing market due to slow growth of economy in the countries of the region.Major players operating in the bone-anchored hearing aids market are AUDITDATA, Cochlear Limited, GN ReSound, MED-EL Medical Electronics, Natus Medical Incorporated, Sivantos Group, Sonova Holding AG, Advanced Bionics Corporation, Phonak AG, Starkey Hearing Technologies, Widex, William Demant Holding, Bernafon AG, and Sonic Innovations.Fill the form for an exclusive sample of this report @About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. We have an experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, who us e proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.ContactTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA  Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:Browse market research blog:
Global Vehicle Turbocharger Market 2017 Borgwarner, IHI Corporation, Cummins, Continental AG

Vehicle Turbocharger Market

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Major Players Analysis Of Vehicle Turbocharger Market 2017 Includes Market outline, section by Application, Market by Region and Production, Revenue (Value), worth Trend by kind. The Markets And analysis study delivers necessary information and realistic data of the globe Vehicle Turbocharger market. The report presents a deep study of the market growth factors and drivers. In-depth analysis of the Vehicle Turbocharger Market limitations and thus the opportunities modify the user to create the long run projection. The report to boot includes current trends supported the manufacturing ways, technological advancements, and innovations.Ask For Sample Copy Of Report :Global Vehicle Turbocharger Market key Manufactures square measure,Honeywell International Inc.,Borgwarner Inc.,IHI Corporation,Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd.,Cummins Inc.,Continental AG,Eaton Corporation PLC ,Bosch Mahle Turbo Systems GmbH & Co. Kg,Turbo Energy Private Limited,Rotomaster International,Magnum Performance Turbos,Precision Turbo and EngineGlobal Vehicle Turbocharger Market 2017 report to boot options an outline of Compound Annual rate (CAGR) in command of worth for the actual quantity for Vehicle Turbocharger market which will assist the user to conclude the selection supported a front chart. The Vehicle Turbocharger Market report to boot contains in-detail information of the key players beside vendors and suppliers. The report to boot focuses on the geographical distribution of the Vehicle Turbocharger market across the globe with the analysis done by our qualified researchers.The Vehicle Turbocharger market report provides Associate in Nursing in-depth outline of various segments supported application, end-user industries, technology, and merchandise kind. The regional analysis of the Vehicle Turbocharger market is developed by considering the performance of the Vehicle Turbocharger trade inside the particular region. Hence, the similar analysis is used to estimate the long run forecast of the globe Vehicle Turbocharger market.Do Inquiry Here :The report to boot provides in-depth information regarding the specification, definitions, related to the Vehicle Turbocharger trade and to boot highlights the modification and changes created to ease the assembly procedures. certain trade chains and government authorizations relevant to the Vehicle Turbocharger market are engulfed inside the report.The characteristics of the Vehicle Turbocharger trade square measure evaluated throughout a qualitative and quantitative due to compare the Vehicle Turbocharger market regionally and globally. Moreover, the report is crafted with many graphical representations that embrace graphs, figures, and diagrams supported the mathematics data beside precise revenue graphs and analysis of the merchandise.About Us:Industry Report is a single destination for all the industry, company and country reports. We feature large repository of latest industry reports, leading and niche company profiles.Contact US:Industry Report, United States
Global Atomic Spectrometer Market 2017 Bruker, Danaher, Shimadzu, Hitachi, Horiba

Atomic Spectrometer Market

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Global Heart Rate Monitors Market 2017 Timex, COOSA, Polar, Garmin, Omron

Heart Rate Monitors Market

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Global Bus Processing Machines Market 2017 Intercable, Beijing Holland Tech, Baolifeng Tools

Bus Processing Machines Market

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Major Players Analysis Of Bus Processing Machines Market 2017 Includes Market outline, section by Application, Market by Region and Production, Revenue (Value), worth Trend by kind. The Markets And analysis study delivers necessary information and realistic data of the globe Bus Processing Machines market. The report presents a deep study of the market growth factors and drivers. In-depth analysis of the Bus Processing Machines Market limitations and thus the opportunities modify the user to create the long run projection. The report to boot includes current trends supported the manufacturing ways, technological advancements, and innovations.Ask For Sample Copy Of Report :Global Bus Processing Machines Market key Manufactures square measure,Gensco EquipmentIntercableShandong Gaoji Industry MachineryAndhra Changshu City Power Machines ManufacturingBeijing Holland TechBaolifeng ToolsSanxin Hydraulic Tools FactoryTaizhou Chuanhu Hydraulic ToolGlobal Bus Processing Machines Market 2017 report to boot options an outline of Compound Annual rate (CAGR) in command of worth for the actual quantity for Bus Processing Machines market which will assist the user to conclude the selection supported a front chart. The Bus Processing Machines Market report to boot contains in-detail information of the key players beside vendors and suppliers. The report to boot focuses on the geographical distribution of the Bus Processing Machines market across the globe with the analysis done by our qualified researchers.The Bus Processing Machines market report provides Associate in Nursing in-depth outline of various segments supported application, end-user industries, technology, and merchandise kind. The regional analysis of the Bus Processing Machines market is developed by considering the performance of the Bus Processing Machines trade inside the particular region. Hence, the similar analysis is used to estimate the long run forecast of the globe Bus Processing Machines market.Do Inquiry Here :The report to boot provides in-depth information regarding the specification, definitions, related to the Bus Processing Machines trade and to boot highlights the modification and changes created to ease the assembly procedures. certain trade chains and government authorizations relevant to the Bus Processing Machines market are engulfed inside the report.The characteristics of the Bus Processing Machines trade square measure evaluated throughout a qualitative and quantitative due to compare the Bus Processing Machines market regionally and globally. Moreover, the report is crafted with many graphical representations that embrace graphs, figures, and diagrams supported the mathematics data beside precise revenue graphs and analysis of the merchandise.About Us:Industry Report is a single destination for all the industry, company and country reports. We feature large repository of latest industry reports, leading and niche company profiles.Contact US:Industry Report, United States
Global Portable Dishwasher Market 2017 Samsung, Panasonic, Electrolux, Whirlpool, Siemens

Portable Dishwasher Market

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https://goo.gl/NJF2RU

Major Players Analysis Of Portable Dishwasher Market 2017 Includes Market outline, section by Application, Market by Region and Production, Revenue (Value), worth Trend by kind. The Markets And analysis study delivers necessary information and realistic data of the globe Portable Dishwasher market. The report presents a deep study of the market growth factors and drivers. In-depth analysis of the Portable Dishwasher Market limitations and thus the opportunities modify the user to create the long run projection. The report to boot includes current trends supported the manufacturing ways, technological advancements, and innovations.Ask For Sample Copy Of Report :Global Portable Dishwasher Market key Manufactures square measure,ElectroluxWhirlpoolSamsungPanasonicSiemensHaierBoschArelikSmegBaumaticIndesitAskoGlobal Portable Dishwasher Market 2017 report to boot options an outline of Compound Annual rate (CAGR) in command of worth for the actual quantity for Portable Dishwasher market which will assist the user to conclude the selection supported a front chart. The Portable Dishwasher Market report to boot contains in-detail information of the key players beside vendors and suppliers. The report to boot focuses on the geographical distribution of the Portable Dishwasher market across the globe with the analysis done by our qualified researchers.The Portable Dishwasher market report provides Associate in Nursing in-depth outline of various segments supported application, end-user industries, technology, and merchandise kind. The regional analysis of the Portable Dishwasher market is developed by considering the performance of the Portable Dishwasher trade inside the particular region. Hence, the similar analysis is used to estimate the long run forecast of the globe Portable Dishwasher market.Do Inquiry Here :The report to boot provides in-depth information regarding the specification, definitions, related to the Portable Dishwasher trade and to boot highlights the modification and changes created to ease the assembly procedures. certain trade chains and government authorizations relevant to the Portable Dishwasher market are engulfed inside the report.The characteristics of the Portable Dishwasher trade square measure evaluated throughout a qualitative and quantitative due to compare the Portable Dishwasher market regionally and globally. Moreover, the report is crafted with many graphical representations that embrace graphs, figures, and diagrams supported the mathematics data beside precise revenue graphs and analysis of the merchandise.About Us:Industry Report is a single destination for all the industry, company and country reports. We feature large repository of latest industry reports, leading and niche company profiles.Contact US:Industry Report, United States
Global Ultrasonic Transducers Market 2017 Bandelin, Crest Ultrasonics, Olympus, Stoelting, Tamura

Ultrasonic Transducers Market

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Major Players Analysis Of Ultrasonic Transducers Market 2017 Includes Market outline, section by Application, Market by Region and Production, Revenue (Value), worth Trend by kind. The Markets And analysis study delivers necessary information and realistic data of the globe Ultrasonic Transducers market. The report presents a deep study of the market growth factors and drivers. In-depth analysis of the Ultrasonic Transducers Market limitations and thus the opportunities modify the user to create the long run projection. The report to boot includes current trends supported the manufacturing ways, technological advancements, and innovations.Ask For Sample Copy Of Report :Global Ultrasonic Transducers Market key Manufactures square measure,Audiowell ElectronicsBandelinInternational TransducerCrest UltrasonicsMartin Walter UltraschalltechnikOlympusPBP Optel sp. z o.o.Siemens Process InstrumentationStoeltingTamuraWeber UltrasonicsGlobal Ultrasonic Transducers Market 2017 report to boot options an outline of Compound Annual rate (CAGR) in command of worth for the actual quantity for Ultrasonic Transducers market which will assist the user to conclude the selection supported a front chart. The Ultrasonic Transducers Market report to boot contains in-detail information of the key players beside vendors and suppliers. The report to boot focuses on the geographical distribution of the Ultrasonic Transducers market across the globe with the analysis done by our qualified researchers.The Ultrasonic Transducers market report provides Associate in Nursing in-depth outline of various segments supported application, end-user industries, technology, and merchandise kind. The regional analysis of the Ultrasonic Transducers market is developed by considering the performance of the Ultrasonic Transducers trade inside the particular region. Hence, the similar analysis is used to estimate the long run forecast of the globe Ultrasonic Transducers market.Do Inquiry Here :The report to boot provides in-depth information regarding the specification, definitions, related to the Ultrasonic Transducers trade and to boot highlights the modification and changes created to ease the assembly procedures. certain trade chains and government authorizations relevant to the Ultrasonic Transducers market are engulfed inside the report.The characteristics of the Ultrasonic Transducers trade square measure evaluated throughout a qualitative and quantitative due to compare the Ultrasonic Transducers market regionally and globally. Moreover, the report is crafted with many graphical representations that embrace graphs, figures, and diagrams supported the mathematics data beside precise revenue graphs and analysis of the merchandise.About Us:Industry Report is a single destination for all the industry, company and country reports. We feature large repository of latest industry reports, leading and niche company profiles.Contact US:Industry Report, United States
Madison officials are scrambling to move forward the $170 million Judge Doyle Square project south of Capitol Square, now stalled before a city committee.

The citys Urban Design Commission voted 4-2 at a contentious meeting on June 28 to refuse final approval of the project over disagreement with the developer, Beitler Real Estate Services of Chicago, on a handful of elements, said Ald. Amanda Hall, 3rd District, a member of the commission. The UDC, she said, has issue with the location of an elevator, a green roof, the pedestrian experience and tree species.

The project has already been approved by the City Council and Plan Commission.

Beitler officials could not be reached for comment Friday.

The project, set for the blocks that hold the landmark Madison Municipal Building and timeworn Government East parking garage, would bring a 250-room hotel for Monona Terrace, retail and commercial space, 354 apartments and more than 1,000 parking spots.

Hall, a member of the UDC majority voting against approval, said Beitler made a spectacle of itself at the last meeting, but that the commission had to maintain its standards, and that design changes outlined in a memo from the developer must be included in formal plans.

As things stand currently, the JDS project cannot move forward, she said in a statement. To halt a project for the lack of cooperation over a handful of elements is not anyones ideal scenario, but I applaud my fellow UDC members for unflinchingly holding up Madisons standards and values.

She called upon Beitler to make final design changes and said she would call for reconsideration of the UDCs decision at its next meeting on Wednesday.

I want to get the project done, she said in an interview.

Mayor Paul Soglin said he has spoken twice with the developer since the last UDC meeting and remains confident the project will move forward. The project will take place, he said.

At this point, Im more interested in substance than style, Soglin said, noting Beitlers architect will attend the next UDC meeting. I dont want to get into a discussion as to who was at fault.

Soglin added, I am deeply concerned that a project thats been approved by the City Council and Plan Commission and Finance Committee is in jeopardy because of a lack of resolution on three or four points.

George Austin, the citys project manager, said he has not spoken to Beitler officials since the last UDC meeting, leaving those communications to the mayor.

Austin said Beitler has since submitted more detailed information about remaining issues under discussion and that a presentation will be made to the UDC on Wednesday, which he believes will satisfy the commissions concerns. The main remaining area of dispute is the trees, he said.
Automated Breast Ultrasound System Market - Global Industry Analysis By 2023

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The automated breast ultrasound system is primarily designed to obtain ultrasound images with the help of a broadband transducer which is scanned over the whole breast to capture 3D ultrasound volume data. It provides 3D images and detects cancer in dense breast tissues. The market for automated breast ultrasound system has been segmented by application which includes hospitals and research labs and diagnostic laboratories among others. The automated breast ultrasound system enables quicker scan time, reduces the operator dependence. It also increases the reproducibility, consistency, reliability and sensitivity of each individual full breast ultrasound diagnosis. With the growing prevalence of breast cancer and increasing patient awareness towards the connection of breast density with breast cancer is fueling the demand for automated breast ultrasound system.Obtain Report Details @With the growing awareness towards the symptoms of breast cancer along with rising radiology market is some of the major driving factors for the market. Furthermore, growing extensive research and development for upgraded imaging techniques along with increasing government advocation towards the breast cancer awareness is also acting as drivers for the market. Furthermore high maintenance and manufacturing cost of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), exposure to radiation and lack of expertise in this field is some of the restraining factors which may hinder the growth of this market. However, the benefits obtained from the automated breast ultrasound system such as 3D images and coronal view, less turnaround time along with assurance of improved diagnostic results are stimulating the market at the global level.With the increasing technological advancement and growing application of automated breast ultrasound system in hospitals and research institutes and diagnostic laboratories are fueling the market globally. North America dominated the market for automated breast ultrasound system followed by Europe in 2014 and is expected to maintain its position over the forecast period 2015 to 2023. U.S. is the major market across North America. Furthermore, increasing awareness towards detecting breast cancer at the primary stage in order to avoid life risks associated with the diseases along with expenditure on research and development activities to upgrade technologies for better accurate results are driving the market across Asia Pacific. Japan, China, India among others contributes in the positive growth of this market across Asia Pacific. Growing number areas of hospitals and imaging diagnostic centers primarily for cancer patients are having a positive impact on the growing market for automated breast ultrasound system in Rest of the World (RoW).Some of the major players operating in the automated breast ultrasound system market are Siemens AG (Germany), Koninklijke Philips N.V. (Netherlands), General Electric Company (U.S), SonoCine Inc. (U.S.), Hitachi, Ltd.(Japan) among others. Increasing strategic alliances between major companies for better market penetration is one of the major strategies adopted by key players. Furthermore, manufacturers in developing countries are investing in the healthcare and mammography sector in order to provide advance medical instruments which in turn are contributing in the positive growth of automated breast ultrasound system market globally.Fill the form for an exclusive sample of this report @About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. We have an experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, who us e proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.ContactTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA  Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:Browse market research blog:
Bone Marrow Transplant Market Forecasted to Reach US$ 6.02 Billion

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Revenue from the global bone marrow transplant market is anticipated to expand at a CAGR of 4.1% during the forecast period. By procedure type, the market is divided into segments viz. autologous bone marrow transplant and allogeneic bone marrow transplant. Allogeneic bone marrow transplant procedure segment accounted for a highest revenue share of 63.4% in 2014, and revenue from this segment is expected to expand at CAGR of 4.4%, thereby accounting for market share to 65.7%. However, in terms of volume, the autologous bone marrow transplant procedure segment is expected to continue to lead the global bone marrow transplant market as a result of increasing adoption of the procedure owing to low chances of side effects. On the basis of disease indications, the leukemia segment is expected to remain the leading segment and is expected to be valued at US$ 2,679.6 Mn by the end of 2021. By disease indication, lymphoma segment currently ranks second in terms of both value and volume.Persistence Market Research (PMR) delivers key insights on the global bone marrow transplant market in its latest report titled Global Market Study on Bone Marrow Transplant: Latin America to Register Highest Growth Rate by 2021, Owing to Increasing Density of Bone Marrow Transplant Centers.Browse Complete Report @By end user, the market is segmented into hospitals, multispecialty clinics, and ambulatory surgical centers (ASC). Among these, hospital end user segment leads the global bone marrow transplant market, accounting for over 91% volume share of global bone marrow transplant market in 2014. This is partly attributed to requirement for advanced healthcare infrastructure for conducting the procedure. The multispecialty clinics segment is expected to register highest CAGR of 4.8% during the forecast period, with 1.4X increase in procedural count.Market growth is primarily driven by factors such as global increase in prevalence of blood cancers, expansion of bone marrow transplant registry, growing investment in logistic services, and improvement in survival rate after treatment. Being a procedure with the likelihood of highest success rate for the treatment of leukemia and other blood cancers, adoption of bone marrow transplant procedures is increasing, and is expected to fuel market growth to a significant extent over the forecast period. However, high cost of the treatment, scarcity of bone marrow donors, and uncertainty of reimbursement in several developing countries are factors expected to hamper growth of the global bone marrow transplant market over the forecast period.A sample of this report is available upon request @This report covers trends in the global market as well as trends for each segment, and offers analysis of market potential. Globally, the market in Europe is expected to remain dominant among other markets in the global bone marrow transplant market, accounting for over 59% revenue share. This is attributed to high density of bone marrow transplant centers in the region and expanding bone marrow registries. The market in Latin America is anticipated to witness rapid increase growth in terms of volume owing to high number of potential candidates for the procedure.Request to view table of content @The report begins with the evolution of the bone marrow transplant procedure, offering an overview of the global bone marrow transplant market in terms of value and volume. Comparative analysis of bone marrow transplant centers and number of procedures being conducted annually in regions such as North America, Europe, Latin America, Asia-Pacific, and Middle East & Africa explains the reasons for gaps in the market.Key market players covered in this report include Lonza Group Ltd., Merck Millipore Corporation, Sanofi-Aventis LLC, AllCells LLC, STEMCELL Technologies, and American Type Culture Collection (ATCC) Inc.About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.Contact UsPersistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA  Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb:
Rheumatoid Arthritis Diagnosis Test Market Forecasted to Reach US$ 738.7 Million

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The rheumatoid arthritis diagnosis tests market is expected to be valued at US$ 738.7 Mn by the end of 2022, expanding at a CAGR of 6.2% during the forecast period (20162022). Based on type of tests, the rheumatoid arthritis diagnosis tests market is segmented into serology test and treatment monitoring tests. Increasing incidence of autoimmune diseases, off-label prescription of NSAIDs and other pain management drugs are projected to increase demand for RA diagnosis. In addition, extensive focus on the high specificity and sensitivity of RA kits from kit manufacturers and favorable regulatory guidelines for rapid RA diagnostic kits are expected to fuel market growth. Commercialization of rapid diagnostic test, especially in anti-CCP test would provide key growth opportunities for RA test kits manufacturers. However, higher costs of these test kits and limited sensitivity when performed as individual test are major restraining factors for this market. Revenue contribution of anti-CCP test segment has been estimated to be the highest, accounting for 31.0% of the total rheumatoid arthritis market share in 2015 and is expected to be one of the most lucrative segments over the forecast period. Limited sensitivity of other tests such as ANA antibody and RF test provide competitive advantage over anti-CCP test. However, availability of these tests at remote location of Asia Pacific region is a major challenge for the market.Persistence Market Research (PMR) delivers key insights on the Rheumatoid Arthritis Market in its latest report titled Global Market Study on Rheumatoid Arthritis Diagnosis Tests: Increasing Efficiency of RA Test Kits to Drive Growth of the Market during the Forecast Period, 2015 - 2022.Browse Complete Report @Commercialization of cost-effective drugs to treat rheumatoid arthritis is expected promote growth of RA diagnosis tests market, as these medications require continuous monitoring of patients. Moreover, application of biomarker test for diagnosing rheumatoid arthritis could be the future for RA diagnosis, as various companies are focusing on development of biomarker test owing to limited efficacy of test kits currently available in the market.On the basis of test type, the rheumatoid arthritis diagnosis tests market is segmented into serology test and RA treatment efficiency monitoring tests. Serology test segment is sub-segmented into Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR) Tests, Rheumatoid Factor (RF) Tests, Anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP) Tests, Antinuclear antibody (ANA) tests, uric acid tests and other tests. Anti-cyclic Citrullinated Peptide (anti-CCP) Tests sub-segment exhibits highest growth potential in overall serology test segment, and is projected to exhibit a CAGR of 7.4% during the forecast period; this is mainly attributed to its high sensitivity in early stage diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis. RA treatment efficiency monitoring test segment is further sub-segmented into salicylate level count test, muscle enzyme tests (CPK, Aldolase) test and creatinine test. Salicylate level count test sub-segment has been estimated to hold highest share of ~46% in terms of revenue in 2015, owing to increase in off-label prescription of pain killer drugs such as Aspirin as RA treatment.A sample of this report is available upon request @On the basis of geography, the rheumatoid arthritis diagnosis tests market is segmented into North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Middle East & Africa. Europe and Asia Pacific regions have been estimated to collectively account for around 60% revenue share in 2015, owing to higher adoption of RA diagnosis test and increasing prevalence rate of autoimmune diseases. However, high RA prevalent region (North America) tend to become saturated in terms of revenue generation, owing to increasing awareness and healthcare spending for RA treatment and monitoring.The report begins with an overview of the rheumatoid arthritis diagnosis tests market in terms of value, and a detailed analysis of key trends, drivers and restraints, and opportunities, which are the main factors impelling growth of the rheumatoid arthritis test market. Impact analysis of key growth drivers and restraints based on the weighted average of each of these factors in a model-based approach is included in the report. The report provides in-depth information on potential scope of high-end confirmatory testing kits to provide clients with crystal clear decision-making insights.Request to view table of content @Key players operating in the rheumatoid arthritis diagnosis tests market include Abbott Diagnostics (Abbott Laboratories), Antibodies Inc., Beckman Coulter, Inc., Euro Diagnostica AB, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Qiagen NV, Siemens Healthcare GmbH, and Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. These companies are focusing on commercialization of cost-effective, highly-sensitive and rapid test kits. However, there is stiff competition from local manufacturers owing to low entry barriers and limited awareness about RA test efficiency among physicians.About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.Contact UsPersistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA  Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb:
Sleep Testing Services Market Forecasted to Reach US$ 8,395.7 Million

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The sleep testing services market is expected to be valued at US$ 8,395.7 Mn by the end of 2021, reflecting a CAGR of 12.9% during the forecast period (20162021). Full polysomnography sleep testing has strong penetration in in-lab sleep testing services owing to the reliable outcome and diversified scope in terms of disease diagnosis. Moreover, the ready availability of reimbursement and higher awareness level of PSG tests positively impacted the growth of full polysomnography testing segment in 2015. Reimbursement policies are playing a vital role in sleep disease diagnosis, and are also responsible for the commercial success of home-based sleep testing solutions. Preference in the leading market of North America is shifting from laboratory-based sleep testing services to home sleep testing services owing to lower cost and easy availability of services.An increasing number of individuals diagnosed with sleep disorders is expected to promote the use services. In-lab sleep testing services sub-segment accounted for 69% share of the diagnostic sleep testing services segment share in 2015. However, the segment is expected to witness the reduction in terms of market growth owing to increase in adoption of cost-effective and less time-consuming home sleep testing services over the forecast period.Browse Complete Report @On the basis of service type, the sleep testing services market is segmented into diagnostic services and treatment monitoring. Diagnostic sleep testing services are segmented into in-lab sleep testing and home sleep testing. In-lab sleep testing services segment is further sub-segmented into electroencephalogram, full polysomnography, CPAP/BiPAP Titration, multiple Sleep Latency Test (MSLT), and maintenance of wakefulness test (MWT). Full polysomnography test sub-segment is expected to witness highest growth potential during the forecast period. High revenue from this sub-segment is attributed to high cost of full PSG sleep testing. However, the in-lab sleep testing sub-segment is anticipated to witness a significant growth in terms of revenue, owing to transition to home sleep testing services.By sleep disease treatment monitoring, the market is sub-segmented into Obstructive Sleep Apnea, Insomnia, Restless Legs Syndrome, Circadian Rhythm Sleeping Disorders, Narcolepsy, and Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep disorder. Obstructive Sleep Apnea the most prevalent condition and this segment held around 49% share in 2015 and is expected to remain dominant over the forecast period.On the basis of an end user, the sleep testing services market is segmented into Hospitals, Sleep Centers, and Home Care Settings. Sleep center end users accounted for largest revenue share in 2015 owing to strong penetration of sleep testing services across sleep clinics. However, home care setting end user segment is projected to outperform in terms of revenue growth during the forecast period, reflecting a CAGR of 15.7%.A sample of this report is available upon request @On the basis of geography, the sleep testing services market is segmented into North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and the Middle East & Africa. A growth of the North America sleep services market is driven by favorable reimbursement policies and high awareness of sleep disease. However, there is significant variation in reimbursement policies for sleep testing services across European countries, which is promoting a growth of home-based sleep testing services across the region. Large patient population, the popularity of medical tourism services and low cost of sleep testing services are driving the growth of the Asia Pacific sleep testing services market.The report begins with an overview of the sleep testing services market in terms of value, and a detailed analysis of key trends, drivers and restraints, and opportunities. Impact analysis of key growth drivers and restraints based on the weighted average of each of these factors in a model-based approach is included in the report. The report provides in-depth information on the potential scope of high-end confirmatory testing kits to provide clients with crystal clear decision-making insights.Request to view table of content @The sleep service providers are mostly competing in local markets of their respective geographies. These sleep service providers are competing on the basis of high-end service, which has increased the overall prices of sleep services, especially in North America. However, ongoing research in home sleep testing and government support to HST testing over in-lab testing is expected to change the role and responsibility of sleep technicians in future. Some of the key sleep clinics profiled in the report are Midwest Sleep Services Inc., SleepMed Inc., SOVA Sleep Services Inc., Medical Service Company, Sleep Services Australia, Genesis SleepCare, St. Lukes Center of Sleep Medicine, Total Sleep Holdings Plc., and Carolinas Sleep Services.About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.Contact UsPersistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA  Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb:
New Concepts in Vacuum Insulation Panel Market 2017-2022

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A vacuum insulated panel (VIP) is a form of thermal insulation consisting of a nearly gas-tight enclosure surrounding a rigid core, from which the air has been evacuated. Vacuum insulation panel is the thinnest insulation with the most efficient thermal insulation. They have 8 to 10 time?s lower thermal conductivity than other conventional insulation materials such as rigid foam boards, foam beads or fiber blankets.Get exclusive sample copy @Scope of the Report:This report focuses on the Vacuum Insulation Panel in Global market, especially in North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific, South America, Middle East and Africa. This report categorizes the market based on manufacturers, regions, type and application.Market Segment by Manufacturers, this report coversThermoCorPanasonicThermal VisionsKevothermalKingspan InsulationUnifrax CorporationYinxing ElectricKnauf InsulationFujian SuperTechPromat (Microtherm)PorexthermDow CorningVa-Q-TecFor report customization @Geographically, this report splits the United States market into six regions,The WestSouthwestThe Middle WestNorth EastSouth EastThe MidwestMarket Segment by Type, coversPrecipitated silica Vacuum Insulation PanelFumed silica Vacuum Insulation PanelFiber Glass Vacuum Insulation PanelMarket Segment by Applications, can be divided intoBuilding MaterialHome applianceTransport applicationOther applicationMarket Segment by Regions, regional analysis coversNorth America (USA, Canada and Mexico)Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia and Italy)Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia)South America (Brazil, Argentina, Columbia etc.)Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa)Key chapters of this report:There are 15 Chapters to deeply display the global Vacuum Insulation Panel market.Chapter 1, to describe Vacuum Insulation Panel Introduction, product scope, market overview, market opportunities, market risk, market driving force;Chapter 2, to analyze the top manufacturers of Vacuum Insulation Panel, with sales, revenue, and price of Vacuum Insulation Panel, in 2016 and 2017;Chapter 3, to display the competitive situation among the top manufacturers, with sales, revenue and market share in 2016 and 2017;Chapter 4, to show the global market by regions, with sales, revenue and market share of Vacuum Insulation Panel, for each region, from 2012 to 2017;Chapter 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9, to analyze the key regions, with sales, revenue and market share by key countries in these regions;Chapter 10 and 11, to show the market by type and application, with sales market share and growth rate by type, application, from 2012 to 2017;Chapter 12, Vacuum Insulation Panel market forecast, by regions, type and application, with sales and revenue, from 2017 to 2022;Chapter 13, 14 and 15, to describe Vacuum Insulation Panel sales channel, distributors, traders, dealers, Research Findings and Conclusion, appendix and data sourceBrowse complete report @Who we are:Research Trades has team of experts who works on providing exhaustive analysis pertaining to market research on a global basis. This comprehensive analysis is obtained by a thorough research and study of the ongoing trends and provides predictive data regarding the future estimations, which can be utilized by various organizations for growth purposes.We distribute customized reports that focus on meeting the clients specific requirement. Our database consists of a large collection of high-quality reports obtained using a customer-centric approach, thus providing valuable research insights.Reach at us:Address: Flat No.10, Wing C, S. No. 245/4/2+245/5/1, Baner, Pune-411045Email: sales@researchtrades.comCall us: +1 6269994607
Ultra Wideband Market Set to Witness an Uptick by 2025

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Wireless technology that transmits digital data over a wide range of frequency bands is known to be ultra-wideband. These bands utilizes very less power for a short distance. Radios which are ultra-wideband technology enabled have the capacity to transmit huge amount of data as well as signals through the doors and other obstacles. Ultra wideband programs digital pulses which are timed very accurately on a carrier signal across a wide spectrum. In ultra-wideband accuracy needs to be maintained, to send and receive pulses through the coordination of transmitter and receiver.To View Complete Report @ :Ultra wideband has two prime type of applications that are applications involving radar, and application involving voice and data transmission using data pulses. Ultra wideband is appropriate for short-range and high-speed data transmissions for WPAN applications. Ultra wideband is used in ground penetrating radar and other military communications due to its speed and accuracy in timing.On the basis of regions, the global ultra-wideband market is segmented into North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia Pacific Excluding Japan, Japan, and Middle East and Africa.A sample of this report is available upon request @In the U.S., the Federal Communications Commission commercialized usage of ultra-wideband in February, 2002. North America is among the major contributor in terms of revenue in 2015 to the global ultra-wideband market. Asia Pacific is having huge potential and is expected to experience maximum growth during the forecast period. Latin America and Eastern Europe regions are also expected to experience healthy growth in terms of revenue. Japan and Western Europe market is contributing to a greater extent after North America in terms of global ultra-wideband revenue.To view TOC of this report is available upon request @Advancement in IoT offers huge potential for various wireless communications technologies. The manufacturing industries are gradually adopting ultra-wideband technology to track assets and manage inventory. These factors are encouraging the growth of global ultra-wideband market. Growing deployment of smart solutions across various industries, government initiatives towards energy saving nd energy management, growing demand for cloud-based solutions are a few other factors which are expected to drive the growth of global ultra-wideband market.However, low operating range of the ultra-wideband technology is obstructing the wide adoption of ultra-wideband technology. Premium pricing of the devices as compared to its counterparts and limited throughput are the factors acting as the growth barriers for the global ultra-wideband market.About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.Contact UsPersistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA  Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb:
United States Dental Cements Market 2017 : Demand, Trend, Forecast Till Upto 2022

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SummaryOrbis Research delivers key insights on the United States Dental Cements market in a new report titled United States Dental Cements Market 2017 Industry Trend and Forecast 2022 The report includes a rounded analysis of the global market to identify key drivers and challenges across the globel.DescriptionOrbis research aims to bring the best research material to its esteemed and scholarly clients looking for a complete and detailed analysis of market reports. In the new United States Dental Cements market report, orbis research delivers a holistic information hub for its clients which include all critical information points of the United States Dental Cements market. The report covers all key components of the United States Dental Cements market including the scope and overview, classification, applications, and regional analysis. The report also covers key figures and facts of the market in terms of value and volume, growth rate, sales performance, revenue generation, and the rate of growth of the current 2017 estimate and future predictions.Get a PDF Sample of Report at:The report is equipped with the entire knowledge for the clients including the latest news and analysis of the United States Dental Cements industry, as well as the new and upcoming trends, developments, and the competition.The key players covered in the report provide an in-depth view of the development and performance of the top companies in the market which can enable the clients to plan and execute their move in the United States Dental Cements industry. The report also United States Dental Cements covers the detailed products and performance of each company and their contact information.The report includes a rounded analysis of the global market to identify key drivers and challenges across the globel, while the regional analysis helps identity key factors on a micro level. Cost analysis, industrial chains, sourcing strategy, marketing strategy, distributors, and upstream and downstream trends of the United States Dental Cements industry are covered in this market report.The Dental Cements market forecast is a major mainstay of the report post careful curation of the available data by the industry experts. The forecast prediction is conducted after a thorough study and includes the parameters of revenue, regions, types, and applications. The report also includes industry news and expert comments by the top officials in the industry.To Browse the Entire Report, Visit :Like every report put up by orbis research, the report is contains a swot analysis of the Dental Cements industry. Sea United States Dental Cements soned professionals and research experts develop and present the report in the most user friendly way without compromising on the accuracy and consistency of the data. Any individual or organization interested in the report for either commercial or academic interests can greatly benefit from it.The Key Points Mentioned in Report are:Chapter One: Dental Cements Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Dental Cements1.2 Classification of Dental Cements by Product Category1.2.1 United States Dental Cements Market Size (Sales Volume) Comparison by Type (2012-2022)1.2.2 United States Dental Cements Market Size (Sales Volume) Market Share by Type (Product Category) in 20161.2.3 Permanent Dental Cements1.2.4 Temporary Dental Cements1.3 United States Dental Cements Market by Application/End Users1.3.1 United States Dental Cements Market Size (Consumption) and Market Share Comparison by Application (2012-2022)1.3.2 Dental Clinic1.3.3 Hospital1.4 United States Dental Cements Market by Region1.4.1 United States Dental Cements Market Size (Value) Comparison by Region (2012-2022)1.4.2 The West Dental Cements Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.3 Southwest Dental Cements Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.4 The Middle Atlantic Dental Cements Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.5 New England Dental Cements Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.6 The South Dental Cements Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.7 The Midwest Dental Cements Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.5 United States Market Size (Value and Volume) of Dental Cements (2012-2022)1.5.1 United States Dental Cements Sales and Growth Rate (2012-2022)1.5.2 United States Dental Cements Revenue and Growth Rate (2012-2022)Chapter Two: United States Dental Cements Market Competition by Players/Suppliers2.1 United States Dental Cements Sales and Market Share of Key Players/Suppliers (2012-2017)2.2 United States Dental Cements Revenue and Share by Players/Suppliers (2012-2017)2.3 United States Dental Cements Average Price by Players/Suppliers (2012-2017)2.4 United States Dental Cements Market Competitive Situation and Trends2.4.1 United States Dental Cements Market Concentration Rate2.4.2 United States Dental Cements Market Share of Top 3 and Top 5 Players/Suppliers2.4.3 Mergers & Acquisitions, Expansion in United States Market2.5 United States Players/Suppliers Dental Cements Manufacturing Base Distribution, Sales Area, Product TypeChapter Three: United States Dental Cements Sales (Volume) and Revenue (Value) by Region (2012-2017)3.1 United States Dental Cements Sales and Market Share by Region (2012-2017)3.2 United States Dental Cements Revenue and Market Share by Region (2012-2017)3.3 United States Dental Cements Price by Region (2012-2017)Chapter Four: United States Dental Cements Sales (Volume) and Revenue (Value) by Type (Product Category) (2012-2017)4.1 United States Dental Cements Sales and Market Share by Type (Product Category) (2012-2017)4.2 United States Dental Cements Revenue and Market Share by Type (2012-2017)4.3 United States Dental Cements Price by Type (2012-2017)4.4 United States Dental Cements Sales Growth Rate by Type (2012-2017)Place a Purchase Order for this Report at:Chapter Six: United States Dental Cements Players/Suppliers Profiles and Sales Data6.1 3M6.1.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base and Competitors6.1.2 Dental Cements Product Category, Application and Specification6.1.2.1 Product A6.1.2.2 Product B6.1.3 3M Dental Cements Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)6.1.4 Main Business/Business Overview6.2 Kerr Dental6.2.2 Dental Cements Product Category, Application and Specification6.2.2.1 Product A6.2.2.2 Product B6.2.3 Kerr Dental Dental Cements Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)6.2.4 Main Business/Business Overview6.3 Shofu6.3.2 Dental Cements Product Category, Application and Specification6.3.2.1 Product A6.3.2.2 Product B6.3.3 Shofu Dental Cements Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)6.3.4 Main Business/Business Overview6.4 Ceramir Crown & Bridge6.4.2 Dental Cements Product Category, Application and Specification6.4.2.1 Product A6.4.2.2 Product B6.4.3 Ceramir Crown & Bridge Dental Cements Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)6.4.4 Main Business/Business Overview6.5 Dentsply6.5.2 Dental Cements Product Category, Application and Specification6.5.2.1 Product A6.5.2.2 Product B6.5.3 Dentsply Dental Cements Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)6.5.4 Main Business/Business Overview...About Us:Orbis Research (orbisresearch.com) is a single point aid for all your market research requirements. We have vast database of reports from the leading publishers and authors across the globe. We specialize in delivering customized reports as per the requirements of our clients. We have complete information about our publishers and hence are sure about the accuracy of the industries and verticals of their specialization. This helps our clients to map their needs and we produce the perfect required market research study for our clients.Contact Information:Hector CostelloSenior Manager  Client Engagements4144N Central Expressway,Suite 600, Dallas,Texas  75204, U.S.A.Phone No.: +1 (214) 884-6817; +9164101019Follow Us on LinkedIn:
Body Worn Camera Market 2017 - VIEVU, Reveal, Panasonic, MaxSur, Veho (MUVI), Digital Ally, Pinnacle Response

Body Worn Camera Market

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Apex Research recently launched global Body Worn Camera market report which focuses on a detailed and precise study of Body Worn Camera industry. Global Body Worn Camera Market 2017 report concentrates on both present and historical scenario of Body Worn Camera market. This comprehensive research document will help to understand the Body Worn Camera market scenario from the year 2017 to 2022 and expected changes to take place in this industry.The Body Worn Camera industry report focuses on all aspects of industry such as Body Worn Camera market segment, Body Worn Camera product categories, revenue, product cost, etc. Besides, the report also provides the Body Worn Camera market volume for every category during the forecast period.Request for Sample Report Here :Competitive Research of Global Body Worn Camera Market 2017 Based on Key Vendors :TASER International (AXON)Digital AllyVIEVURevealSafety InnovationsPanasonicPinnacle ResponsePRO-VISION Video SystemsShenzhen AEE TechnologySafety Vision LLCGoPro (Intrensic)Transcend InformationWolfcom EnterprisesVeho (MUVI)10-8 Video Systems LLCShenzhen Eeyelog TechnologyPannin TechnologiesMaxSurGlobal Body Worn Camera Market 2017: Product Type Segment Analysisprimarily split intoRecording TypeRecording and Live Streaming TypeGlobal Body Worn Camera Market 2017: Applications Segment AnalysisLocal PoliceSpecial Law Enforcement AgenciesCivil UsageIn the first section, the Body Worn Camera market report provides information pertaining to various market strategies, production capacity, market share of major players, driver, restraints opportunities and cost structure. The Body Worn Camera report further segments the global Body Worn Camera market based on various product category, applications, end-users, etc. Further the Body Worn Camera report also segments global Body Worn Camera market based on geographical regions like United States, Japan, China, and EU.Secondly, the report provides detailed information about all major players active into this market. The reports provides information pertaining to company profile, revenue, geographical presence, production capacity, global market share, business strategies, etc. Further, the report provides information about import/export, supply and consumption, price and gross margin of Body Worn Camera market by regions. Moreover, any other region/country information can also be provided for Body Worn Camera market.For more information about this report visit at :Lastly, the Body Worn Camera report provides detailed information about major drivers, restraints and opportunities in Body Worn Camera market during the forecast period. This information can help major players operating into Body Worn Camera market to take prime importance business decisions. Finally, the Body Worn Camera market report evaluates the major geographical sectors upcoming in Body Worn Camera market.Apex Research is designed to provide the best and most penetrating research required to all commercial, industrial and profit-making ventures in any sector of online business. We take pride in our ability to satisfy the market research needs of both domestic and international businesses.About UsApexResearch offer reports from top publishers and update to serve you with immediate on-line access to professional insights on global industries, companies, products, and trends. Customers can buys different reports across various categories such as Chemical and Material, Biotechnology, Healthcare, Food and beverages, Automobile and various sectors. Our Website offers safe and secure online ordering experience, convenient payment options.Contact UsFrank ValadezBusiness Development Executive| sales@apexresearch.biz
Corn Oil Market 2017 - CHS, ADM, ACH, ADVOC, FELDA, Cargill, Yingma, Lam Soon, NutriAsia, Yonca Gida, COFCO Group

Corn Oil Market 2017

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Apex Research recently launched global Corn Oil market report which focuses on a detailed and precise study of Corn Oil industry. Global Corn Oil Market 2017 report concentrates on both present and historical scenario of Corn Oil market. This comprehensive research document will help to understand the Corn Oil market scenario from the year 2017 to 2022 and expected changes to take place in this industry.The Corn Oil industry report focuses on all aspects of industry such as Corn Oil market segment, Corn Oil product categories, revenue, product cost, etc. Besides, the report also provides the Corn Oil market volume for every category during the forecast period.Request for Sample Report Here :Competitive Research of Global Corn Oil Market 2017 Based on Key Vendors :ACHConAgra FoodsElburg GlobalADVOCSavola GroupCairo Oil and SoapFederated GroupTRIANGULO ALIMENTOSSAPORITO FOODSJ.M. SmuckerFELDANutriAsiaLam SoonN.K. ProteinsCHSADMSunora FoodsHenry LamotteYonca GidaCargillTaj Agro InternationalXiwang GroupShandong Sanxing GroupCOFCO GroupYingmaGlobal Corn Oil Market 2017: Product Type Segment AnalysisBulk ProductBottled ProductGlobal Corn Oil Market 2017: Applications Segment AnalysisSalad or Cooking OilsMargarineBaking or Frying FatsInedible ProductsIn the first section, the Corn Oil market report provides information pertaining to various market strategies, production capacity, market share of major players, driver, restraints opportunities and cost structure. The Corn Oil report further segments the global Corn Oil market based on various product category, applications, end-users, etc. Further the Corn Oil report also segments global Corn Oil market based on geographical regions like United States, Japan, China, and EU.Secondly, the report provides detailed information about all major players active into this market. The reports provides information pertaining to company profile, revenue, geographical presence, production capacity, global market share, business strategies, etc. Further, the report provides information about import/export, supply and consumption, price and gross margin of Corn Oil market by regions. Moreover, any other region/country information can also be provided for Corn Oil market.For more information about this report visit at :Lastly, the Corn Oil report provides detailed information about major drivers, restraints and opportunities in Corn Oil market during the forecast period. This information can help major players operating into Corn Oil market to take prime importance business decisions. Finally, the Corn Oil market report evaluates the major geographical sectors upcoming in Corn Oil market.Apex Research is designed to provide the best and most penetrating research required to all commercial, industrial and profit-making ventures in any sector of online business. We take pride in our ability to satisfy the market research needs of both domestic and international businesses.About UsApexResearch offer reports from top publishers and update to serve you with immediate on-line access to professional insights on global industries, companies, products, and trends. Customers can buys different reports across various categories such as Chemical and Material, Biotechnology, Healthcare, Food and beverages, Automobile and various sectors. Our Website offers safe and secure online ordering experience, convenient payment options.Contact UsFrank ValadezBusiness Development Executive| sales@apexresearch.biz
Failure Analysis Market Estimated to Experience a Hike in Growth by 2025

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http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/toc/14527

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Failure is coined as loss of functional integrity of a system, or program which leads to loss of economy, resources or even life. When there is a failure of product, process or system, it is important to know the cause of the problem and the process how to implement the solution. Failure analysis refers to the method of collection of data and analyzing it to detect the cause of failure. It is a technical approach to decide why and where the fault lies that is not letting the system to function appropriately.To View Complete Report @ :Failure analysis is critical to industries, while manufacturing products or the process used to develop or design a product. Failure analysis is application to various industries including manufacturing, energy and utility, healthcare and others. It is important to determine the root cause of the manufacturing issue for which there is a complication in production.On the basis of regions, the global failure analysis market is segmented into North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia Pacific Excluding Japan, Japan, and Middle East and Africa.A sample of this report is available upon request @North America failure analysis market is expected to have the largest revenue share in 2015 followed by other regions. Asia Pacific excluding Japan is the regions expected to have the maximum potential owing to the urbanization and industrialization in countries such as India and others. Latin America and Middle East and Africa regions are expected to experience positive growth during the forecast period.On the basis of equipment type, the global failure analysis market can be segmented into scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM), focused icon beam systems (FIB), dual beam system and others.On the basis of technology, the global failure analysis market can be segmented into transmission electron technology, scanning electron microscopy, scanning transmission electron microscopy technology, X-ray microscopy technology, nanoprobing technology, laser voltage, imaging technology, focused ion beam technology, broad ion milling technology, secondary ion mass spectroscopy technology, energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy technology, reactive ion etching technology, chemical mechanical polishing/planarization (CMP) technologyOn the basis of application industry, the global failure analysis market can be segmented into energy and utility, manufacturing, defence and aerospace, semiconductors and othersTo view TOC of this report is available upon request @On the basis of customers, the global failure analysis market can be segmented into fab FA labs customers, fabless FA labs customers, specialty labs customers, and other customersIncreased awareness among the people regarding the quality of product or solutions being offered to them is enabling organizations to implement failure analysis to their manufacturing facilities. Technological and industrial advancements is allowing organizations to cut cost in the production by monitoring the nature of the products to be produced well in advance even before the product is manufactured. These factors enables adoption of failure analysis equipment among various vendors encouraging the growth in revenue of global failure analysis marketAbout UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.Contact UsPersistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA  Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb:
U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan said Friday that its clear Russia interfered in the 2016 U.S. election, contradicting President Donald Trumps public assertion that Russias role remains unclear.

Ryan, R-Janesville, spoke to reporters in Madison after accepting an award from a Wisconsin Boy Scouts group.

Ryan told reporters he has attempted to woo iPhone maker Foxconn, which reportedly is mulling building a massive plant in Wisconsin.

Ryan also said he has avoided holding public town halls in 2017 because of disruptive protesters from outside his district.

The comments came shortly after Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin concluded their first face-to-face meeting of Trumps administration, in Hamburg, Germany. The Associated Press and other outlets reported Putin denied Russian meddling in the U.S. election during that meeting.

Ryan told reporters hes not shocked by Putins stance.

It comes as no surprise to me that Vladimir Putin would deny what we know they did, Ryan said. We all know that Russia is trying to meddle with democracies.

Trump, speaking publicly in Poland on Thursday, said nobody really knows for sure about Russias role in the election.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Trump, meeting privately with Putin on Friday, raised concerns about possible Russian interference  though Tillerson would not say whether Trump flatly told Putin that Russia interfered, according to a Washington Post report.

The U.S. intelligence community consensus is that Russia interfered in the election with the intent of helping elect Trump, defeat Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton and undermine U.S. faith in its elections. The U.S. agencies found Russian operations included supporting the hacking of email systems of the two major U.S. political parties and relaying the emails to WikiLeaks, which later published hacked emails from the Democratic National Committee.

In May, Deputy U.S. Attorney General Rod Rosenstein appointed former FBI Director Robert Mueller as special counsel to investigate the matter.

Ryan cited congressional probes of Russian election interference as the way in which the U.S. can determine exactly what Russia did and how to stop it from recurring. Ryan also said the U.S. should help its allies prevent Russian meddling in their elections.

Hope for Foxconn

Ryan said he has spoken with iPhone manufacturer Foxconn at the request of Gov. Scott Walker. The company reportedly is considering Wisconsin as a possible location for a new manufacturing facility; state Assembly Republicans said earlier this week that Foxconn could bring 10,000 jobs to the state.

Ryan said its possible Foxconn could locate in his district, Wisconsins 1st, which runs along the Illinois border from Lake Michigan, including Racine and Kenosha, west to Janesville.

There is a great potential there for a lot of good jobs to come to Wisconsin, Ryan said.

Several dozen protesters massed outside Fridays event at the Madison Sheraton, the most recent stop for Ryan in his home state during Congress Fourth of July holiday recess.

On Thursday, Ryan held events at which he fielded questions from employees of businesses in Oak Creek and Racine.

Asked Friday why he hadnt held open town hall meetings in his district, Ryan said hes trying to avoid events being upstaged by protesters who arent his constituents.

Im finding lots of different ways of having good, civil dialogues with constituents, Ryan said. I dont want to have a situation where we just have a screaming fest, a shouting fest, where people are being bused in from out of the district to get on TV because theyre yelling at somebody.

The events come as Congress is working  so far in vain  to enact the priorities on which majority Republicans campaigned, such as repealing former President Barack Obamas health care law. A bill to partially repeal the law passed the U.S. House under Ryans leadership in May, but for now it remains stalled in the U.S. Senate.

Ryan said Friday that hes pleased with the pace of GOP lawmaking in 2017.

Weve already passed our health care bill in the House, so Im happy with where we are, Ryan said.

Ryan also has indicated he wants the House to work on a sweeping tax overhaul measure.
Global Dendritic Cell Cancer Vaccine Market & Dendritic Cell Cancer Vaccine Clinical Trials Outlook 2023

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Dendritic cell first discovered in the early 19th century by Paul Langerhans and their further study and the role it plays in immune system conducted by M. Steinman in 1973, has only received the must deserved attention as a vaccine molecule, in general and as a cancer therapeutics, in particular in the recent past years. There was a widespread skepticism regarding its potential as a vaccine in the scientific community which only eased out with the further ongoing clinical trials.However, gone are the gloomy days for the dendritic cells, the sentinels of the immune system, as its market share in cancer market is rising exponentially. Dendritic cell cancer vaccines which started its journey with ex-vivo clinical trials in murine models have now gone on to rephrasing the molecular mechanism of the immune system, enriching our immunological knowledge and empowering our ability to counteract the tumor growth. Dendritic cells have also been successful in generating therapeutic and prophylactic options not just for cancer treatments but also for other ailments, deemed incurable.Dendritic cells play a critical role in immune modulation, which makes them a perfect target for the clinical studies revolving around T cell induced immune reaction like allergic reaction studies, host vs graft disease, infection resistance studies and immune-compromised patient studies, besides cancer vaccines development. However, it has been seen that many tumor antigens do not induce T cell mediated immune response which could be due the absence of functional dendritic cells in the tumors. It has been observed that dendritic cells that invade colon and skin cancer cells, sometimes lack CD80 and CD86 epitopes, therefore have limited T-cell stimulatory activity. Besides, tumors are capable of secreting growth factors like interleukin-10, Tumor Growth Factor, which retards the development and the maturation stages of dendritic cells. This implies that with increased dendritic cells invading the tumor cells the probability of enhanced prognosis is greatly increased.For Report Sample Contact: neeraj@kuickresearch.com or +91-11-47067990Download Report:Report Table of Contents1. Advent of Dendritic Vaccine in Oncology2. Cataloging towards Dendritic Cells3. Dendritic Cells Mechanizing Immune Response3.1 Antigen Appearance Leads to Cellular Immune Responses3.2 Stacking of Distinct Antigens over Dendritic Cells3.3 Dendritic Cells Source and Subsets3.4 Trail towards Maturation3.5 Stimulation Initiates Maturation3.6 Migration to Lymph Node3.7 Precision of Dendritic Cells Vaccination3.8 Illustrations of Clinical Results among Varied Cancer3.9 Quality Control3.10 Immune Monitoring4. Equipping Dendritic Cell Vaccines4.1 Cross Presentation of CD4 T-CD8 T Cells4.2 Strategies to Recruit, Mature and Load Dendritic Cells In Situ4.3 Strategies to Activate NKT Cells5. Assessment of Dendritic Vaccines with Other Therapeutic Regimens5.1 Dendritic Cell Cancer Vaccine and Monoclonal Antibodies5.2 Dendritic Cell Cancer Vaccine and Peptide Based Cancer Vaccine5.3 Dendritic Cell Cancer Vaccine and Cytokine Based Cancer Vaccine5.4 Dendritic Cell Cancer Vaccine and Antibody Drug Conjugate Based Cancer Vaccine6. Dendritic Cell Cancer Vaccine Market and Clinical Insight6.1 Some Trends Involving Dendritic Cells Cancer Vaccination6.2 Dendritic Cell Cancer Vaccine Pipeline Overview7. Undercurrents of Dendritic Cancer Vaccine Growth8. Challenging Milieu for Dendritic Cancer Vaccine9. Prospective Trajectories for Future10. Dendritic Cell Vaccines Clinical Pipeline by Company, Indication and Phase10.1 Research10.2 Preclinical10.3 Clinical10.4 Phase I10.5 Phase I/II10.6 Phase II10.7 Phase II/III10.8 Phase III11. Marketed Dendritic Cell Vaccines Clinical Insight11.1 Sipuleucel-T (Provenge)11.2 Dendritic Cell Vaccine (CreaVax-HCC,CreaVax-PC and CreaVax-RCC)11.3 Dendritic Cell-Activated Cytokine-Induced Killer Cells - Shanghai Jia Fu Medical12. Competitve Landscape12.1 3M Company12.2 Activartis12.3 Argos Therapeutics12.4 Batavia Bioservices12.5 Bellicum Pharmaceuticals12.6 Creagene12.7 DanDrit Biotech12.8 DCPrime12.9 Dendreon Corporation12.10 Elios Therapeutics12.11 ImmunoCellular Therapeutics12.12 Immunicum12.13 Kiromic12.14 Medigene12.15 Merck12.16 Northwest Biotherapeutics12.17 Glaxo Smith Kline12.18 ImmunoCellular Therapeutics12.19 SOTIO12.20 Tella Incorporation12.21 Theravectys12.22 Vaxil BioTherapeuticsKuick Research is a market research and analytics company that provides targeted information for critical decisions at business, product and service levels. We are quick, predictive and known by the recommendations we have made in the past. Our result-oriented research methodology offers understanding of multiple issues in a short period of time and gives us the capability to keep you full with loads of practical ideas. By translating research answers into strategic insight and direction, we not only rate the success potential of your products and/or services, but also help you identify the opportunities for growth in new demographies and find ways to beat competition.Neeraj Chawlaneeraj@kuickresearch.comKuicK ResearchAvanta Business Center 4th Floor,Statesman House Barakhamba Road,Connaught Place New Delhi  110 001, India+91-11-47067990
Airlines - Exploring the Potential of New Destinations

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This report identifies opportunities for airline expansion in two destinations - Mozambique and Tajikistan by referring to major macroeconomic scenarios derived from Publisher's Macro Model. The report also includes preliminary data on arrivals from the forthcoming Travel Forecast Model due for release in early 2017. The analysis reviews the varying degrees of business risks in these two destinations as well as their investment and tourism appeal for route network expansion.Request a Sample atPublisher's Airlines - Exploring the Potential of New Destinations global briefing offers an insight into to the size and shape of the Travel market, highlights buzz topics, emerging geographies, categories and trends as well as pressing industry issues. It identifies the leading companies and brands, offers strategic analysis of key factors influencing the market from innovation, pricing, channel distribution to economic/lifestyle influences. Forecasts illustrate how the market is set to change and outlines the criteria for success.Browse Complete Report atProduct coverage: Activities, Booking, Flows, Lodging, Travel Modes, Traveller Profiles.Data coverage: market sizes (historic and forecasts) , company shares, brand shares and distribution data.Why buy this report?- Get a detailed picture of the Travel market;- Pinpoint growth sectors and identify factors driving change;- Understand the competitive environment, the market's major players and leading brands;- Use five-year forecasts to assess how the market is predicted to develop.Publisher has over 40 years' experience of publishing market research reports, business reference books and online information systems. With offices in London, Chicago, Singapore, Shanghai, Vilnius, Dubai, Cape Town, Santiago, Sydney, Tokyo and Bangalore and a network of over 800 analysts worldwide, Publisher has a unique capability to develop reliable information resources to help drive informed strategic planning.Get discount on report purchase atContact Information:Call: +1-646-491-9876Email: sales@reportsweb.comReportsWeb.com is a one stop shop of market research reports and solutions to various companies across the globe. We help our clients in their decision support system by helping them choose most relevant and cost effective research reports and solutions from various publishers. The market research industry has changed in last decade. As corporate focus has shifted to niche markets and emerging countries, a number of publishers have stepped in to fulfil these information needs. We have experienced and trained staff that helps you navigate different options and lets you choose best research solution at most effective cost.505, 6th floor, Amanora Township,Amanora Chambers, East Block,Kharadi Road, Hadapsar, Pune-411028
2022: Development Status And Forecast Of Global Cyber Weapons Technologies Market In United States, EU, Japan, China, India and Southeast Asia

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Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "2022: Development Status And Forecast Of Global Cyber Weapons Technologies Market In United States, EU, Japan, China, India and Southeast Asia" to its huge collection of research reports.This report studies the global Cyber Weapons Technologies market, analyzes and researches the Cyber Weapons Technologies development status and forecast in United States, EU, Japan, China, India and Southeast Asia. This report focuses on the top players in global market, likeBAE SystemsBoeingGeneral DynamicsLockheed MartinNorthrop GrummanEADS GroupImmunity Inc.Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI)Vupen SecurityAVG TechnologiesAvast SoftwareBull Guard Ltd.F Secure LabsKaspersky LabSymantec CorporationTrend MicroMandiantMarket segment by Regions/Countries, this report coversUnited StatesEUJapanChinaIndiaSoutheast AsiaMarket segment by Type, Cyber Weapons Technologies can be split intoOffensive Cyber WeaponsDefensive Cyber WeaponsOffensive and Defensive Cyber WeaponsMarket segment by Application, Cyber Weapons Technologies can be split intoDefenseHomeland SecurityOthersTo Get Sample Copy of Report visit @Table of ContentsGlobal Cyber Weapons Technologies Market Size, Status and Forecast 20221 Industry Overview of Cyber Weapons Technologies1.1 Cyber Weapons Technologies Market Overview1.1.1 Cyber Weapons Technologies Product Scope1.1.2 Market Status and Outlook1.2 Global Cyber Weapons Technologies Market Size and Analysis by Regions1.2.1 United States1.2.2 EU1.2.3 Japan1.2.4 China1.2.5 India1.2.6 Southeast Asia1.3 Cyber Weapons Technologies Market by Type1.3.1 Offensive Cyber Weapons1.3.2 Defensive Cyber Weapons1.3.3 Offensive and Defensive Cyber Weapons1.4 Cyber Weapons Technologies Market by End Users/Application1.4.1 Defense1.4.2 Homeland Security1.4.3 Others2 Global Cyber Weapons Technologies Competition Analysis by Players2.1 Cyber Weapons Technologies Market Size (Value) by Players (2016 and 2017)2.2 Competitive Status and Trend2.2.1 Market Concentration Rate2.2.2 Product/Service Differences2.2.3 New Entrants2.2.4 The Technology Trends in FutureMake an Enquiry of this report @About ResearchMozResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.Mr. NachiketState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesEmail: sales@researchmoz.usWebsite @Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Follow us on LinkedIn @
Adhatoda Vasica Extract Market to Witness a Substantial Growth in the Near Future

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Adhatoda vasica extract is used in the number of formulations which are used in respiratory disorders like asthma, cough, and breathlessness. Apart from these usage, Adhatoda vasica extract is also rich in vitamin C and carotenes which are essential for good vision and healthy skin. Whole Adhatoda vasica plant including root, bark, and leaves are used to treat the breathing problems. Even the concoction of the leaves can be facilitate the birth of the child. In many parts of the world, the extract of Adhatoda vasica is used to treat spasm and congestion.Browse Market Research Report @Adhatoda vasica extract is valuable for the pharmaceutical industries and is mainly used in the synthesis of medicines like syrup, tablets, and oils which is expected to be the major factor Therefore, Adhatoda vasica extract market is expected get substantial growth in the coming years.Adhatoda vasica extract market: segmentationAdhatoda vasica extract market is segmented on the basis of product type, end user, and distribution channel.Adhatoda vasica extract market is segmented on the basis of product type which includes capsule, powder, and juice. Adhatoda vasica extract capsule and juice is beneficial for the relief of bronchial spasm, congestion, and asthma. Adhatoda vasica powder is taken with lukewarm water once or twice in a day to get relief from bronchitis, cold and flu.Adhatoda vasica extract market is segmented on the basis of the end user as retail and industrial. In the industrial segment, Adhatoda vasica extract is directly sold to the pharmaceutical manufacturer and in retail segment. The retail segment is further sub-segmented on the basis of the distribution channel.For more information on this report, fill the form @Adhatoda vasica extract market is sub-segmented on the basis of distribution channel which includes hypermarket/supermarket, retail store, online stores, and specialized stores.Adhatoda Vasica market: regional outlookAdhatoda vasica is native to Asia Pacific region, India dominates in the production of Adhatoda vasica as the major global exports are done by India. Adhatoda vasica is also produced in Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Indonesia, and China. Adhatoda vasica extract is available all over the world through various channels like online store, retail store and supermarket. Adhatoda vasica extract market in North America, Latin America is growing owing to its benefits in healthcare. In Western and Eastern Europe Adhatoda vasica market is also expected to grow due to ongoing research and development of Adhatoda vasica products to utilize its pharmaceutical benefits. Production and utilization of Adhatoda vasica extract is traditional in Africa, people in Africa use the concoction of Adhatoda vasica to reduce respiratory problems. Africa may become one of the leading manufacturers of Adhatoda vasica.Adhatoda vasica extract market: driversAdhatoda vasica extract market is derived by the factors like expectorant activity, antispasmodic action and ability to cure asthma and bronchitis. Adhatoda vasica extracts are primarily used in the pharmaceutical products which keep in a person healthy. Research and development of products containing Adhatoda vasica extract is expected to increase the growth of Adhatoda vasica extract market and may help in generation of huge profit to the manufacturers in terms of capital gain.Adhatoda vasica extract market: RestraintsAdhatoda vasica extract is very useful in healthcare but there are concerns related to the use of this product which may be responsible for resistance to the growth of this market. Consumption of Adhatoda vasica extract in high dosage can cause diarrhea and sometimes nausea which may restraint the market of Adhatoda vasica extract. Adhatoda vasica is native to Asia Pacific region therefore, it is less known globally for the benefits it possesses this may be another restraint for Adhatoda vasica extract market.Adhatoda vasica extract market: key playersThe key players manufacturing and selling the Adhatoda extracts in the market are The Himalaya Drug Company, Patanjali Ayurveda, Sabinsa Corporation, Biobaxy technologies and Dr Wakdes.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
United States Graphics Cards for PC Gaming Market Report 2017

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"The Report United States Graphics Cards for PC Gaming Market Report 2017 provides information on pricing, market analysis, shares, forecast, and company profiles for key industry participants. - MarketResearchReports.biz"About Graphics Cards for PC Gaming MarketIn this report, the United States Graphics Cards for PC Gaming market is valued at USD XX million in 2016 and is expected to reach USD XX million by the end of 2022, growing at a CAGR of XX% between 2016 and 2022.Geographically, this report splits the United States market into seven regions:The WestSouthwestThe Middle AtlanticNew EnglandThe SouthThe MidwestGet Sample Copy of this report @with sales (volume), revenue (value), market share and growth rate of Graphics Cards for PC Gaming in these regions, from 2012 to 2022 (forecast).United States Graphics Cards for PC Gaming market competition by top manufacturers/players, with Graphics Cards for PC Gaming sales volume, price, revenue (Million USD) and market share for each manufacturer/player; the top players includingNvidiaAMD...On the basis of product, this report displays the sales volume, revenue, product price, market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split intoDiscrete GraphicsIntegrated GraphicsView Full Report @On the basis on the end users/applications, this report focuses on the status and outlook for major applications/end users, sales volume, market share and growth rate of Graphics Cards for PC Gaming for each application, includingOEMAftermarketIf you have any special requirements, please let us know and we will offer you the report as you want.Table of ContentsUnited States Graphics Cards for PC Gaming Market Report 20171 Graphics Cards for PC Gaming Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Graphics Cards for PC Gaming1.2 Classification of Graphics Cards for PC Gaming by Product Category1.2.1 United States Graphics Cards for PC Gaming Market Size (Sales Volume) Comparison by Type (2012-2022)Send An Enquiry Request @1.2.2 United States Graphics Cards for PC Gaming Market Size (Sales Volume) Market Share by Type (Product Category) in 20161.2.3 Discrete Graphics1.2.4 Integrated Graphics1.3 United States Graphics Cards for PC Gaming Market by Application/End Users1.3.1 United States Graphics Cards for PC Gaming Market Size (Consumption) and Market Share Comparison by Application (2012-2022)1.3.2 OEM1.3.3 Aftermarket1.4 United States Graphics Cards for PC Gaming Market by Region1.4.1 United States Graphics Cards for PC Gaming Market Size (Value) Comparison by Region (2012-2022)1.4.2 The West Graphics Cards for PC Gaming Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.3 Southwest Graphics Cards for PC Gaming Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.4 The Middle Atlantic Graphics Cards for PC Gaming Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.5 New England Graphics Cards for PC Gaming Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.6 The South Graphics Cards for PC Gaming Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.7 The Midwest Graphics Cards for PC Gaming Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.5 United States Market Size (Value and Volume) of Graphics Cards for PC Gaming (2012-2022)1.5.1 United States Graphics Cards for PC Gaming Sales and Growth Rate (2012-2022)1.5.2 United States Graphics Cards for PC Gaming Revenue and Growth Rate (2012-2022)2 United States Graphics Cards for PC Gaming Market Competition by Players/Suppliers2.1 United States Graphics Cards for PC Gaming Sales and Market Share of Key Players/Suppliers (2012-2017)2.2 United States Graphics Cards for PC Gaming Revenue and Share by Players/Suppliers (2012-2017)2.3 United States Graphics Cards for PC Gaming Average Price by Players/Suppliers (2012-2017)2.4 United States Graphics Cards for PC Gaming Market Competitive Situation and Trends2.4.1 United States Graphics Cards for PC Gaming Market Concentration Rate2.4.2 United States Graphics Cards for PC Gaming Market Share of Top 3 and Top 5 Players/Suppliers2.4.3 Mergers & Acquisitions, Expansion in United States Market2.5 United States Players/Suppliers Graphics Cards for PC Gaming Manufacturing Base Distribution, Sales Area, Product Type3 United States Graphics Cards for PC Gaming Sales (Volume) and Revenue (Value) by Region (2012-2017)3.1 United States Graphics Cards for PC Gaming Sales and Market Share by Region (2012-2017)3.2 United States Graphics Cards for PC Gaming Revenue and Market Share by Region (2012-2017)3.3 United States Graphics Cards for PC Gaming Price by Region (2012-2017)4 United States Graphics Cards for PC Gaming Sales (Volume) and Revenue (Value) by Type (Product Category) (2012-2017)4.1 United States Graphics Cards for PC Gaming Sales and Market Share by Type (Product Category) (2012-2017)4.2 United States Graphics Cards for PC Gaming Revenue and Market Share by Type (2012-2017)4.3 United States Graphics Cards for PC Gaming Price by Type (2012-2017)4.4 United States Graphics Cards for PC Gaming Sales Growth Rate by Type (2012-2017)5 United States Graphics Cards for PC Gaming Sales (Volume) by Application (2012-2017)5.1 United States Graphics Cards for PC Gaming Sales and Market Share by Application (2012-2017)5.2 United States Graphics Cards for PC Gaming Sales Growth Rate by Application (2012-2017)5.3 Market Drivers and OpportunitiesMarketResearchReports.biz is the most comprehensive collection of market research reports. MarketResearchReports.Biz services are specially designed to save time and money for our clients. We are a one stop solution for all your research needs, our main offerings are syndicated research reports, custom research, subscription access and consulting services. We serve all sizes and types of companies spanning across various industries.Mr. NachiketState Tower90 Sate Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-621-2074USA: Canada Toll Free: 866-997-4948Website:E: sales@marketresearchreports.biz
Global C-Si A-Si CIGS Solar Cell and Module Sales Information and Analysis with Forecast Growth Report 2017

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"Global C-Si A-Si CIGS Solar Cell and Module Sales Market Report 2017" The Report covers current Industries Trends, Worldwide Analysis, Global Forecast, Review, Share, Size, Growth, Effect.Description-Notes:Sales, means the sales volume of C-Si A-Si CIGS Solar Cell and ModuleRevenue, means the sales value of C-Si A-Si CIGS Solar Cell and ModuleThis report studies sales (consumption) of C-Si A-Si CIGS Solar Cell and Module in Global market, especially in United States, China, Europe and Japan, focuses on top players in these regions/countries, with sales, price, revenue and market share for each player in these regions, coveringSolar FrontierSoloPowerStionAvancis (CNBM)Get Sample Report With TOC @ManzDow Solar (NuvoSun)Siva PowerHanergySolibroMiasoleGlobal SolarMarket Segment by Regions, this report splits Global into several key Regions, with sales (consumption), revenue, market share and growth rate of C-Si A-Si CIGS Solar Cell and Module in these regions, from 2011 to 2021 (forecast), likeUnited StatesChinaEuropeJapanSoutheast AsiaIndiaSplit by product Types, with sales, revenue, price and gross margin, market share and growth rate of each type, can be divided intoC-Si Solar Cell+ModuleA-Si Thin Film Solar ModuleCIGS Thin Film Solar ModuleSplit by applications, this report focuses on sales, market share and growth rate of C-Si A-Si CIGS Solar Cell and Module in each application, can be divided intoResidentialCommercialGround StationTable of ContentsGlobal C-Si A-Si CIGS Solar Cell and Module Sales Market Report 20171 C-Si A-Si CIGS Solar Cell and Module Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of C-Si A-Si CIGS Solar Cell and Module1.2 Classification of C-Si A-Si CIGS Solar Cell and Module1.2.1 C-Si Solar Cell+Module1.2.2 A-Si Thin Film Solar Module1.2.3 CIGS Thin Film Solar Module1.3 Application of C-Si A-Si CIGS Solar Cell and Module1.3.1 Residential1.3.2 Commercial1.3.3 Ground Station1.4 C-Si A-Si CIGS Solar Cell and Module Market by Regions1.4.1 United States Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.2 China Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.3 Europe Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.4 Japan Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.5 Southeast Asia Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.6 India Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.5 Global Market Size (Value and Volume) of C-Si A-Si CIGS Solar Cell and Module (2012-2022)1.5.1 Global C-Si A-Si CIGS Solar Cell and Module Sales and Growth Rate (2012-2022)1.5.2 Global C-Si A-Si CIGS Solar Cell and Module Revenue and Growth Rate (2012-2022)2 Global C-Si A-Si CIGS Solar Cell and Module Competition by Manufacturers, Type and Application2.1 Global C-Si A-Si CIGS Solar Cell and Module Market Competition by Manufacturers2.1.1 Global C-Si A-Si CIGS Solar Cell and Module Sales and Market Share of Key Manufacturers (2012-2017)2.1.2 Global C-Si A-Si CIGS Solar Cell and Module Revenue and Share by Manufacturers (2012-2017)2.2 Global C-Si A-Si CIGS Solar Cell and Module (Volume and Value) by Type2.2.1 Global C-Si A-Si CIGS Solar Cell and Module Sales and Market Share by Type (2012-2017)2.2.2 Global C-Si A-Si CIGS Solar Cell and Module Revenue and Market Share by Type (2012-2017)2.3 Global C-Si A-Si CIGS Solar Cell and Module (Volume and Value) by Regions2.3.1 Global C-Si A-Si CIGS Solar Cell and Module Sales and Market Share by Regions (2012-2017)2.3.2 Global C-Si A-Si CIGS Solar Cell and Module Revenue and Market Share by Regions (2012-2017)2.4 Global C-Si A-Si CIGS Solar Cell and Module (Volume) by Application3 United States C-Si A-Si CIGS Solar Cell and Module (Volume, Value and Sales Price)3.1 United States C-Si A-Si CIGS Solar Cell and Module Sales and Value (2012-2017)3.1.1 United States C-Si A-Si CIGS Solar Cell and Module Sales and Growth Rate (2012-2017)3.1.2 United States C-Si A-Si CIGS Solar Cell and Module Revenue and Growth Rate (2012-2017)3.1.3 United States C-Si A-Si CIGS Solar Cell and Module Sales Price Trend (2012-2017)3.2 United States C-Si A-Si CIGS Solar Cell and Module Sales and Market Share by Manufacturers3.3 United States C-Si A-Si CIGS Solar Cell and Module Sales and Market Share by Type3.4 United States C-Si A-Si CIGS Solar Cell and Module Sales and Market Share by Application4 China C-Si A-Si CIGS Solar Cell and Module (Volume, Value and Sales Price)4.1 China C-Si A-Si CIGS Solar Cell and Module Sales and Value (2012-2017)4.1.1 China C-Si A-Si CIGS Solar Cell and Module Sales and Growth Rate (2012-2017)4.1.2 China C-Si A-Si CIGS Solar Cell and Module Revenue and Growth Rate (2012-2017)4.1.3 China C-Si A-Si CIGS Solar Cell and Module Sales Price Trend (2012-2017)4.2 China C-Si A-Si CIGS Solar Cell and Module Sales and Market Share by Manufacturers4.3 China C-Si A-Si CIGS Solar Cell and Module Sales and Market Share by Type4.4 China C-Si A-Si CIGS Solar Cell and Module Sales and Market Share by Application5 Europe C-Si A-Si CIGS Solar Cell and Module (Volume, Value and Sales Price)5.1 Europe C-Si A-Si CIGS Solar Cell and Module Sales and Value (2012-2017)5.1.1 Europe C-Si A-Si CIGS Solar Cell and Module Sales and Growth Rate (2012-2017)5.1.2 Europe C-Si A-Si CIGS Solar Cell and Module Revenue and Growth Rate (2012-2017)5.1.3 Europe C-Si A-Si CIGS Solar Cell and Module Sales Price Trend (2012-2017)5.2 Europe C-Si A-Si CIGS Solar Cell and Module Sales and Market Share by Manufacturers5.3 Europe C-Si A-Si CIGS Solar Cell and Module Sales and Market Share by Type5.4 Europe C-Si A-Si CIGS Solar Cell and Module Sales and Market Share by Application6 Japan C-Si A-Si CIGS Solar Cell and Module (Volume, Value and Sales Price)6.1 Japan C-Si A-Si CIGS Solar Cell and Module Sales and Value (2012-2017)6.1.1 Japan C-Si A-Si CIGS Solar Cell and Module Sales and Growth Rate (2012-2017)6.1.2 Japan C-Si A-Si CIGS Solar Cell and Module Revenue and Growth Rate (2012-2017)6.1.3 Japan C-Si A-Si CIGS Solar Cell and Module Sales Price Trend (2012-2017)6.2 Japan C-Si A-Si CIGS Solar Cell and Module Sales and Market Share by Manufacturers6.3 Japan C-Si A-Si CIGS Solar Cell and Module Sales and Market Share by Type6.4 Japan C-Si A-Si CIGS Solar Cell and Module Sales and Market Share by Application7 Southeast Asia C-Si A-Si CIGS Solar Cell and Module (Volume, Value and Sales Price)7.1 Southeast Asia C-Si A-Si CIGS Solar Cell and Module Sales and Value (2012-2017)7.1.1 Southeast Asia C-Si A-Si CIGS Solar Cell and Module Sales and Growth Rate (2012-2017)7.1.2 Southeast Asia C-Si A-Si CIGS Solar Cell and Module Revenue and Growth Rate (2012-2017)7.1.3 Southeast Asia C-Si A-Si CIGS Solar Cell and Module Sales Price Trend (2012-2017)7.2 Southeast Asia C-Si A-Si CIGS Solar Cell and Module Sales and Market Share by Manufacturers7.3 Southeast Asia C-Si A-Si CIGS Solar Cell and Module Sales and Market Share by Type7.4 Southeast Asia C-Si A-Si CIGS Solar Cell and Module Sales and Market Share by Application8 India C-Si A-Si CIGS Solar Cell and Module (Volume, Value and Sales Price)8.1 India C-Si A-Si CIGS Solar Cell and Module Sales and Value (2012-2017)8.1.1 India C-Si A-Si CIGS Solar Cell and Module Sales and Growth Rate (2012-2017)8.1.2 India C-Si A-Si CIGS Solar Cell and Module Revenue and Growth Rate (2012-2017)8.1.3 India C-Si A-Si CIGS Solar Cell and Module Sales Price Trend (2012-2017)8.2 India C-Si A-Si CIGS Solar Cell and Module Sales and Market Share by Manufacturers8.3 India C-Si A-Si CIGS Solar Cell and Module Sales and Market Share by Type8.4 India C-Si A-Si CIGS Solar Cell and Module Sales and Market Share by Application9 Global C-Si A-Si CIGS Solar Cell and Module Manufacturers Analysis9.1 Solar Frontier9.1.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base and Competitors9.1.2 C-Si A-Si CIGS Solar Cell and Module Product Type, Application and Specification9.1.2.1 Product A9.1.2.2 Product B9.1.3 Solar Frontier C-Si A-Si CIGS Solar Cell and Module Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)9.1.4 Main Business/Business Overview9.2 SoloPower9.2.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base and Competitors9.2.2 C-Si A-Si CIGS Solar Cell and Module Product Type, Application and Specification9.2.2.1 Product A9.2.2.2 Product B9.2.3 SoloPower C-Si A-Si CIGS Solar Cell and Module Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)9.2.4 Main Business/Business OverviewResearchMoz is the worlds fastest growing collection of market research reports worldwide. Our database is composed of current market studies from over 100 featured publishers worldwide. Our market research databases integrate statistics with analysis from global, regional, country and company perspectives. ResearchMozs service portfolio also includes value-added services such as market research customization, competitive landscaping, and in-depth surveys, delivered by a team of experienced Research Coordinators.Researchmoz Global Pvt. Ltd.90 State Street,Albany, NY 12207,United States,Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free),Tel: +1-518-621-2074
Telemedicine Technologies and Services Industry Expected to Reach US$ 86.7 Bn in 2023 - Researchmoz

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Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Telemedicine Technologies and Services Market (Component - Hardware, Software, and Services; End-user - Telehospital and Telehome) - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast 2015 - 2023" to its huge collection of research reports.Telemedicine is the union of health care and telecommunication/information technology aimed at providing assistance to individuals in remote areas, inaccessible to health care centers in times of need. Critical care and emergency situations are the primary areas for which telemedicine evolved in practice. The healthcare industry has always been one of the most lucrative, yet steadily growing, industries in the global market. The requirement of healthcare is termed as critical and crucial to the sustenance of life, hence considered an important industry. The overall telemedicine technology has already created a positive impact in the developed regions. However, regional governments in the developing nations have expressed their approval and support to the technology that helps save lives and uplift the global standard of health.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @This report provides in-depth analysis of the global telemedicine technologies and services market. The stakeholders for this report include companies involved in the manufacture of telemedicine component, provide telemedicine services to the hospitals and homes, suppliers and new entrants planning to invest in this market. For providing a snapshot of this market to the stakeholders, executive summary section is included in this report, which summarizes the market size, trends and competition for different telemedicine component and services in five major regions.The market overview section of this report analyzes market dynamics such as drivers, restraints and opportunities that influence the telemedicine technologies and services market in the current and future scenario. Heat map among the market players is analyzed to signify the presence of market players in the relevant (hardware, software, service) segment of the market. All these factors will help the market players to decide about the business strategies and plans to be incurred in future for strengthening their position in the global market.The telemedicine technologies and services market by component has been segmented as hardware, software and services. Telemedicine hardware involves collection of physical parts and assemble into a proper telemedicine system. The hardware segment has been categorized into videoconferencing unit, imaging unit, vital signs unit, ECG, and others. Integrated and stand alone are the type of software in the telemedicine technologies and services market. The global telemedicine services market has been segmented as interactive, store and transfer and chronic care. Based on end-user, the global telemedicine technologies and services market has been segmented into telehospital/teleclinic and telehomes.Geographically, the telemedicine technologies and services market has been differentiated into five major regions: North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America and the Middle East & Africa. Moreover, analysis for the major countries comprising U.S. Canada, Germany, France, Japan China, India, Australia, Brazil, and Saudi Arabia have also been provided in the report.The report provides market estimation of telemedicine technologies and services in terms of revenue (US$ Mn) for all the segments and sub segments with CAGR % for period 2015 to 2023, considering 2014 as the base year. The report also provides heat map analysis of the key players operating in the market on basis of their products and services offered globally. The report also provide market attractiveness analysis by geography that depicts the most attractive regions in the global market during the forecast period from 2015 to 2023.This report also includes recommendations section that will assist new companies in establishing their presence and market players in expanding their market share in the telemedicine technologies and services market. The report concludes with the company profile section which includes company overview, financial overview, product portfolio, business strategies and recent developments for market players. The major players that are profiled in the report include Aerotel Medical Systems Ltd., AMD Global Telemedicine, Inc., General Electric Company, Honeywell International, Inc. and LifeWatch AGThe global telemedicine technologies and services is segmented into the following categories:Global Telemedicine Technologies and Services Market, by Component- Hardware- Videoconferencing Unit- Imaging Unit- Vital Sign Unit- ECG- Others- Software- Integrated- Standalone- Service- Interactive- Store and Transfer- Chronic Care ManagementGlobal Telemedicine Technologies and Services Market, by End-User- Telehospital- TelehomeGlobal Telemedicine Technologies and Services Market, by Geography- North America- U.S.- Canada- Europe- Germany- France- Rest of Europe- Asia Pacific- China- Australia- Rest of APAC- Latin America- Brazil- Rest of LATAM- Middle East & Africa- Saudi Arabia- Rest of MEAMake an Enquiry of this report @About ResearchMozResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.Mr. NachiketState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesEmail: sales@researchmoz.usWebsite @Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Follow us on LinkedIn @
Europe Insect Repellent Industry to Account for US$1.82 bn in Revenue by 2023, Demand for Natural Products on the Rise

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Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Insect Repellent Market (By Product Type: Body Worn Insect Repellent, Non Body Worn Insect Repellent) - Europe Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2015 - 2023" to its huge collection of research reports.The rise in the number of insect-borne diseases is driving the growth of the insect repellent market in Europe. In order to protect themselves from diseases caused by mosquitoes or ticks, consumers prefer different insect repellent products such as apparels, oils and creams, and stickers and patches among others. According to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, the changing climatic conditions would increase the habitation of tiger mosquitoes in the Northern part of Europe on account of warmer and wetter weather conditions. All these factors are likely to increase health awareness among European consumers, which in turn is expected to drive the usage of insect repellent products in Italy, France, Spain and other European countries during the forecast period.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @In addition, insect repellents are marketed through strong distribution channels such as online stores, supermarkets, and convenience stores. Increasing availability of these products in stores and supermarkets are also promoting the growth of the insect repellent market in Europe. Moreover, manufacturers also sell insect repellent products through internet retailing. The collection, variety, discount, and price range of products available with internet retailers is diverse leading to increasing popularity of the channel. Many companies are entering into joint venture agreements with different online stores in order to market these products through their websites.Key manufacturers operating in the insect repellent market are continuously focused on developing safe and innovative insect repellents. These products provide protection from critical insect-borne diseases such as malaria, dengue, Lyme disease, and yellow fever among others. With advancement in technology, insect repellents are being made from natural products such as lemongrass, citronella oil, and eucalyptus oil which produce less smoke and are comparatively safer.However, stringent government regulations prevailing in Europe hinder the growth of the insect repellent market. Various organizations such as the European Environmental Agency and the European Medicines Agency have implemented different safety standards to conclude whether an insect repellent is harmless enough for its intended use, thereby maintaining consumer safety.Increasing demand for new and innovative insect repellent products containing natural ingredients is likely to create significant opportunity for growth of the European insect repellant market in the future.This market research study analyzes the insect repellent market in Europe and provides estimates in terms of revenue (USD Million) from 2014 to 2023. It recognizes the drivers and restraints affecting the industry and analyzes their impact over the forecast period from 2015 to 2023. Moreover, it identifies the significant opportunities for market growth in the years to come.The report segments the market based on product type which includes body-worn insect repellent and non body-worn insect repellent. The body-worn insect repellent segment is segmented into oils and cream, apparels, stickers and patches, and aerosols. The oils and cream segment is further divided into synthetic and plant based insect repellents. Moreover, the aerosol segment is classified into Deet and Non Deet. The non body-worn insect repellent segment is subdivided into coils, mats and sheets, aerosols and liquid vaporizers. The aerosol segment is further bifurcated into Deet and Non Deet. By countries, the insect repellent market in Europe is subdivided into Germany, U.K. France, Italy, Spain, Belgium, Switzerland, Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Iceland, and rest of Europe.The report provides company market share analysis of the various industry participants. Key players have also been profiled on the basis of company overview, financial overview, business strategies and key developments. Major market participants profiled in this report include Avon Products Inc. (U.S.), S.C. Johnson & Son, Inc. (U.S.), 3M Corporation (U.S.), E.I. DuPont de Nemours and Company (U.S.), BASF S.E (Germany) and Omega Pharma (Belgium).Europe Insect Repellent Market: by Product TypeBody Worn Insect RepellentOils and CreamSyntheticDeetPicaridinPermethrinPlant BasedCitronellaGeraniolOil of Lemon EucalyptusApparelStickers and PatchesAerosolsDeetNon DeetNon Body Worn Insect RepellentCoils, Mats and SheetAerosolDeetNon DeetLiquid VaporizerEurope Insect Repellent Market: by CountryU.K.GermanyFranceItalyGermanySpainBelgiumSwitzerlandNetherlandsDenmarkNorwaySwedenFinlandIcelandRest of EuropeMake an Enquiry of this report @About ResearchMozResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. 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Global Internet of Nano Things Market 2016-2020 - Key vendors Alcatel-Lucent, Cisco Systems, IBM, Intel, Qualcomm

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Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Global Internet of Nano Things Market 2016-2020" to its huge collection of research reports.IoNT is a network of nanoscale devices, sensors, and machines integrated into everyday physical objects that are connected to the Internet for effective data communication. It improves operational efficiency by increasing the pace of communication over the existing infrastructure and enhances business productivity in any industrial setup. IoNT focuses on improving the process capabilities by expanding the data storage and computing capacity at the basic sensor level.The IoNT is embedded with nanotechnology allowing integration of nanoscale devices with the existing communication infrastructure and the Internet. It creates smart communication environments, such as smart homes, smart shopping, smart transportation, and smart healthcare. The IoNT can efficiently monitor and manage many interconnected nanoscale devices.Technavios analysts forecast the global internet of nano things (IoNT) market to grow at a CAGR of 24.25% during the period 2016-2020.Covered in this reportThe report covers the present scenario and the growth prospects of the global internet of nano things (IoNT) market for 2016-2020. To calculate the market size, we consider revenue generated from the sales of nanocomponents and devices, such as antennas and transceivers, cameras, memory cards, phones, processors, and sensors.The market is divided into the following segments based on geography:AmericasAPACEMEATo Get Sample Copy of Report visit @Global Internet of Nano Things (IoNT) Market 2016-2020, has been prepared based on an in-depth market analysis with inputs from industry experts. The report covers the market landscape and its growth prospects over the coming years. The report also includes a discussion of the key vendors operating in this market.Key vendorsAlcatel-LucentCisco SystemsIBMIntelQualcommOther prominent vendorsAccentureAmazon Web ServicesAppleARM HoldingsAtmelAtosBosch Software InnovationsBroadcomCTSDellDigi InternationalEchelonFreescale SemiconductorGEGemaltoGoogleHitachiHPHuawei TechnologiesInfineon TechnologiesInfosysJuniper NetworksMicrosoftNational InstrumentsNECOraclePTCRockwell AutomationSamsung ElectronicsSAPSchneider ElectricSiemensSymantecTCSTech MahindraTelefonicaTexas InstrumentsTietoVerizon CommunicationsZebra TechnologiesMarket driverAffordable nanodevices and nanosensorsFor a full, detailed list, view our reportMarket challengeHigh cost of implementationFor a full, detailed list, view our reportMarket trendIncrease in application of mobile technologyFor a full, detailed list, view our reportKey questions answered in this reportWhat will the market size be in 2020 and what will the growth rate be?What are the key market trends?What is driving this market?What are the challenges to market growth?Who are the key vendors in this market space?What are the market opportunities and threats faced by the key vendors?What are the strengths and weaknesses of the key vendors?Make an Enquiry of this report @About ResearchMozResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.Mr. NachiketState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesEmail: sales@researchmoz.usWebsite @Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Follow us on LinkedIn @
Global Elevator & Escalator Market Growth Drivers, Opportunities, Industry Trends and Forecast (2017-2021) - Researchmoz

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Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Global Elevator & Escalator Market: Industry Analysis & Outlook (2017-2021)" to its huge collection of research reports.Elevator is a type of vertical transport equipment that efficiently moves people or goods between floors or levels of a building, vessel or any other structure. There are basically three types of elevators; Pneumatic elevators, counterweight elevator and hydraulic elevators. Another type of booming market specialty is smart elevator. It is an advanced system that allows automated vertical transportation of goods or passengers. Smart elevators are designed to transform the simple act of traveling between floors. Escalator is a moving staircase or a conveyor transport device for carrying people between floors of a building. The device consists of a motor driven chain of individual linked steps that move up or down on tracks, allowing the step treads to remain horizontal.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @The global E&E market comprises three main segments namely new equipment, modernization and maintenance. The factors such as growing urbanization, increased old-age population, ageing E&E installed base and codes & regulations are expected to drive market growth. However, the growth of respective industry is challenged by high price of E&E equipment, lack of skilled workforce and safety issues. The few notable trends are growing elevator density, digitization and energy conservation.The report provides a comprehensive study of global elevator and escalator market and also major regional markets. Furthermore, market dynamics such as key trends and development; and challenges are analyzed in depth. The global elevator and escalator industry is highly competitive consisting of several large enterprises including the United Technologies Corporation, Kone Corporation, Thyssenkrupp and Schindler Holdings Ltd. The competitive landscape of the respective market, along with the company profiles of the leading players are also discussed in detail.Table of Content1. Overview1.1 Elevators & Escalators1.2 Life Cycle of Elevators & Escalators1.3 Supply Chain1.4 Value Chain2. Global Elevator & Escalator Market2.1 Global E&E Market by Value2.2 Global E&E Market Forecast by Value2.3 Global E&E Market Value by Region2.4 Global E&E Market Value by Segments2.5 Global E&E Maintenance Market2.5.1 Global E&E Maintenance Market Forecast by Value2.5.2 Global E&E Maintenance Installed Base Volume2.5.3 Global E&E Maintenance Installed Base Volume Forecast2.5.4 Global E&E Maintenance Market Volume by Region2.6 Global E&E New Equipment Market2.6.1 Global E&E New Equipment Market Forecast by Value2.6.2 Global E&E New Equipment Market by Volume2.6.3 Global E&E New Equipment Market Forecast by Volume2.6.4 Global E&E New Equipment Market Volume by Product2.6.5 Global E&E New Equipment Market Volume by Region2.7 Global E&E Modernization Market2.7.1 Global E&E Modernization Market Forecast by Value3. Regional Markets3.1 Asia-Pacific3.1.1 Asia-Pacific E&E Market Forecast by Value3.1.2 China E&E Installed Base Volume3.1.3 China E&E Installed Base Volume Forecast3.1.4 China E&E New Installations Forecast3.1.5 China E&E Market by Application3.1.6 China E&E Export Volume3.1.7 China E&E Market Export Volume Forecast3.1.8 China E&E Maintenance Services by Types3.1.9 Japan & Korea E&E Installed Base Volume3.1.10 Japan & Korea E&E Installed Base Forecast3.1.11 India E&E Installed Base Forecast3.2 EMEA3.2.1 EMEA E&E Market Forecast by Value3.2.2 EMEA E&E Installed Base Volume3.2.3 EMEA E&E Installed Base Forecast3.2.4 EMEA E&E New Installation Forecast3.2.5 Spain E&E Market by Value3.2.6 Spain E&E Market Forecast by Value3.2.7 Spain E&E Market by Segments3.2.8 Spain E&E Maintenance Market by Value3.2.9 Spain E&E Maintenance Market Forecast by Value3.2.10 Spain E&E New Installation Market by Value3.2.11 Spain E&E New Installation Market Forecast by Value3.3 Americas3.3.1 Americas E&E Market Forecast by Value3.3.2 North America E&E Installed Base Volume3.3.3 North America E&E Market Installed Base Forecast3.3.4 North America E&E Market New Installation Forecast3.3.5 The US E&E Market New Installation3.3.6 The US E&E Market New Installation Forecast3.3.7 The US Elevator New Installation Market by Type3.3.8 South America E&E Market Installed Base Volume3.3.9 South America E&E Market Installed Base Forecast3.3.10 South America E&E Market New Installation Forecast4. Smart Elevators Market4.1 Global Smart Elevator Market by Value4.2 Global Smart Elevator Market Forecast by Value4.3 Global Smart Elevator Market by End Users4.4 Global Smart Elevator Market by Segments4.5 Asia-Pacific4.5.1 Asia-Pacific Smart Elevator Market by Value4.5.2 Asia-Pacific Smart Elevator Market Forecast by Value4.5.3 Asia-Pacific Smart Elevator Market by Segments4.5.4 Asia-Pacific Smart Elevator Modernization Market Forecast by Value4.5.5 Asia-Pacific Smart Elevator New Installation Market Forecast by Value4.5.6 Asia-Pacific Smart Elevator Maintenance Market Forecast by Value5. Market Dynamics5.1 Growth Driver5.1.1 Urbanization5.1.2 Rising Geriatric Population5.1.3 Ageing E&E Installed Base5.1.4 Rising Global GDP5.1.5 Codes and Regulations5.2 Key Trends & Development5.2.1 Digitization5.2.2 Energy Conservation5.3 Challenges5.3.1 High Price of Installation5.3.2 Availability of Skilled Workforce5.3.3 Safety Issues6. Competitive Landscape6.1 Global E&E Market6.1.1 Market Cap Comparison6.1.2 Global E&E Market Share by Companies6.1.3 Global E&E New Installations Market Share by Companies6.1.4 Global E&E Maintenance Market Share by Companies6.2 Asia-Pacific6.2.1 Asia-Pacific E&E Market Share by Companies6.2.2 China E&E Market Share by Companies6.3 EMEA6.3.1 EMEA E&E Market Share by Companies6.3.2 Spain E&E Maintenance Market by Companies6.4 Americas6.4.1 Americas E&E Market Share by Companies7. Company Profiles7.1 United Technologies Corp7.1.2 Financial Overview7.1.2 Financial Overview7.1.3 Business Strategies7.2 KONE Oyj7.2.1 Business Overview7.2.2 Financial Overview7.2.3 Business Strategies7.3 ThyssenKrupp AG7.3.1 Business Overview7.3.2 Financial Overview7.3.3 Business Strategies7.4 Schindler Holding AG7.4.1 Business Overview7.4.2 Financial Overview7.4.3 Business StrategiesMake an Enquiry of this report @About ResearchMozResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. 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Albee Messing is director of UW-Madisons Waisman Center, a hub of nearly 60 faculty members who do biological and behavioral research on conditions such as autism, Down syndrome and Parkinsons disease.

The center has 11 clinics and a preschool that includes children with developmental disabilities.

Messing, 65, of Madison, focuses on Alexander disease, a rare and usually fatal disorder of the nervous system. Only about 500 cases have been reported since it was discovered in 1949.

He is married to Marsha Mailick, vice chancellor for research and graduate education and former director of the Waisman Center. They have four adult children and three grandchildren.

What is the Waisman Center?

It is a multidisciplinary center dedicated to research, clinical service and education in the field of intellectual and developmental disabilities. Were part of a network of such centers around the country, funded by the National Institutes of Health, that dates back to an initiative in the early years of the Kennedy administration.

When and how was the center founded?

It began with a new institute at the NIH, the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. Laboratories were initiated around 1963. Harry Waisman spearheaded the effort from Wisconsin. A celebration of the opening of the laboratory here prompted a congratulatory telegram from President John F. Kennedy, which was sent Nov. 20, 1963, two days before he went to Dallas (and was assassinated). The center building (near UW Hospital) opened in 1973.

Why were the Kennedys interested in this type of research?

Rosemary Kennedy, one of JFKs sisters, had an intellectual disability and was institutionalized in Wisconsin (at St. Coletta in Jefferson). She was subjected to a lobotomy and was clearly impaired after that. There may have been a mixture of personal and political interests that coalesced around wanting to take the initiative in helping people with some type of disadvantage, and they chose the area of mental retardation.

Why do you study Alexander disease? It was never my intent. I went to the University of Pennsylvania, in a program that combined veterinary school and graduate school. I had a general interest in understanding the cell biology of diseases, especially the nervous system. After coming to Madison in 1985, I started working on a particular cell, called an astrocyte, and a particular gene expressed in astrocytes, called GFAP. We created mice that had no GFAP or too much GFAP. Around 1995, we realized that in mice with too much GFAP, the astrocytes not only got bigger, but they formed distinctive structures called Rosenthal fibers.

Theres one condition where the brain is full of Rosenthal fibers: Alexander disease. Most neuropathologists never see a case, but they all learn about it. It was suspected of being genetic in origin, but nobody had any idea where the gene was. We proposed GFAP as a candidate gene. We collected samples from 13 patients; 12 had mutations in this gene. We reported that in 2001. Patients who had gone from doctor to doctor for a diagnosis now had a simple blood test.

Do you think there will be a treatment someday?

I have no doubt about that. In 2005, I started screening FDA-approved drugs to see if theyd reduce the production of the protein. We found drugs that reduced it a little bit, but not very much, and they all had side effects. There have been new developments in a different technique for suppressing gene expression, called antisense. In mice, we can shut down GFAP expression and reverse many features of the disease. Im working with a company to develop treatments, but were not even up to the point of doing a clinical trial. It will be a huge hurdle to actually cure Alexander disease. For now, our goal is to convert a lethal condition into a chronic disease, which would be a big step.

What does the public misunderstand most about science?

They dont understand ambiguity. Theres a lot of uncertainty about how we design and interpret experiments. Its what we do all the time, to try to understand the source of all that variation. On the other side, people exploit disagreements among scientists for their own political purposes and exaggerate it.

 Interview by David Wahlberg
Multicore Cables Market Estimated to Record Highest CAGR by 2025

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Multicore cable is a generic name for electrical cable. Multicore cables have many cores which are made of copper wire. The multicore cable is bundled together with a single wire and performs different functions includes power, data transmission and AV elements inside a single cable sheath. For instance, four main core wires is not a multicore cables, but a cable comprising with four coaxial cables in a single sheath is a multicore cables. The multicore cables are versatile and used for an industrial and commercial purpose. The multicore cables provide analog and digital signals. The multicore cables are fire proof, reliable, durable, resistant to chemicals, functional efficient is optimum and gives high performance. The multicore cables are heavily featured with cable jacketing to protect the cable from damage and helps in negate the effect of electromagnetic interference. Moreover, it contributes to reducing the overall weight of the cable. Nowadays, multicore optical fiber cables are used mostly because of sending data from one place to other and data can be transferred faster with minimum interference and best audio signal transmission.To view complete report @Global Multicore Cables: Market Dynamics:The demand for multicore cable is driven by its varied uses in automotive and construction industry. The multicore cables are easy to handle and use and highly flexible and installed quickly. The multicore cables are used for different radio and electrical purposes and help to transmit data from one point to another. Increase in demand for multicore cables, owing to high investment in infrastructure leads to drive the multicore market in the near future. Moreover, the chances of loss in data are very less and move current faster. Further, multicore cables. Further, the rise in the development of infrastructure in developing regions such Asia Pacific leads to increase demand for multicore cables. However the continuous developments and up gradation of the manufacturing company of multicore cable to extend the life which can be a restraint to multicore cable market.A sample of this report is available upon request @Global Multicore Cables: Regional Outlook:The global multicore cables market is segmented into seven regions includes North America, Latin America, Eastern Europe, Western Europe, Japan, and Asia Pacific excluding Japan, and The Middle East and Africa. Among all regions, Asia Pacific region is contributing majorly to the growth of multicore cables market followed by Latin America. Moreover, Asia Pacific excluding Japan is the dominating market for multicore cables as the infrastructure is increasing in developing countries like China and India. Japan is also contributing the multicore cable market. North America has a significant market share in the global multicore market owing to its boom in the automotive market. The Middle East and Africa is at emerging stage in the multicore cable market and is expected to increase in CAGR in the anticipated period.To view TOC of this report is available upon request @Global Multicore Cables Market Players:The prominent players of the global multicore cables are:Relemac Technologies Pvt. LtdCenturion Power Cables Pvt. Ltd.Bhuwal Cables LimitedKCL Cable LimitedCabcon Technologies Pvt LtdHitex PlusGem CablesDoha CablesBambach wires and cablesAbout UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.Contact UsPersistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA - Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb:
Cider Packaging Market size and Key Trends in terms of volume and value 2016-2026

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Cider is an alcoholic beverage made from fermented juice of apples. Cider beverage is made up of cider apples which is mostly produced in U.S. There is great demand of innovation in packaging of cider in market. The growth of hard cider has been driven largely by the highly coveted millennial generation. Market is mainly driven by increased disposable income and demand for innovative packaging product and safe packaging.Global Cider Packaging Market: DynamicsReducing unit cider packagingsize is creating more consumption opportunities.The presence of premium brand such as woodchuck, Kopparberg and angry orchard has increased the demand for premium quality cider packaging. Premium cider packagingbrand are high in demand as compared to economically priced product due to rise in consumption of alcohol as a status symbol, disposable income and association of premium labels with the beverage quality and taste. cider packaging market is highly competitive which led competitors to come up with innovative product and new strategy in packaging world.The vendors in cider packaging are coming with bottles prepared with a high barrier coating technology to upturn its shelf life and minimize the risk of saturation. With the technological innovations in the cider packaging market, there is increasing demand for water-based coating technology as it is environmentally-friendly, tasteless, odorless and decreases the usage of sprig powder. The global demand of cider packaging is expected to grow at impressive CAGR in near future.Ask For Report Sample@Global Cider Packaging Market: SegmentationThe global cider packaging market can be segmented on the basis of material type packaging type and region. On the basis of material cider packaging market can be segmented on glass, plastic and metal. On the basis of packaging type cider packaging market can be segmented as bottles, cans and stand up pouches. Among all material type used for cider packaging, plastic is gaining preference over glass bottles and metal cans because plastic are light in weight, compatible lower in cost and are available in various design. The development of plastic packaging solution will be key driver for the growth of overall cider packaging market. Another driving factor for cider packaging id the increasing demand for alcoholic beverage has pushed vendors to focus on shelf-life packaging that is easy to store, easy to transport and is convenient to unpack. The manufactures are coming up with polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles, which shelters the cider products for long period. On the basis of region North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America and Middle East and Africa.Ask For Table of Content@Global Cider Packaging Market: Regional OverviewNorth America cider packaging market is expected to register strong growth in near future while cider packaging market is expected to slowdown in largest market of Europe. Europe market is focusing in innovative packaging so that product become more appealing to consumers. The launch of low calorie and craft cider in Europe is expected to create demand in new cider packaging product which can add volume sale in this region. Cider packaging market in Asia Pacific region is expected to show nominal growth during forecast period. Middle East and Africa is expected to dominate the cider packaging market in near future and projected to account highest market share.Global Cider Packaging Market: Key PlayersThe main player of global cider packaging in market are Amcor limited , Ardagh group, Ball corporation, Crown Holdings, Rexam Owens-Illinois. Some of the other prominent players are Plastipak Packaging, Silgan Holdings, Consol Glass, Vetropack, Allied Glass Containers, Can-Pack, MeadWestvaco, Nampak and VidralaFuture Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United States
Baby Play Gyms Market Outlook 2017 Mamas & Papas, Mothercare, Finn & Emma, Frank Fischer, Skip Hop, Fisher-Price, Bright Starts, Tiny Love, Treetop, Infantino, Lamaze, Ikea Leka.

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The global Baby Play Gyms market is valued at XX million USD in 2016 and is expected to reach XX million USD by the end of 2022, growing at a CAGR of XX% between 2016 and 2022.Global Baby Play Gyms Market Size, Status and Forecast 2022 provides Market information about Manufacturers, Countries, Type and Application.This Baby Play Gyms Industry report also states Company Profile, sales, Baby Play Gyms Market revenue and price, market share, market growth and gross margin by regions.The following summary will give an overview of the causes, processes, and possible effects of the market research proposal.Request for sample copy of report @Top Manufacturers/Key Players:-Mamas & Papas, Mothercare, Finn & Emma, Frank Fischer, Skip Hop, Fisher-Price, Bright Starts, Tiny Love, Treetop, Infantino, Lamaze, Ikea Leka.The Global Baby Play Gyms report gives a thorough situation of the present and gauge Baby Play Gyms showcase procedures, improvement methodologies and development openings. Starting a discussion on the contemporary condition of Baby Play Gyms showcase, the report extra dissects the market powerful moving each area begun in it.The report additionally concentrates the Baby Play Gyms bits of knowledge of the organizations and suggestions that will help the perusers to have progressive learning of the Baby Play Gyms showcase.Browse Report @A principal diagram of the Baby Play Gyms market is introduced to the perusers with the assistance of market definition, order, different applications, and production network examination. The Baby Play Gyms report covers the investigation of conventional and the developing markets. The report more expresses the Baby Play Gyms showcase rivals, their business profiles, freshest news, their piece of the overall industry, developing arrangements and methodologies, client volume and creating strategies.In next part, the Baby Play Gyms Report assesses the gross edge examination of various locales i. e. (US, EU, China and Japan). Different areas can be included according to the prerequisite.All in all, it is an exhaustive research report which will help perusers to break down the possibility of interest in Baby Play Gyms advertise.About Us:1MarketResearch is a global business market research providing syndicated research Report, customized research reports, company profiles and industry databases across multiple domains.We provide intellectual, precise and meaningful data at a lightning speed.We host more than 500,000 Industry research products.Contact US:1MarketResearch304, S. Jones Blvd, #3299,Las Vegas, NV  89107USA : +1 702-425-8599Email : Sales@1MarketResearch.comWeb :
Industrial Sodium Chloride Market Revenue, Opportunity, Forecast and Value Chain 2016-2026

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Sodium chloride, commonly known as salt, occurs in the form of cubic crystals and is used in large quantities across various industrial applications. Most of the sodium chloride globally produced is used in chemical industry, manufacturing and for other industrial applications such as eliminating ice and snow from roads, water softening, stabilizing soils, etc. Only a small fraction of it goes for food industry, which is omitted from the scope of this report. Significant demand for industrial sodium chloride comes from chlor-alkali industry for its consumption as a primary feedstock in these industries. The earliest technique used for the production of sodium chloride was the evaporation of seawater by sun-heat, which is majorly suited for hot and dry regions near salty lakes or the ocean. Sea water is considered as an unlimited source for sodium chloride production, but the differentiation in favorable soil and weather conditions affects its commercial production along the coastline. With a large presence of regional as well as global players, industrial sodium chloride market is estimated to be highly competitive and fragmented.Global Industrial Sodium Chloride Market DynamicsIncreasing demand for chlor-alkali, e.g. consumption of chlorine in ethylene dichloride production, etc., is one of the leading factors driving growth of industrial sodium chloride market globally. Low-cost and simplicity of the solar evaporation production process is also one of the major factors affecting growth of this market from the supply side.Request For Report Sample@The annual demand for industrial sodium chloride is also impacted by business cycles of its end-use industries as well as climatic conditions. For its bulk use in chemical processing industry, sodium chloride production, in many instances, is vertically integrated with other downstream production such as in case of chlor-alkali industry. Since, sodium chloride is easily available in most regions of the world, large distance trade is expected to be very unlikely due to its lower costs.Global Industrial Sodium Chloride Market SegmentationGlobal industrial sodium chloride market can be segmented on the basis of end-use and production source. On the basis of end-use, global industrial sodium chloride market is segmented into the oil field, pharmaceutical, water treatment, textile, chemical processing, de-icing, agriculture and other industrial. On the basis of production source, global industrial sodium chloride market is segmented into seawater, rock mines and brine solution.Global Industrial Sodium Chloride Market: Regional OutlookOn a regional basis, global industrial sodium chloride market is segmented into seven key regions, namely, North America, Latin America, Middle East & Africa (MEA), Asia Pacific excluding Japan (APEJ), Western Europe, Eastern Europe and Japan. APEJ, followed by North America, is expected to be the largest market for industrial sodium chloride. Chemical processing industry is expected to hold disproportionately large shares in the APEJ industrial sodium chloride market. APEJ is also expected to be the fastest growing region in the global industrial sodium chloride market due to high demand growth for chemical processing industry. Significant demand in North America is expected to come from its application as a deicing agent, which highly depends upon the climatic conditions of the region.Request For TOC@Global Industrial Sodium Chloride Market: Key playersSome of the major players involved in the production of industrial sodium chloride include China National Salt Industry Corporation (CNSIC), Cargill, Incorporated, The Dow Chemical Company, K+S AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT, ICL Fertilizers, The Henrique Lage Salineira do Nordeste, Dominion Salt, Tata Chemicals Ltd., Maldon Crystal Salt Co., Akzo Nobel N.V. and others.ABOUT US:Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.CONTACT:Future Market Insights616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite:
Embedded System Market: Recent Industry Trends and Projected Industry Growth, 2016 - 2026

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An embedded system consists of embedded software into computer-hardware that makes the system devoted for an application or specific portion of an application or part of a larger system. An embedded system is not a microchip deployed in a traditional computing application, but a microprocessor used as a module in another piece of technology. These systems are used to control, assist or monitor the operation of machinery, equipment or plant. The term embedded reflects the fact that they are an integral part of the system, and they offer significant characteristics such as speed, accuracy, size, reliability and adaptability. Automation in processing & manufacturing sectors, and energy metering is seen as a major propeller for embedded system industry growth.Embedded System Market: SegmentationEmbedded system market is segmented on the basis of type, microcontroller performance, functionality, end-use industry and region. By type, embedded system market can be segmented into embedded hardware and embedded software. Embedded system market can be segmented according to microcontroller performance which includes small scale embedded system, medium scale embedded system and large scale embedded system. On the basis of functionality, embedded system market can be segmented into stand-alone embedded system, real time embedded system, mobile embedded system and networked embedded system. Regionally, embedded system market can be segmented into North America, Western Europe, Latin America, Eastern Europe, Middle East & Africa (MEA), Asia Pacific excluding Japan (APEJ) and Japan.Request Report Sample@Embedded System Market: Regional OutlookEmbedded systems came into existence with the invention of microcontrollers and since then it is being actively used in machine control applications as well as various new verticals. These systems are now equipped with customizable rich features and are thus gaining popularity globally. North America is estimated to be the leading contributor to the regional market share with large deployments of smart meters and smart grids positively impacting the market. Asia Pacific excluding Japan (APEJ) is anticipated to show highest growth potential in the forecast period.Embedded System Market: DriversThe global embedded system market is primarily driven by factors such as increasing demand for embedded systems with multi-core technologies and embedded graphics and escalating demand for embedded systems in the automobile industry. Moreover, persistent research & development to introduce smarter and energy efficient electronic devices is expected to positively impact the growth of global embedded systems market. Also, widespread application of these systems in application areas such as automotive, aeronautics, space, rail, mobile communication, and electronic payment solutions is set to bolster the growth of the global embedded system market during the forecast period. However, security and smaller lifespan concerns associated with usage of embedded systems in various process-related applications is restraining the growth of this market. Also, design constraints pertaining to real time embedded system are also hindering the progression of embedded system market.Visit For TOC@Embedded System Market: Key PlayersThe key vendors in the embedded system market include Atmel Corporation, Intel Corporation, Texas Instruments, Freescale Semiconductor, Infineon Technologies, NXP Semiconductors N.V., Microsoft Corporation, Samsung Electronics Corporation, Renesas Electronics Corporation, and others. Major players in the embedded system market have invested significantly in developing systems that offer latest technology-based advanced functionality. To expand market presence across the globe, strategic partnership and collaborations with regional vendors is major strategy adopted by the leading vendors of the embedded system market.About Us  Future Market Insights is the premier provider of market intelligence and consulting services, serving clients in over 150 countries. FMI is headquartered in London, the global financial capital, and has delivery centers in the U.S. and India.CONTACT:616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite:
Complex Regional Pain Syndrome Market : Opportunities and Forecast Assessment, 2016 - 2026

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Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) is a chronic condition that causes severe pain in legs, arms, feet, and hands or may involve the entire body. CRPS is commonly of two types, with similar symptoms and treatment. If Complex Regional Pain syndrome occurs after an injury without any nerve damage, it is known as Type I CRPS (also known as reflex sympathetic dystrophy). Type II CRPS occurs after a specific nerve injury or trauma. The prognosis of complex regional pain syndrome differs from person to person. In most cases, CRPS is mild and patient recovers gradually with time, and in some cases, the symptoms are severe, with long-term disability. CRPS occurs in both men and women, but women are more likely to be affected.The cause of the Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) is not well understood. In about 90% of cases, CRPS occurs due to injury or trauma. The common factor of injury includes limb immobilization, soft tissue injury, fracture, sprain or due to needlestick injuries caused during surgical procedures. Peripheral nerve abnormalities in patients with CRPS includes unmyelinated and lightly myelinated nerve fibers at the axon region that causes abnormal neurological conditions. CRPS is common in patients with inflammatory and autoimmune conditions as an elevated level of inflammatory chemicals such as cytokines are found in tissue with CRPS. Currently, genetic predisposition of Complex Regional Pain Syndrome is not examined broadly. A study related to the familial occurrence of CRPS among Dutch patients resulted that CRPS may occur in a familial form, but inheritance pattern was unclear.Request Report Sample@Diagnosis of CRPS depends upon the individuals medical history and the extent of symptoms. There are limited diagnostic methods available for CRPS. The incidence rates reveal that female are three times more affected than male. According to a study conducted in U.K, 1 in 3,800 people develops CRPS each year. CRPS can be treated by therapy (Rehabilitation Therapy, Psychotherapy) or medications such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, corticosteroids, and others.Complex Regional Pain syndrome (CRPS) Market: Drivers and RestrainsCurrently, there are no drugs approved by US FDA - for the treatment of Complex Regional Pain Syndrome. However, physicians prescribed therapies and medicines to alleviate chronic pain. Recently U.S. Food and Drug administration, designated Neridronic acid breakthrough therapy, undergoing clinical trials for Complex Regional Pain Syndrome. The drug has also received Fast-track and orphan drug designations from the FDA. Intense research and development, the rise in the incidence of CRPS cases, successful completion of clinical trials are anticipated to fuel the growth of Complex Regional Pain Syndrome. The strict regulatory approval and the high cost of medication in the near future could restrain the growth of Complex Regional Pain syndrome market.Complex Regional Pain syndrome (CRPS) Market: SegmentationThe global complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) market has been classified on the basis of therapy type, route of administration, distribution channel, and geography.Based on Therapy Type, the Complex Regional Pain syndrome (CRPS) Market is segmented into following:Physical TherapyDrugsAnalgesicsAntidepressantsCorticosteroidsOthersSurgical sympathectomyIntrathecal drug pumpsSpinal cord stimulationBased on the Route of Administration, the global Complex Regional Pain syndrome (CRPS) market is divided into following:OralIntravenousBased on the distribution channel, the Complex Regional Pain syndrome (CRPS) Market is segmented into the following:Hospital PharmacyDrug StoresRetail PharmacyE-commerceComplex Regional Pain syndrome (CRPS) Market: OverviewNational Institutes of Health (NIH) is supporting research for CRPS on the brain and CNS by focusing on studying new approaches in treating CRPS. Based on the therapy type the global Complex Regional Pain syndrome (CRPS) market into physical therapy, drugs such as analgesics, antidepressants, corticosteroids, surgical sympathectomy, intrathecal drug pumps and spinal cord stimulation. On the basis of route of administration, the global Complex Regional Pain syndrome (CRPS) market in segmented into oral and intravenous administration. Based on the distribution channel, the market is segmented into hospital pharmacy, drug stores, retain pharmacy and e-commerce.Complex Regional Pain syndrome (CRPS) Market: Regional OverviewRegion wise, the global Complex Regional Pain syndrome (CRPS) market is classified into regions namely, North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia-Pacific, Japan, Middle East and Africa. Along with expansion in the emerging markets, and greater focus on early diagnosis, screening, monitoring and clinical development of drugs have been the major strategies adopted by major players in the global complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) market.Visit For TOC@Complex Regional Pain syndrome (CRPS) Market: Key PlayersSome of the key players in global complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) market are Mallinckrodt Pharmaceutical, GlaxoSmithKline plc., Mylan N.V., Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., AbbVie, ACTAVIS, Zydus Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Sandoz, and Janssen Global Services, LLC.and others.About Us  Future Market Insights is the premier provider of market intelligence and consulting services, serving clients in over 150 countries. 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Clinical Alarm Management Market : Dynamics, Segments, Size and Demand, 2016 - 2026

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Clinical alarm systems are devices that alert caregivers of immediate adverse patient conditions and help in enhancing potential patient-safety. Alarmsmust be accurate, unique and provide alerts, which could be readily identified and understood by caregivers and the products must belong to standardized & approved product categories. These systems are either built-in or attached to other medical equipment & monitoring systems. Alarm fatigue is the psychological effect produced by too many alarms occurring in a clinical environment, causing clinicians to miss true clinically significant alarms. When alarms work well, the environment of patient care is enhanced. When alarms do not work well, they pull caregivers away from their line of respective duties and other patients, or even ignore alarm sounds altogether. Cases of ignored alarms have resulted in patient deaths earlier in extreme cases. Most often, the major usability problem is an alarm flood- too many alarms ringing together, in case of any device failure. Other defects hampering clinical alarm uptake in sophisticated healthcare systems include poorly designed alarms, improperly set alarm points, ineffective alarm announcements, and unclear alarm messages among others.Clinical Alarm Management Market: Drivers and RestraintsIncreasing awareness of care providers towards enhancing patient safety is a prominent factor pushing the revenue growth of the clinical alarm management market. Others revenue drivers include rising medtech investments by governments of all major countries and promoting access to basic healthcare across all sections of the society. Integrated alarm system designs are often not standardized across different medical equipment systems and devices. This could be considered as a restraint for clinical alarm management market. Improper alarm escalation leading to false negative cases - such as a patient needs immediate clinical attention but a clinician is not alerted - substantially compromises on patient-safety. Other factors negatively affecting market growth are lack of product standardization across regions and lack of proper skills to rationalize the alarm adjustment process.Request Report Sample@Clinical Alarm Management Market: SegmentationClinical alarm management market is segmented based on product type, end user and geography.Based on product type, clinical alarm management market is segmented as follows:Physiological monitorsTelemetry monitorsVentilatorsInfusion PumpsAnesthesia MachinesCompression PumpsFeeding PumpsNurse Call SystemBed AlarmsBased on end user, the clinical alarm management market is segmented as follows:HospitalsClinicsAmbulatory surgical centersLong term and palliative care centersHome careOthersClinical Alarm Management Market: OverviewIn the present market scenario, clinical alarm manufacturers prioritize sensitivity over specificity. This often leads to a large number of false positive cases, which is often misleading. Particularly, when alarm frequency is high, caregivers could become desensitized, develop alarm fatigue, and create a false negative outcome, compromising patient safety. With rise in the number of urban healthcare centers across regions, there clinical alarm management market is witnessing a sustained growth in demand for standard and tested products. To avoid product level dysfunctionalities, the AAMI (Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation) Foundation had added clinical alarms to its portfolio of multidisciplinary initiatives to advance patient safety and created an Alarm Best Practices Workgroup in 2012. The committee reviews and recommends best practices on clinical alarm management at regular intervals. Developed pharmaceutical markets are expected to create sustainable traction in generating demand for standardized clinical alarm systems over the forecast period, while developing markets are expected to follow suit.Clinical Alarm Management Market: Region-wise OutlookThe global clinical alarm management marketis classified into seven regions namely, North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia-Pacific excluding Japan (APEJ), Japan, Middle East and Africa (MEA). North America is expected to dominate the clinical alarm management market in terms of both revenue and demand generation owing to greater awareness on medtech advancement followed by Western Europe. However, over the foreseeable long term, markets in Latin America and Asia-Pacific could prove lucrative in terms of market opportunities owing to persistence of factors such as greater penetration of access to organized healthcare and rising disposable income level contribution to private healthcare spending.Visit For TOC@Clinical Alarm ManagementMarket: Key PlayersSome of the major companies contributing to global clinical alarm management market include Medtronic, Extension Healthcare, GE Healthcare, Koninklijke Phislips N.V., Baxter incorporated, Connexall, Mindray Medical International Limited among others.About Us  Future Market Insights is the premier provider of market intelligence and consulting services, serving clients in over 150 countries. FMI is headquartered in London, the global financial capital, and has delivery centers in the U.S. and India.CONTACT:616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite:
Global Tool Steel Market Research analysis on Type, Application, Regional Segment and Manufacturer Qilu Special Steel, Hitachi, ERAMET forecast to 2022

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A new research document with title 'Global (North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific, South America, Middle East and Africa) Tool Steel Market 2017 Forecast to 2022' covering detailed analysis, Competitive landscape, forecast and strategies. The study covers geographic analysis that includes regions like North & South America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Africa and important players/vendors such as Qilu Special Steel, Hitachi, ERAMET................The report will help user gain market insights, future trends and growth prospects for forecast period of 2022SummaryTool Steel refers to a variety of carbon and alloy steels that are particularly well-suited to be made into tools. Tool steels are notable for their hardness, resistance to abrasion and deformation. Today, tool steel is widely used in various specific tool applications like dies, cutting, mold-making and hammers (personal or industrial).Request a sample report @Scope of the Report:This report focuses on the Tool Steel in Global market, especially in North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific, South America, Middle East and Africa. This report categorizes the market based on manufacturers, regions, type and application.Market Segment by Manufacturers, this report coversVoestalpineSCHMOLZ?+?BICKENBACHSandvikFushun Special SteelBaoSteelTGNachi-FujikoshiQilu Special SteelHitachiERAMETUniversal StainlessHudson Tool SteelMarket Segment by Regions, regional analysis coversNorth America (USA, Canada and Mexico)Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia and Italy)Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia)South America (Brazil, Argentina, Columbia etc.)Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa)Market Segment by Type, coversCarbon Tool SteelAlloy Tool SteelHigh Speed Tool SteelMarket Segment by Applications, can be divided intoAutomotiveShipbuildingMachineryOthersBuy this report @There are 15 Chapters to deeply display the global Tool Steel market.Chapter 1, to describe Tool Steel Introduction, product scope, market overview, market opportunities, market risk, market driving force;Chapter 2, to analyze the top manufacturers of Tool Steel, with sales, revenue, and price of Tool Steel, in 2016 and 2017;Chapter 3, to display the competitive situation among the top manufacturers, with sales, revenue and market share in 2016 and 2017;Chapter 4, to show the global market by regions, with sales, revenue and market share of Tool Steel, for each region, from 2012 to 2017;Chapter 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9, to analyze the market by countries, by type, by application and by manufacturers, with sales, revenue and market share by key countries in these regions;Chapter 10 and 11, to show the market by type and application, with sales market share and growth rate by type, application, from 2012 to 2017;Chapter 12, Tool Steel market forecast, by regions, type and application, with sales and revenue, from 2017 to 2022;Chapter 13, 14 and 15, to describe Tool Steel sales channel, distributors, traders, dealers, Research Findings and Conclusion, appendix and data sourceGet customization & check discount for report @Table of Contents1 Market Overview1.1 Tool Steel Introduction1.2 Market Analysis by Type1.2.1 Carbon Tool Steel1.2.2 Alloy Tool Steel1.2.3 High Speed Tool Steel1.3 Market Analysis by Applications1.3.1 Automotive1.3.2 Shipbuilding1.3.3 Machinery1.3.4 Others1.4 Market Analysis by Regions1.4.1 North America (USA, Canada and Mexico)1.4.1.1 USA Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.1.2 Canada Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.1.3 Mexico Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.2 Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia and Italy)1.4.2.1 Germany Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.2.2 France Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.2.3 UK Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.2.4 Russia Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.2.5 Italy Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.3 Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia)1.4.3.1 China Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.3.2 Japan Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.3.3 Korea Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.3.4 India Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.3.5 Southeast Asia Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.4 South America, Middle East and Africa1.4.4.1 Brazil Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.4.2 Egypt Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.4.3 Saudi Arabia Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.4.4 South Africa Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.4.5 Nigeria Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.5 Market Dynamics1.5.1 Market Opportunities1.5.2 Market Risk1.5.3 Market Driving Force....ContinuedView Detailed Table of Content @Thanks for reading this article, you can also get individual chapter wise section or region wise report version like North America, Europe or Asia.HTF Market Report is a wholly owned brand of HTF market Intelligence Consulting Private Limited. HTF Market Report global research and market intelligence consulting organization is uniquely positioned to not only identify growth opportunities but to also empower and inspire you to create visionary growth strategies for futures, enabled by our extraordinary depth and breadth of thought leadership, research, tools, events and experience that assist you for making goals into a reality. Our understanding of the interplay between industry convergence, Mega Trends, technologies and market trends provides our clients with new business models and expansion opportunities. We are focused on identifying the Accurate Forecast in every industry we cover so our clients can reap the benefits of being early market entrants and can accomplish their Goals & Objectives.Contact Us:HTF Market Intelligence Consulting Private LimitedUnit No. 429, Parsonage Road Edison, NJNew Jersey USA  08837sales@htfmarketreport.com+1 (206) 317 1218 (US)
Hospice Market to 2023: Trends, Business Strategies and Opportunities with Key Players Analysis

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Hospice center is referred to as the place that provides end-of-life care to patients. At hospice, a team of health care professionals and volunteers provide care that focuses on palliation of seriously ill patients. They provide psychological, spiritual and medical support to the patient. The aim of hospice is to help diseased patients, who have less period of life span remaining, to have comfort, peace and dignity. Usually, patients to whom hospice services are provided are predicted to survive six months or even less than that. The caregivers try to cure pain and other symptoms so that patients can remain comfortable and alert as long as possible. Besides, hospice services also provide help and support to patients family. According to the place of providing these hospice services, hospice market is divided into four major segments:Obtain Report Details:Home hospice careHospice centerHospitalSkilled nursing facilityAmong all of the above mentioned places, hospice centers followed by home hospice care are preferred by patients. Hospice centers are preferred because it provides a friendly environment to the patients where one does not feel lonely mainly due to the presence and accompany of similar patients. These centers also provide mental support to the patients through certain special activities such as meditation, spiritual speeches and parties.The hospice market is increasing at faster pace majorly due to the increasing prevalence of the diseases among the growing aging population worldwide. According to the data of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDS), in 2010 there were 40 million people who aged 65 and above in United States accounting for 13% of the total population and CDC projected that around 20% of the population of U.S. would be under this category by 2030. Additionally, availability of large number of diverse programs according to the disease condition and economic condition of the patient is also helping the market to grow. According to the disease conditions special programs are designed by hospice providers on the basis of cancer, AIDS, heart diseases, kidney failures, liver diseases and many others.Fill the form for an exclusive sample of this report:North America and Europe leads the global hospice market majorly due to the extensive support from the government to set up the infrastructure and other essential necessities required by hospice centers. Hospice care expenses in U.S. are mostly paid by the Medicare and Medicaid services and Department of Veterans Affairs. Additionally, most of the private insurance plans, health maintenance organizations (HMOs) and other managed care organizations also provide the expenses for hospice care in their plans and policies. Also, large number of community contributions, foundation gifts and memorial donations in U.S. are helping hospice market to give free services to poor patients. Asia-Pacific is currently at growth stages for hospice market and has set up few hospice centers with the help of government, private sectors and renowned doctors. For instance, Dr. L. J. Desouza, a cancer surgeon, has set up hospice centers in Mumbai, Goa and Delhi with the name Shanti Avedna Sadan. This center is focused on providing treatment for cancer patients. The countries which are majorly driving the hospice market in Asia-Pacific region include India, China, Japan and Taiwan.Some of the market players in hospice market include AMEDISYS, Inc, Gentiva Health Services, LHC group, Almost Family, HCR Manor Care, Seasons Hospice and Pallative Care, AseraCare Hospice, Compassionate Care Hospice, Crossroads Hospice and Accent Care, Inc.Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a U.S.-based provider of syndicated research, customized research, and consulting services. TMRs global and regional market intelligence coverage includes industries such as pharmaceutical, chemicals and materials, technology and media, food and beverages, and consumer goods, among others. Each TMR research report provides clients with a 360-degree view of the market with statistical forecasts, competitive landscape, detailed segmentation, key trends, and strategic recommendations.Contact us:Transparency Market Research90 State Street,Suite 700,AlbanyNY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Global Metal Fabrication Equipment Industry Market Research Report 2017

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SummaryThe Global Metal Fabrication Equipment Industry 2017 Market Research Report is a professional and in-depth study on the current state of the Metal Fabrication Equipment industry.Firstly, the report provides a basic overview of the industry including definitions, classifications, applications and industry chain structure. The Metal Fabrication Equipment market analysis is provided for the international market including development history, competitive landscape analysis, and major regions development status.Secondly, development policies and plans are discussed as well as manufacturing processes and cost structures. This report also states import/export, supply and consumption figures as well as cost, price, revenue and gross margin by regions (United States, EU, China and Japan), and other regions can be added.Then, the report focuses on global major leading industry players with information such as company profiles, product picture and specification, capacity, production, price, cost, revenue and contact information. Upstream raw materials, equipment and downstream consumers analysis is also carried out. Whats more, the Metal Fabrication Equipment industry development trends and marketing channels are analyzed.Finally, the feasibility of new investment projects is assessed, and overall research conclusions are offered.In a word, the report provides major statistics on the state of the industry and is a valuable source of guidance and direction for companies and individuals interested in the market.Ask a sample or any question, please email to:hebe@qyresearchglobal.com or hebe@qyresearch.comThe players list(Partly, Players you are interested can also be added):Schuco InternationalJIER GroupAIAHurcoHardingeKennametalMAG Giddings & LewisAmadaDMG Mori SeikiShenyang Machine ToolKey Topics Covered:Chapter One Industry Overview of Metal Fabrication EquipmentChapter Two Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Metal Fabrication EquipmentChapter Three Technical Data and Manufacturing Plants Analysis of Metal Fabrication EquipmentChapter Four Capacity, Production and Revenue Analysis of Metal Fabrication Equipment by Regions, Types and ManufacturersChapter Five Price, Cost, Gross and Gross Margin Analysis of Metal Fabrication Equipment by Regions, Types and ManufacturersChapter Six Consumption Volume, Consumption Value and Sale Price Analysis of Metal Fabrication Equipment by Regions, Types and ApplicationsChapter Seven Supply, Import, Export and Consumption Analysis of Metal Fabrication EquipmentChapter Eight Major Manufacturers Analysis of Metal Fabrication EquipmentChapter Nine Marketing Trader or Distributor Analysis of Metal Fabrication EquipmentChapter Ten Industry Chain Analysis of Metal Fabrication EquipmentChapter Eleven Development Trend of Analysis of Metal Fabrication EquipmentChapter Twelve New Project Investment Feasibility Analysis of Metal Fabrication EquipmentChapter Thirteen Conclusion of the Global Metal Fabrication Equipment Industry 2017 Market Research ReportRelated Reports:US Metal Fabrication Equipment Industry Market Research Report 2017Europe Metal Fabrication Equipment Industry Market Research Report 2017India Metal Fabrication Equipment Industry Market Research Report 2017China Metal Fabrication Equipment Industry Market Research Report 2017Korea Metal Fabrication Equipment Industry Market Research Report 2017Japan Metal Fabrication Equipment Industry Market Research Report 2017If you need a report or have any question, please feel free to contact meHebe | Sr. Manager  Global SalesProfessional Market Research Report PublisherQYResearch Co.LtdQYResearch focus on Market Survey and ResearchPhone: +86 20 2209 3278Email: hebe@qyresearchglobal.com or hebe@qyresearch.comWeb:About QYResearchQYResearch established in 2007, focus on custom research, management consulting, IPO consulting, industry chain research, database and seminar services. the company owned a large basic database (such as National Bureau of statistics database, Customs import and export database, Industry Association Database etc), experts resources (included energy automotive chemical medical ICT consumer goods etc industries experts who own more than 10 years experiences on marketing or R&D), professional survey team (the team member with more than 3 years market survey experience and more than 2 years depth expert interview experience),Excellent data analysis team (SPSS statistics and PPT graphics process team); QYResearch has always pursuit product quality, adhere to the quality is the soul of business. Through the companys years of effort and a lot of customer support, QYResearch consulting group creative design method of many high-quality markets investigation and research team with rich experience. Today, QYResearch brand has become the consulting industry with quality assurance consulting brand. The company has 2500 global well-known customers, covering energy automobile pharmaceutical chemical agriculture more than 30 industries, services from the data analysis and recommendations-Consulting landing one-stop solution, and research regions cover China,US,EU,Asia,Middle East and Africa,South America,Australia,etc Global all regions,and also built research or marketing center in China USA UK France Hongkong etc regions. currently, QYResearch has become the first choice and worth trusted consulting brand in Global and China business consulting services.Media ContactCompany Name: QYResearch CO.,LIMITEDContact Person: HebeEmail: hebe@qyresearchglobal.comPhone: +86-20 2209 3278Address: Room 2311 VILI International Building No.167 Linhe West Road Tianhe DistrictCity: GuangzhouCountry: ChinaWebsite:(US) |(EU) |(JP)
A proposed ordinance would ban food carts near a bar-heavy, campus-area intersection and require food vendors in other areas Downtown to stop serving earlier due to safety concerns.

The proposal would bar food carts in two zones near the intersection of University Avenue and West Gilman and North Frances streets, an area historically associated with over-consumption of alcohol, said Madison police Central District Capt. Jason Freedman.

Two other two late-night zones for food carts  at the concrete park on State Street between Urban Outfitters and Potbelly, and on the 400 block of North Broom Street  dont elicit the same concerns, but would be required to stop serving at 3 a.m. instead of their current 4 a.m. closing time.

If approved by the City Council, the earliest the ordinance would take effect is the second week of August.

The city is still considering new late-night locations for the large carts that would be displaced from the area of University, Gilman and Frances  JDs of Wisconsin and Little Chicago in Madison.

The closing-time rush of hungry and tipsy patrons leaving area bars, such as Wandos or the Red Shed, is a boon for the two carts that set up shop on West Gilman and North Frances streets.

But the lingering crowds have become a safety issue, said Meghan Blake-Horst, the citys street vending coordinator.

When people are gathering (after bars let out), it becomes dangerous in a few different ways, Blake-Horst said. Car traffic, earlier conflicts that become stronger conflicts as the night goes on ... this has been an ongoing battle and challenge for late-night vending.

Freedman said police have been taking steps to reduce ingredients that make (the area) such a volatile stew.

Were looking at ways we can get the streets empty by 2:30 a.m., or certainly earlier than 4 a.m., Freedman said.

Those in search of a late-night bite will either have to walk to other food carts or eat at brick-and-mortar restaurants in the area, such as Ians Pizza, said Blake-Horst.

Madison has hosted late-night food vendors for at least the last 10 years, Blake-Horst said. There are currently five food carts in Madison licensed for late-night vending.

Were still having conversations about how we can solve the problem, and continue to grow, or move late-night vending, Blake-Horst said.

Blake-Horst said she is working with police in the Central District to craft creative solutions that will maximize the benefits food carts bring to community spaces, while limiting negative behavior that the carts can inadvertently foster in late-night crowds.
Chocolate Powdered Drinks Market : Key Growth Factors and Industry Analysis 2017-2027

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Chocolate powdered drinks can be mixed with water or milk to prepare instant chocolate drinks. Water based chocolate powdered drinks are generally cold beverages which include soft drinks or energy drinks. Whereas milk based chocolate based drinks include chocolate drinks, protein shakes, cappuccino mixes. Chocolate powdered drinks can be served cold or hot form depends on consumer needs and wants. Chocolate powdered drinks are beneficial for health with good taste and flavor which attracts all age of consumers, especially kids, teenagers and youngsters consume it in large scale. Vigorous aspects of chocolate powdered drinks are low-cost production and have various health beneficial features to the end user. The potential growth of chocolate powdered drinks has a niche market as compared from tea and coffee globally. Chocolate powdered drinks are mainly consumed at breakfast. Due to hot and humid climatic region of the world, the cocoa market is facing a significant challenge for the overall market growth.Chocolate Powdered Drinks Market: SegmentationChocolate powdered drinks market is segmented on the basis of types, end users and distribution channel. On the basis of product type chocolate powdered drinks are segmented in dark chocolate powdered drink, milk chocolate powdered drinks, white chocolate powdered drinks. On the basis of end users chocolate powdered drinks is segmented in energy drinks, milk beverages, cappuccino mixes, protein shakes and chocolate drinks which can be served hot as well as cold and it also enhances the taste of the drinks, which attracts a large number of consumers. On the basis of distribution channel, the chocolate powdered drinks are segmented into supermarket/ hypermarket, convenience stores, Speciality stores, online and grocery stores. Among the distribution channel segment, hyper/supermarket segment contributes larger market share in terms of revenue. Increasing online purchasing of food and beverage is expected to drive market growth of online segment.Request Report Sample@Chocolate Powdered Drinks: Region wise outlookDepending on geographic regions, chocolate powdered drinks market is segmented into seven key regions: North America, South America, Eastern Europe, Western Europe, Asia-Pacific, Japan, and Middle East & Africa. Africa, particularly West African countries (Ghana, Nigeria and Cameroon) produce 70% of the worlds cocoa, according to the World Cocoa foundation are the major producer of cocoa seeds. Brazil is the largest market for chocolate powdered drinks. The countries which are global leaders in cocoa products are Ghana, Belgium, The United Kingdom and Switzerland. The markets of the Middle East, North America as well as Asia-Pacific is rising in both consumption and production of cocoa products and growth is mainly expected from emerging markets such as China, India and Brazil.Chocolate Powdered Drinks: DriversThe growing impact of western culture, increasing disposable incomes of consumers, rising population are the major factors to fuel the growth of global chocolate powdered drinks in Asia-Pacific region. Innovation in the field of chocolate powdered drinks with health benefits such as fortification with DHA, dry fruits, natural herbs , natural flavours, is driving the demand chocolate powdered drinks in Europe and North America. Organic chocolate powdered drinks remain rare and niche which may offer an opportunity for the entrants of several organic brands.Visit For TOC@Chocolate Powdered Drinks: Key playersSome of the key participating players in chocolate powdered drinks globally are Mondelez, Nestle S.A., Gatorade, Mars Inc., GlaxoSmithKline Plc, PepsiCo Inc., Kanegrade Ltd, and others.About Us  Future Market Insights is the premier provider of market intelligence and consulting services, serving clients in over 150 countries. FMI is headquartered in London, the global financial capital, and has delivery centers in the U.S. and India.CONTACT:616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite:
Global Myo-electric Hand Prosthesis Industry Market Research Report 2017

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SummaryThe Global Myo-electric Hand Prosthesis Industry 2017 Market Research Report is a professional and in-depth study on the current state of the Myo-electric Hand Prosthesis industry.Firstly, the report provides a basic overview of the industry including definitions, classifications, applications and industry chain structure. The Myo-electric Hand Prosthesis market analysis is provided for the international market including development history, competitive landscape analysis, and major regions development status.Secondly, development policies and plans are discussed as well as manufacturing processes and cost structures. This report also states import/export, supply and consumption figures as well as cost, price, revenue and gross margin by regions (United States, EU, China and Japan), and other regions can be added.Then, the report focuses on global major leading industry players with information such as company profiles, product picture and specification, capacity, production, price, cost, revenue and contact information. Upstream raw materials, equipment and downstream consumers analysis is also carried out. Whats more, the Myo-electric Hand Prosthesis industry development trends and marketing channels are analyzed.Finally, the feasibility of new investment projects is assessed, and overall research conclusions are offered.In a word, the report provides major statistics on the state of the industry and is a valuable source of guidance and direction for companies and individuals interested in the market.Ask a sample or any question, please email to:hebe@qyresearchglobal.com or hebe@qyresearch.comThe players list(Partly, Players you are interested can also be added):Touch BionicsExiiiPROTUNIXAesthetic ProstheticsOttobockRSLSteeperArmDynamics...Key Topics Covered:Chapter One Industry Overview of Myo-electric Hand ProsthesisChapter Two Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Myo-electric Hand ProsthesisChapter Three Technical Data and Manufacturing Plants Analysis of Myo-electric Hand ProsthesisChapter Four Capacity, Production and Revenue Analysis of Myo-electric Hand Prosthesis by Regions, Types and ManufacturersChapter Five Price, Cost, Gross and Gross Margin Analysis of Myo-electric Hand Prosthesis by Regions, Types and ManufacturersChapter Six Consumption Volume, Consumption Value and Sale Price Analysis of Myo-electric Hand Prosthesis by Regions, Types and ApplicationsChapter Seven Supply, Import, Export and Consumption Analysis of Myo-electric Hand ProsthesisChapter Eight Major Manufacturers Analysis of Myo-electric Hand ProsthesisChapter Nine Marketing Trader or Distributor Analysis of Myo-electric Hand ProsthesisChapter Ten Industry Chain Analysis of Myo-electric Hand ProsthesisChapter Eleven Development Trend of Analysis of Myo-electric Hand ProsthesisChapter Twelve New Project Investment Feasibility Analysis of Myo-electric Hand ProsthesisChapter Thirteen Conclusion of the Global Myo-electric Hand Prosthesis Industry 2017 Market Research ReportRelated Reports:US Myo-electric Hand Prosthesis Industry Market Research Report 2017Europe Myo-electric Hand Prosthesis Industry Market Research Report 2017India Myo-electric Hand Prosthesis Industry Market Research Report 2017China Myo-electric Hand Prosthesis Industry Market Research Report 2017Korea Myo-electric Hand Prosthesis Industry Market Research Report 2017Japan Myo-electric Hand Prosthesis Industry Market Research Report 2017If you need a report or have any question, please feel free to contact meHebe | Sr. Manager  Global SalesProfessional Market Research Report PublisherQYResearch Co.LtdQYResearch focus on Market Survey and ResearchPhone: +86 20 2209 3278Email: hebe@qyresearchglobal.com or hebe@qyresearch.comWeb:About QYResearchQYResearch established in 2007, focus on custom research, management consulting, IPO consulting, industry chain research, database and seminar services. the company owned a large basic database (such as National Bureau of statistics database, Customs import and export database, Industry Association Database etc), experts resources (included energy automotive chemical medical ICT consumer goods etc industries experts who own more than 10 years experiences on marketing or R&D), professional survey team (the team member with more than 3 years market survey experience and more than 2 years depth expert interview experience),Excellent data analysis team (SPSS statistics and PPT graphics process team); QYResearch has always pursuit product quality, adhere to the quality is the soul of business. Through the companys years of effort and a lot of customer support, QYResearch consulting group creative design method of many high-quality markets investigation and research team with rich experience. Today, QYResearch brand has become the consulting industry with quality assurance consulting brand. The company has 2500 global well-known customers, covering energy automobile pharmaceutical chemical agriculture more than 30 industries, services from the data analysis and recommendations-Consulting landing one-stop solution, and research regions cover China,US,EU,Asia,Middle East and Africa,South America,Australia,etc Global all regions,and also built research or marketing center in China USA UK France Hongkong etc regions. currently, QYResearch has become the first choice and worth trusted consulting brand in Global and China business consulting services.Media ContactCompany Name: QYResearch CO.,LIMITEDContact Person: HebeEmail: hebe@qyresearchglobal.comPhone: +86-20 2209 3278Address: Room 2311 VILI International Building No.167 Linhe West Road Tianhe DistrictCity: GuangzhouCountry: ChinaWebsite:(US) |(EU) |(JP)
Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Treatment Market Demand is Increasing in Most Part of World 2024

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Specific guidance for drug development for Duchenne muscular dystrophy drugs published by the U.S. FDA in 2015 is expected to accelerate the new drug development for treatment of a disorder. Moreover, new approaches such as utrophin modulation approach for the treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy are expected to launch in the market during the forecast period. For instance, Summit Therapeutics plc. is evaluating ezutromid in phase II clinical trials which has received orphan drug designation and fast track approval from U.S. FDA.Get access to full summary @:Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is one of the most common types of muscular dystrophy, which is an X-linked inherited genetic disorder characterized by gradual skeletal muscle weakness. According to NHS, in every year 100 boys are born with Duchenne muscular dystrophy in the U.K. As per DMD surveillance report by Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 349 new cases of Duchenne muscular dystrophy were reported in 2010 in the U.S. Duchenne muscular dystrophy usually affects male child and first signs and symptoms of the disease are observed at the age of 2-3 years.Duchenne muscular dystrophy worsens quickly which results in loss of ability to walk and eventually causes death within 20-30 years of age. Currently there is no curative treatment for Duchenne muscular dystrophy however symptomatic treatment approaches such as pain alleviating drugs and steroids to slow down the progression of disease are recommended by majority of physicians. Treatment is mainly aimed to maximize the quality of life.Continuous research on gene therapy, exon skipping drugs and stem cell therapy for the treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy is expected to fuel the global market for Duchenne muscular dystrophy treatment market over the forecast period. BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc. is developing exon skipping drug Drisapersen which is currently being evaluated in phase III clinical trial. In 2014, PTC Therapeutics International Limited obtained orphan drug designation and conditional approval for Translarnafirst ever gene therapy for treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy, in Europe. However, low treatment seeking rate due to delayed diagnosis and fast prognosis of a disorder is the major factor limiting the growth of global Duchenne muscular dystrophy treatment market.The global market for Duchenne muscular dystrophy treatment is segmented on basis of product type, end user and geography: Segmentation by Treatment Type: Pain Management drugs, Corticosteroids, Prednisolone, Prednisone, Deflazacort. Segmentation by End User: Hospitals, Clinics, Home Care Settings.A sample of this report is available upon request @Collaborations between key players involved in development of drugs for Duchenne muscular dystrophy would increase the pace of new drug development for the disease. By product type, the global market for Duchenne muscular dystrophy treatment has been classified into pain management drugs and corticosteroids. Corticosteroids product type segment is expected to hold maximum share in global Duchenne muscular dystrophy treatment market.Based on end user, the global Duchenne muscular dystrophy treatment market has been classified as hospitals, clinics and home care settings. Hospitals end user segment is expected to hold maximum share in the global market owing to increasing rate of hospitalization for DMD.On the basis of regional presence, global Duchenne muscular dystrophy treatment market is segmented into five key regions viz. North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Middle East & Africa. North America will continue to dominate the global Duchenne muscular dystrophy treatment market due to high prevalence of the disease. Europe is expected to hold second largest market share in global market. Increasing R&D activities in the DMD area is expected to bring huge growth of global market during the forecast period.To view TOC of this report is available upon request @Some of the major players operating in global Duchenne muscular dystrophy treatment market are PTC Therapeutics, Summit Therapeutics Plc., Sarepta Therapeutics, BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc., Pfizer Inc., (Pharmacia & Upjohn LLC) and others. Companies are involved in collaboration agreements for R&D in order to exploit maximum potential.About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.Contact UsPersistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA  Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb:
Achyranthes Bidentata Extract Market Review  Factors Driving Growth Post 2017

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Achyranthes bidentata is a perennial plant which belongs to family Amaranthaceae. Achyranthes bidentata is native to East-Asia, found primarily in forest and sides of streams in China. Achyranthes bidentata in china is dried and grounded in to powder form and then used in decoctions. Achyranthes bidentata got its name because it was mainly produced in the historical Huai Qing Fu, where Jiaozuo in Henan province located today. Achyranthes bidentata is commonly used as a medicine to unblock collaterals and activate blood. Clinically physicians prescribe it for the treatment of a variety of arthritis, osteoproliferation, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases which includes coronary heart disease, cerebral thrombosis, and cerebral arteriosclerosis, and gynecological diseases which includes emmeniopathy, leukorrheal diseases, and various antenatal and postpartum illness.Browse Market Research Report @Achyranthes Bidentata extract market: segmentationAchyranthes bidentata extract market is segmented on the basis of form, nature of product, and applicationAchyranthes bidentata extract market is segmented on the basis of form which includes solid, powder, and liquid. Achyranthes bidentata extract is produced in the form of the finely ground powder which can be used to prepare pharmaceutical products, cosmetic product, food and beverage products. Achyranthes bidentata extract in the form of liquid is used to prepare syrups and beverages which are consumed to regulate water balance in body, clear pus, unblocks menstruation and strengthen bones.Achyranthes bidentata extract market is segmented on the basis of nature of the product which includes natural and organic. There is a rise in demand for the organic food due to the health concerns related to the use of pesticides in the traditionally grown Achyranthes bidentata. Consumers these days may prefer using organic Achyranthes bidentata extract as it is comparatively safe for consumption. Which is expected to support organic segment growth during the forecast period.Fill the form for an exclusive sample of this report @Achyranthes bidentata extract is segmented on the basis of the application which includes application in pharmaceutical industry, cosmetics industry, and food and beverage industry. In food and beverage industry Achyranthes bidentata extract is used in the preparation of beverages such as juice and syrup. In pharmaceutical industry Achyranthes bidentata is used for the preparation of tablets, capsules and ointments which can be used as the analgesic.Achyranthes Bidentata extract: regional outlookAchyranthes bidentata is primarily found in Asia-pacific region as it is produced mainly in china and is traditionally used in china for herbal treatment of diseases related to blood like hematocrit. Achyranthes bidentata has limited availability in the global market as the geographical distribution of Achyranthes is concentrated is less across the globe. In Africa Achyranthes bidentata extract market is expected to grow due to increase in use of herbal medicine in the African region as it has less side effects. In North America and Europe Achyranthes bidentata extract is expected to develop a market owing to the research and developments taking place in these region and requirement of herbal products to cure diseases by natural products rather than using products containing chemical ingredients.Achyranthes Bidentata extract market: driversAchyranthes bidentata extract is majorly used for the medicinal properties which includes excitation of uterine muscle due the action saponins, antifertility action due ecdysterone and antispasmodic action. Active use of Achyranthes bidentata extract in pharmaceutical industry, cosmetic industry, food and beverage industry is expected to fuel market growth of Achyranthes bidentata extract over the forecast period.Achyranthes Bidentata extract market: restraintThe restraint for the Achyranthes Bidentata extract market is the concentration of the Achyranthes market in the Asia-pacific region due to poor distribution network and global awareness of the Achyranthes bidentata extract.Achyranthes Bidentata extract market: key playersThe key players of Achyranthes bidentata extract market are Mayway, Novoherb Technologies, Lanzhou Waltlets Biotech Co Ltd, Hawaii-pharm, and CACTUS BOTANICS among others.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
EGFR Mutation Test Market Revenue Predicted to Go Up by 2024

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According to the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer, American Thoracic Society and European Respiratory Society, there are around 50% of surgically resected lung adenocarcinomas in EGFR mutations. These mutations are related to micro papillary predominant subtype and the bronchioloalveolar carcinoma. EGFR biomarker is used in diagnosis of patients with NSCLC. Targeted therapy involving tyrosine kinase inhibitors such as gefitinib and erotinib is used in the treatment of patients with NSCLC. EGFR biomarker detects the presence of specific alterations in EGFR gene, which may lead to the development of tumor.Get access to full summary @:Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is a type of protein, which is located on the surface of human body cells. Any mutation in EGFR gene can lead to various types of cancer. EGFR functions as a biomarker for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and due to the mutation of EGFR gene a person may suffer from cancer or may have a tumor growth. Tumors with genetically altered EGFR gene are referred to as EGFR-mutated tumors. EGFR mutation is generally observed in NSCLCs, especially in adenocarcinoma tumors.Lung cancer is a significant economic burden and is one of the major causes of mortality. According to World Health Organization (WHO), lung cancer is the most common form of cancer in males, with a worldwide incidence of 1.2 Mn. It is also the fourth most common cancer in women, with an incidence of over 0.6 Mn. Lung cancer is estimated to account for 20% of all the cancer-related deaths.Increasing global prevalence of lung cancer is expected to fuel growth of the global EGFR mutation test market over the forecast period. Increasing adoption of biomarker therapy is also expected to boost growth of the market worldwide over the forecast period. According to Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center report, 10% and 35% of NSCLC patients in U.S. and East Asia, respectively, have tumor associated with EGFR mutations. Mutation in EGFR gene occurs in EGFR exons 1821, which encodes a part of EGFR kinase protein.A sample of this report is available upon request @These mutations are usually heterozygous, where the mutant allele exhibits gene amplification. Around 90% of these mutations are due to exon 19 deletion or exon 21 L858R point mutation. According to Annals of Oncology, EGFR mutation testing is required prior to first-line therapy in 81% of the stage IIIb/IV NSCLC patients. Thus, increasing demand for the EGFR mutation test and rising incidence of NSCLC patients with EGFR mutation are expected to drive growth of the global EGFR mutation test market over the forecast period.Global EGFREGFR mutation test market is segmented on the basis of method, drug and end user. Segmentation by drug: Osimertinib, Erlotinib, Imatinib. Segmentation by method: DNA Sequencing, Kits. Segmentation by end user: Cancer Hospitals, Clinical Research Institutes.Increased focus on formation of research consortiums on testing techniques is leading to rise in awareness levels and increased adoption of such methods. In addition, increasing adoption of technique by consumers and availability of wide range of kits, with new and advanced drugs, for EGFR detection are some of the factors expected to fuel growth of the global EGFR mutation test market. Availability of different methods to detect the abnormalities in the cell and identify the mutation.However, less focus on developing techniques for detection tests by companies due to less profitability and lack of awareness among physicians are some of the factors that could hamper growth of the global EGFR mutation test market.To view TOC of this report is available upon request @On the basis of region, EGFR mutation test market is segmented into five key regions: North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Middle East & Africa. North America dominates the global EGFR mutation test market due to high prevalence of patients with EGFR mutation and large number of facilities for cancer treatment. However, growth in Middle East and African regions is expected to increase significantly over the forecast period due to increase in incidence of EGFR . Roche Pharmaceuticals dominates the global EGFR mutation test market.About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.Contact UsPersistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA  Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb:
Physician Office Diagnostic Testing Market Estimated to Grow Strongly by 2024

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Physician office diagnostic testing is similar to the point-of- care diagnostic testing which are carried out in physicians office, hospital, home and others. Physician office diagnostic tests are basically carried out for urine analysis, urine pregnancy, blood occult, and glucose blood, pathology consultation during surgery and crystal identification by microscope. Also there are some more test such as sperm identification and analyses, bilirubin total, blood gasses, complete blood count, bone marrow smear, blood bank services, and transfusion medicine. The Physician office diagnostic testing market is driven by increasing prevalence of chronic conditions and increasing awareness of the role of physicians offices in decisions about testing. Factors such as increasing patient population base, rise in prevalence of lifestyle related disease and infectious disease are some key factors fueling the growth of the physician office diagnostic testing market.Get access to full summary @:According to the Centers for Disease and Control of Infection, in U.S., the incidence rate of chronic conditions such as heart disease, cancer, type 2 diabetes, obesity, arthritis and others are among the most common of all health problems. In 2012, 117 Mn people suffered from one or more chronic health conditions. Chronic diseases are responsible for 7 of 10 deaths each year. Moreover factors such as cost effective products and growing population of immune compromised individuals and others is expected to drive the physician office diagnostic testing market during the forecast period. Patient education program are conducted by government and companies for creating the awareness among the general population. However physician office diagnostic testing market has some restraints such as low adoption for these products, pricing pressure owing to reimbursement cuts may hinder the growth of the physician office diagnostic testing market.The Global Physician Office Diagnostic Testing market is segmented on the basis of product type, end user and regional presence. Segmentation based on Product Type: Glucose Monitoring Kits, Cardiometabolic Monitoring Kits, Testing, Infectious Diseases Testing Kits, Coagulation Monitoring Kits, Pregnancy and Fertility Testing Kits, Tumor/Cancer Markers, Urinalysis Testing Kits, Cholesterol Test Strips, Hematology Testing Kits, Drugs of Abuse Testing Kits, Fecal Occult Testing Kits, Others. Segmentation based on End User: Diagnostic Centers, Hospitals, Ambulatory Care Settings, Research Laboratories, Home Care.A sample of this report is available upon request @Increasing sedentary lifestyle among population leading to rise in the incidence of chronic conditions is expected to boost the physician office diagnostic testing market over the forecast period. In addition rising awareness among general population and rise in disposable income is expected to boost the physician office diagnostic testing market over the forecast period. More over advantages such as faster results for the test, greater efficiency of the clinical workflow, low-priced testing, is expected to drive the physician office diagnostic testing market during the forecast periodGeographically the physician office diagnostic testing market is segmented into five key regions: North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific and MEA region.North America followed by Europe is dominating the physician office diagnostic testing market as high prevalence of cardiac, infectious and other diseases, and favorable reimbursement options provided by governments which has provided platform for these products. In Asia Pacific region the physician office diagnostic testing market is expected to deliver significant growth due to the high pool of geriatric population in this region and the growing government support to increase the adoption of these products is expected to further fuel market demand. Moreover the physician office diagnostic testing market is expected to become highly competitive due to the potential entrants in the market by the end of forecast period.To view TOC of this report is available upon request @Some of the major companies in the physician office diagnostic testing market are Siemens AG, Abbott Laboratories, Inc. Beckman Coulter, Inc., Johnson & Johnson Alere Inc., Nova Biomedical, Roche Diagnostics Limited, Becton, Dickinson and Company and others. The key strategy used by some players is increasing number of partnerships and joint ventures.New YorkAbout UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.Contact UsPersistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA  Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb:
Global Application Development Software Market Size, Status and Forecast 2022 - AppSheet, GitHub, Zoho Creator, Azure, IntelliJ IDEA, Twilio Platform, Joget Workflow

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This report studies the global Application Development Software market, analyzes and researches the Application Development Software development status and forecast in United States, EU, Japan, China, India and Southeast Asia. This report focuses on the top players in global market, likeAppSheetGoogle Cloud PlatformGitHubZoho CreatorAzureIntelliJ IDEASnappii Custom Mobile AppsTwilio PlatformDatadog Cloud MonitoringAxure RPJoget WorkflowGitLabAliceKing of AppSAP HANA Cloud PlatformMarket segment by Regions/Countries, this report coversUnited StatesEUJapanChinaIndiaSoutheast AsiaMarket segment by Type, Application Development Software can be split intoWeb-BasedInstalledMarket segment by Application, Application Development Software can be split intoAndroidiOSOtherGet a Free Sample Copy of this Research Report @Table of Contents1 Industry Overview of Application Development Software1.1 Application Development Software Market Overview1.1.1 Application Development Software Product Scope1.1.2 Market Status and Outlook1.2 Global Application Development Software Market Size and Analysis by Regions1.2.1 United States1.2.2 EU1.2.3 Japan1.2.4 China1.2.5 India1.2.6 Southeast Asia1.3 Application Development Software Market by Type1.3.1 Web-Based1.3.2 Installed1.4 Application Development Software Market by End Users/Application1.4.1 Android1.4.2 iOS1.4.3 Other2 Global Application Development Software Competition Analysis by Players2.1 Application Development Software Market Size (Value) by Players (2016 and 2017)2.2 Competitive Status and Trend2.2.1 Market Concentration Rate2.2.2 Product/Service Differences2.2.3 New Entrants2.2.4 The Technology Trends in FutureQYresearchreports.com delivers the latest strategic market intelligence to build a successful business footprint in China. Our syndicated and customized research reports provide companies with vital background information of the market and in-depth analysis on the Chinese trade and investment framework, which directly affects their business operations.QYResearchReports1820 AvenueM Suite #1047Brooklyn, NY 11230United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-518-618-1030Web:Email: sales@qyresearchreports.com
Biomaterials Market to Observe Strong Development by 2024

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Some of the major focused activities for biomaterials include the development of new scaffolds for regenerative medicines, stem cell therapy, and biomaterials characterization and nonmaterial for biosensing applications. Biomaterials engineering include processing, synthesis and characterization of novel materials such as glasses, polymers, cement composites and hybrids among others. In addition, the new area in which the biomaterial activity is on the go is the tailoring of inorganic nanoparticles that include quantum dots with bioactive peptides and gold, which enables them to act as reporters to detect enzyme activity.Get access to full summary @:Biomaterial is any substance or combination other than drugs which may be synthetic or natural in origin. These materials can be used at any period of time which replaces totally or partially any organ, tissue or function of the body to enhance the life of individual as stated by American National Institute of Health. The study of biomaterials is known as biomaterials science, which consists of elements such as biology, medicine, chemistry and tissue engineering among others. Biomaterials either occur naturally or are synthesized in the laboratory by using variety of chemical approaches by using metallic components such as ceramics, polymers or composite materials. They often have medical applications and thus they have the ability to comprise a part or whole of the living structure or biomedical devices.The major drivers for the biomaterials market include increasing aging population, advanced technology, enhanced benefits and rising awareness for biomaterials products. Further research in medical applications is expected to create opportunities for the biomaterials market in the near future.The biomaterials have wide range of applications into dental, cardiovascular, orthopedic, wound healing, neurology and surgery among others. The cardiovascular segment contributed on a large basis to the global biomaterials market followed by orthopedic segment. Owing to the developments, changing lifestyles of people, the other segment such as plastic surgery and wound healing segments are expected to show highest growth in near future.A sample of this report is available upon request @The key segments for biomaterials market are North America, Asia Pacific, Europe and Rest of the World (RoW) among others. North America is expected to grow at a faster rate owing to the increase in aging population who account for major consumption of biomaterials. The increasing investments made by the government in biomaterials market in the region is also a factor among others that contribute to growing demand for biomaterials. In addition, Asia Pacific is expected to follow North America in terms of growth due to the rising awareness for biomaterial products. Increased collaborations and conference also is expected to fuel demand for biomaterials in Asia Pacific.Recent researches on biomaterials applications include cardiovascular biomaterials and analysis of hemocompatibility and biocompatibility. Moreover, the other research areas include polymeric surface coatings for sensors and implants and research in nano scale orthopedic biomaterials and hard or soft biomechanics. Therefore, continuous improvements are made to understand the interaction of body parts with implanted materials that has led to the progress of biomaterials from the use of any other alternative that was surgically available to use of materials which were deemed biocompatible.Improper reimbursement facilities and lack of tissue availability are the major factors that are expected to restrain the growth of biomaterials market. In addition, high research and development costs could pose a threat to the growth of the market.To view TOC of this report is available upon request @The key players in the biomaterial market are: Angiotech Pharmaceuticals Inc., Biomet, Inc. (U.S.), Berkeley Advanced Biomaterials, Inc. (U.S.), DePuy Orthopaedics, Inc. (U.S.), DENTSPLY International, Inc. (U.S.), Orthovita, Inc. (U.S.), Wright Medical Group, Inc. (U.S.), Invibio Ltd. (U.K.), Cam Bioceramics BV, AdvanSource Biomaterials Corp.About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.Contact UsPersistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA  Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb:
Wound and Skin Infection Treatment Market Opportunities and Forecasts, 2017  2025

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Skin forms the largest organ of the body covering total area of about 2 sq. meters. It protects human body from microbes and infection. However, due to invasion of wide variety of germs, skin itself become infected. This infection on large extent is commonly caused by bacteria, virus, fungus and parasites, thereby generating four different types of skin infections including bacterial skin infection, viral skin infection, fungal skin infection and parasitic skin infection, respectively. The causative agents infect the skin by breaking its integrity and then inoculating into the dermis, subsequently exacerbating skin infections. The bodys immune system is triggered by these infection which in turn would cause inflammation and tissue damage. The degree of these infections can vary from mild to severe, depending upon the penetration of infecting agent. Some of the symptoms for severe skin infections are blisters, pus, skin breakdown and discoloring of skin. However, wound infection, on the other hand, is damaged area of skin which usually involves break into the skin. Wounds are broadly categorized into two types: surgical and traumatic. Individuals with poor blood circulation, smoking habits, malnutrition, weak immune system and diabetes are susceptible to higher risks of wound infection. Wound treatment type market has been categorized into broad segments, including Traditional, Basic, Bio-Active, Therapeutic and Advanced wound treatments.Wound and skin infection treatment is of extreme importance as they are potent to complicate morbidity and cause anxiety which subsequently leads to patient discomfort and ultimately death. In order to treat a wound infection, a physician in common carries out advance wound treatment procedure using hydrogels, alginates, foam dressings, collagen and other wound care products. As advanced wound treatment provides effective and efficient solution by allowing fast healing of wounds, thus it is most commonly preferred over traditional treatment methods. Surgical wounds are further referred to as surgical site infection (SSI) by the US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). About 77% of the deaths of surgical patients were related to surgical wound infection.Growing aging and diabetic population coupled with elevating obesity rates is anticipated to be the primary factor propelling the growth of wound and skin infection treatment market. Rising government spending in healthcare sector and product innovation are some other factors fueling wound and skin infection treatment market. Additionally, advancements in biotechnology, chemical and tissue engineering coupled with introduction of novel techniques and products is further anticipated to grow the market over the forecast period. However, high costs of the wound treatment products and presence of large number of competitors are some of the factors restraining the market growth.A Sample of this Report is Available Upon Request @On the basis of type of treatment, advanced treatment techniques are widely used over other treatment types on account of its better efficacy and effective healing power.Based on geography, global wound and skin treatment market is segmented into five key regions viz. North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Middle East & Africa. Asia-Pacific is projected to register a moderate growth due to the rising awareness about wound treatment products and rising incidence of chronic diseases. Also, the rising healthcare expenditure in developing countries such as India and China and increasing footprint of skin and wound care products is further propelling the market for wound and skin infection treatment in Asian countries.Request to View Tables of Content @Some of the key players present in global wound and skin infection market are 3M Company, B. Braun Melsungen, Coloplast, Genzyme, Smith & Nephew, ConvaTec Healthcare, Human Biosciences, MediPurpose, etc.To view complete report @About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a U.S.-based full-service market intelligence firm specializing in syndicated research, custom research, and consulting services. PMR boasts market research expertise across the Healthcare, Chemicals and Materials, Technology and Media, Energy and Mining, Food and Beverages, Semiconductor and Electronics, Consumer Goods, and Shipping and Transportation industries. The company draws from its multi-disciplinary capabilities and high-pedigree team of analysts to share data that precisely corresponds to clients business needs.PMR stands committed to bringing more accuracy and speed to clients business decisions. From ready-to-purchase market research reports to customized research solutions, PMRs engagement models are highly flexible without compromising on its deep-seated research values.ContactPersistence Market Research Pvt. Ltd305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA  Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.commedia@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb:
Molecular Diagnostics Market Foreseen to Grow exponentially over 2021

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In-vitro diagnostics is a method of performing a diagnostic test to detect disease, condition or infection in an artificial environment. Molecular diagnostic is one of the major segments of in-vitro diagnostics market. Molecular diagnostics is used to measure and detect the presence of genetic material associated with specific disease. It is used to identify DNA and RNA at molecular level. Molecular diagnostics is a tool to improve clinical outcomes and medical decisions.Get access to full summary @:Molecular diagnostic includes all tests used to identify a disease, by analyzing molecules such as DNA, protein or RNA in a fluid or tissue. Nowadays molecular diagnostics is used in early detection of infectious diseases, cancer and genetic disorder, by using molecular and genetic technologies. Molecular diagnostics is also used in detection of abnormalities in pre-natal stage. In addition, molecular diagnostic kits are used in pharmacogenetics testing and blood donor screening.North America dominates the global market of molecular diagnostics due to increasing incidence of infectious diseases and lifestyle associated diseases. In addition, innovations in molecular diagnostics for treating cancer, government support for research and development, and high patient awareness levels are driving the growth of molecular diagnostic market in North America. Asia is expected to show high growth rates in the next five years in molecular diagnostics market. Some of the factors driving growth of molecular diagnostics in emerging markets are increasing demand of genetic tests, advancement in healthcare infrastructure and large patient pool in countries such as India and China.Request to view Sample Report @In recent times there is increased use of molecular diagnostics due to increasing application in blood screening, genetic disorders and cancer. Increasing prevalence of chronic and infectious diseases such as HIV and hepatitis, rising awareness and acceptance of personalized medicine and companion diagnostics are also fueling growth in the global molecular diagnostics market. However, changing reimbursement regulations and delayed approval of many new molecular diagnostic tests are some of the factors inhibiting the growth for global molecular diagnostics market.Growing demand for genetic tests is an opportunity for global molecular diagnostics market. However, strict regulatory framework and lack of skilled labor are some of the major challenges for global molecular diagnostics market.Request to view Table of content @Some of the major companies operating in global molecular diagnostics market are Novartis AG, Roche Diagnostics, QIAGEN, Siemens Healthcare, Abbott Laboratories, Inc., Gen-Probe, Inc. (Hologic Inc.), Cepheid, Inc., Beckman Coulter, Inc., Becton, Dickinson & Company, Myriad Genetics, Inc., and bioMerieux.About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.Contact UsPersistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA  Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb:
As U.S. Senate Republicans finalize their health care reform bill, a key member of President Donald Trumps Cabinet is making a deceptive argument to gin up support for the legislation.

The misleading statistics that Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price is wielding  and just as important, the information he leaves out  reflect poorly on his leadership and the credibility of the agency he leads.

Price, a doctor and former Republican congressman from Georgia, took to the same social media platform favored by Trump  Twitter  to argue his case. On his personal, verified agency account, Price recently blasted out a disingenuous infographic to his nearly 40,000 followers.

The key point it made: That former President Barack Obamas health reform law left 28.2 million Americans uninsured. According to Price, thats 28.2 million promises broken.

The 28 million uninsured figure is accurate. Obamacare did not reduce the uninsured rate to zero, though it has dropped the nations uninsured rate among nonelderly adults to the lowest point in decades. Still, this is a bizarre statistical beachhead from which to champion either of the Republican plans Congress is currently weighing. (In addition to the Senate plan, the Republican-controlled U.S. House passed its own version of health reform in May.)

Price implies that either GOP plan will be an improvement over Obamacare when it comes to covering more Americans. But the reality is that both Republican proposals would take the nation backward. The bills would not reduce the 28 million people uninsured. Instead, they would add millions more Americans to the uninsured ranks on top of this.

The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, or CBO, has done everything short of printing this critical point in red ink in its reports to drive this home to policymakers. The CBO has done multiple analyses of dueling congressional plans. It compared each plan to the Obama law.

The agency concluded that the House version would result in 23 million fewer Americans covered compared with Obamacare over the next decade. In 2026, an estimated 51 million people under age 65 would be uninsured, compared with 28 million who would lack insurance that year under current law, the CBO said.

The Senate bill only mildly improves upon that. It would cover 22 million fewer Americans in the same time frame, according to the CBO analysis. To be clear, a total of 50 million Americans would not have insurance in 2026, compared with 28 million if the Obama law were left in place.

Prices dubious tweet also neglects to point out another important fact: Many states with GOP governors chose not to expand Medicaid  the public medical assistance program for the poor  despite additional dollars to do so provided by the Obama law. Had all states expanded the program, the 28 million uninsured figure Price cites would be much lower.

HHS officials did not respond to an editorial writers request for comment on Prices misleading communication. As a former orthopedic surgeon, Price certainly would not have left out vital information from medical studies as he advised patients on treatment options. Its deeply disappointing he did so in the nations top health care job.
Sugar and Sugar Substitute Market Set to Surge Significantly During 2015  2021

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http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/market-research/sugar-and-sugar-substitute-market.asp

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Some of the key players in sugar industry areAgrana Beteiligungs AG, Andhra Sugars ltd, Bautou Huazi Industry Co Ltd and Dalmia Bharat Sugar and Industries Ltd among others.Sugar is a naturally occurring nutrient used for adding sweetness to various food items, it is a mixture of carbohydrates along with starch. It is one the important source of energy as it contains carbohydrate. Food additives that resemble the taste of sugar known as sugar substitute. Sugar substitutes are of two types, such as natural substitutes and artificial. The natural substitutes are sorbitol and xylitol and artificial substitutes are artificial sweeteners.The sugar and sugar substitutes market can be segmented by type as Brown sugar, granulated sugar; powdered-sugar and sugar substitutes. The market can also be segmented geographically into North America, APAC, Europe and RoW regions.A Sample of this Report is Available Upon Request @The global market of sugar and sugar substitute is expected to grow with a single digit CAGR from 2015 to 2021.Request to View Tables of Content @The major driver is the growing food industry, as it is major source of taste and along with food it has vast applications in medication. Some of the restraining factors are raw material cost which is consistently increasing and cost associated with supply chain is also rising. Moreover eating food that has high content of sugar causes diabetes, obesity, and heart disease. Consumers are opting for sugar free products as a preventive measure. The growing heath concerns among the people more than 45 years is expected to have positive impact on the demand for sugar substitutes.The major distribution channels include supermarket/ hypermarkets, departmental stores, convenience stores and dollar stores among others.To view complete report @About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a U.S.-based full-service market intelligence firm specializing in syndicated research, custom research, and consulting services. PMR boasts market research expertise across the Healthcare, Chemicals and Materials, Technology and Media, Energy and Mining, Food and Beverages, Semiconductor and Electronics, Consumer Goods, and Shipping and Transportation industries. The company draws from its multi-disciplinary capabilities and high-pedigree team of analysts to share data that precisely corresponds to clients business needs.PMR stands committed to bringing more accuracy and speed to clients business decisions. From ready-to-purchase market research reports to customized research solutions, PMRs engagement models are highly flexible without compromising on its deep-seated research values.ContactPersistence Market Research Pvt. Ltd305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA  Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.commedia@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb:
4G Telecom Egypt Market Research Report 2017 Analysis and Forecast to 2022

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Summary"Egypt: 4G Rollout and Issuance of Virtual Fixed Licenses to Significantly Boost Competition" is a new Country Intelligence Report provides an executive-level overview of the telecommunications market in Egypt today, with detailed forecasts of key indicators up to 2021. Published annually, the report provides detailed analysis of the near-term opportunities, competitive dynamics and evolution of demand by service type and technology/platform across the fixed telephony, broadband, and mobile, as well as a review of key regulatory trends.GET SAMPLE REPORT @The telecom service revenue in Egypt is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 4.3% during 2016-2021, due to growth in mobile data, fixed Internet and pay-TV segments. Mobile data and fixed Internet growth will be driven by launch and expansion of 4G services and fiber expansion, respectively. Pay-TV operators are expected to face stiff competition from OTT players over the coming years. Vodafone Egypt will continue its dominance during the forecast period. Vendors and investors have an opportunity to benefit from the grant of unified license to all major operators, which now enable them to compete evenly in the fixed and mobile segments.The Country Intelligence Report provides in-depth analysis of the following -- Regional context: telecom market size and trends in Egypt compared with other countries in the region.- Economic, demographic and political context in Egypt.- The regulatory environment and trends: a review of the regulatory setting and agenda for the next 18-24 months as well as relevant developments pertaining to spectrum licensing, national broadband plans, number portability and more.- A demand profile: analysis as well as historical figures and forecasts of service revenue from the fixed telephony, broadband, mobile voice, and mobile data markets.- Service evolution: a look at changes in the breakdown of overall revenue between the fixed and mobile sectors and between voice, data and video from 2016 to 2021.- The competitive landscape: an examination of key trends in competition and in the performance, revenue market shares and expected moves of service providers over the next 18-24 months.- In-depth sector analysis of fixed telephony, broadband, mobile voice, and mobile data services: a quantitative analysis of service adoption trends by network technology and by operator, as well as of average revenue per line/subscription and service revenue through the end of the forecast period.- Main opportunities: this section details the near-term opportunities for operators, vendors and investors in Egypt's telecommunications markets.Scope- The overall telecom service revenue in Egypt will grow at a CAGR of 4.3% during 2016-2021, mainly driven by growth in mobile data, fixed broadband and pay-TV segments.- Mobile revenue will account for 84.6% of the total telecom revenue in 2021; mobile data will witness a CAGR of 6.8% during 2016-2021.- The top two operators, Orange Egypt and Vodafone Egypt, accounted for 57.7% share of overall service revenue in 2016. We expect competition to intensify as operators acquire unified licenses from the NTRA, which allows them to offer both mobile and fixed-line services.- Operators will focus on improved service offerings at competitve prices to maintain their market position.Reasons to buy- This Country Intelligence Report offers a thorough, forward-looking analysis of Egypt's telecommunications markets, service providers and key opportunities in a concise format to help executives build proactive and profitable growth strategies.- Accompanying Forecast products, the report examines the assumptions and drivers behind ongoing and upcoming trends in Egypt's mobile communications, fixed telephony, broadband markets, including the evolution of service provider market shares.- With more than 20 charts and tables, the report is designed for an executive-level audience, boasting presentation quality.- The report provides an easily digestible market assessment for decision-makers built around in-depth information gathered from local market players, which enables executives to quickly get up to speed with the current and emerging trends in Egypt's telecommunications markets.- The broad perspective of the report coupled with comprehensive, actionable detail will help operators, equipment vendors and other telecom industry players succeed in the challenging telecommunications market in Egypt.Table of Content: Key PointsTable of contents 3Executive summary 4Market and competitor overviewRegional context 6Economic, demographic and political context 7Regulatory environment 8Demand profile 13Service evolution 15Competitive landscape 16Major market players 17Segment analysisMobile services 21Fixed services 25Pay-TV 29Identifying opportunitiesOpportunities in the market 31About the authors 32Country Intelligence Report coverage 33ContinuedACCESS REPORT @For accessing accurate and deep understanding and to gain latest insights and key developments in the area of your interest, we also have a list of conferences in which you will be interested in, for more information, cordially check:For updating knowledge or for thoroughly understanding various terminologies, we also have vast list of seminars for your reference, for more information cordially check:Wise Guy Reports is part of the Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. and offers premium progressive statistical surveying, market research reports, analysis & forecast data for industries and governments around the globe.WISEGUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTDOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersPune - 411028Maharashtra, India
Electronics Adhesives Market Will hit at a CAGR 8.2% from 2027

http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-378

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Future Market Insights (FMI), in its report, projects the global electronic adhesives market to register an impressive 7% CAGR during the forecast period 2017 to 2027, in terms of volume. In 2017, the global sales of electronic adhesives will account for 1,423 thousand tons; by 2027 this number is further estimated to reach nearly 2,800 thousand tons. Increasing adoption of electronic components among various end-use sectors such as automobile, medical devices, telecommunications and aerospace are expected to drive adoption of electronic adhesives.Increasing Presence of Electronic Component Manufacturers to Propel Market Growth in APEJAsia Pacific Excluding Japan (APEJ) will remain the largest market for electronic adhesives, expanding at 8.7% CAGR in terms of volume. Sales of electronic adhesives in APEJ will surpass 700 thousand units in 2017. Market growth in APEJ is primarily attributed to increasing presence of electronic component manufacturers in this region. North America is expected to be the second largest market for electronic adhesives, with sales pegged to surpass 300 thousand units by 2027-end. In addition, market growth in Europe is expected to exhibit 6% CAGR through 2027, in terms of volume.Electrically conductive electronic adhesives are anticipated to be the most lucrative product in the market, followed by thermally conductive electronic adhesives. FMIs report projects global sales of these electronic adhesives to surpass 1000 thousand tons by 2027-end, and expand at 9.5% CAGR in terms of volume. In contrast, sluggish volume expansion is estimated for ultraviolet curing electronic adhesives.Acrylics to be Preferred Material for Electronic AdhesivesAcrylics are expected to be the preferred material for electronic adhesives in the market, registering robust expansion at 13.2% CAGR in terms of volume. Robust adoption of acrylics is attributed to their provision of improved productivity and performance as well as reduction in environmental concerns and costs. In addition, silicones are expected to be the second-most lucrative material for electronic adhesives, followed by polyurethanes.Request For Sample@In terms of volume, demand for electronic adhesives in surface mounting application is estimated to witness fastest expansion at 8.6% CAGR. Global sales of electronic adhesives for surface mounting is projected to increase from 385 thousand units in 2017 to reach nearly 950 thousand units by 2027-end. In addition, conformal coating is estimated to be the second largest application segment of electronic adhesives in terms of volume.Expanding Distribution Channel to Drive Market Growth in North AmericaDistributors form a vital part of supply chain, as prominent players in electronic adhesives market distribute products through major distributors across the globe. With expanding distribution channel, coupled with increasing partnership between leading market players and local distributors in North America are expected to propel market growth in this region.China plays and indispensable role in APEJ electronic industry, not as a competitor but as a growing market. China forms the product assembly base, importing various electronic components and parts from various Asian economies and exporting them across the globe. In addition, APEJ has contributed majorly to electronics industry by integrating production networks, fostering an enhanced trade. These factors are expected to propel market growth in APEJ.Send An Enquiry@Key market players identified in FMIs report include Henkel AG & Co. KGaA, H.B. Fuller Company, 3M Company, Dow Corning Corporation (The Dow Chemical Company), Evonik Industries AG, Dymax Corporation, Bostik SA (Arkema Inc.), Sika AG, Illinois Tool Works Inc., Wacker Chemie AG, Avery Dennison Corporation, Royal Adhesives & Sealants LLC, DELO Industrial Adhesives LLC, Huntsman International LLC, LORD Corporation, Permabond LLC, Panacol-Elosol GmbH, Lohmann GmbH & Co.KG, Bondline Electronic Adhesives, Inc., Jowat AGABOUT US:Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.CONTACT:Future Market Insights616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite:
Disposable Toothbrush Market is Expecting Worldwide Growth by 2017  2025

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http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/market-research/disposable-toothbrush-market.asp

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Disposable toothbrush is usually smaller in size, cheaper, and used only once before it is discarded. Usually, it comes in pre-pasted form with the toothpaste already on the toothbrush in smaller quantities. All one need is water to activate the paste and start using it. This type of toothbrush is perfect for traveling, camping, military, airlines, and hospitality. The disposable toothbrush is also good for those who have braces. Choosing disposable toothbrush is bit complex as one needs to determine their priority like someone wants it in small size which is easy to carry or some want to use it twice without pre-pasted.Consumers are showing increase in interest to spend on oral hygienic which presents manufacturers with an option to introduce premium products that attribute to concerns relating to the complete oral care, whitening, sensitivity, and gum health. Increasing importance of oral hygiene attributed to the hike in the market for a disposable toothbrush.Market SegmentationThe disposable toothbrush is segmented by its type, category, distribution channel, and region. Disposable toothbrush segmented by its type as electric and manual. The electric toothbrush has rechargeable battery that needs to charge on a regular basis. Some electric toothbrush has built-in timer system that beeps when one finishes up brushing for three minutes. By category, it is segmented, for kids and for adult. The adult toothbrush comes in the form of non-slip grip and rounded bristles of polished soft nylon. Kid size toothbrush is the child size version of gentle bristles disposable. It comes in five assorted colors of translucent polystyrene, and the brush head has 25 tufts of quality nylon bristles.The disposable toothbrush market further segmented by distribution channel used by manufacturers to supply disposable toothbrush to end-users. By distribution channel, the disposable toothbrush market segmented into Supermarket/Hypermarket, Convenience/Departmental Stores, and Others (includes retail chains). Supermarket/Hypermarket segment is expected to represent the highest growth in revenue earnings due to its capability to offer a wide variety of disposable toothbrush products, and also provide attractive offers and discounts.A Sample of this Report is Available Upon Request @Disposable toothbrushes segmented by region such as North America, Latin America, Europe, Middle East, Asia Pacific and Africa. In North America, USA market is predicted to get stagnant over the forecast period due to its overall high penetration in this category. In Europe, UK has the highest consumption of disposable toothbrush due to high demand from consumers for hygienic solutions. Asia Pacific region is expected to grow to a considerable fraction during the forecast period.DriversThe growing trend towards natural and organic products in oral care is likely to influence the disposable toothbrush market over the forecast period. Improvement in the level of hygiene is a major factor which increases the demand of a disposable toothbrush. Moreover, effective marketing campaigns by manufacturers resulted in greater awareness about disposable toothbrush among consumers. Effective retail penetration and wider promotional activities offered by producers are also expected to fuel the growth of disposable toothbrush market.The increase in traveling among people is a major trend for disposable toothbrush market. Growing trend for spending on oral hygiene is driving the demand for a disposable toothbrush. The ongoing health and wellness trend is increasing the importance of oral care to many consumers. Consumers are looking for more whitening and less sensitivity toothbrush, which fuels the demand for disposable toothbrush market.Request to View Tables of Content @The key challenge for a manufacturer is in developing regions where there is low penetration of disposable toothbrush thus prevent this category from reaching its potential.Key global market players manufacturing different type of disposable toothbrush products include: Colgate-Palmolive Company, Procter & Gamble, Sunstar Amercias Inc, OraLine, Walgreens, Hager Worldwide IncTo view complete report @About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a U.S.-based full-service market intelligence firm specializing in syndicated research, custom research, and consulting services. PMR boasts market research expertise across the Healthcare, Chemicals and Materials, Technology and Media, Energy and Mining, Food and Beverages, Semiconductor and Electronics, Consumer Goods, and Shipping and Transportation industries. The company draws from its multi-disciplinary capabilities and high-pedigree team of analysts to share data that precisely corresponds to clients business needs.PMR stands committed to bringing more accuracy and speed to clients business decisions. From ready-to-purchase market research reports to customized research solutions, PMRs engagement models are highly flexible without compromising on its deep-seated research values.ContactPersistence Market Research Pvt. Ltd305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA  Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.commedia@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb:
Global Automotive Exhaust System Market 2017 by Manufacturers - Faurecia, Tenneco, Eberspacher, Boysen, Sango, HITER, Yutaka Giken

https://www.fiormarkets.com/report-detail/11128/request-sample

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Automotive Exhaust System is usually tubing used to guide reaction exhaust gases away from a controlled combustion inside an engine. The entire system conveys burnt gases from the engine and includes one or more exhaust pipes, depending on the overall system design.Scope of the Report:This report focuses on the Automotive Exhaust System in Global market, especially in North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Middle and Africa. This report categorizes the market based on manufacturers, regions, type and application.Request For Sample Report @Market Segment by Manufacturers, this report coversFaureciaTennecoEberspacherBoysenSangoHITERYutaka GikenCalsonic KanseiMagneti MarelliBentelerSejong IndustrialKatconFutabaWanxiangBosalHarbin AiruiDinexCatarMarket Segment by Regions, regional analysis coversNorth America (USA, Canada and Mexico)Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia and Italy)Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia)Latin America, Middle and AfricaAccess Full Report With TOC @Market Segment by Type, coversSingle Exhaust SystemDual Exhaust SystemMarket Segment by Applications, can be divided intoPetrol VehicleThere are 13 Chapters to deeply display the global Automotive Exhaust System market.Chapter 1, to describe Automotive Exhaust System Introduction, product scope, market overview, market opportunities, market risk, market driving force;Chapter 2, to analyze the top manufacturers of Automotive Exhaust System, with sales, revenue, and price of Automotive Exhaust System, in 2015 and 2016;Chapter 3, to display the competitive situation among the top manufacturers, with sales, revenue and market share in 2015 and 2016;Chapter 4, to show the global market by regions, with sales, revenue and market share of Automotive Exhaust System, for each region, from 2011 to 2016;Chapter 5, 6, 7 and 8, to analyze the key regions, with sales, revenue and market share by key countries in these regions;Chapter 9 and 10, to show the market by type and application, with sales market share and growth rate by type, application, from 2011 to 2016;Chapter 11, Automotive Exhaust System market forecast, by regions, type and application, with sales and revenue, from 2016 to 2021;Chapter 12 and 13, to describe Automotive Exhaust System sales channel, distributors, traders, dealers, appendix and data source.About Fior MarketsFior Markets is a leading market intelligence company that sells reports of top publishers in the technology industry.Our extensive research reports cover detailed market assessments that include major technological improvements in the industry. Fior Markets also specializes in analyzing hi-tech systems and current processing systems in its expertise.We have a team of experts that compile precise research reports and actively advise top companies to improve their existing processes. Our experts have extensive experience in the topics that they cover.Contact UsMark StoneSales ManagerOffice-102, Sanskriti AspirationsBaner Road, Pune,MH 411045IndiaPhone: (201) 465-4211Email: sales@fiormarkets.comWeb:Blog:
Construction in Philippines Market 2017 Share, Trend, Segmentation and Forecast to 2022

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SynopsisIn real terms, the Philippine construction industry registered an average annual growth rate of 12.0% during the review period (20122016). This growth was supported by the Philippines Development Plan 20112016, under which the government invested heavily on transport infrastructure projects, residential buildings and social infrastructure. Investment in energy projects under the Philippines Energy Plan 20122030 also contributed to growth during the review period.GET SAMPLE REPORT @The Philippine construction industry is expected to continue to grow over the forecast period (20172021). Industry growth will be supported by the countrys development plan 20172022, as well as population growth, urbanization, and favorable government policies with regards to public-private partnerships (PPPs).In February 2017, the government launched the Philippines Development Plan 20172022, with an aim to make the Philippines an upper-middle-income country by 2022. Consequently, it plans to reduce unemployment from 5.5% in 2016 to 3.0% by 2022.The industrys output value in real terms is expected to rise at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.79% over the forecast period; compared to 10.68% during the review period.SummaryConstruction in the Philippines, Key Trends and Opportunities to 2021 report provides detailed market analysis, information and insights into the Philippine construction industry including: The Philippine construction industry's growth prospects by market, project type and construction activity Analysis of equipment, material and service costs for each project type in the Philippines Critical insight into the impact of industry trends and issues, and the risks and opportunities they present to participants in the Philippine construction industry Profiles of the leading operators in the Philippine construction industry Data highlights of the largest construction projects in the PhilippinesScopeThis report provides a comprehensive analysis of the construction industry in the Philippines. It provides: Historical (2012-2016) and forecast (2017-2021) valuations of the construction industry in the Philippines using construction output and value-add methods Segmentation by sector (commercial, industrial, infrastructure, energy and utilities, institutional and residential) and by project type Breakdown of values within each project type, by type of activity (new construction, repair and maintenance, refurbishment and demolition) and by type of cost (materials, equipment and services) Analysis of key construction industry issues, including regulation, cost management, funding and pricing Detailed profiles of the leading construction companies in the PhilippinesReasons to Buy Identify and evaluate market opportunities using standardized valuation and forecasting methodologies. Assess market growth potential at a micro-level with over 600 time-series data forecasts. Understand the latest industry and market trends. Formulate and validate strategy using critical and actionable insight. Assess business risks, including cost, regulatory and competitive pressures. Evaluate competitive risk and success factors.Key Highlights The governments plan to bridge gap between the demand and supply of affordable houses in the country is expected to support the growth of the residential construction market over the forecast period. According to the government estimate, demand for housing units is growing by 345,941 units annually and it is expected to reach to 6.2 million units by 2030. To meet this, the government plans to provide financial assistance to middle- and low-income families through various programs, such as the Pag-IBIG Affordable Housing Program, Community Mortgage Program (CMP), Core Housing Program and the Abot-Kaya Pabahay Fund Developmental Loan Program (AKPF - DLP). With robust and modern infrastructure vital for economic growth, the government is focusing on infrastructure development. Accordingly, in September 2016, the National Economic and Development Authority announced its plan to spend PHP8.2 trillion (US$173.9 billion) on nine infrastructure projects by 2022. In the Budget 2017, the government increased its total spending on the Department of Transport by 25.0%, rising from PHP42.6 billion (US$903.3 million) in the budget 2016 to reach PHP53.3 billion (US$1.1 billion). The government also increased the budget of Department of Public Works and Highways by 18.3%, rising from PHP384.4 billion (US$8.2 billion) in 2016 to PHP454.7 billion (US$9.8 billion) in 2017, to improve the countrys transport infrastructure. In March 2017, the government approved National broadband plan with an aim to support economic development and growth. Through this, the government aims to create investment opportunities and ensure social and economic inclusion. Consequently, the government plans to deploy fiber optic cables and wireless technology across the country with an investment of PHP200.0 billion (US$4.3 billion), to equip all schools and government offices with a high speed internet connection. Over the forecast period, the governments plan to expand the capacity of manufacturing plants is expected to support growth of the industrial construction market. Under the Manufacturing Resurgence Program (MRP), the government aims to enhance the existing capacity of manufacturing industries, support new entries, increase employment, and maintain the competitiveness of industries by 2025.Table of Content: Key Points1 Executive Summary2 Industry Outlook2.1 Commercial Construction2.2 Industrial Construction2.3 Infrastructure Construction2.4 Energy and Utilities Construction2.5 Institutional Construction2.6 Residential Construction3 Key Issues and Developments4 Market Data Analysis4.1 Construction Output and Value Add4.1.1 Construction output by project type4.1.2 Construction output by cost type4.1.3 Construction output by activity type4.1.4 Construction value add by project type4.2 Commercial Construction4.2.1 Commercial construction output by project type4.2.2 Commercial construction output by cost type4.2.3 Commercial construction output by activity type4.2.4 Commercial construction value add by project type4.3 Industrial Construction4.3.1 Industrial construction output by project type4.3.2 Industrial construction output by cost type4.3.3 Industrial construction output by activity type4.3.4 Industrial construction value add by project type4.4 Infrastructure Construction4.4.1 Infrastructure construction output by project type4.4.2 Infrastructure construction output by cost type4.4.3 Infrastructure construction output by activity type4.4.4 Infrastructure construction value add by project typeContinuedACCESS REPORT @For accessing accurate and deep understanding and to gain latest insights and key developments in the area of your interest, we also have a list of conferences in which you will be interested in, for more information, cordially check:For updating knowledge or for thoroughly understanding various terminologies, we also have vast list of seminars for your reference, for more information cordially check:Wise Guy Reports is part of the Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. and offers premium progressive statistical surveying, market research reports, analysis & forecast data for industries and governments around the globe.WISEGUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTDOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersPune - 411028Maharashtra, India
Global Motor Protection Relays Market 2017 GE Grid Solutions, Siemens, SEL, Minilec, Littelfuse

Motor Protection Relays Market

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Top Key Vendors Analysis Of "Motor Protection Relays Market" analysis Report includes ABB, Eaton, Schneider Electric, GE Grid Solutions, Siemens, SEL, Mitsubishi Electric, Minilec, Littelfuse, Toshiba-TDS, Omron, Woodward, Rockwell Automation, LOVATO Electric. A market study supported across the world, recently additional to the repository of marketing research, is titled Global Motor Protection Relays Market 2017. The analysis report analyses the historical further because the gift performance of the worldwide Motor Protection Relays trade and makes predictions on the long run standing of Motor Protection Relays market on the idea of this analysis.Get Free Sample Copy of Report Here:Top Players Analysis Of This Report,1. ABB2. Eaton3. Schneider Electric4. GE Grid Solutions5. Siemens6. SEL7. Mitsubishi Electric8. Minilec9. Littelfuse10. Toshiba-tds11. Omron12. Woodward13. Rockwell Automation14. LOVATO ElectricThe report studies the trade for Motor Protection Relays across the world taking the prevailing trade chain, the import and export statistics in Motor Protection Relays market dynamics of demand and provide of Motor Protection Relays into thought. The 'Motor Protection Relays' analysis study covers every and each side of the Motor Protection Relays market globally, that starts from the definition of the Motor Protection Relays trade and develops towards Motor Protection Relays market segmentations. Further, each phase of the Motor Protection Relays market is assessed and analyzed on the idea of product varieties, application, and therefore the end-use industries of the Motor Protection Relay market. The geographical segmentation of the Motor Protection Relays trade has conjointly been lined at length during this report.The competitive landscape of the worldwide marketplace for Motor Protection Relays is decided by evaluating the varied trade participants, production capability, Motor Protection Relays market's production chain, and therefore the revenue generated by every manufacturer within the Motor Protection Relays market worldwide.Inquire Here:The global Motor Protection Relays market 2017 is additionally analyzed on the idea of product evaluation, Motor Protection Relays production volume, information concerning demand and Motor Protection Relays provide, and therefore the revenue garnered by the merchandise. numerous organized tools like investment returns, feasibleness, and market attractiveness analysis are utilized in the analysis to gift a comprehensive study of the trade for Motor Protection Relays across the world.About Us:Worldwide Business is a single destination for all the industry, company and country reports. We feature large repository of latest industry reports, leading and nichecompany profiles.Contact Us:Worldwide Business, United States
Global Outboard Electric Motors Market 2017 by Manufacturers - Torqeedo, Minn Kota, MotorGuide, AquaWatt, CSM Tech, Elco Motor Yachts

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As the name means, outboard electric motor is a kind of propulsion system for boats which uses electric as power. Outboard electric motor, commonly referred to as trolling motor or electric outboard motor, is generally used on very small craft or on small lakes where gasoline motor is prohibited or used as a secondary means of propulsion on larger craft, and can also be used as repositioning thrusters while fishing.Scope of the Report:This report focuses on the Outboard Electric Motors in Global market, especially in North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Middle and Africa. This report categorizes the market based on manufacturers, regions, type and application.Request For Sample Report @Market Segment by Manufacturers, this report coversTorqeedoMinn KotaMotorGuideAquaWattCSM TechElco Motor YachtsKrautler ElektromaschinenRay Electric OutboardsAquamotSuzhou Parsun Power MachineePropulsion TechnologyMarket Segment by Regions, regional analysis coversNorth America (USA, Canada and Mexico)Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia and Italy)Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia)Latin America, Middle and AfricaMarket Segment by Type, coversOutboard Electric Propulsion MotorOutboard Electric Trolling MotorAccess Full Report With TOC @Market Segment by Applications, can be divided intoMunicipal ApplicationCommercial ApplicationOther ApplicationThere are 13 Chapters to deeply display the global Outboard Electric Motors market.Chapter 1, to describe Outboard Electric Motors Introduction, product scope, market overview, market opportunities, market risk, market driving force;Chapter 2, to analyze the top manufacturers of Outboard Electric Motors, with sales, revenue, and price of Outboard Electric Motors, in 2015 and 2016;Chapter 3, to display the competitive situation among the top manufacturers, with sales, revenue and market share in 2015 and 2016;Chapter 4, to show the global market by regions, with sales, revenue and market share of Outboard Electric Motors, for each region, from 2011 to 2016;Chapter 5, 6, 7 and 8, to analyze the key regions, with sales, revenue and market share by key countries in these regions;Chapter 9 and 10, to show the market by type and application, with sales market share and growth rate by type, application, from 2011 to 2016;Chapter 11, Outboard Electric Motors market forecast, by regions, type and application, with sales and revenue, from 2016 to 2021;Chapter 12 and 13, to describe Outboard Electric Motors sales channel, distributors, traders, dealers, appendix and data source.About Fior MarketsFior Markets is a leading market intelligence company that sells reports of top publishers in the technology industry.Our extensive research reports cover detailed market assessments that include major technological improvements in the industry. Fior Markets also specializes in analyzing hi-tech systems and current processing systems in its expertise.We have a team of experts that compile precise research reports and actively advise top companies to improve their existing processes. Our experts have extensive experience in the topics that they cover.Contact UsMark StoneSales ManagerOffice-102, Sanskriti AspirationsBaner Road, Pune,MH 411045IndiaPhone: (201) 465-4211Email: sales@fiormarkets.comWeb:Blog:
Global Electronic Capacitors Market 2017 Payton, Vishay, Rubycon Corp, TOKO, Kemet, Hitachi AIC

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Top Key Vendors Analysis Of "Electronic Capacitors Market" analysis Report includes . A market study supported across the world, recently additional to the repository of marketing research, is titled Global Electronic Capacitors Market 2017. The analysis report analyses the historical further because the gift performance of the worldwide Electronic Capacitors trade and makes predictions in the long run standing of Electronic Capacitors market on the idea of this analysis.Get Free Sample Copy of Report Here:Top Players Analysis Of This Report,1. Murata2. TDK(EPCOS)3. American Technical Ceramics Corporation4. Payton5. Vishay6. Panasonic Electronic Components7. Rubycon Corp8. TOKO9. TE Connectivity AMP Connectors10. United Chemi-Con11. Kemet12. Hitachi AIC13. Illinois CapacitorThe report studies the trade for Electronic Capacitors across the world taking the prevailing trade chain, the import and export statistics in Electronic Capacitors market & dynamics of demand and provide of Electronic Capacitors into thought. The 'Electronic Capacitors' analysis study covers every and each side of the Electronic Capacitors market globally, that starts from the definition of the Electronic Capacitors trade and develops towards Electronic Capacitors market segmentations. Further, each phase of the Electronic Capacitors market is assessed and analyzed on the idea of product varieties, application, and therefore the end-use industries of the Electronic Capacitors market. The geographical segmentation of the Electronic Capacitors trade has conjointly been lined at length during this report.The competitive landscape of the worldwide marketplace for Electronic Capacitors is decided by evaluating the varied trade participants, production capability, Electronic Capacitors market's production chain, and therefore the revenue generated by every manufacturer within the Electronic Capacitors market worldwide.Inquire Here:The global Electronic Capacitors market 2017 is additionally analyzed on the idea of product evaluation, Electronic Capacitors production volume, information concerning demand and Electronic Capacitors provide, and therefore the revenue garnered by the merchandise. numerous organized tools like investment returns, feasibleness, and market attractiveness analysis are utilized in the analysis to gift a comprehensive study of the trade for Electronic Capacitors across the world.About Us:Worldwide Business is a single destination for all the industry, company and country reports. We feature large repository of latest industry reports, leading and nichecompany profiles.Contact Us:Worldwide Business, United States
Global Water Storage Systems Market 2017 Key Players - Synalloy, ZCL Composites, BH Tank, Caldwell Tanks, SCAFCO

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Report studies Water Storage Systems in Global market that focuses on the top Manufacturers, Market Segment by Countries, Split by Product Types (with sales, revenue, price, market share of each type), Split by applications this report focuses on sales, market share and growth rate of Water Storage Systems in each application.This report studies Water Storage Systems in Global market, especially in North America, China, Europe, Southeast Asia, Japan and India, with production, revenue, consumption, import and export in these regions, from 2012 to 2016, and forecast to 2022.Access Full Report @This report focuses on top manufacturers in global market, with production, price, revenue and market share for each manufacturer, coveringZCL CompositesSynalloyAG Growth InternationalChicago Bridge & Iron CompanyBH TankCaldwell TanksContainment SolutionsSCAFCOCST IndustriesDN TanksHMTMaguire IronContain Enviro ServicesTank ConnectionRoth IndustriesCromSnyder IndustriesSuperior TankBushmanBy types, the market can be split intoConcrete Water Storage SystemsSteel Water Storage SystemsFiberglass Water Storage SystemsPlastic Water Storage SystemsOthersDownload Free Sample Report @By Application, the market can be split intoMunicipalIndustrialCommercialResidentialBy Regions, this report covers (we can add the regions/countries as you want)North AmericaChinaEuropeSoutheast AsiaJapanIndiaIf you have any special requirements, please let us know and we will offer you the report as you want.Fior Markets is a leading market intelligence company that sells reports of top publishers in the technology industry.Our extensive research reports cover detailed market assessments that include major technological improvements in the industry. Fior Markets also specializes in analyzing hi-tech systems and current processing systems in its expertise.We have a team of experts that compile precise research reports and actively advise top companies to improve their existing processes. Our experts have extensive experience in the topics that they cover.Fior Markets provides you the full spectrum of services related to market research, and corroborate with the clients to increase the revenue stream, and address process gaps.Contact UsMark StoneSales Manager2566, Lincoln StreetPrinceton,New Jersey 08540USAPhone: (201) 465-4211Email: sales@fiormarkets.comWeb:Blog:
LONDON  This week Im supposed to be on vacation, taking in a half-dozen Shakespeare plays in an effort to escape the sturm und drang as President Trump travels abroad to Poland and Germany.

But there was something so disturbing about Trumps remarks at his first stop in Warsaw, Poland  especially as they came during the week of Americas Independence Day  that I cant refrain from weighing in. His choice of words, and of Poland as the place to deliver them, lay bare the real threat facing U.S. democracy today.

First, note the symbolism of visiting Poland first before Germany, where Trump has a testy relationship with Chancellor Angela Merkel, whom some call the new leader of the free world. The conservative, religious, right-wing Polish government, on the other hand, has been tugging democratic Poland back toward a semi-authoritarian model that would subordinate the judiciary and the press.

Second, take note of Trumps speech in Warsaws old town square, the epicenter of the 1944 Polish uprising against the Nazis. The fundamental question of our time is whether the West has the will to survive, the president proclaimed, using his typically draconian language. Do we have the confidence in our values to defend them at any cost?

But exactly what values was the president seeking to defend with his oration? It certainly was not the separation of powers or the freedom of the press that our Founding Fathers envisioned as the key to maintaining a democratic system. Not at all.

The threat that Trump was referring to was immigration: Do we have enough respect for our citizens to protect our borders? he went on. Do we have the desire and the courage to preserve our civilization in the face of those who would subvert and destroy it?

In other words, the main danger to democracy, as far as the American president was concerned, is the hordes, presumably Muslim, that are threatening our civilization. And he was issuing this warning in a country that has taken in zero refugees.

What makes this speech so extraordinary is where the president chose to deliver it: in a country whose main power broker, Jaroslaw Kaczynski, the head of the governing Law and Justice Party, has hobbled Polands constitutional court, defamed the men who led the 1980s fight for freedom from Moscow, and made public media into a government bullhorn.

No wonder Trump couldnt resist launching into his interminable riff about fake media, and slamming CNN and NBC yet again, while standing next to a Polish president, Andrzej Duda, who has been accused of curbing press freedoms. Do you have that also, Mr. President? Trump asked. Duda nodded vigorously in agreement.

In other words, in the city where the Nazis crushed Polish resistance, in a country that struggled to free itself from Soviet communist domination, the U.S. president chose to denounce American media while his Polish counterpart concurred.

The great objective of this government is to reorganize Poland into a Putin-like system, the great Polish journalist Adam Michnik told The New York Times last year. He meant a government with democratic trappings that conceals an authoritarian system underneath. First Hungary, now Poland, seem headed in this direction.

True, the Polish government is a firm supporter of NATO, because it fears encroachment by its historic enemy, Russia, next door (even if Kaczynski and Duda are leaning towards a Kremlin-like governing system). And, in Warsaw, Trump paid lip service to NATO while taking a slap at Russias destabilizing activity in the region.

But standing by Duda, Trump still refused to squarely admit that Moscow had meddled in Americas elections. And we know that the U.S. president also admires Putins tough guy image.

Rather than burnishing the values of our civilization in Warsaw, Trump demonstrated how he is undermining those values from within, dumping on a free press in cahoots with a Polish leader who has undermined his own countrys democratic institutions.

Obviously, Trump is not familiar with the words of Thomas Jefferson: The only security of all is in a free press. The force of public opinion cannot be resisted when permitted freely to be expressed. The agitation it produces must be submitted to. It is necessary, to keep the waters pure.

The fundamental question of our time is not whether America keeps its borders closed but whether Americans will continue to cherish the institutions that the Founding Fathers bequeathed them. Especially when the leader of the free world doesnt seem to grasp what those values are.
Middle East and North Africa Corrosion Protective Coatings & Acid Proof Lining Market to reach US$ 3,163.8 Mn by 2026

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Demand for corrosion protective coatings and acid proof linings in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) is estimated to increase at 3.2% Y-o-Y by 2016 end. Saudi Arabia is expected to remain the largest consumer of corrosion protective coatings and acid proof linings in MENA, accounting for revenue share of 32.5% by 2016 end. Strategic government initiatives to diversify the countrys economy as well as growing public and private sector investments in various end-use industries are factors expected to drive market growth in the near future.Robust growth of marine industry as well as increasing maritime activities, such as shipping, offshore repair and shipbuilding are factors anticipated to drive growth of the corrosion protective coatings and acid proof linings market. However, the ongoing oil-crisis in the Middle East can negatively impact market growth.By product type, polymer coatings will remain the preferred material in MENA corrosion protective coatings market, accounting for a revenue share of 64.6% by 2016 end. Epoxy and polyurethane will remain the sought-after polymer coatings, owing to their technical superiority and multi-functionality. Thermoplastic lining will remain the highest selling acid proof lining product, ramping up US$ 155.8 Mn in revenues by 2016 end.Request For Sample@Major market participants such as Cape RB Hilton Saudi Arabia Ltd., Hertel OTC, StonCor Middle East LLC, Kaefer LLC. REMA TIP TOP AG, KCC Corrosion Control Co., StonCor Middle East LLC, Anticorrosion Protective Systems L.L.C., Al Gurg Paints LLC., Ineco Limited, Global Suhaimi and Ocean Rubber Factory LLC are actively focussing on capacity expansion as well as industry-specific new product development in the region. Furthermore, mid-level market participants are focussing on strengthening distribution and geographical expansion in order to capitalise on growth potential of the MENA corrosion protective caoatings and acid proof linings market.Long-term Outlook: Revenue from the corrosion protective coatings and acid proof linings in the Middle East and North Africa is expected to reach US$ 3,163.8 Mn by 2026 end, expanding at a CAGR of 4.9% over the forecast period 20162024. Saudi Arabia is anticipated to dominate the corrosion protective coatings and acid proof linings market over the forecast period, with market share of 32.5% in overall sales by the end of 2026.Send An Enquiry@ABOUT US:Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.CONTACT:Future Market Insights616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite:
Prosthetic Heart Valve Market Projected to Register a CAGR of 12.0% Between 2016 and 2026

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The global prosthetic heart valve market was valued at US$ 5,650 Mn in 2015 and is estimated to be valued at US$ 6,304 Mn by 2016, projecting a Y-o-Y growth of 11.6%. A new report titled Prosthetic Heart Valve Market: Global Industry Analysis and Opportunity Assessment, 20162026, published by Future Market Insights analyses the factors and trends defining the growth and performance of the global prosthetic heart valve market over a 10-year forecast period (2016 - 2026).According to Future Market Insights, an increasing prevalence of valvular heart disease (VHD) is expected to augment growth of the global prosthetic heart valve market during the forecast period. Regulatory approval for heart valves, integration of technological advancements, and increasing number of heart valve implantation procedures are other factors expected to influence revenue growth of the global prosthetic heart valve market in the next 10 years. However, high costs associated with transcatheter heart valve products, procedure related risks and complications, and product recalls are some restraints likely to hamper the growth of the global prosthetic heart valve market over the forecast period.Segmentation highlightsThe global prosthetic heart valve market is segmented on the basis of Product Type (Mechanical Heart Valves, Biological/Tissue Heart Valves, Transcatheter Heart Valves) and End User (Hospitals, Ambulatory Surgery Centres).The Transcatheter Heart Valves product type segment is estimated to be valued at US$ 6,069.1 Mn by 2026 end, registering a CAGR of 13.3% between 2016 and 2026The Hospitals end user segment accounted for 74.5% market share of the global prosthetic heart valve market in 2015. Rising demand for quicker treatment options and remedies is expected to promote the revenue growth of the Hospitals segment over the forecast periodRequest For Sample@Regional market projectionsThe global prosthetic heart valve market is segmented by region into North America, Latin America Excluding Brazil, Brazil, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia Pacific Excluding Japan (APEJ), and Middle East & Africa (MEA). The global prosthetic heart valve market is largely prominent in the developed regions. The North America regional market is estimated to witness the highest CAGR of 12.4% during the forecast period followed by the Western Europe regional market at 12.1%. Factors such as legislative openness and inline approval procedures are expected to contribute largely to the revenue generation potential and attractiveness of the Western Europe prosthetic heart valve market. Rising adoption of transcatheter heart valves in geriatric patients for better care is expected to fuel revenue growth in the Japan prosthetic heart valve market over the forecast period.Vendor insightsThe report on the global prosthetic heart valve market profiles some of the leading companies dominating the global prosthetic heart valve market. Top market players featured in the global prosthetic heart valve market report are Edwards Lifesciences Corporation, St. Jude Medical, Inc., Medtronic plc, Boston Scientific Corporation, Abbott Laboratories, SYMETIS, LivaNova PLC, CryoLife, Inc., Braile Biomedica, Colibri Heart Valve LLC, and JenaValve Technology, Inc. Leading market players are focussing on delivering differentiated therapies to cardiac patients and are strengthening their foothold in the global prosthetic heart valve market through strategic collaborations and acquisitions.Key competitors covered in terms of prosthetic heart valve market are Edwards Lifesciences Corporation, St. Jude Medical, Inc., Medtronic plc, Boston Scientific Corporation, Abbott Laboratories, SYMETIS, LivaNovaPLC, CryoLife, Inc., Braile Biomedica, Colibri Heart Valve, LLC, and JenaValve Technology, Inc. Key strategies adopted by most of the major players in the global prosthetic heart valve market include: product approvals and commercialisation, leveraging existing capabilities to create patient-centric technologies, briskly entering markets in emerging countries and offering the latest innovative technologies to healthcare facilities and, thus strengthening regional proficiency and addressing customer needs. New product launches, innovation and expansion are anticipated to form the core of these strategies during the forecast period.Send An Enquiry@ABOUT US:Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.CONTACT:Future Market Insights616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite:
Military Power Solutions Market Analysis Covering Size, Growth Factors, Demand, Trends and Forecast 2022

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Military Power Solutions Market report covers detailed competitive outlook including the market share and company profiles of the key participants operating in the global market.Worldwide Military Power Solutions Market 2022, presents critical information and factual data about the Military Power Solutions Market globally, providing an overall statistical study of the Military Power Solutions Market on the basis of market drivers, Military Power Solutions limitations, and its future prospects. The prevalent global Military Power Solutions trends and opportunities are also taken into consideration in Military Power Solutions Market study.Global Military Power Solutions Market 2022 report has Forecasted Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) in % value for particular period for Military Power Solutions Market, that will help user to take decision based on futuristic chart. Report also includes key players in global Military Power Solutions Market. The Military Power Solutions Market size is estimated in terms of revenue (US$) and production volume in this report.Various Military Power Solutions industry leading players are studied with respect to their company profile, product portfolio, capacity, price, cost and revenue.Request Sample Copy of Report Here:The Top Companies Report is intended to provide our buyers with a snapshot of the industrys most influential playersTop Key Players Included:Raytheon CompanySaft GroupeEnersysArotech CorporationSFC EnergyEaglepicher TechnologiesDenchi PowerAdvanced Conversion TechnologyConcorde Battery CorporationEnergy TechnologiesFurther in the Military Power Solutions Market research report, following points are included along with in-depth study of each point:Production Analysis- Production of the Military Power Solutions is analysed with respect to different regions, types and applications. Here, price analysis of various Military Power Solutions Market key players is also covered.Sales and Revenue Analysis- Both, sales and revenue are studied for the different regions of the global Military Power Solutions Market. another major aspect, price, which plays important part in the revenue generation is also assessed in this section for the various regions.Supply and Consumption- In continuation with sales, this section studies supply and consumption for the Military Power Solutions Market. This part also sheds light on the gap between supple and consumption. Import and export figures are also given in this part.Competitors- In this section, various Military Power Solutions industry leading players are studied with respect to their company profile, product portfolio, capacity, price, cost and revenue.Have any query regarding the Military Power Solutions Market report? Ask our Experts @All aspects of the Military Power Solutions Market are quantitatively as well as qualitatively assessed to study the global as well as regional Military Power Solutions Market comparatively. The basic information such as the definition of the Military Power Solutions Market, prevalent Military Power Solutions Market chain, and the government regulations pertaining to the Military Power Solutions Market are also discussed in the report.The Military Power Solutions Market has been segmented as below:By Product Analysis:PortableNon-PortableBy Regional Analysis:United StatesEUChinaJapanSouth KoreaTaiwanBy End Users/Applications Analysis:SoldiersUAVsGround VehiclesOthersPrice (Single User Licence): $3300No. of pages: 98Get the Full Report at:About Absolute Reports:Absolute Reports is an upscale platform to help key personnel in the business world in strategizing and taking visionary decisions based on facts and figures derived from in depth market research. We are one of the top report resellers in the market, dedicated towards bringing you an ingenious concoction of data parameters.ContactMr. Ameya PingaleyAbsolute Reports+1-408 520 9750Email  sales@absolutereports.comPostal code- 411045,Baner, Pune
Cell Culture Media Market | Global Industry Research Report 2016-2023

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DecisionDatabases.com offers Cell Culture Media Market Research Report. This Report covers the complete Industry Outlook, Growth, Size, Share and Forecast Till 2023. The report on global cell culture media market evaluates the growth trends of the industry through historical study and estimates future prospects based on comprehensive research. The report extensively provides the market share, growth, trends and forecasts for the period 2016-2023. The market size in terms of revenue (USD MN) is calculated for the study period along with the details of the factors affecting the market growth (drivers and restraints). Furthermore, the report quantifies the market share held by the major players of the industry and provides an in-depth view of the competitive landscape. This market is classified into different segments with detailed analysis of each with respect to geography for the study period.The major market drivers are Increase in demand for vaccine production and monoclonal antibodies and High capital funding for cell based research. The market growth might be restricted due High cost of cell culture media, Scalability concern and Stringent rules and regulation for process manufacturing under the study period.Get FREE Sample Report Copy With FULL Segmentations and TOC @The comprehensive value chain analysis of the market will assist in attaining better product differentiation, along with detailed understanding of the core competency of each activity involved. The market attractiveness analysis provided in the report aptly measures the potential value of the market providing business strategists with the latest growth opportunities.The report also covers the complete competitive landscape of the worldwide market with company profiles of key players such as AllCells, LLC., Becton, Dickinson and Company, Corning Life Sciences B.V., GE Healthcare., Lonza Group Ltd., Merck KGaA, Promocell GmbH, Sigma-Aldrich Co. LLC., Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc., and VWR International, LLC.The report classifies the market into different segments based on type and application. These segments are studied in detail incorporating the market estimates and forecasts at regional and country level. The segment analysis is useful in understanding the growth areas and probable opportunities of the market.Geographically, the Cell Culture Media market has been segmented into regions such as North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, Middle East & Africa. The study details country-level aspects based on each segment and gives estimates in terms of market size.Major Table Of Contents:1. Introduction2. Executive Summary3. Market Analysis4. Cell Culture Media Market Analysis By Type5. Cell Culture Media Market Analysis By Application6. Cell Culture Media Market Analysis By Geography7. Competitive Landscape Of The Cell Culture Media Companies8. Company Profiles Of The Cell Culture Media IndustryPurchase Complete Global Cell Culture Media Market Research Report At:About Us:DecisionDatabases.com is a global business research reports provider, enriching decision makers and strategists with qualitative statistics. DecisionDatabases.com is proficient in providing syndicated research report, customized research reports, company profiles and industry databases across multiple domains.Our expert research analysts have been trained to map clients research requirements to the correct research resource leading to a distinctive edge over its competitors. We provide intellectual, precise and meaningful data at a lightning speed.3rd Floor,Fountain chambers,Nanabhai Lane,Fort, Mumbai - 1E-Mail: sales@decisiondatabases.comPhone: +91 99 28 237112Web:
Population Health Management Market 2017 New Research Study

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ReportsWeb.com has added a new report titled Global Population Health Management 2017 Market Report, to the database, the report focuses on Product Price, Profit, Capacity, Production, Capacity Utilization, Supply, Demand and Industry Growth.Population Health Management Report by Material, Application, and Geography - Global Forecast to 2021 is a professional and in-depth research report on the world's major regional market conditions, focusing on the main regions (North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific) and the main countries (United States, Germany, united Kingdom, Japan, South Korea and China) .Get more information about this reportThe report firstly introduced the Population Health Management basics: definitions, Classifications, plications and market overview; product specifications; manufacturingProcesses; cost structures, raw materials and so on. Then it analyzed the world's main region market conditions, including the product price, profit, capacity, production, supply, demand and market growth rate and forecast etc. In the end, the report introduced new project SWOT analysis, investment feasibility analysis, and investment return analysis.The report includes six parts, dealing with:1.) basic information;2.) the Asia Population Health Management Market;3) the North American Population Health Management Market;4) the European Population Health Management Market;5.) market entry and investment feasibility;6.) the report conclusion.Get free Sample Copy of ReportFew Points from Table of ContentPart I Population Health Management OverviewChapter One Population Health Management OverviewChapter Two Population Health Management Up and Down Stream Industry AnalysisPart II Asia Population Health Management (The Report Company Including the below Listed but Not All)Chapter Three Asia Population Health Management Market AnalysisChapter Four 2012-2017 Asia Population Health Management Productions Supply Sales Demand Market Status and ForecastChapter Five Asia Population Health Management Key Manufacturers AnalysisChapter Six Asia Population Health Management Development TrendPart III North American Chapter Seven North American Population Health Management Market AnalysisChapter Eight 2012-2017 North American Population Health Management Productions Supply Sales Demand Market Status and ForecastChapter Nine North American Population Health Management Key Manufacturers AnalysisChapter Ten North American Population Health Management Development TrendPart IV Europe Population Health Management Analysis (The Report Company Including the below Listed but Not All)Chapter Eleven Europe Population Health Management I Market AnalysisChapter Twelve 2012-2017 Europe Population Health Management Productions Supply Sales Demand Market Status and ForecastChapter Thirteen Europe Population Health Management Manufacturers AnalysisChapter Fourteen Europe Population Health Management Development TrendPart V Population Health Management Marketing Channels and Investment FeasibilityChapter Fifteen Population Health Management Marketing Channels Development Proposals AnalysisChapter Sixteen Development Environmental AnalysisChapter Seventeen Population Health Management y New Project Investment Feasibility AnalysisPart VI Global Population Health Management ConclusionsChapter Eighteen 2012-2017 Global Population Health Management Productions Supply Sales Demand Market Status and ForecastChapter Nineteen Global Population Health Management Development TrendChapter Twenty Global Population Health Management Research ConclusionsGet Discount on Report Purchase -Contact Us:Call: +1-646-491-9876Email: sales@reportsweb.comReportsWeb.com is a one stop shop of market research reports and solutions to various companies across the globe. We help our clients in their decision support system by helping them choose most relevant and cost effective research reports and solutions from various publishers. We provide best in class customer service and our customer support team is always available to help you on your research queries.Pune:505, 6th floor, Amanora Township,Amanora Chambers, East Block,Kharadi Road, Hadapsar, Pune-411028
Applicant Tracking Systems Market Industry Analysis And Detailed Profiles Of Top Industry Players

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An applicant tracking system (ATS) is an application software that enables the electronic handling of recruitment needs. These systems can be accessed online by enterprises at different levels depending on the company needs, allowing companies to collate and analyze job applicant data. An Applicant tracking system is also known as candidate management system, the software is used by enterprises to recruit employees more efficiently. ATS can also be used to post job openings on a corporate website or job board for screening resumes as well as generating interview requests to deserving candidates through e-mail. Individual applicant tracking, automated resume ranking, pre-screening questions, response tracking, multilingual capabilities requisition tracking, and customized input forms are some of the features included within the software. Firstly, information present within the database is used for screening candidates; subsequently, applicant testing, scheduling interviews, checking references, managing the hiring process, and completing paperwork also comes under this process. The global market for applicant tracking systems has been segmented on the basis of deployment model, end user, and geography. Based on deployment model, the market has been segmented into cloud and on-premises. Market segmentation based on end user includes healthcare, automotive, retail, and government among others.Browse The Report:On the basis of geography, the global applicant tracking systems market has been segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa.The key benefits of applicant tracking systems are increase in efficiency along with saving time that helps in sorting applicant data, automating the whole procedure, and freeing up time that can be spent elsewhere. In addition, it is the reduction of recruitment related costs, improving overall cost per hire, along with improvement in internal mobility within an organization that are key factors that have also positively driven the market. Furthermore, it also provides companies with a database for just in time recruitment of candidates to draw from as and when needs arise. Moreover, the talent intelligence through these applicant tracking systems allows making informed decisions especially for recruitment in critically skilled positions. With all these drivers, presence of certain restraints has a negative impact on the overall market demand. It is seen that applicant tracking systems look only for resumes that meet the exact position requirements, thereby sidelining the borderline candidates which at times reduces the total number of candidates. Moreover, automated systems cannot be completely reliable and may at times reject even the deserving candidates. Along with this, sometimes this software may limit the information provided by applicants as a result of character restricted application fields. This may lead to elimination of a perfectly suitable candidate for the desired position. Considering all these factors, rise in demand for skill based professionals for defined job roles is likely to provide various opportunities for this market in the next few years.Geographically, North America and Europe have been the key regions driving the market demand for applicant tracking systems globally. Faster and timely access to desired applicant related data along with the dearth of job specific candidates has been a few major drivers for this market. Asia Pacific is one of the fastest growing markets in terms of application with China, India, and South Korea being key countries driving the market. It is seen that growth in automation and digitization along with high demand for saving company time and costs towards a particular candidate has been driving this market in Asia Pacific.Some of the key players operating in the global applicant tracking systems market include Taleo Corp. (U.S.), Jobvite (U.S.), International Business Machines Corporation (U.S.), iCIMS Inc. (U.S.), ADP LLC (U.S.) and SAP SuccessFactors Corp. (U.S.) among others.Make an Enquiry @The report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the market. It does so via in-depth qualitative insights, historical data, and verifiable projections about market size. The projections featured in the report have been derived using proven research methodologies and assumptions. By doing so, the research report serves as a repository of analysis and information for every facet of the market, including but not limited to: Regional markets, technology, types, and applications.Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a next-generation provider of syndicated research, customized research, and consulting services. TMRs global and regional market intelligence coverage includes industries such as pharmaceutical, chemicals and materials, technology and media, food and beverages, and consumer goods, among others. Each TMR research report provides clients with a 360-degree view of the market with statistical forecasts, competitive landscape, detailed segmentation, key trends, and strategic recommendationsTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Global Apparel Accessories Market  Share, Size, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2017-2025

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IndexBox has just published a new report "U.S. Apparel Accessories And Other Apparel Market. Analysis And Forecast to 2025". (The report provides on a comprehensive analysis of the U.S. apparel accessory market. It displays the latest data of the market size and volume, domestic production, exports and imports, price dynamics and turnover in the industry. In addition, the report contains insightful information about the industry, including industry life cycle, business locations, productivity, employment and many other crucial aspects. The Company Profiles section contains relevant data on the major players in the industry.Countries coverage: the U.S.Product coverage:Hats and caps (fabric, straw, and felt), men's and boys'; Hats and caps (fabric, straw, and felt), women's, girls', and infants'; Hat bodies and fabric caps, excluding hat bodies finished into hats in the same establishment; Gloves and mittensMen's and boys' neckwear, made from purchased materials; Neckwear (scarves, dickies, etc.), women's and girls', made from purchased materials; Leather belts, made from purchased materials; Apparel accessories (including aprons, bibs, rainhats, and shower and bathing caps), plastic or rubber (50 percent or greater), from purchased materials; Apparel accessories, all other types (non-leather belts, hose supporters, handkerchiefs, apparel findings, etc.), made from purchased materials; Apparel accessories and other apparel manufacturing, nsk, totalCompanies mentioned:American Apparel,New ERA Cap Co.,Magid Glove & Safety Manufacturing Co,Brighton Collectibles,Paramount Apparel International,Bio World Merchandising,Bollman Hat Company,Randa Corporation,Collection Xiix,Flexfit Llc.,Pvh Neckwear,Arena Brands,Fownes Brothers & Co ,Rhe Hatco,Worldwide Protective Products,Intradeco Apparel,Totes Isotoner Holdings Corporation,Paramount Holding,The Credit Specialists,Wells Lamont Industry Group,St. John Knits,US Test Company 341,Hat Brands Holding Corporation,Carter Enterprises,Fossil Partners,Duck Head,Hcsb GroupData coverage:- Apparel accessory market size;- Apparel accessory production, value of shipments;- Key market players and their profiles;- Exports, imports and trade balance;- Import and export prices;- Forecast of the market dynamics in the medium term;- Key industry statistics;- Life cycle of the apparel accessory industry;- Number of establishments and their locations;- Employment data;- Apparel accessory industry productivity.Reasons to buy this report:- Take advantage of the latest data;- Find deeper insights into current market developments;- Discover vital success factors affecting the market.TABLE OF CONTENTS1. INTRODUCTION1.1 REPORT DESCRIPTION1.2 REPORT STRUCTURE1.3 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY2. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY2.1 KEY FINDINGS2.2 MARKET TRENDS3. MARKET OVERVIEW3.1 MARKET VALUE3.2 TRADE BALANCE3.3 MARKET OPPORTUNITIES3.4 MARKET FORECAST TO 20254. DOMESTIC PRODUCTION4.1 PRODUCTION IN 2008-20154.2 PRODUCTION BY TYPE4.3 PRODUCTION BY STATE4.4 PRODUCER PRICES5. IMPORTS5.1 IMPORTS IN 2007-20155.2 IMPORTS BY TYPE5.3 IMPORTS BY COUNTRY5.4 IMPORT PRICES BY COUNTRY6. EXPORTS6.1 EXPORTS IN 2007-20156.2 EXPORTS BY TYPE6.3 EXPORTS BY COUNTRY6.4 EXPORT PRICES BY COUNTRY7. COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE7.1 INDUSTRY SNAPSHOTS7.2 INDUSTRY LIFE CYCLE7.3 BUSINESS LOCATIONS7.4 EMPLOYMENT7.5 ANNUAL PAYROLL7.6 INDUSTRY PRODUCTIVITY7.7 ESTABLISHMENT SIZE AND LEGAL FORM8. COMPANY PROFILESDownload a free sample of the report now!IndexBox is a leading market research publisher in the world.You can find more than 25,000 research reports in our web store, which cover global industries and regional markets. All the worldwide marketing data you need is at your fingertips.We collect this data from hundreds of highly reliable sources, verify it and carry out market analysis, uncovering new business opportunities and empowering you with actionable insights.The structure of our reports is intuitive and clear. We do our best to allow you to make strategic decisions and take immediate action. If you want to go further and be a step ahead of the market, just tell us your goals and we will tailor a report to your needs.With IndexBox, simply take the data from our Box and think outside it.Company Name: IndexBoxContact Person: Kirill BezverhiEmail: kirill.bezverhi@indexbox.co.ukPhone: +44 20 3239 3063Adress: United Kingdom, 44 Main Street, Douglas, South Lanarkshire, Scotland, ML11 0QWWebsite:
OLED Display Market Growth and Regional Forecast 2017-2021

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This report focuses on top manufacturers in global market, with production, price, revenue and market share for each manufacturer, coveringSMDLGDSONYFutaba CorporationSichuan CCO Display TechnologyRITEKVisionoxJOLEDEDOFor more information about this report atBy types, the market can be split intoActive-Matrix Organic Light-Emitting Diode (AMOLED Dispaly)Passive Matrix OLED (PMOLED)By Application, the market can be split intoCommercialConsumer ElectronicsInstrumentationAutomotiveBy Regions, this report covers (we can add the regions/countries as you want)North AmericaChinaEuropeSoutheast AsiaJapanIndiaRequest a sample copy atTable of Content1 Industry Overview of OLED Display2 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of OLED Display3 Technical Data and Manufacturing Plants Analysis of OLED Display4 Global OLED Display Overall Market Overview5 OLED Display Regional Market Analysis6 Global 2011-2017E OLED Display Segment Market Analysis (by Type)7 Global 2011-2017E OLED Display Segment Market Analysis (by Application)8 Major Manufacturers Analysis of OLED Display8.1 SMD8.1.1 Company Profile8.1.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.1.2.1 Product A8.1.2.2 Product B8.1.3 SMD 2016 OLED Display Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.1.4 SMD 2016 OLED Display Business Region Distribution Analysis8.2 LGD8.2.1 Company Profile8.2.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.2.2.1 Product A8.2.2.2 Product B8.2.3 LGD 2016 OLED Display Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.2.4 LGD 2016 OLED Display Business Region Distribution Analysis8.3 SONY8.3.1 Company Profile8.3.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.3.2.1 Product A8.3.2.2 Product B8.3.3 SONY 2016 OLED Display Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.3.4 SONY 2016 OLED Display Business Region Distribution Analysis9 Development Trend of Analysis of OLED Display Market10 OLED Display Marketing Type Analysis11 Consumers Analysis of OLED Display12 Conclusion of the Global OLED Display Market Professional Survey Report 2017Purchase Complete Report at. And get,Discount on report purchase atContact Info:Name: Sameer JoshiEmail: sales@reportsweb.comOrganization: ReportsWebPhone: +1-646-491-9876ReportsWeb is a one stop shop of market research reports and solutions to various companies across the globe. We help our clients in their decision support system by helping them choose most relevant and cost effective research reports and solutions from various publishers.505, 6th floor, Amanora Township,Amanora Chambers, East Block,Kharadi Road, Hadapsar, Pune-411028
Electronic Shutter Technology Market information to 2022 available in new report

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Pune, India, July, 2017/MRFR Press Release/- Market Research Future published a half cooked research report on Global Electronic Shutter Technology Market Research Report- Forecast to 2022  Market Analysis, Scope, Stake, Progress, Trends and Forecast to 2022.Global Electronic Shutter Technology Market Information, by Technology (CMOS sensor, CCD sensor), by Application (Government, Automotive, Broadcast, Surveillance) - Forecast 2022The major growth driver of Electronic Shutter Technology Market includes growing market of smartphones and tablets, growing demand for high resolution in digital cameras and growing usage of image sensors in biometric systems among others. However, presence of competent technology and technical limitation are some of the major factors which are hindering the growth of Electronic Shutter Technology Market.Get a Copy of Sample Report @Key Players Sony Corporation (Japan), Himax Imaging Inc. (Taiwan), Galaxy Core Inc. (China), SK Hynix Inc. (South Korea), Omni Vision Technologies Inc. (U.S.), Samsung Semiconductor, Inc. (U.S.), Toshiba corporation (Japan), Canon Inc. (Japan), Panasonic Corporation (Japan) Apple (U.S.) among others.Objective of Electronic Shutter Technology Market Study: To provide detailed analysis of the market structure along with forecast for the next 10 years of the various segments and sub-segments of the Global Electronic Shutter Technology market. To provide insights about factors affecting the market growth. To analyze the Electronic Global Shutter Technology Market based on various factors- price analysis, supply chain analysis, porters five force analysis etc. To provide historical and forecast revenue of the market segments and sub-segments with respect to four main geographies and their countries- North America, Europe, Asia, and Rest of the World (ROW). To provide country level analysis of the market with respect to the current market size and future prospective. To provide country level analysis of the market for segment by technology, by application and sub-segments. To provide strategic profiling of key players in the market, comprehensively analyzing their core competencies, and drawing a competitive landscape for the market To track and analyze competitive developments such as joint ventures, strategic alliances, mergers and acquisitions, new product developments, and research and developments in the Global Electronic Shutter Technology market.Get a Well Discount @SegmentsGlobal Electronic Shutter Technology Market can be segmented as follows:Segmentation by Technology: CMOS sensors, and CCD sensors among others.Segmentation by Application: Consumer electronics, broadcast, automotive, retail, government, and surveillance among others.Industry News:- Himax Imaging Inc. has announced in January, 2016 about its new development always on image sensors. These sensors have various computer vision capabilities such as feature extraction, sensing, gesture recognition and object tracking among others.- Panasonic Corporation has done an announcement in February, 2016 about its new CMOS sensors with a global shutter which provides dynamic range and efficient light sensitivity.The report for Electronic Shutter Technology Market of Market Research Future comprises of extensive primary research along with the detailed analysis of qualitative as well as quantitative aspects by various industry experts, key opinion leaders to gain the deeper insight of the market and industry performance. The report gives the clear picture of current market scenario which includes historical and projected market size in terms of value and volume, technological advancement, macro economical and governing factors in the market. The report provides details information and strategies of the top key players in the industry. The report also gives a broad study of the different market segments and regions.Browse Full Report Details @ContinueWe are thankful for the support and assistance from Global Electronic Shutter Technology Market Research Report- Forecast to 2022 chain related technical experts and marketing experts during Research Team survey and interviews.About Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.Media Contact:Akash Anand,Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: akash.anand@marketresearchfuture.com
Automotive Labels Market insights shared in detailed report 2022

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Pune, India, July, 2017/MRFR Press Release/- Market Research Future published a half cooked research report on Automotive Labels Market Research Report - Global Forecast to 2022  Market Analysis, Scope, Stake, Progress, Trends and Forecast to 2022.Global Automotive Labels Market Information Report by Purpose (Asset labels, dome labels), by Mechanism (In-mold, Heat transfer), by Identification (Hologram, Barcode), by Application (Chassis labels, Interior labels) and by Region - Global Forecast to 2022A Label is used to identify information written or printed on a piece of paper, cloth, polymer or other materials and attached to an article. Labels used in automotive industry are tough to stand up against harsh environments and provides identification, dating, usage information and security to assure customers that they are getting original manufacturers quality products. The market for automotive labels market is growing due to increasing demand for smart labels such as Barcode and RFID in automotive industry for automotive parts safety, identification and information. Increasing demand for eco-friendly label production techniques is also a major driving factor for the growth of automotive labels market. However, rising raw material cost of labels act as a restraint in the growth of automotive labels market.Get a Copy of Sample Report @Global Automotive Labels market is expected to register a CAGR of about 5% during the forecast period, to reach USD 8.05 Billion by 2022.Key Players 3M (U.S.), Avery Dennison Corporation (U.S), UPM-Kymmene Corporation (Finland), H.B. Fuller (U.S.), Sika AG (Switzerland), CCL Industries Inc. (Canada), Barry-Wehmiller Companies Inc. (U.S), Dunmore (U.S.), Lewis Labels Products Corp. (U.S), Precision Contract Manufacturing (U.S) and others.Get a Well Discount @Study Objectives of Automotive Labels Market To provide detailed analysis of the market structure along with forecast for the next 5 years of the various segments and sub-segments of the Global Automotive Labels Market. To provide insights about factors affecting the market growth. To Analyze the Global Automotive Labels Market based on various factors such as supply chain analysis, and Porters five force analysis. To provide historical and forecast revenue of the market segments and sub-segments with respect to regions and their respective key countries. To provide country level analysis of the market with respect to the current market size and future prospective. To provide country level analysis of the market for segments by Purpose, by Mechanism, by Identification, by Application and sub segments. To provide strategic profiling of key players in the market, comprehensively analyzing their core competencies, and drawing a competitive landscape for the market. To track and analyze competitive developments such as joint ventures, strategic alliances, mergers and acquisitions, new product developments, and research and developments in the global Automotive Labels market.Regional Analysis of Automotive Labels MarketAsia Pacific is projected to be the largest market for Automotive Labels and is expected to be leading the market by the end of the forecasted period due to increasing demand of smart labels and environmental concerns for efficient labels production techniques in this region. Developing countries such as China, South Africa, Brazil and India are the key markets possesses great potential for automotive labels market in the Asia Pacific region.Browse Full Report Details @Intended Audience Automotive components OEMs Automotive aftermarket manufacturers Package & Labels manufacturers Technology investors Government as well as Independent Regulatory AuthoritiesGeographic Analysis Geographical analysis across 21 countriesCompany Information Profiling of key market players SWOT analysis, and strategy information of top five profile players in the report Competitive landscape including emerging trends adopted by major companiesThe report for Global Automotive Labels Market of Market Research Future comprises of extensive primary research along with the detailed analysis of qualitative as well as quantitative aspects by various industry experts, key opinion leaders to gain the deeper insight of the market and industry performance. The report gives the clear picture of current market scenario which includes historical and projected market size in terms of value, technological advancement, macro economical and governing factors in the market. The report provides details information and strategies of the top key players in the industry. The report also gives a broad study of the different market segments and regions.ContinueWe are thankful for the support and assistance from Automotive Labels Market Research Report - Global Forecast to 2022 chain related technical experts and marketing experts during Research Team survey and interviews.About Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.Media Contact:Akash Anand,Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: akash.anand@marketresearchfuture.com
Geographic Information Systems Market Technological breakthroughs By 2025

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Geographic information system or GIS is an organized set of geographic data, computer software, hardware and efficiently self-designed of geographic information. Geographic information systems store, capture, manipulate, up-date, analyze and display all types of geographic information.Previously, the geographic information system was a map based information systems. Currently, the geographic information system is changing into systems of insight and systems of engagement.Industrial enterprises are trying to reach entire organization with simple access to spatial information to get awareness of their operation. In addition, rising net working complexity of the organization such as microgrids, renewable, electric vehicle, prosumers, energy storage systems and others are resulting companies to install geographic information systems to have access and to better understand the infrastructure information.Obtain Report Details:The key factor is driving the market of geographic information systems due to the increasing demand of this new technology among the process industry for better service, geographic information interpretation and management and security.The increasing need for prediction and identification of the natural disasters and to minimizing damages is fueling the growth of geographic information systems market. In addition, after the occurrence of earthquakes and tsunami and the destruction the market of geographic information systems is growing due to the rising need of identification of these are natural calamities.In addition, increasing need of land management systems coupled with rising real estate and construction industry is further booming the market of geographic information systems and this factor is expected a significant growth during the forecast period. The impact of this driver is high in recent times and is expected to be remaining high during the forecast period.However, the lack of awareness about geographic information systems adoption for land managing solution the growth of this market is becoming slowdown. Additionally, high investment cost is also restraining the growth of this market. Moreover, the free source of GIS software now available on the internet. Therefore the restraining factor of this market is expected to be low during the forecast period.The market of geographic information systems segmented into three categories: by organization size, by category and by industry. Based on organization size the market of geographic information systems is segmented by small, medium and large.In terms of the category type the market of geographic information systems is segmented by hardware, software, service, and software service. Based on industry type the market of geographic information systems is segmented by oil and gas, retail, electric power T&D, government, mining, engineering and business service (AEC) and others.By geography, the global geographic information systems market is segmented into North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific (APAC), Middle East and Africa. The North American geographic information systems held the largest market share in 2016 and are expected to hold its position during the forecast period.Owing to its developed economic condition and rising awareness about advanced technology and its acceptances is growing the market growth of geographic information systems in this region. The U.S. and Canada, there is a high focus on innovations in technology and research and development is further fueling the growth of this market.North America, followed by Europe, is expected to become second largest revenue generating region for geographic information systems market in 2016. The Asia Pacific (APAC) is expected to be the fastest-growing region in the geographic information systems market. Middle East and Africa has shown a remarkable growth in architecture software followed by Latin America in recent years.Get accurate market forecast and analysis on the Geographic Information Systems Market. Request a sample to stay abreast on the key trends impacting this market.The global geographic information systems market is marked by some strong competition from the major players operating in this industry. Numerous merger and acquisition, joint venture and partnership agreement, product innovation, research and development and geographical extension are some of the key strategies adopted by this player to ensure long-term sustenance in these market key participants in the global geographic information systems industry include Hexagon AB (Sweden), GE Power (U.S) and Bentley Systems, Incorporated (U.S) among others.The report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the market. It does so via in-depth qualitative insights, historical data, and verifiable projections about market size. The projections featured in the report have been derived using proven research methodologies and assumptions.About TMRTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.TMRs data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With extensive research and analysis capabilities, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques to develop distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.Contact TMR90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email:sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Rechargeable Battery Market Will Reflect Significant Growth Prospects by 2025

Rechargeable Battery Market

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Rechargeable flexible batteries are the upcoming trend in the battery industry. This rechargeable flexible batteries are light weight, flexible and easy to use in the products with limited internal space. Its flexibility feature enables it to be folded, rolled, and cut into any shape to integrate in the product. For instance, Panasonic who is one of the worlds largest lithium ion battery makers has introduced a new rechargeable flexible lithium ion battery for use in wearable device that maintains its electrical characteristic even after repeated bending. This rechargeable flexible battery being thin, it allows the product designers to utilize these power sources on curved surfaces. This batteries are also eco-friendly.The growth of the global rechargeable flexible battery market is accelerated by the demand of rechargeable flexible batteries for devices like smartphones, tablets, wearable devices and others. This devices are made lighter, thinner and flexible and the need to power this devices for a longer period have led to the increase in demand for flexible battery. These factors will be responsible for a sturdy growth of the rechargeable flexible battery market.However, high cost that is incurred in designing and development of rechargeable flexible battery is predicted to inhibit its adoption rate to some extent in the coming eight years. The high initial investments that is related with the manufacturing of these batteries along with steep competition from different low cost options that include lithium-ion, zinc and nickel batteries is the main factor anticipated to hinder the demand of these batteries in the forecast period. In spite of this challenges, increasing demand for IoT devices have accelerated the growth of this market.Obtain Report Details @The global rechargeable flexible battery market can be segmented by type and end user. By type the rechargeable flexible battery market can be divided into thin film battery, printed battery, curved battery and others. The thin film battery segment accounted for the largest market share in the global rechargeable flexible battery market in 2016.The use of thin film battery in a variety of rapidly growing applications including smart watches, smart phones and fitness bands among others is one of the main reason responsible for the dominance of these segments. By end user, the market can be segregated into consumer electronics, smart packaging, transportation, wireless sensor networks, healthcare sector and other. The consumer electronics sector is likely to hold a dominant position over the course of the forecast period from 2017 - 2025. Increasing demand for IoT devices and wearable devices is likely to fuel the demand for this segment.In terms of geography, the global rechargeable flexible market can be segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa. Asia Pacific is a promising industry for consumer electronics devices especially for smartphones and laptops.Get accurate market forecast and analysis on the Rechargeable Battery Market. Request a sample to stay abreast on the key trends impacting this market.Thus, the growing demand for wearable devices and advancement in technology in developing countries like China, India and Japan among others is likely to drive the market in this region during the forecast period. Moreover, the rising concerns towards sustainability and eco-friendliness have been adopted by various business sector as a part of their social responsibility. This in turn, is predicted to increase the growth prospects of flexible battery in this region owing to the fact that this flexible battery have low impact on the environment. Moreover, in North America, the flexible battery market in the U.S. is expected to witness steady growth during the forecast period due to increasing demand for smart packaging in RFID and anti-theft tags that results in creating huge demand for flexible batteries. Additionally, increasing adoption of these flexible battery in smart packaging helps in increasing the efficiency of the operations, reduce error and save money. Thus, the rising demand for smart packaging and wearable devices is anticipated to fuel the industry growth in the North America and Asia Pacific region respectively.Some of the key players operating in the rechargeable flexible battery market are Panasonic Corporation (Japan), Apple Inc. (The U.S), STMicroelectronics N.V. (Switzerland), LG Chem Ltd. (South Korea), Enfucell Oy (Finland), Samsung SDI Co. Ltd (South Korea), Ultralife Corporation (The U.S), Blue Spark Technology (The U.S), NEC Energy Solutions Inc.(The U.S) among others.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. We have an experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, who us e proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Each TMR Syndicated Research report covers a different sector  such as pharmaceuticals, chemical, energy, food & beverages, semiconductors, med-devices, consumer goods and technology. These reports provide in-depth analysis and deep segmentation to possible micro levels. With wider scope and stratified research methodology, our syndicated reports thrive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement.ContactTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA  Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Logic Analyzer Market: Emergence of advanced technologies and global industry analysis by 2025

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The logic analyzer is like a kind of oscilloscope, which is used for the purpose of viewing multiple digital waveforms. Logic analyzers are being used for precise hardware troubleshooting, especially for timing issues. Logic analyzers can also be used for any kind of digital circuit which has a binary output. The threshold value for the logic lows and logic highs in the logic analyzer software can be set. Expansion of the logic analyzer market depends on the expansion of the memory devices market and the IC market globally.For purpose of in depth analysis, the logic analyzer market has been segmented on the basis of product type, applications, and geography. In terms of product type, the logic analyzer market can be segmented into modular logic analyzer, portable logic analyzer, and PC-based logic analyzer. Various types of applications of logic analyzer include application in PCs, integrated circuits, processors, embedded systems, and memory devices. In terms of geography, the global logic analyzer market can be segmented into Europe, North America, Asia Pacific, Middle East &Africa, and Latin America.Obtain Report Details @Increasing demand for testing the complex logic or the digital circuit and to display the relative timing of large number of signals is a key driver for the logic analyzer market. Logic analyzers are being used for debugging the digital circuit. Therefore, the rising need of the logic analyzer for providing a time display of the logic states which possess a vertical time axis and a horizontal time axis to specify a logic low or high states is anticipated to boost the demand for different types of logic analyzers during the forecast period. Additionally, monitoring of a large number of digital lines and logic timing diagram of different lines is also anticipated to increase the demand for logic analyzer in the near future. This, in turn, is also projected to propel the logic analyzer market during the forecast period.Inspite of many driving factors, the logic analyzer market is expected to show fluctuation in its growth rate because of the designing issues in FPGA like the definition errors and the system interaction problem. Absence of the circuit debug capability and system timing errors is also a restraining factor for the global logic analyzer market. Rising demand for logic analyzers with very high speed sampling capability and spectrum analyzer for the mobile communication system is anticipated to create a significant opportunity for the logic analyzers in the near future. Moreover, increasing usage of logic analyzer in memory devices and integrated circuits is also likely to act as an opportunity for the logic analyzer market during the forecast period.Get accurate market forecast and analysis on the Logic Analyzer Market. Request a sample to stay abreast on the key trends impacting this market.In terms of products, the modular logic analyzer segment held a prominent share of the market in 2016, as it provides highest level of functionality and higher number of channel counts. However, the PC-based logic analyzer segment is projected to expand considerably during the forecast period. Ease of installation capability of recording both analog and digital signal makes it the most appropriate choice for various end-user segments.Geographically, the global logic analyzer market is mainly driven by North America region. Rising demand for embedded systems, integrated service, and memory devices is driving the market in North America. Rapidly increasing demand for complex logic circuits and digital circuits is predicted to boost the demand for logic analyzers, which in turn is estimated to drive the logic analyzer market rapidly. This region is expected to maintain its dominance in the market during the forecast period due to the presence of PC-based analyzer and logic analyzer manufacturers in countries such as the U.S. and Canada.Prominent players operating in the global logic analyzer market include Tektronix (The U.S.), TestEquity (The U.S.), Honeywell Technology Solutions In. (The U.S.), Keysight Technologies (The U.S.), AccuSource Electronics (The U.S), Atec, Inc. (The U.S.), Conres (The U.S.), and Teledyne LeCroy Corporation (The U.S.).About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. We have an experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, who us e proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Each TMR Syndicated Research report covers a different sector  such as pharmaceuticals, chemical, energy, food & beverages, semiconductors, med-devices, consumer goods and technology. These reports provide in-depth analysis and deep segmentation to possible micro levels. With wider scope and stratified research methodology, our syndicated reports thrive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement.ContactTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA  Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Client Focused Media Names New President: Joy Bell

Jacksonville, Fla., July 5, 2017  Client Focused Media is pleased to announce Joy Bell has taken over as president of the company. Bell will be responsible for management of staff and client services, community engagement and growth, and long-term strategic planning.I am very excited for the opportunity to lead this company as we continue to grow, said Bell. I look forward to helping CFM and all of our clients achieve our business goals. I am honored the company has the faith in me to lead this organization. CFMs employees are all hardworking professionals and I cant wait to see what our team will achieve.Bell has more than 10 years of marketing experience, which includes print ad sales, high end real estate marketing and national speaker recruitment. She has an expertise in a variety of marketing tactics, such as digital marketing, advertising, social media and web. Bell enjoys helping a company grow their business by creating a solid brand and developing a marketing strategy that will drive a company to the next level.Bell joined CFM in 2016 as an account executive and has been responsible for building client relationships, developing strategic marketing plans, managing projects and overseeing all aspects of a clients services. She will continue to perform these duties in her new role as president, as she oversees all aspects of the business.I have the utmost confidence that Joy will thrive in her new role as president, said Mike White, CEO and founder of CFM. When she joined the company last year, she hit the ground running and has been very successful in managing our client relationships and accounts. I have no doubt she will do the same as the companys president.Bell earned her Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science from the University of North Georgia. Originally from Cairo, GA, she has called Jacksonville home for the last 14 years. She has been an active part of the community, most recently serving on the board of directors for the Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce Health Council. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with friends and family and relaxing on the beach.About Client Focused MediaClient Focused Media was founded in 2002 and is a leading integrated marketing firm in Northeast Florida. The company provides strategic planning, marketing, creative, advertising, media buying, branding, crisis management services, and media, community, and public relations to a variety of clients. CFM is committed to discovering and overcoming the key challenges that prevent a business from reaching its full potential. CFM is located at 1611 San Marco Boulevard, Jacksonville, FL 32207 and can be reached at (904)-232-3001. For more information, visit cfmedia.net.Client Focused Media1611 San Marco Blvd.Jacksonville, FL 32207
Phototherapy Equipment Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast 2016 - 2024

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The demand for phototherapy equipment has significantly increased in the last few years in response to the increasing incidence of neonatal jaundice and skin diseases and advent of new technologies. A new research report titled as Phototherapy Equipment Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast 2016  2024 has been recently added to the huge portfolio of Market Research Reports Search Engine (MRRSE). This market report is a professional and in-depth study of the current state as well as future potential of the global phototherapy equipment market.Request for sample report:The global phototherapy equipment market is estimated to exhibit a CAGR of 4.4% between 2016 and 2024. Rising at this pace, the markets valuation is expected to reach a value of US$603.2 million by the end of 2024, from US$415.0 million in 2015. This market report on phototherapy equipment includes an elaborate executive summary, which covers a market snapshot that gives information about different segments of the market. A detailed qualitative analysis of drivers, restraints and opportunities in the market has been provided in the report. Besides this, the report includes Porters five forces analysis to understand the competitive scenario in the market.To make the study structured and easy to comprehend, it is divided into different segments based on product type, modality, disease indication, end-user and geography. Based on product type, the phototherapy equipment market has been segregated into Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFL) phototherapy, light emitted diode (LED) phototherapy and others. Based on modality, phototherapy equipment market has been bifurcated into full body phototherapy and partial body phototherapy. On the basis of disease indication, the major market segments are neonatal jaundice, skin diseases, and other. These market segments are analyzed in terms of available approved technology and equipment, cost-effectiveness, and preference for equipment by physicians and patients. The market size and forecast for each of these segments has been presented for the period of 2016 - 2024, taking 2015 as the base year.Browse Full Global Phototherapy Equipment Market Report with TOC :The report concludes by profiling major players operating in the global phototherapy equipment market in terms of various attributes such as company overview, product portfolio, financial overview, business strategies, and major recent developments. Major players profiled in this report are Atom Medical Corporation, Dragerwerk AG & Co. KGaA, GE Healthcare, National Biological Corp., The Daavlin Company, Herbert Waldmann GmbH & Co. KG, Solarc Systems Inc., Phoenix Medical Systems Pvt. Ltd, nice Neotech Medical Systems Pvt. Ltd., and Natus Medical Incorporated.About UsMarket Research Reports Search Engine (MRRSE) is an industry-leading database of market intelligence reports. MRRSE is driven by a stellar team of research experts and advisors trained to offer objective advice. Our sophisticated search algorithm returns results based on the report title, geographical region, publisher, or other keywords.MRRSE partners exclusively with leading global publishers to provide clients single-point access to top-of-the-line market research. MRRSEs repository is updated every day to keep its clients ahead of the next new trend in market research, be it competitive intelligence, product or service trends or strategic consulting.ContactState Tower90, State StreetSuite 700Albany, NY - 12207United StatesTelephone: +1-518-730-0559Email: sales@mrrse.comWebsite:
Passive Harmonic Filter Market: : Industry Analysis, Opportunity Assessment and Forecast upto 2025

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Harmonics in an electrical system/equipment occur due to fluctuations in the current or voltage. The propagation of harmonic frequencies is one of the most important cause of power quality problem in the electrical systems.Harmonic causes torque fluctuations, misfiring in variable speed drives and heating in the system. Thus, in order to ensure optimum power quality, complete suppression of harmonics is a critical consideration. The growing need for ensuring power quality coupled with increasing use of non-linear loads such as variable frequency drives producing harmonics is expected to drive the demand of harmonic filter in the coming years. Passive harmonic filters that are built from a combination of power components including inductors, resistors, and capacitors are tuned for a particular frequency of interest. Over the last few decades, passive harmonic filters have been finding use in a wide range of applications due to their superior compensation of the reactive power, simple and robust construction, and relatively lower cost as compared to other harmonic filters.Their preliminary utilization in power factor correction applications has been the driving force for their extended use within power networks. Passive filters are required to be applied only after considering their effect on the whole network. Incorrect application of harmonic filters may lead to early failure of the filter. However, the passive harmonic filter when designed and applied correctly, offers a cost effective solution to harmonic distortions at all voltage levels.Obtain Report Details @For the purpose of providing and in-depth and detailed analysis of the market, the global passive harmonic filter market has been segmented into product type, voltage level and end user. Different types of passive harmonic filter available in the market includes tuned passive harmonic filters and detuned passive harmonic filters. In addition, depending on voltage level at which harmonic filter is to be applied, the market has been classified into low voltage, medium voltage and high voltage. Moreover, data related to the demand of passive harmonic filter across various application in different end user segments including industrial, IT (Information Technology) and data centers, automotive, oil and gas and water treatment industry among others, is also provided in this report. Furthermore, information related to current market situation along with expected demand trend of passive harmonic filter across different regions such as North America, Asia Pacific, Europe, Middle-East and Africa (MEA) and Latin America.Increasing adoption of variable frequency drives (VFDs) is one of the most important factor anticipated to promote the uptake of harmonic filters during the forecast period from 2017 to 2025. Rise in automation across different industrial and commercial applications and growing demand for electrical efficiency has increased the demand for Variable Frequency Drives (VFD). The fluctuating voltage levels in variable frequency drives results in the generation of harmonic and this harmonic keeps on multiplying until it is filtered from the electrical system. This in turn is expected to trigger the demand of harmonic filters in the coming years. Increasing demand for passive filters can be attributed to their superior harmonic elimination capabilities and improved stability.Get accurate market forecast and analysis on the Passive Harmonic Filter Market. Request a sample to stay abreast on the key trends impacting this market.Among the different types of passive harmonic filter available in the market, detuned passive harmonic filter held the largest market share in 2016 and is expected to maintain its dominating position in the coming years. Reduced maintenance cost, stabilization of voltage supply, improvement in overall power quality and savings in electricity bills through reduced kWh losses and elimination of reactive power are some of the most important attributes anticipated to boost the adoption rate of detuned passive harmonic filter across various end user segments.On the other hand, demand for passive harmonic filter form industrial sector generated the highest revenue in 2016 and is anticipated to witness a stable growth during the forecast period.Geographically, the global passive harmonic filter market is anticipated to be majorly driven by Asia Pacific region both in terms of growth and market share in the coming eight years. Poor quality power in the region has resulted in increasing losses during distribution and transmission, violating energy efficiency norms set by state and federal regulations. This has put pressure on the utilities in the region to ensure improved power quality, resulting in greater demand for harmonic filters.Some of the major players operating the global passive harmonic filter market includes ABB Ltd. (Switzerland), Schneider Electric SA (France) and Emerson Power Network (The U.S) among others.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. We have an experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, who us e proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Each TMR Syndicated Research report covers a different sector  such as pharmaceuticals, chemical, energy, food & beverages, semiconductors, med-devices, consumer goods and technology. These reports provide in-depth analysis and deep segmentation to possible micro levels. With wider scope and stratified research methodology, our syndicated reports thrive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement.ContactTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA  Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Global Organic Coffee Market 2017-2021 - Key vendors Cafe Don Pablo, Camerons Specialty Coffee, EQUAL EXCHANGE, Grupo Britt (Caf Britt), Keurig Green Mountain, Rogers Family

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Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Global Organic Coffee Market 2017-2021" to its huge collection of research reports.Organic coffee is a type of coffee produced without using any artificial chemical substances, like additives, pesticides, and herbicides. The cultivation of organic coffee excludes the use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, hormones, and antibiotics or growth regulators. Instead, organic coffee is cultivated using compost, farm manure, and green manure.Technavios analysts forecast the global organic coffee market to grow at a CAGR of 12.83% during the period 2017-2021.Covered in this reportThe report covers the present scenario and the growth prospects of the global organic coffee market for 2017-2021. To calculate the market size, the report considers sales, volume, value of organic coffee.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @The market is divided into the following segments based on geography:AmericasAPACEMEAGlobal Organic Coffee Market 2017-2021, has been prepared based on an in-depth market analysis with inputs from industry experts. The report covers the market landscape and its growth prospects over the coming years. The report also includes a discussion of the key vendors operating in this market.Key vendorsCafe Don PabloCamerons Specialty CoffeeEQUAL EXCHANGEGrupo Britt (Caf Britt)Keurig Green MountainRogers FamilyOther prominent vendorsClean Foods (Cafe Altura)Grupo Nutresa (Colcafe S.A.S. - Industria Colombiana De Cafe)International Coffee & Tea (The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf)Kicking Horse CoffeeLuigi LAVAZZAMarley CoffeeMelittaMount HagenOakland CoffeeSeattle's Best CoffeeStraussTres Coraes AlimentosTrung NguyenMarket driverRising popularity of coffee among millennialsFor a full, detailed list, view our reportMarket challengeHigh costs and low yieldFor a full, detailed list, view our reportMarket trendNew product launchesFor a full, detailed list, view our reportKey questions answered in this reportWhat will the market size be in 2021 and what will the growth rate be?What are the key market trends?What is driving this market?What are the challenges to market growth?Who are the key vendors in this market space?What are the market opportunities and threats faced by the key vendors?What are the strengths and weaknesses of the key vendors?Table Of ContentPART 01: Executive summaryPART 02: Scope of the reportPART 03: Research MethodologyPART 04: IntroductionMarket outlineGlobal coffee marketPART 05: Market landscapeMarket overviewMarket size and forecastFive forces analysisPART 06: Market segmentation by productGlobal organic coffee market by productGlobal fresh organic coffee marketGlobal organic roast and ground coffee marketPART 07: Geographical segmentationGlobal organic coffee market by geographyOrganic coffee market in the AmericasOrganic coffee market in EMEAOrganic coffee market in APACPART 08: Key leading countriesOrganic coffee market in the USOrganic coffee market in GermanyOrganic coffee market in BrazilPART 09: Decision frameworkPART 10: Drivers and challengesMarket driversMarket challengesPART 11: Market trendsNew product launchesGrowing popularity of Private LabelsIncreasing demand of coffee podsPART 12: Vendor landscapeCompetitive scenarioOther prominent vendorsPART 13: Key vendor analysisCafe Don PabloCamerons Specialty CoffeeEQUAL EXCHANGEGrupo Britt (Caf Britt)Keurig Green MountainRogers FamilyPART 14: AppendixMake an Enquiry of this report @About ResearchMozResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.Mr. NachiketState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesEmail: sales@researchmoz.usWebsite @Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Follow us on LinkedIn @
Zener Diodes Market Will Reflect Significant Growth Prospects by 2025

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Zener diode is a specific kind of diode which primarily allows current to flow from its anode to the cathode; however, it also helps the current to flow in the reverse direction. Highly doped p-n junction is a prime feature of Zener diodes. The sharpness and voltage of the knee is better defined of a Zener diode than any conventional or normal diode. Moreover, traditional diodes are not particularly designed to work in the breakdown region. However, Zener diodes are primarily designed in such a way that they can perfectly operate in the breakdown region.A Zener diode is used for regulating voltage in practical circuit applications. The key function of Zener diodes is to regulate voltage in different equipment. In terms of type, the Zener diodes market can be segmented into surface mount Zener diode and through-hole Zener diode. In terms of end-use industry, the market for Zener diodes can be segmented into consumer electronics, information technology, industrial, telecommunication, and automotive. In terms of geography, the market for Zener diodes can be segmented into Asia Pacific, Europe, North America, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa.Increasing application of Zener diodes across consumer electronics is acting as a major driver for the market globally. Increasing usage of Zener diodes in electronic tools and electrical equipment is also fueling the market for Zener diodes across different regions.Obtain Report Details @The surface mount Zener diodes are directly mounted on a PCB (printed circuit board) is also one of the major driving factors for the market. Increasing adoption of advanced diodes is also boosting the market for Zener diodes. Growing application of Zener diodes in the telecommunication industry is a key factor driving the Zener diodes market. Increasing number of semiconductor manufacturing hubs in developing nations is also fueling the expansion of the market for Zener diodes. Device miniaturization is a major trend which is also a major factor propelling the market. Design complexities are a major restraint for the Zener diodes market globally. Application of Zener diodes in advanced research and development is fueling the application of Zener diodes in different industries, which is a key factor fuelling the expansion of the Zener diodes market.In 2016, In terms of revenue, Asia Pacific was leading the Zener diodes market Zener in 2016.North America and Europe followed Asia Pacific in terms of market share. China held a major share of the Zener diodes market in Asia Pacific in 2016, while Japan, India, South Korea, and Taiwan followed China in terms of market share. In North America, the U.S. is leading the market for Zener diodes, followed by Canada and Mexico. Germany, the U.K., Italy, and France contributed prominent shares in the Zener diodes market in terms of revenue across Europe. The UAE, South Africa, Brazil, and Argentina are dominating the markets for Zener diodes across Middle East & Africa and Latin America.Get accurate market forecast and analysis on the Zener Diodes Market. Request a sample to stay abreast on the key trends impacting this marketProduct innovation through research and development activities along with strategic agreements with other companies is adopted by major companies operating in the Zener diodes market globally. Manufacturers are focusing on strengthening distribution and supply channels for better market penetration, which is another key business strategy for companies operating in the field of Zener diodes globally. Key players operating in the global Zener diodes market include Vishay Intertechnology, Inc. (The U.S.), Diodes Incorporated (The U.S.), ON Semiconductor (The U.S.), ROHM Semiconductor (Japan), NXP Semiconductors N.V. (The Netherlands), Microsemi Corporation (U.S.), Toshiba Corporation (Japan), Torex Semiconductor Ltd. (Japan), Suzhou Good-Ark Electronics Co. Ltd. (China), Renesas Electronics Corporation (Japan), Comchip Technology Co., Ltd. (Taiwan), Anova Technologies (The U.S.), Bourns, Inc. (The U.S.), Guangdong Kexin Electronic Co.,Ltd. (China), and Micro Commercial Components Corporation (U.S.).About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. We have an experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, who us e proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Each TMR Syndicated Research report covers a different sector  such as pharmaceuticals, chemical, energy, food & beverages, semiconductors, med-devices, consumer goods and technology. These reports provide in-depth analysis and deep segmentation to possible micro levels. With wider scope and stratified research methodology, our syndicated reports thrive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement.ContactTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA  Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Liquid Crystal Tunable Filters Market: Key Players Focus on Evolving market Trends and Dynamics 2025

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LCTFs or liquid crystal tunable filters are optical filters that use electronically controlled liquid crystal (LC) elements to transmit a selectable wavelength of light and exclude others.The liquid crystal tunable filter is comprised ofa front aperture plate and six disk-shaped optical elements.Each of the elements consists of various birefringent materials with fixed phase -etardance and atleast one liquid crystal cell with an electronically variable phase delay for tuning.The market is segmented on the basis of application which includes machine vision, biomedical, forensic science, optical microscopy, remote sensing and preclinical imaging among others. The market for liquid crystal tunable filtershas been segmented geographically into Asia Pacific, Europe, North America, South America and Middle East and Africa.Liquid crystal tunable filters primarily controlspolarization, phase and wavelength so it can be utilized to improve the performance and function of optical imaging systems for biomedical applications.Liquid crystal tunable filters with large throughput as well as high dynamic range are primarily designed for spectral domain optical coherence tomography along with hyperspectral imaging.Liquid crystal tunable filters not only miniaturization of the designed system but also tuning the center wavelength with no physical movements. Moreover, it also has the capability of rapid wavelength selection with microsecond to millisecond tuning speeds. Machine vision is one of the most prime application areas of liquid crystal tunable filters.Obtain Report Details @The LCTFs primarily helps in better imaging of specular objects which in turn is increasing its usage in the machine vision systems. With the increasing technological advancement the use of LCFTs are having wide array of applications across different systems which in turn is increasing the growth of the liquid crystal tunable filters market across different regions globally.LCTFs are popular in the forensic science application areas owing to its capability of offering very high image quality. There is some of the retraining factor which includes the design complexities of the liquid crystal tunable filters. However, with the increasing research activities the application of liquid crystal tunable filters is expanding to different medical devices and laboratory equipment which is considered to be some of the major opportunities for the market over the forecast period.In 2016, North America is leading the market for liquid crystal tunable filtersin terms of revenue, followed by Asia Pacific and Europe globally. The U.S. is dominating the market for liquid crystal tunable filters, followed by Canada and Mexico. Increasing demand for machine vision systems is fueling the market for LCTFs across North America. China is leading the market owing to its technological advancement in the field of optical microscopy, followed by India, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan among others. Germany, the U.K., Italy and France accounted for the prominent positions in the liquid crystal tunable filters market across Europe. The U.A.E, South Africa and Brazil among others are contributing positive share in the growth of liquid crystal tunable filters market across Middle East and Africa and South America.Get accurate market forecast and analysis on the Liquid Crystal Tunable Filters Market. Request a sample to stay abreast on the key trends impacting this marketChannel Systems, Inc. (The U.S.), Perkinelmer Inc. (The U.S.), Thorlabs, Inc. (The U.S.), Santec Corporation (Japan) and Kent Optronics, Inc. (The U.S.)among others is some of the major companies operating in the liquid crystal tunable filters market. Expanding business by opening new sales offices in different geographic locations is one of the major business strategy adopted by the leading players.Focusing on the sales and distribution channels along with increasing the product offering keeping in mind the customers demand are some of the other strategies adopted by the companies. Apart from all these, new product development, upgrading features of the already existing products and establishing partnership agreements are also some of the business strategies of the companies.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. We have an experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, who us e proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Each TMR Syndicated Research report covers a different sector  such as pharmaceuticals, chemical, energy, food & beverages, semiconductors, med-devices, consumer goods and technology. These reports provide in-depth analysis and deep segmentation to possible micro levels. With wider scope and stratified research methodology, our syndicated reports thrive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement.ContactTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA  Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Immunotherapy Drugs Market | Key Trends and Forecast Research Report 2024

Immunotherapy Drugs Market

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Traditionally, the basis of cancer treatment is comprised of radiation therapy, surgery, and chemotherapy. Recently, many positive treatment options have emerged in the field of immuno-oncology. These next generation cancer treatment options point to the opportunity of new improved techniques of anticancer therapy. Immunotherapy is termed as a biological therapy in which the primary aim is to improve the human immunity system to fight against diseases such as cancer and infectious diseases. Immunotherapy treatment increases the overall immunity of the body and confines the growth of cancer cells. The treatment allows immune cells to kill cancer cells from the body.The global immunotherapy drugs market is driven by the rising incidences of cancer. The major factor for most cancers is the rise in geriatric population, as cancer rates increase with age. According to a report from WHO in 2015, approximately 50% of people treated with cancer in the U.K. are over the age of 60. Obesity, change in lifestyle, smoking, and eating habits are other important factors which are increasing the number of cancer patients. People are favoring toward cancer treatments with lesser side effects. This factor is likely to propel the growth of the global immunotherapy drugs market in the next few years, as immunotherapy drugs are found to have lesser side effects as compared to other treatments. Rise in opportunities in developing markets and immunotherapy as a substitute to chemotherapy for first line treatment are drivers which are expected to propel the growth of the market. In addition, quicker drug approval process and high prevalence rate of lifestyle diseases are projected to drive the market growth during the forecast period. However, high cost of immunotherapy devices, overall costly treatments, and lack of awareness about immunotherapy drugs and techniques are estimated to restrain the growth of the global immunotherapy drugs market in the near future.View Report The global immunotherapy drugs market is classified on the basis of type of drugs, application, end-user, and region. On the basis of type of drugs, the market is segmented into checkpoint inhibitors, adult vaccines, interleukins, monoclonal antibodies, interferons, alpha and beta, and others. The adult vaccines segment is subsegmented into therapeutic vaccines and preventive vaccines. The development of novel drugs and the entry of new molecules such as elotuzumab, obinutuzumab, zanolimumab, and onartuzumab into the market are projected to support the growth of this segment. On the basis of application, the market is classified as autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, cancer, infectious diseases, and others. The cancer segment is anticipated to hold a large part of the market share during the forecast period.Geographically, the global immunotherapy drugs market is distributed over North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa. North America is expected to dominate the market during the forecast period due to favorable government initiatives, healthy R&D investment, personalized medicine, development of next generation sequencing, and availability of technologically advanced health care research framework. According to a report by WHO in 2016, it is anticipated that 1.75 million new cancer patients are likely to be detected in the U.S. only. Asia Pacific is estimated to register a high growth rate of the immunotherapy drugs market in the next few years due to development of health care infrastructure, high disposable income, rise in health and hygiene related awareness, large untapped market base, and economic development.Key players operating in the global immunotherapy drugs market include GE Healthcare; Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc.; Cepheid; F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd; OPKO Health, Inc.; Myriad Genetics, Inc.; Agilent Technologies; Koninklijke Philips N.V; Qiagen; Illumina, Inc.; Novartis AG; Abbott; PerkinElmer, Inc.; Genomic Health, Inc.; and Sysmex Corporation.Request a brochure of this report to know what opportunities will emerge in the rapidly evolving Immunotherapy Drugs Market during 2016- 2024About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA  Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Malaysia Medical Tourism Market | Key Trends and Forecast Research Report 2024

Malaysia Medical Tourism Market

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Malaysia Medical Tourism Market: OverviewIn terms of revenue, the Malaysia medical tourism market is expected to register a CAGR of 30.5% during the forecast period, 20162024. The primary objective of the report is to offer insights on the market dynamics that can influence growth of the Malaysia medical tourism market over the forecast period. Insights on key trends, drivers, restraints, value forecasts and opportunities for companies operating in the Malaysia medical tourism market are presented in the report.Malaysia Medical Tourism Market: Drivers and RestraintsThe Malaysia medical tourism market is expected to witness significant growth rate in terms of value owing to high quality treatment at low cost, strong health care infrastructure, low language barrier and increasing government initiatives for medical tourism contributes to growth of the Malaysia medical tourism market. Moreover, excellent recuperation facilities and transportation are creating high potential growth opportunities for players operating in the Malaysia medical tourism market. Revenue from the medical tourism market in Malaysia is expected to expand at the relatively higher CAGR due to rising number of medical travelers to Malaysia and introduction of advanced treatment facilities in Malaysia. To understand and assess opportunities in this market, the report offers market forecast on the basis of medical procedure types carried in Malaysia. The report provides analysis of the Malaysia medical tourism market in terms of market value (US$ Mn) and volume (In number of procedures).This exhaustive report includes a 360 view of the Malaysia Medical Tourism Market. Browse through this 105-page report to know what factors will shape the market during the period 2016-2024The Malaysia medical tourism market is segmented on the basis of procedure type:Cardio (Internal medicine)Cardiothoracic SurgeryOncologyFertility treatments (IVF)Orthopedic treatmentDental treatmentOphthalmologyAesthetics / Cosmetic SurgeryNeurologyRegenerative Therapy (Stem cells)Medical check  ups (Health screening)OthersThe report begins with the market definition, followed by definitions of the different procedure types and subsequent sub segments. The market dynamics section includes TMRs analysis on key trends, drivers, restraints, opportunities and macro-economic factors influencing the growth of the Malaysia medical tourism market.?Malaysia Medical Tourism Market: Scope of the ReportNext, the report analyses the market on the basis of regions and presents forecast in terms of value for the next 10 years. In addition, we have considered Year-on-Year (Y-o-Y) growth to understand the predictability of the market and identify growth opportunities for companies operating in the Malaysia medical tourism market. Another key feature of this report is the analysis of key segments in terms of absolute dollar opportunity. This is usually overlooked, while forecasting the market. However, absolute dollar opportunity is critical for assessing the level of opportunity that a provider can look to achieve, as well as to identify potential resources from a sales and delivery perspective for services offered by medical tourism in Malaysia. To understand key segments in terms of their growth and performance in the Malaysia medical tourism market, Transparency market research has developed a market attractiveness index. The resulting index would help providers identify existing market opportunities.?Malaysia Medical Tourism Market: Competitive ScenarioIn the final section of the report, a competitive landscape has been included to provide a dashboard view of key companies operating in the Malaysia medical tourism market. This section is primarily designed to provide clients with an objective and detailed comparative assessment of key providers specific to a market segment in the Malaysia medical tourism market and the potential players. However, this section also includes market strategies and SWOT analysis of the main players operational in the Malaysia medical tourism market.Detailed profiles of players operating in Malaysia medical tourism market are also included in the scope of the report to evaluate their long- and short-term strategies. Key players included in this report are KPJ Healthcare Berhad, Pantai Holdings Berhad, Prince Court Medical Centre, Dentalpro Group, Sunway Medical Centre, IJN Health Institute, Island Hospital, LohGuanLye Specialists Centre, Mahkota Medical Centre, and Tropicana Medical Centre., among others.Request a sample of this report to know what opportunities will emerge in the rapidly evolving Malaysia Medical Tourism Market during 2016- 2024About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA  Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Global Polyurethane Market: Emerging Trends and New Technologies Research 2022

Polyurethane Market

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Market Synopsis of Polyurethane Market:The global demand of polyurethane is expected to rise to USD 81,700.6 million in 2022 with CAGR of 6.51% during 2016-2022. Polyurethane is versatile plastic polymer available in various forms right from rigid foam, flexible foam to strong and hard elastomers. Thus, this leads to usage of polyurethane in variety of consumer and industry applications such as thermal insulation in building, refrigerators, household furniture, shoes, packaging plastics etc. Owing to its properties polyurethane can be molded to any shape to enhance its industrial applications by providing comfort, style and convenience to ones life. Polyurethane are widely used in construction and infrastructure activity. Thus, growing demand of polyurethane owing to durability with low thermal conductivity and ability to withstand external impacts is augmented to drive the overall market. Further, increasing demand of high performance and lightweight interior components, cushion foams in automotive parts to foster energy saving will fuel the demand for polyurethane market growth.Market SegmentsGlobal Polyurethane Market can be segmented as follows: Segmentation by Product: Rigid Foam, Flexible Foam, Coatings, Adhesives & Sealants, Elastomers Segmentation by End User Industry: Construction, Furniture, Automotive, Electronics appliances, Footwear, PackagingTo Get Sample Copy of Report Visit @Study Objectives of Polyurethane Market: To provide detailed analysis of the market structure along with forecast for the next 7 years of the various segments and sub-segments of the Global Polyurethane Market To understand the supply and demand dynamics including supply and consumption concentration mapping To provide region level market analysis and future outlook for North America, Europe, Asia, and Rest of the World (ROW) and their countries To provide competitor positioning of the market To provide company profiling of major players in the market along with their production and capacity To provide regional trade analysis To evaluate historical market trends, patents and technologies, and current government regulatory requirements that are relevant to the marketRead the full report: @Competitive analysis:Key players of the global Polyurethane market are: BASF SE (Germany) The Dow Chemical Company (U.S) Huntsman Corporation (U.S) Tosoh Corporation (Japan) Covestro AG (Germany) DIC Corporation (JAPAN) Eastman Chemical Company (U.S.)Key Findings The global Polyurethane market is expected to reach USD 81,700.6 million by 2022 Regionally, Asia-Pacific has the largest market of USD 28,111.2 million by 2022 China accounted for the largest market share of 54.00% in 2014, with a market value of USD 9,710.6 Million is projected to grow at the highest CAGR of 6.94% during the forecast period. Japan was the second-largest market in 2014, valued at USD 4,495.7 Million in 2014; it is projected to grow at a CAGR of 6.69%. Construction segment accounted for the largest market share registering CAGR of 7.07% during the forecasted period. On basis of type segment, Rigid Foam holds the market share of 31% in 2015Intended Audience Polyurethane manufacturers Traders and distributors of Polyurethane Production Process industries Potential investors Raw material suppliers Nationalized laboratoryRegional Analysis of Polyurethane Market:Geographically, Asia-Pacific region represents highest market share in the Global Polyurethane followed by Europe and North America. China is largest producer and consumer of polyurethane owing to skilled labor, easy availability of raw materials and lenient government regulations. Countries like India are the growing market for polyurethane due to favorable government regulations along with Make in India campaign started recently to foster the manufacturing activities in country. Major players in automobile and construction industry are adopting low cost technology along with lightweight material for production. Hence, polyurethane market is anticipated to witnessed sustainable growth over the forecasted period. North America and Europe region being prominent players in automobile and consumer appliances drive the insulators and sealants for energy efficiency in polyurethane market over the forecasted period. Rising government initiatives for Green Building in Europe and North America is also expected to drive the polyurethane market growth.About Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by products, services, technologies, applications, end users, and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions.In order to stay updated with technology and work process of the industry, MRFR often plans & conducts meet with the industry experts and industrial visits for its research analyst members.Akash Anand,Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: akash.anand@marketresearchfuture.com
Latest Trend and Development in The Global Process Fluid Industry Forecast to 2023

Process Fluid Industry

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Process fluid is an important element in various industries such as oil & gas, paint & coatings, plastics, electronics, fragrance, and others. The growing industrialization of industries has surged the demand for process fluid. Process fluid have features such as high boiling points, low vapor pressures, excellent thermal stability, and low emissions that offer the potential for use in a number of specialized applications such as reaction mediums, extracting agents, softening agents, polymerization mediums, and others.Process fluid has found its applications in numerous industries such as plastic, paint & coatings, and others. Increasing in demand of oil & gas industry is likely to drive the process fluid market growth. The growing paint & coating industry on account of developing domestic as well as commercial market particularly in Asia Pacific and North America has boosted the global process fluid market over the forecasted period.Market SegmentsThe global process fluid market is majorly segmented on the basis of types, application, end users and region. Based on types process fluid the market is segmented into paraffinic oils, naphthenic oils, aromatic oils, veg & bio oils, and others. Based on application of process fluid the market is segmented into polymerization, catalyst, solvents, cleaners and others. Based on the based on end user the market segmented into oil & gas, paint & coatings, plastics, electronics, fragrance, and others, Based on region, market is segmented into North America, Europe, APAC, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa.To Get Sample Copy of Report Visit @Study Objective of Process Fluid Market To provide detailed analysis of the market structure along with forecast for the next 7 years of various segments and sub-segments of the global process fluid market. To understand the supply and demand dynamics including supply and consumption concentration mapping To provide region level market analysis and future outlook for regions like North America, Europe, Asia, and Latin America, Middle East & Africa, and their countries To provide competitor positioning of the market To provide company profiling of major players in the market along with their production and capacity To provide regional trade analysis To evaluate historical market trends, patents and technologies, and current government regulatory requirements that are relevant to the marketRead the full report: @Key Players:Key players of the global process fluid market are: Eastman Chemical Company (US) Process Oil Inc.(US) Renkert Oil LLC (US) LUKOIL Lubricants Company (Russia) Panama Petrochem Ltd. (India) Eastern Petroleum Private Limited (India) HollyFrontier Refining & Marketing LLC (US) Nynas AB (Europe) Taurus Petroleums Pvt. Ltd. (India) Pentagon Lubricants (India) Private Limited. (India)Intended Audience Process Fluid manufacturers Traders and distributors of Process Fluid Production Process industries Potential investors Raw material suppliers Nationalized laboratoryRegional Analysis of Process Fluid Market:Asia Pacific is the biggest market of process fluid due to huge utilization in oil & gas industry, especially in China followed by Japan and India. Growing demand for plastic, paint & coatings, and other industries in China, India, Japan, Taiwan, and South Korea has made Asia Pacific the largest competitor in the global process fluid market followed by North America owing to increasing population growth, urbanization in this region. In North America, process fluid market is driven by chemical industries. Additionally, the third largest market of process fluid is Europe due to large utilization polymerization, catalyst, solvents, cleaners and others applications. Moreover, Latin America and Middle East are also observing the growth of process fluid market due to various industry such as plastic, paint & coatings, oil & gas, and others.About Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by products, services, technologies, applications, end users, and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions.In order to stay updated with technology and work process of the industry, MRFR often plans & conducts meet with the industry experts and industrial visits for its research analyst members.Akash Anand,Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: akash.anand@marketresearchfuture.com
Intelligent Power Module Market: Advanced technologies & growth opportunities in global Industry by 2025

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Medium and the high-power application have been implemented by using hybrid integration. Hybrid integration used to cover wide range of power electronics. Intelligent power module or application specific IPM are being used for voltage ratings up to600V and a current rating from a few Amp up to 100Amp, and the typical power module for the current ranges greater than 100Amp and voltage over 1200V. Expansion of the intelligent power module market is highly reliant on the growth of power devices modules mainly focusing on IGBT and mosfet, which provides system control function and improved system performance.For purpose of in depth analysis, the intelligent power module market has been segmented on the basis of voltage rating, current rating, by power device, application, and geography. In terms of voltage rating, the market can be segmented into upto 600V, 1200V, and above 1200V. In terms of current rating, the market can be segmented into upto 100A, 101-600 A, and more than 600A. In terms of power device, the market can be segmented into IGBT and mosfet. Various types of applications of intelligent power module include consumer durables such as air conditioner, refrigerator, and washing machine, different industrial application such as servo drives, and also in UPS. In terms of geography, the global intelligent power module market can be segmented into Europe, North America, Asia Pacific, Middle East &Africa, and Latin America.Obtain Report Details @Increasing demand for modular power solution in the renewable energy application is a key driver for the expansion of the intelligent power module market. Increasing need for high power density and consistently rising need for IPM in the railway traction motor is estimated to fuel the expansion of the intelligent power module market. The growing penetration of high voltage direct current is also a key factor that is anticipated to boost the demand for different modular power solutions during the forecast period. Additionally, rising demand for consumer goods and enhanced energy requirement in emerging economies is also anticipated to increase the demand for modular power solution in the near future. This, in turn, is projected to propel the intelligent power module market during the forecast period.The IPM market is estimated to show a slight dip and instability in growth rate because of the lower adoption rate of the power electronic devices. Grid faults in the power semiconductor devices and reduction in the size of the IGBT modules, which is leading towards high power dissipation, are also restraining factors for the global IPM market. Rising demand for hybrid and electric vehicles and increasing adoption of clean energy sources is likely to create a significant opportunity for the intelligent power module market in the near future. Moreover, the emerging market of GAN and SIC power semiconductors is further projected to act as an opportunity for the intelligent power module market during the forecast period.Get accurate market forecast and analysis on the Intelligent Power Module Market. Request a sample to stay abreast on the key trends impacting this marketIn terms of voltage rating, the voltage upto600V segment held a prominent share of the market, as it adds IPMs features and advantages in conventional drive stage for an IGBT .However, the above 1200Vsegment is projected to expand significantly during the forecast period. Increasing usage of IPM in industrial applications such as renewable and traction energy makes it the most appropriate choice for various end-user applications.Geographically, the global intelligent power module market is mainly driven by Asia Pacific region. Increasing demand for consumer durable goods and increased energy requirement of emerging countries is driving the market in the Asia Pacific region. This region is anticipated to dominate the market during the forecast period due to the presence of leading consumer durable product manufacturers in countries such as China, South Korea, and Japan.Key players operating in the global intelligent power module market include Mitsubishi Electric (Japan), ROHM Semiconductor (Japan),Sanken Electric Co. (Japan),Fuji Electric Co. (Japan), Semikron (Germany), Vincotech GmbH (Germany),Infineon Technologies AG (Germany),ON Semiconductor Corporation (U.S.), STMicroelectronics (Switzerland), and Future Electronics (Canada).About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. We have an experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, who us e proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Each TMR Syndicated Research report covers a different sector  such as pharmaceuticals, chemical, energy, food & beverages, semiconductors, med-devices, consumer goods and technology. These reports provide in-depth analysis and deep segmentation to possible micro levels. With wider scope and stratified research methodology, our syndicated reports thrive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement.ContactTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA  Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Hall-effect Sensors Market Research Report by Technological Development, Applications and Forecast 2025

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A Hall-effect sensor is as sort of transducer. The output voltage of a hall-effect sensor varies as a response to magnetic field. Proximity switching, positioning, current sensing along with speed detection are major application areas of hall-effect sensors.The sensor primarily follows the principal of analog transducer, and it directly returns the voltage. Hall-effect sensors are often combined with the threshold detection and it is frequently known as switch. In terms of type, the market can be segmented into Hall ICS and Hall elements. In terms of material, the market can be segmented into GaAs (gallium arsenide), InAs (indium arsenide), InSb (indium antimonide), InP (indium phosphide), and grapheme. In terms of application, the market can be segmented into flow rate sensing, position sensing, proximity detection, navigation, and electronic compass. In terms of geography, the market can be segmented into Europe, North America, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa.Hall-effect sensors are primarilyapplied to time the speed of shafts and wheels. It is also used to measure internal combustion engine ignition timing, anti-lock braking systems and tachometers. Hall-effect sensors have a wide range of applications in industries such as automotive, healthcare, consumer electronics, and defense and aerospace.Obtain Report Details @Growing advancement in the field of automotive and consumer electronics along with increasing application of high-end sensing devices are driving the Hall-effect sensors market globally. Increasing application of hall-effect sensors for automotive fuel level indicators is another key factor fuelling the expansion of the market. Hall-effect sensors are linear type of transducers. These kinds of sensors primarily require a linear circuit for processing of sensors output signal. Furthermore, this type of hall-effect sensor is also operated as electronic switch. This kind of sensor primarily measures a wide array of magnetic fields, and it can be operated upto 100 kHz. There are some technical issues with hall-effect sensors. For instance, they offer much lower detection and measuring accuracy than any other magneto-resistance-based sensors or fluxgate magnetometers. This kind of technical limitations is likely to hinder the growth of the market during the forecast period. However, with growing research activities in the field of hall-effect sensors, the innovation of high-end hall-effect sensors and application of hall-effect sensorsin hybrid vehicles are major opportunities for the market.In 2016, In terms of revenue, Asia Pacific led the global Hall-effect sensors market in 2016.North America and Europe followed Asia Pacific in terms of revenue share. In 2016, China is leading the market due to its technological advancement in the field of magneto-resistive sensors. India, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan follow China in the Asia Pacific market. The U.S. is dominating the market, followed by Canada and Mexico.Get accurate market forecast and analysis on the Hall-effect Sensors Market. Request a sample to stay abreast on the key trends impacting this marketIncreasing proliferation of high-end and advanced consumer electronics such as smartphones, laptops, computers, and wearable gadgets is fuelling the demand for hall-effect sensors in North America. Germany, the U.K., Italy and France are holding prominent positions in the hall-effect sensors market across Europe. The UAE, South Africa, Brazil, and Argentina are dominating the market across Middle East and Africa and Latin America. Increasing advancement in the automotive sector is a major factor boosting the rising application of hall-effect sensors across the Middle East & Africa and Latin America.Geographical expansions along with establishing partnership agreements with other companies are key strategies adopted by companies to strengthen their presence worldwide.Major players operating in the global Hall-effect sensors market include MEMSIC, Inc. (The U.S.), Bartington Instruments Ltd (U.K.), TE Connectivity Ltd (Switzerland), Analog Devices, Inc. (The U.S.), Honeywell International Inc. (The U.S.), Robert Bosch GmbH (Germany), NXP Semiconductors N.V. (The Netherlands), ams AG (Austria), The Micronas Group (Switzerland), Melexis NV (Belgium), Infineon Technologies AG (Germany), Sanken Electric Co., Ltd. (Japan), and Asahi Kasei Corporation (Japan).About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. We have an experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, who us e proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Each TMR Syndicated Research report covers a different sector  such as pharmaceuticals, chemical, energy, food & beverages, semiconductors, med-devices, consumer goods and technology. These reports provide in-depth analysis and deep segmentation to possible micro levels. With wider scope and stratified research methodology, our syndicated reports thrive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement.ContactTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA  Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Clinical Decision Support System Market | Key Growth Factors and Forecast up to 2023

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Global Clinical Decision Support System (CDSS) Market: OverviewA clinical decision support system (CDSS) refers is used in the healthcare sector to aid healthcare professionals in decision making tasks. Doctors, nurses, and other healthcare providers utilize CDSS in the preparation of a diagnosis and its review. Such an evaluation of data assists the prediction of potential events ranging from medication interaction to disease symptoms.The global market for CDSS can be broadly segmented into machine learning and knowledge base. The knowledge based CDSS generate results via the use of if-then algorithms. Regular updating of databases is carried out by trained professionals. The non-knowledge based CDSS, on the other hand, runs on artificial intelligence. CDSS can either be a standalone system or be integrated with other systems such as computerized physician order entry (CLOSE) and electric health record (EHR) systems.The report by Transparency Market Research (TMR) reveals crucial information about the recent developments and competitive scenario in the global CDSS market. The primary catalysts and deterrents of the growth of the market, market size, market projections have been discussed in the report, alongside relevant statistical analysis. The progress of the leading market players has also been mapped.Global Clinical Decision Support System (CDSS) Market: Drivers and RestraintsSome of the prominent advantages offered by CDSS include vast storage capacity, cost-effective efficiency, and ease of access on mobile devices. CDSS can be used at various stages such as prior to diagnosis, post diagnosis and during diagnosis to map the patient's progress from past records to the present data.Several supportive government initiatives are encouraging the growth of the global market for CDSS. For instance, it was observed that after the Healthcare Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act in 2009, the adoption of CDSS has increased significantly. The greater adoption of cloud computing technology, expansion of healthcare infrastructures, and increasing patient awareness have been some of the driving forces of the global CDSS market.On the other hand, the complexity associated with the integration of CDSS, lack of interoperability, and data security and privacy issues can inhibit growth. However, as more organizations such as the Office of the National Coordinator of Health Information Technology (ONC) and Healthcare Research and Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) are making investments in CDSS implementation and development, the global market for CDSS will continue to thrive on account of the consequent opportunities.View Report Global Clinical Decision Support System (CDSS) Market: Regional OutlookBy geography, the global market for CDSS can be segmented into Asia Pacific, North America, Europe, and the Rest of the World (RoW). With Canada and the U.S. as the prominent contributors, North America is expected to lead the global CDSS market over the next few years. Favorable policies of the government, early adoption of IT across several industry verticals, and the rising incidence of diseases have been promoting the expansion of the CDSS market in this region.Europe also possesses vast potential for growth. Italy, Germany, France, and the U.K. are likely to assist the advancement of the CDSS market in this region. Although believed to be at a nascent stage, the CDSS Market in Asia Pacific is one with maximum growth opportunities. The growing healthcare infrastructure, rising awareness about efficiency in healthcare, greater adoption of advanced technologies, and increasing government funds have been some of the major growth drivers of the market in Asia Pacific. The Middle East and Africa, and Latin America are also slated for monumental growth.Companies Mentioned in the ReportSome of the major companies operating in the global market for CDSS are Epic Systems Corporation, Zynx Health, Medical Information Technology, Inc., Wolters Kluwer N.V., McKesson Corporation, Siemens Healthcare, and Philips Healthcare.Request a brochure of this report to know what opportunities will emerge in the rapidly evolving Clinical Decision Support System Market during 2015- 2023About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA  Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Intravenous (IV) Solution Market is foreseen to create at CAGR of 7.69% from 2016 to 2022 and expected to reach USD 11,511.2 million

Intravenous (IV) Solution Market

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Market Research Future adds new report of Intravenous (IV) Solution Market Research Report- Global Forecast to 2022 it contains Company information, geographical data and Table of ContentMarket Synopsis of Global Intravenous (IV) Solution Market:Market Scenario:Intravenous (IV) Solution is intended to be administered to the patients which are deficient in nutrients or at the time of serious dehydration. These solutions are given to the patients whose fluid volume or body nutrients falls. Many companies manufactures packaged intravenous fluids or products or compounds which can be mixed with sterile water to prepare a solution for intravenous administration. The market for intravenous solutions is growing swiftly.The market for Intravenous (IV) Solution is expected to reach USD 11,511.2 million by 2022 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 7.69% during the forecast period 2016-2022. The factors which drive the growth of the market are the rising prevalence of chronic diseases, rising acceptance of vitamin C intravenous treatment therapy to treat colorectal cancer.Request a Sample Report @Market Segments:Global Intravenous (IV) Solution Market has been segmented On the basis of Type which comprises of total parenteral solution, peripheral parenteral solution On the basis of Nutritional Content the market is segmented into amino acid solution, carbohydrates, vitamins & minerals, parenteral lipid emulsion On the basis of End User the market is segmented into hospitals & clinics, ambulatory and home care.Key Finding The global Intravenous (IV) Solution market and is expected to reach USD 11,511.2 million by 2022 By type, Total Parenteral Nutrition (TPN) holds the largest market share of global Intravenous (IV) Solution market and is expected to reach USD 4,940.0 million in 2016 By nutritional content, amino acid solution holds the largest market share of global Intravenous (IV) Solution market is expected to reach USD 2,385.0 million in 2016Browse Report Details @Key Players for Global Intravenous (IV) Solution Market:Some of the key players in this market are: ICU Medical, Inc. (U.S.) B. Braun Melsungen AG (Germany) Fresenius Kabi AG (Germany) Baxter (U.S.) Amanta Healthcare (India) Terumo Medical Corporation (Tokyo) Grifols S.A. (Spain)Intended Audience Intravenous (IV) Solution Manufacturer Intravenous (IV) Solution Vendors Pharmaceutical & Biotechnology Companies Market Research and Consulting Service ProvidersRequest Table of Contents for this Report @Regional Analysis of Global Intravenous (IV) Solution Market:The global market for Intravenous (IV) Solution is growing rapidly. The market for Intravenous (IV) Solution is growing with the CAGR of 7.69% during the forecast period from 2016-2022. North America accounts for largest market share in 2015 and is expected to reach USD 4,276.5 million in 2016. This growth is attributed to the factors such as high IV consumption number, high prevalence of chronic diseases.Asia-Pacific region is the fastest growing market for real time health monitoring devices, which is expected to grow at a CAGR of 8.34% during the forecast period from 2016 to 2022 is due to the emergence of high-quality and better healthcare infrastructure and institutions in this region.About Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by products, services, technologies, applications, end users, and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions.Contact:Akash Anand,Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: akash.anand@marketresearchfuture.com
Solid Tumor Market | Value Chain Analysis and Forecast up to 2023

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Solid tumors are formed due to aggregation of a group of abnormal tissues that do not comprise of any cyst or liquid areas within. Solid tumors can be of both types, i.e. benign (non-cancerous) as well as malignant (cancerous) in nature. Solid tumors majorly comprise of lymphomas, carcinomas, sarcomas and melanomas; whereas, all forms of leukemias usually do not cause solid tumor formation. The treatment of these solid tumors is a complex task and it requires coordinated actions of many healthcare professionals, such as, radiologists, surgeons, oncologists, radiation specialists, nurses and other professionals. Hence, most of the solid tumors are treated via radiotherapy, chemotherapy and/or surgery. However, at present, surgery is the most preferred choice of treatment for cancerous solid tumors. Chemotherapy is often utilized along with other modes of solid tumor treatment i.e. radiation and/or surgery. Several chemotherapeutic drugs are available along with a ripe pipeline of drugs that will soon be commercialized in the global market. Solid tumor market can be classified into five major segments, based on the site of origin, namely, prostrate cancer, ovarian cancer, bladder cancer, pancreatic cancer and other cancers.Some of the major driving factors for the growth of this market include increasing incidences of several cases of solid tumors, rising prevalence of different forms of metastatic cancers, increasing demand for highly effective chemotherapeutic agents and ripe pipeline of drugs which is available in the global market. According to World Health Organization (WHO), approximately 8.2 million people died due to different types of cancers worldwide in 2012. Among them lung, colorectal, breast and liver cancers were among the leading causes of cancer deaths. Most common forms of solid tumors include brain tumors (medulloblastoma and glioma) and neuroblastoma; other less common solid tumors include rhabdomyosarcoma and osteosarcoma.View Report Some of the major drugs that available in the global market are Avastin (bevacizumab), Afinitor (everolimus), Jevtana (cabazitaxel), Sutent (sunitinib), Tarceva (erlotinib), Taxotere (docetaxel), Zytiga (abiraterone acetate), Carboplatin, Cisplatin, Doxorubicin, Gemcitabine and Paclitaxel among others. Also, major promising drugs that are in different stages of clinical trials include Abraxane (albumin-bound paclitaxel), AMG 386 (trebananib), Votrient (pazopanib) and Xtandi (enzalutamide) among others. These drugs will soon be commercialized in the global market, which will further boost this market in future.Geographically, North America holds the leading position in solid tumor market followed by Europe. Major factors responsible for their dominance in this market include high incidence rate of various solid tumor cases along with very well developed healthcare infrastructure of these regions. These regions also comprise of high geriatric population, which contribute heavily towards the solid tumor patient population in the region. However, Asia Pacific is considered to be the most lucrative market for solid tumor market due to recent advancements in healthcare infrastructure and growing medical tourism in these regions. The region also accounts for high cancer patient population and increasing awareness and affordability of the people of this region will contribute heavily towards the future growth of this market in the region.Some of the major players operating in this market are AstraZeneca plc, Abbott Laboratories, Inc., Amgen, Inc., Biogen Idec, Inc., Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH, Baxter International, Inc., Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Eli Lilly and Company, Johnson & Johnson, GlaxoSmithKline plc, Kyowa Hakko Kirin Co., Ltd., and Sanofi among others.Request a brochure of this report to know what opportunities will emerge in the rapidly evolving Solid Tumor Market during 2015- 2023About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA  Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Global Cosmetic Products Market 2023 Major Key Player  L'Oreal S.A., Unilever, Oriflame Holding AG, Avon Products Inc.

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Market Research Future adds new report of Global Cosmetic Products Market Research Report- Forecast to 2023 it contains Company information, geographical data and Table of ContentMarket Scenario:Increasing demands for cosmetic products is backed up by increasing awareness about personal care products. Rapid urbanization has led to causing pollution in various cities which has increased the demand for skin care products and cosmetics on a global level. High demands for unique beauty products is influencing the growth of cosmetic products market on a global level. Advancement in technologies in the beauty and fashion sector has supported in fueling up the market share by bringing innovations in the cosmetic product line. The increasing beauty consciousness amongst the population of women also has a positive impact on the cosmetic products marketSkin Care Products is evaluated to grow at higher rate based on increasing fashion sense amongst the female population. Based on the product-category, the share held by herbal cosmetic is found to escalate due to rising demand for plant based natural cosmetic products. E-commerce is found to be the hub for the sale of cosmetic products backed up by the hectic life-style of present women population and ease of ordering the product.Key Findings: The share held by makeup and color cosmetics is found to be growing at a higher rate Top exporters of cosmetic products include U.S., France, Korea, Germany and SingaporeRequest a Sample Report @Market Segments: Cosmetic products has been segmented on the basis of Type which comprises Skin Care Products, Hair Care products, Makeup & Color Cosmetics, Deodorants & Perfumes, Others. Skin Care segment is found to hold a major share due to high consumers preference. Cosmetic products has been segmented on the basis of Product-Category which involves Organic, Herbal, Oil-Free, Alcohol-Free, Cruelty-Free, Others. Herbal cosmetics hold a major share with the increasing sale of natural plant based cosmetic products. Cosmetic products has been segmented on the basis of Distribution Channel which comprises Supermarket/hypermarket, Specialty stores, Cosmetic stores, E-commerce, others. Sale through E-commerce is growing at a higher growth rate backed up by the advancements in technology.Market Definition:Cosmetic products are defined as personal care products which are applied to protect the skin as well as to enhance the beauty. Cosmetic products gives youthful look by imparting anti-ageing properties which helps to protect the skin as well as nourishes it. The product majorly is categorized into several types depending on the area of application of cosmetic products. Face and skin products segment in the cosmetic market is experiencing a surge based on increasing awareness about maintain skin care routine. Cosmetic Products are available all across the globe in a huge variety to choose from. Increasing beauty consciousness amongst the consumers in supporting the sale of cosmetic products globally.Browse Report Details @Study Objectives of Cosmetic Products Market Detail analysis of the markets segments and sub-segments To estimate and forecast market size by Type, Product-Category, Distribution Channel and Region To analyze key driving forces which are influencing the market Region level market analysis and market estimation of North America, Europe, Asia, and rest of the world (ROW) and their countries Value chain analysis & supply chain analysis of Cosmetic Products Company profiling of major players in the market Competitive strategy analysis and mapping key stakeholders in the market Analysis of historical market trends and technologies along with current government regulatory requirementsKey PlayersThe key players profiled in the global cosmetic products market are L'Oreal S.A. (France) Avon Products Inc (U.S.) The Estee Lauder Companies Inc. (U.S.) Oriflame Holding AG (Switzerland) Beiersdorf AG (Germany) Kao Corporation (Japan) Unilever (U.K.) Procter & Gamble Co. (U.S.)Request Table of Contents for this Report @Intended Audience Cosmetic Products Manufacturers Beauty Products Manufacturers Personal Care Products Manufacturers Retailers and Wholesalers Traders, Importers and ExportersRegional Analysis:The Global Cosmetic Products Market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and rest of the world (ROW). North America has the major market share followed by Europe. Developing economy has led to increase in disposable income due to which North America is projected to generate a high revenue during the given forecast period. Urbanization leading to changing fashion sense will support the sale of cosmetic products in Asia-Pacific region during the forecast period. The Major importers of cosmetic products include U.S., China, Hong Kong, U.K. and Germany. Based on the rising demands for variety of cosmetic products, the import and export in the developed countries is found to rise at a steady growth rate.The Global Cosmetic Products Market is segmented under the following regions mentioned below:North America U.S. Canada MexicoEurope Germany France Italy Spain U.K. Rest of EuropeAsia-Pacific China India Australia Japan Rest of Asia PacificRest of the world Brazil Argentina Saudi Arabia South AfricaAbout Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by products, services, technologies, applications, end users, and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions.Contact:Akash Anand,Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: akash.anand@marketresearchfuture.com
Fibrin Glue Market | Value Chain Analysis and Forecast up to 2023

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The skill of surgery has progressed over the years. Suture like threads produced from a wide-range of substances were used prior as a mechanical closure for the wounds. Surgical adhesives and hemostats consist of five new families, which consist of fibrin glue, cyanoacrylate, polyethylene glycol polymer, albumin cross linked with glutaraldehyde and bovine collagen and thrombin. Now in the last 30 years, fibrin glue has beenused in various indications throughout all surgical fields.Fibrin glue is a derivative of human blood products andanimaland it is mostly withdrawn from collective plasma and comprises of different quantities of purified and virally inactivated human proteins. Biological fibrin glue typically contains two basic components such as human thrombin and human fibrinogen, together with a fibrinolysis inhibitor to prevent fibrin degradation during the storage. The various features of fibrin glue are high surface adherence strength, high internal bond strength and capability to improve tissue regeneration and clot formation. Fibrin glue is primarily used inhemostasis, but it isalso used to heal the wounds and as biological sealants,it in different situations such as air, gastrointestinal, bile and lymphatic leaks on a larger scale. Fibrin glue reducesthe threat of infection, offersquick hemostasis on the treated part, and improves cosmesis. Fibrin glue permits the surgeon to execute the operation using minor incision and with reduced tissue trauma. It also encourages natural tissue healing. On the other hand, one of the drawback of fibrin glue is the risk of passing on of infectious organisms from human bodies to the glue. Additionally, their role in tissue engineering is recently under investigation. Recently fibrin glue has received approval from U.S. FDA and European Union for their use in spleen trauma, cardiovascular surgery and for the closure of colostomies. Tisseel, biocol, and beriplast are some of the commercially prepared fibrin sealants.View Report The global fibrin glue market is segmented based on application and geography. The applications of fibrin glue arein cardiac surgery, pulmonary surgery, burn bleeding, vascular surgeries, orthopedic surgeries, lacerations of liver and spleen, neurosurgery, plastic surgery,general surgery and wound management. The burn bleeding and cardiac surgeriessegment dominates the fibrin glue market in applications category.Based on the geography, market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East and Africa. North America dominates the market due to higher ageing population and increasing number of surgical procedures whereas, developing countries such as India and China are expected to be fastest growing in the fibrin glue market due to high spending in health expenditure and increase in the government funding.In the recent years, the usage of fibrin glue has risen due to the factors such as increasing number of surgical procedures, rising incidences of complications such as diabetic ulcers, pressure sores chronic wounds etc. increase spending on health expenditure and increase in the ageing population. All these factors are responsible to drive the fibrin glue market. Government funding and technological advancement are known to create an opportunities for fibrin glue market.However,the rise in the minimum invasive procedures such as endoscopic and laparoscopic surgeries can hinder the growth of fibrin glue market.Some of the key players of fibrin glue market areHaemcure Corporation, Baxter International Inc., Omrix Biopharmaceutical, Inc., Vivostat A/S, CSL Behring, CryolifeInc.and Interpore Cross.Request a brochure of this report to know what opportunities will emerge in the rapidly evolving Fibrin Glue Market during 2016- 2023About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA  Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Cell Lysis/Cell Fractionation Market | Value Chain Analysis and Forecast up to 2024

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Global Cell Lysis/Cell Fractionation Market: OverviewCell fractionation is the process of separating cellular components while at the same time, retaining the individual functions of each component. Similarly, cell lysis is the breaking down of the cell membrane by enzymic, viral, or osmotic mechanisms. Cell lysis/cell fractionation enables scientists to carefully study the different parts of a cell in isolation so as to determine their biochemical composition and function. Much of what scientists know of the molecular biology of a cell is discovered by scrutinizing cell-free systems. The rapid growth of the healthcare, life sciences, and pharmaceutical industries has spurred research and development activities in countless fields, increasing the demand for cell lysis/cell fractionation in laboratories.The key product types of cell lysis/cell fractionation are reagents and kits, consumables, disposables, beads, and instruments. Instruments such as homogenizers and sonicators are used for cell lysis/cell fractionation. In addition, the various reagents and kits used for cell lysis are detergent solutions, enzymes, and others. The major types of cells that can undergo cell fractionation are microbial cells, mammalian cells, and others. Biopharmaceutical and biotechnology companies and research laboratories and institutes are the prominent end users of cell lysis. The regions studied under the global cell lysis/cell fractionation market are North America, Asia Pacific, Europe, and Rest of the World.The report carefully studies the different applications, technologies, products, and regional segments of the cell lysis/cell fractionation market and offers sharp insights on the strengths and weaknesses of each. The market study, backed by thorough research and supported by the latest facts and figures, serves as an ideal tool for all stakeholders of the cell lysis/cell fractionation market. Equipped with this knowledge, players can gain a competitive edge over the rest and devise key business strategies for the profitable future of the company.View Report Global Cell Lysis/Cell Fractionation Market: Key Trends and OpportunitiesThe global market for cell lysis/cell fractionation is propelled by the high prevalence of diseases, the rise in government funding for research and development activities, the growing focus on personalized medicine, and the expansion of biopharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. Emerging countries are forecast to present high-growth opportunities for players within the cell lysis/cell fractionation market. By contrast, the shortage of skilled personnel, the high cost of cell-based research, and the survival of new entrants and small players are some of the leading impediments.Consumables form the largest product segment in the cell lysis/cell fractionation market, driven primarily by the rise in cell-based research funding and the increased prevalence of diseases. Mammalian cells are the most commonly fractionated cell types thanks to surging investments by companies and governments for cell-based research and the growing prevalence of diseases such as HIV/AIDS and cancer. Cell lysis/cell fractionation is mostly carried out by research laboratories and institutes such as the National Institutes of Health (NIH).Global Cell Lysis/Cell Fractionation Market: Region-wise OutlookAmong the key regional segments of the global cell lysis/cell fractionation market, North America holds the largest share, driven by the surging government funding in most countries and the rise of the aging population. This region is anticipated to retain its lead throughout the forecast period. Asia Pacific, on the other hand, is projected to witness the fastest growth in the coming years, particularly in India and China. Europe is also a strong contender in the cell lysis/cell fractionation market.The most prominent players operating in the global cell lysis/cell fractionation market include Beckman Coulter, Inc., Qiagen N.V., Merck KGAA, Miltenyi Biotec, Cell Signaling Technology, Inc., Qsonica, LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc., Roche Diagnostics, Becton, Dickinson and Company, and Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc.Request a brochure of this report to know what opportunities will emerge in the rapidly evolving Cell Lysis/Cell Fractionation Market during 2016- 2024About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA  Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
GFCI (Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter) Market Research Report by Technological Development, Applications and Forecast 2025

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Ground fault generally occurs when a current carrying conductor comes in contact with a ground causing leakage. A ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) protects a person from getting severe shock who unintentionally becomes a part of the electric path between source and the ground surface. GFCIs helps to prevent deadly sock by quickly shutting off the power to the circuit if electricity flowing into the circuit differs by even slight amount from that returning, signifying a leakage.Increasing adoption of GFCIs in place of conventional receptacle in order to provide protection to anyone against short circuit or electrocutions who plugs an electrical device into an electrical system is the primary factor predicted to accelerate the demand of GFCIs across various residential and commercial applications. In addition, initiatives taken by government to encourage installation of GFCIs in order to provide protection against severe electrocution hazards across various residential sectors including bathroom, hot tubs, pump room and garages among others is also anticipated to drive the market growth of GFCIs during the forecast period from 2017 to 2025.GFCIs also helps prevent electrical fires and reduces the harshness of other fires by interrupting the current flow in a circuit. In many cases, GFCIs and AFCIs can be installed collectively to provide the most advanced protection technology to a circuit.Obtain Report Details @For the purpose of providing a comprehensive and detailed analysis of the market, the global Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter Market has been segmented into product type and end user. Information related to different types of GFCI available in market including receptacle-type, temporary and portable. In addition, data related to demand of GFCI across various application in residential and commercial sectors is also provided in this report. Furthermore, current market condition along with future anticipated demand trend of the above mentioned segments including end user and product type across different regions including Europe, Asia Pacific, North America, Middle-East and Africa (MEA) and Latin America is also highlighted in this report.Rising safety awareness among the consumers towards protection of electrical appliances from electrical fire hazard and to prevent against electrocution is one of the most important factor anticipated to boost the adoption rate of ground fault circuit interrupter at an extensive rate during the forecast period from 2017 to 2025. ESFI (Electrical Safety Foundation International) is entirely dedicated towards encouraging electrical safety at commercial and residential areas.In the last few years, EFCI has been dedicatedly organizing a National Electrical Safety Month across different places including school, communities and workplace environments for generating consciousness among the people towards various electrical safety measures. Every year, approximately 15 percent of electrocutions are caused globally due to malfunctioning of electrical circuit. This in turn is predicted to accelerate the demand of GFCIs in the coming years. In addition, extensive grid modernization activity taking place across various commercial and residential sectors in order to replace the old age circuit is also expected to provide a better opportunity for different GFCI manufacturers in the near future.Get accurate market forecast and analysis on the GFCI (Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter) Market. Request a sample to stay abreast on the key trends impacting this marketGeographically, the global Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter Market is anticipated to be majorly driven by North America in terms of market share holding and is expected to maintain its dominating position in the coming years. On the other hand, demand for GFCI in Asia Pacific region is predicted to experience a rapid growth rate in the coming years and is expected to increase its market penetration during the forecast period from 2017 to 2025. Increasing demand for effective and efficient electrical load management system form the rapidly growing industrial sector is the primary factor responsible for the growing demand of GFCIs in this region.Some of the major players operating in the global Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter Market includes Eaton (Republic of Ireland), Hubbell Wiring Device-Kellems (The U.S), Leviton (The U.S) and ABB (Switzerland) among others.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. We have an experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, who us e proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Each TMR Syndicated Research report covers a different sector  such as pharmaceuticals, chemical, energy, food & beverages, semiconductors, med-devices, consumer goods and technology. These reports provide in-depth analysis and deep segmentation to possible micro levels. With wider scope and stratified research methodology, our syndicated reports thrive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement.ContactTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA  Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Flame Detectors Market: : Key Players and Production Information analysis with Forecast 2025

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A flame detector is a type of sensor, which is primarily designed to identify, detect, and respond to the presence of a fire or flame. Installation of the flame detectors plays an important role in the whole process of detecting a flame of fire. After detecting the fire or flame, the detector primarily sounds an alarm, deactivates the fuel line, and also activates the fire suppression system. Flame detectors are much faster and detect a fire or flame more accuratelythan a heat or smoke detector duet the mechanisms it applies to detect the fire. In terms of product type, the global flame detectors market can be segmented into single IR, single UV, dual UV / IR, triple IR, and multi IR.In terms of service type, the market for flame detectors can be segmented into design and installation service, engineering service, maintenance service, and inspection service. In terms of end-use industry, the flame detectors market can be segmented into power and energy, consumer goods, healthcare, logistics and transportation, oil and gas, defense and aerospace, mining, and automotive. In terms of geography, the market for flame detectors can be segmented into Asia Pacific, Europe, North America, Latin America, and Middle East &Africa.Single UV flame detectors are widely used in the manufacturing and oil &gas industries. This particular type of fire or flame detector primarily identifies and detects the intensity of the radiation emitted at the time of ignition.Scanners for monitoring the condition of a flame in a burner along with the detectors in fire alarm systems, which detect fire; both are different categories of flame detectors. Growing popularity and adoption rate of flame detectors in different industries, which includes mining, oil and gas, manufacturing, transportation, and retail, are considered as key drivers for the market.Obtain Report Details @Domestic heating system, industrial drying and heating system, and gas fueled cookers are major application areas of flame detectors. Government policies, and regulations and norms for workplace safety are major factors boosting the expansion of the flame detectors market. Increasing installation of flame detectors across factories, companies, and enterprises is another key driver for the market. High installation and maintenance cost along with shorter lifecycle of flame detectors are some restraints on the market, which are anticipated to hinder the expansion of the market during the forecast period. However, applications in the paper and printing industry are one of the opportunities for the market.In terms of revenue, Asia Pacific led the flame detectors market in 2016. North America and Europe followed Asia Pacific in terms of revenue share in the global market. China is the leading contributor to the Asia Pacific market due to its technological advancement in the field of flame detectors. India, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan follow China in terms of market share in Asia Pacific.Get accurate market forecast and analysis on the Flame Detectors Market. Request a sample to stay abreast on the key trends impacting this marketThe U.S. is dominated the market or flame detectors, followed by Canada and Mexico in 2016. Germany, the U.K., Italy and France are holding prominent positions in the flame detectors market across Europe. The UAE, South Africa, Brazil and Argentina among others are dominating the market for flame detectors across Middle East and Africa and South America. Growing industrialization and increasing adoption rate of flame detectors across different manufacturing factories and the oil and gas sector are major factors fuelling the expansion of the Middle East & Africa and Latin America markets.Geographical expansions and establishing partnership agreements with other companies are key strategies adopted by companies in order to strengthen their presence worldwide. Prominent players operating in the global flame detectors market include Honeywell International Inc. (The U.S.), Robert Bosch GmbH (Germany), Siemens AG (Germany), Tyco International PLC (Ireland), Emerson Electric Co. (The U.S.), Johnson Controls (The U.S.), and MSA Advanced Detection, LLC (The U.S).About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. We have an experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, who us e proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Each TMR Syndicated Research report covers a different sector  such as pharmaceuticals, chemical, energy, food & beverages, semiconductors, med-devices, consumer goods and technology. These reports provide in-depth analysis and deep segmentation to possible micro levels. With wider scope and stratified research methodology, our syndicated reports thrive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement.ContactTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA  Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
MES Software Market Technological breakthroughs By 2025

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Manufacturing execution system also known as MES is a computerized control system that is used for managing, tracking and monitoring the work-in-progress or process on a factory floor documenting the raw material transformation to finished goods. Information provided by MES helps the decision makers to understand conditions on the plant floor for optimizing production output.It tracks all the real time manufacturing information that includes receiving minute data from robots, machine, support services and employees controlling multiple elements of the production process. MES combines multiple functional areas such as management of product life cycle, scheduling of resources, order execution and dispatch, analysis of production along with monitoring of overall equipment effectiveness.Although these systems are primarily used for operating as standalone systems, they are also increasingly being integrated with enterprise resource planning software suites to improve production and reduce total cycle time to produce an order. This integration allows factory managers to ensure timely delivery of quality products in a cost-effective manner.Obtain Report Details:These are especially important for the regulated industries where documentation and proof related to processes, events or actions may be required. The global market for MES software market has been segmented into deployment type, offering, end use industry and geography among others. Based on deployment type, this market has been segmented into on-premises, on-demand and hybrid.This market has been further segmented on the basis of offering that includes software and services. Different end use industries are also considered under the scope of this report comprising of food & beverages, pharmaceutical and life sciences, oil & gas, chemical, energy & power, pulp & paper, automotive, aerospace & defense and water & waste water management among others.The global manufacturing execution system software market based on geography has been segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America and Middle East and Africa.Reducing scrap and waste time, increasing uptime along with lowered inventory costs making the process more cost effective has been some of the primary reasons that has positively driven the market demand for global MES market. With MES, costs are recorded in real-time from the production floor.Management teams use this data for evaluation of unprofitable business models as well as pricing new work enabling companies to increase productivity across its production facilities. Storage of inventory surplus by companies costs a huge amount of money besides the extra cost incurred through transportation, storing and monitoring of finished goods.MES improves the efficiency of the facility by accurately recording production, usage and personnel time by maintaining precision further saving huge costs for the money. All these have acted as important drivers for this market boosting the overall demand. Along with this, there are also certain restraints associated with the implementation of this MES software.One such factor being the business transformational change associated with implementation of MES in an organization. Discrepancies regarding participation of all stakeholders within the company also acts as another major restraint for this market. Although there are different drivers and restraints still new opportunities in the cloud based MES is likely to grow in the next few years.North America followed by Europe has been some major regions contributing to the growth of this market geographically. Cost effectiveness along with tracking of real time data especially in the process industries such as waste water management has been some of the major factors contributing to the growth of this market.Get accurate market forecast and analysis on the MES Software Market. Request a sample to stay abreast on the key trends impacting this market.Asia Pacific is expected to grow the fastest among all other regions with China, India and Japan being some of the major countries. Automation, saving inventory time along with timely delivery of products to manage costs has been a few key factors to promote growth in Asia Pacific region.ABB Ltd. (Switzerland), Rockwell Automation (U.S.), Siemens AG (Germany), Emerson Electric Co. (The U.S.), SAP SE (Germany), Werum It Solutions GmbH (Germany), Honeywell International, Inc. (U.S.), Schneider Electric SE (France), Dassault Systemes (France) and General Electric Company (U.S.) are a few key companies that are present in the market and contributed to the overall growth globally.The report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the market. It does so via in-depth qualitative insights, historical data, and verifiable projections about market size. The projections featured in the report have been derived using proven research methodologies and assumptions.About TMRTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.TMRs data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With extensive research and analysis capabilities, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques to develop distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.Contact TMR90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email:sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Fingerprint Scanner Market: Advanced technologies & growth opportunities in global Industry by 2025

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Fingerprint scanners are a type of biometric system which uses stored information about a persons unique fingerprint traits for authentication purposes and to provide access to a system. These scanners are widely used across various end-user segments including consumer electronics, commercial, health care, and defense. The global fingerprint scanner market is expected to witness robust growth from 2017 to 2025 owing to the products high accuracy and low cost. The significant adoption of fingerprint scanners in cloud computing along with their extensive use in smartphones are likely to boost the demand for them in the next few years. In addition, fingerprint scanner have significant application in online payment transaction and in smartphone applications.The global fingerprint scanner market is predicted to expand rapidly during the forecast period due to the emerging trend of the single sign-in system which helps the user to log on to his or her computer with a single touch of the finger rather than having to use a password or login ID every time. It provides security; eliminates the use of patterns, PIN codes, and passwords; and reduces threats related to stealing, hacking, and misuse of data. The emergence of mobile commerce is another important factor anticipated to drive the market for fingerprint scanners during the forecast period. The product offers advanced security in banking and other payment applications for mobile users. Mobile payments are increasing gradually with more people transferring money and shopping on phones. For instance, application such as Apple Pay and Samsung Pay are likely to drive the fingerprint scanner market.Obtain Report Details @Despite the multiple drivers, the lack of awareness among users regarding security issues and absence of standardization in the process of implementation & development of the technology are projected to lower its adoption rate during the forecast period.The global fingerprint scanner market is classified on the basis of type into the swipe and area & touch varieties. The latter is estimated to expand at a high rate during the forecast period as it is preferred by several OEMs due to its accuracy, smaller size, and convenience. Based on technology, the fingerprint scanner market is categorized into the capacitive & RF capacitive sensing, optical sensing, and others segments. The capacitive & RF capacitive sensing technology is predicted to dominate the market during the forecast period due to its compactness and high accuracy. Based on end-user, the fingerprint sensor market is divided into the following categories: consumer electronics, aerospace & defense, immigration, banking & finance, health care, and others. The rising demand for consumer electronics is expected to drive this segment during the forecast period besides the increasing use of fingerprint sensors in laptops, tablets, and smartphones.Get accurate market forecast and analysis on the Fingerprint Scanner Market. Request a sample to stay abreast on the key trends impacting this marketIn terms of geography, the global fingerprint scanner market has been distributed over North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa. North America held a major share in the fingerprint scanner market in 2016. The market in Asia Pacific is predicted to display growth during the forecast period due to the burgeoning consumer electronics sector in the region. The government here has started taking the initiative to implement biometric systems due to security concerns. In October 2016, Japans Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry planned to test cashless payment using the fingerprint technology to make transactions easier and safer for tourists. These are the primary propellants of the market in this region.Key players operating in the global fingerprint scanner market include Apple Inc. (The U.S), Synaptics Inc. (The U.S), Goodix Ltd. (China), NEC Corporation (Japan), and Thales SA. (France), BioEnable Technologies Pvt Ltd. (India), SecuGen Corporation (The U.S), HID Global (The U.S), Fingerprint Cards AB (Sweden) among others.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. We have an experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, who us e proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Each TMR Syndicated Research report covers a different sector  such as pharmaceuticals, chemical, energy, food & beverages, semiconductors, med-devices, consumer goods and technology. These reports provide in-depth analysis and deep segmentation to possible micro levels. With wider scope and stratified research methodology, our syndicated reports thrive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement.ContactTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA  Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Electro-Optic Modulators Market: Emergence of advanced technologies and global industry analysis

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Electro-optic modulator (EOM) is an optical device in which a signal-controlled component exhibiting the electro-optic effect is applied to alter a beam of light. In addition, the modulation may be imposed on the frequency, phase, and polarization or amplitude of the beam. The market for electro-optic modulators is segmented on the basis of type which includesfree-space modulators, phase and intensity modulators, liquid crystal modulators, analog modulators phase modulators, amplitude modulators and polarization modulators among others. The market is segmented on the basis of application which includes imaging and data recorders, polarization rotators, disk recorders and thermally compensated devices among others. The market for electro-optic modulators has been segmented geographically into Asia Pacific, Europe, North America, South America and Middle East and Africa.Electro-optic modulator is a device which is used for controlling the phase, polarization and power of a laser beam with an electrical control signal. It primarily consistsof one or two pockels cells, and additional optical elements like polarizers. Phase modulators are one of the most common kinds of electro-optic modulators. It has wide range of applications for instance stabilizing as well as monitoring a resonance frequency of an optical resonator.High end electronic devices are one of the major application areas of electro-optic modulators. Modulating the power of a laser beam as well as frequency stabilization of laser are some of the major application field of electro-optic modulators market.Obtain Report Details @Increasing demand for advanced and advanced devices is acting as a major driver for the electro-optic modulators market globally. Moreover, electro-optic modulators have applications in data and imaging recorders. Research and development applications for instancebroadband optical feedback loops for plasma noise reduction of argon and dye lasers used in Raman spectroscopy, polarization rotators in high-speed ellipsometry and high-speed pulse from a modelocked train is contributing in the positive development of the market. There are some of the design related limitations of the electro-optic modulators which may inhibit the growth of the market over the forecast period. However, increasing application of electro-optic modulators in research equipment is considered as one of the prime opportunities for the market.In 2016, North America is leading the market for electro-optic modulators in terms of revenue, followed by Europe and Europe globally. The U.S. is dominating the market for electro-optic modulators, followed by Canada and Mexico.Germany, the U.K., Italy and France accounted for the prominent positions in the electro-optic modulators market across Europe. China is leading the market owing to its technological advancement in the field of high speed data recording andlaser printing, followed by India, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan among others. Rapid industrialization is one of the major push factor the electro-optic modulators market. The U.A.E, South Africa and Brazil among others are contributing positive share in the growth of electro-optic modulators market across Middle East and Africa and South America.Get accurate market forecast and analysis on the Electro-Optic Modulators Market. Request a sample to stay abreast on the key trends impacting this marketQubig GmbH (Germany), Newport Corporation (The U.S.), Thorlabs, Inc. (The U.S.), Conoptics Inc. (The U.S.), Schafter + Kirchhoff GmbH (Germany), APE Angewandte Physik & Elektronik GmbH (Germany), Gleam Optics Inc. (Canada) and Felles Photonic Instruments Ltd. (China) among others is some of the major companies operating in the electro-optic modulators market. Expanding business by opening new sales offices in different geographic locations is one of the major business strategy adopted by the leading players. Focusing on the sales and distribution channels along with increasing the product offering keeping in mind the customers demand are some of the other strategies adopted by the companies. Apart from all these, new product development, upgrading features of the already existing products and establishing partnership agreements are also some of the business strategies of the companies.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. We have an experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, who us e proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Each TMR Syndicated Research report covers a different sector  such as pharmaceuticals, chemical, energy, food & beverages, semiconductors, med-devices, consumer goods and technology. These reports provide in-depth analysis and deep segmentation to possible micro levels. With wider scope and stratified research methodology, our syndicated reports thrive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement.ContactTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA  Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
EEG and ECG Biometrics Market: Current trends, Opportunities, Challenges and Forecast by 2025

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An electrocardiogram (ECG) is a diagnostic tool that analyses the activity of an individuals heart. ECG combined with biometric solution is used for authentication purposes as every individual have different cardiac muscle movement and resultant electrical activity. The electroencephalogram (EEG) biometric technology is used to record and measure electrical activity of the brain which is also saved for authentication purposes. The EEG and ECG biometrics help to identify the individuals on the basis of their behavioral traits. It forms an additional layer of security to access data since this kind of technology cannot be impersonated as of now. The global EEG and ECG biometrics market is expected to experience a fast growth rate during the forecast period from 2016 to 2025 due to its increasing adoption in the healthcare sector, government, banking and financial for securing confidential information of individual.The global EEG and ECG biometrics market is expected to witness a progressive growth in the coming years due to rapid adoption of multimodal biometrics in industries such as insurance, banking, healthcare, airport and others. These multimodal biometrics require a combination of two or more biometrics that would help prevent unauthorized access to database of mobile devices or different databases. The EEG and ECG biometrics help in securing the online and offline applications and organizations are assured to get accurate results. For instance, EEG and ECG biometrics are used at various airports to restrict the entry at sensitive areas only to authorized personnel.Obtain Report Details @However, in spite of these factors, the high initial cost of EEG and ECG biometrics is anticipated to hinder the growth of the market at present. In addition the strong competition from biometric is likely to hinder the growth of EEG and ECG biometrics market.For the purpose of providing detailed research report, the global EEG and ECG biometrics market is classified on the basis of component and end user. On the basis of component, the EEG and ECG biometrics market is segmented into scanners, hardware, software, sensors and integrated solutions. In 2016, scanner held the largest market share due to easy installation process and easy to use. By end user, the EEG and ECG biometrics market is segmented into healthcare, government, banking and financial and others. The healthcare segment is expected to dominate the market during the forecast period for implementing improved security of crucial data like doctors diagnoses and patients information. This is also being used for patient and staff verification. In addition, due to the increase in number of cyber-attacks and terrorist attacks the government is installing stronger security measures for the identification of the individuals. The EEG and ECG biometrics would also help to reduce the chances of theft of critical data from government departments like law enforcement, defense, intelligence and others.Get accurate market forecast and analysis on the EEG and ECG Biometrics Market. Request a sample to stay abreast on the key trends impacting this marketGeographically, the global EEG and ECG biometrics market has been further segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America and Middle East and Africa. North America held the largest share of the EEG and ECG biometrics market in 2016 and is expected to lead the market throughout the forecast period. The EEG and ECG biometrics market of North America is majorly driven owing to wide concentration of the key EEG and ECG biometrics manufacturers in this region. Moreover, the increased awareness of the benefits that are offered by EEG and ECG biometrics has led to the adoption of this EEG and ECG biometrics not only in the healthcare segment but also in other industries as well.Some of the key vendors operating in the global EEG and ECG biometrics market includesiMotions (Europe), Neurokai (Spain), NeuroSky (The U.S.), Nymi (Canada), Interactive Video Productions (New Jersey), B-secur (The U.K.), and many more.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. We have an experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, who us e proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Each TMR Syndicated Research report covers a different sector  such as pharmaceuticals, chemical, energy, food & beverages, semiconductors, med-devices, consumer goods and technology. These reports provide in-depth analysis and deep segmentation to possible micro levels. With wider scope and stratified research methodology, our syndicated reports thrive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement.ContactTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA  Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Continuous Flow Cryostat Systems Market Will Reflect Significant Growth Prospects by 2025

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Continuous flow cryostat is a low vibration system which is designed for the purpose of usage in imaging, microscopy, and high spatial resolution photoluminescence. With the nominal vibration amplitude of around +/-25 nm and having a positional drift of around +/-50 nm, thecontinuous flow cryostat provides a temperature ranging between 3.5 to 325 K and the ability to operate with either helium or nitrogen in any direction.The growth of continuous flow cryostat systems market is highly reliant on the growth of healthcare equipment market globally.For purpose of in depth analysis, the continuous flow cryostat systems market has been segmented on the basis of component, applications andgeography. Based on the component, the market has been segmented mainly into seven types they are like transfer tube, dewar , gas flow pump, temperature controller ,high vacuum pump, micro time blade and others.Various types of applications of continuous flow cryostat systems includes application in healthcare ;which has been further divided into segments like MRI, exploratory surgery, frozen tissue sectioning, other applications include energy & power, aerospace, metallurgy, biotechnology, forensic science, marine biology among others. Moreover, this report also provide cross functional analysis of all the above mentioned segment across different regions such as Europe, North America, Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa and Latin America.Obtain Report Details @Continuously growing application of continuous flow cryostat systems in high resolution spectrograph and multiple detector system is a key growth driver for continuous flow cryostat systems market. Nominal temperature stability with faster cool down time of continuous flow cryostat systems is a major driver for the growth of this market .Therefore, the nominal cryogen consumption rate and wider temperature range of continuous flow cryostat systems is also acting as a main growth for this market during the forecast period from 2017 to 2025. In addition, no requirement of vacuum pumps and easy adoption to a He recovery system is also anticipated to increase the demand of cryostat in the upcoming years. In turn this is also projected to affect the market of continuous flow cryostat systemsin a positive manner during the forecast period.Inspite of many driving factors, the continuous flow cryostat systemsmarket is expected to show a shrink and fluctuation in growth rate because of high input power consumption of the cryostat. Instability of the temperature and limited time of operations are restraining factors for the global continuous flow cryostat systems market. The growing demand for cryogenic systems for aerospaceindustryis going to create significant opportunity for continuous flow cryostat systems in coming yearsApart from that the growth of usage of continuous flow cryostat systems for cooling infrared sensor in various healthcare machine, in research center and in the energy & power sector is also acting as an opportunity factor for the continuous flow cryostat systems market in the forecast period from 2017-2025.Get accurate market forecast and analysis on the Continuous Flow Cryostat Systems Market. Request a sample to stay abreast on the key trends impacting this marketBy application, the healthcare segment held the largest market share because of the growing usage of cryostat in MRI, frozen tissue section and in spectroscopy. Healthcare application is projected to achieve steady growth during the forecast period. Nominal temperature stability with faster cool down time of continuous flow cryostat system makes it the most appropriate choice for various end user applications.Geographically, the global continuous flow cryostat systems market is mainly driven by North America region. Growing demand of cryostats in very low-temperature physics experiment du to their simple operation is driving the cryostat market in North America. Asia Pacific region is expected to grow at the highest rate during the forecast period owingto the presence of huge number of cryostat manufacturers in countries like China and Japan among others.Some of the leading players operating in the continuous flow cryostat systems market includes Leica Biosystems(Germany),SLEE Medical (Germany),Cryomech, Inc. (The U.S.),Thermo Fisher (The U.S.) ,Janis Research (The U.S.) and Bright Instruments (The U.K.),Amos Scientific (Australia) among others.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. We have an experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, who us e proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Each TMR Syndicated Research report covers a different sector  such as pharmaceuticals, chemical, energy, food & beverages, semiconductors, med-devices, consumer goods and technology. These reports provide in-depth analysis and deep segmentation to possible micro levels. With wider scope and stratified research methodology, our syndicated reports thrive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement.ContactTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA  Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Catalytic Bead Sensor Market: Key Players Focus on Evolving market Trends and Dynamics 2025

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The catalytic bead sensor is a kind of sensor which is primarily employed for combustible gas identification and detection. The catalytic bead sensor contains two fine platinum wire coils, each embedded in a bead of alumina. It is connected electrically in a Wheatstone bridge circuit. The catalytic-type bead gas sensor primarily contains two elements, viz. a detector element, which contains catalytic material and is sensitive to combustible gases, and a compensator element, which is inert. In terms of gas type, the global catalytic bead sensor market can be segmented into carbon dioxide, oxygen, carbon monoxide, ammonia, nitrogen oxide, chlorine, and hydrogen sulfide. In terms of end-use industry, the market can be segmented into water and wastewater treatment, metal, mining, oil & gas, automotive, medical, environmental monitoring, and industrial. In terms of geography, the market for catalytic bead sensor has been segmented into Asia Pacific, Europe, North America, Latin America, and Middle East &Africa.Increasing concern toward workplace safety along with increasingly stringent government rules, norms, and regulations for workplace safety monitoring are major factors driving the increasing demand for catalytic bead gas sensors globally. In order to avoid any kind of gas related hazards in the industrial setups is rising the installation of the catalytic bead gas sensors for environment monitoring and it is considered as one of the growth driving factors for the market. Increasing installation of catalytic bead gas sensors in industrial setups to avoid any gas-related hazards and for environment monitoring is a key factor driving the catalytic bead sensor market.Obtain Report Details @Increasing adoption of gas sensors across the water and wastewater treatment and oil & gas industries is also fueling the demand for catalytic bead sensors globally. Moreover, increasing awareness and demand for catalytic bead gas sensors across developing countries such as India and China is also a factor boosting the expansion of the market. Complexities related to the high design sensitivity such as applied voltage, operating temperature, environmental conditions, and storage conditions are some restraining factors for the market, which are likely to hinder the expansion of the catalytic bead sensor market during the forecast period. However, with increasing research activities in this field and the application of catalytic bead gas sensors across consumer electronics such as smartphone, tablets, and other gadgets are major opportunities for the market.In terms of revenue, North America led the global catalytic bead sensor market in 2016. Asia Pacific and Europe followed North America in terms of revenue share in 2016. The U.S. dominated the market for catalytic bead sensors, followed by Canada and Mexico. Rising demand for low-cost and reliable gas sensors is fueling the expansion of the market for catalytic bead gas sensors across North America China is leading the Asia Pacific market due to its technological advancement in the field of gas sensors, followed by India, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan. Germany, the U.K., Italy, and France accounted for the prominent positions in the catalytic bead sensor market across Europe. The UAE, South Africa, Brazil, and Argentina are dominating the markets for catalytic bead sensors across Middle East & Africa and Latin America. Increasing advancement in the water and wastewater and automotive sectors is a major factor propelling the rising application of catalytic bead sensors across the Middle East and Latin America.Get accurate market forecast and analysis on the Catalytic Bead Sensor Market. Request a sample to stay abreast on the key trends impacting this marketNew product innovation, geographical expansion through establishing new sales offices along with increasing sales and distribution channels in different countries are major business strategies adopted by companies across the catalytic bead sensor market globally. Key players operating in the global catalytic bead sensor market include Dynament Ltd.(U.K.), City Technology Ltd (U.K.), Membrapor AG (Switzerland), Bosch Sensortec GmbH (Germany), Alphasense (U.K.), Amphenol Advanced Sensors (U.S.), ams AG (Austria), FIGARO Engineering Inc. (Japan),MSA (U.S.), Sensirion AG (Switzerland), Cambridge CMOS sensors (U.K.), and SenseAir AB (Sweden).About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. We have an experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, who us e proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Each TMR Syndicated Research report covers a different sector  such as pharmaceuticals, chemical, energy, food & beverages, semiconductors, med-devices, consumer goods and technology. These reports provide in-depth analysis and deep segmentation to possible micro levels. With wider scope and stratified research methodology, our syndicated reports thrive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement.ContactTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA  Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Tilt Sensor Market Technological breakthroughs By 2025

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Tilt sensor primarily measures the tilting in two axes of a reference plane. Primarily tilt sensors are used for indicating roll and pitch of vehicles, aircraft, and sail boats. Moreover, it also helps in monitoring the boom angle of material handlers and cranes. Tilt sensors are also employed for measuring the height of polls and trees.Tilt sensors are utilized for the measurement of angles, primarily in reference to gravity. In terms of material type, the tilt sensor market can be segmented into metal tilt sensors and non-metal tilt sensors.In terms of technology, the market can be segmented into MEMS technology, force balance technology, and fluid filled technology. In terms of end-use industry, the market for tilt sensor can be segmented into aerospace and defense, mining and construction, automotive and transportation, and telecommunications. In terms of geography, the market for tilt sensor can be segmented into Asia Pacific, Europe, North America, Latin America, and Middle East &Africa.Obtain Report Details:The non-metal segment leads the market for tilt sensors globally in 2016 due to the increasing adoption of plastic housing material in different end-use industries. However, nylon and ceramic are major non-metallic tilt sensors which have wide range of applications in different industries.Moreover, the MEMS technology tilt sensor segment is anticipated to expand significantly during the forecast period due to its cost-effectiveness and small size. The mining and construction segment lead the market for tilt sensors in terms of end-use industry. These tilt sensors have a wide range of applications in mining and construction machines and equipment.Measuring the angle of drilling is another major driving factor for the tilt sensors in the construction industry. Additionally, the automotive and transportation segment is anticipated to see highest growth rate in terms of adopting tilt sensors. Automobile security systems along with wheel alignment systems are two key application fields of tilt sensors in the automotive industry.Force balance technology based tilt sensors are expensive, which is a restraining factor for the market. Application areas of tilt sensors are increasing due to rising research activities, which is a major opportunity for the market.In terms of revenue, Asia Pacific is leading the global tilt sensor market in 2016. North America and Europe follow Asia Pacific in terms of revenue share. China is leading the market in Asia Pacific due to its technological advancement in the field of tilt sensors. Japan, India, South Korea and Taiwan among others are some of the major countries contributing in the positive development of the market for tilt sensors.Increasing number of prominent aerospace and defense, mining and construction along with automotive and transportation companies is boosting the market for tilt sensor across Asia Pacific. Moreover, expansion of the semiconductor industry is also fuelling the demand for tilt sensors across Asia Pacific.In North America, the U.S. is leading the market for tilt sensors, followed by Canada and Mexico. Germany, the U.K., Italy and France contributed prominent shares in the tilt sensors market in terms of revenue across Europe. The UAE, South Africa, Brazil and Argentina among others are dominating the markets for tilt sensor across Middle East &Africa and Latin America.Get accurate market forecast and analysis on the Tilt Sensor Market. Request a sample to stay abreast on the key trends impacting this market.Strategic partnership agreements with other companies along with new product development with added features and advanced technologies are key business strategies practiced by major companies operating in the tilt sensors market globally.Prominent players operating in the global tilt sensor market include Sick AG (Germany),TE Connectivity Ltd. (Switzerland), IFM Electronic GmbH (Germany), Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd. (Japan), Level Developments Ltd (U.K.), Pepperl+Fuchs Vertrieb GmbH & Co. Kg (Germany), Jewell Instruments LLC (The U.S.), Balluff (Germany), DIS Sensors Bv (The Netherlands), and The Fredericks Company (The U.S.).The report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the market. It does so via in-depth qualitative insights, historical data, and verifiable projections about market size. The projections featured in the report have been derived using proven research methodologies and assumptions.About TMRTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.TMRs data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With extensive research and analysis capabilities, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques to develop distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.Contact TMR90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email:sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
ATCA CPU Blade Market: Key Trends, Industry Opportunities And Projections for Upcoming Years 2025

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Advanced Telecommunication Computing Architecture (ATCA) is an industry standard specification which is developed by PCI Industrial Computer Manufacturers Group (PICMG) for next generation computer equipment. ATCA CPU blade incorporates next generation processors, high speed interconnect technologies and reliability. ATCA CPU blade is an emerging trend as it supports wide range of products and is also cost efficient. In addition, ATCA CPU blade is widely used in open standard for telecommunication infrastructure which helps to provide a sophisticated management architecture.The global ATCA CPU blade market is predicted to experience the fastest growth during the forecast period owing to its increasing application across various defense and aerospace application. An ATCA CPU blade system helps in facilitating higher performance per watt, making it suitable for defense and aerospace application. It provides reliability and focuses on the new network centric warfare approach instead of the traditional war machines. Moreover, another key factor that is driving the growth of ATCA CPU blade market is its increasing adoption in mobile data. Various network operator are developing wireless and sophisticated wired network and devices like ATCA CPU blades to provide proper quality of data services and increase in data consumption. ATCA CPU blade offers the network operators with a platform that will minimize its capital expenditure due to the effective deployment of VoLTE services. ATCA CPU blade also helps in providing synchronized and personalized data rich mobile application for the customers.Obtain Report Details @However, in spite of so many driving factors high cost of implementations and technological limitations of ATCA CPU blade is expected to inhibit its adoption rate to some extent during the forecast period. ATCA CPU blade is comparatively more expensive than the motherboard based systems. In addition, motherboards are widely adopted in the telecom and data center industry owing to the fact that they are cost effective. This is expected to hinder the growth of ATCA CPU blade market.To provide detailed research report, the global ATCA CPU blade market is classified on the basis of end user. Based on end user, the market is segmented into communication and network infrastructure, transportation, defense and aerospace, healthcare, industrial and others. The communication and network segment is expected to dominate the market throughout the forecast period owing to rapid increase in LTE infrastructure. In addition, the surge and availability of inexpensive 3G and 4G enabled phone coupled with increasing demand for data and video services are expected to boost the growth of ATCA CPU blade market.Get accurate market forecast and analysis on the ATCA CPU Blade Market. Request a sample to stay abreast on the key trends impacting this marketBased on geography, the global ATCA CPU Blade market has been segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America and Middle East and Africa. Asia Pacific held the largest share of the ATCA CPU Blade market among the different regions in 2016 due to the growing network infrastructure. The growth of this region is mainly driven by high mobile traffic data in countries such as China, Japan, South Korea and India. In addition, factors like increasing penetration of broadband network, mobile based internet access, cloud based service adoption and the presence of competitive business environment is encouraging the enterprises in this region to adopt the use of ATCA CPU blade. The ATCA CPU Blade market of North America is majorly driven by wide concentration of the key players of ATCA CPU Blade manufacturers in this region that are involved in continuous research and development for the improvement activities of the product.Some of the major players operating in the global ATCA CPU Blade market includes ADLINK Technology Inc. (Taiwan), Emerson Network Power (The U.S.), Kontron Ag (Germany), RadiSys Corp.(The U.S), Artesyn Embedded Technologies (The U.S), Mercury Computer Systems (The U.S) among others.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. We have an experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, who us e proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Each TMR Syndicated Research report covers a different sector  such as pharmaceuticals, chemical, energy, food & beverages, semiconductors, med-devices, consumer goods and technology. These reports provide in-depth analysis and deep segmentation to possible micro levels. With wider scope and stratified research methodology, our syndicated reports thrive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement.ContactTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA  Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Advanced (Carbon Dioxide) CO2 Sensors Market: Advanced technologies & growth opportunities in global Industry by 2025

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Advanced CO2 sensors can adjust automatically to the change in humidity, temperature and altitude during the process of monitoring the presence and intensity of CO2 across different medium such as water and air. Increased emission of hazardous gases from various industrial sector is one of the most important factor anticipated to boost the demand of technologically advanced CO2 across the globe. Thus, in order to effectively measure and monitor the presence of CO2 in the atmosphere, CO2 sensors are increasingly used in air pollution measuring system. Increasing concern of various industrial sectors in respect of keeping a control on their CO2 emission is one of the most important factor anticipated to trigger the adoption rate of advanced CO2 sensor during the forecast period from 2017 to 2025. In addition, the rapid increase in the amount of industrial waste have resulted in the pollution of water bodies with contagious substances and toxic. The traditional CO2 sensors that are available in the market are not capable enough to track the composition of CO2 in the contaminated water. This in turn, leads to rising demand for advanced CO2 sensors that can be used underwater to measure and keep a track of the CO2 level and other gases present in the water body.For the purpose of providing a detailed analysis of the market, the global CO2 sensor market has been segmented on the basis of product type and end user. On the basis of product type, advanced CO2 sensor market is segmented into non-dispersive infrared (NDIR) CO2 sensors and chemical CO2 sensors. The NDIR CO2 sensor is expected to account for the largest market share during the forecast period due to its stability, long life span, high humidity and dirt withstanding capability of infrared sensors. However, the disadvantage of NDIR CO2 sensors is that it is bulky and expensive. However, changes in the level of infrared energy in the system, light scattering from particulars and thermal drift are some of the measurement errors in the NDIR CO2 sensors. In spite of this, the market opportunities for this product lies in the fact that it is easy to use and is relatively simpler in structure.Obtain Report Details @Based on end user the advanced co2 sensors can be segmented into healthcare, automotive, petrochemical, building automation and domestic appliances, industrial and others. Building automation is expected to boost the growth of the market due to the increase in automation that have led to the increase in infrastructure. Due to the increase in the real estate industry, different indoor pollutants that comprises of volatile organic compound like paints, chemical uses and others that came forward. Though co2 is not a pollutant but it have an effect on human beings due to which they become sluggish and feel sleepy. Thus to overcome the above concern advanced co2 sensors is used that help in purifying the air and leads to proper ventilation. In addition the use of advanced co2 sensors in industrial sector to control pollution and measure co2 emission will help to widen the scope of the market.The global advanced CO2 sensors market is further segmented based on geography into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa, and Latin America. Middle East and Africa is expected to dominate the market in the forecast period followed by North America and Asia Pacific. The increasing utilization of advanced co2 sensors in the smart buildings is expected to fuel the growth of the market.Get accurate market forecast and analysis on the Advanced (Carbon Dioxide) CO2 Sensors Market. Request a sample to stay abreast on the key trends impacting this marketThe key vendors of advanced Co2 sensors market Amphenol Advanced Sensor (The U.S.), Digital Control Systems Inc. (The U.S.), Honeywell (The U.S.), Johnson Controls (The U.S.), General Electric (The U.S.), Pepperl+Fuchs GmbH (Germany), Sick AG (Germany), Hans Turck GmbH & Co. (Germany), Siemens (Germany), Balluff GmbH (Germany), Gas Sensing solutions (The U.K.) and many more. These players have adopted various strategies such as business expansion, new product launch, partnership and mergers to cater to the various need of advanced CO2 sensors.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. We have an experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, who us e proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Each TMR Syndicated Research report covers a different sector  such as pharmaceuticals, chemical, energy, food & beverages, semiconductors, med-devices, consumer goods and technology. These reports provide in-depth analysis and deep segmentation to possible micro levels. With wider scope and stratified research methodology, our syndicated reports thrive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement.ContactTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA  Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
3D AOI Systems Market Will Reflect Significant Growth Prospects by 2025

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3D aoi enables to measure the height of all parts on a PCB by the unique optical design. It will reduce the programming time of the inspection data and debugging. Also, inspections which were considered difficult like dry joint, shifted lead, lifted lead and the lifted micro chip can be easily done with very high accuracy.3D aoi can measure accurate height of parts by projecting the stripe pattern from the same point. Wherever this pattern hits the object, it will exactly measure the height.The growth of 3D aoi systems market is highly reliant on the growth of automotive and medical equipment market globally.For purpose of in depth analysis, the 3D aoi systems market has been segmented on the basis of inspection method, applications andgeography. Based on the inspection method, the market has been segmented into two types they are like laser measurement and 3D surface imaging by doing multi-frequency phase shifting. Various types of applications of 3D aoi systems includes application in aerospace & defense, automotive, consumer electronics, industrial electronics, medical devices and energy & power. Moreover, this report also provide cross functional analysis of all the above mentioned segment across different regions such as Europe, North America, Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa and Latin America.Obtain Report Details @The capability of inspecting the co-planarity of the components by using 3D aoi is one of the key growth drivers for this market .Detecting the lifted leads and reduction in the false call rate are few major factors driving the growth of 3D aoi systems market. Therefore, the growing need of aoi system in the production line of the surface mount technology is a key factor anticipated to catalyze the growth of 3D aoi systems market during the forecast period from 2017 to 2025. In addition, the usage of aoi for the purpose of detecting the surface feature defect like incorrect component, open circuit, short circuit, scratch and strain and incorrectly placed component is also anticipated to increase the demand of aoi in the upcoming years. In turn this is also projected to affect the market of 3D aoi in a positive manner during the forecast period.Inspite of many driving factors, the 3D aoi systems market is expected to show a shrink and fluctuation in growth rate because of theconventional image-based inspection method. False call rate of the imaging aoi and issues with the inspection algorithm the major restraining factors for the global 3D aoi systems market. The growing demand for simple image processing algorithm in the turbofan jet engine blade maintenance is going to create significant opportunity for 3D aoi system in coming years.Apart from that the growth of usage of aoi in the inspected components is also acting as an opportunity factor for the3D aoi systems market in the forecast period from 2017-2025.Get accurate market forecast and analysis on the 3D AOI Systems Market. Request a sample to stay abreast on the key trends impacting this marketBy application, the automotive type held the largest market share because ofthe increasing demand for the high-quality and high performance electronics component for safety-critical system like ADAS, braking system and the airbag. However, the applications in medical devices is projected to achieve high growth during the forecast period.Rise in the usage of electronic equipments in the patient monitoring devices like diagnostic device, cardiovascular device, and respiratory device is the key factor for the expected growth of 3D aoi for medical applications.Geographically, the global 3D aoi systems market is mainly driven by Asia Pacific region. Business friendly environment, low production and maintenance cost and low labor cost is driving the market of Asia Pacific region. Rapidly growing demand of portable devices which includes smartphone, tablet, laptop, and wearable device is predicted to fasten the demand of aoi, thereby expected to drive the 3D aoi systems market rapidly. North America is anticipated to be the fastest-growing market in the overall 3D aoi systems market during the forecast period from 2017-2025.Some of the leading players operating in the 3D aoi systems market includes Omron Corporation (Japan), Nordson Corporation ( The U.S.), Orbotech Ltd. (Israel), Koh Young Technology Inc. (South Korea), Viscom AG (Germany), Goepel Electronic GmbH(Germany), Camtek Ltd. (Israel), Mirtec Co., Ltd.(South Korea) and Saki Corporation (Japan) among others.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. We have an experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, who us e proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Each TMR Syndicated Research report covers a different sector  such as pharmaceuticals, chemical, energy, food & beverages, semiconductors, med-devices, consumer goods and technology. These reports provide in-depth analysis and deep segmentation to possible micro levels. With wider scope and stratified research methodology, our syndicated reports thrive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement.ContactTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA  Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Coal Fired Power Market Key Trends, Share, Growth Factors and Analysis 2016  2024

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Global Coal Fired Power Generation Market: SnapshotAs the production and distribution of coal has been increasing worldwide, the global market for coal fired power generation will gain traction over the forthcoming years. Several regions of the world have been witnessing a shortage of power, apart from the problem of interrupted supply of power. Even though non-conventional energy sources such as wind energy, solar energy and hydro energy are being adopted on a global scale, coal is still used by the majority of population located in the developing economies.Browse Coal Fired Power Generation Market Research Report:As coal fired power generation is easily available due to stable supply of raw materials, the demand for this technology is slated to grow at a considerable pace. Numerous industries including chemicals steel, and refining have been responsible for the escalating need for coal fired power generation, propelling the market. Numerous residential applications are also exhibiting growing demand for different varieties and grades of coal.The global market for coal fired power generation is expected to expand at a CAGR of 3.1% during the forecast period 2013-2019.Establishment of New Power Plants in Asia Pacific Promises GrowthBy region, the global market for coal fired power generation can be segmented into Asia Pacific, North America, Europe, and the Rest of the World (RoW). Asia Pacific is the region with optimal growth opportunities. Not only did Asia Pacific lead the market in 2012, holding a share of 56% of the global market for coal fired power generation, but also has been presently registering an incomparable rate of growth.The coal fired power generation market in Asia Pacific is driven by creation of new power plants and growing industrialization activities. Indonesia, Australia, China and India ranked amongst the foremost producers of coal in the past. Heavy dependence on coal fired power generation and ample availability of coal in Asia Pacific are also driving the growth of the global market for coal fired power generation.While North America offers major opportunities for growth as well, Europe is likely to display a diminishing demand for coal. As a result, the growth of the market is negatively affected due to greater preference for renewable energy in European countries such as France, the U.K, Italy, Germany, and Spain.Get exclusive sample of this report:Clean, Eco-Friendly Technologies to Gain Higher AcceptanceThe global market for coal fired power generation can also be segmented on the basis of technology and application. By technology, the global market for coal fired power generation was led by pulverized coal systems in 2012. In combination with cyclone furnaces, pulverized coal technology becomes highly productive.However, with the rising concerns about greenhouse gas emissions resulting from the combustion of fossil fuels such as coal, the global demand has been shifting from conventional energy sources to more eco-friendly alternatives. Coal gasification and fluidized beds are some cleaner methods for generation of coal-based energy. Consequently, these technologies are expected to register a high growth rate over the forecast period.By application, chemicals, textiles, refineries, steel, and information technology are some of the leading applications of the global market for coal fired power generation. The commercial sector claimed the largest share of 56% in the international market for coal fired power generation in 2012. However, the residential sector has been exhibiting greater demand for hydro power and solar power. As a result, the growth of the global coal fired power generation market might face key obstructions.KEPCO, China Datang Corporation, China Huaneng Group, and Shenhua Group are some prominent companies operating in the global market for coal fired power generation.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.TMRs data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With extensive research and analysis capabilities, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques to develop distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.Contact UsTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:Visit Blog : http://cmfeglobalreports.blogspot.com/
Global Ethernet Switch Market Growth, Development and Key Manufacturer Report 2017-2022

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This report provides an in-depth insight of Global Ethernet Switch Industry covering all important parameters including development trends, challenges, opportunities, key manufacturers and competitive analysis.The 'Global and Chinese Ethernet Switch Industry, 2012-2022 Market Research Report' is a professional and in-depth study on the current state of the global Ethernet Switch industry with a focus on the Chinese market.View complete report atFirstly, the report provides key statistics on the market status of the Ethernet Switch manufacturers and is a valuable source of guidance and direction for companies and individuals interested in the industry. Firstly, the report provides a basic overview of the industry including its definition, applications and manufacturing technology. Then, the report explores the international and Chinese major industry players in detail.In this part, the report presents the company profile, product specifications, capacity, production value, and 2012-2017 market shares for each company. Through the statistical analysis, the report depicts the global and Chinese total market of Ethernet Switch industry including capacity, production, production value, cost/profit, supply/demand and Chinese import/export. The total market is further divided by company, by country, and by application/type for the competitive landscape analysis. The report then estimates 2017-2022 market development trends of Ethernet Switch industry. Analysis of upstream raw materials, downstream demand, and current market dynamics is also carried out.In the end, the report makes some important proposals for a new project of Ethernet Switch Industry before evaluating its feasibility. Overall, the report provides an in-depth insight of 2012-2022 global and Chinese Ethernet Switch industry covering all important parameters.Request sample copy atMajor Points from Table of ContentsIntroduction of Ethernet Switch IndustryManufacturing Technology of Ethernet SwitchAnalysis of Global Key ManufacturersGlobal and Chinese Market of Ethernet SwitchMarket Status of Ethernet Switch IndustryMarket Forecast of Global and Chinese Ethernet Switch Industry 2017-2022Analysis of Ethernet Switch Industry ChainGlobal and Chinese Economic Impact on Ethernet Switch IndustryMarket Dynamics of Ethernet Switch IndustryProposals for New ProjectResearch Conclusions of Global and Chinese Ethernet Switch IndustryInquire for discount atList of Tables and FiguresFigure Ethernet Switch Product PictureTable Development of Ethernet Switch Manufacturing TechnologyFigure Manufacturing Process of Ethernet SwitchTable Trends of Ethernet Switch Manufacturing TechnologyTable Global Ethernet Switch Capacity ListTable Global Ethernet Switch Key Manufacturers Capacity Share ListFigure Global Ethernet Switch Manufacturers Capacity ShareTable Global Ethernet Switch Key Manufacturers Production ListTable Global Ethernet Switch Key Manufacturers Production Share ListFigure Global Ethernet Switch Manufacturers Production ShareFigure Global Ethernet Switch Capacity Production and Growth RateTable Global Ethernet Switch Key Manufacturers Production Value ListFigure Global Ethernet Switch Production Value and Growth RateTable Global Ethernet Switch Key Manufacturers Production Value Share ListFigure Global Ethernet Switch Manufacturers Production Value ShareTable Global Ethernet Switch Capacity Production Cost Profit and Gross Margin ListFigure Chinese Share of Global Ethernet Switch ProductionTable Global Supply and Consumption of Ethernet SwitchFigure Global Ethernet Switch Capacity Production and Growth RateFigure Global Ethernet Switch Production Value and Growth RateTable Global Ethernet Switch Capacity Production Cost Profit and Gross Margin ListFigure Chinese Share of Global Ethernet Switch ProductionTable Global Supply and Consumption of Ethernet SwitchTable Import and Export of Ethernet SwitchFigure Industry Chain Structure of Ethernet Switch IndustryFigure Production Cost Analysis of Ethernet SwitchFigure Downstream Analysis of Ethernet SwitchContact Us:Call: +1-646-491-9876Email: sales@reportsweb.comReportsWeb.com is a one stop shop of market research reports and solutions to various companies across the globe. We help our clients in their decision support system by helping them choose most relevant and cost effective research reports and solutions from various publishers. We provide best in class customer service and our customer support team is always available to help you on your research queries.505, 6th floor, Amanora Township,Amanora Chambers, East Block,Kharadi Road, Hadapsar, Pune-411028
Spain Fermentation Ingredients Market is projected to grow at a CAGR over 3.46% post 2023

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Market Research Future.com add new report of Spain Fermentation Ingredients Market Research Report- Forecast to 2023 it contains Company information, geographical data and Table of ContentSpain fermentation ingredients market is projected to reach USD 1,530 million by the year 2023 with growth rate of 3.46%. Andalusia and Catalonia together holds more than 50% of market share in 2017 as large fermentation ingredients companies are located in Catalonia and Andalusia. Spain is the third major country for production of fermentation ingredients for chemical and pharmaceuticals application which is supporting the growth of the market in Spain. Madrid will witness higher growth rate during the forecast period.On the basis of type, Alcohol (i.e. Ethanol, butanol, BDO and Acetone) and Antibiotics (i.e. Beta-lactam, tetracycline and clavulic acid) fermentation ingredients holds more than 50% market share in the year 2017 as in Spain majority of fermentation ingredients is used for chemical and pharmaceutical application. Amino acid is projected to grow at higher rate during the forecast period. Polymers and organic acids together holds more than 30% of market share in the year 2017due to increasing demand of polymer over organic acid in Spain.Get a sample copy of this report atLiquid form of fermentation ingredients holds more than 55% market share in the year 2017, as in Spain majority of fermentation ingredients such as alcohol and organic acid are produced in the form of liquid. Dry form is projected to grow at higher rate compare to liquid form during the forecast period due to increasing demand of polymer and industrial enzymes from last few years.Increasing awareness about application of fermentation ingredients in personal care and pharmaceutical products is driving the growth of fermentation ingredients market. Rising popularity of food and beverages products made by using fermentation ingredients is boosting the market growth in Spain. Introduction eco-friendly production system from fermentation ingredients manufacturers and advance technologies in fermentation process is also influencing the growth of the market. Rising production of sugar cane, beet, tapioca and corn is playing the major role in the growth of fermentation ingredients market in Spain.Competitive analysis-The major key players in Spain Fermentation Ingredients market are Archer-Daniels-Midland Co The Dow Chemical Co Cargill, Incorporated I. du Pont de Nemours & Co Evonik Industries AG Novozymes A/S UquifaKey players are focusing on expansion of their fermentation ingredient business. From six years, strategy of product launch and expansion of the fermentation ingredients business together holds around 50% of strategy share by key players. Acquisitions and agreement are two main factors which are contributing more than 40% of strategy share as it helping company to enhance their fermentation ingredients production capacity and to capture more market share in Spain and other regions in Europe.Complete Report Available atTarget Audience Fermentation Ingredients Manufacturers Food and beverage Industry Chemical Industry Pharmaceutical Industry Retailers and wholesalers Traders, importers and exportersKey Findings The Spain Fermentation Ingredients market is projected to reach USD 1,530 million by 2023 of 3.46% In Spain, application of fermentation ingredients in pharmaceutical is growing at higher rate of 3.83% In Spain., Alcohol fermentation ingredients type holds the major market share for the year 2017Regional and State wise Analysis of Spain Fermentation Ingredients market Development and Demand Forecast to 2023 MarketThe reports also cover region level analysis:Spain Andalusia Catalonia Madrid Valencian Community Rest of SpainRequest for Discount atTable of Contents1 Acronyms 102 Executive Summary 113 Introduction 123.1 Scope of the Study 123.1.1 Research Objective 123.1.2 Assumptions 123.1.3 Limitations 123.2 Market Structure 124 Research Methodology 144.1 Introduction 144.2 Primary Research 155 Secondary Research 166 Market Dynamics 176.1 Introduction 176.1.1 Drivers 176.1.1.1 Diverse Industrial Applications Including Pharma and Personal Care Products 176.1.1.2 Growing Demand from Alcohol Industry 186.1.1.3 Strong food & biofuel demand 186.1.2 Restraints 186.1.2.1 Weather Uncertainties resulting in fluctuations in raw material production 186.1.2.2 High Risks due to Large Quantities of Ethanol which is Flammable 186.1.2.3 High Operating Risks 187 Market Trends 207.1 Macroeconomic Indicator Analysis for Spain Market 207.1.1 Pestle analysis-Spain 207.2 Technology Innovation & Research Road Map 218 Market Factor Analysis 228.1 Introduction 228.2 Value Chain Analysis 228.3 Supply Chain Analysis 238.4 Porters Five Forces 238.4.1 Bargaining Power of Suppliers 248.4.2 Threat of New Entrants 248.4.3 Bargaining Power of Buyers 248.4.4 Threat of Substitutes 248.4.5 Competitive Rivalry Between Existing Players 259 Spain Fermentation Ingredients Market Overview 269.1 Spain Fermentation Ingredients Market, by Province (2016-2023), USD Million 269.2 Spain Fermentation Ingredients Market, by Type (2016-2023), USD Million 279.3 Spain Fermentation Ingredients Market, by From (2016-2023), USD Million 279.4 Spain Fermentation Ingredients Market, by Application (2016-2023), USD Million 289.5 Spain Fermentation Ingredients Market, by Feedstock (2016-2023), USD Million 2810 Spain Fermentation Market, By Type 2910.1 Spain Fermentation Ingredients Market, by Type (2016-2023), USD Million 2910.2 Spain Fermentation Ingredients Market, Alcohol, by Province (2016-2023), USD Million 3010.3 Spain Fermentation Ingredients Market, Amino Acid, by Province (2016-2023), USD Million 3010.4 Spain Fermentation Ingredients Market, Antibiotics, by Province (2016-2023), USD Million 3010.5 Spain Fermentation Ingredients Market, Polymer, by Province (2016-2023), USD Million 3210.6 Spain Fermentation Ingredients Market, Vitamins, by Province (2016-2023), USD Million 3210.7 Spain Fermentation Ingredients Market, Industrial Enzymes, by Province (2016-2023), USD Million 3310.8 Spain Fermentation Ingredients Market, Organic Acid, by Province (2016-2023), USD Million 3310.9 Spain Fermentation Ingredients Market, Other Types, by Province (2016-2023), USD Million 3411 Spain Fermentation Ingredients Market, By Form 3511.1 Spain Fermentation Ingredients Market, By From (2016-2023), USD Million 3511.2 Spain Fermentation Ingredients Market, Dry From, by Province (2016-2023), USD Million 3511.3 Spain Fermentation Ingredients Market, Liquid From, by Province (2016-2023), USD Million 3611.4 Spain Fermentation Ingredients Market, Other From, by Province (2016-2023), USD Million 3712 Spain Fermentation Ingredients Market-By Application 3812.1 Spain Fermentation Ingredients Market, by Application (2016-2023), USD Million 3812.2 Spain Fermentation Ingredients Market, Chemical, By Province (2016-2023), USD Million 3912.3 Spain Fermentation Ingredients Market, Food and Beverages, By Province (2016-2023), USD Million 4012.4 Spain Fermentation Ingredients Market, Pharmaceuticals, By Province (2016-2023), USD Million 4112.5 Spain Fermentation Ingredients Market, Animal Feed, By Province (2016-2023), USD Million 4212.6 Spain Fermentation Ingredients Market, Other Application, By Province (2016-2023), USD Million 4313 Spain Fermentation Ingredients Market-By Feedstock 4413.1 Spain Fermentation Ingredients Market, By Feedstock (2016-2023), USD Million 4413.2 Spain Fermentation Ingredients Market, Sugar Beet, By Province (2016-2023), USD Million 4513.3 Spain Fermentation Ingredients Market, Wheat, By Province (2016-2023), USD Million 4613.4 Spain Fermentation Ingredients Market, Dextrose, By Province (2016-2023), USD Million 4713.5 Spain Fermentation Ingredients Market, Other Feedstock, By Province (2016-2023), USD Million 4814 Andalusia Fermentation Ingredients Market 4914.1 Andalusia Fermentation Ingredients Market, By Type (2016-2023), USD Million 4914.2 Andalusia Fermentation Ingredients Market, By Form (2016-2023), USD Million 5014.3 Andalusia Fermentation Ingredients Market, By Application (2016-2023), USD Million 5114.4 Andalusia Fermentation Ingredients Market, By Feedstock (2016-2023), USD Million 5215 Catalonia Fermentation Ingredients Market 5315.1 Catalonia Fermentation Ingredients Market, By Type (2016-2023), USD Million 5315.2 Catalonia Fermentation Ingredients Market, By Form (2016-2023), USD Million 5415.3 Catalonia Fermentation Ingredients Market, By Application (2016-2023), USD Million 5515.4 Catalonia Fermentation Ingredients Market, By Feedstock (2016-2023), USD Million 5616 Madrid Fermentation Ingredients Market 5716.1 Madrid Fermentation Ingredients Market, By Type (2016-2023), USD Million 5716.2 Madrid Fermentation Ingredients Market, By Form (2016-2023), USD Million 5816.3 Madrid Fermentation Ingredients Market, By Application (2016-2023), USD Million 5816.4 Madrid Fermentation Ingredients Market, By Feedstock (2016-2023), USD Million 5817 Valencian Community Fermentation Ingredients Market 6017.1 Velencian Community Fermentation Ingredients Market, By Type (2016-2023), USD Million 6017.2 Velencian Community Fermentation Ingredients Market, By Form (2016-2023), USD Million 6117.3 Velencian Community Fermentation Ingredients Market, By Application (2016-2023), USD Million 6217.4 Velencian Community Fermentation Ingredients Market, By Feedstock (2016-2023), USD Million 6318 Rest of Spain Fermentation Ingredients Market 6418.1 Rest of Spain Fermentation Ingredients Market, By Type (2016-2023), USD Million 6418.2 Rest of Spain Fermentation Ingredients Market, By Form (2016-2023), USD Million 6518.3 Rest of Spain Fermentation Ingredients Market, By Application (2016-2023), USD Million 6618.4 Rest of Spain Fermentation Ingredients Market, By Feedstock (2016-2023), USD Million 6719 Company Profile 6819.1 Archer Daniels Midland Co 6819.1.1 Overview 6819.1.2 Company Snapshot 6819.1.3 Company Analysis 6919.1.4 SWOT Analysis 6919.2 The Dow Chemical Co. 7119.2.1 Overview 7119.2.2 Company Snapshot 7119.2.3 Company Analysis 7119.2.4 SWOT Analysis 7219.2.5 Recent Developments 7319.3 E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co. 7419.3.1 Overview 7419.3.2 Company Snapshot 7419.3.3 Company Analysis 7519.3.4 SWOT Analysis 7519.4 Evonik Industries AG 7719.4.1 Overview 7719.4.2 Company Snapshot 7719.4.3 Company Analysis 7819.4.4 SWOT Analysis 7819.5 Novozymes A/S 8019.5.1 Overview 8019.5.2 Company Snapshot 8019.5.3 Company Analysis 8119.6 Cargill, Inc 8219.6.1 Overview 8219.6.2 Company Snapshot 8219.7 Uquifa 8319.7.1 Overview 8319.7.2 Company Snapshot 8320 Competitive Landscape 8420.1 Introduction 8420.2 New Product Launch 8620.3 Business Expansion 8620.4 Investment 8620.5 Acquisitions 8720.6 Agreements 87At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by products, services, technologies, applications, end users, and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions.In order to stay updated with technology and work process of the industry, MRFR often plans & conducts meet with the industry experts and industrial visits for its research analyst members.Akash AnandP: +1 646 845 9312W:
Photographic Services Market by Segment, Region, Analysis and Forecast to 2020

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Photographic services include processes for creating durable images by recording light or through an electromagnetic radiation by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light sensitive photographic film. It includes editing, processing, and presentation pictures as desired by customers. The various photographic services include school portraits, wedding photography, special occasions and event photography.Photographic Services Global Market Briefing provides strategists, marketers and senior management with the critical information they need to assess the global photographic services.For more information about this report:Reasons to Purchase-Get up to date information available on the photographic services market globally.-Identify growth segments and opportunities.-Facilitate decision making on the basis of historic and forecast data and understand the drivers and restraints on the market.-Develop strategies based on likely future developments.-Gain a global perspective on the development of the market.DescriptionPhotographic Services Global Market Briefing Report from Publisher covers market characteristics, size and growth, segmentation, regional breakdowns, competitive landscape, market shares, trends and strategies for this market.The market characteristics section of the report defines and explains the market.The market size section gives the Photographic services market revenues, covering both the historic growth of the market and forecasting the future.Drivers and restraints looks at the external factors supporting and controlling the growth of the market.Market segmentations break down the key sub sectors which make up the market. The regional breakdowns section gives the size of the market geographically.Competitive landscape gives a description of the competitive nature of the market, market shares, and a description of the leading companies. Key financial deals which have shaped the market in the last three years are identified.The trends and strategies section highlights the likely future developments in the photographic services market and suggests approaches.Request Sample Copy atScopeMarkets Covered: Portrait Studios and Commercial Studios.Companies Mentioned: Lifetouch, Getty Images, Studio Alice and Portrait InnovationsGeographic scope: Americas, Europe, Asia, Middle East and Africa, Oceania.Time series: Five years historic and forecast.Data: Market value in $ billions.Data segmentations: Regional breakdowns, market share of competitors, key sub segments.Sourcing and Referencing: Data and analysis throughout the report is sourced using end notes.Companies Mentioned:Life TouchInquire for Report atContact Us:Call: +1-646-491-9876Email: sales@reportsweb.comReportsWeb.com is a one stop shop of market research reports and solutions to various companies across the globe. We help our clients in their decision support system by helping them choose most relevant and cost effective research reports and solutions from various publishers. We provide best in class customer service and our customer support team is always available to help you on your research queries.505, 6th floor, Amanora Township,Amanora Chambers, East Block,Kharadi Road, Hadapsar, Pune-411028
EU5 Female Sterilization Procedures Outlook to 2023

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Publisher's new report, "EU5 Female Sterilization Procedures Outlook to 2023", provides key procedures data on the EU5 Female Sterilization Procedures. The report provides procedure volumes within market segments - Laparoscopic Sterilization Procedures and Transcervical Sterilization Procedures.The data in the report is derived from dynamic market forecast models. Publisher uses epidemiology based models to estimate and forecast the procedure volumes. The objective is to provide information that represents the most up-to-date data of the industry possible.For more information about this report:The epidemiology-based forecasting model makes use of epidemiology data gathered from research publications and primary interviews with physicians to establish the target patient population and treatment flow patterns for individual diseases and therapies. Using prevalence and incidence data and diagnosed and treated population, the epidemiology-based forecasting model arrives at the final numbers.Extensive interviews are conducted with key opinion leaders (KOLs) , physicians and industry experts to validate the procedure volumes.Scope- EU5 Female Sterilization Procedures volumes by segments - Laparoscopic Sterilization Procedures and Transcervical Sterilization Procedures.- Projections for each of the market segments. Data is provided from 2009 to 2016 and forecast to 2023.Request Sample Copy atReasons to buy- Develop business and investment strategies by identifying the key market segments expected to register strong growth in the near future.- Develop market-entry and market expansion strategies.Table of Content:1.1 List of Tables 41.2 List of Figures 52 Introduction 62.1 What Is This Report About? 62.2 Female Sterilization Procedures, Segmentation 62.3 Definitions of Procedures Covered in the Report 73 Female Sterilization Procedures, EU5 83.1 Female Sterilization Procedures, EU5, 2009-2023 83.2 Female Sterilization Procedures, EU5, 2009-2016 103.3 Female Sterilization Procedures, EU5, 2016-2023 124 Female Sterilization Procedures, France 144.1 Female Sterilization Procedures, France, 2009-2016 144.2 Female Sterilization Procedures, France, 2016-2023 164.2.1 Laparoscopic Sterilization Procedures, France, 2009-2016 184.2.2 Transcervical Sterilization Procedures, France, 2009-2016 204.2.3 Laparoscopic Sterilization Procedures, France, 2016-2023 214.2.4 Transcervical Sterilization Procedures, France, 2016-2023 235 Female Sterilization Procedures, Germany 245.1 Female Sterilization Procedures, Germany, 2009-2016 245.2 Female Sterilization Procedures, Germany, 2016-2023 265.2.1 Laparoscopic Sterilization Procedures, Germany, 2009-2016 285.2.2 Transcervical Sterilization Procedures, Germany, 2009-2016 295.2.3 Laparoscopic Sterilization Procedures, Germany, 2016-2023 305.2.4 Transcervical Sterilization Procedures, Germany, 2016-2023 316 Female Sterilization Procedures, Italy 326.1 Female Sterilization Procedures, Italy, 2009-2016 326.2 Female Sterilization Procedures, Italy, 2016-2023 346.2.1 Laparoscopic Sterilization Procedures, Italy, 2009-2016 366.2.2 Transcervical Sterilization Procedures, Italy, 2009-2016 386.2.3 Laparoscopic Sterilization Procedures, Italy, 2016-2023 396.2.4 Transcervical Sterilization Procedures, Italy, 2016-2023 417 Female Sterilization Procedures, Spain 427.1 Female Sterilization Procedures, Spain, 2009-2016 427.2 Female Sterilization Procedures, Spain, 2016-2023 447.2.1 Laparoscopic Sterilization Procedures, Spain, 2009-2016 467.2.2 Transcervical Sterilization Procedures, Spain, 2009-2016 487.2.3 Laparoscopic Sterilization Procedures, Spain, 2016-2023 497.2.4 Transcervical Sterilization Procedures, Spain, 2016-2023 518 Female Sterilization Procedures, United Kingdom 528.1 Female Sterilization Procedures, United Kingdom, 2009-2016 528.2 Female Sterilization Procedures, United Kingdom, 2016-2023 548.2.1 Laparoscopic Sterilization Procedures, United Kingdom, 2009-2016 568.2.2 Transcervical Sterilization Procedures, United Kingdom, 2009-2016 588.2.3 Laparoscopic Sterilization Procedures, United Kingdom, 2016-2023 598.2.4 Transcervical Sterilization Procedures, United Kingdom, 2016-2023 619 Appendix 629.1 Research Methodology 639.1.1 Coverage 639.1.2 Secondary Research 639.1.3 Primary Research 649.1.4 Market Modeling and Forecasting 659.1.5 Company Share Analysis 669.1.6 Distribution Share Analysis 679.1.7 Benchmarking 679.2 Publisher Consulting 679.3 Contact Us 689.4 Disclaimer 68Inquire for Report atContact Us:Call: +1-646-491-9876Email: sales@reportsweb.comReportsWeb.com is a one stop shop of market research reports and solutions to various companies across the globe. We help our clients in their decision support system by helping them choose most relevant and cost effective research reports and solutions from various publishers. We provide best in class customer service and our customer support team is always available to help you on your research queries.505, 6th floor, Amanora Township,Amanora Chambers, East Block,Kharadi Road, Hadapsar, Pune-411028
Courtesy 10 Barrel Brewing

10 Barrel Brewing is one of several companies that has sold to out-of-state owners in recent years.

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Courtesy Pacific Foods

Pacific Foods

Campbell Soup Company on Thursday announced it would buy Tualatin-based Pacific Foods for $700 million. The brand, known for its organic creamy tomato soup and free range chicken broth, is hardly the first Oregon food or beverage company to be snapped up by national conglomerates. Here are a few other sales from the past 20 years.

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Motoya Nakamura/The Oregonian

Tazo Tea

Portland tea visionary Steven Smith sold Tazo Tea to Starbucks in 1999 for $8.1 million, just a few years after he sold his Stash Tea Company to a Japanese tea company. Starbucks recently switched from Tazo to Teavana in its cafes, but still sells Tazo in grocery stores. Now, two years after his death, Smith's name lives on in his Steven Smith Teamaker brand, which he founded in 2009.

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Handout photo

Dagoba Chocolate

Ashland's Dagoba Organic Chocolate sold to Hershey for $17 million in 2006. Though the factory remains in Ashland, the founders are no longer involved. Now, Dagoba's chocolates are available in Target stores, and the company recently launched a nonprofit to help women in cacao communities.

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Sam Caravana/The Oregonian

Kettle Brand

Salem's Kettle Brand potato chips sold to Diamond Foods, the producer of Blue Diamond nuts, in 2010 for $615 million. Diamond Foods recently sold to snack group Snyder's Lance. Diamond Foods in 2015 opened an "innovation center" in Salem. The 7,000 square foot addition is attached to a Kettle Brand chip production facility and is home to a new research and development kitchen.

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Photo by veganbaking.net via Wikimedia Commons

So Delicious

So Delicious, maker of coconut milk ice cream and other dairy-free products based in Springfield and Eugene, sold to WhiteWave Foods in 2014 for $195 million. French company Danone bought WhiteWave last year, grabbing its other crunchy brands (Silk, Vega and Alpro) along with it.

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Courtesy 10 Barrel Brewing

10 Barrel Brewing

10 Barrel Brewing sold to beer giant Anheuser-Busch InBev in 2014. Since the acquisition, the Bend company has celebrated its 10-year anniversary, expanded its Bend facilities, increased distribution to the Midwest and East Coast, added pubs in Bend, Portland, Denver and San Diego, and boosted its barrel and sour beer offerings. Read more here.

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Harry and David

Harry and David

This Medford company, known for its gift baskets and holiday pears, sold to online florist and gift company 1-800-Flowers.com for $142.5 million in 2014. The company had struggled before the acquisition: Wall Street investor Wasserstein Co. bought the gift company in 2004, plunging into debt. It filed for bankruptcy in 2011. Shortly after the 2014 acquisition, four Harry & David executives left the company. The company still operates stores throughout the country, including three in Oregon.

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Motoya Nakamura/The Oregonian

Stumptown Coffee Roasters

Duane Sorenson sold his coffee company to Peet's Coffee & Tea in 2015. Stumptown now operates 12 locations in five cities. Meanwhile, Sorenson is looking to get back into the coffee business with a roaster called Puff.

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Grant Butler/The Oregonian

Dave's Killer Bread

Dave's Killer Bread, the Milwaukie-based organic bread company with the famous former felon as its namesake and co-founder, sold to Flowers Foods for $275 million in 2015. Flowers Foods is a century-old company headquartered in Georgia. Its brands include Wonder Bread, Bunny Bread and Tastykake.

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Samantha Bakall/The Oregonian

Aviation American Gin

Portland-based House Spirits Distillery sold its star product, Aviation American Gin, to New York distributor Davos Brands in 2016. At the time, House Spirits planned to continue making the gin in its new Southeast Portland distillery. It now produces whiskey, vodka, rum, aquavit and "developmental spirits" like coffee liqueur.

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Michael Wilhelm

Hop Valley Brewing Co.

Hop Valley Brewing Co., a brewery out of Eugene-Springfield, sold a majority stake to a division of beer giant MillerCoors last year. The Oregon company joined a portfolio that included Blue Moon, Leinenkugels, Peroni, Henry Weinhards and Grolsch.

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Support the sell-outs?

So when a local company sells to a big, national (or global) mega-corporation, what do you do? Do you boycott them for abandoning their roots for wads of cash, or do you continue to support them in their successful quest to realize the American Dream? Read this and ponder.
PHILADELPHIA  Video-shopping network QVC and the Home Shopping Network will merge in an effort to better compete against Amazon and Walmart, as more consumers stop watching cable TV and do their shopping online.

The combined company will be the third-largest U.S. electronics retailer and will be large enough to be listed on the Standard & Poor's 500 index, according to Greg Maffei, CEO of Liberty Interactive Corp., the holding company built by cable TV pioneer John Malone that controls QVC.

QVC, based outside Philadelphia, plans to acquire the 62 percent of St. Petersburg, Florida-based HSN it doesn't already own, the companies said in a statement Thursday. Denver-based Liberty is to be renamed QVC Group after the deal's scheduled closing later this year. QVC boss Mike George will run both brands, including the three QVC channels and the two HSN channels and their online and mobile shopping services.

The companies plan to cut at least $75 million in yearly spending by eliminating any duplication in management, administrative and information technology spending, Maffei told investors.

Two years ago, QVC, which employs more than 4,000 workers in southeastern Pennsylvania, bought Seattle-based mobile-shopping network Zulily.

The all-stock purchase announced Thursday is valued at $2.1 billion, or around $40.36 a share. That's a nearly 30 percent premium to HSN's recent stock value but far below the company's 2015 high of over $74 a share. Liberty will also take on around $500 million in HSN debt.

Liberty initially rose in trading Thursday, but shares dropped below Wednesday's levels in the afternoon. HSN shares rose sharply to approach the sale price.

HSN was the original U.S. home shopping channel, founded in 1977.

QVC is now larger, with around 8 million regular customers and 183 million boxes shipped last year, compared with 5 million customers and 50 million packages for HSN. The companies estimate the shopper counts include 2 million people who are active at both companies. Combined, they expect sales to total $14 billion a year. Employment will total 27,000 before merger-related layoffs.

Both QVC, which is especially dependent on women's clothing, and HSN, which sells more electronics and operates the Cornerstone group of retail brands, have lately faced weak sales and job cuts as the three QVC video networks and HSN's two channels have faced stiff competition, especially from Amazon, with more shoppers moving online.

HSN boss Rod Little told investors that his company "was not happy with its performance" and hoped that combining with QVC would make the business stronger.

QVC's George said the combined company would be "well-positioned to help shape the next generation of retailing." The acquisition would allow the company to boost its scale, spur development of its mobile and online platforms, and optimize its programming, cross-marketing and finances.

Plans for the rivals to merge were proposed and then canceled in the past and rumored at times over the years. Maffei said it was time to do the deal because QVC's share price has lately strengthened relative to HSN's. Still, the deal will take a few years to boost profits, he acknowledged.

--Tribune News Service
In this series, NerdWallet talks to people who've paid off their student loans, breaking down how they did it and what they learned.

Zina Kumok graduated from Indiana University in 2011 with a bachelor's degree in journalism. She was fortunate: Her $24,000 in federal student loan debt was less than the average amount for her graduating class, and she didn't have any other debt eating into her budget.

But since she was making $28,000 a year straight out of college, Kumok knew it was going to take serious dedication to pay off her debt. She turned to blogging to help keep herself on track. It worked  and by 2014 she had lived up to her blog's name, Debt Free After Three, paying off $28,000 in student loans, accounting for interest, in three years.

Kumok, now married and living in Denver, is working as a freelance writer as she continues to share what she's learned about managing money on her blog. Here's her student loan story and advice.

Q: What steps did you take to pay off your loans?

A: For the first time in my life, I started budgeting carefully. I created a budget in Excel and an account with Mint.com. I used both of those to project my expenses and track my spending. I also started putting extra money toward my loans.

First I started only paying an extra $10 a month, but that increased the next year when I got a new job. I put the difference between my old salary and new one toward my loans. The year after, I moved in with my then-boyfriend and a friend of ours. That helped me save another $350 on my monthly expenses, which I immediately [put toward] my loans.

Q: Did you make any lifestyle changes while paying down your student debt?

A: In college, I spent with abandon. It was no big deal to go shopping, order takeout or shop on Amazon. [After college] I radically changed how I was spending. I was only making $28,000 when I first started paying off my student loans, so I had to make my money stretch. I lived lean. I rarely ate out or went to the bars, borrowed movies and books from the library, and bought my clothes from Goodwill or other thrift stores. I invited friends over to watch "Sherlock" on Netflix and used credit cards with cash-back rewards.

Q: Looking back, would you have done anything differently?

A: I was paying 6.8 percent interest on my loans, which is huge. I wish I had refinanced to a lower rate. Unless you're trying to get your loans forgiven or have an unstable job, I recommend refinancing.

Q: How did it feel to make that final payment?

A: It felt really surreal. I had spent so much time focusing on my debt that I struggled to really feel a difference. So many of the decisions I made on a daily basis were because of my student loans.

Q: What advice would you give to other borrowers?

A: Track your spending. Almost everyone I talk to has no idea what they're actually spending their money on, but they're convinced they can't pay off their loans early. Even if you only put an extra $10 a month like I did, you can make a difference. [And] don't forget about retirement. I started saving for retirement when I became eligible for my company's 401(k). ... I put in enough to get the match. If you're eligible for company match, read through the fine print to see how much you need to contribute to qualify. You have to balance saving for the future while paying off debt.

HOW YOU CAN GET OUT OF DEBT, TOO



Kumok's financial moves made sense for her situation and helped her reach the debt-free life. Your ideal debt-management strategy will depend on your circumstances.

If you're having trouble with your monthly payments and you have federal loans, like Kumok, income-driven repayment plans can be a big help. Those cap your payments at a percentage of your income and extend your loan term to 20 or 25 years, depending on the plan. Any leftover balance is forgiven and taxed as income. You have to reapply every year to stay on an income-driven plan.

If you're looking to save money and can afford your payments, student loan refinancing could be the right move for you. It lets you swap out your existing loans for a new one with terms based on your current finances. When you refinance, the lower your rate and the shorter your loan term, the more you stand to save. Refinancing federal loans means giving up borrower protections like income-driven replacement and forgiveness programs, so you might want to exclude those loans from your application.

--NerdWallet.com
Dozens of companies charge high fees and claim to help borrowers reduce or eliminate student loan debt. You may be dealing with one, but you're not stuck. You can end contact with such companies and apply to federal student loan programs for free through U.S. Department of Education websites.

Though not all companies that collect fees in exchange for student loan help are scams, more than 130 businesses have histories that give consumers reason to be wary, a NerdWallet public records investigation found. Those track records include penalties, investigations, lawsuits from federal and state authorities, private lawsuits and poor ratings from the Better Business Bureau.

Unsure if you're dealing with a fraudulent student loan company? Here's what to do if you're involved with a misleading student loan relief company.

Sever your connection with the company: Call the company to request a refund and cancel your contract, if you signed one. If you've set up automatic payments, alert your bank or credit card issuer that you no longer authorize charges from the "debt relief" company.

The company may not respond or cooperate with your request to cancel. You can stop making payments anyway, says Persis Yu, director of the Student Loan Borrower Assistance Project at the National Consumer Law Center.

"Given that these companies exist on the fringe of legitimacy," Yu says, "I think borrowers should feel OK to stop making payments."

However, there's an "outside possibility" that the company could sue you for breach of contract or send your bill to collections, she adds.

Once you've cut off contact with the company, monitor your personal and financial information for a while afterward, says Suzanne Martindale, a staff attorney at Consumers Union. Make sure that you're no longer being charged and that negative marks don't appear on your credit report.

Contact your lender or servicer: Call your servicer or lender and explain that you've paid a third-party company for student loan assistance.

If you don't know who your servicer is, log into the Federal Student Aid website to check. Your loans are likely private if you don't see them listed on the government's website, but they will appear on your credit report. If you have more than one loan, you may have accounts at multiple servicing companies.

If the agent from the loan servicing company you speak with isn't helpful, ask to talk with their manager, says Robyn Smith, an attorney who works with Yu at the NCLC and also at the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles.

"Take it as high as you can," Smith says.

Regain control of your student loan account: If you've given the "debt relief" company access to your student loan account through a power of attorney form, revoke that agreement. To do so, contact your lender or servicer in writing and send a copy of the letter to the debt relief company.

Smith suggests saying something in the letter to the servicer like, "I am notifying you that I am revoking the attached consent. As of today, please stop all communications regarding my account with [the debt relief company's name]."

You may need to get the statement notarized if your servicer requires it, Yu adds. Even if it doesn't require it, notarizing the statement will help it carry more weight. Make copies of the statement and save them for your records.

Once you regain control of your student loan account, resume making loan payments to your federal loan servicer or lender if you stopped.

Learn what you can do for free: Despite what it might claim, there's nothing a student "debt relief" company can do that you can't do for free through the Department of Education or your federal loan servicer. That includes:

Federal student loan consolidation

Income-driven repayment plans

Federal loan forgiveness programs

Deferment and forbearance

Also, you can refinance your student loans through a private company if you have good credit and enough income to comfortably afford payments. However, in doing so you'll give up access to the federal loan programs listed above.

Seek legitimate help if necessary: If you're looking for a professional with whom to discuss your student loan situation, a certified student loan counselor trained by the National Foundation for Credit Counseling is a safe option. These advisors work for nonprofit credit counseling agencies and provide one-on-one services for free or nominal costs. You can locate a counselor on the NFCC's student loan help website.

For more complicated problems, such as navigating default or dealing with collectors, it may be smart to contact a student loan lawyer. Some legal aid nonprofits have expertise in student loan issues and can assist you for free or at a reduced rate. Search for your local organization and ask if it or another organization can help.

File complaints to federal and state agencies: It may feel like shouting into a void, but filing complaints is a crucial step. Government officials base their investigations of fraudulent companies on consumer complaints. Filing one also increases chances of getting your money back. Washington state's attorney general has returned more than $1.2 million to residents of the state since November 2015. Attorneys general in Illinois and other states have acted on leads from consumers to take down scams.

Submit your complaints to the BBB and all of the following federal agencies, because for the most part, government enforcement of student debt relief companies isn't coordinated.

Federal Trade Commission

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau

Your state's attorney general

Department of Education

Finally, consider contacting members of Congress to tell your story. Staff members in charge of constituent services may be able to help.

--NerdWallet.com
Nike executive Julia Brim-Edwards, returning to the Portland school board after a 12-year hiatus, was unanimously elected to chair the board Friday.

The board, trying to make peace between factions divided over the choice of vice chair, opted for a new path and elected newcomer and activist Rita Moore and Julie Esparza Brown, an education professor elected to the board two years ago, as co-vice chairs.

The board agreed on the unusual step of splitting the vice chairmanship after private deliberations involving all board members that appeared to violate Oregon's public meeting law.

Jim Harris, Portland Public Schools' new general counsel, told the board afterward that board members should have held those discussions in public but did not say the board had violated the public meetings law.

The deliberations, which involved all seven board members, took place in public view but out of earshot of anyone but board members. Harris and two journalists from The Oregonian/OregonLive observed those deliberations during a formal recess of the public school board meeting Monday.

Portland school board officers have typically been chosen once a year, with officers often chosen to serve multiple years in the same leadership role.

-- Bethany Barnes
BLOOMINGTON  The defense lawyer for a Bloomington man accused of murder in the 2011 death of his son said Friday he is reviewing more than 5,000 pages of medical records.

Ryan Howard, 24, was escorted to court by staff from the Illinois Department of Corrections where he is serving four years for aggravated battery of the child in connection with the April 2011 incident.

The infant, identified in court records as B.M., died at a Peoria hospital on Jan. 20, 2012.

Murder charges were filed last year after the McLean County State's Attorney's office reopened a review of the case. The murder charges do not amount to double jeopardy because the baby was still alive when the aggravated battery charges were filed.

Defense lawyer Ron Lewis said Friday that he is reading through extensive medical records related to the nine months the child received care for his injuries before he died.

The defense also is consulting with a doctor who could provide an opinion on the child's medical condition, said Lewis.

According to a 2011 statement from a prosecutor, Howard admitted to police that he was angry with the baby's 16-year-old mother, who asked him to watch the child while she went out. Howard's forceful and violent shaking of the baby caused the injuries, said the statement.

Howard is due back in court Oct. 6 for a status hearing.
HAMBURG, Germany (AP)  The United States and Russia struck an agreement Friday on a cease-fire in southwest Syria, crowning President Donald Trump's first meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. It is the first U.S.-Russian effort under Trump's presidency to stem Syria's six-year civil war.

The cease-fire goes into effect Sunday at noon Damascus time, according to U.S. officials and the Jordanian government, which is also involved in the deal.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who accompanied Trump in his meeting with Putin, said the understanding is designed to reduce violence in an area of Syria near Jordan's border and which is critical to the U.S. ally's security.

It's a "very complicated part of the Syrian battlefield," Tillerson told reporters after the U.S. and Russian leaders met for about 2 hours and 15 minutes on the sidelines of a global summit in Hamburg, Germany.

Of the agreement, he said: "I think this is our first indication of the U.S. and Russia being able to work together in Syria."

For years, the former Cold War foes have been backing opposing sides in Syria's war. Moscow has staunchly backed Syrian President Bashar Assad, supporting Syrian forces militarily since 2015. Washington has backed rebels fighting Assad. Both the U.S. and Russia oppose Islamic State militants and say they're focused on rooting out the extremist group.

Russia's top diplomat, who accompanied Putin in the meeting with Trump, said Russian military police will monitor the new truce. All sides will try to ensure aid deliveries to the area, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said.

The deal marks a new level of involvement for the Trump administration in trying to resolve Syria's civil war.

Trump ordered some 60 cruise missiles to be fired at a Syrian air base in April after accusing Assad's forces of a deadly chemical weapons attack. But his top military and national security advisers pointedly said they had no intentions of intervening to oust Assad. And they stopped short of endorsing Russian-led or U.N. peace mediation efforts between Assad's government and rebel groups.

Israel also is part of the agreement, one U.S. official said, who like others wasn't authorized to speak publicly on the matter ahead of Tillerson's official announcement and demanded anonymity. Like Jordan, Israel shares a border with the southern part of Syria and has been concerned about a spillover of violence as well as an amassing of Iranian-aligned forces in the south of the country.

Jordanian government spokesman Mohammed Momani confirmed an accord involving his country, the U.S. and Russia. He made no reference to Israel's participation. Syrian government forces and its allies will stay on one side of an agreed demarcation line, and rebel fighters will stick to the other side. The goal is also to enable aid to reach this area of Syria, Momani told state media.

The deal is separate from an agreement that Russia, Turkey and Iran struck earlier this year to try to establish "de-escalation zones" in Syria with reduced bloodshed. The U.S., wary of Iran's involvement, stayed away from that effort. Follow-up talks this week in Kazakhstan were unable to produce agreement on finalizing a cease-fire in those zones.

Previous cease-fires in Syria have collapsed or failed to reduce violence for long, and it was unclear whether this deal would be any better.

Tillerson said the difference this time is Russia's interest in seeing Syria return to stability. It's an argument top U.S. officials such as former Secretary of State John Kerry cited regularly amid his failed efforts to end a conflict that has killed as many as a half-million people, contributed to Europe's worst refugee crisis since World War II and allowed IS to emerge as a global terror threat.

Tillerson also repeated the U.S. position that a "long-term role for the Assad family and the Assad regime" is untenable and voiced his belief that Russia might be willing to address the future leadership of Syria, in tones reminiscent of Kerry. Up to now, Assad has rejected any proposals that would see him leave power, contributing to an impasse that has prolonged Syria's suffering.

Earlier in the week, Syria's military had said it was halting combat operations in the south of Syria for four days, in advance of the new round of Russian-sponsored talks in Kazakhstan. That move covered the southern provinces of Daraa, Quneitra and Sweida. Syria's government briefly extended that unilateral cease-fire, which is now set to expire Saturday  a day before the U.S. and Russian deal was to take effect.

The U.S.-Russian cease-fire has no set end date, one U.S. official said, describing it as part of broader discussions with Moscow on lowering violence in Syria.

The agreement may also reflect Iran's increasingly prominent role in Syria.

Washington has been resistant to letting Iranian forces and their proxy militias gain strength in Syria's south, a position shared by Israel and Jordan. Friday's deal could help the Trump administration retain more of a say over who fills the power vacuum left behind as the Islamic State is routed from additional territory in Syria.

In recent weeks, U.S. forces have shot down a Syrian aircraft that got too close to American forces as well as Iranian-made drones. A renewed government offensive against Western-backed rebels and Islamic militants in the contested province of Daraa also is sparking tensions, and Iranian-backed Hezbollah fighters have shifted south to join the fight.

Israel has also struck Syrian military installations on several occasions in the past few weeks after shells landed into the Israeli-controlled side of the Golan Heights Golan Heights. Ahead of the deal, media reports in Israel have suggested unease at any arrangement that relies on Russia policing areas near its frontier.

Implications for Syria aside, the deal marks the biggest diplomatic achievement for the U.S. and Russia since Trump took office. Trump's administration has approached the notoriously strained relationship by trying to identify a few limited issues on which the countries could make progress, thereby building trust for a broader repair of ties.

-- Salama and Lederman reported from Washington. Associated Press writer Zeina Karam in Beirut, Lebanon, contributed to this report.
BLOOMINGTON  Two Republican lawmakers from Central Illinois who took opposite sides on the override of Gov. Bruce Rauner's budget and tax vetoes agreed on one thing: They were among the tougher votes of their careers.

State Rep. Dan Brady, R-Bloomington, who voted against the override said it was perhaps my most difficult vote, especially having a university I represent in my district which hadn't seen full-year funding since fiscal 2015.

But Springfield has a spending problem, said Brady. At some point, you have to draw the line.

Not having a budget was just killing Illinois, Mitchell said after Thursday's vote.

No one likes a tax increase. I don't like one, he said. We've got to pay our bills.

Hospitals in Decatur, part of Mitchell's district, are owed more than $100 million, he said. Concerns that some schools would not be able to open in the fall also influenced Mitchell's vote, which bucked most Republicans.

Two other Pantagraph-area state representatives, Tom Bennett, R-Gibson City, and Keith Sommer, R-Morton, voted against overriding the vetoes.

Bennett and Sommer could not be reached for comment after Thursday's vote.

However, Bennett said in an email Wednesday that he opposed the measures because the bills created a permanent tax increase with no real budget changes, did not include any resemblance of reforms needed to help turn the Illinois economy around and did little to pay down the bill backlog.

A temporary tax increase did not solve our issues in 2011 and a permanent income tax increase certainly won't solve our issues now. Bennett said. When the only choice given for a budget is more of the same and a tax increase, I had no other choice but to vote 'no.'

Brady said, I'm glad the state has a budget and he thinks it will allow some pressure to be taken off and some planning to begin.

However, Brady objects to money being funneled away from what he thinks should be priorities: public education, safety, infrastructure and the most vulnerable.

The tax hike is the same old tax-and-spend approach that got us into this financial crisis and it's not the path to resolution, said Brady. You just can't keep feeding the spending monster.

Both Mitchell and Brady are hopeful there will be continued discussion of reforms, such as workers' compensation and property tax relief.

Those issues are not dead, said Mitchell.

But Brady worries that with the tax hike and budget in place, what's the incentive to have those talks?

Nevertheless, Brady said he was hopeful, noting that he was very involved in the discussions on workers comp. We were very close.

In remarks during debate on the House floor, Brady said the budget process needs a major overhaul.

In an interview after the vote, Brady said necessary changes include using the recommendations of appropriations committees as a budget blueprint, increasing openness between both parties and having a longer term outlook, rather than one year at a time.
No longer confined to her gilded penthouse in Trump Tower, Melania Trump has been performing typical First Lady duties and traveling the world with her husband, the president. Currently, she, Donald and Ivanka are in Hamburg, Germany for the G20-summit, and where there is a summit of world leaders meeting to discuss important economic decisions that will affect the entire planet for generations to come, there will be protests.

Unsurprisingly, the protests are particularly large this year (even New York City mayor Bill de Blasio is there, instead of at home fixing the MTA where he should be, but that's for another day).

While some protestors are peaceful, the more militant anti-capitalist Welcome to Hell marchers have been clashing with police since yesterday afternoon. Police are reportedly using water cannons and pepper spray on protestors, who've responded by throwing bottles and smoke bombs. The Hamburg police have reportedly called for backup from other forces throughout Germany.

Protests kicked off for a second day ahead of the G20 summit in Hamburg https://t.co/9kIYExaaew pic.twitter.com/79RUkvd8wH

 CNN International (@cnni) July 7, 2017

Because of all this, Melania is reportedly stuck inside her hotel room due to obvious on-going security concerns, with her spokesperson Stephanie Grisham confirming to the press that "Hamburg police couldn't provide clearance for us to leave." (This is after the First Family reportedly had trouble securing accommodations for their stay in the first place).

Melania was supposed to spend the day touring a climate-change lab in Hamburg (set up by German Chancellor Angela Merkel and her husband, a scientist), followed by a river cruise with the spouses of the other world leaders.

Presumably the visit to the lab was meant to be informative for Melania, given that her husband still says (believes? pretends? hopes?) that climate change is a hoax invented by the Chinese government. For now, she'll just have to settle for pay-per-view movies and room service.



Melania commented on the situation with the following tweet:

Thinking of those hurt in #Hamburg protests. Hope everyone stay safe! #G20

 Melania Trump (@FLOTUS) July 7, 2017

To which we respond with this amazing gif of Merkel rolling her eyes at Vladimir Putin:

[h/t The Cut]



Image via Getty
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PHOTOS: Foreign ambassadors tour Evin prison in Tehran

07/07/17

Photos by Young Journalists Club; report by Tehran Times

TEHRAN - The Iranian Human Rights Organization on Wednesday took foreign ambassadors in Iran on a tour to Evin prison in northern Tehran, ISNA reported. The tour was launched a day after Mohammad Javad Larijani, the organization's chief, said there is no political prisoner in Iran.

The ambassadors were briefed on the prison's programs for the inmates, including education and work opportunities, as well as health and sanitation status, Kazem Kharibabadi, the organization's deputy chief for international affairs told reporters.



























Related Websites:
Industry players have expressed varying opinions on governments introduction of the controversial 3 per cent VAT flat rate.



The policy has set members of the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI) on a collision course with their counterparts at the Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA).



This led to an intervention by parliaments Finance Committee who invited the Finance Minister together with the industry players to a meeting on Thursday, 6 July, 2017 in a bid to get government to suspend the policy.



But President of GUTA, George Ofori, has lauded the policy, saying it will generate revenue for the country. He also added that prices of goods and services will see a decrease as a result of the policy.



This system has been in place for the past 10 or more years. Have we realised any cascading effects when it was introduced earlier on? If its no, then why now? And if we talk about this cascading effect at every point in time, whether you take even one per cent, two, three, or four per cent or even 17.5 per cent, there will still be that aspect of cascading effect, he stated.



He continued: And so if we have about three per cent at lets say level three, you multiply 3x3 and you are getting about nine per cent increase. Lets take it for instance from the wholesaler to the retailer and the consumer. What about if we cancel the whole three per cent and we are to use the VAT of 17.5 per cent and that cascading effect is still there. You are talking about 17.5 per cent multiplied by three and you can do the calculation to know where that cascading effect will be.



And so when we talk about this cascading effect of three per cent. We are at wholesaler, retailer, and then the consumer. But we are also telling government that there are lots of disparities because Im paying and the next door neighbour is not paying. That is where there is a price differential. So we are urging government that once this three per cent has been introduced, we are urging government to make sure that every Tom, Dick and Harry pays the three per cent because if all of us are paying the three per cent, I dont see why people will say there have been price increases here and there.



Speaking to Class News after the crunch meeting, Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta described the meeting as a success. According to him, there will be a series of engagements with all stakeholders to ensure the policy is implemented smoothly.



I think there is a much better understanding of what we are doing. The issue was the supposed cascading effect of the three per cent and truly in our view the 17.5 per cent also had a cascading effect and so this is a much lower level which also is deductible from the income tax. There are some issues with importers that we are trying to resolve, so we will have some more meetings on Monday and I think is an issue of explanations We dont think there is any illegality, he said.



Meanwhile, Minority Members of Parliament have threatened court action over the implementation of the flat rate.



The Ranking Member of Parliaments Finance Committee, Cassiel Ato Forson, described the policy as an illegality and called on government to immediately halt its implementation or face court action.

Source: classfmonline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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The Deputy Minister of Finance, Kwaku Kwarteng says the government is not worried about the Minoritys plan to head to court over the implementation of a 3% flat VAT rate scheme.



According to him, it is surprising that the minority who had agreed to the amendment in Parliament would backtrack and claim it is unlawful.



Speaking on Eyewitness News on Wednesday, Kwaku Kwarteng said the Minority was at Liberty to go to court over the matter. This particular amendment when it went to the Finance Committee, the Minority supported it on the floor.



They did not vote No. Today it has become a law and lets not pretend that somebody is doing something unlawful. It is perfectly lawful. Anybody that feels that after they have voted for it have now realized that there elements of the amendment that is unlawful, they are at liberty to go to court to seek correction.



We will not stand in their way, he said.



The Minority in Parliament yesterday [Thursday] threatened to go to court to compel the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) to halt the implementation of the 3% VAT flat rate scheme.



According to the Minority, the scheme was not consistent with existing laws governing Value Added Taxes and as such, its implementation was illegal and should be halted.



The Minority Spokesperson on Finance, Cassiel Ato Forson had said that the Scheme violates the VAT ACT 870 and could not be implemented. He said through the GRA and Minister of Finance, the government was attempting to trick Ghanaians into thinking taxes were being scrapped, while introducing a new one through the backdoor.



But Kwaku Kwarteng said the 3% flat rate scheme was geared towards simplifying the tax system in the country. The GRA commenced the implementation of the new flat rate scheme on July 1st, 2017.



Until now the scheme had been restricted to some categories of businesses in the retail sector but this new system means it has now has been extended to cover manufacturers and importers.



Some business associations had earlier met with the Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia in a bid to get the policy scrapped, a move which proved unsuccessful. This has also led to about twenty percent rise in the prices of goods.









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Government has announced that there will be no change in the producer price of cocoa for the 2017/2018 cocoa season despite the drop in the price of the commodity on the international market.



This follows a sharp drop in the international price of cocoa from an average of $2,900 recently to an average of $1,900, with the price volatility of the market ranging between $2,100 and 1,800 per tonne.



Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), Joseph Boahen Aidoo, who made this known, said the current producer price has been pegged at GH7,600 on the basis of last years average free-on-board per tonne of cocoa sold at $2,900.



Speaking at an engagement with regional and district cocoa farmers in Kumasi, Mr. Aidoo said the drop had been driven by oversupply from Cote dIvoire, coupled with a fall in demand.



He revealed that there were fears the increase in production by Cote dIvoire to 1.6 million metric tonnes could worsen the existing problem, as the country prepares to raise its production in the sector.



Now you will realize that about $1,000 has been lost already from the international market. It is imperative to say that we are doing forward sales and therefore the cocoa trees have already been sold, he noted.



According to the COCOBOD CEO, the effect of the drop in price is that large crop beans will be sold at $1,900, which will further be discounted by 20 percent, indicating that the development would present challenges to the cocoa industry and the countrys economy next year.



We have to sell our cocoa at lower price and then we have to decide whether to maintain the producer price, increase or reduce it. As we speak now, the producer price in Cote dIvoire and other neighbouring countries has been reduced, but we cannot do that, he disclosed.



He added that Ghana has a minimum guaranteed price for cocoa farmers.



The COCOBOD boss said government might need GH2 billion to purchase cocoa from the farmers in October 1, 2017, pointing out that the Cocoa Stabilization Fund only has an amount of GH320 million.



Touching on fertilizer, Mr. Aidoo asserted that they hoped the new arrangement would have positive impact on production, adding that the last three years of free fertilizer programme accounted for Ghanas low production of cocoa.



The farmers say the free fertilizer never got to them, and that Ghanas fertilizers not for sale were being used in Nigeria, Gabon and other neighbouring African countries. It means the free fertilizers were given to party people who were not cocoa farmers, he declared.



He added that the current government was determined to make the farmers happy through various interventions, including hand pollination to increase production for the farmers.



Some farmers produce two bags per hectre which should not be the case. At least 30 bags per hectre are acceptable and this is what we are committed to do for them, the COCOBOD CEO indicated.



Nana Nicholas Cobbina, Western Regional chief cocoa farmer, praised government and the COCOBOD boss for their foresight and intervention programmes to increase yield.



He reiterated the farmers commitment to supporting government to achieve the new production target, noting that farmers stand to gain from increased production.

Source: Daily Guide









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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The Coalition of Cheated Medical Laboratory Technicians has issued a two-week ultimatum to the Ghana Health Service and the Ministry of Health to rectify anomalies in their Single Spine placement or they embark on industrial action.



According to the group, made up of technical officers (laboratory) and biomedical laboratory scientists, they have drawn the attention of their leadership to their wrong placement with regards to the Single Spine Salary Structure since 2012.



The group said: There have been several correspondence between the leadership of the Ghana Association of Biomedical Laboratory Scientists and the Health Services Workers Union on one side and the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission and the Ministry of Health and Ghana Health Service.



On 30th January, 2012 , the Ministry of Health directed the FWSC to resolve the placement issues of the technical officer (laboratory) cadre in a letter dated 30th January, 2012 with ref no. MOH/GAD 5.009. Since then several reminders have been sent to the FWSC by the association but to no avail.



The group, thus, wants the GHS/MoH to rectify the anomaly and place them on the right salary in line with the Single Spine Salary Structure and also pay in full all the arrears accruing to their members since 2012.



We, however, wish to state that if we dont receive any favourable response from the Ghana Health Service and the Ministry of Health by 17th July, 2017, we will look at all legitimate tools available to us and deploy the appropriate one, the group said, adding: As law-abiding citizens we are taking the path of peaceful resolution in addressing our issues to forestall any industrial action.

Source: Classfmonline









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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It has emerged that embattled businessman, Alfred Agbesi Woyome, who has been dismissed by the Supreme Court for attempts to temporarily halt his oral examination by the Attorney General over the GH51.2 million judgement debt paid to him by the state, is reeling under untold economic hardship.



According to Ken Anku, lawyer for the National Democratic Congress (NDC) financier, his client doesnt have any money.



The lawyer made the disclosure yesterday at the court when Godfred Yeboah Dame, a deputy Attorney General (AG), urged the sole judge, Justice A. A. Benin, to award a cost of GH20,000 against Mr. Woyome in the case in which he (Woyome) had filed an application to stay his oral examination by the AG.



Justice Benin had dismissed the application, describing it as unmeritorious, therefore paving the way for the AG to orally examine Mr. Woyome over the controversial GH51.2 million judgement debt.



He said the application had no basis and as such there was no need to stay the proceedings.



The judge said among others that Mr. Anku failed to tell the court if his client would suffer anything when the stay was not granted.



The oral examination would border on whether Mr. Woyome owed the state any debt and whether he had any property for satisfying the judgement of the court dated July 29, 2014.



Also, the oral examination, according to the court, would be premised on whether the businessman has any means of satisfying the judgement of this court, dated July 29, 2014 and the manner in which he used the money paid to him by the Republic of Ghana.



Medical Report



Mr. Woyomes lawyer brought a medical report from the 37 Military Hospital indicating that his client was unwell.



Mr Dame contended that the medical certificate from the hospital did not say that Mr. Woyome could not walk to court.



He noted that Woyomes application was utter frivolous, stressing that definitely, the day of reckoning will come, an apparent response to what appeared to be Woyomes attempt to dodge the oral examination with an excuse of ill-health.



Justice Benin had insisted that Mr. Woyome be given the two weeks excuse duty the doctor had ordered.



Emotions



Earlier, the judge wondered why Mr. Anku appeared to be emotionally attached to the case before the court.



Justice Benin held that it was appropriate for the lawyer to handle the case in a professional manner.



Mr. Anku had retorted that the deputy AG was not a doctor to be given the medical certificate of Mr. Woyome.



On that the judge said parties in the case have the duty to be decorous.



Ruling



It would be recalled that the court, at its previous sitting, placed an embargo on the shares owned by Mr Woyome in 11 companies, following his GH51.2 million indebtedness to the state.



The companies are Anator Holding Company Limited, AAW Management Consulting Services Limited, Green Township Security Services Company Limited, Anator Construction Company Limited, Woyome Brothers International Limited and Stewise Anator Company Limited.



The rest are Stewise Shopping Company Limited, Green Townships and Industrial Parks Development Company Limited, Anator Power Company Limited, Green Townships (GH) Company Limited and Special Economic Zone International Trading Company Limited.



Per the order, Mr. Woyome was also to appear before the court to explain why the embargo should not be made permanent.



Arguments



Mr Anku, quoting Article 134 (b) of the 1992 Constitution, said the Article gives the applicant the right to seek a review of the decision of the sole judge for the sake of justice and fairness.



He argued that it was unfair for the court to go ahead with the execution of the order they seek to overturn before a three-member panel of justices on July 18.



Mr Anku stated, among other things, that his client will suffer irreparable damage if the state starts to attach his (clients) properties.



Mr. Dame countered by claiming that Mr. Woyome had again failed to show that he would suffer any irreparable damage if the order of the court was executed.



In the view of the deputy AG, the applicant had failed to satisfy the essential ingredients for stay of execution, adding that the application was an attempt to evade the execution of the courts judgement.



He contended that justice and fairness would rather be served if the proceedings continued.

Source: Daily Guide









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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President Nana Akufo-Addo has commissioned Ghanas third oil Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel named after former President John Agyekum Kufuor.



Watched on by a line-up of top government officials and Italian managers of the vessel, the President turned the valve wearing a smile that meant  let the cash flow.



The FPSO will extract 80,000 barrels of oil of the Sankofa Gye-Nyame Fields.



Sankofa means go back for it. But if the 170 million cubic feet of gas from the fields is anything to go by, Ghana will never go back to that national irritant of erratic power supply.



The gas which will feed thermal power plants in the Western region can bring on another 1,100 megawatts.



This project has been thought through much better than the last FPSO Atta Mills. There is a dedicated gas pipeline to connect to the onshore gas receiving facilities near Sanzule, a village in the Western region.



In a tale of catastrophic lack of foresight, Ghana flushes out as waste 100 MMscfd of gas. Break it down for the ordinary Ghanaian and this amounts to losing 460MW.



In the land of many lights, people live in darkness.



And so 10 years after discovering oil in 2007, the printed name of President John Agyekum Kufuor is embossed on a shiny monstrously big Floating Production Storage and Offloading Vessel.



The honour was done him by the former President John Mahama under whose tenure began this development of the Offshore Cape Three Points ( OCTP) integrated oil and gas project  for $7bn.



For reasons yet to be explained, however, John Mahama was absent for this grand occasion. In 24 hours, reasons will trickle in.



But for now, President Nana Akufo-Addo exchanges smiles with CEOs of Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC), Vitol and ENI SpA, the three shareholders in this project.



They all wore the face of accomplished men at a ceremony 60km off the coast at Cape Three Points.



Wearing awkward-looking safety apparels, the President spotting a decent-looking outfit was briefed about the vessels potential and shown around the money boat.



Ghanas first FPSO was named after President Kwame Nkrumah who established the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation to set the countrys oil agenda.



The second FPSO to commercially produce of oil from the Tweneboa, Enyere and Ntomme (TEN) oilfield was named after John Evans Atta Mills. It gives Ghana some 20,000 to 30,000 barrels of oil a day.



The Third goes to Agyekum Kufuor under whose tenure the country found oil.



There are plans to explore commercially viable oil fields in the Volta region. All things being equal, the names of two former Presidents are up for grabs if Ghana gets a fourth FPSO.



While government pops the champagne in Ghana. The real champagne-popping would be going on in Italy where its government has a 44.4% stake in Ghanas oil cake, Vitols share is a 35.5% stake.



The jubilation in Ghana is a 20% bottle of champagne. Half a loaf is better than none.

Source: myjoyonline









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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The Supreme Court has set July 26, to commence the hearing of the case in which a 40-year-old teacher who was wrongly jailed for 15 years for defiling and impregnating a 14-year-old student, is demanding GH10 million compensation from the state.



The five-member panel of judges presided over by Justice Anin-Yeboah, could not hear the case on Wednesday because of certain errors committed by the counsel for Eric Asante, the plaintiff.



The court wondered why lawyer Victor Opeku had only filed for compensation without adding any other supporting materials to it.



Justice Sulley Gbadegbe, a panel member, asked why the counsel failed to add any supporting material, insisting that he must move the motion for the compensation.



This compelled the counsel to seek leave of the court but Justice Gbadegbe disagreed, arguing that every necessary document required for the hearing was in the media the day the writ was filed at the court.



The judge of the apex court was not enthused about the lawyers request for an adjournment.



Justice Anin-Yeboah also noted that the case is a constitutional matter the court is trying to develop.



He asked whether the salaries and allowances of Mr Eric Asante over the period would amount to the GH10 million compensation he is demanding from the government.



Justice Anin-Yeboah gave Mr Victor Opeku the last chance to put his house in order for the case to be heard.



A Tamale high court in the Northern Region in September 2005 sentenced Eric to 15 years imprisonment with hard labour for being found guilty of defiling Rubamatu Mohammed.



Although Eric Asante appealed against the sentence in 2006, it was dismissed.



In 2012, he went to the Supreme Court and the court granted him leave to file a notice of appeal against his conviction.



The notice of appeal was followed by an application for an order to conduct a DNA test on the child.



The Supreme Court accepted the application and accordingly ordered Rubamatu to make her child available for the DNA test initially at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital.



The court order was served and received on Rubamatus behalf by her aunts, Juliet Tinjina and Gladys Abokokpa, who were then taking care of Rubamatus child in Tamale.



Although the court gave eight weeks within which the test should be conducted, the family refused to bring the child to Accra as ordered.



Following the intransigence of the childs family, the Supreme Court on February 11, 2015, further ordered Juliet Tinjina and Gladys Abokokpa to make the child available for the DNA test  this time at the Police Forensic Unit.



Summarising the report from the Forensic Laboratory of the Police Hospital at the courts sitting on November 17, 2015, the judge said the result of the test absolved Mr Asante of having any biological relation with the 10-year-old boy who was alleged to be the product of the defilement.

Source: Daily Guide









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, the Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, has expressed dissatisfaction with an Iranian Scientist Mehran Tavakoli Keshe relationship with the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission.



According to the Minister, upon scrutinising the portfolio of the Iranian Scientist, he discovered that some of his activities, predictions and medicinal product purported to cure certain diseases were not genuine.



After my appointment I decided to review the operations of the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission and I came across this Iranian Scientist called Mehran Tavakoli Keshe and was not convinced with his activities so I told my colleagues to look into his activities to help me have satisfaction, he said.



The Minister added that after scrutinizing the Iranians portfolio and Curriculum Vitae as well as some key members of his Foundation, he came to the realisation that, he was not genuine.



He noted that the Iranian Scientist claimed he studied Nuclear Physics at Queen Mary College, University of London, however when we checked with the University, we discovered that the University did not even offer Atomic Physics.



In addition, the Scientist was reported to be preparing to set up an Energy Space Centre at the Atomic Energy and that by next year, Ghana would go to the Space, which the President had no idea of.



The Sector Minister made these known at the swearing-in ceremony of the Governing Board of the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission in Accra on Thursday.



The Minister indicated that the same Iranian Scientist made certain predictions in the United States two years ago claiming the continent was going to split into two and that there was an imminent earthquake.and all those predictions didnt happen.



He also brought certain things to Belgium that was artificial and people paid money for it.and also devised certain equipment which he brought samples to the Director-General of the Atomic Commission claiming it would reduce power consumption in peoples homes...and I dont know if this is true, he said.



The Minister cited a liquid the Iranian had manufactured known as plasma water which was examined by the Ghana Standard Authority (GSA) and the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) and it came to light that it was pure water.



The Iranian Scientist alleged the liquid which he had bottled and sold at US$10 dollars each could cure diabetes and hypertension and supported his claim with a video from Youtube as a strategy to market the product.



The President is concerned and I think we must review our relationship with this foreigner who in the first place should not have been allowed to set up a camp at the Atomic Energy.



We dont want further embarrassment. if we want to go to space we have our own space programmehis theories as far as am concerned have no scientific basis, he explained.



The Minister charged the Commission to review its operations, especially regarding agreements and Memorandum of Understanding signed with companies and foreign contracts.



Prof. Frimpong-Boateng said all contracts signed with foreign agencies should be reviewed by the Attorney-General to avoid mistakes.



The Minister had earlier administered the Official Oath and Oath of Secrecy to the Board members and charged them to come out with strategic policy direction that would move the Commission from its current predicaments.



The seven-member Board comprised, Dr. Kweku Aning, Chairman, Professor Benjamin Jabez Botwe Nyarko, Director-General of the Commission, member, Professor Alexander Kwadwo Nyarko, from the University of Ghana, member, and Madam Isabel Louisa Boaten, a legal practitioner, member.



The rest are Mr. Joseph Sowa Okpoti, Former Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Volta River Authority, member, Dr. Robert Adjaye, Energy Provider Consultant, member, and Mrs Levina Owusu, Government nominee, member.

Source: GNA









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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The President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, on Thursday, July 6, 2017, swore into office the members of the Police Council, which is chaired by the Vice President of Republic, Alhaji Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia.



According to President Akufo-Addo, the Police Council is one of the most important organs of the State, and, as such I am counting on you, its members, to give me strong, independent advice in the maintenance of law and order in the country.



The Police Council, as set out in Article 203, is mandated to advise the President on matters of policy relating to internal security, including the role of the Police Service, budgeting and finance, administration and the promotion of officers above the rank of Assistant Commissioner of Police.



The Constitution has also given the Council, whose membership includes the Vice President, the Minister for the Interior, the Attorney General and the Inspector General of Police, the power to make regulations or any other law for the effective and efficient administration of the Police Service.



President Akufo-Addo noted that the most important thing for a nation is the peace and safety of its people, and its territorial integrity. It is when these are guaranteed, he stressed, that citizens can go about their lives in security, and hope to improve upon the quality of their circumstances.



We all sleep, feeling safe, when the men and women of the Police Service work to keep our nation and our streets safe. The issue of law and order is particularly germane at this time when indiscipline, lawlessness and outbreaks of mob justice are threatening the rule of law. The Executive is determined to work with the Police Service to guarantee the security of citizens in accordance with the rule of law, he assured.



The President reiterated the commitment of his government to, amongst others, resource the Police Service adequately so it to continue to maintain law and order and protect lives and property, in consonance with the NPPs pledge in its 2016 Manifesto.



To this end, President Akufo-Addo revealed that his government will improve the accommodation needs of the Police, build two new police hospitals at Sunyani and Bolgatanga to serve their health needs, as well as build two new police training schools, all this with the view to improving the quality of the police service and the welfare its personnel.



With the Police Service suffering lower public image than it should, and with report after report of the Afrobarometer citing the Service as the most perceived corrupt public institution in Ghana, President Akufo-Addo charged the newly constituted Police Council to ensure that this perception no longer holds.



The citizenry can only have confidence in the Police Service when they are seen to be honest and would enforce the law without fear or favour. Your task during your term of office is to ensure that this perception no longer holds, he added.



The President indicated further that it is in everybodys interest that the Police Service retains the neutrality and professionalism guaranteed under the Constitution.



Governments have term limits, and in a multi-party democracy, parties win and lose power. It is good for the health of the nation that this is so, and this is why the Police Service should not tie its well-being or otherwise to the fortunes of the ruling party of the day, President Akufo-Addo stressed.



Together with the members of the Police Council, President Akufo-Addo stated that we must ensure that the Police Service is left to focus on its core mandate, and not be an appendage of the ruling party. I envisage a Police Service that goes about its duty of protecting ordinary citizens confident that there will be no interference from the powers that be.





Source: Peacefmonline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Accra - Jehovah's Witnesses will soon hold their annual regional conventions at the Accra Assembly Hall of Jehovah's, Baatsona, Spintex Road. They extend an open invitation for all to attend. The theme of this year's program is "Don't Give Up!"



Glory K. Bani, a convention spokesman, states: "Challenges in life can rob us of peace and even cause some to think about giving up." "Our conventions this year will benefit both Witnesses and non-Witnesses because it promises to empower individuals not only to keep enduring but also to cope with the challenges productively." The program is divided into 52 parts and will be presented in variety of formats, including brief discourses, interviews and short videos. Additionally, one segment of a three-part feature film entitled Remember the Wife of Lot will be shown each afternoon. A highlight of the program will be the chairman's address on Friday morning, entitled "We Must Not Give Up - Especially Now!"



Starting the weekend of 14th July 2017, and continuing for the next 16 weeks, Jehovah's Witnesses will extend personal invitations to everyone from Accra, Tema, and surrounding areas to attend the convention. Locally, all of the area's 538 congregations of Jehovah's Witnesses will help distribute printed invitations to the convention. There Is No Admission Fee. Conventions of Jehovah's Witnesses are supported entirely by voluntary donations.

The first of 16 three-day events to be held in Accra will begin Friday, July 14th 2017, at 9:20 a.m. An estimated 85,000 will come to the Accra Assembly Hall for the Bible-based programs. Jehovah's Witnesses in Ghana are organizing 139 conventions - in 9 languages - in 35 cities. Worldwide, there are over 8,000,000 Witnesses in more than 115,000 congregations.



The Three-Day Program Will Include :-

Talks and Interviews: See how God 'supplies endurance" to all sorts of people, even today.- Romans 15:5



Multimedia: Discover how the Bible and even nature teach lessons about how to endure.



Feature Film: Each afternoon, follow the story of a family who learns why Jesus said: "Remember the wife of Lot." - Luke 17:32



Convention Theme:-



Don't Give Up! What good reasons do you have not to give up hope? Learn the answer from the Bible at a public discourse to be presented on Sunday morning with the theme "Never Give Up Hope!"



*See a complete programme schedule and watch a VIDEO about our conventions at www.jw.org.



You are warmly welcome.

Source: peacefmonline.com









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Host of Metro Tv's Good Evening Ghana Paul Adom-Otchere has been appointed a member of the governing board of the National Communications Authority (NCA), Peacefmonline.com can confirm.



A letter of appointment signed by the Chief of Staff, Frema Osei-Opare, on behalf of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo read: Pursuant to National Communications Authority Act, 2008 (ACT 769), the President of the Republic of Ghana, in consultation with the Council of State, hereby appoints you as a member of the governing board of the National Communications Authority.



I take this opportunity to congratulate you formally on your appointment.



Profile.....



Paul Adom Otchere is a broadcast journalist with almost two decades of practice. He has studied Politics and Classics, obtaining a BA from the University of Ghana, he also studied law obtaining an LLB from the same university.



He studied Development Economics at the University of London under a Chevening schorlaship; he also worked for U.K. PR firm Africa Practice in London and in Ghana.



In 2016, Paul led the Ghana ICT Chamber to mount a spirited attempt to halt the auction of a 4G spectrum to mobile operator MTN.



Mr Adom-Otchere has been the main producer and presenter of Metro TV's award wining and 16 year old current affairs program, "Good Evening Ghana".

Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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On July 2, 2017, Ms. Atinuke Ogunsalu of Queensway Restaurant & Catering in Maryland, US, became the winner of the first ever Jollof Hackathon presented by I/O Spaces during Jollof Festival In Washington DC. The event was organized by Afropolitan Insights.



Ms. Ogunsalu put skeptics to shame with her win and proved to all that Nigerians can indeed cook Jollof when she secured her country the win at the event. Her competitors at the event were Cameroon, Ghana, and Sierra Leone. Jollof is cooked in a single pot with rice and a tomato-based stew plus preferred meat, fish or poultry. It is very popular the world over especially among West Africans.



The winning chef arrived at the event venue; 1630 19th Street in North West of Washington DC, with high hopes despite heavy opposition fueled by the popular assertion at that Nigeria Jollof, was indeed nothing to write home about.



A good number of the over 600 people that attended the #JollofFestival had high expectations of team Ghana Jollof to win, unfortunately, Ghana sold out due quickly of food, though they had called for backup it never arrived on time so they were beaten by the clock.



According to Lucinda Mensah a Ghanaian Jollof enthusiast that TheAfricanDream.net spoke with said there was no Ghana jollof to taste when it was time to judge as we sold all since people were buying it like crazy. If Ghana had just one teaspoonful of jollof for the judges to taste we could have easily won. I noticed the Nigerians had a truckload of their jollof on deck, they came to battle and won fair and square.



When it was time to make their final presentations to the judges it was only Cameroon, Sierra Leone, and Nigeria that were left standing.



Four-time Embassy Chef Challenge participant and executive chef at the Ghana Embassy in Washington DC  Chef Francis Otoo  was joined by Gigi Ness of African Cuisine Inc, Tamara Raye of NATIVSOL, Maame Boakye of Dine Diaspora and Jamaican Andrea Coleman, (a) Jollof enthusiast, on the panel of judges to adjudge and announce the winner.



Each finalist was given five minutes to present their dish to the judges who based their decisions on participants presentation, taste, and originality.



According to Chef Otoo whose opinion was shared by the other judges, Ms. Ogunsalu did not only capture a great taste and healthy combination of ingredients in her meal, she did an awesome job at presentation and that was something very pleasing to the tongues and eyes of the judges he told TheAfricanDream.net a media partner of the event.



Newly crowned #JollofFestival champion Ms. Ogunsalu told TheAfricanDream.net that she was glad to have carried the day for Nigeria, and felt that people can now actually jump off the fence and try Nigerian Jollof for themselves instead of being prejudiced.



The winner walked away with $1000 coworking services from event partner I/O Spaces and an opportunity to become a Chef at Jollof Caviar; an upscale African Fusion Restaurant Opening in Washington DC in 2019.

Ishmael Osekre, the Ghanaian-born, New York-based founder of Afropolitan Insights, creators of the festival in an interview with TheAfricanDream.net said he was very touched by the attendance and welcoming spirit received from participants, vendors, and the city of Washington DC, adding thanks to all your efforts we have set a great tone for #JollofFestival and we only look forward to building on it as we popularize the togetherness the meal brings here in the United States.



Afropolitan Insights is a collective of young Africans, African-Americans, and Caribbeans from Africa and in the Diaspora who curate events, create spaces for cultural exchange and social dialogue, celebrate diversity, innovation and ideas.



The Jollof wars will continue at the Jollof Festival NYC on July 23rd where organizers are determined to ensure all competitors participate in the competitions. To find out more about the premier Jollof Festival follow the #JollofFestival hashtag online or on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook as @JollofFestival



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<iframe width="470" height="379" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qo5nFcmHBuo" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>











Source: Oral Ofori of TheAfricanDream.net









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Kumasi-based popular NDC serial caller, Frank Appiah popularly known as 'Appiah Stadium' says the NDC will campaign mainly on revelations made by NPPs outspoken Assin Central MP, Kennedy Agyapong in the 2020 elections.



To him, Kennedy Agyapong has given us weapon to use in the 2020 elections against them and we will surely do that, we will use that against them.



His comment comes after the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament (MP) for Assin Central, shockingly threatened to expose the party to the world of their undemocratic means through which his party won the 2016 presidential and parliamentary elections.



The fire branded NPP man noted that the elections which made Nana Akufo-Addo the President of Ghana with some 53.85 percent votes was won unfairly.



Kennedy Agyapong has since dared anybody, who wants to challenge what he holds as evidence to come forward, and he would spill the beans.



I mean those NPP people who have vowed to collapse my businesses saying they will bring me down . . . if they joke, the things I will say in Ghana . . . the way we won the elections.



. . We did not win the elections on fair grounds. I am warning them for the last time. If they say they will bring me down, I will be the first to bring the NPP down before I am disgraced, the man who is sometimes called NPPs 'untouchable' said.



Speaking on NEAT FMs morning show, delighted 'Appiah Stadium' was of a view that Kennedy Agyapong is making work easier for us [NDC] in 2020. So they [NPP] rigged the elections and pretended they won that fairly. We have the weapon to fight them back now.

Source: King Edward Ambrose Washman Addo/Peacefmonline.com/ Twitter: @Washman5/ Instagram: Washman007









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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A privately run high-security prison in Brisbane currently in lockdown over an industrial relations issue will buy its inmates ice cream to soothe raised tensions.

At 6am today the Arthur Gorrie Correction Centre went into lockdown, as 40 staff were reportedly refused entry to the premises in the wake of ongoing enterprise bargaining negotiations.

GEO Group are contracted by the Queensland Government to run the prison, although their contract is up for renewal this year.

Fears that staff and inmate safety may be at greater risk post-lockdown were met with this reply from GEOs spokesman, Ken Davis: I dont know what [the prison manager] will do when he lifts it We can go out and buy them ice creams or something like that for their dessert.

Damien Davie, from the United Voice trade union, who represent the prisons employees in the negotiations, said that their aim is to increase the staff-to-prisoner ratio to address issues of overcrowding:

Theres currently one officer to between 36 and 40 (inmates), and sometimes as bad as one to 62. There should be two on the floor at all times. That is leading to assaults on our members, its leading to prisoner violence, drugs in the prison going undetected, prisoner behaviour not being corrected, just sheerly due to the lack of boots on the ground.

Earlier this year, United Voice submitted a petition with 174 employee signatures to the state government, calling for the immediate termination of the prisons management, and requesting Queensland Corrective Services take over in the meantime.

The issues raised in the submission included overcrowding, a culture of bullying in the workplace, and an increase in the amount of drugs being found behind prison walls.

GEO Group has denied the bullying claims, but referred questions on staffing to the state government.

Maybe they could buy their staff a sneaky soft serve to ease negotiations?

Source: The Courier-Mail.

Photo: American Broadcasting Company.
Travel influencers.

They get paid to trot across the globe, take selfies and be hot.

Its only natural to feel a little envious of the lives these millennials lead. But not all of their trips go to plan.

Last year, a harrowing video of a woman falling off a Spanish cliff while filming a #travelinspo vid went viral.

The video featured a redhead woman getting ready to jump off a big cliff on the island of Mallorca.

Seconds before jumping, she hesitates, and in a panic tries to grab onto the dude in frames foot. He pulls back, and she loses her footing, falling off the cliff:

You can watch the full clip here, it will give you bum tingles:

Up until now, the identify of the woman and the extent of her injuries had been unknown.

Her (now ex) husband, Alexander Tikhomirov, revealed her identity as Insta-famous model Mary Shum to UNILAD.

I filmed this with my friend. The girl who is falling is my ex-wife, Tikhomirov explained. Mary fell on a rock first  about three metres down  She didnt break anything, unlike people said, but she did hurt her feet and back. We went to the hospital later and she couldnt walk for a few days. But finally everything was good, he added.

A post shared by MARY SHUM (@mary_shum_) on Nov 13, 2016 at 9:07pm PST

Tikhomirov, an avid filmmaker, explained that Shum holds no hard feelings towards the bloke who pulled his foot away, the Insta famous travel blogger, Jay Alvarrez.

He removed (his leg) not because he is an asshole, but because everything happened in one second, he explained.

Does Alvarrez sound familiar?

Probably.

He used to be one half of Instagrams most famous young travelling couple, as the boyfriend of Alexis Ren.

the best meal Ive ever had A post shared by ALEXIS REN (@alexisren) on Sep 27, 2015 at 1:03pm PDT

As that story goes, they broke up because their relationship was no longer good for business, and Alexis said he had a small bepis.

See? Being a travel influencer aint that easy.

Source: News.com.au.

Photo: BahamuTheGuardian / YouTube.
An early morning Independence Day electrical fire displaced six New Cumberland residents.

The two-alarm fire broke out at around 4:05 a.m. July 4 on the second floor of an apartment building on the 400 block for Haldeman Avenue, said New Cumberland Fire Chief Jim Benson. The fire was under control in about half an hour, Benson said, adding that the scene was cleared at around 8 a.m.

Benson estimated the property damage would exceed $70,000, but said it will be a while before a complete analysis can be done.

No residents or firefighters were injured, Benson said, noting the efforts of crews from multiple departments in Cumberland County and a crew from York County. The American Red Cross is assisting the six displaced residents.

A long-time member of the fire company, Benson recalled a fire in the same building 20 years ago. That fire started on the first floor and was caused by a Christmas tree, he recalled. One of the women who was displaced in Tuesday's fire was also displaced by the fire in 1997, Benson added.

A friend of two of the other victims launched a GoFundMe campaign to help the women after losing everything in their apartment. The fundraiser had raised $1,800 of its $2,500 goal at the time of this post. Those residents lost two cats in the fire, Benson said. Two others are being treated for injuries sustained in the fire.
An Allegheny County judge acted correctly when she sentenced a sex predator to a 20- to 40-year prison term to ensure he'll be too old to molest foreign children when he is eventually deported, a state appeals court panel has ruled.

The aim of the law is to protect not just U.S. children, but also kids worldwide from those who would sexually abuse them, President Judge Emeritus John Bender wrote in the Superior Court opinion issued this week.

Bender's court reached that conclusion in denying an appeal by Rabih Hawchar, an immigrant of the Middle Eastern nation of Lebanon who is imprisoned for molesting a young boy.

Hawchar, now 39, spent four years abusing the child, starting when the victim was 9, Plum Borough police said. Despite his claims of innocence, a county jury in 2015 convicted Hawchar of multiple sex crimes, including rape of a child.

Those convictions mean Hawchar must register with police for life as a sex offender. But only so long as he is in the U.S. After completing his prison term, it is probable that Hawchar will be deported to Lebanon, Bender noted.

Hawchar claimed on appeal that county Judge Jill E. Rangos wrongly considered the future danger he would pose to Lebanese children in choosing a prison term that was "manifestly excessive."

First of all, Bender disagreed that the penalty is over the top for the crimes Hawchar committed. Secondly, he said the moral and legal duty to protect children from sex predators extends beyond American kids.

"We see nothing unreasonable about (Rangos') consideration of this fact," Bender wrote. The law "requires the sentencing court to take into account the protection of the public. It does not, by its explicit terms, limit that consideration to citizens of the commonwealth or nation."

So, he added, "It was not improper for (Rangos) to take into account the safety of children in Lebanon."
WEST CHESTER -- The brother of a young woman fatally shot by another motorist during an act of road rage in Pennsylvania says the family is grappling with the senselessness of her death.

Rodney Roberson Jr. spoke Friday at the funeral for 18-year-old Bianca Roberson. She was killed in a highway confrontation last week while still in her moving car.

More than 300 mourners attended the church service outside Philadelphia.

Wreaths of purple and white flowers dotted the church, and photographs of a smiling Bianca Roberson were never out of sight.

Roberson had just graduated high school and was planning to attend Jacksonville University in Florida this fall.

Twenty-eight-year-old David Desper of Trainer, Pennsylvania, is charged with murder in her death. His attorney has declined to comment on the charge.
Recent Pennsylvania budgets have been worthy of criticism, both for timing and substance. And we've noted both in the past.

This year, we regret to call "shenanigans" once more. Taxpayers should do the same.

One often hears that "we wish government would be run like a business."

There's no business on Earth that would operate as close to the edge as the General Assembly.

Lawmakers have repeatedly found creative ways to kick the fiscal can down the road. And unless something changes, there's no incentive to do things any differently.

In case you missed it, the 2016-17 budget was a "get-along-to go-along" affair, after a most contentious 2015-16 budget process.

Combine a modest increase in spending with an even more modest increase in revenue, much of which was born on the backs of tobacco users, and everyone claimed victory.

The increase in spending was so modest, this fiscal year we need to make up a revenue shortfall from last year, add it to a current shortage this year, and find $2 billion.

How do we know it's $2 billion?

Because without knowing where the revenue to cover it is coming from, Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf and the Republican-controlled General Assembly have agreed on a spending amount.

That amount is $2 billion dollars more than the combined shortage of last year and the shortage this year.

The search for that money continues. And time is running short.

Wolf has until Monday, in the absence of an agreement, to sign, veto or allow to lapse into law the spending document that landed on his desk 10 days ago.

Lawmakers and the administration were expected to work through the weekend to unravel the revenue knot, which, as of Friday, remained securely tied.

Imagine, going into your boss's office, and saying, "My family has decided to spend a certain amount, you pay me this amount, so next year, you need to make up the difference and pay me that amount."

But that is exactly what Wolf and GOP lawmakers have agreed to do.

Desperate times call for desperate measures, and the ideas for covering the gap are, indeed, desperate.

They include expanding gambling without taking into account that more venues will mean less revenue per venue (we also recall the problems expanded gambling can create, while too many government officials overlook them in search of a dollar), borrowing against a future settlement from tobacco companies (which some think will actually decrease due to there being less smokers) to more accounting tricks of deferred revenue.

Here's what's not on the table: reduced spending from the amount agreed upon, a severance tax on natural gas drillers, tax reform or tax increases.

Well, there is a perfectly good word for this process, and we will use it again: "shenanigans."

Yes, raising new revenue will create pain. Yes, less spending less will create pain. But even worse - ignoring reality will create the most pain.

Until Wolf and the Republican leadership actually find $2 billion, they need to agree to spend $2 billion less.

Either the folks who really want that $32 billion dollars can justify, say, more money for education to the point of higher taxes, or they need to back off of it.

Either proponents of holding the line on spending can justify, for example, another way to pay for opioid addiction's real consequences to the point of letting them happen, or they need to rethink revenue.

Here's what cannot be allowed to happen: borrowing from tomorrow to pay for today, looking at a balance sheet with "the wink and a nod" of the past few years or putting the pain of budget fixes on a small number of stakeholders.

We suspect that both Republicans and Democrats in the Capitol would love to mail this one in and keep their powder dry for the 2018 election.

Both need to be held accountable under pain of failure in that election. We invite you to let them know that enough is enough.

Do your job. Balance the budget.
We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on!

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In this image taken from Jan 6, 2008, video footage by AP Video, Liu Xiaobo speaks during an interview in his home in Beijing, China. According to a statement Friday, July 7, 2017, on the website of the First Hospital of China Medical University, the Chinese medical team charged with treating imprisoned Nobel Peace laureate Liu Xiaobo has stopped using cancer-fighting drugs so as not to overwhelm his severely weakened liver, raising concerns that China's most prominent political prisoner is critically ill. (AP Video via AP)
PHOTOS: Petoskey celebrates Veterans Day 2022

Petoskey's American Legion taught local elementary students how to fold the flag during the Veterans Day ceremony on Friday, Nov. 11 in Pennsylvania Park.
U.S. President Donald Trump just redefine the West around faith, not democracy

Getty/ Sean Gallup



Donald Trump arrives at Hamburg Airport on July 6, 2017. Warsaw speech focuses on religion, family ahead of rule of law. That may go down well in Poland; elsewhere in EU, not so much.

NEW YORK

Petroleumworld 07 07 2017

U.S. President Donald Trump just sought to redefine the West.

In a speech to cheering crowds in Warsaw on Thursday, Trump described the West's values in terms of religion and culture and called for the defense of its civilization against radical Islam. It amounted to a manifesto for his foreign-policy vision.

The address included repeated invocations of God, faith, tradition, national sovereignty and family. It made only passing reference to what are usually cited as core Western values: the rule of law, democracy and freedom of speech. Religious tolerance did not get a mention.

The people of Poland, the people of America, and the people of Europe still cry out We want God,''' said Trump. We put faith and family, not government and bureaucracy, at the center of our lives.''

It's an outlook fervently shared by the president's hosts, Poland's Law & Justice Party. Last year, Polish President Andrzei Duda took part in a religious ceremony that officially recognized Jesus as the King of Poland. And the worldview Trump outlined in Warsaw also chimes with that of his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. The two leaders will meet for the first time on Friday at a summit of the Group of 20 major economies in Hamburg.

But while popular among eastern Europe's conservatives, Trump's reinterpretation of Western values will set him further apart from more liberal G-20 leaders such as German Chancellor Angela Merkel, already alienated by the president's opposition to climate-change targets and free-trade agreements.

Culture of Washington

Some of Trump's comments were less out of step with Washington's traditional priorities. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, a habitual critic of the president, said he was encouraged by relatively strong language attacking the Russian interventions in Ukraine and Syria, as well as by Trump's statement of support for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's Article 5 clause on collective defense.

The speech contained both conventional foreign-policy rhetoric and nativist undertones, said Erik Brattberg, director of the Europe Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington. Its basic message was that the U.S. remains the indisputable leader of the West, he said.

Trump stuck to his theme after leaving Poland. THE WEST WILL NEVER BE BROKEN. Our values will PREVAIL. Our people will THRIVE and our civilization will TRIUMPH!'' he tweeted after landing in Hamburg.

Clash of Civilizations

Much of the address in Warsaw's Krasinski Square was devoted to a recounting of Poland's struggles against Russia and Nazi Germany, in particular the 1944 Warsaw Uprising. But in an earlier briefing, a White House official had singled out the role of faith and the need to defend Western civilization as key messages.

It was very Huntingtonian,'' former Polish Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski said of the speech. The Polish government has reason to be very pleased with it, because it very much echoes their philosophy.

Sikorski was referring to the 1993 Foreign Affairs article by Harvard scholar Samuel P. Huntington, The Clash of Civilizations?'' In the article and a later book, Huntington argued that the West's ideological contest with the former Soviet Union would be followed by a growing struggle between religious blocs.

Many leaders have seen in Huntington's thesis a warning of what to avoid rather than an agenda to pursue -- an important distinction when addressing immigration, for example, or combating Islamist terrorism. By contrast, some of Trump's current and former aides, including chief strategist Steve Bannon and former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn, have embraced the idea that a fundamentally Christian West is at war with Islam.

Evil People'

Bannon laid out his view last year in a now-famous contribution via video link to a Vatican conference. He said the Judaeo-Christian West had become too secular and fallen into crisis as a result. We're at the very beginning stages of a global conflict against Islamo-fascism, Bannon said.

Flynn made a similar point in a book he co-authored the same year, which argued that we're in a world war against a messianic mass movement of evil people, most of them inspired by a totalitarian ideology: Radical Islam.

Trump identified bureaucracy alongside terrorism as the twin threats the West must defeat. That reference is likely to be seen in Poland, and elsewhere in Europe, as directed at the Brussels-based institutions of the European Union. The EU launched an investigation into Poland in 2016, citing threats to the rule of law that it said were incompatible with EU values, such as suppression of judicial independence and media freedoms.

There was no mention of those allegations in Trump's speech. A White House official said his remarks should not be interpreted as an attack on the EU.

Still, the president's strong praise for the conservative government in Poland can be seen as a snub of Angela Merkel's Germany and the EU, with whom Warsaw has an increasingly strained relationship, Carnegie's Brattberg said.

In Poland, there are many who'd take Merkel's side of that argument, against Trump's.

For me, talking about Western civilization without mentioning rule of law, democracy and human rights isn't possible,'' said Jerzy Stepien, a former head of Poland's constitutional court, which has been involved in a protracted battle with the Law & Justice government. I'm not sure how President Trump defines Western civilization, but for me these attributes are indispensable.






Pemex hires independent legal firm to audit Odebrecht deals amid US DOJ Braskem case



Company says no confirmation that U.S. case ivolves Pemex. Move designed to clear up the facts,' legal director says.

MEXICO CITY

Petroleumworld 07 07 2017

Petroleos Mexicanos has hired an independent law firm to review company contracts with Brazilian construction company Odebrecht SA and petrochemicals affiliate Braskem SA amid a U.S. Department of Justice probe into those companies, the company's legal director said.

Pemex, Mexico's state-owned oil giant, hired the firm to carry out an internal investigation and "clear up the facts" around the company's contracts signed since the beginning of its relationship with Odebrecht and Braskem, Jorge Kim, the legal director, said in a telephone interview.

In December, Odebrecht and Braskem both pleaded guilty to conspiring to pay bribes in violation of the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. In a statement at the time , the Justice Department said Odebrecht paid about $10.5 million to Mexico public servants between 2010 and 2014 to win contracts, and that payments of as much as $6 million were made to a senior officer of a Mexico state-owned company.

While "there is yet to be an official confirmation that Pemex is the company mentioned" in the report, a legal firm was hired to identify any possible irregularities in Odebrecht and Braskem contracts, Kim said. He declined to name the firm hired.

"One of the best international practices is to hire a third party to do an objective investigation of the matter," Kim said. "This information is going to give one of two things: it will confirm it wasn't Pemex involved or, if irregularities are found, will provide the sufficient elements to be able to contribute to these investigations and continue collaborating."

Biggest Fine

The case against Odebrecht and its affiliate yielded the biggest corruption-related fine ever levied on a company by the Department of Justice. The company agreed to pay more than $3.5 billion to settle the case after facing charges it bribed executives and officials for more than 100 projects in 12 countries.

On April 5, Pemex publicly disclosed four contracts with Odebrecht and Braskem between 2010 and 2015, and reiterated its commitment to cooperate in the investigation by the Mexican Attorney General's Office, known as PGR. The PGR has called for several current and former Pemex officials to appear as witnesses, without disclosing names.

When Odebrecht and Braskem were found in violation of the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act in December, both the SEC and Justice Department said investigations would continue, opening the possibility more companies could face fines.

If Pemex is found to be the Mexican entity implicated in the DOJ report, the company's contracts fall under U.S. jurisdiction if any of the illicit payments were coordinated via the national banking system or required communication to or from the U.S.

Exhaustive Analysis'

Pemex said in December it is in the process of conducting "exhaustive analysis" of contracts with both Odebrecht and Braskem.

"We are taking preventive measures with the objective of clearing up the information in a more efficient way," Kim said. In case it is found Pemex was the company implicated in the DOJ report, Pemex "will strengthen its processes to avoid future cases of a similar manner," he said.






Some of the products produced by Garden State Dispensary in Woodbridge, N.J., whose parent company, Franklin Labs, is one of 12 permitted to grow and distribute medical marijuana in Pennsylvania. Read more

On July 1, it became legal for any adult to buy marijuana in Las Vegas. An eighth ounce (3.5 grams) of top-grade buds costs just $25. Philadelphia is getting a few medical cannabis dispensaries some time next year, but there won't be any cheap weed for sale.

Pennsylvania has only legalized things like vape-pen cartridges, edible cannabis extracts and topical creams for registered patients. It's known as a "no-smoke" law.

From a patient perspective, there was absolutely no good reason to bar seriously ill residents from simply using the plant with a pipe or rolling papers. That was all politics. To get back the most cost-effective form of marijuana, it will take action by the Department of Health or an amendment to the law.

Sometime next year, warehouses across Pennsylvania will have lush cannabis growing in orderly rows. The flowers won't be dried, cured and carefully trimmed. The vibrant greenery  sticks and stems included  will be macerated and put into steel vats, their essence drained with something like supercritical carbon dioxide. This is the "processing" part of the law.

Originally  and still precariously  done underground in garages with butane, cannabis extraction has now been industrialized through several techniques. Closed-loop gas systems and massive "rosin" press machines are the most common. Vacuum-pressure ovens turn the base extracts into honey oil, wax, or shatter forms.

The result is an array of products that are the most expensive in the shop, even in fully legal states.

How about tincture containing 100mg of THC and/or CBD for $100-$200? That's the going rate in some regulated states right now. Patients might need two to 10 bottles per month. They could make that much a home with access to a few ounces of dried marijuana.

Or maybe a single pre-filled vape-pen cartridge for $50-$90? That's the price now in regulated stores and from local underground suppliers. Patients might need one a week, or one a day.

Or a just 1 gram of medical-grade live resin for $75? Already happening in Colorado  and underground in Philly.

The real trade secret is that while the cannabis industry has been keeping prices high on extract products, the wholesale production costs have been declining. It's much cheaper to grow for oil than for flower.

That means the markup on some regulated medical cannabis products in Pennsylvania could make Martin Shkreli (the villain of EpiPen price gouging) jealous.

Wholesale production estimates would put the 100mg tincture at about $12.50, the cartridge at $7.50 (including the pen and battery) and that 1 gram dab at $15.

According to several sources, a full pound of hash oil can be be purchased wholesale today in California's consignment market for as low as $6,700 or $14 per gram. That means the producer is already earning a healthy profit.

Still, that pound of oil sold by the gram retail will easily cash out for $25,000 or more. It could also infuse up to $60,000 of cartridges, tinctures and edibles, which are then marked up even more.

To put this into perspective: Gold trades at about $40 per gram today; or $1300 per troy ounce and $20,000 per pound. And that precious metal is a lot more labor-intensive to extract from rocks than cannabinoids are from plants.

Some of Pennsylvania's newly permitted cannabis producers already have operations in Illinois, New Jersey, New York, Minnesota and Colorado. Pennsylvania's wholesale market is estimated at $150 million, putting millions on the table for each of those 12 permit holders.

But there's one thing being taken for granted: Patients to fork over their cash.

It will take 10,000 registered patients paying $1,250 per month, every month, out of pocket to add up to $150 million. There's no health insurance to defray the costs. Every penny in profit and taxes on medical cannabis will come from our most severely ill residents.

Consumer safety measures, especially confirming labeling or end-user product testing claims, are still new compared to the more agricultural oversight of pesticides, fungus and general cannabinoid content.

Doctors also increasingly rely on the THC and CBD potency numbers. It really does matter if the lab testing and labeling are correct. Patients shop less by strain names than by lab results.

Under Pennsylvania's law, the newly permitted grower/processor operations must contract with an independent laboratory. These will also be overseen by the Department of Health. In fact, Pennsylvania will be attempting some of the most rigorous lab testing in the country, right at the start of its program.

Accurate lab testing invariably adds to the price patients will pay. The deep scrutiny may also be a surprise to some of the out-of-state operators who have won Pennsylvania's limited permits.

A final add-on for patients is the tax. It won't be levied when a vet with PTSD hands over cash for a vape cartridge, but will instead be levied as a 5 percent excise tax between the grower/processor and dispensaries.

Does it all need to be this expensive?

Not really. Prices are declining for patients and consumers in states that operate a free market in cannabis. Underground prices are even going down as quality increases. Most medications, even over-the-counter drugs like codeine, are tax free.

But by restricting the access and limiting the operating permits, Pennsylvania is joining states that keep up an artificially inflated price model not just to benefit the nascent industry but also to realize some tax revenue.

Again all the money comes directly from people who are so sick they are often paying for medical cannabis with cash from their disability checks. Favorable polling for medical marijuana is above 90% in Pennsylvania. No one was asked what they thought of legalizing a limited hash-oil program.

Pennsylvania is trying to implement a model that has already failed in other states. If the legislature is sincere in this effort, we can revisit the law and remove the biggest hurdles for patients.

Eliminating the doctor registry and allowing whole-plant, dried cannabis flower buds to be distributed to patients would be a strong start.

Without some immediate attention to this program, we could see the players and the house lose. For now, Pennsylvania's patients are better off in Vegas when it comes to medical cannabis.
Fox Rothschild's stealth growth strategy has found another target of opportunity: Seattle.

The Philadelphia-based law firm has acquired a 39-lawyer firm there, giving it a presence in the Pacific Northwest and continuing its steady expansion across the United States. Fox Rothschild focuses on what it says are economically vibrant cities that have escaped the notice of other large national firms.

"It is a big, vital city with a great business community, and it seems to be somewhat underserved by the larger national firms," said Mark Silow, Fox Rothschild LLP's chair. "So there are more opportunities."

The merger with Riddell Williams P.S. brings the lawyer head count to about 800  Fox Rothschild has been growing ever since the 2008-2009 recession, when it had about 500 lawyers. Riddell Williams, though small, is a well-regarded general service firm that focused on, among other practice areas, corporate, labor and employment, creditors' rights, and litigation.

Riddell Williams has been in the Seattle area for more than 100 years. The acquisition gives Fox Rothschild a ready-made package of relationships and clients that would have taken years to achieve had it gone in cold and tried to develop a legal beachhead on its own.

"We never follow the colonial approach of sending in one of our lawyers from out of town to open up a new market," Silow said. "We open offices because of the convergence of two factors: We like the market in general, and we like the people we are merging with."

Fox Rothschild has had its eye on Seattle for about a decade. Before the recession, it had lengthy merger discussions with another firm there that ended after Fox Rothschild leaders determined that the potential partner didn't match up well financially. In short, Fox Rothschild was more profitable, and that would have created problems down the road.

"It would have a destabilizing effect if people were making widely differing amounts of money," Silow said generally of the difficulties inherent in merging with a less profitable firm. "It's hard to get people excited about bringing in a group" that's generating less revenue per lawyer.

For a large law firm, Fox Rothschild has a unique business model, composed of a broad base of middle-market companies and privately held firms. In all, it has something on the order of 18,000 clients, a number that has grown 20 percent since 2008. During the recession, the law firm wasn't as exposed as others to structured-finance clients or other Wall Street business, and it was one of the few large firms that managed to make it through the downturn without layoffs. In fact, it grew steadily throughout the recession.

In addition to Seattle, in recent years Fox Rothschild has expanded in Dallas, Chicago, Minneapolis, and Denver, and now has 22 offices in 13 states and the District of Columbia. Though the firm represents a number of offshore clients with matters in the U.S. and regularly sends its lawyers overseas, Silow said it sees no need to open an office abroad.

In a move similar to its Seattle merger, Fox Rothschild acquired 82-lawyer Oppenheimer Wolff & Donnelly LLP in 2015, a Minneapolis-based firm with a long history there and well-established business contacts. The theory then, as now, is that existing clients will give the firm even more work when it opens in a new market, because those clients likely have business in those cities, too.
The Headstrong Foundation purchased this house on South Chester Road in Swarthmore for nearly $700,000 to provide free housing for cancer patients receiving treatment in the area, as well as their caretakers. Read more

When it comes to community houses, group homes, and properties with temporary occupants, resistance from neighbors is anything but new.

In the Philadelphia region and across the nation, residents of towns of all shapes and sizes have opposed these short-term residences, places such as houses for troubled teens or recovering addicts. The circumstances have been different, and so have the homes.

Many of the people who fight them also say they support them in principle  they see their value. But when it comes to locating such facilities in residential neighborhoods, there are safety concerns, they say, and traffic questions, as well as worries about where to park all the extra cars. Supporters of the projects often lambaste these critics as NIMBYs  "not in my back yard" types who, they say, express opposition only when the group homes affect them directly.

For decades, as emphasis has been placed on less institutionalization and better reentry for certain populations into the larger community, such debates have been a defining aspect of hometown democracy. Each residence for adults with developmental disabilities, or sober home, or home for the mentally ill raises questions about how much control individual homeowners can and should have when their neighborhood is on the cusp of change.

Currently, there are no authoritative figures on how many such homes exist in the region, though at least one tracker estimates as many as 700 in Pennsylvania and 400 in New Jersey.

A recent controversy has swirled in Swarthmore, the quiet, affluent Delaware County town of 6,200 people. But the house in question is no typical "group home"  and the fight over it is just as unconventional.

At the corner of one of the borough's busiest intersections, the sprawling, seven-bedroom property at 200 S. Chester Rd. is well-known to passersby. Situated next to Swarthmore College's campus, a Presbyterian church, and a block of stately residences, it had been on and off the market for three years when Cheryl Colleluori stumbled upon it in 2016. Just a few doors down sits ABC Strath Haven  a home that, through a national organization, provides academically talented students of color a chance at a better school district.

As president of the Headstrong Foundation, a Delaware County-based nonprofit, Colleluori was searching for a property for its next project: a home for cancer patients and those who care for them, the second of its kind for Headstrong.

It didn't take long, however, for opposition from neighbors to mount.

The way Colleluori and the rest of Headstrong envisioned it, the foundation would transform the 5,000-square-foot property so it could accommodate the patients and caretakers at no cost.

Inspired by her own experience with her son, Nick, Colleluori knew the kinds of financial and logistical stress cancer treatment could bring. After Nick was diagnosed at age 19 with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in 2005, Colleluori said, she and her family spent months traveling, racking up not just medical bills, but also lodging and travel expenses.

"We would have four kids, plus my husband and I, staying in an 8-by-10-foot room, sleeping on air mattresses" during Nick's treatment at the National Institutes of Health.

Before Nick died at 21, Colleluori said, he had an idea. He recognized the financial burden his cancer had created, and he knew his weeks were numbered, so he started Headstrong, with a mission of raising awareness and funds for families of cancer patients. The rest was up to his mother.

Five years ago, Colleluori opened the first "Nick's House" in Ridley Township, a two-bedroom apartment atop Headstrong's headquarters, located on a residential street. Since then, nearly 75 patients and their caretakers have passed through, staying weeks at a time, rent-free, in the furnished unit.

"We become a key component in their process," Colleluori said. "They are leaving behind everything they know  their friends, their family, their support system, their jobs. They are coming to a strange town, and it's very unnerving because it's unfamiliar territory and they are already in a circumstance that they are unfamiliar with."

The problem, Colleluori said: Nick's House was always full, and each week saw people turned away. Last year, she began the search for a second property.

In the fall, the Headstrong Foundation made a bid for the Swarthmore house, offering nearly $700,000. To make it work, Headstrong would need an accommodation under the Fair Housing Act to circumvent a borough ordinance barring more than three unrelated people from living together.

Swarthmore's Planning Commission approved the accommodation. Then nearly two dozen neighbors appealed, asking for the decision to be overturned.

An attorney for the neighbors did not return calls last week, and one neighbor who was contacted declined to comment. But in previous interviews with the Inquirer, and in an editorial for the Delaware County Daily Times, neighbors have explained that they do not oppose living among cancer patients. Rather, some said, they oppose having as many as 14 unrelated people living inside the house  calling the accommodation unreasonable and one that would create a "hospitality hotel" and bring more traffic and parking to an already busy block, among other concerns.

In December, the Swarthmore Borough Council unanimously sided with the Headstrong Foundation. The neighbors have since appealed to Delaware County Court, arguing that the borough "erred and abused its discretion" when it approved Headstrong's request.

"We were disappointed," James J. Byrne Jr., the neighbors' attorney, said in an interview in December. "My clients  hope they won't be vilified for trying to voice their opinion about their property rights."

Oral arguments in the case are scheduled for next month. Headstrong has closed on the property, with the official groundbreaking set for July 6.

The property will require a lot of work, including an elevator and additional parking, to bring it up to snuff for the people it will serve. Beyond that, the foundation is working to restore much of the dwelling's original detailing  ornate banisters and chestnut floors, and a wraparound porch dating to the house's construction more than 100 years ago.

Nearly all the effort is being volunteered, with a collection of private companies and union employees giving their services and time, including Dave White from the Delaware County Council, who is donating plumbing and ventilation work. Target Building Construction and Donald M. Conneen & Associates Architects, also volunteers, are leading the project.

In Ridley Township, Sara Austin and her 4-year-old son, Ben, have been staying at the first iteration of Nick's House for the last eight weeks. Last summer, Ben was diagnosed with Wilms tumor, a type of kidney cancer. He relapsed earlier this year  and the Headstrong Foundation granted him a spot.

"This completely uproots you, and you do the best that you can," Austin said. "The car rides when he was car sick from his treatment, the hotels that we would have to clean."

"These types of situations call for action, and this foundation is that," she said. "You don't have to be a person with no income to fall on a difficult time in a situation of cancer. It's a huge burden; it doesn't matter if you had great income or not."
Tyler James, 18, shops for ammunition for his hunting rifle, saying "everything's so cheap" with Gander Outdoors going-out-of-business sales. Read more

Marcus Lemonis, the tough-talking guy who remakes struggling businesses on the reality series The Profit on CNBC, has a new project.

His company, Camping World Inc., bought out Gander Mountain sporting goods stores 2 months ago and will soon be re-branding 57 of them as Gander Outdoors and Overton's, the name of the company's boating business.

Stores receiving the name change include those in Williamsport, Greensburg, York, and Chambersburg in Pennsylvania.

Retail analysts say several factors contributed to Gander Mountain's demise, including the outcome of last year's presidential election.

"Gander, which billed itself as America's largest firearms retailer, likely saw a decline in revenue as firearms sales dipped after the 2016 [presidential] election," said Edward Dittmer, senior vice president at Morningstar Credit Ratings LLC.

Dittmer said the company engaged in a rapid expansion, going from 118 stores to 162 by March 2017, after going private in 2010. "This likely saddled Gander with a significant debt burden just as one of its largest business lines was sagging."

Steve Jellinek, also a vice president at Morning Star Credit Ratings, added: "The pullback in firearm sales took a toll on Gander as, under the prior administration, gun enthusiasts boosted firearm sales assuming that Hillary Clinton would take the White House. But with President Trump's surprise victory in November, gun sales unexpectedly weakened, catching retailers off guard."

The U.S. government reported a 17 percent decline in background checks in the first two months of 2017, and at Cabela's, which also trades heavily in firearms, same-store sales fell 9.1 percent in the first quarter of 2017.

Gander stores are 50,000 square feet on average, and the closures will likely leave large holes in retail centers across the chain's footprint, experts say.

Pam Flora, director of retail research with Cushman & Wakefield, said the re-branded Gander Outdoors will need to differentiate itself from the get-go.

"While Bass Pro Shops and Cabela's have a strong following among hunting and fishing aficionados, Camping World is strong in the RV market," she said. "This is one area of retail where consumers can heavily research their purchase options online," so brick-and-mortar stores that offer a memorable experience and expert advice will "bring more people through the doors."

The closures will mean six fewer stores in Pennsylvania, down from 10. The store in Lower Paxton Township closed last year. There are no Gander Mountains in New Jersey.

The barely nine-month-old store in Warrington  which is slated to close by end of August  is offering 30 percent to 60 percent off most items.

"It hasn't even been a year so it will be hard to miss it," said Frank Garvey, 64, of Warrington, who works in road construction, as he shopped for winter shoes and boots Wednesday.

Garvey did lament one thing: "It's a lot closer than Cabela's" in Hamburg, Pa.

Several aisles away, Tyler James, 18, picked out two boxes of .243 Winchester 80 grain cartridges at $15 per box after 25 percent off, for his rifle.

"I can't be too sad because everything is so cheap," said Tyler, who will be a freshman at Pennsylvania State University in the fall.

Camping World Inc., a subsidiary of Camping World Holdings, operates the largest national network of RV-centric retail locations in the United States, with more than 130 locations in 36 states and an e-commerce site.

In late April, Camping World bought Gander Mountain's assets in bankruptcy auction for about $400 million.

The company agreed May 5 to acquire all of Gander Mountain's assets  including all 162 stores. Lemonis said then that his goal was to keep 70 to 75 stores open  contingent upon being able to negotiate acceptable lease terms with landlords.

On June 30, he announced scaling back to 57 specific stores that he said were currently profitable.

That was good news to Laurie and Chris Morgan, both 47, of Jeannette, Pa., as they looked through the apparel on sale last Fourth of July weekend at the Gander Mountain in Greensburg, just outside Pittsburgh, among those to be re-branded.

"It's sort of sad," Laurie Morgan said of the wave of closures this year as online shopping has upended the retail industry. "It's been one store closing after the other. I hope this makes it."

Lemonis, who is known for his three-P mantra of right people, product, and process, said he plans to feature Gander Outdoors and Overton's in separate episodes on The Profit between mid-November and the end of January.

"They have to trust the process," he said of store owners now under his wing.

And is he worried about the looming mega-merger between Bass Pro Shops and Cabela's, which the Federal Trade Commission approved last week?

"Those businesses should be worried about the new Gander Outdoors."
If Brian Wiggins makes it big in the barbecue-sauce business, it will be value added to the primary reason he taught himself to cook in high school: "to impress girls."

Ironically, Wiggins, now 39 and with a fledgling line of sauces and spice rubs to make grilled burgers and chicken even tastier, wound up marrying a vegetarian. To boot, she has a number of food allergies that preclude her from eating her husband's Saint Brian's BBQ sauces.

"I told him, 'Go on and give it a try, as long as it doesn't break the bank,' " Joanne McTamney said, recalling the moment when the man she married 11 years ago made his entrepreneurial intentions known.

And so he did, investing about $10,000 since 2014 to turn the flavors family and friends have long raved about into a small business he hopes will ultimately enable him to quit his management job at a staffing company.

To get closer to that goal, Wiggins wants to get on ABC's Shark Tank for national exposure and a $50,000 investment to grow production  currently a laborious and limiting one-person handmade process.

"Now it's time to blow it up," he said while waiting to pitch to a casting producer for the show late last month. The low-key, invitation-only event was held in a classroom at Cheyney University's Center City campus.

Wiggins has sold more than 1,200 bottles of sauce, currently available in five flavors, along with two spice rubs at http://www.saintbriansbbq.com. (The company name? It's from how Wiggins refers to his January birthday.) Sauces also are offered at Whole Foods stores in Marlton and Cherry Hill and on South Street in Philadelphia, as well as the Reading Terminal Market, Swarthmore CO-OP, and Haddonfield Farmers Market.

"Everyone's dining table"  that was Wiggins' answer when I asked where he next wants to see his sauces, retailing for $6.99 per 16-ounce bottle. It was the day before his June 29 Shark Tank pitch, as Wiggins grilled burgers and chicken thighs in his Northeast Philadelphia backyard.

Three years earlier, a sick Labrador nearly derailed the business, with money needed to market the sauces and grow their distribution spent on keeping the dog alive.

Wiggins and McTamney had adopted Owen two days after returning from their honeymoon in Ireland in 2006. Eight years later, the Labrador was diagnosed with lymphoma. By then, Saint Brian's BBQ Sauce was gaining traction, helped, in part, by McTamney's uncle Ira Guttman, who was featuring a Saint Brian's burger at his Cool Dog Cafe on Route 70 in Cherry Hill. Wiggins was using the kitchen there to make his sauces.

Contributing, too, to their growing following was Saint Brian's inclusion in a small-business "hatchery program" at the Whole Foods store in Cherry Hill, which provided Wiggins some retail space by express checkout for $5 a day. Sales were so good that the grocery manager proposed getting the sauces on the main shelves.

But that's when Owen's cancer was detected, and his owners opted to extend his life with chemotherapy. He died in February 2015, after about $12,000 in treatments. During the dog's illness, the sauce business "took a back seat," Wiggins said. With Owen's chemo treatments an hour away in West Chester and the demands of a day job, Wiggins had little time to focus on anything else.

Whole Foods, however, stayed interested in carrying Saint Brian's products. By late spring 2015, sauces were finally added there, and at the Haddonfield Farmers Market.

Then came another hurdle to clear: Guttman closed Cool Dog Cafe to open Moon Dog Grill at Moorestown Mall. Wiggins had to find another kitchen where he could make his sauces. Declaring the inspection fees in Philadelphia prohibitive, he moved his cooking to the Artisan Exchange in West Chester, where Wiggins creates from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m.

Though it's a hot dog place, Moon Dog Grill still occasionally features Saint Brian's BBQ Burger (it will be the August burger of the month). First dredged with a Saint Brian's rub, it is then grilled and topped with cheddar cheese, coleslaw, two onion rings, and Saint Brian's Original sauce.

"There is a very distinctive flavor running through all of his sauces that's phenomenal," said Guttman, who has been in the restaurant business 50 years.

Jackie Kreterfield, the Shark Tank casting associate producer who listened to a seven-minute pitch by Wiggins, didn't taste his sauces or accept any for the plane ride back to California.

"I have very bad luck with glass and sauce," she said. Wearing all black, right down to her fingernail polish, Kreterfield sipped from a La Colombe cup as Wiggins stood before her, answering questions about sales and what makes his sauces different from the many others out there. (No corn syrup or artificial ingredients, not watered down, and strong flavor, he said.)

Other than a few "hm-hms" and one "cool," she did not let on what her recommendation will be. If Wiggins is wanted for the September taping of the second half of Shark Tank's Season 9, he will hear in a couple of weeks.

If he doesn't make it, he plans to spend three days that month at the Natural Products Expo East in Baltimore, looking for buyers and distributors. Viewing it as possibly a make-or-break event, Wiggins said, "It's either grow it or stop doing it."
No Face Performance Group in Abbot Adam: Matins/Lauds, about two medieval nuns, which will be performed live Saturday night into Sunday morning at the Barnes. Read more

When wearing their nun costumes, Mark McCloughan and Jaime Maseda can be mistaken for twins. So, in their performance piece Abbot Adam: Matins/Lauds, their dialogue about the inner lives of medieval nuns is like a meeting of alter egos. It's a welcome, unifying element.

Without altars, egos, or religious artifacts elsewhere in this sprawling, garrulous piece, audiences need an anchor as to what's going on here and what the performance actually is.

The all-night-long performance piece is scheduled to run for six hours at the Barnes Foundation starting at 11:59 p.m. Saturday following two overnight live-streamed installments Thursday and Friday. It straddles many genres, according to the two performers collectively known as No Face Performance Group. Previous installments have been seen in Philadelphia in recent years at places such as FringeArts.

McCloughan and Maseda are genuinely keen to explore lives inside a medieval cloister and address each other with the antiquated formality of "thee" and "thou." Yet both of these guys in their late 20s have beards, wear glasses, freely consult their laptops, and change clothes in front of the streaming-video camera, revealing 21st-century underwear. It's fly-on-the-wall theater, allowing audiences to witness highly personal experiences in real time. But it's also an art installation that feels little need to entertain in the usual sense.

"We may swerve toward the satiric or the absurd, but that's not the primary mode of our engagement," said McCloughan.

"Obviously, we're going to ruffle somebody's feathers at some point," said Maseda, "but at the heart of this, we're devoted to this material and not doing some surface-level farce."

The pair have been working together since 2007, having first met at Wesleyan University in Connecticut and later done apprenticeships at Philadelphia's Pig Iron Theatre Company. Their unseen godfather is the late Charles Ludlam  famous for the proto-queer Ridiculous Theatrical Company in 1980s New York  who performed great characters of classic theater with camp in one act and complete sincerity in another. In the foreground is the No Face fascination with things medieval: This new piece is the third in a series of monastic-centered works that began in 2014, this one dealing with the nexus of divine vision and earthly life experienced by nuns.

"As research, we've been reading the Decameron," a 14th-century collection of short stories, said Maseda, "which is a kaleidoscopic view of high tragedy and courtly love." Modern anachronisms keep the presentation from being a re-enactment. Rather, it's a reflection of their own monastic-style all-night work sessions.

Though audiences are encouraged to come and go in the six-hour Saturday performance  blankets and sofas are available for napping at the Barnes  there's something to be said for staying for the duration in keeping with the rigorous sleeping, waking, and praying schedule that helps viewers to enter the monastic mindset. "It's a single, long-form improvisation," said McCloughan.

As theater, the Thursday streaming (marred by some signal-failures on my end) was low-tension and casually paced, with discussions about open-ended issues, such as the nature of vanity and shadows. Sometimes, I watched them sleep (though only briefly). Music ranged from medieval chant to club music. The dawn finale  which I missed due to my own sleep needs  is said to have greater theatrical density. And the delirium? I only saw visionary dreams, first experienced and then recounted.

Some good lines periodically surfaced: "Are we keeping the outside world away? Or are they keeping us in?" This is an ongoing issue here: Monastic life might seem like a prison sentence to the outside world, but inside, it can feel like a liberation from real-world cares and complications. But as agents of prayer  pure and simple  the nuns in the performance piece also seem self-obsessed with, among other things, the inner workings of their bodies. There were also confessions: One nun says she intentionally misbehaves because she enjoys being punished.

Like most super-fringe-y presentations, this one has a take-it-or-leave-it quality. I was glad to stream the first few hours from the comfort of home. But I'm also glad I didn't lose too much sleep over it.

The live performance of "Abbot Adam: Matins/Lauds"  a copresentation by Philadelphia Contemporary and the Barnes Foundation  begins at 11:59 p.m. Saturday, following live-streamed installments Thursday and Friday night at www.barnesfoundation.org. Tickets are $8 to $16. Information 215-278-7000 or on the website.
The School Reform Commission, including Chair Joyce Wilkerson (right) authorized a $10 contract for a new special-education school in the city. Read more

Over objections, the School Reform Commission on Thursday authorized a $10 million, 100-student program to serve Philadelphia children with special needs.

The program, which will operate in three existing Philadelphia School District buildings, will be open primarily to children with emotional disturbances and severe disabilities who had been educated at Wordsworth, a private provider that lost its contract with the school system after a child's death in one of its residential programs.

Catapult Learning Inc. will run and staff the district's new initiative for three years, with an eye toward the school system's eventually taking over the programs.

Though the SRC stressed that it wants children to be among their general-education peers as much as possible, advocates and parents fear the school system is creating a segregated program.

"Inclusion should not be aspirational," said Gabe Labella, a lawyer with Disability Rights Pennsylvania. Labella and others said the district's $10 million would be better spent equipping neighborhood schools with the resources to educate children with intense emotional, medical, and learning needs.

"Inclusion does not mean a separate setting within the school district," said Maura McInerney, a lawyer with the Education Law Center.

A number of speakers at the SRC meeting said they had questions about Catapult, the Camden-based provider. Commissioner Estelle Richman, a former state Department of Public Welfare secretary, said she had "some grave concerns" about Catapult.

Ultimately, she voted for the resolution, which passed unanimously. Richman said she would be involved in monitoring the program's going forward.

Cheryl Logan, the district's chief academic officer, said she was comfortable that Catapult had relevant experience, a question raised by a number of speakers. District staff visited three Catapult programs in Delaware and Maryland, Logan said.

Commissioner Christopher McGinley, a former special-education teacher, said he was comfortable with assurances from Logan and others that the program would be closely monitored.

McGinley, Richman, and others said the new resolution was an improvement over the district's last plan. In late June, the SRC was set to vote on a last-minute resolution to spend up to $54 million on a program for up to 600 children that was much more opaque about plans for inclusion and transitions.

An outcry from the public  and concerns on the part of Richman and McGinley  caused the SRC to table that plan, and to work to refine it.

Lee Awbrey, staff attorney for the Public Interest Law Center, thanked the commission for its work. But she and others said the SRC's revised plan still left children vulnerable.

City Councilman Derek Green, in a letter to the SRC, said Catapult should be given a one-year contract, and monitoring reports should be made public.

Green, who has a child with special needs, said he was "disappointed in the lack of transparency" shown by the school district.

Superintendent William R. Hite Jr. acknowledged the district's initial approach was flawed and "should have included more input and planning before it was originally introduced." But, Hite said, he was confident that the new plan was a solid one that will allow children with intense needs to be educated closer to home and with more monitoring.

Commissioner Bill Green stressed that the new program would be an option for children formerly served by Wordsworth.

"We're not sending children to Catapult," Green said. "It will be among the many options available to parents."

The commission also voted Thursday to authorize $400 million worth of short-term borrowing. The school district does such a borrowing annually, to cover its operating costs until state payments come in.

It will pay $6.4 million to borrow the money at the rate of 1.66 percent.

Officials also heard from a number of speakers urging the district to halt suspensions for children 10 years old and under. The district has already forbidden suspensions for most kindergartners, and said it wants to expand the ban, though it will not do so all at once.

State Rep. Jordan A. Harris (D., Phila.), who has authored legislation on the subject, asked the SRC to do more. In Philadelphia, black children are three times as likely as their white peers to be suspended, speakers said, despite the fact that their behavior is not worse.

Suspension "is damaging to many of our most vulnerable and youngest learners," Harris said. "At no point should a punishment be a lack of education."
Photo: Chicago PD/Facebook

A Chicago Police officer was battered Wednesday night during a skirmish near Washington Park on the South Side, reports the Chicago Sun Times.

About 9:30 p.m., officers spotted "a large number of people on the street disrupting vehicular traffic and blocking the sidewalk," according to Chicago Police.

"While attempting to restore order, several subjects became combative and a physical altercation ensued," police said.

One officer was battered while he was attempting to restrain one person, police said. He suffered minor injuries in the incident, but additional details were not provided.
The daughter of a sheriff's deputy killed by a man set to be executed in Virginia said Wednesday that she has urged the state's governor to spare the man's life, but the slain deputy's mother says she hopes the prisoner is executed, reports the Associated Press.

William Morva is scheduled to receive a lethal injection Thursday for the 2006 killings of Derrick McFarland, a hospital security guard, and Eric Sutphin, a sheriff's deputy.

Rachel Sutphin, the deputy's daughter, said she is among those urging Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe to halt Morva's execution.

"I am against the death penalty for religious and moral reasons," Sutphin said in an email to reporters. "I have fought and will continue to fight for clemency for all death row inmates until Virginia declares the death penalty unconstitutional. I have sent my own letter to the Governor showing my support for clemency," she said.

Meanwhile, the deputy's mother says that while she feels sympathy for Morva's family, she does not want the governor to intervene.

"I have no hatred for this creature who shot him execution-style. I just want justice for my son," Jeaneen Sutphin told The Roanoke Times in her Virginia home Wednesday.

Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe said Thursday he won't stop the execution of William Morva, reports NBC News.
With homicides in Baltimore occurring at a historic rate, Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan said Thursday he will meet with Mayor Catherine Pugh to discuss how the state could help, reports the Baltimore Sun.

The governor blamed the heroin trade and lax gun crime sentencing for driving violence that has killed 180 people in the city this year.

Hogan, a Republican, ruled out sending in the National Guard or having Maryland State Police patrol city streets. He said the state has already provided the city with $64 million since 2015 to aid crime fighting and designated $50 million more to address the statewide opioid epidemic.

"We've invested a tremendous amount of money there, more than any other place in the state," Hogan said of Baltimore during a brief interview. "It hasn't really worked."

"We're open to any kind of possible solutions that anyone wants to talk about," he said.

Hogan said the Maryland State Police were not trained or equipped "to do inner city, urban policing," but he plans to offer Pugh state troopers who could aid with investigations and crime lab work.
Missouri soon will have a system to notify the general public when a law enforcement officer is killed or injured, reports the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Patterned after the Amber Alert system for missing children, the so-called Blue Alert law was approved Thursday by Gov. Eric Greitens, who had championed the idea.

The measure was part of a package of crime-related changes to state law approved by members of the House and Senate in May.

The Blue Alert provisions are designed to promote public safety and protect police officers. When the law goes into effect, Missouri will be the 28th state to adopt such a program, according to U.S. Department of Justice figures.

The measure also enhances the penalties for assaults on law enforcement officers.

"We must stand up for those who stand guard for us," Greitens said in a release.

The changes come partially in response to the unrest in Ferguson following the police shooting death of Michael Brown by Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson in 2014.

The legislation is Senate Bill 34.
Aziz Sayyed (Photo: Madison County Jail)

Alabama prosecutors say a man jailed on terror-related charges pledged allegiance to Islamic State and talked about wanting to behead people, reports the Associated Press.

State authorities outlined evidence against 22-year-old Aziz Sayyed during a hearing Wednesday in Huntsville.

A defense attorney for the North Carolina native is asking a judge to set bail so the man can get out of jail. But prosecutor Jay Town told a judge Sayyed claimed he wanted to behead people, and he practiced using a knife.

Authorities have said the man had bomb-making materials, and Town says he planned to use them at a police office after pledging allegiance to Islamic State.
Virginia executed a convicted cop killer Thursday night, despite claims that he suffers from a delusional disorder and requests for clemency from mental health advocates, the European Union and a victim's daughter.

William Morva was pronounced dead at 9:15 p.m. ET after an injection at the Greensville Correctional Center in Jarratt, Virginia Department of Corrections spokeswoman Lisa Kinney told reporters.

Morva was sentenced to death in 2008 for murdering security guard Derrick McFarland and Montgomery County sheriff's Deputy Eric Sutphin during an escape from custody in 2006.

Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe said earlier Thursday that he would not stop the execution.

One of deputy Sutphin's daughters urged the governor to grant clemency, saying she opposes the death penalty on moral and religious grounds. The deputy's mother, however, said she wanted the execution to go forward, NBC News reports.
Photo: SIG Sauer

The SIG Sauer Inc. striker-fired P320 has been selected as the sidearm of choice for the North Dakota Highway Patrol (NDHP).

The NDHP was organized in 1935 with just five patrolmen. Their duty was to enforce state laws pertaining to the protection and use of highways in North Dakota, the 19th largest state with the highest number of roads per capita.

Today, the NDHP boasts over 150 sworn officers who are assigned a wide array of tasks, ranging from driver examinations to protecting the northern border. Before selecting the SIG P320 in 9mm, the NDHP utilized P226 pistols chambered in .357 SIG.

"The North Dakota Highway Patrol looks forward to the transition to the SIG SAUER P320," said Captain Thomas Iverson. "After a thorough testing process, we are confident the new weapon will serve our agency well."

The P320 was introduced in January 2014. Earlier this year, the U.S. Army selected a variant of the P320 as its next service pistol. The P320 features extreme modularity and a clean, crisp trigger pull for outstanding striker-fired performance. The serialized trigger group is interchangeable, allowing the shooter to transform the size and caliber of the pistol. Full size, Carry, Compact and Subcompact frames are available. Grip frames are further divided into small, medium, and large to accommodate any hand size.

"From scorching summers to brutal winters, the North Dakota Highway Patrol works in some of the country's most extreme weather. We are honored that the agency continues to trust the reliability of the SIG Sauer firearms in this harsh environment," said Tom Jankiewicz, Executive Vice President, Law Enforcement Sales. "We have a long history of providing only the best firearms for law enforcement use, and we are humbled that officers trust their lives to our products."

For more information on the complete SIG Sauer line, visit sigsauer.com.
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After Donald Trump embarrassed himself on the world stage on Thursday by again suggesting that Russia wasnt behind the 2016 election meddling, Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff dismantled the president, saying he is not putting America first.

Schiff, the top-ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said that Trump is putting his personal best interest ahead of the country.

Video:

Adam Schiff blasts Trump on weakness toward Putin: Hes not putting America first pic.twitter.com/A7ZNs3Rlhw  Sean Colarossi (@SeanColarossi) July 7, 2017

Schiff blasted the president:

[Putin] ordered this intervention. He knows full well what the Russians did, and he has a U.S. president who is unwilling to confront him, even unwilling to acknowledge whether that was the case and more than that, is willing to disparage our own intelligence agencies. Imagine Putin questioning whether the KGB could get it right. Its unthinkable, but yet thats where we are with this president. Hes really not putting America first in any way, shape or form. It is putting the presidents idea of whats in his personal best interest first, and that greatly worries me because I think its a green light for Putin to do more of what he did but also to continue doing it in other parts of the world.
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By Joseph Nasr and Andreas Rinke

HAMBURG (Reuters)  Dozens of police were injured in clashes with protesters before a G20 summit in Hamburg on Thursday, tarnishing the start of a meeting Chancellor Angela Merkel hopes will cement her role as a stateswoman as she seeks re-election in September.

Merkel, who is campaigning for a fourth term, can ill afford the images of chaos and disharmony that dominated news coverage of the summit. The summit, which starts in earnest on Friday, is a chance for her to polish her diplomatic credentials but would be disastrous if marred by widespread violence.

She met U.S. President Donald Trump for an hour on Thursday evening, but less than an hour later police clashed with anti-capitalist demonstrators near the summit venue, firing water cannons and pepper spray at hundreds of black-clad protesters after they threw bottles.

Nearly 75 police officers were injured throughout the evening, with three requiring treatment in hospital, police said. The pilots of a police helicopter sustained eye injuries when laser pointers were directed at them, police said.

Protesters damaged cars, set other objects ablaze and threw bottles in roving clashes that lasted until midnight.

A Reuters eyewitness saw at least one protester with blood on his face being treated.

Welcome to Hell was the protesters greeting for Trump and other world leaders arriving for the two-day meeting.

Merkel has taken a high-risk gamble by choosing to hold the summit in the northern port city of Hamburg, partly to show the world that big protests are tolerated in a healthy democracy.

Before meeting Trump, she struck a consensual tone, holding out hope for agreement on the divisive issue of climate policy and pledging to broker compromises. She promised to represent German and European interests at the summit, but added:

On the other hand, as hosts we  and I  will do all we can to find compromises.

Trump faces a testy confrontation at the summit with leaders of the other big Group of 20 economies after deciding last month to pull the United States out of the 2015 Paris climate deal.

German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel cited many commonalities on foreign policy after a meeting that included Merkel, Trump, U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, and Trump family members and advisers Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump.

But he told German broadcaster that clear differences on climate change and trade continued to divide the two allies.

Merkel said there were various options that could be discussed, noting that nearly all other G20 countries besides the United States stood by the accord.

As the leaders began holding informal meetings, thousands of protesters from around Europe, who say the G20 has failed to solve many of the issues threatening world peace, poured into Hamburg to join the main demonstration.

Police expected around 100,000 protesters in the port city, some 8,000 of whom are deemed by security forces to be ready to commit violence. At least 13,000 protesters joined the main march on Thursday, including around 1,000 black-clad and masked anarchists, police said. Up to 20,000 police officers from across Germany are on hand.

DELICATE BALANCE

As summit host, Merkel must seek consensus among the G20 leaders not only on the divisive issue of climate policy but also on trade  an area fraught with risk as Trump pursues his America First agenda.

Indonesian finance minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati said Merkel must be careful not to allow acrimony to undermine the summit.

There is quite a delicate balance that Angela Merkel will have to navigate in a way, because it is not clear that being confrontational wont just create even more of a credibility problem for G20 cooperation, she told Reuters.

Merkel earlier said she was committed to an open international trading system, despite fears of U.S. protectionism under the Trump administration.

Were united in our will to strengthen multilateral relations at the G20 summit  We need an open society, especially open trade flows, Merkel said in Berlin.

She and Trump discussed G20 themes, North Korea, the Middle East, and the conflict in eastern Ukraine, according to German and U.S. government officials.

Later, Merkel met with Turkeys Tayyip Erdogan, who this week sharply criticized the German governments rejection of his plans to address Turkish citizens outside the G20 event.

Trump, who earlier in Poland called again on NATO partners to spend more on defense and said he would confront the threat from North Korea, will also meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin for the first time on the sidelines of the summit.

Their meeting, scheduled for Friday, will be closely watched at a time when mutual ties remain strained by U.S. allegations of Russian election hacking, Syria, Ukraine and a U.S. dispute over Trump associates links to Moscow.

Ahead of the meeting, Putin threw his weight behind the Paris accord.

We see the Paris Agreement as a secure basis for long-term climate regulation founded on international law and we want to make a comprehensive contribution to its implementation, he told German business daily Handelsblatt.

(Additional reporting by Thomas Escritt, Roberta Rampton, Noah Barkin, Sabine Siebold, Andrea Shalal, Emma Thomasson; Writing by Paul Carrel; Editing by Richard Balmforth and Jonathan Oatis)
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As Donald Trump continues to offer no strong, retaliatory response to Russias interference in the 2016 presidential election, the Kremlin has decided to step up its spying efforts in the United States.

According to a new report from CNN, Russian spies are ramping up their intelligence-gathering efforts in the US, according to current and former US intelligence officials who say they have noticed an increase since the election.

To nobodys surprise, the intelligence officials cited Trumps weak response to the 2016 Russian cyberattack as one of the reasons why Moscow has been encouraged to intensify their spying efforts inside the U.S.

More from the report:

Russians have maintained an aggressive collection posture in the US, and their success in election meddling has not deterred them, said a former senior intelligence official familiar with Trump administration efforts. Russians could also be seeking more information on Trumps administration, which is new and still unpredictable to Moscow, according to Steve Hall, retired CIA chief of operations.  Since the November election, US intelligence and law enforcement agencies have detected an increase in suspected Russian intelligence officers entering the US under the guise of other business, according to multiple current and former senior US intelligence officials. The Russians are believed to now have nearly 150 suspected intelligence operatives in the US, these sources said. Officials who spoke to CNN say the Russians are replenishing their ranks after the US in December expelled 35 Russian diplomats suspected of spying in retaliation for election-meddling.

Not only has the president failed to issue any type of serious response to Russias election meddling, but he still has a hard time admitting what the U.S. intelligence community has already concluded  that Russia is responsible for interfering in the 2016 presidential election.

Just today in Poland, while the president was embarrassing himself again on the world stage, he said of last years election meddling: I think it could have been other people and other countries. It could have been a lot of people that interfered.

Video:

Trump in Poland: I think it was Russia and I think it was other people in other countries who also interfere. https://t.co/WjYLi1MYqk pic.twitter.com/eTTBmR8LD5  USA TODAY (@USATODAY) July 6, 2017

With an American president willing to look the other way while another country wages an attack on the U.S., why wouldnt the Russians be emboldened?

Trump may have campaigned as a strongman who will put America first, and thats what many of his supporters continue to see him as. But his weak stance toward Russia  the American adversary hat helped put in the White House  is hurting the United States, and it shows that he is interested only in putting himself first.

As Hillary Clinton warned the country during the campaign, Trump would be a Putin puppet who would deliver every last item on the Kremlins wish list.

Since day one of this presidency, thats exactly what weve seen.
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Despite Donald Trumps new assertion that a country other than Russia may have been behind the 2016 election hack, former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper said on Thursday that there is no evidence to support such a claim.

Clapper told CNN that the presidents assertion that other countries may have been in on the hack is news to me.

We saw no evidence whatsoever that there was anyone involved in this other than the Russians, Clapper said.

Video:

Clapper: Others meddled in US election? Thats news to me. We saw no evidence that it was anyone other than Russia https://t.co/ufj9yMhRTi  CNN (@CNN) July 6, 2017

When asked if he had any doubts, as Trump does, that the Russians were behind the election meddling, Clapper said, Absolutely none.

He also pointed out that recent Russian behavior  particularly todays news that Moscow is ramping up spying efforts in the United States  is a sign that they are starting to prep the battlefield for the 2018 midterm elections.

Video:

Former DNI James Clapper: I think Russias goal here is to prep the battlefield for the 2018 elections https://t.co/lkEj7yTPQd  CNN (@CNN) July 6, 2017

Clapper, who served as the intelligence director under President Barack Obama, added that the Russians will continue to collect intelligence and interfere in U.S. elections so long as the United States, led by Trump, refuses to push back.

Video:

Former DNI James Clapper says if the US doesnt push back, the Russians will continue to collect US intelligence https://t.co/Kqiy602tCG  CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) July 6, 2017

Ultimately, Trumps refusal to stand up to the Russians and his continued effort to undermine the work of the U.S. intelligence community is doing serious damage to the United States.

Instead of retaliating after last years Russian attack on American democracy, Trump has kept his head buried in the sand, likely because he was the chief beneficiary of the meddling.

But as Clapper said on Thursday, This was an assault on us, and it could be a Republican presidential nominee who gets targeted by the Russians next time.
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White House ethics chief Walter Shaub, who announced Thursday that he would be stepping down from his position before his term ends, is dropping one last bomb on Donald Trump.

In a new interview with CBS, Shaub says its pretty likely that Trumps private businesses are profiting as a result of his presidency.

The ethics leader says thats not a good thing for the United States of America, particularly when it comes to setting an example for the rest of the world.

Video:

Office of Govt Ethics head Walter Shaub: America should have the right to know what the motivations of its leaders are. pic.twitter.com/3bj8aYqKQs  Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) July 6, 2017

Shaub said:

I cant know what their intention is. I know that the effect is that there is an appearance that the businesses are profiting from his occupying the presidency. And appearance matters as much as reality.  So even aside from whether or not thats actually happening. We need to send a message to the world that the United States is going to have the gold standard for an ethics program in government, which is what weve always had.  It almost doesnt matter whether they are profiting or not, America should have the right to know what the motivations of its leaders are.

Shaub is spot on that the United States has always held its leaders to the gold standard, particularly when it comes to a presidents financial conflicts.

Even if the intention of Trump and his family is not to profit from their work inside the White House  which is already in doubt  just the perception of it is bad enough, and Trump is doing nothing to tamp down those concerns.

In fact, he has done just the opposite.

Not only has the president ignored decades of precedent by both refusing to release his tax returns, but he has also been unwilling to completely remove himself from his private business entanglements.

While Shaub said he was not forced out by Trump, this presidents refusal to hold himself to the same ethical standards of his predecessors likely weighed heavily in Shaubs decision.
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By Roberta Rampton and Jeff Mason

WARSAW (Reuters)  One day before his first meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that no one knows for sure whether Moscow intervened in the 2016 U.S. election but that he suspected Russian involvement.

Speaking to reporters in Poland, Trump played down the assessment of his own intelligence agencies that Russia meddled in the election by hacking Democrats emails and distributing online propaganda.

I think it was Russia, but I think it was probably other people and/or countries, and I see nothing wrong with that statement. Nobody really knows. Nobody really knows for sure, Trump told a news conference.

Investigations by a special counsel, Robert Mueller, and several U.S. congressional committees are looking into whether Russia interfered in the election and colluded with Trumps campaign. Those probes are focused almost exclusively on Moscows actions, lawmakers and intelligence officials say, and no evidence has surfaced publicly implicating other countries.

Moscow has denied any interference, and Trump says his campaign did not collude with Russia.

Trump, who defeated Democrat Hillary Clinton in the November election, will meet Putin on Friday at a G20 summit in the German city of Hamburg for their first official encounter.

It was not clear whether the Republican president would bring up the issue of election interference when the two men meet.

In a speech in Warsaw, Trump affirmed U.S. commitment to the defense of NATO allies and gently criticized Russia.

Trump frequently praised Putin as a strong leader during the election campaign and called for better U.S. relations with Moscow but he has since tempered that rhetoric.

Representative Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the House of Representatives Intelligence Committee, said Trumps remarks in Poland about the election only propagated his own personal fiction.

The Presidents comments today, again casting doubt on whether Russia was behind the blatant interference in our election and suggesting  his own intelligence agencies to the contrary  that nobody really knows, continue to directly undermine U.S. interests, Schiff said in a statement.

Trump cast doubt at his news conference over media reports that all 17 U.S. intelligence agencies concluded in January that Russia had meddled in the election.

Let me just start off by saying I heard it was 17 agencies. I said, boy, thats a lot, do we even have that many intelligence agencies, right? Lets check it. And we did some very heavy research. It turned out to be three or four. It wasnt 17, Trump said.

The U.S. intelligence report in January accusing Russia of meddling in the U.S. election was issued by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, which oversees the 17 U.S. intelligence agencies.

But the report acknowledges that it is based on an assessment by the CIA, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the National Security Agency, which held the key classified information on Russian activities.

Trump said the CIA told his predecessor, Democratic President Barack Obama, last August about Russian interference in the election but he did nothing to stop it.

I think what happened is he thought Hillary Clinton was going to win the election, and he said lets not do anything about it. Had he thought the other way, he would have done something about it, Trump said.

(Reporting by Jeff Mason and Roberta Rampton in Warsaw and Warren Strobel in Washington.; Writing by Alistair Bell; Editing by Jonathan Oatis)
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Rachel Maddow dropped a bombshell on Thursday, reporting that her show received what appeared to be a forged NSA document implicating somebody in Donald Trumps campaign in colluding with the Russians during last years presidential election.

Maddow explained that the document received by her show is almost certainly a fake, and it instead appears to be a clear attempt by an unknown person or group to undermine the credibility of the news media and derail the entire Trump-Russia story.

Somebody, for some reason, appears to be shopping a fairly convincing fake NSA document that purports to directly implicate somebody from the Trump campaign in working with the Russians on their attack on the election, Maddow said. It is a forgery.

Video:

Rachel #Maddow: Someone Is Circulating Fake NSA Docs To News Organizations To Undermine Media Credibility pic.twitter.com/Tnd2ub9qcJ  Sean Colarossi (@SeanColarossi) July 7, 2017

Maddow explained:

I dont know if the Trump campaign worked with Russia or not.  One way to stab in the heart aggressive American reporting on that subject is to lay traps for American journalists who are reporting on it. Trick news organizations into reporting what appears to be evidence of what happened, and then after the fact, blow that reporting up. You then hurt the credibility on that news organization, you also cast a shadow on any similar reporting in the future, whether or not its true. Even if its true, you plant a permanent question, an asterisk  So heads up everybody.

While Trump and his allies continue to label the media as fake news, its now clear that there is somebody working behind the scenes to circulate false information and derail the explosive Trump-Russia reporting.

Even though it may very well be true that Trumps campaign worked with the Russians to tilt the election in his favor, that evidence has not yet been revealed to the public. Sending out fake documents claiming something that hasnt yet been confirmed is the perfect way to undermine future reporting on this story if the ongoing investigations do, in fact, uncover collusion between Trump and Russia.

Even if it ends up being true, as Maddow said, efforts like this will undermine the credibility of such reporting.

So while this president and his administration continue to claim that American journalists are on some anti-Trump crusade when it comes to Russia, it appears that someone  a person who wants the Trump-Russia story to go away  is intentionally distributing forged documents.

The real fake news isnt coming from Trump critics or trusted news organizations  its coming from an entity or person who wants to undermine journalists and protect the president.
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After the Russians pwned Donald Trump once again, in public, and basically laid claim to the US while Trump rolled over and played dead, Morgan Finkelstein, the Press Secretary for the liberal Center for American Progress Action Fund, said that Trump just surrendered to Russia on election interference.

Trump just unilaterally surrendered to Russia on election interference, Finkelstein said in a memo send to PoliticusUSA, in which Finkelstein likened the meeting between the two leaders to a good first Tinder date.

After a bilateral meeting that sounded like a good first Tinder date, based on the official readout, Trump is rewarding Putins egregious behavior by giving Putin the platform he so desperately craves without getting anything in return. Trump is unilaterally surrendering American sovereignty and the right to fair elections free of foreign interference.

They highlighted this from the readout of the meeting (which, by the way, was just sent to PoliticusUSA, after the off-camera briefing and delayed audio demand by the Trump administration), in which Tillerson told the press that the President focused on moving forward since its not clear to me that we will ever come to some agreed upon resolution of that question between the two nations so the question is what do we do now. And I think the relationship  and the president made this clear as well  is too important and its too important to not find a way to move forward.

Q: On the US election, could you spell out any consequences the Russians will face? Tillerson: The president took note of actions that have been discussed by the Congress, most recently additional sanctions that have been voted out of the Senate to make it clear as to the seriousness of the issue. But I think what the two presidents  I think rightly  focused on is how do we move forward, how do we move forward from here? Because its not clear to me that we will ever come to some agreed upon resolution of that question between the two nations so the question is what do we do now. And I think the relationship  and the president made this clear as well  is too important and its too important to not find a way to move forward. Not dismissing the issue in any way, and I dont want to leave you with that impression. And that is why we agreed to continue engagement and discussion around how do we secure a commitment that the Russian government has no intention of and will not interfere in our affairs in the future, nor the affairs of others. And how do we create a framework in which we have some capability to judge what is happening in the cyber world and who to hold accountable. And this is obviously an issue thats broader than just U.S.-Russia, but we certainly see the manifestations of that in the events of last year. Again, I think the president is rightly focused on how do we move forward from what may be simply an intractable disagreement at this point.

Note the question was what consequences will Russia face, and the answer is basically none unless Congress does it. Sure, that might seem plausible, until we recall that President Obama left behind a good start on a time bomb Trump could deploy if he wished. Trump does not wish, it seems.

It makes you wonder: what does Putin have on Trump that could make Trump act like a supplicant on the international stage? How deep in trouble is Trump that he couldnt even perform the most basic task  asking Putin not to interfere in our elections? Finkelstein asked, adding, Trumps unwillingness to put up a fight speaks volumes about what could be in Putins arsenal against him.

The darkness surrounding the Trump administrations trickle of information should be contrasted with the Russian foreign minister who talked on live TV about the meeting between the two leaders, claiming that Trump accepted Putins assertion that Moscow was not involved in the hacking of the 2016 election.

The Trump administration both forced the briefing to be off camera and put a delayed audio demand on the briefing. This is not normal. As I wrote earlier, this is called rolling over.

Finkelstein made a good point asking why, exactly, Trump would be willing to be humiliated like this on the international stage.
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The concern that Trump was not prepared for his meeting with Putin might have been born out, as the Russian foreign minister had a different take on the meeting between Trump and Putin.

Sergey Lavrov told reporters that Republican President Donald Trump accepted Russian President Vladimir Putins assurances that Russia didnt meddled in the 2016 presidential election, according to the AP.

BREAKING: Russian foreign minister says Trump accepted Putin's assurances that Russia didn't meddle in the U.S. election.  The Associated Press (@AP) July 7, 2017

The two leaders spoke through translators with their respective foreign ministers.

Although the take is very different, the cave to Russia seems to have been confirmed by Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. Tillerson, who claimed Trump pressed Putin at their first meeting on interference in U.S. election, said that Putin denied the allegation, but did not say Trump accepted this denial.

The two leaders agreed this is of substantial hindrance. They agreed to exchange further work regarding commitments of noninterference in the affairs of the U.S. and our democratic process as well as other countries, Tillerson said in an off-camera briefing, according to ABC News:

Tillerson also added that both presidents acknowledged the challenges of cyberthreats and interference in the democratic processes in the United States and other countries and that they would work together to create a framework for dealing with such threats, including terrorism, efforts to hack into the internal affairs of countries, and any actions against infrastructure.

The Russian foreign minister claimed that Trump accepted Putins promise that they were not involved. When asked if this were true, senior White House official told ABC News, No. They did not provide more info to ABC.

President Trump told Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday that it was an honor to meet him for the first time and said he looked forward to positive things in their relationship.

The leaders spoke for six minutes before the press were allowed in. The US press were not briefed on camera and there was another one of the Trump administrations delayed audio demands, whereas the Russian foreign minister was on live TV with his talking points, a point not missed by many.

US Sec of State would only brief press re Trump-Putin talks off-camera, with delayed audio release. Russian foreign minister was on live TV.  Jackie Calmes (@jackiekcalmes) July 7, 2017

This appears to be a surrender of the talking point, and perhaps worse, a green light to hack our elections:

Tillerson confirms U.S. surrender to Russia on election interference. This is a huge green light for future Russian influence operations. pic.twitter.com/6h30vSudqS  Ken Gude (@KenGude) July 7, 2017

The Russians just made Donald Trump look pretty foolish if he did not actually accept the Russian President at his word. If he did, then Donald Trump is too ignorant to be in the White House in any capacity.

But the truth might be more malevolent than bumbling fool, as President Trump, along with most elected Republicans, has shown no interest in addressing the hacking of the 2016 election that he won with the help of the Russians, nor has he done anything to try to secure future US elections from Russian meddling. In fact, Trump has denied that the Russians were behind the attack on the 2016 election, even though all 17 intel agencies agreed that it was the Russians.

Intelligence agencies and experts warn that we are still under attack by the Russians, right now. Instead, Trump told Putin they would work together to address such threats.

How will Trump work with Putin to address the threat that Putin poses to western democracy? This cant be done. Trump should be working with other western democracies to undermine Putin. But instead, he is doing Putins bidding, perhaps unintentionally, by undermining the west in key ways.

More big talk as Russia spits in the US Presidents eye and the US President does nothing except have his people lamely deny- maybe sort of but not really  the charge that he took Putins word on Russias meddling. This is called rolling over and playing dead. A green light, as suggested, to continue the theft of democracy.
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HAMBURG (Reuters)  The United States, Japan and South Korea on Friday agreed to push for a quick U.N. Security Council resolution to apply new sanctions on North Korea after its test launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) this week.

Meeting at the G20 summit in Germany, U.S. President Donald Trump, South Korean President Moon Jae-in and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe promised to apply maximum pressure to counter North Koreas nuclear threat.

The leaders decided to press for the early adoption of a new UNSC resolution with additional sanctions to demonstrate to (North Korea) that there are serious consequences for its destabilizing, provocative, and escalatory actions, the three countries said in a joint statement.

Taking a major step in its missile program, North Korea on Tuesday test launched an ICBM that some experts believe has the range to reach the U.S. states of Alaska and Hawaii and perhaps the U.S. Pacific Northwest.

The United States has cautioned it is ready to use force if need be to stop North Koreas nuclear missile program but said it preferred global diplomatic action.

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said on Wednesday she would propose new U.N. sanctions on North Korea. Security Council diplomats said on Friday the United States had not yet circulated a draft resolution to the 15-member council.

Following a nuclear weapons test by North Korea in September it took the U.N. Security Council three months to agree strengthened sanctions.

(Reporting by Tim Ahmann in Washington and Michelle Nichols at the United Nations; Writing by Doina Chiacu and Alistair Bell; Editing by David Alexander and James Dalgleish)
Charleston, SC (29403)

Today

A shower is possible early. Cloudy skies this evening will become partly cloudy after midnight. Low 64F. Winds SW at 10 to 20 mph..

Tonight

A shower is possible early. Cloudy skies this evening will become partly cloudy after midnight. Low 64F. Winds SW at 10 to 20 mph.
Work could start late this summer on a $155 million, 13-story residential and commercial tower by Mayo Clinic's St. Marys Hospital.

In December 2016, the Rochester City Councilapproved the plan by the Minneapolis-based Alatus LLCto build the complex on the corner of Second St. Southwest between 14th and 15th avenues.

The project proposes 347 residential units, 21,000 square feet of commercial and retail space and a 540-stall parking facility in the Folwell neighborhood.

The Brentwood on 2ndand the Ray-Mar Motelstand on the proposed site along with some houses. Since gaining approval, the developers have been acquiring the houses. The hotels are owned by Alatus' Rochester partner, a local group led by Ed and Nick Pompeian.

The Ray-Mar is closed, though the Brentwood on 2nd remains open with no timeline for that to change.

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"We will continue to operate the hotel as long as is needed and until we receive a firm date from Alatus," said Nick Pompeian.

There is no detailed timeline for when the demolition and then the construction, but a general plan is starting to move forward.

"We anticipate to demolish the Ray-Mar and Brentwood beginning in late August or early September. We have acquired demolition permits from the city for all of the structures currently located on our site," said Alatus Development Director Chris Osmundsonvia email.

The rough plan for the hotels is to demolish the Ray-Mar Hotel first and then take down the Brentwood, he said. It's estimated it will take about 30 days to clear the site of buildings, so the construction can start.

"We anticipate construction to begin October 2017, directly after demolition of the structures," Osmundson said.
ALBERT LEA  Mayo Clinic Health System announced Thursday that it has reached a new three-year contract with Albert Lea nurses represented by the Minnesota Nurses Association.

The tentative contract agreement was reached June 21, and the 126 union nurses voted to ratify the contract on July 5.

MNA spokesman Rick Fuentes said Albert Lea's nurses will be paid the same as their counterparts in Austin by the second year of the three-year contact. Specifically, that includes a 2 percent increase in the first year.

The new contract settles one of three outstanding issues Mayo officials have been facing in Albert Lea. The MNA highlighted the troubles in a written comment.

"While they're pleased to have a new contract, they are very concerned about the impact of losing the full service hospital in Albert Lea," Kathy Sandvik, MNA Labor Representative for Albert Lea and Austin nurses, said of its members. "The entire community as well as all of the staff there will be affected by the loss. Not just will patients lose the quality care that Albert Lea nurses have provided, but the loss of dozens of jobs will mean displacements, transfers, and heartache for Albert Lea nurses and the community itself."

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Mayo emphasized its commitment to the two communities in its statement announcing the new nurses contract.

"We welcome the opportunity to work with our dedicated nurses to develop solutions that strengthen our Albert Lea and Austin campuses and secure high-quality care for our patients, now and in the future," Mayo spokeswoman Mandie Siems said in a press release. "Nurses are valued members of our care teams, and we are pleased that both bargaining units approved agreements with the medical center so we can all work together on behalf of our patients."

On June 12, MCHS announced that it would be consolidating its Albert Lea and Austin campuses to create efficiencies, with some inpatient services being relocated to Austin. The Freeborn County Board has roundly criticized that decision and nearly 750 people packed Albert Lea High School last week to express their displeasure during a public forum attended by Mayo's leadership. MNA has also been critical of Mayo's transition plans in Albert Lea.

Additionally, SEIU Healthcare Minnesota's complaint that Mayo has not been bargaining in good faith with its maintenance staff in Albert Lea is currently awaiting a final decision from the National Labor Relations Board; those workers have been working without a contract since 2015. Their complaint was previously found to have merit and is the first Mayo labor dispute to be argued in front of the national NLRB in Washington.

SEIU President Jamie Gulley claimed "Mayo has lost its way" following the April hearing before the NLRB. Both sides await a final ruling.
The Otto Bremer Trust awarded 105 grants totally $6.5 million this cycle. Of that, $650,000 will benefit SE Minnesota organizations and outreach efforts.

Bluff County Family Resources in Hokah received $50,000. This money will be used to provide services to victims of domestic violence and sexual assault in Houston County.

Channel One of Rochester received $150,000 for general operations to collect and distribute food to organizations and programs addressing food insecurity.

The Minneapolis-based Jeremiah Program received $75,000 to develop programming in Rochester MN to provide support to Southeastern Minnesota's single mothers and their children.

PossAbilities of Southern Minnesota received $75,000 to provide opportunities for children and adults with disabilities to contribute and connect with their community.

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Southeastern Minnesota Private Industry Council received $125,000 to provide academic support and career navigation for disadvantaged populations to enter and move up in healthcare careers.

St. Charles Fire and Rescue received $75,000 to help purchase safety equipment for the volunteer-based fire and rescue unit.

Zumbro Valley Health Center received $100,000 to provide integrated care for underserved and unserved patients diagnosed with a co-morbid condition.

The Otto Bremer Trust is a private charitable trust established in 1944 by successful banker and businessman Otto Bremer. Since its start, the Otto Bremer Trust has invested more than $600 million in organizations throughout Minnesota, North Dakota, and western Wisconsin.
MAZEPPA  A motorcycle rider died Tuesday in a head-on collision near Mazeppa.

At about 5:47 p.m., Daniel Douglas Syverson, 48, of Red Wing, was riding westbound on Minnesota Highway 60 about three miles east of Mazeppa at Wabasha County Road 3 when his motorcycle collided with a vehicle heading eastbound on Hwy. 60.

Syverson, who was not wearing a helmet, died at the scene. Jerome Arthur Miller, 53, of Lake City, was not injured in the crash.

Zumbrota Ambulance, Zumbro Falls Fire Department and Mazeppa Fire Department assisted at the scene.
ST. CHARLES  About a week from now, a switch will be flipped, plastic and glass will make their way into the machines that turn raw materials into composites, and Envirolastech Inc. will start producing its first products at its St. Charles plant.

It's been a long road for Paul Schmitt and his partners. But for Schmitt, it feels more like the beginning. "I'm hoping to put a board out by the middle of next week," he said, "and the next week, we'll be in production."

Testing will be a big part of the first few months, Schmitt said, making sure he has the profiles right for the different products the company can produce on its supercharged production line. He also needs to make sure all the employees  four supervisors to go along with the partners, plus another dozen or so material line handlers - know how to run the machines for the different products.

Schmitt is the founder of Envirolastech, the company that won the Clean Tech Renewable Energy Division at the 2012 Minnesota Cup competition. His product is a plastic composite that, he said, is unlike any other building material on the market.

Where other plastics get brittle in the cold or wood rots when exposed to water, Envirolastech's material remains strong and durable. Proving that was the mission when an accident showed Schmitt how to create the composite.

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"When the tech was developed, I was trying to prove a point, that it could be done," he said. "Once it was done, I knew it had to go through 10 years of testing."

Offers to sell came along  "Everyone that was willing to purchase it was not from this country."  but Schmitt wanted to keep his business in Southeast Minnesota.

That worked perfectly for building a team, a word Schmitt uses a lot.

"The plant is here because all the principles of the company are here," said Jeff Mintz, a Rochester attorney who has taken over the helm as Envirolastech CEO. "And the location is good for raw materials."

Growth already?

Mintz is also learning how to set the dials on the production line, but rather than looking at the here and now, he's more focused on Envirolastech's future. For a company that hasn't started its production line, that's a lot of trust in the product. Of course, Mintz like the other principles of the company have invested their own money into Envirolastech, so he's bought into the company in more ways than one.

While the first products off the line will be deck planks, siding and pavers  Envirolastech's parking lot will soon be paved with its proprietary composite pavers  Mintz is already envisioning product lines that will keep the conveyors rolling at the St. Charles plant for years to come.

Mintz pointed to the frozen food industry, where wooden pallets are used to hold anywhere from 2,500 pounds to 5,000 pounds of product for shipment. But those wooden pallets, he said, have a couple of flaws.

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First, they are not durable. Pallets take about 20 round trips before they are ruined by the extreme cold, the wear and tear from forklifts, or the moisture from spilled foods. Not to mention the health hazard of absorbing spilled foods.

Envirolastech's replacements would last for years, not weeks. And the issues with moisture, cold and contamination would be eliminated, Mintz said.

"The industry can't use plastic pallet because they get brittle in cold environment," he said. "We create the only plastic that does not get brittle."

There are other markets that Mintz and Schmitt see. Replacing the rails along paths in state parks and national parks that, using current materials, rot and need to be replaced, dimensional lumber for home building, and pavers for streets and sidewalks.

Schmitt said once he has the staff running the production line, his goal is to look at new ways to utilize the composite technology. One is to replace the guardrails on highways with a composite that both glows in the dark  using the light from headlights to power a phosphorous byproduct from fertilizer  and has a designed tensile strength to lower the force of motor vehicle impacts.

Home, sweet home

While Mintz said the goal is to eventually open new production plants for Envirolastech  something Schmitt said could start one month after the company begins turning a profit  right now, the company is working well right in Rochester's back yard.

"We intend to pursue expansion in the five-state region," he said, looking at Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota and either North or South Dakota.

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The region is home to vast amounts of the raw materials the company uses: glass, fly ash and recycled plastics. The composites labs at Winona State University offer not only a place to hire new talent but a place to test new products and processes.

"We're so close to a testing facility, which is extraordinarily convenient and a great opportunity for their students," he said.

And, so far, the employees are all from Southeast Minnesota. All the plant supervisors have ties to the area, Schmitt said, and the material line handlers  with one exception  all come from within 10 miles of St. Charles. The lone outlier, he said, comes all the way from Hayfield.

It also does not hurt that the company's neighbor at the Chattanooga Innovation Park is a business  St. Charles' Active Tool & Die  that makes things Envirolastech needs.

"They make all our (extrusion) heads," Schmitt said. "If they get them all done by the middle of August, I'll be shocked."

"They're a startup company, and we're just scratching the surface of what's available I think," said Darin Ihrke, who owns the Active Tool & Die along with his brother, Brent. "Eventually, it'll be a good thing for both of us."

So far, the proximity has meant knowing your neighbor to the point of wandering across the parking lot to see what's happening.

"They just walk right across and say how's it going here," Ihrke said. That includes everything from checking on work orders or just saying hello.

All of which brings Schmitt back to the reason he's glad he held onto his invention and brought the company to St. Charles.

"We've got everything we need, right here," he said.
RED WING  On Tuesday the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District will host an open house at the Red Wing Public Library's Community Room to discuss island building on the north side of Lake Pepin.

Patrick Moes, public affairs spokesman for the Corps in St. Paul, said people concerned about the proposed dredge material management plan for Lower Pool 4 should not read too much into this meeting.

"They're absolutely separate projects," Moes said. "The amount of material we're talking about if it did come to fruition is a couple of hundred thousand yards, max. Some of the material could come from Lower Pool 4. It's not really the solution the folks in the Lower Pool 4 community are looking for."

The meeting, which runs from 5-7 p.m., with a short presentation at 5:30 p.m., is to discuss a study to improve habitat in and around Upper Pool 4 of the Mississippi River. The study will allow the Corps to investigate opportunities to utilize dredged material from Pool 4 to improve the ecosystem in the same pool.

Currently, the Corps is taking public comments on its plan for permanent storage of dredge material from Lower Pool 4. The proposed 40-year plan would include storage of an estimated 10.7 million cubic yards of material at several inland sites that are now working farms.

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The meeting, according to a statement from the Corps, is to assess potential opportunities to improve the pool include using dredged material to build islands, dredging backwater areas, creating and/or improving wetlands, stabilizing the shoreline stabilization and planting floodplain forest.

The focus, Moes said, would be areas just north of Lake Pepin. "Some of the areas where there were islands in the prelock-and dam-era," he said.

That does not mean the Corps is not considering more islands in Lake Pepin as a solution for the dredge material management plan. But that won't be explored until the public comment period on the plan ends July 14.

"We've received that comment," Moes said, referring to the island-building idea for the dredge material. In fact, several ideas have been brought forth in the public comment period. "We're waiting until the comment period is over so we can look at them thoroughly."

The Corps' plan for dredge material in Lower Pool 4 can be viewed  and public comments made  through the district website at www.mvp.usace.army.mil .
Representatives of the G20 countries are meeting in Hamburg, so the traveling circus of anti-capitalist rioters naturally showed up. As best one can tell, it is more or less the same people who turn out for all of these anti-capitalism demonstrations around the world. They dont appear to have jobs, and quite a few of them are reported to be trust fund babies. These photos from Hamburg are typical; they come from the Sun. At least 76 policemen were injured in the anti-free enterprise riot:

Some of the anti-freedom rioters dressed like zombies; others didnt dress much at all:

Meanwhile, demonstrations of a very different nature have been going on in Venezuela. For the last 18 years, Venezuelans have lived under the system that the G20 rioters want to impose: socialism. The results have been catastrophic. Venezuelas economy has been wrecked. Its currency is virtually worthless. Venezuelans have been impoverished. Starvation is rampant; most Venezuelans go hungry while the lucky ones eat vermin and scrounge in garbage cans. (The really lucky ones, of course, are the socialist insiders who escaped to enjoy the billions they had stashed in Swiss bank accounts.) Infants die in hospitals that have no medicine and cannot even maintain a supply of running water.

So ordinary Venezuelans have taken to the streets to demand the resignation of Nicolas Maduro, successor to Hugo Chavez, the principal author of the Venezuelan calamity. Maduros regime has responded with thuggish violence. Yesterday, an anti-capitalist mobsoul brothers of the G20 riotersattacked Venezuelas National Assembly, beating lawmakers and others as government troops stood by:

A mob stormed Venezuelas opposition-dominated National Assembly on Wednesday with the apparent acquiescence of government troops and carried out a startling attack on lawmakers and journalists. Bloodied lawmakers were treated for broken ribs and head injuries, and journalists said the attackers had stolen their equipment. The episode in Caracas, which coincided with Venezuelas Independence Day, was a sharp escalation of lawlessness in a country roiled by a failing economy and daily street demonstrations.

***

Opposition lawmakers said the attack had been carried out by so-called colectivos, bands of armed men in plain clothes who take their cues from the government of President Nicolas Maduro to thwart demonstrations and intimidate dissidents. While National Assembly lawmakers have been assaulted before, the attack on Wednesday was remarkable because the throng of assailants appeared to face no resistance from National Guard forces charged with securing the compound.

Since socialist Venezuela represents the end point devoutly desired by the anti-capitalist G20 rioters, I have a modest proposal: lets send them there. German authorities could round up all the socialist rioters in Hamburg and send them to the socialist paradise of Venezuela. There, they could join the pro-government thugs who are trying to put down the popular anti-socialist uprisinga genuine revolt that the G20 rioters insincerely mimic.

My guess is they wouldnt last long. They are only pretend thugs, while Maduros colectivos are the real thing. Their trust funds would soon be gone, and they would be hunting juicy rats to eat for dinner. It would serve them right.
The blue slipthe power of senators to block judicial nominations within their statesis a venerable Senate tradition that has long outlived its usefulness. Similar to the filibuster, liberals view the blue slip either as incorrigible obstructionism or as the height of prudent constitutionalism, depending only on which partys president is nominating judges.

Thus, when Barack Obama was doing the nominating, Jeffrey Toobin, in a New Yorker article headlined Blue-Slip Battle: The Senate Obstructionists Secret Weapon, wrote:

[A]s the blue-slip process illustrates, the Senate remains a balky, hidebound, and inefficient institution, and the Presidents opponents will continue to do their best to keep it that way.

On the other hand, now that Donald Trump is in the White House, the New York Times sees the blue slip as the Democrats avenue to impede the Trump administrations judicial onslaught. Judicial onslaught meaning, in this case, nominating judges to fill vacancies.

Yesterday, USA Today reported on the blue slip controversy, based largely on an interview with my friend Mark Holden. The reporter doesnt waste any time signaling which side she is on (although in all likelihood, she would be on the other side if Hillary Clinton were president):

The influential donor network tied to billionaire Charles Koch is taking aim at a longstanding Senate tradition that allows Democratic senators to block judicial nominees from their states, as conservatives race to seize on one-party control of Washington to rapidly reshape the federal judiciary.

(Emphasis added.) Again, by the dastardly means of appointing judges to fill vacancies.

Having a home-state senator have the ability to slow down the process, in our opinion, doesnt make sense under the Constitution, Mark Holden, a top official in the Koch network, told USA TODAY.

***

Removing the blue-slip obstacle could help Trump reverse, in a single term, the Democrats advantage on the nations 13 federal appeals courts and shape the federal judiciary for decades. Currently, nine of the 13 appellate courts have a majority of Democratic presidents nominees.

***

Holden said many of the Koch donors are incensed by the obstruction in D.C. and think this is a key issue and are going to make their opinions known to their senators and key players, such as [Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Charles] Grassley.

The blue slip tradition is relatively recent, dating only to the early 20th century. It is found nowhere in the Senate rules, but rather is followed (or, sometimes, not) at the discretion of the Judiciary Committee chairman. So far, at least, Grassley has not indicated that he intends to do away with the blue slip.

The Democrats dont want to admit that they are merely partisan obstructionists, so they pretend that their vetoing of judicial nominations is a matter of principle. They object to the fact that the Federalist Society and the Heritage Foundation have been involved in vetting potential nominees.

Here in Minnesota, we are seeing the blue slip in action. The New York Times reported, at the link above, that Senators Al Franken and Amy Klobuchar may be trying to block the nomination of eminently qualified Minnesota Supreme Court Justice David Stras to the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals:

Take David R. Stras, a member of the Minnesota Supreme Court and a conservative favorite who was on Mr. Trumps list of potential nominees for the United States Supreme Court. He could now find his nomination to the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit at the mercy of Senators Al Franken and Amy Klobuchar, two Minnesota Democrats on the Judiciary Committee. Mr. Franken called the nomination the product of a process that relied heavily on guidance from far-right Washington, D.C.-based special interest groups  rather than through a committee made up of a cross-section of Minnesotas legal community.

Scott wrote here about credible reports that Senator Amy Klobuchar is threatening to blue-slip Justice Strass nomination to secure the reappointment of a Democrat as U.S. Attorney for Minnesota.

What to make of the fact that Franken and/or Klobuchar may be standing between an obviously qualified nominee and an 8th Circuit post? A reader writes:

MN Supreme Court Justice Strass nomination to the 8th Circuit was supported by three of Strass former liberal members of the state Supreme Court, including Alan Page. Franken nevertheless raised a concern about the fact that the Federalist Society worked with the White House in compiling the lists of potential judicial nominees as a reason to slow down the confirmation process. The blue slip process would allow him to put a hold on this well-qualified judge because of Fed Soc (even though the Left has relied on a liberal special interest group, the American Bar Association, in making its judicial nominations.) In addition, this is a circuit court nomination, not a Minnesota federal district court nomination. Thus, Franken may be taking a position that will deprive the other six states in the circuit of having a well-qualified judge due to his political grandstanding. The 100-year-old blue slip is one of the arcane, dungeons and dragons type rules that should not have any role in the constitutional framework of the Senates advise and consent power on judicial nominees. It is a cronyist system that is contrary to the constitutional process and should be done away with.

Amen. We all know that next time the Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee is a Democrat and the President is also a Democrat, the blue slip by Republican senators will be abolished. Why wait? It is time to do away with this non-legal and non-constitutional tool of obstruction. Senator Grassley, the ball is in your court.


Pobierz zdjecie Przeczytaj o zasadach pobierania zdjec Press conference of the President of the Republic of Poland and the President of the United States of America (1)

Distinguished Mr President, Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is with immense joy that I welcome to Warsaw and to Poland the President of the United States, Mr Donald Trump. I am very happy with this visit to Warsaw, which is one of the first international visits you are paying, Mr President; for it underscores our bond and the high quality of alliance between Poland and the United States. It demonstrates that that we mutually view each other and that we are loyal partners, quality partners who cooperate in many fields, including that of security within the North Atlantic Alliance.

And today, just a moment ago we have been talking with President Trump on that subject, first in a private meeting, and then in the plenary session of our delegations. We spoke about the presence of US troops, we spoke about strengthening security in our part of Europe, also along NATO eastern flank. We discussed overall security in this part of Europe, also addressing the situation in Ukraine, we also spoke about the forthcoming Zapad 17 exercise which will take place in Belarus.

Moreover, Ladies and Gentlemen, we spoke about the contracts to modernize Polish army, about the agreement between Poland and the United States on the procurement of Patriot missiles, we spoke about implementing the Vistula Programme and Homar Programme: about all actions that will be taken in the nearest years to reinforce Polands security.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

What I can say is that I am very pleased with the discussions that we have had, I have a feeling that the United States and that President Donald Trump are earnest about Polands security, and are earnest about the United States being our loyal ally. President Donald Trump emphasised strongly the influence of Polish Americans, our Polonia community, with whom he was meeting even before the presidential elections. I want to thank Mr President once again for having done so, for having appreciated the contribution that Polish Americans and Polish people make into development and prosperity of the United States. Moreover, we also addressed the topic of economic contacts, other than military ones, but also relevant to security, i.e. we spoke at length about gas supplies to Poland. I welcome the delivery of the first LNG shipment to Poland which arrived on June the 8th from the United States.

This proved to be success: without any problems, without any obstacles, gas was delivered to our LNG terminal in Swinoujscie. This paves the way to further contracts. I do hope that in the near future a long-term contract for LNG delivery from the United States will be concluded, and that this way, diversification of supplies of this crucially crucial resource will proceed in Poland.

In a moment, together with President Donald Trump, we will attend the summit meeting of The Three Seas Initiative, to further discuss the issues of energy security and of strengthening transatlantic bonds between Europe and the United States.

We will discuss development of infrastructure in our part of Europe: Central Europe. But likewise, we will talk about the development of the European Union, for all Three Seas Initiative countries are also EU member states. And speaking about cohesion policy as it unfolds, we look at cohesion from EU perspective and we want to achieve it also through developing infrastructure along the North-South axis, to enhance competitiveness of our countries, to enhance competitiveness of the European Union at large. I do hope that we will be able to achieve this goal, also in partnership with the United States, creating a win-win situation, mutually beneficial to the US, and our countries as well.

Mr President, one again, a very warm welcome to Warsaw! As President of the Republic of Poland, speaking on behalf of all Polish people, I warmly thank you for coming to Poland.
By PTI: By Yossura El-Sharkawy

Cairo, Jul 7 (PTI) At least 23 Egyptian soldiers were killed and 33 others injured today when terrorists attacked several army checkpoints with car bombs in the restive North Sinai, triggering fierce clashes that left 40 militants dead.

The military said it killed the heavily-armed terrorists during clashes with them in the North Sinai city of Rafah, bordering the Palestinian Gaza Strip ruled by the Hamas.

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Security officials said ambulances rushed to the sites of the attacks south of the town of Rafah.

Six vehicles were destroyed during the attacks, army spokesperson Tamer el-Refae said in a statement.

The security sources said 23 army personnel were killed in the attack while the number of wounded stands at 33.

The army is currently combing the area and searching for the attackers.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack.

However, the restive North Sinai is the main focus of the deadly ISIS militancy and the groups affiliated with it have carried out several attacks in the past targetting security forces since the January 2011 revolution that toppled longtime president Hosni Mubarak.

The attacks, mainly targeting police and military, increased after the ouster of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in 2013 by military following massive protests against his rule. Hundreds of police and army personnel have been killed since then.

The military has launched security campaigns in the North Sinai area, killing several militants.

The security forces have also arrested suspects and demolished houses that belong to terrorists, including those facilitating tunnels leading to the Gaza Strip. PTI YES PMS ZH PMS

--- ENDS ---
Press conference of the President of the Republic of Poland and the President of the Republic of Croatia (7)

Press conference of the President of the Republic of Poland and the President of the Republic of Croatia (6)

Press conference of the President of the Republic of Poland and the President of the Republic of Croatia (5)

Press conference of the President of the Republic of Poland and the President of the Republic of Croatia (4)

Press conference of the President of the Republic of Poland and the President of the Republic of Croatia (3)

Press conference of the President of the Republic of Poland and the President of the Republic of Croatia (2)

Press conference of the President of the Republic of Poland and the President of the Republic of Croatia (1)

President Andrzej Duda on Thursday said the Three Seas summit had built a unique but very vital connection between Central European countries. These countries want to make up for lost time in terms of their development, he added.

Representatives from 12 countries (Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and Hungary) - including 10 presidents - took part in the 2nd Three Seas summit in Warsaw on Thursday.

At a joint press conference to mark the end of the summit, Andrzej Duda thanked his Croatian counterpart, Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic, for co-organizing the meeting, as well as being its co-host.

The President stressed the summit had been significant. It built "a unique but very vital connection between the Central European countries, which very well understand their position, their situation, including in economic terms, as well as their shared history", Andrzej Duda explained.

The President pointed out that the Three Seas countries - with the sole exception of Austria - had been stuck for many years behind the Iron Curtain.

They know they have fallen behind the West. But ever since regaining independence, and then joining the European Union, that great European community, they have been systematically regaining lost ground.

"We want to very strongly focus on this", Andrzej Duda concluded.

The next Three Seas Initiative summit will take place in the Romanian capital Bucharest next year, Polish President Andrzej Duda announced on Thursday. (PAP)
Infrastructure development in our part of Europe is to contribute to the unification of the Three Seas countries' development and to bring it closer to the Western European level, Polish President Andrzej Duda said on Friday.

May be of interest to you President Duda: Many infrastructure projects possible in CEE During a joint press conference with Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic, President Duda referred to agreements signed on Friday between Polish and Croatian companies operating in the field of logistics, rail and sea transport. These agreements are to implement the Three Seas Initiative.

"This is exactly what we, the leaders of 12 countries of the Three Seas Initiative, of Central Europe, hope for, the concrete effects. "We want such contracts signed and implemented", the Polish President stressed, "(...) in order for this cooperation to be carried out between the governments, self-governments, entrepreneurs and companies from our countries", Andrzej Duda underlined.

As he noted, the infrastructure projects "are meant to be the key to aligning our infrastructural development and energy security levels with those of Western Europe".

May be of interest to you Remarks by the President at the Transatlantic Session of the 2nd Summit of the Three Seas Initiative "We aim at the optimal use of EU cohesion policy funds. By developing our countries, we will increase the competitiveness of this large part of the EU as an entity with more or less the same level of prosperity", the president pointed out.

The Three Seas Initiative seeks to strengthen ties among countries between the Black, Baltic and Adriatic Seas. It is a joint idea by the presidents of Poland and Croatia that concerns the economic cooperation of 12 countries in Central and Eastern Europe as well as the Balkans in areas such as energy, transport and digitisation. The initiative brings together Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Croatia, Slovenia, Bulgaria, Romania and Austria.

On Thursday, the Three Seas summit was held in Warsaw, attended by 12 Central European leaders and addressed by US President Donald Trump. (PAP)
( Read 29928 Times)

Source :

Dr.Geeta PatelIn December 1946, on 14th December, the co-operation in dairy business was started in the district of Kheda in the name of Amul and the registration of Amul Cooperative Society was done. This has been done because the farmers were exploited by the middle men, due to non refrigition the milk it turns sour and the farmers suffered a lot as there no is reasonable price to the farmers and farmers were not interested in generating milk.In such a situation, the leader of Kheda district, Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel, under the leadership of Mr. Tribhuvan Das G Patel, placed his problem in front of him. Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel advised the farmers to adopt co-operatives and in this way the Kheda of Cooperative emerged in the district.Subsequently, under the leadership of Dr. V. Kurien, the strength of cooperative was strengthened and the principle of cooperative and whose purpose was to buy the milk of the farmers at a reasonable price & sell milk to Amul brand in the market. Due to this, a commercialization of dairy was made and farmers leaning in the dairy business was increasing. Mr. Tribhuvandass Patel, Dr. V. Kurian and his team members were constantly working hard and diligently in the field of cooperatives and in the few years, the dairy union developed in Mehsana, Banaskantha, Baroda, Sabarkantha and Surat.Slowly, the principle of cooperation started from Gujarat spread all over the country and the farmers migrated to the milk business. Even today, India is the first place in the world in milk production.Dairy co-operatives first emerged from Amul where the society is at village level and there is a union at the district level and there is a federation at the state level.In this way, there has been a revolution in the field of milk by cooperative, which is a cooperative and has improved the quality of life of the farmers and has made the economy strong at the village level. There is a dairy sector which provides financial support to farmers in rural areas.In India, where there has been a lot of progress in dairy sector through co-operatives, on the other hand new problems have arisen. There are new challenges ahead in the face of growing cooperative move which is necessary to cope with time.The following are the major challenges which must be considered in the course of time:1. The most important challenge is the adulterated milk in front of the dairy business, which is spreading or increasing the market day by day, which is harmful to health and it is necessary to take strict measures. It is necessary to implement the Indian Food Security Act strictly.2. There is a complete lack of cleanliness in the milk production by the farmers. While clean milk production is one of the main purposes, cleanliness is not taken care of in the villages on the other hand it reduces the quality of milk. Therefore, it is time to get the farmers to head towards clean milk through various training, The milk producers need to be educated through clean milk production program, which improves the quality of milk.3. Various types of vaccines are imposed for animals to increase the milk production by farmers, which contribute to the health of the animals and also the adverse effects of milk quality.4. Prevention of diseases in animals is necessary for the protection of livestock and breed improvement, although the governments are making great efforts in this direction. FMD / BQ / HS vaccine is necessary to prevent diseases.5. There is a shortage of processing plants in the milk sector in India. Cooling temperature and processing are necessary for milk to be kept safe. The lack of modern processing plants is also a great choice in this field, which is necessary to be completed in time. Also, the cold chain has to be strengthened too. Renewal of 40-50 year old plants is necessary.6. It is also necessary to mention here that in India, there is a shortage of veterinarians in comparison to the number of livestock and sick animals cannot get treatment at the time and they give a break. The medical facility is provided to some extent by the cooperative sector.7. The average milk production of milch animals available in India is very low, in such cases the number of animals is higher than milk production, whose fodder system itself is a complex problem.8. Besides, milk production is done in most of the villages and in such case, collecting milk from far-flung areas is a big challenge, as the temperature in India in the summer reaches around 46-50 degree Celsius, which is high and such It is not possible to preserve milk. There is a lot of problems facing dairy business in this way and they need to be resolved in time.9. With the introduction of GST from July 2017, it is proposed to recover the tax on Ghee and Butter and Paneer at the rate of 12 percent, which will increase the milk product rates.The solutionsThe new challenges faced by the milk business are to be resolved during the time. If the steps are taken by the government on the following points, problems can be overcome or reduced.1. Due to greater co-operation, milk plants should be installed so that the milk can be processed and the surplus milk powder and ghee can be made. Simultaneously, arrangement for milk testing at plants and village level can be prevented by adulterated milk.2. Bulk milk coolers should be applied to the committees, which can be immediately cooled to milk and there is no adverse effect on milk quality.3. The improved variety of animals should be made available to the farmers so that the per animal milk production is aggravated and the farmers milk production, the confidence in animal husbandry, is strengthened. It is extremely important to promote artificial insemination to achieve this goal. Also, opening of veterinary hospital and recruitment of veterinary physicians is also necessary so that the producers may get medical facilities for their livestock when needed.4. Impact on death of animals from infectious disease falls on the financial condition of the animal. Therefore, to prevent this vaccination and insurance plan for all the animals should be started at the mass level.5, freedom from MFD disease should be provided by the Government of India by running a campaign at the war level.6. The laws made for the prevention of adulteration should be strictly enforced and from time to time, the availability of inspectors for the checking of milk increased.7. Excise duty at Molasses by Indian Government Rs. 750 per tonne and 3 percent cess is being taken, which is continuously increasing in the cost of cattle animals given to cattle. Therefore, it is advisable to be free from the, cess and VAT, which are used for making cattle make-up, to increase the milk production by reducing the cost of animals.8. The milk business can also be strengthened by new research. Trainer farmers should be trained by bringing advanced technology from abroad and they should be made interested in milk production, so that their livelihood can be run.Cooperatives are the only option in dairy industry to achieve all the above mentioned objectives, which can change the cultivation of farmers of India. Along with farming, milk production is such a business whose countrys economy is dependent on farmers, there can be expected change.Since India is at the first place in milk production in the world and consumption of milk products is rapidly increasing in cities and villages. Therefore, it is time to promote milk production and it is certain to change the society.
ATLANTIC CITY  Hundreds of people took advantage of the Trump Taj Mahal's bargain prices as part of its liquidation sale on Thursday.

But one person took the term "liquidation" literally.

Thursday night, a video surfaced online of a local man taking a shower in one of the hotel rooms open for the sale.

"I mean, it's a liquidation sale. They're giving us a sample, so I wanted to see how the shower was. I thought maybe I could get a free shower," the man said. "Also because I have cold water at my house right now. So this is a nice way... to get a nice little hot shower."

Gregory Johnson remembers the days when Donald Trump, former owner of the Trump Taj Mahal, would land his helicopter on the roof of the property, forcing the shutdown of half the buildings elevators as he entered.

On Thursday, Johnson, a former supervisor in housekeeping at the property, was one of the last people to take a walk through the place once advertised as the Eighth Wonder of the World.

Johnson was joined by others for the first day of a 60-day liquidation sale at the property. People started lining up hours before the 10 a.m. opening, some in search of bargains, while others used the event as an opportunity to pay their respects to a property.

Its just my opportunity to give it one last look before its changed over, Johnson said, sitting on the edge of the fountain outside the building. I havent been in here in 15, 20 years, and its a way for me to say goodbye to a property that I once worked at. Its a big icon for Atlantic City.

The liquidation sale comes as Hard Rock International rebrands the property into the Hard Rock Casino and Hotel Atlantic City, which is expected to open by Memorial Day next year.

When the doors opened, people ran grabbing televisions, furniture and the limited number of poker tables available. While some looked for deals, others checked out the conditions of the rooms on the 46th through 51st floors, which have been vacant since the property closed in October. Some of the rooms had visible mold and peeling wallpaper.

During the sale, which is expected to last until early September, people can buy anything from chandeliers, white elephants and artwork, to towels and light fixtures at bargain prices.

One of the most popular items for early visitors was televisions from the hotel rooms.

Why would I go to Wal-Mart and spend $400 on a TV when I can get one here for cheap? said Gerald Winchester, who was the first person in line Thursday morning.

A couple of hours later, Winchester, 75, of Atlantic City, smiled as he left the Taj Mahal with his new 32-inch TV he had purchased for $49.

It was worth the wait, he joked.

Don Hayes, president of the National Content Liquidators, the company running the sale, would not discuss how much revenue the company expects to generate from the sale.

You can buy something for as low as $3 to as large of $35,000 for the large chandeliers, Hayes said. We dont have gaming tables and slot machines  they are being retained. You name it, it goes.

Not quite. Anything with President Donald J. Trumps name on it is not for sale. All that was taken off the site after the resort closed in October, Hayes said.

Demolition of the propertys iconic facade is expected to start later this month, with full-scale construction expected to start in August.

Hard Rock International and investors Joe Jingoli and Jack Morris plan to spend $500 million to renovate and rebrand the property. The Hard Rock project is expected to generate more than 1,000 construction jobs and 3,000 permanent jobs, according to Hard Rock. The group paid $50 million for the property, according to federal records.

Kim Fantazzia, 54, of Margate, was one of the first people in the door and purchased two five-foot ornamental vases for her home.

These are going to look perfect next to my fireplace, Fantazzia said as she checked out with her nearly $500 purchase. I just saw them and knew that I had to have.

Some used the event to look for home furnishings.

We just got a new apartment and we have to fill it up, said Bianca Pizarro, 24, who was there with her boyfriend, Lukas Montanez, 27.

Pizarro and Montanez, both of Atlantic City, used to be card dealers at the Taj. They left the casino after its owners threatened to close in 2015 during an ugly bankruptcy case.

We really thought it was going to close then, she said.
LOWER TOWNSHIP  A hit-and-run car accident led to the arrest of a Middle Township man on domestic-violence charges.

At 7:42 p.m. Wednesday, Officer Kenneth Walker responded to Hazelwood Avenue for a report of a hit-and-run accident.

An investigation revealed a car was intentionally rear-ended by another vehicle driven by the victims ex-boyfriend, police said in a release.

The victim told police she was being harassed and threatened by the ex, later identified as Shawn L. Pettit, 35, of Shunpike Road, police said.

Police said the victim was in a car with two children and two other adults when Pettit began sending her threatening text messages. Pettit, in his own vehicle, then followed the victims vehicle through the township, hitting the car and fleeing the scene, police said.

No injuries were reported.

Pettit was taken into custody without incident by Middle Township police and taken to the Lower Township Police Department.

Police contacted the Cape May County Prosecutors Office for appropriate charges.

He was charged with terroristic threats, two counts of endangering the welfare of a child, stalking and simple assault. He was taken to the Cape May County jail, pending a judges decision.

Pettit is listed on the New Jersey Sex Offender Internet Registry for a 2007 charge of endangering the welfare of a child and a 1997 charge of aggravated assault.
PLEASE BE ADVISED: Soon we will no longer integrate with Facebook for story comments. The commenting option is not going away, however, readers will need to register for a FREE site account to continue sharing their thoughts and feedback on stories. If you already have an account (i.e. current subscribers, posting in obituary guestbooks, for submitting community events), you may use that login, otherwise, you will be prompted to create a new account.
DENNIS TOWNSHIP  A 4-year-old girl is in critical condition after a reported water rescue Thursday at Lake & Shore RV Resort in Ocean View, according to State Police.

Medics at Cape Regional Medical Center were able to regain the childs pulse, State Trooper Lawrence Peele said Thursday night. She was later transferred to Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia, police said.

State Police did not release the childs name.

State Trooper Alejandro Goez said troopers received a report at 1:10 p.m. of a child drowning at the campground on Corsons Tavern Road. The girl was near the resorts lake, Goez said.

He said CPR was administered at the scene and the child was taken by ambulance to the hospital in Cape May Court House.

When we pulled in, we saw an ambulance had passed us, said Paul Brown, 54, of Galloway Township, who has been staying at the campground in his RV. From what I understand, they tried CPR on the (lakes) beach.

Brown, who did not witness the incident directly, said paramedics were still working on the girl when the ambulance left the scene. He also said emergency crews were using an automated external defibrillator.

People frequently swim in the campgrounds lake, which is divided into bathing and fishing areas, Brown said.

Im sick to my stomach, said Brown, who has four children and a 9-year-old grandson. I cant get it out of my head.

Campground management referred questions to a corporate office. The resort is owned by Chicago-based Equity Lifestyle Properties Inc. Representatives from the company did not immediately return a request for comment.

The incident remains under investigation by State Police.
The Supreme Court has refused to stay Centre's Aadhaar notification saying that a constitution bench will decide the matter.

By Anusha Soni: The Centre has got a major relief in Aadhaar case as the Supreme Court today refused to stay the notifications issued by the government on the subject.

The Supreme Court said that the matter will be decided by the constitution bench. The apex court asked the parties in Aadhaar matter to urge the Chief Justice of India to set up constitution bench to finally decide on all related issues.

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Earlier, the petitioners told the Supreme Court that the current notification of the government on Aadhaar amounts to tracking all movements of all citizens. This is violative of all constitutional rights, the petitioners argued.

They told the apex court that the Constitution doesn't permit such tracking of citizen's movement by the government. But, the Supreme Court refused to issue any instruction to the Centre.

However, the apex court said that no further orders would be issued in this regard till the Supreme Court decides the matter.

Such laws were seen during Emergency era, the petitioner said, adding that "India is becoming a concentration camp." The Attorney General appearing for the government opposed the language used saying, "Such language calling India a concentration camp should not used."

ALSO READ |

Furious Supreme Court to government on Aadhaar: How can you make it compulsory?

Law Commission suggests mandatory registration of marriages, linking of Aadhar with marriage certificates

ALSO WATCH | Why should Aadhaar be linked to tax returns?

--- ENDS ---
By PTI: (Eds: Statement of Sonikas parents, more details)

Kolkata, Jul 7 (PTI) Actor Vikram Chatterjee, who is slapped with culpable homicide charge for the car crash in which model and TV anchor Sonika Chauhan was killed, has been arrested, police said today.

The television and film actor was on the run after the police had charged him with culpable homicide not amounting to murder in the case.

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He was arrested after the Kolkata Police personnel intercepted a cab outside Acropolis Mall on the Rashbehari Avenue connector in south Kolkata late last night, a senior Kolkata Police officer said.

Chatterjee had earlier been charged with causing death due to rash and negligent driving. He was driving Sonika home after a party on April 29 when the accident took place.

A city court remanded Chatterjee to police custody till Monday.

Reacting to the arrest, Sonikas parents, Vijay and Sharon Singh Chouhan, said, "We had kept our faith that truth will be revealed, justice will prevail and today is another big step in that direction." PTI SCH SUN MD SRY

--- ENDS ---
BANGALORE, India, July 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Infosys Limited (NSE, BSE, NYSE: INFY), a global leader in consulting, technology, outsourcing and next-generation services, will announce the results for its first quarter ended June 30, 2017 on Friday, July 14, 2017 around 9:00 a.m. Indian Standard Time (IST) (11:30 p.m. US ET on July 13, 2017; 8:30 p.m. PST on July 13, 2017; 4:30 a.m. London time; 11:30 a.m. Singapore/Hong Kong time). The results will also be available on http://www.infosys.com.

Following the release, the leadership team will be part of a common television interaction at 10:00 a.m. IST. The participating executives will address questions from the media during this interaction which will be streamed live on the Investor Relations section of the Infosys website.

An archive of this event will be uploaded on http://www.infosys.com after 2:00 p.m. IST on July 14, 2017 (after 4:30 a.m. US ET on July 14, 2017).

Earnings call I

(11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. IST; 2:00 a.m. - 3:00 a.m. ET)

The company will conduct a 60 minute conference call at 11:30 a.m. IST (2:00 a.m. US ET; 11:00 p.m. PST on July 13, 2017; 7:00 a.m. London time; 2:00 p.m. Singapore/Hong Kong time) on July 14, 2017 (open to investors / analysts in all regions), where the senior management will discuss the company's performance and answer questions from participants. To participate in the conference call, please dial the numbers provided below 10 - 15 minutes before the scheduled start time of the call. During this time, the operator will provide instructions on how to ask questions. As participation in the call is limited, early registration (by calling the numbers 10 - 15 minutes before the scheduled start time) is encouraged.

This event will be webcast live on the Investor Relations section of the Infosys website, following which it will be archived at http://www.infosys.com. The archive will be available after 3:30 p.m. IST on July 14, 2017 (after 6:00 a.m. US ET on July 14, 2017). In addition, a transcript of the conference call will be available at http://www.infosys.com.

Earnings call II

(6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. IST; 8:30 a.m. - 09:30 a.m. ET)

The company will also conduct a 60 minute conference call at 8:30 a.m. US ET (6:00 p.m. IST; 5:30 a.m. PST; 1:30 p.m. London time; 8:30 p.m. Singapore/Hong Kong time) on July 14, 2017 (open to investors/analysts in all regions), where the senior management will discuss the company's performance and answer questions from participants. To participate in the conference call, please dial the numbers provided below 10 - 15 minutes before the scheduled start time of the call. During this time, the operator will provide instructions on how to ask questions. As participation in the call is limited, early registration (by calling the numbers 10 - 15 minutes before the scheduled start time) is encouraged.

This event will be webcast live on the Investor Relations section of the Infosys website and an archive can be accessed at http://www.infosys.com after 11:30 a.m. ET on July 14, 2017 (after 9:00 p.m. IST on July 14, 2017). A transcript of the conference call will be available at http://www.infosys.com.

Summary of events

Event

Earnings release over the wire services

Date and Time

9:00 a.m.

July 14, 2017 (IST)

11:30 p.m.

July 13, 2017 (ET)

Web-site / Channel

http://www.infosys.com

Event

Live broadcast of management's comments on the results

Date and Time

10:00 a.m.

July 14, 2017 (IST)

Web-site / Channel

Business television channels

Event

Webcast of management's comment on the results

Date and Time

2:00 p.m.

July 14, 2017 (IST)

4:30 a.m.

July 14, 2017 (ET)

Web-site / Channel

http://www.infosys.com

Event

Earnings conference call I

(open to questions for investors / analysts in all regions)

Date and Time

11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

July 14, 2017 (IST)

2:00 a.m. - 3:00 a.m.

July 14, 2017 (ET)

Questions during the call can be addressed to sandeep_mahindroo@infosys.com

Web-site / Channel

http://www.infosys.com

India

Telephone / Fax No.

Toll, Mumbai:

022 3938 1098

Toll, Bangalore:

080 3940 3977

Singapore

Toll-free:

800 101 2045

Toll-number:

+65 3157 5746

Hong Kong

Toll-free:

800 964 448

Toll-number:

+852 3018 6877

Japan

Toll-free:

0 053 116 1110

Toll-number:

+81 3 4589 9421

UK

Toll-free:

0 808 101 1573

Toll-number:

+44 203 478 5524

Germany

Toll-free:

00 8001 424 3444

Canada

Toll- free:

011 8001 424 3444

France

Toll-free:

0 800 914 745

US

Toll-free:

1 866 746 2133

Toll-number:

+1 323 386 8721

Event

Replay of conference call

Date and Time

Till July 20, 2017

Web-site / Channel

http://www.infosys.com

Telephone / Fax No.

Toll-free:

USA 1 855 436 0715

International toll:

+1 863 949 0105

Toll, Mumbai/India:

022 3065 2322

Toll, Bangalore:

080 3940 3988

Passcode:4636#

Event

Earnings conference call II

(open to questions for investors / analysts in all regions)

Date and Time

6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.

July 14, 2017 (IST)

8:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.

July 14, 2017 (ET)

Questions during the call can be addressed to sandeep_mahindroo@infosys.com

Web-site / Channel

http://www.infosys.com

Telephone / Fax No.

India

Toll, Mumbai:

022 6746 5898

Toll, Bangalore:

080 3940 3977

Singapore

Toll-free:

800 101 2045

Toll-free:

+65 3157 5746

Hong Kong

Toll-free:

800 964 448

Toll-free:

+852 3018 6877

Japan

Toll-free:

0 053 116 1110

Toll-free:

+81 3 4589 9421

UK

Toll-free:

0 808 101 1573

Toll-number:

+44 203 478 5524

Germany

Toll-free:

00 8001 424 3444

Canada

Toll free:

011 8001 424 3444

France

Toll-free:

0 800 914 745

US

Toll-free:

1 866 746 2133

Toll-number:

+1 323 386 8721

Event

Replay of conference call

Date and Time

Till July 20, 2017

Web-site / Channel

http://www.infosys.com

Telephone / Fax No.

Toll-free:

USA 1 855 436 0715

International toll:

+1 863 949 0105

Toll, Mumbai:

022 3065 2322

Toll, Bangalore:

080 3940 3988

Passcode:4637#

About Infosys Ltd.

Infosys is a global leader in technology services and consulting. We enable clients in 45 countries to create and execute strategies for their digital transformation. From engineering to application development, knowledge management and business process management, we help our clients find the right problems to solve, and to solve these effectively. Our team of 200,000+ innovators, across the globe, is differentiated by the imagination, knowledge and experience, across industries and technologies that we bring to every project we undertake.

Visit http://www.infosys.com to see how Infosys (NYSE: INFY) can help your enterprise thrive in the digital age.

Safe Harbor

Certain statements mentioned in this release concerning our future growth prospects are forward-looking statements regarding our future business expectations intended to qualify for the 'safe harbor' under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in such forward-looking statements. The risks and uncertainties relating to these statements include, but are not limited to, risks and uncertainties regarding fluctuations in earnings, fluctuations in foreign exchange rates, our ability to manage growth, intense competition in IT services including those factors which may affect our cost advantage, wage increases in India, our ability to attract and retain highly skilled professionals, time and cost overruns on fixed-price, fixed-time frame contracts, client concentration, restrictions on immigration, industry segment concentration, our ability to manage our international operations, reduced demand for technology in our key focus areas, disruptions in telecommunication networks or system failures, our ability to successfully complete and integrate potential acquisitions, liability for damages on our service contracts, the success of the companies in which Infosys has made strategic investments, withdrawal or expiration of governmental fiscal incentives, political instability and regional conflicts, legal restrictions on raising capital or acquiring companies outside India, and unauthorized use of our intellectual property and general economic conditions affecting our industry. Additional risks that could affect our future operating results are more fully described in our United States Securities and Exchange Commission filings including our Annual Report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2017. These filings are available at http://www.sec.gov. Infosys may, from time to time, make additional written and oral forward-looking statements, including statements contained in the company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission and our reports to shareholders. The company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements that may be made from time to time by or on behalf of the company unless it is required by law.

Contact:

Investor Relations

Sandeep Mahindroo

+91-80-3980-1018

Sandeep_Mahindroo@infosys.com



Media Relations

Sarah Vanita Gideon

+91-80-4156-3998

Sarah_Gideon@infosys.com



Chiku Somaiya

+1-7136706752

Chiku.Somaiya@infosys.com



This is a disclosure announcement from PR Newswire.

SOURCE Infosys Limited
STRASBOURG, France, July 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

We, the undersigned Members of the European Parliament, strongly condemn the murders of Allahverdiyeva Sahiba Idris (age 51) and Guliyeva Zahra Elnur (age 2) on the evening of July 4 by Armenian armed forces. The indiscriminate killing of civilians, women and children is unacceptable in any circumstances and must be stopped immediately.

It has emerged that this killing was the result of a mortar and grenade attack committed by Armenian armed personnel against Azerbaijani unarmed civilians in the village of Alkanli in the Fuzuli province. There is no justification for such a grave, heinous crime and we call for an immediate investigation into the acts and a full, criminal investigation launched to identify and prosecute the culprits.

We call for a cessation of all military operation in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan. Violence and the escalation of aggressive action can only lead to further conflict and loss of life of innocents. Such thoughtless provocations and destruction is dangerous for the stability of the entire region of the South Caucasus.

Furthermore, we call on the Armenian and Azerbaijani governments to renew and accelerate negotiations in order to find a peaceful, stable and sustainable solution for the withdrawal of Armenian troops from Azerbaijani territories.

We also wish to extend our deepest condolences to the families of the victims and to assure than of our thought and prayers go with them.

Sincerely,

Norica Nicolai, European Parliament rapporteur for Azerbaijan

Ryszard Czarnecki, Vice-president of the European Parliament

Kosma Zlotowski, Member of the Delegation to the EU-Armenia and EU-Azerbaijan Parliamentary Cooperation Committees and the EU-Georgia Parliamentary Association Committee

SOURCE Office of Norica Nicolai
CHICAGO and ATLANTA, July 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Are you one of the 27 percent of workers who plan to change jobs in the back half of the year? The odds of landing one  and getting paid more - are in your favor, according to CareerBuilder's 2017 Midyear Job Forecast.

CareerBuilder midyear job forecast

The nationwide study reveals a significant year-over-year jump in the percentage of companies hiring full-time, part-time and temporary or contract workers from July 1 through December 31. More than half of employers anticipate offering higher starting salaries for new employees and the majority indicates that bigger paychecks won't just be for high-skilled workers, they will extend to entry-level workers as well.

Infographic: https://cb.com/MidyearForecast

In the second half of 2017:

60 percent of employers plan to hire full-time, permanent workers, up from 50 percent last year

36 percent of employers plan to hire part-time, permanent employees, up from 29 percent last year

46 percent of employers plan to hire temporary or contract workers, up from 32 percent last year

"Events dominating national headlines have had a polarizing effect in the U.S., but most employers remain confident in their outlook for financial growth and plans for hiring," said Matt Ferguson, CEO of CareerBuilder and co-author of The Talent Equation. "Job seekers stand to benefit not only from having more options, but also from the growing intensity in the competition for talent. Employers are moving quickly to recruit candidates and they are willing to pay more across job levels. They are also placing a greater emphasis on candidates having a positive experience when they apply to their firms. The current climate puts job seekers in a more advantageous position."

The national surveys, which were conducted online by Harris Poll on behalf of CareerBuilder from May 24 to June 16, 2017, included representative samples of 2,369 hiring managers and human resource managers and 3,642 full-time U.S. workers across industries and company sizes in the private sector.

How much of a pay increase can new and current employees expect?

Looking at a subset of human resources managers, 72 percent feel they have to start paying higher wages because the market has become increasingly competitive for talent. The majority say this also applies to entry-level workers:

24 percent say they have to pay more even if the entry-level worker has no college or training

17 percent say they have to pay more, but only if the entry-level worker has a college degree

19 percent say they have to pay more, but only if the entry-level worker has at least some college or training

Among all employers (hiring managers and human resources managers), 53 percent report they plan to offer higher starting salaries for new employees over the next six months, a big jump from 39 percent in the same period last year. Nearly one third (32 percent) plan to increase starting salaries on job offers by 5 percent or more. Two-thirds of employers (66 percent) plan to increase compensation for current employees before year end and 34 percent anticipate an increase of 5 percent or more.

What are the hot areas for hiring?

Information technology (72 percent) is leading the industries hiring in the back half of the year, coming in 12 percentage points higher than the national average for plans to add full-time, permanent headcount. Manufacturing (66 percent), health care1 (64 percent) and financial services (62 percent) are also expected to outperform the national average.

Looking across industries, some of the most in-demand roles employers say they will be recruiting for during this timeframe are those tied to:

Skilled trades  15 percent

Software as a service  14 percent

Cybersecurity  13 percent

Sales enablement  13 percent

Talent management  13 percent

Providing a good user experience  12 percent

Managing and interpreting Big Data  11 percent

Creating digital strategies  11 percent

Social marketing  10 percent

E-commerce  10 percent

Developing apps  10 percent

Healthy living  9 percent

Which region is hiring the most?

All regions are showing a year-over-year gain in the percentage of employers expecting to hire full-time, permanent employees in the back half of the year. The West leads with 67 percent of employers planning to add headcount, while the South remains on par with the national average. The Northeast and Midwest came in below the national average, but are reporting healthy increases over last year.

West  67 percent are hiring, up from 53 percent last year

South  61 percent are hiring, up from 50 percent last year

Northeast  56 percent are hiring, up from 49 percent last year

Midwest  53 percent are hiring, up from 46 percent last year

How do small, medium and large companies compare in plans for hiring?

Full-time, permanent hiring over the next six months is also expected to increase across company sizes. Midsize firms are leading the pack in the percentage of employers hiring, while small businesses are reporting the biggest year-over-year growth.

50 or fewer employees  37 percent hiring, up from 27 percent last year

51 to 250 employees  67 percent hiring, up from 53 percent last year

251 to 500 employees  72 percent hiring, up from 64 percent last year

501 to 1,000 employees  75 percent hiring, up from 69 percent last year

1,001 or more employees  67 percent hiring, up from 61 percent last year

What is the outlook for Q3?

Nearly half of employers (47 percent) plan to add full-time, permanent employees in the third quarter, up from 34 percent last year. Seven percent expect to downsize staffs, relatively unchanged from 8 percent in Q3 2016. Forty-three percent anticipate no change and 3 percent are undecided.

Fifty percent plan to hire temporary or contract workers, up from 37 percent last year.

1 Health Care organizations with 50 or more employees.

*Totals may not equal 100 percent due to rounding or the ability to choose more than one response.

Survey Methodology

This survey was conducted online within the U.S. by Harris Poll on behalf of CareerBuilder among 2,369 hiring and human resource managers ages 18 and over (employed full-time, not self-employed, non-government including 221 HR managers) and 3,462 employees ages 18 and over (employed full-time, not self-employed, non-government) between May 24 and June 16, 2017 (percentages for some questions are based on a subset, based on their responses to certain questions). With pure probability samples of 2,369 and 3,462, one could say with a 95 percent probability that the overall results have sampling errors of +/- 2.01 and +/- 1.67 percentage points, respectively. Sampling error for data from sub-samples is higher and varies.

About CareerBuilder

CareerBuilder is a global, end-to-end human capital solutions company focused on helping employers find, hire and manage great talent. Combining advertising, software and services, CareerBuilder leads the industry in recruiting solutions, employment screening and human capital management. It also operates top job sites around the world. CareerBuilder and its subsidiaries operate in the United States, Europe, Canada and Asia. For more information, visit www.careerbuilder.com.

Media Contact

Jennifer Grasz

773-527-1164

[email protected]

http://www.twitter.com/CareerBuilderPR

SOURCE CareerBuilder

Related Links

http://www.careerbuilder.com


JOHNSTON, Iowa, July 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- AccuraScience is a relatively small and new company, having been founded in June 2013. Yet, many already see it as the most capable of its kind within the bioinformatics services industry. The company now has many clients spanning five different continents, although the majority of them can be found within the United States. Many of these clients are academic institutions, who are turning to the company now that new rules and laws have been implemented in terms of hiring graduates for these projects.

10 Advantages of Using the Services of AccuraScience

AccuraScience prides itself on being a company in an emerging world that is setting the standards for others. The 10 advantages for those who want to use their services are the fact that:

They have 150 years of combined experience in bioinformatics.

1. They have a deep understanding of both biology and the computer.

2. Their bioinformaticians possess top-level expertise.

3. They can cover a wide range of bioinformatics solutions.

4. They have worked with over 60 organizations who have all been happy with their results.

5. They pride themselves on being cost-effective.

6. They guarantee that they will do the work the right way.

7. They offer assistance in paper reviews.

8. They offer assistance in grant writing.

9. They have been positively evaluated by many other researchers.

Who Have Worked with AccuraScience?

Although AccuraScience has only been around for a relatively short period of time, they are quickly setting themselves apart as the go-to source for bioinformatics. This is demonstrated by their impressive client list, many of which are leaders in research institutions like the National Institutes of Health and various university professors. Other clients come from pharmaceutical and biotech companies.

Some of the most recognizable names of institutions and organizations that have worked with AccuraScience are:

ARIAD Pharmaceuticals

Israel's Bar-Ilan University

Baylor College of Medicine

The Children's National Medical Center

The EpiGentek Group Inc.

London's Institute of Cancer Research

Institute of Cancer Research Johns Hopkins University

Johnson & Johnson

The Mayo Clinic

Monsanto

Thermo Fisher Scientific

Finland's University of Helsinki

What this non-exhaustive list demonstrates is the breadth and width of organizations that AccuraScience has worked with, and also the fact that they have made an impression on the global playing field.

Just What Does AccuraScience Do?

The company delivers bioinformatics services to government agencies, clinical facilities, pharmaceutical industries, biotechnology industries, academic institutions, and biomedical researchers. Specifically, they help them to design and implement heavy research projects, as well as carrying out those projects themselves. They conduct research on plants, animals, and human patients. Their main areas of focus are on biological and medical data, with emphasis on next-generation sequencing data, transcriptomics, genomics, metabolomics, proteomics, and other similar data, statistical data analysis, and data integration for various biomedical and other data types.

The primary uses of the work being done is to determine causal relationships or other hidden data in measured variables, machine learning process development, statistical modeling, population genetics, phylogenetics, metagenomics, ecology, and other analyses that are linked to evolutionary biology, data structure and algorithm development, data mining, specific informatics, software solutions, information technology infrastructure, and database development and maintenance.

The team members at AccuraScience have the expertise in handling microarray data from the different platforms, for different applications including DNA methylation analysis, gene expression profiling, genotyping, and more. This team is currently made up of 8 lead bioinformaticians, who have been core facility managers or professors in major universities.

What Do Others Say About AccuraScience?

Despite being a relatively new company, they have already worked with an extensive array of companies the world over, proving their expertise in bioinformatics research. They have also been mentioned in a number of professional publications. Also, they have been recently featured on GenomeWeb. Furthermore, they have been impartially mentioned in the Science magazine. Finally, they were recently mentioned on the Proteomics blog, which describes how the company is paid to deliver services to the bioinformatics community.

In each of these, aside from noting that AccuraScience has a very strong background, a truly rare expertise, and the ability to do very challenging work, the company delivers these services in a far more affordable manner than any other. In addition, their services have been found to be cost-effective, and it has been estimated that outsourcing bioinformatics to them can decrease costs by as much as 82 percent and time by as high as 64 percent. The company makes use of statistics from projects and results of client polls to prove such claims.

Contact: [email protected] 1-800-439-2978

SOURCE AccuraScience
BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

The President of the Association for Civil Society Development in Azerbaijan, Elkhan Suleymanv, has issued a statement criticising the "indifference of the international community" in the wake of the deaths of a grandmother and her 18-months-old grandchild, who were killed as a result of shelling by Armenian armed forces that took place on July 4th in the border region of Nagorno-Karabakh.

Suleymanov, who is also an Azerbaijani MP, noted that the crimes against Azerbaijani civilians have been committed systematically by Armenian forces over the past quarter century. "Therefore the international community should stop its indifference and protection of Armenia and take real measures to stop this occupation."

The Azerbaijani region of Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding provinces were occupied by Armenia during the post-Soviet power vacuum in the early 1990s, resulting in about 30,000 deaths and nearly one million refugees and internally displaced people. Many international bodies, including the United Nations, European Parliament, OSCE and most recently the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe have called for the immediate and unconditional withdrawal of Armenian troops from the Azerbaijani territories.

In his statement, Suleymanov recalled previous attacks that killed Azerbaijani children, including Shahmaliyeva Aygun Ziraddin, a 14-year-old who died in 2012 as a result of an explosion of a stuffed animal toy and of 9-year-old Fariz Badalov, who was killed by a sniper in 2011.

He also questioned the timing of the Armenian attack, coming shortly after the Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group - the mediating body consisting of the United States, Russia and France - visited the region. "Whenever negotiations intensify or important results are expected before, during or after an OSCE visit, as a rule the Armenian side violates the ceasefire," Suleymanov said. "It illustrates that they are simply not interested in putting an end to the occupation."

The Armenian shelling earlier this week was widely condemned by the international community, including the Vice President of the European Parliament Ryszard Czarnecki, who released a joint statement with some of his colleagues, calling the attack a "grave, heinous crime."

Meanwhile Thierry Mariani, an Honorary Member of the French National Assembly urged the Minsk Group to "put an end to these inhuman acts committed by Armenia against civilians."

ACSDA (http://www.avciya.az)

SOURCE ACSDA
ANCHORAGE, Alaska, July 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The Alaska Airlines Foundation is awarding $161,500 to 15 nonprofits in Alaska and Washington. The mid-year grants are the first of two donations the Alaska Airlines Foundation will make this year.

"This first round of donations puts the Alaska Airlines Foundation on pace to give more than ever in 2017," said Tim Thompson, Alaska Airlines Foundation executive director. "Our goal is that these funds will have a lasting impact in the local communities we serve."

In the first half of 2017, grants were made to 15 organizations including the following:

Alaska Challenger Center for Space Science Technology Inc: The Alaska Challenger Center provides education programs to cultivate youth interest in science, technology, engineering and math (S.T.E.M.) through simulated space and earth science missions.

Community for Youth: Community for Youth pairs students from underserved high schools in South Seattle with mentors to help every mentee graduate high school with life skills to make a positive impact on their communities.

with mentors to help every mentee graduate high school with life skills to make a positive impact on their communities. El Centro de la Raza: El Centro de la Raza provides youth programs, emergency services, asset-building programs and education to achieve social equity on behalf of the Latino community in Seattle .

The Alaska Airlines Foundation has been supporting communities through donations to nonprofits for nearly 20 years. As an independent 501c (3) nonprofit organization, the Alaska Airlines Foundation supplements Alaska Airlines' overall corporate giving program by providing direct cash grants to public charities in Alaska, Hawaii and Washington. Grants support organizations that focus on improving their communities, particularly in the areas of education and workforce development.

The Alaska Airlines Foundation considers grant requests twice in a calendar year. Eligible nonprofit organizations are encouraged to submit an online application at donationsalaskaair.com by Sept. 15, 2017, for consideration in November.

Alaska Airlines, together with Virgin America and its regional partners, flies 40 million guests a year to 118 destinations with an average of 1,200 daily flights across the United States and to Mexico, Canada, Costa Rica and Cuba. With Alaska and Alaska Global Partners , guests can earn and redeem miles on flights to more than 900 destinations worldwide. Alaska Airlines ranked "Highest in Customer Satisfaction Among Traditional Carriers in North America" in the J.D. Power North America Satisfaction Study for 10 consecutive years from 2008 to 2017. Alaska Mileage Plan ranked "Highest in Customer Satisfaction with Airline Loyalty Rewards Programs" in the J.D. Power 2016 Airline Loyalty/Rewards Program Satisfaction Report for the last three consecutive years. Learn more about Alaska's award-winning service and unmatched reliability at newsroom.alaskaair.com and blog.alaskaair.com. Alaska Airlines, Virgin America and Horizon Air are subsidiaries of Alaska Air Group (NYSE: ALK).

SOURCE Alaska Airlines

Related Links

http://www.alaskaair.com


PASADENA, Calif., July 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc. (NYSE: ARE) announced today that its Board of Directors has elected Michael A. Woronoff as an independent director. The Company's Board of Directors has also appointed Mr. Woronoff to serve as a member of the Audit Committee and the Science & Technology Committee. Mr. Woronoff is an "audit committee financial expert" within the meaning of the rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and is an independent director in accordance with New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) listing standards and SEC rules. His term will run until the 2018 annual meeting of stockholders of the Company.

Mr. Woronoff is a partner of Proskauer Rose LLP (Proskauer), head of Proskauer's Los Angeles office and its West Coast corporate and securities practice and a member of the firm's Executive Committee. Mr. Woronoff advises clients on a variety of corporate and securities law matters, including SEC reporting obligations, corporate governance and strategic alliances.

Mr. Woronoff has been repeatedly recognized by leading legal and business publications, including The American Lawyer, Chambers Global, Chambers USA, the Los Angeles Business Journal and The Wall Street Journal. The Best Lawyers in America has recognized him eight times and named him the 2016 "Lawyer of the Year" for Corporate Law in Los Angeles. In 2016, the Daily Journal named him one of the "Top 100 Lawyers in California" for the fifth time.

Prior to joining Proskauer in 2004, Mr. Woronoff co-founded and was a principal of Shelter Capital Partners, a Southern California-based private equity fund that invests in technology and technology-enabled businesses at all stages of development. Prior to joining Shelter in 2000, Mr. Woronoff was a partner at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, where he practiced corporate and securities law for 15 years. He received a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Michigan Law School, a Master of Science in Industrial Administration degree from Krannert Graduate School of Management at Purdue University and a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Management degree from Purdue University.

"We are honored and pleased to welcome Mr. Woronoff to our Board of Directors," said Joel S. Marcus, founder, chief executive officer and chairman of Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc. "Mr. Woronoff is an exceptional business leader with important experience in corporate and securities law and capital market transactions. We believe Alexandria will greatly benefit from his unique leadership talent, expertise, experience and mentorship."

About Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc.

Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc. (NYSE: ARE), an S&P 500 company, is an urban office REIT uniquely focused on collaborative life science and technology campuses in AAA innovation cluster locations, with a total market capitalization of $14.5 billion and an asset base in North America of 28.2 million square feet as of March 31, 2017. The asset base in North America includes 20.1 million RSF of operating properties, including 1.6 million RSF of development and redevelopment of new Class A properties currently undergoing construction. Founded in 1994, Alexandria pioneered this niche and has since established a significant market presence in key locations, including Greater Boston, San Francisco, New York City, San Diego, Seattle, Maryland and Research Triangle Park. Alexandria has a longstanding and proven track record of developing Class A properties clustered in urban life science and technology campuses that provide its innovative tenants with highly dynamic and collaborative environments that enhance their ability to successfully recruit and retain world-class talent and inspire productivity, efficiency, creativity and success. We believe these advantages result in higher occupancy levels, longer lease terms, higher rental income, higher returns and greater long-term asset value. For additional information on Alexandria, please visit www.are.com.

Contact: Joel S. Marcus

Chairman, Chief Executive Officer & Founder

Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc.

(626) 578-9693

SOURCE Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.are.com


Recognizing his years of tireless and dedicated service to his clients, Telles recently received a Lifetime Achievement selection to America's Top 100 Attorneys, an invitation only award reserved for the nation's most exceptional attorneys whose accomplishments and impact on the legal profession merit a Lifetime Achievement award.

Selection for this award is not based on a single achievement or even year of success, but is based on a lifetime of community enriching accomplishments, ethical standards and hard work that inspire fellow attorneys and those who work alongside them. Candidates for this award are screened and judged on a number of criteria, including community impact, peer reputation, significant case results, lifetime achievements and professional experience. Less than 0.5 percent of all active attorneys in the United States receive this honor, placing those recognized in the highest echelon of attorneys in the nation.

MayesTelles is a criminal defense and personal injury firm based out of Phoenix, AZ, handling cases including DUI defense, sex crimes, theft crimes, drug crimes as well as other areas of criminal defense. If you would like to speak with one of our award-winning attorneys, call us at (602) 428-7104 or visit our website at http://www.mayestelles.com/.

SOURCE MayesTelles PLLC

Related Links

https://www.mayestelles.com


Agriculture Minister Surya Pratap Shahi told the Agra farmers to stop growing potatoes and instead grow some other crops if potatoes are not bringing income to their households.

By Siraj Qureshi: It is said that when the French Empress Mary Antoinette was told that people in the streets did not have bread to eat, she had innocently questioned back that why don't the people eat cake?

Visiting Agra, which accounts for 8 per cent of the total potato produce of India and is called the potato belt of Uttar Pradesh, state Agriculture Minister Surya Pratap Shahi expressed similar sentiments when he told the Agra farmers to stop growing potatoes and instead grow some other crops if potatoes are not bringing income to their households.

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Addressing the media, Shahi, who has also served as the BJP state president, said that the farmers of UP are committing suicides because they are sticking to growing potato and the crop is not bringing in enough money for them to survive and as a result, they were getting mired in loans. The best option for these farmers would be to leave potato and start growing some other crop which is profitable, instead of taking steps like suicide.

Talking to India Today, Shahi said, "The farmers should take advantage of the various schemes that the Union government has started to assist them, instead of demanding relief from loans. " He also said that the Yogi government has waived off loan worth Rs 36 thousand crore of 86 lakh farmers in Uttar Pradesh and the sugarcane farmers have been paid Rs 23 thousand crore in arrears. He said that the remaining loans will be waived off as soon as the budgetary provisions are made for it.

Commenting on the Akhilesh Yadav government, he said, " Earlier, only the VIP areas used to get electricity and now the entire state is getting evenly distributed power. The government has given grants for digging community ponds and so far, 384 ponds have been dug with the cost of Rs 27 crore. 43 districts will soon get Soil Testing Laboratories and 15 will start functioning by 15th August."

He said that the industrial policy has provisions for developing food parks in the state and to prevent the reprisal of incidents like Jawaharbagh in Mathura, the government lands are being cleared of encroachments in the entire state. An Anti-Land Mafia Task Force has been formed to mark the people who were involved in encroaching and squatting on government land and action will be taken against them.

He also said, "A name of BJP leader's brother had come up in a mining scam and action is being taken against him as the government believes that law is equal for everyone and nobody deserves privileged treatment when it concerns law and order."

ALSO READ:

Revealed: What is killing India's farmers? India Today exclusive

No country for farmers: In headlong rush towards development, Indian farmers fall through the cracks

--- ENDS ---

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HARTFORD, Wis., July 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Broan-NuTone, LLC announced the sale of the Best Kitchen Ventilation EMEA Business to Electrolux Group. Completion of the sale is expected during the third quarter of this year pending all regulatory approvals.

As part of the sale, Electrolux will acquire the Best manufacturing facilities located in Cerreto d' Esi Italy and Zabrze, Poland as well as the rights to design and market the Best brand of kitchen ventilation products in EMEA.

Broan-NuTone, LLC, will continue to design, manufacture and market the Best brand of Kitchen Ventilation products in North America.

"While we are sad to part ways with our Best EMEA employees and business, we know Electrolux will continue the great tradition and investment of the Best brand in their markets. The Best brand will continue to be an important part of our portfolio and we look forward to continuing to serve our customers and consumers in North America," says Frank Carroll, CEO Broan-NuTone, LLC.

ABOUT Broan-NuTone, LLC

Broan-NuTone, LLC is North America's leading manufacturer and distributor of residential ventilation products including range hoods, ventilation fans, heater/fan/light combination units, balanced ventilation systems (IAQ), built-in heaters, attic ventilators. NuTone, a registered trademark of BROAN LLC, manufactures and distributes residential built-in convenience products including door chimes, central vacuum systems, ceiling fans, intercom systems, ironing centers and ventilation fans. BROAN LLC is proud to be an ENERGY STAR partner.

SOURCE Broan-NuTone, LLC
Highlights:

Drilling will test the down-dip extension of the A Zone, where one of the deepest holes previously intersected 10.3m of 8.2% Zn Eq. including 6.6m of 10.5% Zn Eq at a depth of 440m;





Callinex will also test a 1,300m long by 800m wide gravity inversion anomaly that indicates the A, B and C Zones connect at depth; and





24 holes totaling 4,622m have been completed at the Nash Creek Project with initial results to be released shortly.

VANCOUVER, July 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ - Callinex Mines Inc. (the "Company" or "Callinex") (TSX-V: CNX; OTCQX: CLLXF) is pleased to announce that it has mobilized drill rigs to the Superjack Project as part of the 2017 Bathurst drilling campaign (the "Campaign") to complete up to 10,000m of drilling in the Bathurst Mining District of New Brunswick (See Figure 1). The Company will release drill results in the coming weeks from holes recently completed at the Nash Creek Project. A total of 24 holes and 4,622m was drilled at the Nash Creek Project during the first phase of the Campaign. Phase two of the Campaign that is currently underway at the Superjack Project is anticipated to include six holes totaling 3,250m (See Figure 2).

The primary exploration objective at Superjack is to test for high-grade extensions of the A Zone at depth (See Table 1). Two of the deepest holes previously drilled intersected thick intervals of high-grade mineralization at a vertical depth of approximately 440m (See Figure 3). Results from these holes include (See news release dated June 19, 2017):

NP11-54 intersected 10.3m of 8.2% Zn Eq. (4.0% Zn, 1.7% Pb, 0.4% Cu, 53.3 g/t Ag and 0.3 g/t Au) including a higher-grade interval over 6.6m of 10.5% Zn Eq. (5.3% Zn, 2.2% Pb, 0.4% Cu, 69.0 g/t Ag and 0.5 gt/ Au); and

(4.0% Zn, 1.7% Pb, 0.4% Cu, 53.3 g/t Ag and 0.3 g/t Au) (5.3% Zn, 2.2% Pb, 0.4% Cu, 69.0 g/t Ag and 0.5 gt/ Au); and NP11-39 intersected 11.2m of 7.6% Zn Eq. (5.0% Zn, 1.0% Pb, 0.2% Cu, 34.2 g/t Ag and 0.2 g/t Au) including a higher-grade interval over 2.6m of 17.6% Zn Eq. (15.0% Zn, 1.4% Pb, 0.3% Cu, 32.5 g/t Ag).

Borehole electromagnetic surveys completed by Callinex in 2016 on drill holes NP11-54 and SJ15-86 indicates the conductive mineralization has the potential to continue at depth.

In addition, one drill hole will test a 1,300m long by 800m wide gravity inversion anomaly that indicates the three known mineralized zones (A, B and C) connect at depth. This gravity inversion is also supported by historic drilling which intersected graphitic argillite on opposite sides of the A and B zones, in what appears to be the 'nose' of the syncline (See Figure 4).

One drill hole is planned for metallurgical purposes at the A zone to test for amenability to utilize dense media separation ("DMS"). Previous DMS testing at the Company's nearby Nash Creek Project indicates the average grade of mineralization can be enhanced by 80-90% (See News Release dated September 12, 2016).

The Company believes there is potential for the Nash Creek and Superjack projects to have a standalone processing facility or to significantly enhance the viability of a central toll milling operation. Callinex will seek to incorporate exploration results and metallurgical test results as part of the current Campaign into a Preliminary Economic Assessment which is anticipated to be completed in the first quarter of next year.

The Superjack Project benefits from having excellent infrastructure. The project is located 90 km by road from the Company's Nash Creek Project and is approximately 42 km by road to Trevali's Caribou Mine. Mineralization at the Superjack Project is hosted within a similar geological environment as the 'supergiant' Brunswick No. 12 Mine and nearby Caribou Mine. The Brunswick No. 12 Mine, located 15 km to the northeast of the Superjack property, was previously the largest underground mine in the world.

Jason Levers, P.Geo, a qualified person under National Instrument 43-101 and a Staff Geologist for Callinex, has reviewed and approved the technical information in this news release.

Table 1: 2016 Mineral Resource Estimates for the Nash Creek and Superjack Projects

Indicated Mineral Resources Project Tonnes Zn Eq.

(%) Zn

(%) Pb

(%) Ag

(g/t) Cu

(%) Contained

Zn Eq. ('000

pounds)

Nash

Creek 9,033,000 3.58 2.79 0.57 18.16 n/a 711,991 Total 9,033,000 3.58 2.79 0.57 18.16 n/a 711,991

Inferred Mineral Resources Project Tonnes Zn Eq.

(%) Zn

(%) Pb

(%) Ag

(g/t) Cu

(%) Contained

Zn Eq. ('000

pounds) Superjack 3,211,000 4.63 3.01 0.78 29.46 0.27 327,618 Nash

Creek 1,113,000 3.58 2.83 0.57 15.51 n/a 87,883 Total 4,324,000 4.36 2.96 0.73 25.87 0.20 415,501



















Notes:

1) Resources are categorized according to CIM Definition Standards; it cannot be assumed that all or any part of Inferred Mineral Resources will be upgraded to Indicated or Measured as a result of continued exploration.



2) The Nash Creek mineral resource estimate includes the Hickey Zone and Hayes Zone.



3) The Superjack mineral resource estimates includes the Nepisiguit A (the "A Zone") and Nepisiguit C Zones (the "C Zone").



4) Zinc equivalent resources for the Nash Creek Project were calculated using metal prices of $0.90/lb for zinc, $0.87/lb for lead, and $17.73/oz for silver. Metallurgical recoveries have been assumed to be 90.5% for zinc, 81.5% for lead and 50% for silver. A cut-off grade of 2.0% Zn Eq. was utilized in the resource estimate.



5) Zinc equivalent resources for the Superjack Project were calculated using metal prices of $1.12/lb for zinc, $1.06/lb for lead, $2.97/lb for copper and $20.38/oz for silver. Metal recoveries have been assumed to be 100% for zinc, 72% for lead, 86% for copper and 70% for silver. A cut-off grade of 1.5% Zn Eq. was utilized in the resource estimate.

Figure 1: Map of the Bathurst Mining District of Northern New Brunswick

Figure 2: Plan Map of Superjack Proposed Drill Holes

Figure 3: Long Section of the Superjack A Zone

Figure 4: 3D View of the Superjack Gravity Inversion and Mineralized Zones

About Callinex Mines Inc.

Callinex Mines Inc. is focused on discovering and developing zinc and copper rich mines within prolific Canadian VMS mining jurisdictions. The Company is actively exploring its Pine Bay Project, located in the Flin Flon mining district of Manitoba, which hosts significant historic VMS deposits that are within close proximity to a processing facility. The larger project portfolio hosts three significant zinc rich mineral resources including the Point Leamington, Nash Creek and Superjack Projects located in Eastern Canada.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Some statements in this news release contain forward-looking information. These statements include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to future expenditures. These statements address future events and conditions and, as such, involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the statements. Such factors include, among others, the ability to complete the proposed drill program and the timing and amount of expenditures. Except as required under applicable securities laws, Callinex does not assume the obligation to update any forward-looking statement.

SOURCE Callinex Mines Inc.

Related Links

www.callinex.ca


WILMINGTON, Del., July 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- ClassAction.com and Morgan & Morgan attorney Andrew Parker Felix announces that his client, Alexander Bowers, who is part of a group of drivers injured by Takata Corp.'s defective airbags, was named to a committee designed to ensure that the company's bankruptcy filing doesn't leave airbag victims in the dust.

Alexander Bowers was appointed by the U.S. Trustee for the District of Delaware to a seven-person Creditors' Committee comprised of Takata airbag victims and their attorneys who have filed personal injury or economic loss lawsuits. Takata recently filed for bankruptcy, which occurred in the midst of almost 20 reported deaths and 100 million cars recalled worldwide  all related to the company's malfunctioning and lethal airbags.

"I never in my life imagined that a safety device like an airbag would injure me like it did, but as a member of the victims Creditors' Committee I can ensure that no one else has to endure what I have. It's only fair that no one forgets about us," ClassAction.com and Morgan & Morgan client Alexander Bowers said.

Felix and others had asked the U.S. Trustee to form the committee because they were concerned that injured plaintiffs would not have the representation to which they're entitled in Takata's bankruptcy proceedings. The approval of this committee is noteworthy, because large-scale recent bankruptcies in the auto industry, such as those involving GM and Chrysler, have not appointed separate creditors' committees for injured plaintiffs.

As members of a committee, Alexander Bowers and the other plaintiffs now have the chance to formally be heard as creditors.

"I, along with Mr. Bowers and all of the Takata airbag victims thank the U.S. Trustee for the District of Delaware for understanding our position and realizing that all voices matter," Felix said.

Takata's bankruptcy filing occurred after it was forced to pay a billion-dollar fine to settle criminal charges and set up a $125 million personal injury fund. However, plaintiffs and their counsel have argued that the fund isn't large enough to properly compensate current and future victims killed or injured by Takata airbags that shoot metal shrapnel when activated.

Even so, Felix and his team are prepared to fight Takata and the car companies who might have knowingly used faulty airbags.

"Our large, national firm with its vast resources and decades of experience will ensure that all Takata airbag victims are sufficiently compensated for their devastating and life-altering injuries," Felix said.

ClassAction.com has comprehensive information on Takata and the related lawsuits due to the Takata airbag defect.

ABOUT CLASSACTION.COM

ClassAction.com is sponsored by Morgan & Morgan, a national plaintiff's law firm fighting for the people, not the powerful, that has recovered more than $4 billion for more than 200,000 clients. The firm has about 370 attorneys in 40 offices in 11 states. With the support of nearly 2,000 employees, the firm's attorneys represent clients in a wide range of practice areas: national mass torts and class actions, personal injury, workers' compensation, medical malpractice, labor and employment, mesothelioma, and product liability lawsuits, among others.

For more information, contact:

Erika Nedwell

[email protected]

212-738-6265

Or

Karine Lim

[email protected]

212-738-6265

SOURCE ClassAction.com

Related Links

http://www.classaction.com


NEW YORK, July 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- OB Realty, LLC, an affiliate of Opus Bank, the former secured lender to BeamReach Solar, is pleased to announce that since April, it has received two patent grants [US and AU], nine notice of allowances [CN (1), EP (3) and US (5)] and filed 14 new applications [US (13) and JP (1)], including an application directed at a further cost-savings for the structure of the Sprint solar system technology.

Because of these new additions to the BeamReach patent portfolio and recent interest from strategic corporations outside the solar cell manufacturing segment, the diligence period will remain open until 5PM Eastern Time on September 15, 2017. All offers should be submitted no later than this deadline. Opus Bank will evaluate offers as they are received.

The portfolio of IP and know-how is attracting interest from companies with application for thin film flexible PV cells, such as automobile and roof shingle and tile companies, as well as commercial and utility scale installers interested in lightweight and rapid deployment racking systems. Beyond solar, drug delivery companies have expressed interest in BeamReach's porous silicon technology.

Parties interested in learning more about these BeamReach intellectual property assets, the sale process, and other bidding requirements should contact the parties below. A virtual diligence room is available for all interested parties.

The team continues to make significant progress selling the tangible portions of the BeamReach Solar inventory of equipment and assembled Sprint Solar Panels for direct installation on roofs.

Stephen Shea, former VP of Cell Engineering and Operations at BeamReach Solar and an expert with more than 30 years in the solar industry, will be attending the July 11-13 Intersolar North America Exhibition in San Francisco. Kindly contact Mr. Shea ([email protected] or (m) 404-276-6103) or any of the below parties to arrange for a meeting during the Exhibition.

The following list provides the world wide granted patent assets of BeamReach Solar, as of 6 July 2017. The confidential data room contains the full list of BeamReach Solar assets, including granted patents and pending patent applications (by technology grouping), equipment and inventory.

BeamReach Solar - Granted Patent Assets

Country Patent Number Title

Country Patent Number Title JP 5528809 Template For Three-Dimensional Thin-Film Solar Cell Manufacturing And Methods Of Use

US 8,288,195 Method For Fabricating A Three-Dimensional Thin-Film Semiconductor Substrate From A Template US 8,129,822 Template For Three-Dimensional Thin-Film Solar Cell Manufacturing And Methods Of Use

US 8,294,026 High-Efficiency Thin-Film Solar Cells US 8,084,684 Three-Dimensional Thin-Film Solar Cells

CN ZL201080063494.8 High-Efficiency Photovoltaic Back-Contact Solar Cell Structures And Manufacturing Methods Using Thin Planar Semiconductor Absorbers US 8,324,499 Three-Dimensional Thin-Film Solar Cells

CN ZL201080063303.8 High-Efficiency Photovoltaic Back-Contact Solar Cell Structures And Manufacturing Methods Using Semiconductor Wafers US 9,349,887 Three-Dimensional Thin-Film Solar Cells

CN ZL201080063496.7 High-Efficiency Photovoltaic Back-Contact Solar Cell Structures And Manufacturing Methods Using Three-Dimensional Semiconductor Absorbers US 7,999,174 Solar Module Structures And Assembly Methods For Three-Dimensional Thin-Film Solar Cells

NO 9,196,759 High-Efficiency Photovoltaic Back-Contact Solar Cell Structures And Manufacturing Methods

Country Patent Number Title

Country Patent Number Title US 8,742,249 Solar Module Structures And Assembly Methods For Three-Dimensional Thin-Film Solar Cells

US 8,962,380 High-Efficiency Photovoltaic Back-Contact Solar Cell Structures And Manufacturing Methods Using Thin Planar Semiconductor Absorbers US 7,786,376 High Efficiency Solar Cell

CN ZL201080064953.4 Mobile Electrostatic Carriers For Thin Wafer Processing CN ZL200780045520.2 Pyramidal Three-Dimensional Thin-Film Solar Cells

DE EP2519967 Mobile Electrostatic Carriers For Thin Wafer Processing (validated in DE DK FR GB & NL); JP 5519285 Pyramidal Three-Dimensional Thin-Film Solar Cells

DK EP2519967 Mobile Electrostatic Carriers For Thin Wafer Processing (validated in DE DK FR GB & NL); JP 5739037 Pyramidal Three-Dimensional Thin-Film Solar Cells

EP EP2519967 Mobile Electrostatic Carriers For Thin Wafer Processing (validated in DE DK FR GB & NL); US 8,035,028 Pyramidal Three-Dimensional Thin-Film Solar Cells

FR EP2519967 Mobile Electrostatic Carriers For Thin Wafer Processing (validated in DE DK FR GB & NL); US 8,035,027 Solar Module Structures And Assembly Methods For Pyramidal Three-Dimensional Thin-Film Solar Cells

GB EP2519967 Mobile Electrostatic Carriers For Thin Wafer Processing (validated in DE DK FR GB & NL); US 8,847,060 Solar Module Structures And Assembly Methods For Pyramidal Three-Dimensional Thin-Film Solar Cells

NL EP2519967 Mobile Electrostatic Carriers For Thin Wafer Processing (validated in DE DK FR GB & NL); US 7,745,313 Substrate Release Methods And Apparatus

US 9,330,952 Bipolar Mobile Electrostatic Carriers For Wafer Processing US 8,293,558 Method For Releasing A Thin-Film Substrate

CN ZL201180018589.2 Double-Sided Reusable Template For Fabrication Of Semiconductor Substrates For Photovoltaic Cell And Microelectronics Device Manufacturing US 8,193,076 Method For Releasing A Thin Semiconductor Substrate From A Reusable Template

US 8,241,940 Double-Sided Reusable Template For Fabrication Of Semiconductor Substrates For Photovoltaic Cell And Microelectronics Device Manufacturing US 9,397,250 A Releasing Apparatus For Separating A Semiconductor Substrate From A Semiconductor Template

US 9,401,276 Apparatus For Forming Porous Silicon Layers On At Least Two Surfaces Of A Plurality Of Silicon Templates US 8,512,581 Methods For Liquid Transfer Coating Of Three-Dimensional Substrates

KR 10-1381305 Passivation Methods For Achieving Ultra-Low Surface Recombination Velocities For High-Efficiency Solar Cells US 9,093,323 Methods For Selectively Coating Three-Dimensional Features On A Substrate

KR 10-1289787 Laser Processing For High-Efficiency Thin Crystalline Silicon Solar Cell Fabrication DE EP2356675 Methods And Systems For Manufacturing Thin-Film Solar Cells (Validated in DE FR GB & NL)

KR 10-1384853 Laser Processing Methods For Photovoltaic Solar Cells EP EP2356675 Methods And Systems For Manufacturing Thin-Film Solar Cells (Validated in DE FR GB & NL)

US 8,399,331 Laser Processing For High-Efficiency Thin Crystalline Silicon Solar Cell Fabrication FR EP2356675 Methods And Systems For Manufacturing Thin-Film Solar Cells (Validated in DE FR GB & NL)

US 9,508,886 Method For Making A Crystalline Silicon Solar Cell Substrate Utilizing Flat Top Laser Beam GB EP2356675 Methods And Systems For Manufacturing Thin-Film Solar Cells (Validated in DE FR GB & NL)

US 8,637,340 Patterning Of Silicon Oxide Layers Using Pulsed Laser Ablation NL EP2356675 Methods And Systems For Manufacturing Thin-Film Solar Cells (Validated in DE FR GB & NL)

US 9,455,362 Laser Irradiation Aluminum Doping For Monocrystalline Silicon Substrates US 8,168,465 Three-Dimensional Semiconductor Template For Making High Efficiency Thin-Film Solar Cells

US 9,419,165 Laser Processing For Back Contact Crystalline Silicon Solar Cell Fabrication US 8,664,737 Three-Dimensional Semiconductor Template For Making High Efficiency Thin-Film Solar Cells

US 9,236,510 Patterning Of Silicon Oxide Layers Using Pulsed Laser Ablation US 9,590,035 Three-Dimensional Semiconductor Template For Making High Efficiency Solar Cells

KR 10-1369282 High Productivity Thin Film Deposition Method And System US 8,053,665 Truncated Pyramid Structures For See-Through Solar Cells

MY MY-158500-A Backplane Reinforcement And Interconnects For Solar Cells US 8,853,521 Truncated Pyramid Structures For See-Through Solar Cells

US 8,946,547 Backplane Reinforcement And Interconnects For Solar Cells US 8,828,517 Structure And Method For Improving Solar Cell Efficiency And Mechanical Strength

KR 10-1289789 Apparatus And Method For Repeatedly Fabricating Thin Film Semiconductor Substrates Using A Template



























Country Patent Number Title

Country Patent Number Title DE EP2387458 Porous Silicon Electro-Etching System And Method (Validated in DE DK FR GB & NL)

KR 10-1347681 High-Throughput Batch Porous Silicon Manufacturing Equipment Design and Processing Methods DK EP2387458 Porous Silicon Electro-Etching System And Method (Validated in DE DK FR GB & NL)

US 9,076,642 High-Throughput Batch Porous Silicon Manufacturing Equipment Design And Processing Methods EP EP2387458 Porous Silicon Electro-Etching System And Method (Validated in DE DK FR GB & NL)

US 8,906,218 Apparatus And Method For Uniformly Forming Porous Semiconductor On A Substrate FR EP2387458 Porous Silicon Electro-Etching System And Method (Validated in DE DK FR GB & NL)

KR 10-1368598 Deposition Systems And Processes GB EP2387458 Porous Silicon Electro-Etching System And Method (Validated in DE DK FR GB & NL)

KR 10-1384872 Method For Reconstructing A Semiconductor Template NL EP2387458 Porous Silicon Electro-Etching System And Method (Validated in DE DK FR GB & NL)

KR 10-1449891 Self-Activated Front Surface Bias For A Solar Cell US 8,926,803 Porous Silicon Electro-Etching System And Method

KR 10-1532721 Spatially Selective Laser Annealing Applications In High-Efficiency Solar Cells US 8,937,243 Structures And Methods For High-Efficiency Pyramidal Three-Dimensional Solar Cells

KR 10-1389030 Method And Apparatus For Reconditioning A Carrier Wafer For Reuse US 9,595,622 Structures And Methods For High-Efficiency Pyramidal Three-Dimensional Solar Cells

KR 10-1396027 Ion Implantation And Annealing For High Efficiency Back-Contact Back-Junction Solar Cells US 8,278,192 Trench Formation Method For Releasing A Thin-Film Substrate From A Reusable Semiconductor Template

US 9,318,644 Ion Implantation And Annealing For Thin-Film Crystalline Solar Cells US 9,343,299 Trench Formation Method For Releasing A Substrate From A Semiconductor Template

AU 2012294932 High-Efficiency Solar Photovoltaic Cells And Modules Using Thin Crystalline Semiconductor Absorbers CN ZL201080021690.9 High Efficiency Epitaxial Chemical Vapor Deposition (Cvd) Reactor

AU 2012340098 Smart Photovoltaic Cells And Modules DE EP2419306 High Efficiency Epitaxial Chemical Vapor Deposition (Cvd) Reactor (Validated in DE FR GB & NL)

US 9,293,619 Smart Photovoltaic Cells And Modules EP EP2419306 High Efficiency Epitaxial Chemical Vapor Deposition (Cvd) Reactor (Validated in DE FR GB & NL)

US 9,337,374 High Productivity Spray Processing For The Metallization Of Semiconductor Workpieces FR EP2419306 High Efficiency Epitaxial Chemical Vapor Deposition (Cvd) Reactor (Validated in DE FR GB & NL)

AU 2012362505 Systems And Methods For Enhanced Light Trapping In Solar Cells GB EP2419306 High Efficiency Epitaxial Chemical Vapor Deposition (Cvd) Reactor (Validated in DE FR GB & NL)

KR 10-1654548 Systems And Methods For Enhanced Light Trapping In Solar Cells NL EP2419306 High Efficiency Epitaxial Chemical Vapor Deposition (Cvd) Reactor (Validated in DE FR GB & NL)

US 9,583,651 Systems And Methods For Enhanced Light Trapping In Solar Cells US 8,656,860 High Efficiency Epitaxial Chemical Vapor Deposition (Cvd) Reactor

US 9,214,353 Systems And Methods For Laser Splitting And Device Layer Transfer US 9,099,584 Integrated Three-Dimensional And Planar Metallization Structure For Thin Film Solar Cells

US 8,828,784 Resistance Component Extraction For Back Contact Back Junction Solar Cells US 8,445,314 Method Of Creating Reusable Template For Detachable Thin Film Substrate

US 9,461,582 Electrical Parametric Testing For Back Contact Semiconductor Solar Cells US 9,053,957 Structure And Method For Creating A Reusable Template For Detachable Thin Film Substrates

KR 10-1528447 Structures And Methods Of Formation Of Contiguous And Non-Contiguous Base Regions For High Efficiency Back-Contact Solar Cells CN ZL201080030023.7 High-Productivity Porous Silicon Manufacturing Equipment

AU 2013331304 Systems And Methods For Monolithically Integrated Bypass Switches In Photovoltaic Solar Cells And Modules JP 5872456 High-Productivity Porous Silicon Manufacturing Equipment

CN ZL2013800592188 Systems And Methods For Monolithically Integrated Bypass Switches In Photovoltaic Solar Cells And Modules US 8,999,058 High-Productivity Porous Silicon Manufacturing Equipment

JP 6063577 Systems And Methods For Monolithically Integrated Bypass Switches In Photovoltaic Solar Cells And Modules US 8,420,435 Ion Implantation Fabrication Process For Thin-Film Crystalline Silicon Solar Cells

KR 10-1563851 Systems And Methods For Monolithically Integrated Bypass Switches In Photovoltaic Solar Cells And Modules DE EP2436028 Three-Dimensional Thin-Film Semiconductor Substrate With Through-Holes And Methods Of Manufacturing (Validated in DE FR GB & NL)

US 9,219,171 Systems And Methods For Monolithically Integrated Bypass Switches In Photovoltaic Solar Cells And Modules



























Country Patent Number Title

Country Patent Number Title EP EP2436028 Three-Dimensional Thin-Film Semiconductor Substrate With Through-Holes And Methods Of Manufacturing (Validated in DE FR GB & NL)

US 9,515,217 Monolithic Isled (Tiled) Solar Cell (Icell) For Low-Cost High-Performance Photovoltaics Modules FR EP2436028 Three-Dimensional Thin-Film Semiconductor Substrate With Through-Holes And Methods Of Manufacturing (Validated in DE FR GB & NL)

US 9,214,585 Annealing For Damage Free Laser Processing For High Efficiency Solar Cells GB EP2436028 Three-Dimensional Thin-Film Semiconductor Substrate With Through-Holes And Methods Of Manufacturing (Validated in DE FR GB & NL)

US 9,379,258 Fabrication Methods For Back Contact Back Junction Solar Cells MY MY159405-A1 Three-Dimensional Thin-Film Semiconductor Substrate With Through-Holes And Methods Of Manufacturing

US 9,130,076 Trench Isolation For Monolithically Isled Solar Photovoltaic Cells And Modules NL EP2436028 Three-Dimensional Thin-Film Semiconductor Substrate With Through-Holes And Methods Of Manufacturing (Validated in DE FR GB & NL)

US 8,992,746 Anodizing Apparatus US 8,551,866 Three-Dimensional Thin-Film Semiconductor Substrate With Through-Holes And Methods Of Manufacturing

CN ZL201210505374.X Anodizing Apparatus, An Anodizing System Having The Same, And A Semiconductor Wafer US 8,916,772 Three-Dimensional Thin-Film Semiconductor Substrate With Through-Holes And Methods Of Manufacturing

JP 5908266 Anodizing Apparatus, An Anodizing System Having The Same, And A Semiconductor Wafer MY MY-159267-A Method For Fabricating A Three-Dimensional Thin-Film Semiconductor Substrate From A Template

US 9680041 Three-Dimensional Thin-Film Semiconductor Substrate With Through-Holes And Methods Of Manufacturing







AU 2013225680 Structures And Methods For High Efficiency Compound Semiconductor Solar Cells

About Hilco Streambank

Hilco Streambank is a market leading advisory firm specializing in intellectual property disposition and valuation. Hilco Streambank has completed numerous sell-side transactions including sales in publicly reported Chapter 11 bankruptcy cases, private transactions, and online sales through HilcoDomains.com and IPv4Auctions.com. Hilco Streambank is part of Northbrook, Illinois based Hilco Global (www.hilcoglobal.com), a worldwide financial services company and leader in helping companies maximize the value of their assets.

About IPmetrics

IPmetrics is a consultancy focused on intellectual property and intangible assets. IPmetrics offers a full range of valuation services to assess the value of trademarks, patents, copyrights and other forms of IP. IPmetrics valuation experts bring specialized knowledge across a wide variety of industries and assets, with the ability to critically analyze these complex assets in a multitude of valuation contexts. In addition, IPmetrics has a substantial background in the provision of IP damages expert witness services including the analysis of confusion / reverse confusion, dilution, unfair competition, and economic damages in litigation. Based in Southern California, IPmetrics can be reached at IPMETRICS.COM or (858) 538-1533.

About Darwin IP Advisors

Darwin IP Advisors advises large companies, start-ups/SMEs and consulting groups at the intersection of law, business and technology. Since its formation in 2016, Darwin IP Advisors team has provided intellectual property support and advisory services on several projects related to strategy, negotiations, IP portfolio development, asset valuation and monetization in addition to acquisition landscaping.

SOURCE Hilco Streambank

Related Links

http://www.hilcostreambank.com


STOCKHOLM, July 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Electrolux today announced it has agreed to acquire Best, a European manufacturer of innovative and well-designed kitchen hoods. The acquisition enables Electrolux to develop a fully comprehensive offering of built-in cooking solutions and will further support long-term profitable growth in the region.

Best had net sales in 2016 of EUR 42 million (around SEK 400 million) and 450 employees, primarily at manufacturing sites in Cerreto d'Esi (central Italy) and Zabrze (southern Poland). The company is part of Broan-NuTone, LLC, a North American manufacturer and distributor of residential ventilation products.

"The acquisition of Best is a perfect strategic match to reinforce Electrolux capabilities for design, R&D and manufacturing of kitchen hoods, which is a key aspect in offering consumers a simply outstanding cooking experience," said Dan Arler, Head of Electrolux business area Major Appliances Europe, Middle East and Africa.

Broan-NuTone, LLC, will continue to design, manufacture and market the Best brand of kitchen ventilation products in North America. The acquisition is subject to regulatory approvals and is expected to be completed during the third quarter of 2017.

For further information, please contact Electrolux Press Hotline: +46-8-657-65-07

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

http://news.cision.com/electrolux/r/electrolux-to-acquire-european-kitchen-hoods-company-best,c2303968

The following files are available for download:

SOURCE Electrolux
PALO ALTO, Calif., July 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- ERPScan, the most honorable ERP Security vendor and only company providing tools specialized for assessing security of Oracle PeopleSoft applications, presents significant updates to its product - ERPScan Security Monitoring Suite for Oracle PeopleSoft - in the wake of recent cyberattacks and upcoming GDPR.

Oracle PeopleSoft combines Supplier Relationship Management, Human Capital Management, Supply Chain Management, and other applications. The software has 6000+ enterprise customers (57 % of the Fortune 100 list) and serves 20 million end users worldwide and is in use at over 800 universities across 20 countries.

Several attacks against PeopleSoft applications, especially ones against higher education institutions, were covered by the security media. For example, in 2012, a student breached a PeopleSoft platform of the University of Nebraska and obtained more than 650,000 SSNs. Still, publicly known attacks are just the tip of the iceberg.

PeopleSoft applications are often connected to the Internet for providing access to third parties. According to a Shodan search, there are over 200 PeopleSoft Systems exposed to the Internet, with most servers located in the North America.

Multiple vulnerabilities affecting the Oracle PeopleSoft system (360+, according to official advisories), could allow attackers to get unfettered access to the system and obtain critical HR or supplier information, social security numbers, and even credit card data. Hackers can also cause denial of service or modify financial information such as bank account numbers.

Because of their complexity and high level of customization, protecting PeopleSoft is a unique challenge. Nowadays its security is more important than ever as PeopleSoft falls under the upcoming GDPR.

"Higher education shapes the future of any country, that's why we are proud to introduce our renewed solution, which, in addition to standard PeopleSoft security checks, also analyzes particular settings of PeopleSoft modules for Higher Education. The product also includes special checks for the most critical modules in terms of business impact, namely HR and Financial."  commented Alexander Polyakov, CTO at ERPScan.

ERPScan updated its Cybersecurity Suite for PeopleSoft to combine 3 areas of security, so the solution:

Analyzes vulnerabilities and misconfigurations in the PeopleSoft platform;

Checks custom-developed PeopleSoft applications written in PeopleCode for vulnerabilities and backdoors;

Performs Segregation of Duties checks to detect users with rights to carry out multiple critical actions.

Another key enhancement is a Threat Map  a unique patent-pending tool that creates a map of connections between numerous PeopleSoft systems within a company to show how an attacker can pivot from one system to another using various hacking techniques.

Join our webinar on 19th July to learn the latest news and findings related to Oracle PeopleSoft security and updates to our solution.

About ERPScan

ERPScan operates globally and enables large Oil and Gas, Financial, Retail, and other organizations to secure their mission-critical processes. Named an 'Emerging Vendor' in Security by CRN and distinguished by 40+ awards, ERPScan is the leading SAP SE partner in discovering and resolving security vulnerabilities.

Its primary mission is to bridge the gap between technical and business security and provide solutions to evaluate and secure SAP and Oracle ERP systems.

Media contact:

Darya Maenkova

[email protected]

+18314715831

SOURCE ERPScan

Related Links

https://erpscan.com


CORAL GABLES, Fla., July 7, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- When investors see the color red used to present a firm's financial data, they expect less from the firm's future stock returns than they do when the same data are presented in black, says a new study from the University of Miami School of Business Administration. So much so, that when a firm's past stock decline is shown in red versus black, investors predicted a further decline in the stock leading them to invest close to 24 percent less in the company's stock. This effect is broadly consistent with what color psychologists characterize as "red-danger associations" that are often used in U.S. culture to convey extreme caution such as with stop signs and the terms 'red flags' and 'red ink' and therefore, this triggers "avoidance behavior." For the first time, this study shows the impact that color has on investors' financial decision-making.

Further, the researchers found the effect of the color red is different amongst cultures. For example, they studied the impact of using red versus black when conveying information among investors in China, where red is usually associated with luck and good fortune. They found no significant difference in investor behavior whether the information was displayed in red or black in China.

The researchers selected hundreds of U.S. participants and hundreds of Chinese participants to look at separate 12-month periods of S&P 500 companies where negative stock periods were detailed. The company names were not used in order to prevent any preconceived biases. Some participants were given reports where the period of stock decline was displayed in red and others were given reports using black color. They then were asked questions that lead to information regarding whether or not they'd consider buying this stock in the future.

"We were surprised by the level of pessimistic behavior experienced by U.S. investors upon seeing the same stock decline shown in red versus black," said researcher Henrik Cronqvist, professor of finance at the University of Miami School of Business Administration. "Based on this, it would be smart for IR professionals to steer clear of red in their next financial reports, for instance, and instead use only black for negative numbers," he continued. "It is a small change that could make a big impact."

NOTE TO EDITORS: The full study is available at https://papers.ssrn.com/abstract=2974139

About the University of Miami School of Business Administration

The University of Miami School of Business Administration is a leader in preparing individuals and organizations to excel in the complex, dynamic, and interconnected world of global business. With its location in a major center for international business, the School is acclaimed for its global perspective, student and faculty diversity, and engagement with the business community. More information about the University of Miami School of Business Administration can be found at www.bus.miami.edu.

SOURCE University of Miami School of Business Administration

Related Links

http://www.bus.miami.edu


HOUSTON, July 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The start of summer is bringing the heat to Fuddruckers locations across the country thanks to Duncan, SC-based franchisee The Butcher-The Baker Management Co., Inc. Through August 20, diners can enjoy some additional seasonal sizzle and spice with the introduction of the Sriracha Pimento Cheese and Bacon Burger, developed by the franchise's Director of Catering, Brian Timmons. The limited time feature showcases a grilled-to-order, always fresh and never frozen, 100% USDA premium-cut beef patty with no fillers or additives. The burger is topped with spicy Sriracha pimento cheese and smokehouse bacon and served on a freshly baked bun.

Timmons' signature burger was the winner of the iconic, Texas-born hospitality brand's nationwide Fudd's Choice Contest, which received 42 submissions from participating locations. A 23-year veteran of Fuddruckers, Timmons manages catering for The Butcher-The Baker Management Co.'s nine locations and two mobile Fudds trucks across South Carolina, North Carolina and Tennessee.

"Cultivating the Fuddruckers brand is important to me, and I was humbled to become the winner of this competition," said Timmons. "Bringing pimento cheese, a classic taste of the south  along with the contemporary Thai-born kick of Sriracha sauce  together is reflective of our global brand. I am proud to be a part of the Fuddruckers family and excited to have my burger showcased across the nation."

Timmons was among the three Fudd's Choice finalists invited to Fuddruckers' annual convention in Las Vegas to determine the winner. During the April event, Corporate Executive Chef Dan Phalen prepared and served attendees the selections, who placed their votes with poker chips. Dallas-based franchise Daltex came in second place with their Bacon Avocado Crunch Burger featuring Provolone cheese, fresh spinach, crispy fried onion rings and a drizzle of chipotle dressing. The Butcher-The Baker Management Co. also nabbed third place with the French Onion Dip Burger created by Area Leader, Adam Miller.

According to Peter Tropoli, Fuddruckers' Chief Operating Officer, "Franchisees and team members are at the heart of Fuddruckers, and we were thrilled with the creativity and work that went into the Fudd's Choice Contest. We are fortunate to have the support of many dedicated and passionate partners like Brian Timmons and the husband and wife team of Allen and Lee Ann Johnston, who opened their first Fuddruckers location in 1985."

About Luby's, Inc.

Luby's, Inc. (NYSE: LUB) operates 170 restaurants nationally as of June 27, 2017: 89 Luby's Cafeterias, 72 Fuddruckers, 8 Cheeseburger in Paradise and one Bob Luby's Seafood Grill. Luby's is the franchisor for 112 Fuddruckers franchise locations across the United States (including Puerto Rico), Canada, Mexico, Italy, the Dominican Republic, and Colombia. Additionally, a licensee operates 35 restaurants with the exclusive right to use the Fuddruckers proprietary marks, trade dress, and system in certain countries in the Middle East. The Company does not receive revenue or royalties from these Middle East restaurants. Luby's Culinary Contract Services provides food service management to 25 sites consisting of healthcare and corporate dining locations.

SOURCE Fuddruckers

Related Links

http://www.fuddruckers.com


COLUMBUS, Ohio, July 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- HER Realtors, central Ohio's largest independently owned and operated brokerage today announced a partnership with The Richard Allen Group, the recently formed for-profit arm of the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church.

The AME Church was established in 1794 when Richard Allen and other African American members pulled away from the Methodist Episcopal Church to fight discrimination. Today the AME Church has over 1.2 million members in thirty nine countries around the world.

Eden Regento Real Estate Consultants in Columbus, Ohio merged operations with HER Realtors to spearhead this new partnership with The Richard Allen Group. "Our mutual goals are the economic redevelopment of our communities, job creation and education on home ownership," said Buffie Patterson, former managing broker of Eden Regento. "We're excited to be involved with The Richard Allen Group, and invest our time and resources in the communities of their church members."

An HER community office is being established to handle the real estate needs of The Richard Allen Group and the AME Church members in the King Lincoln District of Columbus from which Patterson and other associates will work. Prior to that opening, a location is being scouted for a second office in the Dayton area, with plans to open others across the state in the near future.

"Buffie Patterson and the seven other tenured Associates joining us from Eden Regento are top caliber agents whose professionalism and dedication are a great fit for our brokerage," said Louise Potter, Senior Regional Vice President of HER Realtors. "They will continue to service the real estate needs of clients throughout central Ohio, in addition to members of the AME Church, but now with the enhanced support and exposure that HER Realtors can offer."

"Ohio communities are growing, and we are seeing new job development impact housing growth," said Sean Morrow, Vice President of Business Development for HER Realtors. "This new partnership with The Richard Allen Group will enable us to deliver market expertise with expanded reach and resources for clients, while continuing to position ourselves and associates for new opportunities that are surfacing."

About HER Realtors

Founded in 1956, HER Realtors is the country's largest agent-owned real estate firm.

To learn more, visit www.HERRealtors.com.

Contact: Leanne Chylik | Chief Marketing Officer | HER Realtors 614-273-8570

SOURCE HER Realtors

Related Links

https://www.herrealtors.com


Quoting from a meeting of Islamic clerics in Egypt held recently, Muslim scholars of Agra have expressed urgent need to check radicalisation of certain segments of society in order to counter the threat of terrorism.

By Siraj Qureshi: With the increased radicalization of certain segments of Indian society in recent times, the Muslim scholars in Agra expressed serious concern over the trend and said that there was a pressing need to check radical discourses in order to counter extremist ideology responsible for violence and terrorism.

Talking to India Today, former principal of Intermediate College in Agra Shamshuddin said that due to the international crisis confronting Islam and Muslims, renowned muftis, preachers, scholars and politicians from Egypt, China, Uganda, North and South America recently underscored the need to fight against radicalisation propaganda.

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The scholars from the world over held a meeting at Al-Azhar in Egypt, Shamshuddin said, agreed on pro-active confrontation against extremism, which was identified as a major threat to global peace.

Shamshuddin further said that the political and religious leaders, including the Saudi Deputy Minister of Islamic Affairs, called for the wresting of religious discourse from extremists and vested interests. It was also stressed that united efforts on religious, intellectual and political fronts are required to confront the deviant ideologies as the extremist ideology provides new entrants to the terror outfits as their cadre.

Shamshuddin said that the condemnation of terrorism, terrorist organizations and terror acts perpetrated by them against innocent people, should simultaneously target the extremist ideology as well. "Moreover, social media platforms, with their wider accessibility and reach have further vitiated the propaganda by terrorists, taking lead from radical ideologies, advocating violence in the name of false jihad," he added.

HOW RADICALISATION BREEDS TERROR

Bhartiya Muslim Vikas Parishad chairman Sami Aghai said, "The extreme religious ideology acts as initiator as well as catalyst for violence and terrorism ultimately posing a threat to the world-peace and humanity."

"The terrorist outfits such as ISIS, Al-Queda, Al-Shabab and of their ilk were built over the extremist ideology of a section of Wahabist and Salafist Islamic ideologies of past and present. The multi-faceted growth of terrorism may be checked and eliminated only by proactively targeting and neutralising extremist religious ideologies," Aghai said.

Aghai further said, "The most dangerous extremist activities are generally based on exploiting religious activities that had no political purpose. These are related to collecting of funds, radicalised education, Dawah, misuse of print and social media which ultimately includes students, women and even foreigners in their lap. Extremist ideologies often exploit wars and illiteracy for their purpose."

"They also over emphasize injustice being done to some Muslims and use it to plant the seed of extremism, ultimately engulfing whole of the society," Aghai said, adding that "there is an urgent need to stop or discourage the radical discourse."

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ALSO WATCH: Agra: Bajrang Dal activists attack police station to rescue 5 co-workers from lock-up

--- ENDS ---
TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, July 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Honduras has improved its national safety more than any Caribbean or Central American country, according to the Global Peace Index (GPI), recently release by the Institute for Economics and Peace. Honduras rose five places in the 163 country index.

Republic of Honduras Republic of Honduras

"Honduras is working hard to defend the rights and safety of its citizens by confronting transnational crime and delinquency in all its forms," stated Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez. "According to the GPI, Honduras is no longer among the world's most violent countries. Achieving this has not been easy, but we are proud of our accomplishments and committed to further advancing our national wellbeing."

Released annually, the GPI analyzes 23 indicators of peace including domestic security, scope of internal conflicts, and degree of militarization. The index reports that Honduras has "benefitted from government efforts to combat crime," and notes that the country is becoming more peaceful "thanks to improvements in political violence, strong anti-corruption policies, financial contributions to UN peacekeeping missions, and impact of terrorism [indicators]."

The GPI also credits Honduras with confronting regional security challenges through the Alliance for Prosperity, a plan to stem U.S. migration from the Northern Triangle.

The new ranking follows a wave of successful anticorruption efforts in Honduras. Between 2011 and 2015, Honduras' homicide rate dropped 30 percent. And between January and June, the country experienced a historic reduction in homicides compared to the same period last year.

Overall, the global state of peace and safety rose this year, according to the GPI report.

Syria held its spot as the most dangerous country in the world, while Iceland remained the most peaceful.

"The fact that Honduras is showing improvement in a highly professional and independent report is noteworthy," said President Hernandez. "Through diligence and hard work we have reduced violent crime, removed corrupt officials, and promoted peace throughout the country. We are delivering tangible results to our people."

Media Contact:

Yael Wollstein

[email protected]

202-471-4228 ext. 118

SOURCE Republic of Honduras
The China-Israel Investment Summit was launched in 2016 as an event to promote high-tech innovation and enterprise cooperation between China and Israel. The previous two events took place in Beijing in January and Tel Aviv in September 2016, respectively.

At the panel discussion on the future of robotics industry, Mr. Yu shared his insights with the business leaders and experts from both countries. He noted that though Chinese robotics companies are still weak in producing high quality core components, they show great potential in intelligent technology development.

In Yu's observation, a major issue for most Chinese robotics startups is a shortage of financing. "Robot business is technology and capital intensive. In China, many startups can only survive a few years in the hands of founders from pure technology background. Without any business experience, they cannot find a proper platform to pitch their products or services. As a result, the financial support provided to them is limited," he said.

For their survival, Yu suggested Chinese robotics startups to focus on providing application and integration solutions in the downstream by leveraging existing resources, and try to satisfy customers' most urgent need in reality. He also pointed out that the startups need to work hard to strengthen quality control in robotic system design and production workflow.

Since the start of the company, HRG has been fostering robotics innovation. In May, HRG held an event with forum and roadshow competition at the University of Maryland to honor outstanding startups for their innovative efforts. In 2016, HRG organized the Robotics Entrepreneurship Competition of the 15th College Robotics Contest to support Chinese college students to realize their robotic business ideas.

Zvi Shiller, chairman of Israeli Robotics Association, proposed a robotics institute to support Chinese and Israeli startups. In response, Yu said that HRG would be happy to consider the plan and enhance cooperation with its Israeli counterparts in the future.

About HIT Robot Group

HIT Robot Group (HRG) was founded in December 2014, with support of the Heilongjiang provincial government, the Harbin municipal government, and the Harbin Institute of Technology (HIT). The company produces all range of robots including industrial robots, service robots, specialized robots, and also provides related technical consulting, system integration solutions, and distribution services. With its headquarter in Harbin, HRG has presence in 13 major Chinese cities and five international offices in Maryland, California, Frankfurt, Seoul and Tokyo.

SOURCE HIT Robot Group
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., July 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Huawei Device USA today announced the unveiling of the Huawei Museum, an online community that aims to evoke emotions, share new perspectives and inspire actions of its visitors through art and education. Online community resources will support digital creatives in harnessing the power of artistic self-expression and storytelling through their mobile devices.

"We want to empower a new era of mobile photographers, videographers, and storytellers through the Huawei Museum," said Vincent Wen, vice president, Huawei Device USA. "In partnership with Leica, we developed the Mate 9, the most advanced smartphone camera. Now we hope to educate and inspire consumers to fully discover what is possible. We also want to provide a platform for artists to exhibit their work and share their stories."

The Huawei Museum will launch with the Emergent Project, a competition that will call attention to the emergence of a new generation of creators and a new era of creativity.

To enter, Huawei Museum community members can post an original photo captured on any Huawei, Honor or Nexus 6P smartphone to the Facebook group page using #HuaweiMuseum. Each photo should include a title, description and the phone model used to capture the photo.

Every week, judges and community members will help select photos that will be featured across Huawei's U.S. social media channels. A photo-of-the-month will be chosen to be displayed on Huawei's Times Square billboard in New York City. Photos-of-the-month will also be featured in Leica store galleries in New York and Los Angeles.

For complete rules and regulations, please visit: https://www.facebook.com/HuaweimobileUS/.

About Huawei Consumer Business Group

Huawei smartphones, PCs, tablets, wearables, mobile broadband devices, and device cloud services are available in more than 170 countries and used by a third of the world's population. Today, Huawei is the third largest smartphone maker globally and its worldwide network is built on 20 years of telecommunications experience and expertise. With sixteen R&D centers located across the United States, Germany, Sweden, Russia, India, and China, Huawei is dedicated to delivering the latest technological advancements and user experiences to its customers.

For more information, please visit: http://consumer.huawei.com/us.

Follow us online for the latest news, devices, and developments in the U.S.

Facebook.com/HuaweiDeviceUSA

Twitter.com/HuaweiDeviceUSA

YouTube.com/user/HuaweiDeviceUSA

Instagram.com/HuaweiDeviceUSA

Plus.Google.com/+HuaweiDeviceUSA

Media contacts:

Ashley Colette

Huawei Device USA

[email protected]

Lisa Kennedy

Racepoint Global

[email protected]

SOURCE Huawei

Related Links

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CHARLOTTE, N.C., July 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Ideematec Inc., a U.S. subsidiary of internationally active and German-headquartered Ideematec, announced today, that it has been awarded a contract for the supply of its innovative and patented safeTrack Horizon single axis tracking system to a 4.2 MW Solar PV Project in the U.S. State of Montana.

Christian Salzeder, CEO of Ideematec U.S. operation commented, "We are proud to have won this contract to supply our customer with our unique safeTrack Horizon tracking solution featuring best-in-class wind, snow and slope tolerance (up to 36% in all directions with significantly reduced grading), at unmatched pile efficiency."

This contract win follows the successful supply and installation of Ideematec's safeTrack Horizon to > 120 MW of additional U.S./Mexican projects from other U.S./Mexican customers in the last 1-2 years and testifies to Ideematec's high-quality and cost-effective solutions solving the most complex engineering and technical challenges of its customers.

About IDEEMATEC

IDEEMATEC, established in 2003, with global headquarter in Wallerfing, Germany, is a leading and trusted manufacturer of German engineered and patented solar racking and tracking solutions, with > 1 GW of installed product internationally. The engineering company Ideematec offers end-to-end fixed tilt and single axis solar tracking system solutions for the utility and commercial scale solar PV markets.

Service offering includes: structural engineering, layouts, pull-out tests, geological surveys, chemical analysis, full static documentation, final foundation design, 3D mapping, measuring plans, ramming plans, and installation services.

For more information please visit: http://www.ideematec.com

Media Contact:

Ines Sander

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE IDEEMATEC INC.

Related Links

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CAMBRIDGE, England, July 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- ProQuest has been ranked highly in every print and ebook category for the Joint Consortia Framework Agreement in the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland. These rankings come on the heels of major innovations in the ProQuest OASIS and Ebook Central platforms and recognises ProQuest's ongoing commitment to advance book products and systems. The Joint Consortia Framework is one of the world's major book tenders, serving 9 major UK-based academic consortia and selecting the best suppliers to partner with the consortia's hundreds of member universities, colleges and special libraries.

"These excellent rankings validate ProQuest's customer-driven strategy for curating the best book content and creating the most efficient and effective platforms for libraries and their users," said Kevin Sayar, Senior Vice President and General Manager, ProQuest Books. "We're honoured and excited to work with member libraries in such a profound way."

Through ProQuest, consortia members will access the industry's best and broadest book offerings, spanning more than 25 million print titles and over 1.5 million ebooks. ProQuest offers the most expansive range of acquisition models, including the new Access-to-Own offering  enabling libraries to balance collection goals and budgets. Print fulfillment will be managed through ProQuest's renowned distribution center in the UK, which provides customised services including shelf-ready books, and speeds the time from order to delivery.

Member workflows will be simplified through ProQuest's tight integration with the Alma system as well as other library systems. Additional services include Collection Development Consultants and UK-based customer and technical services teams that will partner with members on content curation, technical integrations, and other operational efficiencies.

Susan Wright, Head of SUPC, said, "The Joint Consortia Framework allows us to deliver essential resources to our members, and ProQuest delivered content to match all criteria we were looking for. Their flexible access enables our members to enhance their research through a broad range of content which is reflected in their tender scores across all lots."

Member libraries can begin working with ProQuest now. For additional information visit ProQuest at www.proquest.com.

About ProQuest (http://www.proquest.com)

ProQuest is committed to supporting the important work happening in the world's research and learning communities. The company curates content that matters to the advancement of knowledge, assembling an archive of billions of vetted, indexed documents. It simplifies workflows so that people and institutions use time effectively. And because ProQuest connects information communities, complex networks of systems and processes work together efficiently. With ProQuest, finding answers and deriving insights is straightforward and leads to extraordinary outcomes.

ProQuest and its companies and affiliates  Ex Libris, Alexander Street, Bowker -- stand for better research, better learning, better insights. ProQuest enables people to change their world.

SOURCE ProQuest

Related Links

http://www.proquest.com


The sales of the flagship luxury seven-seat SUV GS8 has reached 50,622 from January to June. The signature SUV GS4 has secured its position as a leader in Chinese SUV market and sold 180,725 cars.

Meanwhile the sales volume of the sporty GA6 sedan has marked a 251.9 percent year-on-year increase in June, and the new generation luxury sedan GA8 continues to lead the sales volume of domestic brand C-Class luxury sedan.

"Thanks to our persistence in quality, GAC Motor has achieved breakthroughs in production and sales as well as maintaining balanced development of SUV and sedan, we've delivered satisfactory progress and demonstrated the legendary 'GAC Motor speed,'" said Yu Jun, president of GAC Motor.

Through prioritizing positive research and development (R&D), adhering to international standards and constructing an effective innovation mechanism, GAC Motor has forged a world-class auto empire centered on its global R&D network, advanced manufacturing and international supply chain.

By establishing strategic partnerships with the world's top 10 auto suppliers including Aisin Seiki and Michelin, GAC Motor is fulfilling the commitment of making the best quality vehicles. The auto brand now ranks 5th in J.D. Power Asia Pacific's 2016 China Initial Quality Study, the highest among all Chinese brands for the fourth consecutive year.

The company has also been centered on high-standard R&D. Its signature luxury SUV GS8 received a five-star safety score and is top-ranked by C-NCAP (China New Car Assessment Program) among all mid- to large-sized SUVs in the Chinese market since 2015, in the safety test.

Setting a goal of achieving 1 million in sales volume by 2020, GAC Motor has structured a sustainable development strategy to upgrade from a high-end vehicle manufacturer to intelligent automaker, leading the Chinese automobile industry by engineering environmental-friendly quality vehicles with premium design, performance and reliability for global customers.

"GAC Motor is not focusing on selling cars but reinventing the way people travel," noted Yu Jun, president of GAC Motor, at Michelin Movin'On, the global sustainable mobility summit in Montreal, Canada in June. "This is a result of our joint efforts to make such achievements, but also the choice of the market. We will keep expanding our global R&D network to develop more vehicles with cutting-edge technology and advance sustainable mobility."

The company's global sales and service network now covers 14 countries with prominent presence in the Belt and Road Initiative countries such as Middle East area. The company is adding more distribution channels in top markets such as North America to build a high-end brand image as a world-class automaker that excels in research, manufacturing and sales and sets to enter the US market no later than 2019.

GAC Motor will introduce more high-end models into the market this year, offering customers a wider choice with premium driving experience. Apart from the GS8 that has landed in global markets, the upcoming vehicles include the five-seat SUV GS7 which was praised as "A New Generation Blockbuster SUV" by New York Times, and its first electric vehicle GE3. The GS8 will also be landing in Nigeria and Paraguay soon. The company is aiming to achieve annual sales volume of 500,000 in 2017.

About GAC Motor

A subsidiary of GAC Group, GAC Motor develops and manufactures premium quality vehicles, engines, components and auto accessories, achieving a year-to-year growth rate of 96 percent in 2016, the highest among all Chinese brands in the corresponding period. GAC Motor has now ranked the highest among all Chinese brands for four consecutive years and 5th among all global brands in J.D. Power Asia Pacific's 2016 China Initial Quality Study.

For more information, please visit:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GACMotor

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gac_motor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/gac_motor

Media Contact:

Sukie Wong

+86-186-8058-2829

[email protected]

Taki Jiang

+86-134-5028-4242

[email protected]

SOURCE GAC Motor
DAYTON, Ohio, July 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- LifeCare Hospice has announced plans to join Ohio's Hospice, a strategic partnership committed to sustaining not-for-profit, community-based hospice care in Ohio.

LifeCare Hospice, based in Wooster, Ohio, is a not-for-profit hospice serving patients since 1982 in Wayne and Holmes counties. LifeCare is providing services to 160 patients and families daily. Formerly called Hospice and Palliative Care of Greater Wayne County, LifeCare Hospice is a not-for-profit hospice serving patients and their families in Wayne County, Holmes County, and the Wadsworth-Rittman area.

Executive Director Kurt Holmes is excited by the opportunities the affiliation with Ohio's Hospice offers not-for-profit providers. "We are always looking for ways to improve our service to our patients and families. The Ohio's Hospice partners are a collection of outstanding not-for-profit hospices who share our vision for service. The ability to collaborate with other professionals will strengthen our local mission. For more than 35 years, LifeCare Hospice has provided compassionate care and choice for neighbors and friends facing the last season of life. We are excited to be able to keep that promise by leveraging our strengths as part of Ohio's Hospice."

Ohio's Hospice was established in 2013 as a collaboration of Hospice of Dayton, Hospice of Butler & Warren Counties and Hospice of Miami County to ensure the long-term success of the shared mission of serving more patients and their families with even higher levels of hospice care. Since then, the affiliation has expanded to include Hospice of Central Ohio, Community Mercy Hospice and Community Care Hospice.

Now along with LifeCare Hospice, Ohio's Hospice will deliver:

More visits and direct care to patients than any other regional hospice provider;

More resources to provide care to patients and their families, like spiritual care, respiratory therapy, massage, occupational, bereavement and art therapies; and,

More support by serving patients wherever they call home, in every care setting, including extended care facilities, assisted living facilities, hospice houses and hospital in-patient settings.

Monica Miyashita, President of the board of directors at LifeCare, said, "We are very excited about joining forces with Ohio's Hospice, a not-for-profit hospice that shares our values of compassionate care and a strong commitment to the local community. Ohio's Hospice is an innovator in hospice care with many thoughtful and patient-centered care ideas that we are looking forward to providing to our patients. With the ever-changing healthcare market, we are pleased to be able to partner with a non-profit organization that allows us to offer outstanding levels of patient care to the community."

Former LifeCare Hospice Executive Director Carol McKiernan observed, "For over 35 years, LifeCare Hospice has enjoyed the support of the Wayne and Holmes County community as the premier provider of hospice and palliative care in our area. I am pleased to see it growing in a way that maintains its commitment to excellence in the delivery of patient care and family-based services while building for the future. Ohio's Hospice enjoys a decades-long reputation at the state and national level for its leadership in the field of hospice care. The relationship between the two organizations will benefit the community and strengthen LifeCare's mission and vision."

"The affiliates of Ohio's Hospice together set the standard for end-of-life care in the state," says Ohio's Hospice Board Chair Greg Toman. "Our shared expertise and commitment to quality are evident in the sheer number of resources devoted to patient care, not to making a profit where many competitors focus. Working, sharing, and planning together creates for stronger community hospices and enhances the quality of care and services in the communities we serve."

"Together, the affiliates of Ohio's Hospice will set the highest standard of care to ensure Ohioans have access to world class end-of-life and palliative care. Each affiliate is strengthened by sharing resources and is enabled to respond to the increasing regulatory challenges and a declining reimbursement environment," said Kent Anderson, President and CEO of Ohio's Hospice. "By expanding our strategic partnership, we continue to grow, protect jobs and maintain strong partnerships with local partners."

Additional Information

Ohio's Hospice

Ohio's Hospice is an affiliation of mission-driven, not-for-profit hospices in Ohio committed to a shared vision of strengthening and preserving community based hospices. Members of Ohio's Hospice share the values of:

Providing a patient atmosphere of hospitality, respect and caring

Attending to the social, physical, and spiritual needs of each person we are privileged to serve

Preserving and enhancing patient dignity

Celebrating the life of each individual we serve

Reducing unnecessary suffering in the communities we serve

Counties served by Ohio's Hospice affiliates include Adams, Brown, Butler, Champaign, Clark, Clermont, Clinton, Coshocton, Darke, Delaware, Fairfield, Fayette, Franklin, Greene, Hamilton, Highland, Hocking, Holmes, Knox, Licking, Logan, Madison, Miami, Montgomery, Muskingum, Perry, Pike, Preble, Ross, Shelby, Warren and Wayne counties.

With LifeCare Hospice's participation, this strategic partnership will:

Serve over 9,100 patients annually

patients annually Serve over 1,400 patients each day

patients each day Employ over 1,000 exceptional staff

exceptional staff Continue the economic commitment of community hospices to the communities they serve

Serve 32 counties in Ohio

counties in Have the privilege of serving with over 1,200 wonderful volunteers

wonderful volunteers Ensure that no one in our communities is denied access to hospice care based on their ability to pay

Assure that dollars raised to support the community hospice mission remain dedicated to respective communities

Members of Ohio's Hospice include:

Community Care Hospice  Community Care Hospice, a not-for-profit, was founded in 2004, by a group of individuals whose mission it is to provide superior hospice care to their community. Local professionals provide care for patients in a 10-county area surrounding Wilmington. Bereavement and grief support is also provided to hospice families and to the community, including grief groups and support to local schools. Patients are cared for in their home, extended care and assisted living facilities. General inpatient care is available at Clinton Memorial Hospital, along with access to designated hospice beds at Highland District Hospital.

Ohio's Community Mercy Hospice  Ohio's Community Mercy Hospice was founded in 2004. The not-for-profit, community based organization provides superior care and superior services for patients facing life-limiting illnesses in Clark, Madison, Greene and Champaign Counties. Ohio's Community Mercy Hospice is a service of Ohio's Hospice of Dayton

Hospice of Central Ohio  Hospice of Central Ohio has provided a holistic, community-based approach to hospice care for over 35 years. Hospice of Central Ohio is a not-for-profit organization serving 9 counties in Central Ohio and is dedicated to supporting the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of patients and families dealing with life-limiting conditions. The Selma Markowitz Inpatient Center is located on the 6th floor of Licking Memorial Hospital.

LifeCare Hospice  LifeCare Hospice is a not-for-profit organization serving communities in Wayne and Holmes Counties. Formerly called Hospice and Palliative Care of Greater Wayne County, LifeCare Hospice embodies the spirit of neighbors caring for neighbors with a commitment to relieve suffering, ease fears, and provide companionship along life's last journey. The LifeCare Hospice team - doctors, nurses, health aides, social workers, chaplains, and volunteers  to address patient and family needs wherever the patient calls home. LifeCare services also include the availability of the Stanley C. and Flo K. Gault Inpatient Pavilion, providing short-term patient care to manage acute symptoms, adjust medications or stabilize patient condition.

Ohio's Hospice of Butler & Warren Counties  Ohio's Hospice of Butler & Warren Counties honors the lives of patients by preserving quality of life and respecting patient wishes. A not-for-profit organization serving the needs of communities in Butler as well as Warren Counties, Ohio's Hospice of Butler & Warren Counties provides a comprehensive range of care in every setting  homes, extended care or assisted living facilities, hospitals, and Lorelei's Place Hospice House, a free-standing hospice facility with twelve inpatient beds providing short-term patient care when needed for patient comfort and symptom management.

Ohio's Hospice of Dayton  Ohio's Hospice of Dayton is a not-for-profit hospice provider and has served patients and families in the Miami Valley for nearly 40 years in their homes, extended care and assisted living facilities and the Hospice House location in Dayton. Grief support services are available to the entire community through the Pathways of Hope grief support center. Ohio's Hospice of Dayton serves over 700 patients and families daily, achieving national recognition for innovative services and outstanding care.

Ohio's Hospice of Miami County  Ohio's Hospice of Miami County is a community-based, not-for-profit organization founded in 1983 to "Improve the quality of life for people and families facing life-limiting illnesses." Our goal is to be the leader in quality comfort and bereavement care in Miami County. Services are provided to anyone who qualifies regardless of the patient's insurance coverage or ability to pay. Services are provided inpatient homes, extended care and assisted living facilities and a dedicated inpatient care wing at Upper Valley Medical Center.

Media Contacts

Please direct all media inquiries for:

LifeCare Hospice to:

Kurt Holmes

Executive Director

LifeCare Hospice

O  330.264.4899

Email - [email protected]

Ohio's Hospice:

Craig Schrolucke

Director of Mission Engagement & Communication

Ohio's Hospice

O - 937.781.1319

Email - [email protected]

Related Images

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Related Links

Ohio's Hospice

LifeCare Hospice

SOURCE Ohio's Hospice
DALLAS, July 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) received a $73.8 million contract from the U.S. Army for Phase 2 of the Long Range Precision Fires (LRPF) program.

LRPF is the U.S. Army's program envisioned to provide combatant commanders with next-generation, long-range precision fires with ranges up to 499 kilometers. The missile will be capable of striking time-sensitive and area targets in a variety of conditions.

"Lockheed Martin has invested heavily in leveraging our legacy of unrivaled performance and affordability on the combat-proven Tactical Missile System (TACMS) program to create the next generation long-range precision engagement weapon," said Scott Greene, vice president of Precision Fires for Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. "We intend to demonstrate to our Army customer that our LRPF solution will be the most cost-effective, precise and reliable munition to meet their future long-range engagement needs."

The LRPF Phase 2 program includes technology maturation and risk reduction for the development of a prototype LRPF missile system. The prototype missile system includes a Launch Pod Missile Container and a fully integrated surface-to-surface guided missile that will be compatible with the Multiple Launch Rocket System MLRS M270A1 and M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System HIMARS launchers.

During the 36-month Phase 2 LRPF contract, Lockheed Martin will design, develop and fly multiple prototype missiles in anticipation of the Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD) phase of the program. The initial LRPF Phase 1 risk-reduction contract successfully completed in May 2017.

For more information visit our website: www.lockheedmartin.com

About Lockheed Martin

Headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, Lockheed Martin is a global security and aerospace company that employs approximately 97,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services.

SOURCE Lockheed Martin

Related Links

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FRESNO, Calif., July 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Lozano Smith, LLP, a leading California education and public agency law firm, is pleased to announce the naming of Mark K. Kitabayashi to the firm's equity partnership. He is also the Office Managing Partner of Lozano Smith's Los Angeles office and co-chair of the firm's Litigation Practice Group.

"Mark is an exceptionally skilled and dedicated attorney," said Karen Rezendes, Managing Partner of Lozano Smith. "He has distinguished himself as a leading litigator and ardent advocate for clients across California. It is a privilege to work alongside Mark, and we are excited about his new role, and the impact he will have on the firm and our clients."

Mr. Kitabayashi joined Lozano Smith in September 2006 as Senior Counsel. He was later named a Southern California Super Lawyer in 2011 and elevated to Partner at Lozano Smith in 2012. With over 30 years of experience as an attorney, he has extensive knowledge and expertise in labor and employment, municipal, environmental, business, and construction litigation. He has successfully represented clients in numerous jury and bench trials and handled hundreds of arbitrations and mediations. He received his Bachelors of Arts from the University of California, Los Angeles, and his Juris Doctor from the University of Southern California.

Get to Know Lozano Smith

Lozano Smith is a full-service education and public agency law firm serving hundreds of California's K-12 and community college districts, and numerous cities, counties, and special districts. The firm's expertise includes, but is not limited to, personnel matters, labor relations, technology, real property and construction matters, constitutional issues, special education, student discipline, school funding, charter schools, bond elections, governance, and litigation in all areas of representation. Lozano Smith has offices in 8 California locations: Bakersfield, Fresno, Los Angeles, Mission Viejo, Monterey, Sacramento, San Diego and Walnut Creek. For more information about Lozano Smith or to see full attorney bios, visit www.LozanoSmith.com or find us on Facebook or Twitter. You can also download the Lozano Smith App.

Contact: Andy Garcia

Executive Director

559.431.5600

[email protected]

SOURCE Lozano Smith, LLP

Related Links

http://www.lozanosmith.com/


MOSCOW, July 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

An advertiser does not need to confirm its business owner rights, create slogans and make banners or explore the marketing terminology. All that is necessary is to select the plan and pay a fee for one, three, six, or twelve months. The payment for the advertisement provides sufficient confirmation of the fact that the advertiser owns or manages the business.

(Logo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/531001/MAPS_ME_Logo.jpg )



The MAPS.ME platform generates an ad automatically based on the business listing available in the map. The promoted facility is visually marked: it is highlighted in the list of search results and labelled with a big star on the map. Even in the regular mode the facility stands out among others on the map thanks to an unusual icon. When a map user taps the icon, the app displays details: address, telephone number, working hours, etc. Besides, the user can get directions to the place or request a taxi. All information about the business is available in the user's interface language (the MAPS.ME interface has been translated into 30 languages).

The advertisement will be displayed even if there is no Internet connection: just as the maps, advertising in MAPS.ME works in the offline mode. This special feature of the platform allows reaching the tourists who turn off mobile data in roaming.

"Advertising in MAPS.ME gives access to an enormous audience (the application has been installed more than 75 million times) and allows reaching those who are nearby and are looking for a place in the same category as your business. The research showed that around 80 % of users who were looking for a place within 7 km from their location ended up visiting that place. Besides, we have developed the simplest campaign launch system: you do not need to submit a request, wait for it to be approved, talk to a manager, compose and translate advertisement texts on your own. Instead, all you have to do is to find your business, pay the fee (it takes about a minute) and immediately see the first clients attracted by the campaign. For now, we are offering the basic and cheapest rate option. Over time, we will be expanding the feature list," Eugene Lisovskiy, CEO of MAPS.ME.

SOURCE MAPS.ME
Washington is the the fifth destination for Air India. The service to the US capital will be offered three times a week.

Air India has deployed its 238-seater Boeing 777-200 LR aircraft to cater to the new direct service to the US.

By Press Trust of India: State-owned Air India today launched its first flight to Washington DC from New Delhi, thereby adding its fifth destination in the US.

Air India has deployed its 238-seater Boeing 777-200 LR aircraft to cater to the new direct service to the US. The plane offers eight seats in first class, 35 in business and 195 in economy class.

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The launch took place at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport here in the presence of Charge de Affairs of US Embassy Marykay Loss Carlson, Air India Chairman and Managing Director Ashwani Lohani, Commercial Director of Air India Pankaj Shrivastava, among other airline officials.

Indian Ambassador to the US Navtej Sarna, Lohani and Srivastava are also flying to Washington.

The occupancy on flights to Washington is at 90 per cent for the month of July, according to the airline spokesperson. The airline will operate a bigger 321-seater Boeing 777- 300ER aircraft between July 9 and 17, he said.

KNOW MORE ABOUT THE AIRLINE Washington is the the fifth destination for Air India. The service to the US capital will be offered three times a week. Apart from Washington, Air India flies to four US airports - New York, Newark, Chicago and San Francisco. There are daily flights to Newark, New York and Chicago. However, its Delhi-San Francisco flight is operated six times a week. The national carrier also plans to fly to other destinations in the US, such as Los Angeles and Houston among others. Air India's operations to the US account for 20 per cent of the total revenue of the national carrier. In the last fiscal, the state-owned carrier mopped up an estimated Rs 3,200 crore revenue, which is an increase of 17 per cent over FY 2014-2015, from its US operations alone.

Also Read:

--- ENDS ---
Transaction Highlights:

InfoTrellis brings highly specialized capabilities in Data Management & Analytics to Mastech Digital's suite of service offerings

Acquisition will significantly strengthen Mastech Digital's capability to offer consulting and project-based delivery of digital transformation services

Combined entity has augmented scale, expanded global delivery capability, and deeper leadership strength

Total associate headcount to exceed 1,500 globally

Mastech Digital, Inc. (NYSE MKT: MHH), a leading digital transformation services provider, today announced that it has entered into definitive agreements to acquire the services division of InfoTrellis Inc., a Canada-based Data Management & Analytics company. The acquisition will bring together two differentiated companies - both with global brand recognition and complementary service offerings.

(Logo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/531268/Mastech_Digital_Logo.jpg )

(Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/531269/Vivek_Gupta_Mastech_Digital.jpg )



The acquired business, to be branded as Mastech InfoTrellis, will offer project-based consulting services to customers in the areas of Master Data Management, Data Integration, and Big Data, and at the same time strengthen Mastech Digital's digital transformation services capability. InfoTrellis' industry-wide recognition for its thought leadership and depth in data management & analytics, as well as proven global delivery expertise, should enhance the growth opportunities of the combined entity.

The transaction is valued at $55 million, with $35.7 million paid in cash at closing and $19.3 million deferred over the next two years. The deferred purchase price is contingent upon the acquired business generating specified EBIT (Earnings Before Interest and Taxes) targets during the two years following the closing and is payable in cash and in installments following each year, if earned.

Mastech Digital expects to realize several synergies from the combined enterprise:

Ability to participate in larger digital transformation deals

Opportunity to cross-sell broader range of service offerings to existing and future customers of both businesses

Larger scale, improved operational efficiencies and expanded global delivery model

Better economies of scale from shared support services integration

Commenting on the acquisition, Vivek Gupta, President and CEO of Mastech Digital, said, "We began transforming Mastech into a digital transformation services company a year ago when we launched our new name 'Mastech Digital' and recast our service offerings. The acquisition of InfoTrellis will be a significant milestone in that journey. I am delighted with the capabilities InfoTrellis brings to the Mastech Digital family and am excited about creating a combined organization that will deliver world-class services around Data Management & Analytics in its expanded portfolio of digital transformation services."

Mahmood Abbas, CEO and Co-founder of InfoTrellis, said, "We are excited and looking forward to uniting with Mastech Digital, which has global brand recognition and is highly respected in the IT industry. I am confident that our strengths in delivering project-based consulting services in Data Management & Analytics, combined with Mastech Digital's scale and proven experience in providing IT staffing and digital transformation services, will create a powerful go-to brand in the industry."

Also commenting on the deal, Sachin Wadhwa, Chief Operating Officer and Co-founder of InfoTrellis, said, "The integration will advance our vision of addressing the wider challenges faced by our clients in adopting Big Data and Advanced Analytics. We believe the combination of Mastech Digital and InfoTrellis will have a meaningful impact in the way Data Management and Analytics consulting is delivered by us."

InfoTrellis has over 200 associates globally, a customer-base of more than 40 blue chip customers in North America, offices in Toronto (Canada) and Austin (Texas, U.S.), as well as a global delivery center in Chennai (India). Mastech Digital has nearly 1,300 associates globally, a customer-base of over 300 companies, seven offices across the US, as well as a delivery center in New Delhi (India). Mastech Digital reported revenues of $132 million for its latest fiscal year ended December 31, 2016; InfoTrellis reported revenues of $22 million for its latest fiscal year ended June 30, 2016.

The funding for the transaction will consist of a combination of debt and equity. A new $65 million facility with PNC Bank will provide debt financing for the transaction, refinance Mastech Digital's existing debt with PNC and provide borrowing capacity for the future. The equity financing will be completed through a $6 million private placement of newly issued shares of Mastech Digital common stock to Mastech's founders and majority shareholders, Ashok Trivedi and Sunil Wadhwani. The common stock will be sold at price per share equal to the greater of $7.00 or the closing price for the common stock on July 10, 2017. The terms of the private placement were negotiated and approved by a special committee of Independent Directors, which retained counsel and an Independent Financial Advisor. Mr. Trivedi and Mr. Wadhwani were also represented by independent counsel with respect to the private placement. The closing of the private placement is conditioned on the simultaneous closing of the acquisition. The debt financing will also close concurrently with the acquisition.

In connection with the acquisition, Messrs. Trivedi and Wadhwani entered into an Equity Support Agreement with Mastech Digital pursuant to which they agreed to future purchases of newly issued Mastech Digital common stock at a price per share based on the market price of the common stock at the time of any purchases solely to the extent necessary to fund the deferred purchase price payments described above in the event that Mastech Digital has insufficient funds to make these payments.

The acquisition is subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to close in July 2017.

Mastech Digital's M&A Advisors included: The Chesapeake Group - financial advisors; Blank Rome, LLP - US legal counsel; Blake, Cassels & Graydon, LLP - Canada legal counsel, and Khaitan & Co. - Indian legal counsel. Messrs. Trivedi and Wadhwani were advised by McGuireWoods LLP.

About Mastech Digital

Mastech Digital (NYSE MKT: MHH) is a national provider of IT services focused on solving its customers' digital transformation challenges. The Company's IT staffing services span across digital and mainstream technologies while its digital transformation services include Salesforce.com, SAP HANA, and digital learning services. A minority-owned enterprise, Mastech Digital is headquartered in Pittsburgh, PA with offices across the U.S. and India. For more information, visit http://www.mastechdigital.com .

About InfoTrellis

InfoTrellis is a Canada-based information management consulting and technology services company that provides project and consulting services in Master Data Management, Data Integration, and Big Data.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements contained in this release are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the 'safe harbor' provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as 'expects', 'anticipates', 'plans', 'believes', 'estimates', 'plans' and 'projects' and variations of these words and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, which include but are not limited to (i) projections of revenues, earnings, and cash flow, and (ii) the expected completion of the acquisition, debt financing and equity financing transactions, the time frame in which such transactions will occur, the expected benefits to Mastech Digital from completing such transactions and the expected performance of Mastech Digital following completion of the acquisition, debt financing and equity financing transactions, including future financial and operating results, expected synergies, and the combined company's plans, objectives, expectations and intentions. These statements are based on information currently available to Mastech Digital and it assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements as circumstances change. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve certain risks and uncertainties, which are difficult to predict and many of which are outside of the control of Mastech Digital. Therefore, actual future results and trends may differ materially from what is forecast in forward-looking statements due to a variety of factors, including, without limitation, (1) the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstances that could give rise to the termination of the definitive agreements for the acquisition, debt financing or equity financing transactions; (2) the inability to timely complete or complete at all the acquisition, debt financing or equity financing transactions due to the failure to satisfy the conditions to closing set forth in the definitive agreements for such transactions; (3) the risk that the acquisition, debt financing or equity financing transactions disrupt current plans and operations of Mastech Digital and/or InfoTrellis as a result of the announcement, pendency or consummation of such transactions; (4) the ability to successfully integrate the operations and employees of InfoTrellis into Mastech; (5) the ability to recognize the anticipated benefits of the acquisition of InfoTrellis which may be affected by, among other things, competition, the ability of Mastech Digital to grow and manage growth profitably, maintain relationships with customers and suppliers and retain key employees; (6) costs related to the acquisition, debt financing and equity financing transactions; (7) the possibility that Mastech Digital or InfoTrellis or their respective subsidiaries and affiliates may be adversely affected by other economic, business, and/or competitive factors; and (8) other risks and uncertainties that are described in more detail in Mastech Digital's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016.

Media Contact:

Donna Kijowski

+1-412-787-9551

[email protected]



SOURCE Mastech Digital, Inc.
LOS ANGELES, July 6, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Abby J. Leibman, president and CEO at MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger, responds to the decision by House Committee on Agriculture Chairman Mike Conaway to block consideration of an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that would correct a drafting oversight that has prevented military families from accessing the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP):

"MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger condemns the recent action by House Committee on Agriculture Chairman Mike Conaway to block an amendment that would correct an unintended barrier preventing military families from accessing SNAP benefits.

"The issue involves the Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) received by servicemembers who live off base or in privatized housing. An estimated 25,000 to 30,000 households of lower-ranking enlisted servicemembers cannot enroll in SNAP because BAH is counted as income, which elevates their household income above the eligibility line for the program. This is inconsistent with the eligibility rules of most other federal assistance programs. BAH is not counted as income when determining eligibility for the Earned Income Tax Credit; Child Tax Credit; the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC); Pell Grants; and Head Start. Federal law also does not treat BAH as income for federal income tax purposes.

"The oversight in the current legislation leaves tens of thousands of servicemembers turning in desperation to food pantries to feed their families. MAZON has found that there are food pantries operating on or near every Naval and Marine base in the United States. At Camp Pendleton alone, there are four different pantries that operate on base each month, serving hundreds of military families who are struggling to make ends meet.

"For the past several years, MAZON has been calling attention to the hidden problem of food insecurity among currently serving military families and working to achieve a policy solution that will permit food insecure military families to get the help they need.

"In February, Representative Susan Davis introducedwith bipartisan supportthe Military Hunger Prevention Act, which proposed a simple and common sense remedy: to exclude BAH from counting as income when qualifying for SNAP. MAZON has been working closely with staff for Rep. Davis and the House Armed Services Committee to include the provision from this bill as an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).

"Chairman Conaway had professed, in multiple conversations with MAZON leadership, a commitment to resolving this problem. But given an opportunity to honor these prior statements, Chairman Conaway instead refused to grant the necessary waiver that would allow the House Armed Services Committee to consider and debate the merits of this provision. He instead chose to renege on prior promises and betray the well-being of the tens of thousands of military households who struggle with the painful reality of food insecurity.

"It is wrong to treat the military families who honorably serve our country as political bargaining chips when a reasonable, bipartisan solution, which has support from the US Department of Agriculture, has been proposed in Congress. MAZON calls on Chairman Conaway to step up to resolve this issue with the urgency struggling military families deserve.

"Struggling military families shouldn't have to wait for help another year or more for the next Farm Bill. MAZON urges Chairman Conaway to champion this amendment now before NDAA is considered by the full House of Representatives, and to work with Rep. Davis, the bipartisan coalition of Members who supported the Military Hunger Prevention Act, and House leadership to get this issue resolved once and for all, without any further delay."

About MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger

Founded in 1985, MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger is a leading national nonprofit advocacy organization working to end hunger among people of all faiths and backgrounds in the United States and Israel. In January 2016, Abby J. Leibman, MAZON's President and CEO, testified before the House Agriculture Subcommittee on the challenges of food insecurity for currently serving military families and veterans and opportunities for policy changes to help these populations. For more information, please visit mazon.org.

Contact: Michelle Stuffmann

Phone: (424) 208-7203

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn., July 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Chattanooga residents will enjoy more deals and savings when Money Pages begins mailing monthly local coupons in August.

Lifelong Chattanooga resident Jason Richardson chose to launch a Money Pages franchise because he wants to help people and make a difference in his community. Richardson is a community-oriented resident. Staying active in Chattanooga is important to him. Previously, Richardson worked in the nonprofit sector where he managed donation sites and served as the purchasing administrator for Goodwill Industries of Chattanooga.

"Money Pages gives me the opportunity to connect with the community in which I was born and raised," said Richardson. "Far too often, small businesses get overlooked. Money Pages offers those in the community a reminder and another good reason  saving money  to buy locally in order to grow our city."

Money Pages began in 2001 when Alan Worley took the risk of starting a new business with no guarantees. The risk paid off with hundreds of businesses choosing Money Pages as a way to reach local consumers every month.

"We're excited to start mailing Money Pages in Chattanooga," said Worley. "Jason has a passion to help business owners and help his neighbors save money. We have a very high retention rate and have for years because businesses see a return on their investment."

Money Pages helps business owners reach targeted consumers with a variety of special offers in their neighborhoods. Richardson's support of local small businesses is more than just talk: While other coupon magazines are national, the Chattanooga Money Pages itself is a locally owned business.

Money Pages is a direct mail publication saving readers money on everyday purchases and helping businesses grow their bottom lines. The company also specializes in custom direct mail campaigns and interactive marketing solutions to help businesses reach their desired customers. Money Pages has an in-house design team available for print, digital and animated videos to promote local businesses' brands and increase sales.

Money Pages began offering franchise opportunities in 2013. Now the company reaches more than 725,000 homes in 20 markets across Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and Tennessee. Visit www.moneypages.com and www.moneypagesfranchising.com for more information.

Media Contact:

Katie Boyles

Axia Public Relations for Money Pages

904-303-2628

SOURCE Money Pages

Related Links

http://www.moneypages.com


WASHINGTON, July 7, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- NASA astronaut Randy Bresnik, who is making final preparations for his launch to the International Space Station later this month, will be available for live satellite interviews from 9 to 10 a.m. EDT Friday, July 14, at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia.

The interviews will air live on NASA Television and the agency's website and will be preceded at 8:30 a.m. by a video feed of highlights from Bresnik's mission training and previous spaceflight.

To participate in the interviews, media must contact Sarah Volkman at 281-483-9071 or [email protected] no later than 3 p.m. Wednesday, July 12. Media participating in the interviews must tune to the NASA Television Media Channel (NTV-3). Satellite tuning information is available at:

http://go.nasa.gov/1pOWUhR

Bresnik will arrive at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan Sunday, July 16, for final pre-launch training. He and his crewmates, cosmonaut Sergey Ryazanskiy of the Russian space agency Roscosmos and Paolo Nespoli of ESA (European Space Agency), will launch on the Russian Soyuz MS-05 spacecraft at 11:41 a.m. on July 28. They are scheduled to return to Earth in December.

Their flight plan calls for an arrival at the station about six hours after launch, where they will join Expedition 52 Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin of Roscosmos, and Flight Engineers Peggy Whitson and Jack Fischer of NASA. The crew members will continue several hundred experiments in biology, biotechnology, physical science and Earth science currently underway and scheduled to take place aboard humanity's only permanently occupied orbiting lab.

Among the experiments is Cardiac Stem Cells, which investigates how microgravity affects stem cells and the factors that govern stem cell activity, including physical and molecular changes. The Cosmic-Ray Energetics and Mass experiment is also scheduled to arrive at the station during the crew's stay and will measure the charges of cosmic rays ranging from hydrogen up through iron nuclei, over a broad energy range.

Bresnik was born in Fort Knox, Kentucky, but considers Santa Monica, California, to be his hometown. He graduated from The Citadel in Charleston, South Carolina, and was commissioned in the Marine Corps in May 1989. NASA selected him as an astronaut in May 2004. This will be his second trip to the International Space Station and his first long-duration mission. Previously he flew aboard space shuttle Atlantis to the station in 2009.

For details about his experiences in space, follow Bresnik on social media at:

https://twitter.com/astrokomrade

https://www.facebook.com/AstroKomrade

https://www.instagram.com/astrokomrade

SOURCE NASA

Related Links

http://www.nasa.gov


SHENZHEN, China, July 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The Chinese Academy of Social Sciences published the 2016 "China Internet Financial Platform Risk Rating and Analysis Report" (Report). Owing to their outstanding operating model and legal compliance, Neo Online (www.xiaoniu88.com) once again ranked sixth nation-wide and first in South China.

The Report selected 100 of China's mainstream Internet financial platforms and evaluated their financial risks from a comprehensive assessment of their credit risk, based on operational risks, liquidity risks to legal compliance risks. Neo Online scored 74 points, ranking sixth. Eighteen platforms achieved a total score of 70 points and above; Yirendai and Lufax were rated AA-level platforms, A+ level platforms were 9Fbank and Ppdai; A level platforms, included Neo Online and firstp2p.

In 2016, due to the efforts of Chinese regulatory authorities on the financial technology and Internet policy, the regulatory system implemented drastic changes. The Report stated that the regulatory policy and governance in the industry continued to improve, the environment in the industry is improving and the risk level has stabilized and is manageable. At present, with the regulations implemented, the one-year Internet financial special rectification is nearly finalized. The Report shows that there has been a large level of progress made to the access to the rating platform.

Neo Online set up an investor protection system on the official website with an investor education column, the development of investor risk tolerance assessment system, the use of electronic signature technology to sign contracts to strengthen the risk control audit system, and the development of anti-fraud measures. In addition, the platform also introduced accounting firms, law firms, information security assessment and certification of third-party intermediaries to provide real-time protection of the interests of investors. In April this year, Neo Online risk control systems have performed the independent research and development upgrades and started the "third generation credit core system" trial operations. The system maximizes the efficiency of the automation process by 90%, therefore the overall efficiency of the audit and verification, reducing manual verification volume while securely and speedily handling applications.

"We are open to regulation, we welcome the management of the 'bad elements' to lead the whole industry towards healthy development," said Linda Wong, CEO of Neo Online, while attending The Economist Event "Finance Disrupted: Asia" in Hong Kong.

About Neo Online

Launched in June 2013, Neo Online (www.xiaoniu88.com) is the Inclusive financial platform of parent company Shenzhen Neo Internet Financial Services Co., Ltd. (Neo Financial), and is operated by Neo Online Internet information Consulting Co., Ltd. In November 2014 Neo Financial successfully raised 100 million Yuan as registered capital. Neo Online's vision is to make investment and financing become transparent, simple and efficient, to achieve the preservation and appreciation of all people, and become China's influential Internet financial services platform.

About Neo Capital

Neo Capital Management Group Co., Ltd. (Neo Capital) was founded in 2012 - four main management centers were set up in Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen and Hong Kong. Neo is operating overseas in countries such as, Dubai, Australia, New York and other international financial centers and they formed a Wealth Management, inclusive Finance, Consumption Financial and Investment Management ecosystem. Neo is committed to providing comprehensive professional family financial services to the community, and is a discovery and assets creation entity financial company.

SOURCE Neo Financial
NEW YORK, July 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The simple act of thinking back to a time when you felt powerful is linked to better performances in job interviews, presentations and exams. A new study by researchers at Columbia Business School and INSEAD published in the journal Social Cognition finds that a key factor shaping when these effects are likely to occur rests on the ease with which people can retrieve an experience of power.

"Power is an extremely pervasive force that governs our behaviours and determines the difference between success and failure in a number of interpersonal contexts," said INSEAD Assistant Professor of Marketing David Dubois.

Adam Galinsky, Chair of the Management Division at Columbia Business School, noted that "merely remembering a past episode of power can significantly transform thinking, feeling and behaviours across social situations. It can also yield significant social advantages like greater optimism, persuasive abilities and eventually even land you a job. Conversely, if that ability to remember a past episode is compromised, it can limit a person's potential to feel powerful."

Given the potential implications of such simple interventions, understanding when and why they may indeed "build feelings of power" becomes important.

In the article, "Ease of Retrieval moderates the effects of power: Implications for the replicability of power recall effects", Dubois, Joris Lammers of University of Cologne, Derek D. Rucker of Northwestern University and Galinsky conducted a series of experiments to show how the ease with which power episodes come to mind can affect the effectiveness of a power manipulation inducing people to think about a power episode during which they had or lacked power.

This proposition was tested across a series of experiments in which 1) people were asked to remember an episode of power or powerlessness 2) ease of recall was manipulated or measured and 3) people's response toward well-known consequences of power such as greater confidence or greater likelihood to disobey orders was measured. Specifically, classic work shows a sense of high power is typically linked to make participants more confident and able to stand up for themselves, hold on to resources or even act selfishly, going against the greater good for their own gain. The authors tested whether a change in the ease of recalling a power experience would moderate these consequences.

For instance, in one experiment, disobedience  a by-product of power  was tested with a scenario in which participants' landlords asked them to move out of their rented homes as soon as possible. Social psychology finds high-power individuals are much more likely to speak out when they disagree. Consistent with these findings, the results of this experiment revealed that participants in the high-power condition were more likely to be disobedient, to stay longer in the rental, when they could easily retrieve a memory of power. However, having difficulty in retrieving such a memory dramatically reduced this tendency. Overall, high power led to participants being disobedient, to stay longer in the rental, but only when retrieving a power memory was easy.

Participants in another experiment were asked if they would exceed the speed limit when running late for an appointment. Those in the high-power condition were more likely to break the law than those in the low power condition, but again only when retrieving a power experience was easy (vs. hard).

"Our research shows that power is not something that can simply be given or an individual can be made to feel. The ability for people to feel powerful enough to carry out ambitious plans will depend on their ability to easily retrieve small but meaningful experiences of power they've accumulated throughout their journey, not through some magic wand," said Dubois.

For organisations, this suggests that power sharing may be a key enabler to generate feelings of power across collaborators, overtime. This could take the form of involving workers in participatory projects and activities, engagement, and small power experiences to encourage employees to remember they are in control of their destiny and resources. A personal sense of power may just stem from accumulating short episodes of power.

To learn more about the research, as well as other cutting-edge findings from leading business school academics, please visit gsb.columbia.edu or knowledge.insead.edu.

About Columbia Business School

Columbia Business School is the only worldclass, Ivy League business school that delivers a learning experience where academic excellence meets with realtime exposure to the pulse of global business. Led by Dean Glenn Hubbard, the School's transformative curriculum bridges academic theory with unparalleled exposure to realworld business practice, equipping students with an entrepreneurial mindset that allows them to recognize, capture, and create opportunity in any business environment. The thought leadership of the School's faculty and staff, combined with the accomplishments of its distinguished alumni and position in the center of global business, means that the School's efforts have an immediate, measurable impact on the forces shaping business every day. To learn more about Columbia Business School's position at the very center of business, please visit www.gsb.columbia.edu.

About INSEAD

As one of the world's leading and largest graduate business schools, INSEAD offers participants a truly global educational experience. With campuses in Europe (France), Asia (Singapore) and Middle East (Abu Dhabi), INSEAD's business education and research spans three continents. Our 145 renowned faculty members from 40 countries inspire more than 1,400 students in our degree and PhD programmes. In addition, more than 11,000 executives participate in INSEAD's executive education programmes each year. INSEAD's MBA programme is ranked #1 by the Financial Times in 2016 and 2017. More information about INSEAD can be found at www.insead.edu

SOURCE Columbia Business School

Related Links

http://www.gsb.columbia.edu


WASHINGTON, July 7, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Statement of Matthew L. Myers, President, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids

The Oregon Legislature has taken bold action to protect kids from tobacco addiction and save lives by voting to prohibit the sale of tobacco products to anyone under 21. Lawmakers gave final approval to the bill Thursday, and Gov. Kate Brown has indicated she will sign it into law. Her signature will make Oregon the third state in the nation to raise the tobacco age to 21, joining California and Hawaii.

The Oregon vote provides a big boost for the growing, nationwide movement to increase the tobacco age to 21 to prevent kids from using tobacco, save lives and make the next generation tobacco-free. Tobacco 21 laws have also been enacted by at least 250 cities and counties, including New York City, Chicago, Boston, Cleveland, St. Louis and both Kansas Cities. Other states, counties and cities are weighing similar measures.

In New Jersey, Governor Chris Christie should sign a bill recently approved by the Legislature to raise the tobacco age to 21. A tobacco 21 bill is nearing final legislative approval in Maine, and statewide measures are under consideration in Massachusetts and other states.

Increasing the tobacco age to 21 will reduce tobacco use among youth and young adults  age groups when nearly all tobacco use begins and that are heavily targeted by the tobacco industry. We know that about 95 percent of adult smokers began smoking before they turned 21. Increasing the tobacco age will help counter the industry's efforts to target young people at a critical time when many move from experimenting with tobacco to regular smoking. In Oregon alone, tobacco companies spend over $110 million a year to market their deadly and addictive products. This legislation will also help keep tobacco out of high schools, where younger teens often obtain tobacco products from older students.

A 2015 report by the prestigious Institute of Medicine (now called the National Academy of Medicine) concluded that increasing the tobacco age to 21 will significantly reduce the number of adolescents and young adults who start smoking, with immediate and long-term benefits for the nation's health.

Tobacco use is the No. 1 cause of preventable death in the United States, killing over 480,000 Americans and costing the nation about $170 billion in health care bills each year. In Oregon, tobacco kills over 5,500 people and costs over $1.5 billion in health care expenses each year. Without additional action to reduce tobacco use, 68,000 kids alive today in Oregon will die prematurely from smoking. Increasing the tobacco age to 21 is a critical step in reducing and eventually eliminating tobacco's terrible toll.

SOURCE Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids

Related Links

http://www.tobaccofreekids.org


AUSTIN, Texas, July 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Parsley Energy, Inc. (NYSE: PE) ("the Company") plans to release its second quarter 2017 financial and operating results after the market closes on Wednesday, August 2, 2017. In conjunction with the release, the Company has scheduled a conference call for Thursday, August 3, at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time (10:00 a.m. Central Time).

By Phone: Dial 877-407-0672 (United States/Canada) or 412-902-0003 (International) approximately 10 minutes before the scheduled start time and request the Parsley Energy earnings conference call.





A telephone replay will be available through Thursday, August 10 by dialing 877-660-6853 (United States/Canada) or 201-612-7415 (International). Conference ID: 13666261.



By Webcast: www.parsleyenergy.com





Select "Events & Presentations" under the "Investors" section of the Company's website. Please log on at least 10 minutes in advance to register and download any necessary software. A replay will be available shortly after the call.

About Parsley Energy, Inc.

Parsley Energy, Inc. is an independent oil and natural gas company focused on the acquisition and development of unconventional oil and natural gas reserves in the Permian Basin in West Texas. For more information, visit our website at www.parsleyenergy.com.

SOURCE Parsley Energy, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.parsleyenergy.com


NEW YORK, July 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Pomerantz LLP is investigating claims on behalf of investors of Tahoe Resources Inc. ("Tahoe" or the "Company") (NYSE: TAHO). Such investors are advised to contact Robert S. Willoughby at [email protected] or 888-476-6529, ext. 9980.

The investigation concerns whether Tahoe and certain of its officers and/or directors have engaged in securities fraud or other unlawful business practices.

[Click here to join a class action]

On July 6, 2017, Tahoe disclosed that the Supreme Court of Guatemala had issued a provisional decision suspending the Escobal mining license of Minera San Rafael, a Tahoe subsidiary, in connection with a legal action brought by the human rights organization Centro de Accion Legal Ambiental y Social de Guatemala ("CALAS") against Guatemala's Ministry of Energy and Mines ("MEM"). CALAS alleges that MEM violated the Xinca indigenous people's right of consultation prior to granting the Escobal mining license.

On this news, Tahoe's share price fell $2.74, or 33.01%, to close at $5.56 on July 6, 2017, damaging investors.

The Pomerantz Firm, with offices in New York, Chicago, Florida, and Los Angeles, is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, the Pomerantz Firm pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 80 years later, the Pomerantz Firm continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomerantzlaw.com

CONTACT:

Robert S. Willoughby

Pomerantz LLP

[email protected]

SOURCE Pomerantz LLP

Related Links

http://www.pomerantzlaw.com


Paramjit Singh told India Today on the phone from Shimla that it was then director of NGMA, Rajeev Lochan, who'd informed him that his painting was not to be found.

By Poulomi Saha: The nightmare doesn't seem to end for Air India. After painter Jatin Das told India Today that his painting, 'Flying Apsara', that he'd made exclusively for the national carrier in 1991, had reached the open market, another painter has come forward to blame Air India of complete negligence.

"Air India bought my painting, Canal One, for Rs 400 in 1968 from an exhibition at Jehangir Art Gallery in Mumbai," Paramjit Singh told India Today on the phone from Shimla. "In 2013, when Air India was displaying select works in an exhibition at the National Gallery of Modern Art in Delhi, I asked them where my painting was. They said they couldn't find it," the 82-year-old lamented.

advertisement

Paramjit Singh told us that it was then Director of NGMA, Rajeev Lochan, who'd informed him that his painting was not to be found. Singh's wife, Arpita's work for Air India though was showcased at the same exhibition, which was the only time Air India put out the best of its collection for public viewing under one roof.

India Today has been relentlessly investigating this unfortunate plunder of the nation's wealth that seems to have stumbled out after Jatin Das' revelation.

MYSTERY OF FLYING APSARA

We got in touch with Pooja Acharya, art curator cum artist, who got in touch with Das on June 18 to authenticate his work "Flying Apsara", leading to the discovery of it missing from Air India's possession.

"For the record I have never been in possession of the painting and I have not even seen it. I only enquired if authenticity of it could be verified by Jatin Das, as I was approached by a buyer before he could enter into the deal, as it was offered to him for sale by a party in India," Pooja Acharya said.

Acharya, in her email correspondence with Jatin Das had claimed that a Sarabjit Singh had bought Das' work from Dhoomimal Art Gallery twenty years ago.

India Today went to the country's oldest art gallery to investigate the matter further, and was told that Dhoomimal has no record of a 'Flying Apsara' having been in its possession ever.

As the plot thickens, it remains to be seen how many more skeletons tumble out of the closet, putting Air India on the mat.

"It's horrible if paintings are being sold in the open market. It means they have no respect for the art they are buying," thunders Paramjit Singh.

Also Read:

Air India's paintings go missing: Connoisseurs of art are long gone, says Jatin Das

Air India loot: Total value of missing paintings could go over Rs 750 crore

Paintings from Rs 200-crore collection go missing from Air India's Mumbai headquarters

Watch Video: Air India loot: Top artists' paintings missing, probe ordered

--- ENDS ---
NEW YORK, July 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Skybuds, a leader in the hearables space, announced today that it has been selected to participate in the upcoming tech-themed [email protected]: GETS WIRED shop that will come to select Nordstrom stores for a limited time. Skybuds will be available in 8 Nordstrom stores from June 30th  August 13th in the United States and Canada, including Downtown Seattle and Bellevue in Washington; The Grove and South Coast Plaza in California; Michigan Ave, Chicago; North Park, Dallas; Eaton Place, Toronto; and Vancouver, as well as onNordstrom.com/pop.

Skybuds truly wireless earbuds are created with a number of must-have features including Find My Skybuds, location-based tracking to prevent users from losing them; Awareness, to allow users to listen to music without missing the world around them; and a twist-and-lock fit to ensure they won't fall out. During this time, Skybuds Black and Silver options will also be available for purchase on nordstrom.com/pop.

[email protected]  trend-forward themed concept shops curated by Olivia Kim, vice president of Creative Projects at Nordstrom - feature merchandise from brands that are innovative leaders in their categories. [email protected]: GETS WIRED has a streamlined, elegant design with an assortment of other cutting-edge brands at the forefront of the tech industry.

"We're proud to be recognized as one of the leaders in wearable tech by Nordstrom, one of the world's leading retail brands," said Jamie Roberts Seltzer, CEO and co-founder, Skybuds. "We're excited about our participation in [email protected]: GETS WIRED, and we invite shoppers to unlock a truly wireless audio experience unlike any other."

For more information on Find My Skybuds and Awareness, or to purchase Skybuds, visit www.Skybuds.com.

About Skybuds - Skybuds are truly wireless earbuds. Skybuds are transforming the portable audio industry by providing a premier listening experience leveraging NFMI technology and beyond. Alpha continues to invest in software upgrades and will roll out more functionality enhancements into Skybuds, transforming them beyond just truly wireless headphones. Skybuds empower users to cut the wire and "Free Your Sound". For more information, please visit skybuds.com. Skybuds is also official retail partners with amazon.com, Jet.com and bestbuy.com. You can also like Skybuds on Facebook and follow Skybuds on Twitter and Instagram.

Media Contact

5WPR for Skybuds

[email protected]

SOURCE Skybuds

Related Links

https://skybuds.com/


We all know that grilling is so much more than just cooking. It's a lifestyle that passes on from generation to generation and that is filled with secrets. Every grill master has their own secrets for making get-togethers with family and friends an unforgettable moment. This summer, become a "Grill Hero" with this secret: the quality and delicious flavor of Smithfield Fresh Pork.

"Grilling or barbecuing with the best quality ingredients is one of those things that can bring the whole neighborhood together. That's why I use Smithfield Fresh Pork when grilling for my family and friends. My goal for summer grill-outs is for everyone to have a great time and be satisfied," said Servantes, champion pitmaster. "For many years, it has been a great honor and privilege to serve the highest-quality of Smithfield Fresh Pork to my loved ones."

Pitmaster Servantes and his Burnt Bean Co. barbecue team are long-time users of Smithfield products and 40-time Grand Champions on the circuit. Pitmaster Servantes also won Food Network's "Chopped: Grill Masters."

Throughout the summer, Pitmaster Servantes has prepared several easy-to-grill recipes that are sure to turn up the flavor to all the grill-worthy summer days.

PITMASTER SERVANTES' FAVORITE GRILLING RECIPES

Cactus Jack Texas Spareribs - A spin-off to your typical ribs, this version includes a Cactus Jack Rub, Rattlesnake BBQ Sauce, and Oak or Pecan wood for smoking. Your grill (and your taste buds) will thank you.

- A spin-off to your typical ribs, this version includes a Cactus Jack Rub, Rattlesnake BBQ Sauce, and Oak or Pecan wood for smoking. Your grill (and your taste buds) will thank you. Honey Soy Grilled Pork Chops with Korean BBQ Sauce - These pork chops feature Smithfield Boneless Center Cut Pork Chops. The Korean BBQ Sauce consists of garlic, soy sauce, sriracha sauce, brown sugar, ginger, and original BBQ Sauce.

- These pork chops feature Smithfield Boneless Center Cut Pork Chops. The Korean BBQ Sauce consists of garlic, soy sauce, sriracha sauce, brown sugar, ginger, and original BBQ Sauce. Jammin' Jerk Pork Burger - Introduce your grill to the new and improved pork burger, this includes cabbage slaw, Jerk BBQ Sauce, and homemade mango salsa.

Now that you have multiple options to have the most epic grilling season this summer, become the "Grill Hero" and gather all your friends and family for the most unforgettable summer.

To join the conversation, like us on Facebook @SaborSmithfield using the hashtag #SaborSmithfield. Visit SaborSmithfield.com to explore flavorful fresh pork grilling recipes and tips.

About Smithfield

A leading provider of high-quality pork products, Smithfield was founded in 1936 in Smithfield, Virginia, establishing the town as the "Ham Capital of the World." From hand-trimmed bacon and slow-smoked holiday hams to marinated tenderloins, Smithfield brings artistry, authenticity and a commitment to heritage, flavor, and handcrafted excellence to everything it produces. With a vast product portfolio including smoked meats, hams, bacon, sausage, ribs, and a wide variety of fresh pork cuts, the company services retail, foodservice, and deli channels across the United States and 30 countries abroad. All of Smithfield's products meet the highest quality and safety standards in the industry. To learn more about how Flavor Hails from Smithfield, please visit www.Smithfield.com, www.Twitter.com/SmithfieldBrand, and www.Facebook.com/CookingWithSmithfield. Smithfield is a brand of Smithfield Foods.

About Smithfield Foods

Smithfield Foods is a $15 billion global food company and the world's largest pork processor and hog producer. In the United States, the company is also the leader in numerous packaged meats categories with popular brands including Smithfield, Eckrich, Nathan's Famous, Farmland, Armour, John Morrell, Cook's, Kretschmar, Gwaltney, Curly's, Margherita, Carando, Healthy Ones, Krakus, Morliny and Berlinki. Smithfield Foods is committed to providing good food in a responsible way and maintains robust animal care, community involvement, employee safety, environmental and food safety, and quality programs. For more information, visit www.smithfieldfoods.com.

SOURCE Smithfield

Related Links

http://www.Smithfield.com


NEW YORK, July 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Carbyne, U.S distributors of Reporty technology, received a special visitor on Monday when Ehud Barak, former Prime Minister of Israel, popped in to admire the new offices, state-of-the-art demo suite, and greet new staff members.

Former Prime Minister Ehud Barak chats with Carbyne employees Former Prime Minister Ehud Barak (left) with Carbyne President Amir Elichai in front of the Reporty ecosystem for 911 and 311 services.

Ehud Barak, Prime Minister of Israel from 1999-2001, has spent a lifetime in various roles in the Israel Defence Forces, including as the Chief of Staff, and the Israeli political establishment. During his time in the Israeli military, he participated or oversaw numerous operations that are studied by military historians and tacticians to this day. As Prime Minister, Barak participated in the Camp David peace summit and was the architect of the withdrawal from Southern Lebanon.

Barak, who was one of the first investors in Reporty and sits on its board, marveled at the newly installed demo unit in the New York offices.

"The technology behind Reporty is living and breathing. It will always work no matter what market, device, or system a city has. In the few short years that Reporty has been in operation, we have evolved our ecosystem so that it transcends any one device, even without a mobile application. We are embedding ourselves across the landscape of technology. Phones, computers, wearables, smoke detectors, and almost anything you can think of is going to be a part of our solution and is going to be the backbone of any call made to 9-1-1 and 3-1-1," Barak said. On the newly opened offices, Barak joked that they had a "corporate feel but a start-up soul."

Amir Elichai, President of Carbyne, echoed Barak's sentiments about the demo suite and the new offices.

"We've deployed currently in half a dozen countries around the globe and have pilot programs running in even more," Elichai said. "There are thousands upon thousands of calls made with Reporty every single day. Reporty is a state-of-the-art solution that has passed every single test that governments and citizens can throw at it. We are the only product out there that can boast such a wide-range of success, which saves so many lives across the globe."

The demo suite, recently installed in the New York City office, gives users a greater comprehension of the uniqueness of Carbyne's ecosystem: the C2I, CRM, Call Taker, and Machine-learning algorithm for automatic prioritization of incoming calls.

"We connect directly into the public safety infrastructure," Elichai explained. "We're not an app that claims to do so much and then does very little, our technology is sitting right next to the dispatchers. By integrating with first responders, we ensure that we get the right location, that the video-streaming will work, that the call prioritization will work and this marriage of our technology and Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) is why we can do so much for emergency services at such a low price."

"Each part of our ecosystem plays a critical role," Elichai said. "The C2I helps prioritize the most important calls, the call-taker gives dispatchers an unmatched overview of everything happening at the scene of an event, the CRM archives and dates all calls for retrieval, and our machine-learning algorithm is the secret ingredient that makes Reporty the best solution out there for first responders and city services."

Carbyne, which has been in talks with a number of State governments and police agencies, touts the combination of video-streaming and instant location as the reason that they can so effectively reduce times to dispatch and save cities money.

"When it comes to this technology," Barak said, "we are talking about the tip of the spear. There is nothing out there that matches this, and Reporty is always innovating, upgrading, and making sure that it's a better product each day."

Media contact:

Raffe Gold

[email protected]

2123801159 ext 402

SOURCE Carbyne, Inc

Related Links

https://www.carbyne-hls.com


THE WOODLANDS, Texas, July 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Summit Midstream Partners, LP (NYSE: SMLP) announced today that it has executed an agreement with XTO Energy Inc. ("XTO") to develop, own and operate a new associated natural gas gathering and processing system servicing acreage located in the northern Delaware Basin in Eddy and Lea counties in New Mexico.

Summit will initially construct a gathering and processing system with high and low pressure gathering and discharge pipelines, two compressor stations and a cryogenic processing plant with 60 million cubic feet per day ("MMcf/d") of processing capacity. Summit's processing complex will have the ability to be expanded to over 600 MMcf/d of processing capacity, as warranted, to meet customer needs. Summit expects to process production from XTO and other nearby producers. The initial phase of the project is expected to be operational on or before June 1, 2018 at a total investment cost of approximately $110.0 million.

Steve Newby, President and Chief Executive Officer, commented, "Today's announcement represents a significant step for Summit. This greenfield development project establishes Summit as a key midstream service provider in the Delaware Basin, one of the most active, economic and exciting plays in North America. This initial system is expected to provide SMLP with a platform for significant organic expansion across crude oil, natural gas and produced water gathering and/or processing services for years to come. We look forward to executing additional commercial agreements with other producers in the area."

About Summit Midstream Partners, LP

SMLP is a growth-oriented limited partnership focused on developing, owning and operating midstream energy infrastructure assets that are strategically located in the core producing areas of unconventional resource basins, primarily shale formations, in the continental United States. SMLP provides natural gas, crude oil and produced water gathering services pursuant to primarily long-term and fee-based gathering and processing agreements with customers and counterparties in five unconventional resource basins: (i) the Appalachian Basin, which includes the Marcellus and Utica shale formations in West Virginia and Ohio; (ii) the Williston Basin, which includes the Bakken and Three Forks shale formations in North Dakota; (iii) the Fort Worth Basin, which includes the Barnett Shale formation in Texas; (iv) the Piceance Basin, which includes the Mesaverde formation as well as the Mancos and Niobrara shale formations in Colorado and Utah; and (v) the Denver-Julesburg Basin, which includes the Niobrara and Codell shale formations in Colorado and Wyoming. SMLP is in the process of developing new gathering and processing infrastructure in a sixth basin, the Delaware Basin, in New Mexico. SMLP also owns substantially all of a 40% ownership interest in Ohio Gathering, which is developing natural gas gathering and condensate stabilization infrastructure in the Utica Shale in Ohio. SMLP is headquartered in The Woodlands, Texas, with regional corporate offices in Denver, Colorado and Atlanta, Georgia.

About Summit Midstream Partners, LLC

Summit Midstream Partners, LLC ("Summit Investments") beneficially owns a 34.7% limited partner interest in SMLP and indirectly owns and controls the general partner of SMLP, Summit Midstream GP, LLC, which has sole responsibility for conducting the business and managing the operations of SMLP. Summit Investments is a privately held company controlled by Energy Capital Partners II, LLC, and certain of its affiliates. An affiliate of Energy Capital Partners II, LLC directly owns an 7.9% limited partner interest in SMLP.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release includes certain statements concerning expectations for the future that are forward-looking within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Forward-looking statements contain known and unknown risks and uncertainties (many of which are difficult to predict and beyond management's control) that may cause SMLP's actual results in future periods to differ materially from anticipated or projected results. An extensive list of specific material risks and uncertainties affecting SMLP is contained in its 2016 Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 27, 2017, and as amended and updated from time to time. Any forward-looking statements in this press release are made as of the date of this press release and SMLP undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect new information or events.

SOURCE Summit Midstream Partners, LP
GREENSBORO, N.C., July 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Tanger Factory Outlet Centers, Inc. (NYSE: SKT), announced today that its Board of Directors declared a quarterly dividend of $0.3425 per share for the second quarter ending June 30, 2017. A cash dividend of $0.3425 per share will be payable on August 15, 2017 to holders of record on July 31, 2017.

Since becoming a public company in May 1993, the company has paid a cash dividend each quarter and has increased its dividend each year.

About Tanger Factory Outlet Centers

Tanger Factory Outlet Centers, Inc. (NYSE:SKT), is a publicly-traded REIT headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina that presently operates and owns, or has an ownership interest in, a portfolio of 43 upscale outlet shopping centers and one additional center currently under construction. Tanger's operating properties are located in 22 states coast to coast and in Canada, totaling approximately 14.8 million square feet, leased to over 3,100 stores which are operated by more than 500 different brand name companies. The Company has more than 36 years of experience in the outlet industry. Tanger Outlet Centers continue to attract more than 188 million shoppers annually. For more information on Tanger Outlet Centers, call 1-800-4TANGER or visit the Company's website at www.tangeroutlets.com.

CONTACT:

Cyndi Holt

Vice President of Investor Relations

(336) 834-6892

SOURCE Tanger Factory Outlet Centers, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.tangeroutlet.com


During the program, TeamCITGO was collectively recognized by the Louisiana Legislature, Senate and House of Representatives, for its 30th anniversary with a special proclamation presented by Rep. Mike Danahay. The proclamation honored the organization's commitment to leading volunteerism in Louisiana since 1987 and its enduring legacy. Elected Officials also in attendance included Louisiana legislative officials, local mayors, and Lake Charles and Westlake City Council members.

President and CEO of United Way SWLA Denise Durel addressed volunteers about the importance of volunteerism for local charities and non-profits. She reiterated how much of an impact TeamCITGO volunteers have in making a difference in benefitting thousands of residents in the area. "TeamCITGO volunteers have a heart that is big enough to not only handle their own trials but that expands to carry the burdens of others," Durel said.

TeamCITGO, volunteers average 4,000 volunteer hours annually and have served countless hours of community service throughout the years. In 2016 alone, TeamCITGO volunteered at 55 events with a total of 3,987.5 hours. CITGO Interim Vice President Refining Tomeu Vadell who attended the event said without a doubt, TeamCITGO volunteers convey the character of CITGO. "Through volunteerism, TeamCITGO volunteers carry out the mission of CITGO to improve the quality of life in the communities where we operate. It's this commitment to volunteerism that enables TeamCITGO to be one of the most highly sought after volunteer organizations in Southwest Louisiana. We thank our volunteers for the community stewardship that this great organization is known for in Southwest Louisiana and beyond," Vadell said.

The top volunteers of the year for 2016 were also recognized during the special program. TeamCITGO employee volunteers of the year included Terminal Manager Charles Jernigan, 49 hours; Process Design Engineer David Sears, 51 hours and Industrial Hygiene Specialist Joe Bilbo, Sr., 56 hours. CITGO Friends and Families Volunteers of the year were also recognized including Pam Bergeaux, 42 hours; Priscilla Williams, 60 hours and Pat Bergeaux (CITGO Retiree), 108 hours as well as the Youth Volunteer of the Year: Lindsey Hudson, 48 hours.

In addition, CITGO Machinist and TeamCITGO President Tammy Spell was presented with the Bob Carroll Legacy Award named after the late Bob Carroll, a lead TeamCITGO member who exhibited the character and mission of TeamCITGO to selflessly serve his community. Spell was presented with the Legacy Award in recognition of her tireless dedication of service to TeamCITGO throughout the last 20 years.

About CITGO

CITGO, based in Houston, is a refiner, transporter and marketer of transportation fuels, lubricants, petrochemicals and other industrial products. The company is owned by CITGO Holding, Inc., an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Petroleos de Venezuela, S.A., the national oil company of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. For more information, visit www.CITGO.com.

SOURCE CITGO

Related Links

http://www.CITGO.com


CARLSBAD, Calif., July 7, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The NAMM Foundation has announced that the organization will benefit 24 different music education programs with $675,000 in grants, an increase made possible by NAMM Foundation donors. The beneficiaries, located both domestically and abroad, provide access and instruction to a variety of different communities and demographics. While unique in instrumentation and location, each organization's mission underscores the Foundation's commitment to creating and supporting access to quality music education programs to inspire a life-long love of music making.

"From France to Brazil, to Canada and Great Britain and beyond, the recipients of our grants are working to create access and opportunities for all people to experience the joy of making music," stated Mary Luehrsen, Executive Director of The NAMM Foundation. "It is through the transformative work of nonprofit music service organizations that thousands of people will discover their own musical talents."

Since its inception in 1994, The NAMM Foundation's annual grant program has donated more than $16 million in support to domestic and international music education programs, scientific research, advocacy and public service programs related to music making. The grants are funded in part by donations from the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) and its 10,300 member companies worldwide.

"We are grateful to the many new and existing donors who have so generously benefitted the NAMM Foundation this past year," continued Luehrsen. "Their generosity has helped the Foundation expand its grant making efforts to benefit numerous opportunities for people of all ages to experience the joys and benefits of making music."

The 2017 beneficiaries of The NAMM Foundation grants are as follows:

Anafima Associacao Nacional dos Fabricantes de Instrumentos Musicais e Audio LTda

(ANAFIMA)

The Brazilian Musical Instruments and Audio Industry Association is led by a mission of creating more musicians. The charity was formed by the ANAFIMA to channel resources directly into creating more music makers. The NAMM Foundation funding will support its efforts to expand National Play Day in 2018 offering free lessons through a network of music stores and companies. A grant will also support promotional efforts through an expanded website and PR outreach to promote the benefits of making music and National Play Day events and music learning opportunities.

Australian Music Association

The Australian Music Association is the trade body for the music products industry, representing wholesalers, manufacturers, retailers and associated services for musical instruments, pro audio, print music, lighting and computer music products. The NAMM Foundation funding supports the expansion of AMA's commitment to Recreational Music Making and the organization's Young Warriors program. This outreach and youth development effort is organized in collaboration with regional mental health professionals and youth workers who operate rock bands and hands-on music technology learning in store fronts and community centers. Funding will also support the 2018 Make Music Day Australia.

Coalition for Music Education in Canada

The Coalition for Music Education in Canada (CMEC)'s mission is to raise the awareness and understanding of the role that music education plays in Canadian culture, and to promote the benefits that music education brings to young people. The NAMM Foundation funding supports the expansion of its Music Monday program, a public awareness initiative that engages thousands of music makers and the media in the opportunity to celebrate music making's vital role in school and in life. The program has engaged national media, politicians and artists in promoting the importance of music education for all children in Canada. CMEC will also continue to advance its Youth4Music program engaging young people in their communities creating a network of youth promoting the benefits and importance of music education.

Dallas Wind Symphony

The Dallas Wind Symphony's mission is to bring extraordinary musicians and enthusiastic audiences together to celebrate the performance, promotion, and preservation of the music and traditions of the American wind band through concerts, recordings, broadcasts, music education programs, commissions, and projects that nurture the professional development of musicians, composers, and conductors. The NAMM Foundation funding will support their School Band Education Enrichment for all Dallas Independent School District fifth grade students as an introduction to band. Funding also supports the Dallas Wind Symphony summer band camp that provides at-risk and underserved students from the Dallas Independent School District the chance to attend a unique summer band camp presented by the professional musicians of this world-class wind ensemble.

EngAGE, Inc.

The EngAGE mission is to empower people- intellectually, creatively and emotionally- to do what they do best for the rest of their lives. EngAGE is a national service program that is an outgrowth of NAMM-funded research on the impact of rigorous music and art making on the health and wellbeing of seniors. A first-ever NAMM Foundation grant will support "EngAGE in Music," an expansion of ongoing EngAGE in Creativity programs, that transforms senior apartment communities into vibrant centers for teaching and learning, artistic exploration, creativity and engagement. Funding support for EngAGE in Music will offer a variety of music programs (taiko drumming, ukulele, choir and other ensemble music opportunities) for low-income seniors residing in Common Bond communities in Minneapolis, MN through a collaboration with the MacPhail Center for Music.

Guitars and Accessories Marketing Association

The Guitar and Accessories Marketing Association (GAMA) is a trade association comprising guitar products manufacturers and distributors with a mission to bring together and grow the guitar community by promoting greater access to learning and playing guitar. The NAMM Foundation funding supports the training of 250-300 school music educators in the coming year through workshops that occur across the country and provides tools to start school-based guitar programs. Through the grant, this long-running program has substantially influenced what is offered in music education curriculum programs in the U.S. today.

Guitars in the Classroom

Guitars in the Classroom (GITC) trains and equips classroom teachers to integrate singing and playing guitar into children's daily school experiences. By providing instruction, access to instruments, resource materials, and program supervision, GITC empowers educators to transform classrooms into musical environments that bring out the best in all students by engaging them in studies across the curriculum. The NAMM Foundation funding will support the "Triangle Training Approach"  workshops and teacher training to support teachers as they integrate guitar and ukulele into the elementary curriculum.

John Lennon Educational Tour Bus

The John Lennon Educational Tour Bus is a non-profit 501(c)(3) state-of-the-art mobile audio and HD video recording and production facility. The NAMM Foundation funding supports a school and community residency in school year 2017-18 featuring student workshops on The John Lennon Educational Tour Bus, a mobile recording studio that provides hands-on training in music technology. As part of the residency, The NAMM Foundation hosts a community-wide, town hall style SupportMusic Community Forum as a national webcast that celebrates the community's commitment and support for music education for all students. A school district/community is selected based on a submission to a "What Makes Music Education Great in My District" video contest that is held each fall.

Little Kids Rock

The mission of Little Kids Rock is to restore and revitalize music education in U.S. public schools. It provides free musical instruments and music instruction to underserved schools across the country. The NAMM Foundation funding supports Little Kids Rocks' Modern Band Rockfest 2017, its 5th annual national teacher training conference. This week-long teacher training event guides teachers and administrators in methods to develop "modern band" programs  guitar, drums, keyboard  as part of school music education offerings.

The Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation

The Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation (MHOF) expands and boosts music education in schools by providing durable, high-quality musical instruments to deserving, under-funded music programs nationwide. MHOF also helps schools advance best practices to ensure the longevity of these vital programs. The NAMM Foundation funds will assist MHOF in selecting and providing new instruments to supply two school music programs.

Music For All

Music For All/UK is the charity attached to the UK musical instrument industry. The organization serves to make more musicians. The charity will use The NAMM Foundation grant to align its Learn to Play Day in 2017 with the global Make Music Day UK music events and to expand the reach and ambition of the project. The Learn to Play Day annual event enables the public to have free lessons at UK music retail stores. The goal is to expand Learn to Play Day to a week-long event that culminates in UK-wide Make Music Day being developed with partners that include the BBC, musicians' union and others. As part of an expanding NAMM-member-led network, Music for All will also share its community event resources with MI organizations in Brazil, Spain and Germany.

Musical Futures Australia

Musical Futures, a program created in the UK and with NAMM support, will offer training to teachers in schools. The program is designed to extend the reach of music education into the local school systems across Asia using the Musical Futures approach to teaching and learning. A grant supports the project's immediate goals to increase access to music making through: the development of a network of schools and highly skilled teachers who can facilitate and lead music education in their local cities and communities; creating an infrastructure and means to transfer the skills and approach to local teachers and school systems; broaden the base of music making opportunities to include recreational/community music making for young students; and address the barriers and impediments that restrict access to music making across school systems.

National Piano Foundation

The mission of the National Piano Foundation is to develop educational programs, activities and materials which educate the general public, parents and students about the value, benefit and enjoyment of playing the piano; contribute to the professional well-being of the teaching community; support the music study success of piano users; and promote the productive interaction and cooperation of all segments of the music industry. The NAMM Foundation funds will support the continuance of the National Piano Foundation's (NPF) training for piano teachers in collaboration with Music Teachers National Association (MTNA). The grant also supports a new program, Keyboards in the Classroom, and the development and piloting of a new classroom curriculum and teacher training modeled after a high-impact program in a Texas public school. This "teaching the teacher" program seeks to reach thousands of more students through group keyboard lessons and compel piano and piano lab purchases as part of music education infrastructure needs in public schools.

National String Project Consortium

The National String Project Consortium (NSPC) is a coalition of String Project sites based at colleges and universities across the United States. The NSPC is dedicated to increasing the number of children playing stringed instruments, and addressing the critical shortage of string teachers in the United States. The NAMM Foundation funding support will provide teacher training for string music educators and offer training to teach strings in inner-city and under-served communities. Funding will support the emerging programs of four existing sites at Pacific University, Kennesaw State University, Southern Mississippi University, and University of Texas at El Paso, as well as a new site at Tennessee Tech University.

Notes for Change, Inc.

Notes for Change, Inc. seeks to empower students through the experience of musical study and increasing access to music education. The organization's goals are to promote life skills and community through musical training, and advocate for music education. The NAMM Foundation funding will expand the Ensemble Newsletter readership by distributing in formats that provide access through all means across the global Sistema. Support will also raise awareness through a social media campaign.

Orchestre a' L'Ecole

Orchestre a' L'Ecole, a non-profit music trade association in France, aims to develop the musical abilities of young people in schools in disadvantaged areas. The NAMM Foundation funding will support the continued expansion and provide instruments for students regardless of the personal financial resources of schools and students. As of September 2016, this program of youth orchestra development in France has increased to include 1,200 orchestras throughout the country and hosts national and regional festivals.

Percussion Marketing Council

The Percussion Marketing Council's mission is to provide professional marketing and advertising campaigns, programs and activities that bring increased public awareness to drumming, thus increasing the number of people playing all types of drums. The NAMM Foundation funding supports four key PMC program areas: Drum Set in the Classroom (DSC) that offers in-school drum set workshops with a goal to create more drummers and familiarity with drum set music making; expansion of Percussion in the Schools (PIS) to include more in-school events and cultivate more professional facilitators; Drums Across America based on PMC's successful drum lesson lab tent at select Vans Warped Tour in the summer and increase the lesson lab activities in school and community settings; and International Drum Month, an annual promotion and percussion celebration effort.

Percussive Arts Society

Percussive Arts Society (PAS) is a non-profit, music service organization. Its mission is to promote percussion education, research, performance and appreciation throughout the world. The NAMM Foundation funding supports its expansion of the Indianapolis-based Find Your Rhythm! Community Outreach program. The grant will continue its work with Indianapolis-area school districts via tours and hands-on programs at Rhythm! Discovery Center that also serve the general public with exposure to music education and percussion in its Saturday programs.

San Diego Youth Symphony

The San Diego Youth Symphony (SDYS) and Conservatory instills excellence in the musical and personal development of students through rigorous and inspiring musical-training experiences. The NAMM Foundation funding supports SDYS Community Opus after-school programs in Chula Vista, CA (CVESD). As the district builds its district-wide music education program, the Opus after-school program fill a gap of access for students who do not yet have in-school music and students who want a more advanced music ensemble experience. The NAMM Foundation support for the SDYS Community Opus in Chula Vista has been a catalyst for the re-instatement of music education in the district including the hiring of over 70 fulltime certified music and arts educators.

SongwritingWith: Soldiers

SongwritingWith: Soldiers (SW:S)'s mission is to transform lives by using collaborative songwriting to expand creativity, connections and strengths. Soldiers (SW:S) connects veterans with professional songwriters in retreat and workshop settings to craft songs about combat, the transition home and address issues of PTSD, connectedness and social isolation that can occur after military service. The program serves all branches of the military populations. Retreats are free to participants and their family/caregiver. The NAMM Foundation will support two SongwritingWith: Soldiers retreats.

The Sphinx Organization, Inc.

Founded in 1996, the Sphinx Organization is a Detroit-based national performing arts organization dedicated to transforming lives through the power of diversity in the arts. The NAMM Foundation funding will support the organization's summer academy that provides music education and a pathway to exemplary achievement in classical music for Black and Latino student musicians.

Technology Institute for Music Educators (TI:ME)

The Technology Institute for Music Educators (TI:ME) is a non-profit organization whose mission is to assist music educators in applying technology to improve teaching and learning in music. The NAMM Foundation grant will support the TI:ME Technology Leadership Academy for pre-service music education teachers. Selected through a competitive, national application process, 20 participants who are in the final years of preparation to be music teachers, will attend the academy to be held in conjunction with the TI:ME National Conference and learn various methods for using music technology as part of standards-based music education curriculum.

VH1 Save the Music Foundation

The VH1 Save the Music Foundation develops long-term, sustainable instrumental music programs in high-need public schools. In 2014, they created the KEYS + Kids Piano Grant Program to respond to the demand for high-quality piano packages for music, drama and community programs in K-12 schools. The NAMM Foundation funding will provide two targeted KEYS + Kids grants to qualifying schools in the 2017-18 school year.

Young Audiences Arts for Learning

A grant to Young Audiences (YA), a national non-profit that connects educators to community music and arts education resources, continues a collaboration with The NAMM Foundation to strengthen the capacities of music service organizations. YA will organize a series of forums and roundtables at The NAMM Show 2018 along with online resources to strengthen music making service organizations around issues of non-profit management including board governance, fund raising, promotion and program evaluation and implementation that includes alignment with national fine arts standards.

Media contact:

Chalise Zolezzi, NAMM

[email protected]

760-801-7900

About The NAMM Foundation

The NAMM Foundation is a non-profit supported in part by the National Association of Music Merchants and its 10,300 members around the world. The NAMM Foundation works to advance active participation in music making across the lifespan by supporting scientific research, philanthropic giving and public service programs. For more information about The NAMM Foundation, please visit http://www.nammfoundation.org

SOURCE NAMM Foundation

Related Links

http://www.nammfoundation.org


NEW YORK, July 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The Swiss Helvetia Fund, Inc. (NYSE: SWZ), a non-diversified registered closed-end investment company, announced today that First Coast Results, Inc., the independent inspector of elections for the Fund's Annual Meeting of Stockholders held on June 27, 2017, has provided preliminary results for the votes regarding the proposals presented at the Annual Meeting. There were 25,313,872 shares of the Fund's common stock outstanding and entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting. Preliminary voting results are summarized below.

Director Elections



Votes For Votes Withheld Shares Not Voted Class I (2019 Term)





Fred J. Ricciardi 7,805,860 615,595 7,337,077 Mortiz Sell 9,252,035 303,305 7,337,077







Class II (2020 Term)





Claus Helbig 7,789,303 632,152 7,337,077 Andrew Dakos * * *







Class III (2018 Term)





Jean E. Hoysradt 7,809,793 611,662 7,337,077 Thomas C. Mazarakis 6,741,675 2,813,665 7,337,077

* First Coast Results, Inc. reported that Andrew Dakos received 9,281,647 votes "For", 273,693 votes "Withheld" and 7,337,077 shares not voted.

Based on the Fund's plurality voting standard for the election of directors, Mr. Sell and Ms. Hoysradt have been elected by stockholders to serve on the Fund's Board of Directors. As previously announced, Mr. Dakos did not satisfy the director qualification requirements outlined in the Fund's By-Laws and, as a result, Mr. Dakos was not eligible to be nominated and, therefore, has not been seated as a Class II Director. The Fund expects that its Board of Directors will meet, at an appropriate time, to consider Mr. Dakos' eligibility to serve on the Fund's Board of Directors.

Other Proposals

Stockholders approved the ratification of the selection of Tait, Weller & Baker, LLP as the Fund's independent registered public accounting firm for the year ending December 31, 2017:

Votes For Votes Against Abstentions Shares Not Voted 17,299,230 248,552 429,007 7,337,083

Stockholders approved an amendment to the Fund's Certificate of Incorporation to eliminate the classification of the Fund's Board of Directors:

Votes For Votes Against Abstentions Shares Not Voted 16,983,376 419,179 574,233 7,337,084

Stockholders did not approve the non-binding stockholder proposal recommending that the Fund's Board of Directors authorize a self-tender offer for all of the outstanding common stock of the Fund:

Votes For Votes Against Abstentions Shares Not Voted 4,522,846 10,050,423 3,403,524 7,337,079

The stockholder proposal to terminate the Fund's investment advisory contracts, which was predicated in part on the approval of the non-binding tender offer proposal, was withdrawn by its proponent at the Annual Meeting. As a result, no votes were taken on that proposal.

Stockholders did not approve the non-binding stockholder proposals for the continuation of the 2002 amendments to the Fund's By-Laws that (i) established Director qualifications and (ii) required approval by holders of 75% of the Fund's outstanding shares to amend the Fund's By-Laws:

Director Qualifications Provision

Votes For Votes Against Abstentions Shares Not Voted 8,754,815 9,178,343 43,634 7,337,080

75% Amendment Provision

Votes For Votes Against Abstentions Shares Not Voted 8,753,943 9,178,018 44,830 7,337,081

The Fund's Board of Directors will consider the results of these other proposals in due course.

The Fund's proxy materials provide additional information about these proposals. The Fund will announce any changes in the outcome of the proposals once it receives final voting results from First Coast Results, Inc. The Fund also will post the final voting results on its website (www.swzfund.com) and will provide similar information in its Semi-Annual Report to Stockholders for the six-month period ended June 30, 2017.

About The Swiss Helvetia Fund, Inc.

The Fund (www.swzfund.com) is a non-diversified, closed-end investment company seeking long-term capital appreciation through investment in equity and equity-linked securities of Swiss companies. Its shares are listed on the NYSE under the symbol "SWZ." The Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing generally in Swiss equity and equity-linked securities that are traded on a Swiss stock exchange, traded at the pre-bourse level of one or more Swiss stock exchanges, traded through a market maker or traded over the counter in Switzerland. The Fund also may invest in Swiss equity and equity-linked securities of Swiss companies that are traded on other major European stock exchanges.

Closed-end funds, unlike open-end funds, are not continuously offered. Typically, shares of closed-end funds are sold in the open market through a stock exchange. Shares of closed-end funds frequently trade at a discount to net asset value. The price of the Fund's shares is determined by a number of factors, several of which are beyond the control of the Fund. Therefore, the Fund cannot predict whether its shares will trade at, below or above net asset value.

The Fund is managed by Schroder Investment Management North America Inc.

About Schroder Investment Management North America Inc.

Schroder Investment Management North America Inc. and Schroder Investment Management North America Limited, investment advisors registered with the U.S. SEC, are units of Schroders plc (SDR.L), a global asset management company with approximately $520.6 billion under management and administration as of March 31, 2017. Schroder's clients include major financial institutions including banks and insurance companies, as well as local and public authorities, public and private pension funds, endowments and foundations, intermediaries and advisors, as well as high net worth individuals and retail investors. The firm has built one of the largest networks of offices of any dedicated asset management company with more than 400 portfolio managers and analysts covering the world's investment markets, offering a comprehensive range of products and services.

Schroder Investment Management North America Inc. provides asset management products and services to clients in the U.S. and Canada. Schroder Investment Management North America Inc. is an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of Schroders plc, a U.K. public company with shares listed on the London Stock Exchange.

This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation to buy, nor shall there be any sale of the Fund's shares in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer or solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the laws of such state or jurisdiction.

Contact:

Jennifer Brogadir

212-641-3863



SOURCE The Swiss Helvetia Fund, Inc.

Related Links

www.swzfund.com


(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160303/792302 )



Browse 66 Market Data Tables and 68 Figures spread through 199 Pages and in-depth TOC on "Vibration Monitoring Market "

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The growth of this market can be attributed to the growing awareness toward predictive maintenance. Benefits provided by predictive maintenance (PdM) program are gaining rapid popularity in the manufacturing sector globally. On the back of these benefits, the techniques are being implemented on a large scale, especially in the capital-intensive industries such as automotive, and oil and gas.

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"Hardware held largest share of vibration monitoring market in 2016"

The vibration monitoring market based on offerings is led by the hardware segment in terms of size. The high demand for hardware components such as accelerometers, proximity probes, velocity sensors, transmitters, and other components is one of the major factors that have led to its dominant position in the said market. They are the main sources which collect the data related to vibration levels in machinery well in advance. The data gathered by the hardware components enables effective predictive maintenance program to avoid costly downtimes.

"Online vibration monitoring market likely to grow at higher CAGR during forecast period"

On the basis of monitoring, the vibration monitoring market for online vibration monitoring is expected to witness the highest growth rate during the forecast period. Online vibration monitoring is widely used process is widely used for critical plants that work continuously and are highly prone to defects. Online vibration monitoring systems have applications in the industries where 24 hour production is maintained, such as oil and gas, energy and power, mining and metal and others industries

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"North America expected to hold largest size of vibration monitoring market by 2023"

North America held the largest size of the vibration monitoring market in 2016, followed by Europe and APAC. The growing adoption of smart manufacturing or Industry 4.0 in various industries creates a huge demand for vibration monitoring in the region. Besides, the factors such as growing focus on optimum asset utilization; stringent government regulations for the workplace and personal safety; and tight quality control in the oil and gas, chemicals, and food and beverages industries are driving the demand for vibration monitoring systems in North America. The region also witnesses a presence of established manufacturing companies in the US and Canada.

The major players operating in this market include SKF AB (Sweden), Emerson Electric Co. (US), General Electric (US), Meggitt PLC (UK), National Instruments Corp. US), Rockwell Automation, Inc. (US), Honeywell International Inc. (US), Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG (Germany), Bruel & Kiaer Sound & Vibration Measurement A/S (Denmark), and Analog Devices Inc.(US).

Browse Related Reports

Machine Condition Monitoring Market by Monitoring Type (Vibration Monitoring, Thermography, Lubricating Oil Analysis, Corrosion Monitoring, Ultrasound Emission, MCSA), Offering, Industry, Monitoring Process, and Geography - Global Forecast to 2022

http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/machine-health-monitoring-market-29627363.html

Noise Vibration Harshness (NVH) Testing Market by Type (Sensors & Transducers, Meters, Analyzers, Software), Application (Environmental Noise, Pass-by-Noise, Noise Mapping, Acoustics, Sound Quality & Power and Telecom Testing) - Global Forecast to 2022

http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/noise-vibration-harshness-testing-market-47022073.html

Subscribe Reports from Semiconductor Domain @ http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Knowledgestore.asp

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Our 850 fulltime analyst and SMEs at MarketsandMarkets are tracking global high growth markets following the "Growth Engagement Model - GEM". The GEM aims at proactive collaboration with the clients to identify new opportunities, identify most important customers, write "Attack, avoid and defend" strategies, identify sources of incremental revenues for both the company and its competitors. MarketsandMarkets now coming up with 1,500 MicroQuadrants (Positioning top players across leaders, emerging companies, innovators, strategic players) annually in high growth emerging segments. MarketsandMarkets is determined to benefit more than 10,000 companies this year for their revenue planning and help them take their innovations/disruptions early to the market by providing them research ahead of the curve.

MarketsandMarkets's flagship competitive intelligence and market research platform, "RT" connects over 200,000 markets and entire value chains for deeper understanding of the unmet insights along with market sizing and forecasts of niche markets.

Contact:

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MarketsandMarkets

701 Pike Street

Suite 2175, Seattle,

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Tel: +1-888-600-6441

Email: [email protected]



Visit Our [email protected] http://www.marketsandmarketsblog.com/market-reports/electronics-and-semiconductors

Connect with us on LinkedIn @ http://www.linkedin.com/company/marketsandmarkets

SOURCE MarketsandMarkets
By PTI: New Delhi, Jul 7 (PTI) Debt-laden Air India will sell land parcel in Mauritius to state-owned NBCC Ltd for Rs 3.1 crore amid the governments decision to divest stake in the national airline.

"Air India has agreed to sell its asset measuring one acre land in the State of Mauritius to NBCC India Ltd and the transaction valuing Rs 3.10 crore will take place within a few days," the construction firm said in a BSE filing.

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On June 28, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs gave its in-principle approval for the disinvestment of Air India, which has been in the red for long.

Air India, which has a debt burden of more than Rs 52,000 crore, is staying afloat on taxpayers money.

The previous UPA government had extended bailout package worth little over Rs 30,000 crore to the national carrier for a ten-year period starting from 2012.

NBCC Ltd has entered the Mauritius market. It will help develop a social housing project and construct a new Supreme Court building in Mauritius, which together are estimated to cost USD 50 million. PTI MJH SBT

--- ENDS ---
LONDON, July 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- VTTI Energy Partners LP (NYSE: VTTI) (the "Partnership") announced today that it has established a record date of July 17, 2017 and a meeting date of September 13, 2017 for a special meeting of its unitholders. At the special meeting, which will be held at 25-27 Buckingham Palace Road, London, Partnership unitholders will vote on the previously announced proposed merger (the "Merger") of the Partnership and VTTI B.V. ("VTTI"), and related matters pursuant to the Agreement and Plan of Merger dated as of May 8, 2017 (the "Merger Agreement"), by and among the Partnership, VTTI, VTTI Energy Partners GP LLC, the general partner of the Partnership, VTTI MLP Partners B.V. and VTTI Merger Sub LLC, wholly owned subsidiaries of VTTI.

Partnership unitholders of record at the close of business on July 17, 2017, will be entitled to receive notice of the special meeting and to vote at the special meeting. Subject to satisfaction of the remaining closing conditions, including receipt of Partnership unitholder approval, the parties currently expect to complete the Merger shortly following conclusion of the special meeting.

About VTTI Energy Partners LP

VTTI Energy Partners LP is a fee-based limited partnership, formed to own, operate, develop and acquire refined petroleum product and crude oil terminaling and related energy infrastructure assets on a global scale. The Partnership's assets include interests in a broad-based portfolio of six terminals that are strategically located in energy hubs throughout the world with a combined total storage capacity of 36 million barrels.

About VTTI B.V.

VTTI B.V. is a fee-based, growth-oriented business formed to own, operate, develop and acquire refined petroleum product and crude oil terminaling and related energy infrastructure assets on a global scale. VTTI's assets include interests in a broad-based portfolio of terminals that are strategically located throughout the world with a combined total storage capacity of 57 million barrels.

Forward Looking Statements

This press release contains "forward-looking statements." All statements, other than statements of historical facts, that address activities, events or developments that the Partnership expects, projects, believes or anticipates will or may occur in the future are forward-looking statements. You are cautioned not to rely on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release. The Partnership undertakes no obligation and does not intend to update these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances occurring after this press release. These statements are based on current expectations of future events, are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, some of which are beyond the Partnership's control and are difficult to predict. These risks and uncertainties include the risks that the proposed transaction may not be consummated or the benefits contemplated therefrom may not be realized. If underlying assumptions prove inaccurate or unknown risks or uncertainties materialize, actual results could vary materially from our expectations and projections. When considering these forward-looking statements, you should keep in mind the risk factors and other cautionary statements found in our filings with the SEC, which include, but are not limited to, those found in the Partnership's Annual Report filed on Form 20-F with the SEC on April 28, 2017.

For additional information contact:

VTTI ENERGY PARTNERS LP:

Robert Abbott

Chief Financial Officer

Email: [email protected]

Tel: +44 20 3772 0110

Additional Information and Where to Find It

This communication does not constitute a solicitation of any vote or approval with respect to the Merger. This communication relates to a proposed business combination between VTTI and the Partnership. In connection with the proposed transaction, the Partnership will prepare and disseminate a proxy statement to its unitholders. WE URGE SECURITY HOLDERS TO READ THE PROXY STATEMENT AND ANY OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS THAT MAY BE DISSEMINATED BY THE PARTNERSHIP BECAUSE THEY CONTAIN OR WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION. Security holders will be able to obtain these materials (if and when they are available) free of charge at the SEC's website, www.sec.gov. In addition, copies of any documents filed with the SEC may be obtained free of charge from the Partnership's internet website for investors at http://www.vttienergypartners.com. Investors and security holders may also read and copy any reports, statements and other information filed by the Partnership with the SEC at the SEC public reference room at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549. Please call the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330 or visit the SEC's website for further information on its public reference room.

Participation in the Solicitation of Votes

VTTI and the Partnership and their respective directors and executive officers may be considered participants in the solicitation of proxies in connection with the proposed transaction. Information regarding the Partnership's directors and executive officers is available in its Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2016, filed with the SEC on April 28, 2017. Other information regarding the participants in the proxy solicitation and a description of their direct and indirect interests, by security holdings or otherwise, will be contained in the proxy statement and other relevant materials when they become available.

SOURCE VTTI Energy Partners LP

Related Links

http://www.vttienergypartners.com


"WSG is constantly seeking opportunities to add value to its membership, and this agreement with Bloomberg BNA offers tremendous benefits," said Maricarmen Trujillo , chief operating officer of WSG. "As the leading information provider to legal, tax and compliance professionals, Bloomberg BNA is an ideal associate."

The forum series will continue to feature industry experts with Bloomberg BNA's data-driven insights into global issues. The first in the series, Cross-Border Deals Forum, took place on June 20 at Bloomberg LP's 120 Park Avenue New York offices. The inaugural forum explored strategies to handle business and regulatory challenges, and featured a keynote interview with Cary Kochman, head of the North American M&A Group at Citi. Like all forums in the series, it brought together an audience of international business professionals and offered networking opportunities.

The relationship with Bloomberg BNA becomes the fourth "Alliance" that WSG has formed for the benefit of its members. WSG has established Alliances with the global bank Santander, through which member firms provide services to clients of Santander's International Desk service; Interact Marketing, which provides online marketing tools to WSG members; and the Southwestern Institute for International and Comparative Law, which offers WSG discounted entry to the Academy of American and International Law.

About World Services Group

World Services Group is the globally recognized resource for professionals and their clients to receive the highest quality, value and service from legal, investment banking and accounting services. WSG provides members the ability to create new business opportunities and relationships to better serve their clients. For additional information, http://www.worldservicesgroup.com/global-solutions.

About Bloomberg BNA

Bloomberg BNA provides legal, tax, and compliance professionals with critical information, practical guidance and workflow solutions. We leverage leading technology and a global network of experts to deliver a unique combination of news and authoritative analysis, comprehensive research solutions, innovative practice tools, and proprietary business data and analytics. Bloomberg BNA is wholly owned by Bloomberg L.P. For more information, visit www.bna.com.

Contact:

Maricarmen Trujillo

1-713-650-0333

[email protected]

SOURCE World Services Group

Related Links

http://worldservicesgroup.com


If you were looking for the Charlestown Democratic Town Committee website and ended up here, try this





Got news tips, gossip, suggestions, complaints?E-mail us: progressivecharlestown@gmail.com We strive to avoid errors in our articles. Our correction policy can be found here
Paris, July 5 : One day after winning his eighth career stage title, Peter Sagan was disqualified for the 2017 edition of the Tour de France cycle race for controversially elbowing Mark Cavendish and causing a serious crash in the fourth stage sprint finish.

There was some cheer for the local crowds, however, as French racer Arnaud Demare stood out to record his first stage win on Tuesday.

In the 207.5 km ride from Mondorf-les-Bains, Luxembourg, to Vittel, France, as the Briton Cavendish tried to cross the line from the right side with just 100m left, he was elbowed by Sagan ahead of him and hit against metal barriers, reports Xinhua news agency.

Two racers that followed him had no way of making a quick response, and both fell seriously onto the ground.

Medical staff ran in to give the three a simple medical treatment to help them finish the stage.

The 32-year-old Cavendish withdrew from Tour de France in 2014, when he suffered a collarbone fracture after falling down in the first stage final sprint.

He was taken to hospital for further medical check, and was forced to pull out of this year's tournament after fracturing his right shoulder blade, his team Dimension Data announced late on Tuesday.

"Obviously, I'm massively disappointed to get this news about the fracture," Cavendish said.

"I feel I was in a good position to win, but, to lose that and even having to leave the Tour, a race that I've built my whole career around, is really sad," he added.

Not emphasizing his injury itself, Cavendish just could not figure out the way that Sagan treated him, especially that the two racers got on well.

For Cavendish, a crash is just a crash, but he should not have suffered an elbow from his Slovakian opponent.

"I just want to know about the elbow," the 30-time stage winner said.

Sagan was later disqualified by the race commission for his controversial elbowing.

"We decided to disqualify Peter Sagan from the 2017 Tour de France because he endangered seriously several other riders including Mark Cavendish in the final metres of the sprint which happened in Vittel," president of the race commission Philippe Marien announced.

Yellow jersey owner Geraint Thomas also fell victim to another crash in the chaotic final kilometre as racers fought for a good position ahead of the sprint, but the British came unhurt in the crash.

Leading the stage over 190 km just from the start, Guillaume Van Keirsbulck got reeled by the main pack with 16.5 km remaining, but he was undoubtedly awarded the combative racer of the stage.

With an average speed of 61.76km/h in the last 300m, Demare claimed his maiden victory in Tour de France. After snatching 67 sprint points, he also won the sprinters' green jersey from German racer Marcel Kittel.

American Nathan Brown maintained his polka-dot King of the Mountains jersey. Frenchman Pierre-Roger Latour kept the best young racer honour, and Team Sky still sat atop the overall team standings.

Starting from Vittel, the fifth stage will wind 160.5km until La Planche des belles filles after a 5.9 km-long climb with an average gradient of 8.5 per cent, also a first-category climb.
By PTI: Jammu, Jul 7 (PTI) The All Party Migrant Coordination Committee (APMCC) today demanded immediate disbursal of salary to displaced Kashmiri pandits posted in the valley under the Prime Minister special employment programme.

The committees chief, Vinod Pandit, called on chief minister Mehbooba Mufti and discussed the issues of migrant employees posted in Kashmir, including salary and show cause notices faced by them, a press release said.

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Over 1,700 displaced Kashmiri pandit youth have been employed in the valley under the special employment package and scores of employees who stay put in Jammu due to the fear of increasing militancy and 2016 Kashmir unrest are awaiting salaries, it said.

The chief minister assured Pandit that their grievances would be resolved soon. She also assured action on non- implementation of some government orders regarding the salaries and show cause notices by some officials, the release said. PTI AB EMY ZMN AQS

--- ENDS ---
Jerusalem, July 5 : India and Israel on Wednesday decided to scale up their relationship to that of a strategic partnership in the fight against terror, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying the two countries have "agreed to do much more to protect our strategic interests" and to combat rising radicalization and terrorism including in the cyber-space.

On the second day of the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister, Modi, after discussions with host Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, sought to balance New Delhi's traditional ties with Israel's neighbours by saying India hoped that "peace, dialogue and restraint" will prevail in West Asia.

Modi is making a stand-alone visit to Israel and not combining it with a trip to Palestine. In his briefing, Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar said India favoured a negotiated, peaceful settlement of the Palestine issue.

Besides concurrence on strategic issues, India and Israel signed seven agreements and MoUs in space, water management and conservation and agriculture cooperation. One accord provides for setting up of $40 million fund to be spent over five years for technological innovation.

Netanyahu said the two leaders recognised that their countries faced forces of terror which seek to undermine peace and stability. "We have agreed to cooperate in this field as well," he said.

The two leaders addressed the media after one-on-one and delegation level talks, with Jaishankar describing it as an "upbeat conversation as between two peoples and two cultures who can work together".

A joint statement issued after the talks said "...strong measures should be taken against terrorists and terror organisations and all those who encourage, support and finance or provide sanctury to terrorists and terror groups".

This, Jaishankar said, was a fairly clear and expressive description on the issue of terror and it was possible to reduce it to three words -- cross border terrorism -- which a reporter said was missing in the joint statement.

It also said that "this historic first-ever visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Israel solidified the enduring friendship between their peoples and raised the bilateral relationship to that of a strategic partnership".

In his remarks, Modi said India and Israel live in complex geographies. "We are aware of strategic threats to regional peace and stability. India has suffered first hand the violence and hatred spread by terror. So has Israel.

"Prime Minister and I agreed to do much more together to protect our strategic interest and also cooperate to combat growing radicalization and terrorism, including in cyber space.

"We also discussed the situation in West Asia and wider region. It is India's hope that peace, dialogue and restraint will prevail."

Netanyahu said "we also recognise that we are charged by forces of terror who seek to undermine our countries' peace and stability. We agreed to cooperate in this field as well".

Modi said he and Netanyahu had productive discussions covering an extensive menu of issues not just in areas of bilateral opportunities but also on how their cooperation can help global peace and stability. "Our goal is to build a relationship that reflects our shared priorities and draws on enduring bonds between our peoples."

Observing that Israel was among the leading nations in the field of innovation, water and agriculture technology, which were also his priority areas, Modi said he and Netanyahu agreed that efficiency of water and resource used, water conservation and its purification and productivity in agriculture were key areas in deepening bilateral cooperation.

He said both regarded the thriving two-way trade and investment flows as the bedrock of a strong relationship and they agreed to do more in this direction.

"Businesses on both sides should take primary lead in such efforts. This would also be our message to CEO forum tomorrow," he said.

Modi said that people of the two countries have natural affinity and warmth for each other. "The Indian-origin Jewish community reminds us of these bonds. It also serves as a bridge to a shared future.

"I am confident the strength of these links, old and new, will hold us in good stead as we forge a partnership for the 21st century."

Netanyahu said he had a feeling that India and Israel were today changing "our world and may be changing parts of the world.

"Because this is the cooperation, it is a marriage really made in heaven but we are really implementing here on the earth."

The Israeli leader also talked about cooperation in fields of water, agriculture and health and said these affected the lives of people.

"Modi and I ... like to have our feet connected. We try to look to the distance but our feet firmly planted on the ground. We have empowered ourselves to bring concrete plans in diverse areas by January 1."

He said they also talked about cooperation in third countries including Africa.

Netanyahu thanked Modi for visiting young Moshe, the child survivor of the 26/11 terror attack on a Jewsih facility in Mumbai, saying the "important gesture... is a partnership to defend the good, to protect the good, to achieve the good".

In his briefing, Jaishankar said there had been a long standing defence cooperation between India and Israel, specially in joint development of products and transfer of technology.

He said terrorism and counter-terrorism in all its manifestations were discussed. Like India, Israel also holds that there was no justification for terror on any grounds. "All those who finance and provide sanctuary to terror should be acted against."

Jaishankar parried a question on Modi not visiting Palestine unlike other Indian leaders.
Beijing, July 6 : Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi are unlikely to meet on the sidelines of the G20 summit, with Beijing saying on Thursday that "the atmosphere is not right" due to their border stand-off.

The two leaders were expected to meet at the Hamburg summit in a bid to resolve the simmering border dispute in the mountainous Sikkim sector.

"The atmosphere is not right for a bilateral meeting between President Xi and Prime Minister Modi," a Chinese Foreign Ministry official said.

The Foreign Ministry made it more evident by saying that the "trespass" by Indian troops into Chinese territory "had damaged the political foundations of bilateral relations between China and India.

"As for the arrangement of the bilateral meeting (at G20) between President Xi and Prime Minister Modi, I have to point out that recently Indian troops trespassed into China and obstructed normal activities of Chinese troops in Doklam region," said Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang.

"This endangers China's sovereignty and territorial integrity and damaged the political foundations of bilateral relations between China and India.

"Regarding the bilateral meeting of President Xi and PM Modi, we will release it in a timely manner," Geng added.

"We hope India can immediately withdraw the border troops to the Indian side of the boundary and uphold peace and tranquillity of the China-India border areas.

"I think this is the pre-condition for any meaningful peace talks between the two sides."

At the same time, Geng warned that India would have face "serious consequences" if it did not withdraw troops from Doklam.

The official said Doklam was well within the Chinese territory but India's action had changed the status quo. "Only when India pulls back troops, the status quo will be restored.

"Under the pretext of protecting Bhutan, India has illegally entered China's territory hindering negotiation process between China and Bhutan," the official added.

Thursday's development came a day after calls by the state-run Chinese media for a war with India.

In its sharpest comment since the Indian and Chinese troops scuffled in Doklam, the Global Times said on Wednesday that China must teach India "a bitter lesson".

The newspaper said in an editorial that China would inflict greater losses on India than it did in the 1962 war if New Delhi incited a military conflict.

It also said that the Indians would be "kicked out" of Doklam by the Chinese military.

Beijing has also hinted that the development could derail the boundary talks between India and China.

China also said that India had "trampled upon" the Panchsheel pact by illegally entering into Chinese territory.

Indian and Chinese troops have been engaged in a stand-off in Doklam on the Sikkim sector since the middle of June.

India has said Beijing's action to "unilaterally determine tri-junction points" violated a 2012 India-China pact which says the boundary would be decided by consulting all the concerned parties.

The two countries, which fought a brief but bitter war in 1972, share a little over 200 km of border in the Sikkim sector.

(Gaurav Sharma is the Beijing-based correspondent of IANS. He can be contacted at sharmagaurav71@gmail.com and gauravians@yahoo.com)
Tel Aviv, July 6 : A new chapter has opened in Indo-Israeli relations driven by the desire to improve the lives of both peoples, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday, addressing the first joint meeting of CEOs, who, among themselves, signed MoUs worth $5 billion on the sidelines of Modi's Israel visit.

"New chapter has been opened in India-Israel relations. The driving force is opportunities for betterment of lives of people," Indian External Affairs Ministry spokesman Gopal Baglay tweeted, citing Modi's address to chief executives from both countries.

Modi arrived here on Tuesday in the first ever Indian Prime Ministerial visit to Israel.

"PM says CEOs and talents of India and Israel together sow seeds of miracles for betterment of world," the spokesperson said in a separate tweet.

Baglay said that Indian and Israeli CEOs signed MoUs worth over $5 billion on the sidelines of the visit.

The CEOs Forum set a target of increasing bilateral trade from the current $5 billion to $20 billion within five years. The Forum also set up six joint committees covering the start-up, pharma and life sciences, homeland security, agriculture, energy and water sectors.

Modi informed Israel's corporate leaders about India having resolved many regulatory and policy issues that were being faced by businesses and companies.

"GST by far biggest business and economic reform of India. Now, we're moving towards modern tax regime, which is transparent, stable and predictable," Baglay tweeted Modi as saying.

Modi lauded Israel's reputation as a "start-up nation."

"It has a unique sense and ecosystem of innovation and incubation. Credit must go to the Israeli entrepreneurs."

"There is lot of potential for India-Israel partnership in Start-up India. I am happy that India-Israel start-up bridge has been formally launched today," he added.

Modi, along with Israeli Premier Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday launched an India-Israel Innovation Bridge designed to link start-up companies and innovators of the two countries.

The bridge is aimed at benefitting Israeli companies and India in areas like agricultural technology, water technology and digital healthcare.

Indian industrialists at the meeting included Zydus Cadila Chairman Pankaj Patel, Ambuja Neotia Group Chairman Harshavardhan Neotia, Bharat Forge Chairman Baba Kalyani, L&T Director Jayant D. Patil, Invest India MD Deepak Bagla and Sun Pharma MD Dilip Shanghvi.

Among Israeli companies present at the meeting were Teva Pharmaceutical Industries, Mekorot Water Company, Check Point Software, Israel Electric Company, Aqwiss, Israel Chemicals Ltd, RAFAEL Advanced Defense Systems and Israel Aerospace Industries.
Hamburg, July 7 : At least 76 people were injured in clashes with police on Thursday during the protest against the G20 summit, to be held here in Germany, the media reported.

The anti-globalisation "Welcome to Hell" rally peacefully but turned violent in the evening. The police had to use water cannon, pepper sprays and batons to disperse demonstrators, Xinhua news agency reported.

The "Welcome to Hell" rally is one the of a number of protests against both the G20 summit taking place in the city and US President Donald Trump's arrival, the Independent reported.

Police said beforehand they were expecting some 100,000 potentially violent activists from across Europe and beyond. As a result they had deployed more than 20,000 officers in the city.

The force they had repeatedly asked a group of anti-capitalist demonstrators to remove their masks and when they were ignored, they separated the group from the rest of the demonstration.

Black-hooded protesters attacked a police vehicle with bottles and bricks, breaking its window.

The violence broke out near the start of the demonstration at a riverside plaza used for Hamburg's weekly fish market.

The riots come amid mounting tensions about the conduct of local police some Hamburg residents have accused them of heavy-handed tactics.

Hamburg police said on its Twitter account that the number of protesters rose to 12,000 in the evening. Police called on all peaceful demonstrators to distance themselves from these violent protesters, Xinhua reported.

"Violent men equip themselves with scaffolds and stones. We are appalled at the obvious violence," the Hamburg police said. Damages of vehicles were reported at various areas of the city.

In various places in Hamburg, attacks on emergency personnel and property damage were reported, the Hamburg police said on twitter, adding a total of 15 policemen were injured and three of them must be treated in hospital.

The n-tv quoted Andreas Blechschmidt, a co-organiser of "Welcome to Hell" demonstration as saying that there were several injured demonstrators, including those injured by the use of police batons.
Washington, July 7 : Walter Shaub Jr., Director of the US Office of Government Ethics, announced his resignation following a rocky relationship with President Trump and repeated confrontations with the administration.

Shaub did not specify a reason for his resignation in a letter to President Trump, which he released on Twitter on Thursday, the Los Angeles Times reported.

He, however, told the Washington Post he was not leaving under pressure.

Shaub, appointed by former US President Barack Obama in 2013, had unsuccessfully pressed Trump to divest his business interests to avoid potential conflicts of interest, something Trump refused to do.

The ethics watchdog also engaged in a public battle with the White House over his demands for more information about former lobbyists and other appointees who had been granted waivers from ethics rules. After initially balking, the White House eventually released the requested information about the waivers.

Shaub called for a harsher punishment for presidential advisor Kellyanne Conway after she flouted ethics rules by publicly endorsing Ivanka Trump's clothing line during a television appearance.

In a separate statement, he said that his time working with the Trump administration made it "clear to (him) that we need improvements to the existing ethics program".

Shaub's resignation, effective July 19, comes nearly six months before his term expires in January. He will join the nonpartisan Campaign Legal Center as senior director for ethics.

In his letter of resignation to the President, Shaub said the office was "committed to protecting the principle that public service is a public trust", and employees must place loyalty to ethics over private gain.

Shaub had come under fire from Trump supporters for being politically motivated and some had called for his resignation.
Berlin, July 7 : Russian President Vladimir Putin has addressed the German public directly ahead of the G20 summit in Hamburg, writing an exclusive op-ed for the German newspaper Handelsblatt.

Putin stressed his belief in common ground shared by Moscow and Berlin in the areas such as climate change, and praised the G20 as a necessary and effective forum for resolving trans-national issues.

The G20 had been a successful "instrument of global crisis management" during the 2008 financial crisis and was needed more than ever in light of heightened geo-political and environmental risks in 2017, the Russian President wrote on Thursday, Xinhua news agency reported.

"Russia welcomes the widening of the G20's agenda. I hereby refer to... sustainable development, climate change, the fight against terrorism and corruption, as well as health-, migration- and refugee policy."

Putin congratulated German Chancellor Angela Merkel for Germany's efforts to host a constructive summit marked by mutual respect. He warned, however, that the tasks faced by the G20 were daunting.

"Older economic models are almost obsolete. Protectionism is becoming the norm. Politically-motivated and one-sided sanctions in areas such as investment, trade and technology transfers are another hidden form thereof. In our view, such sanctions do not just lack perspective, they contradict the principals of the G20 to work together towards the interests of all countries of the world."

The article went on to emphasize Russia's commitment to free trade and combating climate change.

He was convinced that "only trade based on open and uniform norms and standards" could promote global growth, Putin wrote.

The Russian President noted that his country was a reliable international partner when it came to climate change, which had more than fulfilled its commitments under the Kyoto Protocol and was dedicated to upholding the Paris agreement.

Lastly, Putin addressed the topic of cyber-security and information technology.

While Russia attached great value to granting individuals open access to information technology like the internet, states needed to balance security and freedom carefully to prevent the digital world from becoming a refuge for criminals.

He also called for the benefits of the digital economy to be spread more evenly between and within countries.
Warsaw, July 7 : US President Donald Trump said that he thinks Russia was behind 2016 election meddling, but added he feels "it could have been other people in other countries" and that "nobody really knows for sure".

"I think it very well could be Russia but I think it could very well have been other countries," Trump said on Thursday during a news conference with Polish President Andrzej Duda in which he also slammed the news media, including CNN and NBC. "I think a lot of people interfere."

Trump, asked about the fact the United States intelligence community has said it was Russia, compared that assessment to the eventually debunked claim that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction in the lead-up to the Iraq War, CNN reported.

"I think it was Russia but I think it was probably other people and or countries. I see nothing wrong with that statement," Trump said. "Nobody really knows. Nobody really knows for sure."

He added, "I remember when I was sitting back listening about Iraq, weapons of mass destruction, how everybody was 100 per cent certain that Iraq has weapons of mass destruction. Guess what? That led to one big mess. They were wrong and it led to a mess."

The intelligence community assessment spans both Obama and Trump administrations, however. Intelligence officials nominated by Trump have publicly said they have no doubt that Russia was behind the election meddling.

Russian meddling in the 2016 election is the subject of numerous investigations in Washington, casting a pall over the White House. The swirl of Russia investigations -- and possible connections between Trump's orbit and Russian officials -- has caused friction on Capitol Hill, hampering Trump's ability to score a number of legislative victories.

Trump slammed former President Barack Obama's handling of Russian interference as he stood next to Duda, arguing that the former president "did nothing" to combat the interference.

"Why did he do nothing about it? He was told it was Russia by the CIA ... and he did nothing about it," Trump said. "They said he choked. I don't think he choked. Well, I don't think he choked. I think what happened was he thought Hillary Clinton was going to win the election and he said let's not do anything about it. Had he thought the other way, he would have done something about it."
Singapore, July 7 : When it comes to tackling growing cyber security attacks including ransomware threats, the world needs public-private partnerships more than ever to nab those behind such attacks, Russian cyber security giant Kaspersky Lab has stressed.

"Private and public cybersecurity experts should work together to collect malware artefacts, map and analyse cyber attacks and find the trail of the hackers responsible for the most cyber campaigns around the world," said Eugene Kaspersky, Kaspersky Lab CEO.

He was addressing the 'Palaeontology of Cybersecurity Conference' here on Thursday as part of the 'INTERPOL World Congress 2017', the second addition of the global exhibition and congress platform hosted by the world's largest police organisation in Singapore's Suntec City.

In its bid to intensify fight against cyber criminals, Kaspersky Lab teamed up with the Interpol in 2014.

Kaspersky's remarks came in the wake of the recent 'Petya' attack -- a new form of malware attack that permanently destroys data - that shut computers in several countries.

Stephan Neumeier, Managing Director of Kaspersky Lab Asia Pacific, also vouched for the public-private cooperation in fighting cyber crimes.

"We have always believed that public-private cooperation is crucial in fighting cyber crime worldwide. As a private company, we are proud to collaborate with the authorities of many countries and international law enforcement agencies," Neumeier said.

"Our participation in the Interpol's World Congress 2017 demonstrates our principle of cooperation with the IT security industry," Neumeier added.

According to Vitaly Kamluk, Director of Global Research and Analysis Team, Asia Pacific (APAC) at Kaspersky, as palaeontologists dig the remains of dinosaurs and relics from ancient civilisations and then determine which pieces are connected and which are not, Kaspersky Lab experts investigate attacks by gathering several samples of malware.

"The samples then analysed, compared and shared with other cyber palaeontologists to further uncover and understand a massive cyber attacks," Kamluk said.

Kaspersky Lab also celebrated it's 20th anniversary and also relocated its Singapore office.

(Rajnish Singh is attending the conference at Kaspersky Lab's invitation. He can be contacted at rajnish.s@ians.in)
Paris, July 7 : France is set to ban the sale of any car that uses petrol or diesel fuel by 2040, the media reported.

On Thursday, Ecology Minister Nicolas Hulot announced the planned ban on fossil fuel vehicles as part of a renewed commitment to the Paris climate deal, reports the BBC.

Hulot, a veteran environmental campaigner, said France planned to become carbon neutral by 2050.

Hybrid cars make up about 3.5 per cent of the French market, with pure electric vehicles accounting for just 1.2 per cent.

According to Hulot, poorer households would receive financial assistance to replace older, more polluting vehicles with cleaner ones, the BBC reported.

Earlier this week, car manufacturer Volvo said all of its new models would be at least partly electric from 2019.

He said he believes French car manufacturers - including brands such as Peugeot-Citroen and Renault - would meet the challenge, although he acknowledged it would be difficult. Renault's "Zoe" electric vehicle range is one of the most popular in Europe.

However, traditional fossil fuel vehicles account for about 95 per cent of the European market.

Norway, which is the leader in the use of electric cars in Europe, wants to move to electric-only vehicles by 2025, as does the Netherlands. Both Germany and India have proposed similar measures with a target of 2030.
New Delhi, July 7 : Union Minister and Lok Janshakti Party chief Ram Vilas Paswan on Friday said the central government has nothing to do with the CBI raids on the premises of RJD chief Lalu Prasad.

"Lalu Prasad was already in jail over his involvement in the fodder scam. There was no NDA government at that time. The court had ordered it. Today's raids were in relation with the corruption charges against him. The charges are documented. Political parties or the NDA government has nothing to do with it," he told reporters.

Paswan said Lalu Prasad should blame his party's ally (JD-U) in the Bihar government and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who had demanded action against benami (illegal) properties.

"If benami property cases are being investigated, where is the politics? If there is politics, then it is Nitish Kumar behind it," Paswan said.

Paswan asked why Kumar was silent on the issue.

He said he had prophesied that the Janata Dal (United)-Rashtriya Janata Dal-Congress government in Bihar would fall in two-and-half years.

"The government is handicapped. Earlier, I had said that this government will not last over two-and-half-years," he said.
Seeing the Rajasthan poll battle slip out of hands and unsure of its fate there, the AAP is now set to channelise all its leadership strength in MP.

In the previous Punjab and Goa elections, the party's core leadership used to camp in the poll-bound state and work on organisation building and poll strategy.

By Sweta dutta: As senior Aam Aadmi Party leader Kumar Vishwas appropriates the Rajasthan poll campaign retaining full control of the state unit, the party is now eyeing Madhya Pradesh that too will go to polls around the same time end of next year.

Following high-level deliberations on Wednesday, the party decided to contest the upcoming Assembly polls and to formally mark the start of the campaign. Party supremo Arvind Kejriwal will address a massive rally in Bhopal on November 5.

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Since Vishwas took over the reins of the Rajasthan unit, he laid down a set of new ground rules that not only irked the senior leadership but has also sent jitters down the ranks of the party.

He explicitly pointed out that leaders or volunteers who have been working with the party for at least one year will be fielded in the elections, leaving no room for drafting in disgruntled senior leaders from the BJP or Congress in the state.

In the recent Punjab Assembly polls, the party joined hands with the Bains brothers and was also in talks with Navjot Singh Sidhu though that later fizzled out.

PREVIOUS POLLS

In Rajasthan, the AAP was open to taking in tall local leaders from other parties, who might fall out with their own leadership over ticket distribution at the last minute but with Vishwas refusing to budge that strategy has fallen flat.

Vishwas also maintained that he would not allow "Delhi leaders or the headquarters to influence the local unit", clearly marking out his territory.

In the previous Punjab and Goa elections, the party's core leadership used to camp in the poll-bound state and work on organisation building and poll strategy.

Seeing the Rajasthan poll battle slip out of hands and unsure of its fate there, the AAP is now set to channelise all its leadership strength in MP.

Cabinet minister Gopal Rai, who is in charge of the state, who led the campaign in Punjab and Goa are expected to draw up a roadmap for the state shortly.

"Our organisation building is complete in 50 per cent of the booths here and the remaining will be in place over the next three months. In November Kejriwal will be in Bhopal to sound the poll bugle," Alok Agarwal, AAP MP convenor, told Mail Today. "I do not want to comment on Kumar Vishwas's statements but this party has contested all previous elections on a high moral ground and will continue to do so."

Also Read:

Boost to Meira Kumar as Kejriwal likely to support her in presidential elections

Grappling with governance in Delhi, AAP shelves plans to contest Gujarat Assembly polls

--- ENDS ---

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Bengaluru, July 7 : Bengaluru-based healthcare start-up Axio Biosolutions' innovative "smart bandage" that stops profuse bleeding within a few minutes was showcased in Israel during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's historic visit to the country which concluded on Thursday, the makers of the product said.

The product, Axiostat, which is being extensively used by Indian armed forces and para-military forces and at various conflict zones across 75 battalions, was appreciated by the leaders of both the countries, the company said.

"It was a proud moment for us to have been acknowledged for our innovation by the leaders of the two countries. Our aim is to make Axio a global name in the haemostat space and ensure that our commitment to 'save lives' reaches people across the globe," said Leo Mavely, Founder, Axio Biosolutions.

Made of chitosan, a naturally occurring polymer found in shellfish, this smart bandage is "India's first trauma haemostat", according to a company statement.

"Axio was the only defence Med-tech company from India to be invited to be part of the PM's delegation," the statement added.

Concluding his visit to Israel, the Indian Prime Minister on Thursday left for Hamburg, Germany, to attend the G20 Summit.

Axiostat is present in 12 countries and is also being used by hospitals in ambulances and emergency care/trauma units.
New Delhi, July 7 : Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi on Friday questioned the government over the stand-off with China in the Doklam area in Sikkim sector and questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi's silence on the issue.

"Why is our Prime Minister silent on China?" Gandhi tweeted.

Gandhi's tweet came after Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping came face to face at the BRICS leaders' meeting at Hamburg in Germany. There is no bilateral meeting scheduled between the two leaders.

The genesis of the feud between the countries lies in Doklam at the tri-junction of India, Bhutan and China.

Beijing and Thimpu both claim Doklam, where the Chinese were stopped by the Indian Army from building a road.

New Delhi's objection to the road in Doklam, a strategic point near India's crucial Siliguri corridor, is due to the pending ownership of the place.

Beijing calls the road construction "just," saying Doklam belongs to China.

The Congress earlier this week said the government had been "caught napping" on the situation on the border with China and there had been a large number of incursions.
Baghdad, July 7 : Two Iraqi journalists were killed and a third was injured while covering fierce clashes between the Islamic State militants and Iraqi forces in Salahudin province on Friday, a security source said.

Reporter Su'dad Faris and photographer Harb Hazza' from Huna Salahudin satellite channel were killed at Imam Gharbi village near Shirqat town, some 280 km from Baghdad, Xinhua news agency quoted the source as saying.

The village was the scene of a fierce battle after IS militants took control of it on Thursday. The Iraqi forces were engaged in heavy clashes to regain control of the village, the source said.

The three journalists were surrounded and ambushed by the extremist militants at a compound in the village with some security members, the source said, adding that troops were fighting to free the village and the besieged group inside.

The third reporter with the group was injured and still hiding in the compound with a fourth one, along with an officer from Salahudin provincial media office, the source added.

Imam Gharbi village was freed from the IS during the troops advance earlier this year, but dozens of IS militants came from the desert area early on Thursday and took control of the village, the source said.

The Iraqi Journalists' Syndicate said in a report that up to 14 journalists were killed in 2016, and more than 455 journalists have been killed in the country since the US-led invasion in 2003.

Iraq is considered one of the most dangerous countries for journalists, who have been frequently targeted amid the chaos and insecurity since the 2003 US-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein.

The incident came as Iraqi security forces, backed by the anti-IS international coalition, were simultaneously conducting a major offensive to dislodge the IS from their major stronghold in western Mosul.
Patna, July 7 : Hundreds of RJD leaders and workers gathered outside the house of party chief Lalu Prasad after the CBI raids on his residence here on Friday, forcing the local administration to block roads leading to the house and deploy a large number of security forces.

Soon after news of the CBI raids spread via mobile phone and social media, Rashtriya Janata Dal leaders including ministers, legislators, workers and supporters gathered outside his sprawling 10, Circular Road official residence. Lalu Prasad and his wife Rabri Devi, along with their two sons - Tej Pratap and Tejashwi Yadav - both ministers in the Bihar government, live there.

With a team of CBI inside busy searching the premises since early morning on Friday, the police headquarters directed that the two roads leading to their residence be blocked. "Two roads near the Lalu-Rabri residence were blocked after instructions from police headquarters," a police official said.

Police also asked a gathering of RJD leaders and workers not to stand near the big green iron gate of Lalu's residence in the high security zone, which is not far from 1, Anne Marg, the official residence of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

According to sources in the RJD, Rabri Devi along with younger son Tejashwi Yadav, the Bihar Deputy Chief Minister, and elder son Tej Pratap Yadav, Bihar Health Minister, were inside at the time of the CBI raid.

The CBI has registered a case against Lalu, his wife and former Chief Minister, son Tejashwi, former Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) Managing Director and the wife of Lalu's confidante Prem Chand Gupta, on allegations of awarding tender for development, maintenance and operation of BNR hotels in Ranchi and Puri in 2006.

Lalu Prasad was the Railway Minister between 2004-2009.

At the time of the CBI raid, Lalu Prasad was in Ranchi in Jharkhand to appear before a CBI court in connection with a fodder scam.
New Delhi, July 7 : The Enforcement Directorate (ED) informed a court here on Friday that it will soon file a supplementary charge sheet against LIC agent Anand Chauhan, accused of laundering Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh's disproportionate assets.

Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Special Judge Virender Kumar Goyal adjourned the matter for September 4 after the ED's submission.

The court also extended the judicial custody of Chauhan till that date.

The ED had earlier filed a charge sheet against Life Insurance Corporation agent and accused him of investing Virbhadra Singh's "tainted" money of Rs 5.14 crore in LIC policies purchased in Virbhadra's name and those of his family members, including wife Pratibha Singh.

The ED booked him under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

A probe had allegedly found that Virbhadra Singh had accumulated assets totalling Rs 6.03 crore in his name and in the name of his family members, which were disproportionate to his known sources of income, during his tenure as the Union Steel Minister from 2009 to 2011.

The Delhi High Court on Monday dismissed a plea by Virbhadra Singh, his wife Pratibha Singh, son Vikramaditya Singh, and two others for quashing of a money laundering case filed against them by the ED under the PMLA.

In September 2015, the ED had lodged the case against 83-year-old Virbhadra Singh and others under the PMLA after taking cognisance of a criminal complaint filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation.

The CBI had filed a charge sheet on March 31, hours after the High Court refused to quash the FIR lodged against the Congress Chief Minister and his wife in the disproportionate assets case.

Virbhadra Singh had earlier claimed that the FIR was filed due to "political vendetta".

The ED had arrested LIC agent Anand Chauhan in July 2016 under the PMLA as he was allegedly not cooperating with the Investigating Officer.
Hamburg, July 7 : Amidst a chill in ties over their border row, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping met here on Friday, and "had a conversation on a range of issues" on the sidelines of a BRICS leaders meeting.

"At BRICS leaders' informal gathering @Hamburg hosted by China, PM @narendramodi and President Xi had a conversation on a range of issues," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Gopal Baglay tweeted.

At the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) leaders' meeting, Modi and Xi also complimented each other's nation's roles in furthering the objectives of the grouping and the fight against terrorism.

The two leaders were not scheduled to hold a bilateral meeting with Beijing citing that the bilateral "atmosphere" is not good due to the face-off between their armies in Doklam region in the Sikkim sector.

During their meeting here, however, both leaders were seen smiling and shaking hands.

The two leaders last met in Kazakhstan capital Astana last month during the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit.

Addressing the meeting, Modi appreciated the momentum in BRICS under the chairmanship of President Xi and extended full cooperation and best wishes for the BRICS Summit at Xiamen in China in September this year.

Concluding the meeting immediately after Modi's remarks, President Xi appreciated India's strong resolve against terrorism and the momentum in BRICS introduced under India's chairmanship and through the outcomes of the Goa Summit in 2016.

He also appreciated India's success in economic and social development and wished India even bigger success.
New Delhi, July 7 : Fertiliser cooperative Indian Farmers Fertilizer Co-operative (IFFCO) on Friday said it will divest 21.64 per cent stake in its insurance joint venture IFFCO Tokio General Insurance Company Ltd to its Japanese partner Tokio Marine Asia Pte Ltd for Rs 2,380.40 crore.

Along with IFFCO, Indian Potash Ltd (IPL) will also divest 1.36 per cent stake in insurance company in favour of Tokio Marine for Rs 149.60 crore.

Following the acquisition of 23 per cent stake for Rs 2,530 crore from both the companies, Tokio Marine's stake in the general insurance company would go up to 49 per cent.

The per share value of IFFCO Tokio General is valued at Rs 408,43.

"This is a good opportunity for IFFCO to unlock the valuation of its investment in IFFCO-TOKIO by sale of its part shareholding. This transaction would help IFFCO in raising the required capital to focus on more agri-businesses and to better serve the interests of the Indian farmers in the fast changing agriculture sector in India," IFFCO Managing Director U.S. Awasthi was quoted as saying in the statement.

Awasthi further said: "Even after the divestment, IFFCO will continue to exercise control in the business affairs of IFFCO-TOKIO in compliance with IRDA's Guidelines on 'Indian Owned and Controlled' Insurance Companies."

The Chief Executive of Tokio Marine Asia Arthur Lee said: "The additional share purchase is in line with Tokio Marine Group's international business strategy to achieve sustainable growth and profit expansion as well as enhance diversified business portfolio through capturing growth opportunities in emerging countries."

As on March 31, 2017, IFFCO and its associate IPL were holding 72.64 per cent and 1.36 per cent paid up share capital in IFFCO TOKIO, whereas Tokio Marine was holding 26 per cent paid up share capital in the company.

Post the share sale, IFFCO's holding in IFFCO Tokio General will be 51 per cent and Tokio Marine's will be 49 per cent.
Beijing, July 7 : India should immediately pull back its "trespassing troops" from Doklam area for any meaningful dialogue to take place, Chinese state-run news agency Xinhua has said in a commentary.

The commentary says the three-week face-off was caused by Indian border guards who crossed the border at the Sikkim section into Chinese territory and obstructed routine road construction in the Doklam area of China's Tibet Autonomous Region.

It says India has tried to justify its incursion in the name of protecting Bhutan, arguing that Doklam is Bhutanese territory.

It, however, maintains that according to the Convention between Great Britain and China Relating to Sikkim and Tibet (1890), Doklam belongs to China.

It further refers to documents between the Chinese and Indian governments which, it says, show that late Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru confirmed several times, on behalf of the Indian government, that the Sikkim-Tibet border was defined by the 1890 convention.

It said that a basic principle of international law holds that binding treaties must be executed in good faith.

The commentary said that India's "sudden disregard" of the 1890 convention is a breach of the basic norms of the UN Charter and international laws and will pose a significant threat to bilateral relations.

"By creating disputes in Doklam, India seeks to obstruct border negotiations between China and Bhutan, and follow its own ulterior motives in the area.

"The claim can not hold water. Doklam has long been under the effective jurisdiction of China. Both Bhutan and China have a basic consensus on the functional conditions and demarcation of their border region.

"Moreover, India has no right to interfere in China-Bhutan boundary issues, nor is it entitled to make territorial claims on behalf of Bhutan," it said It said the stand-off has also "impaired the independence of Bhutan, one of the world's smallest countries, which is closely allied with India".

It termed as "unconvincing" India's stand that Chinese construction activity in the area would represent a "significant change of status quo with serious security implications for India".

It accused India of breaking status quo "by trespassing onto Chinese soil" and termed it unacceptable.

Indian troops should immediately withdraw to the Indian side of the border as a precondition for any meaningful dialogue between the two countries, it said.

It said a spiral of bilateral rivalry would definitely result in a slowdown in the growth of the Chinese dragon and the Indian elephant, which can co-exist harmoniously and achieve peaceful cooperative development for their people and region.
Warsaw, July 7 : Polish President Andrzej Duda's wife Agata Kornhauser-Duda appeared to snub US President Donald Trump as he offered his hand to her but the Polish First Lady missed him out in favour of his wife Melania Trump.

The awkward moment was caught on camera when the Polish couple was on Thursday welcoming their US counterparts to the country.

The video footage shows Trump and Melania standing on stage with Duda and his wife Kornhauser-Duda.

As the four were exiting the stage, Trump and Duda exchanged a handshake. Trump then extended his hand to Kornhauser-Duda, who ignored the gesture and instead simply shook Melania's hand, before turning to shake the US President's hand after all.

The former business mogul frowned and looked shocked and confused before quickly dropping his hand.

The President's handshake has become a defining characteristic of the first year of his White House reign as he has on numerous occasions made headlines for his awkward power shakes while meeting the world leaders.

He drew international headlines for declining to shake the hand of German Chancellor Angela Merkel when she visited the White House earlier this year.

French President Emmanuel Macron described their first encounter as a "moment of truth" after the pair met at a Nato summit in Brussels.

"My handshake with Donald Trump -- it wasn't innocent," he said.

His handshakes with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Japanese Prime Shinzo Abe were also the subject of thorough analyses on the internet.

The twitterati were quick to react as the footage went viral on the internet. Some people were, however, quick to point out that the duo had already shaken hands a few minutes earlier before they posed for a photo.

"I love that this failed Trump handshake in Poland is already a gif. Thank you, millennials," a user wrote.

"Another handshake fail for Trump thanks to the Polish First Lady," another mentioned.

Although it certainly appeared to be a deliberate snub, a longer version of the incident shows Kornhauser-Duda shaking the President's hand immediately after the First Lady's.
Hamburg, July 7 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday told the G20 that countries supporting terrorism should be banned from the international economic forum, apparently in a reference to Pakistan which is not an invitee to any of the group's meetings.

"Deterrent action should be taken against countries supporting terrorism," Modi said as lead speaker on the theme of terrorism at the leaders' retreat ahead of the 12th G20 Summit here on Saturday. He presented a multi-point agenda for countering terrorism.

"The entry of such countries in the G20 should be banned," he said.

Stating that G20 nations should exchange national lists of designated terrorists, he said that thorough action should be taken against such people.

He said that legal processes, like extradition, against those supporting terrorism should be simplified and expedited.

Modi also called for the immediate adoption of the India-initiated Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism (CCIT) by the UN Security Council.

"There should be effective implementation of UN Security Council resolutions and other international actions (against terrorism)," he said.

"There should be detailed efforts by the G20 for de-radicalisation programmes and exchange of best practices."

Modi also called for effective closure of terrorist financing sources and mediums through the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and other such mechanisms.

"Like the FATF, a Weapons and Explosives Actions Task Force (WEATF) should be be formed so that supply of dangerous weapons to terrorists can be stopped," he said.

"There should be 'concrete cooperation' among G20 nations on cyber security to curb terrorist activities."

Modi also called for the formation of a counter-terror mechanism among the national security advisors of the G20 countries.

Earlier on Friday, speaking at an informal meeting of the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) on the sidelines of the Summit, he said that the five-nation bloc's leadership was needed in the global fight against climate change and terrorism.

"Strong action should be taken against terror financing, and providing support and safe haven to terrorists," he said.
By PTI: By K J M Varma

Beijing, Jul 6 (PTI) China today said the "atmosphere" was "not right" for a bilateral meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Hamburg, amidst a standoff between the armies of the two countries in the Sikkim section.

"The atmosphere is not right for a bilateral meeting between President Xi and Prime Minister Modi," a Chinese Foreign Ministry official said ahead of the G20 Summit in the German city of Hamburg from tomorrow.

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China and India have been engaged in a standoff in the Dokalam area near the Bhutan tri-junction for past 19 days after a Chinese Armys construction party attempted to build a road. Doka La is the Indian name for the region which Bhutan recognises as Dokalam, while China claims it as part of its Donglang region.

There were reports that Modi and Xi may meet on the sidelines of the G20 Summit to resolve the standoff.

Chinas state-run media yesterday had quoted Chinese analysts as saying that Beijing would be forced to use a "military way" to end the standoff in the Sikkim sector if India refuses to listen to the "historical lessons" being offered by it. PTI KJV AKJ AKJ

--- ENDS ---
New Delhi, July 7 : There are aspects of the 1975-77 Emergency the country is now witnessing like the gagging of the press, intimidation of leaders, misuse of agencies, and the orchestrated lynch-mob violence, senior Congress leader P. Chidambaram said here on Friday.

"Nobody fears even the Prime Minister. Even on the day he condemned violence in the name of cow protection, a man was lynched in Jharkhand. The state's police force and the mob do not listen to the Prime Minister. That is what is worrying me," he said, adding that lynch-mob violence is "orchestrated and not spontaneous".

Chidambaram was answering questions in a panel discussion on the occasion of launch of the book "Indira Gandhi- India's Most Powerful Prime Minister" written by journalist Sagarika Ghose.

Asked whether the country is witnessing another Emergency or what his party leaders say is mere rhetoric, the former Union Minister said the Constitution has been amended and it is not possible to impose Emergency of the 1975 type.

"It is practically impossible (to proclaim Emergency) but there are aspects of 1975-77 Emergency... muzzling of press, intimidation of leaders, use of agencies against organisations and entities, and above all attempt to stifle (dissenting) voices," he said.

About the 1975 Emergency he said the threat (of anarchy) was real then. Jayaprakash Narayan had issued a call to forces and there was a danger of law and order situation going out of hand.

"The JP movement must have given apprehensions, but the answer (Emergency) was wrong. The threat was real," the senior Congress leader said.

He said Indira Gandhi was brave enough to accept her mistake and apologise. She had the courage to call elections.

Asked whether Congress President Sonia Gandhi and party Vice President Rahul Gandhi should apologise, Chidambaram said: "After 40 years, do generations have to apologise?"

"I think there are some other apologies that are due," he said in an apparent reference to the present dispensation.

Echoing Chidambaram's views, former Union Minister and BJP leader Arun Shourie said it was a kind of "decentralised situation" in which there is no centralised edicts but there is an erosion of institutions. The ties between the people and the state are weaker.

"The idea of Money Bill being used to marginalise the Rajya Sabha which is happening time and again and the scale of exaggeration of falsehood by 2,000 per cent....the bureaucracy has been weakened today...there is no single adviser whom we can say they know," he said.

Comparing the position of Congress now with that existed in 1977 when Indira Gandhi came back to power three years after the defeat, Chidambaram said Indira Gandhi then fought ex-Congressmen and and some very tired socialists.

"But what Congress is fighting now is a formidable machine called RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh). They have a political mission. They will do everything to achieve it. The Congress is weak institutionally and at the roots," he said.

He said the organisation was completely neglected for 10 years when the party was in power between 2004 and 2014. The state unit and the district unit presidents neglected the party machinery.

When told by moderator Karan Thapar that Sonia Gandhi was the Congress President and should she not be held responsible, Chidambaram said she was the President and she will take responsibility.

Asked specifically about the leadership that will revive the party, he shot back that the leadership will emerge.

In his remarks, Shourie said Indira Gandhi had good advisers but ultimately she was responsible for what she did. He said from accounts he had heard, he came to know that Indira Gandhi was remorseful. However, he said, he was not sure who advised her on dismissal of the governments of N.T. Rama Rao and Farooq Abdullah which was disastrous.
Hamburg, July 8 : Member nations of the G20 international economic forum on Friday came out strongly in support of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's statement on fighting terrorism saying they condemned "all terrorist attacks worldwide and stand united and firm in the fight against terrorism and its financing".

In a repeat of the separate statement on terrorism issued during the G20 Summit in Antalya, Turkey, in 2015, the leaders attending the 12th G20 Summit here on Friday said in a statement: "We, the Leaders of the G20, strongly condemn all terrorist attacks worldwide and stand united and firm in the fight against terrorism and its financing."

"These atrocious acts have strengthened our resolve to cooperate to enhance our security and protect our citizens. Terrorism is a global scourge that must be fought and terrorist safe havens eliminated in every part of the world," said the statement.

It said the G20 leaders reaffirmed that all measures on countering terrorism needed to be implemented in accordance with the UN Charter and all obligations under international law, including international human rights law.

At a leaders' retreat ahead of the summit here, as a lead speaker, Modi presented a 10-point agenda on countering terrorism and, in a veiled reference to Pakistan, said countries supporting terrorism should be banned from joining the G20.

"We will address the evolving threat of returning foreign terrorist fighters (FTFs) from conflict zones such as Iraq and Syria and remain committed to preventing FTFs from establishing a foothold in other countries and regions around the world. We recall UN Security Council Resolution 2178 (2014), which requires a range of actions to better tackle the foreign terrorist fighter threat," the G20 statement said.

"We will address the evolving threat of returning foreign terrorist fighters (FTFs) from conflict zones such as Iraq and Syria and remain committed to preventing FTFs from establishing a foothold in other countries and regions around the world. We recall UN Security Council Resolution 2178 (2014), which requires a range of actions to better tackle the foreign terrorist fighter threat."

The statement said the G20 nations would facilitate swift and targeted exchanges of information between the intelligence and law enforcement and judicial authorities on operational information-sharing, preventive measures and criminal justice response, while ensuring the necessary balance between security and data protection aspects, in accordance with the national laws.

"We will ensure that terrorists are brought to justice," it sated.

The leaders called upon their border agencies to strengthen cooperation to detect travel for terrorist purposes, including by identifying priority transit and destination countries of terrorists.

"We will support capacity building efforts in these countries in areas such as border management, information sharing and watch-list capability to manage the threat upstream," the statement said.

On financing terrorism, the statement said the leaders' resolve to make the international financial system entirely hostile to terrorist financing and commit to deepening international cooperation and exchange of information, including working with the private sector, which has a critical role in global efforts to counter terrorism financing.

"We reaffirm our commitment to tackle all sources, techniques and channels of terrorist financing and our call for swift and effective implementation of UNSCR (UN Security Council Resolution) and the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) standards worldwide. We call for strengthening measures against the financing of international terrorist organisations in particular Islamic State (IS), Al-Qaeda and their affiliates."

Backing Modi's statement that there should be no safe havens for terrorists, a veiled reference to Pakistan, the statement said: "In order to eliminate all such 'safe spaces', we commit to intensify capacity building and technical assistance, especially in relation to terrorist financing hot-spots, and we support the FATF (Financial Action Task Force) in its efforts to strengthen its traction capacity and the effectiveness of FATF and FATF-style regional bodies."
Ryan Ambs accepting the 2017 ATSI Award on behalf of the Ambs Call Center team

Ambs Call Center has been honored with the exclusive ATSI 2017 Award of Excellence. This annual award is presented by the Association of TeleServices International (ATSI). ATSI is the industry trade association for telephone answering service providers. Call centers from across North America and the United Kingdom take part in the Award of Excellence program. Ambs Call Center was presented with this year's award at ATSIs 2017 Annual Convention held at Palmer House Hilton in Chicago, IL.

The program uses independent judges to make test calls to participating call centers. These 'secret shopper' calls occur over a six month time frame. The criteria for scoring includes:



Response time

Courteousness of call center agent

Information accuracy

Knowledge of Account

Overall Impression of Call

"The ATSI Award of Excellence Program recognizes that excellence requires a level of service that considers the caller first in every aspect of the call. The award is earned by a company by judging the handling of calls placed by mystery callers against specific, member-driven criteria," says ATSI President Doug Robbins. "Companies that earn this award are continuously focusing on delivering excellence in customer call handling. It is truly an honor!"

The award started 21 years ago as a means to improve the quality of the telephone answering service industry. It sets expectations and measurements that ensure an excellent customer service experience.

Now a 14-time winner Ambs Call Center earned the Emerald Award for telephone answering service quality.

"I am extremely proud of our team for earning this year's award. Making sure that we deliver an exceptional customer service experience to our customers 24/7/365 is no small feat. Seeing our team rise to the challenge has been extremely gratifying," said Aaron Boatin, President of Ambs Call Center.

About Ambs Call Center

Ambs Call Center provides virtual receptionist and telephone answering services across North America. Ambs Call Center operates call centers in Grand Rapids and Jackson, Michigan and Tampa, Florida. They serve clients across the United States and Canada. They provide a wide range of services to a variety of industries. Service offering include virtual receptionist, telephone answering service, help desk, employee reporting service, customer service and order taking. Their health care division focuses on medical answering service, patient satisfaction and physician referral and class registration. Processing over 10 million contacts annually, Ambs Call Center is family owned and operated. It has been in business since 1932.
Tucson, Arizona Criminal Defense Lawyers Nesci & St. Louis, PLLC is very proud of this special distinction earned by attorneys Ryan Bleau and Michelle Behan.

The Tucson DUI and criminal defense law firm of Nesci & St. Louis, PLLC is pleased to announce the admission of firm members Michelle Behan and Ryan Bleau to practice before the United States Supreme Court. This distinction allows the pair to present written and oral arguments to the nine Justices of the Supreme Court.

To earn this distinction, attorneys Michelle Behan and Ryan Bleau were first required to gain admission to practice before the highest court in Arizona at least three years prior to their application, maintain an unblemished disciplinary record during the three-year period, obtain letters of good standing from an official of the states highest court, and the sponsorship of at least two current members of the Supreme Court Bar.

Michelle Shelley Behan, prior to becoming an attorney, served in the United States Navy, and worked as a Special Agent in the Federal Bureau of Investigation. While in law school, she was selected by the Law School Faculty to present an amicus curiae brief (on behalf of the defendant) to the Federal Court of Appeals for the U.S. Armed Forces, the highest military court in the country. Michelles work as a defense attorney lead to her receiving the 2015 Tucson Womens Commission Rising Star Award. She is a member of the Amicus Curiae Committee of the National College for DUI Defense and serves as a Faculty member. As an attorney at Nesci & St. Louis, PLLC, she provides vigorous defense of clients accused to of felony and misdemeanor charges, including Driving Under the Influence and Aggravated Driving Under the Influence Driving Under the Influence.

Ryan Bleau is a criminal defense practitioner, practicing law for 15 years, with 12 years of litigation experience in Arizona. Ryans extensive experience and success litigating motions and trying cases has been repeatedly recognized by a variety of organizations. Ryan has been awarded the Rising Star Award by the Arizona Public Defender Association. Ryan has also been named a Southwest Rising Star by SuperLawyers magazine every year since 2013. Ryan is a member of the National College for DUI Defense, and is a sought-after speaker, routinely providing legal education to other defense attorneys throughout Arizona. Ryan provides Nesci & St. Louis, PLLC clients with knowledgeable and experienced defense against charges of Driving Under the Influence and other Criminal Defense matters.

About Nesci & St. Louis, PLLC:

The law team at Nesci & St. Louis, PLLC provides more than 50 years of combined experience defending clients against criminal law and DUI charges. From their main offices in Tucson, Arizona, this experienced law firm assists clients throughout Pima, Cochise, Maricopa, Santa Cruz, Graham, Pinal, and Yuma counties. Contact Nesci & St. Louis, PLLC by calling 520-777-0235 or visit http://www.azdefense.com to schedule a free consultation.
GRC Annual Meeting & GEA GeoExpo+ This is the biggest annual geothermal event of the year...

Registration is now open for the biggest annual geothermal event of the year. The GRC Annual Meeting & GEA GeoExpo+ will bring together geothermal companies, academics, financiers, policy leaders, students, and other individuals to attend or exhibit at the event, to be held from October 1-4 at the Salt Palace Convention Center, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA.

Early birds who register before August 30 pay only $880 as Geothermal Resources Council (GRC) members or $1,030 if non-members. The non-member registration includes GRC membership through 2018. Students with a current identification card from an accredited institution pay just $125 which also includes GRC membership through 2018.

In addition to the Technical Program, the three-day registration to the GRC Annual Meeting includes an Opening Reception on Sunday evening, the Opening Session on Monday morning, a Network Reception on Tuesday, entry to the Geothermal Energy Association (GEA) GeoExpo+ and lunch on three days.

Registration is available from the GRC website at http://www.geothermal.org. A Preliminary Program complete with a Registration Form is available to view and download. However, the GRC recommends online registration through a secured connection. The link is available on the front page of the GRC website at geothermal.org.

This is the premier gathering to learn about the latest developments in geothermal energy. Last year, the GRC Annual Meeting & GEA GeoExpo+ hosted over 1,200 attendees from over 25 different countries.

The GRC Annual Meeting will offer technical, policy, and market conference sessions, educational seminars, tours of local geothermal and renewable energy projects, and numerous networking opportunities.

The GEA GeoExpo+ features a unique opportunity for leaders in the business to showcase their projects, equipment, services and state of the art technology to the geothermal community. Reserve your booth now! There were more than 100 exhibitors at last years trade show.

For more information about the GRC Annual Meeting & GEA GeoExpo+ at the Salt Palace Convention Center, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA visit http://www.geothermal.org or call (530) 758-2360.

For information on how to sponsor this event, contact Anh Lay, GRC at (530) 758-2360 X100 or alay@geothermal.org.

##

About the Geothermal Resources Council:

With the experience and dedication of its diverse, international membership bolstering a more than 45-year track record, the Geothermal Resources Council has built a solid reputation as one of the worlds preeminent geothermal associations. The GRC serves as a focal point for continuing professional development for its members through its outreach, information transfer and education services.

For more information, please visit http://www.geothermal.org.

Get your daily geothermal news at Global Geothermal News [globalgeothermalnews.com]. Become a fan on Facebook [facebook.com/GeothermalResourcesCouncil]. Follow GRC on Twitter [@GRC2001 and #GRCAM2017]. Check out GRCs YouTube Channel [youtube.com/GeothermalCouncil]. See geothermal photos on GRCs Flicker page. [flickr.com/photos/geothermalresourcescouncil]

###
Wanner Engineering Named to the Star Tribunes Top Workplaces in Minneapolis List

Wanner Engineering, Inc., has been named as one of the Top Workplaces in Minnesota by the Star Tribune, as announced and published on Sunday, June 25, 2017. With 99 employees at its Minneapolis headquarters, Wanner Engineering manufactures the Hydra-Cell line of positive displacement, seal-less pumps used worldwide for oil and gas processing, chemical injection and metering, water and wastewater treatment, polyurethane production, and other applications in the processing industries as well as specialized applications such as pumping machine tool coolant for metalworking facilities, burner-fuel feed for industrial plants and the power industry, and for clean and reclaim water at commercial car washes, where the company holds a dominant market share.

Produced by the same team that compiles the 26-year-old Star Tribune 100 report of the best-performing public companies in Minnesota, Top Workplaces recognizes the most progressive companies in Minnesota based on employee opinions measuring engagement, organizational health, and satisfaction. The analysis included responses from more than 69,000 employees at Minnesota public, private and nonprofit organizations. The results of the Star Tribune Top Workplaces are based on survey information collected by WorkplaceDynamics, an independent company specializing in employee engagement and retention.

Im not sure if I am more honored or humbled by this recognition, said William F. Wanner, Jr., CEO of Wanner Engineering. It is gratifying that our employees feel this way, and it shows in their commitment day-in and day-out to produce pumps of the highest quality and reliability, and then provide outstanding customer service to support our products.

Star Tribune Publisher Michael J. Klingensmith said, The companies in the Star Tribune Top Workplaces deserve high praise for creating the very best work environments in the state of Minnesota. My congratulations to each of these exceptional companies.

Founded by Wanner, Jr. in 1973, Wanner Engineering now has a regional office in Wichita Falls, Texas, and a Latin American office in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Its business units include Wanner International, Ltd., Hampshire, United Kingdom, and Wanner Pumps, Ltd., Kowloon, Hong Kong, and Shanghai, China.

The patented Hydra-Cell is a positive displacement pump with hydraulically-balanced diaphragms developed by William F. Wanner, Sr., to address the needs of the burgeoning commercial car wash industry in the 1970s. Hydra-Cell proved ideal for both high-pressure spraying and to handle the dirty water drained from washing and rinsing that contains abrasive particulates, oil, and other contaminants. Its seal-less pumping chamber, which has no leak path, and horizontal check valves can pump abrasives up to 800 microns in size (depending on pump model). These and other features enabled Hydra-Cell to market beyond the car wash industry and into the manufacturing and processing industries.

To qualify for the Star Tribune Top Workplaces, a company must have more than 50 employees in Minnesota. More than 2,000 companies were invited to participate. Rankings were composite scores calculated solely on the basis of employee responses. A complete list of those selected is available at StarTribune.com/topworkplaces2017 and was published in the Star Tribune Top Workplaces special section on Sunday, June 25, 2017.

For more information, contact Wanner Engineering, Inc., 1204 Chestnut Avenue, Minneapolis, MN 55403 (USA). Phone: 612-332-5681. Fax: 612-332-6937. Email: sales(at)wannereng(dot)com. Website: http://www.hydra-cell.com

For additional information, contact:

John Wanner, Senior Vice President of Operations, Wanner Engineering, Inc.

Phone: 612-313-7810 * Email: jwanner(at)wannereng(dot)com

For electronic files, contact:

Kenneth A. Boos, Account Executive, Harold Warner Advertising, Inc.

Phone: 716-852-4410 * Email: extra(at)haroldwarne(dot)com
Launch of first LGBTI Retirement Guide

Equality Wealth Management Ltd today announced the launch of the first LGBTI Retirement Guide.

This first-ever guide to LGBTI retirement in Britain has been created by Retirement & Pensions experts following research indicating that many members of the LGBTI Community are ill-prepared for old age.

A recent survey showed that only 20% of the LGBTI Community have prepared adequately for retirement, with over a third having made no provisions. In addition, research into where the LGBTI Community would like to retire to showed that these locations are likely to cost more, with a potential LGBTI retirement premium of 20%.

It was also found that as many older LGBTIs spent their younger years in the closet, fearing persecution, they didnt prepare for later-life financially or legally. Younger people in the Community often put off retirement planning, thinking theyve got plenty of time. The Guide is designed to help both groups.

The Guide contains information specific to the LGBTI Community, including planning for retirement with a partner as well as tax considerations.

Equality Wealth got the idea after hosting an event during Digital Pride when people asked their experts for retirement advice.

Paul Thompson, Chairman of Equality Wealth said Whilst we have seen many positive developments for the LGBTI Community over recent years, including marriage equality, the LGBTI Community still faces unique challenges when thinking of retirement. There are particular issues for older LGBTIs who grew up at a time when an open LGBTI retirement was not considered an option.

Many people in the LGBTI Community would like to retire to locations with a vibrant LGBTI Community, which in many cases will come at a higher cost. We are proud to be launching this guide and hope it will be useful for the LGBTI community.

The LGBT market is a significant and growing market. It is estimated that the LGBTI population in the UK alone counts over 4 million individuals and represents some 110 billion in spending power per year. There is now the opportunity for the LGBTI Community to plan more effectively for retirement, with many having higher disposable income.

About Equality Wealth Management Ltd

Equality Wealth is proud to be the first international specialist focused on the financial planning issues and wealth generation opportunities of the LGBTI Community, providing specialist information and education to help individuals identify what they need to fulfil their desired lifestyle.

Equality Wealth is committed to providing a safe, confidential place for LGBTI individuals to discuss their financial situation and aspirations with advisers that not only understand their needs but also have specialist knowledge in areas like Partner Protection, Retirement and Property Purchase.

For more information about the Equality Wealth service, please visit http://www.Equality-Wealth.com or email info@Equality-Wealth.com

Copyright 2017, Equality Wealth, All rights reserved

Media contact:

info@Equality-Wealth.com

Paul Thompson +44 (0) 1303 778793
This is a spectacular opportunity for dealers to jump on board. And we never charge for training when dealers use their own staff as chat operators, whether the store adds one or one dozen users. Past News Releases RSS ChatLead.com Announces Ken Lewis as...

CarChat24 Announces Michael...

CarChat24 Announces Robbie Boston...

CarChat24 is proud to celebrate 10 years leading the industry in chat software and live chat support for car dealers across the United States and Canada. The milestone coincides with a massive product release of upgrades and enhancements to the companys high-performance chat and text portfolio. To celebrate this achievement, CarChat24 announced a rare special incentive for new dealer clients.

Were grateful to every one of our dealer partners who have grown with us for the past decade, said Robbie Boston, CarChat24 General Manager. Our investment in a full-time in-house development team means we are in a constant state of innovation as we create the next generation of dealer communication tools.

Anniversary chat incentive:

To commemorate the ten-year mark and the rollout of its generation 3.0 platform enhancements, CarChat24 is offering one month of free live chat support to new dealer clients. This means dealers will receive one month of live chat operator support on a performance pricing plan with full-time or backup support, and the company is also waiving the regular setup fee. With the CarChat24 performance and backup plans, all the service and parts leads are provided at no additional costs, as well as any general inquiries, such as how do I change my clock?.

This is a spectacular opportunity for dealers to jump on board, he continued. And we never charge for training when dealers use their own staff as chat operators, whether the store adds one or one dozen users.

Revolutionary live chat enhancements:

Non-stop product development allows CarChat24 to have a whole cachet of live chat product add-ons released for the anniversary.

Weve been on a steady rollout of more than a half dozen major product add-ons over the past several months, said Vice President of Marketing, Michael Chaparro, who has extensive experience implementing digital tools for dealerships. This gives the dealer a whole menu of features that help generate quality leads from their website and beyond.

The list of features includes:



Enhanced SMS text capability, including compatibility with Google AdWord extensions.

Lead-to-Ring (L2R) capability that allows chat operators to hot transfer phone calls to dealer staff directly from a chat, text, or Facebook Messenger conversation.

Lead-to-Video (L2V) function in which chat operators can connect a shopper with a dealer staff member in a live video chat.

Facebook Messenger connector that connects visitors to a dealers Facebook page directly to a chat operator when they click the Messenger button.

Interactive chat invite that leverages HTML 5 technology to not only eliminate the popup chat invite, but resulted in a 15 percent lead boost with the same traffic.

Browser-based chat console that allows operators to chat on any device, including, iPad / tablet, Apple, Linux and Windows machines.

New Android and iOS apps that revolutionize chat operator communication on mobile devices, currently in final testing

Regular billing will begin subsequent months, and the dealer will still be billed for the sales leads we generate, explained Boston, a longtime retail, but this incentive is unique for us, and an amazing value for dealers.

He explained that the promotion is for a limited time and dealers need to contact the company now to take advantage of it.

-----

About CarChat24 (http://www.CarChat24.com)

CarChat24 provides 24/7 hosted live chat support and dealer chat software for new and used car dealership websites. Their technology innovations help dealers sell more vehicles by converting a higher percentage of their website visitors into quality leads. Since 2007, CarChat24 has been helping car dealers improve their sales and customer service on the Internet.

Follow CarChat24.com on Twitter @CarChat24 and on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/CarChat24/.

For more information call 800-510-7567 or visit http://www.carchat24.com, where 24-hour chat and text are available.

MEDIA CONTACT: Tom LaPointe, Tom.LaPointe(at)CarChat24.com, 800-510-7567 x707.
By PTI: (Eds: Recasts top, adds new material)

By K J M Varma

Beijing, Jul 6 (PTI) The "atmosphere" is "not right" for a bilateral meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Hamburg, a Chinese official said today amidst a standoff between the armies of the two countries in the Sikkim section.

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China also "strongly" urged India to pull back to avoid the situation from getting worse and lead to "some more serious consequences."

While India said that Modi will hold meetings with leaders of countries like Canada, Japan, and the UK on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Hamburg, there was no mention of any scheduled bilateral meeting with Xi.

The "atmosphere is not right" for a bilateral meeting between Xi and Modi, a Chinese Foreign Ministry official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

On the sidelines of the G20 summit, which starts tomorrow, a meeting of BRICS leaders is scheduled to take place. The grouping comprises India and China in addition to Russia, Brazil and South Africa.

China and India have been engaged in a standoff in the Dokalam area near the Bhutan tri-junction for the past three weeks after a Chinese Armys construction party attempted to build a road. Doka La is the Indian name for the region which Bhutan recognises as Dokalam, while China claims it as part of its Donglang region.

China reiterated its position today during a briefing by Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang.

Geng expressed hope that "India can immediately withdraw the border troops to the Indian side of the boundary to uphold the peace tranquillity of the China and India border areas".

"We strongly urge India to pull back to the Indian side of the boundary to avoid the situation from getting worse and have some more serious consequences," he said.

Pulling back the troops "is the pre-condition for any meaningful peace talks between the two sides," he told a media briefing here.

Asked about a possible meeting between Modi and Xi on the sidelines of the G20 summit, he said "relevant information" will be released in a timely manner. He did not elaborate.

Chinas state-run media yesterday quoted Chinese analysts as saying that Beijing would be forced to use a "military way" to end the standoff in the Sikkim sector if India refuses to listen to the "historical lessons" being offered by it.

Asked about Indian minister of state for defence Subhash Bhamres remarks that the standoff can be resolved diplomatically and Chinese soldiers should leave the Bhutanese territory to reduce tension in the area, Geng said, "We noted the statement".

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"We have said many times that the illegal entry of Indian border troops at the defined section and mutually recognised boundary is different in nature from previous frictions at the undefined part of the boundary," Geng said.

Geng rejected allegations that Chinese troops entered Bhutans territory. Bhutan has already lodged a protest with China saying that the road being built by Chinese troops was in its territory.

He said the area is "undisputable" and Dokalam has always been under the "effective jurisdiction of China."

China and Bhutan have held 24 rounds of talks, he noted, adding that China has never breached the accepted conventions in the area.

He accused India of illegally entering Chinese territory China, "thus hindering the negotiation process between China and Bhutan."

However, India has said it is "deeply concerned at the recent Chinese actions and has conveyed to the Chinese government that such construction would represent a significant change of status quo with serious security implications for India".

Geng questioned Indias apprehension that the strategic road being built by China in Dokalam area in the Sikkim sector could hand China the advantage as Beijing may use it to cut off Indias access to its north-eastern states.

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"I dont understand why building of a road by China can bring serious risk to India. China building road on its own territory is a justified action by a sovereign state," he said.

Without mentioning the massive infrastructure development undertaken by China in Tibet and at other parts of the Line of Actual Control, Geng also accused India of building infrastructure along the border without taking into consideration Chinas security concerns. PTI KJV/PYK ASK AKJ VJ ASK

--- ENDS ---
Employee Benefit Management Services, Inc., a national third-party administrator and leader in health risk management, has launched an enhanced platform to power its account-based health benefit products. This integration leverages a best-in-class solution to bring the latest technological advances to EBMS customers.

At EBMS, we continually reinvest in our technologies and resources in order to improve experiences for our customers, said Kevin Larson, the president of EBMS. Were thrilled to offer our customers and members this advanced product.

Consumer Driven Healthcare allows consumers to directly pay for healthcare, while utilizing tax incentives, through Health Savings Accounts, Health Reimbursement Arrangements, and Flexible Spending Accounts. As a leader in providing benefit strategies to employers, EBMS launched miBenefits CDH, which consists of an employer portal, participant portal, mobile application, and benefit debit card to manage CDH accounts. The platform also provides engagement tools to empower consumers with meaningful support, helping them optimize their healthcare spending and maximize their healthcare savings.

EBMS miBenefits CDH platform has not only increased efficiency within our administration, but it has also made it easier for our employees to pay for and monitor healthcare expenses, said Cindy Loyer, the benefits specialist of Matanuska-Susitna Borough in Alaska. EBMS consistently delivers solutions that positively impact our operations and the lives of our employees. Were thrilled with their commitment to investigating new possibilities.

As the healthcare landscape continues to change, American employers are increasingly using Consumer Driven Healthcare to shift costs and meet new demands. For instance, according to the 2016 Year-End Devenir Health Savings Account Research Report, the number of HSA accounts in the U.S. exceeded 20 million in 2016, a 20 percent increase since 2015.

We wanted a competitive advantage when it came to CDH products, EBMS Kevin Larson said. Now, we can be a leader across all aspects of our business, as we continue to offer innovative products to our clients and members.

EBMS, Montanas first third party administrator for self-funded healthcare, started nearly 40 years ago with two employees and one client. Now, 275 employees serve more than 200 clients throughout the U.S. EBMS offers a full suite of health management services, including onsite clinics, pharmacy services, wellness, disease management, and medical management programs. As one of the nations premier industry leaders, EBMS works with clients and brokers to achieve better health and financial outcomes for the workforce and the companys bottom line.
Organizations have more data than ever, but they struggle with the last mile of analyticsknowing what the data is telling them to do and taking action. Emcien will eliminate this problem by producing a steady stream of prioritized tasks for teams.

Emcien and eVerge Group today announced a partnership to help brands realize the value of prescriptive analytics by solving the last mile problem. The partnership combines EmcienPatterns, revolutionary new data analytics software that tells companies exactly what to do, with eVerge Groups deep solution expertise to quickly and seamlessly generate enterprise-wide impact. As part of the joint effort, eVerge Group is contributing more than 20 years of experience helping businesses successfully implement best-in-class solutions that leverage data and improve customer experience, operations, production and the management of human capital.

Because we talk to customers every day about their biggest challenges, we know that EmcienPatterns is the best way for companies to leapfrog competitors with transformative improvements to outcomes. Organizations have more data than ever, but they struggle with the last mile of analyticsknowing what the data is telling them to do and taking action. Emcien will eliminate this problem by producing a steady stream of prioritized tasks for teams and systems to act on continuously, said Andy Mitchell, eVerge Groups vice president of business development. Our team will provide leading brands the expertise they need to quickly and effectively generate value from this innovative technology. Our goal is to empower the workforce to take advantage of the data they already have in order to make real, impactful, daily improvement to the business.

As an award-winning technology consulting firm with deep experience across verticals and horizontals, eVerge Group is an ideal partner that brings a team of trusted, strategic advisors to help clients truly reinvent how they leverage data using EmcienPatterns, said Andy Bashkin, Emciens vice president of sales. EmcienPatterns is transforming how businesses everywhere improve outcomes. And through this partnership, were able to help companies rapidly tap into the incredible capabilities that only Emcien can deliver.

Together, Emcien and eVerge Group will help brands use their data to make immediate, significant, and continuous improvement to outcomes including customer experience, employee retention, operational efficiency, customer value, customer churn, and other areas of the business where prescriptive analytics will be a difference maker.

About eVerge Group:

Founded in 1993, eVerge Group refines business processes and delivers services tailored for commercial and public sector clients focusing on Business Intelligence (BI), Customer Experience (CX), Enterprise Information Management (EIM), Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and Human Capital Management (HCM). eVerge Group is an Oracle Platinum Cloud Select partner that implements software solutions in leading global organizations. In addition to their Oracle partnership, they are also Salesforce, Informatica, Reltio, and Tableau partners. For more information on eVerge Group, visit http://www.evergegroup.com.

About Emcien:

Emcien revolutionizes analytics with the only software that helps enterprises realize value from their data by converting it to practical, prioritized tasks to continuously improve business outcomes like churn, profitability, downtime, and more. Only Emcien tells you what outcomes will occur in the future and why, and what specific action to take as a result. Emcien delivers answers into your existing apps and systems in real-time so they can seamlessly transform the enterprise. Leading brands across verticals like retail, manufacturing, and telecom trust Emcien to transform their sales, operations, customer service, and beyond. For product videos and more, visit http://www.emcien.com.

Press Contacts:

Andy Mitchell

eVerge Group

andy.mitchell(at)evergegroup(dot)com

(978) 590-7960

Emily Gay

Emcien

pr(at)emcien(dot)com

(404) 692-5856
Rathje & Woodward, LLC, congratulates attorneys Timothy D. Elliott and Emily A. Shupe for being recognized as top-rated attorneys by Super Lawyers for 2017.

The law firm of Rathje & Woodward, LLC, congratulates attorneys Timothy D. Elliott and Emily A. Shupe for being recognized as top-rated attorneys by Super Lawyers for 2017. Super Lawyers is a lawyer rating service that names Super Lawyers and Rising Stars annually, based on peer evaluations and independent research. Among all the attorneys that are considered each year, only five percent are designated Super Lawyers, and only 2.5 percent are designated Rising Stars.



Attorney Timothy D. Elliott was selected as a Super Lawyer for the fifth-consecutive year. Based out of Rathje & Woodwards Wheaton, Illinois, office, Elliott focuses on general litigation and appellate law. He has worked at Rathje & Woodward since 2005 and was named one of Super Lawyers Rising Stars from 2008 to 2011.



Attorney Emily A. Shupe was named a Rising Star for the fourth-consecutive year. The Rising Star designation is available to attorneys who are 40 years and younger or have been practicing for 10 years or less. Shupe has been with Rathje & Woodward since 2006 and is also based out of the Wheaton office. She concentrates on commercial litigation, employment law and insurance disputes.



Six additional attorneys at Rathje & Woodward have been selected as 2017 Leading Lawyers: R. Terence Kalina, Tracy D. Kasson, Mark J. McAndrew, Reese J. Peck, Scott E. Pointner and John S. Worthen. Leading Lawyers, a division of the Law Bulletin Publishing Company, evaluates thousands of attorneys from each state to determine who are the best in their areas of practice. Less than five percent of lawyers in each state are named Leading Lawyers.



About Rathje & Woodward, LLC:



Rathje & Woodward, LLC is a full-service law firm with clients in the Midwest and across the U.S. The firm practices multiple areas of law, including business formation and transactions, real estate, litigation, employment law, community associations and insurance law. To learn more about Rathje & Woodward, LLC, visit http://www.rathjewoodward.com or call their Illinois location at 630-668-8500 or their Wisconsin office at 608-960-7430.
Witty Health Cancer Treatment Platform (CTP) Preserving patient's Quality of Life (QoL) is increasingly being used as a primary outcome measure in studies to evaluate the effectiveness of cancer treatment. Witty Health Cancer Treatment Platform (CTP)'s goal is to improve QoL and outcomes.

Witty Health Inc., a real-time remote health risk monitoring company, today announced the appointment of Dr. Karthik Koduru, MD as Chief Oncologist of the company. In his role as the Chief Oncologist, Dr. Koduru will oversee the companys product strategy for oncology market and pilot the validation of Witty Healths Cancer Treatment Platform (CTP) at major cancer centers.

We are excited to have Dr. Karthik Koduru join our core leadership team, said Co-Founder Ram Sesha. We are in advanced discussions with multiple biopharmaceutical companies and cancers centers for partnership. Dr. Kodurus expertise in cancer care with innovative medicines will enable Witty Health to actively expand its platform to the oncology market and enable pharmaceutical and biotech company collaborations to improve cancer drug outcomes.

The current cancer treatment model without monitoring patients condition between office visits is not working. Witty Healths Cancer Treatment Platform (CTP) is designed for value-based models where the patients symptoms and vitals are monitored in real-time to improve patients Quality of Life (QoL) and potentially disease outcomes. Through an engaging partnership with payers, cancer drug marketers and physicians, we believe our product can significantly reduce preventable healthcare costs by reducing ER visits and hospitalizations due to symptom exacerbations, stated Dr. Koduru.

Witty Healths Cancer Treatment Platform (CTP) is connected with eight devices: a wireless weighing scale, blood pressure cuff, pulse oximeter, stethoscope, thermometer, multi-scope camera, ECG and blood glucose monitor. These tools create data which can be remotely uploaded while the patient is video conferencing with the physician - in real-time or offline, from home or office. Cancer Treatment Platform (CTP) includes drug specific toxicity pathways to help oncologists to address specific toxicity effectively and promptly to improve Quality of Life (QoL) and potentially improve outcomes of the treatment.

It is protected by a number of novel patent applications covering the treatment with Checkpoint, CDK 4/6 and PARP inhibitors and pain management during cancer therapy. The Cancer Treatment Platform (CTP) is customizable to five Checkpoint inhibitors; Opdivo, Keytruda, Imfinzi, TecentriQ and Bavencio, three CDK 4/6 inhibitors: Ibrance, Abemaciclib, and Kisqali, PARP inhibitor; Lynparza and for any pain medication.

Witty Health Inc was established with the aim of finding new models to combat chronic care diseases through an intelligent, remote health risk monitoring technology. The company uses the InstaMD platform which includes: a telemedicine-based remote clinic, remote health monitoring, patient diagnosis, and messaging application modules. The suite of intelligent tools for this platform helps personalize health risk management. Witty Health Inc. has assembled an experienced management team and secured investments from a number of outstanding physician/oncology leaders.

For further information about Witty Health and its Cancer Treatment Platform (CTP), please visit http://www.wittyhealth.com

About Witty Health

Witty Health, Inc. (http://www.wittyhealth.com) is a Houston, TX-based technology company focusing on intelligence-powered, real-time health risk monitoring for clinical prevention. Witty Health, privately held by employees and outstanding physician/oncology leaders, is redefining the immunotherapy-based cancer treatments through the development and commercialization of its proprietary Cancer Treatment Platform (CTP).
Isodiol "By increasing our global presence, we feel we will be in a position to influence the regulatory and legal framework of this movement into a sustainable industry domestically in Canada and the US.

Isodiol International Inc. (CSE: ISOL) (OTC: LAGBF) (FSE: LB6A.F) (the Company or Isodiol) a global cannabis innovator specializing in the development of pharmaceutical and consumer products is pleased to announce it has received approval from the Brazilian Health Regulatory Agency (ANVISA) for the approval of its pharmaceutical grade Cannabidiol (CBD) product, Isoderm. This product will be placed on the Special Category List for alternative therapies which will enable it to be prescribed by doctors and neurologists.

Isodiol International CEO Marcos Agramont stated, We had initially anticipated this process to lead us into the third quarter, however receiving the first approval in a few months shows the quality and market demand for our Isoderm product. We anticipate additional product and medical indication approvals to continue over the coming weeks and months. We will strengthen our distribution relationships in the region and continue working towards receiving product approvals in other jurisdictions. We will continue to be proactive and mitigate the regulatory risk in North America by increasing our footprint in countries that have approved medical CBD. By increasing our global presence, we feel we will be in a position to influence the regulatory and legal framework of this movement into a sustainable industry domestically in Canada and the US.

Additional information will be provided in the coming weeks around the progress of distribution partnerships.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

Marcos Agramont CEO & Director

COMPANY MEDIA:

Isodiol.com

CBDnaturals.com

Iso-sport.com

CBDskincream.com

Potocoffee.coffee

ir(at)isodiol(dot)com

Join Us On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Isodiol/

Twitter: @isodiol

Forward-Looking Information:

Forward-Looking Information: This news release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws relating to statements regarding the Companys business, products and future the Companys business, its product offerings and plans for sales and marketing. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in the forward looking information are reasonable, there can be no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Readers are cautioned to not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Such forward looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results, performance and developments to differ materially from those contemplated by these statements depending on, among other things, the risks that the Companys products and plan will vary from those stated in this news release and the Company may not be able to carry out its business plans as expected. Except as required by law, the Company expressly disclaims any obligation, and does not intend, to update any forward looking statements or forward-looking information in this news release. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in the forward looking information are reasonable, there can be no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct and makes no reference to profitability based on sales reported. The statements in this news release are made as of the date of this release.

The CSE has not reviewed, approved or disapproved the content of this press release.
With the emergence of Microsoft Dynamics 365, we believe we can help partners transform their business model to deliver competitive and cutting-edge solutions to their customers.

Stratos Cloud Alliance, an Indirect Cloud Solution Provider founded by SBS Group, the largest Microsoft Dynamics value distributor in the United States of America, will start its own networking community on Dynasource. Digital transformation is on the rise and customers demand fast deployments with the latest technology. The Stratos Cloud Alliance has experience doing so, working with 74 specialized partners to help and fulfill their needs. Dynasource allows technology partners to instantly find the right partner for their workloads, wherever they are or whatever their need is.

By using Dynasource, we can create a community for our partners to find and help each other, said James Bowman, President and CEO of the Stratos Cloud Alliance. Dynasource helps our partners to work together more than ever and it allows us quicken the process of deployment and customer satisfaction. With the emergence of Microsoft Dynamics 365, we believe we can help partners transform their business model to deliver competitive and cutting-edge solutions to their customers.

Dynasource is the #1 partner-to-partner marketplace for sharing expertise. We work closely together with the Microsoft Partner Network, since we both believe in sharing expertise in a technology-centric world, stated Peter Robin, CEO of Dynasource. We have created a platform just like AirBnB. Many partners have the expertise; they just need to find each other and connect in a trusted network to work together.

Both organizations will be participating in the Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference, Inspire, which will be held at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C. July 9-13, 2017. The Stratos Cloud Alliance will be exhibiting in Booth 543. Dynasource will be hosting a number of sessions. Details can be found on the Dynasource website at https://www.dynasource.com/inspire.

To learn more about the Stratos Cloud Alliance on Dynasource, visit https://sca.dynasource.com/.

About Stratos Cloud Alliance

The SCA features a comprehensive portfolio of Microsoft Cloud business and productivity Solutions, ISV products and tools, and partner and customer services. The SCA offers three flexible partner models (including a white-label option) with value-added features and benefits for ERP and CRM resellers, Managed Service Providers, Accounting and Consulting firms. All partner tiers are powered by best-in-class e-commerce capabilities and include dedicated partner teams and support services designed to simplify onboarding and streamline the partner experience. To learn more about the Stratos Cloud Alliance, visit: http://www.stratosalliance.com/.

About Dynasource

Dynasource is a global Partner to Partner Marketplace for sharing expertise. It is founded in 2015 in Amsterdam. Dynasource works closely together with the Microsoft Partner Network and is mentioned as one of the nine resources for partner to partner collaboration. It serves over 3.000 members and over 10.000 profiles on its platform. IT freelancers can also be part of Dynasource. The company is privately held and works globally from its Amsterdam Office. Discover more at Dynasource.com.
James (Jamie) Moffat, Senior Manager of Partnerships Jamies extensive media sales background and software integration and success is a huge addition to the business acumen at Vendasta

Vendasta, the leading platform for selling digital solutions to local businesses, is pleased to announce the addition of James (Jamie) Moffat to their senior leadership team. Jamie joins the company as Senior Manager of Partnerships and will work with Senior Director of Revenue, Doug Campbell to build and nurture business partnerships across North America, Australia and Europe.

We have a world class team in place that manages our most successful partners, and this move secures our senior leadership as growth continues to accelerate, says Doug Campbell, Sr. Director of Revenue. "Jamie is an outstanding addition and he brings a lot of experience as well as guidance to our Major Partner Success Management team.

Jamie brings over 25 years experience in sales and management to Vendasta. He started his career in radio, in Prince George, British Columbia. His primary focus then was programming, news and production, but following a move to Vancouver, Jamie soon discovered his passion for sales. Combining his media and advertising sales experience with his love for new technology, he helped hundreds of small and medium business bridge the gap between traditional and digital media. Jamie says he is super excited to be joining the fantastic team at Vendasta. This company is on the upward swing and to be able to work with this team of digital media superstars in Saskatoon is a real blessing."

Prior to joining the Vendasta leadership team, Jamie was Partner Integration Specialist with Futuri Media. Futuri purchased StreamOn, a streaming audio archiving and podcasting tool developed for radio stations, in 2015. Jamie had joined StreamOn to create revenue strategies for their tool, "Listen Later". He focused on using digital and audio on-demand tools to grow ratings and increase revenue. The success of Listen Later didnt go unnoticed and Futuri added StreamOn's streaming and podcasting tools to its line of digital products for radio and TV stations around the world.

Jamie developed digital and on-demand strategies for radio broadcasting clients ranging from standalone small market stations to some of the largest radio companies including the Jim Pattison Broadcast Group, iHeartRadio, Harvard Broadcasting, and many others. He shared his wealth of media sales and tech knowledge on digital panels at radio conferences across Canada and the United States.

Vendastas CRO, George Leith says, "We have been searching all year for senior management additions to our Revenue division at Vendasta. I am pleased to announce Jamie will be leading the team helping our biggest partners worldwide with their success. Jamies extensive media sales background and software integration and success is a huge addition to the business acumen at Vendasta. I welcome him to our leadership team."

Vendasta is a digital solutions platform that connects agencies and software vendors with local businesses that need them. It offers agencies a marketplace of rebrandable products and leverages big data, automation and intent-mining to identify hot leads and empowers them to acquire, retain and grow customers. Vendasta turns salespeople into experts on local digital marketing, offering the power to show local businesses how they're doing and how they can do better. For more information, visit http://www.vendasta.com and check out Vendastas leadership principles to see what drives their recruitment strategy.

Media Contact Information:

Catriona Barcoe

Marketing Coordinator

+1 306 955 5512 ext. 153

cbarcoe(at)vendasta.com
Okuma America Corporation

Okuma America Corporation, a world leader in CNC machine tool manufacturing, is hosting a Summer Showcase, Wednesday, July 19 and Thursday, July 20, 2017, from 9:00 a.m.  4:00 p.m. in Charlotte, North Carolina. Machine tool users will learn about the benefits of implementing cutting-edge CNC technologies to raise efficiencies, expand capabilities and advance business. Participants will also view cutting demonstrations on more than 20 machine tools and see how these technologies can give them a competitive edge.

Learning Sessions



Okumas New Technology: The LASER EX series features state-of-the-art laser technology combining subtractive and additive manufacturing, coating and precision hardening on multitasking machines.

IIoT: Okuma has made the process of connecting machine tools easy for customers through IIoT and MTConnect. Hear how customers are using data collection and analysis to improve profitability.

Sandvik Coromant Prime Turning: PrimeTurning is a new methodology which enables turning in all directions as opposed to conventional turning. This allows for more flexibility, productivity and efficiency when cutting chips, and can reduce cycle time up to 50 percent.

Trochoidal Milling: Laine Mears from CU-ICAR (Clemson University, International Center for Automotive Research) will explain how trochoidal milling allows for higher feeds and speeds and how this method and other alternative tool paths fit into the framework of cost-driven, machining planning.

The Okuma sponsored Richard Childress Racing #3 Chevy and Chip Ganassi Racing, NTT DATA IndyCar, will be on display for photos. Lunch will be provided daily. For detailed information about the 2017 Summer Showcase event and to register visit http://www.okuma.com/events/summershow. For more information on Okuma America Corporation visit http://www.okuma.com/americas.

About Okuma America Corporation

Okuma America Corporation is the U.S.-based sales and service affiliate of Okuma Corporation, a world leader in CNC (computer numeric control) machine tools, founded in 1898 in Nagoya, Japan. The company is the industrys only single-source provider, with the CNC machine, drive, motors, encoders, and spindle all manufactured by Okuma. The company also designs their own CNC controls to integrate seamlessly with each machine tools functionality. In 2014 Okuma launched the Okuma App Store, the industrys only centralized online marketplace for machine tool apps and related content. Along with its extensive distribution network (largest in the Americas), and Partners in THINC, Okuma is committed to helping users gain competitive advantage through the open possibilities of machine tools, today and into the future. For more information, visit http://www.okuma.com/americas or follow us on Facebook or Twitter @OkumaAmerica.

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We have to provide incentives that allow us to be competitive in terms of growing jobs and stimulating more new start-up companies in the United States." -Julio Gonzalez

Tax reform expert, Julio Gonzalez, met with Congressman Pat Tiberi (R-OH) to praise his introduction of the Research & Experimentation Advances Competitiveness at Home (REACH) Act (H.R. 5187) and discuss the current status of tax reform.

"This is a positive plan because the REACH Act is intended to increase the Alternative Simplified Credit ("ASC") rate from 14 percent to 20 percent. These credits basically refund labor done in the United States for innovation of products and services and are key to helping retain employment in the United States and level the labor costs globally to retain jobs," said Julio. The Act next goes to the House Ways and Means Committee for consideration.

Currently, the ASC method provides a gross federal Research and Development (R&D) credit that is equal to 14 percent of the amount by which the current year qualified research expenditures (QREs) exceed 50 percent of the average prior three years QREs. This welcome change would put the ASC rate on par with the 20 percent regular method rate. If enacted, the ASC rate increase would be effective for tax years that began after December 31, 2015.

The recent enhancements to the R&D tax credit as part of the PATH Act of 2015, included making the R&D credit permanent for the first time, having AMT turnoff for small to mid-sized companies, and allowing the credit to offset payroll taxes for start-up companies. The REACH Act would continue to augment this important tax incentive that is meant to stimulate job creation, start-up venture capital and private equity, and inspire innovation and manufacturing within the United States. We have to provide incentives that allow us to be competitive in terms of growing jobs and stimulating more new start-up companies in the United States, said Julio.

About Engineered Tax Services and R&D Tax Credits

Despite the fact the R&D tax credit has been available since 1981, it is estimated that less than a third of eligible companies in the United States are aware that they qualify for the credit and refunds. For start-ups, these incentives became available starting in 2017.

ETS is a licensed engineering tax firm which specializes in assisting firms with their R&D tax credit studies. You can learn more at http://www.EngineeredTaxServices.com.
The updates include improvements to the integrations we built so as to advance the user experience.

Read on to learn about our latest additions:

Integration with Vendor Bills & Vendor Credits in NetSuite

SutiExpense 7.1.0 has integrated with vendor bills and vendor credits in NetSuite. The integration is designed to automatically categorize users transactions into bills and credits. For instance, when a user imports transactions from SutiExpense into NetSuite, all the bills will be listed under Vendor Bills and the credits will be listed under Vendor Credits. This eliminates manual entry, missing transactions, and saves time.

Supporting Checks format in QuickBooks Desktop

Previously, users could import only bills and journals from SutiExpense into QuickBooks, but now they can also import checks using a web connector.

We are working on some more feature enhancements in this area. For more information, please visit SutiExpense.com or call us on 650-969-SUTI.

About SutiSoft Inc

SutiSoft provides a comprehensive suite of cloud-based business platforms and solutions for companies of all sizes. These platforms include scalable and easy-to-use solutions for HR, Employee Travel & Expense, Wireless Spend Management, CRM, Document Management, Business Data Analytics, and Electronic signature. Our platforms and solutions enable small, mid-size, and large enterprise customers to control costs, save time and assist in making smart business decisions. Headquartered in Los Altos, California, SutiSoft also has regional offices in Germany, India, and Japan. For additional information visit our website at http://www.sutisoft.com.
Jammu and Kashmir top cop Ayub Pandith who was lynched to death on June 23 in Srinagar, was also stripped and beaten with iron rod.

Reports suggest that DySP Ayub Pandith was also beaten with iron rods.

By Kamaljit Kaur Sandhu: The 57-year-old Jammu and Kashmir Deputy Superintendent of Police Mohammed Ayub Pandith who was lynched near Srinagar's Jama Masjid on June 23 was allegedly also beaten by rods.

Sources privy to the probe in the case of Pandith's lynching said that he sustained injuries like that of been beaten by an iron rod.

Ayub Pandith was stripped and dragged to the Bata Gali in Nowhatta before being brutally killed by an angry mob.

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The incident took place at 12 am when hundreds had gathered for prayers on Islam's holiest night of Shab-e-Qadr at the Jama Masjid.

BROKEN PISTOL, TATTERED CLOTHES RECOVERED

While sources say that at least seven have been arrested in the case, some reports suggest that two dozen people have been rounded up.

The Jammu and Kashmir Police has also recovered Pandith's broken pistol, mobile phone, IDs and his tattered clothes.

The cops say that his pistol must have broken under pressure from the blows inflicted on him from all sides.

Denying reports that police officials held a meeting with the mosque administration hours before the prayers on June 23 regarding security arrangements, senior Jammu and Kashmir Police officer said, "It is normal for cops to wear civil clothes".

The state police also denies report of paying hefty amount of money for the video of the lynching to be deleted, fearing frenzied repercussions.

Additional Superintendent of Police Sajad Ahmad Shah is heading the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the case.

Also read: Kashmir: Police officer Ayub Pandith's lynching case cracked, says IGP

Also read: DSP Ayub Pandith lynching: Are policemen the new target of terror agents in Valley?

--- ENDS ---
Our blind can be fully assembled in 5-10 minutes allowing hunters to stay comfortable and undetectable while waiting for a buck of a lifetime.

Buck Hunter Blinds, insulated knockdown aluminum hunting blinds designed for extreme durability and extremely quick assembly, launches online today. Offering the utmost covering for hunters, this product is easy to setup and breakdown while offering considerable insulation to keep hunters warm, dry and scentless

A product of American Douglas Metals (ADM), a premier industrial leader in metal manufacturing, processing, fabrication, assembly, warehousing and distribution, Buck Hunter Blinds was developed to meet the rising demand for high-quality hunting blinds that can be placed without heavy machinery.

Buck Hunter Blinds are extremely durable will last for countless hunting seasons, says Vice President at ADM, Jeff Raimonde. Our blind can be fully assembled in 5-10 minutes allowing hunters to stay comfortable and undetectable while waiting for a buck of a lifetime. With the ability to assemble the Buck Hunter Blinds quickly, hunters can stay hidden from passing game until theyre ready to strike.

Sized to accommodate up to two people, Buck Hunter Blinds features connecting corner designs and rapid roof latching for a simple setup, a rain-proof roof and overhang, a keyed locking door to prevent intrusion, marine traction mat flooring and more. Made from military-grade aluminum and two-inch-thick insulating foam, the product is lightweight and sturdy as well as corrosion-proof.

Raimonde continues, With such an easy setup process and no maintenance, all our customers need to worry about is finding a good hunting spot.

Buck Hunter Blinds physical product launch will take place at the Florida Deer & Turkey Expo, July 7th through the 9th.

-----------------------------------------------

About Buck Hunter Blinds

Buck Hunter Blinds is the American industrial leader for manufacturing high-caliber hunting blinds. Made in the United States with shipping capabilities worldwide, Buck Hunter Blinds offers ground blinds constructed with military-grade, lightweight aluminum so hunters can set up their blinds in a favorite spot at any time. Insulated with 2-inch thick panels, Buck Hunter Blinds allows hunters to be comfortable while on the hunt. With Buck Hunter Blinds, youre always getting the Best Bang for Your Buck.

To learn more about Buck Hunter Blinds, or to place an order, visit http://www.buckhunterblinds.com.
What Type of Queen Are You? Men can not be who we need to be unless our women rise up as Queens to their throne. A roadmap for women dating and yearning to create proper relationships through self-empowerment and self-love!

Not since NY Times best-selling book and film fame of Steve Harveys Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man has there been a book that peers into the needs and wants of a man like the soon-to-be-released King Kevin Dorivals 7 Types of Queens, Kings Desire  it hits bookshelves on 7.17.17.

Steves book was a great read, and entertaining, but I must admit, I don't agree with changing the consciousness of women to think like men. Women just need to be taught the secrets of womanhood from a historical perspective and they will attract kings  just as the former first-lady Michelle Obama did, said Dorival, a marketing director by day and an author/motivational speaker for life.

Combining historical models, psychological theory, spiritual underpinnings and anecdotal evidence, Dorival makes a substantive case for why every man desires a specific set of traits in the women who make up their world.

From her motherly nature and her culinary skills to her sexual prowess and knack for king-building, Dorival insists that a modern woman examines the lives of female historical figures like Queen Nzingha, Harriet Tubman, Princess Diana, Winnie Mandela and contemporary figures such as Michelle Obama to determine why men were drawn to be with and/or beside these female powerhouses.

Dorival was initially inspired by the grit his single mother Queen Rosette Pierre exhibited under grinding political turmoil while in Haiti and then when she migrated to Pompano Beach, Florida to raise he and his four siblings.

Coupling his real-life experience with his expertise in the field of market research, Dorival presents his findings and observations of the world in an easy-to-read format peppered with introspective questions at chapter ends and FYI boxes for further reflection and study.

If we dont know why we are where we are and how to get where want to be, we are destined to live a sub-par life. Men have to understand that much of our power, inspiration, wisdom and strength comes from the sacred feminine energy of women, our mothers and our wives, said Dorival. In my book, I ask women if they are a king-builder or a back-breaker? It is crucial that women build men up to protect and provide, which facilitates in them building strong marriages, which build strong families, which build strong communities, which build stronger nations. This is what the world needs, right now!

King Kevin Dorival is currently the marketing director for a South Florida-based construction firm, the founder of the Annual Black On Black Crimes Solutions Panel and a graduate of Florida Atlantic University. His first book, Courage to Believe, was published in December of 2012.

For more information on King Kevin Dorival, to schedule a press interview and for book excerpts/samples of his book 7 Types of Queens, Kings Desire, visit http://www.7queens7kings.com. Books can also be ordered on his website, Amazon, and iTunes. You may call his highness at 954-372-6336.

###

PRESS CONTACT

King Kevin Dorival

Mentor, Author, Host & Filmmaker

Founder of Annual Black On Black Crime Solutions Panel & C2B Chess Club/Mentoring Program

954-372-6336

7queens7kings(at)gmail.com

http://www.7queens7kings.com

On Twitter @courage2believe

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-king-dorival-4379a829

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/7queens7kings/
All Seven HR Certification Institute Credentials Now Meet Rigorous NCCA Standards

HR Certification Institute (HRCI) today announced that the National Council for Certifying Agencies (NCCA) has accredited the Associate Professional in Human Resources (aPHR), the newest HR credential from HRCI, which is awarded to professionals who can demonstrate foundational knowledge of HR and people-management practices.

"With accreditation of the aPHR, the complete suite of seven HRCI certifications are now recognized as meeting the rigorous NCCA standards," said HRCI CEO Amy Schabacker Dufrane, Ed.D., SPHR, CAE. "NCCA accreditation speaks volumes about HRCI and its commitment to the HR profession, just as our seven credentials speak volumes about the HR practitioners who earn them and the organizations they serve."

The aPHR joined the HRCI family of HR credentials in 2016. The credential has quickly grown in popularity among those who do not yet have the requisite experience to earn one of the professional-level HRCI certifications, but wish to demonstrate foundational HR knowledge and commitment to HR principles. Those who are just starting out or transferring into HR, students interested in pursuing HR and business careers, active duty and military veterans seeking to demonstrate HR knowledge needed to practice in the civilian workplace, and line managers who want to show understanding of HR for the benefit of their organizations have found the aPHR to be a valuable addition to their career portfolios.

In June, HRCI announced the accreditation of its Professional in Human Resources - International (PHRi) and the Senior Professional in Human Resources - International (SPHRi) certifications. Also accredited are the Professional in Human Resources (PHR), the Professional in Human Resources - California (PHRca), the Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) and the Global Professional in Human Resources (GPHR) from HRCI.

"HRCI is proud to have earned program-wide NCCA accreditation," said Dania Eter, MBA, Chief Credentialing and Products Portfolio Officer for HRCI. "By achieving NCCA accreditation, HRCI programs join the top professional and industry certifications in the world. We invite the HR community to help us celebrate this significant accomplishment."

The NCCA Standards for the Accreditation of Certification Programs, created in the mid-1970s, were the first standards developed for professional certification programs. The seven certification programs from HRCI are among just 330 programs, from 130 organizations, that have earned NCCA accreditation.

To celebrate, HRCI is giving away seven HRCI exam scholarships. Enter the HRCI Celebrates 7 Scholarship Giveaway by reposting the official contest graphic and hashtag #HRCICelebrates7 on Twitter or Instagram. HRCI will randomly award exam scholarships to seven lucky participants. Winners must also be qualified to earn one of the seven HRCI credentials (see certification eligibility requirements). Hashtag and graphic postings must be made on or before July 14, 2017, to be entered to win (see contest details).

About HRCI

HR Certification Institute (HRCI) is the premier professional credentialing organization for the human resource management profession, setting the standard for HR excellence and expertise worldwide for more than 40 years. HR practitioners and organizations turn to HRCI to ensure, strengthen and advance the strategic value of HR through credentials such as the Professional in Human Resources (PHR) and the Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR). With a suite of seven certifications that represent various levels of competency, practical skills and knowledge, HRCI credentials are considered the most rigorous and trusted credentials to earn in the HR field. Learn more at http://www.hrci.org.

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Beauty Changes Lives Foundation

The Beauty Changes Lives Foundation is accepting applications for the Fall 2017 Vidal Sassoon Professional Beauty Education Basic and Advanced Scholarship competitions. Beauty school students may apply for a Basic competition by August 21, 2017 and licensed professionals may apply for an Advanced scholarship by August 28.

Generously funded by Wellas Hairdressers at Heart, the Fall Vidal Sassoon Professional Beauty Education Scholarship competition will award six Basic scholarships and 10 Advanced scholarships. Winners of the Basic scholarship will receive 50% tuition (up to $10,000) toward a cosmetology program at an American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS) member school. Additionally, the competition will award 10 Advanced scholarships to licensed hairstylists seeking to elevate their craft through advanced professional education. Each Advanced scholarship winner will receive a five-day advanced education course at a North American Sassoon Academy, valued at up to $5,000, including travel. All winners will receive exposure in professional beauty media outlets. Several former Vidal Sassoon Professional Beauty Education Scholarship winners have been highlighted at industry shows and events.

Applicants for both Basic and Advanced scholarships must submit a video addressing how careers in beauty change lives. Details for applying and examples of previous winners video applications are available at https://beautychangeslives.org/cosmetology/ .

Honoring the legacy of Vidal Sassoon, the scholarship celebrates Sassoons commitment to lifelong learning and his passion for advancing the art and science of beauty. Five years ago, Wellas Hairdressers at Heart created this unprecedented scholarship initiative, said Lynelle Lynch, president of the Beauty Changes Lives Foundation. We are grateful for Wellas generosity which has helped advance the careers of licensed hairstylists across the nation.

Added Sal Mauceri, Senior Vice President North American Coty Professional Beauty and Global OPI: Its our honor to invest in the education and continued learning for students and professionals who are the future stars of our industry.

Winners of the Vidal Sassoon Professional Beauty Education Scholarship are selected by a panel of industry judges who consider applicants passion for the craft of hairstyling and their vision for using a career in beauty to change lives.

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About the Beauty Changes Lives Foundation: With a mission to elevate, educate and empower, Beauty Changes Lives is uniting the industry and building awareness of the extraordinary career opportunities in the beauty, wellness and massage therapy industries. Learn more at http://www.beautychangeslives.org or find us on Facebook.

About Hairdressers At Heart: Stylists are committed to being the best, perfecting their craft with every cut. Wella is here to advance the salon industry, one stylist at a time. Hairdressers At Heart is a program created to help stylists develop their talents throughout their career. Our goal is to be a vital partner to salons, empowering individual stylists and our entire industry. For more: http://www.WellaEd.com/hairdressers-at-heart

About Coty Inc.: Coty is one of the worlds largest beauty companies with approximately $9 billion in revenue, with a purpose to celebrate and liberate the diversity of consumers beauty. Its strong entrepreneurial heritage has created an iconic portfolio of leading beauty brands. Coty is the global leader in fragrance, a strong number two in professional salon hair color & styling, and number three in color cosmetics. Coty operates three divisions  Coty Consumer Beauty, which is focused on color cosmetics, retail hair coloring and styling products, body care and mass fragrances sold primarily in the mass retail channels with brands such as COVERGIRL, Max Factor and Rimmel; Coty Luxury, which is focused on prestige fragrances and skincare with brands such as Calvin Klein, Marc Jacobs, Hugo Boss, Gucci and philosophy; and Coty Professional Beauty, which is focused on servicing salon owners and professionals in both hair and nail, with brands such as Wella Professionals, Sebastian Professional, OPI and ghd. Coty has approximately 20,000 colleagues globally and its products are sold in over 130 countries. Coty and its brands are committed to a range of social causes as well as seeking to minimize its impact on the environment.

For additional information about Coty Inc., please visit http://www.coty.com/.

About Sassoon Academy: Sassoon Academy offers its celebrated, industry-leading philosophy and courses worldwide through its renowned Academies, and instructional DVDs and books. All classes are developed and designed to be contemporary, relevant and forward thinking and are delivered with passion, commitment and technical excellence. The aim is to share the knowledge that is gained in the development of our craft and ensure that our students gain real commercial skills from our courses, as well as take away a piece of the culture that created Sassoon. To learn more about Sassoon Academy, visit http://www.sassoon.com or follow us on Facebook: facebook.com/SassoonAcademy, Twitter: twitter.com/SassoonAcademy and Instagram: @sassoonacademyofficial.
Congressman Joe Kennedy III visited Cybereason's global headquarters to discuss press cybersecurity related topics

Cybereason, developers of the most effective Total Endpoint Protection Platform including EDR & Next-Gen AV, on Thursday welcomed Congressman Joe Kennedy III (D-MA) to its global headquarters at the John Hancock Tower in Bostons Back Bay.

Congressman Kennedy III met with Cybereasons senior management team to discuss the current landscape of global cyber threats and Cybereasons role in combatting them. Congressman Kennedy III also met with Amit Serpa, Cybereasons principal security researcher, the first person to discover a vaccine to combat last weeks global NotPetya ransomware attack that disrupted commerce and business in dozens of countries.

At a time when the threat of global cybercrime and cyber terrorism grows by the day, it is exciting and encouraging to find a Massachusetts company like Cybereason on the frontlines of that fight. By speaking with their employees and leadership team, I gained a deeper understanding of the challenge we face and identified areas where the public and private sectors can partner to both protect consumers and support our Commonwealths expanding cybersecurity ecosystem, said Congressman Kennedy.

Cybereason was thrilled to welcome Congressman Kennedy to our global headquarters because he is a national leader on cybersecurity issues and STEM education. Cybereason is proud to be at the forefront of addressing todays greatest cybersecurity threats, from protecting local non-profits and small business organizations through our SecureBoston initiative, to serving our multinational clients across the globe. We appreciated the opportunity to discuss these important issues with Congressman Kennedy, said Lior Div, Founder and CEO of Cybereason.

Founded in 2012 by Lior Div, Yossi Naar and Yonatan Striem-Amit, Cybereason recently announced $100 million in new capital from SoftBank Corp. This new financing coupled with 500 percent growth in revenue in the past year, solidifies Cybereason as the leading cybersecurity startup changing the status quo in the security industry.

About Cybereason

Cybereason is the leader in endpoint protection, offering endpoint detection and response, next-generation antivirus, and managed monitoring services. Founded by elite intelligence professionals born and bred in offense-first hunting, Cybereason gives enterprises the upper hand over cyber adversaries. The Cybereason platform is powered by a custom-built in-memory graph, the only truly automated hunting engine anywhere. It detects behavioral patterns across every endpoint and surfaces malicious operations in an exceptionally user-friendly interface. Cybereason is privately held and headquartered in Boston with offices in London, Tel Aviv, and Tokyo.

For more information, please visit:

Website: http://www.cybereason.com

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/Cybereason

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Cybereason

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/cybereason

Media Contact:

Bill Keeler

Director, Public Relations

Cybereason

bill.keeler(at)cybereason.com

(617) 929-3261
Seasoned users of prescription pain pills have likely left the system, as it cheaper to obtain illicit opiates on the street, said Dr. Cidambi.

Opioid prescription data released this week by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) revealed the number of opioid pain pill prescriptions per 100 people declined by 13% and the potency declined by 41% in the 2010-2015 period. While the drop in prescriptions is encouraging, the reality is sobering and points to more people switching to street drugs, according to Addiction Expert Dr. Indra Cidambi, Founder and Medical Director of the Center for Network Therapy.

Due to tighter oversight of opioid prescriptions and sharp decline in prices of illegal opioids (heroin and fentanyl) individuals addicted to opiates have been switching to street drugs. Overdose deaths from opiates have risen every year starting in 1999. In the 2010-2015 period, overdose deaths from all opiates (licit + Illicit) grew an astounding 57% to 33,000 in 2015 (NIDA), despite a plateauing of overdose deaths from prescription opioid pain relievers (licit).

As per this weeks CDC Report:



The annual opioid medication prescribing rate by doctors dropped 13 percent, from 81 prescriptions per 100 people to 71 prescriptions per 100 people.

Doctors also prescribed high doses of opioids less often - high-dose prescriptions fell 41 percent, from 11.4 per 100 people to 6.7 per 100 people.

The length of prescriptions increased from an average of 13 days in 2006 to 18 days in 2015.

The Drug Enforcement Administration and state and local governments have increased oversight of opiate pain medication prescriptions in some shape or form over the years, which has definitely contributed to the decline in the rate of prescriptions. Consequently, individuals addicted to pain pills have had a harder time accessing opiate pain pills through their medical care providers, said Dr. Cidambi. The reality on the street, however, is that heroin and synthetic opiates are cheaper to obtain, causing individuals addicted to opiate pain pills to switch to these street drugs.

Seasoned users of prescription pain pills have likely left the system, as it is cheaper to obtain illicit opiates on the street, said Dr. Cidambi. These individuals had likely developed tolerance for the drug and were being prescribed higher-potency doses previously. Consequently, a sharp decline in high-dose prescriptions may be due to this ongoing switch.

Individuals who seek prescriptions for opiate pain pills to feed their addiction usually indulge in doctor shopping, said Dr. Cidambi. It is not uncommon for them to visit multiple doctors just once in a short period of time to obtain prescriptions, sometimes crossing state lines. As illicit opiates have become much cheaper, they now have no reason to doctor shop, adds Dr. Cidambi. This may have contributed to the lengthening of prescriptions.

According to Dr. Cidambi, the opioid prescription decline data is an isolated piece of information that is not connected to the whole and is misleading. While the nation is weary of the fight against the drug epidemic and is ready to welcome any positive news with open arms, it is still too premature to think that we have turned the corner in this fight. The fight against this epidemic has to be multi-faceted. As a nation, we need to work on removing the stigma from addiction and recognize that it is a disease. Just coercing doctors to write lesser opiate pain prescriptions is not the panacea, said Dr. Cidambi.

Dr. Cidambi recommends the following courses of action to help fight the opioid epidemic:



To address pain, health insurance companies should be mandated to cover alternate treatment (acupuncture, meditation, yoga, etc.) along with physical therapy and non-narcotic pain medications.

When it comes to treatment, modalities that help the patient remain sober in their own environment (outpatient treatment, such as Ambulatory Detoxification) should be supported as they can deliver better outcomes. Inpatient treatment has so far been dominant, but ineffectual in the face of this epidemic. I have been treating individuals afflicted by addiction for over a decade and I strongly believe the best rehabilitation takes place at home, not in a bubble far from the individuals real living environment. These individuals not only need to learn coping and relapse prevention skills, they need to practice using it and they benefit from the opportunity to apply it in the real world while they are in treatment.

Another important issue is reintegrating these individuals back into the work force. Charges incurred while they were using substances hang over their head when they get sober and try to put their lives back together. Decriminalization utilizing token-economy (dropping charges if the individual completes treatment and stays sober for a certain period of time) provides the individual afflicted by the disease of addiction an incentive to seek treatment and embark on the road to recovery.

About Dr. Indra Cidambi

Indra Cidambi, M.D., Medical Director, Center for Network Therapy, is recognized as a leading expert and pioneer in the field of Addiction Medicine. Under her leadership the Center for Network Therapy started New Jerseys first state licensed Ambulatory (Outpatient) Detoxification program for all substances nearly three years ago. Dr. Cidambi is Board Certified in General Psychiatry and double Board Certified in Addiction Medicine (ABAM, ABPN). Dr. Cidambi is the Vice President of the New Jersey Society of Addiction Medicine. She is fluent in five languages, including Russian.

About Center for Network Therapy

Center for Network Therapy (CNT) was the first facility in New Jersey to be licensed to provide Ambulatory (Outpatient) Detoxification Services for all substances of abuse  alcohol, anesthetics, benzodiazepines, opiates and other substances of abuse. Led by a Board Certified Addiction Psychiatrist, Indra Cidambi, M.D., experienced physicians and nurses closely monitor each patients progress. With CNTs superior client care and high quality treatment, Dr. Cidambi and her clinical team have successfully detoxed over 1200 patients in four years.
This is a celebration of the French contribution to Great Classical Music

WCPE FM Celebrates Bastille Day

TheClassicalStation.org Features French Music

WCPE Music Director William Woltz announces a program celebrating Bastille Day on Friday, July 14, 2017. A few short years after the United States gained its independence, the French threw off the tyranny of their absolute monarchy with the storming of the Bastille.

We present works by Bizet, Berlioz, Rameau, Faure, Debussy, Ravel and more, offers Woltz. This is a celebration of the French contribution to Great Classical Music.

Highlights of the celebration:

9:00 a.m. Saint-Saens: Carnival of the Animals

10:00 a.m. Couperin: Concert Pieces

12:00 p.m. Milhaud: Scaramouche, Suite for Two Pianos

1:00 p.m. Leclair: Overture no. 1 in G

2:00 p.m. Bizet: Symphony in C

3:00 p.m. Faure: Dolly Suite

5:00 p.m. Debussy: Two Arabesques

7:00 p.m. Berlioz: Roman Carnival Overture

8:00 p.m. Ravel: Daphnis et Chloe

9:00 p.m. Dukas: La Peri

10:00 p.m. Finzi: Romance for String Orchestra

WCPEs 24/7 live broadcast of Great Classical Music, 24 Hours A Day can be accessed around the globe in several ways; on-line streaming in multiple formats, including IPv6, small dish home satellite reception, local cable television systems and traditional radio broadcasting. A complete list of the ways WCPE is available with instructions for cable and satellite reception can be found at: http://theclassicalstation.org/listen.shtml.

Media Contact:

Curtis Brothers

919.556.5178

curtis(at)TheClassicalStation(dot)org

About WCPE:

WCPE broadcasts on a variety of FM frequencies in Eastern North Carolina and is heard throughout Eastern and Central North Carolina and Southern Virginia from its transmitting tower in Wake Forest, NC and other repeater stations. A live feed is also available on the Internet at http://www.theclassicalstation.org, cable systems, affiliate radio stations and via satellite. WCPE is a non-commercial, listener-supported station that plays classical music exclusively. WCPE is owned and operated by the Educational Information Corporation, a North Carolina non-profit broadcasting organization. The Corporation was formed in 1973 and began operating WCPE in July of 1978. The Corporation holds a federal 501 (C) (3) Public Charity Exemption Certificate and the corresponding certificate from the State of North Carolina.
President and founding director of the Center for Surrogate Parenting (CSP) Bill Handel Bill was one of the earliest proponents of surrogacy. Without Bill, there would be no CSP and most likely surrogacy would have been banned in the United States. Past News Releases RSS Center for Surrogate Parenting...

Center for Surrogate Parenting...

President and founding director of the Center for Surrogate Parenting (CSP) Bill Handel, who has been a popular radio personality for over thirty years, was recently inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame in the Spoken Word On-Air Personality category. Bill was one of the earliest proponents of surrogacy. Without Bill, there would be no CSP and most likely surrogacy would have been banned in the United States, said Karen Synesiou, Chief Executive Officer of CSP.

Handel, an expert on the legal aspects of reproductive technology and one of the earliest proponents of surrogacy, is the host of the top-rated Los Angeles morning show on KFI AM 640, The Bill Handel Show, where he discusses topics of general interest. On Saturday mornings, Handel, who has been honored by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce with a star on the legendary Walk of Fame, also hosts the popular national legal show Handel on the Law.

Handel, the son of a Holocaust survivor, has been instrumental in bringing more than 2,400 precious lives into this world via his surrogacy agency. Both of Handels daughters were created in a test tube, and he has helped the likes of Sir Elton John, Robert DeNiro and Angela Bassett have babies.

Handel was inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame by public vote. His induction ceremony will take place at the home of the National Radio Hall of Fame, the Museum of Broadcast and Communications in downtown Chicago, on November 2, 2017.

About Center for Surrogate Parenting, Inc.

Center for Surrogate Parenting, Inc. has been helping intended parents for over 37 years to become parents. It is a world-renowned surrogacy agency with offices in Encino, CA, and Annapolis, MD. Center for Surrogate Parenting currently has surrogate moms in 35 states in America. For more information, please call the Encino office at (818) 788-8288, the Annapolis office at (410) 224-0151, or visit http://www.creatingfamilies.com.

About the NALA

The NALA offers small and medium-sized businesses effective ways to reach customers through new media. As a single-agency source, the NALA helps businesses flourish in their local community. The NALAs mission is to promote a business relevant and newsworthy events and achievements, both online and through traditional media. The information and content in this article are not in conjunction with the views of the NALA. For media inquiries, please call 805.650.6121, ext. 361.
ITsavvy, one of the fastest growing public sector technology solution providers in the U.S., was just awarded a MEEC (Maryland Education Enterprise Consortium) contract and is now a MEEC Approved Hardware Vendor: RFP #972016/Contract #UMD-972016.

Hardware categories include desktop and portable computers, data storage systems, server class computers/virtual computing systems, network hardware, and peripheral devices.

ITsavvy President and CEO Mike Theriault said, This is another example of our drive to aggressively seek and win business in the public sector. We continue to look for similar opportunities that leverage our competitive pricing and industry-leading expertise in IT products and solutions.

The 2017-26 MEEC Hardware Agreement allows members to access a larger pool of pre-approved vendors, a wider range of products, and a greater variety of hardware than in previous contracts. The agreement also provides for more competitive pricing for each hardware category, which is a significantly greater economic benefit to MEEC members.

MEEC was organized to provide members with the opportunity to license education hardware and software at competitive prices. MEEC membership includes public and private K-16+ institutions and public libraries in the state of Maryland.

ITsavvys Vice President, Strategic Accounts, Dave Turza said, Im proud of our ability to offer a broad range of products to meet the varied needs of MEEC members. Enterprise-level clients want an IT provider that is flexible and responsive; ITsavvy delivers on that.

Current ITsavvy public sector clients include multiple school districts and educational institutions, the U.S. Air Force, Navy and USDA. In addition to numerous contracts in process, current contracts/agreements include TIPS/TAPS, GSA and ERATE.

ITsavvys Senior Director of Sales, Public Sector Brian Fields said, The MEEC contract builds on ITsavvys long-standing commitment to the education community. We fully support their mission to nurture and educate our countrys future generations.

ITsavvy is a leader in tailored, end-to-end IT product and service solutions. ITsavvy built its reputation as a value-added reseller with industry-leading product availability, design and implementation, client support and delivery speed through 46 distribution centers across the U.S. ITsavvy also has datacenter locations in Cedar Knolls N.J. and Oak Brook, Ill. The companys user-friendly website provides concise, leading-edge IT decision-making resources, including an e-commerce site with real-time pricing and availability. ITsavvy is headquartered in Addison, Ill., with offices in Chicagos Loop; Hauppauge, N.Y.; New York, N.Y.; Naples, Fla.; Miami; Indianapolis; Warren, N.J; Davenport, Iowa; Hayward, Calif.; and Beavercreek, Ohio. Call 855.ITsavvy (855.487.2889), email info(at)ITsavvy.com, visit http://www.ITsavvy.com.

Full release at: https://www.itsavvy.com/itsavvy-awarded-meec-education-contract-pcs-mobile-devices-related-hardware/
According to the Association for Safe International Road Travel, 20-50 million people each year are injured or disabled as a result of car accidents. Automobile accidents occur numerous times every day throughout the nation, and many of us, unfortunately, will eventually be involved in one, said personal injury attorney Joe Stanley, founder of The Stanley Law Offices.

In order to educate drivers on what to do if involved in an auto accident, Stanley lists the following five tips:

No. 1: Call 911. You should also seek medical attention immediately, if necessary, noted Stanley.

No. 2: Place flares or warning lights to alert traffic. It is imperative after doing this to then check on all potentially injured parties and stabilize any injured person(s) to the best of ones ability until help arrives.

No. 3: Leave no stone unturned at the scene. This entails interviewing witnesses, talking with authorities, taking photographs and obtaining detailed information that may be tough to either remember or retrieve later on. If you have one on your cell phone, use your voice recorder to record all comments made by involved parties and witnesses, added Stanley.

No. 4: Do not talk about the accident. You should always provide your insurance and drivers license information to the other drivers, but never talk about the accident, stressed Stanley. Refrain from making any statements without consulting your accident attorney first.

No. 5: Consult with a personal injury attorney. If you are asked to sign any documents you dont understand, talk to a personal injury lawyer, concluded Stanley. Having representation is the best way to make sure your rights are protected, especially if the accident is very serious and you may be at least partially at fault.

About The Stanley Law Offices

The Stanley Law Offices has five offices located in central New York and northern Pennsylvania, including Syracuse, Binghamton, Watertown and Rochester, NY, as well as Montrose, PA. The firm focuses on personal injury law, workers compensation and accident-related law. For more information, please call 1-800-608-3333, or visit http://www.stanleylawoffices.com.

About the NALA

The NALA offers small and medium-sized businesses effective ways to reach customers through new media. As a single-agency source, the NALA helps businesses flourish in their local community. The NALAs mission is to promote a business relevant and newsworthy events and achievements, both online and through traditional media. The information and content in this article are not in conjunction with the views of the NALA. For media inquiries, please call 805.650.6121, ext. 361.
By PTI: New Delhi, Jul 7 (PTI) Financial institutions should not resort to coercive action for recovery of loans from farmers in case of crop failure and the government should intervene in such cases, the Supreme Court said today.

The apex court said the governments approach should be preventive rather than compensatory and it should "travel the last mile" to reach out to the farmers.

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The remarks were made by a bench of Justices Dipak Misra and A M Khanwilkar while dealing with a PIL filed by farmers from Tamil Nadu.

"Financial institutions should not resort to coercive action for recovery of loans from farmers in case of crop failure. Government should step-in if there is any coercion," the bench said.

The apex court said that governments job is to prevent farmers suicides and not to distribute compensation.

It said that governments approach towards the agrarian crisis should be preventive, rather than compensatory.

The bench asked Additional Solicitor General P S Narasimha to devise a mechanism where farmers can go to the government seeking help, if financial institutions take coercive action against them for loan default due to crop failure.

It said the government should take the administrative action to get rid of the middlemen, who purchase produce from farmers at throwaway prices, and buy their crops at least on minimum support prices.

Narasimha said the present situation has undergone a sea change from earlier times, with the government bringing in Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana by which farmers are compensated at a minimum premium.

He said under the insurance scheme now, the burden of premium was being shared by both the state and farmers.

To this, the bench retorted saying it does not want to know about insurance business, but common sense and prudence says that in the present case, it cannot be a premium-based business and such a stand should not drive the governments policies.

The ASG said that government has devised multi-pronged strategy to increase the income of farmers and ensure their security by insurance scheme.

"Job of the executive is to ensure that farmers suicide does not happen. It should be dealt just at the ground level. This should not happen at all," it said.

Narasimha said there are Reserve Bank of India guidelines to the banks for re-collection of loans in case of farm crisis.

One of the counsel representing farmers said they commit suicide when banks or financial institution like cooperative societies resort to coercive actions for even small loan defaults, which hurt their dignity.

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Amicus curiae Gopal Shankar Narayan supported the arguments and said it cannot be denied that financial institutions resort to coercive action at the ground level.

The bench said that coercive action by financial institutions cannot be taken by suspension of process of law.

The bench posted the matter for further hearing on August 4, asking the state government to file a detailed reply.

The apex court had on May 3 said that there should be "affirmative action" of the Tamil Nadu government to provide relief to the families of those farmers who committed suicide.

The court made it clear that it is not treating the plea seeking relief for farmers in the state as adversarial but participatory and would not go into the figures of farmers who have committed suicide.

The apex court had asked the state government to specify the steps taken to create awareness on Minimum Support Price (MSP) on 26 crops so that farmers do not rely on middlemen who come at their doorsteps to sell their produce.

It had also asked the government to inform it about steps it intended to take to set up mandis and open procurement centres on time within the acceptable radius to farmers.

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The state government had said that steps are being taken to set up awareness camps and measures have also been taken to have mandis which are easily accessible.

The Tamil Nadu government had earlier told the court that a total of 30 farmers have committed suicide across the state in 2016-17 and it was taking appropriate measures to deal with the situation.

An affidavit filed by the state government before the apex court said that the kin of 82 farmers, including the 30 farmers who have committed suicide, have been give Rs 3 lakh each as ex-gratia from Chief Ministers Relief Fund.

It had said as per the reports compiled from information given by district collectors, 52 of the listed 82 farmers had died of various other reasons, but not committed suicide.

The affidavit said Tamil Nadu has faced the most severe drought in over 100 years and was adopting a proactive approach towards farmers it extended crop loans to the tune of over Rs 4,000 crore to over seven lakh farmers in 2016-17. PTI MNL ABA SJK RKS ARC

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Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt imposed sanctions after accusing Qatar of supporting terrorism and undermining the security of the Gulf region.

The bloc said in a statement that Qatar's response "reflects" its links to terrorism, and expressed its "deep surprise" that the "legitimate list and logical demands" had not been accepted.

"The Qatari government has thwarted all efforts and diplomatic good offices to resolve the crisis," the statement said, "reflecting its intention to continue its policy aimed at destabilising security of the region."

The four countries cut diplomatic ties with Qatar on 5th June, including closing the country's land, air and sea links. However, Turkey has sent food to Qatar, and Qatari officials are in talks with Turkey and Iran over securing further supplies. On 23rd June, the Saudi-led bloc issued Qatar with 13 demands, including shutting down media giant Al-Jazeera, as a prerequisite for lifting sanctions.

Qatar rejects the allegation that they are supporting terrorism. Doha's foreign minster said last week that the list of demands was "made to be rejected," according to Reuters.

The natural gas rich country has said it can withstand sanctions given its huge reserves and wealth funds. However, on Wednesday credit rating company Moody's lowered the outlook on Qatar's debt sustainability from "stable" to "negative," citing concerns that the diplomatic crisis would continue into 2018.

Qatar's stock exchange also plummeted after sanctions were imposed at the start of June, and has continued on a broadly downward trajectory.
Owing to the tensions in Basirhat, police lobed tear gas shells and resorted to lathicharge at the irate mobs.

By India Today Web Desk: Even as the West Bengal government declared to ban some organisations for allegedly stoking mob violence in the state, fresh clashes have been reported from Basirhat late Thursday night.

Owing to the tensions, police lobed tear gas shells and resorted to lathicharge at the irate mobs.

Sources said that the mob was angry as the police were only detaining Hindu youths and that they were only searching Hindu homes in Basirhat.

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According to the locals, Trinamool Congress legislator Dibyendu Biswas pointed out that only Hindu homes were to be searched by police.

Angry men and women thronged Basirhat streets in search of Biswas. They searched cars and burnt tyres on the streets.

Meanwhile, on Friday both BJP and CPI (M) delegation were stopped from entering the riot-affected area.

While BJP delegation was stopped at Madhyamgram some 10 kilometres from Kolkata airport, CPI (M) workers who tried entering the region for the second time were stopped by security forces.

After BJP and CPM, Congress delegation led by Adhir Chowdhary too was stopped. Chowdhary and Ganguly were later detained by the police.

HERE ARE THE LATEST DEVELOPMENTS After fresh clashes were reported from Basirhat, police and BSF personnel rushed to the spot. A senior police official said that situation in Basirhat got out of control after communal violence gripped Baduria district. Meanwhile, the West Bengal government has said it does not need an additional 400 central troops for deployment in the riot-hit areas of North 24-Parganas district. The state government has not cited any reason for its decision. A man identified as Kartik Ghosh, 60, who suffered knife injuries on his neck during the communal violence died at a hospital in Kolkata on Thursday. He was brought in a critical condition three days ago. Following the death, workers of both BJP and Trinamool got into an altercation outside the hospital on to which party Ghosh belonged. Eventually, the angry mob was dispersed by the police. Communal clashes broke out in Baduria in Basirhat sub- division of the district on Monday following an objectionable Facebook post by a teenager. Following the post, the government to dispatch 400 BSF troopers to assist the local administration in controlling the situation. The violence that began on Monday in Baduria, gradually spread across other towns injuring several locals. Mob resorted to arson and blocked roads and rail. In the aftermath of the violence in North 24 Parganas, the Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday demanded that the Centre immediately impose Presidents rule in West Bengal and send central observers to assess "worsening law and order" in the state.

Also Read:

Communal violence in Basirhat: Fresh violence, protests on. Amit Shah to send team of MPs

Uneasy calm in Bengal's Basirhat hit by communal violence

West Bengal's 24 Parganas tense following communal clashes over Facebook post

WATCH | West Bengal: Basirhat remains tense after teenager's controversial Facebook post

--- ENDS ---
According to the police, the fraudsters call unsuspecting public sector workers requesting their biometric social security numbers for a purported account reconciliation.

The fraudsters, in the midst of the communication, ask for some unspecified amount from the workers and subsequently truncate the communication.

READ ALSO: IGP orders police to crush lawbreakers

The police, in a statement, said: Recipients of these fraudulent calls are threatened with stoppage of their salaries if they fail to comply with their demands.

The police has, therefore, urged members of the public, especially public sector workers, not to share their details on phone and other social media platforms.
The OCTP project makes the bilateral relations between Ghana and Italy even stronger. It perfectly fits in a long trail blazed by the first Italians who arrived in Ghana (at the time known as Gold Coast) more than 100 years ago in order to build the first roads, railways and mines of this beautiful country. Our shared and long-standing history continues with many other infrastructural achievements, such as the construction of the Akosombo dam by Impregilo Salini and the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) by AGIP/ENI which is currently in this country again with the OCTP project, cementing a long-term partnership between Ghana, Italy, ENI, Vitol, and the GNPC.

Even more laudable is the fact that the gas from this field will be commercialised locally in order to drive and promote the development of this country and to put a definitive end to the much hated dumsor. The cost of this kind of energy will be significantly economical for the people of Ghana and an added advantage for Small and Medium Enterprises as they further create a larger industrial sector capable of providing thousands of jobs every year, he added.

Considered one of the global super-majors, ENI is currently operating in 73 countries.

Currently, Africa provides over half of ENIs total production of oil and natural gas, confirming the company as the leading international producer on the Continent.

The Italian Government owns a 30.303% golden share in ENI.
Only 38% of 500 firms surveyed, across a range of sectors, said they would respond to a drop in by hiring more British nationals, while 15% said they would hire more foreign, non-EU nationals. Another 15% said they would change their business model, which could include investing in new technology and upping automation  although to what degree would vary by sector.

More broadly, the report says the UK labour market is facing a crisis, as falling migration comes together with the rising cost of cheap labour. It argues the government must do more to prepare businesses for the coming changes, most of which, it says, are not ready.

"Low-paid labour will no longer be as cheap and will no longer be as available as British firms have grown used to. Businesses will respond to these changes in a number of ways, depending on their ability to automate or recruit more workers," said Stephen Clarke, economic analyst at the Resolution Foundation.

"But in almost all cases," he said, "they'll need a helping hand from government to get the wider economic conditions right."

The possibility that businesses may not increase the number of their UK-national employees may be unwelcome news for many, given Vote Leave's emphasis during the Brexit debate on cutting back on cheap migrant labour and securing British jobs. And 26% of businesses said they expected the number of EU/EEA nationals in their workforce to increase after Brexit.

In April, the National Living Wage (NLW) for workers over 25 went up, raising the cost of low-paid labour: the Resolution Foundation's report predicts that the NLW will rise three times faster than typical wages over the next three years  10% against 3.3%  while overall wage bills will increase by 4.5 billion in 2020, among affected companies.

The auto-enrollment of workers into pension schemes, it says, is also predicted to raise the cost of hiring.

Compounding this problem, the predicted drop in migration is likely to be most felt among those sectors most impacted by the rise in the NLW, which could cause a labour shortage. The report warns that changes in low-paying sectors like food manufacturing (in which 41% of workers are migrants), domestic personnel (39%) and hotels and restaurants (30%) will be so big "that it could fundamentally change how firms in these sectors operate."

Clarke says the government must do more to provide clarity about new immigration rules, to encourage lower-skilled and older people into work and to ensure that employment and benefit regimes keep up with the changes. A failure to plan for the coming changes, he says, could be disastrous, and lead to business closures, job losses and weaker pay growth.

On a similar note, Caron Pope, managing partner at Fragomen, the world's largest immigration law firm, said the government was not doing enough to reassure businesses. "It doesn't look as though the government is taking much notice at the moment and the immigration regime of the future is still unknown," she said.

"Employers have been clamouring for answers for a year in every sector ... Uncertainty breeds uncertainty, which is not good for anyone," she said.

According to eaving the EU "will have a profound effect on people's lives ... How government and firms respond to these changes is as central to preparations for Brexit as negotiations in Brussels," he said.
Things went off the rails quickly on Thursday as NBC's Katy Tur told former Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell that previous independent studies found no evidence of widespread voter fraud in the US.

As Tur prefaced her question with study data compiled by a Loyola Law School professor, Blackwell attempted to interject.

"Let me stop you right there," Blackwell said.

"Hold up  let me finish what I'm saying," Tur insisted.

Both Tur and Blackwell tried to get the upper hand but ended up talking over each other for a solid 20 seconds of live television.

The data Tur had attempted to cite established that there were only 31 credible incidents of voter fraud out of more than 1 billion votes cast from 2000 to 2014, according to a study by Justin Levitt, a professor at Loyola Law School.

Blackwell argued that national US voter registration files were "corrupted," with some voters being registered in more than one state and with deceased citizens remaining on current voter rolls. He appeared to be citing a Pew Charitable Trusts report that concluded a voter registration system upgrade was indeed necessary.

The report, however, did not suggest that large numbers of votes were actually cast in the name of dead citizens or people voting twice.

When asked whether Russia's meddling in the US presidential election was one of the commission's considerations, Blackwell said: "Any bad actor  whether foreign or domestic  any action that corrupts the integrity of our system should be fair game for our exploration."

Some states have pushed back against the commission's activities, including its recent request for a wide array of voter information.
President Donald Trump is set to meet Friday with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the G-20 summit in Hamburg, Germany  a full, bilateral sit-down with high stakes.

The meeting will take place amid crumbling US-Russia relations and as Trump weathers investigations by Congress and the FBI into Russia's interference in the 2016 election and whether the Trump campaign played a role in it.

White House aides are aware of the high-stakes nature of the meeting, which comes after the former presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama were unable to cultivate stronger ties with Russia.

Issues on the table for discussion include Russia's military aggression in Ukraine, Russia's US election meddling, continued nuclear weapons threats from North Korea, the ongoing fight against the Islamic State and extremism, and the brutal Syrian civil war.

It is unclear which topics will be discussed. Trump's homeland security adviser, Thomas Bossert, told ABC's "This Week" on Sunday that an agenda had not been set, and his national security adviser, H.R. McMaster, told reporters that "there's no specific agenda."

"It's really going to be whatever the president wants to talk about," McMaster said, in a statement that has drawn alarm from some national-security experts.

Not having a set agenda for any meeting with foreign interlocutors can place American interests in jeopardy from the outset, said Glenn Carle, a CIA veteran and former spy.

"Whoever sets the agenda shapes the discussions," and if the US doesn't go in with a prepared set of talking points, "it means from the get-go that the US is on the defensive, responding, but not driving," Carle said. He said that without an agenda, the US government and Russia hawks in the White House, like adviser Fiona Hill, could not prepare for and advance US interests.

Ned Price, a former CIA analyst who served as the senior director of the National Security Council under Obama, was more blunt. If the White House goes into the meeting without a set agenda, "Putin will eat President Trump's lunch," Price said.

"There's no better way to ensure we don't get what we want out of a bilateral meeting  especially one as delicate as with Putin  than by not going in with a fully cooked and fire-roasted plan," he said.

When meeting with Trump, Putin will bring up common enemies like the American "deep state" and "fake news," a former US ambassador to Russia, Michael McFaul, wrote in The Washington Post. "Putin wants the readout of this meeting to be 'we had a very good meeting.' Your objective is different."

"Your goal is not a friendly chat  diplomacy is not a popularity contest  but a clear statement of US national security and economic objectives and an exploration of what issues the United States and Russia could pursue together," McFaul wrote. "Don't expect any breakthroughs in this first meeting. Your task is to demonstrate to Putin that you are a tough negotiator committed to pursuing American interests, and one that is not willing to offer concessions simply to win Putin's praise."

Though Putin had a rocky relationship with Trump's predecessor, Trump has so far appeared to be open to warmer US-Russia relations, and his administration has frequently taken steps that seemed to echo Putin's criticisms of the US and its objectives.

During a February interview on Fox News, for instance, host Bill O'Reilly asked Trump whether he respected Putin.

"I do respect him," Trump replied. "I respect a lot of people, but that doesn't mean I'm going to get along with him. He's a leader of his country. I say it's better to get along with Russia than not."

O'Reilly followed up and said, "Putin's a killer."

Trump replied: "You got a lot of killers. What, you think our country's so innocent?"

Trump has also been slow to acknowledge Russia's election meddling, even though the US intelligence community concluded with high confidence that Russia interfered in 2016 in an effort to help Trump and advance Russian interests.

On the eve of his first meeting with Putin, Trump on Thursday questioned the intelligence community's findings and argued, during a press conference in Poland, that Russia may not have been the only country that intervened.

"Nobody really knows for sure," Trump said.

The Kremlin seized on Trump's characterization following his speech. Spokesman Dmitry Petrov told Bloomberg News that Trump had highlighted "equally the possibility that it could have been other countries."

"Please note the nuances," he said.

The Trump administration is also weighing whether to return two seized diplomatic compounds in Maryland and New York to Russia, a key demand from Moscow. The facilities were shuttered as part of Obama's response to Russia's election interference, and Putin is likely to bring up the compounds on Friday.

"You can bet Putin has an agenda up his sleeve," said Robert Deitz, a former top lawyer at the National Security Agency and the CIA. Russia, he said, "is in effect a second-rate power."

"Everything Putin has obtained  and it is a remarkable list  has been through wiles and chutzpah," Deitz added. "This requires great planning," and Putin will most likely have done that in preparation for the bilateral meeting, he said.

On the other hand, Trump has a known aversion to dense briefings and lengthy preparations. He frequently relies on in-person briefings to bring him up to speed, and he prefers shorter sentences and "killer graphics" as opposed to heavier notes.

In keeping with that, intelligence officials condensed the main points Trump could bring up with Putin into "tweet-length sentences," the Los Angeles Times reported.

But Trump may need more than that when he meets the Russian strongman. Former Obama aides told The Post that Putin often began meetings by running through a list of grievances he had against the US. Aides said that while they tried to direct less substantive complaints through lower-level channels so they could keep the focus on bigger problems like Ukraine and Syria, "those topics got him even more animated."

To drive the conversation, experts said ,the US must focus on topics vital to its own interests, which include addressing the crises in Ukraine and Syria and especially Russia's election hacking.

Trump should emphasize that Russia's interference in the US election was a casus belli, Carle said  an action that justifies a war. He said Trump should outline steps the US would take if Russia continued its aggression, including "going to the Security Council, freezing all assets of Russian banks and individuals, expelling all Russian diplomats," and possibly deploying US forces to the Baltics.

"Russia's actions were that significant," he said.

Deitz said it would be "truly awful" if the issue of Russia's election interference was not brought up.

Price said Trump needed to clearly signal to Russia that US sanctions related to Russia's actions in Ukraine would not be lifted until Moscow lived up to its obligations outlined in the 2014 Minsk Protocol. The agreement, which called for Russia to cease its military aggression in Ukraine, was put in place after Russia annexed the territory of Crimea in March 2014.

The agreement has been violated from both sides since. In recent years, Ukraine has also turned into a testing ground for acts of cyberwar, many of which are believed to have come from Russia. Most recently, Russia is thought to have been behind a colossal cyberattack that crippled countries and corporations across the globe  and Ukraine was by far the hardest hit.

The US must stress that the Baltics and Ukraine are sovereign states, Carle said, adding that "any further actions taken to destabilize them can be considered an escalation of tensions" to which NATO could respond.

The experts argued the ongoing crisis in Syria should also be addressed, with the US taking a strong stance against continued aggression by Syrian President Bashar Assad and chemical attacks against civilians. The US and Russia support opposing sides in the conflict, which has contributed to crumbling relations between the two countries since the war erupted in 2011.

Russia is one of Assad's most stalwart international allies. It has frequently intervened to block UN resolutions critical of Syria and also supplied military assistance to Assad's forces. In 2015, Russia began carrying out airstrikes against Syrian rebels, though it said it was targeting terrorists. The US, on the other hand, supports Syria's main opposition group, the National Coalition, and provides military assistance to rebels and Syrian Kurds fighting the Islamic State and Assad's regime.

Tensions between the US and Russia in Syria escalated after scores of civilians were killed in April following a chemical attack believed to have been carried out by Assad and backed by Russia.

Though the US and Russia have not reached a consensus on how to address the crisis in Syria, both have conceded that only a political solution and a negotiated settlement will end the war.

Trump should certainly "bring up potential areas of broader cooperation  including in Syria  but he mustn't focus on that at the exclusion of our significant areas of disagreement," Price said.

He added that Trump also needed to clearly signal to Putin that the US government was unequivocally committed to Article 5 of NATO and that "any aggression  in whatever form  against a NATO ally will not be tolerated." Trump has frequently criticized the coalition in the past, but he reaffirmed the US's commitment to NATO and Article 5 during his speech in Poland on Thursday.

Most important, experts say, Trump must be careful not to concede anything to Putin.
In a submission to a government-commissioned review of the gig economy, Deliveroo said the law prevents it from paying sick and injury benefits because the company classifies its workers as self-employed. We first saw the submission reported by the BBC.

Deliveroo said the government should create a new category of worker  "gig worker". The company is also reportedly exploring enhanced payments to its riders, which would be doled out through a scheme similar to national insurance, according to the BBC.

As it stands, Deliveroo classifies its riders as self-employed, meaning they're not entitled to certain rights like maternity pay, sick leave, and holiday pay.

The company doesn't want to reclassify its riders as "workers"  firstly because it would have to pay for more benefits, and secondly, it says, because it could no longer offer flexible working. Workers would need to be offered set shifts, and Deliveroo says riders like the flexible nature of their work.

According to the BBC, Deliveroo might look at offering parental leave, holiday rights, and pension contributions. It's possible riders would need to "earn" these rights over time.

Theres more scrutiny into the gig economy

Deliveroo and Uber are the two best known representatives of the gig economy, which loosely describes the rising number of firms relying on casual rather than full-time employees. Their fast growth partly relies on the fact that they have hundreds of workers who don't need to be paid benefits, and can't be guaranteed minimum wage.

Tales of people struggling to make a living on the gig economy, and increasing numbers of workers demanding more rights, has resulted in greater political scrutiny of firms operating in this area.

This week, Labour MP Frank Field said transport agencies could impose "minimum conditions" on Uber's treatment of drivers before granting taxi licenses to the company.
Welcome to the Pulse Community! We will now be sending you a daily newsletter on news, entertainment and more. Also join us across all of our other channels - we love to be connected! Welcome to the Pulse Community! We will now be sending you a daily newsletter on news, entertainment and more. Also join us across all of our other channels - we love to be connected!
The accused, whose address is unknown, is facing a five-count charge bordering on conspiracy, intent to commit felony, fraud and illegal conversion.

According to him, the accused conspired with others still at large and obtained N620, 000 from the complainant, Mr Adewole Amos, to process a Mauritius visa for him.

The accused failed to get the visa or refund the money, he told the court.

The offences contravened Sections 383, 390 (9), 419 and 516 of the Criminal Code, Laws of Osun, 2002.

The accused, however, pleaded not guilty and his lawyer, Mr Olalekan Babatunde, urged the court to grant him bail on liberal terms.

He promised that the accused would not jump bail.

Magistrate Olalekan Ijiyode granted the accused bail in the sum of N200, 000 with two sureties in like sum.

Ijiyode said the sureties should reside within the courts jurisdiction, and deposit two recent passport-size photographs.
By PTI: (Eds: With fresh inputs, transfer of police officials)

Kolkata, Jul 7 (PTI) BJP, Left and Congress delegations were today prevented from visiting riot-hit areas in Basirhat, around 80 kms from here, by the police even as the situation there remained tense and Internet services suspended.

Ignoring an appeal by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, a BJP delegation, led by MP Roopa Ganguly, which was heading towards Baduria, was detained by the police at Michael Nagar near Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport here.

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"We told the BJP leaders that they will not be allowed to proceed as per the decision of the administration. The situation is still tense. But they were adamant and said either they will court arrest or proceed towards the affected area. So we had to detain them," a senior police officer of Bidhannagar Police Commissionerate said.

They were subsequently brought to the airport police station.

Earlier in the day, the police also prevented the Left and Congress leaders from proceeding towards the riot-hit areas citing the law and order situation.

"We were stopped near Ashoknagar area on the ground that it might create a law and order problem. But we were not going there with any political motive. We were going there to meet the people affected by the communal clashes," Left Front Legislature Party leader Sujan Chakraborty said.

The Congress team, led by WBPCC chief Adhir Chowdhury, was also stopped at Barasat.

State BJP president Dilip Ghosh said his party would organise a rally here tomorrow to "condemn" the role of the state government.

"We will also meet Governor K N Tripathi and demand in writing that Presidents rule be imposed in the state," he said.

Clashes broke out between members of two communities at Baduria in the Basirhat sub-division of North 24-Parganas district earlier this week over an "objectionable" Facebook post by a young man who has been arrested.

The West Bengal government said the situation was under control in Baduria, Swarupnagar, Deganga and Basirhat, which had witnessed violence. Prohibitory orders are in force there. No untoward incident was reported.

People in the troubled areas chose to stay indoors with shops and schools remaining closed and the transportation badly hit.

A campaign has been undertaken by the state administration for restoration of peace.

Police and paramilitary force personnel carried intense patrolling while Internet services in and around the riot-hit the areas remained suspended, a senior state government official said.

The police inspector in-charge of Basirhat, Nasim Akhtar, has been transferred by the administration and Duttapukur police station in-charge Biswajit Bandopadhyay was made in- charge of Basirhat in place of Akhtar.

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Inspector of police (UB) of Barrackpore Police Commissionerate Surendra Kumar Singh was given the charge of Duttapukur police station.

Meanwhile, sources in the state government indicated that Superintendent of Police of North 24-Parganas district, Bhaskar Mukherjee is also likely to be transferred for failing to contain the riots in Basirhat and surrounding areas.

In New Delhi, Union minister M Venkaiah Naidu described the communal violence in Basirhat as "unfortunate" and requested the state government to take effective steps to protect all people - "whether minority or majority". PTI SCH PNT AKB SUN MD SMJ SC SMJ

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Ayodeji who narrated his experience on the Ikorodu Ambassadors Facebook forum, said he had gone to get some water at about 7:30 pm when he was accosted by some people who mistook him for a member of the gang that had been terrorizing the area in the past one year but was saved after some people recognized him.

Ayodeji stated that he had gone out of his apartment to fetch some water a few houses away from his residence when he was accosted by a landlord who raised an alarm on him but was lucky to be recognized and saved in the nick of time.

Read Ayodeji post entitled Ikorodus Badoo brouhaha: My story here:

"The rate at which people are being wrongly accused and molested in this Ikorodu is becoming pathetic; one can't even walk peacefully at anything past 7 pm.

I got back from work at around 5:21 pm, after putting off my wears, I decided to take a nap on my bed. Suddenly, I felt into a deep sleep only to wake up at about 7:39 pm. Immediately, I became conscious of the fact that I did not have water in my gallon.

Then I quickly decided to go get some water at a nearby tank. I was with my hands-free on when I was just hearing 'hey hey! what are you coming here to do at this time?'

I replied the man asking me the question: 'sorry sir, I am actually here to fetch some water.' Before I finished explaining myself, I saw a furious man and decided to just turn back 'jejely' to my house.

Before I could take three steps forward, I felt a heavy slap and several bangs on my face through the back. At this point, I was lost, wondering if the world is ending today.

Immediately I saw people gathered, asking in Yoruba; "ki lo de, ki lo sele (what happened, what's going on)?'

To cut the long story short, people attested that they know me, even asking the said baba, don't you know him? They all apologized after several slaps and molestations. Someone who knew me carried my gallon and helped me fill it with water, obviously out of pity and I went back home.

When I got back home, I pulled off my already tattered cloth, sat down and started imagining what just happened, hoping it was just a dream, behold, it wasn't, it was REAL 'men'!

Some minutes later, while I was still busy pondering on what just happened, I heard some elderly voices at my entrance. They knocked and I saw four elderly men (obviously the landlords of the area) alongside the man that ignorantly dealt with me and one of my neighbours (making six men).

They all said they were sorry for the ugly incident with the man that punished me particularly holding me tight just to show his level of regret. I almost shed tears at that point but had to be a man.

I told them they should just take things easy that two wrongs can never make a RIGHT, that I was okay. But trust me, the beating was not here ooo. Come and see slaps!

Do I blame them? No! But people should apply wisdom. That was how one of our friends too was lynched to death last Sunday at Odongunyan but glory be to God, mine was not beyond control."
The police also apprehended six persons for drug related offences.

According to the Senior Special Assistant on Security Intelligence to the Kwara state Governor, Dr. B.S Abdulsalam, the suspects were arrested at Agbo-Oba area of the Metropolis following a discreet investigation by the security operatives.

He revealed that the suspects are currently in the custodies of the police and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), where they are undergoing screening.

Abdulsalam also disclosed that some officers of the Department of State Services (DSS) were on Thursday night drafted to mount static surveillance on a hotel in Ilorin, with a view to stopping a planned initiation of new cult members by midnight.
The abduction was said to have occurred on Wednesday, July 5.

The family of the monarch is claiming that the abduction is connected with the rivalry between him (Ogundare) and another traditional ruler in the community, Oba Jamiu Lawal.

Lawal, however, denied any involvement in the abduction of his alleged rival.

According to Punch, Ogundare, 46, was on his way to visit a community leader, identified as Baba Ade Iga, when he received a call to come to a restaurant at the CMD area regarding a land transaction.

The Baale, who was said to be in his car with his younger brother, then changed their route and headed to the restaurant.

The monarch's brother, who pleaded anonymity, recalled that upon arrival at the restaurant, they met with three men. He said the men requested that he (brother) should be excused from the meeting.

After excusing them, he said they had a brief discussion with the Baale, which after they asked to be led to Magodo, where the piece of land was.

"They asked us to leave our car and join them in a Toyota Venza they brought. Baale sat at the back between the two of them, while I sat in the front. We were about to leave, when I saw a pump-action gun beside the driver," the brother said.

"I raised the alarm and struggled for the steering with him. He parked and pushed me out of the car. They linked Lagos-Ibadan Expressway and zoomed off. I dont know them, but I can recognise them. The incident happened around 11.15am."

Lamenting the situation that led to the abduction, wife of the victim, Adebisi Ogundare, alleged that her husband's life has been under threat since Lawal was installed as a traditional ruler of the community a few months ago.

She said, "My husband is the only paramount ruler recognised in the community. But sometime in April, Jamiu Lawal declared himself the ruler. The last time we were in court, somebody from his camp said my husband would soon be abducted. We reported at the Lagos State Police Command and zone 2. They said investigation was ongoing."

ALSO READ: Police unmask female officer who helped Evans escape

Defending himself, Lawal said his hands are clean. He added that he was pronounced ruler of the community in several court rulings.

He said, "I dont know anything about his abduction. Both of us were invited for a meeting to resolve the issues in Alausa, Ikeja. The meeting was slated for 4pm yesterday (Wednesday).

"I have been crowned and given a certificate by the government. The matter went through a tribunal and a high court and I won. We were invited by the police from zone 2 and I tendered all the documents. I have no hands in his abduction."
Welcome to the Pulse Community! We will now be sending you a daily newsletter on news, entertainment and more. Also join us across all of our other channels - we love to be connected!
Read her story here:

" My name is Adeola, a 38-year-old married woman with five children. I have been married for 15 years to Dare but my marriage is on the verge of collapse due to his insistence of getting married to my best friend.

I did not know that Dare had been secretly dating my friend, Bimpe, who is a single mother of three children until he told me of his plans to make her his wife.

At first, I was aghast and thought he was joking until I confronted her and she told me she and dare had been dating for over three years and that he had gone to meet her family and told them of his intention to marry her.

It is not the fact that Dare wants to get married to another woman that is making me very angry, after all, he has the means to take care of more than one wife but my anger is the fact that of all the women in Lagos, it is my friend, someone I took as a sister that he decided to get married to.

Bimpe and I had been friends for over 10 years and I have always been there for her through thick and thin. She is someone who is not fortunate to stay with a man as all the men who got her pregnant always left her.

I have been the one helping her whenever she ran into financial difficulties and took her children as mine. The kids could come to our house anytime they wanted and were very free with me as I saw them as my own children.

Anytime I traveled to Dubai to buy stock for my shop, I would make sure I bought things for Bimpe and her children, not knowing she was biting the fingers that fed her.

I have begged Dare never to disgrace me by making Bimpe my co-wife but he insists on making her his wife because he is in love with her. I have also talked to Bimpe and promised to give her enough money to replenish her shop but she told me that Dare is the only one who makes her happy.

Many of my friends have told me to make sure the marriage does not work while some have said I should insist on dare getting another apartment for Bimpe but I am at a loss on what to do.

I don't want to lose my home, neither would I be alive to allow my husband get married to a woman I see as my best friend.

Adeola."

The teaser for the day was:

How Nigeria voted:

Adeola should make sure dare does not marry Bimpe - 15%

Adeola should just accept the situation as it is - 27%

Adeola should insist Dare get another house for Bimpe - 50%

Adeola should talk to her friend to leave her husband alone - 8%
Mrs Buhari said this in a statement made available to newsmen by her Director of Information, Suleiman Haruna, on Wednesday in Abuja.

The statement also explained that Mrs Buhari was speaking at the just concluded 19th General Assembly meeting of the Organisation of African First Ladies against HIV AIDS(OAFLA) held at African Union Headquarters in Addis Ababa.

The theme of the event was Building on 15 years of engagement to harness the demographic dividend of Africa through promoting the needs of adolescents and their access to youth-friendly health services.

The wife of the President said, due to the enormity of health challenges facing the continent, governments of individual countries alone could not effectively tackle these challenges, hence the need to engage private sector.

Mrs Buhari raised key areas of intervention by wives of African Presidents to include advocacy for the review of obnoxious policies, raising awareness on important areas of intervention and encouraging investment on women.

She said, investing in women has dual impact of positive health outcomes and economic empowerment for their self-reliance.

She, therefore, called for extraordinary actions and innovative partnerships to ensure their realization as embodied in the Sustainable Development Goals.

She said that, due to the emergence of new diseases and other health related humanitarian emergencies of the 21st century, there was a need to complement government efforts towards achieving Universal Health Coverage.

Universal health coverage provides more than enough justification for greater involvement of the private sector in both delivery and financing of health care services, she said.

Mrs Buhari narrated her experience through her pet project the Future Assured initiative, which she encouraged other members to emulate in their countries due to its impact.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Future Assured initiative of Mrs Aisha Buhari, is, primarily, providing humanitarian assistance in the areas of healthcare delivery for most killer diseases for women and children.

NAN also reports that the initiative provides nutritional programme for pregnant women and the Get Involved initiative, which raised half a million dollars in essential nutritional materials for malnourished children, including those in IDP camps.

Mrs Buhari said that the interventions succeeded due to the involvement of the private sector.

In her welcome address, the newly-elected President of OAFLA and wife of the President of Ethiopia, Mrs Roman Tesfaye, said harnessing the demographic dividend of Africa was crucial to economic transformation.
The stakeholders made the call on sidelines of the conference with the theme: Strengthening one health through field epidemiology, in Abuja on Thursday.

The stakeholders are the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Ministry of Health and African Field Epidemiology Network (AFENET), among others.

Mr Joshua Obasanya, Chairman, Local Organising Committee of the conference, identified one-health approach as the surest way to curtail public health challenges or diseases emergence in any country.

Obasanya said the conference was aimed at bringing together all agencies and relevant workforce that could bridge the gap between emerging and re-emerging diseases that were of animal origin and posed public health challenge.

He said that it was also aimed at charting a way forward in addressing the nations public health challenges caused by animals.

He identified field epidemiologists as the foot soldiers in tracking and analysing disease outbreaks before they become widespread.

According to him, they also provide valuable information that can be used to determine where the next outbreak may happen and how it can be prevented.

Obasanya, who noted that the conference was geared toward resolving pertinent health challenges, emphasised that actualising this would require curtailing zonotic diseases, infections and food safety.

He said that six out of 10 public health diseases emanated from animals.

He, however, said the only way to nip this public health challenge in the bud was through the collaborative efforts of health officials, environmentalists, veterinarians and laboratory scientists, among others.

He appealed to the Federal Government to institutionalise one-health approach that would incorporate the concerned agencies to curtail the emergence and re-emergence of disease outbreaks in the country.

Proper integration of animal health, human and environmental health will be of great benefit to the country thereby reducing the huge amount expended on the general wellbeing of the populace.

We must indulge in researches and policies that will enhance the quality of life of Nigerians and this will require multisectoral approach and collaboration, Obasanya said.

Also, Mrs Omotayo Bolu, Acting Country Director, US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, identified NFELTP as having three distinct tracks of the medical, veterinary and laboratory.

Bolu explained that one-health recognised that the connection of the health of people is to the health of animals and the environment.

The country director, who described the approach as huge return on investment and saves lives, among others, called for the sustainability of the epidemiologists residency training programme.

The goal of one-health is to encourage the collaborative efforts of multiple disciplines-working locally, nationally and globally to achieve the best health for people, animals and our environment.
He said the legislator's utterances were "therefore not deserving of a reply."

Fashola decently slammed Goje in a statement he sent in from Zimbabwe on Thursday, July 7, 2017 - he is attending the 35th Annual General Meeting of the Shelter Afrique in the country.

The minister expressed disappointment in Goje, who is the Chairman, Committee Chairman on Appropriation.

He said it is regrettable that the Senator would trivialise the issues he (Fashola) raised about the unilateral slashing of the budgetary allocation to key national infrastructure by the National Assembly.

Goje had on Wednesday, July 5, advised Fashola to resign if his workload is taking a toll on him.

The lawmaker slammed the minister after he accused the National Assembly of removing key projects of his ministry in the 2017 budget.

In his statement, Fashola said Goje's reference to the patriotism of legislators should not be mere words but put in action as regards his calls for a more developmental budgeting approach.

"In this context, it is left for Nigerians to then decide whether budgeting for constituency roads is more patriotic than budgeting to complete the Kano-Maiduguri Road that connects five states, the Lagos-Ibadan Road that connects three states and helps to move food, imported goods and fuel across the country; or the second Niger Bridge that connects the South-East and the South-West geopolitical zones of at least 11 states together," he said.

"I will also leave Nigerians to judge whether it is more patriotic to budget for the Mambilla Power Project that will contribute to more power supply across Nigeria or reduce the budget to build street lights in legislative constituencies."

Fashola reiterated his respect for the parliament, saying it should be a House where vigorous debates about development should take place.

ALSO READ: Fashola calls for sanction against unethical practice in building industry

He advised Goje to acquire the temperament for such debate and disagreement.

On Goje's admonition that Fashola should learn how to "behave" like a "minister" and the reference to the Senate awaiting how he would be "handled" by the House of Representatives, the minister said, "I think first that the language is unparliamentary and therefore not deserving of a reply."

Fashola stressed that a good budget remains a necessary tool for the executive to do its work because when services are inadequate, the members of the public often look to the executive arm for answers.
In his statement, he said, "In view of the foregoing, the implementation of the resolution of the Senate on the removal of Mr. Ibrahim Magu as the acting Chairman of the EFCC should be ignored by the Presidency on account of its apparent illegality.

"However, the distinguished senators who are desperate to institutionalise official corruption and impunity in the country by removing Mr. Magu from office may have to wait for the planned installation of the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki as the Acting President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria!"

There were rumours flying around this week that the Senate might be trying to impeach current Acting President Yemi Osinbajo and install Saraki in his position.

The appointment of acting boss of the anti-graft agency has been rejected by the upper chamber on two separate occasions.

This week, lawmakers decided to neglect to honour any nomination sent to it by the presidency until the powers of the legislative arm are acknowledged.

This was after Osinbajo said some executive appointments did not require legislative approval based on Section 171 of the Nigerian constitution.
By PTI: (Eds: Updating with arrest and remand)

Coimbatore, Jul 7 (PTI) A suspected militant of Assam- based National Democratic Front of Bodoland and another person with alleged links to the separatist outfit were arrested near here today, police said.

Upan Pasumatry, suspected to be involved in armed rebellion in Assam and fled the state, was nabbed along with another person, whose brother is also an active NDFB member, by the Military Intelligence Wing around midnight yesterday from a private factory in Sulur on the city outskirts.

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The other person was identified as Bikram Pasumatry.

Both were today produced in a local court which remanded them in judicial custody till July 21.

Based on information about the presence of Bodo militants in the region, the Military Intelligence Wing was keeping strict vigil for the last couple of days in Sulur, where the Indian Air Force has its establishments, and picked the two.

Bikaram had allegedly assisted his brother, police said.

After interrogation at an undisclosed place, the duo was produced before the Judicial Magistrate Court in Sulur.

Cases have been registered against them under the Unlawful Activities and Prevention Act.

Magistrate C Vediyappan remanded the two in judicial custody till July 21 following which they were brought and lodged in the Central Jail here, police said. PTI NVM VS KIS

--- ENDS ---
According to Punch, the news emerged on Thursday, July 7, but the incident occurred on Monday near Rumoji in Port-Harcourt.

It was gathered that the gunmen attacked the bus their victims were traveling in and dragged them into a nearby bush from where they were taken into hiding.

Subsequently, the hoodlums contacted the family of each victim and demanded N1 million ransom per head, the report said.

"The gunmen have reduced the ransom to N100,000 for each of the passengers," a security source told the newspaper.

"The 14-seater bus was travelling to Port Harcourt when the men waylaid it and kidnapped all occupants, including the driver."

ALSO READ: Police unmask female officer who helped Evans escape
While addressing journalists in Abuja after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting on Wednesday, July 5, 2017, Malami said the FEC never discussed the continued stay and possible re-nomination of Magu as chairman of the anti-graft agency.

His comments sparked reports of antagonising the position of Acting President Yemi Osinbajo who has been the target of anger from the Senate this week.

In a bid to clear the air, Malami released a statement yesterday, Thursday, July 6, 2017, saying he has been deliberately misunderstood.

In the statement, he said, "It has come to my notice that a number of media organisations have been distorting and misreporting the proceedings of yesterdays (July 5, 2017) Federal Executive Council (FEC) press briefing, and suggesting that the Presidency 'disowned' the Acting President on a matter relating to a presidential nomination."

He continued, "As the Chief Law Officer of the Federation, I would like to make it categorically clear that the President  and in this case the Acting President  is the Presidency, and therefore cannot be disowned by the Presidency.

"All matters relating to Presidential Appointments and Nominations are strictly a matter for the Presidency to handle. They are not for the Federal Executive Council, and are therefore not discussed at FEC level.

"This was the point I made yesterday at the press briefing, and which was unfortunately distorted by the media."

He concluded by appealing for better responsibility from the media, saying, "I would like to appeal to the media to take seriously its responsibility to inform the public honestly and accurately, to refrain from distorting or sensationalizing the news, and to seek clarification when in doubt."

The appointment of Magu has been rejected by the Senate on two separate occasions.

The official reason for their decision is based on a report compiled by the Department of State Services (DSS) that accused the anti-graft agency boss of impropriety.

This week, lawmakers decided to neglect to honour any nomination sent to it by the presidency until the powers of the legislative arm are acknowledged.

This was after Osinbajo said some executive appointments did not require legislative approval based on Section 171 of the Nigerian constitution.
Osinbajo made the condemnation in a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity Mr Laolu Akande in Abuja on Thursday.

The statement quoted the acting President as directing the security agencies to take urgent measures to avert a further breakdown of law and order in the affected area.

He also directed the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to liaise with the State government with a view to sending relief materials to the affected communities.

It would be recalled that a renewed communal clash within the month of June in Yala Local Government area of Cross River State had reportedly claimed scores of lives and property worth millions of naira destroyed.
Ogidi made the call on Friday in Abuja in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

He said that the clarification was important following a declaration credited to Acting President Yemi Osinbajo that Magu would continue to head the EFCC in spite of Senates rejection of his nomination, two times.

He was quoted making the declaration in Kaduna at the inauguration of the Zonal Office of the EFCC, where he was represented by the Governor of Kaduna State Malam Nasir el-Rufai.

Ogidi, however, urged Nigerians to discountenance the statement, saying that it was believed to be el-Rufais and not that of the acting president or the presidency.

Was el-Rufai reading Osinbajos speech when he made the statement? We believe that the statement was for el-Rufai and he cannot speak for the presidency.

There is therefore the need for the presidency to clarify its stands or decision on the status of Magu; this will enable Nigerians to properly comment on the matter, he said.

The PDP stalwart also described the disagreement between the executive and legislative at the national level as a reflection of the internal crisis within the All Progressives Congress (APC).

According to him, it shows that the party was not prepared for power, and it is also another means being used to divert the attention of Nigerians from its lapses.

Similarly, a civil servant in Abuja, Mr Uche Chinedu, said it was unfortunate that such government decision on Magu was brought to the public.

Chinedu said that the presidency or APC should have looked for a better way to manage the situation.

No one expected the acting president to be blunt in the way his representative at the event conveyed it to the public.

Even if that is the position of the government, he should have remained silent on it and continue to manage the situations, he said, adding that it was evidence that the APC government had a lot to learn.

He, however, advised either the executive or the legislature to approach the court in finding lasting solution to the matter.
But boy, who knew that the former Governor of Lagos can take on a national assembly packed full with 469 fire-belching Nigerians?

It all began after the executive retrieved the 2017 budget from the legislature.

To Fasholas dismay, the budget for his ministry had been slashed by lawmakers.

So, we grabbed us a bag full of popcorns like you did and took a seat ringside; as Fashola and the national assembly took turns to throw and duck punches.

We love us a good ol' duel on rainy days--mud and all.

Well let you be the umpire and decide who threw a better punch after each round.

You are at perfect liberty to score either fighter on a scale of 1-10 in each round.

ROUND 1

Fashola:Everybody is complaining about power supply but they (national assembly) also cut the budget for Mambila power project and the Bodo Bridge that connects the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Station.

If after we have defended the budget and we have gone and the legislature unilaterally changed the budget, what is the purpose of deliberation?

What I have in my budget now is primary health care centres, boreholes.

We were asked to complete those abandoned projects; the budget of was reduced by the National Assembly from N31bn to N10bn.

We owe the contractors about N15bn and they have written to us that they are going to shut down.

Also, the budget of the was reduced from N15bn to N10bn and about N3bn or so was removed from the Okene-Lokoja-Abuja road budget.

I am not saying that the legislature cannot contribute to the budget, but I hold the view that it cannot increase the budget because they do not collect the revenue with which to run or implement the budget.

************

National Assembly through House of Reps spokesperson, Abdulrazak Namdas: We could not watch the countrys patrimony being unfairly skewed to one region or a few regions to the detriment of other States and geo-political zones.

"We need to remind Mr. Fashola that the national assembly is a national institution made up of members from all geo-political zones, they represent all tendencies, interests and ethnic nationalities.

ALSO READ:

It has a responsibility also to ensure balance in the distribution of road projects and other developmental facilities.

The proposal from Mr. President on the 2017 budget of the ministry of works, power and housing did not pass this test! This partly informed the intervention of National Assembly so that every region can be carried along in project allocation".

Who won this round?

***********

ROUND 2

National Assembly through senator Danjuma Goje:Fashola should know that he is dealing with the national assembly of Nigeria and not Lagos State House of Assembly.

This assembly is composed of very patriotic and experienced Nigerians. Many have done this job before him. Many were Governors before him. The ministry is too big; the ministry comprises works, housing and power.

If the job is too much for him, if he cannot adjust, then he should do the honourable and needful thing. No amount of blackmail or propaganda by him will stop this national assembly from doing its duties in accordance with the provision of the constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria.

*******

Fashola:"I think, first, that Gojes language is unparliamentary and therefore not deserving of a reply.

"I need a better budget as a tool to do my work and that is why l am speaking out.

"In this context, it is left for Nigerians to then decide whether budgeting for constituency roads is more patriotic than budgeting to complete the Road that connects five states, the Lagos-Ibadan Road that connects three states and helps to move food, imported goods and fuel across the country; or the second Niger Bridge that connects the South-East and the South-West geopolitical zones of at least 11 states together.

"I will also leave Nigerians to judge whether it is more patriotic to budget for the Mambilla Power Project that will contribute to more power supply across Nigeria or reduce the budget to build street lights in legislative constituencies.

It seems that it is Goje who needs a behavioural prescription about legislative function.

Let me reiterate that I see parliament as a house where very vigorous debates about development should take place and it is important for Goje to acquire the temperament of debate and disagreement".

********

In your estimation, who won round two?
Today, July 7, 2017, "Picture Perfect"which is directed by Tope Alake and produced by Biodun Stephen, kicked off the cinema run for the second half of the year, and it did so with impressive performances, with Ninolowo taking the lead as Jobe.

The movie follows the story of a fashion designer who meets a notorious area boy when her car breaks down in his hood.

As a movie, "Picture Perfect" employs the depth of emotions needed to engage the audience while it explores classism, friendship, fate, love, redemption and beauty in imperfection.

When the trailer made its debut in January, we were skeptical about Ninolowo's ability to bring the character to life.

For years, we have watched Ninalowo in productions like "Husbands of Lagos," "The Guardian," "Walking Away," "Baby Shower" among others and thought we had seen what he was capable of.

But, for the first time, a different Ninalowo is seen. The 'fine boy' with an accent is gone.

If there was ever a role tailor-made for Bolanle Ninalowo, it's definitely Jobe.

In an interview with Pulse Nigeria, Ninalowo revealed that he was scared of taking up the role. He was encouraged by Biodun Stephen, who said to him, "Bolanle, this could change everything for you, if you're able to pull this off.'

As the area boy, Jobe, he finds a way to challenge our perception of him as an actor. He delivers an engaging and exciting performance.

He didn't just show up on set, ready to 'kill his role. He prepared.

"I had to do my homework. I was a bus conductor for about four or five days before the film, and to learn the mannerism of the character. So, I was in Ojuelegba," hehad told Pulse Nigeria.

The cast of "Picture Perfect" are outstanding, but, it's Ninalowo as Jobethat lingers in the memory even after you exit the cinema hall. It's almost like a revelation

He completely disappears into the mannerism of a typical area boy as he takes viewers on an emotional journey, forcing everyone to admire, love and care for his character.

The growth of his character elicits as much sympathy as it does laughter, mostly because he owns every pivotal moment.
At first, it was because there were rumors that Christian Religious Knowledge (CRK) had been removed while Islamic Religious Studies (IRS) was still there. This was denied by the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC).

Now, the issue is that CRK is no longer an independent subject while Arabic and French languages are the only electives.

This has been the subject of debate by several groups like the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN). Both have rejected the curriculum.

According to Felix Omobude, PFN president, the lack of French teachers could compel students to choose the Arabic language, which we all know is associated with Islam.

Due to the ongoing controversy, many have wondered if removing religion from the curriculum could put an end to the issue.

We asked Pulse readers to weigh in and the results are in.

The majority, 70.5%, said religion should still be taught in schools, while 29.5% said no.

While I can understand why people would want to remove religion from schools, I have to agree with the majority.

We need to continue to teach religion because it is a huge part of the Nigerian society. Like government and history, religion places a big role in many aspects of our world. Thus, it makes sense to teach it rather than leaving it out of schools.

Having religion in schools is a great thing because it helps to improve morale in students from an early age. This increases their chances of growing into good adults who know right from wrong.

According to a recent study, teaching religion helps with brain development. Another says it helps kids develop psychologically as believing in something pushes children to do well.

A 2013 study by the IOSR Journal of Humanities and Social Science has also found that teaching religion prevents identity crisis while sociology expert Rodney Stark has said that religion helps with depression.

He made this observation in his book Americas Blessings.

These are all great reasons why religion needs to remain on the curriculum, however, i would suggest that we also teach a blended course.

In addition to CRK and IRS, I recommend that we have a course where students of both faiths learn about the other's religious orientation.

This way, we build childrens understanding, compassion, tolerance and respect towards people of different religion.

Thus, the fear that Christians often have towards Muslims (which is usually due to misinformation) is taken away, leaving no room for extremism, religious intolerance and hate crimes.

Note: Teachers need to learn to teach what is on the curriculum not preach their beliefs.
The complaint alleges that iPhones, which are made in China, should not be allowed to be brought into the United States if they infringe on Qualcomm's patents.

The chipmaker also filed a complaint against Apple in the US District Court for Southern California seeking damages from the same patent infringement allegations.

"Qualcomm's inventions are at the heart of every iPhone and extend well beyond modem technologies or cellular standards," said Don Rosenberg, executive vice president and general counsel of Qualcomm.

"The patents we are asserting represent six important technologies, out of a portfolio of thousands, and each is vital to iPhone functions. Apple continues to use Qualcomm's technology while refusing to pay for it."

It was not immediately clear which iPhones would be affected. But Qualcomm alleges that it has six patents developed in the past four years that improve battery life in mobile devices and that "Apple uses these technologies in its devices but is not paying for them."

The fresh legal actions sharply escalated the war between the two California technology giants, which began in January when Apple filed a lawsuit accusing Qualcomm of abusing its market power to demand unfair royalties.

Responding to the latest legal actions, Apple repeated its allegations against Qualcomm.

"Qualcomm's illegal business practices are harming Apple and the entire industry," an Apple statement said.

"They supply us with a single connectivity component, but for years have been demanding a percentage of the total cost of our products -- effectively taxing Apple's innovation."

Apple chief executive Tim Cook earlier this year said Qualcomm provides "one small part of what an iPhone is," and that the chipmaker "has nothing do with the display or the Touch ID or a gazillion other innovations that Apple has done."

The Apple suit echoed charges filed by antitrust regulators in the United States and other major markets around the world.

Qualcomm responded in April that Apple had been providing "false and misleading information" to antitrust authorities in an effort to reduce its royalty payments to Qualcomm.
Separatist groups have called for a strike on July 8 to pay homage to those killed in action by the security forces against stone-pelting mobs.

By Pooja Shali: The weekend is not going to be an easy one for the Kashmir Valley. Internet services have been shut partially in places, exams rescheduled and curfew-like restrictions have been put in places in troubled parts of Srinagar, Anantnag and Pulwama.

All these measures have been taken by the Jammu and Kashmir government only to ensure that the first death anniversary of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani passes away peacefully. Fear of violence disrupting normal life and even the ongoing Amarnath Yatra have been haunting the police and security forces.

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Separatist groups have called for a strike on July 8 to pay homage to those killed in action by the security forces against stone-pelting mobs.

Coinciding with this is the state government's 10-day-long holiday season for all educational institutions from July 6. Kashmir University, on the other hand, has postponed all exams scheduled for Saturday.

More than 21,000 additional central paramilitary forces have been deployed in Jammu and Kashmir for the security of Amarnath yatra and ahead of the first death anniversary of Hizbul militant commander Burhan Wani.

Police is taking all preventive measures for maintaining law and order across the Valley.

INTERNET SERVICES PARTIALLY SHUT

As rumours spread fast through WhatsApp messages, Jammu and Kashmir Police had ordered shutting down of internet services temporarily. Social media sites have been blocked at many places in view of the apprehensions of misuse of internet services by anti-national elements, which is likely to cause deterioration in law and order situation.

SAFETY MEASURES

In Srinagar, restrictions have been imposed on movement of people in five police station areas - Nowhatta, M R Gunj, Rainawari, Khanyar and Safakadal. Officials said similar restrictions have been imposed in Anantnag town in south Kashmir.

Curbs on the assembly of people under Section 144 CrPc have been imposed in Pulwama and Shopian districts in south Kashmir and in Baramulla district in north, they said.

Police and other security forces have intensified area domination to prevent assembly of people in Wani's native village in Tral area which falls in Pulwama district.

Besides Pulwama, three other districts of Jammu and Kashmir - Kulgam, Shopian and Anantnag - have been on the boil since the killing July 8 encounter.

GROUND REPORT

India Today ventured into the sensitive location and saw barbed wires covering each crucial intersection. CRPF and Jammu Kashmir police personnel stood alert, wearing complete protective gear and checking the identity of each vehicle driver. Only local residents were being permitted with valid address proof. The area looked desolate with only few curious onlookers passing through after prayers. Shops were shut and traffic was restrained.

IGP Muneer Khan said, "The restrictions have been imposed to maintain law and order and ensure no untoward incident takes place. That is of prime significance." Preventive custody of separatist leaders has been extended and likely to continue for the next two days.

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Meanwhile, rest of Srinagar city witnessed normal vehicular traffic and visible tourist flow at the famous destination of Dal Lake. The weekend will remain crucial for the forces and authorities as Amarnath Yatra is also currently underway and remains a sensitive issue for the government.

Father of Burhan Wani has appealed for peace on the occasion. "I do not want more pellet injuries of people. I do not want it to be a political issue," he said.

Burhwan Wani was killed in an encounter with security forces on July 8 last year. The incident triggered massive protests and prolonged period of curfews and shutdowns across the Valley.Also read:

Burhan Wani's family approached police to make him surrender: MHA official to India Today

Zakir Musa hails Burhan Wani in new video, says slain Hizb commander wanted 'caliphate' in Valley

Exclusive: Zakir Musa could be the first al-Qaeda commander in India, say intel inputs

Video claims Zakir Musa's Taliban-e-Kashmir provided info to forces about LeT militants killed by Army

Also watch:

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Separatist leaders under house arrest ahead of Hizb terrorist Burhan Wani's death anniversary

--- ENDS ---
"Today at 9:00 am (0600 GMT) Alexei Navalny was taken from the cell block to the Moscow central district police department and they have now let him out of there," his spokeswoman Kira Yarmysh wrote on Twitter.

The 41-year-old lawyer was sentenced to 25 days in police cells for organising a day of protests against President Vladimir Putin's rule and corrupt officials on June 12 which saw more than 1,700 protesters detained nationwide.

A crowd of some 50 journalists and supporters as well as four members of pro-Kremlin groups were waiting on Friday outside the detention centre where Navalny had been held.

After his release, Navalny went to the office of his anti-corruption foundation, greeting smiling supporters, photographs posted on Twitter showed.

Navalny has declared his aim to stand for president in elections in 2018 and eradicate the country's rampant official corruption. He is already travelling around the country promoting his bid.

Electoral authorities say however that a suspended prison sentence makes him ineligible to run for office.

Navalny has suffered a wave of attacks and legal obstacles since he announced his bid for the presidential race in December.

The campaign has not yet begun and Putin has not confirmed whether he will seek re-election.

Navalny is serving a five-year suspended sentence for embezzlement in a case he had condemned as politically motivated. The Central Electoral Commission, which organises the vote, said last month that this makes him ineligible to stand for office.

On Thursday, police blocked off Navalny's Moscow campaign office and seized computers and campaign materials in a probe into alleged rent violations.

During the raid, a volunteer named as Alexander Turovsky was beaten by police and suffered a head injury and concussion, a spokeswoman for the Moscow campaign office told Interfax news agency.

Turovsky was hospitalised but then discharged and is now in court, facing a charge of resisting police, spokeswoman Yelena Slesareva said.

Navalny's campaign has seen him suffer eye damage after a protester threw green dye in his face in April.

The opposition leader was last put behind bars for 15 days in March after thousands of people flooded into central Moscow for an unauthorised anti-corruption demonstration.
Air Force One touched down in Warsaw late Wednesday, for what is the US president's second foreign outing after a European tour in May that exposed fierce mistrust.

The US president's four-day swing starts in Warsaw, where he will deliver a major speech, before moving on to the northern German city of Hamburg for his first G20 summit, where tricky geopolitical currents -- from rumbling transatlantic discord to increasingly difficult ties with China -- will converge.

Looming large over the entire visit is Pyongyang's test of an intercontinental ballistic missile that could deliver a nuclear payload to Alaska.

Tough-talking Trump had previously vowed North Korea would not be allowed to possess an ICBM, and leaders from rival and allied powers alike will be watching closely to see whether his threats were bluster or will crystallise into action.

After repeatedly urging Beijing to ratchet up the pressure on North Korea, Trump will hold what promises to be a testy meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Hamburg to trace the next steps.

"Trade between and grew almost 40% in the first quarter. So much for China working with us - but we had to give it a try!" Trump tweeted indignantly on Wednesday.

'Fake news'

On Friday, Trump will hold a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin that will -- amongst other things -- be pored over for its significance to US domestic politics.

Several of Trump's closest aides are under investigation for possible ties with Moscow, which US intelligence agencies say tried to tilt the election in the Republican candidate's favour.

The scandal continues to eat away at his administration, with key White House staff being forced to hire their own lawyers and spend time rebuffing new allegations.

So far, Trump has been reluctant to acknowledge Russian interference in the election or criticise the veteran Russian leader and has branded allegations against his aides as "fake news".

Even simple photographs of Putin and Trump shaking hands or meeting face-to-face pose a political risk for the US president and will likely be weaponised by his foes in the United States.

'Disastrous trip to Brussels'

Trump will look to a public speech Thursday to burnish his credentials as a global statesman and deflect criticism that he invited ridicule on the United States after an acrimonious G7 summit during his first trip overseas in May.

In Poland, Trump has a willing host in the form of President Andrzej Duda, whose rightwing politics resemble his own.

Trump will take the stage at Warsaw's historic Krasinski Square, with organisers expecting thousands -- perhaps tens of thousands -- to attend, many arriving on free buses laid on by Poland's ruling party.

"It is important that President Trump feel good about his visit to Poland," Stanislaw Pieta, a member of parliament for the Party of Law and Justice told the AFP.

That should provide welcome relief from the cool reception he is likely to receive elsewhere.

"After his disastrous trip to Brussels and Taormina, friendly pictures with European leaders and cheering crowds at his public speech could help Trump repair his image at home," said Piotr Buras of the European Council on Foreign Relations.

During the speech at Krasinski Square -- which memorialises the Warsaw uprising against Nazi occupation -- Trump "will lay out a vision, not only for America's future relationship with Europe, but the future of our transatlantic alliance and what that means for American security and American prosperity," said national security adviser HR McMaster.

While Warsaw may be the least barbed part of the trip, it is not without its own difficulties as Poles watch closely to see if Trump's reluctantly professed commitment to European security can be relied upon.

Poland, like many countries in eastern and central Europe, sees NATO and its mutual defence pact as a major deterrent to Russian adventurism and a guarantee of hard-won independence.

Trump has professed to favour the alliance's one-for-all-all-for-one commitment, but in the same breath has trashed European allies for not spending enough to defend themselves.

In public, European officials say the decades-old transatlantic partnership is inviolable and essential.
Media reports said neighbours had heard no explosion -- just the crash when the building collapsed.

Witnesses said a freight train had passed on the neighbouring railway track just before the building collapsed, while others noted that renovation works had been under way on the lower floors.

Prosecutors in Torre Annunziata have opened an investigation to determine what caused the accident.

Some 30 firefighters, joined by dozens of volunteers and relatives of the missing, were searching the wreckage for survivors in the scorching heat.

The fire service said two officers had been lightly injured during search operations.

Local mayor Vincenzo Ascione said the missing were a couple and their children aged eight and 11, another couple and their 25-year-old son, and a 65-year-old woman who lived alone.

The rescuers were stopping regularly, hoping to hear calls for help. Sniffer dogs were also on site to help locate the missing.
Judge Regina Pociene said the handcuffed Nikolai Filipchenko "worked for the Russian federal security service (FSB) whose activities include intelligence outside of the Russian Federation."

She added that the 40-year-old used forged documents to conceal his real identity and had repeatedly crossed the border illegally.

Last year, prosecutors said he attempted to recruit security officials "in an attempt to install special listening devices" to bug President Dalia Grybauskaite at her home and office.

Filipchenko's lawyer Galina Kardanovskaja told reporters he "disagrees with the charges" but it was "too early to say" if he would appeal the verdict.

She added that Russian diplomats were providing her client with some money and literature.

Lithuanian authorities arrested Filipchenko in April 2015 on his way to Belarus on a train from the Kaliningrad region, Russia's westernmost outpost bordering Lithuania and Poland.

The verdict came a day after US President Donald Trump accused Russia of "destabilising" action in Ukraine and endorsed NATO's mutual defence pact during a keynote speech in neighbouring Poland.

NATO is deploying about 1,000 soldiers in each of the Baltic states and Poland in response to growing nervousness over Russian intentions.

The Kremlin has denied any territorial ambitions and claims that NATO is trying to encircle Russia.
"Since the ruling Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) took power 23 years ago, Rwandans have faced huge, and often deadly obstacles to participating in public life and voicing criticism of government policy," said Muthoni Wanyeki, Amnesty's regional director for East Africa, the Horn and the Great Lakes.

"The climate in which the upcoming elections take place is the culmination of years of repression."

The rights group released a 30-page report detailing several alleged violations, including the killing of an opposition party member as well as harassment and intimidation against those planning to run in next month's vote.

Critics of the government of President Paul Kagame have been "jailed, physically attacked -- even killed -- and forced into exile or silence," the London-based Amnesty said.

Since the end of the 1994 genocide in which around 800,000 mostly Tutsi people died, Rwanda has been praised for its stability and economic performance. However, it often comes under fire for a lack of political freedom.

Rwanda is constitutionally a multi-party system but there is practically no opposition within the country.

All recognised parties generally support the policy decisions made by the RPF -- with the exception of the small Democratic Green Party which was the only one to object to 2015 constitution changes allowing Kagame to seek re-election.

As of last month, only four candidates had declared their intention to run against Kagame in the August 4 polls.

Kigali's election committee is due to release a final list of candidates on Friday.

Kagame has been in charge since taking power at the head of a rebel army in 1994 and has already served two seven-year terms as president.

"Rwanda's history of political repression, attacks on opposition figures and dissenting voices in the context of previous elections stifles political debate and makes those who might speak out think twice before taking the risk," said Wanyeki.
Demirtas and the party's former co-leader, Figen Yuksekdag, have been imprisoned with nine other HDP lawmakers on accusations of links to Kurdish separatists.

They were first detained in November, causing alarm in Europe and concern over the use of the state of emergency put in place after last year's failed coup.

There are multiple cases against Demirtas. In this case, he is accused of "public humiliation of the Turkish government, the judiciary, the military or law enforcement agency". The charge is based on one of his social media postings, the HDP said.

Demirtas hit back at the proposal to handcuff him as "illegal and immoral" saying he was a lawmaker who represented "the will of people".

"As I did not accept wearing handcuffs, I was brought back to my cell around 4am (0300 GMT)," he said in a statement shared by the HDP.

Tight security

The Ankara courthouse was surrounded by riot police and even court personnel faced difficulties entering the building. Police told media they were not allowed to attend the hearing but some made it inside.

Lawyers taking part in the trial left the hearing in protest at the way it was being conducted, an AFP correspondent said.

Yuksekdag appeared in court for the first time on Tuesday on charges of disseminating "terror propaganda" for the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

Over 40,000 people have killed during the PKK's insurgency against the Turkish state since 1984.

The Council of Europe's human rights commissioner, Nils Muiznieks, meanwhile urged Turkey to immediately release ten human rights activists arrested Wednesday in Istanbul during a workshop.

"I call on the Turkish authorities to immediately release those detained... and strongly urge them to stop all arbitrary interferences with the legitimate work of civil society ," Muiznieks tweeted.

Among those detained are Idil Eser, Amnesty International's Turkey director, as well as one Swedish and one German national, both trainers.

They are accused of belonging to an armed "terrorist organisation," according to Amnesty's Turkey researcher Andrew Gardner.

Turkey frequently uses the phrase "terrorist organisation" to refer to supporters of US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, who Ankara accuses of orchestrating last year's failed coup, as well as Kurdish separatists.
"The North Korea nuclear problem is very serious. But here, one must not lose his cool, but rather act in a pragmatic and delicate manner," said Putin during a meeting with South Korean President Moon Jae-In.

The bilateral talks came on the sidelines of the G20 summit in the northern German city of Hamburg, where leaders of the world's top economies are gathered.

The meeting has been overshadowed by a number of global crises, including fresh tensions sparked by North Korea's test launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile on Tuesday.

Ahead of the summit, Moon called for toughened sanctions against the North at a joint press conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin.

But he insisted Thursday he was ready to meet the North's leader Kim Jong-Un in a bid to ease tensions.

"When the conditions are met, I am prepared to meet the North Korean ruler wherever and whenever," he told an audience at a think-tank in the German capital, calling for a "long dialogue for peace and detente".
Security officials who requested anonymity said at least seven soldiers were killed, but it was not immediately possible to obtain an official death toll.

Security officials said ambulances raced to the sites of the attacks south of the town of Rafah on the border with the Gaza Strip.

Jihadists have killed hundreds of policemen and soldiers in attacks in North Sinai since the military toppled Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in 2013 and launched a deadly crackdown on his supporters.

IS has also attacked tourists, killing all 224 on board a Russian plane carrying holidaymakers in 2015, as well as Christian churches elsewhere in Egypt.

The jihadists in the Sinai pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group in late 2014, establishing the self styled "Sinai Province" in the peninsula, which borders Israel as well as Gaza.

Unlike the main organisation in Syria and Iraq, they have been unable to seize population centres, with one attempt to occupy a town in 2015 ending with the military unleashing F-16 jets against the jihadists.

Instead the group has tried to keep up a steady war of attrition involving roadside bombings, sniper fire and checkpoint attacks such as the ones on Friday.

The jihadists are increasingly encircled in the peninsula, with the military razing sections of Rafah to create a buffer zone with the Gaza Strip and destroying tunnels connecting with the Palestinian territory.

But that has not prevented them from establishing cells elsewhere in Egypt that launched a series of attacks on Christians that have killed dozens since December, when a suicide bomber targeted a Cairo church.

That attack was followed by two church bombings in April that killed at least 45 people and a massacre of Christians heading on a bus to a monastery in May.

The April attacks prompted President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to declare a nationwide state of emergency like that already in force in North Sinai.

Sisi, who as army chief toppled Morsi, has pledged to defeat the jihadists.
The flights come as both US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping attend the G-20 meeting in Hamburg.

A US B1-B bomber and two F-15 fighters with the Japan Air Self-Defense Force departed Guam's Andersen Air Force Base and flew over the neighbouring East China Sea late on Thursday, the US Pacific Air Forces Public Affairs office said.

This is "the first time US Pacific Command-directed B-1B Lancers have conducted combined training with JASDF fighters at night," the statement read.

When the bilateral operations concluded, "the B-1Bs proceeded to the South China Sea before returning to Andersen Air Force Base," the statement read.

It was not immediately clear when or if a second US B1-B bomber joined for the South China Sea leg of the operation.

The mission "demonstrates how the US will continue to exercise the rights of freedom of navigation anywhere international law allows," the US statement read.

"Flying and training at night with our allies in a safe, effective manner is an important capability shared between the US and Japan," said Major Ryan Simpson, Pacific Air Forces chief of bomber operations.

The joint military flight demonstrates US-Japanese "solidarity ... to defend against provocative and destabilizing actions in the Pacific theater," the statement added.

Beijing claims nearly all of the South China Sea, parts of which are also claimed by Taiwan and Southeast Asian nations including the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam.

China has rapidly built reefs in the area into artificial islands capable of hosting military planes.

China also lays claim to tiny islands in the East China Sea between Japan and the Korean peninsula, and between Japan and Taiwan.

Both freedom of navigation and freedom of flight over the East and South China Seas were "indisputable," Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told a regular press briefing in Beijing on Friday.
Burhan Wani's family had approached the Jammu and Kashmir Police seeking intervention after he took up militancy.

A picture of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Muzaffar Wani held up during a rally condemning the violence in Kashmir, in Islamabad, Pakistan July 24, 2016. (Photo: Reuters/Caren Firouz)

By Kamaljit Kaur Sandhu: Long before young Burhan Wani became the poster boy of Hizbul Mujahideen (HM), he fled from his home on 16 October 2010 and became a militant at the age of 15.

He had reportedly decided to join the militancy due to an incident in which security personnel beat up his elder brother Khalid wani.

It was in the summer of 2013, when Burhan Wani's relatives approached the then DG Ashok Prasad, appealing for the cops to intervene. Sources said that close relatives of Burhan Wani approached the top cop, asking for intervention.

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Burhan till then was not a top militant and not even in the top 10 most wanted terrorists. The family was asked to get in touch with SP Awantipora. The matter became inconsequential till Burhan rose to the ranks and eventually become its Commander.

Ashok Prasad now advisor to MHA and an official spokesperson confirmed the incident with India Today. While Burhan's brother Khalid was eventually killed by security forces in April 2015 when he had gone along with three friends to meet his brother.

WANI'S BROTHER A MILITANT SYMPATHISER

The security forces claimed that Khalid was a militant sympathiser who had taken his friends to get them recruited and was killed in an encounter by the security forces.

Burhan Wani eventually became a poster boy of HM, featuring in several videos and photos posing with weapons and taunting security forces. These were circulated on Facebook and WhatsApp in an attempt to recruit young Kashmiri men.

Reportedly his star power helped him to recruit nearly 100 Kashmiri youth. Though before his death there were several campaigns against him, labelling him as an Indian agent till the time he was killed by SOG and 19 RR in a fierce encounter in Kokernag in South Kashmir.

Also Read:

Zakir Musa hails Burhan Wani in new video, says slain Hizb commander wanted 'caliphate' in Valley

Exclusive: Zakir Musa could be the first al-Qaeda commander in India, say intel inputs

Video claims Zakir Musa's Taliban-e-Kashmir provided info to forces about LeT militants killed by Army

WATCH | Separatist leaders under house arrest ahead of Hizb terrorist Burhan Wani's death anniversary

--- ENDS ---
A dozen priests surrounded him as he made incantations, threw soil and water, and gave an offering to the gods. In the silence, a ram and a cockerel were burnt alive.

"It's over, human blood must not flow again on the land of our ancestors after the purification ceremony for the country," the follower said.

Twenty priestesses, naked from the waist up, sang and danced before spraying the watching crowd with water "blessed" by the divinities from voodoo convents.

"A lot of ceremonies have taken place in convents. The country is now purified," said a follower of the thunder god Hebiosso.

The government announced last week that Christian, Islamic and voodoo "purification ceremonies" would be held to purge Togo of its violent past and promote reconciliation.

The West African nation was rocked by political unrest during presidential elections in 2005, which were won by Faure Gnassingbe, who remains in power.

There is no official death toll from the clashes, but a group close to the government has said 105 were killed while the opposition put the figure at more than 800.

The United Nations believes between 400 and 500 people died.

Ceremonies were due to be held in mosques at Friday prayers and also in churches on Sunday.

Symbolic location

In Lome, about 100 voodoo high priests and traditional chiefs were at the rituals at the lagoon's edge in Be.

"They are oracles who showed us the banks of this lagoon for the ceremonies. And we all know what happened in this lagoon in the past," said Togbui Gnagblondjro III, the head of the national confederation of voodoo priests of Togo.

On April 11, 1991, 28 bodies were pulled out of the water in Be the day after an opposition demonstration.

The protesters had accused the military of massacring demonstrators at night and throwing their bodies into the lagoon.

The government brushed off the accusation and claimed the incident had been staged with bodies taken from the city mortuary.

"Ceremonies took place next to this lagoon to appease the spirits of the people and all of this country's children who spilled their blood," said Gnagblondjro.

"In Africa there always has to be purification ceremonies after violent deaths," said the voodoo chief, in traditional robes and traditional hat.

"After this ceremony, human blood must no longer flow. The oracles are asking the forces of law and order to stop firing on people."

"They are also requesting the people not to provoke them."

'Con-trick'

Togo set up a truth, justice and reconciliation commission to shed light on political violence between 1958 -- when France announced that it would grant independence -- and 2005, and study ways of compensating victims.

The current president's father, Gnassingbe Eyadema, led Togo with an iron fist from 1967 until his death in 2005.

In 2011 the commission held a series of private hearings, which allowed it to identify 22,415 victims eligible for payment.

A total of 2,475 were paid from an allocation of 2.0 billion CFA francs ($3.4 million, 3.0 million euros). More are expected to be paid after the purification ceremonies, the government said.

No one has ever been tried and convicted for the violence in 2005, which has led to criticism from human rights and opposition groups.

Gnassingbe has been repeatedly urged to end impunity.

Francis Pedro Amuzu, from the political bureau of the main opposition National Alliance for Change (ANC) party, said it had asked its members to stay away from the ceremonies.
Lalu Yadav said BJP and Narendra Modi are working against him and his family from the last several months.

By India Today Web Desk: After CBI raids against him and his family members, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Yadav today directly blamed Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah for trying to create rift in the Opposition parties.

"They want to finish me. Listen PM and Amit shah, I will get hanged but will first break your arrogance into pieces," Lalu Yadav told reporters here. Taking a jibe at BJP leaders, Lalu said he will kill the 'khatmal' (bed bug) with a "janta ki dawai" (medicine of the people).

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He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah want to create rift in the 'mahagathbandhan' (grand alliance).

Lalu Yadav said BJP and Narendra Modi are working against him and his family from the last several months.

Describing the CBI raids as a BJP conspiracy, he said it is a witch hunt against him. He has done nothing wrong and is open to any probe.

"The decision on handing over hotels was taken before I took over as the railway minister," Lalu said.

Earlier in the day, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) today conducted searches at 12 locations across Patna, Delhi, Gurgaon and other places in connection with a case linked to a hotel maintenance contract awarded by Lalu Yadav when he was the Railway Minister in 2006. The CBI has registered a case against Lalu, wife Rabri Devi and their son Tejashwi Yadav, who is deputy Chief Minister of Bihar.

The central agency has also booked former MD of Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) and directors of private firms along with Lalu who is accused of tender irregularities.

Lalu said he was in Ranchi today in fodder scam case connection when he came to know about 27 CBI officers raiding his house.

"PM and Amit Shah is more at fault than CBI for these raids. CBI officers said that there was pressure from above to conduct raids," Lalu said adding that he asked his family to cooperate with the CBI team.

(Inputs from Rohit Kumar)

ALSO READ:

Lalu Yadav on raids: Have done nothing wrong, know how to handle CBI

ALSO WATCH: Lalu Yadav after CBI raids: Ready to be hanged, but will end Modi, Amit Shah's arrogance

--- ENDS ---
By PTI: New Delhi, Jul 6 (PTI) Amid Chinas aggressive posturing in the Asiatic region, India and Vietnam discussed "concrete and feasible" steps to protect their interests while seeking to bolster their strategic bilateral ties.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Vietnam Pham Binh Minh, who concluded his four-day visit to India today, told PTI in an interview that the two sides also discussed the progress of implementation of the high-level agreements between them for creating a stable and facilitating framework to help their relations grow more "substantively".

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The Vietnamese leaders visit comes in the midst of growing maritime aggression of China in the South China Sea as also its military stand off with India in the Sikkim sector.

Vietnam and several other countries, including Brunei and the Philippines, are involved in territorial dispute with China in the South China Sea, seen as a potentially explosive diplomatic issue in east Asia.

China has also been objecting to Indias oil exploration projects in maritime areas offered by Vietnam in the South China Sea, claiming that it enjoys indisputable sovereignty there. However, India has been dismissive of Chinese objections, insisting its cooperation with Vietnam was as per international laws and that it would like the cooperation to grow.

Talking about the economic ties between the two countries, the Vietnamese leader said many of Indias major corporations are investing in various projects in Vietnam such as the Tatas in Long Phu II thermal power plant in Soc Trang and ONGC Videsh in oil and gas exploration on Vietnams continental shelf."

During his visit, apart from participating in the India- ASEAN ministerial meet on July 4, he held bilateral meetings with Indian leadership, including President Pranab Mukherjee and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj.

After the meeting with Swaraj, the MEA issued a statement saying both sides reiterated their support for peace, stability, security, safety, freedom of navigation and over flight, and unimpeded commerce based on the principles of international law, as reflected notably in the UNCLOS.

The reiteration of their stand came as the two sides noted the order issued by the Arbitral Tribunal, constituted under the UN Convention on the Law of Sea (UNCLOS), on the dispute between China and the Philippines which said Beijing did not have sovereign ownership over several disputed islands in the South China Sea. China had rejected the order.

Noting that many issues pertinent to bilateral relations were discussed during his talks here, the Vietnamese leader said they exhanged views on "concrete and feasible measures appropriate to the situation of each country as well as the international and regional state of affairs in order to substantively and effectively implement the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership established in 2016".

In the interview, the Vietnamese deputy prime minister also talked about cooperation in the areas of trade, defence and security.

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"The establishment of the Strategic Partnership in 2007, which was upgraded to Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in September 2016, has created an important framework for our bilateral cooperation to expand and deepen in all areas: politics and diplomacy, defense and security, economy and trade, science and technology, and education and training, among many others," he said.

Economically, India is among Vietnams top ten trade partners, with a bilateral trade turnover of USD 7 billion, he said, adding by the end of May 2017, Indias total registered FDI in Vietnam stood at USD 772 million, with 145 investment projects. PTI PYK SK SK

--- ENDS ---
ROCK ISLAND  Calling all nature lovers: Black Hawk State Historic Site is celebrating its 90th anniversary as a park on Sunday.

From 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. children can help build an eagle's nest and participate in activities based on the book "Twelve Moons" detailing the lives of the Sauk and Meskwaki peoples. A stuffed animal scavenger hunt is planned in the museum and a take-home nature plaque craft, led by naturalist Chuck Wester, also is part of the family-oriented festivities.

The celebration continues in the Watch Tower Lodge with bluegrass music, a cake and other refreshments 3-4 p.m. The anniversary is sponsored by the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency and the Citizens to Preserve Black Hawk Park Foundation. All tours and activities throughout the day are free to the public.

The land that is now Black Hawk State Historic Site was first inhabited by Native Americans approximately 12,000 years ago. Around 1730, the Sauk and Meskwaki people came to occupy the site. Farming the land and engaging in the fur trade, the tribes controlled parts of Illinois, Wisconsin, Missouri and most of Iowa at the peak of their power, according to the Black Hawk park website.

Following the Black Hawk War in 1832, the Sauk leader Black Hawk and his people were eventually forced out of the state.

In 1882, Bailey Davenport  president and superintendent of the Rock Island and Milan Steam Railway  developed the Watch Tower Amusement Park. The park hosted daily music performances, firework displays, a roller coaster, a photo gallery, a roller skating rink and a restaurant, along with various rides and booths.

The famous "Shoot the Chutes" ride was also invented and built here in 1888. Beth Carvey with the Hauberg Indian Museum said a video will play throughout Sunday's anniversary celebrations for the public to see the historic chutes in action.

The amusement park entertained around 15,000 people per day until 1927 when Illinois officially acquired the land. John Hauberg later petitioned city officials in Rock Island to remove the features of the amusement park, and the Black Hawk State Historic Site transformed into a natural area.

However, Ms. Carvey said the park as we know it today wasn't fully established until 1935.

"The CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps) became an authorized camp on the site in 1933," she said. "They really created the park. They cleared and improved the trails, planted trees and flowers, constructed portions of the lodge, added parking lots, picnic shelters and did all the landscaping."

Thanks to its rich history and the CCC's work, Black Hawk Park became the Black Hawk State Historic Site in 1979, with the northern half  about 100 acres  dedicated as a nature preserve in 1984.

Today, the park features 208 acres of land  160 forested  with picnic shelters and a playground. The Singing Bird Nature Center, on the northwest side of the park, hosts public nature education programs throughout the year.

"It is an incredibly special place," said Ms. Carvey. "It has never been clear cut, so it is the most peaceful and pleasant place.

"This is going to sound cheesy, but the spirit of the land really never left," she said. "You can just feel it that there's something right there in the middle of the city."

On the south side of the park, the Watch Tower Lodge is for weddings, receptions, conferences, parties and other events. The Hauberg Indian Museum inside the lodge is open free to the public Wednesday through Sunday.

"The south side is the geology trail along the river where people can see sandstone, limestone and bedrock from 400 million years ago," Ms. Carvey said. "The north woods mostly consists of oaks and hickories, with wild flowers in the springtime. The park is also located in the Mississippi flyaway, so there are a lot of birds that stop here."

The nature preserve is one of three in Illinois. Everything within the park is protected, and the public is forbidden to remove flowers, rocks or mementos while hiking.

For more details, call 309-788-9536 or visit blackhawkpark.org.
At the Unleashing American Energy event last week, Donald Trump renewed his promise of an era of American global energy dominance. He said that this energy superpower status would be gained by using all of our energy resources. He also noted that in just six months, we've reduced the petroleum share of the trade deficit by 5 percent. What a welcome change from Barack Obama, whose administration took every possible step to stop American fossil fuel development.

Trump recognizes what almost all his critics choose to ignore: We are entering an age of American energy renaissance that will last many decades. While the left keeps placing bad bets on expensive and unreliable green energy, Trump has a more robust and realistic strategy: Make the United States the 21st century's Saudi Arabia. We are well on our way, given the continuing story of the shale oil and gas explosion.

Since 2007 America has increased its oil and gas output by 75 percent, with most of it coming from North Dakota, Texas, Oklahoma, West Virginia and Pennsylvania.

Since 2015, when Republicans in Congress passed a law ending the ban on oil and gas exports, the U.S. has exported more than 150 million barrels of crude.

At the moment, natural gas is the disruptive energy source that is blowing away the competition. This is good news for America, because we have far more natural gas than anyone, with perhaps the exception of Saudi Arabia. The U.S. has by far the cheapest natural gas and is capable of replacing the Middle East and Russia as primary suppliers to Europe and Asia.

Thanks in part to Trump's energy vision, we are now building liquefied gas terminals that will lead to sharp increases in exports of our abundant natural gas. Bloomberg reports, "Since starting up last year, Cheniere Energy Inc.'s Sabine Pass terminal in Louisiana  the first major facility sending shale gas overseas  has shipped more than 100 cargoes of LNG overseas."

Pipelines are necessary to make this energy future possible, and Trump is already greenlighting such projects that were delayed or killed by Barack Obama.

If we are to sprint ahead of the rest of the world when it comes to energy production, we need to allow drilling on federal lands. We are talking about unlocking some $50 trillion of energy assets lying underneath us. Just the royalties, leases and income taxes generated from all of this energy treasure would raise about $2 trillion for the federal treasury.

Coal production this year is up about 15 percent, according to The Wall Street Journal, and mining jobs are back as well. That's thanks to Trump's reversal of Obama-era regulations meant to bankrupt coal. We need cheap coal to produce steel and other manufactured goods in America, so coal production is basic to keeping blue-collar and hard-hat jobs here at home in Pennsylvania, Michigan, Ohio, Indiana and West Virginia. Out of necessity, Big Coal is learning how to produce cleaner and cheaper coal every day, as the industry that still supplies nearly one-third of our electricity competes with natural gas.

Instead of importing $200 billion of energy every year, the U.S. and Canada could soon easily be exporting that amount. Of course, the current low global price of oil -- below $50 a barrel -- has all producers struggling mightily as the world absorbs a wonderful glut of cheap energy. But the amazing American frackers are discovering new ways of producing more and more energy at lower and lower costs.

The industry that has gotten most financially flattened by low natural gas prices is green energy. As long as natural gas prices stay below $3 per million cubic feet, wind and solar are as viable as cold fusion for years to come.

Without billions upon billions of government mandates, tax credits, production subsidies and other tax giveaways, there would be virtually no wind and solar industry today in the U.S. What other industry couldn't create jobs if the government kept showering it with billions of dollars of free money? We've been doing this since the 1970s. Perhaps there will be breakthroughs that make green energy viable, but we've heard those unfulfilled promises now for 40 years.

No one knows where the future will take us with energy technology, but for now, no nation is better poised to exploit the new global age of shale energy. Better still, this is a fortuitous outcome that won't cost the government money but instead will raise trillions of new tax dollars to fund public programs.

It's a testament to Trump's vision and gut instincts that a real estate developer from the Northeast gets that when so many so-called energy experts, including Obama, don't.
G'day! It's Murray here. I've put together a little quiz to test your musical knowledge. Think you can score top marks in Murray's Magic Music Quiz? Give it a go now!
JR East currently operates E5 trains which a maximum speed of 320km/h on the Tohoku Line, but it requires a higher top speed in order to achieve a commercially-acceptable journey time between Tokyo and Sapporo.

The text train is called AlphaX which stands for advanced labs for frontline activity in rail experimentation. It is planned to test AlphaX up to a maximum speed of 400km/h.

There are four key objectives for the tests:

 improve safety and stability

 improve comfort

 refine environmental performance, and

 improve maintenance.

To improve safety and stability, systems such as special dampers will be installed to prevent derailments during earthquakes. Tests will be conducted on the body to make it more difficult for snow to accumulate on the train as Hokkaido is affected by very high snowfall during the winter. Systems will be installed to monitor the condition of components in order to predict failures.

JR East plans to install shaking prevention controls and examine sound-absorbing properties to produce a smooth and quite ride.

It also plans to suppress noise by reducing noise emitted from the lower part of the train around the running gear and from the pantograph, as well as suppressing pressure waves when entering tunnels. AlphaX will have two different nose designs (pictured below) to test this as well as the aerodynamics of the different shapes. JR East will also examine ways to conserve energy at high speed.

JR East intends to adopt a conditioned-based maintenance system for the new trains which will require installation of monitoring equipment on both the trains and tracks.

To realise all of these goals, JR East plans to make use of the internet of things, big data, and artificial intelligence.
It is of utmost importance that Japan renews its commitment to implement the one-year package of measures on railways enforced in 2014, says the European Rail Industry Association (Unife). The measures have been helpful to begin increasing transparency in procurement and facilitating market penetration by European suppliers, even if examples of new business opportunities remain limited to this day.

However, Unife says it fears that the outcome on coverage of rail and urban transport entities in the public procurement chapter may be limited. Further coverage would have compensated the delisting of several Japanese rail operators from the WTO Agreement on Government Procurement (GPA), Unife says. It is now key to ensure that private or non-covered entities abide by codes of conduct to ensure transparent and non-discriminatory treatment of European rail suppliers.

Unife says it is also concerned about the enforcement of the commitments made by Japan and the actual changes in business practices, and wants both parties to set up a strong and dedicated method to monitor rail procurement.

Since the beginning of the EU-Japan Free Trade Agreement negotiations in 2013, the European rail supply industry has been striving, with the support of the EC, to achieve a level-playing field between access to the Japanese and European rail markets, says Mr Philippe Citroen, Unifes director general. The removal of the Operational Safety Clause is a win for our industry, but it also comes with a further opening of the EU public procurement market.

Todays agreement is only a first step - enforcement and monitoring of agreed measures will be equally important. Therefore, we urge both parties to redouble their efforts to guarantee new and tangible market access opportunities for European manufacturers on the Japanese rail market.
This year's exercises are the widest in scope till date, involving the US aircraft carrier USS Nimitz, India's carrier INS Vikramaditya and Japan's helicopter carrier Izumo.

By Ananth Krishnan: China on today played down concerns over next week's Malabar naval exercises between India, the United States and Japan in the Indian Ocean, saying it had "no objection" to "normal cooperation" but hoped it was not "directed at any third party".

This year's exercises are the widest in scope till date, involving the US aircraft carrier USS Nimitz, India's carrier INS Vikramaditya and Japan's helicopter carrier Izumo.

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One area of focus of the exercises is anti-submarine warfare, at a time when the PLA Navy's submarines are an increasingly frequent presence in the Indian Ocean Region.

Japan's inclusion in the exercise since 2014 has been a source of concern for some Chinese strategists, although Beijing on Friday played down concerns.

"We have no objection to normal bilateral relations and cooperation among relevant countries," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said.

"We hope this kind of relations and cooperation is not directed at any third party and conducive to regional peace and stability."

The 8-day exercises, set to start on Monday, will involve more than 20 warships from the three countries.

China has in the past pressured India on multilateral exercises, seeing them as being aimed at Beijing.

The Chinese government, for instance, bristled at past inclusions of Australia and Singapore in the bilateral India-US naval exercise.

China last month welcomed India's decision to not include Australia in the drills, with the Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying saying, "I think India is also clear about the consideration behind [Australia's] behaviours. I think we are happy to see normal dialogue and communications on security issues, but we also hope when conducting such operations, the parties can fully consider the security concerns of different parties and also play a positive and constructive role in promoting regional peace and stability."

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--- ENDS ---
Prospects for reconciliation among Libya's warring factions are already at a nadir. The ongoing discord in the Persian Gulf is only harming those prospects. On one side is Khalifa Haftar, a well-financed former military commander backed by Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates in the east. On the other is an ambiguous blend of Islamists and other non-identifying armed groups that have operated with intermittent support from Qatar and Turkey in the west.

The tragedy is that Libya's alignments with competing Gulf nations amid the current row may contribute to the instability. Qatar may indeed be linked to Islamist factions in Libya. Its leaders disavow accusations of having had a hand in fueling the conflict while pointing the finger in the other direction. The real harm could come from Libya's factional ruts  reinforced by all Gulf actors  that handicap stabilization prospects. These political divisions have rendered the country a prime location for jihadist activity on the southern Mediterranean coast.

This Libya-Gulf connection goes back to 2011 when a motley assortment of Libyan militias united to remove long-time strongman Moammar Gadhafi from power. Not long after the NATO-led intervention, it became clear that competing Gulf nations were vying for position in Libya through an array of proxy forces to influence political outcomes. Both Qatar and the UAE delivered an assortment of materiel  machine guns, modern assault rifles, ammunition, rocket launchers, and anti-tank weaponry  and money to their preferred armed groups.

Many of these weapons landed in the hands of jihadists, and the U.S. did little more than urge both countries to halt shipments. Libya's rival militias  armed and funded by their respective Gulf sponsors  set the framework for the nationwide civil conflict that erupted in 2014 and continues to ravage the country.

High-grade weaponry and aircraft have reportedly flown freely to Libya in violation of the UN arms embargo.

In light of mounting tensions and diplomatic scuffles between Qatar and its neighbors, leaders in Doha pulled back efforts in Libya and the Gulf states agreed to stay united. Ever since, high-grade weaponry and aircraft have reportedly flown freely to Libya in violation of the UN arms embargo  an overwhelming number originating from the Emiratis to the eastern government. With a stream of weaponry and few viable options for political solution on the horizon, the fighting is unlikely to stop soon. Meanwhile, the UN-backed Government of National Accord in Tripoli simply cannot compete on par.

Oil is another factor in the row among the Gulf states over Libya. All of the nations involved are members of OPEC, and Libya's output has been erratic and slow moving due to persistent insecurity.

At this point, Haftar and his armed coalition hold varying degrees of physical control over Libya's oil fields, infrastructure, and ports in the country's east and south. With Saudi, Emirati, and Egyptian support, he has managed to keep supplies up since early 2017. The Tripoli government, however, still maintains ultimate management of production with Central Bank and National Oil Corporation (NOC) subservient to Tripoli continuing to profit from the oil sales. Qatar's sovereign wealth fund also happens to hold a second-degree financial stake in the NOC. In a New York Times op-ed last week, Chairman Mustafa Sanalla publicly denied allegations made by the Saudi alliance that the body was working at the behest of the Qatari government. Accusations from all sides and the resulting stress on Libya's political institutions are unlikely to halt any time soon.

Lastly, every other international actor involved in Libya has its own set of relationships with both Gulf nations and internal Libyan actors that could make for more discord. For example, for at least the past two years, the Kremlin has been backing the same faction as the Saudis and the UAE. But Moscow is opposed to Saudi-Emirati efforts to remove Bashar al-Assad in Syria and their stance toward Iran. Russia is essentially allied with Qatar's adversaries in Libya while fighting the efforts of all Gulf actors in Syria. Meanwhile, Qatar has turned to Iran, also a friend of Russia, for help after the Saudi alliance imposed an embargo on it. The U.S. and European actors engaged in Libya that have concurrent relationships on both sides of the Gulf dilemma could face a similar risk.

Despite nearly three years of UN-led diplomatic efforts, today Libya remains fractured and torn. It is fair to say that the proxy wars waged between Qatar and Saudi Arabia and its Arab allies have contributed to this outcome, and continue to do so with their respective materiel and information warfare. Unfortunately, it may only get worse.

Amanda Kadlec is a policy analyst at the nonprofit, nonpartisan RAND Corporation.

This commentary originally appeared on Foreign Policy Concepts on July 7, 2017. Commentary gives RAND researchers a platform to convey insights based on their professional expertise and often on their peer-reviewed research and analysis.
Pokemon Go players sentence reduced by more than one year

MOSCOW, July 7 (RAPSI)  A court in Yekaterinburg on Friday reduced suspended sentence of videoblogger Ruslan Sokolovsky for playing Pokemon Go in a church from 3.5 years to 2 years and 3 months, his attorney Alexey Bushmakov told RAPSI on Friday.

Sokolovsky was sentenced on May 22. He was found guilty of incitement of hatred, violation of religious rights and illegal possession of special technical means intended for obtaining secret information. The young man appealed the ruling.

Sokolovsky insisted on innocence and claimed that said technical means, photo- and video-camera, mounted in the housing of a ballpoint pen, belonged to one Sergey Lazarev who lives in Ukraine. Russian authorities were not able to locate and interrogate Lazarev, Bushmakov told RAPSI earlier.

According to investigators, from May 2013 to September 2016, the defendant produced nine video files and placed them on the YouTube. These videos, according to a forensic examination, contain signs of incitement of hatred or hostility, humiliation of human dignity and a group of persons on the grounds of nationality, religion, as well as against members of a particular social group. Placement of these videos on the Internet was qualified by experts as public actions, expressing clear disrespect for society and committed to insult the religious feelings of believers.

In addition, Sokolovsky allegedly used unlawfully acquired special technical means. Investigators believe that he recorded videos through camera in the housing of a ballpoint pen. According to experts, the device corresponds to the category of special technical means intended for secret reception and registration of visual and acoustic information.

The case against Sokolovsky was launched after he had published video on Youtube channel, in which he played the mobile app of the popular Pokemon Go game in Orthodox Church-on-Blood in Yekaterinburg.

Pokemon Go, a videogame with elements of augmented reality for mobile devices, became incredibly popular all over the world.
Spouse of Total CEO planes deceased stewardess demands $500,000 from Vnukovo airport

MOSCOW, July 7 (RAPSI, Oleg Sivozhelezov) - Patrick Vervel, the husband of a stewardess, who died in the Total CEO airplane crash in 2014, has filed a lawsuit with a Moscow court seeking to recover 30 million rubles (about $500,000) from Russias Vnukovo airport, lawyer Alexander Sergeyev told RAPSI on Friday.

On Friday, the Solntsevsky District Court of Moscow began hearing the case against snow plow driver Vladimir Martynenko and Vnukovo lead airfield service engineer Vladimir Ledenev, who had earlier pleaded guilty and signed a plea bargain.

Martynenko and Ledenev are charged with violation of traffic safety rules resulted in the death of two or more persons. The widow of Total CEO Cristophe de Maergerie, relatives of the deceased flight crew members, Vnukovo airport and Unijet air carrier have been recognized as victims in the case.

Earlier, the Moscow City Court upheld the ruling to send a case against other defendants, airport flight manager Roman Dunayev, air traffic controllers Alexander Kruglov and Nadezhda Arkhipova, back to prosecutors.

Christophe de Margerie died in a plane crash at Vnukovo airport on October 21, 2014, when his planes wing hit a snow plow. Among the victims were three crew members, all French citizens.

On October 25, 2016, the Interstate Aviation Committee (IAC) published its final report on investigation into the death de Maergerie. Authors of the report listed several factors, which, when combined, may have resulted in the plane crash. Among potential causes of the crash are: violation of regulations over control of alcohol use by drivers of special equipment, absence of equipment for listening to traffic controllers in snow plow machines, inefficient organization of work with subsystem of observation and control of airfield, no measures taken by the planes crew to prevent takeoff after receiving information about machine that intersects a road.
Prosecutor asks to sentence two defendants to over 4 years in Total CEO plane crash case

MOSCOW, July 7 (RAPSI)  A prosecutor has asked the Solntsevsky District Court of Moscow to sentence two defendants in the case of the Total CEO airplane crash case to four years and seven months in a penal colony, RAPSI learnt from the court on Friday.

Earlier today, it was revealed that Patrick Vervel, the husband of a stewardess, who died in the crash, filed a lawsuit seeking to collect 30 million rubles (about $500,000) from the Vnukovo airport.

On Friday, the Solntsevsky District Court of Moscow began hearing the case against snow plow driver Vladimir Martynenko and Vnukovo lead airfield service engineer Vladimir Ledenev, who had earlier pleaded guilty and signed a plea bargain.

Martynenko and Ledenev are charged with violation of traffic safety rules resulted in the death of two or more persons. The widow of Total CEO Cristophe de Maergerie, relatives of the deceased flight crew members, Vnukovo airport and Unijet air carrier have been recognized as victims in the case.

Earlier, the Moscow City Court upheld the ruling to send a case against other defendants, airport flight manager Roman Dunayev, air traffic controllers Alexander Kruglov and Nadezhda Arkhipova, back to prosecutors.

Christophe de Margerie died in a plane crash at Vnukovo airport on October 21, 2014, when his planes wing hit a snow plow. Among the victims were three crew members, all French citizens.

On October 25, 2016, the Interstate Aviation Committee (IAC) published its final report on investigation into the death de Maergerie. Authors of the report listed several factors, which, when combined, may have resulted in the plane crash. Among potential causes of the crash are: violation of regulations over control of alcohol use by drivers of special equipment, absence of equipment for listening to traffic controllers in snow plow machines, inefficient organization of work with subsystem of observation and control of airfield, no measures taken by the planes crew to prevent takeoff after receiving information about machine that intersects a road.
Kyrgyzstan in particular has been vulnerable to militancy and jihadist violence. The country was the target of several attacks by the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan in the late 1990s and early 2000s, before the jihadist group was driven into the Afghanistan-Pakistan conflict following the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan in 2001. More recently, in August 2016, a suicide bomber targeted the Chinese Embassy in the Kyrgyz capital, Bishkek. The attack was perpetrated by an ethnic Uighur who was reported to be a member of the East Turkestan Islamic Movement.

Kyrgyzstan's domestic security challenges also have attracted China and Russia's attention. Revolutions swept Kyrgyzstan, one of the most unstable nations in Central Asia, in 2005 and 2010. In addition to regular economic slumps and political fragility, the country is also susceptible to ethnic violence, especially in its southern regions of Osh and Jalal-Abad. In June 2010, the frequent skirmishes between the Kyrgyz and Uzbek populations escalated into major clashes that claimed hundreds of lives. And though there have been no major protests or ethnic violence over the past few years, the risk of instability will rise as presidential elections scheduled for October approach. If Moscow and Beijing want to successfully pursue longer-term strategies in the country, they must be invested in preventing or at least managing that instability.

A Shrewd Partnership

For Russia and China, there are broader strategic interests at play in Kyrgyzstan. In particular, the country is a key component of the Kremlins sphere of influence in the former Soviet periphery. Since Kyrgyzstan gained independence from the Soviet Union, Russia has consistently been the most powerful force in the country, and it has retained a military presence there for several decades now via the Kant air base near Bishkek. Kyrgyzstan is one of Moscows most loyal allies, serving as a member of the Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organization military bloc and joining the Eurasian Economic Union in 2015.

But China's growing influence in Kyrgyzstan has challenged Russias dominant position. As China's economic power has grown, it has become more active in Central Asia, a region that provides Beijing with a vital source of energy supplies and a market for Chinese exports, not to mention a corridor to Europe and Eurasia. China has overtaken Russia as Central Asia's largest trading partner and in Kyrgyzstan, Chinese exports totaled $1.6 billion in 2016, nearly double the value of Russias. China has also engaged heavily in transport and infrastructure projects in Kyrgyzstan, as Central Asia forms a key component of Beijings Belt and Road Initiative.

So far, Chinas growing presence in Kyrgyzstan  and Central Asia more generally  has not led to major friction with Russia. Low oil prices and Western economic sanctions have weakened Russia's economy, allowing China to invest in Kyrgyzstan-based projects in a way that Russia simply cant match. China has also been careful not to compete directly with Russia in Kyrgyzstan, acknowledging the countrys role in the Eurasian Economic Union and pledging to work more closely with the economic bloc. Furthermore, Russias own ties with China have grown amid Moscows standoff with the West, and China has even integrated Russia into the Belt and Road project, via the New Eurasian Land Bridge corridor.

On the security front, joint military exercises between China and Russia have been on the rise in recent months, both on a bilateral level and in the context of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, which also includes Kyrgyzstan and other Central Asian states and recently expanded to encompass India and Pakistan. Given that Russia and China share concerns over rising threats from the Taliban and the Islamic State in Afghanistan, further security collaboration between the two countries only makes sense.

Russia on Alert

But even if it is mutually beneficial right now for Russia and China to align on security and economic matters in Central Asia, Moscow will guard against the possibility of any other country's influence in the region growing too strong. And Russia will likely make a strong effort to ensure that it remains the most military dominant force in Kyrgyzstan. Indeed, this has happened before, following the 9/11 attacks in the United States. Though Russia initially allowed and supported a U.S. military presence in Central Asia as a springboard for its war efforts in Afghanistan, it later grew wary of the U.S. presence and facilitated the closure of the U.S. Manas air base in Kyrgyzstan. If Russia believes that Chinas security or economic operations in Kyrgyzstan are running counter to its own interests, Moscow could similarly challenge or even attempt to reverse Chinese moves in the country.

For its part, the Kyrgyz government may not want either Russia or China to have too much involvement in its affairs, given the volatile nature of the countrys political landscape. Atambayev, for example, said that he rejected Russias recent request to expand the Kant air base and instead proposed to build a joint base with Russia on the Kyrgyz-Tajik border. (Russia has yet to officially respond.) Kyrgyz Security Council Secretary Temir Jumakadyrov also said there were no official negotiations to send Kyrgyz troops to Syria as per Russias proposal, though unnamed sources have said the measure is under consideration.

Pushback from Kyrgyzstan could not only create friction between Bishkek and Moscow, but it also could heighten Moscows suspicions about Chinas growing role in the country. And it could put Kyrgyzstan in a position to try to leverage the increasing Russian and Chinese interest for its own benefit, though perhaps at a cost. Several years ago, former Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev followed a similar strategy in an attempt to drive up rental fees for U.S. and Russian air bases in the country. The move angered Russia, prompting Moscow to raise the prices it charged Kyrgyzstan for supplying energy, a move that became a major contributing factor to the 2010 revolution in which Bakiyev was ousted.

Suffice to say, Russia has little interest in relaxing its influence in Kyrgyzstan. Despite a growing partnership between Russia and China on Kyrgyz security and economic matters, that relationship is not guaranteed to last. The same factors that have driven the rise in Russian and Chinese collaboration in the country also have the potential to increase competition between them down the line. And that means that observers looking to track the state of relations between China and Russia would be wise to train their eyes on Kyrgyzstan.
By PTI: Chandigarh, Jul 6 (PTI) The Czech Republic has evinced keen interest to invest in aerospace, defence and auto manufacturing sectors in Haryana.

Ambassador of Czech Republic to India, Milan Hovorka called on Haryana Industries and Commerce Minister Vipul Goel here today to discuss possibilities for cooperation in various sectors, including aerospace, defence and auto manufacturing, an official spokesman said.

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During the meeting, it was discussed that industries in the Czech Republic could be invited for setting up aerospace and defence facilities in the upcoming integrated aviation hub at Hisar, he said.

As Haryana has three flying clubs, world-class flying training facilities could be developed in collaboration with Czech institutions imparting such training, he said.

Presently, trainee pilots have to travel to Prague for such training.

Discussion was also held regarding the possibility of inviting Czech companies to set up auto and auto-ancillary units in Haryana, he said.

Czech automobile giant Skoda presently has two plants at Pune and Aurangabad.

As a cultural exchange initiative, Haryana may also host the Czech philharmonic orchestra for one performance in Chandigarh during their tour to India in January 2018, the spokesperson said.

Hovorka also invited the state industries minister to visit Czech Republic in October 2017 for the industries fair, scheduled to be held there.

India is a partner state in this trade fair. PTI VJ BAL

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Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is still in charge  that much we know. What is less clear is whether he has a stronger or weaker grasp on power after the murky late-night helicopter shooting at the Supreme Court building, and a mob attack on parliament this past week.

The brazen assaults on power may help Maduro justify a clamp down on the opposition, but they might also hasten a coup or all-out civil war. Caracas-based daily El Nacional reports that several former loyalists are currently undermining the ruling governments authority far more than longtime opponents to Maduro, including several who are in prison.

One is the former interior minister, Miguel Rodriguez Torres, whom Maduro has insinuated was involved in Tuesday nights helicopter assault. Rodriguez scoffed at the accuracy of the president's intelligence reports, stating he had nothing to do with the fugitive pilot, Oscar Perez, who is also an actor.

The most notable opposition figure to emerge in recent months is Attorney General Luisa Ortega Diaz, a former Maduro loyalist. In March she denounced as illegal the bungled attempt by the president and the Supreme Court to simply "cancel" parliament, and has opposed the touted Constituent Assembly and vowed to defend with her life the Bolivarian constitution laid down by the late president Hugo Chavez. On Wednesday, she ridiculed Maduro's declarations about a "terrorist attack" on the Supreme Court, saying he was seeing terrorism everywhere.

The political maneuvering at the top changes little about the dire state of daily life for millions of Venezuelans.

Despite support building for Ortega, as evidenced in recent footage of bystanders applauding her in a Caracas bakery, authorities have frozen her accounts and prevented her from leaving Venezuela. She is to appear in court next week for questioning.

The political maneuvering at the top changes little about the dire state of daily life for millions of Venezuelans. Some have noted that people have now mastered the routine of combining anti-government protests with searching for food and consumer products that are hard to come by.

But Maduro's determination to hold on to power at any cost may well push the country into civil war. On Tuesday, government supporters briefly besieged parliament, preventing legislators from leaving, while the Speaker, Julio Borges, was separately shown being pushed out of the parliamentary building by a National Guard colonel.

Fatalities after three months of protests have now reached 80, and the opposition is planning another major anti-government protest in Caracas. But El Universal daily also reports that army vehicles are now increasingly visible and mobile in the capital.

With longtime opposition figures jailed, attention is increasingly focused on Ortega, who must walk a fine line of vigorously countering Maduro with calls to remain within the law  she is, after all, the Attorney General. Denouncing "state terrorism" on Wednesday, she told the press in Caracas that "we are facing barbaric actions. They are promoting violence [...] inciting an armed insurrection. It's like they are desperate for a military uprising. I call on all Venezuelans to abide by the Constitution and the law."
Given recent frictions, the United States should take a number of steps to reduce the potential for escalation with Tehran and to avoid a broader conflict.

In recent weeks, U.S. forces have clashed in Syria with regime or Iran-supported pro-regime forces on at least a half-dozen occasions. This has raised concerns that with the impending military defeat of the Islamic State in Syria and the scramble to fill the resulting void, the United States may be on a collision course with Syria and its allies -- Iran, Hezbollah, and perhaps Russia. Escalating tensions elsewhere in the region between the United States, its allies, and Iran have compounded these concerns. So while the United States pursues informal "deconfliction" efforts with Russia, it needs to pursue parallel efforts to avoid a broader conflict with pro-regime forces and Iran.

PROLIFERATING FRICTION POINTS

Recent U.S. military actions in Syria include a cruise missile strike on the al-Shayrat Air Base following a regime chemical attack on civilians (April 7); the aerial interdiction of Iran-supported pro-regime militias (May 18, June 6 and 8) and armed drones (June 8 and 20) that threatened Syrian rebels and coalition advisors near the border town of al-Tanf; and the downing of a Syrian Su-22 fighter that had attacked Syrian Democratic Forces units near al-Tabqa (June 18).

U.S. officials worry, moreover, that the liberation of Mosul might cause Tehran to conclude that it no longer benefits from the American presence in Iraq, and to encourage its Iraqi proxies to attack U.S. forces there.

Other potential flashpoints include the Persian Gulf, where Iranian warships frequently harass U.S. naval forces; the Golan Heights, where Iran and Hezbollah are creating an infrastructure to attack Israel (an Israeli drone strike there in January 2015 killed an Iranian general and several senior Hezbollah officials); Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, where Iranian claims of Saudi Arabian responsibility for the June 7 Islamic State (IS) attack in Tehran have raised concerns about possible Iranian subversion; and the Bab al-Mandab Strait, where Houthi rebels have attacked foreign warships using Iranian antiship cruise missiles and remotely controlled boat bombs.

The existence of so many friction points has raised fears that a clash (intentional, or accidental -- as when U.S. aircraft bombed Syrian troops in September 2016) might lead to a broader conflict with Iran. What does the past say about avoiding and managing escalation with Iran and its proxies?

TEHRAN'S RISK CALCULUS

While pursuing anti-status quo policies that cause tension with other states, Iran is generally sensitive to risks and costs, and careful during crises and in dealings with more powerful adversaries such as the United States. It has generally emphasized reciprocity (responding in kind, at the level of the perceived transgression) as well as indirection, ambiguity, and patience (relying on proxies to provide standoff and a degree of deniability) in order to manage risk and limit the potential for escalation.

Thus, Tehran has repeatedly sought to avoid costly foreign adventures, even if it meant, in practice, abandoning beleaguered Shia communities -- as it did during the 1991 Shia uprising in Iraq, the 1998 slaughter of thousands of Shia Hazaras and eight Iranian officials by the Afghan Taliban, the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah, and the 2011 crackdown on Shia protestors in Bahrain. In each case, Iran responded indirectly via proxies, or after the fact -- sending the Iraqi Badr Brigades to aid the 1991 uprising in Iraq, arming the Afghan Northern Alliance against the Taliban, rebuilding Hezbollah after the 2006 war, and plotting to assassinate the Saudi ambassador in Washington DC in revenge for his country's role in quashing unrest in Bahrain.

In confronting foreign adversaries, Iran has done so directly when it could, and indirectly (through proxies) or by other means (such as terrorism or cyber) when it could not, or when logic dictated that it do otherwise. It has often tested adversary limits, backing off when faced with a firm response and reengaging under more favorable conditions later on. Thus, during the Iran-Iraq War (1980-88), Tehran countered U.S. naval convoys in the Gulf by indirect means (mines) and by attacking unescorted vessels, and when engaged decisively, fought as best it could. Iran was not deterred by U.S. intervention, but was forced to alter its approach and to eventually curtail its activities after a bruising series of encounters with the U.S. Navy.

During the U.S. occupation of Iraq, Iran armed Shiite special groups -- and assisted Sunni insurgents -- that targeted U.S. forces. It responded to a series of sticky bomb attacks on its nuclear scientists by attempting sticky bomb attacks on Israeli diplomats in Georgia, India, and Thailand in February 2012. Between 2011 and 2013, it countered cyberattacks on its nuclear program and economic sanctions with cyberattacks on the U.S. financial sector and Saudi Aramco. More recently, it responded to Saudi support for anti-regime rebels in Syria and other perceived provocations by intensifying its support for the Houthis in Yemen.

Tehran is also tactically flexible; when risks outweigh benefits, it will renege on threats -- though it may renew a challenge at a different place or time. Thus, when the United States returned an aircraft carrier to the Gulf in January 2012 after Tehran warned it against doing so, Iran failed to act, though it subsequently tried to shoot down an American UAV in the Persian Gulf that November and again in March 2013. And more recently, Iraqi proxies of Iran have not acted on past threats to attack U.S. combat forces if they returned to Iraq, as they needed American help to defeat IS.

Despite its general caution, Tehran is occasionally prone to high-risk behavior -- including the Marine barracks bombing in Beirut in 1983 (which it facilitated), the Khobar Towers bombing in Saudi Arabia in 1996, and the bungled plot to assassinate the Saudi ambassador in Washington in 2011. For this reason, interactions with Iran always entail a degree of unpredictability. And when it believes it has the upper hand (as currently seems to be the case, thanks to its successes in Syria), it is prone to press its advantage -- and perhaps to overreach.

THE SYRIAN CAULDRON

Iran's intervention in Syria is unprecedented; never before has it sent such large numbers of troops to support combat operations abroad. Yet its performance has been consistent with certain enduring principles: namely, it has avoided major risks, even when developments seemed to jeopardize its core interests. Thus, Iran never committed more than the minimum force needed to keep Syrian president Bashar al-Assad in power. It had some 700 men in Syria prior to its brief surge in late 2015 -- which raised force levels to about 3,000 -- most of whom it withdrew shortly thereafter, having experienced a spike in losses. The number is now believed to be about 1,500, a fraction of 1 percent of its ground forces. (By contrast, the United States deployed about one-third of its ground forces during its 2007-09 surge in Iraq.)

Iran has tried to cut its own losses in Syria by fighting to the last non-Iranian Shia proxy, even when its own forces would have been more effective. And when the tide of war turned against Assad in 2015, Tehran convinced Moscow to intervene, effectively enlisting Russia as a "Great Power proxy." Yet, if decisionmakers in Tehran have been strategically risk averse, Iranian personnel on the ground have been tactically risk acceptant. Iran has lost nearly 500 military personnel in more than five years of fighting in Syria -- though these losses pale in comparison to those of its proxy militias, which include, according to expert Ali Alfoneh, more than 1,900 Iraqis, nearly 1,100 Lebanese Hezbollah (1,700, according to Israeli estimates), nearly 700 Afghans, and nearly 150 Pakistanis.

Although pursuing an increasingly assertive regional policy, Tehran's handling of recent clashes in Syria reflects traditional Iranian caution. Thus, Iran relied on its Shia militia proxies to challenge rebel and coalition forces at al-Tanf. Once these forces were bloodied by U.S. airpower, Iran pulled them back and used armed drones to maintain pressure. They eventually opted to bypass the rebel- and coalition-held enclave. In pushing up against U.S. interests in Syria, Iran has gambled with expendable assets only. And the American tendency to respond proportionally, and somewhat predictably, has enabled Iran to test U.S. limits without incurring significant risk.

CONCLUSIONS

As long as Iranian forces operate in Syria and encourage their proxies to target rebel forces and their coalition advisors, a degree of friction and conflict will be inevitable. Yet for decades, the United States and Iran have avoided an open conflict, demonstrating that the potential for escalation may be overstated -- even as complacency is never warranted. To further reduce the potential for escalation, the United States should take a number of steps to influence Tehran -- as well as Damascus -- and avoid a broader conflict with either:

First, the United States should halt mixed messaging that could cause Syria or Iran to miscalculate. The Trump administration has intimated that it is not seeking Assad's departure and is not averse to military operations that enable the regime to regain control over much of Syria. Yet Washington has threatened military action should Damascus resume chemical attacks that enable such operations, and it has countered Iranian activities that, from Tehran's perspective, advance these twin goals. Such ambiguity encourages the type of testing that could lead to further clashes with the Assad regime and its Iranian backers.

Second, the United States should seek broad international support for its redlines in Syria. Iran, for its part, may be less likely to challenge U.S. interests if doing so might alienate key actors in Europe and Asia that Iranian president Hassan Rouhani has been courting. And Washington should continue to engage Moscow as part of its efforts to "deconflict" operations and influence Syria and Iran in order to avoid a broader conflict with Russia and its partners.

Third, redlines must be continually tended to, so that U.S. focus and commitment are not questioned. When tested by Tehran and Damascus, Washington must respond firmly, lest inaction lead to further challenges and possible miscalculation.

Fourth, predictable U.S. responses make it easier for Tehran and Damascus to calibrate risk and reduce the costs of testing American limits. U.S. responses should therefore be unpredictable and should target assets that Tehran and Damascus truly value to introduce uncertainty into their cost-benefit calculus and to exact an unacceptable price for their policy choices.

Fifth, the best way to counter Iran's proxy strategy in Syria is through a U.S. proxy strategy involving a revitalized train-and-equip program for non-Islamist Syrian rebels. This would enable the United States to pressure Tehran and Damascus by indirect means. The goal would be to mire pro-regime forces in a low-level insurgency in areas they currently control; hinder new offensives against rebel-held areas in the east, the south, or Idlib province while reducing the potential for Iranian troublemaking elsewhere in the region; and disrupt Iranian efforts to build a land bridge to the Mediterranean Sea.

Sixth, Washington should consider cost-imposing measures vis-a-vis Iran elsewhere in the region, such as Yemen, to make its intervention there more costly and further stress its overstretched forces. This might reduce Tehran's willingness to challenge U.S. interests in Syria.

Finally, the United States should strengthen policy coordination with its Gulf Arab allies to prevent unilateral steps vis-a-vis Iran and its allies that could adversely affect U.S.-Iran escalation dynamics in Yemen, Syria, or elsewhere. Indeed, Houthi attempts in October 2016 to target U.S. warships using shore-based antiship missiles indicate that this may have already occurred. It is in America's interest to prevent a recurrence.
A reinvigorated discussion of Russias energy policy in Europe has recently become part of the debate in Washington over new sanctions against Moscow . This discussion is worth having: on the one hand, it shows that not everybody in Europe considers energy cooperation with Russia harmful or dangerous. On the other, the argument reminds us that Russias energy expansion in Europe is, to a significant degree, based on economic reasoning rather than political doctrine.

Anybody who has seen a pipe knows that it has two ends. Accordingly, any pipeline built to bring Russian natural gas to Europe is meant to bind together the two sides of the transactionRussia and its customers in Europe. Disciples of the energy weapon theory can forever discuss past interruptions of Russian natural-gas deliveries to Europe caused by arguments between Moscow and Kiev. This cannot change the fact that any such interruption deprives not only Europe of Russian gas, but it also deprives Moscow of profits from gas sales. So far, nobody has suggested what Russias goals are in using this alleged energy weapon. Is it to lose billions of rubles in revenue for the national budget? Is it to undermine Russian credibility as an energy exporter, putting future revenue into question?

Russia has decreased its dependency on these revenues in the last decade, but it is still impossible for the Kremlin to go without them. This explains why Russias leadership, including President Vladimir Putin, has been so active in securing a future for Russian-European energy cooperation. Last month Putin himself launchedthe alignment of the shallow- and deep-water sections of the Turkish Stream gas pipeline. The interest on the other side of this cooperation is no smaller: Germanys foreign minister and Austrias chancellor issued a rare and fierce warning against possible American sanctions connected with the Nord Stream 2 pipeline.

Of course, American opposition to that pipeline, as well as other projects bringing more Russian natural gas to Europe, is understandable. Beyond the surface of geopolitical rhetoric, Washington aspires to send more American LNG to Europe. However, one can argue that the best way to advance these American economic interests is to use economic arguments, rather than political scaremongering and means of pressure such as sanctions. Are Europeans buying Russian natural gas because they are fans of Russia or its president?

Likewise, explaining European demand for Russian gas by pointing to Europes lack of options is also an oversimplification. Europeans had several decades to find and develop alternatives to Russian gas; they have not done so, because Russia remains an attractive source for gas. Other options are either unreliable or require investments in amounts that make these sources too expensive compared to Russian gas.

If Washington wants to truly and sustainably reduce the demand for Russian gas in Europe, the best way to achieve it is to economically support diversification, or to outright invest in it. The latter will be very expensive. Besides enormous investments in LNG ports and infrastructure in Europe, American policymakers must find ways to guarantee deliveries of domestic LNG to Europe, instead of Asia where LNG is more expensive and therefore more profitable. Furthermore, Europeans might need help to pay for American LNG, which can be significantly more expensive than Russian pipeline gas.

With their plates full, decisionmakers in Washington do not need such a policy headache added to their agenda. And without a large-scale economic intervention from the United States, the situation will not change muchRussian natural gas will remain attractive for large parts of Europe. It is worth emphasizing that, when convenient, the Europeans have always bought natural gas from sources other than Russia.

In fact, Europe is currently already buying LNG from the United States. However, there is a significant gap between the growing deliveries of American LNG and the drastically falling consumption of Russian pipeline gas. Furthermore, when considering diversification as a core component of European energy security, it is important to understand that Russian gas will inevitably remain part of the mix. For the foreseeable future, contracts for Russian pipeline gas guarantee that European energy demand will be satisfied.

Likewise, Moscow needs Europe to maintain diversity in order to preserve demand for its gas. It would be very shortsighted for Russia to completely switch its supply from Europe to Asia; doing so could lead to dependency on Asian customers dictating prices. That is the reason why Moscow is not only developing its capacity to reach European customers, but also emphasizing its readiness to fulfil European regulators demands. Whatever the broader geopolitical context, Europe and Russia tend to find compromises and solutions that allow energy cooperation to continue.

If the United States enters this dialog armed with sanctions and trying to advance the interests of American LNG exporters without an economic policy to back it up, Europes energy situation will be destabilized. It is difficult to see how such destabilization, followed by broader negative effects for European economies, would benefit the United States. That is why American sanctions against Russian energy supplies to Europe should be considered very carefully.
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Gun Owners Lost the Battle but may (Eventually) Win the War

Most gun owners, particularly those in California, relished a fantasy in which the Supreme Court of the United States agreed to hear the case of Peruta v. San Diego and set the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals straight in its failure to protect the right to carry a firearm in public. These gun owners hoped that the SCOTUS would step-in, overturn the 2016 Ninth Circuit decision holding that the Second Amendment does not protect a right to carry a concealed firearm, and on top of it, loudly proclaim that the Second Amendment protects a right to keep and bear arms in some manner (open or concealed) outside of ones own home.

Last weeks refusal by the SCOTUS to grant certiorari, the legal term for hearing the case and deciding this question, was a huge disappointment to those gun owners. But to many pro-Second Amendment lawyers and citizens, the denial of cert was not a surprise. Instead, it was a relief. Their reasoning is even though we have a new President and a new Supreme Court Justice, the balance of the Supreme Court has not yet tipped with any certainty that Second Amendment cases, if heard, will result in wins for the gun community.

This logic is supported by the SCOTUSs action, and blatant inaction, with respect to Second Amendment cases historically. To the dismay and dissent of Justice Thomas and the late Justice Scalia, the SCOTUS has, for seven years, refused to provide us with any interpretation of the Second Amendment. America last heard from the Court on the meaning of the Second Amendment when it issued decisions in the cases of District of Columbia v. Heller, 554 U.S. 570 (2008) and McDonald v. City of Chicago, 561 U.S. 742 (2010). These cases were wins for the Second Amendment, because they abolished federal and state handguns bans and interpreted the Second Amendment to mean that we have an individual right to keep and bear arms for self-defense. The vote to grant us this protection was only five justices in favor and four against.

The SCOTUSs failure to further interpret and protect the Second Amendment since 2010 is why presenting any Second Amendment cases to the current Court will be very risky business. While our new President selected, and Congress approved, a new constitutional conservative Supreme Court Justice, Neil Gorsuch, he replaced a constitutional conservative, the late Justice Antonin Scalia. Nothing in the total make-up of the SCOTUS and the nature of the justices who decide these cases has changed. For example, Justice Scalia was the only Justice who dissented with Justice Thomas the SCOTUSs refusal to hear a case about so-called assault weapons and large-capacity magazine bans. Similarly, Neil Gorsuch was the only justice who joined in a dissenting opinion with Justice Thomas on the SCOTUSs refusal to hear the Peruta case. It seems obvious America will need at least one more constitutional conservative justice to replace one of the current liberal-progressive, or swing-voting justices, before there will be a shift to the right.

The Peruta Question

Peruta is not an open carry case. It is not merely a concealed carry case, either. The issue in Peruta derives from the intersection of Californias restrictions on both open and concealed carry, which amount to a complete prohibition on carrying a loaded, accessible, self-defense firearm outside the protective walls of a persons own home.

Simply put, with very limited exceptions, Californians cannot openly carry a firearm, and are also are not guaranteed the ability to carry a concealed firearm. In effect, they have no legal means to carry a firearm outside their own homes.

James Dodd, one of seven plaintiffs in the Peruta case, explained that the Ninth Circuit completely dodged the bullet and failed to answer this basic question, which has always been the question in the case  do Californians have the right to carry, in some manner, a defensive firearm outside their own home? But instead of answering this question, the Ninth Circuit focused on the question of concealed carry, and held that the Second Amendment has never guaranteed a right to carry a concealed firearm in public.

Dodd said,The Ninth Circuit said in their ruling that concealed carry was not a right addressed in the Constitution and in our history but ignored the legal questions raised in the our briefs.

In addition to ruling that the Second Amendment does not protect a right to carry a concealed firearm, the Ninth Circuit refused to answer whether the Second Amendment protects a right to openly carry a firearm in public.

In their appeal to the SCOTUS, the Peruta plaintiffs clearly presented the question of whether Americans have a right to carry self-defense firearms outside their homes at all regardless of whether the right is open or concealed. There is no question that Americans need an answer to this extremely important question.

Why Did the Ninth Circuit Dodge the Bullet and Focus on Concealed Carry?

The Ninth Circuit found legal precedent from as far back as 1897 for its conclusion that the Second Amendment does not protect a right carry a concealed firearm. In focusing on concealed carry, and avoiding the issue of any type of carry outside the home, the Ninth Circuit had on its side case law supporting licensing fees, registration, and educational requirements before a person can enjoy the privilege of carrying a concealed firearm. Justice Scalia even wrote in the Heller decision that restrictions on the carrying of concealed firearms may be constitutional.

The Ninth Circuit, in upholding Californias concealed carry permitting system, decided:

[T]he Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms does not include, in any degree, the right of a member of the general public to carry concealed firearms in public. In so holding, we join several of our sister circuits that have upheld the authority of states to prohibit entirely or to limit substantially the carrying of concealed or concealable firearms.

The Ninth Circuit then cited four other Circuit Court decisions that upheld laws prohibiting or substantially limiting the ability to carry concealed firearms. These federal circuit courts of appeals include the Second, Third, Fourth, and Tenth Circuit Courts of Appeals.

Justice Thomas and Justice Gorsuch, in their opposing opinion to the SCOTUS refusal to hear the Peruta case, did not let the Ninth Circuit get away with skirting the issue. In their written opinion, they pointed to the Ninth Circuits obvious failure to answer the ultimate question presented by the case:

Had the en banc Ninth Circuit answered the question actually at issue in this case, it likely would have been compelled to reach the opposite result. This Court has already suggested that the Second Amendment protects the right to carry firearms in public in some fashion. As we explained in Heller, to bear arms means to wear, bear, or carry upon the person or in the clothing or in a pocket, for the purpose of being armed and ready for offensive or defensive action in a case of conflict with another person.' . . . The most natural reading of this definition encompasses public carry. I find it extremely improbable that the Framers understood the Second Amendment to protect little more than carrying a gun from the bedroom to the kitchen.

Why Didnt the SCOTUS Hear this Case?

Justice Thomas and Justice Gorsuch indicated that SCOTUS should have granted certiorari for the Peruta case. They pointed out that it has been over seven years since the SCOTUS heard argument on a Second Amendment case. During that same time period, the SCOTUS has heard 35 cases regarding the First Amendment and 25 cases about the Fourth Amendment.

According to the SCOTUS website, of the 7,000 to 8,000 certiorari petitions filed each term, the court grants certiorari and hears oral argument in only about 80. Granting a cert petition requires the votes of four justices.

A major consideration for the Justices in deciding which cases to hear is whether courts hearing a similar case (like the right to carry outside of your own home) have created the proverbial cluster. SCOTUS is unlikely to hear a case unless a states highest court or federal court of appeals issues a decision that conflicts with another similar court on a question of federal law. Legal questions that involve the interpretation and meaning of the United States Constitution are clearly questions of federal law.

Justice Thomas and Justice Gorsuch pointed out that twenty-six states have asked the SCOTUS to resolve the issue presented in Peruta. They also stated that at least four other Courts of Appeals and three state courts of last resort have decided cases regarding the ability of States to regulate the public carry of firearms. Those decisions . . . have produced thorough opinions on both sides of the issue.

In other words, the cluster has been created, and the courts are split on how to interpret the Second Amendment with respect to our right to carry outside of our homes.

What this means for the entire country

The Ninth Circuits jurisdiction embraces nine states (Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington) which includes roughly 60 million people. Residents in other locations, such as New York, New Jersey, and Maryland, are similarly being deprived of their right to carry outside their homes.

Until the SCOTUS provides an opinion on your right to carry outside your own home, your state could pass laws that prevent you from doing so as well.

Will the SCOTUS hear any 2A cases?

It should be obvious that what, exactly, the Second Amendment protects is still being decided by the court system. The Peruta case is a prime example of how courts will limit our ability to defend ourselves. In the eyes of some judges, the Second Amendment is nothing more than a privilege that affords different degrees of protection, depending on where you live. In some locations, the ability to carry outside our homes may still be a protected right. In other locations, it is only a privilege granted at the whim of a sheriff. Until the balance of the United States Supreme Court shifts and they provide Americans with an answer, we are at the mercy of judges deciding these extremely important issues on a case-by-case basis.

To some courts, the Second Amendment is nothing more than a privilege to be granted by the elite to the common. As Justice Thomas wrote in a dissenting opinion in which Justice Scalia joined shortly before his death, the court has relegated the Second Amendment to a second-class right.

About the Author

Alex Kincaid is a former elected district attorney and current firearms law attorney with over 19 years experience. She is an active proponent of the Second Amendment, a legal analyst, and author. Alex hosts an online show highlighting current firearms law-related news called The AK Show.

www.alexkincaid.com
By PTI: Darjeeling (WB), Jul 7 (PTI) GJM activists today took out rallies here demanding withdrawal of security forces from the restive Darjeeling hills even as the Calcutta High Court questioned the Centre whether it does not think the agitation for a separate Gorkhaland needed to be quelled quickly.

Though the situation remained tense, it was an incident- free day as the indefinite shutdown, spearheaded by Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM), entered the 23rd day.

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Rallies were also taken out by activists of other parties who were dressed in traditional Nepali attire. They were heard shouting slogans in support of Gorkhaland.

Meanwhile, the GJM appealed to the chairmen and vice-chairmen of all the development boards in the hills formed by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to resign immediately and join the Gorkhaland movement.

"In the last 15 days, many members have already resigned. Only some are left, we want them also to join us," said a senior GJM leader.

The Morcha took out a rally from Darjeeling station to Chowkbazar in the afternoon to press its demand for withdrawal of forces from the hills and restoration of Internet services, which have been snapped since June 18.

Police and security forces kept a tight vigil on each and every exit and entry routes to the hills.

In Kolkata, hearing a plea for restoration of normalcy in the Darjeeling hills, the high court wondered, "Given the geopolitical area in which it lies, doesnt the Centre think this agitation be quelled immediately?"

A division bench of acting Chief Justice Mhatre and Justice Tapabrata Chakraborty directed the West Bengal government officials to sit with the Ministry of Home Affairs to sort out the requirements for paramilitary forces on the basis of ground conditions.

Expressing displeasure at the state and the Centre sparring over requirement of central armed police force, the bench observed, "The situation can improve only if both of you sit together and sort out the issues."

The court asked the Centre and the state government to reach a meaningful understanding over force requirement before July 11, when the matter would be heard next.

Normal life has been affected severely in Darjeeling and Kalimpong due to the ongoing indefinite shutdown enforced by the GJM and some other hill parties since June 15 over a separate statehood demand.

The Union home ministry said it was is keen to hold tripartite talks with the GJM.

"We want to hold dialogue with the agitating organisations so that peace returns to Darjeeling. In the talks, the West Bengal governments presence is necessary as law and order is a state subject," a home ministry official said in New Delhi.

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With food supply severely hit due to the ongoing shutdown, GJM activists and NGOs of the hills were seen distributing food items among the people.

Except medicine shops, all the shops, schools, colleges remained closed.

All parties in Darjeeling hills had yesterday decided to continue with the indefinite shutdown. PTI TEAM ZMN

--- ENDS ---
Summertime is ideally for relaxing, enjoying warm weather and catching up with family and friends, but even the most idyllic vacations can get
US start-ups crash and burn frequently, so why the concern about start-up losses in India?

The principal reason, says Kanika Datta, is that Indian start-ups clone ideas from the US. Flipkart, Ola, Oyo, Paytm -- the most glamorous of the lot -- are variations of ideas developed in the US.

IMAGE: As with our international sporting achievements, start-ups provide us some sort of validation that India is right up there with global business developments. But barely 10 years into this chic business that provokes so much nationalist pride, valuations are being sharply slashed, and the health of these businesses is worrying, to put it mildly.

Photograph: Abhishek N Chinnappa/Reuters .

India's approach to our start-ups is much like our attitude to our sporting achievements.

Every success provokes a disproportionate degree of pride. A bronze medal in the Olympics invariably attracts effusive front page coverage, a single silver yields an Arjuna award, a Padma Shri, luxury cars and dozens of cash prizes.

So it is with our start-ups. Their fund-raising and dizzying valuations attract mandatory front page space and every aspiring writer has tried his or her hand at breathlessly chronicling their stories.

Both attitudes are misplaced, but why do they persist?

As with our international sporting achievements, the start-ups provide us some sort of validation that India is right up there with the very latest global business developments. The fact that foreign venture capitalists and private equity mavens find untried Indian entrepreneurs worthy of their capital makes us giddy with pride.

This self-worth has much to do with the fact that start-ups magically encompass in one way or another all the emblems of shining, aspirational India: Hard-working middle class youth, the frequent IIT/IIM connection, foreign capital, online/digital prowess and so on.

If the US has Silicon Valley why, India has multiple replicas, or so the fable goes, in Bengaluru and Pune (Gurgaon makes the occasional feeble claim). Photographs of grinning young fellows (and the occasional woman), self-consciously casual and confident underscore the optimistic narrative we'd like the world to know.

The grim problem of poverty seems to shrink before this glittering, expanding opportunity for anyone with the chutzpah to convince an investor to part with cash.

Yet it is worth wondering why, barely 10 years into this chic business that provokes so much nationalist pride, valuations are being sharply slashed, and the health of these businesses is worrying, to put it mildly.

An analysis of 41 start-ups by Mint newspaper earlier this year showed that these companies collectively notched up losses of 16,000 crore to generate revenues of roughly 24,000 crore for the year ended March 2016.

In most cases, the analysis shows, losses exceed valuations by a fair margin.

By conventional standards, under which companies are judged on a less ephemeral metric than 'valuations', most of these start-ups would be sick companies.

In some ways, this kind of performance is par for the course in a high-risk, super-competitive environment. US start-ups crash and burn so frequently that no one blinks an eyelid and, even a giant like Amazon struggled to make money for over a decade.

There's a reason for the absence of worry about loss-making start-ups in Silicon Valley, and it goes beyond the storied robust environment that mitigates the downsides of risk-taking. Sure, the institutional environment enables entrepreneurs to cut their losses and move on. But more to the point, many of these failures are 'healthy', the result of blue-skies thinking of the kind that eventually produces an Amazon, Uber, Airbnb or the concept of driverless cars and flights to Mars.

So, why should we be concerned about start-up losses in India?

There are several reasons, but the principal one stems from the fact that Indian start-ups are not innovators. They clone ideas from the US -- Flipkart, Ola, Oyo, Paytm, the most glamorous of the lot, are variations of ideas that were developed and tested in the US.

If you run an eye down the Mint analysis, you will discover that most of these organisations are merely leveraging the reach of the internet to widen market access in goods and services -- whether it is furniture, fashion, jewellery, groceries, insurance policies and airline tickets.

To be clear, there is nothing wrong with building a business on this basis -- most businesses worldwide are, at bottom, emulative of someone else's Big Idea. In the digital space, where entry barriers are proverbially low, this trend is likely to accelerate.

But the spin that's put on Indian start-up promoters as breakthrough thinkers is misplaced.

In fact, they are actually symbols of another kind that India should celebrate just as much: Of the progressive ease of doing business for ordinary entrepreneurs, who wield little influence in the corridors of power.

This represents the age of the genuine businessperson, not the policy manipulator of the Licence Raj.

The fact that they are able to create companies and run businesses despite the daunting hurdles that the average SME (small and medium-sized enterprises) entrepreneur still faces is testimony to their acumen. Managing a consistently efficient delivery model in India's chaotic environment is no small talent.

Within that template, there have been some critical innovations of course -- such as Flipkart's cash-on-delivery model, which certainly widened the ambit of the online delivery market.

But these are tweaks to suit the Indian market, not seminal ideas in themselves. That is why the rate of cash burn is causing hitherto open-handed investors to pause, a signal perhaps for Indian start-up entrepreneurs to learn the sobering art of consolidation.
A 13-year-old girl's body was found inside a steel box from a drain in northeast Delhi on June 28. After initially struggling to find any clue in the case, the Delhi Police joined the dots to solve the blind murder, rape case. Here's how they did it.

By India Today Web Desk: On June 28, locals of northeast Delhi's Bhajanpura area alerted police about a steel trunk floating in a drain. What police discovered from the trunk was something which left every one aghast - a body of a girl along with clothes of an adult woman.

Despite best of efforts, the police failed to identify the girl or get to her killer. The case was proving to be a tough one to crack for the Delhi Police as there were hardly any evidence which could provide a lead in solving the case.

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HERE'S HOW THE CASE WAS CRACKED:

The post mortem revealed that the body was of a 13-year-old. However, her identity was still unknown. The cops were also clueless about the clothes which were found with the body. The salwar kameez was the only piece of evidence that the cops had and they decided to proceed further in their investigation on that basis. The police got their first breakthrough when woman identified the clothes. The police reached one Ibral's house. His wife confirmed that those were her clothes but had no idea how they were found along side the girl's body. She also told the police that Ibral had been missing since last couple of days. However, Ibral was missing from the house. The police had got a major clue. After an extensive search for the next two days, Iqbal was finally arrested. He initially denied any role in the murder but confessed to his crime later. Ibral told the police that on the day of crime he was drunk and alone in his house. As soon as he saw the girl passing by his house, he dragged her inside. Ibral beat up the girl and raped her. He then killed the 13-year-old in a fit of rage and stuffed her body in a trunk but forgot to take out his wife's clothes kept in it. He then disposed off the box in a drain near to his house thinking that it will flow away and sink. But the trunk got stuck in the filth which prevented it from sinking. The box was later spotted by locals who informed the police.

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--- ENDS ---
Bank, bankruptcy reforms, Nabard Bill amendment on agenda.

The Narendra Modi government is set to take up three finance ministry-related legislative matters in the coming monsoon session of Parliament scheduled to begin on July 12.

These are the Banking Regulation Act amendment specified in the ordinance to deal with non-performing assets, a bankruptcy Bill for financial firms, and passage of a new National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Amendment) Bill.

Officials told Business Standard that while the ministrys load was relatively lighter compared to the Budget session, when the goods and services tax Bills were passed apart from the Finance Bill, the three legislation slated for the monsoon session were also crucial.

The government has to amend the Banking Regulation Act after an ordinance was promulgated in May to give the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) the power to direct banks to initiate bankruptcy proceedings of defaulting companies and to take decisions on behalf of lenders while dealing with stressed assets.

Two sections were added to the Act through the ordinance, which will now need parliamentary approval. The ordinance lapses in early November.

The Financial Resolution and Deposit Insurance Bill, 2017, is a proposed law to deal with insolvency of banks, insurance companies and other financial services firms and follows the Bankruptcy Code 2016, which deals with bankruptcies of all other companies.

The Cabinet, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, had approved the proposal last month to introduce the Bill in Parliament.

The Nabard (Amendment) Bill, 2017, was introduced by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in the Lok Sabha during the Budget session. It seeks to amend the Nabard Act, 1981.

It proposes to increase the capital of Nabard from Rs 5,000 crore to Rs 30,000 crore by the government after consultations with the RBI. It also proposes to transfer the central banks stake in Nabard to the government.
'If we chose to do the right things, it is possible to avoid job losses at a mass scale,' ABB MD Sanjeev Sharma tells Raghu Krishnan.

Illustration: Dominic Xavier/Rediff.com

The ISKCON temple in north Bengaluru is an unusual place to meet our guest. In the temple, a tourist attraction in the technology hub, houses the kitchen of Akshaya Patra, the non-profit that makes nutritious meals every day to keep thousands of children in school.

The Akshaya Patra foundation runs industrial-style kitchens across India, working with several state governments in their mid-day meal programme.

It follows best practices in sourcing, in ensuring the meals are healthy and throws open its audited books so that people know how the money it collects is spent.

The north Bengaluru kitchen, the first from the foundation, produces over 200,000 meals a day, all packed in safe containers and dispatched in vans before 8:30 am to be delivered to government schools across the city.

The locally-listed arm of Swedish power and industrial automation maker ABB contributes around 16,000 meals a day, a small slice but one that helps the company meet its mandatory corporate social responsibility spending.

Its association with the non-profit has made ABB conscious that 'giving back' is not just about CSR.

Since engaging with Akshaya Patra, ABB has offered the services of doctors and ambulances deployed at its installation sites in remote locations to local communities.

We are meeting Sanjeev Sharma, managing director at ABB India, who returned to the country to take charge of operations after 17 years at ABB's various global offices.

He chooses to tour the Akshaya Patra kitchen before we sit down for lunch at a private room in Higher Taste, the vegetarian restaurant at ISKCON. The main restaurant is out of bounds -- a party is on in full swing.

A vegetarian by choice, Sharma wants to have a simple working lunch and the lady in charge suggests a platter of rotis, vegetable curry and biryani along with butter milk.

We go with her suggestion. As we wait for the food to arrive, I ask Sharma about India's job paradox: How can India create the number of jobs it needs?

Take Akshaya Patra, which is using technology to scale up, but is using less number of people than used in the mid-day meal model followed by Tamil Nadu.

If the aim is to serve nutritious and hygienic food to children, he says, the focus should be on building scale using technology and reach out to "more children, who in turn would be better citizens in future."

"Given the scale of the problem, we are addressing one per cent (of the needy children). If you use technology and increase it to 40 per cent (of the total population) you have 40 times as many jobs," says Sharma.

The need for people to cook, plan and deliver as many meals to children, for most of whom it would be the first or the only meal, would also mean up-skilling from manual labour that would only open up more employment opportunities.

"The more engaging and meaningful programmes we do in scale, jobs is not a problem in a country like us," he believes.

Sharma runs a 10,000-strong business that employs blue collar workers in factories across India making equipment, and highly qualified engineers in the R&D unit, who help design complex projects globally.

If, for instance, ABB is lying a cable under sea between Norway and Germany, all the work is done in India, except for the execution.

While there are technology shifts that impact jobs -- case in point, India's IT services firms shedding engineers as they look to reinvent -- Sharma says, India can still generate millions of new jobs if it is able to skill its people.

"One side of the story is about fear mongering about mass losses of jobs. That will happen if you don't do anything about it. I think we should fear that."

"If we chose to do the right things, it is possible to avoid job losses at a mass scale," says Sharma, speaking slowly but clearly -- a trait one probably hones working with Europeans.

The food, though without onion and garlic, seems spicy to him. We get a cup of curd to nullify the effect of the spices.

Sharma says the financial sector in India continues to be a net job generator due to scale it achieved through technology.

But when computerisation of banks started nearly two decades ago, there were protests on the streets that it would displace people.

During his stint in Malaysia, Sharma oversaw factories in 29 countries and got an overview of ABB's global business.

He restructured businesses, shut unviable factories and looked at new areas of investments.

On his return to India last year, Sharma only saw opportunity for ABB to build, grow and expand its business.

In January, ABB closed a massive contract to lay 1,800 km of high voltage power lines from Raipur, capital of Chhattisgarh, to Pugalur in Karur district of Tamil Nadu.

The two-way link will integrate thermal and wind energy for transmission of power to high consumption centres. It will help transmit thermal energy to the south during summer, when wind is low, and transmit clean energy to the north, when there is excess wind power.

Once in India, Sharma also got to travel across the country visiting factories and offices, while his wife, Mukta, stayed back in Malaysia not wanting to unsettle their second daughter who has just completed Class 12.

He catches up with reading -- he prefers writings in business and technology -- while travelling, as he waits at an airport and is on board a plane.

All that travelling across India has also given him ideas about what the country could do to generate more jobs.

India is ripe to get into manufacturing, he says, but it ought to choose the right products that can see value addition here than produce assembly line products that even a robot can do.

China is automating a lot of jobs as labour costs rise, but there are still products that need skilled human intervention.

"If you are making switches, one way would be to automate all the lines like in Germany. In India also it is possible to do those switches and in the sub-assemblies in semi-urban areas, you can create jobs."

"After the sub-assembly stage those can be integrated into a product line run by automated machines," says Sharma, as he finishes the biryani with soya nuggets. The server suggests rasmalai for dessert; we oblige.

One way to tap the opportunity India presents, he continues, is to skill people, set up assembly line finishing schools, a model Indian IT services firms perfected by getting engineering graduates to relearn in six weeks and generate thousands of jobs every year. Or scale like Akshaya Patra.

Sharma, as part of the Karnataka unit of the Confederation of Indian Industry, is ready to pilot those finishing schools that would train ITI diploma holders to be job ready in the shortest possible time.

"If you do that, these people can, as a first step, get into the low value-add and the slightly medium value-add jobs that would be shed by economies like China. This is where you can generate mass employment," he says.

Sharma also feels that the growing restrictions on travel to countries like the US would help India's software industry more than it would actually hurt.

"Instead of exporting people, we should export innovative ideas."

"As a country, you should focus on more value added skills, sell products that the world demands."

"Ensure that you have scale, have digitally trained manpower, reskill through machine learning and artificial intelligence, but get more people to take up education first," says Sharma.

"When you turn inwards, instead of trading people across the border you would focus on innovation. The world will change for the better."
New Delhi is quietly reclaiming its space in Asia by forging alliances with China's neighbours.

In a way, India is converting its much-talked about Act East Policy to Engage East Practice, says Nitin Gokhale, the well-known strategic affairs expert.

As the world's attention remains focused on the increasingly bitter standoff between India and China over a stretch of plateau that belongs to the tiny Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan, New Delhi is quietly reclaiming its space in Asia by forging alliances with China's neighbours.

In a way, India is converting its much-talked about Act East Policy to Engage East Practice.

Vietnam and Myanmar -- to name just two countries -- have of late reciprocated India's effort to recalibrate their respective relationship.

Myanmar, sandwiched between China and India, is another country seeking to balance its ties with the two Asian giants.

New Delhi, aware of deep inroads that China has managed to make amongst the top military leadership in Myanmar since the late 1980s, has been making conscious effort to woo the generals back into its fold for some years now.

And what better way to reach out to the junta than to engage in some military diplomacy?

Last month, Indian Army Chief General Bipin Rawat made an important trip to Myanmar.

Starting Friday, July 7, Myanmar's highest ranking military officer Commander-in-Chief Min Aung Hlaing is on an eight-day trip to India.

And fittingly, he is being accorded a red carpet welcome by the Indian defence establishment.

The senior Myanmarese general will arrive directly in Gaya. The optics is important to note here.

For most Myanmarese nationals, a visit to the sacred Buddhist shrine at Bodh Gaya is a high point in their life. The general and his wife are scheduled to perform a puja at the shrine on Saturday, July 8.

In a significant gesture, General Rawat has flown down to Gaya. He will host a dinner in the visiting general's honour before he flies to Ahmedabad.

In the Gujarat capital, the Myanmar military chief is scheduled to visit solar farms, take a look at some small and medium industries and then fly to Pune on his way to the Indian Army's Armoured Corps School and Centre at Ahmednagar.

From there he will fly to Vishakhapatnam to hold talks with top Indian Navy officers at the Eastern Naval Command headquarters before coming to New Delhi.

In the capital, the senior Myanmar general is scheduled to call on Prime Minister Minister Narendra Modi, National Security Adviser Ajit Doval among others.

On the last day of his stay in India on July 14, the NSA is expected to host a dinner for the senior general. This will be their third meeting in the past two years.

In July 2015, Doval and Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar had flown to Myanmar to brief the senior military leadership about India's surgical strike against a north-eastern insurgent group.

Within a month of that meeting the senior general had made a trip to India visiting Goa and Bengaluru among other places in July 2015.

That he is visiting India again -- this time on a longer trip -- is one indication of the gradual recalibration on ties between India and Myanmar over the past few years.

Vietnam is another country India is vigorously engaging with in recent years.

On Thursday, July 6, in what is seen as a strategically significant move, Vietnam renewed a license granted to an Indian oil company, ONGC Videsh, to explore oil block 128, Reuters reported.

The oil block is in the South China Sea, an area that has seen several disputes between China and her neighbours like Vietnam and the Philippines.

Part of that block is in the U-shaped 'nine-dash line' which marks the vast area that China claims in the sea, a route for more than $5 trillion in trade each year in which the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia and Taiwan also have claims.

Given that India had more or less withdrawn from the exploration effort some years ago, but has now expressed renewed interest in the block is clear indication that the decision is driven by strategic rather than commercial considerations since return on investment in the area is minimal.

India-Vietnam ties have been on the upswing over the past decade. However both New Delhi and Hanoi are less reticent in talking about their growing strategic relationship than before.

Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh told a forum in New Delhi this week that India was welcome to play a bigger role in Southeast Asia -- and specifically the South China Sea.

Hanoi's growing defence and commercial ties with India are part of its strategy of seeking many partnerships with big powers while avoiding formal military alliances.

India is also seeking to upgrade its military assistance to Vietnam.

Last year Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who became the first prime minister to visit Vietnam in 15 years, announced $500 million worth of line of credit to Vietnam to buy military equipment.

This coming on top of a $100 million assistance given by India to buy naval patrol boats in 2014 has taken the India-Vietnam strategic and defence partnership to the next level.

Beijing, prone to bullying smaller neighbours into submission through a mix of cheque book diplomacy and military heft, is surely watching these maneuvers by New Delhi even as it seeks to find an honourable exit from the Sikkim standoff.

INMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi with his Vietnamese counterpart Nguyen Xuan Phuc in Hanoi, September 2016. Photograph: Press Information Bureau
'One minute and 45 seconds of that clip are on Modi praising gauraksha.'

'In the last 30 seconds he speaks about violence, but says only that killing is unacceptable.'

'We don't need the prime minister to tell us that.'

'We need him to tell us why the killing is happening and what he will do to stop it,' says Aakar Patel.

Illustration: Dominic Xavier/Rediff.com

Is gaurakshak violence, meaning the killing of Indians over beef, a problem in India?

If so, what can be done to solve it?

The non-profit data journalism Web site Indiaspend has reported that 97% of gauraksha violence has happened after Narendra Modi's government came to power.

Once the Union and state governments run by the BJP in Maharashtra, Haryana and elsewhere began to push for a beef ban, the murders started.

The facts are quite clear here and to illustrate them, let's have a look just at the last few weeks and what has happened across India.

Jharkhand, June 29: Alimuddin Ansari, a trader, was killed after being assaulted by a mob in Ramgarh, near Ranchi. This happened hours after Prime Minister Modi said he opposed violence.

Jharkhand, June 27: Usman Ansari, a dairy farmer, was beaten up by a mob of about 100 people and part of his house set on fire, reportedly after a dead cow was seen outside his house.

Police officials told journalists that the attackers had also thrown stones at them, injuring 50 police personnel.

West Bengal, June 24: Nasirul Haque, Mohammed Samiruddin and Mohammed Nasir, three construction workers, were beaten to death by a mob, allegedly for stealing cows, in North Dinajpur, West Bengal.

Three people have been arrested so far, and a murder case registered.

Haryana, June 22: 15-year-old Junaid Khan was stabbed to death inside a train in Haryana.

Junaid was called a 'beef-eater' and his skull cap thrown away before he was stabbed. His brother was severely injured.

Survivors' accounts in some media reports say that at least 20 people were involved in the attack.

The state police have arrested four people.

Maharashtra, May 26: Two Muslim meat traders were attacked by a cow vigilante squad in Malegaon, on suspicion of possessing beef.

Video footage of the incident appeared to show the men being slapped and abused, and told to say 'Jai Sri Ram'.

Nine men have been arrested. The two meat traders also face criminal charges for 'outraging religious feelings'.

Assam, April 30: Abu Hanifa and Riazuddin Ali were lynched by a mob in Nagaon, on suspicion of cow theft.

The police have registered a murder case, but have not yet made any arrests.

Rajasthan, April 1: 55-year-old farmer Pehlu Khan, a dairy farmer, and four other Muslim men were assaulted by a mob near a highway in Alwar, Rajasthan.

Khan died two days later. The mob falsely accused the men of being cow smugglers.

Following the killing, the home minister of Rajasthan, in a statement that appeared to justify the killing, said Khan belonged to a family of cow smugglers.

Three people have been arrested.

When the Jharkhand lynching of June 27 happened, Indians rallied across the country to say that these killings were happening under government protection and they should be stopped.

Modi tweeted a couple of days later: 'There is no place for violence in India. Let us create an India that would make Gandhi Ji proud.' The tweet has a video attached that is 2 minutes and 16 seconds long.

It is a speech Modi gave in Gujarat on June 29, where he spoke on cow slaughter.

One minute and 45 seconds of that clip are on Modi praising ,em>gauraksha.

In the last 30 seconds he speaks about violence, but says only that killing is unacceptable.

Of course it is, we don't need the prime minister to tell us that.

We need him to tell us why the killing is happening and what he will do to stop it.

The problem can be understood in the priorities as revealed in those 2 minutes and 16 seconds.

So long as Modi and the BJP push gauraksha, India will produce gau rakshaks. It should not be difficult to understand.

There is a second problem and that is the refusal of Modi and the BJP to accept that their actions have a communal angle.

Meat and leather are the occupations of Muslims and Dalits. These are the communities that have become vulnerable because of gauraksha and to deny that is hypocrisy.

Union Minister Muppavarapu Venkaiah Naidu said after the latest killing in Jharkhand that it should not be linked to religion.

The problem is that the data shows Naidu to be wrong. It is linked to religion if it is only, or mainly, Muslims that are getting assaulted and murdered by the gauraksha programme.

The Congress does not have a real position on this and in Gujarat it has spoken out in favour of gauraksha.

Individuals in the party have attacked the government. Former Union minister P Chidambaram said after Modi's speech that 'on a day when PM warned gau rakshaks, Mohd Alimuddun was lynched by a mob in Jharkhand. Obviously, lynch mobs don't fear PM.'

'PM warned gau rakshaks and lynch mobs. Good. Let him tell the country how he will enforce his writ,' the former home minister added.

Indiaspend says that 25 attacks happened in 2016.

In 2017, in only six months, already 21 attacks have taken place.

The problem is escalating and it is obvious.

The whole world is waiting to see how Modi will put an end to it.

Aakar Patel is Executive Director, Amnesty International India. The views expressed here are his own.
Bharatiya Janata Party, Left and Congress delegations were on Friday prevented from visiting riot-hit areas in Basirhat by the police even as the situation there remained tense and internet services suspended.

Ignoring an appeal by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, a BJP delegation, led by MP Roopa Ganguly, which was heading towards Baduria, was detained by the police at Michael Nagar near Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport.

We told the BJP leaders that they will not be allowed to proceed as per the decision of the administration. The situation is still tense. But they were adamant and said either they will court arrest or proceed towards the affected area. So we had to detain them, a senior police officer of Bidhannagar Police Commissionerate said.

They were subsequently brought to the airport police station.

Earlier in the day, the police also prevented the Left and Congress leaders from proceeding towards the riot-hit areas citing the law and order situation.

We were stopped near Ashoknagar area on the ground that it might create a law and order problem. But we were not going there with any political motive. We were going there to meet the people affected by the communal clashes, Left Front Legislature Party leader Sujan Chakraborty said.

The Congress team, led by Adhir Chowdhury, was also stopped at Barasat.

State BJP president Dilip Ghosh said his party would organise a rally on Saturday to condemn the role of the state government.

We will also meet Governor K N Tripathi and demand in writing that Presidents rule be imposed in the state, he said.

Clashes broke out between members of two communities at Baduria in the Basirhat sub-division of North 24-Parganas district earlier this week over an objectionable Facebook post by a young man who has been arrested.

The West Bengal government said the situation was under control in Baduria, Swarupnagar, Deganga and Basirhat, which had witnessed violence. Prohibitory orders are in force there. No untoward incident was reported.

People in the troubled areas chose to stay indoors with shops and schools remaining closed and the transportation badly hit.

A campaign has been undertaken by the state administration for restoration of peace.

Police and paramilitary force personnel carried intense patrolling while Internet services in and around the riot-hit the areas remained suspended, a senior state government official said.

The police inspector in-charge of Basirhat, Nasim Akhtar, has been transferred by the administration.

In New Delhi, Union minister M Venkaiah Naidu described the communal violence in Basirhat as unfortunate and requested the state government to take effective steps to protect all people - whether minority or majority.

IMAGE: BJP MP Roopa Ganguly detained by the police in Kolkata. Photograph: ANI
Pledging a joint crackdown on the global scourge of terrorism and to check its funding sources, G20 leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Friday said all terror safe havens must be eliminated in every part of the world.

In a joint declaration on countering terrorism on the first day of the G20 Summit in Hamburg, they resolved to facilitate swift and targeted exchanges of information between intelligence, law enforcement and judicial authorities on operational information-sharing, preventive measures and criminal justice response.

We will ensure that terrorists are brought to justice. We will work to improve the existing international information architecture in the areas of security, travel and migration, including INTERPOL, ensuring the necessary balance between security and data protection aspects, they said in a 21-point declaration.

The G20 nations said border agencies will strengthen cooperation to detect travel for terrorist purposes, including by identifying priority transit and destination countries of terrorists.

We will address in close coordination the evolving threats and potential vulnerabilities in aviation security systems and exchange information on risk assessments, the declaration said.

In efforts to choke funding for terror activities, the G20 leaders reiterated their resolve to make the international financial system entirely hostile to terrorist financing and deepen exchange of information, including working with the private sector.

We call for strengthening measures against the financing of international terrorist organisations in particular Islamic State, Al Qaeda and their affiliates, the declaration said.

Stressing that there should be no safe spaces for terrorist financing anywhere in the world, the G20 nations expressed their commitment to intensify capacity building and technical assistance, especially in relation to terrorist financing hot-spots.

We will advance the effective implementation of the international standards on transparency and beneficial ownership of legal persons and legal arrangements for the purposes of countering financing terrorism, it added.

According to the declaration, low cost attacks by small cells and individuals funded by small amounts of money transferred through a wide range of payment means are an increasing challenge.

We call upon countries to address all alternative sources of financing of terrorism, including dismantling connections, where they exist, between terrorism and transnational organised crime, it noted.

Further, the leaders said they highlight the importance of providing appropriate support to the victims of terrorist acts and will enhance cooperation and exchange of best practices to this end.

Earlier, Modi had delivered a strong message against terror activities and called for concerted global crackdown against countries that support on nations supporting terrorism for their own political goals.

Image: The leaders of the G20 nations said border agencies will strengthen cooperation to detect travel for terrorist purposes, including by identifying priority transit and destination countries of terrorists. Photograph: MEAIndia/Flickr
The Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly on Friday passed the state goods and services tax bill 2017 amidst opposition boycott, making it the last state of the country to join the new tax regime.

The bill entitled the Jammu and Kashmir Goods and Services Tax Bill 2017 moved by Finance Minister Haseeb Drabu was adopted by a voice vote as all opposition members decided to boycott the proceedings, accusing the government of undermining the special status of the state by seeking a presidential order for extending the GST regime.

Drabu said the GST regime will roll out in the state at midnight on Friday, making Jammu and Kashmir the last state to join the new tax regime.

Before moving the bill for consideration and passing by the state assembly, Drabu read out the contents of the presidential order pertaining to the special status of the state and its exclusive taxation powers.

President Pranab Mukherjee gave his nod on Friday to an order pertaining to implementation of the GST regime in the state, clearing decks for the assembly for enacting the law.

Official sources said that the President cleared the order and sent it to Ministry of Home Affairs for further action.

Reading out excerpts from it, Drabu said, Although there is no tradition of tabling a presidential order in the assembly, we are starting a new tradition in the democracy of the state by tabling this presidential order in the House.

Notwithstanding anything contained in this order, the powers of the state of Jammu and Kashmir as per Section 5 of the Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir, shall remain intact, he said.

The legislature of the state of Jammu and Kashmir shall have the powers to make laws with respect to goods and services tax levied by the state, Drabu read from the excerpts of the order pertaining to the special status and exclusive taxation powers of the state.

The legislature of the state of Jammu and Kashmir shall have exclusive powers to make laws in respect of imposition of any taxes enabled by section 5 of the Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir, he added.

Notwithstanding anything contained in clause 4 to clause 11 for the purpose of any decision impinging on constitutional provisions relating to the state of Jammu nand Kashmir, the concurrence of the representative of the state of Jammu and Kashmir in the Goods and Services Tax Council shall be mandatory and the procedure provided under Article 370 shall be followed, the presidential order reads.

It adds that nothing in this article shall affect in any manner whatsoever the legislative competence of the state of Jammu and Kashmir as guaranteed by virtue of Section 5 of the Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir.

After completing the other legislative business listed for the day, Speaker Kavinder Gupta adjourned the House sine die.

The Peoples Democratic Party-Bharatiya Janata Party government in Jammu and Kashmir had passed a resolution on Wednesday in the assembly after which the state cabinet under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti cleared a draft order for concurrence of the President.

This was the first time in the history of the Jammu and Kashmir assembly that a resolution, seeking a presidential order on a constitutional amendment, was discussed and passed.

Opposition boycotts proceedings

Meanwhile, the entire Opposition boycotted the proceedings, accusing the government of using subterfuge to undermine the Constitution of the state.

As soon as the House assembled, Communist Party of India-Marxist MLA Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami said the government had violated the etiquette of the Assembly by bringing in the Jammu and Kashmir GST Bill 2017 before informing the House about the presidential order passed for extending the GST regime to the state.

Nawang Rigzin Jora of Congress accused the government of undermining the Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir in the way the GST legislation and the presidential order was handled.

The government is resorting to subterfuge to undermine the special constitutional position of Jammu and Kashmir, Jora charged before leading his party MLAs to boycott the rest of the proceedings of the session.

Tarigami and Peoples Democratic Front chairman Hakim Mohammad Yasin also staged a walkout from the proceedings after recording their protest.

The entire opposition benches became empty when independent lawmaker from Langate Sheikh Abdul Rashid also walked out of the House just before the GST bill was moved.

Members from principal opposition party, National Conference, did not attend the House as they had on Thursday announced their decision to boycott the proceedings for the rest of the session.

The core group decided that the NC legislators will boycott the remaining part of the legislative session as a protest against the government's machinations to trample the aspirations of the people by demolishing the state's special status, a party spokesman said.

He said the anti-people resolution is an unequivocal compromise with the special status of Jammu and Kashmir.

IMAGE: Jammu and Kashmir Finance Minister Haseeb Drabu addressing the house during the Special Session of Legislative Assembly to pass Goods and Services Tax bill, in Srinagar. Photograph: PTI Photo
Naming Pakistan-based terror groups Lashkar-e-Tayiba and Jaish-e-Mohamamad, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said some countries were using terror as a tool to achieve political objectives and pressed for deterrent action collectively by the G20 members against such nations.

IMAGE: At the G20 Summit, Modi equated Lashkar-e-Tayiba and Jaish-e-Mohamamd to Islamic State and Al Qaeda, saying their names may be different but their ideology is the same. Photograph: @MeaIndia/Twitter

Addressing the G20 Summit in this German city, he equated the LeT and JeM as also the Haqqani network to the Islamic State and Al Qaeda, saying their names may be different but their ideology is the same.

With leaders like US President Donald Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping listening, Modi regretted that the international response to terrorism was weak and said more cooperation was needed to fight the menace.

The Indian prime minister presented an 11-point Action Agenda which included suggestions for exchange of lists of terrorists among G20 nations, easing and expediting of legal processes like extradition and concrete steps to choke funds and weapon supply to the terrorists.

Some nations are using terrorism for achieving political goals, Modi said in a clear reference to Pakistan.

He said LeT, JeM and the Haqqani network terror groups were active in South Asia like Daesh and Al Qaeda were in the Middle East and Boko Haram in Nigeria.

IMAGE: PM Modi shares a laugh with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron on the sidelines of the G20 summit. Photograph: @MEAIndia/Twitter

While LeT and JeM have been targeting India, the Haqqani network has been repeatedly carrying out attacks in Afghanistan, including on Indian assets there.

Their only ideology is to spread hatred and commit massacres, Modi said.

Regretting that the international response to terrorism has been weak, Modi said the nations are less networked in dealing with the menace while the terrorists are better networked.

In the Action Agenda, the prime minister suggested, there should be a deterrent action against nations supporting terrorism and officials of such nations should be barred from entry into G20 member countries.

IMAGE: Modi deep in conversation with US President Donald Trump and UK PM Theresa May.

Photograph: @MEAIndia/Twitter

He said there should be an exchange of lists of terrorists among the G20 member countries and a collective action against supporters of terror.

The legal processes like extradition should be simplified and expedited for effective cooperation against terrorism, he said.

The Financial Action Task Force and other mechanisms to choke sources of funds to terrorists should be strengthened, he said.

On the pattern of FATF, a body Explosives Action Task Force should be constituted so that the sources of deadly arms reaching the terrorists can be ended, he added.

Modi also pitched for concrete cooperation among the G20 countries with focus on cyber security.
Sources say the CM doesnt want new problems in already strained ties with the RJD. M I Khan reports from Patna.

As the Central Bureau of Investigation conducted searches at 12 locations after registering a corruption case against Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad Yadav and his family members, MLAs and spokespersons of Janata Dal-United, his alliance partner in Bihar, are maintaining a silence over the issue.

They have reportedly been instructed by party chief and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar not to issue any statement in this regard as it may worsen the already strained ties between the two parties.

No JD-U leader is ready to say anything on the matter.

According to a senior JD-U leader, the spokespersons held an hour-long meeting at the party office in Patna following instructions from the chief minister. After the meeting, most JD-U spokespersons switched off their mobile phones.

"JD-U spokespersons held a closed-door meeting," the leader said.

When asked about it, party spokesperson Sanjay Singh said, "The JD-U is studying the matter. We will not say anything right now."

"Nitish Kumar has directed JD-U spokespersons not to issue any statement to the media over the CBI raids because it may create trouble in Bihars ruling Grand Alliance," another JD-U leader, considered close to Kumar, told Rediff.com.

The Bharatiya Janata Party is asking Kumar to snap ties with the RJD and sack Lalus younger son and Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yaadav following the CBI raids. The CBI also reportedly questioned Tejashwi.

Kumar, who is camping in Rajgir in Nalanda district about 100 km from Patna since Thursday afternoon, has refused to say anything on the matter so far.

However, he discussed the situation with party spokespersons, the chief secretary, home secretary and the director general of police.

JD-U leaders said that Kumar left for Rajgir for some rest, on the advice of doctors.

Bihars ruling Grand Alliance is already divided over several issues and there are reports in the media of souring ties between Lalu and Kumar over the part month. Therefore, the JD-U is not in a mood to create more problems.

The allies have had a different stand over the goods and services tax and support to National Democratic Alliance presidential candidate Ram Nath Kovind, who was Bihar governor before being nominated in the race for Raisina Hill.

Last week, the JD-U had attended the special midnight meeting convened by the NDA government to roll out the GST, while the RJD boycotted it.

The Congress, another member of the Grand Alliance, also kept away from it.

In the past, Kumar had also spoken in favour of the Centres demonetisation move.

Meanwhile, soon after news of the raids spread, hundreds of RJD workers and leaders -- including ministers and legislators -- gathered outside the 10 Circular Road residence of Lalu and his family.

According to sources within the RJD, Lalu's wife and former CM Rabri Devi, along their sons Tejashwi and Tej Pratap, who is state health minister, were in the house during the CBI raid.

IMAGE: RJD Supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav arrives to appear before CBI Court in a case related to Fodder scam in Ranchi on Friday. Photograph: PTI Photo
'Xi Jinping got a dose of Modi's medicine inside the tent where he was being hosted on the banks of the Sabarmati river.'

'Modi told him, looking deep into his eyes: "This was not expected of your country. Can you tell me when the troops are withdrawing?".'

A fascinating excerpt from Uday Mahurkar's new book, Marching with a Billion: Analysing Narendra Modi's Government at Midterm.

Part 1: How Modi plans to deal with China

IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping on a jhoola at the Sabarmati waterfront, September 17, 2014, which was also Modi's 64th birthday.

Photograph: Press Information Bureau

Analysed clinically, Modi's imaginative forays in diplomacy and strategic planning have been bearing fruit.

Take, for example, his diplomatic strike in relation to Balochistan.

It was taken after careful thought and a lot of groundwork and planning by his National Security Adviser Ajit Doval.

As it turned out, the move not only left Pakistan dumbstruck, but has also baffled China.

The reason: It is directed as much against Pakistan as against China in the context of the 3,000 km-long economic corridor that China is building from the Gwadar port on the Makran coast in Balochistan to Xinjiang province in China and the mining activities (including gold mining) of the Communist nation in Balochistan.

Gwadar is virtually developing into a Chinese base that can be used to monitor the activities of India, as well as US movements in the Middle East.

Any military build-up at Gwadar affects India because of its closeness to India's land as well as sea borders.

By the land route, Gwadar is less than 900 km from Jaisalmer.

By the sea route, it is equally close to Jamnagar, which has crucial Indian oil refinery installations and one of its foremost air force bases.

Gwadar's importance for China's economic interests can be figured out by considering the trading distance it will lessen for China in purely logistical terms.

The distance from Gwadar to Beijing is 12,000 km via the South-East Asia corridor and also involves travel by sea.

The distance between the same two destinations via Xinjiang is less than 6,000 km and that too by only road and rail.

Moreover, the distance from Gwadar to the China border is just 1,800 km by road.

IMAGE: The Gwadar port that Pakistan is developing with Chinese help.

According to Baloch freedom activists, China has been mining over 15 kg of gold a day in Balochistan for three decades and that China is as responsible as Pakistan for the helpless situation of the Balochis.

China sees Gwadar as an answer to its 'Malacca riddle' -- which represents fear on its part that the US or any other rival power could hold the Chinese economy hostage by blocking the narrow straits of Malacca, through which its major goods traffic passes right now.

To counter China's Gwadar move, Modi has signed a deal with Iran to develop the Chabahar port there, which is just 100 km from Gwadar on the same coastline.

It is aimed at ensuring easier Indian trade with Afghanistan and the nations of Central Asia by road, apart from countering China and Pakistan.

The Chabahar port proposal was developed when the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government was in power.

Due to American sanctions against Iran and other factors, the proposal was on the verge of dying before Modi revived it. The Afghan border from Chabahar is about 1,300 km.

With India's rivalry with Pakistan and China assuming a sharp edge and Modi emerging as the new saviour of the Balochi people, the Chabahar port proposal has assumed a greater significance than ever before.

However, it has limited use against China and Pakistan considering the fact that it is a smaller port than Gwadar in terms of draught, and unlike Gwadar, where China will also anchor its warships, Chabahar holds the prospect of purely commercial use for India.

IMAGE: Chinese President Xi Jinping at the World Economic Forum's annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, January 17, 2017.

Xi was the first Chinese president to address a session at Davos.

Photograph: Ruben Sprich/Reuters

The punch in Modi's moves to counteract China comes from a deep understanding of the Chinese situation and an unstinted belief in the destiny of India based on the loftiness of its aims. Modi understands that China's rise was due to both military and economic growth made possible by an autocratic one-party rule.

But its economy, though still strong, is beginning to wane.

He also sees a flaw in the Chinese belief that its military and economic superiority will force everyone to accept it as a great power, over-riding the fact that it lacks a culture of accepting and managing contradictions in a spirit of give-and-take, and is prone to bulldozing others in a fast-changing world where freedom has a new meaning.

Cracks have started appearing in the Chinese economy. Though India stands nowhere near China in terms of exports and GDP, it outpaced China in FDI in 2016 -- the first country to do so in several years.

India got $63 billion in FDI while China got $56 billion in 2016.

China's exports have also started dropping and its currency was at a six-year low at the end of 2016.

China's GDP growth was also slower than that of India during this period.

On the employment front, China has started losing its workforce superiority.

China's population control measures in the form of the one child norm have had multiple effects.

The rule helped China check its population, but has also led to its workforce becoming costlier and not easily available.

The labour problems have even led to some Chinese companies moving out of the country. So the demographic advantage is shifting towards India.

Yes, the trade deficit between China and India remains huge due to China's advantage, but Modi knows that if India needs Chinese investments, China also needs markets to sell its goods and sustain itself at a time when its economy is shrinking.

There is no bigger market than India.

What is more, blessed with sound traits of detached observation, precise analysis and interpretation, Modi comprehends that China has aligned with forces that are on the wrong side of history.

These forces are dangerous and irresponsible nations like Pakistan and North Korea, which use terror and strong-arm tactics to make their presence felt.

Despite its tough exterior, China might be getting itself into a swamp, from which it might it find hard to emerge without losing face.

This situation might seem hypothetical at the moment given China's fearful might, but can't be ruled out as a future possibility.

Besides, how far can China manage the contradictions wherein it supports Pakistan's ultra-Wahhabi terrorists for its strategic objectives but cracks down ruthlessly not just on its own Wahhabi terrorists but also on common Muslims in the province of Xinjiang located on the border of Pakistan occupied Kashmir?

IMAGE: The Mughal empire crumbled 10 years after Aurangzeb's death

History shows that the fortunes of mighty empires and superpowers have often changed dramatically in a short span of time.

The Mughal empire seemed to be at the height of its glory when Aurangzeb ascended the throne in 1659, but had lost all its power within just ten years of Aurangzeb's death in 1707.

In south India, the Vijaynagar empire seemed to be at its zenith for a long time, having withstood Muslim invasions from the north for over two centuries. But it was all gone in 1565 in the battle of Talikota.

This happened within just 35 years of the departure of Krishnadevaraya, Vijaynagar's most powerful emperor.

Krishnadevaraya had never lost a battle against his powerful Muslim rivals and expanded the empire in all directions with his prowess.

In China's case, the one-party rule has started to elicit hush-hush reactions from the Chinese in a world that yearns for more and more freedom.

Some of these reactions are in the open, like when some groups in Hong Kong openly called for freedom in October-November 2016.

IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives in Lahore, December 25, 2015.

Both China and Pakistan failed to read the shrewd Modi correctly.

Modi tried to begin his innings as prime minister on a positive note with both China and Pakistan, perhaps due to his respect for India's image as an honourable, straightforward nation and his own strategic prerogatives.

He invited all SAARC nation heads, including Pakistan's Nawaz Sharif, for his swearing-in ceremony in 2014, and held a small summit with Sharif on the next day.

Later, in 2015, Modi made an unscheduled stop in Lahore to attend a function in Nawaz Sharif's family.

He had also invited Xi Jinping to India and hosted him in his home state, Gujarat.

Both Pakistan and China didn't get Modi's welcome signal right.

Perhaps they saw it as a sign of India's weakness, looking at it through the prism of the Nehruvian era.

IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping at Mahatma Gandhi's Sabarmati Ashram, September 17, 2014. Photograph: Press Information Bureau

When the Modi-Jinping engagement was on in India, China practised its old policy of letting Chinese troops enter India's north-eastern border.

China was doing what it has done many times in the past at the time of any high-level Indo-Chinese dialogue -- planning an incursion into Indian borders to create pressure on India during negotiations.

Pakistan also continued with its old policy of stabbing India in the back when its troops attacked the Pathankot airbase within a week of Modi's unscheduled and extremely warm Pakistan visit.

But both the nations had calculated wrongly.

Modi is no Jawaharlal Nehru, who allowed China to get a seat in the UN Security Council in the 1950s despite China's aggression in Tibet.

Modi is a hardened politician with a strategic view on geopolitics.

Xi Jinping got a dose of Modi's medicine inside the very tent where he was being hosted on the banks of the Sabarmati river in Ahmedabad.

Modi reportedly told him, looking deep into his eyes: "This was not expected of your country. Can you tell me when the troops are withdrawing?"

Xi gave a deadline of a week and the troops withdrew after a few days.

China got more doses of the same pill when, immediately after this episode, Modi and US President Obama issued a joint statement expressing their concern over the rising tensions due to maritime territorial disputes in the South China Sea while affirming the importance of maritime security and freedom of navigation in the region.

The South China Sea is a crucial issue for China, which wants to maintain its military hegemony in the region. Nations like Vietnam and Japan are objecting to this.

IMAGE: Foreign Secretary Dr S Jaishankar with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing, February 22, 2017. Photograph: PTI Photo

The roadmap for Modi's global initiatives was prepared by Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar, with the national security focus coming from Ajit Doval in the case of countries in India's immediate neighbourhood, particularly Pakistan.

Jaishankar's worth lay in quickly grasping Modi's global vision while dealing with different nations and then preparing the roadmap accordingly -- not an easy job considering the fact that Modi thinks ahead of most others and very deep.

Jaishankar has boosted the policy planning and research division of the ministry of external affairs in such a way that crucial inputs while planning a Modi foreign trip are a click away.

Obviously, inputs based on deep research have played a big role in Modi's successful foreign visits.

One of the greatest achievements of these carefully crafted visits is securing FDI for India with inputs from the commerce and finance ministries.

In the countries that matter, Modi has gone the extra mile to woo local business groups to invest in India, his accompanying officers providing them useful inputs on how they could go about investing in India, with information on specific industries.

No wonder that India has emerged as the world's number one destination for FDI.

Ambassador to the US and China before becoming foreign secretary in 2015, Jaishankar was already well versed in cutting edge diplomacy.

He was a favourite of even the previous government which used his services as Indian ambassador to the US in laying the groundwork for the India-US nuclear deal under Manmohan Singh.

But with the arrival of Modi, Jaishankar's talent found a new and much better outlet capable of harnessing his capacity to the optimum level.

Excerpted from Marching with a Billion: Analysing Narendra Modi's Government at Midterm, by Uday Mahurkar, published by Penguin Random House, 2017, Rs 499, with the publisher's kind permission.
The Chief Minister was in Alibaug to attend the birthday celebration of Peasants and Workers Party (PWP) president and MLC Jayant Patil.

By Pankaj P. Khelkar, Kamlesh Damodar Sutar: Just months after the helicopter accident in Latur, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had yet another close shave when his helicopter developed a technical snag. No one was injured in the incident.

The Chief Minister was in Alibaug to attend the birthday celebration of Peasants and Workers Party (PWP) president and MLC Jayant Patil.

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The incident took place in the afternoon when the Chief Minister and his Cabinet colleague Vinod Tawde were set to return to Mumbai. The helicopter was scheduled for take off from a private company's helipad near the Alibaug town of Raigad district in Maharashtra's Konkan region.

Fadnavis was about to board the helicopter when it took off about 2 feet in the air and suddenly rotated on its axis. Things could have turned out for the worse had the Chief Minister and his bodyguard not moved away from the chopper.

"We saw, we were there, the Chief Minister went to the helicopter and the bodyguard had just opened the door, and before CM could step in, the helicopter took off and was about 2 feet in air, and then the helicopter suddenly rotated on its axis. The Chief Minister was standing near the door of the helicopter, with quick reflex the CM and bodyguards moved away about twenty feet away from the flying machine," the District Magistrate of Raigad district told India Today.

The helicopter had developed a technical snag, which the pilot managed to rectify before continuing the journey to Mumbai without much incidence.

The chopper that CM Fadnavis was travelling in when it crashed in Latur in May. The chopper that CM Fadnavis was travelling in when it crashed in Latur in May.

But the incident immediately sparked some nasty rumours about the Chief Minister that became viral on social media. Fadnavis' office had to issue a clarification on the issue appealing not to believe on rumours.

"Rumors are being spread that CM Fadnavis' helicopter has met with an accident while returning from Alibaug. However, no such accident has happened, and citizens shouldn't believe in any kind of rumors," said a release by the Chief Minister's Secretariat.

This incident has once again raised serious concerns about the aerial travel security of the Chief Minister. In May this year, the CM's helicopter had developed a technical snag in Gadchiroli and the CM had to drive back to Nagpur in the Naxal infected area. In the same month his chopper crash landed in Latur where he was saved by a whisker.

Also Read:

Chopper carrying Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis crash-lands in Latur. Me, my team are safe, he tweets

--- ENDS ---
It took a group of miscreants just five minutes to make away with a stash of diamonds worth Rs 10 lakh in Surat, Gujarat.

By India Today Web Desk: Diamonds worth Rs 10 lakh were looted in Surat today. It took the miscreants just five minutes to rob a youth of the precious stones. The incident has been captured in CCTV camera.

Brijesh Kanu Patel works as a delivery man in diamond trader Jayantilal Ambalal Chowksey's shop located in Bhavanivad. He had left for collection of parcels from Mumbai and Bhavnagar on his two-wheeler. While returning to deliver the parcels, he was accosted by three youths on a four-wheeler near Patelwadi in Lal Darwaza locality.

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The miscreants pointed knives at Patel and snatched away the parcel from him. Patel struggled and tried his best to stop the miscreants from taking away the parcel containing diamonds. But they attacked him with knives and fled away with the parcel in their car which did not bear any registration number.

The whole incident took place within five minutes.

Brijesh was going towards Katargam to deliver the parcels when he was looted. The diamonds were worth Rs 10 lakh.

The delivery man reached the nearest police station to register a complaint. The police reached the spot where the incident had taken place. They inspected the whole area.

Meanwhile, the police checked the CCTV footage and found that the incident had been captured in it. They have launched a hunt for the miscreants.

ALSO READ | Enforcement Directorate says diamond import firm Rajeshwar Exports violated SEZ rules ALSO READ | Want to make India global diamond trading hub, says PM Modi

--- ENDS ---
UNHCR chief urges unity in Myanmar's Rakhine state

Publisher UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Author Vivian Tan Publication Date 6 July 2017 Cite as UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), UNHCR chief urges unity in Myanmar's Rakhine state, 6 July 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/595f34514.html [accessed 12 November 2022]

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, has appealed to communities in Myanmar's restive Rakhine state to unite in the face of fear, mistrust and underdevelopment.

On his first official visit to South-East Asia, Grandi met with displaced people, local communities and the authorities in Sittwe and Maungdaw townships to better understand their needs and challenges.

Last October, an estimated 20,000 people were displaced around Maungdaw in a security operation prompted by attacks on several border guard posts. Most have returned home but some are still hosted by local villagers pending agreement on return and relocation sites. Around Sittwe, 120,000 people remain in camps for internally displaced people after they were uprooted by inter-communal violence in 2012.

Masoota Hatu has lived in Sittwe's Dar Paing camp for five years, facing health problems that she cannot afford to treat. Only two of her four children are in school as there is no secondary school in the camp.

"It's very difficult," the 55-year-old widow told Grandi. "What I want most is to go back to my village so that our lives can improve."

Like many Muslims in Rakhine state, stateless people like her cannot move freely without authorization and cannot access basic services like healthcare, education and their livelihoods easily.

"These people deserve a better future than the present conditions of extreme poverty, deprivation and isolation. We need to move from survival to real life with opportunities," said the High Commissioner. "This is an extremely complex situation but it's possible to work towards solutions."

In March, an interim report by the government-appointed Advisory Commission for Rakhine State recommended steps to end displacement and promote inter-communal dialogue. The government has endorsed the report and agreed to implement these recommendations.

It will not be easy - the atmosphere in Maungdaw remains tense after the October violence that was allegedly perpetrated by members of a militant group.

On Tuesday, when Grandi met a group of Rakhine villagers living next to a Muslim village in Maungdaw, they told him the communities used to live and work together.

"But after the October violence, we are afraid to leave our homes to collect firewood or fish for a living. Our children are also staying home from school. We need some assistance until things improve," said a community leader.

The High Commissioner urged both communities to resume dialogue. "You have the same fears for your families, and the same anxieties over how to provide for them," he said. "Humanitarian assistance is important but it will not last forever. By learning to live together in peace, you can lay the groundwork for prosperity and development."

In Maungdaw, Grandi visited a UNHCR, UN Refugee Agency, supported project to promote peaceful co-existence through vocational training classes. It brings together 20 Muslim and Rakhine women to learn sewing skills and basic literacy, as well as health and hygiene education. Although they would appear to have little in common, many of these women have either had no education or had to drop out of school to support their families.

May Than New, 23, dropped out after middle school as her parents could not afford further education. She sold fuel in a shop before joining the sewing class. Now she plans to work as a tailor and teach sewing upon graduation.

"My parents always had Muslim friends in our house and we believe discrimination will only bring problems," she said. "This class has helped me to understand my Muslim friends better."

Her classmate Somira, 19, added: "I didn't know any Rakhines before but now I have made some friends in class."

UNHCR has also helped to set up a market in downtown Maungdaw where some 2,000 families of Muslim, Rakhine, Hindu and other minority groups go for their daily food supplies and social interaction.

Asked what would help to improve their lives, a Muslim villager in Maungdaw said: "We just want to live peacefully, to have an identity card and the same rights as the others."

On Wednesday, the High Commissioner met with Myanmar's State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi and other ministers to discuss the situation in Rakhine State, the displacement in Kachin and northern Shan state, as well as the potential for mainly ethnic Karen refugees to return home voluntarily from Thailand.

From Myanmar, Grandi will move on to Thailand and Bangladesh to discuss refugee issues in both countries, before ending his regional tour on July 11.
Azerbaijan: Fined for home religious meetings, picnic

Publisher Forum 18 Author Felix Corley Publication Date 6 July 2017 Cite as Forum 18, Azerbaijan: Fined for home religious meetings, picnic, 6 July 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/595f39a04.html [accessed 12 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

More than 20 Muslims, fined three months' average wages for a religious meeting in a home in Quba, failed in their appeals. A Baptist Pastor similarly fined will appeal to the Constitutional Court. A Muslim was fined for reading religious books aloud at a picnic.
Rwanda: Decades of attacks repression and killings set the scene for next month's election

Publisher Amnesty International Publication Date 7 July 2017 Cite as Amnesty International, Rwanda: Decades of attacks repression and killings set the scene for next month's election, 7 July 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/595f3b7b4.html [accessed 12 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Two decades of attacks on the political opposition, independent media and human rights defenders have created a climate of fear in Rwanda ahead of next month's election, Amnesty International warned in a new report today.

The organization is urging the government to prevent harassment of opposition candidates and their supporters ahead of the August poll, but also to initiate far-reaching reforms that will open up political space before the 2024 elections, allowing genuine debate and diverse opinions to be freely expressed.

"Since the ruling Rwandan Patriotic Front took power 23 years ago, Rwandans have faced huge, and often deadly, obstacles to participating in public life and voicing criticism of government policy. The climate in which the upcoming elections take place is the culmination of years of repression," said Muthoni Wanyeki, Amnesty International's Regional Director for East Africa, the Horn and the Great Lakes.

"Killings and disappearances in 2017 need to be placed in the context of many years of similar violence for which no one has yet been held to account. In this chilling atmosphere, it is unsurprising that would-be government critics practice self-censorship and that political debate is limited in advance of the elections."

The report documents how opposition politicians, journalists and human rights defenders have faced restrictions on their rights to freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly in the two decades since the genocide. They have been jailed, physically attacked - even killed - and forced into exile or silence.

Recent cases

In the most recent case, Jean Damascene Habarugira, a local party representative of the unregistered opposition United Democratic Force (FDU-Inkingi) party went missing after being called to meet an official responsible for village security. The FDU-Inkingi stated in a press release that Jean Damascene's family were called to collect his dead body from hospital a few days later on 8 May 2017. The FDU-Inkingi asserted that he had been murdered because of his opposition to the government's agricultural planning policy.

Potential presidential candidates have also been targeted in the lead-up to the elections. On 3 May 2017, Diane Rwigara announced that she would stand for the Presidency as an independent candidate. In the months before declaring her candidacy, Diane Rwigara had been outspoken about issues such as poverty, injustice, insecurity and the lack of freedom of expression. Just days after she announced her candidacy, nude photos of her were leaked and circulated on social media, in what many considered a smear campaign.

Diane Rwigara and Philippe Mpayimana, another presidential hopeful, both complained their representatives had faced harassment and intimidation while collecting the signatures needed in support of their nomination. The National Electoral Commission did not include them in the provisional list of qualified candidates, saying that their documents were incomplete. They were given five days to finalise their paperwork. The final list of candidates is due to be announced today.

Journalists, civil society targeted

The Rwandan government has also suppressed media freedom. Journalists have been imprisoned, harassed and even killed, with many being forced into exile over the years. In 2016, at least three journalists were detained after investigating sensitive issues, such as corruption or possible suspicious deaths.

Independent human rights defenders who criticize government policy or are perceived as opponents to government have faced different forms of attacks and restrictions in Rwanda. NGOs are subject to onerous - and costly - registration procedures. The nebulous charge of promoting 'genocide ideology' has been levied at international and domestic human rights organizations who criticize the government.

"Rwanda's history of political repression, attacks on opposition figures and dissenting voices in the context of previous elections, stifles political debate and makes those who might speak out think twice before taking the risk," said Muthoni Wanyeki.

"The Rwandan government should start by preventing restrictions on, or harassment of, opposition candidates and their supporters in the forthcoming August 2017 elections. It should commit to enabling Rwandans to fully enjoy their rights to free expression and association."

Background

Rwandans will go to the polls on 4 August 2017 to elect their next president.

Incumbent President Paul Kagame has already served two terms but will stand for re-election following a referendum in December 2015 which ushered in constitutional changes allowing him to contest a third term. Many Rwandan and international observers expect him to be re-elected.

Five opposition and independent candidates submitted their nomination documents in June 2017. Only Paul Kagame and Frank Habineza, of the Democratic Green Party of Rwanda, made the provisional list of qualified candidates published on 27 June. The other nominees were given five days to complete their files and the final list of candidates qualified to stand in the election is due to be published by the National Electoral Commission on 7 July.

Copyright notice:  Copyright Amnesty International
China: Labour activist jailed for four and a half years for publishing account of Tiananmen crackdown

Publisher Amnesty International Publication Date 7 July 2017 Cite as Amnesty International, China: Labour activist jailed for four and a half years for publishing account of Tiananmen crackdown, 7 July 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/595f3bea4.html [accessed 12 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Chinese labour activist Liu Shaoming is the latest victim of the authorities' relentless assault on human rights, Amnesty International said, after he was sentenced to four and a half years in jail for publishing his story of the 1989 Tiananmen crackdown.

On Friday, court in Guangzhou found Liu Shaoming guilty of "inciting subversion of state power". He has already spent more than two years in detention, after he was taken away by police on 30 May 2015. His detention occurred five days after he published an article on US-website Boxun.com reflecting on his involvement in China's 1989 pro-democracy movement.

"This is a most callous and unjust verdict against Liu Shaoming. He is a prisoner of conscience and must be immediately and unconditionally released. All that Liu Shaoming is guilty of is the legitimate exercise of his freedom of expression," said William Nee, China Researcher at Amnesty International.

"The Chinese government needs to stop throwing in jail those who are only trying to peacefully remember the 1989 Tiananmen crackdown and instead take responsibility for the authorities' past wrongs."

The former factory worker has campaigned for numerous human rights causes in recent years. He featured in Chinese director Wen Hai's critically-acclaimed documentary film "We the Workers", where Liu Shaoming was seen supporting striking workers.

In May 1989, Liu traveled to Beijing to join the pro-democracy movement. He became a member of China's first independent trade union, the Beijing Workers' Autonomous Federation. He was near Tiananmen Square on 3-4 June 1989 when hundreds, if not thousands, of people were killed by Chinese troops.

Copyright notice:  Copyright Amnesty International
Absurd 'terrorism' investigation launched into Amnesty International's Turkey Director and nine others

Publisher Amnesty International Publication Date 6 July 2017 Cite as Amnesty International, Absurd 'terrorism' investigation launched into Amnesty International's Turkey Director and nine others, 6 July 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/595f3c9d4.html [accessed 12 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Responding to news that Idil Eser, Director of Amnesty International Turkey, seven other human rights activists and two IT trainers, are being investigated for membership of an 'armed terrorist organization', Salil Shetty, Amnesty International's Secretary General, said:

"The absurdity of these accusations against Idil Eser and the nine others cannot disguise the very grave nature of this attack on some of the most prominent civil society organizations in Turkey.

"Their spurious detention while attending a routine workshop was bad enough: that they are now being investigated for membership of an 'armed terrorist organization' beggars belief.

"If anyone was still in doubt of the endgame of Turkey's post-coup crackdown, they should not be now. There is to be no civil society, no criticism and no accountability in Erdogan's Turkey."

"If world leaders meeting at the G20 fail to stand up for Turkey's beleaguered civil society now, there may be nothing left of it by the time the next summit comes around.

"Idil's detention comes less than a month after the chair of Amnesty International Turkey, Taner Klc, was remanded in custody also without valid grounds. This is the first time in our history that Amnesty International has a director and chair from a single country both behind bars. They, along with all other detained human rights defenders, must be immediately and unconditionally released."

Background

At 10am on 5 July, eight human rights defenders, including Amnesty International's Turkey Director Idil Eser and two international trainers were detained by police at a hotel in Buyukada, Istanbul, where they were attending a workshop.

All the detainees were denied access to lawyers for more than 28 hours, in contravention of Turkish law, which states a maximum time of 24 hours. The group were also denied the right to contact family members, again in contravention of Turkish law.

The authorities refused to confirm where the human rights defenders were being held until around 3pm on 6 July.

Idil Eser is being held at a police station in Maltepe, on the outskirts of Istanbul, along with Ilknur Ustun of the Women's Coalition. The remaining human rights defenders are being held at three other locations on the outskirts of Istanbul. Lawyers were granted access to the seven on Thursday afternoon.

The state of emergency put in place after last year's failed coup attempt allows for seven days of pre-charge detention, extendable for a further seven days on the request of the prosecutor.

In addition to Idil Eser and Ilknur Ustun the six human rights defenders detained are:, Gunal Kursun, lawyer, Human Rights Agenda Association, Nalan Erkem, Lawyer, Citizens' Assembly, Nejat Tastan, Equal Rights Watch Association , Ozlem Dalkran, Citizens' Assembly, Seyhmuz Ozbekli, lawyer, and Veli Acu, Human Rights Agenda Association.

Two foreign trainers - a German and a Swedish national - are still being held on the island and have been granted access to a lawyer.

The Turkish authorities must immediately and unconditionally release all 10 detainees.

These detentions come less than a month after Amnesty International's Turkey chair, Taner Klc, was remanded in prison custody on baseless charges.

Copyright notice:  Copyright Amnesty International
ICC rules against South Africa on shameful failure to arrest President Al-Bashir

Publisher Amnesty International Publication Date 6 July 2017 Cite as Amnesty International, ICC rules against South Africa on shameful failure to arrest President Al-Bashir, 6 July 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/595f3cf64.html [accessed 12 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

In response to today's finding by the International Criminal Court's Pre-Trial Chamber that South Africa should have executed the arrest warrant against Sudanese president Omar Al-Bashir when he visited in June 2015, Amnesty International's Africa Director for Research and Advocacy, Netsanet Belay said:

"Today's finding confirms what everyone, including South African authorities, knew all along. Al-Bashir does not have immunity from arrest and all states parties to the Rome Statute must arrest him the minute he steps onto their territory and hand him over to the ICC.

"It is shocking that other states parties such as Jordan are also failing in their obligations to arrest Al-Bashir and this decision makes it clear that they do so in flagrant violation of international law.

"South Africa breached its international and domestic legal obligations when it failed to arrest Al-Bashir. No state should follow this example. There must be no impunity for crimes under international law.

"By failing to execute the ICC's warrant against Al-Bashir, South African authorities took away a major opportunity from victims to achieve justice. What's most important now is such shameful failure is never repeated. South Africa must now put its weight behind international justice which faces increasing global challenges."

Background

Today's decision follows oral hearings and written submissions by the ICC's Prosecutor and the Government of South Africa after the country was brought before the Pre-Trial Chamber for failing to arrest Sudanese president Omar Al-Bashir in 2015. On 15 March 2016 South Africa's Supreme Court of Appeal ruled that the government's failure to arrest him was unlawful.

Following the conclusion of South Africa's domestic legal processes, the Pre-Trial Chamber convened a hearing in April 2017.

Copyright notice:  Copyright Amnesty International
El Salvador: Rape survivor sentenced to 30 years in jail under extreme anti-abortion law

Publisher Amnesty International Publication Date 6 July 2017 Cite as Amnesty International, El Salvador: Rape survivor sentenced to 30 years in jail under extreme anti-abortion law, 6 July 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/595f3d4c4.html [accessed 12 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

The sentence against a 19-year-old rape survivor to 30 years in prison on charges of "aggravated homicide" after she suffered pregnancy related complications, is a terrifying example of the need for El Salvador to urgently repeal its retrograde anti-abortion law, Amnesty International said.

"El Salvador's anti-abortion law is causing nothing but pain and suffering to countless women and girls and their families. It goes against human rights and it has no place in the country or anywhere," said Erika Guevara-Rosas, Americas Director at Amnesty International.

"The total ban on abortion in El Salvador violates women's rights to life, health, privacy, due process and freedom from discrimination, violence and torture and other ill-treatment. All women and girls imprisoned for having had an abortion or experiencing obstetric emergencies should be immediately and unconditionally released, and the law must be repealed without delay."

Evelyn Beatriz was admitted to a health centre in Cojutepeque, north of San Salvador, on 6 April 2016 after she fainted at home. She was in labour but unaware she was pregnant. Local organizations say Evelyn had been raped months earlier but that she had not reported it to the authorities due to fear. Staff at the hospital reported Evelyn to the authorities.

She was taken to court and on 5 July 2017, she was sentenced to 30 years in jail for an "aggravated homicide". Her lawyers are appealing the sentence.

Background Information

Abortion has been criminalized in all circumstances in El Salvador since 1998, even when the pregnancy is the result of rape, incest, or when the life or health of the pregnant woman or girl is at risk. Many women and girls have lost their lives or been imprisoned due to the total abortion ban.

The current legal framework forces women and girls to resort to unsafe abortions to save their lives, and creates an atmosphere of suspicion around women who miscarry or experience other obstetric emergencies. As a result, women who experience complications during pregnancy have been prosecuted and convicted on charges of "aggravated murder" with sentences of up to 40 years' imprisonment.

Copyright notice:  Copyright Amnesty International
As the stand-off in the Doklam plateau which abuts the three countries continues, Beijing has reiterated its view that Indian troops were in its territory and had crossed the India-China border, and that a withdrawal was a precondition for dialogue.

By Ananth Krishnan: China today denied it had violated any understanding with India over the China-India-Bhutan tri-junction point, suggesting India had "ulterior motives" in raising concerns and that had successive Indian governments had "recognised" the 1890 Sikkim-Tibet treaty.

As the stand-off in the Doklam plateau which abuts the three countries continues, Beijing has reiterated its view that Indian troops were in its territory and had crossed the India-China border, and that a withdrawal was a precondition for dialogue. India and Bhutan see this territory as Bhutan's, and said China was building a road and thus altering the status quo.

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Asked if there were any agreements on the trijunction between India and China after the 1962 war - which itself was a major alteration in the status quo along the India-China border - the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said, "The Indian government has repeatedly recognised the effectiveness of the 1890 Convention on the boundary between Tibet and Sikkim. It has nothing to do with 1962 war since it has already been recognised by the Indian side. Once it has been recognised, the convention has been effective and it has nothing to do with passing of time or changing of governments."

While China claims the 1890 convention establishes the trijunction at Mount Gipmochi (Gyemo Chen), which is south of where India and Bhutan see the point near Batang La, India has pointed out that it accepted the convention only insofar as the "basis of alignment" of the boundary.

Moreover, in 2012, India says China had recognised the dispute over the trijunction when both sides reached a common understanding that trijunction boundary points will be finalised in consultation "with concerned countries". Bhutan, for instance, was not party to the 1890 convention. Delhi also said that "any attempt to unilaterally determined the trijunction points" is in violation of this understanding.

Geng rejected this argument, saying, "There is no violation of the 2012 understanding. "The so-called trijunction point as its name implies is a point instead of a line or area. The convention between Great Britain and China relating to Tibet and Sikkim in 1890 says the Sikkim section commences in the east at Mount Gipmochi. The illegal trespass by Indian border troops in the Sikkim section is 2000 metres from Mount Gipmochi."

"So it has nothing to do with trijunction point," he added. "In disregard with the boundary convention, the Indian side takes the entire Doklam region as part of trijunction. That is out of ulterior motives. The Indian side introduced idea of trijunction point into the incident and attempts to enlarge the point into an area. That is absurd and out of ulterior motives."

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Why China will mend ways to defuse border tension and not boast of 1962

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PLA armoured brigade holds 'high altitude drill' in Tibet with most advanced tank

Beyond Doka La: 10 irritants in India-China relation

WATCH: China's public statements on border situation a sign of bullying?

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Colombia: Chance to Fix Flawed Transitional Justice Law

Publisher Human Rights Watch Publication Date 6 July 2017 Cite as Human Rights Watch, Colombia: Chance to Fix Flawed Transitional Justice Law, 6 July 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/595f3f444.html [accessed 12 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

The justice component of the peace accord with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) has significant flaws that the Colombian Constitutional Court should address, Human Rights Watch said today. The court is set to review Constitutional Amendment 1 of 2017, which created the Special Jurisdiction for Peace, a judicial system negotiated with the FARC as part of the talks that resulted in a peace agreement in November 2016 after more than 52 years of conflict.

The court should limit a broad provision allowing FARC guerrillas to seek or hold public office even while serving sentences for grave abuses, Human Rights Watch said. Such a change should ensure that sanctions against them are carried out fully and unconditionally. The Constitutional Court should also fix the amendment's narrow definition of "command responsibility" -the basis on which military commanders can be held criminally responsible for crimes committed by their subordinates. The definition in the amendment is inconsistent with international law, Human Rights Watch said, and could allow senior officers of the Colombian Armed Forces to escape justice.

"In passing the amendment, Congress missed an opportunity to fix substantial flaws in the justice component of the peace accord," said Jose Miguel Vivanco, Americas director at Human Rights Watch. "The court has a chance now to lay the groundwork for proper accountability both for senior army officers and FARC guerrillas who committed war crimes."

The Constitutional Court has, in the past, played a key role in ensuring justice for victims of the armed conflict. In 2006, the court corrected major problems in the Justice and Peace Law governing the demobilization of paramilitary death squads. In 2013, it altered a constitutional amendment -known as the "Legal Framework for Peace" - that would have allowed Congress to suspend the sentences of state agents and guerrillas convicted of atrocities.

Under the peace accord and Constitutional Amendment 1 of 2017, FARC guerrillas responsible for war crimes would face no restrictions on their political rights. While a fundamental aim of the peace process is to allow the former FARC guerillas to pursue their political objectives within the democratic arena, running for and holding office while serving a sentence could seriously undermine the sanctions imposed by the Special Jurisdiction for Peace for offenses as serious as war crimes or crimes against humanity, Human Rights Watch said.

Since its formation in the mid-1960s, the FARC has committed systematic atrocities. The guerrillas have killed and abducted civilians, taken hostages, carried out enforced disappearances, used child soldiers, conducted grossly unfair trials, forcibly displaced civilians, and subjected captured combatants to cruel and inhuman treatment.

Definitions of "command responsibility" proposed during the peace process that will eventually apply both to military officers and guerrilla commanders, have drawn concerns repeatedly from Colombian rights groups and various international organizations, including the International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor. Human Rights Watch has criticized definitions proposed as applicable to both parties to the accord, including one applicable to FARC guerrillas that has yet to become law. In January 2017 Human Rights Watch wrote to legislators criticizing the definition proposed then for senior officers of the Armed Forces-identical to the one passed in Constitutional Amendment 1 of 2017- as distorting international law in a way that could severely weaken accountability.

Between 2002 and 2008, army brigades across Colombia killed more than 3,000 civilians, in what are known as "false positive" cases. Under pressure from superiors to show "positive" results and boost body counts in the war against guerrillas, soldiers abducted victims or lured them to remote locations under false pretenses. The soldiers killed them, placed weapons on their bodies, and reported them as enemy combatants killed in action.

While more than 1000 soldiers have been convicted for these crimes, few commanders who led brigades responsible for the killings and later rose through the military ranks have been held accountable. It is still unclear whether the Special Jurisdiction for Peace -which will hear cases of crimes related to the armed conflict- will handle these cases.

"If the Special Jurisdiction for Peace handles false positive killings and applies the legislature's distorted definition of command responsibility, senior officers responsible for these appalling murders may never face justice," Vivanco said.

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Turkey: Free Rights Defenders Immediately

Publisher Human Rights Watch Publication Date 6 July 2017 Cite as Human Rights Watch, Turkey: Free Rights Defenders Immediately, 6 July 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/595f402d39.html [accessed 12 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Ten human rights defenders detained on July 5, 2017, in Istanbul on alleged suspicion of membership of an armed organization should be released immediately, Human Rights Watch said today.

Turkish police detained the group of prominent activists at a hotel on the island of Buyukada in Istanbul, where they were attending a workshop on protecting the work of human rights defenders. The activists were subsequently taken to various police stations, and lawyers told Human Rights Watch the rights defenders are under investigation for membership of an armed organization, though there is no information on any evidence against them.

"Detaining some of Turkey's leading rights activists at a training workshop is a repressive new low for the Turkish state," said Hugh Williamson, Europe and Central Asia director at Human Rights Watch. "The Turkish government should ensure their immediate and unconditional release and provide a public explanation of why it is investigating them as members of a terrorist organization."

The detained rights defenders are: Ozlem Dalkran (Citizens' Assembly); lawyer Nalan Erkem (Citizens' Assembly); Ilknur Ustun (Women's Coalition); Idil Eser (Amnesty International Turkey director); Veli Acu (Human Rights Agenda Association); lawyer Gunal Kursun (Human Rights Agenda Association); Seymus Ozbekli (Rights Initiative); Nejat Tastan (Equal Rights Watch Association); Ali Gharavi (information security consultant - Swedish national); and Peter Steudtner (information security consultant - German national). The owner of the hotel where the training was taking place, whose name is unknown, and another unnamed person were also detained.

The 12 were detained a day before high-level meetings in Ankara with the European Union commissioner for enlargement, Johannes Hahn, in an effort to continue the EU-Turkey dialogue. Hahn should condemn the detentions to the highest levels of Turkish government and publicly call for the human rights defenders to be unconditionally released, Human Rights Watch said.

The police initially informed lawyers acting for the detained human rights defenders that the authorities were acting on an unspecified tip and announced that the detainees would not be allowed access to their lawyers for 24 hours, a measure permissible for organized crime and crimes punishable under Turkey's Anti-Terror Law. The activists finally met with their lawyers on the afternoon of July 6 and the lawyers learned that their clients are being investigated for membership of an armed organization, a terrorist offense, and may be held for seven days. There is no information about any evidence to support such an investigation or on why the human rights defenders are being targeted.

The pro-government media have smeared the detained activists with the label "agents," a term they often use to defame government critics and foreigners in Turkey. The same media reports also allude to a meeting of foreigners in a hotel on Buyukada at the time of the July 15, 2016 coup attempt in Turkey. The pro-government media claimed at the time that the gathering was a meeting of CIA agents involved in the coup plot.

The new arrests follow the arrest of the chair of Amnesty Turkey, Taner Klc a human rights lawyer, on June 6. Klc is in pretrial detention pending the completion of a criminal investigation for which he will face trumped up terrorism charges.

"The dubious circumstances in which Turkey arrested the rights activists points to the alleged charges being arbitrary and unfounded," Williamson said. "We are witnessing how far the Turkish state will go in its assault on human rights."

Copyright notice:  Copyright, Human Rights Watch
Peru: Don't Give Fujimori Special Treatment

Publisher Human Rights Watch Publication Date 6 July 2017 Cite as Human Rights Watch, Peru: Don't Give Fujimori Special Treatment, 6 July 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/595f408f4.html [accessed 12 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Peru's government should neither pardon former President Alberto Fujimori nor afford him any other opportunity for an early release from prison that is not broadly available to incarcerated criminals in Peru, Human Rights Watch said today.

On June 22, 2017, the Economist reported that President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski said that the time to secure Fujimori's release from prison was "about now." He later clarified to the Peruvian media that his administration was only evaluating the idea.

"Any pardon or other politically motivated release of Fujimori would be a slap in the face to victims of atrocities in Peru and a major setback for the rule of law in the country," said Jose Miguel Vivanco, Americas director at Human Rights Watch. "If there are legitimate health or humanitarian grounds for an early release, that option could be considered, but only through the same standards and procedures applicable to anyone else serving a prison sentence in Peru."

Fujimori was sentenced in 2009 to 25 years in prison for human rights violations, including his role in the extrajudicial execution of 15 people in the Barrios Altos district of Lima, the enforced disappearance and murder of nine students and a teacher from La Cantuta University, and two abductions.

The Peruvian Constitution grants the president the power to issue pardons. However, it also states that the rights recognized in the constitution should be interpreted in accordance with international treaties ratified by Peru.

The Inter-American Court on Human Rights, whose judgments based on the American Convention on Human Rights are binding on Peru, has repeatedly ruled that "all amnesty provisions, and the establishment of measures designed to eliminate responsibility [for serious human rights violations] are inadmissible under the convention, because they are intended to prevent the investigation and punishment of those responsible for serious human rights violations such as torture, extra-legal, summary or arbitrary execution and forced disappearance." Victims should be entitled to an effective remedy under domestic law, including sanctions adequate to ensure meaningful accountability for serious human rights violations.

Short of a pardon, the most widely discussed avenue the government might use to secure Fujimori's release would be procedures that allow for the release on humanitarian grounds of prisoners who are seriously ill. A 2013 effort to use these procedures to push for Fujimori's release did not move forward because a medical team required to evaluate the prisoner's medical conditions under Peruvian law ruled that Fujimori's health conditions did not warrant his release. There are many situations in which countries can and even should allow for the possible early release of prisoners serving lengthy prison terms. However, the procedures for such releases should not be subject to political manipulation for the benefit of powerful or well-connected prisoners.

Kuczynski had, in the past, repeatedly said he would not pardon Fujimori. Although the president denies it, his apparent change of heart seems to be a reaction to growing pressure from Fujimori supporters who control the country's Congress under the lead of Keiko Fujimori, Alberto Fujimori's daughter and the runner-up in the 2016 tight presidential elections that Kuczynski won.

"The government should not just trade away the justice victims are entitled to as part of some political bargain," Vivanco said. "We hope President Kuczynski will not yield to the pressure to pardon Fujimori."

Copyright notice:  Copyright, Human Rights Watch
Russia: Peaceful Protesters Detained, Abused

Publisher Human Rights Watch Publication Date 7 July 2017 Cite as Human Rights Watch, Russia: Peaceful Protesters Detained, Abused, 7 July 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/595f411c4.html [accessed 12 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Russian police arbitrarily detained hundreds of people during peaceful protests on June 12, 2017, in Moscow and St. Petersburg, Human Rights Watch said today. Human Rights Watch interviewed more than a dozen people detained during the protests.

Riot police in both cities used excessive force against protesters. If protesters questioned their detentions or refused to go willingly, the police handled them roughly and in some cases dragged them on the ground, beat them with truncheons, kicked them with booted feet, and punched them. Some of the abuse took place in full view of observers who filmed it with video cameras and cell phones. People also experienced ill-treatment near or inside police buses.

"The mass detentions on June 12 were arbitrary and abusive," said Tanya Lokshina, Russia program director at Human Rights Watch. "People have a right to free assembly, authorized or not."

Thousands of people gathered in Moscow and St. Petersburg to protest corruption on June 12, the second time in three months. Police detained 866 people in Moscow, including 132 children, and 658 people in St. Petersburg, about 10 percent of them children.

Among those detained in both cities were protesters, passersby, human rights advocates, and journalists. Witnesses and former detainees told Human Rights Watch that police arrested people who were not causing a disturbance and in many cases were not even chanting slogans or carrying posters, and charged them with violating regulations on mass gatherings or resisting police orders. The chairperson of President Vladimir Putin's Human Rights Council, Mikhail Fedotov, said that in St. Petersburg, "People were detained irrespective of whether they violated public order or not. And this is inconsistent with the law."

Human Rights Watch interviewed nine people who were detained in Moscow and released several hours later, either without charge or pending court hearings. One protester interviewed in Moscow spent a week in hospital with a concussion and other trauma after a riot police officer hit her. We also interviewed four people who were detained in St. Petersburg and spent between 30 and 50 hours in police custody in severely overcrowded cells that lacked proper sanitation and other basic necessities. Protesters, rights advocates, and lawyers in both cities told Human Rights Watch that riot police officers' badges were hidden by bulletproof vests, so it was impossible to identify them and they ignored protesters' requests to identify themselves.

The protesters detained in St. Petersburg were held at precincts that were not designed to accommodate large numbers of overnight detainees. Detainees had to take turns sleeping on the floor or in chairs. They had to rely on rights activists to bring them food and drinking water. Police officials at some of the precincts denied lawyers and lay advocates access to their clients. Police officials who take people into custody have an obligation to provide them with decent accommodations and to meet their basic needs, Human Rights Watch said.

Detainees in both cities described identical, rubber-stamped police charge sheets. Not all those charged had had their administrative court hearings by the time they spoke with Human Rights Watch, but most of those who did were fined between 3,000 and 15,000 rubles (about US$50 to US$250) and/or sentenced to up to 15 days in detention. In some cases, authorities in St. Petersburg would not allow lay advocates, journalists, and observers into the courtrooms where hearings were held.

Russia is a party to the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), both of which guarantee the right to peaceful assembly, as does the Russian constitution. The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR), has repeatedly emphasized that a lack of authorization for a peaceful protest does not justify infringements on freedom of assembly, but rather that the authorities should show tolerance toward protesters.

The ECtHR has also made it clear that the freedom to take part in a peaceful assembly is so important that participants should not be subjected to any penalty - even at the lower end of the scale - for participation in a demonstration that has been prohibited, so long as the person does not commit any individual reprehensible act. The government also has a duty to investigate and remedy violations of the right to assembly.

"Peaceful protesters shouldn't be detained in the first place, nor should they be beaten or abused or held in dreadful conditions," Lokshina said. "Russian authorities should uphold the rule of law and ensure accountability for excessive use of force and other violations against peaceful protesters."

June 12 Protests in Moscow and St. Petersburg

June 12 was Russia Day, a public holiday. Moscow authorities had approved an anti-corruption rally on that day on Sakharov Avenue in the city center. However, on June 11, one of the key organizers, leading opposition politician Alexei Navalny, announced that the authorities had interfered with the construction of the stage and delivery of sound equipment and called on his supporters to gather at Tverskaya Street, Moscow's main thoroughfare, at 2 p.m. Moscow authorities warned those intending to follow Navalny's call that Tverskaya Street was the site for the official Russia Day festivities and that police would not allow any unsanctioned gatherings there.

The head of Moscow's department for regional security described Navalny's call as provocative. Riot police detained Navalny just after 1 p.m, on June 12 and on June 13, a Moscow court sentenced him to 30 days in detention for repeated violations of regulations on public gatherings. On June 16, an appeals court reduced the sentence to 25 days. The approved demonstration on Sakharov Avenue took place without any police interference.

The authorities in St. Petersburg refused to approve an anti-corruption rally at Marsovo Polye, in the city center, for which the organizers had filed a notification well in advance. Citing official festivities at that location, officials suggested that the protesters gather in Udelny Park, on the city's outskirts. Organizers rejected this option due to its remote location and went ahead with the original plan, despite the authorities' warnings that protesters would be detained.

Mass Detentions

There was a large-scale police presence at both unapproved protest sites. The exact numbers of protesters in both cities are difficult to estimate but the scope of detentions was clearly massive.

Moscow city authorities estimated that about 5,000 protesters came to Tverskaya Street. It is difficult to assess this estimate, considering that the protesters joined the crowds gathered there for official festivities. According to OVD-Info, a prominent independent group monitoring arbitrary detentions and police abuse, Moscow authorities detained 866 protesters. According to Moscow's regional security department, 132 of those detained were under age 18.

The children were released to their parents on the same day. All except 32 of the adult detainees were released from custody before midnight or just after, either without charge or pending administrative court hearings for violating regulations on public gatherings. A spokesman for OVD-Info, Grigory Okhotin, told Human Rights Watch that the 32 protesters held overnight included prominent political activists who were charged with disobeying police orders and violating regulations on public gatherings. Most were sentenced to between seven and 15 days in detention.

In St. Petersburg, local authorities estimated that at least 3,500 people participated in the protests, while the organizers spoke of larger numbers. According to OVD-Info, police in St. Petersburg detained 658 people. Alexandra Krylenkova, a leading activist with the St. Petersburg Support Group for Detainees (SGD), an ad hoc coalition of local rights groups and volunteers, told Human Rights Watch that "the only people the police authorities released by the end of the day were those under 18 and people with disabilities."

The authorities released the children to their parents, bringing administrative proceedings against some of the parents for "failure to execute child-rearing responsibilities." The 542 people not released that day spent one or two nights in police custody awaiting court hearings. With very few exceptions, they were charged with violating regulations on public gatherings and disobeying police orders. About 150 of them were sentenced to one to 15 days of detention; the rest were fined.

Peaceful Protests, Violent Response

The protests in Moscow and St. Petersburg were peaceful. The only violent incident in Moscow occurred when a 17-year-old boy allegedly sprayed pepper gas into the face of a riot police officer. Law enforcement authorities opened a criminal investigation, and on June 16 a Moscow court placed the teenager under house arrest.

In St. Petersburg, authorities detained a 17-year-old youth activist with Yabloko, a liberal political party in opposition to the Kremlin, and put him under house arrest for allegedly hitting a riot policeman in the face and breaking his tooth. However, a publicly available video of the incident shows the policeman slipping and hitting his chin on the boy's head as a group of police attempt to detain the boy. Authorities in St. Petersburg also put under house arrest a 32-year-old man who had allegedly hit a riot police officer on the back with his fist. The officer was wearing a bulletproof vest and was not injured.

Riot police in some cases used excessive force against protesters in both cities. Some of the beatings and other abuse took place in full view of observers who filmed them with video cameras and cellphones. People were also ill-treated next to or inside police buses.

The spokespeople for OVD-Info and SGD, 13 of those detained in both cities, and a protester who successfully fled police in St. Petersburg, all told Human Rights Watch that when detaining peaceful protesters, the riot police did not distinguish between those who held political posters or chanted slogans and those who were simply standing there. All said that the police seemed to be trying to detain as many protesters as possible.

"They detained everyone they could get their hands on," one St. Petersburg protester said. "The only reason I wasn't detained is that I managed to escape the riot policemen who were chasing me."

Numerous videos from both protests reviewed by Human Rights Watch show protesters singing songs, including Russia's national anthem, waving Russian flags, holding hands, dancing, and sometimes chanting political slogans, but not engaging in any aggressive behavior.

Nikita Chorny, 18, who was detained in St. Petersburg just 15 minutes after he had arrived at Marsovo Polye, said he just "stood there quietly without any posters." Riot police officials encircled a group of protesters, pushing them close together, then pulling some people out of the crowd and taking them to police buses parked nearby. Chorny was among those randomly picked out.

Yulia Galyamina, 44, a civic activist who was hit by a riot policeman in Moscow, and her husband, Nikolai Tuzhilin, 47, said that at about 4:50 p.m. police moved in on peaceful protesters who had gathered near the Izvestia building on Tverskaya Street. They said police effectively encircled a crowd of up to a thousand protesters. Most were simply standing there, but in the middle of the crowd a group of 100 to 200 activists, mainly youth, walked in a circle singing. Once in a while, some of them would shout an anti-corruption slogan.

Tuzhilin said:

Nothing was happening really, and we were about to leave Then [riot police] just moved on the crowd snatching people and dragging them off. It seemed like they were trying to quickly round up as many as possible. We were in the center of a large group of people and I was hugging Yulia from behind to prevent [police] from dragging her off. Some of us formed a chain to make it more difficult [for the police] to pick us off, one by one.

Galyamina said that a policeman hit her in the face as the police were breaking up the chain of protesters. She lost consciousness for a few seconds. When Galyamina came to, she and her husband, who had been holding on to her, were both lying on the ground. Galyamina spent a week in a hospital. Doctors diagnosed a concussion, bruising to the upper rib cage, and traumatic dislocation of three teeth, which Galymina said felt "wobbly."

Tuzhilin was detained. He said that police officials put him up against the police bus and kicked him hard on his legs, causing bruising. Police released Tuzhilin from custody just after 11 p.m., pending court hearing for violating regulations on public gatherings. On June 20, Galyamina filed a complaint with the Investigation Committee of the Russian Federation, the country's chief investigative agency, detailing police abuse against her and her husband.

Lucy Shteyn, 21, a candidate in the September Moscow municipal council election, was detained by riot police on Tverskaya Street at about 4 p.m. She also said that police circled and squeezed people together:

Occasionally, they took some random ones from the crowd and dragged them off. At some point, riot police started pushing protesters into the underground pass People were falling on each other and then I was suddenly very close to some riot policemen and they started pushing me with their truncheon. I said that I had the right to stand where I was and there's no reason for me to move... I asked why they were pushing me.

Two police officials then detained Shteyn and she spent about four hours at a police precinct. She said her court hearing on violating public gatherings regulations was pending.

Irina Murtazina, 19, said she was detained in St. Petersburg though she wasn't involved with the protest. She told Meduza, an independent online media outlet, that riot police officials "hit [her] with a truncheon and kicked [her]." A court subsequently sentenced her to eight days in detention.

Most of those Human Rights Watch interviewed said that riot police officials' badges were hidden by bulletproof vests, so it was impossible to identify them. Police ignored protesters' requests to identify themselves. This situation is typical for police detentions at public rallies in Russia and is a severe obstacle to holding police accountable for beatings and other ill-treatment.

Passersby, Journalists, and Rights Advocates Detained

Two protesters detained in Moscow said that several people in the police buses with them said they had not been protesting but happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. OVD-Info also published the personal stories of several detained people who apparently had nothing to do with the protest. One of them alleged riot police officials beat him on the ribs with a truncheon.

Krylenkova told Human Rights Watch that among the detainees in St. Petersburg there were, for example, a man from out of town who was out for a stroll with his wife and small daughter, a young woman waiting for her date, several journalists, and several human rights activists, including two members of SGD who were there to monitor the protest and help those arbitrary detained:

This was unprecedented. I've monitored many [unsanctioned] public gatherings in St. Petersburg and the police tended to be selective, typically going after the most active protesters, those who chanted slogans. But on June 12 it was totally open season - they just grabbed everyone who didn't manage to dodge them, including even those who were not involved in the protest.

Two members of President Putin's Human Rights Council, Ella Polyakova and Natalia Evdokimova, who were observing the rally in St. Petersburg, were also detained, dragged into a police bus, and taken to a police precinct. Following the intervention of high-level officials, both were quickly released without charge.

Journalists detained in St. Petersburg included Ksenia Morozova from Sobaka.Ru and David Frenkel, a photographer working with Kommersant Daily and Mediazona. Both were covering the rally and had press cards. Police also detained Varvara Mikhaylova, 25, an activist with SGD, when she urged police not to detain Frenkel.

Frenkel was released the same day without charge. Ksenia Morozova, on whose behalf the St. Petersburg Union of Journalists intervened with the authorities, was nevertheless charged with violating regulations on public gatherings and disobeying police orders. She was sentenced to 10 days' detention and fined 12,000 rubles (about US$200).

Denis Styazhkin, 29, a journalist and civic activist, said that he was covering the Tverskaya protest, had no poster, and chanted no slogans. He was taking pictures of protesters being detained when police officials arrested him. He showed his press card and explained that he was on assignment. "They ordered me onto a police bus, claiming they just wanted to run an identity check, but once I was inside, they started treating me like a regular detainee," Styazhkin said. He spent several hours at a police precinct and was finally released without charge.

Detainees Held in Poor Conditions

In St. Petersburg, law enforcement authorities unjustifiably kept most of the detainees in custody until their court hearings. Local police precincts were clearly unable to cope with the staggering number of detained protesters as they were not equipped to hold that many detainees overnight, let alone for two nights. They had no showers and insufficient space. Detainees had to take turns sleeping, some on the floor, others in hard seats. The toilets were dirty. The detainees interviewed described stagnant air, stench, filth, and sleep deprivation.

SGD provided protesters in custody with sleeping mats, bottled water, nonperishable food, and other basic necessities that the authorities did not provide despite being responsible for the well-being of those in their custody. At some of the precincts, police officials told detainees that they had no budget to feed them. One detainee said that when she asked for hot water so that she and other detainees could make instant noodle soup delivered by volunteers, the police refused, leaving the detainees with a choice of eating dry noodles or going hungry.

Krylenkova, who spoke with many of the detainees, said:

Some of the police precincts were hell. No beds, nothing. It was stuffy to the point of suffocation. The smells The condensation on the walls No place to wash and the stink getting worse and worse with so many people stuck there for one night, then two nights going practically without sleep all that time.

Several detainees described being held overnight in conference rooms. Mikhaylova, the SGD activist arrested when urging police to release a journalist, said that during the first of the two nights she spent detained in St. Petersburg, 16 protesters had to share six beds, and on the second night police officials simply told them to sleep on chairs in the hallway with the lights on. "It was incredibly agonizing," she said. "No one could get any sleep the first night and on the second night everyone was in a state of delirium. Some were taken to court in the middle of the night"

Asta K., 25, an SGD activist who observed the rally at Marsovo Polye, said that riot police detained him at 3:40 p.m., when he attempted to pass a folder with legal guidelines into a police bus holding 33 detainees. The officials pushed him inside the bus, where he remained as the bus was dropping off small groups of detainees at various police precincts. Asta K. was in the last group to be dropped off, at 11:30 p.m. Asta K. said that during the eight hours on the bus the detainees had only limited access to water and their requests to go to the toilet were denied. They spent the first night in a precinct assembly hall sitting on chairs. At about 6 a.m., police officials took them to the cells, where they could sleep, some on the bare floor and others on thin mats.

OVD-Info reported that police at precinct #33 in St. Petersburg used pepper spray on a detainee who had not been a protester and who was screaming and throwing his body against his cell's walls. The gas spread to the rest of the holding area through the ventilation system, affecting all the 17 detained protesters. OVD-Info published excerpts of accounts from several affected protesters. One said:

We began to suffocate The [young women] who were with me [in the same cell] started knocking [on the door], begging [police officials] to  help us. One of them opened [the door] and then closed it again. I [was] trying to inhale and could not Finally, they [police] let us out into some tiny supply closet with a window. . .[Police] refused to call us an ambulance One of the detained men managed to sneak a phone into the cell, so he called for the ambulance.

When the ambulance arrived, medical workers intervened with the police and the officials unlocked the cell with the men and took all of the detainees into the basement, where they had to sleep on chairs and remained until about 8 p.m. the next day.

Chorny, the teenager arrested at random in St. Petersburg, had to be briefly hospitalized when, after 30 hours in police detention, his blood pressure spiked. Police called an ambulance and he received hospital treatment. Chorny went home from the hospital, but two weeks later he received a police summons in the mail requiring him to go to the precinct and speak with police regarding his charges. The authorities informed him that his court hearing on violating regulations on public gatherings had been scheduled for July 5. Chorny chose not to attend the court hearing and was sanctioned in absentia for violating regulations on public gatherings.

The eight protesters Human Rights Watch interviewed who had been detained in Moscow had no complaints about the detention conditions and police conduct at the precincts. One of them said:

Once we got to the police station it was basically bureaucratic drudgery - the waiting, the compiling of charges  Over 20 of us [detainees] were brought there, and I was stuck longer than three hours [the time allowed by Russian law] but they [police] apologized and said they were doing their utmost to process the papers as fast as possible. They were polite, did not bait us, did not make any inappropriate comments.

This description is consistent with accounts from other Moscow detainees interviewed. However, OVD-Info reported that among the three dozen Moscow protesters held overnight, three spent the night outdoors in the courtyard of the Alexeevsky precinct because the police "had no space for them inside" with seven other protesters already "hosted" there.

Administrative Court Hearings

The Moscow protesters interviewed were still waiting for their administrative court hearings or had been released without charge. All the St. Petersburg protesters interviewed, except Chorny, had already had their court hearings, which they said were rushed and fraught with procedural violations. Judges rubber-stamped police allegations in their rulings without taking into account the defense arguments or giving the defense an opportunity to argue their position. Some of the hearings were in effect closed to journalists and observers, and in some cases lawyers and lay advocates could not access detainees.

Three detainees who spent between 30 and 50 hours in police custody in St. Petersburg said that by the time their court hearings took place they were incoherent from exhaustion and barely had the energy to protest procedural violations, which included lack of access to their lawyers or lay advocates.

One of them summarized her own court experience, and what she observed:

Some of us were taken to court in the middle of the night. And many of those hearings lasted for several minutes. So, what sort of justice can be there?... [Many] people had no legal aid. Their lay representatives were prevented from participating in the hearings. Judges did not let journalists and observers into the courtrooms. Some of the hearings were practically closed. And then the detainees were simply slapped with very similar sanctions.

SGD's representatives attended numerous court hearings. Summing up the group's observations in courts, Krylenkova said that in some cases the authorities denied lay representatives and observers access to courtrooms. She also said that defense attorneys were generally allowed to represent their clients in court, but that law enforcement officials hinted to some detainees who had professional lawyers that the lawyers' participation would only result in tougher sanctions against them.

Asta K., the SGD activist, said that police officials took him to court late at night on July 13, after close to 36 hours in detention. The court did not take into account the arguments he presented, including that he was an observer, not a participant, and fined him 15,200 rubles (about US$253).

Asta K. said:

The charge sheet [reviewed by Human Rights Watch] basically said I was in the crowd of people shouting anti-government slogans and carrying banners. And that made me a participant. It's just absurd. But the court apparently didn't think so I feel lucky that, unlike so many others, I got away with only a fine."

Methodology

Human Rights Watch interviewed 13 people who were detained at the June 12 protests in Moscow and St. Petersburg, two protesters (one from each city) who did not spend any time in police custody, as well as two lawyers representing several detained protesters. Human Rights Watch also interviewed several representatives of nongovernmental organizations in Moscow and St. Petersburg that were working to document police abuses at public protests and provide support to detained protesters. Human Rights Watch informed interviewees of the purpose of the interview, that they would receive no personal service or benefit, and that the interviews were completely voluntary. Interviewees gave oral informed consent to be interviewed. All the interviews were carried out in Russian by a native speaker of Russian. Human Rights Watch also studied several charge sheets and medical documents and carried out extensive social media and press monitoring.

Copyright notice:  Copyright, Human Rights Watch
Ghana: People with Disabilities Freed from Chains

Publisher Human Rights Watch Publication Date 7 July 2017 Cite as Human Rights Watch, Ghana: People with Disabilities Freed from Chains, 7 July 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/595f43034.html [accessed 12 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

The Mental Health Authority of Ghana has taken steps to release 16 people, including two girls, held in shackles at Nyakumasi Prayer Camp, a spiritual healing center in the Central Region. Those freed, some of whom have mental health conditions, were taken to nearby Ankaful Psychiatric Hospital on June 30, 2017.

The government should adopt and enforce a ban on shackling, said a coalition of nongovernmental and advocacy groups including MindFreedom Ghana, Mental Health Society of Ghana, Basic Needs, Law and Development Associates, Human Rights Watch, CBM, and Disability Rights Advocacy Fund. The focus now should be on investing in appropriate community-based services to support people with mental health conditions to live full and independent lives in the community and ensuring that any mental health services are based on each individual's free and informed consent.

"Shackling people because of a real or perceived mental health condition is no way to treat a fellow human being," said Dan Taylor, director of MindFreedom Ghana."People with psychosocial disabilities deserve the same rights and dignity as anyone else. And this will require the government and donors to invest in support services at the community level."

On June 23, the Mental Health Authority met with people from groups representing people with disabilities, other nongovernmental groups, mental health professionals, human rights experts, religious leaders, and traditional healers to discuss proposed guidelines in mental health care for traditional and faith-based healers.

In a meeting with Human Rights Watch in April, the head of the Mental Health Authority, Dr. Akwasi Osei, pledged to step up its efforts to address human rights abuses against people with psychosocial disabilities. These efforts will include adopting these guidelines and setting up regular monitoring visits to some of Ghana's prayer camps.

With support from the UK Department for International Development, the Mental Health Authority has visited some prayer camps and pushed to end the practice of shackling people with psychosocial disabilities.

"The consequences of not providing support in the community are dire," said Shantha Rau Barriga, director of disability rights at Human Rights Watch. "The government needs to work with its international partners, such as the UK, to make sure that those who are freed from shackles can get voluntary mental health care, housing and independent living support, and job training."

In an April visit to Nyakumasi Prayer Camp in Cape Coast region, Human Rights Watch found more than more than 15 people in shackles. These included a 12-year-old girl who had an intellectual disability and did not speak. The staff did not even know her name. Another girl, 15, said her mother brought her to the camp because she wanted to run away from home. "I've been chained here for two months," she said. "I never left this place. I bathe, eat, and sleep here. That's what I do daily. I would rather go to school."

In visits to Ghana in 2013 and 2015, the United Nations expert on torture, Juan Mendez, documented cases of shackling and denial of food and water to people with psychosocial disabilities in prayer camps, including children as young as 7. International law does not permit restraining people on the grounds that they have a disability. Human Rights Watch issued a report in 2012 with similar findings.

Human Rights Watch also found that thousands of people with psychosocial disabilities are forced to live in psychiatric hospitals and prayer camps, often against their will, subject to involuntary treatment and with little possibility of challenging their confinement or treatment.

Ghana's Mental Health Authority was created under the Mental Health Act of 2012; and it was inaugurated in November 2013. While the act requires the government to set up regional mental health committees responsible for monitoring mental health facilities across the country, they are yet to be established. There is an urgent need for government oversight of prayer camps and mental hospitals where people with mental health conditions are suffering horrific abuse, the coalition said.

Parliament should adopt the Legislative Instrument to enable the government to implement the Mental Health Act as a matter of priority, the coalition said.

Mendez, the UN expert on torture, and Human Rights Watch have called for prohibiting chaining and other forms of prolonged restraint. In his 2013 report, Mendez called for "an absolute ban on all coercive and non-consensual measures, including restraint and solitary confinement of people with psychological or intellectual disabilities, [that] should apply in all places of deprivation of liberty, including in psychiatric and social care institutions."

"People with psychosocial disabilities need support, not shackling and forced treatment," said Diana Samarasan, Founding Executive Director of the Disability Rights Fund and the Disability Rights Advocacy Fund. "The government of Ghana and its international partners should put adequate resources into community-based services that respect the rights of people with psychosocial disabilities to live in the community with the support they need."

Copyright notice:  Copyright, Human Rights Watch
Journalist imprisoned in violation of Niger's press law

Publisher Reporters Without Borders Publication Date 6 July 2017 Cite as Reporters Without Borders, Journalist imprisoned in violation of Niger's press law, 6 July 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/595f438a4.html [accessed 12 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) condemns the latest judicial proceedings against Ali Soumana, a newspaper journalist who is often critical of Niger's government. He is currently facing up to five years in prison on a charge of publishing stolen documents.

The publisher of the weekly Le Courrier, Ali Soumana has been held for the past week for publishing the public prosecutor's summing-up in a five-year-old legal dispute between Niger and a Lebanese company called Africard.

He was originally charged with violating the confidentiality of a judicial investigation but the charge was changed on 3 July, after he had spent four days in police custody and the police had carried out a search of his home.

He is now in prison awaiting trial on a charge of obtaining a judicial document by fraudulent means, a crime punishable by up to five years in jail under article 194 of the Penal Code.

Press law violation

Niger's 2010 press law prohibits jail sentences for press offences, which are punishable only by fines. Although Soumana acted as a journalist, the new charge allows the judicial authorities to circumvent the press law and prosecute him under the penal code, whose punishments are much more severe.

RSF regards this as a blatant violation of the press law. By proceeding against Soumana in this way, the authorities are clearly trying to pressure him into revealing his sources, although article 16 of the 2010 press law guarantees the confidentiality of journalists' sources. We call on Niger's authorities to drop the charges against Le Courrier's publisher and to stop persecuting journalists who are just doing their job, which is to report what is happening.

Soumana is well known to RSF. He was previously prosecuted last year, when he was detained for ten days and was given a three-month suspended jail sentence on a charge of "divulging documents seized during a search" and trying to "discredit a judicial decision."

Niger is ranked 61st out of 180 countries in RSF's 2017 World Press Freedom Index, nine places lower than in 2016.
Yemen's Houthi Missiles Keep Saudi Arabia Mired in Conflict

Publisher Jamestown Foundation Author Lucas Winter Publication Date 30 June 2017 Citation / Document Symbol Terrorism Monitor Volume: 15 Issue: 13 Cite as Jamestown Foundation, Yemen's Houthi Missiles Keep Saudi Arabia Mired in Conflict, 30 June 2017, Terrorism Monitor Volume: 15 Issue: 13, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/595f48344.html [accessed 12 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Link to original story on Jamestown website

Missiles launched at Saudi Arabia by Yemen's Houthi fighters have proved to be wildly inaccurate as regards their targets but largely effective in terms of their media impact, frustrating Saudi claims to have eroded the fighters' capabilities. Indeed, concerns over Yemen's missile stockpiles have proved to be a key concern for Saudi Arabia and its Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) allies ever since longtime Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh agreed to relinquish political power in November 2011 in exchange for immunity from prosecution.

A key goal of the Yemeni political transitional period was to remove ballistic missile stockpiles from the hands of the Yemeni Republican Guard (YRG), a self-contained elite military force that reported directly to Saleh and fell under the commanded of his son and purported heir, Ahmed. When those efforts failed, the Saudis attempted to destroy the stockpiles militarily, a move that has been only somewhat effective and has contributed significantly to the current conflict.

Yemen's Missile Stockpiles

At the time of Saleh's resignation, most of Yemen's missile systems were stored in fortified compounds belonging to the YRG's 5th and 6th Missile Brigades, located atop Faj Attan, a mountain overlooking the Yemeni capital Sana'a. An additional YRG brigade, the 8th Artillery-Missile Brigade, possessed heavy rocket artillery systems and was based in a neighboring province south of the city.

Open source estimates vary regarding the Yemeni military's ballistic missile capabilities in 2011. Known missile stocks included systems inherited from the stockpiles of North and South Yemen, predating Yemeni unification in 1990. Most important among these were Soviet-era Scud missiles, which the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen (PDRY), or South Yemen, had begun acquiring in the 1970s. They also included the smaller and more mobile SS-21 Scarabs (OTR-21 Tochka), which both the PDRY and the Yemen Arab Republic (YAR), or North Yemen, had purchased in the 1980s.

The former militaries of both North and South Yemen employed some of these missiles during the country's civil war in the summer of 1994. Following the end of the civil war, the Scuds were transferred out of the PDRY's al-Anad missile base near Aden and eventually put under the control of the YRG's 5th and 6th Missile Brigades, headquartered on a hilltop overlooking Sana'a.

A Congressional Research Services report estimated that, in 2004, the unified Yemeni military had 24 SS-21 missiles and 18 SS-1 Scud B missiles, each with fewer than 50 launchers (CRS, March 5, 2004).

During the 2000s, Saleh's government acquired North Korean Scud-type Hwasongs, including 15 missiles that were seized in transit but subsequently released to the Saleh government. According to one estimate, the Saleh government purchased 45 Hwasong-6 (Scud-C variant) missiles in the 2000s. [1] Unconfirmed rumors that it had also acquired Hwasong-10 (BM-25 Musudan) missile systems from North Korea have been repeatedly mentioned in Yemeni media, especially since 2015 (Arabian Gulf Centre for Iranian Studies, November 1, 2016).

The Yemeni military's missile brigades also possessed decrepit and obsolete FROG-7 (9K52 Luna-M) rocket artillery systems, while its air defense units had SA-2 Guideline (S-75 Dvina) air defense systems that could be modified to function as surface-to-surface ballistic missiles with small warheads.

Most systems were reportedly in poor condition. Some of the North Korean missiles obtained in 2002 were non-functional due to defective parts, according to one account, while both the Scuds and the OTR-21s required the constant attention of foreign experts to remain operational (Oryx Blog, March 29, 2015).

All this notwithstanding, the GCC, and Saudi Arabia in particular, considered the missiles a latent threat, but believed that by removing Saleh's relatives from positions of power, particularly within the YRG, it could be largely neutralized.

Taking Control

In February 2012, former Saleh ally and longtime vice-president Abd Rabbo Mansour Hadi became president for the GCC-backed two-year transitional period. Shortly thereafter, the interim government began issuing decrees removing Saleh's close relatives from top military and security posts.

In mid-December 2012, it ordered all three of the YRG's missile brigades - the 5th and 6th Missile Brigades and the 8th Artillery-Missile Brigade - to be incorporated into a newly created "Missile Brigades Group." The decree implied that Ahmed Saleh and the YRG would relinquish control of all ballistic missiles.

Although on paper the new missiles brigades responded directly to President Hadi, in reality the president held limited sway over its commanders. [2] Saleh, who while in power had controlled the Yemeni armed forces through a mixture of corruption, intrigue and influence peddling, continued to exert important influence. His more than 30 years of rule had provided military officers with great social and material benefits, and many of them were reluctant to fully break with him and his allies.

Initially, Yemeni media outlets reported that Ahmed Saleh had refused to hand over the missiles, or claimed that loyalists had hidden many of them in the mountains surrounding the capital (Yemen Press, December 10, 2012; Mareb Press, August 14, 2011). By late December 2012, however, he had begun handing over the missiles to purportedly neutral military leaders, with only the 8th Artillery-Missile Brigade, which had no functional missile systems, relinquished directly to Saleh's adversaries. The fate of mobile missile systems was unclear.

In March 2013, the transitional government attempted to transfer missiles from the 5th and 6th Brigades' bases in Faj Attan to the former PDRY missile base in President Hadi's home province of Lahj (al-Wasat, March 28, 2013). These efforts were reportedly blocked by Yemeni military commanders who balked at the idea of ceding the missiles to commanders of former South Yemen.

Operation Decisive Storm

By April 2013, the Hadi government had successfully removed Saleh's relatives from their positions and dissolved the YRG, merging the nearly two-dozen constituent brigades into a smattering of new units, some under the conventional military chain of command and others reporting directly to the president.

This apparently successful restructuring masked a growing power vacuum created by the failed transitional process, which formally ended in early 2014. Over the following months, Yemen's rudderless government teetered toward insolvency and found itself increasingly unable to govern. By the summer of 2014, many former YRG units - including the missile brigades - were in mutinous disarray over unpaid bonuses and salaries (al-Araby al-Jadid, September 9, 2014).

The downward spiral came to a sudden halt in September 2014, when the Houthi takeover of Sanaa injected new life into Yemen's crumbling armed forces.

Having fought government forces intermittently between 2004 and 2010, when Saleh resigned in 2011, the Houthis began pushing outward from their strongholds in Yemen's Saada province.

In the second half of 2013, they allied with Saleh loyalists against GCC-backed groups that were increasingly dominating the transitional government, and in the summer of 2014, Houthi gunmen began setting up checkpoints on roads into the capital. As tensions increased, former YRG forces guarding the city declared themselves neutral. However, by refusing to block the Houthis' entry, these troops signaled their allegiance was not with the interim government.

In September 2014, the Houthis seized Sana'a. The takeover brought the moribund GCC-led transitional period to an abrupt end. According to a high-level defector from the movement, an immediate Houthi priority was to gain control over what remained of Yemen's elite military forces and their armaments, in particular the YRG (al-Tagheer, October 12, 2016).

In mid-December 2014, Yemeni media reported that Houthi fighters had approached the gates of the Faj Attan base, home to Yemen's fixed ballistic missile systems (al-Jazeera, December 11, 2014). Although the government initially denied that there was any reason for concern, by late January 2015, Yemeni media was reporting that the Houthis had possibly taken over the base (al-Bawaba, December 11, 2014; IINA, January 21, 2015).

Saudi Arabia feared it would be the intended target of any captured missiles. As early as November 2014, there were claims that the Houthis had transported mobile missile systems to their northern strongholds along the border and pointed them toward the Kingdom (Yemen Press, November 27, 2014).

In March 2015, GCC states, led by Saudi Arabia, launched an aerial bombing campaign named Decisive Storm, intended to counter the perceived threat of the Houthi "armed buildup including heavy weapons and missiles on the borders of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia" (Embassy of Saudi Arabia, March 26, 2015). Yemen's ballistic missile systems were among the campaign's primary targets.

In March and April 2015, massive amounts of ordnance were dropped on Faj Attan, where missiles were stored in underground depots protected by a thick layer of rock (al-Araby al-Jadid, May 23, 2015). The coalition also claimed to have targeted mobile missile systems.

The bombing campaign ended on April 21, with Saudi Arabia declaring it a success. GCC military leaders estimated that 80 percent of Yemen's armed forces' 300 missiles had been destroyed, an assessment that proved to be highly inaccurate. [3]

Houthi Response

The GCC's aerial and technological superiority meant that Operation Decisive Storm quickly rendered Yemen's fixed ballistic missile systems ineffective. YRG-Houthi forces countered this asymmetry by employing mobile missiles as insurgent weapons, emphasizing mobility at the expense of accuracy and magnifying their importance in the informational realm.

YRG-Houthi forces launched their first Scud missile toward Saudi Arabia on June 6, 2015. Over the next 18 months, they claimed over two dozen launches toward Saudi Arabia and several others targeting GCC and allied forces within Yemeni territory. [4] According to expert analysis, in the 18 months from June 2015, Saudi Arabian air defenses intercepted 24 out of 33 missiles targeting Saudi territory (CSIS, October 13, 2016).

Although YRG-Houthi capabilities may be inflated - Arabic-language media reports often refer to unguided missile and rocket strikes as ballistic missile attacks - YRG-Houthi forces have used short-distance missiles and rockets extensively to strike Saudi facilities along the border.

Most, if not all, of these rockets and missiles are apparently locally assembled but based on Iranian designs (YJC, July 26, 2016). According to the Houthis, their range is from 15-75 kilometers (km), with warheads ranging from 15 kilograms to half of a ton on the largest of them, the Zalzal-3.

Three types of modified missiles have been launched at Saudi Arabia: the Qaher-1, a S-75 surface-to-air (SAM) missile modified for ground rather than air targeting first used in July 2016; the Burkan-1, a modified Scud-type first launched toward the vital area of al-Taif-Mecca-Jeddah in October 2016; and, the Burkan-2, which was "test-fired" in a launch targeting the Saudi capital Riyadh in February 2017. [5]

Following the model established by Iraqi forces during the First Gulf War, YRG-Houthi forces have leveraged Yemen's advantageous terrain to conceal mobile launchers while also employing tactical deception to thwart GCC Transporter Erector Launchers (TEL) hunting efforts.

As with Iraqi forces 25 years before, YRG-Houthi missiles have largely missed their targets, but YRG-Houthi forces still capitalize on media coverage of the launches - the ability to launch missiles amidst sustained GCC military efforts to deprive them of these very capabilities undermines the credibility of GCC claims regarding the conflict.

The media arm of the YRG-Houthi Missile Forces is active in publicizing new systems and distributing videos of claimed launches. The successful modification of S-75 SAMs and Scud-type missiles is meant to convey a magnified image of domestic production capabilities, even though none of these modified missiles appears to have yet struck a target.

Domestically developed rocket artillery systems are often presented as if they were in the same class of weapons as ballistic missiles. Statements accompanying the launches invariably claim that the target was struck "with great precision," putting the burden of proof of interception on the Saudi military coalition. These inaccurate but heavily publicized missiles have forced Saudi Arabia to deploy a large number of expensive missile defense systems, raising the cost to the Kingdom of waging war.

The GCC coalition and its Yemeni allies have proven ineffective in neutralizing the missile threat posed by the YRG-Houthi alliance. Political attempts between 2012 and 2014 to transfer the missiles into friendly hands failed due to an absence of support within the Yemeni military, while military attempts since 2015 to destroy all missile systems have been thwarted by the YRG-Houthi forces.

The Saudi-led campaign in Yemen, which many expected to be brief and decisive, has turned into a war of attrition with no clear end in sight. Nearly two years after declaring that the majority of Yemen's missile systems had been neutralized, Saudi Arabia faces an adversary whose military resilience is regularly demonstrated through its missile launches.

Lucas Winter is an analyst on the Middle East for the Foreign Military Studies Office (FMSO) at Fort Leavenworth, KS. He has an MA in International Relations from Johns Hopkins SAIS and was an Arabic Language Flagship Fellow in Damascus, Syria in 2006-2007.

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this report are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the official policy or position of the Department of the Army, Department of Defense, or the US government.

The Foreign Military Studies Office (FMSO) assesses regional military and security issues through open-source media and direct engagement with foreign military and security specialists to advise army leadership on issues of policy and planning critical to the US Army and the wider military community.

Notes

[1] See the Nuclear Threat Initiative report on Yemen (updated July, 2016).

[2] The overall missile brigades command was given to Major General Ali Muhsin Muthanna, former commander of a SCUD missile brigade. He was replaced in April 2013 by Mohammed Nasr Ahmed al-Atifi, who was previously commander of the 5th Brigade and who had also commanded a SCUD brigade. In late 2016, al-Atifi was named defense minister in the Huthi-led government based in Sanaa.

[3] The GCC estimate of 300 missiles is significantly higher than pre-2011 estimates of Yemen's missile stockpiles. It is unclear whether this is because it included inoperable systems and short-range rockets, reflected new capabilities acquired after November 2011 or was simply a politically inflated number.

[4] Two strikes using SS-21s within Yemeni territory appear to have caused significant damage to GCC and allied forces - one on 4 September 2015 at a FOB in the desert of Mareb Province, and another on 14 December 2015 near the strategic Bab al-Mandab chokepoint on the Red Sea coast. Following those two successful strikes the GCC deployed Patriot Missiles inside Yemen. According to Mohammed bin Khalid, an influential Saudi military commenter on Twitter, during their first year of deployment in Marib Province the UAE's Patriot batteries had intercepted more than 70 missiles launched by Houthi forces.

[5] The Burkan-1 that was launched toward the vital area of al-Taif-Mecca-Jeddah in October 2016 was likely modeled on the modified SCUDs used by Iraqi forces, which were altered for greater range at the expense of accuracy and payload.

Copyright notice:  2010 The Jamestown Foundation
Haiat Tahrir al-Sham Ascendant in Northwest Syria

Publisher Jamestown Foundation Author Rafid Jaboori Publication Date 30 June 2017 Citation / Document Symbol Terrorism Monitor Volume: 15 Issue: 13 Cite as Jamestown Foundation, Haiat Tahrir al-Sham Ascendant in Northwest Syria, 30 June 2017, Terrorism Monitor Volume: 15 Issue: 13, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/595f4a834.html [accessed 12 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Link to original story on Jamestown website

The fall of the opposition-controlled sector of Aleppo in December last year was a major blow to Syrian rebel groups who had always asserted that they would hold their ground. The city's fall, quickly followed by a Russian-Turkish accord and the sponsorship by those countries of a new round of negotiations with the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, has precipitated changes in the dynamics of intra-opposition relations.

Overall, the rebel movement has become more polarized and prone to infighting, a development that is particularly clear in the country's northwest where the Salafist-jihadist group Liwa al-Aqsa (LAQ) has emerged.

Two large rebel blocs have also grown in prominence - the first a coalition led by the Muslim Brotherhood-rooted Harakat Ahrar al-Sham al-Islamia, widely referred to as Ahrar, and the other an alliance formed by the merger of al-Nusra's Jabhat Fateh al-Sham (JFS) and four other groups into a single organization called Haiat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS).

In an opposition landscape increasingly marred by mistrust and resentment, these two groups have seen their ranks bolstered as clashes between LAQ and other rebels push smaller groups to seek their protection (UltraSawt, February 18).

Liwa al-Aqsa

Following the fall of Aleppo, LAQ was formed from a core group of diehard jihadists left behind after the collapse of Jund al-Aqsa (JAQ), an ally of the al-Qaeda affiliated al-Nusra Front active in northern Syria in the early days of Syria's civil war.

JAQ had close ties to al-Nusra, with JAQ founder Abdul Aziz al-Qatari accompanying Abu Muhammad al-Jolani, the founder of al-Nusra, when he was sent by IS from Iraq to Syria to start the movement. However, while JAQ shared al-Nusra's ideology, it refused to join it in fighting IS when the group separated from al-Nusra in 2013, arguing that there should be no conflict between fellow jihadists.

After the fall of Aleppo, however, JAQ was unable to maintain the position of being distinct from but friendly toward al-Nusra. Instead, it dissolved.

Some former members joined HTS, which had formed in January as the second major step by the al-Nusra Front to demonstrate its disputed claim to have severed ties with al-Qaeda; another contingent, probably due to their ethnic background, joined the Turkistan Islamic Party (TIP), made up primarily of fighters from Central Asian nations (Arabi 21, February 23). The remainder formed LAQ.

Safe Passage Agreement

Fighters with the newly formed group carried out their first attack in early February on several outposts held by Jaish al-Nasr (JAN) and began menacing other groups.

HTS intervened. A meeting between HTS and LAQ leaders was arranged in an attempt to bridge their differences and make peace. HTS raised its concerns over what were then unconfirmed reports that LAQ had declared allegiance to IS (Raqqa Post, February 19; Shaam, February 12).

There was no agreement, and the talks quickly collapsed. LAQ then struck directly against HTS sites and checkpoints (al-Hayat, February 14). Its most devastating attack was against an HTS court in Idlib on February 13, where HTS says the group carried out the summary execution of 45 HTS members and civilians. It later emerged that LAQ had executed 130 prisoners from other rebel groups that it had captured previously (Shaa, February 13). The mass killings, carried out in the town of Khan Sheikhon in Hama, were a tipping point, and HTS decided to move against LAQ on all fronts.

After four days of fighting, with little movement achieved and 50 fighters reportedly killed on either side, another meeting was arranged between representatives of the two groups. Although neither side appears to have convinced the other of their ideological convictions, they were able to negotiate an end to the violence (SOHR, February 22).

The exact terms of the final deal were disputed, but all LAQ fighters eventually withdrew, leaving behind their heavy weaponry in exchange for the safe passage of 600 people (fighters along with their families) to IS strongholds in eastern Hama.

HTS was criticized heavily by other rebel factions for allowing LAQ to withdraw, but the group's decision was pragmatic and removed the presence of a group with IS sympathies from its sphere of influence. Even under pressure, IS' better organized and more ruthless fighters have proved to be difficult opponents for other rebel groups. HTS was keen to avoid becoming mired in such a battle, especially as they entertain the hope that LAQ will eventually embrace their brand and join them, rather than ally with IS (al-Moson, February 18).

Shifting Power Dynamics

Although most LAQ attacks were not directed at HTS - instead they targeted other groups, including HTS' main rival Ahrar - HTS has been able to capitalize on the fluid situation among the opposition and, at present, appears to be the only one with both the capabilities and willingness to tackle LAQ.

HTS has emerged as a dominant rebel power, consolidating its hold in large parts of Idlib and Hama provinces. The group has shown a pragmatic streak, successfully emerging from conflict with IS-linked groups and effectively ending the IS threat to smaller rebel groups in the area. It has brought many of those groups together and its bloody encounter with LAQ has bolstered its claim to be separate from al-Nusra.

However, LAQ has not been defeated. Instead, it has shown that even a small, isolated group can put up a tough fight, avoid punishment for abuses such as the mass execution of prisoners and force a negotiated agreement. Their withdrawal to IS territory also practically guarantees the group will now bolster IS' ranks as IS does not allow independent entities to operate within its structure.

Copyright notice:  2010 The Jamestown Foundation
Iran: Striking Back at Islamic State

Publisher Jamestown Foundation Author Alexander Sehmer Publication Date 30 June 2017 Citation / Document Symbol Terrorism Monitor Volume: 15 Issue: 13 Cite as Jamestown Foundation, Iran: Striking Back at Islamic State, 30 June 2017, Terrorism Monitor Volume: 15 Issue: 13, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/595f4af54.html [accessed 12 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Link to original story on Jamestown website

A coordinated attack in the Iranian capital of Tehran, supposedly by Islamic State (IS), has prompted a furious response from the Iranian government. Among other things, this attack highlighted the sectarian risks engendered by Tehran's efforts in Syria and elsewhere.

On June 7, gunmen wearing suicide vests attacked the Iranian parliament and the mausoleum of the founder of the Islamic Republic, Ayatollah Khomeini, killing at least 13 people and wounding more than 50 others (al-Arabiya, June 7). The events were shocking, not least because Tehran has not seen such violence since the attacks by the Mojahedin-e-Khalq (MEK) in the years after the 1979 Revolution, but also because the targeted sites, both highly symbolic, are considered to be well protected.

IS quickly claimed that it was behind the attack. In response, Tehran launched a ballistic missile strike on IS bases in Syria and vowed further retaliation (YJC, June 21). Such future retaliations will likely also take place in Syria and Iraq. Meanwhile, in Iran, the intelligence services claimed to have rounded up at least 40 people connected to IS (FNA, June 21).

Over the years, Iran has developed a significant and ruthless domestic counter-terrorism operation, in large part a legacy of the MEK's activities in the 1980s. Following the attacks in the capital, Mahmoud Alav, Iran's intelligence minister, was at pains to stress that this has largely been a successful operation, disrupting 25 terror cells in the months prior to the assault on the parliament building (YJC, June 11).

Even so, Iran might have done more to anticipate IS activities within its borders, especially given its role in conflicts abroad, its treatment of minorities at home and IS' avowed anti-Shia ideology. The group appears to have been actively recruiting in Iran since 2014. It also appears to have received backing from Iranian Kurds, who are thought to have been involved in the Tehran attacks (al-Monitor, June 9). Added to this, the Iranian military has reported several instances over the last year in which it has killed supposed IS recruits in Kermanshah, a majority Sunni-Kurdish province in western Iran (al-Arabiya, August 16, 2016).

Unsurprisingly, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corp (IRGC) insisted that Saudi Arabia must also be complicit, vowing in a statement that the "spilled blood of the innocent will not remain unavenged" (al-Jazeera, June 7). Some Iranian officials have extended this threat to the United States and Israel (FNA, June 20). Many see the attack in the light of international attempts to curb Iranian regional influence, coming as it does at a time when Saudi Arabia is punishing Qatar, at least in part, over its friendlier relations toward Tehran.

A more measured Iranian response, however, will be one that examines its own policies in the light of regional sectarianism, which is an issue that is much closer to home.

Copyright notice:  2010 The Jamestown Foundation
Niger: Trouble From the Neighbors

Publisher Jamestown Foundation Author Alexander Sehmer Publication Date 30 June 2017 Citation / Document Symbol Terrorism Monitor Volume: 15 Issue: 13 Cite as Jamestown Foundation, Niger: Trouble From the Neighbors, 30 June 2017, Terrorism Monitor Volume: 15 Issue: 13, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/595f4caf4.html [accessed 12 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Link to original story on Jamestown website

Niger has extended a state of emergency in two of the country's western regions over fears of jihadist attacks. The move, which took effect on June 18, means the security forces can continue to employ extra powers, though their ability to tackle the main threat remains limited as it sits across the border in Mali.

The state of emergency in parts of the Tillaberi and Tahoua regions, two areas that have seen repeated cross-border attacks, was imposed in March (Le Figaro, March 3; Africa News, March 4). It followed a series of bloody attacks, one in February on a military patrol in Interzawane, close to the border with Mali, which left at least 15 soldiers dead and prompted Niger's President Mahamadou Issoufou to request further military support from France (RFI, February 26).

The attacks have eased up only slightly since then. On March 6, militants killed seven members of the security forces and wounded four others in an attack on a guard post in Wanzarbe, in Tillaberi (Sahel Standard, March 6). In May, gunmen killed six members of the security forces in an attack on a military post in Abala, 200 kilometers from the Mali border (Le Monde, June 1).

Following that attack, Niger's security forces rounded up six suspected members of the Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa (MUJAO) (Sahel Intelligence, June 2; Koaci, June 2). With the state of emergency extended for another three months, the military will be able to maintain curfews and traffic restrictions. They also have the right to carry out impromptu searches on people's homes. But with militant attacks focused on the security forces themselves, there can be a limited tolerance for such intrusions. Further adding to tensions, anti-government protesters include the presence of foreign military bases in the country those of the United States, France and Germany  among their complaints.

Without foreign support, however, Niger's overstretched military will struggle to tackle cross-border terror groups. Militants in Mali have consolidated their forces and are becoming increasingly daring. Gunmen apparently from Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimeen, the newly formed al-Qaeda alliance, stormed the high-end Le Campement Kangaba resort in Dougourakoro, east of the Malian capital of Bamako, on June 18, killing at least two people (Africa News, June 19). The attack had the potential to be much worse, but Malian forces, backed by UN and French troops, responded quickly.

Landlocked Niger's geographical position has bequeathed it some difficult neighbors. With Mali and Burkina Faso to the west both coping with Islamist insurgencies, and Boko Haram infiltrating the country in the southeast, Niger remains largely reliant on the efforts of others in order to bring an end to Islamist attacks on its territory.

Copyright notice:  2010 The Jamestown Foundation
Trump has said he wants to find ways to work with Putin.

By Reuters: US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are set to size each other up in person for the first time on Friday in what promises to be the most highly anticipated meeting on the sidelines of the G20 summit.

Trump has said he wants to find ways to work with Putin, a goal made more difficult by sharp differences over Russia's actions in Syria and Ukraine, and allegations Moscow meddled in the 2016 US presidential election.

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That means every facial expression and physical gesture will be analyzed as much as any words the two leaders utter as the world tries to read how well Trump, a real estate magnate and former reality television star, gets along with Putin, a former spy.

The fear is that the Republican president, a political novice whose team is still developing its Russia policy, will be less prepared than Putin, who has dealt with the past two US presidents and scores of other world leaders.

"There's nothing ... the Kremlin would like to see more than a (US) president who will settle for a grip and a grin and walk away saying that he had this fabulous meeting with the Kremlin autocrat," Representative Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the House of Representatives' Intelligence Committee, said in an interview on MSNBC.

TRUMP'S PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN AND RUSSIA

As investigations at home continue into whether there was any collusion between Trump's presidential campaign and Russia, the US president has come under pressure to take a hard line against the Kremlin.

Moscow has denied any interference and Trump says his campaign did not collude with Russia.

On Thursday, Trump won praise from at least one Republican hawk in the US Congress after his speech in Warsaw in which he urged Russia to stop its "destabilizing activities" and end its support for Syria and Iran.

"This is a great start to an important week of American foreign policy," said Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, who has often been critical of Trump on security issues.

But earlier in the day, Trump declined to say definitively whether he believed US intelligence officials who have said that Russia interfered in the 2016 election.

"I think it was Russia but I think it was probably other people and/or countries, and I see nothing wrong with that statement. Nobody really knows. Nobody really knows for sure," Trump said at a news conference, before slamming Democratic former President Barack Obama for not doing more to stop hacking.

SENATORS' CONCERNS

Ahead of Trump's meeting with Putin, three US senators wrote to Trump to express "deep concern" about reports that his administration planned to discuss the return to Russia of diplomatic compounds in Maryland and New York that were seized by the Obama administration last year in response to alleged Russian election meddling.

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Republican Senators Johnny Isakson and Marco Rubio and Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen said returning the facilities would "embolden" Putin and encourage further efforts by Russia to interfere in Western elections. All three are on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

The White House declined to offer details on what Trump would request of Putin and what he might offer in exchange for cooperation.

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Trump wanted to talk about how the two countries can work together to stabilize war-ravaged Syria.

"The United States is prepared to explore the possibility of establishing with Russia joint mechanisms for ensuring stability, including no-fly zones, on-the-ground ceasefire observers, and coordinated delivery of humanitarian assistance," Tillerson said before leaving the United States to join Trump in Germany.

TRUMP TO ENGAGE RUSSIA ON NORTH KOREA

Trump was also grappling with a response to North Korea's successful test of an intercontinental ballistic missile, which analysts say had a long enough range to reach Alaska.

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Curbing Pyongyang's nuclear ambitions has been Trump's most pressing foreign policy priority, and he met with leaders from Japan and South Korea on Thursday evening to discuss it. He is also slated to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the G20.

"I'd like to see the president figure out how to engage Russia on North Korea," said Representative Francis Rooney, a Republican from Florida who is on the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

"What I suggested to the president here a while back was that since we have all these conflicting issues about Russia right now and we're still reeling from the fact that they took Crimea, maybe this is an opportunity to reset the Russia relationship in a positive manner," Rooney said in an interview.

Also Read:

Day before meeting Putin, Trump says Russia could have interfered in presidential elections

After North Korea launches missile, Trump's angry tweet suggests China could end this

--- ENDS ---
Does Islamic State Pose a Threat to India?

Publisher Jamestown Foundation Author Animesh Roul Publication Date 30 June 2017 Citation / Document Symbol Terrorism Monitor Volume: 15 Issue: 13 Cite as Jamestown Foundation, Does Islamic State Pose a Threat to India?, 30 June 2017, Terrorism Monitor Volume: 15 Issue: 13, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/595f4d3d4.html [accessed 12 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Link to original story on Jamestown website

India first woke up to the emerging threat of Islamic State (IS) on its soil in May 2014, when four engineering students from Kalyan, Maharashtra, joined the group. In the intervening years, the security services have arrested more than 90 IS sympathizers, according to Indian Home Minister Rajnath Singh (Indian Express, June 3). Alongside this, at least six separate recruitment and indoctrination networks have been unearthed (DNA India, October 16).

Nonetheless, IS does not, on the face of it, have a physical presence in India, although at least two attacks can be attributed to Indian affiliates of the group. Should India be more worried about an IS threat?

Attacks at Home and Militants Abroad

On March 7, a blast on a Bhopal-Ujjain train, near Jabri railway station in the Shajapur district of Madhya Pradesh, left at least 10 people injured. The attack, later reported as IS-inspired, triggered a nationwide investigation by the intelligence agencies that centered on the states of Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh (India Live Today, March 8). The security services rounded up several people suspected of being part of a nascent militant network, killing one member of the suspected group, a man identified as Mohammed Saifullah, in a shootout in Lucknow's Thakurganj area. The suspects - including Saifullah and the supposed architect of the plot, a former Indian Air Force (IAF) employee named Mohammad Ghaus Khan - were natives of Uttar Pradesh's Kanpur and Aligarh cities and are said to have been influenced by Mufti Abdus Sami, a pro-IS cleric who has been in the custody of India's National Investigations Agency since February 2016 (Firstpost, March 10).

An earlier attack, the Church Street blast in Bengaluru, Karnataka, in December 2014, resulted in the death of one person and was suspected to be masterminded by IS militant Safi Ahmed Armar of Bhatkal (Indian Express, May 15, 2016; The Hindu, June 17). However, IS has made no claims of responsibility for these attacks.

Safi Armar, an Indian militant who goes by the nom de guerre Yousuf-al-Hindi, is the chief recruiter for IS in India. He has faked his own death a number of times in the past, but is believed to be alive. Amar was recently listed as a "Specially Designated Global Terrorist" by the United States, making him the first Indian-origin IS militant to be sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury Department (The Hindu, June 15). [1]

Although there is no official data to show how many Indians have joined IS in Syria, Afghanistan or elsewhere, there are reports of IS militants of Indian origin who have either been killed or injured while fighting abroad.

Between February and April 2017, three IS militants - identified as Bestin Vincent (a.k.a. Yahya), Murshid Muhammed and TK Haeezudin - from the Kasaragod and Palakkad areas of the Indian state of Kerala, were killed in Nangarhar province in Afghanistan (The Quint, April 30). Vincent had left Kerala with his wife in May 2016, and he was followed by nearly 20 people to also seeking to join the IS Afghanistan affiliate known as Wilayat Khorasan.

When the U.S. military dropped its Massive Ordnance Air Blast Bomb (MOAB), the country's most powerful non-nuclear bomb, on Wilayat Khorasan positions in eastern Afghanistan in April, nearly 13 Indian-origin IS militants were reported among those killed (Pajhwok News (Kabul), April 18).

Prior to this, several Indian-origin militants had been killed in Syria. One of the earliest IS recruits, Sultan Kadir Armar of Bhatkal, Karnataka, died fighting for the group in Kobani in March 2015. Two other known militants killed in Syria were Aman Tandel, killed in December 2016, and Saheem Tanki, killed in August 2015 (Indian Express, March 25, 2015; Firstpost, December 30, 2016).

Kerala's Caliphate Conundrum

At home, the southern Indian state of Kerala tops the list for the most residents arrested over IS links. According to figures from the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and other state investigating agencies released in mid-March, Kerala has had 21 arrests of this nature.

The figures from other states - Telangana (16), Karnataka (9), Maharashtra (8), Madhya Pradesh (6), Uttarakhand (4), Uttar Pradesh (3), Tamil Nadu (4) and Rajasthan (2) - speak volumes about the pan-Indian reach of IS' message and ideals (Press Information Bureau, March 15). Investigations show IS is appealing to Indian youths through social media channels, messaging platforms and online jihadist discussion forums, encouraging those it engages to travel to Iraq and Syria or places where IS affiliates have a presence, such as Afghanistan.

The epicenters of Kerala's IS-related radicalization and recruitment are the districts of Tirunelveli, Kannur and Kasaragod. These districts have witnessed a substantial growth in Islamist recruitment and indoctrination activities over the last few years.

One Indian militant, Subahani Haja, a native of Thodupuzha, Kerala, is suspected to have fought for IS in Mosul, Iraq before his arrest in India in 2015. He was allegedly part of an IS regiment named Omer-Kathi-Kaliph, commanded by an individual named Abu Sulaimani al-Francisse. He also reportedly claims to have met the November 2015 Paris bombers when he crossed over to Iraqi territory under control of the IS (New Indian Express, April 29).

The earlier arrest in October 2016 of at least six men, including one Manseed (Omar al-Hindi) from Kerala, who were part of an IS-inspired group called the "Ansar-ul-Khilafah Kerala," exposed the spread of grassroots Islamism in Kerala through social media platforms like Telegram and Facebook (India Times, October 4, 2016).

The reason behind this rise in radicalization in Kerala is blamed mainly on the growth of online preaching activities and easily accessible online propaganda materials, as well as material physically distributed by lay preachers and Islamic centers.

The interactions through close Dawa (the proselytizing of Islam) groups active in many of these districts may also attract more young people toward Salafist ideals and to other new ultra-religious ideology and movements like Kerala Nadwat-ul Mujahideen, Tablighi Jamaat or Jamat-e-Islami (Firstpost, August 25, 2016). Most of these movements are backed by Saudi Arabia or other rich Islamic countries in the Middle East whose donations also support and maintain mosques, schools, seminaries and libraries.

Some local Sunni groups and Islamic schools are also responsible for this sudden growth of Caliphate-related interest in Kerala. Several schools run by MM Akbar, a Salafist Islamic preacher, were found to be using non-standard textbooks that taught a distorted version of Islam akin to that employed by IS (News Minute, January 6; Asiannet News TV, January 5)

Akbar runs at least 13 Peace International Schools in Kerala, along with Peace Foundations and Akbar's own propaganda organization called "Niche of Truth." He recently fled to Qatar, fearing arrest (News Minute, January 6).

Similarly, TV evangelist Zakir Naik and members of his Islamic Research Foundation (IRF) have been accused of radicalizing young people to join IS (The Hindu, October 12, 2016).

Propaganda Campaign

IS has focused some of its own propaganda on India. A May 2016 video message titled "The Bilad al-Hind [Land of India] - Between Pain and Hope," featured what was supposedly a Syria-based exclusively Indian fighting unit. [2]

In the film, IS threatens to wage jihad against India and urges all Muslims to take revenge against the injustices meted out to Indian Muslims in Kashmir, for the demolition of Babri Masjid and for the communal riots in Gujarat and Muzaffarnagar.

Most of the militants featured in the video are suspected to be former Indian Mujahideen militants who fled India in recent years. Among them, three are from Kalyan, Maharashtra, having travelled to Syria in 2014 (The Hindu, May 24, 2016).

The IS video - which is in fact a compilation of footage and images taken over a number of years - is comprised of interviews with individuals who joined IS and images of the group pledging allegiance, singing jihadist tarana (songs) and eating together at a camp. The film, subtitled in Arabic, is also interesting for its inclusion of historical images depicting Muhammad bin Qasim's marauding Islamic army, Muslims fighting during India's freedom struggle from British colonial rule, the Constitution of India and Muslim leaders who are working with the Indian establishment.

IS propaganda materials concerning India tend to depict the country's Hindu majority as worshippers of cows, trees and the moon and sun. They urge Muslims not to indulge Hindus or maintain social or business relations with them. This kind of agitation along sectarian lines is potentially a real weakness for India. When under interrogation, IS sympathizers have revealed plots against pro-Hindu groups, some of which are themselves guilty of anti-Islamic practices.

Keeping Watch

Although the Indian government is cautiously watching IS-related activities in the country, it is of the view that the IS outreach and recruitment strategies are still in a nascent stage.

Home Minster Singh recently underscored that, despite a sizeable Muslim population, IS has not been able to gain a foothold in India (India Today, June 03). That confidence notwithstanding, IS' violent ideals have clearly managed to entice some Indian youths into its fold.

Alarmingly, the pro-Hindu policies of the present government in India - such as state-level efforts to ban the slaughter of cows - risk providing additional fodder for Islamist propaganda campaigns. These policies are already fueling communal tensions, and Muslim communities have complained of vigilante groups made up of so-called Hindu nationalists.

Any deterioration of Hindu-Muslim relations could trigger widespread discontent that will be exploited by Islamist groups like IS to attract a stream of recruits from India's Muslim community.

NOTES

[1] "Terrorist Designations of Mohammad Shafi Armar, Oussama Ahmad Atar, and Mohammed Isa YousifSaqar Al Binali," U.S. State Department, Washington, DC, June 15, 2017, https://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2017/06/271921.htm

[2] "The Islamic State: The Land of India - Between Pain and Hope," May 19, 2016, https://videopress.com/v/yu5ABFTb

Copyright notice:  2010 The Jamestown Foundation
The United Front Work Department: "Magic Weapon" at Home and Abroad

Publisher Jamestown Foundation Author Marcel Angliviel de la Beaumelle Publication Date 6 July 2017 Citation / Document Symbol China Brief Volume: 17 Issue: 9 Cite as Jamestown Foundation, The United Front Work Department: "Magic Weapon" at Home and Abroad, 6 July 2017, China Brief Volume: 17 Issue: 9, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/595f4ec84.html [accessed 12 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Link to original story on Jamestown website

Earlier this year, the Sydney Morning Herald and ABC Four Corners released in-depth investigative reports on the influence of Chinese Communist Party agents in Australian politics (ABC, June 4; Power and Influence; Sydney Morning Herald, March 3). These reports are based on a longstanding investigation by the Australian Security Intelligence Organization (ASIO), Australia's counterintelligence agency, into Chinese Communist Party (CCP) efforts to exert influence in Australian politics. While the CCP employs many means for 'soft-power' influence, an important but understudied organization involved in sub-official contacts at home and abroad is the United Front Work Department (UFWD). The UFWD has broad responsibilities for policies at home in addition to exerting influence abroad. Chinese President and CCP Party Secretary Xi Jinping has repeatedly emphasized the importance of the UFWD to China's rejuvenation. Together, these roles make studying the UFWD and important part of understanding how the CCP implements its policies at home and abroad.

Organization

Despite its relative obscurity, the United Front Work Department () has a high place within the CCP hierarchy as a working organ () of the CCP Central Committee (), "the central administrative and decision-making body of leading party, state, and military officials." [1] This places the UFWD at an approximate level to other Central Committee organs such as the General Office, the Organization Department, the International Liaison Department, the Propaganda Department, and the Policy Research Office, although the exact hierarchy remains polemical. [2]

Sun Chunlan () heads the UFWD, assisted by seven deputy directors (). The leadership also includes Su Bo (), the group leader for the Central Commission on Discipline Inspection for United Front Work Group. The Department itself is divided into offices (/), bureaus (), and subordinate units (), namely mass organizations (/ ). The nine numbered Bureaus each specialize in either a particular facet of united front work or a geographic location. Bureaus three, six and nine, for example, cover Hong Kong, Taiwan, Overseas Chinese, Tibet and Xinjiang. However, it is unclear how different bureaus manage their consequently overlapping responsibilities. For instance, there is no clear guideline on how the Tibet Bureau, responsible for "harmonizing Tibetan socioeconomic development," interacts with the Ethnic and Religious Work Bureau, and the Economics Bureau.

United Front Work Department Structure First Bureau () Party Work Bureau () Second Bureau () Ethnic and Religious Work Bureau () Third Bureau () Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, & Overseas Liaison Bureau () Fourth Bureau () Cadre Bureau () Fifth Bureau () Economics Bureau () Sixth Bureau () Independent & Non Party Intellectuals Work Bureau () Seventh Bureau () [Tibet Bureau] Eighth Bureau () Bureau for New Social Class Representatives Work () Ninth Bureau () [Xinjiang Bureau] Note: "[ ]" indicates that the official title is unconfirmed

These bureaus display the outsized role ethnic minorities and non-Party representatives () play in the CCP's efforts to secure said groups' support. The creation of a Tibet Bureau in 2006, and a Xinjiang Bureau in 2017, demonstrate the Party's desire to exert more direct control in the civil government's handling of these regions, and perhaps also as a consequence of the gargantuan security apparatus developing in those regions (South China Morning Post, May 5; China Brief, May 14; China Brief, February 6). As the UFWD has grown in size and stature, it should come as no surprise that the Party vanguard increases its role in reaching out to those for whom China's promised "Great Rejuvenation" () has not yet materialized. For instance, the UFWD has played an active role in promoting the CCP's poverty alleviation policies, especially in "old revolutionary base areas"particularly Shaanxi province and Northeast Chinaleft behind by the new market economy (United Front, May 20; China Brief, February 20, 2016).

Although a CCP-organization, rather than part of the Chinese state apparatus, the UFWD closely collaborates with the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (  CPPCC), an advisory body which meets every year at the same time as the unicameral National People's Congress (  NPC). The CPPCC serves as a means of representation by interest group rather than geographic focus for vast swathes of the population, but holds no executive power. Instead, it makes recommendations to the Party leadership. In contrast to the NPC, where 60 percent of delegates are party members, 60 percent of CPPCC delegates are either non-affiliated, with any political party or part of the eight CCP-aligned "democratic parties". [3] The CPPCC Chairman, Yu Zhengsheng (), is fourth in Party hierarchy and is a member of the Politburo Standing Committee, the highest organ of power in Chinese bureaucracy after the Party Chairmanship. He also heads the Central Committee Coordinating Small Group for Xinjiang Work () and the Central Committee Coordinating Small Group for Tibet Work (), roles he is well suited for given his position at the CPPCC. [4] Through these organizations, the Party is able to guide state and Party policy. As Chinese President Xi Jinping repeatedly emphasizes, united front work has an important role to play in contemporary Party policy, both within the China and abroad.

Rising Importance

Although the UFWD held 20 meetings between 1995 and 2006, no significant conference occurred until May of 2015, when the UFWD held its first work conference in nine years under the name of 'CCP Central Committee's Conference on United Front Work' (). The 'Central' qualifier represented a rise in status for a previously 'national' () conference. The elevation in status corresponded with Xi's new vision for the department as laid out in a September 2014 speech celebrating the CPPCC's 65th birthday. In that speech he referred to united front work as a 'magic weapon' for the 'Chinese people's great rejuvenation', one to be used by the CCP to seize victory, construction, and reform (Xinhua, July 30, 2015). At the 2015 conference, Xi Jinping outlined a new direction of the UFWD:

"Throughout our history, the Party has always placed the United Front and united front work in an important position within party-wide work. [] Presently, our situation and our mission have undergone significant change. The larger the change, the more the United Front under the 'new situation' () needs to be developed, the more united front work needs to be carried out. [] united front work is party-wide work" (Xinhua, May 20, 2015).

Xi noted that students studying abroad are a valuable and new focus of united front work. Xi also called on cadres to strengthen and perfect united front work targeting new media () representatives so as to "allow them to struggle to purify cyberspace" (Xinhua, May 20, 2015).

Shortly thereafter, at a July 30 Politburo meeting, Xi created a Leading Small Group (LSG) on United Front Work () (Xinhua, July 30, 2015). Xi has used LSGs as policy coordination centers to circumvent the leviathan bureaucracy of the CCP, indicating a willingness to realize the lofty goals in his speeches. [5]

Since the 2015 speech, the UFWD has formed two new bureaus: the Xinjiang Bureau (this bureau is not explicitly named as such), and the Bureau for New Social Classes Work (). Although Xi frames united front work as part of his comprehensive vision, the groundwork for the establishment of the Bureau for New Social Classes Work has been laid for years. [6] In support of this integration, the United Front Work Department has carried out yearly, 50-student classes for New Social Class Representatives every year since 2004 (they were under the purview of the Sixth Bureau), thus creating a "New Social Class talent pool" (FMPRC, Accessed June 21). Hu Jintao would later emphasize the targeting of New Social Class representatives in his last United Front Work Conference in 2006, without significant bureaucratic outcomes (United Front, October 9, 2010). Despite the significant emphasis placed on domestic affairs, united front work has long included overseas operations.

While the CCP employs many means through which it seeks foreign intelligence, the UFWD is distinct from other organizations in its overt and benign appearance. [7] United Front organizations abroad often operate in the open with names alluding to 'peaceful reunification' (code for Taiwan work) or 'friendship association' (Sun Chunlan was elected to head the Chinese Overseas Friendship Association in 2015) (The Paper, August 17, 2015, COFA Official Website, Accessed June 6, 2017).

The two main figures highlighted by the Sydney Morning Herald and ABC Four Corners reports are Dr. Chau Chak Wing (AKA Zhou Zerong ), and Huang Xiangmo ( AKA Huang Changran ). Dr. Chau Chak Wing is an Australian citizen, but a provincial-level member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference () and owns a newspaper in China and the Australian Express. Despite Dr. Zhou's claim that "as to the entity referred to by the ABC as the 'united front work department', I have no idea what this is," netizens were quick to point to a meeting between Dr. Zhou and the Tianhe UFWD (see inset image, center) (The Australian, June 27; Twitter, June 26). Tianhe Standing Committee Chairman, District UFWD Head Xie Wei (), along with his deputy and Head of Taiwan Bureau Xue Jianbin () visited him at the Kingold Group, accompanied by the Chairman for Chen Jiansheng (). (Tianhe UFWD Website, March 1, 2016). Huang Xiangmo is president of the Australian Council for the Promotion of the Peaceful Reunification of China (ACPPRC Official Website, Accessed June 16), and has chaperoned Qiu Yuanping () the head of the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of the PRC's State Council () during her visit to Australia with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang (OCAO Official Website, Accessed June 16; ABC, June 4; see inset photo  in blue on the left). The United Front work department and the overseas organizations it liaises with play an important role in shaping political attitudes in their respective countries and developing contacts for the Chinese government and businesses. Conclusion

While most observers have focused on united front work in Taiwan, the scope of the department's mission is both foreign and domestic. Within China, the UFWD plays a vital policy development and coordination role, especially for ethnic and religious minorities. Abroad, the UFWD has had a hand in developing political and business ties with overseas Chinese, bringing investment and research benefits, as well as helping the CCP shape foreign views of China. Xi Jinping's repeated urging that the Party make use the UFWD as a "magic weapon" to realize the Great Rejuvenation of the Chinese People makes it clear that he sees it as an important tool for the CCP. The bureaucratic changes he has implemented lends further credence to this judgment. As China continues to deal with complicated domestic issues involving minorities and attempts to shape opinions abroad, the United Front Work Department will undoubtedly be in the vanguard.

Marcel Angliviel de la Beaumelle is an independent researcher who has worked at the Center for New American Security and the Jamestown Foundation. He is proficient in Chinese.

Notes
Xi Jinping and China's Traditionalist Restoration

Publisher Jamestown Foundation Author Zi Yang Publication Date 6 July 2017 Citation / Document Symbol China Brief Volume: 17 Issue: 9 Cite as Jamestown Foundation, Xi Jinping and China's Traditionalist Restoration, 6 July 2017, China Brief Volume: 17 Issue: 9, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/595f50ed4.html [accessed 12 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Link to original story on Jamestown website

In 1934, confronted with rising pro-communist sentiments in his country, Chiang Kai-shek, leader of China's Nationalist Party, launched the neotraditionalist New Life Movement () as part of a comprehensive anti-communist program that sought to use traditional values as a counterweight against Bolshevik-inspired revolutionist ideas. Fast forward to today's China and the head of China's Communist Party is actively promoting a wave of neotraditionalism. Communist Party General Secretary Xi Jinping has repeatedly emphasized the need to "advance and enrich outstanding traditional Chinese culture ()" (CCP News, July 22, 2015). Why is Xi following this strategy and what are his end goals? In addition to immediate political aims, Xi's neotraditionalist policy is part of a long-term vision to remake Chinese culture and society by weaving together selected traditional values with contemporary national consciousness.

Xi Jinping's Neotraditionalism

In politics neotraditionalism means "the deliberate revival and revamping of old cultures, practices, and institutions for use in new political contexts and strategies" (Encyclopedia Britannica). After assuming the presidency, Xi has repeatedly touted traditional Chinese culture to the public. Xi's emphasis on culture mirrors the strategy of his fallen rival Bo Xilai, whose signature campaign as the party secretary of Chongqing was the neo-Maoist "Sing Red and Strike Black ()," a revival of Mao-era culture and the suppression of criminality. While comparable to Bo on the "strike black" front, Xi's cultural policy is less about "singing red," yet it appeals to a much broader base of Chinese conservatives rather than just the extreme Left.

While Xi has emulated Mao's statecraft in many ways, his neotraditionalism deviates from the Maoist path (China Brief, March 6, 2015). In sharp contrast to the iconoclastic Mao, who viewed the "old society ()" with contempt, Xi declared traditional thought and culture the "soul ()" of the nation (Xinhua, August 8, 2016). "Outstanding traditional culture is a country and nation's basis for continuation and development. Losing it is the same as severing a country and nation's lifeline" (Phoenix News, September 5, 2016). Thus, "A country and nation's power and prosperity must always be supported by a flourishing culture. The prosperous development of Chinese culture is the prerequisite to the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation" (Phoenix News, September 5, 2016).

Xi goes much further than his predecessor Hu Jintao, who also used Confucian rhetoric. Xi believes outstanding traditional culture is the "foundation" of the Party's culture and "vital wellspring" of the Party's set of socialist core values ()-an astonishing statement that positioned traditional culture as the basis of the official code of behavior that governs all party members (Guangming Online, June 21; Qiushi, September 13, 2016). In a November 2016 speech to the country's writers and artists, Xi urged them to "devote major efforts in propagating traditional culture. Extract essence and draw energy from the treasure vault of Chinese culture. [And] not to blaspheme ancestors" (Xinhua, November 30, 2016).

Xi's analog to the "little red book," titled Classical Aphorisms by Xi Jinping () was published in 2015. The preface, "Draw Power from Chinese Culture" trumpets Xi as a role model in learning and applying traditional ethics, and calls on the nation to build the present and future with those values in mind. Unusually for a book dedicated to speeches and writings of the Communist Party's general secretary, the volume contains zero quotes from Marx and Mao. Instead, reading like an emperor's handbook, it is divided into chapters on various aspects of governance filled with Xi's favorite classical maxims.

The Traditionalist Restoration

Following this spirit, the Party Central Committee and the State Council released an outline of China's cultural revival project in January 2017 titled "Opinions on the Implementation of the Development of Outstanding Traditional Chinese Culture" (Xinhua, January 25). Interestingly, Xinhua's English-language service only published a brief synopsis of this document, perhaps to minimize international attention (Xinhua, January 26).

This is the first time the central leadership became directly involved in traditional culture-related work (Xinhua, February 6). The Party will lead the project with the whole society in participation. Cultural revival will be selective depending on the Party's vision and will affect all spheres of life including education, arts, architecture, holidays, historic preservation, and even urban planning. Besides counterbalancing perceived cultural xenophilia, the project's goals include assuring the continuation of traditional culture, raising the public's cultural awareness, safeguarding cultural security, strengthening China's soft power, and the modernization of national governance (Xinhua, January 25).

A publicity campaign has also been in place to mobilize public opinion. On February 7, 2017, the People's Daily published an editorial titled "Salute our Cultural Traditions" where it argues a rising China needs self-confidence predicated upon traditional culture (People's Daily, February 7). Two weeks later, another article suggests assigning greater value to "traditional culture education" (People's Daily, February 23). A March 2017 article calls for greater traditional education among the Chinese youth, characterizing it as a "soul-casting project ()" (People's Daily, March 23).

In June, Shandong Province became the first in China to institute outstanding traditional Chinese culture classes for all primary and secondary school students. The curriculum will be based on the Four Books and Five Classics () that constitute the core of Confucian learning (China News Online, June 26). Chinese teachers can now get a certificate in traditional culture education. The training program includes ancient philosophy, basic classical Chinese, traditional arts, pedagogical methods, and high-level special subject studies (Sina News, June 13).

Outside of the schoolyard, new television shows are experimenting with ways to popularize traditional culture (China Economic Net, April 12). Symposiums are being held across the nation to discuss local modes of cultural revival (China Finance Online, April 19). People's Liberation Army servicemen were told to seek courage and devotion from traditional culture and lion-hearted heroes of ancient China (PLA Daily, February 9). Besides business calculations, entrepreneurs are considering methods to promote universal Chinese values via the "One Belt One Road" initiative (Mingcheng News Online, April 16). In distant corners like Xinjiang's Hutubi County and Wusu City, sworn Marxist cadres have now become eager pupils of Confucian and Legalist treatises (Sina News, May 16; Sina News, May 19). Even prisons are organizing traditional art performances and Confucianism lessons to "awaken" the good conscience of inmates (Red Net, May 19; Xinhua, May 8, 2016). A nationwide revival of traditional values is taking shape.

Why is Xi Fixated on Neotraditionalism?

Xi's neotraditionalism is not a newly minted part of his public persona. Xi's habit of using classical allegories and adages in public communication can be traced back to his early years as a county administrator. [1] While his personal interest in traditional China might have to do with family upbringing-his father Xi Zhongxun was from the conservative northwest-the employment of neotraditionalism in politics benefits Xi and the Party both immediately and in the long run.

Marxism and its various incarnations has lost all appeal with ordinary Chinese. The arcane language and concepts of Marxism were never popular with the public to begin with. Even during the heydays of socialism from 1949 to 1978, people were encouraged to read Mao's vernacular essays rather than Marx or Lenin's works. The Chinese additions to Marxism-Mao Zedong Thought, Deng Xiaoping Theory, the Three Represents, and the Scientific Development Concept-although still serving as guiding ideologies to the Party, spark minimal interest with the common people.

The Party's deep-seated fear of color revolutions () means it needs a robust set of conservative cultural values to offset the attraction of westernization and liberalization (Huffington Post, August 27, 2016). Moreover, according to veteran China watcher Willy Lam, one item among Xi's unpublicized agenda is to turn the Chinese Communist Party into a "perennial ruling party" (YouTube, July 16, 2015). In order for this to happen, a perennial ideology is a requirement. Since adopting liberalism is not an option, the only recourse is returning to the well-trodden path of traditional China, where emperors and mandarins ruled for centuries based on classical philosophy.

The breakdown of morality () is an issue concerning many Chinese. According to a survey conducted by China Youth Daily, 89.3 percent of respondents believe there is "cultural deficiency" in present-day Chinese society, among which 45.7 percent think the "deficiency" is "very serious" (Guangming Online, March 7). A majority of Chinese feels that there is no moral constrain on the behavior of anyone. Even soft-spoken ex-Premier Wen Jiabao remarked: "the downward spiral of morality has reached a very serious point" (Sina News, April 18, 2011). While this "spiritual vacuum" has multiple origins, the yearning for restoration of traditional virtues is common. Research shows cultural conservatism () is making a comeback. In response to the question "How would you evaluate the role of traditional Chinese culture in contemporary everyday life," 28.9 percent of 2,976 survey participants chose "very important," 47.4 percent "important," and only 3.5 percent chose "unimportant." [2] In an era of materialism and greed, many are searching for spiritual fulfillment (PRI, May 5).

As a conservative and an outspoken critic of decadence, Xi has a personal interest in curing China's social ills by bringing back time-tested values (Xinhua, January 16, 2014). [3] Politically, however, Xi's investment in the "spiritual market" repositioned himself as the defender of traditional China in a kulturkampf against corrosive social vices and foreign cultures-which almost one-in-three (28.9 percent) Chinese believe have "adversely affected traditional Chinese culture" (Guangming Online, March 7). Aligning himself as defender of traditional values fortifies his personality cult with more substance and appeal. This is a calculated move on part of Xi, as it enhances his popularity as a crusader for conservative aspirations, and diverts criticisms against the Party's disastrous cultural policies in the past that are largely responsible for today's spiritual crisis.

Conclusion

Xi Jinping's China is witnessing the unfolding of a cultural revival campaign. Although state-driven cultural revival is a win with the mostly conservative Chinese, the Party-state's leading position in the campaign means it has all the power to determine what is an "outstanding ()" element of traditional culture. It is therefore very unlikely that China can truly achieve a cultural renaissance based on the principle of "let a hundred schools of thought contend ()". Yet perhaps this campaign can open up forums for debate about culture in contemporary China-then the possibility is endless. In the coming months, expect more on the cultural front from China's highest-ranking neotraditionalist.

Zi Yang is a researcher and consultant on China affairs. He covers Chinese politics, security, and emerging markets. Zi holds an M.A. from Georgetown University and a B.A. from George Mason University. Follow him on Twitter @MrZiYang.

Notes

  (Zhizhishen, aizhiqie, December 1, 2015, pp. 35-57. (Douban Books). Liu Shaojie (), Ideological Shifts in Contemporary China (), Central Translation Agency (), 2015 (Google Books). Liu Wei (), "," Theory and Reform (), September 14, 2016, pp. 44-45. < http://oversea.cnki.net/kcms/detail/detail.aspx?recid=&FileName=LLGG201605012&DbName=CJFD2016&DbCode=CJFD>

Copyright notice:  2010 The Jamestown Foundation
Turkey: Amnesty International, Helsinki Citizens' Assembly representatives and other activists detained during digital security training

Publisher Article 19 Publication Date 6 July 2017 Cite as Article 19, Turkey: Amnesty International, Helsinki Citizens' Assembly representatives and other activists detained during digital security training, 6 July 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/595f555c4.html [accessed 12 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

ARTICLE 19 condemns yesterday's detention of Idil Eser, Director of Amnesty International Turkey, who was detained incommunicado alongside Helsinki Citizens' Assembly representatives, other human rights defenders and two foreign digital security trainers during a workshop in Buyukada, Istanbul. ARTICLE 19 calls for their immediate and unconditional release.

"The detention of Idil Eser and others in yesterday's workshop alongside their trainers is further evidence of the Turkish government's disrespect for human rights and the rule of law," said Katie Morris, Head of Europe and Central Asia. "Their detention is the latest in a series of arrests of human rights defenders, lawyers and journalists in Turkey and clearly represents a further tightening of control over civil society. They should be released immediately."

Eser and the other activists as well as their trainers were taken away during a police raid on the hotel in which they were staying during their participation in a digital security and information management workshop. The hotel owner was also detained. A Guardian report states that while Turkish officials insist that their actions are lawful, the whereabouts of those detained remains unknown and there is as of yet no explanation of the reasons the hotel was raided. According to Amnesty International, the detainees have apparently been refused access to their lawyers and have not yet been given the right to contact their family members.

Those human rights defenders detained alongside Idil Eser are: Ozlem Dalkran, Nalan Erkem and Seyhmuz Ozbekli (Helsinki Citizens Assembly); Ilknur Ustun (Women's Coalition); Veli Acu and Gunal Kursun (Human Rights Agenda Association); Nejat Tastan (Equal Rights Watch Association). The foreign trainers are a German and a Swedish national.

Background

Yesterday's police raid and comes within a month of the arrest of Taner Kilic, the Chair of Amnesty International Turkey, who was detained alongside 22 other lawyers on 7 June 2017 before being remanded in police custody pending trial. Kilic's detention order referred to an investigation into suspected members of the "Fethullah Gulen Terrorist Organisation", however Amnesty's report on the arrest states that it is unclear why Kilic was suspected of having these links. Kilic and those arrested with him remain in detention.

The Turkish government blames the Fethullah Gulen movement for the July 2016 coup attempt and has since charged a number of journalists and human rights defenders with Gulenist affiliation as well as targeting his followers, arresting 50,000 people and purging tens of thousands of others from government jobs. According to a Guardian report, Gulen, who has lived in self-imposed exile in Pennsylvania since 1999, has denied involved in the coup and condemned it. Critics in turkey and abroad say Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan is using the coup as a pretext to muzzle dissent and purge opponents.

ARTICLE 19 calls on the Turkish government to immediately and unconditionally release Idil Eser, Director of Amnesty International Turkey, representatives of the Helsinki Citizens' Assembly, and the other human rights defenders, their digital security trainers and the hotel owner detained in yesterday's raid.

ARTICLE 19 also reiterates its call for the release of Taner Kilic, Chair of Amnesty International Turkey, the 22 lawyers detained with him last month and all other human rights defenders, journalists and media workers arrested without any individualised evidence of involvement in a crime.

Copyright notice: Copyright ARTICLE 19
Disclaimer

This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.
Boko Haram ups its pressure on Niger

Publisher IRIN Author Obi Anyadike Publication Date 6 July 2017 Cite as IRIN, Boko Haram ups its pressure on Niger, 6 July 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/595f623e4.html [accessed 12 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

There has been a worrying upsurge in Boko Haram violence in Niger's southeastern Diffa region, adding to the caseload of an already underfunded humanitarian crisis.

In the latest attack on 2 July, the jihadists raided the village of Ngalewa, near Kablewa, killing nine and abducting 37 - all of them young girls and adolescent boys. The gunmen, arriving at night, looted food supplies and rustled cattle, before escaping.

On 29 June, two female suicide bombers attacked an internally displaced persons camp in Kablewa run by the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, close to the main town of Diffa. Four people were killed, including the two bombers, and 11 others were injured in the twin blasts.

Diffa Governor Dan Dano Mahamadou Lawaly has ordered the transfer of the 16,500 IDPs in Kablewa to a new camp a few kilometres north of Route National 1, the road running to the Chadian border in the east.

South of the highway is seen as vulnerable to attack by Boko Haram, an insurgency originating in Nigeria but believed to be operating in Niger from largely abandoned islands in Lake Chad.

Boko Haram's strategy appears to be to grab what supplies it can ahead of the rainy season, when rising water levels will make crossing the Komadugu River - which flows along the southern border with Nigeria - all the harder.

Bamouni Dieudonne, the Niger head of the UN's emergency aid coordination agency, OCHA, explained how the rising threat would mean storing less food and medicines in frontline warehouses and having to restock more often.

"We will have to rethink our approach of provisioning warehouses in the region with three month's worth of supplies. They are now vulnerable," he told IRIN. "It will increase costs as we'll have to warehouse less."

A disturbing precedent

While the increased tempo of attacks may have been predictable, the bombing of the Kablewa IDP camp was a surprise, said Dieudonne.

Boko Haram attacks on IDP camps have been fairly common in northeastern Nigeria but not so in Niger, where the extremist group's attention has tended to focus on military targets.

The Kablewa attack has generated tensions with the host community, underlined by clashes this week when IDPs leaving the camp strayed onto farmland, threatening crops growing in the field.

The clashes may prove to be an isolated incident, but there are fears they also represent the beginning of a new intolerance of IDPs, seen now as a potential security threat.

"That would be a new and disturbing trend in a region that has shown a remarkable degree of hospitality towards IDPs and refugees," said Dieudonne.

The 16,500 displaced in Kablewa were among 33,000 people from 100 villages spread over 74 islands in Lake Chad who were given a 48-hour deadline to leave their homes in May 2015 ahead of a government offensive in the area.

They were originally moved to the mainland towns of N'Guigmi and Diffa, before being settled in Kablewa. This is now the third time they are being forced to relocate.

That is not so unusual in this conflict. According to a survey in April by the International Organization for Migration, more than 70 percent of people in the displacement site of N'guel Madou Mai had been uprooted at least once, 42 percent "three or more times".

The Nigerien government's counter-insurgency strategy has been blunt. After Boko Haram's first attack in 2015, it cleared communities from the lake area and along the Komadugu River, destroying a local economy based on fishing and red pepper cultivation. It also ended the motorbike taxi business in Diffa, one of the few employment options for young men.

"The Diffa region has always struggled economically, and the strict security measures stopping economic activity haven't helped," said Peter Kioy, IOM's project manager there.

"Everybody is in the same basket [IDPs and host communities]. Most people are now solely dependent on international aid. You might have an IDP family living under you roof, but that's the only difference between you."

Underfunded and undernourished

Out of the estimated 700,000 people living in Diffa, two thirds are IDPs, returnees, and refugees. A total of 340,000 are in need of aid. Niger alone is hosting 50 percent of all Nigerian refugees in the Lake Chad Basin region, and yet the $139 million humanitarian operation is only 17 percent funded.

There is not enough aid to go around. IRIN spoke to IDPs in Maina Kadari, one of 140 spontaneous sites across the region. Their complaint was a basic one - the lack of food.

Whiling away the hot afternoon under a tent before the breaking of the Ramadan fast at sundown, the men estimated that as many as 70 percent of them didn't get a ration and had to rely on sharing among themselves.

"We don't have enough resources to do a 100 percent distribution for all the IDPs," acknowledged Kioy. "Needs far outweigh the response."

The Maina Kadari men said they were also frustrated by a sense of abandonment by the government. In 2015 they had been ordered out of their villages north of the heavily contested Nigerian town of Damasak. They had to foot their own transport bill, but went anyway because they said they trusted the authorities.

They complained bitterly that they have received no help at all from the government.

That sense of injustice and prevailing lack of opportunity can make Boko Haram a potentially attractive proposition for angry young men, said Aboubaker Issa, a youth leader in Diffa.

"[The IDPs] are settling in new places without any assistance, not all are resilient," he told IRIN. "So, the [government's] measures have pushed many youths into joining Boko Haram."

Staying put

One of the points raised in a Medecins Sans Frontieres report critical of the humanitarian response in Diffa was the readiness of aid agencies to accept military restrictions on access.

"History has shown that the counter-insurgency tactics of militaries can be devastating to local populations," said MSF. "There have been few if any attempts to verify claims of the [Niger] authorities as to the condition of populations living inside restricted access areas."

It added: "One government respondent even noted that no one knows the condition of those still living on the islands in Lake Chad, despite it being known that thousands returned there against military orders."

The Maina Kadari IDPs said they were staying put until the government signalled it was safe to return. It was not just an issue of security: They would need help to rehabilitate their homes, rebuild flood defences, and restart their lives.

According to IOM, less than 12 percent of the people surveyed in N'guel Madou Mai were ready to return to their villages. Given the new burst of insecurity, that figure could now be a good deal less.

But Diffa feels safe. It is a base for the Multinational Joint Task Force, an anti-Boko Haram coalition comprising Benin, Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria. Heavily armed Nigerien soldiers speed through the town in "technicals", kicking up swirls of dust, and the airport is home to at least one Ukranian-maintained SU-25 ground-attack jet.

And the battle with Boko Haram has been far from one way. The army killed 57 insurgents in one devastating clash in April, and are in pursuit of the abducted children from Ngalewa - determined for a better outcome than Nigeria's Chibok girls' saga.

But the security forces are stretched thin. Last month Niger extended a state of emergency in parts of the western regions of Tillaberi and Tahoua following repeated attacks by Mali-based jihadists.

"The government is doing what it can to provide security, but it needs international support," said Dieudonne. "All these threats it is facing are coming from outside its borders."

With additional reporting from Aboubacar Sidi
Starving civilians and suicide bombings: The terrible truth of liberating Mosul

Publisher IRIN Author Tom Westcott Publication Date 6 July 2017 Cite as IRIN, Starving civilians and suicide bombings: The terrible truth of liberating Mosul , 6 July 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/595f62da4.html [accessed 12 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

"Don't open the door under any circumstances," shouts Iraqi special forces soldier Salem, as his Humvee climbs over the wreckage of Mosul's Old City. "Daesh run out from houses and side streets and blow themselves up anytime."

Large military vehicles were never supposed to be part of the battle for the Old City - its ancient streets are too narrow. But the intensity of the airstrikes in the final stages of the offensive against so-called Islamic State has been so great that armoured bulldozers now plough their way through.

Iraq's armed forces are still battling for the final area of the city held by IS, known in Arabic by the acronym "Daesh".

The extent of the destruction is shocking. Most buildings are just empty facades, many flattened to rubble. When a group of civilians - mostly women and children - appears beneath rising pillars of smoke from the battlefield beyond, their presence is like a miracle. It seems inconceivable anyone could have made it out of this terrible landscape alive.

They move towards the Humvee like zombies, arms outstretched, begging for water in the 42-degree afternoon heat. "Don't open the door," Salem warns. "Yesterday, two Daesh women blew themselves up amongst fleeing people."

IS militants, including suicide bombers, are hiding amongst Mosul citizens trying to escape both IS and the heavy fighting, and now no one can be trusted.

Despite his own warning, Salem hands out the three small bottles of hot water he finds rolling around inside the Humvee. As he opens the window, the awful stench of rotting bodies fills the vehicle. Beneath crumpled houses demolished by airstrikes, bodies are rapidly decomposing in the heat, a reminder of the death met by many who remained in the city.

Civilian or IS bomber?

Some 900,000 people have fled Mosul and surrounding areas since the fighting began last October, although some have since returned. "Recently, there have been a lot of women suicide bombers amongst the fleeing people," Mohammed, an Iraqi special forces intelligence officer, tells IRIN. "Today it was a Moroccan girl who was just 17 years old. She killed five women and injured more."

There have been multiple reports of IS deploying suicide bombers, especially women, as they lose ground. Mohammed says there have been 25 confirmed cases of women blowing themselves up in the Old City. Usually disguised amongst fleeing civilians, they detonate suicide belts at army positions. Male civilians are often instructed to walk out with their shirts rolled up to clearly show they pose no danger, but cultural sensitivities mean there's no satisfactory way for male Iraqi soldiers to check women.

Doctor Ahmed, working at the nearest field hospital, 1.4 kilometres from the front line, told IRIN that suicide bombings amongst fleeing civilians had been responsible for more than 100 cases his clinic received the previous day.

As the Humvee moves deeper into the Old City, there is scarcely enough room for the vehicle. Civilians flatten themselves against whatever exterior walls are still intact, children pressing small hands against the vehicle's windows, still pleading for water. There is nothing left to give.

Salem pulls to a standstill in a clearing near the sad stump of Mosul's al-Nuri Mosque. Famous for its leaning minaret, the 12th century mosque was destroyed two weeks ago, allegedly by IS, although the group released a video claiming it had been demolished by coalition airstrikes.

"Stay away from any civilians," repeats Salem. "This is exactly where the two Daesh women blew themselves up yesterday," he says, pointing out a bloodied leg lying amongst crumpled, shrapnel-riddled cars. A Humvee parked nearby - the women's reported target - is still covered in blood and bits of flesh from bodies blown apart in the explosion.

Terrible human cost

More civilians emerge through a path carved through the rubble, traumatised and starving. The sick carry the wounded. There are few medical facilities in west Mosul and it is feared only a fraction of the casualties in the Old City have been able to escape IS-held areas to reach them; many left to die on the battlefield.

A young boy, moving barefoot across the burning-hot dirt road, supports his ailing grandfather across the uneven ground. The older man collapses beside the disembodied leg from the previous day's suicide bombing. A woman carrying a small plastic canister of well water, already half-empty, extends it towards him.

Girls' dresses are smeared with blood. Others are coated in white masonry dust from a recent airstrike. Another young man, head heavily bandaged, carries a baby wrapped tightly in a scarf.

A man plods past, carrying a badly injured boy on his back. The boy's face is burned black and red, his eyes sealed shut, and his mouth pressed into the man's shirt. His forehead and arm have been hastily wrapped in bandages, but terrible burns across his shoulders, neck, and side are still exposed to the relentless sun. His legs are so full of shrapnel wounds they look diseased.

The man's head is draped in a wet towel and he tightly grips fistfuls of his own sweat-sodden shirt to prevent the boy slipping further down his back. He looks neither to the left or the right, focused only on his difficult progress towards safety. Feeling the boy slipping, he pauses to reposition him with a gentle jolt. The boy emits a thin scream of agony and then falls silent. The two walk on.

"Daesh kept us as human shields and kept moving us to different houses, further and further inside the old city," an old woman hoarsely mutters. "We tried to come out so many times, and today God has finally opened the door to us."

Another weeps that her dead husband still lies beneath the remains of their home. "Four floors collapsed on us, and the neighbours pulled me out but they couldn't reach him," she sobs. "We survived together for five months without proper food - just flour with bad water - but now he is all alone under the house."

Hard to help

"I try to help people coming through the front lines, climbing over the difficult terrain, but they often refuse, especially the women," says General Ali from an ISOF intelligence unit. "One girl had badly injured legs and her family couldn't carry her so I tried to help. But they follow such strict Islamic rules, they forbade me to touch her."

Shaking his head in despair, he says assurances that he had a daughter the same age, and that Iraqi forces were there to save the citizens of Mosul, made no difference. "They are completely traumatised and brainwashed," he tells IRIN. "Daesh told them the army would do terrible things to them and now they are scared and confused."

Five men carry a stretcher, upon which an injured man writhes and moans in pain. They have to rest it frequently on the ground. One stretcher-bearer, barefoot and unable to stand the pain of the hot ground, finally sits down. He tears a shirt into two strips of fabric, which he then ties around his feet, fashioning makeshift boots. The men lift the stretcher again and walk on.

An airstrike hits just behind the mosque, shaking the ground. Pieces of metal and masonry shower down, bouncing off the Humvee. The civilians nearby, accustomed as they now are to the sounds of war, barely seem to notice. The eyes of most are utterly vacant.

As the Humvee navigates the same route out of the Old City, Salem drives past a family sitting on a pile of crumbled bricks begging for help to transport another injured young man lying prostrate on the ground. Ambulances can't traverse this unsafe route and the man will have to wait to be carried out by other civilians.

Salem pulls over to question someone he has identified as suspicious. The young man vehemently protests his innocence. "Was this man with Daesh?" Salem demands of the other civilians. "No, no, no," cry the women walking with him. They start weeping in protest, pawing at Salem's shirt. He speaks gently to them and drives on.

At the end of a one-kilometre walk of hell through what remains of this part of the Old City, a screening centre awaits. This is where all men have their identities checked against an extensive military database of known IS members, and where they'll face in-depth interrogation. It's also where, amidst reports of abuse and extrajudicial killings, some still fear for their lives.

The destruction Mosul's civilians are leaving behind is horrific, and the road ahead uncertain.
By PTI: New Delhi, Jul 7 (PTI) Around 57 per cent of a total of around 52,000 seats in undergraduate courses in various Delhi University colleges have been filled following the release of three cut-off lists by the varsity in a fortnight.

The varsity had yesterday released the third cut-off list with highest being 98 per cent for B.A (Hons.) in Psychology course in Lady Shriram College for Women.

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"Over 30,000 out of around 52,000 seats in various DU colleges have already been filled, along with payment of fees. Remaining seats will is most likely to be filled after release of other two cut-off lists," Chairman of DUs Admissions Committee, Professor Maharaj K Pandit said.

The first and second cut-off lists were released on June 23 and July 1 respectively.

While seats for much preferred B.A.(Hons.) English and Economics courses were still open in various colleges, Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC), Lady Shri Ram (LSR) along with Hindu College has closed its admissions to some of the courses.

The fourth and the fifth lists are expected to be released on July 13 and 18 respectively. PTI CPB SMJ

--- ENDS ---
UN mission in Mali condemns ceasefire breaches by peace accord signatories

Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 6 July 2017 Cite as UN News Service, UN mission in Mali condemns ceasefire breaches by peace accord signatories, 6 July 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/595f73414.html [accessed 12 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

The United Nations peacekeeping mission in Mali today condemned continuing ceasefire violations by two signatories of the 2015 Peace and Reconciliation Agreement.

The accord was signed in June 2015 by the Coordination des Mouvements de l'Azawad (CMA) armed group, following its signature in May 2015 by the Government and a third party, the Plateforme coalition of armed groups.

"These violations [by CMA and Plateforme] include movements of armed convoys, provocations and even armed clashes, like the ones ongoing south of Aguelhok," UN Spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters in New York.

Mahamat Saleh Annadif, the head of the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA), urged the leadership of both groups to put an end to these violations immediately.

"If violations persist, they risk undermining their credibility as partners in Mali's quest for a lasting peace," said Mr. Annadif.
In Myanmar, UN refugee chief calls for solutions to displacement and exclusion

Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 6 July 2017 Cite as UN News Service, In Myanmar, UN refugee chief calls for solutions to displacement and exclusion, 6 July 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/595f73874.html [accessed 12 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Concluding his first visit to Myanmar, the United Nations refugee chief today appealed for inclusive and sustainable solutions to protracted displacement and statelessness.

"These are complex issues but they are not intractable," said High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi in a press release issued by his office (UNHCR).

In Kachin and Rakhine states, some 100,000 and 120,000 people, respectively, have remained displaced for more than five years following the eruption of inter-communal conflict between Buddhists and minority Muslim Rohingya.

In Rakhine state, Mr. Grandi met with displaced Muslims in Sittwe's Dar Paing camp who expressed their strong desire to return home. He also reached out to Rakhine and Muslim communities north of Maungdaw and listened to their safety and livelihood concerns.

He also met with high-ranking officials in the South-east Asian nation to discuss humanitarian access in Kachin and Rakhine states.

"A crucial first step is to pursue freedom of movement and access to services and livelihoods for all. Accelerated pathways to citizenship are also part of the solution, as are efforts to tackle exclusion and poverty," Mr. Grandi said, alluding to the country's denial of citizenship for the Rohingya.

Among the officials he met with were State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi; the Minister of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement, Min Myat Aye; the Minister of Labour, Immigration and Population, U Thein Swe; and the Minister of Border Affairs, Lt. Gen Ye Aung.

"I was very happy to hear the State Counsellor saying that refugees are welcome back from Thailand," said Mr. Grandi. "We agreed that returns must be voluntary and sustainable. Refugees should not come back to a situation of dependency but of self-reliance."

He highlighted that the recommendations of the Advisory Commission of Rakhine State provide an important roadmap for the way forward.

The High Commissioner will next visit Thailand before concluding his regional trip in Bangladesh next week.
At UN, panel probing chemical weapons use in Syria urges independence

Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 6 July 2017 Cite as UN News Service, At UN, panel probing chemical weapons use in Syria urges independence, 6 July 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/595f73ea4.html [accessed 12 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Noting that its members are working in a highly politicized environment, the panel investigating the use of chemical weapons in Syria today appealed to the international community to allow it to complete its work in an independent, impartial and professional manner.

We do receive, unfortunately, direct and indirect messages, all the time, from many sides, telling us how to do our work; my message again, to the Council today was, please let us do our work, said Edmond Mulet, the head of the three-member panel leading the Joint Investigative Mechanism on Chemical Weapon Use in Syria.

We have a highly professional team, Mr. Mulet told reporters at United Nations Headquarters, speaking alongside the two other members of the panel, Judy Cheng-Hopkins and Stefan Mogl. We will present our findings based on fact and science.

The Joint Investigative Mechanism, comprising the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) and the UN, is currently investigating the 4 April 2017 attack on the town of Khan Shaykhun. Images of that incident showed children struggling to breathe as a result of the possible use of sarin gas. Also being examined are the incidents in Umm Hawsh on 16 September 2016, where sulphur mustard may have been used.

Addressing the press following a closed-door briefing to the Security Council on the Mechanism's sixth progress report, the panel said that the starting point of the Mechanism's investigation is the determination by an earlier fact-finding mission that a specific incident in Syria involved or likely involved the use of chemicals as weapons.

The Mechanism is now gathering all relevant information concerning the two reported incidents, and stressed the importance of feedback from the Syrian Government on flight logs, notes on movements and lists of people interviewed.

We're working with the Syrian Government on this, and hopefully we'll be given the necessary tools to do our work, Mr. Mulet said, encouraging any other government, organization or entity to share information about these incidents with the Mechanism.

He added that the three members of the panel absolutely condemn the use of chemical weapons and is working to identify the purported perpetrators.

Findings are expected to be presented to the Security Council in mid-October, said Mr. Mulet.

'Progress' in Astana, ahead of Geneva talks

Also today, the UN Special Envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, said progress had been achieved in the latest round of international talks in the Kazakh capital of Astana which will contribute to supporting the intra-Syrian talks due to resume in Geneva on Monday.

The discussions in Astana  being held between the Syrian conflict parties and led by Russia, Turkey and Iran  have focused on de-escalating the violence and strengthening a ceasefire in Syria.

We have tried already three times you know with the ceasefire in Syria in the last period of the last three years, so we really want to give a chance to what is being done here and we believe that efforts have been producing progress, Mr. de Mistura told the press.

There are also discussion about confidence-building measures, including humanitarian demining and the issue of detainees, abductees and people who disappeared during the conflict.

The UN envoy confirmed that a new round of the intra-Syrian talks would begin in Geneva on 10 July, and that the progress in Astana could lead to some progress on the political side during the talks.

There have been technical discussions and meetings, said Mr. de Mistura, bringing some clarity and some form of unity among the opposition.

He noted the G20 meeting in Hamburg, Germany, due to start tomorrow, would be a good occasion for world leaders to address the Syrian conflict.

Mr. de Mistura's work is guided by UN Security Council resolution 2254 (2015), which endorsed a roadmap for a peace process in Syria, including issues of governance, constitution and elections.
China: Authorities must end ruthless crackdown on human rights lawyers and activists

Publisher Amnesty International Publication Date 7 July 2017 Cite as Amnesty International, China: Authorities must end ruthless crackdown on human rights lawyers and activists, 7 July 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/595fa0824.html [accessed 12 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

The Chinese authorities must end their ruthless campaign of detention and torture of human rights lawyers and activists, said Amnesty International, ahead of the second anniversary of the start of an unprecedented crackdown launched under President Xi Jinping.

Nearly 250 human rights lawyers and activists have been targeted during the nationwide sweep which began on 9 July 2015. Six have since been convicted for "subverting state power" or "picking quarrels and provoking trouble". Three others are still awaiting trials or verdicts.

"For two years the Chinese government has been methodically decimating the ranks of human rights lawyers and activists. This vicious crackdown marked by arbitrary arrests, incommunicado detentions, torture and ill-treatment and fake confessions must end now," said Nicholas Bequelin, East Asia Director at Amnesty International.

"Lawyers and rights advocates play a crucial role in protecting human rights and the rule of law. The torment that they and their families continue to be subjected to flies in the face of the Chinese government claim that it upholds the rule of law."

Torture and ill-treatment

The torture of detained lawyers remains a systemic issue. One lawyer released on bail in May, Xie Yang, told his lawyers he had suffered beatings, lengthy interrogations and was deprived of water and sleep during his 22 months in detention.

The wife of another lawyer, Li Heping, has described how her husband was force-fed with medicines and chained for up to 24 hours a day during his detention. Li was given a three year suspended prison sentence in April for"subverting state power".

Vanished

Incommunicado detentions remain routine. Lawyer Wang Quanzhang was detained by the Chinese authorities in August 2015. As of today his family still have no information as to where he is, his condition or even if he is still alive.

Another prominent Chinese human rights lawyer, Jiang Tianyong, was taken away by police in November last year, after visiting the wife of a fellow lawyer who was detained in the first wave of the crackdown.

For months, the authorities refused to provide Jiang Tianyong's family any information about his whereabouts. In May, the police finally informed the family Jiang had been formally arrested for "subverting state power", a charge which carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. He is being held at Changsha City No. 1 Detention Centre in central China, but his lawyers continue to be prevented from visiting him. He is still waiting to hear if prosecutors will pursue charges against him.

Continuing harassment

The detention of lawyer Wang Yu and her family on 9 July 2015 sparked the beginning of the government crackdown. Despite Wang Yu and her husband Bao Longjun being released on bail last year, they remain under close surveillance and continue to be harassed by the authorities.

"The authorities must end their cold-blooded treatment of human rights lawyers and activists. They must stop this torment and free the lawyers and activists who have been detained solely for doing their work and defending human rights," said Nicholas Bequelin.

The crackdown against human rights lawyers is part of a calculated operation by the Chinese government to suppress civil society. New or proposed laws give the authorities nearly unchecked powers to target individuals and organizations that are seen to criticize the government and its policies.

Copyright notice:  Copyright Amnesty International
India Today Editor-in-Chief Aroon Purie talks about how the dispute over the land between China and Bhutan is not just about the size of the 89 sq. km territory in Doklam, a plateau of immense strategic significance.

This week Prime Minister Narendra Modi was in Israel on a historic visit but the headlines were stolen by a neighbour India has recently had a fraught relationship with. Using its signature move of encroaching by building infrastructure, a more assertive China has been advancing its claims of late over several disputed territories, most notably in the contested South China Sea where Beijing is building islands. The latest episode of this reimagining of the world came to light on June 16 when the People's Liberation Army's road construction entered Doklam, a narrow plateau that abuts the trijunction where India, China and Bhutan meet. The dispute over the land between China and Bhutan is not just about the size of the 89 sq. km territory in Doklam: it is a plateau of immense strategic significance as it brings China even closer to the vulnerable 27-kilometre-long Siliguri corridor or 'chicken's neck' that links the northeastern states to the rest of India.

Bhutan, which now finds itself at the centre of the stand-off between the two Asian giants, has always relied on India for support against any aggressive designs by China. Bhutan and India share close defence ties and a friendship treaty, while Thimphu does not have diplomatic ties with Beijing.

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The current dispute comes at an interesting moment, and appears to be triggered by various things, not the least of which was Prime Minister Modi's meeting with US President Donald Trump. There is a chill in US-China relations right now over China's failure to help in ending North Korea's nuclear threat. Beijing is unhappy with the US sailing its warships in the South China Sea and agreeing to a $1.4 billion arms deal with Taiwan. China's biggest nightmare is a concert of democracies-US, Japan and India-whose aim would be to contain Chinese influence. Beijing will no doubt get a visible symbol of this growing trilateral cooperation in the annual 'Malabar 2017' naval exercises beginning in the Bay of Bengal on July 10.

Clearly, a reworking of the global order is on the anvil. China and Russia are reinforcing their ties, which Chinese President Xi Jinping declared in Moscow on July 3 were now enjoying their best time in history. China is rapidly expanding its influence as it looks to reshape the world order through its massive 'Belt and Road' infrastructure plan, as we detailed in our June 5, 2017, cover story (The World According to Xi).

This week, our cover story examines the Doklam flashpoint in the context of China's larger ambition of becoming a superpower and India's place in this quick-changing world. Relations between India and China have always been a complex mix of cooperation and competition, but now appear to be veering towards discord, overturning more than a decade of negotiations between special representatives of the two nations. India is now dealing with a fundamentally different China. "The shrill rhetoric from Beijing aimed at India over what they call trespassing is quite unprecedented. Nationalist sentiment is being whipped up by the media. We've seen this before for Japan, but never for India," says Ananth Krishnan, Associate Editor in Beijing and one of the authors of our story. In additional reporting, Managing Editor Kai Friese analyses the colonial geopolitics that has shaped the Himalayan borders and the ironies of China's new Great Game.

India is deeply concerned because it sees it as an attempt by China to undo the progress the two sides had made in the past decade for a border settlement. Now, it has to deal with an even more muscular China. The China challenge is becoming the biggest foreign policy test for the Narendra Modi government. How it emerges from it will be critical for India.

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Body cameras for the Mooresville Police Department have arrived. Find out when they will be used.
An official report said the flood situation in Assam remains critical as new areas are submerged due to which nearly four lakh people have been affected across 13 districts of the state.

By Parbina Purkayastha: While few minutes of rains in capital make headlines, close to 20 people have died after heavy rain lashed remote areas of northeast India.

"Floods and landslides have caused drowning or injuries from collapsed homes, where the mighty Brahmaputra river was flowing above the danger-level," said the state's disaster management authority to media.

An official report said the flood situation in Assam remains critical as new areas are submerged due to which nearly four lakh people have been affected across 13 districts of the state. Road communication has been affected at flood-hit districts and several rivers including the famous Brahmaputra are flowing above danger level. Not only that nearly four lakh people have left their flooded homes in 750 villages across half of Assam's 27 districts. Nearly 30,000 people have taken shelter in camps by the state government. Many are living with their relatives or on higher ground. The official figure says it evacuated 400 students after their school campus was flooded in Nalbari district.

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Farmers are facing huge loss because over 20,000 hectares of crop land has been damaged. The Assam state disaster said, "Flood waters have also damaged infrastructures such as bridges in Barpeta, Cachar, Karimganj, Golaghat and Nalbari districts along many roads and embankments."

In neighbouring Arunachal Pradesh, roads in several districts have been cut off due to continuous rain and landslides. Air Force helicopter flying food supplies to remote areas went missing in the state due bad weather. Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju himself had a narrow escape when his helicopter was caught in a storm and heavy rain which was finally landed in Arunachal's capital Itanagar.

According to the meteorological department, the area is unlikely to get any respite from heavy rains over the next few days.

ALSO READ:

Met office warns of very heavy rains in Northeast, North and Central India in next 5 days

Assam floods: More than one lakh affected as Brahmaputra flows above danger level

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Thailand has agreed to refrain from expelling undocumented Cambodian workers and will allow them to seek official status, despite a recent decree imposing harsh new restrictions on illegal migrants, Cambodias government said Friday, following a meeting between the two nations labor ministries.



On June 23, Thailand implemented a royal decree imposing jail terms of up to five years and a fine of up to 100,000 baht (U.S. $2,941) on illegal workers in the country. The decree was suspended following a backlash from companies and migrant advocates, but thousands of Cambodians have already fled the country, fearing arrest and deportation.



On Thursday, Cambodian Minister of Labor and Vocational Training Ith Sam Heng led a delegation from the ministrys Commission for Provision of Lawful Status to Cambodian Migrant Workers Residing and Working in Thailand to meet with Thai labor minister Sirichai Distakul in Bangkok to discuss a settlement regarding Cambodian workers.



In a statement issued Friday, the commission said that the Thai government had agreed at the meeting not to enforce penalties against any Thai companies employing undocumented Cambodians or expel Cambodian migrants who are currently working in Thailand.



Thailand will grant a 15-day grace period from July 24 to Aug. 7 to any Cambodian migrant workers and Thai employers who lack documentation to register at Foreign Migrant Worker Registration offices, which will be opened in 10 locations in Bangkok and also in each of Thailands 76 provinces.



Cambodian migrants who previously held work permits but changed employers without applying for new status will also be allowed to register with Thailands Ministry of Labour, the statement said.



The Commission for Provision of Lawful Status will also launch campaigns next month to provide travel documents to Cambodian workers in Thailand who lack them, allowing them to stay and work in the country.



The commission called on Cambodian migrant workers in Thailand to remain calm in coming weeks and to perform your work as usual.



According to Thailands Ministry of Labour, around 2.7 million documented migrant workersmainly from Myanmar and Cambodiaare currently working in the country. The ministry estimates that 2 million migrants are working in Thailand without papers.



Questionable implementation



On Thursday, following his meeting with Sirichai Distakul, Ith Sam Heng told reporters that a recently updated survey by the Thai ministry had found some 1.05 million Cambodian workers in Thailand, only 750,000 of whom are documented.



He applauded Thailands new labor law, which he said prevents human trafficking and exploitation of foreign workers, but expressed reservations over how quickly it had been implemented.



It caused Burmese and Cambodian workers to leave out of fear, and also caused concern for employers, he said.



The Thai government tried to calm the situation by announcing a 120-day grace period on July 1 and extending it to 180 days on Tuesday, but Cambodians have been streaming across the border since the June 23 decree was issued, and Ith Sam Heng said at least 4,000 had returned home through various checkpoints on Thursday alone.



The United Nations International Organization for Migration (IOM) said Friday that at least 34,800 Myanmar and 7,360 Cambodian migrants are known to have left Thailand over the past two weeks.



At an IOM-operated center for assisting migrants in the Cambodian border town of Poipet, many arrivals told the agency they had left Thailand fearing arrest, but plan to return when they have obtained the necessary travel documents and visas.



IOM said that returns to Cambodia had surged to over 5,000 in the past week, including women and children.



Some women said that when they next return to work in Thailand, they plan to leave their children in Cambodia with relatives, the agency added.



Cambodias government on Monday closed all checkpoints along its border with Thailand to anyone other than Cambodian migrant workers returning home, in what is seen as a bid to prevent more illegal workers from crossing into Thailand.



The move drew criticism from residents who say their livelihoods depend on traveling between the two countries.



Reported by Sothearin Yeang and Hour Hum for RFAs Khmer Service. Translated by Sovannarith Keo and Nareth Muong. Written in English by Joshua Lipes.
Protesters hold placards demanding the release of Chinese labor activist Liu Shaoming from jail and the release of terminally ill Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo on overseas medical parole during a demonstration in Hong Kong, July 7, 2017.

Authorities in the southern Chinese province of Guangdong on Friday jailed a prominent labor rights campaigner and veteran of the 1989 pro-democracy movement for four-and-a-half years after finding him guilty of subversion, his lawyer said.

Liu Shaoming, 59, was handed the sentence by the Guangzhou Intermediate People's Court, his defense attorney Wu Kuiming told RFA.

"Of course this is totally unreasonable, because he is innocent, and this is a very heavy sentence," Wu said. "I was a bit surprised, because four-and-a-half years is a tough sentence."

"He also thinks that the sentence has very little to do with the things he has said, and he will be appealing, although appealing usually results in the initial decision being upheld in such cases, in my experience," he said.

Wu said Liu's family has been left reeling by the harshness of the sentence, amid growing fears for his health in prison.

Liu was initially detained on May 30, 2015, on suspicion of "picking quarrels and stirring up trouble," a charge frequently used by police to target dissidents and rights activists.

But he was tried in April 2016 on the more serious charge of "incitement to subvert state power."

Liu had been active in a number of industrial disputes in recent years, including speaking out on behalf of cleaners at Guangzhou's University City, striking workers at the Xinsheng Shoe Factory, and many others, he said.

Broader campaign

The jailing of rights activists is part of a broader campaign by the ruling Chinese Communist Party to exert political pressure on civil society groups, which include those campaigning for the rights of women, migrant workers, consumers, students in education, sex workers, and those with disabilities and diseases.

Guangdong-based rights activist Sun Tao said he had been detained alongside three other activists as they tried attend the sentencing hearing on Friday.

"The road outside the court was lined with police vehicles, at least 10 of them, all kinds," Sun said. "We took a photo outside the court on the opposite side of the road, and posted it online, but then we were stopped by [police] before we even reached the court."

"They checked our IDs, and then took us down to the police station ... on suspicion of disrupting public order," he said. "They just detain people when they feel like it now."

Liu's friend Guo Chunping told RFA that he is a longtime democracy activist who was detained for publishing an online memoir of the 1989 military crackdown on the student-led pro-democracy movement, as well as being a labor activist.

"The socioeconomic background is that the Chinese economy started to slow down, which led to a lot of people losing their jobs," Guo said.

"If they hadn't cracked down on the labor movement, then more and more people would have gotten involved, and become dissidents," he said.

"The authorities see the labor movement and the pro-democracy movement as interconnected, and Liu Xiaoming had written a memoir of June 4, 1989, which is probably what angered the Chinese Communist Party," he said.

Hong Kong labor union leader and veteran rights activist Lee Cheuk-yan said Liu had done nothing wrong, however.

"All Liu Shaoming did was basically to express his opinion on workers' rights and about not forgetting the Tiananmen Massacre," Lee told RFA.

"He was held for some time before finally being sentenced for incitement to subvert state power, which I think is an abuse of power."

"It's now very common for them to treat any kind of opinion as subverting state power, which is very worrying indeed," he said.

Reported by Tam Lee for RFA's Cantonese Service, and by Ding Wenqi for the Mandarin Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie.
On , the European Parliament passed a resolution calling on the Chinese government to immediately release the Nobel Peace Prize winner Liu Xiaobo and his wife Liu Xia, and to allow Liu Xiaobo to choose where to receive treatment for his advanced liver cancer. The resolution, which passed with an overwhelming majority at a special meeting, also called for the release of Taiwanese human rights activist Lee Ming-cheh, who is currently detained in China, and for the ruling Chinese Communist Party to allow him to contact his family. Germany-based journalist and commentator Su Yutong, a contributor to RFA, spoke to RFA's Mandarin Service about the move:



RFA: Why did the European Parliament pass this motion now?



Su Yutong: The background to this is that the resolution was tabled by the Green Party in the European Parliament, which has been following Liu Xiaobo's case very closely, and recent changes in his circumstances. All MEPs have been paying very close attention to developments with Liu Xiaobo. Also, Liu Xiaobo's case has been put together with the case of Taiwan's Lee Ming-cheh in a single human rights resolution because both the Taiwan authorities and non-government organizations (NGOs) have stayed in close touch with the international community, hoping to increase pressure on the Chinese government, with some success. The very special circumstances in the Liu Xiaobo case led them to put the two cases together ... Sources are telling me that there is a connection to the G20 leadership summit [in Hamburg]. The fact that they have passed this resolution now suggests that the EU leaders attending the G20 summit will be more likely to raise the issues of Liu Xiaobo and Lee Ming-cheh with President Xi Jinping at the summit.



RFA: So do you think that the passing of this resolution will succeed in putting pressure on China, to the extent that they release Liu Xiaobo to seek medical treatment overseas?



Su Yutong: Well I can't say for sure ... but I was watching the live broadcasts of the debate in the European Parliament, and the voting was done by a show of hands, and every MEP raised their hand to support the resolution, which is extremely rare for a human rights resolution in recent years, in this parliament. I think that the Chinese government must have taken note of this very strong message. A lot of people complain that big organizations like the European Parliament and the EU are pretty toothless when it comes to putting pressure on China [over human rights], but this was a rare instance of a tougher stance on the issue with this vote in the European Parliament.



RFA: Why did the resolution include the case of Lee Ming-cheh?



Su Yutong: The Taiwan presidential spokesman put out a statement ... saying that the Lee Ming-cheh case may seem like just another individual human rights case in the wider context of China, but actually it's a really big human rights story from Taiwan's point of view, and from the point of view of the rest of the world, because it touches on so many different issues. For example, they have used the charge of "incitement to subvert state power" against Lee Ming-cheh. The international community should be concerned that such charges are being used by a dictatorship to target a citizen of a democratic society. Democratic values are being challenged by a dictatorship here.



Reported by Zhu Dan for RFA's Mandarin Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie.


Chinese rights activists have hit out at President Xi Jinping's "panda diplomacy" amid mounting criticism of Beijing's human rights record as leaders of the G20 group of nations met in the port city of Hamburg on Friday.



But as the European Parliament passed a human rights resolution ahead of the G20 summit calling on the ruling Chinese Communist Party to release two political prisoners, German Chancellor Angela Merkel was pictured alongside Xi, visiting a panda recently "gifted" to Germany by China.



Dozens of activists turned out in protest against China's human rights record, chanting "We don't want pandas! Release Liu Xiaobo!" in a reference to the cancer-stricken political prisoner now being treated in northeastern China for late-stage liver cancer.



Protest organizer Fei Liangyong said Beijing's "panda diplomacy" is unacceptable.



"They should not be allowed to roll out a panda for diplomatic purposes after China jailed Nobel Peace Prize winner Liu Xiaobo until he was terminally ill," Fei said. "We call on the German government to to step up pressure on the Chinese Communist Party, and demand Liu Xiaobo's release."



Other activists hit out at what they said was heavy-handed policing during the protest, which came as some 100,000 anti-globalization protesters converged on Hamburg, clashing with police and torching cars ahead of the summit, Liao said the police were taking the wrong side.



"I feel very uneasy today, because this is the first time I have seen the police in a democratic, Western country stand on the side of power," Germany-based Chinese writer and social commentator Liao Tianqi said. "They forced us to move from one side [of the panda house] to the other, so as to protect a single dictator."



"They are using cute pandas as a political tool," Liao said. "But if the German public knew the situation of Liu Xiaobo, they would definitely support our point of view instead."



"Western countries really should know the real meaning of panda diplomacy. It is a shameful and undignified political game," Liao said.



Focused on profit



Germany-based democracy activist Qian Yuejun agreed.



"A lot of Western countries are sometimes too focused on profit and economic benefits, and they are careful not to annoy the Chinese government," Qian said. "But all too often, they sacrifice basic minimum standards on human rights."



"I really hope that the German government won't just forget basic standards on human rights," he said. "There are clear provisions about this in the German constitution."



Meanwhile, activists in Hong Kong continued their protests for Liu Xiaobo's release, gathering outside Beijing's liaison office in the city.



Pan-democratic lawmaker Kwok Ka-ki said he doesn't believe that Liu is getting the best possible cancer care at the Shenyang No. 1 Medical University Hospital in the northeastern province of Liaoning, in spite of the authorities' inviting cancer specialists to come and treat him.



"Our main message to the Chinese Communist Party is that they should release Liu Xiaobo immediately and allow his family to determine where he is treated," Kwok said. "It is unacceptable that he shouldn't be free to choose his own treatment for a terminal illness."



Medication 'adjusted'



Liu's brother-in-law issued a statement on Friday saying Liu's medication hadn't been stopped, as reported, but only "adjusted" with the family's consent.



"Liu Xiaobo has not stopped being medicated. But because his condition is grave and the tumor is rapidly progressing, after a consultation by top domestic specialists, the medication has been adjusted, with his family's consent," the letter read.



"I express resentment at the people who spread and create rumors and distort facts," Liu Hui wrote in a handwritten statement posted on the hospital website.



Beijing Film Academy professor Hao Jian, who is a friend of Liu Xia, said the family is under huge political pressure, but still wants Liu Xiaobo to be treated outside China.



"They are under the total control of the authorities," Hao said. "They basically have to say whatever officials tell them to say."



"But at least Liu Hui didn't say that they don't want overseas treatment. I think he is under surveillance, but it shows they couldn't get him to say that, at least," he said.



Nonviolent struggle



A literary critic and former professor, Liu Xiaobo was awarded the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize "for his long and non-violent struggle for fundamental human rights in China" in a decision that infuriated Beijing, which says he has broken Chinese law. During the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony in Oslo, Liu was represented by an empty chair.



Beijing cut off trade ties with Norway in the wake of the award, although the Norwegian government said it had nothing to do with the decision. Ties were only fully resumed last December.



Liu has been held since 2008 after helping to draft Charter 08, a manifesto calling for sweeping changes in China's government that was signed by thousands of supporters.



Reported by Ng Yik-tung, Lam Kwok-lap and Tam Lee for RFA's Cantonese Service, and by Qiao Long and Tian Yi for the Mandarin Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie.




Hundreds of undocumented Laotians have fled Thailand since the Thai government imposed tough new restrictions on illegal migrant workers two weeks ago, according to a border official, with some condemning the Lao embassy for failing to protect their rights amid the crackdown.



On June 23, Thailand implemented a royal decree imposing jail terms of up to five years and a fine of up to 100,000 baht (U.S. $2,941) on illegal workers in the country.



The decree was suspended for 180 days following a backlash from companies and migrant advocates, but hundreds of Laotians have fled the country in the meantime, fearing prosecution by the government and exploitation by their employers, according to a Thai official at the Pak Xaeng border checkpoint between Thailands Ubon Ratchathani and Laos Champasak provinces.



The official, who spoke to RFAs Lao Service on condition of anonymity, said that more than 100 undocumented workers from Laos were returning home daily through his checkpoint alone until earlier this week, when the stream trickled down to around 30 per day.



Most of the workers, he said, are paid minimum wage on a daily basis for jobs in construction and agriculture, and illicitly enter Thailand because the fees required to obtain legal workoften around 20,000 baht (U.S. $587) per personare too high for them to afford.



A Lao official at the Vangtao border checkpoint in Champasak, who also asked to remain unnamed, confirmed that most Lao workers chose to pay a smaller amount of money to border authorities in bribes to cross into Thailand, instead of paying fees for legal work status in the neighboring country.



By circumventing legal work status, however, undocumented Laotians working in Thailand regularly face exploitation by their employers, who violate their rights, or by middlemen, who promise them well-paying jobs, only to traffic them into slavery-like labor conditions.



One such worker, who did not provide her name, recently posted a complaint on Facebook slamming Lao authoritiesand specifically Lao embassy officialsfor failing to advocate for Laotians working in Thailand and provide them with assistance when in need.



Why doesnt the Lao embassy take care of Lao workers in Thailand instead of only trying to get tax money from them, she asked in her post.



Worker assistance



Officials at the Lao embassy in Bangkok refused to comment on the situation of Laotians working illegally in Thailand, despite repeated requests.



But an official with the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare in the Lao capital Vientiane told RFA that undocumented workers do have access to limited assistance from the Lao diplomatic mission in Thailand.



We recommend that they return to Laos and obtain what they need legally, he said.



If you enter illegally, you have a chance of getting into trouble. Our laws cant cover everything for those in Thailand.



Additionally, he said, Laos and Thailand have a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in place to help tackle the employment issue, and the Thai government has established centers in Thailands capital Bangkok and in Nongkhai city, along the border with Laos, to assist Lao workers.



According to Thailands Ministry of Labour, there are around 170,000 Lao workers working legally in the country out of around 2.7 million documented migrant workersmainly from Myanmar and Cambodia.



While the ministry does not provide figures for undocumented workers from specific countries, it estimates that 2 million migrants are working in Thailand without papers. Reports suggest that more than 200,000 of those illegal migrant workers are from Laos.



Labor shortage



Meanwhile, Laos is suffering from a shortage of workersincluding skilled workersbut Laotians prefer to work in Thailand because they receive nearly double the pay they get at home.



Due to the shortage, the Lao government has been forced to allow companies investing in Laos to import workers from their own countriesmainly China, Vietnam, and Thailand.



In addition, many nationals from these countries have entered Laos with valid passports, but have overstayed their visas to work illegally in construction or to set up their own small businesses throughout the country, often transporting goods for sale in rural areas.



In 2016, the Lao government ordered provincial authorities to register all illegal immigrant workers in the country, but as of March only around 24,000 have been documented, leaving what is believed to be a substantial number unlisted.



Reported by RFAs Lao Service. Translated by Somnet Inthapannha. Written in English by Joshua Lipes.
Myanmars de facto national leader Aung San Suu Kyi said Thursday that the arrests of three journalists in northern Shan state should not be seen as a problem between the media and the military, but rather as a question of whether existing laws are just and democratic.

Three journalists from independent, domestic news outlets were charged in late June under the countrys colonial-era Unlawful Associations Act for covering a drug-burning ceremony held by the Taang National Liberation Army (TNLA), an ethnic militia officially described as an illegal group. The trio will go on trial on July 10.

This should not be seen very narrowly as three journalists against the army or vice versa, Aung San Suu Kyi said, responding to a question by a Reuters reporter at a news conference with visiting Norwegian Foreign Minster Brge Brende in the capital Naypyidaw.

She said that if existing laws are not helpful to justice and democracy, then the judiciary should make an attempt to amend them, but that the administrative sector cannot intervene in judicial affairs.

Rule of law means they have to be, first of all, just laws, she said.

Rights activists say the act is one of many legal statutes used to suppress political opposition, often in the case of ethnic minority groups. It carries a maximum prison sentence of three years and a possible fine.

The act was used during Myanmars decades of military junta rule to detain persons linked to rebel groups, and continues to be used to jail those accused of contact with rebel forces in states beset by ethnic separtist civil war.

The arrests come as Myanmar journalists and rights groups have called for the repeal of another repressive statue frequently used by those in power to prosecute journalists for defamation.

Section 66(d) of the Telecommunications Act prohibits the use of telecom networks to defame people and carries a jail sentence of up to three years and a fine for those found guilty of violating it.

Journalists and rights groups accuse government officials and military officers under the civilian government of Aung San Suu Kyi of routinely using the statute to prosecute critics who post articles about them on social media.

At the end of the news conference, Aung San Suu Kyi told reporters that the national parliament has begun to work on amendments to Section 66(d).

Reported by Win Ko Ko Latt for RFAs Myanmar Service. Translated by Khin Maung Nyane. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin.
Thein Swe, Myanmars minister for labor, immigration and population, says authorities in Myanmar and Thailand will work together to ensure that Myanmar workers are documented to work legally in Thailand, following a meeting with his Thai counterpart in Naypyidaw, July 7, 2017.

The Myanmar and Thai labor ministers reached an agreement on Friday to issue official documents to Myanmar workers allowing them to work legally in the neighboring country two weeks after new Thai labor regulations took effect under which undocumented migrant laborers can be expelled.

The laws, which aim at tackling human trafficking concerns raised by the international community and resolving the growing problem of undocumented migrant workers in Thailand, caused an exodus of more than 60,000 foreign workersmany from neighboring Myanmar, Laos, and Cambodiafearing arrest.

The regulations, which went into effect on June 23, impose heavy fines on both Thai employers and foreign workers who lack work permits.

Thein Swe, Myanmars minister for labor, immigration and population, told reporters after his meeting with Thai labor minister General Sirichai Distakul in the capital Naypyidaw, that authorities in both countries will work together to ensure that Myanmar workers are documented to work legally in Thailand by rechecking their statuses between July 24 and August 7.

There will be no cost for the service for workers, and Myanmar will open six additional offices to issue certificates of identity (CI cards) to Myanmar laborers so they can work legally in Thailand, he said.

Thai authorities will not take action against Burmese workers any more, even if they have no documents or incomplete documents, Thein Swe said on Thursday.

If authorities find undocumented workers, they will ask their bosses if the workers are employed at their businesses or not, he said. If they are, authorities will let these workers register [for proper documents], he said.

Mobile teams of Thai authorities will issue CI cards for Myanmar migrant workers who cannot readily return to Myanmar because of long distances, he said. The mobile units will also work on Sundays, the day of the week when migrant workers have off.

Then, Thai authorities will send us their registration documents, and these workers will be legal workers after we issue them passports or other legal documents, Thein Swe said.

More than 180,000 of 3 million Myanmar workers have already been issued CIs, he said.



Still heading to Thailand

Of the estimated 5 million Myanmar citizens working in Thailand, about 2.2. million have proper documents, Thein Swe said after his first meeting with Sirichai Distakul on Wednesday.

Roughly 43,000 undocumented Myanmar workers have returned home from Thailand in the past two weeks, though Thai authorities have delayed full implementation of the law until the end of the year to allow those without proper documents to get the necessary paperwork at home.

Last week, Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-o-cha told reporters that migrants affected by the new regulations could continue to work temporarily, pending verification of their identities.

The influx of Myanmar nationals returning from Thailand has overburdened social agencies and swamped border crossings, Myanmar officials said.

Thai authorities are allowing only about 100 people per day to go from the border crossing in the town of Ranong across from the Myanmar town of Kawthaung on the southernmost tip of the country in Tanintharyi region, state-run Global New Light of Myanmar reported.

While thousands of workers return home to obtain the legal documents they need to legally work in Thailand, about 500-1,000 more are heading to Thailand each day under a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the two countries, the Myanmar Times reported, citing Aung Kyaw Myint, assistant director from the immigration ministry.

If we send Burmese workers to foreign countries, we will send them under the MOU, Thein Swe said on Thursday.

Myanmar will work on decreasing human trafficking, and Thailand has to work on having good and real business owners, he said.

Thein Swe also said Myanmar has sent workers to South Korea and is still in discussions with the Japanese government about sending them to Japan.



Reported by Win Ko Ko Latt for RFAs Myanmar Service. Translated by Khet Mar. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin.
Fourteen political parties in Myanmar, including the main opposition party, urged the civilian government on Thursday to order martial law in the unstable northern area of Rakhine state where a series of disappearances and murders have struck fear in ethnic Rakhine Buddhists.

The Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP)the countrys main opposition party, with a strong military backgroundand 13 others want de facto national leader Aung San Suu Kyis 15-month-old National League for Democracy (NLD) government to order military forces to step in because they believe that local civilian agencies are unable to maintain public order and safety.

Just like in the Laukkai area [of volatile northern Shan state] recently, we want to see martial law in some areas of Rakhine state where it is necessary, where the civilian administration cannot do much to ensure security, said Nay Min Kyaw, general secretary of the National Democratic Force Party (NDF), said.

Rakhine authorities have charged more than 500 local Muslims and deemed 1,300 others fugitives for their alleged involvement in deadly attacks last October on border patrolmen in the states three northern townships of Maungdaw, Buthidaung, and Rathedaung. The attacks were blamed on an obscure group of militant Rohingya Muslims.

Despite the action, the area is far from secure, local say.

In June, Myanmar security forces killed three men while clearing a suspected Rohingya insurgent training camp in a mountain range in the Maungdaw-Buthidaung township area where tunnels, weapons, huts, rations, and training materiel were discovered during a two-day security clearance operation.

Several recent killings in the tri-township area, including two of ethnic Rakhine people, coupled with alarm about attacks by Rohingya Muslims, forced about 200 Rakhine Buddhists to flee Maungdaw last week. The move prompted troops in the area to be put on high alert and a state parliamentary official to call for increased security.

Though the 14 political parties commended the central government for using terms such as terrorizing groups and extreme violence in its news releases about the violence in northern Rakhine state, they believe that Naypyidaw is not exercising powers provided by existing laws in handling the situation, and instead is doing things which are not in conformity with the powers it has, Nay Min Kyaw said.

The political parties also urged the government not to accept an international fact-finding mission that the United Nations Human Rights Commission will send to Rakhine state to investigate atrocities that Myanmars army is said to have committed against Rohingya Muslims during a four-month security sweep of the northern townships following deadly attacks on border guard stations in October 2016.

Myanmar has disassociated itself from the U.N. resolution on the fact-finding mission, arguing that it is not in keeping with what was actually happening on the ground in northern Rakhine.

Aung San Suu Kyi has appointed a commission led by former U.N. chief Kofi Annan to examine the situation on the ground in Rakhine and propose ways to solve the sectarian tensions. The commissions final report is due in August.

Residents hold public meeting

In a related development, about 200 people from Maungdaw, Buthidaung, and Rathedaung townships held a public meeting on Thursday to discuss security in the wake of the latest act of sectarian violence to rock the restive state.

On Tuesday, a Buddhist mob attacked and killed a Rohingya Muslim man and injured six others in the state capital Sittwe after the group became involved in an argument with a local businessman over a boat purchase.

The attack resonated with people in the three townships where a rising number of murders and disappearances have occurred amid growing fear about possible attacks by Rohingya Muslims, who constitute a majority of the population in the area.

Locals who attended the meeting called for tighter security in the area and discussed forming a militia to protect themselves from attacks by Muslims.

They also noted that the police have not made any arrests in the recent murders of two local ethnic Rakhine people.

Rumors and threats are rife that more violence is coming, and the number of murders of locals is rising [so] we discussed the need for more security in the area, said Maung Khin Win, vice-chairman of the Emergency Relief Committee, a local aid organization.

The residents also said foreign nongovernmental organizations and international assistance were not helping the problem, but rather making it worse.

Reported by Min Thein Aung for RFAs Myanmar Service. Translated by Khin Maung Nyane. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin.
Tibetan villagers living in Tibets Chamdo prefecture are resisting local authorities orders to vacate their land, vowing to petition higher levels of government for permission to stay, a source living in the region says.



The land, which is shared by Pashoe (in Chinese, Basu) countys Nara and Dziwa villages, has been farmed by villagers and their ancestors for centuries, but has now been claimed by Pema township officials for development, an area resident told RFAs Tibetan Service.



Authorities say they need the land for the construction of hospitals and schools and other public places, and are offering low levels of compensation for those now living there, RFAs source said, speaking on condition of anonymity.



Houses, farming fields, and orchards are all being claimed, the source said.



Villagers believe that this attempt to take their land for so little money is a corrupt plot and that officials will, in turn, sell the land for commercial development at a much higher rate to Chinese businessmen and their relatives, he said.



Chinese officials are now using threats to force villagers to sign hand-over agreements by July 20, and are claiming that their orders to seize the land come from all levels of the Chinese government, the source said.



But villagers believe that no orders have been given by higher authorities, and that the plan to take their land comes only from the county chief and a few other officials.



[The villagers] are determined now to seek intervention by Chinas central government and to bring their grievances to the highest authorities, the source said.



In April, nearly 200 Tibetan families living in Pashoe and neighboring Dzogang (Zuogang) county were ordered to leave their homes to make way for an unspecified government construction project, with the move to new locations to be made at their own expense, sources told RFA in an earlier report.



Chinese development projects in Tibetan areas have led to frequent standoffs with Tibetans who accuse Chinese firms and local officials of improperly seizing land and disrupting the lives of local people.



Many result in violent suppression, the detention of protest organizers, and intense pressure on the local population to comply with the governments wishes.



Reported by Dawa Dolma for RFAs Tibetan Service. Translated by Dorjee Damdul. Written in English by Richard Finney.




By Indo-Asian News Service: Russian President Vladimir Putin has addressed the German public directly ahead of the G20 summit in Hamburg, writing an exclusive op-ed for the German newspaper Handelsblatt.

Putin stressed his belief in common ground shared by Moscow and Berlin in the areas such as climate change, and praised the G20 as a necessary and effective forum for resolving trans-national issues.

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The G20 had been a successful "instrument of global crisis management" during the 2008 financial crisis and was needed more than ever in light of heightened geo-political and environmental risks in 2017, the Russian President wrote on Thursday, Xinhua news agency reported.

"Russia welcomes the widening of the G20's agenda. I hereby refer to... sustainable development, climate change, the fight against terrorism and corruption, as well as health-, migration- and refugee policy."

Putin congratulated German Chancellor Angela Merkel for Germany's efforts to host a constructive summit marked by mutual respect. He warned, however, that the tasks faced by the G20 were daunting.

WHAT HAS BEEN SAID IN THE ARTICLE:

"Older economic models are almost obsolete. Protectionism is becoming the norm. Politically-motivated and one-sided sanctions in areas such as investment, trade and technology transfers are another hidden form thereof. In our view, such sanctions do not just lack perspective, they contradict the principals of the G20 to work together towards the interests of all countries of the world."

The article went on to emphasize Russia's commitment to free trade and combating climate change.

He was convinced that "only trade based on open and uniform norms and standards" could promote global growth, Putin wrote.

The Russian President noted that his country was a reliable international partner when it came to climate change, which had more than fulfilled its commitments under the Kyoto Protocol and was dedicated to upholding the Paris agreement.

Lastly, Putin addressed the topic of cyber-security and information technology.

While Russia attached great value to granting individuals open access to information technology like the internet, states needed to balance security and freedom carefully to prevent the digital world from becoming a refuge for criminals.

He also called for the benefits of the digital economy to be spread more evenly between and within countries.

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--- ENDS ---
Texas-based True Health Diagnostics has swatted away a lawsuit that was filed after it purchased Richmond-based Health Diagnostic Laboratory, but another suit with very similar allegations that was filed earlier this year has yet to be resolved.

In mid-June, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit upheld a ruling made by a judge in the Northern District of Ohio, in which she granted True Health's motion to dismiss the patent infringement lawsuit filed by Cleveland HeartLab and the Cleveland Clinic Foundation.

The appeals court agreed with the Ohio judge's conclusion that three of the patents Cleveland accused True Health of infringing upon are directed at a law of nature and are thus not patent-eligible, while Cleveland failed to state a claim of infringement upon the fourth.

The issue revolves around Cleveland researchers' development of a method to detect the risk of cardiovascular disease in patients based on the level of myeloperoxidase, or MPO, an enzyme the body produces when an artery is inflamed.

Cleveland patented that method, and contracted the method's use to a competing blood-testing firm, Health Diagnostic Laboratory - before it went bankrupt following allegations that it gave kickbacks to physicians who ordered its blood tests.

When True Health - which now has more than 300 employees in Richmond - purchased HDL in September 2015, Cleveland claims in its suit, True Health discontinued that arrangement and opted to do its own MPO tests, thus allegedly infringing upon Cleveland's patent.

But that decision, the appeals court decided, did not infringe on a patent. Cleveland's "invention," the decision states, involved seeing MPO already in the body and connecting that to cardiovascular disease. But that relationship is a law of nature, and so is considered patent ineligible.

"Indeed, Cleveland Clinic has not created a new laboratory technique," the appeals court's decision reads. "Rather, it uses well known techniques to execute the claimed method."

In a prepared statement, Lon Wager, True Health's vice president of communications, noted that "The playing field of diagnostics is changing rapidly."

"Cleveland Clinic and Cleveland HeartLab's efforts to restrict access could have been to the detriment of patients, and we were disappointed that they pursued this frivolous litigation," Wagner continued.

An inquiry to Cleveland HeartLab and an email to its CEO Jake Orville were not returned, nor were multiple requests for comment to lawyers representing the company and the Cleveland Clinic.

But Cleveland appears far from done with its allegations of patent infringement.

In February - a year after the Ohio judge ruled in favor of True Health - Cleveland HeartLab and the Cleveland Clinic Foundation again filed a patent infringement lawsuit against True Health. The new suit involves a different patent, but still revolves around MPO as a predictor of cardiovascular disease.
During an informal meeting of BRICS leader in Hamburg, Germany Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping praised the roles played by China and India respectively in international arena.

By India Today Web Desk: Even as the Indian and Chinese troops are staring at each other in Sikkim sector of the international border, signs of normalisation are coming from Hamburg in Germany.

During an informal meeting of the five BRICS countries, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping praised the roles of China and India respectively in the international matters. The two leaders also had a "conversation" on a "range of issues", Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Gopal Baglay tweeted.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi appreciated momentum in BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) under the Chairmanship of President Xi and extended full cooperation and best wishes for the BRICS Xiamen Summit.

Modi started his speech by thanking Xi for his welcome and hosting the meeting. "Under Xi's chairmanship, the progress and positive momentum of BRICS has further deepened our cooperation," Modi said.

The prime minister, who spoke in Hindi, also said "lastly, I extend my best wishes and full cooperation to President Xi Jinping for the upcoming ninth BRICS Summit".

Concluding the meeting immediately after PM Modi's remarks, President Xi appreciated India's strong resolve against terrorism and the momentum in BRICS introduced under India's Chairmanship and through the outcomes of the Goa Summit in 2016.

Jinping also appreciated India's success in economic and social development and wished India even bigger success.

Earlier, PM Modi mentioned that BRICS has been a strong voice and needs to show leadership on terrorism and global economy. Modi stressed that G20 should collectively oppose terrorism financing, franchises, safe havens, support and sponsors.

"G20 should collectively oppose terrorism financing, franchises, safe havens, support and sponsors," Modi said.

PM Modi also reiterated India's commitment to implementing Paris Agreement in letter and spirit and described its implementation globally as essential to fighting climate change.

Modi and Xi's comments come even as China and India remain engaged in a stand-off in the Dokalam area near the Bhutan tri-junction after a Chinese Army's construction party attempted to build a road. The stand-off is near Sikkim section.

The meeting of the leaders of BRICS countries was held in run up to the forthcoming ninth BRICS Summit in September in Xiamen, China.

(With PTI inputs)

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--- ENDS ---

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PARIS

U.S. President Donald Trump is in Hamburg, Germany, for the G-20 Summit and  today  his first-ever meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The most critical item of discussion between the two leaders is the one that will have the greatest impact on the very soil on which theyll be standing: the fact that U.S.-backed conflict is threatening the existence of Europe, and hence Western civilization, as we know it.

Having lived in Paris for nearly a decade, I dont have to look far to see how much the demographics have shifted in that time. Europe is the cradle of human rights, but when did respecting human rights become synonymous with open borders? Is the guy who looks out the peephole of his home and wants to ascertain the identity of anyone wanting to enter now considered a jerk?

If Europe is going to be humanitarian to the point of cultural suicide  which it currently is, as even the most liberal-minded politicians now acknowledge that the societal integration of immigrants has become a problem  then it needs to stop enabling humanitarian emergencies. Just like if you have a propensity for eating a whole bucket of ice cream, you probably shouldnt buy it.

Western nations with a propensity for generating humanitarian emergencies in countries with very different cultures from their own, all under the guise of regime change, need to get out. Go back to the drawing board and brainstorm some ways to get governments to bend to your economic and political will through more sophisticated means. No more CIA-backed coups; no more bombing as a negotiating tactic to get the guy in power to leave. Please find another way, because Europe is being sacrificed in the interests of your long-term future. And because your short-term calculations have proven to be abysmal, with minimal return, were pretty sure that youre just spitballing it at Europes expense.

The more regime change that takes place in the Middle East and North Africa, the more those populations are driven into Europe. And every time we think the tide is stemming, we get hit from another direction.

At first, the migrants came mainly from the Middle East through Greece, but that flow dried up last year after the European Union made a deal with Turkey in March 2016 to take in rejected refugees. More recently, migrants from North Africa have started coming by sea from Libya to Italy, to the point where Italys interior ministry is claiming to be overwhelmed. The situation is so out of control that Italys neighbor, Austria, has threatened to send troops to the border with Italy to prevent migrants from entering Austrian territory.

The migrants are being driven by opaquely funded charitable organizations  I mean literally driven  that rescue them from the water after the boats driven by those paid to smuggle them across the Mediterranean capsize. These nongovernmental organizations boast executive members with backgrounds that include working for other leftist open-borders advocacy groups funded by George Soros Open Society Foundations.

Italy is threatening to close its ports to migrant-carrying NGO ships  and why shouldnt it? Isnt that why the taxpaying citizens of Western nations contribute so much in development aid? Isnt that assistance supposed to support humanitarian initiatives in foreign countries, negating the need to import the developing world into the developed one?

And why are the NGOs obligated to ferry the migrants to Europe? The NGOs can just as easily take the migrants back to Libya. Data from the European Union border agency Frontex show that most of these migrants arent Libyans fleeing conflict in Libya, but rather Africans fleeing other African nations. This was exactly what former Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi warned about before he was killed in a regime change involving some of the same Western nations that now suffer from the result: Africans fleeing Africa simply because they can.

At the moment there is a dangerous level of immigration from Africa into Europe and we dont know what will happen, Gadhafi said during a 2010 visit to Italy. We dont know if Europe will remain an advanced and cohesive continent or if it will be destroyed by this barbarian invasion. We have to imagine that this could happen but before it does we need to work together.

Gadhafi demanded money  some 4 billion pounds a year  from Europe in exchange for holding back the immigration tidal wave. The EU caved in and paid him, but then Gadhafi was killed, and now the floodgates have opened again.

Russia has been on the right side of it all, opposing the sort of regime change that has led to the destabilization that were now witnessing.

When Trump meets Putin, he needs to make the ultimate deal, doing whatever it takes  including dropping anti-Russian sanctions if need be  to clean up this mess that now threatens the West.
The Hamburg summit of G20 heads of states has begun in Germany. PM Modi and President Jinping shook hands at an informal BRICS meeting while the US President Trump met his Russian counterpart Putin briefly for the first time. But, a lot more is expected at this port city.

By India Today Web Desk: The G20 conference has already started to create ripples with a series of pre-summit meetings. A lot is on the table in Germany's port city of Hamburg summit of world leaders from the Group of 20, a group of countries that make up over 80 percent of the global economy.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi shook hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping at an informal BRICS meet and the US President Donald Trump held first ever meet with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin under the shadow of FBI probe into alleged KGB hand in the last presidential elections in the United States.

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However, Trump and Putin are scheduled to hold longer meeting later on the sidelines of the G20 summit, which is likely to show some surprises as an assertive US President is willing to tear up existing deals.

The sticking point at the G20 summit could be clashing positions of member countries over trade and climate change, North Korea launching a long-range missile and a global economy that is growing but leaves many people out

TRUMP AND PUTIN

The US President Donald Trump will have a keenly watched one-on-one meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, which comes amid congressional and FBI investigations into links between Trump's campaign aides and Russia. Moscow and Washington have sharply divergent views on the Syrian war, the Ukrainian crisis and other issues on the agenda, making any quick deals unlikely.

In a speech in Warsaw ahead of the summit, Trump sought to demonstrate that he wasn't overlooking Russian behavior. "We urge Russia to cease its destabilizing activities in Ukraine and elsewhere, and its support for hostile regimes, including Syria and Iran, and to join the community of responsible nations in our fight against common enemies and in defense of civilization itself," he said.

TRADE

The Group of 20 typically includes a vow to support free trade and a ban on "all forms" of protectionism. But that was before Trump joined the group.

Trump says trade has to be fair to American companies and workers, not just free and open. The European Union, a G-20 member, is countering by announcing a free-trade deal with Japan and insisting that the protectionism ban needs to stay.

The protectionism reference was dropped by the smaller Group of 7 summit in May after a tussle with the Trump administration and the new wording emphasizes "free and fair."

CLIMATE

Trump's announcement that the US would withdraw from the Paris climate treaty has put him sharply at odds with many other leaders, not least the summit host, German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Yet she's eager to come up with a collective statement on the issue.

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That could include other countries expressing their commitment to exceed their treaty commitments to limit greenhouse gases as a response to Trump. The US could also at least commit to "a global approach" to fight global warming.

That possibility dismayed the environmental group Greenpeace. Spokesman Tobias Muenchmeyer said that since emissions reductions would be implemented at the national level, a vague global pledge "is a license to do nothing."

GROWTH IS NOT ENOUGH

This year, the global economy is doing fairly well, and financial markets have been buoyant. But that has not reassured people across the developed world, where wages are stagnant and technological change and foreign competition are threatening jobs.

The G-20 could agree on using the tools that governments have - budget and tax policy on top of central bank stimulus - to push the economy forward.

Ways to soften the impact of trade and globalization could include more education and programs to help people who lose their jobs. The implementation, however, is left up to national governments.

"Let's see what we can accomplish together," said Merkel as the summit began. "I think that globalization can be managed so that it is a win-win situation, where there are winners there don't always have to be losers."

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NORTH KOREA

North Korea is not on the official agenda and probably won't be discussed in the final summit statement. But that doesn't mean it won't be discussed on the sidelines, with key players the US, China, and South Korea all in attendance.

Trump warned North Korea that he is considering "some pretty severe things" in response to the isolated nation's unprecedented launch this week of a missile capable of reaching the US. He offered no details, but called on all nations to confront North Korea's "very, very bad behavior."

(With inputs from AP)

ALSO READ |

On G20 sidelines, PM Narendra Modi, President Xi Jinping praise each other, talk on range of issues ALSO WATCH: G20 summit begins in Hamburg

--- ENDS ---
A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind.
G20 leaders in a joint statement issued in Germany vowed to take steps to choke financing to terror groups and to take steps to prevent the internet from being used to spread propaganda.

By India Today Web Desk: Leaders of the Group of Twenty (G20) who kicked off their two-day summit in Germany on Friday, issued a hard-hitting statement on thwarting terrorism, especially choking the flow of funds to militant groups.

The statement, which came hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi indirectly targeted Pakistan (which is not a member of G20) by naming terrorist organisations that operate from its soil and saying that the groups all share the same ideology and purpose - of spreading hate and killing people.

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In the joint statement released late night (Indian time), the G20 leaders, which included US President Donald Trump, Russia's Vladimir Putin and Chinese premier Xi Jinping, reiterated their commitments to international human rights law while noting that addressing the evolving threat posed by extremists would require taking actions better suited to tackling terrorism.

Squeezing the flow of funds to terrorist organisations was one of the main aspects that the G20 joint statement focused on. "There should be no 'safe spaces' for terrorist financing anywhere in the world," the leaders said.

The statement noted that low-cost attacks carried out by smaller, more agile terrorist cells were becoming an increasing challenge as they just need small amounts of funding. The joint-statement called upon the private sector to take steps to "identify and tackle" terror funding.

The statement also focused on how terrorist groups have been able to exploit social media and the internet in general to spread propganda and help with funding. The G20 leader said they will work with the private sector to prevent such exploitation.

Speaking earlier in the day, PM Modi indirectly targetted Pakistan (Photo: Twitter/Gopal Baglay) Click here to Enlarge Speaking earlier in the day, PM Modi indirectly targetted Pakistan (Photo: Twitter/Gopal Baglay)

Full text of the G-20 joint statement:

1. We, the Leaders of the G20, strongly condemn all terrorist attacks worldwide and stand united and firm in the fight against terrorism and its financing. These atrocious acts have strengthened our resolve to cooperate to enhance our security and protect our citizens. Terrorism is a global scourge that must be fought and terrorist safe havens eliminated in every part of the world.

2. We reaffirm that all measures on countering terrorism need to be implemented in accordance with the UN Charter and all obligations under international law, including international human rights law.

3. We call for the implementation of existing international commitments on countering terrorism, including the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, and compliance with relevant resolutions and targeted sanctions by the UN Security Council relating to terrorism. We commit to continue to support UN efforts to prevent and counter terrorism.

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4. We will address the evolving threat of returning foreign terrorist fighters (FTFs) from conflict zones such as Iraq and Syria and remain committed to preventing FTFs from establishing a foothold in other countries and regions around the world. We recall UN Security Council Resolution 2178 (2014), which requires a range of actions to better tackle the foreign terrorist fighter threat.

5. We will facilitate swift and targeted exchanges of information between intelligence and law enforcement and judicial authorities on operational information-sharing, preventive measures and criminal justice response, while ensuring the necessary balance between security and data protection aspects, in accordance with national laws. We will ensure that terrorists are brought to justice.

6. We will work to improve the existing international information architecture in the areas of security, travel and migration, including INTERPOL, ensuring the necessary balance between security and data protection aspects. In particular, we encourage all members to make full use of relevant information sharing mechanisms, in particular INTERPOL's information sharing functions.

Click here to Enlarge G20 leaders vowed to cut financing for terror groups (Photo: Twitter/Gopal Baglay)

7. We call upon our border agencies to strengthen cooperation to detect travel for terrorist purposes, including by identifying priority transit and destination countries of terrorists. We will support capacity building efforts in these countries in areas such as border management, information sharing and watch-list capability to manage the threat upstream. We will promote greater use of customs security programs, including where appropriate, the World Customs Organization's (WCO) Security Programme and Counter-Terrorism Strategy, which focus on strengthening Customs administrations' capacity to deal with security related issues and managing the cross-border flows of goods, people and means of transport to ensure they comply with the law.

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8. We will address in close coordination the evolving threats and potential vulnerabilities in aviation security systems and exchange information on risk assessments. We recall the UN Security Council's Resolution 2309 (2016) which urges closer collaboration to ensure security of global air services and the prevention of terrorist attacks. We will promote full implementation of effective and proportionate aviation security measures established by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in partnership with all its contracting states as necessary. We call to urgently address vulnerabilities in airport security related measures, such as access control and screening, covered by the Chicago Convention and will act jointly to ensure that international security standards are reviewed, updated, adapted and put in place based on current risks.

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9. We highlight the importance of providing appropriate support to the victims of terrorist acts and will enhance our cooperation and exchange of best practices to this end.

10. We underline our resolve to make the international financial system entirely hostile to terrorist financing and commit to deepening international cooperation and exchange of information, including working with the private sector, which has a critical role in global efforts to counter terrorism financing. We reaffirm our commitment to tackle all sources, techniques and channels of terrorist financing and our call for swift and effective implementation of UNSCR and the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) standards worldwide. We call for strengthening measures against the financing of international terrorist organisations in particular ISIL/ISIS/Daesh, Al Qaida and their affiliates.

Click here to Enlarge Earlier in the day PM Modi met Chinese premier Xi Jinping even as India and China continue being in a standoff at the border (Photo: Twitter/Gopal Baglay)

11. There should be no "safe spaces" for terrorist financing anywhere in the world. However, inconsistent and weak implementation of the UN and FATF standards allows them to persist. In order to eliminate all such "safe spaces", we commit to intensify capacity building and technical assistance, especially in relation to terrorist financing hot-spots, and we support the FATF in its efforts to strengthen its traction capacity and the effectiveness of FATF and FATF-style regional bodies.

12. We welcome the reforms agreed by the FATF Plenary in June and support the ongoing work to strengthen the governance of the FATF. We also welcome the FATF intention to further explore its transformation into a legal person, which recognises that the FATF has evolved from a temporary forum to a sustained public and political commitment to tackle AML/CFT threats. We also appreciate FATF commencing the membership process for Indonesia that will broaden its geographic representation and global engagement. We ask the FATF to provide an update by the first G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors meeting in 2018. We call on all member states to ensure that the FATF has the necessary resources and support to effectively fulfil its mandate.

13. We welcome that countering terrorist finance remains the highest priority of FATF, and look forward to FATF's planned outreach to legal authorities, which will contribute to enhanced international cooperation and increased effectiveness in the application of FATF's standards.

14. We will advance the effective implementation of the international standards on transparency and beneficial ownership of legal persons and legal arrangements for the purposes of countering financing terrorism.

15. Low cost attacks by small cells and individuals funded by small amounts of money transferred through a wide range of payment means are an increasing challenge. We call on the private sector to continue to strengthen their efforts to identify and tackle terrorism financing. We ask our Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors to work with FATF, FSB, the financial sector, Financial Intelligence Units, law enforcement and FinTech firms to develop new tools such as guidance and indicators, to harness new technologies to better track terrorist finance transactions, and to work together with law enforcement authorities to bridge the intelligence gap and improve the use of financial information in counter-terrorism investigations.

16. We call upon countries to address all alternative sources of financing of terrorism, including dismantling connections, where they exist, between terrorism and transnational organized crime, such as the diversion of weapons including weapons of mass destruction, looting and smuggling of antiquities, kidnapping for ransom, drugs and human trafficking.

17. Our counterterrorism actions must continue to be part of a comprehensive approach, including combatting radicalization and recruitment, hampering terrorist movements and countering terrorist propaganda. We will exchange best practices on preventing and countering terrorism and violent extremism conducive to terrorism, national strategies and deradicalisation and disengagement programmes, and the promotion of strategic communications as well as robust and positive narratives to counter terrorist propaganda.

18. We stress that countering terrorism requires comprehensively addressing underlying conditions that terrorists exploit. It is therefore crucial to promote political and religious tolerance, economic development and social cohesion and inclusiveness, to resolve armed conflicts, and to facilitate reintegration. We acknowledge that regional and national action plans can contribute to countering radicalisation conducive to terrorism.

19. We will share knowledge on concrete measures to address threats from returning foreign terrorist fighters and home-grown radicalised individuals. We will also share best practices on deradicalisation and reintegration programmes including with respect to prisoners.

20. We will work with the private sector, in particular communication service providers and administrators of relevant applications, to fight exploitation of the internet and social media for terrorist purposes such as propaganda, funding and planning of terrorist acts, inciting terrorism, radicalizing and recruiting to commit acts of terrorism, while fully respecting human rights. Appropriate filtering, detecting and removing of content that incites terrorist acts is crucial in this respect. We encourage industry to continue investing in technology and human capital to aid in the detection as well as swift and permanent removal of terrorist content. In line with the expectations of our peoples we also encourage collaboration with industry to provide lawful and non-arbitrary access to available information where access is necessary for the protection of national security against terrorist threats. We affirm that the rule of law applies online as well as it does offline.

21. We also stress the important role of the media, civil society, religious groups, the business community and educational institutions in fostering an environment which is conducive to the prevention of radicalisation and terrorism.

ALSO READ | On G20 sidelines, PM Narendra Modi, President Xi Jinping praise each other, talk on range of issues

ALSO READ | US, Russia reach ceasefire deal in southwest Syria as Trump meets Putin at G20 Summit

--- ENDS ---
CHARLOTTESVILLE  With Saturdays Ku Klux Klan rally at Justice Park approaching, former KKK Imperial Wizard David Duke is urging his Twitter followers to attend another event set for next month in Charlottesville.

Duke on Wednesday night tweeted a photo of a flyer for the Unite the Right event on Aug. 12 at Emancipation Park, commenting: Be there -> the fake news will be.

A permit for the event, obtained by local right-wing blogger and activist Jason Kessler, estimates that there will be about 400 people gathered in Emancipation Park from 12 to 5 p.m.

Kessler was one of more than 100 people who gathered in what was then named Lee Park on May 13 for a torch-lit rally led by white nationalist Richard Spencer and others in response to the citys decision to rename the park and remove the statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee. Spencer is among those expected to attend the August rally.

The event is taking shape as a gathering of far-right political activists and white nationalists.

At a City Council meeting last month, councilors briefly discussed the possibility of rescinding the permit for the Aug. 12 event, raising concerns that individuals or groups involved could be participating in gang-like activity.

City Attorney Craig Brown advised that the groups have not been found guilty of committing any crimes in the city and that restricting the events could violate constitutional rights.

This Saturdays rally, organized by the Loyal White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, from North Carolina, is scheduled for 3 p.m. in Justice Park.

Showing Up for Racial Justice Charlottesville and other activist groups plan to hold a BlocKKKparty protest there and other groups and community leaders are coordinating events at other locations in the city.

Charlottesville clergy, business owners, politicians and a confrontational social justice activism group are among those looking to overshadow Saturdays rally.

We have to show we take the threat of Klan terrorism and the rise of white nationalism seriously, said Mimi Arbeit, a spokesperson for the local SURJ chapter. They are connected to a legacy of racial terrorism in Charlottesville. The white supremacy the Klan represents is also part of daily life in Charlottesville for so many individuals.

This is a disgraceful, discredited, out-of-state organization with the sole purpose of inciting controversy and confrontation and getting some celebrity, Mayor Mike Signer said about the Loyal White Knights.

Signer said Wednesday that he has helped coordinate the events being planned elsewhere in the city.

The alternate events are planned and sponsored by the Charlottesville Clergy Collective, the Charlottesville Human Rights Office, Ix Art Park, the Jefferson School African American Heritage Center, the Albemarle-Charlottesville NAACP and other groups, including about a dozen restaurants and breweries.

A schedule of those events, which will begin at 9 a.m. Saturday and run into the early morning hours Sunday, can be found at unitycville.com.
As Angela Merkel welcomes world leaders to Germany for the G20 summit, protesters greet them with banners and in zombie costumes.

By Shraddha Jandial: German Chancellor Angela Merkel woke up to welcome world leaders on Thursday for the global G20 summit.

US President Donald Trump and Turkey's Recep Tayyip Erdogan arrived in port city of Hamburg, while Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived after his three-day historic visit to Israel.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel welcomes U.S. President Donald Trump at the G20 leaders summit in Hamburg (Pic: Reuters)

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This G20 Summit is important for Chancellor Merkel, who is campaigning for the fourth term and seeks re-election in September, as it offers her a chance to mend her diplomatic relations.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel welcomes India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the G20 leaders summit in Hamburg (Pic: Reuters)

However, protesters against the G20 Summit marred the welcome Merkel had planned.

The world leaders were greeted by people dressed as zombies walking the streets, protesters waving not bouquets, but posters reading 'Welcome To Hell', and figurines of Putin and Trump being chewed by dogs.

An hour after Merkel and Trump's meeting on Thursday evening, police clashed with demonstrators near the summit venue, firing water cannons and pepper spray.

WELCOME TO HELL

Around 30 anti-G20 protests were organsed across germany. (Pic: Reuters)

Members of Schwarze Block, black bloc participants are often associated with anarchism, dressed in black hoodies and green sunglasses, led the parade near the venue of the summit at St Pauli street.

About 8,000 people had gathered at the site and the demonstration began with a hip-hop sort of formation, giving an open-air festival vibe. They wanted to march to the summit venue, but police wanted them to remove their masks.

Protesters sit on the street during the demonstration during the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany (Pic: Reuters)

After a tense standoff and failed attempts of negotiations, the violence prevailed. Smoke bombs and bottles were thrown.

Later that evening, the protestors set a pile of trash on fire in the street near the Rote Flora, a building that has been a traditional gathering spot for leftists.

Protesters clash with riot police during the demonstrations during the G20 summit in Hamburg (Pic: Reuters)

The fire was doused around midnight.

Over 76 police officers were injured. An officer in police helicopter suffered a serious eye injury after a laser was pointed at the chopper.

Watch: 'Welcome to hell' protesters tell G20 summit leaders

ZOMBIE PROTEST

Performance piece orchestrated by the 1,000 Gestalten (1,000 figures) collective saw 1,000 actors descend upon the city's center at Hamburg (Pic: AP)

Even before the world leaders landed in Hamburg, performance protestors dressed in grey from head to toe were spotted across the city.

The aim of the protest was to state that an indicidual can bring about change. (Pic: AP) The aim of the protest was to state that an indicidual can bring about change. (Pic: AP)

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On Wednesday, over 1,000 volunteers from activist group called Gestalten, walked through the city.

"The message of our performance is: No change can start from some political elite, it starts with you and me," Organiser Sven Kammerer told ABC.

WHY DOES G20 ATTRACT PROTEST?

The G20, an international forum developed in 1999, organises summits to study and review policy-related issues that are beyond an individual organisation, and would help attain world peace.

The protestors set a pile of trash on fire in the street near the Rote Flora (Pic: Reuters)

The reason there has been a rise in the number of anti-G20 protests over the years is the belief that the topics of discussion focus mainly on capitalist agendas.

According to a researcher at the University of Toronto's Munk School, Julia Kulnk, "The G20 Summit was founded to make globalisation for the benefit of all."

Anti-G20 protesters try to breach the security zone and disrupt the G20 summit in Hamburg (Pic: Reuters)

This belief of people has been shattered as over the years, big think tanks have taken a back step.

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Not to mention that such summits are often addressed in political jargon and the meetings are conducted behind the closed doors. There is no space for transparency.

According to a Croatian philosopher, Sreko Horvat, "The real problem is the dogmatic slumber of the leaders of the free world, represented at this G20 summit by Merkel, May and others, which is the origin of our current dystopian nightmare (wars, terrorism, the refugee crisis and climate change). In this sense, the current G20 is not just a demonstration of disagreement on all fronts, but - after Hamburg -- whether the G20 can continue to exist at all."

HISTORY OF PROTESTS

Although these summits attract protests every year, the last time it got violent was in 2009 in London.

Around 4,000 members has gathered at in a sit-down. According to a report in The Telegraph, police officials were reprimanded for behaving brutally with the silent protestors.

In 2010, over 1,000 people were illegally detained in Toronto.

ANGELA MERKEL'S STAND ON THESE PROTESTS

Chancellor Merkel's reasons for holding the summit in Hamburg is political in the sense that she wants to show that big protests can be tolerated in a democratic country.

"We're united in our will to strengthen multilateral relations at the G20 summit. We need an open society, especially open trade flows," Reuters quoted Merkel.

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The G20 summit is scheduled for July 7-July 8.

Watch: Zombies descend on Hamburg to protest against G20 summit FYI || Hamburg-ered: Porsches worth Rs 8 crore destroyed in possible G20 arson attack ||

Read || Why Hamburg G20 Summit is going to be stormy ||

Read || G20 is not only about Modi-Jinping handshake. What more is there on the table at Hamburg ||

--- ENDS ---
In the 1953 governors race, Ted Dalton of Radford came close to doing something no Republican had ever been able to do in Virginia  defeat the so-called Byrd Machine to win the governorship. He lost the race, but gained stature.

When the 1957 governors race came around, Dalton thought he might have an even better chance to break the monopoly that Democrats  conservative Democrats in those days  held on state power.

Then came a national crisis in September of that year. Little Rock, Arkansas, planned to integrate its schools in accordance with the Supreme Courts Brown v. Board of Education decision. Gov. Orval Faubus called out the states National Guard to block African-American students from entering. President Eisenhower responded by federalizing the National Guard, to take it out the governors hands, and sent in the 101st Airborne to enforce the courts order.

History remembers that as decisive exercise of federal power against the evil of segregation. Virginia voters in 1957  almost exclusively white voters in the pre-Voting Rights Act era  saw things differently. Eisenhower was a Republican. Dalton was a Republican, a moderate one running against a segregationist Democrat, Lindsey Almond.

Little Rock knocked me down to nothing, Dalton said later. It wasnt a little rock, it was a big rock. Almond won handily, delaying a Republican breakthrough in Virginia for a dozen years.

The Little Rock crisis of 1957 is an instructive piece of history as we look ahead to this years governors race between Republican Ed Gillespie and Democrat Ralph Northam. This may be an off year in the national election cycle, but this gubernatorial campaign still doesnt take place in a vacuum. What outside events might intervene to influence the outcome?

If we knew the answer to that, wed head straight for Vegas and lay good money on the Conor McGregor vs. Floyd Mayweather fight.

We can guess a few things, though. For Gillespie, the big unknown is spelled Donald Trump, and who dares predict what he will do? Democrats are already eager to tie Gillespie to the unpopular Republican Trumpcare health care bills. No wonder: An off-year election sees a lower turnout  older, whiter, more conservative, more amenable to Republicans. Trump didnt win Virginia last year, so tying Gillespie to Trump is a good way for Northam to energize the Democratic base.

Side note: Republicans are in bigger political bind than they realize on health care. The immediate problem is that for all its imperfections, the Affordable Care Act, aka Obamacare, managed to extend coverage to a lot of previously uninsured Americans. The two proposed Republican fixes so far would throw an estimated 22 million to 23 million off insurance. Even if the Congressional Budget Office score is off by a factor of several million, thats still a lot of people suddenly without insurance.

How many can Republicans politically afford to uncover? Republicans concerned only with satisfying their Tea Party base might give one number; Republicans worried about winning general elections in swing states might give another. Heres the real reason that Republicans ought to be careful that whatever they do, they come up with something that is popular with the general public: The history of America is that we swing back and forth between the two parties. Someday, Democrats will be back in charge. If people are still unhappy about health care then, we might well wind up with an enormously expensive single-payer system. Republicans who want to avoid that ought to be extra cautious about whatever system they design now.

Back now to the Virginias governors race: For Northam, one of the known unknowns that could knock him off his stride is the controversy over the Mountain Valley and Atlantic Coast natural gas pipelines. Environmentally-conscious voters are already unhappy that Northam hasnt taken a position on the pipelines, because he contends (correctly) that this is ultimately a federal decision, not a state one and the environmental reviews by state regulators ought not be politicized. They also dont have much of a choice: Gillespie is strongly pro-pipeline. However, each time a revelation occurs suggesting some dark collusion between Dominion Energy and the administration of Gov. Terry McAuliffe that calls into question those DEQ reviews, it only gives those voters another reason to stay at home on the theory what difference does it make?

If were assessing potential outside events that could influence the election, we eventually have to circle back to the polarized national scene. In a perfect world, Virginians could pick their next governor without any outside help. That wont happen. Both national parties are eager for a win and will see Virginia as their best opportunity this fall (New Jerseys governors race isnt expected to be very competitive).

Democrats, who have come up short in all the special elections for the House this year, will want desperately to win Virginia. Republicans might have even greater incentive to pour national resources into the Old Dominion: If Democrats win, thats not really a change. But if Republicans could pick off a governorship in a state that went for Democrats in three straight presidential elections, well, thats a mighty big talking point.

Virginia voters wont benefit from such national attention. On the contrary, it will only distract us from real issues here at home. Both Gillespie and Northam have put forward serious proposals that deserve closer inspection. For Gillespie, thats his tax cut proposal. For Northam, thats his plan to make community college free for certain qualifying students. We can also guarantee you that all the national attention about to be lavished on Virginia on behalf of Gillespie and Northam wont say a thing about the economic fate of rural Virginia  and especially the catastrophic population exodus from the coal counties that so far neither candidate has addressed.

Too bad we cant build our own wall  one that would keep all that national money on the other side of the Potomac. We can, at least, do one thing. Ignore every single ad put forth by outside groups, no matter which side theyre for or against. In fact, ignore any ad the campaigns put forward unless it has the candidate himself talking directly to voters about what hed do for the state.

Alas, we may as well wish for mermaids and unicorns.
Police personnel from three police stations were asked to trace her. Later in the evening, police found her at Ranjit Hanuman Mandir.

By India Today Web Desk: Geeta, the deaf and mute girl, who was brought to India from Pakistan, mysteriously went missing from Indore's deaf and mute centre on Thursday, but was later found in the evening.

Soon after her disappearance, police and central government were informed about the incident.

Police personnel from three police stations were asked to trace her. Later in the evening, police found her at Ranjit Hanuman Mandir and she was dropped at the deaf and mute hostel of Deaf Bilingual Academy.

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Officials of deaf and mute centre's didn't reveal why Geeta had left the hostel. Additional SP Rupesh Dwivedi confirmed the incident and said that police personnel were sent to trace her out, but he too could not tell reason why she disappeared.

The deaf and dumb centre was given special responsibility of taking care of Geeta when she returned from Pakistan to India on 26 October 2015. While on, 7 February 2016 External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj had tweeted along with Geeta's photo stating that "she is happy in Indore. We are sparing no efforts in searching her family."

Geeta had returned to India from Pakistan with the hope that she will find her family here, but still the govt has not been able to locate her family.

She spent 15 years in Pakistan

Pakistan Rangers had found Geeta when she was 7-8 years old in Samjhauta Express. And Geeta was taken care of by Pakistan's charitable foundation Edhi Foundation.

ALSO READ:

Geeta given rousing welcome in Indore

Geeta leaves for Indore

--- ENDS ---
SCHOOL uniforms were swapped for ball gowns and dinner suits as hundreds of students celebrated their proms.

Youngsters at Maltby Academy enjoyed a night at Doncaster Dome, pupils at Wales High School travelled to Tankersley Manor Hotel and St Bernards Catholic High School teenagers spent the evening at the New York Stadium.

St Bernard's Catholic High School

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Maltby Academy

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You can also call our Wellgate office on 01709 379247 to buy any of the photographs.

See next week's Advertiser (July 21) for a special Proms supplement.
YORKSHIRE Waters plans for a 12 million litre service reservoir in the middle of a park will dominate the scenery and put off visitors, campaigners have warned.

The firm wants to build a unit to supply 20,000 homes and Rotherham Hospital on land at Boston Park, Moorgate, next to its current site.

Janet Worrall, secretary of the Friends of Boston Castle and Parklands, said: This is the heart of the park and offers visitors a huge space to enjoy.

Not only will the proposed reservoir completely change the top field, it will also dominate the whole of that side of the park.

From almost the first moment visitors enter, the 2.4 metre security fence and the mound of the new reservoir, three to six metres in height, will dominate what can be seen in that direction.

We can only hope that the planning board considers all the alternative options in depth and recommends one of them.

The plan would see the used reservoir land - less valuable as green space - returned to the park once the project was complete.

Jonathan Platts, of Boston Castle Grove, said: The land being returned to the park will be of less use to the public because of its location at the back of the park.

It will also be hidden from view by the new reservoir, making it more prone to anti-social behaviour.

I understand the construction will require the use of heavy machinery to excavate soil and to remove waste materials. The council may have to close the park for up to 12 months during construction.

Vibration from the digging operation may cause damage to residential housing on Boston Castle Grove and residents will be subject to noise pollution.

Rotherham Borough Council approved the land-swap in late 2016 and has suggested 228,800 park improvements it would like Yorkshire Water to pay for.

The firm said Boston Park was the preferred location as alternatives - including behind Oakwood High School and at Thomas Rotherham College - were unfeasible.

There are currently two reservoirs used at the site, one built in 1908 - and taken out of service 37 years ago - with the other added in 1955.

Yorkshire Waters plans said: The steel tendons within the beams are currently failing which has resulted in the clay tiles becoming displaced, with many having fallen into the base of the reservoir.

A new 12,000-metre cubed structure must be constructed to maintain the public water supply.

The development will have a design life of 80 years. Public consultation on the proposal runs until July 25.

Janet added: The park is grade II-listed and, as Rotherhams first park, we cant help but feel that it deserves better.

If Yorkshire Waters plans go ahead, the gala event in the park held on Sunday will most certainly be the last event to take place on the top field, the first having been the grand opening of Boston Park on July 4, 1876.
Do you fear you're going to leave a trail of blood in the pool?

By Indo-Asian News Service: Will you get terrible cramps or catch an infection? Women often come across these questions when they think of swimming while menstruating. If you enjoy swimming during the rest of your cycle, there's no reason to stop just because you have your period.

Female health app Clue has answered eight commonly asked questions about swimming when you're on your period, reports femalefirst.co.uk.

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Is it unhygienic to swim while menstruating?

There's nothing unhygienic about swimming during your period. If you use a tampon or menstrual cup, it's unlikely that any blood will be released into the water while you swim. Even if your period started while you were swimming and a small amount of blood came out, this would be diluted by the water. Swimming pools contain small amounts of bodily fluids like urine and sweat, but the water is usually treated with chlorine to prevent the spread of disease. In other words, you are not endangering anyone's health by swimming during your period.

Will I leave a bloody trail in the water?

Water pressure can stop your flow temporarily while you swim, but if you laugh, cough, sneeze, or move around, the pressure can change and a small amount of blood might come out. The good news is it probably won't be visible. When you get out of the water your period will flow again normally, so it's a good idea to use a tampon or menstrual cup while swimming. Sanitary and pantyliners aren't a good option because they will absorb water and become ineffective.

Can I catch an infection from swimming during my period?

It's very unlikely you would catch a vaginal disease from swimming. Skin infections and stomach illnesses from swallowing contaminated water are more common complaints. Check with your regional health authority for information on water quality at local swimming spots. Take a shower after swimming to reduce chlorine exposure, and avoid sitting around in wet swimwear. If you notice any itching, burning, or unusual discharge after swimming, get it checked by your doctor.

Can swimming make my cramps worse?

Low-intensity exercise like swimming can actually help to relieve menstrual cramps. During exercise, your body releases endorphins which act as natural painkillers and give you an increased feeling of well-being.

Will everyone know I have my period? What if I stain my bikini?

Menstruation is a natural process. If you're worried about stains or leaks, you could wear a dark coloured swimsuit or add an extra layer by wearing swim shorts. Ask a friend to alert you to any problems, or take a quick trip to the bathroom to check - this way you can relax and just have fun in the water.

--- ENDS ---
Taiwan's foreign trade surplus increased notably in June, as exports grew much faster than imports, preliminary figures from the Finance Ministry showed Friday.

The trade surplus climbed to $5.83 billion in June from $3.57 billion in the corresponding month last year.

Meanwhile, economists had expected the surplus to fall $3.20 billion. In May, the surplus was $3.46 billion.

Exports surged 13.0 percent year-over-year in June, well above the expected growth of 8.8 percent.

Imports increased 3.7 percent in June from a year ago, much slower than the 12.0 percent spike economists had forecast.

Shipments of parts of electrical products grew the most by 19.5 percent annually in June, followed by information, communication and audio-video products with 17.2 percent rise.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

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What parts of the world are seeing the best (and worst) economic performances lately? Click here to check out our Econ Scorecard and find out! See up-to-the-moment rankings for the best and worst performers in GDP, unemployment rate, inflation and much more.
Among other factors which will render this G20 Summit as a stormy affair is the backdrop of the meet- North Korea's recent successful ICBM test.

By Santosh Chaubey: Apart from the routine anti-capitalist protests that events like World Economic Forum, G20 and G7 Summits see, the G20 Summit at Hamburg is also going to be stormy because of two factors - North Korea and US President Donald Trump.

North Korea's first ICBM test that was surprising successful, giving it the capacity to launch nuclear powered missile on the American mainland, has left the major world powers divided. A Russia-China joint statement was soft when it put the onus of North Korea's missile launch on annual US-South Korea military drills in the region and deployment of the US anti-ballistic missile defence system THAAD in South Korea.

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Trump who had said earlier he would not allow North Korea to have an ICBM, has reacted strongly saying US is drawing plans for its "pretty severe" response. The US with South Korea, held military drill in response to the North Korea's ICBM and the US allies held an emergency UN Security Council meeting where US' UN Ambassador Nikki Haley asserted that the US could use "considerable military forces" if situation demanded.

The G20 Summit leaders are meeting in Hamburg against this backdrop where Donald Trump, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and South Korean President Moon Jae-in, all primary stakeholders in the North Korean crisis, will see face to face and the issue will certainly dominate the talks.

CLIMATE CHANGE TO DOMINATE TALKS

The other big issue is climate change that is expected to further eclipse the traditional G20 agenda, which is essentially financial and economic in nature and aims to bring social change through implementation of economic policies.

The 43rd G7 Summit held in Italy on May 26-27 had seen fireworks when the group of the world's most industrialised nations- US, UK, Germany, Canada, Japan, France and Italy, had become a virtual 6+1 with Donald Trump pitted against its other six members on his non-committal stand on climate change and the global Paris Climate Accord of 2015 that aims to cut down carbon emission levels to handle global warming.

The final G7 Communique after the Summit put the blame squarely on Trump with German Chancellor Angela Merkel saying bluntly that Trump had already made up his mind to withdraw from the Paris Accord. And within a week, Trump, a harsh critic of the Paris Accord who used to term global warming a hoax during the campaign days, pulled the US out of global deal on June 1 for which he got global condemnation with countries reiterating their commitment to the Paris Accord.

The Presidency of G20, the group of the world's 19 largest economies and the European Union, keeps on rotating and is currently with Germany which is hosting the 12th G20 Summit of the heads of states and governments in Hamburg. The G20 convention says the agenda of any G20 Summit is laid by the host country and discussions follow the theme accordingly.

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Now that Angela Merkel has made it clear that climate change discussions will be central to the Hamburg G20 Summit, it will be interesting to see how Trump and the American delegation manage the appearance of their isolationist instance here.

Also read: PM Modi in Hamburg to attend G20 Summit: All you need to know

Also read: All eyes on Trump-Putin dynamics as they meet for the first time at G20

Also read: Vladimir Putin lauds G20 summit, says Russia shares German priorities

--- ENDS ---
At least 25 cows died due to incessant rains and lack of fodder at a cow shelter in a Haryana village. The deaths prompted senior district officials to pay to visit the village and take stock of the situation.

By India Today Web Desk: Precarious conditions at a cow shelter in Haryana's Kurukshetra district led to the death of at least 25 cows, news agency PTI reported today.

Continuous rains and lack of food were the chief causes behind the cows' death, according to officials quoted by PTI.

The cows died over a the last few days, prompted senior officials, including Haryana Gau Sewa Commission chairman Bhani Das Mangla and a few district administration officials to visit the cow shelter in Mathana village where the deaths took place.

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Kiran Bala, the Mathana village chief, told PTI that after severe rains, a number of cows got stuck in swampy land and later died. A few other cows starved to death due to the non-availability of fodder and even more have fallen sick.

The Mathana Gaushala, as it is formally known, was started by the Kurukshetra district administration and the responsibility of its operation lies with the village panchayat and the state animal husbandry department.

District Deputy Director of Animal Husbandry Dr Dharminder Singh asserted that the department takes proper care of the animals and that the cattle at the Mathana cow shelter were vaccinated by the staff of a veterinary hospital in the village.

"Some weak animals lost their lives after getting stuck in the swampy land. At least 25 to 30 cows have died over the last few days," he said.

Interestingly, Ashok Papneja, the former president of 'Shri Krishan gaushala' that provides fodder to the government cattle shelter, said the district administration had raised a boundary wall around seven-and-a-half acres of village panchayat land and "that is how it was built".

"At present, there are over 600 cows in the shelter, which lacks proper facilities. There is no fodder and drinking water available for so many cows," he claimed.

Meanwhile, operations at the cow shelter have been suspended until repair work is carried out.

Sub-Divisional Magistrate Narinder Pal Malik, who was among those who visited the shelter to take stock of the situation asked officials to shift the sick cows to a cattle shelter in Karnal.

"Other animals have been relocated to 20 other shelters running in the district...till the repair works here are completed," he said.

(With inputs from PTI)

ALSO READ | Holy cow! Shocking state of affairs in 'gau shalas' of Uttar Pradesh

ALSO READ | Cow vigilantism: Retired IAS, IPS officers slam Modi govt in an open letter

WATCH | So Sorry: How 4 cows - Bholi, Bhuri, Kamla, Shanti - got their Aadhaar IDs

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Haryana's brave Jyoti gave a thief the fright of his life when she ran after him as he tried to run away with her purse which had some cash and a mobile phone.

By India Today Web Desk: A purse snatcher had the worst day of his life when he tried to mess with a Haryana woman. The incident happened in Fatehabad when a thief tried to run away from a hospital with the woman's purse.

Little did he know that he was messing with a brave woman who knew how to give a good fight to thugs like him.

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When the crook had the woman's purse, she just did not let him go so easily. As the ruckus picked up, people in the hospital came forward to help the woman.

Police was informed and the whole incident was caught on tape.

WHAT HAPPENED?

The hospital where the incident happened is located at Bhattu Road in Fatehabad, Haryana. Jyoti came to see the daughter of one of her relatives when she kept her purse on a table.

Meanwhile, the theif reached there and inquired about the medicines kept on the table. Jyoti took the crook as a hospital employee who had come to change the drip.

When Jyoti looked upon the table she could not find her purse, and saw the man holding it and running away. Jyoti instantly gave him a brave chase and got hold of her purse while holding on to the man's arm, even after he pushed her forcefully.

When the people in the hospital learnt about the thief, they held the thief then and there.

According to Jyoti, there were Rs 1,300 in her purse and a mobile.

Fatehabad City Police Station SHO Somvir Dhaka also praised Jyoti's bravery.

Watch: Nothing purse-nal: How a feisty Haryana woman's quick thinking helped nab purse-snatcher

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Bishit along with several others have been facing the rude behaviours of the PG owner.

Two of the 13 accused caught by city police on Thursday.

By Ajay Kumar: After complaining over erratic water and power supply, a 21-year-old hotel management student was thrown to his death from fourth floor of a paying guest accomodation in DLF phase 3 on Wednesday.

Victim Ramesh Bishit, who was a native of Uttarakhand's Nanital, had told his PG owner Satbir Singh regarding regular power cuts and bad water supply in his room for last three days.

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Bishit has been sharing the home with three friends for last six months. His roommates said after the complaint, the landlord, his two sons and 10 employees brutally assaulted him before throwing him on the ground floor.

"Singh became angry over Bishit as the latter had been complaining about the mess for last three days. The last complaint on Wednesday night turns out to be deadly for him as Singh had beaten him brutally before throwing him on the ground floor from the fourth floor," said one of his roommates, Naveen Kumar.

Bishit along with several others have been facing the rude behaviours of the PG owner.

The accused fled soon after the incident. "We have registered an FIR against Singh and 12 others under murder and other relevant IPC sections in DLF phase 2 police station," said Manish Sehgal, ACP, Gurugram police.

Gurugram police however managed to arrest two accused on till Thursday evening, while remaining 11 accused including the main accused are at large.

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Dear Editor

Re: Samoa tourisms biggest problem

In a democracy the leader of the party with the most votes is in control, but they still have to answer to their political party, and the voters.

In a democracy political parties represent different points of view and compete for the votes of the electorate. In a democracy political power is secured by winning a fair election.

In a democracy newspapers are free to print the truth and can criticise the government when mistakes are made or if theres disagreement.

In a democracy theres usually less control over the films and books people can enjoy.

In a democracy the government has less control over how people spend their time and what they believe.

People are free to join clubs, political parties and other groups

DICTATORSHIP

In a dictatorship theres just one leader who has total control over the party and the country. Often propaganda, as well as genuine support, will paint them as the peoples hero.

In a dictatorship the government tightly controls all aspects of the state and will often ban or tightly control groups and meetings.

A dictatorship completely disregards the rights of individual citizens. The government and state will try to control all citizens through laws, police, spying and force. The government and state is the most important thing to a dictatorship.

In a dictatorship there is only one party  all opposition is destroyed and banned. Totalitarian states dont allow opposition or elections.

The government in a dictatorship controls every element of peoples lives, including radio, cinema and newspapers.

SOURCE: bbc.co.uk/bitesize

Siaosi Siomia
The best way to express any countrys culture is through their food and art and Samoa has that.

This is the belief of Bernie Besebes from Palau.

Ms. Besebes is in the country for the World Symposium in Climate Change that is being held this week at the Hotel Tanoa Tusitala.

This is her first time in Samoa.

She said yesterday that she hadnt had time to tour around Apia however she is very much amazed at how such a small island has so much pride in their culture.

I got to experience how Samoa welcomes people in a traditional way and I am very much amazed, she said.

The traditional dance and the culture made me realize that the people of Samoa have so much pride in their culture.

I am so impressed.

I see that the culture is still practiced and just now I was telling my boss that the boys and the girls who performed today they were dancing with so much pride and that is beautiful.

She went on to say comparing the cultures between the two countries of Palau and Samoa; Samoa has it all.

There are some differences with the culture even though Im from one of the Pacific islands especially dancing performances in public, she said.

Nowadays its down to lets just say only performances at the hotels or exhibition events unlike when I was a child. We still had to go to the mens reading house to learn the dance from the elders of the village and that does not happen nowadays anymore.

But to see how well the dancers this morning performed and how well coordinated they are, Im pretty sure they are practicing now and then.

And with that I am very much impressed and I can see that your culture continues.

One of the best ways to express any countrys culture is first through the food and the art and this morning what better way to see the Samoan art than through the dancers.

As for the food, Ms. Besebes fell in love with palusami and oka.

I participated in the dinner here last night and the local food I had was the taro, roast chicken and roast pork and the oka that was beautiful but especially the palusami, she said.

It felt like home and I am enjoying every moment here in your beautiful country.

Im only here till Saturday but I will definitely come back here for a holiday now that I have been here. Maybe I will bring my family to experience how each Pacific island is unique.

Samoa; its the culture that makes you unique.
People, culture and Vailima, and not necessarily in that order is how the Profitt and ONeil family describe their holiday in Samoa.

Here for six days now Mr. ONeil said some of his kids have been here a couple of times before but for one daughter, this is her first time here.

So she is enjoying every bit of Samoa, he said.

The people are just absolutely friendly and we hardly get that back home so its great and my children are experiencing a different lifestyle here in Samoa.

The culture is different from what we are used to in Australia as life is very fast there with technology used to communicate and thats how it is there.

But in Samoa, this is where we learn that the little things in life are the most important things that really matter.

Like a simple smile can actually brighten up your day and thats how it is here in Samoa.

Samoan people value their culture and tradition and that is something nobody can ever take away from them.

They have so much pride in it and you can see that at the same time they are enjoying themselves and thats what makes Samoa very unique.

One of Mr. ONeils sons said that his favorite thing in Samoa is Vailima.

It is the best local beer I have ever tasted, he said.

We all love it and its different from what we usually have back home so we will definitely recommend Samoa to our friends when we return.

We will also be coming back to enjoy the Vailima, people and the culture.
Falaniko Pauga from the village of Solosolo believes that working off what you can harvest from the land and the sea is the answer.

Aged 42, Falaniko works hard to provide for his family using true Samoan skills.

When his mother is hungry he goes out to sea to catch some fish and then gathers some breadfruit for dinner.

The only thing that puzzles this fisherman is why people want to live expensive lifestyles when everything is available from the land and sea.

The way I see Samoa, is there is no such thing as poverty here, Falaniko told the Village Voice.

Only the lazy struggle with poverty but if you dont just sit around and you go and do something to help your family, then youll be fine. The Lord will help those who help themselves.

I am just thankful that we have crops like breadfruit growing everywhere which is a good source of food for everyone and enough for families.

Falaniko says that village life can be as simple as you want it to be. You can catch or grow your food so that you dont have to worry about feeding your family.

As you can see I am just looking for some fish to cook with coconut for tonights meal, he said.

Thats how easy life is for us in the village. If we want something to eat then we can go to the land or the sea. Working hard will make life a little easier for you.

I care for my mother by selling these fish. The money I make may not be a lot but it takes care of her needs and thats all that matters.

Thats what hard work will get you. We dont live extravagantly; most of our efforts are put towards gathering ocean resources. We live off both the land and sea but mostly the sea.

According to Falaniko, he makes his way to the sea every morning because its the best time to catch fish to sell and to eat for that day.

I dont come out here every day; I measure my work out here with what I need. If we need fish for food then Ill come out here for a little while.

But today the tide is not so good and Ive spent the whole morning trying to catch some fish , unfortunately nothing.

But I have got a second option, I have some cans of herrings at home I just have to grab some cabbages to go with it.

Everything is all right and we can focus more on making ends meet for our family.

The only time Falaniko and his family struggle and need money is when they have the occasional family gatherings which require people to dig deep into their pockets.

This includes things like a faalavelave, he said.

My siblings really help us out in times of need. If we are desperate then they send me and my mom some money to take care of things.
Echoing the words of others, Niupoponepo Fualau says the cost of living is way too much for him and he is not a happy man.

He has seven siblings and hes the third in his family.

The 60 year old from Leauvaa and Manono expressed his concerns regarding the cost of living.

Im a farmer and a fisherman and I think everyone would know what its like in my position, he told Village Voice.

Yes our crops are considered our wealth but most of the time, we earn so little from them.

When we have little, we cant seem to do much, or buy what we need to survive.

When youre a farmer, you always need chemicals to clean out the weeds in the plantations but even that we cannot afford.

Its frustrating because plantations are Samoas thing and we dont really get any help for them.

The cost of living keeps on getting higher and higher and before we know it, there will be more things that we cannot afford anymore.

Fualau said he is originally from Manono but he came to Upolu because he is looking after his church ministers land and house at Leauvaa.

There are too many changes and the truth is, most of those changes come with a rising cost.

And its a very high cost at that, because we farmers and fishermen depend on the money that we earn from our plantations.

So I just want to ask the government to please help out our people by providing a solution for the expensive cost of living.
Talofa Air has washed their hands of the matter of the illegal drugs which were intercepted by Customs Officers at Fagalii Airport, last week.

Talofa Airs, General Manager, Taua Fatu Tielu, said they are not responsible for the cargo that is being carried by their airline.

We dont go and tell everybody can you please open up everything?

To be honest with you I havent heard anything more because its being dealt with by the police, said the General Manager.

Two men in their 40s have been arrested and kept in custody in connection with a charge of possession of methamphetamine found at the Fagalii Airport last week. This was confirmed by Acting Assistant Police Commissioner, Salaa Moananu Salaa.

He told the Samoa Observer the Police were alerted by the staff at Fagalii Airport last Wednesday.

The Assistant Police Commissioner Salaa Moananu Salaa said,  They (the drugs) were in a package from American Samoa and the staff at Fagalii Airport found this out when the package went through the scanning machine.

At his weekly conference, Salaa had said that the Police were contacted straight away and they quickly responded and confirmed that it was indeed meth, weighing 5.9grams.

The two men were arrested when they turned up to collect the package.

They are scheduled to appear in the Supreme Court on 17 July. Salaa said. They are still investigating how the package got through Customs in American Samoa.

Something is not right with this picture and there are many questions at the moment," said Salaa.

Back at Talofa Air, the General Manager, Taua Fatu Tielu explained.

The package came through Customs so I think those are the people you should ask.

This sort of thing can never really be stopped because that means we would have to treat everyone the same and open up all their packages.

And that is not our responsibility and that is why we have Border Control people to check those things.

Its not the airlines responsibility to check everything that is being brought in, said Taua.

That is their job but for us, we just carry people when they come to check in and pay for their packages and everything.

We just ask them what is inside and we have to rely on the passengers honesty as well.

We dont have any machines to detect contraband.

Its the government machines that should detect those kinds of things.

I dont know how it was checked in on the other side [American Samoa] and I dont want to waste my time checking up on that because its really nothing to do with us because its the travelling public, said Taua.

He further pointed out that he hasnt received any more reports about the incident.

All I have heard is that the people who came to collect the package were arrested and that is all but I have never bothered to find out anything further.

The General Manager reiterated Talofa Air is not responsible.

That is the job of Border Control, he said firmly.
Some Hard Rock Hotel guests may be singing the blues after the company revealed a payment card data breach Thursday spanning seven months and 11 properties, including the Hard Rock Hotel San Diego.

The Florida-based hotel chain learned in June that hackers gained access to unencrypted payment card information for a small subset of customers who booked reservations through a platform provided by third-party vendor Sabre Hospitality Solutions.

An investigation into the breach concluded this week. Affected Hard Rock customers have been notified, along with the Federal Trade Commission, the company said.

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The data breach took place between between Aug. 10 and March 9 and affected an undisclosed number of guests at the Chicago hotel and other properties including: Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Biloxi in Mississippi, Hard Rock Hotel Cancun in Mexico, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Las Vegas, and Hard Rock Hotel Palm Springs and Hard Rock Hotel San Diego.

Not all of our hotels leverage Sabre Hospitality Solutions SynXis, so only a small subset were affected. Customers have been notified and Sabre has contacted the FTC, the company said in a statement. Hard Rock Hotels & Casinos is in the process of notifying the attorneys generals offices as required by law.

Sabre revealed the breach in May and on Wednesday concluded an investigation that determined an unauthorized party accessed payment card information through the companys reservation system. Some reservations included the payment card security code, but no Social Security, passport or drivers license numbers were accessed, according to the company.

Less than 15 percent of the average daily bookings on the SynXis reservation system during that time period were viewed, Sabre spokesman Timothy Enstice wrote in an email Friday.

Hard Rock has music-themed venues in 75 countries, with 176 cafes, 24 hotels and 11 casinos.
Responding to complaints from residents living near the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station, the California Coastal Commission has decided to hold an informational hearing about the nuclear waste at the plants site in San Diego, instead of the Los Angeles area.

We decided to move the San Onofre informational hearing to our regularly scheduled meeting in San Diego in October to accommodate the most members of the public possible, said Coastal Commission public information officer Noaki Schwartz.

Commission meetings typically run over a three-day period each month in locations across the state.

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Originally, the commission had decided to discuss issues surrounding the now-shuttered nuclear plant at its Aug. 9-11 meeting in Malibu (which has since been moved to Calabasas).

But a number of people complained that the meeting should be located in an area closer to the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS) so more people living near the plant could attend.

Last month, the commission said moving the August meeting is not feasible because meeting sites are approved and planned one year in advance.

But Schwartz said the commission decided to simply roll the SONGS discussion to its next scheduled meeting in the San Diego area, which is Oct. 11-13. The specific location, as well as date, for the SONGS discussion has not yet been announced.

Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Vista, had sent a letter to commissioners last month calling for the meeting to be moved to the San Diego area.

Im glad the commission finally came to their senses and moved this meeting somewhere we all can participate, Issa said in an email Thursday. Despite what the commission said the first time around, its clear that moving the meeting to our area wasnt only feasible, it was the only right thing to do.

The October meeting will give the public a chance to hear from commissioners, who in October 2015 approved a 20-year permit to expand a storage system for spent nuclear fuel at SONGS.

Representatives of the facilitys operator, Southern California Edison, will also be on hand.

The Coastal Commission is also working to line up a representative from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission to speak.

Schwartz said members of the public can speak at the meeting, provided they fill out a speakers slip. Comments can also be submitted online at SanOnofreComments@coastal.ca.gov.

Octobers meeting will also be live-streamed on the Coastal Commission website.

Business

rob.nikolewski@sduniontribune.com

(619) 293-1251 Twitter: @robnikolewski

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For centuries, the Doklam plateau, high up in the Himalayas, was a quiet grazing area for Bhutanese herdsmen. Prior to India's Independence, neither the British nor the Chinese seem to have shown any interest in it when they negotiated various border settlements between themselves. It was only after the 1962 border war between India and China that the narrow plateau that abuts the trijunction between India, China and Bhutan became a bone of contention.

Since then, China has repeatedly disputed Bhutan's territorial claims over Doklam. Beijing considers the plateau vital to fortify the dagger-shaped Chumbi Valley by piercing the trijunction of these countries. The trijunction is of immense strategic significance to the three countries. In recent years, China has been building an elaborate network of roads wide enough to transport artillery guns, light tanks and heavy vehicles to enhance its military presence. Doklam is critical as it brings China even closer to the India border in a vulnerable location towards the direction of the 27-km-long Siliguri Corridor or 'chicken's neck' that links the northeastern states to the rest of India.

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On the night of June 8, China initiated a manoeuvre in Doklam that would trigger a chain of events leading to the most dangerous standoff between India and China in recent years. A platoon of China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) is said to have stealthily moved into the plateau and razed stone bunkers that the Royal Bhutan Army (RBA) had constructed years ago and manned occasionally. In doing so, China seems to have made a premeditated move to alter the status quo that prevailed for decades in a sensitive region.

A video grab purportedly showing a scuffle between Indian and Chinese soldiers at Doka la

Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lu Kang holds a media briefing on June 29 on the alleged trespass

Ironically, the next day, on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Astana in Kazakhstan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with Chinese President Xi Jinping to discuss other issues that had been causing tensions between the two countries. The previous month, India had decided to boycott Xi's pet Belt and Road Forum, citing its long-persisting concerns over the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which passes through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. At the forum, a formal document declared CPEC to be a 'flagship' project of the One Belt, One Road (OBOR) initiative. In June, Beijing continued its stonewalling of India's bid to enter the Nuclear Suppliers Group at the grouping's annual plenary in Berne. And later in July, China is expected to extend a six-month 'technical hold' it placed on an application backed by the US, UK and France to sanction Pakistani terrorist Masood Azhar.

The Modi-Xi meeting at Astana was surprisingly cordial. Briefing the press soon after, foreign secretary S. Jaishankar said, "There was an understanding that where we have differences, it is important that differences should not become disputes." China would soon make those words sound hollow with its actions in Doklam. It would not be the first time, though, that Xi would betray Modi's trust in him. In September 2014, Modi and Xi were photographed swinging on a jhoola and signing a flurry of agreements that promised a breakthrough in relations. But even as the two leaders did a diplomatic tango, the PLA had violated the Line of Actual Control (LAC) at two points in Ladakh-Chumar and Demchok. When Modi confronted Xi over these intrusions, the Chinese leader is said to have got his troops to withdraw and end the border standoff after he returned. As an official quipped, "If the first intrusion (Chumar) was happenstance, the second (Demchok) a coincidence, the third time (Doklam) was clearly enemy action."

In Doklam, it would take a week before Bhutan comprehended China's game plan. On June 16, a PLA road construction corps entered Doklam with road rollers, bulldozers and excavators. The Chinese troops and construction crew were promptly faced with resistance from the RBA. The latter cited bilateral commitments, the most recent of which was signed in 1998, to not alter the status quo in disputed areas. Hot words were exchanged and there was reportedly some jostling too between the two armies. However, the PLA troops stood their ground, prompting Bhutan to seek India's help. Two days later, the Indian army intervened and stopped the PLA, leading to a stand-off that is now into its fourth week.

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HEART OF THE DISPUTE

What lies at the heart of the Doklam dispute? China argues that the India-China-Bhutan trijunction is at Mount Gipmochi (Gyemo Chen), which is far south of where India and Bhutan mark the trijunction, near Batang la. China claims around 89 sq. km in a region south of where India and Bhutan say the trijunction lies (see map: Crossed Lines). The dispute is not just about the size of the territory in Doklam: it is one of only four areas over which China and Bhutan, who do not have diplomatic relations, have had 24 rounds of talks.

"The construction of the road clearly changes the security dynamics to our detriment significantly," says Ashok Kantha, former envoy to China and director of the Institute of Chinese Studies in Delhi. "They are changing the status quo in a very major way and it has serious security implications for us. The Chinese are changing the trijunction unilaterally, and this affects us as the Chinese military presence here will be widened and deepened."

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The current dispute has echoes of a similar standoff more than 50 years ago in the same area, when the Indira Gandhi government took a strong stand against Chinese intrusions, with Beijing then dispatching herdsmen onto Doklam to stake its claims. Then, as now, China's ire was aimed not at Bhutan but at India's 'interference'. This is possibly the first time Beijing has reacted so publicly over a boundary dispute with India since the normalisation of relations in 1988. One reason for this is China's view that, by crossing over into Bhutanese territory at Doka la, India had 'trespassed' the agreed-upon Sikkim-Tibet border and entered Chinese territory.

"The trespass of Indian border troops took place at the defined Sikkim section of the China-India boundary, which is different in nature from the previous frictions and standoffs. Thus, this incident is quite serious in nature," the Chinese foreign ministry said, citing the 1890 Sikkim-Tibet Convention which says 'the line commences at Mount Gipmochi on the Bhutan frontier, and follows the above-mentioned water-parting to the point where it meets Nepal territory'. Chinese officials now claim that both China and successive Indian governments have recognised that the Sikkim section has been 'delimited'. Says Lu Kang, the foreign ministry's spokesperson, "It has been confirmed by the Indian leader, the relevant Indian government documents and the Indian delegation at SRs' (Special Representatives) meeting with China on the boundary question that India and China share a common view on the 1890 convention's stipulation on the boundary alignment at the Sikkim section."

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Senior Indian officials involved in handling the crisis dismiss Chinese claims as poppycock. They point out that any reading of the 1890 convention would show that the British had entered into it largely for reasons of trade and not to sort boundary disputes. Also, China, which was a signatory to the convention, would not proceed beyond agreeing to the alignment of the boundary but went on to thwart efforts to delineate and demarcate it. New Delhi acknowledges that since Independence, successive Indian governments may have agreed that the 1890 convention "could be the basis of the alignment" in the region. But, as one official put it, "Neither has India agreed on the alignment nor have we agreed to what China calls the specific alignment. It has never been delineated and demarcated. There are no border posts or maps that we have produced, as we commonly do in such cases. China is clearly attempting to change the boundary at a certain sector by unilateral action, and that is why it is a problem for us." What China also fails to point out is that Bhutan was never a signatory to the 1890 agreement and retained its sovereign rights over the Doklam plateau.

The Chinese foreign ministry also cited a 1959 letter written by Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru to his Chinese counterpart Zhou Enlai where he is said to have endorsed the 1890 convention. Indian officials say that the Chinese officials are cherrypicking statements and using them to back their claims. The Indian official adds, "They take one sentence that suits them in the 10-page letter and quote it. By the way, the same letter also claims Aksai Chin is a part of India and claims the McMahon Line as the boundary. So, will China agree to concede these points too?" Agreeing that China's claims are disingenuous, former envoy Kantha says, "We have been broadly in agreement on the boundary in the Sikkim sector and we agree on the basis of alignment, which is the highest watershed in the area, but both sides are fully aware that more negotiations are required among the SRs to fix the alignment of the boundary on maps and also demarcate it on the ground. They are also aware that the biggest difference is with regard to the trijunction point."

China also went on to make the astonishing claim that Bhutan had already acknowledged that the Doklam plateau was Chinese territory and was okay with what Beijing was doing there. It prompted Bhutan to issue a stern statement pointing out that boundary talks had been

going on between Thimphu and Beijing for decades and there were written agreements in 1988 and 1998 that "the two sides agree to maintain peace and tranquility on the boundary question and refrain from taking unilateral action or use force to change the status quo on the boundary". Bhutan firmly stated that it sees the construction of the road in Doklam as a "direct violation of the agreements".

China also charged India with joining the issue without the consent of the Bhutanese government. Indian officials point out that India and Bhutan have been coordinating with each other on such issues for years. They cite an incident in 1966 where China had again made an intrusion in the Doklam region. Bhutan had requested the Indian government to take it up with Beijing and sort out the matter. Says an Indian official, "The effort by the Chinese seems to be to repeat a lie several times so that it becomes a historical fact. Let's be clear, we are not the guys who came here to dig up the place and say we are here. We will happily go back tomorrow morning if the issue is sorted out. Clearly, the guys with the bulldozers and road-rollers are trying to change the status quo."

In Bhutan, which finds itself at the centre of the standoff between the two Asian giants, there is unease over the developments. India and Bhutan have close relations as well as a 2007 friendship treaty, according to which 'neither government shall allow the use of its territory for activities harmful to the national security and interest of the other'. China and Bhutan, on the other hand, do not have diplomatic relations and are dealing with territorial disputes. There is, however, constant engagement by China and confidence-building in the area of culture and religion. Only recently, Dr Jiang Yili, wife of the Chinese ambassador to India, Luo Zhaohui, visited Bhutan and called on the Queen Mother of Bhutan to exchange views on Mahayana Buddhism and cultural issues.

Bhutan, however, is acutely aware of the reality of confronting an increasingly aggressive China on its borders. Beijing's claims on the disputed areas, including in Doklam, are hardening. Even for tiny Bhutan, China is in no mood to make concessions. This was made clear following boundary talks in 2002, when then foreign minister Jigmi Thinley informed the National Assembly that China "claimed to have documentary evidence on the ownership of the disputed tracts of land". Beijing has said its archives in Tibet have proof of the 'grass tax' paid by Bhutanese herders. Adds Thinley, "When Bhutan asked them to be generous with a small neighbour like Bhutan, they said that as a nation that shared its border with 25 other countries, they could not afford to be generous with one particular neighbour."

A retired official in Thimphu says Doklam is vital not just for India, considering its location overlooking the Siliguri corridor. In fact, he says, it is essential that Bhutan never cedes this territory as this could pose a serious threat to its communications network as it is connected through Siliguri in India. Meanwhile, the war of words rapidly escalated, with Chinese commentators reminding India of what happened in 1962 if it upped the ante. Defence and finance minister Arun Jaitley's riposte was measured. Speaking at an INDIA TODAY conclave, he said, "If they are trying to remind us, the situation in 1962 was different and the India of 2017 is different."

THERE IS MUCH ABOUT this three-way face-off that is unprecedented. For one, past incidents of standoffs between India and China were in the western and eastern sectors of the as-yet-undemarcated India-China boundary. Disputes in the middle sector are rare, with the India-China border in Sikkim largely determined on the basis of the watershed laid out in the 1890 Sikkim-Tibet convention. In fact, in recent rounds of talks between the SRs of India and China on resolving the boundary question, China proposed a standalone 'early harvest' agreement to reach a permanent boundary settlement in the middle sector, which would be the most ambitious deal between the two neighbours in history.

THE INDIAN RESPONSE

India has been cool to such a prospect, pointing out that both countries, most recently in their 2005 boundary agreement on political parameters, had agreed to make meaningful and mutually acceptable adjustments for a 'package settlement' in the western, middle and eastern sectors. 'The boundary settlement must be final,' the agreement reads, 'covering all sectors of the India-China boundary.' Whether or not Beijing was trying to send a message to push its proposal, or testing the India-Bhutan relationship by its incursion into Doklam, the fact is India is likely to be even more wary of such a deal following the latest standoff.

The second new development-one with immense significance for Bhutan and India-is that China appears to be deploying in the Himalayas a strategy it has used in other disputes, namely establishing permanent infrastructure in disputed areas and then making the claim that there was no dispute to begin with. "We have seen this in the South China Sea," says one official, pointing to how China established a city it calls Sansha on the disputed Woody Island in the Paracels. So far, in the western sector of the India-China boundary, where both sides have overlapping claim lines of the LAC, China has only sent patrols to mark its claims. The most China has done was in 2013, when the PLA set up a camp in the Depsang plains, which sparked a three-week-long standoff. But even that was a small temporary camp.

Another major development is that all across Tibet, Beijing has paved immaculate highways that stretch all the way down to Nathu la and right up to the Doklam plateau. The 700 km journey from Lhasa to Yadong, on the Chinese side of Nathu la, can now be covered in less than eight hours, or twice the time it takes on most days to make the 50-km journey from Gangtok on the Indian side. Now, Beijing seems to be making the argument that it would be well within its rights to build roads in Doklam, by claiming that there was no dispute here to begin with. This despite China and Bhutan having many rounds of talks on territorial differences, including Doklam in the west, as well as other territories on Bhutan's northwestern and northern borders.

THE DOKLAM STANDOFF holds significance for the larger boundary dispute between India and China, and suggests a hardening Chinese position on interpreting past agreements. After all, the middle sector was thought to be the closest to a final resolution. In the west, China occupies 38,000 sq. km in Aksai Chin, and in the east, Beijing claims most of Arunachal Pradesh, close to 90,000 sq. km. A final settlement will involve both sides giving up claims-India in the western sector and China in the east, but Beijing has increasingly put out the message through both officials and experts that Tawang is non-negotiable, putting paid to any likelihood of a resolution in the near future.

Now, even in the middle sector, China appears to be calling into question an understanding reached in 2012. The Union ministry for external affairs pointed out in a June 30 statement that in 2012, for the boundary in the Sikkim sector, both sides 'reconfirmed their mutual agreement on the "basis of the alignment"' but also agreed that 'trijunction boundary points between India, China and third countries will be finalised in consultation with the concerned countries'. 'Any attempt, therefore, to unilaterally determine trijunction points is in violation of this understanding," the MEA said. China, however, now appears to view the 2012 understanding differently, with its foreign ministry claiming that the SRs 'share a common view on the 1890 convention's stipulation on the boundary alignment at the Sikkim section' and that 'to observe the relevant convention and document is the inescapable international obligation of the Indian side'. In other words, Beijing sees no room for negotiation on the disputed trijunction.

The Doklam standoff has added to the growing list of strains in the India-China relationship, which has always been a mix of cooperation and competition. On the whole, both sides have done remarkably well to not only keep the border peaceful-it is an immense achievement that a shot hasn't been fired since 1975 despite dealing with a 3,500-km undemarcated frontier-but to also insulate boundary disputes from other aspects of the relationship. In the middle of the Chumar incident in 2014, Xi Jinping travelled to India and announced a $20 billion investment commitment. (It's a different matter that the investment has been slow to materialise.)

MANAGING CONTRADICTIONS

It was hence surprising that Beijing decided to suspend the annual Kailash Mansarovar yatra through Nathu la. China made no attempt to disguise the fact that it was a punitive measure for the June 18 'transgress'. The Chinese foreign ministry said India bore 'liability' for the stopping of the yatra through Nathu la. The opening of the route in 2015 was itself a significant goodwill gesture-Xi personally okayed the move and the local government in Tibet made considerable efforts to open the route, which is two days shorter and far easier to traverse than the older route through Lipulekh in Uttarakhand. This year, 18 batches of 60 pilgrims will travel to Kailash Mansarovar through Lipulekh, but the seven batches of 50 pilgrims each to Nathu la have been stopped. Since Modi heads a BJP-led government, with a rather large vote bank of devout Hindus to please, China is using it as a pressure point to exploit the vulnerability the party faces on the issue.

There are other looming tensions in the relationship that have jeopardised the sensitive balance. Especially in the case of China's deepening alliance with Pakistan, including massive investments in PoK, the view in New Delhi is that India is now dealing with a fundamentally different China-one that is less cautious, more muscular and not afraid to aggressively pursue its interests overseas. The Doklam incident may be a harbinger of a stronger approach to resolving territorial issues, which other countries have already witnessed in the disputed South China Sea.

Both sides seem determined to stand their ground. But neither side wants nor expects conflict. As in the case of previous standoffs, New Delhi and Beijing believe they have the necessary channels, both through their diplomats and through on-ground flag meetings, to peacefully resolve disputes. With Modi and Xi likely to meet in Hamburg on the sidelines of the BRICS leaders' meet at the G-20 summit, there is hope that the two leaders will try to de-escalate tensions and find a way out of the standoff. Yet, the larger concern, officials say, is that with Beijing beginning to flex its muscles, the standoff at Doklam isn't likely to be the last.

(With Geeta Mohan in Thimphu)

--- ENDS ---
Fewer San Diegans are living in homes that they own, and renters are paying the price.

A study released Wednesday by Harvard Universitys Joint Center for Housing Studies says the rate of homeownership in San Diego County fell to 53 percent in 2013, continuing a decline that started before the Great Recession.

San Diegos home ownership rate trails the national average of 64.5 percent, which fell for the eighth straight year.

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The lower number of owner occupied homes has spurred the rental market. The university reports that more than half of San Diego County renters spend 30 percent of their monthly income on housing, a threshold that financial analysts say should not be eclipsed.

Were seeing an owner occupied market still trying to work through problems left over from the housing crash, said Chris Herbert, managing director of the Joint Center for Housing Studies. Part of that is adding to the demand for rental housing and making the market very tight.

As a high cost of living area, San Diego County always has a lower share of owner occupied homes. However, the homeownership rate has been declining since it was 56.4 percent in 2008, the middle of the recession, according to the U.S. Census. Certainly, more than 100,000 short sales and foreclosures during the market crash pushed more consumers into renting.

Harvard uses data from the Census for its annual report, which showed that national homeownership rates peaked near 70 percent in 2004. They havent bottomed out yet, as the drop has erased all of the gains that began in 1993 and leading to the peak. A big key to the national decline has been that people between the ages of 45 and 64, generally those who own homes, are remaining renters. They compete for units with recent graduates and those moving out of their parents homes after getting a better job. While those in older demographics may be renting by choice, consumers in their 20s may be too saddled with student debt and rising rents to get anywhere near the amount of cash needed for a down payment on a home.

I think that the Great Recession has caused a change in peoples attitudes, said Alan Gin, economist at the University of San Diego. The American dream of home ownership has declined.

Millennials especially seem to prefer alternatives, such as an urban lifestyle with mobility to move around for the best job.

For others, home ownership is just not affordable. Those who do want to own are being outbid by investors, who these days are more likely buy properties to rent back out now that home prices are not rising as briskly as they were in 2013.

Harvard says San Diego County is one of the nations 10 least affordable housing markets, ranked with Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Jose and Ventura County. Locally, the median household that rents earns $42,000 a year but pays $1,290 per month, or 37 percent of their income, the study says. Additionally, nearly half of the households who earn between $45,000 and $74,999 a year spend more than 30 percent of their earnings on rent.

The picture is a little better for homeowners in the county, who have a median income of $85,400 and spend a median $1,840 a month in housing costs, for 26 percent of their monthly income. Locally, 35.7 percent of homeowners devote 30 percent or more of their income toward housing. In 2013, at the time of the latest Census data release, the annual median-priced home sold for $402,000 in the county. In May 2015, that figure was up to $459,000, CoreLogic reports.

Mark Goldman, a loan officer at C-2 Financial and real-estate lecturer at San Diego State University, said wages arent rising nearly as fast as home prices and thats kept some from being able to buy a home.

The key to it is affordability, he said. People are much more open to considering the rental option these days, especially if theyre more transient with regard to their employment.

Goldman said one problem keeping the prices high is that there has not been much new home construction. Developers are building more apartment units to respond to the higher rent demand. That keeps for-sale inventory low, pushing prices up, and limiting peoples ability to become owners.

Union-Tribune Staff Writer Roger Showley contributed to this report.
The storied Hotel del Coronado will soon become a Hilton hotel, joining the huge hospitality companys smaller Curio Collection of more unique, upscale properties around the world.

But dont expect to see a large Hilton marquee suddenly adorn the facade of the 129-year-old, red-roofed Victorian building. While Hiltons physical presence will be understated, the companys marketing muscle and its 64 million honors program members will significantly broaden the reach of a property that already is widely known.

 The Blackstone Group, which owns the hotel, will remain as owner but will rely on Hilton to manage the Coronado property. (Fox 5 San Diego)

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The 757-room oceanfront resort, which includes separate tower rooms and luxury cottages and villas, is expected to formally become a part of the Curio inventory by the end of this month. Curio is a newer brand that Hilton debuted three years ago and currently includes 39 four- and five-star hotels, three of them in California, with several more in the pipeline. The Hotel La Jolla is the only other San Diego Curio property.

Others include the Boulders Resort in Arizona, The Darcy in Washington, D.C., and the Renwick in New York.

The Blackstone Group, which owns the hotel, will remain as owner but will rely on Hilton to manage the Coronado property. Hilton will be replacing KSL Resorts, which has managed the Hotel del Coronado since 2003 and at one time had an ownership stake in the property.

Its been truly an independent hotel and were not looking to change it in any way, stressed Mark Nogal, global head of Curio for Hilton Worldwide. What were doing is coming in as an operator to help strengthen the performance of the hotel, and the owners get the buying power behind the Hilton organization.

So quite literally, there will just be a couple plaques near the front door because we dont want to change that independent identity that the Del has. It will always be the Hotel del Coronado.

The changeover, which began to germinate earlier this year, comes about eight months after a planned sale of the hotel by Blackstone to Chinas Anbang Insurance Co. was scuttled.

The Hotel del Coronado was one of 16 luxury properties that were part of Strategic Hotels & Resorts, which Blackstone was planning to sell to the Beijing-based firm. While 15 of the 16 properties were ultimately sold, the Hotel del was pulled from the portfolio after a Treasury Department committee was said to have had concerns about its proximity to the Coronado Naval Base.

The move was especially surprising to longtime broker and hotel analyst Alan Reay of Orange County-based Atlas Hospitality Group.

Ive never seen anything like that before, where you have a restriction on who you can sell a hotel to, said Reay, who values the hotel at $800 million to $1 billion. It is hard to find who the real ownership is behind Anbang, and there was a concern that high-level government officials had a stake in the company.

Just last month, Anbang announced that its chairman, Wu Xiaohui, was stepping aside temporarily for personal reasons. The announcement came not long after it was reported that Wu had been detained by police as part of a Chinese government investigation into his company.

Reay said the new Hotel del Coronado alliance with Hilton makes sense for a number of reasons, including Blackstones relationship with the company, which it purchased in 2007. It has since pared its stake in Hilton to just 10 percent.

Normally, a hotels affiliation with a name brand like a Hilton or Marriott can help raise the profile of a property, although thats less a benefit for the Hotel del Coronado, long known for its connection to major films and such Hollywood luminaries as Marilyn Monroe and Jack Lemmon, said Reay. But there are still other benefits, he said.

Weve moved to a lot of online travel agents like Expedia and TripAdvisor, and as an independent hotel, you have no bargaining power with those online travel agents, said Reay. But with Curio there could be a significant savings on those commissions that could help pay for the fees to be part of the Hilton system. So its definitely an economic decision  the combination of those savings and the affiliation of Hiltons reservations system and tapping into those loyalty members who travel through the Hilton honors program.

Blackstone said it was drawn to Hilton because of its proven record in operating hotels, and the Curio Collection was an especially good fit.

Its the strength of the operating team, the breadth of their distribution, and obviously, the soft branding of Curio maintains the independent feel of the hotel while still getting the benefits of Hilton platform, said Matt Anderson, Blackstones senior vice president for global affairs.

Anderson was unable to disclose what new improvements may be coming to the hotel as a result of Hiltons involvement, saying only that we are evaluating making additional investments in the property.

According to Hiltons Nogal, the ownership spent more than $11 million last year on improvements, and an additional $15 million already has been invested this year on such renovations as new carpeting and painting in hotel corridors, furnishings and upgraded lighting.

Because we have a history with Blackstone and they know how we operate, what theyre looking to do is take a property that has performed well and for us to take it to a better place and drive more profits and revenues, he added.

Built in 1888, the Hotel Del Coronado has had multiple owners over the years, from sugar magnate John Spreckels during much of the first half of the 20th century to M. Larry Lawrence, responsible for a sizable expansion of the hotel rooms.

In 2011, Blackstone rescued the hotel from a potential default on more than $600 million in loans when it invested cash to reduce the hotels debt and became a majority owner.

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lori.weisberg@sduniontribune.com

(619) 293-2251

Twitter: @loriweisberg
The Boys & Girls Clubs of Oceanside received a $10,000 grant from Soroptimist International Oceanside-Carlsbad to help fund the STREAMing Ahead science program for girls at the club.

The program provides Science, Technology, Research, Engineering, Arts and Math (STREAM) education to enrich girls outside the classroom and encourage them to consider careers in STREAM fields.

The program offers hands-on learning, field trips and opportunities for girls to meet women in STREAM jobs. Field trips have included Girls in Aviation Day, Digigirlz and the Sally Ride Science Academy.

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Its important to introduce our girls to successful women in the STREAM fields, said CEO Jodi Diamond.

The grant was given as part of Soroptimists mission of improving the lives of women through programs leading to social and economic empowerment.

Visit BGCOceanside.org.
For more than a dozen years in the 1920s and 30s, Carlsbads most famous building had a secret.

In the concrete-walled cellar of the ornate Twin Inns hotel and restaurant, proprietor Eddie Kentner ran a hidden speakeasy for thirsty guests during the Prohibition era. Now, nearly 100 years later, another speakeasy has opened in the same spot.

The Charles Kenneth, a 44-seat cocktail club accessible only via password, opens Friday night, July 7. The underground bar is named for Charles Kenneth Ruiz, the late grandfather of speakeasy proprietor Rob Ruiz.

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The 39-year-old Carlsbad chef holds a 20-year lease on the historic building, which has been home to his all-organic, sustainably sourced restaurant, The Land & Water Company, since 2014.

Ruiz discovered the vacant space four years ago while remodeling the interior of the 130-year-old building. As a boy growing up in Oceanside, hed heard tall tales about the speakeasy but his doubts were put to rest when he found old liquor bottles, coins, mason jars and other items during the cleanup.

A rustic version of the Charles Kenneth opened in November 2015, but closed just two months later because of paperwork related to its liquor license. Now, a new and much-improved Charles Kenneth is back to stay.

_________________________________

The Charles Kenneth

What: Speakeasy cocktail bar with 44 seats

Where: Secret downstairs location at The Land & Water Company restaurant, 2978 Carlsbad Blvd., Suite 110, Carlsbad

Hours: 6:30 p.m. to midnight Sundays-Thursdays. 6:30 p.m.-2 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays

Admission: Via password only

Online: thecharleskenneth.com

_________________________________

Speakeasies have been a hot trend in the U.S. for the past 10 years as diners and drinkers seek out new hospitality experiences. Most are what Ruiz calls the Las Vegas glitz version with elegant fixtures, luxurious seating and faux antique decor.

The Charles Kenneth, by contrast, aims for authenticity. While the bar has air-conditioning and a modern bar set-up, the modest chairs, tables, 1920s-era lamps and furniture are exactly what guests wouldve encountered in the old days. A Victorian saloon mirror behind the bar dates to 1878, Ruiz said.

The walls are decorated with three portraits of Ruizs grandfather, a decorated Navy captain and fighter pilot who served in World War II, the Korean War and Vietnam. Theres also a portrait of Gerhard Schutte, the Carlsbad land speculator who built the ornate Queen Anne mansion in 1887.

After the Schuttes sold out in the early 1900s, the building became a hotel and restaurant known as the Twin Inns. Two giant chicken sculptures once flanked the buildings entrance promoting its famous fried chicken.

The buildings original plans dont show the basement space, Ruiz said, but when Prohibition went into effect on Jan. 17, 1920, Kentner imagined a new use for the three-room area.

The two back rooms housed a bar and gambling tables. The front room, known as the slaughter room where the chickens were killed and plucked, had a small window, where a lookout was stationed on weekend nights to watch for the police.

If he spotted anything, he could flip a switch that rang a bell behind the bar. That gave the staff time to hide the liquor bottles in a crawl space and flip over the table tops. If police did arrive, theyd find visitors sipping tea and only tins of tea leaves behind the bar, Ruiz said.

During its heyday, before the repeal of Prohibition in 1933, the Twin Inns speakeasy is said to have hosted many famous celebrities, including Babe Ruth and Amelia Earhart.

Cory Volkening, 30, is bar manager at The Charles Kenneth. The Encinitas native said much care has gone into creating a retro experience for visitors. Each guest will get a history tour when they arrive and the space has a posted list of 1920s-style rules. Guests must dress sharply and refrain from flash photography. Gentlemen must remove their hats and must not approach ladies without an introduction by the bartender.

Theres no beer or wine at The Charles Kenneth. As during Prohibition, cocktails are the specialty. Mixed drinks were all the rage at speakeasies because the syrups, bitters, tinctures and liqueurs masked the acrid taste of the moonshine and bathtub gin, Volkening said.

Ruiz said hes heard a loud roar from speakeasy fans who were eager for the return of the Charles Kenneth. In the two months it was open last year, there was usually a 100-person waiting list on weekend nights.

Hed hoped to have it open sooner but getting it historically right was important. His restaurant is named after the first business established on the spot in the 1880s, the Carlsbad Land and Mineral Water Company.

Ruiz is famed for his passion about preserving history, protecting family-run farms and saving the worlds declining fisheries. Last year, he was one of 12 people honored with the 2016 World Oceans Award. The prize, given by the London-based Blue Marine Foundation, honored his three-year campaign to save Mexicos endangered vaquita porpoise and to promote the use of shrimp caught without the use of entangling gill nets.

Editors Note: Due to permitting issues, the Charles Kenneth speakeasy was closed until further notice on July 8. For details on a reopening date, consult the clubs website at thecharleskenneth.com.

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To get to the Secret Room, diners must be led through the dining room, past the new kitchen, through a door, down a staircase and through a second door. Situated near the restaurants wine cellar, the room has the look and feel of an old-school New

pam.kragen@sduniontribune.com
If the new Los Angeles school board majority wanted to signal that change is coming to the nations second-largest school system, its members on Thursday quickly made their point.

The panels first action was to elect Ref Rodriguez, co-founder of a charter schools group, as president. The board then gave fresh orders to district Supt. Michelle King.

Rodriguezs elevation, by a 4-3 vote, underlined that a majority more friendly to charter schools  a first for the district  had taken control following the most expensive school board elections in the nations history. Charter school supporters were the major campaign spenders, followed by the local teachers union, whose candidates lost.

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Los Angeles school board members Monica Garcia, left, Kelly Gonez and Nick Melvoin pose for a photo during their swearing-in ceremony at the Cortines School of Visual and Performing Arts in Los Angeles. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

And the directives to King  in the form of a resolution to put students first  established that the board considers the districts performance unacceptable. Last month, the outgoing panel extended Kings contract through June 2020. But Thursdays tone could signal a desire by this board to choose its own schools chief.

When he took the gavel, however, Rodriguez called for unity. And he later insisted that his bloc was not so much about promoting charter schools as improving the Los Angeles school district.

The new board members and I have a charter background, he said, but we really are about high-quality schools for all kids.... The boards role really is to tackle high quality and excellence.

As school board president, Ref Rodriguez will be able to guide district policy and increase or limit board members influence through committee assignments. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

He urged the board to make decisions that would look wise 10 years from now, citing the example of the districts recently finished construction program that delivered more than 100 new campuses.

In this era, Rodriguez said, an analogous challenge would be solving the districts multibillion-dollar deficit  a problem that is deepened by underfunded pensions and retiree health benefits. Solving that, he said, is what we need to be remembered for.

But growth of the independently operated charter schools that Rodriguez supports has exacerbated the financial situation by sapping district enrollment. Los Angeles Unified School District has more charters than any other school system, accounting for about 16% of the citys students.

Our fiscal instability currently isnt because of charter schools, Rodriguez said. They have some role in that, but  its much more complicated.

In his role as president, Rodriguez will be able to guide district policy and  through control over their committee assignments  increase or limit board members influence.

New Los Angeles school board member Kelly Gonez is congratulated by her husband, Manuel, who helped swear her in at the Cortines School of Visual and Performing Arts. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

His first notable move Thursday was to put forth the emergency motion requiring King to provide a student impact statement for any item that comes before the board, detailing how it would affect academic outcomes by low-income students, English learner students, foster youth, African American students and special education students.

The resolution also directed the superintendent to establish a teacher training fund, with contributions from outside donors, that must reach $20 million by 2020. Rodriguez said that figure had been suggested as a reasonable target by senior district staff.

The philanthropic community has abandoned this district, and Im upset about that, Rodriguez said. (Many donors have chosen to support charter schools instead.)

King also must certify that all schools are fully staffed, set up a task force to improve attendance and guarantee that schools and classrooms are ready to learn on the first day of school. That would include making sure air conditioners are working, schools have been deep cleaned, student schedules have been finalized with appropriate placements and classes, textbooks and classroom supplies are available and accessible by teachers and students and parent centers are up and running with a schedule of fall workshops.

Rodriguez urged his colleagues to visualize a child every time they made a decision. The motion passed 6 to 1, with board member George McKenna voting against it.

The boards charter-backed bloc consists of Nick Melvoin and Kelly Gonez, who were elected in May; Monica Garcia, who was reelected by winning a majority in the March primary; and Rodriguez, who was not on the ballot this year.

Today is not about the results of an election but about the emergence of a new paradigm, Melvoin said Thursday during his swearing-in at the Cortines School of Visual and Performing Arts north of downtown. An attorney who taught briefly at a public middle school, Melvoin said his win was a product of the coalition that arose to implore us to lead with a simple yet radical maxim: Put kids first.

Gonez, a teacher at a charter school, focused on stories of her students and how they overcame hardship. Her goal, she said, was to make sure that more students had the help they needed.

We have the incredible privilege in LAUSD to make dreams come true, Gonez said, adding that the school board should turn away from the divisive politics of yesterday.

howard.blume@latimes.com

Twitter: @howardblume

Times staff writers Sonali Kohli and Anna M. Phillips contributed to this report.

UPDATES:

7:15 p.m.: This article was updated with passage of the resolution and additional information.

This article was originally published at 3:05 p.m.
In 2005, a Navy doctor returned from Fallujah, Iraq, with the realization that naval medicine was facing a flood of patients with amputations and other blast injuries.

At that time, 25 percent of the injuries in Iraq were happening to West Coast-based troops.

They wanted to get those service members closer to their families for their recovery, said Jennifer Town, a longtime San Diego Naval Medical Center nursing executive.

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The Comprehensive Combat and Complex Casualty Care unit at the Balboa Park hospital opened two years later.

It mirrored what was available on the East Coast at what became Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Maryland. At the big Army hospital complex in San Antonio, Texas, something similar was in the works.

It took $6.9 million in congressional funding to transform the San Diego Navy hospitals physical therapy ward into a new unit that combines physical rehab with expertise in prosthetics and brain blast trauma.

These were injuries that we had never seen in our day-to-day mission, said Town, who served as director from 2006 to 2016 of what became known as the C5 unit.

These were blast injuries and gunshot wounds that resulted in amputated limbs and severe multi-system problems. So we realized that we had to have a really comprehensive program to ensure the best quality of care, she said.

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100 years of Navy medicine in San Diego.

Theres a high-tech gait laboratory that helps amputees master their new prosthetic limbs to walk or run as normally as possible. Sensors are attached to limbs to chart the angle of bend in knees and ankles over time.

Even the medical niceties are attended to.

San Diego Navy plastic surgeon Capt. Craig Salt launched a program called Project CARE to shepherd these traumatically injured troops through plastic surgery options that lessen their scars and discomfort. For example, Botox treatment is offered to stop excessive sweating with a prosthetic.

Of the roughly 1,800 U.S. service members who have sustained amputations during the post-Sept. 11 wars, the San Diego specialty unit has taken care of over 200, said Lt. Cmdr. Carter Sigmon, a pain doctor who is the current C5 medical director.

Of those 200, we were able to send roughly 20 to 25 percent back to active duty, Sigmon said.

To date, at least 3,500 patients have received care at C5.

With the pace of non-combat traumas  in addition to the possibility of flare-ups on the battlefield  San Diego naval officials said the program wont go away. They would hate to lose the expertise.

The unit maintains a steady state of 150 to 200 wounded, ill and injured service members.

Our concern is that were not front-page anymore, but were still getting injuries from the war, Town said.

And our sailors and Marines ride motorcycles and, guess what, they result in amputations and extensive injuries. So this program thats been put into place is still relevant today.

jen.steele@sduniontribune.com

Facebook: U-T Military

Twitter: @jensteeley

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Salvatore Giunta carried his Medal of Honor for valor in Afghanistan alone for seven years.

This week, he shared its weight with his former unit, the 173rd Airborne Brigade.

Giunta handed over the blue ribbon-strung medal  the nations highest award for bravery in battle  during a ceremony Wednesday in Italy, according to the account in Stars and Stripes.

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It cant be with me because its ours, Giunta told the brigade commander. I want this to stay in Vicenza, Italy, with the 173rd, with the men and women who earn this every single day through their selflessness and sacrifice.

The 173rd Airborne Brigade was celebrating a new memorial to its members who have received the Medal of Honor through the years.

Welcome to The Intel, a blog examining the hot military news of the day

Giunta was the first living recipient of the Medal of Honor since the Vietnam War.

The citation with his medal describes the soldiers actions during a 2007 ambush of his unit in the deadly Korengal Valley.

Giunta rescued a fellow American soldier who was being dragged away by the Taliban:

While under heavy enemy fire, Specialist Giunta immediately sprinted towards cover and engaged the enemy. Seeing that his squad leader had fallen and believing that he had been injured, Specialist Giunta exposed himself to withering enemy fire and raced towards his squad leader, helped him to cover, and administered medical aid. While administering first aid, enemy fire struck Specialist Giuntas body armor and his secondary weapon. Without regard to the ongoing fire, Specialist Giunta engaged the enemy before prepping and throwing grenades, using the explosions for cover in order to conceal his position. Attempting to reach additional wounded fellow soldiers who were separated from the squad, Specialist Giunta and his team encountered a barrage of enemy fire that forced them to the ground. The team continued forward and upon reaching the wounded soldiers, Specialist Giunta realized that another soldier was still separated from the element. Specialist Giunta then advanced forward on his own initiative. As he crested the top of a hill, he observed two insurgents carrying away an American soldier. He immediately engaged the enemy, killing one and wounding the other. Upon reaching the wounded soldier, he began to provide medical aid, as his squad caught up and provided security.

Giunta retired from active duty in 2011. He lives in Colorado with his wife, Jen, and their children.

In a 2013 memoir, Living With Honor, Giunta describes himself as a teenager working at a Subway sandwich shop who was attracted to an Army recruiting center by a radio advertisement for a free T-shirt.

Heres him telling his story in 2016 on C-SPAN.

When his company commander told Giunta he was being nominated for the Medal of Honor, the soldier said he wanted to punch that guy.

I just lost two of my friends that day, Giunta said, adding that the soldier he rescued later died in surgery.

And they wanted to put a medal on my chest and pat me on the back and say good job.

jen.steele@sduniontribune.com

Facebook: U-T Military

Twitter: @jensteeley

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China has been aggressive at Doklam plateau where the PLA and Indian Army are engaged in an eyeball-to-eyeball encounter. But, China is unlikely to seriously contemplate of launching a misadventure on the lines of 1962.

By Prabhash K Dutta: The Sikkim border stand-off between India and China continues at Doklam - an area contested by both Bhutan and China - even three weeks after the two armies came face-to-face.

China has accused India of challenging its territorial sovereignty and infringing the Panchsheel - 5-point principle - that theoretically guide the diplomatic relations between New Delhi and Beijing.

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China has warned India that if its troops did not pull back from Doklam - where Indian Army went at the request of the Bhutanese Army as per the security arrangement between the two countries under India-Bhutan Friendship Treaty - the situation may lead to a war between the two of the biggest nations of Asia.

Chinese newspaper Global Times - which is considered as the official viewpoint of the communist government - said that Beijing should give a call for independent Sikkim, whose accession to India has not been challenged by China.

But, all this posturing by China seems to be mere attempts to bully its neighbour as the ground reality and changed geostrategic dynamics would desist it from launching any misadventure against India.

1967 SETBACK TO CHINA

Five years after India Army suffered humiliation at the hands of People's Liberation Army of China in 1962, the two armies engaged in another battle. But, the fortunes had reversed.

The 1967 mini-battle was fought in the same Sikkim sector of India-China border. Chinese troops had intruded into Indian territories. Two incidents occurred.

First exchange happened in a stretch between Nathu La and Sebu La which the Indian forces were fencing. The second battle was fought at Cho La - not far from Nathu La in Sikkim.

On both occasions, Indian Army got better of the PLA. Over 80 Indian Army soldiers lost their lives while number of casualties on Chinese side was estimated at around 400. China had to back off on both instances.

1986-87 OPERATION FALCON

Indian and Chinese forces were in similar situation as of present Doklam stand-off in 1986 at Sumdorong Chu north of Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh. India used to keep the post guarded seasonally - present during summers and left unattended during harsh winters.

When the Indian forces returned to their post in 1986, they found Chinese having intruded there. India lodged protest but Chinese Army would not budge.

When it became clear that Chinese were upping their ante to alter the McMohan Line - that separates Arunachal Pradesh from Tibet - Indian Army under General K Sunderji launched Operation Falcon.

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There was no road connecting Sumdorong Chu from Tawang or nearby Indian Army camp and Chinese presence was growing in the region. General K Sunderji used Russian Mi-26 helicopter to air land the entire brigade at Zemithang.

Indian troops took positions at Hathung La overlooking Sumdorong Chu. In 1962, Chinese Army held high altitude positions. This time, Indian forces were positioned at vantage point. Soon, flag meeting took place and Chinese quietly left the area.

INDIAN ARMY IS BATTLE HARDENED

Chinese PLA has not fought any major war since 1962 except 1979 war with Vietnam and is short on practical experience of battle. On the other hand, Indian Army has fought two and a half wars after 1962 in 1965, 1971 and 1999.

In 1979, China invaded Vietnam. The war went on for 27 days. Though China claimed victory and was better of the two militaries, it could not make Vietnam pull back its forces from locations Beijing had objected to. Further, China lost an estimated over 28,000 troops.

In 1962, Indian leadership refused to use Air Force saying that a diplomatic resolution to the crisis was preferable to them. Since then, Indian Air Force has gone from strength to strength. On the other hand, Chinese Air Force has been largely untested in battles.

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Another aspect that may prevent Chinese leadership from escalating border tension is the logistics issues for the PLA at Doklam plateau. In the event of war, the PLA's logistic line up will have to go back to long distance to ensure supplies. The bases of supplies are very far off from the site of stand-off. The line of supplies is easier for Indian Army from both Sikkim and Bhutan. The route is well established.

THE BALANCE OF ECONOMICS

China has a favourable balance of trade with India. The trade volume between the two countries stands at about USD 71 billion. China is the net beneficiary of the bilateral trade.

India posted a trade deficit in excess of USD 46.5 billion for the last year. Chinese manufacturers exported goods worth USD 58.33 billion while Indian entities shipped out only over USD 11.76 billion.

As the manufacturing hub of the world, China has the biggest free market of the world in its neighbourhood. Chinese policy makers would not like to jeopardize the prospects of its own manufacturers over Doklam plateau.

THE RIPPLE EFFECT FOR CHINA

China has some sort boundary differences with almost all 14 neighbours. All of them don't have friendly relations with China. On the other hand, some of the neighbours of China have come closer to India.

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All the neighbours of China are watching the border stand-off with India. If the situation escalates to a war, it would send an alarming signal to others. China can't expect all the neighbours especially, Japan and Vietnam to remain unaffected if it enters into war with India.

Further, this may also hamper China's One-Belt-One-Road (OBOR) initiative, which tops the priority list of President Xi Jinping, who is eyeing the role of global leader for his country.

China has stated that Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will not hold bilateral talks during G-20 summit at Hamburg in Germany. The reason could be the embarrassment Xi Jinping had to face when PM Modi raised the issue of incursion by PLA in Chumar area of Ladakh while the Chinese President was visiting India in 2014.

An embarrassed Chinese President had to then take correctives steps following which Chinese troops retreated. China might just have avoided a similar embarrassment to President Xi Jinping at an international forum.

ALSO READ |

PLA armoured brigade holds 'high altitude drill' in Tibet with most advanced tank

Doklam standoff: China says India misleading, demands withdrawal to 'avoid worse situation'

Beyond Doka La: 10 irritants in India-China relation

ALSO WATCH | China's public statements on border situation a sign of bullying?

--- ENDS ---
Ten weeks into a fundraising campaign called Illuminate the Bay, Port Commissioner Marshall Merrifield is so fired up I was afraid hed spontaneously combust.

Ive talked to 40, 50 companies, he gushes. I havent had one negative response. They all say, Wow!

Well, double wow.

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After seven years of languishing in the dark of recession, the most luminous public art proposal in San Diegos history, a bridge of color visible from space, is, all in a rush, receiving bolts of energy from corporate donors with money to burn on this beauty in the bay.

The Big Bay Boom is a once-a-year nocturnal crowd-pleaser, bombs bursting in air as a 500,000-person chorus cheers.

No one questions the psychic and financial payoff of the fleeting annual tribute to Independence Day.

The LED embellishment of the San Diego-Coronado Bridge, on the other hand, would be a much cooler life-changer, night in and night out, expressing our hopes and dreams, Merrifield says.

No doubt, millions would be drawn to the solar-powered, computer-controlled pillars of changing color reflecting the intensity of bridge traffic and the mood of the day, from the Fourth of July to the Padres winning the World Series (we can always dream) to symbolic connections to the wider world.

The night sky is the limit.

It fires the imagination, Merrifield says of his bright pet project.

For those in the dark, heres a brief overview of the bridge-lighting history:

Some 10 years ago, the Port of San Diego advanced a great notion, an artistic highlighting of what isolation-loving Islanders in the 60s called Pat Browns damned bridge, the span that mothballed iconic bay ferries on Aug. 3, 1969.

Almost immediately, fate dealt a nearly fatal blow.

The housing collapse scared away a major donor, a former member of the ports art committee told me a couple of years ago.

Despite a heavy marine layer of economic gloom, the port soldiered on, staging a highly publicized competition from which Peter Fink, a London-based artist, emerged victorious in 2010.

It was a flashy story. A contest to enhance one of San Diegos signature landmarks. San Diegans were intensely engaged, weighing in on one vision over another.

Lots of hoopla, but, sadly, precious little moola in the offing.

Still, officials expressed the hope that the project could be completed in 2015 in time to coincide with the Balboa Park Centennial as well as the lighting of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge.

Well, one of the three met expectations:

A two-year bridge-lighting installation was so well-received in the Bay Area it was made permanent in early 2016, stealing both San Diegos thunder and its lightning.

Meanwhile, the port, in concert with Caltrans, struggled to keep the color-coded Fink vision alive.

In 2014, a world-weary museum director confided this to me: I think the Coronado Bridge getting lit is as unlikely as Balboa Parks Centennial getting a $50 million gift.

In other words, next to no chance.

To buy time for fundraising, the target date was pushed back to August 2019, the Coronado Bridges 50th anniversary.

Personally, I thought the project was nearing its expiration date

It was an uplifting sign, however, when BAE Systems, a Navy shipyard next to the bridge, donated $300,000 of its public arts budget to the lighting project last year.

Merrifield, the Port of San Diego chairman in 2016, championed a provision that gave developers around the bay the option of donating all or part of their public art requirement, 1 percent of additions, to the $10 million bridge-lighting project.

In other words, write a check for the bridge or hassle with art that almost inevitably divides opinion. For many companies, an easy choice.

With $500,000 in cash and $2.5 million in verbal and written corporate pledges, Merrifield is utterly confident the fundraising has hit a tipping point and its all downhill from here.

One reason for Merrifields bullishness is the $4 billion worth of development planned for the bay, a potential $40 million pool from which to scoop.

Next June, a gala at the Marriott Marquis will be the kickoff for individual donations, he says, putting the project on track to be completed in the fall of 2019.

In January, Fink flew in from London and renewed his commitment to bring this art to light.

It feels like 2010 again. Creative revolution is in the salty air.

But theres one difference.

San Diegos bay is now awash in a high tide of money.

Its customary to describe art as evocative, but the lighting project, if it lives up to its promise, will be a color-coded channel that speaks directly to San Diegos aspirations.

Every night, well be able to ask ourselves, What is the bridge saying about us now?

logan.jenkins@sduniontribune.com
Looking back on more than 14 years as the countys top prosecutor, Bonnie Dumanis remembered what it was like at the very beginning, when after a contentious election, she walked into the executive offices at the downtown Hall of Justice.

There was a gathering on the 13th floor to celebrate her victory, and the staff members lined up to say hello and take pictures.

Today, Dumanis walks out of the office for the last time as San Diego County district attorney. She expects a scene that in some ways mirrors that first one  this time with colleagues, friends and members of the local public safety community looking on.

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The walk-out ceremony is a ritual usually reserved for police chiefs and other top law enforcement brass, but Dumanis thought it fitting as she steps down from the post shes held since January 2003.

1 / 14 San Diego County District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis salutes as she leaves the Hall of Justice for the last time after stepping down as the district attorney, in a walk-out ceremony, ending her more than 14-year tenure in the office. (Howard Lipin / San Diego Union-Tribune) 2 / 14 San Diego County District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis, escorted by District Attorney Investigator Steve Hutchinson, leaves the Hall of Justice for the last time as the district attorney, in a walk-out ceremony, after stepping down as the DA, ending her more than 14-year tenure in the office, as members of the San Diego County District Attorneys office and San Diego County Probation Department salute. (Howard Lipin / San Diego Union-Tribune) 3 / 14 San Diego County District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis waves from the backseat of a vintage 1940 Ford coupe painted like a San Diego police car of that era, as she and her wife, Denise Nelesen, prepare to drive away from the Hall of Justice after Dumanis left the building for the last time as district attorney, after stepping down as DA, in a walk out ceremony, ending her more than14-year tenure in the office. (Howard Lipin / San Diego Union-Tribune) 4 / 14 San Diego County District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis, escorted by District Attorney Investigator Steve Hutchinson, leaves the Hall of Justice for the last time as the district attorney, in a walk out ceremony, ending her more than14-year tenure in the office. (Howard Lipin / San Diego Union-Tribune) 5 / 14 Larry Sweet, one of the protestors to make their feelings known during the walk-out ceremony in front of the Hall of Justice for San Diego County District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis, who ended her more that 14-year tenure as the district attorney. (Howard Lipin / San Diego Union-Tribune) 6 / 14 A vintage 1940 Ford coupe painted like a San Diego police car of that era, and a 1932 Ford Patty Wagon sit in front of the San Diego County Hall of Justice. San Diego County District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis rode in the police car after leaving the Hall of Justice for the last time as district attorney, ending her more than 14-years in the office after stepping down. (Howard Lipin / San Diego Union-Tribune) 7 / 14 Greg Gain, supervising investigator at the district attorneys office, salutes during the walk-out ceremony for San Diego County District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis, who left the office after more than 14-years as San Diego County DA. (Howard Lipin / San Diego Union-Tribune) 8 / 14 San Diego County District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis, escorted by District Attorney Investigator Steve Hutchinson, waves as she leaves the Hall of Justice for the last time as the district attorney, in a walk out ceremony. She is stepped down after more than 14-year tenure in the office. (Howard Lipin / San Diego Union-Tribune) 9 / 14 Protestors make their feelings known during the walk-out ceremony in front of the Hall of Justice for San Diego County District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis, who ended her more that 14-year tenure in the office. (Howard Lipin / San Diego Union-Tribune) 10 / 14 San Diego County District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis gets into a vintage 1940 Ford coupe painted like a San Diego police car of that era, after leaving the Hall of Justice for the last time as district attorney in a walk out ceremony, ending her more than14-year tenure in the office. (Howard Lipin / San Diego Union-Tribune) 11 / 14 Protestors make their feelings known during the walk-out ceremony in front of the Hall of Justice for San Diego County District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis who stepped down after more than 14-years in the office. (Howard Lipin / San Diego Union-Tribune) 12 / 14 Protestors make their feelings known during the walk-out ceremony in front of the Hall of Justice for San Diego County District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis who ended her more that 14-year tenure in the office, leaving in a vintage 1940 Ford coupe painted like a San Diego police car of that era. (Howard Lipin / San Diego Union-Tribune) 13 / 14 Dan Schmitt, commander of investigations for the district attorneys office, salutes during the walk-out ceremony for San Diego County District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis, in front of the Hall of Justice. (Howard Lipin / San Diego Union-Tribune) 14 / 14 Protestors make their feelings known during the walk-out ceremony in front of the Hall of Justice for San Diego County District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis, who stepped down, ending her more that 14-year tenure in the office. (Howard Lipin / San Diego Union-Tribune)

I dont know what its going to be like, to walk out for good, she said, noting both the emotion of the event and the fact that shes recovering from knee replacement surgery. (She said she practiced the walk last weekend to make sure she could do it)

Earlier this week, Dumanis visited branches of her office in Juvenile Court, as well as North, South and East counties, and made herself available to as many staffers and lawyers as possible before making her exit.

Its important for me to say goodbye to staff because I came from staff, she said.

Dumanis, 65, started in the office as a clerk typist before becoming a prosecutor, a judge and then leading the District Attorneys Office. And its been a long journey, marked by many ups and downs.

Ive had to fight hard for everything Ive ever gotten, Dumanis said in an interview this week on the patio of a downtown dessert shop, with her dog Abby in tow. Years ago, she said, she wanted to be appointed to the bench, but that didnt happen for her.

So she ran in an election for judge instead.

Later, she ran against incumbent District Attorney Paul Pfingst, in one of the most contentious local races in recent memory.

When I ran for D.A., it was because of things happening in the office and people asking me to, but that was not an easy race, she said.

Dumanis ran for re-election twice, each time unopposed, and then the last time, facing two challengers. Her campaign slogan was Tested. Trusted. Tough.

Although Dumanis announced in January that she would not seek a fifth term as district attorney, she didnt publicly confirm until April that she would leave office before her current term was up. A chief deputy from her office, Summer Stephan, has been appointed to serve as interim district attorney for the next 18 months.

I think it is the right time to go for a number of reasons, Dumanis said. One is, I feel like the office is in such good shape. The people in the office are so competent, excel at so much. I feel comfortable leaving knowing that they will do a fabulous job.

During her time at the helm, Dumanis unified an office that had been sharply divided after the 2002 election, increased diversity in the office, maintained high conviction rates in felony and misdemeanor cases, and helped to draft state law aimed at tightening penalties for sex offenders.

She is the first woman to serve as district attorney in San Diego County and the first openly gay person to hold that office in the United States.

Her tenure has not been without controversy.

Dumanis, a Republican, has been criticized for being too political, and for letting her aspirations toward other political posts interfere with the business at hand. (Dumanis has said she is considering a run for a seat on the county Board of Supervisors.)

After a failed run for San Diego mayor in 2012, Dumanis was called as a witness in a federal court trial involving a wealthy Mexican businessman named Jose Susumo Azano Matsura, who was charged and ultimately convicted of making illegal donations to several candidates, including Dumanis.

She testified that she met Azano on two occasions and believed he was a U.S. citizen. It is illegal for foreign nationals to contribute to political campaigns in the United States.

It was a hard loss, but the ramifications of what happened in that race were even harder, she said, referring to the Azano case and the speculation that has continued to dog her.

What I learned in that mayors race is what a political job really is, she said. There are landmines that I could have never expected because Im used to a D.A. race or a judge race.

Dumanis acknowledged the controversies during her career, but said they did not factor prominently in her decision to step down. Instead, it was mostly a long-held belief that a person shouldnt stay in one position too long.

There was also the emotional drain. Years of heartfelt interactions with families who had suffered great tragedy had begun to weigh heavily on her.

With victims, in the moment, I am right there with you, listening to you, hearing you, feeling you, Dumanis said. Seeing the pain of someone who loses a child or a spouse, or is injured by a child or a spouse is really hard and it begins to take its toll on you.

Especially difficult were the disappearances of 14-year-old Amber Dubois of Escondido in 2009 and 17-year-old Chelsea King of Poway in 2010, whom authorities learned later were killed by the same man, a convicted sex offender who had served time in prison and was living in North County.

Dumanis recalled sitting around a table with top attorneys in her office, being briefed on the case and discussing what charges they could file against the defendant. At that point, law enforcement officers and volunteers were still searching for Chelsea. When pagers began going off around the room, they knew the news wasnt good.

Chelseas body had been found, dashing any remaining hope that she was still alive.

It was the most emotional, empty feeling for all of us at that table, Dumanis said.

Later, John Albert Gardner III pleaded guilty to the murders and, with the help of the deputy public defenders who represented him, led authorities to Ambers buried remains. The deal meant Gardner would avoid the death penalty, if he agreed to spend the rest of his life in prison, and that prosecutors could link him to Ambers death.

The biggest thing was to find Amber, Dumanis said.

She said she learned from that experience how important it was to maintain relationships not only within the District Attorneys Office but with the other agencies she had to work with, including the Public Defenders Office, the Sheriffs Department and the local police departments.

I think that she has been a pretty innovative district attorney, said Randy Mize, who took over this year as the countys Public Defender.

He said Dumanis has had a good working relationship with his office, balancing the need for public safety with the rehabilitation of many defendants.

Shes got basically an open-door policy to the defense bar, Mize said.

As district attorney, Dumanis is described as a strong advocate for victims, and a leading proponent of community outreach, prisoner reform programs and other efforts to keep offenders who suffer from homelessness, drug addiction or mental illness from returning to custody.

Assistant District Attorney Jesse Rodriguez, who is also a former Superior Court judge, credited Dumanis with getting him on board with concepts like Drug Court and other collaborative courts aimed at giving offenders a second chance.

Thinking out of the box, thats what shes been able to do, Rodriguez said, adding that Dumanis has helped change the culture of the District Attorneys Office. She looks at a person in terms of What can I do? instead of just locking a person up and throwing away the key.

As for whats next, Dumanis said she will spend time with her wife, Denise Nelesen, and her 87-year-old mother, who lives in San Diego. And she will take her time to figure whats next.

Frankly Ive only cared about my knees for the past six weeks, she quipped.

dana.littlefield@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @danalittlefield
Trustees in the San Diego Unified School District voted Thursday night to pursue legal action to get the College Board to reinstate Advance Placement tests taken by more than 500 Scripps Ranch High School students.

The College Board and Educational Testing Services, which administer the AP tests, had invalidate the tests because of problems it found with the seating arrangements.

Im thrilled that the school board has voted to move forward with taking legal action against the College Board to fight for these kids scores, Trustee Kevin Beiser said.

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While hoping a judge will side with the district and order the College Board to release the scores of the tests students took in May, Beiser also is urging students to notify the school district by Friday if the intend to retake the tests in case they dont prevail in court.

The tests are scheduled for the weeks of July 17 and Aug. 7.

Earlier in the day, Superintendent Cindy Marten had met with a representative of Educational Testing Services. After the Thursday night vote, she said the representative agreed to advocate for a third testing window, but the decision would be up to members of the College Board.

The district did not immediately take legal action against the College Board because such challenges have not been successful in the past. In the days following the College Boards action, the district hired William Low as an outside counsel and hundreds of angry students and parents urged Marten to pursue the issue.

The district notified families last Friday that the College Board had invalidated 847 tests taken by 540 students because proper procedures were not followed at the testing site, and two make-up dates had been scheduled.

High AP test scores can earn students college credit, meaning they can save thousands of dollars in tuition and even graduate early.

Educational Testing Services has offered opportunities for students to take the tests again, but many students have said they dont think theyll do as well because weeks have passed since they studied for the original tests in May.

At a Wednesday night meeting that attracted about 600 people to Marshall Middle School in Scripps Ranch, some students told Marten that they will not be able to take the make-up tests because they will be out of town.

One man said his son is in Africa, and some students said they will have to take time off from work to take the tests.

Marten told people at the meeting that school officials will create a way for people to submit claims to be reimbursed the through district for travel costs or other expenses associated with taking the make-up tests.

Many people at the meeting had come with specific questions, while others vented at the district for its role in creating the situation.

The issue arose last week when Educational Testing Services notified the district that it was invalidating the tests because of problems it found after examining the seating chart. Among the problems were that students were at six-foot long tables and separated by partitions. For the past two years, the testing service has required eight-foot tables and prohibited partitions.

The school employee who administered the tests and Scripps Ranch High Principal Ann Menna both retired this year.

Marten, Low and Trustee Beiser, who represents the area that includes Scripps Ranch, said they would like answers about why the procedures were not followed.

Im looking into exactly what happened, Marten said Wednesday night. We have to take responsibility.

I believe theres still an ongoing investigation about who knew what, when and where, Beiser said Thursday afternoon. I think we want to make sure we get to the bottom of what happened.

Marten has said all district employees who administer AP tests in the future will be required to be trained in the latest procedures.

While similar challenges against the College Board have not been successful, Beiser said all options should be considered, and there are some encouraging precedents.

Beiser noted that in 2015 the College Board did not invalidate SAT tests that were taken by thousands of students who were given more time than allowed because of a printing error in the instructional manual.

In another recent case, the College Board did not invalidate tests that were given to Portland, Ore., students who left the room because of a fire alarm, he said.

The College Board has over-reacted, and they would be in a better position if they would reconsider this action, Beiser said. I think theres a lot of things they could have done, such as sanction the site, ban the site from administering the tests for a year, or sanction the district.

Educational Testing Services asked to see the seating chart for the tests after the proctor who was administering the test reported that a student had been caught trying to cheat.

That student was prohibited from completing the test and removed from the room.

None of the students whose tests were invalidated was accused of cheating.

gary.warth@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @GaryWarthUT

760-529-4939
Wildfire season is getting longer and more intense, and both scientific and forestry experts foresee hotter and drier conditions that would significantly exacerbate the situation.

State and local officials have in the last decade updated efforts to keep people and property safe from out-of-control conflagrations. This includes everything from updated building codes, requirements on defensible space around homes and various forest management techniques.

However, many fear these tactics wont be enough to keep pace with the worst consequences of powerful blazes, which have ripped through the states forests with growing frequency and size over the last few decades.

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A continued trend of backcountry development and aggressive fire suppression to keep those properties safe has led to densely packed forests in close proximity to many communities.

At the same time, Californias recent five-year drought  by many measures the worst in thousands of years, according to some researchers  has left more than 100 million trees dead from San Diego up through the Sierra.

Its unclear what this unprecedented event means for this fire season and those to follow. But many fear the worst and a conversation about how to meet this and other challenges related to wildfire has started to heat up.

We will need some very new approaches to deal with both the increasing hazard of fire and our increasing exposure to it, said Max Moritz, a specialist in fire ecology and management and a professor at UC Berkeleys College of Natural Resources. The situation we have created is dangerous, and without a major shift in perspective it will only get worse.

Cal Fire, the statewide firefighting agency responsible for 31 million acres throughout the state, doesnt deny that the situation seems to be increasingly precarious. But agency officials said they have a suite of practices and protocols that over time have increased backcountry safety in the face of often uncontrollable blazes.

Its a team effort between the fire service and the citizens of California, said Cal Fire Deputy Chief and spokesman Scott McLean. Through our prescribed burns, were doing a lot of fuel reduction work.

Before getting into the details of how residents can protect homes and loved ones, its important to note the serious toll a major fire can inflict.

For example, the largest wildfire in the states history, the Cedar fire, took place in 2003 in San Diego, burning more than 270,000 acres and torching more than 2,230 homes and 148 vehicles. It also killed more than a dozen civilians and injured more than 100 firefighters, including one fatally.

Beyond being deadly, such fires are also very costly. The price tag on suppressing the Cedar fire, which burned from Oct. 25 to Nov. 5, was roughly $27 million. And San Diego County sustained more than roughly $850 million worth of property damage from the wildfire, part of roughly $2.6 billion in destruction attributed to outbreaks throughout Southern California that season.

In 2015, the Butte and Valley fires in Northern California caused a staggering $1.95 billion worth of damage, burning in a two-week period everything from businesses to homes to schools to churches. Of that, its estimated that roughly $800 million of losses werent insured.

Besides indemnifying homes and property against fire damage, people can take a number of steps to protect their residences and increase their chances of surviving a large blaze.

Cal Fire has a Ready for Wildfire app and website that walks users through key steps for preventing wildfires to maintaining the required 100 feet of defensible space around homes.

For example, within 50 feet of a home, residents in San Diego County are told, among other things, to remove all dead vegetation, maintain 10 feet between trees, remove branches that hang over their roofs and prune or remove flammable plants near windows.

In the next 50 feet away from the structure, grass must be mowed down to 4 inches or less and vertical and horizontal space must be created between shrubs and trees. Its suggested that woodpiles, especially without a fire-resistant covering, be located in this second zone rather than closer to the home.

Without properly maintained defensive space, even homes made with the most up-to-date materials are at significant risk for wildfire in the backcountry, said McLean of Cal Fire.

The homes are being built to withstand an awful lot, more so than ever, he said. And yet, you can put one of these homes in the middle of a forest and not have any clearances, and its still going to burn.

Keeping this space maintained not only helps significantly protect homes, but it also allows firefighters to get into areas where they can battle blazes more safely. State fire officials conduct tens of thousands of home inspections a year and have recently started mapping properties that have well-maintained clearances and water sources that firefighters can use to battle fires.

Homeowners in San Diego County, on the whole, have done a good job of keeping up these practices, said Fire Capt. Specialist Kevin McCully, who oversees the defensible space inspections for Cal Fire in San Diego.

People that have lived here for a long time  theyve seen what the fires can do, so theres a lot of concern in the public in San Diego, he said. In a lot of ways that makes it easier for us. People for the most part want to do the right thing and cooperate and make their community safer.

Having an emergency supply kit is also highly encouraged. This should include a three-day supply of nonperishable food, 3 gallons of water per person, a map with evacuation routes and any important prescription drugs. Other ideas include a first-aid kit, flashlights, a battery-powered radio and copies of passports and birth certificates.

Its also important that families with young children talk seriously about what to do in a fire emergency and then practice executing evacuation plans.

About 95 percent of all wildfires in California are caused by people, so its important to be aware of a number of best practices, which pertain to everything from campfires to target shooting to equipment and vehicle use. For example, people are urged to mow lawns in the morning before it gets too hot and never when its windy or extremely dry. Also its advised that care be taken to avoid rocks, on which metal blades can cause sparks.

Vehicles are one of the largest causes of preventable wildfires. Driving over dry grass or brush is highly discouraged, as is wearing breaks too thin, which can cause sparks. Its also recommended that drivers carry a fire extinguisher in their car.

Fire crews do their part by clearing brush and dead trees around roads, parks and power lines. Such efforts allow residents to escape areas more easily and firetrucks to better access locations from which to fight fire.

Many researchers believe that years of aggressive firefighting has disrupted a natural cycle where moderately sized fires prune back large sections of woodland.

In response, prescribed burns have increasingly been seen as a necessity, despite causing air pollution and running the risk of getting out of control. Fire officials also use heavy equipment to mechanically thin forests, but its too expensive to address the states overall needs and the practice can damage ecosystems.

However, its widely accepted that such forest management practices will only go so far.

Some scientists believe Californians will need to learn to coexist with an increasingly flammable landscape, especially if climate change continues unabated.

Communities could likely be faced in the near future with tough decisions, such as whether to flee conflagrations and risk clogging roads that could be engulfed in flames, or adopt shelter-in-place policies that strictly regulate homes and properties to make them as fire resistant as possible.

For example, Rancho Santa Fe has embraced the latter protocol, which asks residents to wait out fires at home in all but the most extreme cases. As part of this approach, building codes in the affluent community require homes to be as fire-resistant as possible.

Other towns in fire-prone areas have significantly beefed up volunteer fire departments and highly regimented evacuation plans, such as in Painted Cave in the hills north of Santa Barbara.

Agencies are doing what they can to manage our public lands in California, but to get ahead of the problem, we will have to start living with fire like we deal with and accommodate other inevitable natural hazards, such as floods and earthquakes, said Mortiz of UC Berkeley. This requires a major shift in thinking and land-use planning.

Twitter: @jemersmith

Phone: (619) 293-2234

Email: joshua.smith@sduniontribune.com
A five-year-old U.S. citizen found chained, starving and beaten in Mexico City last month may soon be reunited with his father in Escondido.

Mexican police rescued the boy, Anthony Castro, on June 27 from a relatives home in the Gabriel Hernandez neighborhood and took him to a local hospital for treatment, according to a statement released by the local prosecutors office.

His fathers sister and her husband were arrested by Mexican police with charges of illegal deprivation of liberty for the purpose of causing harm. They were taken into custody and may be sentenced up to 60 years in prison if convicted.

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The boys father, Pascual Castro, is not a U.S. citizen. He went to the Vista office of Republican U.S. Rep. Darrell Issa for help, even though he was afraid no one would help him. Issa met with him.

Darrell turns to the father, puts his arm out and says, Im not worried if you are a citizen or not. A little boy  your son  is in a hospital in Mexico. Lets get him home, a district office staff member said, according to Issa spokesman Calvin Moore.

Issa got on the phone with the State Department and pushed Anthonys case to the highest priority.

We will do everything in our power to get him out of this abusive situation and into a safe and stable environment where he can get the help he so desperately needs. Im grateful we were able to step in, just in the nick of time before the holiday, Issa said in an emailed statement. This is absolutely heartbreaking.

Marcela Celorio, the Mexican Consul General in San Diego, said that what happens to the boy will ultimately depend on the special prosecutor for the rights of children in Mexico City. Anthony might be returned to family in the U.S. or be placed in foster care in Mexico City.

Celorio said that Anthony will most likely be placed in foster care at least temporarily while he waits for the legal process to unfold.

We have to take into consideration that were talking about human life and, even more, a kid, a child, Celorio said. We have to be very responsible with what we do.

She said that the U.S. and Mexico have treaties for how to handle these kinds of international custody cases, and a similar process would happen for a Mexican child found in the U.S.

She did not know how long the process would take. Some cases take less than a month, she said, while others take years.

The Mexican Consulate got involved because Anthonys father is from Mexico. Celorio said Pascual Castro told her office that he was regularizing his immigration status but could not travel down to Mexico City to see his son during that process.

Castro did not respond to requests for comment from The San Diego Union-Tribune. Neither did Dawn Sanderson, 34, the boys mother.

Castro is an unauthorized immigrant and Dawn Sanderson is a U.S. citizen, said Anthonys great-grandmother, Virginia Sanderson, 84, of Escondido.

The two were previously married for a short time but are no longer together, according to Virginia Sanderson, who recalled the baby being born at Palomar Medical Center in Escondido. Castro won custody of Anthony after the couples separation, she said.

She said her granddaughter, who is on probation, has turned her life around and would now be able to take care of her son.

Hes a U.S. citizen, Sanderson said. He needs to be brought back here. He needs to be reunited with his mother. Were doing all we can.

The San Diego Union-Tribune was not able to retrieve court records of the criminal history or the custody case before courts closed on Thursday.

Virginia Sanderson said she did not know that Castro left Anthony with relatives in Mexico City. She cares for her granddaughters other children.

Im just appalled, Virginia Sanderson said over the phone. I never thought that the child was in any danger.

She said she found out about her great-grandsons situation when she saw a story about it on the news.

I still didnt believe it until a couple more days when reporters started coming, and they showed me pictures they had not showed on the news, Sanderson said. It was terrible, terrible, terrible.

The one that shows him like a little skeleton, like one of those children in a foreign country starving to death, thats what he looks like, she said of the picture that disturbed her the most.

Im not angry, she added. Im terribly, terribly grieved.

She doesnt trust Castro, she said, and shes worried about Anthony being placed with him again.

Castro told El Universal by telephone that he left his son with his sister and her husband while he came to work in the U.S. Theyd sent him videos of his son in February and March, and he thought everything was fine.

Hed previously left Anthony with his grandparents, he said, but he thought the schools were better where the boys aunt lived, so he moved Anthony in with them instead.

I never thought they would treat him like this. It hurts me a lot, my poor son, he said in Spanish. I feel terrible about this.

Immigration Videos On Now New developments in family separation case 9:53 On Now A San Diego woman volunteered as a medic in Texas helping migrant families 2:35 On Now Immigration policy protests in Carlsbad nearly cancelled after permit issue 1:38 On Now When children are separated from their parents at the border, here is where they go next On Now Prospects of a deal for 'Dreamers' may hinge on separating Trump from hard-liners on his staff On Now What is DACA? On Now Border wall prototype contractors selected On Now Video: Ukrainian boxer wins asylum in U.S. On Now 30 apprehended after Border Patrol agents discover tunnel On Now Video: Kurdish diaspora prepare to vote on independence

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kate.morrissey@sduniontribune.com, @bgirledukate on Twitter
Mark Hainds put the toes of his hiking boots into the Pacific Ocean Thursday with the U.S.-Mexico border just off to his left  where it has been during his entire 700-mile journey.

I dunno, Hainds said, his clothes covered in dust and his face well-tanned and garnished with a scruffy beard. Its a weird thing. I should be feeling celebratory, but I havent figured it out.

Since December, Hainds has hiked in two-week clips from El Paso, Texas, to Friendship Park at the southwestern edge of San Diego County. It was the culmination of a trip he started three years ago, also from El Paso, but headed east, along the Rio Grande to Brownsville, Texas, where the river flows into the Gulf of Mexico. He finished the first leg on Dec. 21, 2014, and started the second jaunt exactly two years later.

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Hes one of the few people to hike the United States border with Mexico, and between the two legs of his trip, the views of that geopolitical boundary have shifted dramatically and promise to change the relationship between the two countries. On the campaign trail and now as president, Donald Trump pledged to build a wall along the border to prevent unauthorized immigration, hire 5,000 border patrol officers, and cancel or dramatically change the North American Free Trade Agreement, a deal that made it easier for cross-border business.

1 / 9 Standing near Otay Lake, Mark Hainds takes a brief break in the shade after walking westbound on Otay Lakes Road. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune) 2 / 9 Taking a break near Otay Lake, Mark Hainds speaks with his wife on the phone to arrange meeting for lunch. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune) 3 / 9 Mark Hainds continues his journey on State Route 125 toll road heading southbound towards the U.S. Mexico border. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune) 4 / 9 Mark Hainds continues his journey on State Route 125 toll road heading southbound towards the U.S. Mexico border. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune) 5 / 9 Mark Hainds takes a brief break in the shade after walking westbound on Otay Lakes Road near Otay Lake. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune) 6 / 9 Mark Hainds continues his journey on State Route 125 toll road heading southbound towards the U.S. Mexico border. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune) 7 / 9 After stopping for lunch in Chula Vista, Mark Hainds and his wife, Katia Cabides go over the last 2-days of his route from Chula Vista to Border State Park where he will complete his U.S. Mexico border journey. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune) 8 / 9 Mark Hainds continues his journey on State Route 125 toll road heading southbound towards the U.S. Mexico border. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune) 9 / 9 Mark Hainds has been on a quest to walk the entire length of the U.S. Mexico border. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune)

Hainds, who is 48 and from Alabama, said the change in politics was apparent when he talked to people along the way, many of them strangers who gave him food, took him in and gave him a place to rest for the night and tend to his feet.

I guess the big thing was that nobody was talking too much about Trump, and nobody was talking about a wall in 2014, he said. And now, I think people have cordoned off more into camps. And still, the majority of people I meet are still against the wall, and further militarization of the border.

Regardless of the thoughts of the people Hainds met as he hiked, for many miles of the trip, through all sorts of terrain and vegetation, was a wall. While the president has pledged to erect an extended partition between the United States and Mexico, for decades there has been some sort of barrier along portions of the border.

Hainds walked into Friendship Park with his wife and two children, who supported him along portions of the hike. As they reflected on the journeys terminus, on the other side of a tall brown fence that extends into the Pacific, sunbathers sprawled out on a Tijuana beach as others played in the surf with their dog. All the while a Customs and Border Patrol officer sitting in an SUV kept watch from a nearby hill.

This might be the last of Hainds big adventures.

Momma says no, he said.

Momma is Katia Cabides, his wife. She and their two young children helped start him off in the mornings during parts of the trip, and met him when he was done for the day.

Mark Hainds and his wife, Katia Cabides plan the last 2-days of his route from Chula Vista to Friendship Park in San Diego. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune)

Im ready go back home, Katia Cabides said. It was hard to be apart while he was on the trail, and she worried about her husbands safety and health but was happy that he was doing something he thought was important. Still, it was difficult, she said.

For me, I have to learn do to things by myself, she said. And suddenly, I was alone. What if something happened to him? Then Im going to be a single mother.

And then she pointed to her belly  they have a third child on the way.

Now, Im happy. Im finally finished and we can go home, she said.

Hainds has two books in the works  the first is about his walk that ended in 2014 and is currently with his publisher. The second, which will be based on his latest hike, will be about the people he encountered along the border, their lives and their stories living at the edge of the country. He kept a journal along the way.

Mark Hainds walked from El Paso, Texas, to Friendship Park in San Diego. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune)

I think they feel ignored by the rest of the country, that theyre overlooked. Im going to give them a voice, he said.

They feel like they are misunderstood, and that a lot of the country incorrectly believes that they live in a war zone, he said. Parts of the border, particularly near big cities, seemed better off than many other parts of the country.

Ive walked through these big cities, and I feel much safer than I do in some of the Midwest, he said.

He started the trip for a simple reason: to get away from the daily grind. He had had enough of his routine as a college forestry professor and working at a nonprofit organization, and all the emails, phone calls and text messages he was getting. He still works but planned his trip around his professional obligations.

I just kind of reached a breaking point where I couldnt stick with it any longer, he said.

Sometimes that will encourage people to start a new career, or pick up a new hobby. When Hainds got that feeling, he retreated to the wilds of the Amazon, or the Pantanal in Brazil. But this time when the urge struck, he was reading Cormac McCarthy, a novelist whose stories are often set in west Texas.

I think that inspired my imagination, he said. Another part  might sound kind of silly  I was kind of overwhelmed with people, with all these emails and faxes. And I looked at cell phone coverage in west Texas, and it was one of the biggest holes in the United States. They cant get me there.

Twitter: @jptstewart

joshua.stewart@sduniontribune.com

(619) 293-1841
This is not the first time that the PLA's actions have contradicted the seemingly reassuring words of its leader Xi.

By Raj Chengappa, Ananth Krishnan: India Today magazine in its latest issue reveals that the on-going stand-off between India and China at the Doklam plateau was triggered by a Chinese manoeuvre on the night of June 8 - barely hours before Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with Chinese President Xi Jinping the following day in Astana, at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit.

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On the night of June 8, a platoon of China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) is said to have stealthily moved into the plateau and razed stone bunkers that the Royal Bhutan Army (RBA) had constructed years ago and manned occasionally. In doing so, China seems to have made a pre-meditated move to alter the status quo that prevailed for decades in the sensitive Doklam plateau that abuts the India-China-Bhutan trijunction, and is contested by China and Bhutan.

China's manoeuvre unfolded the day before the Modi-Xi meet at Astana, which was surprisingly cordial. As Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar said after the June 9 meeting, "There was an understanding that where we have differences, it is important that differences should not become dispute."

Yet China undertook its manoeuver in Doklam barely hours before.

This is not the first time that the PLA's actions have contradicted the seemingly reassuring words of its leader Xi, who heads the powerful Central Military Commission. In September 2014, as Modi hosted Xi in Gujarat and the two leaders were photographed on a jhula and doing a diplomatic tango, the PLA violated the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Chumar and Demchok in Ladakh in the western sector. When Modi confronted Xi over these intrusions, an embarrassed Chinese leader is said to have got his troops to withdraw and end the border stand-off after he returned.

In Doklam, it took a week before Bhutan comprehended China's game-plan and confronted the PLA on June 16. The Indian Army approached the PLA two days later, leading to a dangerous stand-off that has strained relations between the two countries.

Also Read:

PLA armoured brigade holds 'high altitude drill' in Tibet with most advanced tank

India-China standoff: Will trust deficit between two Asian giants impact trade relations?

Also Watch:

China's territorial sovereignty undermined by Indian troops: Chinese Embassy in India

--- ENDS ---
In a rebuke to President Trumps disengagement from worldwide climate change efforts, Gov. Jerry Brown told an international audience Thursday the president doesnt speak for the rest of us and unveiled plans for a global environmental summit in San Francisco next year.

The announcement, at a convening of climate activists in Hamburg, Germany, coinciding with Trumps arrival there for the G-20 summit of world leaders, signals once more how Brown and other American leaders aim to galvanize continued efforts against climate change, even as the federal government moves in the opposite direction.

Its hard to grasp the mortal danger that climate change represents, Brown said in an interview with The Times. I believe that California, New York, France and Germany and the other countries  we have to get our act together, strengthen our commitment and bring as many nations along as we can.

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Whether Brown and his American cohorts, including Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, will ultimately be able to take sufficient action to curb global warming is uncertain, but they are already succeeding in undercutting the authority of the White House to set the U.S. agenda on climate. Since Trump quit the Paris accord on climate change, California and a dozen other states have vowed to not only stick with the agreement, but also step up their emission reduction efforts to push the rest of the country along. A coalition of cities committed to the climate action outlined in Paris  led by Garcetti  has swollen from a few dozen members to 331 in the last few weeks.

Brown and other American climate crusaders see the G-20 meeting as a crucial moment. Several world leaders who will attend the summit have already signaled that they will confront Trump on climate issues during its proceedings, and a move is afoot to conclude the meeting with a written reaffirmation of commitment to the Paris guidelines that would ostensibly be signed by every G-20 every nation except the U.S.  underscoring how far out of alignment with the rest of the world Trump is on the issue.

But even before the summit began, unity among the other countries was already starting to fray. While Western European leaders vowed to push the issue, countries such as Russia, Indonesia and Turkey were expressing less bombast. Saudi Arabia  which is still bullish on climate action but is also eager to remain in good diplomatic standing with the U.S. amid its dispute with fellow American ally Qatar  is also hedging.

With his video announcement Thursday to attendees of the Global Citizen Festival in Hamburg, Brown aimed to shore up opposition to Trumps climate moves and send a signal that the U.S. can maintain a leadership role despite the president.

Its up to you and its up to me and tens of millions of other people to get it together to roll back the forces of carbonization and join together to combat the existential threat of climate change, Brown said in his video, appearing in a leafy setting with a blazer and no tie. Yes, I know President Trump is trying to get out of the Paris agreement, but he doesnt speak for the rest of America. We in California and in states all across America believe its time to act, its time to join together and thats why at this climate action summit were going to get it done.

Host of next United Nations climate conference turns to California in the global warming battle 

Browns message was projected into the arena, and the audience burst out in applause when the governor said Trump doesnt speak for the rest of the U.S.

Trump was not invited to speak at the festival because his policies dont align with its goal of supporting global health, climate and gender equality, said a source involved in organizing the festival. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Argentinian President Mauricio Macri and other leaders took the stage to speak about climate change and education to the crowd of 12,000.

The planned 2018 California summit, Brown told The Times, would signify the biggest state in the union is the venue for a worldwide convocation of states, regions and entrepreneurs and others who want to do something serious about climate change.

This wouldnt be the first time San Francisco was home to a confab on climate, noted Tom Steyer, the hedge fund billionaire-turned-climate activist.

Whats different about this summit is its a specific statement by Gov. Brown that the people of the United States do not follow the policies  do not believe the policies  on energy and climate espoused by our presidential administration, Steyer said.

Browns role as a climate emissary predates Trumps presidency. In 2015, he helped start the Under2 Coalition, an international pact to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and he traveled to the Paris climate talks later that year. But that global stature has taken on added significance under the new administration, which has so far signaled hostility to many of the climate and environmental policies that Brown has embraced.

Last month, Brown discussed climate change with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing, an unusual level of engagement between the Chinese head of state and a governor. (Energy Secretary Rick Perry, by contrast, did not meet with Xi in a recent trip to China).

He wants to make clear that if you cant look to Washington, you can look to California on progressive environmental policy, said Ann Carlson, professor of environmental law at UCLA.

Among the leaders working with Brown to ensure the U.S. is a de facto participant in the Paris accord is Bloomberg, the former New York City mayor. An official climate envoy to the United Nations, Bloomberg has been working to broker an arrangement with the world body in which America would stay in the agreement  even though Trump has opted out. Those involved in negotiating the Paris accord, which was signed by President Obama, have said there is no way the U.S. could formally participate. But the world leaders eager to keep the momentum in the fight against climate change have lately signaled they will work with the coalition of cities and states to keep the U.S. engaged.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres highlighted the effort in a speech in Lisbon this week.

In the United States, this push is generating at the level of cities, in some states and in the business world a very strong commitment towards the green economy, he said, according to the Agence France-Presse news agency. He also remarked that Bloomberg is convinced that the United States will be able to reach the targets it set itself under the Paris accord.

The federal government is crucial for policy to succeed in the long run, but states can fill a role while Trump is in office, said Jody Freeman, a Harvard law professor who served as White House counselor for energy and climate change in the Obama administration.

This is just is of a piece of that effort to say, Look, the U.S. isnt stalling even though the Trump administration is committed to these rollbacks of climate and energy policy,  Freeman said. I think its all for the good in keeping momentum going and signaling to the world that the subnational governments are still interested in moving forward.

While Brown has basked in his global climate role, closer to home he has strained to chart a path forward for Californias signature tool to combat global warming, the cap-and-trade system, which requires companies to purchase permits to release greenhouse gas emissions.

The governor hopes to reauthorize the system through 2030, but securing a two-thirds vote in the Legislature to guard against potential legal challenges has led to a backroom tug of war pitting oil companies, manufacturers and agricultural interests against environmentalists and advocates worried about local air quality.

Jerry Brown is working very hard to try to get to a compromise on extending Californias flagship climate policy, but it is a compromise, said Michael Wara, a professor of energy law at Stanford. It is complicated and messy. And it involves trade-offs that sometimes mean giving up environmental benefits in order to placate legacy fossil fuel industries that are still politically important in California.

Environmental justice advocates argue Browns administration has hewed too closely to policies sought by industry groups.

He is putting his political muscle behind a compromise that benefits, really singularly, [the oil] industry  the people who brought us this problem, said Parin Shah, senior strategist at the Asian Pacific Environmental Network. Jerry Brown has the power to rally tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, millions of Californians for truly transformative climate policy. He is not doing that.

Brown acknowledged cap-and-trade negotiations have been a struggle, but he pushed back against accusations that he is too aligned with oil industry goals at the expense of advancing the states global warming fight.

Its about taking steps that are moving decisively in the right direction but are the product of consensus and widespread negotiation, Brown told The Times. Given the scope of the challenges posed by climate change, he said, finding solutions will not be a walk in the park.

Decarbonizing the world  its like going from the Roman Empire to Christianity, Brown said. Its a total paradigm shift.

Mason and McGreevy reported from Sacramento, and Halper from Washington. Special correspondent Catherine Stupp in Hamburg contributed to this report.

melanie.mason@latimes.com, evan.halper@latimes.com, patrick.mcgreevy@latimes.com

Twitter: @melmason, @evanhalper, @mcgreevy99

Gov. Jerry Brown, Americas unofficial climate change ambassador in the Trump era, heads to China

A California-led alliance of cities and states vows to keep the Paris climate accord intact

Updates from Sacramento
Its hard to find anyone other than Republican members of Congress who think the current proposals to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act are good policy. The proposals are opposed by doctors, nurses, hospitals, faith leaders, insurance providers, AARP and likely by the 22 million Americans who will lose their health care if these plans are adopted. Fortunately for Americas working families, seniors, the very ill and those with pre-existing conditions, these plans have stalled.

My Democratic colleagues and I will continue to vigorously fight these current harmful measures. But that doesnt mean that we should do nothing. The ACA was such a huge undertaking that it was bound to need fixes over time, so Democrats should not be defensive about seeking ways to repair and improve whats not working.

The good news is our health uninsured rate is at an all-time low of 9 percent. In San Diego County, just 5 percent lack health insurance, down from 17 percent a few years ago. But there is trouble in individual markets in some parts of the country, where insurance companies are reluctant or unwilling to sell individual policies on the federal or state exchanges. And even though less than 10 percent of Americans get their insurance through the individual markets, market uncertainty in the individual markets also increases the costs of employer-provided plans. In the past two months, Ive met with representatives from successful state exchanges, academia and insurers, and have identified the following steps to stabilize individual insurance markets and keep insurance available.

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First, Congress should reauthorize and make permanent federal reinsurance programs, which protect insurers against the costliest medical claims. Without a sufficiently funded reinsurance program, insurers with sicker enrollees would have to charge higher premiums to all of their customers to stem their financial losses. That means larger subsidies being paid by the federal government and higher out-of-pocket costs for everyone. The stabilization funds included in the Republican House and Senate bills are not sufficient to keep costs down. As applied by the Affordable Care Act, the transitional reinsurance program helped reduce average premiums by 10 percent to14 percent in 2014. Congress should make this program permanent to keep costs down and insurers in the exchanges.

Second, Congress should shield Cost-Sharing Reduction Subsidies (CSRs) from the uncertain appropriations process, and commit to long-term funding. These subsidies reduce out-of-pocket health care costs for hardworking American families. If CSRs ended, insurance would become unaffordable for many, more insurers would hike premiums or leave the exchanges altogether, and the federal government would foot the bill for newly uninsured families flocking to the emergency room for basic care. Today, insurers dont know what will happen with CSRs from month to month, and that risk for them means higher premiums. Congress should end the uncertainty in the insurance market and commit to consistent funding over time.

Third, one of the most important ways to keep insurance available and premiums down is to get young, healthy people into the insurance pool. The ACA tries to do this with an individual mandate  everyone has to get insurance or pay a fine. But the Trump administration has signaled that it opposes and will not enforce the individual mandate. As an alternative to the mandate, Congress could authorize an automatic enrollment system, where young individuals who do not purchase insurance would be automatically enrolled in an inexpensive health plan that covers basic primary care and catastrophic illness or injury. These plans would simultaneously foster consumer choice and help reduce risk in markets through the enrollment of the young and healthy. But we must act. Without enforcement (or effective replacement) of the current mandate, average premiums in 2018 and 2019 are projected to increase 15 percent to 20 percent higher than they would otherwise.

Washington must continue working to find ways to lower the costs of health care, and there will be legitimate differences on policy and ideology. But many individual insurance markets need help today, and the fixes are available and need not be partisan. There are broader proposals out there, but these are steps that we can take right now to stabilize the individual markets. This is what Congress should be doing: protecting what is working in our health care system and helping fix what isnt. That would be a good step toward repairing a broken Congress and making health care more affordable and accessible for every American.

Peters, D-San Diego, represents Californias 52nd Congressional District. He serves on the Energy and Commerce Committee, which has jurisdiction over health care.
Barack Obama drew criticism for the perception that while he was president, the United States in some ways abandoned its traditional role of global leadership in favor of an approach that an Obama aide memorably described as leading from behind. But even as the U.S. stayed mostly away from the fray as the Syrian civil war turned into a massive humanitarian crisis, America maintained its leading position by pushing for a global response to climate change, supporting longstanding mutual defense pacts and championing free-trade deals.

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As a presidential candidate, Donald Trump was all over the place on foreign policy, alternately sounding hawkish and isolationist. But he also said the U.S. should stop being the worlds patsy  both in offering costly military protection to nations that didnt do enough to strengthen their own armed forces and in accepting trade agreements that in his view harmed U.S. workers and the U.S. economy.

There are elements of truth in his critique. But then and now, Trump has never appreciated that having strong bilateral relations with many nations is a two-way street, benefiting American interests by promoting stability and cooperation. He has never grasped that all global issues are interrelated  that the worlds richest and most powerful nation cant be alternately hostile and friendly to other nations on an a la carte basis and expect a warm response to new U.S. overtures.

On Friday and Saturday, this point could be made crystal-clear at the Group of 20 summit in Hamburg, Germany. After abandoning the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal and pulling the U.S. out of the Paris climate accord, Trump may well get a stony reception to his call for a concerted global response to North Koreas latest successful missile launch. Fear of such an unstable dictatorship  especially if unpredictable young leader Kim Jong Un is a year or two from having nuclear-tipped intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of striking anywhere within 1,500 miles  would seem like a cause the world could rally around. But with the exception of South Korea and Japan  which have the most at stake  Trumps call to action has so far won only muted or pro forma responses. Meanwhile, Russia and China, the nation with the most ability to influence North Korea because of its financial ties, are refusing to increase pressure on Pyongyang to stop its saber-rattling, and Beijing is actively upset with the U.S. over what it sees as heavy-handed tactics  leading to a Trump vow to take on North Korea on his own if necessary.

For the 25 million residents of the Seoul metropolitan area  within easy reach of 8,000 North Korean big guns loaded with artillery shells from Pyongyangs huge stockpile of biological and chemical weapons  this sort of belligerent talk shouldnt just be scary. It should be terrifying. As acclaimed military analyst Mark Bowden wrote earlier this year in The Atlantic, the U.S. and South Korea have no good options in stopping Pyongyang from developing an offensive, modern nuclear arsenal. Either a full-on invasion or a surgical strike on North Koreas nuclear facilities is likely to leave millions of South Koreans  and up to 30,000 U.S. troops  dead.

The stakes could scarcely be higher. What the world needs is a calm, American-led effort to improve relationships with Kim Jong Un and North Koreas military to address the nations fear that it is surrounded by enemies. What it doesnt need is a unilateral American effort that is built on a diplomatic amateurs bluster and denial.

Twitter: @sdutIdeas

Facebook: San Diego Union-Tribune Ideas & Opinion
Dont put out welcome mat for the homeless

Regarding San Diego homeless efforts get $80M boost for various services (July 5): It is regrettable that there are many homeless people, but this is no accident. And we are making the problem worse.

Providing services, free food and even free housing is only going to attract even more homeless people to San Diego. One local service group provided work for many homeless people. The only one who stuck with the job for a while eventually sued for a workers compensation injury.

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Most of the homeless cynically game the system. They will gladly spend whatever legitimate income they may receive or any theft proceeds on drugs and alcohol, while we enable them with more and more free stuff.

This is a law enforcement problem, not a social services problem. Move the charities, services and soup kitchens to Jacumba and watch what happens.

Jon Holmerud

Bonita

Who is liable for failing on homelessness?

This is what I want to see addressed by this paper now and, hopefully after some prodding, soon by the city of San Diego:

1. What are requirements set out by the courts as a condition precedent to enforcing laws criminalizing aspects of homelessness?

2. What has the city of San Diego done to meet those court-imposed requirements?

3. What persons and entities at fault for not meeting those court-imposed requirements receive government pay/subsidy?

Letters and commentary policy

The U-T welcomes and encourages community dialogue on important public matters. Please visit this page for more details on our letters and commentaries policy. You can email letters@sduniontribune.com or leave a comment below.

4. How many beds, regardless of (il)legitimate rules/regulations, are there for sex offender registrants, narcotics offender registrants, and every other class of homeless per class and per aggregation of all classes?

5. Which of the afore-identified miscreant public/NGO officials claims immunity from suit/liability?

Robert Burns

Ocean Beach

Want to see more letters that appear only online? Follow @UTLetters on Twitter and UTOpinion on Facebook.
While President Donald Trump was meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin and other world leaders at the G20 Summit, Vice President Mike Pence was at Kennedy Space Center in Florida committing the U.S. to dominance in space in the years ahead.

We won the race a half-century ago, and now we will get back to winning in the 21st century and beyond, he said in a speech to NASA employees. Here from this bridge to space, our nation will return to the moon, and we will put American boots on the face of Mars.

Pence also pointed to Trumps speech on Thursday in Poland, where the president was proclaiming the strength and power of Western civilization.

We were reminded that the American president is the leader of the free world, Pence told the NASA employees.

Trump signed an executive order in June to revive the National Space Council, which ceased operation in 1993. Now, it will advise and assist the president regarding national space policy and strategy.

Todays announcement sends a clear signal to the world that we are restoring Americas proud legacy of leadership in space, Trump said after signing the order June 30. Space exploration is not only essential to our character as a nation but also our economy and our great nations security.

Here are some of the highlights from Pences speech to NASA on Thursday.

Welcome to a new era of American leadership in space.

President Donald Trump is already ensuring that NASA has the resources and support you need to make new history from this place; inspire new generations and advance American leadership in the boundless frontier of space -- of that you can be assured.

President Trumps vision for space, though, is much larger than NASA alone. Our president is transforming our entire space policy to seize the opportunities of the 21st century and unleash the infinite potential of the cosmos for the American people.

We will return our nation to the moon. We will go to Mars, and we will go still further to places that our childrens children can only imagine.

We will maintain a constant presence in low-Earth orbit, and we will develop policies that will carry human space exploration across our solar system and ultimately into the vast expanse of space.

So Pence vowed to take U.S. astronauts back to the moon and put Americans on Mars. But when he toured the Kennedy Space Center on Thursday, he also did this.

U.S. Vice President Mike Pence is shown a piece of hardware by Kennedy Space Center Director Robert Cabana during a tour of the Operations and Checkout Building in Florida July 6, 2017. (REUTERS/Mike Brown)

People were cracking jokes on Twitter about the vice president touching something that said DO NOT TOUCH.

On Friday, Pence tweeted saying Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Florida, dared him to touch it.

To watch Pences full speech, go here.

Email: abby.hamblin@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @abbyhamblin
It finally happened: President Donald Trump met face-to-face with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday. And now that the two have met, the world eagerly awaits what happens next.

Anticipation for the meeting had been building for the past week in light of the attention the two have gained over accusations from U.S. intelligence agencies of Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election and tensions over military action in Syria.

The meeting was supposed to last for less than an hour but it went on for more than two. Heres a quick rundown of the meeting, reports coming out of it, reactions and questions that still remain unanswered.

A cease fire in Syria?

As the two met behind closed doors in Hamburg, Germany, American officials told the Associated Press that the U.S. and Russia were set to announce a cease fire in Syria to take effect on Sunday.

If accurate, it would be a big development in a war where the U.S. and Russia support opposing sides in Syrias civil conflict between the Bashar Al-Assad regime and rebel groups. Details of the cease fire were left unclear on Friday, however.

Its also unclear whether the cease fire came as a result of the meeting between Trump and Putin.

How long did the meeting go?

Reports indicate the meeting was only set to last 30 minutes but, according to CNNs White House correspondent Kaitlan Collins, the meeting lasted two hours and 20 minutes. Other reporters pegged the meeting length at two hours and 15 minutes or two hours and 16 minutes, so it was generally that long.

Who else was in the meeting?

The closed-door meeting between the U.S. and Russia was expected to consist of only six people, including Trump and Putin, reports said. So who else was in there?

State Secretary Rex Tillerson and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov , as well as two translators, Axios reported.

What was on the agenda for the meeting?

Theres no specific agenda  its really going to be whatever the president wants to talk about, Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster told The New York Times last week ahead of the meeting.

Related: Four sore topics Trump might bring up when he meets Putin

But based on whats been reported about the two countries  everything from military activities in Syria and Ukraine to sanctions imposed on Russia by former President Barack Obama  there was a lot of issues the two leaders could choose to discuss.

Did Trump bring up the election meddling in the U.S.?

First thing Trump discussed with Putin was election meddling, Tillerson said after the meeting was over.

Many news outlets, including The New York Times and CNN, reported that the topic would not likely be brought up given the number of other pressing issues to address and given that Trump has publicly said he doesnt believe Russia was involved in swaying the 2016 presidential election.

Trump brought up the specter of Russian election meddling this week in Poland, saying a day before his meeting with Putin that Nobody really knows for sure if it happened and that Russia might not be the only country that may have meddled.

A White House correspondent for CBS, Steven Portnoy, also reported that Tillerson said the positions of Russia and the U.S. on election meddling are intractable and that the two leaders focused on how to move forward.

How was the meeting covered by the media?

The much-anticipated meeting between the top U.S. and Russia leaders on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Germany generated a lot of buzz in the media and online where much of the initial focus was placed on their handshake and greetings in front of cameras.

Its an honor to be with you, Trump told Putin.

Im delighted to be able to meet you personally, Mr. President, Putin told Trump through a translator.

Heres how the BBC reported the greeting.

Heres how Russian media outlet Sputnik News covered it.

So whats next?

All eyes will be on Syria this weekend to see what a cease fire will look like and what it will do for the future of that war-torn country. Time will tell what moving forward looks like for the U.S. and Russia.

And what about North Korea? The prospect of a more defiant North Korea still means different things to Trump and Putin, but any developments on that topic may come from meetings Trump has with Chinas president, Xi Jinping.

Have some thoughts to share?

Join me in a conversation: Shoot me a private email with your thoughts or ideas on a different approach to this story. As always, you can also send us a tweet.

Email: luis.gomez@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @RunGomez

Read The Conversation on Flipboard.
After North Korea escalated tensions with the U.S. to a whole new level on the Fourth of July by launching an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) in a test, President Donald Trump is left with several options.

None of them are appealing.

Trump addressed the threat from North Korea in a speech in Poland on Wednesday.

As several of the last U.S. presidents have, Trump faces a quagmire when it comes to North Koreas expanding weapons technology. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un wants the world to believe he could one day send a nuclear warhead to other continents, including the United States. The question is when. Since Vice President Mike Pence announced that former President Barack Obamas policy of strategic patience was over during a visit to South Korea in April, people around the world have been watching to find out what that would mean.

North Korea has launched 17 missiles since February with Trump in the Oval Office.

This week, Trump vowed to respond very strongly and said the U.S. is considering severe things.

Meanwhile, Defense Secretary James Mattis said on Thursday he doesnt believe this capability in itself brings us close to war. He added that diplomacy is still the preferred response.

Right now, we are working with allies. We are working with the Chinese, he said. But obviously, any kind of effort by North Korea to start a war would lead to severe consequences.

Yet Nikki Haley , the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations , warned on Wednesday that North Korea is quickly closing off the possibility of a diplomatic solution and, although it isnt preferred, in regard to action by ground forces, we will use them if we must.

There are several options, according to analysts, experts and government officials.

Here are four Trump could be discussing.

Sanctions

The U.S. and other members of the international community have long-imposed sanctions on North Korea, but Trump may be looking for new ways to cripple its economy. His administration is studying steps it could take with Chinese companies that help support the nation financially, according to The Associated Press.

Haley told the U.N. Security Council that it needs to send a more direct message to the country.

"We will look at any country that chooses to do business with this outlaw regime," she said at its meeting about the regime on Wednesday.

Trump has been vocal in recent months about pressuring China to help crack down on money being sent in and out of North Korea. But that all appeared to change this week when he tweeted about losing faith in that plan.

Negotiation

Jong Un has been quoted by state media as saying the country wont give up its nuclear weapons until the U.S. abandons its hostile policy toward North Korea.

In an interview in June, the North Korean ambassador to India, Kye Chun-yong, said the country was willing to consider a moratorium on nuclear and ballistic missile tests if the United States and South Korea stopped their annual joint military exercises.

American leaders should not fear to negotiate or to accept an interim deal on the path to what we still hope will be eventual North Korean nuclear disarmament, writes Michael E. OHanlon, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. It is a pragmatic step that would leave us better off than the path we are on now.

Former New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson , a veteran diplomat to North Korea, also called diplomacy the best option.

President Moon Jae-in of South Korea took a step that direction on Thursday when he suggested cross-border family reunions for older Koreans separated from their families by war and invited North Korea to send a delegation to the 2018 Winter Olympics , which will take place in South Korea.

Military intervention

After a chemical attack on civilians in Syria that the international community blamed on government forces, Trump showed no hesitation in launching a missile strike on the airfield believed to be the source of the attack.

Should he launch a similar strike in North Korea?

Gen. Vincent K. Brooks, who oversees U.S. troops in South Korea, says self-restraint is all thats keeping the armistice between North and South Korea from turning into a war.

But experts predict any such strike would risk retaliation from artillery pieces the North has stationed along its southern border.

"A conflict in North Korea, John, would be probably the worst kind of fighting in most people's lifetimes," Mattis told CBS News' "Face the Nation" host John Dickerson in May. The bottom line is it would be a catastrophic war if this turns into a combat if we're not able to resolve this situation through diplomatic means.

The Russia-China plan

After the ICBM launch on July 4, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping called on the U.S., South Korea and North Korea to take up their joint plan for the region. In it, North Korea would suspend its missile program and the U.S. would suspend its large-scale military exercises with South Korea.

The situation in the region affects the national interests of both countries, their joint statement said. Russia and China will work in close coordination to advance a solution to the complex problem of the Korean Peninsula in every possible way.

State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert told reporters in Washington this week that Trumps administration sees "no equivalency" between North Korea's "illicit" actions and the "lawful" exercises the U.S. conducts with its allies.

However, she added that the U.S. will continue to work with China. Trump has called on China repeatedly in recent months to step up pressure on its neighboring company both economically and diplomatically.

Are any of these options appealing to Trump? Its hard to tell.

I dont like to talk about what we have planned, he said on Wednesday.

Have other questions about Trumps options or ideas we might have missed? Add them to the comment section below and we may add them to this page.

Email: abby.hamblin@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @abbyhamblin

ALSO

What's happening in North Korea? How did it come to this?
Six candidates hoping to challenge U.S. Congressman Duncan Hunter for his 50th District seat in the 2018 election gave their views on health care, immigration, climate change, and strategies to win in a solid red district at a forum hosted by Indivisible Ramona .

Hunter, a Republican, has held the seat since 2008 and plans to seek re-election.

Our 50th District doesnt have an advocate for us, said candidate Gloria Chadwick, board vice president of the Grossmont Healthcare District.

Other candidates at the June 25 public forum, held in the Ramona Library Community Room, were: Josh Butner, a Navy Seal who served in Iraq and Afghanistan; Patrick Malloy, a Realtor who challenged Hunter in the 2016 election; Pierre Beauregard, a Vietnam veteran, political activist, and Ramona resident who formerly worked in the pharmaceutical industry; Ammar Campa-Najjar, who worked in President Obamas administration and owns a consulting firm; and Glenn Jensen, who works in technology sales and product development.

On health care, all candidates stated their support for access to all, referring to either universal health care, single payer, or Medicare , and some said that the Affordable Care Act (ACA) needs revision.

I believe health care is a right, not a privilege, said Butner, adding that the ACA was a step in the right direction, but states that took full advantage of it and expanded Medicaid are doing better than others. Butner said if government focuses on expanding the ACA and reforming it, I think were well on our way to a health care system that works for everybody.

We have the Affordable Care Act that we should have been fixing, worked on, rather than just throwing it out, said Chadwick, a registered nurse.

Malloy said he supports a single payer system that would be based on the Canadian model.

Its plain and simple: Medicare for all, said Beauregard.

Asked by moderator Lark Burkhardt what role the United States should play as immigration continues to increase, Chadwick noted that the U.S. is a nation of immigrants.

Why not continue that? she said. "I want to strengthen the ability to accept our refugees and show them what good Americans we really are."

Lets face it, most people would rather stay in their country of origin, said Jensen, explaining he would promote expanding the Peace Corps worldwide to help develop countries.

The audience at Indivisible Ramonas forum listens to the congressional candidates answer questions. (Karen Brainard)

Campa-Najjar, who is of Arab Latino descent and was born in San Diego but spent some of his childhood living in the Gaza Strip, said he understands the refugees and believes immigration reform is an economic, social, and security emergency.

Noting that agriculture is a large piece of the 50th Districts economy, Burkardt asked what should be done to protect resident farm worker families from deportation.

Malloy said San Diego County has more farms than any other county in the United States." (The county has more small farms  less than 10 acres  than any other county, according to Farm Bureau.) Malloy said many people want to work in the U.S. but dont want citizenship, so the number of allowed H-2A visas for temporary agricultural workers should be increased.

Jensen said the aggressive deportation policy has to end. "I believe we should opt to have a sanctuary provision for each county across the United States and make it a local issue."

On climate change, candidates talked about having District 50 lead in complete green energy and bring in more jobs in that industry.

Some candidates voiced different ideas when asked about federal governments role in education.

Beauregard suggested government pay for college education and when students graduate or leave, for every year spent in college "they spend that year doing public service.

Malloy said he believes vocational training should be incorporated in kindergarten through 12th-grade programs, which could help some students be more engaged and also create skilled labor to do jobs in the district.

When answering an audience question as to how they would address issues of national security and Russian interference, Campa-Najjar said the U.S. needs to show what peace and democracy look like. We have to lead by the power of our example and not the example of our power.

Among their strategies for winning: Get out the vote.

Butner said the district is 43 percent Republican with Democrats and Independents making up the difference. "We need to keep this energy up all the way, he said.

Some talked about the importance of the Latino vote, adding they will hire Latinos or people who are bilingual, and are providing candidate materials in English and Spanish.

Beauregard said he was canvassing neighborhoods, focusing on Latino businesses.

Chadwick suggested they not forget the Native Americans.

Agreeing that they need to expand the electorate, Campa-Najjar said, "We need more minorities, we need more young people, and we need more women."

According to Susan Conrad, chair of Indivisible Ramona, the forum had 92 people sign up for its first session and 52 for the second session.


By PTI: New Delhi, July 7 (PTI) India Foundation, a think tank with links to the BJP, has cancelled a visit of its delegation to China after two of its junior research members were denied visas.

Foundation Director and BJP General Secretary Ram Madhav dismissed reports that he was part of the delegation.

"I was not in the delegation. It was supposed to be an academic delegation. After the denial of visa to two researchers, Foundation called off the visit," he tweeted

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Priyang Pandey, senior research fellow at the Foundation, said Madhav holds a valid Chinese visa till November this year.

The delegation was to visit Fudan university in Shanghai next week.

The development comes amid the stand-off between India and China armies near Sikkim. PTI KR MIN

--- ENDS ---
By India Today Web Desk: The second Global Cybersecurity Index (GCI) has placed India at a high 23rd position out of 165 nations.

The Index measures the commitment of nations across the world to cyber security.The GCI was released by the UN telecommunications agency International Telecommunication Union (ITU).

According to ITU only about half of all countries have a cyber security strategy or are in the process of developing one and urged more countries to consider national policies to protect against cybercrime.

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India is ranked 23rd on the index with a score of 0.683 and has been listed in the "maturing" category.

What is meant by maturing category?

It refers to 77 countries that have developed complex commitments to cyber security and engage in cyber security programmes and initiatives.

Singapore has topped the index with a 0.925 score.

Listed below are top 10 countries that have topped GCI

Singapore United States Malaysia Oman Estonia Mauritius Australia Georgia France Canada

Russia is ranked 11th.

Important features of the report:

According to the report around 38 per cent of countries have a published cyber security strategy and an additional 12 per cent of governments are in the process of developing one

The agency said more effort is needed in this critical area, particularly since it conveys that governments consider digital risks high priority

"Cybersecurity is an ecosystem where laws, organisations, skills, cooperation and technical implementation need to be in harmony to be most effective," stated the report, adding that cybersecurity is "becoming more and more relevant in the minds of the decision makers."

In addition to showing the overall cyber security commitment of ITUs 193 member-states, the Index also shows the improvement and strengthening of the five pillars of the ITU Global Cybersecurity Agenda: legal, technical, organisational, capacity building and international cooperation.

The threat is particularly worrying as in 2016, according to ITU, nearly one per cent of all emails sent were essentially malicious attacks, the highest rate in recent years.

Last month, a cyber attack crippled tens of thousands of machines around the world. It is unclear who was behind the attack. "While the impact generated by cyber attacks, such as those carried out as recently as 27 June 2017, may not be eliminated completely, prevention and mitigation measures to reduce the risks posed by cyber-related threats can and should always be put in place," said ITU Secretary-General Houlin Zhao.

The findings show that there is "space for further improvement in cooperation" at all levels, according to the report, which advocates for encouraging governments to consider national policies that take into account cybersecurity and encourage private citizens to make smart decisions online.

(With inputs from PTI)

Interested in General Knowledge and Current Affairs? Click here to stay informed and know what is happening around the world with our G.K. and Current Affairs section.

To get more updates on Current Affairs, send in your query by mail to education.intoday@gmail.com

--- ENDS ---
North Korea successfully test fired its first ever ICBM, that can also carry nuclear warheads, on July 4 which, according to experts, is a new type unlike the previous North Korean missile tests

By Santosh Chaubey: Joining the US and its allies in condemning North Korea on its International Ballistic Missile (ICBM) test launch, India has called upon "North Korea to refrain from such actions that undermine international peace and stability."

"Democratic People's Republic of Korea's (DPRK) continued pursuit of nuclear and ballistic missile programmes and its proliferation links pose a grave threat to international peace and stability," a strongly worded MEA release on the issue said adding that "they have also adversely impacted India's national security."

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"India also urges the international community to work together to hold accountable all those parties that have supported these programmes," the MEA release further added.

North Korea successfully test fired its first ever ICBM, that can also carry nuclear warheads, on July 4 which, according to experts, is a new type unlike the previous North Korean missile tests and with a range of over 8000 Kms, can easily reach the American mainland. North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un taunted that the successful ICBM launch was a gift to America on its Independence Day that also falls on July 4.

Yesterday, Enna Park, South Korea's Ambassador for Public Diplomacy, has requested India to become partner of the global effort to deal with North Korea. Enna Park is in India as a special representative of South Korean President Moon Jae-in.

North Korea's ICBM has left the major world powers divided. A Russia-China joint statement was soft when it put the onus of North Korea's missile launch on annual US-South Korea military drills in the region and deployment of the US anti-ballistic missile defence system THAAD in South Korea.

Trump who had said earlier he would not allow North Korea to have an ICBM, reacted strongly saying US is drawing plans for its "pretty severe" response. The US, with South Korea, held military drill in response to the North Korea's ICBM and the US allies held an emergency UN Security Council meeting where US' UN Ambassador Nikki Haley asserted that the US could use "considerable military forces" if situation demanded.

ALSO READ

North Korea displays 'new' missiles as US carrier group approaches

Chinese tabloid warns North Korea against nuclear and missile tests

--- ENDS ---
By PTI: By K J M Varma

Beijing, Jul 7 (PTI) India is not "entitled" to make claims on behalf of Bhutan, a commentary by a state-run news agency today said, asserting that Doklam area in Sikkim sector where the Indian and Chinese soldiers are having face-off belongs to China.

After a three-week stand-off with China on Chinese territory, India should immediately pull back its trespassing troops, the commentary by Xinhua news agency said.

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The timing of the commentary coincided with the G-20 meeting in Hamburg, Germany being attended by Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"The face-off was caused by Indian border guards who crossed the border at the Sikkim section into Chinese territory and obstructed routine road construction in the Doklam area of Chinas Tibet Autonomous Region," said the Xinhua commentary, the second in the last few days.

It said that by creating disputes in Doklam, India seeks to obstruct border negotiations between China and Bhutan, and follow its own "ulterior motives" in the area.

"The claim cannot hold water. Doklam has long been under the effective jurisdiction of China. Both Bhutan and China have a basic consensus on the functional conditions and demarcation of their border region," the commentary said.

"Moreover, India has no right to interfere in China- Bhutan boundary issues, nor is it entitled to make territorial claims on behalf of Bhutan," it said.

Indias current actions have not only "encroached on Chinas territorial sovereignty, but also impaired the independence of Bhutan", one of the worlds smallest countries, which is closely allied with India, it said.

"Chinese construction is being conducted within its own territory. It is India that has broken the status quo by trespassing onto Chinese soil. It is not acceptable to any sovereign country that India has crossed a demarcated border into another country on the grounds of its "security concerns," it said.

Indian troops should immediately withdraw to the Indian side of the border as a precondition for any meaningful dialogue between the two countries, it said.

"It is clear that if the Chinese Dragon and the Indian Elephant co-exist harmoniously and achieve peaceful, cooperative development, it will benefit not only their combined 2.7 billion people, but also those living beyond their borders," it said.

"Otherwise, a spiral of bilateral rivalry would definitely result in a slowdown in their growth?, it said. PTI KJV ZH

--- ENDS ---
By Peggy Kelly

Santa Paula News

Although initially a part-time employee, Sigrid Wong wouldnt go home until the job was done and as executive coordinator of the Santa Clara Valley Hospice-Home Support Group (SCVH-HSG) there were plenty of times the board suspected she was working many more hours than she admitted to.

But it was giving of her heart and soul that was also celebrated at a May 25 party recognizing Wongs service to SCVH-HSG, which offers an array of always-free services for those experiencing a life-limiting illness and their families. Hospice also has a medical appointment transportation service, respite care and counseling as well as loaning out sickroom equipment ranging from hospital beds and walkers to wheelchairs.

Sigrid is one of those people you know is spiritually advanced and wise, attributes that serve her well personally and professionally said Elias Valdes, who noted that Wongs daughter Lisa and granddaughter Susi were at the luncheon as well as Santa Paula Mayor Jenny Crosswhite.

Flight 126 Cafe was filled with well wishers who said they admired Wong for her work ethic and dedication to Hospice duty.

Shes a bit serious on occasion but shes not a solemn person, Valdes said of Wong, whom he noted fulfilled a popular SCVH-HSG belief.

Hospice has always been a can do group and Cathy Barringer, a Hospice co-founder and former longtime board president, used to say when we need something Angels come down and bless us.

Sure enough, Hospice found itself needing someone like Wong who spent a decade with the organization.

In that time, said Valdes, I cant imagine how many people you helpedat first, you were supposed to be just part-time, but soon it became apparent Wong was spending extra hours at the Hospice office.

But, he added, you didnt just give us time but your heart and soul, in fulfilling Hospice duties and goals bringing comfort not only to those seeking services but to board members who were comfortable with Wong being in charge.

Sigrid has been keeping me on the right path, said SCVH-HSG Board President Rachel Bustillos who noted the help Wong offered her over the years.

Wong had her own way of doing things: She is very proper, and organized, noted Bustillos, and She really helped me be a good part of this organization.

Barringer spoke of Hospice from the time it was founded by a dozen people in 1980, challenges it faced and the success and support it enjoyed that continues today.
By Peggy Kelly

Santa Paula News

Los Angeles County prosecutors have charged a Santa Paula woman with vehicular manslaughter in last years Highway 126 traffic death of emergency medical technician Christopher Ronald Parry.

Yolanda Munoz Hernandez, who was 50 years old at the time of the crash, was charged Thursday, June 1, with one misdemeanor count of vehicular manslaughter and an infraction for unsafe speed by the Los Angeles County District Attorneys Office.

Hernandez is scheduled to be arraigned on the misdemeanor charge and the infraction later this month in a Los Angeles area courtroom.

On August 24, Parry, a 35-year-old EMT with American Medical Response Inc. and an Ojai resident, was traveling eastbound on Highway 126 to his job in Santa Clarita.

A married father of two young children, Parry was riding a 2008 Shang motorcycle scooter in the number 2 lane at an unknown speed and had just crossed the Ventura County line into Los Angeles County at about 5:45 a.m.

Hernandez was driving a 2006 Dodge Stratus also traveling eastbound on Highway 126 in the same lane as Parry and, according to the California Highway Patrol, was traveling at a higher rate of speed than Party.
Ralph Fernandez of Ventura College recognized as 2017 VC Innovates Pathfinder

Ventura College Lead Faculty, Architecture, Ralph Fernandez was honored by VC Innovates as a 2017 VC Innovates Pathfinder of the Year honoree for his role in support of Career and Technical Education. Fernandez was one of 25 recognized at the organizations annual award luncheon recently held at the Spanish Hills Country Club in Camarillo, CA. This esteemed local recognition celebrates talented leaders in education, business and community service who have made significant contributions in building pathways to employment for Ventura County students.

Fernandez has 28 years of experience teaching in the Architecture and Industrial Design Drafting programs at Ventura College. He works with VC Innovates  which partners with the Ventura County Office of Education and the Ventura County Community College District  in building and construction, linking high schools and employers with Ventura College. Fernandez is passionate about bringing his real-world experience in architecture to the classroom and helping students learn about the industry and potential career paths.

His leadership extends beyond the classroom, however. A conscious citizen, Fernandez remains active in the Santa Paula community where he served as a member of the City Council for eight years and as mayor for two. We are proud of our collaboration with VC Innovates and support Professor Fernandez in his efforts to connect students with industry, stated Ventura College President Greg Gillespie. We congratulate him on this honor and commend him for his service to our students and the community.

Fernandez is a licensed architect and holds a Bachelor of Arts in architecture from the University of California, Berkeley.
Lewes, DE -- (SBWIRE) -- 07/07/2017 -- As per International Monetary Fund (IMF) Brazil's real gross domestic product is expected to grow at a CAGR of 0.88% from its 2015 level of BRL 1189.85 billion and reach BRL 1264.73 billion by 2022.



Brazil, officially the People's Republic of Brazil, is a country located on the fertile Bengal delta in South Asia. It shares its borders with India to its west, north and east, by Burma to its south-east and by the Bay of Bengal to its south. It is separated from Nepal and Bhutan by the narrow Chicken's Neck. Brazil has the world's eighth-largest population with more than 161 million people, also making it one of the world's most densely populated countries. Dhaka is the capital of Brazil and also the world's twentieth largest metropolitan city.



Brazil had estimated population of 161.513 million in the year 2016 and expected to reach 171.817 million by 2022.



Brazil's real gross domestic product (GDP) was around BDT 8913.46 billions in 2016 whereas the nominal GDP was BDT 18529.64 billions. This resulted in GDP deflator 207.884. Per capita GDP was estimated at USD 1411.04 whereas purchasing power parity (PPP) based per capita GDP was estimated to be at USD 3890.59.



In 2016, Brazil government's revenue was BDT 1798.72 billions whereas the expenditure was BDT 2381.27 billions. This resulted Brazili government's net lending / borrowing negative at BDT 582.55 billion in 2016 indicating that enough financial resources were not made available by the government to boost economic growth.



The current account balance for Brazil was estimated to be at USD 2.026 billions for the year 2016 and is expected to decrease at a CAGR of 211.91% and reach USD 8.652 by 2022. This negative current account balance indicates the Brazil is net borrower from the whole world.



Scope of the Brazil PESTEL Analysis, SWOT Analysis and Risk Analysis Market Research Reports



These reports provide information about key macroeconomic indicators for Brazil.



These reports provide PESTELE (political, economic, social, technological, environmental and legal) analysis for Brazil.



These reports provide SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) analysis for Brazil.



These reports provide risk analysis for Brazil.



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Albany, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 07/06/2017 -- The Mintropolitans are more emotionally stressed than the rest of consumers and acknowledge the importance of purchasing ethical brands. To emphasize more Market Research Hub (MRH) has recently added an analysed study titled as "Marketing to Mintropolitans - China - June 2017" to its vast report repository that shows the attitude of mintropolitans towards marketing in China.



Request Free Sample Report : http://www.marketresearchhub.com/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=1170668



The report starts with the consumer analysis that shows various factors like time and health being more precious to Mintropolitans. Also, Chinese brands have gained more positive feedback than before and different categories have unique high-tech upgrading opportunities. The report also covers that Mintropolitans want brands to become more ethical, but may not pay premium except for messages related to personal safety. Moreover, the various issues and insights, technology targeting Mintropolitans and holidays targeting metropolitans are briefed in detail.



In the next section of the report, it has been mentioned that the consumers in China are evaluated for the market which shows Mintropolitans have more life issues to sort out, Chinese brands are popular and would be gaining more favour in the future. The most relevant factor to brand ethics is safety and it is time for online advertisements to dominate. Furthermore, the life tension and finally perception of consumers towards the brands from different countries is analysed which shows that the Mintropolitans are seeing potential in local brands'. Also, the study mentions that different brands are categorized as per their importance; Australian brands are being known for safety, American brands are most innovative and high-tech, perception on German and French brands are the same as before for general consumers. Further, South Korean brands are least favoured despite having a trendy image.



Browse Full Report with TOC - http://www.marketresearchhub.com/report/marketing-to-mintropolitans-china-june-2017-report.html



Finally, the features associated with important ethical factors, attitude towards brand ethics and marketing influences on the Mintropolitans are precisely mentioned in the report. The attitude towards brand ethics depicts various factors, such as about half of Mintropolitans are serious about ethics, Mintropolitans aged 30-39 are more ethically-driven, the brand ethics knowledge is believed to be high and the rise of ethical branding still needs time. The conclusion is completed by featuring the marketing influences on Mintropolitans behaviour, such as online marketing that grows to be the main information channel, on-site advertising being acting as the main player and the gender & age that has been acting as the prime cause of consumer choice of information channels.



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Lewes, DE -- (SBWIRE) -- 07/07/2017 -- As per International Monetary Fund (IMF) Japan's real gross domestic product is expected to grow at a CAGR of 0.75% from its 2015 level of JPY 516635.60 and reach JPY 544443.74 billion by 2022.



Japan, formally known as Nippon-koku which literally translates to State of Japan, is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south. The characters that make up Japan's name mean sun-origin, which is why the country is sometimes referred to as the land of the rising sun.



Japan had estimated population of 126.901 million in the year 2016 and expected to reach 123.832 million by 2022. Japan's 64.645% population was employed in 2016 and the unemployment rate was 3.108% of total labor force.



Japan's real gross domestic product (GDP) was around JPY 521794.30 billions in 2016 whereas the nominal GDP was JPY 537289.40 billions. This resulted in GDP deflator 102.97. Per capita GDP was estimated at USD 38917.29 whereas purchasing power parity (PPP) based per capita GDP was estimated to be at USD 41274.61.



The output gap for Japan in 2016 was negative at 1.717% of the potential GDP.



In 2016, Japanese government's revenue was JPY 175065.13 billions whereas the expenditure was JPY 197839.35 billions. This resulted Japanese government's net lending / borrowing negative at JPY 22774.22 billion in 2016 indicating that enough financial resources were not made available by the government to boost economic growth.



The current account balance for Japan was estimated to be at USD 191.022 billions for the year 2016 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 7.87% and reach USD 230.341 by 2022. This positive current account balance indicates the Japan is net lender to the whole world.



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Lewes, DE -- (SBWIRE) -- 07/07/2017 -- As per International Monetary Fund (IMF) Kenya's real gross domestic product is expected to grow at a CAGR of 6.09% from its 2015 level of KES 4050.85 billion and reach KES 6127.96 billion by 2022.



Kenya, officially the Republic of Kenya, is a sovereign state in the African Great Lakes region of East Africa. Its capital and largest city is Nairobi. Kenya lies on the equator with the Indian Ocean to the south-east, Tanzania to the south, Uganda to the west, South Sudan to the north-west, Ethiopia to the north and Somalia to the north-east. Kenya covers 224,445 square miles and has a population of roughly about 44 million.



Kenya had estimated population of 45.451 million in the year 2016 and expected to reach 53.519 million by 2022, growing at a CAGR of 2.77%.



Kenya's real gross domestic product (GDP) was around KES 4294.05 billions in 2016 whereas the nominal GDP was KES 6993.32 billions. This resulted in GDP deflator 162.861. Per capita GDP was estimated at USD 1516.33 whereas purchasing power parity (PPP) based per capita GDP was estimated to be at USD 3361.02.



In 2016, Kenya government's revenue was KES 1413.03 billions whereas the expenditure was KES 1926.12 billions. This resulted Kenyan government's net lending / borrowing negative at KES 513.086 billion in 2016 indicating that enough financial resources were not made available by the government to boost economic growth.



The current account balance for Kenya was negative, estimated to be at USD 3.822 billions for the year 2016 and is expected to decrease at a CAGR of 4.66% and reach USD 5.963 by 2022. This negative current account balance indicates the Kenya is net borrower from the whole world.



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These reports provide information about key macroeconomic indicators for Kenya.



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Lewes, DE -- (SBWIRE) -- 07/07/2017 -- As per International Monetary Fund (IMF) Luxembourg's real gross domestic product is expected to grow at a CAGR of 3.38% from its 2015 level of euro 46.035 billion and reach euro 58.108 billion by 2022.



Luxembourg, officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, is a landlocked country in Western Europe. It is bordered by Belgium to the west and north, Luxembourg to the east, and France to the south. It comprises two principal regions: the Oesling in the north as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south.



Luxembourg had estimated population of 0.563 million in the year 2016 and expected to reach 0.663 million by 2022. Luxembourg's 0.419 million population was employed in 2016 and the unemployment rate was 6.391% of total labor force.



Luxembourg's real gross domestic product (GDP) was around Euro 47.867 billions in 2016 whereas the nominal GDP was Euro 53.739 billions. This resulted in GDP deflator 112.267. Per capita GDP was estimated at USD 103198.824 whereas purchasing power parity (PPP) based per capita GDP was estimated to be at USD 104003.301.



The output gap for Luxembourg in 2016 was 0.316% of the potential GDP which indicates that Luxembourg economy was outperforming by managing actual output higher than it's maximum potential.



In 2016, Luxembourg government's revenue was Euro 23.18 billions whereas the expenditure was Euro 22.256 billions. This resulted Luxembourg government's net lending / borrowing at Euro 0.924 billion in 2016 indicating that enough financial resources were made available by the government to boost economic growth.



The current account balance for Luxembourg was estimated to be at USD 2.854 billions for the year 2016 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 5.66% and reach USD 4.377 by 2022. This positive current account balance indicates the Luxembourg is net lender to the whole world.



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These reports provide information about key macroeconomic indicators for Luxembourg.



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By PTI: By Lalit K Jha

Washington, Jul 7 (PTI) Indias Ambassador to Peru Sandeep Chakravorty has been appointed as the head of the Indian consulate in New York.

The 1996 Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer will replace Riva Ganguly Das as Consul General in one of the busiest Indian diplomatic missions overseas.

The formal notification was issued by the Ministry of External Affairs on Wednesday.

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Chakravorty (47) was Indias Deputy High Commissioner in Dhaka, before being appointed as Ambassador to Peru and Bolivia.

He also served in Indias missions in Madrid and Bogota. In the Ministry of External Affairs of India, he served on several desks including working as Press Relations Officer and to the minister of state for external affairs.

Chakravorty also served in the Eurasia Division dealing with Central Asia and in the East Asia Division dealing with China, Japan, Koreas and Mongolia. PTI LKJ BSA

--- ENDS ---
Lewes, DE -- (SBWIRE) -- 07/07/2017 -- As per International Monetary Fund (IMF) Mexico's real gross domestic product is expected to grow at a CAGR of 2.39% from its 2015 level of MXN 14135.51 billion and reach MXN 16681.78 billion by 2022.



Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a federal republic in North America. Mexico is the second largest economy in Latin America. The World Bank Group engagement with the country is structured around a model that provides development solutions adapted to the country, with an integral package of financial, knowledge and convening services.



Mexico had estimated population of 122.273 million in the year 2016 and expected to reach 129.352 million by 2022. Mexico's unemployment rate was 4.304% of total labor force.



Mexico's real gross domestic product (GDP) was around MXN 14460.97 billions in 2016 whereas the nominal GDP was MXN 19522.65 billions. This resulted in GDP deflator 135.002. Per capita GDP was estimated at USD 8554.62 whereas purchasing power parity (PPP) based per capita GDP was estimated to be at USD 18938.32.



In 2016, Mexico government's revenue was MXN 4520.20 billions whereas the expenditure was MXN 5083.01 billions. This resulted Mexican government's net lending / borrowing negative at MXN 562.803 billion in 2016 indicating that enough financial resources were not made available by the government to boost economic growth.



The current account balance for Mexico was estimated to be negative at USD 27.858 billions for the year 2016 and is expected to decline at a CAGR of 1.58% and reach USD 29.836 by 2022. This negative current account balance indicates the Mexico is net borrower from the whole world.



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Lewes, DE -- (SBWIRE) -- 07/07/2017 -- As per International Monetary Fund (IMF) Norway's real gross domestic product is expected to grow at a CAGR of 1.82% from its 2015 level of NOK 3190.96 billion and reach NOK 3619.42 billion by 2022.



Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Scandinavian unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard, and the sub-Antarctic Bouvet Island. Oslo the capital is a city of green spaces and museums. Norway has a total area of 148,747 square miles and a population of a little above 5 million. It is the 2nd least densely populated country in Europe.



Norway had estimated population of 82.735.263 million in the year 2016 and expected to reach 5.648 million by 2022. Norway's 2.648% population was employed in 2016 and the unemployment rate was 4.758% of total labor force.



Norway's real gross domestic product (GDP) was around NOK 3223.65 billions in 2016 whereas the nominal GDP was NOK 3111.77 billions. This resulted in GDP deflator 96.529. Per capita GDP was estimated at USD 70391.57 whereas purchasing power parity (PPP) based per capita GDP was estimated to be at USD 69249.46.



The output gap for Norway in 2016 was negative at 1.35% of the potential GDP In 2016, Norwegian government's revenue was NOK 1651.39 billions whereas the expenditure was NOK 1562.52 billions. This resulted Norwegian government's net lending / borrowing at NOK 88.87 billion in 2016 indicating that enough financial resources were made available by the government to boost economic growth.



The current account balance for Norway was estimated to be at USD 17.038 billions for the year 2016 and is expected to decrease at a CAGR of 2.39% and reach USD 28.261 by 2022. This positive current account balance indicates the Norway is net lender to the whole world.



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-These reports provide information about key macroeconomic indicators for Norway.



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Lewes, DE -- (SBWIRE) -- 07/07/2017 -- As per International Monetary Fund (IMF) Spain's real gross domestic product is expected to grow at a CAGR of 2.17% from its 2015 level of euro 1068.27 billion and reach euro 1241.30 billion by 2022.



Spain, officially the Kingdom of Spain, is a sovereign state and a member state of the European Union. It is located on the Iberian Peninsula in southwestern Europe. Spain's mainland is bordered to the south and east by the Mediterranean Sea except for a small land boundary with Gibraltar, to the north and north east by France, Andorra, and the Bay of Biscay, and to the west and northwest by Portugal and the Atlantic Ocean. It is one of three countries; the other two being Morocco and France, have both Atlantic and Mediterranean coastlines.



Spain had estimated population of 46.323 million in the year 2016 and expected to reach 45.923 million by 2022. Spain's 18.342 million was employed in 2016 and the unemployment rate was 19.635% of total labor force.



Spain's real gross domestic product (GDP) was around Euro 1102.83 billions in 2016 whereas the nominal GDP was Euro 1113.85 billions. This resulted in GDP deflator 101. Per capita GDP was estimated at USD 26608.87 whereas purchasing power parity (PPP) based per capita GDP was estimated to be at USD 36415.96.



The output gap for Spain in 2016 was negative at 2.332% of the potential GDP.



In 2016, Spanish government's revenue was Euro 424.229 billions whereas the expenditure was Euro 475.946 billions. This resulted Spanish government's net lending / borrowing negative at Euro 51.717 billion in 2016 indicating that enough financial resources were not made available by the government to boost economic growth.



The current account balance for Spain was estimated to be at USD 24.662 billions for the year 2016 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 6.79% and reach USD 25.884 by 2022. This positive current account balance indicates the Spain is net lender to the whole world.



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-These reports provide information about key macroeconomic indicators for Spain.



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Hundreds of skulls that belong to men, women, and children have been discovered near Templo Mayor in Mexico City where ancient Aztecs used to live. Archaeologist unearthed almost 700 heads which were embedded in lime forming a tower.

It was during the 16th century when Spanish conquistadors numbering to about 400 reached the Aztec capital. Natives welcome them as friends and the visitors were astonished by the local's grandeur including Tenochtitlan people's savage viciousness. The Archaeological Institute of America mentioned that the Spaniards were surprised to discover temples in blood bath where human hearts get burned in containers made of ceramics.

Spanish conquerors took note of the victims as human sacrifices. Their bodies were mutilated and cooked as a stew with tomatoes and chilies. However, the most horrifying scenario that left the Spaniards dumbfounded is the many skulls that are placed on each other in a row. This tower of skulls have been placed in one of the temple's corners for the Aztec's god of the sun, war, and human sacrifice, Huitzilopochtli, The Washington Post reported.

One of Hernan Cortes's soldiers, Andres de Tapia claimed that there are a lot of human skulls and counted 136,000. They concluded that those skulls belonged to the remaining men who were conquered during the battle. The skulls served as ornaments as well as a message that this is what will become of the Aztec enemies. However, the Spaniards were also astonished to find smaller and thinner skulls which could belong to women and children.

According to a biological anthropologist, Rodrigo Bolanos who is investigating the find, "We were expecting just men, obviously, young men, as warriors would be and the thing about the women and children is that you'd think they wouldn't be going to war," The Guardian reported.

It is certain that Aztecs intended to show women and children skulls in public, but who are those people was the big question. Other questions baffle scientists like as to why these skulls were shown off in their place, were they sacrificed, or being overpowered from neighboring communities.
Scientists have uncovered the atomic structure of the protein known as tau protein that is responsible for the progression of Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative ailments for the first time. With this discovery, many new treatments may be produced to prevent the protein from forming and fight the said diseases.

The findings of the discovery were published in the journal Nature. The work was led by researchers from MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology (LMB) in the U.K.

Bernardino Ghetti, one of the researchers from Indiana University, described the discovery as a tremendous step forward. He said that tau is extremely important to the progression of Alzheimer's diseases and certain forms of dementia. He added that in terms of designing therapeutic agents, the possibilities are now enormous.

NHS reports that two proteins could contribute to the progression of Alzheimer. These are the beta amyloid plaques and tau protein. The tau could serve as a stabilizer in a healthy brain. On the other hand, when it becomes defective, they could develop into tangled filaments. This leads to hampering communication between brain cells and could develop into neurodegeneration and other diseases such as Alzheimer.

In the study, the scientists obtained tau protein filaments from the brain of a dead patient with Alzheimer's disease. They imaged them by utilizing a technique known as cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM). The scientists could now examine how the abnormal filaments function at an atomic level in the human brain. The team said that studying these tangles of tau protein will not only benefit Alzheimer's disease research.

Michel Goedert, a neuroscientist from LMB, said that this is a big step forward as far as tau goes but it is bigger than that. He further said that this is the first time anybody has determined the high-resolution structure from human brain samples for any of these diseases. He added that the next step is to use this information to study the mechanisms of neurodegeneration, as Science Alert noted.
China has just built a cute solar farm that is shaped like a giant panda. It is a 248-acre solar farm located in Datong, China.

China Merchants New Energy Group/Panda Green Energy, one of China's largest clean energy operators, developed the giant panda-inspired solar farm. Li Yuan, the CEO of Panda Green Energy, said that designing the plant in the shape of a panda could inspire young people and get them interested in the applications of solar power.

This solar farm is called the Panda Power Plant. If the plant is completed, it will generate 3.2 billion kilowatt-hours of solar energy in 25 years. Its first phase that includes one 50-megawatt plant was finished on June 30, 2017. The second phase is in progress and will be built later this year. Meanwhile, the first panda solar farm is delivering power to a grid in northwestern China, according to Science Alert.

Panda Power Plant could empower about 8,000 households and has an output of 50 MW. Its solar panel consists of two types, namely the white thin film photovoltaic (PV) cells and the black monocrystalline silicon PV cells. These colors make the plant look like a giant panda, which is China's favorite animal.

Mashable reports that the power plant is part of a UN Development Program (UNDP). It aims to promote clean energy to China's youth and inform them about sustainable energy. UNDP and the Panda Green Energy organized a summer camp for teenagers aged 13 to 17 this coming August. The UNDP together with Panda Green Energy is also organizing open design challenges.

Panda Green Energy is planning to develop more panda-inspired power plants in Southeast and Central Asia such as in Fiji and the Philippines. The company wants to develop more than 100 power plants that are shaped as the panda in the coming five years. These include animal motifs such as koala or rhinoceros. Li said that panda solar power plant could become a tourist hotspot in the future. The CEO further said that they will export these panda-inspired power plants to other countries.
Sharks can live up to almost four centuries. Greenland sharks, which have life spans of up to 392 years, are thought to possess unique genes that could hold secrets to longevity.

Professor Kim Praebel, from the Arctic University of Norway and lead scientist in the hunt, said that sharks are the longest living vertebrate on the planet. He, along with his team of colleagues from Denmark, Greenland, USA and China, is now sequencing the nuclear genome that can help them figure why the Greenland shark species has a significantly longer life span than other vertebrates on Earth.

In a News.com.au report, it seems that the team has taken fin clippings from nearly 100 Greenland sharks, some of which are from individuals born in the 1750s. They were able to map out the DNA of the 16-foot sharks' DNA -- genetic material that held in tiny bodies that had similar functions to batteries.

They are working on studying the "long life" genes. It could later on shed light as to why most vertebrates have limited life span and what determines the longevity of their life, including the difference it makes in humans.

There is little that scientists know about the biology and genetics of the Greenland sharks, which live in the deep waters of the Atlantic Ocean. The longevity of their life span makes them "living time capsules" that scientists believe could help shed light into the impacts humans make on the oceans.

New York Post noted that Greenland sharks are especially important in the topic considering that many of them are so old. They actually pre-dated the industrial revolution as well as the introduction of large-scale commercial fishing. They have, however, already formed several populations in the Atlantic Ocean, and studying them is important in order to appropriate conservation actions for the species.
The Gravitational-wave Optical Transient Observer (GOTO) located on the Canary Islands has officially been launched. The state of the art telescope has reportedly been constructed to detect gravitational waves optical signatures.

According to a press release by the University of Warwick, GOTO is an intelligent, autonomous telescope that will look out for unusual activities in the sky after receiving alerts from gravitational wave detectors like the Advanced Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (aLIGO). Incidentally, the first direct detections of gravitational waves were secured by aLIGO.

Gravitational waves are ripples in the space-time fabric. They are generated when enormous bodies, such as neutron stars or black holes, orbit one another and merge at very high speeds. The resultant waves radiate through the universe at the speed of light.

Studying gravitational waves gives scientists important clues about the source from which they originated, as well as help them know more about the nature of gravity itself. The phenomenon itself was first predicted by most celebrated physicist Albert Einstein more than a century ago. Gravitational waves have only been directly detected in the last two years. Astronomers now want to relate the signals from these waves with electromagnetic spectrum signatures like an optical light.

The aim of GOTO is to look for optical signatures related to gravitational waves as soon as possible so that scientists can investigate them and know about their sources with satellites and telescopes before the waves fade away. The telescope is the most recent addition to the University of Warwicks astronomical facility at La Palma in the Canary Islands.

We have invested strongly in gravitational wave astronomy over the last few years, leading up to the first detection announced last year, and the telescope project represents a fundamentally new observational opportunity, Dr. Duncan Galloway said, as Deccan Chronicle reported. It is really satisfying seeing a research collaboration that we have built over many years coming to fruition in such an exciting way."
Fourth in a series

HANNAH, S.C.  Rodney Poston grew up on a tobacco farm in Hannah. After he graduated from Francis Marion University several years ago, he returned to the farm and has managed it for approximately 25 years.

I used to grow corn and beans, Poston said. Ive devoted all of my efforts the last 25 years to tobacco. Its been good. Its had its ups and down, just like everything else. From a consistency basis, its been a pretty good crop to me.

Poston said he came in and started working and kind of took over (the farm) from there. But that is about the only way a person can get into farming anymore, he said.

Its so expensive, equipment and everything. Itd be hard for a person to just start from scratch, he said. Not tobacco farming particularly, for any kind of farming. Its difficult to start from zero.

The biggest changes in tobacco farming have been in technology, mechanization and the way its sold, Poston said. Nowadays, some tobacco farmers contract with companies such as R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company and Philip Morris USA to sell their product.

Once the tobacco is grown, farmers sell it to the companies they are contracted with. Poston said tobacco companies have cut contractors and farmers in some places.

I was one that got cut pretty significantly, he said. I lost one contractor totally. One of the major tobacco companies, Philip Morris, they pulled out of South Carolina.

Poston said Philip Morris left South Carolina last year.

Their buying station was in Mullins, and they pulled out completely, Poston said. They had three receiving stations, they call them, in Mullins.

Contractors usually start the buying process around the end of July or beginning of August. It normally lasts through the end of October, Poston said. The seeds are usually planted to grow tobacco in January.

Its kept us going, the ones who want to stay in it, Poston said about contracting with tobacco companies.

Before contracting, each farm had an allotment. A person might own a farm with 15,000 pounds of tobacco, and if the owner didnt want to farm it, someone could rent it, Poston said.

The government controlled that 15,000 pounds of tobacco that you had, he said. Every year, they set a price support system.

If a company didnt want to buy the tobacco or said it wasnt worth the price that was set, then the government bought it.

Farm production has changed. Forty years ago, most farmers had five to six acres of tobacco, and several people were involved with the production, Poston said. It was a family-type deal. This year, he planted about 112 acres of tobacco, and that is down from 300 acres a couple of years ago.

In Florence County, theres very few tobacco farmers left, Poston said. You can count them, probably, on one hand. It seems as if its getting less and less each year."

Growing and harvesting tobacco is a hands-on thing and involves a lot of manual labor, Poston said. Even though farmers have come a long way with the process as far as technology and mechanization, there still needs to be a labor force.

Labor is getting harder and harder to find people who want to work in the field, Poston said. Its a season-type thing, too. Our harvesting and our hands-on type deal is about eight to 10 weeks.

Poston said he think thats part of the reason many farmers have to quit.

It takes more management, more people, and its difficult to get, he said.

As long as his health is good, Poston said, hes going to continue farming tobacco. He said he has good employees who work with him.

Right now, with the cuts, Im still able to make a decent living, Poston said.
Indrani is likely to be shifted to Thane or Kalyan women's jail.

By Mustafa Shaikh: Sheena Bora murder case accused Indrani Mukerjea will soon be shifted out of the Byculla women's prison in Mumbai where she was allegedly beaten up and threatened with sexual assault.

Prisons department sources said it is a procedure to shift an inmate after mischievous record.

Mukerjea has already been booked by the police for rioting in the women's prison in Mumbai along with other inmates. A probe in the rioting case show Indrani leading the inmates.

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Indrani is likely to be shifted to Thane or Kalyan women's jail or to Pune.

Meanwhile the six women jail staff who were arrested for assault on inmate Manjula Shetye will soon be remanded to judicial custody. An official said these women will not be kept at Byculla jail given the incident they are involved in. They are also likely to be kept in Thane jail.

DIG Swati Sathe, enquiring death of Manjula Shetye death in Byculla jail, has refused to investigate after a screenshot of Maharashtra jail WhatsApp group was circulated.

Sathe was allegedly supporting the accused arrested in the custodial death case. After the screenshot came to light, Sathe offered to leave the probe.

The probe, internal enquiry of the jail authorities, has now been handed over to IG Prisons Rajwardhan Sinha. A senior official said on anonymity that, "The crime will be investigated by crime branch. Jail authorities will only investigate the circumstances to understand the lacunae in the system and correct it."

ALSO READ | How demonetisation affected Sheena Bora murder accused Indrani Mukerjea

ALSO READ | Sheena Bora murder case: Indrani Mukerjea refutes claim of forgery

ALSO WATCH | Sheena Bora murder accused Indrani Mukerjea named in FIR for rioting at Byculla Prison

--- ENDS ---
WASHINGTON

"A little learning is a dangerous thing," wrote the poet Alexander Pope. Three centuries later, Pope's aphorism perfectly  and dangerously  describes President Trump's understanding of history as a zero-sum clash of civilizations in which "the West" can triumph by imposing its will.

The speech Trump delivered Thursday in Warsaw's Krasinski Square might have been appropriate when Britannia ruled the waves and Europe's great powers held dominion over "lesser" peoples around the globe. It had nothing useful to say about today's interconnected world in which goods, people and ideas have contempt for borders.

"The fundamental question of our time is whether the West has the will to survive," the president said. "Do we have the confidence in our values to defend them at any cost? Do we have enough respect for our citizens to protect our borders? Do we have the desire and the courage to preserve our civilization in the face of those who would subvert and destroy it?"

Trump added what he probably thought of as a Churchillian flourish: "I declare today for the world to hear that the West will never, ever be broken. Our values will prevail. Our people will thrive. And our civilization will triumph."

Triumph over whom? Trump mentioned "radical Islamic terrorism" as one of the enemies posing "dire threats to our security and to our way of life," but he didn't stop there. He went on to add Russia and  weirdly  "the steady creep of government bureaucracy" to the list. It is appalling that the president would describe patriotic public servants as a kind of fifth column that "drains the vitality and wealth of the people," and I guess some precious bodily fluids as well.

But what does Trump mean when he speaks of "the West" and its civilization? "Americans, Poles and the nations of Europe value individual freedom and sovereignty," he said. "We must work together to confront forces, whether they come from inside or out, from the South or the East, that threaten over time to undermine these values and to erase the bonds of culture, faith and tradition that make us who we are. ... We write symphonies. We pursue innovation. We celebrate our ancient heroes, embrace our timeless traditions and customs, and always seek to explore and discover brand-new frontiers."

That's what I mean about a little learning. If the president read a few history books, he'd know that for most of the past 2,000 years, China and India were the world's leading economic powers and Europe was a relatively primitive backwater. He'd know that Europe rose to dominance not by erecting walls but by opening itself to the rest of the world  its resources, products and people.

There is nothing pure about Western civilization. Its ability to absorb and incorporate outside influences has proved a great strength, not a weakness. Imagine Italy without tomato sauce, a gift from the New World  or the United States without the high-tech companies founded by immigrants, gifts from the Old.

Of course, Trump is right to call for a united front against terrorism. But the solution, in a globalized world, cannot be to hunker behind walls, however big and beautiful those walls might be. Industrial supply chains cross borders and span oceans. Words and images flash around the globe at the speed of light. Global issues, such as nuclear proliferation and climate change, demand global solutions. Like it or not, we are all in this together.

The correct response to the terrorism threat, which is real, is to isolate it as an abomination that is as much a grievous insult to Islam as to any other faith  and that has taken the lives of far more Muslims than non-Muslims. The wrong response is to posit that "the West" is besieged by, and therefore at war with, a hostile civilization. That's a fight in which everyone loses.

Trump did finally make clear that the United States remains fully committed to Article 5 of the NATO treaty, which states that an attack on one member of the alliance is tantamount to an attack on all. He was tougher on Russia than in the past, and he cited "propaganda, financial crimes and cyberwarfare" as "new forms of aggression" that must be countered.

But viewing the fight against terrorism as some kind of civilizational Armageddon is wrong. Trump seems to view himself as the West's defender against 1.6 billion Muslims, almost all of whom want only to live in peace. We need a capable president, not a crusader in chief.
By India Today Web Desk: "It was the end of May and, with a fulfilling view of the Eiffel from above, the flight had just landed with dewdrops on the window pane. The journey had just begun, and was getting better with time; starting with a train from Paris to Lille, towards northern France. All about to start -- a new beginning -- I was very much near in enriching the epitome of all the learning," exclaims Jamila, when asked about how she felt upon arriving in France for her internship.

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Jamila Siamwalla is a design student from NIFT, Mumbai. She is an aspiring researcher in textile designing. She dreamt big and with sheer dedication, motivation and devotion, she was able to land an internship at GEMTEX in France.

Speaking to India Today Education, she shares the details of her enthralling and epic journey:

Tell us about your journey from Mumbai to Roubaix?

Specialising in textile design from National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) in Mumbai, I was supposed to undertake an industrial internship for right weeks at the end of my third year. Hence, searching for relevant internships became the next important step. Also, at the same time, I had to prepare a cover letter, curriculum vitae and statement of purpose. So, getting it over with the preparatory part, my search finally ended on GEMTEX Lab at ENSAIT, in France. Then, with all the requirements sent, I was there with a positive reply from the professor within a day. It was like a mission accomplished.

Why GEMTEX?

In the first couple of years of pursuing B.Des, I had discovered my forte to be research - in technical based design process and product design development. And so, with that self-realisation, I was looking for interning opportunities in textile research laboratories.Thus, GEMTEX.

So, what do you think could have been the criterion for selection?

The selection was based upon the quality of CV and its match with the ongoing project at the lab.

How was the internship experience?

I was the only intern in the human centered design research group at GEMTEX Lab. My project was in the field of 3D virtual garment design with human experience. The project dealt with concepts regarding fit, comfort, style approach, human perception and slow fashion, thereby, revealing how virtual design helps in providing solutions to all the factors for the ease of garment manufacturing process. It involved indefinite time of reading, noting points, making systematic diagrams etc. I was guided by two head professors who specialised in the fields of sensory analysis, data processing, decision making, virtual design, and a PhD scholar.

How was the work culture there?

The work culture at the lab was unique with focus on personal development and growth. It also involved attending seminars of the other departments which were involved in textile chemistry and composites. And yes, of course, the French have an aura about them. They believe in quality of work and management skills, and undoubtedly, enjoy their special lunch breaks.

What was the place like?

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Although Lille is known for the least number of sunny days it gets throughout the year, I had my fair share of its pleasant summer. The antique architecture, the footpaths, street lights, and never-ending walks in the evening were the highlights. Overall, the technology savvy nation very much amazed me.

Did you find it difficult settling down into the new environment?

Not really. Apart from occasional language problems, though they were never experienced at the lab, I only found it difficult to resist the baked delicacies.

Source:Internshala

Read: This 23-year-old shares his internship experience at Google

For more updates, follow India Today Education or you can write to us at education.intoday@gmail.com

--- ENDS ---
For decades, even as the relationship strengthened, there was a curious hesitation in New Delhi to publicly acknowledge its significance. India vacillated for more than two long years before it recognised the Israeli state, and it was only in 1992 that the Narasimha Rao regime established full diplomatic ties.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Israel on July 4, 2017, is, of course, historic. He becomes the first Indian premier to visit the country since its creation in 1948. For decades, even as the relationship strengthened, there was a curious hesitation in New Delhi to publicly acknowledge its significance. India vacillated for more than two long years before it recognised the Israeli state, and it was only in 1992 that the Narasimha Rao regime established full diplomatic ties. Indeed, India's policy towards Israel has long been hostage to its fear of annoying the 'Muslim world'-in particular, Arab nations who were openly committed to Israel's annihilation. Meanwhile, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation stood as a phalanx behind Pakistan and its export of terrorism into India, and did New Delhi no favours. Arab monies have flowed generously into the funding of Islamist extremism and radicalisation across South Asia, and have done India grievous harm.

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All this is changing quite rapidly. For one thing, the 'Muslim world' is fragmenting as never before, and several constituent states have established friendly ties and, as terrorism and sectarian warfare increasingly threaten their own stability, even engaged in security cooperation with Israel. The Palestinian cause has discredited itself through decades of terrorism, even as Palestinian terrorism has been marginalised by movements far more lethal and widespread. Crucially, Israeli cooperation and support have given strength to India's counter-terrorism capabilities and efforts, and there have been several instances of successful operational cooperation. Several special force units, both from the Centre and from various states, have undergone specialised training in Israel. The country's capacities against cyber-terrorism are, moreover, exceptional, and this is another sphere in which cooperation is emerging, and will be crucial for India in the future.

Counter-terrorism and defence are, of course, the lynchpins of Indo-Israeli relations. Israel, despite its minuscule size, has established itself as India's third largest source of defence and security equipment. Crucially, Israel has shown itself to be willing to provide equipment and technologies that other 'friends' deny us. This includes a range of missile systems, armed drones, laser-guided bombs, airborne warning and control systems (AWACs) and border surveillance equipment.

This relationship, however, goes far beyond common concerns on terrorism and security. Modi has rightly described Israel as a "technological powerhouse" and non-defence technology imports cut across a wide range of industries and, crucially, agriculture-in which sphere Israel's contributions are revolutionary. Bilateral trade has burgeoned over the years to a current estimate of over $5 billion, excluding defence.

There is also, in the present regime in New Delhi and its wider Hindutva constituency, an 'ideological' dimension to the relationship. India's right-wing has long seen Israel as a model to emulate-as a realpolitik-based nation-state that emphasises military strength and a hard-headed retaliatory response to aggression, bound together by a single religion and a homogenised national culture. The revival of Hebrew as Israel's official language is seen as a model for the resurrection of Sanskrit as national cultural unifier.

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Here, however, we are in the realm of fantasy. Israeli militarism and machismo are not an ideological choice; they are survival imperatives in a relentlessly hostile environment. If Israel were to let its guard down for even a day, it would be wiped off the map. This is not an eventuality that confronts India, despite grave threats in the neighbourhood and within the country. Crucially, moreover, a country of 8.2 million cannot be a model for a nation of 1.3 billion, particularly one that embraces the diversity of India's populations.

There is, nevertheless, much that we can learn from Israel-the commitment to national goals, the sheer dedication of purpose, a high sense of duty, the determination to secure "peace through strength" and the veneration of intellect.

Israel will prove a reliable partner for India; its fundamentals are sound and its perspectives enduring. Regrettably, this is not something that can be said about India.

Sahni is executive director, Institute for Conflict Management & South Asia Terrorism Portal

--- ENDS ---
Over the last 4 months, 53 local boys have been saved in the nick of time before they could cross over to the militant side. Out of these boys, close to 25 are from the north Kashmir itself.

By Shuja-ul-Haq : In the month of June, five teenage boys from north Kashmir suddenly went missing from their homes. The families reported this to the police and to their utter shock it was found that the boys were out to join militant groups.

As per the details that emerged later, these boys were in touch with a contact who had asked them to meet at a specific point on a particular date. The plan was to either send them across the LoC for training or get them inducted straightaway in militant groups operating in the valley. The police, however, kept track and just before these boys could meet the contact, their location was traced. The families helped the police in convincing the boys to shun this path.

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Over the last 4 months, 53 such boys have been saved in the nick of time before they could cross over to the militant side. Out of these boys, close to 25 are from the north Kashmir itself. Officials say the militant groups have adopted the strategy of contacting youngsters who are either vulnerable or inclined to join militancy.

"For last few months, we have been getting constant reports from parents that their children were going missing. We found that it was a well thought out plan to lure young boys to militancy," said Nitish Kumar, DIG North Kashmir.

After 2016 unrest that began with the encounter of Burhan Wani in Kokernag area of south Kashmir, there has been an upwards trend with local militants joining the militant groups. Estimates suggested that by the end of 2016 close to 100 local boys were operating in militant groups like Hizbul Mujahideen and LeT.

"Most of the times, we have seen that these boys are emotional or get attracted through local contacts. The key in bringing these boys back lies in the fact that their families help us in time," says Imtiyaz Hussain, SP Baramullah.

The trend of local youngsters joining militant groups has been worrying the state govt for some time now. The Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti was quoted saying that the police should make efforts that such youngsters are brought back to mainstream rather than killing them in encounters.

The officials feel that there is a dire need for creating a conducive atmosphere through dialogue with these vulnerable youngsters and counsel them to refrain from taking these extreme steps.

"We appeal to all right thinking people belonging to any school of thought or political ideology to come forward to help police in saving our boys from getting consumed in violence."

ALSO READ:

Burhan Wani's family approached police to make him surrender: MHA official to India Today

50 young men join terror ranks in Kashmir in 6 months

--- ENDS ---
By PTI: Srinagar, Jul 7 (PTI) The passage of the GST Bill by the Jammu and Kashmir legislature would be scripted in "golden letters" as it is a big sucess for the countrys democracy, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti said today.

She also sought to allay apprehensions over the new tax regime, saying what is good for the country cannot be bad for Jammu and Kashmir and underlined the Centre didnt change any word in the states Cabinet note on "how we protect our special status while implementing GST".

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"I am happy that without changing any word or character they sent it (Cabinet note) back to us in Presidential Order," she said the state Legislative Council.

Earlier in the day, the Jammu and Kashmir Goods and Services Tax Bill 2017, moved by Finance Minister Haseeb Drabu, was adopted by a voice vote.

The bill was moved in the Assembly after the Presidential Order which gave an assurance on preservation of the special status of the state guaranteed by Article 370 of the Constitution.

Mehbooba recalled that her father and ex-chief minister Mufti Mohammd Sayeed used to say the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly was the most empowered House in the whole country.

"When we used to hear this, we used to think what was he saying? But today, we are seeing that the whole country was waiting when the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly will pass a law and a resolution so that the GST, which has been passed in whole of the country, would be implemented here."

Unfortunately, for the past 70 years whenever any central law was passed, it was done "secretly" and even good laws were viewed with "suspicion" by people.

"But today, for the first time, it has happened that (in) the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly, we passed a resolution and I am happy and thankful to our country?s President and the Prime Minister ? about whom I repeatedly say that if Jammu and Kashmir has to be taken out of this morass and if anyone is holding power and courage then it is Narendra Modi. It needs a big heart," she added.

She said the coming generation would remember this session of the legislature.

"I believe, this day would be scripted with golden letters not for only our assembly but for the whole countrys democracy and parliament because I believe there couldn?t have been be any big success for our nations democracy than what we saw (debate and adoption of the GST resolution) over past few days in the Jammu and Kashmir?s assembly," she said.

Mehbooba thanked the President and the Prime Minister for safeguarding the aspiration of the people of Jammu and Kashmir and caring for their sensitivities.

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"Mufti sahab used to repeatedly say those things which we have been given to us by our country, by our parliament and if we manage to protect them then there is no bigger azadi (freedom) than this.

"We didnt disappoint them. And our country, our central government, our prime minister also didn?t disappoint us. We kept their dignity and they kept ours," she said. PTI SSB MIJ TIR

--- ENDS ---
By PTI: Srinagar, Jul 7 (PTI) Jammu and Kashmir Finance Minister Haseeb Drabu made two rather unusual requests to Speaker of the Assembly Kavinder Gupta today.

He sought separate directions to two opposition MLAs -- one to salute him from the Well of the House and other to resign as a legislator.

He claimed that National Conference (NC) MLA Devender Rana, while participating in the discussion on the GST resolution, had said he would salute him from the Well if the constitutional safeguards were included in the preamble of the presidential order on the implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) in Jammu and Kashmir.

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"A direction may be given that he (Rana) salutes me whenever the next session takes place as he is not present in the House today," Drabu said, prompting everyone present, including mediapersons and those at the visitors gallery, to burst into laughter.

Referring to Congress legislator G M Sarooris remark that if the safeguards were included in the presidential order on GST, he would put in his papers, the minister said a direction should now be issued to the opposition MLA asking him to resign as the condition set by him was fulfilled. PTI MIJ RC BDS RC

--- ENDS ---
The Shanghai-listed Chinese shipowner said the first half profit is forecast to plummet 60% to 70% from the gain of RMB1.57bn ($235.3m) recorded in the first half of 2016.

The tanker and bulk shipping unit of China Merchants Group blamed the anticipated reduced earnings to lower freight rates for its tanker fleet, and that it has not received the government subsidy under the scrap-and-build policy.
The sudden surge can be traced to better capesize rates that benefited from a buying spree in iron ore and coal in the market.

Capesizes rates began the week somewhat sluggishly - partly due to the public holiday in Singapore on Monday. Rates then took off from $8,094 on Monday before rising to $9,489 on Wednesday, up by 17% in mere two days.

Some traders felt that market sentiment had changed and directionally we could see more gains in capesizes this week, said a FIS FFA broker.

The freight uptick found support from Chinese optimism in iron ore market with the Chinese premier, Li Keqiangs recent speech which pledged that the worlds second largest economy is on track to achieve its goal of 6.5% growth for 2017.

Picking up on the Premiers words, iron ore futures and rebar contracts soared in paper markets, while mills engaged in a series of buying spree for physical cargoes. This coupled with the good steel margins of around RMB 800-1000, fueling the purchasing spree of the seaborne iron ore and coking coal which boosted tonnes-miles in return.

Meanwhile, some strength was seen in Panamax rates this week, with levels rising from $9,174 on Monday to $9,212 on Wednesday  though rates did seem to be affected by news of a proposed coal import ban on second level Chinese ports.

The panamax market came under pressure on Tuesday as the physical freight market activity slowed down upon mixed reports on Chinese port restrictions that fueled the bearish tone, added the FIS broker.

Chinese authorities announced on Tuesday that they will impose a possible ban on imported coals at certain ports from 1 July onwards. Most of the ports affected are among the smaller facilities found in southern China, such as Fujian province and the announcement did not specify whether the ban was meant for thermal or coking coal.

Chinas northern ports would be mostly unaffected by the proposed ban but traders are concerned about the higher costs from re-directing the shipments to level one ports from level two ports.

Supramax rates, however seemed unaffected by the proposed ban and clocked $8,282 on Wednesday, from $8,210 on Monday.

Supramax paper felt selling pressure today as rates slipped throughout Wednesday, added the broker. July opened the day trading $8950 and eventually reached a low of the day $8,550. Q3 followed suit as we saw trading in range $8,800-$8,600.

Small gains were also seen in the handysize market with rates recorded at $6,707 on Wednesday, up 1.2% from $6,627 on Monday.

The last time the freight market experienced a sudden spike from a speech was probably Donald Trumps mention of US plan for infrastructure investment over the next decade.

Now, the freight market has clearly found another rallying point in form of Chinas Li Keqiang. But the question remained on how long the optimism will last, before market fundamentals sink in.
Mohamed Juma Al Shamisi, ceo of Abu Dhabi Ports, explained that the new Delma port features accessible breakwater with platform to integrate the oepration of ferry terminal and CICPA (Critical Infrastructure and Coastal Protection Authority) facilities.

A repair yard, CICPA inspection facility, ADNOC Marine Fuelling Facility, fishermens building, marina workshop, multipurpose operations building and a restaurant complete the ports revamped ecosystem.

The new Delma port is one of the biggest in Al Dhafra region, and has been designed to provide an effective sheltered harbour for the maritime community in Delma. The port, which is considered a hub, has been carefully designed as an integrated ecosystem that creates space for vessels and also offers the support services needed to facilitate sustainable transport, said Al Shamisi.

Commenting on the inauguration occasion, H.E. Staff Major General Pilot Faris Khalaf Khalfan Al Mazrouei, said: The development of Delma port comes in line with the Abu Dhabi Plan, which calls for an effective transportation system to serve the community and economy, with an emphasis on the development of sustainable sea transport ().

He added: The Delma port project is one that promises to be a foundation stone in the development of the Al Dhafra Region through its focus on meeting the highest quality standards. In addition, the deep foresight and strategic thinking that has gone into the planning of this project is evidence of Abu Dhabi Ports commitment to the success of Delma port in accordance with the objectives of our government.

Meanwhile, Abu Dhabi Ports has earlier signed a 35-year concession agreement to develop, manage and operate Fujairah port, a development that would complement the group's existing services at Khalifa port and Zayed port.
By Atir Khan: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav's quid pro quo deal has revealed that he was keeping a track of the tender proceedings initiated by IRCTC to favour those persons who sold prime commercial land meant for him.

In a press briefing, Yadav claimed CBI action directed against him and his relatives was a political vendetta. However, CBI said it started working on the case after they got information about the deal early this year. The alleged corruption took place between 2004 and 2014, which includes the period when Lalu was railways minister.

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According to CBI official communications of Railway Board marked to the Minister of Railways and the instructions given by the minister to the Chairman Railway Board during the period 2004-06 indicate that he as Railways Minister was aware of the whole matter and was keeping a track of the tender proceedings initiated by IRCTC in connection with two railways hotels in Ranch and Puri.

Investigations also revealed that through notice inviting tender dated 16.09.2006, IRCTC invited bids for developing, operating and maintaining "Rail Ratna" hotels, in four batches for various locations.

Pursuant to the criminal conspiracy and to restrict the competition for BNR hotels at Ranchi and Puri, the concerned officials of IRCTC instead of inviting a separate bid through a separate notice inviting tender, for BNR Hotels, while issuing a corrigendum no 24.10.2006 titled "Corrigendum No. 1"for Rail Ratna Hotels, made a reference in the passing, about the commencement of sale of bid documents for BNR Hotels.

On 3.11.2006, IRCTC again invited bids for 'Rail Ratna Hotels' specifying the eligibility criteria. In the advertisement, it was also mentioned that bids were invited for BNR Hotels (though the sale of bid documents for BNR Hotels already commenced as informed vide Corrigendum No. 1 dated 24.10.2006 regarding Rail Ratna Hotels. In this advertisement, it was intimated that sale of tender documents for BNR Hotels had extended up to 30.11.2006.

On 15.11.2006, Corrigendum No.2 was issued in respect of advertisement dated 3.11.2006, whereas this was Corrigendum No. 2 for NIT published on 16.09.2006 for Rail Ratna Hotels. There was no Corrigendum No.1 for advertisement dated 3.11.2006. Vide this misleading Corrigendum No. 2 dated 15.11.2006, the eligibility criteria/tender conditions for BNR Hotels was modified in pursuance to a criminal conspiracy to suit the requirements of Vijay Kochhar, Vinay Kochhar, the directors of M/S Sujata Hotels Pvt Ltd to enable them to qualify for the tender.

Had it not been for this amendment of eligibility criteria on 15.11.2006, M/S Sujata Hotel Pvt. Ltd, would not have been eligible for this tender as per the conditions specified in the advertisement dated 3.11.2006. It was only subsequent to this Corrigendum No.2 dated 15.11.2006 that Sujata Hotel Pvt. Ltd submitted its bid.

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In return of extending this favour, Lalu allegedly first received land measuring 3 acres worth Rs 94 crore in the name of M/S Delight Marketing Company Pvt. Ltd, a company controlled by Sarla Gupta, who is wife of Lalu's loyalist former corporate affairs minister Prem Chand Gupta. Then, the piece of land through transfer of shares to M/S Lara Projects, a firm which was in the name of Lalu's wife Rabri Devi, son Tejaswi. Thus, the quid pro quo was completed. CBI in day-long searches at 12 places including Delhi and Bihar has seized several documents and electronic devices, which may be carrying records of the deal.

ALSO READ:

Lalu Yadav on CBI raids: Hang me but will crush Narendra Modi, Amit Shah's ego

Lalu Yadav on raids: Have done nothing wrong, know how to handle CBI

--- ENDS ---
The CBI carried out raids at 12 places in Patna, Delhi, Ranchi, Puri and Gurugram in connection with the case involving Lalu Prasad and his family members.

By India Today Web Desk: The BJP today welcomed the Central Bureau of Investigation raids on Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Yadav's residence and 12 other places over a fresh case of alleged irregularities in awarding tender for the maintenance of hotels.

The CBI carried out raids at 12 places in Patna, Delhi, Ranchi, Puri and Gurugram in connection with the case involving Lalu Prasad and his family members.

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The central agency has also booked former MD of Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) and directors of private firms along with Lalu who is accused of tender irregularities.

"It is right time for (Bihar Chief Minister) Nitish Kumar to end his party JD-U's alliance with the RJD and should sack Lalu's two sons from his cabinet without delay," Bharatiya Janata Party state president Nityanand Rai said.

Rai said "politics" will change in Bihar after the CBI raids. Leader of opposition Prem Kumar told the media here that Nitish Kumar should act against Lalu's two sons.

"Our stand has been vindicated, Lalu and his family is corrupt."

For nearly three months, BJP leaders have repeatedly alleged corruption charges against Lalu and his family members. It was alleged that Lalu had accumulated Rs 1,000 crore illegal property.

The CBI has registered the case against Lalu; his wife and former Chief Minister Rabri Devi; Tejaswi Yadav; former Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) Managing Director PK Goyal; and the wife of Lalu's confidante Prem Chand Gupta, Sujata on allegations of awarding the tender for development, maintenance and operation of hotels in Ranchi and Puri in 2006.

WHAT IS THE CASE

Lalu awarded tender to a private firm for development, maintenance and operation of hotels in Ranchi and Puri while he was the Railway Minister in 2006, the CBI said.

Addressing the media in Delhi, Rakesh Asthana, Additional Director, CBI, said "Simultaneous searches at 12 locations in Patna, Delhi, Gurugram and Bhubaneshwar began at 7.30am today in connection with a case filed on July 5 against former Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav, Rabri Devi, their son and a private hotelier."

"The private hotel firm was awarded tender for BNR Hotel in Ranchi and Puri illegally by Lalu when he was Railway Minister," Asthana said.

He said that the tender process was rigged to help private parties and three acre land in Patna was given to Lara Projects, a firm owned by Lalu's family, at lower circle rate.

Lalu has been accused of helping a private firm to obtain tender for maintenance of two Railway hotels - BNR Hotels in Ranchi and Puri - in return for a plot in Patna. A construction company related to Lalu's family is currently building a mall on the said plot.

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Strong possibility of Akhilesh, Mayawati coming together, match over for 2019: Lalu Prasad

Real estate giant under scanner for links to Lalu Prasad Yadav's kin

More trouble for Lalu Prasad? Income Tax raids at 22 locations in Delhi, Gurgaon linked to benami land deals

Fodder scam cases: In big setback for Lalu Prasad, conspiracy charges restored by Supreme Court

WATCH: Massive setback for Lalu Prasad as Supreme Court orders separate trials in fodder scam

--- ENDS ---
The CBI raided 12 locations across Patna, Delhi, Gurugram, Ranchi and Bhubaneswar in connection with hotel tender awarded illegally by Lalu Yadav when he was Railway Minister in 2006.

CBI raided 12 locations in Patna, Delhi and other places in connection with a case filed agaibst Lalu and family.

By India Today Web Desk: Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Yadav has described today's CBI raids on his family as witch-hunt and political conspiracy hatched by the Opposition.

Lalu, who was in Ranchi to appear before a CBI court in connection with a fodder scam case, denied any wrong doing in the 2006 hotel tender process which is under the cental agency's scrutiny now.

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"I have not done anything wrong. Have nothing to do with the tender process. Everything was done according to the system," Lalu said. He also accused the CBI of working on the behest of the ruling party (BJP).

"Told wife and children to make CBI officials comfortable. They are not at fault. I am used to handling CBI. It is getting directions from Narendra Modi and Amit Shah," the former Bihar CM said. The CBI has registered the case against 69-year-old Lalu, his wife Rabri Devi, son Tejashwi Yadav and Sarla Gupta, wife of Prem Chand Gupta, former union minister.

CBI conducted search at Rabri Devi's house in Patna. (Photo/ANI)

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

The CBI today carried out searches at 12 locations after registering a corruption case against former Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav and his family members including his son Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar Tejashwi Yadav. The searches started at 7am and were spread out at 12 locations in Patna, Ranchi, Bhubaneswar and Gurugram, Additional Director CBI Rakesh Asthana said at a press conference in New Delhi. "The case is of criminal conspiracy (120-B), cheating (420) under IPC and corruption," Asthana said. He said between 2004 and 2014, a conspiracy was hatched in pursuance of which BNR hotels of Indian Railways located at Puri and Ranchi were first transferred to the IRCTC and later on for its operations, maintenance and upkeep, it was given on lease to a private firm Sujata Hotel pvt ltd based in Patna. "Allegation is that during this process, tender process was rigged and manipulated and the conditions were tweaked to help the private party (Sujata Hotel). In return, three acre land in western Patna was given to Delight Marketing which is known to the family of Lalu Yadav at a very low cost and subsequently between the period 2010 to 2014, this land was further transferred to another company Lara Projects owned by family members of Lalu Yadav," he said. This transfer also took place at a very low price. Whereas the land was valued at Rs 32 crore as per the circle rate, it was transferred to merely Rs 65 lakh to Lara Projects, Asthana said. The government and the BJP have no role in CBI raids on Lalu Prasad Yadav and his family, Union Minister Venkaiah Naidu said. The RJD had accused the BJP of vendetta and said described CBI raids as the 'darkest day' in Indian democracy. "Today is the darkest day in Indian democracy. We will not be cowed down by this. We will fight legally and politically," RJD leader Manoj Jha said. "Law is taking its course. Now Nitish Kumarji cannot remain a mute spectator. He will have to speak out and state his stand clearly," BJP's Giriraj Singh said.

ALSO READ:

CBI raids Lalu Yadav & family at 12 locations including Rabri residence

Real estate giant under scanner for links to Lalu Prasad Yadav's kin

More trouble for Lalu Prasad? Income Tax raids at 22 locations in Delhi, Gurgaon linked to benami land deals

Fodder scam cases: In big setback for Lalu Prasad, conspiracy charges restored by Supreme Court

WATCH: CBI raids on Lalu Yadav and family

--- ENDS ---
Attorney General Jeff Sessions lashed out at so-called sanctuary cities Thursday and said some of the 10 state and local governments whose immigration policies his office is reviewing  a group that includes the state of California  appear to be defying federal law.

But a California agency said the state is fully complying with the law.

The altercation comes as President Trumps administration prepares to ask a federal judge in San Francisco next week to dismiss lawsuits by San Francisco, Santa Clara County and the city of Richmond challenging Trumps authority to cut off funding to cities and counties that refuse to cooperate with his immigration policies.

Meanwhile, California lawmakers are considering legislation to tighten laws that already restrict the role of local law enforcement in immigration enforcement.

Sessions Justice Department is studying responses from eight local governments in other states, including the cities of New York, Chicago and Philadelphia, and the states of California and Connecticut to queries from President Barack Obamas administration last year about policies that restrict local contact with federal immigration officers.

Sanctuary cities put the lives and well-being of their residents at risk by shielding criminal illegal aliens from federal immigration authorities, Sessions said Thursday. The Justice Department said some state or local governments, not identified, have boldly asserted they will not comply with requests from federal immigration authorities, and this would potentially violate federal law.

The department did not specify the requests that were being defied. Sessions, in a speech in March and other statements, has indicated he believes the law requires local agencies to keep noncitizens locked up after serving jail sentences if immigration agents want them held for deportation.

California law allows local governments to comply with such federal detainer requests only if the detainee has been convicted of or charged with a serious crime. San Francisco, Los Angeles and other cities go further and forbid such cooperation in most cases without a court order.

The states response to the Justice Department inquiry said California is complying with its sole obligation under federal law: to let local police share any information they have with federal agents about the immigration status of a local jail inmate.

California laws ensure certain protections for persons in the custody of local law enforcement, such as the right to refuse to speak to an immigration agent, but do not prohibit or in any way restrict the sharing of citizenship or immigration status information, Aaron Maguire, general counsel for the Board of State and Community Corrections, said in a letter to the Justice Department.

Detainer requests, to keep inmates in jail until immigration agents arrive, are voluntary under federal law, Maguire said.

The other state and local governments have also denied violating the law. Sessions said his department will examine these claims carefully.

Trump issued an executive order Jan. 25 saying he would cut off federal funding to sanctuary cities and counties, but did not define sanctuary or specify what funds he would eliminate. U.S. District Judge William Orrick ruled in April that the wording of Trumps order suggested a threat to all federal grants  as much as $2 billion a year for San Francisco  and said such an action would exceed the presidents legal authority.

Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Updated to include drought zones while tracking water shortage status of your area, plus reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts.

Justice Department lawyers have argued that the cutoff would affect only a few immigration-related grants, which local governments received on the condition that they abide by immigration laws. The department has asked Orrick to reconsider his nationwide injunction and dismiss the lawsuits, a request the judge will take up Wednesday.

Local cooperation with federal immigration detainers became a heated issue after a San Francisco woman, Kathryn Steinle, was shot to death on a pier in July 2015 by an immigrant with a record of deportations.

The shooter, Juan Francisco Lopez-Sanchez, had just spent 46 months in federal prison for illegal re-entry when federal officials turned him over to San Francisco in March 2015 to face an old marijuana charge. City prosecutors dropped the charge, and then-Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi, citing the citys sanctuary ordinance, released Lopez-Sanchez, disregarding immigration officials request to hold him until they could pick him up.

Lopez-Sanchez, charged with murder, has said the shooting was an accident, noting that the bullet bounced off the pavement before striking the 32-year-old victim.

Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @egelko
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State prosecutors have filed new, more specific invasion-of-privacy charges against two antiabortion activists for secretly recording conversations at national meetings of abortion providers, after a San Francisco judge dismissed most of the initial charges.

David Daleiden, leader of a group called the Center for Medical Progress, and an employee, Sandra Merritt, posed as fetal researchers to gain entry to the conventions of the National Abortion Federation in San Francisco in 2014 and Baltimore in 2015.

The two said afterward they had been acting as investigative journalists to expose alleged plots by Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers to sell fetal parts. Lawyers for the abortion federation say its members were subjected to harassment and death threats after Daleidens group posted edited versions of the recordings online.

Attorney General Xavier Becerras office charged Daleiden and Merritt in March with 14 counts of violating a California law against recording conversations without consent, in incidents at the San Francisco convention and meetings elsewhere in the state.

Last month, Superior Court Judge Christopher Hite dismissed the charges, saying prosecutors had failed to specify which video recordings were made illegally. He refused, however, to dismiss a charge that the pair conspired to violate privacy rights.

Becerras office has now refiled the charges, with numerical identifications for each video. Prosecutors say they have given defense lawyers the names of each person whose conversation was recorded, under court orders to keep the names confidential.

But a lawyer for Merritt said Friday he will challenge the refiled charges because theyre still not specific enough.

The new set of allegations lists videos generally but doesnt list specific conversations on those videos, so its hard to know what conversations theyre referring to, said Mat Staver, chairman of Liberty Counsel, a religious nonprofit law firm.

Staver said Merritt would again seek dismissal of the charges when she and Daleiden are arraigned July 17. A lawyer for Daleiden did not respond to a request for comment.

In a separate case, U.S. District Judge William Orrick of San Francisco has scheduled a hearing Tuesday on whether to hold Daleiden and his lawyers in contempt of court for posting links to many of the recordings in May.

Orrick had issued an injunction last year prohibiting Daleiden and his group from making the recordings public. His attorneys in the criminal case have said they obtained the material as evidence from prosecutors and did not know they were forbidden to release it.

Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @egelko
Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai has finished her high school and she is celebrating it by joining Twitter.

By India Today Web Desk: Malala Yousafzai, the youngest recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize is a female-education and human rights activist, who rose to fame after a Taliban gunman shot her while she was returning home in a school bus.

Malala joined Twitter today saying it is her last day at school and first day on the micro-blogging platform. Her first tweet said, "Hi Twitter".

Today is my last day of school and my first day on @Twitter [THREAD]- Malala (@Malala) July 7, 2017

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In a series of tweets, she said that graduating from high school is bittersweet for her and that she's excited about her future.

Graduating from secondary school (high school) is bittersweet for me. I'm excited about my future, but... 2/- Malala (@Malala) July 7, 2017

She tweeted, "I know that millions of girls around the world are out of school and may never get the opportunity to complete their education. Next week, I will be back on my #GirlPowerTrip to meet girls in Middle East, Africa and Latin America."

....I know that millions of girls around the world are out of school and may never get the opportunity to complete their education. 3/- Malala (@Malala) July 7, 2017

Next week, I will be back on my #GirlPowerTrip to meet girls in Middle East, Africa & Latin America. 4/- Malala (@Malala) July 7, 2017

Malala's Twitter handle has got 1,05,000 followers already and is verified.

Saying each girl's story is unique and girls' voices are most powerful weapons in the fight for education and equality, Malala asked if we would join her in her fight for girls, both on and off Twitter.

Each girls story is unique - and girls' voices are our most powerful weapons in the fight for education and equality. 5/- Malala (@Malala) July 7, 2017

On and off Twitter, I'm fighting for girls - will you join me??? 6/- Malala (@Malala) July 7, 2017

We will, right?

--- ENDS ---
Republican efforts to replace President Barack Obamas Affordable Care Act would devastate childrens hospitals across California and make it harder for millions of people  young and old  to get the care they need, Sen. Dianne Feinstein said in San Francisco Friday.

The GOP plan before the Senate provides tax cuts for the very wealthy at the expense of health care for children, Feinstein told an audience of about 100 doctors, nurses, health care professionals and parents of patients at UCSF Benioff Childrens Hospital San Francisco. I dont know who would want that type of a tax cut.

Feinstein joined hospital officials on a morning tour of the sprawling Mission Bay facility, talking with doctors, nurses, parents and patients, before returning for a 45-minute pep rally aimed at revving up opposition to the GOP attack on the Affordable Care Act.

Theres still time to make a difference, Feinstein said.

Im going back (to Washington) Sunday and see if the bill comes to the floor Monday, Feinstein said. If it doesnt, it doesnt have the votes yet. We need to mobilize and call everyone you know.

The focus of concern is the GOP effort to trim Medicaid, which Obamas 2010 health care plan expanded to cover millions more people.

That includes more than 3 million of the 14 million people now covered in California, where the program is known as Medi-Cal.

State officials say California could lose $30 billion a year in federal Medi-Cal funds by 2027 and $114 million annually by 2037.

Medi-Cal is not just for the poor, said Mark Laret, chief executive officer of UCSF Health. One out of every two births in the country is on Medicaid. Were talking about your elderly parents in nursing homes.

In California, more than one-third of the states 39 million residents are on Medi-Cal, along with 1 out of every 2 children, 60 percent of nursing home residents and half the people with disabilities.

While 27 percent of San Franciscans (230,000 residents) are on Medi-Cal, that pales when compared with the 40 percent in Los Angeles County (4.1 million people) and the 50 percent in Fresno County (500,000 people).

Its not just people who got a boost from the Medi-Cal expansion, said Sam Hawgood, UCSF chancellor. The additional money is a boon to California hospitals, which now receive money from recently covered patients who previously would have been treated for free.

Even with the Medi-Cal expansion, the program still doesnt cover all medical costs. UCSF last year spent $289 million on uncompensated care for Medi-Cal patients, he said, a number that would soar if the program is trimmed.

Thats a special concern for childrens hospitals, since many of their young patients are on Medi-Cal. At UCSFs Benioff Childrens Hospital San Francisco, its 50 percent. At its sister hospital in Oakland, 70 percent of the patients are on Medi-Cal.

Kids will suffer if this (bill) goes through, said Dr. Michael Anderson, president of the UCSF Benioff Childrens Hospitals.

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Feinstein also heard from three parents, who she described as true American warrior women, who talked about what the childrens hospital  and the Medi-Cal money to pay for needed care  meant to their children.

Two of them spoke alongside Feinstein. Kristin Chaset talked about her nearly 2-year-old daughter, Megan, who had heart surgery five hours after birth and spent more than 10 months in the hospital before finally going home to continuing nursing care and therapy.

Sally McDonald spoke of her daughter, Maggie, who underwent 80 surgeries for a congenital disorder, but was provided the resources that enabled her to graduate from Mission High School before she died at age 20.

There is no nice way to put this, McDonald said. The proposed health care bill will be fatal to many children.

In a statement Thursday, Feinstein called the GOP health plan an immoral policy. Pressed on that Friday, she pointed to the women who told the stories of their children.

Listen to these women, the senator said. Their children had the chance to live the life they had, something she suggested likely wouldnt happen if the proposed Medicaid cuts went through.

John Wildermuth is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jwildermuth@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @jfwildermuth
Morgan Hill Police Department

Police are searching for a Morgan Hill man they say tried to drown his girlfriend in a swimming pool on Saturday, officials said.

Officers from the Morgan Hill Police Department responded to a domestic battery call in the Pine Way area about 12:02 a.m. Saturday, police said.
San Francisco Sheriff Vicki Hennessy wants to scale back the use of strip searches at the countys jails, particularly for transgender suspects. One way to do that: install electronic body scanners, similar to the ones at airport security checkpoints.

Its a solution city officials said would improve both inmate and officer safety because the search procedure is less invasive. It also comes amid a broader effort by the city to improve conditions for transgender inmates. Mayor Ed Lee has included $300,000 in the citys new budget to buy two scanners.

I think the importance of this is that were now, finally, addressing the dignity and the respect that we should have been showing transgender people forever, said Theresa Sparks, Lees senior adviser on transgender initiatives and a former president of the citys Police Commission.

Deputies have been following a directive Hennessy issued in June 2016 instructing them to honor requests, if possible, for searches to be performed by a person matching the suspects gender identity. A transgender woman, for example, may request a search by a female officer.

We have a very small transgender population (in jail)  I think we have four or five right now at any one time, Hennessy said. However, we still want to make sure were doing everything we can to ensure that they feel safe and that they are respected in their sexual identity. Thats always been a goal.

Hennessy stressed that while the scanner proposal came together with transgender people in mind, cutting down on strip searches would be a positive step for both inmates and officers. Frankly, nobody who comes in wants to be strip-searched, and nobody who has to do a strip search likes to do a strip search, she said.

Hennessy said one scanner would certainly be placed at the countys central intake and release facility on Seventh Street in San Francisco. The location of the second scanner has not been decided. The Board of Supervisors will finalize the citys $10.1 billion budget later this month, and it could take another six months to a year before the scanners are installed.

Currently, protocol dictates that any suspect bound for at least an overnight stay in one of San Franciscos jails must be strip-searched for drugs, weapons or other contraband not permitted behind bars.

With the scanners, instead of getting strip-searched, they would walk through the body scanner and we would be able to see if theyre hiding any drugs or weapons at that point, Hennessy said. A strip search would still be triggered if the scanner indicated that an inmate was possibly concealing contraband, however.

Michael Short/Special to The Chronicle

Some transgender advocacy organizations, however, remain skeptical that body scanners represent the best step toward improving conditions for transgender inmates.

When we heard about the body scanners, we told the mayors office that it was not a good idea, said Flor Bermudez, the managing attorney and director of the Detention Project at the Transgender Law Center in Oakland. Bermudez said the money San Francisco intends to use for the scanners would be better spent training new guards and making sure the searches are being conducted by the people whom transgender people feel safest with.

Bermudez is also concerned that scanner searches could actually be more invasive because many require operators to select whether the machine is inspecting a male or a female, and scans are based in part on a persons mass, weight and other physical attributes.

Unless (the scanner) is ungendered in every kind of way, it will, in fact, put transgender people at more risk of harassment and singling out, Bermudez said.

According to federal policy, airport Transportation Safety Adminstration officers scan travelers based on a each persons expressed gender identity. Hennessy said she was researching gender-neutral scanners into her decision-making as she conducts research on what type of device to purchase.

The Transgender Law Center and the Transgender, Gender Variant and Intersex Justice Project in San Francisco have also been working with the city for two years to craft a policy allowing transgender suspects to state their gender identity, and then be searched, booked and housed accordingly.

But critics contend that the Sheriffs Department has not moved fast enough when it comes to housing transgender inmates where they feel the safest, which could mean according to their gender identity.

Michael Short/Special to The Chronicle

I just wonder why our policy hasnt been engaged with at all, or why we seem to be at an impasse, said Woods Ervin, policy director at TGI Justice. Why was this (scanner proposal) not brought to us beforehand so we could talk about our concerns?

Transgender inmates are now housed with those of the same gender identity, away from the general jail population.

Our biggest issue is making sure people are safe and putting them in places where they will remain safe, Hennessy said. And sometimes people may want something that we in our estimation is not safe, and we have to sometimes overrule. Were still making progress, and we have a ways to go.

Dominic Fracassa is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: dfracassa@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @dominicfracassa
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The Trump administration forged ahead with its commitment to boosting domestic fossil fuel production Thursday, directing more public lands to be opened for oil and gas extraction  a move that could bring new drill rigs to California.

The state hasnt seen new onshore oil and gas leases offered up on federal land in four years because of environmental fights. The order signed by Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke on Thursday has some environmentalists fearing that de facto moratorium will soon end.

At minimum, the administrations action will intensify the push by energy companies to broaden drilling across Californias prime oil country, in the interior Central Coast region and the southern San Joaquin Valley, and promises a new round of drawn-out conservation battles.

Zinkes order calls for federal oil and gas leases to be auctioned off at least four times a year in every state where reserves are available. That charge does away with what the oil industry says are sometimes concerted efforts to delay or thwart lease sales and hamper energy exploration.

The order also seeks to reduce the nations backlog of drilling applications through speedier approval of oil- and gas-extraction permits.

The administrations action applies to 700 million acres of underground mineral reserves managed by the Bureau of Land Management, mostly in the West. It does not apply to national parks or national forests.

California ranks as the nations third-biggest producer of onshore oil and the 13th-biggest for natural gas. About 12 million barrels of oil and 9 billion cubic feet of natural gas were produced through some 500 leases on public lands in the state in 2016, according to the Bureau of Land Management.

Still, the oil industry has long complained that too much acreage is off-limits  10 percent of the states production is on federal land  and that environmental regulations governing drilling are unnecessarily cumbersome.

This executive order is a positive first step, but production on federal lands is a complicated process with oversight roles by a number of state and federal regulatory agencies, said Rock Zierman, chief executive officer of the California Independent Petroleum Association.

The American Petroleum Institute said the administrations action would benefit the industry nationally, allowing it to invest in projects that would create jobs and benefit consumers through lower energy prices.

Environmentalists, who had far greater access to the Obama administration than they do to President Trump, predicted a gloomy future for federally owned open space.

Were coming off a Fourth of July weekend when a number of Americans are out enjoying their public lands, and heres Zinke and Trump threatening to turn them into oil and gas fields, said Hollin Kretzmann, staff attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity, a group that has opposed drilling in California. This new directive could have far-reaching consequences. Even where you see no wells today, theres potential for oil and gas activities to expand.

Speaking at a news conference in Washington, Zinke said the order was part of Trumps broader America first energy policy, which has included several attempts to expand oil and gas development both onshore and off. In April, the administration issued a directive for the Interior Department to consider expanding ocean drilling, a review that is ongoing.

Were going to be a fair and prudent partner, but were not going to be an adversary to creating wealth and opportunity on some of our public lands, Zinke said.

Zinke criticized the Obama administration for putting off lease sales, saying the federal Mineral Leasing Act requires quarterly auctions. He also said oil and gas companies have been forced to wait an average 257 days for reviews of drilling applications on federally leased land even though the law limits the approval process to 30 days.

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As of Jan. 31, the Bureau of Land Management had 2,802 unprocessed applications for mineral development, according to the Interior Department.

In California, the prime area for exploration is in Kern County, where most the of the states extraction is done now. The Bureau of Land Management also controls land in Tulare, Fresno, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Ventura and Monterey counties, where drilling could also expand.

Some areas have local protections in place, which would complicate any efforts to issue new oil and gas leases. In Monterey County, for example, residents voted last year to ban fracking and new oil development, though courts have put the prohibition on hold while a legal challenge is heard.

In any case, the orders effects will probably not be felt for at least a year in California. A pair of lawsuits over the Bureau of Land Managements lease sales are forcing the agency to redo the way in which it auctions drilling rights. In the meantime, no new leases can be offered.

The agency has not said when it expects to complete its new leasing plan, but plaintiffs in the case say it probably wont be until well into 2018. Even then, the plaintiffs are prepared to go back to court if they need to make sure the plan is ecologically sound.

Their fear is that drilling will not only destroy the publics enjoyment of federal lands and potentially litter the areas with industrial waste, but hasten climate change by increasing fossil fuel use.

The BLM and Interior Department under Trump are so ideological with their head in the sand that their environment analysis will probably be woefully insufficient, said Brendan Cummings, conservation director for Center for Biological Diversity, which brought the successful suits. And the very desire of them to go full bore with leasing regardless of the consequences makes any new leases legally more vulnerable.

Kurtis Alexander is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: kalexander@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @kurtisalexander
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Facebook revealed plans on Friday to turn a 56-acre plot of land it bought in 2015 into its own village  complete with 1,500 homes, a grocery store, transit center, hotel, retail shops, office buildings and open park space.

The new development, formerly known as Menlo Science and Technology Park, will be named Willow Campus, an extension of Facebooks sprawling properties in the northern part of the city where tens of thousands of employees work every day.

The new facilities will be erected across the street from Facebooks headquarters and primary campus in Menlo Park.

The tech giant posted a video announcing its expansion plans Friday that shows smiling workers alongside whiteboard renderings of buildings and diagrams of the proposed village. Facebook wants to gain approval from the city of Menlo Park in time to begin construction in 2019. The company said it expects to open its first buildings to occupants by 2021.

Working with the community, our goal for the Willow Campus is to create an integrated, mixed-use village, John Tenanes, Facebooks vice president of global facilities and real estate, wrote in a blog post. Our hope is to create a physical space that supports our community and builds on our existing programs.

Implicit in the tech companys announcement is Facebooks belief that it can solve some of the areas most pressing issues, including traffic congestion, demand for affordable housing and a lack of transit options.

By opening the campus and some of its facilities to the public, Facebook is also heading off a common criticism lobbed at wealthy tech firms: that they move into cities, drive up the cost of living, displace area residents and then do little to give back.

We plan to continue to work closely with local leaders and community members to ensure Facebooks presence is a benefit to the community, Tenanes wrote. Its one were lucky to call home.

Of the 1,500 housing units Facebook intends to build, 15 percent  or about 225 units  will be offered at below market rates.

Air Quality Tracker Check levels down to the neighborhood Ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated every 10 minutes

The company will also invest tens of millions of dollars in improvements to Highway 101 and seek to catalyze regional transit investment by providing planned density sufficient to support new east-west connections and a future transit center, Tenanes wrote.

The east-west connection Facebook hopes to bring about would include greater use of the Dumbarton transportation corridor and possible shuttle buses to BART stations in the East Bay. Last year, the company proposed spending $1 million on a feasibility study of restoring a long-closed rail line across the southern end of San Francisco Bay that runs through the campus.

A grocery store and pharmacy that would be open to the public would also solve the issue of a lack of food retailers in that part of the city, where the nearest large store is a Safeway 4 miles away  a trip that can take up to 40 minutes during rush hour, according to Google Maps.

Facebook submitted its plans to the city of Menlo Park on Thursday. City officials have not yet commented on the companys plans. Facebook has commissioned architectural firm OMA New York to design the new campus.

Marissa Lang is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: mlang@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @Marissa_Jae
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Whole Foods Market executives and insiders will be able to afford to shop at the famously high-priced organic grocer for years to come if regulators and shareholders green-light the Texas companys $13.7 billion merger with Amazon.

Insiders at Whole Foods  which includes current and former executives, and board members  stand to take home at least $171 million in equity once the merger closes, the company disclosed in regulatory filings.

CEO and co-founder John Mackey will rake in more than $41 million of that money, enough to buy about 10.3 million containers of the grocers Organic Baby Kale Mix.

The Austin-based grocery chains top six executives, excluding Mackey, will automatically be able to cash in more than $53.7 million in shares they already own, as well as restricted stock and options that would automatically vest upon the mergers close, expected before the end of the year, according to an Express-News analysis of documents filed with the federal Securities and Exchange Commission.

Five of those executives could get up to $16.7 million in additional payments if Amazon terminates them or they resign for good reason within two years of the merger, the company disclosed in a new filing Friday.

So far, Whole Foods isnt preparing for a shake-up to its executive team. The company told investors in June that Mackey would remain CEO and no changes are planned for the grocers leadership after the merger finalizes. The chain will continue to operate under the Whole Foods banner, both companies said at the time.

Whole Foods spokeswoman Brooke Buchanan refused to comment. Amazon spokeswoman Ashley Robinson did not respond to an email requesting comment.

Amazon agreed in June to buy Whole Foods in an all-cash transaction valued at $42 a share and assume the companys debt. The organic grocer has struggled to ward off competition from traditional grocers such as H-E-B, Walmart and Target, which are increasingly adopting their own organic offerings, and keep other organic grocers like Sprouts Farmers Market and Natural Grocers from encroaching on its turf.

The merger represents a significant get for Amazon, pairing CEO Jeff Bezos ambitions to expand into food retail with the companys experiments with brick-and-mortar stores. It also gives the Seattle-based online retail giant access to shoppers in hundreds of high-income areas via Whole Foods fleet of stores, a sign that retailers still need physical locations to stay afloat.

But Whole Foods will need to continue revamping its pricing program to emphasize more affordable offerings, said Paula Rosenblum, managing partner at retail consulting firm RSR Research. The organic grocers high prices on common items such as milk and eggs have earned the company the unflattering reputation of Whole Paycheck.

What has to happen with Whole Foods is to regain the trust that it used to have, Rosenblum said. Theres a sense that Amazon could return that trust.

Rosenblum added, If they can pull that off, they will really be a force to be reckoned with.

After reporting seven straight quarters of falling same-store sales, activist investors pushed Whole Foods to a sale. Jana Partners disclosed an 8.9 percent stake in Whole Foods in April and backed a sale, prompting Mackey to lambast Jana Partners as greedy bastards in an interview with Texas Monthly.

But Whole Foods shareholders, including Mackey, stand to make big gains from the sale. The grocery chains stock closed at $33.06 a share June 15, the day before the sale, giving stockholders a 29 percent premium.

Stock analysts have speculated that Whole Foods is leaving money on the table. The Austin companys stock has routinely traded above the sale price of $42 a share on speculation that another buyer could emerge and start a bidding war with Amazon. Citing anonymous sources, Reuters reported that Walmart  considered the only retailer large enough to go head-to-head with Amazon for Whole Foods  will not enter a bid for the organic grocery chain. Whole Foods, Reuters reported, has also not received additional bids.

Whole Foods initially sought a sale price of $45 a share from Amazon, according to the SEC filing Friday. Amazon initially offered $41 a share for Whole Foods but later settled on the final price of $42 a share.

Two unnamed companies and four private equity firms were also interested in buying Whole Foods, according to the filing. One company valued the organic grocer at between $35 and $40 a share.

Mackey will receive the largest stock payout among the companys insiders, trading in 778,516 shares he owns directly, along with 100,000 shares held by his wife, 100,600 shares held in a trust and about 820 shares available through his retirement plan for $41.2 million in cash.

Behind Mackey comes Jonathan Sokoloff, a former director on Whole Foods board, with the second-largest take-home from stock payments among company insiders following the Amazon merger: $38.4 million. Sokoloff  a managing partner in the Los Angeles-based private equity firm Leonard Green & Partners  resigned from the Whole Foods board of directors in May with four other members, including board chairman John B. Elstrott.

In addition to salary, bonuses and benefits, Whole Foods compensates its executives with restricted stock and options that vest in equal increments over a number of years. Upon a change of control in the company, executives can automatically cash in their equity awards that otherwise would have taken years to vest.

More than 80 percent of top executives at Standard & Poors 500 companies have some kind of compensation agreement in the event of a change-of-control, corporate governance firm GMI Ratings reports.

If Amazon decides to oust the remaining Whole Foods executives or they resign within two years, executives are entitled to a lump sum payment equal to three times their annual base salary and the average of the last three bonuses paid to the executive.

Thats on the high side for change-of-control compensation but not unprecedented, said Dan Marcec, director of content at executive pay tracker Equilar. Investor advisory groups tend to recommend shareholders vote against packages of that size, Marcec said.

More unusual, Marcec said, is Whole Foods guarantee to lock in executives compensation for two years following the merger rather than awarding that amount in a cash payment to executives as soon as the merger finalizes.

This is on the more unusual side, as most companies dont have a policy on what another company would pay executives following a merger, Marcec said in an email.

Whole Foods plan to compensate executives under a change of control is shareholder-friendly compared with other publicly traded companies, said Rosanna Landis Weaver, a compensation expert with the shareholder advocacy group As You Sow.

Theyll be making plenty of money if they leave after the change of control if their employment ends, Weaver said. But compared to the excesses Im used to seeing, it is reasonably modest. I spend a lot of time criticizing excessively paid executives, so I have an obligation to occasionally applaud packages that seem reasonable.

Mackey wont receive any payments under the companys change of control provisions. In 2007, the 63-year-old chief executive voluntarily reduced his annual salary to $1 and forwent bonus payments and equity awards under Whole Foods executive compensation structure. He has also opted not to sign a change of control agreement with his company, which executives typically use as a precaution.

This is not all that uncommon, said Richard Clayton, research director for shareholder advocacy nonprofit Change to Win. That said, this is a fairly small stake for a founder to be relying on without receiving any other compensation.

Clayton added, More generally, Whole Foods has definitely been one of the relatively small number of public companies that is not attempting to use very high levels of executive pay as a mechanism to motivate improved performance.

Walter Robb, who stepped down as Whole Foods co-CEO on Nov. 2, will receive the second-highest payout. He still holds about $16.8 million worth of restricted shares, stock options and independently owned shares in the company that hell be able to sell when the merger closes, according to SEC documents. He currently sits on Whole Foods board of directors.

Glenda Flanagan, Whole Foods former chief financial officer, will receive the third-highest payout among Whole Foods executives, cashing in $16.1 million in restricted shares, stock options and shares she already owns. Flanagan retired as CFO Nov. 2 but remains with the company in a senior advisory position. Flanagan will receive a lump-sum severance payment of $2.6 million if she resigns or is terminated within two years of the mergers completion.

Chief Operation Officer A.C. Gallo, Chief Information Officer Jason Buechel and David Lannon  executive vice president of operations, U.S. and Whole Foods 365  will make about $9.9 million, $4 million and $6.4 million, respectively, from accelerated vesting of restricted shares and stock options along with sales of their own shares from the sale to Amazon.

Gallo and Lannon will each make about $2.6 million if they resign or lose their jobs within two years, while Buechel will make about $5.7 million.

Keith Manbeck became the companys CFO in May and will automatically receive $540,200 in restricted shares and stock options when the merger closes.

Under a change of control agreement struck with the company June 14, Manbeck will receive a $2 million lump sum cash payment and more than $266,000 in compensation for Kohls stock he forfeited when he resigned as that companys senior vice president of finance, strategy and business transformation if he resigns or loses his job in two years in connection with the merger. Manbeck will also get $975,000 if he leaves or is fired before the company awards its annual bonuses for fiscal year 2017.

jfechter@express-news.net

Twitter: @JFreports
A fifth suspect was arrested in association with an April shooting death in San Jose, police said Thursday.

San Jose resident Jesus Barragan-Sandoval, 20, was arrested on suspicion of murder Monday and booked into Santa Clara County jail, according to the San Jose Police Department.
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A BART director who was at an Oakland station when a pack of teenagers committed a violent robbery  the second such incident at the station in three months  said Thursday she was concerned both about crime on the system and BARTs recent decision to release less public information about crimes.

Despite running a website and social media accounts and offering service alerts via email and text to its vast ridership, BART does not regularly publish details about crimes. A month ago, in the wake of the first teen mob robbery, it stopped providing daily summaries of crimes to the media.

As a result, the robbery last Friday at Coliseum Station in Oakland wasnt widely known until The Chronicle reported on it after speaking to one of the victims Wednesday, five days later. The woman said her iPhone was snatched and then returned to her by a heroic fellow passenger who confronted the teens and had to withstand a barrage of punches and kicks on the concrete train platform.

Lateefah Simon, who joined the board of directors last year, said she plans to meet with BARTs police chief, Carlos Rojas, who was sworn in May 25, and find out face-to-face what were going to do about crime on the transit system, which saw a surge of robberies this year. And Simon said she wanted to know more about how we inform the public.

More for you Another violent teen robbery on BART in Oakland  but this...

Simon said she didnt witness much of the robbery, but recalled a woman shouting, Hey, hey, hey, hey, as a group of young children, sixth- or seventh-graders, ran away.

Two other directors said they would look into the way BART communicates about crime. Bevan Dufty said he believes the system should err on the side of transparency in reporting incidents, while saying he did not fully understand the recent changes in BARTs procedures.

I intend to ask about it at the next BART board meeting, Dufty said. I wish we would be more open than bottling things up. The beauty of the Bay Area is how aware and informed we are.

Director John McPartland said he too planned to speak with Chief Rojas about the crime-reporting changes.

I want to find out his rationale and justification, McPartland said. Looking at it from a public safety and public accountability standpoint, I want to find out exactly whats going on.

After at least 40 teens robbed and beat customers at the same station on April 22, BART did not immediately announce what had happened, and The Chronicle was first to report the robbery two days later. At that time, BART pointed out that a summary of the incident had appeared in a daily crime log available to reporters over email.

But a month ago, the agency stopped producing and sharing the logs, after media outlets began paying more attention to them. Serious crimes on BART now appear on an interactive mapping website, CrimeMapping.com, but with minimal details. The most recent incident is listed only as a strong-arm robbery that occurred at Coliseum Station at 6:23 p.m.

BART spokesman Taylor Huckaby denied Thursday that the policy change was an attempt to conceal information about crime on the system.

The charge that we are hiding information is patently absurd, he said.

Huckaby dismissed Fridays incident as an attempted cell phone snatching that was thwarted, a crime that did not merit BART notifying the public.

He said that after the phone was retrieved, BART officers surrounded a group of 10 to 13 teenagers as they tried to escape. The suspects were detained and photographed, but released to their parents after witnesses could not identify who had taken the phone. The investigation is continuing.

Police agencies around the Bay Area use a wide variety of approaches to release public information about crimes. Some release broad details on Facebook or over email, while others provide very little. Some agencies publicize only major incidents like shootings and sexual assaults, while others offer a daily log of all crimes, similar to the one BART distributed until last month.

Steve Rubenstein is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: srubenstein@sfchronicle.com

Twitter: @SteveRubeSF
A 22-year-old man suspected to have murdered a 21-year-old woman in Delhi by stabbing her 22 times was arrested in Mumbai on Friday.

By Saurabh Vaktania: A joint team of Delhi Police and Mumbai Police Crime Branch late Friday night arrested a 22-year-old man who is suspected to be the person who stabbed a 21-year-old aspiring air-hostess to death in Delhi earlier this week.

The man, who has been identified as Adil Khan, was arrested from Bandra, a suburb of Mumbai. Sources tell India Today that Khan was arrested from his relatives' house and that he was about to flee to another state but was nabbed right in time.

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It remains unclear how and when Khan traveled to Mumbai after the July 4 incident in which the 21-year-old aspiring air-hostess died after being stabbed 22 times in Mansarovar Park area of East Delhi.

The incident was captured by CCTV cameras installed in the neighbourhood.

At about 5:30 pm on Tuesday, the woman went to a shop just outside her house in Masarovar Park. While she was busy making a few purchases, Adil approached her.

The two then entered into an argument and Adil suddenly took out a knife and allegedly stabbed the girl multiple times.

She tried to save herself and ran inside the shop but he followed her and continued to attack her. Locals rushed to the spot but Adil fled the spot.

The woman was admitted to GTB Hospital where she succumbed to her injuries on July 6. Initial probe into the incident suggests that Adil's motivation lay in the woman spurning his advances.

ALSO READ | Mumbai: Girl stabbed to death by 22-year-old man on busy road

ALSO WATCH | Caught on camera: Delhi woman stabbed 22 times by jilted lover

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After two teenagers robbed a smoke shop in Rohnert Park, an employee of the business, not content with running them out of the store, ran down one of them in his Jeep Wrangler, police said Thursday.

The employee, Adam Richardson of Windsor, was arrested Thursday morning at his home on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon following the Wednesday evening incident, according to the Rohnert Park Department of Public Safety.

Authorities said that Richardson did not do what most shop owners would do when two teenage boys  a 14-year-old and a 15-year-old wearing masks  entered the smoke shop on Commerce Boulevard in Rohnert Park on Tuesday and demanded money. Richardson did not call the police.

Instead, he is accused of confronting the pair and demanding they remove the masks from their faces  when the 15-year-old allegedly snatched a marijuana pipe and the pair sprinted out of the store. Police did not identify the shop.

Still, police said the employee did not call authorities. He gave chase until the teenagers ran into Copeland Creek, just to the north, police said, where he lost them.

Investigators said Richardson then hopped into his Wrangler and drove through the nearby neighborhood in an effort to find the two.

Around 6:50 p.m., a short time after the theft, police said Richardson came across the two about a mile away in Alicia Park near John Reed Elementary School. He then allegedly drove the Jeep across the grass, straight toward them.

Police said Richardson ran over the 15-year-old, who had just pushed his younger comrade in crime, out of the way. The 15-year-old rolled over the roof of the speeding Jeep, landing on his head on an asphalt pathway, police said.

The teenagers made their way back to the home of the mother of the older one, police said, who drove her son to the hospital, where he was treated for his injuries.

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Richardson was arrested the next day at his home, where police said he admitted to the crime.

Both teens were arrested for suspicion of shoplifting and conspiracy to commit a crime, police said. The 14-year-old was also arrested on an outstanding warrant. Neither was identified because they are juveniles.

Michael Bodley is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: mbodley@sfchronicle.com. Twitter: @michael_bodley
When Kris Kobach of the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity sent out a letter last week asking all 50 states to provide the federal government with detailed information on every voter in the nation in hopes of combatting election fraud, experts say he may have unwittingly opened a new gate for the bad actors of the cyberworld.

By calling for states to provide the names, addresses, birthdays, partial Social Security numbers, drivers license numbers and other personal information for the more than 200 million people who have been registered to vote since 2006, Kobach could be setting up a one-stop shop of personal information that would be a treasure trove not only for shady online entrepreneurs, but also for identity thieves and criminal hackers.

If youre a hacker, if youre Vladimir Putin, if youre someone trying to disrupt elections, now instead of having to break into 50 databases, you have to get into just one, said Jesse Melgar, a spokesman for California Secretary of State Alex Padilla. Its a hackers dream and a cybersecurity nightmare.

California has refused to turn over any voter information. Kobach has stated that 14 states and the District of Columbia are refusing to turn over the information.

In his letter released June 29, Kobach, who is the secretary of state in Kansas, said the commission was looking only for public information from the states.

Whatever a person on the street can walk in and get, thats what we would like, Kobach, the commissions vice chairman, told CNNs Anderson Cooper last Friday.

But even basic information like a voters name, address and date of birth is going to be enough to cause problems, said Matt Bishop, a computer science professor at UC Davis and co-director of the universitys computer security laboratory.

If hackers want a whole lot of information on a whole lot of people so they can sell it, this is it, he added. The federal government is doing most of their job for them.

Kobach said that the information would be used to fully analyze vulnerabilities and issues related to voter registration and voting. President Trump put together the commission after complaining that millions of illegal votes cost him a popular vote victory in November, a view seconded by Kobach.

The one-size-fits-all letter takes an all-encompassing view of what may be considered public, asking for such clearly private information as the last four digits of voters Social Security numbers, which not one state so far has agreed to provide.

It seems unbelievable that anyone would ask for this information, said Natalie Tennant of the Brennan Center of Justice at New York University School of Law. Everyone knows you dont give out your Social Security number, so why insult state officials by asking?

Kobach has said that even his own state, Kansas, isnt allowed to provide those Social Security numbers.

Its not just identity thieves who would be looking for even partial Social Security numbers, Bishop said.

How many companies confirm your identity by using the last four digits of your Social Security number? he asked. If that ever becomes public, people can use that information to impersonate you to your phone company and other groups and do things to mess up your life.

That public information  and the rules for who gets it and how it may be used  vary widely among the states. California, for example, provides a voters name, address, gender, party identification and which elections they have voted in. But that information typically can be used only for political or academic purposes, Melgar said.

If someone came in off the street and asked for the information, wed ask why they wanted it, he added. And we dont provide anyone with a Social Security number, drivers license number, criminal history or date of birth.

Public Data is a California company that collects voter information from the state, combines it with other publicly available demographic statistics and then sells that information to about 900 different customers, including political campaigns, universities and grassroots organizers. But the company has to follow the states rules governing the data, which include no business use.

If a group of Realtors came by and said they wanted that information to help sell homes, wed send them away, said Paul Mitchell, vice president of Public Data.

California and other states are concerned that Kobach plans to use the information from the states to put together national rules making it easier to bar people from voting. A nationwide voter database could open the way to more challenges for people looking to register, which could keep eligible voters from casting ballots, said Tennant, who was West Virginias secretary of state from 2009 to 2017.

What also worries election officials is Kobachs promise that any documents that are submitted to the full commission will also be made available to the public, although he said in a new letter Wednesday that those documents would not include the raw voting lists, which the commission would de-identify, or detach a voters identity from the data, before releasing them publicly.

That still leaves problems, though, because the government would continue to store the complete voting lists, Bishop said.

If theyre not going to make it all public, how do they store it? he asked. The federal government doesnt have a great record of protecting its data.

If the full voter data the commission has asked for did get out, either by public release or by hacking, Bishop said, calling that a disaster would be like saying the Titanic bumped into something.

Access to the most sensitive information that states are being asked to provide would be found money for the bad guys and grifters of the cyberworld.

A combination of Social Security numbers and dates of birth, along with full names and addresses, could be used to peel apart likely passwords and other online information by identity thieves, said Mitchell of Public Data.

Those concerns have been enough to persuade many voting officials to move cautiously when it comes to complying with Kobachs data request.

California is standing by its refusal to provide Kobach and his committee with any voter information, and there doesnt seem to be anything the federal government can do about it.

As it stands now, the letter is a request, said Melgar of the secretary of states office. Its not a mandate. Its not a subpoena. And we dont feel comfortable about providing any information when theres no statement about what its going to be used for.

John Wildermuth is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jwildermuth@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @jfwildermuth
At age 17, George Hotz achieved worldwide fame as the first person to jailbreak the original iPhone, allowing it to be used with any wireless carrier.

Now, a decade later, hes doing something similar with vehicles, releasing hardware and software to enable tech-savvy people to hack into cars and give them self-driving features.

Lets take something historically siloed and locked down by manufacturers and lets unlock it, Hotz said in the five-bedroom rented mansion in San Franciscos tony St. Francis Wood where his company, Comma.ai, is based. He lives there with three of the 10 employees. We want to build core back end technology to enable self-driving cars to exist.

Comma.ai originally planned a $1,000 kit to allow people to retrofit their cars to be self-driving. But it backed away in October after stern warnings from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which questioned its safety. Hotz said hes happy to avoid regulatory battles and direct dealings with consumers. Instead, Comma.ai is releasing various components that developers and tinkerers can use to create their own kits to add features like lane-keeping assistance and adaptive cruise control to existing cars.

Theres a whole world of people who used to mess with their cars, Hotz said. But thats gone because you cant modify cars with torque wrenches; they are computers now. We want to provide that same level of access to people interested in modifying their cars.

Hotz, whom the New Yorker called the most famous hacker in the world, sees his technology as equivalent to the Android phone, providing a platform for developers to create their own products. Comma has several offerings:

Panda, a hardware device that plugs into a cars OBD-II port, the connector that allows mechanics and others to check the status of systems such as emissions controls. Available now for $88, Panda is the best universal car interface ever, according to Hotz, who is fond of superlatives. Its USB and wireless connectivity allow a computer or phone to talk to the cars subsystems as a first step to make cars self-driving, he said.

Openpilot, open-source self-driving software, available since late November. Hotz said 73 people are using it, including high-level tinkerers and a few companies, some of which are building commercial products based on it.

Chffr, a dashcam app that lets users record and review their rides, and trains cars to be self-driving by harvesting information that Comma uses to improve Openpilot.

Cabana, a website that analyzes data retrieved from the car via Panda and Chffr. Car manufacturers heavily guard such data, allowing only limited access for mechanics, according to Hotz. Cabana and Panda go deeper, he said, democratizing access to the decoder ring for your car. The pair would allow someone to built apps that are like Fitbits for a car, tracking things like gear performance, tips for smoother driving and how to save gas on the drivers commute.

Andrew Barnett, a business analyst for a software company, uses Commas technology for semiautonomy on his daily highway commute in Dallas and said its been an amazing experience.

Barnett bought a $1,000 product from a company called Neodriven that packaged Commas components into a plug-and-play kit. After a couple of hours of installation, the kit controlled the cars adaptive cruise control and lane keeping. His 2016 Honda Civic already had those features, but he said the Comma ones are much better.

The adaptive cruise control from Honda Sensing is almost embarrassing in bumper-to-bumper traffic; it drives like a 16-year-old just learning, he said. The Comma/Neodriven technology is far more smooth; theres not as many gaps, and you dont constantly have cars weaving in and out.

Elliot Katz, an attorney who leads DLA Pipers connected and autonomous vehicle group, said he thinks letting innovators like Comma compete in the marketplace will ultimately result in safer cars.

Just as everyone has a choice about what car they buy, we should also have a choice in what automated technology we decide to use, he said. If a startup offers a product that can save lives and make safer cars, everyone should be in favor of that.

Comma has $3.1 million in seed funding raised a year ago from VC firm Andreessen Horowitz. Hotz said he has half the money left, thanks to running a lean operation, spending less than $10,000 a month to rent the three-story St. Francis Wood house, for instance.

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The basement and garage are stocked with tools such as a circuit board maker, laser cutter and four 3-D printers. In the driveway, an engineer peered under the hood of a white Acura thats rigged with Commas technology.

Long-term, the companys business model is to work with insurance companies, all of which would appreciate technology to reduce accidents, Hotz said, without giving specifics.

For Panda, his target is modest: selling a thousand or so units over the next couple of months.

This is less about giving you a spoon-fed experience, and more about you getting this to explore your car and see whats possible, Hotz said.

Then he waxed more hyperbolic. Our company mission is to build and ship the worlds first superhuman driving agent, software that drives your car, he said.

Carolyn Said is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: csaid@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @csaid
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HAMBURG, Germany - President Donald Trump brought a starkly populist and nationalistic message to Europe on Thursday, characterizing Western civilization as under siege and putting the United States on a potential collision course with European and Asian powers that embrace a more cooperative approach to the world.

Speaking in Warsaw ahead of his arrival here in Germany for a contentious Group of 20 summit, Trump delivered an address that was both provocative and short on specifics - arguing that Western values are increasingly imperiled by "radical Islamic terrorism" and extremism and casting himself as a champion in a vaguely defined clash of cultures.

"The fundamental question of our time is whether the West has the will to survive. Do we have the confidence in our values to defend them at any cost?" Trump said, speaking at a monument to a past struggle, the 1944 Polish resistance to Nazi occupation in World War II. "Do we have enough respect for our citizens to protect our borders? Do we have the desire and the courage to preserve our civilization in the face of those who would subvert and destroy it?"

Later in the day, Trump took to Twitter to proclaim that "THE WEST WILL NEVER BE BROKEN. Our values will PREVAIL."

The fiery address to a friendly crowd stacked with supporters of Poland's populist ruling party did not define those Western values in any detail, however, and was devoid of the kind of explicit endorsement of democratic ideals common among past U.S. presidents. Unlike President Barack Obama last year, for example, Trump did not direct any criticism at his host, Polish President Andrzej Duda, for a crackdown on press freedoms and for other restrictive policies.

And on the eve of a planned 30-minute meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Trump again refused to say definitively whether Russia had interfered in the U.S. elections, as U.S. intelligence agencies strongly assert, though he did rebuke Moscow for its "destabilizing activities" in Ukraine and elsewhere.

Trump's foreboding message in Warsaw stood in stark contrast to the more optimistic notes struck by Germany's Angela Merkel and other European leaders at the start of the G-20 summit here in Hamburg. The day's events included the formal announcement of a trade agreement between the European Union and Japan, a deal akin in size to the North American Free Trade Agreement and other multilateral pacts that Trump has vilified and sought to scrap or alter.

Besides trade, the two-day G-20 meeting highlights several other fissures between Trump and European leaders, including on climate change and immigration.

As protesters clashed with police armed with pepper stray and water cannons outside the summit Thursday, Trump and Merkel met directly for about an hour, according to German officials, who characterized the meeting as friendly but contentious, particularly on trade.

"The question is whether the Americans are still convinced that world trade always needs to be assessed according to one question, namely whether the U.S. is the winner, or whether we'll manage to convince the Americans that when everyone plays by the same fair rules, everyone will be better off," German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel told German broadcaster ARD afterward.

A U.S. account of the meeting made no mention of the tensions.

The stop in Poland - which Trump called "the geographic heart of Europe" - was both a symbolic and strategic choice for the new American president. The Eastern European nation is a critical U.S. ally and perhaps the European capital most welcoming to Trump's nationalist message.

Leaving little to chance at a tightly choreographed speech, Polish government officials arranged for buses to bring supporters into the city from the rural parts of the country, where the ruling party's support is strongest.

Poland is one of the few NATO countries that has met an agreement to contribute at least 2 percent of its gross domestic product to defense spending, an issue that Trump has repeatedly raised since the campaign. It was one of many things Trump praised Poland for on Thursday.

But Trump also said military spending alone is not enough to preserve Western civilization.

"Our own fight for the West does not begin on the battlefield," he said. "It begins with our minds, our wills and our souls. Today, the ties that unite our civilization are no less vital and demand no less defense than that bare shred of land on which the hope of Poland once totally rested."

Speaking with nationalist overtones, Trump praised Poland as an example of a nation that had persevered despite grave challenges, saying it offered "the story of a people who have never lost hope, who have never been broken, and who have never forgotten who they are."

Poland's current right-leaning, populist government has proven a natural ally for Trump. The country's Law and Justice Party has embraced some of the main pillars of Trump's candidacy, including a similar resistance to accepting Muslim refugees.

"While we will always welcome new citizens who share our values and love our people, our borders will always be closed to terrorism and extremism," Trump said Thursday. He also decried "the steady creep of government bureaucracy that drains the vitality and wealth of the people."

Trump's speech was also notable for its explicit commitment to Article 5, the collective security provision of the NATO treaty. "The United States has demonstrated not merely with words, but with its actions, that we stand firmly behind Article 5, the mutual defense commitment," Trump said.

Trump had notably left out a mention of Article 5 during a speech in late May at NATO's new headquarters in Brussels. Every U.S. president since Harry Truman in 1949 has pledged to honor the policy that an attack on an alliance nation is an attack on all of them.

In a day of mixed messages toward Russia, Trump used his Warsaw speech to offer his firmest rebuke of Moscow.

"We urge Russia to cease its destabilizing activities in the Ukraine and elsewhere and its support for hostile regimes, including Syria and Iran, and instead join the community of responsible nations in our fight against common enemies and defense of civilization itself," Trump said.

Earlier in the day, Trump struck a different tone. When asked during a joint news conference with Duda about Russian meddling in last year's U.S. election, Trump refused to say definitively that he believes Russia was responsible.

"I think it could very well have been Russia, but I think it could well have been other countries" Trump said. "Nobody really knows. Nobody really knows for sure."

Trump also used the appearance to continue his feud with CNN, saying the network has "been fake news for a long time." He called NBC "equally as bad, despite the fact that I made them a fortune with 'The Apprentice,' " a reference to the long-running reality show that starred Trump.

Shortly after arriving in Germany, Trump met with Merkel, with whom Trump has had a chilly relationship during his first months in office. Appearing briefly before the media, the pair appeared casual with each other and chatted freely. They shook hands while looking directly at each other - in contrast to their first meeting in Washington, when Trump declined a handshake in front of news cameras.

In a statement afterward, the White House said Trump and Merkel discussed a number of foreign policy and national security priorities, including the ongoing conflict between Qatar and Persian Gulf and Arab states, the North Korean crisis and the conflict in Ukraine.

Gabriel, the German foreign minister, said discussion of climate and trade issues "are still clearly contentious." He and U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson were among those who attended the meeting.

Gabriel has often advocated for better relations between the West and Russia, and he said Germany was "very happy" about the Friday meeting scheduled between Trump and Putin.

"If relations between the United States and Russia continue to be as bad as they are now, this is bad for the whole world," he said.

Trump is also scheduled to meet Friday with Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto. An earlier meeting between the two was canceled over Trump's insistence that Mexico pay for a vast new wall along the border between the two countries.

On trade, Trump is attempting to leverage the United States' economic power to negotiate deals in the country's favor, but foreign leaders appear increasingly ready to bypass the U.S. president.

On the eve of the G-20 summit, leaders from Japan and the E.U. announced their agreement on the broad strokes of a trade deal that will cover nearly 30 percent of the global economy, 10 percent of the world's population and 40 percent of global trade.

The announcement appeared to be a calculated rebuke of both the United States and Britain, which voted to leave the E.U. last year.

For Trump, another priority is shoring up support for his effort to contain North Korea after its defiant test of an intercontinental ballistic missile. Trump warned Thursday that North Korea could face "some pretty severe" consequences, but Washington also confronted firm opposition from Russia and China over any possible response.

Appearing briefly before the press before a dinner Thursday, Trump was asked by a reporter whether he had given up on Chinese President Xi Jinping to lean on North Korea to cease its activities.

"Never give up," Trump said.

"Are you disappointed?" the reporter persisted, referring to Trump's complaints in recent days that trade between China and North Korea has increased.

Trump didn't answer.

---

Wagner reported from Washington. Ana Swanson in Washington and Stephanie Kirchner in Berlin contributed to this report.

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Video: Trump on Nazi occupation in Poland: 'That was tough'

URL: http://wapo.st/2stoWTK

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Chuck Grant wants to know if you have an extra bedroom, because hes looking for a place to live.

But not for himself.

Grant, a 72-year-old retired businessman from Kensington, wants to connect people who have extra space in their homes to people who have no homes.

Thats why Grant regularly sits at a folding table in front of East Bay grocery stores and churches, handing out business cards for Safe Time Home Sharing, a nonprofit he started that seeks to temporarily house people.

I met Grant, Safe Times executive director, making pitches at the entrance to the Safeway on San Pablo Avenue in El Cerrito.

Formed a few months ago with a group of friends, the organization is focusing on west Contra Costa County, mainly in Richmond and El Cerrito, to get started. People in need of temporary housing are referred to Safe Time by local community service agencies, and Safe Time recruits volunteers through community outreach.

The first time I did this I had a hand-lettered sign, Grant told me as curious passersby paused to see what he was selling. His sign had read Please shelter a family in need.

People started giving me money, Grant said. People thought I was looking for a home for myself and my family.

Grant, however, isnt selling anything. Hes looking for something: kindness. Hes looking for people kind enough to host someone in need of a place to stay. People who are willing to do this without collecting a cent for their good deed.

Already, a handful of hosts have opened their hearts and minds  and the doors to their homes. And Safe Time is looking for more volunteers.

Referrals come from community groups, churches, schools and police. After a person in need files an application, Safe Time calls their listed references. Applicants have to be physically and mentally healthy, with no history of violence or substance abuse problems. Applicants must also have a plan to get themselves to long-term housing. According to Grant, Safe Time conducts a more detailed background check at the request of hosts.

Once a person in need applies to Safe Time, they meet their potential host at a neutral site. If that goes well, then a home visit is scheduled so theyre not strangers when they move in, Grant said.

Grant said he was inspired to start Safe Time by The Chronicles Season of Sharing Fund and reports of people opening their homes to refugees in Europe.

And then Airbnb  everybodys willing to let strangers come in their home for a few bucks, I figured maybe there are people out there who will let strangers come into their homes for karma points, Grant said.

Last week, Nichole Creer and her 5-year-old son, Demareau Davis, moved into Teryl Burts El Cerrito town house overlooking Wildcat Canyon Regional Park. Smooth jazz wafted through the multilevel home thats brimming with plants and flowers.

Burt knows how opening a home can change someones life. Her parents took in a young girl, an employee at the Burt familys Dairy Queen in Woodstock, Ill., during the girls senior year in high school. The girl stayed with Burts parents until she got married, more than a decade later.

We had the best parents ever, said Burt, 64, who co-owns a computer company with her brother and sister. They were kind and generous.

Burt, who wasnt looking for a roommate, says she knows allowing Creer to stay rent-free will help Creer save for her own place.

The people that are coming through Safe Time, theyre not felons or drug addicts, Burt said. Theyre just people who need a break. And I got so many breaks in my life.

Santiago Mejia/The Chronicle

Creer, 27, will stay for three months. From the deck off the room where she and Demareau will sleep, they spotted a red-shouldered hawk perched in a tree. Its the tail end of mating season.

This is super cool, Creer said. You cant beat this. You wake up in peace.

Burt was the second host Creer met through Safe Time. The first woman had a cluttered house, including the room where Creer and Demareau would have slept. The woman wanted Creer to sell the clutter on eBay. Creer decided not to move in.

Its been a long journey, Creer said, as she watched Demareau follow Burts dog, a cocker spaniel-poodle mix that likes to chase turkeys, out of the room. Creer, a single mother, hopes that by living with Burt, she can save up enough to get into an apartment.

Creer wants Demareau to have the stable home that she never had. Shes an AmeriCorps member who hopes to get a job as a youth specialist where she can do what Safe Time is doing for her: provide hope.

Because her mother smoked crack during her pregnancy, Creer, an Oakland native, was born going through withdrawal. Her father was on drugs, too, and Creer spent much of her childhood in foster homes. She has lived in Richmond, West Oakland, East Oakland, Pittsburg, Antioch, Folsom and Sacramento  mostly in apartments, but oftentimes in her car.

Teased everywhere she moved as a teenager, Creer protected her feelings by fighting.

I never went to jail, so I got lucky, she said. I never got shot or really hurt. Fighting was just a way of venting for me. Its not like I wanted to fight.

Now shes fighting to afford to live in the Bay Area.

Its barriers, barriers, barriers  constantly. A life of barriers. When does it get easier? Creer said. At the end of the day, people need people. You cant get ahead without somebody else.

So everybody needs each other in order for things to work in the world.

San Francisco Chronicle columnist Otis R. Taylor Jr. appears Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Email: otaylor@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @otisrtaylorjr
On the eve of his highly anticipated meeting with Vladimir Putin, President Trump offered a rare criticism of Russia, delivered ever so mildly. Trump said the United States was working with Poland to deal with Russias destabilizing behavior in Ukraine and elsewhere. He also called on Moscow to end its collaborative relationships with hostile regimes in Iran and Syria.

But on the most direct conflict in U.S. relations with Russia  its interference in the 2016 election  Trump remained determined to hedge when confronted with a yes-or-no question. I think it was Russia, and it could have been other people in other countries, Trump replied. Nobody really knows for sure.

Actually, U.S. intelligence agencies are quite united in their conclusion that not only did the Russians meddle in the election with the intent to damage Democrat Hillary Clinton, but that the operation was ordered by Putin himself. The only real question  now being pursued by special counsel Robert Mueller  is whether anyone in the Trump campaign colluded with the Russians in any way. Trump has steadfastly denied any such involvement by his team.

Trumps ambiguous characterization of the Russians action in 2016 represented a slap at the intelligence community, a rare undercutting of an American institution by a U.S. president on foreign soil. He also took shots at former President Barack Obama and the American news media while in Poland, a nation where the government has cracked down on the independence of judges, journalists and opposition parties. His host, President Andrzej Duda, had to be pleased at their shared disdain for genuine checks on executive authority.

Perhaps the one bright spot of Trumps Thursday remarks was his praise of the mutual defense pledge under NATO, a commitment he left in question as a candidate last year.

Now comes the big event, Trumps first face-to-face meeting with Putin.

Trump is in a difficult position, and one he created himself, by both praising Putin and mocking the inability of Obama and others to effectively stand up to the Russian leader. These are two men who like the optics of being seen as the alpha male in every scene they enter. And Trump remains highly sensitive about the perception that the Russian meddling diminishes his victory.

Putin must receive the unmistakable message that foreign interference in Americas democracy is intolerable and subject to serious consequences if it ever were to happen again. President Trump, the nation is watching to see if you will defend your ego or the national interest.
By PTI: By Aditi Khanna

London, Jul 7 (PTI) The Libyan-origin suicide bomber, who carried out the terror attack in Manchester city killing 22 people, did not act alone, police said, indicating that more arrests are likely.

The Greater Manchester police said that their investigation into the terror attack carried out by Salman Abedi, 22, at the end of a concert by American pop star Ariana Grande in May, is likely to lead to further arrests.

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Detective Chief Superintendent Russ Jackson, head of counterterrorism in north-west England, said that Abedi had carried the explosive device through the streets of Manchester for "several hours" before blowing up at his intended target.

"We are still working to understand the manner by which he became radicalised," Jackson told reporters at Greater Manchester Police headquarters this week.

Abedis family is from Libya but fled during the dictatorship of Muammar Gaddafi.

Abedi travelled to Libya numerous times and police are investigating how he learnt to make a bomb.

Detectives are working with Libyan authorities to question Abedis brother, 20-year-old Hashem, who is being held in Tripoli. He was arrested along with their father Ramadan.

"Salman Abedi travelled to Libya a number of times in his life. What we are looking at is the number of ways he learned the skills to build the device," Jackson said.

Officers are still searching for a blue suitcase in a landfill site, which has been described as a "key line in the inquiry".

The police investigation into the attack is expected to continue for "many, many months to come" as police have 16,000 hours of CCTV footage and 755 statements to analyse.

More than 250 people were hurt with injuries ranging from paralysis and loss of limbs to internal and facial injuries in the blast.

The bomb had a "devastating" impact and gouged out a section of the concrete floor of Manchester Arena in the heart of the city.

Greater Manchester Police also disclosed more emotional details of the aftermath of the attack on May 22, describing how forensics officers had used roses and nameplates to pinpoint where the bodies of families loved ones fell in a dignified way. PTI AK CPS AKJ CPS

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Michael Gaines is at the top of his game. He was a cook at Manresa, the 4-star restaurant in Los Gatos known for its precision in crafting complex, labor-intensive fixed price menus, before moving to Kin Khao, where he cooked Thai food.

Now, on his own, hes opened Glenas in Dogpatch. Its a casual Mexican restaurant where diners place their orders just inside the door of the modest storefront, choosing from a menu that specializes in tacos and margaritas.

It may seem like an odd choice for a chef who has spent years perfecting his craft, but hes following what is becoming an increasingly popular path for highly trained and talented cooks: Go ultra-casual.

Gaines says its a lifestyle choice. He lives in Potrero Hill, and he and his wife just had a second child. He can walk to the restaurant, spend time with his family and have less stress at work. While opening any restaurant is a labor of love and requires long hours, Gaines says its much less intense than meeting the high expectations and demanding work schedule required to get ahead in the fine-dining world.

John Storey/Special to the Chronicle

Gaines grew up in southern California. He says Mexican was his go-to food, and hes always wanted to do this type of restaurant. Now instead of putting on a white coat and apron, he greets guests in jeans and T-shirts.

Glenas may have a limited menu, but diners get the benefit of all that training in the bright salsas: a mild salsa verde with tomatillos smoothed with a dab of avocado; roja with charred tomatillos and dried chiles; and fiery habanero with charred flecks scattered throughout. The trio comes with chips and a guacamole ($10) thats simply large chunks of ripe fruit enhanced with salt and lime.

His high standards show up in the simplest of dishes, tacos. The fish versions are made with tilapia ($5) seared with precise grill marks. The strips of fish are arranged in a house-made corn tortilla garnished with chipotle mayonnaise, marinated cabbage, slices of radishes, jalapenos and fresh cilantro. The carne asada taco ($6) has a rich, smoky overlay that seems to bring out the essence of the grilled skirt steak. Other taco choices include one with a fried egg ($5) with pickled red onions and cotija; and another of tofu ($5) with avocado, black beans and roja salsa.

However, my favorite taco is the al pastor ($5): The flour tortilla is filled with marinated and grilled pork shoulder accented with charred onions, salsa verde and a touch of pineapple that stays in the background but works to balance the other elements.

The restaurants other specialty is its margarita ($12). Served on ice with a thick rim of salt, it has a fine balance of flavor, with just enough sweetness to smooth the Tequila and salt. In fact all the cocktails ($12) eschew overly sweet elements for a more spirituous approach, whether its the Paloma, the El Marinero (Mezcal, rhum, Aperol and pineapple) or the Si Senor (gin, Cocchi Americano and lemon).

Those pristine ingredients that put Manresa on the map can be found in the El Guapo Ensalada ($12). Its Little Gem lettuces are coated in a sour cream dressing with lime and chiles, tossed with avocado, cucumbers, cotija, pumpkin seeds and red onions.

The biggest hit on the menu is the fried chicken torta ($14), where the soft Acme torpedo roll is slathered with chipotle mayonnaise, black beans, lettuce, red onions and cotija. It has a winning boldness missing in the shrimp ceviche ($16), which was so subtle it got buried in the wave of other dishes.

I was initially disappointed in the pozole ($15), brick red from all the dried chiles, because it yielded a greasy mouthfeel that couldnt be cut by the accompanying lime, shredded cabbage, dried oregano and diced white onions. On a later visit the recipe had been tweaked so that the elements were more integrated, allowing the bold flavors to bloom. The avocado and expertly fried chips helped to break the intensity of the broth.

The only dessert offering is a churro ($6) fried to a complete crispness. Its fine, but seems overpriced for what you get.

The interior of the compact space, which for many years was the New Spot, has been revamped with scarred tongue and groove siding and wood floors, which contrast with the shiny tile behind the bar that wraps around the partly open kitchen. Tables line one wall, opposite two bar-height communal tables. In all it seats only about 20, but the kitchen is kept busy with take-out orders.

Food Guide Top 25 Restaurants Where to eat in the Bay Area. Find spots near you, create a dining wishlist, and more.

With the opening of Glenas, Gaines has created a restaurant that wants to be a neighborhood standby; with more developments sprouting in Dogpatch, this will become even more viable. And while Im not from the neighborhood, Glenas is close enough that Ill be a regular on those weekend lunches when I want something good and dont want to drive far.

  

Glenas

Food:   

Service:  

Atmosphere:  

Price: $$

Noise: 3
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Its a homecoming of sorts for Dave Gilboa, Warby Parker co-founder and co-CEO. His New York company recently celebrated the opening of its first eyewear shop in Berkeley, which happens to be where the bespectacled, thirtysomething earned his undergraduate degree in 2003. The sunny Fourth Street spot marks store No. 10 in California and No. 50 in the U.S. for the trailblazing brand that started out seven years ago by upending the eyewear industry with its affordable ($95) direct-to-consumer prescription glasses.

As a proud Cal alum, I couldnt be more excited to make a home on Fourth Street, says Gilboa. Berkeleys literary history, inimitable energy, and socially conscious spirit have made it an exciting city for decades. The store (1911 Fourth St.) features Warbys full complement of eyeglasses and sunglasses, and invokes its signature library feel with books and mags (McSweeneys!), leather-topped tables, brass detailing and oak shelving. Before the June 24 opening, Gilboa spoke with Style about the new location and other matters  like which college haunts he still dreams about.

Q: When you decided to open in Berkeley, was Fourth Street a no-brainer?

More on Fourth Street Fourth Street: California dreamin in West Berkeley

A: There are so many unique and magical places in Berkeley. But for our first East Bay store, Fourth Street was always our top choice. Its home to many of our favorite stores  we love how walkable and lively the area is, and it feels like a natural place for us to expand our presence in the Bay Area.

Q: How would you describe the Berkeley space? Does every Warby Parker store have a unique design?

A: We always consider our surroundings when building out a new store, from smaller details like the flooring and shelving to the artwork inside. In Berkeley, we designed a space that feels open, sunny and pays homage to the original structure. We kept the beautiful porthole windows and built custom wooden seating for just below, to help emphasize that nautical feel given its proximity to the bay and Berkeley Marina. Also, we worked with friend and longtime collaborator, (Oakland-based) Jason Munn, to create a sunny original mural for the store. Were always excited about Jasons work, and particularly so for this one-of-a-kind piece, custom to the Fourth Street space.

Q: Why did you choose the Downing frame as the Berkeley exclusive?

A: The Downing (in striped indigo with flash-mirrored lenses) is one of our favorites, most timeless sun frames  so we thought re-releasing the exclusive style in one of our favorite places in California was only fitting! And as a bonus, if you catch the right reflection in the lenses, the glasses radiate blue and gold. (Go Bears!)

Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Updated to include drought zones while tracking water shortage status of your area, plus reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts.

Q: You went to Cal. What are some of your favorite Berkeley spots?

A: The places I spent the most time and money in  and still sometimes wake up dreaming about  are Top Dog and La Burrita. (Back-to-back visits were not unheard of.)

Q: Do you have more California locations planned?

A: We will be opening a number of additional California stores in the coming year but nothing to officially announce just yet.

Gail Goldberg is a San Francisco freelance writer. Email: style@sfchronicle.com.
A massive swarm of glowing, pulsating jellyfish moved into Monterey Harbor on Thursday evening, creating a spectacle for onlookers and clogging the Monterey Bay Aquarium's intake pipes.

"It just looks like nature's lava lamp where you have millions of animals that are bright orange and floating around," says Patrick Webster, a staff diver and the social media content creator for the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

Webster says blooms of this particular variety of jellyfish known as brown stinging nettles (Chrysaora fuscescens) are common in Monterey Bay when there's upwelling and the bay is cool. The jellies didn't appear in the past four years when ocean temperatures were warmer.

This year the conditions are right with cooler waters, and the creatures are back in Monterey Bay, and on July 6, wind and currents swept them to shore right off the Monterey Breakwater boat launch near the Coast Guard jetty.

The jellyfish mass clogged the intake pipe that pumps fresh ocean water into the Monterey Bay Aquarium's exhibits, a scenario Webster says the aquarium hasn't faced since 2013.

"In these situations, we have to push the water out rather than take it in," Webster says.

Two divers who went for a swim to investigate the pipes were stung several times in the face, Webster says.

"I've been stung on my face and my lips before," Webster says. "It feels like an electrical shock followed by a throbbing, stinging pain like when you get stung by a bee. After that it feels like you had too much hot sauce. So don't put your face in the water!"

Sunfish who feed on the jellies followed the swarm in Monterey Harbor, and the swirl of underwater creatures was caught in video footage by filmmaker Connor Gallagher.

More for you Where'd the turtles and jellies go? Sea nettles and leatherbacks return to Monterey Bay

Gallagher says he was running by the harbor when he noticed a couple dozen jelly fish in the water. He ran to his house to grab his gear and by the time he was in the water in a full-body wetsuit, thousands more were showing up.

"They call it a swarm or a smack," says Gallagher, who often posts photos of his underwater dives on Instagram. "It's likely that was a smack millions in size. That's what I would guess given how these things happen."

As more jellyfish swept into the area, Gallagher could no longer avoid them and he was stung several times on his face.

"It was beautiful for a long time and then it became a little bit uncomfortable," he says. "I was able to shoot from the shallows and waded into the water up to my chest because the rest of my body was covered in a wetsuit."
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The roller-coaster marriage of former state Treasurer Bill Lockyer and wife Nadia  whose sex and drug scandal cost her her job as an Alameda County supervisor  has taken another downward plunge.

Nadia Lockyer ,46, was arrested Thursday on suspicion of misdemeanor battery of a spouse after she allegedly went on a drunken rage inside a vacation home in the Sierra foothills town of Twain Harte, according to Tuolumne County sheriffs officials.

Bill Lockyer suffered an undisclosed minor injury in the incident, authorities said. Sheriffs officials say they received a call from the house at about 10:55 a.m. about an intoxicated woman yelling and throwing things, though they did not identify the caller.

Authorities said Nadia Lockyer had a blood alcohol level of 0.22 percent when she was arrested  well over the legal limit for driving. She was held for several hours before she was released on $5,000 bail, a Sheriffs Department spokeswoman said.

This is obviously an extremely difficult time for the family, and as they work through it, privacy is imperative, said Tom Dresslar, a spokesman for Bill Lockyer. Bill is focused on his kids well-being and his wifes health.

Nadia Lockyer resigned as an Alameda County supervisor in 2012 after a meth-fueled affair with a South Bay man, who allegedly assaulted her in a motel room and tried to blackmail her with an X-rated tape he had shot of the two.

Nadia Lockyer subsequently was in and out of drug rehab, and the couple appeared headed for certain divorce. That is, until two years ago when they reconciled and began making a new life for themselves in Southern California  capped off when Nadia Lockyer proudly announced on her Facebook page that she had given birth to twin boys. The couple have one other son.

But just a couple days before her arrest, Nadia Lockyer sent out a more ominous Facebook message  a complaint about the state of her 14-year marriage in which she declared, With a huge broken heart and bruises, Im filing for legal separation.
A U.S. Postal Service worker was shot in her delivery truck and hospitalized in East Oakland Friday afternoon, authorities said.

The letter carrier, who was not identified, was shot in the area of Avenal and Bancroft avenues around noon, said Officer Johnna Watson, a spokeswoman for the Oakland Police Department. Police found multiple shell casings around the postal workers truck.
A federal appeals court has upheld the securities fraud convictions and prison sentence of more than eight years for the former chief credit officer of United Commercial Bank in San Francisco, found guilty of trying to conceal the banks losses before it collapsed in 2009.

However, the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals overturned the sentencing judges order that Ebrahim Shabudin reimburse the government for the nearly $1 billion in payments made by federal agencies that covered the banks losses. The court said Wednesday that Shabudins crimes were not the sole cause of the banks failure.

Shabudin, of Moraga, was convicted in 2015 of seven felony charges involving a conspiracy by bank officials to falsify records that would have revealed millions of dollars in losses in 2008 and 2009.

United Commercial failed about a year after its parent company, UCBH Holdings, received almost $300 million from the U.S. Treasurys Troubled Asset Relief Program. The programs inspector general later found that United Commercial Bank executives, while seeking federal help after accumulating overdue loans, had tried to hide the banks deteriorating financial condition.

After the bank failed, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. transferred its deposits to East West Bank of Pasadena, which agreed to share the losses with the FDIC.

Shabudin was the banks chief operating officer in 2008 and 2009 and served from September 2008 until April 2009 as its chief credit officer, responsible for credit assessments of the banks loans. The banks senior financial officer, Craig On, and a senior vice president, Thomas Yu, pleaded guilty to conspiracy and testified against Shabudin.

In Wednesdays ruling, the appeals court said that U.S. District Judge Jeffrey White may have given jurors a faulty instruction about Shabudins responsibility for his co-conspirators actions, but any such error would not have affected the verdict.

The evidence heard by the jury amply supported its finding that Shabudin was guilty of each of the fraud charges, the court said.

The three-judge panel also said Whites finding that Shabudin profited from his crimes by $348,000  his salary for that year  supported his 97-month prison sentence, and an order to forfeit that amount to the government.

But the court said Whites restitution order of $946 million was excessive. There were other causes of the banks collapse, the panel said, including the nationwide economic recession that hit banks hard, as well as some bad real estate loans, approved earlier, that caused particular harm to UCB.

The court told White to try to determine Shabudins share of the blame, and, if that proves impossible, to consider eliminating the restitution order.

Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @egelko
RadioShack may not be as relevant with shoppers today, but for those who have a soft spot for the electronic retailer, an online auction is offering vintage RadioShack goods that will remind you of its heyday.

Online auction website UBid Estate & Auction Services in Texas is hosting a sale of RadioShack vintage goods that includes store catalogs dating to the 1960s, a 1982 portable computer and even a custom RadioShack bicycle.
FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP/Getty Images

Walmart has paid $1.65 million to settle claims that it defrauded Californias Medi-Cal program by collecting payments for unneeded or unapproved drugs, the U.S. Justice Department announced Friday.

The retailer, which has pharmacies in 283 stores in California, was accused of billing Medi-Cal for drugs after misrepresenting doctors assessments of the need for the medications.
By PTI: By Yoshita Singh

New York, Jul 7 (PTI) Technology giant Microsoft is undertaking a major reorganisation in its sales and marketing units that will likely see the company cutting about 4,000 jobs from its workforce, mostly outside the US.

A Microsoft spokesperson said in an email yesterday that the company is implementing changes to better serve its customers and partners.

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"Today, we are taking steps to notify some employees that their jobs are under consideration or that their positions will be eliminated. Like all companies, we evaluate our business on a regular basis. This can result in increased investment in some places and, from time-to-time, re- deployment in others," the spokesperson told PTI in an emailed statement.

While the spokesperson declined to confirm any specifics, a report in the New York Times said the overhauling of technology giant led by India-born Satya Nadella will cut 3,000 to 4,000 jobs, mostly outside the US.

The report said the possible total of job cuts was described by a person familiar with Microsofts plans, who was not authorised to speak on the record about them.

It added that Microsoft workers were notified yesterday if their current job was affected. Some of the workers will get other jobs within the software company.

"This is being done mainly to evolve the skill sets we need," Frank Shaw, a Microsoft spokesman, said in the NYT report.

Last week, Microsoft had described a realignment of its sales and marketing arm, which employs about 50,000 people worldwide.

In an internal email last week, Judson Althoff, a Microsoft executive vice president, described the reorganisation and its rationale.

He wrote that there was "an enormous USD 4.5 trillion market opportunity" for Microsoft in the coming years.

Althoff had said the sales and marketing changes were intended to "enable us to align the right resources for the right customer at the right time."

He had identified expanding Microsofts cloud offerings in data analysis and artificial intelligence, and helping companies in every industry to become digital businesses, using Microsoft tools as key areas of opportunity.

Microsoft has 71,000 employees in the US and 121,000 employees around the globe. PTI YAS KJ NSA KJ

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Almost all of the artifacts described as the oldest in the permanent collection of the Mexican Museum are either forgeries or cannot be authenticated to display in a national museum.

Thats the finding of a report commissioned by the museum board and submitted in late June by Eduardo Perez de Heredia Puente, an associate of the National Institute of Anthropology and History in Mexico City.

According to the report, only 83 of 2,000 artifacts from the pre-Hispanic, or pre-Columbian, era could be certified as museum-quality by an independent team of museum curators who came from Mexico City to conduct the test. The other 1,917 are considered decorative, and will probably be given to schools or smaller museums before the museum moves from its temporary Fort Mason site to a permanent home in a luxury condo tower being constructed near SFMOMA.

I was surprised, said Andrew Kluger, chair of the board of trustees, who shared the 14-page report with The Chronicle. I thought wed have more that are of museum quality.

The tally of forgeries and decorative pieces will probably grow, because this is just the first of several authentication studies to be done on the museums collection of 16,500 items.

The results of the pre-Hispanic tests were first reported by Lydia Chavez, a professor at the Graduate School of Journalism at UC Berkeley and editor of the website Mission Local.

The $80,000 report was undertaken as a requirement of the Smithsonian Institution, which accepted the Mexican Museum as an affiliate in 2012. The recognition by the Smithsonian took the Mexican out of the realm of small community museums, where it has operated since its founding in 1975.

In the early years, the museum built its collection on donations, and basically anything was accepted, without authentication. All of the items studied, both fake and real, were donated to the museums, and no tax deductions were given to donors without independent authentication, Kluger said.

It happens all the time that museums accept things that are not real, he said. People donate pieces because their children dont want them.

But hand-me-downs cannot be part of any museum that offers parts of its collection on loan and accepts artifact loans from the Smithsonian. While the ratio of authenticated pre-Hispanic artifacts is astonishingly low, Kluger does not expect that to be the case with later periods in the collection.

Most of it is good, he said, and everything in the Latino art and Chicano art collection appears to be authentic.

According to the museums website, the pre-Hispanic Collection goes back 2,500 years and represents 2,000 pieces encompassing Mesoamerican, Central American and Peruvian cultures. The items include vessels, tools, ceremonial objects and body ornaments from Teotihuacan, Mayan, Zapotec, Nayarit, Colima and Peruvian Incan civilizations.

The 83 items that were authenticated include male and female figurines, jars, bowls, vases and necklace ornaments. The collection is now augmented by a recent gift of another 86 or so pre-Hispanic sculptures from a Berkeley collector that have already been authenticated.

The good news is we have 170 museum-quality (pre-Hispanic) pieces, and in many museums that is considered a good collection, Kluger said. The bad news is that we need to make a decision what to do with the pieces that are not up to our standard.

That can also be construed as good news, because the collection has been scattered around warehouses during the museums long temporary stay in Fort Mason. The plan is to consolidate the full collection on site at the museums future home on Jessie Square. Culling it now will save moving and insurance charges.

The move is planned for 2019 upon completion of the 47-story tower on Jessie Square, between the Contemporary Jewish Museum and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. The Mexican Museum will occupy four floors for a total of 60,000 square feet. The museum will cost $86 million to build and endow, a sum that was raised during a four-year capital campaign.

According to Chavez, who has taught a course in art and culture in Latin America at the Berkeley journalism school, the report and the boards response to it are positive signals.

They are getting serious about being a national museum and trying to build a collection, she said. They are going through the collection to see what should be kept, and it is a way of sending a message to donors that they are serious.

Kluger, a San Rafael venture capitalist, is serving in the absence of a museum director, though a search has been launched. The museum has gotten picky about accepting donated artifacts.

Recently we have turned away pieces, he said. This is a process that has just begun.

Sam Whiting is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: swhiting@sfchronicle.com Instagram: @sfchronicle_art

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Bernd Schuller/Sony Pictures Cla/TNS

Georg Elser came within 13 minutes of having a great story, one worth deluxe cinematic treatment. He also came close to becoming a hero and preserving the lives of 50 million people. Instead, he killed eight people  eight of the wrong people  and accomplished nothing. Not only that, but his movie isnt so good, either.

Elser, the subject of the German drama 13 Minutes, was a carpenter and cabinet maker who, in November 1939  with World War II barely under way  planted a time bomb under the podium where Adolf Hitler was set to speak. The event, in Munich, was a commemoration of the unsuccessful Beer Hall putsch, in which the Nazis tried to overthrow the government in 1923. Usually, Hitler spoke for two hours. Usually after an hour he hadnt even started screaming yet. But this time he spoke for one hour only and, leaving his jackals wanting more, he said goodbye and took off. Thirteen minutes later, the place blew up.
By PTI: By Barun Jha

Hamburg, Jul 7 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi today held bilateral meetings with his counterparts from Japan, Shinzo Abe, and Canada, Justin Trudeau, along with informal interactions with a number of world leaders on the sidelines of the G20 Summit here.

Modi also had a brief chat with many top world leaders, including US President Donald Trump, British Prime Minister Theresa May, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron.

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At the BRICS leaders gathering here, Modi held informal meetings with Brazilian President Michel Temer and South African President Jacob Zuma.

Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping also shook hands at the BRICS meet and had a conversation on a "range of issues".

The interaction between Modi and Xi took place amidst bilateral tensions over the Sikkim standoff.

He later met Abe and Trudeau and discussed a host of issues.

"Today in Hamburg, PM Justin Trudeau and PM Narendra Modi affirmed the strength of the bond between Canada and India," the office of the Canadian premier tweeted.

A family photo of the BRICS leaders was taken earlier.

Tomorrow, Modi will have bilateral meetings with head of the governments of South Korea, Italy, Mexico, Argentina, the UK and Vietnam. He will also participate in G20 sessions on - Partnership with Africa; Migration and Health; and Digitalisation, Womens Empowerment and Employment.

After attending the concluding session in evening, the Indian prime minister will leave for New Delhi. PTI BJ ASK AKJ ABH

--- ENDS ---
The Dalai Lama is an agent of love. He walks the Earth as a living example of altruism and compassion.

But even he admits to a temper when it comes to Tibets continued frustrations with China, and the possibility that because of politics, he may be the 14th and final Dalai Lama.

Mickey Lemles The Last Dalai Lama?, a follow-up to his 1991 film, shows a Dalai Lama at peace entering his ninth decade, even with so much uncertainty surrounding him. His influence has grown stronger than ever, transcending geographical boundaries and even religious differences. He sheds light and love and integrity in my direction, a high Catholic official says with a bit of awe  one of many religious heads who have found inspiration from the Buddhist leader.

Much of Lemles film simply travels with the Dalai Lama as his influence is seen in classrooms, religious centers and political capitals around the world. One of his greatest strengths is as a listener, but he is an accessible speaker as well, laughing easily and conveying simple ideas (fear and anger weaken the immune system) that can influence a life.

Lemle lets the viewer soak in the Lamas glory  for a little too long  before addressing the question in the title. The Dalai Lama fled Tibet to India in 1959, and has since sought for Tibetan independence or cultural autonomy from China. The Chinese government has claimed the right to choose the next lama. Its a stalemate that may end the line of Tibetan spiritual leaders.

Lemle shows a Lama who is making the most of his time left now at age 81, with a charming passion for insects, an ease around children, and a growing power to inspire great artists and politicians. The documentary interview MVP is President George W. Bush, who in retirement painted a portrait of the Dalai Lama, and thoughtfully and sincerely praises his wisdom.

Composer Philip Glass, who tells his own beautiful story of friendship with the Dalai Lama, contributes a stunning score with Tibetan musician Tenzin Choegyal. The Last Dalai Lama? is set up to be a sad movie. But the more an audience member sees the beauty left in the Buddhist leaders wake, the more it becomes clear that his influence has the power to continue generations beyond his passing.

Peter Hartlaub is The San Francisco Chronicles pop culture critic. Email: phartlaub@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @peterhartlaub

The Last

Dalai Lama?

Documentary. With the Dalai Lama, Richard Davidson and George W. Bush. Directed by Mickey Lemle. (Not rated. 82 minutes.)
A bird-watching expedition becomes a journey of religious self-discovery in Portuguese filmmaker Joao Pedro Rodrigues allegorical The Ornithologist, which, if nothing else, will have the adventurous viewer considering a nature trip to Portugal.

A film not to be taken in the literal sense  as per the magical realism of Thai filmmaker Apichatpong Weerasethakuls work  ornithologist Fernando (Paul Hamy) is captured by two Chinese religious zealots, frolics with a shepherd named Jesus, encounters topless huntresses on horseback and experiences both death and resurrection.

It is all, apparently, a homoerotic-tinged riff on the life of St. Anthony of Padua (1195-1231), the Portugese-born patron saint of lost things whose birth name was Fernando, so it might help if youre Catholic.

Journeys into hearts of darkness in exotic locales have become time-honored storytelling  The Ornithologist conjured up flashbacks in my mind to James Grays The Lost City of Z from a couple of months back, even though the approach of those two films couldnt be more different  and Rodrigues lush visuals of the vast forests and rivers of Portugal are inviting.

Rodrigues, a noted figure in international queer cinema for 20 years, is skilled and ambitious. But once youre into the vibe of The Ornithologist, there isnt much mystery in the events that unfold. The ruggedly handsome Hamy, a French actor, is appealing, but Fernandos character doesnt evolve or transform much, despite all the weird stuff happening to him (and one interpretation of the film could be that this is all a delirious delusion on a bipolar Fernandos part  there is an early scene, before cell phone coverage cuts out, of Fernando assuring a friend that he has taken his medication).

The Ornithologist has its pleasures. Perhaps one day Rodrigues will turn his considerable talent and unique approach to a portrait of the real-life St. Anthony, in the way that Roberto Rossellini paid tribute to his hero in The Flowers of St. Francis. The message of forgiveness and universal love, which The Ornithologist eventually embraces, is sorely needed.

G. Allen Johnson is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: ajohnson@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @BRfilmsAllen

The Ornithologist

Drama. Starring Paul Hamy, Xelo Cagiao, Joao Pedro Rodrigues. Directed by Joao Pedro Rodrigues. In Portugese, Chinese and English with subtitles. (Not rated. 117 minutes.)
The San Francisco Symphony has named Mark Hanson, CEO of the Houston Symphony, as its new executive director. On Sept. 1, Hanson will succeed Brent Assink, who stepped down in March after 18 years in the post.

Hanson, 43, has spent seven years in Houston, where he has taken vigorous steps to expand the orchestras donor and subscriber base and to broaden the orchestras profile throughout the community. Among the initiatives of his tenure were a multiyear plan to strengthen the orchestras financial standing, a growth in multimedia performance and outreach programs, and focused outreach efforts to the citys African American, Hispanic and Asian communities.

Mark is someone who is very focused and driven, said Steven Mach, the past president of the Houston Symphony board. Hes always on. You get him 24/7, 365 days a year, and he wont take no for an answer.

Even before he came to Houston, when he wasnt even on the payroll yet, he was already working on one of our major funders to make a substantial gift.

In an interview, Hanson radiated steely energy and an eagerness to get things accomplished.

I look forward to rolling up my sleeves and working with the staff and (Music Director Michael Tilson Thomas) and the board to build on the San Francisco Symphonys incredible legacy of artistic performance and community and economic impact, he said.

Im not interested in the least in maintaining the status quo, but I do not believe that anything is broken with the San Francisco Symphony. This is a gem of an organization, one of the worlds elite orchestras.

Hanson inherits an organization that is facing increasing challenges in a difficult financial and cultural climate. The orchestra has more competition than ever for the loyalty of patrons, as well as a tough fight to build younger and more diverse audiences.

I take very seriously the commitment to expanding the profile of the San Francisco Symphony, both internally and externally, Hanson said. I want every single member of the Bay Area community to feel a sense of pride in what the San Francisco Symphony is doing, and Im not yet convinced that that has been accomplished.

In a statement, board President Sakurako Fisher said, Mark is an inspiring leader and the board could not be more confident in his ability to build on the Orchestras legacy while forging new paths and possibilities of what the orchestral experience can be.

Thomas said, I am delighted to welcome Mark Hanson to the San Francisco Symphony family. His excitement about the future of symphonic music, his experience and success working with other orchestras, and his enthusiasm and knowledge of music and musicians will be a major part of the next chapter of our orchestra.

Hanson will become only the fifth executive director of the Symphony since the position was created in 1939. Like his predecessors, he combines training in arts management with a history as a practical musician.

He began studying the cello as a youth in Boston, where he attended concerts of the Boston Symphony, and once planned to make that his career. But during his sophomore year at the Eastman School of Music, he said, he discovered that he had other academic itches that needed to be scratched before it was too late.

So he transferred to Harvard, where he sang in the Glee Club and earned a bachelors degree in social studies. He also, he said, discovered an interest in  and a gift for  nonprofit management as the director of a student-run homeless shelter.

Hanson enrolled in a management training program overseen by the American Symphony Orchestra League (now the League of American Orchestras), and went on to hold leadership positions with the Rockford (Ill.) Symphony Orchestra, the Knoxville (Tenn.) Symphony and the Milwaukee Symphony before being hired in Houston.

Hansons wife, Christina, who has an MBA and a masters degree in arts administration, has worked as director of marketing at the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra and Chicago Symphony. They are the parents of three sons, ages 11, 8 and 6.

I hope this will be my last orchestra job  and I know that Christina and our boys are hoping that too, he said. Im humbled to have the opportunity to be welcomed into the San Francisco Symphony family, and Im going to take my responsibility to help steward this organization very, very seriously.

Joshua Kosman is The San Francisco Chronicles music critic. Email: jkosman@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @JoshuaKosman
WASHINGTON  Attorney General Jeff Sessions visited Guantanamo Bay on Friday in a show of support for the prison he has called a perfectly acceptable place to detain new terrorism suspects, as opposed to holding them in the U.S. and having his own Justice Department try them in civilian courts.

Sessions was traveling to the military detention facility in Cuba with his deputy, Rod Rosenstein, and National Intelligence Director Dan Coats, to gain an up-to-date understanding of current operations, Justice Department spokesman Ian Prior said.

Recent attacks in Europe and elsewhere confirm that the threat to our nation is immediate and real, and it remains essential that we use every lawful tool available to prevent as many attacks as possible, Prior said.

Even as an Alabama senator, Sessions has long been a vocal supporter of the continued use of Guantanamo and its military commissions, calling it a very fine place for holding these kind of dangerous criminals.

Weve spent a lot of money fixing it up, Sessions told the conservative radio talk show host Hugh Hewitt in a March interview. And Im inclined to the view that it remains a perfectly acceptable place. And I think the fact is that a lot of the criticisms have just been totally exaggerated.

President Trump said during the presidential campaign that he wanted the detention facility open and promised to load it up with some bad dudes. But he has not publicly announced any policy on the prisons future.

The embrace of Guantanamo Bay now represents a complete reversal of eight years of efforts to close the detention center, which opened on the base in January 2002 to hold and interrogate suspected enemy combatants. The Obama administration sent no new detainees there, and, though it didnt fulfill a promise to shut it down, whittled the population from 242 to 41. That includes seven currently facing charges by military commissions. All are in the pretrial stage, including the five men charged with planning and aiding in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attack.

Obamas Justice Department maintained that the U.S. civilian court system was the most legally sound forum in which to prosecute terror suspects captured in the U.S. and overseas and cited hundreds of convictions in New York and other cities as proof.

Yet Sessions and other Republicans have long expressed concern that civilian courts afford legal protections to which suspected terrorists are not entitled. He has warned that valuable intelligence can be lost if a detainee is advised of his right to remain silent and to have a lawyer.

Former Attorney General Eric Holder sought unsuccessfully in 2009 to move the suspected ringleader of the Sept. 11 attacks, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, and four alleged co-conspirators from Guantanamo to New York for trial. The plan was derailed by political opposition.

Sadie Gurman is an Associated Press writer.
LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga.  A woman charged with killing four of her young children and their father smiled and flashed a double thumbs-up to news cameras during her first court appearance Friday in metro Atlanta before telling a judge she doesnt want an attorney.

An immigration official also said the woman, who is from Mexico, entered the U.S. illegally.

Isabel Martinez, 33, appeared before Magistrate Court Judge Michael Thorpe a day after police said she stabbed the five to death and seriously injured another child at her home outside Atlanta. The injured child, a 9-year-old girl, survived but remained hospitalized with injuries police described as serious.

Before the hearing began, Martinez sat with other inmates and struck poses for cameras  smiling, giving the thumbs-up, putting her hands in a prayer position and spreading her arms out wide.

As Judge Thorpe listed the charges against her  five counts of malice murder, five counts of murder and six counts of aggravated assault  Martinez smiled, shook her head no and wagged her finger at him. The judge advised her sharply not to perform for the cameras.

When Thorpe informed her of her right to have an attorney, she said through a Spanish-language interpreter that she doesnt want one. She later added that her attorney will always be the people and her faith. Thorpe advised Martinez to hire a lawyer or to allow one to be appointed for her.

Meanwhile, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesman Bryan Cox said in an email Friday that Martinez  whom he identified as Maria Isabel Garduno-Martinez  is from Mexico and entered the country illegally. This is her first encounter with immigration authorities, and its not clear how long she has been in the U.S., Cox said.

Local officials called the killings horrendous.

What prompts a person to take the life of such innocent children and her spouse is something we may never understand, Gwinnett County police said in a statement. This is a horrendous crime not only for the victims but for the extended family, neighborhood and community.

Some neighbors in the small, largely Hispanic neighborhood in Loganville, about 30 miles east of Atlanta, said they had no clue anything was amiss in the home until police mobbed the scene Thursday morning. The neighbors said the Spanish-speaking family had moved to the community recently, and their children seemed happy playing with other neighborhood kids.

Victoria Nievs said Martinez had recently suffered the death of her father.

The four children killed were identified as Isabela Martinez, 10; Dacota Romero, 7; Dillan Romero, 4; and Axel Romero, 2. Their slain father was Martin Romero, 33, Pihera said.

Kate Brumback and Kathleen Foody are Associated Press writers.
A federal judge refused Thursday to alter the Trump administrations tight interpretation of the parts of the presidents travel ban that the Supreme Court has allowed him to enforce  excluding grandparents and grandchildren of some U.S. residents, and most refugees  and said any changes were up to the nations high court.

This court declines to usurp the prerogative of the Supreme Court to interpret its own order, said U.S. District Judge Derrick Watson of Hawaii.

That could mean the current rules, narrowly limiting entry by residents of six mostly Muslim nations and all refugees, will remain in place until the Supreme Court takes up the case. The court plans a hearing at the start of its 2017-18 term in October and is in recess until then, although plaintiffs could ask the justices for immediate intervention.

President Trumps March 9 executive order would impose a 90-day travel ban on anyone from Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria or Yemen, and a 120-day ban on admission of refugees fleeing violence and hardship in their homelands. After Watson and a federal judge in Maryland barred enforcement of the order and were upheld by appeals courts, the Supreme Court granted review June 26 and allowed partial enforcement of the order while the case was pending.

The court said the government could exclude travelers from the six nations, or refugees, who lacked a bona fide relationship with a person or entity in the United States. Any personal connection must be a close family relationship, the court said.

The order did not define those terms, but administration officials have applied strict criteria, limiting close family relations to spouses, parents, children, siblings, fiances, fiancees, and mothers- and fathers-in-law. They excluded grandparents, grandchildren, uncles, aunts and cousins.

The administration also excluded the most common category of refugees, those who, after gaining approval for entry from U.S. officials, have their resettlement arranged by a nonprofit agency. Administration officials said those agencies do not have a bona fide relationship with the refugees, only with the government, which funds and commissions their services.

Plaintiffs, led by the state of Hawaii, argued that the definitions ignored the standard meaning of close family members and distorted agencies relationships with the refugees they sponsor. But Watson said the Supreme Court was the best judge of the meaning of its order.

The parties quarrel over the meaning and intent of words and phrases authored not by this court, but by the Supreme Court, he said. Clarification should be sought there, not here.

Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @egelko
WASHINGTON  The Justice Department on Thursday questioned whether some so-called sanctuary cities responded honestly when asked whether they follow the law on sharing the citizenship status of people in their custody with federal immigration authorities.

In a strongly worded statement, the department said some of the 10 jurisdictions under scrutiny insist they are compliant with the law while still defiantly refusing to cooperate with efforts to detain and deport immigrants living in the country illegally. The Justice Department said it was reviewing policies of the jurisdictions to determine whether they should lose some federal grant money for failing to prove they are adhering to federal immigration law.

The cities include New York, Chicago, New Orleans and Philadelphia, which said in its letter to the department that the city was adhering to the law even while refusing to collect information on residents immigration statuses.

Also on the list are two states  California and Connecticut  along with Miami-Dade County in Florida, Cook County in Illinois, Milwaukee County in Wisconsin and Clark County in Nevada.

The locales were singled out last year by the departments inspector general for having rules that hinder the ability of local law enforcement to communicate with federal officials about the immigration status of people they have detained. The cities disagreed with that assessment, saying their rules comport with the specific section of federal law that bars municipalities from forcing local officials to keep certain information from federal immigration authorities.

They are having it both ways now, said Leon Fresco, who led the Justice Departments Office of Immigration Ligation during the Obama administration. The cities are saying, we will not in any way do anything that affirmatively increases the amount of immigration enforcement that is occurring in our city. Having said that, if a federal official asks us for information, we will provide this information.

The move was the latest by the Trump administration to crack down on locations that have been characterized as sanctuary cities. It follows the signing of an executive order that also went after federal money going to such locations, but a judge later blocked that, saying the president could not set new conditions on spending approved by Congress.

The Justice Department contends the executive order applies to a relatively small amount of money, specifically the few grants that require localities to comply with the information-sharing law. Fresco said that narrow standard likely means many cities will be considered in compliance, even if they remain defiant of Trump immigration policies.

They are asserting strict technical compliance, but they are not asserting that they actually affirmatively provide information to the federal government, he said.

The cities on Thursday stood by their policies:

 Cook County, Ill., provided federal officials an eight-page legal opinion asserting its compliance, and adding, The United States Constitution, however, limits the authority of the federal government to impose its immigration obligations onto state and local governments.

 Chicago also claimed it was following the law. But make no mistake, Chicago will continue to be a welcoming city and stand up for the values that have made us a beacon of hope for immigrants and refugees from around the world for generations, city spokeswoman Jennifer Martinez said in a statement.

 Miami-Dade County sent a 423-page document to the Justice Department with information on the process its jailers follow to notify immigration authorities, notifying them of people who were set to be released and had been previously wanted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement for possible deportation.

 Milwaukee County attorney Margaret Daun warned that if grant funding is pulled, the County would avail itself of all legal options available to it and raise numerous legal arguments.

 New Orleans reminded the Justice Department that it adopted its immigration status policy in accordance with a federal consent decree on police reforms that it negotiated with the Justice Department during President Barack Obamas administration. A court-appointed monitor reviewed and approved the policy language, the city noted.

 And the sheriff in Clark County, Nevada, sent more than 100 pages of documents he said demonstrate police and jailers in Las Vegas cooperate with immigration authorities, noting that some jail officers are deputized to carry out specific immigration officer duties and are expected to collaborate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Sadie Gurman is an Associated Press writer. Contributing to this report were Associated Press writers Errin Haines Whack in Philadelphia; Sophia Tareen in Chicago; Ivan Moreno in Milwaukee; Adriana Gomez Licon in Miami; Michael Kunzelman in Baton Rouge, La., and Ken Ritter in Las Vegas.
By PTI: By Barun Jha

Hamburg, Jul 7 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi today called for a concerted global crackdown on nations supporting terrorism for their political goals and named Pakistan-based groups LeT and JeM among major terror outfits alongside the Al-Qaeda and ISIS at the G20 Summit.

As the G20 leaders put their heads together for a solution on issues like terrorism, climate change and open trade, Modi delivered a strong message against terrorism and also pitched for ban on the entry of officials from terrorism-supporting countries into G-20 nations.

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As the summit got underway in this German port city amid violent protests, German Chancellor and host Angela Merkel even favoured a "compromise" solution if there was no consensus on contentious issues while India appeared on the majority side of the countries seeking decisive action in fight against global warming, protectionism and terror financing.

At the venue, police had to resort to water canon, tear gas and pepper spray to deal with the anti-globalisation protesters.

In the evening, the G20 leaders pledged to crackdown on terror safe havens and curb radicalisation through the internet and social media.

The declaration also found mention of various issues raised by Modi in his statement at the leaders retreat earlier in the morning.

On the sidelines of the Summit, Modi had an interaction with Chinese President Xi Jinping even as tensions remain high between India and China in the Sikkim section.

Both leaders had a conversation on a "range of issues" at an informal meeting of BRICS leaders.

In a tweet, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Gopal Baglay said Modi and Xi discussed "a range of issues" at the BRICS leaders informal gathering in Hamburg "hosted by China." He did not elaborate on the issues discussed.

Later, in an address to BRICS leaders, Modi "appreciated" momentum in the bloc under the Chinese chairmanship and extended full cooperation for the groupings upcoming summit in China. He also extended full cooperation and best wishes to China for the next BRICS summit in Xiamen later this year.

"Under Xis chairmanship, the progress and positive momentum of BRICS has further deepened our cooperation," Modi said.

Modi said BRICS has been a strong voice and needs to show leadership on terrorism and global economy, according to a press release issued by the Ministry of External Affairs.

It quoted Modi as saying that G20 nations should also "collectively oppose terrorism financing, franchises, safe havens, support and sponsors."

In his speech, Xi also appreciated the momentum witnessed at the BRICS bloc during Indias chairmanship before it was passed on to China, and praised Indias strong resolve against terrorism, the press release said.

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It quoted Xi as saying he appreciates Indias success in economic and social development and wishes India even bigger success.

Stressing that there should be no "safe spaces" for terrorist financing anywhere in the world, the G20 nations expressed their commitment to intensify capacity building and technical assistance, especially in relation to terrorist financing hot-spots.

"We will advance the effective implementation of the international standards on transparency and beneficial ownership of legal persons and legal arrangements for the purposes of countering financing terrorism," they said in the joint declaration.

At the G20 meet, Modi said that it was "mandatory" to implement the consensus of the Paris agreement on climate change and asserted that India would implement the accord in "letter and spirit".

He also asked leaders from the G20 nations to be forthcoming on the climate change action as he emphasised the need for cooperation in the world of opposing realities.

The statement came against the backdrop of the US pulling out of the Paris climate change pact last month.

Modi held bilateral meetings with his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, along with informal interactions with a number of world leaders on the sidelines of the Summit.

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The Prime Minister also had a brief chat with US President Donald Trump, British Prime Minister Theresa May, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Emmanuel Macron and other top leaders.

At the BRICS leaders gathering here, Modi held informal meetings with Brazilian President Michel Temer and South African President Jacob Zuma.

A briefing by India was cancelled.

Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin held a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the Summit.

Later in the evening, the leaders attended a musical concert at the citys newly opened Elbphilharmonie concert house, where Hamburg Philharmonic State Orchestra played the European Unions unofficial anthem, The Ode to Joy from Beethovens 9th Symphony.

After the concert, Merkel was to host dinner for the leaders and their partners. At that time, the government heads are expected to have informal discussions on various issues that may have a bearing on the final communique. PTI BJ RAM ABM

--- ENDS ---
By Ananya Bhattacharya: Mom sees Sridevi back on screen after 2012's English Vinglish. Will Mom make an impact on viewers? Here is our Mom movie review.

Mom Cast: Sridevi, Sajal Ali, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Adnan Siddiqui, Akshaye Khanna, Ravi Kishan

Mom Director: Ravi Udyawar

Mom Rating: (3/5)

Mom starring Sridevi and Nawazuddin Siddiqui is in theatres this week and here is our Mom movie review.

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In one of the seemingly lighter scenes in Mom, DK's (Nawazuddin Siddiqui) wife listens to the news of a crime on TV and tells him how women are not safe in this country and that nothing can change here. To that, their young daughter replies that she has faith in the system and the government and that the criminals will be brought to justice. Young optimism meets informed pessimism of age, and the premise of director Ravi Udyawar's Mom is set.

With Sridevi in the lead role, Udyawar's Mom explores the fraught-with-differences relationship of a mother and her 18-year-old daughter. While the mother-daughter equation forms the base of Mom, the film has a lot more to it than just that. Mom is a crime revenge drama set in Delhi, India's 'rape capital'. The film deals with women's safety with the skewed dynamics of a family at the core of it. Mom is about our flawed justice system, it is about being pushed to the wall, about taking up the law in own hands when the system fails its citizens.

Arya (Sajal Ali) is school teacher Devika (Sridevi) and Anand Sabharwal's (Adnan Siddiqui) elder daughter. Arya studies in the school that Devika teaches in. When one of Arya's classmates, Mohit, sends her a porn clip, Devika throws the guy's phone away. The matter reaches the family's dinner table and we realise that Devika and Arya don't share a very pleasant relationship.

The day after Anand leaves for New York on work, Arya goes to 'the hottest party in Delhi' which is taking place at a farmhouse on the outskirts of the city. It is Valentine's Day. While Arya is looking for an opportunity to speak to the guy she likes, Mohit asks her for a dance. A scuffle follows, Mohit is refused, and he seeks advice in a stud friend of his. Arya is on her way out of the party when tragedy befalls. She doesn't reach home. Devika reaches the police station frantically trying to look for her daughter. Here she runs into DK, who hands her a visiting card and asks her to visit him if she were to need any help.

Mom, after that, is essentially the story of what the Sabharwal family has to face when they face the truth: there is no justice in sight. Criminals are let off for lack of circumstantial evidence and victims' statements are treated with levity.

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Ravi Udyawar's direction and Girish Kohli's screenplay make Mom a decent watch, but it lacks the edge-of-the-seat factor, essential to films of this genre. The film resonates with you, but it feels strangely distant. It is almost as if you know that this is a film and you cannot get entangled in Devika or Arya's problems. All the characters in Mom come across as actors, not like someone you care for. Sure, there are moments in the film when you are compelled to feel for the people on the screen, but they are too few and far between.

The acting by its lead cast makes up for the occasional loss of interest in the narrative. Sridevi tries her best to shoulder Mom almost single-handedly. She is given the maximum screen-time in the film, understandably, and is great to watch her on film after 2012's English Vinglish. While Sridevi stays true to her character most of the time and is unbelievably good as the mother thirsty for revenge, there are scenes where she hams her way into your brain. Sajal Ali plays Arya well. The transition from a bubbly young girl who finds it difficult to accept her 'ma'am' as her 'mom', to losing all interest in daily life, Sajal is largely believable in her role of Arya.

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The best moments in Mom are reserved for Nawazuddin Siddiqui, completely unrecognisable and a treat to watch as the balding jasoos DK. DK's dialogues lighten the sombre mood of this thriller when you least expect it. Sample this: When Devika and DK meet in an art gallery, they are supposed to appreciate 'modern art', a Rs 50-lakh piece which depicts Draupadi painting Kurukshetra red after washing her hair with Dushshasan's blood. An astonished DK says, "Yeh painting toh main paan thuk ke bana deta!" Akshay Khanna is given the role of the officer investigating the case. He hardly manages to make an impact. Adnan Siddiqui is not given much to do in Mom, given that the film is essentially to celebrate Devika - Sridevi - the supermom.

The neon-lit alleys of Daryaganj to the snow-capped mountains of Kufri come alive on cinematographer Anay Goswamy's canvas. At 2 hours and 27 minutes, Mom feels stretched by at least 20 minutes. A crisper editing could have lifted this revenge drama from being occasionally rivetting to keeping your eyes glued to the screen all through.

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But at the end of the day, Mom scrutinises and lays bare the gaping holes in the law in this country. Its method of making the criminals meet their fate is over-dramatised and problematic. And unbelievable. But who can say no to a tale of a mother's revenge?

(The writer tweets as @ananya116)

ALSO READ: This is how Jhanvi Kapoor reacted after watching mom Sridevi's Mom

ALSO READ: 5 reasons to watch Sridevi's Mom

ALSO WATCH: The Sridevi-Boney Kapoor love story

--- ENDS ---
By Suhani Singh: Director: Ravi Udyawar

Cast: Sridevi, Adnan Siddiqui, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Sajal Ali, Akshaye Khanna

Rating: (2/5)

A day after a woman on Twitter described in chilling detail how she narrowly averted a kidnapping and gangrape attempt of another woman in Hauz Khas Village in New Delhi comes Mom, a drama that reminds how unsafe women are in the capital and how the victims' kin have no faith whatsoever in the legal system for justice. Like Raveena Tandon did a couple of months before in Maatr, it's time for supermom to step in and take matters into her own hand. Only the Sridevi-starrer has a bigger budget, a far better ensemble of actors and a director who has an aversion to gore and a more aesthetic eye. So much so it's his modern painting that makes Nawazuddin Siddiqui's Daryanganj detective mocks by saying that he could replicate it by merely spitting paan. Credit to Udyawar to be able to laugh at his own work albeit in a different format.

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Devki (Sridevi) has been trying hard to win the acceptance of her stepdaughter Arya (Pakistani TV actress Sajal Ali), an 18-year-old, who steadfastly ignores Devki's maternal affections for her father's (the dapper Adnan Siddiqui). Once Arya has won her father's permission to go for a Valentine's Day party at a farmhouse, you know trouble looms with the youth going wild on drugs, alcohol and dance. In a striking top angle shot accompanied by an unnerving AR Rahman score, audiences are left to imagine Arya's assault as a SUV moves about at night with four men in it. It's one of those potent scenes that demonstrates ad filmmaker-turned-film director Udyawar's ability to say more with less. Furthermore Udyawar makes quick work of the legal proceedings which has at least one reference to Pink but whose outcome is different - the perpetrators walk away free.

Even as Arya's physical marks heal, her mental trauma devastates the family with Devki further separated from Arya who tells her that the attackers kept asking her to call her mother for assistance. Devaki takes that declaration as a means to prove herself worthy in her daughter's eyes. Trouble with Mom is that the mother-daughter relationship is all but forgotten to focus on Devki's avenging skills. Street sleuth DK (Nawazuddin Siddiqui) is a concerned father who empathises with Devki and helps her at his own peril. While he provides information, it is Devki who executes the plan with Akshaye Khanna as the crime branch officer Mathew whose suspicions rise as the attackers begin to fall. Tensions, and melodrama and formulaic tropes rise, when the last and fourth assaulter remains standing. As a thriller Mom doesn't really engage with one plan of revenge so similar to Maatr that you are glad that the writers put the brakes on it.

Udyawar's technical finesse and visual flair is evident in the work he gets out of photographer Anay Goswamy (Fitoor) whose lighting only highlights the grim mood of the film. The tempo of Rahman's score rises as Udyawar resorts to silent set pieces for revenge. As much as Mom looks picture perfect, it lacks the punch on narrative front often becoming sluggish with only Siddiqui bringing some energy to the drama. But there are far too many contrivances in how Devki evades suspicion from both the officers and her own family, and familiarity because of its resemblance to Maatr. In Mom the mother may not be a victim of the attack, but she is one emotionally. With Sridevi at helm, it delves into a mother's fearlessness with more restraint. There's no doubting Sridevi's measured performance here in which the anguish is evident in the voice and the determination visible in her big eyes. When she cries clutching her stomach after seeing her daughter's condition, Sridevi reminds us why for long she has been in the A league of Indian actresses.

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But one wishes Mom in its long running time was more considerate to Arya, the young woman at the centre of the rape revenge drama. It wastes the opportunity to use the thespian talents of Sajal Ali, who turns in an effective performance in the limited screen time. Barring two scenes there is almost no attention paid on how she is grappling with the incident with the focus solely on Devki's mission. That a parent has to go to such extreme measures to earn the love and respect of his or her child is deeply flawed, but with Sridevi in command you are just about to buy it.

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ALSO READ: 5 reasons we are looking forward to Sridevi's Mom

ALSO READ: This is how Jhanvi Kapoor reacted after watching Sridevi's Mom

ALSO WATCH: Acting comes from the heart, not from the mind, says Sridevi

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Services of the Namma Metro that came to a grinding halt in Bengaluru today over the staff's protests have been resumed. The bail of the two employees arrested has also been secured.

By Rohini Swamy: Services of the Namma Metro in Bengaluru have been restored after being halted for few hours over protests by metro officials against the arrest of six employees on Thursday.

The arrests were made after the metro officials got into a spat with the Karnataka State Industrial Security Force (KSISF) personnel deployed at a station.

The staffers agitating against police brutality at the Byapnahalli metro station have called off the strike and according to reports their two colleagues have been granted bail.

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On the other hand, two KSISF constables have been arrested on the complaint by metro officials.

#WATCH Bengaluru metro workers thrashed a police officer yesterday; metro services stopped temporarily today due to protest by workers pic.twitter.com/XNtoMaDNaa- ANI (@ANI_news) July 7, 2017

Four out of the six arrested were released earlier and the protests that ensued have secured the bail of the remaining two.

The shutdown had affected lines between Yelchenahalli-Nagasandra and Bayappanhalli-Nayandhalli.

The metro service starts at 5am every morning, but nearly 4 lakh commuters were in for a rude shock today morning when they found all stations closed.

Also read: Lesbian marriage in Bengaluru leaves police in a fix

Also read: Delhi: Spurned lesbian stabs lover after repeated rejections

Also read: Bengaluru hotel denies room to couple, says Hindu-Muslim can't marry

Watch the video here: Bengaluru: Namma Metro services restored after workers call off strike

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PM Modi equated Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed to Daesh and Al-Qaeda saying terrorism comes in different names but their ideology is the same.

By India Today Web Desk: On the first day of the G20 Summit in the German city of Hamburg, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today led the fight against terrorism. As the lead speaker at a session on the theme of fighting terrorism, PM Modi stressed on how terrorists organisations like Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed, active in Kashmir, are the same as Daesh (ISIS) and Al-Qaeda, active in other parts of the world.

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Modi said terrorist organisations bear different names but their ideology is the same - that of spreading hatred and killing people.

Speaking at the two-hour-long Leaders' Retreat, Modi called upon the most powerful nations of the world to come together for a joint fight against the global menace.

Describing terrorism as the biggest threat of our times, PM Modi said international cooperation is weak on terrorism as the focus of all countries is on the national angle.

ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ON WHAT MODI SAID AT THE G20 SUMMIT ON TERRORISM: PM Modi stressed that it is very important for the world to understand terrorism before taking any action as terrorism comes in different names but with the same ideology. In the Middle East, there is Daesh and Al-Qaeda, South Asia has Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed and Haqqani network while in Nigeria Boko Haram is active. But their core ideology is the same - spreading hatred and killing people: PM Modi told G20 leaders. Terrorists are using cyber space to misguide youth, radicalise them and then recruitment them. In some countries terrorists are being used for political gains, PM Modi said adding that there should be an exchange of national lists of suspected terrorists between all G20 nations. Modi also asked for joint action against perpetrators of terror and their supporters. Calling for international cooperation among all G20 nations, Modi said countries are less networked today for response against terrorism but terrorists are more networked. Our actions are mainly focused on our own nations. International cooperation is weak: PM Modi. PM Modi welcomed plan of action in G20 on counter terrorism and presented an 11-point action agenda for it. Without naming Pakistan, Modi said it is important for all G20 nations to take deterrent action against countries which support terrorism. He appealed that legal process like extradition of terrorists should be simplified. Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism should be adopted fast. United Nations Security Council resolutions and other international rules should be implemented effectively, Modi said.

Also read:

On G20 sidelines, PM Modi, President Xi Jinping praise each other, talk on range of issues

PM Narenda Modi in Hamburg to attend G20 Summit: All you need to know

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to visit Gujarat to inaugurate the Narmada Dam in what would be his sixth trip to the poll-bound state this year.

By India Today Web Desk: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to pay a visit to Gujarat in the coming days to inaugurate Narmada Dam and dedicate it to the nation. This is in view of the permission that the state government has got to close the gates of the Narmada Dam.

According to sources, PM Modi would perform an "arti" on the banks of river Narmada. In a high profile function, he would be accompanied by the chief ministers of BJP ruled states and saints from all across the country.

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The sources said Narmada Utsav would be celebrated before Modi visits Gujarat. A Narmada Rath would traverse through more than 10,000 villages of the state. The yatra would conclude at Kewadia. The state government is learnt to be coordinating with the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) regarding Modi's programme.

Arrangements have started for the programme. A committee has been constituted with Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel as its chairperson to oversee the arrangements of the programme. The state government is readying 80 chariots for the occasion.

This would be PM Narendra Modi's sixth visit to his home state this year so far. Gujarat goes to Assembly elections later this year and the PM's visits are being viewed as BJP's bid to galvanise party workers.

ALSO READ | Tea stall where Modi sold tea to be developed as tourist spot

ALSO WATCH | PM Modi breaks silence over mob lynching: Killing people over cow vigilantism unacceptable

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On Friday the National Campaign Against Mob Lynching, launched just a month back, released a draft law named Manav Suraksha Kanoon (MASUKA).

By Mausami Singh: In the backdrop of rise in mob lynching cases there is a growing concern within the civil society. These concerns are compounded by the fact that due to a lack of a specific law against lynching, most of the time the perpetrators get away with the most heinous of crimes. Now voices in the civil society are coming together to propose a strict legislation against any such barbarism.

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On Friday the National Campaign Against Mob Lynching, launched just a month back, released a draft law named Manav Suraksha Kanoon (MASUKA).

Prakash Ambedkar, grandson of BR Ambedkar, and activist Tehseen Poonawalla drafted a law with Shehla Rashid, Shehzad Poonawalla and other members of National Campaign Against Mob Lynching (NCAML) in the presence of lawyer Sanjay Hegde, Professor Manoj Jha at the Constitutional Club today.

What's MASUKA about? Defines 'mob' and 'lynching'. As per the law, lynching should be made a non-bailable offence. Immediate suspension of concerned SHO of the area until time-bound judicial probe. Life imprisonment for those convicted under mob lynching. The draft proposal also has provisions for a time-bound judicial enquiry, which should not take more than six months. Even compensation and rehabilitation has been recommended for the victims' families.

Shehzad Poonawalla, lawyer who presented the draft, said, "A special law like MASUKA was needed just like a special law against domestic violence (on women) or atrocities on Dalits was needed. The IPC 1860 has provisions but none are as comprehensive and all encompassing as MASUKA provisions for judicial probe, witness protection etc."

The drafting committee included Sanjay Hegde, a Senior Advocate at the Supreme Court, Sadar Musharraf, JNU student Najeeb Ahmed's sister, Anil Chamaria, a journalist and activist, Apoorvanand, a Delhi University professor, Sanam Wazir, campaigner at Amnesty International India, Nivedita Menon, a JNU professor, and other eminent activist.

Tehseen Poonawalla, founder MASUKA said, "An ancient civilization like India has to demand a law against lynchings and vigilantism shows how we are deteriorating as peoples. I firmly believe the government will pass MASUKA and make this law a reality. We have got tremendous support from all sections of society and from veterans to us youngsters from marching to the Parliament to taking it up with chief ministers and MPs and following up with the government. We will do everything in order to make MASUKA a reality."

JNU student leader Shehla Rashid, also a part of the campaign, said, "Till date, there has been no FIR in the case of mob assault on Najeeb. The murderers of Pune techie Muhsin Sheikh are out on bail. No justice has been served to Una victims. All this because we don't have a law against lynching and no strong provisions to deal with organized assault."

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The draft Bill will be available to the public for inputs, comments and review. The Campaign will then push for it to be enacted by the Central government and an enabling law by the state governments.

Also Read:

Jharkhand: Man accused of raping, killing 8-year-old lynched by mob

Politics of lynching, the new normal in India

Story of lynching: Kashmir to Haryana, how hate crime thrives in absence of law

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India's first Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru was a man with western approach. He was quite a liberal while Rajendra Prasad was religious, and had a different approach to issues. Nehru wanted C Rajagopalachari to be the first president of India since he was the governor general at that time and since Nehru found Rajagopalachari's views compatible to his own.

Have you ever wondered why the Constitution of India was implemented on January 26, 1950 while it was ready by November, 1949?

The date of January 26 holds a special place in India's fight for independence. It was on this day, in 1929 Lahore session, that Congress declared Purna Swaraj. People of the Constituent Assembly wanted to make this day memorable and hence it was chosen as India's Republic Day.

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Rajendra Prasad, the first president of India, was not happy with the selection of this day, though. He was a devout Hindu and believed the day wasn't good as per astrology. Pandit Nehru was a man with a modern approach; he did not regard astrology. Nehru's decision was welcome, and Rajendra Prasad took the oath as the president on January 26, 1950 at 10:24 am.

This was in fact a consolation prize for Nehru in his ideological battle he had lost a long time ago, the battle to make Rajagopalachari the President.

During 1949, when the process of drafting of the Constitution was in its last phase, the tension surrounding the election of new president of independent India rose. Nehru thought that Rajagopalachari should be the first president of the country; firstly because he was already acting as the governor general and to make him the president, only a mere change in the title was required and secondly since Rajagopalachari's secularist approach was quite similar to that of Nehru's. At the same time, many Congress leaders were unwilling to accept Rajagopalachari because he left the Quit India Movement in the middle.

In June 1949, Blitz reported, "Rajaji's supporters argue that the health of Rajendra Prasad does not allow him for such hard work. At the same time many Congress leaders are not willing to accept Rajaji due to his past. "

Nehru was so desperate for Rajagopalachari's election that he didn't cared about lying. RNP Singh, a former intelligence officer, mentions the same in his book "Nehru A Troubled Legacy". Nehru wrote a letter to Prasad on September 10, 1949, informing him that he spoke to Sardar Patel about the new president and that Rajaji's appointment for the post was decided.

Rajendra Prasad was furious with this idea of Sardar Patel. The next day he wrote a counter letter to Nehru in which he told Nehru that he should be treated fairly given his status in the party, he also sent a copy of this letter to Sardar Patel.

When Nehru read the letter he accepted that his strategy backfired and he planned of a story in his defense.

In his reply, he wrote, "Sardar Vallabhbhai has nothing to do with whatever I wrote. I wrote that based on my estimates. Vallabhbhai don't know anything about this."

After all, why did Nehru never want Rajendra Prasad to be the president?

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Congress used to be an organization where many ideologies coexisted. The battle was for the main ideology of the Congress. Nehru was a supporter of socialism, influenced by Russia's progress, and he was against the interference of religion in politics. But Rajendra Prasad had different thoughts.

Read the Hindi version on The Lallantop.

ALSO READ

FYI || How Rajendra Prasad became the president of India against Nehru's wish ||

FYI || The day Mahatma Gandhi died, Sardar Vallabbhai Patel made a promise he never broke ||

FYI || Chaudhary Hari Ram: The man who made records in Presidential elections ||

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By PTI: By Shirish B Pradhan

Kathmandu, Jul 7 (PTI) Nepal and China have signed an agreement to set up a border law enforcement centre to manage and curb border related crimes "while respecting each others sovereignty", officials said today.

The agreement to establish the Nepal-China Border Law Enforcement Cooperation (Keyrong) Joint Action Centre was signed by Chief District Officer of Rasuwa Chomendra Neupane and Local Security Officer of Zilong County of China Colonel Gao Huihai yesterday.

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"The aim of establishing the centre is to cooperate each other on the border security management and to curb border related crimes, while respecting each others sovereignty," a statement issued by the Assistant Chief District Officer of Rasuwa said.

Neupane said the agreement will enhance the "age-old" bilateral ties and stressed that suck works would be expedited on the basis of mutual understanding and bilateral agreement.

Keyrong is a border town in China close to the Nepalese city of Rasuwa. PTI SBP ABH AKJ ABH

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By PTI: By Shirish B Pradhan

Kathmandu, Jul 7 (PTI) Nepal SBI Bank, a subsidiary of the State Bank of India, today launched its fully automatic digital banking services in the Nepalese capital Kathmandu.

This is for the first time the State Bank of India has expanded the paperless banking system outside India.

Digital banking provides various services including cash deposit, opening of new accounts, distribution of debit card, ATM and online banking information on touch of the screen.

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Customers can avail the services from SBI Intouch Bank.

The digital banking unit also has a robot, which provides important information to customers in an interactive manner.

Nepal Rastra Bank Governor Chirinjibi Nepal, SBI Banks chairperson Arundhati Bhattacharya and Indian Ambassador to Nepal Manjeev Singh Puri, jointly inaugurated the new service, the first of its kind in Nepal.

"The paperless banking service has been launched to target potential younger customers who are exposed to digital technology," Bhattacharya said.

Paperless banking is a revolution in the banking sector of Nepal, said Chiranjibi Nepal. "I am very happy to know that SBI has brought creative and innovative technology in the banking sector in Nepal. We expect other banks of Nepal to follow," he added.

"The launching of the digital banking is a very good example of how bilateral relations between Nepal and India are growing," said Puri. PTI SBP ABH

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By PTI: Boston, Jul 7 (PTI) Stanford scientists, including one of Indian origin, have developed a new artificial intelligence system that can detect life-threatening irregular heartbeats by quickly sifting through hours of heart rhythm data.

The algorithm performs better than trained cardiologists, and has the added benefit of being able to sort through data from remote locations where people do not have routine access to cardiologists.

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The algorithm could bring quick, accurate diagnoses of heart arrhythmias to people without ready access to cardiologists, researchers said.

"One of the big deals about this work, in my opinion, is not just that we do abnormality detection but that we do it with high accuracy across a large number of different types of abnormalities," said Awni Hannun, a graduate student at Stanford University in the US.

People suspected to have an arrhythmia will often get an electrocardiogram (ECG) in a doctors office. However, if an in-office ECG does not reveal the problem, the doctor may prescribe the patient a wearable ECG that monitors the heart continuously for two weeks.

The resulting hundreds of hours of data would then need to be inspected second by second for any indications of problematic arrhythmias, some of which are extremely difficult to differentiate from harmless heartbeat irregularities.

Researchers, led by Andrew Ng from Stanford, set out to develop a deep learning algorithm to detect 13 types of arrhythmia from ECG signals.

In seven months, it was able to diagnose these arrhythmias about as accurately as cardiologists and outperform them in most cases.

The researchers believe that this algorithm could someday help make cardiologist-level arrhythmia diagnosis and treatment more accessible to people who are unable to see a cardiologist in person.

The group trained their algorithm on data collected from a wearable ECG monitor. Patients wear a small chest patch for two weeks and carry out their normal day-to-day activities while the device records each heartbeat for analysis.

The group took approximately 30,000, 30-second clips from various patients that represented a variety of arrhythmias.

"The differences in the heartbeat signal can be very subtle but have massive impact in how you choose to tackle these detections," said Pranav Rajpurkar, a graduate student at Stanford.

To test accuracy of the algorithm, researchers gave a group of three expert cardiologists 300 undiagnosed clips and asked them to reach a consensus about any arrhythmias present in the recordings.

The algorithm could then predict how those cardiologists would label every second of other ECGs with which it was presented, in essence, giving a diagnosis.

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The algorithm could be a step toward expert-level arrhythmia diagnosis for people who do not have access to a cardiologist, as in many parts of the developing world and in other rural areas, researchers said.

More immediately, the algorithm could be part of a wearable device that at-risk people keep on at all times that would alert emergency services to potentially deadly heartbeat irregularities as they are happening. PTI MHN SAR MHN

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Few gatherings throughout the world can rival the vibrant collection of talent and tradition brought together each year at the San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival.

A celebratory reflection of the country and the Bay Areas diverse cultural dance forms, the upcoming 39th festival will move for the first time to the historic War Memorial Opera House. Taking place Saturday-Sunday, July 8-9, and July 15-16, two dozen dance and music ensembles will present a global tableau of performances hailing from China and the Congo to Tahiti and Peru.
Q: What advice do you have for someone considering getting their Real Estate license? And what advice/warnings would you offer about looking to get started in the Bay Area?

A: Want to be your own boss? Make your own schedule? Earn as much money as you want? Then becoming a real estate agent in the Bay Area might be the right career for you but it doesnt come easy. A career in real estate takes hard work, commitment, and a passion to serve. Its a daily hustle to make new connections, promote yourself, and learn everything there is to learn about the real estate industry, professional marketing, the cities and communities you specialize in.

After youve received your real estate license you should join a company that offers an earn while you learn training program. Theres no better way than jumping right in and making money right from the start. Prospecting will be your new full time job and you dont stop until...well, you never stop prospecting. Next, get your hands on some current real estate reading. There are some good books out there that will get and keep you motivated. Finally, if youre broke and have fire in your belly, get out there and knock doors and leave an introduction at every house in the city. Introduce yourself as the new neighborhood real estate specialist and dont stop until you have enough repeat clients and referrals to sustain the comfortable income you desire.

Real estate isnt unlike having your own store, restaurant, or other business. It commands dedication, constant promotion, and discipline. With the right attitude to serve and the stamina to work hard everyday, you just might be a perfect candidate for a career in Bay Area real estate.

Karin Cunningham, Berkshire Hathaway Home Services California Realty, (650) 438-3504, karinc@bhhscalreal.com.

A: Be scrappy and show up. Start by doing some mental housekeeping. Adopt an attitude of optimism, professionalism, and creative problem solving. You will experience rejection, so you must grow thick skin.

Align yourself with successful agents and emulate them. Be available and useful to them because they can offer you real world training. Take them to lunch, volunteer to host or co-host their open houses and dont be picky. You need experience at this point in your career, so embrace every opportunity to be in front of buyers and sellers, showing properties.

Ideally, have a cash reserve of six to 12 months of living expenses. You must operate from a position of abundance. Focus on providing the best value for your clients and not for yourself. Your clients will know that your full attention is on serving their best interests and they will love working with you.

Within the first 30 days of getting your license, organize all of your contacts into a sortable database, including name, phone number, email and mailing address. Find the platform to organize your sphere and set goals to grow your database. Contact everyone in the first 30 days to let them know that you in the business; then provide valuable insights to them every month thereafter. The money will soon follow.

John Solaegui, Paragon Real Estate Group, (415) 738-7232, jsolaegui@paragon-re.com.

A: Becoming a real estate agent is a truly exciting and sometimes scary decision. For many its the best career in the world. It might be for you too. Keep in mind that its not really a job. You will be starting your own business. Youll be a warrior. Youll be an entrepreneur and congratulations, youre the boss. Hopefully, you get along with the boss.

To achieve success and greatness you will need to follow a proven system or path. For champions, greatness starts with an idea and a burning desire for achievement that is backed by right ACTION. Most people become real estate agents and begin with paralysis of analysis. They tend to get ready to get ready and plan themselves right out of the business. Instead, immediately surround yourself with success. Join a top real estate company that will invest in training for your success. Get into your office every day early and listen to what success looks, feels and sounds like. Volunteer to help a top agent. Get a mentor or join a winning team. Like a true warrior make the commitment that you will succeed or die trying. That's what champions do. Thats what I did. Being a top agent feels so damn good.

Regarding being an agent in the Bay Area. Buyers and sellers are very sophisticated. The stakes are higher and so are the rewards. Learn as much as you can as quickly as you can. Know the market trends and know the inventory. Become an expert. This is always true anywhere. Yet, in the San Francisco area you wont last if you dont bring your A game. Were used to champions. Its your turn next.

Frank Castaldini, Coldwell Banker, (415) 846-1899, fc94114@aol.com.
UNITED NATIONS  More than 120 countries approved the first-ever treaty to ban nuclear weapons Friday at a U.N. meeting boycotted by all nuclear-armed nations.

To loud applause and cheers, Elayne Whyte Gomez, president of the U.N. conference that has been negotiating the legally binding treaty, announced the results of the historic vote  122 nations in favor, the Netherlands opposed, and Singapore abstaining.

We have managed to sow the first seeds of a world free of nuclear weapons, Whyte Gomez said. We (are) ... saying to our children that, yes, it is possible to inherit a world free from nuclear weapons.

The world has been waiting for this legal norm for 70 years, since atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945 at the end of World War II, she said.

Setsuko Thurlow, who was a 13-year-old student in Hiroshima when a U.S. nuclear bomb destroyed the city, said survivors have worked all our lives to make sure that no other human beings should ever again be subjected to such an atrocity.

None of the nine countries known or believed to possess nuclear weapons  the United States, Russia, Britain, China, France, India, Pakistan, North Korea and Israel  is supporting the treaty. Many of their allies also did not attend the meeting.

The United States and other nuclear powers instead want to strengthen and reaffirm the nearly half-century-old Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, considered the cornerstone of global nonproliferation efforts.

That pact sought to prevent the spread of atomic arms beyond the five original weapons powers: the U.S., Russia, Britain, France and China. It requires non-nuclear signatory nations to not pursue atomic weapons in exchange for a commitment by the five powers to move toward nuclear disarmament and to guarantee non-nuclear states access to peaceful nuclear technology for producing energy.

Frances Foreign Ministry said in a statement after the vote that the countrys security and defense policies is based on nuclear deterrence, just like that of its allies and other close partners, and it has no intention of complying with the treaty.

All NATO members boycotted the negotiations except for the Netherlands, which has U.S. nuclear weapons on its territory and was urged by its parliament to send a delegation. It was the only country to vote against the treaty.

Whyte Gomez said 129 nations signed up to take part in drafting the treaty, which represents two-thirds of the 193 member states. She added that it will be opened for signatures in September and come into force when 50 countries have ratified it.

The treaty requires of all ratifying countries never under any circumstances to develop, test, produce, manufacture, otherwise acquire, possess or stockpile nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices.

Iran, which signed an agreement with six major powers in 2015 to rein in its nuclear program, was among the countries that voted for the treaty. Its representative stressed the importance of the treatys prohibition on threatening to use nuclear weapons.

Edith M. Lederer is an Associated Press writer.
JOHN MACDOUGALL/NYT

HAMBURG, Germany  Antiglobalization activists clashed violently with police across the German port city of Hamburg all day Friday, setting cars ablaze, throwing bottles and trying to enter the convention center where Group of 20 leaders tackled topics like international terrorism, climate change and trade issues.

Responding to a second day of protests, police ordered in more than 900 additional officers from across the country to get the clashes under control. At least 196 police officers were injured, dozens of activists had to be taken to the hospital and more than 70 protesters were detained.
According to data collected by the Justice Project Pakistan, a human rights law firm, Pakistan has executed 465 people over 30 months, making it the fifth-most prolific executioner in the world.

Pakistan is the fifth-most prolific executioner in the world, report says

By India Today Web Desk: Pakistan has become the fifth-most 'prolific' executioner in the world after China, Iran, Saudi Arabia and Iraq, according to research conducted by Justice Project Pakistan, a non-profit, human rights law firm.

Pakistan has carried out 465 death penalties over a period of 30 months, amounting to 3.5 people being executed every week, JPP said.

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Statistics put up by the Lahore-based law firm contend that as many as 8,200 people are currently languishing on the death row in Pakistan.

The JPP report further says that according to its research, the use of death sentences and executions has failed to deter crime in Pakistan.

Notably, Pakistan had placed a moratorium on executions in 2008. However, it lifted the prohibition in December 2014 after the December 16, 2014 Peshawar school attack in which over 140 people including 132 children died.

The moratorium was lifted to crack down on criminals and militants, however, the JPP report claims that Pakistan wielding the death penalty has failed to lower crime or combat terrorism.

The JPP's latest figures are from the time the moratorium was lifted in December 2014 to May 2017.

According to the report, the province of Punjab leads massively in the number of executions, accounting for 83 per cent of all death penalties carried out in Pakistan. However, according to JPP, the province's murder rate dropped only a 9.7 per cent between 2015-2016.

The report goes on to pose a contrast with the province of Sindh, where JPP says murder rate fell nearly 25 per cent during the same period even though the region carried out just 18 executions compared to Punjab's 382.

The JPP report further attempts to poke holes in the argument that death penalties work as an effective deterrent to terrorism, noting that yearly trends of executions in Pakistan show that just 16 per cent of all death sentences carried out are handed out by courts dealing with cases of terrorism.

Commenting on the Project's finding, JPP's executive director Sarah Belal said that death penalties in Pakistan are increasingly being used for political purposes.

"The death penalty is not an effective tool to curb militancy and crime, as the data clearly shows, yet has been increasingly used for political gain," she said.

ALSO READ | 10 things about executions in Pakistan

ALSO READ | Over 2 days, Pakistan hangs 8 'hardcore terrorists' sentenced by military courts

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ALSO WATCH | Monster of terrorism created by Pakistan, now devouring it: India at UN

--- ENDS ---
1 Mosul counterattack: A major Islamic State counterattack Friday along the northern edge of Mosuls Old City neighborhood pushed Iraqi Army forces back about 82 yards and is threatening recent gains in other Old City fronts, an Iraqi military officer said. The officer said the attack was carried out by 50 to 100 Islamic State fighters. Iraqi security forces have retaken almost all of Mosul  Iraqs second largest city  from Islamic State militants who overran it in 2014.

2 Turkey raids: Turkish police detained 29 suspected Islamic State militants in raids in Istanbul on Friday, the countrys state-run news agency reported. Anadolu Agency said 22 of the militants detained are foreign nationals, but the report didnt provide details on their nationalities. Seven of them are Turkish citizens. The suspects were detained in a police swoop targeting 20 different addresses around Istanbul, the agency reported. Police seized documents, digital material and one firearm during the raids.
SEOUL  South Korean jets and navy ships fired a barrage of guided missiles into the ocean during drills Thursday, a display of military power two days after North Korea test-launched its first intercontinental ballistic missile.

The Norths ICBM launch, its most successful missile test to date, has stoked security worries in Washington, Seoul and Tokyo as it showed the country could eventually perfect a reliable nuclear missile capable of reaching anywhere in the United States. Analysts say the missile tested Tuesday could reach Alaska if launched at a normal trajectory.

The live-fire drills off South Koreas east coast were previously scheduled. In a show of force, South Korea and the United States also staged deep strike precision missile firing drills on Wednesday as a warning to the North.

In North Koreas capital, thousands of people rallied Thursday in Kim Il Sung square to celebrate the launch. The rally was followed by a fireworks display along the Taedonggang, a river that runs through central Pyongyang.

Speaking in Berlin before the Group of 20 summit, South Korean President Moon Jae-in said Wednesday that the world should look at tougher sanctions against the North and insisted the problem must be solved peacefully.

In Warsaw, President Trump said the United States was considering some pretty severe things in response to what he called very, very bad behavior from the North, although he did not mention any specific plans. Something will have to be done about it, he said.

The missile launch was a direct rebuke to Trumps earlier declaration on Twitter that such a test wont happen! and to Moon, who was pushing to improve strained ties with the North.

At the Pentagon, Defense Secretary James Mattis said Thursday that the ICBM launch alone does not bring the U.S. closer to war with North Korea. The United States is leading the way on diplomatic and economic efforts to change Pyongyangs behavior, he said, according to journalists there when he spoke.

The U.N. Security Council could impose additional sanctions on North Korea, but its not clear they would stop it from pursuing its nuclear and missile programs since the country is already under multiple rounds of U.N. sanctions for its previous weapon tests.

The Washington Post contributed to this report.

Hyung-Jin Kim is an Associated Press writer.
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HAMBURG, Germany  At long last face to face, President Trump confronted Russian President Vladimir Putin directly Friday over Moscows meddling in the 2016 presidential campaign, as the two leaders sought to use their historic first meeting to move past the issue and forge closer cooperation on Syria.

In a two-hours-plus meeting in Germany, Trump and Putin had a robust and lengthy discussion about the interference, though Putin denied involvement, said Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. His Russian counterpart, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, said Trump had accepted Putins assurances that Russia didnt meddle in the U.S. election  a divergent description of the conversation that illustrated each countrys effort to show its leader had held his ground.

I think the president is rightly focused on how do we move forward from something that may be an intractable disagreement at this point, said Tillerson, who took part in the meeting along with Lavrov.

Trumps decision to raise the issue directly with Putin fulfilled ardent demands by U.S. lawmakers of both parties that the president not shy away from the issue in his highly anticipated meeting with Putin. Trump has avoided stating unequivocally in the past that Russia interfered, even as investigations proceed into whether Trumps campaign colluded with Russians who sought to help him win.

On one point, Putin and Trump agreed, Tillerson said: The issue has become a hindrance to better relations between the two powers. The two leaders agreed to continue the discussion, with an eye toward securing a commitment that Russia wont interfere in U.S. affairs in the future, Tillerson added.

Still looking back, though, the Russians asked for proof and evidence of Moscows involvement in the 2016 election. Just a day earlier, Trump had said Russia probably meddled in the election, but that other countries probably did, too.

The two also discussed a cease-fire deal for southwestern Syria that was reached by Russia and the United States.

Though Tillerson said details about the cease-fire need to be worked out, Lavrov said that Russian military police will monitor the cease-fire, with a monitoring center set up in Jordan  another party to the deal.

Darlene Superville and Vladimir Isachenkov are Associated Press writers.
Three wheels and a badge

The long arm of the law is comingat 15 mph. Police in Santa Fe will soon be cruising the Plaza and greater Plaza area on Segways. These are no ordinary cruisers, as the $17,000 price tag suggests. The cop versions have three wheels instead of two and come complete with factory-tuned language to convince city governments they're worth the money. The city's tourism arm is picking up the tab for the two units.

Powerful narcotic on Santa Fe streets

Police say that fentanyl, a massively potent painkiller, is now a firm part of the street-drug scene in Santa Fe. Detectives say drug dealers mix it with heroin, but even a small dose of fentanyl can be fataland it's

through an overdose.

@Really?

Santa Fe has created a Twitter handle to help drivers let it know about potholes around town. The effort promises a fix to most problems

. The accountfound on Twitter by searching @PostaPotholeSFis monitored by the city's public works department.

Reconsider ranked-choice

Advocates for ranked-choice voting, an instant-runoff style of balloting, are asking the mayor and City Council to

at implementing the system for city elections next March. Santa Fe is supposed to be using ranked-choice voting. Voters approved an amendment to the city charter calling for it. That was back in 2008, but the city has consistently

.

Missing out on outdoor hangout

Back in March, SFR told you about New Mexico's effort to win the Outdoor Retailers

. The convention announced a move from Utah. But there were real questions about whether the state even had a convention facility large enough to accommodate the show. It appears not, as

the lucrative trade fair.

South Capital flasher

A woman in the Santa Fe neighborhood chased off a Fourth of July flasher,

after she looked out her living room window to see the man fondling himself in her yard. Police aren't certain if there's any connection to similar incidents last summer.

NM, 18 other states sue Ed Secretary DeVos

New Mexico's attorney general has joined with other Democratic counterparts across the country to sue the feds for delaying

at for-profit colleges. DeVos says the rules are unclear and need reworking. In part, they prohibit colleges from making students sign waivers of their right to sue to settle grievances.

Thou shalt take it to court

The city of Bloomfield has asked the US Supreme Court to reverse a lower court's ruling that a monument of the Ten Commandments outside City Hall

. It's not a novel controversy, but the city's attorneys argue that lower courts are using different standards to figure out if such monuments should stay or go.

Thanks for reading! The Word wonders if an entire block could technically be considered a pothole. Because we've got some ideas.

Subscribe to the Morning Word at sfreporter.com/signup

Santa Fe Reporter
The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment says Chinese subsidies on galvanised steel coil imports are too small to have injured the domestic industry, dominated by Australian-owned New Zealand Steel, which cried foul about the Chinese government help last year.

The ministry's June 9 essential facts and conclusions report found Chinese imports were undercutting NZ Steel prices, but couldn't be blamed on government support for Chinese manufacturers, which was minimal at most. Rising Chinese steel coil imports have moderated over the past two years and MBIE noted there hadn't been "a significant increase in the volume of imports of the subject goods in either absolute terms or relative to production or consumption in the domestic market."

NZ Steel, owned by ASX-listed BlueScope, filed a complaint with MBIE last year and mobilised a political campaign accusing Chinese government subsidies of causing material injury to the domestic industry.

In March, Commerce Minister Jacqui Dean wasn't convinced there were grounds for provisional measures to be imposed on Chinese imports and she is expected to make a final decision today.

"MBIE's overall conclusion, based on the subsidy levels established, is that while there is evidence of injury to the domestic industry attributable to the price effects of imports from China, material injury to an industry is not being caused by the subsidisation of imports from China," the report said.

NZ Steel's average selling price shrank 25 percent between September 2011 and June 2016 as the local company tried to match cheaper Chinese imports, which the company said was its strategy of trying to keep market share. While it lost market share between 2012 and 2014, it has since regained that ground, the report shows.

The company's earnings also showed steady and significant decline, which MBIE said "correlates significantly with and can be attributed to price undercutting, price depression and price suppression," but not linked to Chinese subsidies.

New Zealand importers who took part in the investigation were largely against imposing duties on Chinese steel imports, which would force them to lift their own prices and potentially push up the cost of construction.

MBIE started its investigation with little fanfare in December, simply noting it in the government's gazette without a public statement. Chinese steel imports have been a bone of contention around the world as US and European producers claimed their own industries were being undercut by dumping of subsidised steel in their markets. When New Zealand was dragged into the matter last year there were claims Kiwi firms could face a backlash if the government pursued an anti-dumping probe.

The ministry found it difficult to secure responses from Chinese manufacturers, with just one of seven responding to its questionnaire, while Chinese government officials said they could only provide general answers "due to the lack of cooperation with the investigation by such producers". Several intermediary exporters provided information, and MBIE also used on US, European and Australian investigations and World Trade Organisation documents.

(BusinessDesk)

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Vector will return $13.9 million to Auckland electricity customers after a change to the way it set two tariffs in 2013 saw it breach its regulated revenue cap in the following two years.

The Auckland-based electricity, gas and telecommunications lines company cut a deal with the Commerce Commission where it will set its prices for the relevant customers below the maximum it can charge on the regulated lines, reducing 2019 revenue by $4.6 million and 2020 revenue by $9.3 million.

Vector inadvertently went beyond its allowable returns when it restructured prices for residential customers and left it to electricity retailers to handle the switch on the assumption that competition in the retail market would ensure virtually all customers would change to the appropriate rate from the first day. Instead, about 28 percent of Auckland households hadn't switched over at the end of the first year and were paying more than they needed to.

"While Vector could not predict consumer switching with complete accuracy, its working assumption was unreasonable and led to a large number of households overpaying for their electricity," commission deputy chair Sue Begg said in a statement. "Vector's repayment takes the form of holding residential prices flat for the next two years, which has the effect of consumers paying less and Vector earning less revenue than would be allowed under its price path."

In February, Vector reported a 7 percent increase in first-half profit to $107 million and affirmed annual guidance for adjusted earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation would be broadly in line with the 2016 result of $473 million. The company has been looking for new revenue streams outside its regulated electricity and gas distribution business, and diversifying into battery storage technology, home ventilation, and solar power.

The commission agreed to the settlement to avoid expensive and time-consuming litigation, and because Vector dealt with the regulator in "a constructive manner" and identified the breaches in its compliance statements for the 2014 and 2015 periods.

Vector shares fell 1.5 percent to $3.33, having gained 4.3 percent so far this year.

(BusinessDesk)

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Your name: Your email: Not displayed to the public Comment: Comments to Sharechat go through an approval process. Comments which are defamatory, abusive or in some way deemed inappropriate will not be approved. It is allowable to use some form of non-de-plume for your name, however we recommend real email addresses are used. Comments from free email addresses such as Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, etc may not be approved. Anti-spam verification: Type the text you see in the image into the field below. You are asked to do this in order to verify that this enquiry is not being performed by an automated process.

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The Warehouse Group FY23 First Quarter Sales Update

PEB - Interim Financial Results to be Announced 24 November 2022

EROAD H1 FY23 Results and Conference Call Details

MFB - Appointment of Chief Executive Officer

HFL - Annual report for the year ended 31 August 2022

November 11th Morning Report

GMT - Customer demand supports strong first-half operating result

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Afghanistan's relationship with India is unacceptable to Pakistan, which is using proxies like Haqqani network and the Taliban against its neighbours, eminent experts have told US lawmakers.

By Press Trust of India: The Trump administration needs to place "greater pressure" on Pakistan to make it realise that its "longstanding strategy" of using terror proxies in war - torn Afghanistan is both costly and ineffective, according to a top US expert.

Pakistan has not deviated from its basic commitment to supporting its favoured proxies in Afghanistan, Daniel Markey from Global Policy Program at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies said in an op-ed in The Cipher Brief, a global security news platform.

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"As for placing greater pressure on Pakistan to change course, the United State needs to demonstrate that Pakistan's longstanding strategy of using terrorist proxies is both costly and ineffective," he said yesterday.

"Sadly, that message was never delivered convincingly by the George W Bush or Obama administrations," Markey said as he recommend that an escalation of US military action directed at Taliban leadership with the principal aim of compelling negotiations is now probably Washington's best hope for anything other than a very long Afghan stalemate.

Or worse, another escalation of violence that could collapse the Kabul government and prompt a humiliating American withdrawal, he said.

"Pakistani leaders would prefer that Washington accept their concerns as legitimate and lend support to a brokered peace process for Afghanistan that would deliver a significant share of national power to pro-Pakistan groups and demonstrate Islamabad's dominant regional role," he wrote.

NAGOTIATED SETTLEMENT

According to Markey, Washington has succeeded on multiple occasions in getting Pakistan to bring Taliban negotiators to the table.

"The trouble is that these negotiators - and their Pakistani patrons - have not shown themselves to be serious when it comes to seeking a negotiated settlement," he said. "To the contrary, US officials perceive that the Taliban have used talks as a stalling tactic and a pretext for other diplomatic games intended to confer greater international legitimacy on the insurgency and to call into question that of the Afghan government in Kabul," the US expert said.

Pakistans Ambassador to the US Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry told The Cipher Brief that it is "totally an absurd suggestion" that Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence agency maintains close ties to the Taliban and the Haqqani network. "It does not even call for a comment. Pakistans intelligence agency and our law enforcement authorities have played a critical role in decimating al-Qaeda and other terror networks in the region," Chaudhry said.

NEED TO BUILT TRUST BETWEEN PAK AND US

He said that building mutual trust between Pakistan and the US would be important to promote peace in the region. "The history tells us that when our two countries collaborated with mutual cooperation, positive results were achieved, for example, in the fight against al-Qaeda. That is why we believe that trust and mutual respect should constitute the key pillar of Pakistan-US relationship as both the countries genuinely desire peace and stability in the region," he said.

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However, top American counter-terrorism experts have refuted the Pakistani diplomats claims. Bruce Riedel, director of the Intelligence Project at the Brookings Institution, said the Haqqani network still operates as an extension of the Pakistani intelligence services.

"They receive safe havens and receive sanctuary from the Pakistani intelligence service which often cooperates in the planning of operations with the Haqqani network, including planning of operations against American targets," he said. Bennett Seftel, deputy director of analysis at The Cipher Brief, said that many in the US have been dismayed by the Pakistani governments lack of willpower to force the Taliban to the negotiating table and end the ongoing military stalemate in Afghanistan.

"A sign of any new approach by the US may be revealed in the next few weeks when the Pentagon is expected to complete its review of US policy in Afghanistan and the region," Seftel wrote in the report.

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ALSO READ:

Afghan air corridor bypassing Pakistan shows India's stubborn geopolitical thinking: Chinese media

Afghanistan: Taliban attacks security post, 10 policemen dead

ALSO WATCH:

Taliban terrorists attack checkpost near India-Afghanistan friendship dam, 10 soldiers killed

--- ENDS ---
By PTI: Dhanbad (Jharkhand), Jun 7 (PTI) People living in the danger zone of underground mine fire in Jharia would have to be shifted at any cost, Union Coal Secretary Sushil Kumar said here today.

The government cannot let the people die in subsidence due to underground fire and would rehabilitate them in safe places, said Kumar who visited mine fire affected residential areas of Jharia.

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Talking to the residents of Ghanudih Basti, considered the most dangerous area of Jharia coalfield under Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL), Kumar urged them to cooperate with the authorities for their proper rehabilitation.

The coal secretary, who was accompanied by Jharkhand chief secretary Raj Bala Verma, also made it clear that the affected people would be rehabilitated on the basis of the 2009 survey of the area.

The 2009 survey, conducted by Jharia Rehabilitation and Development Authority, had identified over 54,000 families living in the danger zone to be entitled for rehabilitation.

The coal secretary also visited Jharia Vehar colony where displaced persons of mines fire area are being rehabilitated in quarters.

The displaced persons complained to Kumar that they had been dumped in the quarters, without any arrangement for their source of livelihood or medical facility.

The coal secretary also held a meeting with BCCL and the district administration and asked them to immediately start shifting of the people at safer places. PTI COR NN PS

--- ENDS ---
"Why is our Prime Minister silent on China," Rahul Gandhi said on Twitter.

By India Today Web Desk: On a day when Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping praised each other even after the standoff between the armies of the two countries at Sikkim, Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi questioned Modi's silence on the issue.

"Why is our Prime Minister silent on China," Rahul Gandhi said on Twitter.

The Congress has been questioning the 'silence' of the prime minister on Chinese aggression along the border and has asked the government to spell out its strategy to ease the tension in Doklam area near the Bhutan trijunction.

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During an informal meeting of the five BRICS countries, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping praised the roles of China and India respectively in the international matters. The two leaders also had a "conversation" on a "range of issues", Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Gopal Baglay tweeted.

A stand-off between Indian Army and Chinese People's Liberation Army is going on at the border for the past few weeks.

Doka La is the Indian name for the region which Bhutan recognises as Dokalam, while China claims it as part of its Donglang region.

China and Bhutan are engaged in talks over the resolution of the area. Bhutan, however, has no diplomatic ties with China and it is supported militarily and diplomatically by India.

Also read:

India has a weak PM, tweets Rahul Gandhi with reports on H1-B visa, 'India administered Kashmir'

Why China will mend ways to defuse border tension and not boast of 1962

On G20 sidelines, PM Narendra Modi, President Xi Jinping praise each other, talk on range of issues

Also watch:

China's territorial sovereignty undermined by Indian troops: Chinese Embassy in India

--- ENDS ---
Counter-terrorism, economic growth, sustainable development, peace and stability will be on PM Narendra Modi's agenda at the G20 summit.

By Geeta Mohan: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has arrived in Hamburg to attend the G20 summit. He took to social media to spell out the focus of his visit.

He posted on his Facebook page, "On the evening of July 6, I will commence my visit to Hamburg for the 12th G-20 Summit hosted by Germany. Over two days on 7th and 8th July, I look forward to engaging leaders from other G-20 countries on the vital issues affecting our world today that have a bearing on economic growth, sustainable development, and peace and stability".

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Prime Minister Modi's engagements would begin on Friday with the BRICS leaders' meeting at around 9:15am being held on the sidelines of the G20 summit. This would be the time when Prime Minister Modi would be in the same room as Chinese President Xi Jinping. While a bilateral was never scheduled, a chat in this informal setting regarding the crisis at the India-Bhutan-China border tri-junction cannot be ruled out.

Following the BRICS meet, the formal proceedings of the G20 summit will begin with the leaders' welcome at the Hamburg Messe, the venue for the summit, followed immediately by the G20 leaders retreat. The theme of the retreat is 'fighting terrorism/countering terrorism'.

FORMAL SESSION AND LEADERS' RETREAT

This retreat would take place before the formal sessions begin. Alok Dhimri, the officer in charge of G20 said ahead of the visit, "the formal session and leaders' Retreat are two different things. But it is a significant indication of the importance the world leaders attach to the issue of terrorism".

After the Leaders' Retreat, the formal sessions of the summit will begin. The first session will focus on global growth and trade and the second session on sustainable development, climate and energy. The later session could see some real disagreements with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Canadian PM Justin Trudeau, PM Modi sharing a similar view on climate change which would be opposed lock, stock and barrel by the American President.

US president Donald Trump, who already met German Chancellor Angela Merkel will also be meeting his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on the summit sidelines.

Also, reports suggest that there would be a meeting of delegations from the US, Japan and South Korea to discuss North Korea's 4 July missile test.

Earlier, to queries on meetings of Prime MInister Modi on the summit sidelines, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson, Gopal Baglay responded through a press release which read, "as mentioned earlier, the Prime Minister is visiting Hamburg from 6-8 July for G-20 Summit.

SERIES OF BILATERAL MEETING

His pre-planned bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the Summit are with Argentina, Canada, Italy, Japan, Mexico, ROK, UK and Vietnam.

In addition, he will also participate in the BRICS Leaders' meeting. There is no change in the Prime Minister's schedule". He is slated to have bilateral meetings with Japan at 3pm (6:30pm IST) and with Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau at 4:30pm (8pm IST).

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The first day ends with a concert for the leaders at Elphilharmonie concert hall in Hamburg, one of the most acoustically advanced concert halls in the world.

PM MODI'S ITINERARY AT HAMBURG

0915 : BRICS meeting

1000 : Leaders welcome at G20

1030 : G20 Leaders Retreat

1300 : Working Session I on Global Growth and Trade

1500 : Bilateral with Japan

1530 : Working Session II on Sustainable Development, Climate and Energy

1630 : Bilateral with Canada

1900 : Concert for leaders at Elphilharmonie

Also Read:

PM Narenda Modi in Hamburg to attend G20 Summit: All you need to know

India responds to Chinese claim: There was no Modi-Xi meeting planned at G20

Doklam standoff: Chinese media says Beijing should back Sikkim independence

China hints Modi-Xi meet at G20 unlikely as 'political foundations damaged'

WATCH | When Netanyahu's dinner with Modi reminded him of a date at an Indian restaurant 30 years ago

--- ENDS ---

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According to Madhya Pradesh BJP's media in charge Lokendra Parashar, Kovind would reach the state capital on a one-day visit in the morning by a special flight.

By India Today Web Desk: BJP led NDA's presidential candidate Ram Nath Kovind will visit Bhopal tomorrow to meet the MPs and MLAs of the state ahead of the July 18 elections.

According to Madhya Pradesh BJP's media in charge Lokendra Parashar, Kovind would reach the state capital on a one-day visit in the morning by a special flight. A meeting has been organised at noon in Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan's official residence.

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Besides Chouhan, those who would be present in the meeting include BJP vice president in charge of Madhya Pradesh, Vinay Sahastrabuddhe, Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha MPs and MLAs of the state. MP BJP organisation general secretary Suhas Bhagat would also remain present in the meeting.

Both Kovind and Congress led opposition's candidate Meira Kumar are on nationwide tour to garner support for themselves.

Kovind is on a day's visit to Meghalaya today. He has already toured several states.

Meira Kumar is likely to visit Bhopal on July 13 to meet MPs and MLAs.

Also Read:

Ram Nath Kovind: All you need to know about NDA's pick for President

--- ENDS ---
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Police are asking for the public's help identifying a woman sought for questioning in connection to the Tuesday vandalism of several cars in Graniteville.

An unidentified woman can be seen on video scratching several cars, and popping tires on Felton Street between Caswell Lane and Lamberts Lane Monday night around 10:35 p.m., according to a written statement from the NYPD's Deputy Commissioner of Public Information.

James Ruisi, whose 2016 Volkswagen Passat suffered a punctured tire and scratches to the hood, said the holes in his tire looked to be about the size of a knife.

His neighbor approached him around 2 p.m. Tuesday with the bad news, and told him that his car had been damaged as well, Ruisi said.

Ruisi said he knows of 18 cars that had been vandalized in the area, including vehicles parked in driveways in the neighborhood.

Ruisi said the woman looked familiar, but that he "couldn't place her."

After viewing the video of the woman, he was surprised with how calm she seemed.

"She doesn't look angry," he said. "She looks nonchalant."

The woman sought for questioning is described by police as a light skin female, approximately 35 to 40 years of age.

Anyone with information in regards to this incident is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime stoppers website at WWW.NYPDCRIMESTOPPERS.COM or by texting their tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then enter TIP577.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- On the eve of President Donald Trump's arrival in Poland, the Polish president wished America a Happy Birthday, and paid homage to Staten Island native Army Staff Sergeant Michael H. Ollis, who died in Afghanistan in 2013 while saving the life of a Polish soldier.

Trump is in Europe for the G20 summit, an international meeting on finance between 20 countries, and arrived in Poland Wednesday night.

He gave a speech in Warsaw Thursday, before heading to Germany. The president will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday.

Polish President Andrzej Duda penned a letter to Trump before he arrived in Poland. DNAinfo first reported on the letter.

"The Republic of Poland and the United States of America are bound by traditional bonds of friendship, by the strategic partnership founded on our shared values, and by respect of our mutual interests," Duda wrote.

He noted "the fraternity of arms among our soldiers, forged in Iraq, Afghanistan and other hotspots of the modern world," mentioning Ollis by name.

During a suicide bombing at the Ghazni base in August 2013, the 24-year-old Ollis used his body as a shield to protect Polish Lieutenant Karol Cierpica.

The brave act "was firmly imprinted in the collective memory of the Polish people," Duda wrote. "For saving the life of a Polish officer, he was posthumously decorated by the Polish authorities with the Star of Afghanistan, and the Gold Medal of the Polish Army."

Two years after Ollis' death, Cierpica's wife gave birth to a baby boy, who they named after Ollis.

One of three new Staten Island Ferry boats will be named after Ollis. It's expected to be in use in early 2019.

Read the entire letter from the Polish president here.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Those fishing for answers to the litter problem at Crookes Point may have just landed the catch of a lifetime.

U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer sent a letter today to the National Park Service, urging it to prioritize cleanup efforts at Crookes Point in Great Kills Park. This was done in response to a story posted by the Staten Island Advance earlier this week.

"Crookes Point is a home away from home for Staten Island anglers, as well as a critical habitat for Staten Island's marine life, so it's disappointing that it's being treated like the local dumping ground," said Schumer, in a press release sent out this morning.

In the letter addressed to acting National Parks Director Mike Reynolds, Schumer addressed the significance of this space for Staten Island fishermen and the constant stream of garbage reported and documented in the original article.

"In light of these reports, I urge you to quickly deploy the appropriate resources to ensure that this beautiful and critically important section of the park continues to be clean and safe to use as soon as possible," Schumer wrote.

Schumer has history of advocating on behalf of the Staten Islanders at Gateway National Recreation Area.

In 2013, Schumer called for NPS to maintain a marina in Great Kills Park and get a new concession contract in place to begin rebuilding immediately. After a personal meeting between Schumer and NPS Director Jonathan Jarvis, NPS committed to maintain the marina.

Schumer concluded his letter by empathizing with the NPS, while also putting forth a strong call to action.

"I understand that in the current fiscal climate budgets are constrained and, as in the past, I will stand with NPS during the budget process and fight for adequate resources," said Schumer. "However, I ask that you prioritize the cleanup and maintenance of the Crookes Point section of Great Kills Park as soon as possible"

At time of publication, NPS had not provided comment for this report.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- We revisit our Blessed Sacrament School students at Metro Pizzeria in West Brighton on their last 'Whacky Wednesday' to see if they have any new tricks on their Fidget Spinners, and show them the new less noticeable stress relievers on the market that we found.

The Anti-Stress Cube (Fidget Cube) is one, and another is a fidget toy that looks like it's made up of two connected key ring holders and a few bike chains pieces in the middle, called the Flippy Chain.



Many schools have placed bans on these fidget toys, "Unless you have doctor's note," says eighth grader Kaitlyn Salaris of Blessed Sacrament.

One expert was disappointed by the bans. "These little gadgets should be called fidget tools, not toys, and they can be part of a successful strategy for managing fidgety behavior if they are introduced as a normal part of the classroom culture," said Claire Heffron, a pediatric occupational therapist in Cleveland, as reported by The Washington Post.



The LiveScience website reported that the children who these toys helped with ADHD or autism also felt included in the trendy toy play. The activity helped refocus and de-stress the individual in need, it said.



The toy or tool of choice among these kids was the Fidget Spinner, hands down. The reason, says Sean Keag:"You only have one thing to do, to think about, just spin it. Where the cube, you have to choose to click, slide, buttons or use the switch -- too many stressful choices!"



Either way, at the office, on the bus, in class, while studying, in a meeting, or while watching TV, these fidget tools can help many relax and focus or just have fun.
WWII nurse reflects on meaning of Veterans Day Anne Losito has observed Veterans Day around the world. The 97-year-old Camarillo resident served her country as an Army nurse during World War II, and her family has a rich...

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The former Union minister while speaking at a conference on Kashmir issue in Mumbai said that he would have kept Burhan Wani alive and had a dialogue with him.

By Kamlesh Damodar Sutar: Senior Congress leader Saifuddin Soz has triggered a controversy with his remarks about slain militant Burhan Wani. The former Union minister while speaking at a conference on Kashmir issue in Mumbai said that he would have kept Burhan Wani alive and had a dialogue with him. Soz's statement has come under sharp criticism.

Speaking at a conference organised by Observer Research Foundation in Mumbai, Soz said, "If it would have been upto me, I would have kept Burhan alive and had a dialogue with him."

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But, the leader went onto defend his comments while speaking exclusively to India Today.

"He (Burhan) was on field, the forces had only one option to kill. But, that is between the forces and Wani. I said that people like me try and reach the minds of militants. Why do they have unrest in their minds?" Soz said. "Dialogue is the only process to reach their minds. I said that in this context," Soz explained.

"Forces are doing what they want to do as per the law. My issues is that dialogue should be initiated with boys and girls who pelt stones. As a politician, my perception is that you can talk to everyone, talk to Hurriyat and also talk to boys and girls who pelt stone." Soz added.

Soz also said that Prime Minister Modi can convert this challenge into opportunity with dialogue.

Soz's statement came under criticism by Kashmiri Pundit activists.

"It's people like Soz who are responsible for the mess in Kashmir. He has been a minister and has taken oath of the constitution, and then also goes on to sympathise with people like Burhan Wani. It's people like him who are responsible for the present situation, "said Sushil Pandit, who was also part of the conference.

Soz, however, found some support coming in from Sudheendra Kulkarni, the former political advisor of Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

"Yes, dialogue should be initiated. if a dialogue can take place with Naga separatists, why not here? There should be a dialogue with Kashmiri separatists as well as Pakistan too," Kulkarni said.

ALSO READ:

UK cancels permission for Burhan Wani rally after India raises protest

How Indian Army tracked and killed Burhan Wani's successor Sabzar Ahmad, 9 terrorists

--- ENDS ---
By PTI: Mumbai, Jul 7 (PTI) Congress leader Saifuddin Soz today said he feels that irrespective of his background and RSS connections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi wants a solution to the Kashmir issue.

"I personally think, Hurriyat should be kept in the loop at the time of talks. Tomorrow they may be irrelevant, but today they represent the anger of the Kashmiri youth," he said at a conference on the situation in Jammu and Kashmir organised by the Observer Research Foundation (ORF) here.

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A section of speakers at the conference called for talks with all stakeholders to find a lasting solution to the vexed issue.

Lt General (retd) Syed Ata Hasnain said solution to the Kashmir issue lies in bringing the people of Jammu and Kashmir at par with other states -- politically, economically and psychologically.

"This is an achievable aim and can be achieved with the help of the Indian Army," he said.

Ashok Behuria, fellow and coordinator, South Asia Centre, Institute for Defence Studies and Analysis, said, "We must re-federalise our states and empower local bodies. Decentralisation of power is essential."

ORF chairman Sudheendra Kulkarni said there should have been efforts for normalisation of issues between Hindus and Muslims, as well as between India and Pakistan.

"A continuous dialogue should be held with all stakeholders, including separatists," he said.

"We should resume bilateral talks between the two countries and not wait till the last terror attack takes place or the last bullet is fired," Kulkarni said.

He added that India should re-look at the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor intelligently and try to convert it into an opportunity.

"Let Kashmir be a bridge for physical as well as political communication," Kulkarni said.

"I am also of the opinion that Bangladesh, India, China and Myanmar route should be further connected to Kabul and Iran," he added. PTI ND RMT KIS

--- ENDS ---
A student from the Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute attempted suicide on the accord of the institute not handling her sexual assault case in the proper way.

By Shreya Biswas: "Your 'film school' is a sexual violence zoo, I am your first carcass. Eat me now to your heart's content."

These are the lines on which an SRFTI student's suicide note ends. She tried to kill herself after being subjected to, as she explains to IndiaToday.in, mental and sexual harassment at the prestigious government-run film institute in Kolkata.

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The female student of the Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute (SRFTI) attempted suicide on Tuesday night. She survived, and is recovering.

The suicide note she wrote is now being shared widely on social media. In it, she mentions that she had tried to take her life once before. And in both cases, she blames SRFTI to have "done the work" for her to take the extreme step.

"If you are a student of SRFTI and you are sexually harassed, raped, there is no way you can live," the SRFTI student writes in her suicide note. "I tried to live with all my might... but there is only so much a woman can do to cling to her life."

THE SEXUAL HARASSMENT SURVIVOR TELLS HER STORY

Speaking to IndiaToday.in, the SRFTI student shared her experience at the institute after she filed complaints with the Internal Complaints Committee for Sexual Harassment (ICC-SH) against two professors and two students in December 2015.

"Harassment started from this point," she told IndiaToday.in. "One of my complaints was forwarded to police without my permission since the charge was of rape. The case is on it Kolkata High Court."

While the ICC had found one of the professors she had complained against as guilty; she said that "no action has been taken against him yet".

As for the students she had accused of sexually harassing her, she said that this is where "the SRFTI violated the law".

"They [the institute] set up a second ICC to look into the complaints against students (there were six other students accused). But an institute is allowed to have only one ICC," she said.

The ICC enquiry, during which she alleges that the girl were harassed, found the boys she had complained against not guilty because she did not have "witnesses" for the sexual harassment.

"They also tried to make me sign a paper that said things I had not said," she accuses. Despite her taking the matter to I & B Secretary Ajay Mittal, she said "nothing has been done".

After appointment of current SRFTI Director Debamitra Mitra, the student claims that the ICC which had found the professors guilty was dissolved under the reason that it was "anti-men".

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Eventually, SRFTI Acting Chairperson Amala Akkineni revoked the order dissolving the ICC.

ASKED TO VACATE HOSTEL ROOM

After she was asked to vacate her hostel room and allegedly harassed while doing so, she filed a police complaint against Director Debamitra Mitra and Professor Shyamal Sengupta for criminal intimidation and abetting sexual harassment.

After failing to get a proper response from police, despite repeatedly trying, she said attempted suicide.

The student's suicide note. Source: Facebook/ Ekabali Ghosh

WHAT DOES SRFTI HAVE TO SAY?

IndiaToday.in was unable to reach SRFTI Director Debamitra Mitra, or anyone from the institute today. However, in a Times of India report earlier, Mitra accused the survivor of making "baseless allegations" and "maligning the institute".

"She had complained to the cops about me... Without any proof, she has levelled allegations like I've been threatening her," the TOI report quotes Mitra. "Fact is, I don't even have her number and haven't met her this time around."

Mitra acknowledged the survivor as an 11th batch student who "was asked to vacate her room" in the college hostel, and accused her of breaking and entering.

"She gave an undertaking saying that she would vacate the room by 6 pm on Sunday. But she didn't have the patience to wait for the authorities to come and open her room. Instead, she broke the lock and barged inside," said Mitra.

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An alumnus of Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute, who wishes to be anonymous, told IndiaToday.in that the Kunjilla of being a "sociopath." He said, "everytime before attempting sucide, she posts about it on Facebook. She accuses anyone who is against her of sexual harassment. This time, the director is a woman and she complained against her as well. She has complained against her parents as well.

PROTEST AGAINST SEXUAL HARASSMENT AT SRFTI

A day before the suicide attempt, the SRFTI student addressed a rally at the Jadavpur University, organised by Women Against Sexual Harassment.

In her speech, she expressed her disappointment with the way SRFTI handled her complaint of sexual harassment. She also alleged that many other female students at the institute were silenced the same way.

"The report that was issued regarding the complaint stated that there were no eye witnesses in the case. Tell me, when a man decides to sexually harass a woman, does he call ten other people to watch?" she said in her speech.

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IndiaToday.in is still trying to reach Director Debamitra Mitra.

--- ENDS ---
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By PTI: (Eds: Incorporating arguments and details)

New Delhi, Jul 7 (PTI) The Supreme Court today restrained the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) across the country from conducting further counselling and admitting students on the basis of the results of the IIT-JEE (Advance) 2017 results, till further orders.

A bench of Justices Dipak Misra and A M Khanwilkar also restrained the High Courts across the country from entertaining any fresh petition relating to the counselling and admissions to the IITs from today onwards.

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It directed the registeries of the High Courts to inform it about the number of petitions challenging IIT-Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) 2017 rank list and awarding of additional marks to all candidates who had appeared in the test.

The bench directed that copies of the order be sent to the Registrars General of all the High Courts and posted the matter for further hearing on July 10.

During the hearing, advocate general K K Venugopal urged the court to suggest an equitable solution as there were a huge number of students who had taken the examination.

Senior advocate Vikas Singh, appearing for some of the candidates, said the action of the IITs in awarding "bonus marks" to candidates for the defective questions given in the JEE (Advanced) 2017 examination was "utterly wrong" and violated the right of all the students.

The bench suggested that the solution was that those who had attempted such questions shall be awarded bonus marks.

It said the court will go by its earlier judgement of 2005 and added that bonus marks cannot be given to those who have not attempted the questions.

Venugopal pointed out that there was negative marking for every unsuccessful question and there may be some students who had opted not to answer "the said vague questions fearing negative marking".

Therefore, across the board bonus marks were given to the candidates, otherwise the IITs would have to strike down the marks, he said.

The AG appearing for IITs said it was difficult to re-evaluate the answersheets of over two lakh students who took the examination and awarding of bonus marks across board was the most practical solution.

He said till now, over 33,000 students have taken admission in various streams of courses in premier engineering institutes of the country.

The bench said it would try to find a solution to the problem which needs to solved at the earliest, but as an interim measure, the IITs should not conduct further counselling and take admissions on the basis of the JEE-2017.

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It said the admission to the IITs can only be allowed after deciding the validity of award bonus mark for wrong question to all students.

On June 30, the apex court had issued notice to the Ministry of Human Resource Development on a plea seeking quashing of the IIT-JEE 2017 rank list.

The petition, filed by an IIT aspirant Aishwarya Agarwal, had sought the courts direction to declare that the action of awarding "bonus marks" to candidates who had appeared in the JEE (Advanced)- 2017 examination was wrong and violated her right, as well as that of other students.

Since then several other students have approached the apex court seeking quashing of rank list.

Several IIT aspirants in their plea have sought a direction for preparation of the all-India rank list after rectifying the scores of JEE (Advanced) and also award marks for the incorrect questions to the candidates who had attempted the right answers.

As an alternative, the petitioners said the institution should conduct fresh examination and prepare a fresh merit list or grant all students another opportunity to appear in the examination to be conducted next year.

The petitioners have also sought an interim stay on the merit list and the counselling, saying it would cause serious prejudice to the petitioner and other deserving candidates. PTI MNL ABA SJK RKS ARC

--- ENDS ---

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Vast swathes of land in the ACT, earmarked for high speed rail tracks, are to be kept locked down and beyond the reach of housing developers, the ACT government says.

The declaration follows warnings on Friday that the rapid sprawl of housing on the fringes of Sydney and Melbourne threatens to blow the nation's chance of a very fast train network by building over vital corridors for the long-awaited transport project.

Infrastructure Australia published a report on Friday saying fast trains could be running between Canberra and Sydney as early as 2032 but warned the NSW and Victorian governments that they must act now to protect the rail corridor from the rapid sprawl on the edges of their capital cities.

In the ACT, where a very fast train has been seen since the 1980s as a potential economic game-changer for the territory's economy, the Labor government says the land needed for the Canberra leg of a high speed rail route is safely out of the clutches of the house builders.
Canberra's "funky knitters" have begun work on a project they hope will warm not just bodies, but also hearts this winter.

The self-proclaimed funky knitters Janet Mountseer and Carole Griffiths, heard their friend Molly Rhodin planned to gather knitted items to be donated to the homeless of Canberra - so they decided to get on board.

Molly Rhodin, Managing Director of "Down to Earth" practical solutions, has organised a knitting drive which has produced hundreds of knitted items for the Salavtion Army winter appeal. Credit:Karleen Minney

Ms Mountseer learned the craft watching her mother knit, but is reluctant to say how long she had been knitting for. "How long is a piece of wool," she laughed.

Ms Griffiths is new to knitting, but is very good at crocheting so the pair decided to collaborate to create a collection of colourful scarves with crocheted flowers.
ACT Policing are investigating an alleged fraud at the not-for-profit Royal National Capital Agricultural Society.

The society, an entirely volunteer-run agricultural promotion organisation, runs a number of popular Canberra cultural events including the Royal Canberra Show and the National Wine Show of Australia.

The Royal Canberra Show in 2015. Credit:Jamila Toderas

Annual reports show the Canberra Show has made between $3 million and $3.5 million each year from 2010 to 2015.

ACT Policing said a fraud matter had been referred to them on February 8 regarding a society staff member.
The week in social media.

Darth Modi

Ordinarily the prime minister's address to a roomful of chartered accountants, even about GST, might not have got much social media attention. Except, Narendra Modi finished his speech and strode about the stage, waving to the crowd, while blaring in the background was the distinctive pomp of the Imperial March from Star Wars, aka Darth Vader's theme. Perplexed, people on social media wondered if it was a prank. Others pointed out that Modi has previous connect when it comes to Star Wars, signing off at Central Park in 2014 with 'May the Force be with you'. Modi is a savvy operator, aware at all times of his audience. But this one played into the hands of critics, those who already think of Modi as an imperial overlord wannabe, a character every bit as villainous as Vader.

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Punishment Posting?

Young UP policewoman Shrestha Thakur has become a social media star following a video that went viral of her standing up to a group of aggressive BJP volunteers. She has since been transferred to Bahraich, near the Nepal border. Thakur herself has been sanguine, taking to social media to say that she sees her transfer as a reward. In April, another pair of Uttar Pradesh police officers who had stood up to BJP bullies were transferred from their posts in Saharanpur and Agra respectively. The government says the transfers were routine, part of a broad reshuffle. Others see a pattern.

India vs Indians

Comedian Vir Das has long been a fixture on India's small stand-up circuit and is now gaining an international audience. A recent Facebook clip of a podcast in which he compared India to Indians-"India is one of the greatest countries in the world, and Indians are messing it up"-stirred up a discussion. The distinction appears nonsensical. What is India without Indians? Or perhaps Das is saying that India is an ongoing creation, and contemporary Indians are in danger of undoing some of the best work of previous generations.

--- ENDS ---
Youth Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith is under mounting pressure as new allegations of violence and abuse inside the Bimberi detention centre emerge.

The Canberra Times can reveal a number of incidents have taken place inside the centre in the past three months, including a brawl involving a number of detainees in the centre's kitchen.

Rachel Stephen-Smith has come under fire for her handling of the Bimberi youth detention scandal. Credit:Karleen Minney

New details of past abuses can also be revealed, including a concerning incident in which a young detainee was allegedly choked and the use of disciplinary measures where kids could choose to take a "punch in the guts".

Comments from Bimberi staff contrasted strongly with Ms Stephen-Smith's characterisation of problems as "mostly historical", with one source saying it was a "daily occurrence" to have trouble inside the centre.
Recent political shocks  Brexit, Trump and the failure of Theresa May  are prompting much soul-searching and rethinking among the world's leading economists.

Last week, for instance, Ben Bernanke, former chairman of the US Federal Reserve, gave a speech to a forum of the European Central Bank in which he admitted that "recent political events" had "cast a bright light on some disturbing economic and social trends in the United States".

"Unfortunately, policymakers in recent decades have been slow to address or even to recognise these trends, an error of omission that has helped fuel the voters' backlash," he said.

"If the populist surge we are seeing today has an upside, it is to refocus attention on both the moral necessity and practical benefits of helping people cope with the economic disruptions that accompany growth."
Then there are the maintenance fees, even after you move out, and the properties can be difficult to sell and the prices can go down. A joint media investigation has found alarming business practices at retirement village operator Aveo. According to Yates, all providers get some complaints at different times. But in recent times, in certain states, he said there have been a significant number of increased complaints about Aveo. There are now calls for federal government intervention. But a key issue is working out where retirement villages fit. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and minister Ken Wyatt, Credit:Andrew Meares

Yates sees retirement villages as a financial contract rather than a real estate contract, which suggests they should be regulated by the consumer watchdog (the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission) or the financial watchdog (the Australian Securities and Investments Commission) or both. Tim Kyng, an actuary and senior lecturer at Macquarie University, who built a retirement village calculator to help people understand the true cost of living in a retirement village, views them as a complex insurance product that should be regulated by the prudential regulator the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA). Government moving Maybe next time they might also offer a proper five-point scale... Who knows, they might get a more realistic number.

These are the sorts of issues the federal government will need to address. The federal Aged Care Minister Ken Wyatt says he has tasked his department with collating a summary of laws governing the retirement accommodation industry. "I know every government in Australia wants to guard against exploitation, especially of the elderly, and we want to work together with the states and territories for a fair future," he said. What that means is yet to play out but there will be a lot of lobbying behind the scenes by the sector to squash reform. Lesley Menzies, who moved into a Country Club retirement village in Victoria almost seven years ago, has been agitating for reform for years. She says there is an imbalance of power between operators and residents. But she says people are frightened to speak up for fear of retribution or bullying.

"I've been told in the past 'you're not welcome in this village'. I just walk away." She said sometimes they suffer in silence because they are afraid by speaking up it will bring down the value of their properties. Survey questioned She disputes the "independent industry survey" touted by Aveo and the retirement village lobby group that suggests more than 90 per cent of residents would make the same choice to live in a retirement village if they had their time over. She isn't alone. I have received some interesting feedback from survey experts and residents. While some residents told me they are happy and described retirement villages as a lifestyle choice, many more bitterly disagreed.

The industry survey, which is almost four years old, was sent to 12,805 residents across 236 villages with a number of different operators. It attracted 5218 responses. One expert criticised the language as too vague in the key question: "Would you make the same decision to move into this village again". There was a five-point scale to choose from: "yes definitely", "yes probably", "yes perhaps  there have been a few concerns but I guess I'd choose this village next time", "no, not this village" and finally, "no not at all  I would not make the decision to move into a village again". The expert was far from impressed. "Yes, probably, perhaps?" he said, questioning the conviction of that level of endorsement.

Another expert with decades of experience also queried this key question. He said there were two clear positive points on the scale (yes, definitely and yes, probably), two clear negative points on the scale (no, not at all and no, not this village), and then an effective "mid-point" which is not clearly positive or negative (the "yes, perhaps" answer) He said the survey "combined 'yes, definitely', 'yes, probably' and 'yes perhaps' for a total yes of 91 per cent. For more recent residents, the figure jumped to 98 per cent". The expert suggests there is a strong case for not including the "mid-point" and instead concluding "25 per cent would not 'definitely' or 'probably' make the same decision again". A few other questions have been released, which have also been queried as the five-point scale has four positive points on the scale and only one negative option.
I have no argument with the Chinese people or their leader Xi Jinping who, it seems, is as much a captive of his party as any ideologue is. In many ways it seems he is a typical bureaucrat leader so no wonder he is reluctant to deal with the unfinished business of Tibet, Hong Kong and Tiananmen Square.

The Chinese flag flies over the Potala Palace in Lhasa Tibet. Credit:Angus Grigg

I am writing this to mark the 82nd birthday of my great friend His Holiness the Dalai Lama of Tibet this week. I spent an hour in private conversation with him in Dharamshala just a couple of weeks ago. Ironically, we spent most of the time talking about love. How he copes is a triumph of his religion. He says to me "Bill, you learn the most about life and yourself from those who make your life difficult". Well, he and his people know what difficulty is. I met with many of his people who had trekked all across the Himalayas, many bringing children to give them an education denied in China. I am truly humbled at what I saw and what I learnt.

Thousands of years ago the Babylonians overran the Hebrew peoples and drove them into exile. Because of that they freed a religion from its geographic limitations and allowed it to evolve into what is Christianity today. In attempting to destroy a people and their religion these Babylonian barbarians ultimately enabled a tremendous gift to be given the world in the form of Jesus.

Many, many people had to die excruciating deaths for that to happen but few would argue that gift was not, when everything is taken into account, a blessing. I am absolutely certain that long, long after the Chinese empire of today has crumbled into dust, the religion of the Dalai Lama will be as strong as ever. Happy Birthday, your Holiness.
Let me get something off my chest: that would be a malignant melanoma. Two to be precise. And to be fair I let a surgeon take the cancerous lesions off my chest under general anaesthetic in hospital.

A regular (but overdue) trip to the skin specialist revealed the opalesque lump right at my decolletage; the very heart of my womanhood. "A bugger of a spot," the surgeon said as he sketched a "third eye" on my chest, mapping the incision mark in ink.

Australians have the highest rate of skin cancer deaths in the world. Credit:Andrew Quilty

It all happened so quickly: biopsy, bruise, doctor, hospital date, surgeon, stitches all within days. Of course, there was no question it should be removed. I'm more than well acquainted with how the ragged claws of cancer can suddenly scuttle into your life; I've had it kill too many people I love not to act swiftly.

Although the diagnosis and surgery seemed fast, the melanomas had likely been growing for years. Sydney summers spent swimming plus pale, frecklish complexion spell skin cancer candidate. I'm now simply a statistic; one of the two in three Australians who will be diagnosed with skin cancer by the time they are 70, according to the Melanoma Institute. With the highest rate of skin cancer deaths in the world, what Australian would be crazy enough to dally about doing something to remedy the situation.
Certainly, the changed facts have changed the mind of Kevin Rudd. The Rudd government's Defence White Paper of 2009 explicitly opposed missile defence for Australia. Why? Because "such a system would be at odds with the maintenance of global nuclear deterrence", although the white paper did say the government would review this annually. This was a sop to the Labor left and exactly the kind of Reagan-era relic that Jennings described. According to an American expert on security strategy in the Asia-Pacific, Mike Green of the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, Rudd's 2009 white paper was "foot stamping by the left". But on Friday, the former prime minister, now head of the Asia Society Policy Institute in New York, said: "Given North Korean developments, Australia would be well advised to begin analysing ballistic missile defence needs, available technologies and possible deployment feasibility for northern Australia." But not so in the Turnbull government. Nothing has changed, certainly not yet, at least. It's not being considered, ministers and officials said. Wouldn't this be a good time to start thinking about it? As Minister for Foreign Affairs Julie Bishop put it this week, North Korea is a threat "directly to Australia". So shouldn't Australia be considering setting up a missile defence? "Absolutely, the answer is yes," Green said. "The debate over missile defence in Japan is over, they're all-in. South Korea is getting there quickly", with part of a US system already deployed and the next part slowed by a political stoush over environmental effects. "If all the other partners in the US alliance system in Asia are deploying missile defence, it just seems something Australia has to look at," said Green, who was the senior Asia policy official in George W. Bush's White House.

But are we getting ahead of ourselves? First, the UN Security Council has been meeting to consider the North Korean crisis. Second, Donald Trump said he's considering "severe things" for Pyongyang, that North Korea is "a threat, and we will confront it very strongly". Third, Malcolm Turnbull tells us that China needs to apply its uniquely powerful pressure on North Korea to stop its rogue behaviour. Fourth, China and Russia jointly have proposed a formula for negotiations between North Korea and the US. Surely one or all of these factors will contain the crisis? If you believe that, I have a friend in Nigeria who wants to give you $1 billion. North Korea's Kim dynasty has been relentless and unstoppable on its quest for nuclear-armed ICBMs for a quarter-century. Five times this year, the UN Security Council has held crisis meetings after North Korean missile tests. Sanctions have been ratcheted up, resolutions passed, warning issued. Nothing works. One American president after another has threatened North Korea, some have tried negotiating. Nothing works. And Trump's severe measures? As Green said: "If the threat is that the US will unilaterally take out the North Korean nukes, it's hollow, because we don't know where most of their nukes are." And a US pre-emptive strike is assessed as likely to provoke a cataclysmic North Korean response and spill into full-scale war. The top US military officer, General Joe Dunford, has made the point in recent weeks that conflict on the Korean peninsula would be on a scale the world hasn't seen since the last Korean War, and that killed over 1 million people. The idea that China will press North Korea hard enough to deter it is unrealistic. The Chinese Communist Party is deeply committed to North Korea as a buffer state and an ally and will not allow it to be brought to its knees to protect the US and US allies.

The proposal for negotiations, likewise, is a fantasy. The regime said this week that it's not interested in negotiating until it has recognition as a full nuclear power. The US likewise refuses to enter into any negotiations unconditionally. A growing number of US experts believe the most likely outcome will be that the world will tolerate the intolerable and the Kim dynasty will end up as the world's newest nuclear power. "I recall the debate in 1964 when 'that madman Mao' was getting nukes," said former US diplomat Bob Manning of the Atlantic Council. "Unacceptable. Intolerable. Must not happen. We have lived with China's nukes for 50 years." The same pattern has occurred before, most recently with Pakistan. So countries within North Korean range need to start thinking about missile defence. But is Australia even a possible target? The Pyongyang government says so. In April, it said that if Australia "remains a shock brigade of the US master, this will be a suicidal act of coming within the range of the nuclear strike of the strategic force of the DPRK". "Australia is not the top of their target list," Green said. That honour is reserved for the US, of course. But the ANZUS Treaty was forged at the height of the Korean War. "North Korea views the entire US alliance system including the US and all its allies as a threat and target."

And Jennings recalls his undergraduate studies at the University of Tasmania in the early 1980s where "we used to play with the idea of a Soviet nuclear strike on Hobart as a way the Soviets could send a signal to the Americans  'look how serious we are'  but without it being serious enough that anyone needs to retaliate." The idea of Darwin or Cairns or Townsville, perhaps, as an intercontinental demonstration site for North Korean nukes? "That idea does exist in theory," Jennings said. Marles will find out, when he gets his briefing, that the Defence Department doesn't have an answer for him at the moment. Officials will explain to him that the system the South Koreans are deploying, the THAAD system, will only protect a specific area, such as a city. And that it's unlikely to be effective against an ICBM. "The further an ICBM flies, the faster it goes," a defence official said. "When it gets to over 5500 kilometres, to Australia, it's going as fast as Mach 22" or 22 times the speed of sound. Japan's Aegis system will defend against shorter-range missiles but have limited value for Australia, the department will tell Marles. And while the US has its own continental system, the GMD, to intercept incoming ICBMs, that system needs a vastly expensive infrastructure and is pretty hit-and-miss in any case.
In a world of short-term, opportunistic, populist politics, politicians easily ignore the so-called "vision thing". Responding to issues day by day, they easily put aside longer-term strategic considerations - indeed, often compounding the magnitude and severity of the policy challenge.

Not working to a strategic end game, essentially just patching up rather than solving, results in the policy task becoming so big that any change soon becomes a large and politically difficult one.

Climate change is a glaring example of this; politicians have played short-term politics to the point at which they have made it politically very difficult to move substantially forward when, in terms of the science, the world may already be past a tipping point.

What's more, it is now personal, Abbott v Turnbull, and the stakes are very high; the next election outcome is at risk, as households and industries get eaten by rapidly rising power prices and face the mounting probability of blackouts.
Australia needs to consider deploying a missile defence system to defend against attack from nuclear-armed North Korea, according to former prime minister Kevin Rudd.

Mr Rudd has reversed the position he held in office, saying that North Korea's newly demonstrated ability to reach northern Australia meant it was time to consider homeland defence.

And top regional security and defence experts have backed that call, arguing Australia and its regional allies must invest heavily in missile defence as the "only alternative".
Hamburg: As G20 protesters set fire to parts of the city on Friday night, Malcolm and Lucy Turnbull took refuge in the safest ride in the city of Hamburg.

Five-inch thick bullet proof glass, Kevlar tyres, rocket-propelled grenades, tear gas cannons, a litre of the President's own blood type, an oxygen tank and pump action shotguns protected the Australian Prime Minister and his wife when they took a ride in the car better known as The Beast with Donald and Melania Trump.

The eight-tonne "Beast" - which costs a cool $1.5 million per car - is the President's four-wheeled transport, which follows him around the world.

The Turnbulls and the Trumps took a ride in it on Friday night after the first full day of the G20 meeting, in which terrorism, trade, North Korea's nuclear ambitions and climate change figured prominently.
The Kolkata Police have booked Chatterjee with culpable homicide not amounting murder.

By India Today Web Desk: Actor Vikram Chatterjee was arrested from his residence in Kasba, Kolkata late on Thursday night in connection with the death of actor-model Sonika Chauhan.

Chauhan had died in a fatal car crash in Kolkata on April 29.

Initially, the actor was booked under IPC section 304 A - death due to negligence.

But later, after massive public outcry, IPC section 304 - culpable homicide was also added with courts permission.

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Vikram has been out on bail after he had initially surrendered himself before the court.

The charges against Vikram amount to a punishment of about 10-year term in jail.

Sources said that Chatterjee was arrested by special investigation team of officers of the south division.

Also Read:

Exclusive: Autopsy report reveals how massive head injury killed model Sonika Chauhan

Vikram Chatterjee files for anticipatory bail in Sonika Chauhan death case

Sonika Chauhan death: Lab claims Vikram's blood sample inadequate for forensic test

Kolkata model Sonika's death: Actor Vikram Chatterjee booked for culpable homicide

WATCH Sonika Chauhan's death: Kolkata lab says got inadequate sample of Vikram Chatterjee's blood

--- ENDS ---
Madonna performs onstage during day 3 of the 2015 Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival (Weekend 1) at the Empire Polo Club on April 12, 2015 in Indio, California. Credit:Getty With the growth of advertising and beauty advice columns, there was gradual acceptance that fading looks should be combated by almost any means necessary. For older women, being visibly made up gradually became more tolerable, though the degree to which the cosmetics might be detectable was a point of contention. Women who foolishly attempted to recreate the charms of their youth were still harshly judged. Cosmetics and ageing The 30s were understood as a threshold for women entering middle age and no longer being considered at the peak of attractiveness. An advertisement for Madame Duprees Berlin Toilet Soap from 1890 promises a return to youthful beauty and specifies that the soap can make [] a lady of 35 appear but 25. A 1904 beauty manual by Lady Jean, Beauty as a Fine Art, is generous enough to suggest that a woman of 40 is just entering upon a long summer of useful and enjoyable existence. Yet it goes on to suggest that anything that threatens to rob her of the outward sign of youth could be combated and defied by all reasonable means.

The rise of advertising and consumer culture in the Victorian period saw the birth of thousands of brand-name beauty products. Many promised readers that they could retain the markers of youth: a full head of luxurious hair with no bald spots or grey, a full set of teeth, a trim waist, and a clear and smooth complexion. Importantly, an overall distinction was made between products that might preserve youth, such as soaps, treatments and baths, and those that attempt to artificially conceal aged skin, such as obvious coloured cosmetics. There was greater acceptance of certain cosmetics such as powder and rouge in the late 19th century. However, lingering views about natural beauty and the unpleasantness of older woman attempting to present themselves as youthful ensured that cosmetic advertisements denied the artifice involved in their products. Advertisements for soaps, dyes and related beautifying aids emphasised their capacity to preserve what beauty women already possessed. Advertisements for hair restorers claimed (surely erroneously) they could renew grey hair to its original colour without the use of dye. An ad for Rossetters hair restorer from around 1880 also claims to give the hair the lustre and health of youth. In small print at the bottom of an undated advertisement for Blackhams hair restorer, it is acknowledged that their Electric Hair Stain is a dye  but purchasers are reassured that this cannot be detected. In a similar vein to todays attitudes to cosmetic surgery, this claim signals how women had to ensure improvements to their appearance were seen as natural and, ironically, unnoticeable.

Soap was the most acceptable of commercial products for preserving youthful skin. Actresses and famous figures often provided written testimonials or directly featured in Victorian advertising. Sarah Bernhardt, a French actress, regularly appeared in beauty advertisements, including for Pears soap and her own rice-based face powder. Ageing disgracefully In contrast to frequent advocacy for soaps and home remedies in womens magazines, the services and treatments of the infamous cosmetician Madame Rachel, Sarah Rachel Levison, provided well-publicised examples of older women who were imagined as foolish and vain for seeking to improve their appearances. Products provided at her London salon included Circassian Beauty Wash, Magnetic Rock Dew Water of Sahara for removing wrinkles, and Youth and Beauty Cream. In 1863, Rachel published a 24-page pamphlet, entitled Beautiful For Ever! It told how she now had the sole right to sell "the Magnetic Rock Dew Water of Sahara, which possesses the extraordinary property of increasing the vital energies  restores the colour of grey hair  gives the appearance of youth to persons far advanced in years, and removes wrinkle, defect, and blemishes, from whatever cause they may arise". The treatment for which Madame Rachel was most famous was known as enamelling. This involved the removal of facial hair, cleansing of the skin with alkaline washes, then filling of any wrinkles or uneven facial features with a thick white paste, which sometimes contained lead. This was followed by the application of powder and rouge.

The gullibility of older women in chasing the fountain of youth through cosmetics was amply illustrated in Madame Rachels trial for fraud in 1868. Her victim, 50-year-old Mary Tucker Borradaile, was described as an object of pity in the trial. One of the prosecutors, Montagu Williams, found it hard to believe that Borradaile could have believed she could be made beautiful forever. He later recalled her to be a pathetic figure in her attempts to look attractive despite her years: "She was a spare, thin, scraggy-looking woman, wholly devoid of figure; her hair was dyed a bright yellow; her face was ruddled with paint; and the darkness of her eyebrows was strongly suggestive of meretricious art." It was recorded that Borradaile had been beautiful in her youth and was particularly noted for her long, golden hair. But, in court, her hair was observed to be unnaturally dyed or artificial. Fellow prosecutor William Ballantine described Borradaile as "a skeleton encased apparently in plaster of Paris, painted pink and white, and surmounted with a juvenile wig". According to Helen Rappaport, when Borradaile entered the courtroom to give evidence, there were audible gasps at her made-up face. The absolute loss of empire

Horror at the cosmetically enhanced older woman continued to be expressed into the early 20th century. In The Art of Being Beautiful from 1902, the supposedly 50-year-old interviewee, the Baroness, advises: "For a woman to try and knock more than ten years off her age is an arrogance for which she is punished by every glance of the passers-by. When she tries as a brunette to make herself into a blonde by the use of unlimited white chalk, she also makes herself grotesque  as unpleasing as a fly that had dropped into a honey-pot. When, as a blonde, she adorns herself with black eyebrows like croquet hoops, frankly she becomes alarming, if not detestable." The Baroness also remarks that dyed hair does not complement wrinkled cheeks, especially when the dye chosen is of an infantine yellow tint. Apparently, there were certain signs of youth that older women should not attempt to recapture. While the Baroness critiqued the older woman who attempted to turn back the hands of time through excessive use of cosmetics, she did advocate for beauty regimens to slow the process of ageing. She described the loss of beauty as the absolute loss of empire. Active preparations for ageing were encouraged  in the same manner as the fire brigade, army and medical profession might ready for fires, war and disease. So as women aged, they were confronted with the choice of either accepting the gradual fading of their looks, or being criticised for trying to visibly ameliorate signs of age, attempting the impossible task of trying to stave off wrinkles and grey hair. These double standards are exceedingly familiar. Older women in the public eye are caught in a bind between being seen as excessive users of cosmetic surgery who have made themselves look unnatural, or of having aged or let themselves go to the point of no longer being seen as desirable and bankable.

Actresses in their 50s, such as Meg Ryan and Daryl Hannah, regularly appear in photo galleries taking delight in botched plastic surgery or marvelling at trout pouts. Conversely, magazines and gossip sites pounced on unflattering photographs of Kirstie Ally, now 66, when she gained a significant amount of weight in 2008, and proclaimed her washed up. While a small number of women in the public eye, like Brigitte Macron, are seen to deftly negotiate these expectations of beauty and ageing, most are set up to fail. This article was amended July 7 to correct that Kirstie Alley was being referred to, not Ally Sheedy. Loading
Sitting in the hairdresser's chair I look at the depressing reflection looking back. The bounce I'd requested in my blow dry is reminiscent of a 60's icon. The shaggy look I was imagining is more 'dragged through bush backwards' than 'just got out of bed sex'.

"Do you like it?", the hairdresser asks, running her fingers through my mop. I'm assuming she's doing this to attempt to make it look better. "I love it," I nod, a forced smile plastered across my face.

If you don't like it, be honest but include a suggestion to resolve it. Credit:Stocksy

I pay the exorbitant amount requested and leave the salon. The minute I'm out of view I tie my hair back.

It's not the first time I've lied about being happy. Simply put, I hate complaining. I don't want to feel like I'm being 'that' person or causing someone else potential upset. I'd rather be unhappy with a service or outcome myself, than dare to speak up.
There's no Kevin Bacon at the Grounds of the City. The famous piggy is safely ensconced back at the Grounds of Alexandria petting farm, along with Russell Crow the rooster.

But there's everything else you could ever want, wrangled together by co-founders Ramzey Choker and coffee maestro Jack Hanna, head stylist Therese Moussa and design team Acme & Co. How do these people sleep at night? Where do they go in their dreams?

The spectacular seafood platter. Credit:Christopher Pearce

At a guess, I'd say London's the Wolseley, New York's Balthazar, and Vienna's great coffeehouses  anywhere there are marbled tables, trolleys, trays, twin-sets and braces, shelves of vintage books, wood panelling, cocktail shakers, upholstered stools lining golden-hued, cocktail bars, barista bars, snug booths for four, elbow-to-elbow bistro tables and rods for newspapers (newspapers!).

Then there's the food, overseen by talented group executive chef Paul McGrath and his brigade, beavering away in the large open kitchen. Let me walk you through the day  you'll need the exercise.
So in addition to figuring out the correct time frame of consumption, also consider what foods are more likely to be contaminated. Such items include leafy greens, culinary herbs, melons with textured surfaces like cantaloupe, fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, jalapeno peppers, nut butters, shellfish, frozen peas, cheese and ice-cream. Also suspicious are any foods left out for several hours, like the classic potato salad at the family picnic or fried rice at a Chinese buffet.

Restaurant food tends to be riskier in general not only because more hands are involved in the preparation but also because the ingredients are ordered in bulk. "A fast-food hamburger could have meat from a hundred different cows," Fisher said, and it takes only one with a pathogen to make you sick. "The eggs in your two-egg omelet were poured out of a carton so it could have come from 50 different chickens," she said.

Similarly suspect are freshly made juices and smoothies which are extracted from kilograms of produce. Just one speck of contaminated dirt in your detox drink could upend your gut. And think of all the hands that necessarily touched the produce from the time it was picked in the field to when it was chopped and crammed into the Vitamix.

Let's not forget about germs on your own hands if you're not diligent about washing them with soap and water (hand sanitisers don't kill some of the bugs that make your stomach sick). Did you eat or otherwise put your fingers in your mouth after gripping the pole on the subway or after throwing a slobbery ball for your dog? Did you put your mobile phone down on the table at a coffee shop or on top of the toilet-paper dispenser in a public restroom and then put it up to your mouth to take a call? Germs that make it into your digestive tract don't always come from food.

And sometimes your gut distress isn't caused by a germ at all. It could be an overdose of fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols, known in public health circles as Fodmaps. These are essentially carbohydrates that, eaten in excess, are not well absorbed in the small intestine and then make their way into your colon to cause all kinds of trouble. They include myriad things we're encouraged to eat including broccoli, brussels sprouts, radicchio, asparagus, avocados, mushrooms, peaches, whole grains and legumes.
In a just-opened show at the Art Gallery of NSW, 30 works by Georgia O'Keeffe sit alongside a similar number of paintings by celebrated Sydney artists Margaret Preston and Grace Cossington Smith.

The trio were at the peak of their creativity during the first half of the 20th century. All established artistic identities outside the traditional centres of Europe: O'Keeffe in the United States, Preston and Cossington Smith in Sydney, says Denise Mimmocchi, Curator of Australian Art at the Art Gallery of NSW.

"They all went through traditional art training around the same time," she says. "But in the early decades of the 20th century they were each determined to become a modern artist."

O'Keeffe is regarded as one of the most important American modernists of the 20th century. Her work falls into periods strongly influenced by the landscapes in which she lived: Manhattan and Lake George in upstate New York from the 1920s; Hawaii in the late 1930s and, most prominently, New Mexico, where she visited regularly from 1929 and lived permanently from 1946 until her death in 1986, aged 98.
The family of an elderly woman who died from injuries suffered when a passenger train was shunted at Sydney's Central Station is upset it took political intervention before her death was investigated.

Betty Mackay, 91, from Neutral Bay on Sydney's north shore, died 15 days after she sustained head and back injuries in the incident on a NSW Trains V-set on August 10 last year.

When the train arrived at Central from Newcastle, Mrs Mackay and her husband, Roderick, had delayed getting off because they did not want to hold up other passengers from disembarking.

Just over 90 seconds later, Mrs Mackay and her husband, Roderick, were thrown down carriage stairs by the force of the train being shunted into another four-car V-set.
Detail of the monster-headed child biting the nipple causing blood to flow. Credit:Steven Siewert Moss was regarded as an art specialist in his own right. Before coming to Australia he had worked for a time at the National Gallery of Ireland as its chief restorer and was later founder of its conservation laboratory. He happened to be in Australia, where he was working as a restorer for the Regional Galleries Conservation Centre in Ballarat. When Moss removed the painting from its stretcher he noticed various wax seals and an ancient support canvas he believed was probably Italian and about 250 years old. He attributed the painting to an Italian artist whom Taylor had never heard of. "He saw the painting and said 'Yes, it's by Artemisia Gentileschi,' and I was just wondering who she was," says Taylor.

Forty years later, Taylor is still trying to solve the mystery behind the Mother and Child. Who are they? Who painted it? Perhaps most tantalisingly, could it be an almost 400-year-old masterpiece, as some have suggested? And how did it come to Australia to end up in Taylor's northern beaches apartment until recently? The answers to the mystery behind the artwork may lie in the pandemonium of post-World War II Europe and the rape of an art student more than 400 years ago. Who is Artemisia Gentileschi? In January 2014, the New York Rockefeller Center played host to an auction of fine art. More than 500 years of European art were represented, led by a rare self-portrait of a Baroque artist called Artemisia Gentileschi.

Gentileschi was described in the catalogue as "among the boldest and most powerfully expressive woman painters in history", and her Self-Portrait as a Lute Player came with an estimated sale price of between $US3 million and $US5 million. Gentileschi has captivated art critics and the public alike. Germaine Greer devoted a chapter to Gentileschi in her 1979 book The Obstacle Race, and her works have been the subject of touring exhibitions. She was born in Rome on July 8, 1593, the daughter of Orazio Gentileschi  a moderately successful painter of his time and a student and friend of Baroque master Michelangelo Caravaggio. Late in her teens, Gentileschi was working and living in her her father's studio, which doubled as their home in Rome's Via Corso. She was not taught to read or write, but she could paint and by age 17 her work had already showed considerable talent. In 1611, Orazio hired Agostino Tassi, a fellow painter, to tutor his then 19-year-old daughter privately while he worked on a big commission.

But in March the following year,, Orazio approached Rome's criminal tribunal and presented a petition accusing Tassi of the "forcible deflowerment" of his daughter. The trial heard that on May 6, 1611, Tassi entered the Gentileschi's house and "as an ungreeted guest went to Artemisia. He found her painting ... and on that very day Agostino deflowered Artemisia and left." Afterwards, Tassi promised to marry Gentileschi, but this proved a lie when it was discovered that Tassi's wife was still alive. Gentileschi's testimony during the trial was tested by torture, described as the tightening of strings around her fingers. But she stuck to her story, an account of which was published in the UK's Independent newspaper in 1993. "When we were in front of the bedroom door, he pushed me in and locked the door. He then threw me onto the edge of the bed, pushing me with a hand on my breast, and he put a knee between my thighs to prevent me from closing them ... I tried to scream as best I could. I scratched his face and pulled his hair," went her testimony.

"When I saw myself free, I went to the table drawer and took a knife and moved toward Agostino saying: 'I'd like to kill you with this knife because you have dishonoured me' ... I wounded him slightly on the chest and some blood came out, only a little since I had barely touched him with the point of the knife." Tassi tried to slur Gentileschi's character, accusing her of promiscuity, but he failed and was sentenced to five years' exile from Rome under threat of the gallows. Gentileschi went on to great success within her own lifetime, becoming one of the first women to be accepted into the Florence Academy and undertaking commissions for the Medici court. She later moved to Florence where she enjoyed an acquaintance with well-known figures of the time, including Galileo Galilei. More than 300 years later, the story of Gentileschi's rape was at the front of Matthew Moss' mind.

In 1979, as Moss was restoring the piece and looking closely at the child, he began to see the face of Agostino Tassi. "The baby in our painting might be an indirect reference to Agostino Tassi," he wrote in an essay published in the open online journal Academia. "The painter has created the likeness of a Goya-like infant ... it has the head of an adult attached to a child's body." It's an interpretation that is difficult to prove given there is no known portrait of Tassi, but the possibility and the unusual arrangement has raised eyebrows among specialists across the world. Attributing ownership to a historical painting can be a fiddly, uncertain and agonising affair. The stakes are high and the outcome often unfavourable. It's not just money on the line  reputations are made and tarnished on the back of such discoveries. In early 1992 Taylor wrote to Mary Garrard, an authority on Gentileschi's art, then at the American University in Washington.

Her reply poured cold water on Moss' theory. "I wish I could be more encouraging about the Gentileschi attribution, but to judge only from the photograph and transparency, I do not see a close affinity with her style," she wrote in a letter. But she did admit to being perplexed by the work. "The theme of this one really stumps me ... curiously, it is the oddity of the theme that most recalls Gentileschi." For Taylor the trail went cold after this letter, and his attempts to contact the previous owners proved fruitless. Up until recently the story of the painting ended there, but a Fairfax Media investigation takes it back further still and can for the first time reveal some more of its history.

The Genoa connection It was 1947 and First Officer Petter Lennart Lilja had just arrived in the port town of Genoa aboard a Swedish cargo ship called the Consul Corfitzon. He had joined the crew the year earlier, after serving aboard a Swedish navy minesweeper during World War II. These were interesting times in Italy. The country was undergoing seismic political and social upheaval and trying to repair its devastated economy in the wake of World War II. Just a year earlier it had voted to become a republic, and in doing so banned members of the royal family  one of Europe's oldest  from entering the country. The old world was being dismantled and some of its most precious belongings were coming on to the market for the first time. It was a period when many classical paintings were being offloaded in what, by modern standards, could be considered a fire sale. Lilja never considered himself an art connoisseur according to his family, but he did enjoy picking up trinkets and trophies from the ports he visited across the world.

"In Italy we discharged in Genoa," he wrote in his memoirs, written many years later and given to close family. "There we took the opportunity to search out antique paintings for sale. [Captain] Paulsson and I each bought one." In the same year as Lilja was in port, newspaper articles show that Gentileschi art was also coming on to the market through art galleries based in the region. A small article in one of Italy's oldest newspaper, La Stampa, advertised the sale of classical artworks belonging to "The Swiss heirs of Marquis Pier Luigi Rossano of Walfrey". The article, printed in April 1947, states that paintings for sale included the works of Orazio Gentileschi  Artemisia's father. In time, some of these paintings would go on to be attributed to Gentileschi herself. The sale was taking place in Turin, by the "Torricelli Galleria in Genoa". There is no evidence that the painting Lilja bought in Genoa was the same painting later purchased by Taylor. But his surviving family said Lilja bought only a very few classical paintings, and the Mother and Child was the most prominent amongst them. In 1948 Lilja's employer, shipping company Rederiakiebolaget Helsingborg, began expanding its operations into the South Pacific. Lilja migrated to Australia, settling in Pymble in Sydney's upper north shore.

In the late 1960s, Lilja made a valiant effort to discover who the painter was. On December 12, 1967, he wrote to the Netherlands Institute for Art History to inquire whether the painting was by a Dutch artist. Three weeks later, Dr A. Baart from the institute responded. "I have the honour to inform you that your painting dates indeed from the 17th century. However this painting is certainly not Dutch, but Italian. Probably from the Naples School; there is a certain relation with the work of the Gentileschis (father and daughter)," the letter read. Lilja went on to write to the Museo di Capodimonte in Naples, which, on March 15, 1968, responded: "For what it is possible to judge ... it can not be excluded that the painting in question may be the work of Artemisia Gentileschi, daughter of Orazio. However, this attribution is advanced with all the necessary reservations for not having direct knowledge of the work." Without a firm attribution, Lilja decided to sell the painting, handing it over to Gallery Firenze in Crows Nest, where Charles Bennett Taylor spied it while rummaging through the artworks on that winter's morning in 1976. The discovery of a lost masterpiece is a rare occurrence, but not unheard of in Australia. In the summer of 2011 a representative from fine art auctioneers Bonhams visited a Melbourne household to look at some fine porcelain. Hanging on the wall, she noticed a cute little painting of peaches, just 31 x 23 centimetres.

Eight months later it was revealed as the work of Adriaen Coorte, a celebrated Dutch still-life painter. It was sold at auction in London for 2.1 million, well over its pre-sale estimate of up to 500,000, setting a record price for the Dutch artist. But these stories are rare. And even if a painting survives rigorous forensic testing, it must then endure academic scrutiny. "It is not uncommon to come across 19th, 18th, 17th-century works in Australia," says Merryn Schriever, an art specialist at Bonhams. "It is just hard to find one that is the hand of the master and not the student." During Gentileschi's era it was not uncommon for artists to use students to make copies of their works. "Prior to photography that was a standard part of learning to paint," explains Schriever. "So there are many copies, of many works, from many studios, and here in Australia there is a lot of that material too." Jesse Locker, a specialist in the Renaissance and Baroque periods and author of Artemisia Gentileschi: The Language of Painting, is reticent to give an opinion on the Mother and Child without seeing a high-quality reproduction, but does say there are "some aspects of the painting that seem consistent with Gentileschi ... but others that don't".

He is not convinced by all of Matthew Moss' claims, but says it is certainly possible such a work could have ended up in Australia. "Stranger things have happened with paintings." Now aged 94, Charles Bennett Taylor keeps the painting at an undisclosed location under lock and key. He is convinced it is the work of Artemisia Gentileschi: "She jumps out of that painting as a real person." Earlier this year he rang his lawyer Stewart Levitt to organise his will, including final arrangements for the painting. He says he never bought the painting as an asset, but accepts it may be sold after his death. But before it is potentially whisked away by a new buyer, he wants the public to see it and enjoy it as he has. "On the premise that the painting is a genuine Gentileschi, Ben has wanted to share the painting with the people of NSW," says Levitt.
A meeting of the NSW Greens' peak decision-making body is predicted to be a "love-in" for under-fire Senator Lee Rhiannon as the state division prepares to hit back at her suspension from the federal party room.

The meeting comes as supporters of Senator Rhiannon say the stoush with her federal colleagues has delivered her "a much higher national profile, with a growing national supporter base".

The State Delegates Council meeting on Saturday and Sunday is expected to be dominated by the suspension, which followed Senator Rhiannon's opposition to the Turnbull government's Gonski 2.0 school funding package.

Senator Rhiannon was "excluded from party room discussions and decisions on contentious government legislation" until the NSW Greens end the practice of binding their senators and MPs to vote a particular way.
As the NBN rollout reaches the halfway mark, Telstra retains the lion's share of home broadband users who remain loyal even though they're some of the country's least satisfied customers.

If you're unhappy with your home broadband connection you're not alone, with 62 per cent of Australians experiencing internet issues in the last six months, according to Choice Australia's Internet Satisfaction Survey of 1910 home broadband customers.

Speed and reliability account for 81 per cent of all problems and it's not just homes which are still stuck on legacy services like flaky ADSL that are feeling the pain. Some NBN users are also unhappy, with 76 per cent of those with problems complaining of slow speeds and drop outs.

While we can all agree that Australia's broadband user experience leaves a lot to be desired, it's more difficult to agree on exactly where the blame lies. Sometimes it's the physical cables in your street, but other times it's your retail service provider skimping on backend capacity. It's tough to get to the bottom of it all when their customer service can be so appalling.
Brian Flannery arriving at an ICAC hearing in 2012. Credit:Dominic Lorrimer The train will travel three kilometres each way from Byron Bay to North Beach, just near Elements of Byron, a five-star resort owned by Brian and Peggy Flannery, who also have the controlling interest in the not-for-profit train company. "We had approval two years ago to run the train as a diesel service, however in December we decided to convert to solar," Mr Holmes said. "Technology had advanced rapidly and so we accelerated the conversion." The North Beach station looking east to the Elements of Byron resort. Credit:Byron Bay Railroad Company The train is being fitted out with flexible solar panels and a 77kW solar battery on board. The train shed in north Byron has a 30kW solar array, that will supply the grid when not recharging the train.

"Even if the sun doesn't shine for a prolonged period the train battery can be charged from mains power using certified Green Power," Mr Holmes said. The train will retain a back-up diesel engine for emergencies. Tim Elderton (left), managing director of Lithgow Railway Workshop with Jeremy Holmes, development director Byron Bay Railroad Company. Credit:Byron Bay Railroad Company The service will initially run 14 round trips a day from 8am to 10pm. Extra services could be put on for events such as the Byron Writers' Festival and the Byron Food and Beverage Festival, which are held on land owned by the Flannerys. Byron Shire Greens Mayor, Simon Richardson, said: "It's a project that sits within our community values. It's a short track but hopefully it is scalable for the region." Solar panels being installed on the heritage train. Credit:Byron Bay Railroad Company

Labor councillor Paul Spooner said: "The project has changed and morphed as it's gone along. Good on them for getting it off the ground." Mr Spooner did question how useful the train will be for residents. "It's a bit of a novelty train. "The irony is we have a coal baron launching a solar train  it's a sign of the times." Mr Flannery is managing director of White Energy. His investment in Cascade Coal in 2010, which obtained a coal exploration licence from the NSW government in controversial circumstances, brought him unwanted attention. White Energy withdrew from the deal but Mr Flannery still appeared at Independent Commission Against Corruption hearings into the licensing arrangements.

No corruption findings were found against Mr Flannery, but he was found to have issued a "false" press release to the Australian Stock Exchange in April 2011. Earlier this year, Mr Flannery gave Ian Macdonald a character reference during sentencing proceedings. Macdonald was jailed for 10 years in June, with a seven-year non-parole period. Not all locals are happy with the train. John Johnston is part of the Belongil Action Group. "We're not opposed to a train, per se, just the way it's been done. It's a joy ride for Elements guests," he said. Mr Johnson said his group will seek an injunction against the train for allegedly breaching provisions of Byron's Local Environmental Plan.

Mr Johnson alleges that at a meeting with Mr Flannery and Mr Holmes at the Elements resort in August last year, Mr Flannery said "You really want to take me on?" when legal action against the train was mentioned. "You want to throw $10k at me? $100k? A million? I've got the money," said Mr Flannery according to Mr Johnson. Mr Holmes confirmed the meeting took place but doesn't recall those words. However, he said: "Our response to the [legal] threat was clear. We will defend this project vigorously as we have worked hard to ensure that it serves the community and achieves world-first environmental standards." With council and community support, it seems that Mr Johnson is in a small minority.
By Samrudhi Ghosh: Spider-Man: Homecoming is yet another reboot featuring our friendly neighbourhood superhero. Will this film live up to expectations? Here's our Spider-Man: Homecoming movie review.

Spider-Man Homecoming Cast: Tom Holland, Robert Downey Jr, Michael, Keaton, Zendaya, Jacob Batalon

Spider-Man Homecoming Director: Jon Watts

Spider-Man Homecoming Rating: (3/5)

"With great power comes great responsibility." Uncle Ben's words ring strangely true for the franchise - after Spider-Man (2002) and Spider-Man 2 (2004), the subsequent films made on the friendly neighbourhood superhero were strictly mediocre. High expectations were riding on Spider-Man: Homecoming to break the jinx, and it has succeeded.

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Without delving into the origin story that we are all too familiar with, Spider-Man: Homecoming launches into action right from the word go. The film takes off from the aftermath of Captain America: Civil War, with Peter Parker/Spider-Man (Tom Holland) now being forced to watch from the sidelines. He is not yet an Avenger, and agonises over still being stuck in the Training Wheels programme.

For every hero, there must be a villain, and the bad guy in Spider-Man: Homecoming is Adrian Toomes (Michael Keaton). He steals scrap left behind by the warring Avengers and uses it to build lethal weapons. Desperate to prove his worth to his mentor Tony Stark/Iron Man and make a place for himself among the Avengers, Spider-Man sets out to stop the bad guy all by himself. Will he be successful?

Spider-Man: Homecoming presents Spider-Man with a never-seen-before innocence. Being a 15-year-old, Spider-Man not only has to grapple with his superpowers but also how to ask his crush to the upcoming Homecoming dance. 21-year-old Tom Holland does not look out of place as the klutzy superhero. On the contrary, he infuses his character with a realism that makes his teenage angst relatable.

Spider-Man is still finding his feet as a superhero, and in an initial scene, he "saves" a bicycle from being stolen but unable to find its owner, leaves it there with a note asking about the rightful owner and requesting others not to steal it. It is moments like these which bring humour to the film, something no other Spider-Man film had.

Jacob Batalon is hilarious as Ned, Peter's "guy in the chair" and best friend, the embodiment of the comic relief-providing fat sidekick trope. Perhaps the least obviously funny character, Michelle (Zendaya), a misfit classmate of Peter and Ned's, turns out to have a dark humour about her that makes us look forward to a bigger place for her in the later Spider-Man films.

The action sequences in Spider-Man: Homecoming are not its strong point, unlike the other Marvel films. The antagonist isn't the stereotypical ambitious villain aiming for world domination. He is perhaps the most relatable of all Marvel Cinematic Universe villains, trying to stay under the radar and engaging in an illegal trade only to provide for his family. Particularly notable in the post-credits scene, Michael Keaton has a menacing look in his eye that manages to send a chill down your spine without being over-the-top.

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If you're looking for your usual superhero origin story, Spider-Man: Homecoming is not the film for you. But if you don't mind a refreshingly funny reboot that wanders into the high school comedy zone, director Jon Watts delivers a film worth your while.

(The writer tweets as @_bigeyedgirl)

ALSO SEE: Vulture's entrance to Tony Stark, five amazing moments from the new Spider-Man Homecoming trailer

ALSO WATCH Spider-Man Homecoming trailer: Iron Man mentors a young Peter Parker

--- ENDS ---
The Metropolitan Fire Brigade's chief executive has left the organisation as a major overhaul of Victoria's fire services looms.

Jim Higgins is stepping down after three years in the top job while controversy rages about the future of the MFB and Country Fire Authority.

The Andrews government is seeking to restructure Victoria's fire services. Credit:Paul Rovere

His departure comes after the resignations of MFB chief officer Peter Rau and his deputy David Youssef.

Mr Higgins said he was proud of a "number of achievements" but the statement did not provide reasons for him leaving.
Police have arrested a trainspotter who caused peak-hour chaos after he jumped on the tracks and was spotted taking photos of trains near Southern Cross Station.

Police earlier shut down Southern Cross station causing major delays across most of the Metro Trains network.

A police incident at Southern Cross has caused evening peak-hour chaos, with major delays across most of the Metro Trains network. Credit:Pat Scala

Thousands of commuters were left stranded as the train network was brought to a standstill while police negotiated with the man.

Police were able to move the man off the tracks and take him into custody before 6pm.
A man who was shot by police while engaged in a fancy dress sex act at a swingers party was not holding a gun at the time, despite the claims of police, a nightclub owner says.

The man, dressed as Batman character the Joker, and a woman in a Harley Quinn costume popularised by the movie Suicide Squad, were shot by police at Inflation nightclub on King Street at 3.41am on Saturday.

The man was taken to the Royal Melbourne Hospital in a critical condition, but was stabilised later.

The woman, who was shot in the leg by police, was taken to The Alfred hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
"The Duke is shot!" witnesses screamed. "He is shot and has fallen down dead!"

Like visits from the Queen, Wills and Kate today, the 1868 first royal tour of Australia, by Queen Victoria's son Prince Alfred, had been an outpouring of pomp and colour. But it all went to pot when a stranger shot the prince in the back.

Lessons of history: Steve Harris, author of ''The Prince and the Assassin''. Credit:Eddie Jim

It was the nation's first attempted political assassination. The prince, aka the duke of Edinburgh, didn't die, but the shockwaves were huge.

The country descended into "moral panic, shame, vengeance, bigotry and political division and opportunism", writes former newspaper editor Steve Harris in a new book about the shooting.
A Perth landlady who illegally changed the locks and carried out renovations of a sick elderly tenants home while she was in hospital has been forced to pay almost $12,000 in fines and court costs.

Marlene Ruzica Pavlovich was found guilty in the Fremantle Magistrates court on June 30 for breaching two offences under the Residential Tenancies Act, which included entering a rental home in North Fremantle without a court order and changing the locks without any reasonable excuse.

Jan Wilson had rented the property since 1985.

The former real estate sales rep from Munster was fined $3000 and ordered to pay $8907 in court costs.

The court heard in February 2015, Ms Pavlovich organised prospective buyers to view the home despite not getting consent from the 87-year-old female tenant Jan Wilson, who was ill in hospital, or the renter's power of attorney who was at work.
An agreement between a number of regional flight stakeholders has been extended in order to keep airfare prices "low" in WA's south west.

Return flights from Albany to Perth usually come in at $278, while flights between Esperance and Perth typically cost travellers $275.

A Regional Express aircraft, which takes travellers to and from Esperance and Albany. Credit:Andrew Taylor

But the partnership between the City of Albany, the Shire of Esperance and Perth Airport allows airline Regional Express to continue to offer its "significantly discounted" $129 one-way fare until 2020 on both routes.

The community fare is inclusive of fees and charges, subject to availability and available for passengers booking more than 60 days in advance.
Istanbul: Amnesty International has called for the immediate release of a group of human rights activists detained by police while attending a training workshop on an island off Istanbul.

Turkish police detained 10 people including the local director of Amnesty International and others on suspicion of membership of a terrorist organisation, Amnesty said on Thursday in what it called a "grotesque abuse of power".

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan arrives at Hamburg Airport for the G20 economic summit. Credit:Getty Images

The detentions came less than a month after a court ordered the arrest of the chairman of Amnesty's Turkey branch, Taner Kilic, on the same charge in a crackdown following an attempted military coup in July 2016. Mr Kilic remains in jail pending trial.

Amnesty Turkey Director Idil Eser and the others were removed from a meeting they were holding at a hotel on Buyukada, an island just south of Istanbul, and taken to various police stations across Turkey's largest city on Wednesday evening, a lawyer for some of the detainees, Bahri Belen, said.
Hamburg, Germany: A lean in, smiles, a pat on the arm.

This was the first face-to-face encounter of President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, captured behind the scenes of the Group of 20 summit by the shaky hands of an official German videographer.

As world leaders socialised and made small talk ahead of the first meetings of what is already a contentious summit, it was Trump who approached Putin, who stood with his back against a wooden room divider.

Trump strode up, arm extended wide, as Putin held his arm closer, upper arm remaining close to his chest. To Putin's left, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe stood chuckling, perhaps amused to be privy to the initial encounter.
A SWAT team hold machine guns while observing an apartment during an anti-G20 protest. Credit:Alexander Koerner He accused the German government of seeking to suppress protest, saying its approach was autocratic and would "make Erdogan, Putin and Trump feel at home here." The government is sensitive to this point. Merkel appealed for calm, saying on Friday that she respected "peaceful demonstrations" but considered violence "unacceptable." Anarchists ransack a supermarket as part of G20 protests. Credit:Thomas Lohnes "The main issue is that the summit is again, after Brisbane, in a democracy," said Wolfgang Schmidt, a Hamburg politician involved in summit planning. Summits in Turkey and China followed the 2014 meeting in Australia. "You want to make sure that protest and dissenting views are heard, but you also need to maintain security, and with 42 highly protected heads of state and finance and foreign ministers, it's a challenge."

Crowds were expected to receive a high-profile boost after New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said he would join a major rally planned for Saturday. Police forces clash with protesters during a march on Friday in Hamburg. Credit:Getty Images The discord has produced an anguished debate, unfolding on the sidelines of the summit, about security and free expression, in a port city that, for a thousand years, has connected northern Europe to the far reaches of the globe. Its trademark openness is being tested as protesters - who could number as many as 100,000 by Saturday - turned the old merchant city into a site of a global contest over capitalism and environmental degradation, among many concerns. Tensions boiled over Thursday near Hamburg's harbour, as police tried to isolate a group of "black bloc" activists - known for their anarchist sympathies and for concealing their faces - from more than 10,000 protesters gathered for a "Welcome to Hell" demonstration. Protesters run the gauntlet of the water cannons. Credit:Getty Images

The black bloc, which wants to overthrow capitalism, had some success in disrupting the leaders' discussions despite the ring of steel that surrounded them. German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble cancelled an appearance in downtown Hamburg on Friday morning due to security concerns. Police also declined to clear US First Lady Melania Trump's motorcade to leave her hotel to join in a tour of the city's historic harbour, her spokeswoman said. Demonstrators hold a 'Night Dance' protest ahead of the G20 summit. Credit:Getty Images Marine police units intercepted 22 divers from the environmental pressure group Greenpeace who had also been trying to reach the concert hall, police said.

Police said they used water canon to disperse protesters who broke into a riverside metro station that had earlier been sealed off. Nearby, two lorries were set ablaze. An anti-Trump protester in Hamburg for the G20. Credit:Getty Images Three officers required treatment in hospital, police said, noting that protesters had used slingshots as well as thrown bottles and stones. At least 70 people were detained and 15 were taken into custody, police said. In the violence, which first erupted during marches on Thursday, far-left protesters slashed the tyres of a car belonging to Canada's G20 delegation and smashed windows of Mongolia's consulate.

A police spokesman said only small numbers of far-left or anarchist protesters were involved in the disturbances, while the majority of an estimated 100,000 demonstrators in the city remained peaceful. Left-ist traditions Sebastian Keller, 35, said he wanted to highlight how politicians serve only economic interests, not average people. "I'm not anti-government, but something has to change so human beings get to enjoy a little bit of the wealth," said Mr Keller, who grew up in East Germany and was eight years old when the country was reunified. "Ever since," he said, "Germany has become obsessed with capitalism."

The protests draw on a tradition of left-wing activism in Germany's second-largest city and the birthplace of its chancellor. A few kilometres away is a nerve centre of left-wing German radicalism, Rote Flora, a former theatre where activists have squatted for nearly three decades. A spokesman for Rote Flora, Andreas Blechschmidt, promised self-defence "if the police attack us." He added: "Violence can be a productive form of protest." Mr Erdogan's presence pits Turkish nationalists against Kurds in a country with the largest Turkish community outside Turkey. The German government has barred Mr Erdogan from addressing his supporters at the summit. Yavuz Fersoglu, a spokesman for an umbrella organisation of Kurdish groups in Germany, said Kurds are joining hands with anti-globalisation groups for a major march on Saturday, which organisers say will draw about 100,000 people. Local businesses were preparing for an unpredictable several days.
Tanda Panjaitan, a researcher from the farming technology bureau of Indonesia's Agriculture Ministry, said leucaena (known locally as lamtoro) had also been introduced in Indonesia in the 1980s during the Suharto era. Muin is a corn farmer from Indonesia. Credit:Amilia Rosa "But the project then failed when it was ruined by the insect pest kutu loncat (leucaena psyllid)," Dr Panjaitan says. "They tried other plants to replace it after that but none was successful. After that, people just forgot about it and went back to what they were used to  grass." Dr Panjaitan says the cattle fattening project introduced a variety of leucaena resistant to leucaena psyllid. But the farmers had to be re-educated about the benefits of using forage tree legumes as fodder. "It wasn't easy, they simply didn't believe us," he said. Legume trees are part of a drive to fatten Indonesian cattle Credit:Amilia Rosa

Muin, a corn farmer from Senayan village in West Sumbawa, admits to being sceptical. "I only joined in 2013, I had doubts about it," he said. "A few years ago we were told to plant rumput gajah (elephant grass) but it was useless, so we stopped it all. When I was told about lamtoro, I was still scarred from the elephant grass." Legume trees are part of a drive to fatten Indonesian cattle Credit:Amilia Rosa When Muin introduced the forage tree legume as fodder he owned nine cows and cared for six others (splitting the profit with the owner). "I planted six hectares with lamtoro, six hectares of the worst land I own. To plant lamtoro doesn't require any of the productive land I own to grow corn." Now Muin owns 27 cows.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Julie Bishop said the project aimed to help villagers. Credit:MICK TSIKAS "I can earn more than 30 million rupiah ($3000) a year - that's more than what I earn from planting corn," he says. "I plan on expanding soon. I will plant more lamtoro so I can feed more cows. Now I regret joining late, I wish I could turn back time to a younger me and join earlier so I can care for more cows." Unanticipated benefits Foreign Minister Julie Bishop says the project, which has been trialled in 30 villages, "aims to improve incomes and food security for low-income small landholders in Indonesia". It has demonstrated that growing and feeding leucaena can halve the amount of labour needed to look after cattle and double live weight gains. Legume trees are part of a drive to fatten Indonesian cattle Credit:Amilia Rosa

There have also been other unanticipated benefits. In North Lombok, villagers have moved their cows from next to their homes, where they would typically graze, into communal barns. Here, the farmers attend lessons on nutrition for their cows. The barns have also solved the villages' cow dung dilemma. Country program manager for the Australian Centre for International Agriculture Research, Dr Peter Horne, says villagers had previously complained they were too embarrassed to have friends visit their village because of the cow manure everywhere. "An unexpected outcome of keeping the cattle together in one place is that, not only do the farmers learn improved methods of raising cattle from each other but now the manure is located in one place," he says. The once loathed cow dung has become a communal asset, which the cattle farmers now sell to vegetable growers in neighbouring villages. Another unexpected benefit came through marketing. Farmers in Lombok typically did not sell their own cows, handing them over to a middleman at the market gate.

"There was little transparency and the farmers couldn't participate in negotiations," Dr Horne says. Great results However now the cattle are being held in communal barns, traders now come to the villages and buy directly from the farmers. "This is an outstanding and unexpected positive result," Dr Horne says. "It wouldn't have mattered for the farmers if they were able to improve productivity unless they could make a profit from it." Dr Horne says the next step is to increase the scale of the program, rolling it out across Sumbawa and even South Kalimantan. He acknowledges the model developed in North Lombok cannot be "photocopied" but believes the principles can be adapted to different conditions.

Australia Indonesia Business Council president Debnath Guharoy says that for 30 years Indonesia has pleaded with Australia to assist it with developing the local cattle industry. "The more it happens, the better for the (bilateral) relationship," he says. "I would like to see Australian companies in the cattle business invest locally." Murdah, the motorbike taxi driver who was so resistant to cows, now owns four to six every season. He estimates prior to the cattle fattening project he could have earned 3 million rupiah ($300) every two years for a calf - if it survived. Now he says the figure is more like 750,000 to 1.5 million rupiah ($75 to $150) every month. He works one to two hours every morning feeding the forage tree legumes to his cows and still drives a motorcycle taxi on the side. Loading
By PTI: Bhubaneswar, Jul 7 (PTI) Tata Steel has taken up several measures for the prevention of dengue in and around its plant area at Kalinganagar in Odisha. The company has intensified its dengue preventive activities before the arrival of monsoon to achieve zero incidence of this infection, a company release said. Besides stressing on its housekeeping activities, source (breeding sites) reduction drive, anti-larval activity have been taken up in the plant premises and labour colonies, it said.

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After identifying possible breeding sites, larvicidal spray is being aprayed regularly at the plant site to eliminate the formation of mosquito larva.

The anti-larval team has been engaged for this activity throughout the plant area, rehabilitation colonies, housing complex and labour colonies. Cold fogging has been taken up for indoor areas like offices. To boost awareness about the precaution against dengue, various activities were being carried out for the employees,

An ELISA machine has been placed at Tata Steel Hospital in Kalinganagar to help detect dengue patients.

The Occupational Health Services department of Tata Steel, Kalinganagar, in collaboration with the Public Health team of Jamshedpur Utilities and Services Company JUSCO, is engaged in this work, the release said. Due to such "proactive measures", no case of dengue was reported among employees and contract workers of Tata Steel at Kalinganagar in 2015 and 2016, the release added. PTI SKN MM

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Angela Merkel knew she was taking a risk by holding the G20 in Hamburg. Such summits attract protesters with a penchant for balaclavas and Molotov cocktails, so it's normally safer to use remote resorts, like Evian and Gleneagles, that are easier to defend. But things have been quieter in recent summits and the German elections are coming up in the autumn. So Mrs Merkel decided to hold the G20 a few months early, and invite the world to her birthtown. It all promised to be reasonably quiet, until Donald Trump was elected president.

His welcoming committee has been in the city for some time. A Porsche dealership has been set ablaze, shopkeepers have been boarding up their windows and water cannon were used on protesters even before he arrived.

Their general theme, standing up to the wicked Mr Trump, looks set to continue inside the G20 summit itself. Emmanuel Macron, the French President, has called for a "return to reason" on climate change and Mrs Merkel has chosen to hold talks on areas where the EU disagrees with Trump most: trade, immigration and global warming. So the stage is being set for a clash between progressive European values and American cold-heartedness  but there are two problems with the general idea. The first is that many EU leaders are coming around to Mr Trump's way of thinking, and the other is that, in many areas, European popular opinion is firmly on his side.

Take his notorious decision to ban immigration from various Muslim countries. Even to raise such a proposal would shock most of those at the G20, and it's generally taken to be a policy that proves the blackness of Mr Trump's heart.
Crans-Montana: - Talks to reunify the divided island of Cyprus collapsed amid anger and recriminations in the early hours of Friday, marking the end of a process seen as the most promising in generations to heal decades of conflict.

"I'm very sorry to tell you that despite the very strong commitment and engagement of all the delegations and different parties ... the conference on Cyprus was closed without an agreement being reached," United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said.

A girl holds up a board during a peace protest in the divided capital of Nicosia, Cyprus, on July 6. Credit:AP

The collapse marked a dramatic culmination to more than two years of a process that had been widely thought of as the best chance at reunification since the island was split between its Greek and Turkish Cypriot populations in 1974.

Mr Guterres had flown in on Thursday to press Greek Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci to seal a deal reuniting the east Mediterranean island, while US Vice-President Mike Pence had phoned to urge them to "seize this historic opportunity".
Washington: Walter Shaub Jr, the United States government's top ethics watchdog who has repeatedly gone head-to-head with the Trump administration over conflicts of interest, is calling it quits.

Shaub's five-year term as the director of the Office of Government Ethics is not set to expire until January, but with little chance of renewal and an appealing offer in hand from a nonpartisan advocacy group, he said the time was right to leave.

"There isn't much more I could accomplish at the Office of Government Ethics, given the current situation," Shaub said in an interview on Thursday. "OGE's recent experiences have made it clear that the ethics program needs to be strengthened."

His new position, he said, will allow him to advocate freely for such reforms.
NTT Communications and Arkadin honored in Frost & Sullivan Asia Pacific ICT Awards

Posted by Publisher Hardware

TOKYO, JAPAN  (Marketwired)  07/07/17  (NTT Com), the ICT Solutions and international communications business within the NTT Group (TSE: 9432), and , an NTT Communications company and market leader in cloud Unified Communications and Collaboration services, announced today that both have received 2017 Frost & Sullivan Asia Pacific ICT Awards.

NTT Com has been recognized as 2017 Frost & Sullivan Asia Pacific UC-as-a-Service Total Solution Provider of the Year, and 2017 Frost & Sullivan Asia Pacific Telco Data Center Service Provider of the Year awards, and Arkadin has been recognized as 2017 Frost & Sullivan Asia Pacific Collaboration Service Provider of the Year, the 5th consecutive time that Arkadin has been named in this category. The results were announced at the 2017 Frost & Sullivan Asia Pacific ICT Awards in Singapore on July 6.

Regarding Arkadins award, Zi Ning Chong, Research Analyst ICT Practice  Asia Pacific at Frost & Sullivan, said, In a highly competitive and commercialized market, Arkadin maintained its customer-oriented strategy and continued a profitable revenue growth in 2016. To strengthen the interoperability between collaboration technologies, the company further elevated the strategic partnerships with Microsoft and Cisco, notably with the launch of Arkadin Total Connect, providing a fully integrated UC ecosystem with voice-enabled Office 365, Cisco CCA-SP and Cisco Spark solutions. She added that To stand out in the crowd of collaboration service providers, Arkadins diversified UC service portfolio and direct-touch Go-to-Market (GTM) strategy helped the company to further improve its customer retention rate and win new customers across the region. Also, we expect the latest digital meeting space, Arkadin Vision, which is being launched in APAC this year, will offer an impetus for the growth of streamlined collaboration in near future.

According to Shuishan Lu, Industry Analyst, Digital Transformation, Asia Pacific at Frost & Sullivan, By leveraging on strategic partnerships with leading Unified Communications technology vendors, NTT Communications is able to offer a diversified and comprehensive UCaaS portfolio with the flexibility of implementing tangible services. This has created additional business value for the company as it was able to provide a one-stop customer portal for multiple services management, as well as enriching solution extensibility and interoperability with third party integration. With regard to Asia Pacific Telco Data Center Service Provider of the Year, YuXuan NG, Industry Analyst, Digital Transformation, Asia Pacific at Frost & Sullivan, said, NTT Communications distinguishes itself from other market participants through its ability to offer comprehensive value-added Services, alongside colocation and managed hosting services. By bringing value-added services to its data center customers, NTT Communications has attained significant success in terms of revenue realization per square meter and year-on-year growth.

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About NTT Communications Corporation

NTT Communications provides consultancy, architecture, security and cloud services to optimize the information and communications technology (ICT) environments of enterprises. These offerings are backed by the companys worldwide infrastructure, including the leading global tier-1 IP network, the Arcstar Universal One VPN network reaching 196 countries/regions, and 140 secure data centers worldwide. NTT Communications solutions leverage the global resources of NTT Group companies including Dimension Data, NTT DOCOMO and NTT DATA.

| Twitter@NTT Com | Facebook@NTT Com | LinkedIn@NTT Com

About Arkadin

Arkadin is one of the largest and fastest growing Unified Communications and Collaboration Service Providers in the world. Our collection of market-leading audio/web/video conferencing and Unified Communications solutions enables enjoyable collaboration experiences that are essential to success in a digitally connected global workplace. As an NTT Communications company, our services are delivered in the cloud and backed by a cutting-edge infrastructure for premium service quality. Over 50,000 customers spanning the largest global enterprises to small businesses are supported locally in 19 languages through our network of 56 operations centers in 33 countries. For more information:

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Arkadin Singapore

Tel: +65 6572 4707

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Public Relations

NTT Communications Corporation

Tel: +81 3 6700 4010
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Jhini, jhini bini re chadariya, kaahe ka tana, kaahe ki bharni, kaun taar se bini re chadariya." Quoting these words by Kabir, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the two-day Textiles India 2017 at the Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar on June 30. A collaborative effort by 24 export promotion councils under the Union ministry for textiles, with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) as industry partner, the initiative may even become an annual event. Around 1,500 exhibitors and 20,000 participants, including 2,500 foreign buyers and sellers, registered for the event. There were participants from the US, China, UK, Australia, Germany, Bangladesh, South Korea, UAE and Vietnam, among others. As many as 65 memorandums of understanding (MoU) were signed on July 1.

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Prime Minister Modi loomed large over the occasion, whether spinning a charkha a day earlier at the Sabarmati ashram in Ahmedabad, or in the Modi jackets and Modi kurtas being exhibited outside the venue - both incidentally now registered brands. Later, textiles minister Smriti Irani tweeted an image of a loom where the carpet being woven had the PM's face on it. The lone statue of the Mahatma at the spinning wheel at the venue served mainly as 'selfie point'.

Union ministers M. Venkaiah Naidu, Nitin Gadkari, Ananth Kumar, Nirmala Sitharaman, Radha Mohan Singh, Mahesh Sharma and Rajiv Pratap Rudy were in attendance, as were the chief ministers of the three partner states-Andhra Pradesh, Assam and Maharashtra.

The event featured two fashion shows as well. Symphony of Weaves, curated by IMG Reliance, had 30 celebrated designers, including Manish Arora and Tarun Tahiliani. The second show featured garments from clusters allotted to the country's top designers to revive weaving traditions and strengthen the India Handloom Brand.

At the event, Gautam Singhania, the chairman of Raymond, said his company was building a greenfield park in Amaravati, the new capital of Andhra Pradesh, to produce denim. India is the largest producer of denim, and handloom denim is the next big thing.

The crisis in China's textile exports (currently estimated to be worth $150 billion) can be an opportunity for India. Latin American countries, for instance, want to reduce their dependence on Chinese imports, and are looking to diversify their markets, according to R. Viswanathan, a former Indian diplomat and specialist in Latin American affairs. India is the third-largest supplier of textiles to Latin America and the fourth largest in readymade garments. Synthetic textiles account for 70 per cent of the world's textile supply. Experts say if India focuses on man-made fibre, it could soon overtake China. The crouching Indian tiger could yet slay the hidden dragon.

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'Black Panther: Wakanda Forever': What to know before you see it
By PTI: Hyderabad, Jul 7 (PTI) The Telangana government today urged the Jammu and Kashmir administration to help a group of tourists from the state who met with an accident while travelling in a bus in Anantnag district.

One person was killed and 15 others were injured, three of them seriously, when a cylinder exploded in the bus. The group comprised 47 people, including the bus driver and cleaner, a Telangana government release said here.

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Telangana Chief Secretary S P Singh has written a letter to his J-K counterpart on the matter, it said.

The Jammu and Kashmir administration has been requested to help in airlifting the body of the deceased person and in providing medical care to the injured. The administration has also been requested to facilitate return journey of the group to New Delhi, the release added. PTI SJR RSY

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By PTI: Hyderabad, Jul 7 (PTI) The University of Hyderabad (UoH) today said it is trying work out an settlement with 20-odd students who are protesting against the varsity administration here for the past two-days.

A group of students under the University of Hyderabad students union is leading an Occupy Admin protest since July 5 accusing the UoH administration of taking "arbitrary" decisions pertaining to admissions to courses including Indian Diaspora and Human Rights.

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They are demanding release of the result for centre of Indian Diaspora and Human rights, to fill exact intake as mentioned in the prospectus, to follow the reservation policy strictly among other demands.

"In Centre for the Study of Indian Diaspora and Human Rights, the University conducted written entrance test and then came up with the statement that candidates cannot be accommodated," said the protesting students.

However, UoH said its authorities invited representatives of the protesting students to allay their apprehensions on the admissions and to explain its position.

But, the students refused to meet the authorities and continued with their protest, though last evening three of their representatives met the authorities, a statement from UoH said.

During the discussions, the university authorities made it clear that while there was no scope to admit students into the Indian Diaspora course, it would still explore the possibility of identifying adjunct faculty who would be able to guide PhD scholars and accordingly proceed with admissions, said the release.

However, the students have continued to protest in the portico of the administration building much against the university rules, it said.

The protest by the 20-odd students during the day and about six-seven overnight is in clear violation of the university notification, it said.

The UoH further clarified that "while it is true that the University has incorporated submission of an affidavit as part of the admission process, it certainly does not intend to curb the right to freedom of expression nor is aimed at curbing protests on campus."

In fact, in a notification issued on March 23, 2017, the university clearly recognises the right of the students to protest and has even designated spaces in which students can protest without disturbing academic units and the administration, it added. PTI VVK RMT

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Behold the recently discovered underground tunnel in Mexico deemed as underworld. Where gods were created and life originated. A place predominantly used for human sacrifices.

By India Today Web Desk: The latest out of Mexico gives substance to countless folklore we all have heard.

An underground tunnel has been found beneath a pyramid in Teotihuacan, Mexico. Archaeologists are of the view that it was meant to imitate the underworld.

The place is located north of Mexico City in Teotihuacan - the place where the gods were created -- and is thought to have a population if over 1,25,000 people.

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It was built between the first and seventh centuries. It was later abandoned but human remains suggest that it was used for human sacrifice.

"The finding confirms that Teotihuacans reproduced the same pattern of tunnels associated with their great monuments, whose function had to be the emulation of the underworld," archaeologist Veronica Ortega, who was involved in the discovery, said in a statement.

The underground tunnel is hidden 10 metres beneath the ground. The tunnel extends from the Pyramid of the Moon, the second largest structure at the site, to the central square, RT reported.

"The function of the tunnel may have been to reproduce the underworld, a world where life, animals and plants originated. It's possible that it was used purely for rituals, as part of ceremonies to celebrate the agricultural cycles," Ortega said.

What comes next is to get the archaeologists into the underground tunnel for further exploration of it up close. Researchers are positive and hopeful that the new tunnel hasn't been looted, unlike a previous tunnel which was pillaged.

Watch: Researchers locate a possible tunnel under the Plaza and Pyramid of the Moon in Teotihuacan

FYI || New-found exoplanet 'Super-Earth' could host alien life ||

FYI || Iceball, the frozen planet: NASA discovers Earth-sized planet 13,000 light-years away ||

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In the initial hours after the beginning of the summit, that didn't look to be the case. In fact, it appears that the fissure between the U.S. and the other G-20 states will be documented in the summit's final declaration.

SPIEGEL has learned that a Friday draft of the final declaration reads: "We acknowledge the decision of the U.S. to withdraw from the Paris Agreement." (Eds. Note: SPIEGEL saw a German version of the declaration. Quotes are translated.) That sentence is followed by a rather odd formulation: The U.S., the draft declaration read, plans "to work closely together with other partners ... to facilitate a cleaner and more efficient access to fossil energies."
By PTI: (Eds: Updates with Pak reaction)

By Yoshita Singh

United Nations, Jul 7 (PTI) A splinter group of the Pakistani Taliban linked to the Islamic State terror group has been sanctioned by the UN Security Council, subjecting it to assets freeze and arms embargo.

The UN Security Councils Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee added Jamaat-Ul-Ahrar to the ISIL (the Islamic State) and Al- Qaida Sanctions List yesterday.

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Formed in August 2014, the outfit is linked to deadly attacks in Pakistan, which banned it in November last year.

Pakistans foreign ministry welcomed the UN sanctions. "Pakistan welcomes the listing of Jamaatul Ahrar by the UN Security Council," the ministry said in a statement.

The JuA first came to prominence after it claimed responsibility for the 2014 Wagah attack targeting security forces protecting the Shia community. At least 61 people were killed in the attack and more than 100 others were injured.

The outfit is also known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan Jamaat-ul Ahrar. It operatesfrom Afghanistans Nangarhar Province and Mohmand Agency in Pakistans Federally Administered Tribal Areas.

According to the information on the website of the UN, Jamaat-ul-Ahrar is a splinter group of the Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan and is associated with the Islamic State. PTI YAS/SH NSA ABH

--- ENDS ---
Chaotic and Dangerous

The rushing of the walkway wasn't just chaotic and dangerous, it also sent the completely wrong message. Hundreds of peaceful demonstrators found themselves confronted by a police force right out of left-wing radical propaganda. Only the older among them could still recall the violent police operations against protests in 1970s West Germany.

Following the aggressive police operation, the organizer of the "Welcome to Hell" demonstration declared it to be over. But demonstrations continued nonetheless. Shortly thereafter, G-20 opponents registered numerous spontaneous protests - along the same route that the "Welcome to Hell" demonstration was to follow. Ultimately, thousands began marching - peacefully at first - through the St. Pauli quarter of Hamburg. But members of the black bloc began joining them.

Riot police began closing in on the demonstration from almost every side street. As darkness began to fall, the protest became more aggressive - as did the police, with pepper spray, truncheons and screaming.

Many of the police officers on hand hardly knew their way around the city. Support was brought in for the G-20 from across Germany, even as far away as Bavaria, and groups of riot police would often run 300 meters in one direction before turning around and running 500 in the other. Long lines of police vans likewise drove aimlessly about. The "dynamic situation," as police jargon would have it, clearly led the officers to react more frantically - not to mention their need to dodge bottles and rocks thrown by protesters. In the area surrounding the Rote Flora leftist cultural center, something of an anti-G-20 headquarters this weekend, police repeatedly and violently pulled people out of the crowd. There were several injuries on both sides.

In the end, the streets of St. Pauli were covered with shattered glass. And in the end, there was no winner. But a lot of losers.
Occupied Aaiun ,04 July 2017 (SPS) - The Moroccan occupation authorities on Monday prevented two Spanish observers from visiting the occupied city of Aaiun (Laura Moreno Torricrosa and Andrea Siez de Eigliath), who were in the process of organizing several meetings with the Sahrawi legal, political and media activists and the assessment of human rights situation in the territory.

The Moroccan occupation authorities prevented the two observers from entering in the airport of the occupied city of Aaiun, forcing them to return on the same plane to Casablanca airport without giving any justification for this illegal act.

It should be noted that the Moroccan authorities deliberately close the territory of Western Sahara to foreign delegations and missions, preventing them from monitoring the situation in the occupied territory of Western Sahara, imposing a military and media siege the territory.SPS.

125/090/TRA
Bir Lehlu, July 05, 2017 (SPS) - The President of the Republic Secretary General of the Frente POLISARIO, Brahim Gali, congratulated his Algerian counterpart Abdelaziz Bouteflika on Tuesday on occasion of the 55th anniversary of the independence of Algeria and Day of youth.

President Brahim Gali said: "This anniversary allows us to think of a key event in history, not only in Algeria, but also for the peoples and countries that suffered injustice and repression. The victory of the Algerian revolution was crowned with the independence, on this date, 55 years ago, has been a determining factor in the change on the ground, which has retreated the colonialism that lashed Africa, Asia and Latin America. "

"The Algerian brother people, who celebrated the anniversary of his independence with the day of his youth, proud of legacy full of struggle, militancy, heroism and sacrifices that resulted in more than a million and a half martyrs. It can be proud of what the independent Algerian state achieved along a path full of achievements in all spheres and sectors, within the framework of a special national experience. the Algerian State knew how to safeguard its sovereignty and dignity, in the time that achieves its development and regional and international position, "said the head of state.

"The Saharawi people celebrate this anniversary with their brother Algerian people, and it is inspired by heroism and determination," adds Brahim Gali in his letter, recalling Algeria's support for the struggle of the Saharawi people for freedom and independence, emphasizing that this position "has been in total harmony with the principles of the Revolution of the First of November and the Charter of the United Nations and the AU."

The President of the Republic clarified that the region is experiencing some instability provoked by the expansionist and aggressive policy of Morocco, which caused the rise of criminal groups in the region.

On the other hand, the Saharawi president reaffirmed his commitment to deepen relations between the two countries, as well as contributing to stability in the region.

"We want to remember all those martyrs and militants who have been with them in the battle for liberation," says President Brahim Gali in his message to the Algerian president. SPS

125/090/TRA
Bir Lahlou, July 8, 2017 (SPS) - The Sahrawi government and the Polisario Front denounced a Moroccan bill on delimitation of territorial waters between occupied Western Sahara and Canary Islands (Spain), and considered the bill "null and void," said Friday a statement of the Saharawi Ministry of Information.

"Such a decision blatantly violates international law and the status of Western Sahara as a non-autonomous territory on the agenda of the United Nations Committee in charge of decolonization and in defiance of the decision of the International Court of Justice on 1975 and the European Court of Justice in 2016, which reaffirm that Western Sahara and Morocco are different and separate territories," said the communique sent to APS.

"This decision, which has no political and legal effect at the international level, is a new a headlong policy that hides poor disbursements as well as the difficult situation that Morocco is currently facing both internally and internationally," stated the communique.

According to media, the bill, adopted Thursday by the Moroccan government, is a "decree" on the delimitation of Sahrawi territorial waters in front of Spanish Canaries Islands. (SPS)

062/090/700
Over 90 farmers and service industry representatives from across the North of England attended the inaugural H&H Land and Property On-Farm Business Conference held at Buckabank Farm, Dalston by kind permission of the Brough Family.

Dr Nick Prince, Senior Farm Business Advisor for H&H Land and Property argued that given the uncertainty of Brexit, and the impact these changes will have, standing still is not an option: As we engage fully with global markets and competitors, farm businesses will need to adapt to remain viable and competitive.

The conference focused on three elements of how farm business progression has taken place at Buckabank Farm and how the thought processes behind these developments are applicable to other farm businesses.

These included:

the implementation of a robotic milking system

engaging with planning law for development opportunities

the production of high quality fat lambs

Introducing the background to Buckabank Farm, Richard Brough gave an informative account of how an outbreak of Foot and Mouth disease in 2001 had been the catalyst for change on the farm. He also discussed how the impact of his and brother Stephens families had shaped the development strategy implemented. Neil Brough then discussed the performance of the milking herd, demonstrating the passion, detail and interest needed to make a success of ambitious expansion projects.

Following this, Neil Henderson, Senior Planner, explained that if farmers wish to carry out development, preparation is vital and that engagement with the planning system was unavoidable. However, there is favourable status towards agricultural development and local planning authority policies were generally supportive of farm diversification. To conclude he reviewed permitted development rights for agricultural buildings and barn conversions plus the merits of outline and full planning applications.
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Ashley HomeStore is making Norwalk the brands first store in lower Fairfield County, taking over the former Staples store on Richards Avenue.

Staples closed its store at 50 Richards Ave. earlier this year as part of a consolidation, with the retailer having two other Norwalk locations on Main Avenue and Westport Avenue. The office supply retailer reached a $6.9 billion agreement last week to be taken private by Sycamore Partners, which intends to split off Staples U.S. retail operations from its delivery services and Canadian stores.

The new Ashley HomeStore in Norwalk is being opened by the licensee of existing stores in Orange and Brookfield, with information not immediately available on an opening date and hiring plans following a query by Hearst Connecticut Media. The store conversion will cost $85,000 in initial renovations, according to a filing with Norwalk City Hall.

Ashey HomeStore is the largest U.S. furnishings retailer by sales, according to trade publication Furniture Today, with reported 2016 revenue of $3.8 billion representing a 9 percent increase from the year before. The Arcadia, Wis.-based company opened 100 stores last year to push its total to 700 in all, including more than 560 in the United States.

That dwarfs the U.S. total of Danbury-based Ethan Allen, which had the second-highest total among conventional furniture retailers at just under 190 U.S. locations, including a location on Main Avenue in Norwalk that Ethan Allen is in the process of winding down.

As the case for Ashley HomeStores Brookfield location on Federal Road and Orange store on Boston Post Road, the Norwalk site is just off heavily trafficked Connecticut Avenue, just up from Exit 13 on Interstate 95 in a prized spot anchored by Costco, Walmart and other major retailers.

Ashley HomeStore will vie with any number of rival chains in Norwalk and beyond, to include Raymour & Flanigan just up Connecticut Avenue, which itself includes Ashley furnishings in its showrooms; Bobs Discount Furniture in Stamford and Bridgeport; and Jordans Furniture in New Haven.

And shoppers have any number of other options, from upscale boutiques like Lillian August and Connecticut Design Center in Norwalk; to independents like Affordable Mattress and Furniture and Oriental Furnishings along the citys West Avenue; to specialty stores like Ikea in New Haven or Pier 1 Imports.

Pier 1 closed a Westport store last year while keeping its Norwalk location that is adjacent to the planned Ashley HomeStore showroom. In a late June conference call, new Pier 1 CEO Alasdair James described todays home furnishings sector as increasingly competitive.

The role of stores in todays world is changing as our customers gravitate toward more experience-driven environments, James said. Were seeing positive results from the recent introduction of in-store events that are designed to improve the overall experience.

Alex.Soule@scni.com; 203-842-2545; www.twitter.com/casoulman
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STAMFORD  Like many of the things he looks for in homes and restaurants, Ebrima Jobe exists behind the scenes.

An inspector for the Stamford Health Department, Jobe is responsible for the well-being and safety of citizens. Yet few people grasp the weight of his role.

Jobe can sum it up succinctly: You walk into a restaurant and the front end looks very nice and clean, and you walk into the back end and you have issues.

The health inspector has been identifying issues that could sicken or kill Stamford residents and consumers for 11 years.

Jobe, 49, recently learned he was up to code himself  he has been named inspector of the year by the Connecticut Association of Housing Code Enforcement Officials, an honor hes happy to receive.

The fact that I come to work every day and I go out there and protect the lives and health of people I serve in this community is very rewarding to me, he said.

Much of Jobes day-to-day consists of visiting homes that are the subject of a complaint or routine certificate-of-occupancy inspections for houses built more than 15 years ago. He checks for things like lights, running water and smoke detectors.

As an environmental health inspector, Jobe is a member of the citys Operation Safe House Task Force, a group made up of health, social services, police and fire officials, to ensure that high-risk residents are living in safe and secure housing.

Some of his most interesting work comes from checking homes for lead, an inspection triggered by a child under six testing positive for lead poisoning. Any child in that age range who whose blood has 5 micrograms of lead per deciliter or more is considered poisoned, a condition that can result in diminished cognitive ability.

Lead paint has been banned in the United States since 1978, but some older homes still have it.

You walk into a house thats built before 1978 and you see all the peeling and chipping paint, Jobe said. People live in those houses and they have kids  little ones who are under 6  and its not safe for them. But they have no knowledge and they dont know the dangers involved.

In many cases, the parents are renters and worried about getting kicked out of their homes, making them skeptical of the findings.

In a few instances, the source of lead has been challenging to pinpoint.

One child had been fed beans cooked in a pot from Mexico that was made of 40 percent lead. Another, who was admitted to Yale-New Haven Hospital for chelation therapy to remove the heavy metal, had been chewing on his mothers gold necklace.

Lead is very durable. It makes things last longer, especially paint, Jobe said. Its also very sweet, so when kids start chewing on it, they go back because they want more.

Jobe, a Bridgeport resident and Gambian native who emigrated some 20 years ago, was educated at Boise State University and Southern Connecticut State University, where he received a bachelors degree in public health.

I think I have a major positive impact on the community that I serve, he said. Thats a major motivation to me, just to see that people are staying healthy and safe.

eskalka@stamfordadvocate.com
WESTPORT  A Bridgeport man is facing identity theft charges after, police said, he used his employers credit to purchase thousands of dollars worth of goods and services.

Westport police were contacted in July 2016 by an employer who suspected a worker of stealing approximately $14,000 from him.

According to police, the employer accused had been routinely stealing from him since January 2016.

The man told police that he entrusted his personal credit card to 45-year-old employee Donald Luciano, who had worked for his company since 2014, to pay for things required for certain jobs.

Around January 2016, however, Luciano began using the credit card for his own personal use, police said.

A later investigation revealed that Luciano routinely used the credit card to purchase food at restaurants, gift cards and round-trip airline tickets to Florida, police said.

Police also learned that Luciano routinely falsified checks meant to be delivered to company clients as well. Police said Luciano would forge the clients names of the checks and then would take the money for himself.

On July 6, nearly a year after his employer first went to police, Luciano turned himself in to Westport police.

Luciano was charged with first-degree identity theft and second-degree larceny. He posted the $50,000 bond, and he is expected in court July 13.

ptomlinson@hearstmediact.com; 203-842-2570; Twitter: @Tomlinson_PE
By PTI: By Yoshita Singh

United Nations, Jul 7 (PTI) A splinter group of the Pakistani Taliban linked to the Islamic State terror group has been sanctioned by the UN Security, subjecting it to assets freeze and an arms embargo.

The Security Councils Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee yesterday added Jamaat-Ul-Ahrar (JuA) to the ISIL (the Islamic State) and Al-Qaida Sanctions List.

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The outfit is also known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan Jamaat ul Ahrar and islocatedin the Nangarhar Province of Afghanistan as well as in Mohmand Agency, a district in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan.

According to information on the UN website, Jamaat-Ul- Ahrar is the splinter group of the Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan and is associated with the Islamic State.

Formed in August 2014 in Mohmand Agency, Pakistan, the group operates from Nangarhar Province and Pakistan- Afghanistan border region. The outfit was banned in Pakistan in November last year. PTI YAS NSA NSA

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L ike so many people in search of a brighter future, I came to London  a city so full of promise, diversity and opportunity. I grew up in New Jersey and 25 years ago made the decision to cross the Atlantic and build a new life. I wanted to be myself, and being myself meant being an out and proud lesbian in London.

So I got a job in an LGBT+ community co-operative cafe bar on the edge of Soho and spent five years slinging cappuccinos and serving beer to Londons diverse queer community.

During this time I found (then lost) and refound love. I wrote my first one-woman show. I lived in a hostel, then a squat, then a flatshare. I started a club night, got a job as a TV presenter on BBC2s Gaytime TV, the first prime-time LGBT+ show on television. I made friends  deep, life-enhancing connections that sustained me as I navigated the highs and lows of life in the city I love.

Pride in London is a great moment for us to reflect on how far the LGBT+ community has come  both in the capital and in the UK more widely.

Tomorrow, the Mayor, Sadiq Khan, and I will lead the Pride march, proudly waving the rainbow flag and celebrating the amazing contribution that the LGBT+ community makes to the life and soul of the city. The theme of Pride in London is #LoveHappensHere  and love is something we need more than ever right now.

As the Pride weekend approaches, its important to remember that we are privileged to be Londoners. London is a beacon of hope for so many LGBT+ people around the world, people who have fled terrible, life-threatening situations in their home countries.

Night Czar Amy Lame

Around the world, LGBT+ people are under threat. Sex with someone of the same sex is illegal in 73 countries, and punishable by death in 10. That means 40 per cent of the worlds population live in countries where gay, lesbian and bisexual people can be imprisoned, just for being themselves.

Last month in Istanbul, Turkish police fired rubber bullets at gay activists who were trying to hold a Pride parade, after their march was banned for a third successive year. So the fight isnt over. As we march in the parade on Saturday we should remember that our city gives hope to millions around the world, demonstrating what is possible. Fifty years ago, homosexuality was a criminal offence in the UK. Now we have a Muslim mayor of the greatest city in the world acting as a powerful ally to the LGBT+ community, pledging to tackle hate crime, the decline of LGBT+ venues and standing up for our rights. Look how far weve come.

That young, starry-eyed New Jersey girl is now Londons Night Czar. That cafe bar I first worked at all those years ago  First Out  is no longer open. Some friends remain in London but many have returned to Spain, France, Australia and other corners of the globe. LGBT+ content on TV is the norm, not the exception. My club night, Duckie, is still going strong every Saturday night at the Royal Vauxhall Tavern  and weve got one heck of a party planned in London for this weekend.

But the number of LGBT+ venues closing around London has increased dramatically  58 per cent lost in the past decade. The iconic Royal Vauxhall Tavern is one of the lucky ones  it has so far survived the pressures of rising property prices, unscrupulous landlords and encroaching development. But not without a fight. The RVT is like a home to me, which is why I banded together with fellow activists from all different backgrounds to try to save the pub we all love so much. At the RVT, Ive seen pretty much everything there is to see, and plenty of things I cant unsee.

I remember a doctors and nurses night when I was dressed up as a nurse. One poor woman slipped and broke her ankle. When the paramedics arrived they thought I, Sister Lame, had the whole thing under control. It took a lot to convince them I wasnt a real nurse!

Thats what I mean about great times and great memories. This is why we need LGBT+ venues. Theyre places where lifelong relationships are formed and hearts are broken. Theyre places where you find your family and discover your true self. Its on the dancefloor where you see all of Londons LGBT+ life in true, fabulous technicolour. These venues are deeply embedded within the fabric and cultural history of London and we must do whatever we can to protect them.

Why Pride matters more than ever

The fight to save the RVT isnt yet over but were doing all we can to protect its future.

The loss of so many LGBT+ venues greatly alarms Sadiq and me  and should alarm us all. As well as contributing to the capitals economy, LGBT+ venues generate stronger communities and are vital for many peoples freedom of expression.

As Night Czar, I am acting as a mediator between venue owners, developers and pub companies, using City Halls convening power to reach out and try to stop further closures. Im already talking to a number of people who own recently closed-down venues, and I hope that, with our support at City Hall, well be able to find ways to reopen some of these precious spaces.

Weve already been successful in ensuring the Soho institution Molly Moggs is saved. It is the first signatory to the Mayors LGBT+ Venues Charter, and it has pledged to keep the space for the LGBT+ community when it reopens as The Comptons Cross later this year.

These past months have been some of the hardest yet for the capital. For the first time in a generation, the LGBT+ community cant take its progress on equality for granted. There are still people out there who want to turn back the clock. So now, more than ever, we need to stand strong and be proud of what makes our city so great.

Love happens here. Let us turn away from hate. Let us turn towards love.
Despite China's territorial claims over the disputed South China Sea, Two B-1Bs trained with Japanese jet fighters flew over the sea.

By Reuters: Two US bombers flew over the disputed South China Sea, the US Air Force said in a statement on Friday, asserting the right to treat the region as international territory, despite China's territorial claims in the busy waterway.

Before their flight on Thursday, the two B-1Bs trained with Japanese jet fighters in the neighbouring East China Sea, the first time the two forces have ever conducted night-time drills.

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That US military activity came amid heightened tension in the region after North Korea claimed it has developed a long range missile that could threaten the United States.

The US wants China to do more to pressure Pyongyang to halt its research into missiles and nuclear bombs.

ALSO READ:

India-China standoff: Will trust deficit between two Asian giants impact trade relations? Doklam standoff: Chinese media says Beijing should back Sikkim independence

EXCLUSIVE: China concerned by US-India surveillance drones deal

ALSO WATCH:

External affairs ministry has emerged as a strong humanitarian force globally: PM Modi in US

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B ack for a 15th year, Lovebox returns to Victoria Park this summer for a two nights of fun.

On Friday July 14 and Saturday 15, the east London park hosts the likes of Frank Ocean, Kano, Solange and Mac Miller.

Tickets have sold out for Friday night  when Ocean plays  but there are still some available for Saturday available here.

The full line-up can be found at this page but highlights on each day include:

Friday: Frank Ocean, Mac Miller, Jamie XX, Rag'n'Bone Man, Solange, Sampha, Ray BLK and DJ Jazzy Jeff

Saturday: Chase and Status, Kano, Annie Mac, Anne-Marie, Jess Glynne, Andy C, Norman Jay MBE and Jazzie B

There are also a host of after-parties being held at venues including the Oval Space and Village Underground. Check this page for more information.

Food and drink cannot be bought in from outside the festival, though therell be plenty there. Traders include Patty & Bun, Bubbledogs, Le Bun and Saucy chip, and the Fever Tree gin n tonic bar looks a must, too. For a full list of where to eat and drink, visit this page.

The weather looks to be a little unsettled over the weekend, with a chance of rain and general cloudiness, but check the Met office for a more up-to-date look on things. Given cant camp at Lovebox, a little rain is hardly likely to really put a dampner on things.

For more information, visit loveboxfestival.com
Beautiful silk dresses, cheeky ceramics and contemporary gold hoops - these are just some of the "everyday essentials" you'll find at The Basics Store, a pop-up lifestyle boutique in Notting Hill.

Independent designers who you might not have heard of mix in a highly Instagrammable space, which has been curated by 31-year-old designer Marina Guergova.

Bulgarian by birth, west Londoner Marina is also the brains behind luxury silkwear brand MARINA London and mother to Leo.

Here, Marina tells us how the concept started, why she loves championing female designers and how she balances work and family life.

Where did the idea for the Basics Store come from?

I wanted to open a pop-up for my own brand MARINA London, but couldn't afford it, so I thought: why not rent a space where I invited other designers I admire, who have a similar design aesthetic, and share the rent? It made total sense and the idea was born out of a problem I was trying to solve. I have a feeling the best ideas come that way. I then got in touch with Appear Here when they were starting out and made this happen.

A post shared by THE BASICS. (@thebasicsstore) on Jul 5, 2017 at 12:13am PDT

How did you choose which designers to feature in the shop?

Most of them are friends and acquaintances of mine, but I also reach out to brands I admire on Instagram. Some say yes and come on board, which is the best.

Is it important that all your designers are women?

It isn't actually - but they all are and I love that so much. Every brand that is a part of the store has been created by incredibly clever, hard working girls and women. As a result, The Basics Store has become a kind of incubator for independent brands, with women running them and that carries a very powerful message in itself. It's a sign of the times; women are taking leaps. Through collective work we are building authentic businesses and bringing a new-age wave of feminism.

Getting back to basics / Appear Here

How important has social media been for the project?

It has been pivotal and it would be naive to think anything like this can be built without it being one of the most important things to consider. The beauty of this is that what you create has to be thoughtful, well curated/presented and show that you care about the store and the designers in it. Our following for @TheBasicsStore is growing so rapidly, which I am so happy to see, because it shows that people want this kind of product in their lives and appreciate the aesthetic.They aspire to support independent brands.

I am very thankful for social media, when it is used in such a positive way.

What pieces do you have your eye on in the new shop?

Honestly, everything. I wouldn't have something I wouldn't want in my home. I am slightly obsessed with Kana London's F*CK ceramics collection though - they are exactly what the store is about. A bit basic, but with a good sense of humour.

For effortless everyday essentials / Appear Here

Which other independent design shops do you like in London?

I do love Goodhood and Labour and Wait in Shoreditch, Momosan in Hackney and our friends at Modern Society. They all offer something that is special and unique both in terms of product and experience.

Tell us a bit about your solo project, MARINA London

MARINA London is my answer to dressing effortlessly, whilst wearing luxury silk pieces. I design for women who look for wardrobe staples in silk and are in search for classics. I am not trying to re-invent the wheel. Our woman is confident, she is an optimist and she looks for the good in people. She is not obsessed with fashion, she cares for other things and dressing is a simple pleasure.

How did you get into silk design?

I studied fashion at Central Saint Martins and found a love for Crepe de Chine silk - that inspired me to start my own brand in 2011.

'Every brand that is a part of the store has been created by incredibly clever, hard working girls and women' / Appear Here

Where do you seek inspiration?

I always look to girls on the street and try to imagine them wearing things that I have in my head. I think: "Would this be flattering on them? Would they feel good about themselves in it? Is she going to feel powerful/sexy/demure/self-conscious in it?"

Also, I love movies and women in movies - that is a big source of inspiration for me.

Which of your silk pieces could you not live without?

The DREE dress in every colour (see below), the MAN REPELLER jumpsuit in navy and my red INES jumpsuit.

A post shared by MARINA London (@marinalondon) on Mar 28, 2017 at 1:27am PDT

How do you balance all your different babies  Leo, MARINA London and The Basics Store?

Leo, my son, is always number one, but it really isn't easy doing all three. The most difficult thing being answering emails - it is almost impossible most days! I wouldn't be able to do it at all without my incredibly dedicated and hardworking studio manager, Ellen and my family.

Designer and mother: Marina Guergova / Appear Here

Describe a day in the life of Marina

Currently, I wake up at about 6 or 7am, and get Leo and myself ready for the day. I love breakfast, so I go big on that. My amazing mum is over from Bulgaria to help me during the day, when I have to work at The Basics Store. My mother-in-law is also a great support - she comes and spends time with him too. To me, it's important to have family around Leo as much as possible, so that he gets close to them as opposed to a nanny.

We open at 10am and there is always something to do. If I have meetings, I love to invite people over and have them in store, as it's such a nice atmosphere. I try to do some social media when possible. I am always on the hunt for new brands that I screengrab and earmark to get in touch with in the future. I'm replenishing stock, putting on prices and making sure the shop is always looking as neat as possible.

We close at 7pm, when I drive home for dinner with my windows down, listening to music in my car. We put Leo to bed and then I try to answer emails during the only quiet time in my day. I go to bed way too late and then the day starts again.

The Basics Store will be at 79-81 Ledbury Road, London, W11 2AG until July 23; thebasicsstore.com. Follow it on Instagram @thebasicsstore
H alf of all women who had abortions last year had been using contraception to avoid falling pregnant, a charity has revealed.

New figures released by the British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS) showed that 31,000 women who sought terminations were using at least one form of birth control, while 14,600 of those were using either hormonal contraception (such as pills, patches or rings) or more long acting reversible methods like injections, implants, IUD and IUS.

Although these methods are considered to be some of the most successful for preventing unplanned pregnancies, there is no form of contraception that is 100 per cent effective. Despite this, BPAS says public discussion surrounding birth control along with initiatives from some family planning units do imply abortion can be avoided entirely by using contraception.

Oral contraceptives are considered the most popular method in the UK; however nine women out of 100 who use the pill will become pregnant every year. Likewise, six in every 100 women using the contraceptive injection, and almost one in every 100 who have an IUD will also fall pregnant.

Within the report, BPAS found failing contraception to be a major reason behind the number of later abortions performed at 20 weeks (24 weeks is the legal limit).

Statistics reveal that today, over 80 per cent of abortions are provided within the initial 10 week gestation period - a number that has risen from 67 per cent since 2005. However, the amount of terminations performed at 20 weeks has seen little change.

The BPAS report Why women present for abortions after 20 weeks suggests the majority of women surveyed were not aware they were pregnant until a later date. This result is a combination of not anticipating pregnancy, due to using contraception, and irregular or light periods that can often be mistaken for sub-fertility as opposed to pregnancy.

One woman who spoke to BPAS about her experience revealed she fell pregnant despite using both oral contraception and condoms.

While LARCs (long-acting reversible contraceptive methods) are considered to have very low failure rates, pregnancy can occur if inserted incorrectly, or if the contraception has moved or even fallen out.

According to BPAS, "much of the discussion about later abortions ignores the realities of womens lives."

Family Planning 2020 takes place next week with policymakers, healthcare professionals and advocates meeting in London. The international summit will discuss how all women, no matter where they live, should have access to life-saving contraceptives. This principle will enable women to protect their health and make their own decisions regarding starting a family.

With several women using contraception and still falling pregnant, its clear that the reasons behind abortion at any stage are incredibly complex. The answer to unsafe abortion is not contraception, it is safe abortion, says Ann Furedi, BPAS chief executive. Family planning is contraception and abortion. Abortion is birth control that women need when their regular methods let them down.
M illions of people will descend on the Spanish city of Pamplona this week as the annual Running of the Bulls festival brings parties drinking, dancing and singing to its streets.

The world famous festival, which is also known as San Fermin, drew in a record 1.5 million visitors last year, keen to participate or be spectator to the main event - the bloody and controversial bull run.

But this years fiesta in the northern Spanish region of Navarre has been marred with protests and violence - with animal rights activists arguing that the event is cruel and unnecessary.

The sprint, which typically attracts 2,000 runners, has come under fire for its treatment of the bulls - which have been reared specifically for the event.

Heres everything you need to know about this years event, and the tradition behind it.

What happens during the running of the bulls festival?

Each year, the first day of the festival is marked with Riau, which is a big gathering where people dance, sing, drink and hear the mayor speak.

The opening of the festival also brings the world famous race in which six bulls charge and chase crowds through Pamplonas narrow, cobbled streets.

Runners dash along with the bulls down a 930-yard course from a holding pen to the citys ancient bull ring.

San Fermin Pamplona Festival 2017 - In pictures 1 /34 San Fermin Pamplona Festival 2017 - In pictures Runners sprint ahead of bulls during the first running of the bulls at the San Fermin festival in Pamplona, northern Spain REUTERS Revelers celebrate the traditional firing of the 'Txupinazo' from the City Hall's balcony which marks the beginning of the Festival of San Fermin 2017, EPA Two revelers douse themselves with wine as they celebrate the 'Chupinazo' (start rocket) to mark the kickoff at noon sharp of the San Fermin Festival, in front of the Town Hall of Pamplona, northern Spain AFP/Getty Images A participant is tossed by a Cebada Gago fighting bull on the first day of the San Fermin bull run festival in Pamplona, northern Spain AFP/Getty Images Revelers run in front of Cebada Gago fighting bulls during the first running of the bulls at the San Fermin Festival, in Pamplona, northern Spain AP The "Pamplonesa" municipal music band performs during the launch of the 'Chupinazo' (start rocket) to mark the kickoff at noon sharp of the San Fermin Festival AFP/Getty Images Samantha Kane Gale, an American who lives in Paris and has been attending the Fiesta de San Fermin ten times, has sangria poured on her as the Festival of San Fermin 2017 begins in Pamplona, Spain EPA Revelers run in front of Cebada Gago fighting bulls during the first running of the bulls at the San Fermin Festival, in Pamplona, northern Spain AP Runners sprint ahead of bulls during the first running of the bulls at the San Fermin festival in Pamplona, northern Spain REUTERS Cebada Gago's fighting bulls jump over a runner on the first day of the San Fermin bull run festival in Pamplona, northern Spain AFP/Getty Images Revelers enjoy the atmosphere during the opening day or 'Chupinazo' of the San Fermin Running of the Bulls fiesta Getty Images Runners sprint ahead of bulls during the first running of the bulls at the San Fermin festival in Pamplona, northern Spain REUTERS A reveler jumps from a fountain at Navarreria Street as people enjoy the atmosphere during the opening day or 'Chupinazo' of the San Fermin Running of the Bulls fiesta Getty Images A reveler jumps from a fountain at the Plaza de Navarreria during the start of the San Fermin festival in Pamplona, northern Spain REUTERS Revelers hold up traditional red scarves during the start of the San Fermin festival in Pamplona, northern Spain REUTERS Two revellers kiss after the launch of the 'Chupinazo' (start rocket) to mark the kickoff at noon sharp of the San Fermin Festival, in front of the Town Hall of Pamplona, northern Spain AFP/Getty Images Revelers celebrate the traditional firing of a firecracker, or 'Txupinazo', from the City Hall's balcony which marks the beginning of the Festival of San Fermin 2017 EPA Participants hold red scarves as they celebrate the 'Chupinazo' (start rocket) to mark the kickoff at noon sharp of the San Fermin Festival AFP/Getty Images Revelers enjoy the atmosphere during the opening day or 'Chupinazo' of the San Fermin Running of the Bulls fiesta Getty Images Thousands of revellers pack the plaza at the town hall as the Festival of San Fermin 2017 begins in Pamplona, Spain EPA Revelers enjoy the atmosphere during the opening day or 'Chupinazo' of the San Fermin Running of the Bulls fiesta Getty Images Musicians (C) perform moments after the traditional 'Txupinazo' rocket fire which marks the beginning of the Festival of San Fermin 2017 EPA Revelers wait for the traditional firing of a firecracker, or 'Txupinazo', to be launched at noon from the City Hall's balcony and which will mark the beginning of the Festival of San Fermin 2017 EPA Revelers party after the launching of the 'Chupinazo' rocket, to celebrate the official opening of the 2017 San Fermin Fiestas in Pamplona, Spain AP Revelers wait for the traditional firing of a firecracker, or 'Txupinazo', to be launched at noon from the City Hall's balcony and which will mark the beginning of the Festival of San Fermin 2017 EPA Revelers celebrate the traditional firing of the 'Txupinazo' from the City Hall's balcony which marks the beginning of the Festival of San Fermin 2017, EPA

More than 2,000 young men, usually dressed in traditional white shirts and red belts, take on the challenge of outrunning the bulls - although there are usually several casualties each year.

This year, three men were gored by the bulls during the opening of the festival. One of the men was caught by a bulls horns in the thorax, and one in the scrotum, the Red Cross said.

The adrenaline-fuelled day ends with a closing ritual, in which the bulls are fought and killed by some of Spains most famous toreros (bullfighters) in the ring, in front of a huge crowd.

REUTERS

This years animals were from cattle breeder Cebada Gago in Andalucia, renowned for rearing dangerous bulls responsible for the most injuries in the history of the week-long San Fermin festival.

During the next eight days, a huge fiesta happens in the streets of Pamplona. Locals and visitors mix in the city's streets for impromptu parties with plenty of drinking, dancing and revelry.

EPA

What is the tradition behind it?

The bull run has taken place in Spain, each year, for centuries.

Spanish tradition says that the true origin of the event began in northeastern Spain during the early 14th century.

As legend has it, men transporting their cattle to the market would speed up the process by exciting or taunting the animals to make them run faster.

After years of practice, the unusual method of transportation became a competition between the rearers, with young adults attempting to race in front of the bulls and make it to the safety of their pens before the bulls could gore them.

AP

Since record-keeping began in 1924, 15 people have died from gorings at the festival.

The wider festival of San Fermin has its roots in religion, and is celebrated to remember the name of Saint Fermin - the co-patron of Navarre.

Why is there controversy this year?

The first day of this years festival was stormed by topless campaigners wearing horns and smeared in fake blood, in protest against the annual bull runs.

AnimaNaturalis and Peta campaigners broke mock banderillas containing red powder above their heads, filling the air with red dust to symbolise the bloodshed during the festival.

For many years, animal rights activists have called for a San Fermin without blood and the abolition of bullfighting.

Peta activists fill a Pamplona square in protest at bullfighting / PETA

During the protest, Aida Gascon, a campaigner for AnimaNaturalis said: 'From tomorrow in this city, more than 50 bulls will be tortured to death.'

'They will be persecuted and led by a crowd to the bullring, the plaza of shame and the last minutes of their lives will be full of suffering and torture.'

'We know that we will not be able to stop these deaths but we will continue here so that those deaths do not go unnoticed,' she said, calling on Pamplona to show 'courage, justice, solidarity and empathy.'

Last year, the annual festival was also marred by reports of sexual violence, when police arrested 16 men in relation to rape and sexual assault accusations.

To combat increasing speculation over the event, police have introduced new safety measures to keep festival-goers safe. This year will see 3,400 police officers patrolling the streets and a team monitoring 1,000 CCTV cameras from a control centre.

The local council has also launched a website to provide information on attacks and arrests in the hope of encouraging people to report crimes as they happen.
C ounter-terrorism police are investigating after handwritten death threats were sent to at least three London mosques.

Police have launched a probe into the menacing letters, one of which contained white powder and was sent to a Muslim primary school.

Another threatened an attack which would "cleanse" London.

The notes were sent by post to the Forest Gate mosque, the Coventry Cross mosque in Bromley-by-Bow and the Ramadan mosque in Dalston.

They all feature similar handwriting with a postmark from Sheffield, suggesting they were written by the same person.

Erkin Guney, 52, leader of the Ramadan mosque said he feared an imminent attack after opening the letter which warned: I am coming to your Mosque in August to make you vermin pay.

This letter was sent to Coventry Cross mosque

He said: I was in total shock, it was a very clear threat. Now we worry that Muslim men, women and children could be plowed into and thrown in the air by a lorry driving into them or anything, its terrifying.

Its clear these people are programmed for hate. We now feel constantly under threat.

The mosque on Shacklewell Lane is only a few miles from the Muslim Welfare House in Finsbury Park where a van ploughed into a group of Muslims observing Ramadan last month. One man, Makram Ali, died at the scene.

Me Guney lives on the Mosque site with his daughter and runs a string of community groups which meet there. The Mosque has recently undergone a 125,000 revamp.

This letter was sent to Shacklewell Lane mosque

His sister Zerin said: We are living in fear, we dont know if they are going to throw a bomb through the window.

The door used to be open all the time for everyone but with the threat we have to be on alert all the time.

Forest Gate Mosque in Romford Road, east London, which doubles as a primary school, was also targeted by a similar letter which arrived on Wednesday signed with the initials M and S.

The note contained white powder with the message: An explosive device is to be left at your mosque very soon.

Forest Gate mosque also received a death threat in the post

Children were locked inside their classrooms as forensic officers conducted a search.

Tahir Talati, the imam, said: The nature of the threat means we have to take it very seriously.

Because we are a primary school we have to do everything we can to safeguard our pupils so we will be taking it very seriously.

But in Newham we have the most diverse community in the country and we are not going to allow this to divide us.

Primary school manager Shah Muhammed, who opened the letter, added: The world has gone crazy, it was a white powder posted from Sheffield. There were kids around in the day, it is dangerous to do this to scare them.

They were kept in their classes and didnt realise something happened until they saw the police when their parents came to pick them up. The person who did this needs to be found quickly.

It is understood a similar threatening note was posted to Coventry Cross mosque in Tower Hamlets, reading: I will be visiting your mosque and home very soon."

A spokeswoman for the North-East Counter-terrorism Unit confirmed said: Specialist officers attended these addresses and the contents of the packages were examined. In all cases, the substances were found not to be noxious or harmful.

These incidents are now subject to an investigation coordinated by the north east counter terrorism unit with ongoing enquiries to identify the origin.

We are looking into the possibility that the communications are linked to a number of suspicious packages and malicious communications reported at locations in London, south Yorkshire and America and are part of an ongoing investigation.
D etectives were today investigating the theft of up to 3 million worth of jewellery from an art and antiques fair in Chelsea.

Thieves stole the gems from a stand at the Masterpiece art fair, which is monitored by round-the-clock security teams.

One theory is that the crime involved professional thieves who used distraction techniques. A worker at the event likened it to the Pink Panther jewel theft films.

The fair boasts of being a leading international event for viewing and buying the finest works of art. Among the 44,000 visitors at this years event in the grounds of the Royal Hospital Chelsea were Kirstie Allsopp and Andrew Lloyd Webber.

Items on sale included a one-off 1968 Riva Lamborghini for just under 2 million and a light installation by the Chilean artist Ivan Navarro for 700,000.

The thieves are thought to have struck overnight this week, stealing items from the stand of the Switzerland-based jewellers Boghossian.

Police are examining CCTV footage but there were reportedly no witnesses to the theft, which took place between 5pm on Tuesday and 9.30am on Wednesday.

A source at the fair said the exhibition had been protected by security guards and that organisers were working with police. Workers there said they were amazed by the audacity of the theft.

One said: There were security [staff] everywhere. It was not the normal hospital security  these were all suited and booted and really meant business. I am very surprised this has happened. Its like the Pink Panther films or something.

The movies starred Peter Sellers as the bumbling Inspector Clouseau, in pursuit of a stolen jewel known as the Pink Panther, and featured the animated Pink Panther character in their credits.

Another worker said: There were loads of guys in suits protecting the exhibition. I am amazed. The fair was held in a tented structure in the hospital grounds. The artworks were today being removed from the site following the end of the exhibition.

Last month, an article in magazine The Jewellery Editor described how Boghossian lights up Masterpiece London 2017 with a dazzling array of jewels.

No one was available to comment from the company, which is based in Geneva but opened a store in Bond Street in 2013.

Masterpiece said it was fully co-operating with the police, adding: We take the security of the fair and the objects exhibited very seriously.
A man has been arrested at a Liverpool airport in connection with the Manchester Arena terror attack.

A 19-year-old man was detained on suspicion of Terror Offences at John Lennon Airport on Friday, Greater Manchester Police said.

He is currently being held by at a police station.

A property on Thelwall Avenue in Fallowfield is being searched as part of the investigation.

Detectives said, so far, 23 people have been arrested in connection with the attack on May 22, of which two were quickly de-arrested, and 20 were released without charge.

Manchester Arena explosion 1 /18 Manchester Arena explosion PA PA PA PA PA PA PA PA PA PA PA PA PA PA

Anti-terror officers have already said police suspect suicide bomber Salman Abedi did not act alone and detectives want to speak to his brother in Libya.

Detective Chief Superintendent Russ Jackson, head of the North West Counter Terrorism Unit (NWCTU), said on Thursday that while detectives do not now think Abedi was part of a large network, they do suspect the involvement of others in the attack which had been planned for months.

He said officers were "engaged" with the authorities in war-torn Libya where Abedi's brother, Hashem, is currently being held.

Mr Jackson said: "We don't have evidence of a large network. We do however suspect others were either aware or complicit in the knowledge of this attack."

He did not rule out further arrests.

Abedi killed 22 people, including children, when he detonated a bomb in the foyer of Manchester Arena at the end of an Ariane Grande.
A murder probe has been launched after a woman was found dead with head injuries at a house in Mitcham.

Police raced to the property in Edgehill Road at about 10.45pm on Thursday following reports of a disturbance.

The 63-year-old woman was found with head injuries and pronounced dead at the scene.

Scotland Yard said murder detectives arrested a 20-year-old man who was known to the victim close to the scene.

He remains in custody at a south London police station.

Formal identification and a post-mortem examination will take place in due course.

Next of kin have been informed.

Detectives from the Homicide and Major Crime Command are investigating.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the incident room on 020 8721 4961.
Three US officials said that the United States and Russia have reached an agreement to declare a ceasefire in southwest Syria. The development came as US President Trump met Russian counterpart Putin at the G20 Summit in Germany.

By AP: The United States and Russia have reached agreement on a ceasefire in southwest Syria, three US officials said Friday as President Donald Trump held his first meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The deal marks a new level of involvement for the US in trying to resolve Syria's civil war. Although details about the agreement and how it will be implemented weren't immediately available, the ceasefire is set to take effect Sunday at noon Damascus time, said the officials, who weren't authorized to discuss the ceasefire publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

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Jordan and Israel also are part of the agreement, one of the officials said. The two US allies both share a border with the southern part of Syria and have been concerned about violence from Syria's civil war spilling over the border.

The deal is separate from "de-escalation zones" that were to be created under a deal brokered by Russia, Turkey and Iran earlier this year. The US was not a part of that deal. Follow-up talks this week in Kazakhstan to finalize a ceasefire in those zones failed to reach agreement.

The US and Russia have been backing opposing sides in Syria's war, with Moscow supporting Syrian President Bashar Assad and Washington supporting rebels who have been fighting Assad. Both the US and Russia oppose the Islamic State group in Syria.

The US has been wary of letting Iran gain influence in Syria - a concern shared by Israel and Jordan, neither of which wants Iranian-aligned troops amassing near their territories. A US-brokered deal could help the Trump administration retain more of a say over who fills the power vacuum left behind as the Islamic State is routed from additional territory in Syria.

Though US and Russian officials had been discussing a potential deal for some time, it didn't reach fruition until the run-up to Trump's meeting with Putin on the sidelines of the Group of 20 economic summit in Germany, officials said.

Before Trump's meeting with Putin - his first with the Russian leader - Secretary of State Rex Tillerson signaled that Syria's civil war would be high on the agenda. Tillerson said in a statement before departing for Germany for the meeting that the US remained open to cooperating with Russia through "joint mechanisms" to lower violence in Syria, potentially including no-fly zones.

"If our two countries work together to establish stability on the ground, it will lay a foundation for progress on the settlement of Syria's political future," Tillerson said on Wednesday.

Moscow reacted angrily when the US downed a Syrian jet last week after it dropped bombs near the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces conducting operations against the Islamic State group. Russia warned its military would track aircraft from the US-led coalition as potential targets over Syria and suspended a hotline intended to avoid midair incidents.

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ALSO READ | Syria: Who is fighting whom

ALSO READ | US says Syria seems to be planning another chemical attack, warns Bashar al-Assad of heavy price

ALSO WATCH | US launches Tomahawk cruise missiles at Syria airbase in retaliation to chemical gas attack

--- ENDS ---
A manhunt for the acid attacker who left two Muslims with horrific injuries in east London continues as detectives release a new image of the suspect.

Resham Khan and Jameel Muhktar, 37, were attacked by a man who threw acid through their car window on Ms Khan's 21st birthday in Beckton.

Both Mr Muhktar and his cousin, an aspiring model, were left with life-changing injuries in the attack that police are treating as a hate crime.

John Tomlin is the suspected attacker still at large, and police have now released a new image of his whereabouts after the incident on June 21.

Scarring: The acid was thrown across her face and body / GoFundMe

Fresh CCTV of the 24-year-old in a Romford shop on Monday shows a distinctive tattoo on the suspect's hand.

Police have warned the public not to approach Tomlin, but to call 999 immediately if he is seen.

The new appeal comes after Mr Muhktar spoke out for the first time since the ordeal, telling Channel 4 he believes he and his cousin were targeted because they are Muslims.

An assault just before the horrific attack may have involved Mr Muhktar and two men, Scotland Yard have now said.

Hunt: Police are looking for John Tomlin in connection with the attack / Met Police

But a spokesman for the Met added: While this remains a hate crime inquiry, we are still examining a number of different strands regarding the motive.

We appeal to anyone with any information about this horrendous crime, or the events leading up to it, to contact police."

Tomlin is a white man, around 6ft, of stocky build with short fair hair and distinctive tattoos of tear drops on his face.

Tomlin: The suspect's distinctive hand tattoo

He is known to frequent the Canning Town area and has now been spotted in Romford, both in east London.

Officers believe the victims were in a parked car when the corrosive substance was thrown over them.

The car made off as the suspect pursued it on foot before it crashed into a fence and the suspect fled shortly before 9.15pm.

Anyone with detail of John Tomlin's whereabouts is asked to contact police via 101, or via Twitter @MetCC. To give information anonymously call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or visit crimestoppers-uk.org.


A 5,000 reward has been offered in the hunt for a man who robbed a 92-year-old pensioner leaving her with horrific injuries.

Sanchez Edwards, a paranoid schizophrenic, was last seen in east London days after he allegedly attacked the elderly woman to steal her handbag  leaving her with broken bones and bruises.

The 28-year-old was spotted at Bethnal Green Underground Station on Monday afternoon and then on Thursday evening, and uses public transport in east London frequently.

It comes after police released footage of the robbery before revealing pictures of the serious injuries the pensioner suffered allegedly at the hands of Edwards.

Shocking footage shows a man dragging the woman along the ground in Hoxton Street, in Hackney, during the violent robbery at about 2.40pm on June 27.

Dangerous: Sanchez Edwards, 28

Edwards absconded from a medium-security mental health unit in the same borough last week. Officers have advised the public do not approach him, but to call 999 if he is seen.

The multi-thousand-pound reward will only be available if information provided to the anonymous line Crimestoppers leads to his arrest.

Edwards is described as a dark skinned black man, 5'09, with short black hair, of medium build and a black beard.

He visits Stratford, Ilford, Bethnal Green as well as gravitating back to Hackney on a regular basis, the Met has said.

Edwards was spotted twice at Bethnal Green Underground Station / Metropolitan Police

The appeal for information on the potentially dangerous absconder featured on BBC1's Crimewatch Roadshow today, Friday 7 July appealing for information.

Detective Inspector Paul Ridley, who is leading the investigation by Hackney CID, said:"I have approached Crimestoppers for an enhanced reward of 5,000 for information leading to his arrest to provide an even greater incentive for the public, if one was needed, to inform us exactly where he is.

"All week I have had officers conducting street searches, stopping buses and trawling transport hubs, however we have a vast area to cover and Edwards is extremely transient".

"I can assure you, we will act on any information received. Call 999, tell the operator you think you have sighted the high risk violent Hackney robber and we will respond immediately.

Information be reported completely anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or via their online form at crimestoppers-uk.org.
T his is the terrifying moment a masked thug lunges at a driver in a parked car with a large knife in east London.

The 20-year-old victim had parked up his black Ford car in the Isle of Dogs on Wednesday night when he was approached by three men on bicycles who allegedly smashed one of the vehicle's windows.

One of the men, who wore a white T-shirt, shorts and a balaclava, repeatedly tried to stab him from behind before fleeing the scene.

Video shows the man approach the vehicle in Cuba Street before lunging at the driver several times with the blade at about 9pm.

Isle of Dogs: The horrifying moment a masked knifeman lunges at a young driver in parked car

The victim received minor cuts to his hand and arm, while the passenger in the car, also 20, suffered a scratch to his arm, police said.

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: Detectives in Tower Hamlets are investigating an attempted GBH in Cuba Street, the Isle of Dogs at about 9pm on Wednesday, July 5.

The injuries are not life-changing or threatening. Enquiries continue.

No arrests have been made.
T he mother of Charlie Gard has accused Great Ormond Street Hospital bosses of holding secret meetings about turning off his life support.

Connie Yates said she and Charlie's father Chris should be involved in the meetings when doctors are discussing the 11-month-olds future.

She told Good Morning Britain: "Its really, really hard. I think we're the most stressed people in the world right now. Our sons life is on the line. Were living on a knife edge.

"We dont know whats going on in the background. The meetings had, were not involved in. Its about our son and I think we should be involved.

Connie Yates on Good Morning Britain / ITV

"A lot of the people in them dont know or spend time with my son. Were there all the time and know him."

It comes following a reported offer from the Pope to give the terminally-ill baby a Vatican passport so he can be flown to Italy for treatment.

Meanwhile US doctors have offered to ship an experimental drug to the UK in a desperate last ditch bid to keep Charlie alive.

Ms Yates, 31, and Mr Gard, 32, from Bedfont, west London, were meeting Great Ormond Street bosses today in the hope they will postpone switching off his life support.

Parents Connie Yates and Chris Gard with Charlie / PA

Ms Yates also revealed that she believes there is new evidence experimental drugs could save Charlie's life.

She said five doctors from around the world, including two in the UK, believe he has a ten per cent chance of improving his condition if he takes the new drug.

Ms Yates said: "Ive heard from the doctors theres around a 10 per cent chance of this working for Charlie. I think thats a good enough chance to take.

"Its a one in 10 chance. Some may say thats a small chance. When it comes to medicine thats quite a big chance. You still try, everybody wants to live.

"I dont understand it. Euthanasia is illegal, suicide is illegal, how is this legal? I just want two to three months, we will know if it works by then."

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She said that her family are going through absolute living hell, adding: "You cant even put it into words how horrible it is. Hes our own flesh and blood and we dont have a say in his life."

She said: "There is potential for him to be a completely normal boy but we dont know, you just dont know until you try.

Charlie, who suffers from a rare mitochondrial condition and has severe brain damage, has been at the centre of a lengthy legal battle against doctors at GOSH to allow him to continue treatment.

His parents want to take him to the US for life-saving treatment but judges ruled it could cause him more distress.

Explained: the Charlie Gard case

However Ms Yates said the intervention of the Pope and US President Donald Trump this week has given them further belief that they can save Charlie.

Joined by friend Maria as Mr Gard was at Charlie's bedside, she said: "It does give us hope definitely. There was no hope left anymore. Charlie was going to die on Friday. We were absolutely devastated that we had no control over it.

"Then it was going to be on the Monday instead. Then the White House got involved over the weekend and that changed things."

Meanwhile sources told the Sun on Thursday that giving the 11-month-old Vatican citizenship may mean the court rulings are overcome.

People gather in support of continued medical treatment for Charlie Gard / AFP/Getty Images

A source highly placed in the Vatican said: It would be unprecedented if citizenship was granted to Charlie, but it is being investigated.

Legal parameters are preventing him from being moved and treated overseas. If that can be overcome, then so be it.

Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, added: We are doing whatever we can.

Charlie's parents have been spending the last days of his life with him after judges ruled his life support should be switched off.

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Doctors at GOSH have said he is in "continued pain, suffering and distress" and that the treatment in the US would "continue to cause significant harm" but with no real benefit.

They added that he should be allowed to "die with dignity".

A spokesperson for Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust said: All of us at Great Ormond Street Hospital care deeply about Charlie and his family, as we have done for our patients and their families over the generations.

"We would never breach our commitment to any patient's confidentiality, under any circumstances. So we can't discuss this very sensitive matter in public."
A personal assistant at a property investment firm who was harassed and discriminated against by her boss after being diagnosed with breast cancer has won almost 50,000 in compensation.

Eimear Coghlan, 34, was initially treated with sympathy and concern by Poonam Dhawan-Leach, chief executive of The Hideaways Club in Kensington, after learning she had an aggressive form of the disease in December 2014.

She had been Mrs Dhawan-Leachs assistant for more than a year, enjoying an amicable relationship, Central London employment tribunal heard.

However, relations began to fray as Ms Coghlan needed to go for medical appointments.

Mrs Dhawan-Leach said she had not done a single days work in three months since her diagnosis.

Former boss: Poonam Dhawan-Leach

Ms Coghlan had been given flexible working conditions, including being able to work from home if she felt ill, but they were ended, the tribunal heard.

She was told to produce letters from her doctors confirming she was well enough to work, and had to take at least half a day of sick leave, on reduced pay, if she had a medical appointment.

The Hideaways Club fought the claims, arguing it had treated Ms Coghlan fairly and made decisions in the interest of her welfare.

But Judge David Pearl ruled that Ms Coghlan, who resigned in September 2015, had suffered disability discrimination, harassment and injury to feelings, awarding her 47,700.

Damages: Ms Coghlan was awarded 47k

Claims of direct discrimination, constructive dismissal and victimisation, were dismissed.

The judge said Mrs Dhawan-Leach was a very demanding manager and emails sent to the firms HR consultants revealed the decline of her relationship with Ms Coghlan.

She had at first been sympathetic in discussing flexible working conditions but later complained about Ms Coghlans productivity.

In one email, Mrs Dhawan-Leach said she was unwilling to compromise everything just so I can be kind and sensitive to one individual who is very unfortunately going through an extremely difficult personal health situation.

One of Ms Coghlans colleagues described her treatment as hostile, spiteful and aggressive, while she wrote in a note to herself: I just want to work, why wont they simply let me work? Im feeling so discriminated against, it is difficult to put into words how I feel.

Matters came to a head in April 2015, three days before Ms Coghlan was due to have surgery, when Mrs Dhawan-Leach emailed her saying she had refused to take sick leave and had to be treated normally, but that she was unfit to work.

Ms Coghlan told the tribunal she left the office sobbing, before being signed off with stress.

She wrote about her experience of cancer on the website Ahead With Style and now runs a language school in Italy.

Judge Pearl found that demands for medical letters violated her dignity and that the rule on taking sick leave for medical appointments was irrational.
A senior minister today called for Londons world-famous Notting Hill Carnival to be moved in the wake of the Grenfell Tower blaze.

Minister for London Greg Hands asked if it was appropriate for thousands of revellers to enjoy the annual celebration in the shadow of such a tragedy.

But Londons mayor, Sadiq Khan, rejected the call, saying the carnival belonged on the streets of its Notting Hill birthplace.

He also warned it would be a mistake to risk damaging community relations.

The letter sent to City Hall by Greg Hands

Some two million people are expected to converge on the 51st annual street festival of dancing, music and colourful floats, which has become Europes biggest event of its kind.

But there has been a long-running campaign by some West London residents and businesses for it to be moved to a park to reduce disruption to locals.

In a letter to the Mayor, Mr Hands, the MP for Chelsea & Fulham, urged him to consider moving it given the recent tragic events in the area.

He said: The carnival is an important and symbolic celebration in our capitals calendar, and one greatly valued and enjoyed by both Londoners and visitors alike. Clearly it must go ahead.

The carnival is held just streets away from Grenfell Tower (Rick Findler/PA ) / Rick Findler/PA

However, we have to ask ourselves if it is appropriate to stage a carnival in the near proximity of a major national disaster.

Mr Khan hit back that the event was a firm London tradition and any attempt to move it would be a mistake given the public mood after the fire.

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It was born out of the African-Caribbean immigrant community in North Kensington and Notting Hill in the 1950s, and its only right that this remains its home, said the Mayors spokesman.

Any attempt to impose a move to another location on the carnival, particularly at a time when the community is mistrustful of many those in positions of authority, would be a mistake.

He said City Hall, local boroughs and the police were all working to make the event safe and successful.

Former Kensington MP Victoria Borwick campaigned for the carnival to be moved following what she called a year on year increase in violence.

Thousands of people are set to descend on London for the festival in August / AFP/Getty

Four people were stabbed and 45 police officers injured in violence at last years carnival, where more than 450 were arrested.

Last month a carnival founder promised this years event would go ahead to brighten the gloom hanging over London in the wake of the Grenfell Tower disaster and terror attacks.

Sonny Blacks, who served on the original carnival committee in 1968 said: Undoubtedly it will go ahead. It will brighten up the whole gloom that is over London, and we need that.

People are distressed to talk about it in full, and our thoughts are not there yet. But time is going to be running, and we hope everything will go well. Weve got to be positive.
T he first Lord Mayor to lead Londons Pride parade today said the event was a chance for the capital to unite after recent tragedies.

The Lord Mayor of Westminster, Ian Adams, 50, and his husband, architect Christopher Colosimo, will be among the group leading tens of thousands of people on the annual march in central London tomorrow.

Mr Adams said he hoped the festivities, expected to attract more than a million people, would be a chance for people across faiths, cultures and different sexual orientations to come together to show unity after a very difficult time in certain communities and places in London recently.

Last months terror attacks at London Bridge and Finsbury Park and the Grenfell Tower disaster, which killed at least 80, have tested the resolve of the capital. They came after the terrorist atrocity at Westminster in March. Some 150 police officers and staff from the Met will take part in the parade, alongside the British Transport Police, the London Ambulance Service and the London Fire Brigade.

Tens of thousands of people are expected to march through central London during the parade / PA Archive/PA Images

Mr Adams urged people to join the festivities, saying: Saturday will be a hugely important day for everyone living in London to come together and celebrate that spirit of unity and togetherness we have. Its about broad communities coming together as one, and in a spirit of genuine celebration. This is about people uniting, beyond the LGBT community.

His words have echoed those of Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, whom he will walk beside on Saturday, who has said those taking part are the antidote to the sadness, the struggle and the grief.

Mr Adams said he also took pride in being able to lead the parade, 50 years on from the decriminalisation of homosexuality, hand in hand with his husband. They married in 2014 on the day same-sex marriage became legal, as the first same-sex Lord Mayor and Lord Mayor consort in Westminster.

Organisers have said this years parade promises to be the biggest ever, marching from Portland Place in Marylebone, through Soho, to Whitehall from 1pm to 4.30pm. For more details, visit prideinlondon.org

Islington, which has played a key role in LGBT+ history, is to create an archive of its heritage thanks to a 325,000 lottery grant. Islington Pride will commemorate the borough that hosted the first public UK gay rights protest in 1970, elected Chris Smith, the UKs first openly gay member of Parliament in 1984, and had the UKs first openly gay mayor, Robert Crossman, in 1986.
T he Mayor of London Sadiq Khan today praised Londoners for pulling together in adversity as he spoke at a memorial event to mark the 12th anniversary of the July 7 attacks.

Speaking at the 7/7 memorial in Hyde Park, he described the attack - the single worst terrorist atrocity on British soil - as barbaric.

But he said Londoners reaction to the atrocity had inspired the world - and this spirit had been evident again this year following the attacks in London Bridge, Westminster and Finsbury Park, as well as the tragedy of the Grenfell Tower fire.

He said: We will never forget those who lost their lives on 7/7 - and we honour them again today and they will always remain in our hearts.

The Mayor hailed Londoners for pulling together in adversity / PA

As well as grieving those we have lost, we also pay tribute to the heroic efforts of our emergency services and transport colleagues on that darkest of days.

The way our city stood together in the aftermath of the 7/7 attacks inspired the world. When Londoners face adversity, we always pull together.

'We must never forget': the note on the memorial / Jonathan Brady/PA

We stand up for our values and our way of life. And we have shown this again during the difficult times our city has faced in recent months following the horrific terrorist attacks in Westminster, Finsbury Park and London Bridge, and the Grenfell Tower fire.

The best way we can honour all those who tragically lost their lives is to ensure that we always stand together as a city, uphold our values and show the world that London will never be cowed by terrorism.

A wreath-laying ceremony took place to mark 12 years since the attack, when four co-ordinated suicide bombings across Londons transport network killed 52 people and injured over 700.
A London nightspot has been forced to cancel "urban" music events after 250 people allegedly tried to force their way into the venue as a rave descended into chaos.

Police ordered an emergency licensing review of The Coronet in Elephant and Castle after a fight broke out and missiles were thrown outside the venue in the early hours of Sunday.

The theatre turned music venue in New Kent Road was hosting a 2,500-strong rave with sets from up to 20 DJs playing hip-hop, house and bashment music.

At a meeting with Southwark Council and police on Thursday, the venue was told it could remain open ahead of a full licensing review at the end of July if it cancelled three upcoming events and banned any further nights promoted by two specific DJs.

Police officers lined the street as The Coronet music venue was evacuated in the early hours of Sunday / @fayebobbie

The Project X event, due to take place tonight was called off at the last minute following the meeting.

A statement posted by organisers on the events social media sites read: Due to a police incident that occurred last week at the Coronet, we have been informed at short notice by the police and the venue that Project X can no longer take place on July 7.

Police vans block the road outside The Coronet (@fayebobbie)

The venue has decided to no longer take on urban music events until further notice.

This is totally beyond our control, and as we were made aware at short notice, we were unable to relocate.

A Dancehall vs Soca foam party event due to take place on July 22 and a PJ and Lingerie Party scheduled for July 29 have also been called off.

The PJ and Lingerie Affair party, organised by Ice Promotions, would have hosted 20 DJs for up to 3,000 ticket holders.

Huge crowds: Hundreds of people reportedly descended on the venue / Tfl

Tickets for the two events, which were due to finish at 6am, still appear to be available on the venues website.

Events plugged by promoters DJ Dean and DJ Ice have also been banned from being held on the premises.

Footage posted on social media showed the venue being evacuated and police lining the street after crowds allegedly tried to force their way inside.

Organisers of the LIT London event said a small group of frustrated people who did not have tickets tried to force entry into the venue and that the night had to end early because of health and safety concerns.

In a statement posted on social media, the events organisers said: We sincerely apologise to the attendees who were unfortunately unable to gain entry to the venue.

This was due to circumstances beyond our control and the night had to end early. Sadly a very select few on the night acted in detriment to the masses."

Scotland Yard said police were called to premises on New Kent Road around 2am on Sunday after a large number of people tried to enter the venue.

A spokesman said: Officers, including the Territorial Support group, attended and discovered a large fight.

A 25-year-old man was treated at the scene by the London Ambulance Service.

Officers remained in the area until the crowd dispersed.

There have been no arrests and enquiries continue.

The Standard has approached The Coronet for comment.
A rtists and designers based at an old gas works today made a last-ditch plea to Sadiq Khan to stop their businesses from being turned into housing.

The site in Fulham is due to be demolished and replaced with more than 1,300 homes in towers up to 27 storeys high. Those affected include one of the Duchess of Cambridges favourite childrens clothing designers, a knitwear maker favoured by Kylie and Kendall Jenner, artists and a recording studio.

The Old Gas Works has hosted workshops, galleries and offices for more than 20 years since it was last used by British Gas. Two thirds of the business were ordered to leave four buildings in March, while about 300 more must vacate Cooper House by October 31.

The firms have appealed to the Mayor to step in when the application is ruled on by Hammersmith and Fulham council later this year. Writer Rob McGibbon, 52, said they want City Hall to negotiate a way for them to remain during the development and afterwards.

Freelance writer Rob McGibbon at The Gas Works, Fulham, who is protesting against the demolition and redevelopment of the site / Lucy Young

This is a last-ditch appeal to save this creative community and this area, he said. Its time to have original planning ambitions rather than just making endless blocks of luxury apartments.

He wants Mr Khan to designate the works as a Creative Enterprise Zone. If the development plan were to be approved by the council, Mr Khan could use veto powers to block it.We need that veto. They have already ripped the heart out of the place when people left in March, now they want the soul as well, said Mr McGibbon.

The creative firms want Sadiq Khan to step in / Bloomberg via Getty Images

One of the firms in Cooper House is Pepa and Co, whose childrens clothes are a favourite of the royals, with the Duchess of Cambridge choosing them for Prince George and Princess Charlotte. Pepa Gonzalez, 35, who started the business from her kitchen, said: This place has been amazing for me. The creative community has helped us grow. That is something we will lose.

Rob Bowerman also has a studio at the site / Lucy Young

Many fear they will be ruined by higher rents or have to leave London. Ekaterina Kukhareva, 31, who designs handmade knitwear that has been worn by Kylie and Kendall Jenner, said her loom is too loud for most shared offices: Looking at the prices for business rentals I will have to move out west.

Artist Tilo Kaiser, 52, said: The two listed buildings on the site could house 300 of us. Developer St William Homes LLP  a partnership between landowner National Grid and Berkeley Homes  is also behind the Imperial Wharf and Chelsea Creek schemes. The firms want Berkeley to ensure creative industries are given workspace in all major London developments.

Berkeley Group said: We looked at all options. Given the scale of construction works [and] the process to remove the gas holders and clean up ground contamination, there were no areas where it was safe or practical to keep people on site.

City Hall said the Mayor did not want to prejudge the planning decision and he would judge it on its merits once it has been referred to him by Hammersmith & Fulham council.
The head of the US government's ethics office, who has clashed frequently with President Donald Trump, has resigned.

By Indo-Asian News Service: Walter Shaub Jr., Director of the US Office of Government Ethics, announced his resignation following a rocky relationship with President Trump and repeated confrontations with the administration.

Shaub did not specify a reason for his resignation in a letter to President Trump, which he released on Twitter yesterday, the Los Angeles Times reported.

He, however, told the Washington Post he was not leaving under pressure.

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Shaub, appointed by former US President Barack Obama in 2013, had unsuccessfully pressed Trump to divest his business interests to avoid potential conflicts of interest, something Trump refused to do.

The ethics watchdog also engaged in a public battle with the White House over his demands for more information about former lobbyists and other appointees who had been granted waivers from ethics rules. After initially balking, the White House eventually released the requested information about the waivers.

CALL FOR HARSHER PUNISHMENT

Shaub called for a harsher punishment for presidential advisor Kellyanne Conway after she flouted ethics rules by publicly endorsing Ivanka Trump's clothing line during a television appearance.

In a separate statement, he said that his time working with the Trump administration made it "clear to (him) that we need improvements to the existing ethics program".

Shaub's resignation, effective July 19, comes nearly six months before his term expires in January. He will join the nonpartisan Campaign Legal Center as senior director for ethics.

In his letter of resignation to the President, Shaub said the office was "committed to protecting the principle that public service is a public trust", and employees must place loyalty to ethics over private gain.

Shaub had come under fire from Trump supporters for being politically motivated and some had called for his resignation.

ALSO READ:

All eyes on Trump-Putin dynamics as they meet for the first time at G20

G-20: Massive anti-Trump protests grip Germany, 76 injured in Hamburg

ALSO WATCH:

Ahead of PM Modi's US visit, Donald Trump may ease restrictions on H1-B visa issue

--- ENDS ---
B ritish shoppers are facing the worst butter and cream shortage since World War Two, farmers have warned.

Peder Tuborgh, chief executive of Arla, whose brands include Cravendale and Anchor, said there was insufficient milk being supplied by farmers to make the products.

He warned of a "desperate need" for butter and said Britain would face a big shortage at Christmas.

Farmers slowed their milk and cream production last year when prices crashed, which was a result of over-production, Mr Tuborgh said.

The National Farmers' Union described Mr Tuborgh's comments as "scaremongering."

One farmer, whose family have been in the dairy business for a century, told The Sun: This is the worst I can remember.

My dad started on the farm just after the Second World War and is worried it could be as bad as the shortages that led to rationing then.

Studies have shown a surge in cake-making since the broadcast of the Great British Bake Off and analysts say wholesale butter prices have soared by 88 per cent in the last year.

People are turning to dairy alternatives and the demand has even seen fast-food chain McDonalds switch to margarine.

Simon Clapp, of Brue Valley Farms, in Somerset, which produces butter for M&S, Waitrose and Aldi, also told the newspaper: Its getting pretty tough. Theres a shortage of cream from across Europe. Prices are high.

The shortage is set to peak at Christmas but he urged shoppers not to panic buy.

He added: The main problem is that you will be paying more.

A standard 250g block of butter now costs 1.49, while a year ago it was 1.35, according to the Office for National Statistics.
C harlie Gard may get a chance now his mother said after doctors at Great Ormond Street Hospital agreed to take his fight for life back to the courts in an 11th hour reprieve.

GOSH has applied to the High Court for a fresh hearing "in light of claims of new evidence relating to potential treatment for his condition".

Charlie's parents Connie Yates and Chris Gard, both in their 30s and from Bedfont, west London, want to take him to a hospital in the US.

However, the pair lost a lengthy legal battle after judges ruled in favour of doctors at GOSH, who argued the treatment would not improve the 11-month-old's quality of life.

Charlie Gard's life support was expected to be turned off following the initial ruling / PA

Charlie's case will be heard again by Mr Justice Francis on Monday at 2pm, according to a High Court listing.

Leaving Great Ormond Street on Friday evening, Charlie's mother, Connie Yates, told Sky News: "We're hopeful and confident that Charlie may get a chance now."

Charlie inherited the faulty RRM2B gene from his parents, affecting the cells responsible for energy production and respiration and leaving him unable to move or breathe without a ventilator. The therapy is not a cure.

GOSH describes experimental nucleoside therapies as "unjustified".

People gather in support of continued medical treatment for Charlie Gard / AFP/Getty Images

However, its decision comes after two international hospitals and their researchers contacted them "as late as the last 24 hours" to say they have "fresh evidence about their proposed experimental treatment".

Under the High Court ruling, GOSH is forbidden from allowing Charlie to be transferred for nucleoside therapy anywhere.

Charlie Gard's parents Connie Yates and Chris Gard / Gareth Fuller/PA

GOSH also point out that the ruling calls for Charlie's artificial ventilation to be withdrawn and he should receive palliative care only.

Researchers at the Vatican children's hospital implored Charlie's doctors to reconsider allowing an experimental treatment to be used, citing "new information".

Clinicians from the Bambino Gesu paediatric hospital's neurosciences department said tests in mice and patients with a similar, but not the same, genetic condition had shown "dramatic clinical improvements".

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A spokesman for the Rome-based institution said the letter, which was posted on the charliesfight.org website hours after the boy's parents met GOSH medics, had been sent by the hospital.

Ms Yates has said her son was "not in pain or suffering" and she had been given hope by international attempts to come to Charlie's aid, including from the Pope and US president Donald Trump.

GOSH said it will now be for the High Court to make its judgment on the facts and it is acting in Charlie's best interests.

They describe his condition as exceptionally rare, with catastrophic and irreversible brain damage.

Charlie Gard's father in plea to 'give my boy a chance'

In a statement, GOSH said: "Our doctors have explored every medical treatment, including experimental nucleoside therapies.

"Independent medical experts agreed with our clinical team that this treatment would be unjustified.

"Not only that, but they said it would be futile and would prolong Charlie's suffering.

"This is not an issue about money or resources, but absolutely about what is right for Charlie.

"Our view has not changed.

"We believe it is right to seek the High Court's view in light of the claimed new evidence."

Additional reporting by Press Association.
D octors treating terminally ill baby Charlie Gard have applied to the High Court for a fresh hearing.

Great Ormond Street Hospital's (GOSH) application comes after "claims of new evidence relating to potential treatment for his condition, a spokesman said.

The hospital spokesman added: "we believe, in common with Charlie's parents, it is right to explore this evidence.

Charlie inherited the faulty RRM2B gene from his parents Connie Yates and Chris Gard, affecting cells responsible for energy production and respiration and leaving him unable to move or breathe without a ventilator.

The couple, both in their 30s and from Bedfont, west London, want to take him to the US but for treatment, but lost a lengthy legal battle after judges ruled in favour of doctors.

Charlie Gard suffers from a form of mitochondrial disease that causes progressive muscle weakness / PA

GOSH experts argued the treatment would not improve the 11-month-old's quality of life.

Charlie's parents have been informed of the decision.

The hospital said it was taken after two international hospitals and their researchers contacted them "as late as the last 24 hours" to say they have "fresh evidence about their proposed experimental treatment".

Under a High Court ruling, GOSH is forbidden from allowing Charlie to be transferred for nucleoside therapy anywhere.

It comes as researchers at the Vatican children's hospital implored Charlie's doctors to reconsider allowing an experimental treatment to be used, citing "new information".

Clinicians from the Bambino Gesu paediatric hospital's neurosciences department said tests in mice and patients with a similar, but not the same, genetic condition had shown "dramatic clinical improvements".

A spokesman for the Rome-based institution said the letter, which was posted on the charliesfight.org website hours after the boy's parents met GOSH medics, had been sent by the hospital.
A physio walked free from court after being cleared of sexual assaulting two patients at his north London clinic.

Andrea Franchini, 35, was accused of groping the womens breasts when they came to him for treatment to injuries.

One woman claimed he asked her to strip to the waist when being treated for a sore neck, then grabbed her breasts as she lay on the treatment table.

Another said Franchini had slipped his hand inside her bra during a massage session.

But the Italian-born physio told Blackfriars crown court he had not inappropriately touched either women and remained professional throughout the sessions at the Great Health Clinic in Islington last year.

A jury deliberated for an hour and a half before finding Franchini, from Stratford, not guilty of two counts of sexual assault. He had denied both charges.
A first class passenger was reportedly hit over the head with wine bottles to subdue him after attempting to open the emergency exit mid-air.

A Delta Airlines flight from Seattle to Beijing was allegedly forced to return to the US after the 23-year-old man also assaulted a flight attendant on the plane.

When the cabin crew member tried to stop him after he attempted to open the exit 45 minutes in to the flight, he is said to have thrown a punch, according to the Telegraph.

A passenger on the aircraft told KIRO 7 News: They broke two bottles of wine on his head. I tried to choke him and he just threw me off like a rag doll."

Other travellers told of a serious fight towards the front of the plane.

Seattle-Tacoma International Airport told the newspaper the man was restrained until the plane landed safely.

Delta Airlines in statement said: "The passenger was restrained on board and was removed from the flight by law enforcement without further incident.
M ore than 70 police officers were injured as violent scenes continued into the night during anti-capitalist protests ahead of the G20 summit in Hamburg.

Protesters smashed up cars and buildings, started fires and threw bottles at officers in clashes during the Welcome To Hell protest, demonstrating against the meeting of world leaders.

It is believed that at least 76 police officers were hurt, including police helicopter pilots who sustained eye injuries when laser pointers were directed at them. Three officers required treatment in hospital.

Dramatic photos show hundreds of riot police wearing helmets and firing water cannons at the 13,000-strong crown in a bid to disperse them.

Violent: Protesters built barricades and then set them alight / EPA

The event descended into chaos at around midnight  with footage showing furniture being set alight in the middle of the street.

A Reuters eyewitness saw at least one man with blood covering his face being treated and medics were seen to be tending to several other protesters.

Clashes: At least 76 officers were hurt / EPA

Police expect around 100,000 protesters to descend on the northern German city as the meeting takes place and have stationed 20,000 officers to be on hand.

Thursday nights violence erupted less than an hour after Chancellor Angela Merkel met with President Donald Trump.

Police: There are 20,000 officers on stand-by over the weekend / EPA

During the meeting, the President is expected to endure a grilling from other world leaders over his recent decision to withdraw from the Paris climate change agreement.

Whilst, for Ms Merkel, the meeting represents a chance for her to make an example of her diplomatic skill as she seeks re-election in September.

Talks: German Chancellor Angela Merkel welcomes U.S. President Donald Trump / REUTERS

Before meeting Trump, she struck a consensual tone, holding out hope for agreement on the divisive issue of climate policy and pledging to broker compromises.

She promised to represent German and European interests at the summit, but added: "On the other hand, as hosts we - and I - will do all we can to find compromises."
T his was the moment vegan activists jumped into a bullring in Pamplona and lay down on a wounded bull as it bled to death.

The pair, members of Vegan Strike Group, carried out the stunt in protest against Spains bullfighting tradition.

Pamplonas world-famous annual festival sees bulls chase hundreds of people through the citys streets, with several runners already injured one day into this year's event.

Afterwards, the bulls are taken to bullrings and eventually killed in front of sell-out crowds as part of a week-long calendar of festivities.

The activist lies on the dying bull in a bid to comfort it / Vegan Strike Group

Footage released by animal rights charity Peta, a staunch opponent of bullfighting, shows the final moments of a bullfight as four matadors stand around the wounded animal.

One then steps forward to deliver the fatal blow by stabbing the bull between its shoulders. As it lies on the sand dying, two topless protesters can be seen leaping over the barrier and sprinting across the arena towards the animal.

What is the Running of the Bulls? The Running of the Bulls is a festival which takes place every year in Pamplona in July, also known as the Sanfermines. The running takes place at 8am every morning and only runners aged above 18, physically fit and sober are allowed to participate. There are often injuries to runners and occasionally fatalities, with the most recent death in 2009. Wooden fences keep the six bulls on the correct route as they charge through the city on the 875-metre run. Runners wear white clothing with a red scarf.

They hold up signs proclaiming bullfighting is torture as officials try to restrain them. One makes it to the bull and lies on him in order to comfort him before being dragged away.

He later told Peta: The bull was terrified and in excruciating pain  we couldnt leave him to die alone. We represent the majority of people around the world who are calling for an end to this cruel event.

Bullfighting is a divisive issue in Spain, with a poll showing 81 per cent of Spaniards dont support the sport, rising to 93 per cent among 16-24-year-olds.

More than 100 towns and cities have banned it, with some replacing the animals with huge inflatable balls which are rolled down streets instead.

Peta activists fill a Pamplona square in protest at bullfighting / PETA

Earlier this week at the Running of the Bulls festival in Pamplona, topless Peta activists covered themselves in fake blood and filled a square in protest.

They had stop bullfighting painted in English and Spanish on their bodies using black paint.

But bullfighting remains a key part of the Spanish summer calendar and an important tradition, drawing huge crowds and boosting economies.

Pamplonas Running of the Bulls, which takes place every July, was adored by writer Ernest Hemingway and even featured on an episode of Top Gear, in which Richard Hammond participated.
T heresa May today insisted she would remain Prime Minister for at least a year or two as she met world leaders for the G20 summit in Hamburg.

Mrs May insisted other nations were still keen to engage with the UK despite the turmoil over Brexit.

Pressed on whether she would still be in No 10 in 2019, and if her weakened position as PM risked undermining Britains standing at the talks, she said: We will be playing our absolutely full part and Ill be playing my full part.

She also appeared to open up the prospect of the UK staying in some form within the customs union when it leaves the European Union, by saying: We do want to ensure that we can trade around the rest of the world. That means we cant be members of every part of the customs union.

Leaders from the worlds 20 biggest developed and emerging economies began the two-day meeting focusing on trade, climate change, terrorism, and other key global issues.

The leaders of the UK and US side by side at the G20 meeting

German chancellor Angela Merkel welcomed world leaders including Mrs May and US president Donald Trump, who was set to meet Russian leader Vladimir Putin for the first time.

Mr Trump today said he was looking forward to the historic meeting, adding there was much to discuss. Presidents Trump and Putin were expected to meet privately for at least 30 minutes this afternoon.

They have both said they want to repair ties damaged by the Syria and Ukraine crises and Russias alleged interference in the US election.

Mr Trump has also faced huge criticism for his recent decision to pull out of the Paris Agreement on climate change. Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau received a rock star welcome as he addressed fans at a music festival before todays summit.

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There were more clashes between protesters and police today after last nights planned peaceful march by around 12,000 people demonstrating against globalisation turned violent.

German police said an operation was under way against violent individuals near a police station in the Altona district, where people were said to be throwing Molotov cocktails.

They said demonstrators had blocked several intersections and so-called transfer corridors  roads designated to help delegations move between meetings. Smoke could also be seen from fires said to have been lit by protesters.

Protesters threw petrol bombs, setting fire to police cars and blocking roads close to where world leaders were gathering. Police used a water cannon to clear one blockade.

Officers also removed demonstrators outside the guest house of the Hamburg Senate, where Mr Trump is staying.

Police today said 111 officers were injured and 44 people arrested.
D onald Trump shook hands with Vladimir Putin today in a historic gesture at the meeting of world leaders at the G20 summit in Hamburg.

The leaders of the US and Russia greeted each other today ahead of a scheduled half-hour meeting.

They were set to discuss broad geopolitical themes including war in Syria, North Korea, global terrorism and to Moscow's alleged influence in the U.S. election campaign.

Earlier today Trump tweeted: "I look forward to all meetings today with world leaders, including my meeting with Vladimir Putin. Much to discuss."

US Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, said Trump wanted to talk about the conflict in Syria with his Russian counterpart.

"We are prepared to explore establishing with Russia joint mechanisms for ensuring stability," he said.

A video grab of the world-famous handshake / EPA

"These include no-fly zones, on-the-ground ceasefire observers, and coordinated delivery of humanitarian assistance."

Away from the meeting, protesters kept US first lady Melania Trump from joining the spouses of world leaders at the summit.

Mrs Trump's spokeswoman, Stephanie Grisham, said police had not cleared the first lady to leave the government guest house where she and Mr Trump spent the night because of the protesters.

G20 Summit: Donald Trump meets Vladimir Putin / AP

Spouses typically get together while leaders are in meetings during international summits like these, with their Friday programme including a boat ride, lunch and a tour of a climate control centre.

Mrs Trump tweeted that she was thinking of those who were hurt during protests on Thursday, adding that she hopes everyone stays safe.

Donald Trump meets Vladimir Putin at G20 - In pictures 1 /12 Donald Trump meets Vladimir Putin at G20 - In pictures US President Donald Trump and Russia's President Vladimir Putin shake hands during a meeting on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Hamburg, Germany AFP/Getty Images U.S. President Donald Trump gestures as he meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin during the their bilateral meeting at the G20 summit in Hamburg, German Reuters U.S. President Donald Trump speaks with Russian President Vladimir Putin during their bilateral meeting at the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany Reuters U.S. President Donald Trump meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin during their bilateral meeting at the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany Reuters US President Donald Trump and Russia's President Vladimir Putin shake hands during a meeting on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Hamburg, Germany Reuters U.S. President Donald Trump meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin during their bilateral meeting at the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany Carlos Barria/Reuters Russia's President Vladimir Putin talks to U.S. President Donald Trump during their bilateral meeting at the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany Reuters US President Donald J. Trump shaking hands with Russian President Vladimir Putin during the retreat at the opening day of the G20 summit in Hamburg, German EPA US President Donald J. Trump shaking hands with Russian President Vladimir Putin during the retreat at the opening day of the G20 summit in Hamburg, German EPA

More than 70 police officers were injured as violent scenes continued into the night during the anti-capitalist demonstration.

Protesters smashed up cars and buildings, started fires and threw bottles at officers in clashes during the Welcome To Hell protest, demonstrating against the world leaders meeting.

Dramatic photos show hundreds of riot police wearing helmets and firing water cannons at the 13,000-strong crown in a bid to disperse them.
W orld leaders from across the globe are gathering for this years G20 summit in Hamburg.

US President Donald Trump will met Russian leader Vladimir Putin for the first time at the summit on Friday, with tensions over North Korea and Ukraine expected to dominate discussions.

Climate change and trade are set to also be discussed as the summit opens, with Prime Minster Theresa May and German Chancellor Angela Merkel also attending.

The meetings have been marred by a series of violent protests in the German city, with thousands of activists taking to the streets with banners reading welcome to hell.

More than 20 police officers were injured as protesters smashed up cars and buildings, started fires and threw bottles during the protest.

Here is everything you need to know about the G20 summit:

What is the G20?

The G20, also known as the Group of Twenty, is an international group of governments from the worlds wealthiest nations.

While it was formed in 1999, heads of government have only met annually since 2008, with foreign and financial ministers hosting separate meetings.

Protesters in Hamburg demonstrate against the G20 summit / REUTERS

The group makes up about 85 per cent of the worlds GDP and roughly two-thirds of its population.

World leaders met at G20 twice a year while countries were in the midst of a financial crisis in 2009 and 2010.

It is a larger and more significant meeting than the G8, which Russia is currently suspended from over its intervention in Crimea.

Who is attending the summit?

Despite the title G20, the are in fact only 19 members who meet at the summit from both developed and developing countries  plus the EU.

They are Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, the UK and the United States.

The summit has been criticised in the past for its exclusivity in membership, particularly its under-representation of the African Continent.

The most significant meeting at this years conference is between Mr Trump and Mr Putin, with the US President having called on Russia to stop destabilising Ukraine in the lead up to the summit.

According to reports, the pair will meet on Friday afternoon for about an hour.

What happens and what is on the agenda?

The two-day summit is expected to be dominated by climate change and trade discussions, with America having controversially withdrawn from the international Paris accord.

Mrs May is believed to be planning to confront the US President on the issue, while Mrs Merkel has signalled the environment would be one of the key themes of the summit.

Dondal Trump meets Angela Merkel at the summit / AFP/Getty Images

International security is also expected to be high on the agenda, with North Korea claiming this week to have launched a missile capable of striking the United States to widespread condemnation.

Mr Trump has pledged to confront North Korea for its very, very bad behaviour while calling on Western countries to introduce harsher sanctions.

Donald Trump meets Vladimir Putin at G20 - In pictures 1 /12 Donald Trump meets Vladimir Putin at G20 - In pictures US President Donald Trump and Russia's President Vladimir Putin shake hands during a meeting on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Hamburg, Germany AFP/Getty Images U.S. President Donald Trump gestures as he meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin during the their bilateral meeting at the G20 summit in Hamburg, German Reuters U.S. President Donald Trump speaks with Russian President Vladimir Putin during their bilateral meeting at the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany Reuters U.S. President Donald Trump meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin during their bilateral meeting at the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany Reuters US President Donald Trump and Russia's President Vladimir Putin shake hands during a meeting on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Hamburg, Germany Reuters U.S. President Donald Trump meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin during their bilateral meeting at the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany Carlos Barria/Reuters Russia's President Vladimir Putin talks to U.S. President Donald Trump during their bilateral meeting at the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany Reuters US President Donald J. Trump shaking hands with Russian President Vladimir Putin during the retreat at the opening day of the G20 summit in Hamburg, German EPA US President Donald J. Trump shaking hands with Russian President Vladimir Putin during the retreat at the opening day of the G20 summit in Hamburg, German EPA

Despite the high profile attendees, no votes will take place on legislation.

Why are there protests?

More than 70 police officers have been injured in anti-capitalist protests ahead of the summit.

The Welcome to Hell protest has seen scores of protesters smash up cars and buildings, while German police have used water cannons against demonstrators.

G20 demo: Riot police move in through the smoke from a smoke bomb during the "Welcome to Hell" rally / AFP/Getty Images

Hundreds of riot police were seen wearing helmets and firing the cannons in a bid to disperse crowds.

G20 summits in the past have attracted an array of various protesters, though demonstrators are usually anti-capitalist.

Protesters are also expected to demonstrate against Americas withdrawal from the Paris accord.

In 2010, the summit in Toronto was marred by anti-capitalist riots and more than 1,000 people arrested. It was the largest mass arrest in the countrys history.
By PTI: Srinagar, Jul 7 (PTI) Top Army officials today reviewed security situation in the Kashmir Valley, a day ahead of the first death anniversary of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani.

Armys Northern Command chief Lt. Gen D Anbu, accompanied by Chinar Corps Commander Lt. Gen J S Sandhu, visited areas in North and South Kashmir to review the security situation and measures put in place for ensuring peace and calm in the Valley, a defence spokesperson said here.

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He said Lt. Gen Anbu interacted with the troops on ground and complimented them for their dedication and highest standard of professionalism.

The two officers also called on Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti and briefed her about the prevailing security situation in the Valley.

Authorities have imposed restrictions in parts of Kashmir to maintain law and order as the Valley braces for Wanis first death anniversary tomorrow.

In Srinagar, restrictions have been imposed on movement of people in five police station areas, officials said.

They said the curbs have been imposed in the police station areas of Nowhatta, M R Gunj, Rainawari, Khanyar and Safakadal.

The officials said similar restrictions have been imposed in Anantnag town in south Kashmir.

Curbs on the assembly of people under Section 144 CrPc have been imposed in Pulwama and Shopian districts in south Kashmir and in Baramulla district in north, they said.

The officials said the restrictions in these areas have been imposed as a precautionary measure to avoid any untoward incident.

They however, said life was going on normally in the rest of the valley.

Wanis killing in an encounter with security forces on July 8 last year, triggered massive protests and prolonged period of curfews and shutdowns across the Valley.

As many as 85 persons were killed and thousands others were injured in daily clashes between security forces and protesters for a period of over four months.

Separatist groups have called for a strike tomorrow. PTI MIJ TIR ZMN TIR

--- ENDS ---
M ick Herrons Real Tigers (21.60, Buy it now ) combines the spy thriller with farce in a manner befitting a country that puts Coco the Clown in charge of the Secret Intelligence Service. Another compelling satire is Stephen Glovers Splash (15.90, Buy it now ). This is an updated Scoop for our age involving a mid-market tabloid with a sinister online operation in its bowels. The characters, Glover assures us, are entirely composite. Like hell!

Howard W Frenchs Everything under the Heavens: How the Past Helps Chinas Push for Global Power (From 11.85, Buy it now ) brilliantly fuses history and reportage to explore Chinas relationships with its neighbours, including Japan, the Philippines and Vietnam, as well as the floating one represented by the US Pacific fleet.

Michael Burleigh

For an engrossing under-the-trees read this summer you couldnt do much better than Francis Spuffords fabulous Golden Hill (3.99, Buy it now ) a rollicking good yarn set in Manhattan in the 1740s, which wears its learning so lightly you hardly notice how much historical detail the author manages to pack in while delivering his thrilling set-pieces and plot twists right up to the last page.

At a different tempo, but just as skillful, is Tessa Hadleys Bad Dreams and Other Stories (Cape, 8.99, Buy it now ), a collection showing all her trademark qualities of pin-sharp observation and arresting expression. And if you arent enjoying Club 18-30, why not find a quiet corner in which to read Olivia Laings The Lonely City: Adventures in the Art of Being Alone (16.99, Buy it now ), which is brilliantly written and poignantly affecting.

Claire Harman

A brilliant, though not exactly relaxing, summer read is Johnny Mercers We Were Warriors (6.99, Buy it now ), not only the best hand-to-hand combat account of a British soldier in Afghanistan, but a journey of the soul, from fighting soldier to MP for Plymouth  the self-deprecating journal of a remarkable man.

Europe After Europe by Ivan Krastev (15.99, Buy it now ) is an unlikely hit  the best essay today on history and the world of Trump, Brexit, migrants and climate change. For pure self-indulgence the Italians do the best noir around. Maurizio de Giovannis Commissario Ricciardi is top of the tree  fighting fascism and the Camorra in 1920s Naples.

Robert Fox

The best summer reading combines a lightness of attack with a certain heft of intent. Ulrich Raulffs Farewell to the Horse (19.99, Buy it now ) achieves the combination with verve. Exploring the separation of human and equine destinies, which took place from Napoleonic times to the First World War, Raulffs tender and witty history celebrates the role in human affairs of the most political of animals, and the most symbolic.

Birdcage Walk (12.91, Buy it now ), the final novel by the late Helen Dunmore is a chilling drama enclosing a graceful and elegiac meditation on how to live well in turbulent political times, on the consequences of choice, the power of language, and the faint trace that individual lives leave on history.

Jane Shilling

Han Yujoos novel, The Impossible Fairy Tale (12.60, Buy it now ), about creepy goings-on in a Korean classroom that lead to a murderous act, has a sensational child voice  innocent and monstrous by turns  that makes it an edge-of-the-recliner read. Another excellent ghost story is Hari Kunzrus White Tears (13.50, Buy it now ), about two blues n jazz hipsters who devise a prank that misfires and unspools a mesmerising tale of white guilt and black oppression in America.

Sally Rooneys Conversations with Friends (10.49, Buy it now ), has a beguiling lightness that takes us to unexpectedly melancholy places; its brilliance lies in observations of human frailty in matters of the heart.

Arifa Akbar

Giles Udys Labour and the Gulag: Russia and the Seduction of the British Left (26.95, Buy it now ) is about the Marxist infiltration of the Labour party in the 1920s and 1930s, which seems apposite reading today. Peter Stothards The Senecans (16.59, Buy it now ) is about the influence on Margaret Thatcher of four men  David Hart, Frank Johnson, Ronald Millar and Woodrow Wyatt  all of whom I knew and liked.

Andrew Roberts

Will Self / Rex Features

I doubt that anything to do with politics could make summer more enjoyable. Best to turn to literature. Among the books that have given me most pleasure this year, two stand out. Clive Jamess Injury Time (14.94, Buy it now ) is a fresh volume of poetry describing the joys of the bonus years the great polymath has been given by medicine, determination and love.

Peter Parkers beautiful Housman Country (12, Buy it now ) tells you everything you want to know about the life and influence of Englands most satirised but inimitable poets.

Douglas Murray

I choose Phone by Will Self, (13, Buy it now ), the third volume in his great trilogy after Umbrella and Shark. Some have been deterred by its length (617 pages), but think  this is just the equivalent of reading every word of The Evening Standard for one week.

Eccentrically punctuated, with no paragraphs, it is a series of fast-paced, laugh-out-loud witty, disgusting and frequently well-observed scenes. He has a sharp ear for dialogue, and woven in and out of the surreal narrative are some of the wisest reflections on the folly of war (in this case the Gulf War) that you are likely to read outside the pages of Tolstoy.

In our depressingly middlebrow intellectual climate, it is refreshing that at least one novelist is raising the bar.

A.N. Wilson

I am loving Jerzy by Jerome Charyn (11.99, Buy it now ), a brilliantly fascinating, weirdly original novel about the fantastical adventures and lies, fall, rise and fall of the American-Polish-Jewish novelist Jerzy Kosinski, who wrote Painted Bird and Being There, featuring a bizarre cast  from Princess Margaret and Peter Sellers to Stalins daughter and a Cockney gangland hitman.

George Saunderss Lincoln in the Bardo (13.61, Buy it now ) is an extraordinary act of poignant literary virtuosity about love, death, ghosts and history, starring the grieving president. Elizabeth: The Later Years by John Guy (13.89, Buy it now ) is the best biography ever written of the Virgin Queen  a revisionist, sensitive, compelling, majestic masterwork that you cant put down.

Simon Sebag Montefiore

I loved Selfie: How We Became So Self-Obsessed And What Its Doing To Us by Will Storr (Picador, 15.19, Buy it now ). Its a broad-ranging history of the western self, from the age of Aristotle to the age of Instagram, and Storr builds a convincing case that free will is an illusion, change is impossible and our entire political system is built on a lie. But hes funny with it.

Richard Godwin

Unsettling, challenging and gloriously written, Hot Milk by Deborah Levy (6.49, Buy it now ) is the multi-generational story of an hallucinatory sort of summer.

The women in this novel, preoccupied in their different ways by sex, survival, control and confusion, startle and delight and shock in one of the most mesmerising titles on last years Man Booker Prize short list.

When Clover Strouds idyllically lyrical childhood is ruptured by her mothers catastrophic riding accident in The Wild Other (16.59, Buy it now ), she embarks on a long escape route, ironically sustained by a love of horses. Wild adventures in Ireland, Texas and Russia motivated by a sequence of intensely sexy romances provide the escape route from the tragedy.

Juliet Nicolson

The Power (3.99, Buy it now ) by Naomi Alderman is the feminist flipside to The Handmaids Tale, asking what happens when women are suddenly the stronger sex.

Technically aimed at the Young Adult market, After the Fire (6.74, Buy it now ) Will Hills novel about a girl who escapes a cult  will doubtless find its way into many adult hands this summer. Its intense, evocative and deserves to have Hollywood producers sniffing around to put it on screen.

If you want to laugh this summer  the kind of filthy guffaw that will make your sun-lounger neighbours wish they were reading what youre reading  buy A Ton of Malice: The Half-Life of an Irish Punk in London (12, Buy it now ), Barry McKinleys tale of sex, drugs and working at Sellafield.

Rosamund Urwin

Naomi Alderman / Dave Benett

Years ago I spent a rainy July week on the deserted Shiant Isles in the Outer Hebrides with their owner Adam Nicolson and, though the sun shone only on one day, I have never forgotten the sight and the sound of the astonishing sea-birds there: puffins, guillemots, kittiwakes, razorbills, gannets, and skuas. So I am very much looking forward to reading the ultimate tribute Adam Nicolson has paid to this inspiration in his life: The Seabirds Cry (11.89, Buy it now ).

The landscape I feel at home in, however, is limestone and I have been completely captivated by the poet Fiona Sampsons Limestone Country (13.49, Buy it now ), set in the Perigord, Slovenia, Jerusalem and Oxfordshire, a new way of bringing together geology, ecology and the human life these landscapes generate and sustain.

David Sexton

Hitchcock by Francois Truffaut, reissued as a sumptuous paperback (From 13.41, Buy it now ), is a marvel of film criticism. Over a week in the summer of 1962, the young French director held a series of conversations with Alfred the Great, who was then editing his 48th picture, The Birds. The tape-recordings amounted to over 50 hours and took four years to transcribe, but the hitchbook (as Truffaut called it) was worth the wait.

Dantes friendship with the great Tuscan lyric poet Guido Cavalcanti serves as inspiration for Peter Hughess new verse in Cavalcanty (9.99, Buy it now ), an erotico-intellectual meditation on the subject of love that name-checks Dolce & Gabbana, daleks and Debussy. Lovely.

Ian Thomson

Theres nothing like being away from the workplace to make us realise how much time we waste when were in it. Rest (9.99, Buy it now ) by Silicon Vallery guru, Alex Soojung-Kim Pang shows us how much more productive we can be by spending less time in noisy open-plan offices, answering fewer emails and making meetings shorter etc, etc, while giving more time to exercise and proper rest, and switching off devices. It should be compulsory reading for office managers everywhere.

Insomniac City by Bill Hayes (14.88, Buy it now ) is a beautifully rendered portrait of his life in New York City after he moved from San Francisco and how he came to meet and fall in love with Oliver Sacks, with whom he shared the last eight years of the great neurologists life.

Katie Law

Im jealous of anyone who has yet to read The Idiot (13.85, Buy it now ) by Elif Batuman, a long, directionless, silly and utterly charming debut novel. Its about a six-foot tall Turkish-American woman, Selin, who tries to navigate university life at Harvard in the mid-1990s. In her first year she attends linguistics lectures, ponders the subjectivity of language and ignites an enigmatic email correspondence with a Hungarian classmate, Ivan, that develops into a tragi-comic infatuation. Its a book about books, which makes it the perfect summer romance for nerdy students of literature.

Johanna Thomas-Corr

The East Anglian coast, from Sheringham down to Aldeburgh  Peter Grimes-land  is popular with summer visitors, short and long stay and has the best fish and chip shops in the country. Its also a region with a high literary quotient, fed by festival and reading groups (what else is there to do in the un-holiday months?) and vibrant locally written fiction. Particularly crime fiction.

One of my favourite locals is John Nightingale  check out his The Appearance of Murder (7.99, Buy it now ). He self-publishes because he doesnt like interference. He just pops up.

Permeated with local colour, for a day visit to the beach, is Elly Griffithss first crime work, The Crossing Places (7.99, Buy it now )  a childs bones are found on the Norfolk sands  and Ruth Dugdalls chillingly anti-familial My Sister and Other Liars (5.99, Buy it now ).

John Sutherland

In Hot Milk, by Deborah Levy, Sofia is 25, stuck in a rented Spanish apartment with her overbearing mother and desperate for an escape. She finds it in a hot kiss from a German tourist and with the student who mans the injury hut on the beach. Like Levys last novel, Swimming Home, where a family holiday in France belies a reality of depression and deceit, her latest story leaves the reader similarly enraptured  and unnerved.

If only Sofia had what Naomi Alderman gives her heroines  the power to electrocute men from their fingertips. The Power is a thunderous dystopian novel in which the worlds women  victims of injustices through the centuries  monstrously abuse their new-found power. You almost feel sorry for the truly weaker sex. Almost.

Jackie Annesley

Philippe Sandss East West Street (13.60, Buy it now ) is a masterpiece. He weaves together his search for his own familys history, full of astonishing twists, with the legal response to Nazi genocide, culminating in the Nuremberg trials. By eerie coincidence, the inventors of the legal concepts of genocide and crimes against humanity, Raphael Lemkin and Hersch Lauterpacht, were, like Sandss mothers family, from the now-Ukrainian town of Zolkiew.

Viet Thanh Nguyen / Getty Images

Viet Thanh Nguyen has followed his Pulitzer-winning 2015 debut, The Sympathizer, with The Refugees (5.99, Buy it now ), a collection of short stories set in the same milieu of Vietnamese boat people in the US. Longing and loss infuse these tales of damaged war veterans, tough women and children caught between two cultures, memorably rendered in Nguyens lapidary prose.

Andrew Neather

Its undeniably tricksy but I was won over by the sheer brio, writerly flourish and humanity of Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders which imagines a disputatious convocation of the dead observing the US president as he mourns his son.

Poet and wit Patricia Lockwoods Priestdaddy (14.94 , Buy it now ) is a very funny memoir of family life dominated by her father, a married submariner and family man who got god, became a Catholic priest, and who loves red meat, guns and playing heavy rock guitar solos in his pants.

Nick Curtis

Spook Street (14.43, Buy it now ) by Mick Herron is the fourth outing for Jackson Lamb, a flatulent, crapulent monster, who has to deal with the fall-out from a suicide bombing in a west London shopping mall.

Earthly Remains (15.19, Buy it now ) by Donna Leon is Commissario Brunettis 26th examination of vice in Venice, and The Burial Hour (9.49, Buy it now ) by Jeffery Deaver is the 13th case for Lincoln Rhyme, finds the paraplegic investigator in Naples.

And Love Like Blood (8.49, Buy it now ), Mark Billinghams 14th thriller featuring Tom Thorne, has the wise-cracking DI tackling so-called honour killings. It is his best book so far. All four novels are five-star reading.

Mark Sanderson

I love All That Man Is by David Szalay (11.99, Buy it now ), a novel about all kinds of blokes roaming around Europe, trying to handle their feelings about women.

Id also recommend The Girls by Emma Cline (5, Buy it now ), in which a middle-aged woman looks back on her life in a Manson-like cult. Reality Is Not What It Seems by Carlo Rovelli (11, Buy it now ), which explains Einstein, is one of the best books on science Ive ever read.

William Leith
T he forthcoming Downton Abbey film could be a prequel to the television series and feature a brand new cast.

According to creator Julian Fellowes, the eagerly-awaited big screen spin-off of the hit ITV period drama might be set years before the first series began.

The writer and director of the award-winning show admitted that it has been difficult to get all of the original cast together as they were off doing different projects.

I think it would be possible to do a prequel that was re-cast and do a love story  so you went right back and had the young cast arriving in the show as footmen and Mrs Patmore being a kitchen maid, Fellowes told The Mirror.

Jeremy Swift discusses the Downton Abbey film

He went on to say that he would be sad if the film didnt come together now that the script is already in production.

I hope there will be a film, he said. It will be sad if we dont do one. Most films are a punt and we have a solid audience waiting for it.

The difficulty is rounding up the actors who have now gone off to the four corners of the earth, in Hollywood, on Broadway, doing plays, doing series and so on.

BAFTA tribute evening for Downton Abbey 1 /18 BAFTA tribute evening for Downton Abbey Group photo: the cast of the popular TV show pose for a photo Johnny Birch/BAFTA/Rex Sister act: Laura Carmichael and Michelle Dockery Ian West/PA Tim P. Whitby/Getty Images He's back: Dan Stevens who played Matthew Crawley made an appearance Ian West/PA Little stars: Laura Carmichael with the twins who play her on screen daughter Marigold Tim P. Whitby/Getty Images With the kids: Michelle Dockery with twins Zac and Oliver Barker who play her onscreen son Ian West/PA Belle of the ball: Lily James returns for the special event Ian West/PA She's back: Myanna Buring stuns in a navy lace gown Tim P. Whitby/Getty Images I'm here: Maggie Smith works the red carpet as fans cheer Tim P. Whitby/Getty Images Big fan: Jonathan Ross attended to wave goodbye to the show Ian West/PA In support: Hugh Bonneville is joined by his wife Lulu Williams Ian West/PA Pretty in pink: Penelope Wilton works the red carpet Tim P. Whitby/Getty Images Stunning: Joanne Froggatt looks worlds apart from Anna Bates Ian West/PA Off duty: Jim Carter suits up for the event Ian West/PA

Earlier this week, Fellowes told the Standard that he was also hoping to make a TV adaptation of his novel , Belgravia.

He said: I should perhaps be putting my feet up, but there are things Ive got on my plate. Im writing a slightly supernatural thriller at the moment where you cant quite decide if it is supernatural, which Im enjoying.

Then I think Im going to do Belgravia as a four-part series for television. Im also hoping to do [New York-set period drama] The Gilded Age for NBC/Universal  theres quite a lot going on.

While producers have confirmed that the Downton film has been given the green light, cast and plot details are still under wraps.
J eremy Corbyn is the latest Love Island convert and has urged his supporters to vote for contestant Marcel Sommerville.

The Labour leader may not have time to tune into the ITV2 reality show every evening, but it seems that hes been keeping up with whats going on in the villa.

Speaking out in support of the former Blazin Squad star, Corbyn said that he thought the musician needed a bit of TLC.

I haven't been watching it, but I'd advise that Marcel needs a vote, he told The Tab this week.

Winner? Jeremy Corbyn backs Marcel to win Love Island / ITV

He added: We should give him a vote. He needs a bit of, shall I say, TLC.

Marcel and partner Gabby Allen are hotly-tipped win this years series of the romantic reality show.

Love Island Series 3 - in pictures 1 /46 Love Island Series 3 - in pictures ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV

Corbyn spoke about the smash hit series while visiting an apprenticeships college in Barnet, North London.

Earlier on Friday it emerged that Labour has taken an eight-point lead over the Conservatives in the first opinion poll since the General Election.

It is the first time that Labour has been ahead since the height of Tory infighting during the EU referendum, The Times reported.

The poll puts Labour on 46 per cent, the Tories on 38 per cent, the Liberal Democrats on six per cent and Ukip on four per cent.


Review at a glance









A Ghetto Don Quixote is how Jupiter has been described.

Born Jean-Pierre Bokondji in Congo, he has lived in Europe, but decided that its at home in Kinshasa that he can make most impact.

He was the subject of a brilliant documentary, Jupiters Dance, about 10 years ago about the musicians on the citys streets.

Jupiters first album, Hotel Univers (2013) won him an international audience and, as a result, Damon Albarn, Robert Del Naja of Massive Attack contribute to this one.

He has the swagger of a rock star, yet his songs address and challenge the system and politics in Congo.

This doesnt make them any less funky and engaging for an international audience who will find the raw energy totally engaging.


By PTI: Pune, Jul 7 (PTI) Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan today said the government is keen to promote green energy and it will intervene with the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council to ensure that the GST rates on bio diesel and other green energy products are reduced.

Pradhan, Union Minister for for Petroleum and Natural Gas was speaking at the inaugural session of Bioenergy Urja Utsava here. Union Minister of State for Energy and Coal Piyush Goyal too was present at the session.

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The event, aimed at bringing into focus the various initiatives in the country in the bio energy sector and towards developing an inclusive national policy framework and sustainable mainstreaming of such technologies, was organised by Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas in association with Mahratta Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Agriculture and National Yuva Cooperative Society.

"I and Piyush Goyalji are working together on the bio fuel and green energy and I can assure you that we will intervene with the GST council to ensure the GST rates on bio diesel and other green products are reduced," he assured the industry stakeholders.

Under the GST rates announced recently, bio diesel, ethanol and other mixing products would be charged 18 per cent. For the last 10 years, bio diesel attracted zero excise duty.

The government has been promoting bio diesel it wants to cut its crude import by 10 per cent with this environment friendly fuel. However, the high incidence of tax on bio diesel will make it costlier than diesel and ultimately make it uncompetitive.

Pradhan who welcomed the farm loan waiver by the Maharashtra government, however said that it is not the ultimate solution and that farmers community needs to be supported with the promotion of green energy and bio-fuel projects so that they get additional and sustainable income.

He also assured the stakeholders in green energy and bio-fuel sector that the ministry will provide market to the green energy products and exhorted experts, entrepreneurs, students to explore the bio-energy sector and make it a mass movement.

Echoing Pradhans views, Goyal too stressed on the promotion of bio fuel and green energy and accused the Congress for not promoting the green energy during their regime.

"Our first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru had stated the importance of power alcohol (ethanol) in his book Discovery of India in 1945, but till 2002 no government had thought of full pledged policy on green energy and it was under the AB Vajpayee regime, the policy to promote bio fuel was formulated and received a push," he said.

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Goyal added that it was after 2014, when Narendra Modi led government assumed office that the green energy and bio fuel received wings. PTI SPK RMT

--- ENDS ---
By PTI: Guwahati, Jul 6 (PTI) The NDAs presidential candidate Ram Nath Kovind today said he will strive to keep the post of President "above politics" and work for all sections of the society.

"I will strive to keep the post of president above politics. I will try my best to see that every citizen and region gets justice in the socio-economic system," Kovind said here.

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The former Bihar Governor was speaking at a function to urge MLAs and MPs of the BJP along with its allies AGP and BPF to support him in the election.

"I will try to ensure that there is no discrimination on the basis of caste, sex, race, religion and region in the country. I will try to take care of all the people. I will work for the all-round development of India," Kovind said.

Noting that the president is the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, he said security of the international border will be a priority for him.

Kovind lauded the people of North East, saying, "The region has rich heritage and is full of natural resources. People of North East are very warm and lovely. Their intelligence has no match and wherever they go, they prove their worth."

During the function, Tripura Trinamool Congress leader Sudip Roy Burman paraded all the six MLAs of the party from the neighbouring state and extended full support to Kovind.

Reacting to this, Kovind said, "I am deeply moved by the love received here. I extend my special thanks to the Tripura MLAs, who have all the way here to support me."

Earlier, BJP national general secretary Ram Madhav said it was just a formality to announce Kovind as the next President of India as he already enjoys 61 per cent of vote value across the country.

North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA) convenor Himanta Biswa Sarma said there was no doubt that Kovind will be a "peoples President". "He (Kovind) is a simple man," Sarma remarked.

"Also the Dalit community needs a newer representation and Kovind is a symbol of that. They need an empowered dalit identity," he added. PTI TR RG KIS

--- ENDS ---
By PTI: By Sajjad Hussain

Islamabad, Jul 7 (PTI) A 25-year-old Pakistani woman suffering from cancer has been caught in the Pakistan-India rivalry as her medical visa application has been rejected by the Indian embassy here, according to a media report today.

Faiza Tanveer suffers from a recurrent ameloblastoma, a cancerous oral tumour which is aggressive in nature.

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She planned to visit the Inderprastha Dental College and Hospital (IDCH) in Ghaziabad and had already paid Rs 1 million in advance for treatment, Dawn online reported.

But the Indian High Commission rejected her medical visa application, citing deteriorating ties between the countries as the reason for refusal, according to her mother Parveen Akhtar.

Akhtar said the embassy officials told her that it was possible she may be able to get a medical visa if the Adviser to the Pakistan Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz wrote to Indias Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj on the matter.

She urged politicians in both the countries to help facilitate her daughters visa application.

The Ghaziabad hospital had invited Tanveer and her mother for treatment and they had requested a 20-day medical visa.

Akhtar said they were told by local medical professionals that chemotherapy would be challenging as the target area is a particularly sensitive one given the proximity to her ears, nose and eyes.

They were told that the Jinnah Hospital would be able to perform chemotherapy, but Tanveers eyeball would need to be removed for the process, which Tanveer and her mother were unwilling to opt for.

Treatment in India is cheaper than in the US or Singapore, Akhtar said.

IDCH had quoted the cost of treatment to about USD 20,000, according to the report. PTI SH ABH

--- ENDS ---
BAYARD  Rod Russell has been a builder his whole life, but rather than maintaining the status quo of building methods, he challenged himself 28 years ago. His goal is to develop a better, more efficient way to build houses.

The rest of the world looks at the U.S. like were crazy, he said. We keep building these toothpick homes, and the insurance companies just keep paying to rebuild them after natural disasters.

Delivering your news in print and online Stop down at the Star-Herald, call us at 308-632-9010. or email circ@starherald.com to get your subscription started today. As western Nebraska's only daily newspaper, the Star-Herald focuses on delivering you local and regional news and sports. You'll also find the latest job and real estate listings, garage sale and classified listings, puzzles, games and comics. Get All-Access for only $11 per month. That's print, e-edition and website for only $132 a year. Prefer a digital subscription? Get it for only 99 cents a week.

With the need worldwide for affordable, resilient, sustainable housing, Russell has set out on a quest to tackle those challenges.

Hes launched a new company, Millennium Resilient Housing (MR Housing for short), a name inspired in part by the longevity of Roman concrete structures, which have stood the test of time for roughly 2,000 years.

The name implies that we build houses that can last for hundreds to thousands of years, he said. Thats entirely possible.

At the start of June, Russell started moving his headquarters into the building formerly occupied by Nebraskaland Tire at 3500 N. 10th Ave. in Gering. The first components of his patent-pending precast concrete construction method rolled off the assembly line the week of June 1. Russell said the materials he uses and his finished product are virtually disaster-proof, a detail he aims to certify with the completion of a survivability test at Texas Tech in the coming months.

Last month, Russell traveled to Ghana, Africa, where he signed a 50,000-home contract with the Minister of Housing to provide much needed affordable housing for that country. He joked that people in Ghana had misunderstood the name of the company, and kept referring to him as Mister Housing. The name now seems fitting.

However,the trip abroad brought its own share of sorrows  no sooner had Russells plane landed in Ghana, when he received word that the class FA-2 tornado which tore through rural Bayard on June 12, wiped out his home, shop and greenhouse.

If there was ever a sleepless night, that was it, Russell said.

The building, a former rural school house made of block, brick and mortar, was built in 1965  the same year Russell was born.

It crumbled like tinker toys, Russell said.

He poured everything he had over the last four years into his property; he constructed an aquaponics green house and pioneered a tilapia fish breeding facility  the first of its kind in the state of Nebraska. The waste from the tilapia fertilized the greenhouse, causing the plants to flourish. Russells personal residence was an added second story onto the original school house.

His residence is no longer there. He didnt have insurance, and now worries about whether his fish will continue to survive.

This was going to be my year, Russell said. I was trying to bring together food security and affordable housing.

A friend accompanied Russell out to the place to survey the aftermath when he returned to Nebraska. It was then that Russell broke down and began crying.

I tried to steel myself for it, because I knew it was coming when I got home, but I couldnt prepare for the reality of it, he said. Its like losing a loved one  youre used to them being around every single day, and all of the sudden, theyre gone and theyre not coming back.

But his personal loss has only strengthened and hardened his professional resolve.

Id like to prevent this from happening to people, Russell said. Ive always been passionate about it, but that tornado has made it real personal.

Russell hopes that his new method provides housing, and he also aims to help his neighbors rebuild their permanent agriculture structures  and keep them standing for generations.

The seed for Russells method was planted while building a house more than a decade ago. While looking at the designs, Russell noticed that the bathrooms were at opposite ends of the house, which required a lot of labor and components to make things work, In his words, it was wasteful, so he set out to design and patent a core that contains all the utilities a house would need within a 5-foot diameter.

When earthquakes struck Haiti in 2010, Russell and his team were eager to offer help, submitting a proposal to the U.S. State Department which paired his patented cores with a temporary tent to provide immediate shelter for Haitians who lost homes in the quake. The State Department rejected the majority of the proposals it received. Russells was among them.

Depressed, frustrated and fed up, Russell sold his truck and traveled to Costa Rica, where he studied a post and single panel construction method spearheaded by Habitat for Humanity. He kept that idea tucked into the back of his head.

Around 2013, he found himself applying his core designs on projects in North Dakota, where the boom in the oil production quickly created a shortage of housing for oil field workers.

Some guys saw what I was doing, and asked if I could design something for Africa, he said.

Not shying away from a challenge Russell traveled to Zambia, where he had initial intentions of using the post and panel method hed seen years before. He quickly discovered thats not what the locals wanted.

Using locally sourced sand, gravel, steel and lots of labor, Russell reconfigured the steel and concrete in a different way.

He used forms to pour cast concrete columns and panels, similar to how sidewalk sections are paved. Once cured, the pieces were popped out of the forms. The columns were then interlocked into a monolithic poured slab foundation. The columns contain grooves allowing the concrete wall panels to be slid into the gaps between posts. The space in between the panels making up the inside and outside walls allowed for easy installation of conduits and insulation. A steel cap, sealed with more cement, unifies the structure. Once a house is finished, Russell said the walls can withstand more than 10,000 pounds of side-force  more than enough to make it tornado-proof.

We built that house in five weeks, Russell said. We called it the cheetah house, because theres probably no house built in Africa, before or since, thats been completed that fast.

Hes since improved on his methods and tweaked the designs. He plans on setting up a local production plant to build the precast components, as well as taking the system, franchising it, exporting and selling it world-wide.

I got a guy with a trailer park in Oklahoma that wants to combine the properties and turn the entire trailer park down there into a tornado-resistant development of small, affordable homes.

Hes got a meeting with the City of Bayard to discuss 17 lots that the city is considering making available for affordable homes to be built on. Hes hoping to appear before the Gering City Council to discuss an application for LB840 assistance to help get the facility up and off the ground. He hopes to provide jobs, and an option for his neighbors who are left to rebuild after storms wrecked structures and homes.

The problem is builders cant build affordable anymore, Russell said. Its hard to build a house for under $150 a square foot, especially with lot costs.

Russell is trying to work with communities to lower the cost so that the threshold of affordability comes down.

If we can get everybody to work together, were going to do a lot better. he said.

On Thursday morning, near a stand of mangled trees at his property near Bayard, Russell sat in a chair sipping coffee and petting the head of his dog, Rio.

He pulled out his phone and found a photo he took a few weeks ago of a barn near county road 36. On first glance, Russell was surprised he said, wondering if the damage was caused by the June 12 tornado.

However, after talking with the owner, Russell found out it had been leveled by a tornado three years ago. While the owner had insurance, it didnt cover the costs.

He used the insurance money to live on and hes never been able to rebuild his shed, Russell said. Whole families and generations are affected by disasters like this. Insurance doesnt factor in all the combined losses and what this does financially to people and families for years.

I want to stop that. I want to make sure that I make buildings that cant be torn apart like this.
By PTI: New Delhi, Jul 7 (PTI) Irshad Khan, son of a dairy farmer lynched by cow vigilantes, is not going anywhere. He is an Indian, and has no intentions of moving to Pakistan, he says.

"We Muslims will not go and live in Pakistan. India is our motherland too," said Irshad, as he made an impassioned plea today, seeking justice for his father.

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The 24-year-old man, who was also attacked by the mob of self-styled gau rakshaks in Alwar on April 1, alleged that "attempts were being made to let the accused go scot-free".

Addressing a public forum -- Agrarian Crisis, Cow Politics & Lynching -- hosted by the Bhumi Adhikar Andolan here, Irshad said, "Lynchings are continuing to take place as the government is not taking a strong stand".

Attempts were being made to divide the people on religion, and Muslims were often asked to leave India for Pakistan. But, he added, Hindu and Muslims had always lived peacefully in the country.

"Some bad elements dont want the two communities to be in harmony, so that vote bank politics can be orchestrated. Lynchings are also happening to divide the people," he said.

A string of lynching incidents has been reported in the country, the latest being that of a Muslim man killed by a mob for allegedly carrying beef in a van in Jharkhand late last month.

"Many Muslims have been assaulted or verbally abused and forced to chant a religious slogan by some outfit, who tell us (Muslims) to go to Pakistan. I say, we will not go to Pakistan. I was born here and India is also my motherland," Irshad told a packed hall at the Constitution Club here.

The 55-year-old Pehlu Khan was brutally beaten, after being intercepted by the vigilantes in Alwar, while he and his two sons, Irshad and Arif, were travelling in a pick-up car, carrying cattle from Jaipur.

"My father had been in dairy farming for a long time. We were transporting the cattle with all the required permits, but the vigilantes threatened us then started assaulting us with belts, sticks, metal knuckle-caps. My father was punched in the eye and hit in stomach. He bled profusely, and, on April 3, he died at a hospital," said 19-year-old Arif, who still trembles recalling the incident.

Pehlus uncle Hussain Khan, who also attended the event, alleged that "pressure was being exerted" to ensure "bail for the accused".

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"We want justice for Pehlu. If these accused are allowed to go scot-free, we, the family, will go to the court in Rajasthan and commit suicide there," said Hussain, as the hall fell silent.

"Our loyalty and allegiance is questioned. We are being called beef-eaters and asked to leave the country and settle in Pakistan. Why are we Muslims being forced to prove our patriotism and nationalism," Hussain asked.

His forefathers, he said, had sacrificed their lives for the countrys freedom.

"This (India) is also our country, our homeland. And, we will live here," Hussain asserted.

Historian and former professor of history at the Delhi University D N Jha also spoke at the event, which was attended by people from various sections of society. PTI KND BDS

--- ENDS ---
LINCOLN  Gov. Pete Ricketts ordered a review Thursday of the 7.5 million words in state rules and regulations.

He said the review represents his latest effort to grow Nebraska by making government more effective, efficient and customer-focused.

The governor signed an executive order directing all state agency heads to look at their rules and regulations.

The agency directors are to submit a report by Nov. 15 identifying any of their agency rules that can be eliminated or modified to ease the burden of red tape on Nebraskans.

Ricketts said the reviews are to consider whether each rule is necessary to protect the public health, safety and welfare or required under state or federal law.

The reviews also are to look at whether the rules have been analyzed to compare costs and benefits, whether their effectiveness can be measured and whether other, less-restrictive alternatives can achieve the same ends.

The governor said he does not know how much time and resources the review will take.

His executive order halts all current rule-making efforts, unless the rules are critical to the health, safety and welfare of citizens or mandated by law.

Spokesman Taylor Gage said the freeze on rule-making should free up time for the review.

Ricketts said the initiative builds on a study of state regulations done by the Mercatus Center at George Mason University.

James Broughel, a research fellow at the centers State and Local Policy Project, said the study found more than 100,000 restrictive words in Nebraskas regulations.

Those include words such as shall, must, may not and required.

He said the State Departments of Health and Human Services and of Environmental Quality have the largest number of regulations. HHS is the states largest agency.
OSHKOSH  Mike Piva grew up on a farm in small-town western Nebraska, where his family had lived for generations.

Like many young Nebraskans, he left town after high school to continue his schooling, studying education at what was then known as Kearney State College. He moved on after graduation, getting into the insurance business in Phoenix, Arizona.

There he met Mark Ferrari, a Pennsylvania native who went to military school but entered the coffee business, raising beans with his sister on the slopes of Hawaiis big island and becoming a master in the art of roasting coffee. Ferrari had moved to Phoenix in 1994 to handle production on the mainland.

As a farm kid, Piva was interested in how the product was produced.

I kept running in both of them at trade shows, social events and fundraisers, he said. I went to their farm in Hawaii.

For tiny Oshkosh, the rest is economic history. The two formed a partnership, created their own coffee line and now roast, package and ship coffee all over the United States from the post office in Oshkosh.

We already shipped our product all over the United States and we figured we didnt have to be in Arizona, Piva said. I always wanted to come back to my hometown.

Ferraris sister still has the original family company, Hawaiian Mountain Gold Coffee Company, and grows much of the coffee for both companies in the Kona region of Hawaii, considered one of the worlds prime coffee growing regions, with the right blend of soil, temperature and rainfall. The farm is near the town of Holualoa on the west side of the island, at 1,600 feet elevation.

Its considered the heart of Kona coffee country, Ferrari said.

After nearly a decade doing business in Phoenix, he and Piva decided to start their own company in 2003.

I wanted to have more freedom and to pursue my own signature line, Ferrari said. We still do all of the familys roasting and production on the mainland.

The company, still headquartered in Phoenix, needed to grow, but land prices were high. In 2007, Piva suggested moving the production portion of the operation to Oshkosh, where land and buildings would be less expensive and the company could find quality help.

He was the one who suggested that money goes a lot farther in Nebraska, Ferrari said. I had to get sold on it. We were coming up from Denver and finally got off the freeway and Mike said, Weve still got an hour to go.

They found a 5,000-square-foot building that had housed an implement dealership and later an auto repair shop. It had the space the production operation would require for roasting, blending, packaging and shipping the product.

It was covered with engine parts and lifts and grease, Ferrari said. But the size was perfect.

The company was embraced by local and state economic development officials, who helped get the Nebraska end of the business up and running. For a time, the partners traded time in Phoenix and Oshkosh.

We quickly grew," Piva said. It just took off. Where we were didnt matter.

The factory operates on First Avenue in the downtown area, employing five area residents as well as seasonal help. For a time, the company opened a separate coffee shop a few blocks away on Highway 26, but found it easier to operate with a coffee shop in the factory. Vistors can enjoy a cup of fresh-brewed coffee, purchase bagged coffee, other goods and gifts and enjoy the aroma from the Italian-built industrial coffee roaster out back.

In addition to Mark Ferrari Specialty Coffees signature line, the company also also roasts and packages coffees for a few clients. Its own coffee is sold through its website, through Amazon.com and in selected department and specialty stores.

Although some blended and flavored coffees  using beans from Asia, Africa, South and Central America  are among the product lines, Our forte is Kona grown coffee, Ferrari said.

The factory has also become a local tourist attraction. Last year, it was on the Nebraska Tourism Commissions Nebraska Passport Program, which invites travelers to visit 80 selected attraction throughout the state and collect stamps to earn prizes.

It was huge, Piva said. We never expected it to be that big.

After 10 years, the move to Oshkosh has been a boon for the company and for the town, Ferrari said.

We promote this product as Hawaii-grown, Nebraska-roasted.
SIDNEY  Although Sidney earned quite a reputation as a rip-roaring frontier town, with saloons, brothels, gambling halls, an infamous train robbery and its own Boot Hill, much of the history in the Fort Sidney Museum and Post Commanders Home focuses on the towns deep military roots.

Unlike some Old West towns with a continuous military presence, Sidney twice hosted major military outposts: Fort Sidney in the late 1800s and the Sioux Ordnance Depot, which opened in the World War II era and served through the mid-1960s. Both marked boom times for a town thats also seen its share of oil and crop busts.

Both the town and the fort were named for Sidney Dillon, a New York attorney for the Union Pacific Railroad. Both were founded in 1867 and grew up around the newly built railroad. The city was a stopping point for freight bound from rail cars for the the 267-mile Sidney-Black Hills Stage Road, which crossed Clarkes Bridge on the North Platte River near Bridgeport and served as a supply point for Fort Robinson. Following skirmishes between hostile Native American tribes and railroad workers, the U.S. Army set up Sidney Barracks as an infantry post, commanded from Fort Sedgwick in Colorado, to protect track-laying crews from attacks. It began as a blockhouse with soldiers housed in tents. After Fort Sedgwick was closed, it became an independent command, re-named Fort Sidney. At one point it housed about 1,000 soldiers, including infantry and cavalary, a few of whom ended their careers at Boot Hill.

The Sidney Black Hills Stage Road served the Red Cloud and Spotted Tail Indian Agencies and the Black Hills boom towns of Custer and Deadwood in South Dakota. The citys website says that by 1875 the fort, near its southern terminus, contained quarters for three companies, five officers quarters, a hospital, guardhouse, bakery, laundry, stables and other structures. Captain Walter Reed, namesake of the Walter Reed Army Medical Hospital in Washington, D.C., served at Fort Sidney from 1882-1884 as the post surgeon. Frontier legends Buffalo Bill Cody, Wild Bill Hickok, Jesse and Frank James and Calamity Jane were among visitors to the town. The fort served until 1894, when it was decommissioned.

The fort closed in 1894 and the buildings were sold in 1899, said Duane Nightingale, a member of the Cheyenne County Historical Association who volunteers as a guide at the museum during the tourism season. Many of them were torn down or moved to other locations.

The association owns the museum and Post Commanders Home, and members rotate guide duties on weekends. This summer, both buildings are among 80 stops on the Nebraska Passport program operated by the Nebraska Tourism Commission, which encourages visitors to collect stamps and learn more about the state while qualifying for prizes.

The Fort Sidney Complex includes the Cheyenne County Museum at Sixth and Jackson streets, housed in a former duplex that served as married officers quarters, the Port Commanders Home, which has been restored and outfitted with late 19th-century furnishings, and a nearby octagonal block powder magazine. All three buildings are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Thats all thats we have left of the old fort. Everything else is gone now, Nightingale said.

Visitors usually tour the museum first and then walk a half-block down Sixth Avenue, the old fort parade grounds, past a few homes left from the cavalry era that today are in private hands.

The historical association began acquiring buildings, buying the Commanders Home in 1963 and the mueum building in 1974, Nightingale said. We started putting everything back. We opened up the former duplex to create one space.

The museum includes a lot of military displays but also has tools and furnishings, frontier living exhibits, clothing, quilts, news clippings and significant local artifacts, such as memorabilia from Sheriff James M. Nelson, who lost his life in the line of duty.

The Post Commanders Home contains only history from the Fort Sidney era.

Everything in this building is from 1892 and back. Nothing is newer, Nightingale said. Some of the furnishings were here at the time of the fort.

Holiday events at the complex include an old-fashioned Christmas celebration. Community organizations decorate rooms in the Post Commanders Home and the museum, and during Thanksgiving weekend it offers Lamplight Tours with living history reenactments.

We have people playing the piano and singing Christmas carols. Its very pretty, he said.

World War II brought a return of troops, when the Army selected Sidney to house a storage facility for bombs and explosives. Opened in 1942, the Sioux Ordnance Depot sprawled across nearly 20,000 acres northwest of town. It housed 22 supply warehouses, 392 support buildings, 225 family living quarters, 51 miles of railroad tracks, 203 miles of roads and a seldom-used grassy airfield. For a time it housed prisoners of war from Italy and Germany. It employed up to 2,161 civilians and served Nebraska during World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. The depot was initially under the command of the U.S. Army Ordnance Department and later the U.S. Army Materiel Command, offering dry, mid-continent storage for small arms, bombs, parts, vehicles and other materials. Its best known for its 801 ammunition storage igloos, whose earthen humps still shape the irregular skyline west of Gurley. The depot was deactivated in 1967. Photos, scrapbooks, desks, office materials and other relics from the depot are among the exhibits in the museum.

The Fort Sidney Museum and Post Commanders Home are open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and weekends 1 to 4 p.m. The office can be reached at 308-254-2150.
Emergency crews responded Friday morning after a tractor trailer tipped over on Highway 90 near Monticello Elementary School.

Highway 90 was temporarily closed near the site of the crash, which happened shortly after 7 a.m.

Trooper G. J. Barnes with the N.C. Highway Patrol said a tire blew out on the truck as it was turning right from Highway 64 onto Highway 90. The incident caused the truck, which was carrying 70,000 pounds of paper, to tip over.

When it blew out my truck went to the left a little and the cargo shifted and the truck came down, Troy Busby, the driver, said. Once I made the turn and felt the truck turn over I was asking God, please let me make it all right, please let me be all right.

No other vehicles were involved. Busby was not injured and managed to climb out a window.

Busby, 40, from South Carolina, said he was delivering the paper to Pratt Industries in Statesville, about a mile from the crash.

Busby added he put new tires on the truck last week. The truck is no longer operable, troopers said.

Iredell County Emergency Management Director Kent Greene said an estimated 60 to 100 gallons of diesel spilled onto the road. Much of the fuel was cleaned up, but some spilled toward a storm drain.

The Division of Water Quality responded to investigate.
A St. Louis clergyman is offering prayers to a package thief.

Bishop Francis Krebs only hopes that can convince whoever stole the box outside his home in The Gate neighborhood to do the right thing.

Inside the stolen U.S. Postal Service package was a handmade religious garment sewn by Krebs sister. Members of the clergy wear the item, known as a stole, during liturgical services.

Im sure he was surprised when he opened the box, Krebs said.

Krebs realized the package was stolen from his home in the 3000 Block of Eads Avenue on Thursday evening after his neighbors snapped a picture of a man riding away on a bicycle with a U.S. Postal Service box on the back.

They asked Krebs about it, and he realized it must be the stole.

I just hope he didnt throw it away, Krebs said. Because it really doesnt have any monetary value, but it has a lot of heart value to me.

Krebs is presiding bishop of the Ecumenical Catholic Communion, a Catholic denomination not associated with the Roman Catholic Church. He is also pastor of Sts. Clare & Francis in Webster Groves where he hoped to wear the garment.

It is one of a kind, Krebs said.

His five sisters found the woven cloth used to make the stole on a trip to Guatemala. Then his sister, Sue Krebs-Smith, hand-sewed it and sent it to her brother from her home in Washington, Krebs said.

Krebs says he has no interest in pressing charges, but asks whoever has the stole to return it.

They could probably just drop it off at any local church, and they could get it to me, Krebs said.

Krebs plans to pray for the man every time he wears the stole if it is returned.

I dont say that lightly, Krebs said. I believe in the power of prayer.

But if it is never found, Krebs hopes to focus on the love his sisters showed, not on the physical gift they sent. And they may even be plotting to send a new stole his way, he said.

Next time, Krebs said, they may not trust the mail.
Pakistan-Afghanistan- Tajikistan have expressed their firm resolve to fight terrorism and extremism through strong interaction.

The resolve was expressed at a meeting of leaders of the three countries held in Pugus palace near Dushanbe in Tajikistan on Thursday.

Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, Tajik President Emomali Rahmon, and Afghan President Muhammad Ashraf Ghani recognized the importance of strengthening trilateral as well as multilateral cooperation in fight against extremism, terrorism, drug trafficking and other organized crimes.

The three countries called for constructive cooperation for regional sustainable development.

During the meeting Pakistan and Tajikistan acknowledged that a stable Afghanistan is a factor for further integration of the region's countries.

Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif, Advisor to Prime Minister Sartaj Aziz and Commerce Minister Khurram Dastagir Khan also attended Meeting.
Minister for Interior Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan and Vice President of Facebook Joel Kaplan Friday discussed steps and actions being taken to remove blasphemous content that is illegal in Pakistan.

Facebook, on its part, has reiterated its commitment to keep platform safe and promote values that are in congruence with its community standards. It also committed to remove fake accounts, explicit, hateful and provocative material that incites violence and terrorism.

Giving details of the meeting, a spokesperson of Ministry of Interior said this is for the first time that a senior member of Facebook management dealing with Global Public Policy has visited Pakistan to discuss way forward towards addressing issue of misuse of social media platforms, especially Facebook which has over 33 million users in Pakistan.

The minister, the spokesperson said, has been playing a proactive role in engaging Internet Service Providers and finding solution to issue of misuse of social media.

This also included convening of a special meeting of ambassadors of the Muslim countries in March on a single point agenda to discuss blasphemous content on social media and how to effectively raise voice of entire Muslim world against madness unleashed against Islam and holy personalities in name of freedom of expression.

This was followed by a meeting of the minister with secretary general OIC on April 11, on this issue.

The minister said entire Muslim Ummah is greatly disturbed and has serious concerns over misuse of social media platforms to propagate blasphemous content.

Nothing is more sacred to us than our religion and our holy personalities, the minister observed.

He said the government of Pakistan firmly believes in freedom of expression but we cannot allow anyone to misuse social media for hurting religious sentiments or undertaking unlawful activities.

Chaudhry Nisar said, We appreciate understanding shown by Facebook administration and cooperation being extended to us on these issues.

The minister also appreciated Facebook for bridging communication gaps and providing people a platform not only to interact but also serving as a vehicle for promotion of education, businesses, socio-economic development and empowering women in the country.

To further this purpose in Pakistan, the minister also encouraged Facebook to open up office in Pakistan.

Local offices of service providers would not only help them extending their outreach but would also be instrumental in bringing the government and service providers further closer to each other and forge a mutually beneficial partnership, the minister continued.

During the meeting, Kaplan highlighted various initiatives of Facebook that are aimed at skill development and economic growth programmes in Pakistan, working with developers, small businesses and women in the country.

He said Facebooks Developers Circles- a free community-led programme for developers to connect, learn and collaborated with other local developers  have been started in Lahore and Karachi and would be launched in Islamabad soon.

Lahore is one of the largest developer circles in the world with more than 2,000 community members.

Kaplan also informed the minister that Facebook has recently launched a digital literacy campaign called iChamp with a goal to touch secondary schools on a mass scale across Pakistan to educate youth on benefits and safe use of internet.

The programme will be supported by Facebooks Free Basic project that provides free access to dozens of fun and learning websites.

Covering 76 districts across all four provinces, Gilgit Baltistan and Azad Kashmir, an estimated 600,000 students will be trained by experts through Free Basics with free handbook and other resources.

Chaudhry Nisar appreciated various initiatives of Facebook and observed that there was a need to further strengthen our collaboration by exploring new avenues of cooperation.
Shortage of PHIs hinders battle against raging dengue View(s):

A serious shortage of Public Health Inspectors (PHIs) is hindering efforts to battle the dengue epidemic raging across the country.

Trainees are filling in the gaps.

For all of the 25 districts there are 1,900 PHIs, the Sunday Times learns.

Field visits to check mosquito breeding sites is proving difficult because there are not enough PHIs, a union claims.

The general rule is that for a population of 9,000 one PHI is appointed, but with them having to carry out more inspections, this equation is around one PHI for a population of 20,000, according to data made available by the Public Health Inspectors Union of Sri Lanka.

Consultant community physician at the National Dengue Control Unit, Dr. Preshila Samaraweera admits there is a shortage of PHIs. Because the PHIs are insufficient we have been told to use students who are training to be PHIs, she said.

Secretary of the Public Health Inspectors Union, Siripala Kapipearachchi told the Sunday Times that recruitment has also fallen short. He said more than 20 PHIs are awaiting appointments.

One PHI extending his services to another area amounts to one PHI being appointed for a population of 20,000 or sometimes more, he said.

There are about 1,900 PHIs and six training centres. The training centres are in Kalutara, Galle, Kadugannawa, Kurunegala, Jaffna, and Batticaloa.

According to Mr Kapipearachchi, about 275 graduate every year. This number varies when 30-40 students drop out during the one-and-half year programme.

And worse, only a few apply for PHI courses.

Mr Kapipearachchi conceded that this is also a contributory factor to the lack of PHIs.

He said that the maximum student intake at the Kalutara training centre is 100 and other centres can enrol just 50 students.

He pointed to that 22 students who graduated from Galle are still awaiting appointments.

Dengue cases: 71,000 and counting Dengue has claimed the lives of 215 Sri Lankans in the past six months and the number of cases from every district is on the increase with at least four to five cases being reported every day. The number of dengue cases is 71,298. In Colombo alone 15,763 are infected. Yet another two-week anti-dengue programme began on Tuesday in the WestenProvince, Dr. Samaraweera said. It will involve 1,500 teams including PHIs, police, tri-forces, and officials of divisional secretariats.

Data held up Updates on the dengue epidemic by the Epidemiology Unit had been interrupted because of the postal strike, the Sunday Times learns. Officials said hospitals communicate the numbers by filling out a form and posting it. The last update was on Friday, June 23.
The Bay of Plenty Pug Club, a Facebook group for pug owners in the Bay of Plenty, is holding a Hug a Pug fundraiser to raise money for NZ Pug Rescue.

The fundraiser will take place on Saturday, July 8 at the Zee Market, Elizabeth St, Tauranga.

In addition to being able to Hug a Pug, there will also be a raffle for a basket of donated goodies.

NZ Pug Rescue provides medical care and rehoming to pugs in need, and is 100 per cent dependent on public donations. No pug is turned away, regardless of the state of their health. NZ Pug Rescue takes all the necessary steps to return a pug to wellness, and this often involves ongoing healthcare and medicine, including operations. The pugs then have to be homed, fed and registered. This can become very costly.

Due to the rising popularity of the pug and French bulldog, pet owners need to become more aware of the specific health needs and risks associated with these breeds, which if left neglected, can cause a dog to suffer. This includes encouraging potential pug owners to do their research before selecting a pup, to ensure they are dealing with an ethical and responsible breeder.

Their past lives werent the best and we hope we can make up for that as best we can, says NZ Pug Rescue carer, Brenda Gordon who currently has around 16 pugs in her care.

The fundraiser will be a great indoor activity for the whole family to enjoy. For more information on NZ Pug Rescue visit www.nzpugrescue.webs.com

To donate to NZ Pug Rescue search for funding4theloveofpugrescue on the Givealittle website www.givealittle.co.nz
A gang accused of being behind conning 500 British people out of money for timeshare resales has been detained on the Costa del Sol. The alleged ringleader of those arrested is also from the UK.

National Police arrested 36 people in connection with the fraud that is thought to have brought in over 17 million euros. Among items seized in five raids across the area are luxury cars, including a Ferrari, a yacht, over 126,000 euros in cash, ten luxury watches and various precious stones.

Investigating officers say that the gang was involved in taking deposits from unsuspecting owners of timeshare with a promise to sell on the rights to annual holidays they had to other interested buyers or allowing them to buy another holiday package instead of their timeshare. Victims were said to have handed over between 600 and 3,000 euros each as commission but never received anything back in return. The offences allegedly took place between 2009 and 2013.

In addition to the Costa-based British man, they say the mans wife, son and daughter-in-law were also at the heart of the operation, as well as a Malaga-based firm of lawyers that allegedly helped launder the money that was being collected.

Of the 17 million euros collected from the timeshare owners, some 12 million euros were net profit to the gang, say investigators, once commissions had been paid to a network of people dedicated to finding prospective victims and also laundering on the money afterwards.

In the case of the people who supposedly helped launder the money, those involved handed over details of their bank accounts, where the black money was deposited in return for a commission from the gang. The profits were reinvested in property, officers believe.

The scam was first reported in October last year by a Benalmadena-based lawyer, who is representing 33 of the alleged victims. Operation Manta, as it has been called by police, has seen five searches so far; three in private homes, one in a law firm and one in a Velez-Malaga-based company.

National police chiefs in Malaga are saying that the detentions havent finished yet as arrests in different parts of the collaboration chain in other areas, mainly in the Balearics and Canary Islands are pending.

They said that it has been a very complicated eight-month investigation, adding that the alleged head of the group and at least ten others were supposedly involved in another, similar, scam that came to light in 2015 and named at the time Operation Tormenta.

The governments representative in Malaga, Miguel Briones, congratulated the force on their work so far, which, in his view, has helped to allay concerns in both the tourist industry and the British community on the coast.
Spanish and Bulgarian police have broken up an organised criminal prostitution network centred on Puerto Banus, Marbella.

In a joint operation, 34 people were arrested in both countries for supposedly forming part of a gang that was aiming to take control of the exploitation of women in the area stretching from Torremolinos to Puerto Banus.

Thirteen female victims, who had purportedly been lured to Spain from their native Bulgaria then forced into prostitution, were freed, police have said.

The investigation started in September 2014 after a Bulgarian woman, who had been held captive, managed to escape and went to police in Marbella.

The women were watched all day so that they didnt talk to each other

The local investigation soon revealed the scale of the operation, with the alleged criminals travelling constantly between Spain and Bulgaria. As a result, Bulgarian police and justice officials became involved under the auspices of Europol and Eurojust.

The partnership between both countries unearthed a network of people in Bulgaria who looked for women in the poorest districts of the country, convincing them to come to Spain for a better life.

Once the victims agreed, the members of the group travelled with them to Malaga airport where they were met by other criminals from the network who took them to apartments in Torremolinos. Here they joined other women who were already in the country.

According to investigators, at this point the new arrivals were told that they would be working as prostitutes and were placed under constant guard. Those who refused were subjected to violence and warned that harm could come to their families back in Bulgaria. Many women had left children back home.

The women were obliged to find customers in the streets and bars of Puerto Banus, being taken there by their minders daily. They then used hotels or apartments in the Banus area with their clients. Moreover, they were encouraged to steal personal belongings from the men they had met, including watches, credit cards and cash. Some women also used the stolen credit cards to withdraw money for the gang.

The level of control was such that those behind the ring even reportedly specified the profile of client that the women had to look for:foreign tourists wearing expensive items and preferably drunk. Money raised from the ring was sent back to Bulgaria, police say.

In total, 21 searches were carried out in Torremolinos, Marbella and Estepona and a further 15 in Bulgaria. Large amounts of cash, watches and sleeping drugs were found.
Torremolinos continues to bolster its role as one of the most popular destinations for LGBTI tourism, thanks to the foresight and determination of the towns mayor, Jose Ortiz. The Mayor of Torremolinos has recently been voted one of the most influential allies of the LGBTI community in Spain. The mayor was ranked third by an on-line journal (El Confidencial), which published a list of people who stand out in the struggle for LGBTI rights and the fight against hate crime.

Over the past two years, Jose Ortiz and his government has supported an extensive programme aimed at the gay community and the publication highlighted the fact that Torremolinos has become the new Mecca of LGBTI tourism of the Costa del Sol.

Antonio Dominguez, president of the association of gay traders of Torremolinos (ACOGAT), said, Torremolinos is back in fashion and the future is promising because the image of the city is changing completely.
Writer Lena Dunham adopted Lamby the dog four years ago from a no-kill shelter in Brooklyn, the fulfillment of a lifelong dream the star pursued despite the canine allergies of her live-in boyfriend, musician Jack Antonoff of fun. and Bleachers.

The trio's tumultuous relationship was well-documented by Dunham from the start - she penned a New Yorker essay on her affinity for Lamby and his affinity for late-night bark sessions. Lamby made regular appearances on her Instagram account and was the subject of many a Twitter musing, often about his mischievousness and proclivity to bite.

The dog's scruffy white mug even appeared in Dunham's 2014 Vogue cover shoot, further establishing his role as central to the actress's brand.

Then suddenly last spring, Lamby disappeared.

In late June, Dunham explained why: Lamby had gone to doggie rehab, a professional facility in Los Angeles called the Zen Dog, and had been re-adopted by a former trainer with experience handling troubled canines. Dunham wrote on Instagram that Lamby "suffered terrible abuse as a pup" that made it difficult for him to live in a traditional home.

"Honesty is my jam," she said.

Now, weeks later, the Brooklyn animal shelter where Lamby first came from is contradicting the narrative Dunham delivered both in her New Yorker essay and Instagram confessional.

"When she adopted the dog from us, it wasn't crazy," Robert Vazquez, a spokesman for the BARC shelter in New York, told Yahoo in an email. "I have pictures of the dog loving on Lena and her mom, which is weird if the dog was abused. It wouldn't be cuddling with her or be in the bed with her 'boyfriend' in the pages of Vogue."

Vazquez contradicted Dunham's claims that Lamby had been abused by prior owners. She wrote in the New Yorker essay that the dog had had "three other homes, three other names, but now he's mine mine mine."

"We checked the records for Lamby," Vazquez told Yahoo. "He was 'owner surrendered, not enough time,' so we do not know where she got 'multiple owners that abused the dog.'"

Vazquez said he had been in charge of the dogs at BARC for more than a decade and was there for the four visits Dunham had with Lamby prior to adopting him.

"If Lamby had a bad past or was abused, do you think BARC would have adopted him to Lena knowing she's a new star and put her - or the dog - in that situation?" Vazquez said. "We would have told her if the dog had issues. We are a no-kill shelter. We don't lie about the dogs' histories because that gets them returned - and mentally it's not good for dogs."

These accusations, if you can even call them that, are hardly crisis-inducing, but they play into the hand of Dunham's critics, who have accused her of being tone deaf or skewing facts in her personal writings. Her depiction of a sexual assault she experienced in college was called into question by conservative blogs after she published it in her memoir, "Not That Kind of Girl," and in 2016 she caught heat for writing in her newsletter that Odell Beckham Jr. ignored her at the Met Ball because she wasn't attractive enough.

Most recently, she sparked outrage when she remarked during her "Women of the Hour" podcast that "I still haven't had an abortion, but I wish I had."

She later apologized for her Beckham and abortion comments, something the fiery and unfiltered writer has had to do on several occasions since rocketing into the public eye when Girls, her wildly popular HBO show, premiered in 2012.

For Lamby, though, Dunham will not say sorry.

"It's come to my attention that the staff at the shelter where I adopted Lamby have a very different account of his early life and behavioral issues than I do," Dunham wrote on Instagram late Thursday night in response to the Yahoo interview with BARC Shelter. "While I'm sorry to have disappointed them, I can't apologize."

Dunham said that the dog "was and is one of the great loves of my life" but that his aggression was unpredictable and unmanageable. She once shared a photo of her bleeding after Lamby had reportedly bitten her, and she wrote in her New Yorker essay that the dog bit her boyfriend. He ruined furniture, Dunham claimed, and sometimes even drank his own urine.

"Why should this story be subject to scrutiny and anger?" Dunham wrote Thursday. "It is willfully misunderstanding the truth. I hope those judging can imagine the incredible pain of letting go of your favorite creature on EARTH because you know you can't help them be healthy and happy. I would never say an unkind word about the staff of BARC, what they do is amazing and life saving for these animals - but we have different accounts of Lamby's behavior and they were not present in my home nor did they live with him for an extended period. They did not witness the consistent and responsible care I provided.

Dunham said that of all the "micro-scandals" she has experienced, "this one hurts MOST."

Earlier this year, Dunham adopted two bronze-colored poodles named Karen and Susan, both of which she flaunted on a recent appearance on "The Tonight Show" with Jimmy Fallon. The actress and writer often features rescue dogs that need adopting on her Instagram page and has been a prominent advocate for animal welfare.

"We are deeply grateful to Lena and Jack for finding Lamby a loving home where he can do just that," Michelle Cho, a spokesperson for the Humane Society of the United States, told Yahoo. "Lena is a wonderful advocate for dog adoption and hope she will continue to use her platform to spotlight the homeless animal crisis and urge her legions of fans to consider rescuing."

Last month, after Dunham told her fans that Lamby had gone to doggy rehab, his new owner Dani Shay posted about the situation on Instagram.

"Thank you Lena, for rescuing Lamby and being a dedicated parent/angel to him," Shay wrote. "I'm sure you know how much he loves and appreciates you. And yes, it's true, he does still drink from 'the golden tap' now and then, but that's our weird little boy! He's working on it."
SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- A school teacher accused of fatally shooting his brother-in-law on Independence Day after a fight between them is again a free man.

James Ball posted a $150,000 bail bond shortly after 4 p.m. Friday and walked out of the Onondaga County jail, said Sgt. Jon Seeber, a spokesman for the Onondaga County Sheriff's Office.

It was not clear who put up the cash or collateral for the bail bond, Seeber said.

James Ball.

Ball, 55, had been in jail clothes Thursday during a bail hearing on a second-degree murder charge. He is accused of intentionally killing his wife's brother, Christopher Ross, 40, inside the Balls' 8468 Chinkapin Circle house in Cicero.

No bail was set for Ball when he was arrested Tuesday.

During Thursday's bail hearing Ball's lawyer, Steve Cambareri, asked that bail be set at $10,000 cash or $50,000 bond. He said Ball was a lifelong Central New York resident and a Navy veteran. He is a 14-year teacher, most recently teaching 4th grade at Smith Road Elementary School in North Syracuse.

Cambareri said he was exploring a possible self-defense strategy on Ball's behalf -- the same strategy used by the Armory Square shooter in a killing on Thanksgiving Day.

Prosecutor Michael Kasmarek said that Ross, the victim, was shot four times. To show intent, Kasmarek said that Ball had retrieved a rifle, loaded it, then made comments about taking Ross's life before firing.

Kasmarek asked for bail to be set at $500,000 cash or bond.

County Court Judge Thomas J. Miller set bail at $150,000 cash or bond.

Reporter Douglass Dowty contributed to this story.
SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- A man suspected of murdering one person in New Jersey during a double shooting was found in a Syracuse basement.

Alquan B. Council, 27, of Newark, New Jersey, was arrested around 5:45 a.m. Friday by Syracuse Police Department detectives. He was found hiding in the basement of 522 W. Ostrander Ave., said Detective George Hack.

Armed with a shotgun, Council opened fire on two men in Newark on June 25, Hack said. He then fled over 200 miles to Syracuse.

Rayshawn Ross, a 39-year-old Newark man, died, according to nj.com. A second man was critically injured.

Council was arrested in Syracuse without incident, Hack said. The department's warrant squad was assisted by the Essex County New Jersey Sheriff's Office.

Council was charged with murder, attempted murder, aggravated assault, unlawful possession of a weapon and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose. He is being held in the Onondaga County Justice Center pending his extradition.
SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Residents in eight apartments were forced from their homes Thursday night by a fire on the western edge of Syracuse.

Firefighters responded at 10:10 p.m. to a report of a fire in a building at 1203 Milton Ave., said Syracuse Deputy Chief Elton Davis. The firefighters found the back of the building on fire, he said.

Smoke from the fire was visible for a distance.

Shannon Smith said he and several friends walked past the building about 15 minutes before the fire started. When they were walking back that way, they realized something was wrong, Smith said.

"We saw the smoke at first," he said.

Then they turned a corner and saw flames coming from the roof at the back of the building, he said.

Firefighters ran multiple hoses and used aerial sprayers, attacking the fire from the front and back of the building.

"The crews did a good job getting in there," Davis said.

The fire was knocked down in about 40 minutes. There was heavy damage to the back of the building.

No one was hurt, Davis said, though the residents of about eight apartments were forced from their homes. The American Red Cross of Central New York arrived at the fire to help them.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Syracuse, NY -- A paperwork battle over who owns a South Side house will go to trial next week after a South Carolina man accused a Syracuse minister of trying to steal ownership.

The Rev. L. Micah Dexter is facing a felony for possessing a forged document and filing it. The document is allegedly a phony deed that prosecutors say he used to try to illegally take ownership of a West Borden Avenue residence from James Greene, of South Carolina.

Implicitly, Dexter has maintained that he is the true owner of the house.

State Supreme Court Justice John Brunetti had been pushing for a trial for weeks despite efforts by defense lawyer Graeme Spicer to come to a plea deal that might have spared Dexter any jail time.

Prosecutor Lindsey Luczka said she had no interest in resolving the case without incarceration of some sort.

Today, Dexter made it clear that he didn't appreciate any efforts to resolve the case before trial.

He complained about Spicer's urging that he take a plea deal, something that Brunetti said was simply the lawyer's job.

The judge also rejected Dexter's bid to delay the trial further, calling his complaints a "subterfuge and a ruse."

With trial certain Monday, Brunetti spent the next hour and a half going over the prosecution's witness list -- ruling which witnesses would be allowed and which wouldn't.

Among those expected to testify are four civilians flown in by the Onondaga County District Attorney's Office from out of state. Those include the victim, Greene, who says his house was stolen, and the notary public in South Carolina who signed the document that Dexter is accused of forging later.

Locally, the county clerk whose office held the allegedly phony deed is expected to testify. So is City Court Judge Kate Rosenthal, who prosecutors say was provided a copy of the phony deed in an earlier proceeding.

Brunetti ruled that Dexter's history of being evicted from other properties could not be used at trial. But Dexter's previous conviction of obstructing police during a 2014 confrontation could be used against him if he took the witness stand in his own defense (as expected).

Dexter has been an outspoken critic of city officials, including Mayor Stephanie Miner and Police Chief Frank Fowler, who he says are persecuting him for his stance on civil rights.

An altercation with the police chief in September 2014 led Dexter to complain to the city's citizen police watchdog group. The board found Fowler acted with "conduct unbecoming a police officer."

Dexter could be sent to prison for several years if found guilty by a jury of filing a phony deed over the house.

A lawsuit filed by Greene in civil court included a copy of the original signature page of a deed he signed and another one that he said Dexter stole to create the phony deed. (That lawsuit has since been dismissed on procedural -- not factual -- grounds.)

Editor's note: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated that prosecutors were considering a plea offer that did not include jail or prison. Prosecutor Lindsey Luczka said that was never on the table.
SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Members of a Bosnian community group in Central New York are hosting an event this weekend to bring awareness to the thousands of victims who were murdered in Srebrenica in 1995.

Tuesday marks the 22nd anniversary of the genocide.

The Bosnian Youth of Syracuse group is hosting a 5K run and 3K walk at 9 a.m. on Sunday at Willow Bay shelter at Onondaga Lake Park in Liverpool. Registration is $15 and will be held at 8 a.m. Participants 12 years old and under are free. This is the first year of the event.

"For the same reason we remember other atrocities such as the Holocaust, Rwanda and Cambodia, we remember Srebrenica to remind ourselves and others that in any given time there exists a possibility of people fueled with hatred and ready to commit such vicious crimes against other human beings," said Esmir Omerovic, of Bosnian Youth of Syracuse. "History is one of the most powerful teachers of life."

From 1992 to 1995 the Bosnian War was waged over the struggle for control and leadership of Bosnia. Ethnic Serbs, Muslims and Croats fought to control or divide the multiethnic state, after the larger Yugoslav state disintegrated.

In 1993, the United Nations declared Srebrenica a safe zone for Bosnian Muslims.

Srebrenica massacre began on July 11, 1995. Women and children where taken to refugee camps and the men where killed. About 8,000 were murdered in the massacre, according Genocide Watch.

As a result of the genocide, thousands of Bosnians settled in the Syracuse area. The majority are survivors of the massacre, Omerovic said.

"It's important for the Bosnian Youth of Syracuse to host this because we need to say to ourselves and others that we won't forget what happened to our families and us and we cannot be silenced in spreading the message that such atrocities need to stop," Omerovic said. "As Americans and as Bosnians who survived the genocide in Srebrenica, we are sharing these lessons with our fellow neighbors here in CNY."

A flag raising will also take place at 10 a.m. today at the Syracuse City Hall on East Washington Street.
Skaneateles, N.Y. -- With the temperature hovering at about 80 degrees, Sunday was a perfect day to be out on Skaneateles Lake. But for seven friends, a lake outing would turn grisly leaving one gravely injured and another charged with vehicular assault.



Court papers filed in the Town of Skaneateles Court give a look at what led to the accident in which a boat propeller sliced through Kyle Crosley's leg and arm, severely injuring him. Crosley, 28, of Penfield, was listed in fair condition Thursday at Upstate University Hospital.



Onondaga County Sheriff's Office deputies say Erich M. Lindhorst, 28, of Cortland, was intoxicated when he put a boat in reverse causing a propeller injure Crosley. Lindhorst has been charged with first-degree vehicular assault, boating while intoxicated and other infractions.



Here's what happened Sunday, according to witness affidavits filed in Lindhorst's court case.



Sunday started out with the seven friends meeting at around noon at Zachary L. Walter's waterfront apartment in the village of Skaneateles.

Walter, 28, hosted his friends, his parents Debbie and Gary Walter, and Brett and Becky Stover, over for food. When his parents and the Stovers left, the rest of the party decided to get in Zachary Walter's boat, which was docked at his apartment, and go for a cruise.



Walter, his girlfriend Tessa Haugen, Crosley and his fiance Cally R. Weddle, Zach McMullin, Jaclyn McMullin and Lindhorst cruised to a nearby cove near the Skaneateles Country Club.



The 19-foot, blue and white Sea Ray pulled into the sandy cove, anchoring near two other boats filled with more friends. The group on Walter's boat spent the rest of the afternoon drinking 12 ounce Miller Lights they kept in cooler, swimming and listening to music.

At about 5:45 p.m., the group of boats began breaking up. People began getting back into the boat.



"We were hanging out in the water for a couple of hours," Zachary Walter said in his statement given to deputies about an hour after the crash. "My friend Kyle (Crosley) was in the water and trying to get back on my boat. Kyle was near the back of the boat and I reached my hand out to help him back on."



Already on the boat, Weddle, 27, of Penfield, was watching Crosley, her fiance, who was the only person still in the water. He was swimming to the back of the boat, she told deputies.



"People were getting ready to go and we untied from the other boat," Lindhorst told deputies several hours after the incident. "Zack told me to pull up the anchor and we started drifting, the boat was idling. There was another boat in front of us and I looked around and didn't see Kyle behind the boat. And I didn't want to hit the boat so I put (it) in reverse. And I heard Zack yell 'No,No.' I put the boat in neutral and shut it off. "



"I believe Erich had around 10-11 beers today between 2 p.m. and the time the accident happened (about 5:45 p.m.)," Haugen said. "I was surprised when Erich started the boat so quickly because we were not in a hurry to leave and not everyone was in the boat."



As Crosley got to the rear of the boat the motor started, Weddle said.

"Although I knew that Kyle was behind the boat and near the motor, I don't think that Erich knew. Otherwise, he wouldn't have started the boat. He didn't do this intentionally."



"Once I heard the boat in gear I knew it was going to be a bad situation," Walter said. "The boat went into gear and Kyle's body got sucked under the boat."



Weddle saw Crosley go underneath the water. Panicking, she said searched the water for him.

"I saw him resurface towards the front of the boat," she said.



At the same time, Walter jumped into the water and began searching for his friend. "I found Kyle and pulled him up to the surface," he said.



People could immediately see the severity of Crosley's injuries.



Lindhorst told deputies the water was red around his friend. "I threw Kyle a buoy with a line on it and told him to tie it around his leg tight," he said.



From his vantage point in the water, Walter said "I saw a massive laceration to Kyle's right femur and could see his main vein down his femur which was shredded."



Someone threw him a rope and Walter said he used it as a tourniquet. He, McMullin and others pulled Crosley to shore putting pressure on the gaping wound to staunch the bleeding.



Seeing the deep laceration, Walter's girlfriend, Haugen, 24, of Skaneateles, told deputies she called 911.



James P. Buehler, the first assistant chief with the Skaneateles Fire Department, was one of the first emergency responders on the scene. When he arrived, he told deputies he found the victim surrounded by four or five people who had placed a tourniquet around his upper thigh.



Buehler estimated the leg wound was 4 to 5 inches long and 11 inches wide. The cut on Crosley's arm was 4 inches wide by 4 inches long, he said.



Deputy J. Hickok interviewed Crosley in the ambulance. "From where I stood inside the ambulance I could see a small amount of a very deep laceration on Mr. Crosley's right leg with a large amount of pooled blood on the floor of the ambulance," the deputy said in a statement.



Crosley told him that "while he was swimming toward the board, the motor was off. Once he got to the rear of the boat, the motor turned on at which point he was struck with the propeller," the deputy said.



"While we were in the water people were drinking on the boat, but not to the point of intoxication," Walter told deputies. "I am still unsure why Erich put the boat in gear. I am not sure what he was thinking. Erich was only in the captain's seat of the boat because he was playing music for us."



"I wasn't driving all day. I just put it in reverse. I was trying to help," Lindhorst said.



Contact Charley Hannagan anytime: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 315-470-2161.






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Appeasement is not the way to deal with Iran, and further appeasement will cause even more damage.

The Iranian regime is falling to pieces and the internal disputes are irreparable, made worse by the recent election fail for the Supreme Leader who was unable to engineer the outcome so that his favoured candidate became president.

On Saturday 1st July, the Iranian opposition held its annual Free Iran rally just outside Paris. People from all over the world attended, including tens of thousands of Iranian people and hundreds of politicians, parliamentarians and dignitaries.

The speakers highlighted how the time is right for regime change.

Almost two years on from the nuclear deal, nothing has changed in Iran. Over $100 billion dollars was freed up for Iran as a result of the deal, yet the people are still living in extreme poverty. The money, instead of being used to improve social conditions, was used to fund terror across the Middle East  Iraq, Syria and Yemen in particular.

The people are becoming restless and in the run up to the presidential election, a huge campaign was launched by PMOI (Peoples Mojahedin Organization of Iran/MEK) activists calling for justice for the 1988 massacre in which more than 30,000 political prisoners were executed. It was on such a large scale that candidate Raisi, a member of the 1988 Death Commission during the massacre, had no chance of winning the race.

After the elections, the countrys Assembly of Experts which selects the next supreme leader declared that the votes, demands and views of the people hold no significance at all.

There is no doubt that the mullahs regime must come to an end. The crises (internal and otherwise) are unsurmountable. Most importantly, unlike its neighbours in the region, Iran already has a viable and democratic alternative.

Some believe that the regime can change from within but the past few decades have shown us that this is impossible. President Rouhani was gifted with appeasement by the US during his first term. Obama turned a blind eye to every act of belligerence from Iran for fear that the nuclear deal would fall through.

The opposition and the people of Iran are in a position to effectuate great change. They have already succeeded in getting the regime to condemn Raisi for his role in the 1988 massacre. They will succeed in ensuring the regime is overthrown so that the people can finally enjoy freedom and democracy.
The event focused on a firm approach toward the Iranian government. Speakers came from around the world, including bi-partisan representatives from the US, prominent figures from the EU, as well as Saudi Prince Turki bin Faisal and a large delegation from the Syrian democratic opposition.

The event, which highlighted prospects for democratic change in Iran, condemned repression of human rights in the country, and denounced Irans record for regional intervention. Solidarity with the Iranian opposition was expressed with the rallying cry of Free Iran. It brought immediate criticism from such Iranian media outlets as Royesh Melat.

The gathering displayed the political power of Irans opposition, and captured the growing momentum for a new approach in Middle East and Washington policies regarding the clerical establishment in Iran.

Several prominent Americans spoke at the rally, including former Democratic partys nominee for Vice President and former US senator, Joe Lieberman; former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani; former House Speaker Newt Gingrich; former attorney General Michael Mukasey; former Homeland Security Secretary, Tom Ridge; former FBI director Louis Freeh; former US Ambassador to the UN, John Bolton; and Congressmen Ted Poe, Robert Pittenger and Tom Garretall. These speakers discussed the changes taking place in the international community, and the hope that it would culminate in a new approach towards Iran, as well as a strategic partnership with the Iranian opposition.

Maryam Rajavi, the President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), was the keynote speaker, who struck a hopeful note for democratic change. The ruling regime is in disarray and paralyzed as never before. Iranian society is simmering with discontent and the international community is finally getting closer to the reality that appeasing the ruling theocracy is misguided, she said. She highlighted the dire situation of the people of Iran, and commended Irans political prisoners, who supported the gathering from the depths of the regimes torture chambers. She added, The sun of change is shining on Iran, and as thousands cheered her on, declared, We are ready.

Speaking about the international community, Mrs. Rajavi said it must, Recognize the resistance of the Iranian people to overthrow the mullahs religious dictatorship and designate the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization and evict it from the entire region.

Gingrich praised the Iranian opposition and the leadership of Maryam Rajavi. She is persistent in difficult times. She is a great leader. I thank each of you on her behalf to help her make her a truly historic figure.

A vision of what the future of Iran could look like was presented by the opposition, and the broad support from around the world could make this vision a reality. The prospect for a free Iran may soon be possible. Our people want a constitution based on freedom, democracy, and equality, said NCRI President, Maryam Rajavi.
The first Pride parade ever was held on 28 June 1970 in New York to mark the first anniversary of the Stonewall riots. It didnt hold the party-like status which many believe it has gained nowadays; it was intended partially as a protest, and partially to commemorate the violence of the riots. While seas of rainbows and smiling, glittery faces showing the joy and celebration of Pride fill our screens and timelines, its important to recognise the deeper meaning behind Pride, as well as the context behind the marches. For example, 2017 marks only the fiftieth anniversary since homosexual acts between two men in private were decriminalised, but also thirty years since the infamous Section 28 was put into motion to ban promoting homosexuality (Local Government Act 1988). Pride is a wonderfully invigorating time for the LGBT+ community, and we deserve to have a huge party to celebrate our existence and visibility; still, we shouldnt lose sight of our past and our future.

Part of Prides appeal comes from the unavoidable visibility it promotes in a world where LGBT+ people are underrepresented in the media. Multi-coloured flags and bright costumes on floats are hardly inconspicuous, shouting, were here, were queer  what are you going to do about it? Its confrontational and conspiratorial, welcoming to everyone who identifies as LGBT+  or at least claiming to be, but more on inclusivity later  and challenging everyone who doesnt to reconsider their preconceptions and prejudices. For those LGBT+ people who are still in the closet, Pride is a beacon of hope for a future in which they, too, can be loud, proud, and visible. When I was younger, it was immensely reassuring to see pictures from Pride on social media, and to think that one day I might be marching too with a rainbow flag of my own wrapped around my shoulders, swept along on a wave of solidarity and celebration.

However, Pride seems to have lost its impact as a protest in recent years. Pride campaigns nowadays tend to focus on the message that Love is Love, with the current campaign in London running under the slogan Love Happens Here. Factually, there is nothing inaccurate about these statements; they may be nauseatingly simplistic, but at least they stress that there is nothing abnormal about queer people and their relationships. These sugar-sweet platitudes, however, hardly live up to the defiance of were here and were queer, which offers no apologies for being queer but recognises our differences without attempting to make them palatable to straight people.

In comparison, Love is Love is underwhelmingly meek and excludes hordes of people who fall into the catch-all acronym LGBT+. It doesnt explicitly consider trans people, since it focuses more on relationships than personal identity, and it ignores the fact that not all LGBT+ people feel romantic attraction in the same way, or even at all. You only have to look at the Purple-Red Scale (a more nuanced version of the Kinsey scale) to recognise that. Love is important, and the message which the campaign is trying to promote is equally so; however, I cant help but feel that it is relatively weak compared to the rhetorical power of previous slogans.

Somewhat cynically, I cant help but feel that Pride has become a corporate event, at least to an extent. The website for Pride in London lists its sponsors in ranks from bronze to gold, presumably reflecting the amount of money which they donate; this ranking seems unimportant given the fact that Pride shouldnt be used as an advertising campaign. Companies which sponsor Pride have often been accused of pinkwashing, which is a tactic whereby a company artificially supports LGBT+ rights to be perceived as progressive, modern, and tolerant. Thats not to say that all companies who sponsor Pride do it for the brownie points in an attempt to hook another demographic; I didnt have time to investigate every single company, but the headline sponsor, Barclays, does seem to have a watertight company policy of inclusion which affirms their position as a queer-friendly employer. However, when supporting Pride just seems to be another trendy thing for companies to improve their image, it forces you to question whether Pride has become an advertising campaign, rather than a social justice campaign.

Pride should be one of the most inclusive places for LGBT+ people, and yet it seems as though the events still have a long way to go. For people with disabilities and mental health conditions, Pride throws up a wide range of obstacles from issues with mobility to the potential for panic attacks triggered by the crowds and noise. Obviously, there are limitations to how accessible it can become; it would be difficult to have a march which didnt include marching, for example.

Pride is also financially inaccessible to many people  while most events are free at the point of access, depending on where you go, there is still the matter of getting there, and, if youre going for more than one day, staying there. For many, a trip to Pride, whether that may be in London, Manchester, or Brighton, is simply not financially viable. This, too, is another obstacle which cannot be adequately overcome; for practical and logistical reasons, it would be impossible to hold Pride events in every city and town. However, it is worth considering the various ways in which Pride is inaccessible for many LGBT+ people before seeing it as the epitome of inclusivity.

The purpose of Pride nowadays seems to be focused on the visible and vibrant celebration of LGBT+ people in a society which is still not as accepting as it may seem to be; the Independent reported in March that hate crimes against LGBT+ people have increased by 12% in the last year. The emphasis has moved from protest to party, but perhaps such an evolution serves to demonstrate increasing acceptance, particularly in the light of marriage equality which was achieved three years ago. If youre going to any Pride events, have a wonderful time celebrating; Ill be there, wearing as much glitter and rainbow paint as one small lesbian possibly can.
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With the the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) being signed in 2015, changes in Iranian-European relations were possible, but the election of Donald Trump set the United States on a very different course of foreign policy. Now, European partners must either go along with that policy, or risk of being on the wrong side when bilateral relations deteriorate further.

Member of Parliament Bob Blackman writes in an article for Conservative Home, If these trends remain consistent over the long term, there is little doubt that the EU countries will set policy on mass. They will either enable Irans return to global prominence, in line with the initial expectations of the JCPOA, or they will recognise the persistence of Iranian misbehaviour and decide to strengthen the sanctions and diplomatic pressures that are aimed at compelling Iran toward change.

After the JCPOA was implemented, Irans intervention in the Syrian and Yemeni civil wars, led to proliferation of militant groups throughout the Middle East. The Islamic Republic has also escalated its ballistic missile program in a possible violation of a UN Security Council resolution. Irans human rights abuses continue, with some 20 executions occurring in just the first three weeks after the election of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani to a second term. Although Rouhani made campaign promises of freedom for political prisoners, the prisons are filled with activists, journalists, and social media users who were swept up by the Revolutionary Guards and the Intelligence Ministry in the months preceding the vote, and Rouhani has taken no action on those promises.

The international community has been criticized by human rights organizations for allowing these human rights issues, which Blackman attributes its myopic attention to the nuclear issue and the prospects of new-found access to the Iranian oil economy.

And,many political and economic leaders in Europe are willing to continue to put economic incentives before democratic values and human rights.

These are the two courses of Middle East policy that Western leaders are trying to navigate between at the moment, and it is not at all clear which impulse will be the stronger one across the top of the EU, Blackman writes, adding, To be fair, it is not entirely clear which course Britain will choose either, as evidenced by the tortured relations between BP and would-be Iranian partners since the implementation of the JCPOA. But what should be clear to anyone who is concerned about Britains legacy in the Middle East is that it will be to our advantage if we do not feel constrained by the EU when we make our decision.

The lives and freedom of the Iranian people must be put ahead of the desire for Iranian oil. Blackman believes that the UK should act in unison with the United States, in terms of the imposition of new sanctions, the blacklist and isolation of hard-line institutions like the Revolutionary Guards, and the obstruction of Irans power-grab throughout the broader region.

Many British politicians made it clear that they agree, when on July 1st, they attended the annual Paris gathering of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), the opposition movement who calls for regime change as the solution to the problems of Tehrans behavior both in the country and the region.

The Free Iran rally drew at least100,000 Iranian expatriates and their supporters, and reached millions of native Iranians via social media and illegal satellite dishes.

Political dignitaries and academics from the EU nations also attended NCRIs annual rally. The British supporters of the NCRI there will hopefully convince the UK government to change course for the good of global stability and the future of the Iranian people, and the UK will be an example that others can follow, using their independence of the EU brought about by Brexit.
Google is reportedly facing a second fine from EU regulators over antitrust violations. This time, the fine is in relation to the Android operating system.

The EU regulators have reportedly asked for a panel of experts to weigh in on their decision regarding Google's alleged violation of EU antitrust laws.

Android Antitrust Charges

The antitrust commission has alleged that Google used the dominance of its Android operating system to manipulate the market in its favor. Reuters's sources say that Google demanded phone manufacturers to install Google Search and Google Chrome on their devices in exchange for getting access to other important Google apps. It is also alleged that Google barred manufacturers from using other versions of the Android OS.

While mainly associated with the Google variant, Android is an open-source platform, and phone manufacturers could theoretically craft their own OS. Amazon's Fire Phone, for example, used the Fire OS, which was based on an open-source version of Android. Since the main purpose of the Fire phone and Fire tablets is to get users into Amazon's own ecosystem, they weren't bothered by the lack of Play Store or Google app access. However, such a blow would likely kill any other smartphone manufacturer. In fact, it is likely part of the reason the Fire phone did so poorly.

Google's Battle With EU

Google and parent company Alphabet are recently having a difficult time with the EU. The regulatory commission recently handed down a record-breaking fine of 2.4 billion euros over the company's alleged manipulation of Google Shopping results.

Beyond that, there are two unresolved cases before the EU. The first is the aforementioned antitrust charge involving the Android OS. The second is a case involving Google's AdSense program. Allegedly, the company used its position in the market to force competitors to not make use of any ad platforms other than AdSense. The European Commission has also said that it might open more investigations into Google.

The fines themselves might be record breaking, but to a company as large as Alphabet, they aren't the real problem. A larger issue is the fact that the EU's rulings may make it easier for companies to challenge Google in European courts.

Between the threat of increased fines, more court cases, and the possibility of more investigations, Googles European problem may be just be getting started.

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Earlier estimates of climate sensitivity offered hope that the global carbon emissions may not heat up the planet to dangerous levels, but findings of a new study suggest that Earth may experience far worse temperature rises in the future than previously estimated.

Slow Mode And Fast Mode Of Warming

How the temperatures increase for a particular level of carbon emission is known as climate sensitivity. It is considered as an important measure of climate change.

Computer models have long suggested of high levels of sensitivity of up to 4.5 degrees Celsius when the atmospheric level of carbon dioxide doubles, but researchers in recent years made estimates of climate sensitivity that relied on historical temperature data that were recorded over the past century.

"The historical pattern of warming is that most of the warming has occurred over land, in particular over the northern hemisphere," Cristian Proistosescu, of Harvard University's Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences explained.

"This pattern of warming is known as the fast mode  you put CO2 in the atmosphere and very quickly after that, the land in the northern hemisphere is going to warm."

Estimates based on historical pattern of warming suggested that the temperature may not increase to more than 3 degrees Celsius, which means that the warming of the planet may be kept at safe levels with lower cuts in carbon emissions.

The findings of a new study by Proistosescu and colleagues, which was published in the journal Science Advances, however, dampened hope that countries need not drastically reduce their carbon emission levels, which is difficult and costly to achieve.

Researchers of the new study found that the low range of temperature rise based on historical observations did not take into account long-term warming patterns.

The researchers used mathematical model that parsed the fast mode and the slow mode of warming, which can take centuries to realize, within different climate models.

The findings show that estimates based on historical temperature data do not take into account the slow heating of the world's oceans that occurs over long period spanning decades and even centuries after carbon dioxide has been added to the atmosphere.

Temperature May Rise Up To 6 Degrees

The researchers found evidence suggesting of temperature increases that may even possibly reach 6 degrees, which could mean worse consequences. Global warming at its current level has already been attributed to the spread of diseases, wars, and unwanted ecological changes.

"Some have suggested that we might be lucky and avoid dangerous climate change without taking determined action if the climate is not very sensitive to CO2 emissions. This work provides new evidence that that chance is remote," said Bill Collins, of the University of Reading, in the UK.

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United National cultural agency UNESCO has voted leaving the Great Barrier Reef off its in danger list amid the world heritage sites recent destruction from massive coral bleaching.

The decision, made at the annual meeting of the World Heritage Committee (WHC) in the Polish city of Krakow, is believed to help the Australian government dodge embarrassment and deal with a damaging blow to its tourism industry.

Win For Australian Government?

This announcement overnight is a big win for Australia and a big win for the Turnbull Government, said federal environment minister Josh Frydenberg in an ABC report, adding that the governments heavy investment in the reef could take time to translate to improvements.

According to the minister, the government is standing by its Reef 2050 plan, which is coordinated and integrated with the Queensland governments efforts to defend the widely battered reef.

The committee is concerned about water quality targets as well as land clearing laws in the state. UNESCO blames land clearing as an issue in the reefs health, calling for greater efforts on the matter. Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuks administration is believed to have failed to achieve stronger tree-clearing laws through state parliament.

Palaszczuk deemed the decision good news, citing the reefs support for more than 69,000 jobs in Queensland and billions of dollars in assistance to the states economy each year.

Reef Management And Protection

The governments management of the embattled reef has come under fire for the extensive coral die-off seen in the area, which has been attributed to the strongest El Nino phenomenon in two decades and climate change impact.

The mass coral bleaching has also threatened the world heritage status of the Great Barrier Reef.

Its commitment to addressing climate change, for instance, is questioned in the fact of its relationship with fossil fuels. Coal remains the second-biggest export earner in the country.

For Alix Foster Vander Elst of Greenpeace Australia Pacific, an endangerment listing would have represented the reefs situation in a more realistic way, forcing the federal government to act on climate change.

A new report noted that the Great Barrier Reef is too big to fail, estimating its value at a staggering AU $56 billion (US $42 billion).

The reef is seen to contribute AU $6.4 billion to the Australian economy in financial year 2015 to 2016 and $3.9 billion to Queenslands economy, and the state would see its highest unemployment rate in 25 years if all Australians working there lost their jobs today.

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Doctors were fortunately able to save a Mississippi woman's hand after she contracted the flesh-eating bacteria Vibrio vulnificus from a fishing trip in the Gulf of Mexico. Hers is the third case of the bacteria in Mobile County.

Caught In A Fishing Trip

An unnamed Mississippi woman reportedly contracted the flesh-eating bacteria Vibrio vulnificus after a fishing trip she had with her husband in Fairhope Pier in Alabama.

According to reports, the 70-year-old retired teacher started experiencing symptoms of the infection after the fishing trip where she had apparently been pricked by a live shrimp after she dipped her hand into the bait bucket.

She soon began to show symptoms such as a swelling hand, fever, chills, and headaches. According to her husband, it only took three hours for her to become what he described as "deathly sick."

The couple was in the emergency room by 3 a.m. and hours later, doctors were already conducting the surgery where they removed a lot of the infected tissue from her hand. Testing confirmed the infection to be vibrio vulnificus.

The woman had another surgery to remove more infected tissue, and is scheduled to undergo reconstructive surgery. Given the circumstances, her husband stated that the doctors have described her case as a miracle, especially since most people who contract the bacteria either lose a limb or their lives.

Vibrio vulnificus is a notifiable disease in Alabama, which means that the medical personnel who treat the disease must notify the state.

Death From A Tattoo

Just last month, a man from Texas lost his life after contracting the bacteria when he went for a swim in the Gulf of Mexico just five days after getting a tattoo. Similar to the Mississippi woman, the unnamed 31-year-old experienced symptoms mere hours after the exposure.

Unfortunately, the man was more vulnerable to the disease because he also had a history of chronic liver disease. It didn't help either that his tattoo was still too fresh, giving the bacteria an easy means of entering his body.

Vibrio Vulnificus

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), people with vibriosis often get the bacteria from consuming raw or undercooked fish or, in the case of the Mississippi woman and the Texas man, exposing an open wound to seawater.

Further, they also note that people with a severe infection often require intensive care or amputation. A quarter of people with v. vulnificus infection die, and sometimes within two days after contraction.

Symptoms of vibriosis usually occur within 24 hours of the infection, and often include vomiting, nausea, cramping, chills, and fever. Though severe infections are rare, people with compromised immune systems are more at risk of experiencing complications due to the infection.

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American Red Cross has announced a critical shortage in blood supply for the summer season and requests for volunteers to participate in the several blood donation drives scheduled to address the situation.

According to a July 3 post from the organization's official Facebook page, a lower than expected blood and platelet donation for the past two months led to the current critical blood emergency.

This is not the first time that Red Cross issued a plea for blood donors since low blood donation count seems to be the sad trend in the past few years.

Short Supply Of Blood

American Red Cross is not kidding when it said it is in dire need of blood supply.

According to the organization, there have been 61,000 fewer donations in the past two months, significantly thinning its reserve. This would translate to at least four days of Red Cross not receiving any blood donations. The shortage could also be difference between life and death for those needing emergency blood transfusions.

"It's crucial that people donate now to meet the needs of patients every day and to be prepared for emergencies that require significant volumes of donated blood ... right now these heroes are needed to give as soon as possible," Red Cross Blood Services communications director Nick Gehrig expressed.

The organization also reveals that the Fourth of July weekend tend to have the least volunteer turnouts during blood donation drives since most people are having a vacation.

Where And How To Help Out

While blood donations are usually already challenging, the summer season is even more so because many people have scheduled trips as part of their vacation. However, those who are still willing to extend their assistance to Red Cross and help save lives may check the website to see whether a blood drive is scheduled in the city they will go to.

All a volunteer has to do is to enter the zip code of the location to determine if they can make an unscheduled donation.

For those in Georgia who want to donate as soon as possible, Red Cross centers in Georgia already have scheduled blood drives from July 6 to 9. Here are the schedules and donations accepted:

July 6, Thursday

 Savannah Blood Donation Center (Blood & Platelets), 12 noon to 8 p.m.

 Memorial Health University Medical Center (Blood only), 2 p.m. to 7 p.m.

 Columbia Blood Donation Center (Blood, Platelets & Power Red), 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

July 7, Friday

 Walmart (Blood & Power Red), 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

July 7 and 8, Friday and Saturday

 Savannah Blood Donation Center (Blood & Platelets), 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.

 Columbia Blood Donation Center (Blood, Platelets & Power Red), 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 6 a.m. to 1 p.m.

July 9, Sunday

 Columbia Blood Donation Center (Platelets), 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Important information may also be found in the free Red Cross Blood App for iOS and Android.

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The fastest-moving stars that zip through the Milky Way galaxy are likely fugitives from another galaxy, findings of a new study have revealed.

Hypervelocity Stars

Although scientists suspect that the Milky Way hosts about 10,000 of these galactic objects known as hypervelocity stars, only about 20 of these stars have been directly observed in our galaxy.

Based on computer simulations using data from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, scientists said they suspect these speeding stars were originally from a small satellite galaxy called Large Magellanic Cloud. Each of these stars was also once the other half of a binary star system, wherein two stars orbit one another.

Galactic Fugitives

Researchers said that explosive breakups likely sent these stars speeding so fast that they escaped their home galaxy's gravitational pull and wandered into the Milky Way.

"These stars have just jumped from an express train  no wonder they're fast," said Rob Izzard, from the Institute of Astronomy, who is part of the study published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.

"This also explains their position in the sky, because the fastest runaways are ejected along the orbit of the LMC towards the constellations of Leo and Sextans."

May Shed More Light On Milky Way, Dark Matter And The Sagittarius A Black Hole

With mass equivalent to that of 4 million suns, scientists said these hypervelocity stars, which travel at several hundred kilometers per second, govern the orbit of the stars in the vicinity.

Scientists also think these objects are important in the study of the overall structure of the Milky Way as they have zipped through the large expanse of our galaxy.

"These are stars that have traveled great distances through the Galaxy but can be traced back to its core  an area so dense and obscured by interstellar gas and dust that it is normally very difficult to observe  so they yield crucial information about the gravitational field of the Milky Way from the center to its outskirts," said Elena Maria Rossi, from Leiden University in the Netherlands.

Rossi is part of a team that discovered six new hypervelocity stars using the artificial brain of the European Space Agency's Gaia satellite.

Researchers also think studying how these stars travel may unveil the secrets of dark matter and the supermassive black hole that lies at the center of our galaxy. Although the dark matter halo is not visible, its gravity acts on stars, and scientists can gain insights from a star's trajectory and velocity that are influenced by gravity from different parts of the Milky Way.

"If you're looking at a herd of cows, and one starts going 60 mph, that's telling you something important," Ben Bromley, from University of Utah, said after the discovery of a bright hypervelocity star in 2014. "You may not know at first what that is. But for hypervelocity stars, one of their mysteries is where they come from  and the massive black hole in our galaxy is implicated."

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By Marjorie Cohn on 6 July 2017 for Truth Out -

Image above: A US Air Force MQ-1B Predator unmanned aerial vehicle, carrying a Hellfire air-to-surface missile lands at a secret air base in the Persian Gulf region on January 7, 2016. Photo by John Moore.From original article.

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SUBHEAD: Congress must reclaim war-making authority from President Trump by repealing the AUMF.The House Appropriations Committee unexpectedly passed an amendment to the Department of Defense Appropriations bill last week that would repeal the Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF) passed by Congress in 2001 after the 9/11 terrorist attacks.If this effort to revoke the AUMF proves successful, the repeal would effectively limit Donald Trump's ability to use military force against North Korea, Iran and elsewhere.In the 2001 AUMF, Congress authorized the president to use military force against groups and countries that had supported the 9/11 attacks. Congress rejected the George W. Bush administration's request for open-ended military authority "to deter and preempt any future acts of terrorism or aggression against the United States." ISIS (also known as Daesh) did not exist in 2001.Although Congress limited the scope of the AUMF, it has nevertheless been used as a blank check for military force more than 37 times in 14 different countries, according to the Congressional Research Service.Bush relied on the 2001 AUMF to invade Afghanistan and start the longest war in US history. Barack Obama used the AUMF to lead a NATO force into Libya and forcibly change its regime; ISIS then moved in to fill the vacuum.Obama also invoked the AUMF to carry out targeted killings with drones and manned bombers, killing myriad civilians. Trump relies on the AUMF for his drone strikes in Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Somalia, Libya and Afghanistan, which have killed thousands of civilians.Rep. Barbara Lee (D-California) introduced the new amendment, tweeting, "GOP & Dems agree: a floor debate & vote on endless war is long overdue." Lee was the only Congress member to vote against the AUMF in 2001. She said, "I knew then it would provide a blank check to wage war anywhere, anytime, for any length by any president."Lee clarified that her amendment would repeal "the overly broad 2001 AUMF, after a period of eight months after the enactment of this act, giving the administration and Congress sufficient time to decide what measures should replace it."It remains to be seen whether Lee's amendment will be defeated in the House of Representatives, as it is opposed by the House Foreign Affairs Committee, which said it "should have been ruled out of order" because the Appropriations Committee lacked jurisdiction over the matter.Lee's amendment raises the issue of how much war-making authority Congress should delegate to the president.The 2001 AUMF should be repealed. But Congress should not give Trump a newer, more tailored, one. Trump cannot be trusted with war-making authority.Tensions with North Korea continue to escalate. In response to Pyongyang's ballistic missile test, the Trump administration participated with South Korea in a massive live-fire ballistic missile exercise as a warning to Kim Jong-un. Trump warned he is considering " some pretty severe things ."Trump's recent saber-rattling against North Korea led Laura Rosenberger, a former State Department official who worked on North Korea issues, to warn that Trump is "playing with fire here -- nuclear fire."Trump has indicated his willingness to use nuclear weapons. As he said on MSNBC in 2016, "Somebody hits us within ISIS, you wouldn't fight back with a nuke?"Secretary of Defense James Mattis cautioned against war with North Korea. In May, he stated on CBS's "Face the Nation" that a conflict in North Korea "would be probably the worst kind of fighting in most people's lifetimes." It would be "tragic on an unbelievable scale," he said at a Pentagon press conference.Nikki Haley, US ambassador to the United Nations, warned the Security Council, "One of our capabilities lies with our considerable military forces. We will use them if we must, but we prefer not to have to go in that direction." But, she said, North Korea is " quickly closing off the possibility of a diplomatic solution ."The UN Charter requires the pursuit of peaceful alternatives to the use of military force. Christine Hong, associate professor at the University of California, Santa Cruz, wrote in the Progressive , "Unsurprisingly, few media outlets have reported on North Korea's overtures to the United States, even as these, if pursued, might result in meaningful de-escalation on both sides. To be clear: peaceful alternatives are at hand.Far from being an intractable foe, North Korea has repeatedly asked the United States to sign a peace treaty that would bring the unresolved Korean War to a long-overdue end."But Trump, not known for his patience, is unlikely to pursue a diplomatic solution for long.Moreover, his uses of military force thus far have been conducted unlawfully.Trump's drone strikes cannot be justified by the 2001 AUMF or any other act of Congress. They thus violated the War Powers Resolution.Passed in the wake of the Vietnam War, the War Powers Resolution requires the president to report to Congress within 60 days of initiating the use of military force. The Resolution allows the president to introduce US Armed Forces into hostilities or imminent hostilities in only three situations:First, after Congress has declared war, which has not happened since World War II. Second, in "a national emergency created by attack upon the United States, its territories or possessions, or its armed forces," which has not occurred. And third, when there is "specific statutory authorization," such as an AUMF.The UN Charter requires that countries settle their disputes peacefully. The Charter forbids a country from using military force against another country, except in self-defense or with the approval of the Security Council.Trump launched 59 Tomahawk cruise missiles against Syria in retaliation for an unproven claim that the Syrian government was responsible for a deadly chemical attack in Khan Sheikhoun."There's no doubt that international law, the UN Charter, prohibits the use of military force for retaliation or for reprisal, punishment," said Mary Ellen O'Connell, professor of international law at the University of Notre Dame. "You can only use military force in self-defense, and he did not."Trump's Tomahawk missiles in Syria did not comply with the UN Charter or the War Powers Resolution.The Trump administration utilized a self-defense rationale for shooting down a Syrian fighter jet and two Iranian-made drones. But neither Syria nor Iran had attacked the United States. And the Security Council did not sanction the US strikes. Those shoot-downs also violated the UN Charter.Trump's military interventions and the frightening prospect that he may attack North Korea raise the question of whether the 2001 AUMF should be repealed.In 2015, Obama proposed repealing the 2001 AUMF and replacing it with a new one. Obama's proposal contained no geographical limitation and would have allowed the use of military force against ISIS and "associated forces," which is overly broad. And although it would have prohibited "enduring offensive operations," it contained a loophole that would have permitted the limited use of ground troops by labeling operations "defensive."Obama essentially asked Congress to bless endless war against anyone he wanted, wherever he wanted. Congress declined Obama's invitation.Article I of the Constitution gives Congress the power to declare war. Congress should retain that authority as the framers intended, not hand it over to an unpredictable and volatile president. The fate of the world is at stake.
[July 07, 2017] Obnex Technologies' Excel Add-In to Update Cloud Data in Azure SQL Database

GOTHENBURG, Sweden, July 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- To reflect the growing adoption of cloud databases, the latest version of the SQL Spreads Excel Add-In from Obnex Technologies now includes support for managing and updating data in Azure SQL databases. SQL Spreads simplifies the way business users manage and update data in SQL Server databases by giving them easy access to their data through standard Excel documents. With the new SQL Spreads 4.2 release, it is also possible to manage cloud-based data in Azure SQL databases. "We see that many customers are moving data into the cloud, and now they also have the possibility to manage that data through the well-known Excel interface," says Johannes Akesson, founder of Obnex Technologies. "By using Excel as an interface, we can remove the technical barriers to managing the Azure SQL data and make it easier for users to make changes to their solutions further down the line." SQL Spreads customer Kevin P. Barnett at R.E.A. Group Holdings in London, UK, says: "Within five minutes I was up and running and making updates to our ERP system based on SQL Server. It's a fantastic product for non-SQL people. For people experienced with SQL it is a major time-saving tool that combines the best of SQL and Excel." To simplify the program for non-technical users, SQL Spreads uses a "click-and-see" interface for selecting how the database is shown in the Excel document. All settingsget stored in the Excel document, so it is easy to share solutions amongst users who need to manage and update business data using Excel.



SQL Spreads 4.2 costs $499 for a single-user license, and volume pricing is available for more licenses. A 14-day free trial can be downloaded from https://sqlspreads.com. About Obnex Technologies:

Obnex Technologies provides software tools for businesses seeking to easily manage and consolidate data using Excel and SQL Server. By combing a background from the Business Intelligence field with great usability skills, the company is able to provide a world-leading Excel-to-SQL Server solution.

Obnex Technologies is a privately held company based in Gothenburg, Sweden. For more information, visit https://sqlspreads.com. "Microsoft SQL Server," "Microsoft Excel" and "Microsoft Azure SQL" are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and other countries. For further information, please contact:

Johannes Akesson, CEO Obnex Technologies

[email protected]

+46 707 314 888 Images are available for download from:

https://sqlspreads.com/press-images Related Images image1.jpg image2.jpg image3.jpg image4.jpg Related Links SQL Spreads website To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/obnex-technologies-excel-add-in-to-update-cloud-data-in-azure-sql-database-300484350.html SOURCE Obnex Technologies

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"It is not the role of military commanders to comment on the political process, much less on the performance of republican institutions," Gleisi Hoffmann pointed out. | Read More
[July 07, 2017] Huawei Releases Boundless Computing Strategy and Solutions

BEIJING, July 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- On July 6th Huawei released the Boundless Computing server strategy and series solutions in Beijing. The strategy focuses on industries' requirements for digital transformation, and outlines Huawei's next 5-year innovation roadmap for computing. The release underscores Huawei's commitment to creating greater, tangible value for its customers. Huawei delivered a systematic interpretation of the server strategy and business positioning. Also at the release ceremony, Huawei launched the V5 series solutions. The solutions include the all-flash SAP HANA appliance solution, big data application acceleration solution, edge computing for smart video analytics solution, and G series heterogeneous computing platform. Boundless computing includes optimizing computing for applications and bringing computing closer to data sources, to unleash the full potential of computing. It also includes pushing beyond the boundary of servers, and enabling DC-level resource pooling and on-demand provisioning, to boost the overall computing efficiency of data centers. Moreover, it requires going beyond the boundary of data centers, enabling smart access, and taking computing even into the data sources, to smarten up data at the remote end. Huawei vows to continuously invest heavily in server R&D and create greater value for customers. At the release ceremony, Huawei, aong with customers and partners including Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, Tencent, SAP, and Microsoft, discussed the challenges to current computing development and the countermeasures. They jointly released the Huawei FusionServer V5 with Five Major Smart Features.





"We will see an even more diversified variety of computing forms in the future. This will pose enormous challenges on computing platforms," said Diana Yuan, President of Enterprise BG Marketing and Solution Sales, Huawei. "Huawei's Boundless Computing server strategy focuses on the digital transformation of industries and aims to drive greater, tangible value for customers through efficient computing. Huawei has been endeavoring to create innovative, competitively differentiated solutions for our customers. We value win-win collaboration with our partners. We work closely together to build a healthy, robust ecosystem, and enable our customers to lead the digital economy era." "A fully connected world is unfolding, and computing will be the pivotal force behind everything," said Qiu Long, President, IT Server Product Line, Huawei. "Cloud, big data, and artificial intelligence are revolutionizing computing, and we are now arriving at a new starting point of computing. The Boundless Computing strategy is about rethinking the road to a fully connected world. Huawei forges this new thinking with tremendous boldness and audacity. That includes unlocking the full potential of computing, going beyond the boundary of servers, and extending further beyond the boundary of data centers. In this way, we strive to continuously improve computing efficiency, and lay the cornerstones that are instrumental to a fully connected world." To learn more about the Huawei new server series and solutions, please visit http://e.huawei.com/en/products/cloud-computing-dc/servers. To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/huawei-releases-boundless-computing-strategy-and-solutions-300484551.html SOURCE Huawei

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Channel 4 today has greenlit three new dramas  Kiri, Baghdad Central and Pure  and has re-commissioned No Offence.

The series have been ordered by C4s head of drama Beth Willis from four indies, The Forge, Euston Films, Drama Republic and AbbottVision.

Kiri is a four-part drama starring Sarah Lancashire from the writer of National Treasure, Jack Thorne.

Kiri (w/t) examines the abduction and death of a young black girl, named Kiri, who is soon-to-be-adopted by her white foster family, and the trail of lies, blame, guilt and notoriety that follows. Sarah Lancashire plays an experienced, no-nonsense social worker who loves and believes in her job, but has a maverick and instinctive approach to protecting the children in her care. Miriam arranges for Kiri to have an unsupervised visit with her biological grandparents. But when Kiri disappears during the visit, the fingers of suspicion and blame from the police, the press, and even her colleagues, point firmly at Miriam.

Kiri is commissioned for Channel 4 by Beth Willis and will be produced by The Forge in association with Hulu. The production was backed by finance from the Welsh Government.

It will begin shooting in 2017 to air on Channel 4 in 2018. George Ormond and George Faber are Executive Producers with Toby Bentley producing. Euros Lyn will direct the series.

all3media International is The Forges international partner on Kiri and will handle its global sales.



Baghdad Central is a six-part crime thriller set in aftermath of the US-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein.

It is written by Stephen Butchard (The Last Kingdom, House of Saddam) and based on the novel by Elliott Colla. In the midst of the chaos, crime and paranoia, Muhsin al-Khafajis an Iraqi ex-policeman has lost his home, his wife and his career and is battling to keep himself and his ailing daughter safe. When his desperate brother in-law asks him to help find his missing niece, Khafajis sense of love and duty force him to accept the task.

Baghdad Central (660) was commissioned for Channel 4 by Beth Willis. Manpreet Dosanjh and Matthew Wilson are Commissioning Executives for Channel 4.

Filming will commence in 2018 with the series scheduled to air on Channel 4 later that year. The series is produced by Euston Films (part of FremantleMedia UK). Kate Harwood is executive producer, Jonathan Curling (The Secret) producer, with director and full cast to be announced at a later date.

FremantleMedia International will act as the global distributor for the series.

Pure is a six-part drama and is billed as offering a singular insight into one young womans struggle with an x-rated secret.

It is adapted by Kirstie Swain (Clique) from Rose Bretechers book. It is the story of 22 year old Marnie who is assailed by an incessant barrage of graphic x-rated thoughts that intrude, at the most inopportune of moments, on her day to day life. It is billed as a moving, warm and truthful exploration of one young womans search for herself and her very real struggle with mental illness. It explores what it means to be a young woman today, what it means to discover a whole new world. Its about finding new friends, and most importantly, about falling in love.

The series is commissioned by Beth Willis. Manpreet Dosanjh and Matthew Wilson are Commissioning Executives for Channel 4.

Filming will begin in early 2018 to air on Channel 4 later that year. The series will be produced by Drama Republic. Roanna Benn and Greg Brenman will serve as Executive Producers. Producer is Jen Kenwood.

Paul Abbotts No Offence has been commissioned for a third series, with D.I. Viv Deering and her team from Friday Street station once more clashing with the underworld and their overlords alike. This third series kicks off with the attempted assassination of a local politician by a new Far Right group  an attack which has devastating consequences for the Friday Street team.

No Offence is commissioned by Beth Willis, with Lee Mason as Commissioning Executive.

The series is produced by AbbottVision and Executive Producers are Paul Abbott and Martin Carr. The series Producer is Phil Leach. Catherine Morshead returns as Director for the first and last blocks.

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Rep. Julie Stokes dropped out of the race for state treasurer Thursday after being diagnosed with Stage 2 breast cancer.

Just as the low key treasurers race was getting underway the Kenner Republican, who had campaigned at a Baton Rouge parade on Monday, said in a text that she withdrew because of the extensive treatment necessary. Stokes faces at least five months of chemotherapy.

So, instead of running for state treasurer to help get our states fiscal house in order, I will focus on fighting and winning my battle against cancer and spending quality time with my loving family who mean the world to me, Stokes said in an open letter on her campaign website http://www.votejuliestokes.com/.

Chemotherapy is the use of drugs, possibly radiation, to kill cancer cells, according to the American Cancer Society. Her doctors dont expect to have to perform surgery, but the treatment often causes fatigue, nausea, and other side effects in many patients.

A certified public accountant, Stokes had wide support in the business community and reported having $529,334 in hand on June 13 for the campaign.

Stokes was one of four candidates who already has raised six figures for the Oct. 14 special election. A runoff, if necessary, is set for Nov. 18. The official sign up to qualify for the ballot is next week from July 12 through July 14.

Kenner Rep. Julie Stokes announces run for state treasurers post Republican state Rep. Julie Stokes announced Friday she is running for state treasurer in th

The remaining three main contenders in the race to replace John N. Kennedy, who left the office after 16 years upon becoming a U.S. senator in January, are: Angele Davis, of Baton Rouge and former Commissioner of Administration under Gov. Bobby Jindal; state Sen. Neil Riser, R-Columbia; and former state Rep. John Schroder, R-Covington.

Derrick Edwards, a New Orleans lawyer and the only Democrat, and Mike Lawrence, a Republican accountant from Madisonville, have both announced they are running but have not raised enough money to require filing financial reports with the Louisiana Board of Ethics.

The state treasurer manages state revenues; presides over the Bond Commission, which decides which loans to take out to pay for state projects; and brokers billions in loans with Wall Street financiers. The state government agency head is one of seven posts elected statewide.

Stokes announcement came just as the campaigns in the race began to shift gears to more a retail style of campaigning. So far, most of the campaigning has taken place behind closed doors of small gatherings.

Stokes held fundraisers last week in Lafayette and New Orleans, which were hosted by some of the states biggest GOP hitters, including shipbuilders Donald Boysie Bollinger, of Lockport, and Gary Chouest, of Cut Off, as well as New Orleans developer Joe Canizaro. Bollinger and Canizaro were financial state co-chairs in President Donald J. Trumps campaign.

Stokes had travelled the state with the Committee of 100 for Economic Development, a Baton Rouge-based group of top executives, as one of the lead speakers on revamping the states tax structure.

A self-described nerd for fiscal policy, Stokes is known for whipping out spreadsheets as evidence to support deep dives into her positions on how tax cuts, tax exemptions and spending decisions impact the state budget.

Ellie and I are heartbroken to hear about Julie Stokes diagnosis, Schroder said in an email. Julie is a fighter and I know that she will overcome this. Our prayers go out to her and her family.

Davis also offered to help and prayers to Stokes. "I know she will succeed in her fight," Davis said in an interview.

Stokes said she expects to be well by the time the next legislative session begins in March 2018 and will continue to serve in the Louisiana House. Her District 79 runs along Lake Pontchartrain in Jefferson Parish from roughly the Suburban Canal west to the parish line.

I will continue to work on our budget, tax policy, and reforms to find ways to grow our economy, Stokes said.
A federal lawsuit accuses Black Lives Matter and several movement leaders of inciting violence that led to a gunman's deadly ambush of law enforcement officers in Baton Rouge last summer.

DeRay Mckesson and four other Black Lives Matter leaders are named as defendants in the suit filed Friday on behalf of one of the officers wounded in the July 17 attack by a black military veteran, who killed three other officers before he was shot dead.

The suit doesn't name the officer, but its description of the plaintiff matches East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff's Deputy Nicholas Tullier, who was has been at a Houston rehabilitation hospital since November.

The same attorneys who filed Friday's suit previously sued Black Lives Matter and Mckesson on behalf of a Baton Rouge police officer who was injured at a protest over a deadly police shooting last July.

"This is quite a world," Mckesson said Friday when a reporter informed him of the latest lawsuit.

Gavin Long, a 29-year-old former Marine from Kansas City, Missouri, was armed with a semi-automatic rifle when he killed three officers and wounded three others outside a convenience store and car wash near Baton Rouge police headquarters.

Long had posted rambling internet videos calling for violence in response to police treatment of African-Americans, which he said constituted "oppression." He apparently posted a YouTube video from Dallas on July 10, three days after a sniper killed five officers and wounded nine others there.

Long also left behind a note saying he believed he had to inflict harm "upon bad cops as well as good cops in hopes that the good cops (which are the majority) will be able to stand together and enact justice and punishment against bad cops."

The attack came less than two weeks after a white Baton Rouge police officer shot and killed Alton Sterling, a 37-year-old black man. Mckesson was one of nearly 200 people arrested in Louisiana's capital at nightly protests after Sterling's July 5 death.

Friday's lawsuit claims Mckesson was "in charge of" a July 9 protest that "turned into a riot." Mckesson "did nothing to calm the crowd and, instead, he incited the violence" on behalf of Black Lives Matter, the suit alleges.

The suit describes Long as an "activist whose actions followed and mimicked those of" the sniper who killed officers in Dallas days earlier. The suit also claims Black Lives Matter leaders incited others to harm police "in retaliation for the death of black men killed by police" and "all but too late" began to denounce the shootings of police after the Baton Rouge attack.

"Obviously, at this point talk show hosts were holding them responsible, and they were having to defend the blame and responsibility for what they had caused whether in whole or in part," the suit says.

Mckesson said he hadn't spoken to his attorney, Billy Gibbens, about the lawsuit and couldn't immediately comment on its allegations. Gibbens declined to comment.

During a court hearing last month, Gibbens argued Black Lives Matter is a movement, not an organization that can be sued. The federal judge assigned to the first suit against Mckesson hasn't ruled on that yet.

Long shot Tullier in the head, stomach and shoulder, leaving him with brain damage. By December, the 42-year-old father of two had emerged from a vegetative state, regained some movement of his body and was able to communicate nonverbally.
CHARLESTON -- Counseling was ordered as part of the sentence a man received for making a bomb threat at the Mattoon Rural King store.

Scott A. Garrison, 23, for whom court records list an address in Neoga, pleaded guilty to a disorderly conduct charge that accused him of making the bomb threat on May 19.

The charge was a felony offense and, with the agreement that was reached in the case, Garrison was placed on probation for 2 1/2 years.

That was the maximum probation sentence possible for the conviction that also could have resulted in a prison sentence of two to five years.

The sentence's terms included an evaluation for mental health treatment and a requirement that Garrison then take part in the counseling the evaluation recommends.

Six months of jail time was also included in the sentence, but Garrison received credit for about six weeks already jailed.

Also, the remaining time was stayed, meaning Garrison won't have to serve it now but some or all of it could be ordered later as a sanction in case of probation violations.

Coles County Circuit Judge Brien O'Brien sentenced Garrison by accepting the terms of a plea agreement that Assistant State's Attorney Rob Scales and Assistant Public Defender Jesse Danley recommended.

Records in the case indicate that Garrison told an employee there was a bomb in the store at 4216 DeWitt Ave. in Mattoon and the store was then evacuated. There was no bomb in the building, the records say.

In other cases in court recently, O'Brien also accepted guilty pleas from:

Anthony J. Arnone, 36, who listed "homeless" for an address, to a charge of threatening a public official alleging he threatened a Mattoon police officer on May 8.

An aggravated assault charge in connection with the same incident, during which Arnone reportedly caused a disturbance at the Mattoon Fire Department, was dismissed.

Both charges were felony offenses and, for the threatening a public official charge, Arnone was placed on probation for two years.

Terms included evaluations for counseling and substance abuse treatment along with stayed jail time.

O'Brien accepted a plea agreement that Assistant State's Attorney Tom Bucher and Public Defender Anthony Ortega recommended.

Amber B. Seals, 23, for whom records list an address of 965 Fourth St., Charleston, to a charge of possession of a controlled substance alleging she had a prescription medicine on Dec. 13.

For that charge, Seals was sentenced to two years of first offender probation, which allows for no record of a conviction if completed successfully.

Terms included a substance abuse evaluation, payment of about $1,600 in fines and court fees and stayed jail time.

The medication was reportedly found on Seals after a hit-and-run accident in Charleston in which she was involved.

She also pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of leaving the scene of an accident and received a concurrent two-year conditional discharge sentence. Conditional discharge is similar to probation but with fewer restrictions.

O'Brien accepted a plea agreement that Assistant State's Attorney Joy Wolf and Danley recommended.
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP)  The Federal Emergency Management Agency says Louisiana State Police will get $1.8 million for emergency work after the floods last August.

A news release Thursday said this brings the Department of Public Safety's total for flood reimbursement to $5.7 million.

Disaster-related services include search and rescue, emergency escorts, traffic control, evacuation and first responder operations.

FEMA's public assistance program has obligated more than $388 million to state and local governments and some nonprofits. More than $281 million of that reimbursed the agencies for emergency protective measures.

The program also covers debris removal costs associated with the floods and repairs and replacements to roads, schools and other critical infrastructure.

FEMA's public assistance usually reimburses 75 percent of eligible expenses. FEMA is paying 90 percent because flood damage was so great.
GONZALES  On a street here that is regularly swamped after a heavy rain  and was hit again by last summer's flood  there's now an answer for frustrated homeowners, if they want to take it.

The city of Gonzales and the U.S. Department of Agriculture signed a formal agreement in June to move forward with a federal buyout. It's a deal that has been in the works over the last year, begun after the 2016 flood that encroached into several of the more than 40 homes on East Silverleaf Street. The street backs up on more than 50 acres of wetlands owned by the city.

However, there are some caveats to the buyout. The program requires that a contiguous group of houses participate  even if not every house on the street does  and that the first house to participate touch the wetlands at the end of the neighborhood. If the buyout moves forward, the homes, streets and infrastructure on Silverleaf would be demolished and removed, and the street would be transformed back into a natural swamp.

The home of Joe West is one of the two homes closest to those wetlands. The home of his neighbor across the street is the other.

West said he and his wife won't know if they'll be able to participate in the buyout until the home appraisals that are part of the program are done. He has four more years left on his mortgage and says some of the money would have to pay off that debt.

"It just depends on whether I'd have enough money to get something somewhere else that I could afford," he said.

West, who built his house on Silverleaf almost 30 years ago, said he continues to maintain his home as usual. "I'm going on, like there's nothing (unusual) going on. It's just kind of a waiting game. We don't know what to do," he said.

City staffers on Wednesday met with members of the USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service, which runs the buyout program, and learned about the 20 steps that will need to be completed for each landowner to make the buyout happen.

The first step is a somewhat lengthy application for landowners to fill out and city engineer Jackie Baumann said the city expects to have people in place to help residents with the process.

The other of the 20 steps, she said, are for the city to undertake, and involve surveys, appraisals and title checks for each piece of property. The federal government will provide the professionals for those jobs, Baumann said.

The process will be lengthy and may take up to a year, but, Baumann said, "I felt like it was an amazing opportunity."

She said she's been told by the National Resources Conservation Service that home appraisals will be done as if homes and properties have never flooded.

"The appraiser who is doing the work will consider it as a pre-flood appraisal," Baumann said.

Drainage has always been poor in the neighborhood and seems to have worsened over the years, residents say. The street floods regularly, whenever there are heavy rains over several days. While some houses that are raised off the ground escape flooding  although their carports and sheds don't  many landowners say sandbagging is a regular chore that doesn't always keep water from creeping into their homes.

West, whose home flooded last summer, said earlier this year, "Only three times water has gotten into my house  because I fought it, sandbagging and pumping."

"Only for two or three years of the years I've lived here, I haven't had to sandbag," he continued, "Sometimes, I'd have to sandbag twice in one year."

The program the city is looking at is a fairly new federal initiative called the Emergency Watershed Protection Program that is administered by USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service. It was created after Superstorm Sandy devastated portions of the northeast in 2012. So far, Baumann said community participants have all been in that part of the country, with no southern communities taking advantage of the opportunity.

The city has been able to give the buyout information to 40 of the 43 property owners on Silverleaf, Baumann said. She's still trying to reach the other three  the owners of two lots on the street and the bank that owns a house that was foreclosed on.

Gonzales city councilman Harold Stewart, who's been regularly meeting with residents and trying to answer questions for them about the federal program, said, "The city understands it's a lengthy process, but this is the best chance of getting something done."

"It's been a perennial flood problem," he said of Silverleaf.

The final decision of whether to take the buyout or not will be up to each landowner to make, Baumann said.

At a social meeting hosted by Silverleaf residents last month, Baumann said she told those there, "Everybody's got a personal situation. You have one similarity  you live on Silverleaf."

Herb "June" Smith jokingly calls himself the mayor of Silverleaf. He and his wife, Melinda, hosted the get-together for residents to hear about the buyout.

"We know basically all the folks on the street," he said. "A lot of the young people moving in, they never experienced flooding before."

He and his wife built their two-story home on Silverleaf two decades ago. The Smiths built the house almost three feet off the ground, and the August 2016 flood was the closest the family came to getting water in the house.

But for years, when there is a period of heavy rain, there have been two feet of water in their carport that stands there for weeks, as it slowly soaks into the ground, Herb Smith said.

Trees fall, electricity goes out and the street is inaccessible, he said. Many times, the couple and their children, along with their neighbors, have moved cars ahead of storms, to a church on a nearby road. Over the years, the flooding has gotten worse, Smith said, noting that water now creeps close to the church.

When they first built out on Silverleaf, nobody told them about the flooding.

"We quickly found out it was horrible," Smith said. "It's hard living with it, it's an inconvenience."

Like West, Smith is waiting on what the homeowners learn from the appraisal process, saying that all of the homeowners are waiting to see if they get enough money to successfully relocate.

"It's going to be interesting to see where we land on this," he said.
Two ActewAGL contractors skimmed customers' accounts for some $13,000 before quitting their jobs and booking a trip to Las Vegas the same day, court documents allege.

Taylor Jade Geoghegan, 20, and Jessica Kate Anderson, 29, were contractors employed on the energy company's service centre staff, where they were expected to answer calls and manage accounts.

It's alleged they looked for accounts in credit and then saved the personal details. They then arranged for the credit to be refunded into various bank accounts, including one belonging to Ms Anderson.

It's alleged that Ms Anderson at times pretended to be a customer to request a transfer of funds, providing a customer's identification details such as a birthday to the call operator when requested.

The documents note that all of ActewAGL's calls are recorded.
A Canberra woman confronted the man who burgled and stole from her in court on Friday, telling him if he had any "decency or regrets at all" he would tell the police where her jewellery was.

Adam Peter Coogan, 30, broke into the woman's home on February 12 last year while on drugs and stole more than $25,000 worth of electronics and jewellery, most of which have not been recovered.

Adam Coogan was captured by a surveillance camera forcibly confining a woman in his car.

He appeared at a sentencing hearing on Friday in the ACT Supreme Court, where the woman spoke to him directly from the witness box.

"How dare you invade the sanctity of my home, my privacy and take from me all the things that meant a great deal to me and nothing to you," she said, reading from a victim impact statement.
It was the presence of condoms, Viagra and sleeping drugs in the man's suitcase that prosecutors had urged the jury to look at closely.

They said the Sydney man had drugged the woman that night in a bar in Canberra intending to take her back to their hotel and rape her.

Juswan Mokmargana leaves court after the verdict. Credit:Alexandra Back

But a jury acquitted Juswan Mokmargana, 46, on Friday of attempted rape, returning its unanimous verdict after four hours deliberating.

Minutes later, the Sydney man pleaded guilty to a charge that had been waiting for the trial to end, of spiking the woman's drink with two tablets of Stilnox while she was away from the table that night.
Either way, you might solve the problem if you can offer a more ethical alternative that would produce similar results. Escalating your complaint If it's crystal-clear your boss is asking for unethical conduct, or if you don't feel comfortable discussing it with your boss in the first place, the next steps depend a lot on your company. In larger organisations, there could be someone dedicated to receiving complaints from employees like you. It could be a compliance officer, general counsel, auditor or someone in human resources. It could be the person one or two levels up from your boss. Beware: Your boss probably won't like this. (We'll discuss the risk of retaliation later.)

One man's whistleblower is another man's snitch. Bryan Stikeleather, University of South Carolina You might also need to ask: If I complain, will anyone care or will anything change? If you think management would want to sweep your complaint under the rug, assuming the risks of complaining internally might not be worth it. "Any time the firm's senior management is financially benefiting from the misconduct, they may not want to know that it is occurring," said Bryan Stikeleather, a professor at the University of South Carolina who has studied financial incentives for whistleblowing. Some companies offer money to entice employees to report bad behaviour, which can signal that they're serious about correcting it. But such monetary incentives can sometimes make employees less likely to report, Stikeleather said; the rewards can decrease whistleblowers' sense of responsibility, making it feel less like a moral obligation. If escalating internally doesn't work, or you're in a small enough organisation that there's no one to hear your protest but your boss, you might have to go outside the organisation to the government or media.

Patricia Harned, the chief executive of the Ethics and Compliance Initiative, said most people who go this route only do so after exhausting their internal options without seeing results. Consider the risks It's easy for us to say that you should "do the right thing" and flatly refuse any unethical demands. But in reality, the decision is often more complex than that, and there are very real risks you could face. Fifty-three per cent of employees in the United States who reported misconduct in their companies said they experienced some form of retaliation, according to the 2016 National Business Ethics survey by the Ethics and Compliance Initiative. That could include receiving worse evaluations and being passed up for promotions and raises. At the very least, there could be social costs in whistleblowing. Some people have found themselves uninvited from happy hours or given cold shoulders in the hallway.

"One man's whistleblower is another man's snitch," Stikeleather said. Mary-Hunter McDonnell, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania, said at least one high-stakes whistleblower she interviewed for her research had regrets. "He said if he could relive it he wouldn't have done it because it devastated his social life," she said. "He was no longer invited to join the kind of charitable boards he had been invited to join, or any of the kind of corporate social networks that he had been involved in. "He was basically boxed out of the social world he had created for himself as part of his job." If all else fails, leave

No one wants it to come to this, and it may not be practical advice if you need the paycheque. But if you're in position to find another job, this might be good reason to head for the door. You could even try one last staunch refusal as an ultimatum. "I think you have to just say no if it's against your own moral values. You can't be forced to do something," McDonnell said. Loading "The worst thing that could happen to you is you'll be fired, but you can't really stay at a job that's going to ask you to transgress your morals anyway."
Nick Xenophon and Malcolm Turnbull. Credit:Andrew Meares Conventional wisdom, but is it right? Or always right? At any one time, one might imagine, at least 40 per cent of the electorate is dying to throw out the current lot, and to install their own favourites, presently languishing in opposition. On many occasions, moreover, issues troubling voters, not necessarily on a party-political divide, are agitating an additional number of voters. It might be same-sex marriage, abortion, perhaps Asian immigration. While many businesses deplore the slowdown caused by political uncertainty, some voters revel in being suddenly relevant, and being wooed by politicians. Increasingly, moreover, even minor political parties use the occasion to refill their coffers with public cash based on how many votes they secure. In the last decade of out-of-sync elections, ending in 1970, the coalition governments of the day effectively had the numbers in the Senate, albeit after renting the general support of the Democratic Labour Party, created from 1950s Labor schism. It is true that towards the decade's end, Labor had devised some strategies for winning DLP support on a range of matters, in the process establishing the modern Senate committee system which gave the Senate a new rationale as a house of review. But there was hardly ever a time that government had to worry much about signature legislation, or significant budget measures (though there was one, on postal charges in 1970, that came to embarrass Gough Whitlam's claim that Labor had never blocked revenue measures in the Senate). The argument for keeping elections in sync was a practical one, not a solution to a political problem. The make-up of the Senate has created issues for those in government in the lower house. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen Since the election of the Hawke government in 1983, however, governments have had the effective numbers in both houses in only one of 11 (simultaneously elected) Parliaments. Getting legislation, and budgets through the Senate has had to involve negotiation with, compromise with, and often frustration from crossbenchers including diverse, sometimes mad, independents, Australian Democrats, the Nuclear Disarmament Party, Greens, Clive Palmer party, Pauline Hanson One Nation and the Nick Xenophon team.

Strictly, neither Labor nor the coalition has (since 1975) blocked supply, but each has worked with others to destroy government plans for revenue changes or expenditure cuts. It is conventional wisdom that Australians hate frequent elections, and resent politicians who drag them too early and too often to the polls. In most other countries, voters might not care so much, since they can, if they want, simply not bother to vote. It seems most unlikely that a government will have a majority in the Senate for at least a decade. Parties may come and go, as, say, the Nuclear Disarmament Party, the Australian Democrats and the Clive Palmer party have done. But a significant sector of the electorate is now accustomed to giving a first preference to some group or groups ahead of Labor, Liberal or National candidates. And the Senate voting system makes majority control almost impossible; one needs 58 per cent of the vote to gain four out of the six seats up for election in any state at a half Senate election. The current Tony Abbott personal relevance campaign is making much of the bastardry of current Senates, and calling for a constitutional change whereby measures rejected by the Senate twice in three months could be put to a joint sitting of the houses without the need for a double dissolution. Abbott told the Institute of Public Affairs that "the Senate has become a house of rejection, not a house of review" in the middle of some general mischief-making last week.

"The problem is far worse now, with Labor habitually reversing its own previous positions in order to oppose the government on everything except national security. "To pass legislation, either the government has to strike a deal with the Greens, a far left party dedicated to higher spending and higher taxes; or it must corral 10 of 12 unpredictable crossbenchers, all of whom will demand their price. "The only legislation that can expect swift passage is to spend more, to regulate more, and to put more tax on the so-called rich  All that can readily be passed is legislation that a grab bag of political competitors can be bought off to support. "But this is a recipe for gridlock, not government, and it must end if Australia is to be capable of meeting the challenges of the future." He knows perfectly well that there will be no referendum, and that if there were one, it would fail.

That's partly because of his own perfidy with election promises in 2013. Because he was (though he refused to concede it) going directly against explicit promises made about health and education spending during the election campaign, it was the Senate which looked reasonable in frustrating his 2014 budget. That Turnbull has been more willing to negotiate  even to gut legislation simply so he can get something on the statute books  has emphasised, whether to lobbyists or voters, that the crossbench has power, and sets of agendas, often ones with significant support. Unlike parties aspiring to be in actual government, crossbench parties have only to worry about a quota  14 per cent of the vote, usually reachable if they can get half of that on first preferences. Compounding governing party frustrations is that Senate election campaigns tend to be swamped by the noise of representatives campaigns. Election coverage tends to focus on which party will win government in the House of Representatives. Time, money and political energy spent campaigning against Senate parties or on Senate issues is at the expense of carrying the attack directly to the main enemy. Many voters have become tactical, focusing on the party they want to govern in the House of Representatives, being somewhat more inclined to buy insurance through crossbench senators. But what if the election were for the Senate alone? Would such an election put much more focus on the Senate groupings, and create more consciousness of the positions of particular crossbench parties and independents? Could it allow more room for debate about the particular records of senators, and put some of them in a spot about their consistency, responsibility, or contribution to a government's fiscal problems? Could it, indeed, create a different type of agenda for Senate campaigns, in a manner that restored emphasis to the role of senators in the committee system, the review of legislation, and the actual political agendas of members of the crossbench, rather than their capacity to hold a government to ransom? As things stand, Turnbull could not do worse with his Senate results if he went for a single-house election, but he could do better.

But there would be a downside. It would be more expensive, probably $150 million or so a term of Parliament. But that could be small change compared with some of the sums that crossbench groupings have been able to extort as part of their bargain for letting legislation through. It would submit the population to the bore of an extra election. If minor parties and independents refined their pitch, and took advantage of the extra attention, it might, in fact, increase the protest vote, or the taking of "insurance" against the government of the day. It might increase the development of parties with a bit of a focus on the interests of a particular state, such as the Nick Xenophon team, with the implications that could have for unfair subsidy to particular areas. Personally, I think that the potential of getting a more workable Senate, albeit still one with a significant proportion of crossbench senators exercising a balance of power, could be worth the risk. Particularly from the Coalition's point of view, the chance of getting a more businesslike, or a more "responsible" Senate has to be compared not only with the present frustrations, but the virtual certainty that without some change, Senates for the next few Parliaments are likely to be much the same, and with a mild bias towards Labor's capacity to form a majority. Turnbull cannot get a single house election by accident. He must engineer the circumstances, probably with a representatives election before next July, that creates the out-of-sync "problem". He would have to persuade the governor-general that an early election was necessary. By tradition, governors-general have been sympathetic to requests for early elections so that the houses can get back into sync, but so as to create an out-of-sync situation? I doubt a governor-general would agree that this could justify going early.
It's a scavenger hunt with a difference. An archaeological dig to discover the country's little-known military history.

Amateur wartime historian Charles Tennyson and criminal lawyer Mark Rawson have started excavating a site at Nelson Bay, north of Newcastle, that they believe was a secret US military base during World War II.

After years of research, they are hoping to salvage equipment that was dumped at the end of the war.

While locations were often secret at the time, the two partners in Allied Salvage and Research believe there are bunkers and tunnels around the country that contain wartime planes, vehicles and possibly munitions and drums of mustard gas.
But the Tesla chief executive held to his promise - made to much fanfare via Twitter in March - to have the mega-project up and running within 100 days "or it is free". A smaller-scale Tesla battery farm. "That's what we said publicly, that's what we're going to do," he said. "We're talking about something that is more than three times as powerful as the next biggest battery station in the world. "It's a fundamental efficiency improvement to the power grid, and it's really quite necessary and quite obvious considering a renewable energy future." The combination of renewables plus storage is shaping up as a major risk for gas. Credit:Tesla

The battery will harness power from Neoen's Hornsdale Wind Farm near Jamestown, about three hours north of Adelaide, to store 129 megawatt hours of power. Based on a daily household use of 10 kilowatt hours, that would power about 13,000 homes for an entire day, or about 30,000 homes overnight during a crisis. But like the recently announced expansion of the Snowy Hydro scheme, the main purpose of the battery station is to store renewable energy that can later be used to help meet peak demand. "The most worth will come from his battery system in instances when stuff isn't really going right," said Ketan Joshi, an energy data and communications consultant. "Those rare moments when electricity demand is really high and supply is low for whatever reason [and] you need something that can very quickly just turn on and start pushing power out."

Such moments have been frustratingly common in the Festival State, which no longer has coal-fired power stations and is heavily reliant on renewable forms of energy such as wind and solar as well as power from interstate. South Australia was plunged into darkness in September when a freak storm destroyed transmission lines and a key connection to Victoria "tripped" off due to automatic safety procedures. Energy Minister Josh Frydenberg kicked off a political storm by appearing to lay some of the blame on the state's reliance on renewable energy. A final report from the Australian Energy Market Operator concluded reliance on "non-synchronous" forms of energy did, generally speaking, make SA more vulnerable in a crisis, and said the industry needed to "build resilience to extreme events". Praising the "extraordinary collaboration" between Tesla and Neoen on Friday, Mr Weatherill said the battery would "completely transform the way in which renewable energy is stored and also stabilise the South Australian network".

The costs of stabilisation have been a primary contributor to sky-high power bills in the state. Mr Joshi said the mega-battery should "hypothetically" ease pressure on prices "but it will be quite interesting to see what happens". Neoen executive Romain Desrousseaux said the project would demonstrate "large-scale battery storage is both possible and now commercially viable" and that renewable energy can provide "dependable, distributable power". Mr Musk, appearing mindful of critiques about the physical attractiveness of renewable energy projects in Australia, said he would also endeavour to make the battery farm "look good" as a "tourist destination for some period of time". "Australia rocks!" he tweeted later. Tesla's powerpack - what we know

How many houses will it power, and for how long? Tesla says its project will provide enough power for more than 30,000 homes  the same amount that lost power during a state-wide blackout in September 2016. The battery is designed to run at full power for about one hour and twenty minutes. How much will it cost? Costs were not detailed on Friday. Tesla founder Elon Musk has previously quoted US$250 ($AU330) per kilowatt-hour "at the pack level" for 100-megawatt-hour-plus systems. The proposed system would contain 129,000 kilowatt-hours of capacity, meaning the project's cost would start at around $42 million. The head of Tesla's battery division has quoted a cost of about $65 million in the past. Other experts say a system of that size is likely to cost somewhere between $60 and $120 million.

How much will it store? It's the world's largest battery. Tesla says it will store 100 megawatts of charge. The powerpack will be charged using energy generated by the Hornsdale Wind Farm, before pumping the electricity back into the grid during peak hours. Dr Roger Dargaville, Monash University senior lecturer in renewable energy, said the battery would be able to supply about 1/15th of South Australia's peak energy need for one hour and 20 minutes. How long will it take to build? The battery is due for completion in December according to Tesla. Elon Musk famously promised to build the battery within 100 days of signing contracts "or it is free".

How will it affect energy prices? Unclear at this stage, but South Australian Premier Jay Weatherill said it would "put downward pressure on prices here". Dr Dargaville believes the system may in fact increase energy bills if it is privately owned, because whoever owned it would need to find a way to make money on their investment. The battery station would be unlikely to generate significant profit by itself, he said. "It's not designed to save consumers money on their bills  it's designed to help keep the lights on during a 45-degree day in Adelaide." How big will it be?
Calls to impose a controversial sugar tax in Australia have been bolstered by a new study led by researchers from the Australian National University.

The study, performed in Thailand, suggested that thousands of cases of type 2 diabetes could be prevented every year by cutting out sugary drinks.

Lead author Keren Papier, from ANU's Department of Global Health, said the findings could be applicable in Australia.

"A reduction in sugary drink consumption is likely to reduce rates of diabetes in Australia," she said.
Queensland's youth detention centres could struggle to cope with an influx of 17-year-old offenders, the LNP state opposition has claimed in the wake of "sobering" detention figures being released.

The government will move 17-year-olds out of adult facilities and into youth justice, with the new legislation beginning in November 2017.

There are concerns about whether Queensland's youth detention centres can cope with an influx of 17-year-olds from adult prisons.

But predictions of how many extra beds will be needed in the state's two youth detention centres have been described as "sobering" - and that is before taking into account introducing 17-year-olds.

The Independent Review of Youth Detention Report was initially heavily redacted, before Attorney-General Yvette D'Ath ordered a review, which led to be it being released again with 159 extra pages.
A bizarre tale involving a stolen dead turtle, a freight train, a citizens arrest and a bag of homemade weapons played out in suburban Geelong yesterday.

It was straight out of a Tintin action sequence, and it began at a Melbourne Road antique store in broad light.

At about 1.30pm a man was walking around How Bazaar antiques in North Geelong, and told a shop attendant "What a great shop you've got", store owner Peter Summers told 3AW.

"As he walked out my best friend walked in and said 'Did that guy just buy a turtle?' ''
The grassed over airstrip with cows and a road (neighbour's property). Credit:Joe Armao The government has long planned for a south-eastern airport. As far back as 1995 reports were claiming one would be viable, and an airport between Koo Wee Rup and Lang Lang was pinpointed by the government's Plan Melbourne strategy in 2013. About 85 kilometres south-east of Melbourne, it would cater to one-third of Victoria's population, and be near the Port of Hastings. "From Gippsland to Tullamarine it's 3.5 hours, but to the Koo Wee Rup proposed airport it will be a 45-minute drive and then overnight to the Asian market, where the demand is," Mr Safi said. But before these paddocks were to be the site of a new international airport, there was an old wartime airstrip here.

The cross-shaped runway runs right across Mr Bourke's property. There's not much of it left, just some old concrete drains and big chunks of gravel in amid the grass tussocks and cow dung. You can see it better from the air, or in spring when daisies bloom across its length. "You can see the mess," says Mr Bourke, squelching through the muddy paddock in gumboots, dodging a fresh cow pat. "If you can get a jumbo jet into here you'd have to be a very good pilot." The government bought the land off Mr Bourke's ancestor for about $25,000 during World War II, laid a gravel runway, and made plans to base a squadron of dive-bombers there. Local farmers were told to move their cattle away because the whole area was now a target for Japanese bombing raids. There were even plans for a full military aerodrome, although the war ended before work got seriously under way. The last plane to touch down here was a DC-9 that blew an oil tube mid-flight in 1947. By then the military had given the land back to Mr Bourke's grandfather. The pilot made an emergency landing. Mr Bourke remembers, as a child, watching passengers bale out into a field of curious cows.

The Bourkes run Angus cattle, like most farmers around here. Robert Bourke is too old for it now though. He wants to move somewhere easier, somewhere warmer. A little shack by the beach. That's why he's put the place up for sale. But he's having a tough time selling. "And we'll get less now," he says, given the threat of compulsory acquisition. "This won't help us." The house he's trying to sell is a beautiful white weatherboard, framed by a long row of trees that have lost their leaves. They're pretty, but they have caught a disease, Mr Bourke says. They'll all need to be felled. He leaves us sitting in the kitchen with his wife, Viv, as he wanders into the back of the house. "It comes up all the time, the airport. It's been going on for years and years," she says. He returns with a couple of scrapbooks. He's kept clippings of nearly every mention of a proposed Monomeith airport going back to the '70s. There are pages and pages of yellowing newsprint, pictures of men and women standing in his muddy paddock, waving their arms like plane wings, dollar signs in their eyes.

PAKENHAM-BERWICK GAZETTE, May 28 2003 "The theory that an airport commissioned during World War II could be brought back into play has been exposed as foolish, or overambitious at best. "Rob Bourke, who lives at Monomeith, argues the old airfield is lucky to carry a tractor when wet, let along a fully ladened passenger aircraft. It's pie in the sky stuff, he says". "I haven't been diligent with keeping the cuttings of the current ones, because I thought it would all drift away again," Mr Bourke says. The earth around Koo Wee Rup and Lang Lang is covered in green, except where construction machinery has torn great furrows into it for new housing estates, exposing the rich peat beneath.

The whole region used to be part of the Great Swamp, thousands of hectares of bog and bulrushes between Melbourne and West Gippsland. It was drained decades ago, leaving behind some of the best soils in Australia, the world even, locals say. Nearly all of Australia's asparagus is grown here. During growing season phalanxes of green spears push up through the soil towards the sun. They call it the "golden mile". This is the sort of produce the airport's backers are hoping to ship to China. But that's changing now. The bulldozers have moved in. New housing estates are being built on what was once farming land. Estate agent Matthew Robins is selling house-and-land packages from $410,000. He says he's already sold nearly 30 and he has not even built a display property yet. Wooden skeletons of what will one day be houses and shops, families and employees, dot the paddocks.

How big is this town going to get? "You cannot get a picture of numbers, it's too hard to work it out," Mr Robins says. A real estate agent, who did not want to be named, says he's had dozens of calls from land speculators since the news about the airport broke. They are trying to get in before prices go up. "The demand for land is huge, it's unprecedented," he says. People are coming, in their thousands. But Koo Wee Rup and Lang Lang are one-street towns, a servo, a shopping centre, a bank, a couple of real estate agents, a run-down church. They only recently got natural gas plumbed in. The area's infrastructure is not going to cope, says the agent. "You want to get down here in Christmas, Easter, the roads don't cope even then." Other locals say it can take up to three hours to make the round trip to pick someone up from Tullamarine airport.

There is an old railway line that leads out here, but that was decommissioned in 1993. Successive governments played hokey-pokey with South Gippsland's swing-voters, putting a rail revival on then off then on again for several years, until in 2012 part of the line was ripped up and converted into a bike trail. The towns are serviced by bus, which takes about an hour to get into Melbourne. "The big thing is, what is going to happen when all these people move in?" says Laura McBride, franchisor of Bendigo Bank's five local branches. The main streets here are still quiet on a weekday, the bakery's community noticeboard still telling small-town stories. Firewood sold by the kilo, dogs free to a good home. But Melbourne is coming. A craft-brewery-pub opened just last month, Ms McBride says.
A pre-school aged girl has been taken to hospital with her hand stuck inside a juicer, south-west of Melbourne.

Paramedics arrived at a Portarlington home about 7.30am on Friday, to find the girl's injured hand was still lodged in the juicing machine.

A pre-school aged girl is recovering in hospital after her hand was caught in a juicer. Credit:Paul Rovere

She was taken to Geelong Hospital "with her hand still in the machine," an Ambulance Victoria spokesman said.

It is understood the juicer was on at the time her hand became stuck, leaving her with serious injuries.
Police are hunting a man who held up a pharmacy with a handgun in Craigie on Friday afternoon.

The incident occurred at 12:38pm on Eddystone Avenue at Craigie Community Chemist when a man entered the premises and a second man waited outside the store.

The Craigie Fresh shopping complex. Credit:commercialrealestate.com.au

WA Police said the man used a handgun to threaten the pharmacy assistant behind the counter, and demanded cash and prescription medication.

It is understood the man was given the money by the chemist, and then fled the scene with his accomplice.
New York: More than 120 countries have approved the first-ever treaty to ban nuclear weapons at a UN meeting boycotted by all nuclear-armed nations.

To loud applause and cheers, Elayne Whyte Gomez, president of the UN conference that has been negotiating the legally binding treaty, announced the results of the "historic" vote  122 nations in favour, the Netherlands opposed, and Singapore abstaining.

Former UK naval commander Rob Green holds his book while discussing a new treaty to ban nuclear weapons on Wednesday. Credit:AP

"The world has been waiting for this legal norm for 70 years," since the use of the first atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945 at the end of World War II, Ms Whyte Gomez said.

The treaty is "the first multilateral nuclear disarmament treaty to be concluded in more than 20 years," .
A longtime employee of Southeast Community Colleges Milford campus was fired last November after it was discovered she stole more than $20,000 from the college.

On Thursday, Stephany A. Canning, 58, was charged with one count of felony theft of more than $5,000 in Seward County Court following an investigation involving the Nebraska State Patrol.

Canning, of Seward, was a 37-year employee of SCC, where she worked as an accounts receivable specialist.

As part of her duties, Canning had authority to forgive debt if the college could not collect payments for tuition as well as room and board from students, or payment for automotive work done by students for members of the public.

According to a complaint filed by Seward County Attorney Wendy Elston, an SCC employee reported seeing Canning accept $500 in cash in payment for automotive work in November 2015, only to find that debt marked forgiven instead of paid in the college's accounting software a week later.

Canning also allegedly accepted $500 in cash from a student to settle an account in August 2016, only to forgive the debt.

The coworker reported the observations to a supervisor, leading to an internal investigation by SCC into transactions handled by Canning.

In many of the accounts, reimbursements were made using an unrelated funding source, investigators said. For example, a scholarship check intended to pay a students tuition bill was used to reimburse an account for work done by students on a vehicle. The debt owed by the student that would have been paid by the scholarship check was instead written off by Canning.

Canning was placed on administrative leave on Nov. 11, 2016. Five days later, she was fired.

The State Patrol took over the investigation in November, focusing on a 17-month period where Canning allegedly took up to $20,154 in college funds.

In a statement Thursday, SCC said no students were adversely affected by the alleged crime and that accounting procedures were revised to prevent future mishandling of funds.

SCC plans to seek restitution.

Canning was booked into the Seward County Jail on Thursday and released on bail.
Hamburg: President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday discussed brokering "commitments of noninterference" in the US political system during a lengthy face-to-face meeting in Germany, the first in-person encounter between the two leaders about Russia's alleged role in the 2016 election.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who attended the two-hour-and-fifteen-minute meeting, said it did not focus on the United States moving to punish Russia for the allegations that it hacked and leaked information that would help Mr Trump win the election. Instead, Mr Tillerson said the two leaders discussed "how do we move forward" regarding the election-hacking issue.

He said the White House was not "dismissing the issue" but wanted to focus on "how do we secure a commitment" that there will not be interference in the future.

Mr Tillerson's account appeared to conflict with that of his Russian counterpart, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who said afterwards that the US president accepted Mr Putin's denial regarding the hacking.
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Thumbnail Pictured L to R: Todd Blue, Founder and CEO of The indiGO Auto Group; Janus Smallbraak, CEO Pon Holdings, Paul Van Splunteren, President of Pon Luxury Cars (Photo: Business Wire)

HOUSTONHouston-based indiGO Auto Group and Pon Holdings BV of the Netherlands announced today that they have signed an agreement to form a strategic alliance in North America which will focus on luxury and performance cars. Pon Holdings chose to make a financial investment in the indiGO Auto Group to execute a strategic goal to expand into the U.S. luxury retail vehicle market.

indiGO currently represents 11 brands in the luxury segment: Porsche, Audi, Jaguar, Land Rover, Rolls-Royce, Bentley, Aston Martin, Maserati, BMW, McLaren and Lamborghini. The company has 300+ employees in 10 retail franchised dealerships in Houston, TX, St. Louis, MO, and Palm Springs and Rancho Mirage, CA.

Todd Blue, Founder and CEO of indiGO Auto Group, came to terms on an agreement in The Netherlands on June 26, 2017 just prior to an event celebrating Pons 70th anniversary of its relationship with Volkswagen AG (as its distributor in The Netherlands).

We have a shared vision for how customers are to experience these great brands which we are both so honored to represent. Pon has a deep understanding of this business and six decades of success with Porsche. Pons access to growth capital will go toe-to-toe with anyone in our sector. I admire that Pon is always looking toward the future with a unique and progressive perspective. Pons worldwide leadership in the future of mobility is something for which we at indiGO are incredibly energized. This is a great opportunity for current and future indiGO team members to be a part of something truly special, said Blue who will continue to lead the company in North America as its CEO.

indiGO Auto Group provides us with the ideal platform into the U.S. vehicle market, said a Pon spokesman. Our combined expertise in luxury vehicle sales, along with indiGOs outstanding reputation and established leadership position in several key regions, offer a great starting point upon which we expect to achieve thoughtful but significant business growth in the North American market in coming years.

While this agreement marks a return to the automotive retail market in the U.S. for Pon, the company and the Pon family have a long history in this sector around the world. Ben Pon, Sr., the company founder, became the first person to import Volkswagens to America in 1949. In fact, Pon, Sr., drafted and conceived the original Volkswagen minivan bus.

This partnership builds on Pons expansion of its mobility portfolio in North America, through the acquisition of the San Francisco-based Faraday e-bike label and the high-end performance bicycle brands Santa Cruz and Cervelo. The group also sells Gazelle and Kalkhoff e-bikes in North America, in response to the rapidly growing market for electric bicycles.

Pon Holdings operates in 32 countries and has over 14,000 employees. Pon already imports and sells the Volkswagen, Porsche, Audi, Lamborghini, Bentley and Bugatti brands (among others) in the Netherlands. Pon and indiGO plan to grow organically and through acquisitions in North America.

Blue said, My mission for indiGO has always been clear; we continually strive to improve and remain unique and authentic in everything we do. The alliance we have formed with Pon will be unlike any other auto group. indiGO is a nimble, entrepreneurial culture which executes for our team members and the manufacturers we represent. Our ultimate goal has always been to activate customer ownership. This formula is a proven and successful business model. With Pons deep automotive experience, resources and their financial commitment to grow strategically in the North American market, indiGO will be strengthened to create the most competitive and best luxury auto group in North America. All of this will be a tremendous benefit to our indiGO team members and our loyal customers.

About indiGO Auto Group

The Houston-based indiGO Auto Group represents twelve franchised dealerships in four US markets including Houston, TX; Rancho Mirage, CA; Palm Springs, CA; and St. Louis, MO. Porsche North Houston is a top 15 Porsche dealership in the nation. Lamborghini Houston is currently the best-selling Lamborghini retailer in the United States. The acquisition of BMW of Palm Springs in 2016 marked indiGOs newest addition to its roster of luxury brands across the nation. indiGO Auto Groups Desert European Motorcars campus in Rancho Mirage, CA is comprised of nine luxury brands including Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, Bentley, Aston Martin, Jaguar, Land Rover, Porsche, Audi, Maserati, and McLaren. The company opened Porsche St. Louis in August 2015, and in 2017 it was named a Porsche Premier Dealership. IndiGO Auto Group has been awarded the Rolls-Royce Motor Cars 2015 Global Provenance Dealer of the Year award, and The Pride of Jaguar award for retailer excellence. Porsche of North Houston has been named a Porsche Premier Dealer for four years, and Audi Rancho Mirage has earned the Audi Magna Society Award for two years running. www.indiGOautogroup.com.

About Pon Holdings

Pon Holdings  one of the Netherlands biggest family businesses  is a leading global company with nearly 14,000 employees operating in 32 countries. It supplies high-end products and solutions, develops and manufactures bicycles, and offers engineering solutions in several market segments. Pon operates in a large number of markets, from private and commercial vehicles and bicycles, to forklift trucks, tires, road and earthmoving machinery, generators, and total solutions for the shipping industry.

The bicycle division within the Pon group consists of premium brand portfolio of more than 10 bicycle brands. The group has locations in the Netherlands, Germany, the United States, Canada, China, Taiwan, and Australia. In 2017 some 800,000 Pon bikes will make their way to customers around the world. www.pon.com.

Contacts

Momentum Marketing

George Evanko, 703-627-3037

george@momentumresults.com
TWO WEEKS OUT: America's premier gathering of performance vehicles - Bowling Green, KY July 21-23







CAR REGISTRATION AND SPECTATOR TICKETS AVAILABLE FOR AMERICA'S PREMIER GATHERING OF PERFORMANCE VEHICLES IN BOWLING GREEN, KENTUCKY

CHEVROLET PERFORMANCE CAR CRAFT SUMMER NATIONALS July 21-23, 2017 Now at Beech Bend Raceway Park in Bowling Green, Kentucky

Register your car and be a part of this major event!

Bowling Green, Ky; Registration and spectator tickets are now available for America's definitive showcase of customized cars, which will be on full display for an action-packed weekend as part of the 2017 Chevrolet Performance CAR CRAFT Summer Nationals, Presented by Holley/MSD, July 21-23 at Beech Bend Raceway Park in Bowling Green, Ky. This will be the first year the highly anticipated annual automotive event will be held in Bowling Green.

Chevrolet Performance CAR CRAFT Summer Nationals continues to be one of the leading, must-attend events for automotive enthusiasts nationwide", says TEN's Vice President of Automotive Events Steve Freeman. "We are excited to bring this engaging event to Bowling Green and look forward to taking it to a new, expanded level."

Chevrolet Performance CAR CRAFT Summer Nationals is the country's premier gathering of street machines and muscle cars that showcases more than 2,500 performance cars and attracts upward of 25,000 enthusiasts from across the country over the course of three days. The 2017 Chevrolet Performance CAR CRAFT Summer Nationals will include, among other highlights: faster open autocross; drift showcase; chances to test torque and horsepower against the best in the Dyno Challenge

Undiscovered Buildersa Invitational

Pro Buildersa Shootout

Midnight drags drag racing challenges burnout competition professionally judged and awarded Show-aNa-Shine Competition

The Performance Marketplace

Kids Zone giveaways and activities on the main stage chance to meet CAR CRAFT editors and photographers on site.

"There is no event quite like the Chevrolet Performance CAR CRAFT Summer Nationals and itas an event that my team always looks forward to,a??? said Craig Shantz, Manager, Chevrolet Performance Shows/Events and Specialty Vehicle Builds. aWe want Chevrolet Performance to be an experienced brand; this move to Bowling Green allows for true brand integration with all the Chevy presence in town. Itas a great venue for the future of CAR CRAFT Summer Nationals. We look forward to continuing our longtime partnership with the event and being a part of yet another fantastic automotive celebration."

Hours and Ticket Information

Enthusiasts and families alike can experience Chevrolet Performance CAR CRAFT Summer Nationals on Friday, July 21 (10 a.m. - 8 p.m.), Saturday, July 22 (9 a.m. - Midnight) and Sunday, July 23 (9 a.m. - 4 p.m.). For the chance to appreciate (and show off) the spirit of American cars, participants may register their vehicles to be a part of Chevrolet Performance CAR CRAFT Summer Nationals. Registration includes entry for one vehicle, driver and copilot, and one goodie bag. Pre-registration (available until July 18, 2017 at 11:59PM CST) is only $60 ($75 after July 18, 2017). Participants will also be able to register on-site during the event. For more information and to register, visit carcraft.com/events.

Spectator tickets are on sale now and available at carcraft.com/events. Pricing is as follows (if attending on Saturday includes Midnight Drags):

One-day ticket admission - $13 in advance, $15 at the gate (valid any one day)

Three-day ticket admission - $30 in advance, $35 at the gate

The Car Craft Summer Nationals is a historic event with a life of its own and we're excited to see it come to our home town," said Bill Tichenor, Director of Marketing, Holley/MSD. aCar Craft followers use products from our company as much as any car guys on the planet, so it makes perfect sense to sponsor this renowned event."

About CAR CRAFT

CAR CRAFT, a brand of TEN: The Enthusiast Network, is devoted to street machines, wrenching, and drag racing. It was first established in 1953 to help car guys from the novice to expert build and maintain their American rear-wheel-drive cars. The motto of the brand is "Loud, Fast, Real" which emphasizes its more budget-oriented approach to automobile building.
2017 Car Review-2017 Kia Niro The Un-hybrid Hybrid Review By Larry Nutson

2017 Kia Niro

The Un-hybrid Hybrid

- 4 Star Rating by The Auto Channel

By Larry Nutson

Senior Editor and Bureau Chief

Chicago Bureau

The Auto Channel

The all-new Kia Niro caught my eye when it made its global debut at the 2016 Chicago Auto Show. I thought it to be a pretty good looking compact SUV.

Actually, the Niro is a bit more like a hatchback with increased ride height. Add to this that the Niro is a hybrid. That is, its looks are traditional but under the skin is a fuel saving drivetrain.

All this is wrapped up with pricing that starts in the low twenty thousand dollar range (see Kia Buyers Guide Link Below For Specs, Prices and Comparisons) .

The Niro is offered in FE, LX, EX and Touring trims. And, a limited production Launch Edition is also on the market. Prices start at $22,890 and run up to $29,650.

All Niro trims are powered by a 1.6-liter four-cylinder hybrid-electric powertrain with a total of 139 system horsepower. The gasoline engine is rated at 104 HP and the electric motor has an output of 43 HP. Drive is through the front wheels using a six-speed, dual-clutch automatic transmission.

All-wheel drive is not available and I dont see this as a big drawback. For urban-dwellers in snowy-winter cities, snow gets removed from city streets quickly. I recommend that a good practice to follow is mounting four winter tires during snow season.

With a hybrid the story is low fuel consumption. The Niro FE, with a starting MSRP of $22,890, is EPA test-cycle rated at 52 city mpg, 49 highway mpg and 50 mpg combined. The LX and EX are rated 51/46/49 and Touring and Launch Edition are rated 46/40/43 (city/highway/combined).

Kias specs list a max driving range of 595 miles with the FE. Thats based on the 50mpg EPA combined rating and Niros 11.9 gallon fuel tank.

For my drive evaluation I drove a top-of-the-line Touring trim. A road trip was on my calendar during this period that would take me from Chicago to Southeast Michigan. What made me very happy was the long driving range of the Niro. There would be no fuel stops along the interstate highway. I managed 45 mpg heading east and 37 mpg on my return, basically averaging the two to 41 mpg and a bit above the EPA highway rating. Ive made this trip many times in many different vehicles and always have a better fuel economy heading east due to prevailing tail wind and the usually lower average speed driving conditions.

The Niro has decent acceleration and performs well on the open highway. Im not a fan of CVTs and was really pleased with the Niros six-speed, dual-clutch automatic transmission. Shifts were smooth and quick and my overall drive experience was quite good and without complaint.

My wife and I both thought the ride was a bit firm. That said, I did drive the Niro on some twisty two-lane roads and it does handle well, in part due to its low center of gravity.

Beyond low fuel consumption the Niro is also practical with seating for five, easy entry and exit, a 60/40 split fold rear sear and cargo space that grows from 19.4 cuft to 54.5 cuft. when the seat is folded.

The Touring trim has lots of upscale features that you might not expect for the price such as leather seats, ventilated front seats, power fold feature on the outside mirrors, heated steering wheel, power tilt and slide sunroof and an 8-speaker Harman Kardon audio system.

Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard.

Theres also a full line up of driver-assistance safety features available including Blind Spot Detection with Rear Cross Traffic Alert and Lane Change Assist; Smart Cruise Control; Lane Departure Warning; and Autonomous Emergency Braking.

Hybrids payoff the most if you do a lot of lower speed city-type driving. But as you can see from my road trip, they pay off on the highway too.

A testament to this is the 2017 Kia Niro officially received a Guinness World Record title for the lowest fuel consumption driving across the USA from coast to coast (hybrid car). The new record-setting mark is an incredible 76.6 mpg.

The Niro EX was driven by Wayne Gerdes of Carlsbad, California, and co-driver Robert Winger of Williamsburg, Virginia, 3,715.4 miles from Los Angeles City Hall to New York City Hall using only 48.5 gallons or 4.1 tanks of gas. The vehicle was not altered in any way for the attempt.

Today, now in mid- 2017, Kia has sold seven million vehicles in the U.S. since 1994. Kia Motors America continues to top quality surveys and is recognized as one of the 100 Best Global Brands and 50 Best Global Green Brands by Interbrand. Continuing a multi-year string of quality and reliability awards and accolades, J.D. Powers 2017 Initial Quality Study (IQS) recognized Kia Motors as the highest-ranking nameplate in the United States for the second year in a row.

More information and detailed specifications on the 2017 Kia Niro can be found at www.kia.com. You can crossshop hybrids as well as other compact SUVs right here at The Auto Channel.

The 2017 Kia Niro is an award candidate for the 2018 North American Utility of the Year as well as the Midwest Automotive Media Association Family Vehicle of the Year.

Overall I like the Kia Niro for its urban-living premise. Its compact on the outside for easy maneuvering, roomy on the inside to transport you and your family, as well as delivering really low fuel consumption with its hybrid powertrain.

 2017 Larry Nutson, the Chicago Car Guy

The Most In-Depth Independent Kia Vehicle Shopper's Research - Anywhere!
Mayor Chris Beutler on Friday announced plans to reappoint Robert Selig to the Lincoln Airport Authority.

Selig was originally appointed to the board in January to fill the term of Anna Wishart, who was elected to the Nebraska Legislature, but he finished third in the May city election and failed to hold onto the seat.

Last month, Jim Lauerman resigned his seat on the Airport Authority and urged Beutler to reappoint Selig to fill his unexpired term. The unpaid board sets policy and oversees the budget for the Lincoln Airport and its industrial park.

Lincoln is fortunate to have someone like Robert, who has decades of airport management experience, available and willing to serve on the Airport Authority Board, Beutler said in a news release. He will be a great asset to the community in our quest to enhance airline service and promote economic development.

Lauerman was elected to the board in 2015 after previously serving two six-year terms beginning in 1986.

Jims decision to vacate the seat in hopes of seeing a well-qualified candidate step in is a tremendously selfless act  a rarity in todays era of politics, Beutler said.

Selig retired in 2016 after 40 years spent managing and developing airports in the Midwest, including Kalamazoo and Lansing, Michigan; Columbia, Missouri; Grand Island; and Grand Forks, North Dakota.

If approved by the City Council, Selig will serve until the next city election in 2019, at which point he will have to run for re-election to finish out Lauerman's six-year term.
Iceland is a beautiful country but wow it is expensive. With the cost of living being 68% higher than the UK, this po st is about how to save money on a trip to Iceland.





Gullfoss waterfalls



We are not normally people to scrimp and save on eating or drinking in restaurants and bars whilst on holiday but we really did think twice about our options in Iceland.



Before we start let's just look at some of the average prices in Iceland below.







Eye-watering aren't they? However, there are ways in which you can save money and make your pennies go further. Some are straightforward and some are more cunning so have a look and I hope they will help you.



1. Choose Your Credit Card Wisely







Everywhere takes credit cards so choose wisely





You can, of course, change money before you go but there is no need to as everywhere takes credit cards, even in the public toilets. We didn't change any money at all for our trip or when we were there. So my top tip would be to save the hassle of changing money and possibly having to change it back get a credit card that has no transaction fee and no currency exchange fee like the Halifax Clarity credit card.



Another benefit of using the card if that it has the Mastercard exchange rate which is better than the rate you get when changing currency anyway.



2. Buy Alcohol At Duty-Free







On special offer at Bristol airport



Firstly a top tip is to buy alcohol at duty-free. You can buy this as you come into Iceland at Keflavik airport, alternatively check out the deals at your departure airport after security. A note here is that you cannot buy alcohol at supermarkets in Iceland only government-owned Vinbudin stores, which are few and far between and much more expensive than duty-free.



Another tip is to check out the 'appy hour' app to get the best deals on happy hours in Reykjavik. When you think a cocktail can cost 17 then it's worth checking out the happy hours at bars for half-priced and reduced beer, wine and cocktails.



3. Drink Tap Water





Seljalandsfoss waterfall





The tap water in Iceland is excellent quality so don't buy bottled water. Ask for tap water in restaurants and if you are going out for the day fill up a bottle with water to take with you.





4. Eat Your Largest Meal At Lunchtime





Mr W with an Icelandic hot dog





An old tip but a good tip is to eat your largest meal of the day at lunchtime. This will often be much cheaper especially if you take into account set lunch offers. One thing that you don't have to do in Iceland is tip in rest aurants as the wages are decent and the tip is built-in.





For more of a snack lunch, try the famous Icelandic hotdogs, so good even Bill Clinton was pictured at one stall in Reykjavik and at about 3.50 one of the cheaper items to eat in Iceland.





5. Go Self-Catering





Having an included breakfast in a hotel rate can really save you money



Depending on the time of year and the weather consider booking an apartment, go camping, or using a camper van over booking a hotel. These self-catering options will allow you to cook for yourself. If you are on the tightest budget a hostel could be another option.





If you go self-catering buying food to make your own breakfast and lunch will save you a lot over the course of a trip. If you do however book a hotel, get a deal with breakfast in with the room rate if you can. Hotels are no more expensive than anywhere else in Europe which is nice as the food and drink most certainly is. One caveat to that is if you are travelling in the Summer months, the accommodation in more rural areas are expensive, due to lack of availability. My last option is to book a camper van so you are saving on car hire and accommodation in one. Hiring a camper from a site such as Indie Campers which has a depot in Reykjavik is a good idea to save money.





6. Use Discount Supermarkets





Bonus supermarket bread - large loaf 269 IKR = 2.00





Bonus is a great discount supermarket, make use of it for basics like bread, milk and fruit, cooked meat, breakfast cereal and soft drinks if you are on a tight budget. A can of coke worked out to 69p, when you consider the price in a cafe is about 2.20 then you can see big savings can be made. A large loaf of white bread was 2.00 which is still more expensive than the UK but perfect as a base for lunch or breakfast for a few days.





7. Take A Flask





Take a flask





On our days out when we toured the Golden Circle, the west of Iceland and the south we took a flask with us. This saved us the cost of hot drinks in the cold weather and also saved us time as we didn't have to queue in a cafe for drinks. When a coffee can be nearly 4 then it was worth it for us. I also took a pack of chocolate bars from Poundland in the UK, as I knew Mr W has a chocolate obsession and this saved us again on snacks.





8. Use Free Wi-Fi

Not far from this glacier in the background was a cafe made of containers with fast Wi-Fi





Almost everywhere in Reykjavik will have free public Wi-Fi, so if you are visiting a museum, restaurant or cafe make use of it. We were amazed at how fast the Internet was in Iceland and how well connected everywhere is too. We went to a glacier in the south of the island and a little cafe had brilliant Wi-Fi!





9. Go To Alternative Spas







The Blue Lagoon





or The Secret Lagoon instead. Packing a towel in your luggage will save on towel rental. We enjoyed our visit to the Blue Lagoon , Iceland's famous geothermal spa but you can save money by going to a less pricey, less touristy geothermal spa. Try Myvatn Nature Baths





10. Visit The Natural Attractions





The black sand beach at Vik





Iceland is full of beautiful waterfalls, geysers, black sand beaches, glaciers and stunning natural beauty so visit nature's free attractions. These can be visited by car or bus. If you are happy to drive then hire a car as it will save you money on individually booked tours and give you more flexibility too.



Do not hire a Sat Nav, instead, download the Google Map to your phone for free and use that to navigate around the country. Worked a treat for us.



If you are lucky and visit in Winter you may even see the Northern Lights, which are of course free! You can check out this comprehensive



If you are lucky and visit in Winter you may even see the Northern Lights, which are of course free! You can check out this comprehensive guide to the Northern Lights by campervan rental company Cozy Campers to find out when, where, and how best to catch this magical phenomenon.




Glen Moray releases Mastery blend

Bardinet has released a new blended Glen Moray, celebrating the work of master distiller Graham Coull and his predecessors. Mastery is a blend of five vintages.

Three of the five vintages used were laid down by Graham's Glen Moray forefathers, Robert Brown (manager from 1959-1987) and Edwin Dodson (manager from 1987-2005). Two of Graham's own vintages are in there too, as well as evidence of techniques first employed by Glen Moray's original pioneers, James Haddow (manager from 1913-1927) and his son, Alexander Haddow (manager from 1927 -1959).

Graham Coull experimented using whisky matured in different fortified wine casks (sherry, madeira and port) to form the backbone of the 120th Anniversary release.

Graham Coull says: "The Madeira casks that weve chosen to form the heart of the whisky relate back to the genuine traditions of Glen Moray experimenting with different, innovative techniques in maturation. Its me putting a twist on the spirit that was made by previous generations of master distillers."

"I wanted to bring in something from 1978, some of the oldest whisky in the warehouses, that represented whisky made by Robert Brown, the 3rd generation of master distiller, who was at the helm of Glen Moray from 1959 until 1987 as well as casks filled in the 80's and 90's by my predecessor, Ed Dodson. Weve intertwined these with whisky that has spent its full term in first-fill sherry casks and also a proportion that has been finished in port, to develop the layers of complexity in the overall bottling. The port finished whisky brings a little lightness, which we felt perfectly balances the more robust flavours of the sherry and madeira casks in the blend."

The release is presented in individually numbered 70/75cl decanters, inside a leather box, limited to 1000 bottles. It is available at an RRP of 800 and at 52.3% ABV from Gordon & Macphail, The Dufftown Whisky Shop, Master of Malt, Whisky Exchange, Scotch Whisky Experience on the Royal Mile and the Glen Moray Distillery.

7 July 2017 - Sam Coyne The Drinks Report, news editor
Friends and family members excitedly snapped photos in a room adorned with an American and a Texas flag beside red, white and blue banners Thursday morning as nearly 100 Brazos County residents born in 31 different countries became United States citizens.

"The only day that would have been more appropriate would be if this were on July 4," Kyle Hawthorne, the 85th District Court judge who presided over the naturalization ceremony, said to the crowd, two days after their new country had celebrated its 241st birthday.

Hawthorne urged the 95 new citizens to not "just become a U.S. citizen and stay at home and not become involved," encouraging them to be active in the political process and -- speaking as a judge -- respond when they get a jury summons.

"We as natural-born U.S. citizens get complacent, and we do not get involved enough," Hawthorne said.

The new Americans came from around the world, from Iran to Jamaica, Thailand to South Africa, and Sweden to the Republic of Korea. The largest group -- 29 -- came from Mexico, followed by China with nine, India with seven and six from Pakistan. Five new citizens each hail from Vietnam and Colombia, and four of the newly sworn Americans are originally from South Korea.

Hawthorne said that, including today, 2,911 U.S. citizens have been sworn in in Brazos County since 2001. Thursday's naturalization ceremony was the county's third of the year. Typically there are four annually, but Hawthorne said there may be five this year.

"We may hit 3,000 this year," Hawthorne said, referencing the number of newly sworn Americans since 2001, since 246 people had been sworn in so far this year.

Sophia Chapman, the 85th District Court administrative assistant, said the numbers of those earning citizenship this year are "increasing intensely." At the county's next naturalization ceremony, which is scheduled for October, Hawthorne will swear in 150 more Americans, Chapman said, three times the number the court usually sees in each of its quarterly ceremonies.

The ceremony is doubly sweet for those new Americans with young children: if a child under 18 years old has a green card and his or her parent earns citizenship, the child becomes a U.S. citizen, too.

James Edge, deputy district director for U.S. Rep. Bill Flores, said that addressing the crowd was one of his and his office's "greatest honors."

"Thank you for serving as an example to countless native-born Americans that American citizenship should never be taken for granted," said Edge.

"As a new American, you will be reminded of the amazing contributions that people just like you have made throughout history," Edge said, thanking each person for "the unique perspective that each of you brings to this country," because "it is that diversity of experiences that contributes to making America the great country that it is."

After leading the oath of reunification and allegiance, Hawthorne called each of the new Americans to the front of the room to receive their certificates, which Chapman said are similar to native-born Americans' birth certificates. As they stood in line, many held tiny American flags and struck poses for family and friends as loved ones took pictures to commemorate their first few moments as U.S. citizens. Many held up their certificates with a beaming smile upon returning to their seats, holding high the paper that embodies all their hard work and sacrifice along their paths to citizenship,

Anthony Varacalli, a 24-year-old born in Canada who has been in the U.S. since he was 9, said the certificate was a result of "a lot of work."

"I'm just vert proud I finally got this," he said as he looked at the paper and smiled. "I'm very grateful for the opportunities this country has given me."

Francisco Zepeda Gutierrez, who is from Mexico but has been in the U.S. for 35 years, said through a translator that his new citizenship was "a very important thing for me."

Representatives from the local voter registration office were at Thursday's ceremony to register the newly eligible voters. Gutierrez said getting his citizenship was important to him "so I can vote," which he said was vital so "we can be recognized and we can have our voices heard."

It will help, he added, because having the power to vote will make government "respect us more and help us more."

Originally from Mexico but residing in the U.S. for 12 years, Ofelia Banuelos Barraza said she was "very happy" when she woke up Thursday morning. Even though the civics test had made her "very nervous," she'd passed and would be rewarded with U.S. citizenship.

"It means a lot, because I have my husband and two sons and one girl," she said of her children, who were born in America. "Now the whole family is a citizen today."
Headlines from The Eagle in the mid-1990s called them "Hitchcockian," "unwelcome" and "odorous."

A story than ran Dec. 31, 1994, read "one word sums up the biggest, foulest story in the community for 1994: Egrets."

Flash forward to 2017 and some North Texas communities are now dealing with their own hassles caused by the return of migratory egrets -- and longtime Bryan-College Station residents who remember the annual occupation of the birds in the mid-1990s know exactly what their fellow Texans are going through.

Bryan Deputy City Manager Hugh Walker -- who began working for the city in 1995 as assistant to the city manager -- said he remembers the birds as a "huge problem" made complicated by their protected status under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918, which prevents harassment of the egrets once they have begun nesting and producing eggs.

A number of methods were used by the City of Bryan and its partners over the years to drive off the birds, including noisemakers, bottle rockets, shotguns filled with blanks and much more, Walker said.

Walker said he remembers personally participating in a crew that borrowed a ladder truck from the Bryan Fire Department to spray the would-be rookery down with its hose so it would be wet enough that the birds didn't want to land.

He said the experience left the city and its residents with "more awareness" of the migratory patterns of the birds, the challenges they bring and how to deal with them.

"For several years, we were hypersensitive to springtime [when they typically arrive]," Walker said. "...We learned we needed to be aware."

Although the birds had been seasonally settling in Bryan since around 1991, officials said the number of egrets hit an unmanageable number in 1994 when more than 3 million of the birds were estimated to have established a rookery in the area.

Illustrating the pressing problem posed by the birds, the Bryan City Council voted in spring 1995 to use the entirety of a fund typically set aside for the purpose of demolishing crack houses and mowing weedy lots to clear a privately owned 20-acre plot of land where the egrets had built their rookery, according to an article published by The Eagle.

At the time, then-city councilwoman Kandy Rose said the decision was "a matter of health and welfare."

"The crack house [and other related issues] are ongoing problems," said Rose in the 1995 story. "This problem is really urgent."

Altogether, the city reported spending $70,000 in 1995 trying to drive the egrets away.

Walker said in 1996 that Texas National Guard units out of Brenham came to assist with the problem. According to a story from The Eagle at the time, the units cleared more than 50 acres of trees, brush and debris from North Bryan in an effort to discourage the egrets from nesting in the area.

In exchange for the opportunity to practice clearing an area, Walker said the National Guard units covered the cost of the operation.

Once the original rookery was cleared, Walker said over time -- and with help from its regional, state and federal partners -- the city was gradually able to chase the egrets out and dissuade the birds from returning en masse.

Ian Tizard, Texas A&M distinguished professor and director of the university's Schubot Exotic Bird Health Center, said he, too, remembers the annual pilgrimage of the birds to Bryan during the mid-'90s.

He said while the birds themselves were no more than an annoyance, they brought with them by-products -- largely their excrement -- that had the potential to cause harm.

Tizard said while they are not crop pests and they "eat an awful lot of insects," such as grasshoppers, they bring a "mass of feces" which can kill the vegetation and trees around them by over-saturating them in the droppings.

"They can be locally quite destructive for a while," Tizard said.

Although at the time Texas A&M researchers warned of possible fungi infections that could be spread to mammals through the excrement, Tizard said research conducted by one of his former colleagues showed positive results.

"I had a colleague who did a lot of fecal sampling to see if there was anything evil there and there was nothing bad in the Bryan birds he could find," Tizard said. "It was just smelly and ugly."

Because of their protected status, Tizard said the egrets are a tricky visitor to get rid of.

"You've just got to wait until they've dispersed after the nesting season and then do whatever you can to discourage them from coming back," he said. "...Once you clean it up and maybe make it a little less attractive to them, they'll go elsewhere."

Looking back, Walker said the most important lessons learned by the city during the multi-year egret ordeal was the importance of open communication with the public when dealing with a communitywide challenges and to accept the support of other organizations when a problem exceeds the resources available.

"Typically a municipal government does not have the resources to deal with those sort of problems, it's not what we do on an everyday basis," Walker said. "...It's important that if a community has that problem, that they do reach out and make sure they're following the protocols established by the feds and by the state. Then, [they should] see if they can't find other resources such as the national guard, the extension agency or somebody that can come in to help them."
A Chappell Hill man was killed Thursday morning after his pickup was hit by a tractor-trailer at an intersection, authorities said.

According to the Texas Department of Public Safety, Washington County first responders were called to the intersection of U.S. 290 and F.M. 1155 in Chappell Hill around 7:30 a.m.. A semi-trailer carrying scrap metal and driven by a 34-year-old man from Frisco was travelling east on U.S. 290. Troopers say they believe the tractor-trailer ran a red light at the intersection and hit the driver's side of a pickup traveling northbound on FM 1155.

The driver of the semi-trailer was taken to an area hospital but did not suffer any serious injuries. The driver of the pickup, 75-year-old Eddie Mayes of Chappell Hill, was pronounced dead at the scene. No citations have been issued, though the investigation is pending.
According to the College Station Police Department, just before 8 a.m. Thursday, officers were dispatched to an apartment on the 200 block of Marion Pugh Drive. A woman there reported that she'd woken up to the sound of someone moving about downstairs and noticed several of her belongings were missing. The woman then saw a man outside the window making off with her things. She stepped out of the apartment and confronted the man before grabbing the property, police said.
Firefighters battled a series of small grass fires Thursday afternoon along Texas 6 in northern Brazos County that may have been caused from a tractor-trailer tire blowout.

According to Brazos County VFD Precinct 4 Chief Kenneth Devries, firefighters were called to Texas 6 between OSR and Woodville Road on the report of a fire in the grass along the side of the highway. Devries said Bryan firefighters responded to six separate small fires, while first responders from Blackjack, Wheelock, and several Brazos County precincts tended to three fires on the side of the road just north of city limits.

While most of the nine fires were about two acres per blaze, it took about 90 minutes to extinguish the flames. DeVries estimated 3,500 gallons of water and chemical foam were used to fight three of the fires.

"In all of our fires, we found chunks of rubber, like the pieces that might be blown from a [semi-trailer] tire," DeVries said.

DeVries said he suspects a tractor-trailer driving along Texas 6 may have blown a tire. Tires will explode if the air pressure inside is too low, and the rubber expands in the heat. Though a driver may be aware that one of the tires blew out, he or she may have not known of any damage it caused.

"Smouldering rubber pieces on the ground may take four or five minutes to ignite a flame," DeVries said.

DeVries said the fires mostly consumed patches of grass, but in the county some flames did cross onto a privately owned hay field. First responders were able to extinguish the blaze before it reached any bales.

No counties in the Brazos Valley are under a burn ban, but a fire risk still exists.

"Looking at current vegetation and predicted weather patterns, our wildfire potential looks to be normal for the next couple of months," said Texas A&M Forest Service spokesman Phillip Truitt. "There will still be wildfires with these conditions. Grass and others fuels can dry out quickly, so these conditions could change."

While some often think of a cigarette butt or a trash burn that gets out of control as a primary fire cause, Truitt said there are a variety of factors that can cause a grass fire.

"Cigarettes are not one of our major causes of wildfires in Texas, according to our investigations," Truitt said. "Although it only takes one spark to start a wildfire, so any open flames could ignite a blaze. Always take fire safety precautions when outdoors with an activity that could start a wildfire."

Truitt suggested avoiding parking vehicles in tall grass, or setting down hot chainsaws or other electric or gas-powered equipment in a grassy area. Heat from machinery, farming equipment and automotives is capable of starting a grass fire. Fires can move rapidly in dry grass, especially factoring in wind.

Volunteer fire departments in rural counties often have to rely on support from neighbors, as did Brazos County's precincts.

"It does put stress on us because with our staff levels, you never know what we're going to have," DeVries said. "Precinct 4 only has three or four people who can respond to a fire in the middle of the day."
A blown-up picture of their son just seconds before his death hangs in the entryway of the Saculla family's rural Bryan home.

With one hand waving in the air, Josh Saculla is pictured on a bucking bull moments before the animal would sling him to the ground and crush his chest.

"That's not more than 10 seconds away from him leaving -- that's why," his father says, explaining why the family keeps the picture. "It's that last moment of him on Earth."

His parents get choked up talking about the incident that happened just over a year ago. Sometimes, in the middle of the night, Johnny Saculla wanders past the picture to lie on the couch his son was always on. But they keep the photo up as a testament to his unwavering love of bull riding and a reminder of the impact he had on his fellow rodeo-goers.

To share his memory with the community, one organization is working with Josh's family to remember him the best way they know how -- with a memorial bull ride.

The event put on by the Backyard Bull Riders, an organization whose rodeos Saculla rode in, is intended to be the first of many annual memorial events in his honor.

The event is free and open to the public. Gates open at 11 a.m., and at noon, Johnny Saculla will lead a "cowboy church. Friends of Josh will come forward to reminisce about the man they got to know over countless rodeos, and bull riding will begin at 2 p.m.

Mike King, one of the BBR organizers behind the memorial ride, said Josh Saculla was known for being devout man, a humble friend and driven bull rider. In the close-knit bull-riding community, he said his group wanted to do what they could to honor him.

"If we just let him die, and didn't have a memorial -- that just doesn't seem right," King said. "This is our way of remembering someone for dying doing what they love."

Johnny Saculla is a sort of unofficial chaplain for BBR, in that he has led several church sessions before the start of BBR events. He's particularly proud of his son's dedication to getting others to believe in God -- after his death, one friend told the family Josh talked about his religion 75 percent of the time and bull riding the rest.

"Little did I know he had probably done more in the short time that he lived than I have done in 30 years of ministry," Johnny Saculla said.

It wasn't until after his death, that he and his wife, Polly, realized how much their quiet son impacted those around him. They said they were surprised that about 1,200 attended the funeral for Josh Saculla, who at times was too humble and reserved to bring up awards he won.

They were also touched by the outpouring of from the bull riding community. Johnny Saculla said one rodeo-goer gave them the cowboy hat off his head, because he didn't have any money and wanted to give the family something. Two others gave them the belts they won at rodeos, which to Johnny Saculla felt like the equivalent of a Super Bowl champion handing over his ring.

"The western world comes together for each other. And that what this is," he said. "You just see a bond that's like no other."

But they still mourn Josh Saculla, especially on the anniversary of his death this week.

On July 3, 2016, Josh was participating in the Backyard Bull Bash in La Grange, an annual event that raises money for the Ronald McDonald House. It was an unexpected stop during "Cowboy Christmas" -- the Fourth of July weekend happens to be when many rodeos with worthwhile cash prizes are held.

King got the call from a friend at the rodeo shortly after the accident who told him that a bull had stepped on Josh Saculla and that he was likely about to die.

"It was pretty bleak from the get-go," he said. "The rib probably punctured his aorta. He got up and got to the fence and basically went blank from that point forward."

His mother remembers coming home from the grocery store and thinking, "Josh, you are going to eat well this week" just before she got the call.

At first, she wasn't certain how serious the accident was. Almost a year earlier to the day she had gotten a similar call and rushed to an Austin hospital where doctors told her her son had broken every bone in his face. She had asked him to go back to cattle roping after the incident, but she wasn't surprised -- or disappointed -- when he told her that he was going to be back on a bull when he recovered.

"That was his love," she said, referencing the image of her son riding his last bull on her wall. "And we knew we weren't going to change his mind. He loved it."

They found out later that Josh Saculla had stumbled up after the bull crushed his chest, walked around 20 feet while he bleed out and died at the arena. He was 28 years old.

One of the bullfighters, a veteran who served as a combat medic during tours in Iraq, later told Johnny Saculla that it was the most peaceful death he'd seen, almost as if he was smiling. His family said he believed so fervently in his religion, that he must have had a sense that he was going to heaven.

Josh Saculla's last word, his parents found out later, was "Momma."

King had grown close to Josh Saculla when King himself was injured in a wreck. He said Josh Saculla helped him at his ranch with all the things he could no longer do, such as work cows and drive a tractor.

"I would describe Josh as quiet but assertive," he said. "He was underestimated a lot. He gave it everything he had. It didn't matter what he was doing. It was 110 percent. He was all about loyalty to his friends...and as far as riding bulls -- he loved to ride bulls."

His family said he lived for the next rodeo and was always piling into cars with other bull riders, occasionally getting into conversations about the Bible with his friends and calling up his dad on speaker phone to get clarification.

They said they hope to share some of the light that their son brought into their world with the church session before the memorial rodeo, and they hope that since the bull ride is free, it will draw in families who might otherwise not be able to afford the usual $10 cover.

To help make the event free to the public, the family is looking for sponsors. Anyone interested can reach out to the Barton Crawford with the Backyard Bull Riders at (512) 656-3850.
Joe was a Texan through and through spending most of his years in central Texas. He graduated from A&M Consolidated High School in College Station, attended Howard Payne University where he made lifelong friends, and was a proud graduate of Texas A&M University. Joe was a cowboy in the truest sense of the word. He loved raising and training cutting horses, riding and roping and the Texas Two-Step. He had a free and adventurous spirit a gentle soul and was always quick with a smile and a wink. Joe enjoyed being with family and most of all, his beloved Rebecca Hall and their poodle puppy Seamus of Wetumpka, AL. Joe was an active member of the First Baptist Church of Wetumpka and a member of the Wetumpka Lion's Club.
Rev. Oliver Deon Mack, 62, of Beaumont, formerly of Hearne and Houston, passed away on Saturday, June, 1, 2017 in Beaumont.

Visitation will be from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, July 8, at Cathedral of Faith Baptist Church, 3755 Fannet Road, Beaumont, TX 77705, followed by a Celebration of Life, honoring Rev. Oliver Deon Mack. Rev. Delbert Mack will be the eulogist. Interment will be in Live Oak Cemetery in Beaumont.
LONDON  This week Im supposed to be on vacation, taking in a half-dozen Shakespeare plays in an effort to escape the sturm und drang as President Trump travels abroad to Poland and Germany.

But there was something so disturbing about Trumps remarks at his first stop in Warsaw, Poland  especially as they came during the week of Americas Independence Day  that I cant refrain from weighing in. His choice of words, and of Poland as the place to deliver them, lay bare the real threat facing U.S. democracy today.

First, note the symbolism of visiting Poland first, before Germany, where Trump has a testy relationship with Chancellor Angela Merkel, whom some call the new leader of the free world. The conservative, religious, right-wing Polish government, on the other hand, has been tugging democratic Poland back toward a semi-authoritarian model that would subordinate the judiciary and the press.

Second, take note of Trumps speech in Warsaws old town square, the epicenter of the 1944 Polish uprising against the Nazis. The fundamental question of our time is whether the West has the will to survive, the president proclaimed, using his typically draconian language. Do we have the confidence in our values to defend them at any cost?

But exactly what values was the president seeking to defend with his oration? It certainly was not the separation of powers or the freedom of the press that our Founding Fathers envisioned as the key to maintaining a democratic system. Not at all.

The threat that Trump was referring to was immigration: Do we have enough respect for our citizens to protect our borders? he went on. Do we have the desire and the courage to preserve our civilization in the face of those who would subvert and destroy it?

In other words, the main danger to democracy, as far as the American president was concerned, is the hordes, presumably Muslim, that are threatening our civilization. And he was issuing this warning in a country that has taken in zero refugees.

What makes this speech so extraordinary is where the president chose to deliver it: in a country whose main power broker, Jaroslaw Kaczynski, the head of the governing Law and Justice Party, has hobbled Polands constitutional court, defamed the men who led the 1980s fight for freedom from Moscow, and made public media into a government bullhorn.

No wonder Trump couldnt resist launching into his interminable riff about fake media, and slamming CNN and NBC yet again, while standing next to a Polish president, Andrzej Duda, who has been accused of curbing press freedoms. Do you have that also, Mr. President? Trump asked. Duda nodded vigorously in agreement.

In other words, in the city where the Nazis crushed Polish resistance, in a country that struggled to free itself from Soviet communist domination, the U.S. president chose to denounce American media while his Polish counterpart concurred.

The great objective of this government is to reorganize Poland into a Putin-like system, the great Polish journalist Adam Michnik told The New York Times last year. He meant a government with democratic trappings that conceals an authoritarian system underneath. First Hungary, now Poland, seem headed in this direction.

True, the Polish government is a firm supporter of NATO, because it fears encroachment by its historic enemy, Russia, next door (even if Kaczynski and Duda are leaning towards a Kremlin-like governing system). And, in Warsaw, Trump paid lip service to NATO while taking a slap at Russias destabilizing activity in the region.

But standing by Duda, Trump still refused to squarely admit that Moscow had meddled in Americas elections. And we know that the U.S. president also admires Putins tough guy image. This doesnt bode well for his meeting with the Russian president this week.

As a result, rather than burnishing the values of our civilization in Warsaw, Trump demonstrated how he is undermining those values from within, dumping on a free press in cahoots with a Polish leader who has undermined his own countrys democratic institutions.

Obviously, Trump is not familiar with the words of Thomas Jefferson: The only security of all is in a free press. The force of public opinion cannot be resisted when permitted freely to be expressed. The agitation it produces must be submitted to. It is necessary, to keep the waters pure.

The fundamental question of our time is not whether America keeps its borders closed but whether Americans will continue to cherish the institutions that the Founding Fathers bequeathed them. Especially when the leader of the free world doesnt seem to grasp what those values are.
The rising tide of violence has even spread to include government officials. Luiz Araujo, the environmental secretary to the Brazilian city of Altamira, in the northern Amazon, was murdered after conducting an investigation into the death of thousands of fish and illegal logging related to the company Norte Energia, which was then fined $11 million for the environmental catastrophes.

An environmental victory that cost lives

Aysin Buyuknohutcu and her husband Ali were shot dead in their countryside house in southern Turkey. The couple were well-known for their environmental and consumer rights activism. For six years they had led both a civil campaign and a lawsuit against destructive stone and marble quarries in Antalya, a Mediterranean city in southern Turkey.

The adverse environmental effects of open pit mining, particularly of those in Antalya, have been reported now and then. Over the course of the campaign, Aysin and Ali managed to have the operations of a marble quarry, operated by the local mining company Bartu Mermer, permanently shut down.

The struggle escalated during 2016, when Ali shared photographs and video on social media depicting the deforestation of highly-valued endemic Calabrian pine and cedar tree groves around the open pits, and publicly denounced the company.

The company sued Ali, accusing him of defamation. In the end, Ali was acquitted in court, and on top of that the judge cancelled the companys operating license in the area. The final verdict by the state council in response to the companys appeal also approved the decision of the regional court - securing an absolute victory for the environmentalist couple.

During the press conference following the lawsuit, Ali gave the following speech: I am fulfilling my duty to protect nature according to the 56th article of constitution. It reads: Protecting nature is the duty of all citizens . [The companies] threatened and daunted the local supporters to stop our campaign . Yet the final situation became not only a landmark to Antalya but to all our country. Before, citizens were scared to sue companies - now the decision will encourage all environmentalists.

The verdict suggested that the operations of the company were incompatible with environmental regulations. The quarry was located near a site of unique natural heritage and the state council required any company working in the area to submit a vital environmental impact assessment (EIA) report.

However, on this occasion the local government had unlawfully allowed Bartu Mermer to go ahead without the EIA. The circumstances surrounding this decision remain obscure.

The verdict in Alis case now severely restricts any future mining projects. More importantly, it leads the way for further proceedings against the remaining 13 stone quarries operating in the area, since they have apparently also failed to submit the necessary EIA reports.

The verdict was not the end of the struggle for Aysin and Ali. Far from it. A month after the court decision the couples dogs were poisoned. Then there was a forest fire close to their home. And two weeks later Aysin and Ali were found shot dead - apparently executed - at their countryside house. A suspect was soon arrested. He testified that he was responsible for the shooting. He claimed he had been offered 50,000 Turkish Lira - 10,600 - by an anonymous quarry owner.

The Republican Peoples Party (CHP), the opposition party in Turkey, has recently raised questions about the case during regular parliamentary meetings, requesting a special investigation to involve all stakeholders involved in the case. A member of parliament asked the Minister of Justice: Are you going to investigate the connection between the murder of Ali Buyuknohutcu and his environmentalist struggle and legal victory?

The criminal investigation is ongoing despite the breakdown of the rule of law in Turkey. Kemal Kilicdaroglu, the 69-year-old opposition party leader, has even joined the march for justice from the capital Ankara to Istanbul for the last three weeks. He has been accompanied by thousands of Turkish protesters, several MEPs and a horde of police officers.

The crowd is walking up to 12 miles each day with a single motto of a single word: justice. The Justice March represents a shift of the opposition partys rhetoric from secularism to justice, which, sadly, reflects the increasing number of environmental conflicts in Turkey, as well as the increasing need for justice.

A bloody battleground

The case of Aysin and Ali is part of a much bigger picture, where the environment is emerging as a bloody battleground for communities and activists. Whenever industries push deeper into new territories we witness local communities taking a stand against the infringers. The Atlas of Environmental Justice has now documented more than 2,100 cases.

But we also witness the very same local communities getting rapidly surrounded by state forces, private security companies and - shockingly - targeted at times by contract killers. The calamity that devastated the Buyuknohutcu family proves the vulnerability of environmentalists and environmentalism once again.

A-Platform, a large environmental CSO, has now called on the government in Turkey for immediate action to maintain justice and leave no space for a justice gap over the couples assassination. It has stated: Any judicial inertia or impunity at this point would put many lives at stake in future.

Despite a cost of two invaluable lives, the verdict on the marble quarry stands as a great precedent for successors of the environmentalist couple.

This Author

Burag Gurden is a postgraduate student at Lund University. He is also a freelance writer and contributor to the British International Development Journal, Turkish Dunya Gazetesi and the international Words in the Bucket community. Currently he is working at the EnvJustice project.
DOVER  A Thursday afternoon two-vehicle crash left a 24-year-old man dead and one person injured, according to Racine County Sheriff Christopher Schmaling.

At 3:45 p.m., a rescue call came in for a crash in the 22220 block of Washington Avenue (Highway 20), just west of Britton Road in Dover. The crash site is roughly halfway between Highway 45 North and Highway 75.

Racine County sheriffs deputies shut down Highway 20 from Britton Road to Beaumont Avenue (Highway 75) during the crash investigation.

Racine County Sheriffs Lt. David Kinservik said the initial investigation indicated a red 2009 Toyota Corolla was eastbound on Highway 20. When the vehicle started to travel onto the gravel shoulder, the driver lost control.

Thats when the red car was T-boned by a black Lexus SUV traveling west on Highway 20. The force of the crash sent the red car off the roadway, killing the driver. The driver of the SUV sustained a leg injury and was transported to a local hospital in an ambulance. The drivers condition was not available as of Thursday night, but the driver is expected to survive, sheriffs officials said.

Its unclear what caused the 24-year-old driver to veer off onto the shoulder. The investigation is still ongoing, officials said.

The Wisconsin State Patrol Accident Reconstruction team also responded to the scene and assisted with the crash investigation.

The drivers names were being withheld until the Sheriffs Office could make notifications. Both vehicles had Wisconsin license plates.
The GOP's red wave foundered nationally, but it swept away Democrats in Iowa

Republican operatives credit Gov. Kim Reynolds with generating enough enthusiasm to help pull down-ballot candidates across the finish line in Iowa.
As an entrepreneur, youll likely be involved in multiple types of negotiations and discussions: Youll argue with your partners about upcoming business decisions. Youll negotiate salaries with your newest employees. Youll create mutually agreeable contracts with your clients, and youll attempt to resolve complaints both within and outside your organization, especially as you gain more exposure.

Related: 10 Tips to Negotiate Like a Boss

You cant always get your way in these situations, and you cant always give in to the other side. Instead, you'll need to compromise; but how can you do that effectively without sabotaging your image or getting the raw end of the deal?

No matter what youre negotiating or discussing, you can compromise effectively with these steps:

1. Truly listen to the other side.

As with so many things in business, successful compromises are dependent on successful listening. Before you can find out where the middle ground is, you need to know where the opposing side is. What is it that the other party wants? And why? What points of disagreement does that party have with your side, and what makes him or her feel that way? In some cases, this level of understanding may be all you need to defuse the situation. For example, you may be able to present an entirely new argument or disprove an assumption the opposing party previously held. Other times, your new argument may give you a good starting point to construct a compromise.

2. Understand how important the issue is to you.

Next, figure out how important this issue is to you. For example, if this is a client deal that could either bring your company a million dollars in new revenue or tarnish your reputation, the stakes are high. If instead this is a part-time employee unhappy with his or her work schedule, you probably dont care nearly as much. This should help you decide how much time and effort to invest in the deal.

3. Learn the consequences of a broken deal.

What happens if the deal falls through entirely, or you end up compromising by siding with your opponent? In some cases, youll find that a complete surrender has minimal consequences; if this is the case, it may be worth your while to avoid the compromise process altogether and take the small hit. Alternately, you may gain information that helps you learn how far you can extend yourself before a deal is no longer worth recovering.

4. Come up with alternatives.

Up until this point, youve probably thought of a prospective compromise as existing on a linear continuum, such as a contract fluctuating in price (either higher or lower). However, at this point, you should start thinking of alternative solutions and offers -- even if they sound ridiculous at first. For example, you may include different terms, or different bonuses, in a contract rather than simply raising or lowering a price. In this way, you may arrive at a middle point that both of you find wholly beneficial.

5. Prepare to make sacrifices, and draw a mental line.

Next, understand what youre willing to give up. You should have a good idea, at this point, how far you can bend without breaking, so draw that mental line in your head. For example, you may opt to refuse to hire someone who demands more than a specific threshold of income and benefits. Having this firm line will give you a good reference point when it comes to actual negotiations.

Related: How to Expertly Negotiate a 6-Figure Sales Contract

6. Gradually shift closer to the middle (and know when to walk).

When you start discussing a possible compromise, start as close to your side as possible, with variance based on the emotional volatility of the situation and the number of conversations youve had up until this point. Then, gradually walk closer to the middle ground, tossing in alternatives as necessary to make each side more appealing to the other. Youll also need to bear in mind your walk point -- the point at which youre unwilling to negotiate further.

7. Remain professional, no matter what the results.

Sometimes, youre going to win the deal and walk out with more favorable results than you expected. Sometimes, youre going to lose, approaching or meeting your walk point, and sometimes surrendering to your opponent entirely. In either case, remain as professional as possible -- keeping your "poker face" on. These are people you may need to negotiate with in the future; so preserving your image of confident professionalism will help you secure more favorable results in deals to come.

If you follow these steps every time you encounter an argument, debate or discussion, youll end up with far more favorable compromises than youd have either by bending on every issue or adamantly insisting on your way every time.

Related: Fixing the Pay Gap Starts With Your Salary Negotiation Skills

At times, you may favor your instincts over this painstaking sequence of steps, and there are certainly issues that arent worth compromising on, but the more reasonable and thorough you are as a leader, the more respect youre going to win. Because of that, every respectful deal you make is going to make it easier to strike compromises in the future.

Related:

7 Steps to Compromising Effectively as a Business Leader

You Can't Always Get What You Want: The Art of Negotiating

4 Tricks for Negotiating Like a Poker Pro



Copyright 2017 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved



This article originally appeared on entrepreneur.com


NORWALK  A Norwalk man was arrested on a 2016 warrant that alleges he shot at a car in South Norwalk.

Officers responded to a complaint of shots fired at 1:10 a.m. Sept. 5, 2016, in the area of Meadow and Lawrence streets.
Weve all had bad bosses -- uncommunicative, unpredictable, fear-inspiring people who can make employee morale in even the most productive workplaces dip to new, impressive lows.

If you find yourself complaining about your supervisors leadership style, youre far from alone, according to a study. But just how much of an impact does a lacking leader have on a companys success?

Career site Comparably surveyed more than 20,000 tech industry employees, and of the employees polled, 31 percent of men and 39 percent of women said they thought their boss hurt the company culture.

Related: Note to Startups: Employees Are Happiest When Leaders Have a Moral Compass

Interestingly, people who worked in business development and administrative roles were more likely to say that their boss was hurting the company's culture (48 percent and 47 percent respectively), but human resources employees were least likely to agree with that statement, at only 21 percent.

Younger employees whose ages ranged from 18 to 25 had the most positive view of their boss, with 27 percent saying that they thought their boss was harming company culture. The oldest employees took the dimmest view, with 38 percent of 56- to 60-year-olds saying the same.

The top five things that employees wanted their bosses to improve upon was communication, accountability, positivity, honesty and work ethic. Half of men and 48 percent of women polled put communication at the top of their list.

Related: 10 Traits of Managers Whose Teams Are Happy to Come to Work

When asked if they thought they could do their managers job better than their current boss, 36 percent of men and 34 percent of women agreed. The cohort that was most confident about their ability to do so were those ages 41 to 45, with 35 percent agreeing with the statement.

Educational background played a sizable role in response to that question as well. Fifty-three percent of employees with a high school education said they would do a better job than their boss, while 32 percent of workers with a bachelors degree said the same.

On average, the top three things that people said they would change if they were in charge was the companys vision and strategy (33 percent), followed by an improved office culture (23 percent) and increased employee pay (23 percent). However, when getting into the age breakdown, the youngest employees, ages 18 to 25, didnt put vision and strategy in the top spot. While 24 percent wanted a better vision, 27 percent said they wanted higher pay.

Related: New Study Finds That Your Career Income Is Significantly Impacted by the First 10 Years on the Job

So do you stew in silence or do you actually broach the conflict with your manager? When asked about whether they were comfortable giving their boss negative feedback, 64 percent of men said they felt like they were able to, while 58 percent of women agreed with the statement.

The study found that what kind of job you have might make your more or less comfortable confronting your boss. Women who worked in engineering and customer support and those who held executive positions were the most comfortable with giving their manager negative feedback, but female employees working in business development and the legal department were the least comfortable. Male HR and customer support employees were the most comfortable, while men working in legal were the least comfortable criticizing their bosses.

Age plays a factor as well. Sixty-six percent of employees ages 36 to 40 said they were comfortable giving feedback, but workers ages 18 to 25 and 41 to 45 were not as confident, hovering around 60 percent.

Related:

Do You Think You're Smarter Than Your Boss?

3 Leadership Lessons for Entrepreneurs Who Crave to Make an Impact

This Introvert Founder Swears by This Management Tip



Copyright 2017 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved



This article originally appeared on entrepreneur.com


There may be no more fitting place in Norwalk to take in the sequel to one of Pixars most beloved films, Finding Nemo, than right by the waterside at Shady Beach.

Join your fellow Norwalk residents on July 15 as Norwalk Parks and Recreation hosts its latest installment of its Outdoor Movie series with a screening of Finding Dory at Shady Beach.

The event will kick off with some kid-friendly activity at 6 p.m. as a face painter will stop by the beach to treat attending children with free face painting.

At dusk, the viewing of the movie will begin playing.

In the event of a cancellation due to inclement weather, call 203-854-7938 for information.

This event is sponsored by Karate Universe.

At the rate that medical breakthroughs occur nowadays, it can be hard to keep up with the latest innovations and their implications.

To keep Norwalk residents abreast with the latest technologies, this months Humanists and Freethinkers of Fairfield County meeting will feature a discussion with Yale doctor William Philbrick on a gene editing tool that is revolutionizing biology and medicine.

Philbrick will discuss the history and future promise of CRISPR-Cas9, a tool that allows scientists to make precise, permanent modifications to the genome. CRISPR is short for clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats, a type of bacterial DNA that, together with the Cas9 protein, can be harnessed to extract or add DNA segments in a desired location.

Philbrick is a senior research scientist and the director of the Diabetes Endocrinology Research Center Molecular Core at the Yale School of Medicine.

The event, which is free and open to the public, begins at 6:30 p.m. on July 10 at the Silver Star Diner at 210 Connecticut Ave.

The Humanists and Freethinkers of Fairfield County espouses reason and compassion, seeks to promote humanism and free thought in the community. The group meets on the second Monday of each month, with speakers, discussion and social time.

You can learn more about the group at meetup.com/HFFCCT.

Norwalk has a rich and cherished history as the venue for innovative performance art, from the newly revitalized Wall Street Theater in Norwalk Center to the former White Barn Theatre nestled away in Cranbury.

The Carriage House Arts Center, one such institution, will be premiering its new show, Perfect, A Cabaret, created and directed by Kelly Killmer, this weekend.

Perfect, A Cabaret, examines one woman's struggle with depression through song and story. The play will look at the ways friends and loved ones can help, and can hinder, ones struggle with depression and self-harm.

It balances light and dark moments thanks to the extraordinary skill of our talented cast, reads the plays online brochure.

The play will be performed courtesy of the Lipstick Project, a theatre troupe whose mission is to create and promote art by women.

This show is recommended for audiences 18 years and older due to mature content.

To reserve seats for this unique show, email lipsticktickets@gmail.com.

Questions? Email the Lipstick Project at info@lipstickprojectct.org.

Nowadays Silvermine is known today for its natural beauty, the Silvermine Arts Center and is home to the Silvermine Tavern, but few are aware of its rich, far-reaching history.

Discover Silvermines rich history during this celebratory lecture, Silvermine: Celebrating Its Art, History and Beauty, by author Samuel Schmitt at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, July 12 at the Norwalk Historical Societys Mill Hill Historic Park.

Encompassing sections of New Canaan, Norwalk and Wilton, learn how Silvermine went from a small mill town during the 18th and 19th centuries to a vibrant artist colony. In the early 20th century, artists came to the area, attracted by the scenery, proximity to the art scene in New York and the old mills, which proved ideal studios.

These artists formed the Silvermine Guild, a haven for art of all kind. The high quality of the work of the early Silvermine artists compares favorably with the members of the better known colonies in Old Lyme and Cos Cob.

On view in the 1835 Town House at Mill Hill, where the lecture will be presented, is a new salon-style art exhibit, Preserving and Observing: Two Centuries of Norwalk Art, which feature the works of many Silvermine Guild artists from the early to mid 20th century.

Admission to the event will cost $5, and tickets can be purchased at www.norwalkhistoricalsociety.org.

Light refreshments will be served at the event, and signed copies of the book will be for sale during the presentation.

This event is sponsored in part by the Norwalk Association of Silvermine Homeowners and the Silvermine Community Association.

For more information, visit www.norwalkhistoricalsociety.org, email info@norwalkhistoricalsociety.org or call 203-846-0525.

Share your neighborhood news

To share your community and neighborhood news with The Norwalk Hour, contact Pat Tomlinson at 203-842-2570, or at ptomlinson@hearstmediact.com.
NORWALK  The Norwalk Health Department will hold a free educational session on ticks next week, detailing what members of the public need to know to protect themselves and their families from the tiny creatures and their associated illnesses this summer.

Officially entitled, Ticks...Be Aware!, the event will be held at 7 p.m. July 11 in the Community room at City Hall.
MOUNT PLEASANT  Dozens of friends and extended family huddled in solemn solidarity Friday at the boyhood home of Armando S. Garcia, killed in a car crash in Dover just 24 hours earlier.

He was a good boy, his father Armando Garcia Sr. said. He just got married and was living in Kenosha with his wife. They did not have any children.

The two-vehicle crash happened at about 3:45 p.m. Thursday on Highway 20 just west of Britton Road in Dover as Garcia was heading home from his first shift work at Runzheimer on Highways 164 and 36 in Waterford.

Investigators said the 24-year-old driver lost control after veering onto the gravel shoulder, which put him in the path of an SUV that T-boned his red Toyota Corolla.

In his time of grief, Armando Garcia Sr. offered condolences to the injured driver of the SUV, who investigators said suffered a leg injury and is expected to be OK.

I am sorry for the person in the other car, Armando Garcia Sr. said.

Armando Garcia Jr.s best friend, David Aquirre, said the younger Garcia liked the Green Bay Packers and was a devoted Christian.

Ive known him my whole life; I grew up with him, Aquirre said. We could always toss a football around. He always liked doing that.

Aquirre said Garcia Jr. was a dependable friend who always had a willingness to sacrifice.

He was always ready to help others. Hed always be there for anyone and never expected anything in return, Aquirre said. Without a doubt, he set a wonderful example for everyone.

Changing career paths

Garcia Jr. studied at Waukesha County Technical College to be a medical interpreter for English and Spanish and was working in Milwaukee in that field for a time before he decided to make a big change to accommodate his faith.

He dedicated a lot of his life to teaching people about the Bible. It was real to him, Aquirre said. He always put family first, but above all God. He really put that above everything.

Garcia Jr. recently took a job in customer service at Runzheimer, with the promise of working remotely so he could have more flexibility and commit more hours volunteering as a pioneer, or full-time evangelizer, for a Jehovahs Witnesses church.

He was in the process of moving his work equipment to be home-based before his life was cut short.

He could support the essentials of life, where he lived with his wife and dedicate his time to preaching work, Aquirre said.

Aquirre said Garcia Jr.s faith believes he is asleep in death with the promise of everlasting life through resurrection.

Aquirre shared a Bible passage, Revelation 21:4, that he said was appropriate for his friends passing.

And He will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore. The former things have passed away, Aquirre read aloud.

Garcia Jr.s funeral arrangements had not been finalized as of Friday night.
Financial technology has been all the rage these days, and theres no shortage of fintech startups popping up across the globe. However, investments have been slowing down, indicating that the industry is reaching saturation for certain verticals. As such, startups should expect stiff competition.

In addition to increasingly fierce competition and possible consolidation in the horizon, many fintech first-timers fail to take data seriously, especially when it comes to the many question marks surrounding the booming industry. One of the elements fintech actors should consider is of course data and its plethora of applications.

Writing in a blog post about the importance of analytics, Hagit Ben Shoshan, VP of customer success at digital intelligence platform CoolaData, encourages startups to embrace analytics early on. Dont wait until your startup is big to start implementing analytics. Understand your user behavior as early as possible to be better prepared for your next high stage of growth.

Businesses must ensure that they are making smart and guided decisions in order to be competitive. Today, such a level of decision-making is made possible through big data.

"Todays data-driven professional needs the ability to navigate a wide variety of disparate data sources in a self-service environment, and derive insights before making a decision," notes Sisense CEO Amir Orad in a recent blog post. "Enterprise data tools should empower business units to be data-driven in this sense, rather than retroactively justifying decisions with canned reports," he added.

Indeed, analytics isnt some buzzword or novelty anymore, and data advocates believe that tech startups must be making data part of their organizations foundation. Data has proven capable of revealing potential areas of both risk and opportunity that arent overtly noticeable.

Datas importance is even more amplified in industries that revolve around numbers such as finance. The large volumes of data that can be tracked and analyzed in fintech should prove a very rich resource that fintech companies would surely benefit from. This need for analytics cuts across verticals.

Related: What Fintech Entrepreneurs Can Learn From Big Tech Companies

Here are five fintech verticals where smart analytics are crucial to success.

1. Trading

The emergence of data and machine learning has given rise to robo-advisors where artificial intelligence is used to provide customized investment advice to individual users. Fintech ventures such as Betterment and Wealthfront both leverage analytics in order to track user behavior and improve their customer experiences. Betterment cites how analytics helped it introduce a tax impact preview feature that allows users to see their potentially incurred taxes in advance.

Other trading platforms are integrating analytics as well. Recently, CoolaData introduced an integration with the MetaTrader platform that allows brokers to track performance and generate reports quickly. This allows brokers to readily monitor their performance and provide interventions when necessary.

Related: 7 Things to Consider Before Launching a Fintech Startup

2. Insurance

Insurance has always been a numbers game. Insurers base the price of insurance premiums on actuarial tables. With the explosion of data, insurance companies can now factor in more information in generating their tables. For insurers, implementing smart analytics allows them to be on top of trends.

The increased connectivity of smartphones, internet of things devices and cars allows for more data about customers to be gathered and used for risk analyses. For instance, geolocation and telemetry data can be used by auto insurers to identify higher risk motorists. A Deloitte paper sees this use of big data and analytics as good for consumers since pricing would better reflect risk.

3. Payments

Payments is possibly the most competitive fintech segment today. More markets are aspiring towards going cashless, and companies from traditional institutions such as banks, tech giants like Google and Apple, incumbents like PayPal and up-and-coming startups are now competing for relevance. There is much demand for real-time transactions in B2C, B2B and even peer-to-peer segments. Forty-three percent of small- and medium-sized businesses around the world claim that receiving real-time payments is crucial to their organizations.

Related: How Fintech and Payments Innovations Will Disrupt Global Ecommerce

But, beyond speedy transaction, merchants are actually looking for other potential sources of competitive advantage. Payment providers can offer value-added services such as transaction data reports for use in monitoring market trends and creating spending profiles. Merchants and marketers can use these for marketing campaigns and personalization efforts.

4. Real estate

Real estate appears to be one of the less talked about verticals in fintech but it is a major vertical nonetheless. Real estate is a $217-trillion industry worldwide, and 75 percent of that is from residential property. New ventures could very well explore this as a blue ocean market for fintech.

Like many other industries, analytics has steadily changed the real estate game. It isnt enough to go by the age-old real estate adages of location, location, location. Analytics now allows smarter ways for homebuyers to locate their perfect investments. Services such as Zillow and Trulia have been using information such as census data, property listings, crime statistics and geographic information systems data (GIS) to generate accurate information about properties.

Related: Access to Data is Great, but It's How You Communicate It That Matters

5. Security

Fintech is a prime target for cybercriminals due to the nature of the information and assets that it handles. As such, fintech companies must put security at the core of their operations. Use of stolen credit card information still plagues many payment processors and merchants. This year, there has been a 200 percent rise in testing or using card information to purchase cheap items to confirm that they work. Theres even a rise in the use of stolen bank account information to purchase goods and pay bills online.

Behavioral analytics play a very large role in fraud detection. Through the combination of analytics, algorithms and artificial intelligence, fraud prevention systems can identify fraudulent behavior with a fair degree of accuracy. These systems can even use historical data from existing consumers to flag unusual activities that are usually attributable to fraud.

Moving ahead

While fintech is still some time away from global breakthrough and dotcom bubbles are a constant threat, the industry enjoys the benefit of data and smart analytics. With that said, fintech can avoid the many pitfalls of other industries thanks to advancements in data collection and the consequent ability to understand consumer behavior.

Related:

Why Fintech Startups Need Smart Analytics

How to Use Data to Stem the Tide of High Churn

5 Winning Social Media Strategies From a Master Marketer



Copyright 2017 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved



This article originally appeared on entrepreneur.com


HASTINGS  A one-year-old male was bitten by a coyote wandering Hastings Tuesday night, Hastings police confirmed.

Sgt. Brian Hessler said there have been many reports of coyote sightings in Hastings the past few weeks. He said most of the reports came from the west side of town. The Tuesday incident happened on the southwest side of town around 10:30 p.m., Hessler said.

According to a Facebook post by Salina Josephine, the boys aunt, the incident happened in the 500 block of South Boston.

Hessler said police talked with Nebraska Game and Parks after the reported sightings, who said coyote sightings in urban areas arent unheard of but not common. He said he was told coyotes typically dont mess with people and are just looking for food to feed their pups.

This is the exception to that rule apparently, Hessler said about Tuesdays incident.

The family was lighting off fireworks at night, Hessler said, when they saw what looked like a dog approaching them. However, the dog was identified as a coyote after it became more visible to the family. Hessler said the family told police theyve hunted coyotes before and knew this was a coyote. According to the report, Hessler said, the coyote snapped at the child.

The child did get some marks on its back from the encounter, Hessler said. It was reported that the coyote then ran away.

According to Salina Josephines Facebook post on the incident, the coyote ran down the sidewalk toward the family. As her nephew was bending over to grab a ball, she said the coyote came at the last minute and tried to take off with the boy. She posted that the boy had puncture wounds on his back and that he was taken to the ER for a tetanus shot and rabies shot.

Katrina Clodfelter, the boys mother, has confirmed that her son is going to be OK.

Hessler said when police responded they tried to locate the animal, but it wasnt found. He said police contacted Game and Parks again, this time specifically about this incident. He said hes not aware of the condition of the child.

He said Game and Parks plays one role in figuring out how to handle situations like this. Hessler said police are trying to figure out what the next step will be.

Hessler said the coyotes are looking for a meal and he wants people to be aware.

We want people to be aware that these coyotes might be on the edges of town, Hessler said.

Hessler said this is the first time since hes been in Hastings that hes heard of something like this.

Its not a problem that weve had a lot of, Hessler said. Were not expecting it to be a lasting issue.

If people see a coyote in town, theyre urged to leave them alone and stay away as they can carry diseases. Hessler said he also wants to remind people that they cant discharge firearms within city limits, therefore, shooting the coyotes in town would be illegal.
Thursdays temperature in Grand Island climbed to 102 degrees, sending people to swimming pools and or indoors to cool off.

Jeremy Bachman with the Grand Island Parks and Recreation Department said temperatures in the 90s or above bring a lot of people to the Island Oasis Water Park and Lincoln Pool.

Especially at Lincoln Pool well start to hit capacity pretty much every day, Bachman said. Its one in, one out.

Lincoln Pool holds 200 people, while Island Oasis 2,000-patron limit has never been an issue, he said.

We definitely see larger numbers once it gets above 90 degrees, Bachman said. People want to enjoy the outdoors but they want to stay cool and not get heat exhaustion.

Thursdays hot weather constitutes the crest of high temperatures for the next seven days, said Aaron Mangels of the National Weather Service in Hastings. Mangels said Thursday saw a heat index ranging from 90 to above 100 lasting from noon until 8 p.m.

Its not forecast to be so hot today, with high temperatures predicted in the upper 80s.

Next week, however, will be hot again. Online resources such as wunderground.com and weather.com forecast next weeks temperatures to reach up to 102 degrees, but Mangels said the current radar refutes those claims.

Theres some uncertainty, he said. But forecasting 102 right now is a little high.

Mangels said next week would still be warm, but likely only reach highs in the mid-90s.

Mangels said low dew points on Thursday prevented high humidity from being added to the scorching temperatures, and that the weather next week will continue to not be conducive to moisture.

The high temperatures are right on time, he said. On average, the hottest interval for Central Nebraska stretches from July 9 through the middle of July.

Health officials said people should be alert for signs of heat stroke.

Jennifer Hubl, a health educator with the Central Nebraska Health Department, said confusion, dizziness, headaches, weakness, irritability and muscle cramping are signs of heat exhaustion or stroke.

Elderly people and young children are at an increased risk for heat implications, as well as those who are obese, have heart disease, or have previously experienced heat stroke/exhaustion.

Hubl stressed the importance of drinking water, cooling down with cold compresses and protecting with loose clothes, sun hats and sunscreen. Hubl advised people to stay indoors or in shaded areas, especially during the hottest parts of the day.

Be smart, she said.

Mangels said the National Weather Service begins issuing heat advisories once the heat index reaches 105.

But he said the next seven days should have heat indexes of 100 or lower.
RACINE  A one-time college student, 20-year-old Dartavian Watson was experiencing a life detour of sorts when a night of partying ended with him crashing a car into a building, killing longtime friend Robert Rob Johnson.

Watson escaped that October 2015 crash with no physical scars, but on Thursday he became one of several defendants charged in fatal drunken and drugged driving crashes in Racine County to learn the cost to his future.

Although Watson had little contact with police prior to the deadly incident  save for an August 2015 charge for possession of marijuana with intent to deliver  Racine County Circuit Judge Mark Nielsen explained that the gravity of the crime necessitated prison time.

This was an accident. There is no doubt about that, but this was an accident precipitated by outrageous conduct. You were going at a rate of speed that estimates place at the top range of speed we allow on the interstate, and you were doing it on a small residential street with rises and dips, Nielsen said before sentencing Watson to five years in prison and five years on extended supervision.

What made this a fatal accident is the speed, and that certainly was not an accident.

The crash

Watson has been in the Racine County Jail since Oct. 12, 2015, when he was charged with homicide by intoxicated use of a vehicle, injury by intoxicated use of a vehicle, and two counts of first-degree reckless homicide in connection with the fatal Oct. 8, 2015 crash.

According to his criminal complaint, Watson was reportedly driving at speeds between 60 and 70 mph when the 2006 Chevrolet Impala failed to stop at the intersection of West Sixth Street and Mound Avenue and crashed into a building. Watson was later found to have marijuana in his system and a blood alcohol level of 0.11. The legal limit in Wisconsin is 0.08.

Johnson, a 25 year-old Racine resident, was one of the three people inside the car. He died from head injuries two days later.

Watson, who will turn 22 later this month, pleaded guilty to the main homicide charge in April in exchange for a plea deal that saw the remaining charges dismissed.

He had faced up to 15 years in prison and 10 years on extended supervision for the single homicide charge, and will receive credit for the year and roughly nine months he has spent in jail.

I apologize from the bottom of my heart  No matter how much fun you think you are having in a matter of seconds you could make a mistake that you could spend the rest of your life paying for, Watson said Thursday as family members, including his 7-year-old daughter, wept softly.

If I could change anything about my life it would be that night. But I cant.

The bell tolls

During the sentencing hearing, Nielsen, defense attorney Mark Richards and even Assistant Racine County District Attorney Dirk Jensen praised Watson for his behavior since his arrest, noting his cooperation, as well as his acceptance of the situation and his remorse.

Its clear that he understands that he cant un-ring the bell or do anything to bring Mr. Johnson back and he just has to live with the outcome, Jensen said, asking for prison time for the defendant, but not specifying how much.

Richards said his client understood that he has a problem with alcohol, and that it was an issue he plans to address.

But Nielsen and Jensen were also clear in pointing out Watsons reckless behavior the night of the crash, and the fact that it resulted in the death of Johnson, a student and local hip-hop artist highly regarded by friends and family members.

Nielsen made his point by quoting 17th Century poet John Donne.

 Therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls, it tolls for thee,  Nielsen said, reciting the final line of No man is an Island.

When somebody is taken from us there are ripples. My conclusion is that you are a pretty darn good human being. And I really wish I didnt have to send you to prison, but I trust you have no illusions. I have to send you to prison.
We hear the sound of a crowd clapping in unison, chanting an indecipherable name, faster and faster, and then exploding in applause. When the applause fades, we see a lone hand holding a quill to parchment. The quill forms a few letters, then pauses and scratches them out. The camera moves to show us a handsome face, eyebrows furrowed in thought.

"Who will want a play by William Shakespeare?" a female voice calls out, breaking the mood. We see a woman standing, arms crossed, in the corner of a candlelit room.

It's the first of many wink-wink moments in "Will," a new TNT show about the writer's life. The show, created by Craig Pearce, who helped adapt the screenplay for Baz Luhrmann's 1996 film "Romeo + Juliet," imagines an Elizabethan world of sex, drugs and theater crowds resembling mosh pits. With its gory torture scenes and elaborately costumed but oft-nude cast, the show resembles such popular pseudo-historical dramas as "The Tudors," "Rome" and "The Borgias." This is the English Renaissance, "Game of Thrones"-style.

"It was a world divided by religion and religious fundamentalism," Pearce says. And if you're on the wrong side of the divide? "Your stomach is split open."

Which raises the question: Why William? It might seem that a poet would offer poor fodder for such a premise - at least compared with warring monarchs or conniving popes. Yet for centuries, writers have mined the Bard's biography for drama - despite the fact that very little is known, and very much is debated, about the events of his life. (Did he love his wife? Did he sleep with other women - or men? Was he a secret Catholic? Did he even write his own plays?)

Perhaps it's because there's something titillating about unmasking the man whose name has become synonymous with genius, and whose plays embody universal ideas. Everyone knows Shakespeare - at least a line or two - but this is "Will." Wink-wink.

One October morning in 1823, the American writer Washington Irving had an idea for a play. "Shakespeare as young man," he jotted down in his notebook. "Seen with Ann Hathaway."

Irving might have been inspired to write about Shakespeare by his visit to Stratford-upon-Avon, a popular tourist attraction. There, local residents hawked armchairs and writing desks and bar stools graced, supposedly, with the Bard's ghostly presence. Irving mocked the tourists who believed they could possess the Bard's essence through cheap trinkets, but Irving understood their desire to get inside Shakespeare's head. If furniture didn't do it, perhaps fiction could.

As far as scholars know, Irving never wrote a play about Shakespeare. But as Samuel Schoenbaum documents in his book "Shakespeare's Lives," the Bard's rise to cultural hero in the 19th century coincided with his emergence as a fictional character. The French playwright Alexandre Duval called a one-act comedy "Shakespeare amoureux": Shakespeare in love (with an actress named Clarence). English playwright C.A. Somerset quickly followed with "Shakespeare's Early Days," which dramatized a popular story - never verified - about Shakespeare poaching a deer.

But these works pale in comparison with Robert Folkestone Williams's expansive trilogy "Shakespeare and his friends." The second installment, published in 1839 and clocking in at 415 pages, concludes with the triumphant first production of "Romeo and Juliet." Amid roaring applause, Folkestone writes, "one of famous strong lungs made himself heard above the rest by putting of the question 'Who wrote this play?' " Shakespeare steps forward and declaims himself. It's another wink-wink moment: to think of theatergoers not knowing who wrote "Romeo and Juliet"!

Fast-forward to 2017, and Shakespeare has his own character page on IMDb. He crowdsurfs during a solo in the rock musical "Something Rotten!" and inspires a "Da Vinci Code"-esque mystery in "The Shakespeare Secret" (published in the United States as "Interred With Their Bones"). He makes cameos on "Saturday Night Live," "The Simpsons," "The Twilight Zone" and "Doctor Who." He even faces off against Satan in the video game "Saints Row: Gat Out of Hell."

Alexa Alice Joubin, a professor of English and Shakespeare scholar at George Washington University, says that representations of the writer's life fall into three categories. There are parodies, such as the BBC Two sitcom "Upstart Crow," which imagines Shakespeare as a hapless Stratford dad with a daughter who rolls her eyes at his puns. Then there are dramas, such as Roland Emmerich's film "Anonymous" (tagline: "Was Shakespeare a fraud?"), which draw on fringe academic theories about Shakespeare's authorship. And finally, there are fantasies, such as the Academy Award-winning movie "Shakespeare in Love," which imagine a Shakespearean life as full of romance and tragedy as a Shakespearean play.

Though these categories employ different means - mockery, conspiracy, romanticization - all aim to show that "Shakespeare's not the person he appears to be," Joubin says. Or rather that he, the source of those lines so familiar as to seem originless, is a person at all.

"Shakespeare in Love" shows the Bard lying prone in an apothecary's shop, like a patient in his psychoanalyst's office. "Words, words, words," he sighs to the apothecary, bemoaning his writer's block and sexual frustration ("It's as if my quill is broken"). The scene's cleverness comes from its merging of two incongruous registers: the poetry of "Hamlet" and the complaints of a modern neurotic. The pleasure in making Shakespeare corporeal is the pleasure of imagining timeless wisdom emanating from a body as clumsy as our own.

It helps, though, if that body has deep blue-green eyes and dark wavy locks of hair, as does "Will's" Laurie Davidson. Because while we want a human Shakespeare, we also want a special Shakespeare. Show us the man behind the plays, we say, but don't ruin the romance entirely. Let him be destined for greatness, like Folkestone's Shakespeare, or love as deeply as any tragic hero, like Joseph Fiennes in "Shakespeare in Love."

That's the real wink-wink of "Will": the curtain drops to show us the man, then goes back up again to present another spectacle. There's a scene in the first episode, where the Bard and his players go to a pub to celebrate their first success. A well-known author begins to tease the young playwright, mocking his humble origins. The camera zooms in on Davidson as he swallows nervously and sputters, "Why?" For a moment, we're in Shakespeare's head, struggling with him to come up with a witty retort.

But then Davidson stands up and delivers insults, in rhyme. The spat becomes a rap battle.

Will a soap like "Will" help us probe the depths of genius? Or make sense of scholarly debates? No, but that has never been the goal of those who have fictionalized Shakespeare's life, and it's not necessarily Pearce's.

"No one really knows if Shakespeare had a rap battle," Pearce says. "But, hey, wouldn't it be great if he did?"

---

"Will" (one hour) premieres Monday at 9 p.m. ET on TNT.
Kristin Lavransdatter

By Sigrid Undset. Translated from the Norwegian by Tiina Nunnally

Audible Studios. Unabridged, 45 hours

This all-absorbing masterpiece by Nobel Laureate Sigrid Undset has finally entered the audiobook universe in a truly superb, sensitive performance by Erin Bennett. Published in Norwegian in the early 1920s as a trilogy, the book is set in 14th-century Norway and covers the life of Kristin Lavransdatter and her journey from childhood to death through "the perilous and beautiful world." She is seduced at 16 by a heedless knight while betrothed to another man and conceives a child out of wedlock in a society that insists on the "honor" of women. And that's just for a start. Bennett's voice captures Kristin's rapidly changing moods, her transports of love and anguish, her guilt, courage and exhilarated wonder at nature's immensity. The story twists and turns, taking on greater and greater psychological complexity. It is rich in its portrayal of 14th-century material life and of the strain between Christianity and ancient, deep-seated pagan beliefs. The version narrated here is Tiina Nunnally's award-winning translation, a rendering that eliminates the faux-medieval contortions of the 1920s version and restores Undset's crisp direct prose style. This is a very long listen, but as you barrel down the final stretch, even as Black Death stalks the land and human sacrifice threatens, you will wish it went on forever.

---

Bad Dreams and Other Stories

By Tessa Hadley

HarperAudio. Unabridged, 5 3/4 hours

Emma Gregory reads Tessa Hadley's spare, slightly chilly stories, capturing the listener in 10 seconds flat. The first begins: "Jane Allsop was abducted when she was 15, and nobody noticed. This happened a long time ago, in Surrey, in the 1960s, when parents were more careless." What follows in this story, "An Abduction," is not horror, but unease, misunderstanding and a poignant depiction of a huge event in Jane's life - and nothing memorable in anyone else's. The title story strikes another unsettling note: Here a little girl pulls a prank that her mother silently attributes to her husband, insidiously altering the tenor of their relationship. Most of these 10 stories deliver cool shocks, but all are buoyed by an undercurrent of wry humor and pleasingly mellow irony. Gregory reads the stories' general narration in a well-bred, caressing voice, a manner precisely in keeping with Hadley's own way of setting her characters up for disturbing developments. Elsewhere, when merited, Gregory adopts regional accents, as when a woman who has escaped her childhood upbringing in Leeds for a modish life in London, returns home to her estranged sister whose Northern inflection, "so wary and flattening and grudging," accentuates family enmity amplified by class resentment. Hadley's genius and Gregory's splendid performance have given us an audiobook that can be listened to over and over again.

---

The Switch

By Joseph Finder

Penguin Audio. Unabridged, 10 hours

Joseph Finder is the true master of the thriller in which your ordinary guy, going about his ordinary business, takes one wrong step and suddenly finds himself on the dark side. In this case, it's nice Michael Tanner, coffee entrepreneur with a lot on his mind. Rushing to catch a plane, he picks up the wrong laptop after going through airport security. It belongs to a U.S. senator and contains top-secret files on a scheme for government mass-surveillance. Rather than handing it back to its owner, Tanner hangs on to it for reasons you will have to discover yourself. Soon enough, he is pursued by heavies from the NSA, a thuggish Boston "problem solver," a would-be Karl Rove, and Russian recruiter. Steven Kearney brings a voice that's all business with a sharp lethal edge to this suspenseful, intricately plotted story. His vocal characterizations bring out the best - which is often the worst - in this motley crowd of friends, enemies, political big bugs and fixers. He distinguishes easily between men and women and handily executes accents that range from sinister Slavic through colloquial Bostonian to down-home Southern.

---

Powers reviews audiobooks each month for The Washington Post.
Claudia and Bill Perozzi are former Glen Carbon residents who have done their best to visit every corner of their globe since their retirements. The couple now lives in California. This is the first of a three-part series that will run this summer on their trip to Eastern Europe.

One plus one does not always equal two. In Hungary, one city, Buda on the hilly west bank of the Danube River, was added to one other city, Pest on the flat east side of the Danube. This time one plus one equaled one, one grand city which became the capital, Budapest, now home to about two million residents.

We arrived in Budapest in mid June, a few days before our scheduled Viking River Cruise so we would have time to explore the city on our own. We splurged on a private guide to make the most of our first day. Emily picked us up at our hotel, a little boutique place nestled on one floor of an apartment building on the Pest side of the Danube.

Emily explained the Buda side, with the castle on the hill, is now the "high rent district," the more sedate area. The Pest side is the more active side, with Parliament, commercial interests and less expensive residential areas. According to Emily, when Hungarians are young, they want to live on the Pest side but as they grow older, they aspire to live on the Buda side.

We started our tour on the humming Pest side by visiting St. Stephen's Basilica which was recently refurbished. I was especially impressed with the massive statues built into the outside walls of the church. Inside we heard about St. Stephen who was the founder and first king of Hungary over a thousand years ago. No separation of church and state for him.

At the time we visited, Hero Square, with its monuments to Hungarian heroes dating back to the tribes of the Magyars, was being readied for a special event so we couldn't enter it. This square is really circular so we had a ring side view of the rehearsal. Men in 18th century military uniforms paraded on horseback while others strode on stilts and others practiced gymnastics. Quite a combination we wished we could see in its entirety.

Nearby we were able to walk into and around Szechernyi Baths. In a large multi-domed building, one pool followed another, some with swimmers and some with leisurely bathers. Then Emily drove us across one of the bridges to reach the relatively quiet Buda side so we could see another one of the baths, Gellert, in a lovely outdoor setting.

From a nearby hillside we viewed both sides of the city with the river running through. We looked across the river to see the stately Parliament, the iconic building shown in Viking River Cruise commercials. It is a Wow of a sight! We learned the building was modeled on the English Parliament, also neo-gothic and also located on the bank of a great river. But this Parliament is unique as it repeats the colors of the Hungarian flag with its red roof and white building situated on green grass.

At our request Emily had bought tickets for us to take a tour of the inside which proved to be fittingly elegant and ornate. We descended the regal staircase to the lower level and found the cap-like holy crown of Hungary encased in the Central Hall alongside a scepter and sword. How royal!

Currently a member of the European Union, Hungary has a representative government that is unicameral, has only one house, but its chamber is quite impressive in size. We were shown a metal tray with grooves where the entering legislators had to leave their cigars. If the sessions took so long the cigars burned down, these heated sessions were called "real Havanas."

Emily had a final treat in store for us as she brought us to a restaurant famous for strudel so we could see it being made. A master worked the dough until it was paper thin and then he folded in a fruit filling. The smell as it baked was only bettered by the taste we savored when it was done.

When our tour with her ended, Emily left us in the Jewish Quarter which we explored on our own. We bought tickets for a tour of the Dohany Street Synagogue, the largest active one in Europe. Our new guide informed us that men occupied the main floor and women could observe from balconies. This particular synagogue had an organ which was unusual since music was generally not permitted.

On the grounds next to the synagogue was a cemetery which was also unusual as cemeteries were most frequently located at other sites. But during World War II, Jews in the ghetto had starved to death. Their bodies had piled up and needed immediate burial so land by the synagogue was used. Continuing to explore the grounds, we came to a beautiful silvery metal weeping willow tree with the names of some of those lost during the holocaust imprinted on shiny leaves. The donor of this heartfelt work of art was Tony Curtis, yes, our movie star whose heritage is Jewish. Good for you, Tony, formerly known as Bernard Schwartz.

What impressed us as especially tragic about the Jews in Budapest was graphically displayed at the edge of the Danube. As the war was ending and after the German Nazis fled Hungary, Hungarian Nazis took over killing Jews. They marched them from the ghetto to the Danube and told them to remove their clothes and shoes. Then they shot them and shoved them into the river. Their own countrymen killed them. Now pairs of shoes set in bronze are placed as they would have been left. A powerful and painful reminder of man's inhumanity to man, their own countrymen.

We saved the castle to visit on the last day before our ship was set to sail. We took a funicular ride up the hill to see the striking neo-gothic castle with a green dome in the middle. It just happened that there was a Picasso exhibit being held in part of the castle so we got some insights into the life and loves of the artist. In the other part of the castle we briefly toured ourselves around a museum of the art and history of Hungary.

From the castle we walked past sweet smelling linden trees to a definite must-see sight, the Fishermen's Bastion including St. Mathias Church with its red and yellow diamond pattern roof and single spire gothic bell tower. Inside we viewed sacred relics like the preserved hand of St. John the Almoner who gave all his belongings to the poor.

Fisherman's Bastion, a lovely fortress with turrets and statues in white stone edged the hillside. For us it is a beautiful sight in its own right but also another vantage point to view the city and the river. Definite photo op.

That night from on board our Viking ship we saw our most memorable view of Budapest. Our ship glided past the city glowing with lights on all its famous buildings and bridges. The parliament is beautiful in daylight and gorgeous in night lights.
For The Edge

Partners spearheading the $380 million renovation of the Gateway Arch grounds and its surroundings announced an updated timeline for completion of the project transforming the Arch experience for all visitors. With the majority of the $380 million public-private transformation finished, the last major pieces of the project, the museum exhibits and expanded visitor center under the Arch, will open in the summer of 2018 with a grand opening celebration. The new museum at the Gateway Arch will invite visitors to experience exhibits including Jeffersons Vision, Riverfront Era, New Frontiers, Manifest Destiny, Colonial St. Louis and Building the Arch. Once completed, the $380 million CityArchRiver project is expected to come in at or under budget.

We are excited to be one step closer to completing this incredible new experience for visitors at the Gateway Arch, said Mike Ward, superintendent of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial, National Park Service. While we had hoped that the project would be completed by the end of this year, it is most important that the project is completed in the right way. When we re-open the museum next summer, we are confident people will see that the wait was worth it.
RACINE COUNTY  House Speaker Paul Ryan said he is in wait and see mode on what the U.S. Senate does with health care reform and defended the House version passed in May.

In an interview Friday with The Journal Times, Ryan said he believes the impact of the House bill would be better in some aspects than what the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office projects.

In particular, the CBO has estimated premiums for low income and older residents would climb and, in the case of the Senate bill, that 22 million people would lose insurance.

We think the CBO is only looking at part of the picture, and what theyre basically saying is, if youre not going to force someone to buy something they dont want to buy, they wont buy it, Ryan said. Thats all well and good, but it misses the point of our policy which is, let people buy what they want to buy and dont make people buy what they dont want to buy.

Republicans, who hold the majority in the House, have proposed the federal and state governments subsidize the cost of care for people in the individual market with catastrophic illnesses, Ryan said. He believes that will make it easier to insure people in those high-risk pools at a more affordable price.

Still, Ryan acknowledged that health care is a politically volatile issue and Republicans have an uphill battle selling their plan to voters. In 2010, unrest over President Barack Obamas Affordable Care Act helped drive massive GOP victories across the country.

What matters to me is that we get the policy right and we fix this problem, Ryan said. The problem is the individual market is in the middle of a collapse. The question is, can we replace it with a system that actually works and gets people access to affordable coverage?

As in the House, the Republican majority in the Senate has also hit stumbling blocks trying to pass a health care bill, with an expected vote before the July 4 recess pushed back. Ryan said House Republicans are reserving judgment until they see what comes out of that chamber.

Looking ahead

Ryan said he is unconcerned about his own 2018 race, as two Democrats have announced their intent to seek his seat. A third Democrat, David Yankovich, dropped out Friday.

One of the Democrats, Caledonia activist Randy Bryce, announced this week that he had raised $430,000 in the first 12 days of his campaign after attracting some attention nationally for his campaign launch video.

I won my last primary by over 65 points, I won the general by 35 points, Ryan said. Im the speaker of the House, youre going to get this kind of coverage and attention ... all I worry about is doing my job well, and the rest will sort itself out.

The 1st Congressional District includes all of Racine County.

Ryan also dismissed criticism from liberals over not holding a public town hall-style meeting. Ryan cited security concerns and said he is looking for different ways to communicate with constituents, including holding office hours, telephone town halls and listening sessions at businesses like he did Thursday at Racines Burlington Graphics Systems.

There are groups that simply want to disrupt town halls and make them into screaming fests for video, Ryan said. That does not make for a civil, productive dialogue with constituents. Im not interested in having a screaming match with people on TV.

The liberal group Citizen Action of Wisconsin is planning a town hall meeting with U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan, a Democrat from Madison, at 11:45 a.m. Saturday at Gateway Technical Colleges Great Lakes Auditorium, 1001 S. Main St. The group said in a news release that Ryan has not spoken to his own constituents about the controversial health care plan he authored in an open public forum.
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Linkedin EDITORIAL (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, July 7, 2017 08:29 1953 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97a7f9418 4 Editorial #Editorial,#ImmigrationOffice,Immigration-Office,immigration,#Immigration,Australia,sexual-abuse,child-abuse,pedophile,organized-crime Free

The Directorate General of Immigration announced on Wednesday that with the cooperation of international law enforcers, it had prevented 107 suspected and convicted child abusers from entering Indonesia in the first six months of this year. The child sex offenders included 92 from Australia and others from France, Portugal, South Africa and the United States.

The news brings some relief, especially as the results indicate improving cooperation within Interpol, which include our National Police and the Australian Federal Police. They keep a close watch on suspected and known child sex offenders through, among other things, exchanges on their social media accounts, which divulge travel plans, as well as international contacts.

Australian media reported in May that almost 800 registered child sex offenders traveled overseas from Down Under in the previous 12 months alone. The popular tourist destinations of Bali and Lombok in eastern Indonesia are frequent entry points, but offenders often explore other places given their wide network, the police say.

In May, the Jakarta Police uncovered a syndicate of child abusers running a Facebook account involving more than 7,000 members who shared child porn videos and tips on how to lure young girls and boys. The account has been shut down.

Progress has been painfully slow in the fight against child sex offenders, who include pedophiles and others that profit from the reportedly lucrative business, such as the arrested administrators of the above . Official Candys Group. Apparently child sex offenders continue to try their luck despite Indonesias harsh penalties of life imprisonment, chemical castration and even death in the case of child rapists whose victims die. The latter two penalties were introduced last year following the horrific rape and murder of a number of girls.

However, despite the improved cooperation among the police forces of various countries, our children are still highly vulnerable to such criminals, as reflected, for instance, in the high number of child sex offenders trying to enter the country and the staggering number of those involved in a single social media platform.

Persistent cross-border cooperation among law enforcers should amplify the message that Indonesia is no longer a safe haven for child sex offenders and child prostitution. Last year, 70-year-old Robert AF Ellis of Australia was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment for sexually abusing 11 girls.

With the police and international organizations like Unicef, Southeast Asian neighbors such as the Philippines and Cambodia have also increased monitoring and cooperation to curb criminal syndicates and individual predators of young prey.

Yet much of the work to protect children lies beyond law enforcers. Child sex offenders easily lure children of poor families, sending money for years to maintain relationships while abusing the children during their visits. The Womens Empowerment and Child Protection Ministry has also urged for increased awareness among children to reject inappropriate advances by strangers, even teachers and older family members.

Furthermore, pedophiles have said in their testimonies that besides money and chocolates, they offer children what so many are lacking: abundant affection.
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, July 7, 2017 14:36 1953 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97a80d402 1 Lifestyle Kaesang-Pangarep,Jokowi,#Jokowi,YouTube,#YouTube,video,#video,joko-widodo,Joko-Widodo,ndeso Free

Kaesang Pangarep, the youngest child of President Joko Jokowi Widodo, has been reported to the Bekasi Police for alleged hate speech in a YouTube video titled Bapak, Minta Proyek (Father, I want a project).

"Playing one against another; calling others infidels. Moreover, there was campaign to not provide proper burial rites to Muslims on the basis of voting preferences. How did that come about? Ndeso," Kaesang says in the video, which some have said was hate speech.

Donny Satryowibowo, a member of the University of Indonesias Javanese language Faculty of Linguistics alumni association, told Antara news agency that the connotation of ndeso was "outdated" or "unpopular." Meanwhile, its denotative meaning is "untrendy physical appearance."

Read also: Kaesang criticizes viral video of children chanting 'hate speech', calls for tolerance

Donny added that ndeso was a commonly used between close friends while joking. However, the word does not imply anger or hate.

In regards to Kaesangs case, Donny said Kaesang probably used the term as he was speaking to the public as a friend.

In the video, Kaesang shares footage of kids being taught to kill and people told not to pray for the dead, [then he says] ndeso. Here, ndeso means the outdated way of thinking. In a pluralistic country, why people teach kids to kill is very ndeso, he said.

Donny stressed that using the word ndeso should not be considered hate speed. (jes/kes)
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Linkedin News Desk (Agence France-Presse) Washington  Fri, July 7, 2017 15:37 1953 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97a80ee99 2 Science & Tech Qualcomm,Apple,iPhone,technology,#technology,smartphone,#smartphone Free

Qualcomm on Thursday escalated its legal battle with Apple, filing a patent infringement lawsuit and requesting a ban on the importation of some iPhones, claiming unlawful and unfair use of the chipmaker's technology.

Qualcomm said it filed two separate legal actions including a complaint asking for the iPhone import ban with the US International Trade Commission, a quasi-judicial government agency which hears cases involving trade disputes.

The complaint alleges that iPhones, which are made in China, should not be allowed to be brought into the United States if they infringe on Qualcomm's patents.

The chipmaker also filed a complaint against Apple in the US District Court for Southern California seeking damages from the same patent infringement allegations.

Read also: Apple ceases iPhone payments to Qualcomm, escalating feud

"Qualcomm's inventions are at the heart of every iPhone and extend well beyond modem technologies or cellular standards," said Don Rosenberg, executive vice president and general counsel of Qualcomm.

"The patents we are asserting represent six important technologies, out of a portfolio of thousands, and each is vital to iPhone functions. Apple continues to use Qualcomm's technology while refusing to pay for it."

It was not immediately clear which iPhones would be affected. But Qualcomm alleges that it has six patents developed in the past four years that improve battery life in mobile devices and that "Apple uses these technologies in its devices but is not paying for them."

The fresh legal actions sharply escalated the war between the two California technology giants, which began in January when Apple filed a lawsuit accusing Qualcomm of abusing its market power to demand unfair royalties.

Read also: Qualcomm said to seek US import ban for iPhones

Responding to the latest legal actions, Apple repeated its allegations against Qualcomm.

"Qualcomm's illegal business practices are harming Apple and the entire industry," an Apple statement said.

"They supply us with a single connectivity component, but for years have been demanding a percentage of the total cost of our products -- effectively taxing Apple's innovation."

Apple chief executive Tim Cook earlier this year said Qualcomm provides "one small part of what an iPhone is," and that the chipmaker "has nothing do with the display or the Touch ID or a gazillion other innovations that Apple has done."

Read also: BlackBerry wins $815 million in dispute with Qualcomm

The Apple suit echoed charges filed by antitrust regulators in the United States and other major markets around the world.

Qualcomm responded in April that Apple had been providing "false and misleading information" to antitrust authorities in an effort to reduce its royalty payments to Qualcomm.

The iPhone maker relies on Qualcomm for chip-based modems that enable its devices to communicate with telecommunications networks.
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Linkedin Stefani Ribka (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, July 7, 2017 11:30 1953 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97a805ac1 1 Business Bangka-Belitung,pepper,plantations Free

Bangka Belitung Deputy Governor Abdul Fatah said his administration would introduce a more effective and productive cultivation method for pepper, the commodity that spurred the spice trade during the Dutch colonial era.

He explained that the new method would replace the wooden supports that were currently being used with kapok trees, which would boost the productivity and life span of black pepper plants.

Pepper plants are a type of climbing vine, and require a support structure or tree for optimum growth and fruit development.

A kapok tree can grow up to 13 meters and we can pick [the peppercorns] up to 8 meters using ladders, he said during a visit to The Jakarta Post office on Thursday.

With the new method, a pepper plant can produce up to 3 kilograms of peppercorns per year, compared to only 6 ounces if we use the traditional method, and it can live for 10 to 15 years from only three years currently, he said. Abdul added that in using support trees, people would stop cutting trees from our remaining forests, as they no longer needed the wood to support pepper plants.

The Bangka Belitung provincial administration and the Legislative Council are currently deliberating the budget for the introduction of the new cultivation method, particularly in providing pepper growers with kapok seeds.

Bangka Belitung was once known for its abundance of the spice during the Dutch colonial era before farmers switched to tin mining. Pepper plantations in the area are still cultivated by individuals (bbn)
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Linkedin Viriya P. Singgih (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, July 7, 2017 16:05 1953 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97a812d6b 1 Business gas-networks,gas-installation Free

The Downstream Oil and Gas Regulatory Agency (BPH Migas) has started the tender process for developing the Pusri-Muntok gas transmission pipeline connecting South Sumatra and Bangka Belitung worth Rp 1.2 trillion (US$89.6 million).

BPH Migas head M. Fanshurullah Asa said that interested investors were required to submit their feasibility study and front-end engineering design plans of the project to the agency.

A bidder can also bring some input into the process, though that does not necessarily mean they would win the tender, Fanshurullah said in Jakarta.

The Pusri-Muntok facility will extend the Grissik-Pusri pipeline, which was developed by Pertamina Gas (Pertagas), a subsidiary of state-owned energy giant Pertamina.

The Grissik-Pusri pipeline will span 176 kilometers and will have the capacity to transmit 160 million standard cubic feet per day (mmscfd) of gas, which will be supplied by the local unit of American oil and gas giant ConocoPhillips.

Fanshurullah said that PT Sumsel Energi Gemilang, owned by the South Sumatra administration, had expressed interest in joining the tender process for the Pusri-Muntok pipeline.

We want to expedite the development of this gas transmission network, so that we can boost the use of gas and reduce our dependency on fuel, he said.

The government recently launched the 2016-2030 gas infrastructure development roadmap, which is estimated to require a total investment of $48.2 billion. (ika)
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, July 7, 2017 13:38 1953 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97a80a297 1 National house-of-representatives,setya-novanto,corruption-case Free

House of Representatives Speaker Setya Novanto failed to show up for questioning as a witness in the electronic identity (e-ID) card procurement case at the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) office on Friday, citing health reasons.

Setya Novanto could not come to the KPK as a witness in the e-ID graft case because he has been suffering vertigo for the past four days, House general-secretary Hani Tahapary told The Jakarta Post on Friday.

Hani said Setya had informed KPK investigators about his absence at today's scheduled questioning.

The commission also plans to question House members Jazuli Juwaini and Khatibul Umam Wiranu, former House members Jafar Hafsah and Mirwan Amir, public notary Hilda Yulistiawatin and former staffer of PT Sandipala Arthaputra Fajri Agus Setiawan as witnesses in the case.

Setya Novanto has been questioned twice by the KPK investigators, on Dec. 13 last year and Jan. 10 this year, in relation to the case of two former officials of the Home Ministry, Irman and Sugiharto.

This week, the commission has questioned former 2009-2014 House members about the mega case, which reportedly caused Rp 2.3 trillion (US$171.55 million) in state losses. Among the former legislators were Law and Human Rights Minister Yasonna Laoly and Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo. (ecn/dmr)
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Linkedin Fedina S. Sundaryani (The Jakarta Post) Hamburg, Germany  Fri, July 7, 2017 19:00 1953 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97a818064 1 Business Jokowi,Turnbull,Indonesia-Australia,CEPA Free

resident Joko "Jokowi" Widodo and his Australian counterpart, Malcolm Turnbull, discussed on Friday progress on the Indonesia-Australia Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (IA-CEPA) during a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the G-20 summit.

The two leaders were in a meeting for approximately one hour starting at 8:30 a.m. local time at the Steigenberger hotel in the port city of Hamburg, Germany.

Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi said the two countries reaffirmed their commitment to completing the IA-CEPA by the end of the year. "It is important that the two leaders continue to push for the completion of the negotiations by the end of 2017," she said after the meeting.

Indonesia and Australia have had seven rounds of negotiations on the IA-CEPA, which is based on the existing ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand free-trade agreement (AANZ FTA) and will rule out tariffs for 10,012 types of goods.

Bilateral trade between Indonesia and Australia has decreased over the past few years. It dropped to US$8.46 billion last year from $10.2 billion in 2012, down by 4.63 percent on average per year, according to data from the Trade Ministry.

Apart from Australia, Jokowi is also scheduled to hold a bilateral meeting with Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy on Friday. The President was initially scheduled to meet with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, but that bilateral meeting was moved to Saturday morning. (ags)
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Linkedin Ivany Atina Arby (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, July 7, 2017 10:26 1953 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97a7ff5bf 1 City Djarot-Saiful-Hidayat,bribery,civil-servants Free

Jakarta Governor Djarot Saiful Hidayat has reminded residents to refrain from offering kickbacks to the citys civil servants in exchange for services.

Djarot made the comment on Thursday following the recent arrest of a civil servant who was allegedly caught red-handed asking for illegal levies.



I remind residents, please dont try to bribe public officers in exchange for services, Djarot said at City Hall.



Should any civil servants be found guilty of accepting illegal levies, the city would take stern actions to give a deterrent effect, he added.

They may face dismissal, Djarot said, adding that an ongoing effort by the administration to promote cashless transactions was aimed at minimizing such corrupt practices.



On Wednesday, West Jakarta Prosecutors Office apprehended JU, a civil servant working with the citys Environment Agency, after he was caught accepting Rp 1,5 million (US$ 112) from two PPSU Public Facility Maintenance Agency (PPSU) workers, identified as AH and IM.



They stand accused of plotting to ask residents for money in exchange for collecting their garbage. (fac/dmr)
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, July 7, 2017 10:29 1953 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97a800581 1 National asian-youth-day,Jakarta-administration,Djarot-Saiful-Hidayat,Catholic Free

The Jakarta administration says it is ready to cohost the seventh Asian Youth Day (AYD), slated for July 29 to Aug. 2 this year.



Jakarta and Yogyakarta are the two cities to host the triennial event, which involves Catholic youths from across Asia.

Jakarta Governor Djarot Saiful Hidayat said he had instructed all working units of the administration to help organizing committees in holding the event.

The participants will come from various countries [...] as well as from other regions of Indonesia. I want this event to become a chance to promote our Indonesian spirit, Djarot said on Thursday after welcoming representatives of Jakartas Catholic Archdiocese (KAJ).

Rev. Prasetianto of the KAJ said the event would be attended by at least 285 guests, adding that the guests will be accommodated in houses of congregation members of archdiocese parishes. (fac/dmr)
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Linkedin Stefani Ribka (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, July 7, 2017 13:16 1953 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97a808b9f 1 Business Bangka-Belitung,cold-storage,investment Free

Bangka Belitung, located 800 kilometers north of Jakarta with abundant fish and marine resources, is in urgent need of new investment in cold storage for fishermens catches, an official has said.

For this reason, the regional administration is mapping out potential locations for fish storage facilities for new investors. Foreign investors can own 100 percent of shares in the cold storage business, according to the Negative Investment List (DNI).

When high season comes, a lot of fish is wasted because theres not enough cold storage on the islands, said Deputy Bangka Belitung Islands Governor Abdul Fatah during a visit to The Jakarta Post office on Friday.

He said the local administration also welcomed investors to develop tourism in the region, which is included in Indonesias top 10 emerging destinations.

Tourist arrivals through airports on Bangka and Belitung islands jumped 68 percent to 1.4 million people in 2016, Central Statistics Agency (BPS) data show.

Fatah said the increase was propelled by improved infrastructure, including airports and roads to pristine beaches and geo-parks.

The government is promoting 10 emerging domestic tourist destinations, including Bangka Belitung Islands, Labuan Bajo in West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), Bromo-Tengger-Semeru in East Java and the Thousand Islands in Jakarta. (ags)
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Linkedin Viriya P. Singgih (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, July 7, 2017 11:44 1953 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97a8065cd 1 Business nickel,price,increase,Indonesia,export-permit Free

Global nickel prices have been in free fall over the past few days following the issuance of another export permit by the Indonesian government for local company PT Ceria Nugraha Indotama (CNI).

On Tuesday, the government granted CNI permission to export 2.3 million tons of nickel ore in view of the expected capacity of the companys future smelter to be developed in Kolaka, Southeast Sulawesi.

As a result, the price of benchmark nickel for three-month delivery on the London Metal Exchange (LME) fell by nearly 3 percent to US$9,130 per ton on Thursday, compared to $9,410 on Monday.

(Read also: Antam starts exporting nickel after relaxation policy)

In late March, state-owned diversified miner PT Aneka Tambang (Antam) also obtained a permit to export 2.7 million tons of nickel ore, in accordance with the total capacity of its three ferronickel plants in Pomalaa, also in Southeast Sulawesi.

The company has submitted a second proposal to the government to export another 3.7 million tons of nickel ore, in line with the feeding capacity of its new ferronickel smelter in East Halmahera, North Maluku.

Earlier this year, the government decided to relax the mineral export ban for low-grade nickel ore with less than 1.7 percent nickel content, washed bauxite and copper concentrate, in exchange for a mining company's commitment to develop a new smelter.

Fitch Groups BMI Research has forecast that Indonesias nickel production will grow by 20 percent year on year in 2017, the highest yearly production growth rate since the imposition of the ban in 2013, and by an average of 8.6 percent during the 2017-2021 period. (bbn)
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, July 7, 2017 15:43 1953 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97a80f160 4 City motorcycle,violence,violent-crimes Free

Around 15 members of a violent motorcycle gang launched an attack against residents with 'samurai swords' in West Pejaten, South Jakarta on Thursday morning, police have said.

While riding motorcycles, the alleged perpetrators attacked residents, who were standing in the parking area of a convenience store in the early hours on Thursday morning.

"The attack took place at around 4 a.m. Two people used samurai swords to assault a group of teenagers gathering at the store, causing them to disperse," Jakarta Police spokesperson Sr. Comr. Argo Yuwono, said at the Jakarta Police headquarters on Thursday as quoted by tribunnews.com.

No injuries were reported from the incident. However, the gang members continued to engage in violence by throwing rocks and glass bottles at buildings in the vicinity, leaving a number of eateries damaged, including a fast food chain store and a Padang food stall.

A victim named Mayko, 21, dropped his phone as he was running from the attack and had it taken by the gang members, Argo said.

The attack lasted for around eight minutes. (Fac)
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Linkedin Winny Tang (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, July 7, 2017 17:35 1953 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97a815ae4 1 Business Sari-Roti,shareholders-meeting,rights-issue Free

PT Nippon Indosari Corpindo announced on Friday that shareholders had approved its plan to conduct a right issue in a bid to further expand its business in Indonesia and the Philippines.

Nippon Indosari  listed on IDX under the ticker symbol ROTI  will issue 1.15 billion shares, with a nominal price of Rp 20 (0.01 US cent) per share to raise fresh funds.

All of the funds obtained from the rights issue will be used to build new factories for producing white bread and sweet bread, both in Java and outside, as well as in the Philippines, the companys independent director, Alex Chin, said on Friday.

Four to five new factories will be opened in the next five years, which will support its plan to become one of the biggest bread producers in Southeast Asia.

The management refused to share more details on the plan, noting that more detailed information would be made available through the firms prospectus.

Sari Roti saw its sales decline to Rp 602.5 billion (US$45 million) in the first quarter of 2017, down 1.3 percent from the corresponding period of last year.

Meanwhile, its net profit nosedived by 67 percent to Rp 27.7 billion. (bbn)
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Linkedin Maizatul Nazlina (The Star/Asia News Network) Kuala Lumpur  Fri, July 7, 2017 16:43 1953 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97a813d2b 2 SE Asia teacher,Islamic-State,Malaysia Free

A secondary school teacher has been charged with supporting the Islamic State (IS) and possessing images related to the terror group in his mobile phone.

Razis Awang, 31, was accused of providing support to IS via the Telegram chat group "Gagak Hitam".

He was also charged with possessing six photographic images in his handphone and three other photographs relating to the terror group.

Razis, a counselling teacher, claimed trial before Judge Azman Abdullah after the charges were read out to him in the High Court on Friday.

Judge Azman later fixed between Sept 11 and 13 for trial. He also set July 26 for mention of the case.

Munirah Shamsudin @ Baharum was the deputy public prosecutor while Mohd Fadhly Yaacob acted for Razis.
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Linkedin Kurniawan Hari (The Jakarta Post) Astana  Fri, July 7, 2017 09:23 1953 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97a7fac3e 1 Destinations Kazakhstan,Astana,travel,destination,architecture,urban,sustainable-development Free

The spherical building in the heart of Astana, the capital city of Kazakhstan, has become a new attraction for local residents and  soon  for people from neighboring countries.

The complex is visible from afar at night as the spherical building, which boasts a diameter of 80 meters and a height of 100 m, releases lights into the sky.

The development of the sophisticated complex highlights the areas rapid transformation from merely a deserted steppe a few years ago, into a modern city.

Most parts of this area was steppe. We build this city almost from scratch, said Magzhan, a man who works at a government institution.

On one afternoon in June, under the scorching sun, dozens of residents flocked to the expo complex to get a glimpse of the exhibition area that had been inaugurated a few days before. The spherical building, that would soon become an icon of Astana, houses an exhibition showcasing renewable energy generation.

On the ground floor is an area where visitors can learn about the culture, tradition and geographical conditions of Kazakhstan. Welcoming visitors are a series of modified pictographs showing the centuries-old tradition of the Kazakh people. Each pictograph holds a piece of copper, which, when touched, would trigger the pictographs to release lights and produce colorful animation. Its like reading a comic book with extra animation; entertaining for adults and children alike.

Show me the way: A direction pole at the expo complex.(JP/Kurniawan Hari)

Moving further inside, visitors learn the geographic conditions of the Central Asian country through a series of short, animated videos projected on the wall, showing the nature of Kazakhstan in four seasons: snowy winter, fresh spring, hot summer and the cold breeze of fall.

After viewing the presentation on Kazakhstans history, tradition and nature on the first floor, visitors can then take an elevator to the top floor of the building, where they can enjoy the view of the capital city.

Read also: Learning to tolerate Judaism in Kazakhstan

In the building, which will house the citys Museum of the Future, visitors can learn about power generation based on renewable sources of energy, such as the sun, biomass, wind, water and kinetic energy.

Interestingly, each section was designed based on the type of energy source. For example, in the section about hydro power plants, one side of the wall portrays a waterfall and the water flows through the entire surface of the floor. Meanwhile, in the section about biomass power plants, the floor is made up of glass panels filled with various kinds of rice and beans.

Harmony in structure: A downward view from the top floor of Nur Alem.(JP/Kurniawan Hari)

At certain parts of the area, visitors can also learn about the solar system, including how much heat the sun releases to warm up the Earth.

Nur Alem is not the only modern construction in Astana that will soon become an attraction in the city; the Bayterek Tower is sure to lure both local and foreign tourists alike. In Kazakh, bayterek means tall poplar, referring to the tree.

Read also: Expo 2017 Astana: Kazakhstans epitome of structural reform

Standing 97 m in height, the tower was designed to represent 1997, the year in which Astana was named the capital city of Kazakhstan. On top of it lies a golden sphere that symbolizes an egg nestled among tree limbs. According to the Astana official guide, the tower does not only provide a unique attraction for tourists, but it also serves as a symbol, where visitors can go inside the egg of happiness and beginnings as told an age-old local folktale.

On one Saturday morning, dozens of people were seen lining up to go to the top of the tower and see views of the city from the observation deck. Meanwhile, a spacious park filled with vibrant and colorful flowers can be found on the ground level.

Iconic landscape: A couple walks past the Bayterek Tower.(JP/Kurniawan Hari)

Visitors of Astana may be surprised to find a huge pyramid. Unlike the pyramids of Egypt that were built from stone, the one in Astana is made of glass. This is the Palace of Peace and Reconciliation, the peak of which is decorated with 130 painted doves that symbolize the nationalities living in Kazakhstan. The building has become a symbol of religious tolerance.

Another modern building to visit in Astana is the Palace of Independence, where visitors can marvel at womens jewelry, traditional garments, weapons and armors of ancient warriors, musical instruments and hand-woven carpets.

The Palace of Independence recently hosted the Astana Economic Forum, during which state leaders and economists discussed the future of the world economy following the growing trend of protectionism.

This is fantastic. Astana with all of this modern construction is fantastic, said Jose Luis Barcelo, a Spanish journalist.

With all the modern buildings and facilities, Astana wants to show the world that the city is developed despite its young age and is more than prepared to host major international conferences.
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, July 7, 2017 14:03 1953 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97a80bf2c 1 News Hotel,mountain,hanging-hotel,Parang-mountain,travel,traveling,destination,#traveling,#destination Free

Climbing enthusiasts may soon have a new and unique destination to visit: the hanging hotel at Badega Gunung Parang in Purwakarta regency, West Java.

Said to be built at a height of 900 meters above the ground, the hotel reportedly plans to offer 10 rooms by September.

The hanging hotel at Mount Parang is expected to attract visitors who love challenges, said Purwakarta Regent Dedi Mulyadi as quoted by kompas.com.

He added that the property highlights Purwakartas breathtaking landscape. "From the mountains to Jatiluhur reservoir, everything can be clearly seen from there."

Read also: Holy water: Jerusalem aquarium set to open

Due to its unique feature, the hotel boasts international safety standards similar to Perus hanging hotel. Each room will be built using iron frames bolted into the mountains andesite rock using special equipment at varying heights, with the most expensive being the furthest from the ground.

Dhany Daelami, a climbing enthusiast and operator of Parang Mountain tourism area, praised the hotel as the first of its kind in Indonesia, even Asia. One room has reportedly already been installed on the mountain with the interior and waterway still under construction.

Dhany also shared how the Parang Mountain, which has a vertical, rocky structure and stands at approximately 1,000 meters above sea level, was already popular among domestic and foreign climbers.

Unlike most mountain tracks, [Parang Mountain] offers a vertical track, which makes it more challenging and a favorite among climbers, he said, adding that climbers usually need at least 1.5 hours to reach the peak. (mas/kes)
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, July 7, 2017 14:36 1953 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97a80d5ca 1 News Tourism-Ministry-Pesona-Indonesia,tourism-ministry-wonderful-Indonesia,Semarang,ritual,Sesaji-Rewanda Free

Three days after Idul Fitri, thousands of people flocked to Kreo Cave in Pakintelan Gunungpati tourism village in Semarang to witness the annual Sesaji Rewanda ritual.

The ritual included food offerings for monkeys at the cave.

Read also: A guide to visiting Semarang

Sesaji Rewanda is held three days after Lebaran Syawal to show gratitude to God for preserving nature for humans, explained Semarang Tourism Agency head Masdiana Safitri.

Four types of food offerings were presented at the ritual, consisting of sego kethek (rice, salad with grated coconut, tempeh and tofu wrapped in leaves), fruit, produce and ketupat (rice cake) that were stacked 4 meters high. Teak, which was used by early Islamic preacher Sunan Kalijaga from Java to build the Demak Grand Mosque, was also included in the offerings.

The offerings were taken into the cave by young men dressed in rewanda (monkey) outfits, a man representing Sunan Kalijaga, nine males dressed as royal guards and four pagar ayu (helpers). (kes)
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, July 7, 2017 13:32 1953 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97a809bad 1 News Tourism-Ministry-Pesona-Indonesia,tourism-ministry-wonderful-Indonesia,South-Sumatra,festival,#festival,Sriwijaya-Festival,Palembang Free

The South Sumatra administration will hold the Sriwijaya XXVI Festival 2017 from Aug. 16 to 20 at Kuto Besak Palace in Palembang.

South Sumatra Governor Alex Noerdin said this years festival would carry the theme of maritime commerce, which made South Sumatra a major national destination.

The 26th festival aims to promote the 17 regencies and cities in South Sumatra, said Alex.

Read also: Palembang hosts Bonn Challenge meeting

The festival will kick off with a mobile cinema that will screen educational, cultural and tourism-related movies, followed by an opening event participated in by 17 regencies and cities in South Sumatra. The opening event will also feature arts and cultural performances from five regencies and cities in Yogyakarta. The second day will stage a painting competition, exhibition and art performances.

Therell be a stage showcasing ethnic music performance, a street music parade, a dul muluk parade and cultural performances from six regencies and cities, said the Tourism Ministry's head of cultural promotion, Wawan Gunawan.

Read also: Palembang develops colorful kampong for Asian Games 2018

On the third day, main events will include a workshop and discussion on South Sumatran culture. On the fourth day, the festival is scheduled to host a mini theater, the Batanghari 9 Festival featuring 60 solo guitarists, a parade of 20 street music groups and a wayang kulit (shadow puppets) performance.

The closing event will be held on the last day, as well as cultural performances from six regencies and cities in South Sumatra.

Besides staging the festival, the administration will also offer tour packages, such as a three-day Palembang city tour and a four-day shopping trip. (kes)
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Linkedin Ni Komang Erviani (The Jakarta Post) Denpasar, Bali  Fri, July 7, 2017 12:05 1953 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97a806fa6 1 News aussie-banget-corner,Education,#education,Australia,students,#students,bali Free

A new facility providing information for Indonesians seeking to study in Australia has been launched at Udayana University in Denpasar, Bali.

Initiated by the Australian Consulate General and housed in the university's so-called language laboratory, the #AussieBanget Corner is said to be the first of its kind in Bali. The facility allows visitors to access a selection of Australian books, resources and computers through the Australian National Library, which can also be utilized to search for information on studies and scholarships at Australian universities.

"This corner was created to encourage students in Bali to pursue Australian education by providing relevant information and giving students their first taste of Australia," said Australian Consulate General Dr. Helena Studdert during an opening ceremony on Wednesday.

Read also: Scholarship deemed discriminatory for Indonesians living in eastern regions

The Australian Consul General in Bali, Dr. Helena Studdert (left), talks to Udayana University Rector Professor Ketut Suastika at #AussieBanget Corner launching event in Udayana University in Denpasar, Bali on July 5. (JP/Ni Komang Erviani)

Around 400 of approximately 8,240 Australia Award scholarship alumni in Indonesia are from Bali and West Nusa Tenggara. This data does not include Indonesians who fund their study Down Under themselves. Bali ranks among the top seven provinces for students studying in Australia.

"We want to remain the number one study abroad destination choice by students in Bali. This is why we are going to continue conveying the benefits of studying in Australia," Studdert added.

Udayana University rector Prof. Ketut Suastika considers the new corner a great addition to the university's facility. "We are targeting to improve our human resources by encouraging up to 80 percent of our lecturers to gain PhD degrees within the next few years," he said. (kes)
There are new designs for the tower under construction at 86 Delancey St., where Moscot used to be located. [New York Yimby]

Longtime Lower East Side resident Sheila Michaels, who popularized the honorific, Ms., died at the age of 78. [New York Times]

Housing advocates battle to protect tenants with preferential rents. [Village Voice]

Opening tonight: Hanksys new show featuring 29 paintings created last summer when he was, learning to be a pianter. [Krause Gallery]

A little Italian flavor on lower Orchard Street. Reginas Grocery opens today after a few weeks in soft open mode. [Instagram]
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Amarasekera appointed as new Ncell MD

Leading telecommunications service provider Ncell has replaced its Managing Director Simon John Perkins with Suren J Amarasekera. Perkins, according to the company, will assume a new role at the head office of Axiata, Ncells parent company, in Kuala Lumpur supporting South Asia operations.
BRI crucial for better links with China: Vice Prez Pun

Vice President Nanda Bahadur Pun has described the China-led Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) as an opportunity to develop infrastructure and to improve connectivity between Nepal and China.
Fortunate karma

Buddhist tourism can be a path to our prosperity because of the presence of the holy site of Lumbini in Nepal
Govt agencies in Mustang get lands to build office facilities

Lands have been distributed to various government offices and security agencies to build office buildings and facilities in Mustang, with a view of expanding trade with China via the Korala border point.
Govt unable to roll out clean feed policy on time

If indications are anything to go by, the government will not be able to roll out its plan to gradually remove foreign advertisements from programmes aired by foreign television channels from mid-July as mentioned in the fiscal policy of the next fiscal year.
Home Ministry yet to ready poll law drafts

Proposing November-end as the final deadline to hold all the remaining polls, the Election Commission on Tuesday wrote to the government to ready two elections-related Acts by mid-July and to delineate electoral constituencies by mid-August.
Indian-funded projects yet to gain momentum

Officials from Nepal and India held the fourth round of Nepal-India Oversight Mechanism meeting on Thursday to review the Indian-funded projects in Nepal and to clear bottlenecks if any to expedite them.


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Organisation: United States

US Embassy, US Mission in Uganda

Duty Station: Kampala,

Uganda

Salary Grade: FSN-6 Ugshs

41,892,912 p.a. inclusive of allowances

Vacancy Announcement Number:

20-17

About US Embassy:

The United States Embassy in Kampala, Uganda has enjoyed diplomatic

relations with Uganda for over 30 years.

Ambassador Deborah R. Malac currently heads the U.S Mission to

Uganda. The Mission is composed of

several offices and organizations all working under the auspices of the Embassy

and at the direction of the Ambassador.

Among the offices operating under the U.S Mission to Uganda are:

United States Agency for International

Development (USAID)

Centers for Disease Control (CDC)

Peace Corps

Job Summary: The Store

Keeper supports the Supply Supervisor in managing the expendable warehouse. The

incumbent handles customer service and provides recommendations for stock

replenishment to the Expendables Supply Supervisor.



Experience: Qualifications, Skills andExperience:

NOTE: All applicants must address each selection

criterion detailed below with specific and comprehensive information supporting

each item.

The applicants for the United States US

Embassy Store Keeper career placement should have completed secondary

school with a Bachelors degree in one of the following concentrations:

logistics management, business management, warehousing, stores, or

supplies management.

At least two years of relevant experience

in warehouse or supplies management.

Highly tactful, yet effective, in dealing

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Basic computer skills are required.

Must have a good working knowledge of

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goods, proper warehouse safety measures, control of stock movement,

documentation flow, security, quality control, record keeping and

reporting, and disposal of obsolete and damaged goods.

Language: Level III English

ability (good working knowledge) is required.

How to Apply:

All suitably qualified and interested candidates who wish to join the

United States Embassy in Kampala are encouraged to Apply Online by following

the instructions below;



under the careers page for US Embassy Kampala using the link, Click

Here Applicants shall be required to registerunder the careers page for US Embassy Kampala using the link,

You will receive confirmation of

registration and proceed to apply.

On completion of this process you will

receive an auto response via your email.

NB: Applicants claiming a

U.S. Veterans preference must submit written documentation confirming

eligibility (e.g., Member Copy 4 of Form DD-214, Letter from the Veterans

Administration, or certification documenting eligibility under the VOW Act with

an expected discharge no later than 120 days after the certification is

submitted) by the closing date of the vacancy announcement. If the written

documentation confirming eligibility is not received in the HR office by the

closing date of the vacancy announcement, the U.S. Veterans preference will not

be considered in the application process. Specific criteria for receiving a

U.S. Veterans preference may be found in HR/OEs Family Member Employment

Policy (FMEP).

Deadline: 19th July 2017

The US Mission in Kampala provides equal opportunity and fair and

equitable treatment in employment to all people without regard to race, color

religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, political affiliation, marital

status, or sexual orientation. The

Department of State also strives to achieve equal employment opportunity in all

personnel operations through continuing diversity enhancement programs.
But the tribe has a long way to go
Chief minister Yogi Adityanth has decided to get rid of incompetent officers. The chief minister has become quite serious about the performance of his government and aged incompetent officers are on the radar.

In this regard, the government has taken a tough decision in which the officers 'who have completed 50 years of age', if found incompetent in their work, will be given compulsory retirement. The chief secretary Rajiv Kumar has directed the heads of various departments to screen such officers and prepare a list of such officers by July 31. The cut of date for determining 50 years has been kept on March 31, 2017.

The government took this decision because it was found that the work of many officers, who completed 50 years of age, is not satisfactory. Compulsory retirement was introduced as it was found that there is little room for improvement in the attitude of such officials.

In such cases, the employing authority can issue notice to any temporary or permanent officer who is found incompetent. For this, the concerned authority is not required to give any reason. The duration of the notice will be three months.

Meanwhile, the chief minister has strongly pulled up those officials who have been found adopting a careless attitude while dealing with complaints of general public. The chief minister said, "District and village level complaints should be decided there itself and should not come to Lucknow."

During three-hour video conference, the CM directly spoke to the complainants to take a first hand stock of the situation.
Authorities on Friday blocked internet and broadband services in the Kashmir Valley and imposed curfew-like restrictions in parts of Srinagar city as separatists have called for protests marking the death anniversary of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani.

Wani was killed last year in a gunfight with security forces in Anantnag district's Kokernag area.

A 54-days unrest followed Wani's death in which 94 civilian protesters were killed and over 200 others injured.

All senior separatist leaders have been either detained or placed under house arrest to prevent their participation in the valley-wide protests.

District Magistrate Srinagar Farooq Ahmad Lone has issued orders to impose restrictions in areas falling under the jurisdictions of fiveRainawari, Nowhatta, M.R. Gunj, Khanyar, Safa Kadalpolice stations in the city.

Munir Ahmad Khan, Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kashmir zone ordered the suspension of internet facility both on mobile phones and fixed landline broadband connections for an indefinite period of time.
The West Bengal government, on Friday, blocked the entry of BJP, CPM and Congress into the communally sensitive Basirhat of West Bengal.

The CPI(M) team, led by politburo member Mohammed Salim, first tried to drive to Basirhat in the morning. But they were blocked by police at Ashoknagar, some 50km away from the communally hit Baduria and Basirhat region.

The team also consisted of five MLAs of the CPI(M), including its leader in the assembly, Sujan Chakraborty. An angry Salim said, "This is undemocratic. Why do they wish to hide facts from us?

Within hours, a Congress team led by state president Adhir Chowdhury was detained at the same place. But Chowdhury engaged in a war of words with the policemen and asked them to protect themselves instead of blocking the path of opposition parties.

"We will not bow down. We will try again," said Chowdhury.

While Congress and CPI(M) could move at least some distance, BJP could not. A BJP team led by MP Roopa Ganguly was waylaid near Kolkata airport. When both Roopa and another BJP woman leader tried to move further, they were arrested by police.

"They cannot stop us. They are afraid of the BJP," Locket said.

West Bengal government had sensed the move of political parties well in advance. Additional Director General of police, law and order, Anuj Sharma, had written to political parties not to travel to disturbed areas. So did senior minister Partha Chatterjee. Chatterjee called up CPI(M) and Congress leaders and asked them not to proceed with their plan.

Fresh violence was reported in Basirhat while Baduria, from where the violence first erupted, remained calm. Angry mob threw stones at each other and many houses were vandalised. Around seven units of paramilitary forces have been deployed in the area.
Even while the Sino-Indian relations are reeling under the stress of an extended diplomatic chill, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping managed to find something praiseworthy to say about each other after the meeting of BRICS members on the sidelines of the G20 meet in Hamburg.

During the meet, the five leaders discussed preparations and priorities for the upcoming BRICS summit in Xiamen, China. Modi appreciated the momentum that the BRICS had gained under the chairmanship of President Jinping and extended "full cooperation and best wishes for the forthcoming summit".

Jinping, who concluded the meeting immediately after Modi's statement, appreciated the success of the 2016 Goa summit and India's strong resolve against terrorism. He also appreciated India's development in economic and social sectors.

No bilateral talks were planned, but observers are hopeful that one of them could initiate an impromptu pull-aside. Even if there is no tete-a-tete between the two in Hamburg, a peaceful solution is not off the table. There will be ample opportunities for interaction. The ninth BRICS summit in Xiamen is scheduled for September; however, a considerable wait is involved, if one expects it to be a platform for sorting out the current differences.
Japan to provide grant assistance of Rs 257 million

The Government of Japan has agreed to provide Rs 257 million in grant assistance to Nepal for the implementation of the Project for Human Resource Development Scholarship.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday condemned Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Israel visit, saying that forming an 'anti-terrorism ally with a terrorist state' is not a fun thing to do.

In a Facebook post, Vijayan said that the Indians have always supported the Palestinians, who have been always suppressed by Israel.

"India's mind is against the Israeli outrage that is branded as a threat to the Palestinian people's struggle to survive in their own soil. Zionist aims not only to build the Jews of the Jews but also to completely eliminate Palestine. Recognising this, the Indian people have always supported Palestine resistance," his Facebook post read.

Linking the 'Sangh's' ideology with that of Israel, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPM) leader said the unity of despotism, hatred and civil liberties have become unanimous.

"It is because of the mood of the Sangh Parivar that we live in front of the gunfire of the Israeli Army, Unity in the Modi-Netanyahu joint statement is unity between the Sangh Parivar and Zionism ideologies. The unity of despotism, hatred and civil liberties became unanimous," it read.

Here is a translation of Vijayan's Facebook post:

It is not fun to use a "anti-terrorist" ally with a terrorist state that is killing innocent people. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Israel has been transformed into a strategic partnership with Israel's global advisers Israel and transformed the US-Israeli-India axis into a strategic partnership.

India's mind is against the Israeli outrage that is branded as a threat to the Palestinian people's struggle to survive in their own soil. Zionist aims not only to build the Jews of the Jews but also to completely eliminate Palestine. Recognizing this, the Indian people have always supported Palestine resistance.

India is also the opposite of a non-aligned nation, with the Israeli policy of denying citizenship to the Palestinians and continuing to pursue the racist lounges without considering UN resolutions and internationally. From this point of view, the slogan of the Narendra Modi has changed.

It is because of the mood of the Sangh Parivar that we live in front of the gunfire of the Israeli army, Unity in the Modi-Netanyahu joint statement is unity between the Sangh Parivar and Zionism ideologies. The unity of despotism, hatred and civil liberties became unanimous.

Modi's visit to Israel is a huge celebration in the background of democratic states ignoring the invasion of Israel in close proximity to Israel. The Zionist sympathetic attitude of Narendra Modi without visiting Ramadama, the head of the Palestine Authority, continued to support Israel from indirectly supporting Israeli UN resolutions condemning Israel's human rights violation.

India, living in different religions, can never accept the path of Zionism.

The decline of the Zionist nation and cruelty can be seen as a blind way for the RSS's communal agenda to gain acceptability.

Israel has now become the leading nation in the world after India.

The profit from arms sales is being used to suppress the Palestinian people. It is a dangerous indication that helplessness for colonizing the occupying forces is a signal. In the name of food and religion, these are the politics of hatred which points to the way out of the country. People have a strong emotion towards this tendency.

After concluding his three-day visit to Israel, Prime Minister Narendra Modi headed to Germany to attend the G-20 Summit.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi late last night arrived in the German city of Hamburg to attend the G20 Summit, after wrapping up his historic three-day visit to Israel.

He will attend the summit hosted by Germany on July 7-8.

The theme of the summit this year is 'Shaping an Inter-connected World'.

"PM @narendramodi reaches Hamburg for the G20 Summit. Key multilateral and bilateral engagements will take place through the summit," the Prime Minister's Office tweeted.

On the sidelines of the summit, Modi is to participate in a meeting of leaders of the BRICSBrazil, Russia, India, China and South Africagrouping tomorrow. He is also set to hold bilateral meetings with some of the world leaders there.

The G20, founded in 1999, comprises a mix of the world's largest and emerging economies, representing about two-thirds of the world's population, 85 per cent of global gross domestic product and over 75 per cent of global trade.

The members are Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, the UK, the US, and the European Union.
Less than a week after Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar expressed his angst at the Congress for not working hard enough, Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi decided to build bridges with the senior opposition leader.

Sources in the Congress said that Nitish "cannot be pushed to the edge and into the NDA fold" for supporting the BJP's presidential candidate Ram Nath Kovind, or expressing his feelings about the state of opposition unity. "He is our senior alliance partner in Bihar. Nitish Kumar has been speaking in favour of opposition unity. We have to take it from there."

The Congress vice president, sources said, may have spoken with him. "What we do know is that party leaders have been told not to attack the Bihar chief minister," the same sources said.

Interestingly, when the opposition presidential candidate Meira Kumar arrived in Patna as a part of the campaign, the chief minister was, by design, absent from his state capital.

Gandhi has also decided to redress Nitish Kumar's grouse that oppostion parties were not consulted when they chose the presidential candidate, and also that there was an inordinate delay in announcing the name.

The Congress leader is expected to meet the Bihar chief minister at the earliest convenience. Some of the differences will be addressed in the course of meetings aiming at floor coordination in the monsoon session of Parliament, slated to begin on July 17.
The BJP is not showing any gratefulness to Odisha's ruling Biju Janata Dal which announced its support for Presidential candidate Ram Nath Kovind. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had called up Chief Minister Naveen Pattnaik to request for his support for their candidate. Patnaik complied by immediately declaring BJD's backing for Kovind. But the BJP did not even wait for the presidential elections to be over to face off with BJD. For, a few days later, when BJP national president Amit Shah visited Odisha, it was all criticism that the BJP leader had for Patnaik and his party.

Shah's three-day visit to Odisha from July 5 to July 7 was significant as he visited some coastal districts which were traditional BJD citadels. It was his first visit to Odisha after the partys national executive meeting held here in last April for which he and PM Modi and other top BJP leaders were present. BJP plans to consolidate coastal district support after doing well in western Odisha in Februarys rural body poll. Shah also visited Ganjam, CM Patnaik's district, where he made a boastful claim that BJP will win 120 out of 147 seats of the state in assembly election to be held in 2019. He also visited Jajpur and Khurda districts.

As usual, he dined at the houses of some poor as well as dalit families. He also pasted party posters in the goat shed of a poor man and interacted with villagers, besides holding an organisational meet at Bhubaneswar, where he addressed partys panchayat representatives and contestants for last Februarys panchayat election.

But the most important part of Shahs visit was his claim that the BJP will form government in the state in 2019. Naturally, the ruling BJD and the Congress have pooh-poohed his statement. BJD leaders like senior cabinet minister Damodar Rout and party spokesperson and MP Pratap Dev called Shahs claim a daydream.

Amar Satpathy, government chief whip in state assembly and BJD spokesperson said, "Anybody can dream. But, the reality is, people of Odisha continue to repose faith on Naveen Patnaik for his pro-poor initiatives."

PCC President Prasad Harichandan also described Shahs claims as a daydream and said both the BJP and the BJD are together since the latter has declared support to formers candidate for the post of President of India. Amit Shahs visit and statements in Odisha are meant to hoodwink the people of Odisha, said Mr Harichandan.

Shah's claim of getting 120 seats in next assembly election is based on partys recent unexpected surge in rural body election. In the three tier panchayat elections, the zilla parishad elections were held on party symbol basis. Whereas, elections to gram panchayat and panchayat elections were held on non-party basis, though supporters of different parties contested. In zilla parishad, BJP not only pushed Congress to third position, but also made inroads in BJD bastion and reduced the latters strength. BJP formed zilla parishads in eight out of 30 districts in the state.

Shah claimed that the results of the panchayat elections robbed the chief minister of his sleep. He also blamed the chief minister for the states poverty and backwardness and sought for his ouster in the next election.

Taking a dig at Patnaik for being away unaware of 'ground realities, Shah said, "I have sensed the mood of the people of Odisha in favour of BJP after having travelled more than 400 km by road this time. I have travelled by road unlike chief minister who only flies." He also said Modi government has extended maximum help to Odisha during the last three years, though the state is shouting about central neglect.

PCC Chief Harichandan said, BJP has to be equally blamed for Odisha poverty and backwardness as the saffron party was a coalition partner of BJD and the two together had ruled Odisha from 2000 to 2009.

But Pratap Dev, BJD spokesperson, claimed that for the first time there has been a sharp fall in Odishas poverty during Naveen Patnaik regime, which even the Union government had admitted through statistics and Odisha is now a high growth state. Moreover, in the last financial year, Odisha had achieved a high growth rate of 7.94 per cent than all India growth rate of 7.1, which shows the comparison between BJD government of Odisha and BJP-led NDA government at centre, pointed out Dev.

Sajan Sharma, spokesperson of state BJP said Amit Shahs message during his Odisha visit was to take the party to each corner of the state and strengthen the organisation, through which BJP will win 120 seats in next assembly election.

Sharma said that when Patnaik extended BJDs support for Kovind, he had made it clear that since in the previous Presidential election, BJP had supported his candidate P.A. Sangma, BJD was supporting BJPs Presidential candidate this time. But that has nothing to do with political competition between BJD and BJP in Odisha, Sharma clarified. Sharma claimed that Shahs visit had strengthened BJPs opportunity in Odisha.

About Shahs hope, Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said that his party chiefs assertion of a sweep in Odisha was based on a well crafted strategy. He said such things were not happening in the state for the first time. Biju Patnaik went on to win 123 seats in 1990 from very few seats. But in 1990, Biju Patnaiks Janta Dal was the main opposition party in the state.

Congress is yet another the main opposition party in assembly and in the recently held panchayat elections. The party was came second in gram panchayats and panchayat samitis, while BJP came third.

After Shahs Odisha visit, the BJP has positioned itself as questions are being raised regarding what BJD will do in the coming elections for the Vice-President of India. BJD spokesperson Prasanta Nanda said that after the declaration of candidates, Naveen Patnaik will take the decision. It is to be seen whether BJDs approach in the case of electing vice president will be different from that of the Presidential election.
Mega naval exercise kicks off

Rekha Dixit

The maritime exercise Malabar 2017, which began today, is going to be a major show of strength and unity between India, Japan and the US. The exercise was planned much in advance, but it will nonetheless be something that Beijing will take note of, in the light of the ongoing military hostility in the Doklam region on the Sikkim-Bhutan-China border.

The 10-day naval drill, taking place in the Bay of Bengal, will also feature Indian Navy's largest aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya. Around seven other ships are expected to participate from the Indian Navy, including stealth frigates, destroyers, anti-submarine corvette, a tanker and a submarine.

The US have sent USS Nimitz. The other American ships include USS Howard, USS Shoup and USS Kidd as well as a P-8A Poseidon aircraft and a Los Angeles-class fast attack submarine. Japan Maritime Self Defense Force ships JS Izumo, JS Sazanami are the other foreign participants.

The trilateral exercise, a show of strength in the Indian Ocean region, is a counter to China's rising and unilaterally expanding footprint in the South China Sea.

The exercise includes offshore components as well an in shore, the latter being organised in Chennai.

Exercise Malabar began in 1994 with the US. Several other countries have been keen to join in, and as guests Australia and Singapore and Japan have participated in the past. The Indian Navy says that these drills sharpen operational and doctrinal expertise and enhance maritime domain awareness. Three maritime forces exercising close to its neighbourhood is not something that China can turn a blind eye to. India needs to display its strengths to counter comments from Beijing that India should learn from history, and the war of 1962.

GST gets a boost in J&K with logic

Vijaya Pushkarna

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley is not an advocate by profession for nothing; and he continues to be so whenever his current position requires him to be.

On Thursday, when he addressed a huge gathering of traders, accountants and others, to quell doubts on the discomfort that the implementation of Goods and Services Tax (GST) may cause, Jaitley shared a story as he expressed joy over the fact that Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly had, that very day, passed a resolution to implement GST in the state.

Jaitley said that he had written to the J&K Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti that the people of her state will be paying more tax if they did not move to GST. He explained to the audience in the national capital how the price would have varied between J&K and Pathankot, the Punjab town that is on the border of J&K.

Jammu and Kashmir was the only state that had not passed the GST bill though the state's finance minister was a regular at the council meetings.

You have to choose whether to go with the separatists, who are resisting GST on the grounds that it will mean financial integration with India, and the welfare of your people, Jaitley is known to have said to Mufti.

Whatever made Mufti throw her weight behind the resolution her government moved, she used Jaitley's argument. Not the one about choosing between the separatist pressure and welfare of her people, but the one about the higher cost of things. Kashmiris who trade everything from fabulous and expensive carpets to expensive shawls and handicraft would no doubt understand this logic more.

India and China's warm diplomacy

Pratul Sharma

It is like a game of chess, with each side trying to guess the others move while maintaining an air of civility, waiting for the other to blink first.

A day after a majority of the Chinese media reported that the time was not ripe for a formal meeting between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping, both leaders sprung a surprise. Modi met Xi during the sidelines of the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany, and warmly shook hands. The cordiality of the handshake was apparent in the picture, and it may even lead to a de-escalation of tensions at the border.

While armies of both countries are eyeball to eyeball at the Sikkim border, Modi and Xi had a word of praise for each other. The PM appreciated the momentum in BRICS under the chairmanship of President Xi and extended full cooperation and best wishes for the BRICS Xiamen Summit, later this year.

Concluding the meeting immediately after the PM's remarks, President Xi appreciated India's strong resolve against terrorism and the momentum in BRICS introduced under India's chairmanship and through the outcomes of the Goa Summit in 2016. He also appreciated India's success in economic and social development and wished India even bigger success.

Interestingly, even as controversy raged at the Sikkim border, three senior Union Ministers Prakash Javadekar, J.P. Nadda, Mahesh Sharma were in China to attend a different meeting of BRICS.

As both sides play hard at the border, some warm diplomacy can cool off tempers.
The recent face-off between the Indian Army and the Chinese Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) at Doklam is owing to the differing perceptions of the India, Bhutan and China tri-junction. As per the Indian and Bhutanese claims, the tri-junction is near Batang La. However, the Chinese claims show it further south at Mount Gipmochi. This perception has led the Chinese to stake claim to 89 square kilometres area of the Doklam plateau. Though the current face-off is in the Bhutanese territory, Indian Army has got involved due to the special bilateral relations that exist between the two countries since 1949. Moreover, a specific request for help was made by the Royal Bhutan Army after its soldiers were roughed up by the PLA, when they objected to the road construction activity on their soil.

The incident, on expected lines, has drawn belligerent reactions from the Chinese government, which besides threatening to up the ante, has stalled the visit of Indian pilgrims to Kailash-Manasarovar via Nathu La and put on hold the Indian journalists visit to the Tibet Autonomous Region. Despite the unsavoury and belligerent Chinese rhetoric, the government of Indias handling of the situation has been far more balanced and mature. Without showing any signs of edginess, the government has clarified its position in no uncertain terms, besides brushing aside the threats on upping the ante. The government has also been emphatic in endorsing the Bhutanese position and clarifying that the road construction would represent a significant change in status quo, which would have serious security implications for India. As per the 2012 understanding between India and China, all tri-junction-related disputes are to be resolved in consultation with the concerned third country.

The Doklam plateau assumes strategic significance for India as further to the south, in the state of West Bengal, lies the geographically sensitive Siliguri corridor that connects our northeastern states to the rest of India. The narrowest stretch of this corridor is just about 20 kilometres with Nepal to the west and Bangladesh to the south. Chinese presence on the plateau will facilitate their operations towards the corridor in the event of hostilities. Being an Indian sensitivity, the corridor has, over the years, witnessed nefarious activities by Pakistans Inter-Services Intelligence and other inimical elements. Intelligence reports have also alluded to the presence of Chinese agents in the garb of Buddhist missionaries in and around the corridor.

In the last few years, Indias relations with China have witnessed diplomatic friction and deterioration. Issues that have adversely impacted the bilateral relations are Chinas unfavourable stance towards Indias NSG aspirations, its duplicitous policy on terrorism and turning a blind eye to hardcore Pakistani terrorists, deepening and widening defence cooperation between the US and India, Indias transformed Asia-Pacific policy and sovereignty concerns related to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, to name a few.

The Chinese are known to respect strength. Speeding up capability and infrastructure development along our northern borders should, therefore, be a strategic imperative for the government. The ongoing bilateral engagement with the US should not lull us into complacency. India will have to fight its own battles and wars. It may be unwise to base our war-fighting strategies on some kind of a tie-up with the US or any other country. Post Operation Iraqi Freedom, the US has been chary of deploying its troops outside continental US. In fact, since 2013, it has been focusing on empowering the United Nations department for peacekeeping to shoulder additional global security responsibilities and deal with some of these challenges through the use of hard power.

The present face-off, given the hardened stance by both sides, has the potential to escalate tensions between both the emerging regional powers. While the Indian Navy has picked up enhanced Chinese maritime activity in the Indian Ocean, it is unlikely that China would go beyond such posturing and brinkmanship. Hostilities with India do not auger well for China, which has its eyes set to become the uncontested regional power by 2025 and a global power by 2050.

While being firm on our stated position, it may be prudent to also look at options to address the current imbroglio as hostilities would certainly be detrimental to the strategic interests of both the countries. Dialogue at an appropriate level must precede all other initiatives. Since the political leadership from both sides has got involved in this tactical incident through allegations and counter allegations, the initiation of a meaningful dialogue will have to be at the level of the special representatives. Concurrently, both sides will have to exercise maximum restraint and refrain from hostile rhetoric and muscle flexing. Factual media reporting devoid of sensationalism and jingoism will help restore the desired climate of peace and tranquillity. The meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping during the G20 summit in Germany on July 7 would certainly define the future course of action. That notwithstanding, Chanakya Niti demands that while hoping for a favourable outcome, we should be prepared to deal with the worst possible contingency. Let us, as a nation, not be found wanting.

The author is former chief of Army staff.
United for now: Opposition leaders need to stay united to have any chance against the BJP | PTI

Presidential candidate Meira Kumar, whom the Congress and 16 other opposition parties selected, recently referred to the samaan vichardhara (likemindedness) that underpinned the unity of these parties. This, she said, came from shared democratic values, and commitment to social justice, inclusive society, transparency, freedom of the press, elimination of poverty and destruction of the caste structure.

However, on June 21, a day before Kumar was nominated, it had become clear that the opposition unity was more about political expediency and individual party compulsions. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who had called for opposition unity months ago, broke ranks when he supported Ram Nath Kovind, the BJP's presidential candidate, without waiting for an opposition meeting scheduled for three days later. It gave Nitish the result he, a shrewd politician, wantedan opportunity to take on his Bihar alliance partners, the Congress and the Rashtriya Janata Dal. The Congress had been unable to win elections and RJD president Lalu Prasad's relatives were accused of corruption. The way things were, they could not help Nitish win elections. In his party meeting on June 30, Nitish suggested as much, saying: The Congress alone is to blame for the mess the opposition is in. It is because of the Congress that we could not have an alliance in Uttar Pradesh or Assam. They did not take us into confidence on the presidential polls. He said his party could chart its own course and that the Congress could not claim to be the leader of opposition parties.

Another sign of the opposition's fragile unity came when the Union government celebrated the rollout of the Goods and Services Tax. Though the Congress boycotted the event, leaders from the Janata Dal (United), the Samajwadi Party, the Bahujan Samaj Party, and the Nationalist Congress Party were present, proving that opposition unity could not be only about an anti-Modi stance. Moreover, with the Congress at its lowest ever strength in Parliament, it has become difficult for the party to co-opt regional players.

Said a Congress source: Keeping together a clutch of opposition parties with diverse issues and ideologies is next to impossible, especially when out of power. For instance, after Meira Kumar was selected as the opposition's nominee, JD(U) spokesperson K.C. Tyagi said, The opposition parties wanted Gopalkrishna Gandhi. It is the arrogance of the Congress that made Kumar the unanimous candidate.

Brushing aside suggestions that it was a lack of unity that led to the delay in the announcement of Kumar's name, a Congress leader said: There was apprehension that they [the NDA] would name a communal person wedded to the RSS brand of hindutva. We wanted to expose them for that before putting our candidate on the dais, particularly after they failed to show any names when BJP leaders met many of us on the subject of the presidential nominee. In the upcoming vice-presidential elections, the Congress is said to be open to names that the other parties suggest.

However, with the BJP opening its doors to opposition leaders at the regional level, the question is, how many Congressmen will be able to resist the carrot that BJP president Amit Shah is dangling in front of them? Sources say that concerns about Congress president Sonia Gandhi's health, along with Rahul Gandhi's issues with leadership, are creating a sense of despondency within the party. Currently, leaders of other parties are responding only to Sonia's personal initiatives.
In his long career, Yaga Venugopal Reddy battled the worst of the crises and enjoyed the best of the good times. He was in the finance ministry when India faced the foreign exchange crisis in the early 1990s. He was the governor of the Reserve Bank of India from 2003 to 2008 when the economy grew in leaps and bounds. Reddys new book, Advice and Dissent: My Life in Public Service, which will be released on July 12, offers an insight into not just his career, but also his childhood and family. In an interview with THE WEEK, he talks about autonomy of Central banks, farm loan waivers and dealing with non-performing assets. Excerpts:

What was the thought behind the title Advice & Dissent?

It was an accident. The publishers and I had discussed many options; we couldnt agree. The most preferred title from the publishers point of view was Good as Gold. So, he wanted to say the gold policy and whatever it is. I was very keen about Destiny and Dharma. I said, all of my life I went where my destiny took me and I did my dharma. But we couldnt agree and we went round and round. Somewhere, this title was suggested and was agreeable. Not the first option, not even the second option, but acceptable to the publisher and me.

Talking of dissent, there is an instance when you even offered to resign over the issue of allowing foreign banks to acquire local banks. How did you finally get it your way?

Dissent should not be taken as defiance. There is a point of view. The government was legitimate in saying that it was a national commitment that we had to do. I was trying to convince. Many instances, I did not agree, but I said ok. Dissent yes, but you cannot defy. In this particular case, I felt so strongly that decision making was with the government; I felt that I would not put my heart and soul into the job. The government perhaps felt that if I was feeling [about it] so seriously, maybe there was some merit and maybe the government rightly felt perhaps it was a bit premature. And now, when I introspect, it appears that it was not an unwise decision.

How difficult is the tightrope walk of doing what a regulator must do but having political compulsions to meet?

The regulator or RBI is the creation of the government; it is given a mandate. The limited point is whether the government is sticking to the mandate. But, there is a lot of discretionary element that is of discussion and deliberation, and in a way, the RBI is given a trust of the people in money and finance. The government itself is saying it is autonomous. Therefore, if the RBI has to be effective, then it has to show that it is observing the objectives of the government.

In the recent times, the RBIs autonomy has been questioned again.

The Central bank has been created by the government, and if it keeps agreeing with the government, it becomes superfluous. But, if it keeps disagreeing, it becomes obnoxious. So, it should be able to give a different point of view and also take a different view if necessary. My approach is that, in day-to-day matters, there should be operational autonomy. Even the current controversy should be seen in the context of changing approach. Only one thing I would say in the defence is that a lot of amendments that took place in the RBI Act up to 2008 strengthened the position of the RBI in the financial sector. And, almost all the amendments that took place after 2008 reduced the position of the Central bank.

Is this a dangerous trend being set?

I am not going into specifics, but these are the characteristics of what is happening.

You have raised issues over providing farm loan waivers. It happened during the Manmohan Singh government and it is a matter of debate today, too.

Fundamentally, in credit culture point of view, it doesnt make sense. But, if there are broader social reasons, we cant say anything much about it. The idea that farmer loan waivers are going to destroy the credit culture and fiscal position of India is overstating the problem. The amount of loans you are writing off for Air India or many of the private corporates where they have done restructuring, it goes into thousands of crores. So, morally you cant say that it is a bigger problem than the other problems. There are a lot of people dependent on agriculture and agriculture is a risky business. But we are not solving the real problem, which is uncertainty of price, uncertainty of power supply, irrigation. So, in a way, we are not able to solve the real problems of the farmers, and we are only taking care of the credit problem.

Another important issue you have raised is related to non-performing assets, which has gone from bad to worse. Is it the regulator or the government who should find a solution? Shouldnt it have been dealt with much earlier?

There are many reasons for NPAs. It is not simply a fraud or simply a policy; it may be macro policy or regulatory policy. I think some analysis has to be made to find out how much is the reason for what. I think that exercise is being done by the RBI. At the moment, you have NPAs on hand that have to be handled. Let us accept that, in the ultimate analysis, the moment you lend, all business will not succeed. Therefore, you have to take a more nuanced review of the NPAs. In the efforts now, the credit flow is being choked because of the NPA problem. As far as the stock problem is concerned, you are stuck with the problem. You have to find a solution, which doesnt as far as possible compromise the credit flows.

Your career spans from working as a collector in Andhra Pradesh, to being in the finance ministry, the World Bank and the RBI. What was the best and most challenging time?

In my view, the best years were when I made some difference. It is not as governor. As a governor, I had a very good political leadership, economic leadership, deputy governors and professional staff. All I did was enable them to work. But it was as the joint secretary, balance of payments, in 1990-93, that was the most challenging. Three years there was a crisis. The whole nation could be put to shame. Political leadership was virtually a vacuum. In three years, there were three prime ministers, three finance ministers, three economic advisers, three governors. I had to brief the people whenever a new man came. It looked as if the whole thing was on me. The economists used to always take long-term solutions, I had to fix the immediate problem, without compromising.
Mahakali breaches embankment base

Incessant rains of the past three days have increased the water level in the Mahakali river, raising flood fears among locals of Bangabagada in Darchula district .
200 French Jews will arrive in Israel on Monday 16 Tammuz aboard a special Aliyah flight organized by The Jewish Agency for Israel in partnership with the Ministry of Aliyah & Immigrant Absorption and Keren HaYesod-UIA.

Upon their arrival at Ben-Gurion Airport, the immigrants will be greeted by Chairman of the Executive of The Jewish Agency for Israel Natan Sharansky, Minister of Aliyah & Immigrant Absorption Sofa Landver, former Chief Rabbi of Israel and current Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem Shlomo Amar Shlita, and Chairman of Keren HaYesod-UIA Eliezer (Moodi) Sandberg.

This is the largest Aliyah flight from France and anywhere in Europe set to land in Israel this summer. 200 immigrants will be aboard the flight, including 74 children and teenagers under the age of 18. The youngest immigrant is two and a half months old, immigrating with her parents and sibling, while the oldest is a 92-year-old widower, who will be making aliyah with his daughter and her husband.

The immigrants will be living in Netanya, Jerusalem, Raanana, Ashdod, Netivot, Tel Aviv, Herzliya, and elsewhere throughout the country. Several young professionals on board will join The Jewish Agencys Ulpan Etzion absorption program in Jerusalem.

The French Jewish community is the largest in Europe and the second-largest in the world outside of Israel, numbering nearly half a million Jews. French Jewish immigration to Israel has surged since the year 2012, breaking records for aliyah from France and from Western countries more generally. 2014 marked the first time in Israels history that over 1% of a Western Jewish community made aliyah in a single year, an achievement repeated in 2015, with the arrival of some 7,800 immigrants from France  the most ever. Over 10% of the French Jewish community has immigrated to Israel since the year 2000, half in the past five years alone.

In response to this unprecedented demand from French Jews, The Jewish Agency and the Ministry of Aliyah have developed a special plan to facilitate aliyah from France and ease French Jewish immigrants integration into Israeli society. The plan includes efforts to educate young French Jews on Jewish culture and history, bring them to experience Israel on a variety of programs, provide French Jews with comprehensive aliyah information and counseling, remove barriers to employment, and increase the number of Jewish Agency representatives in France.

With a somewhat different agenda, the Satmar Rebbe Shlita was in France this week to address the Jewish community, calling on them to remain in France for fear of the Shmad that will result with their aliyah and being infused into the state school system, as has occurred with so many other groups of immigrants in the past.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
The following is via WABC:

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio is in Germany, where he will take part in ongoing protests of the G-20 summit.

He arrived in Germany overnight to be the keynote speaker at a protest event Saturday.

Organizers of the rally say it is to show opposition to G-20 participants, including President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Mayor de Blasio was criticized on social media about leaving in the aftermath of the murder of an NYPD officer.

He is expected to return to New York City Sunday night.

Anti-globalization activists set dozens of cars ablaze and tried to block national delegations from entering the Group of 20 summit Friday as the meeting got underway in the German port city of Hamburg.

Responding to a second day of protests, police ordered in several hundred more officers from across the country.

Hundreds of officers built moving lines in different parts of Hamburg and used water cannons to force away protesters from streets across the city.

Some were physically moved for hundreds of yards from a protest sit-in in front of the first security checkpoint near the summit grounds.

(Source: WABC)
EasyJet's Dame Carolyn McCall is rumoured to be one of the leading contenders in the race to become the next boss of ITV.

The 55-year-old airline chief executive is thought to be ahead of rivals and has reportedly been for an interview at the broadcaster, which is looking to replace Adam Crozier.

Also on the shortlist for the prestigious post are Direct Line boss Paul Geddes, 48, and Rob Woodward, 57, who is chief executive of the STV Group in Scotland.

Andrew Griffith, 46, chief financial officer at Sky, was suggested as a contender but is seen as an outside bet.

Former RBS executive Geddes is seen as a safe pair of hands after leading Direct Line through its breakaway from the taxpayer-owned bank in 2012, as well as its entry into the FTSE 100.

Meanwhile Woodward is set to stand down from STV after a decade in charge, clearing the way for him to take another role.

Griffith, tipped for the top job at Sky when current boss Jeremy Darroch leaves, may be tempted to go elsewhere due to 21st Century Foxs attempts at a takeover.

It is thought ITV is also seeking a seasoned business leader, rather than someone with specific creative TV experience. Last night, a ITV spokesman declined to comment. He said: The chief executive succession process is ongoing. But the speculation McCall was set to take off from EasyJet was followed by a tumble in the firms share price yesterday, while ITV edged up.

The mother-of-three  one of just seven female FTSE 100 bosses  has been in her current role for seven years after previously running the Guardian Media Group.

She worked her way up in the company after starting as a research planner and became a close ally of former Guardian editor Alan Rusbridger. The pair built up the papers website but were criticised for failing to make it profitable.

However, since joining EasyJet in 2010 McCall has overseen a steady rise in share prices of more than 200 per cent to its current level.

This was despite rival Ryanair boss Michael OLeary initially dismissing her as some old media luvvie due to her lack of airline experience.

She was reportedly approached by retailer Marks & Spencer last year about becoming its boss but she turned down the job.

If McCall is to replace Crozier, she has big shoes to fill.

The 53-year-old  who was on 941,000 a year  is credited with steering ITV through the Great Recession and transforming its fortunes. Under his leadership the companys revenues have grown by more than 1bn.

And the broadcaster has reduced its reliance on advertising through strong investment in its production arm, leading to runaway hits such as Broadchurch, Downton Abbey, Poldark and Vera.

The group endured its first drop in full-year advertising revenues since 2009 when it announced its annual results back in March.

Underlying pre-tax profits still rose slightly to 847m in 2016  compared to 843m in 2015.

Croziers departure sparked fears ITV could fall into foreign hands, with US telecoms giant Liberty Global, the parent of Virgin Media, a potential buyer.

Yesterday, EasyJet shares were down 0.8 per cent, or 11p, to 1347p.

Meanwhile, ITV was up 0.2 per cent, or 0.4p, to 181.9p.
Taxpayers have lost out on as much as 15bn after Royal Bank of Scotland was forced by the EU to sell assets cheaply as part of its bailout.

A European diktat ordered RBS to sell parts of its business when it was rescued with 45bn of Government funds in October 2008.

The Government had to order the sales to prevent taxpayers from having to take a bigger stake in the bank.

Rules: A European diktat ordered RBS to sell parts of its business when it was rescued with 45bn of Government funds in October 2008

But new calculations reveal that many of the businesses RBS sold have since soared in value, meaning the taxpayer, which still owns 72 per cent of the bank, has lost out. And while Lloyds, which was also bailed out, has returned to private hands, there is no sign of this happening with RBS.

RBS sold payments arm Worldpay and insurance business Direct Line, before getting rid of US business Citizens Financial.

It is still trying to offload its Williams & Glyn bank arm, which Brussels specifically wants it to get rid of, to increase competition in the UK banking sector.

RBS sold most of Worldpay in 2010 for just 2bn to private equity firms Advent International and Bain Capital.

The two firms then spent 1bn improving Worldpays technology before listing it on the UK market. This week, US payments processing firm Vantiv agreed to pay 9.1bn for the firm. But the deal means that if the firm had stayed with RBS the taxpayers would have made 6bn.

Likewise, RBS sold its insurer Direct Line for around 3bn. That company is now listed on the FTSE 100 with a market value of around 5bn.

Furthermore, RBSs former US bank, Citizens Financial, is worth around 5bn more than it was sold for between 2014 and 2015.

Finally, RBS has also spent around 1.8bn attempting to sell its Williams & Glyn branches by the end of 2017. It has also proposed spending 750m on boosting competition in UK retail banking, although the Commission has yet to be convinced.

The 15bn both RBS and the UK taxpayers have lost out on now represents half of the banks current 30bn market value. The figure would also more than cover the 7bn yearly loss the bank reported in February.

Things dont look set to improve  as RBS has said it does not expect to make a profit until 2018.

Lord Myners, Labour city minister at the time of the bailout, said: I do think it was a mistake to sell Worldpay to private equity without securing some part of an increase in the value.

On the whole if you sell to private equity you should always try to retain some interest, as you are selling it to someone who by definition wants to sell it for more rather than keep it.

Laith Khalaf, senior analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown, said that while RBS would have benefitted by selling off its businesses for more money, it was not left with any choice at the time.

These deals were made as part of the response to the financial crisis and some were required as part of the state bailout of RBS, he said.

The other question is whether the companies would have survived if RBS had kept hold of them. I suspect it would have been more difficult.
Thousands of jobs at Microsoft were last night put under threat following the announcement of a major restructure.

The tech giant, which employs more than 121,000 people globally, would not confirm how many British staff were affected but it is understood thousands of jobs could be at risk, largely outside the US.

It is part of the companys shift towards selling so-called cloud-based services, where software and data is stored on the internet. The move is a bid to take on Amazon, which offers cloud computing services.

Major restructure: The tech giant employs more than 121,000 people globally

A spokesman said changes would help Microsoft to serve customers and partners better.

She added: We are taking steps to notify some employees that their jobs are under consideration or that their positions will be eliminated.

Rumours swirled this week as nervous staff exchanged messages on a messaging app.

Their fears came after conference rooms were reportedly booked up across the business, with managers scheduling a series of short meetings with company employees.

The company is said to have told workers on Monday that it planned a major shake-up to its sales and marketing teams.

It was not clear yesterday how many of the companys 3,000-strong British workforce face the chop.

The companys first headquarters outside the US was founded in Reading, and it has offices in London, Edinburgh and Manchester, as well as a research facility in Cambridge.

Microsoft is repositioning itself as a provider of services rather than traditional CD-based software but it is lagging behind Amazon, which makes about 11.3bn a year from cloud computing. Microsoft said its cloud services made 5.3bn.

It is also battling to seize a greater share of the mobile market from Google and Apple.
Challenger bank Monzo has blamed a supplier for problems that saw customers unable to make payments yesterday.

Card payments were rejected despite apps showing cash had been deducted. Top-ups and payments between Monzos 270,000 customers were also hit.

Glitch: Card payments were rejected despite apps showing cash had been deducted

The problems lasted for about four hours. Following similar issues in March, Monzo said it would take card processing in-house.

Yesterday it said: These hiccups can happen, particularly in a new and growing business being supported by new and growing partners. We do not believe the level of interruption to core parts of the service that weve experienced recently are acceptable.
Ministry: Depute health officials to local bodies

The Ministry of Health (MoH) on Thursday asked the district public health offices to send health professionals, including MBBS doctors and specialists to rural municipalities, municipalities and metropolitan cities.
Nepal in a fix as Gulf rivals seek support

Following a diplomatic row between Qatar and the Saudi Arabia-led coalition, ambassadors from the Gulf countries have started lobbying with the Nepal government in their favour at a time when the security of millions of Nepalis working in these countries becomes a major concern.
NMC begins process to allocate post-graduate seats

The Nepal Medical Council (NMC) has begun the process to grant post-graduate seats to two government hospitals in Biratnagar and Nepalgunja decision that will remain crucial to end the chronic shortage of specialists in government health facilities, especially outside the Capital.
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By Angelica Acevedo

FLUSHING  The NYPD is asking for the publics assistance in identifying four out of five men in connection with a series of robberies and assaults that occurred in Flushing June 27.

According to police, at 5:10 a.m. a 38-year-old man was approached by a group of five men in front of 132-18 41 Ave. while he was walking to his parked car. The men forcibly grabbed the victim, held down his arms and went through his pockets, police said.

They then fled the scene with his cash. Police said the victim sustained pain to his torso as a result and was treated at the New York-Presbyterian Hospital.

Later that day, at about 5:50 a.m., a 62-year-old man who was sitting at a table inside a McDonalds located in 30-01 Stratton St. had his cellphone stolen from one of the unidentified men, authorities said. The victim then chased after the man but was approached by the four other men who claimed hed have to pay them to get his cellphone back.

Police said once the victim refused, one of the men in the group struck him in the head with an unknown object. The men then attempted to remove the victims wallet and fled the scene. The victim sustained a fracture to his right eye socket and was treated at Flushing Hospital Medical Center, authorities said.

According to police, they have apprehended one of the five individuals involved in both incidents pursuant to their ongoing investigation.

Police identified him as a 16-year-old Darnell Williams of 137-17 234 Street, charging him with robbery and assault.

The other four men are described by police as Black and between the ages of 18 to 25.

A surveillance video provided by the NYPD depicts the man who stole the cellphone as well as the other four men outside of the location. The man with the red shirt was the 16-year-old, police said.
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By Frederick R. Bedell Jr.

Republican Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis is running to unseat Bill de Blasio as mayor. She represents parts of Brooklyn and Staten Island, and is of Greek and Cuban parents.

At 36 years old, Malliotakis is being called a rising star. She has stood up to expose the corrupt practices of disgraced Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, Gov. Andrew Cuomo, and recently Mayor de Blasio, who defies federal laws by harboring many criminal aliens under the citys sanctuary policies.

This could mean a loss of millions of dollars of federal anti-terrorism funds. Mayor de Blasios sanctuary-city policies jeopardize all innocent New Yorkers, cops, fire fighters and first responders.

I had the proud experience to meet Assemblywoman Malliotakis at the Douglaston/Littleneck Memorial parade in May and was introduced to her by Phil Orenstein, president of the Queens Village Republican Club. I had found her to be honest, hardworking and dedicated to doing right for all the people of New York City, and not just the few.

Nicole Malliotakis, in my book, is a mayor we need, one who is concerned for all of us. Her slogan is Get New York City out of the hole, so vote for Nicole. I know I will.

Frederick R. Bedell Jr.

Glen Oaks Village
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By Mark Hallum

Newly re-appointed MTA Chairman Joseph Lhota led a panel discussion at the June 29 Genius Transit Challenge conference last Friday with transit leaders from major cities across the world who shared methods their organizations utilized to improve service for riders.

Representatives from the Toronto Transit Commission, RATP Dev North America, a subsidiary of the French-owned transit company responsible for management of the Paris Metro, East Japan Railway, Zurich Public Transport, and Tokyo Metro were key speakers in attendance.

Paris Metro was able to face-lift its transit system, which predates New York Citys by a matter of a few years, by upgrading the signal system and adding driverless trains. This was particularly important for the 1 train, the citys oldest line, which runs through some of the most scenic parts of Paris, for tourism. Additionally, the Metro added four new lines.

Zurich Public Transport Director Guido Schock said that although Zurich boasts only half a million people, it is a globally economic city. Utilizing technology to keep riders informed has been pivotal to a well-functioning transit system for Zurich.

Masaki Ogata, executive vice president of technology at East Japan Railway, said privatization of his entityin the late 1980s brought vast improvements to the train network, which serves millions of commuters. Congestion on this railway was a problem until investment improved signal systems, which allowed traffic to flow more reliably and with better service customers. Ridership has improved over the years, according to Ogata.

Masao Tomeoka, managing director of Tokyo Metro, spoke about innovation, includinggaining access to trains by holding up a smart watch to turnstiles.

Andy Byford, CEO of the Toronto Transit Commission, said the Toronto transit system was suffering in a similar fashion to the MTA until investment and substantial technological overhauls were made.
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By Angelica Acevedo

The first-ever Queens Craft Brigade, a free-entry market that will showcase products created by local vendors, is set to take place Sunday in Astoria.

The event will feature a variety of 17 vendors that are based in Queens selling products from bilingual greeting cards (Widy Cat), to South American-inspired apparel (SUDA), to girly house decor (GRL Supply). It is set to start at noon and finish at 5 p.m. in the VFW Hall, located at 31-35 41 St.

I started the Queens Craft Brigade because I wanted more opportunities for local makers to meet people in person and sell to the public, Robert Duffy, the organizer of the event and local business-owner, said.

Hi-Fi Records, a record shop in Astoria, will be DJing, while The Queens Kickshaw, a restaurant also located in Astoria, will serve up a special menu during the event.

According to Duffy, organizers hope to host monthly markets in the same venue, as well as branch out to other places in Queens from September to December. Duffy and his wife, who own Unified Queens, an apparel company that makes designs inspired by the history of the borough, want to encourage the Queens community to support its local businesses.

A lot of sales happen online, but theres nothing better than meeting the local community, Duffy said. Im hoping this helps connect the local maker community.

One of the vendors at the event will be Queens Knits, owned by Christine Gibson. The Queens mother of two said she is looking forward to the Queens Craft Brigade because she believes the community vibe is what makes the market special.

Markets like this are invaluable for local artisans because they give us exposure and connect us with our community, Gibson said. I shy away from the bigger markets because they often require a huge fee, and thats just not plausible for me.

Im so excited about the fact that Hi-Fi Records is DJing the event because I love that record store. Its located in Astoria and I shop there often, and Javi, the owner of Hi-Fi, is the nicest guy.

David Orellana, the creator of SUDA, said he worked with Duffy to bring together a market that suits the Queens community in particular.

We are very excited to show the Queens creative community, Orellana said.

Sharing Gibsons and Orellanas enthusiasm for the event, Dovecote Collections creator, Ondine Crispin, said she was looking forward to selling her textiles and stationery along with the other vendors.

We are hoping this is the first of many similar events highlighting the fabulousness of Queens, Crispin said.
German police clashed with violent protesters Thursday in Hamburg a day ahead of the Group of 20 summit, using water cannons, pepper spray and batons to disperse marchers after some attacked them with bottles and other objects.

The skirmishes came hours before the two-day gathering of the world\s top economic powers gets under way Friday morning in Germany\s second-biggest city.

Its host, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, said she hoped the leaders would be able to find "compromises and answers" on a wide range of issues  although the prospects of finding common ground on climate change and trade were uncertain.

Thursday evening\s protest as the G-20 leaders arrived in Hamburg was titled "G-20: Welcome to Hell," and a standoff between hardcore anti-capitalist protesters and police developed before the march itself really got going.

Police said they repeatedly asked some demonstrators to remove their masks, to no avail. They then decided to separate the group from the rest of the march, which they estimated at 12,000 people in total.

Black-hooded protesters attacked a police vehicle with bottles and bricks, breaking its window.

Organizers quickly called an end to the march after the violence broke out, police said. Skirmishes continued, with police advancing down the street with two water cannons while being pelted with bottles by a group of black-clad people.

A nearby building was plastered with the slogan "Borderless solidarity instead of nationalism: attack the G-20." A small group on the roof set off fireworks. Police said windows at a furniture store and a bank were damaged. There was no immediate word on a number of arrests or injuries.

Many other groups are calling for peaceful protests and are pushing the G-20 leaders for action to fight climate change and address economic disparities in the world. Some are even calling for the dissolution of the G-20 itself so the United Nations becomes the platform for such discussions.

In all, more than 100,000 protesters are expected in Hamburg for the summit, with some 8,000 considered part of Europe\s violent left-wing scene, according to police.

The northern port city has boosted its police with reinforcements from around the country and has 20,000 officers on hand to patrol Hamburg\s streets, skies and waterways.

Merkel is also hoping to keep things under control inside the city congress center where the summit is being held. With guests including U.S. President Donald Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the search for compromises is expected to be challenging.

Merkel said leaders would address regulating financial markets, fighting terrorism and pandemics and combatting climate change, among other issues. She said "free, rule-based and fair trade" will be an important issue.

"You can imagine that there will be discussions that will not be easy," she said. "Globalization can be a win-win situation. It must not always be that there are winners and losers."

In the wake of Trump\s recent decision to pull out of the Paris deal fighting climate change, the battle against global warming promises to feature prominently in discussions at the summit.

Merkel has rejected calls from some to push for a strong "G-19" statement  without the U.S.  on climate change. That is something that Zhu Guangyao, a Chinese deputy finance minister, told reporters Thursday that Beijing also did not support.

"The policies produced by the G-20 should be by the consensus of all member states," he said. "No one should be excluded."

Still, he added, "China will firmly promote its policies taking more measures against climate change."

SOURCE: Associated Press
US President Donald Trump warned that the future of the West was at risk and lashed out at Russia and North Korea on Thursday at the start of a high-stakes trip to Europe.

In key US ally Poland on the first leg of the trip, he accused Russia of "destabilising" action in Ukraine and warned North Korea it faced "consequences" after an intercontinental ballistic missile test that has alarmed the international community.

On the eve of what is likely to be a prickly G20 summit in Hamburg, Trump  who faces animosity from traditional US allies  used his keynote address in Warsaw to warn that a lack of collective resolve could doom an alliance that endured through the Cold War.

"The defence of the West ultimately rests not only on means but also on the will of its people to prevail," he said.

"The fundamental question of our time is whether the West has the will to survive."

Seeking to ease allies\ concerns about the US commitment to NATO, Trump endorsed its one-for-all-and-all-for-one mutual defence pact.

"The United States has demonstrated not merely with words, but with it actions, that we stand firmly behind Article Five," he said, while calling for more defence spending on the eastern side of the Atlantic.

"The transatlantic bond between the United States and Europe is as strong as ever, and maybe in many ways, even stronger," he added.

Speaking in a country alarmed by Moscow\s increasing military assertiveness, Trump hit out at Russia, just a day before his highly anticipated first face-to-face talks with President Vladimir Putin at the G20.

"We urge Russia to cease its destabilising activities in Ukraine and elsewhere, and its support for hostile regimes  including Syria and Iran  and to instead join the community of responsible nations in our fight against common enemies and in defence of civilisation itself."

He also said Moscow "may have" tried to influence the 2016 election that brought him to power, but suggested others too may have been involved and blames his predecessor Barack Obama for failing to act.

Arriving at the G20 host city Hamburg later Thursday, Trump headed in the evening to talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who has vowed to defend the 2015 Paris climate accord which the US leader has pledged to withdraw America from.

Trump would then hold a dinner meeting with leaders of South Korea and Japan, when focus will be trained on another crisis that erupted this week when Pyongyang successfully tested an ICBM that could deliver a nuclear payload to Alaska.

In his first public remarks since the test, Trump said in Warsaw that Pyongyang\s military sabre-rattling must bring "consequences" and warned he was considering a "severe" response to its \very, very bad behaviour".

After repeatedly urging Beijing to ratchet up the economic pressure on North Korea, Trump will hold what promises to be a testy meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the G20.

The White House wanted to use Trump\s Warsaw speech  with its echoes of historic addresses overseas by Ronald Reagan and John F. Kennedy  to burnish his credentials as a global statesman and deflect suggestions he is making the United States a virtual pariah.

Speaking in front of 10,000 people at Krasinski Square  which memorialises the Warsaw uprising against Nazi occupation  Trump pointed to Poland as an example of resolve in the defence of Western traditions.

"The people of Poland, the people of America, and the people of Europe still cry out \We want God\," Trump said.

Referring to the Nazi and Soviet invasions of Poland, he said: "That\s tough."

But he is likely to encounter a cool reception elsewhere.

Thomas Wright from the Brookings Institute said that Trump\s backing of NATO\s Article Five and reference to the Russian threat had done the "bare minimum" to repair a speech he made to the alliance earlier this year.

"But its overall thrust was one of nationalism and sovereignty," he said.

"The great risk is that in his off-the-cuff remarks he will begin dividing Europe into old and new or those who don\t like him and his message and those who do."

While Trump positions himself as a leader with the vision to confront an epoch-making crisis, for many US allies in Europe and beyond it is Trump himself who has called the world order  and a century of American global leadership  into doubt.

"Trump\s decisions to pull out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership and the Paris climate accord have dealt a blow to the near-global consensus," said Dmitri Trenin, director for the Carnegie Moscow Center.

SOURCE: AFP
Anis H. Bajrektarevic

Is the new Cold War on our doorstep? To answer that question is to grasp how the previous one ceased.

The end of the Cold War came abruptly, overnight. Many in the West dreamt about it, but nobody really saw it coming. The Warsaw Pact, Red Army in DDR, Berlin Wall, DDR itself, Soviet Union  one after the other, vanished rapidly, unexpectedly. There was no ceasefire, no peace conference, no formal treaty and guaranties, no expression of interests and settlement. Only the gazing facial expression of than Soviet Foreign Minister Eduard Shevardnadze, who circles around and unconvincingly repeats: we now better understand each other.

On the contrary, Bush (the 41st US President) calmly diagnosed: We win, they lose! His administration immediately declared that US policies, including all military capabilities, will remain unchanged but with a different pretexts  to respond to the technological sophistication of the Third world powers and to radical nationalism (meaning; any indigenous emancipation). The World-is-Flat mantra sow the non-West Rest still enveloped in the Huntigtonian clash. Hence, the so-called normative revolution from the Atlantic followed shortly, in which the extensive (assertive) rights were self-prescribed on the global south. Thus, the might-makes-right interventions were justified through the new (de facto imperial) doctrines: humanitarian intervention, R2P (incl. Kouchner-Levy bombing for a noble cause), doctrine of preemption, uninhabited access to or beyond the grand area, as well as the so-called Afroasia forward deployment, as a sort of the enlarged Brezhnev and Monroe doctrines combined together, etc.

Simultaneously, Washingtons darling, Francis Fukuyama, published his famous article The End of History? and the book which soon followed. To underline the prevailing climate in the States, he even dropped the question mark in the title of the book.

Was this sudden meltdown of the Soviet giant and its Day After intrinsic or by design?

Brutality respected ?

The generous support, the lavish and lasting funds that Atlantic-Central Europe extensively enjoyed in the form of Marshall Aid has never reached the principal victim of WWII  Eastern Europe. Despite the weak ethical grounds, this was so due to ideological constrains in the post-WWII period. Total WWII devastation of the East and their demographic loss of 36 million people (versus only 1,2 million in the West), was of no help.

Moreover, only eight years after the end of WWII, the West brokered the so-called London Agreement on German External Debts (also known as the London Debt Agreement or Londoner Schuldenabkommen). By the letter of this accord, over 60% of German reparations for the colossal atrocities committed in both WW were forgiven (or generously reprogramed) by their former European victims, including  quite unwillingly  several Eastern European states. The contemporary world wonder and the economic wunderkind, Germany that dragged world into the two devastating world wars, is in fact a serial defaulter which received debt relief like no one else on the globe  four times in the 20th century (1924, 1929, 1932 and 1953).

Despite all the subsidies given to the West, the East recovered remarkable fast. By the late-1950s and in 1960s, many influential western economists seriously considered communism as better suited for economic advancements, along with a Soviet planned economy as the superior socio-economic model and winsome ideological matrix.

Indeed, impressive Soviet results were a living example to it: A backward, semi-feudal, rural country in 1920s, has won WWII and in parallel it evolved into a highly industrialized and urbanised superpower  all that in just 30 years. Spain needed over two centuries (and never completed), Holland 130 years, the UK 110, Germany 90, Japan 70 years to revolve from a backword agricultural cultivator into an industrial giant. Moscow achieved that in only 30-35 years, all alone. Thus, by the mid-1950s  besides its becoming a nuclear power  the Soviet Union grew up in a pioneer of cosmos exploration, and a pivot that moves the final frontier of mankind deep into the outer space. Sending a woman into orbit while many in the West still struggled with elementary gender equality was an ethical and technological blaster. Morality of communist narrative as well as its socio-economic advancements appealed globally.

Master-blaster

If all the above is true, why then did the Soviet Union collapse? Was it really a global overstretch; bankruptcy caused by the Afghan intervention, along with the costly Space program (orbital station Mir)? And finally, if the US collapsed earlier with the so-called Nixon shock, why did America turn stronger afterwards, while after the Gorbachev-era bankruptcy of Moscow, the Russian historical empire melted away so rapidly?

There are numerous views on it. Still, there is nothing conclusive yet  neither a popular nor scientific consensus is here.

Some years ago, I had the honour to teach at the famous Plekhanov University of Economics in Moscow. It was a block-week with students of the Plekhanovs elite IBS program. Twelve days in Moscow proved to be an excellent opportunity to ask these questions to some of the most relevant economic authorities among academic colleagues.

The line of answers was quite different to anything Ive usually heard or read in the West. Furthermore, their clarity and simplicity surprised me: Muscovites claimed that right after Nixon shock the Soviet Politbureau and Gosplan (the Soviet Central Planning Economic Body  overseeing the entire economic performance of the Union, and indirectly its satellites) sat jointly in an extensive closed session. They debated two items only:

1. Could we prevent chaos and global instability by filling the gap after the collapse of the United States (and it eventual partition into 4 to 6 entities). Meaning to put the allied countries  previously under the US sphere of influence  under the Soviet effective control;

2. Could we viably deter Chinese economic (and overall Asias socio-demographic and politico-military) advancement alone, without the help of the US (or its successors) and its western satellites.

After thorough and detailed talks, answer to both questions was a unanimous NO.

Consequently, the logical conclusion was: Moscow needs to save the US as to preserve balance of power. Without equilibrium in world affairs, there is no peace, stability, and security over the long run  a clear geostrategic imperative.

Indeed, right after the Nixon shock, an era of detente has started, which led to the Helsinki process and its Decalogue (that remains the largest and most comprehensive security treaty ever brokered on our planet). The US was left to re-approach China (so-called Triangular engagement). Soon after, it recognised the Beijing China (One-China policy), and closed the chapter on Vietnam and Indochina.

Simultaneously, Americans (re-)gained a strategic balance elsewhere, like in Latina America and (horn of and western) Africa, with a brief superpowers face-off in the Middle East (Yom Kippur War) which  though bloody and intensive  did not damage the earlier set balances.

Why goodbye?

Why, then, the instability in todays world?

Apparently, Washington did not really consider these two questions when it was their turn. Soviet planetary stewardship was misused and Gorbachevs altruism was ridiculed. As a consequence of today, the edges of the former Soviet zone  from Algeria to Korea and from Finland to the Balkans  are enveloped in instabilities. On top of it, Chinese powerhouse is unstoppable: Neither of the Western powers alone nor a combination of them is able to match Sino-giant economically. Asia, although the largest and most populous continent, is extremely bilateral. Its fragile security structures were anyway built on the precondition of a soft center.

* * * *

A Bear of permafrost worried about global balance and was finally outfoxed, while a Fish of warm seas unleashed its (corporate) greed and turned the world into what it is today: a dangerous place full of widening asymmetries and unbalances. Climate, health, income parity, access to food and water, safety and security  each regionally and globally disturbed. Exaggerated statement?

For the sake of empirical test, let us apply the method of sustainability on this short story of 20th-21st century geopolitics. As per tentative definition, Sustainable Development is any development which aims at the so-called 3Ms: the maximum good for maximum species, over maximum time-space span  comprehensive stewardship. (The beauty of the 3M principle is that it makes SD matrix very easily quantifiable.)

Hence, how did our superpowers behave? Was our 3M better off before or after 1991?

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi (in the just released Global Trends Report) notes the unprecedented asymmetries of todays world. Facts are heart-freezing like my Moscow winter years ago. The UNHCR states: Every 113th person on this planet is the displaced. Of the 65.6 million people forcibly displaced globally, 10.3 million became displaced in 2016 This equates to one person becoming displaced every 3 seconds  less than the time it takes to read this sentence.

You are either with us or against us is a famous binary platform of Bush (the 43rd US President). Indeed, our planetary choice is binary but slightly broader.

An End of history in re-feudalisation or a dialectic enhancement of civilisation. Holistic or fractionary. Cosmos (of order) or chaos (of predatory asymmetries)  simple choice.

Author is chairperson and professor in international law and global political studies, Vienna, Austria.
US President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin shook hands as they met for the first time Friday at a G20 summit marred by violent protests and a rift between America and its Western allies over climate change and trade.

The handshake in Hamburg came hours before the brash property tycoon and the ice-cool ex-KGB agent were due to hold a blockbuster bilateral that promises to be dissected frame by frame for any sign of rapprochement or estrangement.

"I look forward to all meetings today with world leaders, including my meeting with Vladimir Putin. Much to discuss," Trump wrote on Twitter.

Asked if Putin felt the same about the talks, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: "Affirmative".

Their meeting, say analysts, is of vital importance for issues ranging from the North Korean crisis and conflicts in Syria and Ukraine to US-Russian disarmament treaties, world trade and global warming.

"While Trump\s pro-wrestling approach is showy, bombastic and impulsive, Putin thrives on judo\s discipline and mental toughness, where a core technique is to keep an opponent off-balance and exploit his weakness," noted Derek Chollet from think-tank German Marshall Fund.

"How these contrasting styles of machismo interact will likely be the defining feature of their relationship."

Their meeting comes on the sidelines of what is expected to be the most fraught G20 summit in years.

Trump\s "America First" approach on trade and climate-sceptic stance are testing the relationship with longstanding allies, especially in Europe.

And his tough response to North Korea\s missile programme  an issue where Russia and China are urging calm  throws a further volatile ingredient into the mix.

On the presidential election campaign trail last year, Trump said he hoped relations with Putin could be rebuilt after Russia\s acrimonious ties with his predecessor Barack Obama.

But Moscow faces mounting accusations that it interfered in the election to help propel Trump into the White House. As a result, Trump faces pressure at home and from US allies to take a combative tone.

In a key speech in Warsaw on Thursday, Trump fired a rare salvo of criticism at Russia, but did not name Putin specifically.

"We urge Russia to cease its destabilising activities in Ukraine and elsewhere, and its support for hostile regimes  including Syria and Iran  and to instead join the community of responsible nations in our fight against common enemies and in defence of civilisation itself," he told a cheering crowd of about 10,000 people.

A White House source confirmed to AFP that Trump will be joined at the meeting only by Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and a translator, an extraordinarily small cast list that raised concerns among experts.

"Neither Tillerson or Trump have any experience of foreign policy. That is one reason why they need pros in the room when meeting Putin," said Thomas Wright of the Brookings Institution.

North Korea\s successful test of an intercontinental ballistic missile this week also casts a dark shadow over the US leader\s first G20 summit.

Trump had warned Thursday that Pyongyang\s military sabre-rattling would bear "consequences", saying he was considering a "severe" response to its "very, very bad behaviour".

After repeatedly urging Beijing to ratchet up the economic pressure on North Korea, Trump will hold what promises to be a testy meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the G20\s sidelines.

Beyond the complex diplomatic waltz, the US leader also faces tough talks in the main G20 conference room, where a united front is forming against his dismissive attitude to global warming.

Trump may have vowed to pull the US out of the 2015 Paris climate protection accord, but G20 host German Chancellor Angela Merkel stressed that "many many other countries want to go on implementing" it.

"We are not going to paper over the differences but rather, we will call discord discord," said Merkel.

British Prime Minister Theresa May said world leaders will redouble efforts over the two-day summit to persuade Trump to rejoin the Paris deal.

"I believe the collective message that will be given to President Trump around this table will be the importance of America coming back into that agreement, and I hope we will be able to work to ensure that can happen," she told the BBC.

But the timing of Trump\s meeting with Putin  expected to begin 15 minutes after G20 leaders start their afternoon session on climate change  has been viewed as a sign of the US leader snubbing the issue.

Outside the heavily-guarded conference hall, tensions were also high with police clashing with demonstrators again early Friday following a night of running battles that left more than 100 police officers injured.

Beginning early Friday, activists torched more cars, smashed shop windows, fired flares at the police helicopters and even slashed tyres on vehicles belonging to the Canadian delegation.

Small groups played cat-and-mouse with the 20,000 police on duty to try and stop the leaders even getting to the summit venue.

"It\s a total catastrophe that a minority can just riot like this," local resident Munch told AFP "These idiots have nothing better to do than to demonstrate. They have to be moved out."

SOURCE: AFP
Democratic Republic of Congo\s government has formally requested financial support from international donors as it confronts a worsening economic crisis, a letter seen by Reuters on Thursday showed.

Africa\s top copper producer has been hard hit by low commodity prices in recent years. It has only enough foreign currency reserves to cover about three weeks of imports and its franc currency has lost half its value in the past year.

The letter was dated July 4 and addressed to the U.N. Secretary General as well as in-country representatives of the African Union, the European Union, three regional African organisations and other foreign ambassadors.

In it, Prime Minister Bruno Tshibala\s chief of staff, Michel Nsomue, wrote that the government "needs the support of the international community and thus of its traditional partners".

"In light of the current context, (the government) awaits in particular from these (partners) balance of payments support and budget support to allow it to confront the current economic difficulties provoked by the collapse of prices of raw materials on the world market," Nsomue wrote.

The letter does not say how much money the government is seeking. It informally sought up to $500 million from the World Bank and African Development Bank last year.

Finance Minister Henri Yav Mulang told Reuters this week that the government was in ongoing talks with the International Monetary Fund about a possible Rapid Credit Facility, a form of balance of payments support. The IMF has declined to comment on those talks.

Western donors are reluctant to aid the government of President Joseph Kabila, who refused to step down when his constitutional mandate expired last December. His government has been accused of widespread human rights abuses  charges it rejects.

The donors are also concerned about a lack of transparency. The IMF suspended its last financial assistance to Congo  a $560 million loan programme  in 2012 after the government failed to provide sufficient details on the sale of state mining assets to an offshore company.

"The transparency of Congolese government finances, including (state mining company) Gecamines, will be a precondition for any financial support," a Western diplomat told Reuters.

Earlier this week, Congo\s government discussed with representatives of Russian bank VTB the possibility of issuing a sovereign Eurobond. But VTB denied a Congolese government statement that it planned to make any direct investments.

SOURCE: REUTERS
PM Deuba visits flood-hit Saptari, announces Rs 25,000 relief

Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba on Friday visited the flood affected of Bhediya and Mayanakaredi in Saptari district to take stock of the situation following the disaster.
War crimes judges ruled Thursday that South Africa flouted its duties to the International Criminal Court in 2015 by failing to arrest visiting Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, wanted on genocide charges.

The widely expected judgement slapped Pretoria for hindering the work of the world\s only permanent war crimes tribunal, of which it is a founding member. But judges also had harsh words for the UN Security Council for years of inaction in the Bashir case.

"The chamber concludes that by not arresting Omar al-Bashir while he was on its territory South Africa failed to comply with the court\s request for the arrest and surrender" of the Sudanese leader, said presiding judge Cuno Tarfusser.

This was "contrary" to the court\s guiding Rome Statute and prevented it from prosecuting Bashir on 10 charges of war crimes, including three of genocide in Sudan\s western Darfur region.

But the judges stopped short of referring the matter to the UN Security Council, with Tarfusser saying such a move would be "effectively futile" since the council had failed to act in six previous referrals over the Bashir case.

Despite two international arrest warrants issued in 2009 and 2010, Bashir remains in office as conflict rages in Darfur.

In June 2015, Bashir attended an African Union summit in Johannesburg, and despite frantic consultations between ICC and South African officials later flew out of the country unimpeded.

The Security Council asked the ICC in 2005 to probe the crimes in Darfur, where at least 300,000 people have been killed and 2.5 million displaced since ethnic minorities took up arms against Bashir\s Arab-dominated government in 2003, according to UN figures.

Pretoria\s lawyers had argued at an April ICC hearing there "was no duty under international law on South Africa to arrest" Bashir.

But the judges ruled international obligations cannot "simply be put aside" if a country disagrees with them, and said in this case Bashir did not enjoy immunity.

"South Africa was under the duty to arrest Omar Al-Bashir and surrender him to the court while he was on South African territory in June 2015," they ruled.

South Africa\s ambassador to the Netherlands, Bruce Koloane, told AFP legal experts would study the decision to see if "it\s worthwhile for government to contest that through an appeal process or not."

But South Africa\s opposition Democratic Alliance party said the ruling was "an indictment on the ANC-led government" which was "intent on relegating South Africa to the status of a scumbag nation which protects the law-breakers and corruptors of this world. "

Bashir, who has been president of Sudan since 1993, has denied all the charges and continues to travel. Khartoum announced Monday he will visit Moscow for the first time in August.

The judges had harsh words for the UN Security Council which has shied away from taking any action against states who have hosted Bashir.

"The past 24 meetings of the Security Council" had failed to take any measures "against state parties that have failed to comply with their obligations," said Tarfusser.

This was "regrettable," he said, and "renders any referral to the Security Council effectively futile."

He insisted however the ruling had removed "any possible ambiguity concerning South Africa\s obligations."

Based in The Hague, the ICC does not have its own police and relies on countries to arrest or surrender suspects.

And while 124 nations have signed its Rome Statute, the court has struggled to shore up its legitimacy, faced last year with unprecedented withdrawals.

Darfur victim Yousif Ibrahim Fasher told AFP he was happy as people had been awaiting "a tangible result for a long time from the ICC to arrest" Bashir.

Rights groups agreed the ruling sent a warning to other nations.

It was "a victory for international justice" and an important step "in tackling impunity," said Arnold Tsunga, Africa regional director for the International Commission of Jurists.

Amnesty International\s Netsanet Belay added it was "shocking that other states parties such as Jordan are also failing in their obligations to arrest Bashir  in flagrant violation of international law".

SOURCE: AFP
SARATOGA SPRINGS -- Two people are headed to prison for eight years after an investigation into cocaine sales in and around the Saratoga Springs Race Track dormitory on Union Avenue, Saratoga County prosecutors said Friday.

lrwing Gonzalez, 31, of Saratoga Springs was sentenced Friday after pleading guilty in May to criminal sale of a controlled substance, District Attorney Karen Heggen said.
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ALBANY  People who swam or boated in the Hudson River during the last two weeks may been been exposed to unsafe level of municipal sewage after massive spills from from the cities of Albany and Troy.

Some of the spills were caused by last weekend's torrential rains, and both cities apparently violated state law by not reporting the spills for days to either the state Department of Environmental Conservation or the general public.

Both cities admitted the problem late Friday and blamed it on worker vacations where responsibility for reporting was not properly reassigned.

According to a notice filed with DEC late Friday by Albany, a series of 10 separate spills totaling four million gallons of sewage -- called combined sewer overflows -- went into the river from a massive sewer system pipe just north of the Port of Albany.

The spills started the evening of June 23, and continued on June 24, June 26, and June 27; that accounted for about half of the total spill amount.

When the region was hit by torrential rains on June 30 and July 1, the city had more spills on both of those days, and which continued July 2. That account accounted for the remaining spills.

Known as "Big C," the city pipe handles sewage for about three quarters of the city of Albany, or about 77,000 residents, plus thousands of workers who commute in each day.

Under the state Sewage Right to Know Law, adopted in 2013, sewer system operators have to report spills to DEC within two hours, and to the general public within four hours, so people know when being in contact with river water could pose a health risk. Albany filed its notice with DEC at 2:55 p.m. Friday.

DEC spokeswoman Erica Ringewald said Friday that the state "reserves the right to pursue actions against municipalities for failure to comply with incident reporting requirements. As a result of recent wet weather with limited discharge reporting, DEC will continue to investigate the potential for unreported combined sewer overflows."

She said the maximum penalty for violating the law is up to $37,500 a day.

Joe Coffey, city commissioner for water and water supply, blamed the reporting failure on "human error ... our foreman was off and the hand-off for reporting did not get made properly."

Coffey said the city has "already fixed" its procedure so the reporting failure should not happen again.

A spokesman for Troy Mayor Patrick Madden blamed that city's failure to report the spill on a shortage of sewer workers over the Fourth of July holiday week.

"There was an oversight ... and we are working on resolving it so it does not happen again," said Madden spokesman John Salka.

Salka said the spills stemmed from the heavy rains on June 30 and July 1, but he could not provide any details as to dates, times and amounts of the spills.

On Friday evening, the city had not yet filed its sewage spill notice with DEC.

During the holiday week, people would not have known about the health risk. In the city of Rensselaer, south of Troy on the river, for example, many people gathered along the river Tuesday night to watch the holiday fireworks in Albany.

Albany and Troy both have what is called combined sewer systems, where both sanitary sewers and stormwater sewers share the same piping system. Such systems are designed to protect treatment plants from being overwhelmed by heavy rains by having untreated sewage bypass the plant and spill directly into the Hudson.

In 2014, the DEC and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced a $136 million, 15-year plan to reduce the amount of combined sewer overflows. The plan covers Albany, Troy, Cohoes, Watervliet, Rensselaer and Green Island, which have about 150,000 homes and businesses.
ALBANY  Two Mexican citizens who were arrested more than a month ago in Saratoga Springs were sentenced Thursday for illegally re-entering the United States and could be deported.

Juan Martinez-Garcia and Jorge Reyes-Merino, both 27, were each sentenced to time served for the 38 days they spent in jail, according to Acting U.S. Attorney Grant Jaquith and Thomas Brophy, acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Buffalo field office.
ALBANY  State education officials and advocacy groups came to blows this week over a last-minute proposal that could allow some charter schools to hire uncertified teachers with as little as 30 hours of classroom experience.

The proposal, which would allow high-achieving charter schools to develop their own teacher certification requirements, was quietly floated in the last hours of the 2017 legislative session and appeared this week on the agenda for an emergency meeting of the SUNY board of trustees' charter school committee, convened three days after public notice was first issued during a holiday week. The committee approved it Thursday.

It drew immediate criticism from the state teachers unions, which oppose the publicly funded, privately run charter school industry and consider the proposal a "shortcut" and "backdoor to certification" that would ultimately harm students.

Even the state Education Department, which partnered with SUNY last year on an initiative to elevate the teaching profession and reform teacher preparation programs, expressed "cause for concern" with the proposal, which is seemingly at odd with SUNY's own TeachNY initiative.

"It sends a terrible message to New Yorkers, who want the best teachers in their children's classrooms, not educators who enter the profession by a short cut," said Frederick Kowal, president of the United University Professions, which represents SUNY faculty.

Charter school advocates say the proposal would help schools that are struggling to find quality teachers who are certified in New York.

New York has a notably stringent teacher certification process that critics say causes would-be teachers to move out of the state when looking to become certified and teach. The state Board of Regents has been working to reform the system over the past year and recently voted to eliminate what it called a redundant and discriminatory literacy test from the requirements.

The proposed regulations that the committee approved would allow SUNY-authorized charter schools with strong academic performance to propose their own teacher certification program, including one that only requires 30 hours of classroom instruction. If, when its charter comes up for renewal, the school is able to show its teachers are producing successful students, the program would be allowed to continue.

SUNY oversees 167 charter schools across the state, including six in the Capital Region. More than 80 percent of them produce reading and math scores above and beyond traditional public schools, according to SUNY. Those that do not produce results are shut down.

Other charter schools in New York are overseen by the Board of Regents, New York City's Department of Education and the Buffalo school board.

In a June 30 memo, SUNY Charter Schools Institute Executive Director Susie Miller Carello appears to argue that the state's current teacher certification process is not designed for charter school teachers, or "teachers embedded in a high quality school"  a statement that didn't sit well with some.

"SUNY appears to be saying that schools that hire teachers who complete college teacher preparation programs and meet the state's teacher certification standards are not high quality schools," said Jamie Dangler, UUP's vice president and a member of the state's edTPA task force, which was convened to help improve the teacher certification process.

"That's ridiculous and it undermines all the work that's been done in our state to strengthen teacher preparation and improve the teacher certification exams and process," she said.

Because charter schools primarily serve minority and economically disadvantaged students, critics are particularly concerned the proposal could lead to a lower quality classroom experience for students who are already vulnerable.

One advocate with the Alliance for Quality Education exchanged verbal blows Thursday with trustee and committee Chair Joseph Belluck, who said his character was being attacked on social media by advocates who blame him for allowing a "racist policy" to move forward.

Maria Bautista, campaigns director for AQE, fired back, saying the group was simply "calling the cards" for what they are.

"There are no black or brown parents in the room and you're making decisions for parents that are not in the room," she said. "This decision, moving forward, is going to mostly impact black and brown and poor students across the state and that is wrong."

Trustee Eric Corngold, who is on the committee, expressed concern about the proposal leading to "two tiers" of teachers in New York  ones who are certified to teach at specific charter schools and ones who are certified to teach elsewhere in the state. The former would lack mobility if their school shuts down.

But, he said, he remains open-minded about the proposal.

"I'm not convinced about either the need for this or the consequences of it," he said.

Corngold assured critics that the vote Thursday was simply the "beginning of a process" to look at the issue, and would involve 45 days of public comment. Comments could lead the committee to substantially revise the proposed language, at which point the proposal would be put out again for a 45-day public comment period.

SUNY spokeswoman Holly Liapis said Thursday that teacher preparation is a top SUNY priority, and "we will ensure that any regulatory changes made are consistent with SUNY's own rigorous standards."
PM Deuba stresses media impartiality

Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba has urged media to be factual and impartial in reports.
David Mazzeo could be in the Greater Capital Region Con Man Hall of Fame.

He conned victims out of a combined $193,000 in three scams. And he did not spend one day in prison for it.

Now Mazzeo's luck at avoiding the slammer has finally run out.

Albany County Judge Peter Lynch determined Mazzeo, 58, of Guilderland, violated his probation in what the judge described as a "scheme to defraud and to steal money by false pretenses" in Mazzeo's newest case.

On Friday, the judge sentenced the grifter to 2 1/3 to 7 years in prison.

Mazzeo's rap sheet already included some serious con artistry. In 2010, he pleaded guilty in Montgomery County to petty larceny to resolve allegations that he swindled a businessman into giving him $25,000 to build a supposed $7 million Comfort Inn & Suites.

Then he was convicted of grand larceny for scamming his landlord in Fulton County out of $18,000 in rent checks.

And in 2013, Mazzeo duped a couple into paying him $150,000 to secure engineering rights for a property on Lake George called The Nirvana Project, located near the historic Sagamore in Bolton Landing.

Mazzeo used the couple's money to pay his personal debts and, in classic con man style, blew them off when they wanted their money back.

Lynch sentenced Mazzeo in that case to the five years of probation which, according to the judge's ruling, Mazzeo just violated.

Prosecutors for Attorney General Eric Schneiderman allege Mazzeo approached victims to invest in, among other things, coal. They say Mazzeo, whom they charged in May with grand larceny, obtained nearly $150,000 to pay his defense attorney, past restitution and people threatening to have him charged.

One of the newest alleged victims, investor Kartikey Trivedi of Boston, testified he never would have forked over money to Mazzeo if he knew Mazzeo  who claimed to be a CEO of a company called MA West  had a criminal record.

"In this court's view, (Mazzeo) was engaged in a bait-and-switch tactic with intent to defraud (Trivedi)," the judge wrote.

Lynch noted Mazzeo's "failure to disclose his criminal history and convictions, as well as his gross misrepresentations that monies were to be for coal investment when, in fact, they were for personal use."

Lawyers visit from Vietnam

Albany attorney Terry Kindlon is a Vietnam War veteran and Purple Heart recipient who survived being shot in the head during the Tet Offensive in 1968.

Sign up for The Knick  Get the latest news and features with our afternoon newsletter.

His more recent experience with Vietnam was a lot less harrowing.

On June 27, Kindlon, his wife and longtime law partner Laurie Shanks and Albany County Public Defender Stephen Herrick welcomed high-ranking Vietnamese judicial officials to town.

"It was a wonderful, informative meeting with a wide-ranging discussion during which we were able to compare and contrast the Vietnamese criminal justice system with ours," Kindlon told Law Beat. "Vietnamese criminal law is derived from traditions developed during the French colonial era blended with Communist law, and among its many significant differences are the absence of jury trial and the presence capital punishment. Our discussions  while quite cordial  made it clear that American law is much more concerned with the protecting the rights of any individual accused of a crime."

Visitors included Van Minh Le, justice of the Supreme People's Court of Vietnam, which is its highest court; Huy Doc Hoang, vice chair of the Vietnam Bar Federation; Van Tuan Nguyen, head of the International Private Law Division, Department of International Law, Ministry of Justice; and Xuan Town Trinh of the Judicial Reform Central Committee of Vietnam, Kindlon said.

"Communication was no problem. Two of the Vietnamese officials were fluent in English and the other two were assisted by very talented simultaneous translators, Ms. Quy Dao and Mr. Tranh Van Vuong," Kindlon said.

Kindlon, now chief assistant to Herrick, the retired Albany County judge, said they met to to learn about the role of judges, lawyers and other players in the American and New York judicial systems. The visit was organized by the U.S. State Department and supported locally by the International Center, Kindlon said.

"On a more personal level, the Vietnamese officials were especially interested in Steve Herrick's broad range of criminal law experience, both as a judge and as the public defender of Albany County," Kindlon said.
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ALBANY  Anthony Bonomo, who was a star witness for the prosecution in the trial of ex-Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos, has been ousted from running New York's second biggest medical malpractice firm, Physicians' Reciprocal Insurers.

Richard Loconte, spokesman for the Department of Financial Services, said the management company that ran PRI, the Bonomo-led Administrators for the Professions, has been replaced with a new firm, Primma LLC, which will be a wholly owned subsidiary of PRI. While Primma will be run out of PRI's headquarters on Long Island, the new firm will have different management and not include either Bonomo or his brother. It will be temporarily run by corporate turnaround expert Bruce Shulan, who has been running AFP's day-to-day operations in recent months.
When "Hawaii Five-0" returns to CBS this fall, it'll be short two original cast members.

Daniel Dae Kim and Grace Park, who starred on the 2010 reboot for seven seasons, left the show last weekend amid rumors of unsuccessful salary negotiations with the network. Variety reported on Friday that the actors, both of Korean descent, were offered 10 to 15 percent less than co-stars Scott Caan and Alex O'Loughlin, both white men. Kim confirmed on Facebook that it was his own decision to quit.

"Though I made myself available to come back," Kim wrote, "CBS and I weren't able to agree to terms on a new contract, so I made the difficult choice not to continue."

Actors of color have long fought for equal treatment in Hollywood, with the conversation generally surrounding representation on screen. In television, stars such as Gina Rodriguez of The CW's "Jane the Virgin" and Constance Wu of ABC's "Fresh Off the Boat" have voiced their support of diverse casting and storylines. But Kim and Park's exits highlight a facet addressed less often  pay inequity.

Inequitable salaries among both film and television actors have been a hot topic in recent years, though the focus has generally been on gender rather than race.

Variety released estimates last October of how much the highest-paid actors on TV earn, based on "a wide survey" of professionals in the industry. Kaley Cuoco, Johnny Galecki and Jim Parsons of CBS's "The Big Bang Theory" topped the comedy chart, at $1 million an episode. Only one of the top 15 comedy actors was not white  Dwayne Johnson, who is half black and half Samoan, was listed at $400,000 for each episode of HBO's "Ballers."

A similar situation occurred with Alexis Bledel and Lauren Graham of Netflix's "Gilmore Girls" revival topping the chart at $750,000 an episode. The highest-ranking drama actor of color, 23rd on the list, was Viola Davis, with $250,000 per episode of ABC's "How to Get Away With Murder."

Yes, these are six-figure numbers, and it's fair to assume that most of the actors on Variety's lists make more money than they could possibly need. But the salaries ascribe a certain value to the actors within the industry.

The six-person cast of NBC's "Friends" famously earned $1 million each per episode during the final season, a paycheck actress Lisa Kudrow defended to HuffPost a few years ago. The salary level makes proportional sense when "the show is actually generating an enormous amount of money" and the actors contribute to character-driven story lines, she said.

This reasoning rings true with CBS, which, according to Deadline, finished the 2016-17 TV season as the nation's "most-watched network" for the ninth year in a row. The six "Friends" starred in each of the show's 236 episodes and earned the same salary in their last season, whereas Kim and Park earned less in their seventh season than Caan and O'Loughlin. The four have each been in all 168 episodes of "Hawaii Five-0."

"I'll end by saying that though transitions can be difficult, I encourage us all to look beyond the disappointment of this moment to the bigger picture," Kim wrote on Facebook. "The path to equality is rarely easy. But I hope you can be excited for the future."
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Trooper Ceer has a nose for crime. That's because he's a German Shepherd.

"Ceer is trained in narcotics and cadaver detection," troopers said Friday. The dog is also used for tracking and handler protection.

In a nod to the "dog days of summer," the State Police started to highlight its four-legged members on social media Wednesday. K9 Ceer, who is based in Troop G's Fonda station, was the second to be recognized.

"Ceer enjoys playing fetch with the kids in his family and really enjoys chasing the family chickens on his off-duty time," State Police said. His handler is Trooper Patrick Darling. The pair have been on patrol together since November 2012.

Ceer is named after Trooper Charles Perkins, who was 24 years old when he died from injuries sustained during an on-duty car crash Oct. 18, 1967. Perkins had started work as a trooper nine months prior.

Perkins was chasing a suspect who was driving a stolen car and accused of stealing gasoline from a service station. The trooper lost control of his vehicle on wet pavement and crashed into a tree.

Perkins died eight days after the crash without ever regaining consciousness. The suspect, a fugitive from the Columbus State Hospital in Ohio, was arrested shortly after the crash.

On Wednesday troopers featured K9 Blair, a Dutch Shepherd based in Troop F's Pine Bush station with her handler, Trooper Joseph M. Bleichner.

Blair is trained in narcotics and cadaver detection, tracking, and handler protection. She is named after Trooper Garland Blair, who was killed instantly on Oct. 12, 1931, when the open touring car he was riding in rolled over twice.

The trooper was returning from a burglary investigation when his partner, who was driving, was blinded by the lights of an oncoming car and veered off Route 100 in Yorktown Heights.

Blair was 29, based in Hawthorne, and had joined the State Police two years prior. He'd served in the Navy during World War I and was a Kentucky native.

The State Police employ about 90 dogs, which includes 29 explosives teams, 57 narcotics teams and four bloodhound tracking teams. Twenty of the 57 narcotics dogs are trained to find cadavers and nine of the explosives detection handlers also serve on the Bomb Disposal Unit.

State Police dogs  a mix of German Shepherds, Labrador retrievers, rottweilers and bloodhounds  are donated by humane societies, citizens and breeders from all over the Northeast.

A dog's sociability, play, drive, aggression, agility and health are tested, and the best candidates are sent to the 20-week Basic Handler School in Cooperstown. There, the new handler and canine train for basic obedience, agility, handler protection, tracking, building searches, veterinary first aid, land navigation, and either narcotics or explosives detection.
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ALBANY  The State Police and State Parks Police will join forces this July to encourage park visitors to buckle up.

The enforcement and educational campaign will encourage drivers and passengers to properly secure their seatbelts, especially for children.

New York was the first state to pass a primary seat belt law, which took effect in January 1985. Thirty years later, the state reported a 90 percent compliance rate. Even so, auto accidents remain the leading cause of death for children ages 1 through 13 nationwide.

Nearly two kids were killed and 338 more injured every day in 2011 in the U.S., a fatality rate that would be cut in half if correct child safety seats were always used, according to the federal Department of Transportation and the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration.

"By simply buckling up, motor vehicle occupants dramatically reduce their risk of severe injury or death if involved in a motor vehicle collision," State Police Superintendent George Beach said. "If you ignore the seatbelt laws, we will be working diligently to educate and enforce compliance."

Troopers and park police will operate checkpoints across the state. The initiative will run Saturday through Sunday, July 23, coinciding with one of the year's busiest periods for state parks visits.

The National Park Service will also participate. Similar campaigns are planned at the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

During a similar crackdown last year, State Police and State Parks Police issued more than 42,0o0 tickets. More than 1,600 were for improper child restrains, and nearly 1,900 were for adult seat belt violations.

Here is a refresher of New York's seat belt law:
"All politics is local."

When former House Speaker Thomas "Tip" O'Neill uttered this phrase decades ago, he probably didn't realize the lifeline he was throwing to those caught up in the miasma of 21st-century national politics. Like many others, I am dispirited by a Washington seemingly hell bent on stripping away any program that helps people, including health insurance, scientific progress and social issues.

The eight months since election of our new president have been turbulent times for people like me whose belief in government is partially based on a quote from a Massachusetts politician who rose to the presidency in the early 1960s: "In times of domestic crisis, men of goodwill and generosity should be able to unite regardless of party or politics."

Whether you agree with his politics, John F. Kennedy had a knack for describing a vision where we could see beyond our own wants and needs to help others.

Fortunately, after the November election I found an outlet to use O'Neill's approach here in my southern Saratoga County town of Clifton Park. The experience involved a narrow December Shenendehowa Board of Education vote to sell our town's last significant forested tract of land to a commercial developer. The move came despite a months-long opposing effort that included a 1,000-signature citizen petition and eloquent arguments aimed at convincing the school board to retain the 34-acre parcel of land for eventual creation of a large park. Clifton Park and surrounding communities, opponents to the school board vote argued, were becoming too clogged with traffic and overwhelmed by commercial development.

From the beginning, a 21-year-old community group called Friends of Clifton Park Open Space led opposition to the school board vote before it happened, and afterward as residents felt their voice was ignored. By mid-December, an eclectic group of residents  including a veteran school board member who voted against the sale, regional and local officials, and citizens throughout the school district  joined with the open space group to fight the decision.

They had a difficult goal: mount a true grass-roots campaign to overturn the school board vote. This is something rarely done in local politics. The group needed 5,000 signatures to force a referendum on the school board vote. Then the real work of attaining a successful overturn vote would start.

That's where I got involved. Fueled by feelings of disgust and powerlessness over a federal administration careening from crisis to crisis, my wife and I decided to do something locally.

We (well, mostly my wife) helped gather some of the necessary signatures to force the referendum. I worked a little behind the scenes to help a well-organized steering committee develop and implement strategy to force the petition and generate awareness. I was impressed by the intelligence and passion of those involved. I wish politicians inside the D.C. Beltway could have seen this group in action.

Through harsh winter weather, this group and dozens of volunteers pounded the pavement to collect over 7,100 signatures  about 2,000 more than needed. After the school board and administration certified that the signature threshold was met, an April 4 referendum was set.

The same open space group and steering committee then put together a network of volunteers and a mixture of communications vehicles to drum up the vote. They faced a well-financed opposition that barraged residents with robo-calls, advertisements, statements from business organizations and signage. Fighting this opposition was a daunting task.

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The result was stunning. While only about 2,500 residents normally vote on the annual Shenendehowa school budget, more than 7,600 voters cast ballots on the land-sale question  overturning the school board's vote by a more than 2-1 margin.

This was a classic example of democracy in action. A group of citizens organized to accomplish a stretch goal, and they did it with a combination of sheer will and elbow grease. It was a satisfying conclusion. And for me, it served notice that people like myself and others could help get something done at the local level. We chose not to sit back and accept a political decision that we disagreed with.

There's still some work to be done in Clifton Park and the school district. The fate of the land is in the hands of a group composed of Clifton Park and Shen officials. Recently, the school board proposed a formal price for the town to acquire the land. I hope the property eventually does become a park like Saratoga Spring's Congress Park, or Town of Colonie's The Crossings.

At the very least, though, I no longer feel as powerless as I felt in December. I tip my hat to Tip O'Neill for his inspiring words.

Mark Marchand is an adjunct professor in the Journalism Department at the University at Albany, and a retired senior manager in corporate communications at Verizon.
PM Deuba to take stock of Saptari flood victims, survey flood-hit areas

Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba is scheduled to take stock of the flood affected of Bhediya and Mayanakaredi in Saptari district on Friday.
The delivery of a strong, sustainable and competitive agriculture sector requires an increase in the CAP budget, IFA president Joe Healy has said.

Mr Healy said that in discussions on the future of the EU budget, strengthening existing common policies, such as CAP, was critical to securing a strong future for the EU, and to demonstrate the positives of EU membership.

"There is a tough negotiating road ahead but with an Irish Commissioner in place who understands agriculture and a Government that is aware of the importance of agriculture to the Irish economy, this fight is far from over, he said.

Mr Healy said that member states must take into account the need for adequate funding to support the many economic, social and environmental benefits that were delivered through CAP, and to allow the policy to reform and respond to the demands of European society, and to challenges in the areas of climate change and environmental sustainability.

It must be recognised that low farm incomes remain a major challenge, he said.
[July 07, 2017] HRG Appears at the China-Israel Investment Summit to Advise for Chinese Robotics Startups and Seek More International Cooperation

HARBIN, China, July 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- HIT Robot Group ("HRG", or the Group), China's leading robot company, appeared at the Third China-Israel Investment Summit in Zhuhai, Guangdong Province, last week. In a panel discussion, HRG's senior vice president Yu Zhenzhong shared his insights into Chinese robotics industry and expressed a wish for more cooperation with Israeli counterparts. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/531258/YuZhenzhong_Panel_Speech.jpg The China-Israel Investment Summit was launched in 2016 as an event to promote high-tech innovation and enterprise cooperation between China and Israel. The previous two events took place in Beijing in January and Tel Aviv in September 2016, respectively. At the panel discussion on the future of robotics industry, Mr. Yu shared his insights with the business leaders and experts from both countries. He noted that though Chinese robotics companies are still weak in producing high quality core compnents, they show great potential in intelligent technology development.



In Yu's observation, a major issue for most Chinese robotics startups is a shortage of financing. "Robot business is technology and capital intensive. In China, many startups can only survive a few years in the hands of founders from pure technology background. Without any business experience, they cannot find a proper platform to pitch their products or services. As a result, the financial support provided to them is limited," he said. For their survival, Yu suggested Chinese robotics startups to focus on providing application and integration solutions in the downstream by leveraging existing resources, and try to satisfy customers' most urgent need in reality. He also pointed out that the startups need to work hard to strengthen quality control in robotic system design and production workflow.

Since the start of the company, HRG has been fostering robotics innovation. In May, HRG held an event with forum and roadshow competition at the University of Maryland to honor outstanding startups for their innovative efforts. In 2016, HRG organized the Robotics Entrepreneurship Competition of the 15th College Robotics Contest to support Chinese college students to realize their robotic business ideas. Zvi Shiller, chairman of Israeli Robotics Association, proposed a robotics institute to support Chinese and Israeli startups. In response, Yu said that HRG would be happy to consider the plan and enhance cooperation with its Israeli counterparts in the future. About HIT Robot Group HIT Robot Group (HRG) was founded in December 2014, with support of the Heilongjiang provincial government, the Harbin municipal government, and the Harbin Institute of Technology (HIT). The company produces all range of robots including industrial robots, service robots, specialized robots, and also provides related technical consulting, system integration solutions, and distribution services. With its headquarter in Harbin, HRG has presence in 13 major Chinese cities and five international offices in Maryland, California, Frankfurt, Seoul and Tokyo.



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[July 06, 2017] Merck to Hold Second-Quarter 2017 Sales and Earnings Conference Call on July 28

Merck (NYSE: MRK), known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, will hold its second-quarter 2017 sales and earnings conference call with institutional investors and analysts at 8:00 a.m. EDT on Friday, July 28. During the call, company executives will provide an overview of Merck's performance for the quarter. Investors, journalists and the general public may access a live audio webcast of the call on Merck's website at http://investors.merck.com/investors/webcasts-and-presentations/default.aspx. A replay of the webcast, along with the sales and earnings news release and supplemental financial disclosures, will be available at www.merck.com. Institutional investors and analysts can participate in the call by dialing (706) 758-9927 or (877) 381-5782 and using ID code number 36593115. Members of the media are invited to monitor the call by dialing (706) 758-9928 or (800) 399-7917 and using ID code number 36593115. Journalists who wish to ask questions are requested to contact a member of Merck's Media Relations team at the conclusion of the call. About Merck For more than a century, Merck, a leading global biopharmaceutical company known as MSD outside of the United States and Canada, has been inventing for life, bringing forward medicines and vaccines for many of the world's most challenging diseases. Through our prescription medicines, vaccines, biologic therapies and animal health products, we work with customers and operate in more than 140 countries to deliver innovative health solutions. We also demonstrate our commitment to increasing access to health care through far-reaching policies, programs and partnerships. Today, Merck continues t be at the forefront of research to advance the prevention and treatment of diseases that threaten people and communities around the world - including cancer, cardio-metabolic diseases, emerging animal diseases, Alzheimer's disease and infectious diseases including HIV and Ebola. For more information, visit www.merck.com and connect with us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn.



Forward-Looking Statement of Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, N.J., USA This news release of Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, N.J., USA (the "company") includes "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based upon the current beliefs and expectations of the company's management and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. If underlying assumptions prove inaccurate or risks or uncertainties materialize, actual results may differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements.

Risks and uncertainties include but are not limited to, general industry conditions and competition; general economic factors, including interest rate and currency exchange rate fluctuations; the impact of pharmaceutical industry regulation and health care legislation in the United States and internationally; global trends toward health care cost containment; technological advances, new products and patents attained by competitors; challenges inherent in new product development, including obtaining regulatory approval; the company's ability to accurately predict future market conditions; manufacturing difficulties or delays; financial instability of international economies and sovereign risk; dependence on the effectiveness of the company's patents and other protections for innovative products; and the exposure to litigation, including patent litigation, and/or regulatory actions. The company undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Additional factors that could cause results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements can be found in the company's 2016 Annual Report on Form 10-K and the company's other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC (News - Alert)) available at the SEC's Internet site (www.sec.gov). View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170706006222/en/

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[July 06, 2017] SHAREHOLDER ALERT: Levi & Korsinsky, LLP Reminds Investors of an Investigation Concerning Whether the Sale of Parkway, Inc. to Canada Pension Plan Investment Board is Fair to Shareholders

The following statement is being issued by Levi & Korsinsky, LLP: To: All Persons or Entities who purchased Parkway, Inc. ("Parkway" or the "Company") (NYSE: PKY) stock prior to June 30, 2017. You are hereby notified that Levi & Korsinsky, LLP has commenced an investigation into the fairness of the sale of Parkway, Inc. to Canada Pension Plan Investment Board. Under the terms of the transaction, Parkway shareholders will receive $19.05 per share and a $4.00 special dividend for each share of Parkway that they own. To learn more about the action and your rights, go to: http://www.zlkdocs.com/PKY-Info-Request-Form-ma-5926



or contact Joseph E. Levi, Esq. either via email at [email protected] or by telephone at (212) 363-7500, toll-free: (877) 363-5972. There is no cost or obligation to you. Levi & Korsinsky is a national firm with offices in New York, Connecticut, California, and Washington D.C. The firm's attorneys have extensive expertise in prosecuting securities litigation involving financial fraud, representing investors throughout the nation in securities lawsuits and have recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for aggrieved shareholders. For NCIT information, please feel free to contact any of the attorneys listed below. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170706006224/en/

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[July 07, 2017] BlueJeans Clinches the 2017 Frost & Sullivan Asia-Pacific Cloud Video Collaboration Service Provider of the Year Award

SINGAPORE, July 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- BlueJeans Network, a leading video meetings platform, has clinched the 2017 Asia-Pacific Cloud Video Collaboration Service Provider of the Year award from Frost & Sullivan. The award was presented to BlueJeans at the annual Frost & Sullivan Asia-Pacific ICT Awards banquet, held at Shangri-La Singapore on July 6. Ms. Zi Ning Chong, Research Analyst, Digital Transformation, Asia-Pacific at Frost & Sullivan said that BlueJeans has continued to remove the barriers across various video conferencing systems, platforms, and devices as users expect simplicity and interoperability. She added that the company's seamless service portfolio has empowered enterprises to unlock synergy and made video conferencing a simplified and affordable experience. "Over the years, BlueJeans has expanded its Asia-Pacific reach by establishing strategic partnerships with system integrators and collaboration service providers. Its rapidly growing and increasing brand awareness across Asia-Pacific countries has emerged as a key differentiator against its competitors because customers want to work with proven vendors," she said. Ms. Chong added that despite a highly competitive market, BlueJeans has managed to sustain its growth momentum by providing best-in-class cloud solutions that are tightly aligned with customer needs for immersive video meeting experiences. "We are proud to receive the Asia-Pacific Cloud Video Collaboration Service Provider of the Year award from Frost & Sullivan," said BlueJeans Asia-Pacific Managing Director, James Brennan. "This really is testament to the dedication and hard work our team and our partners across APAC, who have all played a key role in helping us achieve this recognition by deliverig service and integration support to our joint customers."



"This award truly showcases BlueJeans' capabilities as the leading enterprise video meetings platform and validates our vision and strategy for the APAC region. We are dedicated to furthering our growth and expansion into Asia-Pacific. Through the remainder of 2017 and beyond, we will continue to focus on delivering the highest quality collaboration solutions at the best possible value to even more customers, in more countries, together with our partners," he said. The recipients of the annual Frost & Sullivan Asia-Pacific ICT Awards were identified based on an in-depth research conducted by Frost & Sullivan's analysts. The award categories offered each year are carefully reviewed and evaluated to reflect the current market landscape and include new emerging trends. The short-listed companies were evaluated on a variety of market performance indicators which include revenue growth; increase in market share; leadership in product innovation; marketing strategy and business development strategy.

About BlueJeans Network BlueJeans is the world's leading provider of interoperable video communication, bringing video to you wherever you are. Thousands of global companies use BlueJeans every day for meetings, events, and on social networks across any location or device including mobile, desktop, and room systems. BlueJeans replaces traditional web conferencing technologies for a modern workforce, delivering face-to-face video communication for any organization who wants to bring their employees, leaders, and partners closer together. BlueJeans Network is a private company headquartered in Mountain View, California. For more information go to:http://www.bluejeans.com or follow the company @BlueJeansNet To read more about the exciting win, please go to:http://hub.bluejeans.com/blog/frost-and-sullivan-bluejeans-award About Frost & Sullivan Frost & Sullivan, the Growth Partnership Company, works in collaboration with clients to leverage visionary innovation that addresses the global challenges and related growth opportunities that will make or break today's market participants. For more than 50 years, we have been developing growth strategies for the global 1000, emerging businesses, the public sector and the investment community. Is your organization prepared for the next profound wave of industry convergence, disruptive technologies, increasing competitive intensity, Mega Trends, breakthrough best practices, changing customer dynamics and emerging economies? Contact us: Start the discussion To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/bluejeans-clinches-the-2017-frost--sullivan-asia-pacific-cloud-video-collaboration-service-provider-of-the-year-award-300484508.html SOURCE Frost & Sullivan

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[July 07, 2017] Revisit Hangzhou, Host City of 2016 G20 Summit - "eWTP" to promote Hangzhou as strategic hub of "Online Silk Road"

HANGZHOU, China, July 7, 2017 /CNW/ -- On June 16, UCLG Asia Pacific Region "The Belt and Road" Local Cooperation Professional Committee (BRLC) was officially headquartered by the West Lake and became a permanent "resident" of Hangzhou, the host city of 2016 G20 Summit in East China, which is aiming to build itself into a strategic hub of "Online Silk Road." "The Belt and Road is one of the most important initiatives I've ever seen in my life," Jenny Shipley, former Prime Minister of New Zealand and board member of International Finance Forum, said at 2017 Silk Road International Association Inaugural Meeting on June 17. Zhao Yide, secretary of Hangzhou municipal committee of the CPC, said that Hangzhou will continue the construction of a comprehensive experimental zone of cross-border e-commerce, and speed up the construction of an innovation, service and big data center with international competitiveness for cross-border e-commerce, so as to create the best business environment for e-commerce and build Hangzhou into a strategic hub of "Online Silk Road." Obviously, Hangzhou has been standing on the starting point of a new journey, like the land and maritime Silk Roads opening the exploration of the West thousands of years ago. In the first quarter of this year, Hangzhou recorded a 1.82 billion U.S. dollars turnover of cross-border e-commerce, including an export of 1.35 billion U.S. dollars, an increase of 21.78 percent year n year. A total of 106 e-commerce companies moved to the experimental zone during the same period, serving as an important driver of foreign trade for Hangzhou.



As a matter of fact, Hangzhou has now become one of the Chinese cities with the most dynamic new economy, and the city is tasked with several pilot reform programs, such as the National Independent Innovative Demonstration Zone and the newly-approved Hangzhou Airport Economic Demonstration Zone. The data show that after the G20 Summit, Hangzhou's international influence reached a new level. In addition to national reform plans, some initiatives from civil society are also resonating internationally. During the G20 Summit last year, Jack Ma, founder and executive chairman of Alibaba, for the first time put forward the concept of "eWTP" (Electronic World Trade Platform), which was written into the G20 Leaders' Communique Hangzhou Summit.

This idea quickly became a reality. In March this year, Alibaba Group and the Malaysian government jointly announced an important cooperation deal to build the first eWTP "digital center" outside China to help young people and small businesses in Malaysia and the whole region of Southeast Asia to participate in global trade. "We can (use Alibaba to) sell Malaysian quality products to foreign countries and introduce high quality imports for Malaysians," said Huang Wanbing, chief operating officer of the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC). Meanwhile, made-in-China products with Hangzhou logo advance to the world. In Frankfurt, Germany, there is a street named after a Chinese company Chint. Only Siemens, Bosch etc. have been given the same honor in Germany. Two years ago, Chint Group, through capital operation and assets restructuring, transformed a component factory of the German well-known photovoltaic enterprise Conergy into the largest local PV module business, creating more than 200 jobs. Data show that at present there are 93 overseas investment projects in Belt and Road countries coming from Hangzhou. For those projects, the Chinese side pledged 3.563 billion U.S. dollars, accounting for 37.86 percent of the agreed amount of Hangzhou's total foreign investment. Image Attachments Links:

http://asianetnews.net/view-attachment?attach-id=292617

To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/revisit-hangzhou-host-city-of-2016-g20-summit---ewtp-to-promote-hangzhou-as-strategic-hub-of-online-silk-road-300484518.html SOURCE Hangzhou Municipal Committee of the CPC

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[July 07, 2017]

Electrolux to Acquire European Kitchen Hoods Company Best

STOCKHOLM, July 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Electrolux today announced it has agreed to acquire Best, a European manufacturer of innovative and well-designed kitchen hoods. The acquisition enables Electrolux to develop a fully comprehensive offering of built-in cooking solutions and will further support long-term profitable growth in the region.

Best had net sales in 2016 of EUR 42 million (around SEK 400 million) and 450 employees, primarily at manufacturing sites in Cerreto d'Esi (central Italy) and Zabrze (southern Poland). The company is part of Broan-NuTone, LLC, a North American manufacturer and distributor of residential ventilation products.

"The acquisition of Best is a perfect strategic match to reinforce Electrolux capabilities for design, R&D and manufacturing of kitchen hoods, which is a key aspect in offering consumers a simply outstanding cooking experience," said Dan Arler, Head of Electrolux business area Major Appliances Europe, Middle East and Africa.

Broan-NuTone, LLC, will continue to design, manufacture and market the Best brand of kitchen ventilation products in North America. The acquisition is subject to regulatory approvals and is expected to be completed during the third quarter of 2017.

For further information, please contact Electrolux Press Hotline: +46-8-657-65-07

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

http://news.cision.com/electrolux/r/electrolux-to-acquire-european-kitchen-hoods-company-best,c2303968

The following files are available for download:

To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/electrolux-to-acquire-european-kitchen-hoods-company-best-300484524.html

SOURCE Electrolux
[July 07, 2017] Airborne Drones on Patrol - the Answer to Public Safety Policing

CAPE TOWN, South Africa, July 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Autonomous drones are set to take over border patrols, crime hotspot monitoring and more, says South Africa's Airborne Drones. (Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/531247/Airborne_Drones_Vanguard_Drone.jpg ) Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV)s, commonly known as drones, will soon be a common sight over border zones, crime hotspots and city streets, as public safety and security officials and police departments discover the cost saving and efficiencies offered by drone patrol 'armies', says Airborne Drones, a South African-based international manufacturer of enterprise-grade drones. "Drones provide the ideal solution to the problems and limitations faced by other surveillance methods such as GPS tracking, CCTV camera observation, biometric surveillance and ground patrols," says Airborne Drones South Africa. "Aerial surveillance is increasingly being harnessed for security monitoring; but traditionally, this has been carried out using helicopters - which are costly to deploy - and with drones controlled by a user - which can be somewhat limited in terms of operating hours. However, drone surveillance does present an easier, faster, and cheaper method of data collection, as well as a number of other key advantages. Specialised security drones can enter narrow and confined spaces, produce minimal noise, and can be equipped with night vision cameras and thermal sensors, allowng them to provide imagery that the human eye is unable to detect. In addition, these UAVs can quickly cover large and difficult-to-reach areas, reducing staff numbers and costs, and do not require much space for their operators."



"Autonomous, long-range security drones are at the vanguard of new policing methods", says Airborne Drones South Africa. "Offering live video feeds to ground control stations, these drones can range autonomously over pre-programmed flight paths for extended periods of time, allowing for ongoing routine patrols across wide areas such as borders, maritime regions and high security installations. Should an incident be detected, ground crews can then follow objects or intruders from a safe distance, providing visual support to safety and security teams. UAVs can provide detailed visual documentation of sites, enabling effective analysis, risk management and security planning." "Numerous countries are already rolling out security drones to support their public safety and defence initiatives", says Airborne Drones. UAVs are also instrumental in managing transport infrastructure safety and security and event security, from event security infrastructure through to spectator and crowd control and safety, to overall health and safety planning around the world.

Israel has long harnessed advanced drones for military surveillance, and recently sold a fleet of so-called 'spy drones' to the Irish army; the US FBI has also used drones for surveillance and tracking for several years. In Australia, a new $50 million Defence Cooperative Research Centre will develop long-range drones, automated vehicles and robots to help Australian soldiers fight the wars of the future. India is currently looking to military-grade UAVs for maritime and other surveillance and intelligence gathering, Brazil's Sao Paulo last month became the first Latin American city to use drones for public security surveillance, and the German city of Hamburg this week said it would deploy surveillance drones as part of its arsenal against an expected 100,000 demonstrators at the G20 summit this weekend. In Australia's New South Wales, the authorities are even using helicopter and drone surveillance along the coast to protect holiday makers from rip currents and sharks. "Drones are ideally suited for reconnaissance or rapid situation awareness with application for ground force units to detect and monitor potential threats; and they also provide an additional oversight in instances where security guards are deployed to ensure their adherence to patrolling routines. Their speed, size, maneuverability and additional technologies make UAVs the perfect supplement to ground security teams seeking to perform monitoring tasks more quickly and efficiently. Drones have a competitive edge over stationary cameras, as intruders can't easily step out of sight, and they can cover areas that are normally out of reach. Security drones add a whole new dimension to surveillance, safety and security, and as such, we can expect them to be commonly in use in every country in the world within just a few years," says Airborne Drones.



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Police still clueless about murder of 3 children in Bhojpur

Police are yet to crack the mystery surrounding the murder of three children at Pyauli Marengdanda-3 in Arun Rural Municipality of Bhojpur district.
[July 07, 2017] Jiuyi Advertising Opens a New Web AR Marketing Era in partnership with State Key Lab of China

The Chinese brand marketing specialist joins hands with State Key Laboratory of Networking and Switching Technology at Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications in helping China Mobile launch new phone products BEIJING, July 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality (AR/VR) are redefining next-generation human-computer interaction (HCI). Given the increasing emergence of AR/VR-based smart hardware products in recent years, the technology has been at the forefront of technological innovation and is being increasingly used across industries and products spanning films, games, education and tourism. Advertisers also have started to revitalize brand marketing by means of the technologies. In China, popular mobile applications such as Alipay, Juhuasuan and mobile QQ have launched AR advertising campaigns based on their mobile apps, triggering a new round of AR-based marketing events. Despite powerful AR functions, stand-alone apps, like isolated islands, are finding it more and more difficult to reach the necessary targeted audiences due to their limited ability in delivering a novel experience, and as a result, a merchant who depends on such apps is having a rough time getting and growing their brand recognition. Therefore, a cross-platform AR solution is instrumental in reaching more target audiences and enhancing wide adoption of mobile smart terminals-based AR technologies. In response to the strong market demand for pervasive, cross-platform AR-based advertising campaigns, Jiuyi Advertising Co., Ltd, a mobile internet-based integrated brand marketing specialist with 22 years of experience, in partnership with Prof. Qiao Xiuquan of State Key Laboratory of Networking and Switching Technology at Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications (BUPT), and his team, have developed a proprietary version of the HTML5-based Web AR technology. The technology leverages the linking mechanism that is fundamental to the website viewing experience allowing for easy insertion of AR into various web pages for re-posting, sharing and dissemination, ypassing the inconvenience of depending on the limited handful of apps that offer an AR experience. This marks the beginning of a new era for brand marketing based on Web AR/VR technologies. The pioneering efforts into these technologies by Jiuyi Advertising in partnership with the laboratory have given China Mobile Limited, one of the country's leading mobile service providers, an innovative approach to brand marketing of new product releases.





Innovative Web AR marketing highlighted in China Mobile's new product releases Jiuyi Advertising, an advertising agent for China Mobile, partners with the mobile carrier and the research team of Prof. Qiao Xiuquan, is launching a Web AR-based marketing campaign that will run from June 29 to the middle of July. Anyone wishing to take advantage of the campaign can either follow the Jiuyi Interaction official WeChat account and click the menu bar "Launch of A3s" or China Mobile Club's WeChat account and click the menu bar "exciting recommendations - experience AR and win a mobile phone" to have an AR experience while having a chance to meet up with China Mobile Club's cute mascot, Xiao Ju. As opposed to app-based AR, Web AR is easy to use, completely eliminating the hassle of downloading specific apps. Users get access to a real-time AR/VR interactive experience via WeChat's scan function or by using the mobile device's browser to visit the web page directly. Prof. Qiao said: "Web AR enables users to experience powerful AR features through a simple WeChat's scan, without the hassle of downloading specific apps. Our latest development is designed to help businesses more conveniently integrate AR into brand marketing and product innovation, to help AR/VR become a part of the daily experience for every owner of a cell phone and for users of the technology to be able to target audiences regardless of platforms. The possibilities offered by the new advertising technologies based on Web AR/VR are limitless. Our cooperation with real businesses and our ongoing pioneering efforts will provide us with more use cases, further enhancing the wide adoption of AR/VR in people's daily lives." Web AR technology is currently only available in Android. The iOS version is coming soon. Users of iOS-based mobile phones are encouraged to take part in the interactive experience via Web VR. Jiuyi Advertising targets the digital advertising market via a high-tech innovative marketing approach "Big data is the key to the future as well as the success of a firm". In the transition from the days when traditional media dominated, to the era of the mobile web and big data, innovative technologies continue to revitalize the worlds of media, advertising and marketing while firms, in the search for new opportunities, never stop in their pursuit of innovation and transformation. Jiuyi Advertising, an advertising specialist with 22 years of experience, is committed to providing customers with precision services via digital marketing backed by a combination of high-tech, advertising campaigns, brand consulting and image design. Jiuyi Advertising's partnership with China Mobile is another step in its goal of enhancing customer value via digital marketing. The firm will continue to offer new approaches to innovative marketing that leverages the human-computer interaction as well as technical research and development with the goal of providing solutions that can work for all types of brands, across all industries, in a move to establish a solid footprint across the digital marketing sector and create more value for brands. Given the rapid development of VR/AR and the increasing adoption of artificial intelligence, traditional advertising agencies including Jiuyi Advertising are expanding into more sectors. We are looking forward to their achievements. Please visit https://wechatvr.org/mobile_ios/ox5HZ1HS2ZrTOVHxRyvFh92vmJUI (iOS version) and https://wechatvr.org/ar/chinamobile (Android version). Contact: Mr Lin

Tel: +86-20-8738-5808

E-mail: [email protected] To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/jiuyi-advertising-opens-a-new-web-ar-marketing-era-in-partnership-with-state-key-lab-of-china-300484572.html SOURCE Jiuyi Advertising Co., Ltd.

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[July 07, 2017] Deadline to Acquire BeamReach Solar Intellectual Property Extended

NEW YORK, July 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- OB Realty, LLC, an affiliate of Opus Bank, the former secured lender to BeamReach Solar, is pleased to announce that since April, it has received two patent grants [US and AU], nine notice of allowances [CN (1), EP (3) and US (5)] and filed 14 new applications [US (13) and JP (1)], including an application directed at a further cost-savings for the structure of the Sprint solar system technology. Because of these new additions to the BeamReach patent portfolio and recent interest from strategic corporations outside the solar cell manufacturing segment, the diligence period will remain open until 5PM Eastern Time on September 15, 2017. All offers should be submitted no later than this deadline. Opus Bank will evaluate offers as they are received. The portfolio of IP and know-how is attracting interest from companies with application for thin film flexible PV cells, such as automobile and roof shingle and tile companies, as well as commercial and utility scale installers interested in lightweight and rapid deployment racking systems. Beyond solar, drug delivery companies have expressed interest in BeamReach's porous silicon technology. Parties interested in learning more about these BeamReach intellectual property assets, the sale process, and other bidding requirements should contact the parties below. A virtual diligence room is available for all interested parties. The team continues to make significant progress selling the tangible portions of the BeamReach Solar inventory of equipment and assembled Sprint Solar Panels for direct installation on roofs. Stephen Shea, former VP of Cell Engineering and Operations at BeamReach Solar and an expert with more than 30 years in the solar industry, will be attending the July 11-13 Intersolar North America Exhibition in San Francisco. Kindly contact Mr. Shea ([email protected] or (m) 404-276-6103) or any of the below parties to arrange for a meeting during the Exhibition. The following list provides the world wide granted patent assets of BeamReach Solar, as of 6 July 2017. The confidential data room contains the full list of BeamReach Solar assets, including granted patents and pending patent applications (by technology grouping), equipment and inventory. Beamreach Solar - Granted Patent Assets







Country Patent Number Title

Country Patent Number Title JP 5528809 Template For Three-Dimensional Thin-Film Solar Cell Manufacturing And Methods Of Use

US 8,288,195 Method For Fabricating A Three-Dimensional Thin-Film Semiconductor Substrate From A Template US 8,129,822 Template For Three-Dimensional Thin-Film Solar Cell Manufacturing And Methods Of Use

US 8,294,026 High-Efficiency Thin-Film Solar Cells US 8,084,684 Three-Dimensional Thin-Film Solar Cells

CN ZL201080063494.8 High-Efficiency Photovoltaic Back-Contact Solar Cell Structures And Manufacturing Methods Using Thin Planar Semiconductor Absorbers US 8,324,499 Three-Dimensional Thin-Film Solar Cells

CN ZL201080063303.8 High-Efficiency Photovoltaic Back-Contact Solar Cell Structures And Manufacturing Methods Using Semiconductor Wafers US 9,349,887 Three-Dimensional Thin-Film Solar Cells

CN ZL201080063496.7 High-Efficiency Photovoltaic Back-Contact Solar Cell Structures And Manufacturing Methods Using Three-Dimensional Semiconductor Absorbers US 7,999,174 Solar Module Structures And Assembly Methods For Three-Dimensional Thin-Film Solar Cells

NO 9,196,759 High-Efficiency Photovoltaic Back-Contact Solar Cell Structures And Manufacturing Methods

Country Patent Number Title

Country Patent Number Title US 8,742,249 Solar Module Structures And Assembly Methods For Three-Dimensional Thin-Film Solar Cells

US 8,962,380 High-Efficiency Photovoltaic Back-Contact Solar Cell Structures And Manufacturing Methods Using Thin Planar Semiconductor Absorbers US 7,786,376 High Efficiency Solar Cell

CN ZL201080064953.4 Mobile Electrostatic Carriers For Thin Wafer Processing CN ZL200780045520.2 Pyramidal Three-Dimensional Thin-Film Solar Cells

DE EP2519967 Mobile Electrostatic Carriers For Thin Wafer Processing (validated in DE DK FR GB & NL); JP 5519285 Pyramidal Three-Dimensional Thin-Film Solar Cells

DK EP2519967 Mobile Electrostatic Carriers For Thin Wafer Processing (validated in DE DK FR GB & NL); JP 5739037 Pyramidal Three-Dimensional Thin-Film Solar Cells

EP EP2519967 Mobile Electrostatic Carriers For Thin Wafer Processing (validated in DE DK FR GB & NL); US 8,035,028 Pyramidal Three-Dimensional Thin-Film Solar Cells

FR EP2519967 Mobile Electrostatic Carriers For Thin Wafer Processing (validated in DE DK FR GB & NL); US 8,035,027 Solar Module Structures And Assembly Methods For Pyramidal Three-Dimensional Thin-Film Solar Cells

GB EP2519967 Mobile Electrostatic Carriers For Thin Wafer Processing (validated in DE DK FR GB & NL); US 8,847,060 Solar Module Structures And Assembly Methods For Pyramidal Three-Dimensional Thin-Film Solar Cells

NL EP2519967 Mobile Electrostatic Carriers For Thin Wafer Processing (validated in DE DK FR GB & NL); US 7,745,313 Substrate Release Methods And Apparatus

US 9,330,952 Bipolar Mobile Electrostatic Carriers For Wafer Processing US 8,293,558 Method For Releasing A Thin-Film Substrate

CN ZL201180018589.2 Double-Sided Reusable Template For Fabrication Of Semiconductor Substrates For Photovoltaic Cell And Microelectronics Device Manufacturing US 8,193,076 Method For Releasing A Thin Semiconductor Substrate From A Reusable Template

US 8,241,940 Double-Sided Reusable Template For Fabrication Of Semiconductor Substrates For Photovoltaic Cell And Microelectronics Device Manufacturing US 9,397,250 A Releasing Apparatus For Separating A Semiconductor Substrate From A Semiconductor Template

US 9,401,276 Apparatus For Forming Porous Silicon Layers On At Least Two Surfaces Of A Plurality Of Silicon Templates US 8,512,581 Methods For Liquid Transfer Coating Of Three-Dimensional Substrates

KR 10-1381305 Passivation Methods For Achieving Ultra-Low Surface Recombination Velocities For High-Efficiency Solar Cells US 9,093,323 Methods For Selectively Coating Three-Dimensional Features On A Substrate

KR 10-1289787 Laser Processing For High-Efficiency Thin Crystalline Silicon Solar Cell Fabrication DE EP2356675 Methods And Systems For Manufacturing Thin-Film Solar Cells (Validated in DE FR GB & NL)

KR 10-1384853 Laser Processing Methods For Photovoltaic Solar Cells EP EP2356675 Methods And Systems For Manufacturing Thin-Film Solar Cells (Validated in DE FR GB & NL)

US 8,399,331 Laser Processing For High-Efficiency Thin Crystalline Silicon Solar Cell Fabrication FR EP2356675 Methods And Systems For Manufacturing Thin-Film Solar Cells (Validated in DE FR GB & NL)

US 9,508,886 Method For Making A Crystalline Silicon Solar Cell Substrate Utilizing Flat Top Laser Beam GB EP2356675 Methods And Systems For Manufacturing Thin-Film Solar Cells (Validated in DE FR GB & NL)

US 8,637,340 Patterning Of Silicon Oxide Layers Using Pulsed Laser Ablation NL EP2356675 Methods And Systems For Manufacturing Thin-Film Solar Cells (Validated in DE FR GB & NL)

US 9,455,362 Laser Irradiation Aluminum Doping For Monocrystalline Silicon Substrates US 8,168,465 Three-Dimensional Semiconductor Template For Making High Efficiency Thin-Film Solar Cells

US 9,419,165 Laser Processing For Back Contact Crystalline Silicon Solar Cell Fabrication US 8,664,737 Three-Dimensional Semiconductor Template For Making High Efficiency Thin-Film Solar Cells

US 9,236,510 Patterning Of Silicon Oxide Layers Using Pulsed Laser Ablation US 9,590,035 Three-Dimensional Semiconductor Template For Making High Efficiency Solar Cells

KR 10-1369282 High Productivity Thin Film Deposition Method And System US 8,053,665 Truncated Pyramid Structures For See-Through Solar Cells

MY MY-158500-A Backplane Reinforcement And Interconnects For Solar Cells US 8,853,521 Truncated Pyramid Structures For See-Through Solar Cells

US 8,946,547 Backplane Reinforcement And Interconnects For Solar Cells US 8,828,517 Structure And Method For Improving Solar Cell Efficiency And Mechanical Strength

KR 10-1289789 Apparatus And Method For Repeatedly Fabricating Thin Film Semiconductor Substrates Using A Template



























Country Patent Number Title

Country Patent Number Title DE EP2387458 Porous Silicon Electro-Etching System And Method (Validated in DE DK FR GB & NL)

KR 10-1347681 High-Throughput Batch Porous Silicon Manufacturing Equipment Design and Processing Methods DK EP2387458 Porous Silicon Electro-Etching System And Method (Validated in DE DK FR GB & NL)

US 9,076,642 High-Throughput Batch Porous Silicon Manufacturing Equipment Design And Processing Methods EP EP2387458 Porous Silicon Electro-Etching System And Method (Validated in DE DK FR GB & NL)

US 8,906,218 Apparatus And Method For Uniformly Forming Porous Semiconductor On A Substrate FR EP2387458 Porous Silicon Electro-Etching System And Method (Validated in DE DK FR GB & NL)

KR 10-1368598 Deposition Systems And Processes GB EP2387458 Porous Silicon Electro-Etching System And Method (Validated in DE DK FR GB & NL)

KR 10-1384872 Method For Reconstructing A Semiconductor Template NL EP2387458 Porous Silicon Electro-Etching System And Method (Validated in DE DK FR GB & NL)

KR 10-1449891 Self-Activated Front Surface Bias For A Solar Cell US 8,926,803 Porous Silicon Electro-Etching System And Method

KR 10-1532721 Spatially Selective Laser Annealing Applications In High-Efficiency Solar Cells US 8,937,243 Structures And Methods For High-Efficiency Pyramidal Three-Dimensional Solar Cells

KR 10-1389030 Method And Apparatus For Reconditioning A Carrier Wafer For Reuse US 9,595,622 Structures And Methods For High-Efficiency Pyramidal Three-Dimensional Solar Cells

KR 10-1396027 Ion Implantation And Annealing For High Efficiency Back-Contact Back-Junction Solar Cells US 8,278,192 Trench Formation Method For Releasing A Thin-Film Substrate From A Reusable Semiconductor Template

US 9,318,644 Ion Implantation And Annealing For Thin-Film Crystalline Solar Cells US 9,343,299 Trench Formation Method For Releasing A Substrate From A Semiconductor Template

AU 2012294932 High-Efficiency Solar Photovoltaic Cells And Modules Using Thin Crystalline Semiconductor Absorbers CN ZL201080021690.9 High Efficiency Epitaxial Chemical Vapor Deposition (Cvd) Reactor

AU 2012340098 Smart Photovoltaic Cells And Modules DE EP2419306 High Efficiency Epitaxial Chemical Vapor Deposition (Cvd) Reactor (Validated in DE FR GB & NL)

US 9,293,619 Smart Photovoltaic Cells And Modules EP EP2419306 High Efficiency Epitaxial Chemical Vapor Deposition (Cvd) Reactor (Validated in DE FR GB & NL)

US 9,337,374 High Productivity Spray Processing For The Metallization Of Semiconductor Workpieces FR EP2419306 High Efficiency Epitaxial Chemical Vapor Deposition (Cvd) Reactor (Validated in DE FR GB & NL)

AU 2012362505 Systems And Methods For Enhanced Light Trapping In Solar Cells GB EP2419306 High Efficiency Epitaxial Chemical Vapor Deposition (Cvd) Reactor (Validated in DE FR GB & NL)

KR 10-1654548 Systems And Methods For Enhanced Light Trapping In Solar Cells NL EP2419306 High Efficiency Epitaxial Chemical Vapor Deposition (Cvd) Reactor (Validated in DE FR GB & NL)

US 9,583,651 Systems And Methods For Enhanced Light Trapping In Solar Cells US 8,656,860 High Efficiency Epitaxial Chemical Vapor Deposition (Cvd) Reactor

US 9,214,353 Systems And Methods For Laser Splitting And Device Layer Transfer US 9,099,584 Integrated Three-Dimensional And Planar Metallization Structure For Thin Film Solar Cells

US 8,828,784 Resistance Component Extraction For Back Contact Back Junction Solar Cells US 8,445,314 Method Of Creating Reusable Template For Detachable Thin Film Substrate

US 9,461,582 Electrical Parametric Testing For Back Contact Semiconductor Solar Cells US 9,053,957 Structure And Method For Creating A Reusable Template For Detachable Thin Film Substrates

KR 10-1528447 Structures And Methods Of Formation Of Contiguous And Non-Contiguous Base Regions For High Efficiency Back-Contact Solar Cells CN ZL201080030023.7 High-Productivity Porous Silicon Manufacturing Equipment

AU 2013331304 Systems And Methods For Monolithically Integrated Bypass Switches In Photovoltaic Solar Cells And Modules JP 5872456 High-Productivity Porous Silicon Manufacturing Equipment

CN ZL2013800592188 Systems And Methods For Monolithically Integrated Bypass Switches In Photovoltaic Solar Cells And Modules US 8,999,058 High-Productivity Porous Silicon Manufacturing Equipment

JP 6063577 Systems And Methods For Monolithically Integrated Bypass Switches In Photovoltaic Solar Cells And Modules US 8,420,435 Ion Implantation Fabrication Process For Thin-Film Crystalline Silicon Solar Cells

KR 10-1563851 Systems And Methods For Monolithically Integrated Bypass Switches In Photovoltaic Solar Cells And Modules DE EP2436028 Three-Dimensional Thin-Film Semiconductor Substrate With Through-Holes And Methods Of Manufacturing (Validated in DE FR GB & NL)

US 9,219,171 Systems And Methods For Monolithically Integrated Bypass Switches In Photovoltaic Solar Cells And Modules



























Country Patent Number Title

Country Patent Number Title EP EP2436028 Three-Dimensional Thin-Film Semiconductor Substrate With Through-Holes And Methods Of Manufacturing (Validated in DE FR GB & NL)

US 9,515,217 Monolithic Isled (Tiled) Solar Cell (Icell) For Low-Cost High-Performance Photovoltaics Modules FR EP2436028 Three-Dimensional Thin-Film Semiconductor Substrate With Through-Holes And Methods Of Manufacturing (Validated in DE FR GB & NL)

US 9,214,585 Annealing For Damage Free Laser Processing For High Efficiency Solar Cells GB EP2436028 Three-Dimensional Thin-Film Semiconductor Substrate With Through-Holes And Methods Of Manufacturing (Validated in DE FR GB & NL)

US 9,379,258 Fabrication Methods For Back Contact Back Junction Solar Cells MY MY159405-A1 Three-Dimensional Thin-Film Semiconductor Substrate With Through-Holes And Methods Of Manufacturing

US 9,130,076 Trench Isolation For Monolithically Isled Solar Photovoltaic Cells And Modules NL EP2436028 Three-Dimensional Thin-Film Semiconductor Substrate With Through-Holes And Methods Of Manufacturing (Validated in DE FR GB & NL)

US 8,992,746 Anodizing Apparatus US 8,551,866 Three-Dimensional Thin-Film Semiconductor Substrate With Through-Holes And Methods Of Manufacturing

CN ZL201210505374.X Anodizing Apparatus, An Anodizing System Having The Same, And A Semiconductor Wafer US 8,916,772 Three-Dimensional Thin-Film Semiconductor Substrate With Through-Holes And Methods Of Manufacturing

JP 5908266 Anodizing Apparatus, An Anodizing System Having The Same, And A Semiconductor Wafer MY MY-159267-A Method For Fabricating A Three-Dimensional Thin-Film Semiconductor Substrate From A Template

US 9680041 Three-Dimensional Thin-Film Semiconductor Substrate With Through-Holes And Methods Of Manufacturing







AU 2013225680 Structures And Methods For High Efficiency Compound Semiconductor Solar Cells About Hilco Streambank

Hilco Streambank is a market leading advisory firm specializing in intellectual property disposition and valuation. Hilco Streambank has completed numerous sell-side transactions including sales in publicly reported Chapter 11 bankruptcy cases, private transactions, and online sales through HilcoDomains.com and IPv4Auctions.com, Hilco Streambank is part of Northbrook, Illinois based Hilco Global (www.hilcoglobal.com), a worldwide financial services company and leader in helping companies maximize the value of their assets. About IPmetrics

IPmetrics is a consultancy focused on intellectual property and intangible assets. IPmetrics offers a full range of valuation services to assess the value of trademarks, patents, copyrights and other forms of IP. IPmetrics valuation experts bring specialized knowledge across a wide variety of industries and assets, with the ability to critically analyze these complex assets in a multitude of valuation contexts. In addition, IPmetrics has a substantial background in the provision of IP damages expert witness services including the analysis of confusion / reverse confusion, dilution, unfair competition, and economic damages in litigation. Based in Southern California, IPmetrics can be reached at IPMETRICS.COM or (858) 538-1533. About Darwin IP Advisors

Darwin IP Advisors advises large companies, start-ups/SMEs and consulting groups at the intersection of law, business and technology. Since its formation in 2016, Darwin IP Advisors team has provided intellectual property support and advisory services on several projects related to strategy, negotiations, IP portfolio development, asset valuation and monetization in addition to acquisition landscaping. To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/deadline-to-acquire-beamreach-solar-intellectual-property-extended-300484796.html SOURCE Hilco Streambank

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[July 07, 2017] MetLife to Acquire Logan Circle Partners, L.P.

MetLife, Inc. (NYSE:MET) ("MetLife") and Fortress Investment Group LLC (NYSE: FIG) ("Fortress") today announced a definitive agreement for MetLife to acquire Logan Circle Partners, L.P., Fortress' traditional fixed income asset management business, for approximately $250 million in cash. Following the anticipated separation of Brighthouse Financial next month and assuming the closing of the Logan Circle Partners acquisition, MetLife's Investment Management business (MIM) would have more than $560 billion in total assets under management, of which more than $140 billion would be managed on behalf of third parties. Logan Circle Partners is a fundamental research-based investment manager providing institutional clients actively managed investment solutions across a broad spectrum of fixed income strategies. The Logan Circle Partners senior investment team has on average more than 20 years of investment management experience and has been working together since 2000. The firm has more than 100 institutional clients and more than $33 billion in assets under management as of March 31, 2017. Logan Circle Partners shares MetLife's focus on investment performance, client service, and risk management. "This transaction is directly aligned with our enterprise strategy to deliver value by focusing on businesses with strong risk-adjusted internal rates of returns, low capital intensity and sustainable cash flows," said Steven A. Kandarian, chairman, president and CEO, MetLife, Inc. "Logan Circle Partners will bring a talented team with a track record of outperformance and an established consultant distribution platform to our Investment Management business. We are delighted to welcome the Logan Circle Partners team to MetLife." Steven J. Goulart, executive vice president and chief investment officer, MetLife, Inc., added, "Logan Circle Partners has built a strong, scalable, fee-based asset management business, driven by idea generation and an investment process that has delivered superior performance for its institutional clients. Joining Logan Circle Partners with MetLife's Investment Management business will enable us to offer our domestic and international clients a broader set of investment solutions and will significantly enhance our reach in the consultant distribution channel. We will also benefit from a significant increase in scale by combining Logan Circle Partners with our fixed income platform." Jude T. Driscoll, Logan Circle Partners founder, chief executive officer and chief investment officer, said, "We are excited to join MetLife and believe our collective resources across the fixed income spectrum will enable us to enhance our best-in-class investment management and client service capabilities. Our team's core focus and objectives will remain unchanged-delivering returns through research-driven portfolios built on in-depth fundamental research. This is an ideal combination for our investors and our team." Transaction Details Under the terms of the agreement, MetLife will acquire 100 percent of Fortress' ownership stake in Logan Circle Partners. This transaction will not impact MetLife's existing $3 billion repurchase authorization, which is expected to be completed by year-end 2017. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals, and is expected to close in the third quarter of 2017. Moelis & Company LLC served as financial advisor and Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP served as legal counsel to MetLife. BofA Merrill Lynch served as financial advisor and Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP served as legal counsel to the seller. About MetLife MetLife, Inc. (NYSE: MET), through its subsidiaries and affiliates ("MetLife"), is one of the largest life insurance companies in the world. Founded in 1868, MetLife is a global provider of life insurance, annuities, employee benefits and asset management. Serving approximately 100 million customers, MetLife has operations in nearly 50 countries and holds leading market positions in the United States, Japan, Latin America, Asia, Europe and the Middle East. For more information, visit www.metlife.com. About Logan Circle Partners Logan Circle Partners is an institutionally-focused, fundamental research-based investment manager providing clients actively managed investment solutions across a broad spectrum of fixed income strategies. The Logan Circle Partners senior investment team has on average more than 20 years of investment management experience and has been working together since 2000. The firm serves more than 100 institutional clients and had more than $33 billion in assets under management as of March 31, 2017. For more information regarding Logan Circle Partners, please visit www.logancirclepartners.com. Forward-Looking Statements This news release may contain or incorporate by reference information that includes or is based upon forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements give expectations or forecasts of future events. These statements can be identified by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. They use words such as "anticipate," "estimate," "expect," "project," "intend," "plan," "believe," "will," "following," and other words and terms of similar meaning, or are tied to future periods, in connection with a discussion of future operating or financial performance. In particular, these include statements relating to future actions, prospective services or products, future performance or results of current and anticipated services or products, sales efforts, expenses, the outcome of contingencies such as legal proceedings, trends in operations and financial results. Any or all forward-looking statements may turn out to be wrong. They can be affected by inaccurate assumptions or by known or unknown risks and uncertainties. Many such factors will be important in determining the actual future results of MetLife, Inc., its subsidiaries and affiliates. These statements are based on current expectations and the current economic environment. They involve a number of risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict. These statements are not guarantees of future performance. Actual results could differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements. Risks, uncertainties, and other factors that might cause such differences include the risks, uncertainties and other factors identified in MetLife, Inc.'s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K (the "Annual Report") filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC (News - Alert)"), any Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q filed by MetLife, Inc. with the SEC after the date of the Annual Report under the captions "Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements" and "Risk Factors," and other filings MetLife, Inc. makes with the SEC. MetLife, Inc. does not undertake any obligation to publicly correct or update any forward-looking statement if MetLife, Inc. later becomes aware that such statement is not likely to be achieved. Please consult any further disclosures MetLife, Inc. makes on related subjects in reports to the SEC. Explanatory Note on Non-GAAP Financial Information MetLife Combined Managed Assets (as defined below) is a financial measure based on methodologies other than accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America ("GAAP"). "MetLife Combined Managed Assets" include at estimated fair value (i) actively-managed general account assets ("Managed Assets"), (ii) passive-indexed insurance company separate account assets, and (iii) non-proprietary assets managed on behalf of unaffiliated investors. Managed Assets exclude assets such as policy loans, other invested assets, mortgage loans held-for-sale, and commercial mortgage loans held by consolidated securitization entities, as substantially all of those assets are not actively managed in MetLife's general account investment portfolio. Fair value option securities are also excluded as this amount is primarily comprised of contractholder-directed unit-linked investments, where the contractholder, and not MetLife, directs the investment of these funds. Mortgage loans and certain real estate investments have also been adjusted from carrying value to estimated fair value. Passive-indexed insurance company separate account assets represent separate account assets of the MetLife insurance companies which are included in MetLife, Inc.'s consolidated financial statements at estimated fair value. Non-proprietary assets managed on behalf of unaffiliated investors include investment grade and below investment grade corporates, mortgage loans and real estate equity, all of which are at estimated fair value but are excluded from MetLife, Inc.'s consolidated financial statements. MetLife believes the use of MetLife Combined Managed Assets enhances the understanding of the depth and breadth of its investment management services both on behalf of its general account investment portfolio, separate accounts and unaffiliated investors. A reconciliation of Total Investments to Managed Assets and MetLife Combined Managed Assets is set forth below. Additional information about MetLife's investments is available in MetLife, Inc.'s Quarterly Financial Supplement for the quarter ended March 31, 2017 and MetLife, Inc.'s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2017, each of which may be accessed through MetLife, Inc.'s Investor Relations Web page at http://investor.metlife.com. MetLife Combined Managed Assets and Managed Assets are non-GAAP financial measures and should not be viewed as substitutes for Total Investments, the most directly comparable GAAP measure.







3/31/2017 ($ in billions) Total Investments (1) $ 506.9 Plus Cash and Cash Equivalents 17.4 Plus Fair Value Adjustments 6.6 Less Commercial Mortgage Loans held by Consolidated Securitization Entities 0.1 Less Policy Loans 11.1 Less Other Invested Assets 19.7 Less Mortgage Loans Held-For-Sale - Less Fair Value Option Securities 14.4 Managed Assets $ 485.6 Plus Passive-Indexed Separate Account Assets (1) 28.0 Plus Non-Proprietary Assets managed on behalf of Unaffiliated Investors 16.1 MetLife Combined Managed Assets $ 529.7 Plus additional assets under management (2) 33.7 Total $ 563.4

(1) Includes $79.7 billion of general account investments and $12.6 billion of separate account investments managed by MetLife on behalf of Brighthouse Financial, Inc. upon its anticipated separation. (2) Represents assets under management by Logan Circle Partners, L.P. as reported in the Fortress Investment Group LLC ("Fortress") March 31, 2017 Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Assets under management as measured by Fortress refers to the management fee paying assets it manages or co-manages, including, as applicable, capital it has the right to call from its investors pursuant to their capital commitments to various funds. In addition, AUM includes management fee paying assets managed by autonomous businesses in which it retains a minority interest. Fortress' AUM equals the sum of: (i) the capital commitments or invested capital (or net asset value, "NAV," if lower) of its private equity funds and credit private equity funds, depending on which measure management fees are being calculated upon at a given point in time, which in connection with certain private equity funds includes the mark-to-market value of certain public securities held within the funds, (ii) the contributed capital or book equity (as defined) of its publicly traded permanent capital vehicles, (iii) the NAV of its hedge funds, including the Value Recovery Funds which pay fees based on realizations; (iv) the NAV or fair value of its managed accounts, to the extent management fees are charged; and (v) AUM of the funds related to the affiliated manager and co-managed funds. For each of the above, the amounts exclude assets under management for which Fortress charges either no or nominal fees, generally related to its investments in its funds as well as investments in its funds by its principals, directors and employees. Fortress' calculation of AUM may differ from the calculations of other asset managers and, as a result, this measure may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other asset managers. Its definition of AUM is not based on any definition of assets under management contained in its operating agreement or in any of its Fortress Fund management agreements. Finally, its calculation of AUM differs from the manner in which its affiliates registered with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission report "Regulatory Assets Under Management" on Form ADV and Form PF in various ways. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170707005620/en/

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Indiana soldier reflects on Veterans Day from Kosovo

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Update: 8:20 pm PT: Qualcomm provided a couple of clarifying statements indicating that its actions are related to iPhones that use baseband processors other than the ones provided by Qualcomm affiliates, and that its limited exclusion order pertains to future devices coming into the U.S. We have added those notes in the appropriate sections below.

The legal battle between Qualcomm and Apple is heating up. Qualcomm is seeking to block the importation and sale of Apple iPhones and other products, alleging that they infringe on six Qualcomm technology patent, mostly related to extending battery life.

Qualcomm and Apple have been embroiled in a contentious legal battle over technology royalty fees for most of this year. Apple's actions have sought to make a direct impact on Qualcomm's revenues, and the chip maker's latest move would be an audacious strike back if it were to succeed. How in the world did we get here?

In January, Apple filed lawsuits in the United States and in China alleging that Qualcomm's royalty fees are too high and the license agreements too restrictive. The lawsuits seek $1 Billion and 1 Billion Yuan in damages, respectively. During an earnings call the following week, Apple CEO Tim Cook explained that he doesnt like resorting to litigation, but he didnt see another way forward."

As you can imagine, Qualcomm doesnt agree with Apples stance. Don Rosenberg, Qualcomms executive vice president and general counsel provided a statement following the second Apple legal filing.

These filings by Apple's Chinese subsidiary are just part of Apple's efforts to find ways to pay less for Qualcomm's technology, said Rosenberg. Apple was offered terms consistent with terms accepted by more than one hundred other Chinese companies and refused to even consider them. These terms were consistent with our NDRC Rectification plan. [...] Qualcomm is prepared to defend its business model anywhere in the world. We are proud of our history of contributing our inventions to the development and success of the mobile communications ecosystem."

In April, Qualcomm filed a counterclaim against Apple, seeking the court's intervention in compelling Apple to adhere to the agreements between the two companies.

Later that month, Qualcomm said that Apple had withheld royalty payments from manufacturers for work done in the first quarter of 2017, which prevented the manufacturers from paying their licensing fees to Qualcomm. In May, Qualcomm revealed that four iOS device manufacturersFoxconn, Pegatron Corporation, Wistron Corporation, and Compal Electronicshad refused to pay technology licensing fees at the behest of their client (Apple). Apple, Qualcomm said, was refusing to pay for the company's technology while the legal battle unfolds. Those companies rely heavily on Apples business, naturally.

Today, Qualcomm pushed further. The company filed a complaint with the United States International Trade Commission (ITC) alleging that Apple has engaged in the unlawful importation and sale of iPhones. Qualcomms complaint suggests that the Apple iPhone infringes on up to six of Qualcomms patents, and the company is seeking a Limited Exclusion Order (LEO), which would bar Apple from importing iPhones and other unnamed products into the Unites States. Qualcomm clarified that the company is seeking the LEO against iPhones that use cellular baseband processors other than those supplied by Qualcomms affiliates.

Qualcomms inventions are at the heart of every iPhone and extend well beyond modem technologies or cellular standards, said Don Rosenberg, executive vice president and general counsel for Qualcomm. The patents we are asserting represent six important technologies, out of a portfolio of thousands, and each is vital to iPhone functions. Apple continues to use Qualcomms technology while refusing to pay for it. These lawsuits seek to stop Apples infringement of six of our patented technologies.

Furthermore, Qualcomm is seeking a Cease and Desist Order, which would prevent Apple from selling the hardware that is already stateside and from marketing, advertising, demonstration, and warehousing of inventory for distribution and use of those imported products . . . " A Qualcomm spokesperson said that the limited exclusion order is for future devices, so anyone who currently owns an iPhone will not be impacted.

Which Patents Is Apple Allegedly Infringing On?

Qualcomm maintains that the latest iteration of the iPhone infringes on Qualcomms battery life conservation technology (US Patent No. 8,698,558; US Patent No. 8,633,936; US Patent No. 9,608,675; US Patent No. 8,487,658, US Patent No. 8,838,949). The company provided an infographic (pictured partially above, with the patents described briefly below). The company also believes that the iPhone infringes on US Patent No. 9,535,490, which enables the applications on your smartphone to get their data to and from the internet quickly and efficiently by acting as a smart traffic cop between the apps processor and the modem.

The battle between Apple and Qualcomm could go on for some time. Qualcomm said it expects an ITC investigation by August, with a potential trial beginning next year.

We've also reached out to Apple for comment and will add any statements from the company when we hear back.
Bill Klinkhardt/KMBC SOURCE: Bill Klinkhardt/KMBC A female guard was taken to the hospital with injuries Thursday afternoon following an incident with an inmate in the Jackson County Detention Center. The Jackson County Sheriff's Office says that incident happened around noon inside the detention center. That guard became involved in an altercation with an inmate.
Kansas City Swimming In E. coli

E. coli concerns at Northland creek falls through cracks RIVERSIDE, Mo. - Alexa Thompson recently enjoyed a day with her grandkids, splashing around in Line Creek. The creek is a seven-mile stretch of water in Platte County, going through Kansas City and Riverside, next to a popular trail. "It's just lovely to be down here and let them be kids," she said.

TrumpCare Teaching Moment

Truman Medical CEO: 'We'll all be seeing more patients without insurance' - Kansas City Business Journal Kansas City hospitals prepare for what's next, whether that be the Senate health care bill or another policy. Kansas City-area hospitals are watching - and waiting - to see what direction legislators take with health care reform. "There's still a fair amount of uncertainty.

Show-Me Blue Alert Win

Missouri Gov. Greitens signs Blue Alert system into law as means to aid police Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens fought back tears Thursday as he explained why it was important for him to sign a measure creating a system to swiftly notify the public when an on-duty police officer is wounded. The Republican recounted the case of St. Louis police Sgt.

Hackers Target Kansas Nukes

Hackers targeting Wolf Creek and other nuclear power plants Computer hackers have been targeting nuclear power plants in the U.S. and elsewhere - including Wolf Creek outside of Burlington in eastern Kansas - the New York Times reports. The Times cited security consultants and a so-called urgent joint report issued by the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Bureau of Investigation last week.

Welcome To The Missouri Drug List

Life-saving antidote Narcan isn't always effective against new opioid found in Missouri KANSAS CITY, Mo. - A new drug has been added into the current opioid epidemic and the DEA says it's already in Missouri. It's called acryl fentanyl. It's another version of the synthetic opioid 'fentanyl.' "Acryl fentanyl and regular fentanyl are about 50 to a 100 times more potent than morphine itself," said Doug Dorley, DEA special agent in Overland Park.

Golden Ghetto Good Effort

Jack Sock loses in second round at Wimbledon A Jack Sock run at Wimbledon will have to wait at least another year. Sock, who went to high school at Blue Valley North, lost in the second round at Wimbledon on Thursday to Sebastian Ofner, who is from Austria. Ofner, who is ranked 217 in the world, topped Sock in five sets 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 2-6, 6-2.

McTavish Politely Lists Kansas City

6 People-Pleasing Things To Do In Kansas City This Weekend The working week has its own rewards, like, um, well ... let me get back to you on that. For now, prepare to enter the weekend zone, where most folks can be gratified as they so desire.

Because I like the TKC blog community a lot more than I let on . . . This morning we start withas we begin First Friday in Kansas City.Check the first collection of links we've been inspired to gather this morning:is the song of the day and this is thefor right now . . .
Police have arrested four of the five suspects in a Friday carjacking in which an Uber driver was thrown from her car. Sadly, the suspects are between 11 and 15 years old.





The driver approached the intersection, she noticed a group of children in the street, setting off firecrackers, she thought.



Normally when people start shooting off fireworks they just get out of the way so they can go back and shoot fireworks later. That didnt happen. They surrounded the car; they managed to open the door. One of them punched me in the face, she said.





They somehow got her seatbelt unfastened and ripped her out of the car. They threw her on the ground and then approached her passenger sitting in the back seat.





One of them pulled up their top and showed a gun and said back up.





The driver says one of the kids hopped in her SUV and took off. All of her stuff was still in it, including two cell phones, which eventually led police to four of the five suspects. She said police told her the teens are part of a well-known ring that does this often. She said she heard theyd carjacked a young mother before her.

It seems that new tech is no match for Kansas City crime as this report offer a new perspective on the dangers of local streets during Summer holiday celebration.Checkit:Deets:Developing . . .
Another Kansas City Run-Around

Deputies arrest 3 suspects after high-speed chase in Jackson County KANSAS CITY, Mo. - One adult and two juveniles are in custody after leading Jackson County deputies on a chase Friday afternoon. Officials said Jackson County Sheriff's Office spotted a possible stolen vehicle around 1:30 p.m. in the area of 9th and Ditman in Kansas City, Missouri.

Dead Lady Not Yet Ruled Murder

Woman's body found in car near Brookside A woman's body was found in a car near Brookside early Friday.

Tragic Kansas City Family Drama

Man charged with killing grandfather, stuffing him in freezer assaulted female guard, jail says KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Law enforcement is now saying the man who assaulted a guard inside in the Jackson County Jail Thursday was just arrested over the weekend for allegedly killing his 77-year-old grandfather in Blue Springs. Tyreik Baldwin, 21, is charged with first-degree murder in his grandfather's death.

Healthcare Hard Time

Former Kansas City lawyer sentenced for role in a $1.2 million fraud against St. Luke's A former Kansas City lawyer was sentenced Friday to one year in prison for conspiring with his former law partner to steal money from St. Luke's Health System. Mark J. Schultz was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Kansas City where he pleaded guilty earlier this year to conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud.

KCMO Gunfire Comeuppance

Kansas City man sentenced to life in 2014 shooting death INDEPENDENCE, Mo. (AP) -- A 33-year-old Kansas City man was sentenced to life in prison for the shooting death of a man from Independence. The Jackson County prosecutor said James Rhymer was sentenced Friday for the December 2014 death of 45-year-old David Mendez. Rhymer was convicted in April of second-degree murder, first-degree assault and kidnapping.

Flashback to classic Candice in costume and all of the important crime and punishment news we're checking today.Take a peek:Developing . . .
Future Tech On Kansas City Streets

MoDOT to test driverless technology in metro area LEE'S SUMMIT, Mo. - The Missouri Department of Transportation is hoping to test driverless technology on some of its fleet as soon as next year. June 28 was the deadline for companies to submit proposals to MoDOT on autonomous technology. Now, it is reviewing those proposals with hopes to have a vendor on board by late July.

No Clue In Kansas City White Guy Killings

Identity of man in trail security video remains a mystery Investigators say plain and simply - they need more tips.

Give The KCPD A Brake

KCMO Police Officer avoids injury when car slams into his patrol car KANSAS CITY, Mo. - A car smashed into a KCMO Police Officer's patrol car Thursday afternoon on a busy street in the Northland. The officer was at northeast 94th Street and North Oak Trafficway investigating an earlier traffic accident. A second car hit the officer's patrol car.

Kangaroo Cash Desperation

UMKC Lobbyist Says He 'Played Every Card' To Get State Funding For Downtown Arts Campus Warren Erdman, the leader of the local effort to obtain state money for the proposed UMKC Downtown Campus for the Arts, warned Thursday that any alternative funding plan in response to the Gov. Eric Greitens' veto last week should not place a "severe" strain on UMKC.

Social Media "Journalism" Talk

Kansas City's violent crime a concern for SCLC, community Kansas City's problem with violent crime continues to grow. And it's a growing concern for community leaders. Thursday, Dr. Vernon Howard of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference met with the Star's editorial board on a Facebook Live broadcast.

Celebrate New Plaza Kicks

Nike opens store in Country Club Plaza, new strategy to get more customers On Saturday, Nike will celebrate its grand opening as the newest store in Kansas City's Country Club Plaza. Plaza owners are excited, calling Nike, ...an important part of our retail mix. The Nike store is more proof that the Plaza is offering stores for shoppers in every price range.

HomeTown Hero Glory Today

You did it! Mike Moustakas wins Final Vote to become third Royals All Star For the second time in his career, Kansas City Royals third baseman Mike Moustakas is an All Star.

keeps us up to date this evening because Internets good looks is more important than anything . . . Except for these Kansas City local news links:And this is thefor right now . . .
A little over a decade ago, a Greek and an Italian, two successful scientists in their fields who shared a passion for contemporary art, settled permanently in Paris, kathimerini.gr reports and continues:

Eventually, the pair came up with the idea of using a Greek island as a visual terra incognita that could be rediscovered by artists. The project, titled Phenomenon, which includes a residency with performances, lectures, video screenings and other events, as well as an exhibition on the island and a publication, launched in 2015, during what was for Greece a critical referendum period, on Anafi, an island at the edge of the Cyclades group near Santorini, and its co-founders decided to organize it every two years thereafter.

Jordan Kerenidis works as head researcher for quantum computers at the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique. Piergiorgio Pepe is director of ethics and compliance at AbbVie, a global biopharmaceutical company, and a lecturer at Sciences Po and INSEAD. They spoke recently to Kathimerini about Phenomenon, the latest edition of which gets under way on Anafi at the beginning of July.

From Paris

Why did they elect Anafi though? The Phenomenon program is our effort to create a different sort of experience which could also create a dialogue between select artists and residents of the island and all who participate in the program. The fact that its happening in Greece, and particularly on this Cycladic island, plays a key role in how this exchange of opinions takes place and how new, and unexpected ideas can be hatched.

According to the projects website (www.phenomenon.fr), Phenomenon 2 will examine how histories, collective and personal, are socially constructed and constantly renegotiated, adding that the small island is a prime example of cultural stratification, where the Apollo temple quietly serves as the foundation of an orthodox monastery, while the history of the exiles that were held in Anafi has silently cohabited with the islands local history. It also raises the questions What are the forces at play that actualize the visible and the discursive and construct historical formations? How can history be reinvented and the master narrative denaturalized?

Invited participants

The invited participants for Phenomenon 2 include artists Ignasi Aballi, Dora Garcia, Mario Garcia Torres, Chrysanthi Koumianaki, Julien Nedelec and Christodoulos Panayiotou, curator Gregory Castera, media theorist Paul Feigelfeld, choreographer/dancer Lenio Kaklea and anthropologist Margaret Kenna.

Read full story here.

RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations , Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report

Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons Copyright: Man77 License: CC-BY-SA

Source: ekathimerini.com
The PBS broadcast This Is America Visits Greece will air the first of its programs, Greece Today: Parts I-III starting this week. The American Hellenic Institute (AHI) is an underwriter of This Is America Visits Greece and AHI President Nick Larigakis is credited as a special consultant by the programs producers.

"Greece Today: Part I, Part II, Part III" will be delivered to PBS on July 6, 13, and 20, 2017 (for weekend broadcast). The basic details for "Greece Today: Part I" are below, along with broadcast times for Washington, D.C. and New York City. Additional viewing for other U.S. regions can be found at http://www.thisisamerica.net/viewing.html. International broadcasts via Voice of America usually follow several weeks after the initial PBS station broadcast.

Thank you for all of your support, insight and enthusiasm for these programs, Producer Jack Cregger noted. Our time in Greece was one of the most enjoyable productions of this sort. We are incredibly fortunate to work with everyone that was involved.

We are proud to provide support to the producers of this important program that features contemporary Greece, President Larigakis stressed. We encourage the community to view the program and to share the news about its airing with family and friends.

Episode 2041: Greece Today - Part I

On this program This Is America & The World and Dennis Wholey travel to the historic and vital European country of Greece. To celebrate contemporary Athens, Dennis visits the stunning new Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center then speaks with U.S. Ambassador Geoffrey Pyatt about the importance of the U.S.-Greece relationship. At the Concordia Europe Summit, Co-founders Nick Logothetis and Matthew Swift discuss the importance of the Concordia Summit while Chairman and CEO of Libra Group, George Logothetis, offers his passionate view of Greece's past, present and future. Dennis also ventures to the Island of Crete to speak with commanders from Greece and the United States stationed in the strategically-placed Naval Support Activity (NSA) Souda Bay military base.

LCL  DC

WHUT-TV/32:

9 a.m., Friday (July7)

5:30 p.m., Saturday (July 8)

WETA-TV/26:

10 a.m., Sunday (July 9)

NYC - CUNYTV/ 75:

5 broadcasts - Weekly (Monday, July 17, 9 a.m., 3 p.m., 9 p.m. / Wednesday, July 19, 2 a.m. / Saturday, July 22, 9 a.m.)

PBS stations: Check local listings - http://www.thisisamerica.net/viewing.html

The American Hellenic Institute is an independent non-profit Greek American public policy center that works to enhance relations between the United States and Greece and Cyprus, and within the Greek American community.

Read more here.

RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations , Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report

Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons Copyright: Tilemahos Efthimiadis License: CC-BY-SA

Source: newgreektv.com
The current state of separation from Qatar will continue until the latter changes its course, said UAEs Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation during a press conference in Cairo, Egypt on Wednesday.



Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan made the remarks at the press joint press conference he held along with the Foreign Ministers Adel Al Jubair of Saudi Arabia, Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Khalifa of Bahrain and Sameh Shoukry of Egypt, reported Wam, the Emirates official news agency.



Sheikh Abdullah indicated that despite the four countries' patience, Qatar had not shown any interest in its brothers or surroundings.



"Doha has no interest in its brethren, nor its surroundings. It is interested in extremism, instigation, subversion and terrorism," he added.



He noted that the goal of all countries of the world is to provide better opportunities to their respective peoples to grow, prosper and to lead a stable and secure life. He regretted the fact that for the past two decades, Doha took the path of destruction and chaos.



He said the four countries will remain separated from Qatar until it changes its course from destruction to construction.



He continued by saying: "We will make every possible effort to confront terrorism in the region. The region has suffered a lot of chaos and destruction and we have high hopes for a better future to our children. We are sovereign countries and will protect ourselves against terrorism and extremism in line with the international law."



Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said the four countries reiterated the necessity to combat terrorism and to dry up its sources. He stressed that there will be a zero tolerance with the Qatari role in supporting extremism and terrorism.



Saudi Foreign Minister said the measures taken against Doha were due to its support for terrorism, interference in other countries' affairs and spreading hate.



Al Jubair also said it was no surprise that Qatar was trying to build closer ties with Iran, the world's number one state sponsor of terrorism.



On the position of Turkey, Al Jubair said: "Ankara informed us that they are neutral and we hope they stick to that position."



He also noted that this issue is of concern to the whole world since it is related to funding of terrorism, adding that there will be no leniency with Qatari support for terrorism. "It is strange that Qatar harbours terrorists despite hosting a US base that is active in fighting Al Qaeda, he said.



Bahrain's Foreign Minister Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Khalifa said the principles agreed by the four countries are the same that are embraced by the whole world.



"Our role is to stand in the face of Daesh terrorism, as well as the terrorism that comes from Iran," he said.



On the Muslim Brotherhood, he said the group is involved in harming Egypt and shedding blood of its people and other peoples.



"Therefore, we consider them a terrorist organisation and every one belonging to them or showing sympathy with them, will be tried for that."



Asked about the possibility of discontinuing Qatar's membership in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Sheikh Khalid said: "This is for the GCC to discuss. Today's meeting is about coordinating stances following the negative Qatari reply. We do not want to take hasty decisions, because such decisions are important and will impact the current situation."



The ministers agreed to follow up the situation and hold their next meeting in Manama.
Saudi Aramco achieved a record high crude oil production of 10.5 million barrels per day in 2016, the world's leading integrated energy company said in its 2016 Annual Review.



Amin H Nasser, president and CEO of Saudi Aramco said: Driven by operational efficiency and fiscal discipline, we continued to build and deliver on our strategic goals in 2016 despite the backdrop of a challenging environment. The company crossed a threshold in its transformative journey to optimize its operations and maximize delivery across all of its capabilities. At the same time, we remained true to our commitments of value creation, technology delivery, and human capital development.



Saudi Aramco continued to deliver significant achievements to progress its long-term, integrated strategy despite persistently low oil prices and weak growth in the global market. The Companys upstream business has a resilient low cost position which will endure based on premium reservoir characteristics and Saudi Aramcos unwavering focus on operational excellence and project management.



Upstream



In 2016, Saudi Aramco continued to achieve milestones in exploration and capacity expansion. The Company discovered two new oil fields and one new gas field; added 250,000 barrels of crude oil production per day to its Shaybah facility where it also started a second natural gas liquids processing train; and reached full operational feed capacity of 2.5 Bscfd at the Wasit Gas Plant.



Downstream



Saudi Aramco strengthened its downstream strategy, taking further steps to expand and integrate its domestic and global portfolio. In-Kingdom, the Sadara joint venture with The Dow Chemical Company, with a production capacity of 3 million tons of performance plastics, started commissioning of the regions first mixed feed cracker.; the Phase II Petro Rabigh ethane cracking project with Japans Sumitomo Chemical Co. achieved full operation; and the company's 400,000 bpd Jazan refinery reached 55 per cent completion.



Internationally, in the US, Saudi Aramco signed an agreement with Shell to separate the assets of Motiva Enterprises, paving the way for further downstream expansion. In the Netherlands, Saudi Aramco launched Arlanxeo, a specialty chemicals joint venture with LANXESS. The company also began volume exports of aramcoDura  a new base oil product brand. Further advancing the companys environmental commitment, Saudi Aramco acquired Converge  a breakthrough technology that converts CO2 into cleaner, high-value end products with significant performance, cost, and carbon footprint improvements.



Technology R&D



Saudi Aramco continued to focus its research and development on high impact technologies with the potential to create significant competitive advantage. The companys R&D commitment resulted in 285 new patents filed and 175 new patents awarded. Saudi Aramco also achieved breakthroughs, such as the industrys first trillion-cell simulation and hydrocarbon migration algorithm, making it possible to model the physics of hydrocarbon reservoirs from their original generation to their final production. The Company also signed a Heads of Agreement with Saudi Basic Industries Corp. (SABIC) to conduct a feasibility study on the development of a fully integrated crude oil-to-chemicals complex. Phase 1 of the study was completed in 2016.



Climate Initiatives



Sustainability remained a major innovation focus. In 2016, the level of flared gas per raw gas production continued at less than 1 per cent and is set to decline further. The company recovered more than 9 Bscf of gas through its zero discharge technology. Saudi Aramco also collaborated with GE to install the Kingdom's first wind turbine at the Turaif Bulk Plant; progressed partnerships on fuel and engine research with U.S. and European automakers; and alongside the member companies of the Oil and Gas Climate Investments Initiative, pledged an investment of $100 million to develop and accelerate the commercial deployment of innovative, low-emission technologies.



Localization of Goods and Services



Saudi Aramcos In-Kingdom Total Value Add (IKTVA) program enables a thriving commercial ecosystem that benefits our business and the country. In 2016, the Company increased its value of material procurement from local manufacturers by $800 million to $2.9 billion, reaching the highest level of locally sourced content in the companys history. Saudi Aramco also signed numerous joint ventures throughout the year in connection to the IKTVA program, including with GE, Schlumberger, Nabors Industries and Rowan Companies.



Talent Development



More than 6,800 participants attended training at Saudi Aramcos Upstream Professional Development Center; nearly 4,000 Saudi nationals graduated from the Apprentice Program and joined the companys workforce; and more than 2,000 students were sponsored and enrolled in global universities. Consistent with Saudi Vision 2030s drive to build a knowledge economy, Saudi Aramco invested in youth programs focused on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) skills. It delivered the STEMania program, which seeks to increase the number of women entering STEM fields to 300 students in the Eastern Province.



CEO Amin Nasser commented, I want to thank our people for the many significant contributions they made in 2016. Their inspiration and dedication have once again shown that, despite short-term strains, we remain dedicated to turning potential into opportunity and generating more value.



Citizenship & Kingdom



The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman ibn Abd Al-Aziz Al Saud, inaugurated the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture, the companys initiative to drive the countrys creativity and culture. Moreover, Saudi Aramco will continue investing in innovative technology, supporting the countrys energy future through a shift to clean gas for utilities.



Future



Looking ahead to the future, CEO Amin Nasser said: We are determined to create additional value for the company. We will maintain our focus on reliable energy supply to customers around the world, and envision pursuing ultra-clean sustainable oil, doubling our gas supplies, establishing a leading position in renewables, and becoming a global powerhouse in refining chemicals and marketing, all enabled by the finest technologies and most talented employees in the world.  TradeArabia News Service
UML makes most of elections, leaves NC to lick its wounds

With more than 40 percent seats in its favour in the second phase of local elections, the CPN-UML has left the Nepali Congress and the CPN (Maoist Centre) behind, and set to hold sway over local governments.
FLASHBACK FRIDAY: Catching Up

Stock trading in the Great North had always been the purview of a select number of big banks and done via telephony using human sales traders. Electronic tools and dark pools were barely used as Canadian regulations drove trades into the public markets just a few years ago.

But now things are different. Its 2017 and electronic trading, dark pools and commission spend have all played an integral part of Canadas unique market structure. But have the changes over the past six years made the market better? Cheaper?

Doug Clark, Managing Director, Head of Research, ITG Canada recalled that Canada has historically been a global leader in innovating secondary equity trading. It was among the first to introduce electronic trading back in 1977, ETFs in 1993, decimalization in 1995 and the trade-at concept in 2012, he said.

Canada has never been shy about wandering down untraveled paths, he recently told Traders Magazine.

He continued to tick off the changes in the Great North - new markets such as chi-X, Pure, MatchNow, Alpha and Omega introduced a new wave of change and innovation. Alpha had introduced the first participant segmenting mechanism, with its IntraSpread dark pool, which limited the active side to just retail investors (a mechanism NYSE would later replicate with their RLP program).

While IntraSpread would become a victim of the 2012 dark rules, the barn door was opened wide and the wave towards segmentation would dominate marketplace innovation to present day, he said. The Alpha speed bump discouraged large institutional liquidity seekers, while delivering pure retail flow to market makers.

Other venues introduced mechanisms mimicking true real market making facilities to help larger firms better internalize retail flows, to the frustration of some liquidity starved institutional investors.

Clark said that the Canadian market of 2017 is arguably the most complex of any secondary equity market in the world, but unlike the days of yore, much of today's innovation and complexity is aimed at aiding intermediaries.

In this regard at least, the lesson for other jurisdictions is not to emulate the complexity of Canada, but rather to steer in the other direction, Clark said.

The following article originally appeared in the July 2011 edition of Traders Magazine

Catching Up

Canada Follows U.S. Into Electronic Trading Era

Much of the talk these days in Canada's financial industry centers on the battle being waged for the Toronto Stock Exchange, between the London Stock Exchange and the Maple Group bank consortium. One offer, it is said, would remake the stock trading industry into a global hot spot. The other would turn the clock back, relegating Canada to yesteryear.

But behind the headlines, an arguably more consequential meat-and-potatoes drama is taking place, as Canada's stock market rushes helter-skelter into the electronic era.

In one of the latest developments, TMX Group, parent of the Toronto, is set to launch an ECN-type platform this month, in a bid to recoup market share lost to a host of electronic upstarts.

Once the only venue in Canada where traders could buy and sell stock, the exchange now finds itself being crowded out by newer, cheaper and more technologically advanced competitors.

TMX Group's new venue, TMX Select, will cater to high-frequency traders and retail day traders. The alternative trading system will seek to distinguish itself with its pricing and a few other attributes.

The Toronto's foray into the ATS business is indicative of this once high-touch, bank-run market's broader movement into the 21st century-replete with algorithms, new exchanges and dark pools-and a market structure more fully embraced in the U.S.

Heretofore in Canada, orders were phoned into dealers who did or didn't commit capital but then sent orders to the Toronto via direct market access.

Now, with the explosion of multiple trading venues, both the brokers and the buyside are increasingly using algos to get their orders filled, as well as DMA.

Changing Times

The increase in electronic trading is being driven by a confluence of factors. First and foremost, the buyside's demands for increased liquidity, lower commission rates, more control of its order flow and greater transparency are pushing the old trading ways aside. International traders looking for exposure to domestic companies want a degree of homogeneity between how the True North trades and the rest of the globe. Lastly, the regulators looking to create a more transparent marketplace are embracing the move.

Whatever the case, the Canadian equities markets and market structure are increasingly looking like those of the country's southerly neighbor.

"The impression is that we seem to be behind [the U.S. and other countries] and are playing rapid-fire catch-up when it comes to electronic trading," said Renee Colyer, chief executive at Forefactor, a Canadian research firm. "The regulators are trying to keep up with everything that is changing, and it seems like no one really can, not even the banks. A lot of people don't like change, and for some, it's hard to deal with."

Change can be hard even for firms like Investment Technology Group, one of the earliest brokers to offer electronic trading in Canada. At a recent industry conference, ITG chief executive Robert Gasser talked about the developing Canadian market structure.

"Canada is fragmenting," Gasser said at a Sandler O'Neill exchange and brokerage conference. "It's very chaotic up in Canada."

Chaotic or not, Heather Killian, executive director at CIBC World Markets, told Traders Magazine her firm welcomes marketplace development and competition, and believes they positively contribute to making the firm better at what it does.

"Our approach is destination-agnostic, and we will go where our clients want us to go," she said.

Killian said CIBC has been actively embracing electronic trading and its challenges, such as by developing its own low-latency smart order-routing technology, which includes risk filtering capabilities. CIBC is also providing clients DMA and algorithms.

"[The algos] were developed internally to take into consideration the unique nature of Canadian trading relative to the U.S.," she said. "We evolved our operating model and client base to meet the challenges of the new market structure."

Paper Tickets

Up until January 2008, if anyone wanted to trade Canadian stocks, the only place to do so was on the Toronto-it had 100 percent market share. Fast-forward to May 2011, and the picture is dramatically different: Now there are five and soon to be seven lit markets vying for traders' business. And several trading professionals estimate that the Toronto Stock Exchange's market share has dropped to 59 percent.

On the attack are Alpha, an ECN owned by a consortium of big Canadian banks, which now has 22.0 percent of the market; Chi-X, a unit of Instinet with 10.0 percent; and Pure Trading, with 4.0 percent. Pure is partly owned by several venture capitalists, Dundee Bancorp and UBS. Omega (owned by Marlar Group, a New York-based technology firm), Orbixa (formerly day-trading firm Swift Trade) and Tactico (a venture management and business advisory firm run by former Penson execs) captures 1.5 percent.

While the increase in trading venues was good for the buyside, it wasn't for the sellside, Colyer said. Brokers now have to incur higher fixed costs as they are forced to plug into these new entrants or risk losing business.

Although the Toronto actually went fully electronic in 1997, around the same time ECNs were making inroads into the U.S.'s Nasdaq market, it has only been in the past few years that the Canadian industry has felt the full brunt of electronic trading. It wasn't until 2008 that the number of electronic marketplaces there exploded.

Prior to 1997, some floor trading and virtually all upstairs trading on the Toronto was high-touch-using paper tickets, phones, floor brokers and stamping machines.

By comparison, electronic trading in the U.S. took root in the late 1990s, when the Securities and Exchange Commission approved Reg ATS and allowed ECNs to come into existence. Electronic matching systems mushroomed in the Nasdaq market, allowing DMA-wielding day traders to participate in the technology boom.

So the first electronic communications network surfaced in the U.S. in 1998, while the first comparable network in Canada didn't show up until 2007.

It comes as no surprise to those in the Canadian industry that the Land of the Maple Leaf has been a bit slower to adopt electronic trading. Pros said the country's conservative mind-set and less-liquid stocks just didn't lend themselves to the benefits of automated trading.

There is little available data on the amount of electronic trading in Canada. All orders are sent to electronic books, as off-board printing is not permitted, but much of that is still done via direct market access. While DMA is technically electronic trading, many consider this older point-and-click style of trading to be "manual" trading.

Greenwich Associates reported that in 2010, the buyside sent 16 percent of its orders to exchanges and dark pools via algorithms and direct-market-access tools. It sent the remainder to their sales traders either as single-stock or program trades. What the sellside did with those orders is a mystery. Best guess is that the sellside splits its orders evenly between DMA and algorithms.

According to data from Forefactor, which tracks both buyside and sellside usage, algorithmic trading and DMA in 2008 constituted about 30 percent of all Canadian trading volume. While updated figures are due to be released shortly, the firm estimates that algorithmic trading will grow to roughly 45 percent of trading volume, excluding HFT trading.

Study participants told Greenwich they expect the total will rise relatively modestly, to just 18 percent over the next three years.

In the U.S., the vast majority of institutional orders are handled by algorithms overseen by brokers or the buyside themselves. Very little point-and-click DMA-style trading remains.

Due to the advent of ECNs and algorithms, the industry in Canada is witnessing changes in the economics of trading similar to those already seen in the U.S.

Trade sizes dropped as a result of more alternative trading venues sprouting. According to traders, prior to 2003, the average trade size in Canada was around 1,500 shares. As a result of automated slicing and routing of orders, that size has now shrunk to 600 shares.

Along with the decline in trading size, commissions have fallen. Five or six years ago, the average commission rate in Canada was 3 cents Canadian. Today that figure is 2.5 cents, Greenwich said.

According to Greenwich's latest report, covering 2010, total commissions for that year came in at C$695 million. This compares to C$690 million in the 2009 report, with a blended commission rate of 2.46 cents. But in the 2008 report, commissions totaled C$845 million with a blended commission rate of 2.66 cents. According to anecdotal reports from traders, commissions were higher prior to the recorded Greenwich data.

Besides falling commissions, Colyer said, the banks and broker-dealers still have other worries as electronic trading gathers steam. She said those who have electronic offerings should be able to keep pace with technology, but smaller brokers or others who do not have deep pockets or in-house technology expertise will likely have to look for a third-party solution.

"You've got some bank-owned broker-dealers who will scramble to get on board while a few are already playing in the electronic space," Colyer said.

She pointed to CIBC, who told Traders Magazine they have an electronic trading desk. RBC Capital Markets already offers clients its THOR smart order-routing technology, designed to prevent HFTs from gaming the buyside. Colyer also said Toronto Dominion Bank has been white-labeling algorithms from Goldman Sachs and offering them to clients for the last few years.

"The Canadian banks and their trading desks were taking in less business than the U.S. firms because the U.S. broker-dealers were the first to market," Colyer said. "More established firms such as ITG and Credit Suisse have consistently been doing well in Canada's electronic trading markets. In previous research, we noted that the U.S. dealers were eating the Canadian banks for lunch."

Made in the USA

And the reality is that the algos being used in Canada are coming for the most part from the U.S. To date, Forefactor's electronic trading and technology studies have revealed that U.S. companies are being viewed by Canadian institutional investors as leading the pack as algorithm vendors. No Canadian bank-owned broker-dealers are in the top tier.

On the algorithm front, the first deployment of algos by U.S. brokers came in 2001, when Credit Suisse started offering them to customers as a way to deal with decimalization. The frenzy over algos in the U.S. really took root in the 2003-2005 period, when all the major brokers began building and deploying the trading tools.

Algos first made an appearance in Canada in 2003. The Americans were the leaders here too, as Credit Suisse, ITG and Morgan Stanley provided the Canadians with their first algos. However, algorithms didn't take hold, because the buyside was still accustomed to phoning its orders to the sellside, which tempered demand. Early algos seen in Canada were volume-average-weighted price types, not the more sophisticated ones, like implementation shortfall, being used in the U.S.

Now, though, the frenzy of algo development is really hitting its stride in Canada, with more vendors developing algos for both the buyside and sellside.

The Forefactor report results noted that algorithmically executed trades account for 36 percent of total trades originating in Canada and executed by reporting brokers participating in the study.

Furthermore, institutional investors in the report said ITG currently leads the pack in executing trades algorithmically, followed by Credit Suisse and Morgan Stanley.

Six years ago, Instinet's Alison Crosthwait said, there were only a handful of algorithms available to buyside traders. Not so any more, she said, as third-party vendors, sellside bulge bracket firms and to a lesser extent some Canadian banks now offer algorithms. Even smaller Canadian broker-dealers are aligning themselves with larger firms to gain access to algos and offer them to clients and bring in business.

"You can't have an execution offering without some kind of algorithm partnership," Crosthwait said. "The buyside wants to send some of their order flow through algos, as they reduce trading costs, and they want a low-cost, efficient way to pay for their research bills." [

The buyside is already moving forward into the electronic age, embracing algorithms, dark pools, smart order routers and other advances. Buysiders also told Traders Magazine they are increasingly entering their orders directly into algorithms or sending them via FIX protocol to the sellside, which then places the order into an algorithm.

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Kelly Reynolds, director of trading at Toronto-based Hillsdale Investment Management, told Traders Magazine that her firm is already active in one Canadian dark pool, ITG TriAct's Match Now, and she is also in the process of getting connected to Liquidnet, and has been closely monitoring activity in Instinet's Canada Cross since its launch on May 25. She also places her orders directly into algorithms for execution, bypassing her brokers at times.

"Yes, I'm using algos from various providers," Reynolds said. She added that her future algo usage depends on whether new algos appear in the market that are innovative and that can improve or support her trading strategies. While client-specific algo customization is readily available, it is impossible to predetermine strategies for every possible circumstance, as the market is in constant flux.

She is not alone. Michael Thom, a buyside trader at Genus Capital Management, said he too enters his orders into his algorithms himself, rather than rely on the sellside or the banks. And if algos help him source liquidity-even "marginal liquidity"-then their use is justified, and preferable to manually handling an order.

"It's our job to find liquidity wherever it hides," Thom said. And if that means using algos, that's fine with him.

However, algos do have their limitations. Reynolds pointed out that many assume algos are used to be stealthy and can reduce market impact. The reality, she said, is that the algos most prevalent in the Canadian market are still plain vanilla, schedule-based algos whose usage creates patterns that can be reverse engineered-even with anti-gaming measures in place.

While upstairs trading has been a hallmark of the Canadian industry, the introduction of dark pools has provided the buyside with another way to execute its orders discreetly.

Here too, U.S. brokers are at the forefront and making inroads into the ATS space. They are capitalizing on their established programs and giving the buyside what it wants: more anonymous liquidity at a lower price.

The buyside's search for more liquidity has given birth to five dark venues: ITG's Match Now, Liquidnet, two from Instinet and Goldman Sachs' Sigma X. Alpha has also said it would have its own IntraSpread dark pool up and running by June 20.

As for dark pools, the spawning frenzy in the U.S. took place between the 2005 and 2007 period. But they had been around since 1986, when agency broker Instinet opened the first, After Hours Cross, and in 1987, when ITG launched Posit. They just didn't go mainstream until later. Dark pool volume now accounts for about 14 percent of volume in the U.S.

Canada saw its first dark pool in 2006, from Liquidnet, and the second in 2007, from ITG. Instinet entered the True North just last month, as did Goldman Sachs with Sigma X.

According to the latest data from the IIROC, dark pools have been slowly growing in terms of percentage of total monthly daily volume. ITG garnered a 1.6 percent share in April, versus 1.1 percent in March; and Liquidnet, which focuses on block trades, had 0.16 percent of the market in April, compared with 0.14 percent in March. There are no data for Instinet and Sigma X, who have just begun operations.

Up to now, Canadian regulators have been cautiously watching U.S. markets and talking about jointly proposing updates to existing rules that would effectively curtail U.S.-style dark pool trading. Behind the thinking is a long history of transparency in a marketplace that requires all trades to be taken to an exchange or otherwise "lit" market to be printed.

Some speculate that Canada's three regulators could introduce rules that limit dark pools. The Canadian Securities Administrators, the Ontario Securities Commission and the IIROC haven't proposed anything as of yet.

Despite regulators' concerns and a potential minimum trade-size requirement, growth in the Canadian dark pool market is expected to continue. As of this writing, other bulge firms, such as Credit Suisse, Morgan Stanley and Bank of America Merrill Lynch, are expected to enter the space.

"We're going to see a number of new pools come here that are designed to be more innovative and more cost effective than what is already here," said Doug Clark, managing director at ITG. "If they add more options to clients on where to trade, offering more choice and flexibility, then that is a positive development."

And with more pools comes more liquidity. Hillsdale's Reynolds said that a slightly higher percentage of her firm's orders have recently been getting filled in the dark, thanks to dark pools' ability to provide anonymity and liquidity.

"I will trade wherever there is liquidity that does not unduly signal the market of my intentions," she said. "The key is trading 'size' with the least market impact possible."

Mike Bignell, president of Omega ATS in Canada, said dark pools will most certainly grow as continued use of algorithms drives ATS growth. With trade fill size falling, the buyside's search for size and better overall fill rates will push them off-board.

"With the growth of HFTs here, it is sometimes a lot safer for the buyside to come into the dark side," Bignell said. "I'd say dark pool volume could hit 10 percent by end of year, from the 3 percent levels it's at now."

In the U.S., the growth in dark pools has come at the expense of the lit markets. Flow once destined for their books never makes it out of the brokerage. In Canada, the Toronto is determined not to be cut out. It is launching TMX Dark, a fully hidden order that trades at the midpoint for a subset of stocks.

The biggest advantage of TMX Dark orders is that they use the same pricing data that is in the visible market, preventing adverse selection and trade-throughs.

"We expect to see continued innovation in dark orders over the next six to 12 months," Clark said. "TMX and Chi-X will likely come out with more-not so much the other exchanges."

For more information on related topics, visit the following channels:
Vehicular movement halted at Banbasa Bridge in Nepal-India border

Vehicular movement across the Banbasa Bridge at the Nepal-India border has been halted following the increase in water level in the Mahakali River induced by incessant rains of the past three days, raising flood fears.
Commissions Applicable to All Programs When Booked by September 30, 2017



(TRAVPR.COM) UNITED STATES - July 6th, 2017 - European walking tour specialist The Blue Walk has announced a new 15% travel agent commission program that is applicable to all tours booked by September 30, 2017. The company is also expanding its travel agent FAM program to include any tour in its itinerary, allowing agents to experience first-hand the quality and diversity of Blue Walk tours in the company of actual clients. Agent can also bring up to three guests for only $100 per person above the agent rate.

The Blue Walk offers tours throughout Italy, France, Greece, and the U.K. that are suitable to all fitness levels. In addition to the classic itineraries that include walking the scenic coastal paths, historic village streets and gentle hiking trails of these countries, the company offers themed programs such as art walks led by noted artists, as well as chalk walks in which participants learn the techniques of street art and chalk painting. Most tours are limited to just 12 people, fostering a sense of comradery that often turns into life-long friendships.

We continue to expand the variety and program themes as the popularity of walking vacations grows, said Jeannette Candau, co-owner of The Blue Walk, a Florida-based tour specialist. Every tour is a unique opportunity to experience the delightful trails, charming small towns and sandy beaches of the destinations like a local, instead of through bus windows or from the distant shore of a crowded boat.

The Art of the Matter

With art an especially popular theme, The Blue Walks 12-night Chalk Walk in Greece with American chalk artist Tracy Lee Stum continues to gain new fans every year. Known for her amazingly realistic 3D street paintings, Stum once held the Guinness World Record for the Largest Chalk Painting by an Individual. Starting in Athens, the tour explores the sheltered bays, sandy beaches, and rugged landscape of the Greek islands of Amorgos, Naxos and Santorini  islands rich in history, culture, architecture, and natural beauty. Chalk art classes are given at various locations throughout the islands as well as at home base in the four- and five-star hotels where guests spend their nights, in rooms that overlook the Aegean.

The Chalk Walk Greece with Tracy Lee Stum is scheduled for September 3rd  15th and is $3,990 per person, based on double occupancy, land only. Tour is limited to 12 people.

The Blue Walk also offers a classic 12-night Art Walk in Greece with Leslie Fehling, an artist whose vibrant watercolors perfectly reflect the sun splashed vistas of the Greek Islands. Fehling, who teaches classes throughout the U.S. and Europe, provides instructions in drawing, watercolor techniques, hand lettering, page design and travel sketching. With the group limited to 12 participants, everyone is guaranteed personalized attention tailored to their individual skills level. The itinerary includes walks and classes in Athens, as well as the islands of Naxos, Santorini and Amorgos. The walks, appropriate for all fitness levels, include strolls around Plaka and Monastiraki Square, historic neighborhoods in the shadows of the Acropolis that have barely changed in hundreds of years. Guests are invited to visit The Loom  a local rug shop  for a taste of mastika, a popular liqueur seasoned with the resin from the mastic tree, which is native to the Mediterranean.

The fully escorted tour incorporates art classes at various locations, both in the fields and at the four- and five-star hotels included in the price, wine tasting excursions, daily buffet breakfast, all ferries, and transfers.

The Art Walk Greece 2017 is scheduled for October 3rd  15th and is $3,795 per person, based on double occupancy. It accepts a maximum of 12 people, so advance booking is encouraged.

Our tours are suitable for all fitness levels and composed of small groups, so people can walk as briskly or as leisurely as they like, said Candau. Thats why we say that our guests travel at the speed of you!

The Blue Walk also offers themed yoga and wine appreciation tours led by experts in their fields. Groups stay in luxury boutique hotels and resorts along the way.

For more information, visit The Blue Walk online.

###
Hamburg, July 7

Asserting the need to support and sustain a regime of openness, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said rise in protectionism threatens to take away the gains from globalisation.

At the G20 Summit here, which is being attended by United States President Donald Trump, Chinese President Xi Jinping and other leaders, Modi stressed that the grouping should speak in one voice to support and sustain a regime of openness.

Talking about the Indian economy, Modi said the decision on demonetisation has dealt a blow to corruption, boosted digitisation and enlarged the formal economy.

In efforts to deal with corruption and the black money menace, the Indian government had demonetised old Rs 500 and 1,000 currency notes in November.

Asserting that the government is ready to carry forward the fight against black money and corruption, Modi hoped that the G20 would assume leadership to act on all important issues.

The Prime Minister said the implementation of automatic exchange of financial account information on a reciprocal basis would help curb black money and illicit flows.

With Base Erosion and Profit Sharing adopted, we are ready to carry forward the fight against black money and corruption, he added.

Amid concerns over alleged protectionist steps by various countries, including steps to restrict entry of skilled workers, the Prime Minister warned that such moves could take away the gains from globalisation.

The rise in protectionism threatens gains from globalisation, Modi said and emphasised that the G20 must speak in one voice to support and sustain a regime of openness.

Speaking at a session on global growth and trade, the Prime Minister said the Goods and Services Tax (GST) would create a unified market of 1.3 billion people.

Growth and development for all in India is central to our pursuit of economic prosperity, he added.

The GST was rolled out on July 1.  PTI
Chandigarh, July 7

Three constables of the UT police have been booked in a cheating case for allegedly taking Rs 5.25 lakh from a Burail youth for recruitment in the police service.

Constables Amit Jaglan, a native of Jind, and Sandeep and Krishan Dhaiya, both posted in the IRB, have been booked under Sections 420 (cheating) and 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the IPC at the Sector 3 police station.

According to the FIR lodged by complainant Ankit (26), his brother Pankaj is a constable in the city police and Sandeep and Krishan were known to him as they used to often visit his house. The police were recruiting 520 constables and he had applied for it. The two constables told him that they had a common friend, Amit Jaglan, who knew persons with political links at a high level and could manage his selection. They sought Rs 5.25 lakh from him for the work.

His father agreed and on December 19 last year, he, along with father, handed over the amount to the two at the Leisure Valley, Sector 10. Later, Jaglan also reached there in his Honda Amaze car. The two then handed over the briefcase containing the cash to him.

Later, the complainant came to know that Jaglan was a notorious person and had been booked in criminal cases in Haryana. He asked the other two constables to get his money back, but to no avail. Finally, he filed a complaint with the police.  TNS

Inspector booked in similar case

June 8: A case of cheating was registered against an Inspector for allegedly taking money from a Home Guards volunteer for getting him recruited as a constable in the Chandigarh Police. Inspector Rakesh Kumar, who was in-charge of the judicial lock-up at the District Courts, was suspended and sent to the Police Lines. An inquiry has been initiated against him.
Arun Joshi

BURHAN Wani needs to no introduction. He was a young handsome boy who used social media with a narcissist's passion, unafraid of anything for he believed too much in his support in public. He has left a legacy: youth joining militancy and social media being used as a powerful weapon to start new narratives to humble the Indian state in the cyber world. This phenomenon, after the death of Burhan on July 8 last year, tends to make him another legend. It is both a homegrown sentiment as also a deliberately cultivated narrative to challenge the existing ways of militancy and security apparatus.

In the year that followed his death, everything is being attributed to Wanis charisma. The violent mobs thronging encounter sites are credited to Burhan but this is not true. This process had started long before his death. Street protestors facing bullets and pellets too is not a post-Burhan development, but the narrative has been distorted in his favour. The crowds have become more fearless and the appeal for violence and militancy has grown is attributable to his death and the romance of martyrdom generated in the first few weeks of Wanis death on July 8, 2016.

The eruption of violent protests in south Kashmir immediately after his death and the subsequent killings in the Valley, have been shown as an after- effect of the martyrdom of Burhan. That is not the whole truth but any one questioning his personality and the built-up aura around him, is considered as an enemy of the movement. A deep fatigue has set in among Kashmiris. They have suffered so many losses in terms of human lives, more than 150 dead and hundreds others injured, and the economy too has suffered incalculable damage. Things have come to such a pass that the residents of Tral working elsewhere in the Valley say they love Burhan but they have to fill their stomachs and look after their families. And they qualify, Burhan was from a well-off family, (his father is the Principal of a high school), we are not. The difference in class is also becoming clear.

Those very residents who had woven a folklore about Burhan, claim that he had told his teacher, Some day I will do something which will usher in inquilab ( revolution) and that's what happened with his death when thousands offered funeral prayers and the south Kashmir erupted with violent protests. That Burhan was unarmed at the time of the encounter, was another thesis peddled. He was on his way to meet Amarnath pilgrims to assure them of their security and safety, is yet another version explaining his location at Kokkernag, in deep south Kashmir. Some sections in the government believe that Burhan was a deliberately promoted phenomenon to marginalise the existing militant leadership on either side of the LoC, to grant him an image and aura so that he could be talked to in the near future. Who was behind him? They are not sure. But he was shown in a video capturing moments taller than he was, surrounded by macho-image building weapons and a tome of authority. A robust image was conferred on him and with a purpose.

The existing leadership had shown its weaknesses and the young men did not trust them. The era of senior separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani as the sole custodian of the movement of protests was on the decline. There were times in 2010 unrest when youngsters would bare their chests and threaten any one challenging Syed Ali Shah Geelani with a shout, You can say anything to me, but not to Geelani Sahib. I can take a bullet for him on my chest. That era was fading. After the arrival of Burhan on the scene and social media with his messages of setting up of the Caliphate in Kashmir, and his stern talk about government designs and call to the policemen to join him, things started moving in a different direction. There was no need for him to issue statements to the media to sell his philosophy of rebellion in newer ways. The younger generation was already connected to the social media and he took advantage of it. Romanticism and fantasy were as it were drawn straight from the Arabian Nights. Many of them had his picture as the wallpaper on smart phones, observes Manzoor Ahmad, a middle-aged man from Pulwama in south Kashmir. He had obliterated all the heroes of the movement, and that's what made the race keener to own him after his death; from Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif of Pakistan to Jamat-ud--Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed and Geelani.

Nawaz Sharif hailed him as a young leader of Kashmir, thus tearing off the target of terrorist from him. Hafiz Saeed claimed that Burhan had said that he was confident of accomplishing his mission after talking to me. Geelani made a similar claim. That is how the young militant leader was adopted. It was only after they saw that how the Valley had erupted and all the deaths were attributed to the love of the masses for Burhan, though that is debatable. There were protests but it was the mishandling of the situation that resulted in casualties. A twisted narrative was conjured up as if the whole Valley was in flames because of Burhan. What made matters worse was the use of the pellet guns and blinding of the young protestors. That infuriated the masses. The gainer was Burhan.

The administration, caught in its own dilemma, fuelled the crisis. It was unable to take action against the agent provocateurs because the politicians wanted to save their political constituencies. The PDP has its support base in south Kashmir. At the moment, a common refrain in Kashmir is enough is enough. The people are sick of violence and almost daily shutdowns. That's why the joint resistance leadership  Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Yasin Malik  stopped issuing the protest calendars since January this year. This frustrating experience has made the protest calls weak, though the occasional violence, protests and killings tend to present a replay of the 2016 protests but that is not happening.

Three top militants Sabzar Bhat, Junaid Mattoo and Bashir Wani were killed one after another  there were few protests. Only a sense of paralysing fatigue has gripped the people of the Valley. For the separatists, Burhan is a straw for their survival.

ajoshi57@gmail.com
S Nihal Singh

THE endgame is clear in the high stakes chess that is being played by the Gulf monarchies. It is the process of isolating Qatar diplomatically and blockading it by the monarchies led by Saudi Arabia that is proving so difficult. Encouraged by US President Donald Trump, intentionally or otherwise, Riyadh is riding high in enforcing its writ on the Sunni world in the Middle East.

The crisis of enforcing Saudi hegemony in the region has been simmering for a long time. Riyadh sees Qatar as an upstart challenging it by following its own foreign policy and punching far above its weight by its immense gas reserves and running a successful pan-Arabic television channel in Arabic and English, Al Jazeera. Matters came to a head in the Arab Spring which elevated the Arabic version of the Doha-based channel to a cult status, being the only Arabic channel voicing popular opinions against the staid channels sponsored by the other monarchies.

That a tiny country like Qatar could defy the lead of Saudi Arabia in looking at the world rankled in Riyadh. A second bone of contention was Dohas cordial relations with Shiite Iran, the declared enemy of the Sunni world. With President Trump receiving a royal welcome to Saudi Arabia on his first trip abroad in his new capacity and his tilt towards Riyadh was taken as a signal of American acquiescence in blackballing Doha, as his first tweets supporting Saudis suggested.

The Saudis compounded the problem by listing a set of demands for Qatar that would force it to wear sackcloth and ashes as it surrendered. Among them was to close down Al Jazeera and bring relations with Iran to the norm adopted by other Sunni monarchies. The rationale given for these extraordinary demands was Dohas support of extremists and extremism best described by the German foreign minister as provocative.

It is well recognised across the world that the shape Islam has taken in recent years and decades is in a large measure due to Saudi largesse in generously funding the Wahhabi strand through building of mosques and sending imams to preach this form of Islam. Doha entered the field much later and has publicly expressed its sympathies for the Muslim Brotherhood. Unlike Saudi Arabia, which welcomed the coup of the military ruler, General al-Sistani, and showered economic aid on him, Al Jazeera called it by its proper name.

The initial time given to Doha to obey the demands was extended by a couple of days after which the Saudi-led coalition, including the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt met in Cairo to leave sanctions in place without enhancing them. Those in place are severe enough  breaking diplomatic relations and isolating Qatar on land and in the air.

Qatar, one of the richest countries in the world, given its tiny population and immense oil and gas wealth, is dependent on its neighbours for essential food and other requirements. About 40 per cent of its food requirements came from Saudi Arabia across its only land bridge. And the rest of the world provided other essential requirements.

Initially, Iran and Turkey flew in essential food and other supplies to keep Qatar running, but it is an expensive way to live even for a rich country. Another bone of contention is a Turkish military base in Qatar, now reinforced. And President Trump had to tone down his enthusiasm for Saudi belligerence against Doha by being reminded by his advisers that Qatar hosts the biggest American base in the region comprising fleets of jet fighters and some 10,000 US servicemen. It is indeed the hub of the anti-Islamic State military operations.

Kuwait is acting as an intermediary in the Gulf crisis, to little effect thus far. It is true that the longer the impasse lasts, the greater will be the price Qatar will have to pay in keeping the country on an even keel. Perhaps the Saudis are banking on this aspect to keep the crisis going. Unless the Saudis are willing to reconsider their demands, no country  much less one with immense wealth  can accept such humiliating conditions.

One consequence of the major spat will be the end of the life of the Gulf Cooperation Council of Sunni monarchies. The Qatari hope seems to be that there will be other world powers that will seek to influence Riyadh in seeing the absurdity of the demands. Turkey is one regional country siding with Qatar, apart from Iran. The demand for Al Jazeera closure goes deeper because free media is anathema to the Gulf monarchies, which apply strict censorship to their own media outlets.

It is, indeed, Al Jazeera that has given Qatar an outsized influence so resented by Saudi Arabia, which considers itself as the big boy of the region. Doha would probably agree to make its contributions to outside groups in the Islamic world more transparent. And it could be prepared to acknowledge Saudi regional prominence in a symbolic way.

In a world of monarchies bound by customs and traditions, rulers have pronounced concepts of honour and valour. Part of the problem for any mediator would lie in safeguarding the amour propre of the concerned rulers, principally Saudi Arabia, particularly its present centre of power, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

The Trump effect on the crisis cannot be wished away. By seeming to encourage Saudi rulers to spread their wings, the new US President has set in motion new currents in a region cursed by wars and terrorism, some of them of Americas own making. While his advisers are trying to pick up the pieces, the world waits for the next cataclysm.

The dilemma for the rest of the world is that it has dealings with Qatar and other Gulf countries, in the case of the developing world in the shape of providing employment to millions of their workers, apart from meeting their energy requirements. India, like others, is therefore averse to getting involved in what is essentially a family quarrel.
Punjabis have put the decade of violence behind them and it is natural to expect that everyone who has been through that particularly trying time would go the extra mile to ensure that those dark days never return. Unfortunately, political calculations have an uncanny way of making politicians repeat their mistakes, again and again, always at the cost of the people and public welfare. Recent events, which are not causally related in the strict empirical sense, trigger concern among those who wish the state and its people well.

On the one hand is the martyrs gallery dedicated to those killed during Operation Bluestar. The SGPC top brass was buttressed by counterparts from Delhi and Damdami Taksal chief Harnam Singh Dhumma, who is spearheading the kar sewa for the gallery, located within Gurdwara Shaheedan, a memorial dedicated to the victims of the operation in the Golden Temple complex. Victims must not be ignored, but they should also never be used for partisan gains. The political agenda behind this gallery is obvious, and it is difficult to believe that the timing of the event is a coincidence. The Shiromani Akali Dal has demonstrated a propensity to pick up religious issues when it is not in power, and Dhummas political alignment is well known.

On the other hand, the Punjab Police has reacted  perhaps over-reacted  to posters for Punjab Independence Referendum 2020 by booking five people on the charge of sedition and promoting enmity. This after the Chief Minister had days before dismissed the posters as unworthy of attention. The posters have been around for some time now and had not evoked much interest till political players got into the act. Now familiar demons like Pakistani intelligence and Khalistani elements have been invoked, and the issue has been escalated. With local body elections round the corner in Punjab, the possibility of political misadventures intensifying cannot be ruled out. Peace in Punjab has come at a great cost, and as the decade lost to militancy goes further back in time, it is important to remember the terrible price that the state and its people had to pay at that. All must observe and ensure restraint in present-day activities that have political implications.
Our Correspondent

Kangra, July 7

Workers of the Block Congress Committee (BCC), Shahpur, under the leadership of Kewal Singh Pathania, Vice-Chairman, State Forest Corporation, today expressed their solidarity with Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh after Vijay Singh Mankotias outburst and other developments, including Mankotias removal as vice-chairman of the Tourism Development Board yesterday.

The BCC workers today gathered at the Rait Congress office under the leadership of Kewal Singh Pathania and declared their solidarity with Virbhadra Singh. They said the future of Shahpur was safe under leaders like Virbhadra Singh and KS Pathania.

They raised slogans in favour of Virbhadra Singh. However, they did not speak out anything against Mankotia who represented the constituency in 1985, 1990, 1993 and 2003 and was in the Virbhdra Singhs Cabinet as Tourism and Civil Aviation Minister.

Pathania said a rally was taken out at Shahpur and Rait and Dharkandi and Changer Congress committees also supported the Chief Minister.

The Congress workers said it was because of Virbhadra Singh and KS Pathania that Shahpur Assembly constituency had witnessed tremendous development. The SDM office was opened at Shahpur and sub tehsil at remote village of Drehni. Two degree colleges were opened besides a number of schools were upgraded, new school buildings were constructed.

KS Pathania did not say anything about Mankotia. However, he said BJP leaders and some other leaders were afraid of Virbhadra Singh so they were trying to target him as their futile exercise.

He was critical of BJP leaders for targeting Virbhadra Singh during the Parivartan yatra and said BJP leaders had developed Virbhadra phobia. He alleged the state BJP leadership had become so weak that party had to import leaders from outside the state for the yatra.
Samaan Lateef

Tribune News Service

Srinagar July 7

Amid opposition, the Jammu and Kashmir Government today rolled out the Goods and Services Tax (GST) with the President approving the extension of the GST to J&K. ...I announce the rolling out of the GST from 12 pm on July 7, said Finance Minister Haseeb Drabu in both Houses of the J&K legislature.

Spelling out the constitutional safeguards for J&K, he said, The powers of the state of J&K as per Section 5 of the Constitution of J&K (which empowers the state to levy tax) shall remain intact.

Except for J&K, the GST was rolled out across the country on July 1.

(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)

Drabu tabled the presidential order in the House even as principal Opposition National Conference boycotted the session. Congress legislator Nawang Rigzin Jora, who staged a walkout with his party members, said, We charge this government with subterfuge to undermine the special status of J&K. The Congress legislators left the House, raising slogans.

The safeguards
Samaan Lateef

Tribune News Service

Srinagar July 7

The Goods and Services Tax (GST) is being rolled out in Jammu and Kashmir on Friday after the state legislature passed the state GST amid boycott from the opposition parties.

Finance Minister Haseeb Drabu tabled the presidential order in the Legislative Assembly to pave way for passing of the SGST Bill. After the ruling PDP-BJP members voted for the Bill and it was subsequently passed by the Speaker, the Finance Minister announced that the GST would be rolled out on Friday midnight.

(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)

The GST has three modelsIntegrated GST (IGST), Central GST (CGST) and SGST. The SGST is subservient to the IGST and CGST, which were implemented in the state after a Presidential Order approved the extension of the 101st Amendment to the Constitution to J&K. Through the 101st amendment the GST came into effect in the country except J&K, because of its special status.

However, to extend the 101st amendment to J&K, it needed to recommend for its extension to President Pranab Mukherjee, who on Friday approved it.

The PDP-BJP government had passed a resolution on Wednesday in the assembly after which the state cabinet under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti cleared a draft order for the Presidents concurrence.

The GST was rolled out in the rest of the country on July 1.
Jammu, July 7

Over one lakh pilgrims have performed this years Amarnath Yatra so far as another batch of 2,199 pilgrims left from here for the Kashmir Valley on Friday.

Another batch of 2,199 yatris left from the Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas in an escorted convoy of 74 vehicles for the valley, a police official said here.

The convoy left at 4.05 am, the official said.

Since the 40-day-long Amarnath Yatra began on June 29, over a lakh pilgrims have had darshan inside the cave shrine in Kahsmirs Himalayas.

Situated at more than 3,888 metres above the sea-level, the cave shrine houses an ice stalagmite structure that the devotees believe symbolises the mythical powers of Lord Shiva.

The ice stalagmite structure, called the holy Lingam, waxes and wanes with the size of the visible moon.

This year unprecedented security arrangements have been made for the yatra given the threat perception from the militants.

The most appreciable aspect of the ongoing yatra has, however, been the helping hand lent by the local Muslims to the pilgrims.

The local Muslims run taxis for the pilgrims, tea-stalls, roadside kiosks selling refreshments, providing tents at the two base camps of Baltal and Pahalgam and, most essentially, carrying the pilgrims on ponies and sometimes on their back along the treacherous mountain track.

So far, 10 pilgrims have died during the yatra. One was killed in a gas cylinder explosion inside a bus on Thursday while nine others died of natural causes. IANS
Majid Jahangir

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, July 7

The J&K Police have questioned over six persons, including family members, to trace the whereabouts of a Kashmiri soldier who deserted his base.

The police are also investigating whether the soldier, a resident of Pulwama district in south Kashmir, was in contact with militants or any over-ground worker (OGW) back home. Pulwama district is home to nearly 20 militants.

Sepoy Zahoor Ahmed Tokar, who was posted in the 173 Territorial Army (Engineering) unit at Gantmulla Baramulla, went missing along with an AK rifle and three magazines.

After Tokar went missing, a high alert was sounded as the deserted soldier has a good knowledge of the security system. While the police suspect that Tokar may have joined militancy, but so far they have got no confirmation or any hard evidence regarding it.

Before deserting, Tokar had talked to his father and a friend over phone. We questioned them but the duo had no clue about his deserting the Army base, a senior police officer said. We have questioned other people also and we are trying to find out whether the soldier had any contact with any militant or OGW in Pulwama. The jawan was in fact home on Eid and had joined after availing two-day leave, he said.

Inspector General of Police, Kashmir, Muneer Khan said there was no confirmation about his whereabouts.

There have been instances in J&K where policemen have joined militant ranks, but this is the first such incident of a Kashmiri soldier deserting Army ranks. In May this year, Constable Syed Naveed Mushtaq, a resident of Shopian district in south Kashmir, had fled with four INSAS rifles, including his own rifle, from the guard post at the Food Corporation of India godown in Budgam and later joined militant ranks. In past five years, at least five cops have joined militancy in Kashmir.
Jammu, July 7

A pilgrim, who was on his way to the cave shrine of Vaishno Devi in Reasi district, died of a cardiac arrest on Friday, the police said.

Ajit Gundu Devalatakar (44), a resident of Panaji in Goa, collapsed near the Thanda nallah in the Trikuta hills, en route to the cave shrine. He was being accompanied by his friends, said a police officer.

Devalatakar was rushed to a dispensary at Himkoti, where the doctors declared him brought dead. PTI
Srinagar, July 7

Minutes after the J&K Legislature passed the GST Bill, the BJP today described the implementation of the new tax regime as the beginning of the complete integration of J&K with the country.

We are happy with the implementation of the GST. It is a step and beginning of the process of complete integration of J&K with India, BJP state president Sat Sharma told reporters immediately after the GST Bill was passed in the Assembly.  TNS
Jasmine Singh

Soni Kaur, a pretty British-Punjabi, explains the accent. Her favourite Punjabi actor, Diljit Dosanjh, explains the Punjabi in her. However, her Bollywood debut film Ek Haseena Thi Ek Deewana Tha needs a little more explanation, which Soni Kaur is more than willing to offer.

With her parents moving from Amritsar to London, a country where she was born, Soni wanted to act always. In school, I would be a part of dance and drama; I got portfolio shot by a photographer in Mumbai, which was liked by director Suneel Darshan, Soni says. I was shy initially, but gradually I warmed up in front of the camera and thereafter it was total fun, she says.

Childhood dream

Though she had a childhood dream of getting into Bollywood, Soni did go through acting workshops to hone her skills, which according to her is a craft. You cant master acting all at once; it is craft that has to be nurtured properly and then you can create a niche with it. We drop the word challenge and that makes her pause for a while. If you are asking what the most challenging thing for me in the film was, then I would say that the mysterious expression that I had to wear was something I had to work on. I am otherwise a charming and glamorous girl (the self-assessment is followed by a giggle), so trying to look mysterious was not easy.

Up next

With one film down, Soni is now reading a couple of scripts, some Bollywood projects and some Punjabi ones too? Oh I would love to do a Punjabi film too opposite Diljit Dosanjh. I have seen all his films. The recent Super Singh too? I couldnt see that because my film, Ek Haseena Thi Ek Deewana Tha, released on the same date, she smiles broadly.

Going good so far, Soni wouldnt want to be typecast in the British kind of role. I would love to do a love story or maybe a biopic. Biopic...we bet she already has something in her mind. Rekha; her life is really interesting...a biopic on her would be a great thing to do.
Manpriya Singh

Altaf Raja and Himmesh Reshammiya dont quite cut it in this space. Well, you see you have to be bad (like the most superlative form of bad) and not just plain bad. Once you make everyone cringe, only then you remain in collective consciousness. For starters, thats the first premise that cringe pop harbours on. Cringe popofficially defined as songs that are so bad that youll actually listen to them. So whos singing them? More importantly, whos listening to them? Even more importantly; why?

The world of cringe pop

Before Indian artiste Pooja Jain came out of nowhere and became Dhinchak Pooja, with ridiculous Selfie Le Le and Dilon Ka Shooter, there is Taher Shah. He comes from a country that gave uswellNusrat Fateh Ali Khan andAbida Parveen. The Pakistani artists nightmarish video Angel Eyes, released last year, till date boasts of over 6 million views.

Well, what is it about the video that makes us watch and even share? There is absolutely nothing funny about a middle-aged average looking man with long hair, androgynous clothing replete with magic wands, wings and singing Within a human, is an AngelLove is the soul, of an Angel

Along the line, over the years, we actually got so bad that the original pop cringe artist Rebecca Black, whose single Friday is touted to be first cringe pop single, doesnt seem that cringe-worthy at all. In the video uploaded in 2011, Rebecca, then 13, talks about routine life of a teenager, about Fridays and weekends.

A genre in its own right

Even as you recover from the shock that only truly tacky can give you and decide to share the misery with others; there is no skipping the artistes that go down the hall of fame and deserve an honourable mention. Apart from, of course, Rebecca Black, Taher Shah and Dhinchak Pooja. Theres Pine Pineapple Apple Pen, Jacob Sartorius with a couple of interviews and Jacintha Morris.

What makes them click?

There are a lot of things that these videos and artists have going for them, Chandigarh- based psychologist Nisha Bothra, who runs Chrysalys Psychological Services, offers to put things into perspective. One, there is absolutely nothing serious involved. It is so bad to the point of being hilarious and they serve as a quirky distraction from our day-to-day lives. At the base level, we all like to make fun of others and here, for sure, nobody is getting offended in the process.

Too good at being bad?

Havent we even had respected actress Richa Chadha commenting on Dhinchak Pooja, If this is deliberate, its hilarious. It means that no matter what you do, if you are really good at something, youll click with youngsters. Even if you are really good at being bad, laughs Gauri Sharma, former student, Department of Sociology, Panjab University, who admits to having seen Dhinchak Pooja on the net but never shared it.

Whom to blame?

Whatever be the factors driving the phenomenon, we hope like dubsmash it fades away into much-deserved oblivion. Vinod Kumar Choudhary, assistant professor, Department of Sociology, Panjab University, observes how the phenomenon is here to stay at least for the time being. The problem that we are facing now with the youth of this country was faced by Japan in late 90s and early 2000s. The invasion of technology to such an extent that the younger generation confines itself to a room and considers it their world. Such youngsters majorly are behind the consumption of such media.

Others join in out of sheer curiosity as to how and why something so stupid is going viral on the net. He adds, I have students doing research on similar YouTubers and memesWell have to do what Japan did and currently Bengaluru and Delhi are doing too. Resort to technology de-addiction centres, with initiatives like where you stay without Internet for an hour, you get reward of a few dollars.

As Dhinchak Pooja counts more than six-and-a-half million views on her one week old Dilon Ka Shooter video, we get back to wondering why would anybody share it and with whom?

manpriya@tribunemail.com
Ratna Raman

THE noun charade refers to any pretence at projecting a pleasant front. Charades usually conceal unpleasant situations. Charades were literary riddles popular in the 18 century France among the elite. Each syllable was described by a separate phrase, and the piecing together of the whole word involved a display of wit and context. The British upper classes adopted talking charades as parlour games. From these evolved the acting charades of the 19th century that emphasised enactment and costumes.

Charades found their way into fiction. In Jane Eyre (1847), Rochester organises an acting charade at Thornfield Manor to woo Jane, a young governess in his employ. Vanity Fair, written around the same time, has Rebecca Sharp out acting charades before the Prince Regent.

Charades have continued to feature in the 20th century as informal games, masquerades, fancy dress balls and pantomimes. Speech has been replaced by gestures, costumes and pageantry. Dumb charades interpolate gesture, enactment and costume and continue to be a part of contemporary public life. Additional technology, colour and pageantry ensure that dumb charades are a major influence on young and adults alike. Most forms of costuming and couture work in the manner of dress charades for persons of privilege. Charades are synonymous with play-acting, false fronts and fake projections. It is now used to describe pretence or put on behaviour in public.

For instance, Aishwarya Rai, who was body shamed and attacked for her dress sense, wowed critics in her serial appearance as a Disney princess on the red carpet at Cannes. Her costumes shifted our attention away from the bitter reality of Indian cinemas poor standing at Cannes.

Ed Sheerans music video showcases premiers from all over the world, dancing to the Shape of You. Popular on You-Tube, this musical charade allows viewers to interpret lip-synching leaders as they deem fit.

Charades continue to be a platform for the privileged and aid in the creation of all manner of facades. When our PM appeared on stage with the American premier, in a suit monogrammed with his name, he effectively effaced his humble past and established parity with political heavyweights, recalling erstwhile Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, the trendsetter in monogrammed suits.

Prince Henrys Nazi uniform at a fancy dress party made for an unsavoury visual charade. Nationally and internationally ,leaders now don costumes specific to ethnic groups. However, the positive effects of this for the community that is thus celebrated, has yet to be tabulated.

Charades work most effectively as political statements because they trigger memory and seamlessly shuffle older images within new contexts. The recent colour photo of PM Modi seated at the charkha, superimposed itself over Gandhis black and white pictures at the charkha. The midnight GST festival evoked associations of Indias midnight tryst with destiny in 1947.

Sometimes, beyond the symbolism and the enactment, the charade has a life of its own. Chroniclers of words would reiterate that trysts, both at midnight or with the spinning wheel, imply secret, romantic liaisons and therefore remain suspect. Nehrus incorrect use of the word tryst was easy to forgive in an innocent age. Charades can be spectacular, but the bigger they are, the harder they fall!
Patna, July 7

The BJP has welcomed CBI raids on RJD chief Lalu Prasads residence and 12 other places over a fresh case of alleged irregularities in awarding tender for the maintenance of hotels.

The Central Bureau of Investigation carried out raids at 12 places in Patna, Delhi, Ranchi, Puri and Gurugram in connection with the case involving Lalu Prasad and his family.

It is right time for (Bihar Chief Minister) Nitish Kumar to end his party JD-Us alliance with the RJD and he should sack Lalus two sons from his cabinet without delay, BJP state president Nityanand Rai told IANS here.

Rai said politics would change in Bihar after the CBI raids.

Leader of opposition Prem Kumar told the media here that Nitish Kumar should act against Lalus two sons.

Our stand has been vindicated, Lalu and his family is corrupt.

The CBI has registered the case against Lalu; his wife and former Chief Minister Rabri Devi; Tejaswi Yadav; former Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) Managing Director PK Goyal; and the wife of Lalus confidante Prem Chand Gupta, Sujata, on allegations of awarding the tender for development, maintenance and operation of hotels in Ranchi and Puri in 2006.

In the same year, the hotels were transferred to the IRCTC.

Lalu Prasad was the Railway Minister between 2004 and 2009. IANS
New Delhi, July 7

The CBI on Friday carried out searches at the residence of former Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav and 11 other locations after registering a case of corruption against the RJD chief and his family.

It is alleged that Yadav as Railway Minister handed over maintenance of two Railway hotels BNR Ranchi and Puri to Sujata Hotel (a company owned by Vinay and Vijay Kochhar) after receiving a bribe in the form of prime land of three acres through a benami company.

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The FIR alleged that Lalu Prasad Yadav as railway minister abused his official position for extending undue favours to Kochhars, acquired a "high value premium land" through a benami company Delight and as a quid pro quo, dishonestly and fraudulently managed award of leasing BNRs at Ranchi and Puri to the company of Kochhars.

Read: Nitish calls senior officers after CBI raids on Lalu

The CBI has registered the case against Lalu Yadav, his wife Rabri Devi, son Tejashwi Yadav, now Deputy CM Bihar, Sarla Gupta, wife of Prem Chand Gupta, former union minister.

Others named as accused in the FIR include Vijay Kochhar, Vinay Kochhar, both directors of Sujata Hotels and owner of Chanakya Hotel, Delight marketing company, now known as Lara Projects and the then Managing Director P K Goel.

In 2001, a decision was taken to handover management of catering services of Indian Railways, including its hotels to IRCTC.

Two such hotels namely BNR Hotels in Ranchi and Puri were also identified and a MoU was signed between the Railways and IRCTC on March 19, 2004.

Lalu Yadav, the then railway minister, entered into criminal conspiracy with owners of Sujata hotels, Sarla Gupta, wife of his close associate Prem chand Gupta (an RJD MP in Rajya Sabha) and IRCTC officials for "undue pecuniary advantage to himself and others", the CBI FIR alleged.

It is alleged that Vinay Kochhar on February 25, 2005 sold commercial property in the form of three acres of land in Patna through 10 sale deeds for Rs 1.47 crore to Delight marketing in which Sarla Gupta was a director as a front benami holder on behalf of Lalu Prasad Yadav.

The FIR alleged that the land was sold to the company at a price which was below circle rates and market rates and was falsely shown as agriculture land to evade substantial stamp duty.

It was disclosed during the preliminary enquiry of the CBI that the land was sold by the Kochhars to Delight and the payment for the same was arranged "surreptitiously" by the company in the form of investment of Delight through Ahluwali contractors and its promoter Bikramjeet Singh Ahluwalia.

"On the day when the sale deeds were executed by the Kochhars in favour of DMCL on February 25, 2005, the Railway Board on the same day informed IRCTC about its decision for transfer of BNR hotels to IRCTC on "as is where is basis", the FIR alleged.

The BNR hotels were transferred to Sujata Hotels through a rigged and manipulated tender process managed by P K Goel, the then MD IRCTC, the CBI alleged.

The CBI enquiry shows that Railway sought bids for developing, operating and maintaining Rail Ratna Hotels on September 16, 2006.

To "restrict" competition for BNR hotels in Ranchi and Puri, the IRCTC officials issued a corrigendum making a reference about commencement of sale for bid documents for BNR hotels, it alleged.

The conditions were further tweaked through another corrigendum in order to make Sujata Hotel contender for the bid, the agency alleged.

The CBI has alleged that Yadav, as Railway Minister, was aware about the whole process and was keeping a track of the tender proceedings.

It surfaced while over 15 bid documents were received for both the hotels, IRCTC has no records of bidders other than Sujata Hotels.

It is also alleged that with an intention to render undue pecuniary gains to Sujata hotels, bid of another hotel was deliberately and unreasonably given low marks under technical evaluation.

"As a result, Sujata Hotel remained the only bidder in financial evaluation and was qualified," it alleged.

After the tender was awarded to Sujata Hotel, the ownership of Delight marketing also changed hands from Sarla Gupta to Rabri Devi and Tejaswi Yadav between 2010 and 2014.

By this time Lalu Prasad Yadav had demitted the office of Railway Minister.

The value of property which was sold by Kochhars to Delight Marketing at 1.47 crore in 2005 had spiralled to Rs 32.5 crore as per circle rate and Rs 94 crore as per market rate.

"The shares of a company having a networth of Rs 32.5 crore was transferred by the family member of P C Gupta to the family members of Lalu Prasad Yadav for a nominal amount of Rs 64 lakh," it alleged.

Witch hunt

RJD chief Lalu Prasad termed the lodging of a corruption case against him and CBI searches at the premises his family members as a "BJP conspiracy" and "witch hunt" and claimed he was innocent.

"BJP wants to silence everyone who goes against it. The party wants to create a monopoly in India," he said.

Reacting to the CBI's charges, he said he took over as the railway minister on May 31, 2004 and all the decisions about handing over of the hotels were taken before that.

"So the government of the day, the Atal Bihari government, must respond to CBI's charges," he said.

"No wrong was done in the tendering. IRCTC was formed in 1999, it started functioning in 2002 when NDA was ruling. The hotels of railway in Delhi, Ranchi, Puri and Howrah were handed over to IRCTC in 2003," the RJD supremo said.

"This is a BJP conspiracy. The raid is a witch hunt. There is no illegality. I have done nothing wrong. I am open to any probe by the CBI," Prasad, who appeared before the special CBI court here in two fodder scam cases, said, adding that he would unite the opposition against BJP and go ahead with the Patna rally on August 27.

"The BJP and the RSS are conspiring against me and my family for speaking against them. But they will not be able to do any harm to me as I have not done anything wrong," he said. The prime minister and BJP chief orchestrating CBI raids to politically finish.  PTI
Jitendra Shrivastava & Syed Ali Ahmed

Patna/New Delhi, July 7

The CBI today carried out raids on the residences of RJD leader Lalu Prasad, his wife Rabri Devi and son Tejaswi Yadav, Bihar's Deputy CM, after registering a fresh case for manipulation in allotting the contract for the maintenance and operation of two hotels run by a subsidiary of the Indian Railways  IRCTC  when Lalu was Railway Minister.

The searches, which began at 7 am and included Rabri Devi's Circular Road residence in Patna, were spread across 12 locations in Patna, Ranchi, Gurugram and Bhubaneswar.

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The premises of Lalu confidant Prem Chand Gupta, whose wife Sarla Gupta is listed as an accused in the FIR, were raided too.

An angry Lalu trained his guns at PM Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah as he arrived in Patna from Ranchi, claiming the BJP would be rooted out even if I am hanged.

He alleged the BJP had been trying to create cracks in the grand alliance, but would not succeed. Lalu was in Ranchi to appear before a CBI court when the raids were carried out.

During the 10-hour raid at Lalus 10 Circular Road residence, CBI officials allegedly seized some documents and gathered electronic evidences against Lalus family. They are said to have quizzed Rabri Devi and her son Tejaswi and recorded their statements.

Lalu is alleged to have committed irregularities in awarding the tender for maintenance of hotels, including BNR in Ranchi and Puri, when he was Railway Minister (2004-09). The tender was allegedly allotted to Sujata Hotel Pvt Limited owned by Vinay and Vijay Kochhar after receiving a bribe in the form of prime land in Patna through a benami company owned by Sarla Gupta. Bihars biggest mall was being constructed on this land.

It is alleged that Vinay Kochhar on February 25, 2005, sold commercial property in the form of three acres of land in Patna through 10 sale deeds for Rs 1.47 crore to Delight Marketing, in which Sarla Gupta was a director as a benami holder on behalf of Lalu. The land was sold much below the market rate. The plot was shown as agriculture land to evade stamp duty.

CBI Additional Director Rakesh Asthan said the conspiracy spanned 2004-14 during which the tender process was rigged in favour of Sujata Hotels. In return, the owners of Sujata Hotel gave three acres of land in Patna to Delight Marketing at a low rate. Subsequently, the land was transferred to another company, Lara Projects, owned by Lalus family members, he said.

The CBI has rgistered a case under Section 120-B and 420 of the IPC and the Prevention of Corruption Act against Sarla Gupta, Vijay Kochhar, Vinay Kochhar (both directors of Sujata Hotels), Delight Marketing Company, now known as Lara Projects, and the then IRCTC MD, PK Goel.
Kolkata, July 7

The Calcutta High Court on Friday sought to know if the Centre did not think the Darjeeling hills stir for a separate Gorkhaland needed to be quelled quickly, given the strategic location of the area.

Given the geopolitical area in which it lies, doesnt the Centre think this agitation be quelled immediately? asked acting Chief Justice Nishita Mhatre while hearing a plea for restoration of normalcy in the Darjeeling hills.

The court posed the query amid the Indian Armed forces being locked in a standoff with the Chinese army at Dokalam at the Bhutan tri-junction, not too far from Darjeeling.

The Division Bench of acting Chief Justice Mhatre and Justice Tapabrata Chakraborty directed the West Bengal government officials to sit with the Ministry of Home Affairs to sort out the requirements for paramilitary forces on the basis of ground conditions.

Expressing displeasure at the state and the Centre sparring over requirement of Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) in the restive Darjeeling hills, the Bench observed, The situation can improve only if both of you sit together and sort out the issues.

The court asked the Centre and the state government to reach a meaningful understanding over CAPF requirement before July 11, when the matter would be heard next.

Normal life has been affected severely in Darjeeling and Kalimpong due to the ongoing indefinite shutdown enforced by the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) and some other hill parties since June 15 over a separate statehood demand.

Incidents of arson have been going on in different parts of the hills since June eight.

Appearing for the Centre, Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Kaushik Chanda told the court that 11 companies of CAPF have been provided for Darjeeling and Kalimpong districts in the hills.

Stating that the CAPF deployment was sufficient for the two districts, Chanda said maintaining law and order was primarily the state governments responsibility.

He said eight companies of CAPF were sent to Basirhat in North 24 Parganas district of the state, which has been facing communal strife since last Monday.

There are requirements of CAPF in other parts of the country also for various reasons, including for the ongoing Amarnath Yatra, Chanda said.

Appearing for West Bengal government, Advocate General Kishore Dutta submitted that the state had not asked for any additional force, but only sought replacement of six CAPF companies for operational reasons.

The state government through a communique to the Centre on June 30 had sought replacement of three women companies of the CRPF with three male companies and replacement of three SSB companies with those of the CRPF or RAF.

No lawyer represented Gorkha Janmukti Morcha president Bimal Gurung or his party, which is spearheading the movement for a separate state of Gorkhaland to be carved out of West Bengal.  PTI
Hamburg, July 7

The G20 Summit began on Friday in this port city as world leaders assembled to discuss fight against terrorism and ways to improve open trade while Prime Minister Narendra Modi met his counterparts from the BRICS bloc.

While host German Chancellor Angela Merkel welcomed the leaders to open the 12th G20 Summit, a separate meeting of BRICS leaders took place on the sidelines.

The official details of the BRICS meet could not be immediately ascertained.

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Outside the Summit venue, violent protests continued by various rights groups, including anti-capitalist groupings.

The police had to resort to water cannons, teargas and pepper spray.

Modi reached here on Thursday evening and has bilateral meetings lined up with various leaders, including from Japan, South Korea and Vietnam.

Modi will participate in the leaders retreat and the sessions on Global Growth and Trade and on Sustainable Development, Climate and Energy. Later in the evening, he will attend a concert for leaders at Elphilharmonie.

This port city has been converted into a fortress for the Summit, which is being attended by 4,800 journalists from more than 67 countries.

Fighting terrorism, climate change and global trade are expected to be the key areas of discussion at the two-day Summit, whose theme is Shaping an Inter-connected World. The meet is taking place at a time when differences have emerged among several leaders expected to be present--mostly on publicly stated views of US President Donald Trump--including on issues like climate change and open trade.

Russias Vladimir Putin, Turkeys Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Frances Emmanuel Macron and the UKs Theresa May will be participating in the Summit.

While Hamburg happens to be city of birth for the Summit host Merkel, it is also known as an anti-establishment bastion of Left-wing radicals.

At least 30 protests are expected to be held here ahead of the Summit that may attract thousands of people, including from anti-capitalist groups. Local authorities expect these protests to remain peaceful and around 15,000 police personnel will be deployed to protect the venue. Besides, nearly 4,000 personnel will keep a tab on the airport and train security.

While counter-terrorism and economic reforms will dominate the discussions, the Summit will also discuss issues like free and open trade, climate change, migration, sustainable development and global stability.

Prior to the Summit, Modi had said he was looking forward to engaging leaders from other G20 countries on the vital issues affecting our world today that have a bearing on economic growth, sustainable development, and peace and stability.

The Prime Minister had said the world leaders would review progress on decisions since the Hangzhou Summit last year and deliberate on issues of terrorism, climate, sustainable development, growth and trade, digitisation, health, employment, migration, womens empowerment, and partnership with Africa.

Modi is to hold meetings with leaders of countries like Canada, Japan, and the UK on the sidelines of the Summit.

The prime minister is visiting Hamburg from July 6-8 for the G-20 Summit. His pre-planned bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the Summit are with Argentina, Canada, Italy, Japan, Mexico, ROK (Republic of Korea), the UK and Vietnam, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Gopal Baglay said on Thursday. PTI
Hamburg, July 7

Notwithstanding a standoff between their armies, India said on Friday that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping shook hands and had a conversation on a range of issues at an informal meeting of BRIC leaders.

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The interaction between Modi and Xi took place on the sidelines of the G20 Summit, even as tensions remain high between India and China in the Sikkim section.

In a tweet, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Gopal Baglay said Modi and Xi discussed a range of issues at the BRICS leaders informal gathering in Hamburg hosted by China. He did not elaborate on the issues discussed.

The ministry also tweeted a photograph of Modi and Xi shaking hands.

Read: G20 Summit begins amid violent protests; Modi meets BRICS leaders

Fresh G20 clashes in Hamburg, police cars torched

Modi asks BRICS to show leadership in fighting terrorism

The informal interaction comes a day after a top Chinese Foreign Ministry official said the atmosphere is not right for a formal bilateral meeting between Modi and Xi in Hamburg.

The standoff between China and India in the Dokalam area near the Bhutan tri-junction has dragged on for the past three weeks. It started after a Chinese Armys construction party attempted to build a road.

Doka La is the Indian name for the region, which Bhutan recognises as Dokalam, while China claims it as part of its Donglang region.

PM promises full cooperation to China for BRICS summit

Later, in an address to BRICS leaders, Modi appreciated momentum in the bloc under the Chinese chairmanship and extended full cooperation for the groupings upcoming summit to be hosted by Beijing. He also extended full cooperation and best wishes to China for the next BRICS summit in the Chinese city of Xiamen later this year.

Under Xis chairmanship, the progress and positive momentum of BRICS has further deepened our cooperation, Modi said.

At d BRICS leaders' informal gathering @ Hamburg hosted by China, PM @narendramodi and President Xi had a conversation on a range of issues pic.twitter.com/ervZw46PH0  Gopal Baglay (@MEAIndia) July 7, 2017

Modi said BRICS has been a strong voice and needs to show leadership on terrorism and global economy, according to a press release issued by the Ministry of External Affairs.

It quoted Modi as saying that G20 nations should also collectively oppose terrorism financing, franchises, safe havens, support and sponsors.

In his speech, Xi also appreciated the momentum witnessed at the BRICS bloc during Indias chairmanship before it was passed on to China, and praised Indias strong resolve against terrorism, the release said.

It quoted Xi as saying he appreciates Indias success in economic and social development and wishes India even bigger success.

Chinese official news agency Xinhua said Xi urged BRICS countries to push for peaceful settlement of regional conflicts and disputes, and to consolidate the role of the G20 mechanism as the premier platform for international economic cooperation.

The Xinhua report did not elaborate on what Xi meant by regional disputes.

Besides India and China, Russia, Brazil and South Africa are part of the BRICS grouping. PTI
Tribune News Service & PTI

New Delhi, July 7

In the backdrop of the ongoing standoff in Sikkim, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping today had a conversation on a range of issues during an informal gathering of BRICS leaders on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Hamburg, Germany.

While there were no details forthcoming on the issues discussed between the two leaders, the development is seen as a positive one. Reports indicate the meeting lasted five minutes.

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The PM, however, minced no words in slamming Beijings ally Pakistan, saying some countries were using terror as a tool to achieve political objectives as he equated Lashkar-e-Toiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed with Islamic State and al-Qaeda.

External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Gopal Baglay tweeted a photo of Modi and Xi smiling and shaking hands. He said the two leaders had a conversation on a range of issues. However, Xi while presiding over the informal meeting of BRICS leaders called on the BRICS countries to push for peaceful settlement of regional conflicts and disputes, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

The India-China rhetoric over the past few days has moved to murmurings of even an armed conflict. With this interaction at the highest level between the two countries today, things are now expected to make a slow return to normalcy.

Another indication to this effect was received at the BRICS Leaders Retreat earlier in the day where both Modi and Xi appreciated the work of the other in the BRICS forum.

Modi appreciated momentum in BRICS under the Chairmanship of President Xi and extended full cooperation and best wishes for the BRICS Xiamen Summit. The Chinese President was quick to return the compliment and said he appreciated Indias strong resolve against terrorism and the momentum in BRICS introduced under Indias chairmanship and through the outcomes of the Goa Summit in 2016.

The PM also spoke strongly on terror and the need for the global community to fight it. Modi mentioned that BRICS has been a strong voice and needs to show leadership on terrorism and global economy. The PM went on to state that G20 should collectively oppose terror financing, franchises, safe havens, support and sponsors.

Later, making the lead statement at the leaders retreat in G20, Modi said: Terrorism is the biggest challenge that we are facing today. I thank German Chancellor Angela Merkel for choosing this topic.

PMs counter-terror plan
Jitendra K Shrivastava

Tribune News Service

Patna, July 7

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Friday called senior officials for a meeting in Nalanda's Rajgir, amid the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) raids against Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav.

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The chief minister called Chief Secretary Anjani Kumar Singh, Principal Secretary (Home) Amir Subhani and Director General of Police (DGP) PK Thakur.

Read: CBI files case against Lalu, family after searching premises

Meanwhile, an alert has been issued from the Bihar Police headquarters to all police posts warning them of possible protests and retaliation from RJD supporters across the state.

The CBI on Friday carried out raids at the residences of Lalu Prasad and his family members in connection with a new case of alleged irregularities in awarding the tender for the maintenance of hotels.

The raids were also carried out at the residence of his younger son and Deputy Chief Minister Tejaswi Yadav.

The CBI also registered a corruption case against Lalu; his wife and former Chief Minister Rabri Devi; Tejaswi Yadav; former Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) Managing Director PK Goyal; and the wife of Lalu's confidante Prem Chand Gupta, Sujata on allegations of awarding the tender for development, maintenance and operation of hotels in Ranchi and Puri in 2006.

The RJD, however, brushed aside the allegations of corruption against Lalu and others saying that the agencies were acting as alliance partners of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Today's date shall go down in contemporary history as one of the darkest day. There is predictability about these kinds of agencies. Suddenly these agencies have become new alliance partners for the BJP and they are using it. As far as legal issues are concerned they know there is possibility of giving direction and influence from the top of the leadership of BJP. We will fight that legally, said RJD leader Manoj Jha.

RJD state chief Ram Chandra Purve said: After RJD chief Lalu Prasad announced BJP Bhagao, Desh Bachao rally in Patna on August 27, the Centre has swung into action against him.

While, the searches were still on, Lalu Prasad was present in a CBI court in Ranchi in connection with the fodder scam.
New Delhi, July 7

The NDA government today took strong exception to petitioners in Aadhaar case describing India as a concentration camp, leading to a spat between Attorney General KK Venugopal and senior counsel Shyam Divan in the Supreme Court.

As the hearing was about to end after a three-judge Bench suggested to the petitioners and the government to approach Chief Justice of India JS Khehar to set up a Constitution Bench at the earliest, Venugopal said, I have strong objection to the petitioners describing India as a concentration camp. How can they say India is a concentration camp?

I reiterate it, said Divan. When citizens have been reduced to numbers and tags, what else it is, if not a totalitarian regime? he shot back.

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As Venugopal said such language should not be used, the Bench headed by Justice J Chelameswar said it could intervene only if someone used unparliamentary language. It is unparliamentary language, the Attorney General said and went on to add that a senior advocate should avoid using such language.

Earlier, Divan gave a background of the controversy surrounding Aadhaar scheme and explained the status of various petitions and interim applications on the matter to the Bench, which advised him to request the CJI to constitute a Constitution Bench to take up the matter. Justice Chelameswar assured him that if a Constitution Bench was not set up, the three-judge Bench would take up all applications seeking interim orders on Aadhaar.  TNS
New Delhi, July 7

The Congress on Friday hit out at the Central government over its indifference towards Chinese incursions with vice-president Rahul Gandhi questioning Prime Minister Narendra Modis silence on the issue.

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The Modi governments foreign policy is defined by the Prime Ministers search for holiday destinations and photo opportunities instead of serving Indias interests, the Congress said in an article on its website.

His (Modis) foreign policy is defined by hyperbole and empty rhetoric. He believes, falsely, that talking tough in election rallies is the same as being tough on China on the diplomatic front, it said.

Meanwhile, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi said on Twitter, Why is our Prime Minister silent on China? During the 10 years of the UPA government, the party said, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had ensured that India balanced its relations with all major world powers.

Why is our Prime Minister silent on China?  Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) July 7, 2017

We ensured that any transgression on the part of China was deftly handled and the UPA understood the nature of global politics and diplomacy, the article stated.

Realising that Modi was a master bluster rather than a man of action, China, through its government-controlled media made open threats to India and talked of teaching us a bitter lesson, it said.

What has surprised and shocked the nation is the meek response of the Modi government. This is the same Narendra Modi whose spin doctors said that he would show red eyes to China, and they would go running back. The only red we have seen is the aggression of China, the article said.

The Congress also stated that in the face of these provocative statements by China, Home Minister Rajnath Singh merely said that Chinese intrusions were about perception. Perception? Tell that to our brave jawans who had to resist the Chinese aggression, the party said.

In the last 45 days, there have been nearly 120 Chinese incursions, it added.

Indian bunkers have been destroyed and Chinese warships and submarines reportedly spotted in the Indian Ocean, the Congress said.

China recently halted the passage of religious pilgrims of the Mansarovar Yatra and posted pictures of the destroyed bunkers. In June, 2017, two Chinese Army choppers also violated the Indian air space in Uttarakhand, the article said further.

Hailing the foreign policies of the UPA government, the Congress said realising the potential threats to Indias territorial integrity, the UPA had approved a Mountain Strike Corps, which would enhance the Indian Armys capability by adding 90,000 personnel.

The Opposition party also alleged that since the Modi government came to power, there had been a squeeze on release of funds and thus a shortfall in ammunition and equipment for units already raised.

If indeed Indias economy is booming, according to the BJP, why are the funds to defend India not being spent, the party questioned. PTI
New Delhi, July 7

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has a namesake in Israel  a young town that seeks to emerge as the "City of the Future".

Modi'in Maccabim Re'ut is a modern city, located in central Israel, about 35 km southeast of the capital, Tel Aviv.

"It is a young city which is growing very fast with a youthful population," says Rabbi Akiva, who has been living in India for six years now.

He said he had visited Modi'in a few years before he moved to India.

"Though the city's nomenclature has no connection with Modi, the coincidence is amusing," he said.

In a lighter vein, Akiva said the "in" in the name of the town could stand for India.

The rabbi also said Israelis were "happy" about Modi's visit to their country, the first by an Indian prime minister.

Modi wrapped up his three-day visit to Israel on Friday. Modi'in was not on his itinerary, with the prime minister visiting Tel Aviv and Haifa.

According to the official website of Modi'in, the cornerstone of which was laid in 1993, it is the "City of the Future".

"The city was named after the ancient city of Modi'in, the home of the Hashmonaim, the dynasty that personified the glorious heritage and heroism of Israel," it says. PTI
Gurbaxpuri

Tarn Taran, July 7

The police busted a Jalandhar-based gang of swindlers which lured people with the promise to settle them abroad.

The seven-member gang included five women who entered into sham marriages with the victims in lieu of lakhs of rupees. A case under Sections 420, 494, 120-B of the IPC has been registered by the Sadar police.

Goindwal Sahib DSP Satpal Singh conducted a preliminary inquiry and recommended the registration of a FIR in the case.

Three of the accused  Sandeep Verma, proprietor, Best Visa Consultancy, Prime Tower, Jalandhar, Tejinder Singh and Noordeep Kaur have been identified while four women members were yet to be recognised.

Complainant Surinder Singh, a resident of Manochahal Kalan village, said his son Simaranjit Singh had cleared his IELTS and approached Sandeep Verma to send him to Australia for higher studies.

The latter told him that since Simarjeet scored less marks it would be better if he married a qualified girl. He also suggested that he was in touch with such a person.

Accordingly, a meeting was arranged with the accused, Noordeep Kaur and the marriage was solemnised on November 3, 2015, at a gurdwara in Garha village (Jalandhar).

After the marriage, the accused demanded Rs 15 lakh from Simaranjit which was given. After taking the money, the accused stopped taking their calls.

Later, Surinder learnt and that Noordeep was also married with three other youths. All had paid huge amounts to her to go abroad.

The other victims were Chamkaur Singh of Ludhiana, Surjit Kaur of Tangra (Amritsar), Manjinder Singh of Panj Graian, Kala sarpanch of Rara Sahib, he told the police.

SI Sonamdeep Kaur said none of the accused has been arrested but raids were being conducted to nab them from their possible hideouts.
Nikhil Bhardwaj

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, July 7

Four members of a family were among five persons killed in a car crash on the Yamuna Expressway near Mathura this morning.

The deceased have been identified as Raj Kumar Grover (43), a resident of Manjit Nagar, his son Saransh Grover (15), brother-in-law Prem Parkash (41), a resident of Gill chowk, Prems brother-in-law Gopals son Yadav Papneja (13) and driver Rubal (22).

Raj Kumar owned a Patanjali retail store and a readymade garment showroom (Style Elite) in Jawahar Nagar. Prem ran a grocery store on the Gill road. Yadavs father Gopal Papneja owns a bakery. Saransh was studying in Class XII, while Yadav had recently cleared Class XII.

Sushil, a relative of the deceased, said Raj Kumar with his family members had left for Mumbai last night to bring back his mother, who had gone to pay obeisance at a dera in Maharashtra. Prem had borrowed his friends car (Ford Eco Sport). They had plan to visit Mathura and Vrindavan on the way, but met with a tragedy as the driver lost control over the vehicle running at 160 kmph on the Yamuna Expressway. He rammed the vehicle into a divider, which then fell off the overbridge. All died on the spot, he said.

The cars speedometer was found stuck at 160 kmph. The bodies were taken out after cutting the mangled vehicle.

As the news of the tragedy spread, friends and well-wishers in large numbers gathered at the residences of the deceased.

Friends shocked

Yadav Papnejas friends Sahil and Rattan recalled that a few days ago when they asked Yadav to throw a grand party on his upcoming birthday, he had replied: I wont be available to celebrate my birthday, I will be somewhere else. They said they were not expecting Yadav to leave them so soon.

Trader identified car

After the mishap, a passerby after noticing the Ludhiana registration number of the mangled vehicle, clicked its photo and sent to a businessman at Dal Bazaar for finding the car owner. Following this, the trader identified the family and informed them

Last Snapchat post

The last status updated on Friday morning by Yadav on Snapchat app was Agra soon. A number of his friends and followers had commented on this status and wished him safe journey. Ironically, the road mishap took place almost an hour later.
Saurabh Malik

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 7

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has ordered the attachment of the Tarn Taran SSPs salary and the issuance of warrants for an inspectors arrest for non-compliance of court orders.

The order came more than two years after the Punjab Police found itself in the dock for allegedly helping an accused person get default bail. An Additional Advocate General submitted that he conveyed the order passed by the court on the previous date of hearing to the authorities concerned, but the latter were unwilling to comply without a copy of the order.

The SSPs salary is ordered to be attached with immediate effect as well as warrants for the arrest of Inspector Jagbir Singh, both through the IG, border range, Amritsar, Justice Fateh Deep Singh said.

The court had earlier observed that the Inspector was on duty and drawing salary despite being embroiled in the row. The SSP was also asked to explain non-initiation of criminal action in spite of administrative indictment of the officers.

The direction came after the Bench was told about punishment orders against four cops. Jagbir Singh had also been identified as a guilty official before being named as an accused in the pending FIR, the Bench was told.

In August 2015, the police had corroborated an alleged drug smugglers alibi that he was with cops in a hotel near Chandigarh. On the other hand, they recorded a cops statement claiming that the accused fled from Tarn Taran after being intercepted by a police party.

The developments took place on a petition by Dharminder Singh for pre-arrest bail in an NDPS case registered in June 2014 at Sarai Amanat Khan police station in Amritsar district.

The FIR was purportedly registered on a tip-off about heroin smuggling through the international border with Pakistan. A vehicle coming from the Attari border was intercepted. Balkar Singh was apprehended, while Davinder Singh, Swaran Singh and Dharminder Singh fled. As the police failed to submit a challan within the prescribed period, Balkar was granted bail.

A departmental inquiry was ordered against officials responsible for late presentation of the challan. It was accepted that on the day in question, the petitioner was in a hotel on the Zirakpur-Shimla highway along with Inspectors Jagbir Singh and Bhupinder Singh and DSP Tejinder Singh Virk.

The Bench of Justice Rajan Gupta had said: This court finds the stand of the investigating agency totally contradictory. Besides, it is inexplicable how on the day of the occurrence, officials of the Punjab Police were with Dharminder Singh, who is stated to be a criminal indulging in cross-border smuggling
London, July 7

A Punjab-origin postman has been sentenced for 12 months by a UK court for stealing debit cards and withdrawing around 800 pounds from cash machines.

Surbjit Singh Kheras sentence has been suspended for two years, saving him jail time.

The 46-year-old stole two cards and their corresponding PIN numbers to withdraw around 800 pounds from cash machines and also stole shopping vouchers worth 60 pounds from a birthday card, Leicester Crown Court was told this week.

Khera initially denied the crime, but later pleaded guilty and was ordered to refund the stolen money and pay court costs of around 1,000 pounds, Leicester Mercury reported.

Hes lost his standing in the community and in (initially) denying the offences his defence case was preposterous, said Judge Nicholas Dean.

He told the defendant: You might have been under financial pressure, but for a postman to resort to theft is both shameful and very serious. The public extend very considerable trust to people who carry their goods, valuables and documents.

You must have understood the system of posting PINs and bank cards separately to target certain types of letters. The theft of the Next voucher in a birthday card was a mean offence.

He told Khera that he was sparing him from immediate custodial sentence only because of a heart condition.

I wouldnt want anyone to think that, generally, prison would be avoided in these types of cases  generally it wont be, Dean said.

Khera has since lost his job with the Royal Mail in Leicester, but found alternative employment.

His defence team claimed his financial difficulties led to the crime.

The prosecution told the court that Kheras offences came to light after a customer complained that her bank card and PIN had been fraudulently used after going missing in the post.

CCTV footage obtained by the Royal Mail of Khera using the stolen card at a Punjab National Bank branch bank in Leicester revealed he was wearing a distinctive T-shirt that was evident on one of his Facebook pictures, leading to his arrest.  PTI
Tribune News Service

Rehana Jattan (Phagwara), July 7

Reacting to the state governments move to cancel permits of 75 buses being run by the Badal family under the new transport policy, Union Minister of Food Processing Harsimrat Badal today termed it dirty politics.

There is a Badal in the Congress government too, who has in fact been a failed Finance Minister. The Congress government first needs to arrange buses in villages where people are deprived of transport facility, before going ahead with any new policy or cancellation of permits, she said.

The minister today laid the foundation stone of a mega food park at the village.

Over the issue of no support on farm loan waiver from the Centre, Harsimrat said: The number of farmer suicides in Punjab in the past 100 days has surpassed any 100 days of the last 10 years. Capt Amarinder Singh had promised moon to the farmers and then went ahead to announce waiver without consulting the Centre. Even the waiver wont benefit most farmers. The Modi-led government is of the opinion that debt waiver is not a solution. You have to make them self-reliant.

On GST, Harsimrat said: Amarinder is himself saying that with its implementation, the Centre is going to flush them with funds. He should thank the Centre for this or else his social welfare schemes wont function at all.

Asked if her father-in-law and former CM Parkash Singh Badal was keen to be nominated as the Vice-President of India, she said: Badal sahib is not interested.

Rs50-cr subsidy for food park

Harsimrat said the Centre would give a subsidy of Rs 50 crore to the mega food park, which is coming up on 53 acres of land. The food park will have a modern cold storage, deep freezers, hygienic silo storage, sorting and grading lines for grains/cereals, vegetables and fruits and an NABL-accredited food testing laboratory.

Bhavdeep Sardana, director of the company, said: An investment of Rs 125 crore has been made on the project. Another Rs 105 crore will be invested to set up a modern maize milling plant as an anchor unit which will ensure processing of up to 1.75 lakh tonnes of maize.

He said: Plots will be available at the park on lease. The project will also create a huge demand for maize in the state and will help break the wheat-paddy cycle to conserve the depleting water resources of the state.
GS Paul

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, July 7

Anti-India slogans were raised by various Sikh groups under the aegis of the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (PSGPC) and the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) to protest against Indias refusal to let Sikh jathas visit Pakistan to commemorate Gurpurbs.

PSGPC chief Tara Singh said that as per norms, the protest is only allowed 1,000 meters from the zero line, therefore it was unanimously decided to hold it at Lahore Press Club.

On June 28, around 300 pilgrims, including elderly women who were to board a special train leaving to commemorate the death anniversary of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, remained stuck at Attari railway station despite the devotees possessing visas.

Harpal Singh Bhullar, president of Bhai Mardana Society, claimed that visas for 240 pilgrims were procured and the special train was ready to leave on the Pakistan side, but was not cleared to reach Attari railway station.

Sikh pilgrims faced harassment amid the downpour at Attari were as the PSGPC representatives kept on waiting for them on their side with langar.

The PSGPC said the SGPCs silence on the issue was a cause for concern. I appeal to the SGPC to take a stand against the government, Tara Singh added.
Kulwinder Sandhu

Tribune News Service

Moga, July 7

A day after five activists of the US-based Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) were booked on sedition charges, the human rights advocacy group said today that the case was an attempt by the Capt Amarinder Singh government to terrorise Sikhs of Punjab who had responded positively to the Referendum 2020 Campaign.

Editorial: Stoking the embers

In a letter to Amarinder, SFJs legal adviser Gurpatwant Singh Pannun said: The SFJs campaign is aimed at liberating Punjab from Indian occupation. Since we dont recognise the authority of the Indian Government and the Constitution, the charges of sedition against my compatriots and me are extraneous.

Pannun claimed, Punjab Independence Referendum 2020 is a peaceful, non-violent and democratic campaign under the UN Charter, international laws and treaties.

The sedition charges will not deter us from continuing our campaign in Punjab with a centralised office in New York, he added.

Meanwhile, SFJ activist Gurpreet Singh, who was arrested yesterday, was remanded in 14-day judicial custody in Mohali today.
Paris, July 7

France is set to ban the sale of any car that uses petrol or diesel fuel by 2040, the media reported.

On Thursday, Ecology Minister Nicolas Hulot announced the planned ban on fossil fuel vehicles as part of a renewed commitment to the Paris climate deal, reports the BBC.

Hulot, a veteran environmental campaigner, said France planned to become carbon neutral by 2050.

Hybrid cars make up about 3.5 per cent of the French market, with pure electric vehicles accounting for just 1.2 per cent.

According to Hulot, poorer households would receive financial assistance to replace older, more polluting vehicles with cleaner ones, the BBC reported.

Earlier this week, car manufacturer Volvo said all of its new models would be at least partly electric from 2019.

He said he believes French car manufacturers, including brands such as Peugeot-Citroen and Renault, would meet the challenge, although he acknowledged it would be difficult. Renault's "Zoe" electric vehicle range is one of the most popular in Europe.

However, traditional fossil fuel vehicles account for about 95 per cent of the European market.

Norway, which is the leader in the use of electric cars in Europe, wants to move to electric-only vehicles by 2025, as does the Netherlands. Both Germany and India have proposed similar measures with a target of 2030.

IANS
Rachel Hosie

There are various ways in which the society deems it acceptable for women to enhance their looks but not men.

Want to make your eyes look bigger? Mascara. Need to cover a spot? Concealer. Want to make your legs look longer? Pop on some heels. (Of course these arent the only reasons for wearing heels and makeup, but they are plus points.)

But times are a changing, and it appears heels for men are now actually in vogue. Literally, for fashion bible Vogue has decreed it.

It takes a self-assured, kingly attitude to confidently clack against the grain, they say. You could even say these men are on the heels of something sexy.

No longer the preserve of short men trying to sneakily improve their stature, some of the most stylish and influential males in the world right now are proudly sporting heels.

Were not talking stilettos, but rather chunky heeled boots, for the most part.

Kanye West, Harry Styles and Justin Bieber have all been spotted sporting small heels. And where they lead, regular Joes will follow.

Of course, these famous men can pull off all sorts of trends better than the average guy, but their influence should not be underestimated.

Theres a sort of regal confidence that comes with a man who can wear a heel, says Vogue.

Men used to wear heels, but the trend died out around the 18th century.

When Kim Kardashian posted a picture of her family on Instagram in April this year, the internet erupted with chatter about Kanyes modest heeled boots.

In his music video for Sign of the Times, we see Harry Styles soaring over Scotland in noticeable heels. Russell Brand has worn heels for years. And even Marco Rubio, the former Republican presidential candidate, was spotted wearing heeled boots  it was duly termed Bootgate by The New York Times.

Of course, not everyone is on board with this development in the world of male footwear  traditionalists argue that heels are for women and flat shoes are for men. But why should they be?

Gender lines are blurring and fashion is increasingly androgynous, and men wearing modest heels is just, well, a sign of the times, if you will.

 The Independent
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, July 7

A fee fixation committee, headed by a retired judge, will take up the issue of tuition fee hike for the five-year MBBS and BDS courses in the private unaided medical colleges for the academic year 2017-2018.

During a closed-door meeting of private medical colleges, owners cited the status of deemed/private university as a reason enough for them to fix the fee structure. However, all these contentions were rejected by Uttarakhand government officials.

Significantly, the fee fixation committee, headed by retired Justice Gurmeet Singh, has been set up by the state in pursuance of the Supreme Court ruling. The committee is also served by a full-time chartered accountant who maintains the annual statements on infrastructure and finance, submitted by the private medical colleges.

In Uttarakhand, there are three private medical colleges offering 345 seats and two private dental colleges offering 200 seats.

One meeting has already been held in June, where the issue of fee hike was discussed, the final decision on fee fixation is likely to be taken during the meeting will be held the next week, said Ashutosh Sayana, Director, Uttarakhand Medical Education.

Once the private medical colleges submit their proposal for fee hike, it will be examined by the committee and its verdict will be binding on the respective medical colleges.

However, in case of government medical colleges, it is the state government which is responsible for the fee structure.

The committee has also been entrusted with the task of fixing tuition and entrance fee for private and unaided universities, institutions, medical colleges, nursing and para-medical colleges.

Significantly, the counselling for filling of MBBS undergraduate seats in all the medical colleges will begin from July 15.
Cairo: At least 23 Egyptian soldiers were killed and 33 others injured on Friday when terrorists attacked several army checkpoints with car bombs in the restive North Sinai, triggering fierce clashes that left 40 militants dead. The military said it killed terrorists during clashes with them in the North Sinai city of Rafah, bordering Gaza Strip. Security officials said ambulances rushed to the sites of the attacks south of the town of Rafah. PTI
Hamburg, July 7

President Donald Trump voiced optimism that there are very positive things in store for the United States and Russia as he sat down with President Vladimir Putin today for an historic first meeting.

Seated next to Putin in Germany, Trump said it was an honour to be with Putin. As journalists were briefly allowed in to witness part of the meeting, Trump said that he and Putin had already held very, very good talks. We look forward to a lot of very positive things happening for Russia, for the US and for everybody concerned, Trump said.

With Secretary of State Rex Tillerson at his side, Trump sat in front of an American flag with his hands clasped together in triangle formation. Putin, slightly hunched in his chair, rubbed his fingers together as he listened to Trump address reporters. His foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov, sat nearby.

Trump offered no details about what issues he and the Russian leader had discussed, describing them only as various things. Putin was similarly vague, telling reporters through a translator that they were discussing international problems and bilateral issues.

Still, Putin described the fact that they were meeting as a positive sign in itself, and he said he hoped the meeting would yield positive results.

Phone conversations are never enough definitely, Putin said. If you want to have a positive outcome in bilaterals and be able to resolve most international policy issues, that will really need personal meetings.

Then the leaders shook hands firmly but briefly before reporters were escorted out of the room. Trump did not respond to shouted questions about whether they would discuss Russias meddling in the US election, a topic lawmakers in Washington have been demanding that Trump raise directly.

Both kept their composure amid the commotion of cameras clicking and journalists lobbying questions as anxious aides moved about nearby. The US leaders son, Donald Trump Jr., took to Twitter to say the noise from the cameras made it difficult to even hear the two leaders words.

The heavily anticipated meeting is being closely scrutinised for signs of how friendly a rapport Trump and Putin will have.

Trumps predecessor, President Barack Obama, had notoriously strained ties to Putin, and Trump has expressed an interest in a better US-Russia relationship.

But deep skepticism about Russia in the US and ongoing investigations into whether Trumps campaign coordinated with Moscow during last years election have made a US-Russia detente politically risky for Trump. The White House said it has scheduled 35 minutes for the meeting.

In a prelude to their formal sit-down, Trump and Putin shook hands and exchanged broad grins earlier today in a brief exchange caught on video as a leaders retreat got under way in Hamburg.

A brief video clip showed Trump outstretching his hand to Putin as officials gathered around a table, then patting Putins elbow as both men smiled.

In another clip, Trump casually patted Putin on the back as they stood side by side.

Video of the brief exchange was posted to Facebook by the German Cabinet. It was the first known in-person interaction between the two men.

Trump alluded to the campaign controversy as he started the day with a jab at his vanquished Democratic opponent, Hillary Clinton.

He wrote on Twitter that everyone here is talking about her campaign chairmans disgraceful response after the FBI discovered Democratic Party computers were hacked, a breach later blamed on Russia.

In the lead-up to the meeting, Trump used a speech in Warsaw yesterday to voice a list of grievances about Russia.  AP

Melania stuck at hotel amid demos

US First Lady Melania Trump was stuck inside her guesthouse in Hamburg on Friday because of anti-G20 protests.

A programme of events in the northern German city involving Trump and other spouses of political leaders has had to be severely curtailed because of the demonstrations. Instead of a visit to a climate centre, the spouses will be treated to presentations by climate scientists at a Hamburg hotel.

Pledge to eliminate terror safe havens
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 7

Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai on Friday evening made her debut on Twitter.

Today is my last day of school and my first day on @Twitter [THREAD]  Malala (@Malala) July 7, 2017

Graduating from secondary school (high school) is bittersweet for me. I'm excited about my future, but... 2/  Malala (@Malala) July 7, 2017

....I know that millions of girls around the world are out of school and may never get the opportunity to complete their education. 3/  Malala (@Malala) July 7, 2017

Next week, I will be back on my #GirlPowerTrip to meet girls in Middle East, Africa & Latin America. 4/  Malala (@Malala) July 7, 2017

On and off Twitter, I'm fighting for girls  will you join me? 6/  Malala (@Malala) July 7, 2017

She joined the micro-blogging website on the last day of her school.

An advocate of girls education and women equality, she announced her plans to meet girls in Asia, Middle East and Latin America on her #GirlPowerTrip.

On and off Twitter, I'm fighting for girls  will you join me?, she tweeted.

Yousafzai, 19, became a global symbol of the fight for girls education after being shot in the head in October 2012 for opposing Taliban restrictions on female education.

The Pakistani education activist survived the attack and became an advocate for millions of girls denied formal education around the world.

In 2013, Yousafzai and her father Ziauddin Yousafzai co-founded the Malala Fund to bring awareness to the social and economic impact of girls education, and to empower girls to demand change.

She became the youngest ever Nobel Peace Prize laureate in December 2014, sharing the honour with Indian childrens rights and education advocate Kailash Satyarthi.
New Delhi, July 7

After the internet exploded with the video of Polish First Lady appearing to snub Trump's handshake offer and greeting Melania instead, Polish President Andrzej Duda has cleared the air over the seemingly awkward development.

The footage appeared to show Trump extending his hand to Kornhauser-Duda, who walks straight past it to greet his wife, Melania Trump.

Now, while some have perceived it as a snub, it seems equally possible that Kornhauser-Duda did not see the US President's hand extended to her.

Polish first Lady Agata Dudas did shake President Trump's hand, see full video. pic.twitter.com/BOw5tY4R4R  Beatrice-Elizabeth (@MissBeaE) July 6, 2017

In an attempt to clear the air surrounding his wife, the Polish President took to Twitter and training his guns on fake news'.

Contrary to some surprising reports my wife did shake hands with Mrs. and Mr. Trump @POTUS after a great visit. Let's FIGHT FAKE NEWS. Duda said.

Contrary to some surprising reports my wife did shake hands with Mrs. and Mr. Trump @POTUS after a great visit. Let's FIGHT FAKE NEWS.  Andrzej Duda (@AndrzejDuda) July 6, 2017

The President then re-tweeted a video where after greeting the US first lady, Kornhauser-Duda then turns to shake Trump's hand.

So it seems to appear that President Duda has joined Trump's anti-Fake News campaign. ANI
United Nations: A splinter group of the Pakistani Taliban linked to the Islamic State terror group has been sanctioned by the UN Security Council, subjecting it to assets freeze and arms embargo. The UN Security Councils Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee added Jamaat-Ul-Ahrar to the IS and Al- Qaida Sanctions List yesterday. Formed in August 2014, the outfit is linked to deadly attacks in Pakistan, which banned it in November last year. PTI
Hamburg, July 7

World leaders ratcheted up pressure on US President Donald Trump to compromise on climate and trade as a Group of 20 summit got underway in Germany amid clashes between police and protestors.

In a joint communique issued as the leaders gathered in a vast convention centre in Hamburg, Brazil, Russia, India and China  the BRICS countries  called on the G20 to push for implementation of the Paris climate deal despite Trumps decision last month to pull the United States out of it.

The Paris agreement on climate change is an important consensus that doesnt come easily and must not be given up easily, said Chinese President Xi Jinping.

British Prime Minister Theresa May said G20 leaders would urge Trump to reconsider his decision on Paris.

We are not renegotiating the Paris agreement, that stays, but I want to see the U.S. looking for ways to rejoin it, she told the BBC.

The meeting comes at a time of major shifts in the global geo-political landscape, with Trumps America First policies pushing Europe and China closer together.

Trump will meet President Vladimir Putin for the first time on Friday afternoon, an encounter that will be intensely scrutinised following allegations by US intelligence agencies that Moscow meddled in the US election to help Trump win.

The summit also brings together Trump and Xi at a time when Washington is raising pressure on Beijing to rein in North Korea and threatening the Chinese with punitive trade measures.

Amid the big egos and seemingly intractable conflicts, the host, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, faces the daunting task of steering leaders towards a consensus on trade, climate and migration - all issues that have become more contentious since Trump entered the White House half a year ago.

She faces an election in a little more than two months and cannot appear to cave in to Trump, who is deeply unpopular in Germany. Nor will she be keen for an open confrontation that could deepen tensions with Washington.

There is quite a delicate balance that Angela Merkel will have to navigate in a way, because it is not clear that being confrontational wont just create even more of a credibility problem for G20 cooperation, Indonesian Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati told Reuters in an interview.

German openness

Merkel chose Hamburg, the trading hub where she was born, to send a signal about Germanys openness to the world, including its tolerance for peaceful protests.

The summit is being held only a few hundred metres from one of Germanys most potent symbols of left-wing resistance, a former theatre called the Rote Flora which was taken over by anti-capitalist squatters nearly three decades ago.

German security officials have been clear that holding a summit of this scale in the centre of a city like Hamburg comes with big risks.

After a night of clashes with police, groups of anti-capitalist protesters sat on the main intersections in Hamburg, blocking streets and bridges leading to the summit venue in the city centre as well as a road used by container trucks at Hamburg Port.

The blockades forced German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble to cancel a discussion with pupils at a school in the city. Police have used water cannon to clear roads that G20 officials are using. About 30 protesters have been arrested and more than 100 police officers injured.

Merkel exchanged friendly greetings with Trump and Putin as they entered the summit site, with Trump punching the air playfully with his fist.

The handshake between Merkel and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, who have been engaged in a war of words over human rights and access to an air base in Turkey where German troops are stationed, was noticeably less warm.

The bilateral meeting between Trump and Putin is scheduled to start just 15 minutes after G20 leaders are to begin their discussion on climate issues, a scheduling conflict that did not go unnoticed by the German hosts.

Sherpas converging

On the policy front, European sources said that so-called sherpas who negotiate the wording of the final G20 communique that is later signed off by the leaders, were converging on a formulation on climate that is based on draft conclusions reported by Reuters earlier this week.

The draft acknowledges U.S. isolation on the Paris climate accord and calls it irreversible. Sources said Washington was pushing for a mention of fossil fuels as an alternative to cleaner energy sources, language that Europe was resisting.

On trade, sources said that Washington was backtracking on language condemning protectionism that Trump agreed to at a Group of Seven meeting in Sicily in late May.

We firmly support a rules-based, transparent, non-discriminatory, open and inclusive multilateral trading system, implementation and enforcement of existing WTO rules and commitments and oppose protectionism, the BRICS countries said.

Hanging over the trade discussions is a threat by Washington to use a Cold War-era law to restrict steel imports based on national security concerns, a step that would hit the Chinese as well as partners in Europe.

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said on Friday morning in Hamburg that the EU would respond immediately and adequately if the US took action on steel.

After sessions on terrorism, the global economy and climate on Friday, the leaders will be joined by their spouses for dinner at the Elbphilharmonie, a striking new glass concert hall perched atop an old warehouse building overlooking the Elbe River. Reuters
Update (5:45 p.m. Thursday): The Tulsa County Sheriff's Office says the person of interest in a deadly fireworks stand shooting has been released pending further investigation.

Jack Leeray Ulrich, 27, came to the Sheriff's Office voluntarily Thursday afternoon to speak to detectives about his version of event that led to the fatal shooting of his cousin, 15-year-old Jake Ulrich, the agency said.

Update (3:15 p.m. Thursday): A person of interest in a reported robbery of a fireworks stand in which a 15-year-old suspect was shot and killed turned himself in but is not in custody.

Jack Leeray Ulrich, 27, arrived at the Tulsa County Sheriff's Office on Thursday afternoon to speak with investigators about the incident that resulted in the death of his cousin Jake Ulrich, 15.

TCSO spokeswoman Casey Roebuck said Jack Ulrich was not in custody as of Thursday afternoon because no warrant had been issued for his arrest. Investigators wanted to speak with the man to hear his side of what happened.

Jack Ulrich is believed to have been the driver during an attempted robbery at a fireworks stand near 65th West Avenue and Charles Page Boulevard on Tuesday morning. The son of the stand operator fired at least one shot at the alleged robbers, killing Jake Ulrich.

The shooter, 32-year-old Johnny Mize Jr., was questioned by detectives and released.

This story originally appeared in Thursday's print edition:

Authorities are hoping to find a man they think was involved in the robbery of a fireworks stand during which a 15-year-old accomplice was shot and killed.

The Tulsa County Sheriffs Office on Wednesday afternoon identified 27-year-old Jack Leeray Ulrich, a relative of the teens, as a person of interest in the shooting. Sheriffs Office spokeswoman Casey Roebuck said detectives want to speak with Ulrich to hear his version of what happened.

We would very much like to locate him and talk with him, Roebuck said.

Two people reportedly targeted the fireworks stand near 65th West Avenue and Charles Page Boulevard about 11:30 a.m. Tuesday. A son of the stands operator shot Jake Ulrich, 15, while the teen and another man  believed to be Jack Ulrich  were robbing the stand of fireworks, Roebuck said.

Johnny Mize Sr., the stand operator, said he saw the backs of two people placing a large box of fireworks in the bed of a pickup and heard a shot fired. Mize said his son fired a single shot in return.

I thought theyd have thrown it down and left rather than fire at us, Mize said about the stolen box of fireworks.

Roebuck said detectives had not yet determined who fired first. Witnesses told investigators that the two people stealing the fireworks were armed and that shots were exchanged, she said.

Detectives interviewed Mizes son, identified as Johnny Mize Jr., 32, on Tuesday and released him.

The suspects fled north from the stand with a large box of fireworks, which Johnny Mize Sr. said was valued at about $1,200.

Mize Sr. said he attempted to jump in the pickup as it fled but was thrown to the ground. He said his son was able to jump in the trucks bed as it drove away and that he shot out a tire in an attempt to disable the vehicle.

The truck was found abandoned a short time later in the 6500 block of West Edison Street with Jake Ulrich slumped over inside the cab.

A red sedan was seen arriving in the area where the pickup was abandoned and then leaving with the fireworks and a man. Roebuck said authorities determined that sedan was a Mize family vehicle retrieving Mize Jr. and the fireworks.

When authorities arrived on Edison, deputies pulled Jake Ulrich from the pickups passenger seat and performed CPR on him, but he died, Deputy Justin Green said.

The Tulsa County District Attorneys Office will determine what charges will be filed in the case and against whom, Roebuck said.

Anyone with information about the robbery is asked to contact the Tulsa County Sheriffs Office at 918-596-5601.
OKLAHOMA CITY  The leader of the Oklahoma Senate on Thursday relieved Sen. Bryce Marlatt of his leadership duties after he was accused of lewd conduct by an Uber driver.

As leader of the Oklahoma Senate, it is my expectation that every member conduct himself or herself in a manner that is above reproach, Senate Pro Tem Mike Schulz, R-Altus, wrote in a letter to members. Allegations like those contained in the police report concerning Sen. Marlatt are very serious in nature and are not tolerated.

Effective immediately, Sen. Marlatt is relieved of his Senate chairmanship and vice chairmanships, pending the outcome of this active matter that is still being sorted out. Further action may be taken as deemed necessary.

Marlatt, R-Woodward, was chairman of the Senate Energy Committee and vice chairman of both the Senate Rules Committee and the Senate Transportation Committee.

The Oklahoman reported Thursday that an Uber driver told police that Marlatt grabbed her forcefully and kissed her on the neck while she was driving him late June 26 along Lake Hefner Parkway on the way to a hotel.

Marlatt then had the driver take him to The Pump Bar, according to the police report.

She reported the incident June 28, police said.

The police report blacked out the suspects name, but the newspaper was able to confirm that he was Marlatt.

Marlatt did not return a phone call seeking comment.

His attorney, Robert Don Gifford of Oklahoma City, said the first Marlatt heard about the allegations is when he was contacted by Uber.

Gifford said Marlatt was shocked by the allegations, will cooperate with law enforcement and wants to get to the bottom of the matter.

Gifford said he could not comment further.

As of late Thursday, Marlatt had not been charged.

Marlatt is married with four children. He has been a member of the Senate since 2008.

Marlatt pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor after he was found in 2014 asleep and smelling of alcohol while parked on a road in Woodward County, according to The Oklahoman.

Other members of the Legislature have been the targets of recent investigations.

Former Rep. Dan Kirby, R-Tulsa, resigned in early February after a House panel recommended he be expelled in the wake of an investigation into sexual harassment claims against him. Kirby said he was not guilty.

A few weeks later, his political consultant, Sen. Ralph Shortey, R-Oklahoma City, resigned from the Senate after being charged with engaging in child prostitution, engaging in prostitution within 1,000 feet of a church and transporting a minor for prostitution/lewdness.

In April, Sen. Kyle Loveless, R-Oklahoma City, resigned amid an investigation into how he used campaign funds.
OWASSO  A chemical spill caused by a collision has closed an Owasso intersection Friday morning.

The crash occurred along 86th Street North at 139th East Avenue. Owasso police say they have closed the intersection while emergency crews attempt to keep the unidentified spilled chemical out of the waste water system.

Police say the public is not in danger from the exposure to the chemical, but they recommend drivers seek an alternative route for the rest of the morning.

Check tulsaworld.com for updates.
Oklahoma Attorney General Mike Hunter has filed suit against four opioid manufacturers, alleging they contributed to the states deadly painkiller epidemic through deceptive marketing.

We have no doubt that opioids are a deadly problem for the state, but Hunters suit makes the magnitude of the situation plain. In 2012, the state had 128 painkiller prescriptions dispensed per 100 people, the suit says.

Since 2009, more Oklahomans have died from opioid-related causes than in vehicle crashes, Hunter says.

Former U.S. District Judge Michael Burrage, who will serve as the lead attorney in the case on a contingency basis, says the pharmaceutical companies lied to doctors about the effect of their product. The suit alleges they violated Oklahomas Medicaid False Claims Act and the Consumer Protection Act and created an ongoing public nuisance.

Over a period of several years, defendants executed massive and unprecedented marketing campaigns through which they misrepresented the risks of addiction from their opioids and touted unsubstantiated benefits, the suit alleges.

Statements from some of the pharmaceutical companies cited in the suit say they recognize that there is an opioid crisis in America and are committed to work toward solutions, but they vigorously deny that they have done anything wrong.

The drugs are FDA-approved and carry FDA-mandated warnings about possible risks on every product label, one of the defendant companies pointed out.

Hunter has been the attorney general less that five months, following the resignation of Scott Pruitt to become Donald Trumps EPA administrator. Anyone who thought Hunter was going to be a place-holder in office now knows otherwise.

We welcome his aggressive move to protect the health of Oklahomans. Whether the evidence is there to prove his allegations will be a matter to be determined in court, but we salute his zealous efforts and wish him the best of luck.
NITV & SBS will screen 4 specially-commissioned Indigenous documentaries under the banner, You Are Here.

Presented by Miranda Tapsell, these explore the place of Indigenous people in Australia today.

Included in the series are Warwick Thorntons We Dont Need a Map, Erica Glynns In My Own Words, Tyson Mowarins Connection to Country and Trisha Morton-Thomas Occupation Native.

From national issues, to personal battles and triumphs, each story inspires a sense of place and allows viewers to discover new perspectives on the Australian spirit through Indigenous storytelling.

NITV Channel Manager Tanya Orman said: At the core of NITV is Indigenous storytelling and investment in creative excellence. You Are Here encapsulates the reason NITV exists, to create stories by, for and about Indigenous Australians, and through us these stories are for all Australians.

Commissioned under NITV and Screen Australias Moment in History initiative, with funding support from Screen West, Create NSW and Screen Territory, these documentaries aim to inform discussion and inspire change, reminding audiences why these topics matter to all Australians.

Head of Screen Australias Indigenous Department, Penny Smallacombe said: The Moment in History initiative has brought together Australias leading Indigenous filmmakers who have created an ambitious series of landmark documentaries. Several of these outstanding films were showcased at Sydney Film Festival receiving an overwhelmingly positive response and were thrilled that audiences from around the country can now view the whole series on NITV and SBS.

We Dont Need a Map

Sunday 23 July at 8.30pm on NITV and SBS

We Dont Need a Map is a feature length documentary about Australias complex relationship to the Southern Cross. It is the most famous constellation in the southern hemisphere and ever since colonisation its been claimed, appropriated and hotly-contested for ownership by a radical range of Australian groups. But for Aboriginal people the meaning of this heavenly body is deeply spiritual, and just about completely unknown. Warwick Thornton, one of Australias leading film-makers, tackles this fiery subject head on in a bold, provocative and poetic essay-film. Produced by Barefoot Films.

In My Own Words

Sunday 30 July at 8.30pm on NITV and SBS

In My Own Words follows the journey of Aboriginal students and their teachers as they discover the transformative power of reading and writing for the first time. The documentary focusses on a classroom in Brewarrina, a rural northwest NSW town with a majority Aboriginal population. Research reveals that 45-65% of Aboriginal adults are functionally illiterate. Filming every day of the 13-week Literacy for Life Foundation course, Erica Glynn captures the women and men, the poverty and hardship, behind the sobering statistic. Produced by Blackfella Films.

Connection to Country

Sunday 6 August at 8.30pm on NITV and 9.30pm on SBS

Connection to Country follows the Indigenous people of the Western Australian Pilbaras battle to preserve Australias 50,000-year-old cultural heritage from the ravages of a booming mining industry. The Pilbara region sits in the Burrup Peninsula (or Murujuga) and is host to the largest concentration of rock art in the world, dating back over 50,000 years. Its a dramatic and ancient landscape so sacred that some parts shouldnt be looked upon at all, except by Traditional Owners. Tyson Mowarin shows the waves of industrialisation and development that threaten sites all over the region, and how he and the people of the Pilbara are fighting back by documenting the rock art, recording sacred sites and battling to get their unique cultural heritage recognised, recorded and celebrated. Produced by Weerianna Street Media.

Occupation Native

Sunday 13 August at 8.30pm on NITV and 9.30pm on SBS

Filmmaker Trisha Morton-Thomas dishes up a fresh look at our colonial past. Exploring everything they never taught you at school but should have. Its Australian history, but not like you have you ever seen or heard before. Trisha decides its time to go looking for answers, and along with actor Steven Oliver and several historians the film is a satirical recount of our untold history. Produced by Brindle Films.

Across the network, each documentary in the You Are Here series will anchor the theme and agenda for the week, leading debate and discussion and ensuring Indigenous views remain front and center. NITVs news and current affairs program, The Point will feature interviews with each filmmaker at the special time of 10pm following broadcast of their documentary.

NITV online will support these themes with a range of long-reads, profiles, Q&As with filmmakers and a VR component.

SBS Learn is partnering with Reconciliation Australias Narragunnawali: Reconciliation in Schools and Early Learning program, to develop freely accessible and engaging classroom resources for the You Are Here series. Exploring the key themes presented by the films, these resources will contain short clips, curriculum-linked activities and guidance on how to meaningfully use these documentaries in the classroom.

Sunday 23 July and Sunday 30 July

8.30pm on NITV and SBS.

Sunday 6 August and Sunday 13 August

8.30pm on NITV and 9.30pm on SBS.
With a menu of flavoursome African dishes, the 2017 Refugee Food Festival served up its last orders in Florence last Friday, after welcoming thousands of diners to 84 restaurants in 13 European cities over 15 days.

Restaurants in Greece, France, Spain, Italy, Belgium and the Netherlands opened their kitchens to 80 refugee chefs of 25 different nationalities, allowing them to showcase their skills and share their culinary culture.

Syrian cook Mohammad Elkhaldi donned his chefs whites to launch this years festival on June 15 in the restaurant Le Substrat, owned by award-winning French chef Hubert Vergoin in Frances gastronomic capital, Lyon.

The final dishes were served on June 30 at the Ethnos restaurant in the Florentine neighbourhood of Borgo San Lorenzo, where Ethiopian cook Unatu Tagi and Michelin-starred chef Marco Stabile took over the kitchen.

2017 Refugee Food Festival

In total, more than10,000 diners enjoyed food from countries such as Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia and Cameroon, in surroundings ranging from smart dining rooms to bistros and take-aways. Customers were offered treats from cocktails and ice creams to five-course gastronomic dinners.

The French-born initiative started last year as a partnership between the NGO Food Sweet Food and UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, with the support of partners, citizens, local authorities, restaurants and private businesses.

A high point for me was seeing the smiles on the chefs' faces as they answered questions from customers.

After last years successful events in Paris and Strasbourg, for its second year the festival was extended to other European cities, and talks have already begun on proposals to hold Refugee Food Festivals next year in cities in the United States, Canada, Brazil and Australia.

One of the organizers, Louis Martin, co-founder of Food Sweet Food with Marine Mandrila, said this years festival may be over, but the project was still in its early stages. There is so much more to do, starting with following up the professional integration of the chefs, he said.

The owners of Cipiace in Brussels and chef Bilal Farajallah prepare to serve a Palestinian brunch.  UNHCR/Bea Uhart

Elias and customers raising their glasses at Chez Richard in Brussels. All the pictures were taken by Bea Uhart  UNHCR/Bea Uhart

Customers enjoy dishes prepared by refugee chef Bilal Farajallah at Cipiace in Brussels. All the pictures were taken by Bea Uhart.  UNHCR/Bea Uhart

Afghan chef Zakaria Haidary prepares a dish of saffron rice, sharma kebabs and fried aubergine at the Eataly restaurant in Bari.  UNHCR/Rorandelli Rocco

Rita, a refugee from the Democratic Republic of Congo, prepares a fish dish in the kitchen of Eataly in Milan.  UNHCR/Marcello Pastonesi

Here are some of the highlights of the 2017 Refugee Food Festival:

In Athens, five participating restaurants were fully booked days in advance, by an estimated 1,500 customers. After two full nights, the owner of one of the restaurants, Vassinelas, decided to extend for a third evening to allow more diners to enjoy the five-course menu cooked by Hassan Hassan from Somalia.

Refugees are people with skills and talents and it is vital that they are offered the right opportunities to fulfil their potential, said owner Thanassis Vassilenas.

Philippe Leclerc, UNHCR Representative in Greece, said: The refugee food festival was a true eye-opener for refugees as well as for the Athenian restaurant owners and chefs who hosted them.

In Madrid, the nine restaurants participating in the festival were fully booked for the entire week..

I found this initiative amazing. I believe that Spain needs this type of events to support refugees, said Banafsheh Farhang, the owner of one of the participating restaurants, Banibanoo.

Natalia Diaz, co-organizer of the Madrid section of the festival, said: A high point for me was seeing the smiles on the faces of the refugee chefs as they answered questions from restaurant customers who were genuinely interested in their cuisine.

Syrian refugee chef Nabil Attar (far left) serves dishes with restaurateur Walid Sahed (far right) at Les Pantins restaurant in Paris.  UNHCR/Benjamin Loyseau

A dish cooked by Sri Lankan chef Nitharshini Mathyalagan for the 2017 Refugee Food Festival at Lulu La Nantaise restaurant in Paris.  UNHCR/Benjamin Loyseau

Afghan chef Reza Golami cooks in the kitchen of the It restaurant in Bari, Italy.  UNHCR/Yorgos Kyvernitis

Somali chef Hassan Hassan meets customers at Vassilenas restaurant in Athens.  UNHCR/Yorgos Kyvernitis

Refugee chef Mohammed greets customers at l'Artisan restaurant, in Madrid. Photo by Jane Mitchell.  UNHCR/Jane Mitchell

In Amsterdam, the highlight of the festival was at the De Balie restaurant which is also a movie theatre. Mohammed Haj Kasem, an architect taught to cook by his mother, served Syrian dishes. I am not a trained chef, but I love to cook, he said. My mother taught me everything.

The sous-chef of De Balie, Luis Duarte Borges, said: Its a pleasure to have Mohammed here with us. We share our kitchen, hes doing his thing, and Im sure everyone will love it.

In Brussels, Syrian mixologist Elias Edlbi Bittar impressed guests with cocktails using Syrian spices at Chez Richard. At the fashionable restaurant Henri, guests including officials from the European Commission enjoyed Iraqi cuisine cooked by refugee chef Amer Mohsen.

"None of us decides where to get born, so it is fundamental to remember the values of welcome and integration.

In Paris, at the closing event of the Parisian section of the festival at the Grand Marche de Stalingrad, on the Canal Saint-Martin, Susanna Kilani, a refugee from Syria, gave a Middle Eastern twist to iced treats from renowned Parisian ice-cream maker Pierre Geronimi by adding pistachio nuts and baklava.

In Bordeaux, the festival finished with a huge picnic marking Eid al-Fitr, the celebration at the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, with falafel from Syria, sweets from the Maghreb, cakes from Afghanistan and French chocolate cake.

In Lille, customers were able to try cuisine from Suriname at the restaurant Le Cirque. The restaurant was fully booked days in advance.

In Marseille, Chef Khanjee Tarakhil served traditional Afghan dishes of rice, chicken, aubergines, carrots, grilled raisins, cumin and yoghourt at Les Grandes Tables de la Friche. The restaurant was fully booked by 1 pm on the first day and those who were disappointed were able to return the next day to sample yet more Afghan specialities.

In Italy, refugee chefs cooked and took part in culinary events over three days, including cooking shows in the upmarket Eataly food shops in Rome, Milan and Bari.

In Milan, Michelin starred chef Viviana Varese and an Ethiopian chef explored Ethiopian cuisine together.

"None of us decides where to get born, so it is fundamental to remember the values of welcome and integration, which are strategic values to build the future of our society, said Oscar Farinetti, the founder of the Eataly chain.

With additional reporting by Celine Schmitt in Paris, Edelmira Campos in Madrid, Evanthia Savvapoulou in Athens, Roxanne Koenis in Amsterdam and Vanessa Saenen in Brussels.
Eulalia Elena Silvestre Hernandez, a Popti Mayan indigenous woman, was assisted by the CIREFCA initiative when she returned to Guatemala after years of exile.  UNHCR/Lucrecia Maza

As UNHCR leads a process to develop a Global Compact on Refugees, an international meeting in Geneva on Monday (10 July 2017) will explore what can be learnt from past and current examples of sharing responsibility for large movements of refugees.

Last years New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants, which was adopted by the UN General Assembly on 19 September 2016, called on the High Commissioner to develop a global compact on refugees, in consultation with States and other stakeholders. It is due to be presented to the UN General Assembly for consideration in 2018.

Mondays meeting at the Palais des Nations is the first in a series of thematic discussions being held this year to inform development of the global compact. It brings together some 300 participants, from governments, international organizations, NGOs, academics and other experts. Proceedings will be livestreamed at webtv.un.org between 10:00 and 18:00.

This first discussion will focus on one of the key issues addressed in the New York Declaration, in which 193 States made a milestone commitment to a more equitable sharing of the burden and responsibility for hosting and supporting the worlds refugees. The meeting will examine elements of past and present examples which have been most effective in protecting refugees and sharing responsibilities more equitably among States.

Past frameworks

Clandestine departures, risky boat journeys, push backs, threats to close borders by countries fearful of the destabilizing effects of large waves of refugees are not new. Many of the challenges we grapple with in refugee protection today have been managed before. The international community has come together and forged agreements to preserve asylum for people fleeing danger, to share the burden of hosting refugees among States, to bolster peace agreements with development support, and to ensure refugees returning home get targeted help to rebuild their lives.

Mondays conference will look at three past examples: the Comprehensive Plan of Action for Indochinese Refugees (CPA) of 1989; the International Conference on Central American Refugees (CIREFCA) of 1989; and the Humanitarian Evacuation Programme (HEP) and Humanitarian Transfer Programme (HTP) (1999) for refugees from Kosovo (S/RES/1244 (1999)).

Current situations

Mondays thematic discussions will also examine current arrangements to share responsibility for large movements of refugees. This includes the Syria refugee response, which since 2015 has been led through a combined refugee and resilience plan jointly coordinated by UNHCR and UNDP. Increasing development support for host countries and communities has been a key component, as well as expanding opportunities for resettlement and other pathways for admission to third countries. Other current arrangements to be discussed at the meeting include the response frameworks for the Afghan and Somali refugee situations, and commitments by Latin American countries to improve protection and prospects of solutions for refugees, displaced and stateless people in the region under the 2014 Brazil Declaration and Plan of Action.

Roadmap to the refugee compact

UNHCR hopes the thematic discussions will draw out a set of actions, good practices and lessons for States and others to inform the development of the programme of action, which the High Commissioner will propose as part of the Global Compact on Refugees, at the core of which is the comprehensive refugee response framework already agreed to by UN Member States in the New York Declaration. The programme of action will build on the commitments made in the New York Declaration and seek to make future comprehensive responses to large-scale refugee situations more predictable and equitable.

Meeting details

The entire proceedings of the meeting (to be held in Salle XVII) will be livestreamed at webtv.un.org from 10:00 to 18:00, with a short break between 13:00 and 13:30.

Still photos of opening remarks will be posted on Refugees Media in the afternoon of 10 July.

A limited number of seats are available in Salle XVII for media accredited with the UN in Geneva.

UNHCRs Assistant High Commissioner for Protection Volker Turk is co-chairing the meeting and will make opening remarks at 10:00, and introduce the side event on past examples at 13:30.

Mr Turk will also make summary remarks at the close of the meeting, between 17:00 and 18:00.

Media contact:

Ariane Rummery, [email protected] , +41 79 200 7617

Further background information

The Comprehensive Plan of Action for Indochinese Refugees (CPA) of 1989

The CPA was adopted by 70 governments in Geneva in June 1989, at a time when countries in Southeast Asia were threatening push backs of asylum-seekers in the wake of a surge in arrivals from Viet Nam and Laos and increasing reluctance of western governments to maintain resettlement opportunities. It comprised a number of commitments made by countries of origin, asylum and resettlement, such as mass media campaigns to discourage departures for non-protection related reasons, and an orderly departure migration programme to provide alternative avenues for people to leave legally. Temporary protection and refugee status determination were provided for new arrivals in countries of first asylum in Southeast Asia, on the understanding that those found to be refugees would be resettled in third countries. The return of people found not to be refugees was supported through economic assistance for reintegration in countries of origin and counselling.

The International Conference on Central American Refugees (CIREFCA)

CIREFCA is the Spanish acronym for the International Conference on Central American Refugees, signed in 1989, which was a regional effort to find solutions for hundreds of thousands of displaced people through an integrated development approach. By the late 1980s, some three million Central Americans had been displaced by interlinked conflicts in Guatemala, El Salvador and Nicaragua, including 150,000 refugees and 900,000 undocumented people in refugee-like situations.

CIREFCA can be traced to the Esquipulas II peace accords signed by Central American leaders in 1987, which established a roadmap for peace and recognized the importance of resolving the large-scale displacement situations as integral to the peace process. CIREFCA sought to galvanize regional and international support for the voluntary and sustainable return of refugees and IDPs, as well as for local integration and host communities. CIREFCA raised over $422 million from donors and helped over 134,000 displaced people (mostly refugees) return to their areas of origin in El Salvador, Guatemala and Nicaragua.

Humanitarian Evacuation Programme (HEP) and Humanitarian Transfer Programme (HTP) (Kosovo (S/RES/1244 (1999))

When the long-simmering conflict in Kosovo (S/RES/1244 (1999)) exploded in late March 1999, more than 850,000 refugees fled, mainly to Albania and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.

In early April, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia  concerned about the potentially destabilizing effects of a large influx of refugees  requested a system of international burden sharing be put in place. It agreed to continue to admit refugees on the understanding that some would then be evacuated to third countries on a temporary basis. By the end of the emergency, almost 96,000 refugees had been temporarily evacuated to 29 countries through the Humanitarian Evacuation Programme (HEP). Another 1,400 persons were transferred from the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia to Albania under the Humanitarian Transfer Programme (HTP).
UNHCR High Commisioner Filippo Grandi meets with Masoota Hatu, 55.  UNHCR/Roger Arnold

MAUNGDAW, Myanmar  The UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, has appealed to communities in Myanmars restive Rakhine state to unite in the face of fear, mistrust and underdevelopment.

On his first official visit to South-East Asia, Grandi met with displaced people, local communities and the authorities in Sittwe and Maungdaw townships to better understand their needs and challenges.

Last October, an estimated 20,000 people were displaced around Maungdaw in a security operation prompted by attacks on several border guard posts. Most have returned home but some are still hosted by local villagers pending agreement on return and relocation sites. Around Sittwe, 120,000 people remain in camps for internally displaced people after they were uprooted by inter-communal violence in 2012.

Masoota Hatu has lived in Sittwes Dar Paing camp for five years, facing health problems that she cannot afford to treat. Only two of her four children are in school as there is no secondary school in the camp.

"We need to move from survival to real life with opportunities."

Its very difficult, the 55-year-old widow told Grandi. What I want most is to go back to my village so that our lives can improve.

Like many Muslims in Rakhine state, stateless people like her cannot move freely without authorization and cannot access basic services like healthcare, education and their livelihoods easily.

"These people deserve a better future than the present conditions of extreme poverty, deprivation and isolation. We need to move from survival to real life with opportunities," said the High Commissioner. This is an extremely complex situation but its possible to work towards solutions.

In March, an interim report by the government-appointed Advisory Commission for Rakhine State recommended steps to end displacement and promote inter-communal dialogue. The government has endorsed the report and agreed to implement these recommendations.

Filippo Grandi has appealed to communities in Myanmar's restive Rakhine state to unite.

It will not be easy  the atmosphere in Maungdaw remains tense after the October violence that was allegedly perpetrated by members of a militant group.

On Tuesday, when Grandi met a group of Rakhine villagers living next to a Muslim village in Maungdaw, they told him the communities used to live and work together.

But after the October violence, we are afraid to leave our homes to collect firewood or fish for a living. Our children are also staying home from school. We need some assistance until things improve, said a community leader.

The High Commissioner urged both communities to resume dialogue. You have the same fears for your families, and the same anxieties over how to provide for them, he said. Humanitarian assistance is important but it will not last forever. By learning to live together in peace, you can lay the groundwork for prosperity and development.

Villagers in a Rakhine village north of Maungdaw share their fears with the High Commissioner.  UNHCR/Roger Arnold

In Maungdaw, Grandi visited a UNHCR, UN Refugee Agency, supported project to promote peaceful co-existence through vocational training classes. It brings together 20 Muslim and Rakhine women to learn sewing skills and basic literacy, as well as health and hygiene education. Although they would appear to have little in common, many of these women have either had no education or had to drop out of school to support their families.

May Than New, 23, dropped out after middle school as her parents could not afford further education. She sold fuel in a shop before joining the sewing class. Now she plans to work as a tailor and teach sewing upon graduation.

My parents always had Muslim friends in our house and we believe discrimination will only bring problems, she said. This class has helped me to understand my Muslim friends better.

Her classmate Somira, 19, added: I didnt know any Rakhines before but now I have made some friends in class.

This class has helped me to understand my Muslim friends better.

UNHCR has also helped to set up a market in downtown Maungdaw where some 2,000 families of Muslim, Rakhine, Hindu and other minority groups go for their daily food supplies and social interaction.

Asked what would help to improve their lives, a Muslim villager in Maungdaw said: We just want to live peacefully, to have an identity card and the same rights as the others.

On Wednesday, the High Commissioner met with Myanmars State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi and other ministers to discuss the situation in Rakhine State, the displacement in Kachin and northern Shan state, as well as the potential for mainly ethnic Karen refugees to return home voluntarily from Thailand.

From Myanmar, Grandi will move on to Thailand and Bangladesh to discuss refugee issues in both countries, before ending his regional tour on July 11.
Emin Voca and his aunt, Ixhran Shabani, in Mitrovica, Kosovo*, in June 2017. Voca was 10 years old when he and his family fled to the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.  UNHCR/Shpend Halili

GENEVA  Paramilitaries came to Emin Vocas home in Kosovo* one spring evening and gave his father a stark warning to get out.

They told him: You must go tomorrow morning; otherwise you will be killed. We were scared, recalls Voca, who was just 10 years old and in primary school in their hometown of Mitrovica at the time.

Packed into buses, the family found themselves in snaking lines of civilians fleeing on foot and in cars and trucks, approaching the southern border in a desperate bid to escape the Kosovo* conflict in April 1999.

After a tense standoff at a border town, Voca, his parents and sister were allowed to cross into the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, where they spent a month living under canvas in Stenkovec II camp, several kilometres from Skopje.

Voca and his family were eventually sent to Italy under the so-called Humanitarian Evacuation Programme, or HEP. This programme saw the international community come together to share the responsibility for caring for tens of thousands of Kosovars who had sought refuge in former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, which had agreed to admit refugees on the understanding that some would be evacuated to third countries.

They gave us clothes, food and the most important thing we were safe, says Voca, now 28, of the respite the family received in Comiso, Sicily. My family was very thankful to the international community for this.

A young refugee from Kosovo* looks out the window of a train bound for Skopje airport. Her family were relocated to Germany in June 1999 under a humanitarian evacuation programme.  UNHCR/Roger LeMoyne

Refugees from Kosovo* arrive in Blace, in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, in March 1999.  UNHCR/Roger LeMoyne

Refugees from Kosovo* temporarily evacuated from the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia arrive at the Roissy airport, in Paris, in April 1999.  UNHCR/F.Loock

Refugees from Kosovo* arrive in Blace, in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, in 1999.  UNHCR/Roger LeMoyne

HEP temporarily relocated some 96,000 Kosovars to 29 countries around the world for their safety. It is one of the past examples of responsibility sharing being examined at a conference in Geneva on Monday (July 10).

The one-day gathering of government officials, international organizations, NGOs, academics and other experts, is the first of five thematic discussions to be held, as UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, leads a process to develop a global compact on refugees.

The High Commissioner for Refugees was given that task in last years historic New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants by the UN General Assembly.

As we face record global displacement, it is salutary to remember occasions in the not too distant past when the international community came together and found life-saving solutions to seemingly intractable refugee situations, said Volker Turk, UNHCRs Assistant High Commissioner for Protection. We have done it before, we can do it now.

A peaceful homecoming in Central America

The HEP programme is but one example of such cooperation. In Central America, an accord in the late 1980s enabled hundreds of thousands of people uprooted by interlinked conflicts in El Salvador, Nicaragua and Guatemala to find long-term solutions.

It helped some to integrate in the countries where they had sought refuge, others to be resettled to third countries and 134,000 to ultimately return to their place of origin  among them a Popti Mayan indigenous woman named Eulalia Elena Silvestre Hernandez.

At the height of Guatemalas vicious civil war in 1982, when she was just seven, Silvestre fled a rural community in north-east Guatemala after soldiers spattered local houses with gasoline and burned them down as residents slept. From one household, just a baby and two adults survived.

Eulalia Elena Silvestre Hernandez, a Popti Mayan indigenous woman, was assisted by the CIREFCA initiative when she returned to Guatemala after years of exile.  UNHCR/Lucrecia Maza

Former refugees clear a field in 1989, after returning home to Guatemala.  UNHCR/P Merchez

Returnee women in Guatemala in 1994.  UNHCR/Trygve Blstad

Unharmed but fearful for their lives, Silvestre and her family spent the next 13 years in Mexico. But support from the International Conference on Central American Refugees, or CIREFCA for its acronym in Spanish, enabled them to return to Guatemala in 1995.

Organizing ourselves for the return allowed us to achieve things, said Silvestre, now a 45-year-old community activist in Peten, who has been able to resume farming. Now we have a bit of land. I think most of the women, at least in our family, have a little bit of land.

CIREFCA illustrated the strong link between peace and development by supporting large infrastructure and small community development projects, helping to build confidence among refugees ready to return home.

Shoring up protection for Vietnamese refugees

Half a world away in Southeast Asia, a similar collaborative effort to manage a surge in boat arrivals from Indo-China in the late 1980s was key to unlocking an impasse which threatened the lives of thousands.

Faced with a swelling number of arrivals and growing reluctance from western governments to maintain resettlement opportunities, governments in the region threatened pushbacks. In response, the multilateral Comprehensive Plan of Action (CPA) was signed in 1989, bringing together commitments made by countries of origin, asylum and resettlement.

It included a programme to provide safe, orderly ways for people to leave legally, temporary protection for new arrivals in South-East Asia and resettlement in third countries for refugees. Those found not to be refugees were helped with counselling and economic assistance for their reintegration in countries of origin.

Thanh Dang with his daughter, Thien-An, 13, and wife, Lan Ho, at home in Suwanee, Georgia. A refugee from Viet Nam, he was resettled to the United States under an international agreement.  UNHCR/Kevin D Liles

Thanh Dang in front a painting he made while in a refugee camp more than 20 years ago.  UNHCR/Kevin D Liles

Thanh Dang shows a photograph from his three plus years at Galang refugee camp in Indonesia.  UNHCR/Kevin D Liles

Boat people adrift in the South China Sea in May 1987.  UNHCR/Pascal Deloche

Saigon-trained architect Thanh Dang was among 63 people who packed onto a boat to leave Viet Nam in June 1989. After a week at sea, the crowded vessel reached Indonesia, where Dang ended up in the Galang refugee camp. Under the CPA, he was screened in as a refugee and subsequently resettled to the United States, where he became an architectural designer working on schools and medical facilities in Atlanta, Georgia.

Looking back on the life that the programme gave him, he makes an impassioned plea to the international community and ordinary citizens grappling with todays multiple refugee crises.

Put yourself in the refugees position. They are just normal people. I dont think anybody wants to uproot their lives and face an uncertain future if they dont have to, he said.

If you give them a chance to rebuild their lives, refugees will contribute to society where they live. Please dont be afraid of them, and welcome them.

Reporting by Shpend Halili in Kosovo*, Lucrecia Maza in Guatemala and Ariane Rummery in Geneva

* Security Council Resolution 1244 (1999)

Further information: Sharing responsibilities for large refugee movements and Towards a global compact on refugees
The UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, has concluded his first visit to Myanmar by appealing for inclusive and sustainable solutions to protracted displacement and statelessness.

During his visit, Grandi travelled to Yangon, Naypyitaw as well as Sittwe and Maungdaw in Rakhine state. He met with Myanmars State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi; the Minister of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement, Dr Min Myat Aye; the Minister of Labour, Immigration and Population, U Thein Swe; and the Minister of Border Affairs, Lt. Gen Ye Aung.

I was very happy to hear the State Counsellor saying that refugees are welcome back from Thailand, said the High Commissioner. We agreed that returns must be voluntary and sustainable. Refugees should not come back to a situation of dependency but of self-reliance.

They also discussed humanitarian access in Kachin and Rakhine states, where some 100,000 and 120,000 people respectively have been living for more than five years in camps for internally displaced people.

While in Rakhine state, the High Commissioner met with displaced Muslims in Sittwes Dar Paing camp, who expressed their strong desire to return home. He also reached out to Rakhine and Muslim communities north of Maungdaw and listened to their safety and livelihood concerns.

These are complex issues but they are not intractable, said Grandi. A crucial first step is to pursue freedom of movement and access to services and livelihoods for all. Accelerated pathways to citizenship are also part of the solution, as are efforts to tackle exclusion and poverty.

He highlighted that the recommendations of the Advisory Commission of Rakhine State provide an important roadmap for the way forward.

The High Commissioners regional visit will continue in Thailand and conclude in Bangladesh next week.

For more information, please contact:

In Bangkok, roaming, Vivian Tan, [email protected] , mobile: +66 818 270 280

, mobile: +66 818 270 280 In Yangon, Andrew Dusek, [email protected] , mobile, +95 979 310 4430

Further information:
July 7 2017

Strength and stability stand are the first principles in any construction project but what happens when the nation itself is lacking in both?Amidst tragedy and uncertainty this summer, Urban Realm seeks solace in the arms of TV architecture evangelist and perennial optimist George Clarke, who aims to channel his passion by preaching firmer foundations for the construction industry through his Ministry of Building Information.Taking respite from the turmoil we then bunker down in the former Barnton Quarry nuclear bunker. Since decommissioned its very existence can no longer be dismissed as quaint paranoia.We also find refuge at the bottom of a champagne glass amongst this years Scottish Design Awards winners. This stellar line-up shows what can be achieved in times of austerity, as does Richard Murphys Dunfermline Carnegie Library & Galleries.Our focus lies with landscape architecture however, to which we devote 14 pages documenting the professions enduring success. The theme continues with a look at a proposed surf centre in Ratho, Edinburgh, another former quarry with a surprising second life. We also travel to the convivial environs of Sanquhar in the Borders to relax in the company of Charles Jencks and Daniel Liebskind - two industry greats who find themselves contemplating higher matters.We then fall back to Earth with a bump with a trip to Perthshire in the company of Mark Chalmers, who laments a lost generation of country houses and castles.You can obtain your copy of our thirtieth edition now
Environmental Impacts on Tropical Birds Topic of July 13 UW Research Center Talk

University of Wyoming Department of Zoology and Physiology Assistant Professor Corey Tarwater will discuss how changes in the environment impact tropical birds Thursday, July 13, at 6:30 p.m. at the University of Wyoming-National Park Service Research Center. (Corey Tarwater Photo)

A discussion involving environmental changes and the subsequent impact on tropical birds will take place Thursday, July 13, at the University of Wyoming-National Park Service (UW-NPS) Research Center. The center is located at the AMK Ranch in Grand Teton National Park.

UW Department of Zoology and Physiology Assistant Professor Corey Tarwater will discuss Life in the tropics: dispersal, reproduction, and survival in tropical birds, as part of the centers Harlow Summer Seminars at 6:30 p.m. at the AMK Ranch, located north of Leeks Marina. A barbecue, at a cost of $5 per person, will take place at 5:30 p.m. Reservations are not required.

Tarwater says tropical species are predicted to be more vulnerable to environmental changes than many temperate zone species. The majority of future bird extinctions are predicted to be in the tropics owing to continued land-use change and climate change.

But, we still know very little about the basic natural history of many of these species, how changes in the environment impact them and what makes them vulnerable to changing conditions, she says.

Tarwater will explain how she uses long-term data of tropical birds in Panama to discuss the influence of changing rainfall on the demography -- survival and population growth -- of a suite of tropical birds using a 33-year data set. She also will present a detailed case history of one bird species and discuss how the environment influences parental care, survival and dispersal.

Long-term studies that examine both patterns and processes are critical for predicting how species will respond to future conditions, Tarwater says.

Originally from San Diego, Calif., Tarwater earned her bachelor's degree from the University of California-Davis. She obtained both her masters and doctoral degrees from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Tarwater began her research on tropical birds in Panama in 2003 during her first field season as a master's degree candidate. After obtaining her Ph.D. degree, she conducted postdoctoral research at the University of California-Berkeley and the University of British Columbia-Vancouver. She has been at UW since January 2015, and maintains active research programs in Panama and Hawaii.

The UW-NPS Research Center provides a base for university faculty members and government scientists from throughout North America to conduct research in the diverse aquatic and terrestrial environments of Grand Teton National Park and the greater Yellowstone area.

For more information about the Harlow Summer Seminars, contact Michael Dillon at (307) 543-2463 or michael.dillon@uwyo.edu.
UW to Celebrate National Historic Landmark Designation of Hell Gap July 22

UW Advanced Archaeological Field School students conduct excavation field work at the Hell Gap Paleoindian site during summer 2015. Students (pictured from top) are: Amanda Moore, a Montana State University undergraduate; Keatton Wilson, a UW undergraduate from Colorado; Christie Huber, an undergraduate at the University of North Texas-Amarillo; and Bradley Saint, an undergraduate from the University of Kansas. Hell Gap will receive national historic landmark designation during a ribbon-cutting and dedication ceremony hosted by the UW Department of Anthropology Saturday, July 22, at 11 a.m. (Marcel Kornfeld Photo)

An area where some of North Americas earliest people hunted bison and made tools soon will be celebrated for being designated as a national historic landmark.

Hell Gap Paleoindian Site, an important archaeological excavation site located on the western boundary of the Great Plains, will receive national historic landmark designation during a ribbon-cutting and dedication ceremony hosted by the University of Wyomings Department of Anthropology Saturday, July 22, at 11 a.m. Lunch will follow.

In January, the U.S. Department of the Interior announced 24 new national historic landmarks, which included the Hell Gap site, located about 13 miles north of Guernsey in Goshen County. Abundant numbers of Paleoindian and Archaic artifacts have been found and excavated in this valley site since 1959.

We (Department of Anthropology) are largely responsible for doing the nomination, and it is based on our research, says Marcel Kornfeld, a UW professor of archaeology. Hell Gap serves as the key site for the history of Paleoindian cultures across North America.

The dedication event will include short speeches from several Goshen and Platte county officials/legislators; noted archaeologists George C. Frison and Vance Haynes; National Park Service personnel from Denver and Fort Laramie; and officers from Wyoming State Parks and Cultural Resources.

Presently, we have over 200 people signed up for the dedication, Kornfeld says. A number of these are archaeologists from the region; some are former students. We think there are a number of Wyoming Historical Society members from the area (who will attend).

The mysteries that have been uncovered show evidence of repeated occupations by nine Paleoindian cultural complexes in well-stratified deposits, spanning from between 11,000 and 6,500 years ago, according to the national historic landmark nomination packet Kornfeld submitted. Over the decades, archaeologists have discovered several hundred projectile points, hundreds of scrapers and tens of thousands of flakes, or remains from creating stone tools; bone needles for sewing clothes; and post holes from structures that once stood in the area. Even a few beads were found.

James Duguid and Malcolm McKnight, high school students who lived in the region and both of whom went to school at UW, discovered the site in 1958. Harvard Universitys Peabody Museum conducted excavations at Hell Gap from 1962-66.

Kornfeld and Mary Lou Larson, a UW professor of archaeology, along with Frison, professor emeritus at UW and a former Wyoming state archaeologist, continued Harvards work beginning in 1993. Kornfeld and Larson have led the UW field schools a number of times during the past two decades.

Bison bones, stone tools, beads, needles, post holes and teepee rings have been discovered during past summer excavation field work, Kornfeld says. This evidence helps tell the story of how early Paleoindians lived. One level of the site revealed a lot of bison bone. The animals likely were killed elsewhere and brought back to the campsite.

According to the nomination packet summary, The site fundamentally changed how archaeologists viewed Paleoindian foragers because, as a residential campsite, it showed a diversity of human activities including medium game hunting, tool stone acquisition and personal ornamentation -- none of which were evident at the big-game kill sites and surface scatters that had dominated the Paleoindian archaeological record up to that point.

The UW Department of Anthropology will host the summer Wyoming Archaeological Society meeting at Hell Gap the same weekend as the dedication, Kornfeld says. The summer meeting will include flint-knapping demonstrations, target shooting, public tours of the Hell Gap site and an open house.

The National Historic Landmarks Program recognizes historic properties of exceptional value to the nation and promotes the preservation efforts of federal, state and local agencies, and Native American tribes, as well as those of private organizations and individuals. The program is one of more than a dozen administered by the National Park Service that provide states and local communities with technical assistance, recognition and funding to help preserve the nation's shared history and create close-to-home recreation opportunities.
Third-party logistics (3PL) are a popular method to outsource logistic functions for small and medium-sized businesses.

Given Vietnams size and diversity, 3PL can help reduce costs, boost sales and build brand identity

Businesses, however, should engage in a cost-benefit comparison to gauge if a 3PL meets their requirements

Vietnam is a significant target for companies in the consumer goods sector. The countrys blossoming middle class, shifting spending habits, and a sizable population of over 90 million is rapidly becoming the focal point for investors building up brand identity and sales networks throughout the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). As the fundamentals of the Vietnamese economy continue to fall into place, foreign companies who are able to develop and implement effective market-entry strategies will be well-positioned to gain increasing market share in the years to come.

For the largest players, Vietnams demographics and proximity to other markets present an opportunity to establish localized production and to expand distribution networks through mergers and acquisitions. Small and medium-sized players, however, for whom the costs of setting up can often be inhibitive, increasingly turn to third-party logistics providers to boost their sales and build brand identity within Vietnam.

In general terms, third-party logistics, or 3PL as it is commonly referred, involves the outsourcing of logistics functions  such as customs clearance, storage of products, and order fulfillment  to a third party. Depending on the 3PL provider and range of services utilized, third party logistics can completely remove the need for a foreign company to establish a market presence in Vietnam. Instead, all operations can be run out of a single regional management center where the costs and risks of doing business are lower.

What types of third-party logistics services are available in Vietnam?

3PL providers can offer a variety of services to companies seeking to outsource logistics functions in Vietnam. For those unfamiliar with the third-party logistics industry, the following lists common 3PL services in Vietnam ordered in terms of their rates of usage by foreign investors currently engaging 3PL providers.

Domestic transportation  92%

International transportation  89%

Warehousing  70%

Customs clearance  68%

Forwarding  60%

Shipment consolidation  40%

Product labeling/packaging  33%

Transportation management  25%

Reverse logistics  25%

Cross-docking  25%

Freight auditing and payment  18%

Fleet management  15%

Order entry, processing, and fulfillment  12%

Which companies will benefit from 3PL services?

The decision to engage a 3PL provider and the exact services required by a company will ultimately ride on the findings of a cost-benefit comparison between the acquisition of physical assets to facilitate distribution and the engagement of a local 3PL provider to handle these tasks. While each company will differ in terms of its products and business strategy, 3PL providers are generally of greatest utility to mid-market players seeking to explore the Vietnamese market for the first time.

Particularly for those with low headcounts, the resources needed to fully commit to the Vietnamese market may make market entry a daunting task. In these cases, the low-profile approach provided through 3PL allows companies the flexibility to build up name recognition and sales while temporarily avoiding the capital-intensive process of establishing a foreign-owned trading company.

How to structure 3PL networks to boost sales?

Companies must choose a corporate structure that reflects their desired level of involvement in Vietnam. Below, we outline two of the most common low-cost 3PL entry strategies  selling into the Vietnamese market without a legal entity and outsourcing order fulfillment while maintaining a representative office to facilitate sales. Both of these options perfectly suit SMEs seeking to explore opportunities and expand sales networks within the Vietnamese market.

Option 1  Fully outsourcing operations

Companies with existing Vietnamese customers can often utilize 3PL providers to handle the entire logistics process and remove the need to maintain a physical presence in the county entirely. Under this structure, 3PL providers import goods on behalf of the foreign company, handle the customs process, store goods for the company within Vietnam, and fulfill orders on behalf of the company throughout the country.

For firms with concerns over establishing a physical presence in Vietnam, fully outsourcing operations to a 3PL provider may be a good first step towards becoming more comfortable with the Vietnamese market. However, it is also important to point out that the range of services provided by the 3PL, in this case, will likely come at a significant service fee. Furthermore, it may be difficult to maintain and expand relationships with current and future customers without a more significant on the ground presence.

As such, distribution under a fully outsourced model is only recommended for companies confident in their ability to fill orders in the near to medium term and require an immediate solution to distribute their goods within Vietnam. This is a particularly good option for companies which have managed to effectively market their goods to large buyers on a wholesale level and therefore do not desire to further expand their networks within Vietnam.

Option 2  Order fulfillment support

An increasingly common structure involves the establishment of a Representative Office (RO) to supplement the services of 3PL providers with sales and marketing support. ROs provide a much lower investment profile compared to establishing a 100 percent foreign owned entity (100% FOE) and allow investors to minimize financial exposure while maintaining direct connections with 3PL providers and customers. ROs are faced with lower capital requirements and setup times and are not subject to corporate income tax as they are prevented from directly invoicing clients.

Under current Vietnamese law, ROs are limited to hiring staff to conduct marketing and market research activities and are not permitted to revive incoming payments. While preventing investors from billing their clients within Vietnam, the RO structure does allow foreign companies to maintain a sales team within the Vietnamese market while outsourcing the import and distribution of goods to a 3PL provider. Compared to the costs associated with 100 FOE setup and the lack of on the ground presence stemming from a fully outsourced distribution operation, supplementation of 3PL services with RO sales support is currently the preferred method of entry for SMEs.

The role of regional management

While Vietnam continues to provide among the most attractive consumer markets regionally, it is far from the only market where opportunities lie. Increasingly, companies choose to target not one but many markets in Southeast Asia for expansion simultaneously. In these cases, it often makes sense to establish a regional management center in Asia from which to base operations. This center will be able to handle the contractual relationships with 3PL providers  an area beyond the legal scope of representative office operations  and to handle the invoicing of clients in some cases.

At present Singapore is the best-positioned location from which to base operations due to its extensive trade and tax agreements covering Vietnam, other ASEAN members, as well as many of home markets for Vietnams current investors such as China, the United States, the European Union, Japan, and Korea.

The importance of evaluating 3PL providers

Finally, following the selection of a market entry method, investors must select a 3PL provider that can effectively support their agenda in Vietnam. While 3PL firms are in ample supply, these partners will take on a significant degree of control over the storage and transport of a companys goods. As such, there is potential for the quality of goods and services provided by the 3PL to influence the reputation of a good or brand, particularly in the initial stages of a companys entry into Vietnam.

With this in mind, the following are some of the most important considerations for new entrants to Vietnam to consider when selecting a 3PL provider:

Geographic coverage

Consumption centers in Vietnam are spread across the country. Ranging from Ho Chi Minh City in the South, to Da Nang in the Center, and Hanoi in the North, it is important for investors to understand consumption trends within their respective business lines and to engage a 3PL provider that can store and possibly transport goods between these targeted locations effectively. Many firms entering the market find that it is more effective to engage with separate 3PL providers in different locations within the country to ensure that they are able to provide the most effective delivery to their clients in every location.

Storage and transport capacity

In addition to geographic coverage, it is important to select a 3PL provider that has the capacity and specialization to transport the goods that a company wishes to distribute in Vietnam. For frozen goods and other items requiring the use of cold chain logistics networks, specialized transportation equipment and storage will certainly be required. In these cases, vetting 3PL providers prior to engagement will ensure that they are able to are able to provide the storage and transport specifications to meet the standards of a given product.

Range of service lines

More generally, companies should review 3PL providers to select a firm that can provide the services needed to implement their market entry strategy. This will include assessing firms based on their ability to invoice clients, clear goods through customs, or conduct other aspects of logistics outsourcing required for a given operation. Each firm will likely have different services and be able to provide a different range of services depending on the part of the country that they are operating in.

Due diligence

Finally, due diligence on 3PL providers is the most important consideration from a brand reputation perspective. Given the opaque nature of Vietnams business environment, investors often struggle to assess the reputation of 3PL providers from outside of the country. This, along with ongoing coordination with clients often forms the basis for investors decisions to set up a representative office to further expand their operations in Vietnam.

Note: This article was first published in July 2017, and has been updated to include the latest developments.
The decree will make sure less buyers get their fingers burnt

Among the big projects to be launched is An Khanh New City Developments sale of its first phase this quarter. The mega $2 billion project is developed by South Koreas Posco E&C and Vietnams Vinaconex, located in Hanois Hoai Duc district, along the Thang Long Boulevard.

Scheduled for completion in 2013, the city is expected to supply 6,440 apartments, equivalent to 392,319 square metres of accommodation, enough for 30,000 people.

Even though Hoa Phat Group, the investor in a more than 1,000 apartment Mandarin Garden in Cau Giay districts Tran Duy Hung road, refused to release its launching time, real estate experts predicted the project would be soon launched.

At the beginning of this month the CT7D, located in Le Van Luong street and invested by Nam Cuong Group and the FLC Landmark Tower of FLC Group will also be launched, with a total of 200 units and prices ranging from VND23 million ($1,200) to VND28 million ($1,470) per square metre.

In Gia Lam district, over the Red River, the second lot of Rung Co Residentials belonging to the Eco Park is also being launched, with around 1,500 apartment units.

In addition, Victoria Van Phu, Star City, Diamond Tower and Song Da City View will also add apartments to the mix.

Real estate consultant CBRE Vietnam expected that there would be 3,000 units in Hanoi launched this quarter, compared to 1,950 units in the third quarter. There were more than 4,600 units launched in the second quarter.

This decline, according to CBRE Vietnam, could be due to the Decree 71, effective on August 8, 2010 providing guidance on the Housing Law, which caps the proportion of units sold via capital contribution contracts at 20 per cent with the remaining 80 per cent sold on transaction floors.

This decree, CBRE Vietnam said, had put a pressure on developers with low financial capabilities and enhanced market transparency.

However, CBRE Vietnam executive director Richard Leech said new project launches would continue trending towards more affordable options.

With the opening and improvement of major infrastructure routes, the capitals western and southern districts are attracting new residents with easier access for commuting into the core urban districts, Leech said.

He said that the Decree 71 was expected to benefit the market by enhancing transparency, placing pressures on developers with low financial capabilities, lessening the threat of price bubbles and limiting speculative forces.

Tran Nhu Trung, Savills Vietnam associate director, said the Decree 71 had showed off its advantages to clearly regulate five types of mobilising capital investment. However, Trung said the procedures to implement Decree 71 were still complicated and wasted customers time and energy.

The more simple it [decree] regulates, the more it is practical in the real life, Trung said.
The Kyodo news agency reported on Thursday (Jul 6) that six people had died, with around 20 people still missing after unprecedented torrential rain caused rivers to burst their banks swamping parts of Kyushu. (AFP/STR)

The Kyodo news agency reported on Thursday (Jul 6) that six people had died, with around 20 people still missing after unprecedented torrential rain caused rivers to burst their banks swamping parts of Kyushu, the southernmost of Japan's four main islands.

Hundreds of thousands of people were ordered to flee as soldiers and emergency services battled to reach people cut off by torrents of swirling water or threatened by landslides.

"We are in an extremely serious situation," Deputy Prime Minister Taro Aso said, warning of the danger of collapsing hillsides and adding "many people are still missing".

More than 50 centimetres of rain fell over 12 hours on Wednesday, the meteorological agency said, with downpours expected to continue through Friday, as the region grapples with the aftermath of a typhoon that ravaged the country this week.

Authorities lifted "special" heavy rain warnings for the hardest hit prefectures of Fukuoka and Oita, although other warnings for rain, landslides and flooding remained in place.

Four people died in the city of Asakura in Fukuoka prefecture, Kyodo said, while a further two died in Hita in Oita prefecture. Hundreds were believed to be in areas cut off by damaged roads.

Japan is deploying 7,800 police, rescue personnel and troops in affected areas of Kyushu, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said, telling reporters that "there are about 20 people who are unaccounted for".

Those included a child reportedly carried off by a fast-flowing river and a couple who had not been seen since their house was swept away.

'HANG IN THERE!'

Television footage showed rolling waves from swollen rivers hitting residential areas, tearing up roads and inundating farmland.

Asakura was among the hardest hit with footage showing floodwaters surging through the streets.

Ryoichi Nishioka, who grows flowers in the city, said he tried to save them from damage amid fast rising waters the night before.

"I tried to protect them by covering them up but couldn't make it," he told AFP. "Then the swirling water flooded this area and swept away the greenhouses."

Nishioka, 67, also described helping a man who clung to an electric pole as muddy waters rampaged through the area on Wednesday night.

"We had a blackout, so I used a flashlight from the second floor and shined light for him," he said. "I was calling out to encourage him for three hours from 9pm to midnight.

"I shouted: 'Hang in there!'" The man was ultimately rescued, Nishioka said.

An elderly man in the hard-hit Haki district of Asakura told NHK how furniture bobbed in the flood waters that inundated his home. "I dodged them and escaped in a gush of water," he said.

A railroad bridge has been destroyed by the raging Kagetsu river, disrupting train services, a railway spokesman said.

Several other train lines were also forced to delay or stop operations due to heavy rains, while local officials called off classes at primary and middle schools.
Five beauties arrived to Hanoi on July 6 to prepare for the online exchange

These beauties were in Vietnam since the evening of July 6 to be ready for the online exchange at 3 PM on July 7. Selected from ten countries in the ASEAN, all contestants in Miss ASEAN Friendship 2017 are representatives of their nations with their own national characteristics.

Nuttanan Naree talked about her feelings after the contest

After more than two weeks of the contest, all the beauties had unforgettable memories in the yellow flowers and green grass of Phu Yen. They had a chance to visit some of the citys famous landscapes, such as Sea Cliff of Stone Plates, Mui Dien Cape, and Bai Mon Beach, as well as take part in many interesting events and programmes during the contest.

Talking about these experiences, Miss ASEAN Friendship 2017 Nuttanan Naree said, We lived in the same place, all together, we explored wonderful landscapes in Phu Yen province. The nature here is amazing and local people are friendly. This was a time that I will always remember.

1st runner up Huynh Thi Yen Nhi

Also participating in this online exchange are 1st runner up Huynh Thi Yen Nhi from Vietnam and 2nd runner up Benedicta Heda Mercy Charis from Indonesia.

The Vietnamese representative, Yen Nhi, surpassed other beauties in the contest to become 1st runner up and Miss Tourism. Answering questions about her feelings when receiving the prizes, Yen Nhi said, I felt so proud and a little bit overwhelmed. As a runner up as well as an ambassador for Vietnamese tourism, I will try my best to spread and introduce the beauty of the country, the people, and the culture of Vietnam to other nations.

Moreover, Yen Nhi said that to prepare for this contest, she had tried hard to improve her cultural and historical knowledge, as well as English skills, so that she could introduce Vietnam to other contestants. In addition, Yen Nhi admitted her only regret was that the 27 contestants could not spend more time hanging out together and visiting beautiful landscapes in Vietnam.

Five beauties from Miss ASEAN Friendship 2017 and organisers of the beauty pageant

Miss ASEAN Friendship 2017 could not have gained such success without the enthusiastic support of artists, sponsors, and embassies in Vietnam.

Talking about this beauty pageant, Tran Quoc Tri, head of the judging panel, said, It has been a long time since Vietnam held such a big international contest. This was the first time a contest among the ASEAN members was held in Vietnam. Organisers have tried their best to spread the images of the contests all over the country as well as other foreign countries to attract public attention.

Miss ASEAN Friendship 2017 is a meaningful event to celebrate 50th anniversary of ASEANs establishment, as well as to promote development and trade linkages in economy and culture among ASEAN member countries.

Miss ASEAN Friendship 2017 ended, but it has opened a chance to advertise and promote trade and tourism investment in many localities in Vietnam and other places across the ASEAN. It is anticipated that the second Miss ASEAN Friendship would be held in 2019.
Here is a live report of the questions and answers given by our five beauties

- Miss ASEAN Friendship 2017 Nuttanan Naree (Thailand)

- 1st runner up Huynh Thi Yen Nhi (Vietnam)

- 2nd runner up Benedicta Heda Mercy Charis (Indonesia)

- Top 5 finalist Tinaprit Kaur Dillon Balwant Singh (Malaysia)

- Top 10 finalist To Mai Thuy Duong (Vietnam)

Photo by Huy Pham



Bui Duy Khanh (30), businessman

Good afternoon, now that the Miss ASEAN Friendship 2017 competition is over, what are the most precious lessons you have learnt from the experience?

1st runner up Huynh Thi Yen Nhi (Vietnam)

The most important thing I have learnt is that if you have a dream, you have to fight for it, no matter what. Through this contest I could prove that I can do it.

I have brought glory to my family and Vietnam by winning the 1st runner up position in Miss ASEAN Friendship 2017. To me this was not about the contest, it was an experience and exchange with the other girls who represented their countries in front of the entire ASEAN community. I have learnt so much of other cultures by befriending and sharing with these enthusiastic girls.

Tran Nhat Quang Minh, Ho Chi Minh city, chef

Welcome to Vietnam. What do you think about Vietnamese people? Have you explored Vietnamese food? What dishes did you like the most?

2nd runner up Benedicta Heda Mercy Charis (Indonesia)

Vietnamese people are simple and kind, they are extremely hospitable and attentive to their guests. Personally, since the first moment people have been friendly and treated me as a member of their families. I could feel they wanted to make me feel as welcome and comfortable as if I were home.

This was the first time I have tried Vietnamese food and found it to fit my taste surprisingly well. Your food contains a lot of vegetables and even the fried dishes are very good. For example, the chicken fried in honey, was heavenly, along with other street food. I also loved the seafood and oysters in Phu Yen.

Hoang Ngoc Oanh, reporter:

Congratulation for finishing at such high places at Miss ASEAN Friendship 2017. What do you think about Vietnamese journalism?

Top 10 finalist To Mai Thuy Duong (Vietnam)

First, I would like to thank you for your question. I think that journalism has significant influence on our lives, especially show business. Miss ASEAN Friendship 2017 drew strong attention from journalists. This was a great joy to myself as well as to other contestants.

Journalists made a vital contribution to popularising the contest, and even though it has ended, Vietnam Investment Review still cares about it and us a lot, and helps contestants to share our images, information, and thoughts with followers.

I want to send my most sincere thanks to all the journalists who have cared and followed the contest. I hope that news agencies will continue to follow us in our upcoming activities and programmes.

Tieu Bao (23), student

Hi Yen Nhi, through the many contests you have participated in, can you tell us about what the organisers usually ask contestants? In Miss ASEAN Friendship 2017, did the organisers prepare all questions and answers for contestants?

1st runner up Huynh Thi Yen Nhi (Vietnam)

Of all the contests I participated in, including Miss Ao Dai 2016 and Miss ASEAN Friendship 2017, the most frequent questions were If you won the first prize, what would you do to help your country? and What were your motivations to join the contest and what message do you want to sent people?.

In Miss ASEAN Friendship 2017, organisers prepared 33 questions as preference material for contestants, most of which were related to the ASEAN. This is important knowledge to a beauty representing the ASEAN, as it includes historical knowledge and up-to-date information on the future operations of the ASEAN.

Nguyen Thanh, reporter

Yen Nhi and Thuy Duong, you have won a number of beauty contests before. What convinced you to join Miss ASEAN Friendship 2017?

1st runner up Huynh Thi Yen Nhi (Vietnam)

My reasons were quite simple: it was to enjoy youth and live to the fullest. This was a wonderful opportunity to make new friendseven if it is only in Southeast Asia, it is still exciting.

I also wanted to represent the image of Vietnamese women, who are not only beautiful on the outside, but also very intelligent, and keep their heads high even in the face of challenge and their hearts full of love.

Pham Ngoc Thai (27) Hoan Kiem district, Hanoi

I heard that you only had time for a short visit to Hanoi, but were you impressed by our city? What did you the most impressive? Thank you and wish you all success in the future.

1st runner up Huynh Thi Yen Nhi (Vietnam)

Actually, me and my friends have not had time to visit Hanoi, we were busy meeting consulates and sponsors. All contestants know that Hanoi is the capitol of Vietnam and has more than 1,000 years of history. They were all very excited and were looking forward to exploring Hanoi.

According to the organisers schedule, tonight all five of us will take a stroll around the Sword Lake.

Miss ASEAN Friendship 2017 Nuttanan Naree (Thailand)

To be honest, we did not have much time to explore Hanoi. However, during our visit, I have been deeply impressed by the beautiful views of the Sword Lake at night and the walking street.

We walked around the Sword Lake and visited the night street Ta Hien. The atmosphere there was so young and full of energy, we found it incredibly interesting. Thank you for your question and wish you all the joys in life.

Quoc Huy (18)

Hi Benedicta head Mercy Charis! Can you share with us your most memorable moment from the contest in Vietnam? When do you think you are the meanest? What part of your body do you hate the most?

2nd runner up Benedicta Heda Mercy Charis (Indonesia)

It was a time I shared with 27 contestants from across Southeast Asia. We had dinner and went camping together. I was mesmerised with Phu Yens beautiful beach.

I live in Indonesia, but I have heard a lot about Hanoi, and I was very impressed during my visit. The walking streets are dazzling and bring the city alive.

In Indonesia, the streets are very quiet during working hours, but Hanoi is absolutely buzzing all the time. Yesterday we had an amazing sightseeing trip around Sworld Lake, even if only by car.

About the bodypart I hate... I think I am the least happy about my eyebrows because they are not as well-defined as the others (laughs).

Bui Duy (30), businessman

Good afternoon, now that the Miss ASEAN Friendship 2017 competition is over, what are the most precious lessons you have learnt from the experience?

1st runner up Huynh Thi Yen Nhi (Vietnam)

The most important thing I have learnt is that if you have a dream, you have to fight for it, no matter what. Through this contest I could prove that I can do it.

I have brought glory to my family and Vietnam by winning the 1st runner up position in Miss ASEAN Friendship 2017. To me this was not about the contest, it was an experience and exchange with the other girls who represented their countries in front of the entire ASEAN community. I have learnt so much of other cultures by befriending and sharing with these enthusiastic girls.

Miss ASEAN Friendship 2017 Nuttanan Naree (Thailand)

This is an interesting question. In the contest, the most precious thing I have learnt is to appreciate our differences.

We come from different countries and you know what, this also means a lot of differences in culture, lifestyle, and character.

I have realised the value of differences in the beauty of every nation in the ASEAN, especially Vietnam, where the contest was held.

I have come to recognise and will appreciate these values, and I think this is the most precious thing I have learnt through the contest.



Tran Nhat Quang Minh, Ho Chi Minh city, chef

Welcome to Vietnam. What do you think about Vietnamese people? Have you explored Vietnamese food? What dishes did you like the most?

2nd runner up Benedicta Heda Mercy Charis (Indonesia)

Vietnamese people are simple and kind, they are extremely hospitable and attentive to their guests. Personally, since the first moment people have been friendly and treated me as a member of their families. I could feel they wanted to make me feel as welcome and comfortable as if I were home.

This was the first time I have tried Vietnamese food and found it to fit my taste surprisingly well. Your food contains a lot of vegetables and even the fried dishes are very good. For example, the chicken fried in honey, was heavenly, along with other street food. I also loved the seafood and oysters in Phu Yen.

Top 5 finalist Tinaprit Kaur Dillon Balwant Singh (Malaysia)

I loved the chicken rice in Phu Yen. Certainly, this dish is a must try when visiting Phu Yen. An interesting thing, I have tried Indonesian and Thai food in Hanoi and they are also great. I have no complaints about Vietnamese food whatsoever.

Phuong Thao (21) Ho Chi Minh City

Hi Benedicta, when you return to your country, who is the first person you want to share your happiness with?

2nd runner up Benedicta Heda Mercy Charis (Indonesia)

When I return, I want to share with my friends and family the memories I have made during the conestt in Vietnam, especially with my mother because she was the one who encouraged me every day during my time in Vietnam.

She is also the one I missed the most during the contest.

Minh Anh, student

Hi international beauties, if you had a chance to come back to Vietnam, where would you visit and what dishes would you try?

2nd runner up Benedicta Heda Mercy Charis (Indonesia)

I would love to visit Danang and Ha Long Bay because I know they are famous attractions in Vietnam. I love the sea. In Jakarta where I live, there are no beaches, so I love visiting the seashore. I love water sports, such as surfing, and I really love the fresh salty ocean breeze. It just makes me feel so relaxed.

Top 5 finalist Tinaprit Kaur Dillon Balwant Singh (Malaysia)

Today we visited the Malaysian and Thai ambassadors in Hanoi. I met some Malaysian people and took a lot of photos. I was so happy to see they hung our photos up on their walls immediately.

We also visited Eropi, a jewellery store and they gave me a beautiful pearl jewellery. I really loved the gift.

That was my whole day, not too busy, right? I know that there are numerous attractions and delicacies to explore in Vietnam and I will try everything in the future.

Thu Phuong (45), Hanoi

Hi Nuttanan Naree. After becoming Miss ASEAN Friendship 2017 what will you do to persuade people to support the community?

Miss ASEAN Friendship 2017 Nuttanan Naree (Thailand)

Thanks for your interesting question.

I think that to persuade people to help the community, the first things that we should do is to prove that this is a good thing that will bring about positive changes for the community.

Besides, I think another important thing is that we should keep our character and share it with people around. We can adapt and adjust our behavior to get on well with people, but it is important to remember who we are, where we are from, and preserve these values. By doing that, I can persuade more and more people to join meaningful social activities.

Duong Minh Tuan (28), Hanoi

Can you tell me how you feel about the people and scenery of Phu Yen where Miss ASEAN Friendship 2017 took place?

1st runner up Huynh Thi Yen Nhi (Vietnam)

From the moment I arrived to Phu Yen, I found the people very friendly and always ready to help. The people there are very honest, always smiling, even when they seem tired or busy. All contestants received help from the locals. Especially the volunteers, they always showed us and the contest the highest consideration during the entire trip.

I remember one time we had to move quickly from Cendelux Hotel to Sao Mai Stage and an enthusiastic cab driver drove me there. Unfortunately I forgot my purse, but he said It is ok, you just go practice for the show, try your best! He even helped take my luggage inside. That was such a nice gesture and I remember him fondly.

About the scenery, there is a saying in Vietnam: Golden forests, silver seaand Phu Yen embodies this saying. I am amazed at Bai Xep, there are mountains on one side filled with greenery and a long beach and deep blue sea on the other. I cannot even describe my feelings when witnessing that beautiful scene.

There are also Ghenh Da Dia ( Sea Cliffs of Stone Plates) and Thap Nhan (Swallow Mountain)they always give off the feeling that Vietnam was gifted with natural beauty. In the future, Phu Yen will surely become a tourism hotspot domestically and internationally.

Tung Duong (27)

As the 2nd runner up in a beauty contest that promotes friendship and unity, do you have any plans to promote and help strengthen the relationship between Vietnam and Indonesia in particular, as well as other countries in the region in general?

2nd runner up Benedicta Heda Mercy Charis (Indonesia)

This is a contest to promote harmony between the ASEAN countries, so it is not only about Vietnam and Indonesia.

When I return to Indonesia, I will share my experiences from this contest with everyone. I also want to be the bridge that connects the two countries even more.

Van Hoa, 35 years old, fashion designer

Hi Thuy Duong! What do you think about showbiz in Vietnam? The position of Top 10 in an international beauty pageant is not too bad, do you think you could join the Vietnamese showbiz? Thank you so much.

Top 10 finalist To Mai Thuy Duong

At present, I do not care too much about showbiz as an artist, I am only part of the audience who follow the developments.

I think that every field has its own two sides, and showbiz is not an exception. The important thing is whether you want to see it in a negative or positive light.

Recently, I was overjoyed to be one of the ten beauties who were honored at an international beauty pageant, but it is not the first step in my plan to join showbiz. Currently, my top priority is to become a fashion designer and spend more time with family and friends.

I think that I have a plenty of chances to challenge myself in many other contests, and maybe good luck will smile on me.

Duc Long (33)

Hi Yen Nhi, can you tell us what the most exciting and memorable thing that happened to you during the contest was?

1st runner up Huynh Thi Yen Nhi (Vietnam)

It was the Tuy Hoa Clay Pot rice restaurant, where all contestants relaxed and had lunch and dinner. As such, this place was always full of laughter and we swapped stories after the daily activities in the programme.

This was also the place where everybody could relax and just be themselves, be young and happy, unrestricted by the image of a Miss ASEAN Friendship contestant.

Sometimes we danced or imitated the funny gestures we saw during the activities.

I remember a contestant from Indonesia, Riana Rahmawati, she pronounced "lighter" as "Korek," which we found really funny, and everybody called her "Miss Korek" because she always filled everyone with laughter and energy.

Minh Thuy, Tu Liem district, Hanoi

Hi Tinaprit Kaur Dillon Balwant Singh, can you tell me who in your family had the biggest influence on you and did he or she follow your performance during the contest?

Top 5 finalist Tinaprit Kaur Dillon Balwant Singh (Malaysia)

In my family, my father had the biggest influence on me. My mother was also important, but if I had to name only one person, it would be my father because my mom had my sister and brother. My father is my hero. He helped me make important decisions.

My parents let me choose my own life. They are not only my parents but they are also gods in my heart, as they brought me up and taught me to take the first steps in life.

Son Tung (40), Bac Giang

Congratulations, Nuttanan Naree, I would like to ask you a question unrelated to the contest. Are you interested in the stock market and do you intend to invest in the future?

Miss ASEAN Friendship 2017 Nuttanan Naree (Thailand)

I am interested in the stock market because I studied Marketing in college. Therefore, I have learnt a lot about the financial market, including the stock market, to help my future career.

Aside from that, I have opened my own business. So I studied a lot about investment and business. When I return to Thailand after the contest, I will learn more about investment and quite possibly the stock market, too.

Huu Trung

Hello Yen Nhi, as runner up of the host country, what have you done to connect with international friends and head towards the ASEAN house of beauty and friendship?

1st runner up Huynh Thi Yen Nhi (Vietnam)

The thing that unites every contestant is enthusiasm. I tried to talk and communicate with them as much as I could, to find out more about their personalities as well as help them with difficulties when they first arrived to Vietnam.

I believe that if you treat people with sincerity, you will receive sincerity and love in return.

Language is also an important connection: if I could not speak English, then I surely would not have been able to communicate with other contestants.

After 3 weeks, it feels like we have all become a family, and we still share happy moments with each other through a Facebook group chat.

Thu Huyen (21)

I have a question for Yen Nhi. Who had the most influence on your life?

1st runner up Huynh Thi Yen Nhi (Vietnam)

Certainly, my mom had the biggest influence on my life, as she always gave me advice to raise over difficulties. At present, I do not live near my mom and we call each other once a week only.

My mom created a Facebook account to follow me. When I am sad, she immediately calls me and cheers me up. There is no sadness she cannot help me through.

Hoang Anh, 25

Hi Benedicta, how many times have you been to Vietnam? How did you like visiting Phu Yen and meeting the people here?

2nd runner up Benedicta Heda Mercy Charis (Indonesia)

Phu Yen has a lot of beautiful sceneries. Since I live in a modern city, I was amazed by the traditional and natural beauty of this place.

Phu Yen does not have many buildings, but a pure beauty.

The locals are frugal, nice, and very caring.

Van Hai (25), Nghe An province

Congratulations to Nuttanan Naree for winning the crown of Miss ASEAN Friendship 2017. Did you have a happy trip to Vietnam? Which landscapes have you visited?

Miss ASEAN Friendship 2017 Nuttanan Naree (Thailand)

Thank you so much for your question. I had a wonderful time in Vietnam and this has been a very impressive trip. Over the last two weeks, I was in Phu Yen and enjoyed the amazing atmosphere as well as landscapes.

I love exploring, sightseeing, and taking part in outdoor activities. Phu Yen has beaches, mountains, and many other interesting activities. Thus, I had taken part in many activities here and I was very happy.

Doan Phi (31)

Yen Nhi, what are your standards for a boyfriend?

1st runner up Huynh Thi Yen Nhi (Vietnam)

I believe in destiny, but I do not have specific standards, because girls always like men who are handsome, talented

But when destiny comes knocking, even if the person is not perfect, he is still the only one for you.

I only have a tiny requirement for my boyfriend, that is to know how to listen and be empathetic, and share when I need, and have ambition in his career. But about appearance, just "moderately handsome" is fine, someone too handsome will take a lot of work to keep (laughs)

Thu Ha, Hanoi

Benedicta Heda Mercy Charis, of all the contestants of Miss ASEAN Friendship 2017, who was the one closest to you, and who impressed you the most?

2nd runner up Benedicta Heda Mercy Charis (Indonesia)

I was closest to my roommate, Juliet, who is also from Indonesia. She has taken part in some beauty pageants before, so she is very experienced.

She advised me on what I should and should not do. Besides, she took care of me a lot. She was the best partner I ever had.

Hai Minh

To Nuttanna Naree, what is your biggest passion, how do you nurture and follow it? Do you like doing business, do you think you will be a businesswoman? What are your goals for the next 5 years?

Miss ASEAN Friendship 2017 Nuttanan Naree (Thailand)

Thank you for your question.

My biggest passion is fashion. Actually, I am a model in Thailand and I am still following this career path. If the opportunity arises, I would like to go to the USA and try modeling in New York fashion shows.

For the current me, the stock market is a bit difficult, but still, I love doing business. In the future, I will surely study more about these fields and be more knowledgeable.

In time, I hope to open my own fashion shop. This can be considered becoming a businesswoman.

Pham Truc, Hanoi

I have a question for Yen Nhi. You are a model, so after your success in this contest, will you return to your usual work and life?

1st runner up Huynh Thi Yen Nhi (Vietnam)

Certainly, after the contest I have to do the mission of a runner up with the organisers. Afterwards, I will arrange my schedule to return to my modelling work, and at the same time, I will learn acting, but it is just a plan.

However, I think that I should spend more time with my family, because during the last two years, due to a busy schedule, I have lived far from them. In the finale, my family arrived to Phu Yen from Ho Chi Minh City to encourage me. This gave me more motivation to complete my performance.

Thus, I think that I must return to my family and the warm embrace of mom.

Hanh My (40), Ha Giang

Congratulations on becoming Miss ASEAN Friendship 2017. After winning the crown, do you have any plans for the near future?

Miss ASEAN Friendship 2017 Nuttanan Naree (Thailand)

Thank you for your question.

In the next 2 years, I will be responsible for carrying out the tasks of Miss ASEAN Friendship2017. As you know, I will participate in community activities, cultural exchange, charity, as well as cultural-entertainment events.

However, additionally, I have my own job and dream. I can become a member of a flight crew as a flight attendant in the future, in addition to a modeling career.

Thai An (15)

Hi Benedicta Heda Mercy Charis, I am so impressed by your radiant beauty. If there is a Vietnamese boy saying that he fell in love with you, would you think of working and living in Vietnam?

2nd runner up Benedicta Heda Mercy Charis (Indonesia)

This largely depends on the specific situation. I think that if we were truly in love, we could seriously consider it. However, I really love my family, so it will depend a lot on my business.

If we worked in Indonesia, we would live in Indonesia If we work in Vietnam, we would live here. They are all our countries so there will be no gap or difference.



Ha Linh, Hanoi

During the contest in Vietnam, did you notice any similarities and differences between the lifestyle and people of Vietnam and Indonesia?

2nd runner up Benedicta Heda Mercy Charis (Indonesia)

Vietnamese and Indonesian people are similar as they are both very curious and want to know more about the people, even if they have just met.

The difference is that Vietnamese seem to be even more open. When they see a beautiful girl, they are not afraid to make a compliment. Indonesian people are not like that.



Phan Van Hung, Phu Yen province

Congratulations, Yen Nhi. I am so proud of your success. As the 1st runner up as well as Miss Tourism, can you tell me what you will do to the spread images of Phu Yen and Vietnam among our international friends?

1st runner up Huynh Thi Yen Nhi (Vietnam)

The contest has already made Phu Yen known to many international friends, and as a runner up and Miss Tourism, I wish to join and hold more meaningful events with the Top 3 finalists of Miss ASEAN Friendship 2017 to introduce Phu Yen as well as Vietnam to international friends.

I hope that I will have one month to visit all the attractions in Vietnam to gain more knowledge, so that I can honestly spread the word of Vietnams beauty. Then I hope that I will have a chance to visit all the countries in Southeast Asia.

Trinh Kien (27), Thanh Hoa

Hi Miss ASEAN, do you like Vietnamese food? What is your favorite dish?

Miss ASEAN Friendship 2017 Nuttanan Naree (Thailand)

Thank you for your question.

I really like Vietnamese food, especially Pho. The noodle and flavor of this dish are very different from Thai food.

Manh Tuong (26), Hanoi

Hi Nuttanan Naree, congratulations for becoming Miss ASEAN Friendship 2017! Do you frequently use Facebook or Twitter? If yes, can you tell me where I can follow you?

Miss ASEAN Friendship 2017 Nuttanan Naree (Thailand)

Thank you for your question. Just like many other youngsters, I spend quite a lot of time on Facebook.

My facebook is https://www.facebook.com/ gwasii.kook

Recently, I have been sent a lot of friend requests sent, and I appreciate all the love that people give me.



Nguyen Van Minh, Ha Long city

Hi Yen Nhi, after seeing all contestants, what does beauty mean in the ASEAN?

1st runner up Huynh Thi Yen Nhi (Vietnam)

Youth, energy, and a beautiful soul are appreciated everywhere.

Although these girls use different languages, live and breathe different cultures, and think different thoughts, they live life to the fullest in their own way.

Mai Thao (35) Hanoi

Hi Nuttanan Naree, if you had a chance to change something, what would you change?

Miss ASEAN Friendship 2017 Nuttanan Naree (Thailand)

Thank you for your very interesting question. If I could change something, I would turn various languages in the world into a single common language.

When we all talk the same language, we can make friends easily, talking and sharing with each other. Everyone will care more about each other without the language barrier.

When we can share our opinions and discuss problems, conflicts will be solved more easily. Thereby, there will be fewer conflicts and people will become friendlier.

Ninh Kieu, journalist

Hi Nuttanan Naree, after becoming Miss ASEAN Friendship 2017, what will you do to contribute to the development of the ASEAN?

Miss ASEAN Friendship 2017 Nuttanan Naree (Thailand)

Thank you for your question. At the end of 2015, thanks to the efforts of member states, the ASEAN officially became an economic community. This was a historical milestone during the development of the ASEAN.

In my opinion, the most important mission should focus on humanity. To contribute to the development of the ASEAN, I will take part in different activities to support the community and to help unemployment.

I support creating more jobs to create and maintain wealth for our nations.

Ngoc Diep, student

Hi Benedicta Heda Mercy Charis, during your short time in Vietnam, have you made any Vietnamese friends, and will you keep in touch with them after you return to Indonesia?

2nd runner up Benedicta Heda Mercy Charis (Indonesia)

This was the first time I visited Vietnam, so besides the Vietnamese contestants, I have not had the chance to make any other Vietnamese friends.

(Thinking) oh, I have one more, the photographer (Smile).

Nguyen Tung, Ngu Hanh Son, Danang

What do you think when I say ASEAN countries should have more competitions in fields other than beauty contests, such as tourism, cuisine, and education, to promote exchanges between countries and regions, thereby improving the spirit of cooperation between neighboring countries?

Miss ASEAN Friendship 2017 Nuttanan Naree (Thailand)

I completely agree. I think beauty contests are important because they honour the charm of women. This contest has honoured the charm of women in the ASEAN countries, including my home, Thailand.

However, we should focus more on cultural activities of the ASEAN countries, as well as educational, community-based, and humanitarian activities.

More competition in tourism, cuisine, and education would create more opportunities for interaction between countries in the region, therefore promote cooperation and harmony between countries.

Top 10 finalist To Mai Thuy Duong

After working with other contestants from the ASEAN countries, I have learnt a lot from other cultures in the region. To me, that is a great joy and honor.

Through this, I could feel the importance of exchange between countries in the ASEAN and I hope that there will be many big competitions and programmes in different fields. Aside from language barriers and time constraints, I believe that limitations in the organising process in countries are very important.

If you love and care about Miss ASEAN Friendship 2017, then please support us to create more beneficial programmes like this.

1st runner up Huynh Thi Yen Nhi (Vietnam)

I think it is a very good idea and would require a lot of support from the government as well as Vietnamese people since it is not just a competition, but a platform to exchange culture and traditions, and promote tourism in all SEA countries.

I myself have always wanted to travel the world, and this is an opportunity for the young generation to take part in and create a community for children to learn about culture, people, food, and the modern education of SEA countries. Simultaneously, we can promote cooperation and strengthen the unity among SEA countries, together building a prosperous ASEAN community filled with laughter and happiness.

Ly Quy Khanh, fashion designer

Hi Thuy Duong, one of your hobbies is fashion designing, so what do you think about the Ao Daithe traditional costume of Vietnamese people. Do you think that the Ao Dai is a symbol of Vietnamese tailors? If yes, how old may these tailors be? Thank you so much.

Top 10 finalist To Mai Thuy Duong

Hi Khanh, I am so happy to answer your question.

Ao Dai is not only a national costume, but it is also a symbol of the culture and beauty of Vietnamese people.

I am not surprised when at present, with the daily life of Vietnamese people enhanced, taking care of beauty is a necessary need. However, the Ao Dai is still the first choice of Vietnamese women at important events because it helps them to show their charming beauty.

I believe that not only me, but all other girls also feel confident and beautiful when wearing the Ao Dai. Through the traditional costume, not only can we show our sense of fashion, but we can also demonstrate our love to our country in front of our international friends.

If the Ao Dai is the symbol of Vietnamese tailors, we owe them an immense thanks. And if I have to answer the question about the age of these tailors, I think they are as old as the long history of Vietnam.
Quoc Cuong Gia Lai JSC: escaping a six-year crisis

In 2010, Quoc Cuong Gia Lais profit after tax was $11.8 million, a sizeable increase compared to the year before. Right after this pinnacle are years of hardship for the company. Profit had been dropping gradually. In 2016, business activities became more vibrant, with more favourable outcomes. However, the companys profit was only $2 million.

In 2017, investors interested in Quoc Cuong Gia Lais stocks were shocked by this news. Stock prices skyrocketed from $0.18 to $1.32 per share. The changes occurred before information about on the companys restructured business activities was published, along with chairmans promise to successfully execute all business plans.

The companys target is to gain $109.8 million in revenue, increasing by 57 per cent compared to 2016, with profit before tax of $31.6 million. With this current plan, Quoc Cuong Gia Lai aims to set dividend yield at 25 per cent, with 15 per cent in cash and 10 per cent in stocks. Quoc Cuong Gia Lai also proposes an 8.6 per cent cash dividend advance payment plan.

According to news from Quoc Cuong Gia Lai, the company has negotiated terms for two projects with sole distributors. Even though the revenue target was very high, the company has accomplished 90 per cent of its revenue and profit plans set out this year for these two projects. The Phuoc Kien projects scope is considerable and there are high expectations for its success. However, Quoc Cuong Gia Lai has not mentioned its efficiency in its business plan in 2017.

At the annual general shareholders meeting in 2017, the company set the profit before tax target of $87.8 million for the period from 2018 to 2020, with 20-25 per cent cash dividend.

Quoc Cuong Gia Lai has not established a detailed profit strategy, and neither has it figured out how much the Phuoc Kien project can contribute to overall success.

However, Nguyen Quoc Cuong, deputy general director of the company, said that this figure is not high compared to the $878.3 million coming from the companys ten real estate projects.

The path back to the pinnacle might not be smooth. Previously, Quoc Cuong Gia Lai has mentioned a possible merger and acquisition of Phuoc Kien project several times, but it was not successful. However, the rise of the real estate market in the south was a real push for the company, especially in the front of corporation with business partners, of whom DXG Groups participation in product distribution was prominent.

Thanks to cooperation with DXG, Quoc Cuong Gia Lai has generated the largest cash flow from product sales. As a result, Quoc Cuong Gia Lai has the financial capability to invest in other on-going projects. This is the domino effect of sequential projects that may create Quoc Cuong Gia Lais new stage of growth.

Dat XanhGroup (DXG): Double profit

In the first quarter of 2017, DXGs net operating profit after tax was $8.3 million. This is a stark increase compared to last year.

As a company operating in real estate, including brokerage services, real estate trading, and investment in real estate construction, DXG has been a direct beneficiary of the rise of the real estate market in recent years, especially in the south.

With more than 1,500 salespersons and 2,000 coordinators, DXG is currently dominating the distribution market with a 17.4 per cent market share, including a 14.8 per cent share in the medium-range category.

The current trend in the global market is that companies which own distribution networks have started investing in manufacturing. DXG, in the same manner, also wishes to become a true real estate investor, including actual real estate construction. Statistics from the company suggest that DXGs current and future investment projects can take up to 700,000 square metres of land, with the total estimated investment of $1.04 billion. This number does not include projects where DXG acts as a secondary investor (taking over a project or parts of a project from main investors and handling distribution).

Ha Duc Hieu, CFO of DXG, has told an interesting story: the stark growth of the real estate market, especially in the newer districts of Ho Chi Minh City, has consequently led to a stark increase in housing prices at many of the companys projects.

DXG bought one project from an investor and the housing price stated in its business strategy was $791-813 per square metre. This is a feasible strategy with promising profits. However, after the first stages of preparing investment and sale, land prices have skyrocketed.

Thanks to constant feedback from our sales team, the company has adjusted the investment rate by $44 per sq.m, and adjusted sale price to $1,230 per sq.m. Nevertheless, there were still not enough final products for sale. It is considered a market risk that many companies would love to take.

In the second quarter of 2017, even though there were no exact performance figures, it is expected that DXG can gain up to $2.2 million in profit after tax. Investors might not be very pleased because the performance figures for the first six months are much lower than the target of $30.74 million in profit after tax in 2017.

Phat Dat Real Estate Development Corporation (PDR): Turning banks from hostages to service providers

PDR is probably the business that benefits the most from the recovery of the real estate market in the south. Since the end of 2016 and especially during the first quarter of 2017, revenue, profit, and other financial activities have made several breakthroughs.

For several years, there has been inventory capitalisation for loan interest costs along with low liquidity. If there were no market advance in two factorsliquidity and price increasesPDR will find it very hard to finish its on-going projects and pay off bank loans.

Changes in the market have created novel opportunities for PDR. In the middle of May 2017, according to Dispatch No.157/2017/PD-TC about the successful assignment of The EverRich 3 high rise building project, PDR could pay off its debts of $15.3 million to DongA Bank.

Not only has PDR managed to pay off its huge debts, the company also motivated shareholders with a new business plan for 2017, promising a growth rate of 38.6 per cent. Specifically, the new project states that revenue would reach $87.8 million, accompanied by $18.4 million in profit before tax and $14.8 million in profit after tax.

By the end of May 2017, PDR once again shocked the shareholders by substantially increasing its expected revenue and profit figures for 2017 in its business plan, despite having already published a business plan. Expected revenue is $143.3 million and expected profit before tax is $23 million.

PDRs share price has increased to $1.3 per share, with dividend yield of 10 per cent. At this rate, stockholders who bought and kept PDRs shares will gain tremendous profits. With this increase in price, there have been stock companies that have decreased the lending rate of PDR stock margin trading to zero per cent. Growth is not certain as there is no actual financial data to back it up yet.

The growth of the real estate market has helped PDR to overcome the crisis. The future of PDRs stock price depends on its ability to generate revenues.
Representatives from Viet Capital Securities and the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange on the first trading day of VCSC's stocks

This morning, Viet Capital Securities (VCSC) listed 103 million shares on the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange, pricing each stock at VND48,000 ($2.11). The shares immediately hit the roof, rising by 20 per cent to reach VND57,600 ($2.53) during the morning trading session.

This surge confirmed earlier forecasts by the firms deputy CEO Dinh Quang Hoan, who was positive that VCSC would attract overwhelming demand from investors.

Viet Capital Securities received the trading certificate

Prior to todays listing, VCSC has held a private placement for investors, who altogether bought 10 per cent of the shares, to raise VND720 billion ($31.65 million) for the brokerage. At least 28 overseas funds have joined the placement, hailing from Singapore, Thailand, the US, Europe, and Japan, together with Vietnamese names, such as Dragon Capital, Vietnam Holding, and PXP.

In 2016, VCSC reported VND894 billion ($39.3 million) in revenue and VND338 billion ($14.8 million) in post-tax profit. The brokerage aims to boost this revenue by 22 per cent in 2017, while profit is anticipated to grow by 30 per cent.

Viet Capital Securities to be listed this Friday Viet Capital Securities JSC will debut its shares on the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange this Friday, following a successful private placement last month.

Planning in a time of unseen variables How will US President Trumps policies affect Vietnams inbound foreign investments, trade, and forex rates? Barry Weisblatt, head of research at Viet Capital Securities, digs into the question on everyones minds.
British painter Samuel Scott (1702-1772) depicted the moment that the Spanish galleon San Jose burst into flames and sank with its treasure off the coast of Colombia. The original hangs in the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, England.
Casey Affleck (yes, really) in A Ghost Story. Photo: A24

Theres a cinematic theory known as the Kuleshov effect thats all about context. In essence, it argues that the same neutral shot of an actors face can take on a different meaning to the audience depending on the shot that comes before or after it. Its like that classic actors trick where, if you need an audience member to feel emotional watching a scene, the actor will do nothing, explained director David Lowery. The audience will project everything on there as long as the context is there.

A Ghost Story, Lowerys new movie, is the most extreme version of that, said the filmmaker. It stars Rooney Mara and Casey Affleck, though you see the latter only briefly: For most of the movie, after a fatal car accident, Afflecks character exists as a mute ghost, which Lowery signifies by throwing a simple sheet with eyeholes over Affleck. In todays era of outlandish special effects, theres something audaciously low-fi about covering your Oscar-winning star with the sort of costume that looks like it was thrown together at the last minute on Halloween, but the longer A Ghost Story goes  and it goes, seemingly, to the end of time and back  the more likely you are to realize that the ghost outfit isnt just a white sheet. Its a blank canvas, and your response to the movie will come from what you project onto it.

The personal narrative that the viewer brings to the film is entirely legit, so I wouldnt discourage anyone from reading into it, Lowery told me recently when we met up in a Los Angeles coffee shop. I was curious, though, what baggage Lowery himself brought to this deceptively simple story, and the more we talked about his hardships shooting it  and they were significant  the more Lowery seemed to come to an epiphany on what drove him to make A Ghost Story in the first place.

Youre asking the audience to make a significant buy-in with this mute protagonist whos hidden under a sheet. Even before we get to the ghost, did you use the first act of the movie to subtly prepare the audience for whats to come?

Completely, 100 percent. When we put together the first part of the movie, I was sticking very literally to the script, which had a lot of dialogue upfront and a lot of conversation between Caseys and Rooneys characters. I had to remove it and rely entirely on a long scene where theyre in bed together, embracing and making out and eventually falling asleep, because that scene allowed audiences to come to grips with what the movie was going to be. All the dialogue was setting them up for the wrong movie, it was sort of predisposing audiences to think they were watching a movie about a couple, and ultimately thats not what it is. So there was easily a version of the movie that took about 45 minutes to get to the ghost.

You have to train the audience how to watch the film.

I wanted to keep pushing the audience a little more with every sequence. For example, in the hospital after he dies, once Rooney leaves, there is a solid minute before anything happens. I felt like a minute was the exact amount of time we could push the audience, up to the point where theyre wondering how long is this gonna last. I even had a stopwatch out on set just to make sure we had a solid minute of nothingness, to kind of set the stage for how far the movie is gonna go in terms of its stillness and its sense of quiet. Every scene just kept building that up until you get to a certain point in the movie where the fever breaks and the images start to move with a more propulsive quality.

Ive heard that you werent always sure, even while shooting, that this would be a feature.

There was a point in production where I lost all my confidence. I just lost my nerve. It was entirely thanks to my producer and my D.P. that I was able to save face enough and show up and persevere, because I really lost it.

You felt like the footage wasnt clicking?

Yeah, and the ghost wasnt working yet. I really wanted Caseys performance to come through under the sheet, and I felt like, as long as we had him here, we had to utilize him as an actor. That wasnt the correct approach, so in the early days of shooting, the footage wasnt good. We had a lot of footage of him walking from one room to the next or coming through doors or just doing things like trying to pick up his mail, and all of that stuff was just unnecessary because we werent trusting the audience, nor were we trusting ourselves. That led to a lot of reshoots for the beginning of the movie, until we realized all we needed were just shots of him standing still, and that would convey everything we needed.

Related Stories A Ghost Story Trailer: Casey Affleck Haunts Rooney Mara as a Ghost in a Sheet

We figured out how to make it work, but in those first ten days of production when we had a whole crew there and Casey and Rooney who had flown in to take part in this, I was just feeling the pressure of the idea. The conceit, the risk of failure  I just lost it. I felt like it was just not gonna work and I put on a happy face and kept going every day and kept trying, but I was just so convinced that it was too high-concept to succeed.

You had just come off the biggest movie you had ever directed, Petes Dragon. But it was on this movie, with a much smaller crew, that you felt more acute pressure about wasting everyones time.

I went into this thinking it would be my summer vacation movie, that I could recharge my creative batteries and have fun with friends. It turned out to be far more stressful than Petes Dragon because it was all on my shoulders and there was no one who I had to answer to other than myself. At the end of the day on Petes Dragon, if we didnt nail something, we could come back and pick it up later. I always knew there was a safety net built in that Disney would not let the movie fail. But in this case, with A Ghost Story, it was all on the line.

The way that you describe that kind of pressure, I half expect that youve come home from set some days and engaged in some stress eating akin to a grieving Rooney Mara attacking that pie.

Its totally happened. I mean, thats kind of where that scene came from: I wanted to have a private moment of grief, but I also wanted something that felt very physical and very relatable. In my darkest moments, I have not eaten an entire pie, but I have turned to other baked goods to find solace.

You basically started making A Ghost Story right after you finished Petes Dragon, right?

Thats correct. We finished our color-correct, which was the last stage of the process, at, I think, 1 a.m. on June 10. On June 11, I flew to Dallas, and June 12 we started shooting [A Ghost Story].

Ive talked to some directors who admit to a feeling like postpartum depression once theyre done with a movie, when everyone youve been working with goes away. Do you sidestep that feeling when you move straight from postproduction to shooting your next movie?

Yes, you do. You definitely do. After this incredibly intense experience was over with A Ghost Story, I had to go do press for Petes Dragon, so it was an incredible do-si-do where I was able to sidestep the postpartum, by and large. And then Petes Dragon came out and we went back to doing pickups for A Ghost Story, so I kept just trading projects up until early September, at which point I was at a complete loss. I just sat sadly in my room for a couple weeks trying to figure out what to do next.

Not unlike the ghost in A Ghost Story. The people who matter to him eventually move away and leave him behind, and without any purpose, he floats through life aimlessly.

Thats true, its very true. [Long pause.] I have not thought about that, but Im gonna sit here for a second and ponder that because that is such a real thing. On a movie, you go through such an intense experience with so many cycles of people at every different stage, and at the end of it, its all just gone. Youre done, and youve got a movie thats either in theaters or on Netflix or whatever, and everyone that you were so attached to for this incredibly intense period of your life has gone their separate ways. And you have to deal with that, and thats where that postpartum feeling comes from largely, because you just feel lonely.

And then, just like in A Ghost Story, the cycle starts anew.

It starts again. You write something down and it leads to this whole process reigniting. Thats amazing. Suddenly I have more clarity on my own film!
Euron, pre-makeover.

HBO likes to keep a tight lid on any potential Game of Thrones season-7 spoilers, but thanks to an amazing scoop from EW, we have this to report: Next season, Euron Greyjoys gonna be super hot. Now, you as a human being with eyes might contest that, despite his lack of moral compass, the cruel Iron Islander was already pretty hot. After all, hes played by Pilou Asbk, who looks like a Danish version of Joshua Jackson. Asbk was a consistent scene-stealer in Borgen, and will make you want to move to Copenhagen. But just listen to this: Eurons messy hair, scraggly beard, and dour clothes will be replaced by a sexier close-cropped style and swaggering black robes. Asbk, who, in a detail almost too pornographic to include, was on set in Spain wearing a CrossFit T-shirt at the time of the interview, also added that Euron is much more just fing enjoying himself this season  Hes more charming. He takes himself seriously, but not too seriously.

In the books, and especially in that one preview chapter from Winds of Winter, Euron tends to be much more of a monster than the version weve seen onscreen, or this new, sexy reboot. But it seems the show has tacked away from the source material and turned Euron into more of a pirate lothario. [Euron] brings a different energy to the show, coexecutive producer Bryan Cogman told EW. Hes the kind of guy who will kill you and steal your girlfriend. Pilou Asbk? More like Pilou Asbaek!
A law recently passed by the 85th Texas Legislature could allow more opportunities for real-world experience for thousands of Texas high-school students in career and technology education programs, local officials said.

Gov. Greg Abbott signed House Bill 639, written by State Rep. Charles Doc Anderson, R-Waco, into law May 26. The measure allows public and charter schools to buy accident and liability insurance to cover juniors and seniors in internships, easing liability concerns and costs that stood in the way of partnerships between local businesses and school districts, Anderson said Thursday.

The pioneers here in our community helped set this up, Anderson said. This will be a template for the state of Texas and it will give those youngsters an opportunity to get established in an industry, even if they decide they want to go to college after all. They can make money doing the trade and learning the skills. It really is a win-win situation.

The bill fills a gap educators and lawmakers discovered in implementing a law the 83rd Legislature passed to give students more flexibility in choosing graduation plans. The change allows graduation plans tailored for students who plan to enter the workforce after graduation. Previously, the only options were tailored to serve students bound for traditional four-year colleges.

As schools started new career and technology education programs, businesses werent as open to the idea of letting working-age students get out in the field as the schools had hoped, said Donna McKethan, Waco ISDs career and technology education director.

She and local industry leaders worked on the bill with Anderson, McKethan said.

Child labor laws allow a business insurance to cover a full-time, fully trained employee under the age of 18, but the part-time internships the school districts needed didnt fit, she said.

Businesses liability concerns meant that, while students were able to get professional training in class, they werent able to use those skills in the real world, and officials couldnt develop the direct class-to-workforce pipeline they hoped for, McKethan said.

This put a kink in how schools, including Waco ISDs Greater Waco Advanced Manufacturing Academy and Greater Waco Advanced Health Care Academy could operate. Both schools offer career and technology programs for students in districts throughout McLennan County.

With GWAMA on the verge of opening a construction science program with local business partners, and other school districts pursuing similar opportunities, the bill makes it easier for school districts to offer skill certificates, McKethan said. It will also help create more options for Waco ISDs already thriving summer internship program next year, she said.

This is going to benefit everyone from the welder to the technician, even to the culinary arts, because that big mixer with the hook is hazardous equipment if youre under 18, McKethan said. Itll benefit everybody, but it was the construction folks, the AGC (Associated General Contractors of America) and the builders association that really helped work with Doc to put this together.

McKethan said she is unsure how much the insurance coverage the new law allows could cost the school district. And while some companies already offer insurance programs covering students in workforce environments, Anderson and McKethan said the measure will help create a competitive marketplace.

The law will help local companies keep the skilled workers coming out of Waco ISDs programs in the area, said Scott Bland, president of the Heart of Texas Builders Association.

We had no intention of developing talent for Dallas, Austin, Houston or San Antonio, Bland said. These paid internships allow our guys to essentially get their hooks on these kids.

These are talented kids, and they need to stay here where we need them. By building those relationships, when that student graduates and gets ready to move on to more advanced certification or theyre ready to work, theyre going to look back at the guy they just spent a year with or the guy that believed in them and gave them a chance as a high school student and be more likely to stay here, developing our community.
Hewlett Volkswagen in Georgetown has submitted plans to the city of Waco for construction of a dealership at 1401 W. Loop 340, which would make it part of what vehicle dealers there call Wacos Motor Mile.

Bobby Horner, Wacos inspection services supervisor, said Hewlett presented a site plan that envisions an 18,677-square-foot building next to Greg May Hyundai. City staffers are reviewing plans for the 5-acre site and preparing questions the dealership must address before receiving a building permit to proceed, Horner said.

This is a step in the direction of seeing a dealership on that site, he said.

Long in the works

Hewlett announced its intention to place a Volkswagen dealership in Waco four years ago, shortly after Brazos Valley Auto Sales, Wacos only VW dealer, closed.

Its downhill from here, said John Chauvin, general manager of the growing dealership near Austin that sells Chevrolet, Buick and Volkswagen models on nearly 50 acres. The city is finalizing some issues we will need to get worked out, and Waco can expect to see a dealership in place and stocked within 12 to 18 months.

Scandal halted plan

Chauvin said a scandal involving Volkswagens use of sophisticated software to cheat on vehicle exhaust emission tests in the United States delayed the German automakers advance into Waco and other markets.

Volkswagen has been in the news and wanted to put expansion on pause until the matter was resolved, he said.

Volkswagen in 2015 admitted to cheating on emissions tests and pleaded guilty in a U.S. court, which found the company guilty of three felonies in connection with the scandal, according to a Reuters report.

The United States previously had indicted seven former and current Volkswagen executives because of testing irregularities. The company has agreed to spend $25 billion to resolve claims from owners and regulators and to buy back as many as 500,000 vehicles, according to Reuters.

Chauvin said Hewlett and Volkswagen are prepared to invest $2 million to $4 million in the Waco location. He said the dealership likely would employ 25 to 50 people, with hiring ramping up as business increases.

The closest Volkswagen dealership to Waco is Garlyn Shelton Volkswagen in Temple, which is about a 30-minute drive from Waco.

Chauvin said Hewlett started considering expansion into Waco about 18 months before it confirmed its interest in the area in 2013.

We were intrigued by the Waco market, he said at the time. It has economic stability, Baylor University, a sizable medical-related presence. Most important of all, it needs a Volkswagen franchise.

Since Volkswagen initially voiced interest in the Waco market, and the two-mile Motor Mile in particular, an Alfa Romeo-Fiat dealership has opened at West Loop 340 and Bagby Avenue. It represented a spinoff of the Allen Samuels Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram dealership at 201 W. Loop 340 that also sold Fiat and Alfa Romeo models for a time.

Allen Samuels built a 57,000-square-foot dealership on West Loop 340 and moved there from its longtime site at Wooded Acres and Valley Mills drives.

Longtime Waco residents may remember the Volkswagen dealership that George Grubbs opened in the late 1960s. He and his sons later focused on the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, owning a variety of dealerships carrying the VW, Porsche, Nissan, Mercedes-Benz, Lincoln and Mazda brands.

Volkswagen also announced last week it would start selling cars in Iran for the first time in 17 years, after a deal for several countries to lift sanctions in exchange for Iran curtailing its nuclear program, according to money.com.
A local real estate agent arrested Thursday on felony charges and accused of deceiving a disabled man into selling mineral rights is also facing a civil lawsuit from the mans family, claiming the agent illegally obtained more than $1 million in assets from the man in the past year, court documents state.

Waco police arrested RE/MAX Centex agent Jody Glenn Scoggins, 31, of Robinson, on a second-degree felony charge of securing the execution of a document by deception and a third-degree felony charge of exploitation of an disabled person. Police say a David Menefee, 66, a disabled man who suffers from dementia and blindness, was coerced into signing mineral rights, valued between $85,900 and $143,280, to Scoggins for $10 in September 2016.

Scoggins was released from McLennan County Jail on Friday afternoon after posting a $200,000 bond.

A message left for Phil Frederick, Scoggins criminal defense attorney, was not immediately returned Friday afternoon. It is unclear who is representing Scoggins in the civil suit.

In addition to the criminal charges, Waco attorney Ross Russell filed a civil lawsuit Wednesday on behalf of the family of David and Brenda Menefee in Wacos 414th State District Court. Russell said more than $1 million in property, mineral rights and cash were taken from David Menefee without his full understanding because of his health conditions.

Conspiracy alleged

The lawsuit alleges Scoggins committed a civil conspiracy, misappropriated and stole the Menefee familys property, used a fraudulent signature to deed over assets, and fraudulently obtained power of attorney to gain access to Menefees financial information.

The petition speaks for itself, and my clients stand behind all the allegations in the petition, Russell said.

The lawsuit names Scoggins; his wife, Kim Scoggins; his mother, Debbie Scoggins; Scoggins Real Estate Team LLC; Scoggins Enterprises LLC; Hessco Roofing & Remodeling LLC; 1st Choice Fencing Inc.; and Pennybags LLC as defendants. Scoggins is a part owner of all the businesses listed as defendants, except Scoggins Real Estate Team, according to the suit.

The Menefees owned property in Moody when David Menefees health forced him into a Waco nursing home, the lawsuit states. During David Menfees stay at the nursing home, Scoggins began making routine visits and blocked Brenda Menefees cellphone from her husbands phone, the lawsuit alleges.

Scoggins rerouted David Menefees mail to his business, opening all of the mail and withholding information from the couple, the lawsuit states.

Upon discovering the significant wealth held by David Menefee, Jody Scoggins began his fraudulent scheme to misappropriate David and Brendas property, the suit alleges. Jody Scoggins forced David Menefee to sign a fraudulent power of attorney and then attempted to use that power of attorney to embezzle funds and property from David Menefee.

The lawsuit states mortgage payments were not being made on the Menefees Moody property because Scoggins was withholding all of the notices from the mortgage company. He later used the embezzled money to buy the couples property and evict Brenda Menefee, according to the lawsuit.

Russell is requesting a jury trial in the case.
A McGregor man with a long history of substance abuse who was arrested in January for trespassing at the home of a state district judge was sent to a state jail Thursday.

Judge Matt Johnson of Wacos 54th State District Court told Mark Thomas Chernoff that he thumbed his nose at the judges previous orders before he revoked Chernoffs deferred probation and sentenced him to two years in a state jail after a contested hearing Thursday.

Chernoff, 34, had been on deferred probation since January 2016, when he pleaded guilty to possession of Oxycodone, an opioid painkiller.

Before the hearing started, Chernoff rejected an offer from prosecutor Gina Avery that would have allowed Johnson to extend his probation, send him to an in-patient drug-treatment facility, order him to wear an ankle monitor to track his whereabouts and to stay at least a mile away from the home of 19th State District Judge Ralph Strother.

Chernoff was arrested Jan. 27 after he was reported in Strothers front yard, looking in windows and walking around to the side of Strothers home until the judges 90-pound, wolf-dog hybrid lunged at him and scared him away.

While Chernoff was on probation in Johnsons court for felony drug possession, his uncle, Lee Chernoff, has a pending retaliation charge in Strothers court. McLennan County Sheriffs Office investigator Jeff Aguirre testified Thursday he considers it no coincidence that Chernoff was trespassing at the home of the judge presiding over his uncles case.

Before sentencing Chernoff, Johnson said Chernoff really needs to go to a Substance Abuse Felony Punishment Facility for drug treatment for six to nine months. However, the judge said he had no options left but to find Chernoff guilty of his 2016 drug charge, revoke his probation and send him to state jail.

In deferred probation cases, there is no final judgment of guilt if the defendant completes probation. If the defendant fails, a judge has to find him guilty before revoking the probation.

Johnson sent Chernoff to jail for 180 days as a term of his probation last year, and Chernoff has been back in jail since his arrest Jan. 27, giving him credit for almost a year in custody. That means he will be released from the state jail after about a year with no court supervision.

I think you really want to do this probation your way, not my way, Johnson said. You pretty much have thumbed your nose at my previous orders. It appears your whole situation is based on substance abuse. If you dont get help, you will be back in court  maybe not this court, but some court  wearing that same striped jail suit.

Prosecutors alleged in a motion to adjudicate Chernoffs guilt that he violated the terms of his probation by failing to complete a drug and alcohol evaluation within 90 days, failing to start the Texas Drug Offender Education Program within 90 days, trespassing on Strothers property and failing to pay court costs and fines.

Unnerving experience

In other testimony, Phyllis Strother, the judges wife, said the experience watching Chernoff creeping around her home was unnerving.

She said she and her housekeeper saw Chernoff walk up to the front door of the house, but he did not ring or knock. He peered through the windows and walked to the driveway, where he leaned over a fence before she came around the corner with Wolfer.

She said the wolf-dog hybrid charged at Chernoff, who stumbled back, held up his hands and said, Im sorry, Im sorry. He said he was looking for someone named Aaron, she said.

Chernoff got in his vehicle, and she took a photo of it and the license plate before he went down the road and stopped again, Phyllis Strother said. He drove down about three more houses and stopped a second time, she said.

She called her husband at the courthouse, and he alerted authorities, who stopped Chernoff not far from the residence.

Dr. Lee Carter, a Waco psychologist, testified that Chernoff suffers from anti-social personality disorder, impulse control disorder, depressive disorder and poly substance abuse disorder.

Chernoff told Carter that he abused pretty much everything you can name, including illegal and prescription drugs. He said he also made his living selling drugs, Carter said.

Carter said he thinks the incident at the judges home was a drug-induced act instead of some plan.
As A.J. Moore High School alumni from all over the country convene at Waco Convention Center for their 15th Biennial AJMH All School Reunion this weekend, Professor Joseph J. Wilson and his unique style of leadership cant help come to mind. Perhaps no other principal in the history of racially segregated schools in Central Texas had more impact on students, teachers and parents than Joseph Jeffries Wilson, known by all as Professor J.J. Wilson. He served as an educator for more than 40 years in the Waco community, 37 of them as principal of A.J. Moore High. Upon the closing of Moore High in 1971 as a result of desegregation, he became the first black appointed as assistant superintendent for secondary schools.

The late J.J. Wilson was born in Seguin to Burtrust T. Wilson Sr. and Harriet Jeffries Bailey Wilson and was next to the youngest of five children. His father was educated in Galesburg, Illinois, receiving his masters degree in mathematics at age 19. His scholastic achievement brought him widespread recognition and an invite to teach at Guadalupe College in Seguin. Later, B.T. Wilsons good friend, Dr. J. Newton Jenkins, who had taught with him in Seguin, persuaded him to move to Waco to become principal and teacher at Central Texas College.

Young J.J. received his elementary education at historic North Seventh Street School (later Barron Springs School) and his high school education at A.J. Moore during the time Prof. J.A. Kirk was principal. He matriculated to Bishop College in Marshall where he received a bachelor of arts degree. He earned his master of arts degree from Kansas University and in 1954 received the doctor of literature degree from Paul Quinn College.

A.J. Moore High School already had been established in its 53 years as a school of high standards when Professor Wilson took the helm from his father upon the latters death in 1934. But he had a keen vision which would expand the boundaries of academic excellence at Moore High and forever seal its reputation as a role model in the groves of high school academes.

Professor Wilson developed this broader vision with both academic and social development of students as his focal point. He clearly communicated this vision to teachers and staff while demanding a rigorous course of study in all areas. Teachers and staff also were encouraged to be involved in extracurricular activities. He led by example, nurturing and supporting teachers as they overcame barriers, solved problems and applied themselves to helping students develop and internalize a core set of values, skills and essential knowledge which would help them achieve their fullest potential.

Professor Wilson supported all student activities and was seen at just about every event in which students participated. He promoted all things positive about Moore High to parents, the community, various businesses and other Waco school administrators. His message was one of unity and quality but, above all else, he made sure everyone understood the students were his No. 1 priority.

Some of us have probably wondered why Professor Wilson was so tenacious in his approach. But we understood everyone at Moore High was there to help us become the best we could be. I believe almost every teacher, administrator and staffer internalized his values of respect, concern and support of each and every AJMHS student.

My curiosity led me to contact a few of Professor Wilsons close relatives to gain another perspective on this energetic and stern visionary. I called his niece, Harriet Wilson, daughter of Robert and Odessa Wilson, to get a little close up and personal about her Uncle Joe and I was not disappointed. Harriet grew up next door to the family home when her father took over Professor B.T. Wilsons rug-cleaning business back when he was called on to take over as principal of A.J. Moore High: I could always count on Uncle Joe having something sweet when we went over to their house. He had expectations of us at school and at home, but he was good to us. This revelation should surprise all familiar with the professors rigid no-sweets policy at A.J. Moore High School!

When I talked with Professor Wilsons daughter, Kathy, she confirmed what Harriet said about his high expectations of them at home and at school. She said this was how he and his brothers had been reared. She also said her mom, Margaret Wilson, was just as strict as her dad when it came to deportment and studying. But she said in some ways her dad was less strict than her mother.

She and Harriet told similar stories of how their family would take a vacation every year  most times with no set destination till they climbed into the car. Then Mr. Wilson would give them a map and ask either Kathy or Harriet to put a finger on the map  and that would be the place where they would go.

Talk of instilling a sense of adventure in ones family vacation! They traveled all around the country, taking in the proverbial sights but in particular enjoying historical sites and shopping. Kathy said: I remember how much we loved our trip to New York. I loved Washington, D.C., and New York because there was so much to see and do in both places.

Kathy now lives in Detroit with one of her four sons and family who help take care of her as she continues rehabilitation after a stroke a few years ago.

Today Burtrust Burt Wilson III is truly the family historian. He even solved an age-old puzzle for me about that old rug-cleaning building that was always such a scary sight for me to pass late evenings when I walked home past the Wilson property on North Eighth Street. Burt said he was told by his father that his grandfather had taken the advice of Dr. Booker T. Washington, the celebrated black educator and orator who encouraged African Americans to start businesses. He said it was his understanding that his grandfather wanted the business as a means of ensuring his sons received college educations. All of the Wilson sons played instruments and were encouraged to be diligent in their studies and to have good work habits.

Burt has so many great stories about his father, uncles and the entire family. One involved the Wilson mens shared love of music. On one visit to Waco, Burt was surprised to hear his dad and Uncle Joe speaking so knowingly about jazz since all five brothers constituted a group who, yes, played instruments and sang but mostly classical and gospel. Uncle Joe rhapsodized to his dad about what a lyrical alto saxophonist Paul Desmond was and his dad agreed and said the entire Dave Brubeck Band (of which Desmond, composer of Take Five, was part) was good.

I would say this was akin to a young person hearing me or my peers make such a comment about Chance The Rapper or another rap artist!

Burt said though he didnt get to visit his uncle very often, he did get to stay in Waco for an entire semester with his Aunt Dessie and attended Kirk Wilson Elementary School where she taught and briefly A.J. Moore when she took a job teaching there.

Even though I didnt spend a lot of time in Waco and I never got to experience first-hand the education that Moore High students experienced on a regular basis, Burt told me, it always made me proud when I would hear about the A.J. Moore High standard of excellence. You would hear people who had gone to various colleges saying things like, Once a person graduates from Moore High, they dont have problems with any courses in college.

Mr. Wilsons teaching philosophy seems to have come from the type of training and values his parents held. Burt says his grandfather was unique in Waco as he had graduated from Lombard College, a Unitarian Church-based school in Galesburg, Illinois. He finished in 1896 and, though the college is no longer in existence, Knox College has all the Lombard records. He came to Texas by way of the Freedmens Bureau, just as A.J. Moore had done many years earlier. (The U.S. Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen and Abandoned Lands  the Freedmans Bureau  was set up right after the Civil War to help blacks and even poor whites find opportunities throughout the South.)

So while Professor B.T. Wilson was diligently helping to set up a standard of quality in schools where he taught, it seems as though he and his wife Harriet were doubling down on the education of their five boys. All five proved accomplished musicians  all learned at home too. They performed locally. They were once even invited to sing at a dedication by the governors office. Burtrust Thomas Wilson Jr. played banjo, guitar, ukelele and upright bass right up till the end of his life.

I would say all of us who were blessed to matriculate through the hallowed halls of A.J. Moore have indeed been recipients of something far beyond the routine. We  each of us since A.J. Moore was founded in 1881 as the Second District Negro School  have been touched by an ancestral guidance not many have been privileged to enjoy. We benefited greatly from Professor A.J. Moore, Professor J.A. Kirk, Professor B.T. Wilson and Professor J.J. Wilson. I see a connectedness between each of these men who brought the best they had to the Waco community and began a tradition of excellence which has everything to do with valuing education and very little to do with stalling out amid obstacles. They always found a way to impart the knowledge they had to us. They expected us to make it a part of the fabric of our very being. We learned early we must invest in ourselves, our community and, most of all, our youth.

We owe plenty of gratitude to these men. We must do what we can to ensure that, though education has changed, we still hold to the values that meant so much to our principals and teachers that they sacrificed of time, money and a whole lot of sweat equity to ensure we might always value learning, no matter what situation we find ourselves in.
RATHMINES CATALINA RESTORATION UPDATE JUNE 2017

by Terry Woolard / Phil Buckley and Photos by John Richard

WarbirdsNews last reported on the Rathmines Catalina Memorial Park Association (RCMPA) and their efforts to restore their former US Navy Consolidated PBY5-A Catalina (Bu.48412) to static condition back in mid-2016 (click HERE). The project is located in the Rathmines area of Lake Macquarie, around 1.5hrs drive north of Sydney in New South Wales, Australia. A lot of work has occurred in the interim since our last report, so RCMPA volunteer co-ordinator Terry Woolard and media officer Phil Buckley will now bring us up to date on their progress.

NOSE SECTION WORK

Starting at the bow, the team has removed the entire nose wheel assembly, along with the gear doors. Terry Fahey (T2) is currently working on removing the last of the actuating mechanism from inside the fuselage. These components will then be cleaned, with any seized or damaged parts repaired as required. All of the refurbished components will receive a coat of epoxy primer and then be placed into temporary storage awaiting their turn in the reassembly process. The temporary storage area is a newly acquired weatherproof and well ventilated setup which can accommodate shelving for all of the repaired components, other spares and important tooling.

COCKPIT AND MID FUSELAGE SECTION WORK

Moving aft a little into the cockpit and the navigator and radio operators compartments, Steve Brown and Greg Mewton are removing the last of the internal components, such as the control column and rudder pedal assemblies. Once again, all of these parts will be refurbished and stored until they are needed for reinstallation once the interior structural restoration is complete. The restoration team has also stripped out most of the post-war mods, including wiring and electrical equipment, as part of a project to return the aircraft to its original configuration. It is still our intention to eventually end up with a showpiece cockpit and first compartment looking as original as possible. Steve is also continually searching for the various components we do not have. They are all out there somewhere, but we just need to locate them at the right price! The team will pressure wash a section of the first compartment shortly to determine how much of the old paint comes off and how much remains. This will hopefully be the procedure to prepare all interior areas for application of epoxy primer, followed by a layer of olive green top coat. All going well, largely due to Warren Easterbrooks good work, the project has a paint supply sponsor on board which will be a huge boost.

REAR FUSELAGE WORK

A lot is happening in the rear section around the blister window compartment. Brian is working on the removal of all the post-war windows and associated sheet metal while Ray, Warren and Andrew are replacing corroded skin in the areas where the observation/gunners blisters will be eventually fitted once we have replicated them. The repaired fuselage sections in this area are a credit to those responsible, and we hope the remainder of the aircraft can be finished to the same standard. We have acquired on loan, from the Catalina Flying Memorial, a set of blister windows to use as templates for the manufacture of new assemblies. We have also made contact with people experienced at working with and forming the compound-curved glazing panels for the blisters. They will work on the cockpit windows too.

While working on a shoestring budget, the team has made a conscious decision to use quality aluminium for at least the fuselage repairs. While most flying aircraft of this era would use 2024-T3 aluminum alloy structural sheeting, 6061-T6 is totally appropriate for a static aircraft, is straightforward to work with, and the finished product looks much better than a cheaper grade. We are working on obtaining a supply of 6061 aluminum sheet for at least a reduced price.

Thanks must go to Hilton Jones for his efforts in sourcing some excellent tools for the project, plus the donation of a sheet metal sheer. The rivet removal gear we now have is making the tedious task of drilling out old rivets so much easier too.

WINGS

Volunteers have been cleaning the wing centre section at the storage site prior to restoration work being undertaken.

TAIL SECTION

The tail section and evalators have been undergoing reskinning and sheet metal work at RAAF Edinburgh by RAAF volunteers who are highly motivated to help complete the project.

ENGINES

A port R-1830 engine is still in South Australia at RAAF Edinburgh undergoing restoration by members of the RAAF who are keen to see their WWII forebears legacy preserved. The RCMPA recently sourced a genuine P &W R-1830 engine work stand which they have now refurbished. The workstand was on display at last Octobers Catalina Festival, complete with a partially assembled Twin Wasp mounted upon it.

WORK STANDS

Even though the project is reasonably equipped with scaffolding and work platforms, Peter, Jim and Terry are raising the rear work deck by another three metres to allow safe access to the higher sections aft of the blister positions. Ray and his team have been temporarily moved to work on other parts of the Catalina until the new scaffolding is ready. Assembly of the steel frame, including safety rails, is well underway. A huge Thank You must go to Chris from Nova Timbers, who has come to the fore once again by providing the lumber for the work deck.

RCMPA

The project depends entirely on volunteers to function, and is keen to welcome anyone willing to help get the aircraft restored. Over the last year, plans to create a permanent museum near the lakes shores have progressed in various areas. The museum project is open to donations which can be made via bank account  The Greater Bank BSB: 637 000 Account # 720 223 155. Any support of the Catalina Memorial Museum project will be greatly appreciated and help keep the history of Rathmines and WWII alive for future generations. The RCMPA is a charitable organisation registered with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission. ABN 38 215 922 527.

In the meantime, discussions are taking place regarding the feasibility of relocating into a temporary facility to house the project until completion at Rathmines base itself. This would have some benefits, as this proposal would bring better public exposure and access. Pending a decision, the project and volunteers will remain at the current location.

And finally, the project still needs a few items to help complete the restoration, including a pilots seat, a seat for the engineers position in the pylon and corrugated walkway components for the rear hull. Any help sourcing these for donation would be greatly appreciated!

More information on the Rathmines Catalina Memorial Park Association Inc can be found at http://rathmines-catalina.com
Making a rare visit from Germany to this years Air Tattoo will be an A-4N Skyhawk from a fleet operated by Discovery Air Defence, based at Wittmund. The A-4N Skyhawk will be on static display on the Saturday and Sunday of the 2017 show. The Canadian company began operating a fleet of seven Skyhawks from the German base in January 2015 after winning a contract to provide an adversarial air support to help train Luftwaffe crews. The A-4s are contracted to provide services ranging from threat simulation, target towing to flight test support.

The aircraft based at Wittmund were originally Israeli Air Force airframes before being purchased, stripped and modified by Discovery Air Services. This modification including fitting modern navigation equipment and glass cockpits, whilst retaining some of the key military capabilities like the A-4s air-to-air refueling systems.

In February 2017 it was reported that Discovery had joined forces with Inzpire Limited to bid for the UK Ministry of Defences Air Support to Defence Operational Training (ASDOT) program.

The last time an A-4 visited the Air Tattoo was 1977, when a small number of A-4Gs visited Greenham Common from 805 Squadron, Royal Australian Navy. The aircraft launched from HMAS Melbourne, which itself was attending the Silver Jubilee Fleet Review in Portsmouth.

An Air Tattoo spokesman said: Confirmation that an A-4 Skyhawk is participating in next months Air Tattoo is great news and will be welcomed, in particular, by all our enthusiasts. The type last appeared at an Air Tattoo 40 years ago when the event was staged at RAF Greenham Common and since then weve been trying hard to get one back. Its a compact little fighter that in its heyday punched above its weight and played important roles in significant conflicts during the 60s, 70s and 80s. Its rarity alone makes it one of the stand-out aircraft taking part in this summers airshow.
Ciara Burke in her Emirates uniform. The former nurse's "professionalism" and her "amazing communication skills" were highly praised by colleagues following an action-packed flight during which she gave injections to two separate travellers suffering medical emergencies. But, after her fall, with her foot in a cast and then a moon boot, she couldn't work and instead spent her final days on probation in doctors' appointments. Ciara Burke in her moon boot following the accident. Emirates initially supported her and told her to "take care of [her]self", paying for her Dubai medical costs.

Ms Burke claims she was then told to prepare herself for a 50/50 chance she would be fired after a panel met to decide her fate. Damage to nerves in her foot continues to restrict Ciara Burke's movements. "At that stage I was just like a ball of tears. [An Emirates manager] said, 'It's policy that we give you a representative from HR and you're not allowed to be present during the meeting,' " she claims. "I was like, 'Wow this isn't my fault! You know, I fell down the stairs at work during rostered hours in full uniform.' " As her friends graduated on April 13, Ms Burke was told her contract had been terminated because she had taken too much approved leave and sick leave.

She had just seven days to pack up her life in Dubai, and her medical appointments were cut off. "[The manager] said, 'I can tell you now that your accident has not been classified as an industrial injury.' "No investigating body called me to ask exactly what happened," she claims. In Dubai, where Emirates is based, unions are illegal and what is considered a workplace accident differs to that in Australia. Betina Szkudlarek from University of Sydney Business School warns Australians planning to work overseas to research local industrial laws.

"When we talk about cultural differences, legally, there is a huge difference already between Australia and the US," she says. "We shouldn't be surprised that there is such a huge gap between how legal rights and security are being interpreted and enacted in such different countries as Australia and the United Arab Emirates. "It could [also] have been that we are dealing here with a really bad employer and we have some of those in Australia as well." 'See ya later' Emirates, the fourth largest airline in the world, says it does not discuss information relating to past or present employees.

"During the probationary period, there is a dedicated team who assess performance, provide support and guidance and give regular feedback," a spokesperson said. "A panel then thoroughly reviews all aspects of a crew member's performance prior to any decision being made." Two months after the accident, Ms Burke has moved back in with her parents in Perth and is being treated by doctors and physiotherapists. Damage to nerves in her foot continues to restrict her movements and how long she can wear shoes. "I was genuinely really good at that job," she says, pointing Fairfax Media towards a dossier of glowing feedback from peers and senior supervisors.
Acting Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce has said Australia has "sympathy" for trade sanctions against China in response to North Korea's latest threat, as the international community grapples with the rogue nation's nuclear missile defence program.

As Labor branded the remarks "irresponsible", senior Turnbull government ministers have been forced to clarify, saying there were no plans to impose sanctions on the Chinese state and that Mr Joyce was referring to existing arrangements surrounding businesses and organisations dealing with North Korea.



In the wake of an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council overnight, where the United States also warned a military response was possible, Mr Joyce said the "key person" who could affect the intensifying situation was China.

"China has more cards on the table on this than most and should be dealing with this promptly," Mr Joyce told ABC's Radio National.
The prospect that North Korea now has an inter-continental ballistic missile capable of reaching northern Australia raises a ticklish question.

Bombed by the Japanese in World War II, blown away by Cyclone Tracy on Christmas Eve, 1974, and forever harassed, according to its local newspaper, by person-eating crocodiles, it now has to be concerned about a missile-obsessed Kim Jong-un of North Korea.

Why would Kim Jong-un bother to lob one of his missiles, possibly equipped with a nuclear warhead, on Darwin?

The US China is preparing new sanctions on Chinese companies with ties to North Korea. Credit:AP

It is, of course, the capital city of the Northern Territory and by far the territory's biggest town.

Even so, its population is only a shade over 142,000, which puts it at number 15 on Australia's list of largest cities, below both Townsville and Cairns.

Would Kim Jong-un, a giggling gnome in a bowl haircut, have reason to even know Darwin exists, what with his concentration on firming up his position by murdering an uncle here and allegedly ordering the murder of a brother there?
Update: A widely-shared article published by fashion journal Vestoj featuring comments from former British Vogue fashion director Lucinda Chambers has been amended following legal threats.

According to a statement on the journal's website, "Following the original publication of this article, we've been contacted by lawyers on behalf of Conde Nast Limited and [new British Vogue editor] Edward Enninful OBE and have been requested to amend the interview. This request has now been granted."

The article no longer reports that Enninful was the only person in the company who knew about Chambers' employment termination.

July 5: Hell hath no fury like a fashion editor fired. At the couture shows in Paris this week, the front row was abuzz - both conversationally and electronically - with news of an incendiary interview with Lucinda Chambers, the former British Vogue fashion director, that was unusual in its frank criticism of the 21st-century fashion ecosystem. Soon after its publication, however, and amid talk of legal action, the piece was taken down, only to sensationally resurface again less than 24 hours later.
The federal electorate of Sydney, held by Labor's Tanya Plibersek, has more than 37,000 people who are not receiving their super entitlements a breakdown of non-payment and under-payment of compulsory super shows.

That makes the seat the worst in the country, ranked as a percentage of the electorate for non-payment or underpayment of super.

Underpayment or non payment of super is likely to become a bigger problem because of the growth in part-time, casual and "gig" economy jobs.

The seats of Fowler and Werriwa in Sydney's South-West have more than one-in-three people not receiving their correct super guarantee entitlement.

Phil Gallagher, a special adviser at Industry Super Australia, the umbrella group for industry super funds, estimates almost 20,000 people in the seat of Fowler, or 37 per cent, do not receive any of their entitlements or are underpaid their super.
A supporter of the Polish ruling Law and Justice, PiS, party welcomes US President Donald Trump with a US flag in Warsaw. Credit:AP Speaking at NATO's Brussels headquarters just weeks earlier, Trump's stubborn refusal to commit to this key element of post World War II security architecture infuriated his European counterparts - particularly when it was reported later that a committee of advisers had deliberately written such a line into his speech, but Trump could seemingly not utter it. So, on his Warsaw detour, Trump, the NATO sceptic, walked away from another big chunk of the anti-globalist rhetoric of his presidential campaign. US President Donald Trump delivers a speech in Krasinski Square in Warsaw on Thursday. Credit:AP His speech to a crowd, reportedly enlarged by governing party loyalists bused into the capital from more conservative rural areas, was described as dark, provocative and nationalist - and, in some quarters, his paeans to American and European history were read as a dog-whistle to white nationalism. Or maybe it was just to distract from his NATO concession.

"We write symphonies. We pursue innovation. We celebrate our ancient heroes, embrace our timeless traditions and customs, and always seek to explore and discover brand-new frontiers," he said. En route to Germany, Trump dropped by Poland to stick it to Putin. Credit:AP But having so identified the pinnacle achievement of global development, Trump fretted about the threats of extremism and terrorism: "The fundamental question of our time is whether the West has the will to survive. "Do we have the confidence in our values to defend them at any cost? Do we have enough respect for our citizens to protect our borders? Do we have the desire and the courage to preserve our civilisation in the face of those who would subvert and destroy it?" Polish President Andrzej Duda, right, and US President Donald Trump attend a news conference at Royal Castle, Warsaw. Credit:AP

Trump seemed to argue that, to survive, "our civilisation" needed to be more like that of the Poles, "a people who have never lost hope, who have never been broken, and who have never forgotten who they are. "We can have the largest economies and the most lethal weapons of anywhere on Earth, but if we do not have strong families and strong values, then we will be weak and we will not survive. If anyone forgets the critical importance of these things, let them come to one country that never has. Let them come to Poland, and let them come here to Warsaw and learn the story of the Warsaw Uprising." German police contain protesters ahead of the G20 in Hamburg, Germany, on Thursday. Credit:Andrew Meares When more pressing issues intruded, Trump had a go at Russian President Vladimir Putin: "We urge Russia to cease its destabilising activities in the Ukraine and elsewhere and its support for hostile regimes, including Syria and Iran, and instead join the community of responsible nations in our fight against common enemies and defence of civilisation itself."

But he also equivocated on Russian meddling in the election that gave him the Oval Office: "I think it could very well have been Russia, but I think it could well have been other countries. I won't be specific. I think a lot of people interfere. I think it's been happening for a long time." And he gave away nothing on how Washington will respond to North Korea's latest missile test: "We'll see what happens - I don't like to talk about what we have planned - but I have some pretty severe things that we're thinking about. They are behaving in a very, very serious manner, and something will have to be done about it." Trump's big meetings in Hamburg are on the sidelines of the G20 summit - with Putin and China's leader Xi Jinping. For now, he has consigned Xi to the sin bin, calculatedly not inviting him to a Thursday dinner with Japan's Shinzo Abe and South Korea's Moon Jae-in to strategise on the North Korea crisis. And he's back on the Twitter keyboard, lashing China on trade. The "Russia thing" is more confusing. There are conflicting accounts of how Friday's Trump-Putin encounter is to unfold: formal or informal, with or without aides, with or without an agenda?
US President Donald Trump said he believes Russia meddled in the 2016 election but maintained that the US may never know for sure, likening the matter to intelligence that incorrectly said Iraq had weapons of mass destruction.

"I think it was Russia, but I think it was probably other people and/or countries," Mr Trump told reporters on Thursday at a news conference with Polish President Andrzej Duda in Warsaw, a day ahead of his first in-person meeting as president with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

"Nobody really knows. Nobody really knows for sure."

Mr Trump's remarks  and his attempt to cast blame for the hacks wider than the Russians  made it seem unlikely he'll take a tough line on the issue when he meets with Mr Putin. Mr Trump didn't say whether he intends to raise the subject, and the White House has refused to comment.
The WCO Private Sector Consultative Group (PSCG) met for the 41st time at the WCO headquarters on 3 and 4 July 2017. The meeting was chaired by Mr. John Mein from PROCOMEX and attended by representatives from 17 of the 21 PSCG members  AAEI, BMW, CATERPILLAR, E-BAY, FIATA, FONASBA, FONTERRA, GEA, HAIER, HUAWEI, IATA, ICC, IFCBA, MICROSOFT, OPORA, PROCOMEX and SAAFF.

During their two-day meeting, the PSCG discussed a number of very topical matters and developments, including current threats of protectionism to free trade, the state of trade facilitation and the implementation of the WTO TFA agreement and e-commerce. WCO members also attended part of the meeting and presented current WCO work programmes, including the upcoming review of the Revised Kyoto Convention and encouraged PSCG members to take an active role in this review work. The Secretary General, Kunio Mikuriya, also addressed the PSCG on its first day on issues relating to the current state of international trade.

Following the PSCG meeting, a dialogue between Policy Commission and PSCG members including Trade Observers was held to discuss current challenges with regard to free trade and globalization. During break-out groups representatives from both the Customs administrations and private sector discussed the current problem landscape and what the international Customs community can do in collaboration with the private sector to support economic and social development and growth through the application of trade facilitation principles and measures.
Shedd Aquarium/Sam Cejtin

Researchers Suggest Need for Expanded Network of Marine Protected Areas



CHICAGO  The queen conch is an iconic Caribbean marine snail whose populations have declined significantly over the last two decades due to overfishing. Even when individual populations are well-protected within marine sanctuaries, their long-term viability may be in doubt, according to a new study published at the end of June in the journal Marine Ecology Progress Series. The study suggests that a network of connected marine parks would better protect conch into the future.

Researchers from Shedd Aquarium, University of Miami and Community Conch studied protected queen conch, Lobatus gigas, within the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park (ECLSP). Established in 1958, the ECLSP was the first Marine Protected Area (MPA) created in the wider Caribbean and is famous for its pristine environments. While it bans fishing, shelling, conching and lobstering within its borders, and protects various habitats from seagrass and mangroves to coral reefs and stromatolites, recent surveys and historical data suggest its conch population may be in trouble. While individual animals are living to older ages, new generations of conch are less prevalent and the average age of the population has been increasing for decades.

The queen conch is considered a national conservation concern in The Bahamas as a popular culinary staple and valuable export commodity and thus, the people and government have taken steps to protect them, said Dr. Andy Kough, postdoctoral researcher at Shedd Aquarium who led the study. However, our research serves as a reminder that not all protected populations are self-replenishing and that the success of a MPA can depend on processes outside of its borders. These results demonstrate the importance of continued monitoring to assess MPA efficacy and show how the biology of a species inherently affects its distribution in the oceans.

Researchers collected data describing conch abundance and age. To measure abundance, researchers used tow-boards to conduct visual surveys of conch while being towed behind small boats. In addition to visual surveys, researchers measured the populations relative age by free-diving to the seafloor and bringing conch aboard their boat. There, they measured the length and lip thickness of the conch before returning them to the ocean. By comparing surveys with 22 years of historical data, the study authors were able to track how the population is doing and showed that the average age is increasing.

In theory, effective MPAs preserve an ecosystem by reducing human-related impacts from affecting the species within its borders, Kough added. Species within an MPA should thrive, spill over and replenish the unprotected areas surrounding it, anchoring the ecosystem as a whole. However, it is challenging to protect animals with complex lifecycles, especially in marine species like the queen conch, because most have a free-floating larval stage that can last for weeks to months. As such, animals transitioning from larvae to a juvenile are often a long distance away from where life began because of ocean currents and tidal cycles. The park is home to the highest abundance of conch in the Exumas because of the diligent work of the park staff, but without larvae from populations outside of the protected area it may dwindle and disappear.

By nature, a conch is a slow-moving snail that does not move large distances as an adult. When it comes to breeding, this means the animal is more likely to find a mate in a location with high densities of other conchs. Areas with fewer conchs have little to no breeding and must rely on other areas to replenish the population and supply the next generation. If the source of larvae is missing, even a very well-protected population, like the ECLSP, may slowly die off.

The Bahamas National Trust has launched a national Conchservation campaign with conservation partners, including Shedd Aquarium, aimed at protecting queen conch in The Bahamas through research, citizen science and policy change. The plight of the conch has even inspired Bahamian artists to record a song and produce a music video.

As conservation efforts continue in The Bahamas, Shedd looks forward to monitoring conch within the ECLSP and throughout The Bahamas in order to help inform a science-based management policy for the species, said Kough.

For more information about Shedd Aquariums research on queen conch, visit Shedd Aquariums website.

Shedd Aquarium is supported by the people of Chicago, the State of Illinois and the Chicago Park District.

Shedd Aquarium is an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and is Humane Certified by the American Humane Association.

The Daniel P. Haerther Center for Conservation and Research at John G. Shedd Aquarium is committed to conserving species and ecosystems through research that advances understanding, informs policy and enhances livelihoods as responsible stewards of the animals in our care.
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By West Kentucky Star Staff

Jul. 06, 2017 | BARDWELL, KY

By West Kentucky Star Staff Jul. 06, 2017 | 03:22 PM | BARDWELL, KY

A Bardwell woman charged with murder in the shooting death of her husband last year has been sentenced to more than 22 years behind bars.



The Carlisle County Circuit Court Clerk said Judge Tim Langford sentenced 69-year-old Martha Ligon Thursday afternoon to 22.5 years in prison.



Ligon has been in custody since July 1, 2016 after state police found Ligon's husband on KY 307 in a vehicle with a gunshot wound to his chest, and 28-year-old Shane Courtney of Arlington nearby with a gunshot wound to the shoulder.



Troopers said Ligon was driving in Milburn with her husband when she began following a random vehicle into the driveway of a home. she then got out of the vehicle and began firing shots at several random people. No one was injured during the altercation, but she then shot her husband and drove up behind a couple as they were stopped in the roadway and opened fire on Courtney.



Ray Ligon was airlifted to Deaconess Hospital in Evansville where he later died. Courtney was airlifted to Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville with non-life threatening injuries.
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By Kentucky Attorney General Andy Beshear

Jul. 06, 2017 | FRANKFORT, KY

By Kentucky Attorney General Andy Beshear Jul. 06, 2017 | 05:53 PM | FRANKFORT, KY

Last months ruling by the United States Supreme Court in a North Carolina case creates a serious problem for Kentucky law enforcement who seek to protect children from sexual predators.



On June 19, 2017, the nations highest court rendered a unanimous opinion in Packingham v. North Carolina. The Courts ruling found a particular North Carolina statute unconstitutional as an infringement upon the First Amendment. The statute made it a felony for a registered sex offender to access a commercial social networking website where the sex offender knows the site permits minor children to become members, or to create or maintain personal web pages.



The North Carolina statute is strikingly similar to Kentuckys statute (KRS 17.546(2). Because of the similarity, the Courts ruling is already impacting the viability of our statute that is imperative to safeguard Kentuckys children from sexual predators when they visit social networking websites.



And it has serious potential to setback the great strides we have made in Kentucky to protect our children.



My Cyber Crimes Branch has made scores of arrests and brought 1,147 criminal counts against adults who use the internet, messaging services, email and social media sites to lure children into sexual encounters.



Kentucky State Police has pursued many, as has the Ashland Police Department, Louisville and Lexington police departments, and several other law enforcement agencies across the state.



And my office currently has 14 human trafficking cases and has assisted local law enforcement with resources in an effort to resolve 96 other human trafficking complaints. Most human traffickers use the internet or social media to find their victims.



All public officials and law enforcement agencies can agree that Kentuckys children need and deserve protection from sexual predators.



While Packingham creates a serious problem for law enforcement who seek to protect children from sexual predators, the Supreme Court does suggest a more specific law might be acceptable.



To further protect Kentucky children and their families, Ive reached out to lawmakers to work with my office on drafting legislation that I believe can pass constitutional muster. To get things started, I have instructed my staff to begin the process by researching and drafting potential language, and we will soon provide lawmakers a copy of a working draft for review and consideration.



At any given time there are hundreds of thousands of predators scouring the internet attempting to prey on our children. The Supreme Courts ruling greatly increases that threat.



While my office works with lawmakers on this issue, as parents, we must be vigilant in monitoring and teaching our children about the risk strangers, or even perceived friends, present to them through technology. As the parents of a 7- and 8-year-old, my wife Brittiany and I are constantly keeping an observant eye on our children.



But with technology always changing, parents must be increasingly diligent.



As attorney general Im focused on helping parents and better protecting our children by doing everything in my authority to make our neighborhoods and streets a little safer every night.



To better arm parents and school officials, my office has partnered with Prevent Child Abuse Kentucky to offer internet safety trainings for families and professionals. This strategy includes an update and publication of the internet safety toolkit, a highly-successful approach to internet safety training.



We must share this message with our communities. We must openly discuss abuse and the ways in which we can prevent it. And we must impress upon everyone that it is their legal and moral duty to report abuse. To report child abuse, contact my office at 877-KYSAFE1.



We cannot stand idly by at the expense of a child.



My office stands ready to help in any way we are able. We are committed at our core to better protect Kentuckys children.



And together, we will make a difference.
By The Associated Press

By The Associated Press Jul. 07, 2017 | 04:52 AM | GLASGOW, KY

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell says he plans to produce a fresh bill in about a week scuttling and replacing much of President Barack Obama's health care law.

But he's also acknowledging a Plan B, too.

The Kentucky Republican said Thursday that if Republicans can't agree to a replacement bill, "then some kind of action with regard to the private health insurance market must occur."

It's one of McConnell's most explicit concessions that a top priority for President Donald Trump and the entire GOP, erasing much of Obama's landmark 2010 statute, might fall short.

He provided no details during remarks at a Rotary Club lunch in Glasgow. But other Republicans have said they want to continue some federal payments to insurers.
I feel very bad. Were on their land, she says in a soft voice, speaking in downtown Vancouver. Jouny expresses herself easily in English, despite missing school for most of her teens because of the warFadia Jouny, a 19-year-old Syrian refugee, has recently come back from Winnipeg where she gave a passionate presentation about First Nations, and why refugees need to learn more about their history.Since arriving in Canada in 2015, Jouny has been busy learning not just the English language, but also about Canadian culture, and Indigenous colonization, missing and murdered Indigenous women.Jouny says fellow refugees are occasionally surprised by her interest in this topic. Why do you care about what First Nations went through? some ask her. The experience of displacement makes her feel close to them, she says.I feel I am the same as them, in some way, she reflects. The First Nations were moved from their land. I understand what that is like.When I talk to refugees about First Nations, they say, 'Oh, that was all in the past.' But I tell them, no, its not just the past," Jouny says. "Still, many people dont have fresh drinking water. Their women go missing, and we dont talk about that.The war in Syria has left her family, in some sense, as people without a country."I want to talk about refugees so people will understand. We didn't choose to be refugees. It was just for survival," she says.
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 06/07/2017 (1954 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Its hard to imagine a more jovial group of people than the ones who make their way out to Birds Hill Provincial Park for the opening day of the Winnipeg Folk Festival. Theyve been waiting 350-some days to get back here, and Thursday, it was finally time to be folk fest happy once again.

JUSTIN SAMANSKI-LANGILLE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Shoshana Goldenberg and Quintin Bart of Javel perform at the Village Tower.

And that type of happy comes in many forms  for some, its a bra covered in tiny artificial sunflowers or a belly-dancing skirt, for others, its piggy back rides and naps in the grass under a setting sun as the first round of musicians take their turn on Main Stage.

Some ominous skies early in the evening were looking to put the kibosh on that plan, but it wasnt long after the opening blessing by elder Mae Louise Campbell  during which she focused on the importance of water and taking care of the Earth  that the clouds kept right on moving, providing clear skies and perfect temperatures for the rest of the night.

Local duo the Small Glories kicked off the music portion of the night. The pair  made up of JD Edwards and Cara Luft (formerly of the Wailin Jennys)  are fairly traditional folk/roots musicians; with only a banjo and acoustic guitar (and occasionally a harmonica) to guide them, they stomped out melodies that told a story even before the lyrics began. Both Edwards and Luft are strong vocalists, but the balance they find in their harmonies is what makes this duo special  they are seasoned musicians and their understanding of dynamics and expert technique is wonderful to watch in a live setting.

JUSTIN SAMANSKI-LANGILLE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Rich Hamon entertains some young festival-goers.

One of the most anticipated acts of the fest  Brandi Carlile  filled the middle slot of the night. This is Carliles first appearance at the Winnipeg Folk Festival, and the 36-year-old Seattle native and her beat-up six-string were welcomed boisterously.

Well, thank you very much, beamed Carlile before launching into The Things I Regret, off of her 5th studio album, 2015s The Firewatchers Daughter.

Much in the same vein as the Small Glories, Carliles music is all about foot-stomping melodies and thorough storytelling but her sheer vocal ability is something to behold. Her falsetto is delicate and sweet, her head voice powerful and emotional, and her lower register is full of gritty texture and rasp; the way she seemingly effortlessly dances between them is inspiring. A particular highlight was The Eye, an affecting ballad performed with two of her band members singing backing vocals, who created a delicious three-part harmony.

Carlile was certainly feeling her own version of folk fest happy  a smile never left her face  and proclaimed she loves the vibes at Canadian folk festivals (shes played Edmonton folk multiple times), adding they must just be better than the ones in her home country.

Photos by JUSTIN SAMANSKI-LANGILLE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Americana artist Brandi Carlile of Seattle, Wash., performs on the Main Stage Thursday as the Winnipeg Folk Festival kicks off. Carlile told the boisterous crowd she loves the vibes when playing in Canada.

And you can quote me on that, she laughed, in one of many endearing bits of banter she interjected throughout her 75-minute set.

When someone is as good at what she does as Carlile is, its almost hard to find things to say without sounding ridiculously gushy; as a songwriter, musician and performer, shes pretty much perfect, and if the chance to see her live should happen to roll around again, shes not to be missed.

JUSTIN SAMANSKI-LANGILLE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Crowds take in the music at the Folk Festival Main Stage Thursday.

American indie-rockers the Shins  who have not played Winnipeg in more than 15 years  rounded out the night. Without a word from frontman James Mercer, the band barrelled through three songs, including the lead single, Name For You, from their new record, Heartworms. When Mercer did speak, he was complimentary of the city and the festival

Not long into their set, the Shins had inspired an amoebous dance party mid-field. The band, too, seemed to be in good spirits, bantering with the crowd and cracking jokes as they rolled through a set of Shins classics with a few new tunes thrown in for good measure. In fact, the new tracks seemed to have gained real traction with the fans at Birds Hill  Half a Million received the loudest and lengthiest applause of the main set, while album closer, The Fear, was a stunning (if not a bit low-key) start to their encore.

Mercers vocals are stunning live  he confidently maneouvered through some of the more difficult melodies that feature his upper register and looked as though he was honestly giving it his all  though at points he was a bit drowned out by the absolutely booming (and great) band. Regardless, it seems unlikely anyone who has waited 15 years to see the Shins in Winnipeg again would have been disappointed  a solid performance by a solid band to close out a solid opening night.

JUSTIN SAMANSKI-LANGILLE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS James Mercer performs with his band, The Shins, on the Main Stage at Folk Fest Thursday.

Todays Main Stage lineup features  in order of appearance  Esme Patterson, Bruce Cockburn, John K. Samson & the Winter Wheat, City and Colour and Dakha Brakha. Daytime performances start at 11 a.m. and the Main Stage kicks off at 6 p.m.

erin.lebar@freepress.mb.ca

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Your contribution of $10, $25 or more will allow the Free Press to deepen our reporting on theatre, dance, music and galleries while also ensuring the broadest possible audience can access our arts journalism. BECOME AN ARTS JOURNALISM SUPPORTER Click here to learn more about the project.

JUSTIN SAMANSKI-LANGILLE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS A festival goer listens to day one headliners The Shins Thursday at Folk Fest, Thursday evening. JUSTIN SAMANSKI-LANGILLE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Local soul-folk artist Carly Dow hit the stage Thursday. JUSTIN SAMANSKI-LANGILLE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS The Shins perform on the Main Stage at Folk Fest Thursday as the day one headliners.
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 07/07/2017 (1953 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

There was a big drop in residential building permit applications in the month after the citys controversial new impact fee came into effect, City of Winnipeg data show.

The data shows there was a big surge in permit applications in March and April as new homebuyers and builders scrambled to submit their building permit applications before the May 1 impact-fee exemption deadline.

The city said there were 341 permit applications received in March, followed by another 844 in April. Although Marchs total was down slightly from March 2016s total of 359, Aprils tally was almost seven times higher than April 2015s total of 124.

BORIS MINKEVICH / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES There was a large surge in permit applications in March and April as homebuyers and builders rushed to beat the May 1 impact fee start date.

And just as Manitoba Home Builders Association (MHBA) officials had predicted, there was a big drop in the number of permit applications received after the new fee kicked in. The city data shows there were only 159 applications received in May, compared to 298 in May of last year and 231 in May 2015.

Junes total was also down from a year earlier  217 compared to 243  although it was higher than the June 2015 tally of 182.

The MHBA is vehemently opposed to the new fee, which applies to new homes built in new residential subdivisions in the city. It predicts the fee will drive some new-home development outside the city, where the new fee doesnt apply, and plans to challenge it in the courts on the grounds the city didnt have the authority to impose it.

The surge in permit applications in March and April also resulted in an increase in the number of building permits approved by the city the first month after the new fee took effect.

Statistics Canada numbers released Thursday show there were $110.7 million worth of residential permits issued in Winnipeg in May. That was up 8.5 per cent from Aprils total of $102 million.

The increase was evident on both sides of the new-homes market. The value of single-family permits issued was up 26per cent to $74.9 million from $59.4 million in April, while the value of multi-family permits issued was down 15.9 per cent to $35.8 million from $42.6 million.

MHBA president Lanny McInnes said he expected to see higher permit-approval numbers for May because its going to take a while for the city to clear up the backlog of applications received in the two months before the fee took effect.

And were going to see that probably continue in June, he added. I think there are still a good chunk of permits in the system (awaiting approval).

Winnipeg introduced the new impact fee, which was approved last October but didnt take effect until May, in a bid to offset the cost of providing new infrastructure  things like regional roads, transit service and recreation and leisure facilities  in new subdivisions.

The fee is based on the size of the home and is roughly $5 per square foot. It adds about $9,700 to the cost of an 1,800-square-foot home, which industry officials say is the average size of a new home built in Winnipeg.

Statistics Canada also released the May building-permit numbers for Manitoba. They showed a 0.5 per cent increase in the value of residential and non-residential permits issued in the province during the month  $213.2 million compared to $212.1 million in April.

murray.mcneill@freepress.mb.ca
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 06/07/2017 (1954 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Manitobas appeal court has rejected an HIV-positive womans bid to have her sexual assault conviction overturned after she failed to tell her partner she was infected with the virus.

Marjorie Schenkels was sentenced to two years less a day in jail after a jury convicted her of aggravated sexual assault by endangering life after she had unprotected sex three times with a friend who didnt know she was HIV-positive. He tested positive for the virus shortly afterward.

Schenkels was found guilty after a five-day jury trial in December 2014 and was sentenced in March 2016. Her appeal was heard in January, and the appeal court released its decision this week.

On appeal, Schenkels argued there was no proof she transmitted HIV to the victim, and that if she hadnt, she didnt endanger his life. She argued the jury should have been told the Crown had to prove beyond a reasonable doubt the victim didnt contract HIV from another source.

The Court of Appeal disagreed, ruling any properly instructed jury could reasonably have convicted Schenkels.

Court of Appeal Justice Barbara Hamilton, writing for the panel of judges, said there was no evidence before the court about other possible ways the victim could have contracted HIV.

Without such evidence, the accused was asking the jury, and now this court, to speculate. She is asking this court to focus on hypothetical alternative theories that have no basis in the evidence, states the written decision, issued this week.

During the 2014 trial, court heard the victim had not previously been tested for HIV. He was diagnosed in December 2011, shortly after his last encounter with the accused. Schenkels had been diagnosed in 2009, and her doctors testified she had been warned about the importance of safe sex and failing to disclose her condition to a sexual partner could be a criminal offence.

Defence lawyer Ian Histed also argued the conviction should be thrown out because of unreasonable delay in bringing the case to trial.

It took 30 months and 19 days for the case to wrap up, slightly more than the 30-month deadline that would later be imposed by the Supreme Court for superior court trials. The Crown had authorized a direct indictment in the case, skipping a preliminary inquiry and heading straight to trial. Because there was no preliminary hearing, the defence argued, the case should be subject to even stricter timelines.

Although the jury trial happened before the Supreme Court set new trial deadlines that came into effect last July, Histed argued the case should have been bound by the 18-month deadline that was imposed for provincial court trials even though it took place in the superior Court of Queens Bench.

The Court of Appeal refused to throw out the conviction because of delay. It ruled that whether or not there was a preliminary inquiry, the case would still be subject to the 30-month deadline because it was dealt with in the Court of Queens Bench. The fact it missed the deadline by 19 days didnt matter, the court decided, because it was already working its way through the justice system by the time the new deadlines were imposed.

Schenkels was the first woman in Manitoba to be convicted of sexual assault on the basis of failing to disclose her HIV status. As part of her conviction, she will be listed on the sex offender registry for 10 years.

katie.may@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @thatkatiemay
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 07/07/2017 (1953 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The owner of a hotel in the northern Manitoba community of The Pas is saying arson is to blame for a raging fire that engulfed his three-storey building and left it in smouldering ruins Friday morning.

Les Robertson, owner of the Town Centre Hotel, also said the local fire department left the scene without properly putting out the fire, ultimately leading to the destruction of the hotel hes owned for the past 21 years.

I know how it started, Robertson said, someone arsoned the recyclables behind the hotel.

SHAWNA ROBERTSON PHOTO

Robertson got to the hotel shortly before fire trucks first arrived at 3 a.m., saying the fire alarm and sprinklers were going off.

The fire, at this time manageable, hadnt yet spread to the building,

They put the fire out in about five minutes, Robertson said of firefighters. They brought in fans and ventilated the place. They also told me to turn off the sprinkler system because the fire was out and it would just create water damage.

Its a decision Robertson regrets, saying about 15 minutes after fire crews left the blaze picked back up again  this time, worse than before.

They missed it, he said. It wasnt put out properly. They said it was, but it wasnt.

After hearing the fire had returned, Robertson went back to the hotel saying by this point flames were through the roof and there was nothing that could be done to save the building.

We have issues here, continued Robertson before trailing off. It wasnt handled right. Lets just leave it at that.

The town currently does not have a fire chief  its last one resigned  and the acting chief was taking time off for personal reasons at the time of the blaze, a city spokeswoman confirmed.

SHAWNA ROBERTSON PHOTO

Had Robertson not listened to firefighters and left the sprinkler system on, he believes it would have helped when the fire returned.

At the peak of the fires intensity, flames could be seen flickering in the sky high above the roof of the hotel, which housed a number of long-term tenants.

About 20 tenants were evacuated, none of whom were injured. Many tenants, however, lost all their belongings.

The worst part is all the people who live here, Robertson said. Theyve lost it all. They have nothing left but the clothes on their backs.

The Red Cross has offered 72 hours of emergency support to those affected by the fire.

Heavy smoke lingered into the afternoon, long after firefighters had the situation under control.

Robertson isnt sure who would want to burn down his building, but says the town has had random arsons in the past.

He hopes security footage from a nearby store may help identify who is responsible.

SHAWNA ROBERTSON PHOTO After hearing the fire had returned the owner went back to the hotel, saying by this point flames were through the roof and there was nothing that could be done to save the building.

Fire officials are still on scene and could not be reached for comment.

Its nothing but smouldering wreckage on the ground now, said James Sanderson, who works across the street from the hotel.

Its just gone.

RCMP said the fire is suspicious in nature and they are investigating.

ryan.thorpe@freepress.mb.ca
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 07/07/2017 (1953 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The national inquiry for missing and murdered Indigenous women announced its schedule Thursday, including a stop in Winnipeg in October, but local advocates say their faith in it likely cant be restored.

The head of the inquiry denied the process is drifting, saying she believes its moving at lightning speed. Marion Buller announced Thursday the inquiry will hold nine community hearings across Canada this fall, amid controversy over the resignation of executive director Michele Morneau and complaints from families about delays and poor communication.

Buller was asked about comments made by Manitoba Grand Chief Sheila North Wilson, who called for Buller to step down and the inquiry to restart.

John Woods / The Canadian Press files Portraits of murdered and missing Indigenous women are seen at a national roundtable examining the issue in Winnipeg last year.

I dont intend to resign, Buller replied firmly.

Things are not drifting. We have to put this in the right context. We started on Sept. 1, four commissioners and myself and a piece of paper, our terms of reference. In eight months, we hired staff, we opened offices, we put life to our terms of reference and we held our first hearing.

In my view, thats lightning speed.

Advocate Hilda Anderson-Pyrz said the inquiry has lost its way because of delays and lack of transparency.

I feel the inquiry has lost its credibility with so many key people leaving in such a short time, she said Thursday. They should be pushing a reset button. We are almost a year into the inquiry.

Anderson-Pyrz said she realized there were problems when her repeated calls to the inquiry phone line were never returned.

Its not fair to people if they are not returning calls to family members, she said. A bureaucratic approach will not work. It has to be an Indigenous-led approach.

Her 37-year-old sister, Dawn Anderson, died in Leaf Rapids in 2012. Her front door was kicked in, the phone was ripped off the wall and screams were heard. Her death was ruled to be caused by hypothermia related to intoxication, but her family believes she was a victim of violence.

Manitoba MLA Nahanni Fontaine, who was the former NDP governments adviser on missing and murdered Indigenous womens issues, said she believes the inquirys short time frame is the problem.

After the Liberals gained power in late 2015, the government announced the inquiry with a budget of about $54 million. It said a final report would be due at the end of 2018, with an interim report released this November.

Fontaine said because of her years of experience organizing an annual two-day meeting for family members of missing and slain women, she knows the inquiry needs more time.

I dont think people really understand the logistics of putting a national inquiry together, she said.

To properly and independently and fairly execute a national inquiry, it takes years to set up, never mind actually doing research, interviews and hearings.

(Inquiry commissioners) have to have more time because this will be the only time these people will be able to tell their loved ones stories, she said.

Buller said the next community hearings will be held beginning Sept. 10 in Thunder Bay, Ont. The inquiry will be in Winnipeg on Oct 16.

Buller also said two expert panels will speak to the inquiry this year on the topics of Indigenous laws and decolonization and human rights.

Executive director Michele Moreau resigned last week, citing personal reasons. The Native Womens Association of Canada noted several other staff members have also left recently and urged the inquiry to be more transparent and reassuring to families.

Buller said people are leaving for personal and positive reasons, as some have been offered jobs of a lifetime.

North Wilson, the Manitoba chief who has called for Bullers resignation, said she did not feel reassured by Bullers remarks.

It didnt seem confident and it didnt seem sincere. The tone almost looked scripted throughout, she said. Its nothing against her at all in any way. I just dont feel like its a person that the families are putting a lot of hope and faith in.

North Wilson said she would like to see a chief commissioner who is better known among grassroots organizations and families. Buller comes from a legal background and was British Columbias first female Indigenous judge.

Buller reiterated on Thursday she intends to ask the federal government for more time and money. However, she said she and her research team have already begun drafting the interim report and plan to submit it on time.

 with files from The Canadian Press

kevin.rollason@freepress.mb.ca
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 06/07/2017 (1954 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A lawsuit challenging the so-called Safe Third Country Agreement has lifted the spirits of a Salvadoran woman turned away from the Canadian border after she tried to enter the country properly at Emerson to ask for asylum.

This gives me hope, she said Thursday from Grand Forks, where she is trying to keep a low profile to avoid deportation to El Salvador and asked to be identified only as Lizbeth. After receiving death threats from the notorious Maras criminal gang, the single parent hid her 15-year-old son with his grandparents in El Salvador and made a beeline to Canada last October to ask for asylum.

Living in El Salvador, under the control and brutality of the Maras with nobody to protect or defend you, is living a nightmare, she said.

MIKE DEAL / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES Lizbeth, 54, a single mother from El Salvador is stuck in limbo in Grand Forks, N.D., after trying to make a refugee claim at the Canadian border and was turned down because the U.S. is considered a safe country.

On Wednesday, the Canadian Council for Refugees, Amnesty International and the Canadian Council of Churches announced theyre throwing their support behind a woman being named only as E in asking the Federal Court to strike down the Safe Third Country Agreement. E, who is also a Salvadoran woman, fled her country with her daughters after a decade of being targeted by a gang and receiving death threats. If forced to make her refugee claim in the U.S. rather than Canada, E. has strong reasons for believing that she might not be protected there. There, only one-third of refugee claims from El Salvador are accepted, say legal aid groups in the U.S.

Under the Safe Third Country Agreement, most people who make an asylum claim at the land border are denied entry unless they have family already in Canada. In the last year, theres been an influx of people crossing into Canada on foot to avoid official ports of entry so they can ask for refugee status from within the country.

The three rights groups are among the many urging Canada to suspend the arrangement following major changes to U.S. immigration and refugee policy since the election of President Donald Trump.

I support it 100 per cent, said Winnipegs Dr. Julio Pintin. Pintin arrived in Canada as a refugee from El Salvador decades ago and is a longtime friend of Lizbeth. He said hes asked fellow physician and Liberal MP Dr. Doug Eyolfson for help and was told to talk to his area MP, Terry Duguid (Lib  Winnipeg South).

Duguids response was that the Safe Third Country Agreement is working and needs to be respected. On Thursday, the MP said his government is relying on the United Nations to assess the U.S. asylum system. It hasnt reported any changes since the election of Trump.

As you know, the Safe Third Country Agreement is based on a principle supported by the UN refugee agency that individuals must claim asylum in the first (safe) country they arrive in. The UN refugee agency in Canada is monitoring the situation, and our government has confidence in their assessment that no changes have been made to the U.S. domestic asylum system, Duguid said in an email.

The Canadian government is exaggerating UN support for the U.S. refugee system, says the Canadian Council for Refugees.

They have not taken a formal position that the U.S. fully respects refugees rights  that is not something that UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) generally does, executive director Janet Dench said Thursday from Montreal.

The Canadian government has been consistently relying on the opinion of the UNHCR to justify the designation of the U.S. as a safe third country, Dench said. (The) UNHCR is in a very difficult political situation. They are an intergovernmental organization and the U.S. is on their executive committee. (The) U.S. is also a major funder. For these reasons, the UNHCR is unlikely to go public with comments critical of the U.S., she said.

Pintin said the agreement is not safe. It has resulted in tragedy because it compels people to sneak into Canada on foot to make a refugee claim rather than accepting their refugee claim at the border, he said. In December, two refugee claimants from Ghana lost their fingers to frostbite trekking for hours through U.S. farm fields to enter Canada. Pintin said his friend Lizbeth didnt know about the Safe Third Country Agreement and thought she was obeying the rules. She lost her chance to make a refugee claim in Canada and the hope of having a safe place to raise her son. Pintin said asylum seekers are in dire straits and Canada can and should let them in.

They do it for life. They do it for hope. We are a country that can offer that, said Pintin.

carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 07/07/2017 (1953 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Thieves entered unlocked doors at a Winnipeg Honda dealership early Friday and made off with three vehicles.

Around 3:30 a.m., police received a call from a security guard in the 1700 block of Waverley Street who heard the cars being driven in the dealership lot.

Police said there was no damage to the building because the thieves entered the building through unlocked doors.

Were all going to have question how the building was left insecure. How did these people particularly know that those doors were left insecure? Const. Tammy Skrabek said.

Police found two of the stolen cars, which were damaged and abandoned. One was recovered from a park south of the city and the other turned up in a St. Vital parking lot.

I really couldnt tell you what their motive was for stealing cars, damaging them, and abandoning them, other than just pure joy, Skrabek said.

Police are looking for more witnesses.

The third stolen car  a 2017 black Honda Civic two-door hatchback wasnt located.

Winnipeg Honda hasnt returned calls asking for comment.
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 06/07/2017 (1954 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A Rossburn farmer is devastated after thieves made off with more than 50 head of his cattle and left two dead in a corral.

Kalvin Kreshewski made the grisly discovery following the Canada Day weekend when he went to check on his herd.

I drove up to the gate and saw two cows dead the gate was tied up with twine and I noticed all the truck tracks around the gate, Kreshewski said Thursday. I knew something was wrong, so I went out and counted the cows.

Supplied Two of Kalvin Kreshewski's cows died of dehydration after cattle thieves left them trapped in a waterless corral.

Twenty-one cows and 30 calves were missing.

While the missing cattle is worrisome, it also creates additional problems, he said.

They didnt take the right pairs so Ive got cows without calves and Ive got calves without moms, Kreshewski said. (The calves) are not going to develop properly theyre not going to grow to their full size. Every baby should be on milk for eight or nine months and theyve only been on milk for three or four months.

Were trying to catch them to bring them into the yard to bottle feed them, but theyre scared and running around, so its not that easy.

Kreshewski said he believes the thieves didnt have room for the two cows left in the waterless corral, so they left them behind, where they died of dehydration.

Thats what hurts the most. Thieves are thieves, but to have no heart or soul they left those cows to die, he said. Im a full-grown man, but I still cried. It made me sick to my stomach to see something that had to suffer and die like that is just terrible.

Its not uncommon for farmers to go days between checking cattle this time of year, Kreshewski said, as most are grazing out in the pasture and have access to food and water.

Kreshewski drives the road every day to make sure no cows are loose, but because the corral is nestled in a forested area, he couldnt see the animals in the trees.

I just happened to go through the pastures by that gate, thats how we found them, Kreshewski said. They werent supposed to be in there and nothing like this has never happened before. You dont think its going to happen.

The total value of the stolen cattle is estimated to be approximately $65,000 to $85,000.

Its definitely going to affect my year in a big way. I have insurance, but were not sure whats covered and whats not. I know the cows that were left in the corral dead are not covered under insurance, Kreshewski said, adding a Facebook post he put up offering a $10,000 reward for names of the thieves (with proof) has been shared almost 30,000 times.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Rossburn RCMP at 204-859-2057 or call Manitoba Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477.

Rossburn is located roughly 300 kilometres northwest of Winnipeg.

 Brandon Sun
Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 07/07/2017 (1953 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Tim Hortons is slowly becoming a completely dysfunctional franchise system.

Franchisees on both sides of the border are pressuring Restaurant Brands International Inc. (RBI), the new owners of the coffee giant, to ease up on its increasingly strict rules around standards, pricing and inspections.

Some franchisees have even called RBIs approach abusive. Some are pursuing a class-action lawsuit against RBI. One Canadian-based franchisee even alleges the parent company of improperly using funds from a national advertising campaign.

Eduardo Lima / The Canadian Press Files Coffee giant Tim Hortons is owned by Restaurant Brands International Inc., a company that has its headquarters in Oakville, Ont., but is mostly owned by Brazilian-based 3G Capital.

It seems the trust in this relationship is all but gone. And lack of trust in a franchise system leads to more severe challenges.

For many investors, this is hardly surprising. Brazilian-based 3G Capital, which owns the majority of RBI, has a reputation for driving margins higher, whatever it takes. Anything can be compromised or sacrificed: jobs, costly practices, corporate culture  you name it.

Food processor Kraft Heinz, also recently taken over by this Brazilian giant, has been subjected to major cuts over the past few years. Just talk to the people of Leamington, Ont., where a Heinz plant used to keep the self-proclaimed Tomato Capital busy.

In the case of RBI and Tim Hortons franchisees, two business models are colliding.

For decades, Tim Hortons steady-as-she-goes attitude focused on offering a place for people of all ages to congregate.

Certainly some aspects of this operation left much to be desired. Cars with engines running, lined up at the drive-thru for coffee for several minutes, made no environmental sense. But people just kept coming to Tims. The customer base was addicted and needed their coffee fix.

But since 2014, when RBI took over, the rule of law is about efficiency and increased profitability for the parent company.

Most consumers wouldnt have noticed the difference. The uniforms, Roll Up the Rim to Win campaign and summer camp fundraisers are all still the same.

But the changes were dramatic. Providing value to RBI shareholders is superseding the corporate will to empower outlets. This has led to major changes in procurement strategies and corporate protocols.

Most franchisees didnt sign up for such a modus operandi. And they invested hundreds of thousands of dollars and, in some cases, millions. What was once considered a licence to print money  a tried and true program  has turned into a nightmare for some of the franchisees.

Failing to anticipate contractual changes from the parent company often leads to confusion and despair. This is whats happening with Tim Hortons.

Most franchises are owned by families or individuals who pride themselves in supporting local groups. Thats how Tim Hortons gained much of its reputation.

Nevertheless, its difficult to argue with RBIs success. RBI owns major chains such as Burger King and Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen. The company makes money and keeps its shareholders very happy. Its shares have more than doubled in value since its inception in 2014 and now sit at more than $80 apiece. RBIs stock has outperformed peer companies by a wide margin.

Burger King was going nowhere before it was bought by 3G Capital in 2010, but has since increased its market share across North America. RBIs most recent acquisition, Popeyes, should experience the same success.

Most Canadian and American Tim Hortons franchisees are staying on the sidelines and letting the lawsuit play out.

Despite the very public discontent around the new ownership, some franchisees are co-operating. And no lawsuits have come from Burger King or Popeyes franchisees  at least not yet.

The acrimony between 3G Capital and franchisees will probably continue for a while. At stake is a brand that has served communities well for many years.

Tim Hortons has gone from being an iconic Canadian-owned business to being merely part of a much larger portfolio. This is a reality all franchisees need to accept. However, RBI also needs to appreciate the intimate connection these coffee shops have with their communities.

Theres nothing wrong with making a profit, but RBI must work on its relationships with franchisees before they get worse. Without transparency and trust, both parties will feel betrayed.

RBI cant achieve its share price goals without the support of its community investors.

Sylvain Charlebois is senior fellow with the Atlantic Institute for Market Studies, dean of the faculty of management and a professor in the faculty of agriculture at Dalhousie University, and author of Food Safety, Risk Intelligence and Benchmarking.
Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 07/07/2017 (1953 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Its common to the point of being a cliche, but the following scenario remains a concern: highly skilled professionals, such as doctors or engineers, immigrate to Manitoba but are prevented from practising their professions and are instead stuck in survival jobs such as driving cabs or mopping floors.

One would think its a sound investment for governments to work toward eliminating the barriers that prevent these newcomers from offering Manitoba the benefit of their professional skills. Instead, the opposite is happening.

Federal funding cuts mean that, effective last week, a higher level of English as an Additional Language (EAL) classes are not being offered in Manitoba. Its estimated the cancelled classes directly affect about 1,000 students in this province.

WAYNE GLOWACKI / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES An English language class at Red River College

Some will argue its up to the immigrants to develop their own language skills and that progress in learning a language depends largely on the zeal of the learner. This argument notes that immigrant children learn English rapidly because they are immersed in English schools and perhaps adults would learn English more quickly if they practised similar immersion  by moving outside the social bunkers of their own ethnic groups to make English-speaking friends, by listening doggedly to English television and radio shows, by reading English newspapers and books and by taking full advantage of low-cost English-language classes from other sources, including the internet.

While these suggestions might be sensible, they are of little help in discussing the EAL classes that have been cut. The funding that was lost provided levels five through eight on the Canadian Language Benchmark scale of one to 12. The benchmarks are national standards of English as a second language for adult immigrants, divided into the skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing. Of particular concern to Manitoba immigrants who have professional qualifications in other countries and hope to fine-tune their skills to Canadian standards, the benchmarks are the measure used to gain entry to the professional programs of Canadian universities.

In short, without a high benchmark level of English communication, immigrants wont be admitted to professional programs in Winnipeg universities and they wont get the qualifications needed to get a toehold in the professions they practised in their home countries.

Red River College now has the only federally funded Stage 2 EAL program left in Manitoba, and there are hundreds of people waiting to get into it.

There are alternatives. Without funding for Stage 2 EAL classes, some non-profits are considering fee-for-service proposals. One has considered charging students $400 for a 10-week course, with six to eight hours of class time per week. It takes about 250 hours to progress one benchmark, so its understandable that immigrants who have likely exhausted their savings to get to Manitoba are now unable to afford the benchmark status needed to rise above survival jobs.

One of the reasons for Manitobas prosperity and success as a harmonious multicultural tapestry has been its ability to provide wide-open opportunity for immigrants with keen initiative. People who move to Canada are, more often than not, people who take action to improve their lot and are the type of go-getters who benefit their communities.

The elite of these immigrants are the professionals who have been highly trained in their home countries. All that stands in their way is learning English to a benchmark level needed to get into professional faculties. Funding for benchmark classes should be restored to let these new Manitobans make the most of their opportunities, for their good, and the good of all of us.
The Winona County Courthouse will be one of 57 throughout the state receiving grants for courthouse improvements.

The Minnesota Judicial Branch announced the award of $1 million in grants through the Safe and Secure Courthouse Initiative at the end of June.

Jill Johnson, staff member the Safety Committee for Winona County, said the county had received its full request of $13,000 for a new metal detector.

Across the state, grant awards ranged from $514 to nearly $68,000. Of the 57 grants, 13 were for less than $5,000, and eight were for more than $25,000.

The law also requires that each county will provide a 50 percent funding match for its grant award in either cash or in-kind services.

Johnson said the 50 percent match will be an in-kind match of staff time.

The new metal detector system will be something smaller and more mobile than the current one, which resembles a phone booth or one of the metal detectors at an airport, and will allow county staff to move it to different areas and use it more easily.

Its a much different type than the old one we had, Johnson said. Itll allow us more flexibility.

The grants are helping fund a variety of needs elsewhere, from helping counties conduct professional security assessments of their facilities, to funding security training for officials and staff, plus a variety of infrastructure improvements like installing bullet-resistant glass at public service counters, replacing aging security equipment and adding door locks, cameras, key card readers and alarms.

When announcing the grant, Minnesota Supreme Court Chief Justice Lorie S. Gildea said the Safe and Secure Courthouse Initiative was the first time that Minnesota has made a statewide attempt to addressing courthouse security.

This is an important step forward for our justice system, and one that will serve to better protect the thousands of Minnesotans who enter their local courthouses every day, Gildea said in the announcement. This is truly an access to justice issue, and Minnesotans deserve to feel safe when coming to court, accessing government services, or fulfilling their duties as citizens and taxpayers.

The initiative was established by Gildea and funded by an appropriation from the Minnesota Legislature in 2016.

The grant program was based on a legislative proposal brought forward by the Courthouse Security Workgroup, a statewide coalition of county and justice system partners including members from the Minnesota Judicial Branch, the Association of Minnesota Counties, the Minnesota Sheriffs Association, the Minnesota County Attorneys Association, the Minnesota Board of Public Defense and the Minnesota Inter-County Association.

They received grant requests from 59 counties, totaling more than $3.5 million, and out of the 57 counties getting grants, 24 received their full requested amount and 33 received partial awards.

Originally built in 1889, the Winona County Courthouse has five floors and is 136 feet from the top to the bottom. When built it also had a 52-foot by 64-foot courtroom beneath a 28-foot ceiling, and a fireplace in every office.

After surviving a campaign to demolish it, it was renovated in 1971, and again after a burst pipe on Labor Day 2000 flooded the interior.

Its a much different type than the old one we had. Itll allow us more flexibility. Jill Johnson, county staff
If youre planning a trip to Europe this summer, be forewarned: You may spend a lot of time explaining Donald Trump to the natives.

In our case, it started immediately, with the British immigration officer at Londons Heathrow Airport.

Are you from the Southern states? he asked. What he meant was: Are you Trump voters?

What has gotten into you people? he demanded. You used to be a model other countries wanted to follow. Now we watch you and shake our heads.

That was one of dozens of unsought conversations in three countries about the state of American politics. Europeans familiarity with the details of our national melodrama was sometimes startling.

Whats the real story about Melania? our British friend Naomi asked. Is she moving into the White House or not?

Europeans who once resented our superpower status now express sympathy for our troubles  even nostalgia for American leadership.

What about the famous son-in-law? asked Lala, our Italian neighbor, amused to catch Americans practicing the kind of clan-based politics Italians know. Is he the brains of the family?

If Trump is impeached, then Pence becomes president, right? asked Liliane, a German lawyer. Would he be worse?

Brits, Italians and Germans all asked whether Trumps presidency would be over by the end of the year. I described the complexities of impeachment, and how unlikely it was that a Republican-controlled Congress would go there. I reminded them of Italys Silvio Berlusconi, who won three elections and governed for nine years despite prosecutors efforts to bring him down.

Our European friends absorption in all things Trump goes beyond mere gossip, of course. They have gnawing concerns about an increasingly disorderly world  one in which the president of the United States, instead of bolstering stability, often seems to be a disruptor.

It wasnt a scientific sample by any stretch. But our conversations mirrored a Pew global survey released last week which found that Trump is unpopular across much of the world and that his unpredictability has shaken confidence in the United States.

For half a century, Europeans got used to thinking of the United States as a stable cornerstone of world politics  not always sophisticated in their eyes, not always right, but reliably there. Now that were less reliable, theyre more nervous. If the United States is making the world less stable instead of more stable, were all in deep , Lalas husband, Carlo, said in fluent American.

They know all too well that Europe  politically divided, militarily weak and economically listless  cant fill the empty role of the missing superpower.

Europe could be strong if countries knew how to work together, but they dont, said Peter, a German yoga instructor. Nationalism gets in the way.

Trump may have had one positive effect on continental politics, as Europes wave of nationalist populism appears to have ebbed. Trump-style anti-immigrant populists lost ground in three major elections this year: the Netherlands in March, France in May and Britain in June. In France, Trump virtually endorsed populist candidate Marine LePen; she was trounced by the Obama-style Emmanuel Macron.

We have learned from your example, Liliane joked.

There may be a silver lining for Americans too. Europeans who once resented our superpower status now express sympathy for our troubles  even nostalgia for American leadership.

Many Europeans condemned George W. Bush for invading Iraq. Then they pouted when Barack Obama, whom they liked better, made it clear he was more interested in Asia. Now they see a president who thinks alliances are a scam and doesnt put much stock in the U.S. treaty commitment to defend Europe.

Europeans have plenty of reasons to worry about their future. Islamist terrorism has accelerated with attacks in England, France and Belgium. The European Union is in danger of falling apart. Russia is meddling in their elections and corrupting some of their governments. They still havent solved their massive unemployment problem.

In earlier times of trouble, American presidents stepped in with reassurances that the United States wanted a Europe that was prosperous, strong and united. Trump says, instead, that he sees Europe as a competitor, not an ally, and that he prefers his competitors to be weak, poor and disunited.

Italian columnist Beppe Severgnini recently compared Trumps America to a straying husband, but suggested that hed come home.

Go ahead, have your affairs, he wrote. But dont forget: Youre married to us.

Perhaps he had forgotten that Trump is already on marriage No. 3  and that he views wedding vows and treaties as open to renegotiation, just like real estate contracts.

Most Americans dont pay nearly as much attention to European politics as my Italian, British and German friends pay to ours. There are too many countries, too many elections. And the details of European economic integration are mind-numbing.

But perhaps we should listen more closely to our European friends.

Theyve noticed that, under Trump, an important alliance  one that has kept their continent peaceful for 70 years  is in danger of slipping away through neglect. They see what theyre losing, and theyre worried. Shouldnt we be too?
Reading the Declaration of Independence is a good exercise for all Americans around this time of year: It reminds us of the bleak political circumstances leading up to the birth of the nation and the values shared by founders. But the 1776 document has never in my lifetime seemed more relevant, prescient or, frankly, foreboding than it does this year. You might think Britains despotic king were still in charge here.

He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws, the declaration says.

You could apply that foreign jurisdiction quote literally today, to Russias alleged tampering with our presidential election to secure a win for Donald Trump. His national security adviser, Michael Flynn, would be one of the others, although the presidents attempts to get former FBI director James Comey on board with dropping the Flynn investigation didnt work.

But you could also take foreign to our constitution as a metaphor for what should be abhorrent. Doesnt that describe Trumps unilateral temporary ban on refugees or prospective visitors from Muslim countries who have no immediate family here? The declaration actually addresses something similar:

He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither.  We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here.

As court after court found these bans unconstitutional, Trump maligned the judges and pursued appeals until he got one he liked.

The declaration says: He has obstructed the Administration of Justice by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary Powers.

Trump has tried to overhaul laws protecting the public health, such as the Affordable Care Act, and the environment. He has pulled the United States out of the Paris Climate Treaty to get out of international obligations to reduce climate change. He has vowed to remove restrictions on energy production and emissions.

The founding document said of the king, He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.

It also speaks of a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States.

This president tailors his facts to serve his desired outcome. As the Los Angeles Times put it in an excellent editorial series on the president this spring, Trumps ascent marks the first time that the culture of alternative reality has made its home at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

He dismisses as lies news reports he thinks dont flatter him, whether about the crowd size at his inauguration or about turning away from his Mar-A-Lago estate TV host Mika Brzezinski, who makes fun of him. The New York Times, however, disproved that by producing a photo of Brzezinski at the estate.

The presidents and his surrogates fractious relationship with the press is one of the most alarming deviations from standard White House protocol. A free press with access is essential to holding public officials accountable in a functioning democracy. Not only has Trump dubbed the press enemy, but when his spokespeople do hold press briefings, they often chastise media as dishonest spin agents.

By undermining trust in news organizations and delegitimizing journalism and muddling the facts so that Americans no longer know who to believe, opined the Los Angeles Times, he (Trump) can deny and distract and help push his administrations far-fetched storyline.

It is heartening to see some congressional members of Donald Trumps own Republican Party reject the presidents latest conduct as, in Sen. Lindsey Grahams words, beneath the office of the presidency.

But that behavior tends to play well to Trumps base. He targets the darkness, anger and insecurity that hide in each of us and harnesses them for his own purposes, says the LA Times series.   If we harbor latent racism or if we fear terror attacks by Muslim extremists, then he elevates a rumor into a public debate.

He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, the Declaration of Independence said about the king. The impact of Trumps divisive presidency shows up in unexpected ways among the public, including in stress, panic attacks, insomnia and isolation. According to a USA Today story, this may be sending people to therapy, yoga and meditation in record numbers, the latter to help them recharge and respond. Many are also feasting on political satire.

We are a resilient, creative people and the Constitution gives us the tools to respond without a violent rupture. So now is the time to use our voices and legitimate media to filter fact from fiction and shine a light in places of darkness; our legal resources to challenge what we can in the courts; and our votes to elect representatives who take these shared values seriously.
Submit an event for Around Town by emailing calendar information to bnr-news@wiscnews.com at least three business days before the event date.

Today

Senior coffee hour: 9-11 a.m., Friday Senior Coffee Hour, Baraboo Area Senior Center, 124 Second St. Room 24, Baraboo every Friday in July. Gourmet coffee hour, light refreshments and fellowship free of charge. For more information call Diane Pillsbury at 608-356-8464.

Ice cream social: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Baraboo Senior Center, Walmart, 920 Highway 12, Baraboo. Ice cream social and root beer float sale will benefit activities at the senior center. For more information, call Diane Pillsbury at 608-356-8464.

Womens club: 11:30 a.m., Reedsburg Area Womens Club, Reedsburg Country Club, 3003 E. Main St., Reedsburg. Lunch will be served shortly thereafter. To check availability, call Belinda Bowers at 985-7417 or email beebowers@yahoo.com. Guest speaker is Randy Pierce from Wisconsin Specialty Protein. He will discuss From Cow to Can, the Story of Teras Whey. For more information, call Darcy Swiscz at 464-3295.

Fish fry: 5-7:30 p.m., Elite Catering, Devils Lake State Park, north shore by the Chateau. Every Friday until Sept. 1. Two-piece fish or a one-piece chicken dinner with three sides, $11.50; childrens plates available.

Concert: 6-10 p.m., Full Throttle Night, FloodZone Bar & Grill, 109 W. Broadway, Rock Springs. Performance is by Swifkick. All proceeds go to the Wisconsin Big Cat Rescue to help care for the animals. In addition to live music, there will be classic cars, trucks, motorcycles, food, arts and crafts vendors, 50/50 raffles and prizes. For more information, call Jeff Kozlowski at 608-697-8643 or email jeff@wisconsinbigcats.org.

Guided kayak tour: 6:30-8:30 p.m., Devils Lake State Park. Guided tour every Friday and Saturday evening in July observing wildlife and learning about the parks geology and history. Preregistration and prepay is required prior to the event. Bring a kayak or rent one from the Chateau. The rental fee is $25 for a single kayak and $45 for a double. Meet at the Chateau. To register and to reserve a kayak, call the Nature Center at 608-356-8301 ext. 140.

Book reading: 7:30 p.m., The Village Booksmith, 526 Oak St., Baraboo. Author Jerry Apps will read from his latest book, Never Curse the Rain. For more information, call 608-355-1001 or visit or visit villagebooksmith.com.

Astronomy event: 9-10 p.m., Devils Lake State Park. Universe in the Park will host astronomers from the University of Wisconsin Astronomy Program to explore the universe. Meet at the Northern Lights Amphitheater. In case of rain, presentation will be moved to the Nature Center. For more information, call 608-356-8301.

Saturday

Barbecue: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Democratic Party of Sauk County, Steinhorst Park Shelter, 1700 Parkgate Drive, Baraboo. Fired Up For Tammy, a family-friendly event to celebrate Senator Tammy Baldwins re-election campaign. Bring a dish to share. Soda, water and grill provided. No pets allowed. Live music by Mark Tully and The Hoot Owls. Special guest Rep. Dave Considine.

Grief camp: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Home Health United, Ochsner Park, 903 Park St., Baraboo. Camp GLOW, a grief support day camp for children ages 6-14 will be staffed by Home Health United spiritual and grief counselors and specially trained volunteers to give kids the opportunity to share their grief in a safe space through activities. Lunch, drinks and snacks throughout the day are provided. For more information and to check availability, visit homehealthunited.org, call 877-356-4514, or email info@hhuvns.org.

Nature presentation: 10 a.m., Baraboo Public Library, Aldo Leopold Center, E13701 Levee Road, Baraboo. Kids in grades 4k-5 are invited with an adult caregiver to attend a program about trees and their growth rings along with a tour of the shack and farm. This program is free. For more information, call 608-356-6166 or visit baraboopubliclibrary.org.

Ice cream social: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Baraboo Senior Center, Walmart, 920 Highway 12, Baraboo. Ice cream social and root beer float sale will benefit activities at the senior center. For more information call Diane Pillsbury at 608-356-8464.

Archery event: 12:30-3 p.m., Devils Lake State Park. Certified instructors will assist kids of all ages with some target practice. Meet at the north shore boat launch. For more information, call 608-356-8301.

Bingo: 6 p.m., St. Joseph School, 310 Second St., Baraboo. Bingo fundraiser for People Helping People with doors opening at 5 p.m. will be played. A concession stand run by People Helping People will offer brats, hot dogs and more. A raffle will also take place. For more information, call St. Joseph at 608-356-4773 or People Helping People at 608-434-0002.

Boating event: 8:30-10:30 p.m., Devils Lake State Park. The Guided Full Moon Paddle will explore the lake with free glow sticks decorating the boats. Bring a kayak, canoe or boat to participate. Call to preregister at 608-356-8301 ext. 140. Meet at the North Shore boat launch.

Sunday

Buffet breakfast: 8 a.m. to noon, Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1916 and the Auxiliary at VFW Hall, 200 Veterans Drive, Reedsburg. The menu includes scrambled eggs, pancakes, sausage, French toast, biscuits and gravy, and made-to-order omelets. Cost is $8 for adults, $3 for children ages 4-11, free for children age 4 and younger.

Archery event: 12:30-3 p.m., Devils Lake State Park. Certified instructors will assist kids of all ages with some target practice. Meet at the north shore boat launch. For more information, call 608-356-8301.

Organ concert: 2 p.m., Zion Lutheran Stone Church, E6787 Stone Church Road, Rock Springs. Concert highlighting the historic 1895 pipe organ featuring organist Joe Menard, soloists Eden Evans and Bill Hentges, and violinist Jordan Schuette. Free-will offering will be accepted. Refreshments will also be served.

Zen workshop: 4-5:30 p.m., White Conch Dharma Center, Its All About You, Yoga and More, The Green Vine, 102 Fourth Ave. Moving Along the Path: Becoming (Being) a Healing Presence in the World will explore the training path of the bodhisattva, the paramitas and the Six Perfections.

Monday, July 10

Blood drive: 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., American Red Cross, Ho-Chunk Casino, Hotel and Convention Center, S3214 Highway 12, Baraboo. To make an appointment or for more information, call 800-RED-CROSS (800-733-2767) or visit redcrossblood.org.

Senior Android workshop: 12:30-3:30 p.m., Baraboo Area Senior Center, 124 Second St., Room 24, Baraboo. Cell Plus Device Specialist, Gene Rolland, will lead the workshop which includes a class booklet, instruction about calls, messaging, email, apps, settings and more. There is no charge. For more information call Diane Pillsbury at 608-356-8464.

Concert: 1 p.m., Ruth Culver Community Library, 540 Water St., Prairie du Sac. Duke Otherwise will perform. For more information, call 608-643-8318 or visit pdslibrary.org.

Movie: 5 p.m., Sauk City Public Library, 515 Water St., Sauk City. Teens will watch a video about working at NASA in the 1960s. Rated PG; 2 hours 5 minutes. Popcorn and bottled water will be served.

Open House: 6-7 p.m., Sauk City Public Library, 515 Water St., Sauk City. Open house to honor the 106 years of combined service from the library trustees.

Concert: 7:30 p.m., Rural Musician Forum, Taliesins Hillside Theatre, 6604 Highway 23, Spring Green. Finnegans Wake will perform with concertina, mountain dulcimer, hurdy-gurdy and jingle bells. No admission fee; free-will donation taken. For more information, visit ruralmusiciansforum.org.

Tuesday

Author visit: 10 a.m., Reedsburg Public Library, 370 vine St., Reedsburg. Wisconsin author Christine DeSmets of the Fudge Shop Mysteries will discuss her mystery series, other creative projects, recipes in the books, insights, and tips on the writing and publishing process. For more information, call 608-768-READ (7323).

LEGO workshop: 4 p.m., Baraboo Public Library, 230 Fourth Ave., Baraboo. Teens who have completed grades 6-12 are invited to use their creativity to make LEGO structures. This free program is free. For more information, call 608-356-6166 or visit baraboopubliclibrary.org.

Senior presentation: 4:30 p.m., Aging and Disability Resource Center of Eagle Country  Baraboo/Sauk County, Sauk County West Square Building, Room B30 , 505 Broadway St., Baraboo. Im Medicare Eligible/Turning 65: Now What? will be presented free of charge. Tailored to people considering retirement, turning 65 or starting Medicare. For more information, call 608-355-3289 or visit co.sauk.wi.us/adrc.

Movie: 6:30 p.m., Sauk City Public Library, 515 Water St., Sauk City. View a free showing of the documentary Green Fire showcasing the conservation efforts of Aldo Leopold. There will be a raffle to win tour passes to the Leopold Foundation outside of Baraboo and free popcorn for all attendees.

Teen Tuesday: 6:30 p.m., Ruth Culver Community Library, 540 Water St., Prairie du Sac. Fruit Favorites for teens with recipes, sour patch grapes, chocolate-dipped bananas and more will be available. Suited for grades 6-12. For more information, call 608-643-8318 or visit pdslibrary.org.

Wednesday

Nature hike: 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Devils Lake State Park. A Hike Back in Time. Join retired Park Naturalist Ken Lange on a geologic exploration of Devils Lake. See boulders transported by glaciers, a glacial lake bed, potholes, Devils Doorway and much more. This hike is approximately 3.5 miles, with some steep sections. Wear proper footwear and bring plenty of water. Meet at the Steinke Basin parking lot. For more information, call 608-356-8301.

Public farm meeting: 1-3 p.m., U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency, Sauk County FSA office, 505 Broadway St., Baraboo. Open house regarding the 2017 County committee election process. Producers, including minority, women and new farmers, are encouraged to attend the meeting and participate in the 2017 election. For more information, call Curt Norgard at 608-355-4420, ext. 2.

Storyteller: 1 p.m., Sauk City Public Library, 515 Water St., Sauk City. Bilingual storyteller Kay Elmsley Weeden will share tales, in English and Spanish, with children and adults. Doors open at 12:50 p.m. and tickets are not needed. For more information, call Amy at 643-8346 or visit saukcitylibrary.org.

Concert: 6:30 p.m., Reedsburg Area Chamber of Commerce, Concert in the Park series at City Park. Coulee Region Steel Band will perform. Bring a lawn chair or blanket; food, refreshments and Farmers Market products will be available; no vehicles or pets allowed in park. For more information, call 608-524-2850. In case of inclement weather, signs will be posted indicating a new location.

Ferry seminar: 6:30 p.m., Lake Wisconsin Alliance, Merrimac Ferry Wayside. The third educational seminar for 2017 is a free event that will feature stories old and new on the Merrimac Ferry and the Merrimac Scoop will provide ice cream to those in attendance.

Thursday, July 13

Fishing program: 9-11 a.m., Devils Lake State Park. Learn to Fish program will teach the basics of fishing. Those 16 and older will need a fishing license to participate. All supplies and bait will be provided. Meet at the North Shore boat launch. For more information, call 608-356-8301.

Worm races: 10 a.m., Baraboo Public Library, 230 Fourth Ave., Baraboo. Kids in grades 4k-5 are invited to compete in worm races. Library Board President Mary Grant will serve as judge and emcee through the qualifying heats. Bring your own worm or adopt one from the library. This program is free. For more information, call 608-356-6166 or visit baraboopubliclibrary.org.

Book club: 6:45 p.m., Ruth Culver Community Library, 540 Water St. in Prairie du Sac. Mystery Book Club will discuss mysteries by William Kent Krueger. New members are always welcome. For more information, call June at 643-8318 or visit pdslibrary.org.

Radio Club: 7 p.m., Yellow Thunder Amateur Radio club, City Services Building, 450 Roundhouse Court, Baraboo. Discussion will be on the Field Day operation. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Those interested in amateur radio or electronics are welcome.

Concert: 7 p.m., Sauk County Courthouse lawn, 515 Oak St., Baraboo. Concerts on the Square concert series will present Madison Brass Band  in the British tradition. The Al. Ringling Theatre will serve as the rain site. For more information, visit barabooconcertsonthesquare.com.
JUNEAU  A 29-year-old Sun Prairie woman is charged with delivering heroin to parking lot in Beaver Dam the summer of 2014.

Roxanne Sobrevilla is charged with two felony counts of manufacturing and delivering heroin and two misdemeanor counts of bail jumping. Sobrevilla faces 31 years in prison and a $120,000 fine if convicted of the charges.

According to the criminal complaint, a detective from the Wisconsin Department of Justice, Division of Criminal Investigations met with a criminal informant. The informant told him that he could possibly purchase heroin from Sobrevilla as he previously had in 2013 and 2014. The confidential informant made contact with Sobrevilla, who agreed to sell him a gram of heroin and would travel to Beaver Dam to meet him.

The informant attempted to meet with Sobrevilla on June 22, 2014, in the parking lot of Shopko, 822 Park Ave., but she did not show up to meet him. However, later that night, Sobrevilla contacted the informant and explained her absence and made arrangements to meet Sobrevilla at 8:30 p.m. in Shopkos parking lot. The informant was given a wire transmitting device. She arrived in the parking lot at 9:50 p.m. and sold the informant four grams of heroin for $600.

Sobrevilla also sold the informant four grams of heroin on July 4, 2014, in the parking lot of McDonalds, 840 Park Ave.

Sobrevilla was previously convicted of misdemeanor disorderly conduct and bail jumping in 2010.

An initial hearing in the case is scheduled for July 24.
Suspicious  Sunday at 3:45 a.m., a man was seen digging through a garbage can in the 200 block of South Spring Street. Police said everything was OK. It was the can man.

Suspicious  Sunday at 9:32 a.m., someone in the 200 block of East Main Street reported finding a motorcycle lying near a door.

Misc.  Sunday at 10:53 a.m., someone reported threats made to Grace Presbyterian Church, 200 Gould St. Extra patrol was requested.

Disorderly conduct  Sunday at 2:26 p.m., a man and a woman were arguing in the 100 block of Lakecrest Drive.

Break-in  Sunday at 3:59 p.m., several vehicles were entered in the overnight in the 200 block of Roller Avenue.

Traffic  Sunday at 4:05 p.m., someone in the 300 block of Monroe Street told police that Jimmy Johns drivers repeatedly speed in the area.

Drugs  Sunday at 5:15 p.m., someone in the 100 block of East Maple Avenue could smell marijuana.

Suspicious  Sunday at 9:14 p.m., a car was parked facing the wrong direction in the 800 block of South Lincoln Avenue. A man told police he was visiting with people from Alabama, had a verbal argument and a woman threw his cellphone out the window.

Disorderly conduct  Sunday at 9:47 p.m., a woman told police that her daughter and her partner are in a fight in the 100 block of Fourth Street.

Accident  Tuesday at 1:34 p.m., there was a two-vehicle accident near the Center Street and Burnett Street intersection. One driver was cited with inattentive driving.

Disorderly conduct  Tuesday at 3:40 p.m., a man and a woman were in an argument in the 100 block of Lakecrest Drive.

Accident  Tuesday at 5:06 p.m., a woman and a man were involved in a vehicle accident in the 100 block of Burchard Street.

Hit and run  Tuesday at 7:24 p.m., police assisted with a hit-and-run report near the McKinley Street and East Burnett intersection.

Disorderly conduct  Tuesday at 9:08 p.m., someone told police that children were playing near a semi truck parked near the Lakecrest Drive and Madison Street intersection. The children were advised to move along.

Theft  Tuesday at 10:44 p.m., a woman reported the theft of Playstation video games in the 100 block of Judson Drive.

Disorderly conduct  Tuesday at 11:25 p.m., a man reported that a woman was harassing him over a fireworks complaint in the 100 block of Knaup Drive. Both were warned to leave each other alone.

Disorderly conduct  Tuesday at 11:59 p.m., a man in the 100 block of Lakecrest Drive told police that a 54-year-old woman dumped a pan of baked beans on him while he was sleeping and threatened to stab him with a screwdriver. The woman was later arrested and cited with domestic disorderly conduct.

Suspicious  Wednesday at 2:28 a.m., a woman reported possible entry to vehicle in the 300 block of South Lincoln Avenue. Nothing was missing from inside the vehicle.

Drugs  Wednesday at 11:24 a.m., a man reported that another man is stealing money and using it for drugs in the 100 block of Warren Street.

Accident  Wednesday at 11:57 a.m., two women were involved in a vehicle crash in the 100 block of Industrial Drive.

Accident  Wednesday at 2:49 p.m., two women and one man were involved in a vehicle accident near the Gateway Drive and Frances Lane intersection.

Theft  Wednesday at 3:45 p.m., a man in the 200 block of Cody Drive told police about the theft of a wallet from a vehicle.

Disorderly conduct  Wednesday at 7:35 p.m., a man told police that teens threw firecrackers at him and his child while they were walking in the 100 block of East Mill Street.

Disorderly conduct  Wednesday at 7:38 p.m., a man was upset he couldnt buy fireworks at Wal-Mart Super Center, 120 Frances Lane.

Drugs  Thursday at 2:58 a.m., a traffic stop near the Highway 151 and County Road B intersection resulted in two drivers cited for speeding and one driver was cited with possession of marijuana.
State Superintendent Tony Evers is mulling whether to challenge Gov. Scott Walker in next years election, he said Thursday.

Evers, 65, said in an interview that a number of people have asked him to consider running for the states highest office after he earned a third term as head of the Department of Public Instruction in April in a landslide victory.

A lot of people have talked to me about that, Evers said about a potential run. Its an open question.  People are calling me and Ive had lots of conversations and Ill continue to do that.

A spokesman for Walkers campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Evers is the only Democrat to run a state agency, which oversees the states 422 public school districts and the states private school voucher programs.

He energized the state party in April when he earned a third term with 70 percent of votes cast over Republican-backed candidate Lowell Holtz, former Whitnall School District superintendent.

Evers April win followed a catastrophic November general election for Democrats in which former Secretary of State and presidential nominee Hillary Clinton and former U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold failed to win their respective races, and Democrats in the state Legislature lost seats in a year they were expected to gain them.

Im guessing (that) its because I am a candidate who has won three times at the state level and last time I got 70 percent of the vote, Evers said about why he believes he was asked to run against Walker.

Though he has not officially announced, Walker is expected to announce after the 2017-19 state budget is passed that he will seek a third term and has mounted his probable campaign largely on a significant boost of funding he has proposed for public school districts.

Since proposing his spending plan for the next two years, Walker has touted his education proposal at nearly 50 public schools so far this year  about four times the number of schools he visited during his entire first year as governor.

Support for more funds

Recent Marquette Law School polling shows significant public support in Wisconsin for increasing state funding for public schools, an attitude that could become central to a potential matchup between Evers and Walker.

Walker has proposed $649 million in new spending for schools within his $11.5 billion plan for K-12 education. His proposal provides about $227 million more in aid than what Evers asked for in his agency budget request.

Since he was first elected state superintendent in 2009, Evers has asked Walker and the Legislature four times to significantly increase funding for schools, by raising state-imposed revenue limits and changing the equalized aid formula to account for districts with high poverty, declining enrollment and rural issues. His proposal to revamp the states funding formula has repeatedly been ignored until this year, when Walker included some of his proposals.

Evers specifically asked this year for a $200-per-student increase in districts revenue limits in 2017-19 and $204-per-student increase in 2018-19. Walker included that increase in his current budget proposal using state funds rather than property taxes, and added funding for rural schools.

Evers earlier this year praised Walkers proposal, describing the plan as a pro-kid budget and an important step forward.

But until now, the two have been at odds over how much money the state and property taxpayers should send to schools, and on Walkers signature piece of legislation known as Act 10, which all but eliminated collective bargaining for public school teachers and resulted in massive membership losses for the states largest teachers union, which has heavily backed Evers.

Evers also has repeatedly criticized Walker for his previous three budgets that cut or froze public school spending and expanded the number of families who could enroll children in private schools through taxpayer-funded vouchers.

If Evers decides to challenge Walker, he would join recent college graduate Bob Harlow, of Barneveld, and Ramona Whiteaker, of Stoughton, as the only formally declared Demcoratic gubernatorial candidates.

Other potential candidates who have said theyre considering a run or have not ruled out the possibility include Madison Mayor Paul Soglin; state Sen. Kathleen Vinehout, D-Alma; former Democratic Party of Wisconsin chairman Matt Flynn; Jefferson County District Attorney Susan Happ; state Rep. Gordon Hintz, D-Oshkosh; businessman Andy Gronik; and state Rep. Dana Wachs, D-Eau Claire.
State lawmakers and Gov. Scott Walker still appeared miles away from a deal on the next state budget Thursday, despite a fresh offer from Walker to revisit his plan to fund state roads and bridges.

Walkers offer would reduce his borrowing plans for road projects by $200 million. But it does not include new revenue for transportation projects, which remains the core point of budget contention among statehouse Republicans.

An agreement among lawmakers could be near on another budget sticking point  funding for K-12 schools, Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald said Thursday. Fitzgerald, R-Juneau, said its possible the Legislatures budget committee could reconvene soon, for the first time in nearly a month, to take up school funding.

Fitzgerald also said Senate Republicans, who met behind closed doors Thursday, agree on another budget issue: repealing the personal property tax. They want to scale back Walkers proposed income tax cut to do it, he said.

But Fitzgerald remained pessimistic about an overall budget deal being reached in the next week.

Walker, in an attempt to jump-start budget negotiations Thursday, proposed lowering borrowing for roads projects to $300 million  down from the $500 million proposed in his budget. The deal also includes an option for more borrowing tied to potential federal funds for interstate highway projects in southeast Wisconsin, according to a letter sent Wednesday to Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, and Fitzgerald.

Assembly Majority Leader Jim Steineke, R-Kaukauna, said, Its incredibly positive that the governor is actively working to try to get to a deal. He also lauded Walkers effort to reduce borrowing.

But Steineke said Assembly Republicans continue to oppose a budget that increases borrowing without additional revenue to pay for it.

In the Assembly, we still have a hard time supporting anything like that, Steineke said.

Steineke also said he expects Walkers plan would result in additional construction delays for road projects.

Walkers office did not respond to Wisconsin State Journal inquiries about whether such delays would result from his proposal. The letter announcing Walkers offer said it would not disrupt the construction schedule for so-called major projects, a class of highway projects that excludes massive freeway projects in southeast Wisconsin.

DOT to seek extra federal funding

The disagreement on transportation funding between Assembly and Senate GOP leaders has been key to the delay in passing the next state spending plan, which was due to Walker by the end of June.

The two Republican caucuses have been unable to find a compromise in part because of Walkers pledge not to support an increase in the gas tax, the primary source of funding for state roads and bridges. Fitzgerald has said the Senate wont buck Walker on that pledge.

Fitzgerald, who previously said he could support a total of $850 million in road-related borrowing, said Thursday that he hopes to see that figure fall below $750 million. He said lawmakers are waiting for reassurance from the Legislative Fiscal Bureau that the numbers in Walkers latest offer check out.

Walkers plan relies in part on an ambitious plea for additional federal money to fix Wisconsins roads. The state Department of Transportation told the fiscal bureau it plans to seek a larger-than-usual $341 million in its annual request from a pot of redistributed federal transportation dollars, according to a fiscal bureau memo released Thursday by Rep. Gordon Hintz, D-Oshkosh. Thats three times more than the average over the past five years and 11 times more than it requested last year.

However, the state has only received on average $33.7 million in each of the past five years. The fiscal bureau cautioned that any expectation the state would receive additional federal funds should be tempered by the historical trend. Fitzgerald noted the average amount is already built into Walkers budget proposal.

The federal request would include $211 million for mega-highway projects in southeast Wisconsin, though it would require $41.3 million more in state funding than is currently proposed in Walkers budget. A prolonged delay in budget passage could also raise the risk of the state not being eligible for some of the federal funding.

Democrats: Walkers plan not a new deal

Fitzgerald told reporters Thursday that he and senators were still reviewing Walkers proposal. But he said it might be one piece of what gets us through the transportation budget.

Im glad people are thinking of other options, Fitzgerald said.

Senate Republicans have been divided on the transportation revenue question.The most vocal bloc  including Fitzgerald and five other conservative senators who last week opposed an Assembly plan to start collecting a new fee on heavy trucks  say the state Department of Transportation needs to operate more efficiently within current funding constraints.

Other keys to get Senate Republicans to support the budget, Fitzgerald said, include funding for massive freeway projects in southeast Wisconsin  especially projects to rebuild and expand Interstate 94 south and west of Milwaukee.

Walkers letter says all active major projects remain on schedule with these additions to our proposal. Four such projects are underway, including an expansion of Interstate 39-90 from the Madison area to the Illinois line and of Verona Road between McKee Road and Raymond Road.

The letter says the $200 million borrowing reduction can be achieved by using an improved transportation fund balance, project cost savings, and other administrative actions.

This is a reasonable proposal that allows the leadership in the Assembly and Senate  as well as taxpayers  to have significant wins on our major issues, Walker wrote.

Legislative Democrats, meanwhile, dismissed Walkers offer. Senate Minority Leader Jennifer Shilling, D-La Crosse, accused Walker of seeking a federal bailout for Wisconsins roads.
And the band shell played on.

By a 3-2 vote on a pair of measures during a special meeting Thursday, the city of Portages Park and Recreation Board reversed its rejection of a band shell at Pauquette Park.

The vote was identical for both measures: a memorandum of understanding between the city and the Portage Service Club Association, and a motion to locate the band shell on an existing concrete slab in Pauquette Park. Board Chairman Brian Zirbes and member Todd Kreckman repeated their vote from June 6 in favor of the band shell, and this time they were joined by Larry Messer, who had previously voted no. Mike Charles and Mark Hahn voted no on both measures.

This does not mean, however, that the band shell is a done deal.

The project cant start until the PSCA raises all of the $315,000 that the project is estimated to cost, said City Administrator Shawn Murphy.

And even when the money is available, any plans for the pavilion, including the site plan, must garner approval from the citys Plan Commission.

The memorandum of understanding also requires Common Council approval, Murphy said.

According to Murphy, the memorandum of understanding is not a contract, but it outlines the respective roles of the city and the PSCA on this pavilion project. For example, the PSCA would be responsible to fully raise and/or secure donations of cash, materials or equipment for the project, and the city would clean, repair and establish and enforce necessary rules for the safe use of the project by the general public.

Murphy noted that the memo does not specify where the pavilion would be located in Pauquette Park.

In addition to the pavilion, the project would also include handicapped-accessible restrooms and new sidewalks at Pauquette Park.

Its the band shell, however, that continues to generate a range of opinions.

Hahn said he could not support the memo of understanding because, while he thinks a pavilion is a wonderful idea for the city, he also said he thinks there are more appropriate places to locate it.

Its likely, Hahn said, that groups besides the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra  which has have, for the last 25 years, performed annual concerts in Pauquette Park  would want to use the pavilion as a performance venue.

If were going to turn the park into a performing arts park, he said, it doesnt fit.

Nancy Beasley, representing PSCA, said the proposed pavilion is not a stereotypical old band shell with concrete walls. A prospective design, superimposed on existing photos of Pauquette Park, showed open sides, a sound wall in the back and a curved, canopy-like roof.

Acoustically speaking, she said, its a much more satisfactory performance venue than the tent that sheltered the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra when it performed on Saturday night. The tent swallowed up the orchestras music, including the show-closer, Tchaikovskys 1812 Overture.

Carole Hoffer, whose home on West Edgewater Street is near Pauquette Park, said at least 40 of her neighbors had signed a petition against the Pauquette Park pavilion, citing concerns about safety, noise and parking  and about the park having so many facilities for its size that it might no longer have room for childrens activities such as sledding in the winter.

Beasleys response: I think some of us have forgotten that the park belongs to the whole community.

When the board reconsidered its decision last month to reject the band shell, Messer said he thinks the facility should stay where the slab of concrete is.

Parks and Recreation Manager Dan Kremer said the concrete, as it is now, isnt strong enough to support the facility, and it would have to be shored up.

Charles also raised concern as to whether the PSCA would be able to raise the money.

If they dont, Murphy said, then the project wont happen.

At the July 1 Concert in the Park, Marianne Hanson, executive director of the Portage Area Chamber of Commerce, said about $159,000 has been raised so far.

The memo of understanding sets forth a sequence of events in the project, but does not specify a start date or a completion date.
Fleeing the police may not seem like a good idea  unless its done for a charitable cause.

The Reedsburg Benevolent Police Association is gearing up for its sixth annual Run from the Cops, a run/walk to raise money for nonprofits. The first race is set to start at 8 a.m. July 15 in front of the Reedsburg Police Department.

This years event will support the Reedsburg Boys and Girls Club. In the past it has raised money for the Touched Twice Clinic and Wisconsin Law Enforcement Museum of Valor, said Officer Peggy Porter.

The association hopes to raise at least $2,000 for the Boys and Girls Club, she said.

Participants may be seasoned athletes or casual walkers, and all ages are welcome. Porter added numerous officers and department personnel usually join the run/walk.

Chief Tim Becker said hes glad to see this years run supporting the Boys & Girls Club. Becker has been an advocate for the club, which will be located in the former hardware store across from the police department. Work is expected to begin this month to prepare the building for a fall opening.

Becker has said the club would be an asset for local youth, giving them a place to work on homework, learn from mentors and stay out of trouble.

We are looking forward to a great response, he said of the run.

The police association sponsors several events throughout the year, including an Easter candy hunt and Shop with a Cop.
The city of Wisconsin Dells may soon have a master plan to consider for its ongoing downtown revitalization effort.

Members of the citys Business Improvement District Committee began the process of generating a plan at its June 28 meeting.

The topic surely will be revisited this week, at least briefly, during the BIDs July 12 meeting, which begins at 8:30 a.m. at the Dells Municipal Building.

An artistic direction for the whole of the downtown area, possibly incorporating the massive collected outdoor artworks of the Sauk County artist known as Dr. Evermor  but also including artistic concepts already proffered during several years of work toward a revitalized downtown  would be the plans purpose.

Whether that proposed artistic direction comes from its originators, BID member and downtown business owner Kevin Ricks and his wife and fellow Wizard Quest co-owner Corena, or from multiple contenders including the Ricks via a request for proposals process, remains to be determined.

But the BID members on hand at the June 28 meeting agreed such a proposal was needed, following several weeks of discussion of about a downtown artistic theme until recently known as steampunk. The word steampunk was used only once during the 45-minute discussion.

Since they first proposed the concept for downtown during a late-spring BID meeting in May, the Ricks have sought and received approvals from various city committees to continue exploring the possibility of an overarching artistic theme that ideally would incorporate the works of Sauk artist Tom Every, also known as Dr. Evermor.

Everys outdoor artworks constitute a monumental collection of pieces, some of them gigantic, made from mostly scrap metal and created over 35 years at a site just off Highway 12 in the town of Sumpter.

The artists work has been likened to steampunk, and the Ricks hope to transport the entire collection to the downtown Dells and arrange them in a narrative flow, a move they believe would give the area an unmatched infusion of artistic energy and direction.

This would bring in the wow factors the town needs, I believe, and would be able to connect everything, Ricks told his fellow BID members. In no uncertain terms is it an attraction, its going to attract people, and our total focus and our vision is to bring more people downtown, get them out of the resorts, with that wow factor.

Following further discussion during which other committee members indicated their continued approval of the concept, BID chairwoman Kelli Trumble asked Ricks to provide the outline of a proposal for such an effort.

She called for a plan designed to pull together recently discussed concepts and ideas as well as pulling together the various city committees who would oversee such a plan and put some kind of estimate together of what it would take to get a plan and engage all the committees involved.

Ricks, who at one point during the discussion offered to step away from his role on the BID in order to properly steward such a plan, agreed to generate such a document. His fellow committee members adamantly refused his offer to step down.

In other business, BID member Mark Sweet advised his fellow committee members of his decision to step down from organizing the annual Taste of Wisconsin Dells event, following the well-attended, 12th edition of the event in June.

Things went pretty well this year, Sweet reported. It was warm, we had good crowds and the response was very positive.

Trumble said the committee would take a hard look at the event to determine where it goes from here, having succeeded this year as a single-day even after 11 years with a two-day schedule.

One thing you can feel good about is you are going out on top, Trumble said to Sweet.

The committee received an update from Alderman and BID member Jesse De Fosse regarding the city parking boards recent decision to suspend ticketing for cars parked in downtown spaces overnight.

Preliminary discussion also took place among BID members regarding the committees 2018 budget planning process, which looms on the immediate horizon as the fall season approaches.




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1. Yes. Taxpayers are funding its operation; they should have a voice in the naming process.

2. Yes. The city should operate with a spirit of inclusivity. Residents will be responsive.

3. No. Public input can be problematic; rejection of suggestions can be divisive for residents.

4. No. Residents elect council members to make decisions on their behalf. No input is needed.

5. Unsure. Its hard to say whether public input would be more of a benefit or a hindrance.

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IAEA completes review of Hungarian nuclear security

07 July 2017

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Hungary has made commendable progress in implementing recommendations from an International Physical Protection Advisory Service (IPPAS) mission conducted in 2013, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has said. A follow-up IPPAS mission was completed today.

IPPAS missions are intended to help IAEA member states strengthen their national nuclear security regime through peer review advice and IAEA guidance. A team of international experts assesses a nation's physical protection systems, compares it with international best practices and recommends improvements. IPPAS missions are conducted both on a nationwide and facility-specific basis.

An IPPAS team today completed a two-week follow-up mission to Hungary. The previous IPPAS mission to the country was conducted in from 26 May to 7 June 2013. The IAEA carried out its first IPPAS mission to Hungary in 1997.

The purpose of the latest IPPAS mission, as agreed with the Hungarian government, included the legislative and regulatory framework for nuclear security. It also included the physical protection of nuclear and other radioactive material and associated facilities and activities, including computer security. Hungary's implementation of the 2005 Amendment to the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material, which entered into force last year, was also discussed. This amendment, which Hungary ratified in 2008, provides a strengthened framework for protecting nuclear materials and facilities.

The IAEA team was briefed on security arrangements for Hungary's planned construction of two new reactors at the Paks nuclear power plant, as well as nuclear material accounting and control for security at the state level and at nuclear facilities.

The mission team visited the Paks plant and the Puspokszilagy radioactive waste treatment and disposal facility to observe physical protection measures. They also met with officials from the Hungarian Atomic Energy Agency (HAEA), the National Police Headquarters and other organisations involved in nuclear security.

The IAEA team concluded that Hungary has made commendable progress in implementing the recommendations and suggestions of the previous mission. It also identified a number of good practices, while also making additional recommendations and suggestions for continuous improvement.

Muhammad Khaliq, head of the IAEA's nuclear security of materials and facilities section, said: "A strong commitment to nuclear security is a must for any state that uses nuclear power for electricity generation and that is planning to expand this capacity by constructing new power reactors." He added, "Hungary's example in applying IAEA Nuclear Security guidance and using IAEA advisory services demonstrates its strong commitment to nuclear security as well as the value of Agency assistance in helping States to establish and maintain an effective nuclear security regime."

HAEA deputy director general Szabolcs Hullan said, "We are satisfied with the report of this mission that serves as an independent review of our nuclear security regime. I am very proud that the team could identify good practices to be shared with the international community."

Researched and written

by World Nuclear News

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UK regulator outlines plan to 'remain fit for future'

07 July 2017

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The UK's Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) has presented four key targets in its corporate plan for 2017/2018 published yesterday. It has also published its annual report and accounts for 2016/2017, in which its chairman describes the "significant change" the organisation has been through, both at board and management level, "to ensure we remain fit for the future".

ONR, which became a Public Corporation three years ago, is an independent body, accountable to Parliament through the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions. It is sponsored by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) in relation to governance, finance and conventional health and safety issues. It is governed by a ten-strong independent board, which supports the work of 564 staff based in Liverpool, Cheltenham and London.

The four targets it has outlined are: support the UK government in managing a smooth exit from Euratom, particularly in relation to nuclear safeguards arrangements, and regarding potential small modular reactor deployment in the UK; address long-standing issues across the defence portfolio, with three sites under enhanced regulatory attention and preparation for the successor Dreadnought submarine program; assist the Health and Safety Executive and Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy in the implementation of European Council Directive 2013/59/Euratom, laying down basic safety standards for protection against the dangers arising from exposure to ionising radiation, through the introduction of revised Ionising Radiations Regulations 1999 and Emergency Planning regulations; manage appropriate changes to its safeguarding scope, due to the UK's decision to leave Euratom.

"ONR is the custodian of a substantial regulatory program that stretches decades into the future," it says in the report. "To support delivery of this, we will develop our organisation for the long term in a way that is mindful of our cost impact and optimises our effectiveness."

It adds: "With collective passion for our mission, determination to develop ONR capability for the long term and a staff team that is the envy of the world, we are confident that ONR will remain a positive influence on nuclear safety and security at home and abroad."

As well as delivering its "demanding regulatory program", it will focus on its performance and sustainability, through a two- to three-year program, it said. This year, it will focus on modernising its approach "to get the best out of our staff", and it intends to improve its approach to "knowledge management". This means taking the opportunity to review its operational business processes, seeking to become "more joined up and efficient", it says. Over the next two years, it intends to become more efficient through enhanced IT and estates management. This will need strong corporate leadership by the executive management team to modernise ONR, and by the regulatory management team, which has a "particular role in connecting regulatory operations with strategic direction and demands, and optimising the key elements of technical expertise and management capability", it says.

For this year, ONR listed five goals. Two of these are to address "some of the world's most challenging nuclear scenarios", such as Sellafield, and an ageing operating fleet that supplied about 18% of the UK's energy in 2016. Thirdly, to assess three new reactor designs, the AP1000, UK ABWR and UK HPR1000, which are due for deployment at four sites. The EPR reactor which has already been design assessed is due to be deployed at Hinkley Point C and Sizewell C. In total, these are anticipated to provide over 16 GWe of electricity through the construction of 13 reactors on six sites. Fourthly, to regulate one new reactor licensee and organisations that have different governance, different experience of nuclear regulation and different reactor designs. Finally, to implement outcome-based security regulation.

Response to challenges

In the annual report, ONR Chairman Nick Baldwin said the past year had been "yet another challenging one for ONR on many fronts".

The board has overseen ONR's response to recent government decisions giving the go-ahead for the design and construction of a new nuclear reactor at Hinkley Point C and to a successor class of submarine, Baldwin said. Alongside this, ONR has been making provision for the impact on nuclear regulation arising from the Referendum decision last June to withdraw from the European Union and, as a result, from the Euratom Treaty, "whilst continuing to regulate nuclear safety, security and conventional health and safety at licensed nuclear sites across Great Britain to ensure the industry operates safely and securely", he added.

Other achievements of note include, he said: continuing significant improvements, for example at Sellafield, reducing public hazard; recent publication of new Security Assessment Principles (SyAPs) now aligned with ONR's approach to safety regulation by placing the onus on dutyholders to deliver defined security outcomes whilst allowing greater flexibility of approach and encouraging innovation in security solutions; its contribution to meeting the UK's international obligations, for example, reporting on behalf of the UK Government to the International Atomic Energy Agency's 7th Convention on Nuclear Safety; productive support to stakeholders across Great Britain through local forums and a successful Non-Government Organisations meeting and furthering strong relationships with government departments, agencies and the Devolved Administrations (of Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales).

"ONR underwent significant change over the period of this report both at Board and management level to ensure we remain fit for the future," Baldwin said in the forward to the report. At board level, ministers re-appointed Oona Muirhead as security non-executive director and chair of the Security Committee. Baldwin said this brings "continuity and stability to the Committee in the face of an evolving and changing global and national threat environment".

Adrienne Kelbie, ONR chief executive, said the regulator had "embarked on a journey of significant operational change". She said: "We began to work as a more holistic organisation that wants to reflect the very best practice in governance, management, systems and processes and whose leaders demonstrate the importance of behaviours, alongside technical prowess. We set up new cross-directorate governance groups, to better engage our staff in helping ONR respond to strategic risk and to better reflect the diversity of our organisation. We revised our functions to better align authority and accountability across HR, Finance, Policy and Communications, and Regulatory operations, and established a new Information and Technology Directorate. Our Regulatory functions were also re-structured to address the nuclear lifecycle: New Nuclear Build, Operating Facilities, Sellafield, Decommissioning, Fuel & Waste and Civil Nuclear Security and introduced a new Technical Division to provide deep technical support to the chief nuclear inspector."

Richard Savage, chief nuclear inspector, said ONR had continued its "robust assessment" of new reactor designs, with the AP1000 Design Acceptance Confirmation issued in March.

ONR has continued to apply its "proportionate approach to regulatory attention", he said, noting that the Heysham 1 and Hartlepool nuclear units had returned to routine operations following "effective remedial action" to address a boiler defect.

Its transport inspections and package assessments have provided "continued confidence" in the safe transport of nuclear and radiological materials, he said. It has also continued to enhance its regulation of the supply chain on achieving high standards.

ONR this year took a significant step to "outcome-focused" security regulation, he said, with publication in March of its first Security Assessment Principles. "This pivotal shift in our regulatory framework is aligned with the goal-setting approach that has been applied so successfully in the nuclear and conventional safety arenas for many years. Our Security Assessment Principles provide an essential foundation as the UK moves towards a non-prescriptive nuclear security regime that strengthens the accountability of the dutyholder," he added.

ONR has "sought to appropriately enhance" its international engagement and notably, led a UK delegation at the 7th Convention on Nuclear Safety, on behalf of the government, he said.

On 2017/18, Savage said that, "as our operational developments bed in", he remains confident in ONR's capabilities to meet the near-term challenges, but also to shape itself well for the long term.

In the 2016/2017 financial year, ONR was funded by cost recovery from dutyholders (96%) and a grant from DWP (4%). Its total income for the 2016-2017 was GBP70.7 million ($91.2 million), which it forecasts to rise to GBP80.4 million in 2017/2018. The forecast only includes resource expenditure and excludes capital expenditure of GBP0.7 million.

Researched and written

by World Nuclear News

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IRSN raises issues with design of Cigeo repository

07 July 2017

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The project to construct an underground radioactive waste repository in France has achieved "satisfactory technical maturity", the country's Institute for Radiological Protection and Nuclear Safety (IRSN) has said. However, it identified a number of issues that could potentially impact the design concept and timeline for the project.

Cigeo's underground operations will ultimately occupy 15 km2 (Image: Andra)

France plans to construct the Centre Industriel de Stockage Geologique (Cigeo) repository - an underground system of disposal tunnels - in a natural layer of clay near Bure, to the east of Paris in the Meuse/Haute Marne area. The facility is to be financed by radioactive waste generators - EDF, Areva and the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission - and managed by waste management agency Andra. The application to regulators to construct Cigeo should be submitted by the end of 2018, with construction itself starting in 2020. The pilot phase of disposal could start in 2025.

Andra submitted a "safety options dossier" for the Cigeo project to the French regulator, the Autorite de Surete Nucleaire (ASN). This sets out the chosen objectives, concepts and principles for ensuring the safety of the facility. The dossier gives Andra the possibility of getting advice from ASN in preparation for the licence application on the safety principles and approach.

ASN requested its technical arm, the IRSN, examine the dossier and provide feedback. The IRSN said the main purpose of its examination of the file was to "assess the project's maturity status in order to judge the relevance of the options selected, from the point of view of safety and radiation protection".

The IRSN announced on 4 July that it had submitted a report to ASN on its conclusions. It said its examination of the dossier had involved numerous technical meetings and more than 600 questions to which Andra responded. It also organised meetings with stakeholders, in which Andra participated. All these exchanges, it said, resulted in the drafting of its opinion report.

IRSN said it considers the Cigeo project has "overall achieved satisfactory technical maturity at the stage of a safety options dossier and underlines the substantial design and research undertaken by Andra with a view to demonstrate the safety of the installation".

However, IRSN said it had identified four issues that may lead to a change in the design of the disposal facility.

It said the facility's architecture must be optimised to ensure that radiation cannot be released into the environment. IRSN also said there must be ways of monitoring risks during the facility's operation, as well as the possibility of intervening "to manage situations likely to lead to contamination of infrastructures".

Andra must consider the consequences of a fire in a cavity for storing packages of bituminous waste. This, IRSN said, is the "most sensitive" issue as the concept currently adopted by Andra "does not provide sufficient safety guarantees". Some 40,000 packages - about 18% of the packages to be stored in the Cigeo repository - are expected to contain such waste.

"The problem is that in the event of a fire [the packages of bituminous waste] rise in temperature and are likely to spread a heat wave and eventually spread the fire," IRSN director of waste Francois Besnus told Agence France-Presse.

IRSN recommends Andra and the waste generators consider the pre-treatment of such waste to eliminate its thermal reactivity or reconsider the disposal concept in order to eliminate the possibility of a fire spreading into the storage cavity. "In this respect, the work to be carried out by Andra on these issues could have an impact on the outline of the [application for authorisation to set up a nuclear installation] or the associated delays," IRSN said.

At the request of the ASN, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) conducted a peer review last November of Cigeo's "safety options dossier". The review was carried out against the relevant IAEA safety standards and proven international practice and experience.

The IAEA team said it considers Andra's methodology for evaluating operational safety is comprehensive and systematic. The review team encouraged ASN, Andra and IRSN to use the review of the dossier as a basis to make more precise the expectations for the licence application. It added, "This is especially important as the planned Cigeo facility is one-of-a-kind."

ASN is expected to soon issue its own opinion on Andra's safety options dossier for the Cigeo project. This will provide the framework for the creation of the application for authorisation.

Researched and written

by World Nuclear News

Related topics
The Seven Wonders Of Ukraine were selected in the Seven Wonders of Ukraine contest that was held in July, 2007. The contest was held in two stages. First, experts in the country voted for the seven best historical and cultural sites in the country. The next stage involved the internet users voting through the official website of the contest for their seven favorite sites in the country. The voting was closed on Auguat, 2001, and the winners were declared on the same day. The winners are as mentioned below:

7. Khotyn Fortress

Khotyn Fortress, Ukraine.

The Khotyn Fortress is an impressive fortification complex located on the Dniester Rivers right bank in Khotyn, Ukraine. The construction of the fortress was initiated in 1325 for defensive purposes, and today it serves as a major tourist attraction in the country. In 2007, the Khotyn Fortress was declared as one of the Seven Wonders of Ukraine. Many historical adventure movies have been filmed at the site. The fortress is also associated with several legends and bears witness to hundreds of years of Ukrainian history that involved several wars and invasions.

6. Saint Sophia Cathedral

Saint Sophia Cathedral, Kiev.

The Saint Sophia Cathedral, located in Kyiv, Ukraine, is a spectacular monument of the Kievan Rus. It was the first Ukrainian site to be inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The cathedral is centuries old and its foundations were first laid out in 1037 or 1011 during the reign of Vladimir the Great. The cathedral features 5 apses, 5 naves, and 13 cupolas. Two-tier galleries surround the cathedral on three sides. The interiors feature frescoes and mosaics from the 11th century.

5. Chersonesos Taurica (Khersones Tavriysky)

Chersonesos Taurica, Sevastopol.

The Ancient City of Tauric Chersonese is located on the northern shores of the Black Sea in Ukraine. The UNESCO World Heritage Site features a city founded in the 5th century BC by the Dorian Greeks. The site comprises of urban remains of the city and rectangular, agricultural plots of equal size called chora. Till the 15th century, the choras supported vineyards whose produce was exported and the region thrived. The region served as one of the most productive wine centers in the Black Sea during its time. Today, all that remains are ruins of public building complexes, residential neighborhoods, and early Christian monuments.

4. Khortytsia

Khortytsia, Ukraine.

Khortytsia is the River Dniepers largest island. The island is 12.5 km long and about 2.5 km wide and is within the boundaries of the Khortytsya National Park. The region is unique in that it is both a cultural and a natural attraction in the country. The island has been inhabited during the last 5 millennia, and bears witness to important years of Ukrainian history, especially the history of the Zaporozhian Cossacks. The islands northern part is higher and rockier than the southern part which is often flooded by the Dniepers waters. The Khortytsia also hosts unique flora and fauna including meadows, spruce woods, oak groves, and steppe.

3. Kamianets National Historic-Architectural Reserve

Kamianets-Podilskyi Castle.

Kamianets-Podilskyi is a western Ukrainian city based on the banks of the Smotrych River. The city is associated with hundreds of years of Ukrainian history and is today a major tourist attraction in the country. The city features diverse culture and architectural styles as introduced by the different groups of people who have lived here. Tourists can visit the Polish, Armenian, and Ruthenian markets in Kamianets-Podilskyi to get a flavor of the distinct European cultures. Other tourist attractions here include the Holy Trinity Church, an ancient castle, the city hall, the cathedral of Saints Peter and Pau, and several fortifications of the past. The ballooning activities in the Smotrych Rivers canyon are also offered to tourists visiting the city. Several cultural festivals, art and drama activities, music concerts, car racing contests, etc., serve to draw thousands of tourists to this Ukrainian city each year.

2. Kiev Pechersk Lavra (Monastery of the Caves)

Kiev Pechersk Lavra, Kiev.

The Kiev Pechersk Lavra, also known as the Monastery of the Caves, is an Orthodox Christian monastery located in Kiev, Ukraine. The monastery and the Saint Sophia Cathedral has jointly been inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The monastery was also declared as one of the Seven Wonders of Ukraine in 2007. It currently is in an active state and houses over 100 monks. The monastery features several architectural monuments including bell towers, cathedrals, stone fortification walls, and underground cave systems. The major attractions here are the Great Lavra Belltower and the Dormition Cathedral.

1. Sofiyivsky Park

Fall in Sofiyivsky Park.

The Sofiyivsky Park, located in the City of Umans northern part, is an arboretum and research institute of Ukraine. The park is also a popular recreation site in the country and is visited by about 500,000 tourists annually. Over 2,000 types of trees and brush, both local and exotic, feature in the park. Some notable examples are the ginkgo, platanus, tulip tree, taxodum, and the Weymouth Pine. The park offers a scenic landscape and plenty of greenery for visitors to enjoy nature at its best.
The United Kingdom has a history of different types of disasters including incidences ranging from man-made disasters to natural disasters. Due to the geographical location of the UK, climate warming, rainfall intensity, and the rise in sea level, it is almost impossible to prevent incidences of natural disasters such as floods, storms, drought, heat waves, and low temperatures from occurring. Transportation accidents have also been given special attention over time. There have been catastrophic transportation accidents in the last decade including air crashes, sea accidents, and road crashes. Incidences of terrorism, massive fires, and oil explosions have also played an important role in the disaster environment of the UK.

Disasters

Natural Disasters

The UKs geographical location exposes it to the risk of natural disasters such as hurricanes, storms, heat waves, low temperatures, and flooding. 1816 is known as the "Year Without a Summer". During this year, climate abnormalities lowered temperatures considerably, causing a major food which led to 65,000 deaths. In 1783, over 20,000 British people died from air poisoning that was caused by the Laki Volcano fissure eruption. The eruption caused a widespread and massive outpouring of poisonous gases such as hydrogen fluoride and sulfur dioxide. The dead were mainly outdoor workers from Bedfordshire and Lincolnshire. The Great Storm of 1703 that took place on November 26, 1703, was a destructive cyclone that struck central and southern England leading to over 8,000 deaths and destroyed over 700 ships. In September 1782, about 3,500 people were killed during the Central Atlantic hurricane of 1782 while about 2,000 people died in the UK alone in the 2003 European Heatwave.

Famine

The UKs famine disasters have been a result of the natural disasters such as extreme weather conditions. The Great Irish Famine was a period of starvation that occurred between 1845 and 1852 leading to a drop in the Irish population by about 20%. At least one million people died during the famine. The famine was attributed to poor governance and potato dependency. The Irish Famine of the 18th century, also known as the Year of Slaughter, is estimated to have killed a greater proportion of the population compared to the 1845-1852 famine. The famine, which occurred from 1740-1741, was caused by extreme cold and rainy weather. The 100,000 deaths from starvation were compounded by the outbreak of fatal diseases. The Great Famine of 1315-1317 was the first of the series of large-scale famines which struck the UK. The famine was as a result of bad weather that led to crop failure. The famine led to over 5,000 deaths and was also marked by extreme levels of crime, cannibalism, and infanticide.

Pandemic

The Black Death is perhaps the most devastate pandemic in the history of Europe. The pandemic took place between 1346-1353 and led to the death of between 75 million and 200 million people in Eurasia, with 3.5 million people dying in the UK. The plague disease was caused by Yersinia pestis carried by ground rodents. The plague reoccurred in Europe until it was completely wiped out in the 19th century. The 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic was an influenza pandemic that affected over 500 million people around the world killing about 225,000 people in the UK and over 50 million people worldwide. The Great Plague of London killed about 60,000 people within 18 months between 1665 and 1666. It was the last epidemic of the bubonic plague.

Other Worst Disasters

In addition to the natural disasters, famine, and pandemics, thousands of lives in the UK have been lost through several disasters, especially man-made. Disasters include the Great Smog of 1952 that killed 4,000 to 12,000 people, the Great Fire of 1212 which killed about 3,000 people, and the Scilly naval disaster of October 1707 which led to over 1,500 deaths. The sinking of the Titanic ship killed over 1,500 people and is perhaps the most popular UK disasters in the recent history. The disaster was greeted with shock and outrage at the loss of lives and the operation failures which led to it.
The Empire of Mali thrived in the 14th and 15th centuries in the middle and upper Niger. The Songhai Empire subsequently rose to dominance around the 15th century and facilitated the growth of such centers as Djenne and Timbuktu. Moroccans then occupied the region followed by the French. The Mali Federation came into being with the incorporation of Senegal in 1958, but Senegal withdrew in 1960 leaving an independent Mali. Mali's political landscape has been rocked by coups and uprisings, and it has had to enlist the help of French troops.

Executive Branch Of The Government Of Mali

Mali's 1992 Constitution bestows the roles of the chief of state on the president. The citizens of Mali head to the polls after five years to choose a candidate for the presidency. The selected chief of state can only occupy the post for two terms, and executes the required responsibilities as chief of Mali's armed forces. The President of Mali possesses the mandate to select a prime minister who is recognized as head of government. The President also officiates as chair of the Council of Ministers which brings together the Prime Minister in addition to 27 ministers. The Council of Ministers is authorized to manage government operations.

Legislative Branch Of The Government Of Mali

Mali's legislative institution is unicameral, and it has 147 deputies. Deputies are expected to acquire an absolute majority of votes after participating in elections in single-member districts via a two-round voting system. In Mali's 2013 elections, the Rally for Mali managed to garner 66 seats while the Alliance for Democracy in Mali acquired 44 seats. Only 8.8% of the total deputies are female. The National Assembly approved a 2015 law stipulating that women should total up to a minimum of 30% of appointed or chosen officials. The Assembly congregates in Bamako for two annual sessions. Any of the deputies can propose legislation as well as the government. The Assembly retains the authority to question a minister on matters concerning government policies and actions. The Constitution of Mali criminalizes parties formed on regional, ethnic, gender or religious lines.

Judicial Branch Of The Government Of Mali

The legal system in Mali features elements from French customary and civil law. The Supreme Court began operating in Bamako in 1969, and it enjoys administrative and judicial authority. 19 members are nominated to serve on the Supreme Court for five years. The Court of Appeal also sits in Bamako. Mali has courts for labor cases, two magistrate courts of the first instance, as well as a special court of state security. A detached constitution court in addition to a high court of justice try those superior government officials blamed for treason. Mali's President is the recognized chair of the Superior Judicial which is tasked with overseeing judicial activity. The Ministry of Justice in Mali supervises law enforcement in addition to appointing judges. The judicial system of Mali is however crippled by case backlog.

Administrative Divisions Of Mali

Mali's territory features eight regions named Sikasso, Gao, Kidal, Tombouctou, Mopti, Kayes, Segou, and Koulikoro. Bamako is governed as a capital district, and elected governors undertake the regions' governance. Each region has its territory subdivided into five to nine districts under the authority of Prefects. The districts, also called Cercles, feature communes further subdivided into quarters or villages.
Palestine is not a country. It is recognized as a sovereign state by 136 UN members. The Declaration of Independence and the Proclamation of the State of Palestine took place on November 15, 1988 in Algiers, Algeria. Since then, the objective of the Palestine Liberation Organization has been to attain recognition of the Palestinian state from the international community.

Background

The UN General Assembly passed a resolution in 1974, recognizing the right of the Palestinian people to attaining sovereignty. It also recognized the PLO as the sole representative of Palestinians and granted it the status of Observer in the United Nations. After the Proclamation of Independence, Palestine replaced PLO in the UN but Palestine has not yet attained formal status in the system.

Following the declaration, many countries, particularly developing states in Africa and Asia, recognized the state of Palestine amidst opposition from the US. The Arab League and Organization of the Islamic Conference officially recognized Palestine and it was accorded membership in both forums.

Since 1989, representatives of the PLO have been attempting to gain membership into several agencies connected to the UN. However, these efforts have been thwarted by threats from the US to withhold funding from any organization that admits Palestine.

Israel's Position

Between 1967 and the signing of the second Oslo Accord in 1995, no Israeli government proposed a Palestinian state. Most mainstream politicians in Israel opposed the idea even after the Palestinian National Authority was established in 1994. Ariel Sharon was the principal Israeli Prime Minister to declare that an independent Palestine was the solution to their conflict. This was the goal of his administration.

After the inauguration of the current government in 2009, Prime Minister Netanyahu reiterated that an independent Palestine posed a threat to Israel. Following criticism from the international community, Israel accepted the idea of a Palestinian state. However, they have refused to accept the 1967 borders, citing security concerns. Israel is also opposed to Palestine's plan of approaching the UN General Assembly claiming it is against the Oslo Accord.

Diplomatic Recognition

Of the 193 member states in the United Nations, 136 states had recognized the state of Palestine by September 2015. This is a 70.5% representation. These countries include Turkey, Serbia, Russia, China, and Sweden. The Holy See, which has the same status of a non-member observer as Palestine in the UN, maintains diplomatic ties with Palestine.

Entities Who Do Not Recognize Palestine

Most member states of the UN who have not recognized Palestine as a state are not entirely opposed to its independence. Entities such as Australia, Bahamas, and Japan support a two-state solution but insist on an agreement between the two parties. Some member states of the European Union such as Belgium and Denmark prefer to wait for the Union's formal decision. Entities including the United States, Colombia, Eritrea, and Finland are open about not supporting a Palestinian state.

Multilateral Treaties

The state of Palestine is a party to numerous multilateral treaties registered with six depositories. The six depositories are the United Kingdom, UNESCO, UN, Switzerland, the Netherlands, and Russia. After the accession of the UNESCO conventions in 2011 and 2012, Palestine became a member of UNESCO. The other conventions were ratified in 2014 when negotiations with Israel hit a stalemate.
Written and directed by Sofia Coppola, based on the novel by Thomas P. Cullinan

Sofia Coppolas new movie, The Beguiled, is based on the 1966 novel of the same title by Thomas P. Cullinan, as was a 1971 work directed by Don Siegel and featuring Clint Eastwood.

Set during the American Civil War, Coppolas version is a historical drama from which virtually all significant historical material has been excised. It shrinks the story to an abstract, psycho-sexual fantasy that is essentially unconvincing and insubstantial. Along the way, the new film demonstrates once again how contemporary gender and racial politics tyrannizes over much of current cultural life.

The action in The Beguiled is restricted to the grounds of a girls school in Virginia in 1864. The Farnsworth Seminary, located in an old plantation house, is run by Martha Farnsworth (Nicole Kidman). Its student population has been reduced to five by the war. While in the woods searching for mushrooms, one of the youngest students, Amy (Oona Laurence), discovers a Union soldier, Corporal John McBurney (Colin Farrell), suffering from a serious leg wound. The slaves left, she tells him.

Spinster headmistress Martha decides to nurse the enemy soldier until he recovers. The plan is then to turn him over to the Confederate army. Instead, McBurneys presence generates tensions that have an impact on every member of the household. Particularly affected is teacher and second-in-command, Edwina Morrow (Kirsten Dunst), who comes from a wealthy background. Any breath of air from the outside world should be welcome, is her initial reaction. Meanwhile the bored, sultry, teenage Alicia (Elle Fanning) is bent on seducing the male intruder. Instinctive fear of a Union soldier is apparently supplanted by a war for Johns affections that leads to a disturbing denouement.

Coppolas The Beguiled is a tedious and limp work. Its characters, for the most part, are selfish and unappealing. The Union soldier is essentially a quasi-mercenary, who deserted the battlefield--a Northern combatant with no feeling for the anti-slavery cause.

The sexual desperation of the women, around which the film revolves, is not especially credible. After all, they are not marooned on a desert island. On the contrary, they are (presumably) surrounded by male soldiers preoccupied with survival. And why are they themselves not more worried about the threat of death? Why are they not consumed by the need for food and firewood? Where do their abundant meals come from, on a plantation bereft of livestock or edible vegetation? And despite the acute hardships of war--the bloody Civil War no less--these women, adolescent and older, are entirely focused on their libidos!

Coppolas lack of historical specificity is telling. Why place this story during the Civil War? This tableau of besieged women could be set in any war in history so lacking is it in historical particularity. Furthermore, the director has made a point of transmuting the war from a battle against slavery to a battle of the genders. In interviews, Coppola commented that she wanted to skirt the issue of racial politics, as though, in the first place, the Civil War was a conflict about skin color.

Unhappily, Coppola has succeeded in making a weaker film than Siegels The Beguiled, which itself is rather weak and confused. Of particular note is her elimination of the only element that gave the 1971 version, filmed in the aftermath of the major inner-city rebellions, some focus and weight--that is, the character of the slave. Mae Mercers dignified Hallie is the only person not overrun by sexual repression and incest. Without her, Siegels movie would have been even more of a piece of psycho-sexuality gone wild.

In a review of the 1971 film in the Village Voice, critic Andrew Sarris wrote: Siegel has endowed his characters with more density than depth and his plot with more perverse twists than profound turns. Perhaps the tortuousness of his subject has simply overloaded his style. Or perhaps, even more sadly, Siegel has finally made the kind of epic he always wanted to make.

The latter suggestion is probably closest to the truth. A competent maker of tough-minded, often cynical action films, along with the remarkable Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956), Siegel showed the limitations of his conceptions when he ventured into the realm of ambitious historical epic. The Beguiled is one of his most irritating and least successful films.

For her part, at least Coppola is consistent. She peoples her films, whether set in France in the 18th century ( Marie Antoinette, 2006), the American South in the 19th ( The Beguiled ), suburban Detroit in the 20th ( The Virgin Suicides, 1999) or Japan in the 21st ( Lost in Translation, 2003), with characters presumably based on the human beings in whose circles she travels--self-involved, socially indifferent, comfortably off--and imagines she has offered pronouncements on humanity as a whole.

Sadly too, Coppola has made the kind of movie the present cultural landscape dictates. As she commented about her decision to make the film, there was a Don Siegel film in the early 70s starring Clint Eastwood and it's told from the male point of view and I thought it would be so interesting to retell this story from the women characters. Its not entirely clear what that might mean, aside from retelling this story in such a way that presents the homicidal climax as somehow deserved and legitimate. Is this what Coppola had in mind? If so, its not clear that in putting The Beguiled together the director has had the courage of her convictions.

Most telling, however, is Coppolas decision to omit the character of the slave, present both in the original novel and the 1971 film--and, most importantly, one might point out, in the American South in 1864!

The reasons why the director made this choice are obvious, but none of them do her any credit.

First, there is the simple matter of her apparent lack of interest, shared by the overwhelming majority of contemporary filmmakers, in seriously exploring historical questions. At present writers and directors are satisfied for the most part to project themselves and their concerns back in time in the name of universality and supposedly unchanging human nature.

Further, the collection of women would have been far less sympathetic to audiences if they were shown to be slave-owners or at least to benefit from slave labor. Since Coppolas intention was to represent the females essentially as victims responding to McBurneys threatening or disturbing presence, they could not be tainted by an association with slavery. (In the new film, Kidmans Martha is a more honorable figure than her unstable counterpart, played by Geraldine Page, in the Siegel movie.).

Moreover, Coppola was evidently trying to avoid in advance charges that she, as a white filmmaker, was guilty of culture appropriation or at least racial insensitivity, for daring to portray black suffering--according to the reactionary logic of identity politics, the exclusive jurisdiction of African American filmmakers.

So, Coppola has cannily crafted a gender politics adaptation that avoids the difficult problems posed by making a film about the US Civil War. In the process, however, she managed to suck any compelling and important life out of her version of The Beguiled.
Earlier this week WSWS reporters spoke with workers in Hennigsdorf, near Berlin, about the decision of the rail and locomotive manufacturer Bombardier Transportation to close down production in the town. Many expressed their disappointment and frustration about the actions of the IG Metall union, which sits on the company Supervisory Board and had approved the 2,200 layoffs, a quarter of the Bombardier workforce in Germany.

The Hennigsdorf factory, which looks back on more than a hundred years of locomotive building and employed 9,000 workers in the former East Germany, will see an end to the large-scale production of trains by the end of 2019. According to the Supervisory Board decision, a so-called Centre for Development, Controlling and Service will remain. Of today's 2,300 employees, up to 500 will lose their job. A so-called "social plan" is to be prepared by September.

By underwriting the decision of the Supervisory Board, the IG Metall has helped deliver a coup de grace to the workforce. In an interview with the Tagesspiegel July 1, Bombardier's boss in Germany Michael Fohrer boasted of the close collaboration with IG Metall. "What is important is that we have succeeded in developing a common approach without turmoil--with the management, the union and the workers. That is not self-evident."

According to Fohrer, the company wants to achieve a profit margin of eight percent by the year 2020. "The first step is to break even, then it's about profit optimization." The IG Metall supports these goals. While the union was calling for protests, where it made hollow promises about defending jobs, behind the backs of the workers it was holding secret talks about implementing the company's plans to downsize.

The fence outside Bombardier in Hennigsdorf still bears the IG Metall banner with the slogan, "We cannot be shunted out!" Now, this merely provokes bitterness among the workers. "I've been at this factory for 43 years. I'm hopping mad, I've run out of ideas about it," one worker on the early shift angrily called out as he rode by on his bicycle. "I've resigned from the IG Metall," the next one to pass remarked. Another said, "Politicians, companies, trade unions, they all just grease each others palms.

A worker from the final assembly team in Hall 74 stopped to talk. "We were just kept dangling by management and the IG Metall," she said. "The mood in the company is very depressed." Most of her colleagues are between age 40 and 50 and are in the middle of their working lives. She does not see the "exclusion of compulsory redundancies" up to the end of 2019 as a success. All this means is that you have to find a new job or be retrained by the end of 2019, she said. But there are no new jobs in Hennigsdorf.

A worker from Berlin surmised that the restructuring concept had been long-agreed, even while the IG Metall was organizing protests. For example, the Hennigsdorf management had not made a serious bid for a large-scale S-Bahn Berlin (urban transit) contract so its competitor Stadler finally got it.

Markus, a young worker at Bombardier PPC, said, "My opinion about the IG Metall is not at all positive." Last November, they had all been called on to join the IG Metall: "Join, everyone," they said. The IG Metall supports us. If it comes to strike, it does everything for us." Markus too became a member, but now wants to leave.

In his opinion, the IG Metall was only looking after its media image. "For the individual worker or for my fifty colleagues here, they are not interested at all. They always need the big stage."

With around one hundred and fifty employees, Bombardier PPC is a "company within a company" and serves as a supplier of drive and control systems for the locomotive branch of Bombardier, as well as for other vehicle manufacturers. Nothing has been said so far about the fate of this workforce.

Most of the workers at the factory gate doubt that the Bombardier site in Hennigsdorf will survive. "You can't keep a production site going with development and controlling," the 53-year-old Endrik points out. He has been working as a foreman in this company for 37 years and has already experienced a lot since the end of the former East Germany in 1990.

"After 1990, there was a wave of sackings every two years," he says. The same applies to the second major works in Hennigsdorf; the steel plant taken over by the Italian company Riva in 1992 is currently celebrating its centenary. Up to 1989, there were still 8,500 workers employed. Today only 670 are left.

He had resigned from the IG Metall in 1993, Endrik says. At the time of the large metal workers strike he did not agree that the trade union involved only the steelworkers, but not the locomotive workers in Hennigsdorf, thus dividing the workforce. At that time, the former East German state-owned combine LEW (Locomotive Electro-technical Works) belonged to AEG, which had been given back its former property in 1992. In 1996, the factory was taken over by Adranz, and in 2001 by the Canadian Bombardier group.

The industrial town of Hennigsdorf has a long history of militancy. Hennigsdorf workers played a big part in the November Revolution of 1918/19 and in the defeat of the Kapp Putsch in 1920. Paul Schreier, co-founder of the Spartacus League alongside Karl Liebknecht, had built up a large Communist Party group there. In 1933, he fled from the Nazis to the Soviet Union and was murdered in Stalin's purges in 1937. The Stalinist regime in East Berlin concealed this fact until 1989.

Hennigsdorf factories were also involved in the workers' revolt against the East German Stalinist regime. On 17 June 1953, more than 5,000 workers from the steelworks and locomotive factory marched to Berlin to support the construction workers against increases in output being demanded. Later, Hennigsdorf was cut off from a direct S-Bahn connection to Berlin by the construction of the Berlin Wall in 1961.

Even after the fall of the Berlin Wall, there were always industrial battles. In 1991, 5,000 steelmakers occupied the factory for two weeks to prevent its privatization by the Riva Group, and after that Hennigsdorf workers took action to resist the effects of capitalist restoration. The sell-out of these battles by the IG Metall is what is responsible for the decline of this proud industrial town.

An older assembly worker, who retires next year, was also negative about the 27 years that have elapsed since German unification. "I was against reunification at the time," he says. "These rats from the West, the capitalists, destroy everything." His father-in-law, he continues, was sacked in West Germany in 1952 for being a member of the Communist Party and came to East Germany, where he was also treated badly. He has been out of the IG Metall for a long time, he added.

In the discussions at the factory gate the question arises again and again as to how workers can defend their jobs in the future. In mid-June, the foundation stone for a new assembly hall was laid in Bautzen, in Saxony. At that time, the chairman of the Hennigsdorf works council, Michael Wobst, who is also deputy chair of Bombardier Transportation's Supervisory Board, and who supported the most recent company decisions, sought to whip up sentiments against the workforce in Bautzen.

Many workers rejected this attempt to play off each location against the other, and agreed with the perspective of the World Socialist Web Site and SGP (Socialist Equality Party) that workers must act together internationally against the global corporation.

Sabine K., who has been at the company for 40 years, and had worked there in accounting, witnessed the relocation of the accounting function to Romania. She was transferred to the Controlling department, but some of her colleagues lost their jobs. At that time, she had thought that nothing could ever be changed. "But today, I think it's time for us to get out of our comfort zone and fight together," she adds.

A Berlin worker complained that the company is always looking for the lowest cost means of production. "It's just a matter of finding the cheapest version, counting everything down so that profits go up as fast as possible. They don't see the entire product, a locomotive as a whole." The production of quality trains is thus made impossible.

A lively discussion then developed about the destructive character of global capitalism, which subordinates production to profit and which today is heading toward trade wars and world war. The fitter nodded, saying he had followed this development.
Europe

Bank of England staff vote to strike

Around 90 staff employed by the Bank of England (BoE) voted by a 95 percent majority to strike in a ballot organised by the Unite union. Maintenance and security staff are involved in the dispute at the banks headquarters at Threadneedle Street in the city of London. They service parlours that make up the central offices of the bank which house BoE Governor Mark Carney.

They are opposed to the imposition of a 1 percent pay rise from March of this year. The pay rise is at the discretion of individual line managers who could decide to award less or none of the 1 percent pay increase.

The four-day strike is due to begin on July 31, with talks between the BoE and the Unite union continuing. If the strike goes ahead, it would be the first such strike on the main site of the BoE in its history. Strikes have occurred at other BoE sites.

Greek garbage workers return to work

Around 1,000 garbage staff in the Greek capital, Athens, agreed to return to work on June 29. This ended their two-week action following a protest march through the city.

Employed on short-term contracts with no job security, they struck to demand permanent employment. The strike coincided with a 40-degree heat wave that exacerbated the health risk from the mounting piles of garbage on the streets.

They previously rejected Syriza Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras attempt to end the strike by offering to extend the current job contracts for several months, pending talks on permanent hiring.

Strike by Greek archaeological sites staff

Staff employed to guard archaeological sites throughout Athens, including the Acropolis, were due to begin a three-hour strike at 8am Thursday. They are demanding overtime payment for working Sundays and national holidays and for the recruitment of an additional 200 guards as the service is currently understaffed.

Walkout by Greek journalists

Greek journalists belonging to the ESIEA union walked off the job for six hours on Tuesday. The walkout coincided with a meeting of EDOEAP, the healthcare body providing health services to ESIEA members, along with other union bodies. EDOEAP is facing severe financial problems and could be wound up.

Social work staff in northern English town walk out over workloads

Around 200 social workers employed by the Kirklees Council in the town of Huddersfield walked out on a 48-hour strike Wednesday. Members of the Unison union, they work in the childrens services department. They established picket lines at three sites within the council area.

No party has overall control of the council, but the Labour Party group has the largest number of seats.

At the beginning of the year social workers voted for strike action but this was called off by the union. The issues were the same as in the current dispute, namely heavy caseloads, lack of training, and claims of bullying by management. At that time, the Labour controlled council threatened to go to court to get the proposed strike declared illegal under the new Conservative governments anti-strike legislation. In the end, the council did not go ahead with the threat.

UK: Further action by Arriva Rail North rail staff

Rail workers employed by Arriva Rail North are due to strike for three days beginning Saturday, affecting train services in the north of England. Staff employed by Merseyrail serving the Liverpool area are also striking for the three days and additionally on July 23.

Conductors at Southern Rail serving the southeast of England will hold a one-day strike on July 10. They are members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union. The strikes are over the issue of the increased use of driver-only operated trains in which the safety-critical role of guards, and eventually their jobs, will be abolished.

Workers at all three companies have held a series of strikes over the same issue going back for more than a year.

Strike by refuse workers in Birmingham, UK

Refuse collectors employed by Labour controlled Birmingham City Council at four depots in the city are taking strike action. Following a 90 percent majority vote to strike, a five-hour stoppage was held June 30 followed by a two-hour stoppage on Monday. Further strikes are planned for July 11, 19, 27 and August 4.

The members of the Unite union are striking to oppose the councils restructuring plans, which would mean 122 redundancies, the introduction of a four-day week, and downgrading of over 100 workers with consequent cuts in pay.

London hospital workers strike

Over 700 workers at the four hospitals making up the Barts Trust group of hospitals went ahead with their planned three-day strike on Tuesday. The private contractor Serco employs the staff as cleaners, porters and security staff.

Unite members voted by a 99 percent margin in favour of the strike to fight for a 30p an hour pay increase. On Tuesday, the strikers held a march and rally at the Royal London hospital.

Further proposed strikes include a seven-day strike beginning July 11 and a two-week strike starting on July 25.

Further strike by London cinema staff

Cinema staff employed by Picturehouse at four sites in Londonthe Ritzy in Brixton, Hackney Picturehouse, Picturehouse Central and East Dulwich Picturehouseare set to begin a strike at 3pm today. The BECTU media union members have been taking part in a long-running dispute for the cinema staff to be paid the London living wage.

Three BECTU reps who had worked at the Ritzy cinema were sacked on June 14. They are due to appear at an Employment Tribunal on July 10 to appeal against their dismissal.

Hungarian Tesco supermarket workers protest

Tesco staff in Hungary are planning a demonstration tomorrow in Budapest to highlight the low wages in the retail sector. They complain that this had led to understaffing and additional pressure on existing staff. The demonstration has been called by KASZ, the Commercial Employees union.

Further demonstrations and strikes are being considered if employers do not respond to the grievances.

Portuguese nurses continue protest

Portuguese specialist nursing staff in maternity and obstetrics departments are continuing their protest by carrying out only basic nursing duties at work. Hospitals in Lisbon and other areas were badly affected by the action on Tuesday nearly coming to a standstill.

They are demanding additional payments in recognition of their specialist skills, saying they are prepared to protest indefinitely.

Strike by Serbian autoworkers

Workers at the Fiat Chrysler factory in Kragujevac in Serbia began an all out strike on June 27. The strike follows two one-hour warning strikes. Their four main demands are for a 12 percent pay rise, help with travel costs to work, payment of previously agreed bonuses and for extra staff to be employed to alleviate the workload.

Union ends struggle of Spanish dockers

The UGT Estiba union representing around 6,000 dockers in Spain has agreed to end a series of strikes. They had been holding alternate hourly strikes over a 48-hour period in opposition to the Spanish governments deregulation of their jobs in line with a European Union ruling.

Under the agreement between the union and ANESCOthe body representing employersdockers will maintain their existing working conditions for a three-year period. However, their pay will be cut by 10 percent and older workers will be offered early retirement to cut workforce numbers.

Middle East

Street vendor protest in Tunisia

On Monday, around 300 street vendors held a protest outside the headquarters of the Tunisian General Union of Labour in the countrys capital, Tunis. They were protesting a crackdown on street vendors aimed at driving them off the streets. The police attacked the demonstration leading to the arrest of 47 street vendors.

The government began a campaign in 2011 against the proliferation of street vendors. For many Tunisians street vending offers the only means, albeit precarious, of trying to escape widespread poverty and unemployment.

Africa

Kenyan government signs Collective Bargaining Agreement to end doctors strike

The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) has ended its pay and conditions dispute. The union and the government, with the support of the Salaries Commission, signed up to the new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) on June 30.

The Council of Governors that distributes the doctors wages has not yet signed the agreement. The strike was officially brought to an end in March after 100 days, however the previous 2013-17 CBA was never implemented.

The 26,000 members of Kenyas National Union of Nurses have been compelled to return to striking in an attempt to get their CBA, agreed in December, enacted.

Kenyan university and college staff continue strike

Kenyan university staff are back out on strike to demand the government implement a Central Bargaining Agreement (CBA) signed in March. Prior to March, the lecturers had been on strike for 54 days.

A national strike will affect half a million students in 36 public universities and their college constituents. An expected pay increase should have taken place on June 30 as agreed. When the university staff discovered it had not gone into their accounts, they immediately came out on strike.

The four university unions, led by Kenyan University Staff Union, are under pressure from their members, who are demanding that staff should stay out indefinitely until their CBA is implemented.

Kenyan shop workers demand payment of their wages

Shop workers employed at the Kenyan national market chain UCHUMI are striking and demonstrated across the country over unpaid wages.

The company has also failed to pay money it owes into pensions and medical coverage, which are deducted from workers salaries and then paid out by the company on workers behalf.

The company claims it is operating in the red, but has undertaken to pay outstanding wages at different stages in July if suppliers forgo payment for their products until workers wages have been paid. The deal is on the proviso that strikers return to work immediately.

Namibian Shoprite workers demand an end to victimisations and sackings

Demonstrations have taken place outside the Katutura branch of Shoprite Stores to protest victimisations and sackings. The demonstrators are protesting the charging of 130 striking staff in 2015 and the sacking of 170 others over the last two years at other branches.

The industrial action leading to dismissals and victimisation of Shoprite workers was provoked by the companys illegal working conditions. An investigation into conditions of Shoprite workers was conducted by Namibias Ministry of Labour resulting in much criticism of the companys practices, with recommendations that their employment contracts be renewed.

Cross State River Nigerian workers strike called off

The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) has called off an indefinite strike in Cross River State. The NLC and TUC called off the action as the many thousands of local government workers and judicial staff were joining in.

The unions reluctantly called a strike in May for the implementation of the public sector workers demands. This was called off and then a second strike beginning June 20 has now been called off.

A 12-point plan has been accepted by the unions, including the demand for retired workers to be paid their pensions and deserving workers given promotions with appropriate wage increases.

Nigerian aviation union threatens strike over management promotions

Employees of Nigerias National Civil Aviation Authority have given their employers a weeks notice before commencing a strike. Members of the National Union of Air Transport Employees are demanding that earned promotions are put into operation or a strike will be undertaken from the weekend.

The threatened strike is in support of promotions for Assistant General Managers and District General Managers. The union claims many members have passed exams qualifying them for promotions going back to 2008. Those that did qualify in 2008 should have had advanced before 2011.

The union complains that only a small number of qualified employees have gained those promotions whereas workers from agencies and other unqualified persons have made it up the ladder.

Illovo Sugar Company South Africa strike threat escalates

Workers at the Illovo Sugar Company are continuing to threaten a strike over a wage claim. Although union and management have made concessions on the wage claim, with the Food and Allied Workers Union reducing its claim from 10 to 8 percent, and management upping its offer from 5 to 6.5 percent, a strike is still in the offing.

The union said management were approaching employees in private offering them the 6.5 percent pay increase. The union, more concerned that the backdoor proposal undermined its position, than by the lesser wage offer, proposed a new strike date to commence July 5.

South African Mortuary workers return to work

South African mortuary workers were expected to return to work last Friday as the National Education Health and Allied Workers Union (NEHAWU) settled the dispute.

Military medics, in place to break the strike, continued to operate on Monday, as workers had not turned up for work. The three-week strike broke out over trainee workers carrying out the work of morticians without appropriate training or pay.

The union claimed the workers demands had been partly satisfied while others would be seen as long-term goals. Trainee workers would continue to carry out work that they are not paid for or qualified to do, but under supervision.
Just after 7.20 p.m. on Thursday, German authorities ordered a brutal police assault on a demonstration against the G20 leaders summit, which formally begins today in Hamburg. Hours after the clashes, figures still had not been released on how many people were injured or arrested.

Up to 120,000 people from across Germany and other parts of Europe are expected to travel to Hamburg to voice their opposition to the austerity, anti-refugee measures, nationalism and militarism that characterise the policies of all the governments and ruling elites of the worlds 20 largest economies.

Thursdays protest, one of the first of dozens planned during the G20, was entitled Welcome to Hell. It was organised to coincide with a sideline meeting at the nearby Hotel Atlantic between US President Donald Trumpa reviled figure in Europeand German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

The violence at the event was provoked by the police.

As some 10,000 demonstrators were assembling in Hamburgs harbour district around 6.00 p.m., Deutsche Welle reported that its correspondent, Max Hofmann, says the feeling at the Welcome to Hell protest is that of a large family gathering. Hofmann commented: If youre looking for a common denominator here its anti-capitalism, anti-globalisation and, of course, anti-Donald Trump. The gathering was peaceful and, if anything, had a festive character.

Police nevertheless used the presence at the protest of some 800 to 1,000 anarchist Black Block members, some of whom were wearing masks, to prevent the demonstrators from marching through the city as planned. After they had barely moved 300 metres, dozens of vehicles and lines of riot police blocked their path and issued demands that the anarchist element remove their masks. When some refused, and allegedly threw rocks and bottles at journalists and police, the state rampage was initiated.

Scenes of confusion and panic followed. One protestor who declined to be named told Bloomberg correspondents: We were standing there and the police suddenly blocked the march. At some point, we heard a loud bang and everybody started running. Its really a shame.

Video footage posted by participants shows sections of the demonstration being assaulted with water cannon and tear gas and then kettledor surroundedby shielded and baton-wielding riot squads.

One of the 100 volunteer lawyers on hand, Matthias Wisbar, told Der Spiegel that the emergency legal service established to assist the G20 demonstrations received hundreds of calls from injured or arrested people. Local residents with young families complained that the violence forced them to leave their homes out of fear.

While small groups of anarchists engaged in running battles with police, set some vehicles ablaze and carried out acts of vandalism, the bulk of the protestors retreated and reassembled several hours later and held an entirely peaceful demonstration at another location.

The police actions appear to have been a test of their riot tactics, ahead of possible attacks on the larger protests due to take place today and on Saturday, as well as a calculated attempt to intimidate people into not joining them.

The pretext for both last nights attack, and future police operations, had been given well in advance. Some five hours before blocking the demonstration, Hamburg police spokesperson Timo Zill told journalists: Militant protestors who exercise violence are not protected by Article 8the nominal freedom of assembly clause in Germanys basic law. Zill included in the definition of violence any demonstrators who disguise themselves.

Protest organisers followed these statements with an explicit appeal to the police not to provoke an incident. One told Der Spiegel that if the police dont exploit the advantage of every masked [protester] and a firecracker here and there to escalate the situation, then the protest will end peacefully.

The police proceeded to do the exact opposite.

Protestors denounced the assault on their right to demonstrate. Mark Meyer, another volunteer lawyer, told CNN: The police wanted to crash and smash this demo from the beginning. Julia, a 27-year-old from Frankfurt, said: If this is all we can do just showing our opinion and giving a statement, and if the state forces are just shutting us up ... I mean what kind of state do we live in?

The G20 summit as a whole has been utilised by the German state to rehearse placing a major urban area under what can only be described as a police occupation. An estimated 20,000 police and some 3,000 vehicles, assembled from across the country, have been deployed to HamburgGermanys second largest city with a population of some 1.7 million.

Heavily-armed paramilitary special units, such as sniper squads, are deployed at key locations in and around the venues where G20 events are scheduled to take place. All access to such areas has been proscribed, except for local residents. Helicopters are almost continuously in the air, conducting aerial surveillance.

The occupation of the city has involved the wholesale monitoring of peoples movements in combined police and intelligence operations across Europe. Hamburg police have admitted that demonstrators were tracked as they travelled to the city from at least Scandinavia, Switzerland and Italy.

The turn to ever-more authoritarian forms of rule is a universal process in what were once lauded as the Western democracies.

Similar police-state mobilisations have accompanied G20 summits over the past decade in cities such as London, Pittsburgh, Toronto, Seoul, Cannes and Brisbane. The suppression of protests has resulted in hundreds of people being injured and arrested and, in London in 2009, a demonstrator being killed at the hands of the police.
Though not two weeks have passed since the Supreme Courts unanimous June 26 decision allowing Donald Trumps travel ban to take effect, numerous xenophobic articles by liberal commentators and pro-Democratic media pundits express the strengthening of vicious anti-immigrant tendencies in the American ruling class.

In the July/August version of the Atlantic, columnist Peter Beinart wrote an article titled, How the Democrats Lost Their Way on Immigration.

The next Democratic presidential candidate should say again and again that because Americans are one people, who must abide by one law, his or her goal is to reduce Americas undocumented population to zero.

Beinart, a frequent contributor to the New York Times, New York Review of Books, Haaretz, and former editor of the New Republic, blames immigration for deteriorating social conditions for the American working class: The supposed costs of immigration, he says, strain the very welfare state that liberals want to expand in order to help those native-born Americans with whom immigrants compete.

To block the rise of the far right, Beinart argues, the Democratic Party must orient itself explicitly to its anti-immigrant positions. To derig the liberal order and stave off complete defeat at the hands of populists, however, traditional parties must do more than rebrand themselves and their ideas. In other words, if you cant beat em, join em.

Former Bill and Hillary Clinton advisers Mark Penn and Andrew Stein write in a July 6 New York Times op-ed, headlined Back to the Center, Democrats, that Democrats lost the 2016 election because working class voters feel abandoned by Democratic support for policies offering more help to undocumented immigrants than to the heartland.

Immigration is also ripe for a solution from the center, the Democratic politicos claim. Washington should restore the sanctity of Americas borders, create a path to work permits and possibly citizenship, and give up on both building walls and defending sanctuary cities.

CNNs Fareed Zakaria, an Indian immigrant, wrote in a June 29 Washington Post column that the Democrats need to talk about Americas national identity in a way that stresses the common elements that bind, not the particular ones that divide. Policies in these areas do matter. The party should take a position on immigration that is less absolutist and recognizes both the cultural and economic costs of large-scale immigration.

Zakarias former mentor and current Woodrow Wilson School professor, Robert Keohane, penned an essay in the May/June issue of Foreign Affairs with ex-Wilson School fellow Jeff D. Colgan, titled, The Liberal Order Is Rigged: Fix It Now or Watch It Wither.

Almost everyone agrees that there is some limit to how rapidly a country can absorb immigrants, the authors note, and that implies a need for tough decisions about how fast people can come in and how many resources should be devoted to their integration.

The authors then indicate their support for quotas and bans like those imposed by Trump: It is not bigotry to calibrate immigration levels to the ability of immigrants to assimilate and to societys ability to adjust. Proponents of a global liberal order must find ways of seeking greater national consensus on this issue. To be politically sustainable, their ideas will have to respect the importance of national solidarity.

Thus do the liberal academics, media personalities and journalists propose to save liberalism with the language of Mussolini: Americans are one people, who must abide by one law, the sanctity of Americas borders, the importance of national solidarity, Americas national identity, etc. These lines, plus Beinarts volkish argument that American social programs can only be saved by launching a renewed political offensive against immigrants, expose the extremely reactionary implications of this adaptation to the Trump administration.

First, the authors claims that the Democratic Party has somehow taken a pro-immigrant turn in recent decades are false. In the 1990s, President Bill Clinton signed two of the most onerous anti-immigrant laws, passed with the votes of Democratic congresspersons. President Barack Obama deported 2.7 million undocumented people and built a network of immigrant prisons across the country to confine tens of thousands of migrants each night.

In January 2017, 37 of 48 Democratic senators voted for Trumps pick to lead the Department of Homeland Security, John Kelly, who has since arrested 70,000 immigrants for deportation. Democratic leadership gave its congressional members the green light to support a reactionary Republican measure known as Kates Law, which will raise mandatory sentences for some previously deported immigrants attempting to re-enter to reunite with their families in the US. The measure passed the House of Representatives with 24 Democratic yes votes and now heads to the Senate where the Democrats may not exercise their committee power to block a vote.

It is in the context of the Democratic Partys move even further to the right that the four members of the Supreme Court nominated by Democratic presidents, Kagan, Breyer, Sotomayor, and Ginsburg, voted to allow Trumps travel ban to take effect.

Second, the decision and its aftermath is a powerful indication of the right-wing domestic political implications of the Democrats anti-Russian campaign.

The Democratic Partys opposition to Trump has been based entirely on anti-Russian insinuations and inventions, aimed ultimately at forcing a more aggressive imperialist foreign policy to encircle Russia in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Central Asia.

The campaign is directed by and has further empowered the most reactionary elements of American society: the CIA, the FBI and the extremely hawkish sections of the foreign policy establishment. Meanwhile, all of the official institutions of so-called American liberalism, including the Times, the Post, CNN, and the Democratic Party, have exhausted their political capital on efforts to pass off the unfounded allegations to a skeptical public, damaging themselves in the process and creating a hysterical climate dominated by the alleged threat of foreign conspiracies.

The primary beneficiaries of this situation are the extreme right, including Trumps fascistic advisers Steven Bannon and Stephen Miller, as well as a host of xenophobic right-wing radicals occupying leadership positions in Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Patrol (CBP). Over the past several months, these forces have quietly entrenched themselves within the immigration and homeland security apparatus and are setting up the framework for the mass deportation of millions of immigrants.

It is toward these backward elements that the Democratic Party pundits are now oriented, all in the name of making the party more palatable to the more backward sentiments of the population for electoral purposes. This has profound implications not just for the rights of immigrants, but for all democratic rights, including those associated with gay marriage, abortion, and transgendered people. None of these fundamental rights are safe under the stewardship of the Democratic Party, which will turn to the right on a dime, if expedient, to advance the interests of American capitalism.
British Airways (BA) mixed fleet cabin crew at Heathrow airport are striking to oppose poverty pay and in opposition to punitive sanctions against around 1,400 workers involved in previous industrial action.

The strike by crew memberswho work a combination of long- and short-haul flights--began on July 1 and will last until July 16. This is the latest job action in one of the longest industrial disputes in the European airline industry this century.

The dispute has comprised a total of 26 days of strikes and bears witness to the resilience and determination of BA workers.

BA mixed fleet crews number 3,000 and have a nominal salary ranging from 12,000 (US $15,561) to 16,000 (US $20,748) with expenses. Some crew members even sleep in their cars between flights to save on accommodation expenses, while others come to work while sick to avoid losing pay.

The sanctions against cabin crew workers, which management describe as the consequences of striking, including docking two years of bonuses and removing all staff travel discounts for the next year for anyone joining the strike. The Unite union estimates this would cost strikers an average of 850 (US$1,102).

A statement from the airline read, We have set out the consequences for crew if they take strike action. The purposes of these consequences are to encourage crew to come to work.

Management have devised a massive strikebreaking operation. They secured an agreement with the government-backed Civil Aviation Authority--responsible for the regulation of aviation safety in the UK--for the hiring of nine short-haul Airbus A320 jets, plus pilots and cabin crew as well as maintenance workers and an insurance deal from Qatar Airways for the duration of the strike. These are termed wet-leased aircraft and are covering for around 30 domestic and European flights a day that have been grounded due to the strike.

Throughout the dispute, the Unite union has sought to keep the strike isolated to the workers at Heathrow. It opposes its extension among the 9,000 workers at other major BA bases at London Gatwick, London City Airport and Stansted airport, let alone workers employed at the international airlines group IAG that BA is part of. IAG employs 60,000 workers worldwide, comprising Iberia, Vueling, Aer Lingus, and EasyJet.

Unite has done everything to stifle the struggle, repeatedly cancelling scheduled strikes and limiting the walkouts they do call. Most recently, it cancelled a strike due to take place between June 16 to 19 to facilitate talks with management at the governments Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS).

Prior to the talks the union drafted up a "final compromise position" behind the backs of its members, which has not been made public.

Unite assistant general secretary Howard Beckett said, "The refusal by British Airways bosses to meaningfully consider our compromise offer is deeply disappointing. A resolution to this long-running dispute was within the grasp of British Airways, but instead of grabbing that opportunity, bosses rebuffed it. It regretted that British Airways faces an entirely avoidable two-week strike and prolonged legal action on behalf of over 1,400 mixed cabin crew.

The fact that workers are employed on such inferior contracts in the first place is the responsibility of Unite. The creation of a two-tiered workforce was imposed following the defeat of the national BA strike in 2010, with Unite and the BASSA union playing a critical role. The imposition and continuation of low pay rates for the mixed fleet is part of the strategy by IAG to restructure its global pay levels downwards to be more competitive.

This allowed BA over the years to steadily replace more expensive, better terms and conditions contracts, with cheap labour with the collaboration of Unite.

Mixed fleet crews operate an increasing number of long-haul and short-haul flights inside and outside Europe. They operate on 32 long-haul flights to international destinations such as Abu Dhabi, Houston, Shanghai, Singapore and Sydney. Short-haul mixed fleet crews cover about 50 European destinations such as Helsinki, St Petersburg, Sofia, Vienna and Kiev.

That such draconian pay levels are now accepted by Unite were made clear in the comments of its spokesperson Alex Flynn, who said prior to the strike, The issue is now largely around sanctions that have been meted out to the people that went on strike.

The unions isolation of workers and their resulting victimisation has resulted in votes in favour of strike action falling. In November 2016, 79 percent of mixed fleet workers voted to strike, with Unite cancelling a planned stoppage at the last minute. A second ballot in December saw 70 percent in favour of a strike. The last ballot in March 2017 saw support down to 56 percent on a turnout of 72 percent.

Back in December 2016 Unite general secretary Len McCluskey personally intervened to call off a planned strike scheduled over the busy Christmas holiday period to oversee negotiations. He declared, I am delighted that British Airways has heeded our calls for talks. It is only by getting round the table that we can find a solution to my members concerns.

Almost seven months have now elapsed, and BA workers are no further forward in their struggle for better pay and working conditions. 1,400 striking workers are suffering disciplinary sanctions, including removing staff travel, which allows crews to commute with an airline for free to reach the base where they pick up work.

The conditions being imposed on mixed fleet workers are intolerable. One worker speaking anonymously to the World Socialist Web Site said, We don't have enough money to eat properly in Dubai each time we must stay over until the next flight. The travel enjoyment is not there as we were told as recruits. It has been tough and some of us who strike got punished by management.

Essentially you are part of the plane. You just fly and stopover and cannot spend because the salaries are crap. Our conditions are not much different from airlines in the Arab countries. The glamour of the job is just a mask.

Speaking to the Independent, another said she could not buy a house on the money she earned. Im required to live within a two-hour radius of Heathrow. I can't buy anywhere with the money Im on. When I go and ask for a mortgage, they laugh at me." The worker earned less 20,000 last year and said, Ive been at British Airways for six years, and Ive never entered the sickness process.

The newspaper added, A male colleague said that he earned more on a zero-hours contract with [budget airline] Ryanair. His P60 [total pay and deductions] showed income for the year at under 18,000.

According to the Independent, the Cabin crew say the pay deal comes with unacceptable strings attached: the loss of bonuses and travel concessions for a further year, as punishment for those who go on strike. They must also, say strikers, agree not to carry yellow pens or other yellow symbols. That might sound random, but yellow symbolises to other crew that they are strikers.

To keep the dispute under its control, Unite has called a further strike to be held over 14 days from July 19, with another call to BA to negotiate a settlement to this long running dispute. This is being combined with an appeal to the courts to oppose BAs leasing of Qatar Airways' aircraft.

Mixed fleet workers at BA must break the stranglehold of the union bureaucracy over the dispute. The prerequisite for a successful struggle is the creation of action committees, independent of Unite and based on the fight to unite airline workers throughout the world in common struggle against the global corporations. Only on this basis can they oppose the dead-end class collaborationist perspective of the trade unions, which has resulted in defeat after defeat.
The two-day G20 summit convenes in Hamburg, Germany today, dominated by global economic and political crises, threats of military confrontation and multisided geostrategic conflicts. The atmosphere resembles nothing so much as a meeting between greater and lesser mobsters in which no one knows who will be the first to shoot.

First held in 2009 in London, the G20 Summit was supposed to serve as a forum for a collective effort by the major powers to rescue world capitalism from the financial meltdown begun on Wall Street in 2008 and to ward off the danger of protectionism. Today, under the impact of the ever-deepening and insoluble capitalist economic crisis, the conflicts between these powers have become so advanced, severe and unconcealed that there is every reason to believe that this could be the last of these world gatherings.

US President Donald Trump set the tone for a summit of bitter and open confrontation by preceding his arrival in Germany with a trip to Poland, which has been sharply at odds with Germanys rise as the new hegemon in Europe. Hosted by one of the most right-wing governments on the European continent, he delivered a fascistic speech warning of the collapse of our civilization and calling for a struggle for family, for freedom, for country, and for God. Invoking Polish resistance to German occupation in the Second World War, Trump left no doubt that he was seeking to align the US with Poland in order to pursue American imperialisms present-day rivalry with Germany.

Trump also addressed the 12-central and eastern European nation Three Seas Initiative Summit in Warsaw, a body that follows in the tradition of the so-called Intermarium alliance formed in the 1920s by various fascistic and nationalist regimes directed against both the Soviet Union and Germany and supported by the US.

The agenda of the White House echoes the statement of then-US defense secretary Donald Rumsfeld, who in 2003 denounced France and Germany for failing to support the US drive to war against Iraq, dismissing them as old Europe and indicating that Washington was oriented to a new Europe composed of the former Warsaw Pact states in the east.

A decade and a half later, the geostrategic conflicts exposed by the divisions over Washingtons criminal war against Iraq have metastasized, affecting every area of relations between Europe and America and playing out on a global stage.

Trump comes to Hamburg as the personification of the backwardness, criminality and parasitism of Americas ruling financial oligarchy. His aim is to use the threat of war, from a potentially world catastrophic attack on North Korea to an equally dangerous confrontation with Iran and Russia in Syria, to bludgeon US imperialisms rivals into submission to his administrations economic nationalist, America First agenda.

Trump, however, is by no means alone in pursuing an aggressive imperialist agenda. German Chancellor Angela Merkel held her own meeting in the run-up to the G20 summit with Chinas President Xi Jinping, both invoking free trade and climate change, condemning protectionism and implicitly opposing the policies of the Trump administration. Merkel embraced Beijings One Belt, One Road project of developing infrastructure for transport and energy networks linking China to Central Asia, Russia, all of Europe and the energy resources of the Middle East, an initiative viewed by Washington as an existential threat.

Xis government, confronting growing military pressure from Washington both on the Korean peninsula and in the South China Sea, is seeking to forge closer bonds with a rising and increasingly independentboth politically and militarilyGerman imperialism.

To the same end, he preceded his trip to Germany with a two-day visit to Moscow, where he and Putin defied Washingtons demands that China starve North Korea into submission after Pyongyangs test firing of an ICBM. Instead, they issued their own demands for the US to remove its antiballistic missiles from South Korea and halt its provocative military exercises on the peninsula.

Meanwhile, on the very eve of the summit, the European Union and Japan announced the conclusion of a free trade pact that would encompass a third of the worlds GDP. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe declared that the agreement demonstrated our strong political will to fly the flag for free trade against a shift toward protectionism.

Although some are saying that the time of isolationism and disintegration is coming again, we are demonstrating that this is not the case, European Council President Tusk added.

The agreement has been struck at the expense of US-based transnationals and both statements were clearly directed against Trump, who on the eve of the summit wrote on Twitter: The US made some of the worst trade deals in world history. Why should we continue these deals with countries that do not help us.

With the continuously escalating conflicts between the economic powers that constitute the core of the world economy, the increasingly open and acrimonious divisions within the NATO alliance itself, and the forging of multiple pacts directed at furthering the interests of one or another power against its rivals, the situation resembles more and more that described by Lenin during World War I in which the imperialist powers were enmeshed in a net of secret treaties with each other, with their allies, and against their allies.

The rising threat of war and the breakdown of international institutions that were created in the aftermath of the United States emergence from World War II as the dominant imperialist power are the end product of processes that have matured over the quarter century since the Stalinist bureaucracys dissolution of the Soviet Union.

The emergence of what US strategists described as a unipolar moment set the stage for a series of imperialist wars and interventions in which US imperialism sought to exploit its military advantage to counterbalance its declining position in the world economy.

While these wars shattered Iraq, Yugoslavia, Afghanistan, Libya, Syria, Ukraine and other countries, claimed millions of lives and unleashed the greatest refugee crisis since World War II, they utterly failed to alter the fortunes of US imperialism.

Now, a new stage of the crisis has been reached in which Washingtons global rivals are challenging US imperialisms global hegemony.

Underlying these increasingly dangerous developments are the fundamental contradictions of the world capitalist system between, on the one hand, globally integrated and interdependent economy and its division into antagonistic national states, and, on the other, between the socialized character of global production and its subordination, through the private ownership of the means of production, to the accumulation of private profit by the ruling capitalist class.

Imperialisms only means of resolving these contradictions is through a new world war that poses the destruction of humanity. These same contradictions, however, are laying the foundations for a revolutionary upsurge of the working class on an international scale.

As the International Committee of the Fourth International spelled out in its 2016 statement Socialism and the Fight Against War:

The great historical questions arising from the present world situation can be formulated as follows: How will the crisis of the world capitalist system be resolved? Will the contradictions wracking the system end in world war or world socialist revolution? Will the future lead to fascism, nuclear war and an irrevocable descent into barbarism? Or will the international working class take the path of revolution, overthrow the capitalist system, and then reconstruct the world on socialist foundations? These are the real alternatives confronting humanity.
With the Liberal-National government wracked by in-fighting, the Labor Party and trade union leaders are anxiously trying to reverse their own hated reputations in the eyes of workers and push for the return of yet another pro-business Labor administration.

One year after it barely survived last Julys election, the Turnbull government is showing signs of imploding, unable to impose the full assault on education, healthcare, welfare and other social spending demanded by the corporate elite. Key measures remain stalled in parliament because of MPs fears of the deep popular hostility toward them.

The problem for the Labor and union bureaucrats, however, is that the disaffection throughout the working class extends to them as well because of the role they have played over the past four decades in enforcing an escalating offensive on jobs, wages and social and working conditions.

It was in the context of this intensifying political crisis that Labor Party leader Bill Shorten addressed an Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) 90th anniversary dinner last week. He pledged to overturn the Fair Work Commissions (FWC) recent cut in workers Sunday penalty pay rates and reverse the tax cuts for millionaires.

Shorten displayed breathtaking hypocrisy. A key minister in the last Labor government, from 2007 to 2013, he was the author of the FWCs mandate to slash the wages of 700,000 of the countrys lowest-paid workers in the retail and hospitality industriesa cut that began to take effect this July 1.

Earlier, as Australian Workers Union national secretary, Shorten led the way as the unions worked hand-in-glove with major employers, including contract cleaning firms and the big supermarket chains, to impose enterprise agreements that tore up penalty rates.

Vying for business support during last Julys election, Shorten vowed that a Labor government would implement whatever penalty rate ruling the FWC handed down. Despite populist pitches about defending health care and education, Labors lower house vote at that election remained at 34.7 percentits second lowest level in a centuryeven though the Liberal-National government suffered a heavy swing.

As for millionaires taxes, the previous Labor governments of Bob Hawke and Paul Keating outdid any other government in reducing the super-richs tax rates, both for income and company taxes. Shorten himself has opposed a push by some in the Labor leadership for a token Buffett rule, ostensibly designed to ensure that millionaires pay at least 30 percent income tax.

Now, by adopting more demagogic vows on penalty rates and taxes, Shorten is calling on the unions to step up their efforts to revive Labors fortunes. He framed his address to the ACTU as a call to arms for the union movement, declaring: Every Australian unionist has to pass on better conditions to the people that come after them.

With real wage levels continuing to fall and the share of income going to workers already at the lowest recorded since World War II, Shorten is trying to rewrite history and peddle illusions that a union-backed Labor government will not deepen the corporate offensive.

Shortens duplicity was matched by Wayne Swan, who was the last Labor governments Treasurer from 2007 to 2013, and Deputy Prime Minister from 2010 to 2013. During those six years, he was at the heart of Labors bail out of the banks, finance houses and major corporations after the 2008 global crash, at the expense of the working class.

Addressing the ACTUs organising conference, Swan postured ludicrously as an opponent of inequality. In Australia over the past 40 years the rich have taken the lions share of the benefits of growth, he stated.

What he did not say was that the Labor governments from 1983 to 1996 and 2007 to 2013, working closely with the unions, contributed most to the massive redistribution in favour of the wealthy.

Swan, who still sits in parliament, warned of potential political explosions. Inequality, he stated, has rendered politics polarised and dysfunctional, leaving many with the view there is little they can do to improve their lives.

In effect, Swan pleaded for a more progressive face to head off the working class disaffection. He supposedly defied Shorten by reiterating the call for a Buffett tax to help make the tax system more progressive.

Fresh from a trip to the US, Swan tweeted a photo of himself with former US Democratic Party presidential contender Bernie Sanders, with the caption: Our Revolution is not just for America. Talking global politics & our visions for a fairer society with @SenSanders #ProgressiveAlliance.

Sanders revolution consisted of posing as an opponent of Wall Street in order to draw young people, in particular, back into the arms of the Democratic Party, only to ultimately endorse Hillary Clinton. Her nomination, as the open favourite of the financial elite and the Pentagon, assisted Donald Trump to win the US presidency by posturing as a political outsider.

The fraudulent character of the talk of revolutionwhich claims that the US Democrats and the Australian Labor Party, two parties of big business, can be transformed in favour of working peoplewas underscored when Swan also held talks at the International Monetary Fund, one of the primary enforcement agencies of global finance capital.

ACTU secretary Sally McManus, who was installed in the union movements top post in March to give it a new militant face, put on a desperate performance. She told the ACTU gathering that unions had made things better for working people, for all Australians by saying no to the greed of the few for a long time. McManus then contradicted herself stating:

Inequality is at a 70-year high. Wage growth hasnt been this low since records started being kept 40 percent of the workforce is in insecure work. A generation of people do not know what it is like to have a paid sick day or holiday Our minimum wage does not keep people out of poverty The richest 1 percent of Australians owns more wealth than the bottom 70 percent of Australian citizens combined.

From now on, McManus insisted, the unions would say no to pay cuts, bullying, sackings, unsafe conditions, privatisation and longer working hours.

But none of the attacks she itemised would have been possible except for the unions. They have policed every aspect of the process, which has accelerated since the ACTU imposed its corporatist Accords with the Hawke government during the 1980s to suppress the resistance of workers, all in the name of making Australian employers globally competitive.

The ACTUs ongoing collaboration with the employers and government has driven down strike levels to historic lows and triggered a historic collapse in union membership, from almost 50 percent of the workforce in 1983, to just 15 percent, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

Knowing that Shorten and the Labor leaders are widely loathed in the working class, McManus made no mention of a future Labor government. However, her rhetoric was clearly focused on returning Labor to office in partnership with the unions.

McManus was silent about the ACTUs promotion of nationalism and anti-immigrant chauvinism through its campaigns against foreign workers entering Australia on temporary visas. Nor did she say a word about the peak union bodys total support for Labors military alignment with the United States against China.

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New Australian union head feigns concern for workers rights

[22 March 2017]
Japans ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) was soundly defeated in the July 2 Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly elections in what is broadly seen as a referendum on the policies of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his cabinet. The outcome suggests trouble for his party ahead of national parliamentary elections next year.

Voters were choosing members for the assembly in the Tokyo metropolitan area, which includes the capital city itself and surrounding suburbs, home to approximately 38 million people. Tomin First no Kai (Tokyo Citizens First Association), a regional party, seized 49 seats. Its electoral ally Komeito won 23. A handful of independents, who joined Tomin First after the election, also won seats, giving the bloc 79 seats out of 127.

The LDP took only 23 seats, down from 57 and well below previous record lows of 38 seats in 1995 and 2009. The Japanese Communist Party (JCP) won 19 seats, while the main opposition Democratic Party (DP) took a paltry 5, underlining its complete disarray. Voter turnout was higher than in the previous election, with 51.3 percent of voters going to the polls compared to 43.5 percent in 2013.

Significantly Komeito, a junior partner in Abes government, aligned with Tomin First, rather than the widely disliked LDP, in the Tokyo election. The LDP has been reliant on Komeito, which promotes itself as a Buddhist, pacifist party, to push through laws that make deep inroads into democratic rights and remove restrictions on the countrys military, or Self-Defense Forces (SDF).

LDP heavyweight and former defense minister Shigeru Ishiba exploited the partys losses to question Abes legitimacy, saying, We must recognize this as an historic defeat, he said. Rather than a victory for Tomin First, this is a defeat for the LDP.

Ishiba, who formed his own inner-party faction in 2015 to challenge Abe, is positioning himself for a run at the partys presidency and thus the prime ministership. He has been critical recently of Abes proposed revision of Article 9 of the constitutionthe so-called pacifist clausedemanding far more sweeping changes to accelerate Japans remilitarization.

Support for the Abe government is dropping rapidly. According to an Asahi Shimbun poll, the Abe cabinets rating has fallen to 38 percent, well down from 54 percent in January, while non-support rose to 42 percent.

Much of the support for Tomin First was a protest vote against the LDP and its policies. The LDP has been embroiled in scandals, including one surrounding Kake Gakuen, a veterinary school set up in a special economic zone. Abe allegedly intervened on behalf of his friend and the schools director, Kotaro Kake, to win approval for the schools establishment.

Kono, a 40-year-old voter, told the Japan Times: I cannot trust the LDP after the recent scandals, such as the gaffes by the partys lawmakers. So I voted for Tomin First, hoping that many of the assembly seats held by the LDP will be replaced by Koikes party.

Defense Minister Tomomi Inada also angered voters after she overtly invoked the SDF in a campaign speech in support of an LDP candidate in the Tokyo election. I ask for your support on behalf of the Defense Ministry, the Self-Defense Forces, myself and the LDP, she said. Legally, the SDFJapans militaryis required to be politically neutral.

Despite calls for Inada to resign or be replaced, Abe defended her, though she may not retain her post in a likely upcoming cabinet reshuffle. The reaction to her comments reflects broader anti-war sentiment in Japan and hostility to the Abe governments agenda of remilitarization.

Tomin First is no less right-wing than the LDP. It is led by Tokyo governor Yuriko Koike, a longstanding LDP politician who now postures as an outsider and was elected to lead the city last July. She served in the cabinets of Junichiro Koizumi as environment minister and Shinzo Abe as defense minister in 2007 during his first stint as prime minister. She challenged the preferred LDP candidate for governor and went on to establish her new party.

Koike was hailed by the domestic and foreign media for becoming the first female governor of Tokyo. During the latest election campaign she confined herself to local issues, creating controversies over the relocation of the Tokyo fish market and the cost of the 2020 Olympic Games in the city.

The governor promotes herself as an opponent of the elderly, male political establishment and vested interests. In reality, she has a long pedigree in establishment politics, entering parliament in 1992 as a member of the Japan New Party, a breakaway from the LDP. She won a lower house seat in 1993, which she held until 2016. She joined the LDP itself in 2016.

During the Tokyo election, Koike kept quiet about her right-wing, pro-militarist views. She is a senior member of Nippon Kaigi, the ultra-nationalist organization that seeks to whitewash the crimes of Japanese imperialism in the 1930s and 1940s. It opposes gender equality as well. Abe, the majority of his cabinet, and many other lawmakers, are also members of Nippon Kaigi.

Along with this organization, Koike advocates the revision of Article 9 of the constitution to allow a standing army and the ability to wage war overseas. She supports visits to the Yasukuni war shrine, which symbolically inters the dead from Japans past conflicts, including 14 class-A war criminals.

After the Tokyo election, Koike stepped down as head of her party, ostensibly to focus on being governor. However, she is likely attempting to use her partys victory to pursue her goal of becoming prime minister. She previously ran for LDP president in 2008 before supporting Abes rival Shigeru Ishiba in the post four years later.

Tomin First is not the first regional party to gain country-wide prominence. A plethora of parties and independents have emerged to exploit the widespread disgust and alienation from the major parties. None of them has any solution to the deepening economic and social crisis confronting the majority of working people.
US Senator Republican Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania defended the attack on health care being spearheaded by the Trump Administration at a closed door, invite-only appearance in Harrisburg which was broadcast live on a local ABC affiliate Wednesday night.

Toomey was one of 13 US Senators which met in secrecy to craft the Senates version of a bill to repeal and replace Obamacare.

The Senate bill, the Better Care Reconciliation Act, closely mirrors a version of the bill which was passed by the House earlier this year. Among other reactionary measures the bill contains devastating cuts to Medicaid, the government health care program for the poor, disabled and elderly, effectively ending it as a guaranteed entitlement for the approximately 75 million Americans who currently rely on it.

While Wednesday nights event was billed as a Town Hall meeting, there were only eight carefully chosen audience members who were allowed to ask questions along with a few people patched in remotely by ABC affiliates in other parts of the state.

Hundreds of Pennsylvania residents and opponents of the health care bill were blocked from entering the television studio where the event was being staged. Six protesters were arrested while they chanted for Toomey to come outside and speak with them.

The closed character of the event allowed Toomey to present false statements about the health care bill and sidestep questions about its impact without any opposition.

In response to the moderators opening question referring to those protesting outside the studio and about the proposed cuts to Medicaid, Toomey said that in the Senate bill we dont disqualify anybody from eligibility, stating that the billions of dollars in cuts to Medicaid will establish a balance in which the federal government and the state governments each pay their fair share.

In the first of the carefully screened questions, Alisa Packer of Camp Hill, Pennsylvania, a clear opponent of the Senate plan, noted the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) analysis which estimates that 22 million people will lose health insurance under the Senate plan, that Medicaid would be cut by 26 percent and that tax cuts to the rich will provide $274 billion to the top 2 percent.

How does any of this help Pennsylvanians get better or more affordable health insurance or help to lower the cost of our medical care and prescriptions? Packer demanded.

Toomeys response was to dismiss the CBOs estimates saying that it was based on wildly speculative assumptions which I think are unlikely to come to pass. The moderator then quickly moved to another question without requiring Toomey to address the substance of her question, the massive tax cuts for the rich or the impact of the bill on Pennsylvania residents.

A report by the Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center notes that repeal of the Affordable Care Act, commonly referred to as Obamacare, would lead to 1.1 million people in the state losing health insurance and an additional 3,425 premature deaths each year. The report also noted that over 137,000 health care providers will lose their jobs and that hospitals in urban centers and rural areas may be forced to close.

Other studies of the potential impact of both the Senate and House health care bills confirm these findings with experts pointing to the very large impact of these cuts on rural areas where hospitals, health clinics and doctors would not able to continue.

The very next question, asked by Jeffrey Zick of Hop Bottom, a Green Party member, completely avoided Toomeys attack on health care, not even mentioning it. Instead Zick asked if Toomey would support the use of medical marijuana, which the senator said he would. It is telling that a member of the Green Party would be used to move the topic off of health care and the attack being spearheaded against the working class.

Having put the impact of the health care bill to bed in just the opening minutes of the event, a series of questions allowed Toomey to expand on his right-wing agenda of massive attacks on social spending, including even deeper cuts to healthcare, a vast expansion of the military, attacks on immigrants, cuts in taxes for the wealthy and cutting health, environmental and safety regulations.

In answer to a question about military spending, Toomey called for a massive increase in the already immense budget, stating, I am in the camp that we have allowed pressure from our discretionary spending budget to undermine the resources we ought to be committing to our defense budget. We have too few ships, we have too few airplanes flying.

In response to a question about campaign finance reform pointing out that Toomey himself received 82 percent of his funding from PACs and the wealthy, Toomey deployed the same twisted logic as the Supreme Court in its Citizens United decision arguing that campaign finance reform would be an attack on free speech.

A number of questions brought up the opioid epidemic which is both sweeping the country and having a devastating impact in Pennsylvania.

Cregg Christy from Altoona asked what would be the cost to society as a result of cuts to opioid treatment funding contained in the Senate bill. Again Toomey was allowed to sidestep the question saying that Medicaid would be allowed to provide opioid treatment but ignoring the fact that with the massive cuts in funding under his bill, there would be less money to cover the costs of treatment.

In response to a question sent in over Facebook asking the senator why he refused to have public face-to-face Town Hall meetings, Toomey again dodged the issue insisting that he has continuous contact with people throughout the state.

Toomeys response to a question near the very end of the event was the most revealing. Asked how he was going to live up to the Republicans promise to cut entitlement programs, Toomey argued that the attack on Medicaid, which he is pushing in the Senate and was developed behind closed doors, should be the way to reform, i.e. dismantle, Social Security and Medicare, two programs which are overwhelmingly popular and which millions of elderly Americas rely on to stay alive.

Referring specifically to Social Security and Medicare, Toomey complained that they are crowding out other categories, we mentioned earlier on in the show how much the defense budget has been squeezed down. It is because of the growth of these programs.
As the Trump administration seeks to place its offensive against North Korea and China at the centre of the two-day G20 summit of world leaders that begins in Hamburg, Germany, today, trade conflicts will be very much present.

The most explosive issue is whether the US takes action under 1962 legislation that allows the president to limit steel imports on national security grounds. This has been described as the nuclear option on trade.

The US administration has been considering a report ordered by Trump in April on the impact of steel imports. It was initially thought the president would make an announcement on whether to invoke the legislation before the G20 met, but a decision has been delayed until after the summit.

While Chinese imports are the main target, any measures will also hit European steel producers, amid warnings such action would provoke retaliatory action by the European Union. Speaking on conditions of anonymity, a French official told reporters in a briefing on the summit that if measures were directed against European exports, we would obviously react very quickly, and we are getting prepared.

The Trump administrations threatened measures on steel, part of its America First agenda, are being driven by major US steel corporations, with the support of the steel industry trade union bureaucracy.

Speaking to Bloomberg, John Ferriola, the chief executive officer of Nucor, the largest US steel producer, said that for US steel firms to make the necessary return on capital they needed to operate at 8587 percent capacity. This meant that imports should occupy 1015 percent of the market. At present, imports make up about 26 percent of the US market.

Apart from China, the countries most affected would be Brazil, Canada, South Korea and members of the European Union. China maintains that its exports to the US are largely lower-grade steel, which US firms do not want to produce.

The steel issue is only the sharpest expression, to this point, of a much wider conflict that goes to the very nature of trade relations among the major powers.

This underlying conflict broke into the open at the G20 finance ministers meeting in March when US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin vetoed communique wording that spoke of the need to resist protectionism.

Since then, a form of words has been used at other high-level economic meetings, including the G7 summit in late May, to cover up the breach by referring to free trade that is fair and mutually beneficial. Some variation of this wording is likely to be adopted at Hamburg.

While the drafters of the G20 communique haggle over the wording, however, the differences are widening as evidenced by the US withdrawal from the Paris climate change accord. Following the G7 summit in May, German Chancellor Angela Merkel declared that the days when Europe could rely on others were over to some extent and we Europeans must really take our destiny into our own hands.

The differences with the US have become even more explicit since then.

Last week, Merkel predicted very difficult talks over trade and climate change at the G20 meeting and spoke of obvious disagreements with the US. Whoever believes the problems of this world can be solved by isolationism and protectionism is making a tremendous error, she told the German parliament.

In an interview with Die Zeit, published on Wednesday, Merkel elaborated further. While we are looking at the possibilities of co-operation to benefit everyone, globalisation is seen by the American administration more as a process that is not about a win-win situation but about winners and losers, she said.

The Trump administration is particularly targeting Germany, China and, to some extent, Japanthe countries with the largest trade surpluses with the USinsisting that the present global trade order is working to their benefit at the expense of the US.

On the European side, in the lead up to the German elections in September, Merkel is under pressure from the opposition social democrats, who are calling for a more aggressive stance against the US. On Wednesday, SPD parliamentary leader Thomas Oppermann urged Merkel to isolate Trump at Hamburg, saying appeasement would lead to the erosion of Western values.

The growing tensions between the US and Europe were underscored on Wednesday when the European Union and Japan announced overall agreement on a trade deal. Both sides have agreed to the broad framework of a pact, with many details still to be worked out.

The timing of the announcement, on the eve of the summit, was highly significant. Negotiations have been underway for more than four years and many issues have still to be ironed out. The announcement was made in order to send a clear message to the US.

Claudia Schmucker, head of the globalisation program at the German Council on Foreign Relations said: In my view it will be 19 against one at the G20, and the European Union will try to take over the role of the US in respect to trade. Its a direct answer to what Trump stands for.

The EU-Japan talks were effectively put on hold while Japan negotiated with the Obama administration over the Trans-Pacific Partnership. But Trumps scuttling of the TPP, in one of his first presidential acts, and the breakdown of negotiations between the EU and the US over a trade and investment agreement, clearly led to decisions in Tokyo and Brussels to push ahead.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF), has tried to tread a fine line between the conflicting interests of the US, Europe and other major powers. In a briefing note to the summit, IMF head Christine Lagarde said that while growth prospects for the world economy were strengthening, they could be jeopardised without greater co-operation.

In remarks directed to the US, she said no country is an island and called on the G20 to strengthen the global trading system and reaffirm our commitment to well enforced rules.

On the other hand, reflecting the Trump administrations criticism of Germanys persistent trade surpluses, she called for Germany to undertake greater public spending. A more expansionary fiscal stance in Germany would raise potential output and have positive spillover effects to other euro area economies where there is still cyclical slack.

Such calls for a greater balancing of the world economy will fall on deaf ears. The Trump administration will take no notice of pleas to reverse its America First agenda, any more than Germany will ease its constrictions on government spending and the maintenance of budget surpluses, which it regards as the foundation of its economic and financial strength.

The G20 became the premier global economic forum following the 2008 financial crisis, with pledges to promote greater collaboration. Almost a decade on, it has become a battleground for the assertion of the economic interests of each against all.
The Zambian president, Edgar Lungu, invoked article 31 of the constitution granting emergency powers and abridging democratic rights on Thursday. Lungu is trying to secure his grip on the country amid a deepening economic and political crisis.

Under the Preservation of Public Security Act the police can detain anyone without trial, ban public meetings, censor publications, and forcibly move populations. The emergency measures must be ratified by the National Assembly within seven days, and renewed by the assembly regularly thereafter.

These sweeping measures were enacted on the flimsy reason of combating vandalism of strategic installations bordering on economic sabotage. The immediate pretext was a fire Wednesday that burned down a city market in the capital, Lusaka. Lungu presented this as part of a string of alleged arson cases over the past year.

In the immediate aftermath of the city market fire, members of the presidents Patriotic Front (PF) accused the opposition United Party for National Development (UPND) of being responsible. Although he did not name the UPND, Lungu said the intention of the arsonists was to make the country ungovernable.

For their part, members of the UPND accused the PF of setting the fire to justify the emergency measures.

Whatever the actual source of the fire, it is being used by Lungu as a means of cracking down on political opposition and preparing the police to forcibly suppress any mass protests that erupt over new austerity measures being planned as part of a new International Monetary Fund loan. The real target of emergency measures to ban public meetings or close newspapers is not criminal arsonists, or the businessmen leading the UPND, but social opposition in the working class.

The leader of the UPND, Hakainde Hichilema, ran against Lungu in the tightly contested elections in 2015 and again in 2016, and accused Lungu both times of rigging the election.

August 2016 saw violent clashes between the supporters of both parties, particularly after the government suspended The Post, one of the few independent newspapers in the country. Hichilema has been seeking to overturn the election result through the courts without success.

In April, Hichilema was arrested on absurd treason charges, a capital offense, after Hichilemas motorcade failed to pull over and let Lungus pass while they were both on their way to a traditional ceremony. According to police, it endangered the presidents life when Lungus motorcade passed Hichilemas, thus justifying the charge of treason.

Refusing to recognize Lungus presidency, 48 UPND members of parliament boycotted the presidents address to the National Assembly in June, and were suspended for 30 days. They are set to resume their seats in the 166-member legislature on July 12.

Since the restoration of multi-party democracy in Zambia in 1991, the ruling capitalist parties have generally resolved their disputes within the electoral system. The recent shift to dictatorial, police-state measures points to the deep economic and social crisis within the country.

Since its existence as the British colony of Northern Rhodesia, Zambia has relied economically on the export of copper to the world market; copper today remains 75 percent of the countrys exports. The collapse of copper prices after the 2008 world economic crisis hit the country hard, and even though prices have rebounded slightly, it continues to trade well below its historic high.

Even when copper prices spiked, that wealth went to enrich a thin layer of international companies and Zambian intermediaries after the entire industry was privatized in 1999. The poverty rate in Zambia remains around 60 percent of the population and hunger, malnutrition, and anemia are widespread.

Health care remains a particularly sharp expression of social inequality. At the peak of the AIDS epidemic in 2003, life expectancy fell to the lowest in the world at just 33 years.

Initial privatizations and austerity measures sparked a wave of strikes among public sector workers and miners. In 2001, 90 percent of the countrys civil servants went on strike. Disputes between heavily exploited miners and international corporations regularly break out into violence.

Zambia has been seeking a $1.6 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) since 2014 in order to cover its budget deficit. Final agreement on the loan has been delayed so no candidate would have to be associated with massively unpopular budget cuts. A taste of future measures was given in June when Zambias public energy company ZESCO raised rates 75 percent.

Lungu directly connected the emergency measures to the IMF loan, telling reporters: I don't think the IMF would like to see this country go up into flames. The measures we are taking are intended to safeguard the IMF program, if it comes to be.

The actual political differences between Lungu and Hichilema are rarely discussed in the press, but under the current crisis have become particularly sharp.

Lungus predecessor, Michael Sata, was elected in 2011 by appealing to popular outrage over working conditions in Chinese-run mines. He particularly exploited the shooting of 11 miners by two Chinese managers in October of 2010.

First elected in 2015 to finish out Satas term after he died in office, Lungu softened the governments anti-Chinese posturing and sought increased investment in the countrys mines. Between 2000 and 2016, bilateral trade between Zambia and China has skyrocketed from just $100 million to $4 billion.

During the 2016 campaign, Hichilema picked up the anti-Chinese mantle and included a call for bringing back the hated Anglo-American company to invest in Zambias mines. Anglo-American withdrew their investments from Zambia in 2002 claiming they could not make the mines profitable.

Hichilema and Lungu are both in agreement that they need to cut social spending in Zambia in order to secure the IMF loan and attract foreign investment, but they disagree over how much of that investment should come from China and which of them should profit from the deals.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - A Tallahassee man has been arrested on several counts related to child porn.

According to an arrest report, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement started an online investigation for offender sharing child pornography.

During the investigation, they were able to pick out an IP address that had download child pornography and was sharing it with others.

The document says that in June, investigators were able to get information about the owner of the IP address, who was identified as Larry "Tony" Hartman.

On Thursday, the Leon County Sheriff's Office, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and the FDLE searched Hartman's residence.

They found a computer in Hartman's bedroom that had 15 files indicative of child pornography.

When interviewed, Hartman admitted to downloading and viewing child pornography, saying that he "hated" himself for it.

He is being held in the Leon County Jail on a $85,000 bond.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - At the heart of Leon County lies the state's Capital City.

Rich in political history, 2.35 million people from 47 different states and 36 countries visited Tallahassee last year, according to Visit Tallahassee.

But for those who've done the circuit and are searching for something new, look no further than The Grove next to the Governor's Mansion.

Undergoing extensive renovation for the past seven years, The Grove served as the home of two Florida governors and opened a few months ago as a museum.

This 10 acre plantation contains a 10,000 square foot mansion, a private cemetery, and a beautiful park full of old oak and magnolia trees. The site served as a family home, a hotel, and now a museum.

"The Grove Museum tells the story of the Call and Collins families in context of American history," says Jonathan Grandage, the Executive Director of The Grove. "It was important for us to show how this family, this place and it's people impacted the history of Tallahassee, the history of the region, and also the state of Florida, and the history of the United States."

According to Grandage, Governor Richard Keith Call, the third and fifth governor of the Florida Territory, purchased the 640 acres just north of Tallahassee and built the Greek revival style home as a tribute to his wife in the 1830s.

Ellen Call Long, the oldest child of Mary and Richard Keith Call, took control of The Grove in 1851 and lived in the house until her death in 1905. During that time, The Grove evolved into the social center of Tallahassee.

"They would have May Day parties, like what we do now Springtime Tallahassee, so often would have parties, parties for kids," explains Grandage.

Ellen's granddaughter took control of the estate in 1904 until her death in 1940. During the Great Depression, she turned it into a hotel to earn income and provide lodging for people, many of them while in town for the legislative session.

"We have sources tell us it was a very lively atmosphere, that Reinette was very keyed into issues of the day and people would come here to meet and discuss those issues," says Grandage. "We know that Reinette was a Bohemian type woman, smoked cigars and had a pet parrot, and more of a different atmosphere than the more Victorian woman in her family that lived here before that."

The final private owner of the home was the great-granddaughter of Governor Call, Mary Call Darby Collins, and her husband Thomas "LeRoy" Collins. They purchased The Grove from her aunt in 1942. While he lived at The Grove, LeRoy Collins served as Florida's 33rd Governor from 1955 to 1961. During the years of 1955 and 57 when the new Governor's Mansion was being built, The Grove functioned as the Governor's Mansion.

Grandage explains,"This is a pen given to LeRoy Collins by President Lyndon Johnson upon the signing of the civil rights legislation in the middle part of the 1960s. He was involved in the Johnson administration during the passage of the 1964 Act, which we call generally the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and also in 1965 what became known as the Voting Rights Act."

This was Governor LeRoy Collins' office, down here in the basement of the house. The State has kept it exactly how it looked when he lived here....with his desk, books, and even his "I love Grandad" picture frame.

"Today we have the room arranged exactly how it was when he passed away in 1991 so visitors can experience his personal book collection, all of the photographs that he chose to put on the walls, the hats that he used, or even the chays lounge that he took a nap on in the afternoon," said Grandage.

The Collins sold the estate to Florida in 1985, with the agreement that upon their death, the state would turn it into a history museum. When Mrs. Collins died in 2009, the state began a complete restoration of the home.

"It involved structural work, upgrading the house for accessibility for all visitors, and then all things to bring the story to the public by fabricating exhibits, staging some rooms, and helping to tell the story of this family through traditional museum means and interactive technology as well," recounted Grandage.

Like any restoration of a historic home, crews discovered some interesting artifacts.

"We took up old flooring tiles and underneath were hand prints from the kids, so children of Governor and Mrs. Collins, while poured concrete slab down in this basement in 1947" stated Grandage.

Whether it's through the hands of those that built it, the feet of those who walked it, or the eyes of those who now visit it, The Grove will forever be in the heart of Leon County.
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As the US-led coalition tightens the noose around ISIS in Syria, President Bashar Assad's Iranian-backed troops are also seizing back territory from the militants with little protest from Washington, a sign of how American options are limited without a powerful ally on the ground.

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Washington is loath to cooperate with Assad's internationally ostracized government. But it will be difficult to uproot ISIS militants and keep them out with only the Kurdish and Arab militias backed by the USand a coalition spokesman pointed out that Assad's gains ease the burden on those forces.

Photo: Reuters

Letting Assad grab ISIS territory, however, risks being seen as the US legitimizing his continued rule and would likely strengthen his hand in his war against the already struggling rebellion. It also threatens to further empower Assad's allies, Iran and the Lebanese Hezbollah, which both have forces alongside his troops in the assault into ISIS-held territory.

Within the Trump administration, there is a split over whether to aggressively try to stem Assad's advances, said a senior US official, who wasn't authorized to speak to reporters and requested anonymity.

Army Col. Ryan Dillon, the spokesman for the anti-ISIS coalition, said Syrian government forces are welcome to reclaim ISIS-held territory and fill the vacuum once the extremist group is gone.

The statement was startlingeven more so because soon after President Donald Trump this week warned Assad he would pay "a heavy price," claiming "potential" evidence that Syria was preparing for another chemical weapons attack.

President Trump (Photo: AP)

The mixed messages reveal a discomfiting fact that most policy makers would rather not spell out: Assad is a pariah but he is also a convenient tool to secure and govern territory in majority-Arab cities in a complex terrain.

The situation in Syria is a contrast to Iraq, where the coalition and the Iraqi government, working hand in glove, appear to be on the verge of retaking the main ISIS redoubt in city of Mosul.

The Syrian government has repeatedly suggested that everyone is welcome to work with it to defeat ISIS.

Mohammad Kheir Akkam, a Syrian lawmaker, questioned US support for the Kurdish-led forces "despite the fact that the Syrian-Russian cooperation has achieved more results in combating terrorism," while US efforts have "had the opposite result."

The US so far has shunned any cooperation with the Syrian leader, whom Trump described as an "animal." Instead, it has partnered with local Kurdish and Arab forces known as the Syrian Democratic Forces, or SDF.

US forces training Kurdish rebels (Photo: EPA)

Those fighters are currently spearheading the assault on ISIS' self-declared capital, Raqqa in northern Syria, and then face the prospect of assaulting the group's final major stronghold to the southeast, in Deir el-Zour.

But US support for the Kurdish-led group has angered Turkey, which views it as an extension of a Kurdish insurgency within its own territory. The SDF is also viewed with suspicion by the predominantly Arab residents of Raqqa and Deir el-Zour.

Furthermore, the SDF, numbering around 50,000 fighters, is already risking overstretch and is in no way ready for the more challenging battle in Deir el-Zour.

Assad and his Iranian allies, on the other hand, have steadily positioned themselves in key areas on the flanks of the US-led war against ISIS, grabbing territory on several fronts, including on the outskirts of Raqqa and Deir el-Zour. With Russian and Iranian support, Assad has made steady gains and now controls almost all of Syria's major cities except those held by ISIS.

The symbolism was striking this week as a smiling Assad paid a visit to central Hama, driving his own car, and to a Russian air base in western Syria, where he posed alongside Russian generals and inside the cockpit of a Russian SU-35 fighter jet.

Russian su-34 in Syria (Photo: EPA)

Syrian troops have positioned themselves on Raqqa's southwestern flanks, and officials have vowed to retake the city eventually.

The US has insisted that the city should be handed over to a local council that would handle its administration post-liberationand it has made clear it will not tolerate the Syrian government and its allies cashing in on the fight. US forces recently shot down a Syrian aircraft as well as drones believed connected to Iranian-supported forces as tensions escalated near a base where the coalition trains Syrian rebels.

But the senior American official said there was significant disagreement about how aggressively the US should try to prevent Assad from reclaiming the territory ISIS vacates, with some in the White House pushing a more forceful approach while the State Department and the Pentagon warn of the risks.

Syrian President Bashar Assad visiting a Syrian Air Force base in Latakia (Photo: AFP)

Keeping Assad's territory to a minimum would ensure his hand isn't strengthened in an eventual political deal to end the conflict, making it more likely the US could deliver on its longstanding desire to see him leave power. Limiting his control in eastern Syria would also prevent Iranian-backed forces from securing a wide corridor through Iraq to Syria and all the way into Lebanon.

The more risk-averse voices in Trump's administration are wary about letting the US slip into a more direct fight with Assad, the official said.

Dillon, the coalition spokesman, told reporters at the Pentagon that the US goal is to defeat ISIS wherever it exists. If others, including the Syrian government and its Iranian and Russian allies, want to fight the extremists, "we absolutely have no problem with that."

Frederic C. Hof, director of the Atlantic Council's Rafik Hariri Center for the Middle East, said the comments reflect the narrow US view of the Syria war, focused very specifically on the neutralization of ISIS.

In the coalition view, "It is all about killing ISIS in Raqqa." Hof wrote in an article this week. "Creating conditions that would keep it dead? That, presumably, would be someone else's job."
Thousands of soldiers from the IDF's Nahal Infantry Brigadeincluding the 50th, 931st and 932nd battalionsconducted a multiday, brigade-level combat exercise in the Golan Heights this week, which ended on Thursday.

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The exercise, which began at the beginning of the week, simulated a ground maneuver in the Gaza Strip, which was on a bigger scale and would've gone deeper into enemy territory than the ground operation during Operation Protective Edge. During the summer 2014 war, it was the Nahal Brigade that first went into the Gaza Strip, taking over the outskirts of Beit Hanoun and Beit Lahia.

IDF's Nahal Infantry Brigade (:  " | :  )

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During the exercisewhich was overseen by IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Gadi Eisenkotsoldiers simulated a number of combat exercises including offensive scenarios and maneuvers such as overtaking a residential neighborhood and clearing high-rise buildings, similar to the conditions in Gaza City and other cities in the northern part of the strip.

Photo: IDF Spokesperson's Unit

Photo: IDF Spokesperson's Unit

During the last 24 hours of the exercise, soldiers conducted other drills simulating combat in the north of the countryterrain similar to that of Lebanonthat is marked by rocky, open ground.

In addition to soldiers from the Nahal, tanks from the Armored Corps' 401st battalion, combat engineers, UAVs and IAF warplanes took part in the joint maneuvers.

Photo: IDF Spokesperson's Unit

The brigade training will continue in the coming weeks, following which the Nahal battalions will be deployed for operational duty.

"The soldiers understand now more than ever the kind of challenges that await them in the next war, because the exercise included quite a few challenges they were familiar with and also some they weren't, surprises we prepared for them," Lt. Col. Oren, the commander of the brigade's reconnaissance battalion, told Ynet.

Photo: IDF Spokesperson's Unit

"Because of the weather, we did our training primarily at night and mostly rested during the day," he went on to say, noting the exercise concluded without any safety incidents thanks to limitations put on training because of the high temperatures.

Photo: IDF Spokesperson's Unit

Photo: IDF Spokesperson's Unit

Lt. Col. Oren's reconnaissance battalion will be entrusted with dealing with Hamas's tunnels in Gaza in the next conflict.

Photo: IDF Spokesperson's Unit

"Every soldier in the brigade touched upon the world of tunnels in one way or another during this exercise," he said. "The reconnaissance battalion soldiers drilled mapping and investigating tunnels, going into them and fighting inside them with the aid of robots and special systems."
HAMBURG - The Group of 20 leaders' summit got underway Friday in the German port city of Hamburg in the wake of clashes between police and protesters, with terrorism, global trade and climate change among the issues on the agenda.

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The meeting comes at a time of major shifts in the global geo-political landscape, with US President Donald Trump's "America First" policies pushing Europe and China closer together.

Trump will meet Russia's Vladimir Putin for the first time on Friday afternoon, an encounter that will be intensely scrutinised following allegations by US intelligence agencies that Moscow meddled in the US election to help Trump win.

Trump and Merkel meet in Hamburg (Photo: AP)

Trump's bilateral with Putin was scheduled to take place just 15 minutes after the start of the discussion on climate, a scheduling conflict that could complicate a deal.

The summit also brings together Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping at a time when Washington is ratcheting up pressure on Beijing to rein in North Korea after it test-launched an intercontinental ballistic missile and threatening the Chinese with punitive trade measures.

Merkel welcomes Russian President Putin to the summit (Photo: AP)

The host, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, said she hopes to find "compromises and answers" on a range of issues at the two-day meeting of leading industrial and developing nations. While there's little disagreement on fighting terrorism, prospects of finding common ground on climate change and trade look uncertain since Trump entered the White House half a year ago.

"Merkel, as the G20 host, must not sacrifice ambition for unity. Instead, we need a G19 commitment to climate action that demonstrates the intent to implement and even go beyond what 195 nations agreed to in Paris," said Jennifer Morgan of Greenpeace, referring to the climate accord Trump has pledged to leave.

Merkel welcomes Indian Prime Minister Modi to the summit (Photo: AP)

Facing her own election in two months, Merkel met with Trump for one hour at a hotel in Hamburg on Thursday evening to try to overcome differences that envoys have been unable to settle in weeks of intense talks, including a last minute trip to Washington by the chancellor's top economic adviser.

The two leaders shook hands and smiled for the cameras, showing none of the tension that hung over their first two meetings, in Washington in March and on Trump's first trip to Europe in May. After that, the usually cautious Merkel said the United States was no longer a reliable partner and urged Europe to take its fate into its own hands.

Merkel welcomes Japanese Prime Minister Abe to the summit (Photo: AP)

"There is quite a delicate balance that Angela Merkel will have to navigate in a way, because it is not clear that being confrontational won't just create even more of a credibility problem for G20 cooperation," Indonesian Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati told Reuters in an interview.

Merkel welcomes French President Macron to the summit (Photo: AP)

A senior German official involved in the talks said he expected negotiators would be working around the clock to try to break the deadlock before Saturday, the final day of the summit.

On climate, sources told Reuters that US officials were pushing for a mention of fossil fuels as a viable alternative to cleaner energy sources and that the Europeans were resisting. In addition to the United States, Saudi Arabia was proving difficult to get on side.

Merkel welcomes Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau to the summit (Photo: AP)

On trade, the sources said that Washington was backtracking on language condemning protectionism that Trump agreed to at a Group of Seven meeting in Sicily in late May.

Hanging over the trade discussions is a threat by Washington to use a Cold War-era law to restrict steel imports based on national security concerns, a step that would hit the Chinese as well as partners in Europe.

Merkel welcomes British Prime Minister May to the summit (Photo: AP)

German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel suggested on Thursday that the measures could trigger a transatlantic trade war.

Violence on the streets

Merkel was born in Hamburg and she chose the city, a trading hub that helped launch the career of the Beatles, to send a message of openness.

The summit is being held only a few hundred metres from one of Germany's most potent symbols of left-wing resistance, a former theatre called the "Rote Flora" which was taken over by anti-capitalist squatters nearly three decades ago.

As leaders arrived on Thursday, riot police fired water cannon at a group of about a thousand black-clad protesters who hurled bottles in a demonstration organizers had dubbed "Welcome to Hell."

Clashes between protesters and police in Hamburg (Photo: EPA)

Clashes between protesters and police in Hamburg (Photo: Gettyimages)

Some 20,000 police from all of Germany's 16 states have been deployed on the streets of Hamburg. They will be facing off against up to 100,000 protesters, including an estimated 8,000 who police say are prepared to use violence.

Clashes between protesters and police in Hamburg (Photo: Reuters)

Clashes between protesters and police in Hamburg (Photo: Gettyimages)

Police said that at least 76 officers were hurt in skirmishes with protesters, with one officer taken to a hospital with an eye injury after a firework exploded in front of him.

Man injured in clashes between protesters and police in Hamburg (Photo: Reuters)

On Friday morning, dozens of protesters attempted to block cars from accessing the summit, being held at the trade fair grounds in downtown Hamburg, but they were quickly thwarted by police.

Further away in the city's Altona district, police said people set several parked cars alight and attacked a police station, though the situation quickly calmed down.

Clashes between protesters and police in Hamburg (Photo: AFP)

The G-20 comprises Argentina, Australia, Brazil, China, Germany, France, Britain, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Canada, South Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, the United States and the European Union.

Also attending the summit are the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Guinea, Senegal, Singapore and Vietnam.
HAMBURG - President Vladimir Putin said on Friday that Russia planned to keep cooperating with other countries to harmonise global energy markets and reduce price volatility.

The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and other producers led by Russia agreed to cut oil production by almost 1.8 million barrels per day (bpd) from January this year to rein in inventories and support prices. The deal runs to March 2018.

Putin, speaking at an informal meeting of BRICS nations in Hamburg where a Group of 20 summit is underway, also said that Moscow viewed the Paris climate change agreement as a basis for long-term cooperation.

Putin said last month he believed there was still time to get a global climate change deal done despite U.S. President Donald Trump saying he was pulling his country out of the Paris pact.

Russia has signed the Paris climate pact, but has not ratified it yet.
Islamic militants unleashed a suicide car bomb and heavy gunfire on an Egyptian military checkpoint in northeastern Sinai Peninsula on Friday, leaving 23 security troops including a special forces colonel dead and wounding at least 33, authorities said.

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The officials initially put the death toll at 10. They later told The Associated Press that more bodies were retrieved from the rubble of a demolished building at the site. This makes it one of the deadliest attacks in the volatile peninsula this year.

The officials said the blitz attack began when a suicide car bomber rammed his vehicle into a checkpoint at a military compound in the southern Rafah village of El-Barth, followed by heavy gunfire from dozens of masked militants on foot.

The dead included a high ranking special forces officer, Col. Ahmed el-Mansi, and at least 33 others were wounded in the attack. Ambulance sirens were heard from a distance as they rushed to the site.

Egyptian troops near Rafah in the Sinai Peninsula (Photo: AP)

On his official Facebook page, Army spokesman Tamer el-Rifai confirmed the attack and said that 26 army personnel were killed or injured in the attack, without providing a breakdown. He also said the army foiled attacks targeting a number of other checkpoints in southern Rafah and that 40 militants were killed.

No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack. However, Egypt in recent years has been battling a stepped-up insurgency in northern Sinai, mainly by militants from an Islamic State group affiliate.

Security officials said the militants arrived at the site of the checkpointlocated in a remote, deserted areain some 24 Land Cruiser SUVs. The militants opened fire on the soldiers with machine guns for nearly half an hour, they said. The force at the compound is estimated at 60 troops.

After the attack, the militants looted the checkpoint, taking weapons and ammunition. It was unclear if they took over armored vehicles as well.

Witnesses said that they saw Apache helicopters carrying out airstrikes across Rafah after the attack.

The next army compound is an hour's drive, which left the soldiers with no support except for local, armed tribesmen from Tarabeen who have their own small checkpoints nearby.

The area of the attack is an IS stronghold and the location of fierce battles in the spring between the tribesmen and militants.

Officials told the AP that some senior officers have voiced opposition to the location of the checkpoint, arguing that it has no real cover.

While failing to seize territories, ISIS militants in Sinai have a strong presence in western and southern Rafah, the outskirts of Sheikh Zuweid, and inside the residential area of the Sinai's largest city, El-Arish.

Over the past months, ISIS has focused its attacks on Egypt's Christian minority and carried out at least four deadly attacks that killed dozens, prompting army chief-turned-President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi to declare a state of emergency in the country. However, the restive northeastern Sinai has been under a state of emergency since October 2014 after Islamic militants killed more than 30 soldiers in a single attack.

The Sinai branch of the Islamic State group appears to be the most resilient outside Syria and Iraq, where the so-called caliphate is witnessing its demise. The group's offshoot in Libya has been uprooted in months-long battles in the central city of Sirte while its branch in Yemen has failed to seize territories or compete with its al-Qaeda rivals.
Israel slammed a UNESCO resolution passed on Friday declaring Hebron's Old Cityand with it the Cave of the Patriarchsas a Palestinian World Heritage Site.

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In response to the decision, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu decided to cut another $1 million from the membership fees Israel pays the UN and use that money instead to build a museum of Jewish heritage in Kiryat Arba and Hebron, as well as promote other heritage projects in the city.

This is the fourth time the State of Israel has reduced its funding to the UN in protest of anti-Israeli decisions.

Prime Minister Netanyahu (Photo: Avihu Shapira)

Israel cut $6 million in January in protest of UN Security Council Resolution 2334, which condemned Jewish settlement construction in the West Bank; $2 million in late March in protest of "hostile resolutions" adopted by the UN Human Rights Council; and $1 million in protest of a previous UNESCO decision failing to acknowledge Jewish ties to Jerusalem.

After the four cuts, Israel will only pay the UN $1.7 million a year in contributions. The cuts leave Israel in arrears to the UN, and it risks losing its voting rights at the world body.

Netanyahu protested the fact UNESCO determined the Cave of the Patriarchs was a Palestinian site, "meaning not Jewish... Is this not a Jewish site?! Who's buried there? Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Sara, Rebecca and Leah. Our patriarchs and matriarchs!"

The Cave of the Patriarchs (Photo: Medabrim Tikshoret)

The prime minister also took issue with the declaration of the site as a world heritage site in danger. "Only where Israel is present, like in Hebron, the freedom of religion for all is guaranteed," Netanyahu said. "In the Middle East, mosques, churches and synagogues are being blown up everywhere elsewhere Israel is not present. We will continue protecting the Cave of the Patriarchs, the freedom of religion for all, and we will also continue protecting the truth."

President Reuven Rivlin asserted the decision "once again proves this is a body determined to continue spreading anti-Jewish lies, while at the same time sticking to its silence while the regional heritage is being erased by brutal extremists."

A spokesman for Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the decision was a "moral blot" on UNESCO. "This irrelevant organization is promoting fake history. Shame on UNESCO," said spokesman Emmanuel Nachshon.

Israel's Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon called the vote "a disgraceful decision that destroys any shred of credibility UNESCO had left," adding that "this grave attempt to cut the ties between Israel and Hebron and the graves of the fathers and mothers of our people is an ugly move, which is offensive to the Jewish people."

Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman condemned the decision, calling UNESCO "a politically biased, disgraceful and anti-Semitic organization, which passes outrageous decisions."

"No resolution from this irrelevant organization can hurt our thousands of years old historical right over the Cave of the Patriarchs, or our right over Israel," Lieberman added, further saying he hoped the US helps defund UNESCO.

Defense Minister Lieberman (Photo: Motti Kimchi)

"This decision also proves, once more, that the Palestinian Authority is not looking for peace, but rather to incitement against and besmirching of Israel in the world," the defense minister concluded.

Education Minister Naftali Bennett said in a statement that "Jewish ties to Hebron are stronger than the disgraceful UNESCO vote."

Education Minister Bennett (Photo: Motti Kimchi)

Bennett went on to say he was disappointed to see "how UNESCO, time after time, denies history and distorts reality to serveknowinglythose who try to erase the Jewish state off the map."

He declared that "Israel will not resume cooperation with UNESCO as long as the organization is being used as a tool for political ends rather than a professional body."

Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked joined the chorus of condemnation, saying the resolution "is another stain on the international organization and on each of the countries that voted in favor of it."

She noted that "The Cave of the Patriarchs and Hebron are not just Jewish heritage sites, but also sites over which the people of Israel have a historical, possessory and legal right, based to international law as well."

Justice Minister Shaked (Photo: Motti Kimchi)

Shaked vowed to "work to ensure our right over these important sites will be realized."

Tourism Minister Yariv Levin took issue with the fact "the hypocrites and history deniers sitting in UNESCO had decided this time to erase Abraham, the father of the Jewish nation, from history. Just as one cannot erase the Bible and all that had taken place in the Cave of the Patriarchs, our historical and eternal right over the Land of Israel and specifically over Hebron and the Cave of the Patriarchs cannot be erased either."

Levin called on his fellow government ministers to approve a series of moves in the Cave of the Patriarchs that have been delayed for a long time, including putting roofing over the Jewish prayer area.

Tourism Minister Yariv Levin (Photo: Gil Yohanan)

Minister of Science, Technology and Space Ofir Akunis called UNESCO's decision "stupid, false and pathetic."

"This embarrassing decision has no significance, and no lie could change the 4,000 years long connection between the Jewish people and Hebron and Jerusalem, or our right over our country," Akunis added.

Transportation Minister Yisrael Katz took comfort in the fact that "When no one remembers what UNESCO was anymore, Jerusalem will still be Israel's eternal capital."

Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan lamented there was "no end to hypocrisy. The Palestinians continue their campaign of incitement and lies using UNESCO... while ISIS is destroying heritage sites in Aleppo, Palmyra, Mosul and elsewhere, UNESCO chooses to focus on Hebron and the Cave of the Patriarchs that never were and will never be in danger for as long as the State of Israel exists. You can't rewrite or erase history. Abraham paid for the Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron in full and it has always been our forefathers' place of burial."

Both deputy ministers Tzipi Hotovely and Eli Ben-Dahan dismissed the credibility of the decision, saying even if the Palestinians came up with absurd resolutions, such as declaring the sun rises in the west or the world was square, UNESCO would still adopt it.

Deputy Foreign Minister Hotovely briefs foreign ambassadors ahead of the UNESCO vote.

Hotovely called the decision "a badge of shame for UNESCO, which time after time chooses to stand on the side of lies," further vowing that "Israel will not surrender to historic distortion and will continue the fight against the bias of UN institutions."

Ben-Dahan, meanwhile, asserted that "fortunately, the majority of the world, including the Muslim world, understands one cannot just erase the rich past of a people and a nation and replace it with made-up and rewritten history of a made-up Palestinian people."

The heads of the Land of Israel Lobby at the Knesset, MKs Yoav Kisch (Likud) and Bezalel Smotrich (Bayit Yehudi), said in a joint statement the UNESCO decision was "no less than the denial of history. Hebron is the first Hebrew city, and the Cave of the Patriarchs is the burial plot for the forefathers of the people of Israel."

The two, who are members of the coalition but not of the government, called on the ministers "not only to reject the UNESCO decision, but also clarify with actions that Hebron and the Cave of the Patriarchs are the heritage sites of the people of Israel."

Members of the opposition also slammed the decision, with Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid calling the vote "a despicable falsification of history," adding that "at best (it) stems from utter ignorance and at worst from hypocrisy and anti-Semitism."

Settlers call on government to take action

The Yesha Council, which represents Israeli settlers in the West Bank, also slammed the decision, saying, "Hebron is Judaism's second holiest site, denying 4,000 years of Jewish history is pure anti-Semitism."

"UNESCO prefers to disseminate outlandish conspiracy theories that paint Israel in a bad light, than to do its mission and defend the truth. The revisionist history being churned out of UNESCO only strengthens our resolve in Judea and Samaria to keep building a better future for generations to come," said Oded Revivi, the chief foreign envoy of the Yesha council.

The Jewish settlement in Hebron also issued a statement condemning the decision, calling it a "delusional, ridiculous and anti-Semitic decision, typical of the hate-filled ignorant group in UNESCO."

"The Cave of the Patriarchs is the foundation of Jewish history, where the first 'Israel' in the world is buried, and the magnificent structure over it was built by Jews 2,000 years ago, hundreds of years before the appearance of Islam," the Kiryat Arba settlers said in their statement.

"Unlike the time of the Muslim occupation, there is now freedom of access and worship to members of all faiths, and the place is safe and protected," the settlers added.

They called on the Israeli government to stop funding for UNESCO and use this funding to bolster Hebron instead.

Furthermore, the settlers called to renew school trips to the Cave of the Patriarchs; build a visitor center for tourists at the site; improve conditions at the site by building an elevator for the disabled and installing roofing for worshippers; and ,finally, to approve Jewish construction and development in Hebron.
In characteristically confident fashion, Trump said he and the Russian leader were holding "very, very good talks" as journalists were briefly allowed in to witness part of their meeting in Germany. Seated with an American flag behind him, Trump appeared informal and relaxed and said it was "an honor" to be with Putin.

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"We look forward to a lot of very positive things happening for Russia, for the United States and for everybody concerned," Trump said.

Trump and Putin meet in Hamburg (Photo: AP)

Trump offered no details about what issues he and the Russian leader had discussed, describing them only as "various things." Putin was similarly vague, telling reporters through a translator that they were discussing international problems and bilateral issues.

Still, Putin described the fact that they were meeting as a positive sign in itself, and he said he hoped the meeting would "yield positive results."

"Phone conversations are never enough definitely," Putin said. "If you want to have a positive outcome in bilaterals and be able to resolve most international policy issues, that will really need personal meetings."

Then the leaders shook hands firmly but briefly before reporters were escorted out of the room. Trump did not respond to shouted questions about whether they would discuss Russia's meddling in the US electiona topic lawmakers in Washington have been demanding that Trump raise directly.

Both kept their composure amid the commotion of cameras clicking and journalists lobbying questions as anxious aides moved about nearby. The US leader's son, Donald Trump Jr., took to Twitter to say the noise from the cameras made it difficult to even hear the two leaders' words.

"How many pictures do you need of the same scene?" he said.

Photo: AP

The heavily anticipated meeting is being closely scrutinized for signs of how friendly a rapport Trump and Putin will have. Trump's predecessor, President Barack Obama, had notoriously strained ties to Putin, and Trump has expressed an interest in a better US-Russia relationship.

But deep skepticism about Russia in the US and ongoing investigations into whether Trump's campaign coordinated with Moscow during last year's election have made a US-Russia detente politically risky for Trump.

The White House said that 35 minutes had been allotted for the meeting, which also included Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Putin, slightly hunched in his chair, rubbed his fingers together as he listened to Trump address reporters during the public portion of their meeting.

In a prelude to their formal sit-down, Trump and Putin shook hands and exchanged broad grins earlier Friday in a brief exchange caught on video as a leaders' retreat got under way in Hamburg. A brief video clip showed Trump outstretching his hand to Putin as officials gathered around a table, then patting Putin's elbow as both men smiled. In another clip, Trump casually patted Putin on the back as they stood side by side.

Video of the brief exchange was posted to Facebook by the German Cabinet. It was the first known in-person interaction between the two men.

Trump and Putin shake hands at G-20 (: Bundesregierung)

X

Trump alluded to the campaign controversy as he started the day with a jab at his vanquished Democratic opponent, Hillary Clinton. He wrote on Twitter that "everyone here is talking" about her campaign chairman's "disgraceful" response after the FBI discovered Democratic Party computers were hackeda breach later blamed on Russia.

Outside the summit site, anti-globalization protesters were causing problems for first lady Melania Trump, who was kept from joining other leaders' spouses for their own program of events. Mrs. Trump's office said local police hadn't cleared her to leave the government guest house where she and Trump were staying because of the protests, in which demonstrators set dozens of cars ablaze.

In the lead-up to the meeting, Trump used a speech in Warsaw on Thursday to voice a list of grievances about Russia. He urged Putin's government to "cease its destabilizing activities in Ukraine and elsewhere and its support for hostile regimesincluding Syria and Iranand to instead join the community of responsible nations in our fight against common enemies and in defense of civilization itself."

But much of the focusboth in Washington and Moscowwill be on whether Trump broaches the issue of Russia's meddling in the election. Putin, a former Russian intelligence agent, is known to come to high-profile meetings like this well-prepared.

In a news conference before he flew to Germany, Trump again refused to unequivocally accept the conclusion by multiple US intelligence agencies that Russia interfered to try to help Trump win last November. Trump said it could have been Russia, but that other countries could have meddled, too.

"Nobody really knows for sure," Trump said.

The list of issues facing the two countries ranges from Syria to Iran to Ukraine, and now North Korea, following Pyongyang's test this week of a missile capable of striking the US.

Russia wants the US to return two compounds in New York and Maryland that were shuttered by the Obama administration as punishment for election meddling. It also wants the US to ease Ukraine-related sanctions. The US seeks a resumption of adoptions of Russian children by American parents, an end to harassment of US diplomats and other measures.

US lawmakers demand Trump be tough on Putin

In Washington, Trump has been under intense pressure from both parties to confront Putin over the election interference. Several senior Democratic US senators served notice in a letter Thursday that Trump would be in "severe dereliction" of his presidential duty if he fails to make clear that Russia's interference in US democracy will not be tolerated.

"The upcoming elections cannot be a playground for President Putin," said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and others, including the top Democrats on the Intelligence, Armed Services, and Foreign Relations committees.

And Rep. Adam Kinzinger, an Illinois Republican and House Foreign Affairs Committee member, said this week that he will "raise holy hell" if Trump goes soft on Putin.

The Putin tete-a-tete was Trump's highest-profile meeting while at his first G-20 summit, but not the only with a nation whose relationship with his administration has been rocky.

Pena Nieto of Mexico had been scheduled to visit the White House shortly after Trump took office, but scrapped the trip at the last minute to protest Trump's insistence that Mexico pay for the border wall he has vowed to build to deter illegal immigration. Pena Nieto insists Mexico won't pay.

Asked by a reporter as their meeting started whether he still wanted Mexico to pay, Trump said: "Absolutely."

The Putin meeting came midway through a hectic, four-day European visit for Trump, who addressed thousands of Poles in an outdoor speech in Warsaw, Poland, on Thursday. He met in Germany with Chancellor Angela Merkel, the summit host, and had dinner with two Asian alliesJapanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and South Korean President Moon Jae-into discuss North Korea's aggression.
Outgoing Labor leader Isaac Herzog and MK Erel Margalit, both of whom lost in the first round of the primary election for the party's leadership, announced Friday they are backing MK Amir Peretz in the second round next week.

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The second round of the chairmanship primary will be held on Monday, pitting the veteran Peretz against newcomer Avi Gabbay.

Peretz, who led in the first round by a margin of more than five percent over Gabbay, has served as the leader of the Labor Party before, and with the support of both Herzog and Margalit is considered the leading candidate for party leadership.

Herzog (R) and Peretz (Photo: Motti Kimchi)

"Amir's overall experience, his security, diplomatic, social and economic recordthe combination of all of thisare what tipped the scales," Herzog wrote on Facebook, calling on his supporters to vote for Peretz.

Herzog stressed he "did not ask for anything and did not receive anything" in return for his support.

"I insisted on three principles: preserving the Zionist Union, that is, (Labor's) unity with Hatnua Party as well as Tzipi Livni's position as chairman of Hatnua, and a commitment to work to establish a bloc headed by us to replace the Likud Party and (Prime Minister) Netanyahu," he explained. "I was happy that Amir Peretz agreed to all these conditions and I will make efforts to implement them."

Margalit (L) and Peretz (Photo: Yariv Katz)

"The connection between us is the story of the entire country," Margalit said in a press conference announcing his support of Peretz. "He was born in Morocco. I was born in Kibbutz Na'an. He grew up in a ma'abara (refugee camp) in the south, and I grew up in Karmiel in the north. He has been in politics all his life, (while) I was an entrepreneur and came to politics only a few years ago. We are completely different, (and) seemingly we have nothing in common. But we, together, are the real Israel."

"I decided to support Amir Peretz not because of the place he came from, but because of where he is going," Margalit added, lauding Peretz's vision of a social and secure future for Israel, saying he believes and connect with Peretz's vision of a place "where there is no incitement but acceptance, no separation but connection, a place that Netanyahu destroyed and we, together, will rebuild."

Gabbay and Peretz (Photo: Yoav Dudkevitch, Abigail Uzi)

Peretz expressed his gratitude to both Herzog and Margalit, saying their support feels like a "joint trek up a mountain."

"As Erel said, 'the leftists are coming back.' They were and remain (relevant) because it's not just a slogan," said Peretz, thanking Margalit for his support. "This is a man who decided that in order to fight for the future, we must fight for identity.

"I am a leftist, because to me it (means) security, peace, social justice, human dignity, democracy, defense of the court of law and recognition of the other, recognition of the fact that we are the Jewish majority in the State of Israel and that the moral responsibility of being a majority is to know to protect the minority."

Peretz then thanked Herzog for his support. "He was the chairman of the party and this is a dramatic decision. As Erel Margalit is an important and central partner, Herzog is certainly an important and central partner, and I intend to examine some of the ideas he presented.

"We will try to expand the Zionist Union and bring in additional groups."
The Islamic militant Hamas group, which rules the Gaza Strip, has denounced the attack earlier in the day in Egypt's Sinai as a "terrorist" assault.

The condemnation came just hours after Islamic militants killed 23 Egyptian troops and wounded 33 at a checkpoint near Egypt's border with Gaza on Friday.

Hamas' spokesman Fawzi Barhoum says the group considers the attack in Sinai "a criminal, a terrorist, and a cowardly attack that doesn't target Egypt only, but the security and stability of the entire Arab nation."

Hamas has been trying to improve ties with neighboring Egypt and is currently creating a buffer zone on its side of the Gaza-Egypt border to curb militant crossings.

Egypt has accused Hamas of fomenting unrest in the region and aiding the insurgency in the northern Sinai Peninsula, especially in the aftermath of the 2013 ouster of Islamic President Mohammed Morsi, who hails from the Muslim Brotherhood organization. The Brotherhood is considered the mother group of Hamas.

Egypt and Israel have imposed a blockade on Gaza since Hamas seized power there in 2007.
Britain's foreign minister Boris Johnson arrived in the Middle East on Friday to meet representatives from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait in a bid to heal a rift between Qatar and other Arab states.

Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt, and Bahrain broke diplomatic relations with Qatar last month and launched a drive to boycott the gas-producing state, which they accuse of supporting terrorism and allying with regional foe Iran.

"The Foreign Secretary will urge all parties to get behind Kuwait's mediation efforts, which the UK strongly supports, and work towards de-escalation and Gulf unity for the sake of regional stability," the foreign office said in a statement.

"He will also discuss a range of security and bilateral issues with a particular focus on working together to address the common threats of extremism, radicalisation and terrorism."
The United States, Russia and Jordan have reached a ceasefire and "de-escalation agreement" in southwestern Syria, one of the combat zones in a six-year-old civil war, Washington and Moscow said on Friday.

The ceasefire will go into effect at noon Damascus time (0900 GMT) on Sunday, US and Russian officials said.

The deal was announced after a meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin at the G20 summit of major economies in the German city of Hamburg.

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the area covered by the ceasefire affects Jordans security and is a very complicated part of the Syrian battlefield.
YORK  The La Leche League of York will once again host their Baby and Toddler Photo Display in the newly air conditioned Mercantile Building at the York County Fair Aug. 3 to 6, Thursday through Sunday.

To enter the contest, provide one snapshot / photo per child (one child per photo, please) maximum 4 x 6 with entry fee for each photo. Please enclose information (PRINTED) with the childs name, birth date, parents name (or person providing information) with address and phone number of who to notify. Please state if you do or dont want the photo returned. If photo is to be returned, include a self-addressed, stamped ample sized envelope. Mail or deliver: 1) picture(s), 2) $3 entry fee(s), 3) information, 4) SASE; to Baby & Toddler Display, 711 North Maine, York NE 68467. An entry form is not required when the information is printed with fee, photo and data. The entry deadline is Friday, July 28, 2017. Please attach the same information to the back side of each photo

entered. The deadline may be extended IF ample space is open through Sunday, July 30.

The public is invited to vote in the MERCANTILE Building at the La Leche League booth. The cost is a penny per vote. One dollar equals 100 votes. Awards will be given in two age groups: 5 prizes for

Birth  12 months; 5 prizes for 13 - 36 months. Age group determined on Aug. 1, 2017. First place awards  $100 York Chamber Check for each age. Publicity and entry forms are provided in main businesses, most banks, some libraries throughout York County towns.

Proceeds will benefit the La Leche League of York, a non-profit organization, offering education and support to pregnant and nursing women. Breast-feeding literature, DVDs, and other resources are available from accredited volunteer leader, Gloria, at (402) 362  6875 or turnbull@inebraska.com during the month. Babies welcome, THIRD TUESDAY, 7 p.m. at monthly meetings, lower level of the York Medical Building, 2222 N. Lincoln Ave.
Zabka, Warszawa, 166 m2

Lokal znajduje sie w budynku apartamentowym Unimax Development w inwestycji Viva Vitolin, przy ul. Grochowskiej 87 w Warszawie. Bedzie dostepny w 4Q 2023 roku (podpisanie umow przeniesienia wasnosci).
Patna: With the CBI filing a case against Lalu Prasad Yadav, his wife Rabri Devi and son Tejashvi in connection with the alleged irregularities in the railways tender allotment case, pressure has now increased on Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to review his party's ties with RJD.

Importantly, the Chief Minister has called a meting of his top officials in Rajgir to deliberate on the current political situation.

According to reports, State Chief Secretary, Home Secretary and DGP are among those who have been summoned by the Chief Minister for the meeting.

Within hours of the CBI action, the demand for sacking Tejaswi Yadav - a minister in Nitish Kumars cabinet  has come from the main opposition party, BJP.

Hitting out at the Bihar CM, BJP's Giriraj Singh stated that Nitish Kumar cannot remain a mute spectator now. He will have to speak out and state his stand clearly. Now, Nitish Kumar has to decide if he wants to stay with Lalu Prasad, who is already a convict in corruption case, he added.

Meanwhile, his BJP colleague Sushil Kumar Modi too urged Nitish Kumar to break his silence and sack Tejashwi Yadav as deputy CM.

Earlier also, Sushil Modi had demanded sacking of Lalu Prasad's minister sons - Tejashwi and Tej Pratap - from Bihar government after the Income Tax Department charged six family members of the RJD chief under anti-benami assets Act in connection with its probe into alleged land deals worth Rs 1,000 crore.

In the present context, the most pertinent question is whether the Bihar CM would review his party 'Janata Dal (United's) ties with RJD in the wake of developments and corruption allegations levelled against Lalu Yadav and his family members.

Since one of the persons named in the FIR is none other than Lalus son Tejaswi Yadav, the opposition will continue to make pressure on Nitish Kumar for immediate action against him.

However, the larger question now is: will the CBI raids rupture ties between Nitish and Lalu leading to the disintegration of the Bihar 'Mahagathbandhan'.

There were earlier reports of Nitish mulling to end ties with Lalu Prasad Yadav in the wake of serious corruption charges against him and his family members.

Nitish Kumar's decision to go against the decision of 17 opposition parties and support NDA presidential nominee Ram Nath Kovind was also met with criticism and seen in that context.

The political muck surrounding the RJD chief and his family after a series of raids by the Enforcement Directorate, the I-T Department and now CBI is now damaging the 'corruption-free' tag of Bihar Chief Minister.

Probably BJP leader Sushil Modi saw signs of widening cracks inn the Bihar grand alliance which is why he said that he will not be surprised if the 'Mahagatbandhan' collapses.

Both Nitish and Lalu had been bitter political opponents for over two decades but came together in 2015 during the Bihar assembly polls and trounced BJP.

Nitish was then accused by the Opposition of showing rank opportunism for tying up with Lalu, one of the rare political leaders convicted by a court of law in a corruption case.

The coalition government began on a good note but a slew of allegations and CBI raids on the Lalu family spoiled the show soon. Lalu is facing four separate trials in fodder scam cases in which regular hearing is taking place since the Supreme Court ordered in May this year that the trials must be completed within nine months.

Recently, the Income Tax and Enforcement Directorate have carried out a series of raids at properties allegedly belonging to Lalus family members through benami transactions.

Lalus daughter Misa Bharti and her husband are also under lens.

Lalus son and Bihar deputy chief minister Tejaswi Yadav is accused of holding a bungalow in Delhis New Friends Colony as a benami property. Tejashwis brother Tej Pratap allegedly held control of a prime property and petrol pump in Patna, licence for which was recently cancelled by a public sector oil marketing firm.
New Delhi: Financial institutions should not resort to coercive action for recovery of loans from farmers in case of crop failure and the government should intervene in such cases, the Supreme Court said today.

The apex court said the government's approach should be preventive rather than compensatory and it should "travel the last mile" to reach out to the farmers.

The remarks were made by a bench of Justices Dipak Misra and A M Khanwilkar while dealing with a PIL filed by farmers from Tamil Nadu.

"Financial institutions should not resort to coercive action for recovery of loans from farmers in case of crop failure. Government should step-in if there is any coercion," the bench said.

The apex court said that government's job is to prevent farmer's suicides and not to distribute compensation.

It said that government's approach towards the agrarian crisis should be preventive, rather than compensatory.

The bench asked Additional Solicitor General P S Narasimha to devise a mechanism where farmers can go to the government seeking help, if financial institutions take coercive action against them for loan default due to crop failure.

It said the government should take the administrative action to get rid of the middlemen, who purchase produce from farmers at throwaway prices, and buy their crops at least on minimum support prices.

Narasimha said the present situation has undergone a sea change from earlier times, with the government bringing in Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana by which farmers are compensated at a minimum premium.

He said under the insurance scheme now, the burden of premium was being shared by both the state and farmers.

To this, the bench retorted saying it does not want to know about insurance business, but common sense and prudence says that in the present case, it cannot be a premium-based business and such a stand should not drive the government's policies.

The ASG said that government has devised multi-pronged strategy to increase the income of farmers and ensure their security by insurance scheme.

"Job of the executive is to ensure that farmers suicide does not happen. It should be dealt just at the ground level. This should not happen at all," it said.

Narasimha said there are Reserve Bank of India guidelines to the banks for re-collection of loans in case of farm crisis.

One of the counsel representing farmers said they commit suicide when banks or financial institution like cooperative societies resort to coercive actions for even small loan defaults, which hurt their dignity.

Amicus curiae Gopal Shankar Narayan supported the arguments and said it cannot be denied that financial institutions resort to coercive action at the ground level.

The bench said that coercive action by financial institutions cannot be taken by suspension of process of law.

The bench posted the matter for further hearing on August 4, asking the state government to file a detailed reply.

The apex court had on May 3 said that there should be "affirmative action" of the Tamil Nadu government to provide relief to the families of those farmers who committed suicide.

The court made it clear that it is not treating the plea seeking relief for farmers in the state as adversarial but participatory and would not go into the figures of farmers who have committed suicide.

The apex court had asked the state government to specify the steps taken to create awareness on Minimum Support Price (MSP) on 26 crops so that farmers do not rely on middlemen who come at their doorsteps to sell their produce.

It had also asked the government to inform it about steps it intended to take to set up mandis and open procurement centres on time within the acceptable radius to farmers.

The state government had said that steps are being taken to set up awareness camps and measures have also been taken to have mandis which are easily accessible.

The Tamil Nadu government had earlier told the court that a total of 30 farmers have committed suicide across the state in 2016-17 and it was taking appropriate measures to deal with the situation.

An affidavit filed by the state government before the apex court said that the kin of 82 farmers, including the 30 farmers who have committed suicide, have been give Rs 3 lakh each as ex-gratia from Chief Minister's Relief Fund.

It had said as per the reports compiled from information given by district collectors, 52 of the listed 82 farmers had died of various other reasons, but not committed suicide.

The affidavit said Tamil Nadu has faced the most severe drought in over 100 years and was adopting a proactive approach towards farmers it extended crop loans to the tune of over Rs 4,000 crore to over seven lakh farmers in 2016-17.
New Delhi: Despite simmering tension between New Delhi and Beijing over Doklam, the tri-junction of India, Bhutan and Tibet, the Indian government seems to be in no mood to withdraw its troops from the region.

China has earlier demanded the immediate and unconditional withdrawal of Indian troops as a pre-condition of talks on resolving complex border issues.

In a bid to increase pressure on India, the Chinese state-run media and its think-tanks have been warning India of serious military consequences if does not withdraw it troops from the Dokalm region, on which China claims its ownership.

Despite rising stridency in Chinese demands, Indian troops are digging in to protect the strategic topography that is just 30-km from a hydel project and overlooks the Bengal-Assam road link.

The hydro-electric project is located at Jaldhaka river at Jhalong which is not far from the border with Bhutan and is also a bridge for crossing over to the landlocked hill kingdom.

The Jaldhaka, along with Torsha river, flows into the Brahmaputra and is part of a tract of land that could come under pressure if the Chinese build the road they are planning through Doklam plateau in Bhutan.

The Siliguri corridor, and the town itself, will be vulnerable if China gets to dominate ridge lines which will allow its troops to literally sit astride Indian territory.

The road to Assam also runs through the narrow strip of territory that connects West Bengal to the northeast and any threat to it can snip the surface link from Bagdogra to Guwahati.

Given the importance of holding the current alignment and preventing China from altering this to its benefit, India is not likely to consider a pullout without some clear terms being arrived at first.

Though the Chinese are clearly annoyed at Indian troops stalling road work in an area that is near the tri-junction, Bhutan has strongly protested the intrusion on its territory.

On Thursday, a top Chinese foreign ministry official said in Beijing that The atmosphere is not right for a bilateral meeting, between the two leaders.

Replying to his remarks, India said there is no question of a conducive atmosphere or not because India did not ask for a meetin between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping during the G20 summit in Germany's Hamburg city.

The comments were made by an Indian govt official after Beijing ruled out a one-on-one between the two leaders.

Importantly, the G20 summit begins in Hamburg on Friday.

India has said Beijing's action to "unilaterally determine tri-junction points" is in violation of a 2012 India-China agreement, which says the boundary will be decided by consulting all concerned parties.

India and China share a little over 200-km border in the Sikkim sector.

China's state-run media on Wednesday in an opinion piece said that Beijing would be forced to use "military" to end the standoff in the Sikkim sector if India refuses to listen to the "historical lessons" being offered by it.
Hamburg: Leaders from the G20 nations, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, today called for concrete steps to check radicalisation, hiring and arranging of funds for terror activities through misuse of internet and social media.

On the first day of their Summit here, the leaders also asked private sector communication service providers to do the needful for removing hate content from the web.

Asserting that the rule of law applies online as well as offline, the G20 leaders issued a 21-point joint declaration on various steps needed to be taken to fight terrorism.

The leaders called for countering radicalisation conducive to terrorism and the use of internet for terrorist purposes.

The counter terrorism actions must continue to be part of a comprehensive approach, including combating radicalisation and recruitment, hampering terrorist movements and countering terrorist propaganda, the declaration said.

To fight terrorism, the declaration said G20 nations would work with the private sector, in particular communication service providers and administrators of relevant applications.

This is to "fight exploitation of the internet and social media for terrorist purposes such as propaganda, funding and planning of terrorist acts, inciting terrorism, radicalising and recruiting to commit acts of terrorism, while fully respecting human rights," the declaration said.

The G20 leaders also underlined that appropriate filtering, detecting and removal of content that incites terrorist acts is crucial.

"... We also encourage collaboration with industry to provide lawful and non-arbitrary access to available information where access is necessary for the protection of national security against terrorist threats," they said.

Sending out a strong message against terror activities, the G20 leaders stressed that countering terrorism requires comprehensively addressing underlying conditions that terrorists exploit.

"It is therefore crucial to promote political and religious tolerance, economic development and social cohesion and inclusiveness, to resolve armed conflicts, and to facilitate re-integration," the declaration said.

Noting that regional and national action plans can help in countering radicalisation conducive to terrorism, the leaders said knowledge on concrete measures would be shared to address threats from returning foreign terrorist fighters and home-grown radicalised individuals.

In recent times, many countries have been grappling with the problem of individuals returning from places like Iraq and Syria after terror training.

"We will also share best practices on deradicalisation and re-integration programmes including with respect to prisoners," it said.

Further, the G20 leaders said they would exchange best practices on preventing and countering terrorism and violent extremism conducive to terrorism.
Pakistan, NZ ready to battle in T20 World Cup 2022 semis at SCG
Chennai: A fire broke out in one of the rooms of the Income Tax office here on Friday, partially gutting some files and documents.



There was no casualty in the fire in the fourth floor room of the office and it was put out soon, a Fire and Rescue Service official said.



Some files and documents were partially damaged in the blaze, he said.



Sparks from an airconditioner was suspected to have triggered the fire, noticed in the evening when the staff were leaving the premises, the official told PTI.



The 10 x 10 ft office room had files, documents, two computers and an airconditioner.



The fire was brought under control in about ten minutes and put out soon thereafter by three fire tenders, he added.
Chennai: The Tamil Nadu government on Friday expressed concern over a Sri Lankan fisheries bill, saying it was aimed at preventing Indian fishermen from exercising their traditional fishing rights in the Palk Bay.

It urged the Centre to lodge its "strong protest" with Colombo against the legislation.

Drawing Prime Minister Narendra Modi's attention towards the bill, "reportedly introduced and passed in the Sri Lankan Parliament," Chief Minister K Palaniswami said it prohibited certain fishing methods including bottom trawling.

"It is widely reported in a section of media that under the provisions of the Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (Amendment) Bill, the fishing trawlers as well as fishing gear used for fishing in the Sri Lankan territorial waters will be confiscated, fishermen imprisoned for two years and huge fine upto 50,000 Lankan Rupees will be imposed," he said in a letter to Modi.

The Palk Bay was a "historic and traditional fishing area" of fishermen from Tamil Nadu." Their historical rights "were simply signed away as part of the ill-advised Indo-Sri Lankan agreements of 1974 and 1976 which also unilaterally ceded Katchatheevu to Sri Lanka without having any foresight or concern for the plight of our innocent fishermen," he said.

Consequently the right to livelihood of the state's fishermen, who historically and traditionally fish in the Palk Bay, continues to be infringed upon by Lankan authorities, Palaniswami said.

"The new bill reportedly introduced and passed by the Parliament of Sri Lanka is another retrograde step taken by the Sri Lankan Government to destroy the already paralysed livelihood of lakhs of our fishermen," he said.

The passing of the "ill-advised" bill came at a time when the ministers of India and Sri Lanka as well as the Joint Working Group on Fisheries had met only recently to resolve the Indo-Sri Lankan fishermen issues and therefore it was "shocking," he said.

He said this "unilateral move" by Colombo will "definitely hamper" the joint initiatives taken by the governments of the two countries on the fishermen issue.

"The legislation proposed is, in fact, a severe setback to the diplomatic efforts being taken to resolve the issue amicably," he said.

The bill is aimed at preventing the state's fishermen from exercising their traditional fishing rights in the fishing waters in which they have continued to fish for several centuries and will deny their fundamental rights conferred by the Constitution of India, he said.

"The move by Sri Lankan Government to introduce the bill at this crucial juncture of transition towards a permanent solution is nothing but a harsh step to undermine the diplomatic efforts being undertaken by the Government of India to sort out the sensitive issue," Palaniswami said.

A livelihood issue of this nature was better resolved through promotional and developmental measures to introduce alternative modes and technologies, and not through such abrupt bans and punitive measures, he said.

He urged the Centre to register its "strongest disapproval" of such move and organise an "effective defense of the rights of our fishermen in the Palk Bay."
Coimbatore: Bucking the trend of public stirs against liquor shops, a group of women staged a protest against shifting of an outlet from their village, saying the men would not be safe if they ventured far away.

About 50 women of Thaneerpandal village in Tirupur district staged a road roko yesterday, raising slogans against shifting or closing of a liquor outlet in their village, police said.

Their wierd logic was that their menfolk would be safe if the liquor shop was in the village or in the vicinity and that there was a possibility of danger to their lives if they went far away to consume liquor.

There has been a spate of anti-liquor protests in Tamil Nadu by public, who have demanded that outlets in residential areas be closed, citing nuisance created by the tipplers.

State run TASMAC has been forced to relocate several of its liquor shops, following the Supreme Court order, mandating that no outlets should be there within 500 meters of state highways.
Kolkata: A BJP delegation led by MP Roopa Ganguly was detained by police near Michael Nagar area when they were on their way to riot-hit Baduria area in North 24 Parganas district.

Ganguly and 19 party leaders were detained by the police close to the airport. After being detained, the BJP team was brought to the Airport police station.

"We told the delegation that they will not be allowed to go to Baduria, as per the decision of the administration.The situation is still tense, that is why nobody is being allowed to go there.

"But they were adamant and said either they will court arrest or will proceed forward. So we had to detain them," a senior police officer of Bidhanagar police Commissionerate said.

Michael Nagar is within the limits of Bidhanagar Police Commissionerate.

Earlier in the day, two teams of the Left and the Congress, scheduled to visit the riot-hit areas of Baduria were also stopped by the police, citing law and order situation.
Kolkata: In a shocking incident, a mob set ablaze at least 11 sand loaded trucks in west Midnapore of West Bengal on Friday after one of the trucks hit and killed a bike rider.

As per the ANI report, the incident took lace near Gurguripal of west Midnapore.

The police have rushed to the spot to take the situation under control after learning of the incident.
Kolkata: CPI (M) MP Mohammed Salim, who is leading a Left delegation to review situation in West Bengal's violence-hit Bashirhat over an objectionable Facebook post, was stopped by the authorities from entering the town.

According to ANI, the CPI-M MP was stopped 50-kms away from Basirhat, where there is a heavy deployment of security forces to prevent any untoward development.

As normalcy is returning to violence-hit areas of West Bengal, a delegation of opposition parties is due to visit the most turbulent area state to take stock of the current situation there.

Members of opposition parties including Congress, CPM and the BJP will be part of the delegation visiting the state today.

Fresh violence was reported in Bashirhat on Thursday after a man, injured in the clashes, succumbed to his injuries.

The Centre had earlier sent about 400 paramilitary forces to the state to control the violence.

Amid the BJP's worsening ties with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, party chief Amit Shah had yesterday formed a three-member delegation of MPs to look into incidents of communal violence in the eastern state.

The delegation, headed by senior party leader Om Mathur, and comprising New Delhi MP Meenakshi Lekhi and Baghpat MP Satyapal Singh, will visit violence hit areas of West Bengal to take stock of the ground situation.

The delegation will submit its report to Shah.

The members will coordinate with BJP General Secretary and in-charge of West Bengal Kailash Vijayvargiya and state BJP Chief Dilip Ghosh, an official statement of the party said.

The visit comes in the wake of communal clashes in Basirhat sub-division of North 24 Parganas district on Tuesday night over an objectionable Facebook post.

Several shops were vandalised, police vehicles torched and roads were blocked by mobs as violence erupted.

Ghosh has demanded imposition of President's rule in the state and to send central observers to assess the "deteriorating" law and order situation in the state.

The Chief Minister has accused the BJP of misusing social media to spread rumours leading to communal riots.
Hamburg: US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are set to size each other up in person for the first time on Friday in what promises to be the most highly anticipated meeting on the sidelines of the G20 summit.

Trump has said he wants to find ways to work with Putin, a goal made more difficult by sharp differences over Russia`s actions in Syria and Ukraine, and allegations Moscow meddled in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

That means every facial expression and physical gesture will be analysed as much as any words the two leaders utter as the world tries to read how well Trump, a real estate magnate and former reality television star, gets along with Putin, a former spy.

The fear is that the Republican president, a political novice whose team is still developing its Russia policy, will be less prepared than Putin, who has dealt with the past two U.S. presidents and scores of other world leaders.

"There`s nothing ... the Kremlin would like to see more than a (U.S.) president who will settle for a grip and a grin and walk away saying that he had this fabulous meeting with the Kremlin autocrat," Representative Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the House of Representatives` Intelligence Committee, said in an interview on MSNBC.

As investigations at home continue into whether there was any collusion between Trump`s presidential campaign and Russia the U.S. president has come under pressure to take a hard line against the Kremlin.

Moscow has denied any interference and Trump says his campaign did not collude with Russia.

On Thursday, Trump won praise from at least one Republican hawk in the U.S. Congress after his speech in Warsaw in which he urged Russia to stop its "destabilising activities" and end its support for Syria and Iran.

"This is a great start to an important week of American foreign policy," said Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, who has often been critical of Trump on security issues.

But earlier in the day, Trump declined to say definitively whether he believed U.S. intelligence officials who have said that Russia interfered in the 2016 election.

"I think it was Russia but I think it was probably other people and/or countries, and I see nothing wrong with that statement. Nobody really knows. Nobody really knows for sure, Trump said at a news conference, before slamming Democratic former President Barack Obama for not doing more to stop hacking.
Beijing: China has reacted after two United States long-range supersonic bombers flew over the disputed South China Sea, saying it opposes the use of military force by other countries as an excuse to harm Beijing's sovereignity.

"China resolutely opposes individual countries using the banner of freedom of navigation and over flight to flaunt military force and security," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said on Friday.

The statement came after the U.S. Air Force confirmed on Friday that two B-1B Lancer bombers from Guam had flown over the disputed waterway.

The tensions between China and U.S. increased even as Chinese President Xi Jinping is set to meet President Donald Trump on the sidelines of G-20 summit at Hamburg in Germany on Friday.

In retaliation, China has dispatched military vessels and fighter jets to warn off U.S. warship sailing near disputed, as reported by Russia Today.

A few days earlier, a U.S. warship reportedly sailed near a disputed island in the South China Sea.

The USS Stethem, a guided-missile destroyer, sailed within 12 nautical miles of Triton Island, part of the Paracel Islands in the South China Sea, a US defense department official said.
Hong Kong: China`s first aircraft carrier sailed into Hong Kong waters on Friday, its latest show of growing military might at a time of rising regional tension.

Tourists and residents gathered to catch a glimpse of the massive carrier on its maiden visit to Hong Kong, part of celebrations marking 20 years since the handover of the city from British to Chinese rule.

The Liaoning was accompanied by two destroyers and other ships from its strike group, with jet fighters and helicopters visible on the flight deck alongside hundreds of crew dressed in white uniforms.

Anchoring off Lantau island in the harbour`s outer reaches, the carrier was flanked by a protective cordon of marine police craft and a locally-based Chinese navy corvette.

Police boats sounded horns to prevent private vessels getting any closer than a few hundred meters of the Liaoning.

"The Liaoning`s visit shows that China is a militarily superior country," said Jack Chan, a retired businessman, who was watching the aircraft carrier from an oceanfront park.

Thousands of Hong Kong residents queued for hours on Monday for just 2,000 tickets for access to the vessel this weekend. Many left empty handed.

China`s first domestically built carrier was launched in April but is not yet operational.

`Military power`

Even though the former Russian naval ship is being used as a training vessel for China`s rapidly modernising navy, its recent voyages through tense regional seas have been closely followed in Hong Kong, which is more used to hosting US carriers and other foreign warships.

"Liaoning`s visit definitely gives the central government a chance to display its military power. It`s quite a positive and smart strategy to step up publicity overall," said Sean Moran, a tourist from the United States, as the ship passed on a blustery morning.

US consulate officials told Reuters they had yet to be invited on board the Liaoning. The US navy often hosts People`s Liberation Army officers on ships visiting Hong Kong, sometimes flying Chinese military chiefs to aircraft carriers.

The Liaoning`s most recent drills at the weekend included operations in the Taiwan Strait that were closely monitored by Taiwan`s military given recent tensions with Beijing, which regards the island as a breakaway province.

With its Soviet-era takeoff ramp distinguishing it from the ordinary Hong Kong traffic of container ships and bulk cargo vessels, the 55,000-tonne Liaoning steamed down the congested East Lamma channel shortly after dawn.

Significantly smaller than the US carriers that have long stopped in Hong Kong, the Liaoning started life as one of the Soviet Union`s last carriers under construction, before being sold by Ukraine as a stripped down hulk to private Chinese interests in 1998.

The vessel was later refitted in a Chinese shipyard in what was seen by foreign military analysts as a key early test of China`s naval modernisation.

The Liaoning began sea trials as China`s first aircraft carrier in 2011 and has more recently conducted fully integrated drills with its complement of J-15 jet fighters and a variety of support ships.
Beijing: Chinese students from the Uighur ethnic minority have been detained in Egypt in a broad police sweep that has shaken the country's sizeable Uighur student and expatriate community, activists have said.

Egyptian police have detained scores of Uighur students, including 20 from Cairo's Al-Azhar University who were stopped in the city of Alexandria on their way out of the country late on Wednesday and told they would be deported to China, said Abduweli Ayup, a Uighur activist in Turkey.

Ayup said he had heard directly from some of the detainees and their relatives.

The detentions come amid reports that authorities in the Uighur homeland of Xinjiang in western China are seeking the immediate return of Uighurs studying abroad.

Authorities in Xinjiang have significantly tightened security measures in the past year, as well as controls on religious expression, in what officials characterize as an "unyielding" campaign against Islamic extremism brewing in the region.

Overseas Uighurs and human rights groups say the measures have turned Xinjiang into a police state with widespread arbitrary detentions and invasive surveillance.

The detentions in Egypt, a popular destination for religious study among China's Muslims, were seen by activists as a possible sign that China's security crackdown in Xinjiang is extending its reach overseas.

A Chinese foreign ministry spokesman appeared to acknowledge yesterday that Chinese citizens had been detained in Egypt, saying at a regular briefing that consular officials would visit them.

He gave no further details.

Another activist, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals, said overseas groups had managed to move 60 Uighur students out of Egypt to safety in Turkey this week, but 20 were held while trying to fly to Dubai.

Lucia Parrucci, a spokeswoman for the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization advocacy group, said that a July 1 raid at the Asian restaurant in Nasr City caught 37 Uighurs, mostly student patrons and restaurant workers.

Unverified videos shared on social media purportedly showed more than 70 Uighurs sitting on a floor in a government building and others being driven in a truck in handcuffs.

Abdullah, an Asian student of Islam at Al-Azhar university, said Uighurs were being detained in the Hay el Sabia area of Cairo's Nasr City district.

He gave only his first name for fear of reprisals.
Mosul: Islamic State militants attacked a village south of Mosul, killing several people including two journalists, even as they were about to lose their last redoubt in the city to an Iraqi military onslaught, security sources said on Friday.



The assault on Imam Gharbi village appeared to be the sort of diversionary, guerrilla-style strike tactics Islamic State is expected to focus on as U.S.-backed Iraqi forces regain control over cities IS captured in a shock 2014 offensive.



Security sources said IS insurgents had infiltrated Imam Gharbi, some 70 km (44 miles) south of Mosul on the western bank of the Tigris river, on Wednesday evening from a pocket of territory still under their control on the eastern bank.



Two Iraqi journalists were reported killed and two others wounded as they covered the security forces` counter-attack to take back the village on Friday. An unknown number of civilians and military were also killed or wounded in the clashes.



The fighting forced the U.N.-affiliated International Organization for Migration to suspend relief operations at two sites where it houses nearly 80,000 people near Qayyara, just north of Imam Gharbi, a U.N. statement said.



With water trucks no longer able to reach the sites, the displaced people could run short of water at a time of midsummer temperatures well over 40 Celsius (104 Fahrenheit), it said.



In Mosul, IS clung to a slowly shrinking pocket on the Tigris west bank, battling for every metre with snipers, grenades and suicide bombers, which forced Iraqi troops to fight house-to-house in densely-populated blocks.



The Iraqi military has forecast final victory this week in what used to be the de facto capital of IS`s "caliphate" in Iraq, after a grinding eight-month, U.S.-backed offensive to wrest back the city, whose pre-war population was 2 million.



But security forces faced ferocious resistance from roughly several hundred militants hunkered down among thousands of civilians in the maze of alleyways in Mosul`s Old City.



Air strikes and artillery salvoes continued to pound Islamic State`s last Mosul bastion on Friday, a Reuters TV crew said.



Mosul was by far the largest city seized by Islamic State in its offensive three years ago where the ultra-hardline group declared its "caliphate" over adjoining parts of Iraq and Syria.



Stripped of Mosul, IS`s dominion in Iraq will be reduced to mainly rural, desert areas west and south of the city where tens of thousands of people live, and the militants are expected to keep up asymmetric attacks on selected targets across Iraq.



Adhel Abu Ragheef, a Baghdad-based expert on jihadist groups, said Islamic State was likely to carry out "more of these raid-type attacks on security forces to try to divert them away from the main battle", now in Mosul and then in other areas west of Mosul including near the Syrian border still IS control.



Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi declared the end of Islamic State`s "state of falsehood" a week ago, after security forces took Mosul`s mediaeval Grand al-Nuri mosque - although only after retreating militants blew it up.



Months of grinding urban warfare in Mosul have displaced 900,000 people, about half the city`s pre-war population, and killed thousands, according to aid organisations.



The United Nations predicts it will cost more than $1 billion to repair basic infrastructure in Mosul. Iraq`s regional Kurdish leader said on Thursday in a Reuters interview that the Baghdad central government had failed to prepare a post-battle political, security and governance plan.



The offensive has damaged thousands of structures in Mosul`s Old City and destroyed nearly 500 buildings, satellite imagery released by the United Nations on Thursday showed.



In some of the worst affected areas, almost no buildings appear to have escaped damage, and Mosul`s dense construction means the extent of the devastation might be underestimated, U.N. officials said.
Beijing: Heavy rains have caused flooding and landslides in central China's Hunan province, the worst natural disaster to hit the area in 60 years, killing several people and causing damage to property, officials said on Friday.

At least 44 people have been killed or are reported missing in Ningxiang County since June 22.

About 8.15 lakh people, or 56 per cent of the county's population, suffered property losses in the floods, state-run Xinhua news agency quoted local officials as saying.

In Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous region, to the south, flood has left 20 people dead and 14 missing.

Around 20,000 houses have collapsed or were damaged, it said.
Donetsk: Two explosions rocked the city of Lugansk in Ukraine's insurgent-run east today, killing one person and injuring seven today, said officials, considering them "acts of terror".

Lugansk is the main city of one of the two rebel- controlled areas in eastern Ukraine where violence has been uninterrupted since a pro-Russian separatist uprising in spring 2014.

The first explosion occurred around 12:30 GMT in the city centre, said Alina Zhivolup, spokeswoman for the communications ministry of the self-proclaimed Lugansk People's Republic.

"One woman died and five people were wounded and taken to hospital," she said.

A second blast "from an explosive device" went off nearby about an hour later, she added, injuring two more people.

"We consider both explosions acts of terror that were set off with the idea of causing a large amount of casualties among civilians," police spokesman Andrei Marochko told AFP, blaming the blasts on Kiev.

The conflict between the separatists and Kiev forces has already killed over 10,000 people and clashes continue across the frontline despite a number of ceasefires.

Kiev and the West accuse Russia of stirring up the conflict and sending troops and weaponry across the border.

Moscow denies the accusations, saying only that off-duty soldiers and volunteers have gone to fight in Ukraine.
Baghdad: Two Iraqi television journalists were killed by the Islamic State group while a third was trapped today in the same village south of Mosul.



IS infiltrated Imam Gharbi this week, seizing territory in the village and kidnapping civilians, prompting Iraqi forces to counterattack to try to oust the jihadists, officers said.



The attack by IS highlights what is likely to be a growing danger as the group loses more ground and increasingly returns to bombings and hit-and-run attacks that were its hallmark in past years.



"Colleague Harb Hazaa al-Dulaimi, correspondent for the Hona Salaheddin channel, and Sudad al-Duri, the cameraman for the same station, were martyred" in Imam Gharbi, the channel said.



Hona Salaheddin said that Mustafa Wahadi, another of its correspondents, was trapped in the village with the bodies of the two journalists who were killed.



Wahadi posted on his Facebook page -- which lists his last name as Ajeeli -- calling for security forces to rescue them, saying that none had arrived in the area so far.



"The situation around me is very dangerous" and "Daesh is very close," he wrote, using an Arabic acronym for IS.



"This may be my last post, maybe I will be killed," the journalist wrote.



Interior ministry spokesman Brigadier General Saad Maan confirmed two journalists were killed in the village and said that others were trapped in a house there along with police.



He said security forces were closing in but were slowed by IS snipers.



The deaths come after three journalists were killed and a fourth wounded by an explosion last month in Mosul, where they were covering the battle to retake the city from IS.
Hamburg: The United States, Japan and South Korea on Friday agreed to push for a quick U.N. Security Council resolution to apply new sanctions on North Korea after its test launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) this week.

Meeting at the G20 summit in Germany, U.S. President Donald Trump, South Korean President Moon Jae-in and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe promised to apply "maximum pressure" to counter North Korea`s nuclear threat.

The leaders "decided to press for the early adoption of a new UNSC resolution with additional sanctions to demonstrate to (North Korea) that there are serious consequences for its destabilizing, provocative, and escalatory actions," the three countries said in a joint statement.

Taking a major step in its missile program, North Korea on Tuesday test launched an ICBM that some experts believe has the range to reach the U.S. states of Alaska and Hawaii and perhaps the U.S. Pacific Northwest.

The United States has cautioned it is ready to use force if need be to stop North Korea`s nuclear missile program but said it preferred global diplomatic action.

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said on Wednesday she would propose new U.N. sanctions on North Korea. Security Council diplomats said on Friday the United States had not yet circulated a draft resolution to the 15-member council.

Following a nuclear weapons test by North Korea in September it took the U.N. Security Council three months to agree strengthened sanctions.
Washington: US warplanes have flown over the disputed South China Sea, the US Air Force said on Friday, a move aimed at asserting freedom of navigation rights in the hotly- contested area.

The flights come as both US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping attend the G-20 meeting in Hamburg.

A US B1-B bomber and two F-15 fighters with the Japan Air Self-Defense Force departed Guam's Andersen Air Force Base and flew over the neighbouring East China Sea late on Thursday, the US Pacific Air Forces Public Affairs office said.

This is "the first time US Pacific Command-directed B-1B Lancers have conducted combined training with JASDF fighters at night," the statement read.

When the bilateral operations concluded, "the B-1Bs proceeded to the South China Sea before returning to Andersen Air Force Base," the statement read.

It was not immediately clear when or if a second US B1-B bomber joined for the South China Sea leg of the operation.

The mission "demonstrates how the US will continue to exercise the rights of freedom of navigation anywhere international law allows," the US statement read.

"Flying and training at night with our allies in a safe, effective manner is an important capability shared between the US and Japan," said Major Ryan Simpson, Pacific Air Forces chief of bomber operations.

The joint military flight demonstrates US-Japanese "solidarity ... To defend against provocative and destabilizing actions in the Pacific theater," the statement added.

Beijing claims nearly all of the South China Sea, parts of which are also claimed by Taiwan and Southeast Asian nations including the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam.

China has rapidly built reefs in the area into artificial islands capable of hosting military planes.

China also lays claim to tiny islands in the East China Sea between Japan and the Korean peninsula, and between Japan and Taiwan.
YEREVAN, JULY 5, ARMENPRESS. Dilyana Gaytandzhieva, a Bulgarian journalist, who published a scandalous report on Azerbaijans supply of weapons for terrorists, gave an exclusive interview to ARMENPRESS.

-Is there any other information or another link about Azerbaijans illegal weapon distribution that you have not shared yet? And if there is more information related to that issue, are you going to publish them too?

-I have fact checked and published all the information that was leaked to me from the Azerbaijani Embassy to Bulgaria in my investigation. I have not spared anything or anybody. As a war correspondent, I have learned from my experience that the first victim of every war - this is the truth. I have not hidden or I am not going to hide or distort any fact related not only to Azerbaijan (in this particular investigation) but to all participants in the weapons supply to terrorists around the world. I saw on the ground in Syria many civilians dying before my eyes by the very same rockets distributed to the terrorists, as it turned out, on diplomatic flights. The world must know the truth. This is not only dirty business for money  this is business with the death of children and innocent people and it must stop immediately.

-How would you comment on these actions undertaken by Azerbaijani authorities towards transportation of illegal weapon in order to boost terrorist acts throughout the world?

-When I saw the leaked documents, I was shocked. I could not believe it is possible to happen  a state-run company to transport weapons under the cover of diplomatic flights, apparently with the assistance of the Azerbaijani Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The documents implicate Azerbaijan in international weapons supply for war conflicts around the world. This scheme has been working for at least three years now with the knowledge and assistance of Azerbaijans authorities which is appalling and shocking. It is not just one company, it is a whole state involved in international transport of weapons under the cover of at least 350 diplomatic flights, as the documents reveal, for the last three years.

-What do you think how should the international community and media as well respond to these documents and facts which certainly show Azerbaijani authorities eager participation in weapon proliferation?

-I urge the international community, the UN Security Council, the media organizations around the world to take immediate actions and investigate those facts. They are easily proven and if the great powers are honest and do want to fight terrorism, they must stop supplying weapons to the very same terrorists they claim to fight. This is the hypocrisy of the US and Saudi Arabia I am talking about  they are the main users of Azerbaijans diplomatic flights for weapons supplies.

-And what do you think about the possibility to impose sanctions against such illegal policy of Azerbaijan having an aim to prevent other activity similar to this in further?

-The UN must impose sanctions on every country involved in helping terrorism. The sad truth is that some permanent UN Security Council members themselves are involved in assisting terrorism. They call it aid for the moderate opposition. I have reported on the war in Syria since its beginning and since 2014 I have not seen moderate opposition on the ground there. How can an opposition be moderate when it is heavily armed and beheads people?!

Interview by Davit Mamyan
YEREVAN, JULY 6, ARMENPRESS. Tigran Davtyan  Director of the Financial Policy Department at the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC), highly appreciates the development of Armenia financial markets, especially that of the banking sector among the EAEU member states, reports Armenpress.

Following the round-table discussion on topic The Republic of Armenia two years in the Eurasian Economic Union: First results, Tigran Davtyan told reporters that according to the EAEU agreement labor force, capital, free movement of goods must be promoted for which currently works are being carried out to boost free access of stock brokers and dealers to other markets.

This means that the Armenian brokers can work at other markets without the registration of legal entities or receiving additional license. At the moment works are being done to ensure issuance of securities without additional registration. In terms of development of financial markets, Armenia is quite high among the EAEU member states, especially in the banking field. Of course, it must be used for the benefit of Armenias economy, however, we still need to carry out works to fully utilize it, Davtyan said, adding that currently the Armenian bank operates in Moscow stock exchange.

Commenting on rumors on creating a single currently in the EAEU states, he said its still too early to speak about it.

Introduction of common currency means refusal from monetary policy. No such sharp proposals have been made in the Commission, there was such an idea however it was not approved by the states because its too early to speak about it. The preliminary financial market must be established in 2020, maybe during that time we will think about it, the EEC official said.
YEREVAN, JULY 7, ARMENPRESS. The exclusive project of ARMENPRESS entitled Yerevan Bestseller brings the top ten bestselling books of Yerevan every week.

Mark Arens Where Wild Roses Bloom is this weeks bestselling book of Yerevan. The story describes the inner world of an Armenophobic Turkish former serviceman, when he, already an old man, suddenly hears a lullaby song that reminds him of his mother and later finds out that the song is in Armenian: realizing his parents were Armenians. He spends his remaining life searching the graves of his parents, without knowing that it was a misunderstanding.

Edgar Harutyunyans Unfound Chamomiles comes next. This is the second book of the author. Unfound Chamomiles is about human relationship, love, friendship and betrayal.

Oscar Wildes The Picture Of Dorian Gray is ranked 3rd in the bestselling list of the week. Dorian Gray is the subject of a full-length portrait in oil by Basil Hallward, an artist who is impressed and infatuated by Dorian's beauty; he believes that Dorian's beauty is responsible for the new mode in his art as a painter. Through Basil, Dorian meets Lord Henry Wotton, and he soon is enthralled by the aristocrat's hedonistic worldview: that beauty and sensual fulfillment are the only things worth pursuing in life.

Stefan Zweigs Collected Stories is ranked 4th. Zweig was an Austrian novelist, playwright, journalist and biographer. At the height of his literary career, in the 1920s and 1930s, he was one of the most popular writers in the world. The book was translated by Ara Arakelyan and Margarit Arakelyan.

The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas is ranked 5th in the list. It is a 2006 Holocaust novel by Irish novelist John Boyne. Unlike the months of planning Boyne devoted to his other books, he said that he wrote the entire first draft of The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas in two and a half days, barely sleeping until he got to the end.

Boys in Zinc by Belarusian writer and journalist Svetlana Alexievich is ranked 6th in this weeks bestselling list. Certain of her books won Nobel Prize. Hovhannes Ayvazyan translated the books into Armenia.

Edgar Kostandyans Kuku novel returns to the list and is ranked 7th.

Spencer Johnsons Who Moved My Cheese is 8th in the list of this week. Published on September 8, 1998, Who Moved My Cheese is a motivational business fable. The text describes change in one's work and life, and four typical reactions to those changes by two mice and two "little people," during their hunt for cheese. A New York Times business bestseller upon release, Who Moved My Cheese? remained on the list for almost five years and spent over 200 weeks on Publishers Weekly's hardcover nonfiction list. It has sold more than 26 million copies worldwide in 37 languages and remains one of the best-selling business books.

Animal Farm by George Orwell comes next. Animal Farm is an allegorical and dystopian novel, published in Englandon 17 August 1945. According to Orwell, the book reflects events leading up to theRussian Revolution of 1917 and then on into the Stalin era in the Soviet Union. Orwell, ademocratic socialist, was an outspoken critic of Joseph Stalin and, especially after experiences with the NKVD and the Spanish Civil War, he was actively opposed to the controversial ideology of Stalinism. The book is banned in China, North Korea, Burma and a number of Islamic countries.

Young author Narek Galstyans Akhparner (meaning brothers in Western Armenian) concludes the list. This is the authors first novel, which presents a history of a family who survived the Armenian Genocide. The book was published by Antares publishing house.

YEREVAN BESTSELLER presented by Angela Hambardzumyan

Bookinist, Hay Girk, Edit Print and Zangak book stores were surveyed for the project.
YEREVAN, JULY 7, ARMENPRESS. The US Department of State expressed deep concern over the July 4 ceasefire violations in the Artsakh-Azerbaijan line of contact, the State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert said, reports Armenpress.

The United States remains deeply concerned over Tuesdays violations of the ceasefire in the Nagorno Karabakh conflict that resulted in multiple civilian casualties, including possibly a two-year-old child. This happened near the line of contact. We wish to extend our heartfelt condolences to the families of those victims.

Along with the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs, we call upon the sides to cease military action and return to the negotiating table. Our policy remains clear in that region: The only solution to this conflict is a negotiated settlement based on international law that includes adherence to the principles of non-use of force, territorial integrity, and self-determination, Heather Nauert said during the press briefing.

The Azerbaijani armed forces continued violating the ceasefire regime in different sections of Artsakh-Azerbaijan contact line on July 4. Particularly, in the period of 11:30-11:35 the Azerbaijani troops fired 82 mm mortars (4 projectiles) in the eastern direction of the contact line and anti-tank missiles (3 projectiles) in the same section at about 12:45-12:55. In the southern direction the Azerbaijanis fired 60 mm mortars (3 projectiles) at 13:35, while at the period of 20:20-20:30 the Azerbaijani armed forces fired 5 projectiles from TR-107 multiple rocket launcher from a military position located in Alkhanlu village in the direction of a command post of a regiment located in the southern direction, and at 20:48 3 projectiles were fired in the same direction from 82 mm mortars. The front line units of the Defense Army had no alternative but take retaliatory measures to suppress the enemy's aggressive activity at 20:31-20:40, as a result of which the military position of Azerbaijan in Alkhanlu village was damaged. According to credible information from the relevant services of the Defense Army, the enemy has suffered losses. The Defense Army suffered no casualties as a result of the provocative actions initiated by Azerbaijan.

The Azerbaijani side announced two civilians were killed and one was wounded.
YEREVAN, JULY 7, ARMENPRESS. David McAllister (EPP, DE), Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Sajjad Karim (ECR, UK), Chair of the Delegation to the EU-Armenia and EU-Azerbaijan Parliamentary Cooperation Committees and Rebecca Harms (Greens/EFA, DE), Chair of the Delegation to the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly, issued a statement over the July 4 ceasefire violation in the Artsakh-Azerbaijan line of contact.

Armenpress presents the full statement:

The European Parliament is greatly concerned about the renewed violence earlier this week between Armenia and Azerbaijan which has yet again led to the death of civilians, in the Fizuli region. We express our deep condolences to the families of the victims.

We call for an immediate stop to military hostilities between Armenia and Azerbaijan. As previously stated, we firmly believe that the Nagorno Karabakh conflict does not have a military solution. Instead, the conflict needs an early political settlement in accordance with international law. This is the only way to stop unnecessarily claiming the lives of civilians and soldiers on both sides.

We fully support the mediation efforts and proposals of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs. In order for this mediation to have a chance of success, both Armenia and Azerbaijan need to find the political courage to negotiate in good faith.

The Azerbaijani armed forces continued violating the ceasefire regime in different sections of Artsakh-Azerbaijan contact line on July 4. Particularly, in the period of 11:30-11:35 the Azerbaijani troops fired 82 mm mortars (4 projectiles) in the eastern direction of the contact line and anti-tank missiles (3 projectiles) in the same section at about 12:45-12:55. In the southern direction the Azerbaijanis fired 60 mm mortars (3 projectiles) at 13:35, while at the period of 20:20-20:30 the Azerbaijani armed forces fired 5 projectiles from TR-107 multiple rocket launcher from a military position located in Alkhanlu village in the direction of a command post of a regiment located in the southern direction, and at 20:48 3 projectiles were fired in the same direction from 82 mm mortars. The front line units of the Defense Army had no alternative but take retaliatory measures to suppress the enemy's aggressive activity at 20:31-20:40, as a result of which the military position of Azerbaijan in Alkhanlu village was damaged. According to credible information from the relevant services of the Defense Army, the enemy has suffered losses. The Defense Army suffered no casualties as a result of the provocative actions initiated by Azerbaijan.

The Azerbaijani side announced two civilians were killed and one was wounded.
YEREVAN, JULY 7, ARMENPRESS. During the session of the OSCE Permanent Council on July 6 the representative of France delivered a new statement on behalf of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs in connection with the recent ceasefire violations in the Nagorno Karabakh line of contact calling on to refrain from any hostile action that could lead to unacceptable civilian casualties, reports Armenpress.

The Co-Chairs considered the July 4 incident as a provocative action that undermines peace efforts and could provoke a breakdown in the forthcoming negotiations.

We remind the Sides of their obligations under the Geneva Conventions to refrain from any hostile action that could lead to unacceptable civilian casualties.

We appeal the parties to take immediate measures to defuse the situation and strictly observe the 1994/1995 ceasefire agreement.

The Russian Federation, France and the United States stress the necessity to resume as soon as possible negotiations on a peaceful settlement of the conflict, as the only way to bring peace, prosperity and genuine reconciliation to all the peoples of the region, the statement said.

The Azerbaijani armed forces continued violating the ceasefire regime in different sections of Artsakh-Azerbaijan contact line on July 4. Particularly, in the period of 11:30-11:35 the Azerbaijani troops fired 82 mm mortars (4 projectiles) in the eastern direction of the contact line and anti-tank missiles (3 projectiles) in the same section at about 12:45-12:55. In the southern direction the Azerbaijanis fired 60 mm mortars (3 projectiles) at 13:35, while at the period of 20:20-20:30 the Azerbaijani armed forces fired 5 projectiles from TR-107 multiple rocket launcher from a military position located in Alkhanlu village in the direction of a command post of a regiment located in the southern direction, and at 20:48 3 projectiles were fired in the same direction from 82 mm mortars. The front line units of the Defense Army had no alternative but take retaliatory measures to suppress the enemy's aggressive activity at 20:31-20:40, as a result of which the military position of Azerbaijan in Alkhanlu village was damaged. According to credible information from the relevant services of the Defense Army, the enemy has suffered losses. The Defense Army suffered no casualties as a result of the provocative actions initiated by Azerbaijan.

The Azerbaijani side announced two civilians were killed and one was wounded.
YEREVAN, JULY 7, ARMENPRESS. Armenian MP Samvel Farmanyan called on the Russian State Duma lawmaker Dmitry Savelyev to refrain from making inappropriate comments on the Nagorno Karabakh conflict by not putting himself on the path of Pedro Agramunt, and his own party and the state in an awkward situation, reports Armenpress.

After the recent events in the Artsakh-Azerbaijan line of contact I paid attention on a trifle in the true sense of the world.

The fact that the military-political leadership of Azerbaijan tangled in their own calculations was long known to us: by trying for a long time to torpedo the negotiation process and blackmailing the international community and the OSCE Minsk Group, they received not the assistance of these structures, quite the contrary, they appeared in exclusive and deepening isolation contradicting the international community and the Minsk Group and not getting what they want over the negotiation table.

We also knew that Azerbaijan, by regularly taking military-political adventurisms, violating the termless ceasefire agreement and not respecting the implementation of agreements reached with its participation, made its own soldier a worthless cannon meat.

The fact that the Aliyev regime, which lost its human face, makes its soldier and the civilians living near the line of contact a cannon meat was nothing new. Otherwise it would not have deployed its firing posts behind civilians and communities by immorally making them as human shields.

But the fact that the member of the State Duma known as Dmitry Savelyev could appear in international army of cavial-lovers acting with Aliyev, was already a novelty.

It seems it is not so clear with what logic he speaks about the Karabakh war and the speedy recovery of Azerbaijans territorial integrity, praises Heydar Aliyev as father of the people, but by this he contradicts himself to the statements of Russian Government and Foreign Minister Lavrov, as well as to the foreign policy of the state he represents, Farmanyan said.

He added that it would be better for MP Savelyev to continue being engaged in his nature protection works and not interfere in topics about which he has no idea.
YEREVAN, JULY 7, ARMENPRESS. On 7 July, the National Defense Research University (NDRU) of the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Armenia hosted the delegation of experts in defense policy from the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) headed by Major General Chan Inli, former Head of the School of Defense Studies of Chinas National Defense University, the NDRU told Armenpress.

The delegation also included high-ranking military personnel  experts in Chinas national defense, military reform and modernization, and international military cooperation. The delegation was accompanied by the newly-appointed Military and Air Attache of the PRC in Armenia, Senior Colonel Zhang Fenghua and representatives of the Department of Defense Policy.

The guests were welcomed by the NDRU Head, Doctor of Political Science, Professor, Lieutenant-General Hayk Kotanjian.

The meeting was also attended by the NDRU Deputy Head for Research  Head of the Institute for National Strategic Studies (INSS), PhD in History Benyamin Poghosyan, the NDRU Deputy Head for Education, Head of the Institute for National Strategic Defense Security Education, Colonel Suren Davtyan, Advisor to the NDRU Head, Analyst, Associate Professor, Doctor of Psychology, Colonel Vazgen Margaryan, Head of the Center for Regional Strategic Analysis, NDRU, INSS, PhD in History David Manasyan and Research Fellow of the NDRU, INSS, PhD in Economics Azat Davtyan.

At the beginning of the meeting, Lieutenant-General Hayk Kotanjian presented the activities of the NDRU and the prospects of its development. Speaking about the cooperation between Armenia and China in the field of strategic studies, Professor Kotanjian touched upon the steps taken towards the establishment of cooperation between the NDRU and similar institutions of China, particularly, mentioning the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed between the NDRU and the China Institute for International Strategic Studies (CIISS), as well as the arrangement for signing a Memorandum of Cooperation between the NDRU and the Xian Institute of Contemporary International Studies (XICIS).

A professional discussion followed on a number of topics of strategic importance, in particular, on the possibility of involvement of the South Caucasian states into the Belt and Road program proposed by China, the cooperation between the state and private sectors aimed at developing Chinas military-industrial complex, as well as issues related to the prospects of relations between China and the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU), as well as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and the EEU.

The Armenian participants of the discussion highly appreciated Chinese experience in the field of military industry and presented the vision of developing this sphere in Armenia.

The guests highly appreciated the research programs supervised by Lieutenant-General Hayk Kotanjian, particularly highlighting the involvement of young Research Fellows in them.
YEREVAN, JULY 7, ARMENPRESS. In their last statement the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs have recorded that Azerbaijan violated the provisions of the Geneva Convention, Armenian foreign ministry spokesman Tigran Balayan told Armenpress.

The Co-Chairs have fixed that Azerbaijan carried out a provocation violating the provisions of the Geneva Convention, he said.

During the session of the OSCE Permanent Council on July 6 the representative of France delivered a new statement on behalf of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs in connection with the recent ceasefire violations in the Nagorno Karabakh line of contact calling on to refrain from any hostile action that could lead to unacceptable civilian casualties. The Co-Chairs considered the July 4 incident as a provocative action that undermines peace efforts and could provoke a breakdown in the forthcoming negotiations.We remind the Sides of their obligations under the Geneva Conventions to refrain from any hostile action that could lead to unacceptable civilian casualties. We appeal the parties to take immediate measures to defuse the situation and strictly observe the 1994/1995 ceasefire agreement.The Russian Federation, France and the United States stress the necessity to resume as soon as possible negotiations on a peaceful settlement of the conflict, as the only way to bring peace, prosperity and genuine reconciliation to all the peoples of the region, the statement said.

The Azerbaijani armed forces continued violating the ceasefire regime in different sections of Artsakh-Azerbaijan contact line on July 4. Particularly, in the period of 11:30-11:35 the Azerbaijani troops fired 82 mm mortars (4 projectiles) in the eastern direction of the contact line and anti-tank missiles (3 projectiles) in the same section at about 12:45-12:55. In the southern direction the Azerbaijanis fired 60 mm mortars (3 projectiles) at 13:35, while at the period of 20:20-20:30 the Azerbaijani armed forces fired 5 projectiles from TR-107 multiple rocket launcher from a military position located in Alkhanlu village in the direction of a command post of a regiment located in the southern direction, and at 20:48 3 projectiles were fired in the same direction from 82 mm mortars. The front line units of the Defense Army had no alternative but take retaliatory measures to suppress the enemy's aggressive activity at 20:31-20:40, as a result of which the military position of Azerbaijan in Alkhanlu village was damaged. According to credible information from the relevant services of the Defense Army, the enemy has suffered losses. The Defense Army suffered no casualties as a result of the provocative actions initiated by Azerbaijan.

The Azerbaijani side announced two civilians were killed and one was wounded.
YEREVAN, JULY 7, ARMENPRESS. The 26th annual session of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly is being held in Minsk from July 5 to 9 with participation of more than 300 lawmakers from all member states.

Armenias delegation including MPs Hermine Naghdalyan (head of the delegation), Tigran Urikhanyan and Ararat Mirozyan is taking part in the session, press service of the Armenian Foreign Ministry told Armenpress.

The session agenda includes issues relating to fight against corruption, climate change, flight against illegal migration, human rights. The delegates will also discuss the Ukrainian crisis, as well as other conflicts in the OSCE area.
YEREVAN, JULY 7, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan on July 7 hosted Ambassadors of the EU member states accredited in Armenia with participation of the head of the EU Delegation to Armenia, press service of the Government told Armenpress.

The PM said Armenia is ready to develop the partnership with the EU in all spheres of mutual interest, and the Armenia-EU constructive, partnering dialogue significantly contributes to this process. PM Karapetyan presented the priorities of the Governments 2017-2022 action plan, the reforms planned at different fields and the main actions. He in particular touched upon the works carried out so far in the fields of public administration, human rights, judiciary, anti-corruption, economic sphere (GSP+ privileged trade regime, free economic zone), the recorded results and the upcoming steps.

EU Ambassador Piotr Switalski said the Governments action plan and agenda of reforms are ambitious and impressive and reaffirmed the EUs readiness to jointly work with Armenia on deepening and strengthening the Armenia-EU ties.

The EU side welcomed the Armenian Governments steps on anti-corruption policy, organizing electoral processes, judicial field, human rights, creating favorable environment for the business, adding that they will continue assisting Armenia.

A number of other issues of mutual interest were also discussed during the meeting. PM Karapetyan thanked for the readiness to assist the Governments programs and reforms and attached importance to meetings at such format to discuss agenda issues and outline further directions of the cooperation.
YEREVAN, JULY 7, ARMENPRESS. Armenia continues exporting apricots, Ani Smbatyan  spokesperson of the Agriculture Ministry, told Armenpress.

She said as of July 7, 2017 over 16 thousand tons of apricots have been exported compared to the 11.5 thousand tons of apricots of the same period of 2016.

Apricots are mainly exported to Russia, as well as to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Georgia.
SOFYA, JULY 7, ARMENPRESS. The 100 lev fine (nearly 28.000 AMD) caused by a car crash due to a fault of the driver of the Azerbaijani Ambassador to Bulgaria served basis for Baku diplomats in Sofya to exploit the level of bilateral relations and threaten Bulgarian diplomats in Baku with similar fines, reports Armenpress.

Based on the own examination of documents posted by Anonymous Bulgaria group, the correspondence of January 2017 reveals interesting details.

In January 2017 after receiving the documents on the fine via the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry, the Azerbaijani Embassys employee Kenan Mamedov (3rd secretary of the Embassy) through numerous phone calls and letters tried to ask for a meeting with the Foreign Ministry officials to negotiate over the car crash. From the study of documents it becomes clear that a car crash has taken place with the fault and participation of the Embassys employee: the latter was fined. That man was Vugar Sadigov, the driver of the Azerbaijani Ambassador who accepted the fine of the Bulgarian Traffic Police.

Perhaps the participation of the Ambassadors driver in the car accident was the reason for diplomats to be actively engaged in this primitive issue.

According to the analysis of the documents, the Azerbaijani side demanded to cancel the fine of 100 levs, and in fact, to interfere in changing the decision of the insurance company and receiving compensation (by declaring guilty not only the Ambassadors driver, but also the remaining participants of the car accident). The Bulgarian diplomats said the fine cannot be cancelled and added that they have no authority to interfere in the legal-contractual relationship of private companies. In response to Kenan Mamedovs requests to negotiate, the Bulgarian diplomats ask to clarify the point of the meeting.

The Azerbaijani diplomat started writing the masterpiece of the letter genre on February 1, at 14:32 and completed it next day at 17:57. According to the study of the documents technical data, the diplomat overall has worked on the letter for 4 hours and 8 minutes.

Below are the parts of the letter:

Entrance and incident

We have considered the attached documents regarding the case and would like to draw your attention to the following facts:

Azerbaijan and Bulgaria have been enjoying friendly relations for over past two decades. As law abiding citizens of Azerbaijan, the Embassys staff members have also always respected the laws and rules of the hosting country, Bulgaria. In terms of car driving, I would like to reassure that they are careful drivers. Though anyone driving in Iztok district, where our Embassy is located, will agree that many inner roads there are not wide enough for safe two way traffic and moreover there are also cars being continuously parked on both sides of roads, event on pavements, says the Azerbaijani diplomat, adding that as good neaighbors they have never complained about these difficulties.

As for Mr. Sadigovs case: we agree that there is a road traffic sign there, on the right corner of Nikolay Ostrovski street with Akademik Metodi Popov street. This sign is Give way, which in road transport, indicates that each driver must prepare to stop if necessary to let a driver on another approach proceed. On that day Mr. Sadigov was driving on Nikolay Ostrovski street with the intention to turn to the left and go up along Akademik Metodi Popov street. He saw the above-mentioned road traffic sign before approaching this Akad. Metodi Popov street. However, unfortunately, the visibility of this street in the direction to Charles Darwin street, notably at the right side from Mr. Sadigov, was not good due to cars parked there. Therefore, after being sure that there is no car coming from above, he drove the car a little bit further to have better visibility of other, below part of the street, the letter says, adding that the car accident took place partly due to other care (Renault Megane).

This long narrative and explanation is important in a sense that the Azerbaijani Embassy accepted the guilt of its driver, however, for some reasons, it wants to find a share of guilt also in the actions of another driver by making a reference to other factors, such as the 20-year-old relations of the two countries, the length and width of the streets. This episode perhaps can be considered as a usual incident, however, we believe that the issue is in fact to receive compensation from insurance company since the Azerbaijani Ambassadors car has been damagedThere is a need to repair it. We think its clear to everyone how and to what extent the Azerbaijani Embassy staff respects the rules and laws of the hosting country.

How the senior diplomat was saved?

The next part of the letter is difficult to read without a smile, thus, we present it with no comment.

Traffic rules must be observed and driving has to be careful in order to avoid car accidents. Those who break traffic rules should be punished. None argue this. We can only welcome all activities aimed at making roads safer. However, in our understanding the treatment should be equal to all. Unfortunately, over last months there have been two cases when the Embassys cars were hit by other cars driven by Bulgarian citizens. The first car was the Embassys car of BMW model, 3rd series, with the plate number 7001. The second accident was related to the Embassys car of BMW model, 5th series with the plate number 7070, which happened at the street of Fridtjof Nansen (on the corner with Lyuben Karavelov street) last December.

The Embassys senior diplomat Mr. Vusal Abdullayev just parked and was about to leave the car when it was dangerously hit from the left side by the car (Nissan) coming backwards from up against the traffic movement. As later the driver verbally explained to our colleague, due to the cold weather the battery failed and he couldnt start the engine. Therefore, he decided to push his car backwards by himself alone in order to make the engine starting. Since he was out of the car while pushing it backwards, he couldnt manage the process and as a result hit and damaged our car while Mr. Abdullayev was in. If our diplomat would leave his car a little bit earlier, he could definitely being killed on the ground or severely injured.

I think that everybody will agree that this was a severe violation of traffic rules. In both cases, the police and insurance were informed and they arrived to the places where car accident took place. In the second case, they came after an hour and made all necessary formalities. The guy who hit Mr. Abdullayevs car signed all documents and then left the place as it were a minor car accident. We dont doubt that relevant fines were imposed by Bulgarian traffic police to both Bulgarian citizens, who made these accidents, however, regretfully, until now the Embassy has not been informed about any actions taken, the letter says.

To pay or not to pay, this is the problem

Accepting the obvious facts and saving the life of Vusal Abdullayev (the Embassy advisor on political affairs) via the letter, the Azerbaijani diplomats pass to a threatening hint according to which they are going to fine the Bulgarian Embassy staff in Baku, stating that the Azerbaijani side doesnt impose fines on the Bulgarian Embassy staff members and there had not been any case when the Bulgarian Embassys employee will pay a fine in Azerbaijan, the 3rd secretary of the Azerbaijani Embassy writes.

The culmination of the letter is perhaps its summary where Kenan Mamedov mixes the understanding and threat in the same cocktail.

Please, understand us correctly. For us, it is not an issue of payment or not paying the fine matters, rather the reciprocity in our relationship, because based on the principle, the Embassy will need to report every related case to our capital and then the staff members of the Bulgarian Embassy there will also face the same claims. But acting in a spirit of friendship and mutual respect, we would like to avoid such unpleasant cases in our bilateral relations.

How this story of 100 levs has ended is no longer important. But we hope the Azerbaijani Ambassadors driver has learnt the lesson of safe driving, otherwise the residents of the Iztok district should be afraid of appearing under the wheels of the car of the Azerbaijani Ambassador.

Aram Ananyan, Aren Petunts, Davit Mamyan
YEREVAN, JULY 7, ARMENPRESS. Arman Sahakyan, head of the state property management department of the government briefed President Serzh Sargsyan on the ongoing reforms, expected results and programs of the sphere during a meeting today.

Sahakyan presented issues regarding the involvement of new investments for the companies included in the 2017-2020 privatization program, increasing efficiency and other matters regarding the sector.

The President highlighted the issues of maintaining social obligations towards the staff of the companies which will be privatized, as well as using new and more effective methods and tools in state property management.

In this context, Sahakyan briefed the President on the overall results of the financial-economic monitoring on the department.

Sahakyan was tasked with carrying out a complex analysis of the financial monitoring results, and to speed up the introduction of specific mechanisms of evaluation and ensuring transparency for the activities of the companies.

President Sargsyan tasked to increase the usage of modern technologies in the sphere and to improve the registration database.

The President instructed Sahakyan to boost the ongoing works to finish ongoing projects in accordance to the deadlines.
YEREVAN, JULY 7, ARMENPRESS. Armenian PM Karen Karapetyan held a meeting on July 7 with Dmitry Pankin, head of the Executive Board of the Eurasian Development Bank.

The sides assessed the bilateral partnership to be effective, in the framework of which several investment programs are successfully being carried out in various branches of Armenias economy.

By reaffirming willingness to continue active cooperation, the Armenian PM and Dmitry Pankin discussed the prospects of developing and expanding it.

The sides namely touched upon possibilities of carrying out investment programs in the transportation, agriculture, infrastructure spheres.
YEREVAN, 7 JULY, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs Armenpress that today, 7 July, USD exchange rate down by 0.29 drams to 479.53 drams. EUR exchange rate up by 2.17 drams to 547.34 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate down by 0.03 drams to 7.94 drams. GBP exchange rate down by 3.01 drams to 618.98 drams.

The Central Bank has set the following prices for precious metals.

Gold price up by 59.54 drams to 18884.58 drams. Silver price up by 0.78 drams to 246.83 drams. Platinum price up by 53.27 drams to 13952.61 drams.
YEREVAN, JULY 7, ARMENPRESS. The July 7 Azerbaijani ceasefire breach did not result in any losses among the Armenian side, defense ministry spokesman Artsrun Hovhannisyan said on Facebook.

Numerous fake news and staged footage will soon appear. I believe our media already has the degree of immunity in order for us not to give explanations for each of those [fake news]. We dont have losses and everything has been clearly reported. Any action of the adversary has not and will not remain unanswered, Hovhannisyan said.

Earlier the spokesman said that the situation is currently relatively calm in the line of contact.

Since early morning of July 7, Azerbaijani forces are violating the ceasefire regime in the line of contact with Artsakh, firing both small arms as well as D-30 and D-44 cannons, various caliber mortars and grenade launchers.

The Azerbaijani shelling left three soldiers of Artsakh wounded.

The Artsakh military is taking countermeasures to suppress the Azerbaijani attacks.
YEREVAN, JULY 7, ARMENPRESS. The delegation of the Chinese defense ministrys defense policy experts was in Armenia on a working visit July 6-8. The Chinese delegation was led by Major General Chan In Li.

The defense ministry told ARMENPRESS the delegation visited the V. Sargsyan university and the National Defense Research University. The delegates delivered lectures, had meetings with the lecturers and management boards of the universities.

On the sidelines of the visit, the Chinese delegation also met with Levon Ayvazyan, head of the defense policy department of Armenias defense ministry.

Issues related to partnership between the sides in the defense policy sphere were discussed.

The delegation was also received by Major General Onik Gasparyan, first deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Armenian Armed Forces.
SAN FRANCISCOIn Code of Silence, Falcon Studios Group's latest release, Marines risk it all for love and sex, knowing that a Code of Silence must be maintained. Director Tony Dimarco commands the camera for this mission.

The DVD and scene downloads are available today on the Falcon Studios Group store.

Loaded with a cast of performers that includes two former Marines, studio exclusives Ryan Rose and Sean Zevran, Code of Silence rounds out the unit with performers Fane Roberts, Brandon Evans, Kyle McMillan, and Pierce Paris.

The brotherhood of Marines has a code  a Code of Silence. What happens between Marines stays between Marines, and for this hot, horned-up platoon stationed deep in the desert, theres plenty to keep quiet. The helping hands, hard-ons and hot holes of these soldiers help relieve the stresses of military life. While most of the grunts just want release with their fellow infantry, two Marine buddies, Fane Roberts and Brandon Evans, realize their bond runs deeper than their fooling-around friendship, so they vow to keep their romance secret. All the while, Sergeant Sean Zevran is onto them, and hes willing to use his authority to get any satisfaction he desires.

I was very fortunate that I was given such an amazing cast and a great location to shoot them on, says director Tony Dimarco. Each of the men in Code of Silence are either retired military or are familiar with a branch, and it really brings this movie together to make it one of the hottest Ive filmed in a while.

It really doesnt get more Falcon than this, states Falcon Studios Group President Tim Valenti. Tony Dimarco had a vision to bring the fantasy of sexy military men getting it on while on duty to life, and he knocked it out of the park with Code of Silence.

For DVD wholesale purchasing, contact Toby Morris ([email protected]).
LOS ANGELESWith only a week to go, CalExotics is busy preparing for its biggest event of the year: the Adult Novelty Manufacturers Expo (ANME), a leading trade gathering of U.S. and Canadian-based adult novelty manufacturers.

And ANME is where CalExotics will unveil its digital revolution. This reveal includes a newly designed website, digital catalog and more.

Susan Colvin, founder and CEO of CalExotics, explained the advances her company is making. As our customer base evolves and grows, our company does its best to stay ahead and ensure we meet their needs. This season were bringing our best to ANME, which includes new digital assets.

The assets include a new full-line catalog, summer 2017 supplements, a mobile-friendly website, a sales toolkit and more. Well be providing our customers USB drives filled with resources. Make sure to come by our booth to pick one up, Colvin added.

CalExotics also will unveil new products, collections and newly designed packaging. Jackie White, executive vice president of CalExotics, confided, We dont want to give away too much, but ANME attendees can expect to see great things from CalExotics. The all-time favorite Jack Rabbit is getting a new signature style, while one of our newest collections aims at providing pleasure with the touch of a button.

The CalExotics team encourages all attendees to make an appointment. Contact me to reserve your spot today. We cant wait to see you, White said. To contact the CalExotics VP, email her at [email protected]

ANME will be held at the Marriott Burbank Airport Hotel, July 15-17. For more information on the event, and to register, visit ANMEFounders.com. For more information on CalExotics, visit CalExotics.com.

Above, products on display at the July 2016 ANME Founders Show; photos by Chris King/@ReelSeduction.
LOS ANGELESIts an invitation that sex toy fans will welcome with open arms (and other body parts). Jopen, a boutique pleasure product manufacturer, is inviting industry pros to take a peek at its newest collection, which will debut at next weekends Adult Novelty Manufacturer's Expo. Held at the Burbank Airport Marriott in Burbank, California, ANME begins Sunday, July 16 and runs through Tuesday, July 18.

The line, named Amour, is an assortment of four luxury pleasure products. Susan Colvin, founder and CEO of Jopen, explained how the name was chosen. "When trying to name this beautiful collection, the word love kept coming to mind. Love has various meanings, but the one that caught our attention was, "an intense feeling of deep affection." We believe everyone will be deeply attracted to Amour!"

Covered in Jopens trademark Satin Finish Silicone, all four of Amours models offer seven functions of vibration, pulsation and escalation, along with five incremental speeds for each of these fun functions. Each of these soft pink pleasure toys also offers its own unique features:

Remote Bullet: A heart-shaped cordless controller with an innovative stimulator, the bullet can be operated up to 16.5 feet away using the remote.

Mini G: A petite massager with a pronounced G-spot curve.

Wand Massager: This full body massager is equipped with distinct pleasure ridges for an exceptional sensual experience.

Dual G Wand: A powerful dual motored massager, the Dual G is ergonomically curved for maximum enjoyment.

Each of these toys is whisper quiet, submersible in water, USB rechargeable and backed by a one-year warranty.

"We have designed a striking display with testers, so stores can keenly promote the entire line, said Jopen brand manager Robin Stewart. However, quantities are limited, so placing your orders at the show is highly recommended! And don't forget to RSVP for ANME; we look forward to hosting you at our Jopen booth!"

Email [email protected] directly to make an ANME appointment. Visit jopen.com to learn more about Jopen and its newest collection.
CYBERSPACE  VNALive .com for the month of June. Second place went to internet star Lelu Love. Third place went to Canada's Shanda Fay. This is the first time Pax has won the award. A complete list of the monthly winners can be found

AVN and XRCO Best Actress winner Penny Pax has been voted number one girl performing membership shows by the fans on.com for the month of June. Second place went to internet star Lelu Love. Third place went to Canada's Shanda Fay. This is the first time Pax has won the award. A complete list of the monthly winners can be found here . Penny Pax uses VNALive.com as part to broadcast membership shows for her Official Site, PennyPaxLive.com.





VNALive .com was launched by Vicky Vette in October 2012, as a cam platform for solo girls to add live group shows to their membership sites. Custom designed and built, Vette hosts and runs VNALive.com herself. It is 100 percent mobile friendly (all live shows can be watched on a phone). Any girl (or webmaster) with a membership site can add VNALive.com to their site (in usually 30 minutes or less). Stars such as Julia Ann, Nikki Benz, Sunny Lane, Tasha Reign, Penny Pax, Jelena Jensen and Sara Jay all use VNALive.com, as well as solo girls like Honey White, Lelu Love, and Akira Lane in the USA, Louise Jenson and Rebekah Dee in England, Daisy Destin in Canada, the girls from the RadBucks.com network, BBWs such as Sam 38G, Maria Moore, Kimmie Kaboom, and Kristi Maxx. The most popular monthly girl wins $250. Second place wins $150. Third wins $100. Pax has won the 2016 AVN and XRCO Awards for Best Actress (The Submission of Emma Marx: Boundaries) and a 2015 XRCO Best Actress Award (Wetwork). She just wrapped up shooting a sequel to ''The Submission of Emma Marx'' for New Sensations. Pax is signed with the Spiegler Girls agency .com was launched by Vicky Vette in October 2012, as a cam platform for solo girls to addgroup shows to their membership sites. Custom designed and built, Vette hosts and runs VNALive.com herself. It is 100 percent mobile friendly (all live shows can be watched on a phone). Any girl (or webmaster) with a membership site can add VNALive.com to their site (in usually 30 minutes or less). Stars such as Julia Ann, Nikki Benz, Sunny Lane, Tasha Reign, Penny Pax, Jelena Jensen and Sara Jay all use VNALive.com, as well as solo girls like Honey White, Lelu Love, and Akira Lane in the USA, Louise Jenson and Rebekah Dee in England, Daisy Destin in Canada, the girls from the RadBucks.com network, BBWs such as Sam 38G, Maria Moore, Kimmie Kaboom, and Kristi Maxx. The most popular monthly girl wins $250. Second place wins $150. Third wins $100.

Pax states, "It's been a great year for my Official Site. It was nominated for an award earlier this year, and now I've picked up some recognition from the fans for my live shows. My fan base is awesome, and camming is the best way to get to know them better."

Vette says, "Penny is a terrific performer, so it's nice to see her get some recognition from the membership base at VNALive.com. We do more than 200 live shows a month. It's not easy for a girl to be voted first."



Webmasters or girls interested in adding VNALive.com can reach Vette at [email protected]teNationLive.com.
Wales-based business Cake Crew is expanding to meet growing demand for its cupcakes.

The Cake Crew is increasing production capacity at its 25,000 square foot bakery in Bala after securing a 500,000 loan from Finance Wales

The business, which produces cakes for Tesco, Sainsburys, Morrisons, Aldi and The Co-op, employs 240 people in the North Wales town. It describes itself as the largest independent manufacturer of private-label cupcakes in the UK, and also produces traybakes, loaf cakes and muffins!

As a company we focus on quality and continuously improving the products we manufacture for our retail customers, said Cake Crew managing director Simon Faithfull.

Over the last few years weve seen substantial growth as our products have found favour with consumers and, as a result, new retail customers have come on board.

The 500,000 loan has come from the Wales Business Fund, which is designed to support small to medium-sized firms based in Wales, and has been part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund through the Welsh government.

The Cake Crew are a great example of a local success story, with the business having grown significantly over the last three to four years, said Finance Wales senior investment executive Rhodri Evans. We are delighted to be able to support them with their continued growth.
Mark Martin envisions virtual courts to handle some cases; says attorneys should offer more volunteer services to low-income residents



N.C. Chief Justice Mark Martin speaks with CJ Associate Editor Kari Travis in his Raleigh office. (CJ photo by Don Carrington)

A: We have taken some modest steps already. When I first became an appellate judge in 1994, we were just getting ready to launch first generation websites, so it's really just come along light years since that time. Traditionally, virtually all court records were open to the public, but ... there was a practical inaccessibility. So what we've tried to do is to bring in as many online resources as we can so citizens can conduct court business anytime, anywhere. Now, that said, we still have a long way to go.Now, in our collective defense as a state, there are 100 counties, many of them are very rural. There are courthouses where we don't even have the fiber-optic cable that comes all the way to the courthouse, so there are some infrastructure obstacles, and obviously some programming obstacles, as well. But I think it will be worth the effort in the sense that our citizens will have 24/7 access to all court resources.I'm very excited about the project because, at the end of the day, I think we'll have more openness, more transparency, for the people of North Carolina. We are already receiving about 42 percent of our payments for infractions online. Citizens have the convenience of paying anytime of the day or night, and not having to go to the courthouse and pay in person, where oftentimes it's very cumbersome ... .I'm looking down the road at possibly a virtual court where you don't have a confrontation [that] you would with a more serious offense, but maybe, say, simply a speeding offense. We could have a virtual district attorney, and a defense attorney, and a judge who [will resolve] this online. Obviously, you would have to use that in a situation where you don't have a need for discovery, and a lot of complexity. But if you take a look at the numbers of the approximately 3 million cases we have in court each year, a great number of those are very minor infractions, and not serious offenses.Q: In the report from the North Carolina Commission on the Administration of Law and Justice, commissioners found that court bias, meaning preferential treatment based upon race, is of particular concern to citizens. The commission recommended a renewed systemwide attention to programs that seek to eliminate the possibility of bias and encourage procedural fairness in our courts. What types of efforts have been made to achieve this?A: I know if you talk to judges, and district attorneys, and others that serve in the system, everyone takes very seriously their obligation to be very fair with each and every person regardless of race, socioeconomic status, or any other factor. I think a lot of the recent scholarship has wondered if there are times that people can fall prey to what is called implicit bias, where people are handled differently even when nobody really intended to do that.I think [we can] best address that issue by having systemwide training where, if that's an issue, people learn how to identify that issue and take affirmative steps to ensure that it doesn't happen. So when I read the report of the Public Trust and Confidence Committee, as I understood it, they were recommending that system stakeholders take advantage of programs that are available to help people do better in that area. This is my 25th year on the bench in North Carolina, and as I move around the state, I see very many people that are committed to equal justice. I think we do a very good job, but it's like anything else. If we can improve, and if we can do so in a way that makes sense, then let's avail ourselves of that resource.A: I don't think that spending more money is the solution. If we simply spend more money without careful evaluating its effectiveness, I rarely see that as the way to approach any issue. We've all seen procurement in government go awry sometimes - where a lot of money was brought to bear, but there was not a lot of prerequisite and strategic planning of what would be the best fit for that challenge. And all of a sudden, technical obsolescence overtakes us, and years later we're looking at trying to spend the money again. So I don't want to look to just resources without evaluating effectiveness.We have an equal-access-to-justice commission whose principal goal is to encourage attorneys to volunteer more hours to help. And I don't think it's asking too much of attorneys that are given a license to practice law to help meet the need of representation of those of modest means. And I will keep on working hard to increase pro bono or voluntary representation of people of modest means.
5 Causes of Nursing Home Resident Anxiety Unfortunately, for many reasons anxiety happens more often by long-term care residents than by those who live in
PHNOM PENH (Reuters) - Cambodia sent home on Thursday 74 Chinese nationals wanted in China on suspicion of extorting money from people there over the internet and by telephone, Cambodian police said. A team of Chinese police arrived in Cambodia's capital of Phnom Penh on a China Southern Airline flight to pick up the suspects who had been detained in Cambodia. "They established places to commit crime by extorting money from people over the phone," Uk Heisela, the head of the Cambodian police investigation, told reporters. "They used Cambodia as the location to extort money from people in China." The 74 suspects had been arrested in Phnom Penh and Kampot province, he said, adding that it was the first such expulsion this year. Reporters did not get access to the 74 before they were put on the plane and flown home and it was not clear if any of them had lawyers. The deportation is the latest by Cambodia at Beijing's behest. Cambodia is one of China's closest allies in Southeast Asia. In 2009, Cambodia sent home 20 ethnic minority Uighurs, from China's troubled far western region of Xinjiang, despite objections from the U.N. refugee agency and rights groups, which said they feared for the safety of the Uighurs if sent back. Last year, Cambodia deported 13 Taiwanese nationals wanted on fraud charges to mainland China despite vehement opposition from Taipei which has accused Beijing of "abducting" its citizens from countries that do not recognize the island's government - such as Cambodia. Uk Heisela said more than 500 fraud suspects had been deported to China over recent years. (Reporting by Prak Chan Thul; Editing by Amy Sawitta Lefevre and Robert Birsel)
By Michelle Nichols UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The United States cautioned on Wednesday it was ready to use force if need be to stop North Korea's nuclear missile program but said it preferred global diplomatic action against Pyongyang for defying world powers by test launching a ballistic missile that could hit Alaska. U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley told an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council that North Korea's actions were "quickly closing off the possibility of a diplomatic solution" and the United States was prepared to defend itself and its allies. "One of our capabilities lies with our considerable military forces. We will use them if we must, but we prefer not to have to go in that direction," Haley said. Taking a major step in its missile program, North Korea on Tuesday test launched an intercontinental ballistic missile that some experts believe has the range to reach the U.S. states of Alaska and Hawaii and perhaps the U.S. Pacific Northwest. North Korea says the missile could carry a large nuclear warhead. The missile test is a direct challenge to U.S. President Donald Trump who has vowed to prevent North Korea from being able to hit the United States with a nuclear missile. He has been urging China, North Korea's main trading partner and only major ally, to press Pyongyang to give up its nuclear program. Haley said the United States would propose new U.N. sanctions on North Korea in coming days and warned that Washington was prepared to cut off trade with countries that were doing business with North Korea in violation of U.N. resolutions. Much of the burden of enforcing U.N. sanctions rests with China, Haley said. We will work with China, we will work with any and every country that believes in peace. But we will not repeat the inadequate approaches of the past that have brought us to this dark day. Diplomats say Beijing has not been fully enforcing existing international sanctions on its neighbor and has resisted tougher measures, such as an oil embargo, bans on the North Korean airline and guest workers, and measures against Chinese banks and other firms doing business with the North. TENSIONS WITH U.S. The United States has remained technically at war with North Korea since the 1950-53 Korean conflict ended in an armistice rather than a peace treaty and the past six decades have been punctuated by periodic rises in antagonism and rhetoric that have always stopped short of a resumption of active hostilities. Tensions have risen sharply in recent months after North Korea conducted two nuclear weapons tests last year and carried out a steady stream of ballistic missile tests North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said the ICBM test completed his country's strategic weapons capability that includes atomic and hydrogen bombs, the state KCNA news agency said. Pyongyang will not negotiate with the United States to give up those weapons until Washington abandons its hostile policy against the North, KCNA quoted Kim as saying. "He, with a broad smile on his face, told officials, scientists and technicians that the U.S. would be displeased ... as it was given a 'package of gifts' on its 'Independence Day'," KCNA said, referring to the missile launch on July 4. The U.S. military assured Americans on Wednesday that it was capable of defending the United States against a North Korean ICBM. Pentagon spokesman Navy Captain Jeff Davis noted a successful test last month in which a U.S.-based missile interceptor knocked down a simulated incoming North Korean ICBM. "So we do have confidence in our ability to defend against the limited threat, the nascent threat that is there," he told reporters. He acknowledged though that previous U.S. missile defense tests had shown "mixed results." The North Korean launch this week was both earlier and "far more successful than expected," said U.S.-based missile expert John Schilling, a contributor to Washington-based North Korea monitoring project 38 North. It would now probably only be a year or two before a North Korean ICBM achieved "minimal operational capability," he added. Schilling said the U.S. national missile defense system was "only minimally operational" and would take more than two years to upgrade to provide more reliable defense. For graphic on interactive package on North Korea's missile capabilities click: http://tmsnrt.rs/2t6WEPL For map locating the missile test on July 4 click: http://tmsnrt.rs/2sGWo8C (Additional reporting by Lesley Wroughton and David Brunnstrom in Washington; Writing by Alistair Bell; Editing by James Dalgleish and Peter Cooney)
By Conor Humphries and Alexander Cornwell DUBLIN/DUBAI (Reuters) - Qatar Airways said on Thursday passengers traveling to the United States can now carry their laptops and other large electronics on board, ending a three month in-cabin ban on devices for the Doha-based airline. Qatar Airways joins Emirates [EMIRA.UL], Turkish Airlines and Etihad Airways, which have also announced this week a lifting of the ban on their U.S. flights. In March, the United States imposed the ban on direct flights originating at 10 airports in eight countries - Egypt, Morocco, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar and Turkey - to address fears that bombs could be concealed in electronic devices taken aboard aircraft. Qatar Airways said in a statement on Thursday the ban had been lifted after the airline and its hub airport Hamad International met with new U.S. security requirements. The United States announced on June 29 enhanced security measures for flights to the country which require additional time to screen passengers and personal electronic devices for possible explosives. Qatar Airways Chief Executive Akbar al-Baker told reporters in Dublin the airline was found to be in compliance with the "new draconian requirements" after an audit over the previous two days. U.S. transport officials were due to visit Qatar Airways, Emirates and Turkish Airlines on July 5 to check the latest measures were in place, a spokesman for the U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) told Reuters on Wednesday. TSA said on Twitter on Thursday the restrictions on Qatar Airways and Hamad International had been lifted. Airlines affected by the ban have complained that demand on U.S. flights had been weakened by restrictions imposed by President Donald Trump's administration. Middle East carriers saw demand rise by 3.7 percent in May compared with a year earlier, close to an eight-year low, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) said on Thursday. IATA said the weaker growth was reflective of the laptop ban on U.S.-bound flights and uncertainty over President Trump's proposed travel bans. The new U.S. security measures, which take effect within three weeks of the announcement, will affect around 325,000 passengers a day traveling on 180 airlines from 280 airports around the world, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Airlines that fail to meet the new security requirements could still face in-cabin restrictions on electronic devices. Saudi Arabian Airlines (Saudia) has said it expects the ban to be lifted on flights from Jeddah and Riyadh by July 19. Royal Air Maroc also believes [RAM.UL] it can have the ban lifted for flights out of Casablanca's Mohammed V International Airport by July 19, a senior official from the state-owned airline told Reuters. Other airlines affected by the ban include Royal Jordanian , Kuwait Airways [KA.UL] and EgyptAir [EGY.UL]. (Reporting by Conor Humphries in Dublin, Alexander Cornwell and Aziz El Yaakoubi in Dubai; Editing by Mark Potter, Greg Mahlich)
By Jeff Mason and Denis Dyomkin HAMBURG (Reuters) - The United States, Russia and Jordan reached a ceasefire and "de-escalation agreement" for southwestern Syria on Friday, as the U.S. government under President Donald Trump made its first attempt at peacemaking in the country's six-year-old civil war. The ceasefire, due to start at noon Damascus time (0900 GMT) on Sunday, was announced after a meeting between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin at the G20 summit of major economies in the German city of Hamburg. U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the area covered by the ceasefire affects Jordans security and is a very complicated part of the Syrian battlefield. Russia and Iran are the main international backers of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad while Washington supports some of the rebel groups fighting to topple him. I think this is our first indication of the U.S. and Russia being able to work together in Syria, and as a result of that we had a very lengthy discussion regarding other areas in Syria that we can continue to work together on to de-escalate the areas," Tillerson said. Previous similar ceasefires have failed to hold for long and it was not clear how much the actual combatants -- Assad's government and the main Syrian rebel forces in the southwest -- are committed to this latest effort. Former U.S. President Barack Obama struggled to find a strategy to end Syria's civil war, which killed nearly half a million people, turned cities into ruins and forced millions to flee abroad. Syria has also tripped up Trump, who promised better relations with Moscow but angered Russia in April by ordering missile strikes against a Syrian air base to punish Assad after a chemical weapons attack. The Syria deal appeared to give Trump a diplomatic achievement at his first meeting with Putin where they also discussed the thorny issues of Moscow's alleged interference in the U.S. 2016 presidential election and North Korea's nuclear ambitions. GOALS IN SYRIA Backed by Russian air power, Assad has regained ground in the last year or so lost to the mostly Sunni Muslim rebels. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the accord includes "securing humanitarian access and setting up contacts between the opposition in the region and a monitoring center that is being established in Jordan's capital." The ceasefire should pave the way toward a more robust pacification effort, said a senior State Department official involved in the talks. "It is a first step in what we envision to be a more complex and robust ceasefire arrangement and de-escalation arrangement in southwest Syria, certainly more complex than ones we have tried in the past." The official said further discussions would be needed to decide crucial aspects of the ceasefire, however, including monitoring its enforcement. Tillerson said that by and large the objectives of the United States and Russia in Syria "are exactly the same." But Washington and Moscow have long been at odds over Syria. The United States has often called for the removal of Assad, who it blames for shootings of protesters at the start of the conflict and, more recently, chemical weapons attacks on civilians. Russia and Iran strongly back the Syrian leader, who gives both countries a strategic foothold in the Mediterranean Sea. Despite the ceasefire deal, Tillerson said the United States still sees "no long-term role for the Assad family or the Assad regime. And we have made this clear to everyone. We certainly made it clear in our discussions with Russia." Robert Ford, who resigned in 2014 as U.S. ambassador to Syria over policy disagreements, said the Trump administration, like that of Obama, has "no national objective for the future of Syria nor any strategy for how to secure an objective were one identified." By contrast, Russia's overall aim is clearer, said Ford, now a fellow at the Middle East Institute think tank in Washington. "The Russian objective is to insulate Damascus and the Syrian national government from outside pressure trying to pressure it into major concessions," he said. A group of Syrian rebels that took part in the latest peace talks in Kazakhstan this month said in a statement it had great concern over the secret meetings between Russia and Jordan and America to conclude an individual deal for southern Syria in isolation from the north, which it described as an unprecedented event that divides Syria and the opposition. The Syrian government and the Southern Front, the main grouping of Western-backed rebel groups in southwest Syria, did not immediately react to the ceasefire deal. It was not immediately clear exactly which areas of southwestern Syria would be covered by the ceasefire but earlier talks between the United States and Russia about a de-escalation zone covered Deraa province, on the border with Jordan, and Quneitra, which borders the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. British Defence Secretary Michael Fallon welcomed any ceasefire in Syria but wanted to see results on the ground. "The recent history of the Syrian civil war is littered with ceasefires and it would be nice ... one day to have a ceasefire," Fallon said at an event in Washington. (Additional reporting by Yara Bayoumy, Idrees Ali and Tim Ahmann and Doina Chiacu in Washington and Ellen Francis in Beirut; Writing by Alistair Bell; Editing by Yara Bayoumy and James Dalgleish)
Industry News

North Carolinas New Hub to Train and Hire 2,000 Tech Workers

Infosys, an IT services and consulting company based in India, has teamed up with North Carolinas academic institutions and government to train and hire more than 2,000 tech workers in the state. As part of its broader strategy to employ 10,000 workers overall across the United States by 2021, Infosys is opening its second Technology and Innovation Hub in NC.

A 12-year Job Development Investment Grant (JDIG) approved by the states Economic Investment Committee earlier this week will bring the Infosys hub to Wake County  an up-and-coming startup scene that has top-tier research universities and community colleges. The North Carolina Community College System, North Carolina State University and Wake Technical Community College partnered on the project. The CC system plans to work closely with Infosys to create a customized program designed to train the workforce of the future, which will include training in artificial Intelligence, machine learning, data analytics, cloud computing and other IT-related skills, an Infosys news release said.

The JDIG agreement authorizes the potential reimbursement to the company of up to $22.4 million, spread over 12 years, according to a statement from the North Carolina Office of the Governor. Meanwhile, Infosys will invest $8.73 million in Wake County as part of a project estimated to bring in $2.9 billion to the North Carolinas economy. The North Carolina Department of Commerce and the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina led the states effort in the companys expansion, as well as North Carolina General Assembly, Capital Area Workforce Development Board, Wake County Government, City of Raleigh, Town of Cary, Town of Morrisville, Wake County Economic Development and Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce.

Together, we will develop the next generation of North Carolina innovators through world-class education and training in the critical skills of the future  and bring scale to North Carolinas already-thriving ecosystem of innovation to help our clients create their digital futures, said Dr. Vishal Sikka, CEO of Infosys, in the news release.

Having already trained more than 134,000 students in the United States, the investment furthers the companys commitment to bringing tech jobs into America. North Carolinas Technology and Innovation Hub is the second training facility of its kind after Indiana, with the other two locations to be announced. Infosys will hire recent graduates from the NCs network of higher ed institutions; local professionals looking to build industry skills will also be considered. The first 500 of these 2,000 workers are to be hired by the end of two years, with the rest to be hired by 2021.

To learn more, visit Infosys North Carolina project site.
A third blend is coming to the Drew Estates Undercrown Brand  and this one introduces a blend with a Sun Grown wrapper. At this years 2017 IPCPR Trade Show opening July 11th in Las Vegas, the Drew Estate Undercrown Sun Grown will make its debut.

Perhaps what is most interesting is the use of the Ecuadorian Sumatra seed Sun Grown wrapper. This is the first major traditional premium hand release by Drew Estate to use this wrapper (Sumatra has been used on its infused cigars).

The blend also features a Connecticut River Valley Stalk Cut/Cured Sun Grown Habano and what is described as a powerhouse blend of Nicaraguan fillers. The company says that one leaf of extensively aged Ligero from the Nueva Segovia region along the border of Honduras has been used to enhance the strength of the blend. The cigars will be available in seven sizes with one of the sizes being Drew Estates signature Flying Pig size.

The Undercrown brand was launched in 2011 with the original Undercrown Maduro. This cigar features a San Andres Maduro wrapper and incorporated alternative primings from the same tobaccos used in Liga Privada. In 2015, the Undercrown Shade, a Connecticut Shade cigar was blended by Drew Estate Master Blender Willy Herrera in collaboration with the Undercrown Maduro team.

Returning to Drew Estate as the Fourth President is immensely inspiring and satisfying. The collaborative consortium of creative talent at every level is our core competency. Challenging Willy Herrera and the Undercrown Blending Team to create the new expression after finally securing Sun Grown Tobacco is extremely exciting, as we have tried to secure this Sumatra Ecuador tobacco for over 15 years. The new Sun Grown continues the legacy of Blended on the Factory Floor' commented Drew Estate President Jonathan Drew.

Willy Herrera, Master Blender of Drew Estate, added, The people of Esteli, Nicaragua opened their hearts to me and my family ever since I joined Drew Estate. Creating cigars from the ground up with the Undercrown Blending Team challenges my comfort zone and pushes the company to more impactful blends.

At a glance, here is a look at the Undercrown Sun Grown:

Blend Profile

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sumatra-Seed Sun Grown

Binder: Connecticut River Valley Stalk Cut/Cured Sun Grown Habano

Filler: Nicaraguan

Country of Origin: Nicaragua (La Gran Fabrica Drew Estate)

Vitolas Available

Each of the sizes is available in 25-count boxes, except for the Flying Pig which is in 12-count boxes. Pricing is per cigar based on the SRP Box Price.

Corona: 5 5/8 x 46 (SRP $8.20/cigar $205.00/box)

Robusto: 5 x 54 (SRP $8.48/cigar, $212.00/box)

Gran Toro: 6 x 52 (SRP $9.00/cigar, $225.00/box)

Belicoso: 6 x 52 (SRP $9.84/cigar, $246.00/box)

Gordito: 6 x 60 (SRP $11.20/cigar, $280.00/box)

Corona Doble : 7 x 54 (SRP $10.38/cigar, $259.50/box)

Flying Pig: 3 15/16 x 60 (SRP $12.72/cigar, $152.64/box)

Photo Credits: Drew Estate
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New York, July 7, 2017Algerian authorities should immediately release independent journalist and fixer Said Chitour and should drop all charges against him, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

Prosecutors charged Chitourwho has worked as a fixer and a journalist for the BBC, France 24, and the Washington Post, among otherswith espionage for leaking classified documents to foreign diplomats, according to news reports. Police arrested him at Algiers International Airport on June 5 as he returned from Spain, according to media reports, but his arrest was not made public until after July 3, when diplomats from an unspecified country told journalists about it at a dinner organized by the U.S. Embassy in Algiers, according to the same media reports.

Mohand Tahar, Chitours brother, told journalists that the Chitour denied the charges against him, and that Algerian security forces had summoned Chitour at least twice before and questioned him about his work with foreign journalists. Chitour knew that he was on the [authorities] radar, Tahar told journalists.

Neither Algerian Interior Ministry press officials nor diplomats at the Algerian Embassy to the United States immediately responded to CPJs emails and phone calls requesting comment.

Said Chitours arrest on espionage charges appears to be an attempt to keep information about Algeria out of the international press, CPJ Deputy Executive Director Robert Mahoney said. We call on Algerian authorities to release Chitour, drop all charges against him, and to cease harassing and threatening journalists for their work.

Chitours lawyer, Khaled Bourayou, told the Algerian news website Tout sur lAlgerie that Chitour did not leak any documents to foreign officials, and in any case did not have access to the kind of documents described in the relevant Algerian legislation. Bourayou did not respond to CPJs repeated requests for further information.

Chitour is jailed in Algiers El-Harrach Prison, pending trial before the Dar El Beida Court, media reports said. The media reports did not say whether a date had been set for his trial.

In January, Algerian authorities arrested Marzoug Touati, an editor for the news website Al-Hogra, and held him in administrative detention on charges of talking to the agents of a foreign power with the intention of causing harm to Algerias army, diplomatic relations, and financial interests, according to media reports.
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New York, July 6, 2017Italian authorities should fully investigate and prosecute all those responsible for the 2014 death of Italian photojournalist Andrea Rocchelli in Ukraine, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

Italian police on June 30 arrested Vitaly Markiv, a dual Italian-Ukrainian citizen, on charges of murdering Rocchelli, Italian and Ukrainian media reported. In a July 4 hearing, prosecutors charged Markiv with premeditated murder. According to Italian and Russian media reports, Markiv exercised his right to remain silent.

Rocchelli, founder and photojournalist of Cesare photo agency, was on assignment near the city of Sloviansk in eastern Ukraine when he, his Ukrainian fixer, Andrei Mironov, and French photojournalist William Roguellon were caught in fighting between the Ukrainian troops and pro-Russian separatists on May 24, 2014, CPJ reported at the time. Russian and Ukrainian officials each blamed the other side for killing Rocchelli and Mironov.

According to Italian media, prosecutors in Pavia, Rocchellis hometown, began investigating the killing in 2016 after studying footage from Rocchellis camera at the insistence of the journalists parents. They also took the testimony of Rocchellis colleague, Roguellon, who was wounded in the same attack, and other Italian journalists who have frequently traveled to the area in Ukraine where Rocchelli was killed to investigate his death.

Italian investigators concluded that soldiers from the Ukrainian National Guard under Markivs command targeted the three men knowing they were journalists, and in December 2016 obtained a warrant for his arrest, according to media reports. Police arrested Markiv when he arrived at Bologna airport for his first trip to Italy since Rocchellis death, the reports said.

We call on Italian authorities to conduct a thorough investigation into all those responsible for the death of photojournalist Andrea Rocchelli in Ukraine, CPJ Deputy Executive Director Robert Mahoney said. Ukrainian authorities should fully cooperate with their Italian counterparts and send a signal that reporters cannot be killed with impunity.

In a July 1 statement, the Ukrainian National Guard expressed concern over Markivs arrest. The same day, Ukraines deputy prosecutor-general, Yevgenii Yenin, wrote on his personal Facebook page that his office was surprised by Markivs arrest, and that it had requested additional information from Italian police.
Malagas growing reputation as an arts and culture hub is about to be boosted with the opening of a center dedicated to the philosophical legacy of Spains Sephardic Jews . The Sephardic Cultural Center in the Mediterranean port city will focus on the legacy of the flowering of Jewish thought in Spain in the 15th century and on the thinkers of the Sephardic diaspora following the expulsion of Spains non-Christians in 1492 under Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile, the first monarchs of unified Spain.

A computer-generated image of the Sephardic Cultural Center.

The 2 million bill for the project is to be footed by Malagas Jewish community. The idea was first mooted 15 years ago but a shortage of funds put the plan on ice. But building is now set to begin toward the end of 2017 with construction expected to take two years. In the meantime, conferences and seminars are slated to begin as soon as possible.

Former US ambassador to Spain, Alan Solomont, will be honorary president of the center

Ruben Bentata, the president of the Israelite Community of Malaga, which represents the citys Jews, says he would also like to see Malaga take the lead in 2021 with activities celebrating the thousandth anniversary of the birth in the city of the philosopher and poet Solomon ibn Gabirol, an important thinker who became influential under the Latin name of Avicebron.

The new two-story center will be located in the former Jewish quarter of Malaga, close to the Picasso Museum, which, along with the Centre Pompidou Malaga and the citys Museo Carmen Thyssen, has made the city a hub for culture and the arts.

The center, also called the Sephardic Museum of Malaga, will house a synagogue and will operate as an exhibition space, a study center and a location for cultural activities. Different parts of the museum will focus on the great Sephardic intellectuals of Spain, the Sephardic literary tradition, the communitys architecture and the heritage of the Sephardic diaspora.

The center will focus on the legacy of the flowering of Jewish thought in Spain in the 15th century

It will be supported by institutions including the University of Malaga, while the foundation charged with the centers management will have as its honorary president the former US ambassador to Spain, Alan Solomont.

The center will highlight the literary and intellectual wealth of a community that has given us great thinkers, but about which we know hardly anything, says the future centers curator, publisher and journalist Basilio Baltasar. He stressed that the center and museum would not just focus on Spanish Sephardic thinkers such as Maimonides but also on those born in exile such as Spinoza, the Dutch philosopher of Sephardic Portuguese origin.

The plan is to shed light on an unknown legacy, Baltasar said.

English version by George Mills.
Three people were injured at the first of Pamplonas bull runs, which began at 8am on Friday as part of the world-famous Sanfermines festival. Runs, or encierros, are held every morning between July 7 and 14, and they are the best-known part of the Navarrese capitals annual celebration.

The Friday run was fast: it lasted two minutes and 58 seconds, a full minute under the average time, and there were numerous falls all along the way.

Three runners were hurt when two of the animals were separated from the herd. The first was gored in the lower abdomen on Cuesta de Santo Domingo, the second was hit in the chest at City Hall square, and a third sustained leg and head injuries on the corner of Estafeta street and Bajada de Javier.

A straggler took aim at a man who had taken cover in a doorway and tossed him in the air

Two of the injured runners are American and the third is a local man from the Navarre region. Medical authorities said a 35-year-old US national whose initials are E. H. was injured in the chest area, but that he is not in serious condition.

A 29-year-old American, A.P., was gored near the scrotum but his injuries are not serious either, said the medical report. The Spanish man, F. A. T., 46, fared worse. He was gored in the right thigh and sustained head injuries, and his condition was described as serious.

There was a lot of anticipation before Fridays encierro, as the bulls that participated in the race are the property of a breeder from Cadiz, Jose Cebada Gago, who has developed a reputation for producing notoriously dangerous animals. Records kept between 1980 and 2015 show that Cebada Gago bulls were responsible for the second-highest number of injuries at the encierros (27). They were only outdone by the Miuras, with an injury toll of 35.

Last year, Cebada Gago bulls ran on the second day, and that became one of the most dangerous encierros in the entire history of the Sanfermines: six runners were gored and four more were left with cuts and bruises.

Since 1910, 16 people have lost their lives along the 875-meter route leading from the bull pen to the citys bullring through narrow, cobble-stoned streets.

Tradition

Following tradition, the runners congregated on Cuesta de Santo Domingo a few minutes before 8am and sang to a figure of Saint Fermin, the patron saint of this festivity, to ask for protection during the run.

When the church bells rang eight times, a rocket went off and the gates of the pen were swung open. One of the Cebada Gagos soon moved into high gear, delivering the first blow of the year. His victim was hurled in the air before coming down hard on the pavement.

The non-skid liquid that local authorities had poured on the Mercaderes curve did its job, and the bulls took the turn with barely a slip, then roared down Estafeta street, where the bulk of the runners were waiting for them.

There were two stragglers in the herd; the first one took aim at a man who had taken cover in a doorway and tossed him in the air. Not long after that, the last two bulls joined the rest of the herd inside the ring.

English version by Susana Urra.
Knocks, kicks and punches. The cameras of a tourist group have captured an employee with Spains Iberia airline loading suitcases onto a plane without any care. Despite the cries and complaints of affected passengers, the airport worker continued to abuse their luggage.

In a statement issued this afternoon, Iberia announced that the employee has been suspended from duty without pay after his actions damaged the image of the company."

English version by Henry Hahn.
Baku, Azerbaijan, July 7

By Rufiz Hafizoglu - Trend:

Armenia will continue aggression against Azerbaijan until Yerevan recognizes international laws and norms, Ibrahim Erdogan, editor-in-chief of the Turkish Haber7 news portal, told Trend over phone July 7.

Erdogan said that the world community must exert political pressure on Armenia to prevent new acts of Armenias aggression.

He said that the Azerbaijani and Turkish presidents have repeatedly discussed the settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and put this issue on the agenda of international conferences.

Erdogan added that Turkey, Azerbaijan and Russia will jointly make efforts to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict because earlier the Turkish and Russian presidents discussed the creation of the Azerbaijan-Turkey-Russia cooperation format.

In his opinion, Russia must also actively make efforts to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and exert political pressure on Armenia.

"The political pressure of Russia and Turkey, as well as the steadfastness and power of Azerbaijan, can lead to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement," the editor-in-chief said.

He said that international mediators must also make serious efforts to resolve the conflict.

"Despite the measures have been taken to return the occupied Azerbaijani territories under the OSCE mediation for many years, most of the OSCE's efforts have been ostentatious and have not yielded concrete results, he said. Proceeding from it and the support of some forces, Armenia continues its aggression against Azerbaijan."

He said that Armenia's actions turned it into evil in the region.

"It is impossible to name the exact number of Azerbaijani people who died as a result of the Armenian aggression, he said. Many people died. The history of Armenians has always been full of aggression and atrocities against the Turks."

On July 4 at about 20:40 (GMT+4 hours), the Armenian armed forces, using 82-mm and 120-mm mortars and grenade launchers, shelled the Alkhanly village of Azerbaijans Fuzuli district.

As a result of this provocation, the residents of the village Sahiba Allahverdiyeva, 50, and Zahra Guliyeva, 2, were killed. Salminaz Guliyeva, 52, who got wounded, was taken to the hospital and was operated on.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.
Baku, Azerbaijan, July 7

By Elmira Tariverdiyeva  Trend:

The UN is concerned over the recent ceasefire violations along the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops, said Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres.

As the [UN] Secretary General underlined on 22 June 2017, we are increasingly concerned over the deteriorating security environment, including the most recent ceasefire violations, along the line of contact and in the broader Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone, Dujarric told a briefing in New York.

The UN took note of and echo the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs recent statement with reference to the renewed violence on July 4 in the Alkhanli village of the Fuzuli district, which resulted in casualties, including among civilians, he added.

We call upon the sides to refrain from any military action, and strongly urge them to take immediate steps to de-escalate tensions and prevent any further violence. An early return to the negotiations table in good faith is the only way to resolve this long-standing and dangerous conflict.

On July 4 at about 20:40 (GMT+4 hours), the Armenian armed forces, using 82-mm and 120-mm mortars and grenade launchers, shelled the Alkhanly village of Azerbaijans Fuzuli district. As a result of this provocation, the residents of the village Sahiba Allahverdiyeva, 50, and Zahra Guliyeva, 2, were killed. Salminaz Guliyeva, 52, who got wounded, was taken to the hospital and was operated on.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.
Baku, Azerbaijan, July 7

By Elmira Tariverdiyeva - Trend:

As Americans set off fireworks throughout the land on Independence Day, the Armenian military occupying the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan were using explosives of their own, ordinance not directed at an opposing military force but at innocent civilians, Alexander Murinson, senior fellow at the Begin-Sadat Center and Bar Ilan University, wrote in the article published in Washington Times.

A near-daily incidence, the Armenian military alternately shells, mortars, snipes at civilians along the line of contact of Azerbaijani and Armenian troops, Murinson said.

Often used as a harassment and instigation tactic, seemingly geared to draw Azerbaijan into a larger-scale conflagration, the fourth of July incident is indicative of new Armenian military doctrine  avoidance of the Azerbaijani military in favor of engaging civilian targets  challenging Azerbaijan to respond as an aggressor, he said.

According to the article, this doctrine appears to have come into practice following the April 2016 Five-Day War, begun as a heavy artillery bombardment initiated by the Armenian military that resulted in the heaviest fighting in more than 20 years.

During the fighting, the Azerbaijani military fielded state-of-the-art weapons, command-and-control systems, and a military force demonstrably better trained, and more proficient and professional than the Armenian military faced previously.

Azerbaijan, compelled to retaliate, routed the Armenian forces and the liberated strategic highlands and a significant swath of territory, he said.

According to the article, in this incident, roughly three miles inside Azerbaijani territory, the Armenian military explicitly chose to avoid targeting Azerbaijani gun emplacements, tanks and troops. Instead, Azerbaijans Alkhanly village was targeted with 82- and 120-millimeter mortars and heavy grenade launchers.

During the bombardment, 2-year-old Zahra Guliyeva lost her life, one of the many children killed in recent and nearly exact military on civilian engagements.

Also, killed in the attack was Zahras grandmother, 50-year-old Sahiba Allahverdiyeva, while numerous other villagers were hospitalized for serious shrapnel and other wounds, Murinson added.

It is worth noting that Azerbaijanis who live in proximity to the line of contact, build their homes and childrens schools into the back side of hills to keep citizens safe from the Armenian military. This, while on the Armenia side of the line of contact, there exists only military installations  no civilians.

Although media report the Armenian military states that the village was targeted due to the presence of Azerbaijani military assets, the Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan as well as international observers have avowed that no military assets existed in Alkhanly, Murinson said.

According to the article, In Americas best interests, the Trump administration should lend support to Azerbaijan  diplomatic, military and political  as a geopolitical and geostrategic hedge related to the reasons above, but also because Azerbaijan is one of the Americas true, stable and dependable Muslim-majority friends.

Azerbaijan is an indispensable ally for the United States, the West and Israel. America should be proactive in supporting its allies, he said.

On July 4 at about 20:40 (GMT+4 hours), the Armenian armed forces, using 82-mm and 120-mm mortars and grenade launchers, shelled the Alkhanly village of Azerbaijans Fuzuli district.

As a result of this provocation, the residents of the village Sahiba Allahverdiyeva, 50, and Zahra Guliyeva, 2, were killed. Salminaz Guliyeva, 52, who got wounded, was taken to the hospital and was operated on.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.
Baku, Azerbaijan, July 7

Trend:

Belarus expresses regret over the casualties among civilians and offers condolences to the families of the victims, said Dmitry Mironchik, spokesman of the Foreign Ministry of Belarus.

He was commenting on the Armenian provocation in the Alkhanli village of Azerbaijans Fuzuli district.

Belarus hopes for the cessation of bloodshed and once again advocates that all issues should be resolved only through dialogue at the negotiating table, according to a message from the countrys Foreign Ministry.

On July 4 at about 20:40 (GMT+4 hours), the Armenian armed forces, using 82-mm and 120-mm mortars and grenade launchers, shelled the Alkhanly village of Azerbaijans Fuzuli district. As a result of this provocation, the residents of the village Sahiba Allahverdiyeva, 50, and Zahra Guliyeva, 2, were killed. Salminaz Guliyeva, 52, who got wounded, was taken to the hospital and was operated on.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.
Baku, Azerbaijan, July 7

By Seba Aghayeva  Trend:

Bishop Juan Carlos Mendez, chairman of the Churches in Action organization in Los Angeles and the citys Interfaith Council, sent an open letter to Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan over the death of an Azerbaijani two year old girl and her grandmother as the result of the recent Armenian provocation on the contact line between the Azerbaijani and Armenian troops, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry told Trend July 7.

As we were celebrating the 4th of July Independence Day - the founding of our Nation - shocking news reached us here in Los Angeles: a two-year-old Azerbaijani girl named Zahra Guliyeva and her grandmother were brutally killed, when Armenias armed forces targeted and shelled their house, the bishop said in his letter.

We were all appalled, he noted. There are no words that can fully express the anger and frustration that comes with the news of the killing of innocent civilians, especially of little children.

Killing innocent civilians does not only constitute a flagrant violation of all international legal norms, it also violates the very principles of Christianity, the bishop said. I hope that Armenia and its leadership fully realize the tremendous responsibility for upholding these principles no matter what.

He urged the Armenian president to fiercely condemn this terrible crime and do his best to punish all those who are responsible for this heinous murder.

On July 4 at about 20:40 (GMT+4 hours), the Armenian armed forces, using 82-mm and 120-mm mortars and grenade launchers, shelled the Alkhanly village of Azerbaijans Fuzuli district.

As a result of this provocation, the residents of the village Sahiba Allahverdiyeva, 50, and Zahra Guliyeva, 2, were killed. Salminaz Guliyeva, 52, who got wounded, was taken to the hospital and was operated on.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.
Baku, Azerbaijan, July 7

By Elmira Tariverdiyeva  Trend:

Pakistan condemns targeting of civilians in Azerbaijan by Armenia, said the Pakistani Foreign Ministry July 7.

We condemn the targeting of civilians in Azerbaijan by the Armenian forces in which, among others, a 2-year old girl has lost her life.

We understand the sentiments of the Azerbaijan people in this situation, the Foreign Ministry said, adding that Pakistan is experiencing similar feelings in connection with the situation around Kashmir.

On July 4 at about 20:40 (GMT+4 hours), the Armenian armed forces, using 82-mm and 120-mm mortars and grenade launchers, shelled the Alkhanly village of Azerbaijans Fuzuli district. As a result of this provocation, the residents of the village Sahiba Allahverdiyeva, 50, and Zahra Guliyeva, 2, were killed. Salminaz Guliyeva, 52, who got wounded, was taken to the hospital and was operated on.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.
Baku, Azerbaijan, July 7

By Seba Aghayeva  Trend:

Yerevan tries to maintain the status quo in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict by systematically committing provocations and sabotage, said Italian Senator Maria Rizzotti.

Addressing a Senate meeting, Rizzotti pointed out the crimes Armenian armed forces commit against Azerbaijani civilians, and condemned the Armenian aggression against Azerbaijan, the Italian Embassy in Baku told Trend July 7.

The Armenian armed forces, ignoring the calls of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs to change the status quo via substantive talks on the conflict, killed a two-year-old girl and her grandmother, the senator said.

Noting that Armenia systematically and deliberately attacks civilians of Azerbaijan, Rizzotti assessed these actions as a gross violation of all norms and principles of international law and international conventions.

Armenia ignores all UN Security Council resolutions on the conflict and Yerevans latest provocation is aimed at maintaining the status quo, she said, adding that the presence of the Armenian armed forces on Azerbaijani territories is the main obstacle to resolving the conflict.

On July 4 at about 20:40 (GMT+4 hours), the Armenian armed forces, using 82-mm and 120-mm mortars and grenade launchers, shelled the Alkhanly village of Azerbaijans Fuzuli district. As a result of this provocation, the residents of the village Sahiba Allahverdiyeva, 50, and Zahra Guliyeva, 2, were killed. Salminaz Guliyeva, 52, who got wounded, was taken to the hospital and was operated on.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.
Baku, Azerbaijan, July 7

Trend:

A number of former and current officials of France sent a letter to President of France Emmanuel Macron and pointed out the July 4 shelling of the Alkhanli village in Azerbaijans Fuzuli district by the Armenian armed forces, which resulted in the killing of a two-year-old child and her grandmother.

The letter to French President Emmanuel Macron, was sent by:

Former minister, Member of the European Parliament Rachida Dati

Former minister, Senator representing Upper Rhine department at the French Senate Jean-Marie Bockel

MP Jean-Pierre Door, Loiret department

MP Jerome Lambert, Charente department

MP Jean-Luc Reitzer, Upper Rhine department

MP Andre Villiers, Yonne department

Senator Andre Reichardt, Lower Rhine department

Senator Nathalie Goulet, Orne department

Senator Jerome Bignon, Somme department

Senator Eric Dolige, Loire department

Senator Sylvie Goy-Chavent, Ain department

Senator Alain Houpert, Cote-d'Or department

Senator Christian Namy, Meuse department

Senator Alain Vasselle, Oise department

Former MP, President of the French Association of Friends of Azerbaijan Jean-Francois Mansell

Former MP, Mayor of Claye-Souilly Yves Albarello,

Former MP, Mayor of Arcachon Yves Foulon,

Former MP, Mayor of Houdan Jean-Marie Tetart

Former MP, Georges Fenech

In the letter, the abovementioned people noted that Armenia has been violating international law for 25 years.

The letter, which contains information about the expulsion of one million Azerbaijanis from their homes as a result of Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the policy of ethnic cleansing pursued by the Armenians against Azerbaijanis and the Khojaly genocide, states that 20 percent of Azerbaijani lands is occupied by Armenian armed forces.

They reminded about the resolutions adopted by the UN Security Council and General Assembly on the immediate and unconditional withdrawal of the Armenian occupying forces from the Azerbaijani territories, and urged the French president to exert pressure on Armenia to fulfil those resolutions.

The letter is as follows:



Mr. President,



The 25-year occupation of the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan and seven adjacent districts, by Armenia, adds to the prolonged violation of international law and the fact that tears of the families of countless victims of this unresolved conflict, both among civilians and the military, to which the world remains indifferent, continue to flow.



The killing of two-year-old Zahra and her grandmother by the Armenian side on July 4 once again reminded to more than one million Azerbaijani refugees and IDPs, who were expelled from their homes, from their land, and who became victims of ethnic cleansing, about the terrible Khojaly genocide, where hundreds of people were killed en masse, and about the pain from the occupation of the native lands.



The time has come when negotiations are needed to achieve sustainable peace in the unstable world we live in, because if Azerbaijan runs out of patience, the whole region can engulf in flames.



As you know, the primary basis for the conflict settlement was defined in resolutions 822 (1993), 853 (1993), 874 (1993) and 884 (1993), adopted by the UN Security Council, and 62/243 of the UN General Assembly.



These resolutions require complete, immediate and unconditional withdrawal of Armenian occupying forces from the occupied Azerbaijani territories.



Unfortunately, due to the non-compliance with these resolutions, the Azerbaijani territories are still under occupation.



The situation today is very clear  the international community has resolutions, adopted in the course of voting, and the OSCE Minsk Group, which is charged with resolving the conflict.



The time has come to put an end to the occupation of 20 percent of Azerbaijani territories and the status quo, which have been going on for 25 years.



International law should be applied everywhere. This is an unconditional factor of the regional and international security. It is important that pressure is immediately exerted by the international community, including France, for Armenia to fulfill the UN Security Council resolutions in the shortest possible time.



France, like Russia and the US, has been a co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group since 1997. There seems to be no assurance from its partners, in connection with their strategic and tactical reasons, on mobilization to resolve the conflict.



In order to stop the protraction of intermediaries and given the inadmissibility of the conflict resumption, we ask you, Mr. President, to immediately react in accordance with the authority of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chair and a permanent member of the UN Security Council.



France is capable of carrying out active political activities in the Caucasus as well.



Balanced political, economic and friendly relations with Armenia and Azerbaijan enable us to listen to each of the two states. After that we only need strong political will.



Wouldn't it be appropriate if at the beginning of a new five-year mandate that began with the motto of the return of France to the international stage, the French initiative, related to manifestation of respect for human life and compliance with international law in the Caucasus, was put forward?



Believing in your will to put forward fair initiatives to restore peace in the Caucasus, we express our great respect for you, Mr. President.
Baku, Azerbaijan, July 7

By Elena Kosolapova  Trend:

The co-rapporteurs for the monitoring of Armenia and Azerbaijan by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) in a statement posted on its website July 7 have expressed their concern at the escalation of violence near Alkhanly village in Azerbaijans Fuzuli district.

They also expressed regret that this has led to casualties among which are civilians, including a two-year-old child, the statement said.

On July 4 at about 20:40 (GMT+4 hours), the Armenian armed forces, using 82-mm and 120-mm mortars and grenade launchers, shelled the Alkhanly village of Azerbaijans Fuzuli district.

As a result of this provocation, the residents of the village Sahiba Allahverdiyeva, 50, and Zahra Guliyeva, 2, were killed. Salminaz Guliyeva, 52, who got wounded, was taken to the hospital and was operated on.

Alan Meale (UK) and Giuseppe Galati (Italy), co-rapporteurs for Armenia, together with Stefan Schennach (Austria) and Cezar Preda (Romania), co-rapporteurs for Azerbaijan, called on all sides to respect the ceasefire in place and to return to the negotiating table under the auspices of the OSCE Minsk Group.

They stressed that there can be no military solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and reminded both Armenia and Azerbaijan of their accession commitment to resolve their differences peacefully.



The co-rapporteurs wish to extend their heartfelt condolences to the families of all victims, said the statement.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.
Baku, Azerbaijan, July 7

By Leman Zeynalova  Trend:

In order to achieve the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Armenia should have a more open position which we havent seen in recent times, Senator Andre Reichardt, Chairman of the France-Caucasus Friendship Group in the French Senate told Trend July 7.

Andre Reichardt is among the French parliamentarians, who have signed the appeal to Frances president over the July 4 shelling of the Alkhanly village in Azerbaijans Fuzuli district by the Armenian armed forces. In this appeal, they urged the French president to exert pressure on Armenia.

Reichardt noted that Armenia should fulfill the UN Security Councils resolutions demanding the withdrawal of its forces from Azerbaijans occupied territories.

The relations between Russia and Armenia are especially strong. Moreover, the direct collaboration of presidents of the two sides of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict with Russias President Vladimir Putin would undoubtedly bring very important results for the conflicts settlement, said the senator.

He pointed out that Russia and other co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group can contribute to achieving a progress in the settlement of this conflict.

It should be noted that on July 4 at about 20:40 (GMT+4 hours), the Armenian armed forces, using 82-mm and 120-mm mortars and grenade launchers, shelled the Alkhanly village of Azerbaijans Fuzuli district. As a result of this provocation, the residents of the village Sahiba Allahverdiyeva, 50, and Zahra Guliyeva, 2, were killed. Salminaz Guliyeva, 52, who got wounded, was taken to the hospital and was operated on.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.

---

Follow the author on Twitter: @Lyaman_Zeyn
(details added, first version 15:19)

Baku, Azerbaijan, July 7

Trend:

A number of French parliamentarians sent a letter to President of France Emmanuel Macron and pointed out the July 4 shelling of the Alkhanli village in Azerbaijans Fuzuli district by the Armenian armed forces, which resulted in the killing of a two-year-old child and her grandmother.

The letter to French President Emmanuel Macron, was sent by:

Former minister, Member of the European Parliament Rachida Dati

Former minister, Senator representing Upper Rhine department at the French Senate Jean-Marie Bockel

MP Jean-Pierre Door, Loiret department

MP Jerome Lambert, Charente department

MP Jean-Luc Reitzer, Upper Rhine department

MP Andre Villiers, Yonne department

Senator Andre Reichardt, Lower Rhine department

Senator Nathalie Goulet, Orne department

Senator Jerome Bignon, Somme department

Senator Eric Dolige, Loire department

Senator Sylvie Goy-Chavent, Ain department

Senator Alain Houpert, Cote-d'Or department

Senator Christian Namy, Meuse department

Senator Alain Vasselle, Oise department

Former MP, President of the French Association of Friends of Azerbaijan Jean-Francois Mansell

Former MP, Mayor of Claye-Souilly Yves Albarello,

Former MP, Mayor of Arcachon Yves Foulon,

Former MP, Mayor of Houdan Jean-Marie Tetart

Former MP, Georges Fenech

In the letter, the abovementioned people noted that Armenia has been violating international law for 25 years.

The letter, which contains information about the expulsion of one million Azerbaijanis from their homes as a result of Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the policy of ethnic cleansing pursued by the Armenians against Azerbaijanis and the Khojaly genocide, states that 20 percent of Azerbaijani lands is occupied by Armenian armed forces.

They reminded about the resolutions adopted by the UN Security Council and General Assembly on the immediate and unconditional withdrawal of the Armenian occupying forces from the Azerbaijani territories, and urged the French president to exert pressure on Armenia to fulfil those resolutions.
Baku, Azerbaijan, July 7

Trend:

Despite objections of the Armenian delegation, the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly has adopted another important proposal of the assemblys Vice President Azay Guliyev.

A draft resolution on enhancing mutual trust and cooperation for peace and prosperity in the OSCE region was discussed at a meeting of the OSCE PA General Committee on Political Affairs and Security held July 7 in Minsk.

According to the amendment introduced to paragraph 24 of the resolution at the suggestion of Azay Guliyev, the OSCE PA, speaking with deep regret at the lack of progress in the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, urges the parties to immediately start substantive negotiations on finding a lasting solution to the conflict as soon as possible, and calls on the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs to double efforts to this end.

In his speech, Guliyev noted that this year marks the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the OSCE Minsk Group, but it is regrettable that this institution has not yet achieved any results.

OSCE PA Annual Session will continue its work until July 9.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.
Details added (first version posted at 15:19)

Baku, Azerbaijan, July 7

Trend:

A number of former and current officials of France sent a letter to President of France Emmanuel Macron and pointed out the July 4 shelling of the Alkhanli village in Azerbaijans Fuzuli district by the Armenian armed forces, which resulted in the killing of a two-year-old child and her grandmother.

The letter to French President Emmanuel Macron, was sent by:

Former minister, Member of the European Parliament Rachida Dati

Former minister, Senator representing Upper Rhine department at the French Senate Jean-Marie Bockel

MP Jean-Pierre Door, Loiret department

MP Jerome Lambert, Charente department

MP Jean-Luc Reitzer, Upper Rhine department

MP Andre Villiers, Yonne department

Senator Andre Reichardt, Lower Rhine department

Senator Nathalie Goulet, Orne department

Senator Jerome Bignon, Somme department

Senator Eric Dolige, Loire department

Senator Sylvie Goy-Chavent, Ain department

Senator Alain Houpert, Cote-d'Or department

Senator Christian Namy, Meuse department

Senator Alain Vasselle, Oise department

Former MP, President of the French Association of Friends of Azerbaijan Jean-Francois Mansell

Former MP, Mayor of Claye-Souilly Yves Albarello,

Former MP, Mayor of Arcachon Yves Foulon,

Former MP, Mayor of Houdan Jean-Marie Tetart

Former MP, Georges Fenech

In the letter, the abovementioned people noted that Armenia has been violating international law for 25 years.

The letter, which contains information about the expulsion of one million Azerbaijanis from their homes as a result of Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the policy of ethnic cleansing pursued by the Armenians against Azerbaijanis and the Khojaly genocide, states that 20 percent of Azerbaijani lands is occupied by Armenian armed forces.

They reminded about the resolutions adopted by the UN Security Council and General Assembly on the immediate and unconditional withdrawal of the Armenian occupying forces from the Azerbaijani territories, and urged the French president to exert pressure on Armenia to fulfil those resolutions.

The letter is as follows:



Mr. President,



The 25-year occupation of the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan and seven adjacent districts, by Armenia, adds to the prolonged violation of international law and the fact that tears of the families of countless victims of this unresolved conflict, both among civilians and the military, to which the world remains indifferent, continue to flow.



The killing of two-year-old Zahra and her grandmother by the Armenian side on July 4 once again reminded to more than one million Azerbaijani refugees and IDPs, who were expelled from their homes, from their land, and who became victims of ethnic cleansing, about the terrible Khojaly genocide, where hundreds of people were killed en masse, and about the pain from the occupation of the native lands.



The time has come when negotiations are needed to achieve sustainable peace in the unstable world we live in, because if Azerbaijan runs out of patience, the whole region can engulf in flames.



As you know, the primary basis for the conflict settlement was defined in resolutions 822 (1993), 853 (1993), 874 (1993) and 884 (1993), adopted by the UN Security Council, and 62/243 of the UN General Assembly.



These resolutions require complete, immediate and unconditional withdrawal of Armenian occupying forces from the occupied Azerbaijani territories.



Unfortunately, due to the non-compliance with these resolutions, the Azerbaijani territories are still under occupation.



The situation today is very clear  the international community has resolutions, adopted in the course of voting, and the OSCE Minsk Group, which is charged with resolving the conflict.



The time has come to put an end to the occupation of 20 percent of Azerbaijani territories and the status quo, which have been going on for 25 years.



International law should be applied everywhere. This is an unconditional factor of the regional and international security. It is important that pressure is immediately exerted by the international community, including France, for Armenia to fulfill the UN Security Council resolutions in the shortest possible time.



France, like Russia and the US, has been a co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group since 1997. There seems to be no assurance from its partners, in connection with their strategic and tactical reasons, on mobilization to resolve the conflict.



In order to stop the protraction of intermediaries and given the inadmissibility of the conflict resumption, we ask you, Mr. President, to immediately react in accordance with the authority of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chair and a permanent member of the UN Security Council.



France is capable of carrying out active political activities in the Caucasus as well.



Balanced political, economic and friendly relations with Armenia and Azerbaijan enable us to listen to each of the two states. After that we only need strong political will.



Wouldn't it be appropriate if at the beginning of a new five-year mandate that began with the motto of the return of France to the international stage, the French initiative, related to manifestation of respect for human life and compliance with international law in the Caucasus, was put forward?



Believing in your will to put forward fair initiatives to restore peace in the Caucasus, we express our great respect for you, Mr. President.
Baku, Azerbaijan, July 7

Trend:

The death of Azerbaijani civilians this week as a result of shelling of Armenian armed forces once again proves that the peace talks on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict need to advance, US Ambassador to Azerbaijan Robert Cekuta told reporters in Baku July 7.

He said that the US Department of State and the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs have repeatedly stated this, and the US remains committed to these statements.

The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict has no military solution, he added.

Cekuta noted that the US is ready to help the parties of the conflict to find a peaceful solution.

"I think you have seen the statements that we have made, the state department made, the co-chairs have made, other governments have made in terms of the situation in Nagorno Karabakh. And I would like to stress the importance of moving towards the negotiated settlement" he said.

He noted that this is something the US is committed to both bilaterally and as a co-chair of the Minsk Group and "I think the horrific events that happened over the last couple of days again underline the importance of moving towards the negotiated settlement" - he said.

"One thing that we have to remember here there is no military solution to this problem. The solution has to be found in terms of parties coming together to negotiation and working to achieve a negotiated settlement" Cekuta added.

"So the Minsk group has been trying to help the parties to find their way forward. We are determined to assist, we are trying to assist, but that the solution has to be found by the parties themselves coming together to achieve peaceful settlement", he said.
Baku, Azerbaijan, July 7

Trend:

The US Department of State has extended condolences to the families of victims of recent Armenian provocation against Azerbaijan, according to Heather Nauert, the spokesperson for the United States Department of State.

The United States remains deeply concerned over Tuesdays violations of the ceasefire in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict that resulted in multiple civilian casualties, including possibly a two-year-old child, she said at a press briefing on Thursday.

"This happened near the line of contact. We wish to extend our heartfelt condolences to the families of those victims," Nauert said.

"Along with the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs, we call upon the sides to cease military action and return to the negotiating table. Our policy remains clear in that region: The only solution to this conflict is a negotiated settlement based on international law that includes adherence to the principles of non-use of force and territorial integrity," the official said.

On July 4 at about 20:40 (GMT+4 hours), the Armenian armed forces, using 82-mm and 120-mm mortars and grenade launchers, shelled the Alkhanly village of Azerbaijans Fuzuli district.

As a result of this provocation, the residents of the village Sahiba Allahverdiyeva, 50, and Zahra Guliyeva, 2, were killed. Salminaz Guliyeva, 52, who got wounded, was taken to the hospital and was operated on.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.
Baku, Azerbaijan, July 7

Trend:

A diplomatic solution is more than ever the key to the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, said Senator Christophe-Andre Frassa, member of FranceCaucasus Friendship Group in the French Senate, The European Azerbaijan Society told Trend.

Christophe-Andre Frassa was commenting on the recent developments on the contact line between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops.

On July 4 at about 20:40 (GMT+4 hours), the Armenian armed forces, using 82-mm and 120-mm mortars and grenade launchers, shelled the Alkhanly village of Azerbaijans Fuzuli district.

As a result of this provocation, the residents of the village Sahiba Allahverdiyeva, 50, and Zahra Guliyeva, 2, were killed. Salminaz Guliyeva, 52, who got wounded, was taken to the hospital and was operated on.

The death of civilians is always dramatic, but it becomes horrifying when children are the direct victims, Christophe-Andre Frassa noted.

All efforts must be supported to guarantee a return to peace and to ensure security for the populations in the South Caucasus region, he added.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.
Baku, Azerbaijan, July 7

Trend:

On July 6 Baku for the first time hosted a photographic exhibition dedicated to the life of two eminent Mexican painters Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo.

The event, organized by the Embassy of Mexico in Azerbaijan, was held at the Landmark Hotel. The exhibited 96 photographs presented different periods of life, the important events, as well as the daily life of the artists.

The exhibition A smile in the middle of the way for the first time took place in 2002 in the house-museum of Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo. It portrays the encounters and contention of this famous couple of the twentieth century.

Frida Kahlo, surrealist painter (1907-1954), and Diego Rivera, the acclaimed muralist and main representative of Mexican social realism (1886-1957) formed one of the most notorious artists couples of the history of Mexican art. Their story has been taken to the movies and has also inspired novels.
Baku, Azerbaijan, July 7

By Elena Kosolapova  Trend:

The US has been supporting the development of democracy in Azerbaijan for already 25 years, US Ambassador to Azerbaijan Robert Cekuta told reporters in Baku July 7 at the celebration of the US Independence Day.

It should be noted that this year marks the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Azerbaijan and the US.

Cekuta said that on the Independence Day, the people of the US celebrate the triumph of democracy. However, the diplomat noted that democracy is not a complete process, it is constantly evolving, and this happens in every society.

Democracy is necessary for stability, prosperity and success, the ambassador said.

"The two countries have had 25 years of diplomatic relations. What is important for the US and I think for Azerbaijan -we are looking for the same thing - Azerbaijan as a strong, stable, prosperous, democratic and independent" - he said.
Oil prices fell more than 3 percent on Friday after data showed U.S. production rose last week just as OPEC exports hit a 2017 high, casting doubt over efforts by producers to curb global oversupply, Reuters reported.

Benchmark Brent futures LCOc1 were down $1.55, or 3.2 percent, at $46.56 a barrel at 11:50 a.m. EDT (1550 GMT), after falling to $46.28, the cheapest in more than a week.

U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures CLc1 traded at $44.05 a barrel, down $1.47 or 3.2 percent, also the lowest in over a week.

Both benchmarks were set for weekly drops of more than 2 percent.

"The stream of relentless supply continues," said Matt Smith, director of commodity research at Clipperdata.

He noted OPEC exports were 2 million barrels a day higher in June than in 2016, despite a May extension of a 1.8 million barrel production cut led by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries.

"Weve seen exports last month from OPEC much stronger than they were in April and May, seemingly indifferent to the OPEC production cut deal," Smith said.

Reuters oil data showed OPEC production is now at the highest level this year.

Russia, which is cooperating with OPEC in a deal to stem production, said on Friday it was ready to consider revising the parameters of the deal if need be.

A group of oil producing countries monitoring the output deal will meet on July 24 in Russia, when they could recommend adjusting the pact.

OPEC sources welcomed Russia's comments on Friday, saying they provided a good basis for discussions on deepening production cuts.

Weekly U.S. government data showed on Thursday that U.S. oil production C-OUT-T-EIA rose 1 percent to 9.34 million barrels per day (bpd), correcting a drop in the previous week that was due to one-off maintenance work and hurricane shutdowns.

"U.S. producers continue to find economic and cost-efficient ways to put oil on the market," said Rob Haworth, senior investment strategist at U.S. Bank Wealth Management.

At 1 p.m. EDT energy services company Baker Hughes will release rig count data from U.S. drillers.

The market largely ignored news from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) that U.S. crude inventories USOILC=ECI fell by 6.3 million barrels in the week to June 30 to 502.9 million barrels, the lowest since January.

Morgan Stanley said WTI prices need to be "in the low $40s" for U.S. output to fall significantly.

The U.S. bank said it expected WTI to remain below $50 until mid-2018.
Baku, Azerbaijan, July 7

By Anvar Mammadov - Trend:

Financial Monitoring Service of Azerbaijans Financial Market Supervisory Authority has removed three Algerian citizens (Ahmad Zerfaoui, Dhou El-Aich and Hacene Allane) due to their death from the list of persons subject to international sanctions for their support of terrorism, said a report of the service posted on its website.

They were wanted for their support of the Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State (IS, ISIS, ISIL, Daesh) terrorist group, according to the report.

This is the 16th change made to the list in 2017. The list is updated in accordance with the UN Security Councils decisions and the information received from regional organizations.

According to an order of the Cabinet of Ministers of Azerbaijan, the international list is approved and updated by the Financial Monitoring Service based on the information received from the countrys Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The Financial Monitoring Service of Azerbaijan was established Feb. 23, 2009.
Baku, Azerbaijan, July 7

By Maksim Tsurkov  Trend:

The World Bank (WB) intends to continue financing infrastructure projects in Azerbaijan upon the request of the countrys government, Naveed Hassan Naqvi, head of the banks Baku office, told reporters in Baku July 7.

He said that the WB will support the Azerbaijani government in the form of technical assistance and by directly investing in infrastructure.

At present, the work is underway in accordance with the five-year business plan until 2020, and about $350-500 million are allocated per year according to this plan, he noted.

The volume of WBs financing of infrastructure projects in Azerbaijan for 2018 depends on the requests of the countrys government, Naqvi said.

Azerbaijan joined the WB in 1992.
Baku, Azerbaijan, July 7

By Elena Kosolapova  Trend:

Mexican officials are expected to visit Baku till the end of 2017 to intensify economic cooperation, Mexicos ambassador to Azerbaijan Rodrigo Labardini told Trend.

"We are working to organize a visit of Mexican officials working in the field of economy and we hope that this visit will be made till the end of 2017," Labardini said.

The ambassador also recalled that Mexicos representatives have recently visited Azerbaijan.

In particular, this year Mexico for the first time has taken part in the food exhibition in Baku.

Economic advisor of ProMexico, the Mexican trust fund promoting international trade and investment in Istanbul, Jorge Alberto Cruz Abascal arrived in Baku to participate in the 23rd Azerbaijan International Food Industry Exhibition on May 17-19.

During the visit, Cruz Abascal held a number of meetings with representatives of the Azerbaijani state organizations and local entrepreneurs.

"We would like the Mexican business delegation to visit Baku again, he said. We are interested in strengthening business ties and expanding business cooperation."

Labardini added that as oil and gas sector is well developed in both Mexico and Azerbaijan, cooperation in this area is natural and has good prospects.

"But we also want to expand cooperation in other areas, for example, in culture and tourism," he said, adding that Mexico ranks ninth in the world in terms of international tourist arrivals, and 37 million tourists are expected to visit Mexico in 2017.

The ambassador said that Mexico is ready to exchange experience in this field with Azerbaijan, which diversifies its economy and plans to attract more tourists.

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Follow the author on Twitter:@E_Kosolapova
Baku, Azerbaijan, July 7

By Anvar Mammadov  Trend:

Azerbaijan may open trading houses in Europe and Asia in the future, Azerbaijani Deputy Economy Minister Sahil Babayev told reporters in Baku July 7.

Negotiations are currently underway regarding the opening of Azerbaijans trading houses in Russia and Ukraine, the deputy minister said. We receive a great number of requests from European and Asian countries. We evaluate these proposals, and we may gradually expand our network of trading houses and promotion of the Azerbaijani products.

Babayev added that new trade representatives of Azerbaijan will be appointed after analyzing the results of the activity of the first three trade representatives of Azerbaijan in Russia, the UAE and China [appointed in 2017].

First of all, it was planned to appoint trade representatives to three countries, and we did this, Babayev said. We will analyze the results of their activity, and if the effectiveness of this mechanism is proved, the number of trade representatives will be increased in the future if needed.
Baku, Azerbaijan, July 7

By Anvar Mammadov  Trend:

Economic isolation of Qatar opened new opportunities for Azerbaijans private sector, a source in the countrys market told Trend July 7.

The current situation allowed Azerbaijani companies to partially fill the empty places that emerged in the Qatari market.

Such a situation has already arisen during the economic blockade of Russia, the source said. Our companies have already realized what benefit can be obtained from such situations. Although the Azerbaijani government takes a neutral position regarding the situation with Qatar, private companies rushed to the Qatari market in the hope to occupy the empty places and gain profit. Some of them succeeded in this.

On June 5, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt broke off diplomatic relations and communication with Qatar, accusing it of supporting terrorism and interfering in their internal affairs. Later, the Maldives, Mauritius, and Mauritania also announced the severance of diplomatic relations. Jordan and Djibouti reduced the level of their diplomatic missions in Qatar.
Baku, Azerbaijan, July 6

By Maksim Tsurkov  Trend:

Revenues of Azerbaijans state oil company SOCAR in 2016 from activity in Switzerland amounted to 40.44 billion manats compared to 23.85 billion manats in 2015, according to the consolidated report on SOCAR financial activities in 2016 audited by the Ernst & Young UK company and published on its website.

In late June 2012, the US Exxon Mobil multinational oil and gas corporation handed over the assets of its Esso Switzerland company to SOCAR management. The total value of assets acquired by SOCAR in Switzerland amounted to $330 million.

With the acquisition of Esso Switzerland, the SOCAR company received a retail network, the companys division engaged in fuel marketing for industry and wholesale clients (division sells household fuel and gas cylinders to independent distributors throughout Switzerland).

SOCAR also got Wangen-Olten gas filling plant, gas filling stations and joint enterprises engaged in refueling of aircraft at airports of Geneva and Zurich, as well as the Swiss company on ensuring and distribution, which controls joint ventures managing terminals and pipelines.

SOCAR revenues from the activity in Turkey in 2016 amounted to 3.48 billion manats compared to 2.57 billion manats in 2015, from the activity in the United Arab Emirates  1.16 billion manats compared to 948 million manats in 2015, from the activity in Georgia  1.05 billion manats compared to 748 million manats in 2015, according to the report.

SOCAR revenues from activity in other countries amounted to 615 million manats in 2016 compared to 360 million manats in 2015.

In total, SOCAR revenues in 2016 amounted to 5.17 billion manats compared to 4.63 billion manats in 2015.

Revenues of SOCAR obtained in 2016 in Azerbaijan amounted to 51.905 billion manats compared to 33.1 billion manats in 2015.

SOCAR includes production unions "Azneft" (enterprises on oil and gas extraction on land and sea), "Azerikimya" (enterprises of chemical industry) and "Azerigaz" (gas distribution).

The State Oil Company is the only producer of oil products in the country, and also has petroleum stations in Azerbaijan, Georgia, Ukraine, Romania and Switzerland.

SOCAR is the co-owner of the biggest Turkish petrochemical complex "Petkim".

(1.7022 AZN = 1 USD on July 6)

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Follow the author on Twitter: @MaksimTsurkov
Baku, Azerbaijan, July 7

By Maksim Tsurkov  Trend:

The methanol plant acquired by Azerbaijans state oil company SOCAR cost 810 million manat, according to a consolidated financial statement for 2016 posted on SOCAR's website.

The consolidated financial statement was audited by Ernst & Young LLP.

According to the report, SOCAR signed an agreement on the acquisition of assets for the production of the methanol plant in the amount of 810 million manat.

According to the agreement, SOCAR made an advance payment in the amount of 394 million manat.

AzMeCo for the debts was handed over to Aqrarkredit CJSC non-bank credit institution in accordance with a decision of Azerbaijans Cabinet of Ministers. (Aqrarkredit CJSC manages the distressed assets of the International Bank of Azerbaijan).

The annual capacity of the methanol plant, earlier owned by AzMeCo, is 720,000 tons.

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Follow the author on Twitter: @MaksimTsurkov
Within the frame of the operators corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategy, Nar successfully continues its cooperation with the Azerbaijan Technical University (AzTU). After the last years opening of the Nar Laboratory at the Azerbaijan Technical University, supplied with the special equipment, the mobile operator now continues to develop its relations with AzTU in quite few various directions.

The University has already announced the names of high-achieving students of the Radio Engineering and Communication Faculty, who have demonstrated the best results during the past semester. The best 3 students of the past semester, being Kanan Babali, Firuza Mammadova and Orkhan Mammadov, have occupied the 1st, 2nd and 3rd places correspondingly and have received some special prizes from Nar. Paying special importance to the development of education and enlightenment with this initiative Nar continues to provide additional motivation for students to be even more successful in their studies.

It should be noted that within the frame of partnership agreement signed with the Azerbaijan Technical University, Nar has established a GSM laboratory at AzTU, where the students are able to gain theoretical and practical knowledge in the area of GSM. This special laboratory, supplied with the latest telecommunications equipment by Nar, hosts trainings and seminars for students, conducted by professional technical personnel. A large group of young people, who have developed their practical knowledge by means of this program, have already taken their first steps by working for a mobile operator, to grow as young qualified specialists in this particular field. Equipment of the universitys lab and conducting special internship program for students is being implemented within the Nars CSR strategy, especially aimed at youth and education.

Visit nar.az for more detailed information about the CSR strategy of Nar.

Azerfon company started its operations on March 21, 2007, under the Nar Mobile brand name, and within a short period of time became one of the leading companies of the telecommunications and mobile communication industry of Azerbaijan. The Nar brand name was later selected as the symbol that resembles the cohesion of the rich cultural and historical heritage of Azerbaijan with the modern life. Nar was the first company in the country to introduce 3G technology and has provided the customers with a wide 4G network coverage. With more than 2,3 million customers and large network of over 6000 base stations, covering 99% of the countrys territory, Nar provides its subscribers with the highest quality services.
Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, July 7

By Huseyn Hasanov  Trend:

President of the Swiss Confederation Doris Leuthard addressed a congratulatory letter to Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations between the two countries, the Turkmen government said in a message.

There are opportunities for further deepening the cooperation, particularly in the economic relations, where there is significant potential for growth, reads the letter.

Leuthard expressed appreciation for the longstanding friendship between the peoples of the two countries and the strengthening of bilateral ties over the past 25 years.

A vivid evidence of a successful partnership is the recently signed memorandum of understanding on expansion of cooperation between our ministries of finances, she said.

Turkmenistan and Switzerland have a particular responsibility not only for ensuring independence and security of the two countries, but also for contributing to a fair and positive world order, she noted.

One of the areas where the two countries can unite efforts is sustainable management of water resources, according to Leuthard.

Switzerland is a supporter of water diplomacy that will contribute to the consolidation of Central Asian countries in solution of problems in this sphere, she said.
Baku, Azerbaijan, July 6

By Farhad Daneshvar  Trend:

Irans West Azerbaijan seeks to increase its exports to Azerbaijan Republic by 10 percent through holding exhibitions in near future, a provincial official told Trend.

Mansour Haghbin, an advisor for international relations at the provincial chamber of cooperatives, has said that the two countries are planning to conclude an agreement on cooperation in holding exhibitions aimed at increasing trade ties.

He added that Azerbaijan is capable of contributing to increasing Irans exports to the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) including Russia.

Iranian entrepreneurs plan to process raw materials in Azerbaijan and eventually export the final products to the CIS countries in collaboration with Azerbaijani partners, Haghbin said.

He further touched upon trade ties between the province and Azerbaijans Autonomous Republic of Nakhchivan saying his province saw exporting worth of $3 million of goods to the autonomous republic.

According to the data available on the website of State Customs Committee of Azerbaijan, trade turnover between Iran and Azerbaijan over the last year surged by 78 percent to post $221.2 million.

Hossein Mohammad-Sani, an official with the provincial organization of industry, mine and trade, told Trend on Tuesday that West Azerbaijan exported worth of $132 million of products to Azerbaijan Republic over the first quarter of the current Iranian calendar year which started on March 20.
Baku, Azerbaijan, July 7

By Dalga Khatinoglu  Trend:

Iran has prioritized gas export to neighbours and India, an Iranian top official said.

Europe is not Irans option for gas export in mid-term, because it has been oversupplied, Amir Hossein Zamani-Nia, Deputy of Oil Minister for International Affairs and Commerce told IRNA July 7.

He added that Iran would increase gas output to 1 billion cubic meters per day (bcm/d) by the end of current fiscal year (March 20, 2018) and based on 6th National Development Plan (2017-2022), the country should export 80 bcm/yr of gas, of which 50 bcm/yr is projected to be delivered to neighbours.

Zamani-Nia said that the remained surplus gas (30 bcm/yr) can be exported to Europe in long-term.

Currently, Iran has agreements with Turkey, Pakistan, Iraq and Oman to supply 46 bcm/yr of gas to these countries. During last year, Iran exported 8.5 bcm of gas to Turkey, but it started to export gas to Iraq in restricted volume last month as well.

Irans gross gas output reached 285 bcm last fiscal year (ended March 20), of which 226 bcm was commercial gas. It plans to increase this volume to above 400 bcm/yr by 2022 by commissioning all 24 phases of South Pars gas field. Last year the field produced 155 bcm/yr, but it is projected to reach 260 bcm/yr in four years.

According to Irans Parliament Research Centers report, released in June, the gas export to far markets (with more than 3,000 km distance from South Pars gas field), especially Europe is unprofitable, because the net profit of exporting gas will be at most $0.08/mcm and zero in most cases.

According to European Commissions estimation, up to 2020, the consumption of gas in Europe is expected to remain stable at around 430 bcm in gross inland terms. Post 2020, a slight decrease in gross inland consumption of gas (412 bcm in 2030) is projected, as well as further reductions in indigenous production of gas.

Net import dependency of natural gas registers an increase as domestic gas production continues its downward trend. The imported volumes of gas are projected to increase between 2015 and 2040 and then to stabilise in the long term, 15% above the 2010 net import level (from 309 bcm in 2010 to 369 bcm in 2050).

Charles Ellinas, CEO of the Cyprus-based energy consultancy e-CNHC, told Trend May 23 that gas prices in Europe are too low to make gas export prospects for Iran commercially viable.

Ellinas, who is also a non-resident senior fellow with the Atlantic Council and has over 35 years of experience in the oil and gas sector, added that right now gas prices in Europe are under $5/British Thermal Unit (mmBTU) and are forecast to remain in the range between of $5/mmBTU and $6/mmBTU in the long term.

Meanwhile, the price of Iranian gas supplied to Turkey was $5.8/mmBTU in 2016, Ellinas said.

"At such price by the time it reaches Europe it will be over $7/mmBTU, which would be too high to attract buyers," the analyst said.

Iran should firstly construct a 1,800-km pipeline (Igat9) with 17 compressors and raise at least $6-8 billion worth of investment to connect the South Pars field to its north-western regions to be able to export gas to the EU through the Southern Gas Corridor, or a new pipeline.

Coming to exporting LNG, Iran has an LNG project, half done, with 10.4 million tons per year capacity, but it needs at least $6-9 billion of investment to become operational.
Baku, Azerbaijan, July 6

By Dalga Khatinoglu  Trend:

Irans crude oil exports increased by 77.7 percent to over 1.921 million barrels per day (mb/d) in 2016, compared to the previous year, OPEC announced in its annual report.

Iran exported 497,300 b/d to EU compared to 111,400, while exports to Asia increased from 969,700 to 1.423 mb/d.

The country also increased petroleum products (including gas condensate, NGLs and oil products) export by 74.6 percent to 897,900 b/d.

In total, Irans oil exports reached 2.819 mb/d in 2016 compared to 1.595 mb/d in 2015. The oil exports revenue also soared from $27.308 billion in 2015 to $41.123 billion.

International sanctions on Iran, including its oil exports, were removed in January 2016 after the country reached an agreement with P+1 Group (US, UK, France, Russia, China + Germany).

OPEC says Irans petroleum products import also increased by 17 percent to 61,600 b/d in 2016 year-on-year.

Iran imports gasoline, while exports mostly gas oil and fuel oil as well as a little LPG and kerosene.

The report said Irans Refinery throughput capacity increased by 2.2% to 1.857 mb/d, while its oil products demand decreased by 2.9 percent to 1.742 mb/d.

OPEC didnt elaborate the reason, but it backs to decreasing gas oil and fuel oil demand in the power sector, because Iran increased gas delivery to this sector by 7 percent to about 61 bcm in 2016.

Irans crude oil production also increased by 15.9 percent to 3.651 mb/d and its cumulative production level reached above 72.756 billion barrels.

Irans GDP at the current market price also increased from $393.436 billion in 2015 to $409.823 billion.

The real GDP growth was 4.5 percent in 2016 compared to 0.9 percent in 2015.

Irans total exports reached $ 97.386 billion compared to 76.793 in 2015, while its imports increased from $65.822 billion to $73.300 billion.

Its proven oil reserves decreased by 0.8 percent to 157.2 billion barrels.
Baku, Azerbaijan, July 7

By Leman Zeynalova  Trend:

France has to keep the position of non-recognition of the occupation of Azerbaijans Nagorno-Karabakh region, as it is an illegal occupation by Armenia, Nathalie Goulet, French senator and vice-chair of the Senates Foreign Affairs Committee, told Trend July 7.

Nathalie Goulet is among the French parliamentarians, who have signed the appeal to Frances president over the July 4 shelling of the Alkhanli village in Azerbaijans Fuzuli district by the Armenian armed forces. In this appeal, they urged the French president to exert pressure on Armenia.

We have to start a process of sanctions, if we cannot bring Armenia to reason. We also have to ask international forces to keep security and cease fire on the front line. It's time to act, said the senator.

It should be noted that on July 4 at about 20:40 (GMT+4 hours), the Armenian armed forces again violated ceasefire and, using 82-mm and 120-mm mortars and grenade launchers, shelled Azerbaijani positions and territories where the civilian population lives, namely the Alkhanli village of the countrys Fuzuli district, thereby grossly violating the requirements of international law, the Azerbaijani defense ministry said earlier.

As a result of this provocation, the residents of the village Sakhiba Guliyeva, 50, and Zakhra Guliyeva, 2, were killed. Servinaz Guliyeva, 52, who got wounded, was taken to the hospital and was operated on.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.

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Follow the author on Twitter: @Lyaman_Zeyn
Baku, Azerbaijan, July 7

By Elena Kosolapova  Trend:

The US could intervene in Qatar- Gulf crisis as a mediator, Khader Sawaed, researcher in the Israeli Institute for Regional Foreign Policies (Mitvim) and research associate in Israeli Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) believes.

So far, the mediation between the parties of the crisis has been made by Kuwait. Germany may join the next stage. Germany's foreign minister has visited the Gulf states this week. At some point, there will also be American intervention, since the US has many and varied interests with Qatar and Saudi Arabia, Sawaed told Trend.

He noted that the US will not allow a rolling-down of the crisis or a potential escalation.

The strategic, military and economic interests of the United States (mainly), as well as those of the EU countries, will cause them to mediate between the rival parties and pressure them to end the crisis peacefully, the expert said.

Commenting on the reasons of the Qatar crisis, Sawaed noted that ostensibly, the crisis is the result of statements attributed to the emir of Qatar, as well as the an alleged $1 billion ransom to radical organizations supported by Iran that was reportedly paid to release members of Qatars royal familys members.

In fact, the real issues behind the crisis are the deep gaps between Qatar and Saudi Arabia and its allies in relation to Iran, political Islam organizations (Hamas, Hezbollah, the Muslim Brotherhood) and issues of regional leadership, mainly between Saudi Arabia and Qatar  a struggle for status that began two decades ago, Sawaed said.

He noted that the sanctions imposed by Saudi Arabia and its allies indicate that the current crisis is considerably more serious than previous clashes in the region, including an incident in 2014, when Saudi Arabia and other countries returned their ambassadors from Qatar.

Sawaed does not exclude that current Qatar- Gulf crisis could last long. He reminded that the crisis of 2014, which was more limited than the current crisis, lasted eight months.

The desire of Saudi Arabia and its allies for Qatar's swift surrender will not realize, he said.

The expert noted that if Qatar continues to oppose the demands of its neighbors (along with its possible rapprochement with Turkey and Iran), this could lead to a political, economic and even military escalation, although the chances of a military confrontation are low in light of the involvement of Saudi Arabia (and, to a certain extent, the UAE) in Yemen.



The dramatic changes in the order of successions inside the Saudi royal house led to dissatisfaction within the Saudi royal family. I suppose that the Saudi Arabia's de-facto ruler, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, doesn't want another front alongside the Yemeni front and the front within the Saudi house, Sawaed said.



He noted that Saudi Arabia's willingness to reduce its list of claims and to extend its ultimatum to Qatar indicates a lack of willingness for escalation, at least at this stage of the crisis.



The continuation of the crisis depends on the first stage of the Qatari response to the list of claims of Saudi Arabia and its allies, as well as the response of those countries to the Qatari response. I assume that Qatar didn't accept some of the claims presented to it and therefore the crisis will continue, he said.



On June 5, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt broke off diplomatic relations and communication with Qatar, accusing it of supporting terrorism and interfering in their internal affairs. Later, the Maldives, Mauritius, and Mauritania also announced the severance of diplomatic relations. Jordan and Djibouti reduced the level of their diplomatic missions in Qatar.

Later, Kuwait, which is serving as a mediator between Qatar and the Gulf States, handed the demands of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain over to Doha. The requests include the severance of Qatars relations with Iran, closure of Turkeys military base on Qatar's territory and a shutdown of the Al Jazeera TV channel. Doha was given 10 days to implement the demands, the deadline expired on Sunday.

Qatar has called the conditions impossible and urged for their revision.
A plane carrying Russian President Vladimir Putin landed early on Friday at the Helmut Schmidt Airport in Hamburg, the host city of this years G20 summit, TASS reported.

On Friday, Putin is expected to take part in two official G20 sessions and one informal meeting to discuss political issues, such as global terrorism and the situation in the Middle East. He will also hold talks with the leaders of the BRICS group of nations, comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

During the two-day summit, the Russian leader will also hold a series of bilateral meetings with other foreign leaders, including US President Donald Trump. He will also meet with South Korean President Moon Jae-in and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

According to presidential aide Yuri Ushakov, Putin may meet with other foreign leaders on the sidelines of the event, including with the prime minister of Australia and presidents of Mexico and South Africa.

On Friday evening, the Russian president and other leaders are invited to a formal reception by German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Putin will continue his work in Hamburg on Saturday.
U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are set to size each other up in person for the first time on Friday in what promises to be the most highly anticipated meeting on the sidelines of the G20 summit, Reuters reported.

Trump has said he wants to find ways to work with Putin, a goal made more difficult by sharp differences over Russia's actions in Syria and Ukraine, and allegations Moscow meddled in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

That means every facial expression and physical gesture will be analyzed as much as any words the two leaders utter as the world tries to read how well Trump, a real estate magnate and former reality television star, gets along with Putin, a former spy.

The fear is that the Republican president, a political novice whose team is still developing its Russia policy, will be less prepared than Putin, who has dealt with the past two U.S. presidents and scores of other world leaders.

"There's nothing ... the Kremlin would like to see more than a (U.S.) president who will settle for a grip and a grin and walk away saying that he had this fabulous meeting with the Kremlin autocrat," Representative Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the House of Representatives' Intelligence Committee, said in an interview on MSNBC.

As investigations at home continue into whether there was any collusion between Trump's presidential campaign and Russia the U.S. president has come under pressure to take a hard line against the Kremlin.

Moscow has denied any interference and Trump says his campaign did not collude with Russia.

On Thursday, Trump won praise from at least one Republican hawk in the U.S. Congress after his speech in Warsaw in which he urged Russia to stop its "destabilizing activities" and end its support for Syria and Iran.

"This is a great start to an important week of American foreign policy," said Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, who has often been critical of Trump on security issues.

But earlier in the day, Trump declined to say definitively whether he believed U.S. intelligence officials who have said that Russia interfered in the 2016 election.

"I think it was Russia but I think it was probably other people and/or countries, and I see nothing wrong with that statement. Nobody really knows. Nobody really knows for sure, Trump said at a news conference, before slamming Democratic former President Barack Obama for not doing more to stop hacking.
U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said on Friday there would not be many good options left on North Korea if the peaceful pressure campaign the United States has been pushing to curb Pyongyang's nuclear and missile programs failed, Reuters reported.

"We have not given up hope," Tillerson told reporters after Presidents Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin met on the sidelines of a summit of the Group of 20 developed nations, just days after North Korea conducted what it said was its first test of an intercontinental ballistic missile.

Tillerson said the U.S. approach of stepping up pressure on North Korea through sanctions required patience.

"I call it the peaceful pressure campaign ...; This is a campaign to lead us to a peaceful resolution, because if this fails, we don't have very many good options left," he said. "It's one that requires calculated increases in pressure, allow the regime to respond to that pressure, and it takes a little time to let these things happen."

Tillerson said Trump and Putin had differing views on how to deal with North Korea's weapons programs in their talks, but Washington would continue to press Moscow to do more to curb Pyongyang's activities.

"The Russians see it a little differently than we do, so we're going to continue those discussions and ask them to do more. Russia does have economic activity with North Korea," he said.

The United States, Japan and South Korea agreed on Friday to push for a quick U.N. Security Council resolution to apply new sanctions on North Korea. But the three nations might struggle to convince Russia and China, permanent members of the Security Council, to back quick sanctions.

U.N. diplomats said on Friday the United States had given China a draft sanctions resolution.

Russia on Thursday objected to a Security Council condemnation of North Korea's missile launch because the U.S.-drafted statement labeled it an ICBM, a designation that Moscow disagrees with. Diplomats said on Friday that negotiations on the statement had stalled.

Tillerson said a Chinese and Russian proposal for the United States to suspend military exercises with South Korea in return for a freeze on North Korean weapons testing was unacceptable as it would freeze North Korea's programs at too high a level of capability.

"We're asking North Korea to be prepared to come to the table with an understanding that these talks are going to be about how do we help you chart a course to cease and roll back your nuclear program. That's what we want to talk about.

"We're not interested in talking about how do we have you stop where you are today."
Turkey is in detailed talks with Russia over the conflict in Syria, Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus said Thursday, Anadolu reported.

Kurtulmus was the latest senior government figure to raise the possibility of Turkey-Russia cooperation in Syria.

Two weeks ago, Turkey reinforced its border near Afrin in northern Syria and shelled the PKK/PYD in retaliation for attacks on the Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army.

It has been suggested that Russian and Turkish troops could cooperate in northern Syria to create buffer zones between Russian-backed regime forces to the south and opposition forces in the north.

We are talking about Syria in detail with the Russians, Kurtulmus told reporters in Turkeys northwestern province of Bolu.

Using a different acronym for the PKK/PYD, Kurtulmus added: The Russians know our sensitivity and they know our discomfort, especially on the presence of PYD/YPG elements in the Afrin region.

Afrin is controlled by the PKK/PYD, the Syrian affiliate of the PKK, which has waged a 33-year terror campaign in Turkey.

The PKK is also designated a terrorist organization by the U.S. and EU but the U.S. views the PKK/PYD as its ally against Daesh in Syria.

Any act of any terrorist organization in Syrian territory, especially in the regions close to Turkey, is a direct security issue for Turkey, Kurtulmus said.

He added that it would be unacceptable if the PKK/PYD acted against Turkey. We have already announced that we would retaliate doubly to any attack from there, the minister said, referring to Afrin.

Earlier this week, presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin said Ankara would respond strongly to any threat, regardless of where it came from.

Turkey, Russia and Iran brokered the Astana peace talks, the fifth round of which ended Wednesday, when the three nations agreed to establish a joint working group on de-escalation zones in Syria.

We hope that de-escalation zones will be realized as soon as possible, Kurtulmus said.

Turkey intervened directly in Syria last August, when it launched Operation Euphrates Shield to seize territory from Daesh in northern Syria. The operation ended in March.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and U.S. President Donald Trump had a brief chat Friday at the G20 summit, Anadolu reported.

Erdogan and Trump were seen chatting at the beginning of a working session on global trade and development as reporters were allowed in briefly for the start of the meeting.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu joined the discussion between the two leaders.

British Prime Minister Theresa May, who was sitting beside Erdogan, was later also seen in a brief chat with the Turkish president.

Their words were not audible to reporters and officials did not comment on the content of their discussion.

Erdogan is expected to hold a bilateral meeting Saturday with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The leaders of worlds 20 major economies are holding the two-day summit in Hamburg where they will discuss the global economy, climate change, the fight against terrorism and other international issues.
Rumors regarding the launch of Alibaba Group Holding Limiteds BABA Amazon-like voice controlled speaker have been doing the rounds for the past few days, leading to speculations regarding the specifications of the gadget.

At a press conference in Beijing on Jul 5, the Chinese tech giant took the wraps off Tmall Genie X1, its new smart home assistant. The official rollout is slated for Aug 8. For now, the device takes orders only in Chinese, which means that it wont be hitting the U.S. market.

Specifications and Functions

Powered by Alibabas home grown voice assistant service AliGenie, the 12.6 cm tall device is capable of performing a range of tasks, ranging from scheduling and reminding, media streaming, fact finding to controlling other smart home devices. It allows domestic customers to order from the companys Tmall website and make payments through Alipay, the companys third-party payment system.

The device is a lookalike of Amazons AMZN Echo but is about half its size. It can be activated by saying Tianmao Jingling just as Amazons Echo gets activated on saying Alexa. It is fitted with a custom Smart Audio chip and supports a 6-beam microphone array on the top and a subwoofer at the bottom.

Low Price to Counter Competition

With the launch, Alibaba enters a highly competitive market in China marked by the presence of Baidu BIDU, JD.com JD and Tencent. It has kept the price of the new device considerably lower than that of its domestic rivals as well as western counterparts to gain a competitive advantage. That makes sense especially when Alibaba has made a quiet and late entry into the space.

Tmall Genie X1 will be on sale for $73 (499 yuan), significantly less than Baidus Xiaoyu that sells for $250 (1,699 yuan) and JDs DingDong that sells for $118 (799 yuan). As far as its western counterparts are concerned, prices of Amazon Echo and Apples HomePod are a respective $180 and $349.

Story continues

Going Beyond Core Retail

Increased competition and market saturation have forced Alibaba to move beyond hawking goods online. The company is trying to build its business as an ecosystem of retail, cloud and artificial intelligence. With its newest venture, it appears that Alibaba is banking on artificial intelligence and machine learning for much of its future growth.

Alibaba Group Holding Limited Net Income (TTM)

Alibaba Group Holding Limited Net Income (TTM) | Alibaba Group Holding Limited Quote

Investors will surely keep an eye on how Alibabas efforts beyond online retail impact its share price, especially when it has appreciated a massive 82.6% over the last one year compared with the Zacks Electronic Commerce industrys gain of 49.4%.

The Follow Amazon Strategy

From its grocery push and blending online and offline features in retail to movies, cloud and artificial intelligence, Alibaba has been doing exactly what Amazon does in the U.S. Other Chinese technology giants are also mimicking the ways of U.S. technology leaders.

This is a clever way of utilizing the Chinese regulatory environment and further strengthening entry barriers for U.S. competitors. By having a business similar to those of their U.S. rivals, Chinese companies will enjoy the home advantage even if regulations ease in the future.

Going Forward

Apart from enabling customers pay through the device using Alipay, the company is opening up the software powering Tmall Genie X1 to third-party developers. That makes sense because third party contracts could help it penetrate potential business areas going forward, apart from attracting more customers to its websites.

The once nascent smart home market is already a potential area of growth, thanks to Amazon and Google. Now, it remains to be seen how Alibaba could further disrupt the industry.

Currently, Alibaba is a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) stock. You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

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putin xi finger

While Trump becomes increasingly hostile to China, and stories of Russian collusion with his campaign and interference in the US election dog his presidency, he's been missing something crucial about the two countries.

China and Russia are playing him together.

Historically, their relationship has been fraught. The USSR and Communist China parted ways in 1969 over an undeclared border war that ended with both sides right back where they started. The countries still compete for influence over their shared region.

That said: If you read Chinese state media you'll see President Xi Jinping's regime is singing a different tune this time around.



"China-Russia relations are at their 'best time in history' with exchanges between Xi and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin playing a crucial role in bilateral relations," China's state run news agency, Xinhua, reported from a joint statement signed by the presidents of the two countries. China also just signed a deal to invest $11 billion in Russia, despite international sanctions being levied against the country.

This sounds lovely, but this isn't friendship. Trump has provided both countries with an opportunity neither of them can ignore  an opportunity to diminish America's influence while the world looks askance at his administration. This is their chance to do lasting damage not only economically, but also ideologically.

And so they're taking it.

Get out

In that same report, Xinhua said that Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping vowed to act as a "ballast stone" for world peace. They called for a solution to the escalating conflict on the Korean Peninsula  the two countries put out a plan for peace earlier this week, a form of usurping the United States' former role as arbitrator.

Story continues

The statement also expressed "strong opposition against the unilateral installation of anti-missile systems in Europe and Asia-Pacific by some specific countries at the expense of others' security interests."

That's a not-so-subtle dig at US missile defense systems that are placed around the world.

They even threw this sentence in there: "Different from a military alliance, the China-Russia partnership rejects the outdated cold-war mentality and does not target any third party."

Just in case anyone was getting that impression.

Instead of addressing this issue by strengthening ties in Europe and Asia, the Trump administration threw out the Transpacific Partnership  a trade deal that would've strengthened the US's hand in Asia, and is upsetting allies in Europe with a potential steel tariff and continues to dodge questions about its ties to Russia.

We should note that Russia boosted trade with North Korea in 2017, even as China was hardening its stance on the country.

Putin and Xi parade

Stay out

Here's what else has come out of China and Russia's likely-temporary friendship  a promise to coordinate on messaging.

More from Xinhua:

"Chinese and Russian media outlets should step up cooperation and enhance exchanges for pushing ahead the development of relations between the two countries, said a visiting Chinese senior official on Tuesday.

Huang Kunming, executive vice director of the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks during a keynote speech at the Third China-Russia Media Forum held in Moscow.

China-Russia relations have entered the best period in history, which creates vast room for media cooperation between the two countries, he said."

Both China and Russia have news networks created to blast an alternative narrative of global affairs around the world. China has CCTV, and Russia has Russia Today. Both outlets have been around for years  though Russia's media machine is more advanced and consolidated than China's  but they've never shown signs of coordination.

They do, however, have a common goal. They want to put down descent and stop "color revolutions."

"The one non-neglectable factor [in the development of] color revolutions in these countries is the spreading of Western ideology, especially from the US," Xu Songwen of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences wrote in The People's Daily (via the South China Morning Post) back in 2015.

That same year, just a few months earlier, The Security Council of Russia railed against the US security strategy, writing, "In relation to Russia, there is a high probability of the US using extensively advanced means for 'color revolutions' to eliminate unwanted political regimes."

During the Cold War, the US used state-sponsored media outlets Radio Free Europe and Radio Free Liberty to spread democratic ideals through communist countries. However, largely after the Cold War, these outlets were allowed to lapse. We thought the idea war was over.

But it was really just a break, and Trump presents the perfect opportunity for China and Russia to start it all up again.

NOW WATCH: We did a blind taste test of popular french fries  the winner was clear





More From Business Insider


NEW YORK CITY, NY / ACCESSWIRE / July 5, 2017 / Empowered by key players in entrepreneurship, innovation, and technology, applicants who have shown the greatest potential as high-impact entrepreneurs, have been selected to take part in a first-hand experience to develop their business skills and mindset.

This is what TrepCamp is all about.

TrepCamp started in 2013 as a bi-national entrepreneurship training program under the framework of the Mexico-United States Entrepreneurship and Innovation Council (MUSEIC) and is now one of the leading entrepreneurship training programs in America, with participants of 20+ countries.

Visit: https://trepcamp.org/

Each year, young aspiring entrepreneurs, called Treps, travel to top innovation ecosystems for a 3-week program in which they tackle key global challenges, guided by an Entrepreneur in Residence and supported by Mentors. In parallel, they connect with the host ecosystem through seminars with experts and by visiting incubators/accelerators, innovation centers, and leading companies.

This generates a deeper and cross-cultural understanding of the NYC entrepreneurial ecosystem and provides the participants with tools and insights to propose solutions to relevant problems across the world.

From among an initial list of challenges based on global MegaTrends, the Treps select the ones that interest them the most and build multidisciplinary teams to address them. The challenges are divided into 3 categories:

The "IMPACT challenges" to solve some of the world's most urgent challenges and impact the lives of millions.

The "EMTECH challenges" to disrupt key industries and challenge existing dominant players by using emerging technologies.

The "NEXTGEN challenges" to imagine the next generation solution for key industries and create new business opportunities.

2017 NEW YORK PROGRAM

For the third time, the New York University (NYU), one of the most prestigious universities in the world, will host a group of 50 entrepreneurs from July 10th to 28th and will set the grounds for them to delve into the City's vibrant innovation and entrepreneurship scene.

Story continues

ENTREPRENEUR IN RESIDENCE

This year, David Pedra, a visionary leader and founding member of Incendium Strategies and advisor to disruptive startups, will guide the Treps as their Entrepreneur in Residence. He'll lead workshops and mentoring sessions focused on the first steps of business creation, while providing key insights on the Treps' projects, from the deep understanding of the problem to solve, to the development of an innovative and viable solution and its conceptual prototype.

Visit: linkedin.com/in/davidmariopedra

MENTORS

A group of highly skilled mentors advises and guides the Treps in the development of their projects and provides them insights on the Emerging Technologies they leverage to reach high-impact goals.

All the TrepCamp mentors have a strong entrepreneurial experience and knowledge of the New York ecosystem in order to connect the teams to the appropriate people. These are some of the supportive mentors this year:

Glen Patterson - Co-Founder at Harlem Tech Summit

Daniela Birnbaum - Co-Founder at Payfully; Entrepreneurs Roundtable Accelerator member

Mike Lightman - Innovation & Entrepreneurship at World Bank Group

Yoash Dvir - Sr.Project Manager at Lifion; Business and Legal expert

Carlos Valverde - VP of Silverstein Properties; Skyscraper expert

Deyanira Murga - Executive Director at Cerberus Consulting; Cybersecurity expert

Alvaro Burgos - Founder and Principal Consultant at ABC&C

Guillaume Fouche - Business Manager Bloomberg New Energy Finance

Oscar Gonzalez - Co-founder at The Sawyer Effect

Trevor John - Software Engineer at Draft

Alvaro Villasante - Business Development Manager Central America at Acciona Energy

Rafael Salas - Brian Quirk - Director of Business Development at Centric Digital

Maria Jose Vazquez - Marketing & Administrative at LUMA Partners LLC

SPEAKERS

Furthermore, successful entrepreneurs, innovators, and experts in their fields share their knowledge and experience with the Treps to inspire and empower them to have an impact in their countries and internationally.

The speakers who join the adventure this year are the following:

Fatou Jabbie - Founder and CEO at USL Technology INC; Top Sustainability expert

Brian Quirk - Director of Business Development at Centric Digital

Vanessa Pestritto - Founding Partner at Lattice Ventures

Cynthia Hellen - Founder & CEO at SMPLCT Lab; NY Women Social Entrepreneurs Leader

Justin Hendrix - Executive Director at NYC Media Lab

Paulina Concha - Research Associate at Columbia Water Center

Henry Gordon-Smith - Founder at Agritecture; Executive Director at Blue Planet Consulting

Austin Okere - Member of the Business Council on Innovation and Intrapreneurship (WEF) and founder at CWG Plc

VISITS

As a main part of this immersive experience, the Treps visit leading and innovative organizations in NYC; they get to know their team members and get a perspective of what day-to-day business looks and feels like in a first-class business & tech environment:

Kickstarter - The world's largest funding platform for creative projects; talk focused on crowdfunding.

CE Week - The hottest tech event in the City; hosted by the Executive Producer

Sky Vegetables - A renowned and innovative urban farm; presentation about green building technologies and business considerations

BrainPop - A leading Ed-Tech Company worldwide; talk on content creation and business development

World Trade Center - Guided Tour of the new complex with a special talk by the construction's Project Manager focused on technology and execution skills

Samsung Next - The Venture Capital Arm of Samsung & a top accelerator; special panel involving UX and VC members

United Nations - Visit to the Permanent Mission of Mexico to the UN; talk focused on innovation and economic development

Bloomberg - Leading international financial Company; talk focused on business and Fintech

DEMO DAY & INVESTORS

At the end of the 3 weeks, the program reaches its climax with a Demo Day in which the teams pitch their solutions and present their prototypes to a panel of investors elect a winner team.

The 2017 NYC panelists are:

Andrew D. Ive - Managing Director at FOOD-X / SOSV

Jorge M. Torres - Venture Capital Investor and Director at InSITE

A rounded and enriching experience awaits the Treps in the City that never sleeps. Word is getting out and everyone involved is getting excited and the best is yet to come.

TrepCamp will welcome any inquiry and partnership exploration with open arms.

Don't hesitate to contact Justine Guenver, as she'll be happy to chat with you and answer the questions you may have: justine.guenver@trepcamp.org

SOURCE: TrepCamp




Donald Trump

The majority of American voters think President Donald Trump is reckless, sexist, and thin-skinned, according to a new Morning Consult/Politico poll.

Asked for their opinion on whether a list of both positive and negative descriptors applied to the president, 59% of those polled said the president is reckless, 55% said he is sexist, and 53% said he is thin-skinned, while just 34% described him as trustworthy, 35% called him honest, and 35% said he was steady.

The survey was conducted during the two days following the president's June 29th tweets crudely attacking MSNBC hosts Mika Brzezinski and Joe Scarborough.

Sixty-five percent of voters  and 46% of Republicans  said the president's comments about Brzezinski, whom he called "crazy" and claimed was "bleeding badly from a face-lift" when he saw her earlier this year, were unacceptable.

A plurality of voters  38%  said Trump's attacks on Brzezinski gave them a "much less favorable" view of the president.

The survey of 1,989 registered voters was conducted between June 29 and 30 and had a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points. Thirty-nine percent of those surveyed voted for Trump in November, while 37% voted for Hillary Clinton.

Related:

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NOW WATCH: People on Twitter are loving how baffled Buzz Aldrin appeared by Trump's 'space' talk





More From Business Insider
Donald Trump

President Donald Trump has his first high-stakes meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday.

The meeting comes amid crumbling relations between the two countries.

Experts stressed that Trump must bring up Russia's meddling in the US election.

President Donald Trump is set to meet Friday with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the G-20 summit in Hamburg, Germany  a full, bilateral sit-down with high stakes.

The meeting will take place amid crumbling US-Russia relations and as Trump weathers investigations by Congress and the FBI into Russia's interference in the 2016 election and whether the Trump campaign played a role in it.

White House aides are aware of the high-stakes nature of the meeting, which comes after the former presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama were unable to cultivate stronger ties with Russia.

Issues on the table for discussion include Russia's military aggression in Ukraine, Russia's US election meddling, continued nuclear weapons threats from North Korea, the ongoing fight against the Islamic State and extremism, and the brutal Syrian civil war.

It is unclear which topics will be discussed. Trump's homeland security adviser, Thomas Bossert, told ABC's "This Week" on Sunday that an agenda had not been set, and his national security adviser, H.R. McMaster, told reporters that "there's no specific agenda."

"It's really going to be whatever the president wants to talk about," McMaster said, in a statement that has drawn alarm from some national-security experts.

'Putin will eat President Trump's lunch'

Not having a set agenda for any meeting with foreign interlocutors can place American interests in jeopardy from the outset, said Glenn Carle, a CIA veteran and former spy.

"Whoever sets the agenda shapes the discussions," and if the US doesn't go in with a prepared set of talking points, "it means from the get-go that the US is on the defensive, responding, but not driving," Carle said. He said that without an agenda, the US government and Russia hawks in the White House, like adviser Fiona Hill, could not prepare for and advance US interests.

Story continues

Vladimir Putin

Ned Price, a former CIA analyst who served as the senior director of the National Security Council under Obama, was more blunt. If the White House goes into the meeting without a set agenda, "Putin will eat President Trump's lunch," Price said.

"There's no better way to ensure we don't get what we want out of a bilateral meeting  especially one as delicate as with Putin  than by not going in with a fully cooked and fire-roasted plan," he said.

When meeting with Trump, Putin will bring up common enemies like the American "deep state" and "fake news," a former US ambassador to Russia, Michael McFaul, wrote in The Washington Post. "Putin wants the readout of this meeting to be 'we had a very good meeting.' Your objective is different."

"Your goal is not a friendly chat  diplomacy is not a popularity contest  but a clear statement of US national security and economic objectives and an exploration of what issues the United States and Russia could pursue together," McFaul wrote. "Don't expect any breakthroughs in this first meeting. Your task is to demonstrate to Putin that you are a tough negotiator committed to pursuing American interests, and one that is not willing to offer concessions simply to win Putin's praise."

'You can bet Putin has an agenda up his sleeve'

Though Putin had a rocky relationship with Trump's predecessor, Trump has so far appeared to be open to warmer US-Russia relations, and his administration has frequently taken steps that seemed to echo Putin's criticisms of the US and its objectives.

During a February interview on Fox News, for instance, host Bill O'Reilly asked Trump whether he respected Putin.

bill o'reilly donald trump

"I do respect him," Trump replied. "I respect a lot of people, but that doesn't mean I'm going to get along with him. He's a leader of his country. I say it's better to get along with Russia than not."

O'Reilly followed up and said, "Putin's a killer."

Trump replied: "You got a lot of killers. What, you think our country's so innocent?"

Trump has also been slow to acknowledge Russia's election meddling, even though the US intelligence community concluded with high confidence that Russia interfered in 2016 in an effort to help Trump and advance Russian interests.

On the eve of his first meeting with Putin, Trump on Thursday questioned the intelligence community's findings and argued, during a press conference in Poland, that Russia may not have been the only country that intervened.

"Nobody really knows for sure," Trump said.

The Kremlin seized on Trump's characterization following his speech. Spokesman Dmitry Petrov told Bloomberg News that Trump had highlighted "equally the possibility that it could have been other countries."

"Please note the nuances," he said.

The Trump administration is also weighing whether to return two seized diplomatic compounds in Maryland and New York to Russia, a key demand from Moscow. The facilities were shuttered as part of Obama's response to Russia's election interference, and Putin is likely to bring up the compounds on Friday.

"You can bet Putin has an agenda up his sleeve," said Robert Deitz, a former top lawyer at the National Security Agency and the CIA. Russia, he said, "is in effect a second-rate power."

"Everything Putin has obtained  and it is a remarkable list  has been through wiles and chutzpah," Deitz added. "This requires great planning," and Putin will most likely have done that in preparation for the bilateral meeting, he said.

Vladimir Putin

On the other hand, Trump has a known aversion to dense briefings and lengthy preparations. He frequently relies on in-person briefings to bring him up to speed, and he prefers shorter sentences and "killer graphics" as opposed to heavier notes.

In keeping with that, intelligence officials condensed the main points Trump could bring up with Putin into "tweet-length sentences," the Los Angeles Times reported.

But Trump may need more than that when he meets the Russian strongman. Former Obama aides told The Post that Putin often began meetings by running through a list of grievances he had against the US. Aides said that while they tried to direct less substantive complaints through lower-level channels so they could keep the focus on bigger problems like Ukraine and Syria, "those topics got him even more animated."

A focus on Ukraine, Syria, and Russian election meddling

To drive the conversation, experts said ,the US must focus on topics vital to its own interests, which include addressing the crises in Ukraine and Syria and especially Russia's election hacking.

Trump should emphasize that Russia's interference in the US election was a casus belli, Carle said  an action that justifies a war. He said Trump should outline steps the US would take if Russia continued its aggression, including "going to the Security Council, freezing all assets of Russian banks and individuals, expelling all Russian diplomats," and possibly deploying US forces to the Baltics.

"Russia's actions were that significant," he said.

Deitz said it would be "truly awful" if the issue of Russia's election interference was not brought up.

Price said Trump needed to clearly signal to Russia that US sanctions related to Russia's actions in Ukraine would not be lifted until Moscow lived up to its obligations outlined in the 2014 Minsk Protocol. The agreement, which called for Russia to cease its military aggression in Ukraine, was put in place after Russia annexed the territory of Crimea in March 2014.

U.S. President Donald Trump shakes hands with Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, U.S. June 20, 2017. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

The agreement has been violated from both sides since. In recent years, Ukraine has also turned into a testing ground for acts of cyberwar, many of which are believed to have come from Russia. Most recently, Russia is thought to have been behind a colossal cyberattack that crippled countries and corporations across the globe  and Ukraine was by far the hardest hit.

The US must stress that the Baltics and Ukraine are sovereign states, Carle said, adding that "any further actions taken to destabilize them can be considered an escalation of tensions" to which NATO could respond.

The experts argued the ongoing crisis in Syria should also be addressed, with the US taking a strong stance against continued aggression by Syrian President Bashar Assad and chemical attacks against civilians. The US and Russia support opposing sides in the conflict, which has contributed to crumbling relations between the two countries since the war erupted in 2011.

Russia is one of Assad's most stalwart international allies. It has frequently intervened to block UN resolutions critical of Syria and also supplied military assistance to Assad's forces. In 2015, Russia began carrying out airstrikes against Syrian rebels, though it said it was targeting terrorists. The US, on the other hand, supports Syria's main opposition group, the National Coalition, and provides military assistance to rebels and Syrian Kurds fighting the Islamic State and Assad's regime.

Putin Assad

Tensions between the US and Russia in Syria escalated after scores of civilians were killed in April following a chemical attack believed to have been carried out by Assad and backed by Russia.

Though the US and Russia have not reached a consensus on how to address the crisis in Syria, both have conceded that only a political solution and a negotiated settlement will end the war.

Trump should certainly "bring up potential areas of broader cooperation  including in Syria  but he mustn't focus on that at the exclusion of our significant areas of disagreement," Price said.

He added that Trump also needed to clearly signal to Putin that the US government was unequivocally committed to Article 5 of NATO and that "any aggression  in whatever form  against a NATO ally will not be tolerated." Trump has frequently criticized the coalition in the past, but he reaffirmed the US's commitment to NATO and Article 5 during his speech in Poland on Thursday.

Most important, experts say, Trump must be careful not to concede anything to Putin.

Trump "should present our goals and listen to the Russians," Carle said. "He should agree to pursue our goals if that's possible." Trump should also recognize that "personal relationships are irrelevant  Putin will charm and make nice," but that bears no importance, he added. "Only national interests matter here. The Russians are astute, prepared, and clear in their objectives," he said, and the US must come similarly prepared.

NOW WATCH: 'He started talking about blood coming out of her ears: Joe Scarborough claims a red-faced Trump ranted about Mika Brzezinski in front of 20 congressmen





More From Business Insider


A logo of Qatar Airways is seen at Hamad International Airport in Doha, Qatar June 12, 2017. REUTERS/Naseem Zeitoon

By Tim Hepher

PARIS (Reuters) - Qatar Airways has axed orders for four A350s because of delivery delays, Airbus said on Thursday, handing the European planemaker a new headache over what to do with jets worth $1.2 billion at list prices as it tries to close a sales gap with rival Boeing.

The decision means Airbus <AIR.PA> will have to try to resell or reallocate the 283-seat jets at a time when demand for big planes is softening, and could cost Airbus $60-80 million to rip out and replace interiors designed to fit the airline's plush brand.

"Smart players are not going to rush in, because other cancellations or deferrals may come," said veteran aircraft financier Bertrand Grabowski, former board member at DVB Bank.

The cancellation follows concerns about delays and quality problems on cabin equipment for the A350, but also comes at a time when Qatar is entering the second month of a crisis caused by a ban on Qatar's use of the airspace of four Arab nations.

Qatar Airways Chief Executive Akbar Al Baker said earlier any delays were the planemaker's responsibility.

"We are asking Airbus to deliver it faster," he told a Dublin news conference. "The delay is from Airbus."

An Airbus spokesman said the cancellations were related to "known supply chain issues". Asked what would happen to the undelivered A350-900 jets, he said: "They will be reallocated".

Qatar Airways has a reputation for being demanding when reviewing aircraft for quality defects before delivery.

However, some analysts have said the Gulf political crisis may give the airline a further incentive to slow deliveries, compounding the impact of relatively weak oil prices.

"All the Gulf carriers realize they have ordered too many wide-bodied aircraft and don't have room for them, especially now," said an aircraft finance industry official.

Al Baker last month denied the Gulf spat would interfere with Qatar Airways' growth or aircraft deliveries.

Story continues

FIGHTBACK VS BOEING

The Qatar setback extends a torrid week for Airbus as it tries to bounce back against a resurgent Boeing <BA.N> and shake off an internal row over a shake-up in its sales organization.

The surprise decision to have the sales team report to Chief Executive Tom Enders and by-pass airplanes boss Fabrice Bregier, first reported by Reuters, raised hackles internally and prompted concerns about a power battle.

Enders on Wednesday defended the decision, saying it was about freeing his no.2 to focus on core operations.

The Airbus sales force has been urged not to dwell on the reorganization and to push back "aggressively" against Boeing which won the Paris Airshow for the first time in five years.

Sales chief John Leahy, who plans to retire this year, has also warned staff that Airbus faces a stronger and "much more aggressive" competitor, people familiar with the matter said.

Airbus took 248 orders between January and June, or 203 after cancellations. As of June 27, Boeing had notched up 407 orders this year, or 361 after cancellations.

On Wednesday, China signed a deal to buy 140 Airbus jets.

Leahy, who will report to Enders for a few months before handing to his designated successor Kiran Rao, also delivered an internal tribute to Bregier, saying "he helped us win".

Bregier, whose reign as head of the planemaking business has coincided with the sale of 5,800 jets, has urged staff to remain focused on customers and pledged to do the same in his new role.

(Additional reporting by Alexander Cornwell, Victoria Bryan, Conor Humphries; Editing by Mark Potter and David Evans)
InvestorPlace - Stock Market News, Stock Advice & Trading Tips

Dave McClure, the founder of Silicon Valley company 500 Startups, is stepping down as CEO amid sexual harassment claims.

Silicon Valley News: VC Dave McClure Resigns Amid Sexual Harassment Claims

Source: Shutterstock

Dave McClures decision to step down as CEO comes from claims of sexual harassment from Sarah Kunst. Kunst claims that she was sent an inappropriate message by the CEO on Facebook while seeking employment. McClure joked with Kunst about not knowing whether to hire or hit on her.

Following the investigation in sexual harassment by Dave McClure, the CEO chose to step down. His replacement at 500 Startups is Christine Tsai, who is a managing partner. McClure also apologized for his actions in a blog post on Saturday.

I fully support and am heartened by founders and investors calls for Dave McClure to resign completely from any role with 500 Startups, Kunst said in a statement obtained by the Los Angeles Times. The women hurt by his actions deserve to know that they did not speak up for naught.

500 Startups is also losing partner Elizabeth Yin at the same time that Dave McClure is stepping down. This decision has her leaving the company while she is off for maternity leave.

According to Yin, she is leaving 500 Startups because it is no longer a company that she wants to represent. She specifically points out that there is a lack of transparency at the company. Yin also notes that a friend at the company had come to her to complain about Dave McClures actions. These were some of the main reasons that she is leaving the company, reports Forbes.

More From InvestorPlace

As of this writing, William White did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities.

The post Silicon Valley News: VC Dave McClure Resigns Amid Sexual Harassment Claims appeared first on InvestorPlace.
KUNDUZ -- Six Afghan civilians have been wounded in a clash between rival local militia factions in the northern province of Kunduz, a government official said.

The clash occurred early on July 7 in Kunduzs Khanabad district, local administrator Hayatullah Amiri said.

Afghanistan has numerous militia that are led by warlords and factional commanders.

Some militia fight alongside Afghan government security forces against the Taliban and other militants.

But the armed groups also fight against each other, causing civilian casualties and destruction.

Neither militia faction involved in the July 7 clash were thought to have ties to the Taliban.

The town of Khanabad, which is about 30 kilometers east of Kunduz City, briefly fell under the control of the Taliban in 2016 and in 2017.

The Taliban has a strong presence Kunduz Province. It captured and briefly held the provincial capital in 2015 and in 2016.

Kunduz is one of the largest cities in Afghanistan and is a major transportation hub in the northern part of the country.
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Alumni speak:

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In the earlier parts of the series, we covered the initial steps in the ISB journey, the O-week and Term 1 shenanigans (read them on our blog here: http://strategy4gmat.com/blogs.php ). Today, we'll cover the engine which makes sure you get the most out of your experience at ISB, the Graduate Student Board (GSB).According to ISB, The Graduate Student Association (GSA) is an organization of the students of the Post Graduate Programme in Management (PGP). The organization is governed by the GSB and it comprises representatives elected by members of the GSA, i.e. all the PGP students.The GSB, along with the professional and social clubs (we'll cover them in a subsequent post), pretty much run the entire show throughout the year.The election process is similar to the one in any democracy (albeit healthier / cleaner competition, no left / right wings) with campaigning followed by soapbox presentations and voting. The campaigning starts mid-way through Term 1 and the elections are concluded by the start of Term 2. It is a lot of fun for all the folks involved in the process. From manifestos and soapbox presentations containing 'Game of Thrones' references to 'campaigning' via organizing parties, the candidates come-up with newer ways of asking for votes every year. Also, it is a bigger challenge to woo ~600 folks in Hyderabad than ~300 in Mohali, especially because the former cohort is spread across 4 student villages!However, both campuses have exactly the same GSB structure and the elected representatives work together as a cohesive unit throughout the year.Apart from the GSB President, there are 7 councils, each having a Director who is the elected representative. She chooses the core team for the council based on the Expression of Interest (EoIs) and interviews of the interested candidates. Here are the details of the various positions within the GSB:She is the captain of the ship and the face of the class for all major events pertaining to PGP, internal or external. All clubs and councils eventually report to her and she is accountable for the smooth functioning of all student-led activities throughout the year. This position is by far the most demanding in terms of time and effort required to fulfil the duties. In most cases, academics take a hit due to the sheer workload and hence is imperative to have a study group which understands the demands of the role and is willing to sometimes cover for you. However, we have also seen GSB Presidents in the past making it to the Deans list (top 10 %ile of the class)This council is the custodian of all academics-related topics for the students and works in conjunction with the Academic Services & Administration (ASA) department of ISB. Topics such as course / professor feedback, electives, P2P learning sessions, curriculum feedback, etc., are covered under its umbrellaThe ALC is the connect between the students and the alumni. It works with the Alumni Affairs and Student Engagement & Applied Learning (SEAL) departments of ISB. It helps organize the flagship 'back-to-school' events such as Equinox at Mohali and Solstice at HyderabadThe team which enables the process to get you a job, the CAC works with the Career Advancement Services (CAS) at ISB to run the placement process for the year. From managing the pre-work to the logistics during the placement 'days', the CAC members play a pivotal role in ensuring a smooth process. All this while they're also looking to secure their dream job!The MCC takes care of all the internal and external branding / promotion of all the major events throughout the year. It is the custodian of 'brand ISB' for the year and manages various media and marketing initiatives during the year. For instance, the social media handle 'Life at ISB' is managed by the members of this council along with the media team of ISBAlthough popularly known as the party planners, this group is also responsible for making the academic rigor at ISB much more enjoyable. The council organizes festivals and cultural events during the year. All social clubs report to the SLC Director and she is one of (if not the most) the more popular students on campus, sometimes even more than the President.Also, the role is equally demanding. While the other students are chilling out after the examinations, the council members are busy preparing for the fun events scheduled in the evening!This team works with the Operations department at ISB to cover all the facility-related topics on campus. From food & beverage and IT to the Learning Resource Center (LRC aka library) and student villages, all topics are managed by this council. This role is like electricity, you dont realize the value of it until it stops functioning!This council was constituted in 2016 and includes the Financial (earlier under The Treasurer role) and the Governance (policy and performance measurement for professional and student clubs) at ISB. The council focuses on planning, monitoring and managing the financial budget of the GSB (including professional and social clubs), leads the 'Shadow a CEO' initiative and a few admissions-related new initiatives The students understand the importance of choosing the right people for these jobs since their whole ISB experience largely depends on how the GSB functions. The Directors and their teams on the other hand have an onerous task to living up to the expectations of the class.'The GSB ensured that my one year at ISB is one of the best years of my life. I was able to focus on the goals I intended to accomplish at ISB, without worrying about how I'll get access to learning opportunities, wind-down after a tough term, utilize the world-class infrastructure at the school and have a smooth placement process!' Manas Arora, Class of 2013 and Consultant, Strategy4GMATYou can express your interest in leading or being a part of the core team of one of the councils. It is important to mention the exact role you'd like to perform to add value and it should link with the skill-sets or interests you demonstrate in the rest of your application. Like everything else at ISB, these positions of responsibility come at a trade-off and there is an opportunity cost (academics, sleep, etc ) so be prepared to answer such questions in the interview.As always, we have collected some videos for you. Have a look!Soapbox- Candidate for SLC Director 2017Soapbox- Candidate for OSC Director 2015ISB GSB Elections (GoT Version)Regards,Abhishek ChawlaISB alumnus & Co-Founder, Strategy4GMATPh: +91 9990493487; 7087234600 (https://gmatclub.com/chat) E: abhishek.chawla@strategy4gmat.com Strategy4GMAT - an ISB alumni venture to help you get into your dream B-school_________________
akankshasoneja wrote:

solarzj wrote: The city will lose more than one million dollars in much-needed revenue when the shopping center on Beacon Drive will close sometime in the next year and move to a different county.



(A) will close sometime in the next year and move to a different county

(B) closes sometime in the next year and moves to a different county

(C) will close in the next year sometime and move to a different county

(D) closes sometime in the next year and will move to a different county

(E) will close sometime in the next year and then move to a different county

can someone please help me with this one. can someone please help me with this one.

I am not totally convinced on the use of when in this sentence. The sentence looks better with if



Attachment:



Untitled.png [ 6.69 KiB | Viewed 9133 times ]





If you can't fly then run, if you can't run then walk, if you can't walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.

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"The city will lose more than one million dollars in much-needed revenue when (If) the shopping center on Beacon Drive will close sometime in the next year and move to a different county.One can see that sentence has a construction that If shopping center on beacon drive will close in next year then the city will lose more than one million dollars in revenue.Note that the non underlined portion has then construction. And the general rule that I follow for If then construction is as followsSo for then clause construction in Simple future tense, we can use Simple present tense in If clause. With this you are down to B and D. D is not parallel as the second verb "will move" on option D is not parallel to "closes"Ans is BHope it helpsAnother Alt explanation for this Question : the-city-will-lose-more-than-one-million-dollars-in-60760.html#p439367 _________________
anshuman203 wrote:

Hi,



I am a 33-Year-old male from India. I am currently working as an entrepreneur helping small businesses in India grow their visibility in the Indian and Middle-east markets. I have a total of 7 years of experience, mostly in the BFSI sector including around 2 years at Standard Chartered where the idea of helping these businesses in India germinated. My current company has around 15 employees and is in existence since Aug'18.



I have an existing MBA from a premier institute in India and want to pursue a second one from a top university in US/UK/Europe. The reason is to get more international experience and increase my exposure to international markets.



My undergrad GPA is around 3.2 and GMAT score 720.



Just wanted to know whether I can be a competitive candidate for Top 20 colleges in US/UK/Europe, given my age and existing MBA?



I know you are a boutique consulting and probably work only for the Top Institutions. Just want to know my chances at these schools and whether I should retake GMAT?



Regards



https://vantagepointmba.com/

Proven Results. Uncompromising Quality.

Request an initial consultation! Vantage Point MBA Admissions ConsultingProven Results. Uncompromising Quality.Request an initial consultation! Signature Read More

Hi there,Thanks for reaching out! And congrats on growing your company to 15 employees in less than a year - that's impressive! In general, I would say that your age and years of experience would put you outside the target for the top 15 programs in the US. If you're looking for international/global experience, I think the European programs are going to be much more aligned with your objectives. And they tend to be a bit more flexible with age/experience. Some of the 1-year programs like Oxford or Cambridge could be a great fit and would allow you to get back to your business faster, which I'm sure is a factor in your decision to pursue an MBA. In terms of chances, I think the UK/European programs will be your best bet. I don't think your GMAT score will be a hindrance to your chances there although if you feel like you left a lot on the table, a 20+ point improvement could always help move the needle. It ultimately depends on what your target programs are and how your stats compare. I hope that helps! Best of luck to you!Kindly,Melody_________________
As of August 26th, 2021 Yahoo India will no longer be publishing content. Your Yahoo Account Mail and Search experiences will not be affected in any way and will operate as usual. We thank you for your support and readership. For more information on Yahoo India, please visit the FAQ


Four Arab nations led by Egypt and Saudi Arabia say Qatar is not serious in its response to their demands.

The Arab countries also include the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.

The gulf countries cut diplomatic ties with Qatar on June 5 and banned goods and travel to the country. They said Qatar supports terrorism and maintains close tie with Iran.

Qatar says the terrorism claims are baseless.

The four nations issued a list of 13 demands on June 22.

The demands include closing a Turkish military base being constructed in Qatar, shutting down Al Jazeera news network and distancing itself from Iran among other things.

Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani is Qatars Foreign Minister. He said the list is mainly about shutting down free speech. He said it violates the countrys self-rule and interferes with its affairs.

Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shukri said Qatar's response to the 13-point list of demands was "negative on the whole." He added that Qatar does not realize the gravity of the situation."

The announcement followed a Wednesday meeting of foreign ministers from the four Arab nations in Cairo. The ministers did not say what their next steps would be but plan to meet again in Bahrain.

U.S. President Donald Trump called Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi on Wednesday.

In a statement, the White House said Trump called on all parties in the dispute to "negotiate constructively" and to "stop terrorist financing and discredit extremist ideology."

Amin Saikal is the Director of the Center for Arab and Islamic Studies at the Australian National University. He said Saudi Arabia and its allies do not like Qatars support of and ties to the Al Jazeera television network. He said the network has broken a number of taboos by criticizing some of the monarchies and corrupt systems in the Arab countries. He said Qataris cannot really respond positively to these sorts of demands.

Saikal said the conflict with its neighbors might push Qatar closer to both Turkey and Iran. If that were to happen, the demands would be counterproductive.

Both Turkey and Iran compete with Saudi Arabia for influence in the area.

I'm Olivia Liu

And I'm Mario Ritter.

Olivia Liu adapted this story for Learning English with material from Victor Beattie, the Associated Press and Reuters. Hai Do was the editor.

______________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

affairs  n. things related to the business of state

taboos  n. things that are forbidden

We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section.


Thailands military government has delayed a new labor law by six months.

The government was forced to delay the start of the law after protests and panic from workers and employers. Also, many migrant workers have left the country.

There are about 2.7 million workers in Thailand from Myanmar, Laos, and Cambodia. They work in industries such as fisheries, building, agriculture, and processing.

However, on June 23, the government announced a decree that threatened foreign workers who lacked legal documents with large fines and prison terms.

The new law said that undocumented workers can be fined up to $2,700. Employers can be fined $23,000 for each illegal worker found at their workplace.

New law causes panic

The new policy is part of the Thai governments effort to control illegal labor in the country. However the law came with very little public discussion from workers, trade unions, or employers.

This caused foreign workers to panic. Many rushed to return home, creating crowds at bus stations and border checkpoints.

Sinapan Samydorai is with the Migrant Workers Task Force of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN. He said thousands of migrant workers had fled to their home countries. Thai labor rights groups estimate that more than 100,000 migrant workers have left Thailand since June 23.

Samydorai told VOA that the law punishes foreign workers who lack the correct cards and documents. He said this caused many workers to panic and return to their homes in Cambodia, Myanmar, and Laos in large numbers.

Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha announced on Tuesday that there would be a period of 180 days before the law goes into effect. The Prime Minister used a special executive decree to delay the law.

Panitan Wattanayagorn is an advisor to Deputy Prime Minister. He said parts of the new law protected migrant and employer rights. However, it also established very strict punishment for violations.

He also urged related government agencies to work together to help the law take effect.

"The implementation of it [the decree] has to be coordinated between different ministries, between the Labor Ministry, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Interior, he told VOA.

Effects on Thai business

The decree has hurt Thai businesses as employees have either fled or lost their jobs because employers fear high fines.

In Cambodia, officials shut down more than 40 border crossings into Thailand. They said it was to prevent Cambodians from entering Thailand and being punished.

On the border with Myanmar, two police checkpoints were closed after Thai police were accused of taking bribes from migrant workers.

Boonthai Chailert is president of the Chiang Mai Tourism Business Association. He said the laws created problems for small businesses and tourism in the Northern provinces. His fear is that workers will not return.

They go out; they go back to Myanmar, or to Cambodia or to Laos. They dont come back again because in Myanmar and Cambodia or Laos their country is developing, said Boonthai.

A business leader said he thought the new government policy was a mistake.

The importance of consultation and coordination

Thailand has been working with the U.N. International Labor Organization, or ILO, to create a registration process for migrant workers. The process will include labor agreements with Cambodia, Myanmar and Laos.

Nilim Baruah, an ILO research specialist, said that parts of the law were welcomed, but the lack of consultation was a problem.

It would have been much better to have a consultation, a public hearing that they are planning to do now, he said.

Thailand put the new labor law in place shortly after the U.S. Department of State kept the nation in the tier 2 group of countries on its Trafficking in Persons watch list. Tier 2 countries are judged to have governments that do not fully meet requirements of a U.S. law on human trafficking.

Thailands Labor Minister said the new laws punishments still follow the laws linked to human trafficking and child labor.

Im Phil Dierking.

Ron Corben reported this story for VOANews.com. Phil Dierking adapted her report for Learning English. Mario Ritter was the editor.

What do you think is a good labor policy for migrant workers? We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page.

______________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

decree - n. an official order given by a person with power or by a government

panic - n. a state or feeling of extreme fear that makes someone unable to act or think normally

scramble - n. to move or act quickly to do, find, or get something often before someone else does

union - n. an organization of workers formed to protect the rights and interests of its members


This is Whats Trending Today

United States officials say an American company has agreed to surrender thousands of ancient artifacts from the Middle East.

The company also agreed to pay a $3 million fine to the government.

Federal prosecutors accused Hobby Lobby, a business specializing in arts and crafts, of illegally importing the artifacts into the country.

The government lawyers said in a court statement that Hobby Lobby paid $1.6 million in 2010 for over 5,000 earthen tablets and other objects. Many of the artifacts have examples of cuneiform, one of the earliest known systems of writing.

The artifacts and other objects purchased were sent to several Hobby Lobby stores. The shipments were falsely identified as coming from Turkey and Israel. The shipments were also said to contain samples of ceramic tiles or clay tiles.

Federal prosecutors said an expert warned the company that the artifacts were likely stolen from archaeological areas in Iraq.

Importing Iraqi cultural property into the United States has been banned since 2004, the statement said. Under Iraqi law, all antiquities found in the country are considered property of the state. Private individuals cannot own them without permission from the Iraqi government.

The president of Hobby Lobby, Steve Green, said the company has cooperated with the U.S. government. He also said that the company should have more carefully questioned how the objects got into the country.

Green said Hobby Lobby did not purchase any items directly from dealers in Iraq. He said the company had worked with dealers in the United Arab Emirates. He also said that Hobby Lobby condemns such acts and has always acted with the aim of protecting ancient items of cultural and historical importance.

On Thursday, Hobby Lobby trended worldwide on Twitter and Facebook. One writer said: Hobby Lobby looting Iraq was not a story I was expecting but then again this is 2017.

The company has agreed to develop a new policy for buying cultural property. It has also agreed to provide reports to the government about such purchases for 18 months.

Hobby Lobby began starting a collection of historical Bibles and other artifacts in 2009. Its owners are known for having strong Christian beliefs.

Green himself owns one of the worlds largest collections of religious artifacts. He is building a Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C. The building is set to open later this year.

I'm Dan Friedell.

VOA News and the Associated Press reported this story. Ashley Thompson adapted it for Learning English. George Grow was the editor.

____________________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

artifact - n. a simple object (such as a tool or weapon) that was made by people in the past

sample - n. a small amount of something that is given to people to try

archaeological - adj. related to archaeology, a science that deals with past human life and activities by studying the bones, tools, etc., of ancient people

loot - v. to steal things from (a place, such as a store or house) during a war or after destruction has been caused by fire, rioting, etc.


Kemal Kilicdaroglu, leader of the opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) in Turkey, has often been criticized for being an ineffective leader.

Now, others are gathering around him in the 450-kilometer walk from the capital, Ankara, to Istanbul. The 68-year-old is leading a march against the rule of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The so-called "Justice March" is a response to a crackdown that began after last July's failed coup attempt. The marchers say they are trying to reach across political divisions to bring attention to the thousands of people who have been jailed and lost jobs in the crackdown.

The marchers wear shirts and carry signs with the word "Adalet. It is the Turkish word for justice.

Zeynep Altiok is a CHP deputy leader. She claimed that many people have been arrested, including journalists and academics.

"The judiciary system is also very much under pressure. So all this together, from different levels of society, everybody feels it for them right now. Everybody feels for justice, everybody seeks for justice," she said.

Erdogan's response

President Erdogan says the marchers are not loyal to Turkey. He suggested that they may work with terror groups.

"You are launching a march for terrorists and for their supporters," Erdogan said. "You have never thought about marching against terrorist groups, you can convince no one that your aim is justice."

Erdogan also suggested that the march could be a second coup attempt against him.

Political divisions along the march

Political divisions will likely grow deeper as more people join the march.

Erdogan supporters played his campaign song and displayed support with a four-finger sign along the march.

Others lined up to applaud the opposition marchers as passing cars and trucks sounded their horns in support.

They wave at us, they kiss us and wish us the best, they hug us with love, they get tears in their eyes. They say 'May God help you, a marcher said.

Kilicdaroglu worries about such divisions, but insists that the marchers are committed to peaceful resistance. "We have never been and we will never be in favor of violence," he said.

The march is scheduled to arrive in Istanbul on Sunday.

I'm John Russell.

Dorian Jones wrote this story for VOA News. John Russell adapted his report for Learning English. Hai Do was the editor.

We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section.

______________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

ineffective  adj. not effective

response  n. something that is done as a reaction to something else

coup - n. the violent overthrow of an existing government

crackdown - n. campaign

academic - n. an employee or member of a school, university or college

convince - v. to persuade

commit - v. to carry out; to put in place
How did a journalist manage to buy their own Medicare details on the dark web? Credit: AAP Image/Dave Hunt

The Australian government is digitising the country's health system, but a serious Medicare security breach suggests we may not be ready.

The Australian Federal Police are investigating after the Guardian discovered that the Medicare card details of Australians were available for purchase on the "dark web".

The dark web  a collection of websites that are only accessible through anonymising systems such as Tor  allows vendors to remain largely hidden from law enforcement. There is a long-standing trade in illicit goods and services, including hacked personal data, on eBay-like dark web marketplaces.

As journalist Paul Farrell pointed out, criminal groups can use Medicare numbers to create fake Medicare cards with the details of real people. In combination with other personal information, these cards or simply the Medicare numbers themselves, could be used to commit a wide variety of fraud.

The Medicare system has security issues, but the number of fallible people and systems who will have access to our medical records in the future is also concerning.

Security weaknesses

It is not yet clear how the Medicare details were obtained. In a press conference on Tuesday, Minister for Human Services Alan Tudge said he had been advised "that there has not been a cyber security breach of our systems as such, but rather it is more likely to have been a traditional criminal activity".

He would not explain what "traditional criminal activity" might include, but emphasised that the Medicare details available were insufficient to gain access to personal health records.

In my view, the Department of Human Services's (DHS) Health Professional Online Services (HPOS), which provides health professionals with access to Medicare details, has weaknesses in its security.

HPOS is an online system for healthcare and disability service providers, such as medical practices, to interact with the department, including by electronically submitting Medicare claims. It can also be used to find a patient's Medicare card number based on their name and date of birth.

Any staff member at a healthcare provider with a HPOS login as well as somebody's name and date of birth can look up the Medicare number of anyone in Australia. This matches the details requested from Farrell by the dark web vendor.

I purchased my own Medicare card details from the Darkweb auctioneer for just $20USD. The vendor even uses a fake Aus gov logo pic.twitter.com/k5Ghk05QKK  Paul Farrell (@FarrellPF) July 3, 2017

Importantly, the mechanism for protecting HPOS from unauthorised logins does not follow modern security practices. Logins to HPOS are managed through another online system called Provider Digital Access (PRODA) . This was recently rolled out as an alternative to Human Services Public Key Infrastructure certificates ( PKI ) that also give access to online services.

PRODA uses "two-factor authentication" to, in theory, ensure that simply stealing a username and password is insufficient to gain illicit access.

Many people are now familiar with two-factor authentication codes sent via SMS when using online banking, or authentication apps on smartphones that generate a secret code used to log in. PRODA offers both options. However, it also supports sending the code via email.

Even SMS-based two-factor authentication has security problems sufficient for the US National Institute of Standards and Technology to no longer recommend it for new systems. However, it is much better than email-based two-factor authentication. Sending a "secret token" via email is almost completely useless as a security measure.

Any compromise of a computer used for HPOS access, which gives a criminal access to the PRODA username and password, would likely give access to the email account to which the PRODA authentication codes are sent. Subsequent accesses to HPOS by the criminal would merely require them to use the stolen username and password, and to monitor the compromised email account.

In response to a request for comment, a DHS spokesperson said HPOS was designed "with security at the forefront".

"Health providers must undergo a stringent registration process to gain access to HPOS," she said in an email. "Access is granted to individuals (not to whole medical practices) when they have proven their credentials.

"The department treats the security of personal data extremely seriously and conducts thorough investigations into any claims of misuse."

Medicare numbers and mission creep

The technical flaws in HPOS and PRODA can probably be fixed over time. However, this may not be sufficient to protect Medicare numbers.

At its foundation, HPOS gives thousands of potentially corruptible and fallible humans, at locations across the country with variably-maintained IT systems, access to Medicare numbers.

Even if the department's systems can be secured, Medicare numbers are also stored on the practice management systems of those thousands of providers.

As such, keeping them completely secure from criminals with the scent of Bitcoins in their nostrils is likely an exercise in futility.

Rather than insisting on perfect security for an insecure number, it may be more fruitful to limit the harm from its misuse. Medicare cards, for instance, can be used as part of a 100-point ID check. Perhaps it's time to consider whether this kind of extended use is appropriate.

My Health Record: a security challenge

Over the next few years, the scope of medical information held by the federal government will expand greatly.

My Health Record is a program for a centralised, electronic medical record. While it is currently an opt-in system for most Australians, in 2018 it will switch to an "opt-out" model.

Medical professionals can access patient details from My Health Record without patient authorisation in an emergency, and the system faces many of the same personnel and organisational risks as HPOS.

The sheer number of people and systems with access makes it almost impossible to keep this much more sensitive data wholly secure, regardless of the detailed technical protective measures taken.

The Medicare data breach, as serious as it is, is also an advance warning of the much greater risks we are about to run.

For what it's worth, I opted out of My Health Record for my daughter after her birth, and will do the same for myself when it's rolled out nationally.

This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

On the heels of another damning statistic against tobaccoit kills more than 7 million people each year, the World Health Organization said recentlycome questions about whether vaping is a healthier substitute.

The idea that they could be stems from the fact that e-cigarettes and other vaping devices can supply nicotine without tobacco or other additives and byproducts, like smoke, that are in a traditional cigarette. A 2014 survey of 19,000 e-cigarette users found that 88 percent believed e-cigarettes were at least safer than regular cigarettes and 11 percent believed e-cigarettes were harmless. More recently, a report published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that only 22 percent of adults believed secondhand vape aerosol caused "a lot of harm" to children.

The public, it seems, has warmed up to vaping, but that doesn't mean the practice is safe, say two UCLA doctors.

"The way a regular cigarette is constructed is very well-known, whereas these vaping products haven't undergone the rigorous testing of other consumer products," said Dr. Michael Ong, associate professor of medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and chair of the California Tobacco Education and Research Oversight Committee. "They're so new that it hasn't been clear how they should be regulated."

Vaping entails using a device that heats liquid and nicotine (or another substance) so the user can inhale the byproduct. Vaping devices come in the form of e-cigarettes, vape pens, and even electronic hookahs. They typically generate a plume of vapor that mimics smoke.

Last year, the Food and Drug Administration finalized a rule requiring all vaping devices to undergo testing and regulation that will evaluate "ingredients, product design and health risks."

Such testing is still in progress, but many local governments are already moving to treat vaping like tobacco cigarette smoking. California's passage of Proposition 56 means e-cigarettes and vaping products will be taxed in the same way as cigarettes and other tobacco products. The state also prohibits vaping in those areas where smoking is prohibited.

"When it comes to smoking versus vaping, we need to consider the distinction between what's 'safe' and what's 'safer,'" said Dr. Holly Middlekauff, professor of medicine in the division of cardiology at UCLA. "I would not discourage a tobacco smoker from switching to e-cigarettes, but we need more research on vaping risks and how the two compare. I would definitely discourage a non-smoker from starting to use e-cigarettes."

Health concerns

Though vaping devices don't contain tobacco, most still have nicotine, a highly addictive substance that has many potential effects on the body.

"We're first and foremost concerned about nicotine's effect on brain development in young adults, since the brain is still forming even into ages when we might call people 'mature,'" Ong said.

In a 2011 study led by Edythe London, professor of psychiatry at the Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at UCLA, researchers found a strong association between adolescents' addiction to nicotine and lower levels of activity in the prefrontal cortex.

At very high levels, nicotine is toxic and can be lethal. This underscores the importance of avoiding an unregulated environment for vaping, Ong said.

Middlekauff finds the marketing of vapes to young people especially concerning.

"E-cigarettes are marketed to youth using dessert flavors and young, hip models in the ads," she said. "Many of the same advertisement strategies that were used for tobacco cigarettes are now used for e-cigarettes."

Substances used to create the signature smoke effect in vapes can also carry risk. Glycerine and propylene glycol, for example, can create carcinogens. To minimize harm, consumers need to understand how such substances are being used, Ong said.

While the cardiovascular risks of cigarettes are well-documented, researchers are continuing to study the risks of vaping devices.

Middlekauff co-authored a recent study finding that habitual users of e-cigarettes were more likely than non-users to have signs of oxidative stress and higher levels of adrenaline in the hearttwo prominent heart disease risk factors. Her team is currently comparing the effects of tobacco cigarette use and e-cigarette use on the heart.

Undoing the public health gains

Social acceptance of e-cigarettes, some experts say, could re-normalize the use of regular cigarettesespecially among adolescents. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, 31 percent of vaping device users started smoking within six months, compared to 8 percent of non-users.

Recent data shows that youth are no strangers to vaping. According to a CDC report based on data from 2016, more than 10 percent of high school students reported using e-cigarettes. The good news: the CDC recorded a drop in e-cigarette use among high school students compared to the year prior.

From a public health perspective, Ong suggested it is better to be cautious in rolling vaping products out and regulating their use rather than dialing back on them once consumers have all the data.

"In the past, when we just assumed certain smoking products were safer, there were negative consequences," Ong said. "We ended up exposing a lot of people to harms like secondhand smoke, which can cause all sorts of health effects, before we fully understood their implications."
(HealthDay)A shortage of honeybee, wasp and hornet venom extract has allergists concerned.

The extract treats people who have potentially life-threatening allergies to stings by these insects. It is given in immunotherapy shots to help build up tolerance to the stings.

Manufacturing problems at one of two companies that produce the extract has reduced the U.S. supply by up to 35 percent, according to CNN.

The shortage is expected to continue through the summerpeak sting season, researchers warned.

"Allergy immunotherapy is one of the best therapies that we have. This treatment can be protective in 99 percent of patients. So, for those patients who cannot be treated or whose treatment is delayed, it's scary and they may limit their levels of outdoor activity," said Dr. Juan Guarderas. He is an allergist-immunologist at University of Florida Health Allergy in Gainesville.

Despite the shortage, patients are still getting treatment, the allergy specialists noted in a university news release.

Dr. Mario Rodenas-Medina said that "there's no need to panic. Patient care has not been affected. We just need to be aware that there are resources despite the shortage." He is a clinical assistant professor of allergy and clinical immunology at the UF College of Medicine.

Patients who are allergic should keep up-to-date epinephrine injectors (EpiPens) handy, the doctors advised.

The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology and the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology recommend reducing maintenance doses of the extracts, increasing time between shots and delaying treatment for patients at the lowest risk of a bad reaction.

"We have to be diligent and we have to be careful about misuse of these extracts because they're highly valuable right now," Rodenas-Medina said.

More information: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has more on The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has more on bug bites and stings

Copyright  2017 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Standard Bank will remove data charges on its smartphone banking app.

The bank has reached an agreement with all major network operators in South Africa to zero-rate data used to access the Standard Bank app.

Standard Banks app allows customers to access and manage accounts, make payments, check balances, and purchase products.

Other features of the Standard Bank app include the ability to view balances without signing in, activating cards for international travel, and searching for nearby ATMs.

Now read: Cryptocurrencies can kill banks
Van Gogh's painting sold for a record $117 million

Gentiloni: EU countries have accumulated enough gas to get through the coming winter

Several dozen activists detained at protest rally in Baku: They chant slogans 'Freedom!', 'Resign!'

Princess Haya seeks asylum in Wales

Pashinyan: Iran is concerned about the presence of other actors in our region, which are not in the territory of Armenia

Pashinyan: Presidents of Russia and Azerbaijan listened to presented proposals

Volvo reveals its flagship EX90 electric crossover

Pashinyan: Yerevan supports Russia's proposals for Armenian-Azerbaijani settlement

Pashinyan: Russia cannot withdraw from Karabakh unless it creates additional guarantees for peacekeeping mission

Pashinyan: We will do everything to Armenia-Azerbaijan sign peace treaty by end of year

Russia bans entry of Biden's family and White House press secretary

Pashinyan: We believe there should be a dialogue between Azerbaijan and Nagorno-Karabakh

Pashinyan says positions voiced by some member countries of CSTO are unacceptable

19 countries that use euro currency will slide into recession over winter

Pashinyan to Baku: If 1991 border is mutually recognized, what are your troops doing near Jermuk?

Pashinyan: If the Karabakh issue is solved, why is Azerbaijani Armed Forces shooting at Karabakh residents?

Pashinyan: Russia should say whether their version of peace settlement is still circulating?

Pashinyan: Maybe Azerbaijan doesn't want Armenia to receive revenues?

Pashinyan: Azerbaijan must withdraw its troops from Armenia

Pashinyan: My yesterday's speech served its purpose, Azerbaijani MFA no longer uses 'corridor' term

Microsoft founder Paul Allen's collection of world masterpieces sold for $1.6 billion

Public TV of Armenia hosts Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan

China shows drone killer

Armenian FM meets his French counterpart

Rishi Sunak decides to close hole in British budget through austerity

Delegation of Russian MPs visits Jermuk resort town

Lavrov and Mirzoyan discuss regional agenda

Harut Sasunyan: The best way to achieve peace is to be prepared for war

Turkish prosecutor demands court to ban Istanbul mayor from political activities

German business leaders warn against leaving China

Sasunyan: Russia and US pursue their own interests in South Caucasus

British economy shrinks in three months, foretelling prolonged recession

Iranian Ambassador to Azerbaijan summoned to Foreign Ministry

Euro rises above dollar for first time in long time

Hungarian Foreign Affairs Minister calls Council of Turkic States 'forum of peace' and praises Turkey

EU embargo on Russian oil will be a boon for OPEC

Armenia defense minister receives China ambassador, military attache

Lemkin Institute condemns Azerbaijan president's genocidal rhetoric

Dollar goes up, euro rises sharply in Armenia

U.S. warns Europe that conflict over Taiwan will cause massive global economic shock

EU calls on Armenia, Azerbaijan to moderate their rhetoric

Erdogan says Turkey has been waiting at door of EU for 52 years and will give answer when time comes

U.S. fears that European support for Ukrainian strategy will begin to weaken

Armenia, Iran emphasize need to quickly implement agreements reached (PHOTOS)

Armenia soldier wounded by Azerbaijan shooting undergoes surgery

Gas over morality: Hungary guards Azerbaijan's interests

U.S. quietly seeks concessions from Saudi Arabia after Mohammed bin Salman humiliated Biden

Italy's Ambassador to Armenia visits Gyumri

Russian Armed Forces complete redeployment of grouping from right bank of Dnieper

IRGC: Adversaries are frightened and on alert

Armenia appoints ambassador to Sri Lanka

Kremlin doesn't consider leaving Kherson 'humiliating'

Israeli president thinks the world is concerned about Netanyahu's far-right coalition partner

Chinese MFA: China is not distancing itself from Russia, as Biden believes

Ukraine will seek help from its foreign partners in financing Starlink satellite internet systems

Erdogan: Situation in South Caucasus remains fragile

Marukyan: Azerbaijans Aliyev admitted that his country started 2nd Karabakh war, despite previously insisting opposite

Azerbaijan blackmailing Armenia through Lachin corridor

Turkish-occupied northern part of Cyprus becomes observer in Organization of Turkic States

Armenia PM: In his latest speech Aliyev flagrantly violated agreement on refraining from threat or use of force

World Bank official: Armenia is one of best countries in terms of credit portfolio performance

Azerbaijan president makes repeated accusations, threats against Armenia

Iran citizens injured in Armenia road accident

China reveals new giant drone that could point to the future of air warfare

US embassy in Armenia closed today

Karabakh MOD: Defense Army did not fire at Azerbaijan positions located in occupied territories

Israel and U.S. counter threat of hypersonic missiles together

U.S. and EU plan to publish new roadmap on artificial intelligence

Armenia ombudsperson meets with Belgium colleagues

Newspaper: Armenia parliament opposition seats to no longer be empty

Newspaper: Armenia parliament committee of inquiry into 2020 war circumstances is inactive

U.S. will no longer consider Russia a country with a market economy

US intends to protect Azerbaijan from threats of Iran

Aliyev, Erdogan discuss results of tripartite meeting in Russias Sochi

Azerbaijan army fires at Armenia positions, uses mortars as well

UAE is going to launch flying cabs from airports

Volvo Cars expects to introduce electric SUV by 2024

Amazon becomes world's first public company to lose $1 trillion in market value

EU's odd couple: Ursula von der Leyen and Charles Michel can't stand each other

US, China set first benchmarks ahead of presidents' meeting

Iranian MFA summons Azerbaijani ambassador to carpet in connection with anti-Iranian propaganda

Washington to resist any attempt by new Israeli government to annex West Bank

Biden thinks Elon Musk's relations with other countries are worthy of being looked at

Armenian Deputy Foreign Minister tells Polish senator about consequences of Azerbaijani aggression

Armenian deputy in Vilnius talks about goals of Azerbaijan's aggressive policy

Taliban bans women from gyms

U.S. to send Ukraine another $400 million in military aid

Ursula von der Leyen announces EUR 250 million support package for Moldova

Biden and Jinping meet on sidelines of G20 summit in Bali to be held on November 14

Riches of world get poorer suddenly

State Duma deputy: Interparliamentary format Yerevan-Baku-Moscow will be included soon to solve issues

IMF sees growing risk of economic fragmentation

Armen Gevorgyan to visit Strasbourg, Brussels and Paris

State Duma deputy: Upper Lars border crossing capacity has increased fivefold

UK government freezes over 18 billion pounds worth of Russian assets

State Duma deputy on Zatulin's ban on entering Armenia: These issues must be resolved

Borrell calls for retooling EU infrastructure for rapid transport of military equipment to East

European Parliament clears way for Croatia's admission to Schengen Area

European Council President Michel calls on EU member states to jointly purchase gas to reduce fuel prices

Alen Simonyan congratulates scientists on their professional holiday
The European Parliament is greatly concerned about the renewed violence earlier this week between Armenia and Azerbaijan which has yet again led to the death of civilians, in the Fizuli region, MEPs said in a statement.

Chair of European Parliaments Foreign Affairs committee David McAllister, Chair of the Delegation to the EU-Armenia and EU-Azerbaijan commiitees Sajjad Karim and chair of the Delegation to the Euronest Rebecca Harms made a joint statement regarding the situation.

We express our deep condolences to the families of the victims.

We call for an immediate stop to military hostilities between Armenia and Azerbaijan. As previously stated, we firmly believe that the Nagorno Karabakh conflict does not have a military solution. Instead, the conflict needs an early political settlement in accordance with international law. This is the only way to stop unnecessarily claiming the lives of civilians and soldiers on both sides.

We fully support the mediation efforts and proposals of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs. In order for this mediation to have a chance of success, both Armenia and Azerbaijan need to find the political courage to negotiate in good faith, the statement reads.
The UN is concerned over the escalation of tension in Nagorno-Karabakh.

Stephane Dujarric, Spokesman for the Secretary-General, informed about the aforementioned at Thursdays press briefing.

I was asked offline about our reaction to the ongoing tensions in Nagorno-Karabakh, he stated. I can tell you that, as the Secretary-General underlined on 22 June, we are increasingly concerned over the deteriorating security environment, including the most recent cease-fire violations along the Line of Contact and in the broader Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone.

We took note of and echo the [OSCE Minsk Group] Co-Chairs recent statement with reference to the renewed violence on 4 July at Alkhanli village of Fizuli region, which resulted in casualties, including among civilians. We call upon the sides to refrain from any military action, and strongly urge them to take immediate steps to de-escalate tensions and prevent further violence. An early return to the negotiations table in good faith is the only way to resolve this long-standing and dangerous conflict.

On Tuesday evening, the Azerbaijani armed forces, which are located nearby Alkhanli village, fired shells on the positions of Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) Defense Army. A 52-year-old Azerbaijani woman and a 2-year-old girl died in the ensuing exchange of fire.
YEREVAN.  Either official or informal structures of Azerbaijan have long adopted the tools of distortion, falsification, misinterpretation of facts and statements. The Azerbaijani media are not lagging behind by actively disseminating disinformation.

However, this time the representatives of the Azerbaijani media went too far, trying to present blatant misinformation as facts.

As reported earlier, the Azerbaijani troops deployed nearby Alkhanlu village, opened fire on positions of Karabakh Defense Army on July 4, including from TR-107 artillery rocket launcher. Karabakh side was forced to retaliate. A 52-year-old Azerbaijani woman and a 2-year-old girl died in the ensuing exchange of fire.

The Karabakh party has repeatedly stated that responsibility for the consequences of provocations lies with the Azerbaijani authorities. Moreover, the military leadership in Azerbaijan places military facilities on the territory or in the immediate vicinity of villages, using the civilian population as a human shield. At the same time, the army does not allow the population to leave the villages, putting the population in an even worse situation.

After the July 4 events, the Azerbaijani side, in its hysterical tone, tried to present all the statements as direct accusations against Armenia. Azerbaijani media also published false reports.

First, Azerbaijani media referring to representative of the foreign ministry said personal representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Andrzej Kasprzyk starts an investigation, later they said Ambassador Kasprzyk visited the place where 2-year-old Zakhra and her grandmother died.

The Armenian News-NEWS.am correspondent sent a formal inquiry to the OSCE secretariat to clarify whether the above mentioned reports are true.

The official comment from the OSCE reads as follows: Upon the request of the Azerbaijani side and following Ambassador Kasprzyks instructions, who was in Vienna briefing the Minsk Group, one field assistant from the Office of the Personal Representative of the Chairperson-in-Office travelled to the village on 5 July while another field assistant simultaneously travelled to the opposite side, to the section of the Line of Contact affected by the incident. The Office does not have the mandate to investigate, but both field assistants were able to get acquainted with the situation on the spot.

As seen from the answer, Ambassador Kasprzyk never visited Alkhanlu village as presented by Azerbaijani media. Moreover, the personal representative of the Chairperson-in-Office did not initiate an investigation, as the representative of the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry said. For information of Hikmet Hajiyev, it is the Azerbaijani side that refused to implement mechanisms for investigating the incidents. Unlike Baku, Yerevan and the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs insist on the introduction of appropriate mechanisms. This and similar incidents, and even more the reaction of the Azerbaijani side that is using the tragedy for the sake of aggravating anti-Armenian hysteria, clearly show that instigator of incidents is not interested in changing the situation.
YEREVAN.  All Armenians want to be independent in energy sector, and it is time for respective investments.

Head of the Delegation of the European Union (EU) to Armenia, Ambassador Piotr Switalski, on Friday stated about the aforementioned at the official opening of the first solar-powered bus stop in capital city Yerevan, and within the EU Energy Days 2017.

The ambassador noted that such bus stops can be considered European Union solar bus stops.

The energy sector in Armenia is and will continue to be a key priority for the EU for the coming years Switalski added. It responds to one of the main constraints for economic growth and raises the living conditions of many Armenians in the regions as well as it helps to strengthen energy independence.

Also, the EU diplomat said that solar power is a key energy source for a country like Armenia, which does not have oil, natural gas, or coal.
YEREVAN.  It is quite possible that the words "Karabakh" or "South Caucasus" will sound during G20 summit, but it is unlikely that there will be serious discussions on Karabakh issue, head of Caucasus Institute, analyst Alexander Iskandaryan told reporters on Friday.

According to him, the issues of Africa will be discussed during the summit.

At the moment it is a global problem for the entire mankind. The issue of immigrants, who are in Europe, will be resolved there, Iskandaryan explained.

The analyst also added that the Syrian problem, as well as the issue of relations between Russia and the West will also be on the agenda, and the meeting between Russian president Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart Donald Trump will be held to discuss these issues.

However, I do not think that during Putin-Trump meeting some serious agreements which will change the relations of Russia and the West will be reached, Iskandaryan added.
President Donald Trump took to Twitter early Friday in Europe with a series of swipes against the media and his political opponents while hinting at a much-anticipated meeting with Vladimir Putin.

Trump will meet the Russian President later today during the G-20 Leaders' Summit in Hamburg after accusing the country of "destabilising" the European region during a speech in Warsaw alongside Poland's President Andrzej Duda. Trump also said he had "great" meetings with Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel and Japan's President Shinzo Abe ahead of today's key gathering in the northern Germany port city.

The G-20 comes amid an acutely difficult juncture in European-U.S. relations, which have deteriorated markedly since Trump's election in late November and his various forays into regional political and trade affairs, including Britain's efforts to exit the EU and France's contentious Presidential election. Trump's administration has also accused Germany of currency manipulation and taking advantage of the U.S. through unfair trade deals.

The President's decision to withdraw from the Paris Accord has also put him at odds with both European and global leaders, all of whom have vowed to press ahead with climate change legislation without U.S. cooperation.

Trump will also meet with China's President, Xi Jinping, later Friday as the pair continue to struggle to form a coherent plan to combat North Korea's increasingly hostile actions, which culminated in the firing of an inter-continental ballistic missile earlier this week travelled more than 500 miles before landing off the coast of Japan.

During his speech in Warsaw yesterday, Trump vowed to address North Korea's "very,very bad" behaviour but said he wouldn't draw "red lines" even as he promised there would be "public consequences".

"As for North Korea, I don't know, let's see what happens," Trump said in response to a question from the media. ""I have some pretty severe things we're thinking about. Doesn't mean we're going to do them. I don't draw red lines. President Obama drew red lines."

The President also Tweeted two references to the U.S. media, which he again accused of inaccurate reporting of his administration, and reiterated his long-standing view that senior Democratic Party officials did not act quickly or competently enough when faced with evidence of possible Russia hacking attempts during the 2016 election campaign.
Airbus in Service Contract with Nepalese Airline

Fishtail Air Pvt. Ltd operates charter flights in Nepal and occasional flights in Bhutan and India, including sightseeing, rescue, medical evacuation, corporate transport, and support flights for heli-trekking to popular tourist destinations.

Airbus announced that Fishtail Air signed a contract with Airbus Helicopters in June to cover a fleet of two H125 helicopters for five years under the manufacturer's HCare service offer. The contract stipulates support for both and unscheduled aircraft events.

Established in 1997, Fishtail Air Pvt. Ltd operates charter flights in Nepal and occasional flights in Bhutan and India; from its base in Kathmandu, the company operates sightseeing, rescue, medical evacuation, corporate transport, and support flights for heli-trekking to the region's most popular tourist destinations, according to Airbus.

"After being the first company to introduce the H125 in Nepal, we will now be the first to benefit from the HCare Smart program in the country," said Suman Pandey, CEO of Fishtail Air. "We can now focus on operations to answer the growing demand for helicopter services in Nepal while also ensuring high maintenance standards together with Airbus."

HCare service coverage extends to material management; helicopter maintenance, repair and overhaul and upgrades; technical support; training and flight operations; and connected services.
There are plenty of reasons to be excited for this month's "Dunkirk."

It's the latest giant summer movie from Christopher Nolan, who's made some of the best and brainiest blockbusters of the century and is now setting his ambitious, epic sights on a WWII war movie. And not just any WWII movie, but recreating the battle and evacuation of Dunkirk, one of the most famous moments in modern war history  most certainly in Nolan's homeland of the United Kingdom. Plus, the director has wrangled an impressive cast to go with its impressive scope, as well, including Tom Hardy, Cillian Murphy, Kenneth Branagh and Oscar-winner Mark Rylance. Harry Styles is even there.

And now here's one more reason to be excited: When "Dunkirk" opens in theaters on July 21, according to The Playlist, it will feature the largest 70mm film release in 25 years, hitting 125 screens across the nation  including Milwaukee's Marcus Majestic Cinema.

So what is 70mm? It is film stock  used in the past on epic movies like "Lawrence of Arabia," "Ben-Hur" and "2001: A Space Odyssey"  that offers a wider frame, seemingly perfect for a sprawling war epic like "Dunkirk," as well as a higher resolution image than the standard 35mm.

Nolan filmed all of "Dunkirk" on 70mm cameras and IMAX cameras, making that kind of massive movie presentation the optimal way to see the film with the best possible picture and as the director intended. Unfortunately, Milwaukee doesn't have an actual IMAX screen with film projection capabilities  but this is the next-best case, with the presentation matching the way in which it was filmed.

For those still not sure what this means, here's a helpful infographic:

In time for #Dunkirk tickets going on sale this week - threw together this format comparison infographic. Should answer most Qs... pic.twitter.com/pDWSLqxUto  Anton Volkov (@antovolk) July 4, 2017

Nolan's far from the only one who's worked to get film, and 70mm in particular, in front of audiences during a time when film has been almost completely replaced by digital in the industry and in movie theaters. In late 2015, Quentin Tarantino filmed his snowy chamber thriller "The Hateful Eight" in 70mm and launched a special roadshow to bring the intended 70mm look across America  including having to repair and ship actual 70mm film projectors to participating theaters, such as the Marcus Majestic.

Tickets for the special 70mm presentation of "Dunkirk" are currently on sale at the Marcus Majestic's website, while the movie will hit theaters on Friday, July 21  with special advance screenings the night before.
Victor DeLorenzo knows a thing or two about Summerfest. The percussionist of the two-piece band Nineteen Thirteen made his fourth appearance here Thursday afternoon alongside cello virtuoso Janet Schiff. But as the former drummer of the Violent Femmes, DeLorenzo told me recently he thinks he played the Big Gig at least nine times.

In other words, those 13 or so appearances put him in pretty exclusive company (we both agree that Sigmund Snopek has played even more), but the Femmes and Nineteen Thirteen couldnt really be more different.

This isn't a New Wave alt rock party band (and I say that with the utmost respect for my former favorite group). Nope. Its something else, and the few hundred people here for this 4:30 show  or perhaps early for REO  were in for a time traveling musical journey.

This is high art, a pairing of two unlikely instruments and a style that is totally their own. This is a group that sounds at home at the Jazz Estate or Linnemans, but eclectically and wonderfully out of place on the BMO Stage. But also not.

For those of us in the know, we witnessed two native Milwaukee musicians practicing their craft in front of a sparse but rapt audience. For those just strolling by, maybe it seemed strange. They shouldve listened harder.

Nineteen Thirteen live at #Summerfest. A post shared by Andy Tarnoff (@andytarnoff) on Jul 6, 2017 at 2:54pm PDT

Because if they did, they would have heard Janet and Vic singing on "Arco, Pizzicato," and "Bye, Bye" and that's not something we hear too often, unfortunately. Victor's deep voice compliments Janet's almost twangy timbre.

When theyre back to instrumentals, Nineteen Thirteen is music from another time (and not exactly from 1913, although Janet's cello was built in Romania and in 1913). It crosses genres and yet, it always sounds good and never outdated. In fact, its about to sound better, I'm told: Victor has been teasing me by text with new music thats just around the corner.

Always reinventing themselves, their music is like chamber rock  if that's a thing. DeLorenzo drums sound like a train on a track, while Schiff is the locomotive's billowing smoke. Today, I was especially a fan of their Kraftwerk cover of "The Model." They played for just over an hour.

Of course, Im biased. Ive known Victor and Janet for many, many years. Victor is an occasional blogger for OnMilwaukee  but Im also a fan of this band. Maybe thats why this review is hard to write.

Nineteen Thirteen is a hard band to describe. But I will try: Imagine the band Morphine, but without the vocals. Occasionally Asian-inspired and sometimes gritty, but also with driving beats that you could dance to. Now put that sound into a dark, haunting and epic movie, with live cello loops. Let the emotion wash over you and don't ask questions. Just appreciate the beauty. Each song is like an act in a play, and it's up to the listener to fill in the plot.

Does that make sense? I mean, with this band, two people doesn't seem like enough ... but it's just right.

- Renee Bebeau contributed to this report.

Set list:

1. Arco, Pizzicato

2. Etc.

3. The Reason Why

4. Minutes, Hours, Days

5. Sonata

6. Heartbeat

7. Mr. Panicker

8. The Model

9. Tango Obscura

10. Bye, bye

11. March of 1913
When I took this gig I had no idea  none, like zero  that Morgan is only 24 years-old. I mean, holy wow, what a voice! Its like Belgian chocolate. Its delicious. Morgans voice is polished, and sturdy, and tested  and the owner of the voice is only 24. Mind blown.

Id been hearing "I Met a Girl" on the radio since it dropped last year. It spent 52 weeks charting before it finally hit number one. Thats a lot of time to hear Morgans dulcet baritone and form a picture of the man behind the voice. My drooly imagination had a mental picture set of a late 30-something, steamy George Strait type. So when I started researching Morgan for this review, well, um, didnt I feel like a total cougar. Yikes.

But still, how could this wet-behind-the-ears, newly-minted artist sing with such maturity? I still have no answer. What I did know is that I was really, really looking forward to Morgans show on Thursday night. And what I know now is this: If you missed William Michael Morgans 90-minute show Thursday night on the U.S. Cellular Connection Stage, you totally lost at life.

Despite starting late, presumably due to sound issues (though opening act Tucker Beathard didnt leave the stage until 15 minutes before Morgan was supposed to start), Morgan managed to pack 22 songs, plus an encore, into his set. It was steamy, sultry and just freaking fantastic!

Morgan opened with "Something to Drink About" from his first, and still very new, album "Vinyl." Though there was very little audience interaction between songs beyond a "thank you very much" (think Randy Travis meets Elvis), William Michael Morgan grabbed and held the audience despite the rain.

After a couple more songs from "Vinyl," Morgan wove together covers from greats like George Strait, Waylon Jennings and Merle Haggard with all but three songs from his album. Most of the covers he chose drew shouts from the crowd  and from me. I mean, who doesnt love "Check Yes or No"?

Though there were maybe only 300 or so people hanging out in the rain, they were plenty loud. And they danced like mad. Me, too, of course!

"I Know Who He Is," about a son and his father with Alzheimer's, was one of the stand out moments Thursday night that came from Morgans album (just two of many). I listened to this song, as I do with most, about ten times before the show on Thursday. I mean, yeah, it hit home, but I was like, "Oh, this is touching." Live, however, was a completely different story. Live, William Michael Morgan had me sobbing. When an artist can do that, its safe to say hes well on his way to cementing his place in Nashville.

Thoroughly enjoyed my first @wmmorgan concert tonight at #Summerfest! What a tall cutie pie! Just wish @BrentBel was home to go too! pic.twitter.com/Hnavl2Mrqs  Maggie Sherwin (@MaggieKayte) July 7, 2017

The other stand out was a song I waited pretty much all night to hear, "Missing." Its a roll your windows down and celebrate the art of turning off the noise. Think Kenney Chesney meets Randy Travis meets George Strait. Such a great song  and even better live.

Its safe to say that, for the crowd, any song that they could dance to really carried the night as evidenced by the square and dirty and, well, other dancing that happened during "Folsom Prison Blues." Totally killer.

If there was one issue at all, its the fine point of the definition of country music. If Morgan had said that he really loved "real country" music only once during the night, I would've let it slide. But he said it several times. I loved the guy, I really did, and like I said, this is such a fine point, but I had a little problem with that. Country music is broad and deep. While current trends may not be totally to my taste, or seemingly to Morgans, its all country. All of it. He, himself, has said as much during interviews, that the one word "country" unites the brand.

*jumps off high horse, resumes review*

Morgan, his band and his music were all fan-flipping-tastic. They had to be to keep people willingly standing in the rain.

William Michael Morgan is brand new (five years) to Nashville, but hes no stranger to the country scene. Hes been sneaking into Mississippi clubs and bars to play gigs since he was a teen. The artist picked up a guitar around age eleven and taught himself to play by watching YouTube videos of classics like Merle Haggard and George Strait. While that makes me feel old, it should really just speak to the immense talent Morgan has for music.

Morgans voice, his lyrics, the style of his brand of country speaks to a different time in country music when women were respected and pickup trucks werent hookup trucks.

And somehow, thats completely refreshing.

Set list

"Something to Drink About"

"People Like Me"

"You Look Good in My Truck"

"Its a Little Too Late" (Mark Chesnutt cover)

"Cheap Cologne"

"Drops of Jupiter" (Train cover)

"Vinyl"

"I Know Who He Is"

"Beer Drinker"

"Back Seat Driver"

"Chasing Cars" (Snow Patrol cover)

"Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way" (Waylon Jennings cover)

Medley "Whiskey Bent and Hellbound" (Hank Williams Jr. cover)

"Only Daddyll Walk that Line" (Waylon Jennings cover)

"Friends in Low Places" (Garth Brooks cover)

"Chattahoochee" (Alan Jackson cover)

"Ramblin Man" (Allman Brothers Band cover)

"Ramblin Fever" (Merle Haggard cover)

"Check Yes or No" (George Strait cover)

"When You Say Nothing At All" (Keith Whitley cover)

Medley - "Id Love to Lay You Down" (Conway Twitty cover)

"Mama Tried" (Merle Haggard cover)

"Keep Your Hands to Yourself" (Georgia Satellites cover)

"Missing"

"I Met a Girl"

"I Pulled a Hank Last Night" (Kevin Fowler cover)

Encore

"Folsom Prison Blues" (Johnny Cash cover)
NASAs Cassini spacecraft dives through the plume of Saturns moon Enceladus in 2015. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

As NASA inches closer to launching new missions to the solar system's outer moons in search of life, scientists are renewing their focus on developing a set of universal characteristics of life that can be measured.

There is much debate about what might be considered a clear sign of life, in part, because there are so many definitions separating the animate from the inanimate. NASA's prospective missions to promising spots on Europa, Enceladus and Titan have their individual approaches to detecting life, but one respected voice in the field says there is a better way that's far less prone to false positives.

Noted chemist and astrobiologist Steven Benner says life's signature is not necessarily found in the presence of particular elements and compounds, nor in its effects on the surrounding environment, and is certainly not something visible to the naked eye (or even a sophisticated camera).

Rather, life can be viewed as a structure, a molecular backbone that Benner and his group, Foundation for Applied Molecular Evolution (FfAME), have identified as the common inheritance of all living things. Its central function is to enable what origin-of-life scientists generally see as an essential dynamic in the onset of life and its increased complexity and spread: Darwin evolution via transfer of information, mutation and the transfer of those mutations.

"What we're looking for is a universal molecular bio-signature, and it does exist in water," says Benner.

"You want a genetic molecule that can change physical conditions without changing physical propertieslike DNA and RNA can do."

Looking for DNA or RNA on an icy moon, or elsewhere would presuppose life like our ownand life that has already done quite a bit of evolving. A more general approach is to find a linear polymer (a large molecule, or macromolecule, composed of many repeated subunits, of which DNA and RNA are types) with an electrical charge. That, he said, is a structure that is universal to life, and it can be detected.

As described in a recent paper that Benner's group published in the journal Astrobiology: "the only molecular systems able to support Darwinian information are linear polymers that have a repeating backbone charge. These are called 'polyelectrolytes.' These data suggest that polyelectrolytes will be the genetic molecules in all life, no matter what its origin and no matter what the direction or tempo of its natural history, as long as it lives in water."

Through years of experimentation, Benner and others have found that electric charges in these crucial polymers, or "backbones," of life have to repeat. If they are a mixture of positive and negative charges, then the ability to pass on changing information without the structure itself changing is lost.

And as a result, Benner says, detecting these charged, linear and repeating large molecules is potentially quite possible on Europa or Enceladus or wherever water is found. All you have to do is expose those charged and repeating molecular structures to an instrument with the opposite charge and measure the reaction.

James Green, director of NASA's Planetary Sciences division, sees values in this approach.

Radar images from NASAs Cassini spacecraft reveal many lakes on Titans surface, some filled with liquid hydrocarbons, and some appearing as empty depressions. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASI/USGS

"Benner's polyelectrolyte study is fascinating to me since it provides our scientists another critical discussion point about finding life with some small number of experiments," he says.

"Finding life is very high bar to cross; it has to metabolize, reproduce, and evolveall of which I can't develop an experiment to measure on another planet or moon. If it doesn't talk or move in front of the camera we are left with developing a very challenging set of instruments that can only measure attributes. So polyelectrolytes are one more to consider."

Benner has been describing his universal molecular bio-signature to leaders of the groups competing for New Frontiers missions, which fill the gap between smaller Discovery missions and large flagship planetary missions.

It's taken a while but due to his efforts over several years, he notes that interest seems to be growing in incorporating his findings. In particular, Chris McKay a prominent astrobiologist at NASA's Ames Research Center and a member of one of the New Frontiers Enceladus proposal teams, says he thinks there is merit to Benner's idea.

"The really interesting aspect of this suggestion is that new technologies are now available for sequencing DNA that can be generalized to read any linear molecule," McKay writes in an email.

In other words, they can detect any polyelectrolytes.

Other teams are confident that their own kinds of life detection instruments can do the job. Morgan Cable, deputy project scientist of the Enceladus Life Finder proposal, she says her team has great confidence in its four-pronged approach. The package includes instruments like mass spectrometers able to detect large molecules associated with life; measurements of energy gradients that allow life to be nourished; detection of isotopic signatures associated with life; and identification of long carbon chains that serve as membranes to house the components of a cell.

"Not one but all four indicators have to point to life to make a potential detection," Cable says.

NASA is winnowing down 12 proposals by late this year, so, Benner's ideas could play a role later in the process as well.

NASA's goal is to select its next New Frontiers mission in about two years, with launch in the mid-2020s.

The Europa Clipper orbiter mission is tentatively scheduled to launch in 2022, but its companion lander has been temporarily scrubbed by the Trump administration.

Nonetheless, NASA put out a call last month for instruments that might one day sample the ice of Europa. Benner is once more hoping that his theory of polyelectrolytes as the key to identifying life in water or ice will be considered and embraced.

This story is republished courtesy of NASA's Astrobiology Magazine. Explore the Earth and beyond at www.astrobio.net .
Credit: Shutterstock

Bitcoin reached a huge new peak in value in June 2017, when one unit of the virtual currency was worth US$2,851 (2,208), up from around US$600 just a year earlier. More than 10m people worldwide are now thought to own bitcoin and more than 100,000 merchants accept it for goods (not counting all those using it to sell drugs and other illegal items on the black market).

Part of bitcoin's appeal for many of its users is the lack of centralised control or regulation by any government or bank. Instead it relies on a technology known as blockchain to underpin and secure transactions. But research my colleagues and I have conducted suggests that the lack of any social trust in the way blockchain operates poses a challenge for bitcoin's further spread.

Blockchain is a public database that records digital transactions. These are validated by computers working within a worldwide network that solve complex coded problems. Whereas traditional bank transactions are authorised by financial institutions and controlled by governments through taxation and contracts between parties with known identities, blockchain is decentralised, unregulated and anonymous.

In our studies of blockchain's users we found that these features appeal to bitcoin users because of increasing distrust of financial institutions and governments. The technology empowers people to regain control over their money, with no restrictions over where and when they can send it.

But our findings also indicate that two core aspects of blockchain's design  the fact that transactions are anonymous and irreversible  pose significant challenges to the social trust among its users. Anonymity has an obvious appeal for people looking to avoid government control. And irreversible transactions were built into blockchain's original design as a positive feature to address banks' privilege of reversing transactions, even when the contract states that they were final.

But in practice, these features are a problem for many people. Most people are used to relying on the reputation of a seller to decide whether or not to buy from them  and the ability of the financial and legal system to help them if something goes wrong. But neither of these things are possible through blockchain.

Paper trails have their advantages

Most transactions don't just involve moving bitcoin from one electronic wallet to another. In practice, they are often part of a larger, two-way transactions where both parties send and receive assets such as bitcoins, real world currency or physical goods.

The issue is that the blockchain only records the movement of bitcoin, not the movement of other currencies or goods. Because there is no authority to complain to, this raises a major risk that users could fall prey to dishonest traders who fail to deliver their side of the deal.

In our latest study, we interviewed 20 bitcoin users recruited from five online groups from Malaysia, most of them with more than two years experience of using bitcoins. Our research indicates that more than 50% of participants would prefer blockchain's transactions to be regulated and identifiable, so that transactions can be either reversed or the dishonest trader legally sanctioned.

This shows there is a tension between the freedom and empowerment of blockchain's unregulated nature, and the lack of security that most people are accustomed to receiving from traditional financial institutions. If this is not addressed, such tension may limit the spread of bitcoin beyond its current base. It could even reduce the number of bitcoin users involved in such two-way transactions, as more people become aware of the risks of dishonest traders. In contrast, the use of blockchain for one-way transactions such as remittance payments will continue to grow, as they are less affected by dishonest traders.

What can be done?

Even bitcoin's current users still operate largely under the traditional mindset of centralised and regulated currencies. Bitcoin advocates may need to find ways to encourage users to develop a new mental approach to unregulated blockchain technology.

But developers could also build tools to address some of bitcoin users' concerns. For example, there may be a way to record whether the real-world elements of bitcoin transactions are also verified, authorised and stored on the public ledger. Electronic wallets could be linked to a reputation file that users could view before agreeing to a deal, much like sites such as eBay allow consumers to rate sellers. And new mechanisms built on top of the irreversible blockchain protocol could enable individual two-way transactions to be reversed.

Without doing something to tackle these challenges, the very thing that caught people's attention about bitcoin in the first place could end up stifling its growth and eventually consigning it to history.

This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.
A sea-water salmon farm on Tagua Tagua lake, Puerto Montt, in southern Chile: environmental groups warn the industry has grown so big in Chile as to be unsustainable

Salmon are leaping in their millions from Chilean fish farms to US, Japanese and European dining tablesbut surging demand and environmental concerns have Chile wriggling on the hook.

The world's second-biggest producer of the juicy pink fish after Norway, Chile earned $3.8 billion from farmed salmon last yearbut campaigners warn the environment is paying a high cost.

"The demand for salmon is unsustainable," says Liesbeth van der Meer, director of environmental group Oceana Chile.

"There is an ecological burden that the system can no longer endure. Beyond a certain quantity of salmon, it collapses."

She calculates that for every 190 grams of salmon produced, a kilo of local fish is used to feed the farmed salmon.

To make the industry sustainable, Chile should halve its current salmon production, she says.

Yet the industry estimates that demand for salmon is rising by 10 percent a year.

And 70,000 jobs in Chile depend on it.

Killer algae

Last year, red algae infested the waters off southern Chile, killing other sea life. Environmentalists blamed it on waste emissions from fish farms.

The algae wiped out a fifth of Chile's salmon production in 2016.

It fell from 883,000 to 728,000 tonnesmost of that exported to the United States, Europe, Brazil and Japan.

Chile's size in the market is such that the fall contributed to a 40-percent rise in world salmon prices.

An outbreak of red algae wiped out a fifth of Chile's salmon production for 2016, causing a 40 percent spike in salmon prices worldwide

Producers are recovering from that blow. But the president of the SalmonChile trade association, Felipe Sandoval, acknowledges they are having to "think and take steps to ensure medium- and long-term stability" and reduce costs.

Separately, the industry has been criticized for pumping antibiotics into the salmon, prompting warnings that this could promote drug-resistant super-bacteria.

In 2016 the Chilean salmon industry used 382.5 tonnes of antibiotics.

That was 700 times the amount used in Norway.

Jobs and growth

The government in 2007 had to reduce the intensity of salmon farming due to an outbreak of infection.

Any further health alerts will hit production, warned Eugenio Zamorano, head of aquaculture in the fisheries ministry.

But "if the health and environmental parameters are working, the industry can grow," he told AFP.

New regulations affecting the fish farms will come into force in 2018 in response to weather phenomena in the Pacific that experts suspect are due to climate change.

Compared to Chile's two other major salmon-producing regions, Magallanesthe furthest to the southhas a relatively good level of environmental controls, without too many fish farms close together, the government says.

With cooler waters, farms in Magallanes use less than one percent of the antibiotics used in the other two regions, Aysen and Los Lagos.

"Magallanes offers a possibility for sustainable development" in salmon farming, said Zamorano.

The government's aim, he says, is "to generate sustainable development of an economic activity that generates jobs and revenues."

 2017 AFP
The Post-Cold War Growth of Military Expenditure (1988-2014). Credit: Aziz and Asadullah (2017), based on the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (2015) data

Is military spending good for economic growth? According to some studies, the answer is affirmative. Military spending boosts business confidence, particularly in conflicting countries, which facilitates physical investment and economic growth. Others find that government spending on military hardware lowers macroeconomic growth as it crowds out social expenditures and investment in economically productive sectors. The lack of systematic evidence implies that policy decisions relating to military spending need not consider the associated economic costs and benefits. However, there are at least two methodological reasons for which past evidence remains contested.

First, the growth payoffs to military spending are likely to be contingent on the nature of conflict. After the collapse of Soviet Russia, the world entered into a new era of threats arising from rogue states, transnational territory networks and regional conflicts. Although armed conflicts between nations declined, countries continued to spend on defense due to various latent external threats, intra-state armed confrontations between the governments and organized opposition groups are very common today. Yet most researchers in the past did not differentiate between external conflict and internal (i.e. civil) war.

Second, the size of military expenditure is also positively influenced by income level as much as it may predict the rate of macroeconomic growth. This problem of 'reverse causality' is often ignored by researchers leading to conflicting results.

In the post-Cold War era, many developing countries in East Asia graduated into middle and upper middle income status, gaining greater fiscal capacity to spend on military hardware. While for Eastern Europe and the US spending declined (see Figure A), substantial increases were recorded for Asia and the Middle East.

The steady rise in military spending in Asian countries despite the recent slowdown in economic growth in the region therefore again raises the question  are governments in the region doing the right thing by spending millions on defence?

Map of military expenditures as a percentage of GDP by country, 2015. Credit: Wikipedia.org

One way to answer this question is to investigate the macroeconomic growth performance experience of all developing countries that are in conflict vis-a-vis those that are at peace in the post-Cold War era. In a paper co-authored with Professor Nusrate Aziz of Algoma University and recently published in the Journal of Economic Studies, I do exactly that using data from 70 developing countries. The analysis covers the post-Cold War period of 19902013. In terms of methodological framework, I apply a dynamic non-linear panel approach which helps capture the causal impact of military expenditure on economic growth in the presence of internal and external threats.

I find that differences in methods, model specifications, and the underlying estimation sample partly explain why past studies have differed in terms of the true effect of military spending. The main estimates are based on the generalized method of moments (GMM) regression model. But for comparison purposes, the authors also report estimates using fixed and random effects as well as pooled cross-section regressions. Full sample estimates based on GMM, fixed, and random effects models suggest a negative and statistically significant effect of military expenditure. However, fixed effects estimate becomes insignificant for low-income countries. The effect of military spending is also insignificant in the cross-sectional OLS model if conflict exposure is not considered as an independent driver of economic growth. When the regression model additionally controls for conflict, the effect of military spending conditional upon (internal) conflict exposure is significant and positive. No such effect is present conditional upon external threat.

In other words, my analysis supports the hypothesis that expansion in military expenditure is harmful for economic growth. Only in the presence of internal conflict does higher military expenditure fosters economic growth in developing countries. So governments in Asian countries, particularly those not facing any internal threats, may reconsider investing more in expanding existing military capacity.

That said, tension is at an all-time high in the Korean peninsula. The deployment of an advanced missile defense system in South Korea by the United States has already raised concerns over a new atomic arms race in Northeast Asia. In the Southeastern part of Asia, an equally dangerous arms race can escalate if territorial disputes over the South and East China seas are not resolved soon.

For smaller but wealthy Asian states, the fear originating from military ambitions of bigger regional neighbours such as China and India is likely to be the biggest driver of growth in military spending in the coming decades. Diffusion of tensions through greater regional dialogue therefore should be prioritised. Failing to do so may leave Asian countries trapped in a silent but costly arms race.

More information: Nusrate Aziz et al. Military spending, armed conflict and economic growth in developing countries in the post-Cold War era, Journal of Economic Studies (2017). DOI: 10.1108/JES-01-2015-0021

Provided by University of Malaya
Credit: University of Huddersfield

It is human nature to give added credence to the views of family and friends. But this could lead to inaccurate eyewitness statements in court cases and therefore potential miscarriages of justice, argues a University of Huddersfield lecturer, who is calling on police and the courts to take this factor into account.

Dara Mojtahedi  who lectures in forensic psychology  has been carrying out innovative research into the reliability of eyewitness statements and has been disseminating his findings at conferences and during talks with police.

During an earlier phase of research he screened footage of an actual violent incident to groups of "witnesses"  specially recruited volunteers. Some of them were allowed to confer, and it was found that many people's recollection of what they saw was readily distorted by comments from others, including dummy eyewitnesses who purposely suggested that the wrong man had started the fight.

This resulted in many inaccurate and misleading statements from people susceptible to being influenced by others.

Now Dara has developed the project, in order to discover the extent of what he describes as "co-witness familiarity on statement similarity".

He recruited 420 participants. They were placed in groups that included relations or people who had known each other for at least three months. They then watched the fight footage and held a discussion before giving individual statements privately. It was found that the post-event discussions significantly increased the level of statement similarity when the co-witnesses had a pre-existing relationship.

One reason the findings are important is that studies have shown that 86 per cent of eyewitnesses are known to each other, meaning there is enormous scope for misleading statements to be made.

As a psychologist, Dara Mojtahedi  who is completing his PhD on eyewitness reliability  was unsurprised by the findings of his latest experiment.

"When we encounter information from a stranger, we have no background knowledge of them to help us decide on whether they are more likely to be correct than we are. But with friends and family members, we have known them for a long time and it is a natural process that when we like someone we spend less time questioning and criticising their reliability and accuracy."

Dara has presented his research at academic events, such as the recent Forensic Psychology in Canada Conference, held in Ottawa, and at the British Psychological Society in Bristol. Also, he is supervising Master's students who are writing dissertations in the subject area.

But he is particularly determined that his findings about eyewitness reliability and especially co-witness familiarity should make an impact on police investigation and court procedures.

"A big question that police officers, lawyers and indeed jurors should be asking is, did you witness this incident with friends or did you witness it with strangers?" said Dara.

He has recently presented his work to West Yorkshire Police and his ideas were well-received. "This research is really aimed at officers and at jurors rather than an academic audience," he said.
US Vice President Mike Pence vowed to put astronauts on the Moon for the first time since the Apollo missions of the 1960s and 1970sbut gave no specifics

US Vice President Mike Pence vowed Thursday to usher in a "new era" of American leadership in space, with a return to the Moon and explorers on Mars, but offered few details.

Pence, who was recently named to head a government advisory body called the National Space Council, said the group would hold its first meeting "before the summer is out."

He also toured NASA's Kennedy Space Center to see progress in constructing a NASA spaceship destined for deep space and privately built capsules designed to send astronauts to low-Earth orbit in the coming years.

"Our nation will return to the Moon, and we will put American boots on the face of Mars," Pence told the cheering crowd of about 800 NASA employees, space experts and private contractors, but gave no specifics.

"We did win the race to the Moon," he added, recalling the Apollo missions of the 1960s and 1970s which sent menone of whom, Buzz Aldrin, sat in the audienceto the surface of the Moon.

NASA earlier this year announced it is exploring a project called the Deep Space Gateway, which could send astronauts into the vicinity of the Moon using a massive new rocket, known as the Space Launch System, or SLS, being developed by NASA.

And propelling people to Mars by the 2030s was a key feature of US space policy under the previous administrations of Barack Obama and George W. Bush.

Shuttle era

The United States lost the ability to send astronauts to the International Space Station when the shuttle program was retired in 2011.

Since then, Americans have been forced to hitch rides aboard Russia's Soyuz spacecraft, at a cost of more than $80 million per seat.

SpaceX and Boeing are hard at work on space capsules that will start sending people to low-Earth orbit as early as 2018.

Pence, who spoke in front of a previously flown SpaceX Dragon cargo capsule and a Boeing Starliner spaceship model, said he would continue to foster cooperation with private industry to make space travel cheaper, safer and more accessible than before.

"It was heartening to see him allude to growing public-private partnerships, but the lack of policy details, personnel and budgetary priorities is concerning," Phil Larson, a former White House space advisor under Obama who also worked for SpaceX, told AFP after the speech.

"Usually you have a leader visit, tour and give a speech to roll out a detail-oriented policy after it's been developed. This is backwards."

President Donald Trump's proposed budget, released in March, called for $19.1 billion for NASA, a 0.8 percent decrease from 2017.

It called for NASA to abandon plans to lasso an asteroid and cut several missions to study climate change and Earth science.

But NASA would emerge largely unscathed compared to deep cuts proposed at other agencies like the Environmental Protection Agency.

Lawmakers are still hammering out their adjustments to the proposed budget, which should be decided on later this year.

 2017 AFP
Only 30 vaquita remain in the world. Credit: VaquitaCPR

The world is marking International Save the Vaquita Day on July 8 by supporting VaquitaCPR's ambitious, emergency plan to help save the vaquita porpoise from extinction in the northern Gulf of California. The project, which has been recommended by the International Committee for the Recovery of the Vaquita (CIRVA), involves relocating some of the remaining vaquitas to a temporary sanctuary later this year. At the same time, a permanent ban on gillnet fishing went into effect last week in a bid to save a critically endangered species of porpoise. VaquitaCPR is led by the Mexican government and supported by a consortium of marine mammal experts from more than a dozen organizations around the world.

The plight of the vaquita continues to gain increasing attention after actor Leonardo DiCaprio, Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto and Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim signed a Memorandum of Understanding recently committing Mexico to strengthen its legislations surrounding fishing practices.

July 8 is International Save the Vaquita Day, a day marked by events designed to raise awareness of the world's most endangered marine mammal.

"This is historic. We're seeing extraordinary partnerships being forged on common ground - a shared desire to rescue the vaquita from extinction. But we must act quickly," said Dr. Cynthia Smith, Executive Director of the National Marine Mammal Foundation. "International Save the Vaquita Day is an opportunity for people to join the fight for the vaquita's life by learning how to support our rescue plan at VaquitaCPR.org. It takes a global village to save a species."

VaquitaCPR (Conservation, Protection and Recovery) is an emergency action plan of the Mexican government with the input of an expert group of conservation scientists and marine mammal veterinarians. Recovery operations are set to begin in Mexico in the next few months. The plan acknowledges the many uncertainties involved in finding, catching and maintaining vaquitas in a temporary sanctuary. Vaquitas are not only rare, they avoid motorized vessels and no one can predict how they will react. "Unlike condors, we expect that most vaquitas will remain in the wild as capturing even a few will be very difficult," says Dr. Lorenzo Rojas-Bracho, lead vaquita researcher and head of CIRVA. "Having some is still better than having none. The decline is happening faster than solutions for illegal fishing, so we need to have multiple strategies."

The emergency action plan has been adopted by Secretaria de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales (SEMARNAT) on the recommendation of their expert advisory group, the Comite Internacional Para La Recuperacion De La Vaquita (CIRVA). Under SEMARNAT leadership, the National Marine Mammal Foundation, The Marine Mammal Center, and the Chicago Zoological Society will help coordinate the efforts of a multi-institutional, international conservation team.

The precipitous decline of the vaquita has been primarily driven by accidental deaths of the porpoises in fishing gillnets. In 2015, the Mexican government instituted a two-year gillnet ban over the range of the vaquita. Additionally, the Mexican government implemented a financial compensation program to provide income to fishermen affected by the two-year gillnet ban. Despite strong enforcement, illegal gillnets are still being set to catch an endangered fish known as totoaba, the swim bladders of which fetch large sums of money on Hong Kong and Chinese black markets. Thus, despite tens of millions of dollars invested by the Mexican government in preventing vaquita by-catch, the population continues to decline.

Provided by National Marine Mammal Foundation
For the first time, visitors to Edinburgh will be able to explore the streets, marketplaces and churches as they may have been in the 16th century thanks to academics at the University of St Andrews. The virtual reality app, released this Friday, will add a new dimension for visitors, especially for those visiting the Fringe Festival over the summer.

As well as sweeping panoramas of the city, Edinburgh castle and its surrounding landscape, the mobile app enables exploration of the Netherbow Port, the West Bow, the Grassmarket, Cowgate, Trinity College, Holyrood Palace and St Giles' Kirk.

"It is striking how the cityscape is both familiar and different from the city today. Instead of the new town there stands a great loch yet the castle stands guard over the city much as it does now," says Sarah Kennedy, Smart History's Digital Designer.

Created by the University of St Andrews's spinout company Smart History, Virtual Time Binoculars: Edinburgh 1544 provides a unique window into the capital around the time of the birth of Mary Queen of Scots. Visitors will experience the digital reconstruction through a virtual reality app that hosts a range of virtual reality headset usage, as well as a web resource.

The Edinburgh reconstructions are just the beginning for Smart History. "We intend for it to be the first of many Virtual Time Binocular apps with depictions of St Andrews and Perth already in the pipeline. We have had interest from across Europe and Latin America, so we expect our Virtual Time travel platform to go global," says Dr Alan Miller, Director of Smart History.

On Friday 7 July, Smart History and Museums and Galleries Edinburgh will host a discovery evening at the Museum of Edinburgh where visitors can explore the brand new digital reconstruction of sixteenth-century Edinburgh. Visitors and residents of Edinburgh will for the first time be able to compare the modern city with the capital of James V and Mary Queen of Scots. The new reconstruction is the first to be created of the period, and is based on a drawing from 1544, the oldest relatively realistic depiction of the capital.

At the evening launch attendees will be able to walk through the streets of Edinburgh featuring the entire city held within the video game engine it was built in.

"Ever since we showed the preview video of our digital reconstruction of 1544 Edinburgh, people have been asking when the complete app will be available. We are very pleased to finally release it to the public," says Dr Elizabeth Rhodes, Smart History's Historian.

Using their mobile phones and VR headsets, users will become virtual time-travellers as they are immersed in historic scenes, stereoscopic video and 360 degree images. Visitors to the city will explore today's St Giles' Kirk and the Grassmarket as they learn more about their 16th century equivalents in parallel.

With the global release of the app on 7 July, Smart History will be in the Scottish capital at the Museum of Edinburgh for city tours and demonstrations from 10am to 4pm both Saturday and Sunday. Expertly guided virtual tours of the Royal Mile will allow virtual time travellers to compare Edinburgh's past to its present.

"In some ways time binoculars offer better Virtual Time travel than even the Holodeck on the Starship Enterprise. While the holodeck is incredibly realistic, it only exists in one place in time and space. Virtual Time Binoculars is a holodeck you can take anywhere with you," says Catherine Anne Cassidy, Head of Smart History's Digital Curation.

The app, which is Google Daydream enabled, allows users to view the reconstructions either in full screen mode or through more immersive virtual reality mode. Hotspots highlight the scenes with more facts and historical images for users to learn about the location.

The digital reconstruction is inspired by a drawing created by the English military engineer Richard Lee, who accompanied the Earl of Hertford's May 1544 expedition. Lee's drawing (now held by the British Library) is one of the oldest surviving depictions of Edinburgh, and became the defining English impression of Scotland's capital.

The interdisciplinary team of St Andrews researchers supplemented the information from Lee's plan with archaeological evidence, sixteenth-century written sources, and information about the geography of the modern city, to create an updated reconstruction of Edinburgh.

"The Virtual Time Binoculars project is ground breaking for digital reconstruction because it uses technology already in people's pockets. We have developed a software framework which will enable us to continue to send people back in time," says Dr Iain Oliver, Head of Systems for Smart History.
to prevent the sale of alcoholic beverages to underage customers. The fast casual restaurants employees are using the state-of-the-art technology solution to scan driver licenses and other forms of identification to detect altered and fake IDs. JERICHO, NEW YORK  June 29, 2017  Potatopias Broward County, Florida restaurant is using Intellicheck s (NYSE MKT:IDN) Age ID to prevent the sale of alcoholic beverages to underage customers. The fast casual restaurants employees are using the state-of-the-art technology solution to scan driver licenses and other forms of identification to detect altered and fake IDs.

Potatopia is quickly becoming an established part of the fast casual restaurant scene with its unique take on daily meal options that feature a variety of potato styles that serve as a base for a wide selection of fresh toppings along with drink selections that include beer and wine. The rapidly growing restaurant chain has plans for continued expansion across the country. The company is also planning to open 45 restaurants in Canada in addition to its future locations in the Middle East and China.

Potatopia franchise owner Bill Bulmer says his Tower Shops location in Davie, Florida is surrounded by five universities in addition to numerous residential communities. For Bulmer, Age ID will make an important difference in many ways. He explained that it is not just about making sure his business is in compliance with laws that prohibit the sale of alcoholic beverages to minors. He focuses on personal and corporate responsibility as well. I feel a personal responsibility to the customers and communities we serve. Its about doing the right things in the right ways. We have such a great response and wonderful customers from our college community and our neighborhoods and we want them to know that we care about them, their potential and their future. This is something our company feels strongly about, too. Bulmer worries that young people dont understand how easily bad choices can lead to terrible outcomes. I have a personal perspective on the risks of drunk driving. When I was 16 years old, I was run over by a drunk driver and my back was broken in three places.

Intellicheck CEO Dr. William Roof said Age ID will help Potatopia achieve its goals. We are excited about our partnership with Potatopia and believe we offer the best solution to helping them meet their legal and social obligations. We look forward to growing our partnership as Potatopia implements its plans for nationwide advancement. We are also very pleased by the expanding adoption of our industry leading technology solution in the hospitality market. We understand the difficult challenges facing the restaurant industry in efforts to keep alcoholic beverages out of the hands of minors. With the proliferation of sophisticated fake IDs, employees have a hard time spotting them. This is a safety challenge that raises compliance concerns for businesses that must adhere to the laws and regulations governing the sale of age-restricted products. We are confident Age ID will make a significant difference for Potatopia as it has for so many businesses across the country that face the problem of spotting fake credentials used by minors to make illegal alcohol purchases, he said.

Age ID reads the data encoded on driver licenses and government issued IDs, authenticating the ID and age information in real-time. It can be deployed on mobile devices including smartphones and tablets and can be integrated with point-of-sale solutions. Age ID draws on a comprehensive proprietary database, updated on an ongoing basis, to ensure ID authentication is timely and accurate. It provides the most up-to-date solution to the problem of spotting fake and altered IDs with its ability to read more than 250 unique DMV barcode formats from every U.S. state and populated territories, all Canadian provinces, and all Mexican States where driver licenses include 2-D barcodes.
The Dallas Ambush: One Year Later

Remembering the deadliest day for police since 9/11.

Im not sure if you know this or not, but the majority of the Security Today team is based out of Dallas. Me, personally, Ive lived in Dallas for over half my life. If someone asks where home is, my answer is Dallas.

I dont have to tell you about how the Dallas ambush affected me, this town, our police or the security of the city, state and nation. You saw it play out on national television. You listened to news anchors try to explain the inexpiable. How Micah Johnson drove into downtown Dallas with the sole intent to shoot and kill as many police officers as possible. Unfortunately, five heroes did not survive the night making it the deadliest night for law enforcement since September 11, 2001.

July 7, 2016

The shooting happened in downtown Dallas, on the metaphorical front steps of El Centro Community College, making the school the stage for such a heinous act. At first, the information coming out of the scene was chaotic and unfathomable. News stations around the county were trying to decipher the misinformation and hectic live footage coming out of the Texas city.

The streets that night were filled by protesters taking part in a peaceful protest against police in the shootings of several black men in the United States in 2016 and before. Dallas Police had posted photos on their social media pages of officers engaging with protesters, flanking them as they walked with each other, protecting their right to freedom of speech.

When the shots rang out on the corner of North Lamar and Elm Street the headlines read, Shooting at Dallas Protest.

There wasnt a news station in the country that believed this was a targeted attack on police officers until former Dallas Police Chief David Brown gave his first press conference just a short time after the first shots were heard.
China's sole operational aircraft carrier arrived in Hong Kong for the first time Friday in a display of military might less than a week after a high-profile visit by president Xi Jinping. Xi's trip marked 20 years since Hong Kong was handed back to China by Britain, and analysts said his visit left little doubt that Beijing viewed the city as a destabilising hotbed of unacceptable political dissent. His three-day stay culminated in a 30-minute speech warning that any challenge to Beijing's control over the city crossed a "red line", seen as a salvo against a new wave of activists calling for self-determination or independence, concepts intolerable to Beijing. President Xi also inspected 20 squads of troops last Friday at the city's biggest military parade in the past two decades, where helicopters and armoured vehicles were displayed. The 305 metre-long (1,000 feet) Liaoning, a secondhand Soviet ship built nearly 30 years ago and commissioned in 2012, arrived in Hong Kong early Friday, as a rainbow appeared overhead. The aircraft carrier sailed through the East Lamma Channel, passing by residential buildings located on the south coast of Hong Kong island, and was berthed near the Tsing Yi region. State news agency Xinhua said the carrier was accompanied by two destroyers and one frigate. J-15 fighter jets and two helicopters were seen on the carrier's flight deck. "With the fleet's visit to Hong Kong, I believe residents will experience first hand China's tremendous achievements in defence, in the armed forces, and especially in the navy," the city's new leader Carrie Lam said at a welcoming ceremony. Lam, who was sworn in by Xi on Saturday, said it would help "reinforce" residents' understanding of the nation. China's national defence ministry had said the Liaoning, named after a northeastern Chinese province, was part of a flotilla on a "routine training mission". Its arrival in Hong Kong would mark the 20th anniversary of China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) entering the city, defence ministry spokesman Wu Qian told reporters last Thursday. Enthusiasm for the aircraft carrier was high with people queueing overnight at the PLA garrison in central Hong Kong for public tour tickets earlier this week. But ticket-holders are banned from bringing cameras when they board the aircraft carrier on Saturday, reports said, while foreign media outlets have not been invited to cover the event. Authorities have also set up a temporary no-fly zone in the area where the Liaoning will be berthed near the city's Tsing Ma suspension bridge. After the handover in 1997, some feared the PLA would be heavy-handed given the army's crackdown on student protesters in Beijing's Tiananmen Square in 1989. Instead they have maintained a low profile and are barred from interfering in local affairs. China launched its first domestically built aircraft carrier in April, though it is not expected to enter service until around 2020 once it has been fully equipped and armed.
Porsche Asia Pacific has announced that it is now looking for the 2017 Porsche Asia Pacific Driver of the Year as it searches for the regions best and most skilled drivers as part of its Licence to Thrill campaign.

Porsche Asia Pacific Driver of the Year

The search for the 2017 Porsche Asia Pacific Driver of the Year starts with the interested participants going online at www.licencetothrill.asia and completing a Theory Test which is comprised of eight questions and will run until July 31, 2017. The top 30 performers in the Theory Test will then qualify for the Practical Test which will be a series of unusual and exhilarating practical tests using all five Porsche modelsthe 718, 911, Panamera, Macan, and Cayenneto be held at the Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia on September 8, 2017. According to Porsche, some of these tests include painting the number 718 on the track using the 718 Porsche Boxster with a drilled pot of paint mounted on the car and doing a gymkhana in reverse in the Porsche Macan. To be eligible for the Practical Test though, the participant must be above 21 years of age, hold a valid drivers license and have a minimum driving experience of at least three years.

After the practical test, all the participants will be feted at the Porsche License to Thrill awards dinner with the top performer being declared as the first-ever and 2017 Porsche Asia Pacific Driver of the Year. Besides the bragging rights that come with such an award, the winner will also receive a fully-sponsored trip to the Porsche Experience Center in Los Angeles, USA.

Besides the Philippines, the competition is also open to the following countries: Brunei, Cambodia, French Polynesia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mongolia, New Caledonia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Check out what the Practical Tests may be like through the videos below:

The post You Could Be The First-Ever Porsche Asia Pacific Driver of the Year appeared first on Carmudi Philippines.
ANKARA (Reuters) - Iran's state news agency quoted a representative of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Thursday as saying Islamic State's leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was "definitely dead". "Terrorist Baghdadi is definitely dead," IRNA quoted cleric Ali Shirazi, representative to the Quds Force, as saying, without elaborating. IRNA later updated the news item, omitting the quote on Baghdadi's death. The Quds Force is in charge of operations outside Iran's borders by the country's elite Revolutionary Guard Corps. Iranian Foreign Ministry officials were not available to comment on the report of Baghdadi's death. The secretive Islamic State leader has frequently been reported killed or wounded since he declared a caliphate to rule over all Muslims from a mosque in Mosul in 2014, after his fighters seized large areas of northern Iraq. Russia said on June 17 its forces might have killed Baghdadi in an air strike in Syria. Washington said on Thursday it had no information to corroborate such reports. Iraqi officials have also been sceptical in recent weeks. (Writing by Parisa Hafezi; editing by Andrew Roche)
By Joyce Lee SEOUL (Reuters) - Police raided the headquarters of Korean Air Lines Co Ltd on Friday as part of an investigation into allegations that company funds were used to pay for construction work at the home of Chairman Cho Yang-ho. The firm is suspected of masking interior decoration costs at Cho's private home as expenses associated with the construction of a new hotel between May 2013 and August 2014, police said in a statement. No suspects had been named, a police official told Reuters. A Korean Air spokesman said the airline was cooperating with police. Cho could not be reached for comment. The firm's shares extended losses on the news to be down 2.2 percent, while Hanjinkal, the airline's largest shareholder, also fell 2.2 percent as of Friday's close. Cho's daughter, Heather, gained international notoriety in 2014 when, as an executive of the airline, she forced a steward off one of its planes in New York because she was unhappy about the way she had been served macadamia nuts. She served nearly five months in jail in Korea for violating plane safety. The raids on Korean Air Lines are the first to target a major family-run conglomerate, or chaebol, since President Moon Jae-in came to power in May on the back of promises to reform the opaque business empires which dominate South Korea's economy. Moon was elected after a bribery scandal which led to the ouster of his predecessor, Park Geun-hye, and the arrest of Samsung Group chief Jay Y. Lee. (Reporting by Joyce Lee; Editing by Edwina Gibbs and Stephen Coates)
BERLIN (Reuters) - Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told a German newspaper on Friday the leaders of G20 countries meeting in Hamburg would tell U.S. President Donald Trump he should take the lead in addressing climate change. Trump decided last month to pull the United States out of the 2015 Paris accord on climate change, saying it would wipe out U.S. jobs. Climate policy is expected to be a significant bone of contention at the G20 summit that German Chancellor Angela Merkel is hosting on Friday and Saturday. "We'll tell him it's important to take a lead role in tackling climate change and creating good jobs," Trudeau told mass-selling Bild newspaper. In a second interview, Trudeau told Der Spiegel magazine that he regretted Washington's withdrawal from the Paris deal and added: "We're in close contact with President Trump to see where we can work together ... He has signalled to us that he is interested in taking action against environmental pollution." Trudeau told Bild there was no doubt that climate change was happening, and it was a challenge but also an opportunity to invest. He added the same was true of global trade. Trump has advocated more protectionist measures. "Instead of saying we'll stop trade, we need to create opportunities for smaller companies and protect workers' rights with progressive trade agreements like CETA," Trudeau said, referring to the EU-Canada free trade deal. Disputes over cheese and pharmaceuticals are holding up the start of CETA, which both sides have championed as a landmark deal for open markets against a protectionist tide. Trudeau also told Der Spiegel that Canada had done what it could on CETA and it was now up to Europe to decide "whether it believes in trade with Canada or not". Asked about China, the Canadian Liberal leader said it had understood that trade with other countries was a way to alleviate poverty. Trudeau said Canada was talking to China about workers' rights, environmental protection and topics "where China has not always felt comfortable". "I think it's important to formulate clear rules based on principles," he said. (Reporting by Michelle Martin; Editing by Michael Nienaber and Mark Heinrich)
US President Donald Trump's Indonesian business partner has been questioned by police over alleged threats against a public prosecutor, officials said Friday. Hary Tanoesoedibjo, a media and property mogul who is building two Trump Organization hotel projects, was summoned as a suspect Friday after an investigation was issued against him in June, a police spokesman said. The 51-year-old business tycoon and politician is being named a suspect after police charged him with violating the electronic information and transaction law. "Today is actually the second time we have summoned Hary Tanoesoedibjo. We have summoned him before but at that time his lawyer said he couldn't show up," national police spokesman Setyo Wasisto said. The billionaire was reported to police by an attorney named Yulianto, who like many Indonesians goes by one name. Yulianto claimed Tanoesoedibyo had threatened him via text messages in January 2016. The attorney was handling a graft case which involved Mobile-8 Telecom, a telecommunication company owned by Tanoesoedibyo. Tanoesoedibyo's lawyer, Hotman Paris Hutapea, denied the messages were threats. "As humans we know what would be considered as threats and what not. What he said is something all politicians do," Hutapea told AFP. Tanoesoedibyo's company is in the process of building two luxury resorts in Indonesia which would be managed by Trump Hotels. The resorts are planned to be built on the popular tourist island of Bali and in Lido, West Java, just a couple of hours away from capital Jakarta. Construction on the hotels has not yet begun. Tanoesoedibyo attended the US president's inauguration in January, and described Trump's win as inspiring. Tanoesoedibyo is now banned from travelling abroad for the next six months, a spokesman of the immigration office told AFP, and if found guilty could be jailed for four years maximum. The billionaire ran in Indonesia's 2014 election as candidate for vice president but failed to make it to the final round with his running mate. He later founded his own political party with many speculating he might run in the 2019 presidential election.
Tension rose another notch in Venezuela Thursday, where the country's attorney general sharply defied President Nicolas Maduro one day after a mob stormed the National Assembly and attacked opposition legislators. The show of public dissent from a high-ranking official suggests a split in the socialist administration and eroding support for the embattled president, whose volatile oil-exporting nation has been shaken by a wave of anti-government protests. At least 91 people have died in three months of demonstrations, prosecutors say. Protesters blame Maduro for Venezuela's desperate economic crisis. He blames the chaos on a US-backed conspiracy. Riots were reported in different parts of Caracas overnight, hours after Katherine Haringhton -- recently named deputy attorney general and seen as Attorney General Luisa Ortega's replacement if the court fires her -- showed up unexpectedly at the AG's headquarters. Ortega denied her entry. The Supreme Court designated Haringhton to the post, a move that is "unconstitutional, illegal and illegitimate" because only the National Assembly can name people to such positions, Ortega said in a statement. Ortega, 59, the most senior figure to defy Maduro, has accused the pro-government Supreme Court of undermining democracy through a short-lived ruling that seized power from the opposition-led legislature. As violence swelled, Ortega accused police of killing protesters -- comments that enraged Maduro, who slammed her as a traitor. Ortega also accused Maduro of violating the constitution with his plan to hold an unelected special assembly to rewrite the document. "I am committed to enforce the laws. This is not an outlaw state," said Haringhton, who said she was sure that Ortega would reconsider her stance once things calmed down. - Tear gassing the mall - On Thursday protesters tried to march on the Supreme Court, but riot police pushed them back and even chased some fleeing demonstrators into a huge shopping mall, where they fired tear gas. A total of 45 people in the mall, including 17 children, received emergency medical treatment after the incident, said Ramon Muchacho, mayor of the Caracas district Chacao, which is an opposition stronghold. "We came here to get an ice cream and see a movie, and look at this disaster," said teenager Alejandra Vargas, her eyes red from the tear gas. Nearby, a woman carrying a baby was escorted out by firefighters. Protester Rosa Rivas, 43, taking part in the rally with her 15-year-old daughter, said when police forced the crowd to disperse, some fled into the mall, either through the main entrance or a parking garage. "But they chased us. People were running for their lives," Rivas told AFP. The entire mall -- which contains 531 stores -- was later evacuated as a precaution. The violence came a day after one of the most stunning episodes in months of unrest: a pro-government, club-wielding mob overrunning the National Assembly. The mob beat opposition lawmakers, injuring seven, as police stood by and watched. The crowd then stood guard outside the building for nine hours, screaming insults at lawmakers and preventing them from leaving until police finally intervened and set up a security cordon to let them out. Maduro condemned the assault and promised an investigation, but did not publicly acknowledge the intruders were his supporters. The attack drew condemnation from the United States, France, the European Union and the Organization of American States. Maduro, a former bus driver handpicked by the late socialist firebrand Hugo Chavez as his successor, is wildly unpopular among everyday people but retains the key support of the military. "Today it makes more sense to take to the streets after the paramillitary assault that they carried out on Congress," said David Smolansky opposition mayor of a Caracas neighborhood.
The rapid advancement of the internet has created unmistakable, significant changes to our everyday lives. The impact the Internet has on society is felt in almost everything we do  from ordering a pizza to starting a romantic relationship. It has affected how we communicate, how we learn about global events, and even how our brains function.

At this point, society is racing to catch up with developing web technology, creating a social evolution that has impacted how we celebrate significant life events. From weddings to graduations to baby announcements, theres no denying that the way we celebrate is impacted by the web. Here are a few ways that the Internet has changed how we organize, participate in, and document the most significant aspects of our lives.

The Impact the Internet Has on Society

We Treat Intimacy Differently

The internet has affected the way we form and maintain relationships with friends, family, romantic partners, and acquaintances. Now that we can interact with each other and keep each other updated on our lives more easily than in the past, the notion of intimate relationships has changed.

For instance, social media allows people to constantly update their networks about their lives. Using photos, videos, text posts, and more, we present ourselves to everyone around us, allowing us to stay in touch from moment to moment  with people who we care about and people we dont. Casual acquaintances from years past know our political leanings, where we go to and graduate from school, who were marrying, who our kids are, and even where we live.

This can create a new sense of intimacy that didnt exist in the past, since people feel that they know all there is to know about the people in their lives. This, in turn, has actually decreased the significance of personal life events, like family, college, and high school reunions. If we all know what everyone else is up to anyway, then why spend the money and travel time to catch up in person?

Everythings Crowd-Based

The beginning of the 21st Century saw a huge rise in social media and other interactive, crowd-based communication platforms. This revolution upended the way we think about personal life events due to the fact that with the internet, we have access to a huge variety of ideas and options  and now everyone has a say.

For one, as we grow more globally connected, there are more cultural ideas and traditions being shared than ever. Culture flows across oceans and borders easily, meaning that more people are beginning to pick up ideas regarding how to celebrate significant life events than ever before. American couples are including aspects of Indian culture in their weddings; European youth are beginning to throw American-style graduation parties. Now that ideas are shared among the public in crowd-based communication platforms like social media, people are able to pick and choose celebration ideas in ways that were unheard of even 20 years ago.

A quick scroll through social media can also give you an idea of how personal life events are growing increasingly crowd-based. As young couples announce their wedding engagements on Facebook, graduations on Instagram, and pregnancies on Twitter, its easy to pick out comments from interested family members, friends, and even acquaintances giving their opinions  wanted or not. Everything from wedding colors to baby shower themes have become a sort of collective event, as social media invites everyone to participate. In other words, your engagement photo shoot is no longer yours  its part of the collective ours to comment on as we like.

Were Constantly Connected

The rise of mobile communication, especially through smartphones, means that most people have constant access to the Internet. We are no longer tied to desktop computers; we can get online almost anytime, anywhere, which has created noticeable impacts on how we celebrate personal life events.

For instance, being constantly connected to the internet has created a need for near-constant documentation of our daily lives. Since social media has become such an integral part of how we communicate, many people feel a need to post about everything from their breakfast to the birth of their friends child online, all the time. People live-tweet arguments they overhear at restaurants, Snapchat clips from concerts in real time, and even pose for social media shots at funerals.

In response to this, people are starting to have to actively discourage social media documentation during celebrations of life events like weddings. Its growing increasingly popular for engaged couples to ban cell phone photos and videos during their wedding ceremonies due to issue like guests stepping out into the aisle for a photo or getting in the professional photographers way to snap that perfect shot.

While its difficult to say that the internet is the sole cause of these developments, theres no denying that it has made a significant impact on how we celebrate personal life events. As we navigate the social evolution that comes with changes in technology, it will be interesting to pay attention to how these events continue to change with it.
USA  July 7, 2017  Ethan Earle

Many on the Left have been deeply critical of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) since before it was fast-tracked into law by former President Bill Clinton in 1994. Now, President Donald Trumps current plan to renegotiate NAFTA is poised to make the massive trade deal even worse.

In late May, a loose coalition of civil society groups gathered in Mexico City to discuss this upcoming renegotiation. Participants included the AFL-CIO, Canadian Labour Congress and over one hundred other labour, environmental, and immigrant rights organizations from across Mexico, the United States and Canada. The meeting produced a joint declaration opposing a Trump-led NAFTA renegotiation and marked the kickoff of the latest international campaign against free-trade deals that benefit corporations and political elites at the expense of workers, communities and our shared environment.

NAFTAs legacy is marred by lost jobs, lower wages, increased inequality and a litany of environmentally destructive practices. While the people who gathered in Mexico City have long opposed NAFTA for its pro-corporate bent, a consensus emerged that President Trump and his team are cooking up something even worse.

Two questions follow from this judgment: What can we do to stop Trump, and how can we use the moment to challenge the powerful interests that he represents?

The Dangers of a Trump-led Renegotiation

Trump campaigned and won the U.S. presidential election in no small part due to his anti-free-trade positions. He galvanized millions of voters for whom the considerable promises of globalization have long since given way to the stark realities of rising inequality and declining living standards.

After assuming the presidency, Trump decided it was politically necessary to kill off the wildly neoliberal Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) to appease his popular base. This decision was met with dismay by nearly all big corporations and elites from both political parties.

But now, in an act of political judo, Trump is trying to use the same anti-establishment, pro-American rhetoric from his campaign to craft a neoliberal NAFTA renegotiation that will include everything demanded in the recently scuttled TPP  and more. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, as well as others in Trumps administration, have been surprisingly straightforward about these intentions.

Formal notice of the intent to renegotiate was submitted to Congress on May 18. Following an obligatory 90-day consultation period, negotiations are expected to commence in the second half of August. A draft list of the Trump administrations priorities, submitted to Congress in late March, gives us a window into what we should expect.

A Trump-led renegotiation will mean a strengthening of heinous Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) mechanisms, which allow corporations to sue governments that infringe on profit-making opportunities, for example, by daring to introduce anti-tobacco legislation. It will mean stronger copyright and intellectual property laws, in case youre not already spending enough on your medications. It will also mean further privatization of the internet, greater corporate control of e-commerce, and most likely a new broadside against net neutrality.

Meanwhile, investor incentives will increase the liberalization of capital flows and lead to the offshoring of many thousands of jobs, in the ongoing global race to find the most exploitative labour conditions possible. And, of course, this ceremony will be sealed with the ritual sacrifice of labour, human rights and environmental regulations in each of the three signatory countries.

And let us not forget that, while the TPP accounted for 40 per cent of the worlds GDP, NAFTA still represents approximately 25 per cent. In 1994, NAFTA set the standard for two decades of terrible international trade agreements, and power brokers across the world hope this renegotiation will restore business as usual and set a new standard for decades to come.

Given the power of the United States vis-a-vis its negotiating partners, this panorama might at first glance appear depressing. But we also should not forget the insurgent campaign of Democratic primary challenger Bernie Sanders, which brought together millions of people in opposition to these types of free trade deals. While there are major differences between Trump and Sanders voters, there is real agreement that these corporate-led deals are bad for ordinary people.

Herein lies a real political opportunity that absolutely terrifies elites on both sides of the aisle. Around the NAFTA renegotiation there exists a genuine possibility, in an otherwise badly fractured political landscape, for a bipartisan consensus against corporate and elite power.

Throwing Sand in the Gears

Knowing that the renegotiation of NAFTA may well die at the ballot box  just as TPP and TTIP were killed off by popular demand in the past year  the main goal for its proponents is to conclude talks as quickly as possible. This has been stated clearly by lead trade representatives in each of the three countries. Now, the first major challenge comes not from the United States, but from Mexico.

Mexican general elections are scheduled for July 2018, with primaries and the accompanying political jockeying beginning this fall. With President Enrique Pena Nietos approval ratings sinking below 20 per cent, the position of his institutional revolutionary PRI, which has dominated Mexican politics for nearly 100 years, is considered vulnerable.

The early frontrunner for the upcoming presidential race, popular former Mexico City Mayor Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, has staked out a populist, anti-establishment position that places greater emphasis on labour and environmental rights, as well as national sovereignty. As his campaign advances, he is widely expected to take aim at a U.S.-led NAFTA renegotiation as a winning political wedge issue.

In this context, progressive groups opposed to a corporate-led NAFTA renegotiation must adopt the same strategy that was so successful in the battle against the TPP: throwing sand in the gears. While it was Trump who dealt the TPP its death blow, it was the hard work of progressive civil society that shed light on this secretive deal, slowed its advance and ultimately entangled it in the 2016 election  correctly anticipating that popular consensus would reject the agreement.

In Mexico, this aim can be achieved by emphasizing Trumps calls to build the wall, as well as his racist characterizations of Mexicans as rapists, criminals and job stealers. It can be done by pounding the suddenly-vulnerable Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) as a bunch of robber-baron elites who are looking for one last score before they are flushed from power.

In Canada, a similar strategy can be pursued by emphasizing Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus tendencies towards a politics of symbolic resistance and substantive acquiescence. In this style of governance there exists a gap that civil society can exploit. Trudeau very much values his carefully cultivated public image, but Canadians have seen the material impacts of NAFTA on their country, and they now oppose the deal by a four-to-one margin.

In the United States, at least for now, the focus should be on the tremendous lack of transparency that has characterized early negotiations. 500 corporate trade advisors and TPP veterans are being actively consulted, while labour and civil society organizations remain completely shut out of the process. And of course, there is the historically unpopular figure of Trump himself.

As Lori Wallach, director of Public Citizens Global Trade Watch division, has argued:

Trumps conflicts of interest and self-dealing opportunities with NAFTA renegotiation are not hypothetical; the sprawling Trump business empire has 14 Canadian and two Mexican investments. Some of Trumps clothing line is made in Mexico. Trump wont divest his business holdings or release his tax returns, so unless he reveals his full Mexican and Canadian business dealings, we wont even know in whose interest these NAFTA talks are being conducted.

Forging a New Progressive Consensus

These are some of the early strategic lines for opposing NAFTA and contesting a Trump-led renegotiation. But to build a more integral politics beyond mere opposition, it behooves us to go a step further. If you accept the argument that trade policy could become a fertile terrain for growing new coalitions, it is only by articulating positive alternatives that we will be able to make these coalitions take root.

We must begin with a political frame that creates space for Trumps supporters without making any concessions around the xenophobic rhetoric that the President has thus far employed. This is not about Mexicans, or anybody else, stealing U.S. jobs. It is rather about big corporations and political elites excluding the rest of us  from all three countries  from our fair share of the pie.

To create this broad space for political convergence, we must demand an open consultation process. This requires that labour and climate justice groups, rank-and-file workers, immigrants, farmworkers, and small and mid-sized business owners have an opportunity to weigh in with their concerns. In addition to these formal consultations, civil society should help to amplify these voices of concern through peoples tribunals and other public hearings. And this input should form the basis of an alternative vision for cooperation between the three countries.

We should not meekly request that NAFTAs unenforceable side agreements on labour and environmental standards be strengthened around the edges. Rather, we must demand that worker and climate justice in all three countries be built into the foundations of all subsequent commercial agreements.

In addition, we must call for the deeply unpopular ISDS mechanisms to be either eliminated or opened up so that community groups, individuals and governments can bring lawsuits against corporations for labour and environmental malfeasance. Consumer protection must replace corporate interests as the principal factor in the renegotiation of intellectual property laws, as well as the coming regulation of e-commerce. Investor incentives should be vanquished, and instead of simply requesting that we buy (corporate) American, we should demand that all three countries buy union, that they buy sustainably, and that they support local, social and solidarity economies when possible.

Prominent labour, fair trade and environmental groups have outlined these and other demands in great detail. Crucially, these proposals are broadly popular with the majority of people in all three countries. The upcoming NAFTA fight thus presents an opportunity to deal a blow to Trumps xenophobic rhetoric and neoliberal blueprint  and to begin the hard work of forging a new progressive consensus. 
Communal brigades, where young people were supposed to prove their enthusiasm in creation of a new equal society, was also a significant instrument to influence the youth.

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Exploring the communist history of former Czechoslovakia, you should not miss legendary Buildings of the Youth. Young people between 1947 and 1957 were involved in communal brigades, where they were supposed to prove their enthusiasm in creation of a new equal society. This was also a significant instrument to influence the youth, so important for the communist officials. What are the Buildings of the Youth and where to find them?

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The most famous project is the Railway of the Youth (Trat mladeze), 20-kilometres long railroad connecting the historical mining town Banska Stiavnica with Hron valley. Decision to replace a former narrow-gauge railway by a modern one took place in 1943, but due to the war construction stopped.

Between April 1948 and October 1949, more than 47,000 young people helped. Apart from Czechoslovaks, there were volunteers from Albania, Austria, Bulgaria, France, Norway and Poland. Volunteers lived in simple barracks for 10-15 people and were provided food, a shirt, a cap and a badge. Apart from physical work, there was enough time for discussions about the socialism. Propaganda was a big part of the project.

To fully enjoy the railway, take a train from Hronska Dubrava to Banska Stiavnica, beautiful medieval UNESCO town. Half-an-hour, 1-euro journey takes you through the tunnels and bridges to the train station that serves as a cultural centre today.

Among the agricultural fields near Kolarovo in southern Slovakia, you can visit a unique settlement called the Village of the Youth (Dedina mladeze). The youngest village in Slovakia is the first one with rectangular streets in the country. In April 1949, first 19 young people settled down, experimented with rice production and soon the largest stall for 440 cows was built.

Population grew up to 800 in 1958, the village served also as a training centre for tractor drivers. Access to the local cooperative farm is limited these days, but just to see it from outside is a special experience. Do not miss also the welcoming red star at the entrance, local pub with the best sarma meal by the road and the square with buildings of the municipal office and cultural house designed in socialist realism.

One of the largest projects is the Dam of the Youth (Priehrada mladeze), located near Povazska Bystrica on Vah River. After-war industrialisation in Slovakia meant a growing demand for electric energy. Between 1950 and 1957, 55,000 people worked on this monumental construction of a hydroelectric power plant.

Apart from young volunteers, there were also political prisoners and persecuted members of the Catholic Church after so-called Action-K. Clergymen from monasteries were sent here for rehabilitation.

Regime was tough for all, even for young volunteers: wake-up call 5.30am, breakfast 6am, singing the hymn and flagging 7am, work from 7.30am until 4pm with 30-minutes lunch break (bread with cheese or salami). After the work, programme consisted of a warm meal and some organized cultural events on amphitheatres, supporting the overall spirit of enthusiasm for brighter tomorrows.

After-WWII reconstruction of the country together with the communist ideology created conditions for the unique constructions in Slovakia that should not be forgotten. They are great places for contemplation about the concept of equal society, especially in todays individualistic reality. Happy journey!

Brano Chrenka is one of the founders of Authentic Slovakia, offering guided tours beyond the ordinary.
Fighting extremism gets to the essence of the US-Slovak relationship, says US Ambassador to Slovakia, Adam Sterling, in an interview with The Slovak Spectator about hate movements, the Paris Agreement, TTIP talks, and defence spending, among others.

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The Slovak Spectator (TSS): The US Embassy has been active in the fight against extremism in Slovakia: notably, you organised the visit of Christian Picciolini. Why is this topic of particular interest for you?

Adam Sterling (AS): We brought Mr Picciolini here three times and exposed him to about 3,500 students around the country. We are planning some more follow-up activities to his visit, to develop a school curriculum Slovak teachers could use in schools to teach about extremism, using excerpts from Picciolinis autobiography. Were also looking at the possibility of a future project with the Justice Ministry to develop a way of using the book in prisons.

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This topic really gets to the essence of the US-Slovak relationship. We are friends, partners, and allies, because we share democratic values like the rule of law, respect for human rights, freedom of expression, etc. Yet extremism, or as I prefer to call it, hate movements, runs counter to these values. Hate movements have never done good for any society, theyve only led to disaster  so we see it very much in the interest of our country and the importance of our relationship with Slovakia to do what we can to contribute to the efforts in this country to counter extremism.

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TSS: Hybrid war, fuelled by hoaxes and fake news, is one of the main security concerns for the entire western world, while voices calling for regulation of social networks, particularly Facebook, are growing stronger in Europe. How is this problem viewed in the US and do you see space for a joint approach?

AS: This is coming from Russia, which uses social media as an important part of a larger campaign using bots, trolls, fake news, to undermine democratic institutions. To counter it requires an effort across society. Its not just for the social media managers. I actually had dinner recently with a young Slovak who is working at Facebook on this very problem. The Facebooks of the world have their role, but so do conventional media, governments, civil society organisations, schools, IT companies. When it comes to social media regulation, all these actors have to get together and figure out whats the best approach to counter the misuse of social networks, especially if they are coming, in many cases, from non-people.

TSS: The US is withdrawing from the Paris Agreement. How does the US now expect the negotiations with partners to go?

AS: President Trump said that he thought the Paris Agreement as it now stands is not in the economic interests of the United States. He did emphasise, however, that the US is environmentally friendly and is interested in seeing whether the Paris Agreement can be renegotiated so the US could re-enter on terms that better balance the economic burdens with the environmental goals; or he is also open to an entirely new agreement. Secretary of State Tillerson has pointed out that the US has a very strong record already, even before the Paris Agreement, on reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Since 2005, US greenhouse gas emissions are down by about 11.5 to 12 percent. The United States will continue reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The question is how to find an agreement that better balances all the considerations. The US is open to working with European and other global partners on finding out how we can best cooperate.

TSS: Some observers are quite sceptical that renegotiating the Paris Agreement will be possible, and there are concerns that the US might be left out. How do you, as a diplomat, see the concerns that this might turn the US into an outsider?

AS: First of all, it is still early since the Presidents announcement, and the State Department is going to be doing a review of our diplomatic approach to see where this is going to lead. Its too early to say exactly what will happen. But as Secretary Tillerson said, the US is part of the efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

TSS: The US Embassy in Bratislava is at the centre of attention of the local press in the capital due to the controversy surrounding its fence in the very centre of the city. The municipal council did not prolong the rental contract for the plots under the fence, the fence is subject to evaluation by the local construction office and there is a petition calling for dismantling the fence. What is the current stance of the Embassy to this problem?

AS: We have long been negotiating in good faith with the city about the fence.

The second point is that the lease is under consideration by the City Council. The council has not refused to approve the lease. They have voted on it but just not had enough votes. Under the City Council rules, to pass anything, 60 percent of the members have to vote for something. When it has come up for a vote, there simply have not been enough members present to reach the 27 votes needed, but the votes have been overwhelmingly in favour of a lease. The city is asking the US government to pay a significant amount of money to rent the land and the Embassy has made clear that we are willing to pay the requested amount. We also feel that it is clear that an agreement exists entitling our Embassy to have a security zone.

his is consistent with international commitments for the protection of embassies. As a US embassy, thus we have particular security needs. The most important thing is that we have a good relationship with the city, were negotiating in good faith with them, and we have the support of the mayor and the city leadership. The Foreign Ministry, the Interior Ministry, and other parts of the government have expressed their understanding as well.

TSS: When and where will the embassy move?

AS: Our government has decided to build a new embassy in Bratislava, so we would be off the Hviezdoslavovo Square, which will ultimately settle the issue. After a long search the State Department has identified a few sites of interest and we are now negotiating with the owners of the top site on the list; so we hope to acquire the piece of land and then design and build an embassy.

TSS: Slovakia has recently confirmed its commitment to spend 1.6 percent of GDP on defence by 2020. President Trump has repeatedly stated that the US will insist that the allies observe their commitments. How are Slovakias efforts viewed in this perspective?

AS: Its not President Trump who is demanding that Slovakia and other allies spend more. This is a commitment that Slovakia and all other NATO allies made at the 2014 NATO summit in Wales, to spend 2 percent of their GDP on defence by 2024. Slovakia, moreover, made an interim commitment to spend 1.6 percent by 2020. So President Trump is not the first US president to say that we would like our allies to live up to the commitments theyve made. In Slovakia, its not just a question of meeting their commitment to the alliance. Its also in Slovakias interest to spend more on its own defence. Defence spending is still below 1.2 percent of GDP. I have been heartened as the US Ambassador by the recent expressions of political will by parliament and by the government to make sure that Slovakia meets the commitment of 1.6 percent by 2020. This is very encouraging. But it must be said that its going to be a tough task, because its still under 1.2 percent. The Slovak economy is growing very fast, which means it will take even more to reach that target. The Defence Ministry in particular has a big task ahead of it to spend the money in a sensible way to reach the 2020 target and then ultimately the 2024 target.

TSS: Slovakia has already purchased Black Hawks helicopters from the US. Recently, another modernisation project has been approved by the cabinet, while the Defence Ministry also plans to modernise the supersonic aircraft fleet. Do you see any space for cooperation between the US and Slovakia in this regard?

AS: Absolutely, there are a lot of ways that we can and will continue to work together. For some of these modernisation projects Slovakia is considering purchasing US equipment and of course we would be very happy if that happened. Its important that Slovakia is only looking at planes that are interoperable with NATO rather than the Russian-made planes that Slovakia now flies. We will certainly be looking to train together and at other means of support.

TSS: Expectations were high concerning the TTIP deal. What is the current outlook for the TTIP talks?

AS: Theres still interest in the US in a potential trade agreement with Europe. Trade and investment between Europe and the US are extraordinarily important. Roughly half of global economic production is based on the investment between the US and Europe, and one third of global trade is between the US and Europe. The exact status of TTIP right now is essentially under review. President Trump ordered an analysis from the US Department of Commerce and US Trade Representative about the reasons for US trade deficits. And once the results of that study are in, they will be used to re-evaluate what approach our government wants to take to the negotiations.

TSS: Amazon is building what will be the companys most modern returns centre in Sered. What does the selection of Slovakia for such a state-of-the-art centre indicate?

AS: It means a lot for Slovakia. Its a real sign of confidence that one of Americas premiere companies, and an innovative company that has basically transformed the entire retail sector has the confidence in Slovakia to make this kind of investment. I think it will be good for Slovakia not only because of the jobs it creates but also because Amazon, as an innovative company, will contribute to the innovation eco-system here in Slovakia and help the country to develop its own innovative industries.

TSS: What is attractive about Slovakia for American investors?

AS: There are a lot of opportunities in different sectors. We have about 150 US companies already operating here, theyre attracted by the quality of the labour force in Slovakia, while the geographical location at the centre of Europe and Slovakias eurozone membership are also big advantages for companies. Slovakia is certainly unique among the V4 countries as a member of the eurozone. At the same time, I hear concerns from US companies about the business environment, concerns about regulatory barriers, about the labour force in certain sectors, certainly about corruption and the perceived inefficiency of the judicial system.

TSS: The US Embassy has supported several projects focused on education, most recently Generation 3.0 of the Pontis Foundation. Why is it important to support such projects?

AS: In democratic societies you need a good education system to have well-informed citizens that make democracy succeed. During the nine months that Ive been here, when I meet with both American and Slovak companies, I do frequently hear concerns about the ability to find qualified university graduates in the sorts of knowledge-based sectors that really are the future of the Slovak economy. This is due both to the quality of technical education that many students are getting in universities, as well as their ability to be problem-solvers. We also see an issue when a significant percentage of the Slovak population is effectively limited in its educational opportunities, particularly the Roma. Additionally, we believe that education is a factor in the rise of extremism. Are young Slovaks able to react and understand what they read on the internet when they see disinformation? Can they evaluate it critically? The Pontis Generation 3.0 project is one project that we saw as promising in generating ideas for different kinds of educational reform. We were happy to be able to support it by funding the involvement of a couple of US experts in educational impact assessment. Their skill is in measuring what effect pilot projects are having.

TSS: How do you feel in Slovakia? Did you know much about the country before you came here?

AS: I knew it intellectually but I had never been here before. I worked on Slovakia 10 years ago when I was the Director for Central and Eastern Europe at the White House. It was one of the 17 countries I covered, but I never got to visit. So these nine months have been my first time here. My family has really come to love Slovakia for many reasons. Were hikers, we love to travel. This country is stunningly beautiful. We love living in Bratislava, we go to a lot of concerts and opera. But also, as somebody who has sort of followed Slovakia over the years, Im really impressed with how far this country has come in only 23 years. What I find particularly moving about a country that has made so much progress is that the Slovaks I meet are so modest and down-to-earth about it. Slovakia has done remarkably well and I find it so pleasant and easy to deal with the people across the country.


The Vienna International Arbitral Centre rejected the claim of Slovenske Elektrarne.

PM Robert Fico and Economy Minister Peter Ziga while announcing the result of the arbitration at premises of the Gabcikovo power plant. (Source: TASR)

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The agreement for operating the hydroelectric power plant at Gabcikovo has been judged to be invalid since the very beginning and so the Slovenske Elektrarne (SE) energy utility company cannot lay claim to any financial compensation, said Prime Minister Robert Fico at the premises of the power station in Gabcikovo (Trnava Region) on July 6. Fico spoke in reaction to the results of arbitration proceedings at the Vienna International Arbitral Centre, concluded on June 30 between SE on one side and the Economy Ministry along with HM Manazment - a successor organisation to the National Property Fund - on the other.

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The arbitration court in Vienna ruled that it falls within its purview to make a decision on this dispute, said Fico as cited by the TASR newswire. Thus, we are not talking about a ruling based on some procedural reasons; we are talking about a decision based on factual reasons. And just as the court declared that it is within its power to make a decision on the matter, it also definitively turned down the whole proposal by Enel [the Italian owner of SE].

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SE demanded compensation of 588.2 million for the premature annulment of the agreement for operation of the hydroelectric power plant. The energy producer arrived at the sum after taking into account the value of technology and Gabcikovo assets handed over to the state-owned company Vodohospodarska Vystavba as well as revenues, expenditures-excluded, for operating the power plant for over 22 years.

SE confirmed that the centre turned down their charge. Now they are studying the verdict and assessing their options.

There are several other lawsuits between the state and Slovenske Elektrarne going on. For example, the state Vodohospodarska Vystavba is requesting compensation of 480 million from the Italian investor for nine years of illegal operation of the Gabcikovo power plant.
The prime minister rejects the speculations that the government is in crisis due to the SNS chairs refusal to come to national celebrations at Devin Castle.

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Both the cabinet session, which was to be the last before the summer break, and the meeting of the coalition council scheduled for July 6 were postponed.

Initial reports indicated that the chair of the coalition Slovak National Party (SNS) Andrej Danko was angry with Fico and told his ministers not to attend the session, the Dennik N daily reported.

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Prime Minister Robert Fico, meanwhile, met with Danko and claimed that they had cleared up the misunderstanding.

Problems because of the celebration?

The ministers received the announcement that the session was cancelled on the morning of July 6 without any explanation. The message did not even contain an alternative date. The same announcement was also sent to the media.

The cabinet was expected, among other things, to decide on the appointment of the former economy and agriculture minister Lubomir Jahnatek as the new head of the Regulatory Office for Network Industries (URSO).

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It seems that the reason that Danko was offended was to do with the preparations for the event held to celebrate the national holiday of Saints Cyril and Methodius at Devin Castle on July 5. Danko wished to give a speech but, allegedly, Fico did not want him there, Dennik N wrote.

I received a response from the protocol department of the Governments Office that my speech was not desirable at the celebrations, so I did not attend the event, Danko wrote on his Facebook page.

Fico meanwhile criticised President Andrej Kiska for not attending the event.

Most-Hid, another coalition party, declined to comment on the situation.

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PM offers other explanation

Fico however dismissed rumours that the cancellations had anything to do with Danko. He told the press that the session was cancelled because the materials dealing with the proposal to hike teachers salaries were not ready. As a result, the session was postponed to July 24, the Sme daily reported.

I was waiting because I hoped that the problem with teachers salaries would be solved by today, Fico said, as quoted by Sme.

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The Education Ministry responsible for the matter is led by Peter Plavcan, nominee of SNS. Fico met with Danko to explain these matters and the potential misunderstandings, the prime minister added.
The main task of the US-British unit that was deployed in Slovakia in 1944 was to evacuate downed US and British pilots back to their airbase in Bari, Italy.

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A plaque will now stand to honour the American and British members of special forces who were killed during the Slovak National Uprising (SNP) in the latter stages of World War II.

It was unveiled in the village of Polomka (Banska Bystrica Region) on June 1 at the ceremony organised by the US and British embassies along with the Slovak Defence Ministry and the representatives of the village, the TASR newswire reported.

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The main task of the US-British unit that was deployed in Slovakia in 1944 was to evacuate downed US and British pilots back to their airbase in Bari, Italy. The almost 40-strong unit also gathered intelligence for headquarters in London and worked with the SNP resistance movement and Russian senior military officials.

After a Nazi counter-offensive crushed the SNP, the special forces members retreated to the mountains above Polomka, but they were later tracked down and captured by the Nazis. Seventeen of them died in concentration camps, TASR reported.

Their mission is one of many stories of bravery during WWII, a story that shows the importance of uniting against those who want to take your freedom away, concurred US Ambassador to Slovakia Adam Sterling and British Ambassador to Slovakia Andrew Garth.

They also recognised the help that the US-British unit received from local people.

It was in December 1944, said Polomka Mayor Jan Lihan, as quoted by TASR. It was freezing, and the snow was plentiful. They battled not only the fierce winter, but especially a lack of food. The locals brought them food hidden under manure from stables.

While a memorial was actually built in the village some time ago, it was decided recently that it should also include the names of the US-British unit members, Lihan added.
Innovative technologies developed by Slovak experts and used in the satellite have already raised interest from commercial companies and other potential partners.

People watch as Indian Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle with 30 co-passenger satellites, including the Slovak skCUBE, blasts off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh, India, on June 23. (Source: AP/TASR)

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After five years of development and almost two years of waiting for its launch, the first Slovak satellite, skCUBE, is finally fulfilling its cosmic mission. It was successfully launched by an Indian rocket along with other about 30 satellites on June 23. One week later the Slovak Organisation for Space Activities (SOSA) and other participating universities and organisations announced that the satellite is orbiting Earth and working properly.

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The main goal of this project is to demonstrate that Slovakia is capable of doing highly sophisticated space research.

Since June 23 we have been successfully receiving data from the satellite, said Jakub Kapus, the head of the team behind the satellite and the vice-chair of the Slovak Organisation for Space Activities (SOSA), on June 30. It is working very well. Already this is a huge success because out of satellites developed by universities, as much as 70 percent do not even peep from the cosmos.

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Approximately 20 minutes after the launch, skCUBE was separated from its launch vehicle and began its mission in space. Another 30 minutes later, it engaged its communications antennae and began sending the first signals from orbit.

As early as during its first orbit around the Earth its signals were first picked up by amateur radio enthusiast Dmitriy Paskov in Moscow, who sent us an email, said Kapus, adding that they received the first data packets within two hours.

Slovakia has become the 78th country in the world to launch its own satellite.

I am extremely proud that Slovakia belongs among countries which not only have their own spaceman but also their own satellite, said Deputy Prime Minister for Investments and Informatisation Peter Pellegrini.

Pellegrini sees aerospace engineering to be another sector, along with automotive and IT, in which Slovakia can offer a lot of interesting solutions.

The launch of this satellite is only the beginning, said Pellegrini, believing that other projects will follow the experience of development, launch and operation of the nanosatellite skCUBE.

CubeSat skCUBE

The satellite skCUBE is a CubeSat, i.e. a miniaturized satellite for space research. It was developed by SOSA while experts from universities and several organisations participated as well. It is packed with new technologies and components developed exclusively by the Slovak team.

Jakub Kapus with the skCUBE satellite. (Source: TASR)

The 10 cm cube weighs about one kilo and is orbiting the Earth from a height of between approximately 505-520 kilometres above the Earth and at the first cosmic velocity, i.e. 7.9 kilometres per second. One flypast lasts approximately 90 minutes. The space centre. i.e. small Huston located at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology of the Slovak Technical University in Bratislava, receives data packets from the satellite six times per day. These contain data about the operation of the satellite and its systems. The data is open, meaning that radio amateurs, based on instructions available at www.skcube.sk, can receive the data and analyse it.

The satellite is actually fulfilling two missions. The first one focuses on functioning of the satellite itself and the technologies used, while the second one focuses on space research.

The skCUBE satellite (Source: TASR)

Firstly the team behind skCUBE will check, based on sent data packages, whether the satellite is working properly and only afterwards it will begin other experiments.

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The satellite is for us primarily a technological experiment, said Kapus, adding that data they receive from all the sensors are engineering data enabling them to continue in the development of such nanosatellites.

Slovak engineers have developed for skCUBE an onboard computer, attitude determination and control system, sun sensors, communication module and others, which have to be able to cope with the harsh environment of the cosmos. This means that it must be able to work in a vacuum, under strong radiation and changing temperatures.

They even wrote the operating system.

Other teams usually buy a commercial operating system designed for such critical applications, said Kapus.

The main on-board experiment will be a very-low-frequency receiver consisting of an antenna commonly known as the magnetic loop. It will allow them to observe radio signals in space at frequencies from 3 to 30 kHz blocked on Earth by the ionosphere.

On the board there is also a camera which will be put into operation only after the team is completely sure that the satellite is working without any flaws.

One wrong order sent from Earth to the satellite may destroy the whole project, said Kapus, adding that the camera may be switched on within one or two weeks.

They estimate that the satellite may be working and sending data for about two years.

Volunteers in aerospace research and developers

Another unique feature of the project of skCUBE is that even though it received some financial support from the government and private companies, the experts involved in it work exclusively as volunteers and are not paid for what they do.

The budget of this cosmic mission is about 370,000, which is, by the way, one third or one-quarter of budgets of similar projects abroad, said Kapus. But when speaking about the value of the whole project, we cannot omit the work of all those participating on this project as volunteers. This voluntary work has been worth more than 0.5 million.

What next

As the skCUBE is working properly, its team has been looking into the future with some ambitious plans.

Our goal was not to launch a satellite that would only pipe up for one time after a successful launch and do nothing more, said Kapus. Our ambition is that this satellite should serve as a background on which we want to build up in the future.

This is why data about the operation of the satellite and its systems are so important for the team behind skCUBE.

Already they are planning to create, with partners from Israel, Hungary and others, an international consortium and launch a fleet of six to ten such CubeSats into space.

These would serve for testing new technologies but especially for astrophysical purposes, said Kapus, adding that these may explore gamma ray bursts, i.e. extremely energetic explosions that have been observed in distant galaxies.

The team of skCUBE has also piqued interest from commercial companies and institutions from abroad that are active in aerospace engineering and research. They are interested in some technologies the skCUBE team has developed for the satellite, for example the attitude determination and control system, and miniaturised sun sensors.

By developing these technologies, the Slovak team has joined the beginning of a new trend of nanosatellites and nanosatellite technologies.

Such small satellites will be a huge driving force of the space research in the future, said Kapus, adding that a big advantage of his team is that they designed the technologies and components on their own. Without the expertise and experience we gained while working on this satellite, we could not think about designing satellites in the future. We would be dependent on the purchase of such technologies and components and we would only be assembling the satellites.
LONDON, July 7 (Reuters) - Britain and Norway plan to lift a ban on offshore flights using two types of Super Puma helicopters, 17 months after a fatal crash in Norway.

Britain's Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said on Friday both countries intended to lift national restrictions that remained in place after European authorities declared the helicopters safe to fly last October.

Europe grounded the H225LP and AS332L2 helicopters, built by Airbus Helicopters, after 13 passengers and crew were killed when the rotors flew off their aircraft in April last year.

The decision to extend the safety clearance to Britain and Norway follows "extensive investigation, testing and changes to the helicopter and its maintenance," the CAA said in a statement.

Flights will not resume immediately, however.

"A plan of checks, modifications and inspections needs to be undertaken before any flights take place," the CAA said.

"It will also be for operators and their customers to decide whether they wish to re-introduce the helicopters to service"

Norwegian oil company Statoil (LSE: 0M2Z.L - news) said in December it would stop using H225 Super Puma helicopters for good. (Reporting by Tim Hepher; Editing by Mark Potter)
GUATEMALA CITY (Reuters) - Guatemala's Supreme Court on Thursday ratified the extradition of Javier Duarte, a former state governor from Mexico's ruling party wanted on charges of embezzlement and organised crime, and he could soon be turned over to Mexican authorities, a top official said. Carlos Morales, Guatemala's foreign minister, told reporters that the Mexican embassy in the Central American nation had been notified that the court's ruling allowed for Duarte to be taken to Mexico as soon as Mexican authorities can put him on a plane. "As of this afternoon, we are able to hand over Duarte in an hour, in two hours, if Mexico wants it that way," he said. An official at Mexico's attorney general's office said they did not expect to bring Duarte back to Mexico in the coming hours. Duarte, who governed Veracruz for President Enrique Pena Nieto's Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) until last year, denies any wrongdoing. He was arrested in Guatemala in April after more than five months on the run. He disappeared last October after he stepped down from office and authorities issued an arrest warrant. He is now facing state-level and federal charges relating to accusations he used state institutions to funnel public funds into private companies. Duarte has been held in a military prison in the Guatemalan capital since his arrest. Under Duarte's rule, the oil-rich state of Veracruz saw a spike in gang violence and kidnappings. Accusations of widespread corruption in his administration had become an embarrassment for Pena Nieto. (Reporting by Sofia Menchu; Editing by Shri Navaratnam)
Yahoo UK News Video

The royal family has provided enough scandal to keep fans of Netflixs The Crown entertained for four seasons. And while Season Five of the hit show is no different, not all of the dramas that beset the royals in the tumultuous early 1990s have made the final cut  Netflix only had 10 hours after all. From how unbelievably close Diana came to getting caught collaborating with royal biographer Andrew Morton on his 1992 bestseller, Diana: Her True story, to how desperate Diana was to be believed that she even slipped Morton private correspondence between Charles and Camilla to prove her husbands infidelity once and for all, what got left out is just as gripping. While many of the scandals did end up being depicted on screen by Elizabeth Debicki and Dominic West as the warring Waleses, Scobie explores why some of these astonishing real-life moments of controversy were left out.
Lucy Hulmes / CEH , Author provided

The humble honeybee and other pollinating bees and butterflies are all vital parts of the global food chain. Without them honey, strawberries, apples, pears or even a cold pint of cider just would not exist.

But the burning question that I and other ecologists are asking is whether these insects  the majority of which are not pests  can coexist with our pesticides. In particular, scientists are worried about a class of pesticides known as neonicotinoids, which are more targeted in their application by being coated to the seed rather than being sprayed directly onto the crop. The farmers who use these chemicals arent beekeepers, after all, and their main concern is to ensure fruitful crops of oilseed rape and the like.

The jury is still out on whether the current EU ban on the use of neonicotinoids should be lifted, with a verdict due in the autumn. Clearly, legislators need to assess all the evidence first, yet previous research has been inconclusive. Some studies have shown clear evidence of harm to bees, while others raise more questions than answers.

Colleagues and I at the UKs Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, along with international collaborators, have added to the evidence base with the first pan-European experiment to assess neonicotinoid impacts on honeybees and wild bees in a field-realistic way. Our work shows that under certain conditions and in certain countries neonicotinoids do harm bees.

In our experiment, undertaken at sites in the UK, Germany and Hungary, we exposed honeybees to oilseed rape treated with one of two neonicotinoids (clothanidin, from Bayer CropScience, or thiamethoxam, manufactured by Syngenta) or nothing at all. We repeated the experiment for two other species of wild bee, the buff-tailed bumblebee (Bombus terrestris) and the red mason bee (Osmia bicornis).

Our findings, published in Science, showed that exposure to treated crops reduced survival rates in honeybee colonies over the winter  a key measure of year-to-year viability  in two of the three countries. In Hungary, colony numbers fell by 24% in the following spring. In the UK, honeybee colony survival was generally very low, but lowest where bees fed on clothianidin-treated oilseed rape in the previous year. Perhaps surprisingly, no harmful effects on overwintering honeybees were found in Germany.

Story continues

Neonicotinoids were linked to lower reproductive success in both bumblebees and red mason bees, across all three countries.

We believe the between country differences in the response of honeybees may be explained by factors including the availability of alternative flowers for bees to feed on, as well as general colony health. While the Hungarian and UK honeybees we looked at tended to be more diseased, the hives in Germany happened to be larger, showed little evidence of disease and had access to a wider range of wild flowers to feed on. Differences in the honeybee colonies between countries were not part of the experimental design, but were rather a product of where we locally sourced them. Ultimately the study was designed just to test for between-country differences in how bees respond to neonicotinoid treated oilseed rape.

The effect of neonicotinoids is subtle and simply being exposed to treated crops does not mean a colony will die. But our research suggests that bees are most vulnerable to these pesticides when they are stressed and already not doing so well.

Dont give up on neonicotinoids

Neonicotinoids do have a vital role to play in food production. As they can target particular insects they can be used in low dosages, reducing the need for broad spectrum insecticide sprays. They are also useful in controlling pests which have already developed some resistance to other pesticides.

The question then is could we learn to live with neonicotinoids? How can they on the one hand benefit the farmer  whose primary crops are not necessarily bee-dependent  while on the other hand not adversely affect pollinators?

There may be ways to mitigate the negative impacts of neonicotinoids on bees through improved honeybee husbandry or making more flowering plants available for bees to feed on across non-cropped areas. But this needs further research.

Although poor health is likely to make honeybees more susceptible to neonicotinoids, its unlikely to be as simple as asking people to ensure their hives are healthy. No bee keeper deliberately has unhealthy hives, although there is arguably always scope for new approaches.

It may be easier to achieve the creation of new habitats rich in flowering plants, in agricultural landscapes often stripped of these key resources. Certainly, UK agri-environment schemes can and do provide a mechanisms to achieve this. For wild bees, nesting habitats are also often absent, and creating such areas in agricultural land may also help. Healthy populations of honeybees and wild bees are far more likely to be able to cope with exposure to neonicotinoids, as well as other pesticides that they may be exposed to in these systems.

The challenge for the EU, farmers, conservationists and consumers  and perhaps significantly the UK post-Brexit  is how to navigate the evidence and agree on solutions. Its a challenge that will reap benefits not only in farmers fields but also on dinner menus  and perhaps most crucially on the very existence of global biodiversity.

This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.

The Conversation

Dr Ben Woodcock has received funding for CASE PhD studentships with Syngenta Ltd and has worked on projects also funded by Syngenta investigating impacts of agriculture on wild bees and honeybees. The funding for the research on which this article is based was provide by Syngenta and Bayer Cropscience.
By Benjamin Jumbe

Ugandas population is projected to hit 40 Million next year from 34.6 M from the last population Census.

This has been revealed by the state minister for finance David Bahati while addressing journalists ahead of the World Population Day slated for Tuesday next week.

Minister Bahati says government is putting in place a number of interventions to ensure it gets demographic dividends from this huge population especially the youth through skilling.

He however says there remain a number of challenges like teenage pregnancies, subsistence farming and poor hygiene that must be urgently addressed.

The national population day celebrations are to be held in Busia district under the theme Strengthen Youths competitiveness for sustainable development
France 24 Videos

In 2014, Nadia Murad was captured, alongside many other Yazidi women, by the so-called Islamic State (IS) group in the Iraqi town of Sinjar. She was held hostage, enslaved, tortured and raped, before escaping to Mosul and making her way to Germany. After sharing the 2018 Nobel Peace Prize with Congolese gynaecologist Denis Mukwege, she is now a leading global advocate for survivors of genocide and sexual violence. Nadia Murad spoke to FRANCE 24 from the Paris Peace Forum. Murad said that more needs to be done to prevent sexual violence in conflict."Progress has been made on recognising survivors' right to reparations (...) but I think it's time to put political weight and resources behind the words," Murad told FRANCE 24's Catherine Norris Trent."Not much has been done to prevent what happened to the Yazidi women and girls," Murad said. More than eight years later, "we still have 2,800 women and children who are missing in ISIS [another name for the IS group] captivity in Syria, Turkey and some parts of Iraq. No effort has been made by the international community or our own government or any international organisations to look for the missing Yazidi women and children and bring them back"."Sexual violence does not go away when war is over (...) Ukraine is sadly another example of a failure to follow through on commitments to preventing sexual violence in war," Murad continued."Women's rights were never a priority for the international community to prevent the use of sexual violence," Murad said.Read more on FRANCE 24 EnglishRead also:Amnesty International demands urgent help for survivors of sexual violence in TigrayAllegations of mass rape by Russian troops in UkraineIraqs Yazidi community: Nadia Murads ongoing fight for justice
Taos Pueblo has a lot to be proud of after 32 years of hosting one of the largest powwows in New Mexico.

Were one of the longest-running pow wows in the state of New Mexico, run by Native people, said Debbie Lujan, co-coordinator of the Taos Pueblo Pow Wow. Its run entirely by volunteers, and were very proud of that fact.  But that says something when youve been in existence for that long. Thats a long time.

The event scenery is like no other, according to Lujan.

I think its very surprising to see the scenery and everything that comes together, Lujan said. The arbor that we have is made up of wood, and we grow brush up on top, so theres no metal involved. So its very old-fashioned. We have our arena within that.  The backdrop of that is the pastureland that is situated along pueblo tribal land and then the mountain in the background, so its pretty awe-inspiring.

Lujan said although the powwow is large, its still an intimate and family-friendly celebration.

The event features a variety of dance competitions with cash prices totaling more than $40,000.

They are separated by genders, so theres mens and womens categories, so within those categories theres specified dances, Lujan said. And so we have the womens. We have jingle dress, fancy shawl, the buckskin like a northern style and then in the mens is the fancy dance, theres a chicken dance, theres a grass dance, so theyre very unique in themselves.

The thing that draws that all together are the four grand entries, according to Lujan. There are four grand entries at 7 p.m. today, 1 and 7 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday.

The drum competition also is a popular event.

We have about 15-20 drum groups, and that is also a competition in and of itself, Lujan said. Its a drum competition with northern-style singing, southern-style singing, so theres money allotted for that, too.
The heart of Native dance is the drum, which guests can experience on weekends at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center.

Whats unique about our dances, its the drum and the power and the sound of the drum, said Monique Fragua, IPCC museum director. It is just so captivating. One of the things we share in our museum, we as a pueblo people believe the drum is the heartbeat, and its the heartbeat of our community, and it brings people together, and were hoping our guests experience is that of the community and to be in the moment.

The IPCC hosts traditional Native American dance groups every weekend throughout each year. July dance groups are Kallestewa of Zuni Pueblo today through Sunday, July 9, Red Turtle Dance Group of Pojoaque Pueblo on July 14-16, Zuni Olla Maidens of Zuni Pueblo on July 21-23 and Big Thunder Dance Group (Hopi, Cochiti Pueblo) on July 28-30.

Were proud to host dance groups every weekend throughout the whole year, said Fragua, who is from Jemez Pueblo. Its a unique opportunity for people to come in and experience pueblo culture. A lot of the dance groups welcome guests to participate. You can see audience members, and they will be tapping their foot and the little kids getting up and not sitting still.

The IPCC works with dance groups from 11 of 19 pueblos in New Mexico. It also brings in Apache, Navajo and Plains-style dancers.

One of the groups added last year was the youth hoop dancers from the Pueblo of Pojoaque.

The dances are held outdoors but are taken inside during inclement weather for guests comfort. Each group gives insight on the dances and music, such as why they continue the tradition.

Traditional Native American Dances

WHEN: 2 p.m. Fridays, 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays through August; 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays September through October; noon on Saturdays and Sundays November through March

WHERE: Indian Pueblo Cultural Center, 2401 12th NW

HOW MUCH: Included with museum admission, $8.40 adults, $6.40 seniors, military and New Mexico residents, $5.40 ages 5-17, free for children ages 4 and younger, $5.40 groups of 15 or more. For dance schedules, visit indianpueblo.org
Two 19-year-olds were identified Thursday as the people shot and killed in a Southwest Albuquerque neighborhood Wednesday, according to Albuquerque police.

Officer Simon Drobik said Daniel Miramontes and Consuela Rios were both killed in the gunfire near Bridge and Coors SW on Wednesday afternoon.

But it remains unclear why the teens were killed and who killed them. Someone was taken into custody for questioning after the shooting, but authorities havent said if that person was released or will face charges.

Officers were called to the shooting in the 300 block of Lindsay SW around 3:15 p.m. Wednesday and found Miramontes seriously wounded. He was taken to the University of New Mexico Hospital, where he died.

Officers then found Rios dead in the home where the shooting happened.
For quite some time, theres been a debate on how to make colleges and universities more responsive and relevant to todays world. Like my colleagues here at New Mexico Highlands and other institutions around the state, I am committed to improving higher education for our students, their families and our communities.

Three ideas to improve higher education have been floated here in New Mexico and around the country: eliminate tenure, put everything online, and focus on programs leading directly to jobs.

 Doing away with tenure is not a new suggestion; Ive heard it for decades. To someone not working in higher education, the notion of a lifetime job seems pretty farfetched. Who has that kind of job protection these days?

Tenure is incredibly important. It rests on an important tradition in higher education: academic freedom. To me, it is not about job protection; tenured faculty can be dismissed for any number of reasons including dwindling enrollment, program closure and poor performance. The reality is that tenure-track or tenured faculty are in the minority in American colleges and universities.

For truth to spread freely and for new knowledge to be discovered, there simply must be some protection from powerful interests who might be inclined to shape truth to meet their needs and influence scholarly work. Tenured faculty members teach truth unfettered from shifting political winds. The day we allow political or economic influences to shape truth will be a sad and even dangerous one for us all.

 Online education has drastically shaped the landscape of higher education, and online programs are great for some students. Give me a motivated, largely self-directed, probably adult student who knows what she or he wants from a class: An online approach is probably a good way to go. Online programs are also great for place-bound students. But, give me a student who is not convinced he/she can make it in college or a student who perhaps attended a weak high school and was not exposed to any upper-level classes. A student who needs support right from the very beginning of his/her college days. A student who could be easily discouraged and just give up. That student is probably not a good candidate for online education.

Additionally, communities in our state would be hurt economically without the brick-and-mortar university. Each year, universities like Highlands generate a substantial local economic impact in our communities.

 Lastly, there are those who believe universities would be a lot better off if we focused exclusively on classes that lead directly to jobs.

The pace of change in the world of work, particularly the use of robots and other technology, is so rapid that some students working hard and investing time and money to prepare themselves for a specific job will find that those jobs simply no longer exist.

The days of go to college, major in X, get a job in X, and retire 30 years later in that job are fading fast.

I dont think there is anything wrong with gaining knowledge and skills that are required in a specific job today, but the traditional outcomes of a solid liberal education  refined communication skills, learning to work in group settings and also gaining confidence to figure out things yourself, i.e. critical thinking  will sustain someone over a lifetime of work and are valuable skills many employers seek.

A strong university education does much more than simply prepare someone for work.

A strong university education inspires people to understand the history of the world complete with the many great achievements of humankind as well our many foibles and mistakes.

It moves people to lead ethical lives. It promotes civic engagement.

As a state, failing to provide solutions to strengthen our higher education system fails not only our students, but our citizens and our communities.

We have a choice to be strong together. Why dont we make it?
CHICAGO  Following a tweet last week by President Trump about the epidemic of crime and killing in Chicago, White House deputy press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said, I think that the problem there is that its a crime problem. I think crime is probably driven by morality more than anything else.

Shes right, in a way.

It is, in fact, the lack of principles about right and wrong that has led to the grim state of the South Side of Chicago.

For instance, what is moral about a police department that has disproportionately targeted people of color for stops and mistreated them with impunity? It was, frankly, surprising when three longtime Chicago officers were actually charged with state felony counts of conspiracy, official misconduct and obstruction of justice in connection with the death of Laquan McDonald, a black teenager who was shot to death in 2014.

And in a part of town where good jobs are scarce, what was moral about Mondelez International, the makers of Nabisco products, moving a portion of its Oreo cookie-making operations from the South Side of Chicago to Salinas, Mexico, dismissing about 300 or so workers after they refused to take a 60 percent reduction in wages and benefits?

For that matter, what is moral about the state of Illinois beginning its third consecutive fiscal year without a budget? The impasse has resulted in cuts to education programs, social safety-net services for the sick and elderly, and programs designed to curb violence.

As the trade publication Nonprofit Quarterly put it, Theres some irony in the notion that while President Trump rails against the purported carnage in Chicagos streets, the state has not been able to fund several successful anti-violence programs, including Operation Cease Fire and Redeploy Illinois. Of Operation Cease Fire, which was featured in a documentary that brought national attention to Chicagos violence, NBC Chicago recently noted that it deployed former gang members and felons to intervene in feuds in hopes of preventing shootings and murders. Supporters of the program say cutting it contributed to an increase in violence in Chicago, which saw more than 700 murders last year. For lack of a budget, the killings continue to grow.

To those who live at a distant remove from communities that are ravaged by violence, its easy to look at crime statistics and come to the conclusion that if the people there had a decent moral compass, they would respect each other, thereby ending the bloodshed.

They cant begin to imagine not being able to find a job  or living in a place without reliable public transportation to get to a job  or affordable child care. People whose basic living needs are met because they actually have a safe place to sleep and a nearby grocery store that stocks fresh fruit, vegetables and meat cannot understand that there are others living in blighted neighborhoods where black dust regularly blows in through the windows from large piles of petroleum coke sitting at nearby storage facilities.

When youre asking if our young black boys who shoot each other down in the streets are moral, well, no, said Phillip Jackson, the founder and executive director of The Black Star Project, a Chicago-based nonprofit organization that strives to improve the quality of life by closing racial academic achievement gaps. Theyre not moral. But what about a country that creates the conditions that allow these black boys to shoot themselves in the streets? Thats even more immoral.

Jackson told me that it is not only unfair but morally wrong that whole tracts of Chicago have been left for dead and yet some still blame the victims of years of poor urban planning and economic disinvestment for their living conditions.

Just look at how our largest provider of mental health services is Cook County jail, Jackson said, referring to the facility that has been described as Americas largest mental hospital. How is it moral that the way you get the best mental health services in Cook County is by going to jail? What kind of country are we when we send sick people to jail?

Id say, the kind of country in which its easier for leaders to denounce a communitys virtue than to take the time to understand how it got so broken.

E-mail: estherjcepeda@washpost.com. Copyright, Washington Post Writers Group.
Copyright  2017 Albuquerque Journal

New Mexico rated more than twice as many teachers below effective than any other state in a 24-state study conducted by a Brown University economist who studies teacher evaluation systems across the country.

New Mexico placed 28.7 percent of its teachers in that category in 2015-2016, while the majority of states rated fewer than 4 percent of teachers below effective, according to Matthew Kraft, Brown University assistant professor of education and economics.

The New Mexico system is very different than others, Kraft said.  Tough would be one way to describe it.

Although Kraft questioned whether New Mexicos system is alienating too many teachers, the bulk of his paper criticized those states with the highest teacher proficiency rates  often nearing 100 percent.

Kraft attributed New Mexicos dramatic results to its evaluation system, particularly its heavy weight on student test scores.

Christopher Ruszkowski, New Mexicos acting secretary of education, said New Mexicos system reflects a commitment to putting students first.

In the New Mexico context, we have put student learning at the forefront, the centerpiece of everything that we do, Ruszkowski told the Journal. The fact that other states have not always done that, to me, is more of a testament to the work that New Mexico has done and more of a black mark on those other states.

Education Week, a respected national publication, also called New Mexicos teacher evaluations the toughest in the nation this spring.

The purpose of Krafts study was to look at the new evaluation systems many states implemented in recent years and whether they were doing a better job of differentiating teachers skill levels. He found the answer was often no  that although states had made changes, too many still had nearly 100 percent of their teachers rated as effective or above.

Ruszkowski, who called Kraft a fine scholar, agreed with that view. He said the most important story in the research was the high number of states painting a picture that we know is not accurate by rating nearly all teachers effective or better.

That is not true of any profession, Ruszkowski said. Every state leader, commissioner, governor and Legislature has had to look at themselves in the mirror and say, Are we putting students first in our teacher evaluation system?  I think a lot of the other states have turned their back on their commitment to kids in that regard.

New evaluation systems

Krafts results are included in a recent paper, Revisiting the Widget Effect: Teacher Evaluation Reforms and the Distribution of Teacher Effectiveness, co-written with Allison Gilmour, a Vanderbilt University special education expert.

The study includes data from 24 of the 38 states that instituted new teacher evaluation systems by the 2014-2015 school year.

New Mexicos evaluation system uses five tiers: exemplary, highly effective, effective, minimally effective and ineffective.

Other states use different descriptions, such as proficient, developing and unsatisfactory.

Kraft told the Journal that even though the study does not examine every state, he is confident that New Mexico has by far the most teachers rated ineffective and minimally effective  5.4 percent and 23.3 percent, respectively.

After New Mexico, Oregon had the second-highest rate of teachers needing improvement  11.7 percent. Arizona placed 7 percent of teachers in that category, and Colorado was at 4.2 percent.

In New Mexico, minimally effective and ineffective teachers are supposed to be placed on performance improvement plans, but the American Federation of Teachers New Mexico won an injunction in 2015 that blocked any consequential actions based on the evaluations.

Ruszkowski said New Mexico should be proud of its system, which replaced an approach that rated 99 percent of teachers effective.

Let us not forget that just five years ago there was no meaningful teacher evaluation system in New Mexico, Ruszkowski said. Teachers were treated differently than other professionals  with limited accountability for their performance  and our students were at the mercy of arcane practices that left our students and profession trapped in the 20th century.

Charles Goodmacher, government and media relations director for National Education Association of New Mexico, said many teachers feel devalued by the states evaluation system.

This report shows the PED system delivers results that are extreme and out-of-touch with what all other states find about teacher proficiency, he said in an emailed statement.

Goodmacher claimed that PED intentionally designed a tough evaluation system to place blame on teachers for the states poor education outcomes.

But Ruszkowski said the New Mexico Public Education Department did not set out to place any specific number or percentage of teachers into a given category.

Our system was designed to have multiple measures, he said. It is not designed with quote unquote end results in mind.

NEA and AFT have sued to stop the evaluation system, arguing that it is unfair and misclassifies a significant number of teachers. They are particularly concerned about the heavy weight of student test scores.

In 2015-2016, students improvement on assessments like PARCC made up half of the total of many teachers evaluations, putting New Mexico among the states with the strongest use of test results to judge teachers.

This spring, PED announced it would drop the weight of test scores to 35 percent after receiving feedback from the New Mexico Teach Plus Fellows, a group of teachers from across the state.

Classroom observations are 40 percent, and the remainder is made up of measures such as attendance and parent surveys.

States that emphasize classroom observations, rather than test scores, have more teachers rated effective or better, according to Krafts paper.

Complicated picture

Kraft said test scores have a role to play in understanding the big and complicated picture of teachers performance on the job.

He wants evaluations to differentiate teachers to help improve their skills  as opposed to labeling everyone effective or proficient.

But he said placing half the weight of the evaluation on test scores can lead to an emphasis on test performance and changes in curriculum, such as teaching test-taking skills rather than critical thinking.

New Mexicos recent shift to weighing test scores as 35 percent of the teacher evaluation is more in line with a balanced approach, he said.

Kraft added that with New Mexico rating such a high number of teachers not effective, it runs the risk of making many teachers defensive and unwilling to listen to feedback from the evaluations.

The really contentious relationship between the teachers unions in the state as evidenced by the ongoing lawsuits suggests that the (evaluation) process might undercut the potential for this differentiation to be seen as accurate and valid and inform teachers efforts to try to improve, Kraft said.

Asked whether he worries that the evaluation system is alienating teachers, Ruszkowski said his biggest concern is whether or not our students are showing progress in each and every classroom and each and every school throughout the state.

When the question gets tilted or sort of perverted, as it often has over the last five years, into a question that is not about putting our kids front and center, I think we have to wonder, why is the question being framed in a way that is not about student learning and college and career readiness and instead is about something else thats not about student learning? Ruszkowski said.

To Kraft, the main challenge is not identifying and removing the ineffective teachers, but boosting the majority from good to great.

Read Krafts full study at https://scholar.harvard.edu/mkraft/publications/revisiting-widget-effect-teacher-evaluation-reforms-and-distribution-teacher
SANTA FE  State Police have released the name the officer who last month fired the fatal shot at a man who they say was armed with an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle in Rowe.

Officer Jonathan Tenorio, an 11-year State Police veteran, fired one shot from his rifle into the right side of 36-year-old Rip Huntingtons chest around 1:10 a.m. June 26, according to a State Police press release.

Police say a tactical team was setting up a perimeter around Huntingtons car on the Interstate 25 frontage road near N.M. 63 when Tenorio saw Huntington shoulder his AR-15 rifle and manipulate the action to chamber a cartridge, the release says. State Police said Tenorio fired to prevent Huntington, of Pecos, from harming officers or others.

The incident started when officers responded to Griegos Market in Pecos around 8:30 p.m. after someone reported a man who was saying he was armed and homicidal.

Police didnt find the man at Griegos but attempted to stop a red Ford Fusion after hearing gunshots nearby. A State Police negotiation team tried to negotiate with Huntington for two hours but were unsuccessful, the release says.
The New Mexico Museum of Art has chosen two Albuquerque architecture firms to design its planned contemporary art building in the Railyard district.

At a news conference Thursday at the future construction site  the old Halpin Building at Guadalupe and Montezuma  museum director Mary Kershaw announced that DNCA Architects and StudioGP will partner up to plan and design the remodel and additions to the building, an old warehouse that formerly was home to the state archives. DNCA is the lead architect.

Though both are local firms, Kershaw said the search was nationwide, with about 30 firms in total considered by the states selection committee. Both DNCA and StudioGP have worked together and separately on museum and gallery projects. Kershaw said the project required a team with solid world-class experience in the field.

This is something the state and city has needed forever, said Devandra Narayan, leader of the project at DNCA. He and Graham Hogan, principal at StudioGP, previously have worked together on museum projects.

DNCA has converted nearby warehouses into art spaces such as the Railyard Galleries at South Guadalupe and Paseo de Peralta, designed the Tamarind Institute at University of New Mexico and is working on the new Second Street Brewery location on Rufina Street.

Hogan has worked on the design of the Canadian Museum for Human Rights in Winnipeg and Colorado Springs Cornerstone Arts Center.

Narayan said the plan is to restore and use the Halpin Buildings industrial character, while turning it  as well as the north portion of the Railyard  into a contemporary arts hub. Plans are to keep the buildings distinctive mural by Gilberto Guzman facing Guadalupe.

StudioGPs Hogan said this will be the firms first major museum project in its home state.

We just feel like its an incredible opportunity for Santa Fe, said Hogan. With its location near the Railrunner, it really has an incredible opportunity to be the gateway to Santa Fe.

Meetings will begin today between the museums building committee and the design firms, which will start to analyze the current structure and create a timeline for their plans.

Veronica Gonzales, secretary of the state Cultural Affairs Department, commended the work of the Museum of New Mexico Foundation in raising money for the project and reiterated the need for a new building. As the only museum in Santa Fe that collects contemporary art, she said the New Mexico Museum of Arts growing collection poses an issue for its current home off the Plaza, with limited storage and exhibition space.

We are in danger of losing the collections that are in our space, she said. We definitely dont want that to happen, we dont want the collections to go to other states. The new building gives the museum of art another 34,000 square feet of total space.

Mayor Javier Gonzales said hes glad to see the building moving further toward becoming another high-quality, wonderful cultural institution.

With a desire to begin construction in early 2019 and have the new facility open by 2020, the museum currently has $2.6 million of the $10 million needed to break ground, said Yvonne Montoya, vice president of development for the Museum of New Mexico Foundation. Foundation CEO Jamie Clements said he hopes having architects will add momentum to the fundraising campaign.

Montoya said a donation that may be finalized within the next few days could bring them significantly closer to the goal, but he declined to say who the donor was or how much is involved.

Gonzales said last year that Cultural Affairs also will seek state budget allocations to increase the Museum of Arts operating funds by $1 million annually, and is also looking for about $6 million for renovations, preservation work and upgrades on the current museum as part of a five-year capital improvements plan.
A Dutch international trend forecaster, known for saying fashion is dead and listed as one of Time magazines Most Influential People in Fashion, is coming to Santa Fe to tell International Folk Art Market artisans how their kind of handmade work is making a fashion breakthrough.

And on a bigger scale, Lidewij Li Edelkoort says, the markets artists can change the world.

Edelkoort was chosen as this years honorary chair for the Folk Art Market not only for her substantial prestige, according to International Folk Art Alliance CEO Jeff Snell.

Because of her work in the design and fashion industry, Edelkoort has been knighted by the Dutch royal family and honored by the French Ministry of Culture. Shes a dean at New Yorks Parsons School of Design and has been an advisor for such companies as Armani, Disney and Google.

But Snell said Edelkoort also was invited to be part of the Folk Art Market because of her commitment to handmade and unique products, and her expertise on how millennials are bypassing major fashion labels in favor of items like the ones that will be sold on Museum Hill July 15 and 16.

Theyre no longer satisfied with the $500 handbag, Snell said of this generations impact-conscious consumers.

They want to be catalytic with their purchases and more mindful with what theyre triggering. A handmade piece of folk art that is benefiting a co-op in a part of the world that needs health care and education  has impacted thousands of lives.

Its a craving for things different, Edelkoort told the Journal via Skype.

Edelkoort will also head a panel discussion with other international experts on what it means for artisans to be social entrepreneurs. The Wednesday talk at The Lensic, hosted by Snell, will be open to the vendors coming from around the world to sell their items at the Folk Art Market

To Edelkoort, being a social innovator or entrepreneur is using a business to tackle the worlds most pressing issues and finding ways to do work on a more human scale. This could mean finding ethical solutions to labor and fair trade issues, as well as preserving resources by not overproducing.

We have an opportunity because things are stale now, things have been running into a moment of regression, said Edelkoort. She will be pulling inspiration from her famous Anti-Fashion Manifesto, which calls the industry obsolete, for the Santa Fe discussion.

This also creates the opportunity to create new ideas, she said. Its the wonderful moment where things die, but you can also reinvent.

Other panelists include Diana Wells, president of the global social entrepreneurship organization Ashoka: Innovators for the Public; Nat Sloane, England chair for the Big Lottery Fund, a U.K. group that provides grants to community groups and charities; and Kim Meredith, founder of Stanfords Center for Philanthropy & Civil Society.

Meredith said artists need to be part of these conversations because of their status as change-makers in a global society.

Artists everywhere are often a good indicator of social change, social unrest  . Theyre putting out new ways of thinking through their art, Meredith said.

The Wednesday talk, Creating Global Impact: Social Innovation and Cross-Sector Solutions, is open to the public. Free tickets can be reserved through The Lensic.
Fentanyl, a powerful synthetic opioid, has been wreaking havoc on the East Coast and Midwest in recent years. A couple of Santa Fe narcotics detectives say the dangerous drug now has reached the City Different.

And most users may not even be aware that theyre consuming fenantyl, a drug first made in the 1960s that is exponentially more potent than morphine and used legitimately to treat severe pain.

For the longest time, we thought it would take a lot longer to reach New Mexico, Santa Fe Police Department Detective Michael McCluskey said of fentanyl abuse. We thought there was no way people were going to do that, and it rocked this community.

He added: It mixes too well with heroin, so I dont see it going away any time soon.

SFPD Sgt. Matt Champlin said the first laboratory-confirmed case of fentanyl locally occurred in the middle of last year and the first overdose death came a few months later. He said the person who died thought it was just heroin.

Twenty New Mexicans were killed by the drug in 2016, according to the Department of Health, including one in Santa Fe County and another in San Miguel County.

Champlin said drug dealers are taking heroin and adding a malleable powder, like brown sugar, as filler and then adding fentanyl to increase potency.

Most people dont have any idea what fentanyl is, Champlin said. To a user, its just good heroin, but they dont understand that whats actually happening is the dealer is cutting it with fentanyl or adding fentanyl to it so they can quadruple their profits.

Fentanyl is used to treat severe pain and is 50 to 100 times stronger than morphine, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration. Dr. Michael Landen, an epidemiologist with the DOH, said the drug is often prescribed in patch form so that it is absorbed slowly over time.

Of the ingredients used to make illicit fentanyl, 90 percent come from China and then go to Mexico or directly to the U.S., Champlin said.

Ninety to 95 percent of heroin comes from Mexico, where it is cut with another substance, and it gets cut several more times before it reaches the common user, Champlin said. By the time it hits the street (in Santa Fe), it may have been through 10 hands, he said.

Since fentanyl is much more potent than traditional opioids, criminal organizations can use one kilogram of fentanyl to produce approximately 1 million counterfeit (1 millogram) pills, resulting in potentially 10-20 million dollars in revenue, says a DEA pamphlet titled Fentanyl: A Briefing Guide for First Responders.

The potency makes the drug deadly, as an amount equal to five to seven grains of table salt can be fatal.

As a matter of reference, it has been determined that it would only take 2-3 milligrams of fentanyl to induce respiratory depression, arrest and possible death, the DEA says.

Kill-kill nickname

Since a lot of users dont know that fentanyl is in their heroin, they take the same doses they usually do and suffer the consequences. They hear on the street that they got this heroin from this dealer thats really good stuff, and that good stuff turns out to be fentanyl, Detective McCluskey said. They use their usual amount and overdose because it has fentanyl in it.

In Santa Fe, Champlin said, people have referred to fentanyl as kill-kill.

Think about it, youre doing a drug called kill-kill,  he said. It kind of pre-empts you on whats possible to come.

Naloxone, which is typically known by the brand name Narcan, is currently being used by all law enforcement agencies in the state to reverse opioid overdoses and is known to be quite effective. Champlin described a naloxone overdose reversal as an immediate shock to life.

But fentanyls potency means several doses of naloxone may have to be administered to reverse an overdose.

The DEA recommends applying naloxone every two to three minutes until the victim has been breathing independently for at least 15 minutes or until medics arrive.

Ive heard stories, even here in Santa Fe, where they hit people eight, nine, 10 times with Narcan and theres no reaction out of it, Champlin said. Theyre too far gone. Their respiratory system is depressed. For them to hit them nine or 10 times with it and not get a response speaks volumes to how strong it is.

The DOHs Landen says Narcan should work on fentanyl. Narcan is really our only approach to reversing drug overdoses, he said. With fentanyl, you may need repeated doses of Narcan and Im not aware of a situation where it hasnt worked. Theres no indication that Narcan isnt effective at reversing fentanyl.

The drug is also very dangerous for law enforcement and other first responders. Since fentanyl can be inhaled through the nose or mouth, or absorbed through the skin, any substance suspected to contain fentanyl should be treated with extreme caution as exposure to a small amount can lead to significant health-related complications, respiratory depression, or death, the DEA guide says.

The guide recommends that anyone processing a scene with suspected fentanyl wear chemical-resistant suits, nitrile gloves, dust masks and even suits with a self-contained breathing apparatus, depending on the level of possible fentanyl contamination. Champlin said the SFPD immediately started conducting the appropriate training when the DEA warned that fentanyl was starting to show up in Santa Fe.

Champlin said there are confirmed reports of officers in other parts of the country getting fentanyl on their uniforms and having it soak into the skin, resulting in respiratory distress.

Meth is indicator

The rise of a strong opioid like fentanyl has also pushed the spread of uppers like meth. Eleven of the 20 fentanyl overdose victims in New Mexico last year also had meth in their system, according to the DOH.

Champlin said people here use meth to balance the effects of fentanyl, but thats not very smart. That is not going to work to take methamphetamine to reverse the effects of fentanyl. Its the street logic. Ones an upper and ones a downer.

McCluskey said an uptick in meth use by known heroin users tipped off officers that something was different. We started seeing the rise in meth when we started seeing people that we knew to be heroin addicts who had never used meth were carrying the meth with them with the heroin, and thats how we found out fentanyl was making its mark on the city, McCluskey said. Clearly, this heroin isnt pure heroin like they say on the streets. Its cut with something much stronger.

Its almost like theyre using meth as their own Narcan.

Heroin is still the top drug in Santa Fe, Champlin and McCluskey say, and the detectives believe the problem is only going to get worse. There were 33.9 drug overdose deaths per every 100,000 residents in Santa Fe County in 2015, up from a rate of 31 per every 100,000 residents in 2014, according to DOH data. Landen said the department plans on releasing 2016 overdose statistics soon.

I think fentanyl kind of gave new life to heroin, Champlin said. Its unfortunate, especially in this community.
SAN FRANCISCO  Yul Dorn and his wife raised their son and daughter in a three-bedroom home crammed with family photos, one they bought in a historically African-American neighborhood in San Francisco more than two decades ago.

Today, the couple is living in a motel after they were evicted last year, having lost a foreclosure battle. A second home they inherited is also in default.

The Dorns expect to join the growing ranks of African-Americans who do not own their homes, a rate that was nearly 30 percentage points higher than that of whites in 2016, according to a new report.

The person who bought the house, we lost all of our memories, said Dorn, a pastor and case manager with the city health department. He put the furniture out on the street, and it was just devastating to my family.

The nations homeownership rate appears to be stabilizing as people rebound from the 2007 recession that left millions unemployed and home values underwater, according to the report by Harvard Universitys Joint Center for Housing Studies. But it found African-Americans arent sharing in the recovery, even as whites, Asian-Americans and Latinos slowly see gains in home-buying. The center said the disparity between whites and blacks is at its highest in 70-plus years of data.

Experts say reasons for the lower homeownership rate range from historic underemployment and low wages to a recession-related foreclosure crisis that hit black communities particularly hard. In 2004, the pinnacle of U.S. homeownership, three-quarters of whites and nearly half of blacks owned homes, according to the Harvard study.

By 2016, the African-American homeowner rate had fallen to 42.2 percent and lagged 29.7 percentage points behind whites, nearly a percentage point higher than in 2015.

Now, a lack of affordable housing and stricter lending are making it harder for first-time buyers to obtain what traditionally has been considered an essential part of the American dream and a way to build wealth.

It has always been historically and systemically harder for blacks, and we were seeing there a little bit of progress, and now were back at square one, said Alanna McCargo, co-director of the Housing Finance Policy Center at the Urban Institute, a think-tank focused on inner-city issues that published a similar report.

An AP analysis of U.S. Census Bureau statistics shows some pockets of the Midwest and California had the lowest homeownership rates for African-Americans, while some areas of the South had the highest.

Low inventory adds to the problem, said Jeffrey Hicks, incoming president of the National Association of Real Estate Brokers, which was founded in 1947 to promote fair housing opportunities for minorities. The Atlanta area has only about 30,000 properties for sale through real estate agents, compared with approximately 100,000 about 13 years ago, he said.

You had subdivisions going up everywhere in terms of newer homes, Hicks said. We havent seen that resurgence of new housing stock.

African-Americans snapped up homes at the peak of the housing bubble, lured by generous lending and a glut of affordable properties, housing experts say. Lenders also targeted minorities, pushing riskier subprime loans even when applicants qualified for lower-interest loans.

Graciano de La Cruz, 70, grew up in San Francisco, the child of a Filipino father and an African-American mother. In 1960s, the city condemned his mothers house for redevelopment in the historically black Fillmore neighborhood. She was given a housing voucher and became a renter, losing any equity she could have passed to her children.

He and his wife, Buena, who is Filipino-American, must now sell their own home of two decades to pay off a debt that stemmed from a pick-a-payment loan with World Savings Bank in August 2006.

They asked for a loan with a fixed rate, but the lender said an adjustable rate package would meet their needs. The initial monthly payment for the pick-a-payment loan was about $1,700.

Then her health declined, and he lost his job. In 2014, Wells Fargo, which had purchased World Savings, issued a notice of default. By then, the monthly payments had mushroomed to roughly $3,000.

I cant sleep, de la Cruz said. I fear I might get a knock on the door, and the banker will come up with sheriffs agents talking about, You got to leave now.'

The pick-a-payment loans drew wide government scrutiny. In 2010, Wells Fargo agreed to pay $24 million to end an investigation by eight states, including California, into whether lenders later acquired by the bank made unsustainable mortgages without disclosing the terms.

Wells Fargo has vowed to help create more than 250,000 new African-American homeowners to address declining homeownership. But spokesman Alfredo Padilla said the bank could not find a way to help the couple.

Dorn, the 60-year-old pastor, says Chase misapplied a payment he made in 2008 and then failed to keep proper records. He made several payments on a modified trial loan, which the bank then denied.

In 2015, the home he bought for $168,000 in 1996 was sold for $482,000. In May, the new owner sold it for $850,000.

Chase spokeswoman Suzanne Alexander said foreclosure is always the last option, pursued only when other avenues are exhausted.

Yet there are bright spots in the home-owning front.

The New Haven metro area in Connecticut, for example, reported an increase in black homeownership from 2010 to 2015. Georgias Albany area, which is predominantly African-American, saw a 15 percent increase from 2005 to 2015.

In Detroit, a largely African-American city wracked by foreclosures, the mayor last year announced a financing program to make home-buying easier. Previously, banks couldnt provide loans for more than a homes appraised value, which wasnt enough to cover needed repairs or renovations.

And in Jacksonville, Florida, 32-year-old Natasha Jones recently bought her first home, a three-bedroom listed at $135,000. The single mother of three worked with a member of the nonprofit NeighborWorks America, which supports community development, to clear up her credit and save for a down payment on a Wells Fargo-financed loan.

I am my moms first child to own my home, Jones said. Now that were in our own place, Im redoing the flooring the way I want to. Im painting the kids walls. Its ours.

___

Associated Press writer Corey R. Williams in Detroit and data journalist Angeliki Kastanis in Los Angeles contributed to this report.
LAS CRUCES  The first round of hearings this week in 3rd Judicial District Court since new rules governing pretrial release and detention took effect July 1 left prosecutors feeling frustrated.

Prosecutors filed motions to detain eight defendants, each facing felony charges in separate cases, without bond until trial, arguing each posed substantive danger to the community.

But all eight motions for pretrial detention were denied by state District Judge Fernando R. Macias, who presided over all eight hearings during a three-hour period, for lack of clear and convincing evidence showing risk of danger.

Instead, Macias set conditions of release for all eight defendants. In three cases, the judge set secured bonds, meaning the defendants can be released from jail if they post bail through a bondsperson.

But, in the remaining five cases, the defendants were released on their personal recognizance, meaning they will be released from jail without having to post bond. These defendants included 19-year-old Tezcatlipoca Tez Soto, who is facing child abuse charges; and 45-year-old Marco Ortiz, who has been charged with sexually abusing a child.

Under the new rules issued by the New Mexico Supreme Court, District Court judges have the authority to detain a defendant charged with a felony if clear and convincing evidence shows he or she is a danger to the public.

But prosecutors must first file a motion for a pretrial detention hearing for each case and then present evidence to support a finding of dangerousness. If a defendant is not considered a danger, then a District Court judge can set non-monetary conditions of release or even a financial bail bond.

Prosecutors voiced frustration at the lack of time to prepare evidence for each case.

The hearings got off to a rocky start when the public defender who represented seven of the defendants told the court the that she had only received one motion for a pretrial detention hearing by Thursday morning  which she alleged violated the rules. Nevertheless, the hearings proceeded.

Sotos case was the last hearing. He was arrested on Sunday and charged with two counts of third-degree child abuse. He is accused of abusing his girlfriends 2-year-old son.

The boy had been taken to MountainView Regional Medical Center on Saturday with severe bruising to his face, legs and groin area, which, according to a police affidavit, was swollen and had what appeared to be a circular cigarette burn.

Prosecutors said that based on the allegations in the criminal complaint, Soto posed a clear threat to the community. But Sotos attorney disputed the allegations in the complaint, alleging the charging documents contained factual discrepancies. She also said she wasnt given timely notice of the hearing and was unable to bring in witnesses to the hearing.

She noted that Soto has no criminal record, either as an adult or minor, and said he was the primary caregiver for 6-month-old daughter.

Macias ordered that Soto be released from jail on his own recognizance. He was ordered to reside exclusively at his mothers home, and he cannot have any contact with children under 10 years old. He will not be monitored electronically.
Police were looking for three suspects after a fatal shooting and armed robbery near Ross and San Mateo SE on Friday afternoon, according to an Albuquerque police spokesman.

Officer Simon Drobik said the suspects had robbed someone at that intersection and then started firing shots. A man was then taken to a hospital, where he died.

Were not sure who was shot, if it was a victim (of the robbery) or a bystander, Drobik said.

The suspects were still at large Friday night, Drobik said. The suspects are described as a 25-year-old Native American man with a long black ponytail, a Hispanic man with short dark hair, and a white female with long blonde hair.

Drobik didnt identify the victim and said detectives will continue investigating. The shooting happened on the sidewalk or street, not at a business.

I dont believe it was a robbery to a business, I believe it was a robbery to an individual, he said.
LITTLE ROCK, Ark.  A Texas man wanted in eastern Arkansas for domestic battery and assault has been fatally shot by a county sheriff in Oklahoma.

The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette (http://bit.ly/2tpC0w1 ) reports that Sequoyah County Sheriff Larry Lane shot 45-year-old James William Huskey on Wednesday after a struggle at a McDonalds restaurant in Sallisaw.

Undersheriff Greg Cox says Huskey shot at Lane and his chief deputy, and the sheriff returned fire. He says Huskey continued to struggle after he was shot and had to be handcuffed.

Emergency personnel arrived, and Huskey was declared dead later in a local hospital.

Lane and Chief Deputy Charles House werent injured in the struggle. Cox says theyre on leave pending the sheriffs offices internal investigation of the shooting.

The Oklahoma Highway Patrol also is investigating the shooting.

___

Information from: Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, http://www.arkansasonline.com
HOUSTON  A 38-year-old Houston woman has been arrested on multiple charges of defrauding more than $1.1 million from a Catholic mission that supports schools in Mexico and Colombia.

Acting U.S. Attorney Abe Martinez says Rosina Blanco worked as a bookkeeper beginning in 2014 for the Basilian Fathers Missions of the Catholic Church, based in the Houston suburb of Sugar Land, and fraudulently authorized electronic transfers from the mission account to accounts in her name.

Prosecutors say Blanco used the money for jewelry, furniture, luxury items and cars, real estate and services for her dog.

The Basilian Catholic priests order, based in Toronto, receives money from sources including individual mail solicitations, mission offerings and from the Congregation of St. Basil in Canada.

Blanco was to make an initial court appearance Friday.
Copyright  2017 Albuquerque Journal

SANTA FE  A federal agency, at the urging of Democratic members of New Mexicos congressional delegation, will undertake a review of how accessible the states behavioral health care system is for individuals with mental illness and addiction.

The U.S. Health and Human Services Departments Office of Inspector General will begin its work this fall and will conduct a similar review in four other states, its director wrote in a June 28 letter.

New Mexicos behavioral health system has been the subject of scrutiny and fierce debate in recent years, after Gov. Susana Martinezs administration abruptly cut off Medicaid funding to 15 nonprofit providers in June 2013, alleging an outside audit showed overbilling and possible fraud.

Many of the New Mexico providers were driven out of the behavioral health business after the funding freeze  though Attorney General Hector Balderas office eventually cleared all 15 of fraud  and legislators and others have complained about an ensuing disruption in services to vulnerable mentally ill and addicted people.

Though the state has collected $4.4 million from some providers, the state has scaled back its demands for repayment of alleged overbilling, with one now-closed southern New Mexico provider recently settling with the state for $484  after originally being asked to pay back $2.8 million.

However, the state Human Services Department has defended its actions and said the number of New Mexicans receiving behavioral health treatment has increased in recent years, due to the states expansion of Medicaid under the federal Affordable Care Act and the revamping of Medicaid under the states Centennial Care program.

More than 153,000 state residents received behavioral health services in 2015, according to the state agency.

The reality is, under this administrations leadership more New Mexicans are receiving behavioral health services than ever before, HSD spokesman Joseph Cueto said Friday.

He did not directly weigh in on the coming review but said the Martinez administration would continue to safeguard taxpayer dollars in its oversight of the state behavioral health system.

Meanwhile, the federal review will focus on the types of behavioral health services offered, whether new patients can readily get appointments and how long waiting lists are to receive treatment, among other things.

A spokesman for the U.S. Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General could not immediately provide information Friday about the other four states being reviewed.

Democrats in New Mexicos congressional delegation called in 2016 for a federal investigation into the shake-up and requested the review into New Mexicos current system.

The four lawmakers on Friday lauded the apparent fulfillment of the latter request.

This was a manufactured crisis that has had tragic consequences for children and families struggling with mental illness, behavioral health issues and substance abuse, who lost access to care altogether or havent been able to find steady care, U.S. Sen. Tom Udall said.

The fifth member of the states congressional delegation, U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce, the only Republican in the delegation, did not sign on to the initial letter seeking a federal review.
Sealy Strategic Equity Partners continues portfolio expansion focused on current and target markets

Sealy & Company, a fully-integrated commercial real estate investment and operating company and recognized leader in the industrial real estate market, announces the acquisition of a privately traded REIT and its' related assets which included a seventeen-building, industrial park totaling over 1.2 Million SF located in the Southwest submarket of Oklahoma City, OK.

This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170707005096/en/

One of 17 Buildings Acquired in Sealy's 1.2 Million SF Acquisition in Oklahoma City. (Photo: Business Wire)

This acquisition was made by Sealy & Company on behalf of Sealy Strategic Equity Partners (SSEP) whose innovative and flexible financing structure provided solutions to acquire the entity as well as the assets. "Sealy & Company prides itself on executing creative strategies staying true to our entrepreneurial spirit which has guided us since 1946," commented Scott P. Sealy, Sr., Chairman of Sealy & Company.

This acquisition provided the opportunity for Sealy to acquire a critical mass of quality industrial product in a single market at a significant discount to replacement cost. The buildings are situated in Oklahoma Citys most established industrial submarket and benefit from close proximity to Will Rogers World Airport, Interstate 44, and Interstate 40. The Portfolio is currently 92% leased to 44 tenants representing a wide variety of industries and has demonstrated a strong historical occupancy.

We have been pleased with Sealy's recent history in the Oklahoma City market and look forward to continuing and expanding our business in this market, stated Scott Sealy, Jr., Vice President and Business Development. Oklahoma City's market fundamentals align with SSEP's Portfolio by Design strategy which focuses on quality properties in strategic locations occupied by excellent tenants.

For more news and information regarding Sealy & Company, please visit the companys website at www.Sealynet.com.

About Sealy & Company

Sealy & Company, a fully-integrated commercial real estate investment and operating company, is a recognized leader in acquiring, developing, and redeveloping regional distribution warehouse, industrial/flex, and other commercial properties. Sealy provides a full-service platform for high-net-worth individuals and institutional investors through our development, management, and brokerage divisions. Sealy & Company has an exceptional team of over 100 employees, located in eight offices, with corporate offices in Dallas, TX and Shreveport, LA. and is the sponsor of Sealy Strategic Equity Partners, L.P.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170707005096/en/

Sealy & Company

Kayte H. Hollowell, 318-222-8700

Direct: 318-698-3112

Marketing Director

KayteH@Sealynet.com
Samsung India released a new smartphone called the Galaxy On Max, touting a superior camera experience specifically designed for low-light photography. The smartphones camera boasts a f/1.7 aperture and an industry-first Social Camera Mode that allows users to seamlessly share the images they capture. The Galaxy On Max is targeted at millennials who are always connected and on top of their social media accounts. Samsung says the Galaxy On Max is the perfect tool to capture precious memories in all environments and lighting conditions. Users can share the photos on the go thanks to the Instant Share & Edit feature, which allows them to post photos to pinned social media apps with just one click. Since its designed for the Indian market, the Galaxy On Max also features Indian-themed stickers and live filters to spice up those photos.

The Galaxy On Max has a 5.7-inch display with a Full HD resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels, an octa-core MediaTek processor, 4GB of RAM, 32GB of native storage space expandable up to 256GB with a microSD card, 13-megapixel cameras with LED flash on both its front and back, 4G Cat. 4, and a 3,300 mAh battery to keep it all up and running. The rear camera has an f/1.7 aperture, while the front camera has an f/1.9 aperture. According to Sandeep Singh Arora, Samsung Indias Vice President of Online Business, the new Galaxy On Max will redefine how users click and share photos. Samsung further says that it designed the Galaxy On Max to optimize performance and deliver a solid battery life, but doesnt mention how long it lasts on a single charge.

The handset also features Samsung Pay Mini, enabling users to make secure payments nearly everywhere. The Samsung Galaxy On Max features a sleek metal unibody design and comes with Android 7.0 Nougat on board out of the box. It carries a price tag of INR 16,900, which translates to roughly $262. The smartphone will be available exclusively through Flipkart in Black and Gold color options, but no specific launch date is available at this point, and no preorder options seem to be available just yet either.
Numerous device manufacturers are now preparing for one of the last major tech events of the year, specifically IFA 2017 which will take in early September in Berlin, Germany, with Lenovo being one of the first device manufacturers to confirm their presence at the event after Sony. The Chinese tech giant today officially confirmed that its IFA 2017 product keynote will take place on August 31.

Theres currently no telling what Lenovo will have to show during IFA 2017, but nevertheless, there are speculations that the company could unveil a new product in the form of the YOGA Tab or YOGA Book-series device or direct successors to its smartphone models including the K6 lineup and the Lenovo P2. However, its worth noting that Lenovo has been going through a transition period with its subsidiary Motorola, and lately it seems that the companys focus shifted primarily towards making the Moto brand the forefront of its smartphone business. No new Lenovo smartphones have been announced this year so far, and with that in mind, it will be interesting to see if the company will have any handsets to announce at IFA.

Evidently, Lenovo will not be the only company present on the show floor, as IFA is generally the trade show where countless device manufacturers are showcasing their final products meant to hit the market in the second half of the year. Last year at IFA, Lenovo took the veil off the Moto Z Play, but this year, any new Moto devices that may be planned for IFA will likely be unveiled by Motorola Mobility itself. Lenovo continues to restructure its mobile business in China, and not long ago, the companys official website in the country has been phased out in favor of a new Moto.com page. On the other hand, Motorola has already unveiled various new devices in recent weeks, including the Moto Z2 Play and Moto E4, so chances of numerous new Moto smartphones to be showcased at IFA 2017 appear to be rather slim at the moment, especially given how the Lenovo-owned original equipment manufacturer (OEM) is preparing for yet another product launch later this month.
The Moto Z2 Play is now available for pre-orders in the United Kingdom, Motorola Mobility announced on Thursday, detailing the UK launch plans for its latest devices. The handset will be priced at 379, or just under $490, with pre-orders currently being available on the Lenovo-owned companys official website that can be accessed by following the banner beneath this writing. Prospective buyers will also be able to place advanced orders on the Moto Z2 Play with Amazon, John Lewis, Argos, and a number of other retail partners of the Libertyville, Illinois-based original equipment manufacturer (OEM), the firm said, adding how the availability of the device will be expanded in August. The wording of the announcement implies that Motorola will be accepting pre-orders for the Moto Z2 Play exclusively through its official website for a limited period of time, though its currently unclear whether the device will be simultaneously released throughout all members of the companys retail network in the UK.

Apart from the smartphone itself, all of the new Moto Mods announced simultaneously with the Moto Z2 Play are also available for pre-orders in the country, the OEM confirmed, adding that their official release will coincide with that of its latest mid-range device. The British division of Motorola is also currently running a promotion that allows customers to take advantage of a 10 discount on all orders over 75, though that offer unsurprisingly doesnt apply to the Moto Z2 Play. However, it seems that the promotion can be used for shaving off part of the price of compatible Moto Mods and those interested in applying for it only have to redeem the promo code UKWELCOME10 during checkout on the companys official UK website. One final limitation is that the code isnt applicable to already discounted items, though none of the new Moto Mods fall into that category seeing how they arent even available for purchase as of this writing and can only be pre-ordered.

The Moto Z2 Play is meant to succeed last years Moto Z Play as Motorolas modular mid-range offering that offers solid value for money. An update on the commercial performance of the handset should follow in the coming months.
A string of costly earthquakes and extreme weather, including the acceleration of the Pacific typhoon season, has prompted new action in APEC to enhance economic security in the worlds most natural disaster-affected region.

APEC member economies experience 70 per cent of all disasters globally and sustain over USD100 billion in related losses annually. Emergency management officials from the region have joined forces with affected sectors to promote more disaster-resilient trade. Emphasis is on helping businesses integrated in cross-border production and supply chains limit disruptions to their operations in an emergencysafeguarding jobs and growth in the Pacific Rim.

Convening in the industrial center of Nagoya, officials and representatives from auto, electronics, insurance and finance firms assessed vulnerabilities and fleshed out strategies for encouraging wider, more effective business continuity planning in APEC economies to mitigate risks. They drew on lessons from disasters like the two magnitude-7 earthquakes in southern Japan in April 2016 that halted auto and semiconductor facilities still facing residual temblors.

The increasing frequency of extreme weather compounds the urgency of this effort. Typhoon Nanmadol which struck Japan and Korea this week disrupted flights, rail service and shipping production networks depend on. It adds to supply chain challenges posed by recent flooding in New Zealand, Peru and Thailand, record heatwaves in Australia and severe drought in Papua New Guinea, as well as the start of the hurricane season in Mexico and the United States.

Increasingly advanced production processes and new distribution patterns of raw materials, parts and services from global suppliers power modern manufacturing but are exposed to high risks including shocks caused by natural disasters, explained Dr Li Wei-Sen, Executive Director of the APEC Emergency Preparedness Capacity Building Center. If a plant in Japan that makes irreplaceable car-control chips or shiny pigment used in auto paint cannot continue its normal operation due to an earthquake, for example, it can impact car production all over the world through the influence of global supply chains.

Personnel and capital shortages, damages to production equipment and infrastructure, power outages and elevated cybersecurity threats are among the challenges that can hamper business operations in a disaster, Dr Li continued. We are boosting public-private policy coordination and development to ensure businesses  and the trade and communities they support  have proper planning in place to operate as seamlessly as possible during an emergency.

Delegates examined the business continuity planning of companies such as Nissan and Fujitsu, and the importance of routine checks and random, unannounced drills for it to be effective. They also explored the potential for firms to transfer risk through disaster risk financing as well as the rating of business continuity plans to create financial incentives for their adoption.

Small and medium enterprises that are assuming a greater role in production and supply chains are a particular target. The aim is to reduce their acute preparedness gaps manifested during Super Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines in 2013 which led to severe operational delays, inventory losses and declining sales within the sector.

Failure to achieve progress could lead to more mass closures and bankruptcies such as those that followed the earthquake and tsunami in northern Japan, and historic flooding in Thailand in 2011wiping out suppliers of goods ranging from hard-drives to component parts used in autos, cameras, copiers and refrigerators.

Public sector involvement in business continuity management is crucial to shielding local economic platforms such as business operations, employment and corporate tax revenues from disruptions after a disaster, concluded Professor Kenji Watanabe of the Nagoya Institute of Technology and Vice-Chair of the Business Continuity Advancement Organization. Collaboration in APEC is setting new and welcome standards for securing livelihoods and sustainable growth in disaster-affected areas and beyond.

APEC emergency management officials will meet in Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam in August to gauge implementation of the regions disaster-resilient trade initiative and determine the next steps.

# # #

For further details, or to arrange possible media interviews, please contact:

David Hendrickson +65 9137 3886 at [email protected]

Michael Chapnick +65 9647 4847 at [email protected]

More on APEC meetings, events, projects and publications can be found on www.apec.org. You can also follow APEC on Twitter and join us on Facebook and LinkedIn.
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7 July 2017 09:00 (UTC+04:00)

By Rashid Shirinov

July 7 marks the 24th anniversary of the occupation of Azerbaijans Agdere region by Armenian armed forces.

Armenian militaries invaded Agdere during the beginning of the Nagorno-Karabakh war. Located in the north of Azerbaijans Nagorno-Karabakh region, Agdere was always a high priority for Armenian occupants. Although Azerbaijani troops liberated the region from the Armenian invaders on July 4, 1992, Armenian forces re-occupied it again on July 7, 1993 due to hard political situation in Azerbaijan.

Today, Azerbaijan controls several villages of Agdere, but most part of it, including Agdere city, still suffer from the Armenian occupation.

Agdere was an important agricultural region of Azerbaijan. The economy was dominated by the viticulture, grain-growing, tobacco cultivation and cattle breeding. Mostly mountainous Agdere, which also has lowland areas in east, is covered with forests by 44 percent. The main rivers of Agdere are Tartar and Khachinchay.

The region is rich in mineral resources, such as polymetallic ores, limestone and gypsum. The Mehmana polymetallic deposit in Agdere contains a lot of limestone and plaster reserves. Moreover, coal deposits were found in the region in the late 1980s.

Like other regions of Nagorno-Karabakh, Agdere also was home to many historical monuments. Among the well-known architectural monuments of the region are the Albanian temple Ganjasar in the Vangli village, Urek temple (12th century), Hatam Malik tower near the Talysh village, Holy Iako temple in the Kolatag village (year 635), the temple at upper flow of the Tartar river (13th century), and many other ancient temples, bridges and other monuments.

Before the occupation, two districts, 57 villages, 67 clubs, 51 libraries, 30 secondary schools, seven hospitals and a professional lyceum were located in the Agdere region, having an area of 1,705 square kilometers. Unfortunately, all of them were destroyed by the Armenian occupants after invasion of Agdere.

Demographic data say that over 14,000 Azerbaijanis were living in the region before its occupation by Armenia. Regrettably, now all of them are internally displaced persons, who had to leave their native homes in Agdere and move to other regions of Azerbaijan due to the Armenian aggression.

Due to Armenia-triggered Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, 20 percent of Azerbaijani internationally recognized territory still remains under occupation. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed during the war and over 1 million were displaced as a result of the large-scale hostilities.

Although the UN Security Council adopted four resolutions on withdrawal of Armenian armed forces from Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding regions of Azerbaijan, aggressor Armenia illegally remains in those lands. Today, when Azerbaijan does its utmost to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Armenia does the opposite  the aggressor makes everything to preserve the unacceptable status quo in Nagorno-Karabakh.

However, Azerbaijani internally displaced persons from Agdere, as well as from every other occupied region of the country, believe that the day will come when all of them will return to their native lands.

---

Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
7 July 2017 10:41 (UTC+04:00)

By Laman Ismayilova

Murder of little Zahra Guliyeva and her grandmother Sahiba Allahverdiyeva as a result of another Armenian provocation, carried out on July 4 in the Alkhanli village of Azerbaijans Fuzuli district, must be strongly condemned., said Ali Ahmadov.

Azerbaijans deputy prime minister announced about this while addressing a board meeting of the ruling New Azerbaijan Party (NAP) on July 6.

The Armenian armed forces, using 82-mm and 120-mm mortars and grenade launchers, shelled the Alkhanly village of Azerbaijans Fuzuli region on Kuly 4 As a result of this provocation, the residents of the village Sahiba Allahverdiyeva, 50, and Zahra Guliyeva, 2, were killed. Salminaz Guliyeva, 52, who got wounded, was taken to the hospital and was operated on.

Ahmadov noted that this brutal act once again proved that Armenian terrorists are murderers of children.

The shelling of the territories adjacent to the line of contact between the Azerbaijani and Armenian troops by the occupying military forces of Armenia, and killing Azerbaijani civilians became the state policy of Armenia, he said.

The NAP, following the meeting issued s statement, urging the world community to put an end to the Armenian atrocities.

The New Azerbaijan Party emphasizes that such provocations and the murder of Azerbaijani civilians is a gross violation of Armenias commitments towards international humanitarian law, the party said in a statement.

At the same time it is a breach of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Geneva Conventions, the requirements of the additional protocol No1, and Armenia`s commitments under the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

The party said the incident once again proves the necessity of changing the current status-quo and urged the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs to step up efforts towards finding a solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding regions. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and over 1 million were displaced as a result of the large-scale hostilities. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations.

Armenia still controls fifth part of Azerbaijan's territory and rejects implementing four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding districts.

The Minsk Group, the activities of which have become known as the Minsk Process, spearheads the OSCE's efforts to find a peaceful solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. It is co-chaired by France, the Russian Federation, and the United States. Although the OSCE Minsk Group deals with the issue for over two decades, its activities have brought no breakthrough results so far.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
7 July 2017 11:17 (UTC+04:00)

By Laman Ismayilova

A deliberate murder by the Armenian military of civilians including a women and a toddler is the heaviest crime and despicable, said chairman of Egypt-Azerbaijan Friendship Group Abdulrahman Sad.

The official was commenting on the killing by the Armenian military units of Azerbaijani civilians in Alkhanli village, Azertac reported.

The Armenian armed forces, using 82-mm and 120-mm mortars and grenade launchers, shelled the Alkhanly village of Azerbaijans Fuzuli region on Kuly 4 As a result of this provocation, the residents of the village Sahiba Allahverdiyeva, 50, and Zahra Guliyeva, 2, were killed. Salminaz Guliyeva, 52, who got wounded, was taken to the hospital and was operated on.

Abdulrahman Sad reminded that the Armenian military units previously committed an awful genocide in the town of Khojaly, brutally killing 613 civilians, including women, children and the elderly people.

It is important that Armenia commits itself to peace negotiations and fulfills all four UN Security Council resolutions, he said, stressing that this is a key to solving the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and restoring peace and stability in the region.

For about three decades Armenia and Azerbaijan are in a state of war following Yerevans aggression, ethnic cleansing policy and illegal territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenia keeps under control over 20 percent of Azerbaijan's internationally recognized territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven adjacent regions in a brutal war in the early 1990s.

Despite a fragile ceasefire agreement signed in 1994, Armenia keeps violating armistice with Azerbaijan.

--

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
7 July 2017 13:30 (UTC+04:00)

By Sara Israfilbayova

The National Fund for Entrepreneurship Support (NFES) under the Economy Ministry of Azerbaijan issued concessional loans in the amount of 63.3 million manats ($37.2 million) to 690 entrepreneurs in the first half of 2017.

The Economy Ministry reported that these loans will help to create more than 2,300 new workplaces.

Executive Director of the NFES Shirzad Abdullayev said that most of the issued loans (76 percent) fall on the regions and the remaining 24 percent were issued to entrepreneurs from Baku.

Within the framework of a business forum held in the Tezekend village of Ismayilly region, entrepreneurs received preferential loans amounted to 1.5 million manats ($881,200). These funds will be directed to the development of livestock, the construction of a health-improving center and other areas.

In total, entrepreneurs of the Mountainous-Shirvan economic region received concessional loans worth 69.3 million manats ($40.7 million) for the implementation of almost 1,900 investment projects so far.

The forum participants also observed the agropark, located in the Kurdmashi village of the Ismayilly region.

They were informed that the first stage of works in the agropark, located in the Khachmaz region is over. In addition, agro parks are being created in Samukh, Goranboy, Aghjabadi, Shabran, Salyan, Shamkir, Shamakhi, Fizuli and Jalilabad regions.

The Economy Ministry allocated to the Fund concessional loans in the amount of 76.1 million manats ($44.7 million) for the creation of these agro-parks.

The NFES allocated 190 million manats ($111.6 million) for financing projects of local business entities in 2016.

Encouraging business doing in the country is one of the priorities for the Azerbaijani government, which supports entrepreneurs through creating necessary conditions for the development of a healthy business environment in the country and providing concessional loans.

President Ilham Aliyev signed a decree on additional measures to encourage investment on January 18, 2016. The decree was signed to expand investment activities, improve business environment, increase industrial production, as well as create a mechanism and normative legal acts related to encouragement of investments, in accordance with the action plan for realization of the 2015-2020 State Program for Development of Industry in Azerbaijan.

Azerbaijan businessmen became eligible to get the investment incentives documents following the approval of amendments proposed to the Tax Code of the country.

Under the investment incentives document, half of the revenue of an individual entrepreneur, profits of legal entity are exempted from income tax for seven years. Import of equipment for the implementation of the projects is also exempt of VAT and customs duties.

Moreover, the state refunds 3-6 percent of the customs value of goods to non-oil exporters within the framework of mechanisms on promoting exports of non-oil products.

Earlier, Deputy Economy Minister of Azerbaijan, Sahil Babayev said that some 1.3 million manats ($763,700) have been returned to Azerbaijani exporters since early 2017.

It is also planned to create the Agency of Small and Medium Enterprises and the Guarantee Credit Fund in 2017-2018. Similar agencies already operate in Europe, the UK, the USA, China, Singapore and other countries, stimulating the development of small and medium-sized businesses.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
7 July 2017 15:28 (UTC+04:00)

By Kamila Aliyeva

Azerbaijan and Egypt plan to intensify cooperation in the sphere of economy.

Perspective areas for development of cooperation between Azerbaijan and Egypt will be considered at the upcoming meeting of the bilateral intergovernmental commission on trade-economic, scientific-technical cooperation.

The fifth meeting of the intergovernmental commission is scheduled for July, a diplomatic source told Trend on July 6.

The agenda of the fifth meeting will include consideration of the implementation of earlier agreements between the countries, exploring new prospects for business people's cooperation, as well as the renewal and expansion of the legal framework between the two countries.

Energy, tourism, agriculture, medicine and pharmaceutical sphere, where Egypt has a lot of experience, are currently the main areas of bilateral cooperation.

Pharmaceutical industry is the most important sphere of cooperation between the two countries, the source said, adding that at present, Azerbaijan imports more than 30 names of pharmaceutical products from Egypt.

Azerbaijan also intends to intensify efforts to promote the Made in Azerbaijan brand in Egypt and expand the opportunities for the Egyptian business to enter Azerbaijani market.

The previous meeting of the commission was held in November 2016 in Cairo.

Trade between Azerbaijan and Egypt amounted to $3.5 million in January-May 2017. As compared to the same period of the previous year, the turnover between the states increased by $1million, or 40 percent, according to the State Customs Committee of Azerbaijan.

The basis of Egypts exports to Azerbaijan contains medicines, clothes, rice, frozen vegetables, foodstuff, ceramics, marble and veterinary medicines. As for the Azerbaijans exports to Egypt, predominantly, oil and chemical products, geophysics equipment, spare parts, pipes and so on.

---

Kamila Aliyeva is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Kami_Aliyeva

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
7 July 2017 17:36 (UTC+04:00)

By Sara Israfilbayova

Azerbaijan and Mexico are keen to expand cooperation in the economic sector.

Mexican Ambassador to Azerbaijan Rodrigo Labardini told Trend that visit of Mexican officials to Baku is planned till the end of the year.

He went on to say that since oil industry is well developed in both Mexico and Azerbaijan, cooperation in this area is natural and has good prospects.

Labardini expressed a will in expansion of cooperation in other areas too, particularly emplacing culture and tourism sectors.

He mentioned that Mexico ranks 9th in the world for number of visitors and is ready to exchange experience in this field with Azerbaijan, which now diversifies its economy and plans to attract more tourists.

The ambassador also recalled that Mexico for the first time took part in the Azerbaijan International Food Industry Exhibition in 2017, which took place on May 17-19.

In this exhibition, 16 categories of Mexican products, including ground chili, sweets with chili, fruits, drinks, beans, and also Mexican beer, tequila and mescal, were presented.

Moreover, a Mexican trade mission visited Baku to organize presentations of traditional Mexican alcoholic beverage mezcal during Formula 1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix, which was held on June 23-25.

2016 saw exhibitions of Mexican artists in Baku and in the regions of the country. Such exhibitions were organized in Ganja, Mingachevir, Gabala and Shamakhi. Currently, works of Mexican sculptor Jorge Marina are on display at the Heydar Aliyev Center. The exhibition, which opened in October 2016, will last until the end of August 2017.

Azerbaijan opened an embassy in Mexico City in 2007 and Mexico followed suit by opening an embassy in Baku in 2014.

Since the opening of the embassy in 2014 and in 2015, the volume of bilateral trade increased threefold and reached $22 million. Similar figures were observed in 2016.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
7 July 2017 12:55 (UTC+04:00)

By Laman Ismayilova

A photo exhibition dedicated to the life of prominent Mexican artists Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera opened in Baku on July 6.

A smile in the middle of the way expo, organized by the Embassy of Mexico in Baku , features photos from the family archive of the artists.

The exhibition timed to the birthday of Frida Kahlo took place in the "Rotunda -1" room of the Landmark Hotel .

A smile in the middle of the way has already travelled to many countries of the world, but in Baku it has opened for the first time.

Ambassador of Mexico in Baku Rodrigo Labardini, addressing the event, spoke about life and creative activity the couple Kahlo - Rivera and noted their great contribution to the culture of Mexico and the world.

The ambassador said that holding of such cultural events helps Azerbaijani and Mexican people to get to know each other, develop relationships, and thereby contributes to the development of bilateral cooperation.

Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo were one of the most controversial and well-known couples in the history of art in Mexico.

One of Mexico's greatest artists, Frida Kahlo began painting after she was severely injured in a bus accident. She later became politically active and married fellow communist artist Diego Rivera in 1929.

After her accident, Kahlo abandoned the study of medicine and began to paint, to occupy herself during her three-month immobilization. Self-portraits were a dominant motif then. Kahlo once said, I paint myself because I am so often alone and because I am the subject I know best.

Kahlo created at least 140 paintings, along with dozens of drawings and studies. Of her paintings, 55 are self-portraits which often incorporate symbolic portrayals of physical and psychological wounds. She insisted, I never painted dreams. I painted my own reality.

She exhibited her paintings in Paris and Mexico before her death in 1954.

Diego Rivera had a great influence on Kahlos painting style. Kahlo had always admired Rivera and his work.

Riveras large frescoes helped establish the Mexican mural movement in Mexican art.

---

Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Lam_Ismayilova

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
7 July 2017 14:15 (UTC+04:00)

By Laman Ismayilova

Azerbaijans State Orchestra of Folk Instruments has successfully performed at concert in the Iranian city of Isfahan.

The marvelous concert was organized within the Days of Azerbaijani Culture in Iran, Trend Life reported.

Within the Culture Days, various concerts, performances, photo exhibition and screening of Azerbaijani films will be organized.

Azerbaijans State Musical Theater will stage comedy "Husband and Wife" based on the work of the outstanding composer Uzeyir Hajibayli on July 7.

Within the event, Azerbaijani Minister of Culture and Tourism Abulfas Garayev met with head of Isfahan Province Rasul Zargarpour.

The sides discussed issues of bilateral cooperation in the field of culture and tourism.

They stressed that the common historical and geographical ties, cultural and religious values for centuries contribute to the friendly relations between two countries.

Isfahan is located on the banks of the river Zayande, 340 km South of Tehran. The town has a large number of monuments of Islamic architecture related to the 11th-14th.

The city also has a wide variety of historic monuments, including Imam square and Friday Mosque, inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage List.

---

Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Lam_Ismayilova

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
7 July 2017 10:00 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

The OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs on June 6 made the second statement in connection with the recent provocation of the Armenian armed forces in the Alkhanli village of Azerbaijans Fuzuli district.

In their first statement, the co-chairs expressed their serious concern over the violation of ceasefire.

We consider this serious incident as a provocative action that undermines peace efforts and could provoke a breakdown in the forthcoming negotiations, reads the statement.

The OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs reminded the sides of their obligations under the Geneva Conventions to refrain from any hostile action that could lead to unacceptable civilian casualties.

We appeal to parties to take immediate measures to defuse the situation and strictly observe the 1994/1995 ceasefire agreement.

The Russian Federation, France and the US stress the necessity to resume as soon as possible negotiations on a peaceful settlement of the conflict, as the only way to bring peace, prosperity genuine reconciliation to the all people of the region, according to the statement.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
7 July 2017 10:37 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

The U.S. Department of State has extended condolences to the families of victims of recent Armenian provocation against Azerbaijan, according to Heather Nauert, the spokesperson for the United States Department of State.

The United States remains deeply concerned over Tuesdays violations of the ceasefire in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict that resulted in multiple civilian casualties, including possibly a two-year-old child, she said at a press briefing on Thursday.

"This happened near the line of contact. We wish to extend our heartfelt condolences to the families of those victims," Nauert said.

"Along with the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs, we call upon the sides to cease military action and return to the negotiating table. Our policy remains clear in that region: The only solution to this conflict is a negotiated settlement based on international law that includes adherence to the principles of non-use of force and territorial integrity," the official said.

On July 4 at about 20:40 (GMT+4 hours), the Armenian armed forces, using 82-mm and 120-mm mortars and grenade launchers, shelled the Alkhanly village of Azerbaijans Fuzuli district.

As a result of this provocation, the residents of the village Sahiba Allahverdiyeva, 50, and Zahra Guliyeva, 2, were killed. Salminaz Guliyeva, 52, who got wounded, was taken to the hospital and was operated on.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
7 July 2017 10:13 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

British Baroness Zahida Manzoor commented on the killing of Azerbaijani civilians by Armenias armed forces in the Alkhanli village of Azerbaijans Fuzuli district.

The death of any civilian is a tragedy, particularly so when a two year old Azerbaijani girl is killed. The death of her grandmother is no less painful. These horrific incidents will continue until we can convince the Armenians to undertake genuine negotiations on the return of the occupied territories, she said, according to the European Azerbaijan Society.

On July 4 at about 20:40 (GMT+4 hours), the Armenian armed forces, using 82-mm and 120-mm mortars and grenade launchers, shelled the Alkhanly village of Azerbaijans Fuzuli district. As a result of this provocation, the residents of the village Sahiba Allahverdiyeva, 50, and Zahra Guliyeva, 2, were killed. Salminaz Guliyeva, 52, who got wounded, was taken to the hospital and was operated on.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
7 July 2017 11:02 (UTC+04:00)

Head of the Administration of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, academician Ramiz Mehdiyev has made the following statement to Azertac regarding a provocation committed by the Armenians on the line of contact on July 4.

- On July 4, the Armenian army committed another armed provocation on the line of troops` contact by shelling Alkhanli village in Fuzuli region from large-caliber weapons, which resulted in the killing of two civilians, including a toddler and an old woman, and the wounding of another, and caused a considerable damage to the population`s property.

The Azerbaijani government has stepped up its efforts towards ensuring a peaceful solution to the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict based on the norms and principles of international law over the past years. Due to President Ilham Aliyevs resolute, principled and well thought-out policy our country has gained considerable advantages in diplomatic and military areas. In April 2016, in response to the Armenian militarys continued provocations, the Azerbaijani armed forces launched a successful counter-attack to liberate thousands of hectares of land, strategic heights from occupation. The historical April victory was a turning point in the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflicts settlement, and strengthened Azerbaijans position in the negotiations.

Now life is back to the territories that were freed from the occupation and where security has been ensured. According to President Ilham Aliyevs instructions, in a short period of time Jojug Marjanli village in Jabrayil was restored, and the villagers enjoy it now. Jojug Marjanli has become a symbol of return to our ancestral lands for more than one million Azerbaijani refugees and IDPs, and for the whole of our society.

Having been isolated from the region`s political and economic life, having lived in economic recession and social tension for many years, Armenia now continuously faces a defeat in political and military areas. The current situation has seriously shaken Sargsyans criminal regime inside Armenia and its strongholds outside the country. It seems that by continuously authorizing bloody slaughters of civil Azerbaijani population, Sargsyan is trying to neutralize internal pressure on him and prolong his tenure on the one hand, and to cause anxiety and psychological tension among Azerbaijanis living in the vicinity of the line of troops` contact on the other.

In fact, this is the continuation of the policy of terrorism and genocide that the Armenian criminal regime has been pursuing against peaceful Azerbaijani population for many years. Genocides committed in Malibayli, Yukhari and Ashaghi Gushchular, Garadaghli villages and in Khojaly in 1992, as well as numerous terrorist acts committed in different parts of Azerbaijan are the facts that expose the Armenian state`s policy of genocide and terror and its true fascist essence. This policy continued in the following years too. In April 2016, the Armenian armed forces shelled the residential areas near the front line, killing five civilians and wounding more than 30.

Armenia ignores the demands and calls of the world's influential organizations, including the UN Security Council, violates international law, and continues the occupation of the Azerbaijani lands for 25 years. Unfortunately, neither the international community, nor the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs, who are directly mediating the problem, have taken any effective steps to end the occupation and to restore justice so far. However, there are numerous facts of quick settlement of similar conflicts taking place in different parts of the world, facts of punishment of aggressors and imposition of effective sanctions on them.

What is the reason behind such overt double standards against Azerbaijan? Why do the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group turn a blind eye to Armenia's increasingly aggressive policy of terror and genocide, its ruthless behavior against peaceful people, and do not react adequately? What is the reason behind the fact that no sanctions are applied on this country, and no compulsory action is taken against it?

We can say with confidence that the double standard policy on the settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and impunity are the key reasons encouraging the new crimes of the military-political regime of Armenia. In the conditions of the world community`s indecision, the Armenian government not only refuses to execute the decisions and resolutions of international organizations, but also grossly violates the international humanitarian law, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Geneva Conventions, the requirements of the additional protocol No1, and its commitments under the Convention on the Rights of the Child, by taking punitive action against the peaceful Azerbaijani population.

What is reason behind the fact that the circles, which campaign against independent states at every opportunity under the pretext of human rights and freedoms, and the law-enforcement organizations that are under their influence, remain indifferent and silent when it comes to the brutal murder of women and children?

The reality shows that the processes have already reached an unbearable level. The international community must be decisive and take immediate and effective measures in order to put an end to the policy of occupation and terrorism that Armenia pursues at a state level. It's high time to realize that the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is not a frozen conflict and can flare up again at any moment, having serious implications for the entire region.

I can say unequivocally that the Azerbaijani state will never reconcile with the fact of occupation, will not allow the establishment of the second Armenian state on its territory, and will take all necessary measures to ensure the territorial integrity and security of the population. This is not just words, but a principled and immutable position repeatedly voiced by President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev.

The international community, the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs and the criminal regime of Armenia should realize this reality.

---

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7 July 2017 11:36 (UTC+04:00)

By Rashid Shirinov

Armenia, after staging another provocation and shelling Alkhanli village in Azerbaijans Fuzuli region from large-caliber weapons, which resulted in the killing a toddler and an old woman, and the wounding of another, once again tried to deceive the international community.

The aggressor country has impertinently tried to justify the killing stating that Azerbaijan allegedly set firing positions in the frontline villages, and allegedly the Armenian militaries didnt target civilians.

The Azerbaijani Defense Ministry organizing a trip of foreign military attaches to the frontline village proved that this is another lie of the Armenian side.

The visit of military attaches accredited in Azerbaijan and representatives of foreign media to Alkhanli village of the Fizuli region took place on July 6 through organization of the Defense Ministry, Foreign Ministry, Prosecutor General's Office and Fizuli District Executive Power organized a visit.

Here, the military attaches and media representatives were made sure that there is no staff of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces and firing positions in the village.

Thus, the information disseminated by the Armenian side about alleged presence of Azerbaijani military units in Alkhanli is misinformation and a lie. This fact once again showed that the main goal of the Armenian side was to attack on Azerbaijani civilians, the ministry stated.

Armenias direct and deliberate attacks against the Azerbaijani civilian population and villages near the frontline constitute a serious violation of international humanitarian and human rights law.

This in particular violates the 1949 Geneva Conventions and Additional Protocol I, the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms.

The international community should not keep silence  the aggressor Armenia must be justly punished for its daily provocations on the frontline, and what is more important, for targeting the civilian population of Azerbaijan.

Armenia broke out a lengthy war against Azerbaijan by laying territorial claims on its South Caucasus neighbor. Since a war in the early 1990s, Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan's territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding regions. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and over 1 million were displaced as a result of the large-scale hostilities.

Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding districts.

---

Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
7 July 2017 14:40 (UTC+04:00)

By Rashid Shirinov

Co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, which is working to find a peaceful solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, assessed the killing of Azerbaijani civilians by Armenia as a provocation.

We consider this serious incident as a provocative action that undermines peace efforts and could provoke a breakdown in the forthcoming negotiations, reads the statement issued by the MG co-chairs on July 6.

The Armenian armed forces, using 82-mm and 120-mm mortars and grenade launchers, shelled the Alkhanly village of Azerbaijans Fuzuli region on Kuly 4 As a result of this provocation, the residents of the village Sahiba Allahverdiyeva, 50, and Zahra Guliyeva, 2, were killed. Salminaz Guliyeva, 52, who got wounded, was taken to the hospital and was operated on.

Following the incident, the OSCE Minsk Group made a statement, which was clearly a declarative, as it contained no word of accusation against the aggressor. Apparently, the co-chairs of the Minsk Group then realized the necessity of voicing the truth, as they disseminated the second statement on July 6.

Although the co-chairs didnt directly point at Armenia as the culprit of this provocation, which claimed the lives of two Azerbaijani citizens, they did note that this terrible incident is a provocative action.

Commenting on the second statement of the co-chairs, Hikmat Hajiyev, spokesman for the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry, noted that the second statement clearly notes which of the parties committed the provocation, violated the Geneva Conventions and the negotiation process.

Hajiyev added that the conducted research and the arguments presented prove that the Armenian armed forces in the Alkhanli village targeted the civilian population and civilian objects.

The aggressor country earlier impertinently tried to justify the killing stating that Azerbaijan allegedly set firing positions in the frontline villages, and allegedly the Armenian militaries didnt target civilians.

The Azerbaijani Defense Ministry organizing a trip of foreign military attaches to the frontline village proved that this is another lie of the Armenian side.

The OSCE MG co-chairs also expressed their serious concern over the violation of ceasefire. They reminded the sides of their obligations under the Geneva Conventions to refrain from any hostile action that could lead to unacceptable civilian casualties.

The co-chair countries of the Minsk Group  Russia, France and the U.S.  stressed in the statement the necessity to resume as soon as possible negotiations on a peaceful settlement of the conflict, as the only way to bring peace, prosperity genuine reconciliation to the all people of the region.

Azerbaijan has long ago voiced its readiness to settle the conflict through direct negotiations with Armenia with mediation of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs. However, the Armenian side is constantly trying to make up reasons to avoid a constructive dialogue and preserve the unacceptable status quo in Nagorno-Karabakh.

It is obvious that the Armenian government led by Serzh Sargsyan is afraid of being overthrown. The current regime still rule the country only thanks to prolongation of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict  as soon as it is resolved, Sargsyan and his whole team will have to leave their positions due to their failures in internal and foreign policies.

The conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan began in 1988 when the former made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding regions. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and over 1 million were displaced as a result of the large-scale hostilities. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations.

Armenia still controls fifth part of Azerbaijan's territory and rejects implementing four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding districts.

---

Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
7 July 2017 12:45 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

The U.N. is concerned over the recent ceasefire violations along the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops, said Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres.

As the [UN] Secretary General underlined on 22 June 2017, we are increasingly concerned over the deteriorating security environment, including the most recent ceasefire violations, along the line of contact and in the broader Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone, Dujarric told a briefing in New York.

The UN took note of and echo the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs recent statement with reference to the renewed violence on July 4 in the Alkhanli village of the Fuzuli district, which resulted in casualties, including among civilians, he added.

We call upon the sides to refrain from any military action, and strongly urge them to take immediate steps to de-escalate tensions and prevent any further violence. An early return to the negotiations table in good faith is the only way to resolve this long-standing and dangerous conflict.

On July 4 at about 20:40 (GMT+4 hours), the Armenian armed forces, using 82-mm and 120-mm mortars and grenade launchers, shelled the Alkhanly village of Azerbaijans Fuzuli district. As a result of this provocation, the residents of the village Sahiba Allahverdiyeva, 50, and Zahra Guliyeva, 2, were killed. Salminaz Guliyeva, 52, who got wounded, was taken to the hospital and was operated on.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
7 July 2017 13:12 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

One of the main principles of international law is rejection of elements of xenophobia and hatred, Hikmat Hajiyev, spokesman for the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry, told reporters in Baku.

Unfortunately, after the July 4 developments  the shelling of the Alkhanli village of [Azerbaijans] Fuzuli region by the Armenian armed forces, the society of Armenia and the countrys leadership made expressions full of hatred against Azerbaijan, instead of apologizing and repenting, he said on July 7.

This is the basic part of the ideology pursued by the military-political leadership of Armenia  the ideology of hatred, according to Hajiyev.

He noted that comprehensive monitoring of the Armenian media space and social networks is being carried out. Permanent missions of the Republic of Azerbaijan to the UN and the OSCE will bring the monitoring results to the attention of international organizations and the public, Hajiyev added.

On July 4 at about 20:40 (GMT+4 hours), the Armenian armed forces, using 82-mm and 120-mm mortars and grenade launchers, shelled the Alkhanly village of Azerbaijans Fuzuli district. As a result of this provocation, the residents of the village Sahiba Allahverdiyeva, 50, and Zahra Guliyeva, 2, were killed. Salminaz Guliyeva, 52, who got wounded, was taken to the hospital and was operated on.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
A semi-educated person with common sense should already realize this fact. And the people who dont realize this fact are not the people who are reading the newspaper. So I find this article a waste and an insult to us folks who purchase your newspaper.

I want good articles with information on subjects with rare and interesting study data, pertinent to new issues troubling our world. I also want articles and research into the tragic and devastating results of our modern parenting skills, which have caused a long list of childhood malfunctions.

Parents need to be in control, stay in control and raise their children to be great citizens and good people. It all starts here. No one else or anything else is to blame. Thank you for your time.  K.L. from Buffalo

Dear K.L.: Great comments. Great thoughts. Let me address each one individually. Its a good exercise in the art of medicine.

First off, you diminish the effect that information has on people. You may think the idea of screen time relating to obesity is obvious to all and that anyone who doesnt understand this is a nit-wit. But I disagree. I talk to people every day in my office about things that are obvious to me but are not obvious to them. Sometimes people need a story, a list, a bit more detail to nudge them along to action.

What, by the way, does semi-educated mean? Sounds arrogant. It implies that highly educated people, those with an advanced degree like an M.D. or Ph.D always do the right thing. But that aint the case.

Lets take one example. You go to the doctor and youre given a prescription for an antibiotic to take for 10 days. Many people stop taking it as soon as they feel better. Education plays no role at all in this lack of compliance.

Dont get me wrong. Education plays a role in our health in so many ways, but it doesnt guarantee anything. Motivation and action do.

When it comes to pulling the plug on the TV and social media and kicking the kids outside so they can run and play, its a problem for all parents. I spend so much time writing this stuff to help educate and point people in the right direction.

Now on to your second comment regarding modern parenting skills. This sort of criticism isnt new at all. Its ancient.

The Greek philosopher Socrates had opinions such as: Children love luxury. They have bad manners. They have contempt for authority. They show disrespect for elders. They lack respect. They dont stand up when elders enter the room. They are tyrants to their teachers. They would rather talk among themselves than exercise.

Hmm. Sounds modern, doesnt it?

I agree with you that good citizens  which I consider to be good parents, too  take responsibility for their actions. We are the most important influence on our childrens development, on their journey into adulthood. My wife, Penny, and I knew that was our primary job.

A wise friend once said to us, Education begins at home and ends at home. School is in the middle. They were so right on. Stay well.
7 July 2017 14:16 (UTC+04:00)

Italian senator from Forza Italia party, member of the Senate Commission for Children and Adolescents Maria Rizzotti has sharply condemned the Armenian military units` latest crime against Azerbaijani civilians in Alkhanli village in Fizuli district, Azertac reported.

Speaking at a Senate session, she emphasized that such attacks violate international humanitarian law and human rights, especially 1949 Geneva Convention 1.

They are also detrimental to the protection of the rights of the child and the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, Rizzotti said.

On July 4 at about 20:40 (GMT+4 hours), the Armenian armed forces, using 82-mm and 120-mm mortars and grenade launchers, shelled the Alkhanly village of Azerbaijans Fuzuli district. As a result of this provocation, the residents of the village Sahiba Allahverdiyeva, 50, and Zahra Guliyeva, 2, were killed. Salminaz Guliyeva, 52, who got wounded, was taken to the hospital and was operated on.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
7 July 2017 15:19 (UTC+04:00)

Pakistan's Foreign Ministry has issued a statement condemning the shelling of the civil population of the Alkhanli village of Fuzuli region of Azerbaijan by the Armenian armed forces on July 4 that resulted in the death of Sahiba Guliyeva and her two years old grand daughter Zahra Guliyeva, Azertac reported.

"We condemn the targeting of civilians in Azerbaijan by the Armenian forces in which, among others, a 2-year old girl has lost her life," the statement says.

The Armenian armed forces, using 82-mm and 120-mm mortars and grenade launchers, shelled the Alkhanly village of Azerbaijans Fuzuli region on Kuly 4 As a result of this provocation, the residents of the village Sahiba Allahverdiyeva, 50, and Zahra Guliyeva, 2, were killed. Salminaz Guliyeva, 52, who got wounded, was taken to the hospital and was operated on.

The conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan began in 1988 when the former made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding regions. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and over 1 million were displaced as a result of the large-scale hostilities. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations.

Armenia still controls fifth part of Azerbaijan's territory and rejects implementing four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding districts.

--

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
7 July 2017 16:25 (UTC+04:00)

By Rashid Shirinov

Armenian armed forces attack on Azerbaijan's Alkhanli village became a next bloody page in the history of the Nagorno- Karabakh conflict. The recent attack killed two more Azerbaijani civilians, including a toddler.

Brutal act immediately became a focus of international community, while several international organizations, officials and political experts strongly condemned the recent Armenian provocation. European Parliament and its members were among those who denounced the killing of civilians.

Norica Nicolai, European Parliament rapporteur for Azerbaijan and Ryszard Czarnecki, Vice-president of the European Parliament issued a joint statement on July and voiced support for Azerbaijan regarding the Armenian provocation.

"We strongly condemn the murders of Allahverdiyeva Sahiba and Guliyeva Zahra on the evening of July 4 by Armenian armed forces. The indiscriminate killing of civilians, women and children is unacceptable in any circumstances and must be stopped immediately! they noted.

They further called for a cessation of all military operation in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan.

Violence and the escalation of aggressive action can only lead to further conflict and loss of life of innocents. Such thoughtless provocations and destruction is dangerous for the stability of the entire region of the South Caucasus, the message reads.

There is no justification for such a grave, heinous crime and we call for an immediate investigation into the acts and a full, criminal investigation launched to identify and prosecute the culprits, Nicolai and Czarnecki stressed in the statement.

This is not the first hideous action of Armenia against Azerbaijani civilians living near the contact line. Despite signing the ceasefire in 1994, Armenians keep targeting Azerbaijani villages. Moreover, the aggressor deliberately drops toys with an explosive device into the rivers flowing to Azerbaijani villages in order to kill Azerbaijani children in this way.

Another representative of the European Parliament, its Member from Slovenia Ivo Vajgl also condemned the Armenian provocation in Alikhanli village.

He told Trend that armed incidents with civilian losses indicate that the problem of occupied Nagorno-Karabakh represents a most serious threat for the stability of the Caucasus region.

This frozen conflict could not be solved by military means, but with negotiations based upon the rules of the international law, Vajgl said. Armenia has to behave accordingly and EU has to assist both countries in search for a lasting and comprehensive solution.

Since a war in the early 1990s, Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan's territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding regions. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and over 1 million were displaced as a result of the large-scale hostilities.

Up to now, Armenia has not implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding regions. Despite a ceasefire agreement achieved between the sides, and despite the calls of international community to follow the armistice, Armenia continues its destructive actions on the frontline.

French politician and Member of the European Parliament Rachida Dati told Trend that the UN Security Council has to hold an emergency meeting and condemn the Armenian attack.

This attack demonstrates once again that Armenia violates international law, she said.

She noted that it is imperative and urgent that the international community, in particular the states co-chairing the OSCE Minsk Group, react as soon as possible to impose to Armenia the respect of the UN Security Council resolutions.

Dati also noted that it is necessary to use all the capacities of the OSCE Minsk Group. We must force Armenia to return to the negotiation table so that this conflict ceases, she said.

The OSCE Minsk Group, the activities of which have become known as the Minsk Process, is co-chaired by France, the Russian Federation, and the United States. Although the Minsk Group deals with the issue for over two decades, its activities have brought no breakthrough results so far. Armenia keeps shying away from substantive negotiations with Azerbaijan.

---

Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
7 July 2017 15:32 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

A number of French parliamentarians sent a letter to President of France Emmanuel Macron and pointed out the July 4 shelling of the Alkhanli village in Azerbaijans Fuzuli district by the Armenian armed forces, which resulted in the killing of a two-year-old child and her grandmother.

The letter to French President Emmanuel Macron, was sent by:

Former minister, Member of the European Parliament Rachida Dati

Former minister, Senator representing Upper Rhine department at the French Senate Jean-Marie Bockel

MP Jean-Pierre Door, Loiret department

MP Jerome Lambert, Charente department

MP Jean-Luc Reitzer, Upper Rhine department

MP Andre Villiers, Yonne department

Senator Andre Reichardt, Lower Rhine department

Senator Nathalie Goulet, Orne department

Senator Jerome Bignon, Somme department

Senator Eric Dolige, Loire department

Senator Sylvie Goy-Chavent, Ain department

Senator Alain Houpert, Cote-d'Or department

Senator Christian Namy, Meuse department

Senator Alain Vasselle, Oise department

Former MP, President of the French Association of Friends of Azerbaijan Jean-Francois Mansell

Former MP, Mayor of Claye-Souilly Yves Albarello,

Former MP, Mayor of Arcachon Yves Foulon,

Former MP, Mayor of Houdan Jean-Marie Tetart

Former MP, Georges Fenech

In the letter, the abovementioned people noted that Armenia has been violating international law for 25 years.

The letter, which contains information about the expulsion of one million Azerbaijanis from their homes as a result of Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the policy of ethnic cleansing pursued by the Armenians against Azerbaijanis and the Khojaly genocide, states that 20 percent of Azerbaijani lands is occupied by Armenian armed forces.

They reminded about the resolutions adopted by the UN Security Council and General Assembly on the immediate and unconditional withdrawal of the Armenian occupying forces from the Azerbaijani territories, and urged the French president to exert pressure on Armenia to fulfil those resolutions.

France along with Russia and the U.S. is a co-chair country of the OSCE Minsk Group established to broker a peace to the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

For more than two decades, Armenia and Azerbaijan are in a state of war following Yerevans aggression, ethnic cleansing policy and illegal territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenia keeps under control over 20 percent of Azerbaijan's internationally recognized territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven adjacent regions.

---

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7 July 2017 17:24 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

France has to keep the position of non-recognition of the occupation of Azerbaijans Nagorno-Karabakh region, as it is an illegal occupation by Armenia, said Nathalie Goulet, French senator and vice-chair of the Senates Foreign Affairs Committee.

Goulet is among the French parliamentarians, who have signed the appeal to Frances president over the July 4 shelling of the Alkhanli village in Azerbaijans Fuzuli district by the Armenian armed forces. In this appeal, they urged the French president to exert pressure on Armenia.

We have to start a process of sanctions, if we cannot bring Armenia to reason. We also have to ask international forces to keep security and cease fire on the front line. It's time to act, the senator told rend on July 7.

On July 4 at about 20:40 (GMT+4 hours), the Armenian armed forces again violated ceasefire and, using 82-mm and 120-mm mortars and grenade launchers, shelled Azerbaijani positions and territories where the civilian population lives, namely the Alkhanli village of the countrys Fuzuli district, thereby grossly violating the requirements of international law, the Azerbaijani defense ministry said earlier.

As a result of this provocation, the residents of the village Sakhiba Guliyeva, 50, and Zakhra Guliyeva, 2, were killed. Servinaz Guliyeva, 52, who got wounded, was taken to the hospital and was operated on.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
7 July 2017 17:45 (UTC+04:00)

By Rashid Shirinov

Armenian military units were put on alert on July 7 to stage another sabotage against Azerbaijan, said Azerbaijans defense ministry.

However, Azerbaijans armed forces inflicted precise blows to the positions of the Armenian armed forces to prevent the planned provocation by Armenia and as revenge for the civilians killed in the Alkhanli village of Azerbaijans Fuzuli region.

The Defense Ministry reported that as a result of the strikes, a major part of Armenias manpower was destroyed, and several units of military equipment were completely disabled.

Based on initial information, as the result of the activities carried out by our units in Fuzuli-Khojavend direction, majority of the enemy personnel involved in battalions area of operation were killed, some fighting vehicles were destroyed and other infrastructure facilities were made irrecoverable," the ministry reported.

The units of Azerbaijan Armed Forces were brought into combat readiness in order to immediately prevent any enemy hostile activity against peaceful population and military personnel, and deliver response fire to its fire positions.

Currently, the operational situation is fully under control of Azerbaijani Armed Forces.

Overall, Armenias armed forces 130 times violated the ceasefire along the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops over the past 24 hours.

The Armenians shelled the Azerbaijani army positions near the state border in the Gazakh, Tovuz and Gadabay regions, as well as the Azerbaijani positions along the Nagorno-Karabakh frontline.

Three days ago, the Armenian troops targeted the Alkhanli village of Azerbaijan's Fizuli region and savagely killed two Azerbaijani civilians, including a toddler.

Armenia broke out a lengthy war against Azerbaijan by laying territorial claims on its South Caucasus neighbor. Since a war in the early 1990s, Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan's territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding regions. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and over 1 million were displaced as a result of the large-scale hostilities.

Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding districts

---

Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
7 July 2017 10:15 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

Members of Nizami Ganjavi International Center Rosen Plevneliev, President of the Republic of Bulgaria in 2012-2017, Rexhep Meidani, President of the Republic of Albania in 1997-2002, Valdis Zatlers, President of the Republic of Latvia in 2007-2011, extended condolences to Ilham Aliyev.

"With sorrow we heard about the recent shelling and killing, especially of an innocent toddler in Nagorno-Karabakh and the casualties incurred bringing about unexpected escalation of your conflict.

On behalf of the Nizami Ganjavi International Center, we express our condolences and also deep concern for the situation at hand. Despite a ceasefire reached between Armenia and Azerbaijan back in 1994 following the Nagorno-Karabakh war, Azerbaijani civilians, including children, still become the victims of Armenian aggression. These attacks against the Azerbaijani civilian population and civilian objects constitute a serious violation of international humanitarian and human rights law, the message reads.

The Nizami Ganjavi International Center members also voiced readiness to provide support in form of expertise and combined experience, if so required and useful to a lasting and peaceful settlement.

Even and especially in situations like this dialogue at all levels is needed. We are ready to support you in this endeavor.

Along with our sympathy, please accept, Mr. President, the assurances of our highest respect and consideration, they said.

The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding regions. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and over 1 million were displaced as a result of the large-scale hostilities. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations.

Armenia still controls fifth part of Azerbaijan's territory and rejects implementing four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding districts.

The Minsk Group, the activities of which have become known as the Minsk Process, spearheads the OSCE's efforts to find a peaceful solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. It is co-chaired by France, the Russian Federation, and the United States. Although the OSCE Minsk Group deals with the issue for over two decades, its activities have brought no breakthrough results so far.

--

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7 July 2017 15:56 (UTC+04:00)

By Sara Israfilbayova

Oil prices are down more than 2 percent on July 7 after data showed U.S. production rose last week just as OPEC exports hit a 2017 high, casting doubt on oil nations efforts to curb oversupply.

Global benchmark Brent futures are down $1.07, or 2.2 percent, at $47.04 a barrel, U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures traded at $44.40 a barrel, down $1.12 or 2.5 percent, Reuters reported.

The price of OPECs basket of 13 crudes stood at $46.52 per barrel on July 6, as compared to $47.04 per barrel on July 5.

The U.S. government data showed that countrys oil production rose one percent to 9.34 million barrels per day (bpd), correcting a drop in the previous week that was down to one-off maintenance and hurricane shutdowns.

"We're seeing some head scratching today. Following a sharp rally, which was mostly driven by short-covering, the failure of Brent to break back above $50 earlier in the week has once again given sellers appetite for sending it lower," said Ole Hansen, head of commodity strategy at Saxo Bank.

The rise in U.S. output coincides with exports from the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries climbing for a second consecutive month in June to the highest this year.

OPEC and other major oil producers such as Russia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Brunei, Equatorial Guinea, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Mexico, Oman, Sudan, and South Sudan reached an agreement in December 2016 to remove 1.8 million barrels a day from the market.



OPEC has decided to extend its production cuts till March 2018, as the oil cartel and its allies step up their attempt to end a three-year supply glut that has savaged crude prices and the global energy industry.

Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin, whose country is cooperating with OPEC in a deal to stem oil production, voiced the countrys readiness to continue cooperating with other oil producers to reduce price volatility.



Russia is ready to consider proposals from partners at the meeting of a monitoring committee on the oil production cut, which will be held in St. Petersburg on July 24, and change the parameters of the deal, if necessary, RIA Novosti reported citing Russias Energy Ministry.

"Any proposals for further or additional actions from the point of view of expediency and necessity can be considered at the meeting. Russia is ready to consider proposals from partners, including those relating to the modification of certain parameters of the transaction, if this becomes necessary," said the representative of the Ministry.

---

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7 July 2017 12:34 (UTC+04:00)

By Kamila Aliyeva

A long-awaited meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin will take place on July 7, on the sidelines of the G-20 summit in German Hamburg.

This first face-to-face contact has generated more interest, excitement and speculation than any other meeting by world leaders in recent history.

The formal meeting will take place against the backdrop of U.S. investigations into possible collusion between Russia and Trump campaign figures during last year's election.

Relations between the two countries are strained over a number of issues, including Ukraine, the war in Syria, relations with Iran and allegations that Russia has interfered into elections in United States.

The U.S. Congress is currently investigating the possible Russian intervention in the presidential election. Moreover, there are regular reports in the American media about the contacts of members of Trump's campaign headquarters with Russian officials and businessmen. Russia repeatedly denied such accusations while Kremlin called them "absolutely unsubstantiated."

Whether Trump will raise the issue of election hacking is the million-dollar question, as he repeatedly refuted Russia's alleged role.

In Moscow, the Kremlin is assessing the meeting as an opportunity for the pair to "get acquainted and finally understand the true approach of each other".

This is the first meeting, the first acquaintance of the two presidents. This is the main thing for this meeting, Putins spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists earlier.

The Russian and U.S. leaders are expected to discuss a wide range of issues, including the conflicts in Ukraine and Syria, according to him.

"As for Syria, I believe that they will discuss the conflict settlement, the Astana process and perhaps in case of the United States readiness - issues of possible cooperation between Russia and the U.S. in the interests of joint fight against terrorism," Peskov said.

Meanwhile, Donald Trump, at a press conference in Warsaw after a meeting with his Polish counterpart Andrzej Duda and ahead of his meeting with Putin, criticized Moscow, calling its behavior "destabilizing."

"America stands for the maintenance of peace and security in Central and Eastern Europe. We are cooperating with Poland in response to the actions and destabilizing behavior of Russia. And we are grateful to Poland for the example that it gives to other NATO members, being one of the few states that fulfill financial obligations towards the Alliance," Trump said.

Experts say Moscow and Washington are unlikely to make significant agreements, but the meeting will give them to take measures of each other. The meeting will not change the situation dramatically, but it will provide an opportunity for both Putin and Trump to evaluate each other, to see how they can build their future relations.

Others say that the two leaders can seize opportunity to stop the deterioration of relations between the U.S. and Russia, but early improvement is impossible.

Previously, Putin and Trump had held several telephone conversations but it was not enough because relations between Moscow and Washington were at the "zero level."

The relations deteriorated further after the missile strike against Syria which was carried out by the United States. In Syrian issue, Moscow backs the government of Bashar al-Assad while the U.S. supports rebels trying to overthrow him.

Previously, Trump said that the United States' relationship with Moscow "may be at an all-time low."

Putin also underlined that the level of trust with Washington under U.S. President Donald Trump degraded.

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Kamila Aliyeva is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Kami_Aliyeva

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
7 July 2017 13:41 (UTC+04:00)

By Kamila Aliyeva

Ankara and Moscow continue to coordinate their actions in Syria as Russia reportedly agreed with Turkish army's operation to neutralize the armed Kurdish formations in the Syrian canton of Afrin.

Russia is not against the new military operation of Turkey in Syria, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told journalists in Germany, Turkish media reported on July 7.

The President of Turkey is currently in Hamburg to attend the next G20 summit.

Erdogan noted that Ankara and Moscow discussed details of a possible new military operation in Syria.

Earlier, Erdogan said that Turkey can launch a new military operation in Syria jointly with the Free Syrian Army in case of threat to the national security by the YPG (Kurdish Peoples Protection Units).

He posted on his official Twitter account: I am calling on the whole world. We will never allow setting up of a [Kurdish] state in northern Syria no matter what the cost may be.

While the PKK is recognized as a terrorist organization, the YPG have received U.S. support as the dominant component of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus said on July 6 that Turkey is in detailed talks with Russia over the conflict in Syria.

It has been suggested that Russian and Turkish troops could cooperate in northern Syria to create buffer zones between Russian-backed regime forces to the south and opposition forces in the north.

The Turkish and Russian sides agreed that if a new military operation of the Turkish Armed Forces begins in the Syrian city of Afrin, the Russian military contingent will have to relocate to another city.

Starting from June 21, Turkey began to pull military equipment to the border with Syria.

Military equipment is concentrated in the Turkish province of Kilis, bordering the Syrian territory controlled by the YPG (Kurdish Peoples Protection Units) and PYD (Kurdish Democratic Union Party) forces.

The Turkish Armed Force launched an operation to liberate the city of Jarabulus from the IS militants in northern Syria, near Aleppo on August 24, 2016. The operation was dubbed the Euphrates Shield.

The Turkish-led Euphrates Shield was aimed to improve security, support coalition forces, and eliminate the terror threat along the Turkish border using Free Syrian Army fighters backed by Turkish artillery and jets.

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Kamila Aliyeva is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Kami_Aliyeva

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
The Sparta School District will likely see nearly $1 million more in state aid while La Crosse could see almost half a million less after state officials released an estimate of how the state aid pie for the upcoming school year will be divided.

The Wisconsin Department of Public Education released general state aid estimates for the 422 school districts that share the $4.5 billion in state aid expected to be provided this year, and more than half are expected to see lower aid amounts.

The total amount of state aid is expected to stay flat compared to last year, depending on the final state budget to be passed by the Legislature, with districts gaining or losing aid based on the variables used to calculate aid such as property values, enrollment and other considerations.

In terms of total dollars and percentage change, the Sparta School District is one of the biggest winners in the region, with estimates calling for nearly $900,000 more in state aid this year compared to last. That is an increase of more than 4.5 percent compared to the nearly $19.5 million in state aid the district received last year.

West Salem is expected to see nearly $400,000 more in state aid, but Superintendent Troy Gunderson said that increase is mainly due to the district making a one-time extra payment on debt last year. As a result of the increase in shared costs, he said West Salem saw the bump in state aid this year and is expecting a drop next year.

On the other end of the spectrum, the La Crosse School District is estimated to lose more than $450,000 in state aid, a 1.44 percent decrease, while Prairie du Chien is estimated to see its state aid drop by nearly 3.9 percent or more than $270,000.

La Crosses new director of business services, Patricia Sprang, said a small drop in enrollment last year was one of the big factors that influenced this years aid estimates. The drop in state aid is also a relatively small portion of the districts more than $75 million budget.

Were not really concerned, Sprang said. This early estimate wont have a terrible impact on the budget.

Several variables resulted in the $307,000 state aid drop Onalaska is estimated to receive, Director of Finance and Business Services Kent Ellickson said, such as changes to the total value of property in the district and a very small bump in enrollment last year. General aid can ebb and flow and Onalaska received an unusual bump of nearly $1 million last year.

State aid is just one part of the annual budget puzzle, Ellickson said. When we get less state aid, we have to make up for that with more from property taxes. We anticipated this in our models.

Of bigger interest to Ellickson and other district leaders are the other details still being ironed out in the states K-12 education budget such as per-pupil categorical aid, with Gov. Scott Walker calling for a $200 per-pupil increase in the first year of the two-year budget and an additional $204 increase in the second year.

Budget talks have fallen apart over differences between legislators and Gov. Walker over transportation funding for the state, which could result in changes to other parts of the budget as lawmakers work to plug a $1 billion hole.

The end of the states fiscal year was June 30, but unlike other states, such as New Jersey, Wisconsin didnt shut down and will operate under the previous budget until a new one is passed.

Were still waiting on the budget, Ellickson said. Well have to wait and see how it all falls out.
7 July 2017 14:52 (UTC+04:00)

The US could intervene in Qatar- Gulf crisis as a mediator, Khader Sawaed, researcher in the Israeli Institute for Regional Foreign Policies (Mitvim) and research associate in Israeli Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) believes.

So far, the mediation between the parties of the crisis has been made by Kuwait. Germany may join the next stage. Germany's foreign minister has visited the Gulf states this week. At some point, there will also be American intervention, since the US has many and varied interests with Qatar and Saudi Arabia, Sawaed told Trend.

He noted that the US will not allow a rolling-down of the crisis or a potential escalation.

The strategic, military and economic interests of the United States (mainly), as well as those of the EU countries, will cause them to mediate between the rival parties and pressure them to end the crisis peacefully, the expert said.

Commenting on the reasons of the Qatar crisis, Sawaed noted that ostensibly, the crisis is the result of statements attributed to the emir of Qatar, as well as the an alleged $1 billion ransom to radical organizations supported by Iran that was reportedly paid to release members of Qatars royal familys members.

In fact, the real issues behind the crisis are the deep gaps between Qatar and Saudi Arabia and its allies in relation to Iran, political Islam organizations (Hamas, Hezbollah, the Muslim Brotherhood) and issues of regional leadership, mainly between Saudi Arabia and Qatar  a struggle for status that began two decades ago, Sawaed said.

He noted that the sanctions imposed by Saudi Arabia and its allies indicate that the current crisis is considerably more serious than previous clashes in the region, including an incident in 2014, when Saudi Arabia and other countries returned their ambassadors from Qatar.

Sawaed does not exclude that current Qatar- Gulf crisis could last long. He reminded that the crisis of 2014, which was more limited than the current crisis, lasted eight months.

The desire of Saudi Arabia and its allies for Qatar's swift surrender will not realize, he said.

The expert noted that if Qatar continues to oppose the demands of its neighbors (along with its possible rapprochement with Turkey and Iran), this could lead to a political, economic and even military escalation, although the chances of a military confrontation are low in light of the involvement of Saudi Arabia (and, to a certain extent, the UAE) in Yemen.



The dramatic changes in the order of successions inside the Saudi royal house led to dissatisfaction within the Saudi royal family. I suppose that the Saudi Arabia's de-facto ruler, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, doesn't want another front alongside the Yemeni front and the front within the Saudi house, Sawaed said.



He noted that Saudi Arabia's willingness to reduce its list of claims and to extend its ultimatum to Qatar indicates a lack of willingness for escalation, at least at this stage of the crisis.



The continuation of the crisis depends on the first stage of the Qatari response to the list of claims of Saudi Arabia and its allies, as well as the response of those countries to the Qatari response. I assume that Qatar didn't accept some of the claims presented to it and therefore the crisis will continue, he said.



On June 5, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt broke off diplomatic relations and communication with Qatar, accusing it of supporting terrorism and interfering in their internal affairs. Later, the Maldives, Mauritius, and Mauritania also announced the severance of diplomatic relations. Jordan and Djibouti reduced the level of their diplomatic missions in Qatar.

Later, Kuwait, which is serving as a mediator between Qatar and the Gulf States, handed the demands of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain over to Doha. The requests include the severance of Qatars relations with Iran, closure of Turkeys military base on Qatar's territory and a shutdown of the Al Jazeera TV channel. Doha was given 10 days to implement the demands, the deadline expired on Sunday.

Qatar has called the conditions impossible and urged for their revision.

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7 July 2017 16:00 (UTC+04:00)

By Kamila Aliyeva

Berlin hosted negotiations between Kyrgyzstan and Germany in the framework of bilateral technical and financial cooperation in 2017-2018.

The delegation of the Kyrgyz side was headed by Deputy Economy Minister Almaz Sazbakov, while German delegation was led by the head of the department for China; Central Asia; East Asia; Laos and Cambodia of the Federal Ministry of Economic Development and Development of Germany (BMZ) Kathrin Oellers.

The talks resulted in allocating 40.1 million euros by the German government to Kyrgyzstan within the framework of bilateral technical and financial cooperation in 2017-2018.

As many as 19 million euros from this sum are provided for projects of financial cooperation, while 21.1 million euros  for technical cooperation projects.

The sides emphasized that the aim of cooperation in two main directions of "Sustainable economic development" and "Healthcare" is to contribute to ensuring long-term and productive employment and increasing the incomes of both sexes and all population groups.

The parties further agreed to intensify cooperation in the field of "green economy."

The starting points for development cooperation are issues of energy and resource efficiency, adaptation to climate change, protection of natural resources and biodiversity.

The German side welcomed the initiative to launch a new national high-tech Taza Coom program and Kyrgyzstan's development aspirations.

Germany confirmed that it will be a reliable partner of the Central Asian nation in combating poverty and improving living conditions in the future.

The sides expressed their hope for the continuation and strengthening of bilateral cooperation.

In 2015, Kyrgyz imports from Germany amounted to nearly 51.1 million, while exports to Germany amounted to a 12.8 million. Germanys principal exports to Kyrgyzstan are motor vehicles, machinery and chemical products (pharmaceuticals and cosmetics). Kyrgyzstans main exports to Germany are agricultural products.

---

Kamila Aliyeva is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Kami_Aliyeva

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
7 July 2017 17:51 (UTC+04:00)

By Kamila Aliyeva

The Gulf dispute between Qatar and other Arab states has reached a deadlock as Doha refused to fulfill demands sent by its Arab neighbors.

The United States voiced concern about ongoing situation between Qatar and GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) countries.

The U.S. believes the crisis could "possibly even intensify", Heather Nauert, the spokeswoman for the state department, said on July 6.

Nauert has not specified which type of escalation may happen, but she noted that the U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson remains in close contact with the countries involved in conflict.

"We've become increasingly concerned that that dispute is at an impasse at this point. We believe that this could potentially drag on for weeks, it could drag on for months. It could possibly even intensify," she said.

On July 10, Tillerson is expected to visit Kuwait, which acts as a mediator in the dispute, to discuss efforts to resolve the Gulf crisis.

Meanwhile, Jim Mattis, the U.S. Defense Secretary has reaffirmed America's strategic security and defense partnership with Qatar.

Mattis stressed the importance of de-escalating tensions so all partners in the Gulf region can focus on next steps in meeting common goals, according to the Pentagon statement.

The U.S. stations some 10,000 troops at a huge Al-Udeid airbase in Qatar which play an essential role in fight against Islamic State.

Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, along with Egypt, cut diplomatic and transport ties with Qatar in early June, accusing the country of supporting "extremism" and Iran - the charges that Qatar has repeatedly denied.

The blockade has disrupted imports of food and other materials into Qatar and caused many foreign banks to scale back their business with the country.

The Gulf Arab states sent a list of demand and required Doha to cut diplomatic relations with Iran, close the Turkish military base, eliminate Al-Jazeera TV channel, extradite all persons wanted in four countries on charges of terrorism and pay compensation.

Currently, Kuwait is mediating the conflict in the Persian Gulf.

---

Kamila Aliyeva is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Kami_Aliyeva

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
7 July 2017 18:12 (UTC+04:00)

By Kamila Aliyeva

A new dispute between Turkey and Holland has arisen as the country refused to allow Turkish official to enter the country.

Turkes planned to participate in an event dedicated to the memory of the victims of the attempted military coup on July 15.

A statement by the Dutch Foreign Ministry said attendance by Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Togrul Turkes or other members of Turkeys government was undesirable given the current circumstances in the bilateral relations between our land.



The July 7 decision is a natural consequence of events in March, the statement by the Dutch Foreign Ministry said.

In March, the Dutch authorities refused to allow Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu and Family Minister Fatma Betul Sayan Kaya to enter the country to campaign for the April 16 referendum on constitutional amendments.

Responding to the Dutch move, Turkeys Foreign Ministry issued a statement saying that Turkish citizens abroad are organizing events to mark July 15 independent of our bilateral relations with the countries they are in.



The statement... is telling in terms of this countrys understanding of democracy, Turkish foreign ministry spokesman Huseyin Muftuoglu said, Hurriyet reported.

On July 15, 2016, Turkish authorities said a military coup attempt took place in the country as a group of servicemen announced about transition of power to them. However, the rebelling servicemen started to surrender July 16 and Turkish authorities said the coup attempt failed.

Turkey's government announced that the deadly plot, which martyred at least 246 people and injured more than 2,000 others, was organized by followers of U.S.-based preacher Fetullah Gulen.

Gulen is accused of leading a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police and judiciary, forming what is commonly known as the parallel state.

---

Kamila Aliyeva is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Kami_Aliyeva

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
7 July 2017 18:05 (UTC+04:00)

By Kamila Aliyeva

The G-20 summit kicked off in Hamburg on July 7 amid violent protests in the streets.

The two-day Group of 20 summit of the world's major economic powers is taking place in the northern German port city.

The event began with the official welcoming ceremony, where German Chancellor Angela Merkel urged member states to seek compromise in disputes over trade, climate change and migration.

The first meeting of the G-20 leaders is devoted to political issues, in particular the fight against terrorism, therefore formally stands outside the official program of the twelfth G-20 summits agenda.

Meanwhile, thousands of people went out to the streets of Hamburg city to protest against capitalism, climate polices and globalization among other issues.

An estimated 100,000 protesters are taking part in demonstrations against the G20, some of which have turned violent.

At least 75 police officers were injured in the protests, out of which three were admitted in hospitals for treatment, according to Reuters.

The G20 comprises Argentina, Australia, Brazil, China, Germany, France, Britain, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Canada, South Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, the United States and the European Union. Saudi Arabia's King Salman isn't attending, and his country is represented by Ibrahim al-Assaf, the minister of state.

---

Kamila Aliyeva is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Kami_Aliyeva

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
Sonam Kapoor's Dual Looks From Paris Are Perfect Fashion Dona

Sonam Kapoor is holidaying in France and she is full on busy with her photoshoots for her personal app. We saw her in two latest looks and she looks adorable in both.

For her first look, she was looking very grand in swanky separates. She was wearing a beige jumpsuit from Pringle of Scotland, a Scottish brand and a denim jacket from Bhane. She teamed her attire with a pair of Roberi and Fraud shades and Nike white sneakers.

For her second look, Sonam wore a summery attire. She was wearing a black midi frock dress from Dolce and Gabbana which had pink floral prints all over its body. She wore it with a pair of black pump heels. Holding a clutch bag, she completed her look.
MENOMONIE, Wis.  A 47-year-old Minnesota man faces his 11th drunken driving charge.

Lawrence M. Lapole of Rosemount was charged with the felony offense Wednesday. It carries up to 15 years in prison and a $50,000 fine.

He made an initial appearance Thursday in Dunn County Court. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Wednesday.

According to the criminal complaint:

A state trooper saw a car following a pickup less than one car length away on Highway 29 in the town of Elk Mound.

The officer activated the squad cars emergency lights, and initially the car failed to pull over. The officer put a spotlight on the car and Lapole stopped the vehicle.

Lapole had bloodshot and watery eyes, slurred his speech and smelled of intoxicants.

He told the officer he had one beer.

However, Lapole failed field sobriety tests. A preliminary breath test showed his blood alcohol level was nearly 0.14. The legal limit to drive in Wisconsin is 0.08.

He had prior citations for drunken driving in December 1987, December 1988, June 1991, July 1991, June 1992, April 1994, August 1996, May 1998, July 2005 and July 2011. Most of the citations were in Minnesota.

He also faces traffic offenses of operating without a valid license and automobile following too close.

Lapole was in the Dunn County Jail Thursday on a $5,000 bond.
Second Outbreak

On May 12, 2017, as circulation of the public service announcement was beginning, ADPH was notified of another suspected case of walrus-related trichinellosis in a second Norton Sound coastal community, located <100 miles (<161 km) from the community where the first outbreak occurred (Table). Residents of both communities harvest walrus from the same hunting grounds in the northern Bering Sea. The index patient in the second outbreak (patient F) was an adult male who had been transported to Norton Sound Regional Hospital on May 12, 2017, after reporting severe muscle and joint pain. Blood tests revealed eosinophilia and elevated creatine kinase levels, but Trichinella IgG results by ELISA were negative; he received a diagnosis of probable trichinellosis and was prescribed albendazole and prednisone.

Interviews conducted by staff members of ADPH and the Nome Public Health Center identified four other suspected cases based on reported illness or likely exposure via a shared meal of undercooked walrus meat on approximately April 25, 2017. These patients were from two neighboring households that included members who hunted walrus together and shared the harvested meat. In the first household, the adult sister (patient G) and mother (patient H) of the index patient both had eosinophila, elevated creatine kinase levels, and positive Trichinella IgG results by ELISA; both patients were classified as having confirmed cases of trichinellosis. In the second household, an adult male friend and hunting partner of the index patient (patient I) and his adult sister (patient J) had eosinophilia and elevated creatine kinase levels, but negative results for Trichinella IgG by ELISA; both were classified as having probable cases. All four patients received treatment with albendazole. Given the high eosinophil counts and creatine kinase levels measured for the three patients with probable trichinellosis, it seems likely that these persons were infected but tested negative for Trichinella IgG by ELISA because the time elapsed between infection and testing was insufficient for a measurable humoral response.

The walrus consumed during the implicated meal in the second outbreak had been harvested and butchered by patients F and I during the previous 13 months, and the meat had been stored frozen in unlabeled bags in their respective household chest freezers. The meat was prepared by patient H, who reported that she boiled it for approximately 1 hour, after which the exterior was fully cooked, but the interior remained undercooked or raw, which was the desired result; interviewed persons reported that many community members prefer the taste and texture of undercooked or raw walrus meat to that of fully cooked meat.

No meat from the implicated meal was available for testing. Because of concern that some of the meat used to prepare the implicated meal (or from the same source animal) might still be present in bags in household chest freezers, a convenience sample of meat from 11 bags was collected. It was not possible to determine the number and identity of source animals represented in this sample, or whether the sample contained meat from the same animal consumed as part of the implicated meal. Samples were sent to CDCs Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malarias service for laboratory testing. One sample was positive for larvae of Trichinella spp. using differential interference contrast microscopy and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with primers specific to internally transcribed spacer regions 1 and 2. The parasite was determined to be T. nativa by sequencing PCR products.

All patients from the second outbreak made a full recovery, and no additional cases were identified. Information associated with the public service announcement, including risk reduction benefits of cooking meat fully and trichinellosis symptoms, health effects, and methods of treatment, was shared with the patients and the community at large through meetings with multiple groups.
C&J Energy Services, Inc. provides well construction, well completion, well support, and other complementary oilfield services and technologies to oil and gas exploration and production companies throughout the continental United States. It operates through Completion Services and Well Support Services segments. The Completion Services segment provides hydraulic fracturing; cased-hole solutions comprising cased-hole wireline, pumpdown, wireline logging, perforating, pressure pumping, well site make-up and pressure testing, and other complementary services; and well construction and intervention services, which include cementing, coiled tubing, rig services, fluids management, and other completion and well support services. This segment also engages in the engineering and production of various parts and components, such as perforating guns and addressable switches, which are used in the completion process. The Well Support Services segment offers rig services, such as providing workover and well servicing rigs that are primarily used for the routine repair and maintenance of oil and gas wells, re-drilling operations, and plugging and abandonment operations; fluids management services, including storage, transportation, and disposal services for fluids used in the drilling, completion, and workover of oil and gas wells; and other special well site services, such as fishing, contract labor, and tool rental services for the completion and workover of oil and gas wells. The company was founded in 1997 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas.
Another priest killed in Mexico as violence against Christians soars

Another Catholic priest has been found stabbed to death in Mexico.

The highly devout country is also one of the most dangerous to be a Catholic priest, with nearly 50 murders in the past decade alone.

Father Luis Lopez Villa, parish priest of San Isidro Labrador in Mexico State, was found dead in his room shortly after 8pm on Wednesday, local media reported.

The suspects broke into the church and then entered the rectory, making enough noise to raise the alarm with neighbours calling church staff for help, according to the Catholic News Agency.

But when they arrived the 71-year-old was found dead, tied by his hands and feet with stab wounds in his chest and neck.

Cardinal Norberto Rivera, Archbishop of Mexico, sent his condolences to 'the Diocese of Nezahualcoyotl and of the whole Church in the country for the murder of the priest'.

He added he was praying for the 'eternal rest' of the priest and for 'the conversion of those who perpetrated this damnable deed'.

Fr Villa is the 18th priest to be murdered in the last six years, according to CNA.

Trying to explain the rising trend of violence against priests, Jorge Eugenio Hernandez Trasloheros, a professor in Latin American studies at the University of Mexico, previously told Christian Today it was 'not strange that priests suffer the same fate of the people' and the deaths were part of typical levels of violence in Mexico.

'Mexican priests are leaders in their communities. They are no saints but they usually do their job very well. It is not strange that they are a target of the gangs. The criminals want people isolated and full of fear,' he said.

But Omar Sotelo, a priest and director of Mexico's Catholic Multimedia Center (CCM), said clergy attract particular violence because they preach against injustice and violence. 'They're defending migrants, they're against drug trafficking,' he said when his report was launched in February 2016. 'And the priests often know who the criminals are, having seen them grow up in the towns. Eventually, some criminals can see that as a threat.'
In this summer of great political discontent, I find myself fascinated and buoyed by Wonder Woman and Amelia Earhart.

Wonder Woman, as portrayed in a blockbuster movie by the remarkable 32-year-old Israeli actress and mother of two Gal Godot, ignores the men around her during World War I and does what she thinks is right and moral. Who among us has not yearned to jump and soar in slow motion, smiting the wicked and dodging bullets with crossed arms encased in silver bracelets?

In the movie, Wonder Woman, alias Diana Prince, fights against Doctor Poison, an evil German female chemist. She also, of course, fights against men determined to kill millions in war.

Not surprising, perhaps, is that Wonder Woman has become controversial. Qatar, Lebanon and Tunisia have banned the movie because Gadot served her compulsory military service during Israels 2006 war with Lebanon. Good grief, people. Its a movie about truth, justice and the power of love!

Another development this summer involving a strong woman is the unearthing of a photo that experts think very likely shows aviator Amelia Earhart and her navigator Fred Noonan being held by the Japanese in 1937 after their plane crash-landed in the Marshall Islands. At the time, war clouds were forming that would turn into World War II.

As one of the thousands of elementary school children who wrote essays on Earhart and was frustrated by not knowing what happened to her on her around-the-world flight, I was never satisfied with the explanation that she died in a crash and was never found.

Now there is compelling evidence she was captured by Japanese soldiers and died, along with Noonan, in a prison camp. A photo of what looks to be Noonan and a woman with short hair and pants, most likely taken by a spy, was found in the National Archives.

Marshall Islanders  who even have a stamp in her honor  have for decades believed Earhart, the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean, survived a landing in their waters and was taken away by the Japanese, who at the time controlled the islands and had banned Westerners from the area.

A new History Channel documentary, Amelia Earhart: The Lost Evidence, posits that this long-lost photo may well point to the explanation for her disappearance, which has captivated so many for so long. The photo shows a Japanese ship called the Koshu towing something that measures 38 feet in length, the dimension of Earharts plane. The documentarys executive producer, Gary Tarpinian, told NBC News: We believe that the Koshu took her to Saipan and that she died there under the custody of the Japanese.

This development undoubtedly will lead to new avenues of research. And while its heartbreaking to think that she, like so many, perished in a terrible war, its also comforting to have evidence that this famous aviator might not have died in a crash.

One summer. Two vivid examples of strong, awesome women. It is just so heartening.
Armenian Church canonises 1.5 million genocide victims

The Armenian Apostolic Church on Thursday made saints of up to 1.5 million Armenians at an open-air ceremony to commemorate their killing by Ottoman Turks a century ago.

Armenia say the massacres during World War One constitute genocide  a term used this month by Pope Francis. Muslim Turkey accepts many Christian Armenians were killed in partisan fighting during the war, but denies it amounted to genocide.

The ceremony attended by church leaders and state officials marked the start of the killings in 1915, and was held in bright sunshine outside the 4th century Echmiadzin cathedral in Vagharshapat, 20 km (12 miles) from the Armenian capital.

It was the first time in 400 years that the Armenian Apostolic Church had authorized any canonisations.

When the two-hour ceremony ended at the symbolic time of 19.15, bells rang out 100 times, an action to be repeated at Armenian churches around the world.

"The canonisation of the martyrs of the genocide brings life-giving new breath, grace and blessing to our national and ecclesiastical life," Catholicos Karekin II, the supreme head of the Armenian Apostolic Church, said during the ceremony.

"The blood of the Armenian martyred for Christ has placed the seal of unshakeable faith and patriotism on the sands of the desert, while the one who committed genocide assumed that the Armenian was being lost forever in the gales of history."

Armenia, a country of 3.2 million people that was once part of the Soviet Union, wants other countries to recognize the killings as genocide and the debate has long soured its relations with Turkey.

In February, Armenia withdrew from parliament landmark peace accords with Turkey that had only been signed in 2009, setting back US-backed efforts to bury a century of hostility between the neighbors.

President Serzh Sarksyan said on Wednesday he was ready to normalize relations with Turkey, stating that there should be no preconditions in restarting the peace process and would not insist that the Turks accept they had committed genocide.

While the European Parliament, France and others call the killings genocide, other countries, including the United States, have refrained from doing so.

Turkey says there was no organized campaign to wipe out Armenians and no evidence of any such orders from the Ottoman authorities.

Dozens of delegations, including the presidents of France, Russia, Serbia and Cyprus, are expected to take part in events on Friday commemorating the anniversary, starting with a hilltop memorial and ending with a torch-lit march.
Church confiscations threaten extinction of ancient Christian community in Turkey

One of the world's oldest Christian communities is under threat with fears for its survival  and a land dispute in Turkey has underlined its vulnerability.

Authorities have seized around 50 properties from the Syriac Orthodox Church, claiming their ownership deeds have expired.

Two of the properties are functioning monasteries 1,500 years old, according to Kuryakos Ergun, chair of the Mor Gabriel Monastery Foundation, which is appealing against the confiscation.

He said the loss of these buildings threatened the existence of Turkey's oldest indigenous culture.

'Our churches and monasteries are what root Syriacs in these lands; our existence relies on them. They are our history and what sustains our culture,' he said according to Al-Monitor.

'While the country should be protecting this heritage, we instead see our culture is at risk.'

Syriac Christians, also known as Assyrians, date back to the ancient Mesopotamian empire as far back as 3,500BC. Many still speak Aramaic, the language Christ spoke, and their homeland of Tur Abdin is on a plateau between the Tigris and Euphrates river in south-east Turkey.

The area is dotted with monasteries which until now have been listed as belonging to the villages where Syriacs live.

But as these small outlets have been overtaken by the municipality of the city of Mardin, in 2012 their legal status dissolved.

Erol Dora, who is a Syriac and one of a handful of Christian lawmakers in the Turkish parliament, represents Mardin as a deputy in the opposition Peoples' Democratic Party.

He said: 'Turkey must adopt policies that protect citizens of different faiths. This has to be part of efforts to comply with modern democratic principles and rule of law.'
'Game changer': How EU could shut Turkish door on migrants

A European Union draft deal with Turkey to stop migrants reaching Greece introduces a harder edge of coercion to what critics have derided as a hitherto feeble EU response to a crisis tearing it apart.

Just last week, some saw European Council President Donald Tusk running short on ideas when he urged would-be migrants: "Do not come to Europe." UKIP said his "weak plea" was "too little too late to stop the vast migrant flow into Europe".

Yet what Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu called a "game-changing" plan for Turkey to forcibly take back not only economic migrants who make it to Greek islands off its coast but even refugees from Syria, who will then suffer disadvantages, is the strongest move yet to change the calculus of migration.

If the plan is agreed, and if it works, taking to a boat from a Turkish beach at the cost of life savings to a smuggler  and possibly of life itself  would no longer be a ticket to a better life in Germany but a rapid round trip to Turkey. There, those returned would be, in the words of EU officials, "at the back of the line" for legal asylum and resettlement in Europe.

The United Nations refugee agency warned that Europe must not close its door to those in need, as civil war in Syria has left millions homeless and afraid. Human rights groups have been scathing about a Europe preaching democracy but cutting a deal with a Turkish government accused of persecuting opponents.

Many are concerned about a quickfire process of deporting everyone back to Turkey with little regard for individuals.

But 1.2 million people reached the EU last year to claim asylum amid chaotic scenes on beaches and on the long trek north from Greece through the Balkans. It has set EU states at odds, shut long-uncontrolled borders and fueled nationalist sentiment among voters across the bloc. Leaders' patience is thin.

"We need to break the link between getting in a boat and getting settlement in Europe," they said after Monday's summit.

Deterrence

An earlier EU plan foresaw deportation back to Turkey reserved for those, such as Pakistanis or North Africans, with little likelihood of winning refugee status in the EU  though in practice making such distinctions has proven problematic.

The new plan would see even Syrians and others with stronger asylum claims being shipped with little ceremony back across straits, now being demonstratively patrolled by NATO warships.

To force back crowds that last year numbered up to 20,000 a day seems impracticable. But EU officials said the key was to dissuade people from traveling in the first place.

For every Syrian sent back from a Greek island in future, another Syrian would be entitled to a legal, safe trip to Europe. That could be a rather small number if deterrence works, so EU leaders agreed to consider also resettling larger numbers.

For Europeans, the deal could help end a crisis that has jeopardized their cherished Schengen passport-free zone.

There are clear gains for Greece, where Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras has warned of becoming a "warehouse of souls" as more than 30,000 migrants have become stranded there since its northern neighbors began closing their borders. The downside could be ugly scenes on the islands off Turkey.

For German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who worked closely on the deal with Davutoglu before the summit, a dramatic sign of an imminent end to the crisis could be a boost in regional elections on Sunday that will, in part, pass judgment on her decision last summer to open Germany's doors to Syrians.

"Dirty deal"

Turkey is seeking in return some 6 billion euros (4.6 billion) to help improve the lives of refugees over the next three years  twice as much as a two-year deal with the EU struck in November, as well as the opening of new "chapters" in its long-stalled negotiation to join the European Union.

Also important for Turkish public opinion is a request to bring forward by four months to June a plan to make it easier for Turks to travel without visas to Europe's Schengen zone.

Several European governments have strong reservations about the Turkish proposals. Cyprus is wary about lifting its veto on parts of the accession process as long as Ankara does not end a refusal to recognise or trade with Cyprus, diplomats said.

It is also concerned not to disrupt talks that have brought the prospect of ending the four-decade division of the island.

France, sceptical of Turkey ever joining the EU, is resistant to a rapid easing of visa requirements for Turkey. President Francois Hollande said it would still have to meet 72 criteria  among them modernising Turkish identity documents.

Britain, too, where Prime Minister David Cameron is campaigning to persuade voters to back continued EU membership on June 23, is wary of newspaper headlines suggesting 75 million Turks may soon be traveling more easily around Europe, even if Britain is outside the Schengen visa area they could access.

And central and eastern European states, long opposed to EU efforts to force them to take in a share of refugees, are concerned about elements of the deal that could see more calls for asylum-seekers to be resettled around the bloc.

However, the lure of an end to the crisis  at least inside Europe  may prove a compelling argument despite the critics.

John O'Brennan, Jean Monnet Professor of European Integration at Maynooth University in Ireland, tweeted: "EU norms of pluralism are being completely eviscerated. By the European Union itself. Shame on this dirty deal with Turkey."

Summit chair Tusk, a former Polish premier, insisted the EU was not going soft on defending human rights in Turkey. But he stressed the benefits of the plan to crack down on travelers, saying: "The days of irregular migration to Europe are over."
Nigerian Christian pastor forgives machete attackers

A pastor has been attacked by Fulani herdsmen in Nigeria  just the latest in a line of violent assaults suffered by Christians in the middle belt of the country.

Ibrahim Maisaje, a pastor at the Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA), visited his family farm in the village of Panwasa Mada on 26 June. According to a report from World Watch Monitor, he then saw cattle eating his crops.

Upon approaching herdsman, he was slashed with a machete. Fortunately, he was eventually able to overpower the man. The Fulani herdsman and his brother, who owned the cattle, were arrested.

'The father to the two boys accepted the damages and pleaded with me for settlement between me and him,' Maisaje told World Watch Monitor. 'It took the grace of God upon me to forgive the Fulani man for what his children had done to me and my crops.'

Fulani herdsmen are being driven away from the Sahara region by increasing desertification, but that means they often encroach onto land owned by Christian farmers.

Nigeria is broadly split between a Christian south and a Muslim north and there have been frequent violent attacks in the border regions. Last year a pastor in a neighbouring state was hacked to death by herdsmen as he collected wood.

In response to the latest incident, Rev Abel Dauji, the Regional Secretary of ECWA said: 'We encourage our church leaders and members not to recourse to violence and to strive for a peaceful settlement in these issues... Pastor Ibrahim Maisaje acted according to our guidelines. Despite being injured and the damages he sustained, he courageously forgave the herdsmen.'

He said even under these trying circumstances, the pastor was able to show God's love. 'The Fulani community leaders acknowledged that, he reported. 'They said: "We have never seen things like that. You are truly a man of God'. By doing so, it helps to prevent further tensions, which could lead to further damages and eventually the loss of innocent lives."'
North Korea's regime is brutal and terrifying. Here's what you can do

On July 4, 2017, America's Independence Day, the North Korean regime sent a message which was designed to strike fear into the hearts of revelling Westerners. The launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile, actively taunting America, is a sign that Pyongyang's cruel despot is one step closer to being a genuine nuclear threat.

Two weeks earlier, in Cincinnati, the student Otto Warmbier died in hospital. He had visited North Korea in January 2016 on a legal visa arranged by a Beijing-based travel agency. On departure he was detained, tried, and sentenced to fifteen years in prison for 'stealing' a political poster. Otto Warmbier was not seen again until his release last week in a comatose condition. He died on June 16.

These headlines provide glimpses into one of the world's most evil regimes, but they only scratch the surface of a far deeper problem. Moments when the brutality of the North Korean regime enter the Western public imagination remind us of the torrid conditions suffered daily by North Korean citizens.

Kim Jong-Un, the leader of the country, is a despot who stands accused of crimes against humanity and should be called before the International Criminal Court.

Gulags and concentration camps should have no place in the 21st century. Yet the North Korean regime has imprisoned between 100,000 and 200,000 political prisoners and consigned them to prison camps where they are subjected to slave labour and torture. Hundreds of testimonies of escapees tell of prisoners forced to scavenge for rats and snakes because prison rations are so poor.

Four years ago the United Nations established a commission of inquiry to investigate North Korea's human rights record. They found that 'the gravity, scale and nature' of the human rights violations in North Korea 'reveal a State that does not have any parallel in the contemporary world': a state where 'crimes against humanity' including extermination, murder, enslavement and torture are committed with impunity.

For Christians and other religious minorities, the situation is particularly bleak. Christian Solidarity Worldwide's 2016 report, Total Denial: Violations of Freedom of Religion or Belief in North Korea, highlights the fact that freedom of religion or belief is non-existent and it is a political crime to practise Christianity: 'Christians usually practise their faith in secret. If discovered they are subject to detention and then likely taken to prison camps; crimes against them in these camps include extra-judicial killing, extermination, enslavement/forced labour ... torture, ... and other inhumane acts.' The official ideology of the Kim regime, known as 'juche', is comparable to a religious belief and is the foundation of North Korea's repression of religious freedom, since any growth of religious teachings would conflict with loyalty to the god-like Supreme Leader.

What can we do in the face of such a bleak situation? Our response must be innovative and make the most of every opportunity to defend human rights, promote democracy and hold the regime to account.

On July 6 2017 the US Ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, said that the US would table a new resolution against Pyongyang at the United Nations and was even considering military action. The United States and their allies must ensure that human rights concerns remain at the heart of their negotiations with North Korea. The United Nations Security Council should refer Kim Jong-Un to the International Criminal Court so that he can be held accountable for his actions.

However, our actions must go beyond big-picture diplomacy. A great famine in the 1990s, which killed hundreds of thousands of people, has led to a total restructuring of the North Korean economy in recent years. The old communist economy collapsed and has been replaced by hundreds of informal capitalist markets which are technically illegal but form the backbone of North Korea's restructured economic system.

These major changes have not stopped atrocities against the North Korean people. Prison camps, arbitrary executions and torture persist, as Otto Warmbier's case so brutally exposes. However, it presents new opportunities. The economy is now less easily controlled than it was in its old communist form: this means that information which previously was blocked by the regime is increasingly entering the country by the back door. Beyond Parallel recently surveyed 36 North Koreans based inside the country. The survey was not randomly sampled and therefore percentages should be considered with caution, but people from all parts of the country participated and 33/36 of the respondents used foreign media at least once a month.

In recent years there has been unprecedented access to foreign information in one of the world's most closed countries. Many defectors claim that watching South Korean dramas or listening to the radio while living in North Korea influenced their decision to leave. Recognising this, the BBC has set up a Korean language radio broadcast into North Korea, hoping to shatter the lies propagated by the regime. If nations around the world unite to fund more innovative projects like this, who knows what may happen? A generation may rise up in North Korea, reject the regime's propaganda and call for change.

And if you're not involved in full-time advocacy? You can do two things: speak up and pray. Your voice matters to your Member of Parliament, so make sure that they know that their constituents care about the suffering of North Koreans and want them to take action. And your prayers matter to God, so pray that he protects those suffering under the violent hand of the Kim regime, pray for innovative advocacy strategies, and pray ultimately that Kim's regime would fall and be held accountable.

Johnny Patterson is a researcher with Christian Solidarity Worldwide's East Asia Team.

Benedict Rogers is East Asia Team Leader at Christian Solidarity Worldwide and co-founder of the International Coalition to Stop Crimes Against Humanity in North Korea.
Mayor de Blasio made a surprise departure from New York City yesterdayjust one day after the assassination of NYPD officer Miosotis Familia while she guarded a violence-plagued Bronx cornerin order to attend anti-capitalist protests in Hamburg, site of the G-20 summit. A few hours after de Blasios plane departed, a train derailed in Penn Station, where extensive track work is scheduled to begin this weekend. It was the third derailment at Penn since March; the incidents have become so commonplace that New Jersey Transit commuters reportedly showed little surprise when their train car slid off the track.

The mayor has indulged his inflated sense of his own importance before: he loves to attend summits, conferences, rallies, and protests where he can pontificate about inequality. He particularly enjoys hobnobbing with international mayors. Soon after his inauguration, de Blasio met Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo and burbled about their common goals. Its absolutely amazing by the way, 3,000 miles apart, we have come up with such a similar vision of what our cities need, said de Blasio. What we want to do now is constantly communicate as we implement this vision and help each other figure out whats working and whats not.

Last September, after an Afghan immigrant had perpetrated a series of bombings in New Jersey and New York City, de Blasio, Hidalgo, and newly elected London mayor Sadiq Khan penned a joint op-ed titled, Our Immigrants, Our Strength. The essay made the false claim that militant violence is astonishingly rare among immigrants; the line was stricken from later editions.

Following President Trumps election, de Blasio became particularly besotted with the potential of mayors to change the world. In this new era, de Blasio told the U.S. Conference of Mayors convention last January, the role of mayors will be amplified. Its a time where actual, tangible work is going to be more important than ever. A few days later, at a protest on the night before Trumps inauguration, de Blasio announced that mayors are gathering from all over the country in a common cause . . . Mayors all over the country are signing this pledge for common actionthat the next 100 days will be days of action together. He then introduced a dynamic, progressive leader from the heartland, Minneapolis mayor Betsy Hodges, who echoed de Blasios grandiose rhetoric, asserting that President-elect Trump will have to get through all the mayors in all the cities in this country if he wants to get to our beloved communities. When he comes for our artists, who are going to be more important now than ever with their voices of dissent, hes going to have to get through me! This inspiring vision of mayors as bulwarks against tyranny has no basis in history or law.

De Blasios meaningless and absurd promise to ensure that New York City adheres to the Paris Climate Accords underscores a fundamental truth about his mayoralty: he has no interest in what his job actually entails. Mayors do important work: they administer streets, schools, and police, and they manage a municipal budget. De Blasio has little interest in such banalities; he imagines that mayors are the true rulers of the world, because, as he told the Conference of Mayors, they represent the majority of Americans.

Meantime, homelessness in New York City is up 40 percent, and the subways are a disaster. De Blasio shrugs, effectively dismissing these concerns as outside his purview, or not really problems at all. In a radio interview today the mayor, calling in from Germany, complained that street panhandlers who arent in dire economic need are making the homelessness problem seem worse than it really is. So instead of dealing with these pedestrian issues, he rushes off to the barricades in Hamburg to fight capitalism, or fascism, as his spokesperson put it in a tweet earlier today. Does de Blasio not recognize that Wall Street tax revenue pays for expanded summer youth-employment programs, free suntan lotion at city beaches, health care for illegal immigrants, and the unmatched police force that keeps New York City the safest big city in the country, as he likes to say? The mayor should swallow his overweening pride and try doing his job.

Photo by Diana Robinson
Michael Bond, creator of Paddington, the duffle-coated bear, died last week at 91. Children love Paddington for his perpetual messinesshis marmalade sandwiches make him the stickiest bear imaginableand for his propensity for getting into scrapes, flooding the bathroom, and getting lost at department stores. But Paddington, for more than half a century, has also been an able ambassador. The polite, hopeful bear has introduced adults and kids to the bewildering, frustrating, exhilarating life of a complex global city. Paddington's life touches on all aspects of urbanism, from housing to transit to policing to tourism to civic culture.

In Bonds 1958 book of short stories, A Bear Called Paddington, the small brown bear has arrived in London from darkest Peru, sent by his Aunt Lucy for a better life. The Brown family finds him sitting on a railway platform at Paddington Station platform, a fittingly grand Victorian hall through which to enter a world city. They take him to their home nearby, where he settles in indefinitely.

Paddington, not to be indelicate, is an affluent little bear in his new home, a house with multiple floors within walking distance of the Portobello Road. Mr. Brown, the family patriarch, works in banking; the Browns have a housekeeper and a car, and their two children, Judy and Jonathan, go to boarding school. Mrs. Brown doesnt work (whether inside the home or out). Even in the postwar era, only a fairly wealthy family could afford such things. Still, the idea that a banker earning a good income could have a nice house in central London big enough for a family wasnt insane.

Today, only the superrichthe .001 percent, not the 1 percentcan aspire to such a goal, and many of Londons poshest residential neighborhoods are underpopulated: wealthy Russians, Middle Easterners, and Chinese have bought houses for investment and political security, not as homes. Mr. Brown has a good job, but it is just that: a rather untaxing 9-to-5 job. He is not the head of a global investment firm, a tech-company founder, or a mining oligarch. And Paddington has real neighbors, not empty houses, next door.

Paddington uses his good fortune to explore his new city, and his first adventure, fittingly, is in London's transit system: you cant master London unless you master the Tube. It does not go well: Paddington doesnt know what do with his 80-pence ticket, gets separated from his family, bumps into a fat man running in the opposite direction, and pushes the emergency stop button on the escalator. Before you know it, an inspector has collared him, writing him three different summonses and threatening to jail him. But there is a loophole: the rules apply to persons, as Judy, having reappeared, points out, and Paddington is a bear. No worries. Paddington will strive to do better in the future. British law and order, albeit in a crowded environment where everything seemed very confused, is painlessly reasserted

Paddingtons confusion, in this instance, is that of a newcomer. But Paddington remains perpetually perplexedreflecting the experience of anyone who lives somewhere for a long time and becomes lost as the city changes around one. In a 2012 story, Paddington attempts to board the bus, only to be informed by the driver that he needs an Oyster. He goes to the fish market and duly buys himself two oysters (for a round trip), re-boards the bus, and smashes one into the electronic reader. A moment later, all was chaos, Bond writes, and Paddington is stuck with his other warm shellfish as he learns that an Oyster is a transit card. Once youve figured out one system, it changes.

Paddington is equally confused by money, the lubricant of urban life. Before depositing a five-pound note at Floyds Bank, he writes the serial number down. When he later withdraws a note with a different serial number, he accuses the bank of losing his original money. He calls the fire department before receiving an explanation, from the bank manager, that gives him at least enough confidence in fractional-reserve banking to leave his money there. On another occasion, Paddington is scammed by a fraudulent stock salesman. He dresses just like someone who works in the City, says his friend, Mr. Gruber. Hell begin to give the market a bad name. Paddington goes to the stock exchange to try to fix the situation, and, after the usual adventure, all is well. It turns out that writing the serial numbers down on his money helped catch the crook.

Paddington contributes to the civic culture in his neighborhood. He tries, over the decades, to get along with his ornery neighbor. He catches a burglar. He does his shopping on the Portobello Road, where Mr. Gruber, also an immigrant, runs an antique store. Over the decades, the road is overrun by tourists; a policeman in a 2008 story, after attempting to talk to him in two different foreign languages, half-complains to him that we get a lot of overseas visitors at this time of year. (Some of those tourists are, of course, the fictional Paddingtons doing, though the real Paddington in the books cant realize that.)

Despite the changes over the eras, though, one theme is clear: things work. You just have to figure them outand keep up with figuring them out. But once you do, you can have confidence in the system, which is fair, if bureaucratic. The people in officialdom can be obstinate and inflexible, but they are, in the end, on your side. The bank is not stealing your money. Your neighbors, whether business or residential, have a stake in your community, and are there to help you.

In 2001, Bond wrote of the bronze statue of Paddington in Paddington Station. People use the plinth to sit on while they eat their sandwiches  and its nice to think they will probably still be doing it long after I have gone, he noted. Lets hope, too, that London can reassert the ideals of the city in which Paddington lived.

Photo by Cate Gillon/Getty Images
As has been widely reported, freshman senator Kamala Harris got off to a bumpy start in the Washington spotlight, but she quickly regained her footing during the nationally televised Senate Intelligence Committee hearings in early June, earning kudos from liberal journalists for her hectoring of various witnesses. Reporters lauded Harriss aggressive questioning of Secretary of Homeland Security John Kelly, Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats, and National Security Agency Director Mike Rogers as a high-octane performance. A Politico headline was typical of the Lefts newfound appreciation for Harriss attack-dog role: Trump hearings launch Kamala Harris.

The more vociferous Harris, a former prosecutor, became in her grilling of witnesses, the more fawning the media coverage. Harriss questioning escalated to undisguised antagonism, rude interruptions, and transparent grandstanding, to the point that she openly browbeat Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and Attorney General Jeff Sessions when they appeared before the committee. Harriss discourteous antics prompted Republican committee chairman Richard Burr to intervene, insisting that Harris allow the witnesses to answer her questions.

The left-leaning Capitol Hill press corps sided with Harris, accusing Burr and Senator John McCainwho had risen to Rosensteins and Sessionss defenseof partisan interference, with suggestions of sexism and even racism. A New York Times headline trumpeted: Kamala Harris Is (Again) Interrupted While Pressing a Senate Witness. CNN proclaimed that Once again, senators cut off Harris as she rails on Sessions. Instead of describing Harris as a bully, blatantly badgering witnesses for political theater, the media overlooked her frequent interruptions, going so far as to praise her rapid-fire questioning . . . more commonly seen in courtrooms, and created a false narrative that Harris was being silenced.

Harris exploited the controversy in a cynical fundraising campaign. Video clips of the encounter went viral under the hashtag #NeverthelessShePersisted. Nearly overnight, on the basis of her showboating performance, Harris was figuratively crowned Queen of the Resistance, and her status as a 2020 presidential frontrunner was dramatically bolstered.

Few reporters noticed Harriss uncharacteristic reticence a few days later when she remained mute during a different committee hearing. Two Muslim-born women, Ayaan Hirsi Ali and Asra Q. Nomani, appeared before the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs to testify about the oppression of women by Islamist extremism, including the horrific practices of female genital mutilation, child marriages, honor killings, marital rape, and enforcement of sharia law. The outspoken Harris, so vocal and animated earlier, did not ask the witnesses a single question. Harriss self-imposed silence elicited not a whisper of complaint from the same feminists and progressives who had recently accused Chairman Burr of sexism with the hashtag #Mansplaining.

Kamala Harris is hardly a naif or a victim of partisan politics. As the protegeand one-time paramourof former California House speaker Willie Brown, one of the states shrewdest and most ruthless pols, Harris is an adept practitioner of hardball tactics. In her lengthy career as an elected official in California, Harris never hesitated to exercise her poweror silence her political opponentswhen it was to her advantage.

For example, as California attorney general, Harris demanded that conservative-leaning nonprofits such as Americans for Prosperity and the Center for Competitive Politics file with her office unredacted donor listsconfidential information typically submitted only to the Internal Revenue Serviceexposing supporters of such groups to the risk of disclosure and retaliation. Following Mozilla CEO Brendan Eichs forced resignation in 2014 over a $1,000 contribution to the pro-traditional marriage Proposition 8 campaign, Harriss position was calculated to chill the associational rights of conservative donors. Outing donors and exposing them to harassment and retaliation is, unfortunately, a common liberal tactic: in 2012, LGBT activists leaked the identity of donors to the National Organization for Marriage.

My 2016 profile of Harris for City Journal documented many of her other abuses of power in the service of her political supporters. For example, in 2014 she drafted a misleading ballot description for a trial-lawyer-backed initiative that would have watered down the states landmark medical-malpractice reform law, attempting to dupe voters into believing that Prop. 46 dealt with drug and alcohol testing of doctors rather than its real subject: removing the cap on noneconomic damages in malpractice cases. California voters saw through Harriss deception and rejected the measure.

National reporters busy canonizing Harris for her performance at the Senate Intelligence Committee hearings seem unconcerned about another story, concerning a potential pay-to-play scandal in which Harris effectively paid tens of thousands of dollars in 2010 and 2016 to buy the endorsement of Democratic representative Maxine Waters, appearing on a slate mailer sent to more than 200,000 of Waterss constituents in South Central Los Angeles. The slate operation is run by Waterss daughter, Karen, who has collected more than $650,000 for running the controversial endorsement mailers. According to the Washington Free Beacon, which alone is covering the story, Waters appears to be the only Member of Congress to run such an operation.

Finally, despite her recent splash in the Senate, some of Harriss political baggage in California may come back to haunt her. As I reported last year, one of Harriss most unsavory displays of favoritism was her intervention as attorney general to thwart the $843 million sale of a distressed chain of hospitals owned by the nonprofit Daughters of Charity to turnaround specialist Prime Healthcare, because the buyer was unwilling to accept the concessions demanded by a major Harris donor, the powerful Service Employees International Union, which represents hospital employees. Prime Healthcare later sued Harris in federal court, claiming that she abused her constitutional powers by conspiring with SEIU to veto the deal, placing the interests of a union over the health-care needs of the community. Ironically, that lawsuit is now pending before the same judge who presided over the Trump University case, Judge Conzalo Curiel. At an April 28 hearing, Judge Curiel stated that it was almost inconceivable the court could grant a motion to dismiss at this early stage in the case.

Harriss fans in the press are unlikely to cover this case in much depth, however. As the disparate level of reportage over her Senate hearing performances demonstrates, liberal outrage is a highly selective phenomenon.

Photo by David McNew/Getty Images
Charities are increasingly deciding to open larger shops away from town centres to boost profits and expand their range of products, experts have said.

Yesterday at the Charity Property Conference 2017, hosted by Civil Society Media, speakers discussed how the average size of charity shops had steadily increased over the past ten years.

Robin Osterley, chief executive of the Charity Retail Association, said this shift upwards had been driven by a growth in specialisation.

He said: The reason that the average size of a charity shop is getting bigger is that more and more of our members are adding furniture and electrical stores, which have to be larger. Quite rightly more and more of them are moving out of town.

Osterley said he had recently visited Cancer Research UKs largest charity shop, which opened in Stevenage in March, and described it as absolutely mind boggling.

Roy Clark, director of retail and trading at Barnardos, said he agreed broadly with Osterley but said another reason to open larger stores was increasing pressures on charity shops profits.

Clark, who moved from the private sector last year, said rising labour costs meant charities needed to focus more on whether their stores were profitable.

He said: I dont think charity retailers have focused enough on return on investment, looking at the percentage of profit that is being made.

The headwind we face into is around labour costs. Barnardos in March 2016 decided to award its colleagues the Living Wage Forum national living wage. So quite significantly above minimum wage. But we know where the minimum wage is going and it could be at 10 in 2020.

I think we need to forensically look at where that cost base is and decide how better we can get a return and certainly part of that is about larger stores.

In Charity Finance

Business rates relief

Earlier in the discussion, the panel talked about the additional benefits to the community offered by charity shops including the sector being the largest provider of volunteers in the country.

They also discussed tensions that can rise between some charity shops and other local independent stores partly because they are not paying full business rates.

Osterley described the disagreements as unhealthy and argued that charity shops helped increase footfall for surrounding stores, but said managers of these stores were less able to ingratiate themselves with the local retail community.

He said: Charity retailers dont have the time to take part in local structures such as chamber of commerce.
The Charity Commission has opened a statutory inquiry into aid charity Anaya Aid after the charity had 23,000 (20,345) and 1,500 in cash seized by UK Ports Officers.

Anaya Aid is a humanitarian aid charity which responds to emergency and disaster around the world. In April police told the Commission that a trustee had been stopped and the funds are now the subject of a cash detention order.

It was established in 2013 and has an annual income of 418,000, all of which was in the form of donations and legacies. Activity involves organising aid convoys and running an orphan sponsorship programme.

This is the second inquiry the Commission has opened relating to cash being seized in the last six months at ports. In April an inquiry was opened into to Aid for the Needy and Oppressed where 20,000 had been seized.

Earlier this year the Commission issued an alert strongly advising charities against the use of cash couriers.

Commission involvement

The Commission had also previously engaged with Anaya Aid over a similar issue.

In 2015 it had been contacted by police after 5,000 was seized. The Commission provided advice and guidance and urged the charity against cash couriering.

The Commission also said it has carried out three compliance visits to the charity over a range of regulatory concerns relating to its work in Syria and its partners and issued the charity with an action plan, which trustees have not followed.

It has now opened an inquiry and directed the charity to take specific actions within set timeframes and has restricted the transactions the charity can do without consent from the regulator.

Civil Society Media is hosting its NGO Insight conference, which focuses on the practical aspects of running international NGOs, on 28 November 2017. For more information, and to book, click here
If youre planning a trip to Europe this summer, be forewarned: You may spend a lot of time explaining Donald Trump to the natives.

In our case, it started immediately, with the British immigration officer at Londons Heathrow Airport.

Are you from the Southern states? he asked. What he meant was: Are you Trump voters?

What has gotten into you people? he demanded. You used to be a model other countries wanted to follow. Now we watch you and shake our heads.

That was one of dozens of unsought conversations in three countries about the state of American politics. Europeans familiarity with the details of our national melodrama was sometimes startling.

Whats the real story about Melania? our British friend Naomi asked. Is she moving into the White House or not?

Europeans who once resented our superpower status now express sympathy for our troubles  even nostalgia for American leadership.

What about the famous son-in-law? asked Lala, our Italian neighbor, amused to catch Americans practicing the kind of clan-based politics Italians know. Is he the brains of the family?

If Trump is impeached, then Pence becomes president, right? asked Liliane, a German lawyer. Would he be worse?

Brits, Italians and Germans all asked whether Trumps presidency would be over by the end of the year. I described the complexities of impeachment, and how unlikely it was that a Republican-controlled Congress would go there. I reminded them of Italys Silvio Berlusconi, who won three elections and governed for nine years despite prosecutors efforts to bring him down.

Our European friends absorption in all things Trump goes beyond mere gossip, of course. They have gnawing concerns about an increasingly disorderly world  one in which the president of the United States, instead of bolstering stability, often seems to be a disruptor.

It wasnt a scientific sample by any stretch. But our conversations mirrored a Pew global survey released last week which found that Trump is unpopular across much of the world and that his unpredictability has shaken confidence in the United States.

For half a century, Europeans got used to thinking of the United States as a stable cornerstone of world politics  not always sophisticated in their eyes, not always right, but reliably there. Now that were less reliable, theyre more nervous. If the United States is making the world less stable instead of more stable, were all in deep , Lalas husband, Carlo, said in fluent American.

They know all too well that Europe  politically divided, militarily weak and economically listless  cant fill the empty role of the missing superpower.

Europe could be strong if countries knew how to work together, but they dont, said Peter, a German yoga instructor. Nationalism gets in the way.

Trump may have had one positive effect on continental politics, as Europes wave of nationalist populism appears to have ebbed. Trump-style anti-immigrant populists lost ground in three major elections this year: the Netherlands in March, France in May and Britain in June. In France, Trump virtually endorsed populist candidate Marine LePen; she was trounced by the Obama-style Emmanuel Macron.

We have learned from your example, Liliane joked.

There may be a silver lining for Americans, too. Europeans who once resented our superpower status now express sympathy for our troubles  even nostalgia for American leadership.

Many Europeans condemned George W. Bush for invading Iraq. Then they pouted when Barack Obama, whom they liked better, made it clear he was more interested in Asia. Now they see a president who thinks alliances are a scam and doesnt put much stock in the U.S. treaty commitment to defend Europe.

Europeans have plenty of reasons to worry about their future. Islamist terrorism has accelerated with attacks in England, France and Belgium. The European Union is in danger of falling apart. Russia is meddling in their elections and corrupting some of their governments. They still havent solved their massive unemployment problem.

In earlier times of trouble, American presidents stepped in with reassurances that the United States wanted a Europe that was prosperous, strong and united. Trump says, instead, that he sees Europe as a competitor, not an ally, and that he prefers his competitors to be weak, poor and disunited.

Italian columnist Beppe Severgnini recently compared Trumps America to a straying husband, but suggested that hed come home.

Go ahead, have your affairs, he wrote. But dont forget: Youre married to us.

Perhaps he had forgotten that Trump is already on marriage No. 3  and that he views wedding vows and treaties as open to renegotiation, just like real estate contracts.

Most Americans dont pay nearly as much attention to European politics as my Italian, British and German friends pay to ours. There are too many countries, too many elections. And the details of European economic integration are mind-numbing.

But perhaps we should listen more closely to our European friends.

Theyve noticed that, under Trump, an important alliance  one that has kept their continent peaceful for 70 years  is in danger of slipping away through neglect. They see what theyre losing, and theyre worried. Shouldnt we be too?
So this week, Diary had a stark choice. Or at least a choice. Do we kick off with the considerable furore over Lord Grade, chairman of the Fundraising Regulator, whose gaffe-strewn performance on the BBC is still causing concern among fundraisers? Or do we kick off with a cute picture of a baby.

Its a bit of a trick question, as youve no doubt spotted, because youve already seen the picture of the baby, before you clicked on this article. And then theres the headline, which might have given it away, too.

Anyway, without further ado, lets crack on with explaining whose baby this is and why we care. If, indeed, you do.

#babyfundraiser

So our focus this week is the tale of #babyfundraiser, son of Lisa Clavering, senior digital fundraising manager at Anthony Nolan, currently on maternity leave with ten-week old who we will henceforth refer to as #mummyfundraiser. Despite his tender years, hes been tooling around the three day Institute of Fundraising Convention, gathering knowledge and studying case studies. Diary caught up with him to get his opinion on the key issues from #IoFFC.

Do fundraisers really need profound change as Sir Martyn Lewis has asserted?

Maybe. This one certainly profoundly needs to be changed. #mummyfundraiser rather cruelly suggested I had disgraced myself in one session.

What do you think is the best fundraising communications medium?

Just make a terrible racket and hope someone guesses what you need. How hard can it be?

How do fundraisers make sure we stay close to whats happening at the grassroots?

I have literally no choice. I can get no more than three or four inches off the ground.

Do you think we need to ask less often and less aggressively?

Depends. If you want milk, I would say no. Do whatever you need to get that beautiful warm white goodness. Trample over whoever gets in your way.

Can you explain how the Fundraising Preference Service will work?

I understand there is an easy-to-read guide online, readily accessible to anyone, whether or not they are about to be asked about it live on the BBC. Unfortunately that doesnt help me. I cant read.

DDCMS

So the Department for Culture, Media and Sport  parent department of the Office for Civil Society  has turned into the Department for Digital, Culture Media and Sport.

Now, Diary has spotted five things that it wants to take issue with here, on a mixture of technical levels.

First, digital is not a noun. Government departments only have nouns in their names. Second, wheres the comma? Culture media? Bizarrely, its there in the press release but missing in the logo.

Diary would go on about this, but Twitter has really pretty thoroughly got on the governments case about these. They are annoying, on a number of technical levels, breaking grammatical, semantic and punctuational norms. But lets move on.

Third, whats with the random capitalisation? Why do Arts, the Creative Industries and Gambling, among many others, get capital letters, but civil society, charities and volunteering do not? Is this some kind of subtle hierarchy of importance by capitalisation?

(Diary would like to stop here and talk to the sector about this, too. Theres an increasing habit to stick capital letters on words we think are important. Charities keep writing about how the Trustees did this and the Board did that. They keep writing about how someone is the Director of Fundraising and Communications. But thats not how it works. You cant give something a capital letter just because you want people to notice it. Job titles are not names, theyre titles. They dont get capitalised. Unless youre of noble birth, in which case we might make an exception. Are you of noble birth? No. I thought not. If its not a name  a set of words which can be used to describe a person or place or other entity, and which is in some way unique to that person or place or whatever  it doesnt get a capital letter. It just doesnt. Cut it out.)

Anyway, onto our final point, which is that at least one fifth of the people in the DDCMS work on the charity sector. Which is to say, it dedicates at least as much of its departmental time to the sector as it does to at least one of the four things in its name. So why arent charities in the name? Why dont they even merit a capital letter in your bizarre we only capitalise things that are important press release? This is discrimination, no doubt about it.

While we're on it, what about the gamblers, too. Why have they been left anonymous?

This DDCMS thing is suspicious, as well. It suggests to be that the department is lining up behind David Davis for a leadership bid.

After all, that Its DD for me thing worked so well last time. *

In the interests of completeness we're calling for the department to be called the Department for Digital Technology, Arts, Culture, Civil Society, the Creative Industries, Gambling, Heritage, Tourism, Media, Volunteering and Sport, or DDTACCCGHTMVS for short.

Sex robots

Finally, Diary would like to draw your attention to this frankly unimprovable headline from the Birmingham Mail: Sex robots condemned by furious Salvation Army.

What this has to do with Birmingham in particular, Diary has no idea. But no matter. The world is a better place for that headline.

Whether the world is a better place for the existence of sex robots themselves is anyones guess, although Diary feels that what a consenting man and, er, disembodied animatronic head get up to in the privacy of their own home is entirely their own business.

* Turns out it's actually still going to be known as DCMS.
Fundraisers are one dedicated bunch. A warm summer breeze rippled the pond by the terrace area of the Barbican as the fountains twinkled in the glorious London sun. But where were the fundraisers? Hunkered down in concrete seminar bunkers learning their craft.

From 9.15am to 5.30pm, for three days, thirsting for knowledge. Like a juggernaut of inspiration, the annual Institute of Fundraising Convention had pulled into town. It really was a lot of fundraising to take in. So, as it's Friday, let's settle in and get us some takeaways from this year's fundraising feast.

GDPR is coming and no amount of Brexit is going to stop it

It's on its way - the General Data Protection Regulation  and the fact that we are leaving the EU makes not a French doily of a difference. Penny Bygrave, senior associate with Bircham Dyson Bell, underscored the intention of the Information Commissioner's Office to impose fines for breaches in data protection once the new rules around consent and legitimate interest come into force next May. "If you cannot evidence clear compliance, you will be fined," she said during a panel discussion on the subject. "There is not much time left to make sure you are prepared." So, time to get those data ducks in a row.

Diversity rules (we're just not very good at it yet)

Fundraising painfully lacks diversity and we need to encourage a culture of inclusivity that helps attract talented people from all communities. But conscious efforts to increase diversity within the sector have to be authentic at all levels to get any kind of real traction. Luckily, some people in the sector are addressing this. A panel discussion organised by one of the founders of Charity Women, Lizzi Hollis, took a look at how the sector can attract people from BAME, LGBT communities, as well as across gender and physical abilities. "We are entirely missing out on a variety of skills and experiences, if we do not bring more people from diverse backgrounds into the industry," said one of the panellists, fundraising consultant and trainer Carol Akiwumi. "We must also look to attract more bright young men to the sector or we will be simply replacing a white male order with a white female one."

Facebook Live and Facebook Donate are about to rock your world

One of the most disruptive sessions on the Monday (disruptive as in markets, rather than in knocking over tables and screaming) was on fundraising lessons from overseas by the guys at digital agency Open. The key takeaway from this session was the impact Facebook Live and the integrated Donate function has had on fundraising campaigns in the US. Due to become available in the UK next year, the technology was used in a telethon to raise money for the American Civil Liberties Union. It was the first major telethon to be broadcast using Facebook Live and the first telethon that used the new Facebook Donate functionality. "These features are going to be a game changer for fundraising in this country," said Paul de Gregario, Open's director of digital engagement. "I urge you all to read about it and learn about it because it is going to change your world." There, you've been told.

Cleve Jones is literally the coolest man on earth

All the plenaries this year were very good. Jon Snow: down to earth, straight-talking, remarkably involved in the sector. Kanya King: inspirational role model, committed pioneer and visionary. But it was a savvy piece of programming to put Cleve Jones at lunchtime on the middle day of the fundraising fest. He was never a fundraiser, but he is an outstanding political and social activist who has effected real change to improve the rights of the LGBT community and campaigned tirelessly to raise awareness of the plight of people living with AIDS. During a time when it can feel like we are beset on all sides by the inequities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men, it is a salve to the wounds to hear a story of a person who never gave up and stayed entirely committed to making the world a better place. "The fight goes on" saw him get a standing ovation in the Barbican main hall.

#proudfundraiser

It is not often that journos give out compliments, so Peter Lewis should enjoy this rare slip of countenance, but the IoF CEO's staunch defence of the fundraising community during his address on Tuesday was timely and provided a much needed boost to morale. Following comments in the mainstream media by the Fundraising Regulator's Chair Lord Grade, calling fundraisers "cowboys and rogues" and charities "laggards", there was a heady sense of injustice hanging over the convention. Lewis took the moment to reboot the #proudfundraiser campaign and reiterate to the audience the importance of the work they do. The profession has come a long way in 18 months and real change is happening now. You should be proud of this.
On the latest episode of The Kicker, we run through some of the weeks biggest media stories, including Al Jazeera getting caught in an international diplomatic crisis, Fox Sportss embrace of pivot to video, and the legwork that went into capturing Chris Christies day at the beach. Then, we move on to CNNs controversial decision to identify, but not name, the creator of a video that President Donald Trump tweeted out over the holiday weekend. The article in question stirred up lots of chatter over what stories are newsworthy and whether CNN was implicitly threatening a private citizen with exposure. Finally, Dave talks with Dave Mistich, digital managing editor of 100 Days in Appalachia, about covering Trump country without stereotypes or tokenism.

Subscribe via iTunes  Stitcher  RSS Feed  SoundCloud



SHOW NOTES:

Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today

David Uberti and Pete Vernon are CJR staff members. Uberti is a staff writer and Senior Delacorte Fellow and can be followed on Twitter @DavidUberti. Vernon is a CJR Delacorte Fellow and can be followed on Twitter @ByPeteVernon.
JULIE ANN GRIMM was at an annual convention of alternative news organizations last year when it struck her: Why not start a nonprofit?

Grimm had just been named publisher of the Santa Fe Reporter, the self-described scrappy alternative weekly paper that she had edited since 2013. And she was already thinking about ways to do more and better journalism with a small staff and a tight budget when she heard Chris Faraone talk about creating the Boston Institute for Nonprofit Journalism. (Faraone wrote about his project for CJR back in 2013.)

This summer, Grimm launched the New Mexico Fund for Public Interest Journalism, whose goal is to produce longform stories on topics of social justice and environmental, economic and community health.

More than half of commercial media organizations are collaborating in some way with nonprofit community organizations, foundations or news outlets, according to a 2016 survey by the American Press Institute. Since the 2016 election, nonprofit groups like the Center for Public Integrity, the Marshall Project and ProPublica have seen donations balloon.

Meanwhile, many alternative papers (and websites) are fighting harder than ever for a share of dwindling ad budgets and battling more established daily papers that have bigger staffs. Weeklies remain committed to time-consuming longform journalism in an era of push notifications and listicles. The ascent of nonprofit journalism has inspired several alternative weeklies to explore new streams of revenue to fund ambitious, innovative reporting projects.

BINJ Reading

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BASICALLY, I WANTED TO create a miniature ProPublica, a collaborative, free-floating incubator that would be a Make-A-Wish Foundation for all of these news outlets to help them do what they couldnt afford to do, says Faraone, who is also the contagiously enthusiastic editor and co-publisher of the alt-weekly DigBoston.

Faraones model is simple: pay freelancers to produce news stories and columns that are distributed through independent, ethnic, alternative and community news outlets.

For example, the Boston Institute for Nonprofit Journalism (they call it BINJ) paid a reporter to spend months investigating the inequities of the liquor license system in Boston. The result was two-part, 5,000-word deep dive that ran in DigBoston but also in the states largest Spanish language paper, El Planeta. Then BINJ created localized sidebars tailored to small community papers.

Weve done everything from concerts to comedy shows. Its really about throwing shit at the wall.

Some of the funding for the project came from a nonprofit community development organization that had lobbied for fairness in liquor licenses so that minority restaurant owners could have a better shot at them. The stories incorporated some data the development group, Epicenter Community, had gathered from liquor license hearings. After they were published, BINJ co-hosted a public discussion of the topic with representatives from Epicenter.

They sponsored the event for $5,000 and we wear that on our sleeves, Faraone says. Hes perfectly comfortable taking money from groups that have a direct interest in the coverage, and he insists that transparency removes any odor of impropriety. Of course the topics tend to fit with the progressive perspective of alternative news media, and the advocacy groups they work with are largely liberal, too.

Faraone has been very willing to experiment with ways to raise money. We have like 20 different streams of revenue, he says. Weve done everything from concerts to comedy shows. Its really about throwing shit at the wall.

BINJ also brings in cash from sponsorships and from subscriptions on Medium, but the bulk of its early funding has been from foundations. For Faraone, thats the stuff that sticks.

Thinking Big in Little Rock

ATTRACTING FOUNDATION MONEY was also a lure for the editor of the Arkansas Times, Lindsey Millar. In order to do the kind of journalism his community needed, Millar realized, his free paper would have to raise more money than it could bring in with advertising alone.

Like any small news team we struggle to do the kind of public service, deep investigative work that everybody wants to do, Millar says. This came to a head several years ago when there was a big oil spill down the road from us. There were all sorts of stories that required a lot of time and being on the scene, and we didnt have the resources to do it.

For it to work, you had to know that Ark Times wasnt bringing in a lot of money, that we really needed the money to do the work.

His solution was to partner with an environmental nonprofit. Through crowdfunding and a grant from the Fund for Investigative Journalism, the Arkansas Times and its nonprofit partner raised about $36,000enough to bring an Inside Climate News reporter to Arkansas.

The journalism that we put out was really strong and well-received, Millar says. I was like, Damn! This needs to be part of our model!

Over the next three years, Millar raised about $90,000 for a variety of reporting projects. Because the Arkansas Times is a commercial enterprise, most of the money was routed to writers through local nonprofits.

Despite his fundraising success, Millar came to realize that its growth potential was limited. In order to attract bigger donorswho were less likely to be intimately familiar with the Times shoestring budgetMillar knew he needed to start a nonprofit.

For it to work, you had to know that Ark Times wasnt bringing in a lot of money, that we really needed the money to do the work. Once you got outside sympathetic donors, people just didnt trust you, he explains. People were like, I dont understand. This is weird.

So Millar created the Arkansas Nonprofit News Network (ANNN), which raises money from foundations, grants and some advocacy groups to bring talented reporters from outside Arkansas to work intensively on stories that move the needle. His next project is a year-long series written by a former Arkansas Times reporter, who came back to the state to spend 10 days of concentrated reporting that he will flesh out from afar over the coming months.

Those stories will be distributed free to newspapers, TV stations and other partners throughout the state. And every ANNN cover story the Arkansas Times runs frees up staff writers to focus on their regular beats, pumping more content into the pipeline.

Santa Fe Style

THIS IS THE SAME resource problem faced by Julie Ann Grimm in Santa Fe, and by many other alternative weekly newspapers who have struggled in the era of digital disruption. The Santa Fe Reporter has two staff writers who cover local news and write weekly cover stories that stretch to 4,000 wordswhich doesnt leave Grimm much flexibility to divert them to other long-term projects.

The Reporter is part of a small chain of alt-weeklies that includes Willamette Week, which last year launched its own WW Fund for Investigative Journalism with the Tides Foundation. Grimm has studied the WW Fund and other like-minded projects and adopted some of their plans and goals, tailored to Santa Fes unique environment. Its a small city with a population divided between the very rich and the very poor.

When I heard about these nonprofit models, it got my wheels turning about how many people there are in Santa Fe who value philanthropy and believe you need to support things you believe in, she says.

One of the areas she wants to focus on is criminal justice, a topic that her audience is interested in, but one that requires a significant investment of time and effort, particularly when wresting public records from law enforcement agencies.

People think of a nonprofit as having a charitable purpose, a public service. Well, journalism has always been a public service.

For example: Grimm wants to hire reporters on contract to look at police response times, do a data analysis and write about the consequences for residents. Such a story would run first in the Reporter, but also be offered free to other outlets. She hasnt raised much money so far but she is negotiating partnerships with news organizations that can magnify the reach of those stories, including talks with the NPR and PBS affiliates.

Part of Grimms intention is to make sure that the work produced by the nonprofit is seen by people who may not ordinarily seek it out.

We are a free newspaper and website and we want to make sure that the journalism produced by the Fund crosses the technology divide, so it doesnt just reach people online, but people here who see the paper while theyre waiting for the bus to go to work, she says.

If the nonprofit is successful, in Grimms view, it would have a steady funding stream that could support a permanent project editor, endowed positions to cover specific beats and stipends for college interns. It could also help pay to fight for access to public records. (The Reporter just finished a trial in its press freedom lawsuit against the governor.)

The New Mexico Fund for Public Interest Journalism had a slow, soft launch. Grimm says shes OK with that.

Were trying to be humble and be reasonable, she says. Ive been advised to think bigger, but its hard to know how people will respond.

Grimm has faced questions about why a commercial paper would try to raise money for journalism by creating a nonprofit. And she has a ready response. People think of a nonprofit as having a charitable purpose, a public service. Well, journalism has always been a public service, she says. You could argue that every bit of journalism we do has a charitable purpose.

Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today

Gwyneth Doland is a multimedia journalist covering news, politics and culture in New Mexico. A former executive director of the New Mexico Foundation for Open Government, she is the author of the 2012 and 2015 State Integrity reports for the Center for Public Integrity. She teaches writing, media law and ethics at the University of New Mexico.




If you can't read my code, try converting it here[^] Bastard Programmer from Hell







Depending on what your app is doing, you really wouldn't store the images in the database, but you would store all the metadata for that image, including a path to the actual image file, which you store on disk in a well-known location somewhere.





A guide to posting questions on CodeProject



Click this:

Seriously, do it.



Dave Kreskowiak System.ItDidntWorkException: Something didn't work as expected.Click this: Asking questions is a skill Seriously, do it.



A VB.NET 2010 desktop application is being setup to use Access 2013 and Access 2016 as the database on a new workstation.

The workstation is setup with Windows 10 and office 2016. The application runs for awhile and then the following error occurs:

The 'Microsoft.ACE.OLEDB.12.0' provider is not registered on the local machine.



I have seen that there are some links on the internet of saying that the problem is, however none of them are like my situation.

Here is a link that is similar but in refers to share point:

"https://www.layer2solutions.com/en/community/FAQs/BDLC/Pages/How-to-access-office-2010-data-from-sharepoint.aspx".



Thus can you tell me what I can do to solve my problem?



Please help me when I m printing through following codes it prints in Chinese instead of Arabic



======================================= ' Print heading line. With .Font .Name = "Arial Unicode MS" .Size = 11 .Underline = False End With .PrintLine Utf8BytesFromString(TextLine) ' Join$(ParseCSV(TextLine), vbTab) ============================= Private Declare Function WideCharToMultiByte Lib " kernel32" ( _ ByVal CodePage As Long, _ ByVal dwFlags As Long, _ ByVal lpWideCharStr As Long, _ ByVal cchWideChar As Long, _ ByVal lpMultiByteStr As Long, _ ByVal cbMultiByte As Long, _ ByVal lpDefaultChar As Long, _ ByVal lpUsedDefaultChar As Long) As Long ' CodePage constant for UTF-8 Private Const CP_UTF8 = 65001 ' ' ' Return byte array with VBA " Unicode" string encoded in UTF-8 Public Function Utf8BytesFromString(strInput As String ) As Byte () Dim nBytes As Long Dim abBuffer() As Byte ' Get length in bytes *including* terminating null nBytes = WideCharToMultiByte(CP_UTF8, 0&, ByVal StrPtr(strInput), -1, vbNull, 0&, 0&, 0&) ' We don ' t want the terminating null in our byte array, so ask for `nBytes-1` bytes ReDim abBuffer(nBytes - 2) ' NB ReDim with one less byte than you need nBytes = WideCharToMultiByte(CP_UTF8, 0&, ByVal StrPtr(strInput), -1, ByVal VarPtr(abBuffer( 0 )), nBytes - 1 , 0&, 0&) Utf8BytesFromString = abBuffer End Function



Hi,



I need some help wilt listviewgroups.

How can I find the group that I click/dblclick.

I tryed with Private Sub ListViewCollapsible1_MouseDown(sender As Object , e As MouseEventArgs) Handles ListViewCollapsible1.MouseDown Dim lv As ListViewCollapsible = sender Dim lvi As ListViewItem = lv.HitTest(e.X, e.Y).Item If lvi Is Nothing Then For n = 0 To (lv.Font.Size * 2 ) Dim ht As ListViewHitTestInfo = lv.HitTest(e.X, e.Y + n) If ht.Item IsNot Nothing Then Dim g As ListViewGroup = ht.Item.Group Dim gs As New ListViewGroupState Dim sTag As String = g.Tag & " " If sTag.Contains( " collapsed" ) Then lv.SetGroupState(ListViewGroupState.Normal, ht.Item.Group) ht.Item.Group.Tag = " Collapsed" Else lv.SetGroupState(ListViewGroupState.Collapsed, ht.Item.Group) ht.Item.Group.Tag = " " End If Exit For End If Next End If End Sub but when the group is collapsed the code find nothing

How can I add an icon to a group?

I added an imagelist but groups don't have an imageindex. Jan





I was working with an convert from C#



what was working except the questions above but forgot 1 line

lvLijst.SetGroupState(ListViewGroupState.Collapsible)



I was trying to reset or clear Cookie values, not the entire cookie for which I am setting. So the issue is when I try to process the transaction on Page 1 and go to the Page 2 and come back to Page 1 it is good ( for the first time) but however when again I try to make some changes in Page 1 and go to the Page 2 and come back to Page 1 it is showing me the first selected values. The issue is the cookie values are not getting cleared (after the first time) or getting reset for the second transaction (second time). There are two different methods are being called Page_Load and SavePage so Next button will trigger SavePage method and when I try to come back to Page 1 Page_load is getting fired. The code I used in the both methods are. Can anyone please help me resetting the cookie values or clearing the cookie values for the first after setting. Thanks. Page_Load Method blnCSRVerify = CBool(If(chkCSRVerify.Checked = True, 1 , 0 )) blnCustomerDecline = CBool(If(chkCustomerDecline.Checked = True, 1 , 0 )) If CustomerCookie.IsCSRVerify Then chkCSRVerify.Checked = True End If If CustomerCookie.IsCustomerDecline Then chkCustomerDecline.Checked = True End If If CustomerCookie.IsSurrenderCredentials <> const_DefaultValForSurrCred Then If CBool(CustomerCookie.IsSurrenderCredentials) OrElse CBool(optlstVerification.YesSelected) Then optlstVerification.SelectedValue = CStr( 1 ) Else optlstVerification.SelectedValue = CStr( 0 ) End If End If SavePage() Dim blnCSRVerify As Boolean = False Dim blnCustomerDecline As Boolean = False blnCSRVerify = CBool(If(chkCSRVerify.Checked = True, 1 , 0 )) blnCustomerDecline = CBool(If(chkCustomerDecline.Checked = True, 1 , 0 )) Dim objContext As HttpContext = HttpContext.Current Dim objCustomerCookie As HttpCookie = objContext.Request.Cookies( " StarsCustomer" ) If blnCSRVerify Then objCustomerCookie.Values.Set( " CSR_Verify" , CStr(blnCSRVerify)) End If If blnCustomerDecline Then objCustomerCookie.Values.Set( " CustomerDecline" , CStr(blnCustomerDecline)) End If objCustomerCookie.Values.Set( " SurrenderCredentials" , optlstVerification.SelectedValue.ToString) objContext.Response.Cookies.Add(objCustomerCookie)





The HttpContext.Request.Cookie is what's come from client. It will not be automatically sent back to client.



Try changing the value in HttpContext.Current.Response.Cookies collection and set the value. The changed value should be reflected in subsequent request.



Hi! this is Hamza Arshad. i'm facing a problem with visual basic. Cannot insert explicit value for identity column in table 'Student' When IDENTITY_INSERT is set to OFF.

This is the error. Can anyone help me fix this please. Thanks



IDENTITY column. Your code is trying to insert an explicit value into that column. You cannot do that.



The solution is simple: don't include the IDENTITY column in your INSERT statement. SQL will assign the next available value, which you can retrieve by using the SCOPE_IDENTITY function.



IDENTITY (Property) (Transact-SQL) | Microsoft Docs[^]

SCOPE_IDENTITY (Transact-SQL) | Microsoft Docs[^]





"These people looked deep within my soul and assigned me a number based on the order in which I joined."

- Homer











Even if you think you're not inserting a value in the IDENTITY column, the error message very clearly tells you that you are .





"These people looked deep within my soul and assigned me a number based on the order in which I joined."

- Homer







Hi,

I'm downloading a large file (+330mb) and getting a memory error ( Not enough storage is available to complete this operation. ) when I assign the response to a byte array (works fine with smaller files <300mb).

I thought I would have been able to download up to 2gb files, so don't know why the error happens.

I have 4gb of memory on my PC and I'm using VB6 under Windows 7.



The arror occurs when I assign the response to the byte array (variable name 'bytFile')



The code is as follows:



Public Function Downloadfile(ByVal vstrName As String ) As Boolean On Error GoTo Handler Dim bytFile() As Byte Dim objADO As ADODB.Stream gstrURL = " https://...URL..../" vstrName = " LargeFile.zip" gstrProxyIP = " 99.999.9.9:80" gstrUserID = " userid" gstrPassword = " password" gstrZipPath = " d:\" gstrFile = " LocalSavedFile.zip " Set greqPFA = New WinHttp.WinHttpRequest greqPFA.SetProxy 2, gstrProxyIP greqPFA.SetTimeouts 500000, 500000, 500000, 500000 greqPFA.Open " GET " , gstrURL & vstrName, False greqPFA.SetCredentials gstrUserID, gstrPassword, 0 greqPFA.SetRequestHeader " Content-Type " , " text/html; charset=UTF-8 " greqPFA.Send bytFile = greqPFA.ResponseBody Set greqPFA = Nothing Set objADO = New ADODB.Stream objADO.Type = adTypeBinary objADO.Open objADO.Write bytFile objADO.SaveToFile gstrZipPath & gstrFile, SaveOptionsEnum.adSaveCreateOverWrite objADO.Close Set objADO = Nothing Downloadfile = True Exit Function Handler: Downloadfile = False End Function



Any thoughts?



Member 13286611 wrote: Any thoughts? Yes. You should upgrade to VB.NET, as VB6 is no longer supported.



There is also no reason not to. VB.NET is available for free, and would work happily with Win7.



If you can't read my code, try converting it here[^] Bastard Programmer from Hell



how to add check box in datagrid in VB 6 . 0







If you can't read my code, try converting it here[^] Bastard Programmer from Hell



Hello guys .....i am actually new to VB and am trying to create a system which must be used by teachers to grade pupils marks that is if a teacher imputs a mark in the system it must show whetehr the mark grade is an A GRADE OR B GRADE , OR U GRADE so ........can you help me ASAP



I an running Windows 10 Home edition on a 64-bit machine with 16gb of memory. Windows Build version 1703 Build # 15063.413



On Jun 15-16 a notification popped up on my screen indicating that Windows need to do some prep work for the upcoming Windows Creator update. I responded affirmatively and there after Windows installed an update which took several hours.



Now all of a sudden Visual Studio 2010 has started crashing when loading a solution/project or executing a project.

This does not happen every time. Also Visual Studio seems to take longer to load and when building/compiling a project it seems to take a lot longer.



I reinstalled Visual Studio 2010 but that did not seem to help.



Has anyone experienced similar problems?



hello everyone.

i need some help, i have a problem on my project in my Visual basic 6.0 like this

run-time error '-2147467259 (80004005)': [Mysql] [ODBC.51 driver] [mysqld-5.6.0] no database selected





Never underestimate the power of human stupidity

RAH



Member 13265037 wrote: no database selected There is a clue in that message.


The world of financial products and services has evolved rapidly in the last two decades. What worked for consumers in 1997 or 2007 just doesnt measure up to what they expect in 2017. Bank and credit union marketing professionals must always strive to to learn, evolve and keep up with this dizzying change of pace.

However, with change often comes great opportunity. With that in mind, we quizzed Nick Cray, VP of Member Relations and Marketing at AmeriCU (Rome, NY; $1.5 billion assets; 122,000 members). Nick, a long-time veteran of marketing and consumer experience within banks and credit unions offers the following big three opportunities facing financial institution markers today:

1) Differentiating credit unions. We see it all the time in industry research- people just dont know what a credit union is. Even on a micro level, I cant say how often I hear So, you have to be, like, in the military to join? One large issue facing credit unions is simply explaining to potential members who we are and building awareness of the industry as a whole.
Talking Points:

- Technical structure for DXY Index remains bearish, but fundamentally, the US Dollar may be closer to a bottom.

- Data ahead of the June US NFP report tomorrow has disappointed; ADP and the ISM Services Employment subindex both were weaker.

- The retail crowd remains net-short AUD/USD, EUR/USD, GBP/USD, although a flip to net-short may be on the horizon in USD/JPY - a bullish sign.

See the full DailyFX Webinar Calendar for all upcoming strategy sessions.

Ahead of the June US Nonfarm Payrolls report tomorrow, the US Dollar continues to weaken as leading labor market indicators have turned up somewhat disappointing. The June US ADP Employment report, which moves contemporaneously with the headline NFP figure, missed expectations at +158K earlier, while the June US ISM Services report showed a slower pace of jobs growth in the economy's largest sector.

Overall, the data fit in with the trend of generally disappointing figures for the US economy. The US Citi Economic Surprise Index, a measure of data momentum, currently sits near its lowest level in six years.

Beyond the data, it seems that "Murphy's Law" applies here: what can go wrong has gone wrong. Monetary policy? Markets don't believe the Fed even as it sends strong signals about another rate hike this year; markets are pricing in March 2018 as the most likely period for the next rate hike. Fiscal policy? Legislation for neither healthcare reform nor tax reform looks like it will materialize any time soon.

Amid these developments, one USD-pair has stood clear from the others: USD/JPY. Even as the British Pound and the Euro have rallied back versus the US Dollar, the Japanese Yen remains sidelined. The source may be rising US Treasury yields.

Over the past three weeks, while the US 10-year yield has increased by around 20-bps, USD/JPY has rallied about +450-pips. Concurrently, Gold, which tracks both the Yen and US yields, has broken through support from the January, March, and May 2017 swing lows. Now that expectations for the June NFP report have been tempered after today's disappointing ADP and ISM Services data, any positive aspects of the labor report could be amplified (beating downtrodden expectations) and in turn, push US yields - and USD/JPY - higher yet.

See the above video for technical considerations in EUR/USD, GBP/USD, USD/JPY, Gold, US Treasury yields, Crude Oil, and the DXY Index.

Read more: Webinar: Central Bank Weekly: US Dollar Awaits NFPs; Hawks Circle at BOE, ECB

--- Written by Christopher Vecchio, Senior Currency Strategist

To contact Christopher Vecchio, e-mail cvecchio@dailyfx.com

Follow him on Twitter at @CVecchioFX

To be added to Christophers e-mail distribution list, please fill out this form

View our long-term forecasts in the DailyFX Trading Guides.
President Donald Trump said back in January it would never happen, but it did. North Korea successfully launched an intercontinental ballistic missile, meaning it could maybe someday hit the West Coast with a nuclear weapon. Here is a major concern demanding answers, and here is one thing that will not work.

That would be for Trump to send North Korean leader Kim Jong Un a video in which the president grabs him, throws him to the ground and starts punching him in the face.

Trumps juvenile foray against CNNs juveniles may seem irrelevant, a trivialization of a dead-serious issue. But thats what Trump has been up to too much lately: trivializing, trading confidence in his presidency for pettiness.

Can he rise above that? He better, and he has in fact made good moves. One of the best early on in his presidency was to establish what seemed a good relationship with Chinese President Xi Jinping. China is North Koreas biggest trading partner, has already hurt that nation with a coal boycott and could crush it practically overnight with enough similar measures. Through them, there could be peaceful nuclear disarmament, and the world could be a safer place.

But while it has been saying mostly the right things, China has done little, probably because it fears an eventual union of South and North Korea with the U.S. military sitting near its border. Trump has expressed disappointment even as his administration has taken some steps encouraging China to act. It is, for instance, selling $1 billion worth of weapons to Taiwan, a nation of islands China figures on swallowing one of these days.

Other Korean options are not pretty, as experts inform us. We could have an all-out bombardment during which the North Koreans would likely kill millions in South Korea, not so cheap a price. Taking out Kim and his regime sounds like a good idea, but how? South Koreas president says a smaller U.S. military presence there could maybe make the North relax and step back some, but probably not. An Atlantic magazine writer says the best of all the bad options would be simply to live with the risk, doing all we can to improve our missile defense. I dont think so.

I think the best course is to bring China around, and for two reasons. One is that even if a shattered economy does not change North Koreas attitudes, it could very well destroy the countrys ability to act on them. The second is that China is emerging as a superpower, and if we do not learn to work with the Chinese in a realistic, practical fashion, the consequences could be calamitous. The New York Times recently reviewed two books saying a U.S.-China war could be a real possibility at some point, and such a war could be world-crushing.

While there might be some advantage for China in letting North Korea further develop its nuclear capacities, the possibilities of disruptive hurt are hardly negligible. The United States would do well to be stern on some issues while seeking out means of mutually beneficial cooperation. It would make sense to try to return to something like the Obama administrations Asian trade pact to further invigorate our economy and help better balance power in Asia.

As much as some hate to admit it, Trump has his virtues, but tweets are not one of them. The more he looks like a tasteless, vindictive, small-minded, self-obsessed president, the less effective he will be. The world, not so unexpectedly, is a mess, and we need him to use his virtues to make it less of one.

I am sure no video of Kim was ever planned, but any such video breeds trepidation that whacks effective action as much as fists whack the guy on the floor. What we need soon is another sit-down session with Xi, Mr. President.
United Internet AG, through its subsidiaries, operates as an Internet service provider. The company operates through Consumer Access, Business Access, Consumer Applications, and Business Applications segments. It offers landline-based broadband and mobile internet products, including home networks, online storage, telephony, and IPTV for private users; and telecommunication products ranging from fiber-optic direct connections to tailored ICT solutions, which include voice, data, and network solutions, as well as infrastructure services to national and international carriers and ISPs. The company also provides ad-financed and fee-based application products for consumer and business customers, including domains, websites, web hosting, servers, cloud solutions, and e-shops; personal information management applications, such as email, to-do lists, appointments, and addresses; and group works, online storage, and office software. It offers its access products through the yourfone, smartmobile.de, 1&1, and 1&1 versatel brands; and applications through GMX, mail.com, WEB.DE, home.pl, Arsys, STRATO, IONOS, Fasthosts, InterNetX, united-domains, and World4You brand names. In addition, the company offers customers professional services in the fields of active domain management under the Sedo brand; and online advertising services under the United Internet Media brand name. It has operations in Germany, the United States, the United Kingdom, Spain, France, Poland, Italy, Austria, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Canada, and Mexico. The company was founded in 1988 and is headquartered in Montabaur, Germany.
Following the Trump administration's decision to withdraw the U.S. from the Paris climate agreement, supporters of the agreement stressed that state and local governments would need to take a leadership role in reducing our country's greenhouse gas emissions. And states and municipalities are stepping up.

In early June, nearly 340 U.S. mayors (including La Crosse's Mayor Tim Kabat) signed a letter pledging to "honor and uphold the commitments to the goals enshrined in the Paris Agreement."

Around the same time, several states formed the U.S. Climate Alliance, an effort to bring states together to meet the emissions reductions agreed to in the Paris Agreement. Twelve states -- including our neighbor, Minnesota -- and the territory of Puerto Rico have joined the alliance. Our state representative, Jill Billings, co-authored a letter to Gov. Scott Walker, urging Wisconsin to join the Climate Alliance and to commit to "implementing a state-based plan to fight climate change." The letter was also signed by state Sen. Jennifer Shilling and Rep. Steve Doyle.

Wisconsin has a history of leadership in valuing and conserving our natural resources. These resources and our health are now threatened by climate change and the fossil fuel use driving it.

If you would like Wisconsin to address climate change and continue our tradition of conservation leadership, tell Gov. Walker that our state should join the U.S. Climate Alliance. Momentum for climate action and a clean energy future is building. It's time for Wisconsin leaders to get on board!
Tata Group and Bharti Enterprises are reportedly holding talks over a potential mega merger which would see them combine their telecom, submarine cable, TV and enterprise offerings.

The suggested deal would merge Bharti Airtel with Tata Communications, Tata Sky and Tata Teleservices, adding Tatas collective 53 million mobile subscribers to Airtels 280 million. In addition, Airtel would also have Tatas coveted 800MHz 4G bandwidth at its disposal.

The proposed deal would underline the Indian markets shift towards consolidation, reducing the number of smaller players to strengthen the position of the three largest, which would be Bharti (combined with Tata), Vodafone-Idea (following the merger of these players) and newcomer Reliance Jio. Airtel is also acquiring Telenors Indian unit, having agreed a deal in February that is expected to close within the next year.

Tata would also benefit significantly, as its telecoms arm has been operating at a loss and has incurred debts of roughly INR300 billion ($4.6 billion). The group has reportedly been keen to exit the telecoms sector entirely for several years, having previous held discussions with Vodafone over a potential buy.

However, an unnamed executive from a rival telecoms firm told Indias Economic Times that Tatas debt represented a hurdle, saying: Any buyer of Tata Tele would also extract the best value and insist all liabilities are paid up.

Tatas debt is not the only factor that could present a challenge to a merger. The firm holds a minority stake in the Indian subsidiary of American Tower Corporation, which is a direct competitor to Airtels tower unit, Bharti Infratel. In addition, Tata Teleservices has a unit listed in the Mumbai telecom circle that it would need to delist before a merger could be approved, while Tata Sky has external investors including 21st Century Fox.

Neither Bharti Enterprises nor Tata Group has issued an official statement on the status of their discussions or the potential merger.

Reliance Jios market entry last September has prompted rapid consolidation in India, with Vodafone and Idea confirming a merger this year, while Reliance Communications is on track to merge with Aircel by the end of the year. RCom is reportedly also discussing a merger with Tata Teleservices, meaning it could be involved in any future deal between Tata and Bharti.
British luxury brand Mulberry Group signed an agreement with Japanese entity Onward Global Fashion Co ., it announced on Friday, to form a new 50:50 joint venture to operate in the country.

The AIM-traded firm said the new company - Mulberry Japan - would be headquartered in Tokyo, and develop the groups retail, digital, omni-channel and wholesale business in the Japanese market.

It said Mulberry and Onward Global Fashion - itself a wholly-owned subsidiary of Tokyo-listed Onward Holdings - would be equal partners, each owning 50% of the share capital of Mulberry Japan.

"I am pleased to announce our partnership with OGF in Japan, a market where we see significant growth opportunity for Mulberry, said chief executive Thierry Andretta.

In OGF we have a partner which has extensive luxury goods experience and a robust infrastructure which will enable us to advance our international retail and omni-channel strategy in this key market.

The two companies would invest a total of 2.8m (JPY 400m) in the new company, providing funds to develop the distribution network and build the Mulberry brands presence in the country.

Mulberry said the new Japan venture would benefit from its digital and brand-building expertise, along with Onward Global Fashions experience in distributing luxury brands in that market.

It also claimed the joint venture would advance its strategy of directly participating in key international luxury markets, while continuing to refine its position in the UK.
Chinese President Xi Jinping took a jab at the US for retreating from globalization, highlighting tensions before a meeting of world leaders divided over everything from trade to how to handle North Koreas provocations.

Jinping slammed unnamed developed countries for fueling geopolitical risks through calls to reverse globalization and for protectionism.

Speaking in Hamburg, at the most highly-anticipated summit of G20 nations in years, Jinping professed, according to Bloomberg, that: "Major developed countries have significantly backtracked positions on trade, climate change and other issues."

Following that, ahead of a meeting with fellow leaders from the so-called BRICS group of major developing nations, which includes Brazil, Russia, India and China, Jinping said those developments affect the BRICS nations and called on them to coordinate and "speak in one voice to steer the world economy in right direction".

His remarks underscored the difficult task facing German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who was chairing the two day G-20 summit.

Frictions between the US and Russia were also in the spotlight ahead of a meeting between their two presidents later on Friday, Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin.

Among the issues affecting relations between the two nations were the sanctions on Russia, halting North Korea's nuclear weapons program and managing frictions over Syria and Iran.

Indeed, for the first time in decades the US would be represented by a president who advocated protectionism.

Tensions were running high outside the summit too, amid reports of clashes between protesters and police. The authorities used water cannon on a group of approximately 1000 people who were attempting to march to the site of the summit.
US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin have had their first official meeting on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Hamburg.

Much of the talk in the lead-up to the meeting of the 20 most influential leaders in Germany had centred on the meeting between Trump and Putin, following allegations of interference from the Kremlin in last years US presidential election.

The two-day summit began on Friday amid protests across the German city with key issues to be discussed including climate change and trade.

Trump and Putin spoke briefly in public before making their way to a scheduled private meeting. Both men talked of increasing cooperation on common issues.

The two-day summit began on Friday amid protests across the German city

Trump told reporters: "We've had some very, very good talks. Were going to have a talk now and obviously that will continue. We look forward to a lot of very positive things happening for Russia and for the United States and for everyone concerned."

Putin added: "If you want to have a positive outcome in bilaterals and be able to resolve most international policy issues, that will really need personal meetings. Im delighted to be able to meet you personally, Mr President."

Another key figure in this weekends event is German chancellor and host Angela Merkel, who had been critical of Trumps isolationist policies, and said in her opening statement that compromise was the key.

"We know that time is short and therefore solutions very often can only be found if we are ready to compromise and work together without bending over backwards too much because, of course, we can express different views on some issues," Merkel said.
The Confederation of British Industry has called on Theresa Mays government to keep the UK in the EU single market until a Brexit deal has come into force.

Britains negotiating team is currently in discussions with its European counterparts to discuss the exit deal following last years referendum.

May has said that the UK will most likely relinquish access to the single market and customs union, but the CBI said on Thursday that should not happen until the new deal is in place.

In a speech at the London School of Economics on Thursday, the CBIs director general Carolyn Fairbairn said it was impossible for all the details of Brexit to be worked out by March 2019.

Fairbairn said: Instead of a cliff edge, the UK needs a bridge to the new EU deal. Even with the greatest possible goodwill on both sides, its impossible to imagine the detail will be clear by the end of March 2019. This is a time to be realistic.

Our proposal is for the UK to seek to stay in the single market and a customs union until a final deal is in force. This would create a bridge to the new trading arrangement that, for businesses, feels like the road they are on.

TRANSITION

The lobby group represents businesses in the UK, and Fairbairn added that the feedback received from firms so far indicates a transitioned Brexit would be the best option.

Firms tell us this feels like common-sense. But if others have alternatives that deliver equivalent economic benefits, now is the time to put them on the table.

The goal should be a framework for the new trading relationship before we exit in March 2019. A heads of agreement, to use the language of business, in writing, that will allow technical talks to start.

The CBI director general added that Brexit posed several risks to investment in the long-term.

The prospect of multiple cliff edges  in tariffs, red tape and regulation - is already casting a long shadow over business decisions. The result is a drip drip of investment decisions deferred or lost.

A major European engineering and electronics firm has told us it has shelved plans to build a UK innovation centre.
The delivery company wants a new class of flexible workers, while Frank Field MP is calling for an 'emergency intervention' in the gig economy

Restaurant delivery service Deliveroo - whose robins egg blue-adorned delivery bikes are ubiquitous in London and other major centres - called for an overhaul of employment laws this week, asking the Government to let it give its delivery contractors the rights they would enjoy as full employees, without actually signing them up as full employees.

The wildly successful startup, headquartered in a swankily-fitted out office just off Tottenham Court Road - wanted its contracted drivers to enjoy the same benefits as guaranteed to full-time employees, such as sick pay and maternity leave - while still offering the flexibility of contract positions.

At present, if Deliveroo wanted to offer these benefits, it would need to class them as workers and pay them an hourly rate for set shifts.

Drivers for the company currently sign on to work when they like, and accept orders through an app, to be paid a piece rate for deliveries with no guarantee of minimum wage or any national insurance contributions from their employer.

We want to combine full flexibility with real security  and we are calling for the law to be updated so we are able to offer both, Deliveroo founder Will Shu wrote in Thursdays Daily Telegraph.

We strongly believe this is not a zero-sum game.

The company submitted to the official review into employment rights, currently being led by Matthew Taylor, the former policy chief to Tony Blair.

But at the same time, a report from former work and pensions committee chair Frank Field MP, called for an emergency intervention into workers of the so-called gig economy, claiming some workers were earning less than 2.50 per hour in jobs that could disappear without much more than the stroke of a key.

Field, the Labour MP for Birkenhead, was focussing primarily on delivery companies, including DPD and Parcelforce, as well as owner of the We Buy Any Car brand British Car Auctions.

Staff interviewed for the report claimed they had earned 2.22 per hour under the banner of self-employed, while others were reportedly penalised hundreds of pounds if they refused to work while sick.

Field also claimed Parcelforce - the express delivery division of Royal Mail - required its drivers to formally agree not to challenge their employment status, leaving them with few options.

He wanted the law to be reversed, forcing companies to prove their workers are rightly self-employed, rather than the current system requiring workers to challenge their status.

We believe such moves are necessary to bring to an end the current free-for-all whereby an unknown number of workers on low incomes are, in effect, subsidising the companies with whom they work, the report read.
The EBUs Head of Radio Graham Dixon spoke this week at Radio Days Africa, the annual conference for the African radio sector, about the role of radio in growing social capital, building communities, underlining shared values, and giving communities a voice for their shared experience.

Radio needs to be both stable and flexible: it needs to be completely reliable for news and emergency situations, but at the same time responsive to the new possibilities offered by developing technologies, Dixon told the meeting in Johannesburg.

He shared European radio developments centred around social media, personalisation and third-party devices, as well as the projects supported by the EBU Innovation Fund.

It was also an opportunity to ensure that the African radio sector was fully informed about the dotRadio launch, which goes live towards the end of August.

There is also a lively ongoing debate about public media in South Africa, and Dixon took part in a panel discussion on the subject, arguing that PSM can foster a unique relationship of trust between the broadcaster and audience, which is ever more important in the world of post-truth.

He observed that The youthful, engaged audience for the conference sessions, and their commitment to radio, makes me extremely optimistic about the future of the medium on the African continent.

ABOUT RADIODAYS AFRICA

Radio Days Africa brings together representatives from the radio sector from across Africa, both commercial and public service. It exists to share best practice and look at the challenges facing the medium across the continent. The event is closely related to the dynamic educational work of the University of the Witwatersrand, which plays a significant role in training the radio industry, running courses in radio while providing practical experience through the respected campus radio.

ABOUT RADIO IN SOUTH AFRICA

Radio is thriving in South Africa in an incredibly diverse market, covering a large number of languages and with audiences from major urban areas to remoter settlements. The radio offer ranges from the public service channels provided by EBU Associate SABC to small community radios, relying on volunteer effort and sometimes serving isolated communities. Some of these stations serve communities with low literacy levels, and for whom radio is the sole source of information, television being too expensive in some areas. The responsibility of providing information for day-to-day life, including health issues, is public service at its most vital and basic. In more urban environments, technology is advancing speedily, with, for example, a commercial internet radio station being launched specifically to serve people travelling in taxis.

Radio continues to be a real lifeline in South Africa, enjoying a 93% reach on a weekly basis, and remarkably long listening hours, extending to five hours per day in some areas of the country, and around 4.5 hours per day for some language groups. The key genres are music, news, religious broadcasting and phone-ins, and all these areas attract both young and older listeners  88% of 15-24s consuming radio music, and 77% radio news.
Tesla has been awarded a contract to install the worlds largest lithium ion battery. Under the agreement, the company will build the system within 100 days or else its freea promise CEO Elon Musk famously made in March to help solve South Australias energy woes.

The billionaire entrepreneur spoke about the technology to reporters in Adelaide on Friday and claimed that the battery will be three times more powerful than any other storage system on Earth. Musk noted that the next biggest battery in the world is 30 megawatts.

Tesla will provide a 100 MW/129 MWh Powerpack system that will be paired with renewable energy provider Neoens Hornsdale Wind Farm near Jamestown, South Australia.

This is not a minor foray into the frontier  Im pretty darn impressed with South Australia willing to do a project of this magnitude that is beyond anything else in the world, Musk said.

Tesla said its efforts were in response to a 50-year storm in September 2016 that damaged critical infrastructure in South Australia and caused widespread blackouts and left 1.7 million residents without electricity. The state has also been plagued by further blackouts from the heat of the Australian summer in early 2017.

Upon completion by December 2017, this system will be the largest lithium-ion battery storage project in the world and will provide enough power for more than 30,000 homes, approximately equal to the amount of homes that lost power during the blackout period, Tesla said.

Teslas Powerpack system will charge using renewable energy from the Hornsdale Wind Farm and then deliver electricity during peak hours. Tesla

South Australia Premier Jay Weatherill said the battery will protect the state from future energy-related crises.

It will completely transform the way in which renewable energy is stored, and also stabilize the South Australian network as well as putting downward pressure on prices, Weatherill said.

Musk repeated his promise that if the system is not operational in 100 days, the technology will be provided for free.

There will be a lot of people that will look at thisDid they get it done within 100 days? Did it work?' Musk said. We are going to make sure it does.

The cost of the contract has not yet been announced, but failing to deliver the project in time would cost his company $50 million or more, Musk said.

South Australia is already leading the nation. Today, we lead the world. pic.twitter.com/1mEJoNC0ma  Jay Weatherill (@JayWeatherill) July 7, 2017
By Corey Binns

In Sonoma, California, the most important renewable resource will always be grapes. Sonomas vineyards, framed by picturesque rolling green hills, produce some of the best wines on the planet; tourists flock to the region to sample the latest pinots and admire the scenery. People like the rolling, grassy hills, said local resident Dale Roberts. But as principal engineer at the Sonoma County Water Agency, Roberts is focused on another homegrown renewable: clean energy. So behind the scenes in Sonoma, hes been busy juicing the landscape in a way thats quite different from the neighboring vintners activities.

To be specific, Roberts and his colleagues have begun to launch floating solar panels on six of the agencys ponds, which hold recycled water saved for irrigation during drought years. When all panels are up and running, by the end of 2018, the project is expected to generate 13 megawattsor 23,000 megawatt-hours of energy in a year, enough to power 3,500 homes in the area.

A similar project has begun on San Diegos 200-acre Olivenhain Reservoir. There, 24,000 solar panels will cover a sliver of the reservoirs surface and make 144,000 megawatt-hours of power annually, enough to run 21,500 homes. These floating solar fields operate more efficiently than those in the Mojave Desert at Ivanpahthe worlds biggest solar-thermal power plant, which was nearly shut down last year because of poor performance. The water on which they float can easily clean them. They run cooler. Whats more, they are often located near power transmission lines.

The panels sit atop floating plastic, and in addition to their contributions to the power grid, they offer some benefits to the ponds they cover. For one, they slow down water evaporation into the atmospherea particular boon to drought-prone California. Even more important, said Troy Helming of Pristine Sun, the solar company installing panels in Sonoma, they reduce the growth of algae, which can clog up filters and pumps at water treatment facilities and spoil water quality. (The panels limit the amount of direct sunlight striking the water, slowing the algaes photosynthesis).

That said, whats good for a water treatment plant isnt necessarily right for natural waterways. Vignesh Gowrishankar, who researches clean energy technologies for the Natural Resources Defense Council, sees a bright future for floating solar farms at man-made sites, such as lakes that are formed in mining quarries and irrigation reservoirs similar to those in Sonoma. But he cautions that vibrant lakes and ecologically sensitive waterways should be off-limits to this burgeoning industry.

Even with that caveat, a surprising amount of water is suitable for solar. In California alone, more than 20 gigawatts of floating solar could be added to otherwise unused bodies of water, according to an analysis by Pristine Sun. That figure excludes recreational areas and the expanse of the Pacific Ocean. Were not suggesting putting it on Lake Tahoe, said Roberts.

But if done properly, panels on water could power 20 to 30 percent of the states total energy needs, by Helmings estimates. Its a huge amount of potential, he said, particularly in California, which has passed some of the most ambitious climate policies in the world.

Outside the Golden State, floating solar has surfaced on a campus pond at the University of Central Florida in Orlando, and another installation bedecks a reservoir on the outskirts of London, where it powers one of the citys key water treatment plants. China recently announced the largest array to date, a farm made of 160,000 panels on a lake in Anhui province that rose after the collapse of a coal mine. And in Japan, where land is especially scarce, the Kyocera Corporation has already built three floating solar farms, with plans to develop more, including a 13.7-megawatt plant on the Yamakura Dam reservoir in Chiba prefecture, scheduled to launch in early 2018. Its 51,000 panels will generate enough electricity to power almost 5,000 local households and offset about 8,170 tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually. Thats equal to saving 19,000 barrels of oil per year.

Kyocera has taken precautions to ensure its equipment will not become an environmental concern, said Hina Morioka, a company spokesperson. That is one reason why we have chosen floating platforms that are 100 percent recyclable and made of high-density polyethylene that can withstand ultraviolet rays and corrosion.

Although Gowrishankar cites limited aquatic space and the potential for weather damage as hindrances to how far floating solar can take us, it is an important addition, particularly at the community level, he said. He envisions solar panels on rooftops of homes surrounding a lake that is also covered in panels. Harnessed together, electricity from such an array could run a community solar plant that feeds a small group of homes.

As the world faces new urgency to amp up climate action in the face of President Trumps abandonment of the Paris agreement, initiatives like these represent increasingly crucial components in the shift away from fossil fuels. The consensus and the expert analysis is that we should be slashing our greenhouse emissions by four-fifths between now and 2050, Gowrishankar said, and we have many hundreds of gigawatts of renewable energy to build to make up the difference.

Corey Binnsorey Binns is a science and health writer based in Northern California.
France just announced an end to all gas and diesel vehicle sales by 2040.

Nicolas Hulot, the countrys new ecology minister, said Thursday the phase-out will help France meet its commitment to the Paris agreement.

Along with France, four major cities including Paris, Mexico City, Madrid and Athens have already announced plans to ban diesel cars by 2025.

Check out the video above from Newsy to find out how countries are switching to electric vehicles to fight pollution and climate change.
More than a quarter of a million people and 500 organizations submitted comments Wednesday rejecting the commercialization of ArborGen Inc.s genetically engineered (GE) eucalyptus trees, which, if approved, would be the first-ever GE forest tree approved in the U.S.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) proposed approval in April 2017, releasing a draft Environmental Impact Statement (dEIS) for public comment. This comment period ended on July 5. The GE eucalyptus trees are engineered to tolerate freezing temperatures in order to greatly expand their growing range. The approval of these GE trees could set a precedent for future approval of GE forest trees such as poplar and pine.

In the dEIS, USDA downplayed or ignored the significant risks posed by these novel GE trees. The agency conservatively predicts commercial GE eucalyptus plantations would cover more than one million acres across seven southern statesfrom coastal South Carolina to eastern Texas. This would have devastating consequences across this region, which is home to a number of the poorest counties in the country, as well as some of the most biodiverse ecosystems in the world. The region is already precariously threatened by climate change and sprawl.

GE eucalyptus plantations spread across the South would be a disaster, stated Dr. Marti Crouch, consulting scientist for the Center for Food Safety. Some non-GE eucalyptus species have already become invasive and are degrading natural areas. Plants and animals, including endangered species, will be unable to find suitable habitats within landscapes dominated by GE eucalyptus. Approving these trees is a terrible idea.

Just last month in Portugal, catastrophic wildfires that killed dozens were directly blamed on eucalyptus plantations that comprise more than one-quarter of Portugals tree cover. In January, Chile experienced the worst wildfires in its history. In both cases, eucalyptus monocultureswell-known for being extremely flammable and depleting ground watercontributed to dry conditions that combined with heat waves to create the perfect setting for wildfire. Already the U.S. South is experiencing frequent droughts and heat waves, and climate change forecasts predict more of the same. The dEIS made no mention of climate change impacts in its proposed approval of these GE eucalyptus trees.

GE eucalyptus is being pushed for commercialization to help feed the skyrocketing demand for trees for biomass electricity, said Ruddy Turnstone, GE Trees Campaigner for Global Justice Ecology Project, and a resident of Florida in the region targeted for GE eucalyptus plantations. But biomass is a false solution to climate change. Not only is it a major polluter, climate-stabilizing Southeastern forests are being decimated for the booming European biomass industry. GE eucalyptus plantations will only escalate this deforestation.

USDAs assurances that GE eucalyptus will not escape into native forests are fatally undercut by the U.S.s 30-year experiment with GE crops, which have escaped containment over and over again, despite industry and USDA claims they would not. GE trees are even more likely to escape and spread than GE crops, given their much longer lives, pollination distances and the unpredictable, changing conditions that can occur over the lifespan of the trees.

Forests are interwoven with human evolution, stated Dr. Rachel Smolker, Co-Director of Biofuelwatch and Steering Committee member of the Campaign to STOP GE Trees. They regulate and stabilize water flow and climate, enrich soils and prevent erosion. They provide food, medicine, shelter, fuel, livelihoods, recreation and sanctuary for peoples around the world. They literally make life on Earth possible. Trees have evolved over the eons in adaptation to their native environments. Tweaking their genetics and planting them in foreign environments demonstrates an alarming lack of understanding of ecology and genetics.

Beyond the ecological impacts are the effects on local communities that will result from these GE eucalyptus plantations. GE eucalyptus trees exemplify the unjust and unsustainable forestry model, explained BJ McManama of the Indigenous Environmental Network. There are already hundreds of documented human rights abuses resulting from the unchecked expansion of eucalyptus plantations in Central and South America. Indigenous and traditional communities are poisoned by exposure to deadly chemicals and in some cases violently evicted from their ancestral lands. These abuses demonstrate the forest industrys blatant disregard for both people and the environment. USDA must deny this petition.

Public opposition to GE eucalyptus has been consistent and strong. In February 2013, the government released ArborGens GE eucalyptus petition for public comment, resulting in a response of 10,000 to one opposing the GE eucalyptus trees. This was followed by the then-largest ever protest against GE trees at the Tree Biotechnology Conference in Asheville, North Carolina. In April of this year the USDA finally made public their draft findings recommending approval of ArborGens petition, eliciting yesterdays avalanche of comments rejecting GE eucalyptus trees in the U.S. Even the dEIS itself highlights public opposition as creating risks for investors:

An additional source of risk that extends beyond the scope of this study is the risk of some public backlash against the planting of genetically modified trees. This societal risk could affect investment choices in the same fashion as biophysical riski.e., increased risk would reduce the rate of adoption.
By Katherine Paul

California is officially adding glyphosate, the key ingredient in Monsantos Roundup herbicide, to the states list of chemicals and substances known to cause cancer.

Before we dive into the weeds in terms of what the listing does and doesnt mean, and may or may not lead to, lets take a moment to recognize that this is a landmark decision in the ongoing battle against Monsantos flagship weedkiller.

Every activist who has engaged in this fight deserves to take a moment to bask in this victory.

Its not everything we need, or everything we wantbut Californias decision, upheld by the courts, represents a major step forward in a decades-long fight expose the truth about Roundup and protect the public from its cancer-causing effects.

The full impact of the decision remains to be seen. How much glyphosate will need to be present before a product is required to carry a warning? How many foods will exceed the glyphosate residue limits set by Californias Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA)?

Will Monsanto find a way to keep those warnings off all labels? Including foods and weedkillers?

Time will tell. And activists will need to remain vigilant.

But for now, its celebration time.

How We Got Here

It was more than two years ago, in March 2015, that the World Health Organizations (WHO) International Agency for Cancer Research (IARC) said glyphosate is probably carcinogenic to humans.

The ruling by the 17-member international panel of scientists was unanimous. That didnt stop Monsanto from attacking the ruling, going so far as to call it junk science.

Over Monsantos objections, IARCs decision triggered a move by Californias OEHHA to add glyphosate to the list of cancer-causing chemicals the agency keeps as required under Californias Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986, better known as Proposition 65. Under Prop 65, businesses must warn Californians about significant exposures to chemicals that cause cancer, birth defects or other reproductive harm.

Predictably, Monsanto went to court to stop the listing, But on June 22, a judge for the U.S. District Court, Northern District of California sided with OEHHA, clearing the way for the July 7 listing.

Monsanto didnt go down without a fighta dirty fight, as usual. In a last-ditch move to keep glyphosate off the Prop 65 listand cancer warnings off products that contain glyphosatethe agribusiness giant got a Reuters reporter to write a misleading article aimed at undermining IARCs decision. The Reuters piece was swiftly debunked.

The Devils In the Detailsor Is It In the Weeds?

Monsanto has vowed to keep fighting. Meanwhile California has set the dateJuly 7for adding glyphosate to the Prop 65 list. But thats just the first step.

Before manufacturers can be required to add cancer warnings to labels, OEHHA has to determine what is called a No Significant Risk Levelin other words, how much glyphosate has to be present before its considered a risk, and therefore a manufacturer has to provide a warning?

Before we go any farther, lets just point out that there are credible scientists, and credible studies suggesting that there are no safe levels of glyphosate. Period. We consulted our science advisors, who pointed to several studies confirming the no safe level argument. For instance, theres this one: Transcriptome profile analysis reflects rat liver and kidney damage following chronic ultra-low dose Roundup exposure, by Mesnage et al., 2015, published in Environmental Health, which finds potential adverse effects from glyphosate exposure at 0.05 parts per billion (PPB).

Our scientists also suggested reading this report: especially pp. 14-15, for a discussion on why the U.S. Environmental Protection Agencys (EPA) ADI (allowed daily intake) of 1.75 mg/kg body weight/day is bad.

Back to reality. California will surely decide on some (as opposed to no) safe level. But it will take timemaybe a year, according to this CNN report:

If the OEHHA sets its standards based on the federal EPA, we have no chance of seeing warning labels on food. If they base the decision on studies that show, for instance, that .1ppt stimulated the growth of breast cancer cells, then it is very possible we will see labels, not only on Roundup, but on many other products, as well.

In other words, under Prop 65, some foodnot just weedkillersmay require cancer warnings, depending on how much glyphosate residue they contain. Again, from CNN:

Recent tests from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency have revealed levels from 3,000-6,000 parts per billion on garbanzo beans and wheat. The FDA has found 1.67 parts per million on infant oatmeal cereal. If a baby ate just three ounces of that food four times a day, it would consume 15,000 times more glyphosate than the rats in Michael Antonious Glyphosate study, that contracted liver disease in one day.

CNN also reported, and our experts agreed, that under Prop 65, Monsanto could get away with cancer-warning signs on store shelves, rather than labels on the products. Not ideal.

Reasons for Hope

Whatever the levels set by OEHHA and the loopholes exploited by Monsanto, make no mistake: Getting glyphosate listed under Californias Prop 65 is huge, especially when considered in the context of all the other pressure being exerted right now on Monsanto.

Consider all of this:

1. Court battles pull back the curtain on Monsantos corrupt activities.

The fact that more than 1,000 plaintiffs are involved in dozens of lawsuits alleging that exposure to Roundup caused them or their families to develop non-Hodgkin lymphoma (a potentially deadly cancer) is compelling enough. Especially when a mainstream media outlet like CNN, often silent when it comes to challenging the corporate establishment, takes notice. That in itself is a win for consumers.

But the bigger win may be what those lawsuits are doing to shed light on Monsantos sustained campaign to bury the truth about its deadly products.

In March, the New York Times, citing court documents, reported on possible collusion between former EPA officials and Monsanto employees to hide the facts about the health risks of glyphosate:

The court documents included Monsantos internal emails and email traffic between the company and federal regulators. The records suggested that Monsanto had ghostwritten research that was later attributed to academics and indicated that a senior official at the Environmental Protection Agency had worked to quash a review of Roundups main ingredient, glyphosate, that was to have been conducted by the United States Department of Health and Human Services.

The revelations confirmed consumer suspicions that Roundup isnt safe and validated the opinions of scientists who question its safety. Theyve triggered an calls in Europe for further investigation.

2. EPA forced to investigate Monsanto corruption.

Thanks to the work of reporters studying court documents, the EPA has stepped in. On May 31, the agencys inspector general responded to Rep. Ted Lieus (D-Calif.) call for an investigation into possible collusion between Monsanto and EPA officials. (Organic Consumers Association also called for an investigation. We havent heard back).

The EPA may just be going through the formalities to appease Lieu and his constituents. But even if thats true, its still a sign that consumers are getting through to an agency that has historically been aggressively pro-Monsanto.

3. Consumers are fighting back through the courts, too.

Monsanto and Big Food have long been allies in the campaign to hide GMOs and the pesticides used to grow them, from consumers. Will the Junk Food Giants reconsider their position, if they, too, get dragged through the courts?

The Organic Consumers Association, along with other groups, have been testing food products for glyphosate, and taking companies to court for falsely marketing their products as natural and 100% Natural. Pending cases include the one against General Mills Nature Valley granola bars, and another against Sioux Honey. Both products contain glyphosate. (A recent study from Canada revealed glyphosate in 30 percent of the food products tested).

OCA also sued Monsanto directly for false labeling of Roundup, as have consumers in Wisconsin.

4. U.S. Food and Drug Administration resumes testing food for glyphosate.

As the lawsuits flow, and more evidence comes to light about the toxic impact of glyphosate on human health (including bad outcomes for pregnant moms and their babies), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has been shamed into testing foods for glyphosate residuesa project it had previously abandoned.

Progress may seem slow, given that weve been challenging glyphosate for more than 20 years. But it all adds up. We should be encouraged.

In the meantime, consumers can pressure retail stores to stop selling Roundup, and Scotts Miracle Gro, exlcusive retail distributor of Roundup, to dump it.

And of course, we should all keep the pressure on the EPA to ban glyphosate, for good.

Katherine Paul is associate director of the Organic Consumers Association.
By Scott Miller

Outdoor Retailer has a new home for its three annual trade shows: Colorado, a state that really gets the value of our wild lands.

The Outdoor Industry Association announced in February that it was pulling its trade shows out of Utah, where theyd been located for 20 years, because the states elected officials were undermining the future of Americas public lands. The hosts decided they would not reward Utah with thousands of visitors and an economic impact of up to $110 million a year after the state actively undermined Utahs public lands and recreation economy that the outdoor industry relies on.

Major businesses that take part in the shows, including Patagonia and Black Diamond, did not want to continue to pour money into a state that did not see the value of protecting its stunning conservation and recreation areas. Its not surprising that Outdoor Retailer had become disillusioned with the efforts of Utah officials. Both state and national level politicians, including Gov. Gary Herbert, Sen. Orrin Hatch and Rep. Rob Bishop have aggressively attacked public lands in the stateespecially the Bears Ears National Monument in southeast Utah.

The Outdoor Industry Loves Utah  But Does Utah Love the Outdoor Industry?https://t.co/JLpDXkleeW  Robert F. Kennedy Jr (@RobertKennedyJr) January 11, 2017

Utahs leadership has pressed President Trump to reverse the national monument designation, favoring opening lands for industrialization like mining instead. They have also been leading the charge for the reversal of the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in Utah and others across the country.

In response, the Trump administration has included Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments in its review of 27 national monuments designated by the Obama, Bush and Clinton administrations. The monument that may be facing the biggest threat is Utahs Bears Ears. In an unprecedented move, Interior Sec. Ryan Zinke already has announced he intends to recommend revoking protections for large portions of the monument.

After setting out to find a new location in a state that supports protecting public lands, Outdoor Retailer didnt have to look far. In clear contrast to Utah, leaders in neighboring Colorado value and stand up for their public lands.

The Colorado delegation, including Sens. Michael Bennet and Cory Gardner, has defended Canyons of the Ancients National Monument, which is now under review by Trump. So has Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper. Colorado also has advocated for keeping the 1.35 million-acre Bears Ears intact, too, recognizing that the national public lands there contain fragile and irreplaceable resources that are important to all Americans.

Utah could learn a thing or two from Colorado.

For one, Colorado recognizes the economic value of conservation. The state has a massive outdoor recreation economy, with $28 billion in consumer spending in the industry annually. Outdoor Retailer will bring the money and attention it draws to Colorado instead, starting with its winter show in January 2018.

But more than that, leadership here recognizes the intrinsic value of public lands for the identity of the state.

If you look at what this means, thats a huge benefit, but thats not what deserves to be mentioned, said Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper when the deal was announced Thursday. State parks, wildlife areas. All this stuff comes as an accumulative attraction. It is part of the defining characteristic of Colorado.

What were saying today is that were in this for the long term. Were going to continue to try and talk about the importance of outdoor recreation in Colorado. Henry David Thoreau once said all good things are wild and free. We believe that in Colorado, Hickenlooper said.

Outdoor Industry Association Executive Director Amy Roberts was spot on when she said that Colorados elected officials have shown significant leadership in promoting policies that ensure the outdoor recreation economy continues to thrive.

Colorado is home to more than 23 million acres of public lands. These lands are highly valued, especially by the 71 percent of Coloradans who participate in outdoor recreation each year, according to the Outdoor Industry Association.

These public lands, which include four national parks, eight national monuments and millions of acres of high quality Forest Service and BLM lands, also bring in millions of tourists every year. People from around the world spend money throughout Colorado in order to travel to, stay in and experience our incredible scenery. Whether that includes a snow-capped 14er, a meandering mountain trout stream, or an ancient cliff dwelling in our high desert lands, the quality of these outstanding outdoor experiences is not accidental. Preserving our best wild places takes forethought and determinationas well as resistance to the urge to sell our lands out to a quick buck.

This major move by businesses shows that despite the Trump administrations threat to our wild, if we stand together, we can send a strong message like the one these outdoor retailers have sent to politicians in Utah.

Its reassuring to see the outdoor industry stand its ground by moving its multi-million dollar shows to Colorado. You, too, can take a stand to protect our public lands. Until July 10, you can speak out in support of the national monuments that are under attack.
By Andy Rowell

So the G20 summit is starting in Hamburg in Germany, after a day of angry protests which saw dozens arrested.

As the talks commence, the new international Climate Pariah, Donald Trump, is going to come under intense pressure from the G20 to reconsider pulling out of the Paris agreement.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, the summit host, has publicly stated that this years summit will focus on strengthening the Paris agreement, which puts her on a direct collision course with the U.S. president, according to the BBC.

She has told the media that despite Trumps stance, tackling climate change remains a top priority for Europe, who will speak with one voice on the issue during the summit.

Speaking in front of the German parliament on Thursday, Merkel said, The European Union unconditionally stands by its agreement in Paris and will implement it speedily and with determination. She continued that the differences with Trump are obvious and it would be dishonest to try to cover that up.

She added, Since the decision of the United States to leave the Paris climate agreement, we are more determined than ever to make it a success.

Merkel is backed by French President Emmanuel Macron, who has said Europe will clearly reaffirm our very strong commitment to the Paris accords, adding, I hope that the others can be brought back to their senses.

Trump will get pressure from other G20 leaders, too. Speaking earlier Thursday, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said that the G20 would tell Trump its important to take a lead role in tackling climate change and creating good jobs.

On the one hand, you can argue that the G20 leaders are being hypocritical for castigating Trump. As Oil Change and others pointed out this week, the G20 provides nearly four times more public finance to fossil fuels than to clean energy. In total, public fossil fuel financing from G20 countries averaged some $71.8 billion per year. The leaders were accused of talking out of both sides of their mouths.

If they really are promoting climate leadership, then words are not enough. But on the other, Trump should not be allowed to get away with pulling out of the Paris agreement to satisfy the alt-right and his fossil fuel buddies.

As Trump comes under pressure, hes meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin face to face for the first time today. The feeling is that Trump, by pushing his America First policy and pulling out of Paris, has marginalized the U.S.

America is suddenly the pariah. Putin is now the moderate.

They have much to discuss, including Russian meddling in the U.S. elections, Islamic terrorism, North Korea, Ukraine and hopefully climate change.

Putin is still in favor of the Paris agreement, despite the U.S. withdrawal. The Russian president recently said the Paris climate agreement was a secure basis for long-term climate regulation and Russia wanted to make a comprehensive contribution to its implementation.

But lets not kid ourselves about Putin. For Putin, his continued support for Paris is now a bargaining chip with which to secure other favors. The Russian economy is fueled by oil and gas and his political leverage comes in part by supplying large parts of Europe with that gas.

As Mother Jones recently noted, Trump and Putin share a common priority: A commitment to the primacy of fossil fuels.

Trump is not the only one who will be given a hard time over climate at the summit. Angela Merkels husband Joachim Sauer is reportedly giving Ivanka Trump and first lady Melania Trump a tour of the German Climate Computing Center, which has been modelling climate data for decades. Sauer is a professor of physical and theoretical chemistry.

And even if Trump makes it through the summit relatively unscathed, his views on climate change are still going to be continually challenged by NGOs, scientists, the media and of course, kids. It will be the issue that haunts his presidency to its bitter end.

Indeed, finally a trial date has been set for a ground-breaking, climate-change lawsuit brought by 21 kids against the U.S. government. It is now scheduled to begin Feb. 5, 2018.

Mark the date on your calendar.
Researchers and students in the Graphene Flagship are preparing for two exciting experiments in collaboration with the European Space Agency (ESA) to test the viability of graphene for space applications.

Researchers and students in the Graphene Flagship are preparing for two exciting experiments in collaboration with the European Space Agency (ESA) to test the viability of graphene for space applications. Both experiments will launch between 6-17th November 2017, testing graphene in zero-gravity conditions to determine its potential in space applications including light propulsion and thermal management.

The Graphene Flagship is a pan-European research initiative dedicated to developing new technologies based on graphene, the single-atom-thick allotrope of carbon with excellent electrical, mechanical, thermal and optical properties. A fundamental aspect of the Graphene Flagship is training students and young researchers. These ambitious space-related experiments are an excellent opportunity for Flagship students and researchers to gain new experiences in cutting-edge research. Join the Graphene Flagship as we follow the progress - from the early stages in the laboratory to the moments of weightlessness!

In a fully student-led experiment, a team of Graphene Flagship graduate students from Delft Technical University (TU Delft; Netherlands) will participate in ESA Education's Drop Your Thesis! programme. Their successful proposal will use microgravity conditions in the ZARM Drop Tower (Bremen, Germany) to test graphene for light sails. By shining laser light on suspended graphene-membranes from Flagship partner Graphenea, the experiment will test how much thrust can be generated, which could lead to a new way of propelling satellites in space using light from lasers or the sun.

The PhD student team - named GrapheneX - consists of Santiago Cartamil Bueno, Davide Stefani, Vera Janssen, Rocco Gaudenzi, all research students in Herre van der Zant's research group in TU Delft. Santiago Cartamil Bueno, project leader for the GrapheneX team, said "We split tasks between the team and things are working well. We are very ambitious with the quality of the experiments. We really want to do it properly, so we are committed to do real science in this project."

ESA Education's Drop Your Thesis! programme offers students the opportunity to design an experiment for the ZARM Drop Tower in Bremen, Germany, which simulates the low gravity and vacuum conditions of space. The 146 m ZARM Drop Tower creates extreme microgravity conditions down to one millionth of the Earth's gravitational force. In vacuum, a capsule containing the experiment is catapulted up and down the tower, providing a total of 9.3 seconds of weightlessness.

Running concurrently is an experiment investigating how graphene can improve efficiency in heat transfer in loop heat pipes - cooling systems used extensively in satellites and aerospace instruments. The experiment is a collaboration between Graphene Flagship partners at the Microgravity Research Centre, Universite libre de Bruxelles, Belgium; the Cambridge Graphene Centre, University of Cambridge, UK; Institute for Organic Synthesis and Photoreactivity, National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Italy; and Leonardo Spa, Italy, a global leader in aerospace, producing of a variety of components and systems for space applications.

A significant part of the loop heat pipe is the wick, typically made of porous metal. In this experiment, the wicks will be coated with different types of graphene-related materials to improve the efficiency of the heat pipe. The coated wicks will be tested in a low-gravity parabolic flight operated by ESA in partnership with Novespace, France. During each 3-hour flight, the specially modified plane will make a series of 30 parabolic ascents with around 25 seconds of weightlessness in each parabola.

Involved in the experiment are Graphene Flagship researchers Vanja Miskovi? and Fabio Iermano, both working at the Microgravity Research Centre, and Lucia Lombardi and Yarjan Samad, both at the Cambridge Graphene Centre. As well as the on-ground experiments, the young researchers will experience weightlessness on board the low-gravity flights in November.

"I'm really excited because this will be my first zero gravity experience," said Lombardi. "The idea is to use graphene to improve the thermal conductivity and the capillary pressure by growing a sponge in the pores of the wicks," she added.

"We want to test different kinds of coatings since the graphene and graphene oxide have different properties, but we are hoping to achieve good results with both of the coatings," added Miskovi?. "I'm very excited, I know that not a lot of people get this opportunity."

Andrea Ferrari (University of Cambridge), Science and Technology Officer of the Graphene Flagship and chair of its management panel added "Space is the new frontier for the Graphene Flagship. These initial experiments will test the viability of graphene-enabled devices for space applications. The combined strengths of the Graphene Flagship, Flagship partners and the European Space Agency as well global leader in aerospace applications Leonardo, give a strong basis to reach a high technology readiness level."

Jari Kinaret (Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden), Director of the Graphene Flagship, said "These two projects exemplify the two-fold character of the Graphene Flagship: the loop heat pipe project is targeting a specific application, while the light sail project is firmly linked to basic research and builds upon the unique combination of properties that only graphene can offer. I am particularly proud of the fact that one of these projects was initiated by students working on area completely disconnected from space applications: this demonstrates the creativity of the next generation of researchers, and shows the sometimes surprising links between different parts of our Flagship - or maybe I should say spaceship?"

Follow the progress at https://graphene-flagship.eu/material/Zero%20Gravity%20Graphene/Pages/default.aspx

Additional Information:

Graphene Graphene is one of the most interesting and versatile materials known to date. The world's first two dimensional material, this single layer of carbon atoms arranged in a hexagonal lattice has a set of unique and outstanding properties. As well as being the thinnest, strongest and lightest material, graphene is flexible, impermeable to molecules and extremely electrically and thermally conductive. As the world strives to maintain its pace of innovation, graphene has much to offer. Graphene is helping to facilitate the next generation of technology. For example, the strong and flexible nature of graphene makes flexible displays and bendable batteries possible. Its excellent sensing ability can be used in the next generation of wearable electronics and to develop building blocks for the internet of things. Graphene's unique combination of properties coupled with its ease of incorporation into composite materials mean that it can enhance the composite world. Graphene is also paving the way for novel diagnosis and treatments such as in the realm of drug delivery and biosensors. Graphene-based technologies are proving integral to the new generation of communications, such as 5G, enabling high performance optical communication systems through ultra-fast and compact optoelectronic devices.

Social Media Twitter Hashtag: #ZeroGGraphene

About the European Space Agency Education Programme The European Space Agency (ESA) Education Programme has the objective to inspire and motivate young people to enhance their literacy and competence in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM disciplines), and to pursue a career in these fields, in the space domain in particular. To this end, it offers a number of exciting activities that range from training and classroom activities that use space as a teaching and learning context for school teachers and pupils, to real space projects for university students. http://www.esa.int/education http://www.esa.int/Education/Drop_Your_Thesis

About the European Space Agency The European Space Agency (ESA) is Europe's gateway to space. Its mission is to shape the development of Europe's space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world. ESA is one of the few space agencies in the world to combine responsibility in nearly all areas of space activity: from Earth observation, space science, human spaceflight, exploration and launchers to navigation, telecommunications, technology and operations. ESA is an international organisation with 22 Member States. By coordinating the financial and intellectual resources of its members, it can undertake programmes and activities far beyond the scope of any single European country. http://www.esa.int/

About the Center of Applied Space Technology and Microgravity (ZARM) The Center of Applied Space Technology and Microgravity (ZARM) is a research institute of the University of Bremen focused on the investigation of gravity-dependent phenomena and space-related research. With a height of 146 meters the Bremen Drop Tower is the main laboratory of ZARM and the only laboratory of this kind in Europe. It offers the opportunity for short-term experiments in weightlessness and has acquired international renown during the last 25 years for offering microgravity conditions of the highest quality. Owing to the catapult system, a construction developed by ZARM engineers, the experiment duration has been extended to 9.3 seconds - unmatched by any other drop facility worldwide. Due to its excellent microgravity conditions scientists from all over the world visit the Bremen Drop Tower in order to experiment in different fields of fundamental research like astrophysics, biology, chemistry, combustion, fluid dynamics, fundamental physics, and materials sciences or to conduct technology tests preparing and qualifying hardware for future space missions. http://www.zarm.uni-bremen.de

About Novespace A subsidiary of CNES (French Spatial Study National Center), Novespace was established in 1986 for the purpose of promoting micro-weightlessness as a tool for scientific experimentation. After more than 130 parabolic flight campaigns carried out from 1988 to 1996 on board the Caravelle Zero G, Novespace took the Airbus A300 ZERO-G into service in 1997, replaced by an Airbus A310 in 2014, owned by Novespace. Based at the Bordeaux-Merignac airport zone, Novespace organizes an average of six parabolic flight campaigns annually, principally for the account of space agencies (CNES, ESA, DLR, JAXA, etc.) within the framework of their scientific and technological research programmes. The company also used the A300 ZERO-G for missions for observing atmospheric re-entry of the Cryotechnic Main Stage (CMS) of the Ariane 5 rocket. Novespace has carried out more than 130 parabolic flight campaigns on board the A300 ZERO-G and its successor the A310 ZERO-G and more than 13000 parabolas. This is equivalent to 80 hours of accumulated weightlessness. http://www.novespace.fr

###
Boulder, CO, USA: The Geological Society of America (GSA) recognizes outstanding scientific achievement and distinguished service to the profession each year at its Annual Meeting & Exposition, held this year in Seattle, Washington, USA.

Highest honors will be presented to Penrose Medalist George Plafker, Geologist emeritus, U.S. Geological Survey at the University of Washington; Arthur L. Day Medalist, Neal R. Iverson, Iowa State University; and Donath Medalist (Young Scientist Award) Sterling James Nesbitt, Virginia Tech.

Incoming GSA President Isabel Montanez cordially invites members of the media to attend the awards ceremony and other Annual Meeting events, and meet these luminaries in the geosciences.

Award Presentations: Sunday, 22 October, noon to 1:30 p.m. at the Washington State Convention Center.

GSA's Penrose Medalist will present a reflective lecture during a complementary topical session during the meeting, 22-25 October.

GOLD MEDALISTS

Penrose Medalist George Plafker recognized vast underthrusting of continental margins before the process became known as subduction. He established this element of plate tectonics by mapping, interpreting, and documenting the regional uplift and subsidence that accompanied the giant 1964 Alaska and 1960 Chile earthquakes. With these findings Plafker laid geological foundations for assessing earthquake and tsunami hazards at subduction zones worldwide. Plafker's geologic mapping and syntheses pervade Earth science in Alaska on topics ranging across bedrock geology, tectonic history, and surficial processes.

Neal R. Iverson, is named the Arthur L. Day Medalist in recognition of his transformative application of physics to glacial geology, glaciology and geomorphology. Much of his work focuses on the physical interactions between glaciers and their substrates, often with the dual objectives of better understanding the behavior of modern glaciers and the deposits and landforms ancient glaciers have left behind. Iverson's approach has included insightful theory and ambitious field measurements, but he is distinguished by his extensive use of experimentation to discover the governing physics.

Sterling James Nesbitt, earned the Young Scientist Award (Donath Medal) and a cash prize of US$10,000 for outstanding achievement as an early career professional. Nesbitt's extraordinary contributions in vertebrate paleontology have revolutionized the way geoscientists view the beginning of the Age of Dinosaurs and Earth history in general. His impactful contributions have reshaped our knowledge about macro-evolutionary patterns of diversification, biogeography, disparity, morphology, and convergent evolution.

OTHER TOP GSA AWARDS

President's Medal of The Geological Society of America

Thure Cerling, University of Utah, is a distinguished professor of both geology and biology. His research has had enormous impact at the intersection of these disciplines, and in 2001 he was elected to membership in the National Academy of Sciences. His research has developed our understanding of stable isotopes in paleosols, soil carbon and fossil teeth and bones as indicators of an integrated paleo-world: including paleoecology, paleoclimate, and paleo-atmospheric levels of atmospheric CO2.

Doris M. Curtis Outstanding Woman in Science Award

Sonia M. Tikoo, Rutgers University, is recognized for the impact of her Ph.D. research in planetary geology. Tikoo has provided fundamental contributions to the understanding of the paleomagnetism of lunar rocks and impact craters and her studies have extended the known lifetime of the lunar dynamo by at least 1 billion years.

GSA Public Service Award

Alexander E. Gates, Rutgers University, was named in recognition for his untiring effort and enthusiasm to spread appreciation of Earth and Environmental issues to the public and especially to underrepresented urban minority youth. These efforts have impacted millions of people through museum displays, a research center, mass media appearances, and publications.

Randolph W. "Bill" and Cecile T. Bromery Award for the Minorities

Aradhna Tripati, University of California, Los Angeles, receives recognition for her active involvement of students of all backgrounds and levels in the research endeavor that makes a real difference in the science and in the engagement of nontraditional and underrepresented students. In addition to being an outstanding role model for women and underrepresented minorities in science, Tripati has constructed a deep, valuable progression of important contributions to paleoclimatology that speak to her vision and perseverance.

Geologic Mapping Award in Honor of Florence Bascom

Ray E. Wells, U.S. Geological Survey, Portland, is internationally recognized as the foremost expert in the geologic and tectonic framework of the Pacific Northwest. Throughout his career, Wells has served as chief of a number of large USGS geologic mapping projects which have produced over 150 geologic quadrangle maps, numerous geophysical surveys, and articles in scientific journals that relate major scientific findings discovered through the geologic mapping.

Distinguished Service Award

Jean M. Bahr, University of Wisconsin-Madison, is honored for her long and stellar service to GSA and the geoscience community. A Fellow since 1996, Bahr served as a Councilor beginning in 2004, climaxing with her term as GSA President in 2009-2010. She is a former chair of the GSA Hydrogeology Division and has served on numerous committees. Bahr has taken an active role in public policy, providing leadership and guidance as GSA crafted its Climate Change Position Paper. She exemplifies the best qualities that support and serve our society and community.

Photos of the GSA award recipients are online. Citations and responses from the 2017 GSA medal and award winners will be posted on this site after the 2017 GSA Annual Meeting & Exposition.

Lists of GSA's Division awardees and newly elected Fellows are also online.

Read more about GSA's medals and awards at http://www.geosociety.org/GSA/About/awards/About_Awards/GSA/Awards/About_GSA_Awards.aspx.

The Geological Society of America, founded in 1888, is a scientific society with more than 25,000 members from academia, government, and industry in more than 100 countries. Through its meetings, publications, and programs, GSA enhances the professional growth of its members and promotes the geosciences in the service of humankind. Headquartered in Boulder, Colorado, USA, GSA encourages cooperative research among earth, life, planetary, and social scientists, fosters public dialogue on geoscience issues, and supports all levels of earth science education.

http://www.geosociety.org

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Oxygen in the seawater is not only vital to most marine organisms, its concentrations also affect the chemistry of the ocean and that of the atmosphere above. In oceanic regions with very little oxygen, for example, large amounts of the potent greenhouse gas nitrous oxide, also called laughing gas, are produced via biogeochemical processes and can then be released to the atmosphere.

Even though a natural moderate oxygen minimum zone (OMZ) exists along some of the eastern boundaries of the Atlantic Ocean, the Atlantic OMZ, unlike the OMZs of the Indian and Pacific oceans, was not considered to be a region of extremely low oxygen concentrations. New findings by an international research team led by the Kiel Excellence Cluster "Future Ocean" and the GEOMAR Helmholtz Center for Ocean Research Kiel, however, now imply that this picture has to be corrected. This study was published yesterday in the Nature Publishing Group journal Scientific Reports.

"The reason why the extremely low-oxygen regions in the Atlantic have so far escaped research is simple: they are relatively small and mobile in contrast to the well-known, large and stationary oxygen minimum zones", explains Dr. Damian Grundle from the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences, first author of the current study and, until recently, a scientist at the "Future Ocean"/GEOMAR. Extreme low oxygen concentrations occur in the Atlantic in ocean eddies of up to 100 kilometers in diameter, which migrate westward across the ocean from the West African coast. Such eddies are difficult to detect with conventional observation methods, and require a combination of satellite, glider and ship-based observations.

The first observation of a low oxygen eddy in the Atlantic Ocean, however, was detected by the Cape Verde Ocean Observatory, a project which includes an ocean observation mooring north of the Cape Verdean island of Sao Vicente. "We had a first indication of the existence of these special eddies but still no exact information from their interior," reports the marine chemist Dr. Bjorn Fiedler from GEOMAR, who led the project.

With the financial support of the Kiel Cluster of Excellence "The Future Ocean", an interdisciplinary group of scientists waited for their next chance. It came in 2014: by means of satellite observation they discovered a potential low oxygen eddy, which formed off the coast of Mauritania and migrated towards Cape Verde. From there, the team deployed autonomous sensor carriers, so-called gliders, to intercept the eddy. As it approached the islands, the researchers were also able to take water samples directly from the eddy's center with the Cape Verdean research vessel ISLANDIA.

"Chance also helped us. At the time we investigated the eddy the German research vessel METEOR conducted a long planned expedition for the Collaborative Research Centre 754 Kiel off Cape Verde. We quickly convinced our colleagues to sample the eddy, too," says Dr. Fiedler. He adds: "Without the good infrastructure on the Cape Verde Islands and the long-term cooperation with our colleagues there, this campaign would not have been possible."

Afterwards the obtained data and water samples were evaluated physically, biogeochemically and biologically. "In a whole series of publications, we were able to gain exciting new insights into the hitherto unknown phenomenon in the Atlantic," says Dr. Fiedler.

The latest study, now published in Scientific Reports, demonstrates that at the core of the eddy, the highest levels of the greenhouse gas nitrous oxide ever measured in the open Atlantic were found in only 100 meters of water depth. This can be attributed to processes that can deplete the plant nutrient nitrogen from the ocean, producing, among other things, nitrous oxide in large quantities, and further points out that scientists should now consider revising our understanding of the chemical cycles in the Atlantic.

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Summary:

Cetuximab, an anti-EGFR monoclonal antibody and the only FDA-approved targeted therapy against advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), has limited efficacy due to development of resistance.

In a bid to identify new therapeutic strategies to circumvent the de novo or acquired cetuximab resistance in HNSCC tumors, researchers studied the clinical relevance of SMAD4 loss on cetuximab response in HPV-negative HNSCC patients.

The researchers identified that SMAD4 loss results in cetuximab resistance in vitro and poor survival in HPV-negative HNSCC patients and in vivo models. Using OncoFinder (an innovative bioinformatic tool currently rebranded as iPANDA), they revealed a signature of pro-survival and anti-apoptotic pathways specifically dysregulated in SMAD4-low HNSCCs and indicate JNK and MAPK activation as potential mediators of cetuximab resistance.

July 7th, 2017, BALTIMORE, MD. A team of Moffitt Cancer Center and Johns Hopkins scientists alongside collaborators from Insilico Medicine, Inc, has identified JNK and MAPK activation as mediators of cetuximab resistance in HNSCC tumors with loss of SMAD4 expression. In a report on these findings, published online May 16 in Clinical Cancer Research, the team says that HPV-negative HNSCC patients with low expression of SMAD4 protein (a key downstream mediator of TGF signaling) may have poor cetuximab response.

"This work contributes to advancing our knowledge of head and neck cancer because mechanisms of cetuximab resistance can be targeted with combination therapy. We indicated JNK and MAPK activation as potential mediators of cetuximab resistance. Our study proposes concurrent EGFR and JNK/MAPK inhibition as a novel strategy for overcoming cetuximab resistance in tumors with loss of SMAD4 expression." says Christine Chung, M.D., Chair of Department of Head and Neck-Endocrine Oncology at the Moffitt Cancer Center. Chung cautions that the findings are preliminary and further confirmatory studies are planned in a wider range of cell lines and more cancer patients. But the knowledge is invaluable, she says, for both understanding the molecular biology underlying SMAD4 -- associated HNSCC tumorigenesis and how to use the findings in clinical applications.

Alex Zhavoronkov, PhD, CEO of Insilico Medicine Inc, a Baltimore-based company focusing on big data analysis, says -- "Through its focus on aging research and drug discovery, InSilico Medicine is actively engaged in providing innovative computational technology to academia and pharmaceutical industry. Using OncoFinder (now rebranded as iPANDA), a bioinformatics approach for analyzing high-throughput transcriptomic datasets, we uncovered a signature of pro-survival and anti-apoptotic pathways specifically dysregulated in SMAD4-low cases. These data indicates that SMAD4 may regulate genes associated with key cancer pathways and further support the role of SMAD4 as a potent tumor suppressor in head and neck cancers."

"Our team has previously reported a link between somatic inactivation of SMAD4 and cetuximab resistance in HNSCC. In this study, we were able to detect pro-survival signaling axes in tumors with low SMAD4 expression that may contribute to survival and promotion of cetuximab resistance via inhibition of apoptosis and induction of cell proliferation" - Says Ruchira Ranaweera, Ph.D, one of the lead authors of the manuscript.

Evgeny Izumchenko, an Assistant Professor at Johns Hopkins University, adds - "In particular, our data suggest that SMAD4 expression may act as a determinant of sensitivity/resistance to EGFR/MAPK or EGFR/JNK inhibition in HPV-negative tumors. But it is only the beginning to fully determine the ability of SMAD4 to stratify the subset of patients whose tumors could respond and who would clinically benefit from the combination therapy."

###

Other authors on the paper are Hiroyuki Ozawa, Elana Fertig, Jason Howard, Ana Markovic, Atul Bedi, Rajani Ravi, Jimena Perez, Hao Wang, Hyunseok Kang, Harry Quon and David Sidransky of the Johns Hopkins University, Quynh-Thu Le and Christina S. Kong of Stanford University, Richard Jordan of University of California, San Francisco and Eugene Makarev of InSilico Medicine Inc.

About Insilico Medicine, Inc

Insilico Medicine, Inc. is an artificial intelligence company located at the Emerging Technology Centers at the Johns Hopkins University Eastern campus in Baltimore with R&D resources in Belgium, Russia, and the UK hiring talent through hackathons and competitions. It utilizes advances in genomics, big data analysis and deep learning for in silico drug discovery and drug repurposing for aging and age-related diseases. The company pursues internal drug discovery programs in cancer, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, ALS, diabetes, sarcopenia and geroprotector discovery. Through its Pharma.AI division, the company provides advanced machine learning services to biotechnology, pharmaceutical, and skin care companies. In 2017 NVIDIA selected Insilico as the top 5 AI companies for social impact.

Brief company video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l62jlwgL3v8

http://www.insilicomedicine.com
In butterflies, sex is determined by chromosome differences between males and females. But unlike in humans with the familiar X and Y, in butterflies, it is the females that determine the sex of offspring.

They do so by either passing along either their Z (male) or W (female) chromosomes. Males are ZZ, while females are ZW. This ZW pattern is also prevalent in birds, some fish, and insects like butterflies. Similar to XY pairs, ZW pairs are different from each other in their shape and gene content: The Z chromosome is larger and has many genes, while the W consists mainly of repetitive DNA.

Sex chromosomes typically evolve from a pair of autosomes. After acquiring sex determining genes, W-chromosomes often degenerate and lose genes (just like the male Y in humans). Beatriz Vicoso and her team are interested in how females compensate for the loss of genetic information, in a broad biological phenomenon called dosage compensation. In this case, either the genes get up-regulated in females (since they have only one Z) or down-regulated in ZZ males.

But to date, prior studies have painted an incomplete picture, with some species having complete compensation of the Z while others seemingly less so.

"Dosage compensation is common and well understood in XY species, but there has been speculation for decades that ZW species may not have it," said Vicoso. "The inconsistent patterns in butterflies and moths had further muddled the picture."

Vicoso's research group at the Institute of Science and Technology in Austria attempts to clear up the confusion with an examination in butterflies and moths.

In a new paper, appearing in the advanced online edition of the journal Molecular Biology and Evolution, they examined the gene expression patterns in two butterfly (which last had a common ancestor around 35 million years ago) and two moth species, and looked at these at distinct times of development and in different tissues to better understand dosage compensation.

Their work shows that, contrary to previously inconsistent findings, dosage compensation appears to be common in somatic tissues throughout the clade. In all species studied, they found that the expression of Z-linked genes is consistently equalized between the sexes.

But there are some nuances to the pattern. It's in the gonads -- the testis and ovaries --that things get tricky. In this tissue, Z-chromosome expression was not balanced between the sexes. But this is most likely due to a masculinization of the Z chromosome (the accumulation of many genes with strong male bias in expression, which cannot be accounted for by a two-fold difference in gene copy number) -- and by the loss of female-biased genes.

When these strongly sex-biased genes are removed, balance is restored between male and female gene expression of the Z chromosome. Finally, the study authors speculate that this bias is found in the accumulation of genes with testis-specific functions.

"Our study shows that these inconsistencies were due to differences in experimental setup, and that dosage compensation is not just possible but widespread in this ZW group," said Vicoso. "It also emphasizes the importance of taking into account genes with sex-specific function, which are unbalanced between the sexes for functional reasons. While there is still a long way to go, these results take us one step closer to understanding what drives some species to balance the expression of their sex chromosome, while other do not."

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The world is marking International Save the Vaquita Day on July 8 by supporting VaquitaCPR's ambitious, emergency plan to help save the vaquita porpoise from extinction in the northern Gulf of California. The project, which has been recommended by the International Committee for the Recovery of the Vaquita (CIRVA), involves relocating some of the remaining vaquitas to a temporary sanctuary later this year. At the same time, a permanent ban on gillnet fishing went into effect last week in a bid to save a critically endangered species of porpoise. VaquitaCPR is led by the Mexican government and supported by a consortium of marine mammal experts from more than a dozen organizations around the world.

The plight of the vaquita continues to gain increasing attention after actor Leonardo DiCaprio, Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto and Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim signed a Memorandum of Understanding recently committing Mexico to strengthen its legislations surrounding fishing practices.

July 8 is International Save the Vaquita Day, a day marked by events designed to raise awareness of the world's most endangered marine mammal.

"This is historic. We're seeing extraordinary partnerships being forged on common ground - a shared desire to rescue the vaquita from extinction. But we must act quickly," said Dr. Cynthia Smith, Executive Director of the National Marine Mammal Foundation. "International Save the Vaquita Day is an opportunity for people to join the fight for the vaquita's life by learning how to support our rescue plan at VaquitaCPR.org. It takes a global village to save a species."

VaquitaCPR (Conservation, Protection and Recovery) is an emergency action plan of the Mexican government with the input of an expert group of conservation scientists and marine mammal veterinarians. Recovery operations are set to begin in Mexico in the next few months. The plan acknowledges the many uncertainties involved in finding, catching and maintaining vaquitas in a temporary sanctuary. Vaquitas are not only rare, they avoid motorized vessels and no one can predict how they will react. "Unlike condors, we expect that most vaquitas will remain in the wild as capturing even a few will be very difficult," says Dr. Lorenzo Rojas-Bracho, lead vaquita researcher and head of CIRVA. "Having some is still better than having none. The decline is happening faster than solutions for illegal fishing, so we need to have multiple strategies."

The emergency action plan has been adopted by Secretaria de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales (SEMARNAT) on the recommendation of their expert advisory group, the Comite Internacional Para La Recuperacion De La Vaquita (CIRVA). Under SEMARNAT leadership, the National Marine Mammal Foundation, The Marine Mammal Center, and the Chicago Zoological Society will help coordinate the efforts of a multi-institutional, international conservation team.

The precipitous decline of the vaquita has been primarily driven by accidental deaths of the porpoises in fishing gillnets. In 2015, the Mexican government instituted a two-year gillnet ban over the range of the vaquita. Additionally, the Mexican government implemented a financial compensation program to provide income to fishermen affected by the two-year gillnet ban. Despite strong enforcement, illegal gillnets are still being set to catch an endangered fish known as totoaba, the swim bladders of which fetch large sums of money on Hong Kong and Chinese black markets. Thus, despite tens of millions of dollars invested by the Mexican government in preventing vaquita by-catch, the population continues to decline.

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VaquitaCPR is an international conservation program led by SEMARNAT in coordination with the National Marine Mammal Foundation, The Marine Mammal Center, and the Chicago Zoological Society. Key collaborators in Mexico include Instituto Nacional de Ecologia (INECC), Asociacion Mexicana de Habitats para la Interaccion y Proteccion de Mamiferos Marinos (AMHMAR), and Acuario Oceanico. United States collaborators include Duke University and the U.S. Marine Mammal Commission, with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration contributing technical support. European collaborators include Dolfinarium Harderwijk, Aarhus University, and Fjord&Baelt. Additional support and expertise has been offered from Dolphin Quest, SeaWorld, and the Vancouver Aquarium. VaquitaCPR operates as a private and public partnership, relying on both individual donors and government grants. VaquitaCPR has received generous financial support from the Mexican government, Association of Zoos and Aquariums, Global Wildlife Conservation, Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks & Aquariums, Africam, International Marine Animal Trainer's Association, Waitt Foundation, Disney Conservation Fund, and the Firedoll Foundation. For information about the plan, visit http://www.VaquitaCPR.org.
Scientists at the University of Cambridge have developed a new statistical model which estimates kidney function in patients with cancer. This is the most accurate model for estimating kidney function yet developed and should help cancer specialists treat their patients more safely and improve the accuracy of chemotherapy dosing. The model is now available free online.

Kidneys perform a number of vital functions, including filtering waste and toxins out of the blood, producing vitamin D, and regulating blood pressure. The filtration function of the kidneys is measured by the glomerular filtration rate (GFR), the rate at which blood is passed through the glomeruli, the small blood vessel filters in the kidneys.

Determination of the GFR is important because the assessment of kidney function can indicate how a disease is progressing, whether a drug treatment is having adverse side-effects on key bodily functions, and if it is safe to prescribe a drug at a certain dose, a question of particular importance to cancer doctors when prescribing chemotherapy drugs. However, measuring GFR is technically difficult. Doctors therefore often rely on ways to estimate GFR, which can be relatively inaccurate.

"Almost every patient with cancer gets a measurement of their kidney function, reported as estimated GFR, and this value influences many treatment decisions, but until now, we did not know the best way to provide this value for patients with cancer," says Dr Tobias Janowitz from the Cancer Research UK (CRUK) Cambridge Institute at the University of Cambridge, joint first author. "Given how important this measure is in day-to-day clinical practice, we felt that we should provide an evidence-based model for its calculation in this context."

Now, in a study published today in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, the authors describe a new and better way to estimate the GFR, which has been developed using data from a large dataset of over 2,500 patients. They used accurate measurements of GFR to provide a gold standard and then statistical modelling methods to find the best mathematical model to estimate GFR. The new model also provides a measure of the uncertainty for this estimate.

To test the use of this revised method of estimating GFR, the researchers focused on the precision of chemotherapy dosing, specifically dosing of carboplatin, which is used to treat multiple cancers, such as lung cancer, germ cell tumours, ovarian cancer, and breast cancer. The new model reduced the probability of incorrect dosing for carboplatin substantially compared to the current models used in clinical practice, from more than 20% for the currently published models to 11.7% with the new model.

"Accuracy in chemotherapy dosing is very important," says Edward Williams, joint first author, also from the CRUK Cambridge Institute. "Too much chemotherapy can be toxic and can even be life threatening, but too little chemotherapy may be ineffective against the cancer. Our model should help doctors calculate chemotherapy doses more accurately and thereby reduce the risk of toxicity or treatment failure."

The model has been made available for clinicians to access online free of charge.

"We believe this tool, which is based on stringent methodology, could have a positive impact on the care for a great many patients with cancer," says senior author Professor Helena Earl from the Department of Oncology at Cambridge. "This is why we have made it free and easily accessible."

"The limitation of our work that we are most aware of is that due to the patient demographics in our data set, our model does not provide guidance on the impact of race on the estimated GFR, though it is well known that race can be a key variable," explains Dr Janowitz. "This will be addressed in future work. We are also keen to explore how well the new model performs for patients with diseases other than cancers.

"The work is a very good example of scientists from different specialties coming together to provide an advance for the care that we offer to patients with cancer."

The study was supported by Cancer Research UK, the Wellcome Trust, and the National Institute of Health Research Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre.

Professor Peter Johnson, Cancer Research UK's chief clinician, said: "Chemotherapy drugs are very powerful, so having the correct dose makes an enormous difference to how effective they are and how we can avoid unnecessary side effects. This way of measuring how well a patient's kidneys are working and how quickly chemotherapy drugs like carboplatin leave the body helps to make our treatments more accurate and better suited to each individual."

###

Reference

Janowitz, J et al. A new model for estimating glomerular filtration rate in patients with cancer. Journal of Clinical Oncology; 7 July 2017; DOI: 10.1200/JCO.2017.72.7578
A University of Strathclyde Professor has received a prestigious award from the Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE) for his work in cancer and public health. Professor Peter Boyle, Director of the Strathclyde Institute of Global Public Health at iPRI (International Prevention Research Institute), was awarded the RSE Royal Medal for his outstanding contribution to global cancer control and public health policy.

He is internationally known for his research in epidemiology and disease prevention, and led the EUROCAN+PLUS project for the European Parliament, which developed priorities for coordination of cancer research in Europe. Peter is also founder and president of the World Prevention Alliance, which is committed to prevention research and action in lower-income countries. The award to Professor Boyle was made after Her Majesty The Queen, patron of the RSE, approved the RSE Council's recommendations for the award Royal Medals. Professor Boyle, who is a Fellow of the RSE, said: "I am deeply honoured to be the recipient of this prestigious award from the Royal Society of Edinburgh, Scotland's National Academy. I have been privileged to work with some outstanding individuals and groups who have greatly influenced me to determine what was important and what could be done to change situations for the better. "Coming from a background in Statistics, I gradually realised that statistics were patients with the tears wiped away. For me, this is my key philosophy when working in Global Public Health".

RSE President Professor Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell said: "It was a very great pleasure to welcome our Patron, Her Majesty The Queen to the RSE to present the Royal Medals. As this is the third time Her Majesty has visited the RSE, and the second time that she has presented the Royal Medals, we deeply appreciate the interest she has shown in the RSE and her personal involvement in the presentation of these prestigious awards. This year's Royal Medallists have all made truly exceptional contributions to their areas. These awards are the RSE's highest accolades that reflect the enlightenment spirit of the RSE's Royal Charter of 1783 and its remit to advance learning and useful knowledge."

Professor Boyle was born, raised and educated in Glasgow but has spent the majority of his career working internationally, including his current post with iPRI, which is based in Lyon and Glasgow. He has also held posts at Yale University, Harvard School of Public Health, the University of Glasgow, the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston and the European Institute of Oncology in Milan, where he was Director of the Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics for 13 years.

Professor Boyle's research focuses on disease prevention, translating research into new approaches to treatment and translating information on risk factors into changes in population behaviour. He has served as a member of the European Cancer Advisory Board and worked as scientific advisor to the European Commission on the European Tobacco Contents Directive, which became law in 2012. He was also responsible for three versions of the European Code Against Cancer.

He was Editor of the World Cancer Report 2008 and the State of Oncology 2013, which highlighted the growing global cancer crisis. This was followed by State of Oncology Africa 2015 which, with an accompanying film, Cancer Is...Attacking Africa, highlighted the need for action against chronic disease in low-resource countries.

Professor Boyle received a lifetime achievement award from the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) in 2014. ESMO praised him for "(his) dedication, his ability to engage us all in ultimately reversing the many disparities that exist in access to optimal cancer treatment and care across borders."

His other honours include the Knight's Cross of Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland and honorary doctorates from the Universities of Aberdeen and Dundee. In addition to being a Member of the National Academy of Science of Hungary, Peter is a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow, the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh and an Honorary Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland.

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RSE Royal Medals were instituted by The Queen to mark the Millennium and have been awarded since then with her express approval. These accolades are awarded for distinction and international repute in any of the following categories: Life Sciences; Physical and Engineering Sciences; Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences; Business and Commerce.
MADISON, Wis. -- In today's increasingly powerful electronics, tiny materials are a must as manufacturers seek to increase performance without adding bulk.

Smaller also is better for optoelectronic devices -- like camera sensors or solar cells -- which collect light and convert it to electrical energy. Think, for example, about reducing the size and weight of a series of solar panels, producing a higher-quality photo in low lighting conditions, or even transmitting data more quickly.

However, two major challenges have stood in the way: First, shrinking the size of conventionally used "amorphous" thin-film materials also reduces their quality. And second, when ultrathin materials become too thin, they become almost transparent and actually lose some ability to gather or absorb light.

Now, in a nanoscale photodetector that combines a unique fabrication method and light-trapping structures, a team of engineers from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the University at Buffalo has overcome both of those obstacles.

The researchers -- electrical engineering professors Zhenqiang (Jack) Ma and Zongfu Yu at UW-Madison and Qiaoqiang Gan at UB -- described their device, a single-crystalline germanium nano-membrane photodetector on a nano-cavity substrate, today (July 7, 2017) in the journal Science Advances.

"The idea, basically, is you want to use a very thin material to realize the same function of devices in which you need to use a very thick material," says Ma.

The device consists of nano-cavities sandwiched between a top layer of ultrathin single-crystal germanium and a reflecting layer of silver.

"Because of the nano-cavities, the photons are 'recycled' so light absorption is substantially increased -- even in very thin layers of material," says Ma.

Nano-cavities are made up of an orderly series of tiny, interconnected molecules that essentially reflect, or circulate, light. Gan already has shown that his nano-cavity structures increase the amount of light that thin semiconducting materials like germanium can absorb.

However, most germanium thin films begin as germanium in its amorphous form -- meaning the material's atomic arrangement lacks the regular, repeating order of a crystal. That also means its quality isn't sufficient for increasingly smaller optoelectronics applications.

That's where Ma's expertise comes into play. A world expert in semiconductor nano-membrane devices, Ma used a revolutionary membrane-transfer technology that allows him to easily integrate single crystalline semiconducting materials onto a substrate.

The result is a very thin, yet very effective, light-absorbing photodetector -- a building block for the future of optoelectronics.

"It is an enabling technology that allows you to look at a wide variety of optoelectronics that can go to even smaller footprints, smaller sizes," says Yu, who conducted computational analysis of the detectors.

While the researchers demonstrated their advance using a germanium semiconductor, they also can apply their method to other semiconductors.

"And importantly, by tuning the nano-cavity, we can control what wavelength we actually absorb," says Gan. "This will open the way to develop lots of different optoelectronic devices."

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The researchers are applying jointly for a patent on the technology through the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation. Other authors on the paper include Zhenyang Xia, Munho Kim, Ming Zhou, Tzu-Hsuan Chang, Dong Liu, Xin Yin, Kanglin Xiong, Hongyi Mi and Xudong Wang of UW-Madison; Haomin Song of the University at Buffalo; and Fengnian Xia of Yale University.

This research was supported in part by the National Science Foundation (grants ECCS1507312, CMMI1562057, ECCS 1405201, ECCS 1641006), Air Force Office of Scientific Research (grant FA9550-09-1-0482) and Department of Energy (grant DE-NA0002915).

--Renee Meiller, 608-262-2481, meiller@engr.wisc.edu
High-achieving, low-income 12- and 13-year-old students report that several protective factors contribute to their academic success despite the presence of adversity: reciprocal peer relationships, teachers who care, family and community assets, and multiple sources of motivation.

The study's findings on how students are able to succeed in school despite adversity can be used to in the design of programs, practices, and services that provide support to students who are failing or at risk of academic failure due to poverty.

"In the national discussion about how to promote academic success among poor students at risk of school failure, one voice has gone unheard: the students them,selves," said Dr. Joseph Williams, lead author of the Journal of Multicultural Counseling & Development study. "While many studies have collected the opinions of parents, educators, and school administrators, few have explored students' perceptions of what they need to succeed academically despite exposure to adversity. This is a serious oversight."

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From: Ad Council For Immediate Release: Dateline: New York , NY Friday, July 7, 2017







Change. Are you good with it?

Im fortunate to work for a company that embraces change and champions innovation through ample professional development opportunities. I take full advantage of every conference, course and guest speaker brown bag that I can, because if Im being honest, being a change maker doesnt come naturally. Im learning to be comfortable amid uncertainty and give myself (and my team) permission to take risks, fail and try again because thats what you must do to stay relevant, connected and innovative.

This Spring, I attended

Creating marketing strategies that balance business goals with customer needs

Producing content that provides value, while keeping brand relevance top of mind

Evaluating and utilizing a marketing tech stack to plan, deliver, and measure communications

Breaking silos and challenging the because weve always done it this way mindset

Taking risks, failing, and trying again Here are my top 5 takeaways from the event:

1. Consumers attention spans are now less than that of a gold fish (less than 8 seconds). Get to the point quickly or risk losing your audience.

2. Brand values matter to consumers and affect sales. Take a stand, share it out and embody the brand values in everything that you do. Customers doubt and mistrust brands that do not take a stand and tread middle ground. Alternatively, brands that show a human side and have strong values make customers more loyal. For example, Vicks released a powerful ad normalizing and championing a transgender moms relationship with her adopted daughter.



3. Create audience-first marketing strategies and become a customer intelligent company. Break silos and get rid of the channel-centric strategies youre holding onto. Focus on the full customer experience and the context in which you find your customer. Treat customer service as an attitude, not a department. Virgin Media lost $5 million a year because their

4. One size fits all marketing doesnt cut it anymore. Successful marketers take 1:1 experiences a step further by creating 1:moment experiences, keeping context top of mind when marketing to customers. For example, instead of sending your customers a customized bar offer from their favorite neighborhood happy hour spot on a Monday morning, send it after 5 p.m. on a Thursday with their favorite beverage featured. Or a bolder example: The actors in the Broadway show Hamilton created this 1:moment experience when they addressed attendee Mike Pence at the end of the show.



5. Assumptions lead to illusion of insight, which can lead to blind spots. Triangulate insights to boost confidence and rely on mixed-method, multi-sourced insight to fill in the blanks, check assumptions, create new hypotheses and minimize blind spots. Lego had insight into their customers being busier than ever, but instead of exploring the implications further, they assumed that customers would want less complicated products that took up less time. After a drastic drop in sales, they investigated further and realized that their customers liked feeling like they had accomplished something when using the complicated products, and simply did not feel the same way about the simple ones.



The post

Change. Are you good with it?Im fortunate to work for a company that embraces change and champions innovation through ample professional development opportunities. I take full advantage of every conference, course and guest speaker brown bag that I can, because if Im being honest, being a change maker doesnt come naturally. Im learning to be comfortable amid uncertainty and give myself (and my team) permission to take risks, fail and try again because thats what you must do to stay relevant, connected and innovative.This Spring, I attended Forresters Consumer Marketing Forum : Master Marketing Strategy and Technology in a Turbulent Time. The title was intriguing and felt like a perfect fit for the work that we do, such as:Here are my top 5 takeaways from the event:Get to the point quickly or risk losing your audience.Take a stand, share it out and embody the brand values in everything that you do. Customers doubt and mistrust brands that do not take a stand and tread middle ground. Alternatively, brands that show a human side and have strong values make customers more loyal. For example, Vicks released a powerful ad normalizing and championing a transgender moms relationship with her adopted daughter.The ad itself had little to do with Vicks products, but it earned them immense respect and loyalty from consumers because of the values they demonstrated.Break silos and get rid of the channel-centric strategies youre holding onto. Focus on the full customer experience and the context in which you find your customer. Treat customer service as an attitude, not a department. Virgin Media lost $5 million a year because their hiring and interview process turned people against the brand. Every point of interaction needs to be positive.Successful marketers take 1:1 experiences a step further by creating 1:moment experiences, keeping context top of mind when marketing to customers. For example, instead of sending your customers a customized bar offer from their favorite neighborhood happy hour spot on a Monday morning, send it after 5 p.m. on a Thursday with their favorite beverage featured. Or a bolder example: The actors in the Broadway show Hamilton created this 1:moment experience when they addressed attendee Mike Pence at the end of the show.It was bold, disruptive and risky to take such a stand, but the actors knew their audience and had context for their statement. The following week, the show broke records and grossed the highest profit any show has in a week Triangulate insights to boost confidence and rely on mixed-method, multi-sourced insight to fill in the blanks, check assumptions, create new hypotheses and minimize blind spots. Lego had insight into their customers being busier than ever, but instead of exploring the implications further, they assumed that customers would want less complicated products that took up less time. After a drastic drop in sales, they investigated further and realized that their customers liked feeling like they had accomplished something when using the complicated products, and simply did not feel the same way about the simple ones.The post 5 Ways to Change Up your Marketing appeared first on AdLibbing.org


A ban on glyphosate could force one in five British wheat farms into 'serious financial difficulty', a new survey has shown.

It is less than a fortnight to go until the European Commission decides on whether to renew the licence for the commonly-used herbicide.

Glyphosate is an active substance in the production of herbicides, and has been used by the majority of British farmers for weed control over the past 40 years.

More than half of British farmers say they are concerned that a ban could cost them more than 10,000 every year.

The wheat sector is expected to be the hardest hit if glyphosate is not renewed.

Decline crop production

Farmer George Hosier and his father Patric run Wexcombe Manor Farm in Wiltshire, they said a ban would lead to a decline in crop production.

Moreover, Mr Hosier believes it could cost him up to 100,000.

The impact of the ban would also extend beyond the wheat sector to affect agriculture more widely and possibly the British economy.

According to new figures released earlier this month by leading economic research house Oxford Economics and agriculture specialists The Andersons Centre, in partnership with the Crop Protection Association, potential consequences of a glyphosate ban could include a reduction of farm output by 940 million.

Liver disease in rats

But study results released in January this year showed that glyphosate-based herbicides caused liver diseases in rats at 'very low' doses.

Dr Michael Antoniou, of Kings College London, stated: "The findings of our study are very worrying as they demonstrate for the first time a causative link between an environmentally relevant level of [glyphosate] consumption over the long-term and a serious disease  namely non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

"Our results also suggest that regulators should reconsider the safety evaluation of glyphosate-based herbicides."

A spokesperson for the Crop Protection Association called the study 'flawed'.

The spokesperson said: "This study uses samples from the now infamous 2012 Seralini study, which was found to be so flawed by multiple global regulatory bodies that it was discredited by the scientific community and formally retracted by the journal which originally published it."
A new system is being trialled in North Yorkshire in an attempt to cut the number of sheep stolen in the county.

The TecTracer system ingrains thousands of coded markers into the sheep's fleece so its farm can be traced.

If an animal is stolen, the system can alert the police and nearby farms.

According to the NFU Mutual Rural Crime Report 2016, livestock rustling remains a huge problem with a total cost to the UK of 2.9 million a year.

"Sheep stealing is a major problem for the whole of the UK, but in recent years the North East has been particularly hard hit," TecTracer director John Minary told ITV news.

"We have been working closely with North Yorkshire Police's Rural Taskforce and the farming community, and TecTracer is now being piloted on farms in North Yorkshire.

"Once the microdots have been applied to a fleece, the unique identifying numbers are then uploaded to a database.

"And, if an animal is stolen, our early warning system then swings into action alerting the police, other farms, abattoirs and livestock auctions.

"By having sheep protected by TecTracer it will certainly make would-be thieves think twice before contemplating stealing them."

Simon Clapcot, a PCSO with North Yorkshire's rural task force, said it offered a modern answer to older systems such as tagging sheep.

"Tags can be cut out and replaced giving the sheep a new identity but this remains on the fleece close to the skin and even shearing doesn't remove it."
The UK has made good progress on combating climate change, but agriculture needs a stronger framework for reducing emissions, according to a new report.

The National Farmers' Union (NFU) has said it welcomes the report, but states it misses the 'vital human element', where farmers make decisions on the basis of economic, social and environmental costs and benefits to their farm businesses.

The latest progress report, from the Committee on Climate Change, says UK greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions have fallen while the economy has grown.

It states that costs continue to fall for key low-carbon technologies such as wind power and electric vehicles while performance is improving fast.

It also sees the transition to a low-carbon economy as being a key part of the UK's industrial strategy and offering significant co-benefits particularly for air quality and health.

However, the committee is clear that progress will not continue without new policies. Most significant domestic policies for reducing emissions end around 2020, leaving a big gap through the next decade and beyond.

For the farming industry, the report in particular highlights the need to manage soils more sustainably.

Soil in the spotlight

Soil in particular is under the spotlight with calls for a plan to deliver the aspiration for all soils to be managed sustainably

The report calls for a stronger policy framework for reducing emissions from agriculture and land use as current progress is off-track.

It notes that non-CO2 emissions, like methane from ruminants and nitrous oxide mainly from nitrogen sources in the soil, have remained broadly flat. This is despite what it sees as significant low-cost opportunities to cut emissions.

In assessing the progress on adaptation across the UK, the committee notes that risks from a changing climate have increased.

Soil in particular is under the spotlight with calls for a plan to deliver the aspiration for all soils to be managed sustainably, and a target for restoring all designated upland blanket bog habitats to favourable condition by 2030.

Some of the most productive farmland in England is at risk of becoming unprofitable within a generation through soil erosion, the government said last year in relation to an environmental report.

"Soil is crucial to society," a government response said, "neglecting soil health could have dire consequences for food security, climate change, and public health."

The Committee on Climate Change report also says a more proactive strategy is needed to ensure the availability of safe, affordable and nutritious food in the UK.

'Vital human element'

The National Farmers' Union (NFU) said the report reinforces the need for the Greenhouse Gas Action Plan's work on a set of indicators to better reflect the change in on-farm practice undertaken by farmers as they seek to improve productivity and reduce GHGs.

An NFU statement said: "The committee recognises that uncertainty in current agricultural emissions estimates is high relative to other sectors, making it difficult to assess mitigation options effectively.

"While the new GHG inventory, expected next year, will improve the situation, gaps will remain. In particular, it is not clear how robust estimates of future mitigation potential are to a changing climate.

"In its assessment of the possible impacts of climate change, the CCC has considered the production of food alongside the many services provided by the land like clean water and biodiversity.

"However this approach misses the vital human element, where farmers make decisions on the basis of economic, social and environmental costs and benefits to their farm businesses.

"It does recognise that a more proactive strategy is needed to ensure the availability of safe, affordable, nutritious food in the UK and which needs to begin now.

"The committee is not alone in eyeing up the replacement for the CAP as an opportunity to link future support to delivering both adaptation and mitigation. Like the NFU, it sees the transition to a low-carbon economy as being a key part of the UK's industrial strategy."
A conference has said that the future of agriculture and food production lies with young people, and that 'school farms' are important in building up passion.

The School Farms Network Conference held at the Royal Agricultural University in Cirencester last week (30 June  1 July 2017), said student progression to higher education and career outcomes is important for the future of the agri-food industry.

Attended by 100 teachers and students, the conference was seen as an opportunity for those passionate about school-based farm learning and developing pathways to higher education to share knowledge and expertise.

The conference explored the role of rearing farm livestock in schools, and the value of land-based education, including the areas of agriculture, business, technology, food security, and the environment.

Young people are interested in where their food comes from, and the food supply chain - so the need to promote career opportunities in food and agriculture is vital, the conference heard.

Passionate about farming

The conference also heard how school farms can help students to become passionate about animals and farming practices.

There are now more than 116 school farms in the UK.

A dairy farm in Worcestershire took the initiative to bring children onto a farm. It hosts learning visits for youngsters which has led to new outdoor classroom after receiving a 23,000 business grant.

The event was also told how school farms are able to build student confidence and improve their academic performance.

Teaching children about agriculture has always required some form of innovation to get them interested.

The National Farmers' Union launched an education roadshow - the Discovery Barn - to enthuse children to learn about agriculture and where their food comes from.

The Discovery Barn, a mobile trailer, combines games and facts for primary school children to learn on their own without teachers or assistance.
There are 'huge opportunities' to grow more, sell more and export more British food after Brexit, newly appointed Scotland office minister Ian Duncan has said.

Yesterday Mr Duncan visited Angus Soft Fruits, one of Scotland's leading fruit producers that distribute berries across the UK and Europe.

He toured farms with officials from National Farmers's Union Scotland and met some of the farm workers at the site.

Today Mr Duncan will visit Glenrath, an egg and poultry farm in the Scottish Borders whose organic produce makes its way into some of the finest restaurants and shops in the country.

'So wrong'

The previous Tory MEP for Scotland missed out on winning Perth and North Perthshire in the general election and was given a peerage so that he can serve in the government.

Mr Duncan lost out to the SNP's Pete Wishart by 21 votes, after a recount.

SNP's Mr Wishart said the appointment and peerage of Mr Duncan was 'so wrong'.

"It's an insult to my constituents who recently rejected him," he told the BBC.

"The abuse of the undemocratic House of Lords as a receptacle of cronies, donors and the defeated should no longer be accepted."

'Huge ambitions'

Mr Duncan stepped down as an MEP at a 'crucial time for Scotland' as the Brexit negotiations get under way and has said the Scottish government should have a seat at the table to 'see exactly what is going on'.

"In my new role, I am 100 per cent in listening mode," Mr Duncan said.

"I want to hear direct from growers, farmers and producers, whats on their minds as the UK leaves the EU.

"This is an incredibly important sector for the UK and it is so vital that we get it right when we bring laws back from Brussels.

"We have huge ambitions for our farming industry: we are determined to grow more, sell more and export more great British food, like the amazing produce of Angus Soft Fruits and Glenrath.

"There are huge opportunities ripe for the picking and I am determined that the UK government does everything it can do to help our agriculture thrive outside the EU."

The UK government reiterated its pledge to continue EU farm subsidy levels until the end of the parliament.

"We want to ensure that our farming industry is competitive, productive and profitable and that our environment is improved for future generations," a spokesperson said.
The American Health Care Act, the GOP's plan to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, would make some big changes to the rules and regulations enforced under former President Obama's signature healthcare legislation.

While the House of Representative and the Senate take somewhat different views on health reform, both houses of Congress have proposed the elimination of some of the key mandates -- and consumer protections -- Obamacare ushered in. Here are 10 things that would be eliminated from Obamacare if Trumpcare passes.

1. The individual mandate

Obamacare requires that every adult and child have qualifying health coverage, defined to include employer-provided insurance, privately purchased policies with minimum benefits, or government-sponsored coverage like Medicare. Unless you fit into an exemption, going without coverage means making an "Individual Shared Responsibility Payment," a tax equal to the greater of 2.5% of household income or $695 per child and $347.50 per adult as of 2017. With a maximum "shared responsibility" tax of $2,085 in 2017, the individual mandate is one of the most unpopular parts of Obamacare.

Both House and Senate versions of Trumpcare technically eliminate the mandate -- but it's impossible to fully do away with it while guaranteeing coverage for pre-existing conditions. The mandate is Obamacare's mechanism to force young and healthy people to buy coverage. To accomplish the same goal, the House version of Obamacare allows insurers to charge more for policies after a coverage lapse, while the Senate bill imposes a six-month waiting period to buy a policy after a coverage gap. Still, the mandate would no longer be law, and no more Individual Shared Responsibility payments would be collected.

2. The employer mandate

Obamacare's employer mandate requires companies with 50 or more full-time employees to offer affordable health insurance coverage to 95% of full-time workers -- and their kids up to age 26. Full-time workers are defined as anyone working 30 hours weekly or more. Employers could face penalties ranging from $2,260 to $3,390 per employee in 2017, depending on whether the employer failed to provide any coverage or did not provide affordable insurance that paid for at least 60% of covered services.

Both the House and Senate bills eliminate the mandate. There are no provisions in either bill to penalize employers who fail to provide coverage.

3. Tax credits based on comprehensive coverage costs

Obamacare provided Advanced Premium Tax Credits, which are credits taken in advance to pay health insurance premiums. Under Obamacare, credits are calculated based on family income and the local cost of insurance.

The House and Senate versions of Trumpcare both provide tax credits, too -- but they aren't nearly as generous. The House version of the bill bases credits on age only, not actual costs of coverage. The Senate bill calculates credits based on the cost of buying a plan covering 58% of expected healthcare costs, while Obamacare's credits are based on the cost of buying a plan covering 70% of costs.

Because of changes to credit calculations, among other Trumpcare provisions, after-tax premium costs could rise an average of 74% for a comparable health plan under the Senate's version of Trumpcare.

4. Protections for pre-existing conditions

Obamacare ended the practice of medical underwriting. Insurers can no longer consider health status when pricing coverage, and they cannot deny coverage for pre-existing conditions such as diabetes, cancer, or asthma. Everyone must be issued a policy, and insurers must use modified community ratings to price policies. This means insurance must be priced the same for everyone in the same age group in the same community. This is one of the law's most popular provisions.

Trumpcare claims to provide continued protection for pre-existing conditions, but the House version would allow states to request waivers to community-rating requirements, as long as the states had high-risk pools. Insurers could charge sick people more for coverage, and high-risk pools have proven inadequate in the past. The Senate bill also permits waivers that could weaken protections for pre-existing conditions.

5. Guaranteed coverage for essential health benefits

Obamacare mandates that insurance policies sold on the individual market provide coverage for essential health benefits (EHBs), including emergency care, maternity care, mental healthcare, substance abuse treatment, medical devices, laboratory service, preventive care, and comprehensive pediatric care, including vision and dental coverage.

Both the House and Senate versions of Trumpcare allow states to request waivers from EHBs, and experts indicate that even blue states may request waivers.

"With the skimpier subsidies, states are going to be under enormous pressure to apply for these waivers," warned Sabrina Corlette, a research professor at Georgetown University's Center on Health Insurance Reforms.

6. Expanded Medicaid benefits

Obamacare expanded Medicaid to cover families with incomes up to 133% of the federal poverty level. The House bill rolls back expanded coverage by cutting the amount the federal government reimburses states for residents who got coverage under the expansion. The Senate bill also reduces federal funding -- albeit on a different time table -- so both the House and Senate bills would likely force states to reduce coverage due to funding shortfalls.

Both bills would also change the funding calculations for all Medicaid beneficiaries. While states currently receive federal contributions based on actual costs, the House and Senate bills switch to a per-capita funding structure, with costs paid per enrollee based on a growth rate formula that would likely not keep pace with actual expenditures.

7. Obamacare limits on premium surcharges for seniors

Under Obamacare, insurers aren't allowed to charge older Americans more than three times what younger customers pay for premiums. Both the House and Senate versions of Trumpcare do away with this protection, which keeps costs down for pre-Medicare Americans.

The House and Senate bills allow insurers to charge older insurance buyers up to five times what younger policyholders pay. This is expected to raise costs substantially for older Americans. Kaiser Family Foundation estimated premiums for insurance buyers aged 55 to 64 could go up 113% on average if the Senate version of Trumpcare passes.

8. "Medicine cabinet" taxes

Obamacare prohibits the purchase of over-the-counter meds with pre-tax funds from a health savings account or flexible spending account. Before Obamacare, non-prescription drugs could be bought with pre-tax money, but now only insulin is eligible for this savings.

This de facto tax increase would be eliminated if Trumpcare passes, as proposed reforms reestablish the right to buy over-the-counter meds with pre-tax dollars.

9. Taxes on tanning and medical devices

Obamacare imposes a 2.3% excise tax on importers and manufacturers of medical devices, although the tax has yet to go into effect after being delayed for two years by the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2016. Under both the House and Senate bills, the tax is repealed. A 10% tax on indoor tanning services is also repealed by both versions of Trumpcare.

10. Taxes on the wealthy

While House and Senate versions of Trumpcare both repeal many Obamacare tax increases, higher earners will see the biggest benefits. Trumpcare would eliminate a 3.8% tax on investment income for families earning $250,000 or more, and it would eliminate a 0.9% Medicare surcharge Obamacare put into place on wage income exceeding $200,000 per person or $250,000 per couple.

Under the House version of the bill, families with incomes of $3.9 million or more would get an average tax cut of $207,000, resulting in a 2.6% boost to average income, according to the Tax Policy Center. Households in the lowest tax bracket would get a forecast tax cut of around $150 on average, or a 0.9% income boost. Given Medicaid cuts and less generous tax credits, lower-income families could take a big financial hit if Trumpcare passes, even as wealthy families keep more of their money.
Nobody wants to be faced with the choice of either retiring broke or working till they drop dead. Yet if you have no retirement savings, that's the future you're headed for. Here's the good news: No matter how badly you've dragged your feet on saving for retirement, you still have a chance to turn things around.

People aren't saving for retirement

GOBankingRates' 2017 retirement savings survey produced some grim statistics. A third of survey respondents said they had exactly nothing saved for retirement; another 21% said they had less than $10,000 saved. Retirees aged 65 and up spend an average of about $45,000 per year, so if you don't have at least enough retirement savings to provide that level of income for 25 years or so, you're in serious trouble. The truly disturbing finding was that the lack of retirement funds isn't limited to younger workers: 29% of respondents aged 55 and up reported having no retirement savings.

Retirement savings are a necessity, not a luxury

If you end up retiring with no money saved up, your options are pretty grim. If you think you can get by on Social Security benefits alone, then you're in for a rude awakening -- and a drastic change in lifestyle. Most workers agree that saving for retirement is important, but too often it takes a backseat to other financial priorities, like paying off student loans, buying a house, paying for the kids' college tuition, and so on. These are all important financial concerns, but saving for retirement is not optional, and you should always dedicate at least some of your income to it.

Pay yourself first

The first step in getting a respectable retirement savings balance is to move it up to the top of your priority list. Most people take each paycheck, divide it up to cover various expenses, and then stick whatever is left over into savings. Most months, there'll be nothing left over, and thus nothing gets saved. Change your approach up and make sure a portion of each paycheck is always going into your retirement savings. The easiest way to do this is to speak to your payroll handler and arrange for a percentage of your wages to be automatically deposited into your 401(k) or IRA -- before you even have the chance to touch that money.

But what if I don't have enough?

Many people are afraid of the "pay yourself first" system because they never have money left over at the end of each month, so they're afraid they'll be unable to pay all their bills if some of their earnings are being funneled into retirement savings. What they don't realize is that nearly everybody suffers from "expense creep." Think about the last time you got a raise. You were probably thrilled to have that extra income for a while, but within a few months, you realized you were once again spending everything you made. Like goldfish that grow to fit the size of their environment, our expenses will grow to consume all our available income. If you pay yourself first, you're keeping the goldfish bowl as small as possible.

Start small

If up until now you've been spending everything you make, start with a small "pay yourself first" plan. If you have a 401(k) plan available, set up a tiny contribution to begin with -- say, 1% or 2% of your income. Since this money comes out of pre-tax dollars, the impact on your budget will be even smaller than 1% or 2% of your disposable income. If you don't have a 401(k) plan, set up an IRA and start up an automatic transfer scheduled right after you get paid. Again, keep it to a fairly tiny percentage of your income for now. Once your plan has been running for about three months, increase the percentage a bit and wait for your budget to adjust. By making the saving process gradual, you won't be suddenly depriving yourself of income you need.

Have a plan

Unless you have a truly enormous income, saving 2% a month won't be enough to create a well-funded retirement savings account. Most workers need to save at least 10% of their income to eventually fund a comfortable retirement, and saving 15% is much better. As you gradually increase your contributions, you should aim to hit 10% within 18 months without putting much strain on your budget. If possible, keep increasing your percentage until you're saving at least 15%. You can play around with a retirement calculator to figure out how much you really need to save and then see how much you'll need to set aside each month to reach that sum in time for retirement.

But what if I've waited too long?
A council could seek to remove the legal obligation to provide a livestock market in a Lincolnshire towns Royal Charter, which if successful, may have wider implications for livestock markets across the UK.

The controversial option is one of three proposals put forward by East Lindsey District Council (ELDC), which is bidding to end the long-running dispute over the future of Louth Livestock Market.

For a number of years, ELDC has been progressing a re-development opportunity for the livestock market site in Louth  the last remaining livestock market in the county  on the basis that it is only used every Thursday throughout the year.

See also: Store cattle trade fantastic despite healthy numbers

In economic terms, the market is very close to the town centre, and the council feels the site is under-used. But farmers say the site is used on a regular basis and its closure would mean livestock farmers would have to travel excessive and unsustainable distances if the market is shut.

We want to keep the market alive for the farming community. Its unreasonable to expect farmers to travel extensive and unsustainable distances to market their livestock Russell Jeanes, partner at Louth Market Auctioneers

Previously, the council had considered selling the site and relocating the market elsewhere in the town.

However, subject to executive approval from the council next Wednesday evening (12 July), the council will enter into a period of consultation with the public, including the farming community.

The three-month consultation will put forward three options on the table:

1. Build a new livestock facility at an estimated cost of 4-5m elsewhere in Louth. The existing site would then be sold to the councils preferred bidder, ADV Partnership, who would then then construct a retail-led development site.

2. The council could attempt to suspend the market and seek a Private Act of Parliament to remove the councils obligation, under Louths Royal Charter, to provide a livestock market in the town. The council could then sell the site without the obligation to build another cattle market.

3. The council could withdraw ADV Partnership as the selected bidder and refurbish the existing facility at a cost of 700,000. The council would then lose would the capital receipt for the potential sale of the site. However, the site earmarked for the new market could be sold to release funds.

Public consultation

A council spokesman said: The council did previously make a commitment that it would replace the livestock market facility.

But since then, the costs have come in higher than expected.

The circumstances around local government finance have changed, so the council feels it needs the communitys view to decide how it moves forward in respect of the matter.

There would be two surveys  one for all the people of East Lindsey, as well as a bespoke survey for the farming community to understand current usage, and a commitment on how any new facility would be used in years to come.

The councils executive is expected to approve the consultation, which will go public on 17 July.

Reaction

Russell Jeanes, a partner at Louth Market Auctioneers, which runs the market, said: We feel it is very important that the last livestock market in one of the biggest agricultural counties in the country [remains].

The reality is, thousands of head of stock go through Louth Livestock Market every year and there is a requirement for the provision of a livestock market in the county.

We want to keep the market alive for the farming community. Its unreasonable to expect farmers to travel extensive and unsustainable distances to market their livestock.

Mr Jeanes added that the council had never discussed the idea of refurbishing the existing market with auctioneers.

The only repair works required at present are a replacement roof which we understand would not cost more than 100,000. The refurbishment cost of 700,000 has never been discussed with us.

Mr Jeanes said the council had not identified the potential to release funds by selling areas of the existing site for residential development  and using part of the sale proceeds to alter the existing facilities at the market.

This would mean that the undeveloped industrial estate site earmarked for a new market and already owned by the council, could be sold off to provide funds for the council, thus leaving the existing market where it is.

A final decision will be made by the council this October.
The Farmers Weekly Awards 2017 finalists have been announced and the judges have visited each of the finalists for a three-hour interview and tour.

While the Mixed Farmer of the Year category encompasses a wide variety of farming systems, each of the finalists has much in common. They are hard-working, business-savvy and have a strong understanding of how to deliver what their customer wants.

See also: All the latest Farmers Weekly Awards news

The 2017 Mixed Farmer of the Year finalists are: Neil McGowan, Incheoch Farm, Alyth, Blairgowrie

Robert Neill, Upper Nisbet Farm, Jedburgh, Roxburghshire

Emily Norton, Nortons Dairy, Frettenham, Norwich, Norfolk The judges are: Caroline Drummond, independent judge

Andrew Meredith, Farmers Weekly

Robert Davies, last years winner

Neil McGowan, Incheoch Farm, Alyth, Blairgowrie

Nestled within sight of the southern reaches of Cairngorms National Park, Incheoch Farm is described by Neil as a farm on the edge, with wilder, less productive land further up the valley, and land of top horticultural quality downhill.

Far from bemoaning the fact that he isnt on the valley floor, however, he has grasped the opportunity to raise his family in a beautiful environment while producing cattle and sheep that aim to outlast and outperform the competition.

Farm facts The McGowans expect to reach the landmark of 1,000 rams sold on farm at their 11th ram sale in 2018

40 lambs are sold direct to consumers each year and two cattle per fortnight are sold through a local independent butcher

The farm had 1,168mm of rainfall in 2016, up from 762mm in 1996

The family were early adopters of the Luing breed, and still market breeding heifers and bulls alongside a Simmental herd.

Lleyn and Texel rams are bred from a high health status flock of 1,200 ewes, with a scientific focus on selecting for desirable traits, while still retaining the shape and style that customers demand.

Creating opportunities

The resulting top-quality rams are then sold at the on-farm auction  the culmination of the years work  with approaching 100 Texel and Lleyn rams set to go under the hammer again this September.

The opportunity to sell sheep with a higher biosecurity status, show off the land on which the animals were raised, and bring the community together for a beer and a barbecue were all inspirations for establishing the event, set to enter its 10th year this season.

Fat lamb production has also had costs trimmed by a focus on more production from grass, with lambs now finishing on high-powered red clover leys grown as part of a productive rotation that includes malting barley, wholecrop and swedes.

Neil is also proud of the 500ha farms environmental status, and credits his wife Debbie with strong support in both the day-to-day running of the sheep enterprise and negotiating the jungle of paperwork that has seen them continuous members of stewardship schemes since 2004.

Securing the future

Not content to rest on his reputation, Neil has recently concluded the speaking tour that completed his Nuffield scholarship, which turned his breeding philosophy on its head to focus on removing inefficiency rather than breeding for efficiency.

In spite of benefitting from increasing subsidy payments in recent years, the business has also managed to drive down the proportion of income from subsidy from 20% to 14%.

Government cash is being diverted into infrastructure improvement, such as drainage and fencing, in an attempt to get in as good as shape as possible for any Brexit headwinds.

The judges liked Neil is happy to share ideas, keen to have his mind changed, and has a hunger for more information

A clear focus on increasing efficiency and breeding livestock fit for the future should help bolster the security of the business

Environmental work has increased the wildlife habitat area and seen brown hare numbers rise

Neil is a thinking and analytical farmer who is continually striving to produce animals that will thrive in a low-cost, grass-based system. The fact that the vast majority of his customers are repeat buyers is a testament to the proven quality of his animals.

Robert Neill, Upper Nisbet Farm, Jedburgh, Roxburghshire

Family man Robert is the driving force behind the expanding business at Upper Nisbet, in the Scottish Borders, where, through hard work and a willingness to continually embrace developments in best practice, he and his wife, Jacqueline, have doubled the size of their tenanted farm in 17 years.

He credits his father with instilling in him and his two brothers the ambition and work ethic that has driven them each to run a farm of their own.

Farm facts Spring block calving herd with calves managed on different rations to deliver year-round sales

Piped water supply to every field with watercourses fenced off to prevent livestock access

3,000t grain store erected in 2011 with batch dryer and weighbridge to improve crop management and allow grain to be marketed throughout the year

Although the three brothers now farm independently, they still collaborate strongly to the benefit of each of their businesses. Robert also sees outreach to the supply chain and the consumer as pivotal to successful farming.

Every day is an open day at Upper Nisbet, he says, explaining that they regularly host visits from discussion groups, school children, and have also welcomed butchers and chefs to sell the story of the quality of their arable and beef farm.

Creating opportunities

Grass is my break crop, Robert says, explaining that 40ha per year of medium-term grass leys are planted on the farm each year alongside an arable rotation that comprises winter barley, winter wheat and spring barley grown for cattle feed or seed contracts.

Cattle are generously bedded up with the resulting straw, and the farmyard manure is vital for maintaining the structure and fertility of the light, free-draining land, says Robert.

While the best bull calves are kept back to sell as bulls, the majority of cattle are marketed through the fat ring at St Boswells, with Robert aiming to sell there 52 weeks per year to provide consistent supply to the strong contingent of independent butchers in the area.

The farm benefits from being in an area low in both weeds and diseases, with a 20/t premium on cereals for seed production, and the herd enjoying a level 3 accreditation against Johnes disease, as well as being mercifully TB-free.

Securing the future

Roberts primary goal is to set the business up to be able to give both his sons the opportunity to farm and he is chasing further efficiencies from both the cattle and cropping enterprises to do so.

This is being achieved by continual performance monitoring of the finishing cattle and by reducing waste in the arable system by taking advantage of the increased cropping area to justify precision farming technology such as variable rate fertiliser applications.

The judges liked Sharing machinery with the other family businesses had driven down arable and grass harvesting costs and helped with labour demand at peak times

Awareness of environmental issues including cutting carbon footprint by 19% which saved the business 19,000 annually

Passion for recording every aspect of the business to evaluate performance and chase further efficiencies

Roberts attention to detail is evident in the presentation of his cattle and the farm. He is maximising the profitability of the beef herd by selling stock at a precise specification to a variety of loyal customers.

Emily Norton, Nortons Dairy, Frettenham, Norwich, Norfolk

When you visit Church Farm, 30 minutes north of Norwich city centre, its easy to see why Emily describes a lengthy crop rotation as the bedrock of a resilient farming system.

Farm facts Collaboration with neighbours through sharing of equipment and selling bull calfs

Average field size under 10ha  meaning farm benefits from more than 15km of hedgerows

This year marks the 70th anniversary of the farm being under Norton ownership

A relatively modest 160ha by todays expansive standards, the farm nevertheless has sugar beet, malting barley, wheat, maize, energy crops and rotational grass flourishing thanks to a traditional grass-cereal-root rotation with a high-tech dairy operation at its heart.

The light, sandy arable land is kept fertile by 25t/ha of slurry and farmyard manure generated by the 55 robot-milked Brown Swiss cows and followers that were the key to Emily returning to the farm in 2007.

After completing her Masters in sustainable agriculture from Harper Adams University, she wanted to return to the home farm, but with five family members already in position she realised the only way was to add another enterprise, and settled on dairy processing.

Creating opportunities

Celebrating its 10th year this year, Nortons Dairy offers milk deliveries to local homes and also manufactures butter and award-winning cheese and yoghurt.

Now there are eight part-time members of staff working in the dairy to convert up to 4,000l of milk per week to keep up with demand from a variety of regional shops and farmers markets.

Not content with only reaching out to the public directly with goods and services, Emily is continuing the farms 35-year reputation for hosting visits from schools and other interested parties.

The robot is a great virtual story, Emily explains, as it allows children to seamlessly see the journey of milk from the cow, through the pipeline, culminating on the table.

This has tied in with her outreach work beyond the farmgate, which, among other things, has involved supporting events such as BBC Countryfile Live, organisations such as Ladies in Beef, and setting up #Febudairy, her riposte to the high-profile #Veganuary campaign.

Securing the future

Succession planning is at the heart of this cohesive family unit, which meets for a formal business discussion every second Friday. Emily says continuing to grow the business to allow the return of another family member, while reducing reliance on subsidies is vital.

Currently in discussion to sell the dairy products into a nationwide supermarket, she is targeting growing the dairy herd as the key to ensure a steady supply, saying I want milk supply to be a problem.

The judges liked Cows still go out to graze in spite of being robot milked  well-managed 8-hour paddocks around the shed

Strong environmental credentials by participation in environmental schemes since they were launched

Continual personal development  followed up university education with a Worshipful Company of Farmers Challenge of Rural Leadership course

The way Emily carved out an additional dairy processing enterprise as an entry point back into the family business should inspire other young people returning home. Transforming the challenge of low prices into an opportunity is a vital skill others should seek to emulate.

Sponsors message:

Bridgestone are delighted to sponsor the Mixed Farmer of the Year category. We recognise the enormous challenge mixed farmers face in developing a broad range of technical skills.

The three finalists stand as excellent role models, demonstrating how a can-do attitude will reward those seeking to build resilience into their business.
Honor 8 Pro to get Android O update later this year News oi -Abhinaya Prabhu Honor 8 Pro will relish the Android O flavor this year.

The Honor 8 Pro was launched in India yesterday at an event held in New Delhi. The handset is priced at Rs. 29,999 and is available for sale starting from July 10 exclusively via Amazon India. Check out our Honor 8 Pro review.

Following the launch of this smartphone comes an interesting information for those planning to buy this smartphone. A BGR India report claims that the Honor 9 will receive the upcoming Android O update as soon as the same is released to the public. The Honor 8 Pro is based on Android 7.0 Nougat topped with the company's EMUI 5.1.

Talking about the upcoming Android O schedule, Google might release the same by September. Undoubtedly, the Google Pixel and Nexus series of smartphones will receive the Android O update at first. Following these phones, the other devices will start receiving the update to the next iteration of Google's mobile OS.

Honor 8 Pro to get Android O later this year Talking about the Honor 8 Pro, it is believed that this smartphone might receive the update before the end of the year. Besides the Honor phone, many others such as the OnePlus 3 and OnePlus 3T and the Nokia Android smartphones - Nokia 6, Nokia 5 and Nokia 3 are also slated to receive the Android O update. A few Android O features The Android O will be bundled with several new features and some are already known via the beta version and developer preview. The notable features are the presence of a new notifications channel to customize notifications for each app, smart text selection to make it easier to copy and paste text and picture-in-picture mode that will let users watch videos and perform other tasks as well simultaneously. Honor 8 Pro specs The Honor 8 Pro priced at Rs. 29,999 boasts of a 5.7-inch QHD 1440p LTPS LCD display with Gorilla Glass 3 protection on top. At its heart, the smartphone makes use of an octa-core in-house Kirin 960 processor backed by 6GB RAM and 128GB storage capacity that can be expanded further using a microSD card. One of the major highlights of the Honor 8 Pro is its camera. The handset has a dual 12MP rear camera setup with Leica lens with autofocus, 4K video recording, f/2.2 aperture and dual tone LED flash. One is a monochrome lens that can capture black and white images while the other is an RGB lens. The front facer is an 8MP sensor with f/2.0 aperture. The other goodies on board the Honor 8 Pro include 4G LTE, dual SIM support, Bluetooth 4.2, USB Type-C port and a 4000mAh battery.

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Moto Z2 and Moto X4 might be launched on July 25 in New York City News oi -Abhinaya Prabhu Motorola is gearing up for a July 25 announcement.

It looks like Motorola is in plans to unveil a smartphone in New York City later this month. The company has sent out media invites for an event to be held on July 25, claims a CNET report.

The Motorola invite features colored tunnels in flash red, pink, orange, yellow, and blue lights. It reads, "you won't want to miss this". The company previously sent out invites for events to be held on June 27 and June 30 but no launch happened back then. Now, we can expect Motorola to unveil the rumored Moto Z2 Force and Moto X4 at the event on July 25.

From the recently leaked render, it can be said that the Moto X4 might arrive with a dual camera setup at the rear and IP68 certification that makes it water and dust resistant. This sounds a bit weird as Motorola offerings feature a water repellent nano-coating to prevent water damage.

It is believed that Motorola will introduce the new range of Moto Mod accessories at the event slated to happen on July 25. The company recently introduced the 360-degree panoramic camera Moto Mod that can capture 360-degree videos and photos. Previously, Motorola has assured that any new Moto Mods will be compatible to the new Moto Z lineup of smartphones.

Notably, Motorola had already announced the Moto Z2 Play and the device is available for sale in several markets starting from May. Recently, the company even released the Moto E4, Moto C and Moto C smartphones. On July 12, the Moto E4 Plus is slated to be released in India and will be a Flipkart exclusive.

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Haiti - Health : Optimism at ministry that talks about elimination of cholera by the end of 2018





Haiti could eliminate the 7-year-old cholera epidemic by the end of 2018, according to Donald Francois, Head of the National Cholera Program of the Ministry of Public Health, as the number of cases declined sharply, according to figures from the Government and United Nations officials.



The Ministry of Health said that as of the beginning of the year 7,400 new suspected cholera cases were reported compared to nearly 20,000 for the same period last year.



"We have never seen so few cases [...] With the cases weve seen we think we can eliminate cholera by the end of 2018," says Donald Francois.



Ronald Waldman, a global health professor at George Washington University abounds in the same sense "The number of reported cases can certainly decline dramatically and even fall to zero. Most likely, though, there will continue to be a low-level number of cases, maybe seasonally, maybe year-round," adding that Haiti could expect periodic peaks of cholera during natural hazards, such as hurricanes.



HL/ HaitiLibre


















New Delhi : Despite simmering tension between New Delhi and Beijing over Doklam, the tri-junction of India, Bhutan and Tibet, the Indian government seems to be in no mood to withdraw its troops from the region.

China has earlier demanded the immediate and unconditional withdrawal of Indian troops as a pre-condition of talks on resolving complex border issues.

In a bid to increase pressure on India, the Chinese state-run media and its think-tanks have been warning India of serious military consequences if does not withdraw it troops from the Dokalm region, on which China claims its ownership.

Despite rising stridency in Chinese demands, Indian troops are digging in to protect the strategic topography that is just 30-km from a hydel project and overlooks the Bengal-Assam road link.

The hydro-electric project is located at Jaldhaka river at Jhalong which is not far from the border with Bhutan and is also a bridge for crossing over to the landlocked hill kingdom.

The Jaldhaka, along with Torsha river, flows into the Brahmaputra and is part of a tract of land that could come under pressure if the Chinese build the road they are planning through Doklam plateau in Bhutan.

The Siliguri corridor, and the town itself, will be vulnerable if China gets to dominate ridge lines which will allow its troops to literally sit astride Indian territory.

The road to Assam also runs through the narrow strip of territory that connects West Bengal to the northeast and any threat to it can snip the surface link from Bagdogra to Guwahati.

Given the importance of holding the current alignment and preventing China from altering this to its benefit, India is not likely to consider a pullout without some clear terms being arrived at first.

Though the Chinese are clearly annoyed at Indian troops stalling road work in an area that is near the tri-junction, Bhutan has strongly protested the intrusion on its territory.

On Thursday, a top Chinese foreign ministry official said in Beijing that The atmosphere is not right for a bilateral meeting, between the two leaders.

Replying to his remarks, India said there is no question of a conducive atmosphere or not because India did not ask for a meetin between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping during the G20 summit in Germanys Hamburg city.

The comments were made by an Indian govt official after Beijing ruled out a one-on-one between the two leaders.

Importantly, the G20 summit begins in Hamburg on Friday.

India has said Beijings action to unilaterally determine tri-junction points is in violation of a 2012 India-China agreement, which says the boundary will be decided by consulting all concerned parties.

India and China share a little over 200-km border in the Sikkim sector.

Chinas state-run media on Wednesday in an opinion piece said that Beijing would be forced to use military to end the standoff in the Sikkim sector if India refuses to listen to the historical lessons being offered by it.

Source : Zee News
Since the beginning of 2017, foreign investment has been increasing in St. Petersburg, one of Russia's most beautiful and storied cities, Russian President Vladimir Putin said during his recent address at the 21st St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.

"In the first quarter, the inflow of direct foreign investment into the Russian economy amounted to seven billion dollars. Notably, this is the best indicator for the relevant period in the past three years," Putin said.

This is notable not just for hotel owners and operators in Russia, but for stakeholders across the globe as well. Both Moscow and St. Petersburg, at their best, can prove to be a robust market for tourism and hospitality. With that in mind, it's important to take note of some of the major upcoming hotel construction projects currently underway in St. Petersburg.

Let's take a look:

Holiday Inn St. Petersburg  Proletarskaya

The Holiday Inn St. Petersburg  Proletarskaya will be part of Expoforum International, the latest and most modern convention center in St. Petersburg, when it is completed in the second quarter of 2018. Currently, this project is in the under construction phase.

One of the property's top assests is its location near the Proletarskaya underground station, which enables guests to easily reach Nevsky Prospekt in the city center, just fifteen quick minutes away. The 414-room hotel is also likely to welcome many guests who are attending events at the convention center, as well as business guests with affairs to attend to in the nearby business parks.

Of the Holiday Inn St. Petersburg  Proletarskaya's 414 rooms, 18 will be suites. The property will also feature extensive meeting facilities, including a conference center and a sizeable congress hall with a 1,000-seat capacity. The hotel will, of course, also feature its brands signature Open Lobby, with a 24-hour restaurant and bar. Industry experts will of course remember that it was this Open Lobby that transformed traditional lobby spaces by combing the front desk, lobby, restaurant, bar, lounge area and business center into a single cohesive space with a refreshing design and contemporary feel. The influence of this is still felt today throughout the industry.

Hilton St. Petersburg Expoforum

Okay, so technically this hotel is a recent opening, rather than a current member of the St. Petersburg construction pipeline. However, it's so young that it bears inclusion in our list. This 235-room hotel is a new 2017 addition to St. Petersburg.

Hilton Worldwide has announced the signing of a management agreement with Expoforum JSC for a dual-branded project that features a Hilton and a Hampton by Hilton Hotel, both of which are now located at the Expoforum, Russia's newest international convention and exhibition center. In addition to 235 rooms, this property features 21 suites, as well as a specialty restaurant, all-day dining, lobby bar, and event space totaling 1,600-sqare meters, plus a business center and health club with an indoor pool.

aloft St. Petersburg

There is likely no hotel brand on the planet that is as prevalent and hip as aloft, which is making major gains on a seemingly daily basis.

The brand's St. Petersburg location, which will be in the northern part of the city overlooking the Neva River, is currently in the planning process, with a projected opening sometime during the first quarter of 2018. Once finished, this property will offer atmospheric public spaces for guests to mix and mingle, read the paper, work on laptops, play pool, or share a drink with friends at the lounge or bar. In addition, all loft-like guest rooms will boast high ceilings, oversized windows and an ultra-comfortable platform bed, plus large walk-in showers.

More information on hotel construction in St. Petersburg can be found on TOPHOTELPROJECTS

, the specialized service provider in the exchange of cutting-edge information of hotel construction in the international hospitality industry.
Host hotel markets of the G20 summit have reported a greater impact on average daily rate than occupancy levels, according to an analysis from STR.

STR analyzed rolling seven-day averages for eight previous host markets. To point to potential outcomes for Hamburg, analysts excluded three markets (Cannes, France; Los Cabos, Mexico; and Serik, Turkey) to maintain the benchmarking focus on larger hotel markets. The seven-day rolling average methodology accounted for hotel business generated during the five-day lead up to each event as well as the two-day event itself.

ADR was the driving factor in performance for all 11 previous G20 hosts, but it is interesting to note that spikes in hotel room prices were substantially higher during the past three G20 summits, said Robert Bauer, senior analyst for STR. While host markets routinely receive a performance boost in the days leading up to the event, Hamburg stands a very good chance to see additional benefit due to the event running into the weekend. There was a substantial uplift for Brisbane in 2014, for example, when the G20 fell on a Saturday and Sunday (15-16 November). Averaging those two days, Brisbanes occupancy level reached 95% (+29%), while ADR was AUD460.88 (+172).

Among the eight host markets included in the analysis, Saint Petersburg, Russia, reported the most notable lift in performance. During the seven-day host period in September 2013, the market posted a 286% increase in ADR, which coupled with a 4% increase in occupancy, resulted in a 302% rise in revenue per available room (RevPAR).

During its host week in November 2014, Brisbane, Australia, experienced a 121% increase in ADR and a 9% rise in occupancy, resulting in 141% growth in RevPAR.

When looking at individual segments, the G20 summit typically has a greater impact on Group business (bookings of 10 or more rooms at once) than Transient business. According to Bauer and fellow STR analysts, delegates often rent entire properties to accommodate their staff and security teams. For example, Toronto (June 2010) recorded a 361% increase in Group occupancy during its seven-day host period, while Transient occupancy declined 57% over the same span.

STR provides clients from multiple market sectors with premium, global data benchmarking, analytics and marketplace insights. Founded in 1985, STR maintains a presence in 10 countries around the world with a corporate North American headquarters in Hendersonville, Tennessee, and an international headquarters in London, England. For more information, please visit str.com.
72 percent of HR managers are feeling pressure to pay workers more in a competitive market - Midsize firms are leading the charge for hiring while small businesses show big year-over-year gains

Are you one of the 27 percent of workers who plan to change jobs in the back half of the year? The odds of landing one  and getting paid more - are in your favor, according to CareerBuilder's 2017 Midyear Job Forecast.

The nationwide study reveals a significant year-over-year jump in the percentage of companies hiring full-time, part-time and temporary or contract workers from July 1 through December 31. More than half of employers anticipate offering higher starting salaries for new employees and the majority indicates that bigger paychecks won't just be for high-skilled workers, they will extend to entry-level workers as well.

In the second half of 2017:

60 percent of employers plan to hire full-time, permanent workers, up from 50 percent last year

36 percent of employers plan to hire part-time, permanent employees, up from 29 percent last year

46 percent of employers plan to hire temporary or contract workers, up from 32 percent last year

"Events dominating national headlines have had a polarizing effect in the U.S., but most employers remain confident in their outlook for financial growth and plans for hiring," said Matt Ferguson, CEO of CareerBuilder and co-author of The Talent Equation. "Job seekers stand to benefit not only from having more options, but also from the growing intensity in the competition for talent. Employers are moving quickly to recruit candidates and they are willing to pay more across job levels. They are also placing a greater emphasis on candidates having a positive experience when they apply to their firms. The current climate puts job seekers in a more advantageous position."

The national surveys, which were conducted online by Harris Poll on behalf of CareerBuilder from May 24 to June 16, 2017, included representative samples of 2,369 hiring managers and human resource managers and 3,642 full-time U.S. workers across industries and company sizes in the private sector.

Infographic: https://cb.com/MidyearForecast

How much of a pay increase can new and current employees expect?

Looking at a subset of human resources managers, 72 percent feel they have to start paying higher wages because the market has become increasingly competitive for talent. The majority say this also applies to entry-level workers:

24 percent say they have to pay more even if the entry-level worker has no college or training

17 percent say they have to pay more, but only if the entry-level worker has a college degree

19 percent say they have to pay more, but only if the entry-level worker has at least some college or training

Among all employers (hiring managers and human resources managers), 53 percent report they plan to offer higher starting salaries for new employees over the next six months, a big jump from 39 percent in the same period last year. Nearly one third (32 percent) plan to increase starting salaries on job offers by 5 percent or more. Two-thirds of employers (66 percent) plan to increase compensation for current employees before year end and 34 percent anticipate an increase of 5 percent or more.

What are the hot areas for hiring?

Information technology (72 percent) is leading the industries hiring in the back half of the year, coming in 12 percentage points higher than the national average for plans to add full-time, permanent headcount. Manufacturing (66 percent), health care1 (64 percent) and financial services (62 percent) are also expected to outperform the national average.

Looking across industries, some of the most in-demand roles employers say they will be recruiting for during this timeframe are those tied to:

Skilled trades  15 percent

Software as a service  14 percent

Cybersecurity  13 percent

Sales enablement  13 percent

Talent management  13 percent

Providing a good user experience  12 percent

Managing and interpreting Big Data  11 percent

Creating digital strategies  11 percent

Social marketing  10 percent

E-commerce  10 percent

Developing apps  10 percent

Healthy living  9 percent

Which region is hiring the most?

All regions are showing a year-over-year gain in the percentage of employers expecting to hire full-time, permanent employees in the back half of the year. The West leads with 67 percent of employers planning to add headcount, while the South remains on par with the national average. The Northeast and Midwest came in below the national average, but are reporting healthy increases over last year.

West  67 percent are hiring, up from 53 percent last year

South  61 percent are hiring, up from 50 percent last year

Northeast  56 percent are hiring, up from 49 percent last year

Midwest  53 percent are hiring, up from 46 percent last year

How do small, medium and large companies compare in plans for hiring?

Full-time, permanent hiring over the next six months is also expected to increase across company sizes. Midsize firms are leading the pack in the percentage of employers hiring, while small businesses are reporting the biggest year-over-year growth.

50 or fewer employees  37 percent hiring, up from 27 percent last year

51 to 250 employees  67 percent hiring, up from 53 percent last year

251 to 500 employees  72 percent hiring, up from 64 percent last year

501 to 1,000 employees  75 percent hiring, up from 69 percent last year

1,001 or more employees  67 percent hiring, up from 61 percent last year

What is the outlook for Q3?

Nearly half of employers (47 percent) plan to add full-time, permanent employees in the third quarter, up from 34 percent last year. Seven percent expect to downsize staffs, relatively unchanged from 8 percent in Q3 2016. Forty-three percent anticipate no change and 3 percent are undecided.

Fifty percent plan to hire temporary or contract workers, up from 37 percent last year.

1 Health Care organizations with 50 or more employees.

*Totals may not equal 100 percent due to rounding or the ability to choose more than one response.

Survey Methodology

This survey was conducted online within the U.S. by Harris Poll on behalf of CareerBuilder among 2,369 hiring and human resource managers ages 18 and over (employed full-time, not self-employed, non-government including 221 HR managers) and 3,462 employees ages 18 and over (employed full-time, not self-employed, non-government) between May 24 and June 16, 2017 (percentages for some questions are based on a subset, based on their responses to certain questions). With pure probability samples of 2,369 and 3,462, one could say with a 95 percent probability that the overall results have sampling errors of +/- 2.01 and +/- 1.67 percentage points, respectively. Sampling error for data from sub-samples is higher and varies.

About CareerBuilder

CareerBuilder is a global, end-to-end human capital solutions company focused on helping employers find, hire and manage great talent. Combining advertising, software and services, CareerBuilder leads the industry in recruiting solutions, employment screening and human capital management. It also operates top job sites around the world. CareerBuilder and its subsidiaries operate in the United States, Europe, Canada and Asia. For more information, visit www.careerbuilder.com.
MDF Asia - LEADERSHIP AND PEOPLE MANAGEMENT, 13 - 16 March, 2018, Bali, Indonesia

Posted by Thuy Do on Friday, 07-07-2017 4:12 am

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Course Objective In this training you will work on your personal development and improve your management skills. Reflecting on your own role, behaviour, strengths and weaknesses will give you insight in yourself and others. Learn to work more effectively with your team: lead, motivate and support people to be the best that they can be, in line with your organisations objectives. Course Highlights: A clearer picture about your personal leadership style, how you can lead yourself and othersInsightful reflection on your own qualities and respond to challenges in leading individuals and teamsStrengthened engagement and trust with your colleagues and staffImproved communication and conflict management skills For whom? You are, or you aspire to be, a professional in a leadership position. Manager in an international organisation, project or programmeYou are responsible for leading, managing or supporting individual staff or teams.You are motivated to increase your self-awareness and develo...

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MDF Asia RESULTS-BASED MANAGEMENT, 19 - 22 Sep 2017, Phnom Penh, Cambodia

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Managing for lasting results in the new reality of international cooperation Date: 19 - 22 September 2017 Location: Phnom Penh, Cambodia Training Organizer: MDF Training and Consultancy - Vietnam Office Link event: https://mdf.nl/training/register?training=231 Why should attend the training? During the last decade, results-based management (RBM) has gained much influence in international cooperation. Still many organisations struggle to plan for real results with the accompanying processes and tools. RBM has consequences for the entire organisation: for project planning, monitoring, evaluation and learning. Learning how to design a solid RBM framework - in various forms is a good first step to integrate RBM in your organisation. What will you gain? By the end of this course you will: RBM in a changing context (e.g. SDGs, private sector involvement, conflict situations).Various methods for planning and designing results (for example: Problem Tree, Stakeholder Analysis, Appreciative ...

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Democracy is based on the premise that everyone should have the right and ability to participate in decision-making. Yet, the political framework within most businesses is more autocratic than democratic in nature, with those at the top making the majority of important decisions. While this may appear to serve as the most efficient path to profitability, in truth it is not. In fact, in order for companies to maximize their financial potential, it is essential that leaders promote, encourage and implement innovative ideas from their workforce. At the same time, employees must ensure that those ideas for improvements must make sound financial sense and ultimately improve the companys bottom-line. It is only when these two concepts merge that organizational productivity is improved and success becomes democratic. I was first asked the question about how to tie employee decision-making to sound financial choices about seven years ago. A senior executive at a multi-billion-dollar company asked me why I thought employees didnt seem to understand, or care, that their daily decisions impacted the companys bottom-line. He said it felt as though they were entirely disconnected from the organizational factors that impacted profitability and went on to share an example of an equipment purchase by a mid-level employee that was both expensive and hindered productivity. I distinctly remember thinking to myself that it was neith...
Meaningful work is different for everybody. For some, it might mean showing customers the benefits of organic hair products. For others, it comes from roasting coffee and educating people on proper brewing methods. Regardless, when you want to know how to retain employees, creating work that speaks to your staff is vital. So, we teamed up with HR.com to better understand how to support and develop employees. Our research found that more than two-thirds of employees who dont find meaning in their work are looking for or are open to new job opportunities. Furthermore, our report linked meaningful work to three Cs -- culture, communication, and collaboration. Lets examine what you need to know about these three Cs so you understand how to retain employees: Culture Our research found that 59 percent of employers say building and maintaining a positive workplace culture could lend meaning to employees work. Of those companies that put this into practice, 83 percent say their employees find meaning in their work. How can you connect employees to your workplace culture? Align your companys values, traditions, beliefs, and attitudes with your policies and procedures. Start by encouraging mindful management practices. Teach leaders how to focus on one person at a time with undivided attention. Also, facilitate productive conversations, and focus on solution...
New Delhi, Jul 7 (IBNS): Cushman & Wakefield, a leading global real estate services firm, recently published their Asia Pacific Mid-Year Forecast 2017, where it said that with positive global outlook and strengthening GDP, India is on the right track to becoming an economic force within the region.

Real estate in India is on the realm of change. With a positive global outlook and strengthening GDP, India is on the right track to becoming an economic force within the region," said Anshul Jain, Managing Director, India, Cushman & Wakefield.

"Backed by various policy reforms and government initiatives, the country today offers investors a more transparent and accountable business and investor-friendly environment. While the IT-BPM sector continues to be the major demand driving sector, its declining share is being replaced by demand from e-commerce, BFSI, Consulting Services, and healthcare sectors, among others to pave way for accelerated growth in the forecast period," he said.

According to the report, in the first half of 2017, Indian markets remain strong and are expected to see reasonable growth, despite the anticipated geo- political and economic disruptions

The banking, financial services and insurance (BFSI) sector was the biggest driver of leasing activity in Asia Pacific. Prominent financial institutions have secured major leases over 50,000 sf in India, Hong Kong and Australia.

New economy companies such as Uber, Grab and Alibaba have also been the most active tenants, accounting for nearly 20% of significant leases (over 50,000 sf) in the region.

Cross-border investment volumes in the region in the first five months of 2017 reached USD31.2 billion, up by over a fifth compared to the same period last year to hit its highest ever.

Over 80% of capital have been ploughed into development sites so far this year, with Chinese developers setting new benchmarks and record prices in Hong Kong and Singapore.

The Asia Pacific economies have been performing relatively well in 2017 and this positive momentum is expected to continue for the rest of the year, barring any unforeseen circumstances," said Siddhart Goel, Senior Director, India, Research.

"The real estate markets, which have benefited from these strong economic fundamentals will continue to prosper and register strong levels of activity and growth. The growth potential in the BFSI, technology and other industries bodes well for the office sector. We estimate that this could translate into a record annual average of over 100 msf of new office space requirements across the region through 2019. This comes at an opportune time as development surges. 2017 will be a record year, with nearly 150 million sf of new office projects slated for completion across the 27 major cities that we track, " he said.

According to the report, APAC region could reach a historic mark of 100 msf of office space leasing in 2017, with India contributing a significant annual average of 32-35 msf during forecast period

The report researc team expects India is also likely to witness an office supply of 125 msf between 2017- 2019.

More banks are planning to expand and grow their corporate banking and wealth management business. The BFSI sector is expected to account for 25%-30% of new leases in the next two to three years, the report cited.

Radical advances in e-commerce and mobile applications as well as breakthroughs in Artificial Intelligence (AI), robotics and automation will continue to reshape office growth drivers in Asia Pacific.

The ongoing technological changes and growth of the technology profession will continue to create demand for space, particularly in markets like Bengaluru, Manila, Hyderabad and Shenzhen.

The research firm believes strong land sales and sustained accommodating monetary conditions are expected to provide the necessary drivers to sustain capital flows. Chinese developers are expected to aggressively seek out development opportunities, particularly in markets where land values are supported by scarcity.

Asia Pacific is on track to remain the largest source of capital for global real estate investments, led by Chinese outbound investments and strong investor interest from Singapore and South Korean pension funds.

The real estate investment outlook for the region is set for a strong 2017 as investors remain keen to deploy capital in the region," said Sigrid Zialcita, Managing Director  Asia Pacific Research. "India has already emerged as a front-runner for investors looking at emerging markets. We expect this positive sentiment to spill over into 2018.



Image: Asia Pacifics cross border investment volumes / Wikimapia




Hamburg, July 7 (IBNS): Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping came face to face during an informal meeting of the BRICS nations.

The meeting was held in the sidelines of the two-day G20 summit being held in Hamburg city in Germany.

The Indian government said Modi and Xi discussed on different issues during the meeting.

"At d BRICS leaders' informal gathering @ Hamburg hosted by China, PM @narendramodi and President Xi had a conversation on a range of issues," MEA spokesperson Gopal Baglay tweeted along with a picture of both the leaders meeting.

During the informal meet of BRICS leaders, Modi reportedly appreciated momentum in BRICS under the Chairmanship of President Xi and extended full cooperation and best wishes for the upcoming BRICS Xiamen Summit.

However, both the leaders will not participate in any bilateral talks here.

China had earlier said that the 'atmosphere' is not right for a formal meeting with India.

The debate over India-China border issue near Sikkim has hit relationship between the two countries recently.

Modi arrived in Hamburg on Thursday to attend the G 20 summit.

Image: https://twitter.com/MEAIndia




Hamburg, July 7 (IBNS): The leaders of the 5 BRICS countries, including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, held an informal meeting on the sidelines of G20 Summit in Hamburg, Germany.

This was in run up to the forthcoming 9th BRICS Summit in September in Xiamen, China.

President Xi of China said he looked forward to welcoming the BRICS leaders.

In their interventions, the leaders discussed preparations and priorities for the forthcoming Xiamen BRICS Summit.

Prime Minister Modi mentioned that BRICS has been a strong voice and needs to show leadership on terrorism and global economy.

He stressed that G20 should collectively oppose terrorism financing, franchises, safe havens, support and sponsors.

Referring to reforms in India, including the recent introduction of GST, PM stated that it was necessary to work together for sustained global economic recovery.

He advocated collective voice against the practices of protectionism, especially in the spheres of trade and movement of knowledge and professionals.

He reiterated India's commitment to implementing Paris Agreement in letter and spirit and described its implementation globally as essential to fighting climate change.

Modi called for expeditious action to establish BRICS rating agency and stated that cooperation on development of Africa should be a priority.

He also called for greater people-to-people exchanges.

The Prime Minister appreciated momentum in BRICS under the Chairmanship of President Xi and extended full cooperation and best wishes for the BRICS Xiamen Summit, as per a statement issued by the MEA.

Concluding the meeting immediately after PM's remarks, President Xi appreciated India's strong resolve against terrorism and the momentum in BRICS introduced under India's Chairmanship and through the outcomes of the Goa Summit in 2016.

He also appreciated India's success in economic and social development and wished India even bigger success.
New Delhi, July 7 (IBNS): Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Yemen Abdulmalik Abduljalil Al-Mekhlafi will be on an official visit to India from 10-13 July at the invitation of External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, the MEA said on Friday.

The previous visit of Yemeni Foreign Minister to India was of Dr. Abu Bakr Al-Qirbi in 2012 for participation in the 12th IOR-ARC Ministerial meetings.

India and Yemen share close and friendly relations based on strong people-to-people contacts, which are reflected by the presence of nearly 300,000 Indians of Yemeni origin living in India and around 100,000 people of Indian origin settled in Aden and other parts of southern Yemen, read a government statement.

For Yemen, India has traditionally been one of the major trade partners and a popular destination for its students pursuing higher education on self-financing basis as also for medical treatment of the Yemeni patients.

Indias capacity-building assistance under ITEC programme and ICCR scholarship programmes is highly appreciated by the people of Yemen.

India is also a member of the "Friends of Yemen Group and has regularly provided humanitarian assistance to Yemen in the past.

The two countries share commonality of views on major international issues such as UN Reforms and combating international terrorism etc. During the upcoming visit, the two sides will discuss the entire gamut of bilateral relations as well as regional and international issues of mutual interest.
New Delhi, July 7 (IBNS): Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Friday questioned the 'silence' of Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the 'China issue'.

"Why is our Prime Minister silent on China?," Office of RG tweeted.

Meanwhile, Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping came face to face during an informal meeting of the BRICS nations.

The meeting was held in the sidelines of the two-day G20 summit being held in Hamburg city in Germany.

The Indian government said Modi and Xi discussed on different issues during the meeting.

"At d BRICS leaders' informal gathering @ Hamburg hosted by China, PM @narendramodi and President Xi had a conversation on a range of issues," MEA spokesperson Gopal Baglay tweeted along with a picture of both the leaders meeting.

During the informal meet of BRICS leaders, Modi reportedly appreciated momentum in BRICS under the Chairmanship of President Xi and extended full cooperation and best wishes for the upcoming BRICS Xiamen Summit.

However, both the leaders will not participate in any bilateral talks here.

China had earlier said that the 'atmosphere' is not right for a formal meeting with India.

The debate over India-China border issue near Sikkim has hit relationship between the two countries recently.

Modi arrived in Hamburg on Thursday to attend the G 20 summit.
New Delhi, July 7 (IBNS): Officer Trainees of Bangladesh Foreign Service attending a special course at the Foreign Service Institute, New Delhi called on President Pranab Mukherjee at Rashtrapati Bhavan o Friday.

Welcoming the young diplomats of Bangladesh, the President said that he was delighted to see so many young faces from the Bangladesh Foreign Service.

He said that they were worthy representatives of a great nation. They will bring new ideas and a new system of governance.

He emphasized that to create a happy society is also the responsibility of modern governance.

He said that he was confident that they would be able to carry forward the legacy of trust and amity between our two countries, as they pursue their career in the Bangladesh Foreign Service.

The President said that today, when Bangladesh is free and liberated and is engaged in its own development, the sacrifices of its martyrs are vindicated.

It is heartening to see impressive strides made by Bangladesh on human development, healthcare, education, women empowerment and other socio-economic fronts. He reminded the young diplomats that the future of Bangladesh is in their hands.

The President said that India attaches highest importance to its relations with Bangladesh, a close neighbour and with which we share a lot in common. Bangladesh is Indias closest friend and relationship between the two countries is exemplary in many ways.

India-Bangladesh shares a common bond of history, language, culture and strong people-to-people ties. This shared history unites us in unique and special ways.




New York, July 7(Just Earth News): The United Nations peacekeeping mission in Mali on Thursday condemned continuing ceasefire violations by two signatories of the 2015 Peace and Reconciliation Agreement.

The accord was signed in June 2015 by the Coordination des Mouvements de l'Azawad (CMA) armed group, following its signature in May 2015 by the Government and a third party, the Plateforme coalition of armed groups.

These violations [by CMA and Plateforme] include movements of armed convoys, provocations and even armed clashes, like the ones ongoing south of Aguelhok, UN Spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters in New York.

Mahamat Saleh Annadif, the head of the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA), urged the leadership of both groups to put an end to these violations immediately.

If violations persist, they risk undermining their credibility as partners in Mali's quest for a lasting peace, said Annadif.

Photo: UN Photo/ Sylvain Liechti

Source: www.justearthnews.com
Mozambique Audit Reveals Corruption and Short Falls in Financial System by Abby Wilhelm

Ahead of President Trump's first G20 meeting in Germany this weekend, Mozambique released an audit exposing violations of the country's laws to secure now-defaulted loans.



Ahead of President Trump's first G20 meeting in Germany this weekend, Mozambique released an audit exposing violations of the country's laws to secure now-defaulted loans. Nearly $2 billion in loans were secured by the government of Mozambique but hidden from the public and Parliament.

Last week, Business Insider reviewed CIA data and ranked Mozambique as one of the most indebted countries in the world. The United Nations Development Programme lists Mozambique as one of the least developed countries in the world at 181 out of 188 countries.



We know that the financial crisis in Mozambique was caused by corruption at the national and international level, said Eric LeCompte, Executive Director of the religious development group Jubilee USA. It seems a group of Mozambique's leaders and creditors conspired to steal from some of the world's poorest people.



The financial scandal and debt crisis facing Mozambique will be discussed in Hamburg by G20 leaders in the context of new responsible lending and borrowing guidelines during their annual two day meeting. Finance Ministers for the Group of 20 supported these "Operational Guidelines for Sustainable Financing" at their March meeting in Baden-Baden, Germany.



The G20 is calling on its member countries to pass stronger laws to stop corruption and enforce responsible lending and borrowing, said LeCompte who serves on United Nation debt expert groups. While the new G20 guidelines fall short on determining whether or not a country's debt is sustainable, the guidelines are progress in protecting vulnerable people from economic crisis."



Jubileeusa.org
The meeting of Russian President Putin and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, tow strongmen presently determining political climate in Europe and Asia, appears to have had far more substantial content than it has been reported in the Xinhua press-release.

The meeting of Russian President Putin and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, tow strongmen presently determining political climate in Europe and Asia, appears to have had far more substantial content than it has been reported in the Xinhua press-release. Officially, the leaders of the two huge states were exchanging views on Syria and the Korean Peninsula. Their final statements devoted to ways of reaching settlement via dialogue and refusal from any outward aggressive "reformatting" detrimental to national sovereignty were quite predictable. This has been the long lasting position of Moscow and Beijing over decades. Was this meeting of the two political heavy-weights having extremely tight schedules just waste of time? Was their meeting meant to confirm once again commitment to their widely known political principles? Can it be just trivial "synchronization of watches"? To add more meat to these questions, Putin and Xi Jinping had a meeting in Beijing in mid-May during the One Belt One Road forum, and once again at the beginning of June in Astana, Kazakhstan' capital, at the SCO summit. Interestingly, the major part of the Moscow meeting was in the closed-door format with the access for the reporters denied.

And so the question arises - what was the real aim of the Chinese leader's visit to Moscow? What's the hidden agenda of this visit? The prompt may be found in the president Xi's statement emphasizing the need to "steadfastly support each other in pursuing development paths and defending respective sovereignty, national security and development interests". And what actually makes Xi Jinping so worrisome in the sphere of the Chinese national security that he sees no reason now for urgent solution on the North Korea nuclear missile program?

The answer lies somewhere near the Pacific Ocean Eastern coast. The United States in their military doctrine since the end of 19th century have been relying on the approach of two vice-admirals. They are Philip Colomb with his theory of the "sea dominance" and Alfred Mahan, the author of the "naval might" theory. Since that time the hegemon-fleet able to win in the battle against any rival and shuffle war activities closer to the enemy shore has become idee fixe with the USA. That's why the naval beefing-up of China is seen in Washington as direct challenge to their naval and consequently their world hegemony. Despite the closest and mutually beneficial economic bonds with China, the USA keeps treating it as an American hypothetical rival in the inevitable future military conflict on the sea. Quite recently U.S.S. Stethem conducted one more in the series of American provocations in the South China Sea. It entered the waters near a disputed island claimed by China and guarded by its naval and air forces. The political leaders of China appear to be perfectly aware of the USA political elite posture. The perspective of the clash with the most powerful military might on the planet is their huge worry. Present Chinese interest in a strong and reliable political partner that may become its military ally in future is due to this fear.
NYAUNG SHWE TOWNSHIP, Shan State  The five-day market rotating around Shan States Inle Lake area is famous for its rustic, bustling scenes, as tradespeople of different ethnic backgrounds, including Intha and Pa-O, migrate daily from one site to another to sell their produce and ware.

While several lakeside villages such as Indein, Nampan, Thaung Tho and Khaung Daing host the market, the main five places are in Nyaung Shwe (Yawnghwe), Heho, Taunggyi, Maing Thauk and Shwe Nyaung. The market calendar is lunar: there are no markets on full and black moon days.

On the west side of the lake, about a one-hour drive from Nyaung Shwe, Thandaung village has a less touristic market day than Indein and Nampan. It offers an authentic chance to see how locals trade. Sellers arrive at the marker before dawn to prepare for the day, and the market usually lasts until around noon.
Business Myanmar Tycoon Says Economy Neglected by Daw Aung San Suu Kyis Government

Serge Pun of First Myanmar Investment talks to reporters at Yangon Stock Exchange on March 25, 2016. / Soe Zayar Tun / Reuters

YANGON  Myanmar tycoon Serge Pun, one of the wealthiest men in Asia, said on Thursday the government led by State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has neglected the nations much-needed economic reform. Pun, head of property-to-banking conglomerate First Myanmar Investment, urged authorities to give more attention to growth in one of the regions poorest countries. He said Myanmars economy has not performed well enough more than one year after its first de facto civilian leader swept to power in a historic vote.

Myanmars economic growth, albeit still relatively strong, has slowed since she took power, while foreign direct investment has fallen sharply.

Its gross domestic product growth fell to 6.3 percent in 2016, a full percentage point lower than the previous year, according to the International Monetary Fund.

They have definitely neglected on the economy side. They have not realized the importance of the economy, Pun told an event held by Singapore Management University in the countrys commercial hub, Yangon.

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has made the push to end decades of fighting between the military and myriad rebel groups a priority for her administration, but Pun said the countrys economic development is the most effective tool to attain those goals.

While the State Counselor has achieved a lot in Myanmars peace process, Pun said, without [a] vibrant economy, those objectives can be very vulnerable. Peace may not be sustainable.

Pun spoke out at a time when Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has struggled to match the sky-high expectations that accompanied her National League for Democracy (NLD) to power a year ago.

In additional to a slowdown in growth, the Nobel Peace Prize winner is grappling with increased fighting with armed ethnic groups and a festering crisis in troubled Rakhine State, where tensions between Muslims and Buddhists have been running high.

Dubbed as Mr. Clean for his adherence to clean business in a country long known as anything but, Pun said the government needs to build more efficient bureaucracy and a conducive legal framework to facilitate investment.

In a recent report, Singapore-based Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation said Myanmars recent economic victories, including the lifting of US sanctions, have yet to translate into a meaningful improvement in terms of economic data.

Actual data proved to be a wet blanket on the optimism when these changes were first announced, it wrote.
Culture The Art of Street Stories

Khin Zaw Latt will be in southeastern France in July to share his Street Stories series.

In 1961, a painting displayed at an art exhibition in Yangons Sarpay Beikman (literally Palace of Literature  a literature department under the information ministry) became the talk of the town. Entitled Rice and Gold, the work by artist Maung Ngwe Htun depicted a man gilding a pagoda while another man ate a pack of rice together with dogs and crows.

Art critic Paw Thit (Hanthawaddy U Win Tin  one of the late founders of the National League for Democracy) bought the painting for 600 kyats.

Some 60 years after Maung Ngwe Htun drew his famous picture, artist Khin Zaw Latt witnessed a similar scene.

One day last year, Khin Zaw Latt was waiting with his friends who were gilding a famous pagoda. There he happened to talk with children who were begging for money and selling things. He took pictures and drew sketches of those children.

When he got back to his studio that day, he painted the portraits of those children who were largely invisible to many people. He titled these pieces Street Story.

These portraits will be on display at the Retour De Voyage Art Gallery in L`lsle-sur-la-Sorgue, a town in southeastern France, from July 7 to August 6.

Khin Zaw Latt also opened a free school, called Bamboo School, on his 4-acre parcel of land in Yangons Kyauktan Township. Children learn art, computers and English at the school, which has now been open for five years.

Im quite interested in the life experiences of children, he told The Irrawaddy.

He said he has talked with children begging for money and selling things at pagodas, selling flowers on the street, selling foods and goods at railway stations and jetties, selling postcards to foreigners in downtown Yangon, and selling seashell necklaces at the beach. He has transformed their stories into art.

Khin Zaw Latt will show his street stories in France after Frederic Dol, a French man who owns a hotel and gallery, offered him an exhibition.

Frederic Dol has also organized solo exhibitions for Myanmar artists Than Kyaw Htay and Htein Lin.

Khin Zaw Latt will also showcase some of his paintings from previous solo shows Blissful Buddha and Crowdscale at the coming exhibition, where he will show 17 paintings.

He said that Street Story is different from his previous series in terms of technique.

This technique matches my account of their lives. There is no certainty in their lives. No one can say what will happen to them. So, I applied the paints loosely. And I didnt use bright colors, just black, white, and greyjust basic colors. I mainly focused on tone. They are completely different from my previous series, said Khin Zaw Latt.

He has held several solo and group exhibitions in the United States, Canada, Italy, Belgium, Germany and more, and won local and international art awards. His paintings sell for thousands of dollars and are popular among international art collectors.

Khin Zaw Latt will be in southeastern France in July to tell his street stories.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.
Lifestyle Viva Italia at Parami Pizza

Parami Pizzass handmade wild mushroom ravioli is a new menu item. / Supplied

YANGON  Parami Pizza is looking to fortify its restaurant empire with a revamp of its traditional Italian menu with new pizzas, pastas, sharing plates, steaks, desserts, and cocktails at its three Yangon locations.

I am very excited about the new additions as it uses some excellent new ingredients we now have access to, said Nico Elliott, managing director of Parami owner 57 Below.

The menu showcases the fresh, authentic, home-cooking that an Italian nonna would be proud of, he added.

Parami has become the restaurant of choice for the citys pizza lovers and two new additions to give aficionados another reason to return.

The pollo piccante has a smoky eggplant sauce covered with spicy chicken, cherry tomatoes, sweet peppers and chili. The warm spiciness contrasts nicely to the smokiness of the eggplant and the mellow cheese.

Garlic, spinach, parmesan, and egg top the florentinaanother white pizza. (Neither is going to please people who require a tomato sauce on their base, though.) The florentina is Italia comfort food at its best with soft melty cheese and a runny yolk.

New to the menu are two carpacciosone beef, one octopus. Its a brave move as the success of a carpaccio relies on the quality of the meat or fish.

The beef carpaccio is a winning combination of rich yet refreshing raw Australian beef accompanied by a truffle mustard aioili, olive tapenade, and parmesan crisp.

The Sicilian octopus carpaccio is less of a success. The citrus-chili dressing overpowers rather than complements the octopus while the addition of pickled carrot jars the taste buds. But, maybe thats how the Sicilians like it.

Elliotts favorite dish is the homemade tagliatelle with Venetian duck ragu. The authentic flavors remind me of the years I lived in Rome eating in the local trattorias, he says.

Also showcasing Paramis homemade pasta is the wild mushroom raviolirich mushroom parcels served with a parmesan cream and truffle-oil foam.

Any of the new items are washed down quite nicely with a cardinale. As Italys answer to the Sangria, its a refreshing mix of red wine, creme de cassis, and homemade bitters.

Oh, and Parami has also added a gluten free pasta option.
Burma Ceasefire Monitoring Committee Criticized as ABSDF Member Awaits Sentencing

ABSDF member U Min Htay. / Min Htay / Facebook

YANGON  More than six months after the arrest of U Min Htay, a central committee member of the All Burma Students Democratic Front (ABSDF), a court will soon decide whether he is charged under Article 17(1) of the Unlawful Associations Act. The governments joint ceasefire monitoring committee (JMC) faces criticism for not intervening sooner.

On July 10, the head of the Momauk police station, the last of 10 witnesses for the plaintiff, will give his statement to the court, which the ABSDF hopes will conclude the case.

On Dec. 29, 2016, a day after his arrest in Kachin State, ABSDF leaders sent a letter to the Union-level Joint Ceasefire Monitoring Committee, calling for its chairman Lt-Gen Yar Pyae to intervene in the case.

But it remains unresolved, despite sharing the request with the State Counselor, the Myanmar Army and the JMC.

On July 5, Dr. Sui Khar, a secretary of the JMC, which is tasked to intervene in disputes between NCA signatory groups, told reporters in Yangon at a press conference that the ABSDF had not had sent any letter of complaint to the JMC and the group had been dealing directly with the government regarding the issue.

ABSDF members said a letter was sent to the State Counselor on Dec. 30, and that two letters were sent to the JMC.

The JMC secretarys comment sparked criticism of the JMCs role in solving disputes between the NCA signatories, as it is obliged to do.

The JMC has stated that it would develop a computerized complaint management system, as so far the majority of the complaints it receives are verbal.

ABSDF leaders said the letters sent to the JMC dated Dec. 29 and Jan. 3 asking for help with the issue were formal complaint letters.

What kind of complaint letter do they want the ABSDF to send? asked U Salai Yaw Aung, a central leading committee member of the ABSDF and a JMC member.

Myanmar Army troops arrested U Min Htay and then informed the ABSDF that he had been arrested on suspicion of helping the Kachin Independence Army. U Min Htays home was in the KIA-controlled territory, which he says gave the army an excuse to go after him.

U Salai Yaw Aung said the ABSDF had responded to the accusations through the JMC in the January letter.

The Myanmar Army overstepped the necessary process and the JMC seems incapable of helping NCA signatories, said ABSDF members. ABSDF representatives in the JMC brought this case up in meetings as well as in direct discussions with the JMC chair, they added.

Myanmar Army representatives said the ABSDF needed to submit an appeal letter as the case was carried out under the instruction of armed forces chief Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing, according to U Salai Yaw Aung.

Whether U Min Htays case is dismissed is totally dependent on Myanmar Army leaders and whether they close the case, he said.
Burma Hearing Date Set for Detained Myanmar Journalists

Journalists and activists demand the freedom of the three detained journalists and The Voice editor on July 1 in downtown Yangon. / Myo Min Soe / The Irrawaddy

YANGON  The first court hearing for three detained journalists will be on July 21, according to Hsipaw Township police major Myint Win.

Six men including three reporters detained by the Myanmar Army on June 26 were brought to the court in Hsipaw on Friday morning. The case has now been transferred to Shan States Namhsan Township, where they were arrested.

Though the case has been handed to Namhsan Township court, the hearing was held at Hsipaw Township court because they are still in Hsipaw, the police major told The Irrawaddy.

They appeared at the court today to get the courts permission for their trial on July 21, said a source at Hsipaw court.

They were charged by Hsipaw Township police under Article 17(1) of the colonial-era Unlawful Association Act and held in prison on remand for 11 days before the court hearing on Friday.

The three journalists are The Irrawaddys Lawi Weng, also known as U Thein Zaw, as well as U Aye Nai and U Pyae Bone Naing from Democratic Voice of Burma.

They were arrested by the Myanmar Army in an area controlled by Taang National Liberation Army (TNLA) after covering the TNLAs event to destroy drugs to mark the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking on June 26.
Burma Mon State Govt Probes Looting of Smuggled Goods

People take smuggled goods while the goods were destroyed by authorities in Mon State. / Zaw Htet Cho Zhc & Myint Soe / Facebook

MOULMEIN, Mon State  The looting of smuggled goods that staff at an inspection gate in Mon State were destroying has sparked a state government investigation.

Dozens of people came to loot the contrabandmainly food, soft drinks and alcoholat Mayanchaung inspection gate in Kyaikto Township on June 29 despite the presence of government officials.

Photos of looters grabbing goods, which were imported illegally, and fleeing on motorbikes and in cars were shared on social media. The Mon State government formed a body on Thursday to investigate the incident, according to U Wunna Kyaw, the state minister for planning, finance and immigration.

Were investigating. But we cant give any details now, said U Wunna Kyaw. The investigation will take about a week, he added.

Officials at the inspection gate also declined to speak about the investigation process.

U Aung Kyaw Thu, a Mon State lawmaker, complained that the inspection gate is a burden on travelers and not a good source of taxes for the state government, as there are two roads, which people can use to bypass the gate.

The gate has been there since the time of the military government. While it hampers the flow of commodities, it only benefits the staff assigned there, and contributes nothing to taxation, said U Aung Kyaw Thu.

The lawmaker also criticized the state governments destruction of smuggled goods. It is a lose-lose situation, he said.

There have been cases of staff members bribing their superiors to be assigned to the inspection gate, where they can receive payoffs from smugglers, the lawmaker claimed.

The inspection gate, which is on the Yangon-Moulmein road, was opened in 2003 and closed in 2012 following complaints from locals and the states chamber of commerce about the prevalence of illicit contraband.

After five years of closure, it was opened on March 1 this year as part of a state government plan to control the movement of smuggled goods.

The gate has 79 staff from 11 departments and agencies, including the consumer protection department of the commerce ministry; police; traffic police; immigration and population department; road transportation administration department; and agricultural and fisheries departments. They make 24-hour checks on people and vehicles that cross the gate.

From March 1 to the first week of July, smuggled goods worth 2.4 billion kyats were seized at the gate, according to statistics from Mon States planning, finance and immigration ministry.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.
Burma Reporters Arrest Could Lead to Review of Unlawful Associations Act

Protesters in Yangon hold up a banner with photos of four detained journalists. The names of the journalists are written on their hands. / Myo Min Soe / The Irrawaddy

YANGON  U Shwe Mann, chairman of Myanmars Union Parliament Legal Affairs and Special Cases Assessment Commission, has said amendments to the colonial era Unlawful Associations need to be considered, following the arrest of three journalists in Shan State who were charged under the law.

We have to take into consideration amendments of the law, the chairman said in a statement released on Friday addressing the case of the three detained journalists under Article 17(1) of the Unlawful Associations Act.

While U Shwe Mann said he does not know all the details of the case, he wrote that revisions to the 1908 law must be well thought out, and that while there is a focus on national reconciliation in the country, concerned parties should exercise restraint in their words and actions.

U Shwe Mann referred to Myanmars neighbor, India, which also imposed the Unlawful Associations Act during the British colonial era, but has since amended the law.

The Irrawaddys Lawi Weng (aka U Thein Zaw) and Democratic Voice of Burmas Aye Nai and Pyae Phone Aung, along with three civilians, were charged under the statute on June 28 for contacting an ethnic armed group, the Taang National Liberation Army (TNLA).

The reporters covered a drug-burning event to mark the UNs day against drug abuse in a TNLA-controlled area. Violators of Article 17(1) face two to three years in prison and a possible fine for being a member of an unlawful association, making contributions to such an association or assisting in its operations.

The act has long been used by the authorities to arrest and detain people in conflict affected areas, particularly in ethnic states.

National League for Democracy lawmaker and commission member U Maung Maung Ohn said that the Union Parliament Legal Affairs and Special Cases Assessment Commission would review the law.

He added that the chairman U Shwe Mann had told commission members at a meeting on Friday to consider amending the outdated law.

We will reconsider whether it is good for citizen and their rights, and if this law is reasonable in this time of democratic transition, U Maung Maung Ohn said. How will we define whether an association is lawful or unlawful? We cant just call a group an unlawful association because it is not reconciled with us, he said, adding that this is of importance during peace talks with ethnic armed groups.
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By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) |  

Donald Trumps speech in Poland may have attempted to camouflage its Fascist undertones with some Nazi-bashing, but no one will be fooled. The speech was probably shaped by alt-Neo-Nazi Steve Bannon, White House strategist and enabler of the white supremacist roll of toilet paper known as Breitbart.

Like all Fascist speeches, it configured the Fatherland as weak and a laughingstock, threatened imminently with being wiped out. It is this paranoia and poor self-image that drives Fascist aggression. So Trump said,

We have to remember that our defense is not just a commitment of money, it is a commitment of will. Because as the Polish experience reminds us, the defense of the West ultimately rests not only on means but also on the will of its people to prevail and be successful and get what you have to have. The fundamental question of our time is whether the West has the will to survive. Do we have the confidence in our values to defend them at any cost? Do we have enough respect for our citizens to protect our borders? Do we have the desire and the courage to preserve our civilization in the face of those who would subvert and destroy it?

What this paragraph means by values is not the same as what Americans mean by values. We mean the Bill of Rights. Trump means the Religious Right. We mean a decent life for everyone, with health care a basic human right. Trump means plutocracy, an America of, by and for the multi-millionaires and billionaires. We mean tolerance and pluralism. Trump means racism against brown and black people. He again defended his Muslim ban, even though no one from any of the 6 Muslim-majority countries on his boycott list has launched a terrorist operation here in the twenty-first century. He is lauding Poles not because of their cultural achievements but because this are configured as the achievements of white people.

The irony that is papered over by the phrase our civilization is that the biggest enemies of Polish nationalism have been other Western statesSweden, Germany and Russia (and no, not just National Socialism and Bolshevikism. Poland at one point was made to disappear by Germans and Russians who had never heard of either. And Polish Jews, a major component of the population, are no longer there because of virulent white nationalism.

As for Muslims, the lurking bad guys in Trumps Heil West screed, they have been an important part of Polish history. Tatar Muslims served Poland militarily for centuries, and right into the twentieth century. In 1590 some 200,000 Lipka Tatars dwelled in the PolishLithuanian Commonwealth, serviced by at least 100 mosques. A unit of Tatar Muslims serving Jan Sobieski fought the Muslim Ottoman Empire at Vienna in the 1600s, helping preserve Europe from Ottoman rule. One of the direst threats to Polish Muslims was the Nazis, who attacked their mosque in the 1940s. There is still a small Polish Muslim population.

Our civilization has all along included Muslims and Jews and Africans and Arabs.

Trump papers over these ambiguities in favor of large-scale racial stereotyping.

Trumps so-called health care bill will kill 22,000 people, far more than terrorists of any kind ever have.

Above all, Trump upholds the values of fear, timidity and paranoia. A small radical fringe in the Muslim world cannot menace Americas civilization. But a far right white nationalist president with serious mental issues can.



Related video:

David Pakman: Supporters Bused Into Snowflake Trumps Poland Speech
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By Meysam Tayebipour | (The Conversation) |  

Nine years ago, when sanctions were imposed on Iran by the international community, Total was the last Western energy company to suspend its activity there. Now, following the lifting of nuclear sanctions on Iran in January 2016, Total is the first Western company to return to the Iranian energy market. On July 3, the French company announced that it had signed a contract with Iran to develop and produce gas from phase 11 of South Pars (SP11)  the worlds largest gas field.

This is significant not just for Total and the Iranian economy, it also gives an important boost for the 2015 nuclear deal which has been the subject of debate in the US, as well as within Iran, in which the benefits of the deal have been questioned.

The deal is important for Iran for several reasons. Iran is the largest gas reserve holder globally. But, due to the lack of infrastructure and investment, it has struggled to extract enough energy from its gas fields even for its own consumption. Hence, Iran has long been a net importer of gas, largely from Turkmenistan. To produce more gas for its own market, Iran needs international oil companies to invest in its energy industry.

Data shows that in the past year, there has been a dramatic increase in Irans natural gas consumption. Last year, around 1.6 billion cubic feet of natural gas was consumed a day in Iran, and this is set to rise. The investment will produce 2 billion cubic feet per day for Irans domestic markets by 2021.

Domestic growth

Iran will also be hoping that this deal sets the ball rolling for more international engagement. After years of isolation and sanctions that have crippled its economy, Iran wants to enter the international market. Hassan Rouhani, who was recently re-elected as president, is a pragmatic politician and is constantly announcing that Iran is looking to open up to the rest of the world.

Rohuani, who made the nuclear deal with the West, now wants to encourage foreign investment to return to Iran. The deal with Total will provide an incentive for other foreign companies to sign deals with Iran. Oil companies such as Dutch Shell and Italys Eni have already started to negotiate with Iran for new contracts. The Total deal shows it is possible.

Plus, it strengthens Rouhanis position as a political reformer. His more hardline opponents have criticised the nuclear deal for failing to help the countrys economy and halting its nuclear programme. The deal was signed in 2015 and since then Irans economy, despite the lifting of sanctions, is making a slow recovery. The Total deal gives Rouhani a concrete example of much-needed investment returning, thanks to the lifting of sanctions.

International importance

For Western companies investing in Iran, the country is still not free of risk. Foreign investors need to see stability, but the region is in turmoil. Irans policies on Syria and Yemen are at odds with its neighbours, including Saudi Arabia  which is currently showing its opposition to Iran by cutting ties with Qatar.

More importantly, US policy towards Iran is still vague. The Trump administration approved the nuclear agreement, but Rex Tillerson, secretary of state, said that the White House still needs to review the deal to recognise whether the agreement is in US interests. Plus, the US Senate also recently passed a bill to step up sanctions against Iran. Iran meanwhile is adamant that it will not tolerate new sanctions or changes to the nuclear agreement that was reached in 2015. This could scare off future business deals.

Total is no doubt aware of these potential risks, but clearly does not want to lose the opportunity to invest and gain a 51% stake in developing the worlds biggest gas field. Nonetheless, the company has split its US$5 billion investment into two parts. Total will first invest US$2 billion and the rest of money will be invested only if the initial phase of development and extraction is successful.

There are also signs of a transatlantic split at play. Total is aware that, in contrast to the US, the European Union has praised Iran for implementing the nuclear deal and wants to improve its relationship with Iran. Perhaps in a dig to the US president, the chairman of Total, Patrick Pouyanne, remarked: We are here to build bridges, not walls.

So, while the Total deal would not have been possible without the nuclear deal, it is also helping keep it alive by pouring investment into Irans economy. It sends a political message for both hardliners in Iran and the US that Europe is keen to not only support the nuclear deal but its companies are ready to invest in Iran.

Meysam Tayebipour, PhD Candidate, Department of Politics, Philosophy and Religion, Lancaster University

This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.

-

Related video added by Juan Cole:

France 24: Iran to sign energy deal with Frances Total, biggest since sanctions lifted
TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - July 7, 2017) - Cordoba Minerals Corp. ("Cordoba" or the "Company") (TSX VENTURE:CDB) is pleased to announce that it has mailed its management information circular and related voting materials (collectively, the "Meeting Materials") to Cordoba shareholders (the "Shareholders") in connection with the annual and special meeting to be held on July 27, 2017 (the "Meeting").

At the Meeting, Shareholders will be asked to approve annual routine matters, such as the election of directors, the appointment of auditors and stock-based compensation matters. Shareholders will also be asked to consider and vote upon a matter of special business concerning the previously announced transactions (the "Transaction") contemplated in the share purchase agreement that the Company entered into on June 13, 2017 with High Power Exploration Inc. ("HPX") and HPX Colombia Ventures Ltd. ("Ventures"), a wholly-owned subsidiary of HPX, providing for, among other things, the acquisition by Cordoba of all of the issued and outstanding common shares of Ventures.

The Meeting Materials have been filed on SEDAR and are available at www.sedar.com and www.cordobaminerals.com.

Vote using the following methods prior to the Meeting. Internet Telephone or Fax Mail Registered Shareholders Shares held in own name and represented by a physical certificate. http://www.investorvote.com/ Telephone: 1-866-732-8683

Fax: 1-866-249-7775 Return the form of proxy in the enclosed postage paid envelope Non Registered Shareholders Shares held with a broker, bank or other intermediary. http://www.proxyvote.com/ Call or fax to the number(s)

listed on your voting

instruction form. Return the voting instruction form in the enclosed postage paid envelope

Recommendation of the Board of Directors

The board of directors of Cordoba (the "Board"), with interested directors abstaining, after careful consideration and relying in part, on the recommendation of the special committee of the Board (the "Special Committee"), such committee comprised solely of independent directors, and the fairness opinion of Haywood Securities Inc. dated June 13, 2017, (the "Fairness Opinion") has unanimously determined that the proposed Transaction is fair and in the best interests of Cordoba and recommends that Shareholders vote in favour of the resolutions supporting the Transaction.

Fairness Opinion

The Special Committee has received the Fairness Opinion, which states that in the opinion of Haywood Securities Inc., as of June 13, 2017, based upon and subject to the assumptions, limitations and qualifications contained therein, the consideration to be received by HPX as part of the Transaction is fair, from a financial point of view, to the Shareholders. This is a summary of the Fairness Opinion and is qualified in its entirety by the full text of the Fairness Opinion, which is available in the Meeting Materials.

About High Power Exploration (HPX)

HPX is a privately owned, metals-focused exploration company deploying proprietary in-house geophysical technologies to rapidly evaluate buried geophysical targets. The HPX technology cluster comprises geological and geophysical systems for targeting, modelling, survey optimization, acquisition, processing and interpretation. HPX has a highly experienced board and management team led by Co-Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Robert Friedland, President Eric Finlayson, a former head of exploration at Rio Tinto, and co-chaired by Ian Cockerill, a former Chief Executive Officer of Gold Fields Ltd. For further information, please visit www.hpxploration.com.
Conductor Chung Myung-whun, left, receives the Ordine della Stella d'Italia from the Italian Ambassador to Korea, Marco della Seta, at the country's embassy in Hannam-dong, Seoul, Thursday. / Yonhap

By Yun Suh-young

Conductor Chung Myung-whun was bestowed the Ordine della Stella d'Italia (Order of the Star of Italy) at the Italian Embassy in Seoul, Thursday.

The order is given to Italian nationals or foreigners who have contributed to promoting friendly relations and cooperation between Italy and other countries and of Italy's national prestige abroad.

Chung received the Commander Order for his contributions to promoting Italian music overseas. The Commander award is the third prestigious award in the Order following the Knight Grand Cross and Grand Officer. Below the Commander is the Officer and Knight.

"The maestro is the best example of the encounter between Italian and Korean musical genius. Beginning in 1978, when he started conducting the Los Angeles Philharmonic with Carlo Maria Giulini; then from 1987 to 1992 as first guest conductor of the Comunale in Florence (my hometown), continuing on to Rome's Accademia di Santa Cecilia from 1997 to 2005. From 2006 onwards, he has been constantly conducting at La Scala in Milan and at La Fenice in Venice," said Italian Ambassador to Korea, Marco della Seta, during an opening speech at the ceremony held at his residence in Hannam-dong, Seoul.

"I would also like to remember here some of his most memorable Italian performances: like the opening concert in 2012 of the Renzo Piano's new Auditorium della Musica in Rome; his Othello in Venice's Palazzo Ducale in the summer of 2013 or, the same year, Verdi's requiem at the Verona Arena with both the Fenice and the Arena choirs. More recently, in 2016, Maestro Chung graced the Milan Expo with a splendid Beethoven's 9th Symphony and, in May, in Taormina's Greek theatre, he directed La Scala Philharmonic for G7 Summit, among many other performances.

"This impressive list proves, if need be, the huge contributions of Maestro Chung to music in Italy. Of course, I am not considering his contribution to Italian music in the world, which is even bigger."

The ambassador also mentioned the already long list of awards Chung has received from the Italian government such as the Franco Abbati Award, the Arturo Toscanini Prize and his status as Honorary member of Accademia di Santa Cecilia, as well as his philanthropic efforts such as donating proceeds from his opening concert of the Lotte Concert Hall last year to the victims of an earthquake that hit central Italy.

"For the above mentioned reasons it is only natural that the president of the Italian Republic, Sergio Mattarella, decided to bestow on Maestro Chung Myung-whun the Order of the Stella d'Italia at the rank of Commendatore _ Commander. I am thus honored and pleased to give you the Diploma," he said awarding Chung with the Order.

In response, Chung expressed his gratitude for the award saying, "I love Italy, I love Italian people and I love the country. I love everything about Italy so thank you."

He recalled how he fell in love with the country, beginning with music but more personally, with food.

"I loved Italian food. I wanted to live in Italy at least once, just because of the food. So in 1982, our family went to Rome. We planned to stay only a year, but since then have kept our connection there. For 35 years, I've been moving back and forth between Paris and Rome," said Chung.

"In terms of music, apart from Paris, Italy is the place I've performed the most in Europe. I've worked with La Scala Philharmonic for over 30 years and I feel like we're best friends. If I may express my love for Italy, it may be stronger than the Italians, but certainly not less."

Meanwhile, in a separate interview with the press, Chung said he no longer had plans take a permanent position as a music director.

"I want to be free," he said. "I'm done with full-time orchestras. Ten years is enough. And I'm not a person who goes back to a project after it's done. I'll be working with Korean musicians but for the purpose of helping the country. No salary, no position, no money, just music."

He will be performing at Lotte Concert Hall's one year anniversary concerts on Aug. 18 and 19 with pianist Cho Seong-jin, and plans to hold a concert with the One Korea Youth Orchestra for its launching performance in January next year. The One Korea Youth Orchestra is an orchestra created by Lotte Concert Hall to foster young musicians.

"From now on, I'm not going to work for my career. I want to do projects that I personally feel interested in. And I want to help others. I want to help young musicians grow," he said.

He said he will continue to perform with foreign orchestras when they are on world tours.

"But I would like to work with orchestras that I know well and have affection for such as La Scala, Dresden, Vienna and of course, Paris."
President Moon Jae-in, U.S. President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe pose before attending the Northeast Asia Security dinner at the U.S. Consulate General in Hamburg, Germany, Thursday. / AP-Yonhap



By Jun Ji-hye

Leaders of South Korea, the United States and Japan have agreed to work together to strengthen sanctions and pressure on North Korea in response to its recent test of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), officials said Friday.

The trilateral talks between President Moon Jae-in, U.S. President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe took place at the U.S. consulate in Hamburg, Germany, on the eve of the G20 summit.

It marked the first three-way discussion since the inaugurations of Moon and Trump.

The discussion took place three days after the Kim Jong-un regime claiming it had successfully launched an ICBM, Tuesday, capable of carrying a large-size heavy nuclear warhead and striking the continental U.S.

"Leaders of the three countries shared the need for promptly adopting a stronger U.N. Security Council (UNSC) resolution and imposing the harshest-ever pressure on North Korea," said Seoul's Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha during a media briefing in Hamburg.

Kang said they agreed to resolve the issue through "peaceful pressure."

"They did not talk about military options," Kang said.

The three sides also agreed to make joint efforts to persuade China, perhaps the North's only ally, to play a bigger role in pressuring the North to abandon its nuclear and missile programs.

Toward that end, President Trump told his South Korean and Japanese counterparts that his government would consider economic sanctions designed to punish Chinese firms and individuals doing business with North Korea, according to a high-level government official.












Key is to make NK accommodating



President Moon Jae-in's peace proposal to North Korea in Berlin, Germany, indeed sounds hollow, considering the palpable tension on the Korean Peninsula following Pyongyang's recent test-firing of what it claims to be an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).



It is hard to miss a striking contradiction between Moon's peace initiative and the joint condemnation he made at the same venue together with U.S. President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. So are the decades of efforts to deal with this pariah state that keeps coming back to haunt the world.



Now the world is preoccupied with this isolated state's latest blackmail but, if the past is any guide, it will pass and a relative lull will ensue. Despite loud alarms, the latest rocket is short of a working ICBM that can deliver a miniaturized nuclear payload through the stress of re-entry through the atmosphere.



Moon's initiative is the groundwork for that coming window of opportunity and possible peace. The President has now warned that this is the North's last chance of getting guarantees for its survival.



The proposal comes 17 years after the one that President Kim Dae-jung made in Berlin. Three months later, Kim had the first inter-Korean summit with Kim Jong-il, the current leader's father.



Moon offered a summit with the young North Korean leader to discuss a peace treaty.



Replacing the present truce with a peace treaty is the North's stated goal, which Seoul and Washington have previously rejected as a ruse for American military disengagement in South Korea. The South-North summit would address Pyongyang's insistence on the resolution of Korean problems by Koreans.



Only last week, Moon received strong support from Trump for Korea's leading role in creating the environment conducive to peace on the peninsula. It came with their agreement to stop the hostile policy against the North. The U.S. would be an important party that would be brought in as guarantor for an inter-Korean peace regime. It would also help ensure the leadership of the North would not suffer the same fate as Muammar Gadhafi, the Libyan dictator who was deposed despite receiving guarantees for his survival from the West in return for his rollback of a nuclear program.



Moon's proposals also include incremental peace-enhancing elements such as reunions of separated families for the Chuseok Holiday in October, the North's participation in the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics, cultural exchanges and cessation of hostilities along the border.



Realization of any of these could cool the tension on the peninsula and subsequently would be used to enhance trust between the two Koreas. It would also address the lack of trust that the North's International Olympic Committee (IOC) member Chang Ung recently cited as grounds for Pyongyang's rejection of Moon's invitation to PyeongChang.



The North should not take Moon's offer as a sign of desperation. But he is putting high stakes on a bid to defuse the current crisis peacefully before it turns into a devastating war. The North would surely bear the brunt of that devastation.




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In real time

(Image credit: Michael Nolan/National Geographic; Robert Harding/National Geographic)

National Geographic invites you to fly with Mexican free-tailed bats, swim with bull sharks and roost with leaf-eating monkeys, all from the comfort of your couch. The show, deemed the "Olympics of the natural world" by National Geographic, features amazing views of the animal kingdom from around the world in real time as hosts Jane Lynch and Phil Keoghan consult with zoologist and naturalist Chris Packham.



The two-hour show, Earth Live, premiers at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on Sunday (July 9) on the National Geographic, Nat Geo Wild and Nat Geo Mundo networks in 171 countries and 45 languages. Until then, here is a sneak peak of the incredible animals filmed in the show. [Read the Full Story about Earth Live]

Freshwater Croc

(Image credit: Annie Griffiths/National Geographic Creative)

A freshwater crocodile plies the waters at his home at the Cairns Tropical Zoo in Queensland, Australia.

Playing in a sprinkle

(Image credit: Sergio Pitamitz/National Geographic)

A wolverine runs in Oulu, Finland.

Sudden changes

(Image credit: Stocktrek Images)

In Fiji, a bull shark turns sharply to avoid a photographer.

Love and cuddles

(Image credit: Robert Harding/Robert Harding Productions; National Geographic)

In East Africa, a lioness and her cub spread the love at Kenya's Masai Mara National Reserve.

Working for a living

(Image credit: Luca Tettoni/National Geographic; Robert Harding/National Geographic)

In Southeast Asia, a trained macaque monkey collects coconuts in Ko Samui, Thailand.

Majestic and regal

(Image credit: James Hager/National Geographic; Robert Harding/National Geographic)

In Boulder County, Colorado, a captive golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) sits solemnly in the rain.

Awesome sight

(Image credit: Michael Nolan/National Geographic; Robert Harding/National Geographic)

Off the coast of Cabo Pulmo, Baja California Sur, Mexico, an adult humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) breaches in the shallow waters.

Leap and run

(Image credit: Hanuman Langur_Thorsten Milse/National Geographic; Robert Harding/National Geographic)

In Asia, a Hanuman langur (Presbytis entellus) runs playfully across the road in Bandhavgarh National Park of Madhya Pradesh state, India.
A celestial sign

(Image credit: Milos Bicanski/Getty)

Solar and lunar eclipses have sometimes played quite a remarkable role in human history. From foretelling evil omens to inspiring early works of science fiction, here are 11 of the most curious stories about eclipses.

The Chinese Astrologers

(Image credit: Chronicle/Alamy)

Solar eclipses were definitely bad news for astrologers in ancient China.

According to a 2003 study published in the Journal of Astronomical History and Heritage, the sun was considered a symbol of the emperor of China, and so eclipses of the sun were interpreted as a warning to the Son of Heaven himself.

The researchers, who studied the role of solar eclipses in ancient Chinese culture, wrote that the occasion of a solar eclipse therefore placed onerous requirement on the Chinese emperor, in an effort to mitigate the anger of heaven.

"When an eclipse occurred, the Emperor would normally eat vegetarian meals, avoid the main palace, perform rituals to rescue the Sun and, sometimes, issue imperial edict to take the blame on himself," the scientists wrote in the study.

It wasn't only the emperor who had cause to fear solar eclipses: the astrologers themselves could sometimes find their lives on the line.

One of the earliest mentions of an eclipse in ancient China records that the court astrologers Xi and Ho were beheaded on the orders of the Emperor Zhang Kang because they had failed to predict a total eclipse of the sun  now thought to be the eclipse that occurred on Oct. 22 in 2134 B.C.

Alhazen's Camera Obscura

(Image credit: Science History Images/Alamy)

One of the greatest eclipse observers in history was the Persian scholar Ibn al-Haytham, also known by the Latinized version of his name, Alhazen.

Born in Basra, in what in now Iraq, Al-Haytham spent most of his life in the Egyptian city of Cairo during the Fatimid Caliphate in the 11th century A.D.

His great invention was named "Al-Bayt al-Muthlim" in Arabic (which translates to "the dark room" in English)  the earliest known "camera obscura," where a bright external image, such as the sun, is projected through a hole in the wall of a darkened room.

The camera obscura would go on to become an important tool for later astronomers, and  in a miniaturized, portable form  it was ultimately developed into the modern photographic "camera."

Al-Haythim described the use of the camera obscura in his Book of Optics, written in Cairo around 1021 A.D., and used to make observations of the sun that were impossible by any other method at the time.

He also used it to study solar eclipses, which he described in his work "On the form of the Eclipse" ("Maqalah-fi-Surat-al-Kosuf" in Arabic): "The image of the sun at the time of the eclipse, unless it is total, demonstrates that when its light passes through a narrow, round hole and is cast on a plane opposite to the hole it takes on the form of a moon-sickle."

King Narai's Eclipse

(Image credit: ART Collection/Alamy)

Eclipses have also played an unusual role in the history of Thailand.

The 17th-century Thai king Narai was a devotee of the "new astronomy" that had been introduced to the kingdom by Jesuit missionaries from France, and is known to have made observations of both solar and lunar eclipses under their tutelage.

A Thai court painting from April 30, 1688, shows King Narai making his first observation of an eclipse of the sun at his palace in Lopburi, surrounded by Thai and foreign guests.

Among the guests is a Thai nobleman named Phetracha, who resented the king's friendships with foreigners, and may have feared that the king might convert to Christianity

According to the Thai tradition, Phetracha regarded the solar eclipse as a sign from heaven, and it inspired him to launch a rebellion against the king a few days later.

Narai was deposed, and the foreigners were executed or expelled from the kingdom.

Kepler's Somnium

(Image credit: Ludwig Kepler)

Solar eclipses also feature in one of the earliest science fiction stories, the "Somnium," (or "The Dream") written by the German astronomer and mathematician Johannes Kepler and published in 1634.

In the story, Kepler's hero hears a description of space travel by "daemons" that live in the shadow of moon.

When a solar eclipse occurs, Kepler's daemons are able to travel between the moon and the Earth on a "bridge of shadow"  and they sometimes even take human passengers with them.

"We confer with other daemons of the same region and plan an alliance so when the sunlight first begins to leave a region of space, we move in massed ranks into the shadow," said Kepler's lunar daemon.

"For if the sharp point of the moon's shadow touches the earth, which often happens, our allied squadrons fall upon the earth.

"As long as men can see the sun's eclipse, we cannot do otherwise  so it is that solar eclipses are so much feared."

Tecumseh's Eclipse

(Image credit: Jose Joaquin de Ferrer)

An eclipse visible over the eastern United States on June 16, 1806, is known to astronomers today as "Tecumseh's Eclipse," named after the chief of the Shawnee people who used it to win support among Indian tribes for a rebellion against European expansion.

Tecumseh and his brother Tenskwatawa, who had a reputation as a prophet, had told other Indian leaders 50 days before the event that they would receive a sign from the Great Spirit, in the form of a darkening of the sun.

Thousands gathered for the event near Greenville (now in Ohio), and the darkening happened just as Tecumseh and his brother had predicted, and helped to cement their leadership of the disunited tribes in his later wars against the United States forces, and as an ally of the British in the War of 1812.

Historians still debate how Tecumseh could have predicted the solar eclipse. Some say that Tecumseh was known to travel widely and spent a lot of time with white settlers, and so he may have had access to a European almanac that may have included the prediction.

Nat Turner's Eclipse

(Image credit: New York Public Library)

Nat Turner was an African American slave and religious leader who headed a rebellion of slaves and freed blacks in Virginia in 1831.

Turner was a visionary who believed he had been chosen by God to free his fellow slaves. In February, 1831, he witnessed a total eclipse of the sun over Virginia, which he interpreted as a sign from heaven that he should go ahead with his uprising.

Turner began by telling four companions about his plans  and on Aug. 21, 1831, armed with knives and hatchets, they led a violent rebellion against slave owners in Southampton County, Virginia.

The violence continued for two days, and up to 60 men, women and children are said to have been killed by the rebels.

Most of the slaves were caught within a few days, but Turner eluded capture for almost two months. More than 50 slaves, including Turner, were executed in the aftermath of the rebellion.

Eclipse of Sulpicius Gallus

(Image credit: NASA )

Solar eclipses may have had the greater impact on human history, but eclipses of the moon have also played a part.

Although they don't have the same dramatic effect of darkness, the red color of an eclipsed moon, caused by the reflection of sunrises and sunsets around half the world, has often been viewed as an omen of bloodshed.

In the 4th century B.C., a Roman army preparing to fight the Macedonians at Pydna, in Greece, were warned not to worry when they saw an eclipse of the moon on the eve of the battle.

According to the historian Livy and other Roman writers, the military tribune Gaius Sulpicius Gallus correctly predicted the lunar eclipse and persuaded the Roman troops that it was nothing to fear.

"He then explained that on the following night the moon would lose her light from the second hour to the fourth, and no one must regard this as a portent, because this happened in the natural order of things at stated intervals, and could be known beforehand and predicted," Livy wrote.

"Just in the same way, then, as they did not regard the regular rising and setting of the sun and moon or the changes in the light of the moon from full circle to a thin and waning crescent as a marvel, so they ought not to take its obscuration when it is hidden in the shadow of the earth for a supernatural portent."

Livy records that the eclipse then took place at the stated hour, which raised the morale of the Roman troops but shocked the Macedonians, who took it as a bad omen and fared badly in battle the next day.

A crater on the moon, visible at the right of this NASA image, has been named after Sulpicius Gallus, in honor of his place in early astronomy.

Eclipse of Christopher Columbus

(Image credit: New York Public Library)

Another lunar eclipse is credited with rescuing the explorer Christopher Columbus from hostile locals on the island of Jamaica in 1504.

Columbus wrote in his account of the voyage that he was stranded for several months on the island after his ships suffered an epidemic of shipworms, which ate holes in the wood and made them unfit to sail.

In an effort to convince the local Arawak Indians to provide his crew with food and shelter, Columbus warned the Arawak chiefs that his Christian god would darken the moon in three days' time, as a sign they should do as he asked.

Columbus wrote that he had learned of the coming lunar eclipse in an almanac that he kept with his books on navigation.

On the appointed day, the moon turned dark, just as Columbus had predicted, and successfully intimidated the Arawaks into providing the help he wanted.

Eclipses on Other Planets

(Image credit: NASA )

Earth is the only place in our solar system where solar eclipses appear as they do. Although moons pass in front of the sun on several other planets, only on Earth does our moon appear almost exactly the same size as the disk of the sun  a rather amazing cosmic coincidence.

On other planets, however, eclipses  properly known as "transits"  have their own special charm.

On Jupiter, for example, it may be possible to see an eclipse of the sun by three of its largest moons at the same time, although each of them would appear much smaller than the disk of the sun.

Although Mars has two moons, the smallest, Deimos, orbits too far from the planet to cast much of a shadow. But spectacular annular eclipses of the sun can be made by the Red Planet's larger moon, Phobos, as shown in this image taken by the Curiosity rover in 2013.

Unluckiest Eclipse Observer

(Image credit: Hulton Archive/Getty)

The celestial phenomenon of solar eclipses has in its turn created the travel phenomenon of "eclipse chasing," and now almost every eclipse of modern times attracts a dedicated band of astronomers, travelers and adventurers who will go almost anywhere for a glimpse of these rare celestial events.

One of the greatest  and unluckiest  eclipse chasers was the Canadian astronomer J. W. Campbell of the University of Alberta, who was the author of a textbook about predicting eclipses.

Campbell travelled the world for more than 50 years on expeditions to see 12 different solar eclipses, including an expedition to Canada's remote Northwest Territories. But, he is said to have encountered cloudy skies on each of the 12 occasions.
This article was originally published at The Conversation. The publication contributed the article to Live Science's Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights.

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times" is a familiar quote from the opening of Charles Dickens' "A Tale of Two Cities," but the phrase is also applicable to the specialty drug market in the United States today.

Specialty drugs, usually complex biologic products created by genetic alterations of living tissues or organisms, have revolutionized patient care by creating human proteins, enzymes and antibodies that can treat diseases much more specifically than previously. These breakthroughs have come through a collective national choice to let drugmakers set prices and reap the profits with limited oversight  as opposed to many other countries with strict controls.

However, this choice has come at a steep price: Health care costs are soaring at an unsustainable pace, putting the finances of states, the federal government, companies and millions of Americans at risk.

Every American  especially our lawmakers preparing to remold our health care system for the second time in eight years  needs to understand the choice we have made and grapple with where to go from here. In the end, it comes down to one difficult question: What value should we place on a human life?

Drug costs are crippling us financially

Between premiums, deductibles and co-pays, a typical family of four will directly pay US$11,000 of the estimated $27,000 it is expected to spend on health care in 2017, up 22 percent since 2013. That's quite a lot, especially considering the average American worker made only $46,120 in 2015.

But it will be impossible to control these spiraling costs without getting a handle on prescription drug spending, which is growing at a rate at least three times faster than every other major medical category.

What many people don't know is that spending on traditional drugs such as statins, acid controllers and antibiotics hasn't changed much. It's specialty and biologic drugs that are really taking a toll. Such drugs have been responsible for 73 percent of spending growth over the past five years.

A single prescription for one of the top five specialty drugs, for example, cost $6,621 in 2015, compared with $60 for traditional drugs like Nexium and Crestor. The situation for so-called orphan drugs, which are specialty biologic drugs used for rare diseases, is even worse. The average orphan drug cost $111,820 per person per year in 2014.

Specialty drugs are godsends for patients

So the obvious question is, are the costs worth it? And the answer is  for those whose lives are affected  clearly yes.

Specialty drugs can do amazing things, especially in the realm of rare diseases (those that afflict fewer than 200,000 patients) in which there had been no serious research in the past. The term orphan drug was codified in 1983 to describe medications intended to treat diseases so rare that pharmaceutical companies are reluctant to develop them.

That changed with the passage of the Orphan Drug Act of 1983, which allowed special grants for research, a 50 percent tax credit on trial costs, shorter FDA approval times and a guaranteed seven years of patent exclusivity. Before the act, the FDA approved 34 drugs that would have qualified as orphan drugs from 1967 to 1983. The FDA approved 10 times as many  347  over the next 26 years, reflecting how the act helped provide the financial incentive to produce these specialty drugs.

Let's look at just one rare disease, Liposomal Acid Deficiency. Also known as Wolman's Disease, it affects only a handful of infants, but without this vital enzyme they accumulate fats in their digestive organs, leading to organ swelling, failure and death within the first year of life.

Before 2015, there were no treatments, but now chickens are genetically modified so that their eggs produce this human enzyme, sold under the name sebelipase alpha. Injecting this enzyme clears up patients' debilitating symptoms and prolongs their lives, in some cases for as long as decades, experts believe.

Make no mistake, this is a miracle for parents of a baby with this terrible infliction. But this miracle is expected to cost about $700,000 a year for the rest of the child's life.

What Europe does

Things work a lot differently in Europe, and it's worth considering whether we'd be wise to follow its general approach.

Unlike in the U.S., countries in Europe have some form of socialized health care system in which the government covers the costs of drugs that meet certain criteria. That decision is made at the national level, while the European Medicine Agency determines whether to approve the drug for use.

Drugs are generally covered if the cost relative to benefits  known as a quality adjusted life year (QALY)  is under a certain threshold. Simply put, an extra year of life lived in perfect health is worth 1 QALY, while a sliding scale is used to quantify the value of an extra year in poor health (between 0 and 1 QALY).

In Britain, for example, medications are usually covered if each QALY gained costs less than 30,000 ($36,600)  although they do have some exceptions.

That means that few orphan drugs get reimbursed. Of the 116 orphan drugs the FDA approved for use outside of the hospital from 1983 to 2012, the U.K.s National Health Service didn't even review about two-thirds of them for reimbursement, presumably because the cost was too high. Of the rest, it offered conditional reimbursement for a dozen, while 15 were denied.

In an assessment of orphan drugs that cost more than $225,000 per year per patient in the U.S., none of these drugs had been reviewed in Britain.

So what should we do?

The U.S. has created market incentives to study rare diseases, and with the help of human ingenuity we have created some amazing breakthroughs in solving complex problems.

This mentality has been radically different from in Europe, where similar research never would have gotten off the ground because policymakers efficiently target their health care dollars for maximum impact on society  not for creating miracles for unfortunate outliers with rare diseases.

However, the inherent generosity built into the Orphan Drug Act is one factor leading so many Americans to struggle to afford their premiums and move into high-deductible plans that make a simple visit to the doctor effectively unaffordable. And employers as well as state and federal governments are being financially crushed under increasing health care costs.

So what can be done? Unfortunately, there are no easy answers, and every potential solution has costly or even life-and-death consequences.

The debate shouldn't be simply about what we can do to control costs but rather how much are we willing to spend to sustainably encourage new medical breakthroughs. I believe that we will need to apply a cost-effectiveness analysis to new and existing drugs and determine that at some point the costs outweigh the benefits.

Drawing that line  which comes down to defining how much a human life is worth  has been difficult for lawmakers, which is why the legislation underpinning the Affordable Care Act and its possible replacements have not addressed effective ways to control prescription drug spending.

But not choosing simply pushes the burden on those individuals, companies and taxpayers who fund health care. That burden is immense and will only continue to grow.

C. Michael White, Professor and Head of the Department of Pharmacy Practice, University of Connecticut

This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.
This chocolate isn't for dessert: A new "snortable" chocolate product called Coco Loko is being marketed as a drug-free way to feel energized. But some health experts said they are wary about the effects of inhaling chocolate through your nostrils.

"It's not generally a good idea to put anything in your nose that doesn't belong there" or isn't prescribed by a doctor, said Dr. David Hiltzik, director of otolaryngology at Staten Island University Hospital in New York. "It's quite clear that, at least empirically, chocolate does not belong in your nose."

The product contains raw cacao powder along with other ingredients, including taurine and guarana, often seen in energy drinks, according to The Washington Post. The company behind the product, Legal Lean, says that snorting Coco Loko "will give you a steady rush of euphoric energy and motivation." It's now available for purchase in the United States and costs $24.99 for a container of 10 servings.

The specific health effects of this product are unknown, because there haven't been any studies on its short- or long-term effects, Hiltzik said. However, it's usually not a good idea to snort substances, including powders, through your nose, because they can cause irritation to the nose, throat and lungs, Hiltzik said. [7 Foods You Can Overdose On]

It's not clear, either, if the product gets absorbed into the bloodstream after it is inhaled, he said. But substances that are absorbed into the blood through the nose tend to take effect faster than those that are digested, Hiltzik said. (Energy drinks, which contain high levels of caffeine along with ingredients such as taurine and guarana, have been linked with potentially harmful health effects, including elevated heart rate and high blood pressure.)

This isn't the first time anyone has marketed snorting chocolate. More than 10 years ago, the Belgian chocolatier Dominique Persoone invented a small, catapult-like device called the "chocolate shooter" for snorting chocolate powder. During a 2015 interview about that product, Dr. Jordan Josephson, a sinus and ear, nose and throat specialist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York, told Live Science that snorting any type of powder can damage the tiny hairs in the nose, as well as nasal membranes. "Putting any foreign bodies  including smoke, cocaine and/or chocolate powder  [in your nose] is not safe and is not advised," he said.

Ultimately, Hiltzik said, he would not consider Coco Loko safe until there was more information available. He also noted that there is a perception that "natural" products are safe, but this is not always the case.

Legal Lean did not immediately respond to a request for comment about its product's health effects. On its website, the company says that its products "may impair your ability to drive a car or operate machinery and may cause health problems." The company also says their statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.

Original article on Live Science.
by Laurie Sullivan @lauriesullivan, July 7, 2017

Waymo, Alphabets self-driving tech division and a spinoff from Google, has dismissed three out of four of its patent infringement claims against Uber.

The news, widely reported on Friday, asserts that while Uber has abandoned the use of the technology and design, the lawsuit alleges that the ride-hailing company stole self-driving trade secrets.

Uber's Lidar technology uses lasers instead of radio waves to "see" the world around the cars, which remains important in self-driving cars.

"Waymo is continuing to pursue its other lidar-related claim," per one report. "The company has charged that the lidar system Uber is currently working on, code-named "Fuji," infringes that patent."

Reports of a failed relationship between Uber and Google founders that have surfaced may suggest reasons other than the patent for the feud and lawsuit.

advertisement advertisement

In fact, as rumors began to surface that Google's founders planned to build a self-driving car, emails show that former Uber CEO Travis Kalanick was desperate to partner with the ad giant to avoid competition, reports Vanity Fair.

The report suggests that Chris Urmson, an exec on Googles self-driving car program, openly discussed rolling out an autonomous vehicle ride-sharing service, Kalanick wrote in an email sent January 2015 to David Drummond, Google's chief legal officer, who resigned last year.

Without an open dialog between Kalanick and Drummond, the assumption escalated.

"Now Uber wants legal depositions from Page and Drummond to learn more about their interactions with Anthony Levandowski, the former star engineer from Googles self-driving tech team who is at the center of the lawsuit between Uber and Google," writes Vanity Fair.

The media report also suggests that Uber's legal team believes deposing Page and Drummond could clear up some unanswered issues.
by Steve McClellan @mp_mcclellan, July 7, 2017

Performance-marketing agency Merkle, part of Dentsu Aegis Network, has agreed to acquire data analytics firm Aquila Insight Limited, which is based in the UK.

Terms were not disclosed.

The company has offices in Edinburgh and London, with a combined team of 60 statisticians and data scientists. It offers predictive analytics, media mix optimization, digital analytics and CRM to brands throughout Europe.

Following the acquisition, Aquila will merge with Merkles European operation to become Merkle|Aquila.

The pending deal is Merkles second European acquisition of 2017, following that of Spain-based, digital analytics consultancy, Divisadero in April. Both deals are part of Merkles plan to strengthen its European offering and footprint.

The Aquila Insight team has a great approach to building, growing and delivering impactful results for their clients through the use of sophisticated analytical methods, stated David Williams, president and CEO, Merkle.

As we continue to expand our footprint in Europe, predictive analytics needs to be at the heart of our growth strategy. Aquila will boost our capabilities in this area, he added.
Ford Motor Company is the second largest US auto manufacturer by market cap and market share and ranks 4th globally. The company was founded in 1903 by Henry Ford following a series of cars that led to the introduction of the Model T. The Model T revolutionized the automobile industry not only because it made vehicles affordable for the budding middle class but it changed the way manufacturing was done. The Ford factory features the worlds first moving assembly line, an introduction that not only improved the pace of production but lowered the cost of its vehicles.

Other prominent innovations made by Mr. Ford include the strict standardization of parts that allowed for easy construction and repair and the standardized workweek. Henry Fords switch to a $5 workday and 8-hour shifts allowed him to run 3 shifts per day and improve productivity while providing his employees with the power to buy their own products.

Today, Ford Motor Company makes and markets a large lineup of cars, trucks, SUVs, EVs, and Lincoln luxury vehicles globally. The companys iconic F-series of trucks is the worlds best-selling pickup truck for decades running and the new all-electric Lightning is on track to dominate the top spot in the EV market. Other iconic brands in the Ford lineup include the Thunderbird introduced in 1954, the Mustang in 1964, and the Transit work van in 1965. The Mustang, notably, was created for the Worlds Fair and expected to sell 100,000 in its first year but shocked the industry with 22,000 units sold on the first day.

The company operates through four segments including Ford Blue (ICE vehicles), Model e (EVs) Mobility, and Ford Credit. The Ford Blue and Model e segments sell Ford and Lincoln vehicles, parts, and accessories while the Mobility segment designs and builds advanced technologies including but not limited to self-driving autonomous car systems.

The Ford Credit segment primarily offers commercial and retail loans to auto dealers and car buyers. This segment not only provides financing for new purchases and dealer inventory but makes loans for new dealerships and expansions of old ones.

Ford has fully embraced the switch to EV and is planning for an all-EV future. To that end, the company pledged to spend up to $50 billion on EV infrastructure by 2026. The plans include the build-out of an entirely new campus dedicated to EV manufacture from batteries to motor platforms, manufacturing capacity, and new vehicles. In regard to total capacity, the company is targeting 2 million in total annual EV sales by that same year.
American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. operates as a specialty retailer that provides clothing, accessories, and personal care products under the American Eagle and Aerie brands. The company provides jeans, and specialty apparel and accessories for women and men; and intimates, apparel, activewear, and swim collections, as well as personal care products for women. It also offers graphic tees and other clothing products under the Tailgate brand name; and menswear products under the Todd Snyder New York brand name. As of January 29, 2022, the company operated 880 American Eagle stores, 244 Aerie brand stand-alone stores, and five Todd Snyder stores in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Hong Kong. It also ships to 81 countries through its Websites; and offers its merchandise at 260 locations operated by licensees in 28 countries, as well as provides products through its Websites ae.com, aerie.com, and toddsnyder.com. American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. was founded in 1977 and is headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Newell Brands Inc. designs, manufactures, sources, and distributes consumer and commercial products worldwide. It operates in five segments: Commercial Solutions, Home Appliances, Home Solutions, Learning and Development, and Outdoor and Recreation. The Commercial Solutions segment provides commercial cleaning and maintenance solutions; closet and garage organization products; hygiene systems and material handling solutions; and home and security, and smoke and carbon monoxide alarms products under the BRK, First Alert, Mapa, Quickie, Rubbermaid, Rubbermaid Commercial Products, and Spontex brands. The Home Appliances segment offers kitchen appliances under the Crock-Pot, Mr. Coffee, Oster, and Sunbeam brands. The Home Solutions segment provides food and home storage; fresh preserving; vacuum sealing; and gourmet cookware, bakeware, cutlery, and home fragrance products under the Ball, Calphalon, Chesapeake Bay Candle, FoodSaver, Rubbermaid, Sistema, WoodWick, and Yankee Candle brands. The Learning and Development segment offers writing instruments, including markers and highlighters, pens, and pencils; art products; activity-based adhesive and cutting products; labeling solutions; and baby gear and infant care products under the Aprica, Baby Jogger, Graco, NUK, Tigex, Dymo, Elmer's, EXPO, Graco, Mr. Sketch, NUK, Paper Mate, Parker, Prismacolor, Sharpie, Waterman, and X-Acto brands. The Outdoor and Recreation segment provides outdoor and outdoor-related products under the Campingaz, Coleman, Contigo, ExOfficio, and Marmot brands. It serves warehouse clubs, department and drug/grocery stores, mass merchants, home centers, office superstores and supply stores, contract stationers, and distributors, e-commerce, sporting goods, specialty, and travel retailers. The company was formerly known as Newell Rubbermaid Inc. and changed its name to Newell Brands Inc. in April 2016. Newell Brands Inc. was founded in 1903 and is based in Atlanta, Georgia.
Danaher Corporation designs, manufactures, and markets professional, medical, industrial, and commercial products and services worldwide. The company operates through three segments: Life Sciences, Diagnostics, and Environmental & Applied Solutions. The Life Sciences segment provides mass spectrometers; flow cytometry, genomics, lab automation, centrifugation, particle counting and characterization; microscopes; genomics consumables; and Gene and Cell Therapy. This segment also offers bioprocess technologies, consumables, and services; and filtration, separation, and purification technologies to the pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical, food and beverage, medical, and life sciences companies, as well as universities, medical schools and research institutions, and various industrial manufacturers. The Diagnostics segment provides chemistry, immunoassay, microbiology, and automation systems, as well as hematology, molecular, acute care, and pathology diagnostics products. This segment offers clinical instruments, reagents, consumables, software, and services for hospitals, physicians' offices, reference laboratories, and other critical care settings. The Environmental & Applied Solutions segment offers instrumentation, consumables, software, services, and disinfection systems to analyze, treat, and manage ultra-pure, potable, industrial, waste, ground, source, and ocean water in residential, commercial, industrial, and natural resource applications. This segment also provides instruments, software, services, and consumables for various color and appearance management, packaging design and quality management, packaging converting, printing, marking, coding, and traceability applications for consumer, pharmaceutical, and industrial products. The company was formerly known as Diversified Mortgage Investors, Inc. and changed its name to Danaher Corporation in 1984. Danaher Corporation was founded in 1969 and is headquartered in Washington, the District of Columbia.
KeyCorp operates as the holding company for KeyBank National Association that provides various retail and commercial banking products and services in the United States. It operates in two segments, Consumer Bank and Commercial Bank. The company offers various deposits, investment products and services; and personal finance and financial wellness, student loan refinancing, mortgage and home equity, lending, credit card, treasury, business advisory, wealth management, asset management, investment, cash management, portfolio management, and trust and related services to individuals and small and medium-sized businesses. It also provides a suite of banking and capital market products, such as syndicated finance, debt and equity capital market products, commercial payments, equipment finance, commercial mortgage banking, derivatives, foreign exchange, financial advisory, and public finance, as well as commercial mortgage loans comprising consumer, energy, healthcare, industrial, public sector, real estate, and technology loans for middle market clients. In addition, the company offers community development financing, securities underwriting, brokerage, and investment banking services. As of December 31, 2021, it operated through a network of approximately 999 branches and 1,317 ATMs in 15 states, as well as additional offices, online and mobile banking capabilities, and a telephone banking call center. KeyCorp was founded in 1849 and is headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio.
RenaissanceRe Holdings Ltd. provides reinsurance and insurance products around the world. The company was founded in 1993 and is headquartered in Bermuda with offices in Ireland, Australia, Switzerland, Singapore, and the US.

The company operates through two segments that include multiple underlying businesses and investment vehicles. The two main segments are Property and Casualty & Specialty. The company operates through intermediaries that include DaVinci Resinsurance Inc, Top Layer Reinsurance LTD, and RennaisanceRe Syndicate 1458 among others.

Top Layer Re is the first major venture and was started in 1999. It is a joint venture with State Farm targeting high layers of the US reinsurance business. DaVinci Re was formed in the wake of 9/11 to assist with capacity and it was given added capacity in the wake of hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Wilma. Medici was formed in 2009 and is an open-ended fund intended to spur investment in the catastrophe bond market.

The Property segment writes catastrophic insurance policies to insure insurance and reinsurance companies against natural and man-made catastrophes. These include but are not limited to hurricanes, floods, freezes, and terrorism.

The Casualty & Specialty segment provides a wide range of consumer products including business insurance, malpractice insurance, liability insurance, workers' compensation, mortgage insurance, and health insurance among others.

Among RenaissanceRes Specialty businesses is capital management. The firm offers 6 investment vehicles and has more than $11 billion under management making it the #1 ILS or insurance-linked asset manager in the US. In regards to its credit ratings, the firm and all of its vehicles carry an A or better rating from every credit rating agency.
The following companies are subsidiares of Molina Healthcare: Aetna & Humana - Medicare Advantage, Affinity Health Plan, AmericanWork Inc., Better Health Network, Camelot Care Centers Inc, Children's Behavioral Health Inc., Choices Group Inc., College Community Services, Dockside Services Inc, Family Preservation Services Inc., Family Preservation Services of Florida Inc., Family Preservation Services of North Carolina Inc., Family Preservation Services of Washington D.C. Inc., Family Preservation Services of West Virginia Inc., Florida NetPASS LLC, Hclb Inc., Magellan Complete Care, Maple Star Nevada Inc., Maple Star Oregon Inc., Mercy CarePlus, Molina Clinical Services LLC, Molina Healthcare Data Center Inc., Molina Healthcare of Arizona Inc., Molina Healthcare of California, Molina Healthcare of Florida Inc., Molina Healthcare of Georgia Inc., Molina Healthcare of Illinois Inc., Molina Healthcare of Iowa Inc., Molina Healthcare of Louisiana Inc., Molina Healthcare of Maryland Inc., Molina Healthcare of Michigan Inc., Molina Healthcare of Mississippi Inc., Molina Healthcare of Nevada Inc., Molina Healthcare of New Mexico Inc., Molina Healthcare of New York Inc., Molina Healthcare of North Carolina Inc., Molina Healthcare of Ohio Inc., Molina Healthcare of Oklahoma Inc., Molina Healthcare of Pennsylvania Inc., Molina Healthcare of Puerto Rico Inc., Molina Healthcare of South Carolina LLC, Molina Healthcare of Texas Inc., Molina Healthcare of Texas Insurance Company, Molina Healthcare of Utah Inc., Molina Healthcare of Virginia Inc., Molina Healthcare of Washington Inc., Molina Healthcare of Wisconsin Inc., Molina Holdings Corporation, Molina Hospital Management LLC, Molina Information Systems LLC dba Molina Medicaid Solutions, Molina Medical Management Inc., Molina Pathways LLC, Molina Pathways of Texas Inc., Molina Youth Academy, NextLevel Health Illinois, Pathways Community Corrections Inc., Pathways Community Services LLC, Pathways Community Support of Texas Inc., Pathways Health and Community Support LLC, Pathways Human Services LLC., Pathways of Arizona Inc., Pathways of Delaware Inc., Pathways of Idaho LLC, Pathways of Maine Inc., Pathways of Massachusetts LLC, Pathways of Oklahoma Inc., Pathways of Washington Inc., Providence Community Services, Providence Human Services, Raystown Developmental Services Inc., The Game of Work LLC, The RedCo Group Inc., Total Care Medicaid plan, Transitional Family Services Inc., Unisys -Health Information Management, and YourCare Health Plan.

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The Reds will have until 5pm EST on Friday to reach agreement with second overall pick Hunter Greene. As MLB.coms Jim Callis explains, hes among a few top picks who have yet to agree to terms, but is still expected to do so. Indeed, as Zach Buchanan of the Cincinnati Enquirer further explains, itd rate as quite a surprise if Greene doesnt take a record-setting bonus offer to turn pro before the deadline.

Heres more from the NL Central:
Sneaks, a Ghanaian clothing line, on Monday 3rd July 2017 unveiled Barnabas Amu, popularly known as Keeny Ice as its brand ambassador.

The one-year ambassadorial contract was announced yesterday in the Volta regional capital, Ho where the CEO of Sneaks, Mr. Evans Kwesi Agyei explained that they decided to work with Keeny Ice because of his growing influence on the youth who are also their target market.

He also added that the 'Gankivi' crooner is a unique brand and the clothing his happy to partner his for this project.

Keeny Ice within the tenure as an Ambassador is expected to use his influence strategically to grab market for the product.

The signing was witnessed by the team from Sneaks, media partners and Keeny's team led by his brand manager, Jonilar.

Keeny Ice is signed on to Mo'shes Musik, released his debut, 'Move' featuring Kofi Kinaata this year and weeks ago released the much talked about Hip-hop jam, 'Gankivi' produced by Two Bars and mastered by Seshi.

Follow Sneaks on Instagram:@SneaksClothing & Facebook: Sneaks Clothing.

Interact with Keeny Ice on his social media platforms.

Facebook/Instagram/Twitter/YouTube:@KeenyIce

Check out his latest song on iTunes.
Atinka Media Village on Friday launched its maiden Television reality Show dubbed, Di Asa at its premises at Avenor Junction in Accra.

Di Asa which is aimed at engaging plus sized market women in a dance competition will also educate the market women on how to live a healthy life as a plus sized woman.

The 13 week competition will award a saloon car, a Kia mini truck (Abossey Okia Macho) and a tricycle (Aboboyaa) to the first, second and third winners respectively.

Delivering a speech on behalf of the Chief Executive Office (CEO) of Tobinco Group of Companies, Elder Samuel Amo Tobin, the Deputy Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for Atinka Media Village, Elder Mathew Kojo Nkansah mentioned that Di Asa will give the contestants a sense of belonging and reduce inferiority complex among plus sized women.

He noted that Di Asa will also go a long way to check the weight of market women who due to their busy schedule do not visit the hospital frequently.

Elder Mathew Kojo Nkansah asked Ghanaians to expect more of such programmes from Atinka Media Village.

The Di Asa audition train kicks off on the 11th of July 2017 in Tamale and its expected to tour all major cities in the country.

The event saw performances from Highlife legend, Nana Kwame Ampadu, Paa Kwesi of Dobble fame and Fancy Gaddam.

The various centers and their corresponding dates are indicated below:

Tamale Central Market- 11th July

Takyiman Market- 13th July

Takoradi Market Circle- 18th July

Cape Coast- 20th July

Asafo Market- 25th July

Kumasi Central Market-26th July,

Kasoa Market  30th July

Ashaiman Market 2nd August,

Madina Market- 9th August

Dome Market -16th August

Agbogloshie Market 21th August,

Mallam Atta Market  30th August,

Kaneshie Market  5th September and

Makola-13th September


The Earth Observation Research and Innovation Centre (EORIC) of the University of Energy and Natural Resources (UENR) has inaugurated a US$1.2 million COSMIC-2 Satellite Ground Station (GS) on Tuesday at the Sunyani campus.

The GS, funded by the United States of America (USA) National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Taiwan National Space Organisation (NSPO) is for weather monitoring in the Tropics and it could predict or forecast weather for four days ahead.

It is the only one in Africa and among eight others in Taiwan, Guam, Hawaii, Honduras, Brazil, Kuwait, Mauritius and Australia to receive improved atmospheric data that promises to increase weather forecast skill.

Mr Richard Ullman, COSMIC-2 Programme Manager from NOAA explained COSMIC as Constellation Observing System for Meteorology, Ionosphere and Climate, saying it was a joint partnership programme between the USA and the Taiwan NSPO.

The NSPO would be operating a spacecraft, FORMOSAT-7 from their command station in Taiwan and the United States is responsible for organising the international partnership of ground stations, he said.

Mr Ullman said the USA and Taiwan programme began with COSMIC-1/FORMOSAT-3 launched in April 2006 and a decade later, COSMIC-2/FORMOSAT-7 is an improved version with special focus on the tropics.

The COSMIC-2, he added consisted of a set of six satellites that would collect temperature, moisture and ionospheric information over the tropical regions worldwide by measuring the refraction of radio waves through the atmosphere.

Mr Ullman explained each observation event took about three minutes, saying the result is called an atmospheric profile.

He indicated the COSMIC-2 system will make as many as 6000 of these profiles everyday and added that everyday over 600 of the profiles would be brought down to earth at the GS.

Mr Ullman explained UENR was selected among other factors because of its geographical location and the existence of EORIC and the inroads being made in its operational activities.

Dr Amos T. Kabo-bah, the head of the EORIC expressed the trust that the Centre could help Ghana and Africa to leverage both in-situ and satellite data for improving decision-making in the areas of health, agriculture, ecosystems, climate, disasters, weather and Biodiversity.

He announced that they had been able to host a recently ended second international Africa Global Earth Observation System of Systems (AfriGEOSS) symposium, the Centre was on its roadmap to becoming a Centre for Excellence for supporting Ghana in its One-District, One Factory initiative, the African continents Agenda 2063and the African Unions Space Policy and Strategy.

Professor Harrison Kwame Dapaah, the Vice-Chancellor said the Centre had both physical infrastructural and other necessary challenges as it was in dire need of a building, good and fast internet access, an electric generator as well as funding for research activities and additional staff because of the COSMIC-2 project and several others.
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) MP for Adansi Asokwa has snubbed president Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo after being sidelined in the elephant-size ministerial appointments.

The outspoken lawmaker has rejected a board chairmanship offer from the president because he feels he is gone past such post, having served as a deputy energy minister in the erstwhile Kufuor administration.

Starrfmonline.com can confirm Mr. Hammond was offered the position of board chairman of Ghana Gas, but turned it down when the Chief of Staff broached the news to him. Inside sources within the corridors of power have confirmed there is a frosty relationship between President Akufo-Addo and the vociferous legislator.

Mr. Hammond, according to Starrfmonline.com sources at the presidency, said he rejected the Ghana Gas board chairman offer because he qualifies to be a sector Minister and accepting the position means he will be accountable to even a deputy minister.

K.T Hammond was at the frontline hitting the John Mahama government on issues about energy, hoping he will secure the Energy Minister portfolio when the NPP came to power only for it to be given to Mr. Boakye Agyarko.

Hes not a happy man, his close associate told Starrfmonline.com.

Starrfmonline.com understands Mr. Hammond was scheduled to be at the ceremony where President Akufo-Addo turned on the valves on the FPSO John Agyekum Kufuor to signal the formal production of oil in commercial quantities from the Sankofa oil and gas fields but failed to honour the invitation.

Starrfmonline.com can also confirm that in a bid to assuage the pain of Mr. Hammond, his colleagues in Parliament gave him the first choice to choose to become the chairman of the Mines and Energy Committee but he repudiated that too.

Mr. Hammond said he will speak about the issue at the appropriate time.
07.07.2017 LISTEN

Accra, July 6, GNA - Mr Stavros Lambrinidis, the European Union Special Representative for Human Rights, has lauded Ghana's democratic credentials.

He said Ghana's democratic experiment, which had so well often been cited as a model democracy for Africa and the rest of the world was worth emulating.

'I believe rightly so. Ghana has a very vibrant civil society that comports itself very well and a very vibrant press,' Mr Lambrinidis gave the commendation in during a European Union - Civil Society Forum in Accra.

The forum, which was on the theme: 'Civil Society, A Strategic Partner for Stability and Governance in Ghana,' was attended by leading think tanks in the country.

Among the dignitaries, which graced the occasion were Mr Albert Kan-Dapaah, the Minister of National Security and Mr William Hanna, the European Union Ambassador.

The representatives of the civil society organisations (CSOs), who took part in the day's forum include Dr Franklin Oduro, the Head of Research and Programmes and Deputy Director of the Centre for Democratic Development - Ghana; Professor Ransford Gyampo, a senior lecturer at the Political Science Department, University of Ghana, and a Research Fellow at the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA); and Ms Daphine Lariba Nabila, Executive Director, Legal Resources Centre (LRC).

The rest are Madam Abigail Edem Hunu of Women in Law and Development in Africa (WIDAF), Mrs Hannah Owusu-Koranteng, the Associate Executive Director of Wacam; Mrs Mary Awelana Addah, the Programmes Manager of Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII) and Sheikh Areemeyaw Shaibu of the Office of the National Chief Imam.

Mr Lambrinidis noted that the effective collaboration between the Government and the media would go a long way to benefit all Ghanaians.

'This is inspiring, but this is not to say that Ghana is the paradise for human rights. Europe is neither. But it is to say in order to be able to have best practices we need open consultation, co-operation monitoring and criticisms,' he stated.

He called for the strengthening of CSOs in Ghana to enable them play the roles effectively in the nation's socio-economic development.

On democracy and elections, Mr Lambrinidis said: 'I have been to many countries in the world in the world, where the impression was that democracy ends with the ballot box. So we go, we vote, someone gets selected and someone gets all the power and in many four-five years we have another election but in between our democracy ended with the voting.'

He explained that democracy did not end at the ballot box, but rather should be consolidated after the elections.

Mr Kan-Dapaah called for the strengthening of state accountability institutions such as the Office of the Auditor General's Department and the Commissioner for Human Rights and Administrative Justice.

He said CSOs were in the best place to play their roles as watch dogs of democracy, because they did not depend on government for funding.

He urged them to be proactive in the discharge of their responsibilities and to expose all wrongdoings and corruption in government.

Mr Hanna said the forum was held to enable the participants learn about the role of CSOs in deepening Ghana's democratic dispensations and human rights.

GNA

By Iddi Yire/Godfred Ansah, GNA
An online petition calling for the dismissal of the La Farge police chief does not have any legal standing.

The petition at the website change.org, initiated about two weeks ago, had 42 signatures as of Monday afternoon. The petition was started by a La Farge resident and calls on Sen. Jennifer Shilling to fire Police Chief Benjamin Bakken. Commenters on the petitions website describe a laundry-list of harassment and bullying tactics used by the towns officer, including trespassing, racism and threats to kill a citizens dog.

Through a public information request, the Broadcaster obtained hundreds of pages of La Farge police and sheriff reports, along with body-cam footage.

We have nothing to hide, Bakken said.

La Farge resident Joshua Ruggles, 36, created the online petition.

He describes Bakken as repeatedly trespassing on his property to enforce La Farges garbage burning and junk ordinances among other allegations.

Number one, our civil rights are being broken, Ruggles said during an interview July 3. Other commenters say Bakken threatened to kill a familys dog, invents ordinances and harasses members of the community.

Where is the accountability? one commenter located in Roanoke, Virginia, asked.

Greg Lawton, village president, was present when the police reports and body camera footage were given to the Broadcaster June 30.

He said the online complaints are unsubstantiated and the village stands behind its police chief and any investigation into his conduct.

These people are griping about the citations theyve gotten, Lawton said. Its one of those things where a bunch of people jumped on the bandwagon.

Ill let the videos speak for themselves, Bakken said.

Ruggles online petition calls for the district senator, Shilling, to fire Bakken. Reached by email, Shilling said she doesnt have that authority and suggests filing an official complaint through La Farge.

Since the 2016 election, I have seen a groundswell of individuals looking to get more involved, more organized and more engaged in issues that affect their community, Shilling said. Local residents have expressed some concerns through this petition, but as a state legislator, I dont have the authority to remove a local official from their position.

Official complaint forms are available through the town and are filed at the village clerks office. The complaint is reviewed by Bakken and Lawton and a meeting is scheduled between the filing party and the police chief. If the conflict is not resolved, another meeting can be scheduled between the filing party, Bakken and Lawton.

Residents can also attend the La Farge Board of Supervisors meetings.

Bakken said June 29 that he does not intend to alter his policing methods.

I understand where, when a citizen gets a letter in the mail that says they have to mow their lawn or clean up their lawn or their vehicle is unregistered, that they feel harassed. I understand that. I work with people to make sure that these violations are cleared up versus people being cited for them.

Ruggles said July 3 that he intends to file officially through La Farge.

I have 35 people who want to make formal complaints, he said, referring to supporters of his online petition.

In an upcoming issue, the Broadcaster will report on the departments publicly obtained files, including written reports and body camera footage.
07.07.2017 LISTEN

Accra, July 06, GNA - President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, on Thursday, stated that his Government would strive to ensure that Ghana becomes the petroleum hub in the Sub-region.

The Government would, therefore, pursue its vision to establish a thriving petrochemical industry to guarantee sufficient, reliable and affordable clean energy for power generation and supply to support economic activities, and keep the country on the right path to desired growth.

The President was addressing a durbar after turning on the valves on the Floating Production Storage and Offloading Vessel (FPSO) John Agyekum Kufuor to signal the formal production of oil in commercial quantities from the Sankofa oil and gas fields in the Cape Three Points.

The symbolic ceremony was done offshore by the President turning the production valve of the FPSO and opening a Subsea Well Choke.

Major stakeholders in the oil and gas industry, public officials and traditional leaders in the Western Region attended the durbar with their people.

President Akufo-Addo said the attainment of the feat had been made possible by the consistent implementation of sector-related policies and programmes aimed at creating the right business and investment climate to ensure the rapid and continuous development of the sector.

'It has been ten years since Ghana made the historic discovery of oil and gas as a result of the bold and farsighted policies of the Kufuor-led NPP Government,' he recalled.

'The then President played a truly seminal role in the development of the nation's oil and gas industry, and it is, thus, befitting to have the OCTP FPSO christened in his honour.

'Indeed, the decision to restructure and reorganise the operations of GNPC to make the Corporation focus on its core mandate of exploring for oil and gas, and creating an enabling climate, positively changed the operating environment.'

The President said it was the expectation of the Government and Ghanaians that the Offshore Cape Three Point (OCTP) partners would ensure the prudent management of the Sankofa oil and gas project to achieve cost efficiency, as this was the only way low gas prices could be guaranteed, and, eventually, low electricity tariffs to stimulate development.

'With the addition of the production from the OCTP to those of the T.E.N and Jubilee fields, we are optimistic that our beloved nation will enhance significantly its gas supply for our domestic power generation,' the President said.

President Akufo-Addo said the Government would collaborate with other licensees and contractors to ensure that the petroleum resources were exploited in a sustainable manner for the benefit of the people of Ghana.

'The need for creative thinking to leverage our oil and gas production for national development is a charge for us to keep - and we must not fail our people,' he emphasised.

'Ghanaians have the spirit of entrepreneurship, and it is vital that they are empowered to engineer business growth, and reduce the serious unemployment situation in the country.

'It is gratifying to see, this morning, our young Ghanaians on the FPSO, trained to manage the hydrocarbon production and processing from the Field as technicians and supervisors. I have been informed by the Petroleum Commission that over 100 Ghanaians, representing nearly 60 percent, are involved in the operation and maintenance of the FPSO John Agyekum Kufuor.'

This number, he explained, was in addition to the many that worked in the conversion of the facility in Singapore, adding that: 'I saw them on the vessel, and salute them for their energy, enthusiasm and commitment. They are excellent examples of Ghanaian youth.

'Indeed, more than US$1.8 billion worth of contracts have been awarded to indigenous Ghanaian companies under this project.'

President Akufo-Addo, thus, urged ENI and its partners to continue to work with the Petroleum Commission to move Ghanaian participation to even greater heights.

Additionally, the second phase of the Sankofa project would rely on the support services of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) as part of the supply chain development, thereby creating opportunities for new and existing businesses, he said.

'In particular, for those engaged in farming and fishing, this project presents a great opportunity to a new market, as many people employed under this project will need to be fed,' he noted.

He urged the youth to go into farming under our Planting for Food and Jobs Programme, and other activities to take advantage of the opportunity presented.

The Sankofa project, and other existing ones in the Western Region, the President expressed confidence, 'will open up the region for infrastructural development and consequent economic growth.

'This is in line with the grand plan of making the Western Region a key growth pole for the country.'

GNA

By Ken Sackey, GNA
07.07.2017 LISTEN

One sunny afternoon at Tafsiliyya School for Training and Education in early 2014, I was approached by an unusual girl in an unusual way for a talk. It was an unusual girl because unlike those I announced in various classes that we were in search of, she was profoundly unassuming and did not show the vivacity they always had. It was also in an unusual way because it was very uncommon for a young girl at that age in Tafsiliyya to approach me for a talk. It was usually the other way round when I go to the various classes to fish very brilliant students out.

This girl approached me that she was interested in the extra-curricular activities ongoing in school. I was then the President of TAFSAS (Tafsiliyya School for Training and Education) and together with my hardworking executives, we were looking for viable representatives, prepare them adequately to go compete for our school in the now-defunct Ghana Islamic Tournament. It was the second edition of the tournament and we wanted to defend our enviable status as the most successful school in the maiden edition. We swept almost all awards in the first edition. Tough we won, we were unhappy. We won the most prestigious of categories but lost out in the last category, debate, in a very dubious way. The judges were not up to task because they showed they lack the level of appreciation of issues a debate-judge should exhibit. We therefore had problems with the organizers since the moment we were crowned champions of the maiden edition. What further irked us was the school that won us in the debate, Hamdaniya Islamic School. They held it as a bragging right over us considering the fact that we were two great schools and most times compete for the ultimate in such contests. So we resolved to gather the best, most vociferous (in performance) team never seen in the likes of the competition for the second edition.

So the girl gave her name as Zuweira Baba Mohammed and was made part of the contingent of contestants for the school. In the course of preparations, she exhibited a heightened sense of dedication and an overwhelming gale of knowledge and commitment. And that was what magnetized me towards her. I realized she was a very determined girl. She told me she wants to be a Medical Doctor. I probed further and realized things were not as they should be at home and took her to our supervisor who happened to be our teacher and he developed a great interest in her. He wanted us to go see her mum at home after the competition.

Unfortunately, the competition did not end peacefully because we violently withdrew from the contest after winning all our preliminary contests. We realized there was a deliberate and determined plan to strangulate our progress. We took solace from the fact that we beat Hamdaniya Islamic School in the opening debate contest in a grand style and fashion.

My interest in activities of our school evaporated after I had some minor problems with some teachers who are best described as living in an analog style in a digital age. They were not happy with how we were making the young ones unleash the ocean of potentialities within them. I stopped presenting myself at school. After all, I had done well by staying in that school up to Senior High level not forgetting the fact I was in the University in my secular education.

My next encounter with Zuweira was at the Ghana Muslim Academy Annual Vacation School held in Institute of Islamic Studies, Nima in the year 2014. I took the Pre-SHS class (SHS 1) in English. And as usual, I took interest in all the children I come across; the good and the bad ones. (I like the stubborn ones more.)

At the end of the vacation school, she was adjudged the best student in her class as she took the best price in my English class, social studies and crowned it all with the best in Elective Mathematics. The mathematics witchcraft of hers started very young.

The next time I will encounter her was in the news. It was in the just-ended National Science and Maths Quiz (NSMQ 2017). Everybody was talking about a young girl who displayed bravery with intelligence and a massive show of confidence that is enviable in the annals of the contest. She represented her school Tamale Senior High School (Tamaso). She anchored her school on and lost by a single point to University Practice SHS in a contest that was described by the Quiz mistress as a university derby with Tamale [SHS] in between" because KNUST SHS was also a contestant.

It was a loss that left the quiz mistress Dr Elsie Effah Kaufmann heart-broken because she would not see Zuweira Baba Mohammed display splendidly in the contest again. Before they entered the last round, her school had 35 points, trailing behind University Practice School which had 48 points. Zuweira spurred her team on to answer all the riddles in the last round to get a tie with University Practice, all with 48 points. The contest had to be decided by a tie-breaker. Her performance rendered her name a household one in the contest as her supporters and neutrals all alike shouted the name Zuweira, Zuweira anytime her school is asked a question. What was intriguing the most was how she celebrates her wins. She does it without reproach. Once she rose up from her seat, geared herself up out of happiness of answering a riddle. One cannot forget the fact that she showed her sadness proudly when they lost.

In the end she was given a Special Award; Prof. Henrietta Mensa-Bonus award for the Best Female Contestant. Her school also won the Prof.Ewurama Addy Award for the Most Outstanding Contestants. The quiz mistress spoke highly of Zuweira when she was interviewed on the Citi Breakfast Show by Bernard Avle.

She stated: She (Zuweira) was fearless and had a lot of courage. I wish other female contestants in the future will do that in the future. I was personally impressed with her performance even though her school was booted out at the earlier stages. She was never intimidated by the crowd. 

I celebrate Zuweira today. I celebrate her intelligence. I celebrate her honorable status and celebrate her fervid confidence. I celebrate a young lady who cherishes and adores the creative pursuits of the mind in a nation that sees talents only in dancing and celebrates mediocrity. There is something appealing about Zuweira; something honorable, something inspiring, and something profoundly motivating. Perhaps it is her desire now to be a lecturer or her tenacious spirit that makes her unrelenting in her chosen field of endeavor.

Zuweira Baba Mohammed has made herself and all of us proud. Her place in the history of National Science and Maths Quiz, the competition that seeks to uplift the study and application of Science in this country is well entrenched.

As a Nima boy and for that matter a former student of Tafsiliyya School for Training and Education, I congratulate her efforts and tell her to keep the spirit burning aloft. She is an inspiration. She can be whatever she wants to be because in the law of God, there is no statute of limitations.

[email protected]

Inusah Mohammed

NB: The Writer is a Youth Activist and a Student of Knowledge.
Cairo (AFP) - Twenty-six Egyptian soldiers were killed or wounded on Friday in attacks on several checkpoints in Sinai that included car bombings, the military said in a statement.

The military said it killed 40 assailants as it clashed with extremists in North Sinai, where the Islamic State group is leading a deadly insurgency.

Security officials said ambulances raced to the sites of the attacks south of the town of Rafah bordering the Palestinian Gaza Strip.

Jihadists have killed hundreds of policemen and soldiers in attacks in North Sinai since the military toppled Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in 2013 and launched a deadly crackdown on his supporters.

IS has also attacked tourists, killing all 224 on board a Russian plane carrying holidaymakers in 2015, as well as Christian churches in mainland Egypt.
The Institute of Fiscal Studies (IFS) has expressed worry over the Minority's insistence that there was insider-trading and conflict of interest in the issuance of the $2.25 billion bond by government in April.

The IFS said the Minority's multiplicity of petitions to foreign Securities and Exchange Commission over the bond could spell doom for the country's economy.

The Minority on Wednesday petitioned the Securities and Exchange Commission in Luxembourg in its ongoing crusade for disclosure on the saga since April by the Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta.

This comes after a similar petition was sent to the United States' Securities and Exchange Commission to probe what the NDC lawmakers suspect to be riddled with underhand dealings, enabling Franklin Templeton Investments to buy a chunk of the bond.

In this new petition, the Minority wants authorities to investigate the Luxembourg-based subsidiary of Franklin Templeton, which bought the bond on behalf of its parent company.

Reacting to the development, the Executive Director of IFS, Prof. Newman Kusi cautioned that the Minority should be very careful in what they are doing, arguing that if a case of conflict of interest in the issuance of the bond is established, all the international rating agencies are going to downgrade the country, which means that when we conduct international business we don't look at issues of probity and integrity.

I really don't understand what the Minority stands to gain because the Minister of Finance had been in parliament and at that you should ask questions if there are some information that you wanted.

You [Minority] had opportunity to question the Minister of Finance, you didn't do that. So I really don't understand the benefit that the country stands to gain in pursuing this particular matter, he stated.

The Finance Minister Ofori-Atta maintained that the $2.25 billion bond issued by the government in April was done transparently without any breaches of integrity.

Responding to the Minority's claim in an hour-long address before parliament on June 7, 2017, he explicitly stated that nothing illicit or untoward occurred in the transaction, noting, It may be tempting to say that the apparent attempt to manufacture some form of integrity deficit in the process is generally borne of out a lack of understanding of the actual process on the part of the minority.

He added: All prospective bidders bid through their primary dealers, who in turn submitted the investor's bids through the Central Securities Depository platform.

The joint transaction advisers then collate these bids to build up a book on which the bonds are issued.

At no time during the book building process did the Ministry of Finance negotiate with any investor in any way, and it will indeed be quite difficult to manipulate the process when the three financial institutions are governed strictly by the Bank of Ghana's rules and regulations.

There were no breaches of integrity either on government's part or on the joint book runner's part, he emphasized.

 Starrfmonline
Dr Nyaho Nyaho Tamakloe, a founder member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has said he is very troubled by what appears to be a cooked exoneration of parties implicated in the Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation Company Limited (BOST) affair.

Speaking to the Daily Graphic on the matter, he said, Ghanaians are smart and know corruption when they see it, and it is for the Akufo-Addo administration to prove Ghanaians wrong, especially when rumours are rife that some of the implicated persons are close to the President.

Background

Investigations jointly conducted by the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) and the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) on the sale of contaminated fuel by BOST have exonerated the Managing Director (MD) of BOST, Mr Alfred Obeng Boateng, from any wrongdoing.

It is not the case that the MD of BOST owns the company that bought the product. It is not true that the address or phone number of Movenpina is the same as that of the BOST MD.

The investigations so far carried out by the state security agencies and the NPA show that on the basis of previous practice, there was no wrongdoing at BOST on the sale of the five million litres of contaminated product, the Minister of Energy, Mr Boakye Agyarko, said at a press conference in Accra last Tuesday.

Further to our intention to set up a ministerial committee on this matter, the ongoing investigations by the BNI and the NPA have so far established the following findings, which have informed our understanding and assessment of the situation:

The contamination of the five million litres occurred on January 18. This was before the current BOST MD assumed office.

BOST, as a matter of practice, has sold contaminated products as far back as 2014. Over eight million litres of contaminated fuel was sold in 2015 and over 12 million litres sold in 2016. The five million litres sold is less (in quantity) than that for 2015 and 2016, Mr Agyarko further said.

The minister said the absence of refining capacity at the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) precluded the possibility of saving the contaminated product through a refining process.

Respect for due process

However, in the view of Dr Tamakloe, it is even more troubling because it adds to incidents that have fuelled the perception that the Akufo-Addo administration has no respect for due process.

As we speak, the persons captured on video assaulting a senior police officer at the Flagstaff House have never been brought to book. Party vigilantes who have physically invaded courts or assaulted state officials have gone scot free. The President condemns these incidents in public but himself does nothing to ensure compliance with his own orders, he recalled.

All of these events, in the opinion of Dr Tamakloe, were seriously undermining President Akufo-Addo's credentials as a defender of the rule of law.

This is not the Akufo-Addo with whom many of us stood shoulder to shoulder against tyranny and impunity, even at the risk of our lives, he concluded.

Dr Tamakloe said President Akufo-Addo was also risking the integrity of the NPP, which is the standard bearer of the rule of law in Ghana.
London (AFP) - South Africa finally saw the back of England captain Joe Root before Stuart Broad's first Test fifty in four years frustrated the Proteas on the second day of their series opener at Lord's on Friday.

At lunch, the tourists were 10 without loss in reply to England's first innings 458 all out which saw Root mark his first innings as England captain with 190.

South Africa captain Dean Elgar was nine not out and Test debutant Heino Kuhn one not out.

England twice lost two wickets for no runs in three balls on Friday after resuming on 357 for five.

They still got beyond 450, however, thanks to a rapid last-wicket stand of 45 in 27 balls between Broad and James Anderson.

Root, missed several times by South Africa, had led a fine recovery after England had collapsed to 76 for four before lunch on Thursday and he resumed on 184 not out, with Moeen Ali unbeaten on 61.

England's Stuart Broad bats against South Africa at Lord's on July 7, 2017

Root's innings was already the highest score by an England captain in his first Test in charge, surpassing Alastair Cook's 173 against Bangladesh in 2010.

But Morne Morkel rocked England with two wickets for no runs in three balls to leave the hosts 367 for seven.

Root had added just six to his overnight score when, in sight of what would have been his second Test double century at Lord's, he edged a good-length ball outside off stump to wicket-keeper Quinton de Kock.

The 26-year-old Yorkshireman walked off to a standing ovation from a capacity and sun-drenched crowd, having batted for over six hours, facing 234 balls including 27 fours and a six.

Root's exit meant the 239 made by New Zealand's Graham Dowling against India at Christchurch in 1968 remained the highest score by a captain in their first Test in charge,

Two balls later Liam Dawson -- selected as much for his lower-order batting as his left-arm spin -- was lbw to a tall fast bowler Morkel for a duck on home debut.

The first over after the drinks break again saw England lose two wickets.

Ali, closing in on a sixth Test century, was bowled between bat and pad for 87 aiming a booming drive off Kagiso Rabada and tailender Mark Wood was lbw for nought.

But Broad, who made his Test-best 169 against Pakistan at Lord's in 2010, kept the runs coming with shots worthy of his father Chris, the former England opener.

He pulled Morkel for two sixes in as many balls to complete a spirited 45-ball fifty also including seven fours.

It was Broad's most fluent Test innings since he was hit in the face by a bouncer from India's Varun Aaron that found a way between the peak of his helmet and the grille at Old Trafford in 2014.

Anderson, who like Broad bats left-handed but bowls with his right, then got in on the act by pulling Rabada for six over midwicket to bring up England's 450.

He was last man out when caught behind off Morkel, who led the Proteas' attack with four for 115 in 25.3 overs.

jdg /dmc
Functionaries of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) have described as palpable falsehood, claims by Deputy Majority Leader Sarah Adwoa Safo that she facilitated the construction of the Dome-Kwabenya SHS in her constituency.

The party is demanding an apology from the Member of Parliament (MP) for the Dome-Kwabenya Constituency, for making such a comment.

Addressing a gathering at the school recently, the Adwoa Safo MP said she the persuaded the World Bank to build the school which also happens to be the only public senior high school in the Ga East District Assembly.

She added, it is absurd for the erstwhile NDC administration to claim ownership of the Kwabenya senior high school (SHS) project when all the schools they built were in their strongholds.

But responding to the claims, former Deputy Education Minister Samuel Okudzeto-Ablakwa dismissed the Deputy Majority Leaders allegation, insisting she was not being truthful.

Related: Adwoa Safo trolled for claiming credit for Mahama project

He gave a vivid account of how the project part of the 123 Community Day SHSs was accomplished under the stewardship of President Mahama.

Speaking to Joy News' Raymond Acquah, the North Tongu Member of Parliament said his boss then, Prof Jane Naana Opoku Agyemang led the delegation to go and negotiate with the World Bank at the bank's headquarters in Washington DC.

"On July 30, 2014, the World Bank approved this facility, to fund a number of projects under President John Mahama's vision for secondary education. There was the first component which included 23 schools which include the Dome-Kwabenya SHS in question.

"There were other components that had to do with a scholarship for 10, 400 students, training of 600 maths and science teachers and facility upgrades for 125 existing SHS which are low-performing schools," he said.

According to him, there was no need for the Dome-Kwabenya MP to approach the government to lobby for the project, stressing the funding for the project came through a National Investment Bank (NIB) account opened by the Education Ministry.

Mr Ablakwa said to think that all the schools across the country have the same design, colour and other specifications, the Deputy Minority Leader's own should have been different if it were not part of the ones done by the former president.

He thought it as disingenuous on her part to claim a project that she failed to attend the launch, although she was invited.

Earlier Friday, the NDC in the Dome-Kwabenya Constituency also reacted to the MPs claims.

Addressing a news conference, the NDC Vice Chairman there, Isaac Lamptey demanded an apology from the MP describing her as "a serial liar."

MP for Dome-Kwabenya, Sarah Adwoa Safo, has been subjected to relentless trolling on social media for making the claim.

Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com | Abubakar Ibrahim |[email protected]
In 2010 whilst doing business, Dr. Christian Badu Kofi Marfo, who was a scammer internationally, with his partners and politically protected, with integral links to police and judiciary in Ghana was introduced to me.

In order to destroy a case, the police CID had change several officers to handle the case. Three Judges handled the case with the verdict to free him was given on 28th February by a woman Judge and a partner in crime to Gold syndicated fraudsters Her Honour Mrs Ruby Naa Adjeley Quaison of Accra Circuit 2.

Ghana is the save haven for such criminals. Despite arrest were made in Paris, France, the suspect Kofi Marfo even used his house, to prove that business was Genuine, Naa Adjele, her honour said there is no case and that I should lose $500,000.

A whole national security coordinator Gbevlo Lartey lost his job when he arrested Dr Marfo and arraigned before court by President Mahama in March 2014.

Prior to this, Jeremiah Seidu from Bole with Adela Brempong (Dadzie), who were sent by the powers and agreed with me and my lawyer at the Airport Police station with Crime Officer Felix Anyidaho to pay for my money by August 2013 reneged in paying. They came with Mercedes ML320 with registration number GS 256-11.

Her honour Ruby Naa Adjeley gave a verdict of no case and discharges and acquitted Dr Kofi Marfo. Despite the evidence in the form of exhibits. The police prosecutor is DSP Cletus Abadamlora and the defence lawyer is Ebo Brew Hammond.

When Dr. Marfo but he is not a PHD holder, thought he had scammed me gave slow killer chemical which is used to kill most people in this country that it will help improve my health. Most political actors and businessmen and accomplices in crime has died from this chemical.

When I gave this chemical to police CID, Supt VCA Denise, it got lost at the police CID headquarters and when a second sample was sent to be tested at standard board, which was sent by CID officer by name Cynthia in 2011 up to date no results and you will agree that it got lost from standard board.

Does it worth it for our Judiciary to celebrate martyrs day on every 30th June for the three Judges who were murdered to protect the rule of law. The emotional attachment to this celebration evaporated into thin airs when Anas expose the hypocrisy of our Judges in all courts.

We are all witnesses of recent Green Global Resources Ltd case of $2m scam headed by Legon Police Commander Basintale. Who in the high political echelon that protect these scammers.

http://www.myjoyonline.com/news/2017/March-18th/east-legon-police-commander-4-men-busted-in-gold-fraud.php

It will also interest you that around the time my international links arrested the syndicate in France in August 2011, was when Investigative journalist Anas video on scammers were shown on Aljezera TV.

Her 'honour' indeed Mrs Ruby Naa Adjeley discharged and acquitted Kofi Marfo without any iota of direction to get my money despite the accused lawyer admitted that Kofi Marfo used his house as collateral and emailed the GEMCO company registration as proof that it is a genuine business.

Who can handle the case now? Should I ask the police or my machomen or is there a court to give direction? There is too much lawlessness.

I am writing officially to the new Chief Justice and IGP to give the direction to this case. Am I to take the law into my hands?

The Daily Guide. Newspapers 11-15 March, 2013 alleged that it was Former President Mahama boys behind this gold scam. May Ghana never be in the hands of noble criminals and kleptocrats as Citizen Vigilante Hon Martin Amidu opined.
London (AFP) - South Africa captain Dean Elgar showed he too could lead from the front as he dug in to make an unbeaten fifty on the second day of the first Test against England at Lord's on Friday.

But the Proteas lost star batsman Hashim Amla for 29 and at tea were 96 for two in reply to England's first innings 458 -- a deficit of 362 runs.

Elgar was 54 not out and JP Duminy eight not out.

Both Elgar and England skipper Joe Root, who made a commanding 190 earlier Friday, were leading their respective countries in a Test for the first time.

But Elgar's appointment appears to be temporary given regular Proteas captain Faf du Plessis is expected back for next week's second Test of this four-Test series in Nottingham, after missing the opener to be with his wife following the birth of their first child.

Captain Joe Root top-scored with 190 in England's total of 458 in the first innings of the first Test against South Africa at Lord's

Stuart Broad, who'd earlier frustrated South Africa with an unbeaten 57, had Test debutant Heino Kuhn out for just one when the 33-year-old opener edged to former captain Alastair Cook at first slip.

Elgar, however, displayed his customary resilience and it was somehow typical that he went to a 90-ball fifty with a controlled edge down to third man off all-rounder Ben Stokes -- his eighth four.

Amla, so often a thorn in England's side, helped Elgar add 72.

But, having been deprived of the strike, he was lbw to a sharply turning off-break from Moeen Ali.

Morkel strikes

England resumed on 357 for five, with Root, who made the most of being missed several times to lead a recovery from 76 for four, 184 not out and Ali 61 not out.

England twice lost two wickets for no runs in three balls on Friday yet still got beyond 450, however, thanks to a rapid last-wicket stand of 45 in 27 balls between Broad and James Anderson.

Root's innings was already the highest score by an England captain in his first Test in charge, surpassing Cook's 173 against Bangladesh in 2010.

England's Stuart Broad bats against South Africa at Lord's on July 7, 2017

Root had added just six to his overnight score when, in sight of what would have been his second Test double century at Lord's, he edged fast bowler Morne Morkel to wicket-keeper Quinton de Kock.

The 26-year-old Yorkshireman walked off to a standing ovation from a capacity and sun-drenched crowd, having batted for over six hours, facing 234 balls including 27 fours and a six.

Two balls later Liam Dawson was lbw to Morkel for a duck.

The first over after the drinks break again saw England lose two wickets.

Ali, closing in on a sixth Test century, was bowled for 87 aiming a booming drive off Kagiso Rabada and tailender Mark Wood was lbw for nought.

But Broad, who made his Test-best 169 against Pakistan at Lord's in 2010, kept the runs coming with shots worthy of his father Chris, the former England opener.

He pulled Morkel for two sixes in as many balls to complete a spirited 45-ball fifty, also including seven fours.

It was Broad's first Test fifty in four years and his most fluent innings at this level since he was hit in the face by a bouncer from India's Varun Aaron at Old Trafford in 2014.

Anderson then got in on the act by pulling Rabada for six over midwicket to bring up England's 450.

He was last man out when caught behind off Morkel, who led the Proteas' attack with four for 115 in 25.3 overs.
The Deputy Minister of Health and MP for Weija -Gbawe Constituency, Hon. Tina Gifty Mensah has commenced investigation into an alleged 'chop chop' at Tepa Nursing and Midwifery Training School in the Ashanti Region.

The Deputy Minister and MP who abhors corruption of any form has hinted that, she will get to the bottom of the matter to ascertain the truth of the alleged case of embezzlement of funds at the training institution.

The investigation into the alleged 'chop chop' matter commenced yesterday, July 6, 2017.

She was accompanied to the institution to conduct the investigation by a team of officers from the Health Ministry led by the Acting Director of Human Resource of the Directorate, Dr. Kwasi Asabre.

The Principal of Tepa Nursing and Midwifery college in the Ahafo Ano North District of the Ashanti region, Ms. Victoria Amoah and the accountant Asamoah Richard are alleged to have been involved in a massive GHc 9, 247,800 admission fraud.

The two administrative members allegedly used fake receipts and invoices to milk the government institution on every admission year.

The alleged corrupt practice began in 2011, two years after the college was established.

A close source within the college has confirmed the alleged 'chop chop'

The Deputy Minister has since been in the training institution to also carry out work inspection on some projects in institution.

She is expected back to Accra with findings this weekend.

Img-20170707-wa0127
The Rev. Najla Kassab, a minister in the National Evangelical Synod of Syria and Lebanon (NESSL), has been elected president of the World Communion of Reformed Churches (WCRC), which groups more than 225 churches in over 110 countries.

With her experience and many gifts, Najlas vision, insight, spiritual strength and grace make her the right person to lead us forward as president, said Alison McDonald, the moderator of a Nominating Committee that brought a slate of nominees for the WCRC Executive Committee to its General Council.

The elections took place on 7 July, the final day of the Council, which has been meeting in the eastern German city of Leipzig since 29 June. Of the 22 members of the new Executive Committee, 10 are men and 12 women; 15 are ordained and 7 are lay people. Five of the members of the Executive Committee are young adults under 30 years of age, including one of the vice-presidents.

Kassab, 52, has been a member of the WCRC executive committee since 2010. The director of the Christian Education Department of NESSL, she was the first woman to receive a preaching licence in her church and, in March 2017, the second woman to be ordained. Kassab has a BA in Christian Education from the Near East School of Theology, and graduated with a Masters of Divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary (USA) in 1990.

The four vice-presidents elected by the General Council are Rev. Dr. Samuel Ayete-Nyampong (Ghana), Rev. Dr. Lisa Vander Wal (United States), Rev. Sylvana Maria Apituley (Indonesia) and Raissa Vieira Brasil (Brazil).

Ayete-Nyampong has been clerk of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana since 2012. He was previously responsible for the churchs international and ecumenical relations and partnerships, as director of Ecumenical and Social Relations.

Vander Wal currently serves in Lishas Hill Reformed Church in Colonie, New York. She is a past president of the General Synod of the Reformed Church of America, and moderator of the RCAs Commission on Christian Unity. She is convener of the Steering Committee of the Caribbean and North America Area Council (CANAAC) and has been a member of the WCRC Executive Committee since 2014.

Apituley, of the Gereja Protestan Indonesia Bagian Barat, is currently senior advisor to the Executive Office of the President of the Republic of Indonesia, having also worked as a special advisor to the Minister of Women Empowerment and Child Protection, and as executive director of the Indonesian Conference on Religion for Peace. She has been a faculty member and lecturer at the Jakarta Theological Seminary since 1997.

Brasil, of the United Presbyterian Church of Brazil, is a lawyer and graduate of the Federal University of Minas Gerais. She is actively involved with the teenagers and young adults of her church at a local and national level. She is currently vice moderator for the youth of her church and was a delegate in 2016 to the General Assembly of the Alliance of Presbyterian and Reformed Churches of Latin America (AIPRAL).

Dr. Johann Weusmann, a member of the Evangelical Reformed Church in Hannover, has been re-elected to a second term as general treasurer. A lawyer, he has been the vice-president of the Evangelical Church in the Rhineland since 2013 and its senior legal advisor.

Also elected as members of the Executive Committee are:
Kano (Nigeria) (AFP) - A Nigerian court has thrown out a suit brought by a prominent pro-Iranian Shiite cleric against the military for human rights violations, lawyers in the case told AFP Friday.

Ibrahim Zakzaky was seeking two billion naira ($5.6 million) in damages over clashes with troops in 2015 that left some 350 of his followers dead in the northern city of Zaria.

The cleric himself was injured and his been in custody ever since. Three of his children were killed and his house was destroyed.

Lawyer Dari Bayero, representing the military, said the case in Kano was struck out for abuse of process, "as the same suit was determined by another federal high court in Abuja".

"The court said the plaintiff (Zakzaky) cannot sue in piecemeal on the same issue at different courts but should consolidate their case in one court," he added.

But Zakzaky's lawyer, Haruna Magashi, argued the two cases were fundamentally different and they were studying the judgment before deciding whether to appeal.

"The case before the Abuja federal high court pertains to illegal detention without trial of my client by the DSS (Department of State Services)," he said.

"This particular one is about enforcement of human rights, which by law can only be filed at a court within whose jurisdiction the crime was committed."

Zakzaky, who leads the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN), has spent nearly 18 months in custody since the clashes on December 14, 2015.

A public inquiry in Kaduna state was told in April last year that nearly 350 IMN supporters were buried in a mass grave, backing up similar claims from human rights groups.

Zakzaky was shot and injured, leaving him partly paralysed and blind in one eye.

Nigeria's military has rejected the death toll and claim they are holding the cleric in "protective custody".

Last December, an Abuja court called the detention of Zakzaky and his followers illegal and unconstitutional and imposed a 45-day deadline for their release.

The government appealed the judgement.

Meanwhile, 100 IMN members who were arrested during the unrest in 2015 are standing trial for the alleged murder of a soldier killed in the violence.

IMN, which seeks to effect an Iranian-style Islamic revolution in the country's Sunni Muslim-majority north, has been in conflict with the Nigerian government for years.

Zakzaky has periodically been imprisoned for alleged incitement and subversion.
Vodafone Ghana is partnering with app developers in the country to fast track the growth of the local tech industry. The initiative which is geared toward infrastructure sharing creates an avenue for tech start-ups and app developers to use the Vodafone platform to share their creations with customers.

Speaking on JOY NEWS business leadership program, the Executive Lounge, CEO of Vodafone Ghana, Yolanda Cuba, explains the importance of incorporating local developers into telecom giants agenda.

She said, What we have looked at technology as essentially has been automation, taking manual activities and automating them. Now it is about how we can use the intelligence to leap frog us forward.

Yolanda Cuba said, We at Vodafone are sharing our infrastructure with third party app developers in order to embed their creativity into our business.

She said this creates a sustainable career for themselves and creates a new ecosystem in the country.

Watch the full interview of the Executive Lounge on Saturday at 6 pm with a repeat on Sunday at 8 pm on MultiTV on the JOYNEWS channel and on DSTV channel 421.
London (AFP) - Moeen Ali and Stuart Broad both starred with bat and ball to leave England well-placed come the close of the second day of the first Test against South Africa at Lord's on Friday.

Ali made 87 and Broad an unbeaten 57 -- his first Test fifty in four years -- as England piled up 458 all out in their first innings.

The pair then shared four wickets between them to reduce South Africa to 104 for four, with Ali completing the Test all-rounder's double of 2,000 runs and 100 wickets by striking twice with his off-spin.

But Temba Bavuma (48 not out) and Theunis de Bruyn (48) realised crease occupation alone would not get South Africa out of the hole they were in.

But de Bruyn, only playing because regular captain Faf du Plessis was on 'paternity leave', fell for 48 shortly before the close and at stumps the Proteas were 214 for five -- still 244 runs behind in the first of this four-Test series.

Nightwatchman Kagiso Rabada was nine not out.

England resumed on 357 for five, with Joe Root 184 not out in his first Test as England captain.

Ali was 61 not out and just 12 runs away from reaching 2,000 in Tests.

England twice lost two wickets for no runs in three balls on Friday yet still got beyond 450 thanks to an entertaining last-wicket stand of between Broad and James Anderson.

Root had made the most of being missed several times on Thursday to lead an England recovery after the hosts had been in trouble at 76 for four.

But the first chance he gave on Friday brought about his downfall on 190 -- the highest score by an England captain in his first Test in charge, surpassing Alastair Cook's 173 against Bangladesh in 2010.

There was no reprieve when the 26-year-old Yorkshireman was caught behind off fast bowler Morne Morkel -- denied a wicket Thursday by a no-ball.

Root walked off to a standing ovation from a capacity and sun-drenched crowd, having batted for over six hours, facing 234 balls including 27 fours and a six.

Two balls later, Liam Dawson was lbw to Morkel for a duck.

The first over after the drinks break again saw England lose two wickets, with Ali falling in sight of a sixth Test century when bowled trying to drive Rabada.

Broad hits out

An undaunted Broad, who made his Test-best 169 against Pakistan at Lord's in 2010, struck shots worthy of his father Chris, the former England opener.

He pulled Morkel for two sixes in as many balls to complete a dashing 45-ball fifty.

It was Broad's most fluent Test innings since he was hit in the face by a Varun Aaron bouncer against India at Old Trafford in 2014.

No 11 Anderson then pulled Rabada for six to bring up England's 450 before he was caught behind to give Morkel his fourth wicket of the innings.

South Africa's Dean Elgar tried to lead from the front in a match where he too was captaining in a Test for the first time.

After the early loss of debutant opening partner Heino Kuhn, the left-hander displayed his customary resilience during a 90-ball fifty.

But Hashim Amla, so often a thorn in England's side, was dismissed for just 29 when lbw to a sharply turning off-break from Ali.

After tea, Elgar fell for his interval score of 54 when caught off bat and pad by Gary Ballance at short leg as Ali, in his 38th match at this level, became the fifth-quickest player in Test history to do the 'double'.

South Africa's 98 for three became 105 for four when JP Duminy (15) was plumb lbw to Broad.

But Bavuma, unafraid to drive Ali down the ground, counter-attacked.

De Bruyn offered good support until he was caught behind after carelessly pushing away from his body at Anderson.
The World Bank has denied dealing with individuals for any development project.

Rather, it deals with governments and does not play any role in the internal politics of the day in any of the countries it operates in.

This was the response by the World Bank to a question posed by Joy FMs investigative journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni who was probing into claims by the Deputy Majority Leader Adwoa Safo that she lobbied the World Bank for the construction of the Kwabenya Senior High School.

Ms Safo, who is also the Member of Parliament for Dome Kwabenya has made the headlines for all the wrong reasons when she sought to take credit for a school project she hardly contributed to.

The MP is heard on tape telling constituents of Dome Kwabenya that she lobbied World Bank officials for the construction of the school project.

But for her role, the then NDC government would have built all the new Senior High Schools in NDC stronghold she told the constituents.

Her claims have been heavily disputed by former government officials, with an avalanche of trolls on social media.

The former Deputy Education Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa was the first to deny her comment, stating the school in question was one of the 200 SHS the then government promised to build.

Out of the 200 it intended to build, the World Bank funded and completed 23, one of which was the Dome Kwabenya SHS.

He found it strange how the MP, who did not even bother to attend the opening of the school, will now find it worthy a project to claim credit for.

The NDC in Dome Kwabenya is angered by the claims.

The Deputy Constituency Chairman Isaac Lamptey said the claims by the MP are unfounded.

Describing her as a chronic liar Mr Lamptey said the Member of Parliament must, with immediate effect apologize for her comments.

Several efforts to get in touch with the MP for her comments proved futile.

Story by Ghana|Myjoyonline.com
Freetown (AFP) - Women from Sierra Leone can now pass on their nationality to their children, following the passage of what women's rights groups said Friday was a landmark change in the law for gender equality.

Until the new Citizenship Amendment Act was passed on Wednesday, Sierra Leonean women were denied the right to hand down citizenship to their children born abroad, causing problems for the diaspora community and exacerbating statelessness.

"The new law shows that Sierra Leone is gradually getting to having gender parity like other countries around the world," said Fatou Taqi of the women's rights group 50/50.

"Several Sierra Leonean women living in the diaspora married and unmarried with children had been disadvantaged over the years," she added. "We are very happy."

Just 25 countries in the world still deny women the right to pass on their citizenship, according to the Global Campaign for Equal Nationality Rights.

Taqi said much more remained to be done to further women's rights in the poor west African nation, however.

Sierra Leone has the unwelcome distinction of the world's highest maternal mortality rate, according to the World Health Organization, along with high rates of sexual violence and an extremely high prevalence of female genital mutilation.
Banjul (Gambia) (AFP) - The head of a West African force maintaining security in The Gambia told AFP Friday that army officials loyal to veteran former leader Yahya Jammeh were plotting against the new government.

West African troops were first sent to The Gambia in January to compel Jammeh to relinquish power to his elected successor Adama Barrow, but were retained at the new president's request over fears for his safety.

Colonel Magatte Ndiaye, the head of a Senegalese contingent deployed by the the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), told AFP that rebel elements were intent on destabilising the country and working with exiled Jammeh-era top brass.

"High-ranking officials of the Gambia Armed Forces that have fled with the former president have maintained contact with hostile elements within The Gambia security forces still on active duty," Ndiaye told AFP.

Members of Jammeh's ultra-loyal death squad, known as the "Jungulars", had succeeded in fleeing to neighbouring countries, he added, despite calls to bring them to justice.

"When you put the influence from outside and the operation from inside together, it shows that there are so many negative forces working to make this country ungovernable," Ndiaye said.

Jammeh is currently living in exile in Equatorial Guinea as part of a deal to get him to leave the country peacefully following 22 years in power, and is believed to have taken several of his most important aides with him.

Senegal's foreign minister described The Gambia as threatened by external forces in June, sparking speculation over the level of danger posed by groups such as the Jungulars intent on sowing discord in The Gambia.

Colonel Ndiaye said that while his troops were "succeeding in building that confidence between the Gambian people and their own security forces," demonstrations were being planned that warranted their attention.

One protester was killed in a violent demonstration against the presence of the West African force near Jammeh's home village of Kanilai in June, which Ndiaye described at the time as "self-defence" against a crowd of 600 people with hunting rifles, machetes, knives and stones.
Kigali (AFP) - Rwanda's election commission on Friday permitted two opposition candidates to run against President Paul Kagame in elections due on August 4, ruling out three other challengers.

National Election Commission (NEC) chief Kalisa Mbanda announced the approval of the Democratic Green Party's Frank Habineza, independent Philippe Mpayimana and Kagame as candidates, while rejecting three other independents.

Habineza's is the only opposition party permitted to operate in Rwanda, long dominated by Kagame's Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF), and the only opponent to a 2015 constitutional reform that cleared the way for the president to run again despite having been in charge of the country since 1994.

Last month the NEC approved Kagame and Habineza but rejected the four independent candidates on procedural grounds, saying they had not met the criteria for eligibility, and gave them five days to resubmit their papers.

Of the four, only Mpayimana, a 46-year-old journalist who is little known in Rwanda, was approved.

Kagame took power in Rwanda in 1994 at the head of a rebel army that is credited with ending the genocide that left around 800,000 people dead, mostly ethnic Tutsis.

Mpayimana, who left Rwanda for the neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo during the genocide, lived in Congo Brazzaville and Cameroon before settling in France in 2003. He only returned to Rwanda in February to present his candidacy.

Prospective candidates Gilbert Mwenedata, Fred Barafinda Skikubo and Diane Rwigara were barred from taking part after failing to collect the requisite 600 supporting signatures from citizens across the country.

Observers do not expect any serious challenge to Kagame and his RPF party's rule in the coming election.
Nairobi (AFP) - A Kenyan court on Friday cancelled a contract to print presidential ballot papers for next month's elections after the opposition claimed the winning company had links to President Uhuru Kenyatta.

The election commission had awarded the $24 million contract to Dubai-based Al Ghurair.

A panel of three High Court judges said the process had lacked transparency and ordered a re-tendering which lawyers for the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) intend to challenge, saying it could delay national polls due on August 8.

The company is still permitted to print ballot papers for parliamentary, county and other elections being held on the same day.

But with polling day just a month away, "There is absolutely no time available to engage in such an exercise," argued lawyer Kamau Karuri.

Commission chairman Wafula Chebukati warned, "The judgement has far-reaching implications on the elections."

The opposition National Super Alliance (NASA) hailed the ruling as a victory, calling it "a democratic gift to Kenyans".

Opposition leader Raila Odinga is due to challenge Kenyatta for second time running.

August's elections come a decade after politically motivated ethnic violence left over 1,100 people dead following a disputed vote in 2007.

Kenyatta and Odinga previously went head-to-head in the last election in 2013, with Kenyatta winning with a knife-edge 50.07 percent of the vote.
Accra, July 7, GNA - Leading figures from banking and business sectors have joined government and various public institutions from Europe and Africa to mobilize renewed support and investments for Africa's digital economy.

The gathering, held in Berlin, is being hosted by the European Investment Bank and Afrika-Verein, the German Business Association whiles the German Federal Ministry for Economic Development and Co-operation is patron of the event.

This was contained in a statement issued by the European Investment Bank (EIB) and copied to the Ghana News Agency.

The statement said this year's 'Africa Day - Empowering Millions: Africa's Rising Digital Economy' is being held on the eve of the G20 summit.

It is in line with the G20's initiative Compact for Africa, supporting the EU's New Consensus for Development, as well as delivering on the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda.

The statement said the aim of the event is to support development by fostering innovation, tech entrepreneurship and the expansion of the digital economy in Africa through well targeted investment and practical support.

It said investors, start ups, small businesses and major companies in Europe and Africa will join the discussion to help pinpoint ways, projects and initiatives to encourage future investment.

Mr Werner Hoyer, President of the European Investment Bank, opened the conference saying: 'Investing in Africa's digital economy is a necessary step towards opening new investment opportunities, connections between people and businesses.

This is a sector where the EU bank has expertise around the world and is ready to invest not only in high tech but also in basic telecommunication infrastructures, from West to East and North to South Africa.

The statement said supporting Digital Africa, the skills, the start-ups and the capacity of the young generation, is already bringing opportunities not just for African business but for European businesses as well.

It said Africa is the continent of the future and by strengthening our partnerships, communications, particularly between the public and private sectors, we can deliver investments towards the SDG objectives'.

Mr Stefan Liebing, Chairman of the German-African Business Association, said: 'The ongoing digitalisation effort gives our neighbouring continent the opportunity to be one step ahead. Africa's youth gains new prospects and the private sector develops new business cases. We need to bring sophisticated businesses together with young ideas to achieve the progress that Africa is demanding. Germany set an example by putting the continent on top of the G20 Agenda. This focus for Africa needs to continue - even after G20.'

The statement said Gerd Mueller, Minister of the German Federal Ministry of Economic Development and Co-operation, said 'sustainable and inclusive growth in Africa is a priority for the German G20 Presidency. With the Agenda 2063, Africa has already set out its path towards sustainable development in the coming decades. We are providing strong support to the implementation of the Agenda 2063, especially through our Marshall Plan with Africa and our initiatives for rural development, vocational training and the digital sector.'

'Africa Day' is the third EIB conference in a series initiated under the Luxembourg EU-Presidency in 2015. Due to its success, the decision was taken to make the event annual. 2016's Africa Day was held in Abidjan, CAte d'Ivoire.

It focused on skills and jobs for young people, innovation in finance and tackling the challenge of migration. This years event in Berlin explores the crucial role of digitalisation around private sector development and investment in Africa. Africa Day alternates between Europe and Africa, so next year a meeting would be held in Africa.

The EIB is the public bank of the European Union. It is owned by the 28 Member States and it operates in more than 130 countries and in Africa since 1963. The EU's bank is helping the EU meet its objectives globally including delivering the Sustainable Development Goals.

Last year the EIB invested more than 8 billion Euro outside the EU, in various projects to support the Sustainable Development Goals- creating good jobs and fighting poverty, supporting young people, women and rural populations, preventing disease through access to clean water, supporting green energy and building vital transport links.

Around 25 per cent of that was in Africa. In the last five years, the EIB has invested over 10 billion Euros in over 200 projects on the African continent.

GNA

By Josephine Naaeke, GNA
Popular Yoruba comic actor, Mr Latin, is just a proud actor and father looking at his family grow each day and year that goes by he has not gotten a cause to weep.

The actor is so elated for the good life God has given his son and still counting as h turns 17years of age today, July 7th, 2017.

Mr Latin is just happy in many ways knowing that in the next one year to come, his boy will turn 18 and be matured to vote and also start thinking of his future kind of woman (lol).
Shares in Praemium [ASX:PPS] have climbed 15.5% higher today, following a better than expected result for the June quarter.

What caused the shares to surge?

It may be the start of a new financial year, but Praemium is pleasing investors with their latest result. The company, which offers a broad range of financial services, had strong results locally and abroad. They pulled in a record $554 million in their last quarter. Noting strong growth across several of their services.

All up the company has recorded $1.9 billion in annual inflow, up 24% from the last financial year. Pleased CEO, Michael Ohanessian remarked,

We are obviously delighted to report record asset flows this quarter. The business has accelerated its momentum across the year, with strong growth within the Australian business and a step change in the International business. This is a tangible validation of our underlying growth strategy.

Their focus on funds under administration (FUA) adoption seems to have payed off. Boasting over $6 billion FUA in the latest report.

Whats next for Praemium?

The challenge for the company is to replicate this growth moving forward. Long-term, the company will be hoping to maintain these kind of figures. The tricky part is whether or not thats realistic.

For now the short-term looks bright. Whether the share price can climb back to its high of 52 cents, not seen since October last year, will remain to be seen. Investors will be eagerly awaiting the next quarterly report for signs of a trend.

Regards,

Ryan Clarkson-Ledward

Junior Analyst, Money Morning

PS: If youre looking for long-term investment winners, weve got just the thing you need. Kris Sayce, our investment director, has written his report on The Three Best Investments in Australia for 2017 and Beyond.

Kris will show you how to get the most bang for your buck in our topsy-turvy market. Hell tell you how to pick the best investments for the future.

To get your free copy click here.
Twain Harte, CA  Nadia Lockyer, a former Alameda County Supervisor, and wife of former State Treasurer Bill Lockyer, was arrested in Twain Harte.

Lockyer resigned as Alameda County Supervisor in 2012 in a high profile manner so she could enter into rehab for alcoholism and addiction. Her husband Bill served in both the California Senate and Assembly, before becoming state Attorney General from 1999-2007, and State Treasurer from 2007-2015. Of note, from 1994-98 he also served as the Democratic President pro tempore of the California Senate.

Tuolumne County Sheriffs Office spokesperson, Sgt. Andrea Benson, says, Yesterday at 10:55am, the sheriffs office received a call from a home on Fireside Drive in Twain Harte reporting an intoxicated woman was yelling and throwing things. Deputies arrived and contacted 46-year-old Nadia Lockyer from Long Beach who was at the home in Twain Harte on vacation. After the investigation, Lockyer was arrested and booked into the Tuolumne County Jail for misdemeanor spousal abuse. Her blood alcohol level was a .22.

Lockyer has since posted $5,000 bail. The Sheriffs Office confirms that former Treasurer Bill Lockyer was at the residence at the time of the incident.
Calaveras County, CA  A lengthy list is out that shows property owners where to go for grant dollars to bring down hazardous trees.

Calaveras County reports that over 102 million conifers and hardwood trees have died since 2010 due to Californias five year drought and Bark Beetle infestation. The latter prompted Governor Jerry Brown to declare a State of Emergency nearly two years ago due to the wide spread severity. County spokesperson Sharon Torrence indicates that this past week the countys Tree Mortality Task Force was alerted to additional grants that may apply to private property owners through their home owners associations, Fire Safe Councils or other property owner groups.

What people need to do is to check out the different websites and read the information, says Torrence. She further details, Theyre going to have to do some digging but there are dollars available for tree removal in these grants.

Torrence adds that not all of the grants apply to tree removal so the public will have to sift through the list. To view the list click here.
- Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti state revealed that he was already marked for arrest by the Department of State Services (DSS)

- Fayose also gave details of how the arrest would be effected saying it would start with the picking up of some hoodlums

Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti state has accused some elements in the All Progressives Congress (APC) of conniving with the Department of State Service (DSS) to implicate him.

Fayose said he has intelligence report that he is to be implicated in a treasonable offence which would lead to his arrest as well as those of some of his appointees.

A statement by his special assistant on public communications and new media, Lere Olayinka, made sent to Legit.ng in the night of Thursday, July 6, alleged that some miscreants were already slated to be arrested by the DSS, after which the security agency would claim that subversive materials were found on them and that the arrested miscreants confessed that they were being sponsored by Governor Fayose.

Few hours ago, credible information was received as to the new plot by the APC-led federal government to robe the Ekiti state governor, Mr Ayodele Fayose into treasonable offence.

READ ALSO: AGF Malami finally reacts after allegation he disowned Osinbajo over Magu

This plot is being hatched with the active connivance of some top functionaries of the DSS.

Some miscreants are already slated to be arrested by the DSS, after which the DSS will claim that subversive materials were 'found' on them and that the arrested miscreants confessed that they were being sponsored by Governor Fayose to promote insurgency in the country, with the ultimate aim of toppling the President Muhammadu Buhari-led government.

The DSS will then move in, claiming to be acting on the confession of the 'arrested' miscreants and attempt to arrest Governor Fayose and some top functionaries of the Ekiti state government.

Arrest of Governor Fayose will be premised on claim that the immunity being enjoyed by the governor does not cover treasonable offences.

Nigerians should recall that Governor Fayose made it known last week that he was aware of the various attempts on his life just because he chose to expose to Nigerians, the state of health of President Muhammadu Buhari.

PAY ATTENTION: Read the news on Nigerias #1 new app

Let it be said to those behind this new sinister plot that, like their previous evil plots, this one too will fail.

This is because Governor Fayose is only the voice of the hopeless Nigerians, whose future is being mortgaged by the Buharis presidency cabal that are only interested in holding on to power at all cost.

Governor Fayose will not be involved in any unlawful act and Nigerians as well as the international community are placed on alert as to this new plot.

On the part of our governor, Peter Ayodele Fayose, he remains undauntedly committed to truth and fearlessness in his defence of Nigerians against the cabal using falsehood, intimidation, arrest, detention and harassment to hold on to power," the statement said.

Legit.ng earlier reported that Governor Ayodele Fayose insisted that President Muhammadu Buhari was on life support adding that this was why his wife, Aisha, has returned to London recently.

Buhari has been in London on medical vacation and Aisha is visiting him twice in less than three weeks.

Fayose said the rush with which Aisha departed Nigeria again has confirmed that he was right when he claimed the president was on life support.

Watch as Nigerians speak about their choices between Fayose and President Buhari:

Source: Legit.ng
- The executive secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) has been allegedly suspended

- There have been allegations of fraud surrounding the reported suspension of Usman Yusuf

- The minister of health, Isaac Adewole, was said to have approved the suspension on Thursday, July 6

Usman Yusuf, the executive secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), has been allegedly suspended by the minister of health, Isaac Adewole.

The suspension was reportedly approved on Thursday, July 6, with immediate effect, almost a year after the 54-year-old health expert took over the health insurance provider on July 29, 2016.

According to Premium Times, his tenure has however been constantly plagued by allegations of fraud and the axe finally came down after a few weeks of investigation into his activities as the NHIS chief by the Senate.

He has been accused of corrupt expenditure to the tune of N292 million which he allegedly spent on health care training without recourse to any appropriate approving authority.

READ ALSO: How recovered looted funds can provide health care for vulnerable Nigerians

Yusuf has however, denied any wrongdoing, saying that the allegations against him were unfounded.

He said: Who told you I have been suspended or that I did any sharp practices? The person should come forward with proofs."

According to the press, multiple sources in the NHIS and the Health Ministry confirmed that Yusuf received his suspension letter on Thursday evening.

READ ALSO: 5 practical ways to improve healthcare in Nigeria

Legit.ng earlier reported that the speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, complained about the over 67% of Nigerians are unable to afford hospital payment for treatment of illnesses such as malaria.

This amounts to over a hundred million poor Nigerian families who cannot even afford to get themselves treated in public health facilities.

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Dogara made his comments as he ordered an investigative hearing to examine the rate of compliance of Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs) to the NHIS contributions and utilization of funds by the healthcare providers.

Watch this Legit.ng video on personal health care in Nigeria below:

Source: Legit.ng
- There is great a jubilation among the students of National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) across Nigeria because the oncoming graduates can now go for Youth Service Corps (NYSC) base on the law

- The National Open University of Nigeria is a Federal Open and Distance Learning (ODL) institution that is believed to be first of its kind in the West African sub-region

- It is Nigeria's largest tertiary institution in terms of student numbers and is popularly referred to as NOUN

The Nigerian Senate has now passed an amendment to the law establishing of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN).

The law establishing is believed to enable the graduates of the institution to go for the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) and attend the Nigerian Law School.

This is as a result of a report made by the Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFund on the Bill for An Act to Amend the National Open University Act Cap N6 LFN 1983 (Amendment) Bill 2017 on Thursday, July 6, Punch reports.

READ ALSO: Ambode warns Lagos monarchs over Badoo cult group

Legit.ng gathered that the Senate panel reported that the amendment to the NOUN Act was to make the university to be on the level with other institution in Nigeria.

The report states, The objectives of the bill are as follows: firstly, to amend the existing legislation with a view to removing the perception of the public about the university in respect of the word correspondence, which gives the impression that the university is not a full-time university and, as such, seen as part-time.

These two concepts correspondence and part-time  significantly affect the way the public views the programs run by the university.

This has been the reason why the Law graduates of the school are not admitted into the Nigerian Law School as well as the reason for the non-inclusion of the graduates of the university into the National Youth Service Corps scheme.

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Secondly, to include lnformation and Communication Technology as another means of providing tuition towards the advancement of learning throughout Nigeria.

The National Open University, as currently run, depends critically on virtual learning and students individual research, hence, the need for improvement and introduction of helpful learning tools as presented by lCT. This will further deal with the challenge of limited access in the tertiary education sector.

Legit.ng had reported earlier that a bill for an act to amend the National Youth Service Corps Act was currently in the Senate.

The bill which sought to provide for free and compulsory acquisition of vocational skills by corps members and split it into two parts was sponsored by Senator Stella Oduah.

Watch this Legit.ng TV Video of what Nigerian are saying about who should be held responsible for exam malpractice:

Source: Legit.ng
- Okoi Obono-Obla claimed that the activities of cultists in various areas of Cross River could lead to the disintegration of society and an era of disastrous lawlessness

- The presidential aide claimed that the south south state had one of the highest kidnapping rates in the country so much so that averagely in Calabar, more than ten kidnappings take place daily

- He appealed to the governor to request that a crack team be put together by the various security agencies in the country to clamp down on cultists within the state and to investigate the murder of one Jude Iroegbu Junior

The Cross River state governor Ben Ayade has been petitioned by Barrister Okoi Obono Obla, the senior special adviser to president Muhammadu Buhari on prosecution, over the activities of cultists in his village.

According to reports, Obla addressed the petition to the governor, while also copying Yemi Osinbajo, the acting president; the office of the national security adviser; the State Security Services HQ, and the Cross River state police command.

Legit.ng notes that the presidential aide called on the governor to put together a judicial panel of inquiry to investigate the spate of violence and cult activities which have led to murders in various areas of the state.

According to Obla, the well-being and security of the residents of Obudu, Ogoja, Yakurr, Calabar-South local government areas of the state, were being threatened by members of the Ayade government who he referred to as cultists.

READ ALSO: Fayose's daughter graduates, wins VC award in University of Nottingham

Lamenting over the increased state of insecurity arising from the activities of cult groups, Obla stated: It has got so bad that in Ogoja the population went on rampage and raided the homes of suspected members of these cult/terror groups and unleashed justice on them.

This indeed is a dangerous trend that should not be tolerated by any government at all on account of the serious consequences of mischievous people cashing in on such trend to settle scores with perceived enemies.

It could easily lead to the total disintegration of society and lead to a return to the era described by Thomas Hobbes, the 18th Century Legal Philosophy, when life was short, nasty and brutish.

In all these the Government of Cross River State has been totally and completely ambivalent and indeed half-hearted and lukewarm in tackling this huge and ominous security problem which has assumed frightening, pandemic and endemic proportion.

Apart from the high rate and incidence of cult/terror security challenges in Cross River State, the State regrettably has one of the highest kidnapping rates in the country so much so that averagely in Calabar more than ten kidnappings take place daily."

Obla also went further to list names of alleged cultists and their sponsors.

He stated: Item Eno Obla is a notorious cultist and terrorist/murderer and is the head of the notorious and dreaded Axemen, a group that often terrorize people in Ugep.

He is said to be under the sponsorship and protection of Honourable Bassey Eko Ewa, a member of the House of Representatives from the Yakurr Federal Constituency.

He is also the Commander of the group that serves as Palace Guards to the Obol Lopon of Ugep, Obol Ofem Ubangha

Thereafter, hundreds of Axemen were mobilized in their hundreds armed with axes, automatic rifles, pistols and machetes to terrorize the natives of Ugep.

These two cult groups, (Bargers and Axemen) in Ugep are a threat to the peace and security of the People of Ugep, Yakurr Local Government Area.

They have a stock pile of modern weaponry in their arsenal which they often use to unleash terror on the hapless people of Ugep and its environs.

The incident of 29th June, 2017, has caused palpable tension and fear in the Ugep Community and unless something is done there is a likelihood of reprisals and communal violence erupting in Ugep which is the second largest Urban City in Cross River State.

It is instructive that the activities of these terror and cult groups (Axemen and Bargers) are not restricted to Ugep alone.

There is undoubtedly a high rate of kidnapping and cult related violence and killings in Cross River State.

I seriously fear that if the Government of Cross River State fails to take action now the entire state may sooner than later be consumed by an orgy of killings and murders never seen in the annals of the history of this State and indeed the country.

In order to prevent a reprisal and or communal conflict from erupting in Ugep, Yakurr Local Government Area of Cross River State by a gang of cultists and terrorists, the Government must intervene immediately and decisively.

In the light of the above, I respectfully pray the Governor of Cross River State to request the inspector general of Police and the director general of State Security Services and comptroller general of Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps to immediately deploy/constitute a crack team of detectives/squads to investigate the brutal killing of Mr. Jude Iroegbu Junior on the 29th June, 2017, by a group of Axemen."

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Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that governor Ben Ayade of Cross River said that he was called by God to govern the state and provide the needed dividends of democracy to the people.

The governor made the statement while addressing thousands of his supporters who besieged the Margaret Ekpo International Airport in Calabar to welcome him on his arrival from Abuja.

Watch this Legit.ng TV video of a 63year old woman who lost her son to cultists:

Source: Legit.ng
The petroleum industry in Nigeria is the largest on the African continent. As of 2016, Nigeria's petroleum industry contributes about 9% to its economy.

Therefore, though the petroleum sector is important, as government revenues and foreign exchange still heavily rely on this sector, it remains in fact a small part of the country's overall diversified economy.

Nigeria's oil industry is largely controlled by the government-owned Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) via join ventures (JVs) and production sharing contracts (PSCs) with international oil companies (IOCs).

The government has an average of 60 percent ownership interest in JVs with IOCs, which account for the majority of the country's crude oil production.

An infographic of challenges facing Nigeria's gas sector Source: Twitter, FMPRng

It is no secret that this government has suffered from corruption, and its close links with the NNPC means that the oil industry has also suffered.

READ ALSO: Nigeria loses as revenue from crude oil drops

What are some of the major problems? Below is a list:

1. Concentration and control of gas resources within a limited set of license holders in the country.

2. Gas pricing.

3. Unreliable gas supply.

4. Infrastructure regularly constrained by vandals.

5. Ineffective regulation of the energy value chain.

6. Gas production poorly funded.

7. Power sector liquidity issue.

8. Limited gas infrastructure.

Here is a summary of the likely solutions:

National gas policy of solutions in one Infographic Source: Twitter, FMPRng

In an earlier report by Legit.ng, it was stated that Nigeria has run at a loss as its revenue from exportation of crude oil and gas dropped by 0.53 percent to arrive at $985.244 million between January and April 2017.

READ ALSO: 89 countries with best oil governance in the world

This is in comparison with the $990.522 million recorded from the exportation of the products in the same period in 2016.

SweetCrudeReports states that a breakdown released by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), states that while crude oil export accounted for 58.76 percent of total export with $578.93 million, gas export accounted for 41.24 percent with $406.317 million.

PAY ATTENTION: Watch more videos on Legit.ng TV

In January 2017, total crude oil and gas export stood at $202.16 million, compared with $282.83 million in the same period in 2016."

Watch this Legit.ng video on President Buhari's absence:

Source: Legit.ng
- Acting President Yemi Osinbajo says the federal government is aware of the debate on the restructuring

- The acting president urges Nigerians to learn from the experiences of countries who sought for separation that eventually plunged their nations into crisis

- Osinbajo says the federal government will come out with policies that will take care of some of the issues around restructuring

Acting President Yemi Osinbajo has said the federal government will soon address calls for restructuring made by some Nigerians.

The acting president made the statement on Thursday, July 6 at the presentation and launch of a book titled: Nigeria: The Restructuring Controversy, in Abuja, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

READ ALSO: Obasanjo planning to assassinate Nnamdi Kanu, overthrow Buhari - IPOB

Osinbajo, who was represented by his special adviser on political matters, Babafemi Ojudu, said the federal government was aware of debate for the restructuring of the country by Nigerians and has noted issues about the debate.

We are looking at all contributions made by Nigerians across the country. Very soon we will come out with policies to address the call for the restructuring of the country.

We are watching and looking and taking notes. The beauty of Nigeria is that we dont take up our guns to fight, we love to talk, we love to debate, and this is what we know, he said.

He recalled that after the result of the elections was annulled in June 12, 1993, Nigerians never took up arms to fight even though there was tension in the country.

But what we can assure you is that we are all looking at the contributions being made across the country, whether, from the North, South-south, South-east, North-central and South-west, the government of President Muhammadu Buhari is taking notes of all the contributions.

Very soon we are going to come out with policies that will take care of some of the issues around restructuring," he noted.

Osinbajo urged Nigerians to learn from the experiences of countries like South Sudan, Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria who sought for separation that eventually plunged their nations into crisis.

PAY ATTENTION: Read the news on Nigerias #1 new

The acting president however warned that the federal government would not tolerate any act capable of causing divisions among the various ethnic groups in the country.

He urged Nigerians to be committed and loyal to the cause of the country, stressing that separation was not the answer to the countrys challenges.

He said it is in Nigeria's interest as a nation to continue to dialogue for the unity and peace of the country.

Equity, fairness and justice can only be achieved under a peaceful atmosphere. We must not do those things that will turn us against each other," he said.

Mr. Osinbajo said the government was working assiduously to ensure that all Nigerians, irrespective of their tribes lived better lives.

Meanwhile, the presidency has dismissed reports of an on-going feud between acting president, Yemi Osinbajo and Senate president Bukola Saraki.

Legit.ng recalls that the Nigerian Senate reportedly threatened to impeach Acting President Yemi Osinbajo if he fails to remove Ibrahim Magu, the chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

This was sequel to a comment credited Osinbajo that the executive appointments did not require legislative approval based on Section 171 of the constitution.

However, reports circulating in the social media have it that the acting president had replied Senator Bukola Saraki over the Senates stand on Magu.

But the presidency has dismissed such reports as fake and false.

In the video below, Legit.ng TV takes a critical look at Nnamdi Kanu and the struggle for the actualisation of the Republic of Biafra.

Source: Legit.ng
- The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced the swearing in of 14 Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs)

- The RECs will be sworn in by the INEC chairman on Friday, July 7, 2017

- The REC's were appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari and confirmed by the Nigerian Senate

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has sworn in of 14 new Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs).

The commission in a tweet on Friday, July 7, morning said the 14 new RECs were all sworn in by the chairman of INEC Mahmood Yakubu at 3 pm today.

READ ALSO: I have been penciled for arrest over treason, plan to topple Buhari's government - Fayose cries out

Legit.ng earlier reported that President Muhammadu Buhari nominated 27 RECs for INEC three months ago.

The commissioners' names, the presidency said were sent to the Nigerian Senate for approval.

READ ALSO: I met Maitama Sule when I was 15 years old - Acting President Osinbajo

The letter from president Buhari also requested that the Senate through the Senate President Bukola Saraki confirms the appointment of the commissioners in line with the provision of the 1999 Constitution.

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The President's letter read in part: In compliance with the provisions of Section 14 (3) (a) of the Third Schedule to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended), I write to request the confirmation of the following nominees for appointment as Resident Electoral Commissioners.

See the tweet from INEC below:

You can watch this Legit.ng video of Nigerians questioning the whereabouts of President Muhammadu Buhari:

Source: Legit.ng
- The Nigerian Army has warned the people and the groups advocating for Nigeria's breakup to embrace peace and unity in the country

- The Army promised that it would continue to work hard in ensuring that the country is kept as one

- Gen Marthin Luther Agwai, said the Nigerian Army and the military generally cannot afford to lose what he described as the fourth generation war

Nigerian Army has attacked the groups advocating for separation in Nigeria, saying it will support the President Muhammadu Buharis government to make the ethnic groups and regions to remain one.

The Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Tukur Yusuf Buratai, on Thursday, July 6, had earlier reacted to agitation for secession while delivering a speech at the 2017 Nigerian Army Day celebration held at the Army Resource Centre, Mambila Barracks, the Chief of Army

Buratai said the military has done well in several military operations in different geo-political zones of the country, Leadership reports.

READ ALSO: Acting President Osinbajo visits wife of late Maitama Sule in Kano (photos)

Legit.ng recalls that there has been calls for secession, following a quit notice issued the Igbos to leave the North.

He said: The Nigerian Army has done the country proud. We will continue to ensure that Nigeria remain as one. We will continue to play our constitutional role.

There is a very sound civil military relationship between the army and Nigerians. In all our operations in the North East, South- South, South East and all other parts of the country, we have always maintained civil/military relationship.

According to him, human rights abuses and other related issues reported to the service are being treated, adding that the Army wont allow the unity of Nigeria to suffer.

The guest speaker, Gen Marthin Luther Agwai, said the Nigerian Army and the military generally cannot afford to lose what he described as the fourth generation war.

Agwai counseled the army officers on the new contemporary challenges, adding that the pre-world war, world war, second world war were entirely different from what he described as the fourth generation war.

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Agwai called on political leaders to support the Nigerian Army.

He said: Every Nigerian must congratulate the Nigeria Army for stemming Boko Haram, Militancy and other security threats.

''The Nigeria army reflects the diversity of Nigeria. Some of us who have left the service will always say I remember when I was a soldier because the extra-ordinary thing we enjoy is that when you are in the service, you live a professional life and unite with everyone despite our differences because the main aim is to defend our father land.''

Meanwhile, Legit.ng had reported that a Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed a suit filed against the Nigerian Army by the leader of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) Ibrahim EL-Zakzaky.

Justice Gabriel Kolawole in his ruling said that the violation of fundamental human rights abuse suit filed by El-Zakzaky against the army and its leadership, Tukur Buratai and two others was an abuse of court process.

Watch this Legit.ng TV Video of what Nigerians about President Muhammadu Buhari's government:

Source: Legit.ng
- Applicants for the N-Power agriculture scheme will commence their assessment soon

- Those that applied for the health and tax will also continue with their assessment

The federal governments N-Power scheme has released new information for applicants.

According to the information on their official twitter page, Applicants who applied for N-Agro will now commence their assessment tests, Monday, 10th July, 2017.

READ ALSO: Niger Delta group sends strong warning to Nnamdi Kanu, demands removal of south-south from Biafra map

It was also revealed that applicants for N-Power Tax and N-Power Health will continue with their assessment test.

Meanwhile, Daniel Joshua, a Taraba state-born 31-year-old, former N-Power graduate employee says his sound Christian moral upbringing compelled him to refund the N60,000 paid into his account, after he quit the scheme in April.

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on Saturday July 1, tweeted and praised Joshuas rare display of integrity, which he said was worthy of emulation by Nigerian youths.

Joshua now works for the Central Bank of Nigeria in Benin. He is from Lissem in Ussa local government area of Taraba state.

He told the News Agency of Nigeria on Tuesday: My Christian moral upbringing helped me to do the right thing.

My pastor once told me that whatever weakens the conscience weakens the authority.And because i have always tried to avoid anything that will weaken my conscience, taking the decision to refund the money was not a problem.

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Although i didnt have any money in my account at the time, the orientation from my bosses in my new employment about transparency, integrity and accountability also helped me quickly decide on the right path to take in the matter, he said.

Joshua, who married in 2015 and now has a child, said some family members and friends tried to persuade him to keep the money.

Watch a Legit.ng TV video below of a lady mechanic in Abuja

Source: Legit.ng
- The Federal Government has finally unveiled panel for new minimum wage

- The agitation for the review of the current minimum wage has been on the front burner of discussion among labour leaders in the last few months

- The Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, however denied that the delay in constituting the committee was caused by government

The Federal Government has given an insight into the composition of the National Minimum Wage Committee and the criteria for selecting members.

Legit.ng gathered that the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, who was speaking at an interactive session with newsmen in his office, revealed that government has appointed Chairman of National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC) as committee secretary.

READ ALSO: Niger Delta group sends strong warning to Nnamdi Kanu, demands removal of south-south from Biafra map

The chairman must be somebody with good standing in the Nigerian society; neutral background, who doesnt belong to any political party. He must have knowledge of labour administration, either as a top public servant or an employer, said Ngige.

He, however, assured that the committee will be constituted before the end of this month and added that the chairman would be announced during the inauguration.

The minister also explained composition of the 29-member committee to include; Federal Government (seven), Governors Forum (six), labour (eight) and employers, represented by Nigerian Employers Consultative Association (NECA), (eight).

He, however, denied that the delay in constituting the committee was caused by government and said the labour movement and employers association were yet to submit lists of their nominees.

For the federal government, the technical committee recommended eight slots and three for the Nigerian Governors Forum, another principal employer.

But, the federal government conceded three of their positions to the governors forum, making theirs six; one governor per geo-political zone because, hitherto, the governors had complained that they were not being consulted enough on minimum wage.

PAY ATTENTION: Read the news on Nigerias #1 new

They alluded to the fact that, in the 2011 minimum wage, they were not adequately consulted. Therefore, this time around, the federal government has shed some of its allocation for the governors forum.

So, the federal government will nominate five ministers and top government officials as well as the chairman and secretary, to join them on government side, Ngige stated.

Legit.ng had previously reported that an affiliate member of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), NUTGTWN threatened a nationwide strike if the government failed to begin the process of reviewing workers minimum wage.

Watch the emotional video below of a government worker lamenting to Legit.ng about her irregular salary:

Source: Legit.ng
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28 (3) Aug 27 (4) Aug 26 (3) Aug 25 (4) Aug 24 (4) Aug 23 (3) Aug 22 (3) Aug 21 (3) Aug 20 (5) Aug 19 (4) Aug 18 (3) Aug 17 (3) Aug 16 (3) Aug 15 (5) Aug 14 (3) Aug 13 (3) Aug 12 (4) Aug 11 (3) Aug 10 (3) Aug 09 (4) Aug 08 (2) Aug 07 (2) Aug 06 (2) Aug 05 (2) Aug 04 (2) Aug 03 (3) Aug 02 (4) Aug 01 (3) Jul 31 (2) Jul 30 (5) Jul 29 (3) Jul 28 (3) Jul 27 (3) Jul 26 (3) Jul 25 (6) Jul 24 (3) Jul 23 (4) Jul 22 (4) Jul 21 (4) Jul 20 (4) Jul 19 (4) Jul 18 (4) Jul 17 (4) Jul 16 (4) Jul 15 (5) Jul 14 (3) Jul 13 (4) Jul 12 (4) Jul 11 (5) Jul 10 (5) Jul 09 (2) Jul 08 (2) Jul 07 (3) Jul 06 (2) Jul 05 (2) Jul 04 (3) Jul 03 (4) Jul 02 (5) Jul 01 (3) Jun 30 (2) Jun 29 (3) Jun 28 (4) Jun 27 (4) Jun 26 (5) Jun 25 (4) Jun 24 (5) Jun 23 (3) Jun 22 (4) Jun 21 (2) Jun 20 (4) Jun 19 (3) Jun 18 (3) Jun 17 (1) Jun 16 (5) Jun 15 (5) Jun 14 (2) Jun 13 (5) Jun 12 (4) Jun 11 (3) Jun 10 (2) Jun 09 (2) Jun 08 (2) Jun 07 (2) Jun 06 (2) Jun 05 (2) Jun 04 (2) Jun 03 (2) Jun 02 (4) Jun 01 (3) May 31 (4) May 30 (5) May 29 (3) May 28 (3) May 27 (3) May 26 (4) May 25 (4) May 24 (2) May 23 (4) May 22 (4) May 21 (5) May 20 (6) May 19 (4) May 18 (3) May 17 (4) May 16 (5) May 15 (6) May 14 (4) May 13 (9) May 12 (4) May 11 (5) May 10 (5) May 09 (4) May 08 (3) May 07 (5) May 06 (3) May 05 (4) May 04 (5) May 03 (1) May 02 (5) May 01 (7) Apr 30 (4) Apr 29 (5) Apr 28 (4) Apr 27 (1) Apr 26 (4) Apr 25 (4) Apr 24 (4) Apr 23 (4) Apr 22 (3) Apr 21 (4) Apr 20 (4) Apr 19 (3) Apr 18 (4) Apr 17 (3) Apr 16 (4) Apr 15 (3) Apr 14 (4) Apr 13 (3) Apr 12 (5) Apr 11 (6) Apr 10 (1) Apr 09 (4) Apr 08 (3) Apr 07 (3) Apr 06 (4) Apr 05 (5) Apr 04 (1) Apr 03 (3) Apr 02 (4) Apr 01 (3) Mar 31 (1) Mar 30 (3) Mar 29 (4) Mar 28 (3) Mar 27 (4) Mar 26 (2) Mar 25 (4) Mar 24 (6) Mar 23 (5) Mar 22 (5) Mar 21 (4) Mar 20 (6) Mar 19 (5) Mar 18 (4) Mar 17 (4) Mar 16 (4) Mar 15 (4) Mar 14 (3) Mar 13 (4) Mar 12 (4) Mar 11 (5) Mar 10 (4) Mar 09 (5) Mar 08 (5) Mar 07 (5) Mar 06 (3) Mar 05 (4) Mar 04 (3) Mar 03 (3) Mar 02 (5) Mar 01 (4) Feb 28 (2) Feb 27 (3) Feb 26 (3) Feb 25 (3) Feb 24 (4) Feb 23 (4) Feb 22 (3) Feb 21 (4) Feb 20 (4) Feb 19 (3) Feb 18 (3) Feb 17 (3) Feb 16 (5) Feb 15 (4) Feb 14 (3) Feb 13 (4) Feb 12 (3) Feb 11 (3) Feb 10 (4) Feb 09 (4) Feb 08 (3) Feb 07 (4) Feb 06 (3) Feb 05 (3) Feb 04 (3) Feb 03 (5) Feb 02 (4) Feb 01 (3) Jan 31 (3) Jan 30 (3) Jan 29 (4) Jan 28 (3) Jan 27 (2) Jan 26 (4) Jan 25 (3) Jan 24 (5) Jan 23 (4) Jan 22 (4) Jan 21 (3) Jan 20 (3) Jan 19 (6) Jan 18 (4) Jan 17 (3) Jan 16 (4) Jan 15 (3) Jan 14 (4) Jan 13 (3) Jan 12 (6) Jan 11 (4) Jan 10 (4) Jan 09 (3) Jan 08 (4) Jan 07 (3) Jan 06 (4) Jan 05 (3) Jan 04 (4) Jan 03 (5) Jan 02 (4) Jan 01 (3) Dec 31 (2) Dec 30 (2) Dec 29 (2) Dec 28 (3) Dec 27 (3) Dec 26 (2) Dec 25 (2) Dec 24 (3) Dec 23 (3) Dec 22 (3) Dec 21 (3) Dec 20 (4) Dec 19 (4) Dec 18 (5) Dec 17 (3) Dec 16 (3) Dec 15 (3) Dec 14 (3) Dec 13 (3) Dec 12 (2) Dec 11 (6) Dec 10 (4) Dec 09 (4) Dec 08 (6) Dec 07 (5) Dec 06 (3) Dec 05 (3) Dec 04 (4) Dec 03 (3) Dec 02 (3) Dec 01 (4) Nov 30 (2) Nov 29 (3) Nov 28 (3) Nov 27 (2) Nov 26 (3) Nov 25 (5) Nov 24 (4) Nov 23 (6) Nov 22 (5) Nov 21 (4) Nov 20 (2) Nov 19 (5) Nov 18 (7) Nov 17 (5) Nov 16 (4) Nov 15 (6) Nov 14 (3) Nov 13 (3) Nov 12 (4) Nov 11 (3) Nov 10 (3) Nov 09 (4) Nov 08 (3) Nov 07 (2) Nov 06 (2) Nov 05 (2) Nov 04 (4) Nov 03 (4) Nov 02 (4) Nov 01 (2) Oct 31 (3) Oct 30 (4) Oct 29 (3) Oct 28 (2) Oct 27 (3) Oct 26 (3) Oct 25 (2) Oct 24 (2) Oct 23 (2) Oct 22 (3) Oct 21 (2) Oct 20 (3) Oct 19 (3) Oct 18 (2) Oct 17 (2) Oct 16 (2) Oct 15 (2) Oct 14 (4) Oct 13 (2) Oct 12 (3) Oct 11 (2) Oct 10 (2) Oct 09 (4) Oct 08 (4) Oct 07 (4) Oct 06 (3) Oct 05 (4) Oct 04 (5) Oct 03 (3) Oct 02 (6) Oct 01 (6) Sep 30 (5) Sep 29 (3) Sep 28 (3) Sep 27 (7) Sep 26 (4) Sep 25 (3) Sep 24 (5) Sep 23 (8) Sep 22 (3) Sep 21 (3) Sep 20 (6) Sep 19 (3) Sep 18 (3) Sep 17 (5) Sep 16 (7) Sep 15 (3) Sep 14 (4) Sep 13 (3) Sep 12 (5) Sep 11 (5) Sep 10 (5) Sep 09 (7) Sep 08 (5) Sep 07 (2) Sep 06 (7) Sep 05 (4) Sep 04 (4) Sep 03 (2) Sep 02 (2) Sep 01 (2) Aug 31 (3) Aug 30 (3) Aug 29 (3) Aug 28 (3) Aug 27 (3) Aug 26 (4) Aug 25 (3) Aug 24 (3) Aug 23 (3) Aug 22 (4) Aug 21 (4) Aug 20 (4) Aug 19 (4) Aug 18 (3) Aug 17 (2) Aug 16 (2) Aug 15 (5) Aug 14 (3) Aug 13 (5) Aug 12 (10) Aug 11 (5) Aug 10 (4) Aug 09 (5) Aug 08 (3) Aug 07 (4) Aug 06 (6) Aug 05 (5) Aug 04 (5) Aug 03 (3) Aug 02 (5) Aug 01 (7) Jul 31 (5) Jul 30 (4) Jul 29 (4) Jul 28 (3) Jul 27 (3) Jul 26 (5) Jul 25 (4) Jul 24 (5) Jul 23 (5) Jul 22 (7) Jul 21 (5) Jul 20 (4) Jul 19 (5) Jul 18 (6) Jul 17 (5) Jul 16 (5) Jul 15 (6) Jul 14 (4) Jul 13 (3) Jul 12 (2) Jul 11 (2) Jul 10 (2) Jul 09 (2) Jul 08 (2) Jul 07 (3) Jul 06 (2) Jul 05 (2) Jul 04 (4) Jul 03 (3) Jul 02 (2) Jul 01 (8) Jun 30 (6) Jun 29 (4) Jun 28 (6) Jun 27 (6) Jun 26 (6) Jun 25 (6) Jun 24 (6) Jun 23 (4) Jun 22 (4) Jun 21 (5) Jun 20 (4) Jun 19 (5) Jun 18 (8) Jun 17 (6) Jun 16 (5) Jun 15 (5) Jun 14 (5) Jun 13 (4) Jun 12 (4) Jun 11 (6) Jun 10 (4) Jun 09 (3) Jun 08 (5) Jun 07 (4) Jun 06 (3) Jun 05 (3) Jun 04 (3) Jun 03 (3) Jun 02 (3) Jun 01 (4) May 31 (2) May 30 (2) May 29 (2) May 28 (2) May 27 (4) May 26 (4) May 25 (3) May 24 (2) May 23 (2) May 22 (3) May 21 (5) May 20 (4) May 19 (2) May 18 (3) May 17 (3) May 16 (3) May 15 (4) May 14 (5) May 13 (3) May 12 (4) May 11 (3) May 10 (4) May 09 (4) May 08 (4) May 07 (3) May 06 (2) May 05 (3) May 04 (4) May 03 (2) May 02 (3) May 01 (3) Apr 30 (3) Apr 29 (4) Apr 28 (2) Apr 27 (3) Apr 26 (4) Apr 25 (2) Apr 24 (3) Apr 23 (2) Apr 22 (2) Apr 21 (4) Apr 20 (4) Apr 19 (5) Apr 18 (7) Apr 17 (6) Apr 16 (10) Apr 15 (5) Apr 14 (3) Apr 13 (4) Apr 12 (5) Apr 11 (4) Apr 10 (4) Apr 09 (7) Apr 08 (4) Apr 07 (7) Apr 06 (4) Apr 05 (7) Apr 04 (5) Apr 03 (4) Apr 02 (5) Apr 01 (5) Mar 31 (5) Mar 30 (5) Mar 29 (7) Mar 28 (6) Mar 27 (5) Mar 26 (5) Mar 25 (6) Mar 24 (5) Mar 23 (5) Mar 22 (5) Mar 21 (4) Mar 20 (3) Mar 19 (6) Mar 18 (6) Mar 17 (2) Mar 16 (4) Mar 15 (5) Mar 14 (4) Mar 13 (5) Mar 12 (5) Mar 11 (4) Mar 10 (4) Mar 09 (2) Mar 08 (5) Mar 07 (4) Mar 06 (3) Mar 05 (4) Mar 04 (6) Mar 03 (4) Mar 02 (4) Mar 01 (5) Feb 28 (6) Feb 27 (4) Feb 26 (4) Feb 25 (6) Feb 24 (2) Feb 23 (3) Feb 22 (4) Feb 21 (6) Feb 20 (2) Feb 19 (6) Feb 18 (4) Feb 17 (2) Feb 16 (3) Feb 15 (6) Feb 14 (6) Feb 13 (6) Feb 12 (9) Feb 11 (5) Feb 10 (3) Feb 09 (4) Feb 08 (4) Feb 07 (7) Feb 06 (3) Feb 05 (4) Feb 04 (5) Feb 03 (4) Feb 02 (3) Feb 01 (3) Jan 31 (4) Jan 30 (4) Jan 29 (3) Jan 28 (2) Jan 27 (2) Jan 26 (3) Jan 25 (4) Jan 24 (4) Jan 23 (2) Jan 22 (2) Jan 21 (5) Jan 20 (4) Jan 19 (5) Jan 18 (4) Jan 17 (4) Jan 16 (3) Jan 15 (4) Jan 14 (3) Jan 13 (3) Jan 12 (3) Jan 11 (2) Jan 10 (8) Jan 09 (6) Jan 08 (2) Jan 07 (2) Jan 06 (3) Jan 05 (2) Jan 04 (2) Jan 03 (2) Jan 02 (2) Jan 01 (2) Dec 31 (2) Dec 30 (3) Dec 29 (3) Dec 28 (3) Dec 27 (2) Dec 26 (2) Dec 25 (2) Dec 24 (2) Dec 23 (2) Dec 22 (2) Dec 21 (2) Dec 20 (3) Dec 19 (2) Dec 18 (3) Dec 17 (2) Dec 16 (2) Dec 15 (3) Dec 14 (2) Dec 13 (3) Dec 12 (3) Dec 11 (3) Dec 10 (5) Dec 09 (3) Dec 08 (3) Dec 07 (2) Dec 06 (3) Dec 05 (3) Dec 04 (5) Dec 03 (4) Dec 02 (3) Dec 01 (3) Nov 30 (4) Nov 29 (4) Nov 28 (2) Nov 27 (2) Nov 26 (2) Nov 25 (3) Nov 24 (2) Nov 23 (2) Nov 22 (2) Nov 21 (2) Nov 20 (3) Nov 19 (3) Nov 18 (2) Nov 17 (2) Nov 16 (5) Nov 15 (5) Nov 14 (4) Nov 13 (2) Nov 12 (2) Nov 11 (2) Nov 10 (2) Nov 09 (2) Nov 08 (2) Nov 07 (3) Nov 06 (6) Nov 05 (4) Nov 04 (5) Nov 03 (5) Nov 02 (3) Nov 01 (5) Oct 31 (7) Oct 30 (5) Oct 29 (4) Oct 28 (3) Oct 27 (2) Oct 26 (4) Oct 25 (4) Oct 24 (4) Oct 23 (4) Oct 22 (3) Oct 21 (2) Oct 20 (3) Oct 19 (2) Oct 18 (2) Oct 17 (3) Oct 16 (5) Oct 15 (4) Oct 14 (2) Oct 13 (2) Oct 12 (4) Oct 11 (5) Oct 10 (4) Oct 09 (3) Oct 08 (3) Oct 07 (3) Oct 06 (2) Oct 05 (5) Oct 04 (5) Oct 03 (4) Oct 02 (4) Oct 01 (5) Sep 30 (2) Sep 29 (2) Sep 28 (3) Sep 27 (6) Sep 26 (2) Sep 25 (3) Sep 24 (3) Sep 23 (2) Sep 22 (2) Sep 21 (2) Sep 20 (2) Sep 19 (3) Sep 18 (3) Sep 17 (3) Sep 16 (2) Sep 15 (4) Sep 14 (3) Sep 13 (5) Sep 12 (4) Sep 11 (6) Sep 10 (2) Sep 09 (5) Sep 08 (5) Sep 07 (5) Sep 06 (4) Sep 05 (4) Sep 04 (3) Sep 03 (2) Sep 02 (3) Sep 01 (3) Aug 31 (2) Aug 30 (2) Aug 29 (3) Aug 28 (6) Aug 27 (3) Aug 26 (2) Aug 25 (2) Aug 24 (3) Aug 23 (2) Aug 22 (3) Aug 21 (5) Aug 20 (4) Aug 19 (3) Aug 18 (2) Aug 17 (5) Aug 16 (3) Aug 15 (4) Aug 14 (5) Aug 13 (2) Aug 12 (2) Aug 11 (2) Aug 10 (2) Aug 09 (2) Aug 08 (5) Aug 07 (5) Aug 06 (6) Aug 05 (2) Aug 04 (5) Aug 03 (2) Aug 02 (3) Aug 01 (2) Jul 31 (4) Jul 30 (2) Jul 29 (2) Jul 28 (2) Jul 27 (2) Jul 26 (3) Jul 25 (4) Jul 24 (2) Jul 23 (3) Jul 22 (2) Jul 21 (3) Jul 20 (4) Jul 19 (2) Jul 18 (3) Jul 17 (4) Jul 16 (5) Jul 15 (2) Jul 14 (3) Jul 13 (2) Jul 12 (3) Jul 11 (2) Jul 10 (2) Jul 09 (2) Jul 08 (2) Jul 07 (2) Jul 06 (2) Jul 05 (2) Jul 04 (2) Jul 03 (2) Jul 02 (2) Jul 01 (3) Jun 30 (3) Jun 29 (7) Jun 28 (3) Jun 27 (2) Jun 26 (3) Jun 25 (1) Jun 24 (2) Jun 23 (3) Jun 22 (5) Jun 21 (3) Jun 20 (2) Jun 19 (2) Jun 18 (2) Jun 17 (2) Jun 16 (2) Jun 15 (2) Jun 14 (2) Jun 13 (3) Jun 12 (3) Jun 11 (3) Jun 10 (2) Jun 09 (4) Jun 08 (2) Jun 07 (4) Jun 06 (5) Jun 05 (3) Jun 04 (3) Jun 03 (2) Jun 02 (2) Jun 01 (4) May 31 (2) May 30 (3) May 29 (3) May 28 (3) May 27 (2) May 26 (2) May 25 (2) May 24 (2) May 23 (2) May 22 (3) May 21 (3) May 20 (2) May 19 (2) May 18 (4) May 17 (7) May 16 (2) May 15 (2) May 14 (4) May 13 (3) May 12 (4) May 11 (4) May 10 (4) May 09 (3) May 08 (2) May 07 (2) May 06 (2) May 05 (1) May 04 (2) May 03 (4) May 02 (3) May 01 (4) Apr 30 (1) Apr 29 (3) Apr 28 (2) Apr 27 (3) Apr 26 (2) Apr 25 (2) Apr 24 (4) Apr 23 (2) Apr 22 (2) Apr 21 (2) Apr 20 (3) Apr 19 (3) Apr 18 (4) Apr 17 (5) Apr 16 (4) Apr 15 (4) Apr 14 (3) Apr 13 (3) Apr 12 (3) Apr 11 (3) Apr 10 (4) Apr 09 (4) Apr 08 (3) Apr 07 (2) Apr 06 (3) Apr 05 (3) Apr 04 (1) Apr 03 (1) Apr 02 (1) Apr 01 (2) Mar 31 (2) Mar 30 (3) Mar 29 (2) Mar 28 (3) Mar 27 (3) Mar 26 (3) Mar 25 (3) Mar 24 (2) Mar 23 (3) Mar 22 (3) Mar 21 (4) Mar 20 (2) Mar 19 (3) Mar 18 (1) Mar 17 (2) Mar 16 (2) Mar 15 (1) Mar 14 (3) Mar 13 (1) Mar 12 (2) Mar 11 (1) Mar 10 (3) Mar 09 (2) Mar 08 (1) Mar 07 (1) Mar 04 (2) Mar 02 (2) Feb 28 (1) Feb 24 (1) Dec 31 (4) Dec 30 (4) Dec 29 (4) Dec 28 (5) Dec 27 (3) Dec 26 (3) Dec 25 (4) Dec 24 (3) Dec 23 (3) Dec 22 (4) Dec 21 (3) Dec 20 (3) Dec 19 (3) Dec 18 (3) Dec 17 (3) Dec 16 (3) Dec 15 (3) Dec 14 (3) Dec 13 (3) Dec 12 (3) Dec 11 (3) Dec 10 (3) Dec 09 (3) Dec 08 (3) Dec 07 (3) Dec 06 (3) Dec 05 (3) Dec 04 (3) Dec 03 (4) Dec 02 (3) Dec 01 (3) Nov 30 (3) Nov 29 (3) Nov 28 (3) Nov 27 (3) Nov 26 (3) Nov 25 (3) Nov 24 (3) Nov 23 (3) Nov 22 (3) Nov 21 (3) Nov 20 (3) Nov 19 (3) Nov 18 (3) Nov 17 (3) Nov 16 (2) Nov 15 (3) Nov 14 (3) Nov 13 (3) Nov 12 (4) Nov 11 (3) Nov 10 (4) Nov 09 (4) Nov 08 (4) Nov 07 (3) Nov 06 (3) Nov 05 (5) Nov 04 (4) Nov 03 (3) Nov 02 (4) Nov 01 (4) Oct 31 (4) Oct 30 (3) Oct 29 (3) Oct 28 (2) Oct 27 (4) Oct 26 (4) Oct 25 (4) Oct 24 (3) Oct 23 (3) Oct 22 (3) Oct 21 (4) Oct 20 (4) Oct 19 (3) Oct 18 (4) Oct 17 (4) Oct 16 (3) Oct 15 (3) Oct 14 (3) Oct 13 (3) Oct 12 (3) Oct 11 (3) Oct 10 (4) Oct 09 (3) Oct 08 (3) Oct 07 (4) Oct 06 (3) Oct 05 (4) Oct 04 (3) Oct 03 (4) Oct 02 (5) Oct 01 (3) Sep 30 (4) Sep 29 (3) Sep 28 (3) Sep 27 (4) Sep 26 (3) Sep 25 (3) Sep 24 (3) Sep 23 (3) Sep 22 (3) Sep 21 (3) Sep 20 (3) Sep 19 (4) Sep 18 (3) Sep 17 (3) Sep 16 (4) Sep 15 (3) Sep 14 (3) Sep 13 (3) Sep 12 (4) Sep 11 (4) Sep 10 (4) Sep 09 (4) Sep 08 (4) Sep 07 (3) Sep 06 (3) Sep 05 (3) Sep 04 (3) Sep 03 (3) Sep 02 (4) Sep 01 (3) Aug 31 (3) Aug 30 (4) Aug 29 (3) Aug 28 (3) Aug 27 (3) Aug 26 (3) Aug 25 (4) Aug 24 (4) Aug 23 (5) Aug 22 (3) Aug 21 (3) Aug 20 (3) Aug 19 (3) Aug 18 (3) Aug 17 (3) Aug 16 (3) Aug 15 (3) Aug 14 (3) Aug 13 (3) Aug 12 (3) Aug 11 (4) Aug 10 (5) Aug 09 (3) Aug 08 (3) Aug 07 (4) Aug 06 (5) Aug 05 (4) Aug 04 (3) Aug 03 (3) Aug 02 (3) Aug 01 (3) Jul 31 (3) Jul 30 (4) Jul 29 (3) Jul 28 (5) Jul 27 (3) Jul 26 (3) Jul 25 (3) Jul 24 (3) Jul 23 (4) Jul 22 (3) Jul 21 (4) Jul 20 (3) Jul 19 (3) Jul 18 (4) Jul 17 (4) Jul 16 (4) Jul 15 (3) Jul 14 (3) Jul 13 (4) Jul 12 (5) Jul 11 (4) Jul 10 (4) Jul 09 (3) Jul 08 (3) Jul 07 (3) Jul 06 (5) Jul 05 (3) Jul 04 (3) Jul 03 (4) Jul 02 (3) Jul 01 (6) Jun 30 (4) Jun 29 (4) Jun 28 (3) Jun 27 (4) Jun 26 (4) Jun 25 (5) Jun 24 (4) Jun 23 (3) Jun 22 (5) Jun 21 (5) Jun 20 (4) Jun 19 (4) Jun 18 (5) Jun 17 (4) Jun 16 (5) Jun 15 (5) Jun 14 (3) Jun 13 (3) Jun 12 (3) Jun 11 (3) Jun 10 (5) Jun 09 (3) Jun 08 (4) Jun 07 (4) Jun 06 (5) Jun 05 (4) Jun 04 (3) Jun 03 (4) Jun 02 (5) Jun 01 (3) May 31 (4) May 30 (3) May 29 (3) May 28 (3) May 27 (3) May 26 (4) May 25 (4) May 24 (4) May 23 (4) May 22 (3) May 21 (3) May 20 (4) May 19 (3) May 18 (3) May 17 (4) May 16 (3) May 15 (4) May 14 (3) May 13 (4) May 12 (1) May 11 (3) May 10 (3) May 09 (3) May 08 (3) May 07 (4) May 06 (3) May 05 (4) May 04 (4) May 03 (3) May 02 (3) May 01 (6) Apr 30 (3) Apr 29 (3) Apr 28 (3) Apr 27 (5) Apr 26 (3) Apr 25 (3) Apr 24 (3) Apr 23 (3) Apr 22 (3) Apr 21 (3) Apr 20 (3) Apr 19 (3) Apr 18 (3) Apr 17 (4) Apr 16 (3) Apr 15 (4) Apr 14 (3) Apr 13 (3) Apr 12 (3) Apr 11 (3) Apr 10 (3) Apr 09 (3) Apr 08 (3) Apr 07 (3) Apr 06 (3) Apr 05 (3) Apr 04 (3) Apr 03 (3) Apr 02 (3) Apr 01 (3) Mar 31 (3) Mar 30 (3) Mar 29 (3) Mar 28 (4) Mar 27 (3) Mar 26 (3) Mar 25 (3) Mar 24 (3) Mar 23 (3) Mar 22 (3) Mar 21 (3) Mar 20 (3) Mar 19 (3) Mar 18 (3) Mar 17 (3) Mar 16 (4) Mar 15 (3) Mar 14 (3) Mar 13 (3) Mar 12 (4) Mar 11 (3) Mar 10 (4) Mar 09 (4) Mar 08 (3) Mar 07 (3) Mar 06 (4) Mar 05 (4) Mar 04 (3) Mar 03 (3) Mar 02 (3) Mar 01 (3) Feb 28 (3) Feb 27 (3) Feb 26 (3) Feb 25 (3) Feb 24 (2) Feb 23 (3) Feb 22 (3) Feb 21 (3) Feb 20 (3) Feb 19 (3) Feb 18 (3) Feb 17 (3) Feb 16 (3) Feb 15 (3) Feb 14 (3) Feb 13 (3) Feb 12 (3) Feb 11 (4) Feb 10 (3) Feb 09 (3) Feb 08 (3) Feb 07 (4) Feb 06 (3) Feb 05 (3) Feb 04 (4) Feb 03 (4) Feb 02 (4) Feb 01 (4) Jan 31 (3) Jan 30 (3) Jan 29 (3) Jan 28 (5) Jan 27 (4) Jan 26 (5) Jan 25 (5) Jan 24 (5) Jan 23 (4) Jan 22 (3) Jan 21 (4) Jan 20 (3) Jan 19 (5) Jan 18 (5) Jan 17 (4) Jan 16 (3) Jan 15 (4) Jan 14 (3) Jan 13 (5) Jan 12 (5) Jan 11 (4) Jan 10 (4) Jan 09 (3) Jan 08 (3) Jan 07 (3) Jan 06 (3) Jan 05 (3) Jan 04 (4) Jan 03 (3) Jan 02 (3) Jan 01 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- Christian Association of Nigeria, Nasarawa state chapter have constituted a prayer committee for President Buhari

- The president is currently in London for medical treatment

- The constitution of the prayer commitee comes after Jigawa state declared Friday July 7 public holiday to enable public servants join other citizens in praying for the president

The Nasarawa state chapter of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has setup a committee to intensify prayers for the quick recovery of President Muhammadu Buhari currently on medical vacation in London.

The states CAN Chairman, Bishop Joseph Masin , made this known in an interview with in Lafia on Thursday.

We pray that may Almighty God grant the President speedy recovery in order for him to come back and continue his responsibilities in office.

He is our President, so he needs our prayers and we all need to pray for him, irrespective of our differences, he said.

READ ALSO: Evans reveals what his mum told him when she saw bullet wound on him

According to him, the committee is also charged with the responsibility of praying for the peaceful coexistence among the different ethnic and religious groups in the state.

The chairman, who said the association was also not in support of the disintegration of the country, advised those agitating for the breakup of Nigeria to be conscious of the consequences of their utterances.

Masin also said the association had concluded plans to tour the 13 Local Government Areas of the state, to sensitise Christians on the need to live in peace and harmony.

CAN will soon organise crusade in all the three senatorial zones of the state for the spiritual revival of the Christians, Masin said.

He advised Christians to unite and accommodate adherents of other religions for peace to reign in the state and the country at large.

The religious leader also appealed to the state government to settle workers salary arrears and other entitlements to end the ongoing industrial action.

NAIJ.had reported that the Jigawa state government has declared Friday, July 7, as a public holiday to enable public servants offer special prayers for President Muhammadu Buhari s quick recovery.

PAY ATTENTION: Watch more videos on Legit.ng TV

Alhaji Ismail Ibrahim, the Public Relations Officer, Office of the states Head of Civil Service, announced this in a statement in Dutse on Thursday, July 6.

Ibrahim said that the State Executive Council took the decision at its sitting on July 5. He explained that the government declared Friday as a work-free day in order to enable public servants to join other citizens to offer special prayers for President Muhammadu Buharis well-being.

In the video below, Legit.ng TV asked some Nigerians if they are tired of the Buhari administration.

Source: Legit.ng
- A prophet who allegedly predicted to the release of Nnamdi Kanu has called on the IPOB leader to meet him

- The prophet said he has secrets to tell him over the freedom of Biafra

- The prophet said God told him Nnamdi Kanu is fighting a genuine battle

Prophet Emmanuel Chukwudi, the general overseer of the King of Kings Deliverance Ministry, Gbonum Ulepa-Ntezi, Ishielu local government area of Ebonyi state has advised front line leader of Biafran agitations, Nnamdi Kanu to contact him, in order to receive secrets from the Lord that will make Biafra a reality.

Chukwudi on January 1 2017, in his new year message became the first prophet to state that Kanu will be released from prison, which took place few months later.

READ ALSO: Evans reveals what his mum told him when she saw bullet wound on him

His words: Tell pro-Biafrans to stop shedding tears. Their leader Nnamdi Kanu shall not remain in prison custody for too long again. He is already on his way out. As for their (pro-Biafrans) agitations for Biafra, the Lord says it is already in the horizon. Their day shall come soon.

The same man of God allegedly prophesy that Donald Trump will become America's president despite the obvious odds against him during his elections. That was in February 2016.

The prophet described Kanu as a true freedom fighter who have got what it takes to make Biafra a reality.

His said: "The Lord is now telling me that there is a secret I need to give to Nnamdi Kanu. It cannot be revealed in the public. God told me that if Nnamdi Kanu himself will see a humble prophet like me, and we talk one on one, I will tell him what to do for Biafra to emerge immediately. That's the spiritual power, spiritual muscle that he needs to succeed in his struggle to realise Biafra. I am seeing where Biafra came but Nnamdi Kanu must listen to me, and I will reveal this secret for Biafra to emerge physically.

Going further, he said: "God is telling me that Nnamdi Kanu is fighting a genuine battle and is putting all efforts into that battle.

"He is doing everything to ensure that the struggle will be a reality. He is a genuine son of Biafra, but everything is not all about physical struggle, because as a prophet, the Lord revealed to me back in January that Nnamdi Kanu will soon be released, and you can see that he was released".

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Chukwudi, who goes by the title, 'Onye Ruo Uka Ofu Nanya of Ntezi land'(doubters will behold with their own eyes) had in 2011 told journalists that President Buhari will lose his bid to become president, but had said in 2014 that Goodluck Jonathan will not continue being president since God has handed the key over to Buhari.

He had also repeatedly warned that unless urgent prayers are done for Buhari, he will not complete his tenure as the president since VP Osinbajo will pilot the affairs of Nigeria into 2019.

Meanwhile, Legit.ng reports that Nnamdi Kanu on Thursday, July 6, said former president Olusegun Obasanjo is going to die for saying he and the agitation for Biafra must be stopped. He said that the former president was going to die for speaking those words so that they will know how powerful the people of Biafra are.

The IPOB leader stated this in reaction to Obasanjo's comment that Nigerians must do everything possible to stop the agitation for Biafra led by he (Kanu).

Watch this video of daily activities in the home of Nnamdi Kanu:

Source: Legit.ng
- Second Republic governor of Kaduna State, Alhaji Balarabe Musa, speaks on the rift between the presidency and National Assembly

-The elder states man said that President Buhari must use the 1999 constitution to reconcile Nigerians

- Balarabe urged the present administration to intensify its fight against corruption to bring back the peoples confidence in the government

Second Republic governor of Kaduna state, Alhaji Balarabe Musa, on Friday, July 7, described the ongoing rift between the presidency and the National Assembly as self-interest.

Legit.ng gathered that the elder statesman said unless the current political system was changed, Nigerians would continue to be short-changed by those who have relegated national interest to the background.

READ ALSO: Good news: Federal government takes over N900m devices payment for N-Power volunteers

The former governor stressed that President Muhammadu Buhari must use provisions from the 1999 constitution to reconcile all Nigerians and allow the people take ownership of government.

He said: First, as the executive President and Commander-in-Chief, the President should use relevant provisions of the 1999 Constitution to reconcile Nigerians, so that everyone would believe in the unity and oneness of Nigeria.

Secondly, change the system from the current one that is based on self-interest first and national interest second, to national interest first and self-interest second.

To do this, the President should change the economic direction of the country and bring back the leading role of the state to take charge of the economy as we had in the 1970s or even before the 1966 coup.

Balarabe advised the Buhari-led administration to intensify its fight against corruption to bring back peoples confidence in government.

PAY ATTENTION: Read the news on Nigerias #1 new app

In an earlier report by Legit.ng, it was noted that the threat to impeach Acting President Yemi Osinbajo if he fails to remove Ibrahim Magu, the chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has pitched the Senate against some Nigerians.

The point of order raised, that the Senate president was the Acting President was raised by the senator representing Abia South, Eyinanya Abaribe.

He raised a motion that the country had no president or acting president at the moment, adding that, President Muhammadu Buhari and Professor Yemi Osinbajo were neither in the country, as at the time.

In the video below, Legit.ng TV asked some Nigerian have to say about President Buharis absence:

Source: Legit.ng
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China claims an all electric rim-driven pump-jet had been fitted to the Peoples Liberation Army Navys newest nuclear submarines.

China is talking about putting the new ultra quiet propulsion system on new nuclear-powered type 095 attack submarines and Type 096 ballistic missile submarines.

Nextbigfuture had covered the electric drive for submarines about one month ago.

A rim-driven pump-jet has a ring-shaped electrical machine inside the pump-jet shroud, which turns the vane rotor inside the pump-jet cavity to create thrust. The design reduces noise by removing the shaft and also creating smaller water bubbles , Making it even quieter.

Modern American and British submarines already use pump-jet propulsion, but Koh said the technology had not been adopted more widely because its design was complex, and just a few countries could support the technology with a good deal of funding and technical expertise.

Beijing-based naval expert Li Jie said China had put a lot of resources and people into development cutting-edge technologies, including the pump-jet, air-independent propulsion (AIP) for non-nuclear submarines and other measures as part of its efforts To make Chinese submarines stealthier.

Both the ultra-quiet engine and AIP will help Chinese subs to elude foes as high concealment is very important to all nuclear attack subs, Li said. Quieter subs expressing enhanced stealth capability, which will help them to encounter surprise attacks when necessary 

China has built Asias largest submarine base at Yulin, on the south coast of Hainan, near Sanya. The base features underground submarine facilities with tunnel access, shielding Chinese submarines that enter the South China Sea from the prying eyes of US reconnaissance satellites. That American warships and aircraft to conduct more close surveillance operations in the disputed waters, which are conven wholly or in part by mainland China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan.

The Chinese navy is likely to begin construction of the Type 096 submarines, which will armed with 24 JL-3 intercontinental submarine-launched ballistic missiles, in the early 2020s, according to the Pentagons annual report to the US Congress this year.

Rear Admiral Ma Weiming, 57, became a household name in China in 2011 when he published during a speech to accept a national technology award that his team had successfully developed a Chinese electromagnetic aircraft launch system (EMALS).

The chinese electromagnetic aircraft launch system has not been installed on any aircraft carrier. Ma claims his EMALS is more advanced than the US system.

Mas EMALS might be fitted on Chinas third-generation nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, the Type 003.

The US Navy uses pump-jet propulsor technology on its Improved Los Angeles, Seawolf and Virginia-class attack submarines. The U.S. Navy is also planning to use a pumpjet propulsor onboard its forthcoming Columbia-class nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines. The Columbia-class will use integrated electrical propulsion with a permanent-magnet motor turning the submarines drive shaft.

Developing a shaftless propulsion system is something akin to the holy grail of submarine propulsion. U.S. naval experts are skeptical of the Chinese claims.

If the China has successfully develop a rim-driven pumpjet propulsor that works in a real world operational setting, it would be a significant development. It would mean that the PLAN is making genuine progress in developing novel submarine technologies and is starting to catch up. However, US experts still feel that their overall submarine systems are quieter and more advanced.
You are clearly a super-user of NUVO.net. Thats a good thing. It means you depend on independent and local news sources to keep you informed. You are a smart person.



Coincidentally, independent and local news sources depend on you too. Youve read 25 articles this month and now, wed like you to be join our mission and become a NUVO Supporter. For as little as $4 a month, you can keep us alive and fighting -- and can have unlimited access to the independent news that cant be found anywhere else.
According to a report by Sun News, the Tactical Team of the Kwara State Police Command has arrested two suspected ritualists, armed robbers and kidnappers who the police say have been terrorising the area for some time, kidnapping people for blood money rituals.

The police said the arrested suspects have kidnapped over 15 victims for money rituals. Among their victims are the twin girls of a traditional ruler, the Owalobo of Obbo Ayegunle in Ekiti Local Government Area of Kwara State

The team has also rescued 10 victims from the kidnappers den in Ejiu, Obbo, Ile and Osi Forest in Kwara South Local Government Area of Kwara State.

Also in the same gang is a 38-year-old man, one Alade James of Alawe Compound, Offa who reportedly kidnapped a nine-year-old, Faith Samuel of Onireke Area, Offa alongside his syndicate members and killed the victim for ritual.

In the process of burying the corpse at Ikotun Area of Offa, the Kwara State Police Tactical Team arrested him.

The Kwara State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Emienbo Tuesday Assayomo told Saturday Sun that the suspected criminals are armed robbers and kidnappers who are involved in rituals. He said they kidnapped victims and used them for rituals.

According to him, the Police Tactical Team, in conjunction with the vigilance groups and local hunters, had a serious encounter with the suspects. He said the operatives, vigilantes and hunters raided all the hideouts of the kidnappers on April 17, 2022 in Obbo, Eruka and Osi forest in Kwara South Local Government Area of Kwara State.

CP Assayomo said that the same gang on March 29, 2022 kidnapped three victims and took them to their Osi forest for rituals.

The information got to us, he said. The Police Tactical Team, vigilante group and local hunters had an exchange of fire with the kidnappers and three victims were rescued in their hideout while the kidnappers were neutralised and others escaped with gunshot injuries. One of the neutralised kidnappers was identified as Dogo who has been on the wanted list of the police for the killing of one Femi Afolayan for failure to pay ransom in February 2022.

Also, my men recovered one cut-to-size locally made pistol, one locally made gun, four cutlasses, a bunch of criminal charms and six expended cartridges from the hideouts.

On September 24, 2021, the same gang had kidnapped two victims, one Kafayat Jamiu, 25, and Lawal Seri, of Olupo Farm Settlement, Eruku, Ekiti Local Government Area of Kwara State. The victims were sleeping in their room when the criminals abducted them for rituals. The command tactical team, in conjunction with local hunters and vigilantes, searched the bushes and rescued the victims while two kidnap suspects were arrested. We recovered one local fabricated assault rifle with four AK47 live ammunition, he said.

He further said that on October 14, 2021, the same gang kidnapped a twin girl of Oba Samuel Adelodun, the Owalobo of Obbo Ayegunle in Ekiti Local Government Area of Kwara State. The political tactical team, in collaboration with the vigilance groups and local hunters of the area and the monarch, Owalobo swung into action and gave the kidnappers a hot chase. The kidnappers abandoned the two victims and escaped into their bush.

He said a member of the same gang of kidnappers syndicate, 40-year-old Sola Akinyemi was arrested on March 17, 2022 by the policemen of Kulende Divisional Police headquarters, Ilorin for being a suspected ritualist.

He said one of their syndicate gang member who was found with a black Jeep zoomed off immediately he noticed the presence of the police.

The suspect escaped during the cause of arrest and we recovered school uniforms, note books, text books and different money denominations totalling N166,000.

On April 2, 2022, the same gang kidnapped two victims in the Obbo and Isapa axis. The kidnappers took the victims to their hideout in Osi forest and demanded a ransom of N2 million from the victims relatives and threatened to kill their victims if the ransom was not paid, Assayomo said.

One of the victims, Isiaka Awoyemi narrated his story to Saturday Sun. His words: I hail from Kwara State. I am a trader and I was kidnapped on January 19, 2022. I was taken to the bush where they wanted to kill me. In their forest, I saw a lifeless body and another human body that had been beheaded. I was crying for help for them to release me from their custody, but they were demanding the sum of N2 million as ransom from my family. There were five victims in the custody of the kidnappers. They kidnapped and killed their victims for blood money rituals.

But it was when we heard a sudden blast of gunshots from the forest and I saw the kidnappers running away from the bush that I knew that something was happening and that maybe help was coming for us. They ran away and abandoned us in the bush. It was there and then that we started shouting for help before the police operatives identified our location and we were rescued from the bush. We stayed four days in the kidnappers captivity. It was Allah who sent the police to rescue us, he said.

Another victim, Abdulahi Fatai said: I am from Ekiti Local Government Area of Kwara State. I am a farmer. Kidnapping was so rampant in Ekuku and Isapa axis. They have been kidnapping and killing victims for months and they would use the victims for rituals. We have been in the bondage of the kidnappers since more than two years ago. A lot of people have gone missing  both the old and the young. Some were kidnapped when going to the farm or attacked during day time. We have been crying to the governor of Kwara State over the kidnapping and killing of victims for rituals. We have to rely on our local hunters and vigilante groups. The police division can only do little.

It was when they kidnapped the twin girls of Oba Samuel Adelodun, the Owalobo of Obbo Ayegunle in Ekiti L.G.A that the police tactical team, the vigilance group and local hunters were mobilised, and they rescued the two twin girls. They fought the kidnappers and some of them were shot dead. Since then, we have had peace in our community. The kidnappers abandoned our community which they used as kidnapping dens. Today, the security agencies have come again to raid their hideout.

When I was kidnapped in February 2022 within the same day, I was rescued by the police tactical team, the vigilante group and local hunters. It was like a miracle on my side. The Ekutu, Isapa axis is now a peaceful axis. We dont want the security agencies to abandon us. We need their presence.

The suspect, Alade James, in a chat, spoke with the reporter. Said he: I hail from Kwara State. I am a member of an armed robbery and kidnapping group. I have been involved in kidnapping and we would use the victims for rituals. I have used three victims for rituals before the police operatives arrested me. I have been involved in several kidnapping and killing victims for money rituals. I would bury the corpses of victims and look for a buyer to buy the human parts.

We have over 10 gang members who are involved in armed robbery and kidnapping. We sell human parts for N100, 000. Once we kidnap a victim, we dont kill them immediately. We wait for ransom from the relatives of victims, but we would still murder the victims for money rituals. Since I was arrested by the police operatives, I have taken them to where I buried the human parts which were recovered from my other gang members who have absconded, he said.

Another member of the syndicate was arrested on April 24, 2022 when the policemen attached to Operation Harmony, while on patrol of Okeoyi/Jebba Road, intercepted two men on a motorcycle. They attempted to evade the officers on stop and search duty and their action aroused the suspicion of the operatives.

The two suspects were given a hot chase and they were forced to stop. After a search was conducted on them, a bag containing a fresh human head and hands were found in their possession. The two suspects were Wasiu Omonose, 35, and Akanbi Ibrahim, 32, of Abioye compound. They confessed to be taking the fresh human head and hands to an Alfa in Ilorin for ritual purposes.

CP Assayomo stated that the command would not fold its arms and allow criminals of whatever nomenclature to truncate the peace and harmony presently existing in Kwara State.

***

Source: Sun News


From flickr.com: Anti-nuke protesters surround Japanese parliament 7.29

(Image by jetalone) Details DMCA



On Friday the United Nations concluded the creation of the first multilateral nuclear disarmament treaty in over 20 years, and the first treaty ever to ban all nuclear weapons. While 122 nations voted yes, the Netherlands voted no, Singapore abstained, and numerous nations didn't show up at all.

The Netherlands, I'm told by Alice Slater, was compelled by public pressure on its parliament to show up. I don't know what Singapore's problem is. But the world's nine nuclear nations, various aspiring nuclear nations, and military allies of nuclear nations boycotted.

The only nuclear country that had voted yes to begin the process of treaty-drafting now completed was North Korea. That North Korea is open to a world without nuclear weapons should be fantastic news to numerous U.S. officials and media pundits apparently suffering traumatic fear of a North Korean attack -- or it would be fantastic news if the United States were not the leading advocate for expanded development, proliferation, and threat of the use of nuclear weapons. The U.S. ambassador even staged a press conference to denounce this treaty when its drafting was initiated.

Our job now, as citizens of this hapless world, is to lobby every government -- including the Netherlands' -- to join and ratify the treaty. While it falls short on nuclear energy, it is a model law on nuclear weapons that sane human beings have been waiting for since the 1940s. Check it out:

Each State Party undertakes never under any circumstances to: (a) Develop, test, produce, manufacture, otherwise acquire, possess or stockpile nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices; (b) Transfer to any recipient whatsoever nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices or control over such weapons or explosive devices directly or indirectly; (c) Receive the transfer of or control over nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices directly or indirectly; (d) Use or threaten to use nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices; (e) Assist, encourage or induce, in any way, anyone to engage in any activity prohibited to a State Party under this Treaty; (f) Seek or receive any assistance, in any way, from anyone to engage in any activity prohibited to a State Party under this Treaty; (g) Allow any stationing, installation or deployment of any nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices in its territory or at any place under its jurisdiction or control.

Not bad, huh?

Of course this treaty will have to be expanded to include all nations. And the world will have to develop a respect for international law. Some nations, including North Korea and Russia and China, may be quite reluctant to give up their nuclear weapons even if the United States does so, as long as the United States maintains such enormous dominance in terms of non-nuclear military capacities and its pattern of launching aggressive wars. That's why this treaty has to be part of a broader agenda of demilitarization and war abolition.

But this treaty is a big step in the right direction. When 122 countries declare something illegal, it is illegal on earth. That means investments in it are illegal. Complicity with it is illegal. Defense of it is shameful. Academic collaboration with it is disreputable. In other words, we have launched into a period of stigmatizing as something less than acceptable the act of preparing to annihilate all life on earth. And as we do that for nuclear war, we can build the groundwork for doing the same for all war.
From Other Words

GOP leaders want to protect your "freedom" to be poor, powerless, sick, and uninsured.



I think of freedom in positive, aspirational terms -- as in FDR's "Four freedoms," or in the uplifting songs of freedom sung by oppressed people everywhere.

But right-wing ideologues have fabricated a negative notion of "freedoms" derived from their twisted concept of individual choice. You're "free" to be poor, politically powerless, or ill and uncared for, they say -- it's all a matter of decisions you freely make, and our government has no business interfering with your free will.

This is what passes as a philosophical framework guiding today's Republican congressional leaders.

For example, they say their plan to eliminate health coverage for millions of Americans and cut such essential benefits as maternity care for millions more is just a matter of good ol' free-market consumerism.

As explained by Jason Chaffetz, a Utah tea party Republican: "Americans have choices. And so maybe, rather than getting that new iPhone that they just love and they want to go spend hundreds of dollars on that, maybe they should invest in their own health care."

Lest you think that Chaffetz must simply be an oddball jerk, here's a similar deep insight from the top House Republican, Speaker Paul Ryan: "Freedom is the ability to buy what you want to fit what you need."

Yes, apparently, you're as free as you can afford to be. As Vice President Mike Pence recently barked at us, Trumpcare's you're-on-your-own philosophy is all about "bringing freedom and individual responsibility back to American health care."

The GOP's austere view is that getting treatment for your spouse's cancer should be like buying a new pair of shoes -- a free-market decision by customers who choose their own price point, from Neiman Marcus to Goodwill.

And if you go barefoot, well, that's your choice.
From Paul Craig Roberts Website

The backdrops to the Putin/Trump meeting are the aspirations of Israel and the neoconservatives. It is these aspirations that drive US foreign policy.

What is Syria about? Why is Washington so focused on overthrowing the elected president of Syria? What explains the sudden 21st century appearance of "the Muslim threat"? How is Washington's preoccupation with "the Muslim threat" consistent with Washington's wars against Saddam Hussein, Gaddafi, and Assad, leaders who suppressed jihadism? What explains the sudden appearance of "the Russian threat" which has been hyped into dangerous Russophobia without any basis in fact?

The Muslim threat, the Russian threat, and the lies used to destroy Iraq, Libya, and parts of Syria are all orchestrations to serve Israeli and neoconservative aspirations.

The Israel Lobby in the United States, perhaps most strongly represented in Commentary, The Weekly Standard and The New York Times, used the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon to urge US President George W. Bush to begin "a determined effort to remove Saddam Hussein from Power in Iraq." See here also.

Saddam Hussein was a secular leader whose job was to sit on the animosities of the Sunni and Shia and maintain a non-violent political stability in Iraq. He, Assad, and Gaddafi suppressed the extremism that leads to jihadism. Saddam had nothing whatsoever to do with 9/11, and under his rule Iraq constituted a ZERO threat to the US. He had been a faithful vassal and attacked Iran for Washington, which had hopes of using Iraq to overthrow the Iranian government.

Removing secular leaders is what unleashes jihadism. Washington unleashed Muslim terrorism by regime change that murdered secular leaders and left countries in chaos.

Fomenting chaos in Iraq was the beginning for spreading chaos into Syria and then Iran. Syria and Iran support Hezbollah, the militia in southern Lebanon that has twice driven out the Israeli Army sent in to occupy southern Lebanon so that Israel could appropriate the water resources.

The neoconservatives' wars against the Middle East serve to remove the governments that provide military and financial support to Hezbollah. By spreading jihadism closer to the Russian Federation, these wars coincide perfectly with the US neoconservative policy of US World Hegemony. As expressed by Paul Wolfowitz, US Undersecretary of Defense for Policy:

"Our first objective is to prevent the re-emergence of a new rival, either on the territory of the former Soviet Union or elsewhere, that poses a threat on the order of that posed formerly by the Soviet Union. This is a dominant consideration underlying the new regional defense strategy and requires that we endeavor to prevent any hostile power from dominating a region whose resources would, under consolidated control, be sufficient to generate global power."

Israel wants Syria and Iran to join Iraq and Libya in American-induced chaos so that Israel can steal the water in southern Lebanon. If Syria and Iran are in chaos like Iraq and Libya, Hezbollah will not have the military and financial support to withstand the Israeli military.

The neoconservatives have broader aims than Israel's. The neoconservatives want Syria and Iran in jihadist turmoil so that the neoconservatives can send jihadism into the Russian Federation and into China. China has a Muslim province that borders Kazakhstan. By causing internal problems for Russia and China, the neoconservatives can reduce Russia and China's abilities to hinder US unilateralism.

That is what Syria is about. It is not about anything else.

The "Muslim threat" appeared suddenly with the 9/11 attack on the WTC and Pentagon. The attack was instantly blamed on Muslims. Although the US government maintained that it had no idea that such an attack was in the works, the US government knew instantly who did it. Quite clearly, it is impossible to know instantly who did an attack about which the government had no idea. In what has become the hallmark of every "terrorist attack," IDs left at the scene conveniently identified the "terrorists."

There are now 3,000 architects and engineers who put their reputation on the line by challenging the official story of the collapse of the WTC buildings. According to all known science, the official explanation of the destruction of the three highrise WTC buildings is strictly impossible. There is endless evidence online provided not by ignorant presstitutes, conspiracy theorists, and lying politicians, but by real experts. Just go to the Architects & Engineers for 9/11 Truth website, to the Firefighters and First responders for 9/11 Truth website, to the Pilots for 9/11 Truth website.

Research what some foreign government officials have to say about the absurd story told by the US government. That any percentage of the US population believes the obvious false official 9/11 story is proof of the total failure of education in America. Much of the population is incapable of thought. People simply accept whatever the government tells them regardless of the absurdity of the explanation.

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See original here

So the G20 summit is starting in Hamburg in Germany, after a day of angry protests which saw dozens arrested.

As the talks commence, the new international "Climate Pariah," Donald Trump, is going to come under intense pressure from the G20 to reconsider pulling out of the Paris agreement.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, the summit host, has publicly stated that this year's summit will focus on strengthening the Paris agreement, which "puts her on a direct collision course with the U.S. president," according to the BBC.

She has told the media that despite Trump's stance, tackling climate change remains a top priority for Europe, who will speak with "one voice" on the issue during the summit.

Speaking in front of the German parliament on Thursday, Merkel said, "The European Union unconditionally stands by its agreement in Paris and will implement it speedily and with determination." She continued that the differences with Trump "are obvious and it would be dishonest to try to cover that up."

She added, "Since the decision of the United States to leave the Paris climate agreement, we are more determined than ever to make it a success."

Merkel is backed by French President Emmanuel Macron, who has said Europe will "clearly reaffirm our very strong commitment to the Paris accords," adding, "I hope that the others can be brought back to their senses."

Trump will get pressure from other G20 leaders, too. Speaking earlier Thursday, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said that the G20 would tell Trump "it's important to take a lead role in tackling climate change and creating good jobs."

On the one hand, you can argue that the G20 leaders are being hypocritical for castigating Trump. As Oil Change and others pointed out this week, the G20 provides nearly four times more public finance to fossil fuels than to clean energy. In total, public fossil fuel financing from G20 countries averaged some $71.8 billion per year. The leaders were accused of "talking out of both sides of their mouths."

If they really are promoting climate leadership, then words are not enough. But on the other, Trump should not be allowed to get away with pulling out of the Paris agreement to satisfy the alt-right and his fossil fuel buddies.

As Trump comes under pressure, he's meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin face to face for the first time today. The feeling is that Trump, by pushing his "America First" policy and pulling out of Paris, has marginalized the U.S.

America is suddenly the pariah. Putin is now the moderate.

They have much to discuss, including Russian meddling in the U.S. elections, Islamic terrorism, North Korea, Ukraine and hopefully climate change.

Putin is still in favor of the Paris agreement, despite the U.S. withdrawal. The Russian president recently said the Paris climate agreement was a "secure basis for long-term climate regulation" and Russia wanted to make a "comprehensive contribution to its implementation."

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On July 6, CNN reports, "President Donald Trump chided North Korea for its recent missile tests, saying it is 'behaving in a very very dangerous manner.'" Particularly motivating Trump's expression of angst was this week's test of the Hwasong-14, which the North claims (and the US seems to believe) is "capable of hitting any part of the world, along with nuclear weapons."

But since Trump wants to talk about dangerous behavior, let's.

Kim Jong Un's regime has, in recent months, test-fired a handful of missiles harmlessly into the ocean.

Only two months ago, Donald Trump ordered the firing of 59 missiles at military bases situated on the territory of a sovereign nation with which the US is not at war (Syria).

The US government is worried that the North may be close to developing the launch capability to hit the US with one of its 13-30 atomic fission weapons boasting explosive yields of up to the equivalent of 30 thousand tons of TNT.

The US, by the way, possesses nearly 7,000 nuclear weapons with yields of up 1.4 million tons, and 450 Minuteman 3 ICBMs to carry them. It's also the only nation on Earth that's ever used atomic or nuclear weapons in war.

North Korea invaded South Korea in 1950 and hasn't invaded another country since.

How many countries has the US invaded since then? There's not room here to list them all, but right off the top of my head I can think of six just since 2001 (Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia, Libya, Yemen, and Syria). The US maintains military bases in more than 70 countries around the globe.

North Korea's army numbers nearly a million, armed with obsolete weapons and equipment, who haven't been tested in combat for nearly 65 years.

The US military boasts 1.3 million active duty troops, with state of the art weapons and equipment, who've been hardened by a decade and a half of near-continuous combat deployments.

The US military's annual budget is more than 20 times North Korea's entire annual Gross Domestic Product.

Who's that you called dangerous, President Trump?

It's true that the North Koreans have been working hard to develop nuclear weapons and a long-range missile capability. Who can blame them? Saddam Hussein and Muammar Gaddafi gave up their nuclear weapons programs under pressure from the US government, which then proceeded to overthrow and kill them. Apparently Kim Jong Un would rather die of old age than from making the mistake of trusting Donald Trump.
From Smirking Chimp



Rally in Support of Affordable Care Act

(Image by tedeytan) Details DMCA



2017 is the make or break year for the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Seven years in, the flaws of the ACA are clear -- tens of millions are still without health insurance, premiums and out-of-pocket costs are rising and causing people to either avoid and delay care or go into debt, and the US continues to rank poorly in health outcomes. There is one way to fix the ACA, and I call it the Private Extraction.

What are we to do?

The Republicans are seeking a way to keep their promise to repeal and replace the ACA, but they are finding that this is not very easy to do. There are deep divides within the party over cuts to Medicaid and subsidies for premiums. And the changes they are currently proposing will leave tens of millions more people without insurance. This is highly unpopular with the public, and the Republicans are being hit with widespread opposition. President Trump is so discouraged that he's calling for an all-out repeal now with a replacement to be determined down the road. This would be political suicide if they can't come up with a solution.

Despite the Democratic base's overwhelming support for National Improved Medicare for All single payer health care, the Democrats are saying that we can't do that yet because first they want to fix the ACA. We hear Democrats and their supporters in the media and non-profit world saying that we just need to "stabilize the market" and suggesting the addition of a public insurance, which they call a public option, or allowing people to buy into Medicare as a way to insure more people.

This was the same message that the Democrats gave in 2009 when their base wanted single payer to be included in the health reform debate. Democrats said that the people were asking for too much and told them to work for something more practical, a public option, instead. This effectively divided and weakened single payer supporters. The saddest part of that story is that the public option was never intended to be in the final legislation. The White House and Congressional leadership actively worked to keep it out of the final bill when the tide of support was moving lawmakers to include it.

So, here we are again. Even Senator Sanders, considered to be a champion of Medicare for All after campaigning on it heavily in the presidential primary, is saying that we have to fix the ACA first and then we can work for single payer. We know how that works out, but in case you are not familiar with the scenario: if and when the ACA is tweaked, we will then be told that we have to wait and see if that worked, and when it doesn't, then another tweak will be proposed, and so on. Single payer's day will never come until we organize and work specifically to make it a reality.

Let's look at the Democrat's proposals:

"Stabilizing the market" basically amounts to giving the private health insurance corporations more money through direct subsidies or tax credits so they will lower premiums and still make enough profits to satisfy their investors. The Center for American Progress, a Democratic Party think tank funded by the health insurance industry lobby group AHIP, offered a "bipartisan proposal" this week "that proposes repairing Obamacare's exchanges through a mixture of new subsidies to help insurance companies cover their most expensive patients, and lower taxes to encourage insurers to set up shop in under-served markets."

Jeff Stein goes on to describe CAP's plan further: "The second component is a $15 billion 'reinsurance' fund. It calls for giving states federal money to give insurers funding for their most expensive, high-cost enrollees -- which Spiro says would in turn reduce premium payments for everyone else on the exchanges." Here is the translation: the plan would use public dollars to reimburse private insurers for actually having to pay for health care. If you step outside of the matrix for a moment, it becomes clear that is a ridiculous idea.

And while Democrats rail about the Republican's efforts to repeal the taxes in the ACA, the Democrat's proposal essentially does the same thing by funneling more public dollars into the pockets of the medical industrial complex and their Wall Street investors. Applying market language to health care, which is a public necessity, reveals that the Democrats view health care as a commodity and not a human right. It can't be both.

A "public option" is the term applied to a public health insurance that people could choose to purchase instead of private health insurance. It is often described as a way to compete with private insurers because theoretically it would be able to offer lower premiums since it would not have a requirement for profit. The reality is that adding another insurance to our already complex and heavily bureaucratic system just adds more complexity and bureaucracy. And thinking that it could effectively compete with private insurance, which already has a large grip on the market, is naive.

To create a public option, either each state or the federal government would need to set up a new health insurance plan, recruit health professionals to participate in it, negotiate rates for health care services, and then market the plan to customers as a lower cost viable alternative and hope enough people sign on to make it work. This is a big lift. And in the past, private health insurers have been willing to temporarily drop premiums to stifle just this kind of competition.

What is most likely to happen is that the public insurance becomes a relief valve for the private insurers by attracting people who actually need health care. I call it the Profiteer's Option. Private insurers are very talented at finding ways to encourage people to leave them when they become sick. One way they do this is by severely restricting their provider networks so that when a person becomes ill and finds out that the doctor or hospital they need is not in their network, they seek an alternative. Or they can do it in a more passive-aggressive way by offering lower quality service to people who start racking up high health bills.

A natural experiment in public-private competition is found in Medicare. There is a public Medicare, often referred to as traditional Medicare, and there are private Medicare plans, misnamed Medicare Advantage plans. People who enroll in Medicare Advantage plans are healthier overall than those in traditional Medicare. When a Medicare Advantage enrollee starts to need more care, they quickly find that the Advantage plan has less generous coverage or doesn't include the health professional they need to use and they drop out. This leaves traditional Medicare to cover the sickest population.

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The North Koreans sent the U.S. a gift on its July 4th Independence Day. In the morning, -- their time, it was still July 3rd evening in Washington -- they launched a missile. It reached a height of 1741 miles (2802 Km), which was 400 miles higher than the earlier May 14 launch. Calling it the Hwasong-14, they have claimed it has a range of 10,000 km and can reach anywhere in the world -- a range greater than 5,500 km is considered an ICBM. This is now their 11th missile launch this year and their expertise cannot be denied. It is not unlikely that they already have a warhead to fit since rational thinking leads to concurrent development.



Now what? The U.S. can send additional men or warships to the area in a show of force. But what else? The President leans on China in a tweet response but China has previously demurred.



The Chinese President Xi Jinping was on a visit to Moscow and at a joint news conference with President Putin, the latter proposed pushing forward their joint initiative on North Korea. It calls for freezes in ballistic-missile tests and also dealing with U.S. deployment of weapons in South Korea. He is referring of course to the THAAD ABM system installed in South Korea.



The Russians are particularly worried about the girdling of their country with ABM systems. Mr. Putin has pointed out previously how these have destabilized the prior balance. Russia now is faced with a launch-on-warning choice -- a kind of use it or lose it, because a U.S. first strike coupled with the ABMs present the potential of neutralizing the Russian ICBMs.

The Dr. Strangelove who thought up this first-strike capability must have been just about as nuts as the movie character for by creating a hair trigger he has brought us to the doorstep of World War III.



Will we see reason and dismantle these sites, or will Russia eventually be forced to eliminate them unilaterally? And then what will be the consequences? Is a reality TV star and property/casino developer the best equipped to handle them? Unsettling questions all of them, but this is the world we live in.



While our president speculates on China to 'put a heavy move on North Korea and end this nonsense once and for all' in his tweet, he forgets it is probably more likely China is helping its ally along to secure a bigger and bigger bargaining chip. Are the days of the THAAD system in South Korea numbered? One can add, it is not particularly liked by the new South Korean president for it makes his country a target, and he, in contrast with his predecessor, favors a political diplomatic strategy in dealing with the North.
The Consumer Protection Agency (CPA) is calling on KLM and Air France to rescind its racist decision to ban the use of matted woven bags by travellers on their flights.



In a letter addressed to the Country Director of KLM-Royal Dutch Airline, Head of Programmes and Research at CPA, Nana Prempeh, said the action by the airlines is an insult to our identity as Ghanaians and Africans in general who use these matted bags which are by our own make.



The letter said: This decision is discriminatory, racist in nature, and offends our rights of choice.



CPA explained that matted bags over the years have become an African pride and are widely used in West Africa, made popular by Ghanaian and Nigerian travellers, adding: It has become our way of life, and a travelling companion to many Ghanaian and West Africans across continents.



CPA said: Its quite intriguing why these matted bags are allowed on other similar flights to Europe and around the world but being banned on Sky Teams KLM and Air France flights.



They are, therefore, seeking the immediate cancellation of this discriminatory directive as it infringes on individual taste and preference adding: It is not fair, it is distasteful and seemingly discriminatory.











Source: classfmonline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
Hey Putin, you deserve a pat on the back!

...You know, for all that global destabilization, free media suppression, and money laundering you've been up to.

Isn't it nice to live in a world where the leader of the free world pleasantly greets international tyrants, war criminals, and political thugs? This behavior meshes so well with Trump's penchant for calling up dictators and congratulating them on their successful overhauling of liberty and values that, not too long ago, were widely synonymous with those of the United States.

Okay. Let's back up for a moment and explain what's going on in the haunting gif above, and why it's so important. Trump is currently in Hamburg, Germany for the G20 global leaders' summit.



So what is the G20 global leaders' summit?

According to Express.co.uk:



The G20 is a powerful international forum that gathers world leaders and bankers from the top 20 of the world's most successful and emerging economies.

Collectively the group accounts for roughly 85 per cent of the world's GDP and a staggering two-thirds of the global population.

The G20 was founded in 1999, in a slew of post-World War Two initiatives to increase global economic cooperation. These initiatives also included the founding of the world Bank and International Monetary Fund.



Cool! Sounds important! Imagine: Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin and Theresa May all at one table. I wonder if Trump will get 2 scoops of ice cream, while everyone else gets one - the way it ACTUALLY works at the White House.

However, this event is also a bit scary. Some, like The Guardian, believe this event could be the crescendo of what has for months looked like the U.S. stepping down as world leaders, and allowing other countries like France and Germany to take it's place. And let's not forget that Angela Merkel, Chancellor of Germany since 2005, is in fact the host of this enormous global leadership meeting.

NBC News

Now, so far, no giant headlines have come out of this meeting other than the picture of Trump and Putin (allegedly) meeting for the first time. However, Trump did make a splash when he stopped in Poland on the way to Hamberg and said the following to the press, in response to a question about Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. election:



"Well I think it was Russia, and I think it could have been other people and other countries... It could have been a lot of people interfered... I remember when I was sitting back listening about Iraq, weapons of mass destruction. How everybody was 100% sure that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction. Guess what? That led to one big mess... They were wrong and it led to a mess. So, it was Russia. And I think it was probably others also. And that's been going on for a long period of time."



Then, he turns blame back on Obama. That's right! On foreign soil, he claims that not only are U.S. intelligence agencies untrustworthy, but so are the presidents (at least the ones before him):





"Why did he do nothing about it? He was told it was Russia by the CIA, as I understand it. He did nothing about it. They say he choked. Well, I don't think he choked. I think what happened is he thought Hillary Clinton was going to win the election and he thought 'Well, let's not do anything about it... He did nothing about it... Why did he do nothing?"

Good looks, bro. Hope you're as tough on Putin as you are on your own country.



READ MORE ...


PR-Inside.com: 2017-07-07 10:26:58

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Moscow, Russia and Tokyo, Japan, July 7, 2017 - (ACN Newswire) - JCB International Co., Ltd. (JCBI), the international operations subsidiary of JCB Co., Ltd., and United Settlement System (USS), a non-bank credit organization in Russia, announced the signing of a license agreement for JCB card POS acquiring in the POS-terminals network of USS and its partner banks in 2017.The signing of this agreement will allow JCB to expand its brand card acceptance in Russia.The inclusion of acquiring JCB cards under license of USS significantly reduces both time and labor resources of the partner banks.Long-term partnerships of USS and JCB will continue to grow towards development of attractive proposals for banks services and high-tech services for clients.About USSUSS is a subsidiary company of "ROSBANK" (100% participation) and is part of the Societe Generale group. USS was founded in 1999. In 2012 the company created a payment system with the same name as USS. Currently USS provides clearing and settlement services of the operator and clearing center to the Payment system "Payment service United settlement system", settlement and clearing services as a clearing center of the Payment System "Western Union" and clearing center services to the Payment System "BEST". USS is a direct participant and provides its partner banks with settlement and clearing services to the Payment systems "UnionPay", "JCB" and "American Express".About JCBJCB is a major global payment brand and a leading payment card issuer and acquirer in Japan. JCB launched its card business in Japan in 1961 and began expanding worldwide in 1981. As part of its international growth strategy, JCB has formed alliances with hundreds of leading banks and financial institutions globally to increase merchant coverage and cardmember base. As a comprehensive payment solution provider, JCB commits to provide responsive and high-quality service and products to all customers worldwide. For more information, please visit: www.global.jcb/en/ or http://www.ru.jcb/ru/ Note: Statistics about JCB are as of March 2017.ContactJCB International Co., Ltd.Kae MitsudaGlobal Business PlanningTel: 81-3-5778-7963Email: jcbinternational-pr@ info.jcb.co.jp
For the New World Order, a world government is just the beginning. Once in place they can engage their plan to exterminate 80% of the world's population, while enabling the "elites" to live forever with the aid of advanced technology. For the first time, crusading filmmaker ALEX JONES reveals their secret plan for humanity's extermination: Operation ENDGAME.

Jones chronicles the history of the global elite's bloody rise to power and reveals how they have funded dictators and financed the bloodiest warscreating order out of chaos to pave the way for the first true world empire.

Watch as Jones and his team track the elusive Bilderberg Group to Ottawa and Istanbul to document their secret summits, allowing you to witness global kingpins setting the world's agenda and instigating World War III.





to Ottawa and Istanbul to document their secret summits, allowing you to witness global kingpins setting the world's agenda and instigating World War III. Learn about the formation of the North America transportation control grid, which will end U.S. sovereignty forever.





Discover how the practitioners of the pseudo-science eugenics have taken control of governments worldwide as a means to carry out depopulation.





View the progress of the coming collapse of the United States and the formation of the North American Union.

Never before has a documentary assembled all the pieces of the globalists' dark agenda. Endgame's compelling look at past atrocities committed by those attempting to steer the future delivers information that the controlling media has meticulously censored for over 60 years. It fully reveals the elite's program to dominate the earth and carry out the wicked plan in all of human history.

Endgame is not conspiracy theory, it is documented fact in the elite's own words.




By: USOH

End

-- Welcoming the launch of new Bachelor of Arts in Religious Studies degree at comprehensive public Eastern Michigan University (EMU), Hindus are urging for adequate share of Hindu studies in the program.Commending EMU for introducing study of religion, Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada today, said that religion being highly powerful and complex, religious studies programs should be launched in all the US universities and colleges. Moreover, understanding the seriously different faith traditions of others would bring us all closer and help create harmony in the world.Hinduism was the oldest and third largest religion of the world with about 1.1 billion adherents and a rich philosophical thought and it deserved its due and respectable share in this program; Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, stated and hoped that EMU would treat all religions fairly in this project.Rajan Zed further said that this Religious Studies program at EMU should also include study of Sanskrit, which was considered a sacred language in Hinduism; and many of the Hindu, Buddhist and Jain texts were originally written in Sanskrit.Founded in 1849, EMU in Ypsilanti whose tagline is "Education First", serves about 22,000 students pursuing doctorate, specialist, graduate, undergraduate, and certificate degrees with over 300 majors, minors and concentrations. Mike Morris is Regents Chair, while Dr. James M. Smith is the President.
Personal Injury Attorney Bernard Walsh Recognized as a 2017 EAGLE Hall of Fame Member of the Florida Justice Association for his ongoing contributions and support.

By: Shapiro Goldman Babboni Fernandez & Walsh

Attorney Bernard F Walsh, EAGLE member of the Florida Justice Association

Contact

Debra Burger

***@getmejustice.com



Photo:

https://www.prlog.org/ 12650844/1 Debra Burger

End

-- Bernard Walsh of the personal injury law firm of Shapiro Goldman Babboni Fernandez & Walsh has been honored as a 2017 EAGLE Hall of Fame member of the Florida Justice Association (FJA).Chosen because of their ongoing selfless efforts to protect the Florida's civil justice system, FJA Hall of Fame EAGLE members have proven themselves as leaders within the Florida Justice Association, and within the legal community as a whole. FJA EAGLE members set an example for others within the legal community of protecting and strengthening the justice system and working to ensure access to Florida's courts for all Floridians.Going above and beyond to promote a fair and effective justice system in Florida, FJA EAGLE-level members have a legacy of providing extraordinary support for the Florida Justice Association's mission, of ensuring the cornerstone of American democracy is upheld and protected.Attorney Bernard Walsh had this to say, "Providing a steadfast commitment to preserving the state's civil justice system, since 1961 the FJA has stood at the forefront of many of the public policy and political debates that have shaped modern Florida. With the enduring commitment of EAGLE members, the FJA fights to protect the right of all Floridians to seek justice and receive fair and impartial treatment in the state's courts  even when taking on the most powerful interest.Bernard Walsh is an active member in multiple legal organizations including the National Trial Lawyers Top 100 Trial Lawyers, the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum, member of the Florida Justice Association Board of Governors, and the National Association of Distinguished Counsel.A partner at the Personal Injury law firm of Shapiro, Goldman, Babboni, Fernandez and Walsh; Bernard Walsh has won one of Florida's largest motorcycle accident recoveries and has an AV Preeminent rating on Martindale-Hubbell, and is a Superb rated attorney with Avvo.com.5291 Office Park Boulevard, Bradenton FL, 34203Local: 941-752-7200More at: http://www.GetMejustice.com/ Bradenton
Milo Yiannopoulos, the former Breitbart tech editor and self-styled conservative provocateur whose public battle with Simon & Schuster following the publisher's decision to cancel his book deal and its reported $250,000 advance dominated the publishing news cycle earlier this year, has kept his promise to self-publish his book, Dangerous, in spite of the setbackand to continue to cause problems for S&S. Following the book's release on July 4, Yiannopoulos held a rally and protest outside the S&S offices on July 7, where he announced a $10 million lawsuit against the publisher for "breach of contract."

Dangerous was the #1 bestseller and #1 new release on Amazon immediately following its July 4 publication; Yiannopoulos's outside PR firm, AMW Public Relations, told PW that "100,000 copies were delivered to Amazon and sold out in the first day of release," although "a large number of them were on pre-order." (A source familiar with the activity of the book indicated that the 100,000 sales number sold through Amazon was too high.) A publicist at the firm said that hard copies are being distributed through Amazon and Barnes & Noble, adding that "100,000 more copies are being printed now and will be distributed to Amazon [and] B&N as well as some other outlets."

As of the time of this article's publication, the book was #3 in overall book sales on the Amazon site despite being out of stock for more than two days. The book was also out of stock on BN.comit wasn't clear if B&N is selling Dangerous through its stores.

At a rain-soaked rally on July 7 in Midtown Manhattan, about 100-150 fans and a large contingent of police lined the sidewalk by S&S's offices. There, just after noon, Yiannopoulos announced that he had filed a lawsuit against Simon & Schuster with the Supreme Court of the State of New York earlier that morning. S&S, he said, let him keep $80,000 of the advance he had been paid. He is seeking damages of "at least" $10 million. "They have to pay for silencing conservatives and libertarians," he said at the rally. "How many more books could I have sold...with their marketing muscle?"

Reached for comment, an S&S spokesperson issued the following statement to PW: "Although we have not been officially served, we believe that Yiannopoulos's lawsuit is publicity-driven and entirely without merit. Simon & Schuster will vigorously defend itself against any such action, and fully expects to prevail in court."

The night before the rally, to give a boost to the book, Yiannopoulos held a launch party at the DL on New York's Lower East Side, where supportersmostly young, many wearing Make America Great Again hatsgathered to buy books and eagerly await the provocateur. The event was thrown by Milo Inc., Yiannopoulos's company, which AMW said received $12 million in funding from private investors.

The atmosphere was a far cry from that of the average Manhattan book launch. At 10:30, Yiannopoulos stormed the stage in a karategi, the traditional Japanese karate uniform, and engaged in stage combat with a number of actors, dressed in burkas and pink hats that have become a symbol of the Women's March on Washington, held the day after President Donald Trump's inauguration; prior to Yiannopoulos's appearance, a Hillary Clinton impersonator clad in an orange prison jumpsuit occupied a jail-like dunk tank on the third floor patio. A .38 pistol was used as a prop in the performance, and an NYPD officer on premisesthere were upwards of 20 stationed outside the eventconfirmed that it had been cleared with the department prior to the event.

AMW said there were 450 in attendance; when Yiannopoulos appeared on stage, the room was busy but had not yet filled to capacity. In addition to the party, publicity for the book will include signings in a number of cities across the country, the firm said, including at the Luxe Hotel Horowitz Freedom Center in Los Angeles on July 14.

In an interview with PW, at the launch party, Yiannopoulos spoke to his feud with Simon & Schuster and what he sees as a major success for the book.

"It's a nice fuck you," Yiannopoulos said. "Their shareholders should be pretty angry right now, because it isn't going to stop at 100,000. We're seeing everything pick up and continuing to pick up. Orders from distributors and retailers are getting bigger, not smaller. I think I can sell half a million copies without breaking a sweat. Simon & Schuster's shareholders should be really, really pissed. And I'm really pissed at themwhich is why I'm suing them."

Questioned about the "at will" clause included in most publishing contracts, Yiannopoulos said: "The reason they gave for termination was that the manuscript was unfit for publication. It's different from their texts and emails from two days beforeand that is their problem.... It is, in my view, a clear-cut breach of contract. You can't send people texts and emails and say 'you done good' and that you're happy with the manuscript and looking forward to publishing it, full steam ahead, and then two days later say the manuscript is unfit for publication. Clearly, this is not the real reason. I think it's up to a jury to decide what the real reason was and to award me the damages that I'm owed for the reputational damage and how much it set my career back."

S&S, Yiannopoulos said, gave "extensive, exhaustive reviews" of his manuscript before terminating the agreement. Consequently, Yiannopoulos's former agent, Tom Flannery, who wrote an op-ed for PW in February defending Yiannopoulos's deal with S&S, edited the book for self-publication. Yiannopoulos told PW that he thinks "we're distributing with Salem, and I think Thomson Shore, split between the two because we have so many orders, we couldn't fill them all with one supplier. I think those two. Ingram's been buying from us, Amazon obviously putting in tens of thousands [of orders] at once."

Yiannopoulos added: "What Simon and Schuster did suggested to people that I was unfit to be published by a major publishing house. Clearly, based on sales, that is not true. Clearly, based on the reviews that are coming in, that is not true. And clearly from reading the book that's not true. I'm not Richard Spencer. I don't have any opinions that stretch wildly out of the conservative mainstream. I just say them in a provocative way, and I tell jokes that left-wingers don't like. And Simon & Schuster knew that, because in the contract I signed with them, it specifically calls me a provocateur. It calls me controversial. That's why they gave me the deal. Because I could sell books. And I'm demonstrating that I can."

This story has been updated with new information.
DK North America announced that two executives will join its senior leadership team. Mary Marotta, previously v-p, director of childrens sales at Simon & Schuster, has been named v-p, sales, marketing and publicity; and Brandi Larsen, formerly digital publishing director at Penguin Random House, has been named v-p, publishing.

DK COO Shaun Hodgkinson said Marotta and Larsen will join Simon Fraser, v-p, finance & operations, and Mike Degler, publisher, Prima Games, as part of a new senior leadership team for DK North America. The four executives will report directly to Hodginson.

Marotta will have responsibility for sales, consumer and brand marketing and publicity for all divisions at DK. While at S&S she was most recently deputy publisher of the childrens division. Before that she held senior positions at Scholastic.

Larsen will also report to DK global publisher Alex Allan, and work with the global publishing teams to provide local-market insight and oversee the growth of the DK presence in North America. Larsen previously oversaw digital publishing at Penguin Random House working with the Penguin Book Country business and as content director at Tribune Interactive.
Author tours and drinking go together. Nowhere is this more true than in the southern states, where anyone who has toured to New Orleans, Savannah, or Louisville can rightfully expect their evening to end with a glass of bourbon. Author Daren Wang, who is also the long-serving executive director at Georgias Decatur Book Festival, is anticipating, nee planning, as much as he tours this summer to support the August 29 publication of his debut novel from Thomas Dunne Books, The Hidden Light of Northern Fires,

I have more than fifty tour stops organized and at each, Im going to meet up with a local celebrity author and were going to go out for the best bourbon cocktail in town. For example. Wang will meet with Charles Frazier after reading at Malaprops Bookstore in Asheville, N.C., Robert Hicks after reading at Parnassus Books in Nashville, and Haven Kimmel after reading at Regulator Books in Durham, N.C.

The reason Im doing cocktails instead of a straight bourbon pour is because you cant localize a neat bourbon. A cocktail tells you a lot more about the character of the place.

The inspiration, Wang told PW, was twofold. First, the Decatur Book Festival has a tradition of creating and naming a cocktail after a recently departed southern author (this years will be named for poet Thomas Lux). Second, one of Wangs heroes is writer Jim Atkinson who in 1987 published The View from Nowhere, a guide to the best bar bars in the United States. The book has 77 rules of the bar bar all of which self-contradict. Wang will be documenting his quest for The Bitter Southerner website, but demurs when asked if hes thinking of turning the tour into a book of its own.

For me, my career  from working at the book festival to the 20 years I spent working in public radio  has always been about interacting with readers and writers, says Wang. Adding a little bourbon to it makes it all the more fun. And lets face it, you couldnt do a book tour of the south drinking scotch.
FOX Networks Group is to produce its first in-house series in Spain with Vis a Vis, a format originally launched by Atresmedia.





Mediapros Globomedia, which has co-produced Vis a Vis from the beginning, will continue to work on the project.As a direct result of the agreement, Vis a Vis, which had two successful seasons on Spains free-to-air (FTA) TV, will be broadcast exclusively on FOXs pay-TV networks in Spain and Portugal.A third season will premiere in the first half of 2018, landing on Spains most-watched pay-TV network.The project fulfils our goal of starting producing fiction in Spain. Vis a Vis is the perfect choice as it perfectly meets the standards of our international content slate, said Daniel Perez, general manager, FOX Networks Group Spain.For Atresmedia the agreement means a commercial consolidation as a main driver of Spanish-language content production. The deal follows the recent announcement of a strengthened worldwide partnership with Netflix At Atresmedia, were going through a new stage in which we aim to make the most of our fiction brands beyond traditional sales and distribution circuits, said Javier Bardaji, general manager, Atresmedia Television
HBOs over-the-top (OTT) platform in Spain has finally released a native smart TV app, supported by Samsung models.





Through the launch, Samsung smart TVs are the only TV set with direct access to HBO Espanas streaming service, although the platform was already supported by Chromecast. The app will be supported by every Samsung smart TV model released after 2012, including the most recent sets.The launch arrives just in time for the premiere of Game of Thrones seventh season, probably the most-awaited HBO premiere of the year. The release of the series will be the first big test for HBOs streaming platform in Spain, which launched in November 2016 Thanks to the Samsung-HBO Espana agreement, Samsung smart TV users will have quick and easy access to their favourite content, including all the premieres, and with all the customised features delivered by HBOs service, said Miguel Angel Ruiz, head of content and services, Samsung , Spain.HBOs OTT platform will also gain access to the over three million smart TV sets that Samsung has sold in Spain.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy declared that Kherson is "ours after his special forces entered the strategic southern city following the retreat of Russian troops, marking another dramatic battlefield victory in Kyivs drive to recapture territory occupied by Russia since the start of its unprovoked invasion.

The Ukrainian military also said on November 11 that its troops had advanced all the way to the western bank of the Dnieper River in some areas of the Kherson region as Moscow said its forces had completed their withdrawal to the eastern bank in the face of Ukraines powerful counteroffensive.

"Our people -- Ours. Kherson," Zelenskiy wrote in a Telegram post that also included what appeared to be a video of Ukrainian troops celebrating with local residents.

Today is a historic day, Zelenskiy said in the post. We are returning Kherson. As of now, our defenders are on the approaches to the city. But special units are already in the city.

Various videos on social media from Kherson showed resident cheering and waving flags as the first Ukrainian troops reached the center of the city, the only provincial capital captured by Russian forces following their February 24 invasion.

"Kherson is returning to the control of Ukraine," the Ukrainian Defense Ministry said earlier in the day. "Units of the armed forces of Ukraine are entering the city."

WATCH: Local residents welcomed Ukrainian soldiers into Snihurivka on November 10, as advance forces of the Ukrainian military recaptured the town in the southern Mykolayiv region. Other footage from the village of Blahodatne in the Kherson region shows a massive cache of abandoned weapons left by the Russian troops after their retreat.

"The Russian occupiers' routes of retreat are under the direct fire of the Ukrainian Army," the statement added. "Any Russian soldier who resists will be killed."

Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said in a tweet that "Ukraine is gaining another important victory right now and proves that whatever Russia says or does, Ukraine will win." The tweet included a video purporting to show Kherson residents removing a billboard that proclaimed "Russia is here forever."

Serhiy Khlan, a deputy for the Kherson Regional Council, said a Ukrainian flag had been raised in Kherson, as multiple videos circulating on social media purportedly showed Ukrainian soldiers planting their yellow-and-blue flag on administrative buildings in the city and local residents celebrating.

The Russian Defense Ministry said it had finished the pullout from Kherson city and the region at 5 a.m. on November 11 and that no military equipment had been left behind, in an another embarrassing blow to Moscow's war effort, which it refers to as a "special military operation."



"In total, more than 30,000 Russian servicemen, about 5,000 pieces of hardware, and military equipment and materiel have been withdrawn," the ministry said. "Not a single piece of military equipment or weaponry was left on the right (western) bank," he added, although the report could not immediately be confirmed.

Khlan said some Russian soldiers had been unable to leave the city and had changed into civilian clothing and urged local residents to stay at home while Ukrainian troops cleared the city.

"The number of these people is not known," he told a news briefing, without citing evidence for the claim.

Live Briefing: Russia's Invasion Of Ukraine RFE/RL's Live Briefing gives you all of the latest developments on Russia's ongoing invasion, Kyiv's counteroffensive, Western military aid, global reaction, and the plight of civilians. For all of RFE/RL's coverage of the war, click here.

Khlan also said, without citing evidence, that many Russian troops had drowned attempting to flee across the river.

The head of the joint coordination press center of the Defense Forces of Southern Ukraine, Natalya Humenyuk, said Russian troops "have been changing into civilian clothes for two weeks."

"This should focus our forces as it means saboteur operations cannot be ruled out," Humenyuk told a separate briefing.

"Because of this, we are not rushing to announce our successes in other directions and in other towns."

Russia did not immediately comment on Khlan's or Humenyuk's remarks.

Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov said on November 10 that it would take Russia at least a week to withdraw, telling Reuters in an interview that Russia had 40,000 troops in the Kherson region and that it still had forces in the city.

Kherson controls both the only land route to Ukraine's Russian-occupied Crimean Peninsula and the mouth of the Dnieper, which bisects Ukraine.

Recapturing the city could provide Ukraine with a launching pad for supplies and troops to try to win back other lost territory in the south.

Meanwhile, Ukraine's public broadcaster quoted local residents as saying on November 11 that the Antonivskiy Bridge, the only nearby road crossing from Kherson city to the Russian-controlled eastern bank of the Dnieper, had collapsed.

The Suspilne broadcaster published a photograph showing whole sections of the bridge missing. The next road crossing across the Dnieper is more than 70 kilometers from Kherson city.

It was not immediately clear what had caused the collapse.

Recapturing the city could provide Ukraine a launching pad for supplies and troops to try to win back other lost territory in the south.

The Ukrainian General Staff said retreating Russian forces have been looting homes and destroying critical infrastructure, while forcibly evicting residents from the settlements still under their control.

"The Russian invaders continue to loot the settlements from which they are retreating. The enemy is also attempting to damage power lines and other elements of the transport and critical infrastructure of the Kherson region as much as possible," the military said, adding that Russian mines continue to wound civilians.

Elsewhere, six civilians were killed in a Russian rocket attack on Mykolayiv overnight, the mayor of the southern Ukrainian city said on November 11, as Ukrainian troops continued their advance in the direction of Kherson.

The mayor of Mykolayiv, Oleksandr Sienkovych, said on November 11 that the people were killed when Russian rockets hit a residential area of the city, destroying a five-story building.

"As of 10 a.m., six people were killed by the impact of the attack on the residential building," Sienkovych said.

Fierce fighting continues in Bakhmut and Soledar in the eastern Donetsk region as well as in the adjacent Luhansk region, the military said, adding that heavy Russian shelling pounded about 20 settlements in the Kharkiv, Luhansk, Donetsk, Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhya, and Mykolayiv regions.

In his nightly address late on November 10, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said: "Today we have good news from the south. The number of Ukrainian flags returning to their rightful place within the framework of the ongoing defense operation is already dozens.

He added that 41 settlements had been liberated.

With reporting by AP, Reuters, and dpa
While all meetings between leaders from Moscow and Washington are weighted by history, military might, and competing visions of world order, it wouldnt be an understatement to call the July 7 meeting between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump historic.



Bilateral relations between the two nuclear powers are without question at the lowest ebb in 30 years ago, stoking fears of Cold War-style military confrontation.



Trumps presidency, now in its sixth month, has been hobbled in no small part because of U.S. intelligence conclusions that Russia interfered in the election that brought Trump to the White House.



Putin, now in his third term, has overseen Russias resurgent armed forces and commands wide popularity, but the economy is struggling, the population aging, corruption endemic, and the political system is increasingly reliant on Putins personality.



Trump has spoken repeatedly of finding common ground with the Kremlin, which has echoes of past U.S. presidents believing a good rapport and a positive approach could do the job.



Barack Obama tried to reset relations with Putin, after the Russian invasion of Georgia in 2008. George W. Bush famously looked into Putins eyes in 2001 and said he got a sense of his soul.



And Bill Clinton had bonhomie with Putins predecessor, Boris Yeltsin, propping him up -- in one case, literally -- and his presidency during the difficult 1990s.



If Trump can avoid repeating history, it will be no small achievement.

Here are five takeaways from the first meeting between the two men.

Whos In The Room?



In the days leading up to the sit-down, U.S. pundits and Russia watchers were looking closely at who exactly would be let into the room where Putin and Trump were to meet. In the end, it was the two countries top diplomats -- Rex Tillerson and Sergei Lavrov -- plus translators. Left out was the White Houses Russia point person, Fiona Hill, whose presence many observers expected and whose absence deprived the U.S. side of a deep well of knowledge, language, and experience about Putins canniness and Russias internal dynamics. And while Tillersons experience in Russia is substantial, it has largely been as a businessman: captaining the oil giant ExxonMobil and cutting deals with Russias state oil company, Rosneft. Lavrovs career as foreign minister, meanwhile, spans three presidents, and his diplomatic interactions with the United States stretch back to the days of Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev.



The Handshake



Handshakes, and body language more broadly, have become an informal litmus test for observers of Trump and his interactions with world leaders. His 19-second handshake with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, a missed opportunity to shake German Chancellor Angela Merkels hand, his tug-of-war with French President Emmanuel Macron -- all were fodder for amateur psychologists trying to figure out what Trump was trying to tell his foreign counterparts.



With Putin, the handshake occurred during a photo op before their closed-door meeting, and it all had much less of the ceremony of previous events. There was an earlier, more informal one too, when the G20 leaders were gathering. A brief video clip showed Trump outstretching his hand to Putin as officials gathered around a table, then smiling as he patted Putin's elbow. Later on, Trump was seen patting Putin on the back as they stood side by side.



Its an honor to be with you, Trump told Putin, who responded by saying, Im delighted to meet you.



There was a very clear, positive chemistry between the two, Tillerson told reporters later.



As for their initial handshake? It appeared to have lasted a reasonable two seconds.

Tick, Tock, Tick Tock



Originally, just 35-40 minutes had reportedly been allotted for the meeting, which was just a sideshow to the larger Group of 20 summit with leaders of major industrialized nations. But the meeting ultimately stretched to nearly 2 1/4 hours, a signal that the two men werent merely talking about the weather or their choice in neckties.



In comments to reporters awaiting a later meeting with Abe, Putin said he and Trump had discussed Ukraine, Syria, the fight against terrorism, and cybercrime and cyber security. But he gave no further details.



Even before the meeting ended, there were rumors of a deal on Syria, where the United States and Russia have been fighting parallel wars to defeat Islamic State militants but with very different means to that end.



Lavrov later told a news conference that the two presidents had agreed on a cease-fire that would begin in parts of Syria on July 9.



Expect more announcements in the coming days from both Moscow and Washington, not to mention strategic leaks by anonymous officials to the media in both countries.



Asked later why the meeting ran so long, Tillerson responded that "there was so much to talk about."



Read Between The Lines



As is so often the case, what is not said during meetings of such gravity is as important as what is said. Lavrov said that there was no agreement on the United States returning two Russian diplomatic compounds that had been seized in December as part of the Obama administrations response to the alleged election interference. Russia has complained vociferously about the issue, and threatened to seize U.S. diplomatic properties in Moscow in retaliation.



Lavrov reacted neutrally to the announcement earlier in the day that a new special U.S. envoy for Ukraine had been appointed to make headway on the Minsk accords, set up to end the conflict in Ukraine. But judging by his comments, and those of Tillerson later, there wasnt any substantive agreement on pressing the signatories to Minsk, which include Russia, Ukraine, France, and German, to push forward on the commitments laid out by the plan.

Also going unmentioned were other major points of contention between Moscow and Washington, such as the fraying regime of arms control agreements between the two, dating back to the Cold War.



Nor did the pronouncements Trump made during his visit to Poland apparently come up. In Warsaw, which he visited prior to Hamburg, he gave solid reassurance to Russias longtime nemesis, NATO, and criticized Russia for destabilizing some European countries. Trump also blessed the sale of a Patriot missile-defense system to the Polish military, and gave effusive praise to the countrys right-wing government, which is hostile to Russia.



The Elephant In The Room



The biggest issue facing Trump and Putin is the issue that both are denying is even an issue to begin with: the question of Russian interference in the 2016 election. Tillerson said the subject did come up, when Trump himself opened the meeting by raising that concern. Tillerson said the Russians -- either Putin or Lavrov -- then asked for proof of the interference.



"The president pressed President Putin on more than one occasion regarding Russian involvement. President Putin denied such involvement, as I think he has in the past, Tillerson told reporters.



Lavrov, meanwhile, asserted that Trump heard clearly from Putin that Russia didn't interfere. And he said the two sides had agreed to set up a joint working group to address the problem of cybercrime and cybersecurity.



If history is any guide, however, this is likely to lead nowhere. The Russians and Americans have tried to cooperate in the past on cyberissues, only to see that effort break down as Russian government agencies co-opted Russian hackers for official and unofficial projects, and the United States prosecuted and extradited Russian hackers for major computer intrusions.



Moreover, the issue of Russian interference probably isnt one that either has much vested interest in pursuing. For Trump, acknowledging Russia tried to help sway the election in his favor -- as the U.S. intelligence community has concluded -- could undermine his election victory, and potentially the legitimacy of his presidency. For Putin, recognizing that Russia attempted to influence the U.S. election would only corroborate what many experts suspect is going on in many European countries allied with Washington. And it might invite retaliation from the Americans.
Russia-appointed judges at a court in Ukraine's occupied Crimea region were scheduled on July 7 to resume the trial of Mykola Semena, an RFE/RL contributor who is fighting what he says is a politically motivated separatism charge.

The trial in the Crimean capital, Simferopol, has been delayed several times since it started in late March.

Semena faces up to five years in prison if convicted by the Russian-appointed judges, who previously have jailed several people from Crimea who opposed or criticized Moscows 2014 seizure of the Black Sea peninsula from Ukraine.

The charge against the 66-year-old Semena stems from an article he wrote for RFE/RL's Krym.Realii (Crimea Realities) website in 2015.

The Kremlin-installed prosecutor in Crimea charged that the article had called for the violation of Russias territorial integrity.

Semena denies the accusation as baseless and politically motivated, saying Russian authorities have based the case on an inaccurate Russian translation of his original Ukrainian text.

Activists say Semena's trial is part of a systemic Russian clampdown on independent media and dissent in Crimea since Moscows illegal annexation of the peninsula.
The French and Russian foreign ministers vowed on July 6 to put aside their countries' differences and fight extremism together.

"International terrorism is our No. 1 enemy and combating it means really putting to side all the rest," Russia's Sergei Lavrov said after meeting his French counterpart, Jean-Yves Le Drian, in Paris.

Both countries have been hit by several attacks claimed by the Islamic State extremist group in recent years. Le Drian said Paris and Moscow are facing "a common enemy" in Syria.

He said Moscow and Paris "share a common objective -- peace -- and it is a question of national security both for France and for Russia."

Russia has come under increasing diplomatic pressure from Western nations to distance itself from the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad after the UN's chemical weapons watchdog said Damascus used sarin nerve gas in an April attack that killed dozens of civilians.

But Moscow has dismissed the UN findings, saying they were based on "questionable data."

Le Drian said that France and Russia disagree about the April 4 attack on Khan Sheikhun, but they "both very strongly oppose" the use of chemical weapons.

Based on reporting by AFP and Reuters


HAMBURG, Germany -- Police have struggled to gain control over street violence while world leaders dined together and attended a classical-music concert after the first day of the Group of 20 (G20) summit.

Smoke hovered in the air over the city on July 7 from fires lit by small factions of radicals among an estimated 100,000 antiglobalization protesters. They torched dozens of cars and set barricades on fire, even as German Chancellor Angela Merkel, U.S. President Donald Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and the other leaders listened to the strains of Beethoven's 9th Symphony.

After a day of burning, looting, and other havoc by far-left protesters, heavily armed police commandos, using armored vehicles, water cannons, and tear gas, appeared mostly successful at clearing the streets of the downtown area by the early morning of July 8.

Still, nearly 200 of the more than 20,000 police on the streets sustained minor injuries, and police had made 19 arrests and dozens more detentions after two days of clashes in the port city. Dozens of protesters were also injured.

Merkel condemned the violence as "unacceptable."

"I have every understanding for peaceful demonstrations," Merkel said. "But violent demonstrations endanger human lives, they endanger people themselves, they put police officers and security forces in danger, put residents in danger, and so that is unacceptable."

In the night's most dramatic scenes, police pursued members of the radical anticapitalist Black Bloc movement across scaffolding as they sought refuge on rooftops while burning barricades billowed thick smoke below.

The chaos that threatened to overwhelm parts of the city during much of the day caused a few glitches in the summit -- most notably, U.S. first lady Melania Trump's motorcade was unable to leave her hotel for events she was scheduled to attend with other spouses at the summit.

But by and large, the thousands of summit participants from dozens of countries were largely unaffected by the clashes outside.

Trump-Putin meeting

The highlight of the meetings on July 7 had been a highly anticipated first-time face-to-face encounter between Trump and Putin that extended long past its allotted 35-40 minutes, with the two leaders discussing Syria, Ukraine, and Russias alleged meddling in the U.S. presidential election.

U.S. and Russian officials said the meeting lasted two hours and 15 minutes and also addressed the crisis over North Koreas illicit weapons program.

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who attended the meeting along with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, briefed reporters afterward, saying Trump pressed Putin "on more than one occasion" on Moscows involvement in the U.S. election.

Tillerson said the Russian leader denied any interference in the election, adding that it is "something that may be an intractable disagreement at this point."

In a separate briefing, Lavrov claimed that Trump had "accepted" Putins denial of meddling in the election. "President Trump said he heard clear statements from Putin that [the allegations of meddling] are not true, and that Russian authorities did not intervene, and he accepted these declarations," Lavrov said.

Tillerson, when asked while he was leaving his news briefing if this was accurate, refused to answer.



Trump did not immediately comment on the meeting, but the Russian state-run Interfax news agency quoted Putin as saying he had discussed "many issues," including "both Ukraine and Syria," along with terrorism and cybersecurity in their "lengthy conversations."

WATCH: How The Meeting Unfolded

In his briefing, Lavrov also confirmed a report by the Associated Press that said the United States and Russia had reached agreement on a cease-fire in southwest Syria, due to go into effect on July 9.

The agreement is separate from the deal on the so-called "deescalation zones" being worked out to help separate combatants in Syrias six-year civil war.

Tillerson said the Trump administration policy sees no long-term role for Syrian President Bashar al- Assad or his family in the future government of Syria.

Video footage from before the meeting showed Putin and Trump briefly shaking hands at the G20 venue earlier in the day, with both men smiling and the U.S. president patting Putin on the back.

WATCH: Putin Calls On G20 Nations To Unite Against Terrorism

Trump has repeatedly called for improving ties with Moscow, though his administration has continued to publicly maintain pressure on Russia -- including with sanctions -- over its seizure of Ukraines Crimean Peninsula and backing of armed separatists in eastern Ukraine.

Trump's administration has also been dogged by the assessment of U.S. intelligence officials that the Kremlin ordered a hacking and propaganda campaign aimed at helping Trump win the 2016 U.S. presidential election -- an allegation the Kremlin denies.

Both the U.S. Congress and the FBI are investigating the alleged hacking and contacts between associates of the U.S. president and Russian officials.

In a speech in Warsaw on July 6 before meeting with Putin, Trump called on Russia to "cease its destabilizing activities in Ukraine and elsewhere" and stressed Washington's commitment to NATO, which Putin has long accused of stoking tensions in Eastern Europe.

WATCH: Protests In Hamburg Turn Violent Ahead Of G20 Summit

But Trump also downplayed the consensus among U.S. intelligence agencies, and many Republicans and Democrats in Congress, that Moscow actively meddled in the election that he ended up winning.

"Nobody really knows for sure," Trump told a news conference in Warsaw on July 6 when asked about the allegations of Russian interference.

Sitting next to Trump before the press prior to their July 7 meeting, Putin noted that while the two leaders had previously spoken by telephone, personal meetings were much more effective in dealing with "sensitive" global issues.

Trade And Climate Tensions

Meanwhile, tensions continued to simmer among G20 leaders over trade and climate change at the end of the gathering's first day.

Merkel said nearly all the leaders agreed on the need for free and fair trade, but she added that some differences are making difficult the drafting of the summit's final communique.

"On the issue of trade, virtually everyone believes we need free but also fair trade," she said. "However, I can predict that as far as trade is concerned in the communique, the [political aides] have a lot of work ahead of them tonight.

After a July 6 meeting between Merkel and Trump, German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel said "clear differences" on climate change and trade continued to divide the two allies, though they also found "many commonalities."

"The question is whether the Americans remain convinced that the only thing that counts on global trade is whether America is the winner or not," Gabriel told public broadcaster ARD.

"Or can we manage to convince the Americans that if everyone plays by the same rules, then this will be best for everyone," he said.

The G20 leaders used to routinely issue pledges to fight protectionism, but Trump's "America First" trade policy has hampered consensus among world leaders on globalization and trade since he took office.

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker told reporters on July 7 that the EU would respond should Washington decide to impose punitive tariffs on steel, although he did not give specifics.

The group appeared unlikely to be able to reach a consensus on climate change as well, as world leaders stepped up pressure on Trump in the wake of his withdrawal from the 2015 Paris climate agreement.

"We are not renegotiating the Paris agreement, that stays. But I want to see the U.S. looking for ways to rejoin it," British Prime Minister Theresa May told the BBC.

Merkel said that "it will be very interesting to see how we formulate the communique tomorrow and make clear that, of course, there are different opinions in this area because the United States of America regrettably...wants to withdraw from the Paris accord."

The one area of agreement leaders found was on blocking funding for extremist groups. They issued a joint statement late on July 7 underscoring their "resolve to make the international financial system entirely hostile to terrorist financing."

"There should be no 'safe spaces' for terrorist financing anywhere in the world," the leaders said.

With reporting by Rikard Jozwiak in Hamburg, AP, AFP, dpa, Reuters, and TASS
Police used water cannons to try to disperse thousands of protesters during a second day of mass demonstrations in Hamburg as world leaders met for the G20 summit on July 7. Authorities said some 160 officers had been injured and at least 70 protesters arrested as some 15,000 security forces patrolled the streets. (Marek Hajduk, RFE/RL)
Toomaj Salehi's lyrical support for protesters in Iran has landed him behind bars before, but this time the popular rapper's fortune-telling has fans and family members fearing for his life.

Just days before his September 30 arrest, the 32-year-old Salehi released his latest music video, in which he makes foreboding predictions about the future of Iran's clerical regime if it continues its violent crackdown against ongoing anti-government demonstrations.

"I am the predictor, the fortune teller," he raps in the video for Omen, which shows him reading the patterns left in his coffee cup and warning that brute force will not prevail.

"I saw a cage in the coffee grounds -- a lion was hunting a jackal," he explains, alluding to a fairy tale about wisdom defeating physical strength. "We will rise from the bottom and target the top of the pyramid."

Salehi goes on to warn that the regime's protectors -- including the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), the Basij paramilitary forces, the Intelligence Ministry, and the state media -- will all get their day in court.

Salehi followed up on the new video by posting on social media images of him standing alongside protesters and chanting against security forces in his native city in Isfahan Province. The rapper, an ethnic Lur who was arrested last year after releasing other songs critical of the government, offered to turn himself in if protesters detained in his hometown of Shahinshahr were released.

In subsequent posts, he called the provincial authorities "cowardly vermin" and "scum who suppress and arrest [innocent] people."

Shortly afterward, Salehi went missing and has not been heard from since.

State media reported on September 30 that Salehi had been arrested, and a news agency close to the IRGC published a photo of the blindfolded rapper inside a car.

A short video later released by a press club associated with Iran's state broadcaster purports to show the rapper admitting he made a mistake.

But the reports' claims he had been caught while "illegally exiting the western borders of the country" have been fiercely disputed, and the video confession has been labeled a fake by some and a coerced confession by others.

Family members as well as Salehi's official Twitter account have said the rapper was, in fact, arrested in the southwestern Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Province, hundreds of kilometers from Iran's western border.

In a statement, Salehi's uncle Eghbal Eghbali said his nephew was in the province's city of Borujen on the morning of September 30 when he wrote saying "suspicious things" were happening outside his home. Soon after, Salehi stopped communicating. Eghbali said he learned from Salehi's neighbors and friends that security personnel had arrived to take the rapper away.

Later on September 30, a prosecutor in nearby Isfahan Province was quoted by the Meezan news agency, which is close to Iran's judiciary, as saying Salehi was arrested "in one of the provinces of the country." The prosecutor alleged the rapper had played a key role in "creating disturbances and inviting and encouraging the recent disturbances in Isfahan Province and in Shahinshahr."

The official IRNA news agency, meanwhile, quoted a judiciary official from Isfahan Province as saying Salehi stood accused of "propagandistic activity against the government, cooperation with hostile governments, and the formation of illegal groups with the intention of creating insecurity in the country."

Thousands of Iranians, many of them from the younger generation, have taken to the streets in recent weeks to protest the September 16 death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who died shortly after being arrested for allegedly violating Iran's hijab law requiring that women cover their hair.

As the protests have continued, the authorities have intensified their crackdown, resulting in the deaths of at least 305 people, including 41 children, according to the latest figures released by the Oslo-based Iran Human Rights (IHR) on November 6.

Salehi is among the hundreds of prominent young voices, including activists, artists, and athletes, who have been arrested for speaking out against the states bloody crackdown on the protests. Overall, activists estimate thousands of people have been arrested by the authorities since the rallies erupted.

Faced with a potential existential threat to Iran's clerical rule, 227 of 290 Iranian lawmakers this week called for even greater force by urging the judiciary to "deal decisively" with those behind the protests.

In recent years, Salehi has gained notoriety for his open opposition to the country's leadership, using his music and social media presence to take on issues that resonate with Iranian youths.

In the song Normal, he highlights the effects of poverty, saying "Our children sleep hungry at night" and asking Iran's leaders how their conscience can let them sleep.

The song Rathole, released in 2021, accuses members of the media and art community both inside and outside Iran of being an "ally of the tyrant," a reference to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

In another song, he blasts Tehran's close relationships with Moscow and Beijing, asking: "Haven't you robbed us enough? Now, you want to give away half [of our resources] to China and the rest to Russia."

Salehi was detained in September 2021 after security agents raided his home in Isfahan, with Human Rights Watch decrying the detention of the artist for "exercising his right to freedom of expression."

Salehi was charged with "spreading propaganda against the state," but after more than a week was released on bail. In January, he was sentenced to six months in prison but was released on a suspended sentence in February.

While out, he continued his work and released Omen amid the states increasingly violent crackdown on anti-government protesters.

"Someone's crime was dancing with her hair in the wind," he raps. "Someone's crime was that she was brave and criticized."

Listing a litany of violent acts carried out by the authorities against protesters, Salehi asks, "How many young people did you kill building a tower for yourself?" and predicts that next year, the 44th year of the clerical regime's rule, will be its "year of failure."

Salehi's arrest has led to widespread condemnation inside and outside Iran, and his advocates have spread the #FreeToomaj hashtag on Twitter to shed light on his situation.

His family has said they do not know Salehi's whereabouts or health, leaving them wondering if he is even alive.

But the authorities have shed some light on the fate of another Iranian rapper arrested shortly before Salehi. The judiciary announced on November 7 that Saman Yasin, a rapper from Kermanshah Province -- a northwestern region with a significant Kurdish population and that has been a focus of the government crackdown -- has been accused of waging "warfare" against Iran and acting against the country's security.

Based on reporting by RFE/RL's Radio Farda, with contributions by RFE/RL senior correspondent Michael Scollon
Islamic State (IS) militants launched a counterattack in the Old City of Mosul and in a village south of the city, killing several people, including two Iraqi journalists covering the battle.

An Iraqi military officer on July 7 said an IS attack along a northern edge of the Old City had pushed the Iraqi Army back some 75 meters and that the extremists were threatening to reduce government forces gains elsewhere in the crowded neighborhood.

The officer said 50 to 100 IS fighters carried out the counterattack, with a military doctor saying at least a dozen Iraqi soldiers had been wounded.

A day earlier, Iraqi government forces reported they had broken through the IS militants last major line of defense, squeezing the remaining 200-300 desperate fighters into a 250-meter strip of land along the Tigers River.

The extremist group also attacked the village of Imam Gharbi, some 70 kilometers south of Mosul, killing several people, including at least two Iraqi television journalists and an unknown number of other civilians, security forces said.

A statement from the United Nations said the fighting forced the UN-affiliated International Organization for Migration (IOM) to suspend a relief operation that houses about 80,000 people in a village just north of Imam Gharbi.

A Reuters news agency crew reported coalition air strikes and artillery attacks continued to pound the extremists in Mosul.

A Pentagon report, released on July 7, said that U.S.-led coalition air strikes in Iraq and Syria have killed a total of 603 civilians since the air campaign against IS was launched in 2014, about half of them in the area around Mosul.

In recent days, Iraqi and coalition officials have expressed optimism that U.S.-backed forces were nearing victory in the battle to liberate Mosul.

But the latest counterattacks appeared to indicate more bloody fighting was likely to occur before Mosul and the surrounding region can be fully liberated.

IS took Mosul in 2014 when the extremists captured large areas of territory from Iraqi and Syrian government forces, declaring an Islamic caliphate over land they held.

But U.S.-backed forces in Mosul and Raqqa in Syria have made major gains over IS in recent months.

Based on reporting by AP, AFP, and Reuters
PRISTINA -- Kosovos President Hashim Thaci says that Ramush Haradinaj, leader of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK), has enough support in parliament to form a coalition government after general elections were held in June.

Thaci told RFE/RL that he will give Haradinaj a formal mandate to try to form a government, despite speculation that Haradinaj may not be able to find coalition partners after winning 35 percent of the vote in the June 11 poll.



Officials from the European Union and other Western institutions have been concerned that inconclusive election results could plunge the country into the same constitutional crisis it faced after a 2014 vote failed to produce a clear winner, delaying the formation of a government for nine months.



But Thaci told RFE/RL on July 6 that Haradinaj has confirmed after coalition negotiations that he has enough votes from parliamentary deputies to form a government.

The 48-year-old Haradinaj has been tried and acquitted twice on war crimes charges at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia in The Hague.

Haradinaj was elected as Kosovos prime minister in 2004 but resigned after 100 days to surrender himself for trial at The Hague. He denies all charges.

Based on reporting by RFE/RL's Balkan Service correspondent Amra Zejneli
President Hashim Thaci says that after years of talks, Kosovo and Serbia are entering a new phase of dialogue as they look to sign a comprehensive agreement to benefit both countries on the path of European integration.

The new phase of dialogue foresees the definite ending of this process with a comprehensive, political agreement which will open a safe Euro-Atlantic perspective for Kosovo, so we become a part of NATO and the EU, but will as well speed up the integration process for Serbia, Thaci told RFE/RL's Balkan Service in an interview on July 6.

Thaci and his Serbian counterpart, Aleksandar Vucic, were in Brussels earlier this week, where they held informal meetings with European Union foreign policy chief Frederica Mogherini to iron out a path to normalize relations.

Kosovo declared independence without Serbia's consent, and Belgrade and Moscow have yet to recognize it as a separate country. The United States and most of Europe are among the more than 100 countries that recognize Kosovo's independence.

A 2011 EU initiative, however, led to a cooperation framework between the two states.

Several incidents have since undermined that spirit of cooperation, including an incident in January when a train painted in Serbia's national colors and bearing the words "Kosovo is Serbia" turned back before reaching Kosovo, where special police units had been deployed to prevent it from reaching its stated destination, the ethnically divided city of Mitrovica in northern Kosovo.

Relations have been strained since June 11 elections in Kosovo, a country of 1.8 million people, 90 percent of whom are ethnic Albanian.

Two potential prime ministers, Ramush Haradinaj and Albin Kurti, have said in the past that they don't support the current format of the dialogue.

But Thaci told RFE/RL that he foresees a full normalization of relations between Pristina and Belgrade and reconciliation of their people, including the affirmation of rights of Kosovo Serbs.

We have to be sincere; we have many open questions between Kosovo and Serbia to discuss and normalize, Thaci said, noting he could not predict how long the final stage of talks would last but saying he didnt think it would be a matter of years.

We cannot say that we can behave with Serbia as with some other country with which we were not in war. We had a war with Serbia, there was unprecedented violence, but now we have to fix what is fixable," Thaci said. "The world also wants that normalization and reconciliation between Kosovo and Serbia. We cannot go forward with a European future with tense relations.

New Tribunal

Part of any reconciliation includes bringing to justice those accused of war crimes during the 1998-99 conflict that preceded Pristinas declaration of independence.

A new Hague tribunal, called the Kosovo Specialist Chambers, has been set up after pressure from the European Union on the government in Pristina to address alleged war crimes committed against ethnic Serbs by the Kosovo Liberation Army (UCK).

The establishment of the tribunal, which will operate under Kosovar law but use international judges and prosecutors, is investigating allegations made in a Council of Europe report that senior UCK commanders ran detention centers after the Kosovo war where Serbs and other civilian captives were killed and their organs sold on the black market.

On the other side, Serbian forces were accused of massacring ethnic Albanian Kosovars in a counterinsurgency campaign before they were driven out by NATO air strikes and the UCK in 1999.

Thaci told RFE/RL that Kosovo has fulfilled all its political and institutional obligations for the court and that justice should be allowed to run its course.

I, as a former [prime minister] and former foreign affairs minister, led the process of the creation of the court with the full assurance that it will preserve and cultivate relations with the United States, NATO, and the EU, he said.

I was aware that this was an unjust, mono-ethnic court, but we had to swallow that for the sake of the Euro-Atlantic perspective and interests of our country and our people.
MOSCOW -- Russian opposition leader Aleksei Navalny has been released from a Moscow detention center after 25 days under administrative arrest.

Navalnys spokeswoman Kira Yarmysh said on social media on July 7 that Navalny was released at 9 a.m. Moscow time.

Reuters reports that Russian media and Navalnys detractors had expected him to be freed later in the day and were waiting for him at a different location.

Navalny, an outspoken critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin, has twice had a green antiseptic liquid thrown on his face by detractors, causing him partial sight loss.

Navalnys supporters were planning a series of campaign events for July 8, including the distribution of the first edition of his preelection newspaper.

Russian police briefly detained the coordinator of Navalny's campaign office in the city of Perm, just hours before Navalny was released.

Maksim Zhilin was stopped by police officers on July 6 while carrying election campaign materials supporting Navalny, the Perm office wrote on the popular Russian social-networking site VKontakte.

It said Zhilin was released in the early hours of July 7.

Perm office employee Natalya Vavilova said on VKontakte that police also seized several boxes of campaign materials from Zhilins car and from another vehicle belonging to Navalny supporters.

The Interfax news agency quoted Vavilova as saying on July 7 that police officers filed a report on "the confiscation of 3 tons of leaflets and newspapers intended for distribution.

Navalny, who has organized several antigovernment protests, completed a 25-day sentence on July 7 after being convicted on charges of violating a law against organizing public meetings.

On July 6, Russian authorities raided Navalnys election office in Moscow.

Navalny supporters said 10 police officers entered the Kremlin critics headquarters in Moscow, seizing computers and campaign literature.

Authorities also sealed the doors to Navalnys Moscow headquarter after the raid.

Navalny has vowed to run for Russia's presidency in March 2018, when Vladimir Putin is widely expected to win reelection.

Russian officials have barred Navalny from participating in the election, citing a criminal conviction that Navalny say was a politically motivated case aimed at blocking him from running.

With reporting by Reuters, BBC, Interfax, and TASS
The Pentagon says U.S.-led coalition air strikes in Syria and Iraq have killed a total of 603 civilians since the air campaign against the Islamic State (IS) extremist group was launched in 2014.

The Pentagon's estimate of civilian deaths between August 2014 and May 2017 was far lower than figures provided by monitoring groups.

The monitoring group Airwars says a total of at least 4,354 civilians have been killed by coalition air strikes during the same period.

The Pentagon report released on July 7 says nearly half of all those civilian deaths occurred in or near the northern Iraqi city of Mosul, the last remaining IS stronghold in Iraq. The report did not further specify locations of the air strikes.

The coalition defines a credible casualty assessment as one that "more likely than not" resulted in civilian deaths.

Claims of civilian casualties have increased in Iraq and Syria in recent months as military operations against IS in Mosul and across Syria have accelerated.

Based on reporting by AP and Reuters
Russia on July 6 objected to a U.S.-drafted resolution at the UN condemning North Korea's first-ever launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile.

Russia contends that the missile was medium-range and not long-range and said it was seeking a change to the resolution being debated by the UN Security Council.

Moscow's resistance to defining Pyongyang's missile launch as long-range does not bode well for Washington's hopes of pushing through stronger sanctions on Pyongyang, which U.S. Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley said she will propose soon.

Moscow believes North Korea fired an intermediate range ballistic missile on July 4. The United States agrees with North Korea's claim that it was an ICBM and represented a major leap in technology over previous missiles tested.

"We cannot confirm that the missile can be classified as an ICBM," Russia's UN mission told other council members in an e-mail. "There is no consensus on this issue."

Russia's objection effectively blocks the resolution, as a consensus is needed to approve it.

Haley lashed out at Russia's move.

"If you need any sort of intelligence to let you know that the rest of the world sees this as an ICBM, I'm happy to provide it," she said.

She called the launch "a clear and sharp military escalation" and warned that Washington was ready to use military force, "but we prefer not to have to go in that direction."

Russian Deputy Ambassador Vladimir Safronkov warned that "any attempts to justify a military solution are inadmissible and will lead to unpredictable consequences for the region."

He also argued against tougher sanctions, saying they "will not resolve the issue."

"Attempts to economically strangle North Korea are equally unacceptable, as millions of North Koreans remain in need of humanitarian aid," he said.

Haley did not give details on what sanctions the United States would propose but outlined available options. North Korea has been under UN sanctions since 2006 over its ballistic-missile and nuclear programs.

"The international community can cut off the major sources of hard currency to the North Korean regime. We can restrict the flow of oil to their military and their weapons programs. We can increase air and maritime restrictions. We can hold senior regime officials accountable," Haley said.

Diplomats said Washington proposed such options to Beijing two months ago but that China only agreed to adding some people and entities to the existing UN sanctions list.

Following a nuclear weapons test by North Korea in September, while U.S. President Barack Obama was still in office, it took the UN Security Council three months to agree on stronger sanctions.

It was not immediately clear how long U.S. President Donald Trump's administration is prepared to negotiate with China and Russia over new measures.

Trump has threatened to use trade to pressure Beijing, North Korea's biggest trading partner, to do more to rein in its ally.

The United States unilaterally sanctioned Chinese companies doing business with North Korea earlier this year, and U.S. officials said more such sanctions may target Chinese companies, especially banks, in the future.

Trump earlier on July 6 had hinted at the possibility of a "pretty severe" response from Washington to the missile launch.

"I don't like to talk about what I have planned, but I have some pretty severe things that we are thinking about," he said. "That doesn't mean we are going to do them. I don't draw red lines."

He said North Korea is "behaving in a very, very dangerous manner and something will have to be done about it."

Trump and the leaders of Japan and South Korea agreed on the need for "more severe measures" against Pyongyang at a dinner before the Group of 20 summit in Hamburg, Germany, on July 6.

The three leaders had a "very vivid discussion" and discussed "the necessity for China to perform an even greater role" in carrying out sanctions against North Korea, said Norio Maruyama, press secretary for Japanese Prme Minister Shinzo Abe.

With reporting by AP, AFP, dpa, and Reuters


Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Washington's offer to cooperate in Syria is a "step in the right direction" but further information is needed about the U.S. proposal to create "no-fly zones" there.

"We have asked, but we haven't got an answer to the question of what no-fly zones are envisioned, because there has never been any talk of them," Lavrov said during a visit to Paris on July 6.

Russia is currently pushing a plan along with Iran and Turkey to establish four "de-escalation zones" on the ground where air strikes would be halted.

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on July 5 said the United States is "prepared to explore the possibility of establishing with Russia joint mechanisms for ensuring stability, including no-fly zones."

Tillerson's statement came ahead of the first meeting between President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Hamburg on July 7.

Shortly after taking office, Trump said he would like to establish "safe zones" in Syria where Syrian civilians would be safe from fighting in the civil war, but he has never offered a detailed plan.

Based on reporting by AFP and Reuters
A Russian court has pardoned two men convicted over the 2014 death of the former boss of the French oil giant Total, who was killed when his jet collided with a snow plough at a Moscow airport.



A Moscow court sentenced airport employees Vladimir Martynenko and Vladimir Ledenev to four and 3 1/2 years in prison, respectively, but freed them under an amnesty law and dropped all charges.



Both had pleaded guilty.



Former Total chief executive Christophe de Margerie was killed in October 2014 along with three of his air crew when his jet hit the snow plough as it was taking off from Moscows Vnukovo airport during the night.



Five airport employees were put on trial over Margerie's death, including Martynenko, who drove the snow plough while drunk, and Vladimir Ledenev, who was in charge of the snow-clearing.



Their cases were heard separately from the three other airport employees.





Based on reporting by AFP and TASS
The memory of a beloved pet inspires one couple's fight against injustice.
KYIV -- The United States has tapped its former U.S. ambassador to NATO as a special envoy to negotiate over the fate of war-racked Ukraine.

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on July 7 announced that Kurt Volker, who served as Washingtons NATO ambassador under the previous two U.S. administrations, will take responsibility for advancing U.S. efforts to achieve the objectives of a peace deal known as the Minsk agreements, which has yet to stop hostilities.

"Kurt's wealth of experience makes him uniquely qualified to move this conflict in the direction of peace," Tillerson said in a statement. "The United States remains fully committed to the objectives of the Minsk agreements, and I have complete confidence in Kurt to continue our efforts to achieve peace in Ukraine."

A pooled media report on July 7 also quoted State Department official R.C. Hammond as saying that Volker will coordinate all State Department efforts to bring a resolution to the conflict created when Russia invaded Crimea and later eastern Ukraine.

Volkers appointment came shortly before U.S. President Donald Trump was to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin for highly anticipated bilateral talks on the sidelines of the Group of 20 summit in Hamburg, Germany.

That meeting was expected to address tensions between Moscow and Washington over Russias 2014 annexation of Ukraines Crimean Peninsula and continued backing of armed militants in eastern Ukraine.



Trump has said he wants to improve ties with Russia, though his administration so far has maintained the punitive measures targeting Russia for its actions in Ukraine that began under Trumps predecessor, Barack Obama.

The U.S. Senate, meanwhile, has tried to put itself in position to block efforts to ease Russia sanctions.

As special envoy, Volker is tasked with pushing for a solution to a conflict that is now in its fourth year. More than 10,000 people have been killed and nearly 2 million have been displaced by the fighting between Ukrainian forces and Russia-backed separatists.

During the Obama administration, Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Victoria Nuland served in the envoy role that Volker is set to take over.

Volker is likely to be dealing directly with Vladislav Surkov, a longtime senior aide to Putin.

Volker is the executive director of the McCain Institute for International Leadership at Arizona State University, which says it is guided by the values that have animated the career of U.S. Senator John McCain -- a prominent foreign policy voice in Congress and a tireless critic of Putin.

The former NATO envoy has spoken critically about the government of former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych, whose ouster amid mass street protests in 2014 triggered a series of events that led to Russia's annexation of Ukraine's Crimea region and outbreak of war in eastern Ukraine.



Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko welcomed Volkers appointment, saying in a July 7 tweet that it is an important and timely move in the interests of ending Russian aggression and restoration of Ukraines territorial integrity, including Crimea.

The State Department said Volker would accompany Tillerson during his visit to Kyiv on July 9, when Tillerson will meet with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko and civil-society activists.



Poroshenkos administration and the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv confirmed Poroshenko and Tillerson will deliver statements following their meeting.

A U.S. diplomat source told RFE/RL that Volker was expected to stay over until July 10 to meet with other Ukrainian officials.

With reporting by Reuters
A U.S. Army major died mysteriously while visiting Belarus last month, media reported on July 6.

The father of Kyle Tafel, 36, said the U.S. national guardsman was visiting Belarus with two of his aunts. One of them was there for a weightlifting competition.

He was there to support her and, in a way, I think, to try to protect them. He knew it was a rough neighborhood, said Kevin Tafel, Kyle's father.

Kevin Tafel said on one of their last nights there, his son went to the hotel's casino. There was some type of argument, and security brought Kyle back to the suite he shared with his aunts.

He told his aunts, 'They were out for blood.' Out of fear, they barricaded the door so nobody could get in or out, said Kevin Tafel.

Tafel said about three hours later, the police showed up at the hotel suite and told the aunts that Kyle's body was found on the sidewalk outside the hotel. He was dead.

Kevin Tafel said he doesn't know what happened.

Belarusian authorities said they don't suspect foul play as camera records show the drunken soldier was alone in his room before apparently falling out of a window.

Based on reporting by Fox5Atlanta.com, news.tut.by, and RFE/RL's Belarusian Service


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Four members of the New Horizons South African observation team scan the sky while waiting for the start of the 2014 MU69 occultation, early on the morning of June 3, 2017.

The frigid, faraway body that NASA's New Horizons spacecraft will zoom by 18 months from now may actually be a cluster of small objects, new observations suggest.

New Horizons  which performed the first-ever flyby of Pluto in July 2015  will have another close encounter on Jan. 1, 2019, this time with a little-studied object called 2014 MU69.

Mission scientists recently had a chance to learn more about 2014 MU69, which lies about 1 billion miles (1.6 billion kilometers) beyond the orbit of Pluto and is thought to be 12 to 25 miles (20 to 40 km) wide. On the night of June 2, MU69 crossed in front of a distant star in a 2-second "occultation" visible from a narrow band of land and sea that stretched from the Indian Ocean through South Africa to southern Argentina and Chile. [Destination Pluto: NASA's New Horizons Mission in Pictures]

So New Horizons team members set up shop in various spots along the occultation path and pointed their telescopes skyward. They ended up taking more than 100,000 images of the occulted star, none of which captured 2014 MU69 itself, NASA officials said.

"These results are telling us something really interesting," New Horizons principal investigator Alan Stern, of the Southwest Research Institute in Boulder, Colorado, said in a statement.

"The fact that we accomplished the occultation observations from every planned observing site but didnt detect the object itself likely means that either MU69 is highly reflective and smaller than some expected, or it may be a binary or even a swarm of smaller bodies left from the time when the planets in our solar system formed," Stern added.

The team may be able to narrow down these possibilities soon. MU69 will make two more stellar occultations this month: one on July 10 and the other on July 17.

New Horizons scientists plan to use NASA's Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy  a 747 jet equipped with a 100-inch (2.5 m) telescope  to observe the July 10 event. The main goal is to hunt for debris around 2014 MU69 that could pose a danger to New Horizons during the upcoming flyby, agency officials said.

New Horizons team members will observe the July 17 occultation from southern Argentina, gathering data that could help nail down 2014 MU69's size. Scientists will also use NASA's Hubble Space Telescope to watch that event, searching for hazardous debris.

The $700 million New Horizons mission launched in January 2006. More than nine years later, on July 14, 2015, the probe gave humanity its first up-close looks at Pluto, revealing a startlingly complex and diverse world with vast nitrogen-ice plains and towering mountains of water ice.

The upcoming flyby of 2014 MU69 is the centerpiece of New Horizons' extended mission, which NASA officially approved last year.

Follow Mike Wall on Twitter @michaeldwall and Google+. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook or Google+. Originally published on Space.com.
W hen the G20 was created almost 20 years ago it was supposed to reduce Europes influence in the international order. A financial crisis in Asia, and the perceived arrogance of the Frenchman heading up the IMF at the time, led the rest of the world to demand a bigger seat at the top table. So the G7  with its four European slots  was sidelined, and the Group of 20 was born: first as a meeting of finance ministers and then, in 2008, as a jamboree for prime ministers and presidents.

The decade since has seen European power further wane as our continent has lurched from one crisis to another, culminating in the decision by one of its biggest nations, our own, to withdraw from the European Union altogether. A year ago, no one would have imagined that anybody would be turning to the Europeans for anything other than an object lesson in decline and fall.

But a year is a long time in geo-politics. Today, as the G20 assembles in Hamburg, it is the Europeans who are  along with China  the only ones providing any semblance of global leadership. The remarkable turnaround is down to two people.

The first is Donald Trump. His familiar complaint is that the USs Western allies have been freeloading on American largesse for too long, and taking the good folk of Michigan and Ohio for a ride. That has spurred the rest of the West into action. Not because they agree with Mr Trump but because they violently disagree with him. Since the US is no longer the defender of international free trade but the enemy, it has encouraged the EU to get its act together and work towards free-trade deals with other anxious friends such as Japan and Australia. Since the White House is now the destroyer of climate- change co-operation rather than the instigator, it has forced the Europeans to lead the global efforts to keep the Paris Agreement alive. European nations are spending more on defence not because the President asks them to step up, but because they fear America is stepping down.

Above all, the American President has reminded Europeans of the values they represent in the world: tolerance, liberalism and international co-operation. The G20s host today, Angela Merkel, is up for re-election in September. Look at her campaign and youll see she isnt running against Germanys social democrats; shes running against Trump.

The new European opportunity

The second person responsible for the restoration of European leadership is Emmanuel Macron. Other centrist candidates for the French presidency  and other centrist leaders in Europe  have felt the best way to beat the populists was to acknowledge and appease some of the their concerns, with anti-immigration rhetoric and nods to Euroscepticism. Not Monsieur Macron. He campaigned on an aggressively pro-European platform, openly advocating more integration with the creation of things such as a eurozone Treasury and collective debt instruments such as eurobonds.

The Eurocrats cannot believe their luck. After a depressing year since our referendum spent talking about how to stop the EU falling apart, they are now talking about how to make it much stronger. In the salons of Paris, Berlin and Brussels they hardly mention Brexit these days  its an inconvenient problem from the past when populism peaked. The conversation is now about the new European opportunity.

Where is Britain in all of this? Sidelined. How notable it has been that none of the big players at the G20, such as the Chinese or Indians, or even Mr Trump, wanted to stop off here on their way to Hamburg. They want to be where the global leadership is: on the continent of Europe, not on the island trying to leave it.
I t is still one of Londons largest building sites but the pioneering first residents of Battersea Power Station are now at least able to pop out for a pint of milk.

The tills at the first shop at the 9 billion regeneration of Sir Giles Gilbert Scotts masterpiece  a neighbourhood grocery store  began ringing today almost 34 years after the station generated its last watt of electricity.

Around 200 people have moved into apartments in the first phase of the scheme but until now had to make a 15-minute walk to a nearby petrol station if they ran out of basics.

The owner of the 6,500 sq ft shop, called the Battersea General Store, is local businessman Raj Bathia. He said he wanted to supply all of the everyday essentials but also the best of delicacies from around the world. There is also a deli counter.

The 39-year-old said: Ive lived in south-west and south-east London all my life and Ive always had businesses here, this seemed like the perfect opportunity. As an entrepreneur Ive been monitoring whats been going on for many years, all the activity all along Nine Elms. But for me the only one I was interested in was Battersea Power Station, that was the jewel in the crown. I cant think of any other developer who would take a risk with a company our size.

The store, opposite the vast western flank of the Grade II* listed cathedral of power, includes solid oak fittings and cost in the low single millions. It stocks about 5,000 lines from a 40p packet of salt and vinegar crisps to an 800 bottle of St Emilion Chateau Ausone.

He said pricing would be in line with high street chains because otherwise people will just come in to buy some speciality stuff every now and again and it wont be a success. Rob Tincknell, chief executive of the Battersea Power Station Development Company, said he had first met Mr Bathia when they were chatting in his previous store almost a decade ago.

He added: For years this site has lain dormant and empty. To see the first store open its doors to the public is a proud and special moment.
A burst pipe left a huge swathe of south London without water as temperatures soared to 27C in the capital.

The damaged main in Bromley Common left hundreds of homes across the borough and neighbouring Croydon without water.

Disgruntled residents took to social media to voice their concerns with many claiming vulnerable elderly people and babies would be left dehydrated.

Students at schools including Coopers Secondary School were forced to close.

Images posted on Twitter showed empty shelves in supermarkets after people rushed to buy bottled water.

One user wrote: STILL no water in BR7. I understand that it takes time to build up. Where's the emergency bottled water supplies?!

Another added on Facebook: I had to go and buy bottled water for my babies bottles.

One person wrote on Twitter: Have little kids and there is not a drop of water, supermarket water has been sold out.

Dramatic images showed deluges building on a busy junction which was sealed off by police for hours.

Videos posted by amused onlookers also showed revellers making the most of the flood by paddling in the water.

A statement posted on Thames Waters website just before 9pm read: Weve isolated the source of a burst water pipe on Bromley Common which caused loss of water supply to the area since lunchtime. You should start to see the water returning over the next couple of hours. Some customers are already telling us that they are back in supply.